《After Transmigrating, The Fat Wife Made A Comeback!》 Chapter 1 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios So dizzy! It wasnt just her head. Her entire body felt limp and soft as if she was lying in the clouds. Sigh, maybe it was because of the lack of good rest recently, and also it was the time of the month, leading to this dizzy feeling. More sleep should help. Qiao Mei comforted herself and closed her eyes again. But then the next moment! No, wait, why is there someone beside me? She widened her eyes and took a deep breath. As she moved her body slightly, she found herself in someones arms. The mans strong arm curved under her body and held her tightly. In the silence, she could almost hear the sound of a rhythmic heartbeat. Thump thump thump! When had Qiao Mei, who had been alone for more than twenty years, ever been hugged like this? A huge wave of feeling rose in Qiao Meis heart and her breathing became even more rapid. She tried her best to open her eyes and look around, but all she could see was darkness, as if nothing can be seen clearly. When her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she could barely make out her surroundings. It was an old-fashioned room with a muddy floor and a battered table set in the center. By the window was a faded dressing table with a large mirror glowing from the light. Qiao Mei frowned and looked at the person beside her. The mans entire face was covered by his messy hair and only the lower half of his face was vaguely showing through. However, his jawline was perfect and his side profile shone with a jade-like luster under the moonlight. What a beautiful man! What was going on? Who was this person? Am I dreaming? And a wet dream at that! When Qiao Mei thought of this, her entire face turned red. Even though she thought she was dreaming, she could still feel the burning sensation on her face. Who would have thought that after being alone for more than twenty years, my first ever wet dream would feature such a beautiful man. Is this compensation from the heavens? If that is the case, then your wish is my command. Qiao Mei reached out to touch the chest muscle of the man in front of her. The firmness she felt under her hand almost made her laugh out loud, she could feel his steady and strong heartbeat and his testosterone-filled breath spreading across his chest. What a good figure! The beautiful man felt the touch on his chest and let out a soft grunt of satisfaction. His voice was low and husky. Indeed, the heavens had taken pity on her, even this mans voice was to her liking. This was such a beautiful dream! I want to sleep in this dream forever. Qiao Mei couldnt help but let out a soft cry. However, she was caught by surprise the moment she heard her own voice. Whats going on? Even my voice has changed in my dream? This voice is so delicate and charming, and each spoken sentence is so sweet to the core, that probably even the most famous vixen in history cannot compete with it. This voice was too seductive! It would be great if I had this voice in reality. As she thought of this, she realized that the man who had his hands locked around her seemed to be waking up soon and was moving about in a daze. Qiao Mei stretched out her arm and firmly pulled the man into her embrace. Eh? The man seemed to be a bit dissatisfied. After struggling a few times, he let Qiao Mei do whatever she wanted. In the end, both of them were exhausted and fell asleep on the bed. The light from outside shone through the crack in the door and onto Qiao Meis face. As she opened her eyes slightly, some fragmented memories suddenly crashed into her brain like light. Scenes of events flashed past her eyes as if she had experienced them herself. My head hurts! After Qiao Mei sorted out the memories, she then realized that she had transmigrated. Furthermore, it was to the year 83, an era long ago. The name of the original owner of the body was also Qiao Mei. Her parents died when she was young and she had lived with her grandfather since then. Her grandfather took pity on her because she was an orphan and doted on her ever since she was young. She got gradually spoiled and from a young age, she had been crafty, greedy and lazy. Her body grew to become as fat as a ball, and coupled with her dark complexion, she looked like a black coal ball. When she reached the age of marriage, no one was willing to talk to her about making a match. As the days went by, her grandfather began to worry. Coincidentally, the old man was fretting in the house when he saw a handsome young man walk through the front door. The old mans eyes lit up and he secretly made up his mind to find a way to let his granddaughter marry the young man. Qiao Mei was even more embarrassed about it. After their conversation, she found out that this young man was the grandson of her grandfathers old comrade. The two of them eventually came to a consensus. After multiple glasses of liquor, the man collapsed over the table. Qiao Mei then took advantage of the intoxicated man and forced herself on him The next day, the man did not refuse to take responsibility for the incident and went with Qiao Mei to register their marriage straightaway. But after that, Qiao Mei never saw him again. She only received sums of money but he never came back. After 10 months like that, she gave birth to a pair of twins C a boy and a girl. And then her grandfather passed away. Without her grandfather, Qiao Mei had to do everything herself at home. In addition, she had to take care of the two children. The anger she held in her heart was easily ignited. She was jealous of her slender and beautiful cousin Qiao Yu who would appear in front of her from time to time. In her eyes, it was Qiao Yu who made her look so ugly in comparison. One day, just as she was deliberately pushing Qiao Yu, she slid down the slope herself. Her head happened to knock into a hard rock and she died on the spot. Sigh Qiao Mei exhaled and her eyes drooped. So transmigration really did exist. Why did it happen to her? But why was she transmigrated to this body that was fat and had such dark complexion? Why must the timing of the transmigration be last night? It was indeed satisfying to enjoy sex for a moment, but now that everything became real, it had become very scary. I actually forced myself on someone last night And this person is a handsome man? Wont he kill me when he wakes up? Thinking up to this point, Qiao Mei was on the brink of tears. The regret in her heart was so real that even the strong body lying next to her was no longer attractive to her. Oh heaven! Save me! Qiao Mei turned around, not daring to look at the man behind her. The flesh on her face trembled along with her movements, and her round shoulders shook a few times involuntarily. Xiao Mei, Xiao Mei, get up quickly. Your Aunt Wang specially came this morning. An aged voice suddenly came from outside the door, accompanied by the crisp tapping sound of a walking stick. Qiao Qiang led Matchmaker Wang in. However, Matchmaker Wang curled her lips indifferently and surveyed her surroundings. No one would want to marry this girl from the Qiao family even if they did not require a betrothal gift. With that big dark face and fat body, panting like an ox after a few movements, who would want to marry such a scourge? Even Wanger Mazi, a cripple who lived at the end of the village, would probably shake his head. However, Qiao Qiang had invited her over time and time again, as well as delivered staples of rice and noodles to her every few days. It would be unreasonable of her if she did not make this trip. Matchmaker Wang sighed. When the time came, she would just pass off a few old men as candidates and then leave it at that. Qiao Mei, who was in the room, suddenly sat up when she heard the exchange outside. After knowing the whole original story, she knew that she was now in a bad situation! Chapter 2 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios This scene was completely set up by Qiao Qiang and Qiao Mei. It was to prevent the handsome soldier from refusing to take responsibility. If now the two of them were seen in bed together, then there would be a witness! But the Qiao Mei who had transmigrated here really did not want things to get to this point. After all, she was the one who forced herself on him! Aunt Wang? Which Aunt Wang? That old hag Wang who refused to help find me a match and cursed me to be alone for the rest of my life? Qiao Mei yelled at the top of her lungs. Tell that old hag to get lost quickly. Dont dirty our house or Ill throw her out! Qiao Meis voice was usually soft and pleasant to the ears, but it was also the same voice that said those harsh words. Immediately, Matchmaker Wang gritted her teeth in anger and spat on the ground. She turned around and walked out without looking back. Qiao Qiang leaned on his walking stick with a puzzled look on his face. Surely this was not what they had discussed yesterday? Did something happen? Qiao Mei looked through the crack in the door and saw that Matchmaker Wang had left without looking back. She heaved a sigh of relief and relaxed. There was a tug on the blanket and Qiao Mei suddenly remembered that there was still someone behind her. She froze on the spot, feeling as though the gaze of the person behind her was going to pierce right through her. Oh my! This person has such an oppressive vibe! Qiao Mei reached out and grabbed the only blanket on the bed and covered herself entirely, hiding her head in it. Xia Zhe shifted his oppressive gaze away and quickly stood up from the bed. In no time, he had put on the clothes that were scattered on the floor. Qiao Mei continued to bury her face in the blanket, revealing only her round head. In the darkness of last night, there was no way to see her dark and chubby appearance at all. Now that it was daytime, if this handsome soldier saw the way she actually looked, wouldnt it leave him traumatized for life? Since she had already done something wrong, she should not create more trouble for others. Qiao Mei felt that she still had a strong sense of self-awareness. Xiao Mei! Xiao Mei! Qiao Qiang called out as he made his way over with his walking stick. Grandfather, dont come over yet! Qiao Mei yelled out immediately. As soon as she finished speaking, Qiao Qiang froze immediately and asked with a frown, Xiao Mei, whats wrong? Did he not treat you well? Xia Zhe, who was tidying up his clothes, paused when he heard this. His gaze stopped on his bruised forearm and he pursed his lips. I bullied her? At this moment, Qiao Mei was so embarrassed that she dug her fingers into the blanket. Didnt Qiao Qiang know what kind of person she was? Moreover, wasnt this what the two of them had secretly planned yesterday? Now that he said it so bluntly, it made it seem like the soldier had taken advantage of her. Its inconvenient for me right now, so dont come in first, Qiao Mei replied in annoyance. The current situation was really too terrible. Of all the times to transmigrate, why did it have to happen during such an awkward situation? It was so embarrassing! Okay, okay, okay! I wont come in I wont come in! Qiao Qiang was overjoyed that it seemed like everything was going smoothly. The only variable was that Matchmaker Wang did not come in handy, but it did not matter now. Qiao Mei continued to speak in a muffled voice under the blanket. Grandfather, Im hungry. Go buy some meat back! Qiao Qiang was even more delighted. Okay! Grandfather will go and buy it now! Itll be good nourishment for Xiao Mei! In this era, it was still a requirement to have meat coupons in order to buy meat. Meat coupons were a type of shopping permit and one must have the corresponding coupons to buy the corresponding items. However, all their meat coupons for this month had already been used up. Now that Xiao Mei wanted to eat meat, even if he had to suffer humiliation for it, he would still find a way to buy half a kilogram of meat for Xiao Meis nourishment. From now on, Xiao Mei would have a way out. This was a great thing! Qiao Qiang turned around with a smile, suddenly feeling much younger. He sauntered toward the door, leaning on his cane. Now he would have to hurry to get to the marketplace in town seven miles away to buy meat. If it got too late, it would be a difficult walk. The tapping of the old mans walking stick grew farther and farther away. Qiao Mei thought back and finally knew why her grandfather had set this up. Sigh Im sorry. Last night was my fault. I shouldnt have done that to you Qiao Meis voice was very low when she spoke. What? Youre sorry and thats all? The husky and mellow voice sounded from behind her. Qiao Mei, who had her head buried under the blanket, shook her head vigorously upon hearing this pleasant voice. This voice was really too pleasing to the ears, it was like a godsend for someone who appreciated nice sounds. If she could hear it every day how great would that be! If last night did not happen, they might have been able to become friends. Apologizing is indeed useless. Qiao Mei suppressed all her thoughts and said sincerely, I admit that its all my fault. If theres anything you want to do to appease your anger, you can go ahead! There was a hint of grievance in her soft voice. Coupled with what had happened between the two of them last night, it brought about a feeling of sympathy, like how a small animal that had been drenched in the rain could make ones heart melt. Hearing this voice, the indignation and complex emotions in Xia Zhes heart reduced by more than half. It seemed that she was just a little girl. She had only reached adulthood this year and still didnt know anything. Forget it, I wont be calculative anymore. After all, we are husband and wife now. Xia Zhes gaze stopped on the little girl who was curled up in the blanket. Although she was a little girl, her shoulders were thicker than his, her face more fleshy than his, her legs were thick and muscular and her looks were indescribable. But what happened last night, he was indeed forced at first. However, as it got later into the night, it would be shameless of him to say that he did not participate in or initiate the act. Ill give you some form of closure on this, Xia Zhe said. What? Qiao Mei was speechless. She did not throw a tantrum like the original owner of the body, nor did she force him to take responsibility and yet he still wanted to take responsibility! No, no, no! she replied. This whole thing is my fault. You dont have to give me closure, its all my fault and I beg for your forgiveness. You can vent your anger however you want. Really, its true! Although this man had registered their marriage with her in her past life, he had never returned after that. Wasnt he just making her a living widow? Besides, she had only met him once and had no feelings for him. Although she had been alone for more than twenty years in her other life, that was because of her own unwillingness. There was no need for her to give up the rest of her life just because of this one time, right? Xia Zhe was puzzled and stood rooted to the ground. In the end, Qiao Meis tone confirmed that she was telling the truth. However, didnt the two of them cook up this plan to make me take responsibility? Could it be that their goal was just to let Qiao Mei sleep with me for a night? Wasnt this too incomprehensible? Chapter 3 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The Matchmaker Wang from just now should be the witness that the two of them had prepared, for the purpose of making me acknowledge what had happened. Could it be that this woman in front of him did not want to marry me? Xia Zhes puzzled gaze slowly landed on Qiao Mei. Get dressed and leave quickly. If you stay any longer, you wont be able to catch the train to the city. Dont you have to rush back? Qiao Mei wanted to chase him away. Besides, youre not helping anything by staying here. I need to get up quickly and get to work. As soon as she finished speaking, she lifted the blanket and prepared to get up, revealing her muscular thighs. Xia Zhe let out a breath, averted his eyes and walked out. He finally went out. Qiao Mei sighed lightly and hurried to put on her clothes. But when she saw her pants, her eyes widened. Were such wide pants really for the 18-year-old girl who was the original owner of the body? One pant leg was enough to use as a skirt. Exactly how fat was she? Fortunately, the clothes of this era were all handmade. Otherwise, in the future, even large department stores would not have clothes in her size. Qiao Mei had to recall her past memories carefully to remember that her weight had already reached more than one hundred and ninety pounds. In that era where supplies were scarce, such a body figure would be rare not only in the entire village but even in the city. At the thought of this, she got out of bed and walked to the dressing table beside the bed. She took a few steps back before her entire body was reflected in the mirror. In an instant, the huge figure in the mirror shocked Qiao Mei. Oh my god, this was simply a bear! Her limbs were thick and muscular. As the original owner of the body had lived a rough life, her entire body was very tanned and her facial features were squeezed together by her fleshy face. Her hair was withered yellow and coarse, making her look extremely unkempt. Oh my, how ugly! Qiao Mei was now really on the brink of tears. She was going to cry from her own ugliness. Her voice alone was indeed delicate and charming, but she was really unbearable to look at. She was simply a black bear! The only presentable feature on her face were her eyes. Her dark eyes looked very bright and lively, and although her eyelashes were messy, they were long and perky. Still this would not help at all! Dong dong! Sounds of things being packed came from the courtyard. Xia Zhe had quickly packed up his things. He should not have stayed so long. Qiao Qiang was his grandfathers old comrade and the two of them had a close relationship, which is why he did not reject Qiao Qiangs fervent invitation to dinner. He never expected such a thing to happen. I have a mission to complete, so Ill head back first. Itll take about a month. Xia Zhe looked in the direction of the room and said, When Im done with my mission, Ill come back and give you and Grandpa Qiao closure on this. Ill report to the higher-ups about marriage plans. When he mentioned making the report about marriage plans, his tone was obviously a little gloomy. It was already dark when he came to the Qiao family house last night. There were no lights in the house so he could not see Qiao Mei clearly. However, with regard to her huge body, thick thighs, rough skin this matter was way beyond his expectations. He did not expect to have to marry such a person. I have no choice I must bear the responsibility. What? Report about marriage plans? Qiao Mei asked in surprise. She hurriedly ran to the door and wanted to reject him through the gap. No, no, no However, after she opened her mouth, she finally saw Xia Zhe through the gap in the door and she could not get another word out. Heavens! How could there be such a good-looking man with such a nice voice? He had sharp eyebrows and thin lips. Dressed in a military uniform, he looked very righteous. His clean and fair face was angular and coolly handsome, and his deep-set dark eyes were of a charming color. How handsome! His looks were so appealing to Qiao Mei. At that moment, she swallowed all the words she wanted to say and stood rooted to the ground. She did not know what to say and just stared at Xia Zhe blankly. Give me a month, Xia Zhe said before he turned around and left immediately. Qiao Mei looked at his back view as he left. Her original thought of not wanting to get married had vanished into thin air. She could not even open her mouth to reject him. Principles did not stand a chance against feelings of the heart. It could be decided later whether to get married or not. If he really did come, it could be discussed then. He might just forget about this matter in a few days so just let nature take its course. After Xia Zhe left, the whole place was empty except for Qiao Mei sitting on the bed absentmindedly. She was in a daze as she recalled what had happened since she transmigrated. Chapter 4 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios She had worked hard for more than 20 years and had a car and a house to show for it. Now that she had transmigrated all the way back to a starting point, she felt really indignant! The good thing was that when she was alive in her other life, her parents had passed away two years ago. She did not have any relatives or close friends who would feel sad about her death. Thinking about it carefully, there was nothing that she could not let go of. It was actually quite satisfying not to have to live a life as a stressed out employee Qiao Mei recalled her other life and lowered her head to look at her ample chest. This was the kind of bosom that she had dreamed of having, but now it did not seem like a good thing. She really did not have the fortune to enjoy good luck. Just sitting on the bed, she already felt like she could not breathe. Even her stomach was starting to growl. She looked through the window and saw a few stalks of vegetables sparsely planted in the courtyard. She swallowed her saliva and thought about eating them raw. Heavens! She used to be an exquisite city beauty. Now that she had transmigrated to this mountain village, she actually got to the point where she could not care less and even wanted to eat raw vegetables. No, Im going to change everything. There was a determined look in Qiao Meis eyes. She tried her best to stretch out and have a feel of her ample chest as she clenched her fists and encouraged herself by saying, I must lose weight successfully! Putting aside how others despised her appearance, even she herself could not stand this fat body. Thinking about weight loss, Qiao Mei recalled her past experience when she was in university. At that time, she had gone through a phase of overeating and overdrinking because of her ex-boyfriend cheating on her and found herself gaining more than thirty pounds. She was shocked when she saw herself in the mirror, and had to muster great determination before she managed to lose all that weight. The thing about losing weight is to eat less and exercise more. I can definitely do it! Qiao Mei quickly jumped down from the bed and cheered herself on loudly before pushing open the door and walking out of the house. The Qiao family house was a mud house with three small rooms. The kitchen and dining area were in the middle room while the two rooms on each side were occupied by her grandfather and her. The mud house was in shambles and looked like it could not withstand a strong wind. However, as Qiao Qiang was a retired soldier and enjoyed the welfare of the village, they would send people to repair the house every year so that at least it would not collapse. There were only a few pieces of furniture in the house, all tattered and barely usable. The entire house, including the floor and the tables, was covered in dust, making it look messy and dirty. The firewood in the kitchen was casually piled in a corner and the walls were just haphazardly smeared with layers of gluey paste. How dirty! This was no different from a pigsty! Qiao Mei frowned and checked the past memories. The original owner of the body was very fat and lethargic so there was no way she could clean the house. Qiao Qiang was old and his legs were not well so there was nothing he could do about it. No wonder She shook her head and walked out of the house. As soon as she stepped outside, she saw a spacious courtyard with an open view and surrounding it was a large field with fencing made out of straw bundles. At a glance, the dark soil looked very fertile. Unfortunately, it was early spring and there were no crops in the field. There were only a few sparse stalks of vegetables scattered on the ground. In the courtyard, there were a few small mounds with light greenery. Qiao Mei looked at the courtyard and could not help but smile. How good that I can also have my own land! Although Qiao Mei was totally a city dweller in her other life, she loved plants and yearned for a rural life. She really liked crops and vegetables. When she bought her house, she even topped up a few hundred thousand dollars to buy the ground floor unit with a yard to fulfill her dream of gardening. Whenever she was free, she would loosen the soil and plant vegetables to enjoy the joy of harvest. With her transmigration, she now had a large courtyard where she could cultivate all kinds of plants. It was really great to have one of her wishes come true! Ah! A huge smile blossomed on Qiao Meis lips. She opened her arms and took a deep breath before shouting, Lets get to work! As a city dweller, she naturally loved cleanliness and could not stand any filth and disorder in the house. Given that she had time now, she naturally had to clean up. When she was in the house earlier, she did not smell anything strange. Now that she was outside looking in, she realized that the house was filled with the smell of mold mixed with dust. How could anyone live in such conditions? Chapter 5 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei quickly walked into her room and excitedly lifted the blanket, all prepared to go all out with her cleaning plans. It was then that she saw the bright colored stain on the blanket. This was Oh right! Qiao Mei suddenly thought of a very important issue. Last night was her first time and according to her past memories, she got pregnant after this and then had a pair of twins. Oh my! Qiao Meis hand that was holding the blanket trembled as she opened her mouth in shock. Children? I actually have children? And twins at that! In her other life, after Qiao Mei found out that her ex-boyfriend had cheated on her, she never fell in love again. Following that, due to a car accident, she had to have her uterus removed and thereafter lost her right to be a mother. But now she would have children! Heavens, it was so hard to believe this is real. Thank you Heaven, thank you Guan Yin Bodhisattva, thank you God! For letting her have children of her own! Now that she had transmigrated, the children she was carrying in her womb were naturally hers. Thank the heavens! Qiao Mei knelt on the ground with a plop and clasped her hands in prayer. Since she was able to transmigrate in such a magical manner, then perhaps fatefully there was a scientific basis behind it. She had no choice but to believe it. As Qiao Mei raised her head, she caught a glimpse of a streak of green light. Eh? What is this? Following the green light, Qiao Mei reached out to flip the blanket and found a dark green pendant tied to a red string. The crystal clear gem that she was holding in her hand should be the rare imperial green jade. It looked like the type that was of great value and it felt very comfortable in her hands. There was a flash of light in her mind and she suddenly remembered that this pendant belonged to Xia Zhe. The strenuous activity between the two of them last night had caused the pendant to fall off accidentally. In her past memories, Xia Zhe seemed to have come back to look for it, but Qiao Mei refused to return it and the matter was left unsettled in the end. Later on when she was pregnant, she had completely no food left in the house and also ran out of money. Her cousin Qiao Yu had then come to find Qiao Mei and, after some coaxing and cajoling, bought the pendant for eight dollars. There was a gleam in Qiao Meis eyes as she remembered this part of her memories. Maybe the Qiao Mei of that time did not understand it, but the person now was someone who had been out in society for many years and this matter was definitely not as simple as it seemed. Her cousin Qiao Yu, had undergone a huge change in those few years. If she delved into the details, it seemed to have all started after obtaining this pendant. In just one year, she had gone from a country girl to a rare beauty. Later on, her cousin Qiao Yus family situation got better and better. In that era, her family was also the first to have big-ticket items like color television, refrigerator, washing machine and so on. Their days were flourishing. Before Qiao Mei died, Qiao Yus family had even bought a car and moved to the city. As she got to this point, Qiao Mei picked up something from her past memories. The original owner of the body had gone to look for Qiao Yu with a sum of money she received from Xia Zhe for her living expenses, with the intent of getting back the pendant. Qiao Mei had not expected Qiao Yu to treat her like a great enemy and kicked her out of the house. The next day, news of Qiao Yus family moving to the city had spread in the village. Qiao Mei completely lost contact with Qiao Yu and never saw this jade pendant again. The Qiao family had been born and raised in the countryside for several generations, so they naturally did not know anything about imperial jade or the like. This jade piece was at most worth a few thousand dollars, but at that time, the Qiao family had already become famous locally for being a ten-thousand-dollar household. Given that Qiao Yu had valued this pendant so much, it must be hiding some huge secret. Perhaps it was the artifact of a transmigrator! Thinking of this, Qiao Mei became really excited. She held the pendant and shouted, Pendant space! Enter! However, the pendant remained tightly held in her hand after she spoke. There was no change in her surroundings at all. Huh? What was going on? Could it be that this pendant did not have any special function? Qiao Mei felt a little disappointed. She looked at the pendant and examined it carefully. Could it be that it would only recognize its owners blood like in the legends? At this thought, Qiao Mei immediately walked to the kitchen and resolutely cut her finger with a knife. Blood instantly gushed out and dripped onto the pendant. In an instant, the pendant seemed to emit a green light. It happened so fast that Qiao Mei thought that she might have been hallucinating. Qiao Mei stood where she was and touched her head. She placed the pendant in her palm again and shouted, Space! Enter! However, everything still remained normal. Nothing happened! Hehe She rubbed her nose awkwardly and giggled. Her actions just now were indeed a little silly. Even if no one saw it, she still felt a little embarrassed. Forget it. Although it neither conjured up a space nor was it a perk for transmigrators, it was still a piece of imperial jade that could be exchanged for thousands of dollars. Chapter 6 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei examined the pendant carefully, but when she happened to glance at the wound on her finger, she was surprised to find that the wound was gone. Could it be that this pendant has healing properties? Qiao Mei carefully observed the changes in her body as she tried to take a few steps. After a while, her eyes lit up with pleasant surprise when she discovered that the jade pendant had an unusual function. When she walked out of the house earlier, she could feel herself panting after a few steps. But when she walked to the kitchen now, she did not feel any discomfort the whole way. There was no longer any pressure on her chest and her breathing had become smooth. Wound healing? Strengthening the body? Qiao Mei smiled slightly. It was good that this jade pendant had this function, it could protect her life and save her from worrying about her obesity causing other illnesses. She stood there and studied it for a while before finally confirming that this jade pendant indeed had the effect of strengthening ones body. She secured the rope holding the pendant and hung it around her neck before starting to clean up the room. It was time to start work! She first cleared out the unwanted items in the room and threw away the pile of trash, leaving behind an empty room. Only a bed and a bedside table were left in the room. Qiao Mei took out all the clothes piled up by the bed and threw them into the big basin in the courtyard. Then, she picked up the broom to clean up all the dirty corners and used a cloth to wipe the dust off all the tables and cabinets. Even the only glass surface was polished to a shine. When Qiao Qiang got home, Qiao Mei was doing her best to wash the dirty clothes in the big basin. He was stunned on the spot and dared not believe that the person washing the clothes was Qiao Mei. He blinked his eyes and looked at the scene in front of him. What was going on? The person in front of him was indeed his granddaughter, but what she was doing did not seem like something she would do. Qiao Qiang gripped his walking stick tightly and asked tentatively, Mei Mei? Hearing this voice, Qiao Mei stopped and looked up at her grandfather. Seriously? Based on how this body looked, how could he call out the name Mei Mei1 so naturally? She was dark and fat, and there is no part of this body that can relate to the term beautiful. If outsiders heard him, they would think that he was calling out to a pretty young lady. However, Qiao Mei also knew that in her past life, he was indeed the only person in the world who truly and sincerely treated her well, almost to the extent of giving in to her every whim. Qiao Qiang was a veteran who had an honorable discharge from the army and had received all kinds of medals. Even though he was retired now, he was still drawing a salary from the country. By the year 73, his salary had already hit 60 dollars. Every month, there were also various subsidies given by the village which were not even available to city workers. However, Qiao Qiang had used all of this on the original owner of the body. That was how he raised the original owner of the body into a Black Bear Spirit. Aiyo, Mei Mei! Whats going on? Why are you suddenly washing your clothes? Qiao Qiang quickly made his way into the courtyard with his walking stick. He knew his own granddaughters temperament the best. It was impossible for her to be washing clothes. Given that she was washing such a big basin of clothes, had she been agitated by something? Could it be that she wanted to leave a good impression on Xia Zhe? Alright! That would be great! He was still afraid that Xia Zhe would dislike Qiao Mei as the person she was. It would be great if she was willing to make changes. At this thought, Qiao Qiang smiled and said, Mei Mei, look. Grandfather has bought the meat. Once the meat is cooked later, you and Xia Zhe should nourish yourselves well. As he spoke, he shifted his gaze towards the house. The moment he caught sight of it, he was shocked. The three rooms looked so different that he could barely recognize them. The originally dusty floor had become spotless and the only piece of glass had been wiped clean. The table was clean with two teacups and a teapot sitting on it. However, he did not see Xia Zhe. Where is Xia Zhe? Qiao Qiang frowned. There was a sharp gleam in his turbid eyes, revealing a fierce aura that made people scared to look at him directly. As expected from a veteran from the battlefield! Domineering! Mighty! Qiao Mei could not help but take a deep breath, feeling respect for this crippled veteran in front of her. Now that she was in this body, the twins in her stomach were hers, this grandfather was naturally also hers. Grandfather, dont just stand outside. Youve walked such a long distance, let me help you inside to take a rest! Qiao Mei stood up and wiped her hands on her clothes. She took the meat from his hands and helped him into the house. Chapter 7 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei helped her grandfather into the house and poured some water into the clean teacup. Based on her past memories, her grandfathers body was exhausted and he was about to pass away. She only had these few months left to show her filial piety. Qiao Qiang blankly took the water that was offered to him and stared at the clean table and spotless floor in front of him. Qiao Mei knew in her heart that it was because she had made too big a change to herself, leaving him unable to react. The original owner of the body never had a kind face towards this elderly relative of hers. She would scream and shout all day long, pulling a long face from time to time, as if her grandfather was her enemy. Grandfather, Ive grown up. I didnt do well in the past, but now I want to change. I hope that from today onwards, everything will be renewed! Qiao Mei looked at her grandfathers eyes and sincerely said to him. Ah! Okay! Okay! When Qiao Qiang heard this, tears welled up in his eyes. He lowered his head and drank water to hide his emotions. Drink slowly, dont scald yourself. Ah! Good, good, good! Im fine! Qiao Qiang swallowed the water and nodded repeatedly. However, he quickly realized that something was wrong and asked, What about him? Wheres Xia Zhe? He had a mission, so he left first, Qiao Mei explained. What? He left just like that? He didnt say anything? Grandpas eyes widened instantly, looking fierce. Grandfather what else do you want him to say? Qiao Mei sat by the side and said slowly, In the first place, we are the ones in the wrong. We are already very lucky that he doesnt pursue the matter. But but He looked at Qiao Mei, whose dark face reflected the light in the room. Then he thought of Xia Zhe, who would be considered a good catch, and there was no way he could say that his granddaughter was taken advantage of. But if you dont marry him, how are you going to survive in the future? You dont know how to cook and you dont know how to do farm work! We can only keep this house because Im still here. When I die, Qiao Zhuangs family will definitely snatch the house away. Im afraid that you will even be sold to a fool! Qiao Zhuang was Qiao Qiangs younger blood brother, but Qiao Zhuang was sent to live with another family when he was young so he was not close to Qiao Qiang. The foster family just left Qiao Zhuang to grow up on his own. Qiao Zhuang got used to being tyrannical in the village and now, one generation later, his son was even more disrespectful and unscrupulous. If not for the fact that he was still around, no one knew what that family would be capable of doing. Once he was gone, Qiao Zhuangs family would definitely not let Qiao Mei off. This house and this piece of land would become theirs. It would not be a problem if they just took the house. He was afraid that they would sell Qiao Mei into the mountain area as a companion for an idiot. I heard gossip in the village that they are looking for a husband for you in the mountain area. If you dont find someone to rely on when Im still alive, youll be doomed once I die. Qiao Qiang got so worked up that he gasped and spat out a mouthful of blood on the floor. Grandfather! Qiao Meis eyes widened. She quickly stood up to walk to her grandfathers side and said calmly, Grandfather, dont be anxious. I didnt tell you the truth just now. Actually, he said he would come and marry me in a month! He did? Really? Qiao Qiang quickly asked. Its true, its true! Qiao Mei nodded quickly and then pointed at the jade pendant on her neck. Its definitely true. If you dont believe me, look at this jade pendant on my neck. Its the keepsake he left behind! Qiao Qiang shifted his gaze to the piece of jade. It was crystal clear and suffused with a faint green glow. It was obviously something nice. He had roamed the world for half his life, so he was still able to judge things for what they were. Did you steal this? Qiao Qiang asked hesitantly. Grandfather, do you think Im someone who would steal things? With Qiao Qiangs retirement salary, he was the richest person in the village. He never treated Qiao Mei poorly when it came to her sustenance. It was impossible that the original owner of the body would steal anything. Thats right, thats right! Our Mei Mei has never taken anything from anyone else! Qiao Qiangs eyes disappeared into a smile as he thought of this, seemingly proud of himself. Its all grandfathers fault! I shouldnt have doubted our Mei Mei! Grandfather, dont worry. From today onwards, I will work hard to change. If I dont know how to do farm work, I will learn. I will also learn how to cook. I will definitely not be worse than other peoples daughters! Yes, yes, yes! In the past, Mei Mei was just too lazy to learn. As long as Mei Mei made up her mind, she would definitely be better than other girls. Lets see who dares to belittle our Mei Mei in the future. Qiao Qiang grinned, his face filled with relief and hope. Chapter 8 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Qiang heaved a sigh of relief. Xia Zhe agreeing to marry his granddaughter would fulfill one of his wishes. The Xia family was of good moral standing and would not go back on their words. Qiao Mei nodded and said, Grandfather, please sit here for a while. Ill go cook now. Well be able to eat soon! Hesitation flashed across Qiao Qiangs eyes. At this point in time, there was not much food left at home. Usually they would have to reduce their food intake during this time of the month. He had to eat less to ensure that there was enough to last his granddaughter until next month. As if Qiao Mei can cook? Isnt it just wasting food? He was unable to say these words out loud though. After all, this was the first time Qiao Mei volunteered to do the cooking. Okay, you go then. Qiao Qiang sighed and forced the words out. Im not too hungry yet. You can just make some for yourself. Okay! Qiao Mei immediately nodded and went to the kitchen to cook. Xia Zhe was standing outside the door when he heard this and his eyes flashed with understanding. So that is how it is He was halfway through his journey when he felt that something was wrong. When he touched his neck, he realized that the pendant he had been wearing since young was gone. Hence, he immediately came back to look for it. The pendant was a family heirloom passed through the generations, so it was a very important thing. When he came back and got to the door, he heard someone from the Qiao family talking so he stopped to listen. He did not expect to hear the whole story. So this was the truth of the matter. Grandpa Qiaos health was failing and he might pass away very soon, leaving Qiao Mei alone in the world and being targeted by greedy relatives. This was why he came up with this awful plan! In the end, Qiao Mei actually changed her mind and did not want to drag him down It seems that this woman still has some kindness in her. By now, most of the indignation and resentment in Xia Zhes heart had dissipated. Never mind, let her keep this pendant! Back when his grandmother gave him the pendant, she said that it was for her future granddaughter-in-law. In any case, he would have to give it over sooner or later, so he would not take it back now. With this thought, Xia Zhe turned around and left immediately. Qiao Mei walked out of her grandfathers room and went to the kitchen located in the middle. The big rice jar came into sight once she pushed the door open. She walked up and looked inside, only to find that there was not much rice left. The remaining rice in the jar was only half a palm deep. Beside the rice jar, there were two heads of shriveled white cabbages and a single carrot with mud on it. This was all the food left in the kitchen. Qiao Mei recalled her past memories. Most of her memories were about eating, and on the 15th day of every month, she would feast most happily. At that time, there would always be an abundance of meat and vegetables. The middle of every month was when Qiao Qiang received his retirement salary and on that day, he would go to the city to buy food and vegetables. Actually, both of them would receive food distributed by the village as well as get a share of vegetables. However, given Qiao Meis appetite, what they received was far from enough for her to eat. It was also because of Qiao Qiangs indulgence towards his granddaughter that he would go to the city every month to spend money on vegetables and meat. There were still a few days to go until the 15th of the month and there was already insufficient food and vegetables at home. As usual, Qiao Qiang had been going hungry for the past few days so that the original owner of the body had enough to eat. Qiao Mei squatted down to start the fire and sighed. Grandfather is really too nice! She actually ran into such a good grandfather! Lighting a fire, washing the pot, washing the rice, washing the vegetables. Qiao Mei was good at all these chores. After all, she used to live alone. She had always been very interested in the countryside. Every weekend, she would go camping in the wilderness, so she was quite good at lighting fires and cooking over it. Qiao Qiang was a little worried. He slowly made his way out with his walking stick and saw his granddaughter busying herself in front of him. She actually seemed to be doing well, she just went about her work quietly without any complaints. He held back his emotions and quickly wiped the tears from the corner of his eyes. His Mei Mei had finally grown up and become sensible! In a rural kitchen, there were usually two stoves. One was used for cooking while the other was used for preparing animal feed. In the countryside, almost every household would raise livestock and poultry like pigs, chickens, ducks, and so on. It was only this year that they did not have any due to Qiao Qiangs poor health. Qiao Mei washed the two pots until they were spotlessly clean, not caring what the pots were previously used for. She took one pot and cooked porridge with it over a small fire. The other pot was used to make the other dishes. First, she cut the carrot and washed the cabbages clean. Then, she fried the carrot in oil, stewed the cabbages and put in a few slices of pork belly.. Instantly, a delicious aroma filled the air. Chapter 9 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Growl! Qiao Meis stomach started growling. When she saw the food in the pot and smelled the aroma, she almost drooled. It was the same for Qiao Qiang. He gulped at the delicious smell coming from the pot. After walking so far to buy meat, he was already feeling hungry. His culinary skills were only so-so. The dishes he made were edible and nearly not as fragrant as the food in the pot now. Qiao Mei was not picky though and she liked to eat everything. Otherwise, she would not have grown so fat. The food is ready. Grandfather, come and eat! Qiao Mei shouted. She filled up Qiao Qiangs bowl with porridge served with a large plate of side dish, while she had a bowl of diluted porridge and a small plate of side dish. Qiao Qiang looked at the food in front of him and looked at Qiao Mei suspiciously. Were the bowls put in the wrong place by mistake? Mei Mei, is this bowl yours? Qiao Qiang said as he reached out to swap the bowls. No, no, this bowl is yours. I want to lose weight starting today! I have to control my mouth and not eat too much, Qiao Mei said. What? Lose weight? Qiao Qiang was stunned. The phrase lose weight was foreign to him. In this era, it was considered good for a person to be able to put on a few pounds. Who would want to lose weight? Besides, people of that time generally thought that being a little plump was a sign of wealth and fortune. Grandfather, dont you think I should lose some of the fat on my body? Besides, it is so ugly to look like this, Qiao Mei asked him back with a worried expression. Qiao Qiang smacked the table and a cold glint flashed across his eyes. Who dares to say that youre ugly? Qiao Mei let out a soft sigh. If the stocky build of this body was not considered ugly, then what was ugly? Grandfather really doted on her too much! Xia Zhe said that such a figure isnt suitable to have children. She had no choice but to continue talking. Qiao Qiang was stunned speechless when he heard this. He hes not happy with you? Qiao Qiang narrowed his eyes and asked. Sister Qiao sighed again. How could he be happy with such a figure? Only this elderly man who is truly good to me does not despise me. Thats all there is. Its not whether hes happy with me or not. Anyway, he already said that he wants to marry me and we will have to get married no matter what. But I really have to lose weight, otherwise if I really cant give birth because of my obesity, that would be terrible. In her past life, she did not know how the original owner of the body managed to give birth to twins with this body. She was really too lucky. However, thinking back, the pair of twins really did fall sick often. They were thin and looked pitiful. Although she ate a lot, it did not mean that the children would definitely be able to absorb the nutrients. Even if it was just for the sake of the two children, she had to start losing weight now. Thats right, thats right! Having a child is a big deal. With a child, you will have someone to rely on in the future. At least you wont get sold off. Qiao Qiang finally nodded his head in agreement. However, given the way he doted on his granddaughter, she could say whatever she wanted and he would not object to anything. After reaching a consensus, they finally picked up their chopsticks and began to eat. As soon as Qiao Qiang put the food into his mouth, his eyes lit up. This dish is really delicious. Our Mei Mei is indeed the smartest, learning how to cook immediately! Grandfather has never eaten such delicious food before! As long as grandfather likes it! Qiao Mei felt that her grandfather was just giving her encouragement and did not think that her cooking skills were good at all. After all, when her grandfather was a soldier, he used to report to some big-shot. He had gone places with the big-shot and dined at all kinds of restaurants. The culinary skills of those top chefs were definitely better than hers. She knew her own limits. There was no way that she could match up to those people. However, when she put the food in her mouth, she also got a shock. It was not just her grandfather, she also had never eaten such delicious food before. In her other life, she had not only dined at five-star restaurants within the country, but also tasted the best dishes of world-class restaurants. Yet, she had never before eaten anything more delicious. It seemed like they were not just eating cabbages and carrots, but cabbages and carrots that had become magical beings. Probably only magic could make it taste so good? How is this possible? Qiao Mei looked at the dishes on the plate carefully and muttered softly. No matter how she looked, the dishes were just the most ordinary dishes. She did not put in a lot of effort just now, she had just stewed them in a casual manner and only added salt as seasoning. The issue was probably not about the vegetables. After all, it was not like her grandfather had not eaten cabbages and carrots from the kitchen before. Chapter 10 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In the flash of an eye, Qiao Mei suddenly thought of the pendant on her neck. Could it be that the power of the pendant could make food taste better? Forget it, forget it, its more important to eat first. I will study it later. The pendant allowed her to walk around without feeling breathless and her chest no longer felt stuffy. However, her stomach was feeling especially uncomfortable from the hunger. She felt as if her stomach was now totally empty, that she was so ravenous it felt as though she could swallow an elephant. The original owner of the body had a huge appetite. Every meal, she would eat one big bowl after another. A small bowl of rice was just like a drop in the ocean for her. Logically speaking, such a small bowl of rice would not be enough for her, yet Qiao Mei felt very comfortable after finishing the rice in the bowl. Her whole body felt full of energy, as if she had eaten some kind of elixir tonic. Whats going on? Could it be that the food she made had some special power? Next to her, Qiao Qiang had already finished all his food.. Its so delicious. and my stomach feels so good. I havent felt this comfortable in a long time. Qiao Qiang sighed as he rubbed his belly. It had been such a long time since he ate so comfortably. Seeing the satisfaction in Qiao Qiangs face, Qiao Mei couldnt help her eyes from turning red as she almost teared. Qiao Qiang had gastric problems that had reached the stage of being untreatable. The doctor had suggested that he should make use of this period of time to make preparations for his own funeral. It was indeed rare for him to be able to have a meal so comfortably. Qiao Mei felt that he got sick because of the original owner of the body. He pampered her so much and went hungry often, it was likely that his illness was caused by not having regular meals. Let me pay for the sins of the original owner of the body. She made a promise that she would cook for her grandfather every day from now on and would try her best to help him nurse back his health. Qiao Mei quickly put away the used crockery and cutlery and continued towards the courtyard to wash the clothes in the big basin. After hanging out the clothes to dry, she walked out of the courtyard. She had wanted to talk to Qiao Qiang about it but when she opened the door, she saw that Qiao Qiang had fallen asleep near the fireplace and was snoring away. This was such a rare sight. She knew that Qiao Qiang had been suffering from his illness for a long time and was hardly able to have a good nights sleep. Usually, he would not be able to sleep for more than two to three hours a day and it was taking a toll on his body. Qiao Mei covered him with a blanket and walked out softly. After that, she wanted to find a quiet place with no one around so she walked towards the mountain area behind the house. She felt something different the moment she stepped into the mountain area. As soon as she entered the mountain forest, she felt a sense of comfort. It was as if she was lying down and basking in the sun. It was so comfortable that she wanted to stretch out, feeling like there were gusts of warm wind blowing towards her. More accurately, the wind was coming for the jade pendant on her neck. Then through the jade pendant, the energy was transferred to her limbs and her entire body. The deeper she went into the mountains, the clearer the feeling became. The energy level got stronger and stronger and shot towards her like streaks of light while threads appeared in the air. And at the other end of the threads were actually the various plants in the forest. What a great treasure! So this was the reason why in her past life, Qiao Yu had protected this treasure with all her might. In this life, no matter what, she would not let anyone snatch it away again. This was also Xia Zhes possession! However she felt a little sorry for Xia Zhe. Maybe he could consider this jade pendant his gift to his future children. It was only right for her to take it! Qiao Mei stayed in the forest for an entire afternoon before she had a vague understanding of the function of the jade pendant. This jade pendant could absorb the energy of plants, transferring this energy to its owner and before finally transferring a portion of the energy out. The energy that was released was purified, which made it seem more like essence. When the plants absorbed this energy, they grew more lushly. This was such a very favorable cycle. As the owner of the jade pendant, she had direct control over it and could choose the target to absorb the energy. Qiao Mei used her mind to control the jade pendant to absorb the energy of a wild vegetable seedling in the ground, preparing to exchange energy levels with it. But unexpectedly, after just three seconds, the wild vegetable shot up half a meter high and slapped her in the face. Heavens! Qiao Mei was shocked and quickly retreated to dodge it. In just a few seconds, the wild vegetable started to bloom, bore fruit which scattered the ground with seeds and then withered. So that was how it was. Even with the pendants energy, the laws of nature must still be followed. Chapter 11 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei was a little disappointed but she soon felt relieved. It was also a good thing to adhere to the laws of nature. Otherwise, if she could make plants immortal, then as the owner of the jade pendant, she would continue to absorb energy and remain young. Then wouldnt she be taken to the laboratory to be dissected alive? Besides, even if she was immortal, wouldnt it be sadder if she had to send her friends and family off time after time? On second thought, Qiao Mei felt very lucky. When she saw the seeds that had scattered on the ground, Qiao Meis eyes instantly lit up. At the speed at which this plant grew, wouldnt she be rich if she planted something? This was practically a treasure tailor-made for her! It was more useful than a portable space. So what if she was given a space? It would always be smaller inside the space than outside and it also would not satisfy her desire to grow many plants. The function of this jade pendant was better! Were rich, were rich! Qiao Mei cried out excitedly and started experimenting with other plants. She found another tree and focused her thoughts on it. The sprouts on the tree branch started to grow at a speed that shocked Qiao Mei and she quickly ended the experiment. She then picked a small wild strawberry seedling. After focusing on it for a few rounds, the ground was filled with red strawberries. They were very eye-catching and smelled really fragrant. She took a bite and the fresh and delicious taste made her whole body feel comfortable. This fruit had the unique sweet smell of strawberries as well as an additional hint of freshness. This was simply a magic fruit! The fragrance was simply too tempting to Qiao Mei. She only remembered that she was supposed to lose weight after eating a big bunch of them, so she resisted the urge and found a large branch to dig up a hole to bury all the fallen fruits. It was still early spring, so the appearance of these fruits could raise suspicion in anyone who saw them. Delicious! Delicious! Suddenly, a voice appeared in Qiao Meis mind. Whos there? What is it? I want more, I want more! A voice came from the strawberry bushes that had grown to her knees and had waving leaves. Are you the one speaking? Qiao Mei probed. Yes! Its me! I want more! The leaves in the strawberry bushes continued to wave. Qiao Mei froze on the spot. Why was this plant so different from what she had seen before? How could it speak? Was this also a function of the jade pendant? Then why didnt the other plants speak? Qiao Meis eyes lit up. She thought that it might be because this plant had exchanged a lot of energy, resulting in high spirituality so it could speak. If other plants exchanged less energy, it would be difficult for them to resonate. She picked up a nearby bush and tried again and she found that it was the same thing. After a few moments, fruits fell from the bushes and it shouted, I want more, I want more! Okay, okay, okay. Qiao Mei answered casually and buried its fruits in the soil. Then, she used mind control to absorb the energy of the strawberry plant and bush in front of her, allowing the two trees to return to their original state. In a moment, the two trees quickly became bare again, blending in with the trees beside them. There was nothing that looked out of place at all. They stopped yelling and looked aggrieved. Qiao Mei skipped down the mountain happily. When she reached home, she found two people standing in the courtyard. Two middle-aged women stood in the field, both of them holding hoes used for weeding. The woman with the cleaner clothes stood to the side giving instructions while the other woman, dressed in dusty clothes, bent over to work. Qiao Mei stood at the door and was stunned for a moment. She had to recall her past memories to remember who these two people were. The one who was dressed more nicely was Third Grandpa Qiao Zhuangs eldest daughter-in-law, Liu Ying. The one with tattered clothes was his second daughter-in-law, Jiang Ye. Seeing them, Qiao Mei thought of Qiao Zhuangs family. Qiao Zhuang was Qiao Qiangs younger brother. He was sent to a relatives house when he was young but that family did not discipline him properly, which resulted in Qiao Zhuangs arrogant and domineering personality. When he was young, he forcefully married a woman who then gave him three sons. The eldest son was called Qiao Fu, the second son Qiao Gui, and the third son Qiao Wang. After that, Qiao Zhuang had another two daughters who ended up being sent away the moment they were born. After a few years, he had another two more sons, their names were Qiao Qiang and Qiao Gang. Lastly, he had his youngest daughter, Qiao Yu, whom he kept by his side. Qiao Mei could not help but laugh as she thought of the Qiao family. Chapter 12 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Hey, Mei Mei, youre back? Qiao Zhuangs eldest daughter-in-law shouted. The way she called Mei Mei carried a different tone, as if she was mocking her. Qiao Mei did not even bother to look at them. She walked through the door, past the courtyard and prepared to enter the room. This was how the original owner of the body treated Qiao Zhuang and his family, like she could not be bothered. Eh, whats so smelly? The Qiao second daughter-in-law covered her nose and shouted. The Qiao eldest daughter-in-law also smelled it. She took out a handkerchief from her pocket and covered her nose, then she looked at Qiao Mei with disdain. Youre already an adult, but did you soil your pants? Why do you smell so bad? Actually, Qiao Mei could also smell the odor coming from her body. Every time she used the jade pendant to absorb a plants energy, her body seemed to get purified and some dirt and grease in her body would surface. After an entire afternoon, her whole body was already stinking . The smell was really awful. Otherwise, she would not have rushed home. Qiao Mei continued to ignore them. After entering the house, she went to boil water to take a bath. However, Qiao Zhuangs eldest daughter-in-law refused to give up. She stood at the door and nagged, Mei Mei, youre already an adult yet youre still soiling your pants like a three-year-old. If outsiders find out about this, I cant imagine how they are going to laugh at you. Its so embarrassing. After she finished talking, she seemed to find it so funny that she stood at the door and laughed non-stop. She planned to go to the village later to gossip with other people about this. Qiao Qiangs granddaughter was almost 18 years old but she was still soiling her pants. Hahahahahaha! The Qiao second daughter-in-law, who was not very clever, also stood at the side grinning foolishly. Qiao Qiang heard the laughter outside and his face turned black. He walked out and stared at them pointedly while Qiao Mei continued to boil water in the kitchen as if there was no one around. The Qiao eldest daughter-in-law laughed a few times but stopped when she felt Qiao Qiangs terrifying glare. Only the second daughter-in-law stood at the side and continued giggling non-stop. What are you guys doing at my house? Qiao Qiang asked with a displeased expression. By now, the brainless second daughter-in-law seemed to sense that the atmosphere was not too right and stopped laughing. Eldest Uncle. The eldest daughter-in-law smiled embarrassedly. Isnt it already the beginning of spring? Your familys field is still all empty. Its too much of a pity so were here to help loosen the soil. Is this something you would do? How could you be so kind? Qiao Qiang mocked. The eldest daughter-in-law had an awkward expression on her face, but then she thought that since the old man was about to die, it was not a big thing to be chided by him. It was more important to occupy his land when he was gone. This piece of land was located in a mountainous region. It was not easy to develop a piece of land in such an area so it would be great to be able to get one that was ready for use. You should hear yourself. If you dont believe me, you can go and ask around. Who doesnt praise me in and around this village? Hehe, who in the village dares to talk about you? If anyone dares to say that Qiao Zhuangs family isnt good, their house will be burned down and snatched away! Qiao Qiang said. When the eldest daughter-in-law heard this, she did not feel ashamed at all but looked proud instead. There was a smug look on her face. Their family had many sons and they were thriving. There was nothing others could do even if they were envious! No more talking, no more talking, lets go to the fields! The eldest daughter-in-law ignored Qiao Qiang and turned around to drag the second daughter-in-law to get to work. Everyone knew that Qiao Qiang had gastric problems. Even the doctors in the city said that he would not be able to live for long. If they were to loosen the soil, remove the weeds and sow the seeds, wouldnt the field eventually belong to them? Qiao Qiang stood at the door and tapped the walking stick in his hand, feeling miserable. These people are bullying him because he is sick. In the past, they would not dare to talk to him like this. Now that he is about to die, he is unable to subdue them anymore. They already dare to behave like this whilst he is still alive. Once he is gone, then Qiao Mei Qiao Qiang looked at Qiao Mei with pity, not bearing to have to part with her. Qiao Mei looked at the scene in front of her and recalled what had happened before. Now, she could see the reason why the two of them were so eager to render help. Or rather, it was not their intention but Qiao Zhuangs. Bah! How shameless. Grandfather, help me keep an eye on the fire in the stove. Im going out to deal with them now! Without another word, Qiao Mei picked up a wooden stick and walked out. Qiao Qiang nodded and walked into the house to watch over the fire. He was not worried that his granddaughter would be at a disadvantage. This granddaughter had been strong since she was young and had a tough personality. She had never let herself fall into a disadvantageous position when fighting with others. Qiao Qiang laughed coldly. These two people were so eager to take over his land that they had forgotten the kind of person his Mei Mei was. Chapter 13 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Seeing Qiao Mei running towards them with a wooden stick in her hand, Big Auntie Qiao and Second Auntie Qiao suddenly remembered that this granddaughter was not one to be bullied. The two of them had not fought with Qiao Mei for too long and had forgotten about it. Goodness, what do you think youre doing? they shouted, picking up their hogs as they retreated. Qiao Mei drove the wooden stick in her hand into the ground and said with a glare, You two dont need to worry about my familys land. Her aura was strong, but her voice was weak and she sounded more like she was acting coquettishly. Fortunately, her body was dark and fat, making her look quite formidable. Otherwise, not only would the two people not be frightened by her, they would even laugh. Big Auntie Qiao remembered that she was punched in the back by this girl a few years ago and the spot still felt painful now. They cannot use force, they can only use their wits. Youre such a stubborn child. We didnt say that this isnt your home. Its just that your land is empty now, so Aunt came to help you loosen the soil. Nothing grows in my land in spring every year but you only come to plow this year. You didnt see the same thing last year? Are you blind? You wretched girl, why are you talking to your aunt like this? Big Auntie Qiao did not like it when people talked back to her like this and got a little angry. Dont think that I dont know what youre thinking. If you come over to plow now, later you will come over to sow the seeds. After that, wouldnt it be easy for you to just take over the land? By then, wont grandfather and I need your permission to eat the vegetables from the land? Big Auntie Qiao was surprised to hear this. She did not expect this girl to be able to see through their intentions. It was not as if they could be blamed for this. If there was anyone to blame, it would be that Qiao Qiangs place was too attractive. As Qiao Qiang was an old war hero, the piece of land that the village gave to his family was one of the largest in the village and the land was flat and fertile. The courtyard of her house wasnt even half as big as Qiao Qiangs, yet it had to cater to ten people. It was just not enough! By the time they finished plowing the land and sowing the seeds, Qiao Qiang would be dead. The vegetable harvest and the land around the courtyard would all be theirs. Even if the courtyard was not given to them, the vegetables in the courtyard should not be harvested by other people right? However, she could not say her thoughts out loud. Big Auntie Qiao said unwillingly, How can that be? The land is yours, naturally you can eat whatever you want here. Were just here to help loosen the soil. Theres no need for you to put on an act. Qiao Mei pulled out her wooden stick and stood on the land in front of them, saying, You guys can level the ground here right now. Dont think that you can come over to pick vegetables later by pretending to loosen the soil now. Qiao Zhuangs family had always been unreasonable and shameless. She wanted to block off any chance of them ever coming over to harvest the vegetables. Auntie Qiao looked surprised. Good grief, this girl even thought of this point It could not be Qiao Qiang guiding her, so it appeared that she was actually quite smart. Even Qiao Qiang, who was watching over the fire in the kitchen, listened to Qiao Meis words in surprise. His granddaughter had grown up suddenly! Seeing that the two people were still standing where they were, Qiao Mei rushed up with her wooden stick. Why arent you leaving? Do you want to fight with me? My wooden stick doesnt have eyes! She was so strong that when she swung the wooden stick, it made an intimidating whooshing sound. Big Auntie Qiao and Second Auntie Qiao were scared out of their wits and did not dare to say anything else. They quickly picked up the hoes and did as they were told. Soon, they had leveled all the soil they previously dug up. As she walked out of the door, Big Auntie Qiao turned her head around and stared at Qiao Mei. She scolded angrily in a low voice, Wretched girl, Ill let you show off now. Youll get what you deserve later. Qiao Mei did not look at them anymore. She walked into the house and said, Is the water ready, grandfather? Yes, yes. Okay, okay. Im going to take a bath now. Qiao Mei swiftly moved the large basin in the courtyard into her room and took a clean towel with her. It was a simple and crude setup at the house, there was neither a bathroom nor a bathtub. What she was using was the big basin she had used to wash clothes. After filling the basin with water, Qiao Mei closed the room door. She stood in the basin and used a towel to repeatedly wipe off all the dirt on her body. It would have to do for now. When she had money in the future, she would build a big house and then she would have her own bathroom. After slowly washing up for 40 to 50 minutes, she finally cleaned off all the dirt on her body. She only felt comfortable when she could no longer detect any weird smell on her body. She looked at her arm and felt that she looked a little fairer. It was really great! Chapter 14 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Sheknew how to lose weight, but she had no way to make her skin fair. It was something impossible which she had been worried about, but now it seemed that she need not worry anymore. The jade pendant is indeed awesome! Qiao Mei picked up the jade pendant and kissed it hard. She suddenly thought of the owner of the jade pendant and the intimate contact between the two of them that night. Her face instantly blushed red. Mei Mei, Mei Mei! Suddenly, a panicky female voice came from outside the house. The voice was very shrill and it sounded as if something very important had happened. Mei Mei, leave quickly! My whole family is here! As soon as the words ended, the door was pushed open from outside and a skinny little girl rushed in. The little girl was wearing tattered clothes with floral prints. She was about 16 or 17 years old and had two long braids. She looked at Qiao Mei in panic. She looked alright, but she was way too thin. At the age of 16 or 17 years old, her chest was still flat and there was nothing to be seen. Qiao Meis eyelids twitched as she recognized her. Xiao Yu, youre here. Qiao Yu was Qiao Zhuangs only daughter and she was only 17 years old this year. Her two older sisters had been sent away, leaving her the only daughter left. However, she had not been raised with care. She always had to do all types of washing and scrubbing around the house and she was not valued at home. She was a year or two younger than Qiao Mei, so she was always tagging along with the original owner of the body. She was good with her words and she knew how to please the original owner of the body. She always had Mei Mei on her lips and the original owner of the body would always bring her some food from home. After a while, the two of them became very close. Heh! Qiao Mei sneered. Get out now. Dont you know how to knock before entering? Who taught you to be so rude? Qiao Mei quickly covered the jade pendant with her hand and carefully hid it under her clothes. She could not let this cheat-code be seen by her. The concern of a thief was more dreadful than action. In her past life, the fact that Qiao Yu was willing to spend money to buy the jade pendant showed how much she cared about it. After all, those few dollars were from Qiao Yus secret savings. However, this action still managed to attract Qiao Yus attention. Although she did not see the jade pendant, she saw the red string around Qiao Meis neck. What was that? Qiao Yu stared at her, still standing at the same spot, as if she did not understand what Qiao Mei meant. Qiao Mei, hurry up and run. My brothers and a few nephews are all here with weapons! Qiao Yu said nervously. Why should Mei Mei run away when they are the ones coming to my house? Qiao Qiang suddenly asked from outside. Qiao Yu seemed frightened by the voice. She lowered her head and stood there, not knowing what to say as she grabbed the corner of her clothes with her fingers. However, the moment she lowered her head, Qiao Mei saw her eyes lit up and her lips curled upwards. Qiao Qiang stood outside the door, angrily tapping his walking stick. Qiao Mei suddenly remembered that there seemed to be such a scene in her past life. In her past life, a few months before her grandfather died, Qiao Yu would come from time to time to preempt her to leave the house quickly. Qiao Qiangs sons also came over often to make trouble. All these, coupled with the gossip in the village, made Qiao Qiang very worried and caused his health to deteriorate. If not for the fact that Qiao Mei was pregnant at that time and he wanted to wait for her to give birth, he would have died earlier from all that anger. So this was their plan. How wicked! Tell me, why should I run? This is my house, why arent you saying anything? Are you going to stand here like a mute? Qiao Mei reached across and slapped her. She had already reduced her strength, but Qiao Yu was still knocked over by the slap. She hunched on the ground and started crying. Qiao Qiang witnessed this scene wordlessly. Qiao Mei had had this temper since she was young. She was always fighting with people her own age. She hit Qiao Yu even more often and there was no one who could stop her. Besides, Qiao Yu did not have much of an opinion so no one came to help her. At this moment, a few sets of footsteps could be heard outside the courtyard, making their way over vigorously. Qiao Mei walked out of the door and went forward without a word. Second Grandpa Qiao, uncles and brothers, you are here to see my grandfather right? Qiao Mei stood in the courtyard with a smile and spoke before they could. Qiao Zhuang and his family were stunned on the spot. For a moment, they were a bit confused. It seemed to be the first time they ever saw Qiao Meis big smile. As the saying goes, one does not slap a smiley face. Hearing Qiao Meis sweet voice coupled with her big smile, she actually looked quite friendly. Chapter 15 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Zhuangs family stopped in their tracks and their imposing manner changed. Yeah, were going to Qiao Zhuang started speaking. I know, grandfather already told me. Qiao Mei continued on for him. Grandfather said before that the two of you are biological brothers. A family never has any overnight enmity. Now that he is sick, you guys would eventually come to visit him. How can you not turn up when outsiders have already come to visit? Other than the easy-going second son of the Qiao family, everyone elses expression changed. They looked at Qiao Qiang who was behind Qiao Mei. Could it be that he had taught this black bear girl to bully them? It had been two months since Qiao Qiang came back from seeking treatment in the city. It was a fact that almost everyone in the village had come by for a visit, except their family. The two families did not have a good relationship to begin with, considering that Qiao Zhuang was even taken away by another family when he was young. Qiao Qiang and Qiao Zhuang did not see eye to eye with each other and could not get along at all. However, for the past two months, they did not come over to visit not because they did not want to come, but because they had not discussed who would get Qiao Qiangs house. Qiao Zhuangs youngest son was about to get married and his older grandchildren were getting close to marriageable age, so it was difficult to decide how to split the assets. Qiao Qiang was a little surprised when he heard this and he looked at Qiao Mei with a spark in his eyes. Qiao Mei had never been someone who knew how to say things in a nice way. She was the type who preferred to solve problems cleanly and violently with her fists. It was really surprising to hear her speak those words. But so many good things had happened today that his heart was actually quite numb. He stood behind Qiao Mei and did not speak. He wanted to see what other surprises his granddaughter had up her sleeves. If Qiao Mei knew how to strike while it is hot, then Qiao Zhuang knew how to launch an attack through a barrier. He looked directly at Qiao Qiang, who was behind Qiao Mei. Today, your two nieces-in-law kindly came to help you remove weeds and plow the earth. Why arent you willing to let them do that? Are you afraid that they wont do it well? Even if they dont, then one of your nephews should be able to do it properly, right? Youre sick so your own family needs to come and help you. Let them help you with the planting this year alright? Go, go, go. Go do some work for your uncle. Qiao Hong waved his hand to command his sons and grandsons behind him. Hearing what he said, the few people behind him immediately picked up their hoes and rushed into the field to start work noisily. Qiao Meis expression darkened. This bunch of people are really like bandits. They cant justify themselves so they are going to just snatch what they want? Qiao Mei smiled sweetly and asked loudly, Second Grandpa Qiao, were relatives. If youre here to help with farming, you wont charge us for it right? Look at this silly child. What nonsense are you spouting? Were such close relatives, why would we charge you? Qiao Zhuang glared at Qiao Mei and continued to speak. Qiao Mei smiled. If you dont accept money, then when the crops are ripe, you wont righteously come over to take the vegetables right? When the time comes, youll say that you guys did the planting? Or that you are coming to borrow some vegetables and will return them another time? Before Qiao Zhuang could say anything, the people from the Qiao family working in the field stopped what they were doing. They looked at Qiao Mei in shock as they did not expect her to think of all these. Its fine if you are willing to help me, but let me say this upfront. You can help, but you cant have the vegetables. After all, the 10 of you dont eat as much as me alone. My family doesnt have any vegetables to lend to you, Qiao Mei said. Hmph! Why dont you eat yourself to death? The Qiao familys eldest daughter-in-law put her hands on her hips and said, Mei Mei, youre already an adult and can get married anytime. You cant keep eating like this. Otherwise, which family can support you? When people hear about Qiao Meis size and appetite, no one was willing to marry her. She could not be sold for a good price. The family of a fool living in the mountain area, whos looking for a wife for him, wants to find one who is hardworking and has a small appetite! When it comes to Qiao Mei, she doesnt know how to do any chores but is especially proactive when it comes to eating. She can probably eat someones family out of house and home in a few months, let alone bearing children for the family? Who would want her? However, Qiao Mei did not look at her. She only stared at Qiao Zhuang and waited for his reply. Now is not the time to let that woman cause a distraction and change the topic. Second Grandpa, will you come to my house in the future to ask for the vegetables? Qiao Zhuang remained silent. The Qiao familys eldest daughter-in-law curled her lips and said loudly, Everyone, quickly come and judge. Look at what this girl is saying! Going by what shes saying, the act of sharing vegetables between relatives becomes a demand from us. Does it mean that the people in our family are beggars? Chapter 16 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Meis village was in a mountainous area, so all the neighbors were located far away from one another. However, the aggressive manner in which Qiao Zhuang and his family rushed to Qiao Meis courtyard meant that the act was witnessed by many people. These people did not crowd around to join in as this was a family matter between Qiao Qiang and Qiao Zhuang and both of them had strong personalities. If this was happening at someone elses house, the busybodies would have come over to add their few cents worth. However, what Qiao Mei said was indeed not very appropriate. In that era when village life was pure and simple, it was very usual for people in the countryside to take food from one another. It was not considered as being demanding. Auntie, your words are really interesting. Relatives sharing vegetables? Qiao Meis expression darkened and she said mockingly, In the village, who doesnt know that my family doesnt have enough vegetables to eat? We still go out to buy vegetables every month, so which one of your families are we supposed to share vegetables with? When I was young, I went to pick vegetables at your place and even got kicked out with a beating! This incident happened five years ago. At that time, the original owner of the body was going through puberty.. When there were no more vegetables left in the house, she was so hungry that she ran to Qiao Zhuangs vegetable garden to ask for a bunch of vegetables, but was kicked out in the end. Big Auntie Qiao also felt a little embarrassed when she thought of this matter, but she still continued to say stubbornly, Your family has two people, but our family has more than ten people. How do we have food for you? Yes! Thats the logic! Qiao Mei said loudly. In that case, my family also doesnt have enough food. Why should I let you pick any? This sentence completely shut Big Auntie Qiao up, her own words being used against her in such a manner that she could not rebut. Qiao Zhuangs family looked at Qiao Mei and then at Qiao Zhuang. The atmosphere had become awkward. Qiao Zhuang stared at Qiao Mei wordlessly. The neighbors who had come over looked at Qiao Mei in surprise. They could not imagine that these clear and logical words were coming out of the mouth of this simple-minded person. Qiao Qiang stood at the back with his eyes slightly red. Qiao Mei looked at Qiao Zhuang and said in a straightforward manner, Second Grandpa, if you really want to help us, then grandfather and I will always remember this kindness. But if your intention is to use this reason to come over and take my familys land, then thats impossible! As soon as she said that, everyone was stunned and fell silent. Qiao Zhuang sized Qiao Mei up, no one knew what he was thinking. In the end, he shouted, Go! Lets go back! His voice was curt and his words clearly revealed his intentions. His motive was to seize this piece of land. Although, based on his character, it was not as if he needed to hide his intentions. After all, he was the biggest bully in the village. Did bullies need self respect? Upon hearing this, Qiao Zhuangs family collectively put away their hoes and followed Qiao Zhuang out. Before leaving, they glared fiercely at Qiao Mei. Qiao Zhuang had five sons in total. His third and fourth sons had moved out while the other three sons still lived with him. As long as they still lived with him, they would not be able to get a share of land in the village. The eldest son of the Qiao family had three sons, the second son had three sons and two daughters and the youngest son was 25 years old and still unmarried. With more than 10 people living in a small house, the vegetables they grew at home was truly not enough to feed all of them. They were just waiting for Qiao Qiang to die so that they could take over his land. Wait! Qiao Mei suddenly shouted. The Qiao family stopped in their steps and Qiao Zhuang turned around, frowning at Qiao Mei. Second Grandpa, as you know, my grandfather is sick. The relationship between our two families isnt too good so there is no need for you all to visit him in the future! Otherwise, I will think that you have evil intentions and want to use this opportunity to anger my grandpa to death so that you can seize my familys land. These words were so brutally frank that they caused the entire atmosphere to freeze up immediately. Qiao Zhuang glared at Qiao Mei fiercely with menace in his eyes. However, Qiao Mei was not afraid at all. In her other life, she was a lawyer who specialized in criminal cases. What kind of difficult situations had she not seen before? In the few years when her career was going well, the cases she worked on got more and more high profile. All the defendants she had encountered were vicious and evil people, no less worse than Qiao Zhuang. In comparison, Qiao Zhuangs gaze was not threatening at all. As for those vicious and evil people, they still ended up at her mercy and were all sentenced to death. Hence, everyone in the industry had called her the Sword of Justice. Qiao Zhuang furrowed his brows. He never thought that the previously silly Qiao Mei would be so bold. Qiao Zhuang turned to look at Qiao Qiang and said, Big brother, does that mean that youre not going to acknowledge me as your younger brother? When Qiao Qiang heard that, he looked over with inscrutable eyes and said, Its been 65 years and I finally hear you call me Big Brother. How rare it is. Qiao Zhuangs face sank. Chapter 17 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Zhuang was sent away as soon as he was born. His foster parents passed away when he was 18 years old so, in order to survive, he returned to the Qiao family. However, he was not close to the Qiao family, pulling a long face all day as if he had a grudge against them. I dont want a brother like you whos looking forward to my early death! Get lost! The wrath of an experienced battle-hardened veteran was not something that a village bully can handle. Qiao Zhuang remained silent and turned around to leave. The neighbors who were watching the commotion also looked at this scene in shock. In the end, they looked at Qiao Mei in disbelief and left as well. Qiao Mei quickly helped her grandfather back into the house. She looked up and saw Qiao Yu still standing outside the door. Why isnt she leaving yet? Qiao Yus mouth was wide open as she looked around the house in shock. When did Qiao Meis pigsty house become so clean? And what about the man who asked for directions last night? Sister Qiao Mei, last night there was a big brother who came to your house. Has he left? Qiao Mei looked up and saw that she had a shy expression on her face with flushed cheeks. Ha, big brother? Who told you to call me sister? Qiao Mei immediately asked and raised her voice angrily. Although Im older than you but in terms of seniority, I still have to call you aunt, right? How can I be your sister? Besides, arent you ashamed to call a stranger big brother? These questions were too much for Qiao Yu, whose face instantly turned red, as she hurriedly tried to explain herself. No, no! Yesterday, he happened to run into me when he entered the village and asked me for directions, so I brought him to our house. Have you forgotten? Qiao Mei really had no recollection of this. However, she did not feel any embarrassment from having wronged Qiao Yu. What do you mean by our house? This is my house. It has nothing to do with you. Your father and the rest just left in anger. You quickly get lost too! Qiao Yus eyes reddened and she did not say anything as she walked out. However, she did not take Qiao Meis words to heart. Every time Qiao Mei was in a bad mood, she would take it out on her. But after a while, Qiao Mei would forget everything after a little coaxing. What a busty brainless fool. Stop! Qiao Mei suddenly shouted and stopped her. Whats wrong, Sister Mei Mei? Hearing this, Qiao Yu immediately turned around and smiled sweetly at Qiao Mei. Did you hear what I said to them just now? It applies to you too. Qiao Mei picked up an axe on the ground. If you dare to step into my house again, you will end up like this piece of wood! With that, she picked up the axe and hacked at the wooden block on the ground. In an instant, the block of wood was split open and the wood fragments flew a few meters away from the force. Qiao Yu already knew that Qiao Mei was full of brute strength, but when she saw the conviction in Qiao Mei when she said those words, she fixed her gaze on Qiao Mei for a while and left quickly without saying anything. After the group of people left, the courtyard became quiet and Qiao Mei started to prepare dinner. Dinner was again cabbage stewed with carrots. After the two of them finished eating happily, Qiao Mei went to work. She did not want anyone else to touch the land in the courtyard. Naturally, she wanted to personally cultivate this piece of land so that it could fulfill its greatest potential. Guarding their own vegetable field was naturally the most important thing. After an entire afternoon, she already knew that the energy of the jade pendant could improve the quality of vegetables and fruits and increase nutrition in them. It could even do healing. How could she bear to let Qiao Zhuang and his family eat vegetables of such quality? She was not even willing to give them a single wild vegetable that came from the soil. Qiao Qiang also joined her in manual labor. He felt much better today and was in an exceptionally good mood. He picked up the hoe beside him and started to flip the earth. He even got unhappy when Qiao Mei did not allow him to do it. When Qiao Zhuang and his family got home, the atmosphere was no longer as pleasant. Why did this Qiao Mei suddenly become smart? Qiao familys eldest daughter-in-law, Liu Ying, asked. Maybe she didnt become smarter. Jiang Ye, the second daughter-in-law, said, Maybe she was quite smart in the past, its just that we dont know. Qiao Yu was the only one from Qiao Zhuangs family who was closest to Qiao Mei. It was Qiao Yu who reported that Qiao Mei was stupid and lazy, the rest of them actually did not know the real situation. When Qiao Mei was young, they still saw her around but later on, she started to stay in the house all the time and no longer came out. Who cares if shes smart or not? Just think of a way to get rid of her, Qiao Zhuang said to his daughters-in-law. Hows the thing I asked you to do? Why is there no news? Chapter 18 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Eldest daughter-in-law Qiao hurriedly replied, Earlier, we contacted a few families in the mountains. We were about to reach an agreement, but after they asked around about Qiao Mei, everything turned sour. Their family only has this fool, yet they are still so picky! Although she said that, she also felt that the fools family did the right thing. They were not stupid enough to let him marry the dark fatty Qiao Mei. Qiao Zhuang immediately looked towards his third daughter-in-law. The third daughter-in-law scratched her head and said honestly, It was the same thing in our village. When the family of Idiot Liu from the village heard that the matchmaker wanted to introduce Qiao Mei to them, they were so angry that they threw a hoe at her. Its really infuriating. Qiao Zhuang glared at her. This third daughter-in-law of his was the most infuriating one. From the beginning, he had planned out his sons marriages. The eldest son was ruthless but not smart enough, so he found him a capable woman. The second son was the most simple-minded, so he found him a smart wife. The third son was too smart, so he found him a stupid woman. The fourth son was most like him, so he found him someone like his mother who had a weak personality and a kind heart. And the fifth son was the one he thought was most geared for success. That was why he had been picky and not married yet. It seemed that his choices had all turned out to be quite suitable. However, this third daughter-in-law of his could be really infuriating sometimes. Qiao Zhuang looked at his second daughter-in-law. This was the daughter-in-law that he valued the most and the one he was most wary of. The second daughter-in-law of the Qiao family was 39 years old this year. There was nothing special about her face, but she looked fresh with her short hair. She was neat and tidy and with her professional attire, she looked like a city dweller. She was the village accountant. Sensing her father-in-laws gaze, she ran her fingers through her hair and said mildly, I also dont have any suitable candidates, and I feel that even if we choose someone, Eldest Uncle will not agree to marry Qiao Mei over. As she finished, she pursed her lips and seemed a little resigned. The people in this family are not afraid of Qiao Qiang causing trouble. They even hoped that Qiao Qiang would come and cause trouble, it would be best if he collapsed and died from anger. But she is afraid! Qiao Qiang is a retired veteran. Although he cant cause trouble for others, it will be easy for him to deal with her. If he makes a trip to her office, she can easily lose her job. She is really unwilling to take up this matter to find an idiot husband for Qiao Mei! Besides, these people at home are so stupid. By finding an idiot for her, their intentions are so obvious. Is there no better way to get rid of her? What do you plan to do? Qiao Zhuang focused his attention upon hearing her words. The Qiao familys third daughter-in-law straightened her clothes and continued, My maternal familys neighbor is a man whos 32 years old this year. Hes strong and capable. Its just that his wife died and left behind three children and he is a little poor. If you are to introduce him as a match for Qiao Mei, I think Eldest Uncle may still consider it. Qiao Zhuang lowered his eyes and thought for a moment before asking, How many brothers does he have? He has three. Hes the eldest and the other two arent married yet. Qiao Zhuang knitted his brows. If there were too many brothers at the in-laws side, it would not be good if they came over to fight for the land as well. They wanted Qiao Qiangs land. Logically speaking, the piece of land belonged to Qiao Mei. If Qiao Mei was unwilling to give up, the two families would have to fight over it. They might even end up actually physically fighting for it. If that happened, the most important thing was to have people who knew how to fight. The Qiao third daughter-in-law seemed to have guessed her father-in-laws thoughts. That family wont want our land. After all, they have their own fields. Itll be fine as long as we dont accept any betrothal gifts. Of course we wont! the Qiao familys second daughter-in-law immediately shouted. With Qiao Meis obese appearance, who would want her? Even if you are willing to pay people to take her, still no one would want her. Qiao Zhuang was still a little worried. The third daughter-in-law thought for a while and said softly, That mans mother is famous for being mean and that man really likes beating his wife. I heard that his previous wife was worked to the bone and beaten to death Oh my, oh my! The second daughter-in-law immediately cried out in surprise. She opened her mouth wide and said, This wont do. If she was really beaten to death, Eldest Uncle would come and kill us. The third daughter-in-law rolled her eyes and remained silent. Chapter 19 Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The eldest daughter-in-law of the Qiao family said, Why not? With Qiao Meis dark and fat appearance and her strength, how will she die before Eldest Uncle? Between her and that family, who knows who will be the unlucky one! Oh right, dont say anymore. She continued happily, This Qiao Mei and that family are simply a match made in heaven, truly everything has its vanquisher! A mean mother-in-law and abusive husband? Qiao Zhuang heard all that, but he was still hesitant and said, Dont they mind Qiao Meis dark and fat appearance? Second daughter-in-law, Wang Qin thought for a while and said in a low voice, Its not something that they will mind. Once Qiao Mei gets to their house, they naturally have ways to make her slim down. If she doesnt want to work, they can hit her. If not, they can just sell her What did it matter that Qiao Mei was dark and fat and ugly? Anyway, she did not require a dowry so she was as good as free. When the time came, they just needed to tidy Qiao Mei up. If he could use her, he would keep her. If not, he could just sell her to another familys fool and then use the money to take another wife. Wouldnt that be wonderful? Who would turn down such a good deal? When the eldest and third daughter-in-law heard this, their eyes widened. What kind of family was able to come up with such an idea? But Qiao Zhuang only looked at Wang Qin. Ordinary people would not be able to come up with this idea, but Wang Qin could! Wang Qins expression was indifferent. She was actually the one who had suggested this idea and that family had gone along with it, but what did it matter? Was there a problem? Qiao Zhuang finally nodded in agreement. He knew that Wang Qin was a scheming person. Since thats the case, you dont have to bother about this matter anymore. Get that man to find a matchmaker to propose marriage on his behalf. Dont reveal our part in this, Qiao Zhuang said. It must be fast. Send someone over the day after tomorrow or tomorrow. At the latest, we have tol get Qiao Mei married off in half a months time! Any later and the season would have passed, then there would be one less harvest from Qiao Qiangs land. The next day, Qiao Mei ran up the mountain again. This time, she came to collect some energy to nourish her body and also to find some vegetables and fruits to eat. She ate cabbages and carrots every day at home. A diet of only vegetables was neither beneficial for her grandfather to recuperate, nor good for the development of the children that she was carrying Qiao Mei touched her stomach softly with a gentle expression on her face. She had just walked out of the yard when she turned the corner and ran into a boy of around 14 or 15. When the boy saw Qiao Mei, he was stunned for a moment before turning around to one side. Until he turned around, Qiao Mei did not notice that he was carrying a small piglet in his arms. Qiao Meis eyes lit up and she shouted, Wait, wait! The boy was shocked and wanted to run away. What are you afraid of? I wont snatch your piglet. When have I ever snatched anything from you? These words made the boy stop in his tracks. That was true. Although Qiao Mei was not well liked in the village and she was greedy and lazy, had mood swings and liked beating people up using her brute strength, he had never heard of her snatching other peoples things. I just wanted to ask where you bought this piglet from? My family also wants to buy one, Qiao Mei quickly said. The boy heaved a sigh of relief to know that that was all. Qiao Mei was famous for her strength in the village. The kids who fought with her had never ever thought of taking revenge on her, so most people avoided her when they saw her in order not to get into trouble. There are two more in Uncle Wang Wus house, said the boy. During this period, business dealings were no longer as strictly monitored as they used to be. In the countryside, piglets birthed by sows owned by the villagers could be bought and sold at will. Thank you! Qiao Mei left after saying that. The boy looked at her in surprise and stood rooted to the ground. What was going on? Qiao Mei actually thanked him. Did the sun rise from the west? She even had a carrying pole with hanging baskets and looked like she was going up the mountain to work. Wasnt she the kind of person who would not be bothered even if everything collapsed? Tsk tsk tsk, seeing is believing. So she was not such a lazy person after all. Chapter 20 - Entering the Mountains Again Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei stayed at home all the time. There was no way that her grandfather would badmouth her, so all the rumors about her were actually spread by Qiao Zhuangs family based on what Qiao Yu told them. Qiao Mei continued her way up the mountain. Now, she had another reason to go up the mountain and that was to earn money. As a villager, how could her family not be cultivating some agricultural products? The eggs laid by chickens every year would be enough for a familys cooking expenses. As for pigs, they were indispensable in the countryside. Selling a pig would make some money, slaughtering another pig would be enough for a family to eat for half a year. A piglet would cost more than ten dollars. Chickens and ducks were usually hatched from eggs at home. However, as she did not have a mother hen, she had to buy chicks and ducklings. One would cost about thirty cents. If they wanted to raise more than ten, it would only cost around three dollars. But right now, there was not even three dollars in the house, Qiao Mei thought as she did the calculations. Although her grandfather held the purse strings in the family, the original owner of the body only wanted to eat all day long, so he spent all of his retirement salary every month. They had no savings at all. Even if her grandfather still had money, she also did not want to rely on him, She wanted to be self reliant! Earn money! Earn more money! Qiao Mei walked forward excitedly with the carrying pole on her shoulder. Her steps were swift like the wind and she was filled with motivation. She really liked this feeling of working hard on her own! As she reached the mountains, waves of energy washed over her, causing every hair on her body to stand on end. Qiao Mei did not stay in one place for too long as she was afraid that the plants would exchange too much energy and bear fruit in advance. She stepped onto a small path and headed deeper into the mountains where there was a hot spring area. This place was located in the most northeastern region of the country. It was a continuous stretch of mountains and deep within the mountains was a geothermal region. The straight road did not seem to stretch far, but by the time she reached the area, it was already noon. There was a small hot spring here. Pools of all sizes formed a large pool and the surroundings were misty like a fairyland. Qiao Mei did not dare to get too close. The original owner of the body did not know how to swim, but even though she knew how to swim, she did not know if she would be able to swim with this body weighing more than 200 pounds. Besides, she was pregnant with two babies so she did not dare to take the risk. Qiao Mei observed her surroundings and found that the plants here were indeed more lush than in other places. The surrounding aquatic plants had already grown to half a foot tall, the little flowers beside them had also bloomed and new leaves were emerging from the big trees next to them. She immediately saw a fruit tree. Qiao Mei walked towards a relatively lusher place where all kinds of wild vegetables grew. She used the energy from the jade pendant to accelerate the process of ripening, harvesting, maturing and re-harvesting, Soon, she filled half the basket. When she was done, she looked up and saw that there were only a few birds chirping around her. It was silent all round and there was no one around. It was now already peak springtime which was a busy period for farmers. The villagers had all gone to work and no one had the time to come to the mountains to dig for wild vegetables and soak in the hot springs. Qiao Mei was worried. She walked to a deep bush and squatted down so that her body was hidden by the lush grass. She then pushed aside the weeds on the surface of the soil, revealing the dark soil. Finally, she planted a sweet potato seed. Very quickly, the sweet potato seed turned into a sweet potato seedling and then matured and bore fruit. Just like that, Qiao Mei collected more than ten sweet potatoes, each weighing more than one pound. Then, she planted a pumpkin seed and soon harvested three big pumpkins. Each of them weighed more than ten pounds, filling up the two baskets she brought. Qiao Mei then pulled a few layers of weeds and covered up the baskets securely. After that, she stood by the side of the hot spring, took out a towel that she carried with her and wiped her entire body several times. In just half a day, another layer of black mud had surfaced on her body. It was so smelly! After cleaning up, she changed into her clean clothes and carried the pole down the mountain. At the village entrance, she met a group of villagers who were rushing back home after finishing their farm work. When they saw her carrying two loads of things, they stared at her in surprise. Qiao Mei, where did you go? The village officer, Zhao Liang, could not help but ask in the end. Oh, its Uncle Zhao! Qiao Mei put on a big smile and said, Isnt my family planning to raise a little piglet this spring? I cut these pigweeds for it. Otherwise, it wont have anything to eat. Chapter 21 - Raising Piglets Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Hearing that, the villagers were stunned. Instead of thinking about what to eat, Qiao Mei was now concerned about the pigs at home? How rare! Furthermore, she was actually shouldering a carrying pole and getting to work? In the past, she had never been seen at the market, not to mention going out with a carrying pole. At this moment, the only place where one could dig up such lush wild plants would be at the hot spring area deep in the mountains. She actually made such a long trip to dig for pig feed? Wasnt Qiao Mei supposed to be very lazy? Although Zhao Liang was also surprised, his surprise was about something else. Qiao Mei actually called him Uncle Zhao? This was even more surprising to him than Qiao Mei getting to work. Uncle Zhao, you guys go ahead. Ill go back first. After Qiao Mei said that, she walked back with a smile. She passed by an old farmer who was frozen on the spot and said, Uncle Wang, I heard that you are selling piglets. Remember to leave a good one for my family, Ill go to your house to buy it tomorrow. Dont worry, I wont forget your money. Ah? Oh, oh, okay, okay Wang Wu was shocked. He could not believe that these polite words came from Qiao Mei. Before Qiao Mei reached home, she already saw her grandfather waiting for her at the gate. Seeing Qiao Mei carrying two big baskets, he held back his emotions and went up to her. As the person closest to Qiao Mei, he naturally knew how lazy she was. That was why he knew how great the extent that Qiao Mei had changed. Grandfather, please rest. I can handle it. Qiao Mei sidestepped him. Im strong enough to carry it. Dont spoil me anymore, I should do some work. Alright, alright, lets go in! Qiao Qiang said with a bright smile. Qiao Mei brought the two baskets into the kitchen and lifted the weeds on the surface, revealing the golden pumpkins and big sweet potatoes inside. Qiao Qiang froze on the spot and asked, Where did you get so many pumpkins and sweet potatoes? Is from the hot spring area at the back of the mountain, Qiao Mei said casually. I was walking around and didnt expect to see so many pumpkins and sweet potatoes. Ill go and see if there are any other crops tomorrow. From the hot spring area? Qiao Qiang pondered that it was now the beginning of spring and the pumpkins and sweet potatoes in the fields had yet to sprout. This was the first time he had heard of so many crops growing at the hot spring area. However, the temperature there was high, so it was not surprising if a few pumpkins and sweet potatoes grew there. In the past, there might have been people who managed to pluck them, but remained tight-lipped and did not tell others. My Mei Mei is just lucky! Qiao Qiang said with a gratified smile. He did not think too much about it. Such beautiful pumpkins and sweet potatoes had to be from the hot spring area as nobodys land could produce crops of such good quality. Qiao Mei put down all the things and started cooking. Todays menu was a pumpkin feast C fried pumpkin, boiled pumpkin, stewed pumpkin, and fried pumpkin cake. There was still no skill required in cooking, it all just depended on the fragrance of the ingredients. Qiao Qiang could not stop praising once the food entered his mouth and the smile on his face grew wider and wider. The way he saw it, compared to other girls, Qiao Mei finally had a strong point. The food she made was so delicious. No matter where she went, she would not be looked down upon, right? Grandfather, I just told Uncle Wang Wu that we would go to his house tomorrow and buy a piglet to raise, Qiao Mei said. Qiao Qiang was even happier when he heard that. Now, not only did his granddaughter have good culinary skills, but she also knew how to think for her family. Okay, okay. Well go over tomorrow morning. Grandfather feels much better than before and has more strength now. Raising a pig wont be a problem. You dont need to raise them. You just need to go and buy a piglet as I dont know how to pick one. Then Qiao Mei continued and asked, Do we still have any money left? Yes, yes, yes! Qiao Qiang smiled and waved his hand. Dont worry about the money. Use the remaining money we have first and I will give him the balance when I get my retirement salary in a few days. These few days wont make a difference. Besides, Qiao Qiang wasnt someone who would default on his payment. Hearing this, Qiao Mei was stunned for a moment. She suddenly remembered that this was a society bound by relationships. It was not like the future when one would not be able to buy a piglet if one lacked a few dollars off the price In that case, there was no hurry to sell the remaining pumpkins. After all, the remaining pumpkins were not worth much.. Chapter 22 - Earning Money Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios want to earn money! Qiao Mei said. Qiao Qiang jumped in fright, thinking that he had misheard. Earn money? Qiao Qiang said with a smile. Good, good, good! Grandfather will go to town tomorrow to ask around and find you a good job! In his opinion, if one wanted to earn money, one should go to work in the city so as to be able to earn a decent salary. He used to think so too and even found Qiao Mei a job. Qiao Mei went to work happily, but not even half a day later, she came back because she said it was too tiring. Now Mei Mei had really grown up as she knew she needed to make money to support her family. No, no, no! Qiao Mei immediately said. How much money can one earn from being a worker? Its not even enough to supplement the household expenses. Besides, I have to leave home to go to work and I dont feel at ease leaving you alone at home. When Qiao Qiang heard this, his eyes reddened. Lwant to go and sell things in the city, said Qiao Mei. Hearing this, Qiao Qiang got such a fright that the tears in his eyes were forced back. Waving his hands around, he immediately got down from the brick bed and looked out to see if there was anyone around. Only then did he heave a sigh of relief and sat back down. Its speculative to buy and sell things, thats capitalist behavior! We cant do that! He frowned and said in a low voice. This was a big matter, so he could not be careless about it. There was still no reform and opening up right now yet and private business trading was not allowed. If they were discovered and arrested, it would be a big deal. Its not like that, grandfather. I am not doing trading, I just want to sell our familys produce. As an elite lawyer, how could she not know that it was dangerous to carry out private transactions during this period of time. She did not dare to sell goods, but she could still sell some of the extra vegetables and mountain produce that her family had planted. No one would care if she sold them discreetly. Oh I see. It is okay to sell vegetables and mountain produce. Qiao Qiang nodded, but the next second he was stunned again. But we dont have any vegetables to sell? It was only early spring now, the vegetables and crops in the fields had yet to grow and there was nothing much to eat at home. Notwithstanding that, even if it was harvest season and other families had too much to eat, his family still had to make sure that they store the vegetables for winter. Otherwise, Mei Mei would go hungry. Qiao Mei seemed to have expected his question and said, Ive thought about it. We can buy some beans and grow bean sprouts to sell. Qiao Qiang blinked in confusion. He was in a daze, wondering if he had heard wrongly. Qiao Mei lowered her head and said slowly, When I was young, Mom used to grow bean sprouts at home. I still remember all these. Qiao Qiang was speechless for the moment. When Qiao Mei was five years old, her father went to the city and got hit by a car accidentally. When she was seven, her mother remarried. That family did not want her to bring a burden, so Qiao Mei was left behind with the Qiao family. Her mother was still alive, but it was just that she had no time to care about her. Zhao Lan got married to a worker whose family lived in a county that was tens of miles away. Later on, there was hearsay from village gossip that the person was transferred to the provincial city due to work reassignment. These were all news from her maternal uncles village. After Zhao Lan remarried, she had asked someone to visit Qiao Mei in the first year. After that, there was no more news of her. When Qiao Mei was young and living at Qiao Zhuangs house, she was really a pitiful girl. She was skinny and small, looking as if she would collapse with a gust of wind. She was extremely timid and would hide whenever she saw someone This was until Qiao Qiang returned to the village. Having someone to pamper her gave her confidence and Qiao Mei became bolder in an instant. As she gained weight, her temper also grew and she bowed down to no one.. Chapter 23 - Growing Bean Sprouts Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Qiangs heart ached whenever he thought of Qiao Mei at seven years old. After putting on the pity act, Qiao Mei continued, Grandfather, when you have time, take our sweet potato and pumpkin to exchange for a few catties of beans. Ill grow the bean sprouts and well go exchange them for money in the city. Okay, okay, Ill go now! Qiao Qiang did not say anything else but stood up and walked out. It did not matter if it was profitable or not. It was already good enough that his granddaughter, Mei Mei, had such thoughts and he would let her do whatever she wanted. Qiao Mei did not let him go alone. With the carrying pole on her shoulder, she took half a basket of sweet potatoes and two big pumpkins and followed behind her grandfather to the village to make an exchange for green beans. Growing beans into bean sprouts was something she was good at! How could she not know how to do such a fun thing? In her other life, when she was tired from work, her favorite way to relax was doing handicraft work and cooking. The two of them walked through the entire village and went from house to house, except for Qiao Zhuangs house, and exchanged for 50 catties of green beans. The big basket of sweet potatoes and pumpkins was not enough to exchange for the beans. In the end, Qiao Qiang promised that he would pay for the beans with his salary and everyone felt assured enough to give the beans to Qiao Mei. After the two of them left, all the families were discussing the matter of them collecting green beans. No one believed that Qiao Mei knew how to grow bean sprouts! Growing bean sprouts needed skills and the temperature and humidity had to be precise. No one in the village knew how to grow them and no one was willing to waste beans on experiments. Tm guessing that Qiao Qiang must have run out of food at home and found an excuse to exchange for beans as he was too embarrassed to tell us, an old lady said. Impossible, impossible! Whose family ran out of food? If they eat green beans every day, wouldnt they die of diarrhea? the old man next to her said with a smile while smoking tobacco. Hahaha! Everyone around laughed. However, I discovered something strange. That Qiao Mei doesnt seem to be as annoying as the rumors say, another old lady said. She smiles gently when she sees people, her eyes also seem to be smiling They could barely remember the Black Bear Spirit from before. Yes, yes, yes! I was wondering just now, where did that lazy and greedy Qiao Mei go? Tm guessing that given her grandfather is about to die, she wants to show herself and gain everyones favor. Sigh, this child is really pitiful. She has no parents and her only grandfather is about to leave. How pitiful! The people around her all agreed, and the topic quickly shifted to Qiao Meis remarried mother. No matter how bad Qiao Meis temper was in the past, she did not provoke anyone. Now that her personality had changed, she gained a lot of sympathy instead. Qiao Mei did not think too much about it. When she got home, she quickly got busy and soaked the beans in warm water. After soaking for two days and two nights and the beans sprouted, the beans would be moved into a dry basket and they would be ready after one week. Of course, there were still many other things to be careful about. For example, it would be best that the bottom of the basket was covered with a layer of gauze and the top of the basket was covered with a layer of cotton cloth to block out the light. Otherwise, the bean sprouts would turn out bitter and astringent and they would not look good as well. One basket of bean sprouts would need six catties of beans, so when the beans sprouted, they would be able to harvest more than eighty catties of bean sprouts. Qiao Mei believed that with her skills, she could definitely make bean sprouts that grow out looking white and fat. Grandfather, I dont think we have enough baskets at home. If you have time, make a few more to stand by! Qiao Mei said. Over 50 catties of green beans could yield at least seven to eight baskets of bean sprouts. She planned to portion these green beans and sprout one basket a day and would sell each basket as she sprouted them. When sales stabilized, she would then produce about 10 baskets a day.. Chapter 24 - Extraordinary Talent Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Anyway, she wanted to sell bean sprouts to earn more money so that she would not disgrace her status as a reborn person. Alright! Qiao Qiang agreed readily. People in the village mostly knew how to weave baskets. The baskets they weaved were not difficult to make and all followed the same patterns, and would turn out both practical and sturdy. Moreover, Qiao Qiang was an expert at weaving baskets. When he was in good health previously, many people in the village would come to him for baskets, thus there were still some basket weaving materials in the storeroom at home. Even if he made another dozen or twenty baskets, it would not be a problem. The next day, they woke up early in the morning. After breakfast, Qiao Mei said excitedly, I want to learn basket weaving from grandfather! Sure! Qiao Qiang was so happy that now Mei Mei even wanted to learn a skill from him. Furthermore, it had been three days and Mei Mei had not changed back to her old self. It seemed that she had really changed. Qiao Qiang secretly wiped the tears from the corner of his eyes. Basket weaving is about techniques. The first thing is to choose the right material. The willow must be soft Qiao Qiang started teaching and he weaved as he spoke. Very quickly, a basket was ready. When Qiao Qiang turned around and saw the basket in Qiao Meis hands, he froze on the spot. No matter how he looked at it, the basket in Qiao Meis hands looked better than what he made. The willow branches were interlocked neatly together. The woven basket looked like a piece of artwork that was very soothing to the eyes. Qiao Mei looked at the basket in her hand but was still not satisfied. It was still not exquisite enough. For such a fun craft like basket weaving, being a super handicraft lover, how could she not know the skill? Not only did she know how to weave baskets, she also knew how to make containers, little animals, even bamboo dragonflies and all kinds of furniture. Other than that, she also knew how to knit clothes, scarves and shoes. In her other life, when she was not busy with work, she liked doing this kind of manual handicraft work which did not require thinking. When she was doing handicraft every day, she would be especially happy. She was so happy just now that she forgot to restrain herself and had weaved an exceptionally beautiful basket which no one would believe was made by a newbie. Luckily, Qiao Qiang did not think too much about it. In his eyes, his granddaughter Qiao Mei was the smartest person and no matter what amazing things she did, he would only feel happier. Look! Our Mei Mei is so smart. Her first basket is even better than grandfathers! Qiao Qiang looked at the small basket and laughed happily. He had not felt so happy in years. It seemed that he had never laughed so heartily ever since he came to this village The two of them continued weaving for a while. When they saw the sun gradually rise outside, they proceeded to Wang Wus house and brought back four piglets. Initially, Qiao Mei planned to buy one but Qiao Qiang said that she had to buy at least two. One needed to be handed over to the village and they would be allowed to keep the other one for their own consumption. If they only raised one, they would have to hand it over and there would be none left for them to eat. Grandfather also told her that this type of pig could only at most grow up to about 100 pounds. It would not grow fat enough to feed a family. Although she still needed to lose weight, with the jade pendant, it would not affect her to eat some meat. So, on second thought, she bought the rest of the piglets. Even if she did not eat them, she could still sell them, right? On the way home, they passed by a neighbors house on the corner. Qiao Qiang went in and bought a brood of baby chicks, a flock of yellow ducklings and a brood of goslings. As the two of them returned home, there were again all kinds of discussions in the village. These two are raising four pigs at once, what are they going to feed them with? Are they really going crazy from wanting to eat meat? Qiao Mei doesnt know any better and this Qiao Qiang doesnt even stop her? As for the chickens, ducks, and geese, they are raising 30 of them at once.. Even a big family cant cope with that many! Chapter 25 - Someone Came Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Why do you care, its none of your business! If you want to look on, so be it. Why say so much, what a bunch of gossipy old women! In the village, people raised pigs by basically letting them roam free-range on the nearby mountains. The pigs would go out to look for food during the day and return to the pigsty to sleep at night. But even so, the farmers still had to feed the pigs some concentrated feed, otherwise the pigs would not come back. It was the same for chickens, ducks and geese. Although they were free-range animals, they still needed extra feed, otherwise they would not return home. Therefore, most people would plan the number of animals they raised based on the amount of food they had. Qiao Qiang understood the logic, but if Mei Mei wanted to raise the animals, so be it! He would let her raise them first. Even if he could not afford it later, he could just slaughter them for food. It would not be a loss anyway. Qiao Mei naturally also understood this rationale. Was what she lacked now food? No! What she lacked was money! Meat! And vegetables and food! The two of them happily made their way home with the piglets in their arms. From afar, they saw three people standing at their doorstep. There were two older women and one man. They had never seen these three people before. When the three of them saw Qiao Mei walk over, they sized her up from head to toe with a picky gaze. Then they quickly looked away as if they were afraid of discomfort if they looked at her any longer. And these few pairs of eyes happened to see the little piglets in the basket behind her, as well as the dozens of chattering chickens, ducks and geese in the basket in her hands. One of the three people was a skinny old lady with a head full of white hair. Her eyes lit up and she asked in surprise, Did your family buy this? You are raising so many at once, is there enough food left at home? Qiao Mei did not know them so she kept quiet. The other woman, who was well-dressed with white gloves over her hands, smiled and said, This must be Uncle Qiao. Were from Datian Village. Lets talk inside! Datian Village was located in the neighboring county, not far from here. Qiao Qiang looked at her gloves with surprise. Typically, people do not wear white gloves when working. Furthermore, the gloves are clean and the person is dressed very well. This person is most likely a matchmaker! There is actually a matchmaker who will take the initiative to come to their family? And she brings a man along? With this thought in mind, Qiao Qiang turned his gaze to the man beside him. The man had a lean figure and looked to be in his thirties. There must be something wrong with him, not being married at this age! As Qiao Qiang thought of this, his gaze was also filled with disdain. He took a glance and then looked away. If it was three days ago, he would definitely not think this way and might even feel satisfied. After all, this man was able-bodied and looked normal But now, with Xia Zhe as a basis of comparison, this person was naturally unsightly and not worth a second look. The way that Qiao Qiang looked away showed clearly that he was not satisfied. The looks on the three faces changed for the worse as well and they tured towards Qiao Mei. Looking at his dark and fat granddaughter, he still looked down upon others as if he was any better! Uncle Qiao, lets talk inside! the matchmaker smiled and said. Datian Village was quite a distance from here. They had been rushing since early in the morning and had walked for more than half the morning till midday. If they could not enter the house and get a drink, who would this look like? Qiao Qiang was a little happy that his Mei Mei had someone coming to ask for her hand in marriage. His Mei Mei was not that bad after all At least there was someone proposing marriage. He said slowly, Come in! Everyone entered the house. The skinny old ladys eyes darted around as she looked around the courtyard, the fields and then the house. Oh heavens, there isnt even a decent piece of furniture in this house.. Theyre even poorer than us, its so different from what others say! Chapter 26 - Blind date? Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios But the interior of the house was quite clean and tidy. When the woman touched the stool, there was no dust on it at all. The glass was also shiny and looked very clean. This was also different from what others said. Qiao Mei carried the little piglets on her back and took the basket of chicks and ducklings to the courtyard. She placed the four little piglets in the pigpen and brought the chicks and ducklings into the small room at the back. This room at the back was the Qiao family storeroom where they kept the sundries and other items. It was still cold outside in the early spring. If the chicks and ducklings were not kept in the storeroom, they would freeze to death in the blink of an eye. After she was done, she washed her hands and went into the house to pour water for everyone. Although her attitude was not very good, she did not seem as domineering as the rumors said. She just seemed like an ordinary farm girl. The white-haired woman looked at Qiao Mei with satisfaction. The lean man also seemed to look surprised. Although Qiao Mei did not know that the woman in white gloves was a matchmaker, she could more or less guess it from the feeling she got. The feeling of being scrutinized was too strong, the only thing these people did not do was to surround her and examine her. After all, she had gone on many blind dates in her other life. After sitting down, Qiao Mei looked at the man in front of her. He looked to be in his thirties and had thick eyebrows, big eyes and a round face. He was frowning and there was ruthlessness in his eyes. It was obvious that he was not easy to get along with. Furthermore, she could faintly sense a sinister aura from this man. This man was definitely not a good person. After Qiao Mei judged the situation, she immediately wanted to send these people out the door. What do you want? Qiao Mei changed her previous silent stance and took the initiative to ask. This question stunned the few of them. They did not expect her to be the first person to speak and that she even vaguely seemed like the head of the family. Forget it, forget it. This Qiao family was different from what others said. They were so weird. This is Wang Yong, one of the most handsome guys in our Datian Village. See how good-looking he is? The matchmaker immediately started the process and introduced him with a smile. After that, she was just full of praises for the man whom she said was a rare find and how it was because this man was so lucky that his wife died because she was not worthy of his fortune. In the end, they had asked around and heard that Qiao Mei was a very fortunate person, which was why they came to visit her. Hearing that, Qiao Mei immediately waved her hand. Dont, dont. Im not blessed either. Look at me, I dont have parents and I dont have a good job. You must have found the wrong person! Qiao Mei glanced at the man. Im not a match for someone with such good qualities. Find someone else! Im busy at home so I wont send you off. Qiao Mei stood up and wanted to send them off. The reason why this matchmaker praised this man so much was to highlight how bad she was and how this man was more than good enough for her, so that she would agree and think that she had gotten a good deal. Match your head! 1 dont want to continue chatting with you all! Qiao Mei did not want to smile at them anymore. If you still smile after someone spat on your face, arent you being cheap? This would be the moment to slap their faces and let them know what was good for them. Qiao Meis attitude was very obvious. She did not want to marry this man at all and did not like him at all. Wang Yong and his mother were so angry that their chests heaved. Wang Yong stared at Qiao Mei gloomily and did not speak. His mother opened her mouth and was about to curse. You But at this moment, the sound of piglets oinking suddenly came from the courtyard. It was fresh and vigorous, like a feast of pork dishes was being placed in front of them. Wang Yongs mother snapped out of it and pinched her own thigh. She grinned and said, You silly girl, what do you know? Its not up to you to decide whether your life is good or not. Some people have a good life after they are born, but the rest of their lives are not good. Some people have a bad life before they get married, but they have a good life after getting married! The way I see it, youre the type who would get lucky after you get married. I can tell at one glance that you will bring good fortune to your husband. If you marry my son, I guarantee that youll live a comfortable life.. Chapter 27 - Already Engaged Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The matchmaker looked at the eloquent old widow in front of her in surprise. She never knew that this old widow could speak so well. Wang Yongs mother was crafty and mean and her neighbors did not like her. After a long time, they called her old widow behind her back. Actually, she would not be unhappy even if they called her old widow to her face. After all, she felt that it was a good thing for everyone to be afraid of her. Without waiting for Qiao Mei to speak, the old widow looked at Qiao Qiang and continued asking, Uncle Qiao, I heard that your monthly retirement salary is 50 dollars? During this time, everyones salary was open information. No one was afraid of others knowing about it, so there was nothing to hide. Qiao Qiang froze for a moment before nodding. Yes, its 50 dollars. Did this mean that these people were interested in his retirement salary? In his opinion, it was not a big deal for them to be interested in his salary. After all, it was a blind date and each party was looking for a benefit from the other party. He glanced at his granddaughter. Perhaps only he knew how good his granddaughter was. He would not be surprised if outsiders looked down on her and only wanted his money. After all, in the past no one even eyed his money. The old widows eyes lit up. Based on 50 dollars a month, that would mean 500 to 600 dollars a year? Their family had not even saved 100 dollars over the past decades. Not only that, they still owed their village more than ten dollars every year. The old widow looked at Qiao Mei and her eyes flashed with surprise. This was a treasure basin. With a few hundred dollars a year to subsidize the familys expenses, even if it was only a few months, it was enough to alleviate her familys debt. Even if she had to snatch it by force, she must get this treasure basin. Uncle Qiao, what do you think of our family? We came here personally today to show how much we value the union between our families. The old widow looked steadily at Qiao Qiang and said, What about this? Lets have lunch today and consider the matter between the two of them settled. Tonight, she will return to Datian Village with us to be the Wang family daughter-in-law. Dont worry, we Wang family will treat her well! As long as you dont die, we wont treat her badly. Its a few hundred dollars a year at stake. Even if they had to put the Black Bear Spirit on a pedestal, they had to get the money. Hearing this, Qiao Qiang and Qiao Mei were stunned. Qiao Qiang did not expect that this granddaughter, whom he had been worried about in the past, would be able to get married so quickly. And Qiao Mei really did not expect it at all. In the matter of a few days, she was once again asked for her hand in marriage. This romance luck was so much better than in her other life. What a surprise! You guys are too late. My granddaughter is already engaged to someone else, Qiao Qiang suddenly said. Everyone in the room was stunned. She was engaged? Engaged to which family? the old widow hurriedly asked. You dont have to worry about that, Qiao Qiang replied. Given that Xia Zhe was not back yet, he did not dare to be too open about it. On the other hand, the old widow misunderstood it. She felt that Qiao Qiang was just making excuses, how could he look down on her son just like that? The old widow glared at Qiao Mei fiercely and felt indignant. How ungrateful of her. Given her dark and fat appearance, she still wanted to act all high and mighty? Oh grandfather of hers, if theres anything youre not satisfied about, just say it. Other than money, their family could agree to anything. My Mei Mei really already has in-laws, You will know when they get engaged in a while. Qiao Qiang stood up and prepared to send the guests off. Both of their attitudes were firm. After what he said, the people in the room felt they had to maintain some self-respect. Just as the old widow was about to say something, the matchmaker and Wang Yong stood up and quickly walked out. The old widow had no choice but to follow.. Chapter 28 - Carrot and Stick Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei took a few perfunctory steps to send them off. Before they even left the courtyard, she went back to prepare dinner. She took out the meat that her grandfather had bought a few days ago to prepare stewed meat tonight. It had already been a few days and it would spoil if they did not eat it soon. The old widow, who had just walked out of the courtyard, turned around and saw her carrying half a catty of meat and throwing it into the pot. Her heart immediately ached. Isnt this too extravagant? This big piece of meat looks to be half a catty, right? If you cut it two or three pieces at a time, you can have meat for a month. Wont that be great? This Qiao Mei is really too wasteful! I have to teach her! The matchmaker rolled her eyes and stopped her. She hasnt even entered your house yet. It has nothing to do with you, dont go asking for a snub. It would be really embarrassing to let this old widow go in and sprout nonsense. The marriage was not even cast in stone yet, so why did you care about how others ate meat? This was too embarrassing. The Wang family was indeed very poor. They did not have the money to buy piglets, even if they did, they did not have any food to feed them. Therefore, it had been a long time since they had eaten any meat. Wang Yong was also craving for it, but he cared about his reputation, so he simply turned his head to avoid looking at the pork. This Qiao Qiang doted on his granddaughter so much that he was willing to spend all his money on her. So this part of the rumors was true. Besides, one could tell just by looking at Qiao Meis figure. The old widow turned her head back three times with every step she took. She kept muttering, Too wasteful, this Qiao Mei is too wasteful! Qiao Mei, we want her. However, there was nothing they could do if the Qiao family refused to give in and was unwilling to let her marry into their family. It was really worrying. Yong Yong, what do you think we should do now? As she turned her head to look back, she asked Wang Yong. In her heart, Wang Yong was the one who held absolute power in the family. Wang Yong followed her gaze and turned his head to look at the courtyard behind him. They did not walk fast and by now, the fragrance of pork had already wafted out from the courtyard, making him gulp. If we cant do it today, then we come back tomorrow! he said with a vicious look in his eyes. A fat woman cannot be so particular. If they dont succeed, they will try again. If a soft approach cannot do it, they will do it by force. There will be a way to make this fat woman relent. Besides, he had experience in hitting a woman in such a manner that she would suffer but be unable to talk about it. Seeing how determined her son was, the old widow finally felt relieved and went home. Qiao Mei did not take the marriage proposal to heart and went up the mountain again after dinner. Now that the little piglets had been bought, she had to go up the mountain to get some food for them. The rice in the rice jar at home was not even enough for her grandfather and her. There was simply no food for the piglets! Qiao Mei shouldered the carrying pole and went up the mountain along the village road. What she did not expect was that along the way, there were villagers who took the initiative to talk to her. Mei Mei, are you going up the mountain now? The auntie smiled and greeted her normally. Qiao Mei smiled and replied, Yes, Auntie Sun. Im going up the mountain to find some food for the pigs, otherwise the little piglets will go hungry. Going to the hot spring again? Auntie Sun continued to ask. Yes! There was no other place to go except that area. The grass nearby had only just sprouted, and it was not even enough to fill two shovelfuls. Auntie Sun seemed to want to say something when she heard that, but she only smiled and kept quiet. Qiao Mei felt that it seemed a little strange. But when she met the second person who took the initiative to talk to her, she understood what was happening. Qiao Mei, are you going up the mountain to the hot spring again? This auntie was more straightforward. Without waiting for Qiao Meis reply, she continued, If you can still find pumpkins, can you come back and exchange them with my family? Other than green beans, my family also has red beans, soybeans and other things. If not, theres also some rice and potatoes, depending on what you want. The auntie had stewed the pumpkin last night. The fragrant aroma filled the air when it was cooked, making her children cry out in anticipation, and it tasted a hundred times better than meat. She would have gone to look for the pumpkins herself if not for the fact that the place at the back of the mountain was too far away from the village. It would take half a day to travel back and forth, in turn delaying her work in the village. When Qiao Mei heard this, her eyes lit up. She was only just worried that there was not enough food at home.. Chapter 29 - Improved Relationships Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Sure, if | see another pumpkin, Ill bring it back to exchange with you. Good, good! Upon hearing this answer, the woman gave a satisfied smile. Who said Qiao Mei was domineering? Why did she feel that Qiao Mei was so nice? Qiao Mei smiled and continued up the mountain. tt was such a small matter that could improve ones life and make others happy. That makes it an even better thing. Otherwise, when the children in her womb grew up, they would not get help if they got bullied by others in the village. Even if it was only for this, she must build up good relationships with the villagers. She quickened her pace and followed the path she had taken yesterday. It only took her about two hours to reach the hot spring, but she ran into a few children who were preparing to make their way back. Yesterday, she had exchanged pumpkins for green beans. In the village, after the pumpkins were cooked, all the children in the various families were craving for more. Today, the adults needed to work during the day, but the children did not, so they came here together to look for pumpkins. However, they did not find anything and only managed to pick some wild fruits. They were stunned for a moment when they saw Qiao Mei. Without saying anything, they lowered their heads and prepared to make a run for it. Although they had never directly clashed with Qiao Mei, almost all of their brothers and sisters had fought with Qiao Mei before, so they knew how scary Qiao Mei was. Seeing the children rushing past, Qiao Mei smiled. It would be more convenient for her to pick fruits if they left. After walking around the hot spring, she realized that the surroundings had been ravaged by the children. Other than weeds and reeds, there were not even any edible wild vegetables left. After all, the hot spring area was actually very small. She was not that concerned about it. She pried open a dense patch of reeds with her hand, and after several twists and turns, found a thin and small wild chestnut among the trees. In just three to four minutes, she completed a round of energy exchange and wild chestnuts had fallen all over the ground. Qiao Mei happily picked up two baskets of chestnuts from the ground. Chestnuts were most suitable for pregnant women as they contained plenty of folic acid which could prevent pregnant women from premature labor. Now that she was pregnant with twins, she needed to eat more of these. The original owner of the body had given birth prematurely, so she had to pay more attention to this. By the time Qiao Mei returned to the village, the sky was already dark. Smoke rose from the chimney of every house, and every house was filled with warm light. As she got closer, a few barks could be heard. The entire setting was like a relaxing village scene. Qiao Mei followed the path and looked at the front door of her own house. She immediately saw Qiao Qiang who was looking forward to her return. Her uneasy heart instantly calmed down and she felt a sense of the warmth of home. Grandfather, Im back! Qiao Mei smiled and quickly walked over, her voice sweet and soft. Qiao Qiang welcomed her with a smile. The two of them happily walked into the house and she put down the baskets. It was under the light from the house that Qiao Qiang could now see what was inside the baskets. You picked up so many chestnuts, did you take all the squirrels winter rations? These chestnuts looked clean and fresh. They were definitely not picked up from the grass. If these chestnuts were not those hidden away by squirrels, they would already have rotted in the ground when the winter ended and the ice and snow had melted. Therefore, these must have been hidden by squirrels to get through the winter. Thats right, the squirrels probably wont be able to find these chestnuts anymore. The whole tree hole full of chestnuts is now mine, Qiao Mei said with a smile. Hahahaha! Our Mei Mei is indeed luckier than others! Qiao Qiang laughed happily. Qiao Mei gently washed the chestnuts and immediately put them over the steamer. Actually, it would be better to fry the chestnuts. It would be even more fragrant if she could stew it with chicken but for now, she had no choice but to just steam them on their own.. Chapter 30 - Reporting Marriage Plans Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Fortunately, the chestnuts were delicious on their own. Given that they had absorbed the energy from the jade pendant, they emitted a tempting aroma not long after they were steamed in the pot for a while. The pair of grandfather and granddaughter finished their meal in satisfaction. Qiao Mei then filled a big bowl with chestnuts and placed it in the basket, preparing to go out. Where are you going? Qiao Qiang asked curiously. Sending it to Auntie Dong at the end of the village. We can exchange for some rice with her family, Qiao Mei replied. Qiao Qiang was stunned and looked at Qiao Mei in disbelief. His Mei Mei had really changed. Not only had she learned how to do household chores and cook well, but she had also become tactful in handling matters. It was as if she had been blessed by Buddha. No, perhaps she had been encouraged by that kid, Xia Zhe I dont even know when that kid would return. At this moment, Xia Zhe frowned as he thought about his next mission. This mission was a little complicated and did not seem to be able to be completed within a month. He thought for a while and ran to his office to make a call. Commissar, I have something to report! What is it? A voice came from the other end of the phone. Please help me put up a report on my marriage plans! Xia Zhe said immediately. Soldiers had to put in an application if they had plans to get married. The other end of the phone went silent. Please help me to put up a report on my marriage plans! Xia Zhe repeated in a louder voice. Okay, okay, okay. I got it. The man on the other end of the phone covered his ears before he continued to ask, Which girl are you going to get married to? Is she from Zhang Lao Das family or Commissar Mas family? Or is it the English teacher from the university that your father introduced to you? Xia Zhe was handsome, had a good family background and a good character. Ever since he became an adult, people had almost knocked down his family door trying to introduce girlfriends to him one after another. Especially in the early few years, there were so many people who came round. In the past few years though, there were not many people because the earlier group did not succeed. Everyone felt that the Xia family had very high standards, so it dissuaded those ladies who were from modest families. It was also precisely because of this that two ladies with good family backgrounds had set their sights on this good catch, Xia Zhe. The two families were currently fighting fiercely over him, and it was said that the two ladies had even physically fought several times over this matter. The people around them were all caught up in the drama to see which family would manage to win Xia Zhe over, Commissar Qin included. He did not expect that the choice of the winning marriage candidate was being made now. Quick, tell me, which family is she from?! The commissar asked curiously. Xia Zhe stopped for a moment and said, Its the granddaughter of my grandfathers old comrade. The comrade had saved his life back then. Her name is Qiao Mei. What? The commissar thought that the phone signal was not good so he had not heard it clearly. Grandfathers old comrades granddaughter, her name is Qiao Mei! Xia Zhe repeated loudly again, Take down the address now, her home is at Dont go to the wrong place. He was not very formal with his words. After all, this commissar was his uncle who had watched him grow up. Hence, he had informed this uncle first without regard for family hierarchy. Ah? Oh, oh, oh Ill take it down Qin Dong immediately took out a pen and paper and started to write down the address. He paused for a while and suddenly asked, Whats going on? What about the ladies from the two families? Xia Zhe was silent for a moment before he continued, I dont think the Zhang and Ma families have a good way of doing things. Were not on the same side, so its better not to be involved with each other in the future. His words were a little vague, but in reality, what he was thinking was that those two families would be finished sooner or later because of their way of doing things.. Chapter 31 - His People Must Be Protected! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios As for the female teacher from the university that my father mentioned to me last time Xia Zhe scratched his head, unable to recall how she looked. Forget it, lets not talk about her anymore. There was no point caring about these people now. After all, he had already decided who he was going to marry. Alright, you decide on your own marriage. As long as Qiao Mei passes the political review, theres no problem on my end! Qin Dong then asked curiously, So which familys daughter did you fall in love with at first sight, for you to make a decision on such an important matter as marriage right now? Is she very pretty? At this point, Xia Zhe could not help but shiver. She looked probably she would scare you to death. Lets get the marriage registered first. When Im done with my mission, Ill bring her home to see you guys, he said. Since the two of them had spent the night together, they had to get married so that no one would have any designs on Qiao Mei. At the same time, Grandpa Qiao Qiang would also feel more at ease. Although Qiao Mei was not very pleasing to the eye, she was already his now. Since that was the case, he would protect her. Im on a mission here and I dont think Ill be able to finish it anytime soon. Please help me get my marriage certificate done, then go to the village and treat the villagers to a meal. Well make some arrangements for the wedding and then deliver the marriage certificate to her. Then we can consider the matter done. This would make her relatives give up. So soon? Qin Dong suddenly thought of something and asked, Could it be that you are still hiding something from me? When Xia Zhe heard this, his face felt like it was on fire. It turned red in an instant and it was like he could suddenly hear the moans from that night and the pleasure of release Although he knew that it was unlikely for anything to happen after a one night stand, they had done it more than once that night. If they ended up having a child he could not let anyone gossip about the child that might be born. I was drunk the other day, so I made a mistake Xia Zhe said softly. Ah? You rascal youre really Now Qin Dong heard this clearly. Even as he was admonishing his nephew, he was also itching to know what happened. What kind of girl could make his steel-hearted nephew lose control? As aman, he knew very well that there was no such thing as one losing control when drunk. That was just an excuse. If a man was really drunk, he would not be able to do anything. If he had done something, then he was definitely a willing partner. Xia Zhe blushed. Neither did he lose control after being drunk, nor did he pretend to be crazy under the influence of alcohol. He had accidentally fallen for a trick Xia Zhe exhaled and said slowly, Dont tell my parents about this first. Ill tell them myself when I get back. Qin Dong immediately replied, I understand. You can say it yourself when youre back! He had taken down the address of this woman and noted that she was likely a village girl. With the characters of his younger sister and brother-in-law, wouldnt the Xia Family explode when they knew about it? The explosion was not the scary part, the scary part would be if they object to this marriage. He thought differently from this couple of the Xia family. He felt that a real man had to depend on himself to build his career. He must work on it one shot at a time and not rely on unorthodox methods which were not dependable at all. Besides, if a man worked hard for his career outside and did not have a woman he liked waiting at home, then that life would feel empty. He would not feel comfortable even if he had a good life. ow that his nephew finally found someone he liked, he must protect this marriage and not let that Xia family couple ruin it. After hanging up, Qin Dong immediately took action. He made a few phone calls to the Northeast precinct and someone immediately boarded the train to Qiao Meis house. Wedding matters should be handled quickly and not be delayed so that it would set everyones mind at ease once everything is done. He was Xia Zhes uncle after all!. Chapter 32 - Nurturing Chili Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei took the big bowl of chestnuts and exchanged it for half a catty of rice. At this time, staple grains were definitely more expensive than snacks. If Qiao Mei had not specially cooked the chestnuts and brought them over with the intoxicating smell, the other family would definitely not give her the rice. It was because for mountain produce like chestnuts, every family could go out to pick them up when they were free. No family was lacking in this, so there was no market for it. Qiao Qiangs family was tiny, and the old one was lame while the young one had been lazy. Otherwise, his family would have been able to fill up half their storeroom with mountain produce. After finishing her work, Qiao Mei thought of the chicks, ducklings and goslings in the storeroom so she cooked half a bowl of chestnuts for them. Qiao Qiangs heart ached when he saw that and he watched them glumly from the side. When our bean sprouts are ready and we sell them, well get some bran to feed them, Qiao Mei said in a comforting tone. Of course, she only said that to comfort her grandfather. If the meat of the fowl were to taste good, they naturally had to be fed more food that had been catalyzed by the jade pendant. The next morning, Qiao Mei went to check on her bean sprouts once she woke up. The bean sprouts had already grown long and the next step was to change the water quickly and put them in the basket. Qiao Qiang also stood at the side and looked at the sprouts happily. If the first step was so easy, the second step would definitely be easier. He suddenly started to look forward to it and decided he must get to work now and make more baskets in the yard. After Qiao Mei finished her work, she shouldered her carrying pole into the mountain again and picked up some fruits and firewood. Every year, Qiao Qiang was the one who went to pick up firewood. The original owner of the body was too lazy and did not do any chores at home. This year, Qiao Qiangs health had gotten worse so he did not pick up much firewood and now, there was not enough firewood in the kitchen. However, Qiao Meis main goal of going out was to make use of the opportunity to get rid of all the dirt on her body. But this time, she did not walk towards the hot spring as she had seen a few children heading there. The news of the chestnuts from yesterday had spread throughout the village. Children who had nothing better to do all headed towards the hot spring area. She did not take it to heart. This time, she would just walk around the back mountain. This area of the mountain was not very high and there were only some small trees around. Everyone only came here to do things like chop wood and pick mushrooms. If they wanted other mountain produce, they had to go higher into the mountain. At this time of the season, there were no fruits, but it did not matter to Qiao Mei. She could make fruits even without them. Qiao Mei found a place with lush trees and pushed her way in as the tender leaves and new branches growing in the early spring provided coverage for her. She dug a hole and buried a few seeds inside. This time, she planted chili. After a few minutes, the chili turned from seeds to saplings, and then from saplings to mature chili plants. Very soon, there were many red chilies hanging from the branches. Qiao Mei did not pluck them immediately. Instead, she tried to communicate with them. Tell me, which one of you is the least spicy? She used to like spicy food and felt that everything was tasteless without chili, but when she ate too much chili, she would get diarrhea. Eating chili was always a dilemma to her. Now here was a good thing. She wanted to develop a type of chili that was fragrant but not spicy. She would be well-fed and well-clothed by her own hands! She liked the fragrance of the chili but not the spiciness. Every time, her stomach would hurt from the spiciness, making her very uncomfortable. The red chilies on the branches quivered and there seemed to be voices coming from them. The sounds were faint, but she understood them. After listening for a long time, Qiao Mei plucked a red chili and tasted it. It was still very spicy. She took out a seed from the chili and planted it again. A few minutes later, red chilies filled the branches again. Tell me, which of you is the least spicy?. Chapter 33 - Super Spicy Weapon Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After more than 10 times, Qiao Mei plucked the fruit again. Every time the energy exchange ended, the chilies would naturally dry up on the branches and there would be the fragrance of chilies in the air. Qiao Mei put the chili in her mouth and chewed it. It was crispy and filled her mouth with the fragrance of chili, but her mouth did not hurt at all. Thats it! This was the type of chili that she wanted. Qiao Mei immediately took all the chilies from the plant and retrieved half a catty of seeds from them. These seeds would be used for planting in the field at home. This way, she could be open about these chilies in the future. After harvesting these seeds, she planted another chili seed. She looked at the chilies hanging on the grown chili plant and asked, Speak! Which one of you is the most spicy? After more than 10 rounds, she felt that the spiciness level was still insufficient and continued for another 30-odd rounds. Finally, after 60 rounds of chilies, the spiciness had been doubled. This was the chili weapon she wanted. Smelling it from afar would already make people choke and struggle for breath. Qiao Mei covered her mouth and crushed a chili with her hand. Her fingers immediately swelled up and it was so spicy that it hurt. A cooling sensation then manifested from the jade pendant and spread to her fingers and the swelling immediately subsided. Hahahaha, thats great! Qiao Mei happily plucked all of the dried up chilies and wrapped them with cloth before crushing them into powder. Is the spiciness of this chili too strong or what? Qiao Mei said while sneezing. Would one drop of chili water made from this chili powder make one go blind? Forget it, forget it. She had already made it. If she had to start all over again, she would have worked for nothing. Furthermore, there was not enough time anymore. She looked up at the sun. It was already close to noon and she had to hurry down the mountain with the firewood. But when she got home and pushed open the door, she saw someone she had not expected to see. Why are you at my house again? Qiao Mei snatched the hoe he was holding in his hand and asked with a frown. Wang Yong looked at her and covered his nose in disgust, thinking that she was just like what the rumors said. Qiao Mei was smelly again. I saw that your familys land was still empty and it felt like such a pity, so I came to help you loosen the soil and grow something. He did not look at Qiao Mei and just continued talking. So youre also here to take advantage of us as well. Youre not welcome here. Hurry up and leave! Qiao Mei wanted to drive him away. Wang Yongs brows instantly furrowed as he breathed heavily. He had never met such a person who was so misguided. There was nothing he could do if she was good-looking, but the fact was that she was so ugly and dark and fat, and yet she was still so arrogant. She must be crazy! It was all her grandfathers fault for spoiling her, she did not know her place and worth in life. Once she married into his family, he would definitely educate her properly and let her see her true self clearly. I dont have any other intention, I just want to help you loosen the soil and get some work done. Wang Yong did not leave. If he wanted to educate Qiao Mei, he had to marry her first. Qiao Mei looked Wang Yong up and down, reading his thoughts. Dont be so fixated on my grandfathers salary. His salary is not even enough to feed me. No matter who I marry in the future, no one can think about eyeing this money, she said to him in a direct manner. Wang Yong did not say a word, but the corners of his mouth curled into a cold smile. Only a woman who had yet to marry would be so naive. Once she married into his family, he would naturally teach her the meaning of being virtuous and filial. Qiao Mei could tell that this was a stubborn person. She hated people who kept pestering her. Hurry up and get lost! If you dont get lost, Ill call for help!. Chapter 34 - Old Hero! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei picked up the hoe beside her and threw it towards the ground. The hoe swung around and smashed the mud all over the ground. Mud flew up and splashed onto Wang Yongs leg, causing him a lot of pain. He jumped in fright and retreated in the direction of the hoe, and got unknowingly chased out of the courtyard by Qiao Mei. I, Qiao Mei, am very self-aware. I cant afford to provoke a good man like you who caused his wife to be cursed dead. Dont ever come to my house again and dont enter my house, or Ill break your legs. Qiao Mei swung the hoe and smashed the wooden door next to her. This door was a little old and already tattered. Qiao Mei had picked up a new piece of wood today and was going to change it out. Now was the perfect time to make good use of the old door. Wood shavings scattered in all directions and one piece flew directly into Wang Yongs face, leaving a bloody mark. He wiped his face and cast a few vicious glances at Qiao Mei before turning to leave. At this moment, Qiao Qiang walked over and stood beside Qiao Mei. Looking at Wang Yongs retreating figure, he said, In the future, try to avoid offending such despicable people if you can. Otherwise, you might get yourself into trouble. Qiao Mei shook her head and said calmly, He has his eyes on us now. We have what he wants here. Its not as if we can hide from it just because we dont offend him. Theres no way to hide from him, so theres no need to hide. Lets face him head-on and take him down! Its just that, take him down and its done! As soon as Qiao Mei said those words, Qiao Qiangs eyes lit up. He looked at Qiao Mei in front of him and felt a faint sense of pride. This was the first time he felt that his granddaughter resembled him, so full of vigor! Not only was she hot-blooded, but she was also calm and smart and possessed the ability to see people for what they were. It made him feel so gratified that he wanted to cry. Even if he died now and his granddaughter Qiao Mei could not marry Xia Zhe, he would be able to leave with peace of mind. His granddaughter was capable of being independent now. Qiao Mei did not think too much about it. She quickly picked up the hoe and quickly did some planting in her field so that everyone would stop eyeing it. The two people in the courtyard did not know that someone from outside the village had specially come looking for them. Two serious-looking men in military uniforms entered the village and went to Village Chief Zhaos house. Looking at the two men, the entire village started to talk about it. Everyone stood in their own courtyard and looked in the direction of Village Chief Zhaos house. What had happened? Was there going to be another critique meeting? Who were they going to criticize this time? Village Chief Zhao was also very nervous. However, the moment these two men opened their mouths, they asked about Qiao Mei. He was stunned for a moment and thought, could something have happened to Qiao Qiang? Is he going to be interrogated by the organization at such an old age? He is crippled and sick as well. How pitiful. That kid, Qiao Mei, had never done anything wrong. Other than being a little lazy and eating a lot, she did not do anything wrong, right? As for her parents, her father was gone and her mother had remarried. Anyway, there was nothing bad that was attributable to her. it was actually normal for her to be a little lazy. After all, with Qiao Meis size, it would be difficult for her to even walk two steps, let alone do any work. Besides, his heart softened when he thought about how Qiao Mei called him Uncle Zhao a few days ago. In addition, Zhao Liang sympathized with Qiao Qiang and so did not say anything bad about her. The two of them asked about Qiao Mei and followed up with questions about Qiao Qiang as well, mainly asking about his life over the past few years. Before the two of them came, they had already checked out Qiao Meis family background. They did not expect to find such an old hero in this mountain village and felt emotional about it. Shouldnt an old hero like him retire in a big house in the capital city? At the very least, he should be living in a specialized nursing home in the province and be taken care of by professionals! Why was he in such a small village?. Chapter 35 - Life-saving Friendship Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Such an old hero definitely would not want to burden the country and he had even asked for the lowest retirement salary. He was truly a hero! Based on what they found out in their research, the two of them respected Qiao Qiang and so they just asked the standard questions about Qiao Mei. For a person like Qiao Mei, who was a descendant of a hero and had never left the village since she was born, what problem could there be? Zhao Liang saw that the two of them were in high spirits and did not seem to be making any arrest for a critique session, so he tried asking, You two are here to see the old hero, right? His house is on the mountain at the back, I can bring you there! We still have a mission to complete this time. Maybe next time! one of the men said. According to the standard procedure, they should go to Qiao Meis house for another face-to-face review. There were still things that needed to be signed off. However, the higher-ups specifically told them that there was no need to go to Qiao Meis house. The young girl was thin-skinned and it was meant to be a surprise for her. Anyway, they did not understand anything about young people, so they just followed their orders. This was something that Xia Zhe had specially instructed his uncle, Qin Dong, to do. If his uncle knew what Qiao Mei looked like, this marriage might be over Zhao Liang asked carefully, What are we supposed to do? The two men looked at each other. After all, this was not a bad thing. If the villagers were to think wrongly and disturb the old hero, then it would be their fault. So one of them said, Its not a big deal. Comrade Qiao Mei is going to join the big family of military wives. We are following the usual practice of doing a political examination so no need to alarm Old Mr Qiao. During that time, it was not like in the future, where any necessary checks could be completed immediately on the computer. The political inspections of this period needed to be reviewed layer by layer on-site, and with Xia Zhes special identity, they had to be more cautious. These two people who came here not only had to talk to the village head, but they also had to go around the village and talk to other villagers. If Qiao Mei had any ideological issues, she would definitely fail the examination. Zhao Liang was stunned for a moment. He blinked his eyes and recalled the handsome young man in military uniform who came to the village a few days ago. That young man was so good-looking that he even took a few more glances at him! Qiao Mei to match that handsome guy? Why did he feel that it was a little inappropriate? Instantly, Zhao Liang felt a trace of regret in his heart. He should have said something unpleasant just now. This did not seem too good. Very quickly, his rationality returned and he did not say anything in the end. He then brought the two of them to look for other people in the village. He specially brought the two of them to the Dong family house at the end of the village. Last night, he even heard the Dong family aunt praising Qiao Mei. At the Dong family house, Qiao Mei was highly praised by the Dong family aunt, earning nods from the two military staff. After that, he brought them to Wang Wus house. Qiao Mei had bought four piglets at one go from his family, which had helped them a lot, so they also put in a few good words. Qiao Meis image became even better and the military staff noted it down again. Besides, the children of the Wang family were honest. In the past, they had no grudges with Qiao Mei so there was no need for them to badmouth her. Finally, they went to the homes of a few honest villagers. Under Zhao Liangs threatening gaze, no one dared to say anything bad about Qiao Mei. The two military staff happily wrote in their notes that an outstanding and forward-thinking woman was about to become a military wife. When they left, the village instantly erupted. When Xia Zhe came that day, many people in the village saw him. Xia Zhes appearance really left a deep impression on them and they did not even think of trying to get close to him. How did Qiao Mei get her hands on such a handsome boy? Who asked her to have a good grandfather? I heard that the young mans grandfather is Qiao Qiangs comrade. This was what Qiao Yu heard when she led him to his destination that day, now it was being spread to all the families in the village. Oh, so it is a life-saving friendship. Otherwise, how could he have found such a good grandson-in-law? Someone managed to guess the truth.. Chapter 36 - The Big Day Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios However, everyone in the village thought that the truth was Qiao Qiang wanted to entrust his granddaughter to someone else before he died, and his comrade-in-arms betrothed his grandson to Qiao Mei in order to repay the kindness of saving his life back then. In short, the village was abuzz because of this matter. No matter how enthusiastic the discussion was, Qiao Meis family was protected from it. After the lunch break ended, everyone went out to work again. During the spring farming season, unless one was seriously ill and about to die, one must go out to work. There was no one in the village who was as lazy as the original owner of the body and did not need to go out to work. As for Qiao Mei not going out to work, it would seem that she actually used to receive the tacit approval of the entire village. Now that she had become diligent, no one asked her to go out to work as well. It was such a strange situation. Hence, no one mentioned anything about this marriage to her. Besides, how could she not know that she was getting married? Everyone thought that Qiao Mei already knew about it, so no one came by to say anything. Logically speaking, relatives would usually come by to chat about such matters. However, Qiao Qiangs only relatives in the village were Qiao Zhuangs family. Now that Qiao Zhuangs family was about to go mad from anger, why would they still come to her house to announce the good news? What they wanted the most was to come to his funeral to take over Qiao Qiangs land. This would be most in line with what they wanted! Qiao Yu sat on the ridge of the mountain, wiping her tears while she was working. Why wasnt she Qiao Qiangs granddaughter? Why didnt such a good thing happen to her? She was so jealous of Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei did not know anything at the moment and was happily planting vegetable seeds in the courtyard. Seeds of common vegetables that every household would have, like string beans, eggplants, tomatoes, cabbages and potatoes, among others. Lastly, she planted sunflowers in a circle near the wall of the courtyard. When harvest time came around, she would be able to reap two baskets full of sunflower seeds! After finishing her work in the courtyard, Qiao Mei took the hoe and went to the two pieces of land given to them by the village. Now, every household had land given by the village. On these lands, they could grow some vegetables and other crops and everything they harvested would belong to them. Therefore, together with the grains distributed by the village, each household basically would have enough to eat. Of course, this was only what the higher-ups had predicted. But in reality, in a village, basically there were very few households that could eat their fill every day. At this time, there was very little harvest from the fields, but there was a lot of work to be done. People could not get meat in their diets, so they needed to eat more grains. Very little to eat and a lot to do, this was the reason why she never felt full. The plot of land here was not as big as the fields at the courtyard. This was also Qiao Meis first time coming here this spring. Or rather, it was her first time coming here to clean up after more than ten years and she found herself being worked to the bones. One day was not enough for her to clean up the land. She came again the next day and spent the entire morning cleaning up before the land was all done up and the seeds planted. The land here was suitable for planting crops like radishes and cabbages, but now was not the season for radishes and cabbages. Those needed to be planted in autumn. So, Qiao Mei planned to plant potatoes and corn on this land. By the time she harvested all of these, it would be a good time to plant cabbages. In this way, there would be an uninterrupted supply of vegetables at home. Just as she was done, Qiao Mei looked up and saw Zhao Liang running over. He shouted at her, Mei Mei, hurry up and go home! Hurry! Qiao Mei was stunned for a moment and she felt her eyelids twitch. She threw away the hoe in her hand and ran towards the house. Hopetully nothing is wrong with Qiao Qiang! In the end, she heard Zhao Liang shouting from behind, Today is your wedding day, quickly go home and pack up. Your grandfather told you to hurry home and prepare for the wedding. Qiao Meis legs gave way and she almost sprained her waist. What? Wedding??? Chapter 37 - Marriage Certificate Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei walked home briskly and saw her grandfather standing at the door to welcome the guests. He was smiling so widely that his eyes could barely be seen. There were a few well-dressed people standing beside her. Qiao Mei knew all of them, they were officers from the county who would bear gifts and visit her grandfather during the new year. These people had also brought a lot of things this time round. A few bags of rice were placed in the courtyard, as well as a few bags of noodles, a few large baskets of eggs and sugar, two crates of liquor and a few bags of fruits. There was even half a pigs worth of pork on the ground. It was neither the new year nor any holiday season at the moment. Could these be her wedding gifts? Qiao Mei guessed correctly this time. These were all congratulatory gifts, but they were not from the county officers as there were no such rules. These were all brought by the officers on behalf of Qin Dong who paid for them out of his own pocket. These were his wedding gifts for his nephew and niece-in-law. When these people saw Qiao Mei, they were not surprised at all. After all, they had seen Qiao Mei grow up from a weak girl to a black and fat Black Bear Spirit. But what surprised them was that Qiao Mei actually managed to get married! However, when they thought about Qiao Qiangs status, his relationship with Xia Zhes grandfather, plus the fact that Qiao Qiang said the two young people had been engaged since young, they found it understandable. Qiao Mei, look! This is your marriage certificate! Qiao Qiangs eyes lit up when he saw Qiao Mei and he hastily handed her a red booklet. Qiao Mei was shocked. She didnt even need to go personally to get married now? There arent any photos on this marriage certificate. Comrade Xia Zhe is still on a mission and hasnt returned yet. You two can just paste the photos yourselves, one of the officers said. Qiao Mei froze on the stop and blinked her eyes, not knowing what to say. So Xia Zhe doesnt even need to attend his own wedding too. She kept the marriage certificate carefully and remained silent. Now that she had gotten her marriage certificate, she felt very secure. She was thankful that Xia Zhe was a responsible person, otherwise the children in her womb would be illegitimate. During this day and age, it would be a hard blow to two young children who did not know who their father was. The mockery from the people around them would shame them enough to give them a nightmarish burden for the rest of their lives. Thank you! Qiao Mei carefully put away the marriage certificate and placed it in the wooden box under the bed. She then hid the wooden box inside a brick joint at the bedside. At this moment, in order for her children to have a complete family and a responsible father, she decided that she must treat Xia Zhe better in the coming days. Look at Qiao Mei, shes so happy that shes gone all silly! The villagers who were squatting outside the window watching the fun laughed and said to one another. At occasions like this, everyone would be looking in at the windows openly and no one would say anything. Qiao Mei, come out quickly. Quickly come out and prepare for your wedding. Today, we will invite the whole village to our house for a meal and have a grand celebration! Qiao Qiang shouted happily. Aiyo, Uncle Qiao, how can you let the bride do work on her wedding day? Let me help, theres no need to trouble Mei Mei! Auntie Dong from the end of the village said laughingly. Me too! All the older women talked together at once. They looked at the half a pigs worth of pork in the courtyard and almost drooled. It had been more than half a month since they had eaten meat and they were all dying to have some. This wedding would be a good excuse to have a good meal. Okay, okay! Qiao Qiang was so happy that he had no words. But at this moment, someone came out to interrupt everything.. Chapter 38 - It Smells Good! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios When Qiao Zhuangs eldest daughter-in-law heard that there was going to be a wedding, she rushed over in a hurry. When she heard Qiao Qiangs last words, she smiled coldly and said, Uncle, do you intend to keep your word? Whether we can eat meat or not, we have to wait and hear it from your Qiao Meis mouth. If were asked to spit it out right after we eat it, it will be an ugly situation. Based on her understanding of Qiao Mei, it was totally within her usual behavior. When she said this, the atmosphere immediately turned cold. Everyone also felt that Qiao Mei was someone who could do such things. Every year during the new year and festive periods, Qiao Mei would be very anxious about the meat at home. No one was allowed to touch her meat, not even Qiao Qiang. Who were they to her? If they were not allowed to eat it after it was cooked, wouldnt that be even more disappointing? Qiao Mei walked out of the house and smiled at Big Auntie Qiao. Big Auntie is right. As long as I dont say anything, no one can eat a piece of meat from my house! The atmosphere became even colder now. Qiao Qiangs smile froze. Was his granddaughter going to revert to her old self with the food aggression and laziness? After saying that, Qiao Mei shifted her gaze away from the Qiao family auntie and looked at the people around her. She laughed loudly and said, Today is my big day and now I will speak. No one can think about going home today. You can only leave after you have eaten your fill at my house! Auntie Dong, I remember that you still have some cabbages at home. Give us two! Ill make some pork stewed with cabbage for everyone, Qiao Mei continued. Auntie Dong was stunned for a moment when she heard but immediately smiled and said, Okay, okay, Ill go home and get the cabbages now! She had a big family so she needed to store a lot of food. Until now, she still had half a basket of cabbages in the storeroom. It had lasted them until now, so it was not a big deal to take out a few cabbages to share. Furthermore, Qiao Mei was offering half a pigs worth of pork for everyone to eat, so how could they feel sore about contributing two cabbages? The Dong family aunt walked back to her house and soon returned with four or five cabbages which still had fresh and tender leaves on them. On her end, Qiao Mei took the big knife and started to chop through the pork bones. Cleanly and nimbly, she quickly cut up the pork as if she was preparing to cook it all. it was unlike her to be so generous. Qiao Mei was really very happy! ot only was she married, but she was also having children and the two children even had a responsible father. Feelings could be nurtured slowly after marriage. She believed that with her hard work, her marriage could also get better. Although she had never been married, she had seen and heard many things in her time. She was confident that she could create a loving family environment for her children. f they really could not develop feelings for each other she could just wait for society to evolve before finding a new father for the two children in her womb! Qiao Qiang heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that his granddaughter was exceptionally forthright and did not revert to her old ways. Now the smile on his face became even brighter. The courtyard was filled with cheers and laughter. It was livelier than it ever had been. Only Qiao Zhuangs eldest daughter-in-law could not find the heart to laugh. She watched as Qiao Mei put all the meat into the pot and started cooking. Her heart ached so much as she had intended to take some pork back with her. Now that the weather was getting warmer, the pork could not be stored for too long. If Qiao Qiangs family could not finish it, it should not be a problem to give them some pork now, right? Furthermore, she did not intend to take the pork for free. She would pay for it! Although her family did not have any money now, they would have some spare cash after the autumn harvest and she had intended to owe it until then. Of course, with Qiao Qiangs health, if he could not wait until then, then it could not be blamed on them. But now, Qiao Mei had thrown half a pigs worth of pork into the pot and cooked it all with the vegetables. Her plan failed! The meat was divided up and used in different dishes. Some were made into braised pork, some were steamed, and some were stewed with cabbage. In the blink of an eye, Qiao Mei had made seven to eight dishes and all the dishes looked, smelled, and tasted good! The aroma of the dishes wafted up from the stove and it was extremely intoxicating! It was not only the children playing in the courtyard who peered into the kitchen, but even the adults who were chatting in the courtyard could not help themselves as well. They had never smelled anything so fragrant. It was simply too aromatic!. Chapter 39 - The Actual Day Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei can cook? Oh my goodness, it smells so good. Did she make everything herself? She looks so diligent! The seven to eight dishes on the table were all made by Qiao Mei. The people around her were in a flurry as they handed her the ingredients and did not look as nimble as Qiao Mei. Everyone stood outside the kitchen window and looked inside. They were all so shocked that their teeth almost fell out. Was this the legendary lazy and greedy Qiao Mei? No one else in the kitchen was as efficient as her. There was no one in the entire village who could cook as well as her. The Qiao Mei of today really shocked everyone. She had completely refreshed the villagers impression of her. When the dishes were ready, the fragrance filled everyones nose. When all of them tasted the top-notch delicacies on the table, they could not help but give their thumbs up. There were even a few old ladies who regretted not getting Qiao Mei as their daughter-in-law. In their opinion, when choosing a wife, looks were secondary. The most important thing was that the wife must be efficient in her work and the ability to cook would be an added bonus. But now, it was no longer possible. Qiao Mei was already married. At the end of the meal, everyone was stuffed to the fullest. Before leaving, they each had a bowl of food to take with them. Auntie Dongs bowl was especially filled to the brim with pork until it was almost overflowing. Theres no need for so much. You can keep it for yourself! The Dong family aunt wanted to decline. Its fine, just take it! I cant eat meat anymore. Qiao Mei smiled and said, If | eat more, my man wont like me anymore. Hearing this, the smiles of the people around her froze. The way Qiao Mei said it, it was as if the handsome young man had already taken a fancy to her. By now, everyone knew that Qiao Meis husband was tall and handsome. They also knew that Qiao Mei and him had been betrothed since they were young, and Qiao Qiang and his grandfather had a life-and-death relationship. Moreover, everyone knew that today was actually a makeup date. The day that the handsome young man came to the village was the actual day of the wedding. It was written clearly on the marriage certificate. Unfortunately, he had an important mission that day, so he had to leave first and he left on the next day. That was what Qiao Qiang and Qiao Mei had told the villagers by way of explanation. Qiao Mei was particularly insistent on clearly stating the actual day of their wedding. If she did not make it clear that they had already wedded that day, it would be difficult later to explain the children in her womb. For this, Qiao Mei even pretended to be shy and had secretly asked the older ladies about the matters of the bedroom. For example, continued bleeding for a few days after they consummated their marriage, was that abnormal? She had felt pain down there for a few days, was she sick? These questions shocked the older ladies. They thought that since the man could even accept someone like Qiao Mei, he was really not picky After a moment of surprise, they were not stingy at all with their experiences. A child like Qiao Mei, who did not have her mother by her side to take care of her, was really pitiful she was even muddled about these basic things! Everyone believed what the pair of grandfather and granddaughter said together. However, the last point about the handsome lad leaving because he had a mission, no one believed that. tt must be Qiao Meis looks that sent him away in a hurry. After all, according to what the villagers said, Xia Zhe had left very quickly. He was in such a hurry to leave that he did not seem like a newlywed However, he still completed the marriage registration with Qiao Mei, which proved that he was a responsible man. He even got someone to send so many things and betrothal gifts. What a good man! All the unmarried ladies in the village were extremely jealous of Qiao Mei for marrying such a good man. Especially Qiao Yu, who dug in and ate two bowls of rice.. Chapter 40 - A Reckless Waste Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Zhuangs family was preparing to start their farm work and only sent their eldest daughter-in-law and third daughter-in-law. In the end, when they heard that half a pigs worth of pork was cooked, the whole family ran over in a hurry and ate to their hearts! content at Qiao Meis house. When almost everyone had left, Qiao Zhuangs family still did not go. Why are you all sitting there looking at me? Dont you know how to take the initiative to help? Wash the dishes and wipe the table. After youre done, you still have to return them to others! Qiao Mei shouted at them. They had invited the entire village over for a meal, but only one person from each household came. There were only six tables in the courtyard, but Qiao Zhuangs family already occupied two and a half tables! With so many people here, Qiao Meis house did not even have enough tables and cutlery. She had to borrow them from her neighbors. Now that it was all done, she naturally had to wash all the borrowed items before returning them. You wretched girl, youre actually ordering your second grandpa to work? Youre really unfilial. How can you be like this?! The Qiao familys eldest daughter-in-law sat where she was and lectured with her hands on her hips. I didnt ask my second grandpa, Qiao Mei said. Big Auntie Qiao wanted to retort. Qiao Mei added, I didnt ask you either. Cant I ask your nephews and nieces? Theyre not my elders. After eating, cant they do some work? Big Auntie Qiao choked on her words when she heard that. The third auntie of the Qiao family put down the peanuts in her hand and said slowly, Your male cousins dont do any work in the kitchen when they are at home. Dont expect them to do your chores. In the end, she turned around and called out to Qiao Yu. Qiao Yu, go help your niece! Dont be a freeloader! Qiao Yu reluctantly put down the bowl and looked pitifully at Qiao Ye next to her. Qiao Ye was the daughter of the Qiao familys third daughter-in-law. She was also 17 years old this year and another pitiful person who was not welcomed at home. She usually followed behind her mother and helped out with household chores all day long. Seeing Qiao Yus gaze, Qiao Ye nodded and stood up. She began to quietly clear the dishes and cutlery on the table. Qiao Yu ran to Qiao Meis side and smiled ingratiatingly. Sister Qiao Mei, take a break and let them do this. Lets go in and take a look at your betrothal gifts and see whats inside! There would definitely be betrothal gifts at a wedding. These things were all belated gifts from Xia Zhe. Although he had no experience, he had gotten his uncle Qin Dong to help him settle all these. His uncle was the commissar and had helped many people with their marriages before so it was all very familiar to him. Now that it was his own nephews wedding, wouldnt he want to do a grand job? After being aware of the basic situation of Qiao Meis family, he prepared a list of things to buy including a few pieces of cloth, a few thick blankets, two large porcelain basins and some essential items like soap and towels, among others. These were all for the couple. There were also some things that should have been prepared by Qiao Mei, but Qin Dong also bought them. It was said that there were also several big ticket items like a bicycle, watches, a radio and a sewing machine! These were Xia Zhes real betrothal gifts! However, Qin Dong was late with his instructions and it was not possible to get all these big-ticket items in one day in such a small town. Since second-hand items were not suitable for the occasion, Qin Dong had asked someone to buy them from the city and to send them over in a few days. The story was repeated by the staff who came over to handle the matter. On a joyous occasion, people tended to want to repeat stories that could be shown off. When they heard this, everyone in the village was extremely envious, especially Qiao Yu. Among the betrothal gifts, there was a beautiful piece of colored cloth embroidered with golden thread. It sparkled under the sunlight and looked gorgeous. It was not just Qiao Yu, no one in the village had ever seen such beautiful fabric. Qiao Mei wearing such a fabric was simply a reckless waste!. Chapter 41 - So Much Money! Qiao Yu walked over and looked intently at the cloth. This piece of cloth looked really beautiful and it would look so good on her. If the cloth was made into a dress, it would be the most beautiful dress in the world. If it was made into a pair of pants, it would be the most shiny pair of pants. Qiao Yu could not help but walk closer and closer. She reached out with her fingers and was about to touch the fabric when a voice piped up from the side to stop her. Stop! Qiao Mei walked out from the side and reached out to stop her. Im just looking. not doing anything. Qiao Yu sounded aggrieved to be called out in front of everyone and looked embarrassed. She really liked this piece of fabric. Oh? Qiao Mei nodded and reached out to pull the cloth, but she then happened to flip it open, revealing banknotes inside. Whoosh! The money fell all over the ground, stunning everyone who was at the door. Oh my goodness, so much money! Big Auntie Qiao, who was at the door, tried to rush in with an uncontrollable look of joy on her face. She had never seen so much money in her life. Qiao Mei spread out her arms and pushed away Big Auntie Qiao who was rushing over. Then she also stopped Third Auntie Qiao who was trying to sneakily make her through the door. The two women stood at the door and stomped their feet. They might have been able to sneak some money home, but their plan was ruined now. Qiao Mei gave the two of them a big smile before shouting, Dont come over again. If you do it, dont blame me for being rude! Big Auntie Qiao and Third Auntie Qiao looked at Qiao Meis size and thought about how she had pushed them just now. They just stood where they were and did not move forward. Qiao Yu also stood on the stop and did not move forward. Qiao Mei faced outside and said, Im going in to take inventory. Ill have to trouble all you sisters to help me clean up the courtyard. With that, she slammed the door shut. Big Auntie Qiao and Third Auntie Qiao, who were left outside, felt very indignant. They craned their necks to look in through the window and could only vaguely see Qiao Mei bending down to pick up the money. There were about two hundred banknotes on the ground. Qiao Mei began to pick up the banknotes one by one. She picked them up and placed them on the table, patted the dust off them and wiped them clean before starting to count the money. There were a total of 200 banknotes now! Wrapped in the middle of the cloth was also a piece of brown paper with two big words Betrothal Gift on it! The two Qiao aunties standing outside the window were practically seeing stars. This was probably a few thousand dollars, it was way too much money for Qiao Meis betrothal gift. The person who married her was really generous! Qiao Mei kept the money with a big smile and hid it close to her body before opening the door. At that moment Qiao Mei opened the door. The two Qiao aunties immediately rushed in. Qiao Mei knew what the two of them were up to, so she spoke up before them, Let me say this first. If you want to take advantage of me, its definitely impossible! She gazed at the two aunties and her words were callous. However, Big Auntie Qiao acted as if she did not hear anything. She smiled at Qiao Mei and said, Qiao Mei, there are so many betrothal gifts in the house now and the two of you cant use them all. What about lending them to us? Lend you? Qiao Mei said lightly and glanced at her. What are these things that youre talking about? Soap and towels? I dont want to say this, but if I lend you things like soap and towels, how are you going to return them to me? Big Auntie Qiao was speechless but she rolled her eyes and wanted to enter the room. Second Uncle Qiaos family was not considered poor, but they did not buy things like soap so as to save money, So none of them had really used soap before. Its fine even if its not soap. I dont mind things like basin or cloth or anything. Big Auntie Qiao craned her head to look inside. Next to her, Third Auntie Qiao was also casting a covetous stare. Chapter 42 - No One Is To Move It was as if the things in this house were already theirs and they were now just short of bringing these things home. These are my betrothal gifts. I wont lend anything to anyone, let alone let you take away even a needle or thread. You can rest assured of that! Qiao Mei made it very clear in a direct manner. She was afraid that they would not understand her, so she made sure to emphasize the tone of her voice. Anyone who heard her would know that she was not to be trifled with. The two aunties looked at each other. Big Auntie Qiao walked over first and stuck her head out to look inside. She exclaimed, Ill just look and I wont touch anything. Im just going to take a look, youre not petty to the extent that I cant look, right? At the side, Third Auntie Qiao was waiting for an opportunity to make a move, looking at the interaction between the two of them with shifty eyes. One look and Qiao Mei immediately knew what the two of them were up to. She then picked up a broom placed outside the door and waved it vigorously, shouting at the two aunties, The two of you better dont come over. If you come any further, I cant guarantee that the broom in my hand wont swing at your heads and scratch your faces. When the time comes, Ill see how you can get daughters-in-law with faces like that! As she spoke, she spinned the broom around in her hand. 1 Coupled with the muscles on her arms, she looked a little scary. These few actions made the two aunties cry out in fear and they could not help taking a step back. If you dont leave now, Im going to call for help, Qiao Mei continued. I want to see which one of you wants to let the entire village know that you want to take away my betrothal gifts! These words were meant to shame them. Although the two Qiao aunties did not care about the opinions of the villagers, they felt a little afraid when they thought of the two comrades who sent over the betrothal gifts. After all, they were soldiers. It would not be good if they heard about what happened. There was no other choice. The two of them reluctantly took a last look at the piece of fabric in the room and then exchanged a look with each other. They turned around, full of resentment, and spat on the ground. Pfft, do you really think we care about such lousy betrothal gifts? Thats right. I think that young man is really blind to marry you. Wait and see, when he sees your true colors after you marry him, he wont want you anymore! Very quickly, the two of them walked further and further away, cursing every few steps. When the two of them reached the front room, they saw people still in the courtyard and were glad they could finally find someone to talk to. At this moment, other than the Qiao family, there were still a few neighbors who had not left yet. Qiao Qiang sat on a stool, speaking to the person beside him with a smile. When Big Auntie Qiao saw Qiao Qiang, she jogged over. Uncle, you have to discipline your Qiao Mei. The two of us went to look at the betrothal gifts and wanted to borrow something. The moment we asked, we were chased out by Qiao Mei! She really has no affection for us as her aunties! Thats right, Uncle! Third Auntie Qiao managed to squeeze some tears from her eyes. Uncle, she cant step on people like this. Im her aunt, not a thief. Is there a need for her to be so guarded? The two of us really feel terrible! The people around them stopped what they were doing to glance at the two of them. Qiao Zhuang glared at the two of them. They were really useless, not even able to handle such a small matter. Qiao Yu took a look at Qiao Qiang and glanced at that room from the corner of her eye. Third Auntie Qiao continued to kick up a fuss. Theres a lot of money wrapped in that cloth, probably a few thousand dollars. I dont think Qiao Mei is someone who knows how to save money. She might just wastefully spend it all! Her voice was thunderous, as if she wanted the whole village to hear her. A smug look flashed across her eyes. It would be good if everyone knew about it. If and when the money got stolen for no reason, then it would become a big joke. Qiao Qiang slammed his liquor glass on the table and said, The amount of betrothal gifts and money that our family has has nothing to do with your Qiao Zhuangs family. Dont even have any ideas about this money! And those betrothal gifts all belong to my Mei Mei! Chapter 43 - Borrowing the Bicycle My Mei Mei can use those betrothal gifts in any way she wants. She can give them to whoever she wants, or not. You people have no right to kick up a fuss there! With that, he made a big tap with his walking stalk, which made a crisp knocking sound in the courtyard. After the sound rang out, no one refuted him. The remaining neighbors saw that Qiao Qiang did not look too good and found excuses to leave. Fortunately, the leftover food and utensils in the courtyard were almost all cleaned up. When Qiao Mei came out later, she would just need to tidy up a little. There were now only a few Qiao family members left in the courtyard. Qiao Zhuang sat at the table next to Qiao Qiang and looked at him. Big brother, dont be angry. Were not the kind of people who covet your Qiao Meis betrothal gifts. Look, our Qiao Yu and Qiao Ye even helped you clean up the courtyard, right? 1 After all, were all relatives! These words did not sound like Qiao Zhuang at all. Qiao Qiang looked at him strangely and kept quiet. Big Auntie Qiao and Third Auntie Qiao, who were next to him, hurriedly nodded in agreement. / Seeing this, Qiao Zhuang continued, However, I have a favor to ask of you and I hope you can help me. If you can help me, we will always remember your kindness. He spoke so nicely, but once Qiao Qiang recalled what he had done before, he remained furious. Qiao Qiang glanced sideways at him. What favor? Hearing this, Qiao Zhuang continued, I found a job in town for my fifth son at the towns supply and marketing cooperative. Its a good job! He rubbed his chin proudly. Qiao Qiang nodded. It is a good job! It was true that in the current era, having a job in the supply and marketing cooperative was equivalent to working at a supermarket in a shopping mall. One did not have to do farm work in the village and it was a good job that everyone would be envious of. Among the people living in the areas surrounding the village, who would not want a job in town? Furthermore, it was still in the supply and marketing cooperative. There was money to be made and the work was light. Right, so our village is more than ten miles away from town, which means that its a walk of about 30 miles a day. This is really too far, Qiao Zhuang continued. Im actually thinking of getting my fifth son a bicycle. Coincidentally, Qiao Mei doesnt really go out and wont need a bicycle. Why not let my fifth son ride it for now and if Qiao Mei needs it in the future, we will send it over whenever you want! Send it over? This is definitely impossible. After all, once things are in our house, there would be nothing to spit out. A smile flashed across Qiao Zhuangs eyes, but he did not show it on his face. In this era, it was normal for relatives to borrow things from each other. Although the things that they wanted to borrow were Qiao Meis betrothal gifts, betrothal gifts were also things meant to be used, were they not? Big Auntie Qiao, who was beside him, was instantly filled with delight and looked eagerly at the bicycle parked in the courtyard. This was a brand new bicycle! Once it reached Qiao Zhuangs house, it would mean that she would also be able to ride it. This bicycle would belong to them and no one would be able to take it away. Unexpectedly, Qiao Qiang did not beat around the bush at all. He pulled a long face and said gruffly, No! This answer shattered Big Auntie Qiaos fantasy straightaway, making her frown with unhappiness. Uncle, you wont lend us either this or that. Are we still relatives? Are you really not going to give us any favors? Then if anything happens to Qiao Mei in the future, dont look to our family for help! She did not say much, but her words carried a faint threat. The meaning was obvious. They wanted Qiao Meis bicycle and if they did not get it, they would not consider the two families to be relatives anymore! Haha! When Qiao Qiang heard this, he laughed so happily that his beard shook. Chapter 44 - Selling Bean Sprouts in the City Even if I give you this bicycle, will you help my family? Im afraid not, right? Your family is so used to snatching things from others, and now you want to snatch things from my house? There was a little harshness in the last sentence. After all, he was once a soldier and had killed people on the battlefield. He retained an imposing manner and could still be very fierce. He glared at them and none of the Qiao family members dared to speak. Even Qiao Zhuang just opened his mouth but did not say anything. Ill say this today. Dont you dare have any ideas about my Mei Meis betrothal gifts. Those things all belong to her and she can do anything with them. Youre not allowed to take even a single needle and thread! 1 Qiao Qiangs voice was firm and powerful. These words caused the Qiao family members to be speechless and they stood on the spot, looking at one another. For a moment, the courtyard fell into a strange silence and no one said a word. After a while, Qiao Zhuang stood up and shouted, Go back! He stomped his foot on the ground, which made a loud sound. Then he stood up first and walked towards the main door. Behind him, the Qiao family members also filed out. Their greedy gazes swept across the bicycle in the courtyard and they left reluctantly. After they left, the entire courtyard finally fell quiet. Qiao Qiang sat on the stool and recalled the first time he saw Qiao Mei. At that time, he had just returned from the capital. Once he got home, he only managed to find out that his son had died of illness and his daughter-in-law had remarried. His only granddaughter was being fostered by his second brother, Qiao Zhuang. He hurriedly ran to Qiao Zhuangs house, only to see a very skinny girl in the courtyard. The hair on her head was very sparse and her entire face was sallow and thin, and it looked as if a gust of wind could blow her away. The little girl sat alone in the courtyard, washing clothes. Her small body looked so small in front of a big basin and it was shocking to see her small hands covered in sores. Upon asking, he was surprised to find out that this little girl was Qiao Mei! Without another word, he brought Qiao Mei back to his house. In the blink of an eye, so many years had passed and that skinny little girl from back then had grown up so well. Grandfather! Just as Qiao Qiang was immersed in his memories, he did not realize that Qiao Mei was already behind him. He responded softly, looking a little down. If only he had come back earlier, his granddaughter would not have suffered so much. Qiao Mei quickly went in front of her grandfather with a handful of bean sprouts. She beamed and showed it to Qiao Qiang. Grandfather, look. Our bean sprouts are ready. We can sell them in the city tomorrow! She looked extremely happy. Good good good! Looking at the fresh bean sprouts in her hand, Qiao Qiang could not help but cheer three times. Ill go with you tomorrow morning. I wont be at ease if you go alone. You havent been to the city yet! Okay! Grandfather, you go in to rest first. Ill clean up the house, Qiao Mei replied obediently. After Qiao Mei finished cleaning up, she fell asleep quickly. Early the next morning, the two of them woke up to crowing sounds coming from the backyard. At this time, it was just early dawn and the air was very fresh. Qiao Mei prepared a simple breakfast and ate with Qiao Qiang before they set off for the city. 1 She carried a large basket of bean sprouts on her back. When she thought of how nice the bean sprouts looked, she felt happy and not tired at all. After all, she did have a lot of strength. After transmigrating here, her strength was the thing she was most satisfied with. Not only could she punish evil people to protect herself, but she could also do farm work! The village was more than ten miles away from the town and the two of them had to walk there. 2 The two of them started walking before dawn and it took them more than an hour to reach the town. They only took a break when they reached the train station in town. Not long after, they got on a train that came through the town and arrived in the city. Chapter 45 - Why Are You Here? As soon as they arrived in the city, Qiao Qiang straightaway led Qiao Mei to the armed forces department where his previous subordinates were. Xiao Chen, Im here! Qiao Qiang walked straight into the innermost office of the armed forces department and went to sit down on the sofa, looking extremely relaxed. Qiao Mei was shocked to see him behaving as if he had returned to his home. However, she did not expect that someone would have a bigger reaction than her. A person jumped out from behind the table with an excited expression and shouted, Commander Qiao, why are you here? I really miss you! Very quickly, a burly man with stubble all over his face appeared in front of them. He was more than 1.8 meters tall and had a silly smile on his face. He was Chen Hu! Nicknamed Hu Zi, he was one of the soldiers reporting to Qiao Qiang back then. He was now working in the armed forces department. As he had real-life experience on the battlefield, he was now considered one of the heads in the armed forces department. Qiao Qiang had come here to look for his old subordinate. When Qiao Qiang heard his words, he waved his hand. Dont address me as commander anymore. Im no longer a regiment commander and it sounds very awkward! Okay, okay, okay! Chen Hu immediately agreed and then he looked worried. He checked out Qiao Qiang carefully and continued, Hows your health? Why are you here, did something happen? He knew that Qiao Qiangs body was already exhausted and he was not as healthy as before. Initially, he wanted to fetch Qiao Qiang to the sanatorium in the city. However, Qiao Qiang firmly rejected the idea. It seemed like he could not let go of his little granddaughter. Coming to the city now, could it be He looked at Qiao Qiang worriedly. However, Qiao Qiang shook his head and said with a rosy face, My health is so much better than before. Its all thanks to my Mei Mei taking good care of me! There was cheerfulness in his voice. A look of surprise flashed across Chen Hus eyes. He looked Qiao Qiang up and down and found him to be in good spirits indeed. He was genuinely happy about that. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks After saying that, he smiled and glanced at Qiao Mei beside him before continuing, Im here mainly to ask you for a favor! Aiyo! Old regiment commander, please dont say that. Just tell me what you want me to do! Chen Hu replied quickly, feeling abashed and waving his hands. Back then, he was just a junior soldier under Commander Qiao. Now, as long as Commander Qiao wanted something, he just needed to say it out. Then, he turned his attention to the big basket of things that Qiao Mei had placed on the floor. The big basket was covered with thatch and he was unable to see what was inside. At first, he just thought that this was something they had come to buy in the city! But now, there was probably something more interesting inside. Come and take a look! Qiao Qiang walked up to the bean sprouts and lifted the thatch covering it. At this moment, Chen Hu finally saw what was inside. This was actually a basket full of bean sprouts! The crisp bean sprouts were neatly arranged in the big basket. The sprouts were emerald green with a slight shine to them and the buds on them also appeared crisp, making them look very appetizing. I came here this time because I want you to help me find a market for this. Look at these bean sprouts, theyre so fresh and look so delicious! Qiao Qiang said, looking at the bean sprouts happily. Chen Hu reached out to pick up a few bean sprouts, put them in his mouth and chew them. He did not expect to taste something so crisp and fragrant with traces of sweetness the moment they entered his mouth. It was no different from eating high quality fruits. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only It did not even have the taste of beans! These were indeed high quality bean sprouts and would definitely make a delicious stir-fry. Xiao Liu! After Chen Hu finished tasting the bean sprouts, he yelled towards the direction of the door. Hurry up and come over! When the guard standing outside the door heard him, he immediately jogged into the room, saluted Qiao Qiang and Chen Hu and waited respectfully for instructions. Take this basket of bean sprouts to the supply and marketing cooperative now. After you get it registered there, buy back the basket of bean sprouts! Do you understand? Chen Hu said sternly and took out 20 dollars from his pocket Chapter 46 - Do Something The junior soldier standing there was stunned for a moment. Then, he glanced at Qiao Qiang before he quickly snapped back to attention. He immediately said loudly, I promise to complete the mission! Chen Hu nodded, indicating that he could take the bean sprouts away. However, to his surprise, when the soldier reached out to pick up the bean sprouts, he stumbled. His hands almost did not manage to lift the bean sprouts! This scene really gave Chen Hu a shock. He also walked forward and reached out to try lifting the basket of bean sprouts. He got a shock the moment he tried to lift it up. This basket of bean sprouts had to weigh at least 100 catties. This girl was actually carrying such a heavy load of bean sprouts on her back when she came in just now? He turned to look at Qiao Mei in shock. Qiao Mei, who was standing at the side, smiled and looked at Chen Hu. She greeted him sweetly, Hello, Uncle Chen! The first thing he saw was her huge figure, but her voice made people think of a Lolita-like character with a young girls sweet tone. Coupled with her figure, it was a little contrasting. He was stunned for a moment, then he nodded. He remembered hearing that Xia Zhe was very satisfied and liked Qiao Mei a lot. This fetish is really 1 Chen Hu looked at Qiao Mei and praised, Such a heavy basket, youre not bad! Hehe, its not a big deal! All the flesh on my body is not just for show! Qiao Mei replied with a grin. From the interaction between Qiao Qiang and him just now, she could tell that this uncle must be a good person and was a person that she could be close with. Hahahaha! Chen Hu laughed heartily. He felt that Qiao Mei had a good personality. She was indeed Qiao Qiangs granddaughter. After that, he glared at the soldier beside him and hollered, Why arent you taking it? What are you waiting for? Yes! The soldier immediately responded and picked up the basket from the floor before walking out. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks After that was done, Chen Hu immediately invited his two esteemed guests to the tea room inside. Then he made some tea, poured them water and placed snacks and fruits on the table. After he was done, he closed the door. Old leader! Chen Hu stuck his head out and had a look outside the room before he sat back to look at Qiao Qiang and said, I feel that the sky here is going to change again! He hesitated as he spoke. However, when he saw Qiao Qiang glaring at him, he continued, I feel that the sky here is really going to change! Its time for a change! Qiao Qiang took a sip of water and spoke slowly. The current policy did not allow private transactions. In the current market, only some agricultural by-products could be bought and sold. Even for the supply and marketing cooperative, there were certain things that they could accept but not others. Right now, it was still not possible to buy and sell everything, so Qiao Meis bean sprouts could only be sold in the city. However, the current atmosphere was already different from before. In other words, the world was about to change! Qiao Mei, who was beside him, pretended not to understand anything, but she was thinking that it was still a little too early for that. From the perspective of a modern person like her, change was sure to happen because the market economy would definitely open up. For the sake of development, there definitely needed to be an open economy. This was a good thing for the country and for everyone. Thinking about the opening of the economy, she suddenly remembered a major event that would happen this year. That would be the huge earthquake in March. Many people died in that great earthquake. Since I have already transmigrated to this era, should I be doing something? Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Perhaps by doing that, I wont waste my role as a transmigrator? As she thought of that, a look of contemplation flashed across her eyes. At the supply and marketing cooperative. Xiao Liu carried the basket of bean sprouts to the supply and marketing cooperative and when the clerk inside saw that it was Chen Hus guard, he immediately came out to welcome him. Chapter 47 - Give Me Half a Catty What brings you here? the clerk asked cheerfully. Xiao Liu was mindful of what Chen Hu told him and immediately said, This is our Section Head Chens bean sprouts. Hurry up and weigh it. After that, I still have to bring it back quickly! Okay, okay! The clerk was also good at handling such matters. Once he saw this situation, he knew what he had to do. After taking the basket of bean sprouts, he quickly weighed and registered it. Everything was done in a jiffy. The clerk looked at the green bean sprouts in the basket and could not help himself from reaching out to take a few for a taste. After putting them in his mouth, his eyes lit up and he said, How much are these bean sprouts? Its crispy and sweet and really delicious. With that, he wanted to take some bean sprouts out of the basket again. He did not expect Xiao Liu, who was beside him, to slap his hand away and said loudly, You cant eat anymore. Our Section Head Chen is still waiting for this basket of bean sprouts! Let me have half a catty or no, give me a catty! Xiao Liu was direct in his reply. He could not help it. The quality of these bean sprouts was really too good. The bean sprouts were so crispy and sweet that they would definitely be very delicious when stir-fried. They could even pass off as fruits. No way! Xiao Liu immediately refused righteously. Section Head Chen had instructed that not a single bean sprout should go missing. With that, he carried the bean sprouts back. In the office. Xiao Liu came in with the basket on his back and handed over the money he made. A total of 107 catties, sold for 15 dollars and 53 cents. This is the money earned! Okay, Chen Hu replied and turned to hand the money to Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei was very happy and reached out to count the 15 dollars and 53 cents. The cost of this trip was only two to three dollars, but they had made a net profit of 12 to 13 dollars. This was simply a huge profit! Im only selling one basket now. What if I sell more than ten baskets a day? What if I sell more? Arent I going to be rich? Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Thinking of this, she felt a warmth in her heart, as if she had already earned a lot of money. She looked at Chen Hu and immediately asked, Uncle Chen, what do you plan to do with these bean sprouts? Bring home half of the lot to eat and distribute the other half to everyone in this place, so that everyone gets to have a taste of these bean sprouts! Chen Hu said immediately without any hesitation. Since he would not be able to finish all these delicious bean sprouts, he must definitely share them with others. However, when Qiao Mei heard this, she shook her head in disapproval. I still have six baskets at home. If I bring one basket every day in the future, can all of you still finish it? Chen Hu was at a loss for words. Qiao Qiang, who was at the side, felt a little awkward. He lowered his head and pretended to drink his tea silently, but he was actually trying to suppress his laughter. This was also what he intended to tell Chen Hu. Now that his Mei Mei had said it out, there was no need for him to waste his breath. Mei Mei actually managed to think like him. How intelligent! Chen Hu, who was at the side, thought for a moment and picked up a handful of bean sprouts. He immediately agreed and said, That should be fine. If its one basket a day, it will still be all eaten up! These bean sprouts were so delicious that even if he did not eat it himself, he could give it to other people and they would like it. Besides, he could also sell it. This quality and price were already very good and there would definitely be buyers. However, he did not expect Qiao Mei to speak again, What if I can deliver 10 baskets a day? This sentence completely choked Chen Hu up. 10 baskets a day? Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Wont eating so much bean sprouts make me look like one? There was definitely no way to consume so much bean sprouts. Even if he could give them away for free, he did not make that much salary to buy them all! In this case, there was really nothing he could do. A look of shock flashed across his face before he said, 10 baskets a day We He did not finish his sentence, but it was obvious from his expression. Chapter 48 - Spending Money Fast Qiao Mei burst out laughing and was forthright with her opinion. I feel that you dont have to take all of it yourself. You can sell these bean sprouts in the supply and marketing cooperative. The quality of these bean sprouts is so good that there will definitely be buyers! With such a big volume of bean sprouts, it would be best if they could supply it to major hotels or restaurants. That would mean high demand and stable sales. However, the market had not opened up yet so they could not openly send the bean sprouts to hotels or restaurants. They could only settle for the next best thing and send them to the supply and marketing cooperative as the fixed marketplace. This way, there would be a location to conduct the transactions. It was also not a bad choice. Chen Hu had sat in his seat worrying about the issue but now his eyes lit up. He looked at Qiao Mei and gave her a thumbs up. He turned towards Qiao Qiang and praised, Not bad! Old Leader, your little girl is really smart! Alright, send as many bean sprouts as you have. As long as you put them at our supply and marketing cooperative, we will definitely help you sell them! The way he spoke was very bold and forthright. Qiao Mei and Qiao Qiang both nodded. After hearing that, they bade farewell to Chen Hu. The two of them left the office and went to the supply and marketing cooperative at the opposite side. Qiao Meis eyes shone as she looked at the 15 dollars she had just received. Now that she finally had money in her hands, and it was money she had earned herself, she could buy more things now. Although there were the betrothal gifts at home, those were all good fabrics and brand new. Qiao Mei could not bear to use them. 1 She would now go to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy some fabric to make some blankets and stuff so that she would not dirty the new bedding. Furthermore, she was now pregnant. She still had to make some clothes for the children so that once they were born, they would be able to wear the clothes she had made for them herself. Maybe things like little hats, little pants, little pajamas. Just the thought of that made Qiao Meis heart tingle. The moment she walked into the supply and marketing cooperative, she went on a buying frenzy! Qiao Qiang stood at the side and watched her choose one thing after another. By the time they came out of the supply and marketing cooperative, she had already spent all the 15 dollars in her hands. Even the retirement salary of 50 dollars that Qiao Qiang just received had been completely spent. The big basket on her back was now filled with fabric and daily necessities. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks The two of them got off the train and walked home happily. Qiao Qiang thought about how the 50 dollars he had just received was gone in the blink of an eye as well as the extra 15 dollars. 1 The speed at which she spent money was really a little fast! However, the money was finally not spent on only food this time but on buying useful things. In that sense, it was quite reasonable. Thats alright My granddaughter is no longer a little girl and has become a young lady. It was time that she paid attention to her looks. He just wondered what his Mei Mei would look like when she was all dressed up. His eyes shone brightly as he looked at Qiao Meis plump figure in front of him. However, what the two of them did not know was that just as they were walking home from the train station in town, there were two people knocking on their door. Knock, knock! Knock, knock. Is anyone home? Two people, who looked like delivery men and had a vehicle parked behind them, were knocking on Qiao Meis door. After two minutes of knocking, there was still no response. What should we do? There shouldnt be no one inside, right? One of the delivery men at the door frowned and said. The other man nodded, also doubtfully trying to listen out for sounds in the courtyard. At this moment, Qiao Yu, who was passing by Qiao Meis house, heard their conversation and walked towards them. She asked, Hello, are you here to look for this family? As she spoke, she looked at the truck behind them. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only She could vaguely see some big boxes inside with words like sewing machine and other wording on them. Could it be that these two were here to deliver betrothal gifts? At the thought of this, the smile on Qiao Yus face became even more obvious and she looked at the two comrades. 1 One of them said, Hello, comrade. Were here to deliver the betrothal gifts. Do you know where this family has gone? Chapter 49 - Put It In My House Oh! Hello, Im a relative of this family and the bride is my relative. I heard that they went to the city early in the morning and I dont know when theyll be back, Qiao Yu said slowly. As expected, she saw the troubled expressions on the two comrades faces. The sky was almost dark outside now. If they could not go back on time, it would be difficult to make their way around when it got dark. How about this! Qiao Yu continued. Why dont you guys leave the things in my courtyard first? When they come back, they can just move them back from my house! Put them in a relatives house? The two delivery comrades looked at each other and sized up Qiao Yu. They could see that Qiao Yu had mud on herself and it was likely that she had just returned from the field. It was probably believable! After the two of them exchanged a look, one of them said, Alright, then please lead the way. Well put the things in your courtyard first and they can retrieve them when theyre back! Okay, okay! Lets go! Qiao Yu said. Along the way, the two of them also did not just blindly believe what Qiao Yu said. They asked Qiao Yu about her relationship with Qiao Mei and found out that they were indeed relatives. However, no one in the village said anything about how the relationship was. There were also some people who wanted to see Qiao Mei being made a fool. They wanted to see Qiao Meis reaction when she returned and found out that her dowry had been snatched by Qiao Zhuangs family! They did not want to offend Qiao Qiang. However, it was best not to offend Qiao Zhuang too. After all, Qiao Zhuang was a village bully and had done countless evil deeds in the village. Everyone was afraid of him and did not want to be chased around with a broom by his family. After Qiao Yu left, many people talked about her. This Qiao Yu is really not a good thing! A few women in the village stood together and discussed among themselves as they watched Qiao Yu leave. Thats right, thats right. How could she take Qiao Meis dowry to her own house? However, did you notice that Qiao Mei seems to have changed a little? She has become a little different from the Qiao Mei we remembered! Oh yes, she seems to have become fairer and she speaks a bit nicer now. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Shes completely different from how we imagined her in the past. In the past, I thought she was ugly and lazy, but now I think shes quite normal! Qiao Yu led the two men to Qiao Zhuangs courtyard. It was evening and Qiao Zhuangs family was having dinner. When they saw the few people, they were stunned. Qiao Zhuang looked at Qiao Yu and did not say anything. Qiao Yu smiled and made introductions. These two are comrades who came to deliver betrothal gifts. Theres no one at Sister Qiao Meis house, so theyll leave the things at our house first. When they come back, well send them over! Looks of surprise flashed across the eyes of everyone at the table. Big Auntie Qiao smiled at the two comrades and said, Thank you for your hard work, comrades. Its safer to put the things in our house! There was no need to say it any clearer. The family immediately understood. After all, who would have anything against these big-ticket items? The whole family was grinning from ear to ear as they looked at the truck full of items. They carried the items out of the truck together with the two comrades and flattering words rolled off their tongues constantly, sweet-talking the two comrades into a false sense of security. They successfully sent the two of them off in the end. Qiao Zhuang and his family then sat in the courtyard and looked again at the betrothal gifts in front of them. They were all pleasantly surprised as they discussed the issue. Wow! So many betrothal gifts are all in our house now?! Big Auntie Qiao looked at the sewing machine in front of her and chuckled. At this moment, the second auntie looked at the sewing machine and asked curiously, When do you intend to return this betrothal gift? She was the village accountant, so she naturally did not need a sewing machine. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only However, it was always good to have these things. Whenever these things were mentioned, the villagers would get so envious. What do you mean by return? Qiao Zhuang said unhurriedly. He glanced at Second Auntie Qiao and said coldly, Since this betrothal gift is already in our house, then it belongs to us. 1 So naturally Ill return it when its broken! Then, he turned towards Qiao Yu, who was standing in the corner as usual, and said, Qiao Yu, you did well this time! Chapter 50 - 0: Somethings Wrong Qiao Yu stood on the spot and looked at Qiao Zhuang in disbelief. The family had always treated her as an invisible person, so she had never been on the receiving end of such treatment. This was because the men in the family never even bothered to look at her, let alone praise her like this. At this moment, she felt a sense of great joy. She opened her mouth excitedly. Yes, yes! There was a sense of uncontrollable excitement in her chest. Qiao Zhuang was even happier. He looked at the things in the courtyard and laughed loudly. On the way home with her grandfather, Qiao Mei bumped into the villagers who had finished work for the day. When the villagers saw the pair of grandfather and granddaughter carrying many shopping bags, they were not surprised but greeted them normally instead. Qiao Mei and her grandfather had always been like this. On the day that Qiao Qiang received his salary, they would go shopping and then come back with many shopping bags. Ordinary families may not even be able to go shopping once a year, but Qiao Meis family would go shopping every month. Every time, they looked as though they were doing major shopping for the new year and would attract a lot of attention. However, this time round, everyones expression was a little strange. There were people snickering at the pair of them, people who looked like they were gleefully waiting to watch some drama and people who shook their heads and sighed. Everyone had a different expression, but there was something strange about the expressions on many peoples faces. Qiao Mei frowned and asked directly, Why do you all have an expression like this? Did my house collapse? The people around her were stunned and looked over in surprise. Qiao Qiang was also caught by surprise. He did not expect his granddaughter to be able to tell that there was something wrong and he was quite impressed. The passers-by stopped and looked at one another. No one made a sound. Qiao Mei had a bad feeling. Whats going on? Did my house really collapse? Qiao Mei frowned and her tone became fierce. Her voice had a sweet Lolita-like tone. When she spoke, her voice was delicate and soft, making it impossible to intimidate anyone. Instead, it would sound funny if she tried. If she did not sound so fierce, she probably would not make people feel afraid but would make them laugh instead. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks No, no! A few people standing in front of her replied as they shook their heads and met her gaze. This little girls voice was cute, but she had an imposing manner. Her eyes were fixed on them, making them feel timid. She spoke again. If the house is fine then the vegetable field at home was dug up? Qiao Mei continued to ask. Her tone was still fierce. No, no! The people in the crowd beside her continued to reply. Everyone looked like they wanted to say something but did not dare to speak for some reason. Seeing them like this, Qiao Mei suddenly thought of Qiao Zhuangs family. Qiao Mei continued, Could it be related to Qiao Zhuangs family? Did they do something again? As soon as she mentioned Qiao Zhuangs family, Qiao Mei felt that the people in the crowd immediately shut their mouths and kept quiet. The mood became even more serious. At this point, Qiao Mei finally understood one thing. This matter must be related to Qiao Zhuangs family and nobody dared to say it out loud because of the thuggish behavior of Qiao Zhuangs family. Everyone looked shocked to find that Qiao Mei had made a correct guess. Qiao Mei did not know anything at first, but based on her own guesses, she gradually found the real culprit. Impressive! Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only When did Qiao Mei become so clever? All the various expressions on peoples faces were very interesting. The way they looked at Qiao Mei also changed a little, but the whole place was still silent. I understand now. Ill go to Qiao Zhuangs house to take a look later. Qiao Mei waved her hand and made a move to go home with the basket on her back. In her other life, she was a senior lawyer who specialized in cases dealing with vicious people. Those people thought that they were very powerful, so they bullied other people and did all kinds of evil things. People like that dared to do anything. Chapter 51 - Would Not Go Head It was normal for these villagers to have concerns. After all, they still had to live in this village and it was not wise for them to become enemies with Qiao Zhuangs family. She heard that Qiao Zhuangs wife was snatched home by him and forced to marry him. She did not know if he had killed anyone, but there was one thing she could be sure of, and that was he definitely did not do as many bad things as the people Qiao Mei had put to trial in her other life. After Qiao Mei and Qiao Qiang left, the crowd continued walking forward. However, Third Auntie Qiao, who was in the crowd, took a look at what had happened and quickly ran back to her house. Qiao Qiang stood behind Qiao Mei and looked at her basket-carrying back view with a smile in his eyes. Mei Mei is amazing! He had never expected his Mei Mei to be able to find out what was going on, but just now, Mei Mei had managed to find out everything by just asking a few questions. He had initially thought of going to ask Zhao Liang about it. The fact that Qiao Zhuang was involved in the matter would definitely put Zhao Liang in a difficult position. After all, this matter was about the bullies in the village. It was hard to decide whether to talk about it. He had completely no intention to make things difficult for Zhao Liang and he also did not want to implicate so many other people in his own affairs. But now, his Mei Mei had found out everything with just a short conversation. How impressive! Very quickly, the two of them reached home. Qiao Mei put down everything and went to the kitchen to cook. After being out for a whole day, even if she was not hungry, Qiao Qiang must be hungry. She went into the kitchen and picked up a cabbage. With some lard, she made a simple dish of cabbage fried with lard. Coupled with a bowl of thick porridge, it felt extremely comforting. After Qiao Qiang comfortably finished drinking a bowl, he sat on the stool and looked at Qiao Mei while trying hard to keep his eyes open. Mei Mei, dont go to Qiao Zhuangs house alone. When grandfather feels better, grandfather will go with you! Grandfather, dont worry. I wont enter his house! Qiao Mei said as she quickly tidied up the things on the table. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks There were too many people in his house and she was outnumbered. Even though she was not afraid of this family, she would not go in and argue with them. She would be at a great disadvantage. She was not a stupid person and would not do something that would hurt herself. Then what do you plan to do? Qiao Qiang asked as he yawned and forced himself to keep his eyes open. Qiao Mei wiped the table and continued, Ill just walk around the area near their house and see whats going on! Thats not good either. What if they find out and decide to attack you? Qiao Qiang said worriedly. Its okay, Im not someone who will let myself suffer! Qiao Mei said as she clenched her fists and looked at her strong body. Her current body was herculean with great strength. 3 However, Qiao Zhuang had a lot of family members and they were all shameless. Naturally, their behavior could not be predicted using common sense and Qiao Qiang was still afraid that Qiao Mei would be at a disadvantage. Grandfather, dont worry. Ill just go one round and I wont force it! Qiao Mei packed up the house and turned around to leave. Qiao Qiang nodded helplessly and did not say anything else. Although his body had recovered a lot, he was also afraid that he would not be able to hold on for long. It was necessary to let Qiao Mei go out and explore by herself. Qiao Mei quietly walked out of the door and walked around Qiao Zhuangs family house, but she did not enter. She was pregnant with twins now and her stomach was very precious. She could not go head-on with people like them as her babies were priceless. If they should bump into her, they would not be able to bear the responsibility in the event that anything went wrong. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only After she made a round, Qiao Mei walked to a big tree beside Qiao Zhuangs house. After a round of energy exchange, this tree could finally communicate normally with her. This tree was a 100-year-old tree with a trunk two to three meters thick. However, it was not really able to understand what Qiao Mei meant. It could only try its best to describe the things and people it had seen. Soon, this big tree told Qiao Mei what it had seen. When it was dark today, Qiao Yu had brought people who drove a truck full of things to her house. Qiao Zhuang and his family were very happy and praised Qiao Yu. Chapter 52 - I Was Bullied! It also said that the sewing machine, radio and watch was hidden under the bed and placed among the firewood in the east room. It also told Qiao Mei where everything else was hidden. After Qiao Mei heard everything, she smiled and left. Now was not the time to fight them head-on. She was much more precious than this group of people. 1 When Qiao Mei returned, she saw that her grandfather was actually still awake, desperately trying to stay awake just to wait for her. He only fell into a deep sleep after making sure that Qiao Mei was fine. The next morning, Qiao Mei carried her basket and went to the city alone. She had experience now after her grandfather showed her the way yesterday. Chen Hu, who had been waiting in the office for a long time, heaved a sigh of relief and hurriedly let Xiao Liu take over the basket. Yesterday, he had already contacted the people he was going to send the produce to. If Qiao Mei did not turn up today, it would be hard for him to explain himself. Others would think that he was hiding these bean sprouts from them. At least she was here now. When she got there, the first thing Qiao Mei said was, Uncle Chen, I was bullied by someone in the village! 1 Her voice was righteous and very loud. Chen Hu was stunned for a moment before he immediately replied, Who bullied you? Tell uncle quickly so that uncle can stand up for you! Behind him, Xiao Liu also nodded hurriedly. A smile flashed across Qiao Meis eyes. This uncle is indeed reliable! My betrothal gifts, including the radio, watch and sewing machine, which cost about 700 to 800 dollars, were robbed by my Second Grandpas family! Qiao Mei said. Chen Hu was stunned for a moment. He originally thought that the type of bullying Qiao Mei meant was something like a simple fight between people of the same age. He did not expect it to involve robbing! And robbing of betrothal gifts at that! Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks This was even more unacceptable. He had never heard of anyone robbing betrothal gifts. This was a really wicked thing to do. Ill bring people immediately No, no, no. Chen Hu seemed to have thought of something else and continued, How about this? You bring more than 10 people back with you now and go grab the betrothal gifts back. I want to see who dares to fight back! 1 If they dare to fight back, get Xiao Liu to bring them all in! At this point, his eyes flared with ferocity. This was no longer the junior soldier reporting to Qiao Qiang, but the section head of the armed forces department in the city. Whoever dared to provoke him would definitely have to pay the price. Xiao Liu nodded and went out with the basket of bean sprouts. Thank you, Uncle Chen! Qiao Mei smiled and thanked him. Chen Hu laughed and then seemed to have thought of something. Look at the life youre living now When you go back, go and persuade your grandfather to look on the bright side of things. Your uncle and auntie didnt do things on purpose back then. Tell him not to take it to heart. Now he should be enjoying time with his children and grandchildren. Besides, isnt the standard of medical care better in the capital now? Thats good news for his illness! Qiao Mei was dumbfounded and stunned when she heard this. What? Uncle and auntie? In all of Qiao Meis past memories, there were no uncles or aunties. Where did the uncle and auntie come from? Her father was an only child. When she was young, her grandmother was killed by bandits on the mountain, which was the reason why Qiao Qiang joined the army in a fit of anger and became a soldier. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Where did these uncle and auntie come from now? Ever since Qiao Qiang returned to the village, Qiao Mei had never heard Qiao Qiang mention it nor did she have any impression of it. Although Qiao Mei was very surprised, she quickly adjusted her expression and said in a light manner to Chen Hu, Grandfather wont go to the capital alone to look for them. Grandfather is worried about me. How would he be alone? Your auntie and the others live in a big house in the capital. Youre just one more person and they naturally wont mind you joining them. Your grandfather wont be separated from you either. 1 Chapter 53 - : Uncle and Auntie? Besides, the standard of medical care in the capital is definitely better than what we have here. When the time comes, your grandfathers illness Chen Hu continued. Qiao Qiangs illness Although the doctor said that it was incurable, it would be good to be able to enjoy life in the capital at the end of ones life. Your grandfather still cant let go of what happened back then. Chen Hu gave a long sigh. If Qiao Guo and Qiao Lan hadnt cut ties with your grandfather back then, perhaps they would have been dragged down by him. Who can judge right from wrong about things that happened back then? At this point, Qiao Meis eyes lit up! Qiao Guo and Qiao Lan? Now that she even knew their names, she would have the upper hand on things in the future. In that chaotic era of self-preservation, such things were quite common. Moreover, according to Chen Hu, her grandfather was the regiment commander back then. From being regiment commander to returning to the countryside to recuperate, she could imagine how much suffering her grandfather had gone through. In the face of imminent danger, it was very normal for everyone to protect themselves. She wondered if Qiao Guo and Qiao Lan were her grandfathers biological or adopted children? Grandfather is unwilling to tell me about what happened back then. Qiao Mei asked curiously, How old are my uncle and auntie? What exactly happened in the past? Chen Hu sighed resignedly and recalled what happened at that time. He really could not bear to see Commander Qiao living alone. Besides, Qiao Mei was now married and would naturally have to leave to be with her husbands family one day. At that time, he could not imagine his old regiment commander being all alone. Just thinking about that scene of his old regiment commander being all by himself when the time came made him feel terrible. It would be good to tell Qiao Mei the story about her uncle and auntie now. This way, she would be able to understand the situation at home and it might be easier for Qiao Mei to persuade his old regiment commander. Thinking of this, Chen Hu explained, Your uncle and auntie are the children of the second wife that the regiment commander married when he was 35 years old. Now, one of them is 38 years old and the other is 36 years old. Back then, your grandfather and his father-in-law had a quarrel because of different opinions and then later, Commander Qiao came back to our village alone. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks I see! Qiao Mei nodded. In that case, her grandfather must have had such a different opinion from them that they could not live together. She wondered how they were doing now. What about them now? Qiao Mei continued to ask. Since her grandfather had returned home 10 years ago, then that family must have been the victors back then. However, at this juncture, there was going to be a huge reshuffle in power. In the eyes of Qiao Mei, who came from the future, the ideological winners from ten years ago were going to become really unlucky this time. Grandfather could not go back to be with them at this juncture. If her grandfather was thought to be on the same side as them, wouldnt her grandfather have suffered for nothing for the past 10 years? The family of your uncle and auntie At this point, Chen Hu stopped and did not say anything else. According to what he heard, Qiao Guo and Qiao Lan had not been doing too well in the past two years. However, he did not want to say it now in case Qiao Mei told Qiao Qiang and made him worried. Theyre all living very well now. Chen Hu thought for a moment and continued, Theyre waiting for you two to go over and enjoy life! Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Enjoy life? It would be good enough if they did not get dragged down together, how could they be able to go over to enjoy life? A dark glint flashed across Qiao Meis eyes, but she did not say anything. At this moment, Xiao Liu pushed open the door and walked in. He handed the 15 dollars in his hand to Qiao Mei and said, This is the 15 dollars from the sale. Just now, when the people from the supply and marketing cooperative saw me bringing the bean sprouts again, they came to snatch a handful to try and they found these bean sprouts very delicious. They wanted to know where I bought these bean sprouts from as they also wanted to get some! Under Chen Hus angry gaze, he added, Its just a small handful. They know that this is your bean sprouts and dont dare to grab too much! Chapter 54 - More Than 1,000 Catties of Bean Sprouts! Translator: Atlas St Chen Hu continued, Later, tell them not to care about the origins of these bean sprouts. When Im done eating, Ill share some with them! Okay! Little Liu replied happily. In this manner, there was then no need to always be on guard against those people in the future. These bean sprouts were really in high demand and many people kept thinking about them. Also, go out and get a few people now. Get a dozen people. You guys follow Qiao Mei back to the village and grab her betrothal gifts back for her. If anyone is disobedient, tie them up and bring them in! Chen Hu gave a fierce stare with the imposing manner of the section head of the armed forces department. Yes! Xiao Liu immediately replied and walked out to gather a group of people. Seeing this, Qiao Mei also prepared to leave. Since she was already in the city now, she had to go out and look for some green beans. Otherwise, if she did not have enough green beans at home, she would not be able to keep up with the supply of bean sprouts. Just as she was about to go off, Chen Hu stopped her. Xiao Mei! Chen Hus eyes flashed with doubt as he continued, Didnt you say last time that you could grow more bean sprouts? Then can you grow ten baskets a day now? Anticipation flashed in his eyes. Qiao Mei replied without any hesitation, Of course, but I need more green beans. Ill go buy some green beans now, otherwise there wont be enough. After she said that, she saw Chen Hu turned around and took out a big bag of green beans from under the sofa. A gunny sack was filled to the brim. Qiao Meis eyes lit up when she saw the bag of green beans. She walked over and opened the bag and discovered that the green beans inside were all extremely plump. One look and she could tell that they were good quality green beans. Naturally, the bean sprouts that grew from these would be of higher quality and tasted better. These green beans weigh about 100 catties! Chen Hu stood at the side and noted Qiao Meis expression. He quickly tied up the bag and said proudly, These green beans are from the best batch that I got the supply and marketing cooperative to keep for me. If you want more in the future, just come and get them! Good, now I can produce about 1,000 catties of bean sprouts. Qiao Mei nodded happily. Now that she had green beans and also the type of the highest quality, she could naturally produce better bean sprouts. Coupled with her energy, the bean sprouts produced would probably be even more delicious. Alright, take all of these and grow more bean sprouts. Im still waiting for them. Bring as much as you have, just bring them over! Chen Hu hurriedly said. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks The main job of the armed forces department now was to train the militia. Recently, the higher-ups had a mission to train hundreds of militiamen so the meals of these militiamen needed to be taken care of. These militiamen were all big strong men and could easily eat three bowls of rice each at every meal. Therefore, Qiao Meis bean sprouts were not a problem. No matter how much she sent over, there would be some place to use them. It was a perfect solution for these bean sprouts. Besides, the quality of these bean sprouts was so good that the militiamen would probably be very happy to eat them. This was killing many birds with one stone. Okay! Qiao Meis eyes flashed with a smile. Ill take all the green beans in this bag. The money for the green beans can be deducted from the money from the sale of bean sprouts tomorrow. She would not take the beans for free, she would still pay for them. When Chen Hu heard this, the smile on his face widened. In the past, he had heard not so good rumors about Qiao Mei, but now that he had interacted with her, he realized that it was not the case. Although she was fat and had an astonishing figure, she was still quite a capable person. 1 Soon, Qiao Mei got into a big truck and took a bumpy ride into the village. She sat in the front passenger seat given that she was pregnant now. If she squeezed in the back of the truck with a bunch of men, what if an accident should happen? Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only 5 As soon as the truck entered the village, it attracted the attention of the entire village. Everyone looked at the truck and wondered about what was going on. Why did a vehicle come in now? Could it be that there was going to be some new policy in the village? 1 Chapter 55 - What Is It? Last year, there were also trucks that came by. A group of people got off and said that they were from the lecture troupe, here to tell everyone about the latest policies and they even distributed some food. Whats going on? asked the old man smoking at the village entrance. The auntie beside him was plucking a withered vegetable leaf but her eyes were sharp enough to see Qiao Mei sitting in the front passenger seat. She exclaimed, Isnt that Qiao Mei from Qiao Qiangs family? Is she sitting in the car? What what? Qiao Mei is in the car? asked Uncle Niu who was passing by. Lets go over and take a look. I wonder what happened! Lets go take a look! 4 The group of people followed the big truck and more people gathered along the way until they reached Qiao Zhuangs house. Wow! To everyones surprise, as soon as the truck stopped, more than 10 men got down and rushed towards Qiao Zhuangs courtyard. What an aggressive manner! It was noon now. Qiao Zhuang and his family were resting in the courtyard after work. Big Auntie Qiao was washing vegetables in the courtyard while Third Auntie was burning firewood in the kitchen. The courtyard was very quiet. Then about a dozen militiamen rushed into the courtyard, blocked the door and immediately surrounded the entire courtyard. Each of them had a gun strapped to the waist. It was clear from their imposing manner that these were not ordinary people. At this moment, even the usually fierce Qiao Zhuang was frightened. His legs were trembling and the cigarette in his hand fell to the ground. The few men from Qiao Zhuangs family also all huddled against the wall. What whats wrong? Qiao Zhuangs lips trembled as he asked softly. He observed the people around him carefully. The current militia did not have a uniform so what they wore were their own clothes. These clothes were all patched up and did not look new. They looked no different from ordinary people except that they had guns strapped to their waists. Other than soldiers, there were also bandits who carried guns, so he could not be sure of the identities of the people in front of him. The people in the courtyard heard his question but did not speak. Everyone looked at the door. A person slowly got out of the front passenger seat of the truck at the gate. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks It was Qiao Mei! Qiao Mei got down from the truck and slowly walked to the center of the courtyard. The villagers at the door all exclaimed loudly and craned their heads to look inside. Now was the time to watch the fun. After the militiaman at the door saw Qiao Mei get off the truck and walk in, he immediately closed the door to block off the villagers views. Now, the villagers could only stand at the door and peep in through the gap. In the courtyard, Qiao Zhuang was stunned when he saw Qiao Mei coming. After getting over the shock, he immediately reacted to what was going on. Second Grandpa, what are you busy with? Are you done with work? Qiao Mei walked over slowly with a smile on her face. She looked at the Qiao family members in the courtyard and spoke. The moment they heard the voice, the terrified members of Qiao Zhuangs family immediately came to attention. Yes, yes, work is done! Qiao Zhuang quickly replied. His attitude this time was the best she had even seen. He even looked at her with a little fear. Qiao Mei smiled and nodded. She continued to ask with a bright smile, I heard that you took something from my family? When Qiao Zhuang heard this, realization flashed across his eyes. So she was really here to ask for something! But how did she know that the things were at his house? Furthermore, she had made preparations in advance and brought such a large group of people to the courtyard. It was obvious that she had come prepared! However, there was one thing that Qiao Zhuang could not understand. He had heard that Qiao Mei had set off early in the morning, Qiao Qiang was at home alone and neither of them asked anyone in the village for information. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only The two people who delivered the items yesterday had also boarded the train earlier and left the village long ago. Then how did Qiao Mei know that the betrothal gifts were in their house? 1 What is it? Qiao Zhuang pretended not to know what she was talking about even as his eyes flashed with his thoughts. In this situation, even if these people surrounded his courtyard, he still did not want to hand over the things. Those were all good stuff. Chapter 56 - With A Gun, The Situation Is Always Steady! Even if his family had money, they might not be able to buy these things. In this era, one needed the corresponding coupons to buy things like sewing machines, radios and watches. Without coupons, one would not be able to buy them! You think I wont know if you dont admit it? I would advise you not to refuse to speak now. Those betrothal gifts are due to arrive within these few days. You secretly hide them in your house, do you think I wont know? If I realize that something was wrong, wont I ask my man? Even if you dont tell me now, I can still know! Qiao Mei continued speaking. Qiao Zhuang was at a loss for words. For sure he did not think too much about it when he saw such good stuff. He had thought that there were so many people in his family, so how could he be afraid of Qiao Mei and Qiao Qiang? Besides, if the villagers did not say anything and the people who delivered the gifts had left, by the time the two of them found out, there was nothing they could do about it. His family would have been able to use the things for a few months. Even if they knew and he told them he did not say anything about not returning the things and had only borrowed them, what could they do? Could they sentence him? What relatives did not borrow things from each other? 1 Therefore, after thinking about it, he did not take the matter seriously at all. However, he did not expect that not only did Qiao Mei know about the matter, but she even brought so many people to his courtyard. The people she brought all had guns. Are you afraid now? Chen Hu from the armed forces department used to be my grandfathers subordinate and he has now sent these people here to support me! Its really disappointing that you people actually did such a thing! Qiao Mei continued. Now you see, if you continue to deny it, the guns of these people in the courtyard wont agree with you. Theyll take you to jail and convict you of theft! She especially emphasized her last few words loudly. After all, this group of people were not nice people. If she did not spell out their crime, none of them would be afraid. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks She was a lawyer for many years in her other life, so she naturally knew how unreasonable people like them were. Now that she had brought up her grandfathers relationship with her Uncle Chen Hu, she would be able to scare them a little. The title of section head of the armed forces department was not only for show, it really held some real weight. With guns, there was the power to restrain people. A trace of fear flashed across Qiao Zhuangs eyes. After Qiao Qiang returned from the capital, he had never seen him use his connections. Why did he suddenly appear to know the section head of the armed forces department? Now, immediately, at once. Bring out the things in the same manner as you took them in. Im still waiting to go home! Qiao Mei said. Qiao Zhuang felt a huge sense of reluctance. Those things had not even been used yet. After he took them, he only kept them in the house and did not have the time to take them out for a look yet. Was he going to return them now? Go! Take them out! Xiao Liu shouted and glared at him angrily. When the people in the courtyard heard the shout, they immediately raised their guns and pointed them at Qiao Zhuang, as if they were about to shoot him in the head within the next second. This action frightened all Qiao Zhuangs family members in the courtyard. They immediately hugged their heads and squatted down. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Qiao Zhuangs body swayed as he also got really shocked. When he regained his senses, he gritted his teeth and said to Big Auntie Qiao who was squatting beside him, Go get it! Big Auntie Qiao hurriedly stood up and rushed into the room. The door slammed shut with a loud bang after her. You guys go too! Qiao Zhuang refused to get it himself as he found it too embarrassing. He said the words to his two sons who were squatting nearest to him. Qiao Wang and Qiao Gang looked up and saw their fathers gaze. They also stood up reluctantly and walked towards the rooms. Qiao Wang walked towards the kitchen and looked at the pile of firewood. He took a big stick and poked it into the firewood pile. In a few moments, he flipped the pile open, revealing a brand new sewing machine still in its packaging inside. Chapter 57 - Snatched Back A ruthless glint flashed across his eyes. He was about to smash the wooden box with the wooden stick when he heard a sweet female voice in the courtyard. Everything was fine when you took it. If its broken when you take it out, it wont be as simple as just compensating money to me. When the time comes, the crime of personal property damage will be added to the crime of theft. Qiao Mei stood in the courtyard and looked towards the inside of the house. Her voice was very loud to ensure that everyone in the courtyard could hear her. She had never even used her betrothal gifts before, so she could not bear to let this group of people ruin it! When Qiao Wang heard these words, his face turned green with anger. However, he did not dare to say anything and could only turn his back to Qiao Mei with a glare and let out a deep breath. Qiao Gang had just taken the watch out from under the bed. When he heard Qiao Meis words, his hand trembled and he almost dropped the watch on the floor. Qiao Yu, who was next to him, quickly reached out and caught the watch. She was so scared that the blood had drained from her face. She was the one who got the people to deliver these betrothal gifts to their house. Now that she already could not reap any benefits, if she broke the watch instead and had to go to jail, then it was all too terrible! She would definitely get a beating. Soon, Qiao Gang and Qiao Wang took out the items. The sewing machine and the watch were brand new and not damaged at all. The radio was also in good condition, as were the other bits and pieces. Most of the things were not even unwrapped. Qiao Mei nodded in satisfaction. She stood in front of them smilingly and she prepared to let them off. Now was not the time to fall out with them. After all, she still had to live in this village. Otherwise, she would not be able to stay in the village in the future and they would really become mortal enemies. She turned around and took all these things with her. She sat in the truck and left under the surprised gazes of the group of people at Qiao Zhuangs door. Everyone was extremely surprised! Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Qiao Mei had actually snatched back her betrothal gifts from Qiao Zhuangs house. It was the first time something like that happened. In the past, many people in the village had been bullied by Qiao Zhuangs family, but this was the first time they had seen someone deal with them like Qiao Mei, who looked like she won a battle with no injuries at all. The villagers looked at the truck Qiao Mei was in with changed expressions. Qiao Qiang, who was already waiting anxiously at home, heard the sound of a truck. He walked out and saw a group of burly men moving things into the house. Only then did he know that Qiao Mei had snatched the betrothal gifts back! Tears welled up in his eyes as he looked at Qiao Mei with mixed feelings. He never imagined that his Mei Mei would one day be able to rely on her intelligence and wisdom to ride on others strength to grab back her own things. Previously, he had been worried that his status would implicate Chen Hu, so he had not allowed himself to have too much contact with him. But now, there was probably no need to do so anymore. Things were going to change in the future and the situation looked to be bright. Good, good, good. Come, Mei Mei. Lets take out what we have and prepare a table full of dishes for these good comrades. We have to treat them to a good meal! Dont! We cant let you go through so much trouble. Were militia, so we naturally cant use the things of the commoners! Xiao Liu waved his hand and quickly declined. However, before he could get into the car, Qiao Mei grabbed him and he found himself stuck to the spot, unable to move. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Lets eat together. Youre all ordinary people too. Since were all ordinary people, it doesnt matter if we eat together. Besides, if your Section Head Chen was here, he would also agree! Qiao Mei said. The burly men in the truck laughed and immediately felt that Qiao Mei was quite cute. None of you is allowed to leave. If you leave, Ill complain to your Section Head Chen! Qiao Mei threatened. Xiao Liu really had no choice. Now that he was grabbed by Qiao Mei, he could not move at all, not even to take a step forward. He could only listen to her and let everyone eat before leaving. Aye! Xiao Liu replied resignedly. Chapter 58 - Return My House To Me Hearing his agreement, Qiao Mei smiled and let go of his arm. She walked to the kitchen to prepare a large table of dishes to serve them. Her body was now in a much better condition than before. She had no problem entertaining more than ten people and her body was still quite strong. On an arrangement of bean sprouts, she stewed some cabbage, pork and vermicelli. She also cooked a few pumpkins! Although there was only a little bit of pork left from a few days ago, it was already good enough to be able to get some meat in their meals in this era. Furthermore, the portion was big enough to be filling for everyone. She was sure she could let them have a happy meal together. After Qiao Mei was done with the dishes and placed them on the table, everyone was tempted by the smell. There was no doubt that Qiao Meis meal was highly agreeable with everyone. No one expected this plump girl to be so good at cooking! In this era, it was already good enough to have sufficient food to eat. Everyone had food, so they just made do with it. They did not have any extravagant hopes of eating delicious food. After the dozen or so people finished eating, they did not stay for long. They took the remaining baskets of bean sprouts from Qiao Meis house and hurried back to the city. These bean sprouts were supposed to take another two to three days to be ready, but Qiao Mei had the energy to solve this issue. She took out the bean sprouts. Under the thatch covering were tender bean sprouts. These people did not suspect anything and carried the bean sprouts up onto the truck. Qiao Qiang also did not feel that anything was wrong. This way, they could take a few baskets of bean sprouts with them at once and save Qiao Mei a lot of effort. She would have the time and energy to do other things! After all, her first task now was to lose weight and become prettier. Naturally, she had to spend more time in the mountains. Theres no hurry with the money. Just note it down in the account book and well calculate it later. Qiao Mei was at the door, sending them off. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks She hesitated for a moment before continuing, Go back and help me ask about this. In the future, I would like to send the bean sprouts by the first train every day. This way, you can just pick up the bean sprouts at a fixed time every day! I dont have to run around either. No problem, Ill tell him when I get back. Xiao Liu sat in the front passenger seat and agreed readily. After Qiao Mei sent the truck away, she immediately started to soak the green beans and clean up the mess on the table. This time, it was to produce more than 1,000 catties. She did not know if Uncle Chen Hu could finish everything at his end, but if he could not, he would probably have a way to get rid of it all. Thinking of this, she went up the mountain in peace. This time round, she found a lot of good things on the mountain. Not only were there chestnuts in the basket she was carrying, but there were also some other things. She filled her baskets up with things from the mountain and went on her way home. When she passed by Qiao Zhuangs house, she could clearly hear Qiao Yu crying as if she had been beaten up. Serves you right! It was her fault for not having good intentions and thinking about those crooked thoughts all day long. When Qiao Mei passed by, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Qiao family happened to come out and was about to go out for a walk. Yo, isnt this Mei Mei? Based on how you look, did you go to the mountain to find something good again? Come, let auntie see whats inside! Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only As Big Auntie Qiao spoke, she walked towards Qiao Mei. Everyone in the village knew that Qiao Mei had gotten some good stuff from the mountains recently. She wanted to see if she could sneak some stuff home. However, before she could get close, she had to cover her nose from the smell emanating from Qiao Meis body and could not help but take a few steps back. Qiao Mei put down her burden and rested for a while. Suddenly, she thought of something and asked, Big Auntie Qiao, do you remember what my mother said? When are you going to return this house to me? As soon as she said this, a trace of fear flashed across Big Auntie Qiaos eyes before she sorted out her thoughts and replied. What house? What are you talking about? How come I dont know anything and isnt your family living well at the end of the village? We dont go to your house to cause trouble now. Chapter 59 - The Original Owner of the Body Can Write? Qiao Mei looked at her and said word by word, Dont lie through your teeth. Your family occupied my family house and now youre denying it? Back then, my mother made it very clear that if you take good care of me, the house will belong to you. If you dont take good care of me, she wont give it to you even if she had to return it to the brigade! This wretched girl actually remembered all these things! Now, she actually wanted to take the house back? Big Auntie Qiao looked at her hatefully and held back her anger as she said, These things are between adults. You were still young back then. What do you know? With that, she went back through the door without looking back. Back then, there was indeed such a matter. When Qiao Meis mother left, she even drafted an agreement with the brigade because of this. Everyone in the brigade knew about it back then. However, over the years, no one dared to find trouble with their family. This agreement was naturally left unsettled. Otherwise, just based on how skinny Qiao Mei was back then, this house would have been taken away long ago. This wretched girl could still remember! It seemed that they had to pay more attention in the future and not let her bring up old matters again. Their family was very used to living in the house by now, so they were naturally unwilling to return it. Qiao Mei, who was standing on the spot, looked at the closed door in contemplation. If she asked them for the house directly, they would definitely disagree. She could only use her wits to get it back, so she would have to make other plans in the future. Anyway, she would definitely get the house back. When she got home, Qiao Qiang was already used to seeing these two big carrying baskets filled with things. It was spring in the mountains now, so there were naturally many things to find. It all depended on ones luck. Naturally, his Mei Mei had the best luck. Qiao Mei took out some small nuts from the basket and prepared to feed them to the chickens, ducks and geese in the backyard. After all, these little guys also had to grow bigger. Qiao Qiang, who was standing at the side, felt his heart ache. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks These were all edible nuts. When there was no food, just eating these things would fill ones stomach. Qiao Mei saw the look in his eyes and comforted him. Grandpa, after we sell these baskets of bean sprouts, we can get back our principal sum. When Uncle Chen Hu gives me the money for selling bean sprouts today, our family will have enough money to go to the city to buy more food. When the time comes, we can sell the bean sprouts grown from these 100 catties of green beans, then buy green beans, and then sell bean sprouts. This way, we can make a lot of money! These words made Qiao Qiang smile until his eyes disappeared. He naturally knew this logic, but because he had gone hungry before, he naturally cherished food very much. Thinking of the changes in the family in the past few days, Qiao Qiang looked at Qiao Mei with joy. Mei Mei had really changed drastically! Now, she knew how to grow bean sprouts to earn money and had good culinary skills. All of these were probably thanks to that kid Xia Zhe. If not for that kids appearance, Mei Mei would not have become like another person. Perhaps This was the power of love? I wonder how Xia Zhe is doing over there. Write to him when you have time and build some rapport with him. Ask him how hes doing over there! Qiao Qiang thought of Xia Zhe and reminded Qiao Mei. Xia Zhe was such a good catch and she must not let him lose him. As his new wife, Qiao Mei still had to build up her relationship with him. Write to him? Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Qiao Mei was stunned when she heard this and tried her best to recall her past memories. Does the original owner of the body know how to write? Under her best efforts to recall her past memories, she remembered that when she was young, her grandfather had tried to teach her to write. Those words that he taught her were the most simple words. Unfortunately, the original owner of the body had no intention of learning and could not pick it up. In the end, she did not know many words and her standard was very low. Chapter 60 - Taking the College Entrance Examination At the thought of this, Qiao Meis eyes lit up. She looked at her grandfather and said, Grandfather, Ill write to him, but you have to help me and teach me how to write. Ive forgotten most of the words by now! Okay, okay, okay. As they spoke about this, Qiao Qiang nodded with a smile. It would be best if Qiao Mei had the inclination to study. All his years of studies would not go to waste and he could impart everything he knew to Mei Mei. Joy flashed across Qiao Meis eyes. Not only would she write to Xia Zhe, but she would learn more words at a reasonable speed. In the near future, she would want to take the college entrance examination and go to university! 1 She was not willing to be an illiterate person forever. Besides, looking at the time period, the college entrance examination would be resuming next year. Naturally, she had to prepare early. The college entrance examination was a good opportunity for upward social mobility! After all, she had married Xia Zhe. His background was not an ordinary one and he might still be reluctant to accept a countryside woman like her. Perhaps even the children she was carrying would be mocked and ridiculed. In order for her children and herself not to be looked down upon, she must work hard and get into university. Qiao Mei took out a few books from the wooden box under Qiao Qiangs bed. These books were left over from Qiao Qiangs school days and they were good options for use as Qiao Meis beginner books. Qiao Mei took out the books and flipped through them to get ready for her lessons the next day. The next morning, the two of them started their lessons after breakfast. Very quickly, Qiao Mei showed great aptitude for studying. She only needed to go through the words that Qiao Qiang taught her for two or three times before memorizing them well. Moreover, the speed at which she was learning did not cause Qiao Qiang to feel that something was wrong. After a day of studying, Qiao Qiang nodded with a smile and said in satisfaction, My Mei Mei is just so smart! In one day, he had almost taught her all the words he knew. The next morning, Xiao Liu came again in a car. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks He put down the empty basket and said happily to Qiao Mei, Now we want more bean sprouts, as much as you have! I brought you 1,000 catties of green beans this time! After they brought the bean sprouts back yesterday, they all ate to their hearts content. Even the leader who came by for inspection was happy with it. The leader said jokingly, Section Head Chen, when theres such good stuff, dont keep it for yourself. Share with all of us! The leader was joking but Chen Hu dared not treat it as a joke. Naturally, he had to try his best to satisfy his leader. He immediately replied, We had taken this from a production brigade. If our leaders want it, we definitely have to satisfy them. The leader smiled but said nothing. Only then was he satisfied. Of course, these bean sprouts were not given for free. Even if they were taken from a production brigade, they needed to be paid for. So now, in addition to providing for the armed forces, they also had to give each of these leaders 400 to 500 catties of bean sprouts every day. Based on these calculations, there was a need for production of a lot of bean sprouts every day. Xiao Liu asked with uncertainty, How much bean sprouts can you grow in a day? We have a great demand here! Probably about 1,000 catties a day. Anything more than that, the quality might be compromised, Qiao Mei said after some thought. The maximum amount of bean sprouts that she could grow would be around 1,000 catties, which was about 13 to 14 baskets. If she were to grow more, it would probably attract attention. There was a limit to what a person could do. She had to act like a normal person and could not let anyone notice that something was out of the ordinary. Alright! Then when can you get the first batch done? Xiao Liu asked. At that time, Ill bring the car to collect the bean sprouts! Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only It was now 1,000 catties. In the past, the amount was 100 catties and it could be transported by train. The bean sprouts could be loaded during a train stop. But it was different now as 1,000 catties could not be loaded onto the train in an instant. Qiao Mei thought for a moment. In four or five days. By then, 1,000 catties of bean sprouts will be ready and you can come and get them then. Okay! Xiao Liu was quite happy. Now that there were 1,000 catties of bean sprouts being produced, he could eat bean sprouts every day. These were crisp and good bean sprouts! Chapter 61 - Fragrant Beef Sauce Qiao Mei thought for a moment and continued, Then when you come over tomorrow, send me a few baskets. I dont have enough baskets for this 1,000 catties of bean sprouts. Sure, no problem. He naturally agreed to such a small matter. Now that the matter of the bean sprouts had been settled, she remembered another thing she needed. There was the matter of Xia Zhes address. She looked at Xiao Liu and asked, Xiao Liu, help me ask Uncle Chen if I can find out the address of my man. I want to send something over! Alright, Ill ask! Xiao Liu nodded in agreement. Qiao Qiang, who was standing at the side, was already dumbfounded. He quickly entered the house and picked up a pen and paper to do some calculations. It was a total of 1,000 catties of green beans now, which meant that they could grow about 130 baskets of bean sprouts. One basket could sell for 15 dollars, which meant that it would be nearly 2,000 dollars, including the cost. The net earnings worked out to about 1,700 to 1,800 dollars. Moreover, this amount was the earnings per day and they would continue earning money every day. Clack! At this point, Qiao Qiang dropped the pen in his hand and his eyes almost popped out. His granddaughter could actually earn nearly 2,000 dollars a day? No one would believe this. In this era where a big familys living expenses were only 100 to 200 dollars a year, earning 2,000 dollars a day was really unimaginable. After Xiao Liu left, Qiao Mei also did her sums. She did not expect to be able to make a lot of money just like that. Moreover, the money came so quickly and it was really unexpected. It was all thanks to Uncle Chen Hus help. The next day, Xiao Liu brought Xia Zhes address with him. Xia Zhe did not go on a mission this time. Instead, he had gone to an isolated environment for special training for a few months, so he could not come out. But it was possible to send things to him. Qiao Mei thought about it for a moment. Her jade pendant and children are all brought to her by Xia Zhe. He has given her a better life, so she naturally has to thank him properly. Besides, feelings grow by the day. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Perhaps if she sends something to him and writes a letter or something, she can let him discover her other strong points. Thinking of this, Qiao Mei asked Xiao Liu to bring some beef and bean paste for her tomorrow. With Chen Hus help, he managed to bring 20 catties of beef and a few catties of bean paste the next day. Currently, cows were still the main productive force so they could not be slaughtered freely. Therefore, the beef available was all from old or disabled cows. It was really very good to be able to get 20 catties of beef. She was busy in the kitchen for most of the day before she managed to make two jars of beef sauce. During the cooking process, the fragrance floated above the entire village for a very long time. The entire village smelled the fragrance of the beef and ate their rice with it as accompaniment. It was really too fragrant, but they did not have the guts to go and ask for this beef. After all, Qiao Meis food aggression temper had left a deep impression on the people. 1 All her strength was used to protect her food, so no one had any intention of coming to her place to ask for food. But Qiao Zhuangs family was different. Upon smelling this aroma, Qiao Zhuang, who was at the dining table, handed a porcelain bowl to Qiao Yu and spoke to her coldly. Go! Go get a bowl of that dish back! Qiao Yu looked distressed, but because of Qiao Zhuangs forceful manner, she had no choice but to stand up and walk towards the door. She felt that Qiao Mei seemed to have become a different person. It was not easy to lie to her now and the success rate of getting some food back was not high. But she still walked out under the familys watchful eyes. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Soon, she arrived at Qiao Meis house. As she stood at the entrance of the courtyard, the smell was even stronger. She took a deep breath and almost drooled. She decided that getting a taste of the food would be worth being mocked, or even beaten up, by Qiao Mei. Elder sis Xiao Mei! Qiao Yu stood outside the courtyard and looked inside with a pitiful expression. Chapter 62 - Educating Qiao Yu Qiao Mei and Qiao Qiang were sitting in the courtyard eating beef noodles. After selling the bean sprouts these few days, she had some spare cash and got XIao Liu to send a few bags of rice and noodles to her. Now, there will be an abundance of food at home. They did not need to fear going hungry again. When Qiao Mei heard Qiao Yus voice, she immediately put down her chopsticks, picked up a thick wooden stick and headed towards Qiao Yu to hit her. 1 If Qiao Yu had not squatted down immediately, her face would have been injured. Didnt I tell you not to come to my house for nothing? Youre not welcome at my house. If you come again, Ill break your legs! Qiao Mei had a ferocious look on her face when she said that. Qiao Yu shook her head and put on a pitiful expression. She looked at Qiao Mei and gave a wistful look at the beef sauce on the table in the courtyard. The beef sauce was so fragrant! She already smelled it from afar. If she could get a taste, it did not matter even if she was beaten to death. Elder sis Qiao Mei, no one at home knows that Im here. Because of what happened last time, I havent eaten for three days. Im starving! Qiao Yu blinked as tears welled up in her eyes. Her nose was red and she pursed her lips. What has it got to do with me that you havent eaten? Am I supposed to feed you? Qiao Mei yelled, anger all over her face. Besides, I havent even settled the score with you for what happened last time and yet you eagerly come looking for me. You really dont know whats good for you! At the mention of the dowry, Qiao Mei got really furious. The matter of the dowry was originally the fault of Qiao Zhuangs family. They punished Qiao Yu and now Qiao Yu was blaming her? Qiao Mei shouted towards her surroundings, Ive already given Qiao Yu a bowl of beef sauce. If Second Grandpa doesnt get to eat it, then you cant blame me! Qiao Yu was scared to death when she heard that and quickly said, No, no! I didnt take it! Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks She hurriedly looked around her and quickly got to her feet to slip away when she saw that there was no one around. If her family heard that she took a bowl of beef sauce and did not see the sauce in their house, they would definitely beat her to death. The thought of a scene like that made Qiao Yu run back quickly.. Soon, she disappeared from Qiao Meis sight. Qiao Yu carried an empty bowl and slowly walked home, preparing to sneak in through the door. Upon entering, she did not expect to see Qiao Zhuang and his sons sitting at the table, smoking and waiting for her. She was so frightened that she took a few steps back. A few days ago, it was these few brothers who beat her up until she cried her heart out. It was as if they were venting all their anger on her alone. Even though she was Qiao Zhuangs youngest and only daughter that he kept with him. But Qiao Zhuang had never cared about her existence. In fact, he treated his granddaughters better than her. Other than Qiao Zhuangs wife, no one cared about her. Wheres the meat! Qiao Yus eldest brother, Qiao Fu, widened his eyes as he watched Qiao Yu walk in with an empty bowl. The rest of them did not have nice expressions on their faces either. Qiao Zhuang took out the pipe from his mouth and forcefully blew out a mouthful of smoke while looking at Qiao Yu. She wont give it to you? Yes She said that if I go over again, shell break my legs. Qiao Yu stood at the door with the bowl in her hand and her legs trembling. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only She had no idea what would await her next. Qiao Zhuangs wife wiped her hands and walked over from the kitchen. Seeing her only daughter like this, she could not help but speak up for her. Seeing that Qiao Mei came a few days ago, its obvious that shes not an easy person to get along with. Its only to be expected that she wont give us food. Qiao Zhuang stood up and glared at her. Youre just a woman, you have no right to speak. Its only right and proper for me to educate my children! With that, he continued to glare at Qiao Yu. Chapter 63 - Growing Bean Sprouts Didnt you used to hang out with that girl? Why cant you coax her now? Has she become smarter? There was a threatening tone in his voice, as if he would beat her up any second. The sons of the Qiao family all glared angrily at Qiao Yu. In the past, the two girls used to hang out together and it was also Qiao Yu who spread those rumors about Qiao Mei to give her a bad reputation. How did Qiao Mei become one of the few smart people in the village now? Something was wrong! This Qiao Yu must be hiding something from them. At the thought of this, Qiao Fu strode over and raised his fist to smash Qiao Yus face. Qiao Yu got so scared that the color drained from her face and she dropped the bowl in her hand. Qiao Fu, come back! Qiao Zhuang sat on the stool and waited for Qiao Fu to go over before he started to speak softly. Qiao Fu stood at the door and glared at her indignantly before turning around and walking back. Qiao Yu was still in a state of shock but the next moment, she heard Qiao Zhuang say, Ill give you another chance. In the future, try your best to build a good relationship with Qiao Mei and get more information from her. Then bring more things home as our family still needs more food. Qiao Yu could not help but nod vigorously. Okay, okay, okay. I know, I know, father Her back was covered in cold sweat and she felt cold when the wind blew at her. Early the next morning, Qiao Mei instructed Xiao Lius assistants to carry the bean sprouts onto the truck. Huffing and puffing, they quickly loaded the truck with the goods. Xiao Liu got into the truck, waved to Qiao Mei and drove off with all his assistants. Seeing these people coming and going these few days, the villagers nearby had been itching to know what they were doing. Auntie Dong happened to pass by with her basket. She craned her neck to look at the departing truck with a puzzled expression on her face. Qiao Mei was still at the door when Auntie Dong walked up and asked, Mei Mei, Ive seen this truck going in and out these past few days. What are they transporting? A few of the older women nearby also surrounded Qiao Mei. Its bean sprouts! Qiao Mei said loudly and started to explain to the people around her. My grandfathers comrades know that I can grow bean sprouts, so they have asked me to grow some for them. This will provide them with a different kind of vegetable. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Helping to grow bean sprouts! If she was helping, it would mean that she was not being paid. 1 If the people in the village knew that she could earn one to two thousand dollars a day, wouldnt she be eaten alive? She would no longer be able to enjoy a peaceful life in the village. Oh! Realization dawned on everyone. In the current day and age, vegetables were all collected from the various production brigades. There were not many varieties of vegetables, so it was normal for people to get tired of eating the same few types. Given that it was sent to the city, that was normal too. Hearing this, Auntie Dong asked coyly, Mei Mei, auntie wants to ask if auntie can learn how to make bean sprouts from you? When the other women gathering around heard this, they also looked at Qiao Mei eagerly. In this season, if one could use green beans to grow some bean sprouts, it would definitely make a nice dish at home. Qiao Mei hesitated when she saw the expectant gazes of the women around her. It was not that she was unwilling to teach them, but even if she taught them the method and went through the steps thoroughly with them, they did not have the energy to grow such good quality bean sprouts. When that happened and if they misunderstood it as she was unwilling to teach them properly, the loss would outweigh the gains of her efforts. But if she did not teach them, the situation would be even worse. Aunties, I dont know how to teach. If you dont mind me being unable to express myself well, then come in and take a look! Qiao Mei led them into the courtyard and spoke to them. Okay, okay! Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Auntie Dong felt an instant sense of happiness and could not help walking in. If Qiao Mei could teach her while actually doing it, she would definitely learn it quickly. The other aunties looked happy as well. Then, more people gathered outside the courtyard. These were all the women and their daughters-in-law from the village. Alright, come over here everyone! Qiao Mei spoke to the people outside the courtyard. Chapter 64 - No One Is Faster Than Qiao Mei Everyone walked in and into the workshop behind the courtyard. Xiao Liu had helped Qiao Mei build this workshop. It was very sturdy and spacious. Currently, there were many baskets in the workshop. The way the baskets were stacked on top of one another made it look very spectacular. There are so many baskets! Auntie Dong was the first to speak. She stared at all the baskets in the courtyard. She had never seen so many before and furthermore, they were all the same size. It was a grand sight to see the baskets stacked together. With so many baskets of green beans, a days work here would not be any easier than working with the brigade. Lets start now! With that, Qiao Mei rolled up her sleeves and started working. As she began, she explained every step very clearly with the precautions to be taken for each step. Anyone who was not a fool would be able to understand the instructions. The women gathered around immediately changed their impression of Qiao Mei. Initially, they had heard that Qiao Mei had a bad temper, but right now it seemed that her personality and temper were both very good. Qiao Mei soaked the portion of beans alloted for today and then watered the beans that were soaked a few days ago. These were the steps of making bean sprouts. After soaking the beans, they would be put into the baskets based on the volume and then watered. As time passed, the bean sprouts would start growing. There was also a technique for watering. One could not just water the beans casually. One had to ensure that each and every bean in the basket absorbed enough water for the beans to grow quickly. She busied herself watering hundreds of baskets of beans. After half a day of hard work, the women who came to learn how to grow bean sprouts could not even stand up straight any longer. They squatted on the ground and panted from exhaustion. This job was not fit for humans at all. As they rested, they sized up Qiao Mei and their impression of her changed even more. Before they came by, Qiao Mei was the only person watering so many baskets. Wasnt this too tiring? Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks They wondered who had said that Qiao Mei was lazy. The way they saw it, there was probably no girl in the village who was more hardworking than Qiao Mei. They had really misjudged her in the past. After returning home, a few women started to grow their own bean sprouts. They followed Qiao Meis instructions and managed to start growing some. But whenever they were free, they still came over to help Qiao Mei. They found it quite pitiful that she had to do so much work alone every day and did not have any help at all. Besides, they could continue to learn things when they helped her. However, Qiao Mei did not constantly work in the courtyard in the way she had taught them. Instead, she only watered the beans once a day and used energy to maintain the rest of it. Otherwise, she would not be able to finish watering so many baskets by herself even if she worked herself to death. However, she was also very happy when the women came by to help. After all, given that she was now pregnant, she must build a good relationship with the villagers so that her children would not get bullied in the village in the future. Four days later, Qiao Mei finally made a few friends, namely six aunties and two sisters-in-law.. This was also the day when their bean sprouts grew out. Since they all still had green beans at home now, they took some out to try for themselves. It would be best if they succeeded in growing them. Otherwise, even if they fail, it would still be within expectations and they would not have lost much. To everyones surprise, there were a bunch of tender bean sprouts growing out in each basin. The sprouts looked especially pleasing to the eye and good enough to eat. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Qiao Mei was secretly happy when she saw these basins of bean sprouts. These bean sprouts were naturally similar to hers. After all, she had personally taken care of these bean sprouts. Every time she passed by these womens houses, she would go in to take a look and do an exchange of energy. She could then ensure that the bean sprouts were exactly the same. If not, some people might think that she was being selfish with her instructions. Otherwise, why would they fail when she succeeded in every basket? It must be because she hid some information and did not teach them everything. Therefore, she needed to personally take care of them now. Whoever was growing bean sprouts at home, she would take care of them whenever she passed by. For those who had no interest or were in a bad mood, then she would not care about them. Chapter 65 - The Package Has Arrived In this way, no one could blame her if anything went wrong. They must have done something wrong themselves. After these people harvested their bean sprouts, news immediately spread among the village and almost every family started growing their own bean sprouts. Qiao Mei heard that there was a saying in the village that only a family with good values would be able to grow bean sprouts well. If a family had bad values, the bean sprouts would not turn out well. 1 In the end, within the entire village, only Qiao Zhuangs family did not manage to grow bean sprouts well. It was not just him, not a single one of his sons families managed to do it properly as well. All their bean sprouts had a bitter taste. 3 This was all Qiao Meis doing. It was also through the current experiment that she realized that she could not only control how the energy was given, but could also absorb the energy without returning it. That was why the bean sprouts from Qiao Zhuangs family were all thin and small. When Qiao Mei found out about this ability, she was stunned. She could not believe that she was so powerful. The beef sauce that Qiao Mei made finally arrived at Xia Zhes location after seven to eight days of transportation. Commander Xia, your package has arrived! A soldier shouted from the door. As soon as he said that, the entire room fell silent. Xia Zhe looked up in confusion. He had a package? Who would send him a package? No one at home had the habit of sending packages. What was sent? Xia Zhe asked curiously. When the soldier heard this, he subconsciously swallowed his saliva and said, Food! He did not know what the jar contained, but it smelled very fragrant. It was so aromatic that just smelling it made one tempted to eat it. Hearing that it was food, Xia Zhe found it even more odd. His family had never sent him food before, so it was unlikely to be from his family. There was no one he knew who might send him food. Who sent it? Xia Zhe asked curiously. The soldier said loudly, Its from your wife! As soon as he said this, everyones eyes lit up in shock. When did Xia Zhe get married? What? Xia Zhe, you got a wife? When was this? Three people asked their questions loudly and in shock. Everyone was still single, so why was it that Xia Zhe was already married and now his wife was sending things over? It was really enviable! Xia Zhe was stunned on the spot for a moment. It was not that he did not remember that he had a wife, but he really did not expect her to send anything to him. Her family was poor and she was so fat. There must not be enough food at home, right? 1 Bring it in! Xia Zhe waved his hand and let the soldier in. The soldier placed the package on the table and stood beside it, looking at Xia Zhe eagerly. None of the other three men had left either. Just like before, well share half of the food! The tall and dark Zhao Wu said. 2 Next to him was Zhuang Hua, who looked more refined, and he also nodded and smiled in agreement. Zhang Yong walked over and looked at the opened package on the table. He frowned when he saw the crooked words To Xia Zhe on the package. Was his wifes handwriting so ugly? Xia Zhes eyes lit up when he saw the words on it. He did not expect Qiao Mei to know how to write. Although the handwriting was crooked and did not look nice, at least she knew how to write and that was already very good. Initially, he thought that Qiao Mei was illiterate. Her being able to read and write had already exceeded his expectations. Quick, take a look at what it is. It smells so good! Zhao Wu stretched out his head and fanned the air with his hand, looking like he was enjoying himself. When the four jars had been delivered earlier, they had been checked by a specific department in charge. Now that they had been opened, they could not be re-sealed and the fragrance wafted out. Everyone could not help but gulp. This smell was simply too fragrant. Xia Zhe also could not help taking a step forward to reach out and open the lid of the jar. In an instant, the rich fragrance from the jar filled the entire room, making everyone take a deep breath involuntarily.. Chapter 66 - Are You Waiting For Me? Im taking this! When Zhao Wu heard this, he took one of the jars and rushed out of the room nimbly, disappearing in the blink of an eye. Even Zhuang Hua, who looked so decorous, had already taken a jar and rushed out the door. Only the soldier, Zhang Yong and Xia Zhe were left in the room. Xia Zhe wrapped his arms around the jars, glared at the two of them and said loudly, I have already given half of what I have. If the two of you want any, dont even think about taking it from me. 1 The soldier and Zhang Yong exchanged a look and saw the same intention in each others eyes. The two of them instantly turned around and went after Zhao Wu and Zhuang Hua. It was easier to take something from those two than to snatch it from Xia Zhe. After everyone around him had left, Xia Zhe carefully opened one of the jars that he was holding. In an instant, there was a rich chili fragrance in the air, making his stomach growl. Xia Zhe stood where he was and smiled. This gift he loved it! He stood still for a moment to take a long sniff, then covered the jars and locked it in the cupboard behind him. Then he picked up a letter from the package. The words in the letter were not particularly well written but were surprisingly neat. There were no circles nor ink smears. It looked particularly comforting and made one want to read it. The words were all very neat and of the same size. They say words resemble the people who write them. These words were just like her. Xia Zhe suddenly recalled that night. Although Qiao Mei was not a traditional beauty and also not too good-looking, she was special in her own way Especially that night, it was not as if he did not take any initiative. 2 Thinking of this, Xia Zhe felt so shy that his face turned red. He shook his head and forced himself not to think about it anymore. Whatever happened that night was in the past. He turned his attention back to the letter. The letter read: How are you, Brother Xia? I dont know if you have received the four jars of chili sauce. I made all four jars myself, does it smell good? Not knowing what you like, I made both spicy and non-spicy ones, you can try and see which one you like. Or if theres anything else you want to eat, you can write and let me know. Ill definitely make it for you when Im free. Also, Ive received everything you asked people to send over. Thank you so much for your kindness, Brother Xia! Thank you so much. At the end, the letter was signed: I am your wife, Qiao Xiaomei. At the bottom of the letter was a drawing of a little smiling person. The little person looked to be standing in the doorway, waiting for an old friend to return. The drawing was extremely cute. Xia Zhe finished reading the letter very quickly, but his eyes were wide with disbelief as he stared at the paper. This letter Can it be written like that? In such a cute manner? He suddenly remembered the touch of her skin that night, the body that was faintly discernible in the moonlight as well as the involuntary delicate gasps and continuous moans No, I cant think about it! 1 Xia Zhe shook his head to clear it of the memories. He did not want to remember that night again, but his mind could not help but whisper the words in the letter in that lovely voice He was unaware that his lips had slowly curled into a smile. Qiao Mei was actually quite cute. 1 Although Qiao Qiang had schemed against him and forced him to spend the night with Qiao Mei, Qiao Mei was innocent. In the end, she even changed her mind about the whole thing and did not lie to him. 2 In the letter, she even thanked him for his kindness. Qiao Mei was a grateful and lovely girl with a kind heart and good culinary skills. Finally he thought of the drawing at the bottom of the letter, the little person standing in the doorway. Is the little person waiting for him? At the thought of this, Xia Zhe could no longer help but smile. Even the look in his eyes turned warm and gentle, without the usual coldness. 2 Chapter 67 - Introducing Sister When Xia Zhe passed by the door carrying the beef sauce, Zhang Yong happened to see Xia Zhes smile. He could not help but walk into the room with a frown. He asked, Is it the He family or the Ma family? Which family is the girl from? Whichever girl had actually captured Xia Zhes heart and melted him was really amazing. Neither! The smile on Xia Zhes face disappeared as he looked at Zhang Yong and answered. Neither? Zhang Yong was very surprised. Which girl from another family could escape the attention of the He and Ma families and successfully capture Xia Zhes heart? This was simply unbelievable. His own Zhang family did not manage to succeed. He had wanted to get his sister to come over and meet Xia Zhe to see if they could get along. He had not expected this to happen. Has he been intercepted? Xia Zhes eyes were cold as he looked at Zhang Yong. Shes just a girl from an ordinary family. She has nothing to do with those families in the capital. This cold gaze made Zhang Yong feel a sense of pressure. Got it. Wanting to maintain his own dignity, Zhang Yong pretended to turn around as if nothing had happened and walked towards his own room. Unexpectedly, Zhao Wu came over just as Zhang Yong left. He walked through the door in a careless manner with a big spoon in his hand. His eyes scanned the room and finally stopped at the cabinet behind Xia Zhe. Big brother, can you introduce us to our sister-in-law? In the next second, he rushed into the house and towards the cabinet. Unexpectedly, there was a gust of wind from the side and a kick almost sent him flying. 1 It was Zhuang Hua. He retracted his foot and stood there with his arms crossed. Then he glanced sideways at Zhao Wu with his lips curled and said disdainfully, Zhao Wu, youre really shameless. Youre two years older than brother Xia Zhe, yet you still call him big brother? How embarrassing! Zhao Wu chuckled and put his spoon away. I lost to big brother yesterday, so of course I have to call him big brother. Its more embarrassing to be like you and pretend you didnt lose, isnt it? However, he knew very well in his heart that what made him shameless was this delicious chili sauce that he had never tasted before. Otherwise, he had never thought of calling Xia Zhe big brother. 1 In the end, Zhao Wus eyes flashed with mischief. He looked at Xia Zhe and said loudly, Big brother, he didnt address you properly. He didnt keep his word. If we have anything delicious in the future, dont share it with him. This statement made Zhuang Hua drop his defenses! That chili sauce was really more delicious than anything that he had ever tasted. It would be a pity if he could only smell it in the future and not be able to taste it again. He immediately stammered and whispered, Big big brother! 1 Hahahaha! The way he looked made Zhao Wu grinned and laughed loudly. What are you laughing at? Lets listen to big brother tell us about sister-in-law. Zhuang Hua gave Zhao Wu a firm kick. The smile in Xia Zhes eyes disappeared as he stood there without speaking. I cant talk about us. On the other side, Qiao Mei received a piece of bad news. Her bean sprout business would have to shrink now. Given that the half a month of militia training was over and the big bosses were moving away, it meant that the bean sprout business in the armed forces department was no longer required. They did not need the big supply of bean sprouts anymore. On its own, the armed forces department definitely could not consume so much bean sprouts. Hence, Qiao Mei only needed to supply a small amount of bean sprouts to the supply and marketing cooperative. They would need only about 200 catties as they would not be able to deal with any more than that. Xiao Liu handed the last sum of money to Qiao Mei. There was a total of 1,587 dollars in his hand. Our Section Head Chen said that the supply and marketing cooperative can still take in your bean sprouts now, but we can only take 200 catties this first round. We dare not take more than that as we need to test the level of demand first. These 200 catties were just meant for the consumption of the staff at the supply and marketing cooperative. Dont worry, theres a big lumberyard on the east side of our county. If theres no issue from their side, we can still take in a few hundred catties of bean sprouts in the future. Its just that their factory director hasnt returned yet. Xiao Liu wanted to comfort her. Chapter 68 - Skinnier and Fairer There were not many enterprises in this small county city, so there were very few places that needed bean sprouts. Those city departments did not like to have regular deliveries of vegetables and preferred to buy them personally at the store, so there was also no need for a large stockpile of bean sprouts. These realistic situations made Qiao Mei realize that her plans were a little idealistic. In reality, things would not always happen as she had planned. However, Qiao Mei did not feel disheartened. This was because her daily income from selling bean sprouts was now more than 1,000 dollars. This amount of money was really way too much for this time period. If others found out and became jealous, she would not be able to bear the consequences. Now it was time to take a break. It was also time to announce that she was pregnant. Qiao Mei found some time to go out and have a chat with the older women, but then she suddenly started retching. The women all looked at one another. Everyone asked Qiao Mei when she had her last period and about any recent changes in her body. In the end, everyone concluded something: Qiao Mei was pregnant! Youre pregnant! Youre with child! Auntie Dong clapped her hands happily, her eyes filled with excitement. Youre pregnant in one shot! As soon as she said this, the people standing around looked away awkwardly. Qiao Meis pregnancy was too much of a coincidence. She got pregnant after one night? If it was really so easy to get pregnant, Second Sister-in-law Wang living near the entrance of the village would not have needed to go to all the old traditional Chinese doctors in the vicinity in the past three years. Qiao Mei had no choice but to smooth things over with regard to their suspicious looks. She looked at the younger married women seriously and said, For that night, if I calculate based on how you ladies taught me, it would be no less than four or five times. My legs were so sore that night 1 Oh my goodness! all the women exclaimed. They looked at Qiao Mei in disbelief and blushed. Heavens! What kind of man was this? 1 Why did he fall for Qiao Mei and insist on marrying her? Qiao Mei was really extraordinarily lucky. Although it was an arranged marriage between children, it was rare to have such a powerful partner. 2 How did you feel that night? Big Sister-in-law Liu asked curiously. Qiao Mei thought for a moment and replied seriously, Just one word, tired! Everyone again laughed so hard until they were breathless. However, as Big Sister-in-law Liu looked at Qiao Mei, she suddenly pointed at Qiao Mei in surprise and asked a spontaneous question. Look, did any of you notice, I feel that Qiao Mei has lost a lot of weight! Everyone turned to look at Qiao Mei and realized that she had indeed lost weight. Her originally tight-fitting clothes now looked loose on her. Her usually big plump face now looked much more pleasing to the eye. Her thighs, which were as thick as buckets, now showed some curves. This change was not considered a small one. Qiao Mei looked at her own figure and nodded with a smile. Her current body size had already met her initial expectations. After more than a month of hard work, she had successfully lost more than 50 pounds. 4 From the back, she looked like an average person. Look, Qiao Mei seems to have become fairer. Big Auntie Dong looked at Qiao Meis face and said in surprise. In the past, Qiao Meis entire face was squashed like a pancake due to her obesity. Her facial features were squeezed together by her fleshy face that they were almost invisible. Now that her weight loss showed on her face, her facial features could be seen clearly. Her skin color had also turned a shade fairer. Look at Mei Mei. Isnt this a standard oval face? These eyes are also quite big! The nose bridge is not bad either. Its very high. This little mouth is red and looks very lustrous. Its really cute. There was a flurry of astonished praises as everyone looked over Qiao Mei. They had never observed her carefully before. Perhaps she was too fat for her features to be seen clearly. In short, they seemed to have only found out about Qiao Meis good looks now. The general consensus was that Qiao Mei was much prettier than before. Her facial features looked exceptionally pleasing to the eyes and she had a tranquil temperament. If she lost a bit more weight, she might look even more beautiful. Chapter 69 - Letter In Reply Mei Mei, you have to control your mouth and dont return to your previous size. See how good you look now that youve lost weight. If you get fat again, it will also be difficult to give birth! Big Auntie Dong held Qiao Meis hand and said earnestly. Qiao Mei nodded. Yes I know. Thank you, Auntie Dong. Her voice was clear and sweet. Everyone smiled and nodded. This voice matched her current look very well. In the past, when she was dark and fat and spoke with this voice, they had found it simply cringey. And do less work at home. You just got pregnant, so you have to be careful. Yes, thats right. Fortunately, you dont have to grow bean sprouts now and its not so busy anymore. You have to be more careful, the auntie beside her advised. Qiao Mei smiled and said, Yes, I dont have to be busy growing bean sprouts now. I just need to stay home and wait to raise the children. She had originally received an order of 200 catties of bean sprouts from the supply and marketing cooperative, but she did not take the order now that she did not want to work anymore. She wanted to focus on being at home. Although the supply and marketing cooperative still wanted another batch of bean sprouts, Qiao Mei was determined not to grow bean sprouts anymore. She would not do it even if the price increased. That was because the supply and marketing cooperative had already increased its order to 1,000 catties. In the future, the order size would likely continue to increase. If these orders kept coming, the income would no longer be able to be kept hidden. A thousand catties a day can make her a few hundred dollars! This amount of money could definitely not be kept a secret in her small village. If someone reported her, she would be finished. This was not an era of economic freedom. Besides, she was pregnant. Mei Mei, which day did your man come over? Auntie Dong asked. April 21st. Qiao Mei gave a clear-cut answer. She had transmigrated at that moment and naturally knew the date very well. It had already been more than a month since then. At this point, a few of the older women stood together, immersed in calculating the due date for Qiao Meis delivery. They discussed it noisily and finally came up with the date. The due date would be at the beginning of January next year. Qiao Mei nodded. The date she calculated was also around that time, but since she was pregnant with twins, she might deliver prematurely. The date was only a tentative one. In her past life, she gave birth to a pair of pitiful twins who were so small and skinny. This time, she would also take good care of her body and strive to provide the children with a healthy body to nurture them so that the children could be born healthy. Qiao Mei chatted with the women for a while more before she went home happily. The first thing she did when she got home was to write another letter to Xia Zhe. She quickly finished writing and was about to go and send the letter when she heard the sound of a bicycle outside the house. She was the only person in the entire village with a bicycle, so who was the person outside the house? Qiao Mei turned around and saw the postman in dark green clothes stop at the door of her house. He said, This is Qiao Meis house, right? Theres a letter for you here. The postman parked the bicycle and walked over quickly, handing the letter to Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei was so happy her eyes disappeared with her smile. Xia Zhe had written back to her? It was just that she had never thought that he would reply to her. It was great that he would do that now. She opened the letter in her hand and saw the beautiful handwriting on it. A trace of joy flashed across Qiao Meis eyes. She suddenly recalled that night, thinking of his strong arms and bold eyebrows. He had flipped her over with one move and was very strong Qiao Mei covered her mouth and laughed. The postman was used to things like that and was about to leave when Qiao Mei stopped him. I have something to send too. Wait a minute. Very quickly, Qiao Mei brought out four jars. The four jars were filled with the pickled vegetables she had made. They were tender, crunchy and very refreshing and made a very good side dish for rice. After all, she still had to give Xia Zhe some surprises. Chapter 70 - Shes Pregnant! She could not send the same thing every time. She wanted to come up with different things to send over in order to express her feelings for Xia Zhe through the contents of the jars. In this way, he would also not get tired of her gestures. Also, she could not always send meat products as it may attract unnecessary attention. After she sent off her parcel, she took out the letter. The handwriting on it was very nice. Hello, comrade Qiao Mei. I have received all four jars of sauce. It is very delicious and I prefer the spicy one. I hope you wont send me such expensive things in the future. Save the money to buy nice food for Grandpa. Everything is fine here. In the future, I will send all my salary to you. Make sure to collect it every month. 1 Xia Zhe. There was nothing extraordinary about the letter and it was very concise, but she smiled happily like a kitten that had stolen a fish. She was glad that he had replied. Moreover, he even said that he would send his salary to her and did not stop her from spending the money. How nice of him! A few days later, in the training camp. Commander Xia, your parcel is here, the soldier shouted from the door. In an instant, three black figures appeared at Xia Zhes door, waiting for the parcel to be opened. 4 Xia Zhe opened the door and took the parcel with a glance at them. The three of them stopped their actions and looked on eagerly. Big brother, well share half of what we see! Zhuang Hua said. Zhao Wu, on the other hand, was unhappy and tried suggesting, Big brother, this parcel looks similar to the previous one. There will probably be four jars. Why dont we just take one each instead of splitting in half? Its so troublesome to fight over it. They had been eating the sauce for a few days. It was so delicious that the three men had fallen completely under its spell. Do you think I want to share with you? Xia Zhe glared at them sideways. He also did not expect the sauce made by Qiao Mei to be so delicious. If he had a meal without the sauce, it felt as if something was missing. Big brother, dont be petty. Well only be sharing the sauce with you for a short while. But youll be spending the rest of your life with sister-in-law and eating it for the rest of your life. You cant draw that kind of line with us! Zhuang Hua said. Xia Zhe was taken aback by what he said. It did make sense. He continued to share two jars with the three of them. After the three of them took the two jars, they went into the room together to split the loot. However, they felt a little disappointed when they opened the jars and realized that it was not the same sauce from the last time. But when they leaned over to take a sniff, they realized that it was still something very fragrant. The three of them picked up their chopsticks for a taste and found out that it was indeed very delicious. They started fighting for food again, this time over the pickled vegetables. Xia Zhe returned to his room and placed the jars in the cabinet as usual. Then, he carefully took out the letter from the parcel. The words were as neat as before, but the handwriting looked much better than before. Theres improvement! Xia Zhe curled his lips in a smile of relief and turned his attention back to the contents of the letter. Then, he read something that caused him to freeze on the spot. Brother Xia Zhe, Im having our baby. These words caused Xia Zhe to be rooted to the ground. He rubbed his eyes and looked at the letter in disbelief. Hello, brother Xia Zhe. Recently, Ive had a poor appetite. Sometimes, I feel like throwing up when I smell certain dishes and I also lost a lot of weight. The aunties in the village all say that I am pregnant. I am not sure if you will be as glad as me, but I am very happy that I am going to have a baby. I do not know if the baby will turn out to be more like me or more like you. A cuddly little child must be very cute. If we have a boy, he would definitely be as handsome as you. If we have a girl, she would definitely be her mothers little sweetheart. I am so looking forward to it. I do not mind having either a boy or a girl, but I am not sure if you would mind having a girl. Do you prefer boys over girls? Im a little worried about that. Boohoo. I do not know anything about giving birth and taking care of a child. The aunties in the village have worked out for me that the due date is likely to be sometime in January next year. By then, the weather will be so cold and I do not know how our baby will be able to take it. I am so scared! Chapter 71 - Little Frowning Person I am only 18 years old and I do not know anything. I do not know what to prepare or pay attention to. The aunties in the village are giving me all kinds of advice and I am not sure what to do! What do you think we should do about our child? And what should we name our child? Sigh, I have written so much nonsense. I hope it will not affect your mission over there. Lastly, I will definitely protect our baby well and I will do my best to make sure that our baby can grow up smoothly. No matter what happens, I will wait for you to come back. Your wife, Qiao Mei. The letter ended here. 1 At the bottom of the letter, it was not a little smiling person this time, but a little worried person squatting at the door. It felt pitiful and helpless. 1 Qiao Mei had spent a lot of effort on this letter. After all, a fathers concern for his child had to be nurtured from when the child was young. If he was already indifferent when the child was young, then what would happen in the future? It could not be that Qiao Mei had to take on both roles of being a father and a mother, right? In the letter, she wanted to portray herself as being pitiful and helpless so as to fire up a mans innate sense of responsibility and protectiveness. As long as a man felt a sense of responsibility, he would naturally start to pay attention to his children and would take their emotions to heart. If he did not care at all, then how different would he be from a stranger? In that case, he would naturally have no feelings for his children. After Xia Zhe read the letter, he stood in a daze for a long time. Qiao Mei was pregnant! He was the father of the child. He had a child now! Thinking of this, he felt excited. He would soon have a cuddly child lying on his lap, calling him daddy and trusting him wholeheartedly, and he would even have a warm home as well 3 Thinking of this, his entire face turned red from excitement. He would have another relative in this world. A blood-related relative! This also meant that he had a heavier burden now. There would be the child to take care of at home, as well as the childs mother. He was now the head of the family. Xia Zhe stood there and stroked the little person at the bottom of the letter. The frightened expression on the little persons face moved him and he felt tender and protective towards her. Dont worry, you have me! At this point, Xia Zhe picked up the phone on the table and made a call. Uncle, I need some good soft fabric, and also fur mattresses and cotton. I need all of these! The other end of the phone heard Xia Zhes excited voice. When Qin Dong heard this, he was puzzled. If you really need these things, you can put up a request to the higher-ups. If you want me to send them to you from here, it will take quite a few days for them to arrive! And these things What are you going to do with them? Qin Dong asked curiously. Then, he heard something that surprised him so much that he was completely speechless. Its for my wife. Shes pregnant! Qin Dong was stunned and did not speak as the other party continued on. These things are all for my wife. Its cold over at her side and Im afraid that the child will freeze in the middle of winter! Xia Zhe continued speaking down the line. This Ah! Qin Dong paused for a moment before continuing, Thats right, thats right. We must make sure my niece-in-law and the child shes carrying dont freeze in the cold. Youre really not bad, kid. You got her pregnant after one night? Impressive! Xia Zhe fell silent. Even if he was not accurate the first time, after several times in one night, he would be able to hit the target at least once, right? 8 However, this was not something he could tell his uncle. He continued saying, Those maternity clothes and other stuff need to be made in a bigger size, and theres also the baby clothes and mattresses and stuff. Send them over to her when theyre ready. Im not sure if she knows how to make them. Chapter 72 - Let Her Be a Military Spouse The baby is due in January next year and its probably going to be quite cold then. Make everything thicker so the baby doesnt freeze from the cold. Also, she doesnt have any female elders around her. Do get my aunt to write down all the things she needs to take note of when giving birth, as well as the things to note when taking care of the child too. 2 And also she likes to eat. Now that shes pregnant, she needs to eat more good food. Send more meat and fruits to her so that she will have enough to eat. 2 Well I think thats all. If I think of anything else, Ill make up for it later. Okay, okay, okay. I get it, Young Master Xia, Qin Dong teased with a smile. He had never seen Xia Zhe being so long-winded and giving instructions with such minute details.. He did not expect that a usually aloof person would behave so drastically differently when it came to his wife and children. What a rare sight. 1 He thought that the Xia family was a bunch of frigid people! Im still being held up here and cant go back for the time being. Ill have to trouble you to help me take care of my wife. After Im done here, Ill go back and take care of her. 1 No problem! Qin Dong agreed readily. Well definitely pay more attention to your wife. So then you have to perform well in your competition! A sharp glint flashed across Xia Zhes eyes. He must get first place in this competition. This way, he would get promoted to a higher rank and he would be able to have Qiao Mei living with him as a military spouse. 1 Once she joined him as a military spouse, he would be able to see his children every day. 1 When he was young, he used to stand at the door miserably every day to wait for his parents. He wanted his children to stay by his side all the time, unlike what he had to go through. 1 Thank you, uncle. Please convey my thanks to my aunt too. Thank you for the efforts! Xia Zhe said sincerely. His aunt was an obstetrician. He would only be at ease if she wrote down the list of items to note. 1 Now, he had to work harder and win first place so that Qiao Mei could go to the capital to give birth. Only then would he feel more at ease. After all, the standard of medical care in the capital was much better than in the village or county. After the call, Xia Zhe took out the letter and read it again. Then he began to compose a reply. When he saw the words A cuddly little child must be very cute, it struck a chord with him and he could not help but laugh. There was a strange atmosphere in the village during the past few days. No matter what everyone talked about, the conversation always veered towards Qiao Mei. There was a strange and excited look in peoples eyes. It was not Qiao Meis pregnancy that made them excited, but Qiao Meis bean sprouts. The 200 catties worth of bean sprouts sold by the supply and marketing cooperative. After the 200 catties of bean sprouts were sold, those previous buyers were all full of praise and there had been people coming to ask about the bean sprouts over the past few days. When they heard that there were no more bean sprouts for sale, they blamed the supply and marketing cooperative for not doing its job. The bean sprouts really attracted a lot of attention. The queries not only came from the ordinary buyers, but even from a few operational departments. The supply and marketing cooperative could not withstand the pressure anymore and went to beg Chen Hu for help. Chen Hu was not quite sure what to do about it, so he went to the village to ask Qiao Mei. I cant do heavy work now. Im pregnant and cant do this business anymore. Qiao Mei sat on the bed, sewing childrens clothes. She had already prepared many pieces of clothing, but there were going to be two children, so she still felt that she had not made enough. Ah! This is really a good thing, its really great. Chen Hu clapped his hands happily and looked at Qiao Qiang. At the side, Qiao Qiang could not stop smiling. He was really very happy. He was a man who already had one foot in the grave and he did not expect to be able to see his great-grandchild one day. It was such a great thing to happen and he felt wonderful every day. Alright, alright, alright. Lets not do it if we dont want to. The child is most important, Chen Hu said with a big wide smile. 1 Growing bean sprouts was a tiring job. It was not right to make her work hard for the benefit of the supply and marketing cooperative. Qiao Mei was still a child herself and had a lot of things to do. She must not tire herself out. Look at how much weight Qiao Mei had lost in the past month. 1 Chapter 73 - Win When Qiao Mei heard what he said, she suddenly thought of something that Auntie Dong had said to her. She pondered for a moment before saying, If the supply and marketing cooperative really needs fresh bean sprouts, that can be done. Theres another way! What? Chen Hu exclaimed in surprise. It did not matter to him. Without the bean sprouts, there were other types of food to replace it. It was not as if he must always have dishes cooked with these bean sprouts. However, his wife really liked these crispy bean sprouts very much and always urged him to get some. Qiao Mei stopped sewing and looked up at Qiao Qiang. Grandfather, please go and get Uncle Zhao. We need to discuss something with him. When Qiao Qiang heard this, he did not speak again. He just stood up and walked out to look for the village officer, Zhao Liang. Soon, Zhao Liang came in with Qiao Qiang. Qiao Mei introduced the two men to each other. However, Zhao Liang was still very puzzled. He was just a small team leader in charge of a small village and he did not know why he was being asked to meet a section head from the city. The difference in rank between them was not a small one. Qiao Mei looked at Chen Hu. Ive already taught the villagers how to grow bean sprouts. You can buy bean sprouts from them directly. Are they able to grow the same bean sprouts as yours? Chen Hu asked doubtfully. Growing bean sprouts was not a simple task. Without any skills, the bean sprouts would turn out to be bitter and astringent and would not taste good at all. Such bean sprouts would not pass the test. Most of the bean sprouts should turn out the same. We can set a standard for the bean sprouts, so that we can monitor the quality. Qiao Mei turned to Qiao Qiang again and said, Grandfather, go and ask Auntie Dong and Auntie Wang to bring their bean sprouts over. Okay! Qiao Qiang went off again. Soon, the two women came over with the bean sprouts. Chen Hu picked one up and chewed on it. Then, he nodded and praised, Its indeed not bad and tastes like your bean sprouts. Seeing that he was satisfied, Qiao Mei continued talking, Uncle Zhao, looking at the current situation, why dont we apply to set up a bean sprout factory in the village? This will be good for everyone and we can all earn some money in our free time. I have no problem, it just depends on the supply and marketing cooperative in the city. Zhao Liang looked at Chen Hu and did not say anything else. Chen Hu nodded affirmatively. No problem! It had always been possible to set up a factory in the village, it was just that they had no reason to do so. Now that there was a reason, setting it up would definitely not be an issue. Everyone agreed, but Auntie Dong and Auntie Wang did not look too good. A few days ago, the older women in the village had asked her about the situation with the bean sprouts and whether it was easy to sell them. They also had the intention to find a place in the city to sell bean sprouts so that they could help out with the family expenses. Although people were not allowed to sell things in the city, it was still possible to do it secretly. They just needed to make sure that they did not get caught. Now that the women had a way to sell it without sneaking into the city, what were they dissatisfied with? Qiao Mei did not quite understand. However, Qiao Qiang knew what they were thinking at a glance. He directly asked Chen Hu and Zhao Liang, How do we split the earnings from the bean sprouts grown in this village? Do we split them according to the work point system? Or do we do it in another way? Currently, any factory set up in the village would be collectively-owned and the earnings were distributed in accordance with the work point system. All the villagers had a share in it. People were paid according to the number of work points they earned. This had always been how it was done under the current policy, but Auntie Dong and Auntie Wang were unwilling to agree. After all, these bean sprouts were grown by them through their hard work from dawn till dusk. Now, if it went into the collective pool and they were paid in accordance to the evenly distributed work points, they would only get a small amount of money, If they secretly went out to sell it, the money would be all theirs. Why would they want to split the money with those people in the village who did not contribute to the work? Wasnt that stupid? For a moment, a heavy silence fell upon the room. Chapter 74 - Successfully Setting up a Factory Everyone understood that Auntie Dong and Auntie Wang were unhappy, but no one knew how to resolve the issue at the moment. Everyone fell silent. The practice of distributing earnings according to work points had been in place for many years. No one knew what could be done about it. Everyone, please listen to my opinion, Qiao Mei suddenly said. They all looked at her. In that moment, she instantly became a very important person among them, or at least a key decision maker. Its not the slack season in farming now, so naturally theres no one who can be specifically assigned to grow bean sprouts, right? Also, we need a proper work area for bean sprouting. Theres no such work area now and theres also no way we can clear a space big enough to grow bean sprouts, right? Qiao Mei asked. Everyone nodded upon hearing this. Zhao Liang glanced around her workshop and frowned without saying anything. Qiao Mei continued, Given that Im pregnant now, its also not too appropriate for me to let you guys use my storeroom as a workshop. Do we have money to build a place now? Zhao Liang shook his head and said bitterly, No. It was still the peak farming season now and there was no excess funds in the village coffer. It was already good enough that there was money to feed the entire village. Wouldnt it be nonsensical to even think about building a new place? Seeing that everyone was feeling listless, Qiao Mei continued, I have a suggestion. Why dont we set up the factory by way of a workshop in every household and growing the bean sprouts by accumulating the effort from everyone? Whoever supplies more will get paid more, whoever supplies less will get paid less. Sure! Lets do it this way! The faces of Auntie Dong and Auntie Wang lit up with happiness as they spoke. This was how it had been in the past and was the real rule of trading. Naturally, it was the fairest and most reasonable. However, the village officer Zhao Liang was a little apprehensive. They were in a planned economy and everyone made a living by relying on the work points. Was there any other village which had set such a precedent? Besides, the authorities were quick to clamp down on such activities during the past few years. He did not quite dare to do it for fear that the higher-ups would investigate. If they got unhappy about it, he would not be able to bear the consequences. Whats wrong with this? Isnt this how the pigs raised by farmers are acquired? Lets just treat this as an acquisition of bean sprouts grown by farmers. This is a good way to let the common people eat more vegetables. Qiao Mei said calmly, For the sake of the common peoples nutrition, our village should bravely take on this job. Everyones eyes lit up when they heard that. The acquisition of pigs from farmers was indeed a practice of paying the common people according to the market price. This was something that the higher-ups had agreed on. Then if it was like selling pigs, it would definitely work. Xiao Mei is so clever! Chen Hu could not help but give her a thumbs up. Qiao Mei had a twinkle in her eye. No, I just happened to think of it. The few of them then came up with the implementation methodology and rules and regulations of the factory to be set up. Qiao Mei casually said, Its best if we have a qualitative standard when it comes to the bean sprouts collected. Otherwise, if there are any low quality bean sprouts in the mix, not only will it affect the overall quality but it will also affect the reputation of our factory. Qiao Mei actually had other thoughts in her mind. The quality of the bean sprouts from the village was so good now because she was still around here. If she left one day, the quality of the bean sprouts would change. It also meant that if she wanted to maintain the current quality, she would have to stay in the village all the time. This was not something she wanted to do. The coming future was going to be an exciting era and she had other more important things to do. Therefore, she would reduce her interference with the bean sprouts in the future. This way, even if she left one day and there was a drop in the quality and success rate of the bean sprouts, no one would cast any suspicions on her. Chen Hu left with the bean sprouts brought by Auntie Dong and Auntie Wang and he brought the president of the citys supply and marketing cooperative to the village the next day. After a discussion, the few of them announced that the citys supply and marketing cooperative had formed an acquisition relationship with the village and formalized it by signing an agreement. Chapter 75 - Three Sacks of Things Only then did Auntie Dong and Auntie Wang feel relieved. Now, the supply and marketing cooperative could order bean sprouts from the village as long as the order quantity was not more than 2,000 catties. Every catty was worth 20 cents. The bill would be settled once a month. However, the village would have to arrange for the transportation of the bean sprouts to the city. When the news of the agreement was released, the entire village was very happy. The other villages had all kinds of factories and the villagers had long been envious of others. They did not expect that their village would also have a factory now. The entire village cheered about the news. But only one family was immersed in silence. 2 That was Qiao Zhuangs family. Other families more or less managed to grow bean sprouts, but Qiao Zhuangs family had never successfully grown any. It was really infuriating and they did not know why that happened. So strange! Qiao Zhuang glanced at Qiao Yu, then picked up a branch beside him and whipped her. Did I say you need not put in effort! It must be because youre a money-losing good-for-nothing that we have no bean sprouts. Otherwise, how can it be that we cant grow bean sprouts? Its all your fault. Im going to beat you to death today! 1 Now that the entire village was making money from the venture, Qiao Mei was willing to start growing bean sprouts again. After all, almost every household in the entire village could make money from it now, so no one would be jealous of her or report her to the authorities. Instead, everyone would protect this business. If someone did something to lose their source of income, the entire village would not be happy. Qiao Mei felt wonderful. When she had time, she stayed at home and made things like cloth diapers and mattresses for the children. After cutting the cloth and sewing them up, she hung the cloth diapers out to dry in the courtyard. When the villagers saw the pieces of white cloth from afar, they thought that Qiao Qiang had passed away. 2 Only after asking around did they find out that these were actually items for children. This was really too lavish. Even a childs items were made of such good fabric and cut in such big pieces. Could she even finish using them? Besides, there would be plenty of other things to spend money on in the future. How could she afford to mess around like that? Auntie Dong could not stand it anymore. She went to Qiao Meis courtyard, held her hand and said earnestly, Mei Mei, dont blame me for being naggy. Im doing this for your sake. For these kids stuff, you dont have to prepare too much. I still have some childrens things at home which my children have no use for now. Why dont I get them for you? How can we not use things sparingly! Qiao Mei smiled and said softly, Auntie is right. However, I have enough things here. I really dont want to waste your nice gesture. Her smiley face was really infuriating. 2 Auntie Dong was so angry that she gritted her teeth. If she was her biological daughter, she would definitely teach her a lesson. This was really too wasteful. It would be enough to prepare just a few items, she really did not know how to live frugally. Qiao Mei put down the needle in her hand and touched her stomach with a blissful smile. She was in fact having two babies. No matter how much she prepared, it would not be too much. Otherwise, she would end up being in a spin when the time comes. Should she tell the father about the two children? Qiao Mei thought for a moment and shook her head. Forget it. Lets not talk about this for now. Just treat it as a gift for the childrens father. One day, Qiao Mei was sitting in the courtyard when she heard a car coming down the road outside and stopping at the door. As soon as she went out, she heard the person at the door explain his presence. There were three packages in the car that had been sent to her by others and he asked her where to place the packages. She asked him to put them in the courtyard and then send the person off. However, these three large sacks still made Qiao Mei bewildered. All these should be from Xia Zhe, right? She wondered what Xia Zhe had sent her. He was in the army, so how could he send anything? Although Qiao Mei was puzzled, she quickly went to work and started clearing the sacks. There were really a lot of things in these three big sacks. Chapter 76 - Snacks and Notebook She was now feeling quite excited about opening the packages. Was Xia Zhe as excited as her when he received the parcel she sent him? I must send him more things in the future. There were three cloth bags in the three big sacks. The cloth bags were in good condition and there were no signs of any dirt or damage to them. It was obvious that they were carefully protected during the delivery process. Qiao Mei smiled and opened one of the cloth bags. Inside the bag, she found things like clothing and household items made of cotton, kids clothing, as well as bedding for adults. It was a complete set of useful items. Qiao Mei was pleasantly surprised and beamed with joy. She had only asked a question to try and sound out how he felt, but she did not expect Xia Zhe to really prepare all the necessities for her. Furthermore, there was nothing cursory about his efforts, he had gone all out to prepare all the items. Her original intention was to check if Xia Zhe would, in the face of all her complaints, console her verbally or ignore her. However, she did not expect him to just directly send her everything she needed. Thats nice. It means that hes reliable. 1 He is not the kind of person who would only give a perfunctory response, but a responsible man who would find a way to deal with any issues. She opened the second bag and found clothes that fitted her. There were two large cotton jackets and a black coat made of fur which looked very comfortable and warm. 1 She tried it on and it felt as if she was lying under warm sunlight. It was indeed nice and warm. What kind of fur is this? Qiao Mei happily reached out to touch it and found it to be silk smooth and such a pleasing feeling. In her other life, even though she was a top lawyer, she had neither the interest nor the money to obtain such a luxurious coat. Although it was very nice and warm, the price was too astronomical. 1 Besides, the future generations advocated environmental and animal protection. With the availability of warm down jackets, who would still want to wear a fur coat? How inconvenient was that? Furthermore, it was not easy to maintain. It must be mink. Qiao Qiang walked forward to take a look and laughed out loudly, feeling much more satisfied. This fur coat was indeed made of good material. In the past, he also owned a few of these in the capital, but he did not bring them with him when he returned to the village. 1 Qiao Mei was also very happy and touched the fur coat in her hand in delight. If sending that bag of bedding was Xia Zhes way of fulfilling his role as a father, then this fur coat was Xia Zhes way of expressing his feelings for her. It was really good that he knew how to care for her. Hehe Qiao Mei giggled for a while and made a few turns wearing the fur coat before walking towards the last bag of things in the courtyard. Now there was only one bag left. She did not know what she would find in the last bag. Although she had money now and did not lack anything, she would definitely feel more at ease if she could be more well-prepared. The moment she opened it, she saw sealed packets of snacks. These snacks included crispy fried fish, packets of melon seeds and dried sweet potatoes, as well as a few bags of fruits, a few boxes of sweets, and packaged specialty snacks from Beijing. This current time period was not like the future when one could easily buy snacks online. These things were too rare. Not only would it have been difficult to gather so many different types of snacks within the city, it would probably still require some effort to get it done in the capital. She could appreciate the thoughtfulness that went into the preparation of this bag. Digging into the bag, there was also a tightly wrapped leather bag about the size of a small watermelon and bulging with things inside. Qiao Mei was dumbfounded when she opened it. She did not expect to find a large stack of coupons inside. In this era, if one did not have all kinds of coupons, it would be impossible to buy what one wanted. For example, if one wanted to eat pork, one had to have meat coupons. If one wanted to buy oil, one had to have oil coupons. Therefore, when Qiao Mei needed supplies now, what she lacked the most was not money but different kinds of coupons. Chapter 77 - Informing the Family She did not expect him to have taken this into consideration. These coupons really solved the urgent problem at hand. Thats so great! Qiao Qiang laughed and tapped his walking stick. He was really happy to get these coupons as it meant that he could now buy more supplies, although Chen Hu also gave him a few coupons from time to time. The fact was he was unwilling to trouble others. It was never good to owe someone a favor. Now, with all these food stamps, he could finally feel at ease. He would not have to worry about food in the future. Qiao Mei put away the bag of food stamps and then took out a notebook from the bag. The notebook was not thick, just an ordinary notebook with about 20 to 30 pages. She opened it to see pages of clear handwriting. There were notes on precautions to be taken by pregnant women throughout the entire pregnancy, and even some clear pointers on the dos and donts after giving birth. These things were basically similar to what she knew in her other life. At the end of the notebook, there was a message to let her know who the author was. I am Xia Zhes aunt. You rest well and take good care during the pregnancy. If you need anything else, you can send a telegram to this address. This sentence at the end made her aware that this was also Xia Zhes gift to her. There were no other frivolous words, but from the handwritten and detailed list of items, she could tell that Xia Zhes aunt was someone worth knowing. Qiao Mei gave a relieved smile. Now, she just did not know what her future in-laws were like and whether they were easy to get along with. She had already sent two letters to bond with him. The next time, she could talk more about the Xia family so that she could feel more confident about her future life. At this moment, she was very satisfied with Xia Zhes response. The father of her children was really quite a nice person and was someone who could be entrusted. She had to think carefully Next time, what gift should I send? A distance away, Xia Zhe was sitting at the desk in his room, writing a letter with a fountain pen. His handwriting was bold and powerful and very nice to look at. Now that Qiao Mei was pregnant, this matter could not be kept a secret anymore. He had to inform his family as Qiao Mei would have to go back with him in the future. He put pen to paper and wrote a letter to his grandfather. The letter explained the entire matter and he asked his grandfather to inform his parents about it. He just did not tell the entire truth about what happened that night. He did not mention the part about how he was tricked that night. He only wrote that Qiao Qiang was in poor health and was worried about his granddaughter since he did not have much time left in this world. He also wrote that he felt Qiao Mei was quite a nice person. That was why Xia Zhe took the initiative to propose that he and Qiao Mei get married to fulfill Qiao Qiangs wish. The two of them had already held a wedding banquet and registered their marriage. He was now writing a letter to inform his elders as Qiao Mei had gotten pregnant. When Xia Jun received the letter, he almost spat out the tea in his mouth and he then slammed the teacup on the table. He shouted towards the door, Xiao Zhang! Xiao Zhang, come in quickly. Xiao Zhang was Xia Juns guard. When he heard the voice of his old chief, he walked over frantically, thinking that something urgent had happened. Xiao Zhang, quickly take a look at whats written in this letter. I cant read it clearly. Yes! Im coming! Xiao Zhang stood behind Xia Jun and craned his neck to read it word by word. When he finished reading it, he was stunned and could not speak for a long time. How bizarre! What an unexpected thing to have happened. Then those few people you asked to come over for dinner, do you still want them to come? Xiao Zhang hesitated and asked softly. Xia Jun slammed the letter on the table and shouted, Im not hosting them anymore. Go call them and say that Im not feeling well. Tell them I cant invite them to dinner today, so dont come over. Oh okay! Xiao Zhang nodded repeatedly and hurriedly ran out. They had already started making preparations in the kitchen. Xia Zhes parents and a girl were actually invited to dinner tonight. Chapter 78 - Somethings Up With Xia Zhe Apparently Xia Zhes mother liked this girl very much. The purpose of this meeting was to discuss the wedding between the two young people. If Xia Jun was agreeable to the idea, then the wedding plans would be settled. The marriage could be registered without the need for Xia Zhe to come back. As for the actual relationship, the couple could nurture it slowly in the future. As Xiao Zhang reached the door, Xia Jun added, When you call, just tell the truth. Dont lie. Tell them that Xia Zhe is already married and when the time comes, they will be invited to the babys one-month celebrations. If he did not make it clear from the start, this matter would be difficult to handle. If Xu Lan still had other ideas and forcefully tried to set things up for two unavailable people, then her good intentions could only bring about bad results. It would not be good for Xia Zhes wife either. Yes. I understand, Chief. Xiao Zhang nodded and walked to another room to make a call to convey the message. Right at the same moment, Xu Lan was holding Yao Lis hand and warmly reminding her not to be afraid when she saw Grandpa Xia Jun later. The old man may look fierce, but he was actually a very nice man and he liked youngsters like her very much. However, when Xu Lan said this, she was actually feeling a little apprehensive inside. She had been married to Xia Zhes father for 30 years and had never seen Old Master Xia treat any of his daughters-in-law with kindness. It was not easy to see a smile on his face, even for his grandchildren. He only had a smiling face for Xia Zhe. Yao Li happily held Xu Lans hand and said understandingly, Thank you for your comfort, Auntie Xu. The old patriarch in my house is the same. I know that they may look very cold, but they actually have very warm personalities. Yes, yes, yes, thats it. Everyone in the family is nice, so you dont have to be afraid. Xu Lan was overjoyed. She especially liked this Yao Li at the moment. Not only was she good-looking, but she also had a good personality. One look and she could tell that she was a virtuous girl. Her son should like this type too, right? 1 He would definitely like her! After all, she was the one who had recommended the girl. Lets go. Its time to go over there now. Xia Mao slowly walked down the stairs with a long face. Xu Lan acknowledged his comment and took Yao Lis hand. She smiled and said, Lets go. All the men in our family are like this. When she said that, Yao Li winked at her in response. The two of them had a very good relationship, like good friends. They held hands and prepared to walk towards the door together. Ring! However, the phone on the coffee table rang. Xu Lan smiled and picked up the phone. After listening to a few words, her expression suddenly darkened. It was obvious that something had happened. What happened? Xia Mao took the phone from her hand and asked, What happened to my father? Is there something wrong with his health? Xia Jun had a history of high blood pressure and had been going to the hospital for regular checkups in recent years, so Xia Mao got nervous when he heard the voice over the phone. On the other side, Xia Jun also went to stand next to Xiao Zhang. He laughed heartily and said, Im fine. Im in good health. Its just that somethings up with your son, Xia Zhe. Xia Jun was not really a stern person. He just liked to keep a straight face in front of his daughters-in-law and did not smile often. Xiao Zhang added on with a hint of helplessness in his voice, Its like this. Comrade Xia Zhe just sent a letter. Hes already married and has gotten his marriage certificate. Now that his wife is pregnant, he wants to tell everyone about this joyous news. What did you say? Xia Mao was afraid that he had heard wrongly and continued to ask, Which nephew of mine are you talking about? Is it Xia An or Xia Liang? His two nephews were of marriageable age and still single, so it would be a reasonable thing for them to be reporting some good news now. Chapter 79 - The Grandson Is Almost Here Xiao Zhang gulped and took a deep breath before saying loudly, Its not Xia An and Xia Liang but Xia Zhe, your son. Hes already married and his wife is already pregnant. Youre about to hold your grandson soon. As soon as he said this, the few people near the phone heard it. Xia Mao was stunned for a moment, not knowing what to say. This was all too sudden. Yao Li stood rooted to the ground, her face pale. When Xia Mao saw her expression, he could not help but scold loudly, This idiotic boy, why did he only tell us elders now? He made such a big decision himself and even has a child now. What a scoundrel! When is he bringing his wife back? He didnt mention that in the letter, but you can send him a telegram or call and ask him. The old chief wants you to come back for dinner to celebrate Xia Zhes marriage. Goodbye! After rattling off a string of sentences, Xiao Zhang hung up the phone. He did not want to get in trouble for nothing when Xia Mao was angry. It was more important to protect himself. 1 Xia Mao hung up the phone. When he turned around, he realized that both Xu Lan and Yao Li, who were rooted to their spots, did not look good. In particular, Yao Li was very pale and her eyes were red. He had previously said Xu Lan had acted with undue haste with regard to this matter. Given that they were still uncertain whether his son liked Yao Li or not, it was too risky to raise it for discussion so quickly. Sigh, things would get difficult now. Lets go. Old Master is waiting for us to go over for dinner. Xia Mao walked up to Xu Lan and took a few glances at Yao Li. Yao Li straightened herself in a panic and said in a trembling voice, Uncle and Auntie, I have something on at home. I have to go first. You guys go ahead. With that, she ran towards the door, crying audibly as she went off. 3 She looked extremely pitiful. Sigh, look at what happened. You cant be so muddled in the future. You didnt even check properly before you made a decision on your own. Xia Mao gave an unhappy glare. Xu Lan got annoyed and glowered at him. Youre blaming me now that something has happened? I had discussed with you earlier and you agreed, but youre blaming me now that something has happened? Isnt it your son who did such a thing? Listen to what youre saying. Xia Mao was exasperated and it showed on his face. What are you talking about? What do you mean by my son? Isnt he also your son? Besides, its only right for my son to get married and have children. If you hadnt been busy chasing your own tail, how would things end up like this? In his opinion, his son had done nothing wrong. That matters indeed my fault, but he didnt even tell his parents that he was getting married. Is that right? Then are we still his parents? Xu Lan continued to glare at him. It was indeed wrong for a son not to inform his parents about his marriage. However, Xia Mao did not want to argue with her anymore so he turned around and prepared to leave, but not before saying the last word. Our son is also in the wrong, but he is not at home now. If you are angry, call him and teach him a lesson. Xu Lan was even more furious as she followed him out. She wanted to go to the old mans house to understand the situation and know more about this daughter-in-law who appeared from nowhere. She wanted to know what magical power this person had over her son to make him suddenly so anxious to get married. Moreover, he did not even discuss it with his parents. It appeared that the old patriarch, Xia Jun, had already accepted this news. He sat at the table and looked at the letter in his hand with his reading glasses on. Now that the couple was going to have a child, it meant that he was about to have a great-grandson. How nice! 1 Just thinking about it made him excited. His grandson was growing up by the day and he felt blissful. Xia Mao and Xu Lan arrived very quickly. When they walked in, they saw the old man sitting at the table and laughing to himself. Old Master, what exactly happened? Xia Mao could not help but ask. He also wanted to know how his son got married. Here, read it! The old man handed them the letter in his hand. Chapter 80 - Married a Country Bumpkin Xia Mao and his wife huddled together and began to read the letter. The more they read, the more surprised they became. In the end, Xu Lan could not help but yell out, What? Married a girl from the countryside? Whats wrong with the countryside? Xia Jun was unhappy to hear her comment. Im also a country bumpkin. Back in the past, Xia Mao had also planted rice seedlings in the field before. Which family didnt have ancestors from rural backgrounds? Xu Lan immediately moved back in fear. The old man would always get triggered by certain issues. She felt really guilty telling others that the old man had a good temper. Besides, take a good look at whose granddaughter she is. Shes Qiao Qiangs granddaughter. Xia Jun continued with a long face, If he hadnt taken the initiative to leave the capital back then, I wouldnt be able to match up to his position. You still want to look down upon his granddaughter? Xu Lan curled her lips. What was the point of saying all this now? At the end of the day, he had gone back to the countryside and became a country bumpkin. Now, he was just an old farmer who had no status. 2 However Qiao Qiangs two children had done quite well for themselves. It was just that the Ye family was having a hard time now and no one knew if they would be able to persevere through their current difficulties. Xu Lan suddenly thought of Qiao Qiangs family and asked, without rhyme or reason, This girl is related to Qiao Qiangs first wife, right? Thats for sure, Xia Jun said with certainty. If she wasnt from that side, she wouldnt have to suffer in the countryside. The Ye family was also not the kind-hearted type. I heard that the Ye family is trying to persuade Qiao Qiang to return, Xia Mao thought for a while before saying casually. The old man snorted coldly and curled his lips in disdain. After being like strangers for so many years, they now want him to go back and tide through the difficulties with them. Do they expect him to suffer with them? Xu Lan pulled a long face and could not stop herself from asking, What? The Ye family has also run into big trouble? Then all the more we shouldnt become related to them. What if our family gets implicated? Xia Jun just glared at this ignorant daughter-in-law who almost rendered him speechless and decided to reprimand her. We didnt become related to the Ye family. Ye Xian and Qiao Qiang have long been divorced and her two children have also cut ties with Qiao Qiang. Now, Xia Zhes wife is the daughter of the son Qiao Qiang had with his first wife and has nothing to do with the Ye family! I understand, I understand. Xu Lan gulped and nodded repeatedly. Xiao Zhang had quickly brought out all the dishes and placed them on the big table, then he called out to them, Old Chief, dinner is ready! The few of them went over to the table. Xia Jun was very happy and brought out a bottle of vintage liquor. He filled up the glasses and started drinking. After a few drinks, the old man got a little tipsy. At the dining table, he said drunkenly, Xia Zhes wife must be very beautiful. Otherwise, Xia Zhe wouldnt have done it that night and even got her pregnant so quickly. Father, father! Stop it. Xia Mao hurriedly patted his back and tried to stop him from talking. Youre drunk. Be careful with your words! Fortunately, there were no outsiders around now. Otherwise, it would have been so embarrassing. How could he even say these things, particularly since the matter concerned the younger members of the family. However, Xia Jun still continued, This Qiao Mei is really not bad, she managed to get pregnant immediately after that night. Thats really, really good. She should bear more children for the Xia family. The more children, the better the blessing. At that moment, two people who had just walked through the main door paused in their steps. Tan Jing felt a sense of bitterness and wondered if she should still continue to make her way in. She was Xia Zhes sister-in-law who was married to his eldest brother. They did not have any children despite being married for seven to eight years. When she went for a checkup at the hospital, it was discovered that the problem lay with her. Since then, she had felt ashamed in front of the entire Xia family. Now, the Xia family was finally going to have another generation of descendants. Yet she did not know why, but there was a twinge at her heart and she felt terrible. 1 Meanwhile, back in the village, Qiao Mei was busy tidying up her vegetable field. It was already early summer now. The vegetables and fruits that she planted earlier were already ripe, like the tomatoes which were now hanging off the branches in their bright red glory. Chapter 81 - Bumper Harvest of Fruits and Vegetables Even some of the late-maturing plants, such as string beans and celery, were ready for harvest by now. She was already experiencing some early symptoms of pregnancy, but the fortunate thing was that she did not have nausea. Instead, she had a very good appetite and wanted to eat everything in sight. In order to be able to eat fresh fruits, she had also planted some fruits in the courtyard. There were strawberries, mulberries, grapes and cherries. The strawberries in the courtyard had grown out densely and one could see a field of red fruits at a glance. It was also a gratifying sight to see the bunches of grapes hanging off the branches and the mulberries growing so well until it seemed that the supply was endless. These fruits made Qiao Mei feel even happier than before. Qiao Qiang stood in the courtyard and looked at the fruits growing all over the courtyard, feeling perplexed. Arent there too many fruits this year? We eat them every day, but we just cant seem to finish them all. The fruits just keep growing. The vegetables in the courtyard were also growing exceptionally well. The storeroom, which was originally used for growing bean sprouts, now had bamboo poles hung up all over with the seemingly endless supply of grapes hanging densely on them. This place was now used to dry the grapes into raisins. When the raisins are ready, they would make a delicious snack. Qiao Mei was bored and even used the grapes to make some wine. She made the wine specially for Qiao Qiang who liked to drink but had gastric problems. Every time he secretly drank a few mouthfuls of liquor, he would have a bad stomach for a few days. Qiao Mei made this wine so as to satisfy Qiao Qiangs cravings. This wine was made with the energy from the jade pendant, so it was naturally filled with spiritual energy and would be beneficial to health. Even if it could not help to nourish Qiao Qiangs stomach, it should not make him feel uncomfortable, right? After harvesting the vegetables and fruits in the front yard, she walked to the backyard and started feeding the livestock there. The chicks and ducklings had grown big and fat, and the piglets had also grown up well. They could eat a big bucket of food every meal and they played in the pen all day long, so they had all grown a lot bigger. Qiao Mei even demarcated a zone for these livestock. Their activity zone was an area which was marked out and surrounded with fences, and they seemed intelligent enough to know that the zone was their territory and they should not leave it on their own. Qiao Mei suddenly felt hungry. She took a big bucket and a big fishing net, together with a small bag of raisins, and walked towards a pond. The fishes nearby liked to eat these raisins. As long as she threw some into the pond, she would always be able to get a net full of fishes. Qiao Mei came back with a big bucket of fish and reached in to scoop out two big ones. She would cook these two fishes later. As for the remaining fishes, she would use half of them to make a nourishing soup for herself and make the other half into dried fish snacks to send to Xia Zhe. Qiao Mei stood on the spot and smiled, thinking that Xia Zhe would be very happy to receive the dried fish snacks. Mei Mei, come out and see whos here, Auntie Dong came by and shouted into the courtyard. There was a hint of weirdness in her voice. Qiao Mei looked up and saw Auntie Dong walking in with two people. As they approached her, she saw an old lady in her sixties and a slightly younger woman. 1 The old ladys clothes were neat and her hair was shiny. The woman next to the old lady stared at Qiao Mei unblinkingly and sized her up as if she was appraising an item. Aiyo, this Qiao Mei was not as fat and tanned as rumored. Although this girl had a slightly muscular body, she would not be considered fat at all. Her skin was also fair, almost as white as tofu. She looked good too. She had a high nose bridge and big bright eyes that shone attractively. She also had a beautiful oval-shaped face and moist red lips. By now, Qiao Mei had already lost a lot of weight. She had a shapely figure with curves in the right places. Although she looked a little bloated due to her pregnancy, her figure still looked very good at a glance. Chapter 82 - Not an Easy Target Sun Ying was feeling a little regretful now. If she had known earlier that Qiao Mei had grown up to be so good-looking, she would definitely have introduced her to the eligible boys from her maternal family and not let an outsider gain the advantage. Qiao Mei asked curiously, Auntie Dong, who are these two people? Auntie Dong blinked at Qiao Mei and her voice sounded different from before. Dont you recognize them? Theyre your grandmother and aunt-in-law! But then again, you were only a few years old when you last met them. Its normal that youve long forgotten about them and cant recognize them now. Sun Ying could tell what Auntie Dong meant. Wasnt that a veiled way of blaming them for not coming to visit Qiao Mei over the past few years? Mei Mei, Im your aunt-in-law. Its fine if youve forgotten about me. Now that youve met me, you wont be able to forget me in the future. Sun Ying smiled and pushed the old lady beside her towards Qiao Mei. This is your biological grandmother. 2 It doesnt matter if you dont remember anything. Youll remember us once we come here more often in the future. After saying that, she looked around the courtyard. In this large courtyard, there were lush green vegetables and ripe fruits all over the place. It was a delightful sight to see bunches of grapes hanging on the vines. Oh, so its my grandmother and aunt-in-law. Then what are you two doing here? Qiao Mei looked at them and asked curiously. Auntie Dong, who was standing next to her, smiled and said, They said they were here to visit their relatives. Oh, Qiao Mei replied coolly. She had now recalled her memories of these maternal relatives. Her grandmother and grandfather were still alive and she also had three uncles whose names were Li Dong, Li Xiong and Li Tao. She also had an aunt named Li Juan. Her mothers name was Li Gui. 1 There was nothing ordinary about the members of this family, all of them were very calculative people. We should get your second aunt-in-law to come over and take a look another day. Only your youngest uncle isnt married yet. Sun Ying was still sizing up the spacious courtyard. Qiao Mei stood where she was and sighed softly. Her family now consisted of only her, who was a married woman, and a sickly grandfather. It was normal for other people to be eyeing a place with such a big courtyard. Well, grandmother and eldest aunt-in-law, you two havent visited me for so many years, so why are you here to see me now? Qiao Mei asked suddenly.. 1 They were caught off guard by her words. They really did not expect Qiao Mei, who looked mild and gentle, to be so sarcastic. But neither of them was easy to deal with. After being stunned for a moment, Old Madam Li spoke up. She smiled at Qiao Mei and said, The two of us dont have any other intentions. Its just that we havent seen you for so many years and wanted to come and visit you and Old Master Qiao. Isnt it a little late to come and see me? Its been more than 10 years since we last met, and now you want to come and visit me? Is it because you heard from others that our village has set up a factory and become rich now? Qiao Mei did not bother to mince her words. 1 Sun Yings expression immediately darkened and she said with a scowl, Listen to what youre saying. Our Li family isnt the kind of people who are money grubbers, right? Were here with good intentions. Being your maternal relatives, of course we have to visit you now that youre married and pregnant. 1 Alright, youve already seen me. Can you go back now? Grandmother and aunt-in-law, then I wont invite you both in. You can return home already. 1 Qiao Mei smiled brightly. Sun Ying was at her wits end. She stood rooted to the ground with a long face and did not speak. Old Madam Li, who was by her side, quickly came to smooth things over. She smiled and patted Sun Ying. Look at yourself, so old already and yet still taking a childs words to heart. I cant believe youre not ashamed of yourself. Then, she smiled at Qiao Mei and said, Mei Mei, you dont know how happy we are to hear that youre pregnant. Your eldest aunt-in-law is especially happy and has even brought eggs for you to build up your health. Look! 1 Chapter 83 - Two Eggs As she spoke, Sun Ying showed everyone the eggs that she was holding tightly in her hands. In her hands, there were two eggs the size of her palms. There were still chicken feathers stuck to the eggs. Qiao Mei was stunned for a moment, not knowing what to say. Then Qiao Qiang, who had been in the house, walked out of the door. He had not seen any member of the Li family for a long time and did not quite remember them. When he returned back then, he heard that the Li family had abandoned Qiao Mei at Qiao Zhuangs house. If not for Zhao Liang, the village officer who was chief of the cadre, taking a tough stance and asking Qiao Zhuangs family to take Qiao Mei in, she might have already starved to death. Neither family was willing to take care of Qiao Mei. Qiao Zhuangs family did not take good care of Qiao Mei and left her so hungry that she was emaciated. The Li family was equally heartless and had not visited Qiao Mei even once for more than 10 years. Without saying anything, Qiao Qiang made his way over with his walking stick and looked at the two sudden visitors from the Li family who were standing in the courtyard. He had an unfriendly look in his eyes. In the courtyard, the two Li family members immediately lost their imposing manner from earlier and suddenly appeared timid. Mei Mei, we came all the way here from afar. Can we get a drink? Old Madam Li asked. Qiao Meis eyes flashed as she pondered and then she said, Alright, come in! These two people were her biological grandmother and her aunt-in-law. During this time, the people in the village valued relationships. If she did not let the two of them in, the people in the village would probably turn around and scold her, regardless of how she had suffered in the past. Therefore, if Qiao Mei wanted to avoid being talked about, she had to endure the situation for a while. Once they showed their true colors, no one would be able to criticize her. Auntie Dong had a close relationship with Qiao Mei, so she also followed them into the house. She felt that these two people did not seem to be here for anything good, but looked intent on getting something. She was afraid that Qiao Mei would be at a disadvantage since she was still young. These two people came by often when Qiao Mei was much younger. Every time, they came with nothing but would leave with a bunch of things. They just liked to take advantage of others. After the two Li family members made their way in, they smirked when they saw the sewing machine and new bedding in the house. My goodness, is this a sewing machine? I heard that this thing can be used to make clothes very quickly and that clothes made on it are comfortable and have no thread knots. You still have a lot of fabric and thread here. Why dont you make something for your grandmother now? Sun Ying spoke out. Old Madam Li pretended to decline with a wave of her hand, but her gaze never left the sewing machine. Auntie Dong found herself looking down upon the two people and she curled her lips. These two were really weird. She had never seen such shameless people who acted as if they were so upright. I have to start making dinner. Have a seat here. Qiao Mei was not in the mood to care about them and she turned around to leave. Behind her, Sun Ying said, Go, Mei Mei. Weve walked a long distance and were already hungry. Your grandmother hasnt had meat for a long time and has lost a lot of weight. The fishes in the courtyard would be good nourishment for your grandmother. Qiao Mei left without looking back. It was just two fishes. As long as they did not cause trouble at home, it did not matter. What exactly are you doing here? Qiao Qiang could not help putting on a harsh tone as he frowned at the two people. Upon hearing Qiao Qiangs words, Old Madam Li got down from the stool and reached out to wipe the nonexistent tears from the corners of her eyes. She said, Oh grandfather of the child, it was not our choice not to come and visit Mei Mei for the past few years. We really wanted to but we couldnt. Moreover, Qiao Meis father passed away so early back then and I couldnt bear to let my daughter be a widow for the rest of her life, so I asked her to remarry. 1 In short, its all solely my fault. Please dont blame the entire Li family. Chapter 84 - The Bean Sprout Business When we sent Qiao Mei to Qiao Zhuangs house, we did give them a sum of money and even left them the house. We have done everything that was possible. Whatever happened after that was all Qiao Zhuangs familys fault. You cant blame our Li family. Mei Meis grandfather, you have to make a clear distinction about this. At this point, Sun Ying also nodded. Qiao Qiang was completely not interested in listening to her shirking her responsibility. These two people did not feel any sense of guilt at all, even until now. Did they think that just by giving Qiao Zhuang some money and the house, they could leave Qiao Mei in the lurch? What a joke! I dont want to talk about the past with you. I want to ask you, why are you here at the Qiao family house today? Qiao Qiang continued to speak with a cold expression. If you are here today to take a look at Mei Mei, then you can go back now. Your village is only an hour and a halfs walk from here. If you go back now, you can still have lunch at home. After Qiao Qiang finished speaking, he became even angrier. The distance could be covered by an hour and a half of walking, but the Li family members had not even come to visit Mei Mei once. It was really too much of them. Old Madam Li and Sun Ying could not sit still anymore. The two of them hesitated for a moment before they decided to speak. Its like this. We heard that this village is in the bean sprout business now? The earnings are more than 10 dollars a day. Is that right? Sun Yings eyes were bright as she looked at Qiao Qiang and spoke. It was so profitable to be able to earn more than 10 dollars a day. After all, they could barely earn 40 to 50 dollars a year as an average villager. Moreover, even to make that small amount of money, they had to do very tiring work every day. In the village, regardless of whether they worked or not, they had to use up the villages work points because they needed to buy food to survive. Work points were the points given to a person by the village based on the amount of labor and time that one put in. With these points, one could get ones salary at the end of each year. However, based on how the work points were distributed, it averaged out to everyone getting very little. When the Li family heard that a factory had been set up in Datian Village and that almost every family that produced bean sprouts could earn more than 10 dollars, they became very excited. Qiao Qiang did not speak when he heard this. Sun Ying then looked at Auntie Dong. Auntie Dong just turned her gaze to one side. She did not respond affirmatively but she did not deny it either. The fact about setting up a bean sprout factory in the village was supposed to be a secret. However, it was difficult to control loose lips in the village. In addition, many villagers daughters-in-law came from other villages and they might have also spilled the beans when they visited their parents homes back in the other villages. It was impossible to hide the news. Just as the villagers were feeling worried, a strange thing happened. No matter how the daughters-in-law from other villages taught their families to use the same method to grow bean sprouts, the bean sprouts they produced were never as good as those made in Datian Village. The bean sprouts produced at the other villages were not bitter and astringent, but they did not look good either. Naturally, the supply and marketing cooperative did not want to buy these. This piece of news surprised everyone. However, there were also rumors that the bean sprouts growing in Datian Village were so fresh because the water quality in the village was good. Auntie Dongs behavior seemed to have confirmed this matter. Old Madam Li finally could not sit still. She walked up to Qiao Qiang and begged, Childs grandfather, Im going to shamelessly ask you for a favor today. Please talk to the village officer, Zhao Liang, and let him know that our Li family wants to move to this Datian Village. 1 The water quality in this village is good, so the bean sprouts grown here are of good quality as well. If we move to our Datian Village, we can also help Qiao Mei, right? Its not easy for a girl to be pregnant alone. 1 Qiao Qiang did not even look at her. He picked up the tea on the table and drank it as he said, Dont even think about it. 2 It was a very heartless statement. He rejected the request in a very direct and blunt manner. Chapter 85 - Absolutely Not Allowed to Move He was not in good health now and did not know when he would die. He definitely did not want the Li family to move here as it would be equivalent to inviting wolves into the village. 1 He did not want her family to come and bully Mei Mei. No matter what Old Madam Li said in front of him, he did not speak again. He savored the tea that Xia Zhe sent and did not respond at all. Soon, Qiao Mei finished cooking and the two of them left after having dinner. The two of them left just like that? Qiao Mei looked at the two back views in confusion and disbelief. These two people were never like this when she was young. This time round, they left right after dinner, and took only a large bunch of grapes from the courtyard and a handful of strawberries. It was much better than when she was young. In her memories, when she was young, these two Li family members would start going through the things in the house the moment they came over. When they left, they would carry away bags of items, and they behave completely like bandits. 1 Qiao Meis father was also unhappy about it and had reprimanded them. However, they just ignored him and still ransacked the Qiao family house all the time. The Li family was actually the reason why Qiao Meis parents were always on bad terms. In any case, the Li family was extremely greedy. They did not seem like people who would let others off easily. Determination flashed across Qiao Qiangs eyes. He would not let these two people do whatever they wanted at his house. He would let Qiao Mei take good care of herself in peace during her pregnancy. In the future, there would be Xia Zhe to protect Qiao Mei. Did you tell Xia Zhe that the dried fruits you sent him last time would taste very delicious when mixed together? Qiao Qiang asked. He often saw the young couple writing to each other and found it very interesting. From time to time, he would participate and add a sentence or two. When Qiao Mei heard Xia Zhe being mentioned, she nodded happily. I told him. At the moment, they had an abundance of fruits at home. She had no way of sending fresh fruits, so she made them into dried fruits and packed them into bags to send to Xia Zhe. When these different dried fruits were put together, they made a very delicious and nutritious snack of dried fruit mix. Qiao Mei was the one who taught Qiao Qiang to eat it in this way. As for Xia Zhe, he sent her a packet of Camellia tea from the mountains in return. Camellia tea was very fragrant and had a long aftertaste. It was a very delicious tea and Qiao Qiang liked it very much. Xia Zhe also mentioned in the letter that he had picked these tea leaves from the nearby mountains and asked the local people to help him process them. Qiao Mei then wrote back to ask him to find her the camellia tea plant as she had a use for it. Right now, Xia Zhe was digging for saplings on the mountain. If she wants it, I have to satisfy her wish. She is already pregnant with my child. Why cant I do this for her? 1 Have you thought about what foodstuff to send him this time? Qiao Qiang asked out of curiosity. Qiao Mei just laughed and said, This time, I plan to make him some of my special dried fish snacks. This way, he can eat it as a snack or with his meal. 1 Sure. Qiao Qiang nodded in satisfaction. Qiao Mei made some yesterday and it was indeed very delicious. If she sent it over, Xia Zhe would definitely like it. The two Li family members made their way home leisurely. At home, everyone was waiting for them. No one in the family went to work today. When they heard the news about neighboring Datian village, they were all very excited and did not feel like going to work. Mom, how did it go? Li Dong, the eldest son, could not help but ask. The youngest son, Li Tao, took a look at the expressions of the two people who had returned and knew that they did not succeed. He did not say anything. The second son, Li Xiong, curled his lips and said unhappily, I knew it. They surely wont agree to our sudden request. I dont think Qiao Mei and Qiao Qiang are good people. 2 As for Old Madam Li, her smiling face suddenly darkened upon entering the house, and she hinted to Sun Ying to close the door behind her. Then, she looked at Li Xiong and glared at him. She scolded, You think youre the only one with a mouth, youre the only one who knows how to talk. If youre so smart, why dont you get Qiao Mei to also allow you to earn some money? Chapter 86 - Earning Money Is Real Li Xiong lowered his head and stopped talking. His mother was a very fierce person. She pretended to be nice and kind in front of outsiders, but in front of her own family, she was completely her true self. In the past, she had kept all the things that her eldest daughter sent back home. She did not give a single one of those things to Qiao Mei and yet here she was, trying to use her connection with Qiao Mei for benefits. So, is it true that a family can earn more than 10 dollars a day? Li Tao asked in surprise. If one can make more than 10 dollars a day, wouldnt that be 300 to 400 dollars a month? The two people who just returned home, Sun Ying and Old Madam Li, nodded in silence. In an instant, the expressions of the Li family members changed. This was such a huge sum of money. Who wouldnt be tempted by it? Li Shun, Li Dongs second son, could not help but say, Grandma, please think of a way quickly. What should we do now? How can we move to Datian Village! He was currently saving up to get married. Given that his family was poor and the circumstances were less than ideal, and the fact that his grandmother was a mean person, there was no matchmaker who would find a wife for him. In addition, no one would fancy being related by marriage to their family. If their family could earn 300 to 400 dollars a year, it would definitely be easy for him to find a wife. At this moment, Old Madam Li walked to the back room and everyone followed her. Old Madam Li sat on a stool and slowly drank a glass of water. She then looked at everyone and said, Eldest granddaughter-in-law, bring the child with you to Datian Village tomorrow and chat with her about your experience with pregnancy and giving birth. Since their sudden visit had turned out to be useless, then wouldnt they be able to build rapport by paying continuous visits for a few months? By then, wouldnt it be easy to get the Qiao family to help them with their move to Datian Village? Okay, a woman whispered from the back of the crowd, near the door of the room. She was Zhao Hong. She was currently pregnant and had a high baby bump, and holding on to a childs hand. The eldest son, Li Dong, had four children. There were two boys and two girls. His eldest son, Li Jian, was married to Zhao Hong, who had given birth to a girl and was now pregnant with another baby. She was not valued at home because she had only given birth to a girl. At home, no one cared about her existence and she had to do the same type of work as everyone else. She did not dare to speak up and her status was very low. The next day, Zhao Hong cleaned up the little girls face and walked out of the house with her. Qiao Mei did not know her at all. After she stammered through her self-introduction, Qiao Mei let her in. Come in. You must be tired after walking so far. Come in and have a glass of water. Qiao Mei saw that she was pregnant and did not make things difficult for her. Although she did not like the people from the Li family, she would not go to the extent of making things difficult for a pregnant woman. It was an hour and a halfs walk and it would have been tiring to walk so far. Seeing that Qiao Mei had such a good temper, Zhao Hong heaved a sigh of relief and led the little girl into the house. Furthermore, she felt that Qiao Mei was quite easy to get along with. She was not fat, but fair and gentle, and was quite good-looking. Zhao Hong walked into the house and looked at the sewing machine, piles of fabric and all the new furniture, as well as fruits on the table. She felt really envious. Qiao Mei was really lucky. Qiao Mei brought out two plates of fruits for the little girl. There were grapes and strawberries on them. In her other life, she had liked children very much. However, because she could not have children, she would get sad when she saw cute little kids. Therefore, she usually would not take the initiative to approach children. But things were different at the moment. She was in good health now. If Xia Zhe proved himself to a good father in the future, she could consider having a few more children. Then there would be no need for her to be envious when she saw someone elses children. The fruits filled up the plates. The grapes looked plump and juicy, and the strawberries were rosy red with water droplets on them, all looking extremely tempting and very delicious. Chapter 87 - The Girl Is Useless However, Zhao Hong could not help but wave her hand and refuse. She said, This girl doesnt need to eat such good food. It will be a waste of fruit. It was not easy to get fruits in this season. Even adults did not get to eat it often, let alone children. They may never even get to taste it. The little girl looked at the fruits in front of her with longing in her eyes. She looked so eager to eat some. When Qiao Mei heard this, she took another look and realized that Zhao Hong was not pretending to be polite but expressing her real opinion. Her gaze turned cold and her attitude changed. Whats wrong with being a girl? Arent you a girl? Didnt you give birth to this child? Qiao Mei rebutted. Zhao Hong clearly felt the change in attitude and could not help but feel the need to educate Qiao Mei. She said earnestly, Dont you understand? Its useless to raise this little girl. When shes young, she cant do any work. When she is finally able to work, she can only do light work. How can she compare with a boy who has more strength? Besides, no matter how well you treat her, she will still have to get married in the future. Once she gets married, she wont be your family member anymore, but someone elses family member. In the end, isnt it all for nothing? 2 Qiao Mei was stunned and suddenly could not speak. How could they do their calculations in this manner? The value of the relationship between relatives was measured by the amount of work done and the benefits a person could bring to the family? Was there no trace of kinship at all? Zhao Hong touched her protruding stomach lovingly before continuing, A boy is different. From the beginning to the end, he is your family member. He can do heavy work and then he will find a wife who can then do chores for the family. This makes a boy the blessing of the family. The money earned by the family will not be enough for him to spend. He will need his parents to pay for the betrothal gifts and the wedding, and he will use up the familys money. Is this the benefit of having a son? Qiao Mei retorted. Zhao Hong was speechless and looked uncomfortable. That is what everyone says. Why should she just chide me? I dont see her refuting anyone else. Is she mocking me for having a daughter? The more sons there are, the more grandchildren there will be. Then the more prosperous the family will get and the richer the family will be, Zhao Hong spoke again, insisting on her point of view. Without thinking, Qiao Mei replied, Then when your grandson earns money and youre about to die, what benefits can you get? You might as well treat your daughter well. She might be able to provide for you in the future. 1 Zhao Hong pouted indignantly, but she had nothing to say. The logic seemed to be fitting, but it also seemed a little wrong. She felt that they could not agree with each other and she did not want to stay here anymore. She could not win an argument against Qiao Mei, but she did not dare to go home. When she returned home, she would definitely be caught by Old Madam Li and get a tongue-lashing. Seeing that she was pregnant, Qiao Mei served her lunch at home before asking her to go. She dismissed her and said, Dont come over in the future. I know that Old Madam Li asks you to come, but we dont get along so its useless for you to come over. Qiao Mei looked fair and gentle and her voice was soft. Zhao Hong, who had had her fair share of Old Madam Lis tongue-lashings, was not afraid at all. Instead, she made up her mind to return tomorrow. 2 Zhao Hong carried her child and went home. When she got home, she told her family that they got along very well and Qiao Mei even served her a meal. The next day, Zhao Hong brought her child along for another visit. She felt that being at Qiao Meis house was such a great thing. She did not have to work or be scolded, and she could also eat fruits and enjoy a very delicious meal. It was so wondrous. Qiao Mei spoke more with her and told her not to come over again. She still let her in though, and after serving her a meal, she warned her not to come anymore and that the Qiao family did not welcome her. However, Zhao Hong came around again on the third day. 1 This time, in the face of Qiao Meis reprimand, she looked as if she had gotten used to it. It was like the situation could not get any worse for her and she was not afraid at all. In the end, she left happily after eating her fill. Chapter 88 - Kind and Smart Qiao Mei smiled and did not take it to heart. She had already done everything she could and given the woman two chances. There would not be a third chance and she would no longer tolerate it if the woman came again. Qiao Mei brought a basket of fruits to Auntie Dongs house. Thereafter, Zhao Hong came around again but this time, Qiao Mei was not at home. Instead, she had gone up the mountain with Qiao Qiang. Zhao Hong stood at the entrance of the courtyard and looked inside. She did not see anyone when she looked through the crack in the door and she prepared to walk in. Auntie Dong immediately walked out from one side and stopped her with a loud exclamation. Who are you? Why are you barging in without a word? Arent you behaving like a thief? Auntie, Im Qiao Meis relative. Im here for a visit, Zhao Hong explained with a smile. Relative, you come here for a visit empty-handedly? Auntie Dong sized her up and asked. Nowadays, who would visit someone without bringing something? It was unheard for someone to barge into a house empty-handedly, like what Zhao Hong was doing. This was also against social rules. Zhao Hong stammered, My family doesnt have money. Qiao Meis family is rich now and doesnt lack anything She said it as if it was an entirely natural thing to do. Auntie Dong was left speechless by it. What does your familys wealth have to do with whether you bring anything with you when you visit someone? The gift that you bring is a token of your appreciation for the host. How can you have the cheek to sit for a long time in someone elses house without bearing any gifts? Isnt this just trying to sponge off others? Auntie Dong did not want to take the effort to educate her given that the two of them did not know each other at all. Look, youve been coming over for the past few days. Is your Li family pestering Qiao Meis family now? Youre coming to visit now that you all know Qiao Meis family is earning money now? How shameless of you. Besides, you bring your child here every day as well. Do you also want the Qiao family to raise your child for you? Auntie Dong had no intention of being polite at all. Zhao Hongs face turned red all the way to the tips of her ears. She was so dumbstruck that she could only stand on the spot and fiddle with her fingers. Qiao Mei is not free today so you can go back quickly. You wont be able to see her even if you wait here, Auntie Dong said. At the same time, Zhao Hong was cursing Auntie Dong in her heart for being a busybody. If not for this busybody, she would already be in the house and might even be eating grapes now. 1 Zhao Hong was insistent and said in a low voice, Ill just wait here. No matter what, I need some rest since Ive walked for one and a half hours. Although Auntie Dong had already blatantly pointed out what Zhao Hong was thinking, Zhao Hong still wanted to have a meal at Qiao Meis house. The food here was really delicious. Zhao Hong was unwilling to leave just like that. Then come with me to my house. Auntie Dong glanced at Zhao Hongs stomach and sighed. Qiao Mei was really too kind. She knew that Zhao Hong would definitely be unwilling to leave, so she asked me to let her stay for a while and to also serve her a meal at home so that the child in her stomach would not starve. However, there was really no need to tolerate the behavior of this kind of relative. She should be made to starve so that she would know it was not right to go to other peoples houses to be a freeloader Zhao Hong squeezed out a smile and agreed. I am really hungry and also wanted to sit for a while. Although I do not like Auntie Dong, I am fine to take a rest at her place. After having a meal at Auntie Dongs house, Zhao Hong still did not want to go back even though it was getting dark. It will be even better if I can take the opportunity to stay over at Qiao Meis house. Unfortunately, Auntie Dong did not give her any chance. She said unhappily, Look at you, you still cant bear to leave even when its dark now. What are you trying to do? You want to eat at someone elses house and now you want to sleep at someone elses house? Do you want Qiao Meis family to raise the child for you? Tomorrow Ill go over to your place to ask whether this is because your Li family cant even afford to raise a child? This is not right. Back then, your Li family refused to adopt Qiao Mei and now you want Qiao Mei to raise your children for you. Isnt this a joke? She did not mince her words and stated all the facts in a blunt manner. Auntie Dong also got especially angry and her voice became louder and louder until it could be heard beyond the courtyard. Chapter 89 - Let Her Mother Go Over It was just after dinnertime and all the families were enjoying the breeze in their courtyards. Many people came out to take a look when they heard the commotion. Whats going on? What Li family? Is it Qiao Meis grandmothers family? Eh, isnt this Zhao Hong, the granddaughter-in-law of the Li family from the neighboring village? Why is she in our village? Aiyo, did she get chased out by the Li family? Someone recognized Zhao Hong and asked bluntly. Zhao Hongs face was very red and she did not say anything. The voice in the crowd continued to say, Even if she is chased out, theres no need to go to Qiao Meis house to beg for food, right? Theyre not even related! Thats right, thats right! This is quite awful. These taunts made Zhao Hongs face turn red. She felt really awkward, especially since there were people she knew in the crowd. She picked up her child and walked out the door. It was dark when she returned to her place. Next to the big tree at the front door, she gave herself a hard slap to make her face swell up instantly. Then she smeared some dust from the ground on her body and messed up her hair before she dared to walk into the house. 1 The Li family was not surprised that Zhao Hong had returned in such a miserable state. They heard that Qiao Mei had always had a bad temper and it was common for her to raise her hands at people. It was already a very good thing that she only took action after so many days. Old Madam Li cursed fiercely, You useless thing, you cant even build a good relationship with her like I told you to. Is there any way to make Qiao Mei accept our family? Li Dong did not care that his wife had been beaten up. He only wanted more money. 1 Old Madam Li looked at Zhao Hong and said angrily, What did Qiao Mei say? She said no one from the Li family is allowed to go over, except for Li Gui. She wont let anyone else in. If anyone still dares to go over, she will beat them to death with a big stick. Zhao Hong sobbed audibly, but did not dare to speak too loudly, and wiped her tears off with her hand. This is not too bad! Li Dong said happily. At least this niece of his still acknowledged Li Gui as her mother and was willing to let Li Gui visit her. This was not such a bad thing. Alright, then Ill go to the county to look for her mother tomorrow, Old Madam Li nodded and said. After Li Gui remarried, she followed her husband to go and work at the food factory in the county. It was quite easy to find her now. Actually, Old Madam Li often went to the county to look for Li Gui. Sometimes, she would go to her house and sometimes to her workplace. From time to time, she would bring back some items or money. Sun Ying hesitated for a moment and slowly said, Then if she comes back, wont the things were hiding be exposed? If she Before she could finish, the old lady stopped her with one look. Back then, Old Madam Li would go over from time to time to ask Li Gui for money using Qiao Mei as an excuse. She would say that Qiao Mei was fat and tanned, always fighting and causing trouble, and also lazy and unwilling to work. And that Qiao Mei even came to the Li family house and chased Old Madam Li around for food. Li Gui felt responsible for her daughter. From time to time, she would take out some money to subsidize the Li familys expenses. Although her husband would beat her up every time she gave her family money and other things, she would still pass Old Madam Li some money. If she knows, she knows. Im her mother. Isnt it only right for her to give me some money and stuff? Old Madam Li spoke nonchalantly. 2 Although she had indeed lied to Li Gui, it was her right to take these things as Li Guis mother. She was the one to ask Li Gui to remarry early, otherwise how could Li Gui have such a good life in the county? She deserved everything she got and there was nothing to be afraid of even if Li Gui knew the truth. Li Tao could not help but interrupt the conversation. What if she isnt willing to help? What if she finds out that we never passed Qiao Mei any of her gifts, and all the things were taken by us instead? Once she mends her relationship with Qiao Mei, will Qiao Mei be willing to help us? Under such circumstances, no one would be willing to help, right? However, Old Madam Li just smiled. She knew her own daughter well. If she could not control Qiao Mei, she would just control her daughter. When the time came, wouldnt everything be fine as long as she could control her own daughter? 2 Chapter 90 - My Daughter Is Married? Li Gui has a soft character. She probably wont ask Qiao Mei why she came to snatch food from the Li family house. She also wont talk about the gifts she has given Qiao Mei all these years. So the two of them might not get to know everything. Anyway, so what if they know? Why would I be afraid? Old Madam Li picked up her teacup and smiled, as if victory was already in her grasp. Li Tao nodded and smiled in satisfaction. The next day, Old Madam Li went to the county to look for Li Gui. Li Gui worked in a food factory in the county, but she was not treated well there because she used to be a villager. Moreover, she was not an official employee yet. When Li Gui saw her mother coming by again, she sighed heavily and felt especially uncomfortable. Why is my daughter such a person? Sigh, my daughter became like this all because I remarried too early and did not bring her up well. While Li Gui was lost in her thoughts, Old Madam Li had already come up to stand in front of her. Li Gui took out the remaining $1.30 from her pocket and handed it all to her mother. She sighed and said, This is all the money I have left. I dont have much this month. Now that the children are in school, the expenses are high and I cant seem to save any money. She did not even have this bit of money at first. She had set aside the money meant for her dinner over the past few days just to have this bit of savings that is slightly over one dollar. She had four children at home now, two boys and two girls. Naturally, a lot of their money was spent on the children. It was a remarriage for both her and her husband. The children he had with his ex-wife would even come and ask her for money from time to time. If she did not give it to them, they would punch and kick her and even scold her. 1 There was helplessness written on Li Guis face and her entire being was filled with misery. It was like there was not a single ray of sunshine in her life. She was only in her thirties now, but she looked like an old lady in her fifties or sixties. On the other hand, Old Madam Li was filled with disdain. Even though she received money every month, she very much looked down on her daughter who was only a factory worker despite living in the county. Her daughter had such a good environment but she made such a hard life for herself. How useless! Old Madam Li put the money into her pocket and nodded at Li Gui. Let me tell you a piece of good news. Qiao Meis family has got money now, so you dont have to support her anymore. Li Gui was stunned for a moment, then she became a little happier. Is it because Qiao Meis grandfather received more subsidies? No, no! Old Madam Li shook her head and whispered to Li Gui, Do you know about the bean sprout business in the city now? Li Gui nodded. Of course she knew that. The news had spread in the city about the particularly delicious bean sprouts being sold in the supply and marketing cooperative. There was always a queue to buy the bean sprouts and it would be sold out every time. Someone from the Zhang family managed to buy it once. She had tasted it and it was indeed delicious. The bean sprouts are from the factory in Datian Village. They supply to the supply and marketing cooperative every day and now, every family can earn more than 10 dollars a day. That is a lot of money in a year! I heard that it was Qiao Mei who taught the villagers how to grow the bean sprouts! These words caused Li Gui to be stunned for a moment. Qiao Mei teaching the villagers how to grow bean sprouts? She remembered that when she used to grow bean sprouts at home, Qiao Mei would watch her at the side. Now that she has grown up, she also knows how to grow bean sprouts? Why Why would she teach the villagers how to grow bean sprouts? Isnt she lazy and bad-tempered? Li Gui asked in confusion. Old Madam Li paused for a moment and said with a guilty conscience, Shes grown up now and is different from before. Now that shes married and pregnant, shes naturally a better person. What? Shes married and having a child? Why didnt you tell me before? I dont even know anything! Li Gui said in shock. 2 Old Madam Li got even more tongue-tied. This was because she had deliberately hidden the fact. She was afraid that Li Gui would not be willing to give her money anymore if she knew that Qiao Mei had gotten married. Chapter 91 - Oh I See Do you think I know? Qiao Mei didnt tell our Li family either and didnt invite our family to the wedding banquet at all. We also only found out not long ago. Are you blaming me? Old Madam Li put on an imposing manner and glared at Li Gui when she spoke. Oh I see Li Gui lowered her head again when she heard the explanation. So the thing now is that our Li family wants to move to Datian Village. Qiao Mei has already earned quite a bit of money recently. If her grandfather dies, there will be no one to take care of her and she will be quite pitiful. 1 Li Gui looked at her mother and could not understand the underlying meaning behind the lines. She could only understand what she just said. Old Madam Li naturally knew that and continued, Go and tell Qiao Mei to let Qiao Qiang know that our Li family wants to move to Datian Village. However, Li Gui asked curiously, Then why dont you go and talk to her yourself? Given that you have been taking care of Qiao Mei all this time, her grandfather would listen to you, right? 1 According to the information she received from her mother, Qiao Mei would beat up and scold Old Madam Li all the time. Qiao Qiang also got bullied by Qiao Mei as well. Both elderlies were having a hard time. At the very least, they are both on the same side. What cant they talk about? Old Madam Li stomped her foot angrily. What you dont know is that this Qiao Qiang doesnt know how to be grateful and he doesnt know how to be thankful for favors from others. Hes always cursing about how little money you sent back. You have no idea how much Ive been bullied by him At this point, Li Gui finally understood what she was being told. However, she also felt very uncomfortable in her heart. Although she did not give much money, it was what she had painstakingly saved up. Yet now, Qiao Qiang was unhappy about the amount. After she remarried into the Zhang family, the family members would punch and kick her all the time because she always gave money to Qiao Mei. Furthermore, every time her husband got drunk, he would hit her with a rod. Her children were also instigated by Old Madam Zhang not to be on her side. 1 Qiao Mei is the reason for all this 1 Even so, the money still isnt enough for Qiao Qiang? When Old Madam Li saw the strange expression on Li Guis face, she quickly interrupted her thoughts. It would not do if her daughter ended up being unwilling to go over. Gui Gui, those things are in the past and we have to move on. Given that Qiao Mei is already a mother as well, its about time that you visit her, Old Madam Li said. When Li Gui heard this, she tried to look away. When Qiao Mei was young, she had left Qiao Mei behind in the village to go and get married. She heard that if Qiao Qiang had not returned, Qiao Mei would have starved to death. 4 She had not dared to go and see Qiao Mei because of this. She felt that she had let down her daughter! Dont think about the past anymore. The future is most important. Now that your daughter is having a child, this is the time when she needs you the most, Old Madam Li said. This time round, she even told me to ask you to go back and see her. She misses you. 1 At this point, she pretended to lament the fact. Li Gui could not bear to see her mother like this. She had not seen Qiao Mei for so long and did not know if Qiao Mei was doing well. What Li Gui did not know was that the entire story was a lie fabricated by Old Madam Li. Old Madam Li felt that Qiao Mei definitely would not want to see Li Gui. If she made Li Gui go back now, it would definitely make Qiao Mei furious. It would be best if the two of them ended up quarreling and getting into a fight. It would be even better if they got into a fight and the child was lost as a result. 5 Who asked Qiao Mei to be so insensible! When Li Gui heard this, her thoughts wavered. It was indeed time to meet Qiao Mei. This daughter of hers is grown up now. She is having a child of her own as well. Right now, she could use the marriage as an excuse to go and meet Qiao Mei. Otherwise, she did not know what reason she could use in the future. Hows her husbands family? Li Gui asked. However, there was worry in her eyes. She heard that no one in the village was willing to marry her. Could she have married a disabled person? Chapter 92 - What a Loss! She married very well. It was actually an arranged marriage between children. Hes a young man from the city and a soldier. I heard that hes very handsome, Old Madam Li said sulkily. If she had known that Qiao Meis arranged marriage partner was from the city and a soldier with such a good family background, the Li family might have been willing to raise her. If the Li family raised her Then wouldnt her betrothal gifts, the bicycle in the courtyard and the sewing machine all belong to the Li family? What a loss! Hearing this, Li Gui happily heaved a sigh of relief. It was as if the turbid breath in her chest had finally been expelled and she felt much better. Now that she knew Qiao Mei had married into a good family, she felt so much better. Ill go tomorrow, Ill go and see her tomorrow! Li Gui spoke up. Aye, okay, okay, okay. When you go and visit her, remember to remind her to tell her grandfather to let our Li family move into your Datian Village. Old Madam Li glanced at Li Gui and then reminded her. When you go over, dont talk about the past anymore. Now that Qiao Mei has changed, dont go asking for trouble. Otherwise, Im worried shell be unhappy. Li Gui nodded repeatedly. Yes, yes, yes! She felt that her mother was really very good to Qiao Mei, doing the best to think for the child in every way. 3 It must be because my mother likes children, so she dotes on Qiao Mei very much. Although she did not treat me well, it is unquestionable that she really treats Qiao Mei very well. Surely only a biological grandmother can do that! 2 Old Madam Li was very happy. She placed her hands behind her back and walked away with a swagger. Following Li Guis conversation with Old Madam Li. Li Gui found the team leader of this production line and expressed her intention to take a day off tomorrow. Sister Wang, I have something on at home tomorrow. Im wondering if I can take a day off as I really have something on and cant come. Li Gui stammered her way through. Oh my, I wonder what issue can make a person who works as hard as an ox want to take leave. Youre the type who doesnt even take a days leave in a year. If you take leave, your pay will be deducted. You know that, right? Wang Qiu glanced sideways at her and mocked loudly. The people around them stopped what they were doing and looked at Li Gui in unison. Someone even laughed out loud. Li Gui was from the countryside, unlike these people who were from the city. They all had a registered residence in the city and were not the same as these women from the countryside. Besides, they thought that Li Gui was as useless as an old ox. I have to go back. My daughter has gotten married and she is pregnant now. Im worried about her so I have to go back for a visit now, Li Gui continued to speak softly, but there was a hint of determination in her eyes. But her statement made the people around her exclaim in surprise. Your daughter? Arent your daughters still too young for school? One is six and the other is three. How can such a young child get married? one of the women wearing patched clothing said. No, no, no Li Gui immediately explained, Its not one of those two daughters. Its my other daughter from the village. She just became an adult this year and has gotten married and she is currently pregnant. Everyone there knew that Li Gui had gotten married twice. This was even one of the reasons why people around her looked down on her. They felt that she was a jinx to her husband and a bearer of bad luck. Oh? Which daughter are you talking about? Team Leader Wang dragged her voice out in a strange tone and then pretended to ask her casually, Then did she marry into the village again? What kind of family is she married into now? Before Li Gui could speak, the person beside her immediately jeered and said, What kind of family can she marry into? Shes just a country bumpkin, a villager from the countryside. Do you think she can like Cinderella? Thats right, thats right! Oh right, Li Guis other family should be from the countryside, right? Who would be willing to marry a woman without her parents by her side? Did she marry a disabled person? Chapter 93 - : Prepared Dowry Hahaha, thats how it should be. Everyone in this group of people looked down on Li Gui, her rural status, as well as the fact that she was married twice. The thing they despised the most about her was how hard she worked every day, like an ox. 1 Anyway, they just looked down on her! Li Gui had wanted to tell everyone that her daughter had married into a good family, but she could not say it now in this situation, so she spoke again. Sister Wang, I still want to apply for leave! Li Gui spoke again. Seeing that everyone was almost done with the discussion, Wang Qiu said, Alright, given that your daughter is pregnant, you should go back for a visit. Dont forget to bring back some wedding candy for us. 1 Li Gui nodded and turned to leave immediately. Behind her, the voices saying those mocking words were still going on and on. Her daughter has just gotten married and is already pregnant, yet she is only going for a visit now. Its so rare to hear of something like that. Maybe the daughter doesnt acknowledge her as the biological mother at all? I think so too. She didnt even invite her mother for an occasion as important as her wedding. It must be because she resented her mother for not going back for so long. If its me, I wont acknowledge such a mother too! Although Old Madam Li often came to get money and other things from her, Li Gui would never tell any outsider about it. After all, it was her daughter who wanted to snatch her grandmothers food and caused her grandmother to become so pitiful. Therefore, outsiders all thought that she had a heart of stone and did not care about her child. Li Gui kept walking forward and soon could not hear anything behind her. Only then did she let out a long breath and walked towards the Zhang family house. After she returned home, she washed all the dishes and cutlery used at lunch as well as the dirty clothes that had piled up. She then prepared dinner for her family. Zhang Qian was the eldest son of the Zhang family and lived together with his parents and four children. The big basin was filled with used clothes on a daily basis. After dinner, she cleaned up the table and then the house. After that, she continued doing other household chores and kept herself busy. Just like that, she waited for everyone to rest before going to sleep. Otherwise, she was bound to be picked on at home. She really did not want to hear those intolerable words. 2 The next day, Zhang Qian was still sleeping soundly when she woke up. Li Gui did not wake him up. Instead, she got up quietly and hesitated for a moment. In the end, she did not tell her husband that she was going to see Qiao Mei. She went to a cotton coat in the corner of the closet and used scissors to cut the thread at the cuffs. From inside the coat, she took out 17 dollars and put it in her pocket. She had saved this money for Qiao Mei over the years. It was for her dowry. Initially, she had wanted to save up a little more so that Qiao Mei would have some standing in front of her husbands family, and would not be looked down upon by them. However, over the years, she had expenses coming from everywhere, and her young children got sick from time to time and needed money for their medical fees. Old Madam Li also came over from time to time to ask for money, so she did not manage to save much. Li Gui looked at the 17 dollars in her hand and was silent for a while. She felt a little sad and could only sigh softly. She had thought that she would have a few more years. This is because every time Old Madam Li came over, she would tell stories about how Qiao Mei had eaten too much, who Qiao Mei had fought with again, and how Qiao Mei had broken other peoples things. Therefore, Li Gui thought that Qiao Meis path to getting married would not be smooth. Given what she had heard, Qiao Mei definitely would not be able to get married too early. At least not this year. However, Li Gui really did not expect Qiao Mei to get married so quickly and already be pregnant now. She even married a handsome soldier from the city. This was great news! Her daughter was much luckier than her. As she thought of this, Li Gui smiled happily. Under the morning sun, her smile actually looked very beautiful. Although her skin was aged, her facial features were quite faultless. She must have been beautiful when she was younger. Chapter 94 - Being Mocked by Wang Qin Li Gui got up and prepared breakfast. She put on her usual clothes and left without doing anything out of the ordinary. She walked to the entrance of the train station in town. After taking the train and walking for more than 10 kilometers upon reaching the station at her destination, she finally arrived at the entrance of Datian Village. She stood in the village and looked at the familiar scene. However, for a long while, she did not dare to walk in. She had too many acquaintances in this village. The fact that she returned so suddenly might lead to a lot of gossip and mockery, or even worse situations than that. When Li Gui remarried and left the village, she still looked relatively young. Given that she moved to the city after her remarriage, everyone thought that she would have a good life there. There were even people who envied her. Yet her aged appearance now made her look like a completely different person from before. Nobody would have expected this. Li Gui took a deep breath and quickly walked in. Since she was already here, she definitely had to go in. It would be good to see her child. She could not be a mother who did not take care of anything, right? Fortunately, there were not many people in the village at the moment. Everyone was busy with the farm work. Li Gui quickly walked towards Qiao Zhuangs house and soon arrived at the doorstep. As this was where she and her ex-husband used to live, she thought that Qiao Mei was still staying here. 1 Every time Old Madam Li went to look for Li Gui, she would tell her how tired she was from taking care of Qiao Mei and what bad things Qiao Mei had done. In short, Old Madam Li liked to talk about how much she had suffered. However, she never mentioned any positive things related to Qiao Mei. She also did not talk about anything that had nothing to do with her. For example to her, this house was an unimportant matter. Who are you? Who are you looking for? Wang Qin was the village accountant. She was usually not very busy and was resting at home at the moment. Being Qiao Zhuangs second daughter-in-law, she was not very familiar with Li Gui. In the past, she also did not pay much attention to Li Gui. After so long, Li Gui had aged a lot. However, Li Gui immediately recognized Wang Qin. She walked forward and asked curiously, Youre Wang Qin? Are you here Is Qiao Mei at home? Wang Qin froze. She did not quite understand how someone could come here to look for Qiao Mei given that this was no longer where Qiao Mei lived. How strange. Who are you? I Im Qiao Meis mother. Im Li Gui. Li Gui averted her eyes and did not dare to look at Wang Qin directly. She thought it was normal that Wang Qin did not recognize her given the way she looked now. What? Wang Qin was shocked. She checked out this woman in front of her, who looked like a wizened old lady, and really could not recognize her at all. The skin on her face and hands, and almost everywhere else that was exposed, was wrinkled. Her skin tone was sallow and tawny and she looked like someone in her fifties. 1 A person like this could she be the person who was previously known as the most beautiful girl from Datian Village? 1 Oh my goodness! Oh its you Hahahaha! Wang Qin took a few looks and laughed as she pointed at Li Gui. However, she quickly covered her mouth and asked, Why are you looking for Qiao Mei? Li Gui looked at her reaction and felt terrible. But she continued, Mei Mei got married, so Im here to see her. Why are you only here now? Shes already pregnant. What kind of mother are you Wang Qin continued to speak with her mouth covered. I I just found out, Li Gui said honestly. Wang Qin looked at her worn-out clothes and patched up shoes and asked, How is it? Life in the city is good, right? Are you doing well? She asked about Li Gui. Old Madam Li had never told anyone that her daughter was not doing well. Li Gui herself had also never returned to the village, so the villagers naturally did not know anything about her. When we first got married, we were in the city. These past few years, weve moved to the town and weve been working in the towns factory. Li Gui said truthfully. Chapter 95 - More Than Ten Years Worth of Lies 1 Wang Qin curled the corners of her lips, crossed her arms and said, Look at the kind of mother you are. Your child is already married and all grown up, yet you have never come back for a visit. How heartless of you. In the past, Li Guis relationship with Wang Qin was not too bad. Wang Qin was eloquent and Li Gui did her work quickly. The two of them were relatives and did not have any conflicts. On the surface, they got along with each other. But now Wang Qin put on an arrogant attitude to look at her and talk to her and she felt uncomfortable. Besides, it was not as if she did not care about Qiao Mei. She had saved all the money she had at the risk of being beaten up by the Zhang family and given it all to Qiao Mei. Although I didnt come over, I asked my mother to give Qiao Mei some money and stuff every month. I didnt treat her badly! At this point, Li Gui felt a little aggrieved. Although her mother had told her not to tell outsiders about Qiao Meis past, Wang Qin was a fellow villager and not an outsider. It was fine to talk about these things now. After all, they were all from the same village and everyone knew Qiao Meis character. Li Gui did not want everyone to misunderstand her either. She was not a heartless mother but was very concerned about Qiao Mei instead, and she should not have to end up with such a reputation. Wang Qin widened her eyes and looked at her in disbelief. She said in shock, What did you say? You give Qiao Mei some money and stuff every month? Yes! Li Gui said without hesitation. I will give Qiao Mei some money every month. My mother said that she sent it to Qiao Meis house every month so that she wont starve. My mother had been coming over to give Qiao Mei money and stuff all these years. Had Wang Qin never seen her before? Why did she look so surprised? Wang Qin stood on the spot, took a deep breath and lowered her hands from her chest to stop herself from laughing. I cant believe it! It is unbelievable that such a thing had actually happened in the village. Hahahaha Wang Qin endured it for a while before saying, Let me tell you, your mother has never come to our Datian Village once. Weve never seen any of your money or stuff or whatever. Its been more than 10 years and she hasnt been here once! This statement sent Li Gui into a state of shock and disbelief. She immediately retorted, Thats impossible, youre lying! Oh right, she did come here. A few days ago, she came to Qiao Meis house and was chased away. She then got her granddaughter-in-law to go to Qiao Meis house every day to be a freeloader. Everyone in the village knows about it. Wang Qin continued, Go and ask around if you dont believe me! If anyone says that I have lied to you about this, Ill let you take over my position as the village accountant! After promising that, Wang Qin covered her mouth and laughed again. Li Gui was completely petrified and rooted to the spot. Given that Wang Qin spoke so confidently, it was very likely the truth. Wang Qin grabbed Li Guis hand. Come on, lets go. Ill take you to Qiao Meis house and you can ask her yourself. Although that child has a bad temper, shes also honest and doesnt like to lie. Youll know everything once you ask her. Dont say that I lied to you! At this moment, Qiao Mei was standing in the courtyard watering the vegetable field. Now that the saplings at home had already borne fruits, they were about to die. Although it meant that she had a lot of fruits to eat, the growth cycle of her plants was very short. She did not want a situation whereby the vegetables and saplings in her courtyard got all withered when the plants in other peoples houses were still green and flourishing. It would look a little out of place. After Qiao Mei tidied up the courtyard, she picked a sweet watermelon and placed it inside the big basin in the courtyard. The basin was filled with cold water from the well and it would definitely be very delicious when they eat it later. She wiped her hands happily and was about to sit down to rest. A voice that was filled with uncontrollable joy came from the courtyard door. 1 Mei Mei, come and see whos back. Look! Wang Qins voice sounded at the door. Chapter 96 - Mom Is Back! This incoming visitors voice was very loud, as if she wanted everyone nearby to hear her. Qiao Mei sighed and got up from the stool to take a look. Now that her family had some money, people came visiting one after another. These people never came by in the past, but now they all came by due to the whiff of money . Money really made the world go round. 1 She walked over and saw someone right in front of her. However, she could not recognize the person, and really could not find this person in her memories. Based on her only memory of her mother, she was a beautiful woman. Although she was not very eloquent, she was very gentle. She was famous not only in the village, but also in the county. When Qiao Meis father managed to marry Li Gui, the fact broke the hearts of countless men. However, no one would be able to recognize Li Gui from her current appearance. She looked like Old Madam Lis sister or someone. 1 Li Gui was stunned when she saw Qiao Mei. The fair-skinned girl in front of her was completely different from the Qiao Mei she had imagined. Isnt she supposed to be a dark and fat bear? 1 With a body that is so full of fats that it can be used to make fried lard bits. And that she has a fierce expression on her face and fights with people all the time. But the person in front of me has such fair skin and exquisite eyes. She looks like me when I was young but even more good-looking. Every move she makes is indescribably classy. Just like the city people I have seen in the past. No! She is classier than those city people I have seen before. Wang Qin stood outside the door and was also stunned when she saw Qiao Mei. Her eyes darted around furtively. Recently, a few older women in the village had been saying that Qiao Mei had become prettier and fairer and looked completely different from before. She did not believe it and thought that they were just trying to curry favor with Qiao Mei. Now it seemed that they were telling the truth! Havent I said it before? No one from Second Master Qiaos family is allowed to come to my house again! Qiao Mei had been busy with her pregnancy recently. Coupled with the fact that she was having a good income, she was naturally in a mood to be nice and did not put on an aloof face like before. Now, with her cute voice and fair little face, she did not exude an imposing aura at all. Instead, people tended to find her adorable. Wang Qin did not say anything else and pushed Li Gui towards the door so that Qiao Mei could see Li Guis face clearly. Qiao Mei, do you see whos back? Li Gui fidgeted with her hands and lowered her head to look at the ground. Qiao Mei took a closer look and asked in surprise, Mom! Youre back? When Li Gui heard that Qiao Mei recognized her and was willing to acknowledge her, there were tears at the corners of her eyes and she sniffled. Wang Qin did not get the reaction she had expected and pursed her lips. She thought it was amazing for Qiao Mei to be able to recognize Li Gui when she looked like this now. She said she came to see you. Your mother is really too much. Youve been married for so long and already gotten pregnant, but she only came to see you now. Dont you think your mother was sent by your grandmother to persuade you and that her main purpose is to get you to help the Li family! It was very normal for the Li family to want to move to the village. At the moment, there were also many outsiders who wanted to move to Datian Village. It was only due to the resistance of the village officer, Zhao Liang, that there was not a large-scale movement of new residents. The Li family wanted to come over, but Qiao Qiang did not allow it, so they took the path of asking Li Gui to persuade Qiao Mei. Wang Qin felt unhappy looking at the exceptionally calm Qiao Mei and pursed her lips. She looked at her and continued, You dont know how ruthless your grandmother is. She takes money and things from your mother every month, saying that they are for you. Now that more than 10 years have passed, have you received anything? 2 Qiao Mei was stunned. This was far beyond what she had expected. In the memories of the original owner of the body, her mother had abandoned her so as to have a good life. Other than Qiao Qiang, no one cared about her anymore. The original owner of the body still hated her mother, Li Gui, very much. Qiao Mei walked up to Li Gui and looked at her seriously. I didnt receive anything, including money. Chapter 97 - The Black Li Gui stood on the spot with a complicated expression on her face. She looked sad as she grabbed the sides of her pants with both hands. It had been so many years! Every month her mother would use Qiao Mei as a reason to come to her place to get money and other things. Due to the fact that this happened so many times, the Zhang family did not treat her well at all. They even said that she was a heartless person who helped others while they provided for her. 1 This even became the reason for Li Gui being beaten up countless times. 1 Was this the truth? Her mother had lied to her and Qiao Mei had never received anything! How much money did she take from you? Is it all because of me? Qiao Mei looked at the poor woman in front of her and sighed in her heart. She had seen her fair share of pitiful people. However, it was rare to see someone who had been scammed by her own mother for more than 10 years. Every month, it was about two or three dollars Sometimes if something happened, Id have to give more Memories flashed across Li Guis empty eyes. She had to turn in her salary every month. In addition to her salary, she might get some loose change and could manage to save up a few dollars. She would give two to three dollars to Old Madam Li and another portion of the money to the children that her husband had with his ex-wife. She would then only have a few cents left for her biological children. All her money was spent cleanly and clearly. You gave her so much money? Wang Qin was shocked. She was an accountant, so she naturally could work out the sums quickly. Based on two to three dollars a month, that worked out to three to four hundred dollars over the years. In the current day and age, three to four hundred dollars might be the entire monetary assets of a family in the countryside. This Old Madam Li was really black-hearted! Wang Qin took a look at Li Gui and could tell that she had scrimped and saved all these years just to save up this money. She probably did not even have many pieces of clothing, right? The money had all gone into Old Madam Lis pocket. How pitiful and pathetic! Li Gui, are you even your mothers biological daughter? All these years, she took money from you like a vampire sucking blood. In the end, the money all ended up in her pocket and not a single cent went to Qiao Mei. Its really rare to see such a mother! Although Wang Qin currently felt that Li Gui was very pitiful, she would not pity her, nor would she stop mocking her. She would only be happy when she saw Qiao Mei and Li Gui feeling uncomfortable! Li Gui knew that Wang Qin had said that on purpose. However, she could not help but feel sad. She believed what Qiao Mei said about not having received any money or stuff. This was because Qiao Mei was standing right in front of her, looking so fair and beautiful and classy. How could anyone still believe what Old Madam Li said? Li Gui felt that she had been deceived by the entire world and got very depressed. Wang Qin took a look and realized that Li Gui was really sad. She felt a little happier and continued, Mei Mei, you have to take back the money your mother gave your grandmother. That was your mothers hard-earned money. Look at how tired your mother is now, she looks as if she has aged 10 years. Qiao Mei looked at her without any expression and said, This is my business. You can leave now. Remember my words and dont come over again. With that, she pulled Li Gui into the house and closed the courtyard door with a bang. 1 There was still a big wooden stick at the door. If she dared to come in again, she would not be polite. Wang Qin shook her head in disappointment and left. She felt that not being able to see the mother and daughter in a fight was her loss and that she had made a wasted trip. After Li Gui entered through the door, Qiao Mei led her into the house. Li Gui saw Qiao Qiang the moment she entered the house. She was a little afraid now. After all, she was the one who got remarried and did not take good care of Qiao Mei. Take a seat. Tell me what happened all these years? What did my grandmother tell you? Qiao Mei asked her to sit down and poured her a glass of water before pushing the plate of fruits on the table in front of her. 1 Chapter 98 - Getting the Money Back The grapes on the plate had a glistering appearance from the water droplets on them and looked especially tempting. There was also a pile of blueberries that smelt very fragrant. Try some of the fruits from our courtyard! Qiao Mei took a few grapes and handed them to Li Gui. She was afraid that Li Gui would feel uncomfortable and wanted her to open up more. Li Gui tasted a grape and was immediately captivated by how sweet it was. Her eyes lit up, it was as if she had not eaten such delicious fruits in a long time. She slowly relaxed as well. Its like this. Not long after I got married, your grandmother came to look for me and said that you were going hungry Li Gui said, her eyes looking like they were filled with memories. Even after she went to the city, Old Madam Li would come and look for her every few months to ask for money and other things. The round-trip train fare was not cheap, but Old Madam Li would evade the fare and steal a ride. When she saw the ticket inspector, she would find a place to hide, then she would find a seat again after the inspector left. Anyway, the long distance did nothing to dissuade Old Madam Li from looking for Li Gui. In any case, in the past decade or so, she had never stopped giving Old Madam Li money and other things. As Li Gui told her story, she looked at Qiao Mei and asked again with an indignant expression, She really didnt come over even once? She didnt give you money even once? There was a tremor in her voice. Yes, the entire village can be my witness. She didnt come over even once, and I didnt take anything from her, Qiao Mei said firmly. Li Gui felt terrible. She lowered her head in silence and placed her hands together helplessly. Qiao Mei did not say anything and just looked at her. The original owner of the body was particularly disgruntled about the fact that Li Gui got remarried, left her alone in the village when she was still young and caused her to almost starve to death. She was very fixated on this matter and even hated Li Gui very much. The original owner of the body had previously told Qiao Yu that she wished she could fight with her mother. However, Qiao Mei was not the original owner of the body. She had transmigrated here and naturally did not share the same emotions, so she did not hate Li Gui. In fact, from Li Guis standpoint, she could understand some of the actions taken. She had almost starved to death when she was young not because her mother was unwilling to support her, but because her mother was not smart enough. To put it in another way Li Gui was simply too unlucky to have such a top quality mother. Qiao Mei originally had no feelings for Li Gui, but after hearing what Li Gui said, she gave a long sigh. She pitied her a little and wanted to help her. Lets get grandmother to take out the money, Qiao Mei said. Li Gui shook her head repeatedly and kept saying no. Qiao Mei found it strange and questioned her back, Are you still concerned about the kinship between the two of you? She had lied to you so terribly! A person can be stupid, but not foolishly filial. Otherwise, even if she wants to help, there is nothing she can do. No, no, no, thats not what I meant, Li Gui shook her head again and said. No, you you cant beat her. Shes very shrewish. Her mother was very shrewd and vicious when it came to the things she cared about. Qiao Mei was still young and was unlikely to be a match for Old Madam Li. Moreover, Qiao Mei was currently pregnant. It would not be worth it if anything should happen to her while dealing with Old Madam Li. After saying that, she looked at Qiao Meis stomach with concern. Qiao Mei felt her gaze and instantly understood what she meant. She smiled immediately. Not bad, it would be worth helping her. Besides, Im afraid theres not much left of that money. By now, it would be almost all spent. When her eldest grandson got married, they spent a lot of money. Li Gui could not help but sigh. The betrothal gift alone cost 60 dollars for that wedding and it was considered a high price for that time. She had wondered why her family still had so much money and also why her mother had not asked her to subsidize part of the costs. It turned out that she was the one who had actually paid for everything. Qiao Mei smiled again and sized up Li Guis face. Suddenly, she had a little bit of affection for this instant mother of hers. Well, then how is your life now? Is Zhang Qian good to you? Do you have any new children? 1 Li Gui looked at Qiao Qiang uneasily. Chapter 99 - Need a Lot of Money! Talking about her new family in front of Qiao Qiang always made her feel a little awkward and weirded out. Qiao Qiang immediately stood up and said as he walked away, Mei Mei, lets prepare a good meal later. Its not easy for your mother to come all the way here. Ill go to bed and rest for a bit. Im feeling tired. Alright, Qiao Mei replied. In the past, Qiao Qiang did not even want to look at Li Gui at all. He thought it was really too cold-blooded of her to remarry when her child was still so young. However, after hearing about what happened, he thought differently now. He no longer harbored any prejudice against Li Gui. Instead, he could be more objective about the situation with his daughter-in-law. When Li Gui heard what he said, she put her head down on the table and sobbed. She did not make any sound, but anyone could feel how agitated she felt. Qiao Mei sighed. It seemed that she was not doing well. Tell me about it. How are you doing? Is your life alright? Qiao Mei asked and patted her back. Li Gui looked up and wiped her tears. She saw Qiao Meis curious gaze which had no trace of resentment. Instead, Qiao Mei was like a kitten, strangely likable. Hmm should be the same as everyone else. Li Gui stammered her answer after thinking for a moment. Qiao Mei continued to ask, So does the same as everyone else mean good or bad? Does he hit you? Li Gui answered, Only when hes drunk. If he doesnt drink, then its less likely to get beaten up by him. She seemed to think that this was normal. On the other hand, Qiao Mei was shocked. She looked at Li Gui and could not help but continued, He actually hit you. What a scumbag. Qiao Mei had only asked what she thought was a casual question, but she did not expect Zhang Qian to have the worst trait that a husband could have. A man who hit others was definitely not a good man. Li Gui just replied naturally, Its normal for people to get beaten up. Whether in the city or the village, isnt it the norm for men to hit women? 3 There were very few men who did not hit women! It was hard to imagine which woman would be lucky enough to meet such a man. Perhaps only those cultured and knowledgeable men would not hit women. Qiao Mei did not argue with her about this given that their value systems were different. And did you have any more children? she continued. Li Gui sighed. She did not expect that Qiao Mei did not even know about the existence of her younger siblings. Her mother really did not convey these details at all Then, she continued, I have two boys and two girls. The two boys are the eldest and second brother, Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao. The younger sisters are Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao. She answered every question Qiao Mei asked. However, there was none of the familiar feeling between family members. Instead, the two of them were like strangers who had just met. The whole situation actually made Li Gui quite happy. At least it was much better than I had expected. My daughter did not hate me! In the end, Qiao Mei looked at her and asked softly, Do you want to earn more money and save more money? When she said that, Li Gui could not help but look at her. Li Gui quickly nodded and said, Of course I want to, but this is not something I can think about! She was from the countryside, so she could at best work as a temporary worker at the factory as the others were unwilling to let her be an official employee. This was the limitation of the household register system in this era. Then come back! Come to our village and grow bean sprouts. You can earn at least two to three hundred dollars a month. Its better than working yourself to death in town, Qiao Mei said. 1 Hearing this, Li Gui immediately became interested. She fixed her eyes on Qiao Mei and kept thinking about the feasibility of what Qiao Mei said. She really needed money! She still had four children at home. In the future, the educational and living expenses would make it harder and harder for her to live with the money she had. In accordance with the current policy, the children had to follow their mothers household register. As she was a villager but did not participate in the labor in the village, the four children could not eat the food provided by the city and they had to pay for their own food. That was all money wasted for nothing! Chapter 100 - Deciding to Return to the Village The money she earned as a temporary worker was not enough to buy food for the children all year round. She had to rely on the Zhang family to support her, so her status in the family was exceptionally low. Now that there is a chance to earn money Why not give it a try? Wont it be better than sitting around at home and being under someones watchful eyes? At the thought of this, Li Gui looked up at Qiao Mei and asked carefully, Am I able to come back to our village? Why not? Your registered residence and household register is still in Datian Village, so youre naturally a Datian Village resident, Qiao Mei said. The most important thing is whether you want to come back. If you do, we just need my grandfather to tell Uncle Zhao. Theres nothing difficult about it. 1 Li Gui felt a little embarrassed though. Having to ask her former father-in-law for a favor because she wanted to return to the village to earn money was something she never expected to happen. But at the same time, she really wanted to come back. Can you really earn so much in a month by growing bean sprouts? Li Gui looked at Qiao Mei and asked again. Isnt two to three hundred a bit too much money to make in a month? She could not even earn 300 dollars a year. It was a huge sum of money to her and she found it difficult to even earn that amount in town. We cant be sure yet, Qiao Mei replied. We havent completed the first months sale, so we dont have an accurate tabulation of the earnings yet. The villagers had only been selling bean sprouts for slightly more than half a month and the money from the sale had not been given to them yet, so they were not sure how much they could make. However, this was actually under Qiao Meis control. She was able to regulate the production level of each family, so whichever family she wanted to produce more would be able to produce more. However, in this era, the average annual income was not very high. Therefore, she could not let everyone earn too much at once. If other people got envious and reported it, she would get caught in a very dangerous situation, being the initiator of the business. Qiao Meis intention was to let the villagers earn around 50 to 60 dollars a month in the future as that would be safer. Li Gui was a little worried and she hesitated after hearing what Qiao Mei said. Seeing her like this, Qiao Mei stood up and said, Come and take a look with me. Li Gui followed Qiao Mei to the storeroom. As soon as she entered, she was shocked by the small mountain of food in the storeroom. There were grapes drying on the shelves and messy piles of potatoes and pumpkins on the ground, as well as bags of dried vegetables. Heavens! When would they be able to finish so much food? That would be a lot to eat. It suddenly occurred to Li Gui that there were benefits to being in the countryside. People had their own vegetable fields and could grow whatever they wanted to eat. The harvest all depended on their planting skills. These foods would be enough reason for her to come back and live here. This was because she did not want to have to starve anymore. In the past, she would go hungry often as there was no guarantee of regular meals. She felt hungry so often that she was scared of that feeling. She looked at Qiao Mei and asked, Will you be able to earn 20 dollars this month? This was because her salary was 20 dollars. As long as she could earn more money in the countryside than working as a temporary worker, it would be worth it for her to come back. She still had a large piece of land in her courtyard. I can definitely make 20 dollars from the sale. Qiao Mei nodded. Even if the citys supply and marketing cooperative did not take in their bean sprouts and the village sold the bean sprouts on its own, the villagers would still be able to sell them for this price on average. Li Gui nodded but there was still hesitation flashing across her eyes. Come back. Theres land here as well as the bean sprout business. Its got to be a better situation than what youre going through and you can even bring some food to your children. Its much better than you being a temporary worker, Qiao Mei said. Yes. Li Gui nodded, but she was still feeling unsure. Seeing that she was still hesitating, Qiao Mei asked, What other concerns do you have? Li Gui asked directly, Is there still a place for me to stay in our village? She couldnt possibly stay with Qiao Mei when she came back, right? Now that she had remarried and Qiao Mei was living with her grandfather, it did not seem right for her to come and live here! However, if she had nowhere to live, it would be a very difficult situation. Chapter 101 - Going Home and Getting Blamed Qiao Mei nodded after hearing her concern. I understand now. As long as you return, Ill find you a place to stay. Just come back. This made Li Gui assume that there were still empty houses in the village. If she would be able to find a house just by giving notice to the village, then that would take care of her very last concern. She wanted to discuss it with the Zhang family immediately as she felt like moving back as soon as possible. Li Gui took out a small cloth bag from her pocket and placed it on the table, revealing the money inside. This is the dowry that mom saved up for you. Theres not much but thats because I dont have money. When I have money in the future, Ill make it up to you. Qiao Mei smiled sweetly and replied, Thank you, Mom! Li Gui was also overjoyed. It was already a very good thing that Qiao Mei was willing to call her mom. The mother-daughter relationship that had been delayed for so many years had finally started again today. Take a rest first. Mom is going back, wait for news from me! Li Gui said. You can leave after dinner! Qiao Mei stopped her. No, no, I still have to walk 10 miles. Otherwise, I wont be able to catch the train back today. Li Gui insisted on leaving. Qiao Mei turned around and walked into the kitchen. She then said loudly, Im going to cook now and Ill send you there on my bicycle after dinner. Youre not allowed to leave. When Li Gui heard this, she had to stay. She did not want to leave either. It would be great to be able to eat a meal that was prepared by her daughter. As soon as the food was served, Li Gui knew that Qiao Mei had excellent culinary skills. Li Gui ate happily. She felt that Qiao Meis culinary skills were so good that even at her in-laws place, people would look up to her because of it. 1 After dinner, Qiao Mei wanted to give her a ride on her bicycle but Li Gui was unwilling to accept it. Youre currently pregnant so dont mess around. Ill just walk back. Li Gui looked at Qiao Meis stomach and felt a greater urge to return. Now that her daughter was pregnant, she naturally needed someone to take care of her. She also needed a female elder by her side to guide her and this should fall under the responsibility of her mother. Qiao Mei nodded in agreement and asked Auntie Dong from the neighboring house to send Li Gui off instead. Then she turned around and went back. Although she could not ride the bicycle herself after she got it, she still got a few of the older women to bring it out to learn how to ride it. Given that knowing how to ride a bicycle was a skillset, the gesture made the older women more willing to be friends with Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei was generous and nice. Besides, not everyone could borrow this bicycle. She would only lend it to people who were close to her and she did not let herself get bullied into lending it to just anyone. When Li Gui reached home, she was more than 20 minutes later than usual. This made the Zhang family very unhappy. The Zhang family members were sitting around the table. Zhang Qian and his eldest son, Zhang Cong, sat at the table and drank water out of boredom with no food on the table. Clearly, the family was waiting for Li Gui to cook dinner. Everyone was upset by her late return. Why are you back so late today? Zhang Qian slammed the cup in his hand down with displeasure in his eyes. Li Gui quickly took out a bundle of vegetables and squatted down to pluck them to prepare dinner. She lowered her head and said, Im late today as I ran into some issues. Your team doesnt work overtime. What important issue can you have? Zhang Cong, the eldest son borne by Zhang Qians ex-wife, sneered. The entire Zhang family worked in the food factory in town. When Zhang Cong was getting off work, he saw her team leader, Wang Qiu, passing by. She had said mockingly to him, As an elder brother, you have to give your younger sister a dowry when she gets married. He asked around and found out that Li Gui did not go to work today, but had gone back to her ex-husbands village. How outrageous! The Zhang family helped her raise her children, yet Li Gui still missed that worthless daughter of hers. As soon as Zhang Cong got home, he told Zhang Qian about it. Now, Zhang Qian looked at Li Gui angrily with regret and disdain in his eyes. The village belle he married with expensive betrothal gifts back then had actually become so old and ugly now. How unlucky! Chapter 102 - Being Beaten Up Li Gui lowered her head silently to pluck the vegetables. She did not dare to raise her head to look at Zhang Qian or answer Zhang Congs question. Seeing that Li Gui remained silent, Zhang Qian stepped forward and gave her a slap across the face. He grabbed her collar and pointed at her as he asked, Did you go back to the village to send money to your ex-husbands daughter?! You dare to lie nowadays! You still lie to us even though the story has already spread throughout the factory! After saying that, he gave Li Gui another hard slap. When Li Gui fell to the ground, the four children hurriedly ran into the room, afraid that Zhang Qian would vent his anger on them as well. There was only Old Man Zhang, Old Madam Zhang and Zhang Cong left in the house. Zhang Qian hit Li Gui regularly, he would beat her up every two days. Every time Li Gui received her salary, she would have to give 25 dollars to the family first. As Li Gui was registered as a village resident, her four children were also registered as village residents. In the city, there were no such things as coupons. The 25 dollars was meant to be used to supplement the familys food rations. The remaining few dollars was left for Li Gui to buy her own meals so that it would not be said that the Zhang family did not even give her food. 2 Whatever money that Li Gui had was saved by eating less or not eating. Zhang Qian knew that Li Gui had some money on the side and he also knew that she did not have the guts to steal from the family. This time, he was just looking for a reason to beat her up. He beat her up for 15 minutes. Alright, alright, are you going to beat her to death? Hurry up and let her clean up and cook. Well starve to death otherwise, said the old lady of the house. Zhang Qian stopped and pointed at Li Gui. See if I ever find out that youre lying again! Go and cook now! Li Gui got up with difficulty. There were no marks on her face, but her body was covered in bruises. Zhang Qian would avoid beating her on the face for fear that outsiders would gossip about her again. The pain all over her body made Li Gui even more determined to return to the village and not be beaten up here. She took the vegetables and started to cook. When the four children saw that there was no more commotion outside, they came out of the room to set up the tables and chairs. Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao went to help Li Gui with the cooking. The two sons, Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao, sat in the living room and did not dare to say anything. Matters like cooking and cleaning had always been done by the womenfolk. Tsk, you good-for-nothing. Hurry up and get things done faster. Do you want to starve me to death! Zhang Qian cursed towards the kitchen. After she finished cooking, Li Gui called out to them to have dinner. She and her two daughters could only eat in the kitchen as there were not enough seats at home. Seeing her two daughters holding their bowls and eating in the corner, tears fell down Li Guis cheeks. As the Zhang family got ready to leave after having dinner, Li Gui wiped the tears off her face and rushed out, saying, Wait wait! I have something to say! Zhang Qian laughed mockingly and said, You? What have you got to say, come tell me. He waved his hand as an indication for his family to sit down and listen to her. Li Gui grabbed the front of her clothes and wiped her hands nervously. She said in a very soft voice, I I want to go back back to the village. Upon hearing this, Zhang Qian immediately smacked the table and stood up. He glared at Li Gui and rushed forward in a few steps, ready to hit her. Back then, he had spent a lot of money to marry this loss-making proposition. Now, she still wanted to run away! He wanted to roll up his sleeves and beat her up again. You still want to run away! Li Gui hurriedly waved her hands and collapsed to the ground in fear. No, no! Im not running away! Im going back there to grow bean sprouts! When Zhang Qian heard this, he still did not understand what Li Gui wanted to do. He pointed at her and said, You can grow bean sprouts at home, why do you need to go back to the village to grow bean sprouts! I think you just want to run away! Li Gui hurriedly crawled over and grabbed Zhang Qians trouser leg as she explained, No, no! Its bean sprouts for the supply and marketing cooperative! I know how to grow bean sprouts too! I can go and earn money! After Zhang Qian heard this and finally understood that it was not Li Guis intention to run away, he patted his pants and sat back down. So its to earn money. As if you can earn money. Zhang Qian looked disdainful. Thats right. Its not like we havent eaten your bean sprouts before. How can your bean sprouts compare with the ones from the supply and marketing cooperative? Zhang Cong laughed mockingly from the side, his eyes filled with disbelief. Li Gui could feel that the atmosphere had eased up a little and she stood up to pour them a few glasses of water, getting ready to tell them what she had seen today. 3 Chapter 103 - Discussion About Returning to the Village Thats because of the water! Only the water from the village can do that! I already went back and asked around! Li Gui said hurriedly. Then since you said youll earn money, tell me how youre going to do it. Zhang Qian took a sip of water, waiting to hear what she could say. Its like this, I did go back to see my daughter today, but I found out that the bean sprouts from the supply and marketing cooperative are supplied by their village! They supply it at 20 cents a catty and they can harvest 2,000 catties a day! The supply is collected from every household and each family can produce about 70 to 80 catties. Li Gui stared at Zhang Qians face, afraid that he would be angered if she said something wrong. After hearing that, Zhang Qian looked at his mother while he did some mental calculations on how much money could be made from 70 to 80 catties at 20 cents a catty. He concluded that it was quite a fair bit of money per day. Looking at Zhang Qians erratic expression, Li Gui immediately said, Im still a registered resident in the village! If I go back, they will allow it! So if you go back, they will collect bean sprouts from you and give you money! Zhang Cong had recently taken a fancy to a city girl in the factory. She was young and beautiful and he was just about to woo her. The supply and marketing cooperative based their collection on the quality of the bean sprouts. If the quality doesnt meet their standards, then they wont accept the bean sprouts. Li Gui saw the look in Zhang Congs eyes and was afraid that Zhang Cong would think that he could also earn a lot of money by going to the village. Moreover, they only accept up to 2,000 catties a day. For bean sprout production, there is always a possibility of not meeting the standards three or four times out of ten times and getting rejected. You money-losing good-for-nothing! As if those beans are not money! When Old Madam Zhang heard this, she immediately scolded Li Gui. However, on second thought, she felt that there was still a lot to be earned. She thought that given Li Gui was unable to get any coupons by staying here, she might as well let Li Gui go back to the village, and it would also be more peaceful at home. 2 You can go back, but you have to hand over the money you earn to this family. Youve been staying here for so many years and we have taken care of your four children. Cong Cong has been subsidizing the expenses of this family, so you have to pay it back when you earn money. Also, you have to find the money for the beans yourself as we dont have money. Old Man Zhang looked at Old Madam Zhang. He thought that women from the village were more obedient than the daughters-in-law from the city as they did not dare to have any requests or complaints. 1 I will definitely hand it over. Li Gui did not dare to say anything to the contrary, afraid that they would go back on their word again. Old Madam Zhang was about to get up and leave when she saw Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao in the corner. Bring the two of them along as well so that they can give you a hand. She had no use for the two girls, and it would be good for Li Gui to take them away so she could get some peace and quiet. 1 After you return to the village, plant more vegetables and bring more home. Old Madam Zhang left in satisfaction and the group dispersed. 3 At the village. Ever since Li Gui left, Qiao Mei had been mulling over where Li Gui could stay. Her house was not suitable as there was still her grandfather, Qiao Qiang, at home and also, it would not sound too appropriate if word got out. However, it would cost quite a fair amount to apply for a house at the brigade. Then suddenly, she remembered that she still had a house here! 1 Qiao Mei sat in the courtyard and pondered over how to get the house back. In the past, the house was left to Qiao Zhuangs family for them to take care of Qiao Mei. Now, the house was in the hands of Qiao Zhuangs eldest son, Qiao Fu. Back then, they had signed an agreement at the brigade regarding the arrangement. Once she thought of the solution, Qiao Mei looked for Qiao Qiang excitedly and said, Grandfather! Im going to ask Qiao Fu for the house! Qiao Qiang was shocked and said, Mei Mei, youre pregnant now. That Qiao Fu is not someone to be trifled with. Dont let anything happen to you. Qiao Mei touched her stomach and said to Qiao Qiang, Dont be afraid. Ill get Uncle Zhao to go with me. He still has the written agreement. Besides, dont you believe me by now. Dont worry, grandfather. Im going now! Qiao Mei went to the brigade to explain the situation and asked Zhao Liang to find the written agreement and then go to Qiao Fus house with her to ask for a resolution. Zhao Liang thought for a while and called a few militiamen to follow them in case anything should go wrong. Then he took the written agreement and followed Qiao Mei. It was noontime and also the time when everyone finished their work and returned for lunch. They all came out when they saw Qiao Mei leading a big group of people. The big troop attracted a lot of attention and everyone crowded around, afraid of missing out on something. When Auntie Dong saw them, she also joined in. Before they reached the main door of the house, Qiao Mei shouted, Everyone, are you having lunch! Second Grandpa, Im here to ask you to return the house! 1 Chapter 104 - Asking for the House The family had an early lunch today and most of the others had left the house after eating. Only the second son of the Qiao family, Qiao Gui, and his wife, Wang Qin, were at home. When they heard what Qiao Mei shouted at the door, they initially thought they had misheard. Their neighbors in the vicinity came out faster than the two of them, not wanting to miss out on such an exciting scene. Qiao Gui and Wang Qin came to the courtyard and saw Qiao Mei leading Zhao Liang and a group of people in an imposing manner. She looked to be serious about something this time round. Qiao Mei, your second grandfather is not at home. What did you say just now? Wang Qin asked again, as if she did not hear her clearly. Qiao Mei smiled and said, Second Auntie, I said Im here to ask for the house. House? What house? This is my house! Qiao Gui panicked when he heard that Qiao Mei was here to ask for the house, and yelled at her loudly. The neighbors standing around were all whispering softly among themselves. So Qiao Mei was here to ask for the house. This house really seemed to belong to Qiao Mei. This news spread like wildfire and everyone in the village, young and old, came to Qiao Guis house to see what was happening. Second Uncle, it seems that an important man like yourself has short memories. What do you mean its your house? This is my mothers house, I dont know how it became yours. Qiao Mei was not worried about the neighbors crowding around. The more people there were, the better. Then she would have witnesses. Qiao Gui snorted. Hmph, when your mother left, she said that she would give me this house. My mother didnt say that she would give it to you. Back then, she asked all of you to take care of me until I got married, then after that the house would belong to you. If my grandfather hadnt come back in time, I would have died in your pigsty in the house! Qiao Mei pointed at Qiao Gui and shouted at him. The villagers around them were all feeling indignant because what she said was true. If Qiao Qiang had not come back and brought Qiao Mei away, Qiao Gui and the others would have starved Qiao Mei to death, and everything left behind by Li Gui would have fallen into their hands. Arent you already married and pregnant?! I dont care! Anyway, this house is mine! Qiao Gui took a few steps forward and glared at them to prevent them from going forward. Seeing this, Qiao Mei took a few steps back. It was not that she was afraid, but she was worried that she would hurt her children. She had to be extra careful at this moment. Zhao Liang looked at the unreasonable Qiao Gui and frowned. Qiao Gui, back then, you all signed the agreement at the brigade and I was the witness. Its true that you all did not take care of Qiao Mei. Please just return this house to her. When Qiao Gui saw Zhao Liang about to take out the agreement, he picked up the shovel beside him and wanted to swing it. Seeing this, Wang Qin was so frightened that she hurriedly pulled her man back. Wang Qin was the village accountant, a fact that she showed off for most of her life. If Qiao Gui hit Zhao Liang, it would definitely cost her the job. It would be so embarrassing if she were to lose her job on top of all the mess this could cause, and she would lose her standing in the Qiao family. Team Leader Zhao, isnt it against the rules for Qiao Mei to be married and yet live alone? How can her family be allowed to have two homesteads? Wang Qin blocked Qiao Gui and made him stand back so that he could not cause trouble here. Qiao Gui was not as ruthless as his eldest brother, Qiao Fu, nor was he as smart as the third son, Qiao Wang. He was just a silly big man who only knew how to fight. When Qiao Mei heard this, she said laughingly, My mother is coming back to live in the village. Who told you that Im getting married and setting up my own household! This is my mothers house, so of course my mother will be living here. Upon hearing this, Wang Qin could not find any other reason to refute it. Seeing that the house was about to belong to Qiao Mei, Wang Qins attitude softened a little. Then Mei Mei, if you want us to move away, where can we go? You cant be asking us to sleep outside, right? Qiao Mei was not one to fall for that. She still remembered Wang Qins attitude towards her in the past. When I was young, you people even let me sleep in the pigsty. I didnt remember you feeling sorry for me then! Hurry up and move out! Seeing that Qiao Mei remained unmoved by both force and persuasion, Wang Qin became anxious. Its fine if you want us to move! Then you have to pay us! Weve lived here for so long and helped you keep the place clean, otherwise it would have become dilapidated without anyone living here! Weve been helping you take care of it! You have to pay us! When the neighbors heard this, they all thought that it was a joke. This woman was really too obsessed with money and all she could think of was how to make money. They all knew that a tenant needed to pay money to live in a house, but no one had heard of a tenant asking the owner of the house for money. Auntie Dong could not stand it anymore and pointed at Wang Qin while saying, You have the cheek to say that! Wang Qin rolled her eyes and ignored the comment. Money was the most important thing to her now. She could not have a situation where there was no house and no money. Chapter 105 - Coming to Ask for the House Qiao Mei weighed her options and asked Wang Qin, How much do you want? The neighbors around her all felt that Qiao Mei was still too young and had fallen into Wang Qins trap. How could she really want to give Wang Qin money? Auntie Dong was also anxious, afraid that Qiao Mei would suffer a loss, and looked at Qiao Mei worriedly. No matter whether the villagers thought that Qiao Mei was stupid, even Wang Qin thought that Qiao Mei was really going to give them money. She did not know how much money Qiao Mei had earned, but she had actually seen Qiao Meis wedding gift with her own eyes. 800 dollars! Wang Qin looked at Qiao Mei smugly. The neighboring villagers standing around scolded Wang Qin for being heartless when they heard that. A villager standing at the side scolded, Wang Qin, youre so shameless! You didnt take care of the child for even a day and you dare to ask for 800 dollars to stay in her house for free! Wang Qin did not know who said it, but she turned around and shouted, Its none of your business! So you think this house is worth 800 dollars. Qiao Mei looked around the house. The Qiao family members were all lazy people. This village was full of mud houses which needed to be repaired regularly to be kept in an acceptable condition. There were many people in the Qiao family and they did not even have enough to eat, let alone be able to raise livestock. The pigsty had long collapsed and there was not much clean space in the courtyard. Wang Qin looked at Qiao Mei and said, Thats right! We even used the best soil for this house! You even ate at our house before! We even helped you plow this land, otherwise it wouldnt be usable anymore! Its worth 800 dollars! Well leave if you pay up! Qiao Mei smiled even wider and her sweet voice made every word she spoke sounded coquettish. Qiao Mei said happily, Then give me 800 dollars and Ill sell this house to you. The people around her all burst out laughing. Wang Qin was stunned. She did not expect Qiao Mei to set her up and replied in exasperation, No way. Look, this place doesnt look like its worth 800 dollars. At most its worth 50 dollars! Auntie Dong looked at Wang Qin with disdain. This woman could even go back on her word when she had just said that this place was worth 800 dollars. She said mockingly, Wang Qin, arent you an accountant, how come you dont seem to know how to calculate. You cant even tell the difference between 800 dollars and 50 dollars. As soon as Auntie Dong finished speaking, the people around her burst out laughing. Wang Qins face also turned red and she forgot about maintaining her image as she pointed at Auntie Dong and scolded, Dong old woman, what do you know! You cant even manage your own affairs! If I say this house is worth 50 dollars, then its worth 50 dollars! Auntie Dong was so angry that she wanted to go forward and put up a fight. Auntie Wang and Auntie Fu, who were next to her, were all ready to stand up for her. Auntie Dong was a very helpful person in the village and she would help anyone who had any problems. Everyone had a good relationship with her. Qiao Mei stopped Auntie Dong and said to Wang Qin, 200 dollars! Wang Qin thought about it and still felt that it was too much. 100 dollars! Theres no room for discussion! Qiao Mei could not be bothered to say anything more to her and finally said, 150 dollars, or Ill tear down the house! Wang Qin really could not argue with that and could only agree to what Qiao Mei said in the end. However, she did not want to bear the full amount and wanted the Qiao family to pay it. After all, she was not the one who made the written agreement back then. Wang Qin gritted her teeth and said, Alright Alright, send it to the brigade tomorrow! Uncle Zhao will give you the agreement then! Its settled then, 150 dollars! After saying that out loud, Qiao Mei left. When the villagers saw what happened, they also dispersed and went home to discuss this matter in private. Wang Qin usually walked around the village proudly just because she was the village accountant. She was haughty and looked down on everyone, and her high and mighty manner made everyone unhappy. Today, everyone felt appeased to see her behaving like a shrew. Qiao Gui threw down the shovel in his hand and watched as Qiao Mei and the others left. He was so angry that his face turned red. When he looked at his wife, he was even more furious. Although they had managed to keep the house, they still had to give 150 dollars. They did not have so much money at home. At night, the Qiao family gathered together and everyone looked at Qiao Zhuang without saying a word. When Qiao Zhuang heard about what happened today, he could not think of any good countermeasures. Seeing that no one said anything, Wang Qin asked Qiao Zhuang carefully, Father, are we really going to give her 150 dollars? All these years, Qiao Zhuang had been able to act like a tyrant because the village accountant was his daughter-in-law. Therefore, he was polite to Wang Qin and did not beat or scold her like he did to his other daughters-in-law. The Qiao family members all had their own thoughts. The third daughter-in-law, Jiang Ye, was usually the most simple-minded. She only stayed at home to do housework, so she was straightforward and spoke bluntly. When she heard that Wang Qin wanted 150 dollars from the family, she said enviously to Wang Qin, Why should we give it to you when everyone in the family needs money. Where can we find 150 dollars, especially since you agreed to the price yourself. Qiao Zhuang looked fiercely at his third daughter-in-law. Qiao Wang was the smartest son in the family and very good at reading someone from their body language, and he knew how to curry favor with Qiao Zhuang. However, Jiang Ye did not manage to give birth to a boy and they only had a daughter, causing him to have very little standing in the family. When he saw Qiao Zhuangs expression, he went up to his wife and slapped her. 1 Chapter 106 - Compromise There was silence in the Qiao family house. Jiang Ye looked at her husband, Qiao Wang, in confusion. Qiao Yu was so frightened that she hid in a corner, afraid that she would be implicated. The house is Fathers house! What do you mean by yours and his! Qiao Wang expressed his thoughts and also took the chance to remind everyone that the house did not belong to them. If they wanted to pay for it, they had to consider it carefully. This statement made the eldest son, Qiao Fu, and his wife, Liu Ying, take notice. There were a total of three houses in the Qiao family now. One was the Qiao familys old residence, which belonged to Qiao Zhuang, and the other house belonged to Qiao Fu. Although the Qiao family did not have much money, Qiao Fu treated his wife quite well. His wife, Liu Ying, was an eloquent woman, she helped out with the family as well as went out to work, and was generally diligent. Back then, he had spent 100 dollars to marry her and they managed to build a house together after all these years with some difficulties. The last house was the current residence of Qiao Gui and Wang Qin. Initially, they all agreed that the family would not give any betrothal gifts when the fourth son, Qiao Liang, married his wife but rather, the couple would be given them the house to live in when the time came. In the end, Wang Qin took a fancy to the house and snatched it away. Although Qiao Liang was married now, he still lived with Qiao Zhuang. The fifth son, Qiao Gang, had just reached marriageable age. The family found a matchmaker from the neighboring village to introduce him to a good family who said that they would be giving a dowry. However, they wanted the Qiao family to give them 300 dollars as the betrothal gift. So while the 300 dollars were not even prepared yet, they were now saddled with another payment of 150 dollars. Qiao Gang hurriedly went to Qiao Zhuangs side and said pitifully, Father, I still have to get married. You cant give everything to second brothers family. If theres really no other way, lets go and talk to Qiao Mei and see if we can just owe her first. My marriage is more important. Wang Qin was unhappy when she heard this. Hey, you cant say that. You can get a wife anytime. If you really cant, Ill find you a nice girl later. You cant just watch while my family has nowhere to live. Wang Qin turned to look at Qiao Gui, her husband. Qiao Gui was a simple man who did not know what to say and Wang Qin quietly poked his thigh. Thats right! Thats right, Father! We cant sleep outside, otherwise wed just be a joke! Qiao Gui finally understood his wifes intentions this time round, so he was not really that stupid. Qiao Gang was about to retort when Qiao Zhuang shouted, Stop arguing! Youre all useless! The house went quiet and there was no sound at all. Qiao Yu, who was standing in the corner, got so frightened that she lost her balance and fell to the ground. It was only then that everyone noticed her. Liu Ying thought for a moment and said to Qiao Yu, Xiao Yu, dont you usually get on well with Qiao Mei? Go and talk to her and see if theres any way for us not to have to give her 150 dollars. 1 Everyone looked at Qiao Yu, who looked back at them in panic because they were like a pack of hungry wolves staring at a thin goat. Qiao Yu quickly stepped forward and said, Im not that close to her! Last time! Last time, she even beat me out of the door with a big stick! She said that she wont let me go near again! If I go near again, shell beat me to death! Believe me! Its useless even if I go! Not long ago, Qiao Yu had indeed gone over once to borrow some grains from Qiao Mei. In the end, before she could enter, Qiao Mei had scared her off with a big stick and she did not even dare to look back. When she returned home, she got a beating from the Qiao family as well. Qiao Yu looked at Qiao Zhuang in panic. Qiao Zhuang sighed and thought for a moment before saying to Qiao Gui and Wang Qin, The family will give you 80 dollars and thats all. The remainder needs to be given to your fifth brother for him to get married. As for the rest of what you need, you have to find a way to make up for it yourself. With that, he chased these few members of the Qiao family away. Wang Qin put the 80 dollars into her pocket and went home quickly. Actually, she had the 150 dollars that was required, but she could not allow herself to take all of it out for nothing. After all, the house belonged to the Qiao family. If the eldest son, Qiao Fu, came to ask for the house, she could not count on her man for help. He was just a simple person who could not win against the eldest son and the third son. This 80 dollars could be considered enough to cover some cost. Wang Qin went home happily, and when Liu Ying saw Wang Qins expression, she secretly made her own plans. Did you see that your second brothers Wang Qin actually has money, but she just wants to cheat the old man out of his money. We have to be careful. Qiao Fu nodded and went home with his wife, Liu Ying. Chapter 107 - Returning to the Village Early the next morning, Qiao Gui and Wang Qin went to the brigade to look for Zhao Liang, afraid that Qiao Mei would bring people around to cause trouble again. If that happened, Wang Qin wondered where she could hide her face. She did not want Qiao Mei to go looking for her superiors to say that she had occupied someone elses house and in turn caused her to lose her job. After paying 150 dollars and getting the original agreement, Wang Qin finally felt relieved. Zhao Liang quickly took the 150 dollars and went to Qiao Meis house. On the way, he could smell the fragrance of food from afar. It would appear that it was not a lie to say that Qiao Mei was capable. Brother Qiao! Brother Qiao, are you there! Zhao Liang shouted from the door. Qiao Mei hurriedly came out when she heard the sound. Uncle Zhao, why are you here so early! My grandfather went out to pick vegetables. Zhao Liang took out the money from his pocket and handed it to Qiao Mei. This is the money that Wang Qins family came to pay this morning. I came by to give it to you. Take a look. Qiao Mei walked over and put the money in her pocket without looking at it. She said smilingly, Uncle Zhao, of course I trust you. Uncle Zhao, I just made steamed pumpkin, how about having some! Come in and eat. My grandfather will be back soon. Zhao Liang waved his hand and was about to leave when Qiao Mei suddenly said, Uncle Zhao, does our village still have any homestead, as I want to get one for my mother. Zhao Liang thought for a moment and looked at the surrounding houses. He pointed in the southeast direction and said, Look at that area. Its not very big, but its quite close to your house. Otherwise, the area next to your Auntie Wangs house is still empty, or the area close to Qiao Zhuangs place. You can decide which area you like and just come to the brigade to let us know. Qiao Mei looked in the direction that Zhao Liang was pointing at and thought that it was not too bad, except that there was only one and a half mu of private land. Still, she thought that she should not ask for too much. Now that she was a prominent person in the village, people would talk about it if she asked for more private land. Besides, her mother would not have the energy to manage so much land, and having more land also meant that the Zhang family could demand for more later. Yes, alright! Uncle Zhao, Ill go and look for you after I eat with my grandfather! Take care, Uncle Zhao! Qiao Mei did not force Zhao Liang to stay. After sending him off, she went into the house to get the dishes ready and waited for Qiao Qiang to come back to eat. At the dining table, Qiao Qiang could tell that Qiao Mei had something on her mind, but he did not say anything as he knew this child well. The previous Qiao Mei was impulsive and willful and he was always worried that she would get bullied outside. Given that she was all grown up now, he need not worry too much. Grandfather, do you think it is alright if the homestead for my mother is located next to Auntie Dongs house? Qiao Mei looked at Qiao Qiang with her big bright eyes. Qiao Qiang smiled. Sure, as long as you think its alright. Grandfather trusts you. Right! Ill talk to Uncle Zhao about this later. Qiao Mei started to eat faster to quickly finish the food in her bowl. Hey! Slow down, slow down! Youre going to be a mother soon, yet youre still so rash. Its not good for your child if youre like this! Qiao Qiang hurriedly stopped Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei put down the bowl in her hand and smiled foolishly. She had almost forgotten that she was the mother of two children. She touched her slightly protruding stomach and put down the bowl and chopsticks. I know, I know. I was so anxious that I forgot. Qiao Mei looked at the time and said, Grandfather, Im off to the brigade. Qiao Mei went to the brigade to choose the location of the homestead and exchanged her work points for some wood. Then, she asked Uncle Zhao to help her find out where she could find someone who sold mud bricks from home. Although people were not allowed to buy and sell items in private during this period in time, it was fine to carry out it secretly and nobody would talk about it. She then went home and got on her bicycle to go to the train station to pick up Li Gui. After all, that was still her mother. Although Li Gui was not by her side to take care of her when she was young, she still looked forward to having her mother around. When Qiao Mei reached the train station, it was still much earlier than the scheduled arrival time. The month of June in the northeast of the country was not as hot as summer in the south, and it did not feel stuffy while she waited at the train station. Looking at the clouds in the sky, Qiao Mei felt much more relaxed. A train slowly stopped in front of Qiao Mei and as there were not many people getting off at the mountain village, Qiao Mei saw her mother at one glance. Mom! Here! Qiao Mei waved her hands and looked at Li Gui. She also noticed the two little girls beside Li Gui. Chapter 108 - : Preparing to Build a House Li Gui returned to the village with just one big bag given that she did not have many things to begin with. As soon as she got down the train with the two children, she heard someone calling her. She followed the voice and realized that Qiao Mei had come to pick her up. Li Gui was very shocked to see that and walked over with the two children. Qiao Mei, why are you here? Its such a hot day and furthermore, youre pregnant. What if something should happen to you. Li Gui asked nervously when she saw the bicycle next to Qiao Mei. Its fine, Im in good health. I came by to pick you up. Qiao Mei lowered her head to look at the two girls beside Li Gui. The older one was still looking at Qiao Mei warily but the younger one did not seem to know anything. She just felt that the person standing in front of her was a beautiful big sister who looked good and whom she liked very much. Li Gui gave the two children a little push and said, This is Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao. Both of you, come greet your elder sister. Zhang Qin was stunned for a moment before she said awkwardly, Hello, elder sister. As for the younger Zhang Miao, her eyes were filled with innocence. She hid beside her mothers legs and did not dare to look up at Qiao Mei. This was because back home, her grandmother said that her mother had a daughter in the countryside who looked like a black bear, and that the person was her elder sister. That elder sister was evil and could eat people up, and she would beat people up for no reason. 1 Of course, the first part of what she said could be considered to be true, but the second part was a lie made up by Old Madam Zhang to scare the child. Sigh, this child seems to be afraid of strangers. Ill give you a ride back, so you dont do anything. Li Gui took the luggage that she was holding and placed it onto the bicycle. She then pushed it forward and walked in front while the two little girls followed behind obediently. When they reached the village, Li Gui started to feel a little uncomfortable. She had not returned for so many years and did not know what the neighbors would say. As Li Guis house in the village had not been built yet, she had to stay at Qiao Meis house for a few days. When they entered the house, Qiao Mei brought the three of them to the west room. The east room was Qiao Qiangs room. Qiao Mei went to the storeroom to get some fruits and vegetables, as well as took out three taels of meat to prepare a few dishes. Li Gui helped out at the side while Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao tidied up the tables and chairs in the courtyard. There were now three more people in the house, so they had to wipe down the unused furniture and clean them up. Not long after, the fragrance of food filled the entire house. Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao had never smelled such a nice aroma before. They crouched at the door and stared at the meat in the pot. Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao, come over and eat. Qiao Mei smiled at the two children as she brought out the dishes. At the dining table, Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao only focused on eating the rice in their bowls and did not dare to reach out to pick up any of the vegetables and side dishes. At the Zhang familys house, they were not even allowed to eat at the dining table, let alone eat any meat. Just looking at the meat would get them a beating. Qiao Meis heart ached when she saw the two children behaving like this and she kept serving food to the three of them. After dinner, Qiao Mei brought the two children to the courtyard to look at her familys fruits and livestock. She plucked a bunch of grapes and placed them in Zhang Qins hands. Bring your sister along to wash them before eating. Qiao Mei patted Zhang Qins head and went into the house. Li Gui teared up when she saw the scene outside the window. Before this, she had never dared to imagine that her daughter would acknowledge her, nor had she ever thought that Qiao Mei would be nice to the children she had with Zhang Qian. Qiao Mei took a bunch of grapes that had already been washed and handed them to Li Gui. She said gently, Try it. These are fresh grapes and theyre very sweet. Li Gui quickly took one and tasted it. The grape was plump and juicy and it was very sweet. Qiao Mei took out a cloth bag containing the 150 dollars that the Qiao Gui couple had given her. Li Gui did not know what had transpired but when she saw that Qiao Mei wanted to give her the money, she quickly waved her hands and refused, asking Qiao Mei to take it back. Mei Mei, what are you doing, I dont want money! Take it back quickly! Li Gui said anxiously. Qiao Mei placed the cloth bag in her hand and said, Listen to me. Your house is still occupied by Qiao Gui and Wang Qin, but they gave me 150 dollars, so lets just take it that they bought that house. Ive chosen a site for a homestead near my house. You can go and take a look later, its not very big though. As for the wood needed to construct the house, I told Uncle Zhao Liang to use the work points to get them. I also bought mud bricks from the other families in the village and Ive spent 500 dollars so far. Lets build the house first and we can talk about other things later. When Li Gui saw that Qiao Mei had already made all the arrangements for her residence, she was so touched that she did not know what to say. She did not know how to make it up to Qiao Mei for all these years. Chapter 109 - Having a Home Qiao Mei held Li Guis hand and stroked it gently. She knew that Li Gui was thinking about how to make it up to her, but it was not as if Li Gui did not care about her during all these years. It was just that she had been deceived by Old Madam Li, who was Qiao Meis grandmother. My little girl, please consider the building costs of 500 dollars to be a loan to me which Ill pay back later. Ill leave this 150 dollars with you for now. Li Gui looked into Qiao Meis eyes, afraid that she would refuse. Qiao Mei nodded. Although she did not quite understand if Li Gui intended to use the money to repay her or it was meant for something else, she thought about it and decided that it would be safer for her to keep the money. Otherwise, if the Zhang and Li families came over during this period of time, they might just take the money away. 1 Alright, and I want to ask if you have any plans for Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao. Qiao Mei looked at the two children in the courtyard. Li Gui sighed and said, Its better for them to be by my side. If they stay with the Zhang family, they might get beaten or scolded. Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao are still in their hands. I wonder how they are doing. 1 Theyll be fine. After all, theyre two boys, nothing will happen to them. Qiao Mei brought Li Gui to the storeroom to take a look at the remaining beans in the house. The baskets of beans were growing quite well. Qiao Mei quietly exchanged some energy with the baskets of beans in front of her so that they could grow even better. There are a total of five catties of beans in this basket. You can take them to grow bean sprouts first. Well talk about it after the house is built. Qiao Mei pointed at the basket in front of her. Li Gui nodded and said, Alright, take it that Im borrowing the beans from you. Ill return it when I can. After all, the money earned from these beans had to be handed over to the Zhang family, so the money to buy the beans should be paid by the Zhang family. Even biological brothers would settle their accounts clearly, let alone this was her own daughter. Qiao Mei had already given her enough help. Li Gui called Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao over from the courtyard. Zhang Qin, Zhang Miao! Come and help mom grow bean sprouts! Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao put down the grapes in their hands and ran over to help. When she saw her two daughters standing around her to help her with the bean sprouts, she recalled that the young Qiao Mei had also looked at her like this in the past. The two children did not find it tiring to help out and they did their tasks reliably. Back when they were living with the Zhang family, Old Madam Zhang always ordered them around to do the housework and sometimes, they even had to cook for themselves. Naturally, they did not feel tired at all even with the current tasks at hand. Qiao Meis heart ached when she saw the two children working so hard, but there was nothing she could do about it. Children from poor families had to manage the households from young. The more they learned while they were young, the better they would be able to support themselves in the future, and they would not be as spoiled as the original owner of this body. Qiao Mei did not stay around for too long and went out to busy herself with her chores in the courtyard. She had not exchanged energy with the plants yet today. After dealing with all the beans, Li Gui brought the two children to the site of her homestead to take a look. Earlier, the ground was still filled with bushes and branches, but there were only some weeds left on the ground now. Li Gui squatted down and hugged the two children, saying, Look, this is our home. From now on, we will live here! The four-year-old Zhang Miao looked around and said softly, But theres nothing here, how do we stay here. Li Gui smiled and patted Zhang Miao and Zhang Qin on their heads. She casually pointed at an empty space and said, Lets see, how about we build a house there and then build a shed here and put a table here Listening to Li Guis description, Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao ran around happily in the middle of the yard. They took a look here at one moment and then jumped around there the next moment. They chatted about their ideas and also shared their thoughts about the future. Mom, lets get a shelf here to grow grapes that are as delicious as elder sisters grapes! Here, here! Lets put a pigsty here! Elder sisters pigs are so pretty! Well get to eat meat every day! And here! And here Seeing the long-lost smiles reappearing on the two childrens faces, Li Gui was also very happy. The two childrens laughter was clear and hearty, and the sky also seemed to look bluer on this day. Come pluck the weeds with mom. Lets clean up the yard together. Li Gui and the two children went around plucking the weeds and only returned to Qiao Meis house when it was dark. Although it was very tiring, she had boundless energy when she thought about the beautiful life they were going to have in the future. Chapter 110 - Selling Vegetables on the Black Market The next day, at the crack of dawn, Qiao Mei woke Li Gui up and took her to the storeroom for a discussion. She originally had hundreds of baskets of beans but after the agreement between the village and the supply and marketing cooperative was made, she had sold most of those beans to the villagers at a low price. Therefore, there were only about 10 baskets of beans left in the storeroom. In the corner, there were also a few baskets of shriveled bean sprouts. Qiao Mei had taken back some of the energy from the bean sprouts early in the morning so as to make them look more realistic. These few baskets of bean sprouts are not up to standard. If you have time, you can go to the black market to sell them. Its not so convenient for me to go now but its a pity to throw them away. Qiao Mei looked at these bean sprouts regretfully. Li Gui squatted down and looked at the bean sprouts carefully, the quality was indeed not at the level required by the supply and marketing cooperative. She said confidently, Dont worry, I will definitely be able to sell it. She had been going to the black market since she was young, so she knew very well where to find the most suitable spot to sell these bean sprouts, and it should not take her too long to sell everything. It was just that these few baskets of bean sprouts already weighed around 80 pounds. Fortunately, Li Gui had been doing manual labor in the factory previously, and there was also the bicycle available for use, so she did not have to worry about not being able to carry it. Oh right, I still have a few pumpkins and some fruits here. Help me sell them and Ill give you half of the earnings. Qiao Mei handed the basket beside her to Li Gui. Li Gui took it and slung it over her shoulder. No, no need. Take it as Im helping you run an errand or something. You dont have to give me money. Li Gui looked at the color of the sky outside and said, Ill go now or the market will close soon. It turned out that it was not that strenuous to carry the four big baskets, so Li Gui rode the bicycle and made her way to the black market. Although the rules and regulations did not allow people to buy and sell items in private now, due to the lack of supplies, everyone came together in an unplanned manner to put things up for sale in an inconspicuous place. Over time, this place became known as the black market. As soon as Li Gui arrived at the black market, she found a place near the exit and set up a stall. The bean sprouts sold at the supply and marketing cooperative went for 30 cents a catty. She priced her stock at 10 cents a catty and was naturally able to sell them quickly. A few people grabbed a handful of bean sprouts to try and agreed that it indeed tasted similar to the ones sold at the supply and marketing cooperative. They then generously bought more than 10 catties of bean sprouts and it did not take long for the bean sprouts to be sold out. Li Gui held the empty baskets and grinned from ear to ear. She did a quick count and noted that there were 13 dollars and 30 cents in her hands. This was more profitable than working in the factory. She had never made so much money in a day. After Li Gui left, Qiao Mei cooked some pumpkin porridge and stewed some pork with cabbage for the two children. When the food was served, Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao still only focused on eating the porridge in their bowls and did not dare to take any of the meat and vegetables. Qiao Mei had to pick out the meat piece by piece for them. As Zhang Qin scooped the rice porridge from her bowl, she muttered softly, Thank you, elder sister Qiao Mei smiled when she heard that. This was still a good child after all and not an ungrateful ingrate. It was good to know that the child knew how to feel thankful. Qiao Mei looked at Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao and said, Is elder sister a nice person? Zhang Miao looked up excitedly and said, Yes! Elder sister is great! Qiao Mei touched Zhang Miaos head and asked, Then do you think mom is a nice person? Zhang Qin lowered her head and shook it silently while Zhang Miao also kept quiet. Seeing this, Qiao Mei brought them to the grapevine and took a bunch of grapes for the two children. She sat on a stool and said, Actually, mom is very good to you, but mom doesnt have the ability to give you a lot. Look, elder sister has all these fruits and vegetables. I can give them to you, but if mom has vegetables, she has to give them to your grandmother, am I right. Zhang Miao was young, but she was starting to remember things. Zhang Qin was a little older and was six years old this year and there were things that she could remember. Zhang Qin thought for a moment and nodded. It was true that if there was any food, she had to give them to her brother and father first, and she had to give everything that was nice to her grandparents. Qiao Mei looked at the two childrens reactions and continued, Mom has to hand over her salary to your grandmother every month and your father has to hand over his salary to her as well. She gets more than 80 dollars a month and can totally support you four siblings. Why is it that you still dont have enough to eat. Zhang Miao thought for a moment and said, Because Grandma said that she wants to feed the boys first! Qiao Mei waved her hands and said, Thats not right. Both boys and girls should have food. Your grandmother took everything away from mom, so mom has nothing to give you. Actually, mom wants to treat you well. Your grandmother has so much money but why didnt she spend any money on you, the clothes youre wearing are from a long time ago. Zhang Qin suddenly remembered and said, Grandma said that she wanted to save money for big brother to get married Chapter 111 - First Time Buying Candy Qiao Mei did not expect that Zhang Cong was already old enough to get married. However, given that he was not a hardworking person at all, he would eventually just use up all his familys assets. It took some effort to ensure that he took over Old Man Zhangs position in the food factory, but all he did was to muddle along every day. Just as Qiao Mei was thinking about all these, Li Gui came back on the bicycle. After putting it away, she headed in the direction of the children. Earlier, when she passed by the convenience store on the way back, she had bought two pieces of candy and put them in her pocket to give to Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao. Mei Mei, I sold out everything today. I made some money! Li Gui took out the money from her pocket and gave 10 dollars to Qiao Mei. This is the money for the fruits and vegetables I sold today. Here you go. Qiao Mei knew at a glance that this was the bulk of the money. She took three dollars and said to Li Gui, How can my things be worth so much? Ill just take three dollars. Dont give me too much. Qiao Mei took three dollars, which was not a lot, so that Li Gui would feel better and not as if she needed help with everything. Li Gui led Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao to clean up the dining table and wiped the kitchen stove clean, and then entered the house with them. Li Gui secretly put away the remaining money into a red cloth bag. Then she took out the candies from her pocket and held them in her hands. Guess what this is! Li Gui looked at the two children with a smile. Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao looked at their mothers hands in front of them, not knowing what was inside. Li Gui opened her hands and showed them two colorful candies. Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao widened their eyes in amazement. Wow! Candy! they said in unison. Take it and eat slowly. Dont choke on it. Li Gui handed the candies to the two girls. Seeing the two children happy made her happy too. Previously, she had to hand over all her salary to Old Madam Zhang. Now that she had some money, she could buy foodstuff for the two children. Zhang Qin ate the candy and thought about what elder sister Qiao Mei had said in the morning. She thought to herself that elder sister was right. The two children used to think that the countryside was not as good as the city, but now they could eat meat and delicious food as much as they wanted, and there was no beating to endure and no one bullying them. Their mother also had money to buy candy for them. It seemed that it was better to be in the countryside than in the city! This was the first time the two children had eaten candy. In the past, Old Madam Zhang would never buy anything for them even if she had money. She was so busy ordering them around that she would never think about treating them well enough to buy things like candy for them. Zhao Liang brought his tools to Qiao Meis house and shouted at the door, Li Gui! Qiao Mei! The builders are here! Qiao Mei and Li Gui brought the two children to the site of the new homestead. The wood was ready and the mud bricks were placed at one side. The men from every family came to help out. Of course, when it came to such matters, Qiao Zhuang and his family would not come to join in the fun. During that period of time, there was no such thing as hiring people to build a house. It was always the neighbors who helped out with everything. However, the owner of the house had to reciprocate by being responsible for everyones meals. When she saw Zhao Liang, Li Gui still felt a little uneasy. After all, they were from the same village in the past and everyone had their own opinions about widows getting remarried. However, Qiao Mei had already gone around saying that whoever bullied Li Gui would be akin to bullying Qiao Mei, so no one mentioned it anymore. In addition, they also knew that it was not like Li Gui did not care about Qiao Mei all these years, but it was because Old Madam Li had taken everything away. Everyone felt more sorry for her after knowing that. Brother Zhao thank you. Li Gui looked at Zhao Liang in embarrassment. Zhao Liang had previously often helped her out in the past when they were in the same village. 1 Zhao Liang waved his hand and said, Its fine. Im the team leader. This is what I should do. These wooden logs are deducted from the work points. Besides, Im not the one who sourced these mud bricks. Zhao Liang whispered to Li Gui, These are all sourced by Big Brother Qiao Qiang. Otherwise, who would be able to get so much soil? If you want to thank someone, you should thank him. Ah! Yes I understand. Li Gui did not expect her former father-in-law to help her out. She thought that she had already offended Qiao Qiang because of past events. If Qiao Qiang had returned a few days earlier during that time, perhaps those things would not have happened Chapter 112 - Building a House For a moment, Zhao Liang and Li Gui thought about the same thing, looked at each other and sighed deeply. Zhao Liang carried the shovel and said, Dont think about the past. Dont worry, with Qiao Mei around, no one will bully you. Aye! Li Gui never dreamed that one day, she would be able to busk in her daughters glory and enjoy the blessings of having children. 1 Zhao Liang waved his hand and went off to help build the house. Li Gui looked at Qiao Mei, who was busy cooking, and quickly stopped her. Go and take a seat. Youre still in the early stages of pregnancy, so go and rest at the side. Qiao Mei did not decline and went to the side to snack on seeds. These seeds were from the sunflowers that she had planted in the courtyard at home a few days ago. Through her careful cultivation and a little extra energy from her, they grew exceptionally well and produced tasty sunflower seeds too. Throughout the day, there were many people who came around to help, all people who used to have a good relationship with Qiao Meis father, Qiao Yue, as well as his previous co-workers. Out of these people, there were probably more than 10 strong strappy men. It would be hard for Li Gui, Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao to cope with the meal preparation, it would take them a long time to get food ready for so many people. Qiao Mei sat under the shack, not feeling any sense of anxiety. Not long after, she heard shouting coming from outside the yard. Mei Mei! Were here to help! Those women who were on good terms with Qiao Mei had come around to help out. A few of them even brought their own pots and pans, while others even brought stools and tables. It was not as if they came around to help out for no rhyme or reason. Usually, Qiao Mei would help them with growing bean sprouts and their farm work, so they had come over to help with building the house or whatever they could help with. This was the good thing about the countryside. The neighbors were friendly and got along with one another. Thinking back to her other life, she did not know many of her neighbors, to the extent that she did not even know what kind of people they were. The countryside was so much better in this aspect. Not long after, a few of the older women set up the stove and began to help with the cooking. Qiao Mei had brought vegetables, fruits and meat from her house to thank everyone for their efforts. When it was time to eat, everyones eyes lit up. They could not imagine which family would be willing to serve meat from their own kitchen to people who came by to help. Only Qiao Meis family would be so generous and everyone felt even more willing to help Qiao Mei. Although Qiao Mei did not help with the cooking, the vegetables that had gone through energy exchange with Qiao Mei tasted especially delicious and the food made by the womenfolk seemed much more delectable than usual. Many people regretted not getting a matchmaker to go to Qiao Meis house in the past. They had only heard that Qiao Mei was a fierce woman who looked like a black bear spirit and that she ate too much and would squander the family fortune away, but did not know how to do work. At this moment, many people were filled with regret. They never imagined that Qiao Mei was not only fair-skinned and beautiful, but also good at cooking and making money. Anyone would find her to be an eligible partner but unfortunately, she was already married and pregnant. The older women had also seen the changes in Qiao Mei in the past few months. They thought that Qiao Mei had worked so hard that she lost weight, but the weight loss improved her skin and made her look more beautiful. After mealtime, the women surrounded Qiao Mei and joined her to snack on seeds. Mei Mei, I think you must be having a girl! Auntie Dong said laughingly. I think so too. Mei Mei, who knows it might really be a girl. People say that a mother bearing a son looks ugly while a mother bearing a daughter looks beautiful. Auntie Wang grabbed a handful of seeds and agreed with what Auntie Dong said. Qiao Mei smiled and kept quiet. She knew that she was having a pair of twins, and it was even a boy and a girl. However, she could not comment as her pregnancy was not stabilized yet, otherwise it would be terrible if people went around saying that her desire for children had made her talk crazily. 1 Aye! If Mei Mei has a daughter, Ill give her a pig trotter! You only give one! How stingy! Ill give four pig trotters! Ill give 10 pig trotters! None of you can make it! Ill give pork hock! The lively atmosphere was fueled by the discussion about whether Qiao Mei would give birth to a boy or a girl. Li Gui silently wiped her tears at the side. As a mother, she could not give her daughter anything and she could not even compare with this bunch of neighborly village folks. She was determined to earn more money and treat Qiao Mei well so that Qiao Mei would not be shortchanged anymore. Of course, Qiao Mei did not lack these eight to ten pig trotters that they mentioned as she still had so many pigs at home. However, she knew that they were all expressing their concern for her and she was also happy to see the older women joking around. 2 Chapter 113 - Failure One of the women held up the grapes and asked Qiao Mei, Mei Mei, how are your grapes so sweet when my grapes arent even this big. and theyre so sour. Qiao Meis fruits went through energy exchange every day, so naturally they were sweeter than what others grew. Qiao Mei smiled and said, Theres a lot of knowledge required in growing grapes. Its not as simple as growing bean sprouts. Theres ambient temperature, the number of times to water it a day, the time to do the watering and the amount of water to use. You also need to know how to remove the weeds, when to water more and when to water less. Theres a lot of things to take note of. Everyone was stunned when they heard this as it sounded so believable and they were all in awe of Qiao Mei for knowing so much. Qiao Mei thought to herself that it was a good thing that she had taken a gardening course in her other life. She did not expect it to come in handy here where she could bombard these people with the information. Everyone started discussing how to grow plump grapes, but Auntie Dong felt that the taste of these grapes was not much different from the ones she grew. So, everyone went to discuss it with Auntie Dong. Occasionally, when Qiao Mei passed by Auntie Dongs house, she would help to take care of the vegetables and fruits. She would also do some energy exchange at Auntie Wangs house. As for the plants at Qiao Zhuangs house, they were all thin and shriveled though Qiao Mei had only absorbed a little bit of energy from them. Anyway, Qiao Zhuangs family was about to run out of food, so they could not be concerned about growing fruits. The days passed quickly. Li Gui had not been idle during the days while the house was being constructed. She had been growing bean sprouts and selling them on the black market. Bean sprouts that would normally grow out in four to five days could grow out in two days here! Li Gui sighed and said, The water in the village is really different! The rapid growth of the bean sprouts was also the result of Qiao Mei secretly taking care of them. Li Gui would go to the black market before dawn to sell them. However, business had not been too good of late. She did not know if it was because people from other villages had heard that there was money to be made from bean sprouts and so every family was growing their own. Once there was an oversupply of bean sprouts in the black market, one would not be able to sell much no matter how low the price was. Fortunately, Li Guis bean sprouts were of good quality and she could still sell quite a lot. The day before yesterday, the supply and marketing cooperative had only collected 200 catties of bean sprouts from the village. They had found that most of the bean sprouts were not up to their standard and the amount of bean sprouts they collected had reduced by 10 times! Every household began to reduce the amount of beans they had. From the initial 10 catties, each household had at most two to three catties now, and some even had only one to two catties. Everyone went to the black market to sell the bean sprouts that were not up-to-mark, and Li Gui found it more and more difficult to sell her bean sprouts. When Li Gui returned home, she looked at the bean sprouts she had grown and sighed to herself. She reached out to flip the bean sprouts and wondered how she would be able to sell them. Qiao Mei looked at Li Gui, already knowing what had happened recently. Currently, Qiao Mei did not go around taking special care of everyones bean sprouts as she did not want people from other villages to get jealous and cause trouble if their village sold too much. Sigh Li Gui looked at her bean sprouts worriedly. Qiao Mei looked at the empty basket and the bean sprouts in the basin, and asked in confusion, Whats wrong? Is business not good? Li Gui shook her head and said, Mei Mei, there are so many people selling bean sprouts over there now. Its not easy to sell my bean sprouts anymore. Qiao Mei thought that it was no big deal. She pulled Li Gui to the courtyard and said, You see, there are so many vegetables here. If we cant sell the bean sprouts, then well sell the vegetables. Im pregnant now and cant go, why not help me sell them. Ill bring Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao up the mountain to pick some vegetables tomorrow. Li Gui looked at the fresh vegetables like she had something new to look forward to. However, she changed her mind and said, Lets not sell these vegetables. Given that youre pregnant now, lets dry them to keep for the winter. Otherwise, you wont have any vegetables during wintertime. Look at the storeroom full of vegetables. I cant even finish seven or eight of them. Dont worry about it. Qiao Mei had indeed kept a lot of dried vegetables in the storeroom. Even if they were about to rot, she could give them some energy to maintain them in their current condition. Furthermore, they had an endless supply of vegetables in the future, so there was no need to worry about food. Li Gui thought about it and then agreed. After selling the remaining bean sprouts, she would think of another way out. There were eight or nine days to go before the completion of the house. After the house was built, it had to be left empty for two days. Otherwise, it would not be sturdy enough and it would be a disaster if it collapsed later. Qiao Mei weaved baskets at home with the two children, making small clay baskets so that it would be easier for the two children to carry them. Otherwise, they would not feel like picking vegetables when they reached the mountaintop after carrying a big heavy basket. Chapter 114 - I Can Make Money Now Qiao Mei taught the two children how to weave baskets like how Qiao Qiang had taught her. Although they were clumsy, they learned it well. Zhang Miao was still young and did not have much strength, so Zhang Qin went to help Zhang Miao tie up the baskets. Qiao Mei was relieved to see the two children helping each other out. In this era, many families would give birth to many brothers and then they would quarrel endlessly with each other, over food and property, until both sides ended up getting hurt. Sometimes, brothers would also turn against each other and did not interact again throughout their lifetimes. Even in her other life, when she was still a lawyer, she had seen many such cases. However, at that time, she was a criminal lawyer, so she did not really take on such cases about trivial family matters. Xiao Qin is so awesome! You know how to help your younger sister and the baskets you made are so beautiful! Qiao Mei smiled at the two children. Previously, Zhang Qin had always been bullied by the Zhang family. Old Madam Zhang always said that she was a money-losing good-for-nothing who was useful and only knew how to eat. Now that Qiao Mei encouraged her and affirmed her efforts, she felt a little embarrassed. Her face went red and she did not dare to look at Qiao Mei while she silently weaved the willow branches in her hand. In the end, the two children made three baskets in one morning. Qiao Mei brought Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao to the back of the mountain to see if they could make any new discoveries. In the current season, the grass had grown very tall but there were many wild vegetables to dig up and also a lot of mushrooms. While the two children were not paying attention, Qiao Mei hastened the growth of many mushrooms among the grass and also ensured that the bushes in the distance were full of fruits. When Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao saw the fruits scattered on the ground, they went to take some to put in the basket and totally did not notice what was happening on Qiao Meis side. Qiao Mei took out her sickle and interrogated the mushrooms on the ground. Which ones of you are poisonous, make yourself known! Tell me quickly! The little mushrooms scrambled to report the poisonous mushrooms. Qiao Mei nodded in satisfaction and called Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao over to identify the mushrooms. When they heard Qiao Mei say that some mushrooms were poisonous and that people would die if they ate them, Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao widened their eyes in amazement. They listened carefully when Qiao Mei told them how to differentiate the edible ones from the ones that were not. The two children put everything they could recognize into the baskets. Before long, the two small baskets were full. Zhang Qin took the third basket to hold the fruits from the bushes. The two children felt especially proud when they looked at the three full baskets in front of them. Qiao Mei also picked a basket of mushrooms and then they went back. On the way, the two children did not complain about being tired or put down their baskets. They both showed great fortitude. Qin Qin, Miao Miao, are you happy picking mushrooms today? Qiao Mei asked the two children. Zhang Miao looked at Qiao Mei and smiled brightly. Im so happy! These are enough for us to eat for a long time! The two children thought that they were picking these things for their food. Qiao Mei said to them, Its not for us to eat. After we dry these mushrooms, we can sell them for money, a lot of money. Once we make money, Ill give you some. Zhang Qin widened her eyes and said excitedly, Can we also have money! Of course. After we sell the mushrooms, how about I give you 10 cents for each dollar we make, 20 cents for two dollars. Moreover, each of you will get a share, you dont have to split it among yourselves. Qiao Mei wanted the children to be able to buy what they wanted. Zhang Miao still could not understand how much money that was, but in any case, it meant she had money now. On the other hand, Zhang Qin was ecstatic to hear that. Not to mention it was 10 cents for each dollar, even if it was just a total of 10 or 20 cents, it would be good enough for her. The three of them went home happily where they put out the mushrooms to dry and transferred the fruits they picked up into the big basket. The two children were so busy that they did not notice the big beads of sweat dripping down their faces. When Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao first came, they looked like skinny monkeys and their clothes were in tatters. Qiao Mei took her old clothes and made two sets of clothes for her two younger sisters to be able to have a change of clothing. After they came, they ate better than before and they looked like they had put on some weight after a week. They also started to smile more. Elder sister! Can we go again! Zhang Qin ran to Qiao Mei with a small basket and looked at her with sparkling eyes. Qiao Mei looked at the sky. It was still early and there was time for them to go to the stream nearby to take a look. Moreover, she had yet to exchange energy with the plants today. Qiao Mei took the basket and set off with the two children. The endless supply of mushrooms along the way made the two children extremely excited. Qiao Mei silently absorbed the energy released by the plants near the stream and used a portion of it to grow mushrooms. Perspiration soaked through the clothes on the backs of Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao. The two children ran all over the wilderness, afraid that they would miss a mushroom that could be picked. Chapter 115 - Hard Work The three of them could only bear to go home in the evening. The two children were already exhausted after a day of work, but they insisted on putting the last of these mushrooms out to dry. The entire courtyard was covered in mushrooms, and the baskets in the corner of the courtyard were filled with fruits. When Li Gui came back from work that night, she was stunned to see the entire courtyard filled with mushrooms. Did you guys pick all the mushrooms in the entire mountain? How can there be so many! Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao rushed to Li Gui and held her hand. Mom! Mom! Look at the mushrooms we picked! Elder sister brought us to pick these and there were so many of them! They were everywhere! Look! Look! And these The two children pulled Li Gui one by one to introduce their battle results today. Ill go to the county city with you to sell them tomorrow, Qiao Mei said as she looked at Li Gui. Li Gui placed everything in the corner and said, Youre pregnant, so its better that you dont go. Alright, Ill find an auntie from the village to accompany you. There are too many people going there recently and Im afraid that you wont be able to cope. Qiao Mei went to look for her neighbor, Auntie Dong. Recently, everyone was worried about not being able to earn money given that they were unable to sell their bean sprouts. Auntie Dong and Auntie Wang, who were usually on good terms with Qiao Mei, had a lot of vegetables at home and were preparing to go to the county city to sell them. However, they were timid and did not dare to go on their own as it would be a terrible thing if they were to get caught. Qiao Mei asked Auntie Dong and Auntie Wang to come over to her house. She thought of asking them to help her bring some fruits and the last of the pumpkins to sell tomorrow. Oh, Qiao Mei! Why are there so many mushrooms in your house! Auntie Dong exclaimed as soon as she entered the courtyard and saw the mushrooms all over the ground . Qiao Mei pointed towards the stream they went to today. Aunties, the two of you can go over there tomorrow to take a look. Theres a lot of mushrooms over there and theyre all growing very well. There were still some mushrooms left among the grass as their baskets were full and they had no way of bringing them back. She had never been too stingy with people who were good to her. Instead of letting strangers take them, it would be better for her own people to pick them. Aye! Aye! Ill go tomorrow when Im free, Auntie Wang replied with a smile. Qiao Mei had taken out a total of five baskets of things, namely a basket of watermelons, a basket of grapes, a basket of cucumbers, a basket of the last few pumpkins that they could not manage to finish, as well as the bean sprouts that did not grow out well at the end. Auntie Dong, Auntie Wang, this is what I want to sell tomorrow. Please go to the county city with my mother. Qiao Mei handed the two women a slice of sweet watermelon each. Its fine, its fine! Its just a small matter! Auntie Dong took a bite of the watermelon. This was much more delicious than what she had at home. Even if Qiao Mei did not come to ask Auntie Dong to go to the county city, Auntie Dong had already intended to go there to sell some vegetables to supplement her familys income. Ever since everyone could not manage to sell all their bean sprouts, her family had been spending more that they earned and her rations were almost running out. Li Gui had finished preparing dinner in the kitchen. A few days ago, the hens at home had laid two eggs and it was just nice to give to Qiao Mei for extra nourishment. She added some water to the eggs to make the texture more tender. First, she made stir-fried cucumbers with eggs and then, she made some pumpkin porridge. It was summer now and the hot weather was a little unbearable. She also made some green bean soup, but Qiao Mei could not drink it so she did not make too much. After the two older women left, she called out to Qiao Mei and Qiao Qiang to have a meal at home. In the past, she had been afraid of her former father-in-law and felt that she owed him for what happened back then. Now that Qiao Qiang did not quibble about the past and even helped her in the construction of her house, she could not be more grateful. In the beginning, the two children did not dare to eat at the table nor take any food. Now, they were very close to Qiao Mei and Qiao Qiang. They also knew who was good and who was bad and understood that they had been deceived by Old Madam Zhangs words all these years. After Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao washed the dishes and tidied up the courtyard, they went to bed early. After a tiring day, they finally could not stay awake anymore. Li Gui came to the courtyard to enjoy the evening breeze with Qiao Mei and they enjoyed an unprecedented moment together as mother and daughter. Some people wanted to go to the county city to exchange for some things to earn some money, while some people in the county city were discussing how to go to the countryside to ask for things and money and food to supplement their families. Chapter 116 - Mixed Feelings In life, one mans joy could be another mans sorrow. The Zhang family had been living an eventful and exciting life for the past week. In the beginning, when Li Gui left with the two children, there were three less people to feed in the house and the happiest person was Old Madam Zhang. However, as time went by, when no one did the housework and she had to do the cooking, she complained non-stop. You good-for-nothing! Go and find Li Gui and get her to come back! Old Madam Zhang shouted at her son, Zhang Qian. Zhang Qian ate in silence. He had already gotten used to such verbal abuse which had been going on for a week. In the beginning, he would even retort a little, but later on, Old Madam Zhang was brazen enough to go from house to house to spread rumors that she had been beaten up by her son and that her daughter-in-law had run away. She may be shameless, but Zhang Qian still cared about his reputation. Otherwise, in the past, he would not have spent so much money on betrothal gifts to marry a beautiful widow. 1 Zhang Cong quickly stopped Old Madam Zhang and said, Grandma, what can she do here when its better to let her earn money there. She can make more than 30 dollars a day. Thats easily 300 dollars in a month. It was not that Zhang Cong did not want Li Gui to come back, but he had taken a fancy to a girl in the factory. Her surname was Sun and her full name was Sun Yan. She was 19 years old, beautiful and capable. Her registered residence and household register was in the city, so her family wanted a lot of betrothal gifts. They wanted 300 dollars and the Four Big Things. At that time, it was popular to have the Four Big Things, also known as three turns and one sound, which referred to four items, namely a wristwatch, a bicycle, a sewing machine and a radio. They were all symbols of respectability. The Sun family even said that if getting the one sound was not possible, they were fine with the three turns and 500 dollars. As if I dont know what youre up to! You just want to marry Sun Yan! You got her pregnant and now you need your family to clean up your mess! Old Madam Zhang berated him. The Sun family was not in a hurry and insisted on having the three turns and one sound as the betrothal gifts. If they could not get it, they would report Zhang Cong for committing rape and send him to jail. The only people in the family who were able to go out and make money were Zhang Qian and Zhang Cong. They could not count on the two younger ones. Zhang Wei was only ten years old, while Zhang Chao was eight years old. They could not go out to work and still depended on the family to support them. Zhang Qian did not care whether Zhang Cong wanted to marry the daughter of the Sun family. After all, he would support his son if his son liked beautiful women as it would make the family look good. Moreover, he handed over his salary to Old Madam Zhang every month. He did not have a single cent to his name and Zhang Cong would never come to him for money. The supply and marketing cooperative has stopped taking in bean sprouts recently! If you ask me, Li Gui just made up a lie and ran away! How much money can she make from selling that! It would be hard to make 30 dollars a month, what more to think about 300 dollars. Old Madam Zhang looked at Zhang Cong and rolled her eyes. This Zhang Cong was still counting on Li Gui to earn money. It would already be good enough if she came back. What! Upon hearing this, Zhang Cong panicked. His plan to propose to Sun Yan this month was about to go down the drain. It would be so embarrassing as he had already made a promise to her. That would not do, he would need to go to the countryside to take a look. As soon as he decided on that, Zhang Cong left home early in the morning to go to the village to find out more. He even brought along a big bag, thinking that even if he could not get the money, there was at least farmland in the village and he could get some vegetables and send them to Sun Yans family to appease them. This could probably help to ease the tension and get him a grace period of a few more days. Zhang Cong had just bought the train ticket and was about to leave when he heard a bunch of people near the county train station saying that they were going somewhere to buy something. Zhang Cong followed them out of curiosity and when he got closer to the destination, he could smell the fragrance of fruits . Li Gui and the other two aunties had already been selling vegetables and fruits in the area since early in the morning. Due to the bumpy road on their journey, the basket of watermelons was not transported properly and some of the bigger watermelons with thinner skins had cracked open. Li Gui was initially worried that it would not be easy to sell the cracked watermelons, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Due to these cracked watermelons, people could smell the fragrance from faraway and were attracted to the area to buy them. Some people even got into arguments and fought over the watermelons, and it did not take long for them to be sold out. Zhang Cong also went forward curiously to find out the source of the fragrance. When he got closer and saw Li Gui, he was so shocked that he quickly covered his face and turned around to leave. He only dared to look around secretly after he reached a corner. This business was so good that she could not say she did not have any money. Zhang Cong now felt that he would be able to get the money for the betrothal gifts this month. Chapter 117 - Came to the Door When Li Gui was doing her sales, she saw a shadow flash past in the crowd, but she did not pay much attention to it and continued to sell the remaining vegetables and grapes. After she sold all her things, she even helped Auntie Dong and Auntie Wang to sell theirs. Zhang Cong saw many people buying from them and counted more than 10 baskets of items which he thought all belonged to Li Gui. He estimated her earnings to be more than 50 dollars and quickly engaged in some wishful thinking and came up with a plan. After everything was sold, Li Gui packed up her things and prepared to go to the county city with Auntie Dong and Auntie Wang to buy some household items. After all, they could find more things in the county city than in their small village. Auntie Wang did not need to buy anything, so she stayed behind to keep an eye on all their things. Otherwise, it would be inconvenient for them to go shopping while carrying their big baskets. Auntie Dong went to buy needles and thread as she wanted to mend the torn clothing in her house so that her family could continue to wear them. Li Gui first went to buy shoe soles and crochet needles, then some fabric, needles and thread. She looked joyful as she thought about the two pairs of shoes that she was going to make for Qiao Meis baby. After hiding the rest of her money, she went back to look for Auntie Wang. She did not expect Zhang Cong to see all of this. Zhang Cong followed behind silently, feeling very unhappy. Li Gui had always said that she had no money and no food to eat. Yet, she went to the black market every day to sell vegetables and even had the spare money to buy fabric to make new clothes. This was really outrageous. Zhang Cong followed her all the way to the village and only revealed himself after Auntie Dong and Auntie Wang had left. How great, so youve made a lot of money here. Zhang Cong stood outside the door and looked at Li Gui, who was putting the baskets back in their places. Li Gui was shocked when she heard Zhang Congs voice and thought that she had heard wrongly. She turned around and saw him standing at the entrance of the courtyard. Zhang Cong pushed open the door and looked around the house. He had no intention of entering the house as it was obvious that it was a newly built mud house. There was probably not even a warm mat in the house, let alone anything valuable. I Im not earning any money. Im usually busy with work, how can I have the time to earn money Li Gui looked at Zhang Cong guiltily and grabbed the corner of her clothes, not daring to speak loudly. Dont deny it! I saw everything. You had watermelons and grapes. Look at all the mushrooms in this courtyard. Tsk, tsk, tsk. How can you say that you dont have money? Zhang Cong casually grabbed a handful of mushrooms and looked at them before throwing them aside with a look of disdain. The things in the countryside were so uncouth that even the mushrooms smelled low-class. Li Gui was so frightened that she did not dare to move and quickly denied, No, no, no, these are not mine. I sell them for others. I usually have to go out and work. When Li Gui got married to Zhang Congs father, Zhang Cong was about 15 or 16 years old. He often watched his father beat up his mother, so he also felt that women were meant to be beaten up. and he often hit Li Gui as well. After four or five years, when Zhang Cong was already in his twenties, the neighbors all gossiped about Zhang Cong beating up his stepmother. Therefore, Zhang Cong no longer hit her, but he still beat up her children often. She could not stop him from doing that and she remained very afraid of Zhang Cong. Oh, then where did you get this house, dont tell me you stole our familys money. Zhang Cong looked carefully at the newly built house. Li Gui hurriedly explained, I borrowed it from the brigade! I borrowed money to build this house Before she could finish her sentence, Zhang Cong already stepped forward quickly and gave her a slap on the face. Li Gui fell to the ground from the force and covered her face, not daring to look at Zhang Cong directly. There was no one in this place who knew him, so he could hit her however he wanted. You money-losing good-for-nothing! My father is right! Youre not thinking about how to earn money for your family! You actually spent money to build a house! How much money does this house cost! After saying that, Zhang Cong was still all worked up and he slapped Li Gui again. Li Gui lay on the ground and cried silently. She did not dare to resist because she knew that as long as she resisted, she would be beaten up even more. No matter what, she would still be beaten up anyway. As long as she gave Zhang Cong the money, he would calm down and not beat her anymore. 1 However, she felt really indignant! The money was from the mushrooms that her three daughters had painstakingly gathered on the mountain, and the vegetables that Qiao Mei had to water and irrigate every day. She was unwilling to let Zhang Cong snatch everything away just like that. Even if she had to be beaten up, she refused to say where she kept the money she had earned today. At this moment, she only hoped that her three daughters would return later so that Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao would not get beaten up. Also, she worried about what could happen to Qiao Mei if she came back. Mom! A shout at the door made Li Gui widen her eyes. Chapter 118 - First Time Meeting Zhang Cong Coincidentally, at this moment, Qiao Mei returned with Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao from their outing to pick mushrooms and dig up wild vegetables. The two children were originally very happy and had run home to show Li Gui their harvest, but as soon as they entered the house, they were stunned and the small baskets in their hands fell to the ground. They did not dare to retreat nor move forward to approach Zhang Cong. Eh? Why are you Qiao Mei felt curious about their strange behavior, then she saw Li Gui lying on the ground as soon as she entered. The two children also seemed to be very afraid of the man. Who are you! Qiao Mei hugged the two children and looked at this man that she had never seen before. Zhang Cong turned around and saw a beautiful girl standing at the entrance of the courtyard with his two younger sisters beside her. This was probably Li Guis daughter, Qiao Mei. Wasnt she supposed to be a fatty who weighed more than 200 pounds, and was dark and ugly like a black bear spirit. The person in front of him did not fit this description at all. She had milky smooth skin, a slender figure, and a beautiful face with red lips, pearly white teeth and a sweet voice. Even when she was angry, she looked like she was throwing a charming little tantrum. Oh! Im Zhang Cong. Are you Qiao Mei? Like his father, Zhang Cong liked beautiful women. He did not expect to see such a beautiful young woman in this remote village, and she was so much prettier than Sun Yan. Qiao Mei lowered her head and asked Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao, Who is this? Its its my big brother, Zhang Qin said softly. He looked to be in his twenties, so it was likely not Zhang Wei, but the ignorant and incompetent Zhang Cong. At this moment, Li Gui slowly got up. Her nervousness about the wellbeing of her children made her forget that she was injured. She could only remember that she had to protect her children. Furthermore, Qiao Mei was pregnant and nothing must happen to her. Go, dry the mushrooms before entering the house. Qiao Mei patted the two childrens shoulders. If there was going to be a fight later, she did not want them to get hurt. Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao picked up the baskets on the ground and put back the mushrooms that had dropped out. The two children walked along the side of the fence, not daring to go near Zhang Cong. Zhang Qin brought her sister, Zhang Miao, into the house first and told her not to make a sound while she carefully laid out the mushrooms to dry outside. From time to time, she would use her peripheral vision to see if Zhang Cong was coming towards her. Why are you here to look for my mother? Qiao Mei actually already knew what he was here for. Ah I came to see if Auntie Zhang is doing well here and if she lacks anything. Im here to visit her. Zhang Cong smiled awkwardly. Qiao Mei looked at Zhang Cong mockingly and sneered, But you came empty-handed. Is this how you visit someone? Zhang Cong was caught in speechless surprise and he turned around to look at Li Gui. His gaze was not fierce, but rather to size her up. Li Gui knew that something was wrong when she saw Zhang Congs gaze and quickly said, Its fine, its fine! I dont lack anything! Dont come again! Zhang Cong did not expect Li Gui to have such a trick up her sleeve. This young woman was beautiful and had a sharp tongue. Yet Old Madam Zhang had always said that she was a Black Bear Spirit who weighed more than 200 pounds and was greedy and lazy! The two of them had probably teamed up to cook up this scheme so that he would not take a fancy to Qiao Mei. If he had known that Qiao Mei was so beautiful, then Sun Yan would never have been in the picture! 3 Old Madam Zhang would have felt so grievous about this unjust accusation. It was really a disaster that befell her out of the blue as Old Madam Zhang did not even know that Qiao Mei had already become as beautiful as a flower. I left in a hurry and did not have time! Zhang Cong took two steps forward and slowly approached Qiao Mei. Oh dear, is the thing that youre carrying heavy, let me help you! When Li Gui saw Zhang Cong walking towards Qiao Mei, she hurriedly limped over to stop him. Zhang Cong pushed Li Gui away and thought to himself, What an obstructive old thing. Im looking at the little beauty, dont cause trouble for me. 1 Seeing Li Gui fall to the ground, Qiao Mei frowned. Zhang Qin quickly ran over to help Li Gui up and pulled her away from Zhang Cong. At this moment, Zhang Cong was not in the mood to look at them. His attention was all on Qiao Mei, especially her curvaceous figure and beautiful face. Seeing that he was about to get close to Qiao Mei, Zhang Cong said fawningly, Younger sis, you must be exhausted. Come, let me help you carry the basket. Theres no need to be so formal with your big brother. As he reached out, his hands veered towards Qiao Meis chest instead of the shoulder strap of the carrying pole holding the baskets. 3 Chapter 119 - Extremely Fragile Zhang Cong reached out and was about to pounce on Qiao Mei when Qiao Mei nimbly turned around, stretched out her leg, and took advantage of Zhang Congs posture to give him a push. Zhang Cong fell on his face and got covered in dust. His legs even hit the sharp stones on the ground. This set of clothes was new! He had intended to rush off to see Sun Yan after getting the money, but now, he had gotten himself injured without managing to get the money. Ah! Ouch What the hell! Zhang Cong wanted to stand up and hit Qiao Mei but he fell back into a sitting position. Only then did he realize that his right leg was injured and he had twisted his ankle. His injury looked quite serious. Qiao Mei shrugged and pretended to be concerned with a look of panic. Oh no! What happened to you! Zhang Congs shouting at the door had attracted the attention of the surrounding neighbors who came over to take a look. The people of this era did not have any communication equipment. Their usual pastime was to see who had something going on in their family and then discussed it with one another. Even if it was something that happened in the mountain area, it would spread throughout the village the next day and the story would usually sound more ridiculous than what actually happened. Therefore, everyone went around to see what was going on when something happened. When they heard that this was about Qiao Meis family, Qiao Zhuangs family naturally came to add insult to injury. Who is this I dont know, Ive never seen him before! Whats wrong with him? The people around them discussed the situation animatedly. Seeing that everyone was here, Zhang Cong did not want to be outdone and thought that this would be the best time to embarrass Qiao Mei. He lay on the ground and stopped moving, then he cried loudly, Qiao Mei, why are you so vicious? You actually pushed me down. Auntie Dong arrived late, but seeing this unfamiliar man admonishing Qiao Mei, she pointed at him and asked, You said Qiao Mei pushed you? Look at Qiao Meis small build, how can she have the strength to push you! Thats right, thats right Qiao Mei is so thin, how can she have the strength to push down a man You dont even blush when you lie! The people around them did not think that Qiao Mei could push the man down. If he was talking about the original Qiao Mei, he might still be able to convince people. However, the current Qiao Mei was petite and looked weak. The fact that she was also pregnant made her seem even more frail. People thought it was obvious that this man was lying. Only a few people knew that Qiao Mei was actually very strong. People like Zhao Liang, Auntie Dong, Auntie Wang, and the others who were close to her knew the amount of strength Qiao Mei had when she worked. The rest of the people felt that Qiao Mei was thin and weak and had become even weaker after she got pregnant. You! Zhang Cong covered his leg and pointed at Qiao Mei, not knowing what to say. Uncle Zhao, you have to help me. Im just a girl, how strong can I be? Hes just extorting me! Qiao Mei looked at Zhao Liang, who was rushing over. Zhao Liang naturally knew how strong Qiao Mei was, but she was from his village after all, so he could only go against his conscience and said, Well thats true. Youre a girl, so you really dont have much strength What does everyone think? Dont you agree! Thats right, thats right! Yes! Everyone laughed. Between a stranger from elsewhere and Qiao Mei, their neighbor who helped them earn money, it was obvious who everyone would side with. You! All of you! Zhang Cong pointed at the people around him and was speechless from anger. He had never seen such shameless people. Were they all blind! 1 Zhang Cong was indeed quite seriously injured. He would probably need to rest his ankle for a period of time, otherwise it might not heal properly. Anyone could tell from the huge beads of sweat on Zhang Congs forehead that it must be very painful. In addition, the small slope outside Li Guis house was not steep at all. But so what? Putting aside the question of whether Qiao Mei was the one who did it or not, everyone believed that the amiable Qiao Mei would not hit someone for no reason. This person must have done something first. He wanted to push me! Hes my mothers stepson and came to ask my mother for money! He took all my mothers money! Then he found it was not enough so he came and asked me for more! Qiao Mei pointed at Zhang Cong when she spoke and then she quickly pretended to cover her face and sobbed bitterly. Thats all my hard-earned money! Thats the money I need to raise my children! Qiao Mei slapped her leg as she sobbed. When the people around her heard this, they looked at Zhang Cong fiercely. 1 Chapter 120 - Chased Out of the Village These lies just flowed out of her mouth. Auntie Dong was the closest to Qiao Mei among all the rest. When she heard what Qiao Mei said, she clenched her fists and wanted to hit Zhang Cong. However, seeing that Zhao Liang was around, she held back and went over to hold Qiao Mei. Mei Mei, your body is weak so dont cry. Zhang Qin thoughtfully brought a stool out from inside the house for Qiao Mei to sit on, but Qiao Mei cried even louder. You black-hearted b*tch! Im not here to ask for money! I was kind enough to want to help you when I saw you carrying things, but you pushed me! Youre such an ungrateful person! Im going to sue you! Zhang Cong stood up with a limp and pointed at Qiao Mei as he scolded her. Huh? You said youre not here to ask for money? Qiao Mei immediately stopped crying once she heard what she was waiting to hear and she quickly posed a question to him. Of course not! Then you wont come back and ask for money in the future as well, right? Qiao Mei looked at Zhang Cong with a smile. Only then did Zhang Cong realize that this woman was trying to trick him. However, he did not know how to answer her as he definitely still wanted the money. In the end, the longer he stayed silent, the more everyone understood why this guy was here. Hes been exposed! Its so obvious that hes not a good person! The people in the city must find life very tough! They need to come to the countryside to ask for money, how great is that! Auntie Dong put her hands on her hips and looked at Zhang Cong mockingly. Hahahahahahahahaha Everyone around them burst out laughing. Thats right. His father even said that my mother has to hand over all the money she earns in the future. Also that my mother has been living off him all these years and even gave birth to four children, and that she will never be able to pay back the Zhang family in this lifetime! Qiao Mei shouted from the door. The villagers all spat at Zhang Cong. Pfft! What a joke! What rubbish! A woman bears children for your family and yet she still owes her life to your family. What a joke, we can laugh our heads off! Zhang Cong really could not bring himself to deny that his family ever said all these because he was afraid that Qiao Mei would use his words against him again. He also could not say that he would not come to Li Gui for money and vegetables in the future. Otherwise, Zhang Qian would skin him alive when he returned home. You! Aiyo You have to take me to the hospital! Youve caused me to break my leg! Zhang Cong moaned when he saw that there was no way for him to rebut. Qiao Mei looked at Zhao Liang, not knowing how Uncle Zhao was going to handle this. In this era, the Public Security Bureau did not really deal with issues like this, they only took up matters like murder, arson or poisoning. Basically, for such matters, the production brigade had the final say. This is extortion! Hes trying to extort money! Which one of you saw that happened! Qiao Qiang stepped out and pointed at Zhang Cong, though he could tell that the bruised ankle was really injured. Whatever Qiao Mei did, she really did not hold back. Ever since Qiao Mei had this pendant, she had become stronger and her body constitution had improved a lot. Her face had also become rosy. Everyone shook their heads and said that they did not see it. This time, Zhang Cong was even angrier and cursed, You bloody old man Before he could finish speaking, everyone got angry with him. Qiao Qiang was an old war hero and the pride of the village, no one could slander him. How dare he scold Qiao Qiang! Quickly get lost from our village! Zhao Liang did not bother to be polite this time. A few militiamen grabbed Zhang Cong and wanted to drag him off. Seeing this situation, Zhang Cong did not dare to stay any longer and limped away. Before he left, he saw Li Gui standing at the edge of the crowd and shouted at her, Give me money! I want to go to the hospital! Li Gui was afraid of getting into more trouble, so she just followed behind the crowd, not expecting that Zhang Cong still caught a glimpse of her. Just as she was about to reach into her pocket for the money, Auntie Dong stopped her and said quietly, Sister, are you stupid, what good is there from giving him money. Then he will still come back to ask for money again and there will be no end to it. Just dont give it to him! Li Gui fell into deep thought when she heard this. Although Li Gui was timid, she was not irrational and took the advice. She covered her pocket and said softly, I I dont have money! You still say that youre not extorting money! Auntie Wang, who was at the front of the crowd, said mockingly. Whos extorting money! Youre all so unreasonable! Seeing that everyone sided with Li Gui and Qiao Mei, Zhang Cong was so angry that he pointed at Li Gui and said, Li Gui, let me tell you! Youre dead meat! Wait for my father to come! My father will beat you to death! 3 Chapter 121 - Going Home in a Sorry State Zhang Cong was so exasperated that he spoke without thinking and blurted out everything. Its impossible that you dont have money! What did you do in the county city today! You sold so many mushrooms! Im going to file a report on you! Youre opportunistic! Youre taking the capitalist path! Youre undermining the foundation of socialism! Im going to file a report on all of you! His words completely infuriated the villagers. In this day and age, there was no one who did not sell some vegetables to supplement their familys income. The black market was an unspoken secret. At that time, it was a capital offense to buy and sell items in private and people could get denounced for it! Get lost! Dont come here again! A few burly men chased Zhang Cong out of the village, beating and kicking him for good measure. By the time he reached the train station, there was not a single untouched spot on his body and his clothes were all in tatters. This was the most presentable and stylish set of clothes that he owned. It was really embarrassing how he looked like a beggar now instead of a city dweller. 1 When he finally made it home, he heard Old Madam Zhang say when he went in, You damned child, why are you only back now! Aiyo! Who hit you! When Zhang Cong entered the house and saw Old Madam Zhang, he hugged her tightly and cried, Grandma! Li Gui hit me! Old Madam Zhang was shocked when she saw Zhang Congs injuries. When she heard him say that it was Li Gui who did it, she did not believe it. Old Madam Zhang would believe him if he said it was someone else, but Li Gui was usually very submissive at home and the best thing about her was that she was very obedient. She hit Zhang Cong? That must be a joke. Old Man Zhang took out some money from the family savings and said to Old Madam Zhang, Lets talk about it later. Hurry up and send Cong Cong to the hospital. At that time, it was indeed very expensive to go to the hospital, but fortunately, Zhang Cong had a work permit and many of the medical tests were free for him. He was only charged for the medication and went home with a cast on his leg. Zhang Qian then bought a pair of crutches from his neighbor for five dollars. You useless thing, you went to ask for money and got yourself injured instead. You just wasted five dollars of my money! Zhang Qian threw the crutches to one side when he returned. 1 Old Madam Zhang doted on this eldest grandson of hers the most. Why are you saying this! As if Cong Cong is doing this on purpose! Zhang Cong sat beside Old Madam Zhang and complained tearfully, Grandma, you have to uphold justice for me! This Li Gui, she hit me! Li Gui hit you? Are you muddled, how would she have the guts to do that! Besides, as if you cant beat her in a fight? Old Madam Zhang did not believe him. The injuries on his body were definitely caused by a group of people. Its Qiao Mei! Its Li Guis daughter who hit me! Ah, her, the one that Old Madam Li said looked like a Black Bear Spirit. Old Madam Zhang thought for a long time before she remembered who Qiao Mei was, but how could a woman beat up his grandson? Just by herself? And the people from their village! They all helped Qiao Mei hit me! Zhang Cong cried out to Old Madam Zhang. Zhang Cong had no way of winning a fight with the people from that village, and he had even said something that offended them. If he went back, he would definitely get cut up into pieces. However, his grandmother would definitely help him. Old Madam Zhang doted on him the most, and he was quite sure that a group of people would not bully an old person. Dont be afraid! Grandma will think of a way for you. Hey, youre his father, but why arent you saying anything! Wheres your usual attitude! People are bullying your son! Old Madam Zhang pointed at Zhang Qian and shouted at him. Zhang Qian was the type of person who would not care about anything as long as it had nothing to do with him. He was a loafer who just wanted to hang out and waste his time in the factory every day. He did not really like anything but he was a lecherous man who liked beautiful women. The only other thing he cared about was his reputation. When he heard that people bullied his son, he felt that it was a slap to his face. Old Madam Zhang was so good with her words. If she had only mentioned Zhang Cong without adding the fact that he was Zhang Qians son, Zhang Qian would not have been so angry. Tomorrow! Well go to that village tomorrow to demand an explanation! If she doesnt give us the money and doesnt apologize to Cong Cong, she can rot in the countryside for the rest of her life! Old Madam Zhang said to Zhang Qian. Zhang Qian was so angry that he wanted to go to the village immediately to find out who had injured his son. However, he also had other plans in mind. He was already tired of Li Gui. If not for the fact that she was so beautiful in the past, he would not have given so many betrothal gifts to marry a widow! It was fine if he did not think about the past, but the more he thought about it, the angrier he got. 1 Chapter 122 - Wanting a Divorce Hmph, even if she has the money, she wont be able to come back. She wont be able to come back in the future, Zhang Qian said coldly with a snort. He had long gotten tired of looking at Li Guis face. Back then, he had thought that she was beautiful but who knew that in just a few years, she aged so much that she had become uglier than his mother. It just so happened that he had taken a fancy to another woman, so Li Gui could forget about coming back for the rest of her life. When Old Madam Zhang heard this, she looked at her son in confusion. What? At first, Zhang Cong did not understand what Zhang Qian meant. Suddenly, he remembered that he saw his father sneaking around behind the factory a few days ago. At that time, there were too many people around, so he did not follow his father. He had also heard some rumors in the factory recently. Could it be that this old man wants to get a divorce and remarry! Then what about his betrothal money! Father, what do you mean by that! Are you planning to divorce Li Gui! Dont tell me youre going to get another wife! Zhang Cong asked accusingly. Zhang Qian lowered his head and took a sip of water without answering and seemed to acquiesce. This made Old Madam Zhang very confused. He wanted to get a divorce and marry someone else? Who are you going to marry? Old Madam Zhang looked at Zhang Qian and asked. When Zhang Cong realized that his father was really going to marry another woman, he immediately became anxious. Its someone from our factory! The famous one! The widow whose name is Feng Fang! Zhang Cong sat on the chair and sized up Zhang Qian. No wonder you let Li Gui go to the countryside so readily. You must have wanted to marry Feng Fang for a long time! The two of you must already be together! When Zhang Qian heard his son reproaching him, he raised his stool in anger and wanted to smash it at Zhang Cong. Zhang Cong still had an injured leg, so he hurriedly grabbed Old Madam Zhangs arm and did not let go. He was so frightened that he begged for mercy repeatedly, Grandma! Grandma! Look at my father! Save me! Old Madam Zhang hurriedly stopped Zhang Qian. Hes your son! One of his legs is already broken and you still want to break the other one! Zhang Qian pursed his lips and threw the stool to the side. He sat down far away and ignored the others. This divorce is set in stone! It does not matter what anyone says. He has long found Li Gui to be an eyesore. Feng Fang is so good, she is so young and beautiful. Zhang Qian, who sat a distance away, muttered, No matter what, I will get a divorce Feng Fang was only 32 years old this year. Her previous husband was a worker at the food factory, but he died in an accident. Later on, the people at the factory pitied her and allowed her to take over her husbands job at the factory, and that was how Zhang Qian got to know her. Old Madam Zhang had heard of Feng Fang before. The Zhang family and the family of Feng Fangs husband knew each other previously, but they lost contact after they moved. Feng Fang has three boys! Theyre all younger than our Zhang Wei. If you bring all of them back, how can you afford to raise them! No! Old Madam Zhang had only just managed to chase Li Gui and the two girls away, but now there were four people coming to live off her. That would not do! Zhang Qian snorted coldly and said, Feng Fang has a registered residence and household register in the city, and so do her children. She has food stamps every month and doesnt need us to give her food. She will be giving us food! Every registered household in the city received about 30 catties of foodstuff per month. Previously, Li Gui had a registered residence and household register in the village, and the four children had to follow their mothers registration, so it was hard to feed everyone in the family. If Feng Fang had a city household register, it meant that the children would be able to get about 10 catties of foodstuff per month. The children would not be able to finish so much foodstuff even if they wanted to, so it would be possible to save a lot on food. Old Madam Zhang did her calculations and it did seem that Feng Fang was more cost-effective than Li Gui. If you get married, you need to give betrothal gifts! Then what about me! I have to get married too! When Zhang Cong saw that Old Madam Zhang was also satisfied with Feng Fang, he became anxious. If his fathers new wife married into the family first, he did not know what to do if the Sun family would not let him off. Old Madam Zhang also looked at Zhang Qian. She had been so concerned about the food that she did not think of this. If Feng Fang wanted 500 dollars as a betrothal gift, who would still marry her! She said she doesnt want betrothal gifts or anything, Zhang Qian said. Zhang Cong heaved a sigh of relief, but on second thought, Feng Fang did not seem like an easy person to deal with as she was not as obedient as Li Gui. It was possible that when the time came, she would ask for money just because she wanted it. Zhang Cong hurriedly said to Old Madam Zhang, No! Grandma! Think about it! Who is Feng Fang! What if she doesnt want to give you money after marrying into the family. Then even if she makes a lot of money in a month, she still wont give it to you! If Feng Fang did not give them any money, then he would not be able to get the betrothal gifts for the Sun family. 1 Chapter 123 - Pick One of Two Old Madam Zhang said confidently, Hmph! How dare she! She cant enter the Zhang family and not listen to me. That wont do! After getting married, she has to hand over the money to me obediently. When Zhang Qian heard this, he grinned. It appeared that Old Madam Zhang was very satisfied with Feng Fang. That was great news to him and he could now dump Li Gui quickly. This Feng Fang was sexy and had a good figure and was so much better than Li Gui. To him, Li Gui was like a block of wood and he found her annoying. Of course, Zhang Cong knew what his father was thinking, but he found no point in Feng Fang marrying over if she did not bring any money with her. They would be better off having Li Gui who was obedient and knew how to earn money. Li Gui can earn more than 30 dollars a day! I saw it with my own eyes! Old Madam Zhang got a shock! 30 dollars! That was 900 dollars a month! That was not a small sum so she hurriedly asked Zhang Cong, You said you saw it? How did you see it and how did she make so much money! Even Old Man Zhang, who usually did not care about family matters, came out of the room to hear the answer. Zhang Qian was also shocked and looked at Zhang Cong, waiting for him to speak. I saw it this morning. She had a pile of vegetables and fruits with her! She was selling them in the county city and business was very good! She made a lot of money in a day! Actually Zhang Cong did not know what was considered a lot of crops as he had never worked in the countryside, but he was just astonished by the fact that she could make more than 30 dollars a day. When Old Madam Zhang heard this, she immediately lost interest. Those crops depended on the weather and the harvests were sometimes good and sometimes bad. She had also secretly sold these before and she knew that it was not a long term way of making money. It was just something that one could do sometimes to earn a living, not to mention that this was an act that one could get caught for. People who did this did not know if they could get a chance to spend the money that they earned. Only people who were bold would dare to make this type of money. Oh, thats not something profitable. I thought it was something else, Old Madam Zhang said. Its different, Grandma! I went to take a look! Li Gui built a house in the village, with an especially big courtyard. She must have planted a lot of vegetables! Its not just a few hundred dollars a year! Zhang Cong hurried to explain himself. The people in the city only earned about 40 dollars a month, that was only about 500 dollars a year. If people in this village could earn a few hundred dollars a year, someone would have investigated it long ago. Who would still want to stay in the city! Everyone would go home to do farming. Old Madam Zhang still felt that the food stamps in the city were better than the undependable income from selling vegetables in the countryside. Seeing that everyone kept quiet, Zhang Cong got really anxious. Feng Fang had a sharp tongue and was famous for being difficult to deal with in the factory. Once she came into the family, how would he still have a good life at home! 2 In any case, I dont want Li Gui anymore. I want a divorce! Im a man and I have no one to take care of me at home. Shes not as considerate as Feng Fang! Zhang Qian said. Pfft! Zhang Cong rolled his eyes. His father is as lecherous as him and the dirty old man only knows how to think for himself, but what about his betrothal gifts. He also knows that Feng Fang is beautiful and, speaking of which, Li Guis daughter is also good-looking. If not for Old Madam Li and Li Gui teaming up together, he would not have fallen for Sun Yan! No, I cant let this beating go to waste. Besides, Sun Yan has been urging me to hurry up over the past few days. If I dont give her the betrothal gifts soon, her family will report me and I will go to jail! Grandma! Then lets go and get the money from Li Gui! She has a lot of money! I cant just get beaten up for nothing! I have to get her to compensate me! Zhang Cong felt that even if his father wanted to get a divorce, he had to get the money from Li Gui. After so many days, she must have made at least 100 dollars. He did not believe that he had bumped into her on the only day that she sold her goods. Old Madam Zhang nodded. Thats right, my eldest grandson cant be beaten up for nothing! We have to go back and talk to her, and also bring her two sons to her so that we dont have to feed them. Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao did not dare to speak and could only listen to Old Madam Zhangs arrangements. The two children did not want to return to the countryside. What was so good about the countryside? Why did the two of them have to go along when Li Gui was the one who wanted to go back? Old Madam Zhang would usually say bad things about Li Gui to the two children, and the two children hated Li Gui even more now. 2 You come with me too! You have to avenge your son tomorrow! Old Madam Zhang pointed at Zhang Qian and said. Zhang Qian waved his hand. Im not going. If you want to go, you can go by yourself. He got up and prepared to leave. He did not want to go there to see Li Gui, just looking at her made him feel disgusted. Chapter 124 - The Original Reason How dare you not go! Old Madam Zhang chided. The next day, everyone in the Zhang family, except Old Man Zhang, headed to the countryside. Zhang Qian did not want to go at first, but Old Madam Zhang said that if he did not go, she would not let him divorce Li Gui. Old Madam Zhang also knew that her husband was a person who did not care about anything. If she brought Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao along tomorrow, coupled with the injured Zhang Cong, she would not look imposing at all. Therefore, Zhang Qian must go with them. Grandma, can you not bring me to my mother! Zhang Wei cried and pulled her back. Zhang Qian pulled the boy over and kicked him. Shut up! Are you trying to embarrass me! There were many people on the street and they looked over when they heard Zhang Wei crying, making Zhang Qian very frustrated. When he got kicked, Zhang Wei did not dare to make a sound even though he was in so much pain that he wanted to cry. He was afraid that if he annoyed Zhang Qian, he would be beaten up again. His younger brother, Zhang Chao, did not dare to cry when he saw his brother being beaten up and followed behind Old Madam Zhang obediently. Even if Li Gui could earn 180 dollars a month, Zhang Qian did not want to be with Li Gui anymore. He was determined to get a divorce. After the ruckus created by Zhang Cong yesterday, Li Gui did not dare to go out on the streets to buy groceries, afraid that she would be seen by any Zhang family member. It would not be worth it to get beaten up. Qiao Mei also did not bring the children up the mountain to pick mushrooms today. She predicted that Zhang Cong would bring his family over to seek justice today. There was going to be a lot of drama today. When it was almost time for lunch, Qiao Mei called Auntie Dong, Auntie Wang, and the other older women over to her house for a chat. Not long after, they heard a commotion and saw a big group of people making their way over. Wow, who are these people? There are so many people! Why are there both adults and children! Sister, if this is your man, then youve really had a hard time these past few years. Everyone lamented about how difficult it had been for Li Gui all these years and felt really bad for her. They were all women and naturally understood how much Li Gui had suffered for her children all these years. Therefore, everyone spoke up for Li Gui. Auntie Zhou, who was previously quite close to Li Gui, said, Back then, Li Gui did not want to marry him, but Li Guis mother, Old Madam Li, is not someone to be trifled with. During that time, Li Gui was one of the most beautiful women in the village. Otherwise, Qiao Mei would not be so beautiful! Later on, the man was very generous with the betrothal gifts, so Li Guis mother forced her to get married in order to save money for Li Guis younger brother to get married. Back then, the brothers of the Li family wanted to take over the assets and money that belonged to Li Gui and Qiao Yue. Li Gui felt that her brothers would definitely not take care of Qiao Mei, so she decided to entrust Qiao Mei to Qiao Zhuangs family, along with her own house and the savings she had accumulated over the years. She did not expect Qiao Zhuang to be so heartless as to bully Qiao Mei and not give her food. If Qiao Qiang had not returned in time, Qiao Mei might have died long ago. Ah What a thing to happen! Li Gui, your mother is too Everyone now understood that it had not been not easy for Li Gui. It was not as if she did not leave anything for Qiao Mei, but it was fate that had been playing tricks on people. They could only blame those black-hearted people. Eh? Li Gui, why hasnt your mother come over recently? Isnt she moving to our village? Why isnt there any news, one of the aunties asked. Its probably because she knows that Qiao Mei is here to back Li Gui up, so she doesnt dare to come, Auntie Dong said. Hahahahahaha! As they chatted, they watched the Zhang family members getting closer and closer. At this moment, no one in the village dared to mention bean sprouts. Previously, they could supply 2,000 catties of bean sprouts but now, they could barely make up 15 catties a day even if they collected from house to house. No one was earning any money, and they had made a lot of losses. In the past, when each household could earn one dollar a day, it meant 30 dollars a month and they were all overjoyed. However, because they had once earned 10 dollars in the past, it made the one or two dollars they made now hardly worth mentioning. Everyone was feeling frustrated when Zhang Cong came running into trouble and it made everyone want to teach him a lesson. Chapter 125 - Bullying As the Zhang family members got nearer, the villagers realized that there were five people. There was a middle-aged man who should be Li Guis husband and also an old lady who should be her mother-in-law. The one limping was Zhang Cong, and those two children were? Its our older brothers! Our older brothers! Theyre here too! Zhang Qin pointed into the distance and said to Qiao Mei. What! Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao are here too! They! What are they doing here! Li Gui was greatly shocked and did not know what to do. She worried that the two children would get hurt. They either want to use the two children to threaten you into giving them the money or they intend to send the children back to you, Qiao Mei said as she looked at the group of people walking over. When she was a lawyer in her other life, she had seen too many people make use of children to threaten their mothers into making compromises. She had thought about how the situation would turn out today, but she did not expect Zhang Qian and Old Madam Zhang to be so heartless. Sister, dont worry. Its still a good thing to have the children sent back to you. Its better than the children being bullied by them all the time! Auntie Wang said. Thats right, sister. We have Qiao Mei with us. Dont worry, the children will definitely be fine, Auntie Dong also comforted Li Gui. The women had become even angrier when they saw the two children. They felt uncomfortable seeing people using children to threaten their mothers. As mothers themselves, they also could not bear to see other peoples children being bullied. Dont be afraid, mom. Youve got me. Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao, go back to the house, Qiao Mei said to the two children. It would not be good if a fight broke out again later and caused them to get hurt. Qiao Mei held the hands of the two children and said, Remember, no one will bully you in the future. If anyone bullies you, hit them back. Dont be soft-hearted and dont let yourself be manipulated by others. You have me, so dont be afraid. But we wont take the initiative to bully others, understand? Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao looked at Qiao Mei and nodded. We get it, elder sister. In the past, they could only be in a position to be bullied and they neither thought of fighting back nor imagined that they could fight back at all. Now that they had an elder sister, they were no longer afraid and they would not allow anyone to bully them. Yes, yes! Children, come with me. Come in quickly. Auntie Zhou brought the two children into the house before she came back out. Not long after, the Zhang family members reached the villagers. Old Madam Zhang first looked around and sized up the courtyard, and was very satisfied with what she saw. The vegetables planted in such a large courtyard would be enough for their whole family to eat. If they could not finish it all, they could sell the remaining vegetables on the black market to supplement the familys income. This could be worth a lot of money. The more Old Madam Zhang looked around, the more satisfied she was. In her mental calculations, she even removed the expenses for Li Gui and the four children as if they were not human and not part of the family. Everyone in the courtyard was staring at these people from the Zhang family. Old Madam Zhang had swaggered in once she arrived. Was it wrong of her to come to see her daughter-in-law? There was no reason to chase her out. As soon as she entered, she pointed at Li Gui and said, Dont you know to get me a glass of water! Do you want me to die of thirst! The way that Old Madam Zhang scolded Li Gui made everyone present feel very unhappy. When Old Madam Zhang saw that these women were gathered here, eating watermelons and snacking on melon seeds, she had the preconceived notion that the food were all planted by Li Gui and that what belonged to Li Gui also belonged to her. Dont you know how to give up a seat for an old lady like me. This is my daughter-in-laws house and youre all here to sponge off her so shouldnt you have some decency to give up a seat for me. Im exhausted from walking all day! Old Madam Zhang looked at all the people in the courtyard and said reproachfully. Auntie Dong was not to be outdone. Aiyo, I was wondering whos this old woman who looks like shes from some remote village. So youre Li Guis vicious mother-in-law. Anyway, although this place belongs to your daughter-in-law, this stool belongs to my family, the watermelons belong to Sister Wangs family, and the melon seeds in her hand are brought by Qiao Mei. Which of these is yours? Hahahahahaha! What Auntie Dong said made everyone laugh out loud. The color of Old Madam Zhangs face alternated between green and purple, and she was so angry that she could not speak. In the end, everything belonged to others, so Old Madam Zhang naturally could not ask them to get up and give up a seat for her. She could only swallow her anger. Chapter 126 - The Guilty Party Files the Suit First Li Guis house had only just been built a few days ago and there was not even a warm mat in the house yet. Although she had asked someone to make a table and chairs for her, the furniture was not ready yet and she still had to wait for a while more. When Zhang Qian saw others reproaching Old Madam Zhang, he only stood at the back and did not say a word. He was the type of person that was a tyrant at home and a wuss outside. At home, he flaunted his might, but when he was outside, he behaved like a subservient grandson. Even while his mother was being criticized, he did not even retort and just stood there watching. Zhang Cong, on the other hand, would usually speak up for her. After all, Old Madam Zhang doted on Zhang Cong the most. No matter how heartless he was, he would still help Old Madam Zhang. However, these women were not to be trifled with. They had very strong hands and they knew how to pinch the most tender spots on the body. Even now, Zhang Congs body was still covered in bruises. Therefore, at this moment, Zhang Cong did not dare to refute anything and could only watch Old Madam Zhang get scolded. Li Gui brought over a glass of water and handed it to Old Madam Zhang. Old Madam Zhang did not even look at it before throwing it down. You blind thing! Dont you see that your husband and children are all thirsty and also need a drink! Old Madam Zhang criticized Li Gui immediately. She was here to find trouble today, so no matter what Li Gui did, she would not be satisfied. Old Madam Zhang pointed at Li Gui and said, You heartless thing! Its fine if the adults dont get water! But you dont even care about your two children! Is there a mother like you! Pfft! After Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao heard what Old Madam Zhang said, they both looked at Li Gui with hatred in their eyes. They felt that not only was their mother unfilial to their grandmother, she did not care about their lives as well. Li Guis heart almost broke when she saw the way the two children looked at her. She really did not mean it that way and she found it really difficult to defend herself. Qiao Mei smiled and said, Youre old and you speak sharply and clearly. Theres only one cup at home. Of course, its served to the elder first, then your son, and finally the two children. Its the same at home, right? If there is good food and drinks, you get served first and the two children are last. My mother doesnt even have a share, right? Sometimes, when there is not enough, the children dont even get anything as everything must be given to you first. Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao looked at each other. This elder sister seemed to be right, it seemed that their mother had never eaten anything nice before. Good things were always given to their grandmother first. The two children thought for a while and looked at Qiao Mei and Old Madam Zhang, wondering who was right. 1 You still have the cheek to say that she doesnt care about the children! To say that she has no conscience! If you really care about the two of them, why did you choose to throw away the water rather than to give it to the two children, why didnt you let them use all the good things first, or give them a few bites of any delicious food first! You blame my mother for not caring about the children? She has given you all her things! What do you want her to give to the children! Qiao Mei said as she looked at Old Madam Zhang. Old Madam Zhang was so flustered that she could not say anything and had nothing to refute. In this situation, youre really the guilty party who files the suit first and self-directed your own drama. Did you also tell the two children that Li Gui left because she didnt want them anymore? Youre really good at scheming! Qiao Mei sneered. Zhang Wei was a little older and Zhang Chao was also not that young anymore. They were already old enough to remember things. The situation at home was indeed as Qiao Mei had said. They had to give everything to their grandmother and father first and even if they had any leftovers, their eldest brother still ranked ahead of them. Qiao Mei pulled up a stool and sat down before continuing, Do you intend to wait until youre done arguing with Li Gui before these two children can have something to eat and drink? I dont think you brought your entire family here for a visit, right? You didnt even bring anything with you. If this is how you pay someone a visit, its really an eye-opener for me! Hahahahaha In my opinion, they must have come to do some sponging off! Yesterday, someone failed in getting money so they had to send someone else! Auntie Dong said laughingly while munching on melon seeds. Hahahahaha All the women laughed and Auntie Wang continued, Look! This person cant do it so he even brings his entire family here. So many people come to ask us villagers for money. Its so embarrassing. With so many people here, do you think they have enough travel expenses! Auntie Dong continued. Hahahahaha Thats true! Everyone laughed heartily while making fun of the Zhang family. Chapter 127 - Revealing Her True Colors Old Madam Zhang was so angry that her face turned green. Standing behind her, Zhang Qian also felt embarrassed. He had always been very proud of himself for being a city dweller, yet this time round, he came along to ask a villager for money. He was really too ashamed to say it out loud. With so many women making fun of him, he did not know where to hide himself. Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao had thought carefully about what Qiao Mei said earlier. The two children seemed to understand what she was talking about, but they still did not understand what had transpired between the adults. When Old Madam Zhang looked into the two childrens eyes, she knew that something was wrong. They were no longer at the age of three or four years old when they were easily fooled. After this, would these two children still listen to her in the future? This was going to turn their world upside down! All of you shut up! You gossipy women! Our business is none of your business! Feeling exasperated, Old Madam Zhang pointed at all the women in the courtyard and shouted at Qiao Mei, Who do you think you are? Why are you poking your nose in our Zhang familys matters! Youre a busybody! She still felt unsatisfied after scolding her, so she then pointed at Li Gui and said, You money-losing good-for-nothing! You go around telling outsiders everything! Do you really think you can leave the Zhang family! Qiao Mei did not get angry as she already knew that Old Madam Zhang would behave like this. The other women also could not be bothered with such a person. Qiao Mei quickly said to Li Gui, Hurry up and get water for the two children, otherwise someone will feel sorry for the children again, sigh, and then say that you dont care about the children. Hurry up and go. She wont hit you or scold you to stop you from going. If she doesnt let you go and then the children get thirsty, her heart will ache so much! Hahahahahaha! These words were said in an enigmatic manner to deliberately irritate Old Madam Zhang. Li Gui quickly went into the house, took two bowls to use as cups and filled them with water. She brought the bowls to the children and Old Madam Zhang shouted, How dare you! Lets see who dares to drink! The two children held their bowls and looked at each other, not knowing if they should drink or not. Qiao Mei laughed loudly at the scene that unfolded in front of her. Hahahaha, you still say that you care about the children. Youre the one who wont let the two children drink water, yet youre blaming someone else for not caring about the children. You must have done many such sanctimonious things to sow discord between them! Only then did Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao fully understand that their grandmother had been the one telling lies all this while. Their grandmother always told them that she doted on them the most and that it was their mother who treated them badly and mistreated them. It turned out that their grandmother was the one who instigated all of this! Suddenly, the two children completely understood everything. They scrutinized Old Madam Zhang and looked at her suspiciously. You two damn children! Why are you looking at me! Old Madam Zhang felt goosebumps all over her back from the two childrens stares. She shouted at Qiao Mei, Who do you think you are! What are you doing in my house! Get lost! Hearing this, everyone was unhappy and felt indignant for Qiao Mei. This is Li Guis house. Which part of the house has your name on it? Shameless old thing! Bah! Auntie Wang said. Li Gui is my daughter-in-law! Whats hers belongs to our Zhang family! Of course, this house also belongs to our Zhang family! Old Madam Zhang said arrogantly. When Qiao Mei heard this, she said slowly, Oh? Then does the house in the city belong to my mother too? Youre already a family, so that house must also belong to my mother, right? Thats right, thats right! Everyone chimed in. Pfft! Shameless! Thats our Zhang family ancestral home! What has it got to do with her! Old Madam Zhang stomped her feet in anger. What a joke. Her surname isnt Zhang and she still has the cheek to say this. Its as if shes not just a daughter-in-law of the Zhang family. Thats right. How shameless. What era is this? Its as if were still living in the past! Lets go and report her! What a mess! Sister Li Gui married into their family, she was not sold to them. You guys really think you have the final say! She had so many children for them, including boys! Everyone chimed in to defend Li Gui while she secretly wiped her tears. When Old Madam Zhang heard that someone wanted to report her, she did not dare to say another word. Chapter 128 - No Evidence During this period in time, the commoners of the lower social class had their own way of dealing with scoundrels among them. It had been a long time since any of them had encountered such a situation as everyone was very careful nowadays and did not dare to offend anyone. The more the older women talked, the more worked up they became, and someone among them even wanted to go to the brigade to look for Zhao Liang and ask him to come and deal with this old woman. However, based on the rules, people from the city did not come under the jurisdiction of their village. Zhao Liang would have to decide whether he had any say over the matter when he got here. Qiao Mei did not want to blow things up. Should things really get out of hand, it would not be good for anyone. If the Zhang family became desperate, it was hard to say what they would do. After all, despair gives courage even to a coward. Alright, alright. Tell us why youre here today? Qiao Mei handed the two bowls of water from Li Gui to Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao. At that moment, Old Madam Zhang did not dare to say anything. If she still said anything, then it would really seem like she was not nice to the children. The two children hurriedly drank up the water in the two large bowls. Zhang Qian and Zhang Cong, who were standing behind them, had walked for a long time and also wanted a drink. However, they were really afraid of these people. If even Old Madam Zhang could not handle them, then there was really nothing that the two of them could do. After talking for so long, Old Madam Zhang still did not know the identity of this beautiful young married woman in front of her. This woman had a sharp tongue and was very shrewd. Old Madam Zhang softened her attitude as she said to Qiao Mei, Who are you? 1 Qiao Mei smiled. Given all the earlier commotion, she did not manage to introduce herself. My name is Qiao Mei, Im Li Guis daughter. Why? Dont you know me? Qiao Mei had thought that Zhang Cong would tell Old Madam Zhang everything which happened yesterday when he returned home. She did not expect him to have told an incomplete story. Old Madam Zhang and Zhang Qian had never seen Qiao Mei before and it gave them a shock. Previously, when Old Madam Li came to ask for money, she had said that Qiao Mei was dark and fat and looked like a black bear spirit. This young married woman standing in front of them was quite beautiful, with fair skin and bright eyes, and did not look like a girl from the countryside. She was so different from what Old Madam Li had described. Old Madam Zhang turned around to look at Zhang Cong and he quickly whispered, Its true. So what is this all about, hurry up and just say it. It has already been a while since you arrived, I am tired even if youre not. Qiao Mei looked at Old Madam Zhang irritably. One must put the saddle on the right horse. Since she was already here, she could not go back empty-handed. A thief would never leave without something! Old Madam Zhang pointed at her grandsons leg and said, You must be the one who pushed my grandson! We spent a lot of money at the hospital yesterday! The doctor said that my grandson would have a disability in the future! You have to give us an explanation! Qiao Mei did not think much of it. Oh, you saw me push him with your own eyes? He fell down himself and yet hes blaming me? Thats right, didnt he fall down himself, how could it be that Qiao Mei pushed him? Zhang Cong leaned on the crutches and said to Qiao Mei, It was you! Yesterday, you admitted that you pushed me! Everyone, listen to this! What a strange thing! Whoever heard that or saw that? Qiao Mei looked at Zhang Cong mockingly and a few women also chimed in. I didnt see anything. Did anyone see it? No. Theres no such thing. Didnt he fall by himself? Everyone denied that anything happened as they held back their smiles. There were people who had never lied in their lives, so it was easy for others to tell that they were lying. However, it did not matter as they were in the village and this was their territory. All of you! Youre all lying! Old Madam Zhang did not expect them to be in cahoots with one another. In the past, she had also lived in the countryside and none of the families there could get along. They could even argue over a ration of grains or someone overstepping on a piece of land. She had never seen such a harmonious village. Qiao Mei also felt very pleased that everyone was protecting her and speaking up for her. When she thought about how she did not even know who her neighbors were in her other life and how everyone was so cold and indifferent, she felt that her current environment was so much better. Im going to the police station to report all of you for lying! I dont believe that things wont be different if the police came! Old Madam Zhang pointed at Qiao Mei and said. Do you have evidence to prove that I did it? Qiao Mei munched leisurely on melon seeds as she looked at Old Madam Zhang, who was stamping her feet out of anxiety. Her son, Zhang Qian, had not said a word or done anything since he arrived. Qiao Mei just felt that it was such a pity that Li Gui had actually spent so much time with such a person. Chapter 129 - Claiming To Be Relatives Qiao Mei placed the melon seeds on the table and patted the dust off her hands. She looked at Old Madam Zhang and said, Why dont you go out and ask around about the kind of relationship I have with the section head of the armed forces department? How dare you come here and cause a ruckus? When I got married, he was the one who sent my three turns and one sound to the village. You didnt even bother to check on this. These betrothal gifts were indeed sent over by Uncle Chen Hu, but she spared them the complicated details of what happened. It would not be good if they went looking for trouble at Qiao Zhuangs house. Old Madam Zhang, Zhang Qian and Zhang Cong looked at one another. They did not know that Qiao Mei was so capable that she even knew the section head of the armed forces department. This time, they got completely flustered as they now knew it would be useless even if they went to report her. Old Madam Zhang had previously heard that Qiao Meis grandfather, Qiao Qiang, was an old war hero and had even formerly held an official position that paid a lot of money every month. Could it be that Qiao Qiang really had some form of relationship with the section head of the armed forces department? The Zhang family was just a family of show-offs without any substance. They were only people from the working class who had no one to rely on in the city. They were just ordinary people who neither knew anyone from the military or the police force, nor had any relatives who became high-ranking officials. At this point, they were so completely panicky that they would not have dared to go to the police station to report the villagers. Qiao Mei heaved a sigh of relief when she saw how alarmed they were. She had thought that they were unreasonable people who had some form of powerful backing, but she did not expect that it was all just for show. They were a bunch of nobodies who retreated as soon as they got scared. Then then you have to at least give me some money! This matter happened at your house! You have to bear responsibility! Old Madam Zhang started acting shamelessly when she realized that the earlier negotiations were fruitless. If you die on your own and then get someone to carry you into our house, youll even say that I caused your death! Youre making no sense! Qiao Mei rolled her eyes and did not want to argue with Old Madam Zhang anymore. You! You little shrew! How dare you curse me to die! I Old Madam Zhang was about to say something when she remembered her reason for coming around today. She gritted her teeth and held back what she wanted to say. She had to swallow her words no matter what, otherwise she would not be able to get the money she wanted. There was no way she could win against this young girl, so she decided to attack the easy-going Li Gui. Li Gui, look at Cong Cong. Hes so seriously injured. What if he really becomes disabled? Youre his mother after all. Shouldnt you give him some money so that he can get some supplements, or can you bear to see him like this? Old Madam Zhang pretended to cover her face and cry. Qiao Mei could not say anything. What Old Madam Zhang said was in a way the truth, so they would have to give her some money. Li Gui looked at Qiao Mei and went into the house to take out a small metal box from her belongings. There was only five dollars in the box and she took the money out and gave it to Old Madam Zhang. This is all Ive earned in the past few days Li Gui said as she looked at Old Madam Zhang. When Old Madam Zhang and Zhang Qian saw the five dollars, their faces darkened. How could it be only five dollars when they heard she was making more than 30 dollars a day. It was as if she was trying to get rid of a beggar. Thats impossible! You bought so many things that day! Zhang Cong said. Those are all my things. It has only been a few days so how would my mother have the time to grow vegetables. Do you think that vegetables can be harvested right after the seeds are planted? Qiao Mei then continued, Look at this courtyard. As if theres any vegetable sprout. What Qiao Mei said was also true. Even so, Old Madam Zhang did not want to go back with just five dollars. After putting in so much effort for the entire day, she could not go back just like that. Old Madam Zhang grabbed the money. Since Qiao Mei said that all the vegetables belonged to her, then the money must be with her. By right, Cong Cong is also your elder brother. Shouldnt you help? Old Madam Zhang looked at Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei looked at this shameless family and was speechless for a moment. She smiled and did not say anything. Old Madam Zhang thought that Qiao Mei had agreed with her and walked forward to continue speaking, but Auntie Dong stepped in and said, Aiyo, then why didnt I see you guys here when Mei Mei got married. Have you brought anything for Mei Mei all these years? It was a question that stumped Old Madam Zhang. In a moment of desperation, she said, We gave everything to Old Madam Li! She was the one who said that Qiao Mei wanted money and whatever and we had given her money. Oh yes, then you should go and ask her for it. Theres no use asking me, I didnt get a single cent. Qiao Mei smiled and nodded. 1 Chapter 130 - Back to School in the Village Besides, where did such an elder brother come from? I wont recognize anything that had nothing to do with me. We dont share the same father nor the same mother, what kind of relative is he? Qiao Mei said. Zhang Qian had stood there for the entire afternoon without saying a word. He was too embarrassed to stay here when his mother was being so unreasonable and worried that he might need to say something later. Zhang Qian dragged Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao and pushed them towards Qiao Mei. These are your mothers children! Take them with you! They are related to you so you can keep them! He then turned around and wanted to leave with Old Madam Zhang and Zhang Cong. Mother, lets go! Zhang Qian shouted and hurried out without looking back, as if he was trying to avoid the god of plague. 1 Being asked to leave when she had only taken five dollars, Old Madam Zhang became anxious again as she had not gotten the money she wanted. She pointed at Li Gui and said, Give me 500 dollars! You still have to pay for Cong Congs supplements and medical fees! Otherwise, you can keep these two children for yourself! Dont even think about sending them back to the city to study! You can give up on that! Grandma! The two children panicked when they heard that they would have to stay in the countryside forever. They had been brought up by their grandmother since they were born and although she had never treated them well, they felt that it was still better than being with their mother. After all, Old Madam Zhang had always said bad things about their mother and they had believed it for so many years. This was not something that could be changed just by talking about it today. When she heard that the children could not go to school, Li Gui got herself in a frenzy. If they did not go to school, they would be illiterate, then what kind of future would they have. They could not stay in this village for the rest of their lives, otherwise their lives would be over and they would not be able to find a good wife. The two childrens future could not be held back by her just like that. 1 Qiao Mei said to Li Gui, Why are you panicking? Theres an elementary school in the neighboring village. They can just go there, it makes no difference where they go to school. The school in the neighboring village was only a few miles away from here and all the children in the village took the horse carriage ride in the morning. It picked them up to go to school in the morning and brought them back in the evening. Thats right, thats right. Its only seven or eight miles away. Our village has a horse carriage to send the children, Auntie Zhou said. When Zhang Wei heard that there was also a school in the village, which meant that he would not be able to go back to the city, he cried even harder. I dont want to study in the village! How can the school in the village compare to the one in the city! Zhang Wei cried. Alright, alright, dont cry. Youre also ranked at the bottom in school in the city. Who knows, you might even be the best or second best student when you come back here. The other children will be so envious of you and think that kids from the city are so grand, Qiao Mei said to Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao. When Zhang Wei heard this, he immediately stopped crying. There would be children who would be envious of him? Zhang Wei was overjoyed. It turned out that his results were among the worst in his class and his classmates always laughed at him for being a villager. If being here meant that there would be kids who would be envious of him and that his results were comparatively better than theirs, then he could not be happier and so he immediately stopped crying. 1 Qiao Mei cut up the watermelon for the two children and the sweet smell immediately made the two children unable to look away. Who told you that the countryside is not good? Look across the street. Thats my house. In the countryside, you can grow whatever you want and eat whatever you want. You can also raise chickens and ducks in the courtyard and pigs as well. If you want to eat meat, you can eat meat. If you want to eat vegetables, you can eat vegetables. Can you eat like this in the city? Qiao Mei said as she looked at the two children. In that case, there was indeed nothing good about the city. In the city, everything had to be given to their grandmother, grandfather, father and elder brother first. It never got to be their turn. This watermelon was so sweet and tasted so much better than any melon that they had eaten in the city. I hope youre not lying to me. Zhang Chao still had doubts. Why will I lie to you, its not as if it benefits me to lie to you. Go in and take a look at Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao. You can just ask them. Qiao Mei pointed towards the house. As soon as the two children entered the house, they saw Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao sitting near the fireplace and eating sweet melons. When they saw their two brothers, Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao did not dare to move. Although their two brothers did not bully them at home, they were told that good things should be given to boys first. Their two younger sisters had indeed gained weight and were also wearing new clothes. Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao were tempted by the fact that they would be able to live in such a big house and have nice food here. To them, having things to eat was more important than whether they could go to school and everything else was unimportant. Just like that, the two children accepted their fate without crying or making a fuss. Chapter 131 - Asking for Ration Money Old Madam Zhang gritted her teeth in anger when there was no further activity after the two children entered the house. Then you dont have to go back to the city! Just spend the rest of your lives in the countryside with your mother! Be a villager for the rest of your life! Old Madam Zhang shouted towards the house. 1 The two children hesitated at the door. To city dwellers, the countryside meant an uncouth place with no prospects, a place where people could not afford food or clothes. It was a symbol of backwardness. Hear what youre saying. Havent you always said that the two children are villagers, when did they become city dwellers? Qiao Mei said as she looked at Old Madam Zhang. How did Qiao Mei know about this? Old Madam Zhang had suffered many losses today. She thought that it was Li Gui who told her daughter, otherwise Qiao Mei could not have known about something like this. Old Madam Zhang glared at Li Gui, certain that Li Gui had gossiped a lot since she returned to the village. Of course, it was not Li Gui who mentioned these things. For her, whatever Old Madam Zhang said would go in one ear and out the other. If she remembered all these things, would she still be able to survive in the city given that she would be so angry every day. Your household register is in the village so you must have been bullied by the children in the city. Now that youre returning to the village to study, the kids will be so envious of you. Your results here might even be better than your results in the city. Tell me whats so bad about being in the countryside, Qiao Mei said as she looked at the two children. In the city, their classmates all bullied him and his younger brother, saying that they were from the countryside and were inferior. Now that they were in the countryside, not only would their results improve, but they might even become the best or second best in class. They could even have meat for every meal and more rations than they could finish, and they also would not get beaten and scolded. Given the choice, anyone would choose the second option. There was nothing good about being in the city when the most important thing was to have enough food to eat. Otherwise, why would their grandmother and father come all the way to the countryside to ask for food and money. Right! Stay in the countryside then! Were not going back! Zhang Wei held on to his younger brother, Zhang Chao, and said to Old Madam Zhang. Alright! Alright! I finally see your true colors! You two little ingrates! You forget your surname after others feed you a few mouthfuls! If you dont want to come back, then get lost! Old Madam Zhang stomped her feet in anger and clenched her fists to stop herself from reaching out and hitting the two children. Old Madam Zhang said that the two children were ingrates, yet she did not even think about how she had treated them all these years. Not only did she beat and scold them, but she also did not give them food from time to time. As Li Gui was from the countryside and all her children followed their mothers household register, they did not get any rations in the city, what more having rice to eat. The only time the children might have a bite of meat would be during the major holidays or when Old Madam Zhang was in a good mood and offered them a bite. However, the good stuff would never be given to Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao given that they were girls. Old Madam Zhang felt that girls were useless and just needed to be married off. 2 Old Madam Zhang assessed the situation in front of her. She had returned Li Guis children but she did not get the money. She was not going to give up today and said to Li Gui, You have to give me the ration money for the food that your children have eaten for the past few years! Not a single cent less! You must be joking. Its not as if these children have taken Li Guis surname. Dont they have the surname Zhang, yet they need to pay when they eat food from their family, Auntie Zhou said laughingly. You old melon skin, shut up! Who do you think you are to interrupt when Im talking to my daughter-in-law! Pfft! Old Madam Zhang scolded angrily, feeling agitated when she saw that her son had already gone off into the distance. Hey! You! Auntie Zhou wanted to go forward and argue with Old Madam Zhang but Qiao Mei stopped her. They all have their household register in the countryside and dont get any food stamps in the city at all! They dont get any rations! What they eat is the food meant for me, my husband, my son and my eldest grandson! Whats wrong with paying me! Hurry up and give me money! Old Madam Zhang said. 1 This time, no one had anything to say. What Old Madam Zhang said was indeed the truth. After all, food was in short supply now and every bit was precious. On this issue, Old Madam Zhang was right and no one felt able to speak up for Li Gui. 1 Tell me how much you want. Qiao Mei looked at Old Madam Zhang. Old Madam Zhang looked at Qiao Meis wealthy appearance and said, 600 dollars! Everyone gasped. 600 dollars! That was not a small sum, and this Old Madam Zhang had the audacity to ask for it. Chapter 132 - Freedom Old Madam Zhang felt that it was not possible to grow good quality fruits and vegetables in what she deemed as Li Guis lousy courtyard, particularly since she had previously eaten crops grown by Li Gui, and evident by the fact that Li Gui had only managed to earn five dollars even after a few days. It was good timing to return these few children to Li Gui so that their family could save on feeding them. Besides, even if they did not take care of these children anymore, the children would still have to support her when she was old. No matter what, she would always be the childrens biological grandmother, it was a fact that she could bring up in any situation! The sum she quoted was based on 100 dollars each child for four children, and 200 dollars for the adult. In the past ten years, no matter what they had eaten, they would have incurred more than this amount. Qiao Mei thought that the sum was fair and there was no loss to them based on the calculations. Youd better be sure. Dont go back on your word later on and say that you didnt receive the money! Qiao Mei said. Old Madam Zhang looked at Qiao Meis stance and wondered if Qiao Mei was going to pay her? She hurriedly said to Qiao Mei, Im sure! There are so many witnesses here! I cant fake it! Qiao Mei got up and went home to get the money. Everyone wanted to stop her, but they did not know how to say it. In such a situation, the parents should borrow from elsewhere even if they did not have money. It should not be left to her, being just the older sister of the family, to fork out the money, especially since it was such a large sum of money. However, looking around, Qiao Meis family was probably the only one who could afford to fork out a lump sum amount of 600 dollars. Qiao Mei had 600 dollars in her hand when she returned and showed it to everyone. She then said to Li Gui, Take this money as a loan from me. You can pay me back later. Li Gui quickly agreed. Alright! Ill pay you back when I have money in the future! Qiao Mei was not a fool and did not intend to fork out this money for nothing. Of course, she would ask Li Gui to return the money. At most, she would give Li Gui more vegetables and fruits to sell to earn money to return to her. Otherwise, Li Gui would feel uneasy. Everyone heaved a sigh of relief to know that this Qiao Mei was not an indiscriminately nice person who went around poking her nose in everything. This Zhang family was like a bottomless pit which would not be satisfied no matter how much money was thrown into it. If Qiao Mei really used her own money, the Zhang family would go to Qiao Meis house to cause trouble in the future and that would mean terrible days ahead. Take the money and leave quickly. Check if its 600 dollars. Dont turn around later and say that I didnt give you enough, and then come back to ask me for more money, Qiao Mei said to Old Madam Zhang. Old Madam Zhang felt embarrassed by the fact that Qiao Mei said what she had been thinking. She had wanted to just put the money in her pocket and leave, so that even if she came back later, no one would know exactly how much Qiao Mei had given her. This little girl was young but she was quite scheming. Old Madam Zhang counted the money note by note so that everyone could see. It is 600 dollars. Who said Im going to extort you, Ill leave now, Old Madam Zhang said. You have to confirm that this money covers all the expenses that my mother and the four children have spent on food over the years. Dont leave out anything and come asking for more money later, Qiao Mei said. Old Madam Zhang just wanted to quickly put the money into her pocket so that it would be a done deal. At the moment, she would agree to whatever Qiao Mei said, given that she had never seen so much money at once. Alright, I confirm this covers all the expenses spent on food for these children and your mother, Old Madam Zhang said. Qiao Mei pointed at the children and said, From now on, the children wont owe you anything, am I right. At this moment, Old Madam Zhang realized that something was wrong and that Qiao Mei was setting a trap for her. Just as she was about to retort, she saw Qiao Mei reaching out to take the money in her hand and she hurriedly agreed. Yes, yes, yes! They dont owe me anymore! You could not lose 600 dollars like that. In such a situation, you had to agree even if you did not want to. It was too big a sum of money to walk away. At most, you could find other reasons to ask for money in the future. Thats good. Once you accept the money, these children and my mother wont owe the Zhang family anything anymore, Qiao Mei said as she watched Old Madam Zhang put the money into her pocket. When the children stood at the door of the house and heard that they no longer owed the Zhang family anything, they were ecstatic and felt like spreading the news all throughout the mountain area. In the past, Old Madam Zhang always said that they owed the Zhang family and would owe them for the rest of their lives. Now, they no longer owed anything to the Zhang family! They were free! After having an elder sister, everything became better. Elder sister must be their savior. This elder sister of theirs was too good! Elder sister was a hero! The children looked at Qiao Mei and smiled. When Qiao Mei saw that, she gave them a wide smile in return. 1 Chapter 133 - Having Barbecue Old Madam Zhang left with Zhang Cong once she achieved her goal and hurriedly chased after Zhang Qian who had already left. Qiao Mei and everyone else heaved a sigh of relief and the children also came out of the house timidly. Zhang Miao, being young and lively, ran to Qiao Meis side and said timidly, Thank you, elder sister Qiao Mei was overjoyed and a few older women also smiled when they saw how sensible the children were. Today was finally over. In the future, this old woman would not come and find trouble with them and the children could also live a quiet life. Qiao Mei, if you dont have a receipt or something, what if this old woman really says that she never received any money. After Auntie Dong said that, the other women also looked at Qiao Mei, worried that Qiao Mei would get cheated. Its fine. This money is not something that they can bring up in public. Its not as if they dare to report us, they will definitely just take the money and leave. As for whether they confirm receipt or not, thats a small matter. I, Qiao Mei, am not afraid of anything! Qiao Mei said as she raised her arm and pointed at her biceps. The way that Qiao Mei looked made everyone laugh out loud. Indeed, with Qiao Meis strength, it was not as if she would be at a disadvantage. If those people were to come again, they would get the brigades militiamen to come by as well. They would like to see whether the fists of the Zhang family or the bullets of the brigades militiamen were more powerful. In the evening, everyone went home, still chatting and laughing. Qiao Mei also brought the children and Li Gui to her house to have a good meal. Today was Zhang Wei and Zhang Chaos first time in the countryside, so they had to eat something different! Children, lets have a barbecue today! Qiao Mei said. Barbecue? The children had never tried it before. They imagined it to be eating food that was placed into the fire to be burnt. How could such food be considered delicious? The children looked at Qiao Mei in confusion. Elder sister! Are you making a bonfire for cooking! Zhang Miao asked Qiao Mei curiously. No, youll know in a while! Qiao Mei said mysteriously. In her other life, she loved having barbecue the most. Now that she was here, she had to find a way to have a taste of it. Otherwise, her craving would not be satiated. Some time ago, she had asked Qiao Qiang to check if anyone he knew had an iron bucket. Then they also found a thick iron sheet, cleaned it up and mounted them together into a simple barbeque pit. Not long ago, she also asked someone to help her buy some charcoal from the city. Everything came in handy today. There was also eight pounds of beef that Uncle Wang had sent over early in the morning. Uncle Wang happened to be in the city today, so he brought some back with him. She had originally planned to use it to make some side dishes for Xia Zhe, but the barbecue was more important now and Xia Zhes beef sauce would have to wait until she got someone to buy more meat for her. Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao had already started preparing the bowls and chopsticks and went off to get a big basin of water to wash the plates and cutlery. As for Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao, they did not move and just stood there, not knowing what to do. Zhang Wei, Zhang Chao, arent you the men of the house. Qiao Mei looked at the two children and asked. In their family, other than their mother and elder sister, there were only two younger sisters and an old grandfather. The two children thought about it and realized that they were indeed the only men of the house. Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao nodded. A man has to be responsible and cant just sit there doing nothing while waiting for a pie to fall from the sky. Do you understand? Qiao Mei said. The two children nodded again. Seeing that the children were obedient, Qiao Mei continued, In the countryside, people have to work in the fields to earn work points. However, our family doesnt need you to go and do that, so you have to do the work in the house, do you get what I mean. The two children immediately knew what they needed to do. Qiao Mei gave them the names of a whole bunch of vegetables to pick in the courtyard and told them to return to ask her if they got confused. She did not expect Zhang Chao to have such a good memory and remembered everything after she said it once. However, being kids from the city, there were many vegetables that they had never seen before. So they picked those that they knew and then wanted to go back to look for Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei quietly hid herself and watched the two children busy themselves in the field. She did not want the two children to find her and wanted to see how they worked. The two children could not find Qiao Mei and did not know how to pick vegetables that they could not recognize, so they could only go and look for Li Gui. The two children walked up to Li Gui slowly, looked at her, and then rubbed their hands. Zhang Wei said to Li Gui, Mom Mom, we dont recognize many of the vegetables that elder sister mentioned. Can you can you help us? Chapter 134 - Procuring the Three Turns and One Sound Qiao Mei only felt relieved when she saw them going to talk to Li Gui. She then stayed in the house to do needlework and take a rest. Li Guis eyes were red as she quickly agreed. Alright, mom will bring you there! This was the first time the two children had spoken to her so nicely. In the past, due to Old Madam Zhangs instigation, the two children hated Li Gui. They felt that she did not treat them well and that unlike the other kids mothers who were so nice, their mother did not care about them. They even hit Li Gui like how Zhang Cong did. However, now that they knew Li Gui did not have it easy, there was naturally a marked improvement in their attitudes.. 4 The two children were very happy. Their elder sister was the best person in the world, she gave them food and drinks and many other things that they had never seen before. Their elder sisters grandfather was also very nice, he was always smiling and not fierce at all. That was because they did not know how scary Qiao Qiang could be when he got angry. The children in the courtyard were laughing and joking and it made Qiao Qiang happy to see them. Although they were not his grandchildren, the bustling atmosphere made the whole place feel very festive. It did not take long for all of them to clean up and get ready to eat. Qiao Mei put her homemade sauce and some salt on the meat and the fragrance immediately filled the entire courtyard. The few children wolfed down the food. They had never eaten such delicious food, and also never had so much meat. It seemed that elder sister really did not lie to them! After dinner, the four children rushed to clear the table, wash the dishes, and clean up the charcoal fire in the courtyard. Judging by the way they wanted to tidy up the place to its original state, it seemed that they had decided to stay here. Thank you, Mei Mei. I dont even know how to thank you. Li Gui broke down and cried in the house, not knowing how to face her daughter who had helped her so much. Its fine. Theyre all good children, Qiao Mei said. The children were still young and did not have bad intentions, so it was not too late to help them. As for the relationship between the children and Li Gui, they would still need to think of a way to deepen their feelings for one another. On the way back, Old Madam Zhang did some planning on buying the three turns for Zhang Cong. It was not easy to buy a watch, so she decided to buy the bicycle and sewing machine first. As for the radio, she did not intend to buy it at all since there was no use for it. The other family had agreed earlier that just getting the three turns would be enough. She would give them only what they had agreed on and not a single item more. Zhang Qian said to Old Madam Zhang, Give me the rest of the money. When Zhang Cong heard this, he could not take it anymore. This money was not even enough for his betrothal gifts. He thought Feng Qin said she did not need any money to get married. This amount of money is probably not even enough for me, so you dont even think about it. Youre already marrying your third wife and I still dont even have one yet! I havent even bought a bed yet, so theres not enough money! Zhang Cong hurriedly snatched the money from Old Madam Zhang, afraid that Zhang Qian would take it away again. You can ask Li Gui for money after some time, you can get married then! Let me marry first! Zhang Cong said. The way that Li Gui looked, Zhang Qian did not even want to see her for even one more day and felt that it would be a relief to get a divorce quickly. She was not as beautiful and capable as Feng Qin. The Zhang family members saw someone coming from afar while on their way, so they stopped arguing. Qiao Yu looked at these people who were dressed quite well and did not seem to be from the village. She asked curiously, Are you here to visit someone? At that time, people did not have many ways to contact one another since not everyone had a telephone. Only the brigade had one and they would charge people for using it. Therefore, people would usually greet one another when passing by. Also during that time, casual visitors were not allowed to roam around in the village and they would be asked about their intentions for visiting. If visitors intended to stay the night, they would have to produce a letter of recommendation as a form of proof. Otherwise, they could not spend the night in the village. Old Madam Zhang said, Were here to look for Li Gui. Li Gui? Isnt that Qiao Meis mother? Qiao Yu thought to herself. These people must be leaving the village at dinner time because Qiao Mei did not ask them to stay for dinner. Arent you guys staying for a meal given that Qiao Meis family is not lacking in rice, noodles or meat. Didnt she ask you to stay for a meal? At the mention of meat, Qiao Yu almost drooled. Chapter 135 - Letter From the Capital At this point, the Zhang family could no longer maintain their dignity. They did not even get a drink of water, let alone a meal. How embarrassing. Eh? Is Qiao Meis family very rich? Old Madam Zhang asked. Li Guis mother, Old Madam Li, used to go to the city often to complain about being poor and to ask for money. She said that Qiao Mei ate too much and Qiao Qiangs salary was not even enough to feed Qiao Mei, and that she even needed to subsidize them. It seemed that these people did not know anything about Qiao Meis family. Qiao Yu smiled and said, You mean you guys dont know! When Qiao Mei got married some time back, the man gave her a betrothal gift of 2,000 dollars and three turns and one sound! And they were all brand new! She thought that these people did not seem to be nice people. Even if she had no way to make Qiao Mei suffer a loss, she wanted to do something to create trouble for Qiao Mei. After saying that, she left the surprised Zhang family members behind. Zhang Qian instantly wanted to go back and snatch Qiao Meis three turns and one sound. This way, Zhang Cong would still have a lot of money left and he would be able to get married! Before he could go back, Zhang Cong stopped him. Father! Are you crazy! What are you going to say if you go back now! What reason do you have to ask her for things. Zhang Cong then continued muttering, What an old pervert, only thinking about getting a wife. Hearing this, Zhang Qian stepped forward and wanted to kick him. Screw you! How dare you say that about your old man! Concerned about Zhang Congs injured leg, Old Madam Zhang hurriedly stopped Zhang Qian. Havent you embarrassed yourself enough! Hurry up and go back! Well find another chance to ask them for money in the future! Lets go! The three of them returned to the city in a sorry state. In the end, they went and bought Zhang Congs betrothal gifts first. There was no reason for any family to harass Qiao Meis family anymore and they managed to have a few peaceful days. Every day, Qiao Mei brought the children up the mountain to pick mushrooms and she told Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao the same things she previously said to Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao. She told them that they would get a share of the money from selling the mushrooms. This was so that In the future, the children would be able to use their own money for pocket money and tuition fees and Qiao Mei need not fork out any more money. No one had any objections to that and they were all very happy. Other children could not even get any money, but they would all have their own money, which truly belonged to them, and they did not have to give it to others. This was a status that everyone else did not have, not even the children in the city. Qiao Mei was more than willing to take care of these children. Although they had lived with Old Madam Zhang for a few years, the children were still capable, sensible, grateful and not lazy. They were all good children and she was fond of them. After they had been here for a while, Qiao Mei felt that it was time to teach them how to read. However, it was not good to expose too much of her capability, so what she did was to ask her grandfather to teach her something at night and she would then teach the children the next day. They had to go through all the subjects together. Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao had thought that they knew a lot, but they slowly realized that this elder sister, who had only studied with them for a few months, was much better than them in every way. Therefore, they settled down obediently to learn from Qiao Mei. After she counted the days, she felt that even if they went to the elementary school in the neighboring village this semester, they would not be able to keep up. They should just wait until the next semester to start school and she would teach the children at home during the next few months so that they would not fall behind. I think you should not go to school this semester but to start next semester. Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao, you two have to go too, Qiao Mei said. Are we able to study too! Can we go to school too! Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao said to Qiao Mei in surprise. In the past, families could not really afford to provide for their childrens education, and would therefore only let boys go to school. Girls stayed at home to do housework and were not allowed to go to school. Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao had thought that they would never be able to go to school. Of course you can. Theres no difference between boys and girls when it comes to studying, Qiao Mei said. There were many girls studying in school now, which was a good thing. The girls would be well-educated enough for the coming future. The sound of bicycle bells could suddenly be heard from outside. Qiao Mei craned her neck to look outside the door. She counted the days and realized that today should be the day that the postman came by the village! As expected, a figure wearing dark green clothes appeared at Qiao Meis door. Qiao Mei hurriedly walked over. Before she reached the postman, she could already hear him talking. Is Qiao Qiang at home? Its a letter for Qiao Qiang! A letter for her grandfather? Who would send a letter to her grandfather? Qiao Mei felt puzzled. Im Qiao Mei and Qiao Qiang is my grandfather. Hes now sleeping in the house. Give it to me and Ill pass it to him later when he wakes up, Qiao Mei said to the postman. Qiao Mei held the letter and looked at it in disappointment. It was indeed addressed to Qiao Qiang. She could not help but feel a little down as she had thought that it would be a letter from Xia Zhe. Seeing the sad look on such a beautiful face, the postman could not help but say, Dont worry, Ill be back again in a few days. Perhaps Ill even be here tomorrow. By then, Ill have your letter! Qiao Mei knew that the postman was trying to cheer her up, but after thinking about it, she felt that it made sense and agreed with him. Im leaving! See you next time! Dont be unhappy! the postman shouted as he rode off on his bicycle. When Qiao Mei saw that the letter was sent from the capital, she knew that it was from her grandfathers children. Previously, Uncle Chen Hu told her that her grandfathers children wanted her grandfather to return to the capital. Perhaps they had now written a letter to discuss it with him. Qiao Qiang was woken up by the postmans voice. When he saw the letter in Qiao Meis hand, he thought that Xia Zhe had sent another letter. He grinned at Qiao Mei and said, Why? Did that Xia brat write to you again? What did he say? Has he chosen a name for the child? Qiao Mei had previously written to Xia Zhe to ask him to think about the childs name. Xia Zhe had replied to say that he had not thought about it yet, and that he needed to be more cautious about such an important matter. No, its not. Stop teasing me, grandfather. This is a letter for you, its from the capital, Qiao Mei said. Qiao Qiangs smile instantly disappeared and he frowned as if he thought of something. Throw it out and burn it. What an eyesore. Qiao Qiang turned around and walked into the house. Qiao Mei looked at her grandfathers back and knew that he did not want to talk about these things, but she did not know any details at all. Qiao Mei followed him and said, Grandfather, can I take a look on your behalf? Her big bright eyes made it impossible for anyone to refuse her request. Qiao Qiang looked at Qiao Meis expression and found it hard to reject her. He nodded and agreed. Time had passed so quickly. Previously, when Xia Zhe came, Mei Mei was still dark and fat like a black bear spirit. Now, she looked as pitiful as a little kitten. He had seen the hardship she had to go through during this period of time. Chapter 136 - Changing Surname During that period of time, Qiao Mei did not eat much. Every day, she went up the mountain to pick fruits and occasionally had to chop firewood for the family. She also had to grow bean sprouts for the supply and marketing cooperative. He was old and Qiao Mei was the one who helped him with many things. Every day, she would come home dirty and smelly, and it would be strange if she did not lose weight after going through so much. However, it was also a good thing that she lost weight. She seemed much healthier after she slimmed down. You can read it, just dont tell me what it says, Qiao Qiang waved his hand and said. Qiao Mei smiled and nodded. She went to the courtyard to read the letter, not knowing who wrote it. When Qiao Mei carefully opened the envelope and unfolded the letter, she thought that the handwriting was really beautiful and smooth. She looked at her own handwriting and found it incomparable. Then she frowned when she read the first sentence in the letter and had to force herself to patiently finish reading it. Father, its been 10 years since we parted. I miss you very much. Father, please dont blame me for being insensible. What happened back then was something done out of helplessness. In order to protect everyone, its something we couldnt help but do. I hope Father can forgive us. This time, we are If this person missed her grandfather so much, why would he not come to see him for 10 years? What a joke. He probably did not even know the way to enter the village. Qiao Mei had mixed feelings after reading the letter. Although she did not know what exactly happened during those years, she had heard from Uncle Chen Hu that her grandfathers children who lived in the capital now wanted to bring her grandfather back to recuperate in the capital. Qiao Mei looked at the signature carefully. It was written as Qiao Guo. Qiao Guo was probably her grandfathers son. She did not know what exactly happened 10 years ago to cause her grandfather to return to this village, but from the letter, she could tell that her grandfathers son must have done something that left her grandfather heartbroken. The man then did not keep in touch for 10 years and did not come to visit her grandfather. What an insincere man. However, Qiao Mei thought about something else. Based on the current medical technology, the standard of medical care in the capital would definitely be better than in the hospitals in this county city. Her grandfather had already been very seriously ill for a long time. During this period of time, he had been eating vegetables which grew from energy exchange with the pendant. His complexion looked much better, but she did not know how effective it was. She still needed to find out the actual extent of his illness before she could feel at ease. In the past, all the money in the family was used to buy meat and grains for the original owner of the body. Her grandfather did not have any money to treat his illness at all. His gastric problem was actually caused by the fact that he gave all his food to the original owner of the body, and then he had never gone to see a doctor properly. Should she talk to her grandfather about going back to treat his illness? Whether he wanted to see that family or not was another matter. She had enough money now for her grandfather to treat his illness. Qiao Mei folded the letter and thought for a moment. She could feel that these people were still up to no good. She did not know what exactly happened back then and yet, she did not dare to ask her grandfather about it. She was afraid that it would bring up sad memories for him. However, she also wanted her grandfather to go to the capital for treatment so that he could recover faster. Just as Qiao Mei was in a dilemma about whether she should tell Qiao Qiang about her doubts and thoughts, Qiao Qiang looked at his granddaughter through the window of the house behind her. Her brows were knitted and she looked like she had many questions. Qiao Qiang walked over and asked, What did they say to make you so worried? Qiao Mei was so focused on thinking about getting medical treatment for her grandfather that she did not notice Qiao Qiang standing in front of her. She looked up at Qiao Qiang and said, Grandfather, do you want to go to the capital? Qiao Qiang had also guessed the contents of the letter. Previously, he had not been willing to get involved in the matters related to the capital. Later on, Chen Hu had also asked him indirectly many times. In the end, he found out that there was trouble in the capital and there were people who wanted to ask for his help. Qiao Qiang looked at the curious Qiao Mei and sighed. Aye, lets talk inside. There are a lot of mosquitoes outside. Qiao Qiang brought Qiao Mei into the house and sat down near the fireplace. Qiao Mei said, Grandpa, whos Qiao Guo. Qiao Guo? What Qiao Guo? Qiao Qiang was unable to react immediately and wondered who this Qiao Guo was. Qiao Mei unfolded the letter and pointed at the signature. Look, Qiao Guo, Qiao Mei said. Qiao Qiang snorted and looked at the letter with disdain. Hmph, what a joke. Isnt his name Liang Guo, he even changed his surname when he wrote this letter. 1 Qiao Mei was too stunned to speak. So it turned out that the matter back then had already escalated to such a point. No wonder that her grandfather was unwilling to mention them even now. Chapter 137 - Recalling the Past I actually had no intention to ever mention again what happened back then. They really can find me no matter where I go. Qiao Qiang looked out of the window as he thought about the past. Qiao Mei had heard some things from Chen Hu about her uncle and aunt in the capital, but he only said positive things like they were a wealthy family in the capital who specially wanted to find Qiao Qiang so that he could return to the capital to enjoy life. Chen Hu probably did not know anything else. Grandfather, can I know what happened back then? Qiao Mei asked carefully. Qiao Qiang looked at Qiao Mei and could not help but sigh. She was already 18 years old this year. When he first returned to the village, she was still so thin and petite, as skinny as a bamboo pole, and she almost died. Now, she was already a beautiful young woman and it was time to let her know about what happened back then. Qiao Qiang sighed and said, Time really flies. For a moment, he did not know where to start. After thinking for a moment, he started with the past events. In those early years, your grandmother and I lived in the village. Back then, we had a nice life even though our family was poor and we did not have much food at all. Your grandmother was a virtuous woman, she was beautiful and also capable. However, there was a famine back then, everyone had no food and we could only eat elm bark. Those were some difficult times Qiao Qiang paused for a moment before continuing, Later on, your grandmother was killed by enemies who came to the village. At that time, I was working outside the village and managed to escape the same fate. When I came back, there was only your father left, so I heartlessly abandoned him and joined the army. When I entered the army, I wanted to make a name for myself and I managed to achieve some good results by the time I was 32 years old. Our leader thought highly of me and felt that I had a future, so he asked his daughter to marry me. Later on, we had two children, Qiao Guo and Qiao Lan. Oh! No, their names should be Liang Guo and Liang Lan now. He did not say much about what happened after that. The gist was that the old leader probably thought that getting a nobody son-in-law with no background meant he would get a lot of help with his family, but things did not go according to his plan. Qiao Qiang did not listen to their orders at all and did not want to help their family do anything. This made the Liang family very troubled. 1 Initially, the Liang familys daughter was very happy with Qiao Qiang. However, Qiao Qiangs stubbornness caused the Liang familys daughter to always get reprimanded by her father, who said that she did not know how to persuade Qiao Qiang to help her family. The couple was very loving in the first few years of their marriage, but later on, her attitude towards Qiao Qiang changed for the worse. Much later on, there was a fundamental conflict between Qiao Qiang and the Liang family. The Liang family then tried to kill Qiao Qiang to protect their own family. When this ploy was discovered by Qiao Qiangs comrades, he barely managed to escape from the army and survive the attack. Later on, he returned to the village, which was far enough for him to get away from everything, and no one could do anything to him. Back then, the Liang family was ruthless and insisted that the Liang familys daughter get a divorce. They even ensured that Qiao Qiang left the marriage with nothing. The children also took on the Liang familys surname so that they would not become useless people who could not enter the army. If it were not for them, things would not have come to this point today, where a war hero like Qiao Qiang languished unnoticed in this faraway unknown village. Qiao Mei did not expect to hear that there was such a grudge back then. After a moment of silence, she got up and went to the kitchen to burn the letter. Out of sight, out of mind. Halfway through burning the letter, she remembered that the stamp had been left intact when she opened the envelope. If she had kept it, it would be a treasure in the future. 1 Forget it, I dont really need this stamp. Ill be angry just looking at it. Its better to burn it and throw it into the stove pit and go back to the house to accompany my grandfather. Grandfather, do you want to go to the capital to have a medical examination? We wont go and see them, but lets go and get you checked out. Qiao Mei was still worried about Qiao Qiangs health. Sigh! No, no! Im in good health. I can even chop wood. Why should I see a doctor! No! Qiao Qiang said as he waved his hand. When Qiao Mei heard this, she decided not to go for the time being. However, she would definitely try to persuade her grandfather to go to the capital to see a doctor at some point in the future as it was not something that could be left to him to decide. When Xia Zhe returned, they would bring her grandfather to the capital and she would do anything to get it done. At this juncture, she would not mention it and she would wait for an opportunity in the future. 1 Chapter 138 - Deciding to Find Someone Alright, then we wont go to the capital. Lets eat, grandfather. I made your favorite potato and kidney bean stew today. Its very delicious. Qiao Mei put down the tableware to have a meal with her grandfather. Our Mei Meis culinary skills are getting better and better! That kid Xia Zhe really has it good, Qiao Qiang said with a smile. Hahaha, I wonder how hes been recently, Qiao Mei said. Why, do you miss him, but its about time his letter gets here. Dont worry, itll be here tomorrow or the day after, Qiao Qiang said. Yes, yes, Im not in a hurry! The truth was that Qiao Mei actually counted the days in her heart every day, looking forward to the day his letter arrived. It was really like what Qiao Qiang said. The letter arrived on the third day and it was the young postman who delivered it. Qiao Meis face had looked tense for the past two days but she was finally all smiles now. She had wondered if something had happened to Xia Zhe, preventing him from replying. The letter was similar to his usual letters. He wrote about the many interesting things that happened during training and that he had won first place in a competition against his comrades in the army. In her last letter, Qiao Mei asked Xia Zhe to think of a name for their child. This time, Xia Zhe addressed her request in his letter, but she felt that the names he suggested were a mess. 1 Xia Zhe wrote that if the child was a boy, he would name him Xia Guo, Xia Zhuang or Xia Qiang. If it was a girl, he would name her Xia Lan, Xia Fang or Xia Juan. Qiao Mei did not even want to hear these names and thought that she might as well name the children herself. There were countless names in the village using these same few words. No, no, definitely not. She could not let her children have such names. In the future, when they went to school and the teachers called out the names, there would definitely be a few other people who would reply to the same name. That would be too awkward and the children would have no recognizability at all. She had to think of other ways to name the children without dampening Xia Zhes enthusiasm. It appeared that this matter would have to wait until the children were born. 1 She still had not informed Xia Zhe that she was pregnant with twins, a boy and a girl, and she wondered about his expression on the day when she told him. Qiao Mei unfolded the letter to read it again and realized that Xia Zhe had also mentioned in the letter that he would not be able to come back for next months holiday as he had promised. He wrote that he was going to Gushan and that she should send letters and packages there in the future. However, he would only contact Qiao Mei when he got there as his trip was supposed to be a secret. Qiao Mei hurriedly got up and looked at the calendar. It was the year 1971 and only one month and eight days away from the day of the great earthquake. The letter would have been posted a few days ago. In that case, Xia Zhe would definitely be at the earthquake zone when it happened! 1 She remembered it was recorded that hundreds of thousands of people died in that earthquake. Could Xia Zhe be one of them? No, there could not be such a coincidence! The original owner of the body did not have many memories of Xia Zhe spending time with her, but Xia Zhe was a very responsible person. Every month, he would send his salary to the original owner of the body so that she would be able to support herself and the children. However, later on, the person who transferred the money eventually changed from Xia Zhe to his uncle, Qin Dong. Why did the change happen? The original owner of the body was illiterate and she was satisfied as long as she received the money. So long as she had food to eat, she would not think about anything else. Could it be that he did not like the original owner of the body so he asked someone else to transfer the money on his behalf? Then why was it Xia Zhes uncle instead of the communications officer from the army? No, something must have gone wrong somewhere. Could it be that Xia Zhe was there during that earthquake! That he did not abandon the original owner of the body! No, Xia Zhe could not die. Qiao Mei clenched her fists and stared at the date on the calendar. She carefully and repeatedly counted the dates, afraid that she would miscount and miss out on a day. She did not know whether Xia Zhe had already set off, as he did not mention when he would be going and only told her a rough plan. The letter in Qiao Meis hand was extremely wrinkled. By the time Qiao Mei realized it, it had already been crumpled into a ball. Qiao Mei hurriedly took the letter to the brick bed and spread it out. She carefully pressed a book on it to flatten the creases, hoping that it could still revert to its original state. Qiao Mei sat on the brick bed and sighed. She took out the pendant that she wore on her chest as it glittered with a dark green light. Qiao Mei made up her mind and held the pendant tightly with both hands. She had decided to go and look for Xia Zhe! Qiao Mei walked to the courtyard to look for Qiao Qiang and said firmly to him, Grandfather, Im going to Gu.. no, Im going to the capital! Qiao Mei almost told Qiao Qiang of her real destination. She thought that it was better not to let her grandfather know about it so that he would not worry. 1 Chapter 139 - Preparing to Go to the Capital Qiao Qiang was stunned when he heard this. What was going on, didnt she say two days ago that she would ignore those people from the capital, yet she wanted to look for them. The look of righteous indignation on Qiao Meis face made it seemed as if she was going to seek revenge. So she looked so worried yesterday not because she was waiting for the Xia kids letter but because she was thinking about the matter concerning him. This Meimei, didnt we agree there is no need to go to the capital to look for them? Besides, so many years have passed and I also dont want to look for them anymore. And youre pregnant Before Qiao Qiang could finish speaking, Qiao Mei was also stunned. So grandfather thought that I am going to the capital to ask those people for an explanation. Grandfather, what are you thinking, heres what happened. In his letter, Xia Zhe mentioned that he can go home at the end of this month. I want to go to the capital to look for him and meet his family. What do you think? Qiao Mei asked carefully, afraid that Qiao Qiang would not agree to let her go. If he rejected her, she did not have any other good reason. Ah right, then you should go. You havent even met them yet. Tell me when you intend to go, Qiao Qiang said. Qiao Mei heaved a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Qiao Qiang did not suspect anything. Otherwise, her intentions would have been exposed. When they got married, Xia Zhe had sent her the three turns and one sound. The radio was able to receive the news broadcasts. If Qiao Qiang knew of her going to Gushan and then he heard the earthquake being reported over the radio after a few days, she would not know what would happen if Qiao Qiang got worried and went to look for her. It was better not to let her grandfather worry. Perhaps in a weeks time. I still have to pack my things, Qiao Mei said. Go to the county city with Sister Dong tomorrow and buy a few pieces of nice fabric to make some new clothes. It doesnt matter how much it costs. I still remember how your mother-in-law was about such things in the past. Shes not a typical person so you have to be serious about it. Qiao Qiang had saved Xia Jun before and had a good relationship with him, and also knew his son and daughter-in-law. Theres no need for that, grandfather. The fabric that Xia Zhe gave me should be good enough. Theres no need to trouble Auntie Dong to make a trip with me. Qiao Mei felt that her grandfather was making a mountain out of a molehill. Sigh! Dont disobey me. I know what their family is like. Your father-in-law is not too bad, he usually just likes to spend time with his birds and he has a good temper. Your mother-in-law is one-of-a-kind. When she was young, she was in the military art troupe and was a key personnel there! Shes very capable and shes also good-looking, and shes especially particular about her clothes. Later on, when she was older, she transferred to the logistics department. Anyway, you just need to wear whatever looks nice and fashionable! Qiao Qiang said as he recalled the past. Based on what Qiao Qiang had described, it seemed that she really had to come up with some countermeasures. This mother-in-law seemed really one-of-a-kind. Qiao Mei planned to make a few more dresses. In the past few years, such clothes were not allowed. People would say that a person wearing that was indecent, and the person would get reported and had to go to attend a meeting about the issue. There was not much said about such clothes now, but people were still not very liberal. Since her mother-in-law had an eye for fashion, then she need not have any misgivings about it. 2 Qiao Qiang felt that it was not enough for her to just wear nice clothes but that she still had to give them something presentable. Qiao Qiang went back into the house and rummaged through the cabinets. He took out a bottle of wine that he had kept for many years but then thought that there were plenty of that in the capital and they probably would not care for it at all. After a while, he finished searching the entire house but still did not manage to find anything suitable. Qiao Qiang then took out a small box containing the wild lingzhi and a small piece of wild ginseng that Qiao Mei had brought back and gifted to him. For such herbs, the artificially cultivated ones were not as nutritious as the ones picked from the mountains, and could only be chanced upon by luck. Qiao Mei originally wanted him to keep it for himself, but he could not be bothered with that now. Qiao Qiang took the box to Qiao Mei and said, Take this with you. They should value this kind of thing. Seeing that her grandfather was afraid that she would be subject to criticism and had taken out his most valuable assets for her, she could not help but tear up. Qiao Qiangs actions made her feel the warmth of having a family. To Qiao Mei, it was a simple matter to produce these. Any simple energy exchange could get her high-quality wild ginseng and wild lingzhi. She did not have to worry about finding these herbs. Right now, Qiao Meis superpower allowed her to search for rare and valuable plants within a three-kilometer radius and her energy exchange could produce high quality plants. However, these herbs were supposed to be rare. If she caused them to appear all over the mountains and plains, people would surely notice something was amiss. Therefore, Qiao Mei only did a simple energy exchange and brought back two to three catties for Qiao Qiang to try out and see if it helped with his health. He would usually soak them in his drinking water. The quality of this batch of herbs was still not good enough to be brought to the capital. Chapter 140 - Cheers and Laughter Lingzhi was a type of fungus that typically took more than a year to be fully grown and would only grow only under very specific conditions. However, it was still not as difficult to find as ginseng. It was very rare to find good quality old ginseng. Even if one managed to find it, one needed to find someone who knew how to dig it out, otherwise there would still be damage done to the ginseng. An intact ginseng was a very rare find. As Qiao Qiang looked at these items, he still felt that they were still not up to standard and not presentable. Back then, Xia Zhe was tricked into entering the house to be with Qiao Mei, but not only did he not despise Qiao Meis figure and appearance, he even gave her generous betrothal gifts. Even for weddings in the city, there were very few people who were able to come up with the three turns and one sound. It was not because people did not have the money to buy it, but because one might not be able to get hold of the items even if one had money. Qiao Qiang decided to go back to his cabinet and see if there were any other valuable items that Qiao Mei could bring to the capital with her. Qiao Mei hurriedly pulled Qiao Qiang back. She could have as many of these herbs as she wanted. She wanted her grandfather to keep his share for himself and she could go into the mountains to get some more. Her heart ached to see how nicely her grandfather treated her, but it was just not possible for her to tell him about her abilities. Grandfather, keep these for yourself to put in your drinking water. Ill go to the mountains to look for more. There should be plenty of these! Qiao Mei said to her grandfather. Plenty of these? Hahahaha, do you really think its like cabbages that can be found everywhere? Silly child, Qiao Qiang said laughingly. Qiao Mei handed the box to Qiao Qiang and said, What makes you think I cant find it, Ill go look for it again. If I really cant find any, then Ill take yours. Qiao Qiang thought for a moment and decided he did not want to argue with his granddaughter, so he let Qiao Mei be. He put the box back into its spot in the corner. Although everyone was poor now, he was still afraid that someone would covet it and come to steal it. Qiao Mei went up to the mountains alone. Recently, she would take the four children out for a walk whenever she had time and teach them to recognize all the useful things on the mountain. As the old saying goes, Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. Instead of picking and harvesting stuff for the children to sell, it was better to teach the children how to pick them and to distinguish what was useful and what was not edible. Ever since the villagers saw Qiao Mei bringing the four children up the mountains to pick wild crops every day and coming back with their hands full every night, many people tagged along to take a look at where they went to find so many nice things. Usually, Qiao Mei would also produce more fruits when she did energy exchanges, afraid that the villagers would become suspicious. She had already informed Auntie Dong and Auntie Wang roughly which areas they should head to. After all, they were on her side and it was better than letting outsiders pick the fruits. She also did not want the children to follow her all the time. They still had to have their own circle of friends. Qiao Mei roasted the remaining melon seeds at home, distributed them to the children and asked them to play near the tree at the entrance of the brigade office. That area was big and all the village children liked to play there. She told them to share the melon seeds with the other children if the children did not invite them to play together. Using this method, they got along well with all the children in less than three days. There were even a few children who took the initiative to go to Li Guis house to play with them. Ever since the children came to the village, they laughed more and there were smiles on their faces every day. Zhang Wei, who was relatively older than the rest, slowly brought his younger siblings out to play with the children in the village. He soon became the leader of the group of local children and everyone liked to play with him. Li Gui even borrowed a few pieces of rags from Qiao Mei and sewed a triangular sandbag and a square sandbag for the children. Many children found it novel and played at Li Guis house for a long time before pestering Li Gui to make one for them. Auntie, make one for me too! Auntie, I want one too! Okay, okay, okay The harmonious atmosphere made Qiao Mei feel relieved. She had already explained to the four children how difficult it had been for Li Gui all these years, as well as told them about the evil deeds of Old Madam Zhang and Old Madam Li. The children were all quite sensible and understood that what happened in the past was not entirely Li Guis fault. Most of the time, it was someone elses fault. Their attitude towards Li Gui improved a lot and they knew to help her in whatever way they could. Li Gui used the money that she earned from selling things to buy them items that they liked. They were no longer afraid that the Zhang and Li families would sow discord between them and ask them for money. Chapter 141 - Hundred Qiao Mei brought her tools and went to the mountains to look for the place where she previously harvested the wild ginseng. During the last time, she had only taken a portion of it. The other portion was still buried there and growing slowly. Some had already been discovered by other people and dug up, while others were still well hidden. Qiao Mei made a few simple energy exchanges and produced three 20-year-old ginsengs. She turned around and was about to leave when she remembered that Xia Zhe might get injured and be in danger on the way to Gushan this time. In that case, she had to get some ginseng that was rarer and of better quality. Otherwise, it would be very difficult to save his life if she just depended on these 20-year-old little things. It was not that Qiao Mei wanted to think negatively but she had to plan for everything at this point in time, otherwise it would be too late when something really happened. She would be away from home for at least more than a month. During this period of time, the lingzhi and ginseng that she gave her grandfather to put in his drinking water would be almost all used up. It would not be difficult to produce some more good quality herbs for her grandfather to use. The wild ginseng was similar to the other plants, but there were also some differences. The main difference was that apart from being precious and difficult to find, it could also grow continuously. For the ordinary bushes and fruits, they would wither after a few blooms. However, the wild ginseng was different. The wild ginseng could grow continuously and become more and more rare as the years passed. Some could even reach the level of the king of ginsengs. Therefore, the wild ginseng could keep exchanging energy with Qiao Mei and grow continuously. Qiao Mei calculated the growth and decline of the wild ginsengs one by one. For one, she stopped after 50 rounds. For another one, she ended only after 100 rounds. Qiao Mei could communicate with these wild ginsengs, so she did not have to dig them out by herself. The wild ginsengs would emerge from the soil one by one on their own with intact roots and in good condition. Qiao Mei kept these wild ginsengs and also produced a good quality lingzhi, as well as some broken pieces of lingzhi for her grandfathers drinking water. It was not necessary for him to put them in his water, but by doing that over a long period of time, it was still good for health. The quality of the lingzhi and wild ginseng that had undergone energy exchange was also much better than the ordinary ones found elsewhere. Qiao Mei went back with these items and could see Qiao Qiang waiting for her at home from afar. As soon as she entered the house, Qiao Qiang asked, Mei Mei, did you manage to dig anything up today? If there is nothing, Grandpa will go and buy some good liquor from your Uncle Chen Hu. Dont tire yourself out. Qiao Mei put down the basket from behind her and said, Of course I found it! Qiao Mei went into the house with the items in the basket and placed them one by one on the brick bed. There were two 20-year-old wild ginsengs, a 50-year-old one and another 100-year-old one. There was also a whole lingzhi and a few catties of loose lingzhi. Qiao Qiang was completely dumbfounded when he saw them. The quality of these items was definitely top-notch. He could not imagine that there were actually such treasures in the mountains. He had lived here for so long and had never found any before. Mei Mei was still the lucky one. Now she could hold her head up high when she went to the capital. Mei Mei, youre really good at digging them up. The roots arent even broken. This is really great. Qiao Qiang looked at these items and sighed. Of course. Im especially lucky today! Qiao Mei said with a smile. Qiao Mei thought to herself, These things popped out in front of me themselves, so of course the roots are not broken. If I have to dig them out myself, there probably wont be many roots left. Grandfather, keep this 50-year-old ginseng for yourself. Ill take the rest with me. Also, take this lingzhi and put it in your drinking water. I saw that you dont have much left from the last batch I picked for you. Qiao Mei took out the remaining exquisite box they had at home and tied the ginseng up. She fixed the roots one by one so that the ginseng looked nice when it was put in the box. Otherwise, as time passed, the wild ginseng would lose its shape. Okay, thats good. Im relieved now. Qiao Qiang had been worried for the entire day and finally felt at ease. She would not be looked down upon by others if she brought these things along with her. Qiao Mei thought so too. It would be a huge surprise for everyone if she just brought along the 100-year-old wild ginseng with her. At this time, it was already rare to find 20-year-old wild ginseng. If she took out three 100-year-old wild ginsengs at once, that would make people feel that she was trying to curry favor with their family. Chapter 142 - Upgraded Qiao Mei suddenly realized that the post-energy exchange smell on her body was not as bad as before. Previously, when she did the energy exchange too many times, she would stink so badly that people would avoid her from afar. Although there was still some odor on her body now, it was much fainter than before. 2 Qiao Mei went to the kitchen to boil water and took a short bath before going to sleep. Lying on the brick bed, Qiao Mei kept feeling uneasy, so she slowly touched her belly. Although she was only a few months pregnant and she had not grown big yet, her belly was starting to look obvious. Babies, lets go and find daddy together. Your father will definitely be fine, Qiao Mei touched her belly and muttered softly. The next morning, she got up early to look for Auntie Dong to go shopping with her in the county city. She pushed her bicycle to Auntie Dongs house and saw Auntie Dong washing vegetables at home. Aiyo! Mei Mei is here. Why are you pushing the bicycle, where are you going? Auntie Dong looked up and saw Qiao Mei when she was about to enter the courtyard. Auntie, can you bring me to the county city? I want to buy some fabric to make some clothes. My grandfather is worried about me going alone, so I have to come and trouble you, Qiao Mei said. Aiyo! Of course its alright, its no trouble at all. Wait for me to change my clothes and Ill bring you there! Auntie Dong quickly wiped her wet hands on her clothes and went into the house to change into a clean set of clothes before leaving the house. Auntie Dong rode the bicycle while Qiao Mei sat in the back. It did not take long for them to reach the county city. Qiao Mei first bought a few types of plain fabric and then some ready-made embroidery patterns. She knew how to embroider, but there was not enough time for her to make her own beautiful patterns from scratch. Auntie Dong also bought some items and they returned home before noon. After saying goodbye to Auntie Dong, Qiao Mei hurriedly ran back home. First, she drew a few patterns on paper and then, she slowly made the clothes one by one. In two to three days, she made a few sets of maternity clothes and comfortable pants. After that, she intended to go to the mountains to do energy exchange for the remaining few days. Ever since Qiao Mei discovered that she no longer emitted a stench after energy exchange, she did a few experiments and found out that plants like chestnuts and mushrooms, which were not too valuable, did not require much energy exchange to gather a big quantity. For precious plants like lingzhi and wild ginseng, which could only be chanced upon by luck, there was a higher level of energy exchange needed, which was purer and made the pendant look better. Previously, the pendant was dark green and appeared dim, and there were still some cotton-like impurities in it. However, as Qiao Mei exchanged energy many times during this period of time, the color of the pendant became a brighter green and also looked more transparent. The impurities in the pendant also decreased a lot. This was all due to Qiao Meis efforts. The pendant could also be upgraded and evolved. As long as one persisted in exchanging energy, one would be able to improve ones ability after a certain number of times. In the past, Qiao Mei could only exchange energy with plants which were right under her nose, but she could currently communicate with plants within a ten-mile radius. Qiao Mei spent all her time in the mountains every day. At the crack of dawn, she would prepare Qiao Qiangs meal and then go up the mountain to exchange energy with the plants. She only returned when it was almost dark. Many people found that the trees in the mountains had grown especially dense recently and the leaves were also emerald green. Many people went into the mountains to take a look to see if they could find anything valuable. Most people found a lot of wild lingzhi and wild ginseng. Of course, these were all relatively young ones that had just grown out. However, people still considered them to be very precious items. To Qiao Mei though, they had about the same value as weeds and wildflowers. After a while, Qiao Mei felt that it was not a good idea for her to continue in the same manner. Due to her energy exchange, many plants reproduced more and they were all of very good quality. If this continued, everyone would be able to dig up wild ginseng and wild lingzhi. Then if they were to decide to dig them up to sell, the ecology of this mountain would probably be destroyed. Recently, Qiao Mei did not go up that mountain anymore. She found a small cave in the mountain behind her house and cultivated a small piece of land where she planted all the small ginsengs she had picked from the mountains. She decided to carry out the energy exchange here as she felt that the effect should be much better than doing it outside alongside the other ordinary plants. Chapter 143 - Simple Happiness Qiao Mei planted 10 small wild ginsengs in the ground and carried out the energy exchange at the same time. After 300 rounds, half of the wild ginsengs had dried up, leaving only three that were still in relatively good condition and the remaining two also showing signs of withering. It seemed that the energy exchange did not guarantee absolute success. Ultimately , it was the composition of the soil, humidity and temperature which decided whether the plants could survive in the end. Sigh, I thought they could really grow indefinitely. Looks like I have to think of another way, Qiao Mei said as she looked at the wild ginsengs on the ground. It was getting late so Qiao Mei went home and prepared some lingzhi so that she could carry out experiments tomorrow. She also wanted to replant all the wild ginseng she had at home so that she could better cultivate them into older wild ginseng. Qiao Mei was about to leave in the morning when Qiao Qiang stopped her. Mei Mei, dont tire yourself out nowadays. I see you going to the mountains every day. Youre still pregnant, so you have to take care of your own body. Qiao Qiang looked at Qiao Mei worriedly. Although Qiao Mei went out early and returned late every day in order to carry out energy exchanges in the mountains, she would obtain more and better energy after each exchange. She did not feel tired even if she walked 100 miles every day, so working in the mountains actually made her more refreshed. Grandfather, dont worry, Im feeling fine. Im leaving now. The food is in the pot, remember to eat it! Qiao Mei called out to Qiao Qiang as she walked away. Aye. Qiao Qiang could only sigh to himself as he felt worried about his granddaughter. I wonder where this stubbornness comes from On the topic of Qiao Meis temper, she definitely did not resemble Li Gui who was a very agreeable person. Qiao Meis father, Qiao Yue, was also an upright man who was famous for his good temper. When it came to Qiao Meis stubborn temper, there was actually a strong resemblance with Qiao Qiang. Qiao Mei came to this cave again. This time, Qiao Mei planted 500 wild ginsengs in one go and put the lingzhi aside first. After countless rounds of blooming and withering, more than half of the wild ginsengs had dried up and died. After 500 rounds, there were only 15 left. Every 100 rounds, Qiao Mei would record the number of wild ginsengs left but she did not stop the energy exchange. After 1,000 rounds, there were only two wild ginsengs left. Qiao Mei looked at the wild ginsengs on the ground and felt extremely happy. These were thousand-year-old wild ginsengs and she did not expect to have two left. Qiao Meis body was already covered in a thin layer of sweat and she emitted a faint fragrance. This fragrance was not like the fragrance of flowers, but it was a kind of medicinal fragrance that was fresh and elegant. The smell was so faint that it was not obvious at all. Compared to the previous stench all over her body after an energy exchange, the current smell was something completely different. Her complexion was also getting better and better as well. Her dark skin had become much fairer and now looked the color of cream or a piece of unpolished jade which was delicate and clear. Qiao Mei observed these changes happily. She did not find anyone selling mirrors in the county city, otherwise she would definitely buy one home to take a good look at all the changes happening to her. She did not know how she looked now, but she could tell from what everyone else said that she had indeed become prettier and more good-looking. Qiao Mei packed her things and went back home. That was all for todays energy exchange and she did not remove a lot of ginsengs, thinking to continue with the energy exchange tomorrow. She wanted to go back and boil some water to wash up and have a good rest. Also, she wanted to go back early today, otherwise her grandfather would be worried again. When Qiao Mei got home, it was still dusk and the sky had not turned dark yet. Seeing that Qiao Mei had returned early today, Qiao Qiang smiled happily. She had taken his words to heart. Not bad! Not bad! Qiao Mei looked at the happy Qiao Qiang in the courtyard and gradually realized that what her grandfather wanted was actually so simple. As long as she was safe and happy, her grandfather would be very happy. She decided to go back earlier in the future so that her grandfather would not be on tenterhooks at home. Once she set off on her trip, it would be more than a month before she could get back or maybe even longer. Qiao Mei shouted towards the courtyard, Grandfather! Im on my way back! Chapter 144 - Stalking Qiao Qiang could see Qiao Mei waving her hands and smiling happily on the mountain not far away and he replied, Hurry up and come back to eat! The food will get cold soon! After Qiao Mei went down the mountain, the first thing she did was to pack up the things in the basket and then she washed her hands before sitting down for a meal. During this period of time, hygiene standards were not that prevalent and it was rare to see people washing their hands regularly. However, in order to prevent illnesses from entering through their mouths, Qiao Mei repeatedly reminded Qiao Qiang of the importance of hand washing. At first, Qiao Qiang felt that it was cumbersome, but he was also afraid that Qiao Mei would be angry, so he obediently washed his hands often. After dinner and cleaning up, Qiao Mei returned to the house to take inventory of the things she wanted to bring with her. She suddenly realized that she was missing some underclothes and that she had to top up the supply of some necessities at home. Otherwise, it would be inconvenient for her grandfather to go to the county city alone since it was so far away from the village. Sigh, looks like I have to go to Auntie Dongs place. Qiao Mei put away her things and went to look for Auntie Dong. Qiao Yu had just finished her work when she saw Qiao Mei leaving her house while carrying something. She curiously stopped to take a peek, but did not expect Qiao Mei to move closer and closer to her, scaring her so much that she quickly hid to the side to avoid being discovered. Where is Qiao Mei going with such a big watermelon? Qiao Yu looked in the direction that Qiao Mei had gone. Ever since Qiao Zhuangs family failed to grow bean sprouts, everything else they planted also withered. They could not grow anything at all, so they simply stopped trying. Everyone said that it was because Qiao Zhuangs family had done too many bad things, leading to bad feng shui, so everything they planted withered and died. Qiao Yu followed Qiao Mei to Auntie Dongs house and hid behind a pile of firewood. Auntie Dong! Auntie Dong, are you home! Qiao Mei shouted into the courtyard. Auntie Dong ran out of the house and said, Who is it! Aiyo! Isnt this Mei Mei, why are you looking for me? Qiao Mei smiled and pushed open the door. When Auntie Dong saw the big watermelon in Qiao Meis hands, she hurriedly took it. Aye, you can just come over as you wish, yet you carry such a heavy thing even though youre pregnant! You just wont listen no matter what I say! Auntie Dong frowned and scolded Qiao Mei. Hey, dont be angry. I wont do it again. Qiao Mei replied simply so that she could move on to talk about other things. I dont know what to say about you. Come in quickly. Auntie Dong brought Qiao Mei into the house. Qiao Yu heard everything clearly from the outside. There must be a reason for her giving the watermelon to Auntie Dong out of the blue! However, Auntie Dongs courtyard was huge and it was difficult to eavesdrop so she had to give up on this idea. When Qiao Yu thought about the fragrant and sweet watermelon, she felt her mouth watering. At her house, food was only prepared for the men and the womenfolk did not get anything good to eat. The last time Qiao Mei hosted everyone at her wedding banquet, there was so much nice food. There must be things to eat at her house. Qiao Yu wanted to take advantage of the fact that Qiao Mei was not at home to see if there was any food at her house. If there were, she was prepared to steal something. Qiao Yu picked up the hoe and ran over to Qiao Meis house in a hurry, but when she saw Qiao Qiang taking a stroll in the courtyard, she turned around and ran off. Qiao Qiang also saw Qiao Yu running away quickly the moment she saw him, and he thought that she must be up to no good. Qiao Qiang did not like Qiao Zhuangs family. Qiao Yu walked home dejectedly. She was feeling really hungry after not eating for a few days in a row. If she went back today and there was still no food, she would starve to death sooner or later. Qiao Yu looked at the nearby houses and saw smoke rising from the chimneys. Then she turned her attention to Li Guis house. Hmph, I cant enter your house, but Im sure you give food to your mother! Qiao Yus eyes lit up as she walked quickly to Li Guis house. Qiao Yu first circled the house a few times before looking in through the window to see if there was anyone around. Before long, the fragrance of food coming from the house was so enticing that it made Qiao Yu unable to walk away. It smells so good It smells like big steamed buns! Qiao Yu muttered to herself. In the house, Li Gui was busy cooking. Zhang Wei had brought Zhang Chao and Zhang Qin, the two older kids, to the mountains to have a look around and pick some vegetables. The young Zhang Miao was at home helping out with housework like washing the dishes. Mom, whos that person, she keeps looking into the house. Zhang Miao looked at Qiao Yu curiously. When Li Gui first came to the village, she had only met Wang Qin and a few of the older women. She had never met Qiao Yu before and thought that Qiao Yu looked quite young but could not recall anything about this person. Li Gui walked out of the house and asked, You are? Ah! Im Qiao Meis aunt. Im from Qiao Zhuangs family. Dont you remember me? Qiao Yu asked tentatively. Chapter 145 - Snatching Someone’s Dinner Li Gui tried to recall if she knew anyone called Qiao Yu but she was unable to. There were too many people in Qiao Zhuangs family. When she left, some of them were still young children. Whats your name? Li Gui did not manage to recall anything. Qiao Yu! My name is Qiao Yu! Qiao Yu said excitedly. Ah Youre Qiao Zhuangs number six, right? I remember that the sixth child is a daughter. Li Gui recalled carefully and finally remembered the number of children that Qiao Zhuang had. Yes, yes, yes! Sister-in-law, its good that you still remember me! Qiao Yu said. Li Gui did not know why Qiao Yu was here, so she could only greet her with a smile and asked, Whats the matter? Are you looking for Qiao Mei? No, no, no, Im here to look for you, sister-in-law. When Qiao Yu heard Qiao Meis name, she was so frightened that she hurriedly waved her hand to clear the air. Then did Did my children do something wrong? Li Gui asked carefully. Ah! No, no! Its like this I Sister-in-law, can you give me some food? I havent eaten for a few days, Qiao Yu said. Looking at the skinny Qiao Yu, Li Gui could not bear to reject her. However, she still had two growing boys at home, who had adult appetites, as well as two girls. She had so many mouths to feed at home. If she were to let Qiao Yu share their food, then what about the childrens share. However, when Li Gui saw Qiao Yus pleading look, she hesitated. Sister-in-law! I beg you! My father and the rest wont give me food! I can only beg you! I havent eaten for a few days! I beg you! Qiao Yu immediately knelt in front of Li Gui and cried out for help. Li Gui was so alarmed that she hurriedly helped Qiao Yu up and said, Dont be like this! You! Sigh come in. Aye, aye! Yes! Thank you, sister-in-law! Thank you, sister-in-law! Qiao Yu hurriedly stood up when she heard this and ran into the house without even cleaning the dust off her legs. Zhang Miao looked at Li Gui and Qiao Yu from the doorway. Before she could dodge to one side, she was knocked down by Qiao Yu who had rushed in. When Li Gui saw this, she ran in and helped her child up. She patted her all over and asked, Miao Miao, how are you? Are you alright! Mom I Im fine Who is she? Zhang Miao was not one of those spoiled children who would cry after falling down. She brushed off the soil on her hands and took it in her stride. As Li Gui watched Qiao Yu wolfing down the food, she did not know what to say. She brought her child to another room and decided to wait for Qiao Yu to finish eating before they had their meal. 1 Qiao Yu looked at the big bowl full of steamed buns and immediately reached out to take two and wolfed them down. She did not care whether Li Guis family had eaten or not, she only cared about filling her own stomach. In the end, she ate four to five steamed buns in a row before stopping, and even took four more and held them in her lap. In the end, there was only one bun left in the bowl. Qiao Yu thought about it and decided that there was no point in leaving just one, so she took the last one as well. Afraid that Li Gui would turn hostile, Qiao Yu left immediately after she finished eating. As she walked off, she was still chewing a bun as she said, Sister-in-law! Im Im leaving! Theres no need to send me off! 2 As soon as she left the house, she bumped into Zhang Wei and his younger siblings who were on the way home. They did not manage to find much today and only brought back two baskets of wild vegetables. Qiao Yus eyes lit up when she saw them. Buns with stuffing made from these vegetables must be delicious. She decided that she would come back tomorrow. Zhang Wei stared at Qiao Yu curiously and only went in after she left. After instructing Zhang Qin and Zhang Chao to sort out the vegetables in the courtyard, he went into the house to look for Li Gui. Mom? Mom! Where are you! Zhang Wei shouted. Elder brother! Xiao Wei! Im here! The mother and child answered in unison. Looking at Li Guis sad expression, Zhang Wei guessed that the woman must have come to bully his mother. Zhang Wei asked patiently, Mom, whats wrong? Who was that person from just now? Li Gui did not know how to explain it. Besides, Zhang Wei was still young, only 10 years old. It was better not to let the child know of such things, so she decided not to tell him. 1 Chapter 146 - Intercepting Midway The young Zhang Miao did not understand all these things her mother was thinking about. She felt so aggrieved and said to Zhang Wei, Elder brother! That person pushed me! She even ate all the steamed buns that mom worked so hard to make! When Zhang Wei heard this, he then understood why Li Gui was so sad. However, he was young and did not know how to handle this matter. Zhang Wei thought to himself, Elder sister Qiao Mei said that Im the eldest brother among my siblings and I must be their role model. Mom is taking care of us now and Im the man of the family. I cant let them be bullied. Zhang Wei was about to head out when Li Gui stopped him. Xiao Wei, she shes moms younger sister. Shes just here to have a meal because shes hungry. Its not a big thing, Li Gui said hesitantly. After all, Zhang Wei and the other three children were all children that she had with Zhang Qian. Qiao Yu was Qiao Yues younger cousin and so could be considered to be like a younger sister to her. It was only right for her to help out. 2 Zhang Wei looked at his mothers troubled expression and nodded. He decided not to do anything about it. Although he was still young, he was the leader of the group of local children in the village. Everyone listened to him and played with him. It was not a big deal for a few children to play pranks and throw stones at people. The adults would usually turn a blind eye and not raise the issue to the brigade. Li Gui took out all the food left in the house so that the children would have something to eat tonight. She let the children eat first and only ate when they were done. Her sacrifice did not go unnoticed by the children. The next morning, the children went up the mountains again to see if there were any new crops to pick. This time, they also brought Zhang Miao along. Li Gui laid out the wild vegetables to dry at home and went to work after finishing the housework. When she was on the way home later, she ran into Qiao Yu at the crossroads. When Li Gui saw Qiao Yu, she quickly lowered her head and prepared to walk away. However, Qiao Yu was shameless enough to go over and greet Li Gui warmly, as if she was afraid that Li Gui could not see her. Aye, sister-in-law! Youre back from work too! Qiao Yu said enthusiastically. Ah What a coincidence What do you need? Li Gui said awkwardly. Oh, I was just thinking about you taking care of four children at home on your own. I was worried that you would be too tired, so I came to help you. Qiao Yu did not give Li Gui a chance to even take a breath before grabbing onto her and pulling her towards her house. As soon as Qiao Yu arrived at Li Guis house, she behaved like she had entered her own house and went straight to the storeroom to take a look. All the houses in the village had similar layouts, with two rooms on the east and west sides. The kitchen and dining area were located in the middle part, also known as the central room. People with money usually made the central room bigger, so that it was an area which was specially used for dining and entertaining guests, and moved the kitchen outdoors by building a stove outside. There was also usually a storeroom at the side of the house. The basement of the storeroom would be used to store tools and food that could be kept well. The room on the ground floor would be used to store stuff like corn and other similar items. However, most of the families had no excess food now, so in order to save money, some people would decide not to build the part of the storeroom that was above ground. Sister-in-law! You have so much food at home! Qiao Yu reached out and took a lot of cabbages and potatoes and intended to get Li Gui to cook them. 1 Li Gui did not know how to chase Qiao Yu away. If Li Gui tried to chase her away, she would scare Li Gui by acting like she would starve to death or get beaten to death at home. She would kneel down and beg for mercy at every turn, causing Li Gui to be at her wits end. A person like Qiao Yu needed someone with Qiao Meis harsh temper to discipline her. Otherwise, she would never listen obediently. The four children managed to find a lot of vegetables today. Each of them came back with a full basket. They even saw new vegetables today that they could not recognize, so they brought them back for Li Gui to see if they were edible. This way, the children would be able to apply the new knowledge in the future. Zhang Miao carried her small little full basket and shouted excitedly at Li Gui, Mom! Mom! Look, I picked so much today! Theres also vegetables that we dont know! Mom, take a look Zhang Miao, who was hopping happily, had just made her way halfway into the house when she saw that the bad woman from yesterday had come to the house again. She immediately fell silent and did not dare to move. Zhang Wei, Zhang Chao and Zhang Qin, who were walking behind, wondered why their youngest sister, Zhang Miao, had suddenly stopped moving. Miao Miao, why did you stop? You Hmm? Who are you, why are you here again? Zhang Wei was in the midst of asking Zhang Miao a question when he saw the unfamiliar Qiao Yu. Chapter 147 - Hard Work for Nothing Qiao Yu was holding on to a pile of vegetables in her lap and eating half a watermelon, spilling watermelon juice everywhere. She hurriedly wiped her mouth with the corner of her shirt and ran to the children, smiling as she took the small basket from Zhang Miao. Oh my, there are so many things. Youre really capable! Qiao Yu smiled and took the basket away. Her eyes were fixed on the vegetables in the basket, thinking that it was all good stuff. Who are you! Zhang Chao asked impatiently. Ah, Im your aunt. My name is Qiao Yu, Qiao Yu said by way of introduction. Qiao Yu? The children looked at one another. They had never heard of this name before, but her surname was also Qiao and their elder sisters surname was also Qiao. Could she be related to their elder sister? Then whats your relationship with elder sister Qiao Mei? the smart Zhang Qin asked. At the mention of Qiao Mei, Qiao Yu hurriedly interrupted them and changed the topic. Oh, you must have had a long day. Sister-in-law! The children are back! Qiao Yu shouted towards the house. When Li Gui saw that the children had returned, she ignored Qiao Yu and told them to go into the house to wash their hands and get ready to eat. This was also what Qiao Mei had taught them. They had to wash their hands before and after having a meal. As soon as she sat down at the table, Qiao Yu immediately started wolfing down the food. No one could interrupt her and no one could even manage to take any food. In a flash, she finished everything on the table. Looking at the motionless Li Gui and the children, she even said hypocritically, Eat up! Hurry up and eat, dont let me eat it all by myself! Zhang Chao watched as Qiao Yu ate all the things that they had worked so hard to pick. His brother and mother did not get to eat anything and he looked at Qiao Yu angrily. Zhang Miao did not get to eat yesterday and when she saw what was happening today, she felt so aggrieved that she wanted to cry. Zhang Qin hugged Zhang Miao and comforted her. Qiao Yu acted as if she was oblivious to all this. After dinner, she went about her way as usual, but there was something different this time round. She took out a bag and removed from the courtyard all the vegetables and other crops that the children had just brought back. Sister-in-law, Im going off! No need to send me off! Im leaving! Qiao Yu picked up the hoe and left, feeling very satisfied. The children looked at the empty plates in front of them and sighed, not knowing what to do. Li Gui went to the pot to take out the steamed cornbread and boiled potatoes that she had hidden away for the children. Look at what we have here! Li Gui grinned as she looked at the children. The food in her hands were like treasures that seemed to be sparkling. The childrens eyes lit up. The four children each took a cornbread and a potato and were about to start eating when they realized that Li Gui did not have a share. Mom, wheres yours? Zhang Wei asked. A few days ago, Qiao Mei had sent food to Li Gui, but Li Gui was too embarrassed to keep taking food from Qiao Mei. There was already not much food left at home and Qiao Yu had now taken everything. 1 Li Gui smiled and said, Mom ate when I was cooking. Hurry up and eat. The children always believed what Li Gui said but Zhang Qin realized that Li Gui always secretly got up in the middle of the night to drink a lot of water. Li Gui was so hungry that she had no choice but to drink water to fill her stomach. No matter how hungry she was, she could not let the children starve. Zhang Qin quietly handed her cornbread to Li Gui and said, Mom, Im still young and cant eat so much. You can have mine. 1 Li Gui looked at the sensible Zhang Qin with reddened eyes. She broke off half of the cornbread and returned it to Zhang Qin. You eat it, Xiao Qin. This is enough for mom. I did not know how much mom could eat, but after mom ate the cornbread from me, she would not be so hungry that she needed to get up and drink water in the middle of the night. Zhang Qin happily finished the rest of the food. The children were also thoughtful enough to clean up and then store the bowls and chopsticks properly. The girls wiped down the kitchen and the stove, and the boys washed the tableware, fetched the water and tidied up the vegetables they had picked today. There was not much left in the courtyard at all. There was only one basket left among the four full baskets that the children had returned with. Hoho, that woman still knows how to leave a basket for us, Zhang Chao said unhappily. Zhang Wei looked at the remaining basket and sighed helplessly. He had no way of dealing with this woman as well. Chapter 148 - Getting Worse Zhang Chao was so angry that he got really sullen. He sat at the door and played with stones by himself. Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao did housework with their mother. Seeing that the fruits of his siblings labor ended up being taken away by others, coupled with the fact that their mother had nothing to eat and was getting skinnier, Zhang Wei felt very uncomfortable. Elder brother, what should we do about this, Zhang Chao said. Its fine. Ill think of something tomorrow, Zhang Wei walked over and said to Zhang Chao. He could not do anything to Qiao Yu, but he thought that eldest sister Qiao Mei definitely would have a way. I will find an opportunity to talk to elder sister Qiao Mei tomorrow. Otherwise, if this goes on, his family will starve to death. That night, Li Gui again secretly got up and went to the kitchen to drink water. Zhang Wei witnessed what she did and was even more determined to ask Qiao Mei for help. I will not let Qiao Yu succeed again tomorrow. 2 Qiao Yu went home with a bunch of things. For the past few days, Qiao Zhuangs family had been treating her well since she could even bring back big steamed buns and vegetables. They never asked where the food came from as long as they could eat it. The rules were still the same though, the women had to wait for the men in the family to finish eating before they could eat. They still had to provide for the men in the family because after all, the men were the ones heading out to work. Youve been making yourself useful for the past two days. Bring back more food in the future though. This little bit of stuff isnt even enough to fill the gaps between our teeth, Wang Qin said to Qiao Yu. Thats right. I thought that you would be able to bring more back for all of us. This is not enough to feed a few men, Liu Ying said mockingly. The amount that Qiao Yu brought back is alright, isnt Jiang Ye asked in confusion. Right now, Qiao Zhuangs family was spending more than they earned and everyone was not in a good mood. They were people who could not bear to see others living better than them. At home, Qiao Yu was the youngest and also just a girl, so the few sisters-in-law and Qiao Yus mother all liked to take jibes at Qiao Yu. Only the third sister-in-law, Jiang Ye, was a person with sense, but then again, she was also stupid and did not have so many tricks up her sleeve. Third Sister-in-law, you dont know anything. If Qiao Yu comes home empty-handed, she will be beaten to death by our father. So she needs to bring more foodstuffs back, Wang Qin said. Thats right. Qiao Yu has been so lucky recently and has brought back quite a lot more things than before. Keep working hard in the future, Liu Ying said. Hahahaha, youre right, Wang Qin said laughingly. Qiao Yu stayed at one side and did not dare to say anything to rebut, much less to reply in the affirmative. She hoped that Li Gui would continue to be so silly enough to bully, but she had basically taken all the food that Li Gui had at her house and there was not much left. The few men did not say anything as they ate at the table. This noisy conversation eventually became a disturbance to Qiao Zhuang and he coughed while looking coldly at his daughters-in-law. Cough The few of them were so frightened by the sound that they quickly fell silent and obediently did needlework near the fireplace. Qiao Yu went out even earlier the next day. Now, the family did not even feed her breakfast and they asked her to either go and beg on the streets and find someone who pitied her enough to feed her, or to quickly get married. They did not want her to continue living at her maiden home and be an eyesore to them. They felt that if she got married and received betrothal gifts, they could even use that to find a wife for the fifth son of the family. This time, she was expressionless when she went to Li Guis house and was no longer as sneaky as when she went the first time. Qiao Yu pushed open the door to the courtyard and when she saw Li Gui with some clothes, she enthusiastically went forward to help. Oh, sister-in-law, are you doing the laundry, let me help you. Qiao Yu smiled at Li Gui and grabbed the clothes, looking around to see if there was any food. Oh, Qiao Yu! Theres no need! Its fine Ah, thank you, Qiao Yu. Before Li Gui could even reject it, the clothes were taken away from her. Qiao Yu went to fetch water and washed the clothes. She made it appear as if she put in a lot of hard work and it made Li Gui feel ill-at-ease enough to want to prepare some food for her. However, there was really nothing much left to eat at home. Zhang Chao was so angry that he wanted to scold Qiao Yu and chase her away but he was stopped by Zhang Wei. Elder brother! Why are you stopping me! Its not as if she can kill me! Zhang Chao clenched his fists in anger. Zhang Wei bent down and whispered into his brothers ear, Dont kick up a fuss. Ill go look for elder sister Qiao Mei. Dont hit or scold this woman. Even if she leaves today, shell still come back in the future. Zhang Chao could understand the logic behind what he heard and remained sulking in the house. Zhang Wei asked Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao to look after Zhang Chao while he prepared to go out and inform Qiao Mei about what was happening. Chapter 149 - Caught in the Act When Qiao Yu saw Zhang Wei going out, she immediately asked, Zhang Wei, where are you going? Zhang Wei did not panic and simply replied, Ah Im going to pick some vegetables. Theres not much left at home. Then why arent you bringing your siblings along? Qiao Yu looked at Zhang Wei in puzzlement. We we We found a bunch of stuff yesterday! But we were too weak to carry it all, so we hid it under a pile of soil. Im going back to take a look. Zhang Wei casually came up with a lie. Qiao Yus eyes lit up when she heard that there were a bunch of good things to be had. She wiped her hands on her clothes and stood up to go with Zhang Wei. Then you wont be able to carry it either. Auntie will go with you! Qiao Yu quickly came over and wanted to follow him. Zhang Wei quickly turned her down and said, No need, no need. Theres not much left so I can carry it myself. You can stay at home and help my mother with the cooking. When Qiao Yu heard that, she took it that Zhang Wei had invited her to stay for a meal and she became even more confident. She straightened her back and said to Zhang Wei with a wide smile, Ah, okay then, Auntie wont go with you. Be careful! After saying that, Qiao Yu went back to wash the clothes with a big smile on her face. Zhang Wei did not say anything else and hurriedly ran to look for Qiao Mei. Elder sister Mei Mei! Are you there! Elder sister Mei Mei! Elder sister Mei Mei! Zhang Wei was so anxious that his forehead was covered in sweat as he shouted at the doorway. Qiao Mei had felt lazy today and stayed at home to help her grandfather clean up the courtyard. Currently, the grandfather and granddaughter were chatting in the house. Isnt that Zhang Wei calling for you? Qiao Qiang looked outside in confusion. I think so Grandfather, hang on, Ill go take a look, Qiao Mei said. When Qiao Mei came out of the house and saw the distressed Zhang Wei, she thought that something had happened to Li Gui and asked anxiously, Whats wrong, did something happen. Theres theres a woman who came to our house. Shes been freeloading for a few days and even took away a lot of food. She said said that shes our aunt. Zhang Wei was panting after running over and could not even speak properly. Qiao Mei wondered where this domineering aunt in Li Guis house came from. Zhang Qian was an only child and he was the only one in his own family. She had never heard of him having a younger sister, so she was curious about where this aunt came from. Aunt? What aunt? Dont be anxious, bring me over to take a look. Wait a moment. Qiao Mei went back into the house and gave her grandfather a brief of the situation before going to Li Guis house with Zhang Wei. By the time the two of them reached home, it was already lunchtime. The weather had gotten warmer and Zhang Wei had earlier told Zhang Qin and Li Gui to say that they would be having lunch in the courtyard today. He would then ask elder sister Qiao Mei to come over to deal with this woman. Qiao Mei watched Qiao Yu wolfing down the food in the courtyard as Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao looked at Qiao Yu from afar and did not dare to go over and eat. To be precise, it was not that they did not dare to eat but there was nothing for the children and Li Gui to eat at all. All the food had all been eaten by Qiao Yu, and even if Qiao Yu could not finish it, she was going to take it all with her. Oh my, I was wondering which destitute aunt had popped up from some nook and cranny. So its you, Qiao Yu. Qiao Mei looked at Qiao Yu mockingly. Qiao Yus back was facing the door, so she could not see the people coming and going at the door. When she heard Qiao Meis voice, she was so frightened that she dropped her cutlery on the ground and did not know if she should spit out or swallow the food in her mouth. Ah Its Qiao Mei. Why are you here? Qiao Yu turned around nervously and saw Zhang Wei standing beside Qiao Mei. So this child was lying when he said he was going out to get the vegetables! In a moment of carelessness, Qiao Yu had allowed Zhang Wei to inform other people about what was happening. Only then did she realize that she had fallen into Zhang Weis trap. However, it was already too late and it seemed like she would not be able to bring anything home with her today. If I didnt come, you would probably even eat the house, right? Qiao Mei walked closer to Qiao Yu and stared at her. Qiao Yu hurriedly waved her hands and fell off the stool in fright. I I dont I dont have such an ability. Qiao Mei, you really like to joke, hahaha. Qiao Yu laughed awkwardly. Li Gui heaved a sigh of relief to see that Qiao Mei had come over to back her up. However, she also felt so useless to need her daughter to help her solve the problem. She lowered her head and did not know what to say. 5 Chapter 150 - Chasing Qiao Yu Away Arent you capable, didnt I tell you to stay away from my house? Qiao Mei narrowed her eyes and looked at Qiao Yu. Um Qiao Mei, dont be angry. Im Its sister-in-law! Sister-in-law invited me! I didnt come by on my own! Zhang Wei also asked me to stay for a meal today! Isnt that right! Qiao Yu looked at Li Gui pleadingly. Li Gui could not bear to see Qiao Yu like this, but when she thought about how her children had not eaten for so many days, she silently turned her head away from Qiao Yu. Qiao Mei also knew the truth of the matter and that it seemed to have been going on for a few days. Otherwise, Zhang Wei would not have gone to look for her. Tell me, how do you intend to settle this, are you compensating us? Qiao Mei said. I dont have money! Qiao Mei, let me go! I wont dare to do it again! Qiao Mei, I was wrong! Qiao Yu knelt on the ground and begged Qiao Mei. She knew how shrewd Qiao Mei was. She had once been beaten up by Qiao Mei and knew how fierce Qiao Mei could be. She also knew that Qiao Mei could not tolerate any hypocrisy and deception. If not for Zhang Wei going off to look for Qiao Mei, she would not have discovered this matter so quickly. Qiao Mei took a few steps back. She also knew about Qiao Yus situation, but she was really unable to feel any pity for her. Qiao Yu had lied to the original owner of the body many times in the past and had cheated her of many things including food, clothes and necessities. Even if I ask you for compensation, you dont have any money. Why dont I go and look for Second Grandpa since he definitely has money and can definitely pay up for you. After all, youre the sixth child of his family. If I cant get any money from you, I can just go and look for him, Qiao Mei said to Qiao Yu with a smile. When Qiao Yu heard that Qiao Mei wanted to go and look for her father, she was so frightened that she repeatedly begged for mercy. She grabbed on to Qiao Meis trouser leg and cried, Qiao Mei! I was wrong! I wont dare to do it again! Please let me go! Dont go looking for my father! I wont come again! Qiao Mei shook off Qiao Yus hands from her trouser leg in disdain. She knew that going to Qiao Zhuangs house would be a useless endeavor and was just saying it to scare Qiao Yu. As if you are any sort of aunt to these kids, dont try to pretend to be someones relative in the future. Quickly get lost, Qiao Mei said with a frown. Aye! Aye! Aye! Ill leave now! Qiao Yu took her cloth bag and scrambled out of the courtyard. Of course Qiao Mei did not intend to let her off so easily, but there was nothing that could be gotten out of her for now. As the good saying goes, Do not pursue a desperate foe. Elder sister Qiao Mei! You let her go just like that! What if she comes back tomorrow! Zhang Chao pointed at Qiao Yu who was already in the distance. Qiao Mei smiled at Zhang Chao and said, Forget it. If we continue to press her, she might do something nasty. Lets just move on. Dont worry, elder sister will eventually teach her a lesson. Zhang Chao trusted Qiao Mei very much and believed what she said. However, Qiao Yu had once again finished all the food they had and there was no more food for the children at home. Qiao Mei glanced at the children and sighed. She felt that if this continued, when she was away from the village, her mother would not be able to protect these children on her own. Her mother was really too weak. Come, lets go to my house for dinner. Grandpa is also waiting for all of you at home. I made delicious potato and meat stew today, Qiao Mei said. Qiao Qiang had already gotten the food ready at home and was waiting for the children to come back and eat. As soon as Qiao Mei went out, he understood what had happened. The last time Qiao Yu came by, he thought that she was here to look for Qiao Mei. It was now apparent that she had wanted to steal something, but it just so happened that he was at home. The children skipped their way to Qiao Meis house. Behind them, Li Gui held Qiao Meis hand and was silent for a long time. She could only feel that she was a burden to Qiao Mei. Sigh, its all because Im useless, Li Gui said. 2 Its fine. If they come again, you should fight back. I cant be around all the time. You have to learn to protect yourself and the children. If you really cant do anything, go to the brigade to look for Uncle Zhao. Hes a fair person and wont be biased, Qiao Mei said as she looked at Li Gui. 2 When Li Gui just returned to the village, the matter of her remarriage became a hot topic. Every family knew that she was a widow who had abandoned her child to get married. She was too embarrassed to interact with these villagers, so when she encountered problems, she would generally try to solve them herself and would rarely seek help. She did not even look for Qiao Mei often. 1 Yes, yes, I understand, Li Gui said with a smile. Chapter 151 - Plotting Revenge Grandfather! Grandpa, were here! The children chattered noisily as they walked into the courtyard. The originally quiet courtyard instantly became lively and brought a smile on Qiao Qiangs face. As he got older, he preferred his surroundings to be bustling with activities. Its good that youre here! Good that youre here! All you kids hurry up and come in! Qiao Qiang brought the children into the house with Li Gui and Qiao Mei following closely behind. Li Gui looked at Qiao Qiang and wondered how to address him. Qiao Qiang could also tell what Li Gui was thinking. After all, he was her ex-father-in-law and it was quite inappropriate for her to call him father. Just call me uncle, Qiao Qiang said to Li Gui. Alright! Li Gui replied. The family had a jolly meal together. Qiao Yu was not so lucky. She had already started to get cold feet on the way and did not want to go back to face her family. If she went home empty-handed, she might be beaten to death. Qiao Yu entered the courtyard nervously. The moment she entered, everyone in the house looked at her in unison. Oh, Qiao Yu is back! Liu Ying said. Why are you back empty-handed, what happened, is there nothing good today, Wang Qin teased. Qiao Yu stood at the doorway and did not dare to enter the courtyard. She was afraid that Qiao Zhuang would be unhappy and beat her up again. Why did I hear that you didnt go to work today, so you didnt manage to find food and also didnt go to work today! What else can you do! Qiao Zhuang said. As expected, Qiao Zhuang lost his temper. When he went to work today, he realized that Qiao Yu was not there. Having one less person around made a lot of difference. Besides, being a girl, if she did not work, did she expect them to feed her! Qiao Yu stood at the door and explained, I I I was chased out of someones house today Qiao Yu did not dare to say whose house she was chased out from. If she said it was Qiao Meis house, Qiao Zhuang would definitely not believe it. Previously, they had already fallen out with Qiao Mei over the matter with the bean sprouts. Now that Qiao Mei viewed them with great enmity, they did not dare to provoke Qiao Mei for no reason. However, if she said that it was Li Guis house, Qiao Mei would not let her off as well. Either way, she was in a dilemma. Someones house? Whose house? Dont tell me you have a lover! Liu Ying teased. Qiao Yu hurriedly waved her hand and said, No, no! I dont have a lover! Theres no such thing! Qiao Zhuang did not have the energy to care about Qiao Yu and left these things to his wife. She dragged Qiao Yu into the room and gave her a good beating. The rest of the family ate in the east room and pretended not to hear no matter how terribly Qiao Yu screamed inside the other room. Qiao Yu was not the only one singled out for a beating. All the women in the family who could not contribute money or food would get beaten up. The eldest son was capable and provided a lot of food, so Liu Ying had never been beaten up. The second daughter-in-law was the accountant of the brigade and just needed to contribute a little money every month. The third daughter-in-law was capable and was basically the one who did all the housework at home. Everyone else at home either contributed money or effort. Qiao Yu was the only one who did not have money or the energy to do work. Her family ostracized her and kept wanting to find a random family so that they could marry her off. Qiao Yu felt indignant. Why could the ugly Qiao Mei find a soldier from the capital who was also so handsome, and yet she could not do the same! Qiao Yu silently noted these things as she was being beaten up. She blamed everything on Qiao Mei. Qiao Yu stared at the door with hatred in her eyes. She would definitely take revenge on Qiao Mei and live a happier life! Achoo! Qiao Mei sneezed out of the blue. Mei Mei, whats wrong, did you catch a cold? Li Gui asked with concern. Qiao Mei touched her stomach and rubbed her nose and said, Im fine. Whats going on, someone must be talking bad about me behind my back. Good to hear youre fine. Dont catch a cold. Li Gui felt relieved to hear that. Oh right. Mom, please accompany me to the county city tomorrow. I still have a few things I havent bought. I forgot about them the last time, Qiao Mei said as she looked at Li Gui. Sure, no problem. Li Gui nodded. Its settled then! Qiao Mei smiled happily. By her own estimate, there were still three days before she had to set off for Gushan. Chapter 152 - Tagging Along to the County City Qiao Yu originally wanted to take a stroll around the village in the morning to see if there was any family who would let her in to have a meal. She did not expect to see Li Gui and Qiao Mei early in the morning, heading to the county city with their cloth bags to buy things. So early? Where are they going? Qiao Yu muttered to herself. When she got closer, she saw that they did not have any baskets or vegetables or mushrooms from the mountain in their hands. They were definitely not going to the black market so where were they going? Qiao Yu followed them cautiously. When they reached the county city, Qiao Yu was already tired out and drenched in sweat. She then saw Qiao Mei and Li Gui enter a fabric shop. Are they buying fabric? Qiao Yu hid in the alley beside the fabric shop and looked around quietly. Qiao Mei looked at the dazzling display of fabrics in the shop and did not know how to make a choice. She looked around and did not see anything she liked. Are all these the latest designs? Qiao Mei pointed at the display. Thats right. These are the latest ones, said the shopkeeper. Li Gui had never been to the fabric shop. As she did not have any money or cloth coupons, she had no way of buying clothes for herself and her children. She could only take the old unwanted clothes from the adults to modify them for the children, and the children would make do with the clothes for a long time. Qiao Mei said to the shopkeeper, Please show me some fabric that is plain-colored and made of dirt-resistant material. Qiao Mei was thinking about making clothes and cloth bags for the children. They were going to school soon and needed to have some presentable clothes. Qiao Yu could not see anything after the two of them had gone in for a long time. She wanted to go into the shop to take a look but she did not dare to. In the crowd, she vaguely saw the people she had met at the village entrance the last time, the ones from the Zhang family or the Liu family? She could not remember their surname, but they should be related to Li Gui in some way. Coincidentally, ever since the Zhang family took 600 dollars from Li Gui the last time, they did not draw any attention to Zhang Congs marriage. They set about buying the new bed and blanket after preparing the betrothal gifts and money. However, wherever they went, they could only find very expensive fabric and did not see any cheap ones at all. Old Madam Zhang came up with the idea of going to someones house to buy a blanket made of red fabric at a low price. Cong Cong, lets go next door to buy the blanket. Its very cheap, Old Madam Zhang said. Next door? What do you mean by next door? Zhang Cong asked in confusion. The Cao family next door, Old Madam Zhang said. When Zhang Cong heard this, he immediately refused. Why does my father get to have new things when he gets married! I have to get old things! I wont do it! This is my first marriage and everything has to be new! My father is going to get married for the third time! He can use the old ones! Zhang Qian raised his hand to hit Zhang Cong and said angrily, You brat! Youre starting to interfere in your old mans business! I can use whatever I want! Old Madam Zhang hurriedly went to stop him. The injury on Zhang Congs leg had not healed yet. If he were to be beaten up again, he would definitely have to limp around for a while longer. Dont touch Cong Cong! Lets buy all new ones! I really owe your Zhang family in my previous life! Old Madam Zhang cursed. After hearing that, Zhang Qian slammed the door and went out. He still had a date with Feng Fang later today, so staying at home would really affect his mood. How unlucky! So shameless and still have the cheek to hit me. Youve already gotten married so many times, yet you still dont let others talk about it. Pfft! Zhang Cong spat at the door. Alright, alright. Hurry up and go to the fabric shop to buy fabric. Arent you in a hurry? Old Madam Zhang took some money and cloth coupons and prepared to leave. When Zhang Cong heard that she was going to buy new fabric, his anger dissipated and he coaxed Old Madam Zhang out the door. I just know that my grandmother doted on me the most. I will definitely be filial to you in the future, Zhang Cong said with a smile. Hmph, I think you just know how to talk. You start to flatter me when you see that I have money, you young brat. Although Old Madam Zhang criticized Zhang Cong, she still felt happy inside. This was the reason why even though Zhang Cong caused so much trouble so many times, Old Madam Zhang would settle the issue for her grandson no matter how much money she had to spend or how many people she had to offend. It was because Zhang Cong knew how to sweet talk. Otherwise, how could Sun Yan have fallen for Zhang Cong at such a young age, if not for the fact that Zhang Cong made exaggerated promises that made her happy and enticed her to fall for him. Chapter 153 - An Encounter at the Fabric Shop When he was only a few steps away from the fabric shop, Zhang Cong saw the woman that their family met when they left Li Guis village. He grabbed Old Madam Zhang and pointed in that direction. What are you doing? Old Madam Zhang said. Grandma, have we met that woman before? Zhang Cong said. Why are you always looking at women and everyone of them always looks familiar to you, why dont you just leave your eyes on them? Old Madam Zhang frowned and said. It was no wonder that Old Madam Zhang felt that way. Zhang Cong always had roving eyes. When he walked on the streets, he was always looking out for beautiful women. He just liked to look at women. If they were good-looking, he would take a few glances; if they were not so good-looking, he would just look once. No, no! What are you talking about! Take a look for yourself! Zhang Cong pointed at Qiao Yu behind the pillar. Old Madam Zhang looked closer as Qiao Yu also saw them at the same time. Oh, its true. Why is she here? Old Madam Zhang said. Before Old Madam Zhang and Zhang Cong could figure out why Qiao Yu was in the county city, Qiao Yu walked up to them. Do you remember me? Its me. We met in the village the last time, Qiao Yu said with a smile. Ah, yes, yes. Whats the matter? Zhang Cong looked at Qiao Yu lecherously. Although Qiao Yu was not as good-looking as Qiao Mei and did not have Qiao Meis curvaceous figure, she still had some good genes and was fairly good-looking. Ah, nothings the matter. I just saw you both and came to say hello, Qiao Yu said. Then what are you doing in the county city? Youre not here to look for us, are you? Old Madam Zhang said suspiciously, afraid that Qiao Yu was here to claim to be their relatives or look for trouble. No, no. Im here with Qiao Mei. Shes in that shop with her mother. Qiao Yu looked at Old Madam Zhang and pretended to be traveling with Qiao Mei. She wanted to tell Old Madam Zhang this so that they would go and cause trouble for Qiao Mei. When Old Madam Zhang heard that Li Gui was also there, her eyes lit up. If it was only Qiao Mei by herself, they would not be able to say anything. However, if Li Gui was also around, then it was a different situation. After all, Li Gui had not gotten a divorce yet and was still Zhang Congs mother in name. She would definitely have to give Zhang Cong some money for his marriage. Then why arent you going in? Old Madam Zhang was still a little suspicious of Qiao Yu.. I I still have to help buy some other things. Im about to go off so I wont talk to you any longer. I have to get busy. After saying that, Qiao Yu quickly left the place and walked as far away as she could. Old Madam Zhang watched Qiao Yu walk away and did not really care whether she was telling the truth. Going into the shop to look for Li Gui was the most important thing for her to do now. Old Madam Zhang excitedly brought Zhang Cong into the fabric shop. Qiao Yu popped her head out from the alley next door to make sure that Old Madam Zhang and Zhang Cong had entered the shop before she felt satisfied. Haha, Qiao Mei, lets see what you can do this time, Qiao Yu said with a sly smile. 1 As soon as Old Madam Zhang entered the shop, she greeted Li Gui warmly, Oh! Isnt this Li Gui, why are you here? Li Gui was a little surprised by Old Madam Zhangs sudden appearance and she kept retreating to avoid Old Madam Zhang. However, Zhang Cong was still standing at the doorway and she could not go out. Therefore, she could only smile awkwardly and said, Ah Mom, why are you here? Old Madam Zhangs face bloomed with joy. It seemed that Qiao Yu was telling the truth. Qiao Mei stood at one side and looked coldly at Old Madam Zhang and Zhang Cong. When Zhang Cong saw Qiao Mei, his eyes were fixated on her. With such a beautiful face, fair skin and voluptuous figure, it was a pity that she was already married. Although her temper was a little feisty, such a woman was very attractive in her own way. Zhang Cong looked at Qiao Mei lustfully. Younger sister Qiao Mei is here too. How have you been recently? Zhang Cong said with a lecherous smile. Zhang Cong was a person who harbored evil intentions but did not have the guts to do anything. Although he sized Qiao Mei up from head to toe, he did not dare to get too close to her. He remembered the loss he suffered the last time and he did not want to get beaten up again. If the same thing should happen again, he would really be crippled. Chapter 154 - Going Back on One’s Word Qiao Mei glanced sideways at Zhang Cong. It seemed that he still had not learned his lesson as he still dared to take the initiative to talk to her. Whos your younger sister? Qiao Mei rolled her eyes and said. Youre Li Guis daughter, so of course were siblings, hahaha Zhang Cong said awkwardly. Stop trying to claim to be my relative. Doesnt your leg hurt enough? Qiao Mei said. At this point, Zhang Cong did not dare to talk to Qiao Mei anymore. It had not been easy for him to recover from his leg injury and he was going to get married in a few days. It would be a joke if he were to get married with a limp and a bruised face. Zhang Cong looked at Li Gui with a smug expression. He had to extort some money from Li Gui today so that his wedding would be taken care of. This would also prevent that old thing, Zhang Qian, from being so concerned about the family having money for him to get married. He was already marrying his third wife and he still wanted to buy wedding items. How shameless. Isnt Cong Cong getting married soon, so we are here to buy a red blanket. You should express some form of concern for him since he is getting married, Old Madam Zhang said as she looked at Li Gui. Zhang Cong is getting married? Whos so unlucky to marry him? Qiao Mei said mockingly. You! What are you saying! Little girl! Dont interrupt when adults are talking! You ill-bred thing! I wonder who brought you up! Old Madam Zhang scolded. Last time, I was outsmarted by this little girl. Now we are in the county city and there is no one around Qiao Mei to speak up for her. There is nothing a little girl could do and this time, I am going to teach her a good lesson. Qiao Mei had been brought up by her grandfather since young. She did not get angry when she heard Old Madam Zhang pass comments about her, but if her grandfather was being bad-mouthed, then no one could blame her for showing no mercy. Should you be considered as an elder? A filthy mouth cannot utter decent language. The last time, you came to our village to extort money, and now, how do you intend to extort money this time? Qiao Mei crossed her arms and looked at Old Madam Zhang. The shopkeeper also did not know what to do as he did not know what kind of grudges these people had. It was fine if they just quarreled, but if they got into a fight, his shop would be trashed. However, he had been listening to their conversation out of curiosity and he found it really funny that a city dweller had gone to extort money from a villager. If word got out, people would laugh their heads off. Seeing the shopkeeper snickering behind the counter, Old Madam Zhangs face turned red with anger. Not to be outdone, she said, Whos extorting money! Which eye of yours saw me extorting money! Thats the food expenses your mother paid us back for her children! What do you mean we extorted money! Thats right! The money you gave us last time! Its short by 80 dollars! Zhang Cong said from the side. You guys are really good at lying through your teeth. I gave you all 100-dollar bills, a total of six notes. Everyone in the village saw it clearly. How can it be short by 80 dollars? Qiao Mei smiled at Zhang Cong. Zhang Cong was lost for words for a moment. Old Madam Zhang glared at Zhang Cong angrily. He did not even know how to round up the figure. It looked like they would not be able to get this sum of money from Qiao Mei in the future. 1 Li Gui, you should control your daughter. She has such a sharp tongue. How can she talk to me like that? Old Madam Zhang vented her anger on Li Gui, who did not dare to retort. Looking at how timid Li Gui was, Qiao Mei did not know how to advise Li Gui. She was going to leave in a few days. If the Li family or the Zhang family came around during her absence, she wondered how Li Gui and the children would be able to deal with it. Yet, she could not possibly help Li Gui to solve these problems for the rest of her life. Qiao Mei fell into deep thought. Back back then we already gave you all the money. You cant deny it. Its 600 dollars, Li Gui said shakily. The 600 dollars are for the four childrens food expenses. Shouldnt you contribute some money for Zhang Congs wedding? Old Madam Zhang looked at Li Gui arrogantly. This I dont have any money to give him anymore. Ive already given you all my money. I still owe other people money that I havent repaid, Li Gui said. Owe money? Youre the one who owes money, not the Zhang family, so make sure you pay it back yourself. You have to contribute some money for Zhang Congs wedding, so go borrow some more, Old Madam Zhang said. 1 Chapter 155 - Resistance I dont have any money left. No one wants to lend me any money, Li Gui said. Who are you trying to fool? Who doesnt know that your eldest daughter, Qiao Mei, is very swank and that her groom gave her 2,000 dollars for the betrothal gift and three turns and one sound. I think his salary should be quite high. You should borrow money from your eldest daughter. Old Madam Zhang glanced at Qiao Mei. So this is a scheme to get to me, Qiao Mei thought. However, how did Old Madam Zhang know about the betrothal gift? Everyone in the village knew about Qiao Mei and the Zhang family and many people had helped chase the Zhang family away, so who could have told Old Madam Zhang about this? Qiao Mei thought hard about it and finally remembered that back then, the people who saw the betrothal gift of 2,000 dollars were Qiao Yu, as well as Liu Ying and Wang Qin, Qiao Zhuangs eldest and second daughters-in-law. Back then, they were the ones who spread the news about the betrothal gift in the village. However, Liu Ying and Wang Qin would not go around gossiping with outsiders. Although they hated Qiao Mei, Zhang Cong had wanted to report the people in the village for being capitalists when he was at the village, so they also hated Zhang Cong. In that case, the only person who could go around saying things was Qiao Yu. A few days ago, she had just sneaked into their house to eat all their food, and now she was causing this kind of trouble for her. How capable. Qiao Mei made a mental note of this matter, she would settle the score in the future. Oh, that bit of money. Didnt you find out that the money had all been used to buy meat and already all used up by me back then. What can 2,000 dollars do! Qiao Mei said laughingly. Old Madam Zhang had previously heard from Old Madam Li that Qiao Mei was fat and tanned and that her grandfathers monthly salary of 50 dollars was not even enough for her to spend. She had also used so many food stamps by herself. It was indeed possible that the 2,000 dollars was really gone. What an extravagant girl! Thats 2,000 dollars! You spent it just like that! What a wasteful girl! Old Madam Zhang stomped her feet in anger, as if the 2,000 dollars belonged to her family. Thats my money and I can spend it however I want. Since you are so nosy about my business, shouldnt you give me some money too? Lets start with my mother marrying into your family. My mother has worked for so many years and all her money has fallen into your hands. Zhang Cong must have spent quite a bit of that, so you also have to give me some money. Not much, how about 300 dollars for 10 years, Qiao Mei sat down and quoted an amount as she looked at Old Madam Zhang. Before Old Madam Zhang could speak, Qiao Mei continued, By the way, shouldnt you give me some money for my wedding as well? All in all, give me 600 dollars, no more and no less. How about that? You! You! Pfft! You shameless person! Why should we give you 600 dollars! Old Madam Zhang pointed at Qiao Mei and scolded angrily. Then why should my mother give Zhang Cong money to get married! I think youre just out to extort money! Qiao Mei said without backing down. Old Madam Zhang did not know how to answer her. Zhang Cong was the child that Zhang Qian had with his ex-wife, and Qiao Mei was the child that Li Gui had with her ex-husband. Logically speaking, it was the same scenario. If Li Gui needed to give Zhang Cong money for his wedding, then they would have to give Qiao Mei money for her wedding. This would be a huge loss to them. Youre just a girl, why do you need money! A married daughter is like spilled water! You still have the cheek to ask our family for money! You havent even given us your betrothal gift, so why should we give you money? Zhang Cong, who had been keeping quiet at one side, suddenly spoke up. Old Madam Zhang looked at Zhang Cong and smiled in satisfaction. It seemed that he was still not too silly and what he said made sense. Lets see what Qiao Mei has to say now. Weve never raised Qiao Mei either. Lets just forget about this matter. It has nothing to do with your Zhang family so dont get Qiao Mei involved. I really dont have money for Zhang Congs wedding, Li Gui looked at Old Madam Zhang and said firmly. The usually quiet Li Gui even dared to talk back to her now. Old Madam Zhang was so angry that she raised her hand to slap Li Gui and Li Gui reached out and grabbed her arm. Li Gui had thought it through and decided that she could not be a burden to Qiao Mei anymore. Even if she got beaten up, she would not let Qiao Mei suffer! You! Youve really gone overboard! So independent since leaving our Zhang family! So you think you have someone backing you up! How great! Old Madam Zhang looked at Li Gui with hatred. Chapter 156 - Bargaining Qiao Yu stood outside and watched in fascination as more and more people gathered at the door. If this continued, someone would soon come to investigate the commotion. Zhang Cong held on to Old Madam Zhang and said softly, Grandma, there are too many people here. In a while, more people will come. If this gets out of hand, then its all over. Old Madam Zhang looked at the increasing number of people at the door. It appeared that she would not be able to get any money today, so she picked up a piece of cloth and threw it at Li Gui. Just you wait! This isnt over! Ill get my son to deal with you! Old Madam Zhang glared fiercely at Li Gui and Qiao Mei before leaving quickly with Zhang Cong. What are you looking at! Get lost! Old Madam Zhang shouted at the crowd at the door. She pushed her way through the crowd and left quickly. What kind of person Thats right, why are you scolding people? No manners! A few people in the crowd muttered unhappily. Qiao Mei then saw a familiar figure in the crowd who was dressed in unfashionable clothes and looked disheveled, and did not look like she was from the city. Wasnt this Qiao Yu? Why was she here? Qiao Mei wanted to go forward to take a closer look. Li Gui thought that Qiao Mei wanted to chase after Old Madam Zhang, so she immediately stopped Qiao Mei and said, Mei Mei, forget it. Dont look for them. Dont be angry. Your health is more important, so lets forget about it. Mom, Im not angry, but what if they come looking for trouble again? Qiao Mei looked at Li Gui and said. Li Gui smiled at Qiao Mei and said, Its fine, Mei Mei. Look at me, I have nothing left. They wont be able to get anything. Besides, even if they go to the village to cause trouble, didnt you tell me to look for Zhao Liang, and we also have militia in the village. Its fine. They wont dare to do anything to me. Qiao Mei knew that Li Gui put on a smile to comfort her. She decided to go to the brigade to speak with Uncle Zhao before she headed out in two days time and to ask him to help out more with her family. This situation could not go on forever. Alright, then be it. Take care of yourself, Qiao Mei said. Aye, alright. Li Gui nodded. The shopkeeper, who had been silent all this while, spoke up at this moment, Are you still buying fabric as that person from just now had dirtied my fabric. You guys have to be responsible for this. Qiao Mei looked at the fabric on the ground. The color looked alright to her. It was dark blue and she could make clothes and cloth bags for the children. It just needed to be washed. Were not the ones who dirtied this. You can go to whoever dirtied it. Although Qiao Mei said that, she was thinking about bargaining on the price. He definitely would not be able to sell this dirty fabric, and even if he went to the police station to make a report, there would not be any outcome. If she put on an act, she would be able to get this piece of fabric at a lower price. But you know them! They all ran away! You have to take responsibility! Ill look for you! The shopkeeper immediately panicked when he heard that Qiao Mei did not want to take responsibility. You definitely wont be able to sell this fabric. But were not the ones who dirtied it. How about you offer to sell me the fabric at a cheaper price and Ill take it. If you dont agree, you can go to the police station. Qiao Mei picked up the fabric from the ground and showed it to the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper was also wondering if he should quote them the original price or to give them a discount. These were all goods that were clearly priced and had to be exchanged with cloth coupons. It would be difficult to account for it if he had a shortfall of cloth coupons. I know youre in a difficult position too. How about I give you the coupons, but you dont charge me any money. How about that? Qiao Mei looked at the shopkeeper and said. The shopkeeper thought about it and said, Alright, lets do it. Then I dont have to go to the police station. Qiao Mei was overjoyed. She did not expect her bargaining to be so effective. It turned out that the method from her other life was still useful now. Her favorite thing to do was to bargain and get a good deal. Li Gui looked at Qiao Mei with admiration. She did not know that it was possible to bargain at the shops. And those two blue-colored fabrics, I want them all, Qiao Mei said. The shopkeeper packed up everything and handed it to Qiao Mei. Li Gui reached out to grab it and said, Let me take it. Qiao Mei did not refuse her help. Alright, lets go home and cook something delicious for the children! Qiao Mei said happily. Seeing Qiao Mei and Li Gui coming out of the shop, Qiao Yu also left quietly. This time, she did not manage to let Qiao Mei suffer a loss, but it did not matter. There would still be other chances. Chapter 157 - Speculation By the time Qiao Mei reached home, it was already dusk. Qiao Qiang was waiting anxiously at home and kept going to the entrance of the courtyard to look around. Logically speaking, if they had gone to the county city in the morning, they should be back by noon. He wondered why there was still no sign of them. Why hasnt Mei Mei returned after so long, sigh, seriously. Qiao Qiang paced around the courtyard anxiously. The children watched Qiao Qiang but they did not know what was going on. The young Zhang Miao asked, Grandpa, why do you keep going round in circles? Qiao Qiang smiled and said, Im not going round in circles. Im just anxious. Your elder sister Mei Mei isnt back yet. Grandfather, dont worry. My mother also went with elder sister Qiao Mei so everything should be fine, Zhang Wei said. Ever since Zhang Wei came to the village, his temper and personality had changed a lot. At first, he only knew how to say bad things about Li Gui, complained about others and he did not take care of his siblings. Now, he would help others in the village and even took good care of his siblings like the big brother he was. Not long after, Li Gui returned with Qiao Mei on the bicycle. Grandfather! Im back! Qiao Mei shouted happily into the courtyard. Qiao Qiang finally felt relieved. He smiled at Qiao Mei and said, Come and eat. The foods ready and Im just waiting for you to come back for dinner. Zhang Wei secretly ran to Qiao Meis side and whispered, Elder sister Qiao Mei, you dont know this, but grandpa was so anxious to see that you were not back and he walked around the courtyard for the entire afternoon. Qiao Mei smiled. She knew that her grandfather doted on her the most. If it were not for Old Madam Zhang and the others causing trouble and taking up so much of their time, they would not have returned only now, making her grandfather wait for them to come back and eat. The whole family finished their meal happily. Qiao Mei sat in the courtyard and started to think about the extent of Qiao Yus involvement in the matter today. She stared out the door steadfastly and did not even notice Qiao Qiang appearing behind her. What are you thinking about? Qiao Qiang took a small stool and sat beside Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei told Qiao Qiang everything that had happened today in detail. She also told him about how Qiao Yu had been freeloading at Li Guis house for two days. When Qiao Mei finished, she lowered her head and pondered for a long while. Grandfather, do you think Qiao Yu was involved in what happened today? Qiao Mei asked. I think we should pretend that nothing happened, but we have to be on guard, Qiao Qiang said as he looked at Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei looked at Qiao Qiang, not understanding what he meant. Qiao Qiang continued, You dont have enough evidence to say that Qiao Yu told the Zhang family all these things, so you cant accuse her wrongly. We have to be careful and not just take what they say at face value. But we still have to guard against Qiao Yu. She doesnt have much ability, but it will still be troublesome if she creates any problems. Grandfather is right. Im leaving in two days. What if Qiao Yu comes to find trouble with you. Qiao Mei looked at Qiao Qiang worriedly. Hahahahaha, Im afraid that Mei Mei has forgotten that grandpa used to be a soldier. Grandpa is old, but he can still deal with a little girl. Besides, she wont dare to find trouble with me, Qiao Qiang said. Yes, thats right. Grandfather is so capable, she definitely wont dare to come here. Qiao Mei felt assured that Qiao Qiang was safe at home. She was more worried about Li Gui. Not only was Qiao Yu looking for trouble there, but the Zhang and Li families might also go there to ask for money. Qiao Mei told Qiao Qiang in the evening that she was going out for a walk after dinner when in fact, she was going to the brigade to look for Zhao Liang. Uncle Zhao! Is Uncle Zhao here! Qiao Mei asked. Aye! Who is it! Zhao Liang shouted from inside the house. Its me, Uncle Zhao. Its Qiao Mei. Im here regarding something. Qiao Mei entered and saw Zhao Liang dealing with the village matters. The brigade was basically in charge of everything and the team leader had to be aware of all the matters in the village. The team leader also had to mediate any disputes that happened in the village. Basically, as long as it was not an issue of life and death, the villagers could consult the team leader about anything. Qiao Mei, whats wrong? Did something happen in your family? Zhao Liang asked. Uncle, Im leaving next week to go to the capital to look for my husband. Please take care of my grandfather during this period. Qiao Mei had brought along two watermelons from her house for Zhao Liang. Chapter 158 - Chance Encounter Qiao Mei placed the watermelons on Zhao Liangs table and said, Uncle, take these two watermelons to quench your thirst in the summer. Oh, no, no! Its my duty to help the people in the village. Qiao Mei, quickly take it back. Zhao Liang pushed away the watermelons that Qiao Mei gave. Uncle! Its not specially for you. The last time, didnt auntie say that she liked the watermelons from my house and that she thought they were sweet. Please take it that I have brought them for auntie and accept them, Qiao Mei said. When he heard that the watermelons were for his wife, he felt that he had no reason to reject them. Zhao Liang took the watermelons and placed them under the table. Then I thank you on behalf of your auntie. Uncle Zhao, dont stand on ceremony with me. By the way, I need your help with something, Qiao Mei said. Zhao Liang patted his chest and said, Then why are you standing on ceremony with me? If theres anything you need, just say it and Ill help you with it. Its just that after I leave, therell be no one to take care of my mother given that my grandfather is old. Today, I went to the county city to buy something and ran into my mothers current mother-in-law and stepson. They tried to find trouble with my mother but at least I was around today. When Im not around, they might bully her and extort money from her. Uncle, can you keep an eye on my mother and also not let those people enter the village, Qiao Mei asked. What a thing to happen! Theyre really too much! Theyve really gone overboard! Zhao Liang banged the table and scolded. Uncle, dont be angry. Qiao Mei quickly stopped Zhao Liang. Dont worry, Qiao Mei. Your mother is from our village after all. Since shes from our village, Uncle will take care of her. Dont worry, Zhao Liang promised Qiao Mei. Aye! Thank you, Uncle! Then Im so relieved. Uncle, Ill be leaving now. My grandfather is still waiting for me at home. Qiao Mei smiled brightly upon knowing that Zhao Liang had agreed to her request and slowly walked towards the door to leave. Alright, go back slowly and give my regards to your grandfather. Dont worry, Ill definitely help you with what you told me. Zhao Liang stood at the door of the house and looked at Qiao Mei. Yes, then Ill be leaving, Uncle! Qiao Mei waved goodbye to Zhao Liang. The brigade office was located at the left corner of the village entrance and was not very far away. As soon as Qiao Mei came out, she bumped into Qiao Yu, who was returning to the village. Usually, Qiao Mei would pretend not to see her and just walk away. However, it was such a coincidence today that she just caught a glimpse of a figure that looked like Qiao Yu in the county city and now, Qiao Yu was returning from outside the village the same night. Qiao Yu also saw Qiao Mei and lowered her head to run away, but Qiao Mei blocked her way. Qiao Yu, why are you back so late? Did you go to the county city? Qiao Mei asked. No, I just I just came back from work. Qiao Yu lied awkwardly, wondering what excuse she could use to make Qiao Mei let her go. Qiao Mei smiled and did not say anything. She just turned around and left. Those who went to work would not return at this hour, they would have come back long ago. It was obvious that Qiao Yu had gone out of the village and did not go to work. On the way back, Qiao Mei went to Auntie Dongs house for a chat. Coincidentally, Auntie Wang was also there today, which made it a much more interesting day. Qiao Mei, youre here! Auntie Dong welcomed Qiao Mei warmly and set up a stool for her. Auntie Dong, Auntie Wang, good to see that youre free today. Youre both here. Qiao Mei did not stand on ceremony and sat on the stool to chat with them. Sigh, now that you mention it. The rainy season has just passed and the mushrooms in the mountains have long been emptied. Also, the children from your family are really tireless. Zhang Wei brings his brothers and sisters to the mountains to pick vegetables every day. Hes such a sensible boy, Auntie Dong praised. You dont say! Zhang Wei and the rest of the kids are really sensible. If my child is half as sensible as Zhang Wei, life would be much easier for me. Auntie Wang sighed. I think the children are too bored. I told them that theres always things to eat in the mountains and theyve never seen it in the city. Theyre at the age when theyre curious, which is why they go up the mountain every day. Theyre not as good as you say, Qiao Mei said humbly. Chapter 159 - Spreading Rumors Qiao Mei did not expect that even though no one had watched over the children these few days, everyones impression of them had improved a lot and most people said that they were sensible and capable. On the surface, Qiao Mei said that this was a small matter and that everyones children were the same, but in reality, she was overjoyed. There was no one who did not like to hear others praise their siblings. Sigh, aunties, Im really unlucky today, Qiao Mei said with a sigh. Whats wrong with you, what happened? Auntie Wang said. Thats right, dont worry. We all have a lot of experience in life. Tell us about it and well give you some advice. As the saying goes, two heads are better than one! Auntie Dong said. Hahahahaha! You sound quite cultured saying that! Auntie Wang laughed loudly. Shoo, shoo, shoo. Lets get down to business, Auntie Dong said. Qiao Mei pretended to be worried and thought for a while before saying, Aunties, the weather has been hot recently and I dont go out much, so I havent been to my mothers house for a while. In the end, for some reason, Qiao Yu refused to leave my mothers house and ate all the food that my mother had. Even when she couldnt finish it, she took it all away. She cried and made a fuss and said that she would die in our house if we didnt give it to her. What a thing to happen! Auntie Wang said in surprise. Why is she so shameless! Previously, she came to our house to freeload on food and drinks and I beat her up with a big stick and chased her out, Auntie Dong said. 3 Sigh, what can I do since it wasnt easy for me to chase her away. She has been quiet recently but I went to the county city to buy things today and ran into people from the family of my mothers current husband. They came to extort money from us again, and even said that Qiao Yu told them that my husband gave me a lot of betrothal gifts when I got married. Therefore, they came to demand money from me. Qiao Mei looked at the two aunties expressions and then she pretended to cry. When the two women saw Qiao Mei like this, they were furious. They spoke about wanting to settle the score with Qiao Yu and avenge Qiao Mei. Oh! Aunties, dont go! Ive already dealt with them. I dont think theyll come looking for trouble during this period of time. Qiao Mei stopped the two women. Dont worry about this and leave it to us. Youre currently pregnant and if you continue to be concerned about these things, youll really be exhausted. Auntie Dong looked at Qiao Mei caringly. Thats right, Qiao Mei. Youve been so good to your mother. You have to take care of yourself. Dont tire yourself out, you know? Auntie Wang said with concern. Qiao Mei nodded obediently and said, Okay, Ill listen to aunties. By the way, aunties, what about the sale of your bean sprouts recently. The two women were all smiles. Auntie Dong said excitedly to Qiao Mei, I dont know why, but the feng shui at my house has been good recently. I still go to the mountains to get the water for growing the bean sprouts and the harvest is not bad recently. The supply and marketing cooperative has taken a lot from me! Its the same for our family. Ever since I heard what your Auntie Dong said, Ive tried it too. The effect is really good, Auntie Wang also told Qiao Mei in a low voice, afraid that others would hear what she said. If others learned from them, she would not be able to sell hers anymore. In actual fact, the two womens bean sprouts had been selling well recently because Qiao Mei had been secretly helping them. When she came down the mountain every day and stood in her courtyard, she could sense the fruits and vegetables inside the two womens houses and secretly gave them some energy. Fortunately, the two women lived near Qiao Meis house. Her recent energy exchanges with the wild ginseng had increased the range of her perception by two kilometers. Thats good, thats good. Aunties, Ill go back then. Its getting quite late. Qiao Mei got up to leave. Alright, go back slowly. Dont remain angry, Auntie Dong said. Yes, Ill remember that, aunties. Im going off! Qiao Mei said and left the courtyard. The news that she told Auntie Dong and Auntie Wang quickly spread throughout the village. It spread like wildfire and everyone knew that Qiao Yu was now going from house to house asking for vegetables. If people did not give it to her, she would throw a tantrum and refuse to leave. As the news spread, it became more and more ridiculous. Some people even said that it was Qiao Zhuang who beat and scolded Qiao Yu to make her come out and do all that. Of course, Qiao Mei also contributed to these stories. Chapter 160 - Retribution Time The rumors spread around in the village and reached Qiao Zhuangs ears very quickly. The version that Qiao Zhuang heard was even more ridiculous. The story was that Qiao Zhuang had threatened Qiao Yu to go from house to house to beg for food and even when she got the food, he still abused her. As soon as this story came out, Zhao Liang brought a group of militiamen to Qiao Zhuangs house to look for him. 2 Is Qiao Zhuang here! Zhao Liang shouted from the door. Who is it! Whats the matter! Qiao Zhuang came out of the house, and even though he saw that Zhao Liang had brought so many militiamen with him, he was not afraid at all. After all, he had been a bully in this village for most of his life and everyone knew what he was capable of. Do you know about the rumors flying around in the village recently? Zhao Liang did not beat around the bush and went straight to the point. In the village? What did people say? Qiao Zhuang looked puzzled. Oh, you still dont know. They said that you, Qiao Zhuang, abused Qiao Yu and beat her up and asked her to go from house to house to ask for food, and told her to cause trouble in other peoples houses if she couldnt get the food. Many villagers have already confirmed that Qiao Yu has done this at many houses, Zhao Liang said. Qiao Zhuang was furious when he heard this. He smashed the hoe beside him and said, Which bastard is lying! When have I ever done this! Zhao Liang did not want to waste any more time with him since the purpose of the visit was to inform him of the issue. There was nothing beneficial about continuing with the conversation given that it may lead to trouble. Qiao Zhuang, please handle your own family matters. Dont let such rumors spread in the village anymore. After saying that, Zhao Liang left with the militiamen. Qiao Zhuang picked up a stick in the courtyard angrily and went into the house to look for Qiao Yu. All the people in the house were so frightened that they quickly hid from him. The eldest son, Qiao Fu, hurriedly stopped Qiao Zhuang and said, Father, whats wrong with you, why are you so angry? Qiao Zhuang threw the stick down and said furiously, Go! Find that asshole Qiao Yu for me! How dare she go out and spread rumors! How dare she go out and embarrass me! When Liu Ying and Jiang Ye heard this, they quickly ran out to look for Qiao Yu. Wang Qin had a very high status in the family and was about to get up to look for Qiao Yu when Qiao Zhuang stopped her. Youre the accountant of the village brigade. How can you not know when even Zhao Liang knows about this matter? Qiao Zhuang narrowed his eyes and looked at Wang Qin. Wang Qin got so frightened that her legs went weak. She sat down near the fireplace and stammered but no words came out. Speak up! Are you mute! Qiao Zhuang picked up the stick from the ground and struck it against the ground. Wang Qin was so afraid that she kept trembling and sputtered, I Ive been going there early recently and coming back early. I really didnt hear about what happened in the village Qiao Gui tried to allay Wang Qins fear by saying, Father, what my wife said is true. She really hasnt been to the brigade much recently. I dont even know about this matter. Qiao Zhuangs wife stayed at the side and kept quiet. Qiao Zhuang looked at the family and felt that he had nowhere to vent his anger, so he pointed at his wife and said, Youve raised such a good daughter! Shes been spreading nonsense outside! Where are the things she got from others! She says she goes out every day to beg for food! So where are the things! Qiao Zhuang pointed at his sons and daughters-in-law and asked them. No one knew what Qiao Yu had brought back. The fourth daughter-in-law said softly, I I saw Qiao Yu leave the village yesterday I dont know where she went Left the village? How could she leave the village? She didnt go to work and went out of the village instead? Qiao Zhuang frowned and looked at his fourth daughter-in-law. I! Im telling the truth! I saw it with my own eyes! But I dont know where she went! The fourth daughter-in-law quickly waved her hands. She was afraid that Qiao Zhuang would think that she was in cahoots with Qiao Yu and that he would think that she was lying. Qiao put down the stick in his hand angrily and sat near the fireplace. He said to his fourth daughter-in-law, Alright, I hear you. Go get me some water. The fourth daughter-in-law hurriedly left the fireplace and went to pour water for him. The sons all sat in the house and did not dare to make any sound. The house was quiet as they waited for the eldest daughter-in-law, Liu Ying, and the third daughter-in-law, Jiang Ye, to find Qiao Yu to come back and clarify the matter so that they would not be implicated. Qiao Zhuang thought about what Zhao Liang had said and planned how to deal with that wretched girl Qiao Yu. Chapter 161 - The Search Qiao Zhuangs eldest daughter-in-law, Liu Ying, and third daughter-in-law, Jiang Ye, hurriedly ran to the road and started asking around for Qiao Yus whereabouts. If they could not find Qiao Yu, the two of them would have a hard time when they returned home. Sister-in-law, do you think Qiao Yu really stole something from someone else and hid it away? Jiang Ye asked. I cant say for sure. In any case, if she didnt do it, why would people talk so much about it? They make it sound like its real, Liu Ying said after thinking for a long time. The two of them made their way to the entrance of the village as they could not find Qiao Yu even after searching the entire village. Both women were so tired that they sat under the tree to rest. They still had to continue the search later and if they did not succeed, they would have to go from house to house to ask. Sister-in-law, if we still cant find her, well get a beating when we get back. What can we do? Jiang Ye asked anxiously. Liu Ying was anxious as well. Although she did not hate her third sister-in-law, she was a little annoyed by Jiang Yes simple-mindedness. Although her second sister-in-law, Wang Qin, was conniving and always scheming against the rest of the family members, Wang Qin was a smart person and easy to talk to. On the other hand, although Jiang Ye was honest, she was so honest that she had become like a fool. Stop being so noisy! Arent we looking for her! Even if we really cant find her, Father wont blame us. If she has already run away, who can find her? Liu Ying frowned and glared at Jiang Ye. Jiang Ye stopped talking and looked around silently, afraid that she would say something that would anger Liu Ying. Sister-in-law, do you think Qiao Yu is already at home? Or perhaps shes at someone elses house. Jiang Ye said. She? She wouldnt dare to go home, but like you said, its not impossible for her to go to someone elses house. That kid next door has liked Qiao Yu for a long time. Dont tell me she is hiding at his house, Liu Ying said as she looked at Jiang Ye in shock. The two of them immediately went to look for Qiao Yu. If she was really at the house of the kid next door, things would get out of hand. It would not sound right if an unmarried girl went to the house of an unmarried man to eat and drink for free. If word got out, all the women in their family would be mocked and ridiculed. This matter must be handled properly. The fact was that Qiao Yu did not go to anyones house, but she did not stay idle either. While going to work, she secretly slipped away and went to Qiao Meis house to wait for Qiao Mei to head out so that she could cause some sort of accident and make Qiao Mei fall or get injured. She thought it best if she could put some scratches on Qiao Meis face. Qiao Yu waited there leisurely the entire day but did not manage to do anything and could only go home to find something to eat. Before she could enter the house, she saw her eldest and third sisters-in-law running out in a panic and heard her father cursing in the house. She got so frightened that she turned around and ran away, not daring to go home at all. Liu Ying and Jiang Ye searched the entire village but could not find Qiao Yu, and they could only go home nervously. As soon as they entered the house, Qiao Zhuang looked at the two of them. Where is she? Qiao Zhuang said. She Father We didnt didnt find her Jiang Ye stammered as she stood at the door. Liu Ying hid behind Jiang Ye and did not dare to make a sound, afraid that she would be implicated if she moved. Sure enough, just as Jiang Ye had said, Qiao Zhuang picked up the big tea pot beside him and threw it at them. Whats the point of coming back if you cant find her! Whats the use of having you around! Useless things! You have mouths to eat but all the food is wasted on you! Qiao Zhuang pointed at the door and berated them. Ah! Ah! The two of them cowered at the door in fear. They would be faulted if they went out, but if they did not go out, they would get beaten up. It was a dilemma for them. At this moment, the eldest son, Qiao Fu, and the third son, Qiao Wang, did not dare to save their wives. Anything they did at this time would make Qiao Zhuang unhappy. It was quiet in the house and no one dared to do anything as any little noise would attract Qiao Zhuangs attention. Qiao Yu waited in the mountains behind her house and only returned home quietly in the middle of the night. She pushed the door open a little and saw that there was no light in the house, so she thought that everyone was asleep. Sigh Fortunately, theyre all asleep Qiao Yu was about to close the door softly and return to the west room when the house was suddenly brightly lit with the entire family sitting near the fireplace. Qiao Yu nervously turned around and stared at the group of people near the fireplace. She was really like a lamb entering a tigers den and could neither run nor walk away. She could only watch helplessly as Qiao Zhuang walked up to her with a big stick. Chapter 162 - : Lamb Entering a Tiger’s Den Well? You still know that this is your house? Qiao Zhuang stood in front of Qiao Yu with a big stick. Qiao Yu kept retreating until she hit the door and there was nowhere to go. She watched helplessly as her fourth brother, Qiao Liang, and fifth brother, Qiao Gang, walked towards her and pressed her down to bend over the bench. Qiao Zhuang raised his hand and brought the stick down. Ah! I was wrong, Father! Qiao Yu screamed. The other women in the family could not bear to see Qiao Yu get beaten up and they all turned around and closed their eyes. How dare you go out and say that I didnt give you food! Qiao Zhuang hit her again. Ah! I didnt say that! Father, I really didnt say that! Qiao Yu sobbed and struggled. Qiao Zhuang did not listen to Qiao Yus explanation. After a few strikes, Qiao Yu wailed and struggled in pain. It was already past midnight and the village was quiet. Occasionally, there would be miserable yells, but the sounds eventually stopped later. The next day, everyone was discussing which family had carried out a beating, resulting in such miserable screams in the middle of the night. The person must have been beaten half to death. These words quickly reached Qiao Meis ears. It had crossed Qiao Meis mind that Qiao Yu would get a beating, but she did not expect Qiao Zhuang to be so angry that he actually beat her up so badly. He really did not treat Qiao Yu like his own child. From what she heard, Qiao Yu would not be able to get up for at least a month or two. Qiao Mei did not feel any pity at all and only felt that Qiao Yu deserved it. Qiao Mei was setting off for Gushan in three days time. There was still one last step to the cultivation of the wild ginseng, so she had to complete it quickly. It was an important thing to save people and it was best if there were no injuries. However, it was better to be safe than sorry so she still had to be prepared. Qiao Mei returned to the cave again. The two remaining wild ginsengs from last time had grown quite well and looked good. Through the transmission of energy, Qiao Mei could feel that the two wild ginsengs were very happy to see her. She could already communicate with the plants and they could develop feelings for one another. Qiao Mei carried on with the energy exchange. This time, she continued with the results from the last time and did another 500 rounds, making it a total of 1,500 rounds. In the end, the two ginsengs could not make it and wilted. Qiao Mei planted the small wild ginsengs she had brought into the ground which still contained the roots of all the wild ginsengs that had gone through the 1,000 rounds previously. After the flowers bloomed and withered for 1,400 rounds, there were still three wild ginsengs left. Qiao Mei showed an excited expression and counted the three wild ginsengs one by one. She told them, The three of you should try to make a good showing, work harder and see who can last until the end. The few wild ginsengs seemed to understand Qiao Meis words and rushed to grow up to compete with their own wild ginseng brothers. Qiao Mei did another 30 rounds of energy exchange. One of the wild ginsengs could not make it and disintegrated into ashes to provide nutrients for the other two wild ginsengs. You two can do it! Qiao Mei said and did 70 more rounds of exchange. In the end, only one wild ginseng survived. Qiao Mei looked at the last wild ginseng happily and felt a sense of relief. She took a few ginseng roots and wrapped them in a red cloth. As for this ginseng king, Qiao Mei did not want to wrap it up. It would be too much of a shock if someone found out that there was a 1,500-year-old wild ginseng. Ever since Qiao Mei began to grow wild ginseng by doing energy exchange, there was always a faint medicinal fragrance on her body. It was not obvious at first, but as she increased the number of times she exchanged energy with wild ginseng every day, the smell on Qiao Meis body became purer and more obvious. By now, there was basically no smell anymore. The smell was only obvious when she was close by and the fragrance was a very restrained one. Not only that, but Qiao Mei also realized that she seemed to have obtained the characteristics of wild ginseng and became good at hiding. People who had picked wild ginseng before would know that they could not be in a hurry to dig it up after discovering it. They had to tie a red string around it first, or else the wild ginseng would escape. If they did not tie a red string around it, it would be very difficult for the picker to discover it. The ginseng would diminish its presence so that no one around it could sense its existence. These were not the only effects of the wild ginseng. Not only did Qiao Mei emit a strange fragrance and her sense of presence decreased, she also recently discovered that her body felt much better. Initially, she had a sore waist during her pregnancy, but now, her body felt good and she did not feel any discomfort at all. Chapter 163 - Vines Recently, after dinner, Qiao Mei would go to Auntie Dongs house for a chat or follow Auntie Wang to the area under the tree at the village entrance to chat with the other women. After many experiments, she realized that she could indeed hide her sense of presence. When she ran into Auntie Zhou on the way, Auntie Zhou seemed not to see her and she had to shout twice to get attention. She tested it a few times before confirming that it was effective and felt relieved. Qiao Mei was playing with a watermelon seed in her courtyard when she suddenly realized that a sharp point had sprouted from the watermelon seed. Qiao Mei looked at the seed in her hand in surprise. She only knew that she could speed up the growth of seeds in the soil, but she did not expect that she was able to directly cause the seed to germinate and grow. Qiao Mei went to the mountain behind her house and found some vine seeds. After some energy exchange, the vine seeds sprouted in Qiao Meis hands and grew larger. She could shape them and wave them around at will. Its so magical! Qiao Mei exclaimed. The small vines could be made into all kinds of shapes in Qiao Meis hands, but she was not so proficient in it and it all felt very unfamiliar. She tried again and again, learning to communicate with the seeds and accurately controlling how much energy to be given. Then, Qiao Mei could turn the vine into a thick whip which freely followed her commands. Qiao Mei was amazed by the ability of the pendant, but she also began to think about how many other functions there were that she did not know about. After repeated experiments, she realized that the vine whip could only be used once. After one use, she would have to use a new seed. This was probably the only drawback. Im a person with magic now, hahaha. Qiao Mei laughed and looked at the vine in her hand. When Qiao Mei got home, she started experimenting with shaping the growth of the vines. After all, a small vine was useless and she needed many more vines. During her free time, Qiao Mei would stay at home and sew clothes. She had not finished making the clothes and school bags that she promised the children the last time. In one day, Qiao Mei made four simple school bags. To put it bluntly, she just sewed up the opening of a cloth bag and attached a long rope and called it a school bag. She sewed the childrens names on each of the bags. Wei, Chao, Qin, Miao, the words looked quite presentable. She did not buy a lot of fabric, so she made a dark blue top for each of the children. She then embroidered flowers on the girls clothes, and images of big trees on the boys clothes. After Qiao Mei was done, she brought the things to Li Guis house. Given that she currently had the ability to hide her breath, Qiao Mei was afraid of scaring Li Gui and started shouting out from afar. Mom! Are you home! Qiao Mei yelled. Aye! Mei Mei! What happened? Li Gui ran out to welcome Qiao Mei. Are the children at home? Qiao Mei looked at the empty courtyard. It did not seem like they were at home. If they were, Zhang Miao would have rushed out upon hearing Qiao Meis voice and called out to her elder sister with her baby voice. Oh them. They went to the village entrance to play with the other children. Looking at the time, they should be back soon, Li Gui said as she looked at the sun. In the past, people could not afford clocks and watches. They would go out at sunrise and return to rest at sunset, they ate and slept in accordance with the colors of the sky. 1 Then Ill wait for a while. I brought them gifts, Qiao Mei said with a smile. Theyre still so young and yet they have gifts. Youre spoiling them too much, Li Gui said. Its fine. The children are obedient anyway. Qiao Mei crossed her legs and lay on the recliner to bask in the sun. Qiao Mei had asked Uncle Chen from the village, who knew how to do carpentry work, to make the recliner. It was very leisurely to sit in it and rocked away. She had two recliners made, one was at her house and she left the other one with Li Gui so that they could use it if they wanted to lie in the sun. Not long after, the sound of children playing around traveled into the courtyard. As soon as they entered the house, they saw Qiao Mei sleeping in the sun on the recliner. The children were energetic a while ago, but now they were like kittens, afraid that they would wake Qiao Mei up. Actually, Qiao Mei was not sleeping at all. She just wanted to give the children a little scare and add more fun in life. Qiao Mei pretended to breathe steadily as she lay on the recliner. Chapter 164 - New Clothes The children crept up to Qiao Mei and stuck their heads out to look at her. Elder sister is so beautiful Zhang Miao whispered to Zhang Qin who was beside her. Shh! Zhang Chao quickly gestured for Zhang Miao to stop talking. Zhang Wei was about to cover Qiao Mei with a blanket when Qiao Mei suddenly sat up from the recliner and made a face. Wa! Qiao Mei said scarily. Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! The four children jumped back in unison and yelled out in fear. Zhang Wei stood rooted to the ground with the blanket in his hands as he looked at Qiao Mei. Hahahahaha, you guys are so cute! Qiao Mei lay back on the chair and laughed loudly. Zhang Wei, Zhang Chao and Zhang Qin had yet to react when the youngest Zhang Miao started laughing for some reason. The other children also laughed along when they saw Zhang Miaos reaction. Li Gui looked at the children in the courtyard who were all smiling and full of vigor. She had a gratified smile on her face to finally see the children so happy. Alright, alright, I wont scare you anymore. Guess what I brought you today? Qiao Mei deliberately covered the big black cloth bag to prevent the children from seeing what was inside. Its its watermelon! Zhang Miao raised her hand and said excitedly. You only know how to eat, fourth sister. Im guessing it must be the latest sandbag! Zhang Chao said. I guess elder sister has got some rice! Zhang Wei said after some thought. For a long while, only Zhang Qin did not make a guess on what was in the cloth bag. Zhang Qin was usually introverted. She was a very kind girl but she did not like to talk, therefore she would often be bullied or overlooked by others. Qiao Mei looked at Zhang Qin and asked, Qin Qin, what do you think? Given that Qiao Mei had posed the question to her, Zhang Qin thought for a long time and said, I I guess it should be big steamed buns Youre all wrong! Open it and take a look. Everyone has a share so there is no need to fight. Qiao Mei handed the cloth bag to Zhang Wei and let the older Zhang Wei do the distribution. When he opened the bag, he saw four sets of clothes and four cloth bags. The children took them out lovingly and could not bear to put them down. The boys were not so particular, and Zhang Chao immediately put on his new clothes and carried his school bag before running to the water vat to check out his reflection in the water. Elder sister! It looks so good! Zhang Chao grinned so widely that his smile almost reached his ears. Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao only carried their bags and carefully rubbed the names on the bags. Zhang Wei stood at the side and looked at the clothes embroidered with the image of big trees as if it was a treasure. Elder sister, what is this word? Zhang Miao asked. Idiot, didnt elder sister teach you before? Thats your name, Miao! Zhang Chao ran over and said. Im not stupid! Stupid brother! Zhang Miao frowned and shouted at Zhang Chao. Lalala, come and hit me then! Zhang Chao ran around the courtyard with Zhang Miao running behind him. The two children chased each other around, making the courtyard very lively. Among the four children, the eldest child, Zhang Wei, and the third child, Zhang Qin, had similar personalities. They were both calm and serious children. The second child, Zhang Chao, and the fourth child, Zhang Miao, both had carefree and cheerful personalities. The fourth child, Zhang Miao, was also the troublemaker at home. Although she was young, she came up with all kinds of ideas and always caused Zhang Wei to have to help the children deal with the aftermath of the trouble they caused. Elder sister, you made all these for us. Isnt it tiring for you? Zhang Wei said as he looked at Qiao Mei. Im not tired. I made these for all of you to wear to school. Do you like it? Qiao Mei said. I like it! Zhang Wei nodded. Qiao Mei turned to look at Zhang Qin and asked, What about you, Qin Qin? Do you like it? Zhang Qin nodded and said, I like it. Thank you, elder sister. The boisterous laughter in the courtyard made Li Gui come out to see what was going on. Alright, alright, its time to wash your hands and eat. Stop fooling around, you two! Dont bump into your elder sister! Li Gui said as she pointed at Zhang Chao and Zhang Miao. When they heard that they might hurt Qiao Mei, the two children immediately stopped what they were doing and stopped rowdily chasing each other. They walked back in an orderly manner as if they had done something wrong. In their eyes, they could do anything except things that could hurt Qiao Mei. They must protect Qiao Mei well and not let her get hurt. Chapter 165 - Exhortation Qiao Mei stood up and waved the children over, bringing them to wash their hands. Hey, theres nothing wrong. Wash your hands then go and eat, Qiao Mei said. Xiao Wei, go and get your Grandpa Qiao Qiang. Lets eat together, Li Gui said to Zhang Wei. Aye! Alright! Zhang Wei folded the clothes and put them into his school bag before carrying it and running out. He did not say anything and kept everything to himself. The truth was he was overjoyed, and actually more worried that nobody would see the school bag that Qiao Mei made for him. Qiao Qiang was sitting in the courtyard when he saw Zhang Wei rushing over. Grandpa! Come, lets go to my house for dinner, Zhang Wei said. Why are you in such a hurry? Qiao Qiang smiled and stood up to walk back with Zhang Wei. Grandpa, look. My elder sister Mei Mei made this for me. Zhang Wei showed off his small cloth bag. When Qiao Qiang saw the look on Zhang Weis face, he grinned and said, Aiyo, let me see. This looks really nice. Even grandfather doesnt have one. Your elder sister Qiao Mei is really good to you. Yes, and Im not the only one who has it! We all have one! Zhang Wei jumped around happily. Qiao Qiang was happy to see this. He had brought Qiao Mei up from young and she had since grown up, but now there were new children who called him grandfather and hung out around him. Although they were not his biological grandchildren, having the children playing around in his courtyard brought a lot of happiness to him. As the saying goes, Happiness is the best cosmetic. Ever since the children came, Qiao Qiang had been smiling more. When he had nothing to do, he would make toys for the children and bring them out to play. This in turn made up for the fact that the children previously did not have a kind elder to bring them around. When they arrived at Li Guis house, it was time for dinner. Everyone gathered together happily and Qiao Mei was relieved to see such a harmonious atmosphere. After dinner, Qiao Mei had a private conversation with Li Gui in the courtyard. Mom, I might go to the capital for about a month. Im worried about my grandfather being at home alone, so Ill have to trouble you to visit him more often. Qiao Mei looked at Li Gui worriedly. Although Qiao Qiang could do everything by himself and no one in the village dared to bully him, she was still worried and had to repeatedly remind everyone to help her take care of him before she could feel at ease. The capital? Why are you going there? Li Gui looked puzzled. My husband is coming back from his mission. I want to go to the capital to visit his parents with him, Qiao Mei said. Li Gui thought for a moment and went into the house to take out 20 dollars and stuffed it into Qiao Meis hand. She looked at Qiao Mei firmly and said, Mom is useless. This is some money that mom has recently earned. Keep it and buy something to eat on the way. Dont go hungry and dont think of mom as a nuisance. Qiao Mei did not lack money, but looking at the look on Li Guis face, Qiao Mei knew that it represented the love a mother had for her daughter. Alright, Ill accept it, Qiao Mei said. Dont worry. During that period, Ill get Zhang Wei to ask him over for dinner. Otherwise, if he feels too tired to come by, Ill get Zhang Wei to send the food over. We can also go over to cook and eat with him occasionally. You can rest assured about it, Li Gui said. Alright, then I shant worry about it anymore. You also have to take good care of yourself and dont let anyone bully you, Qiao Mei said. Aye, dont worry. Li Gui nodded. Qiao Mei was going off to Gushan with all her luggage tomorrow. Once she had settled everything at home, she started to pack her luggage. Qiao Qiang sat at one side and watched her doing her packing with mixed feelings. He did not know what to say and constantly felt uneasy. He felt that it was too dangerous for Qiao Mei to go to the capital alone. Mei Mei, if theres really no other way, then let your Uncle Chen Hu go with you. Qiao Qiang frowned and looked at Qiao Mei. As Qiao Mei kept the blanket, she said, Grandfather, so youre still so worried about me. Uncle Chen Hus soldiers might not even be as strong as me. Qiao Qiang thought about it and had to agree with her. Qiao Mei could indeed protect herself with her strange super-strength, but it was different now from before. Previously, her looks did not attract any attention, but now that Qiao Mei was so beautiful and outstanding, even if she was really capable, what could she do if she was targeted by villains. Qiao Qiang still felt that it was not safe. Qiao Meis current appearance was more problematic than before. Previously, when she went out, he was not worried about her being targeted by others. The way that Qiao Mei looked in the past, she also did not seem like a nice person at all. Chapter 166 - Setting Off for the Capital The way that Qiao Mei looked now, people would get ideas about her even if she just stood there. If anything were to happen to her on her way, he did not think that he, an old man with half his body already in the grave, would be able to stand it. As Qiao Qiang had kept staring at Qiao Mei for the past few days, he did not notice that Qiao Mei actually had only a very faint sense of presence now. His mind was filled with worry and melancholy. Mei Mei, why not let your Uncle Chen Hu accompany you. If I ask him personally, he will definitely agree. Dont find it troublesome, Qiao Qiang said to Qiao Mei with a frown. Grandfather, dont worry. Ill get a ticket for the direct train from the county city to the capital. Once I reach the capital, Ill find a phone and call you. I hope thats fine for you, Qiao Mei said. Qiao Qiang thought for a moment and knew that Qiao Mei did not want to take his advice at all. He would just have to let her be. Whatever she did, she must have her own reasons. Qiao Qiang sighed and nodded, indicating that he would compromise and go along with Qiao Meis plans. Qiao Mei smiled happily and was about to enter the room when she was stopped by Qiao Qiang again. Mei Mei, you have to put a cloth around your head and dont let anyone see your face. Wear something tattered, or else there will be thieves targeting you, Qiao Qiang reminded her repeatedly. Qiao Mei giggled and saluted. Alright! I promise to complete the mission! Her action made Qiao Qiang laugh out loud and caused him to recall the person he was in the past. Qiao Mei was relieved to see Qiao Qiang looking much happier and went into the room to pack the things she wanted to bring. The fabric that Qiao Mei bought some time ago had not only been made into clothes, but also into an exquisite backpack. Qiao Mei had embroidered her favorite flowers and plants on it, and had also sewed a compartment inside the backpack to specially store the small boxes containing the wild ginsengs. She was afraid that if she carelessly opened the bag during her travels and let someone see them, it would cause trouble for her. Hmm Let me think. What else should I bring? Qiao Mei said as she looked at the stack of things on the brick bed. Everything was laid out on the brick bed. There were three sets of new clothes, a change of shoes, a few boxes of wild ginsengs, and all kinds of food and supplies given by the other villagers. It was chock full of stuff. In the end, Qiao Mei picked out the most important things to take with her, including the 1500-year-old wild ginseng roots from the mountain and a lot of vine seeds. Qiao Mei chose not to do what Qiao Qiang had mentioned. She felt that by covering her face with a cloth, she would attract more attention. It would be better to just look ordinary. Qiao Mei went to the hospital to buy a surgical mask to put on, as she felt that the effect would be the same as covering her face with a cloth. After Qiao Mei arrived at the county city, she took a bus to the provincial city as the direct train to the capital departed from the provincial city. Once she arrived at the capital, she would give her grandfather a call before transferring onto a train to Gushan. Basically, all train transfers to other places were done in the capital. 1 Qiao Mei made sure to dress in plain black clothes. In this era, people who traveled around for business were mostly men and very few women could make their own way to someplace far away. She had already been delayed by Qiao Yus matter for too long over the past few days and had left the village a day later than she had planned. She was not afraid that there would be criminals on the way. If there were any people who harbored any ill intentions, she would just beat them up and cripple them. It did not matter if she had to compensate them. She had plenty of money and the one thing she did not lack was money. However, money could not buy time and she was very anxious about being delayed for even a second. Xia Zhe, you must wait for me. You must be safe, Qiao Mei muttered to herself as she looked out of the train window. 1 Wearing a mask in the train saved her a lot of trouble, but Qiao Mei was not an immortal and had no choice but to eat and drink at intervals. Every mealtime, there would be people staring at her and talking about her. There were even people who tried to hit on her. Little girl, where are you going? A stranger walked over and asked. Qiao Mei pointed at her ears and then at her mouth, and then waved her hand at the stranger to indicate that she was deaf and mute and could not speak or hear what he was saying. 1 When the man understood what she was trying to say, he frowned and sighed as he said, Oh, what a pity. 1 With that, he turned around and left. After witnessing that, everyone on the train lamented that Qiao Mei was actually deaf and mute despite being so beautiful. They felt that the heavens were really fair, that the heavens had given someone beauty but took away everything else from her. After that, no one bothered Qiao Mei anymore. Qiao Mei was also happy to be left alone and free from all the trouble. This way, no one would disturb her. Chapter 167 - Natural Disaster After arriving in the capital, Qiao Mei went to an outdoor phone booth to call Qiao Qiang. There was a problem with the phone line at home, so Qiao Mei called the brigade directly. Hello, who is this? Wang Qin said. Wang Qin was usually the one handling these small matters in the village while Zhao Liang was in charge of the important things. Zhao Liang would only answer the phone if Wang Qin was not around. Qiao Mei lowered the pitch of her voice and said, Hello, Im looking for Zhao Liang. Wang Qin looked at the phone receiver in confusion and said to Zhao Liang, Zhao Liang, its for you. Zhao Liang was also a little puzzled. He did not have any relatives out of town, so he had no idea who could be calling him. Who is it? Zhao Liang said. I dont know. The person didnt say but was just looking for you. Wang Qin put the phone receiver aside and returned to her desk. Zhao Liang picked up the receiver and said, Hello, who are you? Im Zhao Liang. When Qiao Mei heard that it was indeed Uncle Zhao, her voice returned to normal and she said sweetly into the phone, Uncle, its me, Qiao Mei. Dont make a fuss about it, Im just calling to ask you to tell my grandfather that Im in the capital and to give him some reassurance. Zhao Liang naturally knew about the feud between Qiao Mei and Wang Qin, so he simply said, Yes, yes, I understand. I will go, dont worry. Alright, uncle, Im leaving. Qiao Mei hung up after saying that. Zhao Liang also hung up the phone. Wang Qin, who was at the side, stared at Zhao Liang a few times. She was curious about the person who called, but she did not dare to ask, afraid that her question would cause trouble. After all, the recent matter regarding Qiao Yu had already made her lose face in the village. Zhao Liang hurriedly went out to look for Qiao Qiang and informed him about what Qiao Mei had said on the phone. Qiao Qiang finally felt relieved after hearing that. After bidding farewell to Zhao Liang, he went to Li Guis place to bring the children for a walk at the village entrance. Two days later, Qiao Mei successfully arrived at Gushan. There were many people coming and going at the train station. She looked at the color of the sky and then at the expressions of the people around her. She could not bear to think about the tragedy that would happen in two days. Qiao Mei quietly got the plants around the train tracks to break the tracks so that no one would be able to enter Gushan henceforth and the number of casualties would be reduced. It would be best if Xia Zhe had not arrived at Gushan yet. She recalled that the news had reported that the area near the train station was hit most seriously. At that time, the sky was dark as if there was going to be a storm. Everyone ran into the houses in the area to get shelter from the rain, but it took only a few minutes for all the houses to collapse and no one survived. Now that the train tracks were broken, there would be fewer people gathered here and more people would remain alive. Qiao Mei headed straight for a village after leaving the train station. Based on the memories of the original owner of the body, Qiao Mei remembered that there was a village name on the money transfer receipt. Based on the name in her memory, Qiao Mei asked around and finally arrived at the village. Strange things had been happening over the past few days. There were always big rocks rolling down the mountain and the animals in the forest had also started to become restless. Some of the forest animals had even entered the village. The birds in the forest had also been chirping a lot recently and even the domestic fowls were also all very restless. She had initially wanted to go and check out the other villages to see if they were in the same situation, but she did not even have time to do much in this village, so there was no way for her to get involved somewhere else. After walking around for a day, Qiao Mei felt that going on foot was not a viable solution. Qiao Mei bought a bicycle at a low price in the village and rode it around. She realized that it was not just this village, but many other villages were witnessing the same phenomena. Many villagers who lived at the foot of the mountain had suffered losses both big and small. Some people had seen their houses collapse, while others had had their courtyards destroyed. The desks of the county leaders were filled with documents about these disastrous matters and the phones in their offices had not stopped ringing. These things did not just happen in the villages. Many roads in the city suddenly had huge holes appearing in them and there were cyclists who even fell into the holes with their bikes and got injured. It was as if the ground had collapsed due to the loss of groundwater. Some of these holes even put buildings in danger, as some old low-rise apartment buildings which had been in disrepair for a long time began to tilt to one side. The government immediately evacuated the people from these buildings which eventually saved them from the disasters that followed. Chapter 168 - Earthquake The next day, the same issues occurred at even more low-rise apartment buildings. The government made an interim decision to evacuate everyone to an open area outside the city and set up tents for these people to stay outside for a period of time. They would arrange for people to return to their homes only after repair and restoration works were completed. At first, there were people who did not want to cooperate and even kicked up a fuss at the ground floor of their building. There were even people who had already left the city but insisted on returning to their homes to retrieve their valuables. However, before these people could resist for too long, the building collapsed with a loud sound. It scared everyone so much that they did not dare to think of it as a minor issue anymore and they actively cooperated with the governments arrangements. Qiao Mei had not been idle during this period of time. She sat at an empty plot of land to take a rest, feeling a little tired. 1 A few sinkholes in the city had indeed collapsed due to the loss of groundwater, but most of them were caused by Qiao Mei scattering a large number of plant seeds into the ground, making them reproduce and grow quickly and incessantly taking root inside the ground. Then, when Qiao Mei absorbed the energy of these plants, the instant withering of the plants would cause a hole underground, causing the ground to collapse. There were tall buildings everywhere around the city and there were no plants providing energy for her to absorb. After making sinkholes over the span of a few days, Qiao Mei was starting to feel that she was unable to do as much as she would like. If she went back to the village to absorb natural energy before coming back, it would be too late. Right now, Qiao Mei was racing against time. Sigh. Qiao Mei took a breath and lamented. Qiao Mei looked at the pendant hanging on her chest. The originally crystal clear pendant now looked a little dull and lackluster. It seemed that the energy was indeed unable to support her in creating more sinkholes. However, there were still many low-rise buildings and houses in the city. Many people still felt that what was happening had nothing to do with them, that only the high-rise buildings were in danger and that the low-rise houses would not be affected. Qiao Mei needed to create more sinkholes in order to save more people. Qiao Mei opened her backpack and took out the seeds of the ginseng king from home. She sprinkled them on the ground and induced their growth, and then absorbed the energy contained inside them. These seeds were all wild ginseng that could grow to a thousand years old and their energy was not something that ordinary wildflowers and weeds could emulate. Qiao Mei took out the vine seeds and managed to locate a water drain. She scattered the seeds into the drain and began to induce their growth. The vines quickly grew and covered the entire citys drainage system. If she were to make more sinkholes, even though no one would think that it had anything to do with her, she would still miss out on many people. It was better to do this so that she could reach everyone. Qiao Mei kept watch on the time and continuously urged the vines in her hand to extend further. With Qiao Meis current ability, she could already sense plants within 20 kilometers, but for an entire city, this span meant that there were still areas that she could not manage to cover. Qiao Mei could only stretch as far as she could feel. Not enough not enough still not enough, Qiao Mei muttered to herself. Qiao Mei induced the growth of wild ginseng and vines with one hand and used her other hand to constantly absorb the energy of the wild ginseng. Her entire body was emitting a sparkling green light and in less than 15 minutes, she was already drenched in sweat and her lips had become pale. Her hands and feet also began to tremble without her knowing. Many plants had already turned to ashes before she could absorb their energy. Qiao Mei looked at her watch and then at the sky. It was time. Qiao Mei shook the vines violently and the vines kept hitting the drainage pipes all the way to the end. Soon, the remaining people in the city felt the violent tremors, each stronger than the last. Everyone ran out of the house and instinctively went to take cover in a wide open area. When she was done, Qiao Mei reabsorbed the energy from the vines and collapsed to the ground while panting heavily. There were still about 20 minutes before the real danger arrived, and she hoped that what she did would be effective enough to be able to save more people. She had already done her best. Qiao Mei quickly lost consciousness and blacked out onto the ground. Then the violent shaking started after 20 minutes. The world seemed to spin away and the sun and moon went dark as if they lost their light. The mountains and rivers appeared to be roaring as huge rocks rolled down and dust filled the air in an instant. In just 25 seconds, the entire city was in ruins. The plants around Qiao Mei spontaneously surrounded her, forming a cocoon-shaped protective barrier that silently shielded Qiao Mei and her children, and reduced the impact of the tremors from the ground. At the same moment, the pendant quietly emitted a dark green light that was slowly being transmitted to the surrounding plants. Chapter 169 - Rescued After the earthquake ended, the plants around Qiao Mei dissipated into ashes and scattered in the air. Some of these ashes landed on Qiao Meis body as she silently planted a wild ginseng seed under her body to slowly induce its growth and absorb its energy. After doing this, she regained some strength but was still too tired to move. In the end, Qiao Mei closed her eyes and fell unconscious. Soon, the other local governments heard about what had happened at Gushan and the places close by quickly sent troops to help with the rescue. Half an hour later, the first rescue team arrived. The troops were instructed to divide themselves into various teams to search the entire city for survivors, check for casualties and make arrangements for rescue. People who were still alive gathered in groups to seek warmth and to comfort one another. There were people who knelt on the ground crying after seeing their homes in ruins. There were also people who lamented that they were really lucky to still be alive, while there were others who spontaneously helped everyone else in whatever way they could. If not for the small earthquake that happened before the big one, they would have died under the ruins. Four hours later, the various teams finished checking all the places in the city. The process was much faster than they had expected. Report! There are no deaths at the moment. Some of the injured parties have already been transferred to safe areas! one of the team leaders reported. Xia Zhe nodded and mentally noted down the number of injured people and the location to carry out the evacuation. Xia Zhe looked at his brother-in-arms, Zhang Yong, who understood what he meant and said, Same here. There are no casualties and everyone has been evacuated to a safe area. Xia Zhe finally relaxed his serious expression, but there was still a frown between his eyes. Everyone, take a ten-minute break and then go back to the city to conduct a full-scale search again. You must not miss a single corner! You must make sure that everyone has been rescued! Do you understand! Xia Zhe shouted. Understood! all the soldiers replied loudly. Everyone, rest on the spot! Zhang Yong, Zhao Wu, Zhuang Hua! Step forward! Xia Zhe ordered. Yes! the three men replied in unison. Just as he was about to go to the tent to discuss the subsequent plans, a soldier rushed over. Report! Speak. Xia Zhe looked at the soldier standing in front of him. Theres someone in the ruins over there, the soldier said, pointing to some ruins in the distance. Xia Zhe followed him and saw that there was indeed someone lying motionless on the ground. Quick! Medic! Rescue! Xia Zhe shouted at the medics in the distance. Xia Zhe squatted down to check if Qiao Mei was still breathing and if she had a pulse. At this moment, Qiao Mei felt someone touching her. She slowly opened her eyes and saw the face that she had been thinking about day and night. 1 Am am I dreaming? Qiao Mei subconsciously reached out to touch the face of the person in front of her. After confirming that Qiao Mei was alive, Xia Zhe tilted his head slightly to avoid Qiao Meis hand and let the medics go forward to rescue her. Arrange for treatment immediately and do your best to treat her, Xia Zhe said, making the arrangements calmly. Before Qiao Mei could see clearly whether the person was actually her loved one, she was already being carried away on a stretcher. She wanted to get up to ask about it but was pressed down on the stretcher by the medics. Let me take a look Before Qiao Mei could finish speaking, she was already secured to the stretcher. Dont move around now. We need to see if you are injured. Were from the medical unit and were giving you treatment. Dont worry, youll be fine! a medic said to Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei thought to herself, Of course I know that Im fine, but I want to see if that person is Xia Zhe. Can you not stop me! Xia Zhe had turned away to deal with the danger in the area, so Qiao Mei had no choice but to receive treatment as she was told. She lay on the stretcher and fell asleep again. The entire troop methodically made arrangements for the rescue and relief efforts. Xia Zhe and his brothers-in-arms were so busy that they did not even have time to eat as they threw themselves into the disaster relief efforts. In the end, they only recalled the main unit after searching the entire city three times. Even then, they still arranged for a small team to take turns to search around and ensure that they did not miss anyone. Qiao Mei also slowly recovered her strength in her sleep, as the lost energy slowly returned to her body. Chapter 170 - Regain Consciousness Qiao Mei slowly opened her eyes and gradually had a clear idea of where she was. Her surroundings were all white and there were many identical beds around her. The people on those beds looked more seriously injured than her. Some of them were wrapped in bandages and some were in casts. It appeared that there were still some people who did not manage to make it to the open space in time and still got injured. However, it was not possible for Qiao Mei to save so many people single-handedly. She had already done her best. Youre awake, a medic said to Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei was about to get out of bed when she was stopped by the medic. Hey! Dont move. Ill have to give you a checkup before you can move around. The medic carefully checked Qiao Meis various joints and physical indicators. He only allowed Qiao Mei to move around after confirming that there were no abnormalities. Alright, you can go to the temporary base outside the city. The medic packed his things and prepared to move on to the next patient. Wait, whats the base outside the city? Qiao Mei asked with a puzzled expression. Its the place where the disaster victims are currently being held. Were still in the city and its not safe. You need to evacuate to a safe area, the medic said. Yes Thank you, I understand now. After saying goodbye to the medic, Qiao Mei began to think about how to stay inside the current camp. It was not easy to find Xia Zhe, so she could not leave so easily. 1 She quietly walked out of the tent and went around the area to see if there was anything she could do to help the troops. She had barely taken two steps before she ran into Xia Zhe who had come to take a headcount. You? Are you fine now? Xia Zhe said as he looked at Qiao Mei coldly. Qiao Mei did not dare to say that she was doing fine as she still wanted to stay here. If she was sent out of the city, it would be difficult for her to come in again. I Im still a little dizzy Qiao Mei pretended to be weak and reached out to hold her forehead. 1 Xia Zhe sized up Qiao Mei. She did not seem to have any external injuries, and the medic had already told him that this person was fine and could be transferred. Qiao Mei saw that Xia Zhe was indifferent to her and reached out to tug at his sleeve. She said in a sweet voice, Can I Before Qiao Mei could finish speaking, Xia Zhe frowned. Why did this voice sound so familiar? Qiao Mei immediately became alert and stopped talking. She pretended to faint and fall against Xia Zhe. 1 Xia Zhe hurriedly caught hold of Qiao Mei, but as they were of opposite sexes, Xia Zhe called out to the female soldier who was closest to him and said, You, come here! Send her to the infirmary! The young soldier immediately came over to help her up and they limped their way to the infirmary. Qiao Mei was secretly happy that he was not overly concerned about unfamiliar women and thought that he deserved praise for it. When Qiao Mei arrived at the infirmary, she quickly woke up and said to the young soldier, Thank you for sending me back. I feel much better now. Hearing her sweet voice, the young soldier thought of her as a gentle and kind little girl, and did not suspect that she was pretending to be sick. The soldier said to Qiao Mei, Youre welcome. Its what I should do. By the way, please tell me where I can get some water as I want to wash up. Qiao Mei touched her face and sighed as she looked at the two inches of ash on her hand. Given that they were both girls, the young soldier also knew that it was really uncomfortable to be dirty all over. She pointed to the tent at the other end and said, Theres a temporary water tank over there, you can get some water to do a simple wipe down or something. However, theres not much water so you cant take a shower, but you can wash your face though. Qiao Mei nodded and said, Thank you. Ill be careful about the amount of water I use. Dont worry. The young soldier had other tasks to do so she bid a simple farewell to Qiao Mei and returned to the troop. Qiao Mei took a basin to get some water and wiped herself clean with a towel before washing her feet. Water resources were very precious now, so she had to make full use of them as much as possible. After washing up, Qiao Mei looked like a completely different person from before. When she came out of the water storage tent, she was aware that there were many pairs of eyes staring at her. Even if Qiao Mei had the ability to conceal her presence, she was now among the army troops and this was a place with more male soldiers than female soldiers. No matter how inconspicuous she tried to be, she was still very eye-catching. Many soldiers were stunned by the sight of her. They had not heard that there was such a beautiful girl among the people rescued. Chapter 171 - Disguise In the distance, Xia Zhe was discussing the subsequent arrangements on the deployment of the disaster victims with Zhang Yong, Zhao Wu and Zhuang Hua. As he spoke, he realized that the three men were not paying attention to him at all, and that his surroundings had also become very quiet. What are you guys doing? Why are you in a daze during the meeting? Xia Zhe frowned and said to the three men. Hey, big brother, look at that person. How is she so beautiful. Zhao Wu looked at Qiao Mei in the distance in a daze. Xia Zhe turned around and saw Qiao Mei who was still wearing the same clothes, but with her face revealed after washing away the ash from herself. She had fair skin, small and exquisite facial features, and a pair of big sparkling eyes that made people feel protective about her. 2 Xia Zhe was stunned for a moment, but he continued to instruct the three men on the follow-up arrangements. However, none of the three men were focused on the mission anymore. Xia Zhe was so angry that he closed his notebook and gave each of them a kick. Dont you need to do any work anymore and just look and look and look! Dont you all know whats the real and important matter at hand? Xia Zhe lectured the three of them. Qiao Mei saw all of this and thought to herself, Yes, as expected of my man. Hes so handsome even when hes angry. Hes simply too charming. Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe with a big smile, so Xia Zhe had no choice but to settle the issue with Qiao Mei before he could carry out the mission. Otherwise, the soldiers under him would all be distracted. Comrade, whats the matter? Xia Zhe frowned at Qiao Mei. Nothings the matter. I just want to help in whatever way I can. Qiao Mei smiled at Xia Zhe. Xia Zhe sighed and handed his notebook to Zhang Yong before he turned around to leave. As he walked out, he said, You guys arrange it for her. Im going to carry out the mission. Xia Zhe had already disappeared without a trace, but Qiao Mei still stood there staring in the direction where Xia Zhe had left. 2 Hey, stop looking. My big brother has got a wife, Zhuang Hua said as he stood behind Qiao Mei and also looked in the direction Xia Zhe had left. Huh? Big brother? Qiao Mei looked at Zhuang Hua in confusion. Could this be Xia Zhes younger brother? She had only heard from her grandfather that Xia Zhe had an older brother, but she had never heard of a younger brother. Zhuang Hua was puzzled. Wouldnt most people focus on the fact that his big brother was already married? It was really strange that this person was more concerned about his relationship with Xia Zhe. Yes, we all call Xia Zhe big brother. Everyone calls him that because hes the most capable among us, Zhang Yong explained. By the way, whats your name? Zhao Wu asked. Me my name is my name is Zhang Miao! Qiao Mei said, thinking on her feet. 4 Qiao Mei thought to herself, Im sorry, Miao Miao. Ill borrow your name first. I really have no choice as I cant let your brother-in-law find out that Im actually his wife. If he finds out that Im Qiao Mei, hell probably force me to go to a safe place. 5 Zhao Wu muttered to himself, Zhang Miao Zhang Miao What a nice name! Zhang Miao! Miao Miao! Zhuang Hua hurriedly gave Zhao Wu a kick. He had just met the girl and he was already calling her Miao Miao. How shameless of him. Even if he did not mind, the girl would mind him doing that. 1 Zhao Wu was about to turn around and settle the score with Zhuang Hua when he heard a shout from the cookhouse, Mealtime! Zhao Wu put aside the fact that he had not taken revenge for the kick just now and brought Qiao Mei to the dining area. Look at this kid, he has gone crazy thinking about women. He even wants to woo her, and he hasnt even asked her if she has a partner, Zhang Yong said to Zhuang Hua as he looked at Zhao Wus back view. 2 She looks like shes only 17 or 18 years old. How old is this Zhao Wu, how can he still have the cheek to want to partner her. Zhuang Hua looked at Zhao Wus departing figure and shook his head. Sigh, lets go. Nothing will happen anyway. If he delays the mission, just wait for big brother to give him a beating, Zhang Yong said. Hahahahaha. Come, lets go eat. With that, Zhuang Hua and Zhang Yong caught up with Zhao Wu and Qiao Mei. At the moment, there was only rice and no vegetables. The vegetables had all been given to the soldiers at the front line, so everyone consciously took very little of the side dishes. However, just the rice alone felt completely different from usual. It tasted especially fragrant today and even had a little sweetness to it. Chapter 172 - Satisfaction Zhao Wu had wanted to turn around to say something to Qiao Mei, but Zhang Yong hurriedly pushed Zhao Wu and said, Hurry up and eat, just eat! Zhao Wu did not get the chance to say anything, so he took his bowl and filled it up with rice before handing it to Qiao Mei and said, I guess you must not have eaten for a few days. Quickly eat more. Dont stand on ceremony! Zhang Yong and Zhuang Hua were dumbfounded. It turned out that Zhao Wu was not stupid at all. His method of wooing girls was much better than theirs. The pressure from the competition was on. Qiao Mei smiled and took out a large tea jar from her backpack. However, the large tea jar did not look like one as it had long been flattened. Qiao Mei took it in her hands, fiddled with it for a while and returned it to its original shape. The few men were dumbstruck by what she did. They did not think too much about it though and it did not cross their minds that Qiao Mei was exceptionally strong. They only felt that Qiao Mei was quite pitiful and that her family should be very poor. Big tea jars were usually very sturdy so for a little girl to be able to reshape it easily, it must be a really cheap item. Arent you going to eat? Qiao Mei asked curiously when she saw that the three people behind her were still staring at her after she took her food. Ah! Yes, yes, yes! Lets eat, lets eat! Zhuang Hua came back to his senses and quickly went to get his food. Qiao Mei looked around for Xia Zhe. It was mealtime, so why was he not here to get food? Not long after, she found Xia Zhe in the crowd. He also looked over, but he was not looking at Qiao Mei. Instead, he looked at the three people who were getting their food behind Qiao Mei. Xia Zhe had just taken his bowl and was walking over when Qiao Mei stopped him. Are you going to eat? Can I eat with you? Qiao Mei blinked her big eyes and asked. Xia Zhe did not even look at Qiao Mei. He dodged to one side and walked forward, saying, Its not convenient. Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhes indifferent departing figure and was overjoyed, though Zhao Wu found it strange that she was still so happy after being rejected. Zhao Wu walked up to Qiao Mei and said, Comrade Zhang Miao, dont go after my big brother. My big brother is already married and hes also about to become a father. Thats right. Our big brother really has a wife. Were not lying to you, Zhang Yong echoed. Qiao Mei smiled and said, So what if he has a wife? It doesnt matter even if he does! 1 After saying that, she skipped over to Xia Zhes side and sat down. Zhang Yong and the other two men also followed her and sat around in a circle. Qiao Mei opened her backpack and took out the pickled radishes that she had made at home. Here, try this, Qiao Mei held out the jar and appeared to offer it to everyone, but in fact, she had positioned the jar right in front of Xia Zhe. Zhao Wu, Zhang Yong, and Zhuang Hua did not care about that. They each took one and started eating. Huh? This taste? Why does it taste so similar to the one that sister-in-law sent to big brother? Zhuang Hua looked at Zhao Wu to see if he agreed. Eh? Thats true. The taste is really quite similar! Zhao Wu said as he picked up the pickled radish with his chopsticks. Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe and asked, Arent you going to have one? Its very delicious. Xia Zhe turned away and hurriedly finished the remaining rice in his bowl. He stood up and said, I dont like it. Anyway, Im finished with my meal. Qiao Mei was grinning from ear to ear as she held the jar of pickled radishes. She wondered who was the one who had written in the letter that he loved pickled radishes the most. Qiao Mei closed the jar and put it back into her bag. Zhang Yong and the rest were still hankling for more, but since she had already put the jar away, they were too embarrassed to ask her to take it out so that they could have more. Qiao Mei looked at the departing Xia Zhe and thought to herself, Its really like what my grandfather said. Hes a gentleman and it seems that he can still resist the temptation when presented with an attractive woman. I must reward him well when we get back. 1 Zhao Wu stood up and blocked Qiao Meis view as he said, Dont look at my big brother anymore. My big brother really has a wife and her cooking is much better than yours. Dont think about my big brother anymore. 1 Qiao Mei laughed and said, Better than me? Hmph, I dont believe it. Im so young and good-looking, so why not me. Just wait and see. The other three people there held their foreheads and sighed. There were three men of different characters in front of her, and their looks were not considered ugly, so they could not understand why she did not take a fancy to any of them but only had her eye on their big brother instead. 3 Chapter 173 - Aftershocks After finishing their meals, Zhang Yong, Zhao Wu and Zhuang Hua did not chat with Qiao Mei anymore. They still had to go on patrol in the afternoon to ensure that there were no remaining victims nearby who had not been rescued. They had to make sure that nothing and no one was left out. Qiao Mei followed closely behind Xia Zhe silently. In another hour, there would be a second earthquake. At this point in time, Qiao Mei could not leave his side at all. Qiao Mei followed Xia Zhe wherever he went. By now, many people in the troop could tell that this young lady had taken a fancy to him and he got very annoyed with her. He had always had many admirers who stared at him every day. In those days, he did not care that they looked at him, given that he was not married yet. However, it was different now. He now had Qiao Mei and she was even bearing him a cute child. If anyone gossiped or complained behind his back about him having loose morals, his career path would be ruined and his wish to have Qiao Mei join him as a military spouse would be dashed. Xia Zhe was so irritated that he grabbed Zhao Wu, who was next to him, and said, Find a reason for her not to follow me. She can follow anyone, but just dont bother me. 1 Zhao Wu nodded and said, Okay, boss. Leave it to me. Comrade Zhang Miao, go back to the camp with me. The rest of us have to go on a mission later and its not convenient for us to bring you along, Zhao Wu said in a serious manner. It was rare for Zhao Wu to take a serious tone when speaking to Qiao Mei and she glanced sideways at Xia Zhe, who was commanding the troop in the distance. He wants to chase me away huh, Qiao Mei said. 1 No, Im the one whos worried about you. Zhao Wu did not say that it was Xia Zhes order, but for his own selfish reasons, he made it sound like he was the one who was concerned about her well-being. In any case, he knew that his boss would not blame him. Qiao Mei frowned and lowered her head in deep thought. If she was sent back to the camp now and it got too dangerous when the earthquake happened later, who could guarantee Xia Zhes safety? She could only feel at ease if she followed Xia Zhe herself, but she could not use the excuse that she wished to follow Zhao Wu. If her identity was exposed, it would only cause more trouble. What if I just follow behind the team, since Im able to help you guys and Im afraid to go back by myself. Besides, you need all the manpower you can get for the rescue mission. If you arrange for someone to send me back, you would lose a person who could be here helping. Qiao Mei looked at Zhao Wu with bright sparkling eyes. Zhao Wu gulped and thought about it. He decided that it was better to check with Xia Zhe as it was not in his place to agree to a civilians request in private. No matter how winsome she looked, he had to abide by the military rules. Wait for a while, let me ask about it. Zhao Wu returned to Xia Zhes side and told him about his conversation with Qiao Mei. Xia Zhe pondered for a long time and also felt that it was inappropriate to let her go back alone. He thought that what she said did make sense. Then let her follow us, so long as she doesnt follow me, Xia Zhe said as he looked at Zhao Wu. He then waved his hand and went in front of the troop. Qiao Mei looked at the watch in her pocket. There were still 15 minutes before the earthquake and Qiao Mei constantly looked out for the best way to position herself to be able to save Xia Zhe quickly. Xia Zhe could feel Qiao Mei pacing around behind him, and she was always in a spot where it was the shortest linear distance to reach his side. Xia Zhe thought to himself, She has such great observation skills, could it be that Im her target? Is she seeking revenge? But I havent offended anyone and Ive never met this young lady before. What could be the reason? It was obvious that Xia Zhes thoughts were on the wrong track and extremely far from the truth. The good thing was that he kept it all in his head, otherwise Qiao Mei would laugh at him if she knew. Qiao Mei looked at her watch and noted the time. It was already down to the final minute. 59, 58, 57, 56 Qiao Mei counted silently in her heart. Before she could count to 30, she heard a loud bang and the ground began to shake violently. Xia Zhe stood on the spot and shouted loudly to evacuate the crowd, but he did not notice that there were still the remains of half a tall building behind him. Qiao Mei did not have time to think and just ran straight to Xia Zhes side. She grabbed on to him and threw the two of them to one side, falling into a pit in front of them. The vine seeds which Qiao Mei had thrown out quickly grew and enveloped the two of them tightly in a cocoon-like protective shell. The wreckage of the half a building collapsed on top of the two of them and the tremors lasted for more than 10 seconds before stopping. 1 Chapter 174 - : Safe and Sound When the tremors completely stopped, Qiao Mei secretly used the vines to push out a gap so that the two of them could breathe while they were among the ruins. Are you alright? Qiao Mei asked. I Im fine. What about you? Xia Zhe hesitated and said. Qiao Mei looked at his hesitant expression and felt that Xia Zhe was hiding something from her. She reached out to touch his body, but Xia Zhe frowned and held down her roving hands to stop her. Dont move! Xia Zhe growled. Qiao Mei just used one hand to secure Xia Zhes hand behind his back and used her other hand to carefully run over his body to see if he was injured. Xia Zhe struggled but could not break free. He had a strong feeling of dj vu. Who was this person who was so strong and even treated him in this manner? 1 Who are you? Xia Zhe stared at Qiao Meis face to see if she was lying when she answered. 2 Qiao Mei finally heaved a sigh of relief after checking on him. She looked at Xia Zhe smilingly and said, Big brother, who do you think I am? This was the sweet voice that he would never be able to forget for the rest of his life. The scene from that night seemed to appear before his eyes again. That voice had rung in his ears for an entire night and he immediately recognized it. 2 Mei Mei? Xia Zhe looked at the person in front of him in shock, unable to believe that this was the Qiao Mei he had met back then. 2 Oh my goodness, did you not read the letter I wrote to you? Didnt I write in the letter that my looks have changed? Qiao Mei said as she leaned her head gently on Xia Zhes shoulder and gently hammered Xia Zhes chest with her small hand. 2 Xia Zhe hugged Qiao Mei gently. He could now hold her with one arm. He wondered how she lost so much weight in just the few months since he left. 1 In Qiao Meis letter, she did say that she had lost weight, but he thought that she had at most lost 20 pounds. He did not expect Qiao Mei to have become the person in front of him. I remember. But why did you lose so much weight, what exactly did you do at home? Xia Zhes heart ached as he looked at Qiao Mei. 1 Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe with a smile and said, Lets see, I do farm work at home and I do a lot of housework everyday including cooking for my grandfather. Now that Im pregnant, my appetite isnt as good as before, so I guess thats how I lost weight. 1 Xia Zhe immediately became nervous when he heard the word pregnant, and he reached out to touch Qiao Meis belly. Do you feel anything wrong with your body? Do you feel unwell anywhere? Move slightly and see if youre injured anywhere. Xia Zhe tried his best to do a check on Qiao Meis body in the small space. Qiao Mei shook her head and was about to say that she was fine when she realized that Xia Zhe had already started to examine her and was carefully checking every inch of her joints and bones for injury. When he was checking her ribcage, he examined her rib bones one by one, afraid that the bones had been injured by the impact. However, by doing that, he also touched parts of her body that he need not check. The spots where his fingers touched felt as hot as if they had been burned, and from time to time, he would happen to touch Qiao Meis ticklish spots. 1 Hey, dont touch me anymore. Youre tickling me! Qiao Mei said as she pouted. 1 Xia Zhes face instantly turned red, but he still insisted on giving her a thorough check before he retracted his hand in relief. Qiao Meis pregnancy was starting to show. Her slightly protruding belly was not obvious with the type of clothes she wore, but she could still feel the curvature when she reached out to touch it. Come, feel it. Qiao Mei pulled Xia Zhes hand and placed it on her belly. Xia Zhe gently stroked Qiao Meis belly. Given the slight curvature, if he did not know any better, he would have thought that Qiao Mei was just not completely thin and still had some belly fat. However, seeing Qiao Mei lose so much weight, he felt both heartache and excitement. Her heart ached for Qiao Mei who did not have an easy time for the past few months, being pregnant without him by her side. He wondered if grandfather Qiao Qiangs health had improved and if Qiao Mei had eaten anything nutritious and if the baby gave Qiao Mei a hard time. At the same time, he was also very excited that he was going to be a father. He tried his best to live up to his own expectation of a good father and he wanted to be a great father for this unborn child. 2 Youve suffered, Mei Mei. Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei caringly. 1 Qiao Mei smiled and touched Xia Zhes face. Its not hard on me. I feel very happy now. I have you and I have our kid, Im very blessed. 5 Chapter 175 - Saying Hello Xia Zhe nodded and recalled the letter his aunt had sent him previously. She had written that most women would get morning sickness by this stage of the pregnancy and would basically throw up whatever they ate. Do you do you get any morning sickness, I mean usually. Xia Zhe found it embarrassing to raise the topic. 1 Qiao Mei thought about it and realized that she really had not experienced any morning sickness at all. On a usual day, she did not even feel like she was pregnant with two children. She felt no different from when she was not pregnant. If there were any differences, it was that she ate better, slept better and walked as if she was on wings. She wondered if these counted as feeling differently. I dont feel particularly uncomfortable, Qiao Mei said as she shook her head. Then what about any loss of appetite or any discomfort, such as back pain, joint pain or anything like that, Xia Zhe asked carefully. Qiao Mei shook her head, indicating that she did not have any of these symptoms. Xia Zhe frowned and felt that Qiao Mei must be hiding something from him. I really dont have any of that. Im in very good health, Qiao Mei said. Xia Zhe decided to believe what Qiao Mei said for the time being. He resolved that after they got out, he would put up an application to go back to the capital and get his aunt to give Qiao Mei a full-body checkup to ensure that Qiao Meis health was fine. Qiao Mei stroked Xia Zhes tightly furrowed brows and said, Dont worry, Im really fine. Suddenly, Qiao Mei felt a few movements in her belly. At first, she did not pay much attention to it, but the movements had become very obvious. Ah! Qiao Mei exclaimed. Xia Zhe quickly looked at Qiao Mei, who seemed to be at a loss. Whats wrong, do you feel unwell? Xia Zhe asked. I I think I can feel the baby, Qiao Mei said with tears in her eyes. Under normal circumstances, a pregnant woman could usually sense the fetal movement of the baby at around the 20-week mark. Qiao Mei was about 16 weeks pregnant at the moment. Perhaps due to the fact that she had been exchanging energy with precious plants like wild ginseng, the baby had developed well enough to have such fetal movements. 1 Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei in confusion, not understanding what she meant. Qiao Mei held Xia Zhes hand to stroke her belly as she said, Baby, this is your father. As soon as she finished speaking, the baby obediently moved twice. Xia Zhe instantly widened his eyes and looked into Qiao Meis eyes in disbelief. 2 This is? Is this a fetal movement? Xia Zhe asked. Thats right. I guess the baby wants to greet daddy, Qiao Mei sweet-talked Xia Zhe. Xia Zhe was full of mixed feelings and did not know what to say to Qiao Mei. He only felt that he had not done enough and that he owed Qiao Mei too much. Although he had been forced into the situation back then, he could be considered to have taken the initiative later on. He also had a responsibility towards Qiao Mei. It seemed that he had to work harder and let Qiao Mei become a military spouse earlier so that he could take better care of her. Yes, thank you, Xia Zhe said in a choked voice. Qiao Mei looked up and stared at Xia Zhe seriously before saying, I should be the one thanking you, why are you thanking me instead. Besides, were already married, so theres no need to say thank you. Yes, Xia Zhe nodded and said. Oh right, I read your letter regarding those names that you suggested for our child. Just those words you suggested, there are more than ten people in the entire village with the same names. Hurry up and change them, none of those names are good enough, Qiao Mei said. 1 Xia Zhe pondered for a long time before saying, I have an elder brother, his name is Xia Wen. Hes a teacher at the university. Shall we get his opinion on the childs name? Qiao Mei nodded and said, Yes, since elder brother is a cultured person, the name he comes up with would be meaningful. But you have to think about it as well. you cant leave everything to elder brother! Yes, yes yes, I promise you. Xia Zhe smiled and hugged Qiao Mei. After the two of them calmed down, Qiao Mei carefully sized up Xia Zhe. This was the person she had been thinking about day and night. She was finally able to see him and both of them were safe and alive. Fortunately, she arrived in time and there was no delay on the way. Otherwise, she really did not dare to imagine what Xia Zhe would have experienced. As she recalled the earlier scene when Xia Zhe was in danger, she still felt a sense of lingering fear. Qiao Mei could not help but tear up. It was so good to be alive. 4 Chapter 176 - Mischievous Xia Zhe thought that Qiao Mei was worried that they would not be able to get out. He quickly wiped away her tears and said, Dont cry, dont worry. Our police dogs are very outstanding. They all recognize the smell on me. Rest assured that they will find us soon. Xia Zhe c otingly. You little girl, how are you so bold to come here alone, Xia Zhe pretended to say angrily. Qiao Mei thought for a moment and hugged Xia Zhe tightly as she said sweetly, Big brother, dont be angry. I was wrong, I just miss you too much. I promise there wont be a next time! Xia Zhes face turned red from Qiao Meis words as he recalled that night again. She kept calling out to him that night, calling him big brother with her seductively sweet voice. That voice was unforgettable and he had wanted to hear it again. Then why didnt you identify yourself to me, if not it wont get dragged out until now, Xia Zhe asked. Hahahaha, I just wanted to test you. Who would have thought that you would really remain faithful throughout and for this, comrade Xia deserves to be praised! Qiao Mei teased. Xia Zhe pushed Qiao Meis head with his hand and said, You mischievous girl. And whats that I heard, if I had known that you dont like pickled radishes, then I need not make it for you in the future. Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe smugly. Dont you dare! If you dare to do that, Ill Xia Zhe said. You will? What will you do? Let me tell you, I think those three brothers of yours treat me very well. Youd better feel a little threatened, Qiao Mei said proudly. It did not cross his mind before she mentioned it. Now that she raised the issue, Xia Zhe was a little alarmed. Could it be that Qiao Mei really liked his brothers more than him? 2 Chapter 177 - Rescued Xia Zhe lowered his head and thought for a moment before saying in a muffled voice, If you if you like them no! You cant like them! You cant go anywhere! 2 Xia Zhe originally thought that if Qiao Mei really fancied any of his brothers-in-arms, he would give them his blessings. After all, Qiao Mei was somewhat forced to marry him back then, but now, Xia Zhe did not want anyone else to touch Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei could only be his and she must be his. Any thoughts that Qiao Mei might have of leaving him must be nipped in the bud. Hahahahahaha, what are you thinking about, Im already yours. Our child is about to be born, so who else should I be looking for when I only want the childs father. Qiao Mei giggled as she looked at the jealous Xia Zhe. 2 Only then did Xia Zhe realize that he had been tricked by Qiao Mei again. It seemed that he was going to be played by this little girl for the rest of his life. 1 Even after the two of them bantered for such a long time, there was still no sign of the search and rescue team. Xia Zhe touched the wall next to him to get a sense of the structure between the stone slabs. He gave the wall a hard push and realized that they were trapped. They would not be able to get out of danger by themselves. Generally speaking, all the houses here were quite old and the frames of the houses were mostly not sturdy. However, there were also buildings that had been rebuilt during a later period and it seemed that they had unexpectedly encountered one of these buildings. He did not know whether to be happy or unhappy. Sigh. Xia Zhe sighed softly. Whats wrong? Qiao Mei asked. Earlier, Qiao Mei had already used plants to do some scouting. Although they were trapped under the stone slabs, as long as there was movement outside, they would still be heard if they called for help. It was not as bad as they had imagined. Its nothing. Theyll be here to rescue us in a while, Xia Zhe said and took out a pack of hardtack from his pocket. Here, this is military ration and its very hard. We dont have water now, eat it slowly so you dont get choked, Xia Zhe said to Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei put the hardtack back into Xia Zhes pocket. This is a life-saving ration and she could not eat it just like that. After all, they did not know how long they would have to stay here. Put it away first. We can eat it when were hungry. Im not hungry now, so dont waste it, Qiao Mei said. Xia Zhe nodded and put away the hardtack. Fortunately, the two of them were able to move around slightly within this space and there was nothing directly pressing on them. Qiao Mei gently shifted her position and used the vines to burrow into the ground to sense the location of the search and rescue team. Then, she gently made a soft sound to attract the rescue dogs. For humans, such sounds were too soft to be heard, but animals had sharper senses and could distinguish small changes in their environments. When the rescue dogs heard the sound, they barked loudly and broke free from the ropes to search for Qiao Meis location. After sniffing the areas one after another, a rescue dog stood on top of the ruins above Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe and kept barking. Woof! Woof! Mei Mei! Its a rescue dog! Xia Zhe said in surprise. Help! Qiao Mei shouted loudly. Help! Were here! Zhuang Hua! Zhang Yong! Zhao Wu! Were here! Xia Zhe kept calling out. When Zhang Yong and the other two men heard the voices, they immediately rushed over. Boss! Were coming! Zhang Yong said. Big brother! Are you okay! Zhao Wu asked. We are holding up! Xia Zhe replied. Be gentle! Dont let too many people go up and cause a second collapse! Carry out the rescue carefully! There cant be any accidents! Zhuang Hua said to the search and rescue soldiers beside him. Yes! The soldiers carried out the search and rescue operation nervously. They cleared the stone slabs bit by bit and tried to find out more about the structure. Through the gaps, they observed the position and situation of Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei. No one dared to make a wrong move, afraid that they would encounter a second collapse. Xia Zhe hugged Qiao Mei tightly and tried his best to shield her with his body to protect her from harm. Qiao Mei hugged Xia Zhe quietly. She watched Xia Zhes every move and remembered all of them well. She came to understand that Xia Zhe really cared about her. After 50 minutes, the last stone slab was lifted and Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei were rescued. Everyone did not think too much about it when they saw Xia Zhe hugging Qiao Mei tightly. After all, their role was to protect the public from harm and ensure that nothing went wrong. 2 Chapter 178 - Returning to Base Then, everyone kept staring as Xia Zhe continued to hug Qiao Mei without letting go. Given that so much time had passed, he should be able to let go now. Um Big brother, can you come out now? Zhuang Hua touched his nose and reminded Xia Zhe embarrassedly. Xia Zhe immediately came back to his senses and helped Qiao Mei up. The medics went forward to check them for any obvious injuries and carefully examined the joints of their limbs to make sure that there were no problems before leaving. Xia Zhe got out of the pit first and then reached out to Qiao Mei. When Zhao Wu saw what Xia Zhe did, he hurriedly jumped into the pit to give Qiao Mei a push. Seeing that, Xia Zhe frowned slightly and pulled Qiao Mei into his arms. Qiao Mei looked at the jealous Xia Zhe and could not stop smiling. 1 How are you acting like a child, Qiao Mei said. Xia Zhe took Qiao Meis hand and gave it a gentle squeeze to express his displeasure. As they made their way down the debris, Xia Zhe kept asking about Qiao Meis well-being. He held on to Qiao Mei all the way down and kept asking her if it hurt, if she was tired, and even wanted to carry her. Zhao Wu, who was next to him, was unhappy when he saw this. Earlier, Xia Zhe had clearly despised the girl for getting too close to him. He could not understand why Xia Zhe seemed like a different person after coming out from under the wreckage. Xia Zhe was a married man! It was not proper for him to have his hands over a girl like this! Moreover, Xia Zhes wife was always very concerned about Xia Zhe and often wrote him letters and cooked a lot of delicious food for him. Everyone in the camp envied Xia Zhe for having such a virtuous wife. Apart from us, how are the rest of the people? Xia Zhe asked Zhao Wu as he held on to Qiao Meis hand. We We dont have any serious injuries or fatalities among us. There are five soldiers who have some minor injuries and the rest are fine, Zhao Wu said. Although Zhao Wu was very displeased with Xia Zhes actions, he was a soldier after all, so he still earnestly answered Xia Zhes question. Its good to know that there are no major casualties. The replacement team must continue to search this area and we must not leave anyone behind, Xia Zhe said with a serious look on his face. Qiao Mei could not help but stare at the serious-looking Xia Zhe. He looked so handsome like that. Yes! Zhao Wu replied. Zhao Wu accepted the order but did not take any action. Xia Zhe had just taken two steps when he realized that Zhao Wu had been staring at Qiao Mei and her hand that he was holding. 1 Xia Zhe frowned slightly and pulled Qiao Mei behind him before asking, Is there anything else? Zhao Wu came back to his senses and leaned close to Xia Zhe and said, Big brother, isnt it not good for you to behave like that? Not good? Whats not good? Xia Zhe asked in confusion. Its its just that its not good for you to hold on to a young lady like this. Why not you go and carry out the search and rescue mission while I send her back to the base, Zhao Wu said seriously after thinking. Xia Zhe immediately pulled a long face. He kicked Zhao Yongs leg and said, Hurry up and start the search and rescue mission! What nonsense are you spouting! 2 After Xia Zhe finished speaking, he grabbed onto Qiao Mei and walked towards the base. Along the way, he took care of her in every way. The soldiers around him were all dumbfounded, but given that it was the battalion commanders own matter, no one dared to ask about it. Later on, Xia Zhe even carried her in his arms. She refused but it was useless. He insisted on carrying her all the way. 1 What was going on? Could it be that Xia Zhe took a hard knock to the head in the wreckage? 1 Zhao Wu looked at the departing figures of Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei in confusion. At the same time, he felt that Xia Zhe was being unreasonable. He was the one who had taken a fancy to the young girl first so how could Xia Zhe turn the situation to his advantage now. 1 Zhao Wu was so angry that he did not care anymore and went straight to carry out the search and rescue mission. He turned the anger in his heart into motivation and focused on the rescue efforts. Xia Zhe carried Qiao Mei back to the base under everyones gaze. Qiao Mei lay against Xia Zhes arms, her soft bosom pressed against Xia Zhes chest as her sweet voice rang in his ears. Put me down quickly, your comrades are all watching! Qiao Mei said as she pouted. Xia Zhe could feel his passion rising as he recalled that night when Qiao Mei had moaned softly under him. That coquettish voice 1 Xia Zhes ears were red, but his expression remained unchanged. He only put Qiao Mei down when they reached the bases rest area. Even after he put her down, he still held on to her hands. He also hugged her in an unobvious manner. Chapter 179 - Identity Exposed Xia Zhe had just put Qiao Mei down and was about to let her rest for a while when he saw Zhang Yong returning with his team in the distance. By right, the search and rescue efforts should not be completed so quickly so why was he back so early? Why are you back? Xia Zhe asked. Zhang Yong had already seen Xia Zhe from afar and also saw him carrying someone. At that time, he thought that it was just an injured person and did not think too much about it. Zhang Yong wanted to go forward and ask Xia Zhe if he was injured and who the injured soldier was. However, when Zhang Yong saw that it was Qiao Mei standing behind Xia Zhe, he did not bother to answer Xia Zhe. What happened? Are you injured? Zhang Yong stared straight at Qiao Mei and asked. Just as Qiao Mei was about to answer that she was fine, she realized that the man standing beside her had pursed his lips so tightly that it had become a straight line. Qiao Mei could not help but cover her mouth and laugh. Her chest vibrated against Xia Zhes back and he pinched her waist in annoyance. You have the cheek to laugh! Xia Zhe said sternly to Qiao Mei before looking at Zhang Yong and saying, Shes fine, you dont have to mind her. You still havent told me, why are you back? Is she really fine? Have the medics checked her? Zhang Yong was only concerned about whether Qiao Mei was really safe and sound. He had already ignored Xia Zhes question twice. Shes really fine, Xia Zhe said, suppressing his anger. Qiao Mei, who was behind him, gently held Xia Zhes hand and drew circles in his palm. Xia Zhe frowned slightly and held Qiao Meis hand tightly to stop her from misbehaving. Zhang Yong was a little taken aback by the way they behaved towards each other and asked hesitantly, You two Xia Zhe pulled Qiao Mei out from behind him and introduced her formally. This is my wife, your sister-in-law, Qiao Mei. Sister-in-law? Zhang Yong looked at Xia Zhe in shock. Yes, yes, she is indeed my wife. Xia Zhe looked pleased as he nodded. When the surrounding soldiers heard this news, they felt relieved. So she was Commander Xias wife. Then what he did was not surprising. You! You! You two! For a moment, Zhang Yong was unable to accept the fact. He pointed at Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei as he backed away. Zhang Yong still could not accept what Xia Zhe said. He widened his eyes and pointed at Qiao Mei as he said, Then why didnt you recognize her as your wife at first glance? 1 This question also attracted everyones attention. That was indeed the case. Why was Commander Xia unable to recognize his wife at first sight? And also avoiding her like she was the god of plague? Xia Zhe touched the tip of his nose, not knowing how to answer this question. Qiao Mei came forward to explain. Its like this. What we had was an arranged marriage between children, so we havent even seen each other much. The first time we met was on the day of our wedding. Even on that day, I kept avoiding your Commander Xia as I was embarrassed to let him see my face. Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe tenderly and continued, Moreover, I was a big fatty at that time and weighed more than 170 pounds. Ive lost weight over the past few months, so its normal that your Commander Xia cant recognize me. 2 Qiao Mei was really too embarrassed to say that she weighed more than 250 pounds back then. If she told the people in the troop the truth, they would definitely think that she was lying, because it was very unlikely for anyone to lose more than 150 pounds in just a few months. 1 Zhang Yong nodded but he was still doubtful. He still could not quite believe that the person standing in front of him was Xia Zhes wife. Then why did you lie to me and say that your name is Zhang Miao? Zhang Yong looked at Qiao Mei plaintively. Seeing this, Xia Zhe glared at Zhang Yong. Why are you feeling aggrieved? Do you need Qiao Mei to coax you? I I just wanted to see if your Commander Xia is really able to remain faithful and be good to me wholeheartedly! Qiao Mei took Xia Zhes hand and swung it gently. 1 So are you satisfied with what you see? Xia Zhe asked. Satisfied! Very satisfied! Qiao Mei smiled at Xia Zhe. Lets see if you dare to fool around again! Xia Zhe lovingly tapped Qiao Meis head with his fingers. 1 Zhang Yong looked at the two of them flirting away and he suddenly felt that he did not want to hang around any longer. Chapter 180 - One After Another Zhuang Hua encountered the follow-up rescue team on his way and so he came back early to rest and make further preparations. As soon as he returned, he saw a smug Xia Zhe talking to a dejected Zhang Yong, with the beautiful young girl standing beside him. What are you up to? Zhuang Hua shouted from afar as he jogged over. The first thing that came out of his mouth was also not a report of the situation to Xia Zhe. He stared at Qiao Mei and sized her up to see if she was injured. Comrade Miao Miao, are you injured? Zhuang Hua asked nervously. Xia Zhes face instantly hardened. Although he knew that Qiao Mei told them her name was Zhang Miao, he still felt uncomfortable hearing them address her like that. Xia Zhe clenched his fists. If Zhuang Hua said another word, Xia Zhe would probably not be able to hold back. Oh, Im fine. Qiao Mei said as she hurriedly held on to Xia Zhes fist. Zhang Yong turned to Zhuang Hua and said, Thats sister-in-law. Not comrade Miao Miao. Sister-in-law? What sister-in-law? Isnt sister-in-law in the village? Big brother, you its not good to mess around Zhuang Hua still did not know that Qiao Mei was Xia Zhes wife and even understood it as Xia Zhe was fooling around outside. What are you saying Xia Zhe lowered his head helplessly, not wanting to explain this matter anymore. Oh, Im not Zhang Miao. My name is Qiao Mei, Im Xia Zhes wife. Im sorry for lying to you when I first came to the military camp. I just wanted to test your Commander Xia, Qiao Mei explained to Zhuang Hua with a smile. Once she said that, Zhuang Hua immediately understood the situation. He only lamented that such a nice girl was already married to his big brother. Big brother was really lucky. Alright, lets get down to business. Why are you all back? Xia Zhe asked. Yes, yes, yes. We ran into a backup rescue team on the way and they took over the search and rescue mission. The higher-ups said that we can evacuate now. Our mission is completed and we can just assist them on the side, Zhuang Hua said solemnly. What about Zhao Wu? Xia Zhe asked. Hes still doing search and rescue, finishing up the last bit, Zhuang Hua said. Xia Zhe nodded to indicate that he understood. Their troop was not really a rescue team to begin with, but because they were the closest to this place, they were temporarily dispatched here to carry out rescue missions and help the victims. While they were still discussing their next steps, Zhao Wu returned from afar. Zhuang Hua and Zhang Yong looked at Zhao Wu with glee and Zhao Wu looked back at the two of them in confusion. Hmm Why are you looking at me like that? Zhao Wu asked. Hahahaha, its nothing. Well gather the team and do a debrief first. With that, Zhuang Hua left with Zhang Yong, leaving Zhao Wu behind. Zhao Wu looked at Qiao Mei with a silly smile and said, Miao Miao, are you injured? Miao Miao? The veins on Xia Zhes arm bulged again. He could not help but want to punch Zhao Wu. 1 Um! Comrade Zhao Wu! Im not Zhang Miao! Im your Commander Xias wife! Im your sister-in-law! My name is Qiao Mei! Qiao Mei hurriedly shouted at Zhao Wu. She was afraid that if she reacted any slower, Xia Zhe would really rush out and vent all his anger on Zhao Wu. Zhao Wu stared blankly at Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei, his eyes darting between the two of them. After confirming that this matter was true, he touched the back of his head in embarrassment. As he backed away, he smiled awkwardly and said, Um Big brother Its all a misunderstanding! I Im also going to the team meeting! Big brother, Im going off! With that, he turned around and ran away, not giving Xia Zhe any chance to react. Xia Zhe stared at Qiao Mei sinisterly. Qiao Mei looked up at Xia Zhe in embarrassment and said carefully with a bright smile, Dont be angry, big brother. I just wanted to see if you really love me! Xia Zhe raised his head and deliberately looked away from Qiao Mei. No matter what she said, he remained unmoved. Today, his brothers-in-arms had really brought out all the jealousy in him. 1 Seeing that her whining and wheedling did not work, Qiao Mei blushed and stood on tiptoe so that her lips were next to Xia Zhes ear. She said sweetly, Then then how about I let big brother deal with me however you want tonight. 7 Chapter 181 - Good Culinary Skills Xia Zhe felt his whole body go weak when he heard the way she called him big brother. He hurriedly covered Qiao Meis mouth and heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that no one around had heard what Qiao Mei said. Xia Zhe flicked Qiao Meis head dotingly and said, You, you dare to say anything! Hahahaha, Commander Xia is blushing! Qiao Mei giggled as she looked at Xia Zhe. Ahem, Im not! Dont talk nonsense! Xia Zhe made a show of straightening his clothes in order to hide his thoughts. Alright, you can go and take a rest in my tent. I have a meeting to attend, Xia Zhe said seriously. Alright, then Ill wait for big brother to come back! Qiao Mei whispered sweetly. Xia Zhe looked at the little girl in front of him and felt both helpless and being bathed in sweetness. He reached out to caress Qiao Meis head and said, Im off, little girl. Qiao Mei smiled as she watched Xia Zhes departing figure gradually disappear into the distance. She did not want to rest yet and wanted to find something to do. When Qiao Mei saw that the cookhouse staff had already started to set up the stove to cook, she knew what she wanted to do. I want to prepare a nice meal for the soldiers! Let me help you! Qiao Mei said. Sister-in-law is here! Hello, sister-in-law! The soldiers from the cookhouse greeted her with big smiles. They all welcomed Qiao Meis arrival and they liked her very much. After all, she was beautiful and had a nice personality. Anyone would like such a person. Let me be your assistant, Qiao Mei said as she proactively took over the ingredients. Sister-in-law, you should take a rest. Dont tire yourself out. Let us handle these things, the cook said. Thats right, sister-in-law! Sister-in-law, you should rest! The rest of the soldiers chimed in one after another. Its fine, its fine. Im not tired. Ill let you guys have a taste of sister-in-laws cooking! Qiao Mei said laughingly as she held the spatula. The soldiers around her all felt very happy, but they also lamented how Commander Xia was so lucky to have such a beautiful wife. They just wondered about her culinary skills. What do you have? Qiao Mei asked. This time, we brought rice, flour, potatoes, eggs, and sweet potatoes. We didnt bring anything else, and weve finished off some of the other stuff, the cooks said one by one. Qiao Mei thought for a moment and said, Well then lets make potato and egg soup! And roasted sweet potatoes! Alright, sister-in-law! Well listen to you! the soldiers echoed in unison. A female soldier quietly watched all of this from the side. She could not help but clench the table top beside her and look at Qiao Mei with enmity. 1 Zheng Yuan, what are you doing here? a soldier asked. Ah! I Im not doing anything. Whats wrong? Zheng Yuan was stunned for a moment. Nothing much, I just wanted to tell you that Commander Xia asked you to join him in a meeting, the soldier replied. Yes, I understand. Zheng Yuan nodded. After watching the soldier leave, Zheng Yuan took another long hard look at Qiao Mei and turned to leave. Qiao Mei was completely unaware of all this. She was completely immersed in cooking for the soldiers and showing off her culinary skills and was totally indifferent to everything that was happening around her. 1 In less than half an hour, the potato and egg soup was ready. The fragrance filled the entire camp and everyone stared at the delicious food in Qiao Meis pot. All of them did not stop what they were doing, but their hearts and minds had long been seduced by the smell of Qiao Meis delicious food. They all only wanted to finish work early and go back to eat. After searching for another half an hour to make sure that no one was around, the troop was dismissed. Qiao Mei was relieved to see that there were no casualties being carried back. That area had long been evacuated and basically no one would stay around there for too long. After Xia Zhes meeting, he let everyone go and have their meal. Everybodys first reaction was to rush to the cookhouse to queue up for food, afraid that if they queued too late, the food would all be eaten up by others. Hey! No need to rush! Everyone has a share! Qiao Mei shouted. Qiao Mei quietly kept a portion for Xia Zhe and her. She had worked hard for more than an hour to cook, so she thought she should be allowed this bit of remuneration. Xia Zhe came over and semi-hugged Qiao Mei back to the tent in the camp. His gentle actions were witnessed by Zheng Yuan, who was standing in the corner. Chapter 182 - Eavesdropping It was only after they entered the tent that Qiao Mei dared to lean on Xia Zhe and flirt with him. She pointed at her arm and said to Xia Zhe, Please give me a massage. After cooking for so many people, my arm is so sore. Xia Zhe held on to Qiao Mei as she took a seat on the side and reached out to massage her arm and make her feel better. You, I dont even know what to say about you. Youre pregnant and you should not exert yourself. Yet you even went to help at the cookhouse. Dont you find it tiring! Although Xia Zhe nagged at Qiao Mei, his hands continued to massage her. Qiao Mei knew that Xia Zhe had a sharp tongue but a soft heart. It was his way of caring about her! Oh well, I just want to show them how good Commander Xias wife is at cooking and make you proud, Qiao Mei said sweetly to Xia Zhe. Xia Zhe shook his head resignedly, but there was a faint smile on his lips. Qiao Mei was right. Everyone outside was full of praise for Qiao Mei, which greatly satisfied his vanity, but her health was still the most important thing. 1 Youre already good enough. Dont do things that would hurt yourself, do you understand? Xia Zhe said sternly. Qiao Mei nodded and brought the mess tin over. Yes, Battalion Commander! I promise to complete the mission! Hurry up and eat the food I made, or itll get cold in a while! Xia Zhe smiled when he heard what Qiao Mei said. He was indeed hungry by now. He had been so focused on Qiao Mei that he forgot he had not eaten since coming out of the ruins and his stomach was already growling. Xia Zhe took the mess tin and tasted the food seriously. The fragrance of the food made him feel very satisfied. Looking at his loved one beside him and holding the hot meal made by his loved one in his hand, he thought that this was probably what happiness felt like. Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei affectionately and said, Thank you. Huh? Why are you thanking me? Qiao Mei looked up from her mess tin and asked in confusion. You came all the way here to look for me and even care so much about me. I just think that its quite nice to have a feeling of being home. Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei with fondness. Qiao Mei did not immediately respond after hearing this. Instead, she thought for a long time before speaking. Actually, I should be the one thanking you. You could have left me behind at that time, but you gave me a dignified wedding and even gave me a child. I feel very happy now. Qiao Mei smied very sweetly. Qiao Mei did not tell him that there was going to be more than one child, that there were two babies in her belly. She was afraid that she would give Xia Zhe a scare. Xia Zhe reached out and touched Qiao Meis belly. I will be a good husband and a good father. Trust me, Xia Zhe said firmly as he looked at Qiao Mei. Yes, yes! I believe you! Qiao Mei said with a smile. Outside the tent, Zheng Yuan secretly eavesdropped on the conversation inside. She gritted her teeth so hard that cracking sounds could be heard. She had clearly been the one taking care of Xia Zhe all this while, so how could a woman suddenly appear and take everything away from her. 1 Zheng Yuan looked at the tent door indignantly. The loving relationship inside should have belonged to her, but Qiao Mei had snatched it away. Zheng Yuan changed directions and made a detour to the center of the camp, pretending that she had never gotten close to Xia Zhes tent. However, all she could hear were praises for Qiao Mei and envy for Xia Zhe. Commander Xia really married a good wife! Thats right. Not only is sister-in-law beautiful, but shes also a good cook! Sigh, if only that wife of mine was like sister-in-law Come on! Your wifes culinary skills are not bad either! Previously, you were still showing her off to us, but now youre even complaining about your wife! Hahahahaha, thats right! The people around her were chatting and laughing away. Zheng Yuan stood in the middle of the crowd and felt like a clown. It was clearly Qiao Mei who had snatched Xia Zhe away from her, so she could not understand why everyone was praising Qiao Mei. 1 Hey! Deputy Commander Zheng, you came at the right time. Please be the judge. Who do you think is better, Commander Xias wife or his wife? a soldier next to her said. Zheng Yuans expression was dark as she looked at the soldier without saying anything. She looked as though she wanted to skin him alive. About that we should all get back to work lets all disperse Another soldier saw that Zheng Yuans expression did not look right and quickly interrupted. Chapter 183 - The Plan Zheng Yuan looked at the crowd dispersing around her and became even more angry. As if Im the god of plague. Everyone is avoiding me! Zheng Yuan muttered softly. 1 She quickly walked back to her tent and looked at the food in the mess tin. The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. She decided to just throw the food away and not eat it. She would rather starve to death than eat what that woman made. Its all that womans fault. If not for her, why would Xia Zhe have a change of heart! Zheng Yuan clenched her fists and looked outside with hatred. All this while, as Xia Zhe was the battalion commander and she was the deputy battalion commander, they often interacted with each other at work. Everyone used to joked in private that they were a match made in heaven and that they might as well report that they were going to get married. Zheng Yuans father was also Xia Zhes mentor, so he was especially attentive to Xia Zhe. Also, Xia Zhes mentor was very willing to let Xia Zhe take care of his daughter, so Zheng Yuan always thought that she would marry Xia Zhe one day and become Mrs. Xia. 2 Unfortunately, things did not go as planned. Xia Zhe only went back to visit his relatives once and actually got married behind everyones backs. Furthermore, the other party was a village girl with no background at all, which made Zheng Yuan even angrier. If it wasnt for her, Xia Zhe would definitely be mine. She must have seduced Xia Zhe. Otherwise, Xia Zhe wouldnt have changed his mind, Zheng Yuan said firmly. After pondering for a while, she suddenly thought of something. Qiao Mei was pregnant? Then, as long as the child was gone, Xia Zhe would then be with her! A marriage could always end in divorce! 3 Zheng Yuans eyes lit up. She had thought of a brilliant plan that would definitely make Xia Zhe fall in love with her again. 1 However, all of this was just Zheng Yuans illusion. After the meal, many soldiers packed their things and prepared to take a short rest in the afternoon before they took over the work from the backup rescue troops tomorrow. They were all exhausted from carrying out the search and rescue missions day and night for the past few days. Qiao Mei sat in the tent and let Xia Zhe lie on her lap. She patiently massaged his head to help relieve his fatigue. What does Grandpa do every day now? Xia Zhe asked Qiao Mei as he looked at her. Originally, Xia Zhes feelings towards Qiao Qiang were quite complicated. At first, he was very grateful to Qiao Qiang for saving his grandfathers life back in those days. However, after what happened between him and Qiao Mei, he had found it impossible not to blame it on Qiao Qiang. But now, he was just filled with gratitude. If he had missed out on such a nice girl like Qiao Mei, he would never be able to find another person like her. He was grateful to Qiao Qiang for being willing to leave his granddaughter in his care. How could he not love this woman who would do anything to save him? Speaking of grandfather, he goes to the village square to chat with different people every day. Otherwise, he helps to take care of the children that my mother had with her current husband, Qiao Mei said as she massaged his head. Huh? Doesnt Grandpa think that its hard work? Its not an easy task to take care of children, Xia Zhe asked. At the mention of her family, Qiao Mei showed a rare tender smile. The children are quite obedient and they all help out at home. They should be going to school in a few days time. Then Qiao Mei continued, Its not lively at home with only grandfather and me, so having the children around helps to relieve grandfathers boredom. Thats good. Its alright as long as Grandpa doesnt get too tired. What about Qiao Zhuang? Is he still bullying you? Xia Zhe held Qiao Meis hand and asked. Huh? Qiao Zhuang? How do you know about this family? Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe in confusion. Xia Zhe told Qiao Mei everything that he had heard when he made his way back the last time and happened to eavesdrop on Qiao Mei and Qiao Qiang. At the mention of the pendant, Qiao Mei immediately covered her chest nervously. I cant give you the pendant! Its already mine! Dont even think about taking it back! Qiao Mei widened her eyes and stared at Xia Zhe nervously. 3 This pendant had such an impressive superpower and Qiao Mei would never want to lose this energy. No matter what, she would not let Xia Zhe take it away. Even if Xia Zhe thought that she was a greedy person, she would not let him take it away! Xia Zhe did not think too much about it, nor did he think that Qiao Mei was a greedy person. He thought that Qiao Mei saw it as a token of love from him, so she could not bear to return it to him. Moreover, this pendant would have been meant for her. This is the pendant that my grandma left behind for me. Now it belongs to you. Xia Zhe smiled at Qiao Mei. Chapter 184 - Agreeing Grandma? Qiao Mei asked as she looked at Xia Zhe. Yes, this is what Grandma left for her future granddaughter-in-law. Its yours to begin with so why should I take it back, Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei tenderly and said. Seeing Xia Zhe, who was cold and unsympathetic to others, being so affectionate to her, Qiao Mei could not help but want to get closer to him. Since its for her granddaughter-in-law, you cant take it back. You cant go back on your word in the future either! Qiao Mei only felt at ease after confirming that Xia Zhe would not take the pendant away. She could not bear to give such a good treasure to anyone. 2 Qiao Mei smiled sweetly at Xia Zhe as he held her hand and said, Alright, Im going back to the troops to take a look at the soldiers. I have to make some arrangements for work. Dont walk around randomly. Yes, I understand. Go ahead! Qiao Mei nodded and said dociley. Xia Zhe stood up and gave Qiao Mei a pat on the head before leaving. There were three people sitting by the tree stump not far from the door, sighing and lamenting about life. Hey, why do you think big brother is so lucky! Zhao Wu said. Thats right. Sister-in-law is such a nice person, big brother really has it good. I also want a wife! Zhang Yong said. Zhuang Hua remained silent. Seeing this, Zhao Wu stepped on Zhuang Huas foot and said, Why are you so quiet, say something. Me? What can I say? I thought that the beautiful girl was mine and that I could let my parents meet their daughter-in-law. Now, their daughter-in-law has turned into my sister-in-law, Zhuang Hua said irritably. Sigh The three of them sighed at the same time and sat on the tree stump dejectedly. 1 What are the three of you doing here and looking so listless? Are your troops ready? Xia Zhe walked over and asked. Zhao Wu looked up at Xia Zhe and turned his head away in annoyance. Huh? Whats wrong with him? Xia Zhe pointed at Zhao Wu and looked at Zhang Yong and Zhuang Hua in confusion. Oh him. He also wants to have a girlfriend, or a wife, Zhang Yong teased. Zhao Wu angrily picked up the cap beside him and threw it over while saying, Youre talking nonsense! Big brother, dont listen to what he says. Its nothing. Xia Zhe looked at this person and then that person, suppressing the smile on his lips and coughing lightly. Ahem, how about I introduce you to a few nice girls later, Xia Zhe said. 1 Zhao Wus eyes lit up when he heard this. Big brother, is that true? Are they similar to sister-in-law and as nice as her? Zhao Wu stood up and looked at Xia Zhe. Hearing this, Xia Zhe gave him a kick. You deserve to be taught a lesson. Thats my wife. What do you mean by asking if they are similar to her? Xia Zhe frowned and said. Hehe, big brother, I just meant it superficially. Zhao Wu also felt that what he said earlier was a little abrupt and held his own head in embarrassment. Alright, alright, alright. Ill find you all better ones, is that alright! Xia Zhe said with a laugh. Zhuang Hua stood up and put his arm around Xia Zhes shoulder. Big brother, you said it yourself! You cant go back on your word! Thats right, thats right! Zhang Yong echoed in agreement. Xia Zhe nodded solemnly and said teasingly, Yes, yes, yes, thats what I said. Do I need to write a contract for you? Hahahahahaha, its not impossible! Zhao Wu said. Hahahahaha! The few of them put their arms around one another and laughed. Zheng Yuan watched Xia Zhe walk out of the tent alone before she slowly approached the group of men. What are you guys laughing at so happily? Zheng Yuan smiled as she walked over. 1 When the men saw that it was Zheng Yuan, they awkwardly let go of one another and stood there in silence. Oh we were just just talking Zhao Wu stammered, not knowing what to say as he kept winking at Zhuang Hua to signal him to reply. Yes, were doing a summary on how successful this rescue mission is! There are basically no serious injuries or deaths, and the mission is completed in a timely manner! Zhuang Hua said agitatedly. Yes, yes, yes, thats what we were talking about, Zhang Yong echoed in agreement. Chapter 185 - False Obedience Xia Zhe stood at the side and lowered his head, not looking at Zheng Yuan and not paying attention to what she was saying. Zheng Yuan walked to Xia Zhes side smilingly. She closed the distance between them such that she was almost leaning against Xia Zhe, and he took a step back silently. Oh, so I see, Zheng Yuan said. Zhuang Hua hurriedly grabbed Xia Zhe and said to him, Oh about that I still have something to discuss with you. Come, lets go over there. Xia Zhe was pulled away by Zhuang Hua in a chaotic manner, leaving Zheng Yuan on her own in a state of confusion. Well Zhang Yong and I have to go and settle some matters in our teams. See you later, Deputy Commander Zheng. Zhao Wu and Zhang Yong saluted and ran back to their respective teams. 1 Zheng Yuan clenched her fists and looked with enmity in the directions where Xia Zhe and the others had left. She then turned back to look at Xia Zhes tent. Qiao Mei I will take revenge for all of this! Zheng Yuan said softly. Qiao Mei sneezed inside the tent. Achoo! Achoo! Qiao Mei rubbed her nose. I wonder whos scolding me behind my back Qiao Mei tidied up her things in the tent and then picked up Xia Zhes dirty clothes with the intent to wash them. Using the plants in the surroundings, Qiao Mei detected a small stream about five kilometers away. It was not a very big place, but it would be useful enough for her to wash her clothes and other stuff. The clothes that she brought were all intended to be worn in the capital. Now that she was among the troops, it was quite inappropriate for her to wear these clothes. She also had to change her current set of clothes as she was covered in dust and dirt and she really could not stand it anymore. Qiao Mei put everything in a cloth bag and wanted to check if there were any bicycles nearby that she could borrow. Otherwise, she could only go on foot. When Zheng Yuan saw Qiao Mei walking out of the tent, she quickly stopped Qiao Mei. Hey! Where are you going? Zheng Yuan asked rudely. Comrade, I want to go and wash my clothes. Qiao Mei looked at Zheng Yuan and assumed that she was part of the troops. Her uniform was different from the other ordinary soldiers. which meant that she should be of a similar rank to Zhang Yong and the others. The water supply in the camp is so scarce now, yet you still want to wash clothes? Zheng Yuan looked at Qiao Mei in disdain. Qiao Mei did not know how she had offended this woman in front of her and why this woman had such a bad attitude towards her. On her end, Zheng Yuan thought badly of Qiao Mei for wanting to waste the camps water source. Im just going nearby to look around and try my luck. Qiao Mei had to speak in a nice tone out of concern for Xia Zhes reputation. Nearby? Weve searched everywhere but theres no water source. Where are you going to find it? If you lose your way, itll only cause trouble for Xia Zhe, Zheng Yuan said to Qiao Mei as she rolled her eyes. Xia Zhe? The other soldiers all referred to Xia Zhe as big brother or Commander Xia. Even Zhang Yong, Zhao Wu and Zhuang Hua rarely called Xia Zhe by his full name. What right did this woman have to call him that? Qiao Mei only knew that her grandfather had been in the army when she was young, but her grandfather had not taught her anything about army ranks and positions, so Qiao Mei could not make out Zheng Yuans rank from the epaulets on her shoulders. I know the way and can find my way back, Qiao Mei said as she prepared to walk out. Zheng Yuan reached out to stop Qiao Mei and said, No, you cant go! Qiao Mei looked at the woman in front of her. She was quite pretty and tall, and could be considered to be good-looking. Could it be that this woman liked Xia Zhe? Sure, Qiao Mei agreed readily. If she was not allowed to go and find the water source, then she would go out another day. This was the army and she did not want to cause trouble for Xia Zhe. As for the relationship between this woman and Xia Zhe, although she believed that Xia Zhe would not do anything to betray her, it did not stop her from feeling very angry at the moment. Zheng Yuan did not expect Qiao Mei to be so compliant and to go directly back to the tent. She watched in a daze as Qiao Mei left. Initially, she thought that this village woman would be shrewish and domineering. She did not expect her to be so timid and weak. However, it was a good thing if this village woman was so obedient since it would only make things easier for her. Zheng Yuan stared at the tent door and gave a purposeful smile. Just you wait. Im going to give it to you, Zheng Yuan muttered softly. Chapter 186 - Sneaking Away Qiao Mei did not return to the tent because she was compliant to Zheng Yuans instructions. She was not the kind of weak person who would just listen to whatever others said. This woman is quite interesting, Qiao Mei muttered to herself. Qiao Mei was so angry that she threw the clothes on the ground and sulked on the tent cot. I wonder whats the relationship between that woman and Xia Zhe. This woman must fancy Xia Zhe, Qiao Mei mumbled. She shook her head to get rid of all the thoughts in her mind. If she continued to think about these useless things, her mind would be completely overwhelmed by them and then, it would affect her mood as well as the babies. 1 Qiao Mei touched her belly and said, Babies, look at your fathers romantic debt. When your father comes back tonight, I must definitely ask him in detail. Qiao Mei sat in the tent for a while and waited for Zheng Yuan to leave before quietly going out from the back. For Qiao Mei, who had to go up and down the mountain every day in the village and walk long distances on the mountain road to do her farmwork, five kilometers was a piece of cake. During this trip, she had found that the energy of the pendant was more powerful than before and the energy had also become purer. She had not properly absorbed the energy for so long, so it was time for her to come out to take a look around and find some remaining plants. It did not matter if there were only a few. One or two would be enough for her and the trip would not be wasted. It did not take long for Qiao Mei to reach the small stream. It seemed that what the plants had told her was true. She happily opened the cloth bag, humming a tune as she washed the clothes. The surrounding plants swayed happily. Huh? Are you moving? Qiao Mei reached out to touch a small blade of grass beside her. The little blade of grass pretended to be motionless, afraid to reveal its fondness for Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei smiled and continued singing. The surrounding plants all felt that this song seemed to be charged with power, improving their vitality and making them grow better. Zheng Yuan did not feel at ease and kept thinking that Qiao Mei was lying to her about following her instructions. She went to the infirmary to look for the medic and said, Xia Zhes Commander Xias spouse is not here? Zheng Yuan was still unable to articulate that Xia Zhes spouse was someone else. She could only feel better by thinking of him as just Commander Xia. No, whats wrong with sister-in-law? Isnt she all well already? The medic looked at Zheng Yuan in confusion. Im not sure. Its just that she told me that her waist hurt badly and I dont know if its an injury from the incident. So Im just here to see if she came by, Zheng Yuan said. Injury? Thats not something minor. Anyway there arent any patients now so Ill go and take a look at her. The medic took the medical kit and went towards Xia Zhes tent. Zheng Yuan was secretly happy to have achieved her goal and followed the medic. Sister-in-law! Im medic Xiao Sun! Is it convenient for me to go in? medic Xiao Sun shouted from the door. After shouting for a long time without any response from inside. Xiao Sun got a little anxious and asked Zheng Yuan nervously, Could sister-in-law have gotten into an accident! There isnt any response! Zheng Yuan also pretended to be anxious and said, Then lets go in and take a look. I hope she didnt faint! When Xiao Sun heard this, he gently pushed open the tent door and said, Sister-in-law, Im coming in! After opening the door and seeing an empty tent. Zheng Yuan frowned. It was just as she had expected. Xiao Sun looked at Zheng Yuan uncertainly and asked, Deputy Commander Zheng, didnt you say that sister-in-law is here? Zheng Yuan suddenly slapped her own thigh and said, Oh, she told me that she felt that she was too dirty and wanted to go wash up. Lets talk about it when she comes back. Xiao Sun could only nod helplessly. Just as he was about to walk out of the tent, he turned around and said to Zheng Yuan, Deputy Commander Zheng, remember to let me know when you see her. Its most effective to do treatment early and not to delay it! Zheng Yuan simply nodded and Xiao Sun left in relief. Zheng Yuan looked around and guessed that Qiao Mei must have left through the gap at the back of the tent. She had been too careless to let Qiao Mei run out like that. Its not a good thing to leave the camp on your own. When you come back, Ill definitely give you a big gift, Zheng Yuan said as she looked at the water storage tank in the distance. 2 Chapter 187 - Framed After Qiao Mei finished washing her clothes, she did a simple exchange of energy with the surrounding plants. As the plants were very happy today, the energy she extracted was much purer than usual, but it still could not be compared to that of wild ginseng. Qiao Mei walked back happily to the camp. She slipped back the way she came out and thought that no one had discovered what she did. After Qiao Mei returned to the tent, she simply tied a rope and hung out the clothes to dry before lying on the bed and falling asleep. While Qiao Mei was not around, Zheng Yuan went to the water storage tank and filled a basin with water. Then, she poured basin after basin of water into the ruins so that the water gradually flowed to the ground through the gaps. Hmph, lets see how you explain yourself when its found out that half the amount of water is gone, Zheng Yuan said as she looked at the ruins. 4 At night, after Xia Zhe finished his work, he returned to the camp with Zhang Yong, Zhao Wu and Zhuang Hua. As they walked, they chatted and laughed happily. The reinforcement forces arrived just in time. I thought we would have to search for another week! Zhao Wu said. Youre right! I didnt expect it to end so quickly either, Zhang Yong said. Its a good thing there were very few casualties. Otherwise, we would have been very busy. Zhuang Hua then looked at Xia Zhe and asked, Eh? Big brother, why are you so quiet along the way? You! Youre really stupid! Big brother is missing sister-in-law! He wants to go back and accompany her as soon as possible! Zhao Wu pointed at Zhuang Hua and said laughingly. That was exactly what Xia Zhe was thinking. His ears turned red as he laughed embarrassedly and scolded, Zhao Wu, are you itching for a beating! Yo, yo, yo! Commander Xia is so embarrassed! Zhao Wu laughed loudly and said. Xia Zhe angrily pulled off Zhuang Huas cap and threw it at Zhao Wu. Sigh! Big brother, my cap! Zhuang Hua watched helplessly as he got caught in between their petty fight. Zhao Wu grabbed the cap that Xia Zhe threw over and ran away quickly. Lets go! If we dont leave now, Xia Zhe will kill me! He then disappeared in a flash. Only then did Zhuang Hua react. He hurriedly chased after Zhao Wu and shouted, Zhao Wu! Damn you! My cap! Hahahaha, Xia Zhe and Zhang Yong laughed as they watched the two of them leave. Big brother, Im going back to rest too. You still have to organize everyones work tomorrow. Rest early alright! Zhang Yong looked at Xia Zhe with a wicked smile. Xia Zhe smacked Zhang Yong angrily and said, Nonsense! Hurry up and go back! Aye, alright! Big brother, you have to take care of your body! Take care of your body! Zhang Yong shouted at Xia Zhe as he ran off. Get lost! Xia Zhe shouted at Zhang Yongs back. Actually, it was not as if he did not have those kinds of thoughts. Originally, since he could not see Qiao Mei or hear her speak, he did not think about those things and just needed to put more time into training. However, it was different now. The person was right in front of him, and that delicate voice kept reminding him of that night when he could not stop himself and she kept calling out to him repeatedly Dont think about it anymore. Xia Zhes ears turned red as he stood outside the tent for a long time and did not make his way in. He looked as if he was reflecting on his mistakes behind closed doors. Zheng Yuan happened to see Xia Zhe on her way back from the water storage tank. She hurriedly ran to him and said anxiously, Xia Zhe, I have bad news! Whats wrong? Xia Zhe took a small step back and asked. Zheng Yuan saw what Xia Zhe did, but she decided to ignore it given that the matter with Qiao Mei was more important at the moment. After you left this afternoon, Qiao Mei went out by herself. I wonder where she went! Zheng Yuan pretended to be anxious as she said that. Xia Zhes mind buzzed when he heard that, but his years of training had taught him to be calm at moments like this. Noted. You can go back now. Xia Zhe looked at Zheng Yuan with a straight face. Zheng Yuan felt extremely happy. She had thought that Xia Zhe loved Qiao Mei very much. It turned out that Qiao Mei was not that important to Xia Zhe after all. 1 Alright, come look for me if you need anything. Zheng Yuan smiled and turned to leave. Xia Zhe watched Zheng Yuan leave before rushing into the tent. When he saw the person he had been thinking about sleeping soundly on the tent cot, the weight on his heart immediately lifted. Chapter 188 - Being Injured Xia Zhe quietly made his way to the bed and looked at Qiao Mei, reaching out to touch her face gently. The touch made Qiao Mei feel that there was an itch on her face and she groggily lifted her hand to scratch it before turning around to change her posture, and promptly falling asleep again. Xia Zhe watched Qiao Meis movements with a smile. You naughty girl, where did you sneak off to again? Xia Zhe squatted down and asked Qiao Mei softly. Xia Zhe reached out and gently tapped the tip of Qiao Meis nose. In her sleep, she waved her hand at her nose, moved her mouth a little and then turned around to the other side to continue sleeping. This was the first time Xia Zhe had seen her looking so charmingly cute. In the past, he always thought of Qiao Mei as a wilful but kind girl. Later on, he felt that she was gentle and virtuous. Now, he actually thought that this little girl was becoming more and more adorable. Then he remembered that she was only 18 years old. As he thought of that, Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei and felt his heart ache. After staring at Qiao Mei for a long time, he still could not bear to disturb her nap so he carefully made his way out of the tent. It was time for dinner and he should get some food for heri. Otherwise, he would not have a solution later if the little girl woke up and said that she was hungry. Although the food here was nothing delicious, it was still much better than hardtack. He ran into Xiao Sun when he got to the cookhouse. Oh! Commander Xia! Xiao Sun hurriedly ran to Xia Zhe. What happened? Xia Zhe asked. I heard from Deputy Commander Zheng in the afternoon that sister-in-law said her waist hurt badly, but I didnt find sister-in-law when I went over to look for her in the afternoon. Deputy Commander Zheng said that sister-in-law went to wash her clothes. I wonder how shes doing now? Xiao Sun asked softly. In the camp, even if one was not a member of the troops, one also had to abide by the military rules. Sneaking out of the camp was no small matter. Xia Zhe frowned slightly and asked, Did she feel unwell? Yes, thats right. Deputy Commander Zheng came to tell me about it. Im not too sure whats going on, but if sister-in-law isnt feeling well, you have to bring her to me so that I can take a look, Xiao Sun said. Yes, alright. Ill go back and take a look later. Xia Zhe nodded. Xiao Sun walked to the back of the line in relief. Xia Zhe stared straight at the back of the head of the person in front of him, thinking about Qiao Meis waist pain. Why did she never mention such a thing to him? How long has it been hurting? How serious is it? Does it have anything to do with the baby? Xia Zhes mind was filled with many questions. He was not a doctor and he had even gone off on a mission in the afternoon. He felt that he did not manage to be around for Qiao Mei and had not fulfilled his promise to take good care of her. Xia Zhe frowned and stood motionless. The soldier behind looked at Xia Zhe, who was in a daze, tapped him carefully and said, Commander Xia, its your turn. Ah! Im sorry! Xia Zhe said as he came back to his senses. He packed the food quickly and rushed back to see if Qiao Mei had woken up. Qiao Mei was still asleep when Xia Zhe entered. He sat down in a chair with a heavy heart and sighed. Qiao Mei could smell the fragrance of food in her sleep and she woke up groggily to find Xia Zhe sitting there with a frown and deep in thought. She wondered what he was thinking about. Qiao Mei called out softly, Big brother, youre back. Xia Zhe snapped back to attention, hurriedly went up to her and asked, Whats wrong with your waist? Are you injured? Show me where else you feel discomfort, dont hide anything from me. Without hesitation, Xia Zhe reached out to lift Qiao Meis clothes to check her for injuries. It did not cross his mind that this was only the second time the two of them were spending the night together. Qiao Mei blushed as she watched what Xia Zhe was doing. It also struck Xia Zhe that his actions were a little sudden, but he felt that the matter was urgent and he was so worried that he could not think straight. Big brother why are you so anxious to do this after just coming back? Qiao Mei said shyly. I Im not I Sigh, I just want to check if you are injured Xia Zhe turned his head away bashfully, not daring to look at Qiao Mei. Injured? But Im not injured? Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe in confusion when she heard what he said. Huh? The medic told me that you suffered a serious waist injury. Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei seriously. Qiao Mei still did not quite understand what Xia Zhe was talking about. She was clearly fine and dandy, so why did the medic say that she was seriously injured? Was there any misunderstanding? Chapter 189 - Being Taught a Lesson Qiao Mei did a few simple movements and did not feel discomfort anywhere. My waist is fine too. I dont feel any discomfort. I dont even have any wounds, Qiao Mei said to Xia Zhe. No injuries? That was strange. The medic, Xiao Sun, would not say that Qiao Mei was injured for no reason. Then why did Xiao Sun feel that Qiao Mei was injured? Xia Zhe then remembered that Xiao Sun had said it was Zheng Yuan who told him that Qiao Mei was injured. Also, when he returned to the camp earlier in the night, Zheng Yuan had even informed him that Qiao Mei was not in the tent this afternoon. Im glad that youre fine. Xia Zhe sat on the bed, thinking about the whole nights events. Whats wrong with you? Whats going on? Qiao Mei asked Xia Zhe, who seemed preoccupied. Xia Zhe stared unwaveringly at Qiao Mei and asked, Are you sure youre not injured? Shall we let the medics check again! Qiao Mei did not understand what was happening with Xia Zhe, but she suddenly thought of a fun idea and decided to tease him. Ow! Qiao Mei suddenly held her belly and cried out. It made Xia Zhe nervous enough for him to stand up quickly and said, Whats wrong! Mm Im hungry, hehe! Qiao Mei looked up at Xia Zhe with her big bright eyes and said laughingly. Xia Zhe had already been tricked by her countless times but he still fell for it every time, and each time she would outsmart him. Xia Zhe pulled a long face and turned around while saying to Qiao Mei, Ill go get you some food. Seeing this, Qiao Mei grabbed Xia Zhes sleeve and asked, Havent you already brought the food? Where else do you want to go? Xia Zhe had wanted to pretend to be angry to teach Qiao Mei a lesson for the prank, but he did not expect her to see through his intention so that he could not continue with the pretense. Xia Zhe wanted to go and take the mess tin, but Qiao Mei held on to him tightly. Oh! I wont cause any issues anymore! Where are you going! Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe nervously and said to him. Xia Zhe turned around and slapped Qiao Meis hand away. With a cold expression, he went to get the mess tins and placed them in front of Qiao Mei one by one in silence. Qiao Mei had only wanted to play a joke on him, but she did not expect to get such a serious reaction. When Xia Zhe saw that Qiao Mei was about to cry, he could not bear to continue punishing this little girl. Dont joke about your health next time, alright? I worry about you a lot, Xia Zhe said to Qiao Mei as he looked at her. Qiao Mei nodded obediently. She blinked at Xia Zhe with her big eyes and said sweetly, Yes, big brother. Ill definitely take note of that in the future. Can you not be angry anymore? Seeing Qiao Mei like this, Xia Zhe was no longer in the mood to blame her. He handed the chopsticks to Qiao Mei and said, Eat, eat. Im not angry anymore. Qiao Mei looked into Xia Zhes eyes and after confirming that he was really not angry anymore, her sad face immediately lit up. As she smiled, her eyes looked like little crescent moons and her sweet look really made him feel like giving her a pinch. Im good as long as youre not angry. Arent you eating? Qiao Mei asked. No, Im not. I ate with the rest just now. I packed food for you since you havent woken up. Xia Zhe told Qiao Mei everything. As she ate, she remembered what Xia Zhe had said about her being seriously injured when he first returned. Who on earth told you that I was unwell? Qiao Mei asked. That medic, Xiao Sun, specifically came over today to ask me if you were injured. He said thats what you told Deputy Commander Zheng, Xia Zhe said. Who was Deputy Commander Zheng? Another battalion commander? Could it be that woman from this afternoon? I dont even know any Deputy Commander Zheng, but a woman did come and look for me this afternoon, Qiao Mei said as she put down her bowl and chopsticks. Then do you remember what she looks like? Xia Zhe asked patiently. Qiao Mei thought back for a moment and looked at Xia Zhes epaulets. She took Xia Zhes hand and slowly traced a picture in his palm. The pattern on her shoulder looks something like this. I dont know what rank it is. My grandfather didnt teach me about this, Qiao Mei said. After years of training outdoors, Xia Zhe had a tanned complexion for a long time. Qiao Meis fair and delicate little hand looked petite and cute in Xia Zhes hand. Xia Zhes mind was completely not on what shape Qiao Mei was tracing. His entire mind was only filled with Qiao Mei. 1 Chapter 190 - Not Being Serious Qiao Mei did not get any response from Xia Zhe even after tracing on his hand for a long time. She frowned and looked up at him and said, Did you even hear what I said! Xia Zhe quickly snapped back to attention and held Qiao Meis hand as he said, Yes Yes, I was listening. Really? I think youre fibbing! You clearly didnt hear what I said just now! Qiao Mei pulled back her hand angrily and glared at Xia Zhe. Its my fault. I promise there wont be a next time. Dont be angry, Xia Zhe said in a kindly manner. Really? There wont be a next time? Qiao Mei stared into Xia Zhes eyes to see if he was sincerely admitting his mistake. Really! I will strictly follow comrade Qiao Meis orders! I will definitely fulfill comrade Qiao Meis wishes! Xia Zhe nodded firmly. 2 Qiao Mei decided to let Xia Zhe off on account of his good attitude. Then how much do you remember? Qiao Mei asked. I I I Xia Zhe stammered, not knowing what to say. Qiao Mei sighed and pulled Xia Zhes hand towards her again as she said, Look carefully! This is the last time Ill draw for you! Xia Zhe nodded and looked seriously at what Qiao Mei was tracing on his palm. Qiao Mei slowly tried her best to draw whatever she saw. After a while, she felt that she had roughly drawn it all so she looked at Xia Zhe and said, Thats all I remember. Xia Zhe slowly sorted out the image and felt that it seemed more like Zheng Yuans military rank. Moreover, there were not many women in the camp. Other than her, no one else had reached this military rank. Its Zheng Yuan, Deputy Commander Zheng, Xia Zhe said. Talking about her, she did come to look for me in the afternoon and said something about not letting me go out, Qiao Mei said as she looked at Xia Zhe. Qiao Mei recalled how Zheng Yuan looked in the afternoon. She thought that this woman must fancy Xia Zhe but she did not know how Xia Zhe felt about it, so she decided to pretend to be angry and test him out. Does she like you? She looked so fierce in the afternoon as if she wanted to eat me up. Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe teasingly. I dont. Youre the only one I like. Besides, Im already married to you and I avoid all other women. Didnt you already test me? Xia Zhe said expressionlessly. Indeed, before her identity was exposed, Qiao Mei had already tested Xia Zhe to see if he would cheat on her. Even though Qiao Mei was so beautiful, he was able to resist the temptation and remain faithful. Although Zheng Yuan could also be said to be slender and graceful, her looks were still far inferior to Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei held back her satisfied smile. She made a finger gun and placed her hand against Xia Zhes head. If you dare to and I find out anything, Ill kill you! Qiao Mei said threateningly with a fierce expression. Xia Zhe laughed and nodded. He said affectionately, Yes, leader. I will definitely go along with the leaders arrangements! 2 Hahahahaha, thats more like it! Satisfied, Qiao Mei picked up her bowl and started eating. Qiao Mei had a habit of eating too fast and often got rice grains stuck on her face. Xia Zhe went to his table to sort out the reports for the troops work during this period of time. In a while, he needed to report the latest search and rescue situation to his superiors. There was a pile of work that was waiting for him to deal with. After Qiao Mei finished eating, she collected the bowls, walked to Xia Zhes side and said, Im going to wash the dishes. Wait for me to come back. Xia Zhe looked up and saw that Qiao Meis mouth was still oily from the food and she still had rice grains at the corner of her mouth. Without thinking, he picked them up and put them into his mouth. 1 Dont eat so fast next time. Its not good for your stomach. Go ahead and do what you need, Xia Zhe said absentmindedly. Qiao Mei was stunned on the spot. This was the first time she had experienced such an intimate action. Although they had done even more intimate things before, a small gesture like that still made her feel warm inside. Alright, Im going off. Qiao Mei carried the utensils and went out happily. Along the way, everyone greeted Qiao Mei warmly. When she passed by the cookhouse, she saw that the team leader was frowning and many people were gathered there for a meeting. Whats wrong with you guys? Why are you all looking so worried? Qiao Mei asked curiously. Chapter 191 - Loss of Water Resources Ah, sister-in-law is here, the cookhouse squad leader said. Sister-in-law, its nothing. Its just a small matter, said a soldier from the cookhouse. A small matter? If it was a small matter, was there a need for so many people to gather around and look so bitter? It was obvious that they were lying. Tell me whats wrong. Ill help you think of a way to resolve it. Qiao Mei took a small stool and sat down to hear them out. Everyone looked around at one another and finally decided to tell Qiao Mei about the issue. Sister-in-law, dont tell our Commander Xia about this. This matter is indeed quite strange the cookhouse squad leader stammered. Qiao Mei nodded and said, Alright, tell me what kind of problem youve encountered? Its like this, sister-in-law. Our water storage tanks are actually not quite big enough to contain the amount of water needed for our military purposes. Last night, when we went to check on the water storage tanks, they were still fine. There was enough water then, but now, more than half the amount of water in the tanks had disappeared. Im afraid that after everyone used up the water tonight, there wont be enough to prepare meals for everyone tomorrow, said the cookhouse squad leader. How can that be? Are there leaks in the water tanks? Qiao Mei asked. Qiao Mei had seen the water storage tanks at the camp. All of them were very big and sturdy, but a few were made of solid wood, so it was inevitable that there would be some leaks. Its true but there are no water stains on the ground and the water has just disappeared. We have rules to follow when we need to get water. We cant just take it as and when we like. I dont know why theres so much less water all of a sudden, the cookhouse squad leader said in frustration. The more Qiao Mei thought about it, the more she felt that something was wrong. She had only just washed her clothes today and then there was already water missing at the camp, for which no one could find any reason. Then do you have any clues? Qiao Mei asked. No, we dont know where to start. Can it be that someone secretly stole water from the tank? a soldier from the cookhouse said. Why dont we talk to Deputy Commander Zheng? the cookhouse deputy squad leader looked at the squad leader and asked. Zheng Yuan again? Could this matter have anything to do with her? Why dont you look for Xia Zhe about this? Qiao Mei felt puzzled and asked. Sister-in-law, you probably dont know this. Matters regarding the logistics troops are all under the care of Deputy Commander Zheng. Its like if there are any problems with the military troops, they have to talk to Commander Xia, the cookhouse squad leader explained. Qiao Mei lowered her head and pondered. Today, she had encountered one incident after another, and all of them had to be with her. Also, this person called Zheng Yuan was involved in all the incidents. Was it a coincidence or was this person targeting her? However, what good would it do to target her, unless it was because this person wanted to vent her anger? There was silence all around again and everyone did not know what to say. What if you can make up for the missing water? Qiao Mei said. The soldiers looked at one another and felt that this idea was not very feasible. Sister-in-law, weve already checked this whole area and theres no water source. Thats why theres not enough water despite the water storage tanks. Otherwise, we would have gone to collect water every day, said the cookhouse squad leader. Thats right. If we report this matter, theres a high chance that well be punished. Punishment is a small matter, but if theres no food for the soldiers tomorrow, what are we going to do! the cookhouse deputy squad leader said as he slapped his thigh angrily. Everyone lowered their heads and blamed themselves. It was the cookhouse squads failure to patrol the area properly that caused such a serious matter to happen. They could not let the cookhouse squad leader take the blame for this matter alone. Squad leader! Its my fault for not being thorough when I did the night patrol! Its my fault! Ill go and talk to Deputy Commander Zheng! a young soldier from the cookhouse stood up and said. This young soldier was one of the squad leaders trainees and felt strongly for the squad leader. If needed, he would go through hell and high water for the squad leader. The squad leader had done a lot for him in the past and he felt that it was his responsibility to help the squad leader in this matter. Sit down! How can a young boy like you fight to take on such a matter? Do you think its a good thing to do? Dont cause trouble for me! the cookhouse squad leader said sternly. But! Sit down! Follow orders! The young soldier wanted to retort, but he still decided to obey the squad leaders orders. Qiao Mei watched the interaction between the two of them and was deeply moved by the relationship between these brothers-in-arms. Chapter 192 - Preparing for Work In her other life, when she was a lawyer, she was surrounded by people who schemed against one another. The cases she worked on were all about cold-blooded and heartless people who would not yield an inch and would even fight over small matters. Now that she witnessed such friendship between comrades helping each other, she was both touched and envious. Why does it sound as if we have to offer a human sacrifice if there is no water? I know where theres water nearby, Qiao Mei said. Sister-in-law, are you trying to bluff us, how can there be water nearby? asked the cookhouse deputy squad leader. Everyone else also looked at Qiao Mei expectantly. Was it possible that Qiao Mei had really discovered a water source that they had not been able to find? Its about five kilometers over that side. Theres a small stream over there. The water flow isnt very strong, but there should still be enough water for everyone, Qiao Mei said as she pointed in that direction. A new hope was ignited in everyones hearts. With water, they would be able to cook for the soldiers and there would also be certainty in having enough water for the entire camps use! Everyone was so happy that most of them were lost for words and a few of them even cheered loudly. Sister-in-law, is that water really usable? the cookhouse squad leader asked Qiao Mei repeatedly. After all, he was the squad leader of the cookhouse. If anything should happen, he would definitely need to take responsibility for it. He had no issue with having to be responsible, but he just did not want everyone to get all happy for nothing. Its true. I saw it when I went there today, Qiao Mei said. Eh? Sister-in-law, what were you doing there? We have rules here, you cant leave the camp without reporting your movements, a young soldier asked ignorantly. The cookhouse deputy squad leader hurriedly gave the young soldier a kick. What are you talking about, did sister-in-law go out whenever she wants? the cookhouse deputy squad leader said quickly. Only then did Qiao Mei understand why Zheng Yuan had stopped her, as well as why the water had gone missing from the tanks. Moreover, Zheng Yuan had gone around in the afternoon saying that she had suffered serious injuries to her waist. It turned out that all these things were targeted at her. Qiao Mei remained silent as she thought about the trap that Zheng Yuan had set for her. The soldiers around her all felt as if they had said something wrong. Qiao Mei had clearly helped them solve the problem, yet they were only hung up about Qiao Mei leaving the camp on her own accord. Its fine. I dont know much about military rules. Its just that I heard from a young soldier that theres not much water left in the water storage tanks, so I just wanted to see if I can help everyone, Qiao Mei said with a smile. When everyone heard what Qiao Mei said, they were too embarrassed to talk further about the fact that Qiao Mei had violated military rules. After all, she was not a soldier in the army, not to mention that she had done what she did for the sake of the soldiers having enough water. They felt bad for treating her in this manner. Dont worry, everyone. When the time comes, Ill look for the person in charge to reflect on my mistakes. But for now, we still have to hurry up and replenish the water supply. Otherwise, everyone wont have food tomorrow, Qiao Mei said. Thats right! Lets go get the water first! said the cookhouse squad leader. Everyone spontaneously went around looking for vessels that could hold water. Just these few people from the cookhouse would not be able to fill up the water tanks even if they worked through the entire night. Qiao Mei wanted to talk to Xia Zhe and get help from the teams under the charge of Zhang Yong, Zhao Wu and Zhuang Hua. Ill go look for Zhang Yong and the rest to help. We dont have enough people here right now, Qiao Mei said to the cookhouse squad leader. Sister-in-law! This wont do! There are rules to follow. We cant just casually assign people to do things. We must follow the rules. Theres enough people among us, really! said the cookhouse squad leader as he hurriedly stopped Qiao Mei. Thats right, sister-in-law. We have all undergone training and five kilometers is a piece of cake for us. Dont worry, its fine that theres just the few of us! said a young soldier from the cookhouse. Seeing that they were all so insistent, Qiao Mei gave up on the idea of asking others for help. She still had to bring the team to the water source in the distance. Everyone quietly looked around for tools that could be used to hold water. It so happened that Zheng Yuan came out to take a look at night and ran into a young soldier. When the young soldier saw Zheng Yuan, he turned around and ran. You! Stop right there! Zheng Yuan pointed at the young soldier and said. The young soldier was so frightened that he did not dare to move and even dropped the basin in his hand. Trembling with fear, he stood still and waited for Zheng Yuan to walk over step by step. Zheng Yuan walked up to the young soldier and sized him up. Chapter 193 - Holding Someone Accountable What are you doing, being so sneaky! Zheng Yuan said. Report! I I didnt didnt do anything! the young soldier stammered in reply. Zheng Yuan snatched the basin from the young soldiers hands and he tried to reach out to take it back. Stand properly! Zheng Yuan said sternly. The young soldier could only stand at attention and wait for Zheng Yuan to question him. Tell me where exactly youre going! What youre doing! What youre trying to achieve! Zheng Yuan asked. Report! I cant say anything! The young soldier held back the facts and did not want to leak any details about this matter. Zheng Yuan looked at the young soldiers uniform, then at his posture and noted the smell on his body. Given that she was in charge of the logistics team and the medics, she generally knew most of the staff. Even if she did not know them personally, she knew them by face. Youre from the cookhouse, right? Zheng Yuan asked. Report! I cant say anything! The young soldier gritted his teeth and refused to say anything. Zheng Yuan was so angry that she threw the basin down and walked off. Before she left, she said to the young soldier, You! Follow me! Yes! The young soldier picked up the basin from the side and followed behind Zheng Yuan dejectedly. The cookhouse staff had all gathered by now. When they took attendance, they realized that there was one person missing. No matter how they counted, the number did not seem right. Thats not right. Why is there one person missing? The cookhouse squad leader looked at the team in puzzlement. Whats wrong? Qiao Mei asked when she saw that the cookhouse team had not set off yet. One person is missing and hes not back yet, the cookhouse squad leader said anxiously. Qiao Mei counted carefully. There was indeed one person missing, but it did require some time to find the relevant tools. It was possible that the person was just running late. Lets wait a little longer. Maybe he found something really suitable that can store a lot of water? Qiao Mei comforted the cookhouse squad leader. He didnt find anything good, but does it count if he accidentally found me? Zheng Yuans voice came from behind Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei turned around and saw Zheng Yuans malicious expression, as well as the young soldier behind her who had lowered his head and did not dare to look up. No one knew what to say. They all looked at Zheng Yuan quietly and did not even dare to breathe loudly. What are you getting up to in the middle of the night? Zheng Yuan looked at the cookhouse squad leader and asked. Report! Were were going to look for water! said the cookhouse squad leader. Zheng Yuan smiled in satisfaction. Her plan had succeeded and the fish had taken the bait. Water? Isnt there water in the water storage tanks? What do you need to look for? Zheng Yuan asked. We we The cookhouse squad leader did not know how to explain the current situation. What are you stammering about! Do you want to be punished! Tell me! What are you doing! Zheng Yuan roared. Report! The water in the water storage tanks has been stolen! said the cookhouse squad leader. Stolen? Why didnt you report this matter and chose to cover it up instead? Zheng Yuans eagle-like eyes swept across the soldiers. We thought that we should solve the problem of being able to provide sustenance for the soldiers first, so we want to go out and find a water source. Otherwise, the soldiers will not have any food tomorrow, the cookhouse squad leader said. 1 Zheng Yuan approached the cookhouse squad leader and asked, So you have considered all these on my behalf? The cookhouse squad leader was so frightened that he immediately straightened up and said, Report! I dare not do that! Qiao Mei stood at one side and looked at Zheng Yuan uncomfortably. This was a complete waste of time and did not help the situation at all. There was no point in pursuing who was right or who was wrong at this moment. Say, can we go look for water first? Otherwise, what time can we be done? Qiao Mei crossed her arms and said. Zheng Yuan raised her head to look at Qiao Mei. She had been worried that she would not be able to pick on Qiao Mei, but now Qiao Mei had come running into trouble by herself. Since when is it your place to speak about the matters of the army? Im teaching my troop a lesson. What has it got to do with you? Zheng Yuan stood in front of Qiao Mei and asked. Qiao Mei raised her head and stared at Zheng Yuan. She would not be outdone, but she did not show any emotions. She only looked at Zheng Yuan quietly. Compared to what Zheng Yuan had under her sleeves, Li Guis mother-in-law, Old Madam Zhang, had much wilier tricks. Even Qiao Yu was craftier than Zheng Yuan. Chapter 194 - Handling the Matter Im not trying to interfere, but I know that if you continue to cause the delay, the soldiers will not have anything to eat tomorrow morning, Qiao Mei said to Zheng Yuan. She looked at Zheng Yuan evenly, in a manner that was neither servile nor overbearing. I had wanted to ask you. Didnt you say that you wanted to wash your clothes? Dont tell me that you used the water from the storage tanks? Zheng Yuan asked. Qiao Mei laughed out loudly, amazed that Zheng Yuan thought of herself as being skillful enough to make things difficult for Qiao Mei. As Qiao Mei had expected, it was Zheng Yuan who did the dirty task and then went on to play the trick of a thief calling another person the thief. Such a small trick was not enough to do anything. 1 What are you laughing at? Zheng Yuan looked at Qiao Mei in confusion. 1 Hahahahaha. Nothing, its nothing. I just find it quite interesting. You said I did it? Do you have any evidence? Qiao Mei looked at Zheng Yuan and asked. Zheng Yuan looked at Qiao Mei and said, Everyone in the army knows that only medics and soldiers from the cookhouse can use the water in the water storage tanks. Other soldiers are self-disciplined enough not to do it. You wanted to leave the camp on your own this afternoon and I stopped you. Who knows if you went to the water tanks to get water after that? This seemingly meticulous logic was actually untenable at all. The way Zheng Yuan was behaving, it was obvious that she was single-mindedly trying her best to set up a trap to frame Qiao Mei. However, Qiao Mei had the upper hand and was simply watching her dig her own grave. Then why dont you explain how I know that there is a water source five kilometers away? If I really stole the water, why am I bringing all the cookhouse staff to the water source and not just secretly transporting it back to fill in the shortfall? Qiao Mei said. You! Of course you wont say anything! Because you want to frame others! Caught unaware and embarrassed by the question, Zheng Yuan flew into a rage and shouted angrily as she looked at Qiao Mei. Me? Who am I framing? Im helping you guys solve the problem of the water source. Is there a need for me to frame anyone? Qiao Mei shrugged as she looked at Zheng Yuan, who was starting to get disconcerted. 1 Who knows if youre lying about the water source youre talking about! Zheng Yuan said as she pointed at Qiao Mei. Im lying? Why would I lie to these dozen or so men? Im the only woman here. Why would I lie to them to trick them into going outside? Moreover, theyre all soldiers. Is there a need for me to lie to them? Qiao Mei was incredulous to hear what Zheng Yuan just said. She wondered how Zheng Yuan got to the position of deputy battalion commander with this level of intelligence and means of doing things. Anyone from her village was a hundred times more capable than Zheng Yuan. 1 You! You! Zheng Yuan did not know what else to blame on Qiao Mei. She was so angry that she pointed at Qiao Mei but could not find anything to say. The noise from the commotion reached Xia Zhes ears. He opened the tent door and saw a group of people gathered in the distance but he could not tell what they were arguing about. Xia Zhe jogged over to find that it was Qiao Mei and Zheng Yuan having an argument, and he hurriedly ran to stand behind Qiao Mei. Xia Zhe gently hugged Qiao Meis shoulder. Qiao Mei was shocked by the touch and turned around only to see Xia Zhes gentle expression. His warm arm holding her shoulder made her feel doubly at ease. Whats happening? Can someone tell me? Xia Zhe did not even look at Zheng Yuan and only stared at the cookhouse squad leader as he spoke. When the cookhouse squad leader saw Xia Zhe, he finally felt a reassuring presence and said forcefully, Report! The cookhouse team has made a mistake! The cookhouse squad leader will follow me. The rest of you are dismissed. Xia Zhe looked at the soldiers and gave his order. Report! No! We have to find a water source before we can be dismissed! Otherwise, the rest of the soldiers wont have anything to eat tomorrow! said the cookhouse squad leader. Qiao Mei also looked at Xia Zhe and gently tugged at the corner of his shirt. She said softly, Report I found a water source in the distance where they can go. Its five kilometers away. Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei and then at the cookhouse squad leader before saying, Approval given. Take Qiao Mei with you and be careful on the road. I will allow you to use the army trucks and you must ensure Qiao Meis physical safety, do you understand? You can also take the water storage tanks with you on the trucks so theres no need for so many soldiers to go together. Yes! the cookhouse squad leader said animatedly. Comrade Qiao Mei, you have to work with the cookhouse deputy squad leader to look for the water source. You have to be careful of your own safety, understand? Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei and said seriously. In actual fact, it would be more appropriate to term his words as a reminder rather than an order. Yes, I promise to complete the mission! Qiao Mei said. Looking at how cute Qiao Mei was, Xia Zhes heart melted. However, he had to remain solemn and lived up to the standard of being a good battalion commander in front of everyone. 1 Chapter 195 - Getting Sorted Out I want the cookhouse squad leader to come with me after making the arrangements. Get the deputy squad leader to lead the team to the site. After youre done, come and explain to me whats going on, Xia Zhe said. Yes! The cookhouse squad leader went to make the arrangements. Zheng Yuan stood where she was and watched Xia Zhe organize everything. Her plan had failed, but she was unwilling to accept the fact. She wanted to make it clear to Xia Zhe that Qiao Mei was a bad woman and that they were not suitable for each other! Zheng Yuans father was the regiment commander, so Zheng Yuan had grown up in the army and everyone took special care of her. Within her world, she was like everyones daughter and she had never come into contact with the outside world, so it was inevitable that her character was a little domineering. Xia Zhe! You cant just deal with it like this! Zheng Yuan said aggrievedly. Xia Zhe looked at Zheng Yuan, not knowing what to say. Qiao Mei raised her eyebrows and looked at Zheng Yuans distressed expression. Zheng Yuan was still so arrogant just now, but she looked so aggrieved the moment she saw Xia Zhe. This was really a difficult woman to deal with. You can tell me about it later. Ill get back to you after I understand the situation from the cookhouse squad leader, Xia Zhe said. The naive Zheng Yuan thought that Xia Zhe was feeling sorry for her and wanted her to go back and rest. He even said that he would come by to look for her. Alright, come and look for me later! Zheng Yuan left in a happy mood. Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe and gave him a slight smile as she said, Are you going to go look for her? Mei Mei, thats not what I mean. This is about work and I dont intend to go and look for her. What I meant is I will ask her to come and see me. She had misunderstood what I meant, Xia Zhe explained in a state of panic. 1 Qiao Mei knew that Xia Zhe did not have any crooked intentions, but the fact that Xia Zhe did not have any bad intent did not mean that Zheng Yuan also did not have any. She just wanted to remind Xia Zhe to be careful and to watch his own actions. Im off to get water. Qiao Mei waved her hand and left with the rest of the team. Yes, go. Xia Zhe looked worriedly in the direction that Qiao Mei had left. The cookhouse squad leader ran to Xia Zhes side, stood at attention and said, Report. The preparations are completed. Lets go. Follow me to the tent. Xia Zhe and the cookhouse squad leader walked back to the tent together. Before they could enter, they bumped into Zhuang Hua. Xia Zhe looked at Zhuang Hua and asked, Do you need something? I heard the commotion and came over to take a look, Zhuang Hua said. Zhuang Hua was in charge of the troops equipment and vehicles. When Xia Zhe allowed the cookhouse staff to use the army trucks, they would definitely have gone to Zhuang Hua to make the arrangements. He already knew that something had happened and actually wanted to come by and eavesdrop, but he did not expect to be discovered. Zhuang Hua touched the tip of his nose with a guilty conscience. Xia Zhe knew what Zhuang Hua was thinking and did not expose him. After all, they had a brotherly relationship, and it was also not a big deal to let him know about these matters. Moreover, Xia Zhe had indeed authorized the use of the vehicles under Zhuang Huas care. Come in for the discussion. Ill explain to you why we need to use the vehicles in the middle of the night, Xia Zhe said. Xia Zhe, Zhuang Hua and the cookhouse squad leader walked into the tent. Zhuang Hua sat on the bed in a familiar manner. After all, apart from the bed, there was only one table and one chair in the tent. Get down! Xia Zhe said as he looked at Zhuang Hua. Sigh! How petty of you! I used toa| Ah, I have a sister-in-law now. Alright, alright, Ill sit on the chair then, Zhuang Hua stood up and said. Xia Zhe nodded and sat on the bed while Zhuang Hua sat on the chair. The cookhouse squad leader stood there earnestly, not knowing how to start. Dont be nervous. Im not here to accuse you of anything. I just want to know what happened. So you can relax, Xia Zhe said gently. Yes, Commander. Ill definitely tell you everything I know, the cookhouse squad leader said. Its nothing much. I just want to know what difficulties you have encountered, Xia Zhe asked. Zhuang Hua thought to himself, You sly old fox, taking a soft touch. Id better watch the show quietly. Last night, all of us saw there was still enough water in the water storage tanks, but when we went to check again tonight, we found that more than half the amount of water was gone. Theres simply not enough water for everyone to use tomorrow morning, said the cookhouse squad leader as he explained the cause of the matter. Xia Zhe lowered his head in deep thought. There were too many incidents today. First, there was the news that Qiao Mei had left the camp on her own accord, then there was the fake news that Qiao Mei had suffered a serious waist injury, and now there was the theft of water from the water storage tanks. Everything had happened on the same day. Chapter 196 - Finding Out Clearly Do you do patrols at standard intervals? Xia Zhe asked. The cookhouse squad leader thought carefully for a moment and said, Yes, because we have to prepare three meals a day for the soldiers, so we will patrol once around the water storage tanks at night. Usually, we will also check the water level first before taking it for cooking. However, when we checked tonight, we realized that there was a lot less water in the water storage tanks. Under normal circumstances, the storage area for important supplies in the army were strictly guarded by designated teams who specifically patrol the area so as to prevent any losses. However, as the frequency of people going to the water storage tanks was relatively high, the frequency of patrol around the area was lesser than that of the military equipment area. Did your team discover this yourselves or did someone inform you? Xia Zhe asked. One of our own people discovered it, the cookhouse squad leader said. Then why didnt you report it to Deputy Commander Zheng immediately? Xia Zhe asked. The cookhouse squad leader was hesitant to speak and did not know what to say. There were some things that he felt he could not say to Xia Zhe directly. If you have something to say, just say it. Were all on the same side. I wont blame you after you say it, Xia Zhe looked at the cookhouse squad leader and promised him. If Deputy Commander Zheng finds out about this, Im afraid our cookhouse team will be punished. The thing is our main concern is not about getting punished. Its that if the amount of water is not replenished, the soldiers will not have anything to eat tomorrow, the cookhouse squad leader frowned and said. Zhuang Hua thought to himself, He seems to be a good squad leader. He knows to put everyones safety in the first place and that he needs to prioritize the provision of sustenance for the soldiers. However, the way he handled it is indeed inappropriate. No matter what, he should have told Deputy Commander Zheng first. Your team needs to shoulder the main responsibility for this matter. When the time comes, well discuss your punishment. I understand the details of the matter now and theres nothing else I need to ask you. However, if something like this happens again, you have to talk to Deputy Commander Zheng first. If the matter is not handled well, then you should come and look for me. Do you understand? Xia Zhe looked at the cookhouse squad leader sternly. The cookhouse squad leader nodded intently to indicate his understanding and said seriously, Yes! We will not make this kind of mistake again! Alright, you can go back and help with the water. Well talk about the punishment later. Lets wait until this entire matter is resolved. Xia Zhe waved his hand to signal to the cookhouse squad leader that he could leave. Zhuang Hua suddenly called out to the cookhouse squad leader and said, Hey! Brother, you owe me a favor. If theres meat in the future, remember to think of me! The cookhouse squad leader had thought he was going to be held back for something serious. He smiled good-naturedly and said, Hahaha, dont worry, its just a small matter. Ill remember it! Sure! No problem! Zhuang Hua said with a smile. After the cookhouse squad leader left, Zhuang Hua was still lost in his own thoughts of being able to get more meat to eat in the future and did not see Xia Zhes disdainful gaze at all. 1 Good-for-nothing Xia Zhe muttered softly and shook his head. What did you say? Zhuang Hua thought that Xia Zhe had said something important. Nothing, youre done listening to the gossip. Shouldnt you go back? Xia Zhe looked at Zhuang Hua resignedly and said. Zhuang Hua pretended not to hear him and looked around the room, not daring to look at Xia Zhe. He was worried that he would be chased out of the tent if they locked eyes. Zhuang Hua knew that Zheng Yuan would definitely come by in a while. There was no way he would miss out on such juicy gossip. At least two-thirds of the women in their troops liked Xia Zhe, the other one-third being either already married or engaged to be married. Zheng Yuans father had long wanted Xia Zhe and Zheng Yuan to get married, but no one had expected Xia Zhe to secretly submit the report on his marriage plans and to even already have a child. When Zheng Yuans father found out about the matter, it was too late for him to do anything. He had no choice but to approve it. About that I still want to stay for a while, Zhuang Hua said to Xia Zhe with a grin. Xia Zhe rolled his eyes and ignored Zhuang Hua, choosing to focus on the rest of his work at hand. He expected Qiao Mei to be back soon and he still had to go and take a look at the situation there. As for Zheng Yuan, he decided to talk to her tomorrow. It was not convenient to meet her so late at night. Have you stayed long enough? Xia Zhe looked at the sleepy Zhuang Hua and asked. Me? Ill be leaving in a while. Whats the hurry! Zhuang Hua said as he looked at Xia Zhe. Chapter 197 - : Familiar Work Is Done With Ease Qiao Mei led the soldiers all the way to the small stream. It was already so dark that they could not even see their own fingers in front of them, and the direction was not so clear. However, depending on the guidance of the plants, Qiao Mei easily found the path she took during the day. Sister-in-law, youre amazing. Its so dark but you still know the way even though you have only taken the route once. Its such a pity that you didnt join the army, the soldier said to Qiao Mei. Along the way, Qiao Mei did not hesitate in her instructions. Although the distance was not far, even a soldier like himself could not see the road ahead clearly. However, Qiao Mei could still accurately pinpoint the exact location. To him, that was not an easy task to do. No, no. I only remember the general direction. Its your driving skills thats good, Qiao Mei said. When the soldier heard Qiao Mei praising him, he felt embarrassed and quickly went about making arrangements for the other soldiers to start carrying and loading the water. He assured her that they would work hard and go back quickly. Everyone, get out of the vehicle! Take the water in an orderly manner! Lets do this quickly! the cookhouse deputy squad leader shouted. Qiao Mei was about to get down as well when she was stopped by one of the soldiers. The soldier hastily said, Sister-in-law, dont come down. You must be tired. Let us do it! Thats right, thats right! Theres still us! Thats right, sister-in-law! Just sit in the truck! Everyone persuaded Qiao Mei to relax and rest in the truck as they carried out their work. Qiao Mei could not turn down their kindness and could only watch obediently as the soldiers busied themselves. As she sat in the truck, she got lost in her thoughts about all the things that had happened. Sister-in-law, thank you, the cookhouse deputy squad leader said as he stood outside the truck window. Huh? Why are you thanking me? Qiao Mei looked at him in confusion. If it werent for you helping us solve such a big problem, we wouldnt know what to do about the soldiers rations tomorrow morning. Although we dont know what kind of punishment the cookhouse team will receive, youve still done us a huge favor. Thank you so much. The cookhouse deputy squad leader saluted Qiao Mei to express his gratitude. Qiao Mei hurriedly waved her hand and said, Please dont stand on ceremony. Were family. Dont stand on ceremony. Its what I should do. The cookhouse deputy squad leader smiled and nodded as he said, Alright, then well cook something delicious for sister-in-law tomorrow! Ill go and help with the water now! Go, go! Qiao Mei smiled and waved her hand. Qiao Mei stared blankly at the busy soldiers.. She wondered how Xia Zhe was managing the situation at the camp and whether he went to look for that woman, Zheng Yuan. Why did Zheng Yuan try to frame her time and time again? The more she thought about it, the more frustrated she became. Qiao Mei shook her head and muttered softly, Forget it, forget it, dont think about it anymore Xia Zhe indeed did not look for Zheng Yuan, but it did not stop her from looking for him. After Zheng Yuan returned to her tent, she quietly waited for Xia Zhe to come and look for her. However, two hours had already passed. Even if there was an interrogation, it would have been completed long ago. Yet Xia Zhe had not come to look for her yet! Zheng Yuan hit the tent cot angrily and the bed creaked noisily. Zheng Yuan did not understand why Xia Zhe ignored her and did not come to ask her about the matter. She had already done so much, did she need to go further with this? Zheng Yuan felt indignant and ran angrily towards Xia Zhes tent. However, bBefore she could reach it, she heard the roar of vehicles. The soldiers from the cookhouse who had gone to get water had returned to camp. Zheng Yuan decided to head over to check on how things went. After all, this was her job. However, she did not expect to witness a scene that she did not want to see. As soon as he heard the sound of vehicles, Xia Zhe rushed out of the tent anxiously and looked for Qiao Mei among them. Im here! Qiao Mei stuck her head out of a truck window and shouted. Xia Zhe hurriedly ran over, opened the truck door and reached out to carry Qiao Mei down. His sweet gesture really made the others feel envious. Aiyoyo, this Commander Xia is way too gentle. Is this still our Commander Xia! Thats right! Is this still the impartial and cold-hearted Xia Zhe! Hahahahaha Although the soldiers teased Xia Zhe, they were actually all dying of envy inside. Chapter 198 - The Attack Qiao Mei buried her head in Xia Zhes chest out of embarrassment. Xia Zhe tenderly supported Qiao Meis waist with one hand and gently held Qiao Meis head with the other hand. Go, go, go! Why are you making a fuss! Hurry up and get to work! Dont you want to rest! Xia Zhe shouted as his ears turned red. It was dark and no one could see Xia Zhes expression or whether he was blushing. Only Qiao Mei knew that Xia Zhes body temperature was ridiculously high. Zheng Yuan decided to imprint this image in her heart. Their lovey-dovey behavior was like a sharp blade stabbing into Zheng Yuans heart, repeatedly cutting open a wound that could not heal, torturing her forever. 1 I should be the one in his arms. Why is it you? Zheng Yuan muttered to herself. Unacceptable! I cant accept this! Why is it Qiao Mei! Why is everyone full of praise for her! Shes just a country bumpkin! How can someone who has never seen the world fight with me! Why is she the one beside Xia Zhe! The anger in Zheng Yuans heart had burned up the last shred of her rationality as she approached Qiao Mei step by step. Xia Zhe still had to deal with the aftermath of the matter so he let Qiao Mei return to the tent first. He had not walked far when he saw Zheng Yuan running up to Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei! I want to kill you! Zheng Yuan reached out to slap Qiao Mei. 1 Qiao Mei! Xia Zhe exclaimed. Xia Zhe desperately ran back to Qiao Meis side, but distance-wise, he was further away than Zheng Yuan. Qiao Mei looked in surprise at Zheng Yuan running towards her. Without much hesitation, she subconsciously reached out to push back with her backhand and managed to shove Zheng Yuan to the ground. 1 Her grandfather had taught her this skill for self-defense and she did not expect it to really come in handy. Xia Zhe hurriedly pulled Qiao Mei into his arms and checked to see if she was injured. Qiao Mei, how are you! Are you alright! Say something! Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei anxiously. Zhuang Hua did not expect to see such a dramatic scene when he brought his people to pick up the vehicles. He immediately sent someone to watch over Zheng Yuan and waited for Xia Zhes instructions. Qiao Mei looked at the overly nervous Xia Zhe and then at Zheng Yuan, who was struggling on the ground and roaring away. Qiao Mei thought to herself, Do I look like Im not alright? Zheng Yuan is already lying on the ground. What else can be wrong with me? Im fine. You should take a look at her Qiao Mei said as she lowered her head and looked at Zheng Yuan. Xia Zhe shielded Qiao Mei behind him. He did not expect Zheng Yuan to lose her composure like this. In his impression, Zheng Yuan had always been a well brought up young lady from a wealthy family and had never behaved out of line at all. She was a little spoiled, but after all, she had grown up in the army and been pampered since she was young. It was understandable that she had developed a slight temper. However, Xia Zhe had never expected her to hit someone, what more to hit a pregnant woman who did not know how to fight back. Xia Zhe stared at Zheng Yuan and did not know what to say. The crazy woman who was still cursing away in front of him was no longer the same person he knew from before. You go in first. This is an army matter and I have to handle it, Xia Zhe said to Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei nodded and went into the tent to take a rest. She believed that Xia Zhe would be able to handle this matter well and seek justice for her and their child. She was unable to say that she was not frightened by the scene just now. Her first reaction was to fight back though, which was all thanks to her grandfathers years of education, and that reaction was what saved her and her baby. Grandfather I miss you now Qiao Mei said as she sat on the bed and touched her belly. Outside the tent, Xia Zhe asked Zhuang Hua to let go of Zheng Yuan. After all, she was the deputy battalion commander. Even if she had made a mistake, she should not be treated in this manner. Let her go, Xia Zhe said. Let go? What if Zhuang Hua looked into Xia Zhes eyes and did not finish his sentence. He sighed and said, Let go of her. The two of you can return to the team. Zheng Yuan got up in a sorry state and patted the dust off her body as she gave Xia Zhe a devastated look. Why are you treating me like this? Zheng Yuan asked with tears in her eyes. Zhuang Huas eyes widened. There was going to be drama. He knew what had always been on Zheng Yuans mind. Not only that, it would be more accurate to say that the entire troop knew that Zheng Yuan wanted to marry Xia Zhe and that Zheng Yuans father was also trying his best to make it happen. However, no one expected Xia Zhe to settle his marriage on his own. Even though Zheng Yuans father and Xia Zhes father had discussed this matter before, it turned out useless in the end. Chapter 199 - Irrelevant Xia Zhe was not completely unaware of Zheng Yuans intentions. The Xia family and the Zheng family were both from the capital. Although the Zheng family was not very influential, the whole family had always been dutiful citizens. Zheng Yuan could be considered to have grown up together with Xia Zhe. However, Xia Zhe had always treated Zheng Yuan like his younger sister. He took care of her in the way an older brother took care of his younger sister and he did not expect Zheng Yuan to misunderstand him. 1 Zheng Yuan, calm down, Xia Zhe said to Zheng Yuan with a frown. Tears welled up in Zheng Yuans eyes and she could no longer suppress the love and grievances in her heart. She pointed at the tent and said, Xia Zhe! What have you done to me for this woman! Xia Zhe shook his head and said, Shes my wife. Its my duty and obligation to protect her and its what I need to do. Youre just my subordinate and what Im doing is my job. 1 Zheng Yuans eyes were filled with disbelief when she heard that. Subordinate? Am I just your subordinate? Zheng Yuan stared fixedly at Xia Zhes face, afraid that she would miss any trace of Xia Zhes feelings for her. Even a look of pity from him would be good enough for her, but Xia Zhes face remained cold and emotionless. 1 Xia Zhe, isnt that a bit harsh. Zhuang Hua could not help himself from saying. It would have been better to call her a friend rather than use a word like subordinate. By putting it across like that, it would be like Zheng Yuan had nothing to do with them anymore and they would purely have a superior-subordinate relationship. Xia Zhe thought about it and felt that it was better to make it clear. Being too kind in this situation would only cause Zheng Yuan to misunderstand again and cause more problems in the future. 1 Is there any other type of relationship between us? Xia Zhe asked. Zhuang Hua, who had wanted to step in to advise Xia Zhe, also fell silent. He understood what Xia Zhe was trying to do, but he was afraid that Zheng Yuan would not be able to accept it and could not handle the situation well. We grew up together and risked our lives in the same troop together. My father even made an agreement with your father! Xia Zhe! You were supposed to marry me! Zheng Yuan looked at Xia Zhe and shouted herself hoarse. Zhuang Hua and Xia Zhe were also childhood friends who grew up in the same compound. However, unlike Xia Zhe, he preferred to muddle along and did not have any grand ambitions. His family did not have any expectations of him either. Zheng Yuan and him could also be considered to be childhood friends, and he had never seen her like this before. There were many boys in the military compound, but not many girls. Therefore, the adults paid special attention to Zheng Yuan and would give her a share of anything nice. As time passed, she became spoiled and domineering, but she had also always been aloof and had never lost her composure like this before. I told your father before that I only see you as a sister. Ive never had any other thoughts about you. Your father also knows this, Xia Zhe said slowly. 1 Zheng Yuans eyes widened as if she had heard something ridiculous. Impossible! You must be lying to me! My father told me! You said you love me! Zheng Yuan squatted down looking pained, with her hands clutching her head and muttering to herself. My father said that you would marry me. He even said that he had made an agreement with your father. Xia Zhe, you lied to me! You lied to me! Zheng Yuan squatted and screamed in agony. Xia Zhe, thats a little too much, Zhuang Hua said as he looked at Xia Zhe. Xia Zhe still had the same expression on his face and his eyes were filled with forbearance. He gave Zhuang Hua a look to ask him to bring Zheng Yuan away. Zhuang Hua and Xia Zhe had a tacit understanding after so many years. Zhuang Hua immediately understood what Xia Zhe meant and sighed helplessly. He shook his head and said, I really owe you 1 Zhuang Hua made his way slowly to Zheng Yuans side. He gently took the hand that Zheng Yuan was using to pull at her hair and slowly stroked the top of her head with his other hand. Zheng Yuan, calm down. Look at who I am, Zhuang Hua said gently. Zheng Yuan gradually calmed down and looked at Zhuang Hua as her tears flowed down unknowingly. She got on best with Zhuang Hua when they were kids in the military compound. When they were young, Zhuang Hua would always put aside all the delicious food for her. Zhuang Hua Zhuang Hua Zheng Yuan looked at Zhuang Hua with tears in her eyes. She grabbed Zhuang Huas hands as if she saw her lifesaver. 2 Chapter 200 - Pleading Im here, Zhuang Hua responded gently. Zhuang Hua, Im begging you. You get on best with Xia Zhe, am I right, so please help me talk to him. I really cant leave him. He clearly agreed to marry me! Zheng Yuans eyes were filled with anticipation and pleading. Her hands trembled as she held on to Zhuang Hua, afraid that he would not agree to help her. 3 The gentleness in Zhuang Huas eyes turned into pity and heartache. He did not expect Zheng Yuan to go to this extent for Xia Zhe. She had always been able to get whatever she wanted since she was young and had a smooth path in life. Now, she was begging him to help her hold on to Xia Zhe. 1 Zhuang Hua did not know what to say. On one hand was a brother who had grown up and gone through thick and thin together with him. On the other hand was a close childhood friend. Both of them were dear to him and it was a tough call. Zhuang Hua frowned and did not know what to do. 4 Zheng Yuan noticed that Zhuang Hua had kept quiet. Her trembling hands grabbed on tightly to Zhuang Hua and she begged him in a choked voice, Zhuang Hua! I beg you! Can you help me! Please! 1 Zhuang Hua looked into Zheng Yuans eyes, and she looked back expectantly. He had never seen Zheng Yuan like this, but there was nothing he could do. He said gently to Zheng Yuan, Alright, Ill talk to him later. Get up and come with me first. When Zheng Yuan heard Zhuang Hua asking her to leave with him, she hastily shook off his hand and backed away. She pointed at Zhuang Hua and Xia Zhe and said, Youre all in cahoots! Youre all liars! Liars! 2 Zheng Yuan! Zhuang Hua stood up and looked at Zheng Yuan. He extended his hand and said to her, Can you come back with me and we can talk about the next steps later. Zheng Yuan looked at Zhuang Hua and shook her head slowly. Her tears had already all dried up due to the wind and she no longer had the strength to cry anymore. She could not even shout anymore and could only look silently at the cold man in front of her. Xia Zhe, you do love me. Why cant you remember? Are you lying to me? Zheng Yuan said hoarsely. 1 Xia Zhe shook his head. He did not know what to say seeing Zheng Yuan like this, but he saw what Zheng Yuan had done just now. She had almost harmed Qiao Mei and the child that Qiao Mei was carrying. Based on this point alone, Xia Zhe did not want to tolerate her anymore nor could he tolerate her. Zheng Yuan, go back. Stop lying to yourself, Xia Zhe said coldly. Im not leaving! Dont even think about chasing me away! Zheng Yuan said angrily. I wont chase you away. I will tell the superiors everything that happened today. Everyone will get punished, including me. None of us will get away with it. Xia Zhe looked at Zheng Yuan and continued, I will also report what you did to my pregnant wife. Zhuang Hua looked at Xia Zhe in shock and said, Xia Zhe, are you crazy! Youll ruin Zheng Yuans career like this! 2 I know, but she has to pay the price for her mistakes, Xia Zhe said as he looked at Zhuang Hua. Zhuang Hua looked at the person in front of him in disbelief. Was this still the same Xia Zhe who had gone onto the battlefield with him? The Xia Zhe in front of him was too indifferent. Xia Zhe, think carefully. Shes Before Zhuang Hua could finish speaking, Xia Zhe interrupted him. Ive thought about it very carefully. If you also have a wife and a child whom you love deeply and they almost died at the hands of others, what would you think? Xia Zhe asked Zhuang Hua in return. 1 Zhuang Hua was speechless for a moment. What Xia Zhe said made sense. He had no right to exonerate Zheng Yuan, nor did he have any right to make Xia Zhe put away his feelings. He was just a bystander in this situation. Hahahahahaha. Xia Zhe, I want her to die! She will die together with the child inside her! This way, youll be able to marry me! When the time comes, you can marry me and bring me home! Hahahahahaha! Zheng Yuan waved her arms wildly as she kept drawing something in the air. She looked like she was in a trance and starting to lose her mind. 2 Zhuang Hua grabbed Zheng Yuan and said distressedly, Zheng Yuan, lets go. Can you come with me? Zheng Yuan shook her head and looked around before her gaze landed on Xia Zhe. Xia Zhe, youd better protect her for the rest of her life. Ill see how long you can protect her. One day, Ill let you have a taste of losing your loved one. Zheng Yuan looked at Xia Zhe fiercely. She already understood that Xia Zhe would never come back to her, but she would never let Qiao Mei off! 4 She would take back whatever others took from her! Chapter 201 - The End of the Farce Xia Zhe was going to return to the tent when he heard Zheng Yuan saying that she wanted him to have a taste of losing Qiao Mei. He stopped in his tracks. Losing? Losing who? Was she referring to Qiao Mei? Xia Zhes mind was buzzing with what Zheng Yuan said. Tonight, he had almost lost the person he loved deeply as well as their beloved baby. These were the things that Xia Zhe was most unwilling to have to face. Xia Zhe suddenly turned around and rushed to Zheng Yuan. His rationality prevented him from doing anything to Zheng Yuan but he clenched his fists and looked at Zheng Yuan coldly. I hope there wont be a next time. Zheng Yuan. If anything happens to Qiao Mei, you will die too. Your entire family will be buried together with my wife. Youd better think carefully. After saying that, Xia Zhe turned around and left. As he walked off, he said, Zhuang Hua, take her away. Ill contact the superiors tomorrow. Zhuang Hua had no choice but to obey the order. After all, apart from being his good friend, Xia Zhe was also his superior. Soldiers must obey military orders. Furthermore, Zheng Yuan really needed to go back and have a good rest. 3 Lets go, Yuan Yuan. Lets go back. Zhuang Hua squatted down and looked at the dejected Zheng Yuan. After Xia Zhe left, Zheng Yuan regretted what she had said and tears streamed down her face uncontrollably. Zheng Yuan looked at Zhuang Hua helplessly and pointed at the tent in front of her with a trembling finger. Zhuang Hua, does that mean he will never look at me again? Zheng Yuans eyes were filled with anticipation, as if she would immediately believe Zhuang Hua if he said that Xia Zhe would not mind what happened tonight. Zhuang Hua could not bear to hurt her, but he could not say anything that was against his conscience. Zhuang Hua just fixed his eyes on Zheng Yuan quietly for a while and did not say anything else. 2 Zhuang Hua! Say something! Tell me if he will still look at me and we can still be the same as before! Zhuang Hua! Tell me! Zhuang Hua!!! Zheng Yuan grabbed Zhuang Huas shoulder tightly, hoping to see the answer she wanted in his eyes, but it was clearly just a false hope. After Zheng Yuan got her answer, she loosened her grip in a helpless manner and dropped back down on the ground. Tears flowed down her good-looking face and she wept silently. She was already starting to regret it. She just wanted Xia Zhe not to fall in love with anyone else. Even if Xia Zhe would never marry in his life, she was willing to wait for him. 1 However, fate had played a trick on her. Now, Xia Zhe would no longer look at her. He treated her like an enemy and even wanted to punish her. This was not what she had intended to achieve. Yuan Yuan, get up. Lets go. The ground is cold, lets go back. Zhuang Hua reached out to help Zheng Yuan up. Zheng Yuan shook off Zhuang Huas hand and looked at him coldly. She could no longer feel her legs after sitting on the ground for a long time and the cold had seeped to her bones. She managed to stand up on her own with difficulty and then looked at the people around her. Zheng Yuan slowly extended her hands and patted the dust off her body. She straightened her back and raised her head before saying to Zhuang Hua, You should report what happened today truthfully. Tomorrow, Ill send a report to the superiors myself. Theres no need for Commander Xia to do it. Please pass the message to him on my behalf. 1 After saying that, she limped towards her tent with some difficulty. The soldiers in the vicinity did not know what to think of the current Deputy Commander Zheng. Was she pitiful? She was not. She deserved to be punished for her wrongdoings. Everyone seemed to feel a sense of pity for her. Her career path was progressing smoothly, but she was blinded by love and did something wrong. In the end, she would be punished accordingly. Perhaps she would never have a military career again, or perhaps she would be demoted and transferred back to her original unit. What happened after this would depend on how the superiors dealt with it. Zhuang Hua frowned as he watched Zheng Yuan leave. Zheng Yuan was still as arrogant as before and still chose to protect her dignity in the end. No one could tell what kind of punishment was awaiting her. 1 Alright, stop looking! Dont you have to do rescue work tomorrow! Go back, all of you! Zhuang Hua shouted sternly. The soldiers in the vicinity quickly rushed to return to their respective teams and did not dare to bother about this matter anymore. Qiao Mei could hear everything from inside the tent and she understood the cause of the whole incident. When she saw Xia Zhe entering, she did not say anything and just looked at him quietly. Xia Zhes heart went out to Qiao Mei when he saw her sitting dutifully on the bed in the tent. He felt that he had not protected Qiao Mei and their child well. Chapter 202 - Like A Little Bun Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe quietly and smiled as she gestured for him to go over to her side. Xia Zhe was in low spirits and he hung his head as he stood by the bed and looked at Qiao Mei. Come and sit down, why are you standing when youre already off duty and not training your soldiers. Qiao Mei smiled playfully and patted the edge of the bed, asking Xia Zhe to sit down. Xia Zhe nodded and sat down gently next to Qiao Mei. He looked at her thoroughly and reached out to touch her face. His tightly furrowed brows showed no signs of relaxing. Qiao Mei put her finger at the middle of Xia Zhes forehead and said, Why are you so nervous? Its not like Im dead. When Xia Zhe heard this, he quickly glared at Qiao Mei and said, Pfft, touch wood! What nonsense are you saying! 1 Pfft, touch wood. I wont say it anymore. Look at how nervous you are, Qiao Mei said as she giggled. 1 Xia Zhe could not even smile at all. His mind was still filled with scenes of what happened to Qiao Mei just now. The situation was so dangerous and terrifying and he had almost lost her. Xia Zhe lowered his head and remained silent. He held Qiao Meis hand tightly and stroked it repeatedly, not knowing what to say. He felt that as a man, he had not protected his wife and child well. Moreover, it had happened in the army camp, surrounded by his soldiers and without any enemies around. What if something like that happened on the battlefield or elsewhere! If something like this could happen even with him around, what if an accident happened to her when she was not with him? Xia Zhe had mixed feelings and did not know what to say. Qiao Mei could tell what he was thinking and gave Xia Zhe a kick as she said, Hey! Commander Xia! What are you worried about! Im right in front of you. What are you still worried about? He was more than happy to see Qiao Mei doing something so improper. Qiao Mei was still the same Qiao Mei. She was not scared by the whole incident and was still so childlike and cheerfully forthright. At the thought of this, Xia Zhe curled his lips and slowly articulated his thoughts. I just feel that Im useless for letting you go through such a thing in the army camp. How can I face you and your grandfather? If your grandfather finds out, he will regret letting you marry me. Qiao Mei became unhappy immediately after she heard this. She pointed at Xia Zhe and roared, Xia Zhe! Now you regret marrying me! Xia Zhe looked at the furious girl in front of him in confusion. When did I say that I regret marrying you? You did say it! Asshole! You dont want me anymore! Only you would know whether you regret it! You want to run off after getting me pregnant! You have no conscience! Qiao Mei swung her little fist and gently punched Xia Zhes shoulder. At first, Xia Zhe was so nervous that he did not know what to do. He carefully observed Qiao Meis expression and realized that she did not seem angry at all. She puffed up her cheeks as she rattled off and looked like a little bun. It was obvious that she was just throwing a little tantrum and was not really angry. 1 Xia Zhe pulled Qiao Mei into his arms and rested his head on the top of Qiao Meis head. He slowly stroked Qiao Meis back and said dotingly, Have you messed around enough, my little ancestor? Seeing that her plan had been exposed, Qiao Mei no longer had any intention of fooling around with him. She lay quietly in Xia Zhes arms and wrapped her arms around his waist. Hmph, whos messing with you. Qiao Mei muttered. Xia Zhe stroked Qiao Meis head and said, I dont regret marrying you. I think the best decision I ever made was to marry you. I originally wanted you to become a military spouse, but now that something like this has happened to you right under my nose, I just feel that Im very useless to be unable to protect you. Qiao Mei broke free from Xia Zhe, crossed her legs and sat upright on the bed. She looked at Xia Zhe solemnly and said, Youre the most useful person. My husband is the most amazing person! The baby and I both think that youre the best and you did protect the baby and me. Why do you say that youre useless? Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Meis serious expression when she said that he was amazing and his ears turned red. He said awkwardly, Its not like what you said. I could have prevented this from happening. 1 Chapter 203 - Talking About the Past No one can say for sure that something wont happen. Besides, didnt you protect me well? Otherwise, how am I always safe and sound? Qiao Mei said as she looked at Xia Zhe. I just want you and the baby to have a more stable life and to suffer less. You even secretly came to look for me. If Grandpa finds out, I think he will definitely break my legs. Xia Zhe had goosebumps as he imagined Qiao Qiang picking up a rod. Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe and smiled. She said teasingly, I was the one who took advantage of you back then. Its too late for you to regret it now! 1 Xia Zhe thought of that night again. Qiao Mei looked so beautiful and charming now, and her delicate voice reminded him of how they were entangled together that night. Xia Zhes ears turned even redder, but Qiao Mei was unable to do anything strenuous now, so he could only wait it out. As she looked at Xia Zhe, who currently resembled the color of cooked shrimp, Qiao Mei lay on the bed and laughed heartily. Xia Zhe reached out in exasperation and gently scratched Qiao Meis ticklish spots. Qiao Mei laughed until her tears flowed out. Hahahahahahahahahahaha! Who asked you to mess around? The laughter in the tent stopped after a while. Xia Zhe did not dare to play around with Qiao Mei too vigorously. Although back at the camp, he had written a letter to his aunt to ask her about the things to take note of during pregnancy, he remained worried as Qiao Mei had not gone through a proper check-up. Do you feel any discomfort in your belly? Xia Zhe asked as he looked at Qiao Meis stomach. Qiao Mei thought about it seriously. There did not seem to be any pain or soreness. Other pregnant women would be experiencing sore backs and constant morning sickness at this stage of the pregnancy, but she did not feel any pain at all. Even on such a hot summer day, she did not feel any discomfort. She ate well, everything tasted nice to her and she did not have any symptoms like morning sickness. Qiao Mei shook her head. Xia Zhe was still worried, but there was no hospital in the vicinity where she could go to do a checkup now. He could only wait until they returned to the capital for his aunt to take a look at her. Whats your relationship with that female soldier just now? Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe curiously. Qiao Mei knew Xia Zhes stand on the issue, but she was really curious as to why Zheng Yuan would have such strong feelings for Xia Zhe. She asked him the question solely out of curiosity. Xia Zhe broke out in cold sweat when he heard that. He thought that Qiao Mei was going to pursue the issue and immediately stood up to look at her as he said, Theres really nothing between us. Qiao Mei laughed out loudly when she saw Xia Zhe standing at attention as if he was going to do a verbal report to his superior. She tugged at the corner of Xia Zhes shirt and asked him to sit down. Whatre you doing, Im just curious about how you two met, Qiao Mei said as she looked into Xia Zhes eyes. After confirming that Qiao Mei really did not mind, Xia Zhe began to talk about how Zheng Yuan and he got to know each other. Her name is Zheng Yuan and shes the deputy battalion commander. We grew up in the same military compound when we were young. Zhuang Hua and Zhang Yong as well. We all played together when we were young, Xia Zhe said. Eh? What about Zhao Wu? Qiao Mei stared at Xia Zhe curiously. Xia Zhe frowned again. He did not like to hear Qiao Mei mention the names of other men. He quietly suppressed the jealousy in his heart and said, We got to know Zhao Wu after he joined the army. He did not grow up with us. 1 Qiao Mei nodded in acknowledgment. At that time, I got along really well with Zhuang Hua. Zhang Yong was more introverted. At that time, he particularly liked to read and almost went into scientific research, but his father did not agree with that choice and so he joined the army. Zheng Yuan and Zhuang Hua had a good relationship and we were all quite close with one another. Xia Zhe only gave a simple introduction and did not say anything else. Qiao Mei sat up anxiously and asked Xia Zhe, And then? Get to the point! Xia Zhe shook his head resignedly. He did not manage to throw her off the scent, so there was nothing he could do except tell her everything. Zheng Yuan was one of the few girls in the military compound. At that time, there were many boys in the compound, so girls were especially pampered. Everyone doted on her, so she felt that everything belonged to her. However, she also worked hard and she reached her current position on her own merit, Xia Zhe said impartially. Chapter 204 - Arranged Marriage Between Children Qiao Mei kept quiet and looked on expressionlessly. Later on, it so happened that her father became my mentor. Her father watched me grow up as well and he was quite close with my father, so he spoke to my father about an engagement Xia Zhes voice became softer and softer as he spoke. Qiao Mei pricked up her ears when she heard the key wordengagement. The two of you were engaged? Then arent I Qiao Mei thought that she was the one who had messed up Xia Zhes marriage plans and was caught off guard for a moment. Xia Zhe reached out helplessly and flicked her head as he said, Whats in that little head of yours, Im not finished yet. Qiao Mei rubbed her head without saying anything. No, we were not engaged because my grandfather and your grandfather have already agreed to an arranged marriage between their grandchildren, you and I. There cant be another engagement. My father wanted to agree to her father, but my grandfather rejected it, and that was the end of it, Xia Zhe said earnestly. 2 Qiao Mei indeed remembered from the memories of the original owner of the body that her grandfather had mentioned an arranged marriage when she was young, but she had always thought that it was not real. Back then, she thought that it was a lie to prevent Qiao Zhuangs family from marrying her off to a fool in the neighboring village. What happened after that? Qiao Mei asked. After that, I got busy with training and had no contact with her at all. Later on, when I got promoted, I met her again by chance at work. There was nothing else, Xia Zhe told her everything that he could think of. His answer satisfied Qiao Meis curiosity and she now understood why Zheng Yuan was so obsessed with Xia Zhe. It turned out that they were almost engaged to each other. There was nothing she could do about this thing called fate. However, Qiao Mei did not know that Zheng Yuan was not Xia Zhes only admirer. A bigger surprise was waiting for her in the capital. 1 Then are you really going to file a complaint? Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe with uncertainty. Complaint? What complaint? I will be submitting a report, Xia Zhe said helplessly to Qiao Mei. In our village, its called filing a complaint. She didnt really hurt my child. If youre really angry about it, you can talk to her parents in private. If you report it to the higher-ups, will she get a beating? Qiao Mei asked Xia Zhe worriedly. It was not that Qiao Mei was magnanimous and did not take what happened to heart, but after hearing what Zhuang Hua said earlier, Qiao Mei felt that it would be more appropriate to handle this matter in private. The few of them all knew one another and it would not be good to make things too awkward between them. 2 Let things run its course. I will just report the truth without anything else. Dont think about this matter anymore. Its already so late. Hurry up and go to bed. Xia Zhe got up and prepared to go to the table to work on the report through the night. Qiao Mei hurriedly grabbed Xia Zhes sleeve and asked, Its the middle of the night and you ask me to go to bed when youre not? Where are you going! I have to write the report. I have to send it out tomorrow, Xia Zhe said. No! You have to come to bed with me! Ouch Qiao Mei pretended to hold her stomach and moan. 1 Xia Zhe hurriedly looked at Qiao Mei and asked, Mei Mei, whats wrong! Do you have a stomachache! Are you alright! Yes I just my chest feels so stuffy Can you accompany me Qiao Mei lay on the bed and pouted. Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei, who was lying on the bed and holding her stomach but saying that her chest felt stuffy. He did not know if he should point out her ill logic or to just let her be. He shook his head resignedly. You, you. Go to sleep. Ill come to bed as well. Ill think about the report tomorrow, Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei and said. Yep! Then come quickly! Qiao Mei said happily and lay on her side. The tent cot was so small that it could fit two people only if both of them lay on their sides. After Xia Zhe packed his clothes, he lay down behind Qiao Mei and gently hugged her from behind. Dont worry, Ill protect you well, Xia Zhe said softly. Yes, I know. Go to sleep. Qiao Mei nodded happily and soon fell asleep. Xia Zhe gently stroked Qiao Meis arm on the bed and gradually fell asleep as he listened to her breathing. In another tent, Zheng Yuan limped to the bed and checked on her leg injuries. She found many bruises, but they were all minor injuries. In the past, she had sustained a leg injury during training and was left with a lingering effect from it. Given that she had sat on the ground for so long earlier, her leg would probably hurt for the next few days. Chapter 205 - : Preparing for Transfer Zheng Yuan briefly checked for any other wounds on her body and then sat there quietly, looking in the direction of the tent door. She still maintained hope that Xia Zhe would come looking for her. 1 Not long after, there were footsteps outside the door and someone knocked lightly on Zheng Yuans door. Who is it? Zheng Yuan asked happily, her eyes filled with anticipation. She hoped that the person who answered her was the person she wanted to see. Yuan Yuan, its me, Zhuang Hua, I brought you some food and also medicine for your bruises. Ill leave them at the door. Remember to apply the medicine and rest early if theres nothing else. Im going off now. After Zhuang Hua finished speaking, he gently placed the things at the entrance of the tent and left. As he walked away, he looked back a few times worriedly. Zheng Yuan lowered her head in disappointment and did not say anything. She made her way slowly to the door and opened it to see some red fruits and a bottle of potion on the ground. Zhuang Hua saw these fruits when he went out for the rescue mission earlier and specially plucked them for Zheng Yuan. Looking at the red fruits and then at Zhuang Huas departing figure in the distance, Zheng Yuan understood the mistake she had made and tears flowed down her face again. 3 After picking up the things and re-entering the tent, Zheng Yuan sat at the table and wrote a report through the night. In the report to her superiors, she listed down everything that had happened today and also provided details on the handover of her work. She had decided to ask for a transfer and leave the troops to go somewhere else. She had worked out her issues and completely let go of this matter. She wanted to be herself again and not that Zheng Yuan who liked Xia Zhe so much that she lost her mind. 1 After packing her things, she asked someone to send the report out at dawn. Meanwhile, Zheng Yuan handed over her remaining work to her subordinates. It did not take long for Zhuang Hua to hear about this. Zhuang Hua found Zheng Yuan and said, Have you considered carefully about the transfer? Yes, I think I should leave this place, Zheng Yuan said to Zhuang Hua as she looked at the sky. Zhuang Hua did not speak. He had been silently protecting Zheng Yuan all along. Basically, Zhuang Hua would appear wherever Zheng Yuan went. It had been like this for so many years. 2 Im determined to do this. Dont try to dissuade me. You stay here and dont follow me. Zheng Yuan looked at Zhuang Hua tenderly. Zhuang Hua was a little surprised at first, then he gave a relaxed smile. So you know, Zhuang Hua said happily. The thoughts that he had kept hidden for so many years could finally be out in the open. Zheng Yuan nodded and said, I figured it out last night. Ive been chasing after Xia Zhe for so many years and trying my best to keep up with him. I thought I loved him, but all I did was to lose myself. Zheng Yuan stood in front of Zhuang Hua and said solemnly, I even let down the people who cherish me, so I want to transfer out of here and go somewhere else to look for the old me. Zhuang Hua was relieved to see Zheng Yuan with her current mindset. The confident and haughty Zheng Yuan he had always liked had returned. Remember to come back and visit us during the holidays. Well eat together in our big courtyard then, Zhuang Hua said. Alright, its a deal. Zheng Yuan smiled happily and continued, Ive already sent a report to the superiors this morning. I also wrote a letter to my father. He already knows the stupid things Ive done so Ill probably be transferred out soon. Just keep this matter to yourself. Zhuang Hua nodded. He still could not accept the news of Zheng Yuans transfer because he did not know when they would be able to meet again. However, he also wanted to support Zheng Yuan in her search for her old self. Your father will punish you, wont he? Zhuang Hua asked worriedly. Zheng Yuans father was famous for being strict when they were growing up in the military compound. At that time, all the children were afraid of him, even Xia Zhe. This time round, Zheng Yuan would definitely be severely punished. Who cares? This is how it should be if I have done something wrong. Ive already thought it through. Theres no benefit in hiding it from him. Im his biological daughter, what can he do to me? Zheng Yuan said with a chuckle. Zhuang Hua also laughed. He still had vivid memories of the things that happened when they were young, but they have all grown up in the blink of an eye. Then take care of yourself and Ill bring you out for dimsum when you come back. Zhuang Hua looked at Zheng Yuan tenderly. 1 Alright, its a deal, Zheng Yuan said with a smile. Chapter 206 - The Occurrence of Something Improbable Out of habit from being in the army all year round, Xia Zhe woke up at dawn. For a moment, he was not used to having someone sleeping next to him, even if she had fair skin and a pretty face that looked like a cute little bun. Her small mouth opened and closed slightly with every breath, and her long eyelashes would occasionally flutter. Xia Zhe tightened his hug on Qiao Mei and rested his chin on her head, enjoying the beautiful morning. After a while, Qiao Mei muttered something in her sleep and slowly stretched out while flipping over. Xia Zhe did not even dare to breathe loudly, afraid that he would wake the person who looked to be dreaming. He quietly put on his clothes and prepared to go out to make arrangements for the days mission. Before he left, he took another look at Qiao Mei who was still in bed, unable to hide the smile on his face. Xia Zhe thought to himself, What a wonderful life. He gently pushed open the tent door to go and look for Zhuang Hua, but did not expect to find Zhuang Hua chatting with Zheng Yuan. He did not go forward to disturb them and just waited quietly in the distance. Zhao Wu tiptoed from behind and prepared to launch a sneak attack on Xia Zhe. Just as he was about to reach out, Xia Zhe grabbed him and threw him to the ground with a smooth shoulder throw. Ouch! What the hell! Xia Zhe, youre playing rough for real! Zhao Wu lay on the ground and gritted his teeth. Zhang Yong, who was following behind, saw Zhao Wu lying on the ground and guessed that it was Xia Zhe who did it. He could not help but laugh loudly. Hahahahahaha, you deserve it! Zhang Yong said. Xia Zhe looked at these two uncontrollable jokers and shook his head helplessly. Can you still get up? Why didnt you move after falling down? Youre behaving like a scammer, Xia Zhe said as he pointed at Zhao Wu. Ouch! Ow, ouch! I cant make it! Im going to die! Xia Zhe hit me! Zhao Wu became more and more animated as he spoke. He lay on the ground and groaned loudly, looking like he was really in pain. Oh my, look at that. Dont tell me your bones are broken? Then we must get you treated quickly. Should I get Sister Cheng from the medical team to take a look at you? Zhuang Hua bade Zheng Yuan farewell and ran over to look at Zhao Wu teasingly when he heard Zhao Wus voice. Tsk, Im fine! Zhao Wu got up from the ground embarrassingly with a red face. Sister Cheng? What Sister Cheng? Xia Zhe looked at Zhang Yong in confusion, thinking that Zhang Yong knew what was going on. However, Zhang Yong was so surprised that he could not close his mouth. He flapped his hands and said, What? I really dont know! Zhao Wu lowered his head and did not dare to say anything else, afraid that he would trip on his words if he spoke further. These buddies of his were smart people and would probably make him confess in two or three sentences. He was determined not to say anything. Zhuang Hua laughed and said, Its Sister Cheng Fang from the medical team. Shes probably around three years older than us. Shes kind and beautiful Hey, hey, hey, dont stop me from talking! Before Zhuang Hua could finish speaking, Zhao Wu anxiously reached out and covered his mouth. When Xia Zhe heard the name Cheng Fang, he thought that he seemed to have an impression of her. There were not many female soldiers to begin with, and most of them were from the logistics department. Most of them reported to Zheng Yuan. Cheng Fang was not really that old, but she would be considered an old maid in the countryside. Qiao Mei was already married at her age but there were still some people who said that she got married late. Therefore, Cheng Fang would be considered to be past marriageable age. The Cheng family was actually a family of doctors who had been practicing for generations. Cheng Fangs grandfather, father and mother all worked in the main hospital in the capital and they were all very outstanding doctors. The family also seemed to be related to one of Xia Zhes aunts, who was also colleagues with them in the same hospital. Three years older? Thats just right. As the saying goes, a wife whos three years older than the husband ensures a richer life! Hahahahahaha! Zhang Yong clapped his hands and cheered. Dont talk nonsense! Theres nothing going on between us! Zhao Wu hurriedly stopped Zhang Yong from talking. Xia Zhe understood what was going on. It appeared that Zhao Wu had taken a fancy to the girl, but the feeling was not reciprocated. What exactly is wrong with you? Xia Zhe finally asked. Well its just that she and I Zhao Wu kept stammering as his ears turned red and he scratched his head in embarrassment. Stop wasting time and tell me quickly, Xia Zhe said. Its just that some time ago, my arm got scratched during a rescue mission. It was just a flesh wound, so I went to the infirmary to bandage it. That was where I met comrade Cheng. When I got too busy, she took the effort to remember me and look for me to help change my dressing. Thats all there is, Zhao Wu said bashfully. Chapter 207 - Heart Judging from Zhao Wus expression and behavior, he had most likely taken a fancy to the girl. Since they were good buddies, they all tried to think of a solution for Zhao Wu. Then how do you feel about it? Zhang Yong asked. I Im not thinking much. I just want to just maintain it as it is and see if she has any interest, Zhao Wu said as he gave the three of them a serious look. If you need anything, just say it. Her elders and my aunt are colleagues. Xia Zhe usually kept quiet, but when he spoke, he would go straight to the point. Zhuang Hua patted Zhao Wus shoulder and said, Im so impressed. Your brother Xia Zhe has already settled her parents for you. Since youre not exactly strangers, it all depends on how you grasp the opportunity! Zhao Wu nodded clumsily. Actually, he had no other intentions. He just felt that this girl was kind-hearted and treated him quite well, and was also concerned about him when he was injured. He thought that he could think about the future later. Lets get down to business. The superiors told us to pack up and return to our original military unit in three days. I will be taking a break after that. Do you have any issues with that? Xia Zhe asked. Zhuang Hua, Zhang Yong and Zhao Wu all knew that Xia Zhe had yet to take his wedding leave. This was an important matter and should not be delayed. Dont worry and just go off. We definitely wont let anything happen to the troops. Lets assist with one last rescue search in the next few days and then we can leave, Zhuang Hua said as he looked at Xia Zhe. My team may need to leave later as there are many things that we have to hand over. When the time comes, Zhang Yong and his team can leave first, Zhao Wu said to Xia Zhe. Alright, lets proceed this way then. Zhang Yong, do you have any problems on your end? Xia Zhe looked at Zhang Yong seriously and asked him. No problem, but is it really alright for me to leave first? Zhang Yong looked at Xia Zhe worriedly. Currently, the professional rescue team has already taken over the search and rescue mission. Their troops had only come over to help with the rescue because they were close by at the time of the disaster. By now, it was time for them to go back and continue with their own training. However, there were still a lot of things to be done here and the victims had not received help yet. Although it was not their main job, they were still concerned about the victims. Its alright, there will be more people coming over in the next few days. We just need to follow the arrangements. We should leave our food here for the disaster victims and just take what we need for our journey, Xia Zhe said. Alright, Ill go and arrange it now. Zhang Yong left after saying that. Zhao Wu followed closely behind, leaving Xia Zhe and Zhuang Hua looking at each other. Xia Zhe stared at Zhuang Hua, not knowing how to start. Zhuang Hua already knew what Xia Zhe wanted to say. Lets go to my tent. Its hot outside, Zhuang Hua said, pointing in the direction of his tent. Sure. Xia Zhe nodded. The two of them walked side by side, each with his own thoughts. However, after being together for so many years, they had basic tacit understanding and knew what each other wanted. It did not take long for them to reach the tent. Xia Zhe did not stand on ceremony. He sat on Zhuang Huas bed and looked at him. Youre so stubborn. Zhuang Hua looked at Xia Zhe resignedly. 1 Xia Zhe only lowered his head and did not say anything. Although he had no romantic feelings for Zheng Yuan, they had grown up together after all. Xia Zhe was the youngest child in his family and he had always wanted a younger sister. However, he only had a domineering older sister. The Xia family and the Zheng family were neighbors and he had treated Zheng Yuan as a younger sister since they were children. Zhuang Hua sighed and said, Zheng Yuan wrote a report herself and even wrote a personal letter to Uncle Zheng. She told him everything and also submitted the report and asked for a transfer. Yes. Xia Zhe did not know what to say. He had also written a report, but it was only about the disaster and the arrangements of the troops. There was no mention of Zheng Yuan. Qiao Mei had told him not to report the matter to his superiors last night, so he had wanted to wait until he returned to the capital and meet Uncle Zheng to tell him about it. However, Zheng Yuans actions were more resolute than his. Dont get angry. Weve all been together for so many years and you know what kind of person Yuan Yuan is. Shes just impulsive. Zhuang Hua did not know how to explain the nature of this matter. 1 I originally intended to report to the superiors, but Qiao Mei did not want me to do it. She said that she could understand Zheng Yuan. Xia Zhe would always smile gently when he mentioned Qiao Mei. Zhuang Hua also knew that his buddy really liked Qiao Mei. Then what about you? Xia Zhe looked at Zhuang Hua. What do you mean what about me? Zhuang Hua was prepared to play dumb and let the question slide. Chapter 208 - Warm and Happy Seeing that Zhuang Hua still wanted to hide things from him, Xia Zhe reached out to flip the pillow on the bed. Zhuang Hua hurriedly rushed over to stop him and said, Ill talk, Ill talk! 2 Xia Zhe did not expose his buddys secret but waited for Zhuang Hua to speak. Zhuang Hua did not know where to start. It was actually not a secret, he just never mentioned it to Xia Zhe. In addition, Zhuang Hua was curious about how Xia Zhe knew that he had hidden Zheng Yuans photo under his pillow. 2 Ill continue to stay here in the troops and I dont plan to leave. Zhuang Hua did not say much and just talked about work. Youre not going with her this time? Xia Zhe asked. I had intended to, but she told me to stay here and not follow her. Zhuang Hua scratched his head, indicating that there was nothing he could do about Zheng Yuans decision. 1 Xia Zhe also knew what Zhuang Hua wanted to do, but Zhuang Hua was the only son in his family. Zheng Yuans transfer this time should be a demotion, so if Zhuang Hua went with her, it would be difficult for him to do well in the future. Its almost the holidays and well all be in the same courtyard and see one another. Have you thought about it? Xia Zhe asked Zhuang Hua. Zhuang Hua nodded and said, Yes, lets leave it at that. It would be good for everyone to calm down separately. I also want to think about what I should do and whether I should insist on it. You also know that my parents have been urging me to get married. I had originally managed to stop them from talking about it, but now that you went off and got married secretly, my parents are starting to urge me to get married again. Xia Zhe smiled in embarrassment and said, Why? Did my marriage bring you trouble? After the news about your marriage, Zhang Yong and I already cant count the number of phone calls from our families on just one hand. Fortunately, the news of your wifes pregnancy hasnt spread to the capital yet. If it did, Zhang Yong and I would have to answer calls every day urging us to get married! Zhuang Hua had a headache just thinking about the phone calls from home. Xia Zhe smiled and did not say anything. To him, it would be best if all his buddies found good partners as well. It was late in the morning when Qiao Mei slowly opened her eyes. She touched the side of the bed next to her and realized that Xia Zhe was not around. She hurriedly got up and looked around. The sunlight shone into the tent through the crack in the door. Looking at the time of the day, Xia Zhe had probably gone to work long ago. Qiao Mei stood up and did some stretches, preparing to go to the cookhouse to take a look. After collecting the water yesterday, they were probably still thinking about what to cook today. As she walked slowly along the path, many soldiers greeted her and addressed her as Mrs. Xia, making her feel overjoyed. So this is how it feels to be called Mrs. Xia, hehe. Qiao Mei skipped her way to the cookhouse. As soon as she reached the door, she saw the junior soldier shouting inside, Squad leader! Sister Qiao Mei is here! When everyone heard that it was Qiao Mei, they put down what they were doing and went up to greet her. Sister-in-law is here! Sister-in-law, come quickly! Were having meat today! Sister-in-law, go sit in the front. This place is so smoky and oily! Everyone spoke at the same time and Qiao Mei did not know who to answer first. The squad leader asked everyone to quiet down and asked, Comrade Qiao Mei, why are you here? Dont call me comrade Qiao Mei. Just call me Qiao Mei. Im here to see if theres anything I can do to help, Qiao Mei said as she picked up the apron. Hey, hey, hey! Dont move. How can we let you work hard when you helped us so much yesterday. Everyone cant thank you enough! The squad leader laughed and snatched the apron from Qiao Meis hand. Thats right, thats right! How can we let sister Qiao Mei work! Qiao Mei was too embarrassed to reject their kindness so she smiled and said, Then Ill just sit there and wait to eat delicious food! Yes, sister Qiao Mei. Just wait for the food! After saying that, the junior soldier quickly went back to do his tasks diligently. Everyone returned to their respective posts. Qiao Mei sat under the shade of a tree and looked at the hustle and bustle, feeling very happy. This kind of life was not too bad. It was completely different from before and everyone was very enthusiastic. Not long after, the fragrance of food wafted out. Although Qiao Mei did not help with the cooking, she secretly gave the vegetables a little bit of energy so that the food would be as fragrant as her cooking even though it was made by others. The food would be so delicious that people would find it unforgettable after eating it. At noon, when everyone was done with their work and came back to the camp, they all ran to the cookhouse to get food. They were so worried that there would be no food left if they were late, so they all rushed to line up. Chapter 209 - Pickled Radishes Qiao Mei smiled as she sat under the shade of the tree and watched the soldiers scrambling to get their food. The junior soldier from the cookhouse ran to Qiao Mei as he panted. Sister-in-law, come try this. The food thats made by the cookhouse today is very fragrant! Beads of sweat rolled down the junior soldiers face. Qiao Mei looked at the junior soldier in front of her. The clothes on his back were drenched in sweat. He had very tanned skin, and a simple and honest smile. The mess tin in his hand was very clean and filled with all kinds of dishes, especially meat. In the army, meat was especially scarce and yet they were willing to give it to her to eat. Qiao Mei quickly shook her head and said, You guys gave me too much. Quickly bring it back for everyone else to eat. The junior soldier looked at Qiao Mei very seriously and said, Sister-in-law! Dont worry and just eat it! Theres still a lot left in the pots. Ill leave it here for you. I need to go back, theres still lots of work! The junior soldier hurriedly placed the mess tin on a stool at the side and ran back, afraid that Qiao Mei would stop him if he was even a second slower. Qiao Mei shook her head helplessly and smiled as she looked in the direction that the junior soldier had left in, and then at the mess tin beside her. She could feel everyones care and love for her contained in it. Qiao Mei happily returned to the tent with the mess tin and waited for Xia Zhe to come back to share it with her. Otherwise, she would definitely not be able to finish it herself and it would be wasteful. After Xia Zhe and Zhuang Hua finished talking and made arrangements for the evacuation, he returned to his tent. He thought that Qiao Mei must be very bored staying in the tent alone. Unexpectedly, before he even entered the tent, he could hear Qiao Mei singing in the tent. He could not tell what she was doing, but she sounded very happy. Xia Zhe opened the tent door and saw that Qiao Mei was looking at a metal mess tin filled with meat and singing a song he could not recognize. Hey! Youre back! Hurry up, come and eat! Qiao Meis eyes lit up when she saw Xia Zhe. Xia Zhe took off his jacket and sat beside Qiao Mei. What made you so happy? Oh, let me tell you, I originally wanted to go to the cookhouse to take a look and help out. In the end, they didnt let me help and instead gave me lunch with a lot of meat! Qiao Mei indicated with her small hands to show how much meat there was. Qiao Meis cute gesture left Xia Zhe in a good mood as well. He reached out to pat her head and asked, Then why arent you eating? You just sit here looking at it. At the mention of this, Qiao Mei pouted and said, All because Im waiting for you Xia Zhe thought his heart would melt. Although Qiao Mei was mostly a forthright person when she interacted with other people, she behaved like a little girl in front of Xia Zhe and he was just full of tender affection for her. Yes, yes, yes. Its my fault. Ill come back earlier next time. Hurry up and eat. Xia Zhe handed the chopsticks to Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei picked up a piece of meat and placed it by Xia Zhes mouth. Try it quickly! Xia Zhe smiled and opened his mouth to eat it. He muttered, You eat it. This is quite delicious. Hearing from Xia Zhe that it was tasty, Qiao Mei did not stand on ceremony and started eating. She suddenly thought of something else and ran to her bag to take out a glass jar filled with pickled radishes. Aye, I cant remember who said that my pickled radishes dont taste nice. Isnt that right, Commander Xia? Qiao Mei said enigmatically. Xia Zhe also recalled what happened that day. At that time, he did not recognize Qiao Mei and just made a casual remark. He did not expect this little girl to bear a grudge. No way. Its definitely not me, Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei and answered tentatively. 1 Qiao Mei opened the jar and took out a piece of pickle. She waved it in front of Xia Zhe a few times before eating it, leaving Xia Zhe sitting on the spot with a helpless expression. He wondered how to deal with a troublemaker like Qiao Mei. My little ancestor, please spare me. I didnt know it was you back then, Xia Zhe said as he held Qiao Meis hand. As the saying went, heroes could not resist the charms of beautiful women. For Qiao Mei though, the beautiful woman could not resist the charm of the hero. Looking at Xia Zhes handsome face, coupled with his deep voice, she was unable to remain angry anymore. Besides, she was just joking and did not really want to ask Xia Zhe for an explanation. Chapter 210 - Preparing to Go to the Capital Alright, I wont tease you anymore. You should eat some too, Qiao Mei said awkwardly. By the way, the superiors said that they want us to evacuate within the next three days. I will take a break after we return to our original military unit. Is there anywhere that you want to go? Xia Zhe asked. Qiao Mei wanted to go and travel around, but she had been away from home for a long time. She had to hurry to the capital to visit Xia Zhes family and then send a letter to her grandfather. Otherwise, her grandfather would be anxious if he did not hear from her for so long. Lets go to the capital, Qiao Mei said without looking up. Xia Zhe originally wanted to go traveling with Qiao Mei, thinking that she had probably never been out on a long trip before. He did not expect Qiao Mei to want to go to the capital to meet his family. Really? Do you want to go to my house? Xia Zhe asked happily. Yes, I already think its a little rude to go only now. Do you think your parents wont like me? Thinking of this, Qiao Mei became worried. No, my parents are easy to talk to. Its not likely that they wont like you, Xia Zhe said gently. 3 Xia Zhes father, Xia Mao, was famous for having a good temper, but Xia Zhes mother, Xu Lan, was not so easy to get along with. She was quite a critical person and she liked to be fashionable. She would probably look down on Qiao Mei, who came from the countryside. Previously, Xu Lan had wanted Xia Zhe to be with the daughter of the Zhou family, who was also from a military family and had a good family background, all of which would benefit the Xia family. The daughter of the Zhou family was also a good-looking girl, so Xu Lan did not expect Xia Zhe to secretly get married, what more to a girl from the countryside. At that time, Xu Lan was still busy discussing Xia Zhes marriage in the capital. In the end, she received news of Xia Zhes marriage and that the couple even had a child on the way. She almost choked on her breath when she heard that, and she still hated this matter even now. After Qiao Mei finished eating, she started to clean up. She thought that she might want to do some shopping along the way and see if she could get more clothes. So where are we going this time? Qiao Mei asked without turning her head. Mei Mei, you cant go with me this time, Xia Zhe said awkwardly. I cant go? Qiao Mei looked back at Xia Zhe in confusion. Then, she remembered what her grandfather had told her before. Oh! You cant tell me because of the military rules! Qiao Mei said in realization. Yes, youre still not a military spouse now, so you cant come with me yet, Xia Zhe explained. Qiao Mei could not help but feel a little lost and said with disappointment, Then I should go home? No need. Lets do this, Ill send a letter to my aunt now so that you can go to her house to stay for a few days first. Ill come and look for you after Ive settled my work at the military unit, Xia Zhe said. His original military unit was located near the capital and he could go back very quickly. His aunt was also a warm-hearted person, so Qiao Mei should be fine, given that she was so likable. 1 Initially he just wanted to fulfill the basic responsibility of being a husband. After all, their first encounter was a little ridiculous. However, it was a totally different situation now. He also knew Qiao Me so much better. He had fallen deeply in love with Qiao Mei. Although she had crooked handwriting, she was actually very smart. Although she had some shortcomings when they first met, she was very beautiful now. She had actually lost so much weight for him and even traveled thousands of miles to look for him and even saved his life. 2 Now, he did not want to leave Qiao Meis side for even a second. He only wanted to stay by her side. Before the earthquake, the results of the earlier competition in the army had already been released. He had won first place as he wanted. This time, when he returned to the military unit, although he mainly needed to settle the matter of the evaluation, he also wanted to settle the matter of Qiao Mei being a military spouse as soon as possible. He did not want to be separated from Qiao Mei for too long. Your aunts place What kind of person is your aunt and what should I buy for her? Qiao Mei asked. My aunt is very easy to get along with. You can just go there. Theres no need to bring anything, Xia Zhe said with a smile. She thought it was fortunate that she was going to his aunts house and not directly to his house to look for his parents on her own. Just imagining such a scene made her feel awkward, as it would be like a daughter-in-law from the countryside bringing her child to seek refuge. Qiao Mei tilted her head and thought about what to wear to his aunts house and what kind of person his aunt would be like. Looking at Qiao Mei, who was lost in her thoughts, Xia Zhe could not help but go forward to hug her. Dont worry, Ill go and look for you very soon, Xia Zhe said. Chapter 211 - Meeting His Aunt Xia Zhe took out a few tattered dollar notes from his pocket and placed them in Qiao Meis hands one by one. Ive given you all my money every month. I borrowed this from Zhao Wu and the others. Take it, in case you need to buy things on the way. Qiao Mei actually had a lot of money in her bag, but she felt a sense of warmth when she saw Xia Zhe giving her the money and telling her seriously to use it to buy things she needed on the way. Qiao Mei took out a small square handkerchief and wrapped up the money. Dont worry, I wont go hungry. After thinking about it, Xia Zhe still felt worried and when he packed for Qiao Mei, he put in all the useful army supplies that he could think of. When the soldiers in the cookhouse knew that Qiao Mei was leaving, they all came to see her. Sister-in-law, here are some dried vegetables that we made ourselves. You can eat it on the way! And me! Sister-in-law, I secretly brought this waxed sausage from home. Theres not much left though, if you dont mind! And me, and me! Sister-in-law, take these steamed buns with you! Everyone spoke one after another and there were so many gifts that Qiao Mei could barely hold them all in her arms. When Xia Zhe saw this scene, he could not believe that these soldiers were actually all such enthusiastic people. Usually, Xia Zhe was unsmiling and looked very serious. Everyone felt that Xia Zhe was very fierce, and given that his combat skills were top-notch, no one dared to provoke him and they did not dare to speak when they saw him. They even nicknamed Xia Zhe the Living King of Hell because he was especially strict and ruthless when it came to training soldiers. However, all the soldiers who were trained by him would turn out to be very capable. Alright, alright, I cant take so much with me. Ill just take the steamed buns. You can all bring back the rest of the things. Im just going to the capital and will reach there very quickly. Dont worry! Qiao Mei shouted above the noise. Everyone was relieved to hear that. Alright, you can all go back now, Xia Zhe said. Seeing that Commander Xia had given an order, everyone took their things and went back. Only the squad leader said smugly on the way, See, my steamed buns are the most useful. Hahahahaha! Qiao Mei looked at the departing soldiers and felt a little reluctant to part with them. After being together for so many days, she already had some feelings for them. Xia Zhe said darkly, Come back here. Stop looking. 1 Qiao Mei placed a pile of steamed buns beside her backpack. Everyone is so warm-hearted, Qiao Mei said to Xia Zhe with a smile. From everyones behavior, it was obvious that Qiao Mei had been well liked by everyone during this period of time. There were even many people who privately talked about finding a wife like Qiao Mei, who was beautiful, kind and an exceptional cook. The next morning, Xia Zhe sent Qiao Mei to the car. As the railway was damaged by the earthquake, they could only travel by cars. The ride would be bumpy and Xia Zhe was worried about Qiao Mei going to the capital on her own. This car was an internal transport vehicle. Other than transporting equipment, there were also three other army comrades sent to the capital to report back on this mission. Xia Zhe was less worried, knowing that Qiao Mei would be traveling with them. After arriving in the capital, they would stop the car by the roadside for Qiao Mei to get off. Xia Zhe had already called his aunt in advance to inform her of the exact location. After a bumpy ride for a whole day, they arrived at the capital. Xia Zhes aunt was already waiting at the meeting location. The other guys helped Qiao Mei out of the car and she waved towards the back. Goodbye! Thank you! As soon as Xia Fang saw Qiao Mei, she knew that this girl was Xiao Zhes wife. A beautiful girl who came down from a military vehicle could not be the wrong guess. With her fair skin, lively eyes and slender figure, it was no wonder that Xiao Zhe did not inform his family and just got married straight away. If his aunt knew what Qiao Mei looked like in the past, she might have a new understanding of Xia Zhe. 5 Qiao Mei carried her bag and looked around. She immediately saw Xia Zhes aunt, Xia Fang, who looked about 40 years old. One look and she could tell that Xia Fang was a lady from a wealthy family as she had a very elegant aura. Hello, are you Xia Zhes aunt? Qiao Mei asked daintily. Yes, Im Xia Zhes aunt. My name is Xia Fang. You must be exhausted. Come, lets go back to my house, Xia Fang said as she quickly took the backpack from Qiao Meis shoulders. Aunt, let me do it, Qiao Mei said. Its alright, lets go home. Xia Fang carried the backpack and took the bus home with Qiao Mei. Chapter 212 - Crazy Woman Xia Fangs house was in a good location at the edge of the city center. It was a nice area where one might not be able to buy a place even if one had the money. The buildings in the district were all four stories high and there was also a lot of greenery around. Xia Fang was the chief physician of the obstetrics and gynecology department at the city hospital and many people knew her. This was a house allocated by the hospital, and most of the people in this neighborhood were colleagues from the same hospital. Along the way, many people saw Xia Fang with a beautiful girl and they all tried to find out which family had such a beautiful daughter. Our Xia Zhe, Xiao Zhes wife! Xia Fang repeated this sentence to many people along the way, smiling so widely that her eyes could barely open. In their younger days, Xia Mao and Xu Lan were both too busy to take care of Xia Zhe. When Xia Zhe was young, Xia Fang was the one who took care of him most of the time. Moreover, Xia Fangs place was close to Xia Zhes school. As time passed, everyone living in the area knew Xia Zhe. Xia Zhes wife? A middle-aged woman suddenly rushed over from the crowd and questioned Xia Fang. The middle-aged woman looked at Qiao Mei fiercely, almost like she wanted to tear Qiao Mei apart and swallow her alive. 1 Xia Fang frowned and shielded Qiao Mei behind her, preparing to leave. Dont go! Tell me who she is! the woman said fiercely as she grabbed Qiao Meis arm. Qiao Mei felt some pain from the grip, but as she did not know what this persons background was, she thought that it was better not to make any move since she had only just arrived in the capital. Xia Fang immediately got angry when she saw what was happening. She pushed the woman away and said, Yes! So what if shes Xiao Zhes wife! Dont harass her here! Can you afford it if you hurt our Xiao Zhes child! Child? Xia Zhe actually had a child with her? The womans expression became even more weird and Qiao Mei became wary when she saw this. She was not afraid that this woman would attack her, but she was more concerned that her child would be hurt. Qiao Mei held her stomach and did not make a sound. Xia Fang saw the red mark on Qiao Meis arm and then the look in the womans eyes. Xia Fang stood in front of Qiao Mei to prevent the woman from looking at Qiao Mei. What right does Xia Zhe have to get married! Hes an ungrateful bastard! He said that he would be with my Xiaoe! Why did he get married once he left! How can he not keep his word! The woman dropped to the ground and cried as she bent over. 1 Qiao Mei widened her eyes when she heard that. Im the other woman? Qiao Mei could not help but feel a little uncertain. Back then, she had indeed tricked Xia Zhe into bed, and it never crossed her mind that Xia Zhe might have a fiance. 2 Dont listen to her nonsense! one of the neighbors stood next to Qiao Mei and said. Her Xiaoe and Xia Zhe are not in a relationship at all. They cant even be considered classmates. Theyre just playmates in the same courtyard, the neighbor said. Thats right. What does your Xiaoe have to do with Xia Zhe? Its clearly your Xiaoe who chased after him and refused to give up after being rejected. You still have the cheek to cry here. Every time Xia Zhe comes here, you act like this. Everyone talked after one another and explained the matter clearly. The story was that Xiaoe had taken a fancy to Xia Zhe, but Xia Zhe did not like her and rejected her, but Xiaoe refused to let it go. How long has it been since your Xiaoe was rejected? Xia Zhe has already been a soldier for more than 10 years. Why are you still thinking about him? Thats right, thats right. Your Xiaoe just had her engagement broken off a few days ago. Dont tell me shes thinking about Xia Zhe again after knowing that hes coming back? A few neighbors started to expose the ugly truth. Pfft! What nonsense are you talking about! The woman cursed at them as she remained bent over the ground. Everyone around her was talking and she did not know who to scold. She looked like a person who had lost her mind. My Xiaoe has made a pact with Xia Zhe before. They have an agreement Before the woman could finish speaking, Xia Fang interrupted her and said, Dont be so shameless. When did our Xia Zhe make a pact with your daughter? Please dont think that our family is as shameless as yours. Thats right. Of all people, you choose to pick on Xia Zhe. You should hurry home and stop embarrassing yourself here. Thats right, thats right! What a joke! The neighbors spoke one after another. It seemed that this woman had offended everyone a lot. Otherwise, no one would say such things about her. Chapter 213 - Endless Quarrel Zhao Ni! Just shut up! Dont you think your Xiaoe has embarrassed herself enough! Why must you make a fuss until everyone knows about it! Xia Fang pointed at Zhao Ni angrily and scolded her, Have some self-respect! Pfft! What a snob you are! Whats wrong with our Xiaoe! Back then, your Xia Zhe still begged to marry our Xiaoe! In the blink of an eye, he doesnt seem to know her anymore! How heartless! Zhao Ni sat on the ground and wailed. Xia Fang was so angry that her hands trembled, but she did not know how to deal with Zhao Ni. Listen carefully! Our Xia Zhe is married. He did not have any previous relationship with your child at all. They didnt even talk much! Xia Fang explained. Lets go back. Xia Fang did not want to waste her breath and steered Qiao Mei towards the direction of her house. Zhao Ni quickly stood up to stop them from leaving. After a long day of traveling, as well as not having absorbed the energy of surrounding plants for a long time, Qiao Mei already felt a little tired. Dont go! Make yourself clear! When is Xia Zhe coming back! Zhao Ni glared fiercely at Qiao Mei. So what if hes back, anyway our Xia Zhe is already married. Get out of the way! Xia Fang pushed away Zhao Ni, who was standing in the way, and walked away with Qiao Mei. Zhao Ni sat back on the ground and pointed at Qiao Mei. Look at how poor she looks! Xia Zhe has only taken a fancy to her face! She looks like she came from the countryside! A marriage can still end in divorce! Were not afraid! Just you wait! When the neighbors standing around saw Xia Fang leaving and that the drama had ended, they all went home as well. Seeing no one around anymore, Zhao Ni also left while still cursing on the way. Her Xiaoe had a miscarriage and a broken engagement. From then on, Zhao Ni became completely shameless. As long as someone looked at her, she would scold the person and say that the person looked down on her. 2 In the past, Zhao Ni had married well and her husband was the deputy director of the hospital. She had always been a full-time wife at home taking care of her husband and children. She used to be very arrogant and looked down on everyone. Now, she was like a shrew and did not resemble her previously dignified self at all. Even her daughter, who was once a nice good girl, became influenced by her. The neighbors all lamented and thought that it was such a waste of a good kid like Xiaoe. However, Zhao Nis current situation was also caused by her children. It was always the parents who had to pay for their childrens debts. Xia Fang brought Qiao Mei home. Xia Fangs house was on the fourth floor, which was the highest floor. The house occupied an area of more than 120 square meters and had an exquisite timber floor. There were beautiful white porcelain tiles in the kitchen. There was a large color television, a large refrigerator, a washing machine, a radio, and a sewing machine. Xia Fang had all the most advanced items at home. Just the large television alone made Qiao Mei marvel with wonder. Not only did she have these things, but the top floor also came with a loft. There was a small skylight that allowed one to see the starry sky at night. Xia Fang loved flowers and plants and planted many flowers in the loft, all of which were blooming beautifully. Xia Zhes wife, come sit down and drink some water. You must be tired from the journey. Xia Fang had not been idle since she entered the house. She kept bringing food and drinks for Qiao Mei, afraid that Qiao Mei would be too tired. Qiao Mei obediently took the cup and took a few sips. She looked at Xia Fang with her big eyes, making Xia Fangs feel as if her heart could melt. Xia Zhe has nothing to do with that persons daughter. The two of them just grew up in the same compound. Xia Zhes school is close to here, so he basically comes to stay with me during his school days. Her child is also from this compound, so the kids know each other since they play together, Xia Fang said nervously as she looked at Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei listened quietly to what Xia Fang said and did not take anything to heart. She knew that Xia Zhe must have suitors in the capital, but she just did not expect them to be so aggressive. Xia Fang was also puzzled. She wondered why Qiao Mei did not look angry, and whether it was because she did not care about their Xia Zhe. Did she really not care, or was she just magnanimous? Or did she have other plans? Xia Fang had all these thoughts in her head. Ah, that girl has to be around 26 or 27 years old, right? Qiao Mei said. Yes, shes 26 this year, Xia Fang nodded and said. Xia Zhe was three to four years older than her. When Xia Zhe left back then, Xiaoe had been chasing after him relentlessly. Even now, her mother was still thinking about Xia Zhe. 1 Chapter 214 - Divorce and Abortion Qiao Mei smiled and thought that she had to remember this. When Xia Zhe came back, she had to ask him why he had so many outstanding romantic businesses. 1 At the thought of this, Qiao Mei could not help but laugh audibly. When Xia Fang saw that not only was Qiao Mei not angry, but actually looked quite happy, she became uncertain. Was it that Qiao Mei did not like Xia Zhe and now intended to get a divorce? 1 It could not be so. Their Xia Zhe could be considered handsome and had a good family background. How could she not be satisfied? Could it be that Xia Zhe had done something unfaithful! Xia Fangs heart was in turmoil and all kinds of thoughts crossed her mind. She did not know what Qiao Mei was thinking. Then she was married before? And had her engagement broken off? Qiao Mei said as she looked at Xia Fang curiously. Xia Fang did not hide anything from Qiao Mei and told her everything she knew. Xiaoes actual name was Qiane and she was a student from a girls school in the capital. She had originally taken a liking to Xia Zhe and then it had gone on for a few years. In the beginning, she only liked him secretly. It was only when Xia Zhe joined the army later that she started behaving badly. She would go to Xia Fangs house every other day and even went around telling people that Xia Zhe liked her and was going to marry her when he returned from the army. Everyone saw her frequent visits to Xia Fangs house, so they thought that what she said was true. Xia Fang told everyone in private that this was not the case, but before the earlier rumors could be clarified, Qiane went around chatting with everyone again, hinting that Xia Fangs clarification was fake. Xia Zhe was a person who did not like to talk much. Xia Fang had asked him privately if he liked Qiane and Xia Zhe made it absolutely clear that he did not. Therefore, Xia Fang had always refuted the rumors forcefully. In the end, this matter reached the ears of Xia Zhes mother, Xu Lan. She was a person who cared very much about family background, so she became even angrier when she heard such news. Xu Lan was not someone to be trifled with. She went straight to Qiane and asked her to stop making a fuss or it could be considered slander. Qiane stopped what she was doing after that. However, there was no proper closure to the matter. After that, Qiane never got married and when she was 24 years old and still single, she gained a reputation for being the old spinster in this area. Zhao Ni could not stand the embarrassment and found Qiane a partner from a family which was of equal status to them. It was only then that Qiane did not go to Xia Fangs house again and did not think about Xia Zhe anymore. She did not even greet Xia Fang even when they bumped into each other on the street. She behaved in a very arrogant manner, as if she had found a powerful backer. Her partners family background could be considered to be not bad. His family was in business, which was a background that was looked upon favorably. Xia Fang did not take further notice as she was not too interested in such things. She would not have been able to imagine that three months after that coincidental meeting, she would see Qiane in the hospital and accompanied by her mother, Zhao Ni, instead of her husband. At that time, Xia Fang was not the chief physician yet. That day, all the other doctors had scheduled surgeries and were very busy, so they had recalled her to the hospital for an emergency operation. She did not expect to have to perform surgery on Qiane. Qiane was found to have an ectopic pregnancy and was bleeding profusely. She was already on the verge of going into shock given that she was anemic and weak, and was brought to the hospital too late. In order to save Qianes life, Xia Fang had no choice but to remove her uterus. 2 It was Xia Fang who performed the surgery on Qiane even though the mother-daughter duos initial plan was to keep the matter a secret from Xia Fang. At that time, Zhao Ni had an especially awkward expression on her face. Later on, Zhao Ni went to the mans house to demand an explanation. The man refused to admit that the child was his and even tarnished Qiane reputation by saying that Qiane was a promiscuous person. Yet, this matter was settled in less than two days after that. Xia Fang did not know what the man offered Zhao Ni to make her agree to a compromise, making her daughter a sacrifice. Given that Xia Fang did not panic during this surgery and made decisive judgments, she was promoted to the chief physician as a result. This was something that happened many years back. This Qiane is also really pitiful. Shes still young but she already cant have children. Although Xia Fang had a bad impression of Qiane, she still felt an overwhelming sense of pity for the girl. 1 It was only now that Qiao Mei understood the entire matter. It turned out that Qiane had nothing to do with her husband, Xia Zhe. It was solely Qiane and her family blowing their own trumpet. Throughout the entire matter, Xia Zhe had never been concerned about them. Qiao Mei clenched her fists in anger and remained silent. Xia Fang did not understand why Qiao Mei only became angry after hearing the story. Chapter 215 - New Clothes If Qiane was Xia Zhes ex-girlfriend, Qiao Mei would still feel a little ashamed and feel that she owed Qiane something. However, it turned out that it was Qiane who bullied Xia Zhe because he was an upright person who did not like to talk, and she kept bullying him! She even went around spreading rumors! Just because Xia Zhe doesnt like to speak and explain himself, she keeps clinging onto him! Qiao Mei said angrily. 3 Xia Fang laughed out loudly when she heard what Qiao Mei said. So this kid was angry on Xia Zhes behalf. How cute. 1 Dont be angry. Lets ignore her. Ill take a look at you now, Xia Fang said as she pointed at Qiao Meis stomach. Before Qiao Mei came, she already heard from Xia Zhe that his aunt was the chief of the obstetrics and gynecology department and a very good doctor. Qiao Mei hurriedly replied, Yes, alright. She obediently listened to Xia Fangs instructions and did not contradict her at all. A pregnancy examination was actually very simple and not an advanced procedure at all. The entire process was simply to check on the pregnant womans body measurements, her height, her weight, whether her joints were sore and the extent of her morning sickness. Xia Fangs house had all the equipment to do these tests. Qiao Mei now weighed 130 pounds and she was 172 centimeters tall. Everything was fine and within normal ranges. Its not bad. Keep it up. Everythings fine, going by how you look. Xia Fang nodded, unable to contain her joy. Qiao Mei finally knew how much weight she had lost. If she was not pregnant, she would definitely be even slimmer. Mei Mei, you can rest in this room. This is where Xia Zhe always stayed. Even though he has been a soldier for the past few years, I still clean his room often and I havent touched anything, Xia Fang said. Xia Zhes room was the secondary bedroom, and it could be considered a very large room. The floor area was more than 20 square meters and in the room, there were bright and clean windows, a simple white large closet, a study desk by the window, and a bookcase filled with all kinds of books. The walls were also hung full of Xia Zhes awards and medals. She could tell that Xia Fang had taken good care of this room and cleaned it regularly. There were also a lot of clothes on the single bed and it was obvious that they were womens dresses and pants. Mei Mei, come quickly. These are all the new clothes Ive prepared for you. See if they suit you. If not, well go out and buy more. Xia Fang pulled Qiao Mei over to the bed. There were around 10 pieces of clothes covering the entire bed. After Xia Fang received Xia Zhes call and knew that Qiao Mei was coming to her house, she carefully asked about Qiao Meis figure in detail and went to the shops to find things that would be useful for her. She even bought new bed linen, and made sure that they were the best and most comfortable ones available. She had always treated Xia Zhe as her child and now she was treating Qiao Mei as her own as well. Thats a lot! Qiao Mei looked at the clothes on the bed in surprise. Qiao Mei reached out to touch the material. As soon as she did, she knew that these clothes were of the best quality and were not cheap. It was a trend nowadays to demand for quality and this piece of clothing would have cost around 30 dollars. She did not know how much it would cost to buy so many clothes. There were not only clothes but also shoes of various styles. It would probably add up to around 500 dollars. That would be equivalent to 10 months of grandfathers salary! It was obvious that Xia Fang doted on Qiao Mei a lot. Qiao Mei had been with the troops for so many days and was covered in dust and dirt. If not for her beauty and the fact that she had a natural body fragrance, she would have been despised by everyone she met. It also explained why, during the earlier interaction downstairs, Zhao Ni had said that Qiao Mei looked poor, as if she came from the countryside. Aunt, is it possible to take a shower at home? I would like to take a shower. Qiao Mei looked at the new clothes and she did not reject aunts kindness. She had more expensive gifts than that in her bag. However, she was covered in dust at the moment and it would be a waste of effort to change into new clothes. She had to take a shower first. Xia Fang quickly brought Qiao Mei to the bathroom and said, Look at me, I was so busy that I forgot to let you wash up first. The bathroom was also very big. In her memory, most of the houses in this era were apartment buildings and the bathroom in each house was only big enough to accommodate just one person and it was difficult for one person to even turn around in it. Otherwise, there were no bathrooms at all and people had to share communal bathrooms and kitchens. Anyone who had their own bathrooms were considered to be living very well. Qiao Mei looked at the fixtures and fittings in the bathroom and could not help but marvel that the capital was indeed an amazing place. The washbasin and water heater in Xia Fangs house were imported appliances and looked expensive. Chapter 216 - Maternity Wear Come Mei Mei, dont get scalded. Ill teach you. Xia Fangs tone was very gentle and she did not look down on Qiao Mei at all. She slowly taught Qiao Mei how to use the appliances and brought her a new towel and toothbrush, as well as newly bought comfortable underwear. Xia Fang held on to the underwear as she looked Qiao Mei up and down. Did I buy too small a size? Perhaps you can make do with it for now. I can go and buy new ones now, its just nearby, Xia Fang said. Qiao Mei looked at her chest and thought that it did look a little bigger than before. Perhaps it was because of the pregnancy. No need for that, Aunt! I brought many new ones! Qiao Mei said as she held back Xia Fang. She was afraid that if she spoke too slowly, Xia Fang would head out to buy another pile of clothes. Qiao Mei returned to the room and opened her backpack. She took out all her clothes and put her underwear at the bottom of the stack. Xia Fang casually picked up the light blue dress made by Qiao Mei and unfolded it. There was nothing really special about this dress. It was just a simple tailored dress with a circle of white floral patterns embroidered on the side. Xia Fang had never seen such a design before and found it novel. Mei Mei, is this a popular design from where you came from? Xia Fang asked curiously. No, Aunt. I made this myself. Its maternity wear, Qiao Mei answered patiently. Maternity wear? Xia Fang looked at the pure cotton clothing that she was holding in her hands. The more she looked at it, the more she liked it. She did not expect Qiao Mei to be skillful enough to be able to make her own clothes. 1 Xia Fang looked at Qiao Mei with even more affection in her eyes. The clothes she bought had excellent workmanship and were made of various types of fabrics. They were beautiful and durable, and the styles were varied. Being a doctor, she naturally knew that pure cotton fabric was the best for pregnant women. However, she was afraid that Qiao Mei would misunderstand her intention, so she bought the most expensive and best ones. Qiao Mei watched Xia Fang fondle the dress lovingly as if she could not bear to part with it. Although Xia Fang did not say anything, her eyes revealed her fondness for it. In her heart, Qiao Mei secretly planned to make a beautiful dress for Xia Fang so that she could also have something pretty to wear. Qiao Mei took her toiletries and a set of new clothes and went to take a shower. She finished washing up very quickly and came out with a change of clothes. Her hair was in a neat braid and she had tied a white ribbon bow at the end of her hair. She wore the light blue maternity dress and looked refreshed and unique. The way she was beautifully dressed, she did not look like a girl from the countryside at all. People would believe it if they were told that she was from a rich family. No wonder their Xia Zhe got married quietly and without informing anyone, and even already had a child! This was another person who felt that Xia Zhe had married Qiao Mei because he was blinded by his lust for her. Only Qiao Qiang and the couple knew about what exactly happened back then. 3 Come and eat, Mei Mei. Im not a good cook, so just make do with it, Xia Fang said embarrassedly. There were a total of 12 dishes, including fish, meat and seafood. It was as if they were celebrating a festival. Qiao Mei thought that if this was still not good enough, then she did not know how to define good anymore. 1 Qiao Mei shyly sat down to eat and rushed to wash the dishes when they had finished. Xia Fang did not try to stop her. It was a workday and she should be at work, but she had taken a day off for Qiao Mei. However, the hospital had called her just now to ask her to go back for an emergency case, so she had no choice. Mei Mei, I have to go to the hospital. Theres a patient I have to see. You have to remember not to open the door no matter who comes by. We all have our own set of keys, Xia Fang said as she packed her things. Qiao Mei nodded obediently. Also, on the shelf at the door, theres a keychain with a lamb toy attached to it. Thats your key. Wait for me to come back and then Ill show you around. Otherwise, Im afraid youll get lost. Also, dont use anything dangerous, like knives or such Xia Fang nagged at Qiao Mei as she hurriedly packed up. 1 Qiao Mei looked at Xia Fang and could not help but smile. She had thought that Xia Fang would be a rigid person like Xia Zhe, and did not expect her to have such a nice temper. When Xia Fang did not hear Qiao Meis reply, she looked up and asked, Mei Mei, do you remember everything I said? When she looked up and saw Qiao Meis bright smile, Xia Fang could not help but smile back as well. I hope you remembered everything. Dont forget anything. I really have to go before its too late. Xia Fang put on her shoes and went out. Yes, yes. Off you go, Qiao Mei waved goodbye and returned to the room to unpack her luggage. Chapter 217 - Coming to the Door 1 After sending Xia Fang off, Qiao Mei returned to the kitchen and hummed a tune as she cleared the crockery and cutlery. As there was a water heater in the house, the water was warm and not cold at all. In the past, there was no such advanced equipment in the village. She guessed that her grandfather, Qiao Qiang, had probably never seen such an electric appliance before. Even in the county city, there were not many families who would be able to afford it. What she did back at home was to boil water in the big cooking pot and then use the cold water in the well to neutralize the temperature of the water. The water in the well was cold even in summer. Qiao Mei really disliked not being able to find a good solution to get warm water. After all, no matter how well the big cooking pot was scrubbed during washing up, it was impossible to guarantee that there was no oil at all after that. Given the situation, it was inevitable that there would always be some oil in her bath water, even though it was just a thin layer and not a lot. When theres a chance, Ill think of a way to bring one back and ask grandfather to install it for me. I cant let go of such a good thing. Qiao Mei was still thinking about how to connect the pipes in the village when she heard someone pounding on the door. Qiao Mei stood at the kitchen door and looked out before she stopped herself. Before Xia Fang left, she had told Qiao Mei not to open the door for anyone. Besides, if the visitor was really looking for Aunt, the visitor would go off to look for her at the hospital if there was no one at home, and would not knock for too long. Unexpectedly, not only did this person continue to knock on the door, but the knocking became more forceful, as if the person would smash a hole in the door if it was not opened. 2 Qiao Mei frowned slightly and wiped her hands clean before opening the door. 1 As soon as she opened the door, she saw an aggressive woman who looked a little older, with not very good skin. She even had very serious dark circles under her eyes and she was quite thin. Who are you and wheres Auntie Xia Fang? the woman said disdainfully. She went out. If youre looking for her, come back tomorrow. Qiao Mei rebuffed the woman the moment she heard her asking for Xia Fang. She was about to close the door when the woman stopped her. Im not here to look for Auntie Xia Fang. Go ask that country bumpkin to come out, the woman said. Country bumpkin? Could she be talking about me? Qiao Mei smiled and said, Maybe Im the country bumpkin youre looking for. The woman looked at Qiao Mei in disbelief. According to her mother, the person who came was a poor villager. The person in front of her did not look like a woman who did farming in the countryside. You must be Qiane, Qiao Mei guessed. You know about me? Qiane looked at Qiao Mei and asked. Yes. Qiao Mei nodded. After hearing the whole story from Xia Fang, she felt as if she knew enough about Qiane. However, the unexpected thing was that Qiane misunderstood what Qiao Mei meant and thought that Xia Zhe had told Qiao Mei that she was Xia Zhes fiance. 2 You knew about me but you still married Xia Zhe! Shameless thing! Qiane suddenly became irritable. Qiao Mei had a puzzled look on her face. She found herself unable to understand what Qiane was saying. The surrounding neighbors came out to see who was causing the commotion. When they saw that it was Qiane, most of them came to help Qiao Mei while some people remained watching from the side. Xia Zhes wife, ignore this crazy woman and hurry back into the house, said an elderly female neighbor in the crowd. Pfft! Who are you calling Xia Zhes wife! Im Xia Zhes girlfriend! Qiane yelled loudly when she heard this. Qiao Mei looked helplessly at the woman in front of her who had come to cause trouble. As she could not teach the woman a lesson, she clenched her fists in anger and blamed it all on Xia Zhe for going around incurring romantic debts! 2 You! You must have used some tactics to get Xia Zhe to marry you! Whats your name! How many people are there in your family! Who allowed you to marry Xia Zhe! Qiane threw out a lot of questions, almost like she was checking up on all of Qiao Meis ancestors. My name is Qiao Mei. As for your other queries, you can find out for yourself since youre so capable. Qiao Mei rolled her eyes and paid no heed. Qiane stomped her feet in anger, and Qiao Mei then asked, Who are you? Whats your designation? Are you the director of the womens community in this apartment complex? Hahahahahaha! The neighbors who were watching the commotion burst out laughing. For a woman to become the director of the womens community in her apartment complex, she needed to have a happy family, to have given birth and raise children, as well as to be married. Its not a position that anyone could take up. You! Im Xia Zhes fiance! You stole my man! Qiane pointed at Qiao Mei and said. 1 The neighbors standing around could not take it anymore. Chapter 218 - Berating Qiane When did you become Xia Zhes fiance! How shameless! You were previously married, yet you still want to meddle with someone elses wedded bliss! Thats right. You got divorced and still want to become a nuisance to Xia Zhes family. How shameless! You liked Xia Zhe so much back then, but in the end, you still went with Ma San! Now that he doesnt want you anymore, you come looking for Xia Zhe again after the divorce. After Qiao Mei listened to the neighbors around her talking over one another, she understood the whole story even more clearly. So the man who divorced Qiane was called Ma San. Look at how beautiful Xia Zhes wife is. Then look at yourself! Oh, so this is Xia Zhes wife from the countryside. Shes too beautiful! Thats right. No wonder Xia Zhe got married without telling anyone. If its me, I will also definitely hold on tightly to someone so beautiful. What a pity. Xia Zhes wife! If you have a younger sister, please introduce her to my son. Hahahahaha, why do you keep thinking about your own family! The neighbors began to praise Qiao Mei for being beautiful and even wanted to propose marriages for Qiao Meis sisters. They thought that given Qiao Mei was so beautiful, her female relatives must all be pretty as well. Moreover, even if they looked down on Qiao Meis countryside background, she had already married into the Xia family. If their sons married Qiao Meis relatives, they would be considered a relative of the Xia family in the future. None of them would want to give up a chance of both having a beautiful daughter-in-law as well as being related to the Xia family. The more Qiane listened, the more jealous she became. What was so good about Qiao Mei that everyone would praise her! The neighbors usually did not talk much about Qiane. After all, she had lived in the same compound as them since she was young, and everyone had watched her grow up. When she was younger, she had many talents and knew how to dance and play the piano. Back then, many people praised Qiane and even wanted to propose an arranged marriage between her and their sons. Yet, Qiane was really pitiful now. She not only had an abortion, but she also got divorced. In the future, she would not even be able to get pregnant. It would be difficult for her to marry into a good family in the future, and her reputation was affected as well. She was originally such a good kid. If Zhao Ni had not insisted that Qiane get married, it would not have led to the current situation. Zhao Ni not only did not educate her child well, but she even allowed Qiane to live in her own fantasies and continue wasting her life away. Now, Qiane was even becoming a nuisance to Xia Zhe and his family. Such people were the most infuriating type. When they did not lead a good life, they wanted others to suffer too! You gossipy women! What has it got to do with you! Are you done dealing with your own family matters! Youre spouting nonsense! If you behave like this, youll all go to hell when you die! Qiane pointed at the neighbors standing around and cursed at them. People did not want to hear the word die nowadays. Now that life was good and everyone was starting to enjoy life in their old age, Qiane actually cursed them to die! This caused everyone to be unhappy and they all started to reprimand Qiane. Beat her up! She actually believes in feudal superstitions! Go to her unit and report her! Yes! Report her! Shes absent from work during office hours! Report her and get her laid off! Fire her! Qiane could not withstand everyones insults and beatings and ran all the way downstairs, almost falling over on the way. Qiao Mei took the key that Xia Fang had given her, locked the door and followed everyone downstairs. After all, she was still pregnant and it was safer to walk at the back of the crowd. Otherwise, it would be easy for Qiao Mei to get accidentally injured during any commotion. After all, everyone was feeling indignant because of Qiao Mei. Being the protagonist, if she closed the door and let everyone stand up for her without being there, all the neighbors would become bitterly disappointed in her. When they reached the courtyard outside, Zhao Ni was on her way back from buying groceries and saw Qiane being beaten up. She hurriedly threw away her groceries to one side and went forward to stop them. What are you doing! Zhao Ni hurriedly ran over and pointed at everyone. No one was afraid. Seeing that Zhao Ni had come, they stopped beating up Qiane and went to reason with Zhao Ni. Your daughter is superstitious. Were going to report her! Yes! She even framed Xia Zhes family. How shameless! She also skipped work during office hours! Lets report everything! Everyone started listing down all the things that they thought Qiane had done wrong while Qiao Mei listened from the side. In just a short while, there were already more than 10 items to report. It was more than she could count with two hands. Im not spouting nonsense! Im Xia Zhes girlfriend! Qiane shouted. Chapter 219 - I Have Evidence! Who are you fooling! Bring out the evidence! The elderly female neighbor looked at Qiane mockingly. Qiane stopped hiding behind Zhao Ni and stood in front of the elderly female neighbor. Of course I have evidence! Upon hearing that Qiane had evidence to prove that she was Xia Zhes girlfriend, Qiao Mei immediately became interested. She walked up and asked, What evidence do you have? Tell us about it. I have the love letter Xia Zhe wrote to me back then! Qiane glared at Qiao Mei and said. Qiao Mei looked Qiane in the eyes, with a look of disbelief on her face. Xia Fang had already said that Xia Zhe clearly told his family that he did not like Qiane. She believed Xia Fang. Besides, Qiane had her engagement broken off and even had an abortion during that time. If Xia Zhe knew about this, he would not behave so indifferently if he had any feelings for her. Furthermore, when he knew that Qiane was going to get married, he would have come back to fight for her hand. He could not possibly watch Qiane suffer like this. To say that Xia Zhe liked Qiane? Qiao Mei really did not believe that. Then show it to me and well see if it was written by Xia Zhe, Qiao Mei said. Qiane panicked a little, seeing that this village girl was actually not intimidated by her. Qiane put on airs and said, Youre a country bumpkin from the countryside. Can you read? How do you know that I cant read? Even if I really cant read, it cant be that all these people here cant read as well. If you say you have it, then bring it out for us to take a look, Qiao Mei said, then she smiled and looked at the neighbors around her. Thats right, thats right. All of us can read. Bring it out! the neighbors echoed. Dont tell me its all in your dream. This love letter is engraved in your mind so you cant take it out! Qiao Mei looked at Qiane mockingly. Hahahahahaha! The neighbors standing around burst out laughing. You! Qiane pointed at Qiao Mei and could not even say a word. She was so angry that her face turned red. Qiane did not expect Xia Zhes new wife to be so sharp-tongued that she could choke people to death with her words. In addition, she did not kick up any fuss either. She could make people speechless with just a few words. Feeling stressed, Qiane said anxiously, The love letter is in my house! Its very precious to me! How can I have it with me everywhere I go! Then is your house in this compound, and is it far? Qiao Mei looked at Qiane and asked her. For a moment, Qiane did not know how to answer. Seeing that Qiane did not say anything for a long time, Qiao Mei looked at the neighbors beside her. Its in this compound. Its that building! The elderly female neighbor even pointed it out to Qiao Mei. Thats right, its just on the third floor. A round trip will only take five minutes! someone shouted from the crowd. Alright, you can walk slowly. Ill give you 10 minutes. Go get the letter and well all wait for you, Qiao Mei said with her arms crossed. Qiao Mei knew that Qiane would not be able to produce the letter. It was not possible that Xia Zhe could write such a thing to Qiane. If they really had any feelings for each other, things would have happened long ago. There was no need to wait until now, when everyone was not that young anymore. Furthermore, with Xia Zhes stubborn temper, there was no way that he would give up if he really wanted to marry someone. Qiane definitely did not have any evidence in her hands. Qiane stared daggers at Qiao Mei, wishing that she could cut Qiao Mei into pieces. Whats wrong, is 10 minutes not enough? Or is there really no such letter, or are you unable to imitate Xia Zhes handwriting in these 10 minutes? Qiao Mei looked at Qiane curiously. Exactly! Looks like she really doesnt have any evidence. Shes just bluffing here! When the neighbors saw how nervous Qiane looked, they could roughly guess what was going on. If the letter was real, it would not just be Qiane who would rush home to retrieve it to prove her innocence and that what she usually said was true. Even her mother, Zhao Ni, would have done the same. Moreover, she would not have waited until now. If she really had received any token of love, she would have produced it and made it public long ago. I! I just forgot where I put it! I have to look for it! I can definitely give it to you! Qiane said as she looked at Qiao Mei. Oh, didnt you say that Xia Zhes letter is oh so precious to you? Why arent you able to find it now? Qiao Mei pretended to look at Qiane in confusion. When Zhao Ni saw how aggressive Qiao Mei was and Qiane not being able to say anything to refute her, she stood up for her daughter and said, Its up to you whether you believe it or not! Xiaoe, lets go! Chapter 220 - Pregnancy Discovered Zhao Ni grabbed Qiane and turned to leave, but there were many neighbors around them and they were surrounded. Oh, youre intending to leave. If you go back now, you might produce a stack of letters tomorrow. You may even say that Xia Zhes father wrote to you. Qiao Mei sighed and continued, Who knows if youve hidden away Xia Zhes notebook and you may even be able to imitate his handwriting. Since you missed him so much, you must have stared at his things while thinking of him all these years. Qiane did not say a word given that Qiao Mei had hit the nail on the head. Even Zhao Ni looked a little embarrassed. Zhao Ni was the one who usually cleaned the rooms at home and she had previously spotted Xia Zhes notebook with Qiane. Furthermore, there were several notebooks, not just one, and Qiane also possessed Xia Zhes used stationery. Qiao Mei could roughly guess what Qiane was thinking just by looking at her. After all, she used to be a lawyer and had seen many instances of handwriting being imitated. Although technology was not that advanced during this period of time, with a lot of practice and hard work, it was still possible for two sets of handwriting from two different people to look almost indistinguishable. How did this child end up like this! an old granny in the crowd said regretfully. How can you do this! You really have a lot of tricks up your sleeves. How did you become so evil! Sigh, the old Xiaoe used to be so nice. Look at her now Qiane could hear all kinds of voices in the crowd talking about her. She was already used to everyone scolding her, but now there were actually people who felt sorry for her. Most of the people in the crowd who felt sorry for Qiane were the old people who had watched her grow up. They felt that the current Qiane was the victim of circumstances,and it was fate that had played tricks on her. You think shes pitiful! Then arent Xia Zhe and his wife pitiful? What if Xia Zhes superiors hear the rumors and feel that theres something wrong with Xia Zhes character! Then Xia Zhes career will be ruined! an old man with a walking stick shouted angrily from within the crowd. After he spoke, everyone fell into deep thought. Compared to Qiane, they felt that Xia Zhe was the child who showed the most promise in this compound. If Xia Zhe could not become a soldier or get promoted because of all this gossip, it would really be too much. Thats right! Its really not easy for Xia Zhe! Its only because Xia Zhes wife is highly principled and keeps an eye on the big picture that she doesnt bother to argue with you! Who do you think you are! Youre still talking nonsense here! the elderly female neighbor spat on the ground angrily and said to Qiane. Qiao Mei smiled happily when she saw that everyone showed so much care and concern for Xia Zhe. Her sweet smile made people feel happy when they saw it. Everyone had always liked Xia Zhe very much, and everyone now extended their affection to his wife. Qiao Mei felt a little tired after standing for a long time. She had not rested for the entire day and she rubbed her waist to try to ease the soreness. Oh! Xia Zhes wife! Are you pregnant! the elderly female neighbor said in surprise. This compound was full of doctors and it was easy for them to tell at a glance if she was really pregnant. Previously, they had all been staring at Qiane and so they did not observe Qiao Mei closely. When she first arrived, she was dressed simply and was covered in dust and dirt, so no one paid much attention to her. Now that she was wearing an elegant maternity dress, they could see the obvious bulge at Qiao Meis stomach. Qiao Mei blushed and nodded in embarrassment. The anger on everyones faces quickly disappeared. This was joyous news! Qiao Mei touched her stomach and said, Its probably about three months. 1 How nice! The neighbors looked at Qiao Mei with big smiles. When Qiane heard that Qiao Mei was pregnant, she said furiously, Youre pregnant!!! Qiao Mei subconsciously took a step back. Looking at how Qiane was almost going crazy, it seemed that Qiane really had a psychological problem. 2 Everyone purposefully stood in front of Qiao Mei to protect her. They were concerned that Qiane would go crazy and wanted to fight it out with Qiao Mei. If anything should happen, none of them would be able to bear the responsibility. Zhao Nis face was also filled with disbelief. She looked at Qiao Mei mockingly and said, Dont tell me you used some despicable trick on Xia Zhe to get yourself pregnant! When Qiane heard what Zhao Ni said, her eyes lit up. Chapter 221 - Enraged What if it was really like what Zhao Ni said, that Qiao Mei and Xia Zhes marriage was the result of a scam? Qiane could not help but feel happy when she thought of that. If this was true, she could expose Qiao Mei! Then, Qiao Mei would end up like her and Xia Zhe would fall in love with her. 4 It was true that Qiao Mei had tricked Xia Zhe into getting married back then, but now that Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe were open about the fact that they liked each other, Qiao Mei could pretend that the earlier part never happened. Qiao Mei grinned at Qiane and said, Xia Zhe and I actually had an arranged marriage when we were children. My grandfather and Xia Zhes grandfather made an agreement a long time ago regarding their grandchildren. If theres two boys, the boys will join the army together. If theres two girls, the girls will become sisters. If theres a boy and a girl, then the two children get married. Everyone was not too familiar with Xia Zhes family and did not know whether what Qiao Mei said was true. However, since she could even say such a thing, then Qiao Meis grandfather was definitely not some small fry. Then why did Qiao Meis grandfather return to the countryside? Everyone felt uncertain as they looked at Qiao Mei and Qiane, waiting to see what happened next. Nonsense! Xia Zhe grew up in this compound. How can he know you! Qiane roared. Qiao Mei smiled disapprovingly and said, It was both our grandfathers who made the decision, not me. How would you know what our grandfathers talked about? If you dont believe me, you can ask Xia Zhes grandfather yourself. When the neighbors heard this, they felt that it made sense. With Old Master Xias temper, if Qiao Mei really had wanted to trick Xia Zhe into getting married or if she had any ulterior motives towards Xia Zhe or the Xia family, she would have already been dealt with. Moreover, everyone had seen the expression on Xia Fangs face when she brought Qiao Mei back. She looked even happier than if it was her own son bringing her daughter-in-law back. Qiane must be overthinking the situation. Everyone shifted their anger to Qiane again. It was also impossible for Qiane to really go to the Xia family to demand an answer. Zhao Ni made a move to drag Qiane home. It was almost time for the hospital staff to get off work and the girls father, Qian Wang, was about to knock off soon. Furthermore, Qian Wang had always known about the shenanigans that Zhao Ni and Qiane got up to. It was just that Qian Wang had a good temper. In the past, he would not have married Zhao Ni if not for the fact that she had insisted on marrying him, and caused a scene that made everyone know about it. Fortunately, Zhao Ni kept an even temper after her marriage and took care of her husband and taught her children well. 1 The good times did not last long. Ever since Qiane fell for Xia Zhe, there had not been a day of peace and Qian Wang just turned a blind eye to it. In addition, he and Xia Fang were colleagues, so it was even more difficult for him to say anything. Zhao Ni was not working at the moment and solely depended on Qian Wang to support her. Even if she went around throwing tantrums, she would be fine as long as she did not let Qian Wang catch her in action. She hoped that Qian Wang would not find out about this whole incident, otherwise she would have a difficult time for a while. Why are you dragging me! Dont make me go back! I want to take a good look at this vixens face! Qiane scolded Zhao Ni as she was being pulled away. 2 Qiao Mei did not care about how badly Qiane cursed at her and just quietly rubbed her stomach with a nonchalant expression. Her action made Qiane even angrier. Qiane broke free from Zhao Ni and rushed towards Qiao Mei. Nobody could react in time, and it so happened that Xia Fang and Qian Wang saw this scene as they returned on the hospital shuttle bus. As Qiao Mei turned her body sideways, Qiane shot past her due to the momentum, crashing into a tree by the roadside. Qiane! What are you doing! Xia Fang shouted at Qiane. Everything in her hands dropped to the ground. She had wanted to come back and make chicken soup for Qiao Mei, but she did not expect to encounter such a thing. Qian Wang was also stunned when he heard Xia Fang calling out his daughters name. He turned around and saw Qiane bent over the ground, moaning as she held onto her wrist. Oh my, Xiaoe! What happened to you! Qian Wang rushed to Qiane to see if she was hurt in any other way. Xia Fang and Qian Wang focused their attention on each child from their families. Zhao Ni did not dare to say anything as she stood at the side. If Qian Wang found out about what happened, she would definitely have to go back to her family. If that happened, her own sisters-in-law would mock her again, and she just could not take the insults. Her own brothers were all doing very well and they all thought that she had married well and was doing the best among them. However, after what happened in her family, everyone mocked her and looked down on her. Chapter 222 - This Is Not Over Mei Mei, are you hurt? Xia Fang looked at Qiao Mei worriedly. Im alright, Aunt. Im fine and not injured at all. Qiao Mei looked at Xia Fang obediently. After being assured that Qiao Mei was really feeling fine, Xia Fang heaved a sigh of relief, though her anger had not subsided. I told you to rest at home, but you insisted on going out. See how youve met a lunatic on your way, Xia Fang said sarcastically as she glanced sideways at Qiane, who was on the ground. Aunt, I was at home Its just that Qiao Mei said aggrievedly. Before she could finish speaking, Qiane interrupted her. Who are you calling a lunatic! Qiane roared at Xia Fang. Then why did our Mei Mei come out and how did you meet her? Xia Fang had heard Qiao Meis reply. If Qiao Mei did not come out on her own accord, then Qiane must have gone looking for her. Earlier, she had left in a hurry and did not pay much attention when she passed by Qiane at the courtyard door. She did not expect that Qiane would take advantage of her absence to go to her house to bully Qiao Mei! I I Qiane stammered, unable to speak. The elderly female neighbor at the side said, Fanger, she went to your house and knocked on the door. The noise she made summoned almost everyone in the building. After Xia Fang understood what had happened, she looked at Qian Wang and said, Chief Qian, let me know how you think we should handle this matter. Your daughter went to my house to drag Xia Zhes wife out and deliberately hurt her. Our Mei Mei is currently pregnant! Tell me what you think we should do. When Qian Wang heard this, he felt so ashamed that he did not dare to look up. When Qiane saw how weak her father was, she shouted angrily at the crowd, What proof do you have that I did it deliberately! So what if shes pregnant! As if no one else had been pregnant before! 2 As soon as she said that, Qian Wang gave her a slap to stop her from talking. Qiane looked at Qian Wang in shock, unable to believe that her father had just hit her. 1 Even if Qiane was divorced and had been pregnant, she should not say such shameless words in public. Qian Wang could not stand it anymore. Qian Wang stood in front of Qiane and blocked her from everyones view as he said, Chief Xia, Im so sorry about this. Ill come to your house later and formally apologize to you. Look at Xiaoe, her hand might be fractured. Why dont I bring my child for treatment first, then when Im back, Ill definitely come and apologize to you and Xia Zhes wife. What do you think? They were both colleagues from the same hospital, and Xia Fang knew Qian Wang as someone that could be trusted. She nodded and did not say anything else. 1 Just as Qian Wang was about to leave with Qiane, Qiao Mei said, Lets pretend that this incident about the love letter never happened. Dont come looking for trouble. Who knows if youll produce a letter in the future and say that Xia Zhe gave it to you. If I find you doing that, Ill sue you for slandering a soldier! Given that everyone had come down to watch the commotion, plus the people who had just gotten off work and were passing by, she decided to take the chance to address this matter directly. This would also prevent Qiane from having any ulterior motive and causing trouble for Xia Zhe. Otherwise, it would be difficult to deal with the fallout from the issues in the future. Qiane glared at Qiao Mei and said fiercely, Just you wait! Were not done yet! After she said that, Qian Wang dragged her off to the hospital to see a doctor. When Zhao Ni saw Qian Wang and Qiane leave, she also quietly slipped away and disappeared into the crowd. 2 Seeing that the matter had been resolved, the crowd dispersed and everyone returned home. Xia Fang went home with Qiao Mei and looked at her silently with a serious expression. Qiao Mei also knew that she was in the wrong. She lowered her head and stood in the room, not daring to move. Why are you standing, come here and sit down, Xia Fang said sternly. Qiao Mei slowly walked to the sofa and sat down, looking at Xia Fang obediently. Aunt, I was wrong. Please dont be angry. Faced with those big round eyes and sweet voice, Xia Fang could not bear to flare up at Qiao Mei even if she was angry. Then tell me, what did you do wrong and how were you wrong? Xia Fang still looked at Qiao Mei with a serious expression. She had to teach Qiao Mei a lesson for what happened today. Qiao Mei must understand that she could not go out casually or come into contact with Zhao Ni and Qiane. It was really too dangerous. Qiao Mei blinked her big eyes and mentally counted the number of things she had done wrong. Xia Fang looked at how serious Qiao Mei looked and almost did not have the heart to make her say it. Chapter 223 - Partner Was Stolen I I shouldnt have opened the door. I should have stayed at home. I shouldnt have contradicted Qiane and quarreled with her. I shouldnt have angered her and made her attack me. The more Qiao Mei spoke, the less confidence she had. She did not even dare to raise her head to look at Xia Fang. When Xia Fang heard this, she wondered how it turned out that Qiao Mei was the one who made Qiane so angry? That a girl who looked so well-behaved could make Qiane so angry. And you did it on purpose? Xia Fang asked. Qiao Mei quickly shook her head and said, I didnt! Its because she slandered Xia Zhe and I got so angry that I spouted some nonsense which made her angry, then she just came at me Xia Fang also knew what kind of person Qiane was and did not blame Qiao Mei. She already heard from the neighbors that Qiane had caused quite a commotion. Otherwise, Qiao Mei would not have opened the door. Give me your hand, Xia Fang said. Qiao Mei reached out her hand in fear, not knowing what Xia Fang was going to do. Xia Fang suddenly reached out and gently smacked Qiao Meis palm. Qiao Mei was so shocked that she let out a cry. Im teaching you a lesson. Lets see if you still dare to do it in the future! Xia Fang said as she pretended to be angry. Qiao Mei knew that Aunt was no longer angry. She smiled and leaned over to hug Xia Fangs arm, saying sweetly, Yes I know, Aunt. I wont do it again. Dont be angry anymore! I know youre the best! Xia Fang was so tickled by Qiao Meis flattery that she smiled and did not mention the incident again. In the past, she had wanted to have a daughter, but she gave birth to a boy instead and was depressed for a long time because of that. She then waited a long time for someone in the Xia family to have a daughter. It turned out to be Xia Zhes older sister, Xia He. However, Xia He was not gentle and quiet at all, and she even inherited the temper of Xia Zhes father, Xia Mao. The eldest brother of the Xia family, Xia Wen, turned out to resemble Xia Zhes mother, Xu Lan. 1 This also shattered Xia Fangs dream of raising a daughter. The Xia family either had boys or girls who behaved like boys. There was not a single gentle and quiet girl. Now that she had Qiao Mei with her, Xia Fang was overjoyed. Even if Qiao Mei said that she wanted to eat all kinds of delicacies tomorrow, Xia Fang would find a way to get them for Qiao Mei. Qiane was taken to the hospital by Qian Wang and diagnosed with a broken wrist. After getting a cast on her arm, she followed Qian Wang home. Along the way, Qiane kept thinking about how she could have her revenge. She would not let the matter today rest just like that. 2 These things had to be repaid one by one! Back then, in order to marry Xia Zhe, she had waited bitterly. Now, Xia Zhe had married a beautiful wife and forgotten all about her. If you think you want to have a peaceful life, hmph, no way! Qiane had already thought of how to proceed with her plan. First, she needed to look for a person, He Mei. She hated this person to the core, but she had to get this person to help. She could not carry out the plan herself and must get someone to do it for her. It was all thanks to He Mei that Qiane ended up in her current state! He Mei also liked Xia Zhe, but she had never said anything about it and kept it to herself. Qiane treated He Mei as her best friend and told He Mei everything that was on her mind. This was how He Mei found something to use against her. Back then, He Mei was the first person she told when she fell for Xia Zhe. It even made He Mei so curious about the person who made Qiane so infatuated. When He Mei returned home with Qiane after school and saw Xia Zhe, He Mei also fell in love at first sight and vowed to have Xia Zhe for herself. He Mei often came up with ideas for Qiane. She asked Qiane to be more attentive to Xia Fang and to visit Xia Fang at home more often. She told Qiane to draw attention to the matter so that once his parents found out about what was happening, they would definitely have to agree to the relationship. Then, Xia Zhe would be able to marry Qiane. Qiane firmly believed in He Mei. In the end, the plan backfired and what she received was a warning from Xia Zhes mother, Xu Lan. Later, after Xia Zhe went to the army, Qiane gave up on the idea of liking Xia Zhe and started dating Ma San before getting engaged to him. Initially, Qiane had refused to let Ma San touch her, so she told He Mei about the matter and asked her for help to think of a way to deal with it. She did not expect He Mei to say that since they were already engaged and would definitely get married, there were certain things that should be done. He Mei told her that there was no need to hide from him or reject his requests, otherwise she would seem very pretentious. Qiane believed what He Mei told her and went all the way with Ma San. No one would have expected He Mei to then introduce her cousin to Ma San. Her cousin even got pregnant! 3 Chapter 224 - Back to the Original Workplace Qiane could not believe this piece of news. She had always thought that He Mei was her best friend and did not expect He Mei to plot against her. He Mei forced Ma San to marry her cousin and asked Ma San to leave Qiane. In the end, Ma San was so blinded by the He familys power and wealth that he gave up Qiane. Not long after, Qiane also found out she was pregnant, but as it was an ectopic pregnancy, there was nothing she could do but to terminate it. Ma San ignored Qiane completely as he saw no value in her, so Qiane went to meet He Mei when she was at her wits end. It was He Mei who came up with the idea for Qiane to go to Ma Sans house and cause a scene. She told Qiane not to let go of the issue so quickly. In the end, Ma San pushed her in a fit of desperate anger, causing her to have a miscarriage and ending up in the hospital. As she did not manage to seek timely treatment, she had to have her uterus removed. Initially, only a few close colleagues knew about her pregnancy. It was not a good thing, so only her close relatives and friends knew about it. However, the fiasco made the matter known in the entire capital. Ma Sans family felt that Qiane was to be blamed for making them deal with such an unlucky matter. Qiane was only the daughter of a doctor in the hospital. The He family was one of the most powerful families in the capital and they could not fall out with the He family because of this matter. From then on, Ma San also completely detested Qiane and wanted to have nothing more to do with her. After experiencing all this, Qiane went to He Meis house to vent her grievances. Before she left, she happened to catch a glimpse of He Meis mocking face reflected on a glass surface. Only then did she realize that He Mei was the mastermind behind everything that happened. She had been played like a fool by He Mei. After returning home and thinking about all the events carefully, she realized that she had been deceived by He Mei all along. In fact, He Mei also liked Xia Zhe, and had done all of this on purpose. Up till today, He Mei was probably still waiting for Xia Zhe to marry her. The reason why He Mei had not gotten married was because she was waiting for Xia Zhe to return. Now that Xia Zhe was married, Qiane felt that she had to share the good news with He Mei. She did not want to be the only one to know about this. She decided to make use of the nasty He Mei to get her revenge and be able to take back everything that belonged to her! Qiane asked her father, Qian Wang, to go home first and she turned around to go and look for He Mei at her original workplace. Qiane hesitated for a moment at the entrance of the hospital, but she still braced herself and went inside. As soon as she entered, the nurses and doctors next to her looked a little awkward, but they were all busy with their work since it was still working hours. He Mei used to work at this hospital. She was not a doctor though, but an administrative staff member. The He family was a sponsor at this hospital and often funded its medical equipment. Ever since the year when she was diagnosed with ectopic pregnancy and came here for surgery, Qiane had not returned to the hospital again. In this era, getting pregnant out of wedlock was more humiliating than being caught red-handed in bed. In Qiao Meis case, the situation was not discovered and she had gotten married straight away. Otherwise, she would have a rough time as well. Qiane went straight to He Meis office as if she did not sense everyones attention on her. He Mei was joking around with her colleagues in the corridor. Once she saw Qiane, she had an awkward look on her face. Her colleagues were all new and did not know much about Qiane. They were all curious about who Qiane was to be able to make He Mei react so strongly. He Mei, whos this? one of the colleagues asked. He Mei smiled and said, Its my friend. Please excuse me while I go talk to her. He Mei excused herself politely and quickly walked towards Qiane. She pulled Qiane back to her office and locked the door. Why are you here? He Mei clearly showed her impatience as soon as she entered the room. Hmph, am I still your friend now? Qiane asked mockingly. Dont forget our agreement! He Mei roared. Qiane did not think much of it. They had made an agreement previously when Qiane wanted to denounce He Mei and expose her crimes after discovering that she was the one who had done all those things. However, He Mei already prepared a backup plan against Qiane. She told Qiane that if the matter was exposed, her parents and all her relatives and friends would be out of work. Her father, brother and sister-in-law were all doctors who worked in this hospital. At that time, they did not hold very high positions. If they have to leave the hospital, it would be hard for them to find another place of employment. He Mei even told Qiane that if she did not go ahead with the denouncement, her family could get promoted or transferred to better positions. Chapter 225 - Hearing the News Her father, Qian Wang, was the pillar of the entire family. If her father did not have a job, the entire family would lose its foundation. Although Qian Wang had a weak character, he still had a backbone. He told Qiane not to give in and said that the whole family could go overseas in the worst case scenario. However, her brother and sister-in-law did not share the same view. They had just settled down in the capital and finally found decent jobs, and had just been allocated a place to live. If they had to choose to leave now, it would be no different from killing them. In the face of her brother and sister-in-law kneeling down to plead with her, Qiane had no choice but to put aside her hatred for He Mei. She told herself that she would endure it and never forget it, and to always keep it in her heart. I didnt forget. I just came by to see you, Qiane said as she sat on the sofa. Now that Qiane and her mother, Zhao Ni, were not working, and her brother and sister-in-law had stable jobs, she was no longer afraid of anything and behaved more impudently than before. To see me? You? Hmph, dont tell me you have a favor to ask of me, He Mei said as she looked at Qiane mockingly. He Mei had always looked down on Qiane. In the beginning, she treated Qiane as a friend because Qiane was obedient and dumb, and liked to follow her around like a dog. Of course, she was willing to be friends with her then. However, now that Qiane was no longer of any use to her, there was no longer a need to put on a show of them having a close sisterly relationship. As if theres anything I can ask of you. Im here to tell you some good news, Qiane said. What kind of good news can you have? Are you pregnant again? He Mei looked at Qiane derisively and glanced at her stomach. Qiane was so angry that she wanted to go up and hit He Mei. She suppressed the fury in her heart and said, I came to tell you that Xia Zhe is married and even has a child now. He Mei was drinking water when she heard that, and got so shocked that she dropped the glass in her hand and it shattered on the ground. What! Xia Zhe is married! When did this happen? Its impossible that I dont know about it. How can I not know that Xia Zhe got married? He Mei stood up and interrogated Qiane. Qiane watched He Meis reaction with satisfaction. This was what she wanted and she had achieved her goal. She just knew that He Mei would not be able to accept the fact. How are you related to Xia Zhe, and why do you need to know? Who do you think you are? Qiane said as she looked at He Mei. He Mei looked at Qiane coldly. She wondered if Qianes was telling the truth, but she knew that there was no need for Qiane to lie to her. She had always been very concerned about anything related to Xia Zhe, and had even gone around asking for news about Xia Zhe some time back. A few months ago, someone had even tipped her off that there was a possibility that Xia Zhe would be promoted and he could then return to the capital for a vacation. She had been waiting for that day to come. Impossible. Maybe youre lying to me. He Mei looked at Qiane calmly. Qiane laughed and said, Me? Why would I lie to you, youre the only one who likes to tell lies. He Mei sat back in her chair and thought carefully about what Qiane said. She would need to find someone to investigate this matter and could not just listen to the one-sided story from Qiane. You can doubt me, but his wife is already here and shes already three months pregnant. You can forget about marrying into the Xia family. Shes at Xia Fangs house now. If you dont believe me, you can go and take a look, Qiane said nonchalantly. Three months? How is that possible? He Mei always had her informers in the army. Every once in a while, they would send news to He Mei and they also helped her to keep an eye on Xia Zhe. Three months ago, Xia Zhe did not even take any break, so how could he have a child! This was impossible! It was definitely fake news! Where did you hear it from and is it true? Are you here just to scare me? He Mei still did not believe Qiane. Qiane did not seem to mind He Meis attitude and recounted everything that had happened today. He Mei listened to the whole story and thought that Qiane did not seem to be lying. He Mei thought that the story seemed to be true, but she wondered how the woman in the story managed to hook up with Xia Zhe. The timing was off, so could it be that her informers in the army were lying when they sent her the message? It was not a matter that could be easily resolved. Qiane had only mentioned Xia Zhes new wife, but not Xia Zhe, which meant that this woman had come to the capital by herself. In that case, she had to take advantage of that to investigate the matter properly during this period of time. Chapter 226 - Currying Favor With the He Family You can just continue to wait! Shes an 18-year-old sweet young woman and shes really beautiful. Look at you, youre already an overaged girl that nobody wants! Qiane said as she smiled and walked out. Her main purpose was to bring the news to He Mei. As for what would happen next, she believed that He Mei would not be able to sit still. He Mei had been waiting for Xia Zhe for so many years, and now that Xia Zhe had suddenly gotten married, she definitely could not accept it. Over the years, while waiting for Xia Zhe to return, He Mei had done many heartless things. She kept herself in the know of everything that was related to Xia Zhe, and whenever there were women who liked Xia Zhe, she eliminated them one by one. There was a time when Xu Lan took a liking to the Ma familys daughter, who was also Ma Sans younger sister. After He Mei found out about it, she plotted for Ma San to be with her cousin. This way, she could ensure that not only Qiane could not be with Xia Zhe, but the Xia family would also no longer consider the Ma familys daughter out of concern over the Ma familys reputation. He Mei thought that she would have a chance once there were no more families of equal status to the Xia family in the entire capital. The main issue was that there were some grudges between the He family and the Xia family. Otherwise, He Mei would have long gotten her family to propose marriage to the Xia family. He Mei hurriedly called her mother. Hello! Ma! Ask someone quickly! Find out whether Xia Zhe is married! He Mei said anxiously. Married? I didnt hear anything about it. The Xia family is a rich and influential family. If he is married, they definitely wont be able to hide the fact. He Meis mother did not take He Mei seriously. After so many years, she was already used to her daughter behaving like this whenever she heard news about Xia Zhe. Hey, its true! Quickly ask around! His wife has already come to the capital! He Mei said anxiously to her mother. Hearing her daughters anxiety, He Meis mother quickly said, Oh, alright, alright. Hang on and Ill go and ask around. After He Mei ended the call, she slammed the phone onto the table angrily. She looked at the window and wondered how she should start investigating the matter. Oh my. Mrs. He, did something happen at home? Mrs. Zheng asked. He Meis mother was called Li Xiu. Her family was in business and could be considered to be quite well-off. Nowadays, she went around dining and entertaining every day and did not care about family matters. Within the circle of rich wives, she was one of those that the rest of the women envied. He Mei called me in a rush and said something about the Xia family. Li Xiu looked lost and did not know what to say as she turned to Mrs. Zheng. Xia family? What happened with the Xia family? Mrs. Zheng asked. Mrs. Zheng was Zheng Yuans mother. During this period of time, Zheng Yuan had gotten into some trouble. Although she had not been punished yet, Mrs. Zheng had lost her prestige in the eyes of these people she hung out with. I dont know. Have you heard anything recently? Li Xiu asked. No, but let me call my Zheng Yuan and ask her, Mrs. Zheng said. Alright, then Ill have to trouble you, Mrs. Zheng, Li Xiu said with a polite smile. Mrs. Zheng looked at Li Xiu obsequiously and said, Oh my, its not a big deal. Just hang on for a bit. The Zheng family and the Xia family always had a very good relationship, so everyone respected Mrs. Zheng. Zheng Yuan was also very close to Xia Zhe, so everyone used to think that the Zheng family had the greatest chance of having a marriage alliance with the Xia family. However, they did not expect Zheng Yuan to get into trouble in the army recently. Therefore, they all thought that the Xia family probably would not consider the Zheng family anymore. All these made He Mei happy for a while. However, now that a new problem had appeared and He Mei had started to investigate it, it made the He family uneasy as well. Everyone did not think highly of Mrs. Zheng recently and she was not treated as well as before, so she could only curry favor with the He family. She quietly went out to make a call to Zheng Yuan. Nowadays, Zheng Yuan was living in the small house in the capital that she bought herself and did not stay with her parents. She was afraid that her father would be angry when he saw her, so she did not return home. Hello, Yuan Yuan, its mom, Zheng Yuan said with a smile. Whats wrong, mom? Did something happen at home? Zheng Yuan asked. No, I just heard someone say that Xia Zhe is married, so I wanted to ask you. You were previously in the same army unit as Xia Zhe so I thought it best to check with you, Zheng Yuans mother asked carefully. After such a long time, Zheng Yuan had already gotten over her issues and did not feel awkward at all. 3 Chapter 227 - Going Home Early Ah, Xia Zhe, hes married. Xia Zhes wife is already expecting. Dont tell me you still want to persuade me to be with him, Zheng Yuan said. No, its just that I heard Mrs. He talking about it just now and I was curious, so I came to ask you, Mrs. Zheng said. Zheng Yuan knew that her mother had always been hanging out with the circle of rich wives in the capital. The so-called circle of rich wives referred to a group of full-time wives from the rich and influential local families, who had nothing to do at home and would gather together for a meal and have tea, or to go shopping, doing floral arrangements and going for beauty treatments. It was just like how a few women in the village would sit down and chat together. The nature of it was similar, but the slight difference was that these women could find out quickly what was happening with the other influential families. The information they garnered could be quite helpful for their own families, be it for families who were business partners connected through marriages or families who needed topics for their casual chats at home. The Zheng family had always been indifferent to the affairs of the other families, even matters related to the Xia family whom they were very close to. However, Mrs. Zheng had always wanted to gain a foothold among these full-time wives and make the others envious of her, as she was blinded by her own vanity. Dont go around saying these things. Its better that you dont get involved in other peoples family matters, Zheng Yuan said helplessly. 1 I know, I know. Im just curious, so I came to ask you. I wont tell others. Alright, Im hanging up now. Mrs. Zheng hung up the phone in a hurry, checked her appearance, and walked back into the house. When everyone saw Mrs. Zheng came back, they looked at her curiously. One of the women could hardly wait and she asked, Mrs. Zheng, I wonder if you managed to find out anything. Mrs. Zheng was not in a hurry to say anything. Everyone was waiting for her to speak, and given that it was rare for these women to ask her for a favor, she wanted to put on some airs. I say, Mrs. Zheng, dont keep us in suspense. Were all so anxious to know, Li Xiu said. Ahem, I found out just now. Xia Zhe is indeed married and his wife is pregnant. After Mrs. Zheng finished speaking, everyone was shocked. Sigh! This Xia Zhe doesnt seem like such a person. He got married without saying anything! one of the women said. In my opinion, this matter isnt that simple. But Im curious about whose daughter married into the Xia family? another woman said. Everyone started discussing among themselves but Li Xiu just listened quietly. It had been a long time since her daughter, He Mei, had set her heart on marrying Xia Zhe. In the past, many good families had proposed marriage to He Mei, but she never agreed to any of them. She even wanted to run away from home because she was so intent on marrying Xia Zhe. Now that Xia Zhe had gotten married quietly, there was going to be a huge commotion when He Mei heard about it. 3 Hey, Mrs. Zheng, Im curious how your Zheng Yuan knew about this. Has she met Xia Zhes wife? one of the women asked curiously. Our Yuan Yuan didnt tell me anything about that, but the entire matter is true, Mrs. Zheng put a mask on her face and said with her eyes closed. Li Xiu was unable to just sit around here and do nothing. She hid her anxiety and said, Everyone, I still have something on at home tonight, so I wont be staying here with you any longer. I will cover all the expenses today. Im really sorry to have to go. Oh my, Mrs. He, what are you saying! Then go back quickly. Be careful on the road! Lets meet another day, Mrs. He! Li Xiu hurriedly got into her car and asked the driver to drive home quickly. Looking at the time, He Mei would be home from work soon, so she had to go back and talk to her about this. When she reached home, Li Xiu asked her helper to prepare dinner first. She went upstairs and called her good friends one by one to try and find out more information. In the end, she received confirmation that this matter was true. Xia Zhe was really married! He Mei ran home as soon as she got off work. The moment she entered the house, she shouted, Mom! Are you back! Hey! Dont shout. If your father sees it, hell say that you have no manners, Li Xiu said sternly. He Mei was so anxious that she did not care about that. She asked anxiously, Is Xia Zhe really married? Li Xiu knew that she could not hide it from He Mei. Even if she did not say it now, He Mei would still find out later. Chapter 228 - The News Is True Yes, I called up many people just now and they all said that this matter is true. Xia Fangs neighbors all saw Xia Zhes wife, Li Xiu said. When He Mei heard this, she suddenly seemed to lose her strength and collapsed on the sofa. Xiao Mei! Whats wrong! Li Xiu rushed forward to help He Mei when she saw that He Mei almost fainted. She had waited for Xia Zhe for so many years! How could Xia Zhe have gotten married! Who exactly was this new wife of his! What kind of extraordinary abilities did she have for Xia Zhe to take a fancy to her! He Mei was so angry that she felt dizzy and she had no idea how to deal with this matter. When Xia Zhe was still single, even if he took a fancy to some girl, the relationship could not progress as long as the He family put a little pressure on him. However, now that Xia Zhe was already married, it was impossible to make Xia Zhe marry her. Unless unless Xia Zhe got a divorce! Yes! A divorce! Mom, who did you hear this from? Is it true? Did you find out who that woman is and what her identity is? He Mei held Li Xius hand tightly. Li Xiu felt bad seeing her daughter like this, and kept trying to comfort He Mei to prevent her from doing anything stupid. He Meis father, He Guo, happened to return home at this moment. When He Mei saw her father, her tears began to fall uncontrollably. Whats going on? Who bullied our Xiao Mei? He Guo asked. Dad, quickly call up Uncle Xia and ask him if Xia Zhe got married? He Mei said tearfully. He Guo laughed and said, Xiao Mei, did you have a nightmare? If Xia Zhe is getting married, how can he not inform the people in the capital? Arent you thinking too much? 1 Li Xiu looked at He Guo earnestly and said, Its true. Zheng Yuan from the Zheng family said that its true. Immediately, He Guo stopped smiling and looked at Li Xiu and He Mei sternly. The news might be fake if they heard it from anyone else, but Zheng Yuan and Xia Zhe were in the same army unit and Zheng Yuan herself was bent on marrying Xia Zhe. If she said it was true, then it was probably true. Dont panic, Xiao Mei. Ill call your Uncle Xia and ask him. After saying that, He Guo went to the phone and dialed the Xia familys number. Hello. The Xia familys helper picked up the phone. Hello, Im He Guo. I would like to speak to Xia Mao, He Guo said patiently. Alright, please hold on. Ill go look for him. Not long after, Xia Mao picked up the phone. Hello, Lao He, you really havent called me in a long time. Whats the matter? Xia Mao asked. Brother Xia, youve been too nonchalant about Xia Zhes marriage. You didnt tell us and I had to hear it from others, He Guo said in a teasing manner. 2 When Xia Mao heard that it was because of this matter, he thought that it was unfair to say he hid it from everyone. He was actually the one who had been kept in the dark! Xia Mao laughed and said, Its not that we didnt tell anyone. Its because Xia Zhe is still in the army and hasnt come back on leave, so the wedding ceremony has been delayed. When Xia Zhe is back, Ill get him to send you the wedding wine. Its a rather special period now, so we wont be hosting a banquet. Besides, its inconvenient for our Xia Zhes wife. Inconvenient? How is it inconvenient? He Guo was baffled by what he heard and asked in confusion, Whats wrong, is Xia Zhes wife sick? No, no, no. Xia Zhes wife is pregnant. The weather is hot now and itll be tough to host a big banquet. So we wont be doing that part, but well definitely send you the wedding wine when Xia Zhe comes back. Thats really double happiness for your family. My congratulations, Ill be waiting for the wine. Brother Xia, Ill hang up first. Lets meet another day when theres a chance, He Guo said. Alright. Go ahead. Xia Mao hung up after saying that. Sitting in the living room, He Mei and Li Xiu looked at He Guo and waited for him to tell them the truth. 3 He Guo was also feeling very angry about this. He had hinted to Xia Mao countless times about the matter of their two families becoming in-laws. Every time, Xia Mao would either tactfully reject him or change the topic, adamant about not discussing the marriage of their two children. Chapter 229 - Secret Investigation Yet now, Xia Zhe had secretly gotten married and even had a child, and no one had any inkling about it. What else is this except looking down on the He family! The He family could be considered one of the richest families in the capital. Although they were not in the military and he only had one daughter, He Mei, he had worked hard to build a successful business. Unless it was because Xia Mao felt that the He family had no successor with only one daughter! Dad, is it true? He Mei looked at He Guo anxiously. He Guo nodded and said, Married and already having a child. You should just give up on the idea of marrying Xia Zhe. When He Mei heard this, she cried uncontrollably. Li Xius heart ached when she saw He Mei like this and she cried along. Cry, cry, cry! What are you crying for! Must our He family definitely marry into the Xia family! He Guo pointed at He Mei and scolded her. He quickly instructed someone to do a detailed check on the background of Xia Zhes wife, so that he could find out more about this woman who made the He family suffer a loss that they could not talk about. He must take revenge! Not long after, a set of documents was sent to the He family house. He Guo went through all the information and threw the documents on the coffee table in disdain after he finished. A village girl whose father died a long time ago and her mother even remarried. She grew up with her grandfather who is terminally ill and a retired soldier. She can be said to be a girl with completely no background, He Guo said. He Mei picked up the documents on the coffee table and read them carefully. Dad, her grandfathers name is Qiao Qiang. I think I heard my grandfather mention this person before. He Mei looked at He Guo in confusion. It had been a long time, so He Guo was unable to recall any details immediately, but he thought that this probably explained why the Xia family found such a girl suitable to be Xia Zhes wife. Even so, Qiao Qiang was suffering from a terminal illness and was an old thing who did not have long to live. There was nothing he could do or achieve anymore. What do you think? He Guo asked He Mei as he looked at her. He Mei remained silent. For a moment, she had no idea what to do. Dad, I still want to marry Xia Zhe, He Mei said. Hes already married! He even has a child! What nonsense are you talking about! Our He family doesnt need such a person! He Guo said angrily. He Mei said nonchalantly, So what if hes married. It can still end in a divorce. You good-for-nothing! Those who get married and then divorced have a stain on their reputation. What use would he have! What good will that do for our He family! He Guo said with a frown. A divorce is not always a mans fault. If hes a victim of deception, then he doesnt have to bear the consequences! He Mei said as she looked at He Guo. When He Guo heard this, he knew that his daughter already had an idea on how to deal with the situation. His daughter always had many tricks up her sleeve, and tricks really did come in handy in some situations. You have an idea? He Guo asked. Three months ago, I had asked people in the troops for an update about Xia Zhe. During that time, Xia Zhe was always in the army and did not put up any request to go on leave. How could this woman get pregnant during that period of time? He Mei said. As He Guo thought about it, he felt that what He Mei said made sense. He did not hear about Xia Zhe going on leave as well. With Xia Zhes character, he would not go against the rules and go out on his own without permission. He Mei looked at Qiao Meis photo on the document and subconsciously clenched her fists, crinkling the paper in her hand. It was impossible for Xia Zhe to be attracted to such a village woman. Even if Qiao Mei managed to get one chance with him, it would not be possible for her to get pregnant after just one try. It was not as if He Mei had not tried to seduce Xia Zhe before. Once, when it was raining and she was drenched, she tried to lean closely on Xia Zhe. However, Xia Zhe did not even offer to help her and just asked someone else to take over. He then left heartlessly and did not even look at her. She would never believe that Xia Zhe would be tempted by this woman and sleep with her after only meeting her once. He Guo felt that He Mei made sense. Taking the He family as an example, he was one of three brothers but there were still very few people in their family. His eldest brother changed two wives before he had his first child, and his third brother had not married yet as he was unwell and no one knew if he would survive his illness. Therefore, he did not believe that Xia Zhe could make Qiao Mei pregnant with only one try. Chapter 230 - Investigating the "Truth" He Guo looked at He Mei quietly and tried to think of a countermeasure. Li Xiu, who was at the side, did not say a word. She never had any say in these matters. Dad, do you know this woman Qiao Meis grandfather? I think I really heard my grandfather mention his name before. He Mei asked as she pointed at the name on the paper. He Guo leaned back on the sofa and tried very hard to recall this person. He suddenly thought of something and said excitedly, I remember now! Your grandfather really seemed to have mentioned it before. In the early days, the He family was also part of the military. They were originally not in business but when it got to He Guos generation, all the children were all physically weak, so they were not able to enlist in the army as they wished. This resulted in most of them going into business. This Qiao Meis grandfather, Qiao Qiang, has some form of relationship with the Xia family. In the past, Qiao Qiang had saved the life of Xia Zhes grandfather, Xia Jun. Look at the timing. Its likely that Xia Jun asked Xia Zhe to visit Qiao Qiang on his birthday, He Guo said. Even if he went there during that period of time, how can everything happen after just one visit? If we count back the dates, she got pregnant around that time, didnt she? He Mei said as she looked at the dates.. Im guessing that Qiao Mei did something shameful and Qiao Qiang was in a hurry to find Qiao Mei a husband. Xia Zhe just happened to be there, He Guo said after some thought. When He Mei heard this, her eyes lit up and she said agitatedly, Thats right! Xia Zhe might not even know about it! Or maybe Xia Zhe knew about it but had no choice but to agree because he wanted to repay the debt of gratitude! Yes! Xia Zhe must have been deceived. The truth of this matter must be made public! That must be it. Otherwise, why would Xia Zhe only send his new wife back and not come back himself, Li Xiu echoed. It was rare that He Guo only ignored her this time and did not reprimand her for talking. Leave this matter to me. Ill get my subordinates to go to that village to gather information and bring that man back, He Guo said. 1 Since the Xia family was still useful to him, he would give them another big gift. Qiao Mei could not help herself from sneezing twice. She frowned and rubbed her nose. Whos scolding me behind my back Qiao Mei muttered to herself. After a good nights sleep, Qiao Mei and Xia Fang decided to take a walk around the surrounding area. It was the weekend and Xia Fang wanted to accompany Qiao Mei to go out and have some fun. After breakfast, the two of them went straight to the largest department store in the capital. It was the most well-stocked store with the widest range of products. Qiao Mei only had eyes for the fabric department and ignored everything else. There were all kinds of fabrics and materials of good quality, and Qiao Mei was dazzled by the selection. Aunt, choose a few fabrics that you like. Ill make clothes for you! Qiao Mei said. What? You want to make clothes for me? Xia Fang was a little surprised. Even when she was young, only her grandmother would make new clothes for her. The rest of her clothes were all store-bought. There were very few people who could make their own clothes nowadays. She had seen the clothes that Qiao Mei made and indeed liked them very much. Today, Qiao Mei was wearing one of the maternity dresses that Xia Fang bought for her. It was a bright red dress that Xia Fang had bought for the joyful color. It looked especially stunning on Qiao Mei. I cant wear the type of clothes that you young people like, Xia Fang said. Qiao Meis clothes were either maternity wear or slim-fit dresses. Xia Fang was already in her 40s and if she wore the same kind of clothes, people would point fingers at her. It was not Qiao Meis fault. She had a good figure and so long as she altered her clothes a little and took it in at the waist, it would make her look curvy and eye-catching. Qiao Mei originally did not want to dress so conspicuously. The Xia family was considered a reputable family in the capital. If she met someone who knew them and caught their eyes, she might get criticized and it would not be good if Xia Zhes mother, Xu Lan, got to hear about it. Although Qiao Mei was not afraid of Xu Lan, she was still Xia Zhes mother after all. Qiao Mei wanted to make sure that she did everything right, and not put herself in a position where she could get reproached by others. Before leaving the house, she had wanted to change back into something more muted, but Xia Fang told her to wear red while she was still a newly wedded woman, otherwise there may be very few chances to do that in the future. It would also make up for the fact that she did not get to wear a nice wedding gown when she got married. What Xia Fang said really resonated with Qiao Mei, so she went along with it and wore bright red clothes most of the time. Chapter 231 - : Buying Pastries Aunt, just go ahead and choose. I know how to make clothes of different styles. Dont worry, Qiao Mei said to Xia Fang. Xia Fang did not reject the gesture anymore. She chose a few comfortable plain-colored fabrics and a few bright-colored ones for Qiao Mei. These were currently the most fashionable ones in the capital. Qiao Mei should dress up and look pretty at her age. If not, did she want to wait until she was in her 70s or 80s to wear such pretty clothes? After buying the fabrics, Xia Fang brought Qiao Mei to buy some fruits and pastries. She was concerned that Qiao Mei was usually home alone when she was at work. If Qiao Mei got hungry and felt too embarrassed to ask for help, went out to buy food and then ran into Qiane and her family of lunatics, that would be a disaster. She thought that it would be good to buy some pastries so that there was always something to eat at home. Qiao Mei hurriedly pulled at Xia Fang and said, Aunt, I dont really eat pastries. Lets not buy any. These must not be real pastries, they must be made of gold. A catty of pastries actually costs 20 to 30 dollars. How many families can afford this? Although Xia Fang was the chief physician of a large hospital, she drew a fixed salary, as did Xiang Jin, her husband. Xiang Jin did not have much of a future in the army and was just waiting to retire. They also had a son who was studying in the south and was not married yet. It may seem that Xia Fangs family was very rich, but in fact, they did not have much savings. They just fared slightly better than ordinary families. Mei Mei, look at this. This cream pastry is very delicious! Xia Fang said as she pointed at the pastry. No, I dont like cream, Qiao Mei said. Then what about this one with meat floss? No, no. Who knows what meat that is. What about this? This bread is the shops signature item. Look at this. Who knows if the flour is good or not! Whatever Xia Fang said, Qiao Mei would condemn the item. The shop assistant did not know what to say and could only look at them awkwardly. Xia Fang did not get angry. She knew that Qiao Mei was actually concerned for her, but she still wanted to buy some. No matter what, she could not let Qiao Mei suffer. Then Ill decide. Im going to buy this bread because I like it, Xia Fang said helplessly. Aunt, if you like it, I can make it for you! I know how to make it! When Qiao Mei saw that Xia Fang really intended to buy the bread, she wanted to grab Xia Fang and leave. The shop assistant could not take it anymore and said, Our pastry chefs are all top-notch pastry chefs from overseas. Do you know how to make pastries? Hey, how can you talk like that! Xia Fang said angrily as she looked at the shop assistant. Before Qiao Mei could even react, Xia Fang already got angry. She hated it when people criticized the kids from her family. Seeing Xia Fangs strong reaction, the shop assistant quickly looked down and stopped talking, knowing that this was not a person who could be bullied. Hey, say something. This shop has been open in the capital for a long time. Is this how they teach you to treat their customers? Xia Fang said. It was obvious to the shop assistant that Xia Fang was a local from the capital when she said that she knew how long the shop had been open for. Moreover, this shop was quite high-end. The fact that Xia Fang could come here often proved that she had the spending power. The shop assistant had thought that these two critical people were just ignorant passers-by and did not expect to offend someone of a certain status. Im sorry, Im sorry. Whats happening with the two guests? the shop manager said, running over from the back of the shop. I want to know how you choose your shop staff, and how they are allowed to criticize your customers. After all, this shop had been open for so long and Im also a member here. I dont know how you expect us to come back if you treat us this way, Xia Fang said angrily. Xia Fang was not lying when she said that she was a member of this shop. In the past, Xia Zhe did not like to eat rice and only liked the bread from this shop, so she would shop here every few days. Of course, Xia Mao was the one who paid for all the purchases. Upon hearing that she was an old-time customer, the shop manager became even more respectful. Im really sorry. This shop assistant is new and hasnt learned the ropes yet. I hope you dont mind. Let me know which pastry you wanted just now. Please tell me and Ill wrap it all up for you as compensation, if thats alright with you? the shop manager said. Qiao Mei was a little surprised to hear this. This shop manager seemed to be quite good at doing business and must be quite capable to be able to manage such a big shop. Chapter 232 - Buying an Oven Do you think were hard up for your pastries? Get your shop assistant to apologize, or Ill cancel my membership. Xia Fang took out her membership card from her pocket and slapped it on the table. When the shop manager saw that the membership number on the card was 26, his attitude became even better. The current membership numbers were already in the tens of thousands. Any customer with the membership number below 100 was a very long-time customer who patronized the shop when it first opened. The shop could not afford to lose repeat customers like them. 1 The shop manager gave the shop assistant a kick and whispered angrily, Hurry up and apologize! Otherwise, dont even think about working here anymore! The shop assistant looked down and said respectfully, I Im sorry. I spoke without thinking. Im sorry, its my fault. I hope the two of you wont be angry anymore. After that, Xia Fang did not make things difficult for the shop assistant anymore. She took her card and turned to leave with Qiao Mei. The shop manager caught up with her and said, This is the cake that you were looking at just now. Please take it as the shops gift to you to compensate for your experience. Of course, I know that its not much, but I hope you wont be angry with the shop assistant anymore and dont take it to heart. Seeing that the shop managers attitude was so good, Xia Fang did not say anything else. She took the cake and left. Qiao Mei followed closely behind Xia Fang and smiled to herself happily. Given how gentle Xia Fang usually behaved, she did not expect Xia Fang to have such a side to her. Xia Fang saw Qiao Mei snickering and asked curiously, What are you laughing at? Oh me, Im laughing at the fact that Aunt also has such a side, Qiao Mei said laughingly. Xia Fang looked at Qiao Mei in embarrassment and said, Thats because someone bullied you. That wont do. I cant let anyone bully you! Aunt, lets not be angry with them anymore. Come, lets go somewhere else to take a look. Qiao Mei pulled Xia Fang to the home furnishing section. Xia Fang looked at Qiao Mei, thinking that given this child was so obedient and also knew how to make clothes and bake cakes, she must have done the hard farm work in the countryside as well. Yet, after she came to the city, she did not take advantage of anyone and did not covet everything she saw. It seemed that Qiao Qiang had taught this child well. Aunt, can we buy an oven? Qiao Mei looked closely at the oven in front of her. Do you really know how to bake cakes? Xia Fang looked at Qiao Mei in surprise. She had thought that Qiao Mei was just joking and did not expect her to really know how to bake cakes. Yes I do. When I was in the county city previously, I watched how people make those big cakes. Theyre not as exquisite as the ones in the capital, but the logic should be quite similar. Qiao Mei checked out the buttons on the oven seriously. My grandfather even got me an earth kiln at home and told me how to use it and how it worked, Qiao Mei said earnestly as she looked at Xia Fang. Xia Fang decided to buy it since the child liked it, but when she looked at the price, she realized that it cost 600 dollars. It was really not cheap, but since Qiao Mei liked it, she would still buy it! The two of them then walked around and bought all the ingredients for the cake. As for the oven, the department store would send someone to deliver and install it at their house. For such valuable items, the department store would provide for delivery and installation. After they reached home, Qiao Mei went into the kitchen and started getting busy without even taking a drink or resting. She began to ferment the dough, make the cream and prepare the other ingredients. Since they had already bought everything, she definitely had to show off her skills. Otherwise, Aunt would have bought the oven for nothing. 1 It did not take long for the oven to be delivered to the house and the workers installed it quickly. She decided to make a simple cake for Aunt first as it was the easiest. Then, she would make the cream cake and meat floss bread that they saw in the shop today. Xia Fang wanted to help out, but she did not know what to do, so she just carefully wiped the oven interior clean. After all, Qiao Mei would also be eating the food that was being prepared. She was pregnant, and needed to be careful about what she ate. Xia Fangs eyes widened when she saw Qiao Mei turn ordinary egg whites into cream. It seemed that Qiao Mei really knew what she was doing. Qiao Mei smiled at Xia Fang and said, Aunt, I really know how to do this. Go and rest in the living room for a while. Ill be done soon. As she finished making a few batches, the entire corridor and passageway was filled with the fragrance of cakes. Qiao Mei took a piece of cake for Xia Fang to try. After taking a bite, Xia Fangs eyes widened. This is too delicious! Xia Fang said in surprise. Chapter 233 - Distributing Cake And its so much cheaper than the ones at the department store! Qiao Mei said. Xia Fang looked at the ingredients in the kitchen and did some calculations. One catty of eggs was only about one dollar and the flour was only a few cents. After adding the sugar, oil and other ingredients, the total cost was probably around three dollars. The cost of making so many cakes was at most five dollars, but the shop sold the cakes at such a high price. No wonder Qiao Mei stopped her from buying the cakes. Qiao Mei thought that if she opened a cake shop in the capital, it should be much more profitable than going back to the countryside to grow bean sprouts. Growing bean sprouts was a tiring and time-consuming business, and there would be times when the harvest was not good. It was different making cakes. The raw materials could all be bought off the shelves, and she just had to make them. Moreover, it was more profitable than selling bean sprouts. Qiao Mei started thinking about the cost of opening a shop in the capital. Xia Fang suddenly looked at Qiao Mei and asked, Mei Mei, what do you plan to do after this? Huh? After this? Qiao Mei looked at Xia Fang in confusion. Yes, meaning in the future. I suppose you will become a military spouse, Xia Fang said. Definitely. Besides, Xia Zhe also wants me to become a military spouse and stay with him in the army, Qiao Mei said excitedly. However, Xia Fang was filled with worry. She became a little unhappy to hear Qiao Mei say so firmly that she wanted to become a military spouse. Qiao Mei did not understand why Aunt looked so ill at ease when she talked about being a military spouse. Mei Mei, Ive also been a military spouse for a period of time before. Its a very tough thing to do. You may be in the mountains or by the sea, or even on an island. Do you want to follow him even though you have to take care of a child as well? Xia Fang said worriedly. It was then that Qiao Mei understood Xia Fangs worry and she said with a smile, Im not afraid of hardship. Our village is also in the mountains. To go to town, we have to walk a distance of 15 kilometers on the mountain roads, and further if we go to the county city. Moreover, the natural environment there is rough. When we go out in winter, the cold can freeze off our ears! Well, it its not as tough as that Xia Fang looked at Qiao Mei with some heartache. She did not expect Qiao Mei to have gone through such a tough life when she was young. These were things that she could not imagine. Even when she followed Xiang Jin as a military spouse, her life was not as tough as what Qiao Me described . Xia Fang suddenly felt that there was nothing bad about having a daughter-in-law from the countryside. Girls in the city did not suffer much from a young age. What city girls saw as hardships were not hardships in the eyes of village girls. The village girls would just see that as part of life and deal with it. Moreover, Qiao Mei was sensible and had a good heart and a sense of propriety. She had been taught well by Qiao Qiang and did not behave like an uneducated boor at all. It turned out that Xia Fang had also thought that only a young lady from a big family in the capital was worthy of her Xia Zhe. Now, it seemed that Xia Zhe was the lucky one to be able to find a wife like Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei silently packed the rest of the cakes into boxes and put them into her backpack. Aunt, lets go and distribute the cakes to the others. Theres so many that we wont be able to finish them. Lets share with everyone! Xia Fang looked at Qiao Mei, feeling gratified that the girl knew the ways of the world as well. She had heard from her neighbors about what happened to Qiao Mei in the courtyard yesterday. The neighbors said that Qiao Mei was smart enough to see through the schemes of Qiane and her mother, and managed to protect Xia Zhes reputation. This young lady was really smart. Their Xia Zhe was really lucky. Xia Fang brought Qiao Mei to visit every household in the compound to express her gratitude. She also introduced Qiao Mei as her niece-in-law to everyone, confirming Qiao Meis status in her family. Qiao Meis baking skills received praise from everyone. A few people even expressed interest to learn from her. Qiao Meis smile froze on her face. It was starting to look like she would have no time to rest during this period of time, given the number of women who told her that they wanted to learn how to bake cakes. Xia Fang saw the awkwardness on Qiao Meis face and rejected everyone upfront. Since our Mei Mei is pregnant, she cant be too tired. She needs to rest well. Everyone understood what Xia Fang meant. Furthermore, if anything really happened to the baby, they would not be able to bear the consequences as well. They all knew the kind of person Xia Fang was. She may look like a friendly person, but in reality, if someone really provoked her, even an immortal from the heavens could not save the person. 1 She could not even be bothered to respect the hospital director, let alone a few neighbors. They all thought that it would be better not to agitate her. Everyone gave up on the idea of going to Xia Fangs house to pick up some culinary skills. Chapter 234 - Drawing a Map After returning home, Qiao Mei was so tired that she sat on the sofa and did not want to move. After keeping her keys, Xia Fang said to Qiao Mei, Mei Mei, there is an art to getting along with the neighbors. You dont have to treat them well just because they have helped you. They really only just want to watch the fun. Besides, the neighbors only spoke up for you because Qiane and her mother had offended them previously. If you give them attention and agree to whatever they say now, then they will think that youre easy to bully and come asking you for other things next time. Just remember their kindness and stand up for them when they need your help next time, Xia Fang said as she sat down beside Qiao Mei. If you help them with everything now, they will feel like they are allowed to give you unsolicited advice on your family matters in the future, Xia Fang exhorted Qiao Mei earnestly. Qiao Mei nodded thoughtfully. She recalled that in her other life, there was a young couple who lived next door. The other neighbors wanted their help with everything and they found it hard to reject the requests because they wanted to be neighborly. After a while, the neighbors became even more demanding and started to ask them for more things. There were many such neighbors around. She understood what Xia Fang meant and nodded. If you remember the auntie in floral clothes you saw yesterday, she likes to borrow things the most. She will borrow onions from you today, salt from you tomorrow, and two eggs from you the day after tomorrow. After that, shell borrow physical objects and then she wont return them to you at all. How are you going to ask for them back since theyre all just really small things, thats when it will become difficult to get your things back. Ah! You mean such a person exists! How can she have the cheek to borrow something every day? Qiao Mei asked in surprise. Not only that, she even laughed at others. That auntie even bragged often about how much money she had saved, Xia Fang said. At first, her son and daughter-in-law felt embarrassed, but as time passed and they heard from the auntie how much money she had saved, they actually felt that it was quite a good deal and stopped being concerned about it. 1 Theres also the family downstairs. They often look for their neighbors to repair things that are broken at their house. Thats fine, but they dont even bother to say thank you after that. Then they would complain that the repair work was not up to mark and that the people who helped out should not have bothered if they are not skillful. Yet, the next time the thing is broken, they still look to the same people for help. Theres also the Zhang family from the unit next door. They have five boys and they cant afford to feed them, so they let the children go around to other peoples houses to ask for food. Seeing that theyre just children, the neighbors are too embarrassed not to let them in. As time passes, these children will come on time at mealtimes. It is really unbearable. 1 After saying all that, Xia Fang sighed and said, Just you wait and see. After we give them the cake today, theyll dare to come over for their meals tomorrow. Qiao Meis eyes widened in disbelief. There were really all kinds of people in the world. How old are these children? Qiao Mei asked. The oldest is twelve years old and the youngest is four years old. They must be eating at someones house at this hour. The family doesnt care about these childrens meals at all, Xia Fang said. When Qiao Mei heard this, she was so scared that she did not know what to do. She liked children and had four younger siblings at home, but she did not think that she could handle these children. Im definitely going to go shopping and not stay at home tomorrow. I cant let them grab hold of me, Qiao Mei said fearfully. 1 Taking care of someone elses children was a very difficult task. It was fine if the children were sensible and obedient, but if the children were unreasonable brats, the carer could not beat them nor scold them. Otherwise, it would become the carers fault. That would really be very infuriating. Do you know the way? Will you get lost? Xia Fang asked worriedly. Qiao Mei took the paper and pen beside her and drew a map on it. She studied in the capital in her other life. Even though she had not been to all the areas and there might be some deviations in the map she drew, the general route should be correct. How did you know this? Xia Fang looked at Qiao Meis map in surprise. The route she drew was quite accurate. Ah I I bought the newspaper. I saw it in the newspaper, Qiao Mei said with a smile. Xia Fang was a little surprised when she saw the words written on the hand drawn map. She remembered that the information she received previously stated that Qiao Mei had never gone to school and did not have much of an education. However, looking at the handwriting on the paper, although the words were not very good-looking, they did have some character to them. Chapter 235 - I Want to Study Xia Fang looked at the paper in her hand carefully and asked Qiao Mei, You know how to write? When Qiao Mei married Xia Zhe, even though the Xia family were not informed about it earlier, they had done a detailed investigation on her after that. The fact that Qiao Mei did not go to school had really troubled the Xia family when they first knew. However, Xia Zhe had already married her. Xia Zhes elder brother, Xia Wen, then said that he would be the tutor for Xia Zhes child in the worst case scenario. Xia Wen was a university professor in the capital and a mild-mannered man who was well-liked by his students. In the end, this issue was dropped as the family believed that a child brought up by Qiao Qiang would not have a bad character. Coupled with Xia Zhes insistence, everyone let him have his way. Ive never gone to school, but my grandfather taught me at home. My grandfather studied in a private school in the past, Qiao Mei said. Oh I see. Xia Fang was relieved. Qiao Qiangs educational level was similar to that of the old master of the Xia family, so that would mean that Qiao Mei had some basic academic education. Have you thought about what I asked you before? About your plans for the future? Xia Fang asked. Qiao Mei lowered her head in deep thought. Qiao Mei had thought carefully about what Xia Fang told her the last time, but she still preferred to be by Xia Zhes side. However, she did feel that the child should not have to follow her. Xia Fang hesitated for a while before saying, Actually, my suggestion would still be that you dont become a military spouse. It would be best if you want to stay in the capital. After all, it would be helpful for the childrens education and it also wont be so tough on you. Qiao Mei looked at Xia Fang and nodded. She knew how difficult it was for Xia Fang to say all these. After all, Xia Fang was only an aunt and not her mother-in-law and she was crossing a line by saying all these. However, Qiao Mei knew that Xia Fang really had her well-being at heart. No one would want to separate a newly wedded young couple and ask the bride to live with her in-laws alone and take care of the children on her own. However, Qiao Mei understood that the suggestion was for her own good. Even Qiao Meis own mother, Li Gui, would not have such foresight. Thank you, Aunt. Ill think about it carefully. Youre right, I have to think about the child too, Qiao Mei said to Xia Fang with a smile. Xia Fang was relieved to hear that Qiao Mei understood what she meant and did not misunderstand her intentions. Then tell me what you have in mind. Let me see if I can help you? Xia Fang said. I want to study, Qiao Mei said excitedly. Study? Xia Fang did not expect that. She thought that Qiao Mei would want to find a job so that she would be able to earn money to supplement the family income. She did not expect Qiao Mei to want to go to school. For a moment, she did not know what to say. With Qiao Meis good culinary skills, if she were to become a baker, she could definitely become an outstanding pastry chef after a few years. Once she was ready, they would be able to recommend her to go to a big hotel and get her a job that was easy and not tiring, doing something that she liked. Or she could work in places like restaurants, clothing factories, or the supply and marketing cooperative. These were also very good workplaces. Although one could not get rich working at these places, one need not worry about covering basic expenses. Then which school do you want to go to and what do you want to learn? Xia Fang asked. I want to go to high school. Qiao Mei looked at Xia Fang firmly. Qiao Mei did not dare to say that she wanted to go to university. Although during this period in time, it was already possible for people to enter university by way of an admission recommendation. If you want to go to high school, you might as well go to university, Xia Fang said. With the Xia familys ability, it was not an issue for them to recommend her for admission. It was not that difficult to put up an admission recommendation these days. Factories, villages and public institutions could all put up recommendations for their people to go to the university. Students were accepted not for their academic qualifications, but rather for their class backgrounds. However, Qiao Mei did not want to be this type of university student. She looked at the dates and knew that the college entrance examination would resume in a few years. By then, she would be able to enter university in a proper manner. There was nothing wrong with being accepted into university on the basis of class background. However, she just thought that if she was known to be part of the first batch of university students who entered by passing the college entrance examination, it would be a badge of honor and make a world of difference to her reputation. It was said that after the college entrance examination was reinstated, everyone who sat for the examination made it into university, so long as they had been to school before. Therefore, she thought that it would be safer to have a high school education. That policy was still hearsay at the moment. She was concerned about not being able to take the examination if there were any changes, so having a high school education first would still be safer. It meant that, no matter what happened, she could still apply to take the examination later. Chapter 236 - Going Out Aunt, I just want to have a high school education. I want to see if I can study, Qiao Mei said. Xia Fang thought that Qiao Mei really just wanted some form of academic certificate and said confidently, Thats easy. When I have a day off, Ill go to the school nearby and tell them to put your name on the list! Qiao Mei smiled and said, Aunt is the best! Thank you, Aunt! So, the feeling of not having to take an examination is so good. Xia Fang smiled at Qiao Mei, amused by how such a small thing could make her so happy. Qiao Mei knew that it would definitely be a good thing to improve herself. This way, it would address the issue that the Xia family was so concerned about. Having a good educational level would also be better for the children. When the time came, she need not have to worry about the future for Xia Zhes children. That would allay one of the Xia familys worries. She would write to the Xia family about this when she was free, so that they would feel at ease. During this era, studying was a useless endeavor for ordinary people. Studying did not guarantee one a job at a good workplace, and it also cost money. When one reached an age when one could earn money, their family would straightaway ask them to go to work. It was possible to find a workplace by way of an introduction, otherwise the children in a family could take their parents place at the workplace when the parents got old. In the afternoon, Qiao Mei had a lot of free time, so she drew many clothing designs for Xia Fang to choose from. At night, she quickly made a simple long shirt dress that looked both dignified and age-appropriate. Xia Fang liked it so much that she could not bear to put it down. It made her look particularly elegant. It made her aware that Qiao Mei made really beautiful clothes and her designs were very unique. She thought that not only could Qiao Mei be a pastry chef, but she could also work at a clothing factory. Xia Zhe was really lucky to have found such a good wife. It looked like they would have good days ahead. There was no need to think about which workplace was suitable for Qiao Mei for the moment. The main thing was for her to give birth to the baby safely first and they could think about everything else later. Early the next morning, Qiao Mei and Xia Fang went out for a walk. As soon as they went downstairs, they saw five to six children glaring at them in the courtyard. Their gazes were like those of hungry wolf cubs, making Qiao Meis hair stand on end. 1 These children knew that Xia Fang was not to be trifled with, so they were waiting for her to leave before looking for Qiao Mei! After all, this was what Qiane had done previously. These children knew they could follow suit. Qiao Mei quickly followed Xia Fang out of the apartment complex. As soon as she stepped out, she felt relieved. These children did not look like they were easy to deal with. Xia Fang stuffed 50 dollars into Qiao Meis hand and said, Go shopping in the department store today. Its a hot day, so dont stay outdoors for too long. Ill be back as soon as I get off work tonight. Aunt, I have my own money! You dont need to give me any! Qiao Mei quickly rejected Xia Fang. Keep your own money and spend it slowly. This is from me, just take it. Im in a hurry to go to work, so Id better get going. With that, Xia Fang went off to work. Qiao Mei took the bus to the nearest antique market. The antiques now were probably very cheap and not marked up to very high prices yet. If she could keep a few of them over the years, she would be rich in the future! 1 Only rich families would be interested in these things. Ordinary families would treat such things as worthless and sell them away. This allowed many people to pick up valuable items for next to nothing. Qiao Mei wanted to be one of those people who picked up something valuable for next to nothing. At this time, the works of famous local artists were not popular. People did not cherish them and felt that imported works were the best and that these old items were useless. People who did not know their stuff would sell them for one to two dollars. Qiao Mei wanted to find shops like these so that she could get good bargains at dirt cheap prices! As she explored the area, Qiao Mei saw an old house that looked as if it had been there for a long time. She imagined that there would probably be something valuable inside, so she could not resist going in to take a look. She crossed the threshold and pushed the door open. The creaking sound made by the door was like an old mans groan, detailing its age. The house was very big and filled with many things. There were all kinds of shelves at the side with many old items on them. This place looked more like a supply and marketing cooperative selling worthless junk rather than an antique shop. Chapter 237 - Visiting the Antique City Even though the shop was big, there were no employees except for a middle-aged man behind the counter. Qiao Mei did not hear the man speak even after she had been in the shop for a while. He did not solicit business like what people did at the other shops. The shopkeeper imagined that a young lady would not know much about antiques and likely found the items interesting without knowing anything about the value. He focused on wiping his beloved grasshopper cage and did not pay any attention to Qiao Mei at all. Qiao Mei did not mind at all. She was just here to take a look. Besides, many things were broken and tattered and there was nothing that attracted her. Tsk, tsk, tsk, Qiao Mei said as she looked at the things on the shelf. Upon hearing the sound, the shopkeeper looked up at Qiao Mei and said, Oh my, little girl. Whats the matter, are you looking down on my things? Qiao Mei finally heard the man speak. She smiled and said, No, I dont look down on them. I just feel that everything looks the same and theres nothing interesting. Theres nothing good.. At this point, the shopkeeper became unhappy. He stood up and walked out from behind the counter and said, Look at these things of mine, and tell me which ones you dont think are good. Qiao Mei pointed at the calligraphy and paintings hanging on the wall and said, These calligraphy and paintings are all new and dont have any history to them. They dont look like they have any heritage value. Also, these chinaware look like they were all made in recent years. They look so rough and of inferior quality. This one is passable, but it has cracks and is very difficult to maintain. I think we can forget it. This this and this Qiao Mei gave him her comments about almost everything in the shop and was basically spot on in her observations. The shopkeeper had looked down on her in the beginning, but now he admired this young lady a little. It was not an easy thing for her to be able to appraise these old items at such a young age. You have fairly good taste. I dont put the good stuff here. It would be a waste to put them here, said the shopkeeper. Qiao Mei looked at the shopkeeper. She thought he had a weird temper and found him very interesting. What a fascinating person. Thats not true.. Look at the bangle behind your counter. The color and transparency are both not bad. Its of good quality, Qiao Mei said as she pointed at the shelf behind the counter. You have good taste. This jade bangle is indeed a valuable thing. Can you afford it? the shopkeeper said. When Qiao Mei heard this, she felt that he was looking down on her and was a little unhappy. If you can show me something really good, then I can afford it, Qiao Mei said boldly. She was not spouting nonsense without any basis. Before she left the house, she had put all her money in her bag. She had come out today with the intention to buy antiques. Although jadeite seemed very valuable, its price would stay the same even after the economic boom in the future. Unless it was imperial green jade of good color and transparency, she did not intend to consider the jade bangle. This one is 100 dollars, said the shopkeeper. So its 100 dollars. I want to know if you have anything better, much much better than this. Qiao Mei looked at him earnestly. The shopkeeper sized up Qiao Mei carefully. She really looked like she was a serious buyer. He took out an exquisite yellow rosewood jewelry box from the cabinet behind him and opened it carefully. Inside the box was a set of tian-tsui hairpin and earrings with kingfisher feather inlays. It immediately piqued Qiao Meis interest. Such craftsmanship was really rare as it was only nobles and high-ranking officials who could afford such jewelry in the past. After that era, it became even rarer. They were all very difficult objects to maintain. How much is this? Qiao Mei asked excitedly. This is really expensive. Do you really want to buy it? the shopkeeper asked. Just tell me how much it is, Qiao Mei said. It will cost you 800 dollars, the shopkeeper said. She thought that 800 dollars was not considered too expensive, so she decided to buy it. Then she wondered if there was anything better. It was said that every shop had its own treasure that was worth a lot of money and she wondered if this shop had any. She did not believe that an item which cost 800 dollars was the most valuable item in the shop. It seemed that this shop owner was still unwilling to take out his treasure and she needed to continue asking for it. Qiao Mei slowly closed the box and said, Ill buy it. Do you have anything better? Chapter 238 - A Set of Jewelry This is not good enough? Then what is considered good? The shopkeeper looked at Qiao Mei indignantly. He could not believe that this little girl could afford anything that cost a sky-high price and decided to show off to this unsophisticated girl today. The shopkeeper took out a box carved with butterflies from under the counter. The box looked very crudely made. The box was not light either. It contained a set of jewelry comprising a bangle, a necklace, earrings, a ring and hairpins. It was a complete set of jewelry and the quality looked extraordinary. Although the set of jewelry was made recently and had no historical value, it would become really valuable once it was kept for a few decades. She thought that it would be quite nice to buy the set for Aunt. The jadestone and precious gems used in the jewelry were of good quality. Even if they were not antiques, it would still give a noble air to whoever wearing them. Mister, one look and I can tell that its something from recent years. Its so new that its not even from the same era as that bangle, Qiao Mei said. During this era, no one paid much attention to antiques and literary playthings. They all felt that anything with beautiful workmanship was good enough when in fact, the most valuable things were those that had experienced the passage of time. The shop owner looked at Qiao Mei in confusion and said, This is the jewelry that someone ordered from me. After that, she didnt want it anymore. A lot of manpower and resources went into the making of this set of jewelry and Im amazed you dont like it. It was not that Qiao Mei did not like it, but it was far too different from the antiques she had imagined. She thought that she would be able to find something exceptional, but the items in front of her were only good enough to give to Aunt as a present. How much is this? Qiao Mei asked. Qiao Mei thought that if the set was more than twice as expensive as the earlier bangle, she would have to think about it carefully. Qiao Mei picked up the bright green bangle from the box. Under the sunlight, it looked even more translucent and warm, and it even made the sunlight seem dim compared to its shine. Qiao Mei suddenly felt that the energy flow in her body became much faster than usual, which surprised her. The golden energy wrapped around her body and quickly flowed to Qiao Meis hand. After circling the bangle twice, the energy returned to Qiao Meis body. Qiao Mei felt that her body had undergone a change. It seemed to have become cooler than before and her essence, energy and spirit felt better. It was currently the hottest month of the year and people on the streets were drenched in sweat from the heat of the sun. Qiao Mei had also walked over from the bus stop in the same way. When she first entered the house, she was covered in sweat. The house was not ventilated and it was very stuffy. Now that she was wearing this bangle, she actually started feeling cool. It appeared that this bangle had some form of spirituality which was helpful to her. No matter how much it cost, she had to buy it. This, this Who asked you to take it out! This is mine! Before the shopkeeper could finish speaking, he was stopped by someone outside. Two people suddenly rushed in from the entrance of the shop. When the shopkeeper saw who it was, he smiled so fawningly that the flesh on his face seemed meshed together. It seemed that these two people were not to be trifled with, and they must come from well-to-do backgrounds. Otherwise, the shopkeeper would not behave like this. It was only then that Qiao Mei had a clear look and realized that it was two women who came in. One woman was thin and tall, with a temperament that seemed gentle and refined. The other woman was slightly shorter and appeared to be arrogant and willful. What right do you have to say that its yours? Qiao Mei questioned. The woman did not bother to listen to Qiao Mei. She moved forward and pulled the bangle on Qiao Meis hand as if she was determined to take it off. Qiao Mei frowned and said, Let go. Are you going to remove it or not? If you dont, I will do it! the woman said as she pointed at Qiao Mei. It had taken Qiao Mei some effort to put on the bangle, so it would not be not an easy task to remove it. If Qiao Mei did not want to take it off, it would definitely be difficult for others to do so. Im telling you! Dont come over! Im a pregnant woman! Qiao Mei said as she flung the womans hand away. Upon hearing that Qiao Mei was pregnant, the other three people in the shop did not dare to make any rash move. The woman stared at Qiao Meis stomach and then at Qiao Meis face with a mocking smile. You already have a child at such a young age? Dont tell me you got yourself into trouble? the woman said mockingly. The other woman accompanying her did not say anything or mock Qiao Mei. She just watched quietly from the side. Chapter 239 - Buying Everything Qiao Mei did not bother to argue with such a person. She pointed at the rest of the jewelry in the box and said to the shopkeeper, Please wrap these up and let me know how much it is. The name of the arrogant and domineering woman was Qi Ling. Qi Ling went forward and closed the box. This is mine. You take that off. Qiao Mei looked at the woman in front of her impatiently and said, Who are you? Did you order this? Qiao Mei turned to the shopkeeper with a questioning look. The shopkeeper hurriedly shook his head and said, No, no, she didnt order this. Qiao Mei turned to look at Qi Ling again. He said you didnt order it. Let go, Qiao Mei said with a frown. When Qi Ling heard this, she panicked and shouted at Qiao Mei, This is the jewelry my sister ordered! Im here to collect the goods today! The shopkeeper started sweating when he heard that. Such orders were not allowed nowadays, but people did it in private, just like the black market in the village. However, these were all things done under the table so no one would speak about it in public like that. No! Absolutely not! We dont accept orders! The shopkeeper hurriedly denied it. You! The two of you! Qi Ling pointed at Qiao Mei and the shopkeeper, so angry that she could not speak. Do you believe that I can make sure that your shop cant continue operating! Qi Ling said as she pointed at the shopkeeper. People who could open a shop on this street were capable in their own way. Without some connections, one would not be able to achieve anything. The shopkeeper was not scared of Qi Lings threat at all. In the beginning, he had just found Qi Ling troublesome and was afraid that she would wreck the things in his shop. He had thought it was better to avoid unnecessary trouble. Ling Ling, stop fooling around here. The woman who had kept silent stepped forward to stop Qi Ling. She was He Mei. She had some free time today and was just accompanying Qi Ling to this place. 1 Qi Ling pointed at the box and asked, How much is this? Oh this, Im not selling it, the shopkeeper said nonchalantly as he sat in the rocking chair behind the counter. Hey! You! You clearly wanted to sell it to her just now! Now you say youre not selling it! The anger that Qi Ling just managed to suppress threatened to flare up again. He Mei said amiably, Old sir, just name your price. We really like it too. The shopkeeper was appeased by He Meis polite tone and said casually, Its 1,500 dollars. What do you mean by 1,500! We agreed on 1,000 back then. How can you suddenly change your mind! Qi Ling roared. Qiao Mei rubbed her ears impatiently. Qi Lings voice was really ear-piercing. Alright, 1,500 dollars. Ill take it. Qiao Mei quickly opened her bag and took out 2,300 dollars. She did not even care about negotiating the price and just wanted to leave this place quickly. Including the items from before, the total is 2,300 yuan. Come, check if the amount is correct, Qiao Mei said as she looked at the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper was a little surprised. He had just made a casual remark and did not expect this little girl to have money. Qi Ling stood rooted to the ground in a daze. She had only brought 1,200 dollars with her when she came out. She did not expect the items to be so expensive, so she could not afford the asking price, and now she could only stand there and watch. The Qi family looked rich from the outside but was actually not, and they needed to cozy up to the He family. Everyone in the family had to come together to pool the amount of 1,000 dollars, so it would be impossible for Qi Ling to go home and get another 1,000 dollars. Im sorry, Sister Xiao Mei. I had wanted to buy it for your birthday gift. Take a look around this place and see if there is anything else you like! Qi Ling said as she held He Meis hand. Only then did Qiao Mei understand that Qi Ling had intended it as a big gift for someone. It was already considered luxurious to buy a birthday present costing a few hundred dollars, but she had intended to give a present worth thousands. They did not seem to be relatives, so she must be trying to curry favor with the other woman. The shopkeeper looked at the two of them with scorn in his eyes. He Mei was so angry that her face turned green, but she still had to maintain her grace and not let others see her embarrassment. When Qi Ling saw that He Mei was angry and refused to speak, Qi Ling thought that she was sulking because she did not manage to get the set of jewelry. Whats your name! Qi Ling said. Chapter 240 - Exposed Anyone in the capital who could afford to spend 2,000 dollars at one go must not be from an unknown family. She wondered why she had never seen this person before. Qiao Mei. She was not afraid that these two people would come looking for her, so she told them her name. It would have been better if she did not tell them, but once she did, He Mei became suspicious. Her name was Qiao Mei and she was pregnant. It was too coincidental. Your name is Qiao Mei? Who is Xia Zhe to you? He Mei asked in disbelief. Oh, she even knew Xia Zhe. Alright, this must be another one of her mans romantic debts. Hes my husband. Do you know him? Qiao Mei smiled innocently after saying that. He Mei said mildly, My grandfather and his grandfather used to be comrades-in-arms. Our fathers are also good friends, so I do know him. Oh, I see. Qiao Mei packed her things and prepared to leave. Qi Ling did not know about the grudge between the two of them, and Qiao Mei was even more unaware. Qi Ling felt that since they knew each other, Qiao Mei should be able to let her have the set of jewelry so that she did not have to go home empty-handed. Qi Ling went forward and said to Qiao Mei, Since you know each other, why not let Sister Xiao Mei have this set of jewelry. Its her birthday today. He Mei was already angry, but she did not expect Qi Ling to make things even more awkward. How could she ask Xia Zhes wife for jewelry? He Mei held on to Qi Lings arm while smiling at Qiao Mei. She seemed to be keeping quiet, but she was actually warning Qi Ling and looking at Qiao Mei at the same time. Qiao Mei could tell that this He Mei was not someone easy to get along with. She was good at pretenses. How much would you give me for it? Qiao Mei looked at Qi Ling and said nonchalantly. Qi Ling was so silly that she really thought that Qiao Mei was going to give in to He Mei. She said to Qiao Mei, How about we split this gift between us. Ill give you 1,000 dollars, that means I pay a bigger share and you dont lose much. Well then give the jewelry to Sister Xiao Mei. Qiao Mei asked in a confused manner, What do you mean by I dont lose much? Qi Ling thought that Qiao Mei was a fool so she said excitedly to Qiao Mei, Thats right, we all know one another. Today is Sister Xiao Meis birthday so you should get her a gift too. You bought this set for 1,500 dollars and now Im giving you 1,000 dollars. Do you think youre losing out? Qiao Mei did not know what to say as she watched Qi Ling explain herself. It seemed that Qi Ling was the real fool. As Qiao Mei did not say anything, Qi Ling did not know what Qiao Mei was thinking. She only knew that she must give He Mei a nice gift today, otherwise she would not be able to explain herself when she got home. Qiao Mei really could not take it anymore. This Qi Ling was too clingy and unreasonable. She leaned against the counter and almost fell asleep as she listened to Qi Ling talk about what to do next. Hey! Are you listening to me or not! Qi Ling stomped her feet in anger. She pointed at Qiao Mei and said, Havent you heard of the He family! There are so many people who want to celebrate Sister Xiao Meis birthday with her, youre the only person who doesnt know how to cherish the chance! If not for your husband being Wait, who is your husband? Qiao Mei said without looking up, Xia Zhe. Qi Lings eyes widened. She had heard about Xia Zhes marriage and thought that he married He Mei. It was no secret that He Mei had been waiting for Xia Zhe to return. However, just as she wanted to congratulate He Mei, she realized that the bride was not He Mei but someone else. She did not expect the person to be this woman here. Qi Lings eyes widened as she looked back and forth between Qiao Mei and He Mei. In the end, she could not help but ask, Sister Xiao Mei, is it him? He Mei frowned and did not say anything. However, Qiao Meis interest was piqued when she heard what Qi Ling said. So this person really had some form of relationship with Xia Zhe, and it was really a romantic debt. At He Meis age, she was considered one of the oldest single women within the prominent families. However, the He family was rich and powerful, so no one dared to say anything about her. They only gossiped behind her back. Qi Lings father had instructed Qi Ling not to introduce boyfriends to He Mei, otherwise it could be disastrous. Everyone knew that He Mei was waiting for Xia Zhe. Now that Xia Zhe was already married, Qi Ling thought that if she were to introduce a boyfriend to He Mei now and succeeded in doing that, she would be able to become even closer to the He family! Qi Ling shook He Meis arm and asked, Am I right, Sister Xiao Mei! He Mei stood there in silence. Chapter 241 - Collecting Calligraphy and Paintings He Mei felt so embarrassed by Qi Ling that she regretted coming out today. In a fit of anger, she shook off Qi Lings hand and walked out of the shop. Qi Ling shouted from behind, Wait for me, Sister Xiao Mei. Qi Ling quickly followed behind. When she reached the door, she did not forget to turn around and say to Qiao Mei, Youd better be sensible enough to send this set of jewelry over! Qiao Mei smiled without saying anything. The shopkeeper found Qiao Mei to be very interesting. Even he did not dare to offend the He family, yet this young lady could still smile after doing it. Young lady, arent you afraid that theyll cause trouble? the shopkeeper asked. Theres nothing to be afraid of. I bought it with real money. Whats there to be afraid of? Qiao Mei said with a smile. The shopkeeper also felt that what Qiao Mei said made sense. No matter how unreasonable these people were, they would not openly snatch things. I think its fate that brought you here. If theres anything else you want, Ill give it to you. The shopkeeper stood up and looked at Qiao Mei. Since he offered, Qiao Mei did not stand on ceremony. She looked around but did not see any calligraphy and paintings. Why dont you have any calligraphy and paintings here? Qiao Mei asked. The shopkeeper smiled helplessly. This smart little girl had realized it after all. He loved calligraphy and paintings the most in his life, and he liked all of them regardless of the artists. He would buy them for his own collection and did not sell them. Now that this little girl was eyeing them, he had to take them out as promised. Tell me what kind you want. Lets be clear, I only agree to give you one, said the shopkeeper. I want an ancient landscape painting, Qiao Mei said. The shopkeeper walked around the shelf behind the counter and called Qiao Mei over. It turned out that there was another room behind this shelf. It was a place for the shopkeeper to rest and he kept many calligraphy and paintings there. Qiao Mei looked through the calligraphy and paintings hanging on the wall one by one. In the end, she chose an inconspicuous landscape painting. I want this one! Qiao Mei said as she looked at the shopkeeper. That painting was really quite old and could be traced back to a hundred years ago. It was not perfectly preserved, but at least 80% of it was still in good condition. The shopkeeper had no choice but to take it down and slowly roll it up. He repeatedly reminded Qiao Mei how to maintain the painting. You have to treat it well. Dont ruin it! the shopkeeper said. Ill definitely treasure it and pass it down. Dont worry, Qiao Mei said. After packing up the things she had bought, she prepared to make her way home. The shopkeeper did not give the painting to her because it was not valuable, but because Qiao Mei had paid the high price he had casually quoted for the jewelry. The things that one could buy with more than 2,000 dollars included more than 10 bicycles, or 15 to 16 radios, or a refrigerator, or an oversized black-and-white television. Qiao Mei knew that it was expensive to spend 2,000 dollars on a set of jewelry, but no one knew the value of antiques now. In the future, the value of these things could double or even increase more than tenfold. Some things could even be priceless! Qiao Mei originally intended to give the set of jewelry to Aunt, but the longer she wore the bangle, the more she liked it. She did not feel warm when she wore it. It was like a natural air conditioner, so it was now something that she could not give anyone or sell off. For her to give it to He Mei? No way! On the way home, Qiao Mei ran into someone selling flower pots by the roadside. She casually picked out four flower pots that she thought looked good. She thought that these flower pots were being sold at a reasonable price of four dollars each. She did not feel tired even though she was carrying so many things and even felt quite refreshed. After that, she made her way home happily. At the same time, He Mei also reached home. She threw her bag on the sofa and asked gloomily, Dad, have you checked on the matter with Qiao Mei? Yes, Ive checked. Weve already gotten some clues, He Guo said. By now, it was the third brother of the He family who was the one handling all the business matters. Now that he was older, he did not manage the family business much and just waited for the dividends every year. He Mei sat on the sofa unhappily. She was angry at the thought of what had just happened and could not wait for her plan to be implemented immediately. Chapter 242 - Results of the Investigation After a while, the phone rang. Before He Guo could get up, He Mei rushed to the phone and picked it up. Hello, this is the He residence, He Mei said calmly. She must still maintain her sense of decorum. Unexpectedly, it was a call from one of the investigators. Miss, we have checked and she did not have any intimate contact with any man in the village, the investigator said. He Mei was shocked and asked suspiciously, Are you sure you screened all of them? Is there really no one who has an ambiguous relationship with her? We have certainly checked every household. There are really no men in the village who had any relationship with her, the investigator said firmly. How is that possible? Then how did she get the child? Look into it again! He Mei snarled. He did not dare to refute her because she was the daughter of the He family after all. However, he had really searched the entire village and there was really no one who had any ambiguous relationship with Qiao Mei. After He Mei saw Qiao Mei today, she became even more convinced of her own suspicions. Based on her work experience at the hospital, when she saw Qiao Meis stomach and figure, she was sure that Qiao Mei was definitely more than three months pregnant. 1 He Guo watched as He Mei kept making things difficult for the investigator. He got up and grabbed the phone to find out more about the situation himself. Alright, continue with the investigation and see if theres anyone in the neighboring villages who knows her. Then He Guo hung up. Dad! Why did you hang up without asking more questions! He Mei shouted at He Guo angrily. He Guo looked at his daughter coldly without saying anything. His gaze made He Mei lose her imposing manner quickly. Dad, shouldnt we probe more? He Mei no longer had the arrogant stance from before. Although she was willful and impudent by nature, she was still a child of the He family and had to maintain her decorum at all times. Theyre professional investigators who do everything flawlessly. Ive been using them for many years. Are you doubtful of their capabilities? He Guo questioned. No I dare not. Its just that Im still worried. He Mei sat down beside He Guo tentatively. They said that they have asked everyone in the village individually. Qiao Mei doesnt even leave the house and doesnt have any chance to interact with men at all. They are unable to find out anything more, He Guo said. But! But its possible that theres a man who made secret visits! He Mei said. It was not that He Guo had not thought about the possibility, but given Qiao Qiangs character, he would not allow such a thing to happen at home. Besides, if no one had noticed anything during the day, it was even more impossible for things to happen at night as Qiao Qiang would be at home. Thats impossible. Anyway, let them continue with their investigations. With that, He Guo went to the dining table to have his meal. He Mei followed He Guo cautiously. Although she behaved like a glamorous and spoiled young lady outside, she could not behave freely when she returned home. Qiao Mei did not go home immediately. It was not the time that Xia Fang got off work yet. If she went back now, she would definitely be caught by those brats. She did not want them to see her. Qiao Mei went into a random restaurant near the house and had a leisurely meal. After that, she took a walk through many alleys and bought a lot of pickled vegetables and cold dishes before going to the small park opposite the house to sit in the shade. Qiao Mei only dared to return home after Xia Fang got off from work. Before entering the courtyard, Qiao Mei hid all the food she bought in the flower pots. At a glance, she looked like she was only carrying ordinary flower pots. After she packed everything neatly, she prepared to enter the courtyard nonchalantly. The moment she entered the courtyard, she saw five children sitting on both sides of the corridor like five little door guardians. 1 They looked at Qiao Mei with resentment in their eyes, as if they were asking her why she had only just returned. They had met many people like her before, so this sister was definitely not a good person! Elder sister, what did you buy? a child of about six years old asked. Qiao Mei sighed. The age of these children ranged from being in their teens to the youngest being four or five years old. They were so scheming. It seemed that her own younger siblings were really sensible kids. When she could go back to see them, she would definitely buy them a lot of fun stuff and delicious food. She must praise them and then tell them about the naughty children she had met so that they would be more vigilant and not get bullied by other people. 1 Chapter 243 - Intentional Injury Qiao Mei gently knocked on the things in her bag. Hear the sound, these are flower pots. You must have good food with you! I can smell it! the plump eldest child said bluntly as he pointed at Qiao Mei. This kid was rude and quite overbearing. It seemed that the younger brothers were so skinny because this eldest child must have eaten everything. I ate at a restaurant before I came back, Qiao Mei said. She had spent too much time in the restaurant today and there was probably some lingering food smell on her. She did not expect this child to have such a good sense of smell. The children looked at one another, not knowing what to do. The second brother stood up and looked at Qiao Mei pitifully. Elder sister, can you give us something to eat? I dont have anything to eat. You guys can go look for food elsewhere. Qiao Mei continued walking straight towards the corridor. When she brushed past them, the plump eldest child slammed forcefully into his second brother. As the eldest kid was furthest away from her, and the second brother was the closest, he could only make his second brother bump into her. If they managed to bump into Qiao Mei, they would be able to get their revenge for having to wait for her all day. If they did not manage to bump into her, they would say that she was the one who pushed them and then ask her for monetary compensation. Qiao Mei reacted by turning sideways, causing the mahogany box in her right hand to face them instead of the chinaware in her left hand. This caused the second brother to take a very hard knock. He held onto his arm and yelled loudly, then he started crying. His loud yelling caused the younger brothers to become startled and they started crying as well. At this moment, the plump eldest child pointed at Qiao Mei and shouted, You bad woman, you bullied my younger brothers! These children cried, shouted and cursed among themselves. The courtyard instantly became very noisy. Qiao Mei, who was standing closest to them, felt as if she was going deaf as her ears were already ringing. The noise gave her a headache. At this moment, the door on the first floor opened instantly and a woman rushed out to hug her second son and asked with concern, My son, what happened to you? Upon closer inspection, she found that the second brothers arm was swollen and red. The woman pointed at Qiao Mei and cursed at her, Damn it! How can you hit him so hard! Hes still a child! How can you hit him! Youre pregnant yourself and going to be a mother! How can you be like this! The child you birthed wont have a butthole! Your child will definitely cant speak and will be a mute! 1 She said the most unpleasant things and angered Qiao Mei with her last few statements . What she hated the most now was hearing others curse her children. She could not accept anything bad from anyones mouth. Xia Fang. who was upstairs, also heard the commotion and hurriedly went downstairs to see if it was Qiao Mei returning. The people around also went downstairs if they could make it. Those who could not go downstairs opened the windows and listened. They definitely would not want to miss out on the drama. The Sun familys children were causing trouble again. This time, their target was Xia Fangs family. This was going to be a good show.. The moment Xia Fang came down, she checked if Qiao Mei was injured. Then, she reached out to take the things from Qiao Meis hand. Qiao Mei only gave Xia Fang the bag with the chinaware but not the one with the mahogany box. After all, ordinary women would not have the strength to carry this thing. When the woman saw Xia Fang, she started to rant loudly, Xia Fang, come and take a look! Look at what your niece-in-law has done! The woman raised her second sons hand for Xia Fang to see. She wept as she said, Look at how ruthless she is. She beat the child up like this! How can she hit a child! I didnt hit him. Look at the amount of things Im carrying. As soon as I came back, your children surrounded me and asked me if I had anything to eat. I said that I had already eaten before I came back. This bag contains chinaware, so when your eldest son pushed your second son towards me, I dodged and he bumped into the things Im holding, Qiao Mei said. Qiao Mei did not say all these for this woman to hear. She wanted the people around her to know what had happened. Xia Fang also understood what had happened. It seemed that the family from the first floor had their door open and was just waiting for Qiao Mei to return. If the kids managed to get food from her, they would bring it home to eat together with their family. If the kids could not manage to get any food, this woman would then come out to seek justice for her injured child. It was such a calculative scheme. This woman taught the children nothing but these crooked ways! Chapter 244 - Asking for Compensation Youre making things up! My eldest son pushed my second son! Why! Do you even make sense! the woman shouted at Qiao Mei. Tsk, your children have done so many such things. Thats right. They even refused to leave my house previously. And my house as well. The people around them started talking about who had suffered the same things. Get lost! What does it have to do with you! My children didnt do such things! The woman roared at the surrounding neighbors. These children did not go in a group to one house to ask for food. They would split up and one kid would go to one house so that their targets would feel bad to reject them. However, a few families would not let the children get their way and would kick them out of the house. These families would have then suffered from the childrens revenge antics. What do you mean it has nothing to do with me! Last week, they even broke the new flower pot I just bought! And the eggs I bought yesterday morning were smashed by your children the moment I entered the courtyard! So is my milk! Its all spilled because of them! Your eldest son has done a lot of things! He even threw the vegetables I bought onto the ground and trampled them! Everyone chimed in and complained about what these children from the Sun family had done. However, these children were still young. Even if they were caught, they would only be reprimanded and sent home to be disciplined. It was actually Old Madam Suns idea for them to go to someone elses house to freeload. Sending them home to be disciplined would only make them worse. The eldest son of the Sun family was a person who bore grudges and he also had food aggression issues. For anyone who snatched his things, he would definitely not let them have an easy time. He felt that people who did not give him anything were all his enemies and he would think of ways to take revenge on them. 1 You have no evidence! What right do you have to say that! the woman said with her head lowered. In any case, she refused to admit anything. These were all incidents from long ago and no one would be able to produce any evidence. As long as she did not admit it, then it was not something her children had done. With your character, what good can your children do! What the hell! How dare you still have the cheek to come out if this is how you bring up your children! Shes just a shameless person. Back then, she did all kinds of things to marry into the Sun family! Qiao Mei and Xia Fang watched from the side as the neighbors quarreled with this woman. They found out many interesting things through the information being thrown out during the arguments. Busybodies! Just mind your own business! the woman shouted. These people arguing with her were the ones who did not allow her children to go to their house, so she felt that there was no need to be polite to them or ask for their support. This way, she could also show the other neighbors the consequences of not helping her family feed her children. Who would dare to not feed the children! If you do not feed them, they will cause trouble for you. Lets see who wins! The only reason why so many people gave these children food was to avoid unnecessary trouble. After all, it would be troublesome to have to deal with such a shrew. Not only would it waste a lot of time, but it would also bring about other problems. Hurry up and bring my child to the hospital! The woman said as she pointed at Qiao Mei. After talking for a long time, she finally remembered Qiao Mei. Theres no hurry. Let me take a look. An old-sounding voice came from the back of the crowd. Everyone made way for the person who spoke and they realized that it was the highly respected old master who lived in the compound. In the hospital, the orthopedic doctors are all my students. Let me see if this child is alright, the old master walked to the front and said to the woman. The woman thought that her second son must be suffering from a broken bone, given the redness and swelling. She stepped aside confidently to let the old master treat her second son. The old master gently raised the second sons arm to take a look and then checked the injured area. Its no big deal. The swelling will go down after a few days of rest, the old master said. When the woman heard this, she said in disbelief, No, Im still worried. We have to go to the hospital to get an X-ray done! Qiao Mei smiled. This woman did not even want to believe the old doctor and still insisted on going to the hospital. Then come and look for me at the hospital tomorrow. The orthopedics doctors are not around today, the old master said with a grin. This old master looked like a friendly person. Hmph, then pay me for the medical expenses, nutrition fees, food expenses and compensation for the mental damage! Give me the money! the woman reached out her hand and said to Qiao Mei. 3 Chapter 245 - Pretending to Be In Pain Qiao Mei looked at the unreasonable woman and did not want to waste her breath. The old masters expression changed for the worse when he heard what the woman said. He said quietly, The people living in this compound are all hospital employees and their family members. It doesnt cost anything for anyone here to get an X-ray. Qiao Mei took her things and prepared to go upstairs. She thought that since this was an unsolvable issue, she might as well leave now. The woman went forward to grab Qiao Mei and said, You cant leave! You havent paid me yet! Qiao Mei quickly came up with a plan. She put down the box in her hand and held her stomach as she slowly sat on the ground and groaned in pain. This scene gave Xia Fang a huge fright. She went up to the woman and pushed her away before she held onto Qiao Mei and asked nervously, Oh, Mei Mei. Whats wrong, Mei Mei? Tell me where it hurts. Qiao Mei leaned on Xia Fangs shoulder and muttered softly, Its an act. Xia Fang immediately understood Qiao Meis intention. She started crying and said to the woman, You deserve death! If anything happens to my Mei Mei, I wont let you off! 1 Qiao Mei leaned against Xia Fang and did not move at all, looking as though she had fainted. This frightened the woman so much that she did not dare to move and quickly denied that it had anything to do with her. Taking advantage of the chaos, she dragged her children back home, afraid that she would get the blame if there was anything wrong with Qiao Mei. No matter what, Qiao Mei was pregnant. The woman knew that the loss of a baby would be akin to her taking a life. Compared to the injury on her childs arm, she would be in much bigger trouble if Qiao Mei lost her baby. When Qiao Mei saw that the Sun family had left, she quietly opened her eyes and said weakly to everyone, Everyone please go back I just suddenly felt pain Im fine Seeing how pitiful Qiao Mei looked, everyone wanted to render help. Sister Xia Fang, youre a doctor. Can you see if shes alright? Hurry up and go to the hospital! Xia Fang waved her hand and said to everyone, Shes fine. Its just that she had just been out in the sun all day because she wanted to avoid those children and didnt dare to come home. As she spoke, she even choked up. But then again, it was so sunny today and this child had been out in the sun all day. Now she even got bumped into The neighbors gathered around all felt angry on Qiao Meis behalf. Qiao Mei was a nice girl who had even baked cakes for them. She was so beautiful and kind-hearted. Furthermore, Xia Zhe was the most outstanding child from this compound. He had been upright since he was young, so the woman he had married must be a good person. Everyone, you can go back. Mei Mei and I will sit here for a while and then well head back. Dont worry, Xia Fang said gently. Hearing what Xia Fang said, everyone knew that they would only just block the air circulation if they continued to stay around, so they listened to her and left. Before the old master left, he took a look at Qiao Mei. The old master smiled and muttered to himself, This girl is really smart. 1 Once everyone left, Qiao Mei stopped pretending. She stood up and patted the dirt off her body, picked up the two bags, and went home with Xia Fang. As soon as she entered, Qiao Mei happily told Xia Fang about what had happened today. As she rattled on, she suddenly realized that Xia Fang was sitting on the sofa without saying a word. Qiao Mei looked at Xia Fang timidly and only then realized that she seemed to have something wrong earlier. She tiptoed over and sat beside Xia Fang, hugging Xia Fangs arm and refusing to let go. She said sweetly, Aunt, Aunt, dont be angry. I know I was wrong! What did you do wrong? Youre so clever, how can you be wrong? Xia Fang said angrily without looking at Qiao Mei. I know I shouldnt have pretended to be unwell. Aunt must have been frightened. Qiao Mei looked at Xia Fang in embarrassment. When Xia Fang heard this, she stood up angrily and pointed at Qiao Mei. Mei Mei! You scared me to death! What if something goes wrong! Do you know how dangerous it is for women to give birth! The child is not the main issue, but what if something happens to you! Xia Fangs heart really ached for Qiao Mei. If something bad really happened and she lost the child, she could always try again. However, if anything happened to her, then there was no second chance. Even though she had been pretending to be unwell, it had really given Xia Fang a huge fright. Chapter 246 - A Gift for Aunt Qiao Mei did not dare to speak and there was nothing that Xia Fang could do about her. She sighed and patted Qiao Meis head. Lets not have a next time, okay? Yes, I know. There definitely wont be a next time! Qiao Mei quickly nodded. Seeing that Qiao Mei was truly aware of her mistake, Xia Fang no longer kept a straight face and smiled faintly. Aunt, I bought a lot of nice things today. This is for you. Qiao Mei took out the exquisite box from her bag and placed it in front of Xia Fang. Xia Fang looked at the box curiously, wondering what was inside. Open it and take a look, Aunt, Qiao Mei said excitedly. Xia Fang carefully opened the box and saw a set of delicate jewelry inside. It came as a big surprise to her. Ah! Xia Fang exclaimed in amazement. She gently touched the jewelry. Each piece was a treasure that was meticulously crafted and she fondled them lovingly. After admiring it, it suddenly struck her that a set of jewelry like this was worth a lot of money. She wondered how Qiao Mei had that much money. Mei Mei, thank you for the gift, but it is way too expensive. Where did you get so much money? Xia Fang asked. Back in the village, I ran a business growing bean sprouts and supplying it to the supply and marketing cooperative. Our village has now become a key supplier of bean sprouts, so Ive made some money, Qiao Mei said. Xia Fang looked at Qiao Mei with some admiration. Not only did this child know how to sew and make clothes, but she was also a good cook and knew how to do business.. It seemed like there was nothing she could not do. However, even if Qiao Mei had made money in the village, she should not have bought such expensive jewelry. This is too valuable. I dont think I can accept it. Xia Fang closed the box reluctantly. No matter how much she liked it, she could not accept such an expensive gift. Its alright, Aunt. Im very grateful to you for taking such good care of me. Besides, youve also taken care of Xia Zhe for so many years and youre the reason why he grew up to be such a good pillar of society. So please just accept it! Qiao Mei said as she placed the box in Xia Fangs hand. Xia Fang looked at Qiao Mei and then at the box in her hand. She sighed and said with some consolation, It seems that Ive reached a time in my life when I can enjoy life. Back then, I wanted a daughter, but I only got a son. Its so good to have a daughter. Qiao Mei smiled and said, Thats alright, you have me now. Now that Ive married into the family, you can enjoy life. Xia Fang nodded and said, Yes, having you is like having a daughter. Ill go and put this set of jewelry away. Once your baby is born and if its a daughter, Ill get her a better set. Sure! Qiao Mei said with a smile. It is not just a daughter, but a boy and a girl. It is a pair of twins! Qiao Mei hummed a song as she walked to the kitchen to start cooking. Ever since Xia Fang tasted Qiao Meis cooking, she felt that her own cooking tasted like wax. Qiao Mei s cooking was so much better. Xia Fang had just put away the box when she heard someone knocking on the door. Who is it? Xia Fang quickly went to open the door. She opened the door and saw her cousin, Liu Yang, who was also the director of the hospital where she worked. Why are you here? Xia Fang looked at Liu Yang with disdain. I heard that something happened at your house, so I came to take a look, Liu Yang said. Come on in. As if anything can happen at my house. Its all due to others kicking up a fuss. You know its not like us to cause any trouble, Xia Fang said sulkily. Qiao Mei stood at the kitchen door and looked at the stranger, not knowing how to greet him. When Liu Yang saw Qiao Mei, he smiled and said, This must be Xia Zhes wife. Shes really good-looking. No wonder Xia Zhe got married so quickly. Qiao Mei looked at the man who spoke frivolously and casually. She did not know who he was, but he seemed to be very familiar with Xia Fang. Ah, this is my cousin, so you can call him your uncle. Qiao Mei smiled sweetly and said, Hello, Uncle. Aye, aye, aye! Good, good. Our Xia Zhe has really married a good wife. Liu Yang reached into his pockets to see if he could find something to give to Qiao Mei. After searching for a long time, he could not find anything and looked at her awkwardly. I didnt bring any gifts today as I came back from the hospital in a hurry. When I heard that something had happened at your house, I quickly rushed over, Liu Yang explained embarrassedly. Chapter 247 - Planning to Buy a House Mei Mei, wait for me while I go home for a bit. I live in this compound too, so Ill be back soon. After saying that, Liu Yang rushed home. Hey! Uncle! Theres no need! Qiao Mei stuck her head out of the kitchen and said. Before Qiao Mei could finish speaking, Liu Yang left for his house and Xia Fang did not stop him. Usually, it would be extremely difficult to get anything from Liu Yang. He was willing to give Qiao Mei a gift only because of how she was related to Xia Zhe. Within this compound, Liu Yang was famous for being stingy. 1 Its fine, Mei Mei. Just make a couple more dishes for him. Dont mind it, Xia Fang said. Qiao Mei nodded and returned to the kitchen to continue cooking. She made a few more nice dishes so that she could show off her culinary skills to Liu Yang. When Liu Yang got home, he started rummaging through the house to see if there were any suitable gifts for a girl. He went through all his things but there was nothing except for liquor. There was nothing he could do but to bring two bottles of good liquor to Xia Fangs house. As soon as he entered, Xia Fang saw the two bottles and liquor and said, Hey, why do you always bring liquor around? Are you an alcoholic? 1 Its not for you, whats your problem! Liu Yang said. Xia Fang and Liu Yang often bickered with each other, but they would also always side with each other. They were both stubborn but soft-hearted. Mei Mei, these two bottles are good medicinal liquor. You can bring them to your grandfather, theyre good as tonics. Liu Yang put down the bottles and shouted towards the kitchen. After knowing that Xia Zhe got married, the first thing he did was to check on Qiao Meis family background. When he knew that her grandfather was Qiao Qiang, he was sure that this would be an appropriate gift. When Qiao Qiang was younger, he loved to drink and was the best drinker in the army. However, after the army banned drinking, everyone forgot about it. Hes an old man now! You still want to encourage him to drink! Xia Fang said as she glared at Liu Yang. Liu Yang could only rub his head and give her a silly smile. He really had nothing else to give. As Qiao Mei fried the vegetables, she said, Thank you, Uncle! My grandfather really loves to drink! I was still worried that I dont have any good liquor that I can use to steep the wild ginseng at home for my grandfather. The moment he heard about wild ginseng, Liu Yang immediately perked up. Wild ginseng! On the mountain near your house? Liu Yang asked. Yes, there are a lot on the mountain behind my house! Qiao Mei said. Hearing this, Liu Yangs eyes lit up and he asked excitedly, Then how many do you have at home! How old are they! My grandfather often explores around the mountains. There are 10-year and 20-year ones, and theres even one thats 100 years old, Qiao Mei said. What!!! Liu Yang looked towards the kitchen in surprise. He quickly walked into the kitchen and looked at Qiao Mei. 100 years old? Qiao Mei nodded and said, Really, its a 100-year-old wild ginseng. Even Xia Fang was shocked. She also walked over and looked at Qiao Mei curiously. The price of a 100-year-old wild ginseng could not even be estimated. It was something that could only be chanced upon by luck and was a rare treasure. My grandfather asked me to bring it along on this trip. He told me to see if we can find a buyer for it in the capital. Then Ill be able to buy a house in the capital. When the time comes, Ill join Xia Zhe in the capital, and my grandfather will also come here to live, Qiao Mei said. She was only using Qiao Qiang as an excuse. In fact, she was the one who wanted to buy a house. She thought that if she bought one now, its value would become much higher in the future. Besides, she also wanted to study in the capital. If she bought a house now, it would be more convenient for her in the future. She did not think it was right for her to go to the Xia family residence and live with Xia Zhes parents. 1 She definitely intended to be a military spouse, but she could request not to follow the army everywhere. After all, she still wanted to have her own life and would not give up on herself for Xia Zhe. She still wanted to live her own life. Otherwise, she would have wasted her rebirth. This time round, she must live her life well. Theres no need to buy a house. When you become a military spouse, youll be allocated one. Moreover, Xia Zhes grandmother left behind an old house in the capital for Xia Zhe, Xia Fang said. Xia Zhes grandmother was also from a prominent and wealthy family in the capital. When she got married, her dowry included an old house. Before she passed away, she made it very clear that she wanted to give the house to Xia Zhe and that no one else should even have an eye on it. Chapter 248 - Seeing the Real Face Can you tell me the location, and is there another house next to it? I would still like to buy a house for my grandfather. He did say that he doesnt want to live with me and wants to live alone as it is more quiet that way, Qiao Mei said. Qiao Mei still felt that she had to buy it with her own money. This way, when her grandfather came to live with her, he would also feel more at ease and no one would gossip behind his back. Xia Fang regretted what she said the moment she finished speaking. After all, many of her relatives were eyeing that house. If Qiao Qiang moved in, her bigmouth sister-in-law and niece-in-law would definitely have a lot to say about it. Luckily, Qiao Mei had a good heart. She did not want to take advantage of others and was not greedy. If not for Xia Fang stopping them from staying in the house, her sister-in-law and niece-in-law would definitely have already moved in. They even said that since Xia Zhe did not stay in the house anyway, there was no harm for them to stay there. It was easy to allow them to move in, but it would be difficult to get them to move out in the future. 1 Xia Fang hired people to take care of the house and made sure it was cleaned properly and regularly. If not for Xia Fang, the house would have long fallen into her sister-in-laws hands. Mei Mei, if you want to go to the old house, I can bring you there tomorrow, Xia Fang said. Now that Qiao Mei could be considered the mistress of the house, it would be good for her to go over and take a look so that those people would all know about it and stop having ideas about the house. Hey! Lets not talk about other things! Mei Mei, did you bring that ginseng? Liu Yangs eyes were shining as he spoke. Liu Yang did not say a word while they were having a long discussion about the house. It turned out that he was fixated on the 100-year-old wild ginseng. Yes, I have it with me, Qiao Mei said. Then then can I take a look? Liu Yang asked with a hint of embarrassment. After all, this kind of thing was priceless. It would be a huge loss if it got damaged. The age was one thing, but its condition was particularly important as well. If the condition was affected in any way, no matter how old the wild ginseng was, it would be worth a lot less. Of course. Qiao Mei went to the room to get her backpack and took out the metal box hidden at the bottom. It was not a nice-looking box. The only thing at home that could fit the ginsengs was this metal box. Qiao Mei slowly opened the metal box. There were four ginsengs inside. There was a 100-year-old wild ginseng and three 30-year-old wild ginsengs. She was going to give one each of the younger ginsengs to Xia Zhes grandfather and father, and to keep the remaining one aside. This was so that she could use it to save lives if necessary or it could also be exchanged for her travel fees if anything should happen. Now that she realized that Xia Fang was also very good to her, she was considering keeping the one for Xia Fang. Liu Yang was so excited when he looked into the metal box that he did not know where to put his hands. He carefully wiped his hands on his clothes, but then he felt that his clothes were not clean enough, so he went to the bathroom to wash his hands thoroughly. He followed hospital standards and washed his hands as if he was going into surgery. Uncle, theres no need to be so nervous! Qiao Mei yelled towards Liu Yang in the bathroom. This is a big matter! I cant be careless about this! Wait for me! Liu Yang shouted back. He continued washing his hands carefully in the bathroom, even cleaning under his nails. He took a long time before he came out. Can I bring it up to take a look? Liu Yang said embarrassedly. Sure, Qiao Mei said as she placed the metal box on the table. Liu Yang took out the 100-year-old wild ginseng from the metal box carefully and slowly unwrapped its packaging. He leaned over and smelled it. He had been lucky enough to see a 100-year-old ginseng before, but that one did not smell as strong as this one. It was obvious that this was a high-grade ginseng. Each of the roots had grown out beautifully. If not for the fact that it was really too precious, he really wanted to have a taste of this 100-year-old ginseng. He did not dare to covet the 100-year-old one, but there were still the other three smaller ones. After returning the 100-year-old ginseng to its place, he looked at the three small wild ginsengs. Can you sell me one of these three! Just name your price! Im willing to pay any amount of money! Liu Yang looked at Qiao Mei agitatedly. That wont do! These are for Xia Zhes grandfather and father, Qiao Mei said. Then theres still one left! Sell it to me! Liu Yang said. Looks like theres still hope! Theres still one left! No I cant. This one is for Aunt, Qiao Mei said as she shook her head. Chapter 249 - I Am Your Real Uncle Liu Yang could barely believe it. Even Xia Fang, who was watching them from the side, was caught by surprise. Ah! Liu Yang looked at Xia Fang enviously. This made Xia Fang very happy. She looked at Liu Yang smugly and said, Hmph, I can let you taste one of the roots from my ginseng. Even though wild ginseng was rare and priceless, no matter its age, Xia Fang was very confident that she could repay this nice gesture from Qiao Mei. Aye, alright, alright, alright. Liu Yang hurriedly went to pick out the best ginseng among the three. Then he studied it for a long time to find the root that would belong to him. He looked so comical that Xia Fang and Qiao Mei laughed non-stop beside him, but neither of them could interrupt him from choosing seriously. He studied it for almost 10 minutes. Liu Yang, you only get a ginseng root. Do you have to take so long to choose? Xia Fang said as she looked at Liu Yang impatiently. That ginseng belonged to her after all. She had not even taken a look, but Liu Yang was already picking out the ginseng root he wanted. Haha, I have to choose carefully since its such good ginseng, Liu Yang said. He then pointed to a medium length root on one side and said, I want this one. Remember to give it to me when the time comes. Xia Fang looked at Liu Yang curiously and said, Oh my, this doesnt seem like your style. Why didnt you choose the longest one? Although Liu Yang was a stingy person, he was still good to people who were close to him. However, he would never waste a chance to take advantage of someone or something . That was why she thought that he would take the chance to choose the longest one. What do you know! This is the biggest one. Liu Yang stared at the ginseng in his hand happily. He had already taken advantage of her in a way that she did not understand. Liu Yang was a Western doctor, but his teacher had a background in Chinese medicine and the knowledge rubbed off on him as well. Now, he would study Chinese medicine every month to pick up new knowledge. He would not be able to take a pulse and diagnose a patient, but he was able to recognize medicinal herbs and distinguish between good and bad ones. As he held the 30-year-old wild ginseng in his hand, he was so happy that he could not stop smiling. Xia Fang rolled her eyes at Liu Yangs silly look and said, Useless thing, hurry up and come to dinner! Qiao Mei had already placed all the dishes on the table while Liu Yang was still looking at the ginseng. She had made a total of eight dishes and they all smelt really good. He had been so focused on the ginseng that he did not see the table full of dishes. Oh wow, there are so many nice dishes. This Xia Zhes wife has got some skills, Liu Yang said. He patiently wrapped up the wild ginseng in his hand and put it aside before sitting at the dining table eagerly. There are so many dishes. Are you welcoming me? Liu Yang said with a smile. You still expect us to welcome you. Qiao Mei has made extra dishes for you. Xia Fang scooped some rice for Liu Yang with some annoyance. Liu Yang hurriedly stood up and went to the kitchen to help out. After everything was neatly arranged, they started eating. The Xia family had a house rule that everyone had to be present at mealtime before they could eat. It was meant to signify unity and happiness for everyone in the family. They would keep waiting for a family member who was not present unless they were given advance notice that the person was not joining. Mei Mei, Im your uncle, right? Liu Yang said as he raised his wine glass. Yes, youre my uncle. Qiao Mei looked at Liu Yang in confusion. Although Im your first cousin once removed, your aunt and I grew up together and can be said to be the closest. So Im like your real uncle! Liu Yang said. When Qiao Mei saw that Liu Yang was happily high from drinking too much, she echoed, Yes! My real uncle! Aye! Thats right! So, if you have any good ginseng next time, remember your uncle. Any price is fine, but dont make it too expensive. Your uncle cant afford it, hahaha. After saying that, Liu Yang drank another glass of liquor. No problem! Leave it to me! Qiao Mei said with a smile. When Xia Fang saw Liu Yang like this, she knew that he had drunk too much and all he could think of was ginseng. It was rare to encounter such good ginseng, so it was understandable that he felt so happy and drank more than usual. However, the ginseng belonged to her! Yet Liu Yang was so happy, like he was the one who received the ginseng as a gift. He was already so happy with just a ginseng root. Xia Fang shook her head helplessly and secretly pointed at Liu Yang behind his back, mouthing to Qiao Mei that he had drunk too much. Chapter 250 - Getting Drunk Qiao Mei smiled and nodded. She liked the current warm and happy atmosphere very much. She had already intended to come to the capital to find a way to sell ginseng. This way, she could buy a few houses to keep for their future value or buy some antiques. She could also make some money while she went to school later. If she went to the medicinal store or found private buyers, she was worried that people would report her to the authorities and she would get interrogated. She might even get cheated out of her money. It might be better to just give it to the Xia family. People in the family could be trusted. Then what do you plan to do with your 100-year-old ginseng? Xia Fang asked. Qiao Mei thought for a moment and said, I havent decided yet. My intention is to exchange it for a house. In that case, I have an idea, Xia Fang said with a smile. It would take too long to sell the 100-year-old ginseng for money first and then buy a house. Even without going into a detailed appraisal of its worth, very few people would be able to afford it. However, it would be easier to exchange it for a house by way of a mutual agreement. After all, it was rare to see ginseng which was 100 years old. A house was only as valuable as its price but this ginseng could save lives. When the time comes, well just ask around with the neighbors and see which family is willing to do an exchange, Xia Fang said. Liu Yang suddenly waved his hand and said, Its such a loss to exchange it for a house. It would be better to sell it for cash. You may still have money left after buying a house. If you exchange for a house, dont you need to renovate the interior? What Liu Yang said also made sense, but if this 100-year-old ginseng was put up for sale now, it could probably be sold for more than 100,000 dollars. No one would be able to fork out that amount of money. Exchanging it for a house with a courtyard in the capital would not be a loss-making deal. Its alright, Uncle. The house is more important. Some people are not interested in money, but they might be willing to exchange it with me for this ginseng! Qiao Mei said with a smile. Xia Fang liked Qiao Mei more and more. This child was a smart girl and could get exactly what she meant. Thats true. Mei Mei is so smart and thoughtful. Sigh, Uncle didnt think about that. After saying that, Liu Yang took another sip of liquor. Youre definitely not as smart as my Mei Mei, Xia Fang said. Im already old and getting useless. Of course Im not as smart as Mei Mei, Liu Yang said. Qiao Mei looked at Xia Fang and Liu Yang bickering with each other and it made her recall how she would quarrel with her grandfather over trivial matters at home. Are we going to look at houses tomorrow? Qiao Mei asked. Sure, I have nothing to do anyway. Lets go and have a look tomorrow, Xia Fang said gently. Liu Yang gently knocked on the table and said, Mei Mei, you have to remember that Im your real uncle! You must remember! If you have any problems in the future, dont just look for your aunt. Come look for me, I can help you with anything! What a brag. What else can you do besides treating illnesses? Xia Fang said. I can do a lot of things! Tsk, you just dont know, Liu Yang said tipsily. Sure! Ill look for my real uncle when the time comes, Qiao Mei said to Liu Yang with a grin. When Liu Yang heard this, he was overjoyed. He clapped his hands and said, Thats right, thats right. When your grandfather comes to the capital, I must have a drink with him. Ill give all the good liquor in my house to your grandfather! Uncle, Im not sure youll be willing to part with them. Qiao Mei looked at Liu Yang in disbelief. Of course Im willing! I have to! Liu Yang said. They laughed heartily throughout their conversation. After sending Liu Yang off after dinner, Qiao Mei took a good look at the new items she bought today. After Qiao Mei hung the landscape painting in Xia Fangs study, the entire room had a different feel all of a sudden. It had looked cold and empty with the original setup where there were only bookshelves and a desk. With the calligraphy painting hung up, the room suddenly had a much more scholarly feel. The other things left were the jade bangle on her wrist and the other bangle in the box. She heard that Xia Zhe had an older sister, so she would wait and see if his sister liked it. These things only cost a few hundred dollars. She wanted far more than that and these things were not worth mentioning at all in the grander scheme of things. Since Aunt was so good to her, there was nothing that she could not bear to part with. It was fine to even give them all to Aunt. Chapter 251 - Paying a Visit to Apologize However, when it came to the bangle on her wrist, she could not bear to give it to others. After all, this was a very rare treasure and not all jade stones turned out like this. It was definitely not as good as the pendant Xia Zhe had given her, but no one would dislike having a portable small air conditioner. Qiao Mei then brought the three pots of flowers in the bedroom to the loft to change the flower pots. Upon replacing the original ceramic pots with the porcelain pots, it suddenly seemed like the pots were too good for the flowers. Mei Mei, its too extravagant to pair these flowers with such nice flower pots, Xia Fang said. Aunt, these are all cheap goods from the market. Theyre not very expensive. I even bargained on the price, Qiao Mei said as she repotted the plants. Xia Fang brought over a small stool for Qiao Mei to sit on. She could not help much with such matters, so she decided to let Qiao Mei do whatever she wanted. She liked to grow flowers and liked every kind of flower. There were more orchids at home because Xiang Jin liked them. Xiang Jin liked orchids the most and he had planted them when he came back on leave. She only knew how to water them and put them under the sun, and nothing else. The orchids at home either died or became wilted under her care. However, ever since Qiao Mei came, all the flowers had grown really well and the smell they emitted was also different from usual. It appeared that Qiao Mei was really a lucky star. The truth was that Qiao Mei would go to the loft every day to exchange energy with these orchids. Although these orchids were not expensive species, their quality was not too bad. Qiao Mei would exchange some energy with them every day and they grew up well. Mei Mei, you should stop now. Take a rest first before continuing! Xia Fang shouted towards the loft. Im coming! Qiao Mei finished up with the flower pots and moved them back to the bedroom. They now looked much more pleasing to the eye. She washed her hands and was about to eat an apple when the doorbell suddenly rang. Qiao Mei got up to open the door but was stopped by Xia Fang. It must be that real uncle of yours forgetting to take something. Ill go. Xia Fang smiled and went to open the door. When she opened the door, she realized that it was not Liu Yang, but Qiane and Qian Wang. Xia Fang looked at them with annoyance and did not say anything, nor did she invite them in. Um Xia Fang, I brought my daughter here to apologize for what happened the last time, Qian Wang said embarrassedly. Xia Fang did not answer and just looked at them silently. Qiao Mei looked at how Xia Fang was behaving at the door and knew that whoever the visitors were, they must be someone not nice. Otherwise, with Aunts temperament, she would not make visitors stand outside. Xia Fang, our Xiaoe was in the wrong the last time. She was impulsive and almost made a big mistake. I hope youd allow her to apologize to Qiao Mei, Qian Wang said sincerely as he looked at Xia Fang. Xia Fang trusted Qian Wang, but not Qiane Who knows what your daughter is capable of. If she comes into my house and breaks my things, it will be a mess to work out whose fault it is, Xia Fang said as she looked at Qiane. Qiane was only there because Qian Wang forced her. Her mother, Zhao Ni, had been beaten and scolded by her grandmother at home. Her grandmother was angry that she had embarrassed her father with what she did and that he even needed to pay her victim a visit to apologize. In the past, Zhao Ni had married into the Qian family through underhanded means. Qian Wang had always listened to his mother and at that time, he was already engaged to the child of a relative from his hometown. No one expected a pregnant Zhao Ni to appear at that moment. For the sake of the familys reputation, he had no choice but to marry her. He did not expect that she not only did not stay at home to take care of her husband and children properly, but she went out every day to show off, pretending to be a full-time wife and a well brought up young lady from a wealthy family. In reality, Zhao Ni did not have much of a family background and was just a girl from a humble family. She not only did not live a prim and proper life after getting married, but she even brought up her daughter so badly that it made it embarrassing for the family to live in the apartment compound. Due to that, everyone knew that Old Madam Qian would often beat and scold Zhao Ni for no reason. Qian Wang did not care about family matters and left everything to Old Madam Qian, and this arrangement made Qiane very unhappy. If not for Qian Wangs lack of concern about anything at home, her mother would not have led such a miserable life. Qian Wang only cared about his own reputation as well as the reputation of the Qian family. He did not care about anything else. He used to care about his daughter, but ever since she embarrassed him, he did not care much about her anymore. Chapter 252 - Snatching What Belongs to Me Dont worry, Xiaoe will never hurt the child from your family again. I swear to Heaven, Qian Wang said. 1 Qiao Mei looked at Qian Wang and felt a little sorry for him. Whats the matter? Qiao Mei walked to the door and asked. Xia Fang hurriedly pulled Qiao Mei behind her, not giving them a chance to face her directly. Im sorry. I brought Xiaoe here to apologize. We were in the wrong the last time. Were really sorry and Xiaoe already knows her mistake, Qian Wang said sincerely. After saying that, he handed over two bags full of big and fresh fruits. He certainly looked very sincere but there was not a word from Qiane, the main culprit. When Qiane saw Qiao Mei, her originally indifferent attitude turned into a fierce stare, as if she wanted to disassemble and eat up Qiao Mei. You shouldnt be the one apologizing. Whoever made the mistake should be the one apologizing, Qiao Mei said with a smile while looking at Qiane. Qian Wang nudged Qiane and said, Hurry up and apologize. Qiane looked at Qiao Mei indifferently. She would rather be killed than to apologize, and she would probably feel better that way as well. The initial deal she had with him was that she only needed to follow him to the house. She did not expect that it was not enough just to turn up and that she even needed to apologize. Xia Fang looked at Qiane who refused to open her mouth. She shook her head helplessly and said to Qian Wang, Since the two of you havent discussed it properly, you should just go back. Xia Fang was about to close the door but Qian Wang held on to it and said, My daughter is very immature. Please dont mind her. My daughter already knows her mistake. The kids may fool around but we should continue to get along well. 1 So this was his actual purpose! Xia Fang looked at Qian Wang mockingly and suddenly felt that Qiane was actually quite pathetic and pitiful. Her useless father only cared about his own reputation and did not care about her at all. You all just continue to get along with one another. What I do has nothing to do with him. If you need to hate someone, just hate me, Qiane said stubbornly as she looked at Qiao Mei and Xia Fang. If you dont want to apologize, then you can go back, Qiao Mei said to Qiane. Although Qiane almost hurt her, she could roughly understand the situation Qiane was in by looking at the way Qian Wang behaved. She just could not understand why Qiane carried on making mistakes and getting into trouble. Seeing Qiao Meis nonchalant attitude, Qiane felt her eyes reddened. She thought about how she used to frequent this house and come over often for meals. She still remembered all the furnishings in this house clearly. Yet, everything belonged to Qiao Mei now. What right do you have to enjoy all of this! All these used to belong to me! Qiane suddenly shouted at Qiao Mei. Xia Fang immediately shielded Qiao Mei behind her. For consecutive days, it was either the Sun familys children who came to cause trouble or Qiane who came to pick a fight. It was so hard to chase away these people. What used to belong to you? Qiao Mei asked curiously. The person Xia Zhe should marry is me! Why should it be a country bumpkin like you! What trick did you use to make Xia Zhe walk into your trap! Shameless thing! All of these should be mine! Qiane walked forward slowly and Qian Wang did not stop her. Xia Fang pointed at Qiane and roared, I dare you to take another step! Ill call the police! We wont do anything, well just let the police settle everything! The moment Qian Wang heard that Xia Fang wanted to call the police, he hurriedly held Qiane back and said to Xia Fang, No need to go to that extent. Dont be angry, Xia Fang. Its just that Xiaoe could not let go of the issue yet. If she cant let it go, then go home! Dont cause trouble for us here! What a jinx! Xia Fang said. Qian Wang whispered to Qiane, Dont go looking for trouble. Think about it, your mother is still at home. When Qiane heard this, she fell silent. Both Qiao Mei and Xia Fang also heard what he said. They originally thought that Qian Wang was a decent person, but they did not expect him to be such a person. Qiao Mei looked at Qiane, who was being forced into a corner by Qian Wang, and thought of the time when she was forced to do farm work at Qiao Zhuangs house. At that time, they all lied to her and said that her mother did not want her anymore, and that she needed to work hard to be able to see her mother. Chapter 253 - Two She tried her best to hold on and waited for Li Gui to come and save her, but she almost died that winter. Fortunately, her grandfather came back in time to save her. I I Qiane opened her mouth hesitantly, but she still could not bring herself to apologize. Qiao Mei did not have any sympathy for Qiane. Even if her father did not treat her well and she had to go through all the unfortunate things, there was still no reason for her to do evil things. The matters were completely unrelated and each matter should be judged on its own. Speak up! Qian Wang snarled. I Im sorry, Qiane turned her head to the side and muttered softly. Xia Fang waved her hand in annoyance and said, Just leave quickly. We dont want the things you brought. Just go. Qian Wang thought that Xia Fang did not hear what Qiane said and was worried that Xia Fang would tell her other colleagues about this matter when she returned to work. This might in turn affect his reputation. There was going to be a promotion grading at the hospital this year. If news of this matter spread, then he would not have any chance at all. Impatiently, Qian Wang gave Qiane a kick and said, Louder! Qiane glared fiercely at Qiao Mei and said, Im sorry. When Qiao Mei saw the look in her eyes, Qiao Mei understood that this matter was not over. Instead, it had become even more serious. It was such a bad end to the day. After Xia Fang heard this, she pushed Qiane away. Before closing the door, she said, Dont ever come again! Get lost! Qian Wang carried the two bags of fruits and walked down the stairs without looking back. As he walked, he ranted, This woman is really ungrateful. Ive already come to her door, what else does she want! Just because shes the sister of the hospital director, she thinks she can do whatever she wants! Pfft! Who does she think she is! Qian Wang spat and cursed again when he felt that his earlier ranting was not enough to vent his anger. Qiane continued standing at the door and staring at it, thinking to herself that she only came to save Zhao Ni from getting beaten up. Zhao Ni had said that otherwise, Qian Wang and Old Madam Qian would beat her up badly, not give her any money and then send her back to her hometown. Qiane knew that her mother did not want to return to the hometown to be looked down upon by her uncle and aunt-in-law. Her mother did not want to be despised every day, so her mother chose to sacrifice her. You money-losing good-for-nothing! What are you still doing at her door! Get down here! Qian Wang cursed. Qiane followed behind Qian Wang silently. If it was Old Madam Qian, Qiane would still talk back. However, Qian Wang was a two-faced person. On the surface, he was amiable to everyone, but in reality, he was an evil person. 1 Everyone thought that he was good-natured and a nice person, and that he just had a wife and daughter who were out of line. In actual fact, if it was not for Qian Wang beating up Zhao Ni all year round, the family would not have become like this. When they reached the courtyard, Qian Wang quickly changed his expression and looked mild-mannered. Oh, Qian Wang, why are you walking out of this block? an elderly female neighbor asked. Oh my, Auntie, Im old and went to the wrong place. Im so forgetful, Qian Wang said with a grin. Youre not that old. Why did you buy so many fruits! Goodness, these fruits are not cheap, the neighbor smiled at Qian Wang and said. This Xiaoe had hurt her hand. Its good for her! Were going off! Qian Wang hurriedly brought Qiane home. The few older women started talking among themselves. He said that he went to the wrong place. Im sure he went to Xia Fangs house. Thats right, thats right. He was carrying so many things. Looks like Xia Fang didnt give them a nice attitude. Dont you know Xia Fang? It would be weirder if she accepts his apology. She doesnt even care about the hospital director, why would she care about him? Also Qiane and her face. She pulled such a long face that its almost drooping to the ground. I cant imagine how her father can still smile. Hahahahaha. Qian Wang did not know what the neighbors were talking about. He was still thinking about how to make Xia Fang forgive and forget about this matter and let it pass so that it would not affect his rating at work. The moment Qian Wang entered the house, he heard Zhao Ni screaming, but his expression did not change at all. When Old Madam Qian saw her son, she stopped the beatings and scoldings. She observed that he had come back with all the things that he brought with him. It must mean that the matter did not get settled. Looking at Qiane and the indignant expression on her face, Old Madam Qian knew that she must be the cause of it. Chapter 254 - Betrothed Qian Wang said respectfully, Mother, Im back. Ill go to my room. Old Madam Qian nodded and tacitly agreed to what Qian Wang wanted to do. Qiane tried to secretly sneak in by following behind Qian Wang. Stop right there, Old Madam Qian said. Qiane slowly turned around and looked at Old Madam Qian with a feeling of unease. She knew that she would definitely get beaten up today, so she lowered her head and remained silent. Tell me, what did you two do today? Old Madam Qian said. We went out to convey our apologies. We didnt do anything else, Qiane said casually as she tilted her head. You went out to convey your apologies? Then why didnt you manage to give these things away? Did the Xia family reject them? Old Madam Qian said. They said that they appreciated our gesture but they wont accept it, Qiane said. Old Madam Qian thought that what she said was indeed possible. However, it did not seem that believable. The expression on Qian Wangs face when he returned did not look as if the Xia family had forgiven them for this matter. Youre not lying? Old Madam Qian asked as she looked at Qiane suspiciously. No! Qiane replied softly. Old Madam Qian held the stick and walked in a circle around Qiane, wondering if what Qiane said was true. She could ask the few old ladies in the courtyard who liked to gossip and she would immediately know if it was true or not, but that solution was useless now. I wont argue with you on this matter. Youd better not be lying. Also, I have settled your marriage for you. Your father has already agreed to this matter, so its final. Old Madam Qian walked back to the sofa and sat down. Marriage? What marriage? Qiane looked in shock at Zhao Ni, who was bent over the ground. Zhao Ni shook her head helplessly. It seemed that she knew about this matter and she had been beaten up because of it. Im not getting married, Qiane said. Youre not getting married? It doesnt matter what you say! You dont have any right to speak in this family! Old Madam Qian pointed at Qiane and shouted. I just wont get married. Its useless no matter what you say! Qiane said as she looked at Old Madam Qian. Old Madam Qians hands trembled in the face of the tough stance from Qiane. She glanced at Zhao Ni and gave her a kick. Ah! This is the kind of good daughter that you brought up! She ruined her own reputation and even dragged me and my son down! Why did I let you enter our Qian family! Old Madam Qian said. Dont hit my mother! Anyway, I wont get married. If you want to get married, you can do it yourself! Qiane pounced over to protect Zhao Ni. What a rebel! Do you really think you have a say in this family?! You heartless brat! See if I dont break your legs! Old Madam Qian picked up the stick and wanted to hit her. Qian Wang, who had been silent in the room, suddenly opened the door and walked out shouting, Stop arguing! Theres no end to it! You spoiled brat, who are you talking to? Is this how you talk to your mother? Old Madam Qian said. Xia Fang did not accept our apology at all. Instead, this wretched girl made her angry, Qian Wang said. Old Madam Qian looked at Qiane fiercely. Not only did this girl cause trouble for the family, but she was also going to affect her sons grading at work. If her son could not get a good grade at work, he would be stuck for the rest of his life and would not have much of a future. Didnt you say that you have settled with the Xia family? Damn girl, how dare you lie, Old Madam Qian said. Zhao Ni protected Qiane with all her might. Before Qiane and Qian Wang returned, Old Madam Qian told Zhao Ni that she had already betrothed Qiane to a rich family in the countryside. It was hard to imagine that a rich family in the countryside could be really rich. Qiane would have a hard life for years if she married into the family. Furthermore, it was not like Qiane could carry anything with her hands or shoulders, and she was not particularly capable. Moreover, the man from that family had been married before. His wife had died three years ago and left behind four daughters. If Qiane married into the family, she would definitely not have an easy life. Even if Zhao Ni was greedy for her own wealth and status, she could not treat her daughter badly and she felt really bad about it. After all, her daughter was her own flesh and blood. In addition, that family was from her hometown and the same village. If news of this got out, she would not be able to return to her parents house in the future Chapter 255 - A Long Time Ahead That family said that as long as Qiane married into their family, they would give her 500 dollars as a betrothal gift. They would also give her the three turns and one sound. At first, Zhao Ni could not understand why that family wanted Qiane to marry into their family. Later on, when she knew that that family had four daughters, she then understood that what they wanted was for Qiane to bear a son to carry on the family line. However, Qiane had already removed her uterus during the previous incident and could no longer have children. If that family found out about this, they would definitely break off the engagement. However, she did not know how Old Madam Qian had managed to persuade them to agree to Qiane marrying into their family and also give her a generous betrothal gift. It was possible that Old Madam Qian did not tell them the truth at all and was just tricking them, and throwing Qiane under the bus for that bit of money. This matter is already settled. Youll get married next month. Theres no room for discussion on this, said Qian Wang. Qiane laughed like a lunatic and said, Could it be that you all did not tell them that Im infertile. If they find out, they definitely wont agree to the marriage. Before she could finish speaking, Old Madam Qian went up and slapped Qiane. You money-losing good-for-nothing. If you dare to say anything, Ill beat you to death right now, Old Madam Qian said. Come on, kill me if you can. Ill see if you need to go to jail then, Qiane said as she glared fiercely at Old Madam Qian. If you go to jail at such an old age, you definitely wont be able to come out alive. When the time comes, see if anyone would go there to collect your bones. When you die, youll be casually thrown aside somewhere, Qiane said. Old Madam Qian raised her stick and started hitting Qiane. Qiane did not make a sound and only looked at Old Madam Qian fiercely. Alright, alright, stop hitting her. Is it true that you did not tell that family that this wretched girl cant have children? Qian Wang looked at Old Madam Qian and asked. Old Madam Qian hesitated for a moment before saying, I didnt tell them. If I did, they wouldnt want Qiane. Qian Wang frowned and looked at the old lady. It seemed that he would not be able to marry off Qiane this time. Youre really muddle-headed. If Qiane really marries into their family and they find out that shes infertile, and then that family comes to the hospital to look for me, I would get into trouble during the grading exercise, Qian Wang said. Old Madam Qian was stunned on the spot. During that time, all she could think of was showing photos of Qiane to that family. After that, they were very satisfied with how Qiane looked. She was focused on how this money-losing good-for-nothing could get finally married and not be a burden at home, and that Zhao Ni would become more obedient after that. Between marrying off this money-losing good-for-nothing and Qian Wangs grading, Qian Wangs grading was definitely more important. Lets not talk about this matter anymore. Quickly tell that family that we are not going through with this marriage, said Qian Wang. Its all your fault, you money-losing good-for-nothing. If you had built a good relationship with the He family back then, would we have such a hard life? Old Madam Qian said. Back then, Qian Wang rose to become the department head only because Qiane had a very good relationship with He Mei. At that time, when Qiane casually mentioned that her father was still a trainee doctor, He Mei arranged for her father to get promoted. Speaking of the He family, she would not have ended up like this if not for He Mei. Qian Wangs mind was filled with thoughts of how to reconcile with Xia Fang. It was important to have the support of the hospital director during this upcoming grading exercise. He knew that the hospital director and Xia Fang were relatives. If Xia Fang said anything detrimental to Liu Yang this time, he would definitely not be able to pass the grading exercise. This matter could not be rushed as everything had to be considered at length. He felt that he still had ample time. This matter ends here. From tomorrow onwards, go to Xia Fangs house every day to apologize until they forgive you. After saying that, Qian Wang returned to the room. Qiane looked at Qian Wang and Old Madam Qian with a great deal of resentment in her eyes. When she was on good terms with the He family, everyone at home was very nice to her regardless of what she did. Now that she had fallen out with He Mei, she was scolded and beaten up at home every day. There was still a long time ahead. She would remember all these things and return the treatment to them one by one in the future! 2 Chapter 256 - Lost Chapter 256: Lost Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After the father and daughter from the Qian family left the Xia residence, Xia Fang and Qiao Mei did not dwell on it. They actually felt that it would be stranger if Qiane admitted to her mistake. Why was Qian Wang so anxious to come to our place to apologize? Qiao Mei asked. There is a grading exercise in the hospital. He might be fighting for a chance to get a good grade, Xia Fang said nonchalantly. Grading? Then why wasnt Aunt anxious about this? Aunt, arent you going to be graded? Qiao Mei asked. Xia Fang shook her head and said, This kind of thing is most troublesome and useless. I wont take part in such a thing. Isnt grading based on capability where anyone who is more capable gets a higher grading? Why would it be troublesome? Qiao Mei looked at Xia Fang in confusion. Silly child, its not like that now. It depends on a persons personality nowadays. Capability only plays a small part, Xia Fang said. No wonder Qian Wang was so adamant about visiting them to apologize. It was to let everyone think that he had a good character. However, in reality, he looked like a two-faced person. Qiane definitely looked like she had her share of beatings and scoldings at home. Qiane was also a pitiful person. Dont be so kind as to forgive Qiane. I hope you wont forget what she did, Xia Fang said. No, Aunt, of course I wont, Qiao Mei said. After a nights rest, Qiao Mei and Xia Fang headed to the old house the next day to take a look around. It was a work day today, so Xia Fang specially applied for leave to accompany Qiao Mei. Aunt, where is the exact location of the old house? Qiao Mei asked. Its near the museum, said Xia Fang. Xia Fang had a poor sense of direction and she usually went to the house with her other family members. As there was a museum nearby, the land in the area was very expensive and the government also imposed height restrictions. Businessmen usually did not invest in the area, so the houses nearby were all compound complexes where each house was occupied by many families. Qiao Mei thought that the old house was located in such an area, but Xia Fang brought her into an alley. Even though it was an alley, it was big enough for a horse carriage to pass through. Ordinary alleys could only allow a maximum of two people to pass side by side, so it was obvious that this was an area where rich families lived. Not long after, Qiao Mei and Xia Fang arrived at a courtyard. An old man came out and smiled happily at Xia Fang. Oh my, what a rare guest. Why did you think of coming here to take a look today? said the old man. Qiao Mei stood obediently behind Xia Fang and smiled sweetly. Uncle Zhou, I brought Xia Zhes wife to come and take a look at the old house. Where are you going? Xia Fang said. The moment Uncle Zhou heard that Xia Zhes wife was there, he instantly perked up and sized Qiao Mei up carefully. This Xia Zhe is so lucky. This young girl is really good-looking. If his grandmother can know about it, she will definitely be very happy, Uncle Zhou said happily. As he spoke, Uncle Zhous eyes turned red. Uncle Zhou had lived in this place since he was young and could be said to be childhood sweethearts with Xia Zhes grandmother. They used to be very close. Grandpa Zhou, you flatter me, Qiao Mei said with a shy smile. Our Xia Zhe is more than just lucky. Mei Mei is a good cook. When they move here, Uncle Zhou, you must oblige them and come over for a meal, Xia Fang said happily. Alright, alright, alright. Xia Zhes grandmother is not lucky enough to try it so Ill try it for her. Uncle Zhou smiled happily and waved his hand. Alright, Uncle Zhou. Were going to look at the house. Take your time and be careful. With that, Xia Fang left with Qiao Mei. Along the way, they encountered many old people. There were not many young people around and the common area was being taken care of by the old people who lived here. Now that the pace of life in the city had become very fast, the old people were unwilling to live in the apartment buildings, so they all chose to live in the old houses which they found more comfortable. The neighbors also knew one another and they were quite comfortable chatting and playing chess together at the entrance of the alley. Aunt, how long until we arrive? Qiao Mei asked. Xia Fang looked at the houses nearby. Even though she had grown up here, she could not remember the roads around here. When she was young, she often needed Xia Zhes father, Xia Mao, to bring her home when she got lost. Now that the road signs around the area had changed, it was indeed difficult to distinguish the roads. Chapter 257 - Staying Over at the Old House Chapter 257: Staying Over at the Old House Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Eh? I clearly remember it being around here! Xia Fang said as she looked at the surrounding houses. Qiao Mei shook her head helplessly. Before she came, Xia Zhe had told her about the personalities and shortcomings of everyone in the Xia family, and he specifically mentioned that she must not let Aunt take her out for a long walk. Aunt, do you remember if theres any special signs or characteristics? Qiao Mei asked. I remember there is a big cherry tree in the yard, right at the door, Xia Fang said. Cherry tree? Qiao Mei looked around and saw a big tree in a courtyard in front. Based on Aunts description and the age of the tree, it looked to be that one. Aunt, do you think the courtyard in front looks like it? Qiao Mei pointed at the courtyard in the distance. Xia Fang took a look and confirmed that it was the correct courtyard. She slapped her thigh and said, Oh my, look at my memory. Lets go, Aunt. Lets go over, Qiao Mei said as she held Aunts hand. The two of them came to a pitch-black wooden door. The door was not big and could not be compared to those belonging to the ancient royal residences, but it was still imposing enough. It looked like the doorway had been modified in recent years. It was probably because it had been in disrepair for a long time and given that the city no longer allowed such a large doorway, it was rebuilt to make it smaller. It was a standard siheyuan courtyard house, with side houses in the east and west sides and an opposite house facing the north. The courtyard was very big. The moment they entered the courtyard, they saw a huge cherry tree. Immediately next to it was a grape rack made of vines. There was also a stone table and stone chairs in the middle of the courtyard. It would be perfect for drinking tea and enjoying the scenery in autumn. Before Qiao Mei could appreciate the place, the sky quickly darkened and it looked like it was going to rain. Qiao Mei and Xia Fang hurriedly ran into the house. It looks like its going to rain, Qiao Mei said. Yes, looks like we have to stay here tonight, Xia Fang said. Qiao Mei looked around at the furniture and fittings and did not see any dust at all. She immediately knew that someone must have come here often to clean up. I have an arrangement for cleaners to come in twice a week. Otherwise, we wouldnt be able to stay here today, Xia Fang said proudly. It was a good thing that the house was clean and tidy. Otherwise, they would not be able to live in it. As they spoke, the rain began to fall. Qiao Mei stood at the door and stared blankly into the distance. Xia Fang went into the rooms to tidy up the beds. When she came out and saw Qiao Mei staring into space, she said, My mother loved to eat grapes and cherries when she was younger. My father planted that cherry tree back then. Given that, this tree should be almost 100 years old. After my mother passed away, this cherry tree never bore cherries again. Dont cut down this tree when you move in in the future. It would be good to keep it if only for the shade, Xia Fang said sadly. No, no, of course not. I think this tree is not old, but it lacks nutrition. When the time comes, Ill change the soil to a special type thats suitable for it. Im sure it can still bear fruits, Qiao Mei said as she patted her chest. Xia Fang shook her head. It was not as if they had not tried to think of ways to save the tree. The eldest son of the Xia family, her eldest nephew Xia Wen, was a university professor. He knew many geologists and plant experts who came over to help think of ways to save this tree, but in the end, nothing came out of it. She knew that Qiao Mei could do a lot of things, but could Qiao Mei save the tree that all the experts said could not be saved? Xia Fang looked doubtful. Aunt, do you doubt me, but Im one of the best farmers in our village. I cant say for sure about anything else, but I can definitely save this tree. Just wait to eat cherries! Qiao Mei clapped her hands and said confidently. This action made Xia Fang laugh out loud. She smiled and said, Then Ill wait for you to save it. When that happens, Ill find someone to set up a swing for you so that your child can play under the tree. As Xia Fang spoke of her child, Qiao Mei also smiled gently. She was already thinking about how the two children would look playing under the tree after they were born. Chapter 258 - Settle the Score Later Chapter 258: Settle the Score Later Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Next time, Ill send you cherries every year. I used to grow grapes at home, and I would dry the grapes I planted and send them to Xia Zhe to eat. Even Xia Zhe said that they were delicious! So Aunt, dont worry! Qiao Mei said. Xia Fang said suspiciously, But Xia Zhe dislikes sweet things the most. He doesnt like sweet things, but he often writes to me saying that he wants to eat raisins! Qiao Mei said seriously. In Xia Fangs memories, Xia Zhe had never eaten anything sweet from young. Even for fruits, he only picked out those that were not sweet.?Perhaps he was trying to make Qiao Mei happy during their lovey dovey period. Perhaps his taste changed after he grew up, or the raisins you dried must be really delicious, so thats why he wanted to eat them. After all, you made them yourself, Xia Fang said. Qiao Mei nodded. She was sure that the raisins she made must be delicious, and that Xia Zhe definitely did not lie to her. As Qiao Mei looked around, she suddenly realized that a head had appeared at the top of the wall. Hey Aunt, can you see who that is? Qiao Mei asked curiously as she pointed to the top of the wall. Xia Fang took a closer look and said, Isnt it Xia Zhe! Why doesnt this kid use the main entrance, and he doesnt even use an umbrella on a rainy day. Xia Zhe was still in his military uniform. He climbed over the wall and quickly ran into the house. Qiao Mei immediately leapt into Xia Zhes arms. Why are you back suddenly! You didnt even send a letter! Qiao Mei hugged Xia Zhe excitedly. I wanted to give you a surprise, Xia Zhe hugged Qiao Mei and whispered into her ear. Seeing his aunt watching them curiously, Xia Zhe blushed. Oh my, our Xia Zhe actually knows how to blush, Xia Fang teased. Xia Zhe realized that his aunt had become more talkative and much more cheerful. She seemed different from the aunt he remembered. He had not returned to the capital for more than two years. In his memories, his aunt always had a stern expression and was usually very serious. Since he was young, she had been strict with him and always told him to have self-discipline. He did not expect his aunt to become so smiley and mischievous, and even knew how to tease him now. Only then did Qiao Mei realize that she had hugged Xia Zhe for a long time and she quickly let go of him. Fortunately, no one else had seen her. If anyone else saw her, they would say that she was indecent and she would be berated for being shameless. This would in turn affect Xia Zhe. Tell me, were you just humoring me or were the raisins I made really delicious? Qiao Mei said. Its that my Mei Mei is especially capable and everything she makes is delicious, Xia Zhe said. It seemed that Xia Zhe really did not like sweet stuff. He only ate more than usual because Qiao Mei made it. Yes, yes, yes. Ive long known that your Mei Mei is the best. She knows how to do everything. The neighbors all praise her and even say that youre lucky, Xia Fang said proudly. Xia Zhe did not tell anyone of his trip home this time so that he could give Qiao Mei a surprise. When he returned to the camp after the competition, they had promoted him to an officer straightaway. Initially, they only intended for him to remain as the acting battalion commander, but he was officially the battalion commander now. Are you officially the commander now? Xia Fang asked. Xia Zhe nodded. It was very impressive for someone his age to be in this position and this was the result of his own hard work. In terms of military achievements, he was only slightly inferior to Qiao Meis grandfather, Qiao Qiang. Qiao Mei was overjoyed when she heard the news. She said excitedly, Then lets have a good meal tonight. Ill cook a big meal to celebrate. Xia Fang nodded in agreement, and Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei tenderly. Whatever you say, Xia Zhe said. Also, Im going to settle scores with you after dinner! Qiao Mei said as she pretended to be angry. It made Xia Zhe puzzled as he did not know what mistake he had made. He looked at his aunt in confusion. Xia Fang shook her head, indicating that there was nothing she could do and that Xia Zhe should take care of himself. You have so many older sisters and younger sisters who want to marry you in the capital. I have to settle these scores with you properly. How many romantic debts do you actually have! Qiao Mei glared at Xia Zhe with her hands on her hips and said in a serious tone. Chapter 259 - Modern Furnishing Chapter 259: Modern Furnishing Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Romantic debts? For a moment, Xia Zhe had no idea what he had done. He had never been in a relationship before and Qiao Mei had been the only woman in his life. How could he have any romantic debts? Xia Fang watched the show silently as a bystander. Qiao Mei waved her hand and said, Forget it, forget it. Ill settle the score with you tonight. When Xia Zhe saw Xia Fangs expression, he blushed and nodded as he stood next to Qiao Mei. There were a total of five rooms in the main house of the old courtyard house. In addition to the living room in the middle, there were two bedrooms on the east side, and a study and a guest bedroom on the west side. There was also an additional small room attached to each side of the main house. The furnishings in the house were not the modern type either. These were all antique furniture. The tables, chairs and benches were made of wood. Even the roof had a wooden ceiling. When they entered a bedroom, Qiao Mei realized that the furnishings in this room were completely different from what she saw outside. The mahogany furniture outside looked very classical and elegant, while the bedroom contained modern furniture. Qiao Mei looked at Xia Fang in confusion. Xia Fang sighed and said resignedly, In the early days, all the things were mostly plundered by my sister-in-laws family. We had to replace some of the things that were damaged. Qiao Mei nodded. When Qiao Mei entered the master bedroom, she realized that there was still an old bed inside. It was very exquisite and the carvings on it were particularly detailed. The bed had a traditional bedframe with a moon-shaped entrance. Wow, I like this bed so much! Qiao Mei hurriedly went forward to take a closer look. The carvings on the bed frame were all done by hand and each pattern was exceptionally exquisite. All these made it very valuable and she felt fortunate that there was at least one such treasure left behind. This is the bed that Xia Zhes grandmother had slept on. Everything else is gone, I only manage to keep this one, Xia Fang said. Qiao Mei looked at the bedframe with the moon-shaped entry and could not bear to let go of it. Initially, she had thought about placing an arhat bed in the house where she could relax and have tea. However, after looking through the antique market, she did not manage to find a bed that she liked. She did not expect the old house to contain so many treasures. She must take good care of them and keep them in a good condition. Xia Fang and Xia Zhe were very happy to see how much Qiao Mei liked these items. After looking at the two bedrooms on the east side, they went to the study and guest bedroom on the west side. The study was empty except for a few bookshelves and a desk. There was nothing else, and it contained all modern furniture. The guest bedroom was even more simply furnished. There was only a bed and a closet and nothing else. Qiao Mei did not ask for more. She would just go to the antique market to buy more antiques in the future. It was already very good that the old house was maintained in this condition. There were a total of six rooms in the side houses in the east and west wing, but there was nothing in them. There was not even any hanging piece on the wall, not to mention tables and chairs. The kitchen was located at the corner of the east wing. There was modern furniture in the kitchen. It was well-stocked with all kinds of kitchenware, as well as a small amount of rice and oil. Qiao Mei looked at the things and was secretly worried. It was raining heavily outside and there was nothing to eat at home. What should she do? Aunt, theres nothing here. Maybe I should go out and get some groceries, Qiao Mei said. At this hour, theres nowhere to buy anything. Lets go to neighboring Uncle Zhous house to ask for a meal, Xia Fang said with a smile. Ah? Is this acceptable? Qiao Mei said as she looked at Xia Fang uncertainly. Of course it is. I was just saying that when you two eventually move into the old house, you should invite Uncle Zhou over for a meal. Since theres nothing at home, lets go to Uncle Zhous house to cook for him. Then we can eat there too, Xia Fang said. Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe quietly, not knowing what kind of relationship Uncle Zhou had with the Xia family. Xia Zhe nodded and whispered, Grandpa Zhou watched me grow up and was a good friend of my grandmother. Its alright, our families are very familiar with each other. Qiao Mei only felt relieved when heard Xia Zhe say this. She decided to build a good relationship with Grandpa Zhou after they moved in. When the cherry tree in this house bore fruits, she would give some to Grandpa Zhou so that he could try it and see if it was as delicious as those grown by Xia Zhes grandmother. Mei Mei, you dont have to worry. Uncle Zhou is a nice person. Hes a loner and has no children. He lives alone, Xia Fang said. Chapter 260 - Borrowing a Kitchen to Cook Chapter 260: Borrowing a Kitchen to Cook Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios When the rain subsided a little, the few of them made their way to Uncle Zhous house. Uncle Zhou, are you home? Xia Fang knocked lightly on the door and asked. When they spoke at the intersection just now, Uncle Zhou was going out for a walk. He should be back by now. Coming, coming, Uncle Zhou said. The heavy door opened slowly. When Uncle Zhou saw Xia Zhe, he smiled even more happily. Xiao Zhe, when did you come back? Come in, come in! Uncle Zhou hurriedly invited Xia Fang and the others into the house. Grandpa Zhou, I just came back today. The army allowed me to take a vacation, Xia Zhe said. He hurriedly pulled Qiao Mei to his side and introduced her to Grandpa Zhou. Grandpa Zhou, let me introduce you. This is my wife, Qiao Mei. Uncle Zhous full name was Zhou Sheng. He had been a teacher and educator his entire life and was a high school language teacher. Now that he had retired, he spent his time at the nearby park and played chess. His life was quite comfortable. He had grown old without having any children. However, the students he taught were all very outstanding and would often come to visit him. Zhou Sheng only ever loved one person and that person was Xia Zhes grandmother. They were originally classmates. However, Xia Zhes grandmother liked Xia Jun. Xia Jun was handsome and well-built, and Xia Zhes grandmother married him without any hesitation. Xia Jun also treated Xia Zhes grandmother very well. After that, Zhou Sheng did not fall in love with anyone else, and he lived alone without getting married and having children. Zhou Sheng had always treated Xia Zhe like his own grandson. Ever since Xia Zhe was born, Zhou Sheng had watched him grow up. He always thought about Xia Zhe whenever there was something delicious to eat. Sometimes, when Xia Zhe got into trouble and was beaten and scolded by Xia Mao, he would run to Zhou Shengs place so that Xia Mao would not beat him. We met at the entrance of the alley just now. Youre a lucky kid to find such a beautiful and capable wife. Your grandmother would definitely like her very much, Zhou Sheng said. Qiao Mei smiled shyly. Xia Zhe also looked at Zhou Sheng in embarrassment. Uncle Zhou, have you eaten? Xia Fang asked. Not yet. Im an old man and I dont really cook. When Im hungry, Ill just grab a quick bite, Zhou Sheng said with a smile. That wont do. Grandpa Zhou, when I move here in the future, you can come to my house to eat. I can cook well, Qiao Mei said. Theres no need to go through so much trouble. You two just need to live your own lives well, Zhou Sheng said. What trouble? When Xia Zhe returns to the army, Ill have to stay here alone. When my grandfather comes to live here, the two of you can hang out together and talk to each other, Qiao Mei said. Zhou Sheng nodded when he heard what Qiao Mei said. Grandpa Zhou, its raining today and already so late now. We didnt buy any groceries, so were thinking of having a meal here, Xia Zhe said. Alright, alright, alright. Its lively when there are more people, but theres not much food in the kitchen. Ill go make you guys something to eat. After saying that, Zhou Sheng wanted to go to the kitchen. No need, no need. Grandpa Zhou, didnt I say that I would show you my skills? Ill let you have a taste of my cooking today, Qiao Mei said. After she finished speaking, Xia Zhe brought Qiao Mei to the kitchen. Xia Fang and Zhou Sheng sat in the courtyard to play chess and drink tea. Which family in the capital is Mei Mei from? Zhou Sheng asked. Not from the capital. Shes from a family in the countryside. Xia Zhe took a fancy to her himself and it wasnt arranged by his family, Xia Fang explained. Zhou Sheng was a little shocked when he heard this. Although Xia Jun and Xia Mao did not care about differences in status, Xu Lan was still very particular about it. And Xia Zhes mother did not say anything? Zhou Sheng asked in surprise. Xia Fang sighed resignedly and said, Dont you know what Xiao Zhe is like? He got married behind our backs and didnt let her know at all. Hahahahahaha! Zhou Sheng laughed loudly. Sigh, theres nothing we can do, Xia Fang said. Good lad. So this is how he got married. As expected of Wu Mins grandson. Zhou Sheng picked up his teacup and drank some tea as he sighed. Chapter 261 - The Poor Potatoes Chapter 261: The Poor Potatoes Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Wu Min was the name of Xia Zhes grandmother. You might know this childs grandfather. His name is Qiao Qiang, Xia Fang said. Oh, Qiao Qiang Zhou Sheng fell into deep thought. He did know about this matter.?Back then, Qiao Qiang had saved Xia Juns life. Everyone of the older generation knew about this story. Then that young girl must be the one who was betrothed to Xia Zhe before she was born? How did Xia Zhe get to know this young girl? Based on his character, he doesnt seem to be the kind of person who gets married without meeting his partner first, Zhou Sheng asked. Xia Fang had thought about this question as well. She also suspected that initially, Xia Zhe did not marry Qiao Mei willingly. We dont know any details about this, but after spending some time together, I find that Qiao Mei is indeed a very nice child. Qiao Qiang brought her up especially well, Xia Fang praised. Looks like you like this child very much. Then I can feel assured. Zhou Sheng nodded in satisfaction. While the two of them were chatting enthusiastically, the action in the kitchen was also in full swing. You have never been in the kitchen before? Qiao Mei asked Xia Zhe. Xia Zhe nodded awkwardly. Nothing in his immediate surroundings looked familiar to him. Theres nothing we can do about it. Just help me wash the vegetables, Qiao Mei said. This is definitely not a problem. Xia Zhe rolled up his sleeves and prepared to go all out. Qiao Mei took a quick look at what was available in the kitchen. She did not expect to see an oven in Zhou Shengs kitchen. This way, she could let him have a taste of the pastries she made. There were some cabbages and chives in the fridge, a piece of tofu on the chopping board, and a basket of potatoes in the corner of the kitchen. Do you know what Grandpa Zhou likes to eat? Qiao Mei asked. Grandpa Zhou is not picky about food. He eats everything, but since hes elderly, he cant eat anything that tastes too strong, Xia Zhe said. Then lets have scrambled eggs with chives, tofu with stewed cabbage, stir-fried potato slices, and braised pork. For dessert tonight, lets make a low-sugar cake for Grandpa Zhou, Qiao Mei said. Sure, anything that you want to make is fine, Xia Zhe said as he smiled at Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei looked at the ingredients in front of her and thought that they seemed a little too plain. This was the first time she was cooking for Grandpa Zhou and she should be making some nice dishes. The normal dishes she wanted to make seemed a little too boring. Im thinking maybe I should go out and buy more stuff. These dishes are a little too common. Will Grandpa Zhou like them? Qiao Mei frowned as she looked at the ingredients on the chopping board. Xia Zhe gently held Qiao Meis hand and said, Dont worry, Grandpa Zhou wont think much of it. Hes very easygoing, you dont have to think too much. Qiao Mei nodded. Even if these were very ordinary dishes, she could still make them delicious. She immediately got to work. What can I help you with? Xia Zhe said. You can help me prepare the potatoes. Just peel them, Qiao Mei said as she pointed at the basket of potatoes. No problem. You can do something else. Xia Zhe took a small stool and a small knife and sat in front of the basket, preparing to peel potatoes. Qiao Mei quickly washed the rest of the vegetables and then started the fire to heat up the oil. She finished cooking the other dishes very quickly. The rest of the dishes were ready to be served, but Xia Zhe had not finished peeling the potatoes yet. Qiao Mei looked over curiously and saw Xia Zhe chopping the potatoes with the knife. In the end, there was not much left of the pitiful potatoes in that basket. Qiao Mei stood behind Xia Zhe silently and watched until there was only one left. Xia Zhe happily held out a plate full of potato chunks for Qiao Mei. Im done with the potatoes, Xia Zhe said happily as he held on to his plate. Qiao Mei looked at the plate helplessly. Everything in this plate is whats left of this basket of potatoes? Qiao Mei asked. Xia Zhe turned to look at the potato pieces all over the ground and then at the remaining potatoes in his hand. Did did I do it badly? Xia Zhe said as he looked at Qiao Mei, feeling a little lost for words. No, its just that we need to change the potato slices to shredded potato. Qiao Mei took the potatoes and prepared to shred them. The potatoes on this plate were really pitifully small. There were not enough of them to cut into slices at all and they could only be used to make shredded potato. Chapter 262 - Wages Too Low Chapter 262: Wages Too Low Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei, feeling a little embarrassed. In the future, he must watch Qiao Mei cook more often and learn how to make a few dishes. Later on, after Qiao Mei gave birth, she would have nothing to eat if he did not know how to cook. Xia Zhe watched carefully as Qiao Mei used a kitchen knife to shred the potatoes and also paid attention to how she added the seasoning after she heated up the oil. From the corner of her eye, Qiao Mei saw Xia Zhe watching her secretly but she did not say anything. Xia Zhe was still in a daze when Qiao Mei was done. Are you done watching? Qiao Mei asked. Yes, Xia Zhe replied blankly. So, does your wifes cooking taste good or is your wife pretty? Qiao Mei asked, holding back her laughter. My wife is pretty No! My wifes cooking tastes good, Xia Zhe said laughingly. Lets go. The dishes will get cold soon. Ask Grandpa Zhou and Aunt to come over for dinner, Qiao Mei said as she carried the plates. Xia Zhe helped to carry the plates and brought Qiao Mei to the dining room before making his way to the courtyard to call out to Zhou Sheng and Xia Fang. Aunt and Grandpa Zhou. The food is ready. You can come and eat now. Xia Zhe turned around and went back to the kitchen to get the rice. Zhou Sheng and Xia Fang sat in the dining room, waiting for Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe. The fragrance of the food made their mouths water. The food smells quite good, Zhou Sheng said. Dont just think they smell and look good. The food that our Mei Mei makes tastes even better. Even the neighbors praise her, Xia Fang said proudly. Its not as exaggerated as Aunt says. Qiao Mei brought the rice into the house and sat down. After Xia Zhe came in, they all started eating. Grandpa Zhou, this is the special liquor I bought in the army. Give it a try. As Xia Zhe spoke, he poured the liquor for Zhou Sheng. Then I must try it today, Zhou Sheng took a sip after saying that. This liquor was indeed of good quality and it left a nice fragrance in his mouth. Grandpa Zhou, I hope you dont mind these dishes. Its raining outside and we cant go out to buy any other groceries. We can only use whats available in the kitchen to make a few simple dishes. I dont know if youd like them, Qiao Mei said embarrassedly. Theres no need to be so polite with me, my child. I usually just eat steamed buns and drink some soup at home. These dishes are already very good. Besides, the food you make is indeed very delicious. Even your ordinary home-cooked dishes are comparable to the dishes served at the hotel restaurants, Zhou Sheng took a sip of wine and praised her with a smile. Grandpa Zhou, we might move here in the next two days. When youre free, Ill come and play chess with you. You must come to our house for dinner too, Xia Zhe said. Then I would be disturbing the two of you, Zhou Sheng said as he shook his head. How can that be? Im still unfamiliar with the capital and I think its nice to have someone as approachable as Grandpa Zhou around, Qiao Mei said happily. She felt that Grandpa Zhou was very similar to her grandfather. If her grandfather came to the capital to live in the future, the two seniors would definitely get along well. Uncle Zhou, do you know if anyone around here wants to sell their house? Xia Fang asked. Huh? Why are you asking this? Are you going to sell the old house? When Zhou Sheng heard what Xia Fang said, he immediately put down his chopsticks and spoke with a stern expression. Thats not it, Grandpa Zhou. Its that my grandfather is alone in the countryside. As Ill stay in the capital after giving birth. Im worried about him. Furthermore, he wants to return to the capital to live, so he asked me to buy a house here, Qiao Mei said. Hearing this, Zhou Sheng felt relieved. However, it was Xia Zhe who became jittery. Xia Zhe whispered into Qiao Meis ear, Why dont I know about this? If Grandpa wants to buy a house, it wont be easy to buy one around here. My wages are still too low. We have to save up for another year before we can afford to buy a house here. Even at this moment, Xia Zhes main concern was about using his own limited salary to buy a house for her grandfather, and it made Qiao Mei very happy to know that. Xia Zhe did not immediately blame her for not telling him that she wanted to buy a house. Instead, he was worried that his salary was not enough for her grandfather to live around the same area and afraid that her grandfather would not be able to live comfortably. My grandfather had dug up a 100-year-old ginseng on the mountain. Since he had been thinking about returning to the capital, he told me to ask around when Im here and see if I can sell the ginseng and then exchange it for a house, Qiao Mei explained. Chapter 263 - Asking for a House Chapter 263: Asking for a House Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xia Zhe got a huge shock when he heard what Qiao Mei said. She had actually brought such a valuable item all the way from the village. If she had run into criminals, she might even have lost her life. Xia Zhe frowned as he looked at Qiao Mei and said, Ill settle this score with you when we go back. You brought along such a valuable thing without considering that there would be people who might covet it. Qiao Mei quietly stuck out her tongue at Xia Zhe and said playfully, You think you have a score to settle with me. I still have scores to settle with you tonight. Sooner or later, youll have to give me a clear explanation about your romantic debts. Sure, sure, sure. Well explain everything to each other then, Xia Zhe said. This task is not an easy one. After all, such a valuable thing cannot be exchanged within a short period of time, Zhou Sheng said after some thought. Then does Grandpa Zhou know who would want this thing? Qiao Mei asked. The houses in this area all have good feng shui. There are very few people who want to sell their houses given that they are all used to living here. The old people here usually wont want to sell, Zhou Sheng said. Everyone fell into deep thought. At this moment, Xia Fang said, Perhaps we can ask the Cao family who lives in the back part of our house. If theyre willing, then the entire house will be ours. Zhou Sheng nodded and said, Thats certainly worth a try. The whole house originally had four sections. The house that the Cao family lived in was the back part of the original house that was separated out and allocated to them. In actual fact, the Cao family had always been dissatisfied with the house they were living in now. The front yard was located on the Xia familys side, so they had the main entrance. The Cao family were allocated the two back sections of the house so they could only use the back door. The alley outside the back door was narrow. People could enter on foot but the alley could not accommodate cars. The Cao family always felt that their house had bad feng shui. They thought that it was an inherent problem that came with the house and that it was inauspicious to have to use the back door. The Cao family was also a military family. Old Master Cao and Xia Mao were of the same generation and they were in the same troop. Old Master Cao was at the peak of his career when he was allocated this house and his luck went downhill after that. The Cao family had always felt that it was the house which brought about the bout of bad luck. The eldest son of the Cao family, Cao Da, was the only one in the family who had a source of income at the moment. Recently, there were also some signs of trouble and the entire family was very worried. They heard that after Old Madam Xia passed away, she left her house to her grandson. This grandson had always been in the army and did not live here, so the wife of the Cao familys eldest son came up with a selfish idea. Why dont we discuss with the Xia family about swapping houses? In any case, people from the Xia family dont live in the house. The army will eventually allocate a house to him too. Why dont we ask the Xia family to swap houses with us and let us have the front yard? said the Cao familys eldest daughter-in-law. It was not as if the rest of the Cao family did not have the same idea, but they did not dare to raise the issue in view of the Xia familys standing in the community. They wanted to sell their house and live elsewhere, but no one would be able to afford such a big place now even if they put it up for sale. Even if someone could afford it, who would dare to show off their wealth since it would be like courting death? When Old Madam Xia was still alive, we told her that we wanted to swap. In the end, we were scolded and chased back by Old Madam Xia. Now that you mention the topic of swapping again, I dont know who you can talk to about this, Cao Da said. Cao Da had actually gone around asking for more information previously, but Xia Zhes troop was considered a classified unit and no details were allowed to be released. He asked around so many times that someone started to cast suspicions on Cao Das intentions and he almost got investigated. He did not dare to continue asking around after that. They did not expect Xia Zhe to come uninvited, which saved them any further effort. They were caught by surprise by the arrival of Xia Fang and Xia Zhe. What are you here for? Cao Da asked. Were here to buy your house, Xia Zhe said. When the Cao familys eldest daughter-in-law heard this, she looked at Xia Zhe and Xia Fang mockingly and said, You really dont visit unless you need something. There are so many of us living here. If you buy our house, then where do we go? We definitely cant sell it, but if you want to swap houses with us, then it is something we can accept. Were indeed here to swap the house with something, but not with our house, Xia Zhe said. If he did not use his house to swap for their house, what else could he use? Could it be that Xia Zhe had another property elsewhere that he wanted to use to swap with them? That should not be the case. Why would Xia Zhe want to do this? Xia Zhes actions made the Cao family members very confused. Chapter 264 - Intercepted Chapter 264: Intercepted Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xia Zhe turned around and glanced at Qiao Mei. She immediately understood what he meant and took out a metal box from her backpack. Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei and smiled before taking the metal box from her and opening it to show the Cao family members. This is a 100-year-old wild ginseng. We would like to exchange it for your house. Xia Zhe showed the wild ginseng to the Cao family members. The Cao family members gathered around curiously to take a closer look. However, no one in the family was a doctor, so they did not know if this was really a wild ginseng which was 100 years old. A 100-year-old wild ginseng is so rare. How can you have such a thing? Could it be that youre lying to us, said the eldest daughter-in-law of the Cao family. Although this eldest daughter-in-law of the Cao family was not very cultured, she was indeed very shrewd and could always get to the point. To check if this is a 100-year-old wild ginseng, you can ask Old Mr. Sun to come and take a look, Xia Zhe said. Old Mr. Sun was a famous old Chinese doctor in the capital. He had already retired and also lived in this area. Everyone in the neighborhood thought highly of his medical skills. Usually, if anyone had any headache or fever, they would look for Old Mr. Sun and he would always help out. Alright, then lets ask Old Mr. Sun to come and take a look, Cao Da said. Old Mr. Suns house was only about 100 meters away from here. After a short while, Cao Da came back with him. Old Mr. Sun was very curious. He had not seen many 100-year-old ginsengs during his time, let alone a wild ginseng like this one. Old Mr. Suns eyes fell on the ginseng the moment he arrived and he could not take his eyes off it after that. He looked at it and then sniffed it, but he did not dare to touch it. Its fine, old sir. You can take it to have a look. Qiao Mei saw the way the old man looked at the ginseng like it was a valuable treasure and recalled how Liu Yang looked when he saw this 100-year-old wild ginseng. Can I try a little bit? Old Mr. Sun asked. Of course. Qiao Mei nodded. Old Mr. Sun gently pinched a small piece of ginseng root and tasted it. The medicinal effect of this ginseng is extremely good. Perhaps its due to the mountains and rivers that nurtured it. This ginseng is so much better than ordinary 100-year-old ginseng, Old Mr. Sun said in a state of shock and his eyes lit up as he looked at the wild ginseng. Its actually true! Cao Da said. Where did you get this 100-year-old wild ginseng? Old Mr. Sun asked. This was dug out from the mountain behind my wifes house, Xia Zhe said with a smile. Your wife? Xiao Zhe, did you get married? Xia Jun didnt tell me about that. I have to call him and tell him off, Old Mr. Sun said angrily. Xia Zhe smiled and did not say anything. Old Mr. Sun wrapped the ginseng and placed it back into the metal box, then he turned to look at Qiao Mei and asked, Young girl, did you go up the mountain to harvest this? It wasnt me. It was my grandfather who went up the mountain to harvest it, Qiao Mei said. Old Mr. Sun nodded in appreciation. There are techniques involved in harvesting ginseng. Ordinary people cant do it. This ginseng is perfectly whole, and the medicinal effects of natural wild ginseng which are nurtured by the mountains and rivers are always more effective than other types of ginseng. This is such a rare object, Old Mr. Sun said with a sigh. Old Mr. Sun then said, Do you still have any more ginseng like this? So that was his focal point. There was an ulterior motive behind all the things he said. Qiao Mei looked at Old Mr. Sun and smiled without saying anything. Old Mr. Sun immediately understood and did not continue asking. Youve already asked Old Mr. Sun to take a look at this ginseng. Let us know if you want it or not, Xia Zhe asked. The Cao family members could not make up their minds at that moment. Although they knew that it was not easy to get hold of this 100-year-old wild ginseng, and Old Mr. Sun already said that this wild ginseng was a hundred times better than other types of ginseng, where would they live after making the exchange? Oh, you want to exchange it for a house? Then why not take my house. Im willing to exchange it with you. My house is even more spacious than this place. There are four sections in total. If you want to do an exchange, you can exchange it with me! Old Mr. Sun hugged the metal box tightly and said to Xia Zhe. When the Cao family members saw that the situation was no longer in their favor, they became anxious. The Xia family had originally come to exchange it for their house, but they could now exchange it for Old Mr. Suns house. Chapter 265 - Signing the Contract Chapter 265: Signing the Contract Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios When the Cao family members saw how determined Old Mr. Sun was, they immediately panicked. Wait, wait! Didnt we agree to exchange it with our house? How did it become yours? the eldest daughter-in-law of the Cao family looked at Old Mr. Sun and said anxiously. When did you agree, havent you guys been hesitating? Old Mr. Sun said. We agreed just now, said the eldest daughter-in-law of the Cao family. When Cao Da heard this, he hurriedly pulled his wife to his side and whispered, Are you crazy? If we dont have this house, where are we going to live? Didnt you hear Old Mr. Sun said that this ginseng is priceless? Old Mr. Sun is even willing to exchange his big house with four sections for this ginseng. Doesnt that tell you something of its worth, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Cao family whispered back. Cao Da thought about it for a moment. He felt that what his wife said made sense, so the two of them immediately agreed and said that they were willing to exchange their house for it. Yes, well do the exchange, Cao Da said. We will exchange it with you, but youll have to sign a contract and move out within half a month. What we are exchanging for is your entire house, Xia Zhe said. Cao Da and his wife said in unison, No problem. Well give you this ginseng after you hand over the house to us, Qiao Mei said. Old Mr. Sun hugged the metal box tightly. He knew he had to return it now. When Old Mr. Sun returned the metal box, he cast reluctant looks at it. Im sorry, Old Mr. Sun. This house is meant for my wifes grandfather. Your house is really too far away, Xia Zhe said embarrassedly as he took back the metal box. My place is not that far, its just two steps away. Sigh, what a pity, Old Mr. Sun said regretfully. Theres one more thing I need to trouble Old Mr. Sun with. Please stay and be our witness, Qiao Mei said. Old Mr. Sun nodded. Since he was already here, he was willing to render his help. What about you guys? Do you need a witness? Xia Zhe asked. Cao Da hurriedly shook his head and said, No, no, we all trust Old Mr. Sun. Its sufficient for Old Mr. Sun to be a witness for this matter. He did not want the news of the 100-year-old ginseng to spread.. If more of his relatives knew about it, then there would be more people coming to ask for the ginseng. If he did not give it to them, he would offend many people. He felt that it would be better if fewer people knew about it. Moreover, this ginseng was a very useful thing. He definitely did not want any strangers to know about it. The two families agreed on this matter and signed the contract. From that moment on, Qiao Mei had the right to live at the property. Qiao Qiang was not present, so it was Qiao Meis name that was written on the contract. The two families only signed the documents, but they did not have to go through the procedures to transfer the ownership. This was because the property deed of this house still belonged to the Xia family. Back when the house was reallocated, it was actually considered rented out. For people who lived in the capital, if they owned more than 15 houses or an area of 200 square meters, they would have to demarcate a portion and rent it out. The party who rented the house would then pay the owner 15% to 30% of the property value as the yearly rent. After 10 years, it would be deemed enough to cover the cost of the house and there would be no need to pay the rent anymore. Although there was currently a policy in place to return such houses to the original owners, it was only implemented in some regions. For other areas, the policy implementation process had been delayed repeatedly. In the end, once the ownership of a house became unclear, the government would seize it and tear it down. Qiao Mei looked at the hard copy contract and still felt uneasy. She did not know if such a contract without any evidence would be legally binding. All of them might not understand why Qiao Mei kept wanting to buy a house now. Qiao Mei could not say that it was because she knew the price of this house would increase by dozens of times within the next few decades. That would likely make them think that Qiao Mei was a money-faced person. Does this mean that the house belongs to us now? Qiao Mei asked. This will do, Xia Fang said. After thinking about it, Qiao Mei still felt uneasy. Why dont we go around and meet the neighbors to tell them that this house is now ours? Qiao Mei looked at Xia Fang and asked. Xia Fang smiled and said, You think things through quite thoroughly. Then lets go and say hello to the neighbors around us. Chapter 266 - Settling Scores Later Chapter 266: Settling Scores Later Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios On the way, Qiao Mei asked Xia Zhe curiously, Do you think the Cao family members will really move away by the scheduled time? I dont think their eldest daughter-in-law is an easy person to get along with. They will. Although the Cao family isnt really well-known, everyone involved in the deal is a reputable person. How can they take our ginseng for nothing? Xia Fang said. Xia Zhe nodded and added, Dont worry. Even if they refuse to move, we still have Old Mr. Sun as our witness. Old Mr. Suns words carry a lot of weight in this area and everyone will believe what he says. Mei Mei, dont be afraid. Even if that really happens, you can ask your father-in-law to settle it for you, Xia Fang said. Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei with a smile. Qiao Mei smiled back and felt much more at ease. However, she still had the nagging feeling that the Cao family was not trustworthy, and she was worried that something would go wrong in the future. After they went around to meet and greet the people who lived in their vicinity, the three of them returned to the old house. Its getting late. Tidy up and go to bed. After saying that, Xia Fang went into the other bedroom. Qiao Mei sat on the bed and looked through the contract carefully. She kept feeling that something was missing. Xia Zhe brought over some water for her to wash her feet. Seeing Qiao Mei deep in thought, he flicked her head gently. Qiao Mei immediately covered her forehead and pouted in an aggrieved manner. What are you doing? It hurts! Qiao Meis eyes started to water. Tears welled up in her eyes, scaring Xia Zhe so much that he did not know what to do. Im sorry, Im sorry. I just saw that you were staring into space and lost in your thoughts, so I just wanted to scare you, Xia Zhe said. When Qiao Mei saw Xia Zhes embarrassed expression, she suddenly laughed out loud. Only then did Xia Zhe know that Qiao Mei was teasing him. He could only smile resignedly. Alright, stop fooling around. Hurry up and wash your feet and go to bed. Youve walked all day today, Xia Zhe said. Qiao Mei thought about what happened during the day as she soaked her feet. All the neighbors knew that the house had been taken back by the Xia family. Even if the Cao family went back on their word in the end, she had both evidence and witnesses. There was nothing for her to be worried about. What are you thinking about this time? Xia Zhe sat at the side and looked at Qiao Mei. Me? Im thinking about all your romantic debts! Qiao Mei said deliberately. What romantic debts do I have? Xia Zhe asked, feeling puzzled. Let me do a count. Ever since I came to the capital, three or four women have come to find me and each of them said that she is Xia Zhes fiance, Qiao Mei said. What romantic debts? What women? How could there be three or four? Xia Zhe was confused by what he heard. Ive never had a fiance. If we want to go into details, then youve always been my fiance. Back then, our marriage was already arranged by our grandfathers, Xia Zhe said seriously. Qiao Mei blushed slightly and looked at Xia Zhe, feeling a little embarrassed. So theres this person called Qiane who lives in the same compound as Aunt. Theres another one whose surname is He. I cant quite remember the other girls already, Qiao Mei said as she tried to recall the details. He thought he had some impression of this person called Qiane. After all, they had lived in the same compound. As for that person whose surname was He, he was not sure who she was. Qiane grew up in the same compound as me, but we didnt interact much. I heard that shes already married. As for the person with the surname He, Im not too sure who she is. I dont seem to remember knowing anyone with the surname He, Xia Zhe said. Qiao Mei looked into Xia Zhes eyes. He did not look away and looked straight back into her eyes. It seemed that he was not lying, and that the truth was that those women were deeply in love with him but he felt indifferent about them. Sigh, how pitiful then, Qiao Mei lamented. Pitiful? Pitiful about what? Xia Zhe asked, not understanding her. Those women pursued you so wholeheartedly, but in the end, you dont even know who they are. Arent they pitiful? Qiao Mei said. Xia Zhe wanted to laugh even though he was upset. He smiled helplessly and said, Young girl, I dont know if you can see how weird this is. You say theyre pitiful when I say I dont know them, but you will definitely get angry if I say I know them. Im a loser on either end, so dont you think that Im the most pitiful? Qiao Mei thought about what Xia Zhe said and felt that it made sense. Actually, she was not angry. She also knew that Xia Zhe did not do anything. However, she just felt uncomfortable. She kept feeling that someone was trying to snatch away what belonged to her. Chapter 267 - First Visit Chapter 267: First Visit Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xia Zhe bent down to wipe Qiao Meis feet with a dry towel and said patiently, Dont let your imagination run wild. Youre my first woman and youll be my only woman. Hearing this, Qiao Meis face turned red in an instant. She reached out and gently gave Xia Zhe a slap on his back as she pouted and said, What nonsense are you saying. Youre telling me this in broad daylight. If other people hear this, they will definitely report you and say that youre shameless! Im not afraid. Were a legally married couple. Besides, it isnt broad daylight now. Its already dark, and Im not saying this in public, Xia Zhe muttered softly. Xia Zhe picked up the basin of used water and walked out. He poured it away and came back to rub Qiao Meis back. As Qiao Meis pregnancy progressed, she began to face the same issues as other pregnant women, even though she was still less affected than other women. If she walked for too long, she would still get a backache. The capital was not like the village. There were plants everywhere in the village and it was also a good place for resting. The supply of energy was endless. There was nothing much in the capital, and the few trees on the road were all a little withered. As Qiao Mei thought of the village, she realized that it had been about a month since she left. She missed her grandfather and wondered if he was doing well while living alone at home. Shall we go and see my grandfather tomorrow? Xia Zhe asked. Qiao Mei nodded and said, Of course. I hope your grandfather wont dislike me. No, he wont. My grandfather is very easy-going and a very direct person. He wont dislike you. Besides, youre the granddaughter-in-law whom he chose personally. How can he not like you? Xia Zhe said. After he rubbed her back for a while, the two of them lay down on the bed and prepared to sleep. Xia Zhe lay on his side and gently pulled Qiao Mei into his arms. Qiao Mei was tired from the long day and quickly fell asleep. Xia Zhe looked at the sleeping Qiao Mei and smiled tenderly. He felt that this young girl looked so cute when she was at rest and not talking. She was usually very spirited, but when she was quiet, she looked especially gentle. It had been a long day of traveling for Xia Zhe as well and he gradually fell asleep. The next morning, the three of them took the bus back to the military compound. Xia Jun was a very busy person and was seldom at home. When he heard that Xia Zhe had brought his wife home, he quickly rushed back from outside. His eyes lit up as soon as he entered and saw Qiao Mei. She was exactly how he expected Qiao Qiangs granddaughter to be like, and it was clear that he had not made a wrong choice. Back in those days in the army, Qiao Qiang was one of the most handsome men around. He had already married Wu Min by then. Otherwise, he was quite sure that Wu Min, that woman who liked good-looking people, would definitely be interested in Qiao Qiang. This must be Qiao Mei. Xia Juns smile was so wide that his eyes disappeared. Yes, grandfather. Its me, Qiao Mei said with a smile. Aye! Come and sit here! Tell me about your grandfathers health? Is he well? Xia Jun said in a gentle manner. At home, Xia Jun was only amiable towards Xia Zhe. He did not have a nice attitude for the rest of the family. In the past, when Xia Jun was still in the army, he had a strong temper and was very insistent on his ways. He behaved the same way at home after he retired. It was only after Xia Zhe was born that people saw an improvement in his temper. My grandfather is well and he has been taking good care of his health recently. He will come to the capital to meet you sometime soon, Qiao Mei said. After knowing that Xia Zhes wife was visiting, Xia Zhes elder brother, Xia Wen, also came home with his wife, Tan Jing. Tan Jing looked at the smiley Xia Jun and felt very shocked. When she first came to visit, Xia Jun did not behave like this. He did not even come home that day. Tan Jing looked at Qiao Meis stomach. She thought it was indeed true that a pregnant woman received better treatment, and she looked at her own stomach indignantly. Xu Lan came back slightly later than them. She usually spent most of her time in the military art troupe. Although she had already retired, she still liked to sing and dance and was willing to go over to help and guide them. When Xu Lan came back, she was also shocked to see Xia Jun like this. After living with her in-laws for so many years, she had only ever seen Xia Jun smile at Wu Min. Xia Jun also had a happy smile when Xia Zhe was born. He had always treated Xia Zhe very well. As Xia Juns daughter-in-law, she had never seen his smiling face again after that. However, with Qiao Meis arrival, Xia Jun was now grinning from ear to ear. Chapter 268 - Monsters and Demons Chapter 268: Monsters and Demons Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Really? Its great that your grandfather will be coming here! Xia Jun said. What? She wanted to bring her own family over to live with her so quickly after she married into their family? What plans do you have for the future? Do you intend to let her become a military spouse? Xu Lan said as soon as she entered. Mother, this is Qiao Mei. Xia Zhe frowned as he looked at Xu Lan. Then, he turned to Qiao Mei and said, Mei Mei, come here. This is my mother. Hello, mother, Qiao Mei said timidly. Mmm, Xu Lan replied coldly. After that, Xia Zhe introduced Qiao Mei to Xia Mao, Xia Wen, Tan Jing as well as the familys helper, Auntie Feng. Xia Mao had inherited all of Xia Juns strong points, but also the way that Xia Jun worked meticulously with a long face. Currently, Xia Mao was looking at Qiao Mei with a gentle expression on his face. In the face of the cute and lively Qiao Mei, he felt the same as Xia Jun and could not bring himself to be solemn. Xia Zhes eldest brother, Xia Wen, was also a good-looking man. Xia Zhe looked like Xia Mao, manly and gallant. Xia Wen was more like Xu Lan, gentle and refined. Tan Jing was Xia Wens wife. She used to be a model, but she liked to dress older than her age. For some reason, she did not like to smile and had a cold demeanor. Xia Zhe had told Qiao Mei earlier that Tan Jing and Xia Wen had been married for 10 years and did not have any children. It had always been a sore point for Tan Jing, and she was bothered by it even though no one said anything about the issue. Xia Zhe told Qiao Mei not to hang around Tan Jing for no reason and not to mention anything related to children in front of her. Qiao Mei looked at Xu Lan. Even though she was in her fifties, she was still charming and very beautiful. She used to be the mainstay of the military art troupe, and it seemed befitting of her. Qiao Mei just did not know what she had done wrong. The moment Xu Lan entered, Qiao Mei could clearly feel that her mother-in-law did not like her very much. Qiao Mei had also heard from her grandfather that Xu Lan thought highly of herself. Xu Lan had always intended for Zheng Yuan from the Zheng family to be her daughter-in-law, but she did not expect Qiao Mei to mess up her plans. This caused Xu Lan to particularly dislike Qiao Mei. She felt that there was no need for her to take special care of Qiao Mei in the same manner as her biological daughter. After Qiao Mei greeted everyone politely, Xia Jun went upstairs to get Qiao Meis first-meeting gift. Xia Mao had prepared his gift as soon as he received the phone call. He took out a red packet and handed it to Qiao Mei. Xu Lan also reluctantly took out a red packet from her bag. These are a token from us, said Xia Mao. Thank you, father and mother! Qiao Mei said obediently. Xia Wen took out a tiger head pillow and a red packet. This is a little token from your sister-in-law and I. You can take it, Xia Wen said gently. Thank you, elder brother and sister-in-law! Qiao Mei did not expect a red packet from him. Tan Jing looked at Xia Wen in shock. Xia Wen had not discussed this with her before he prepared these gifts. It was one thing to give a red packet, given that it was something that an elder brother and sister-in-law should give. However, he even gave them a tiger head pillow that was meant for a child to use! Tan Jing looked at Qiao Meis stomach and felt even more unbalanced. She wondered about the extent of her husbands desire for children, given that he had actually given another woman a pillow meant for children. However, she could not blame others. She could only blame herself for being a disappointment. Tan Jing turned around silently and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. Tan Jing thought that she was very discreet and no one could see what she did, but in fact, Qiao Mei saw what happened. It was hard to blame Tan Jing for feeling that it was unfair. Back when Xia Wen married her, apart from the three turns and one sound, she received a betrothal gift of 500 dollars. When it came to Qiao Mei, the betrothal gift was 2,000 dollars. Back then, when Xia Mao and Xu Lan first met Tan Jing, they only gave her a first-meeting gift of 100 dollars. Looking at the thickness of the red packets they gave Qiao Mei, the amount was definitely more than 100 dollars. Did they consider how she would feel about such unfairness? Did the Xia family still acknowledge her presence? A mere village girl actually received more respect than her. This entire matter was not the fault of Xia Mao and Xu Lan. From the wedding to the betrothal gifts to the three turns and one sound, Xia Zhe had paid for everything himself. The Xia family did not contribute a single cent, so they naturally did not feel that there was any unfair treatment. Xia Mao had felt that it was not appropriate. He asked Xia Fang to contact Xia Zhe and say that he wanted to give Xia Zhe the money for the betrothal gift so that the gift was from the Xia family. In the end, his proposal was strongly rejected by Xu Lan. Chapter 269 - Finding Fault Chapter 269: Finding Fault Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xu Lan did not like the idea of this marriage at all. Furthermore, Xia Zhe had gotten married on his own without informing his parents. Nobody is allowed to worry about this matter. Doesnt he like doing things himself? Let him handle it on his own! Xu Lan said to her family sulkily. Xu Lan was in charge of everything in the family. Xia Mao had his hands full with work and he forgot about the matter as time passed. As for how Tan Jing found out about it, it happened when Mrs. Zheng from the Zheng family and Xu Lan went for a massage together some time ago. At that time, Mrs. Zheng had tactfully said that Xia Zhes marriage was the hardest on Zheng Yuan as she had waited for him for so many years to no avail. Xu Lan felt really embarrassed, but there was nothing that she could say. After returning home, she vented her anger on Tan Jing. She kicked up a fuss about why a village girl could get 2,000 dollars as a betrothal gift, but she only mentioned the amount and did not tell Tan Jing where the money came from. Therefore, Tan Jing thought that the betrothal gift was given by the family. Xu Lan did not have any confidence to tell the truth either. After all, if parents did not help with the expenses when their son got married, people would say that the parents were incompetent and biased. Xu Lan sat on the sofa and looked at Xia Zhe unhappily, feeling very upset. He had been away from home for so many years and did not even bother to write a few more letters to his family. When he was back, all he could think of was to pick up his wife first. Now that youre back, whats your plans about your future together? Xu Lan asked. Xia Zhe frowned and did not speak. Xu Lan was about to say more when Xia Jun came back down with a brocade box in his hand. Come and take a look. This is the first-meeting gift that your grandmother prepared for her granddaughter-in-law a long time back. Its for you. Xia Jun opened the box gently. There was a pair of shiny green bangles in the box. The jade was very transparent with no impurities inside and it looked especially clear when the light shone through it. Thank you, grandmother. I really like it! Qiao Mei said. Qiao Mei did not stand on ceremony and immediately wore the bangle on her arm. She looked at it from different angles and decided that she liked it very much. However, everyones eyes were actually not on the bangle given by Xia Zhes grandmother. This was because Qiao Mei had another bangle on her arm that was even more transparent and greener in color. That bangle was even more valuable than the one Xia Zhes grandmother had prepared for her as a gift. Anyone who had some knowledge on the quality of jade would know which one was better. Xia Jun could tell that Qiao Mei really liked it and he felt very happy. However, that was not what Xu Lan was thinking. Xu Lan only had eyes for the other bangle on Qiao Meis arm. Where did you get the other bangle? Xu Lan asked sternly. For a country girl like her to have such good jewelry, her son must have bought it for the girl. Xia Fang frowned slightly. She already knew Xu Lans character, but she did not expect Xu Lan to go out of her way to make Qiao Mei look bad during their first meeting. Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe looked at each other at the same time. He did not know anything about the bangle, nor did he know that Qiao Mei had given his aunt a set of jewelry. However, money was meant to be spent. If he did not allow Qiao Mei to spend his money, then who else could spend his money? Didnt I already tell you? Dont wear this when you go out, Xia Zhe said as he tugged at Qiao Meis sleeve. From the looks of it, Xia Zhe must have bought her the bangle. Qiao Mei smiled happily when she saw Xia Zhe covering for her. As a daughter-in-law, how can you not know how to be thrifty! Xu Lan said sternly. Mother! Xia Zhe frowned at Xu Lan. In his memories, Xu Lan was not like this. Although the Xu Lan he remembered did not have a close relationship with him, she was not such an aggressive person. It was the first time she met Qiao Mei today. He did not know what Qiao Mei had done wrong for Xu Lan to keep treating her like this. Am I wrong to say that! Its not as if our family has much money and yet she has gone out to buy jewelry. Its so wasteful. My sons hard-earned money will soon be all gone because of you! Xu Lan said angrily. Qiao Mei stood rooted to the ground, not knowing what to do. She was not afraid of Xu Lan, but she felt that if she retorted, it would make things difficult for Xia Zhe. Chapter 270 - Announcing the House Exchange Chapter 270: Announcing the House Exchange Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Looking at Xu Lans behavior, Xia Jun could not take it anymore. Theyre a couple, what does their lifestyle have to do with you? Xia Jun said sternly. Hearing Xia Juns words, Xu Lan fell silent. She could not afford to offend Xia Jun. Mei Mei is very capable. She even bought back the other part of my mothers old house to make it whole, Xia Fang said calmly. The other part of the old house! Bought back! The entire family was shocked. Xia Jun and Xia Mao looked at Xia Zhe in shock, looking to get his answer. Xia Zhe nodded slightly. The two sections that the Cao family lived in? Xia Mao asked uncertainly. Xia Zhe said confidently, Thats right, that part of the house. When Xia Jun heard the affirmative reply, his face lit up. Young girl, tell me quickly. How did you do it? Xia Jun pulled Qiao Mei to his side and asked excitedly. Like I told you earlier, my grandfather wanted to move back to the capital to live. However, he doesnt have a house here and I thought it would be nice if he could live closer to me. Later on, when I heard about what happened with Xia Zhes grandmother, I thought we might as well buy back the backyard part of the house, Qiao Mei said. Qiao Mei related it in a light manner, but to the people at home, it was extremely shocking news. It was most impactful for Tan Jing. They were both granddaughters-in-law, but they were treated so differently. The differences span from the betrothal gifts to the attitude of the family to the bangle on Qiao Meis arm. Although she also received a bangle, hers was far inferior to the one that Qiao Mei had. Moreover, her younger sister had taken a fancy to the bangle after she wore it back home when she was newly married. At that time, her sister said that she only wanted to borrow it, but she had not even returned it by now. Xia Wen was also aware of this matter. When it happened, Xia Wen said that he would buy another one for Tan Jing, but because he was too busy with work, he forgot about it. Now, Qiao Mei had actually bought back the other part of the old house. This had always been something that Xia Jun regretted not being able to do and Qiao Mei had now fulfilled it for him. Tan Jing looked at Qiao Mei indignantly, but there was nothing she could do except to feel disheartened. That Cao family is not easy to talk to. What did you tell them, and did you sign a written contract? Xu Lan said sulkily. We have all that. I was with her, Xia Zhe said. Since Xia Zhe had gone with her, everyone felt at ease. However, Xia Mao was still a little puzzled. The Cao family had always kept a tight grip on the house and he wondered why they decided to sell. Didnt the Cao family make things difficult for you? Xia Mao asked. No, they were happy to do it, Qiao Mei said with a smile. That was even more weird. Their family was doing quite well, although they had not been in the limelight in the past two years. Logically speaking, they would not be that tempted by an offer of money. Xu Lan suddenly stood up as she thought of something. How can a girl like you have so much money? Do you know if you have that much money and if others find out about this, the Xia family will suffer for it! Xu Lan scolded angrily. Sit down! We still dont know if it was bought with money! Xia Jun said. But! No buts! Sit down! Xia Jun said sternly. Xu Lan still wanted to speak, but she could not go against Xia Jun. She sat down silently and stared hard at Qiao Mei. Child, tell me how you got the house back, Xia Jun said patiently. Experience really counted for something. As expected of a veteran, both his observation and thinking skills were really good. He immediately knew that this house could not have been bought with money. My grandfather paid for this house, but he did not really pay for it. It was actually an exchange, Qiao Mei said. Everyone looked puzzled. An exchange? An exchange for what? Qiao Mei took out a metal box and a cloth bag from her bag. She knew that the Xia family was well-to-do enough not to be impressed by her gifts, so she did not bother to wrap them nicely. Qiao Mei carefully opened the box to reveal two 30-year-old wild ginsengs. The cloth bag contained some wild lingzhi. These two 30-year-old wild ginsengs are supplements for grandfather and father. The lingzhi is a gift for mother, Qiao Mei said. Chapter 271 - Ownership of the House Chapter 271: Ownership of the House Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xia Jun and Xia Mao smiled when they saw the wild ginseng and felt that this child was very considerate. Only Xu Lan did not appreciate the gesture. What do all these things have to do with you buying a house? Xu Lan said disdainfully. Qiao Mei did not take Xu Lans attitude to heart and continued, Other than these things, my grandfather also asked me to bring a 100-year-old wild ginseng that he dug up. He has asked me to see if there is anyone in the capital who wants to buy it and then use the money to buy a house. By now, everyone in the Xia family understood that the house was exchanged with the ginseng from Qiao Meis grandfather. Xu Lan did not care about how it was done. What she cared about was that Qiao Mei kept saying that it was her grandfather who exchanged it. So do you mean that the house belongs to your grandfather? Xu Lan said. Qiao Mei did not say anything and just looked at her quietly. Strictly speaking, it was Qiao Meis name that was listed on the documents, so it was strictly not considered as Qiao Qiangs property. However, the name on the property deed of the main house was still Xia Zhes grandmother, so this house still belonged to the Xia family. Why arent you saying anything? You intend to bring your grandfather over to occupy the old house? Xu Lan said even more harshly. Xia Fang frowned and looked at Xu Lan. She originally thought that her second sister-in-law had designs on this house, but she did not expect Xu Lan to be the first person to express such clear intent. The exchange was done using the ginseng from Mei Meis grandfather. Of course the house belongs to him, Xia Zhe said calmly. This made Xu Lan furious. The girl had just married into the family and she had the audacity to bring her grandfather along immediately. Why are you kicking up a fuss? If not for Brother Qiao, who knows when we would be able to get the entire old house back, Xia Jun said. Xia Jun did not know what was wrong with Xu Lan today. Usually, she did not dare to speak loudly in front of him, but she had rebutted him repeatedly today. Young girl, when does your grandfather intend to come over? Itll be good for us brothers to get together, Xia Jun said. For Xia Jun, it did not matter who the house belonged to. Moreover, Qiao Qiang was his good brother and the person who saved his life. Now that Qiao Qiang had even helped them to get the entire house back, he felt that there was really no way to repay such a favor. My grandfather doesnt really want to come here yet. There are still things to do back home, Qiao Mei said. Then do you want to stay in our house or move to the old house? Xia Jun asked. Before Qiao Mei could answer, Xia Zhe said, Qiao Mei will eventually become a military spouse, but just not now. Its not convenient for her in her current condition, so she will stay at Aunts place for the time being. The old house hasnt been repaired yet, so shell only go over later. Xia Jun and Xia Mao nodded while Xia Fang also felt very happy. After all, Xiang Jin rarely came back from the army. With Qiao Mei accompanying her, her days were much happier. Moreover, she was a doctor and could take care of Qiao Mei if anything should happen. Xia Zhe lowered his head and whispered to Qiao Mei, The army gave me a months leave this time. The next mission is more dangerous, so I cant bring you along. Besides, its not safe for you to stay alone in the military compound in your existing condition. Qiao Mei looked down unhappily. It was not because Xia Zhe could not bring her along in the army, but because Xia Zhe would be going on another mission soon and the two of them would be apart again. Thats right. Mei Mei will stay at my place and she can do so comfortably, Xia Fang said happily. After thinking about it, Qiao Mei still felt that she did not want to disturb anyone anymore. She also missed her younger siblings and her grandfather at home. I think Ill go back to the village. Im used to living there. My grandfather is at home and I miss him too. I also have to go back and take care of my younger siblings. Qiao Mei tactfully rejected everyones kindness. Younger siblings? Where did your younger siblings come from? Xu Lan asked. It was not as if they had not investigated Qiao Meis background before. She was her mothers only child, so Xu Lan could not understand how she could have any other younger siblings. Qiao Mei did not hide anything and told everyone that her younger siblings were the children that her mother, Li Gui, had with her stepfather. She told them everything, but solely left out the part about her mother being beaten up by her stepfather. Even if she did not say it, it was obvious to Xu Lan. Chapter 272 - Elder Sister Is Back Chapter 272: Elder Sister Is Back Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios This stepfather must not be any good if he was the kind of person who could chase away his wife and four children to the countryside. Her father had passed away early and her mother had to take care of her four half-siblings and a seriously ill grandfather. Her family background was not only not good, but she was also from the countryside. Xu Lan frowned as she thought about all these. She did not know what Xia Zhe saw in the girl and how he could think that such a family background was worthy of the Xia family. Alright, its time to prepare dinner, said Xia Mao. Xu Lan stopped thinking about the mess as she decided she needed to think about everything at length. Xu Lan sat on the sofa and looked at Qiao Mei silently. It was almost time for dinner. Xu Lan thought that any sensible person would know that it was time to help out. Qiao Mei understood what Xu Lan meant. She was about to get up and walk to the kitchen to help with dinner preparation when Xia Zhe grabbed her hand. Hey, this bangle of yours is really beautiful. I must say that grandmother made a good choice. Let me take a closer look. Ive never seen this bangle before, Xia Zhe said as he held Qiao Meis hand. Qiao Mei did not know what to do and turned to look at Aunt. Xia Fang shook her head gently, indicating that Qiao Mei should not move. She was quite surprised that Xia Zhe knew what was going on though, and felt that he was quite meticulous. Xia Fang stared at Xu Lan coldly.?In the past, even when Xu Lan felt that Tan Jings family background was not that good, she also did not ask Tan Jing to help out in the kitchen on her first day in the house. Why did she ask Qiao Mei to help when it was also Qiao Meis first visit here? There was no precedent in the family of asking the new daughter-in-law to cook on the first day of her visit. The rules in their family were not so regimental yet. Xu Lan turned her head in embarrassment and coughed lightly before giving Xia Zhe a fierce glare. Xia Zhe pretended that he did not see anything. It was not as if they had no helper at home. Even during usual times, his aunt and sister-in-law only needed to assist in minor tasks. Although Qiao Meis culinary skills were really good, the helper also had professional skills. Dinner was soon ready. Before everyone could get up and go to the dining table, they heard the main door open with a bang. Everyone turned to look at the door and saw two women walking in with multiple bags in their hands. Oh my. Xia He, why are you back! Xia Fang said in surprise. Between the two women, one was fat and one was thin. One was tall and fair with her hair tied into a high ponytail and wearing a smile as warm as the sun. The other one looked very similar to Qiao Mei in the past. She probably weighed almost 300 pounds and panted heavily when she walked. Of course I have to come back and take a look when my brother brings his wife back! Xia He said to everyone with a smile. Xia Zhe held Qiao Meis hand and slowly walked over to Xia He. Elder sister, this is my wife, Qiao Mei. After saying that, Xia Zhe turned to Qiao Mei and said, This is my elder sister, Xia He. You can call her elder sister as well. Hello, elder sister, Qiao Mei said with a sweet smile. Xia He was especially happy to see such a cute and beautiful young girl with a sweet voice. Hello, hello, hello. Xia He turned to look at Xia Zhe and said, Not bad, kid. How did you get such a beautiful wife. Ill tell you another time. Come and eat first, Xia Zhe said. Everyone seemed to ignore the person who came in with Xia He. Who is this? Xia Fang asked. Xia He looked at everyone awkwardly and said, This is my husbands sister, Kong Li. Xia Zhe looked at Kong Li thoughtfully and turned to look at Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei hurriedly shook her head. She knew what Xia Zhe was thinking about and could only hope that he could quickly forget that memory. Although the fatty in front of her was not as fat as she was back then, her facial features were already distorted by her size in a similar manner. Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei in amusement and did not say anything. Xia He looked at the two of them making faces at each other as if they were sharing a secret. It seemed to be something that only the two of them knew about and no one else could get involved. What secret are you two sharing? Dont show off your love and affection in front of me, Xia He said. Hello, Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei said in unison to Kong Li. Kong Li looked at Xia Zhe in embarrassment and replied shyly, Hello Seeing this, Xia He hurriedly pushed Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei to the dining table to wait for dinner to be served. Chapter 273 - A Quarrel Between Sisters-In-Law Chapter 273: A Quarrel Between Sisters-In-Law Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Before Kong Li could say anything more, she was left standing at the door alone. Xia He said happily to Xia Mao and Xu Lan, Father, mother, Im back. Dont you welcome me? Youre not back to see me. Arent you here to see your sister-in-law? Xu Lan rolled her eyes and said while sulking. Xia He stood there awkwardly. At this moment, Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei were already seated. Why not? Hurry up and sit down to eat. You havent been back for a long time, Xia Mao said. Only then did Xia He take her seat. Kong Li walked over angrily and stood beside Xia He. She reached out and gave Xia He a slap on the shoulder, putting on a fake smile as she said, Why did you walk so fast? Is it because you dont want me to look at your brother? Xia Hes shoulder hurt, but she did not say anything. Xia Zhe frowned when he saw what happened. Qiao Mei reached out to hold Xia Zhes hand under the table and shook her head. Although Xia He had a grudge with this woman, it was still someone elses family matter after all. It was not good to comment without knowing everything. Upon seeing that Xia He was ignoring her, Kong Li did not say anything else and went to sit down beside Xia Zhe. You must be my sister-in-laws brother, Kong Li said while blushing. Xia He pointed at Kong Li and said angrily, You stay away from my brother! How can you sit there! When Kong Li saw that Xia He did not care about embarrassing her, she stood up and banged her hand on the table. She used so much strength that half of the soup was spilled on the table. Xia Mao and Xia Jun did not raise their heads to see what was going on. Men like them did not participate in matters between women and they pretended not to see it. Xu Lan frowned and glared at Kong Li. This is the Xia family residence. What are you doing! Kong Li pointed at Xu Lan and said, Since Im a guest, you have to give in to me. Otherwise, Ill go out and say that the Xia family is unkind and doesnt treat guests well. If you continue to behave like this, Ill just send you home! Xia He shouted. Unexpectedly, Kong Li did not care at all and said indifferently, Its impossible for you to send me home. Im going wherever you go. If youre so capable, you can go and tell my brother to see if he will side with you. There were some things that Xu Lan did not know. Xia He rarely confided in Xu Lan and would talk to Xia Fang instead. Xia Fang knew that ever since Xia He married into the Kong family, she had not had a peaceful life. Xia Hes relationship with her husband, Kong Lu, was no longer the same as before. Previously, the two of them were very much in love. They had fallen for each other on their own and were not matchmade. Xia He also had a stubborn temper and, like Xia Zhe, she made her own decisions regarding her own marriage and did not say much to her family. She did not expect Kong Lu to bring his mother and younger sister over to live with him after they got married. Ever since then, the two of them had often quarreled. In addition, Kong Lu was very busy now, so Xia He had to take care of everything at home. Kong Lu did not know anything about what happened at home. In the past year, Old Madam Kong kept asking for a grandchild, so she forced Xia He to try for a baby. However, Xia He did not manage to get pregnant. Old Madam Kong became very angry and started telling the neighbors that Xia He was unable to have children and it made people look down on Xia He. In the past, Xia He would still explain to the neighbors one by one, but when she could not stop the rumors from spreading, she just endured it. No one knew why Xia He had returned to the Xia family this time. Miss Kong, I think youre too unreasonable, Xia Fang said. Who do you think you are? Kong Li could not be bothered with Xia Fang at all. Xia Fang did not say anything else. She stood up and moved Kong Lis chair to the spot next to her. Since youre a guest, you should know that guests should follow the hosts instructions. Didnt your elders teach you manners? Xia Fang asked. This question made Kong Li speechless. When she left her house, Old Madam Kong had told her to do everything she could to create trouble for Xia He. Now, she could not say that her elders did not teach her manners or this would mean that her family was improper. Although Kong Li was not smart, she was not a fool. Chapter 274 - Quick Escape Chapter 274: Quick Escape Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Kong Li sat down embarrassedly beside Xia Fang. When she returned home, she would tell her brother that this woman had bullied her and made Xia He suffer for it. The family finished their meal in silence. After dinner, Xia Mao left in the military district car. After all, he had a limited amount of time to come home this time and there were still things that he needed to settle at work. Xia Wen and Tan Jing also had their own work to do and left not long after. Xia Jun, being an old man, became bored at home after a while and went out for a walk to look for his friends. As for Xu Lan, she was already retired. Since her children were back, she wanted to speak with them. She had always known that Xia He was unhappy, so she wanted to ask her daughter about what was going on. Xia Fang quietly pulled Xia He aside, held her hand and asked, How have you been recently? Xia He lowered her head in silence. When Xia Fang saw Xia He like this, she knew that Xia Hes life had not improved. Then why did your sister-in-law come with you? She must be the one whos causing the problem between you and your husband. Xia Fang glanced at Kong Li who was eating fruits. I didnt want her to come, but I had no choice. She insisted on coming, Xia He said with a sigh. Its fine, just do your thing. You still have me, Xia Fang said. Aunt, you dont know how sad the situation is. With her looks, she still wants to find a partner whos an army officer, Xia He said mockingly. An army officer? Then why doesnt her brother find one for her but ask you to do it instead? Xia Fang frowned and said. Its all because they want to ride on our Xia familys status. They think that we can randomly introduce a soldier to her. Didnt you see how her eyes were on Xiao Zhe the moment she entered? Xia He became furious at the mention of this. While the two of them were still talking, Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe were dealing with Kong Li on their end. Youre also my relative. Why dont you bring me out? Kong Li asked. Qiao Mei suppressed the anger in her heart and said, Whos your relative? How can you not be considered my relative? My sister-in-law is your elder sister. So we are relatives. Since were relatives, why cant you bring me out? Kong Li sat beside Qiao Mei and spoke a lot to convince Qiao Mei that they were considered relatives. There was nothing that Xia Zhe could say and he could only sit at the side and listen. Xia Fang and Xia He also noticed what was happening. Xia He was about to go over to speak her mind when Xia Fang pulled her back. Its fine. Dont worry, Mei Mei knows what shes doing. She wont lose out, Xia Fang said with a laugh. After spending so many days together, Xia Fang had a rough idea of Qiao Meis personality. Qiao Mei had a good character, but she also had quite a fiery temper. If someone was kind to her, Qiao Mei would definitely return the favor many fold. I just dont feel like going shopping with you! You stay at home alone! I dont want to bring you to my house either! Even if were relatives, I dont know you well, so dont try to act familiar with me! Qiao Mei said, feeling exasperated. Qiao Mei had no choice when faced with such an unreasonable person. Since being cultured was not an option, she decided to resort to being forceful. Qiao Mei pulled Xia Zhe along and left without looking back. Seeing this, Xia Fang patted Xia Hes hand to reassure her and hurriedly followed them. Xu Lan sat in the living room and did not say anything. It was not easy to have her children home, but everyone had left by now. If not for this fatty, her children would still be accompanying her at home. Auntie, are you going to watch your daughter-in-law bully me like this? Im a guest after all! Kong Li shouted at Xu Lan. Xu Lan could have spoken to Kong Li politely, but the way Kong Li addressed her as auntie made her feel unhappy. Initially, she thought that Qiao Mei was the one she hated the most. She did not expect herself to hate Kong Li even more now. Xu Lan looked at Kong Li and did not say a word. After all, she was still a guest. If she also reproached this person, she would be criticized if word got out. Xia He could not do anything about it. Xu Lan had long known that she had such a troublesome sister-in-law. Chapter 275 - Bad Luck Chapter 275: Bad Luck Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Auntie, why dont you say something? Why arent you saying anything! Kong Li said as she sat down beside Xu Lan. It was not a big deal that she sat down, but the sofa suddenly made a loud sound. Xu Lans heart skipped a beat. This sofa was bought by her eldest son, Xia Wen, when he got married. It was an imported item and was especially expensive. Are you feeling full yet? If you dont feel full, then ask them to make something for you outside. If youre full, then take a rest, Xu Lan said in annoyance. Kong Li thought that Xu Lan was telling her to eat whatever she wanted. She did not realize that Xu Lan was telling her to shut up. At this moment, Xia He suddenly received a call. Hello, who is this? Xia He asked. Elder sister, its me! Im Qiao Mei! Tell them you have something on and come out quickly! Qiao Mei said. What a clever person! Xia He smiled gently and said, Yes, yes, I understand. Okay, Ill go now. After hanging up, she took her bag and prepared to go out. Where are you going! Kong Li shouted. Theres some issues at the art troupe. They want me to go over, Xia He said as she ran out. After Xia He ran out of the courtyard, she saw Qiao Mei, Xia Zhe and her aunt at the road junction. Xia He walked over and smiled brightly. She hugged Qiao Mei and said, How did you come up with this plan? I reckon youll feel very tired at home and I think its better for you to come out and relax with us, Qiao Mei said with a smile. Xia He nodded and said agreeably, Lets go, let me bring you shopping. Ill buy you anything you like today! Xia He hugged Qiao Mei and they walked in front, chatting and laughing. Qiao Mei realized that Xia He looked really beautiful when she smiled. Her smile was so dazzling and felt as warm as a little sun. If she had not married the wrong person, perhaps she would be living in a better and brighter world. At the thought of this, Qiao Mei smiled and turned to look at Xia Zhe. Fortunately, she had Xia Zhe and she did not marry the wrong person. When they arrived at the mall, Xia He found out that Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe were going to stay at the old house and decided that they would need a lot of supplies. She bought everything for them, from small items like pots and pans to big items like a dining table and furniture. She ordered three sets of bedding items for them, as well as a coffee table, chopping board, oven, water heater, and so on. Xia He paid for everything. Even before buying everything that they would need, she had already spent more than 1,500 dollars. At this time, an amount of 1,500 dollars was equivalent to the salary of two people over a year and a half. For people in this era, their salary was only around tens of dollars a month. It would take two people more than a year without eating or drinking to save 1,500 dollars. However, Xia He was a rich woman. She was a member of an art troupe that often went out to perform. With the performance fees, salary and bonus, she could earn a few hundred dollars a month. This was the reason why Old Madam Kong kept bullying Xia He. She wanted to make use of the Xia familys prominence in the capital and also wanted Xia He to give her money every month to pay for her expenses. They always argued about the same thing. Initially, Old Madam Kong wanted her to hand over all her salary to the family. At first, Xia He was willing to do so, but after knowing Old Madam Kongs character, she became unwilling to do it. Old Madam Kong felt indignant and brought this matter up with her son. Kong Lu was a biased person. He felt that his mother had raised him and his brother alone in the past, so he should be filial to his mother now. Therefore, Kong Lu handed over all his salary to his family and he did not give Xia He a single cent. Furthermore, Kong Li even asked Xia He to give her more than 100 dollars every month. Kong Lu seemed not to know about these things. It was not as if Xia He had not told him about what happened before, but he did not really care to listen and only felt that his mother and younger sister would not do such things. On the other hand, when Kong Li complained to Kong Lu about Xia He every day, Kong Lu listened to her. For 80% of the time when he was home, he would scold Xia He, saying that she did not take good care of his family and made them suffer. As time passed, Xia He became no longer willing to explain herself to him. She had chosen to get married to this person and she had never regretted it. However, she did feel a little sad and could not understand how things had ended up like this between Kong Lu and her. Where had all the previous love and affection gone? Everything had long been worn down by these trivial matters. The love and affection from the early days had long been forgotten. They had been married for a long time and the first few years of their marriage were still marked with anniversaries. Now, Kong Lu could not even remember Xia Hes birthday. Chapter 276 - Wanting a Divorce Chapter 276: Wanting a Divorce Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios They strutted down the street and bought a lot of things before returning to the old house. Xia He felt relaxed the moment she entered. She sat under the grapevine and said, This house is truly nice. Its not just the two sections in front anymore. Qiao Mei just bought the two sections which the Cao family had. Now, this entire house belongs to Xiao Zhe and Qiao Mei, Xia Fang said. When Xia He heard this news, her eyes lit up. Then, she felt emotional the next moment. It would be nice to have my own house. Then, I can do whatever I want every day and wake up whenever I want. I dont have to lock all the drawers and cabinets and I dont have to worry about others stealing my things. It would be so nice Xia He leaned her head against the vine rack and quietly looked at the sky, imagining her life in the future. Xia Zhe looked at his sister at this moment and felt that she was like a stranger. In the past, Xia He used to be very carefree and would think of him whenever there was anything nice to eat or drink. She used to live her life with a bright smile on her face. Now, Xia He was always frowning and thinking about how to get through every day. Her mother-in-law and sister-in-law made things difficult for her, and her husband did not care about her. Then buy a house for yourself. Its not like your salary isnt enough, Xia Fang said. Qiao Mei objected to that suggestion, which caught Xia He by surprise. Elder sister, do you still plan to stay with that man? Qiao Mei suddenly asked. Her question surprised everyone. Xia Hes relationship with Kong Lu had not been good for a while and everyone in the family had heard about it. However, how did Qiao Mei know about it? Xia Zhe was always away in the army and did not know anything about all these things happening with his family. Xia He had only told her aunt and her aunt would never have told Qiao Mei. Dont look at me like that. I just happened to hear it when I walked past earlier and also guessed most of it from what I saw today, Qiao Mei said with a smile. Xia He sighed and smiled resignedly as she said, I didnt want the two of you to know, but its also good that you found out. Actually, I came back home this time without any intention to go back. Qiao Mei nodded. She thought that Xia He was right to think that way. That house was like an inferno and she definitely should not go back. Since youre not divorced yet, I think the matter of getting a house can wait. If you buy it now, our brother-in-law will get a share of the house. Its possible they will even say that your mother-in-law and sister-in-law will get a share as well, Qiao Mei explained. These words were like a wake up call for Xia He. After being married for so many years, all her money had been taken by Old Madam Kong and Kong Li. If her house belonged to them after the divorce, it would be a huge loss to her. Qiao Mei is right. You cant buy a house yet. The most important thing now is to get a divorce! Xia Fang said as she turned to look at Xia He. But is it that easy to get a divorce? Qiao Mei asked curiously. She said that she wanted a divorce, but how could she get one? Xia He and Kong Lu had a military marriage, and Xia He was also a government worker. If Xia He wanted a divorce, she must get Kong Lus agreement unless it was due to Kong Lu making a serious mistake. When it came to a conflict between a mother-in-law and a daughter-in-law, there was no serious mistake at all. It was not even a mistake, just a family conflict. With Xia He being like a cash cow, Kong Lu would not agree to divorce her. Even if Kong Lu agreed, Old Madam Kong would not allow it. If you get a divorce, then what about your job? Xia Zhe asked. Thats not a big deal. Ive applied for a permanent position in the capital, Xia He said. Xia Zhe nodded and felt at ease. He thought that he should look for Kong Lu soon and have a good talk with him. He could not let his sister suffer in vain. Alright, everyone. Stop troubling yourself with my affairs. The delivery man from the mall will be here with the furniture soon. Lets hurry up and clean up the house, Xia He said as she stood up. Qiao Mei rolled up her sleeves and was about to walk into the house when Xia Zhe stopped her midway. Itll be very dusty when we clean the house. Dont go in. Its not good for your health. When Im done, then you can go in and do what you need to do, Xia Zhe said. Chapter 277 - Protect Carefully Chapter 277: Protect Carefully Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei smiled and nodded. Not long after she sat down, Xia Zhe finished cleaning up. Qiao Mei wanted to go in and have a look at the space to see how the furniture could be arranged, but Xia Zhe stopped her again. The furniture is all angular. Sit down and let me do it so that you wont accidentally knock into them. Xia Zhe busied himself with work after saying that. After that, Xia Zhe kept giving all sorts of reasons to stop Qiao Mei from doing anything. These things break easily. What if they break and you cut your hand? Go and sit at the side. Dont worry about these things. Dont get up. Just sit there. Its still very dusty even though its already been cleaned once. Wait for me to clean it again. Dont come in yet. The soil in this backyard is dirty. Tell me what you want and Ill do it for you. Dont move this thing. Tell me what you want to do. This thing is so heavy. What if you cant carry it and hurt yourself? In the house, there was only the sound of Xia Zhe nagging non-stop. Sitting at one side, Xia Fang and Xia He were stunned. They did not expect Xia Zhe, who was usually cold and quiet in front of them, to have such a side to him. At the sight of this, Xia He could not help but think of the time when Kong Lu wooed her. Back then, he agreed with her on everything, but now Xia He felt sad again. There were still good men in the world, but this particular good man was her own brother. She did not meet a good man herself. Xia Fang could tell what Xia He was thinking. She reached out to stroke Xia Hes back and said, The family will always be your strongest backer. Dont be afraid. Xia He nodded and said, Im fine. I just feel that its really good that Xiao Zhe turned out this way. Thats true. Qiao Mei is also a smart and quick-witted kid. Moreover, shes very capable and knows how to do almost everything. She learns everything very fast. Xiao Zhe really found a treasure this time, Xia Fang looked at Qiao Mei and said with a pleased look. Since Aunt says so, then she must really be quite good. But for some reason, I feel that my mother doesnt like her very much, Xia He said. Tsk, dont you know your mother? She just doesnt like the fact that Qiao Mei is from the countryside and is uneducated. Xia He rolled her eyes and got angry just thinking about it. Qiao Mei looked at the old house and the busy Xia Zhe.?He did not allow her to do anything. What exactly was she allowed to do? Aunt! Come and discipline your nephew! He doesnt allow me to do anything. Im so bored! Qiao Mei rushed to Xia Fangs side and complained to her. Anyone who heard this delicate voice and saw the aggrieved look on her face would think that she did not do anything wrong at all. It must be someone elses fault. Xia Zhe stood where he was and looked at Xia Fang, indicating to her that he did not do anything. How about this? Its getting quite late. Lets go out to buy groceries and then come back to cook, Xia He said. Good idea. I suppose it will be alright with you if I just cook! Qiao Mei turned around and shouted at Xia Zhe. Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei, who was so annoyed with him, and found her so cute and funny. Yes, yes, yes. You guys go ahead then. Ill stay at home and pack these things. After saying that, Xia Zhe went back into the house to continue packing. Qiao Mei walked out arm in arm with Xia Fang and Xia He on each side. After a short distance, Xia Fang tapped Qiao Meis hand. Walk properly outside and dont do unnecessary things. If others see you, theyll gossip about you again. Later, theyll put up posters in the alley to criticize you! Xia Fang said. Qiao Mei retracted her arms aggrievedly and walked behind silently. Even if it made Qiao Mei feel wronged, Xia Fang had to tell her that. Otherwise, it would not be good if someone got hold of some evidence and gossiped about it. After all, once gossip started spreading, there was no way to know how the story might get twisted in the end. If one bought a fish today and the neighbors found out and spread the word about it, the story narrated tomorrow might be that one had bought a cow. This was quite common. One needed to be careful when one was outside. Some people were just plain nasty and could not bear to see others doing well. If you were doing well, they would get jealous and then think of ways to snatch away what you had. Chapter 278 - Giving Best Wishes Chapter 278: Giving Best Wishes Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios They went to the market nearby to buy some vegetables and fruits before heading home. Oh my, Grandpa Zhou! Qiao Mei saw Zhou Sheng at the entrance of the alley and greeted him warmly. When Zhou Sheng turned around and saw that it was Qiao Mei, he smiled so widely that it was as if he had seen his own granddaughter. Oh, Mei Mei, youre back! Zhou Sheng said with a smile. Yes I am. Grandpa Zhou, where are you going? Qiao Mei asked. Me? Im just heading home after a walk. Oh, Xiao Fang is also here too. And who is this? Zhou Sheng asked curiously as he looked at Xia He. Grandpa Zhou, Im Xiao He, Xia He said. It was no wonder that Zhou Sheng could not recognize her. Xia He did not used to go to the old house often. During her schooldays, she went to boarding school and did not go home much. She only saw Zhou Sheng more often when she was much younger and living with her grandparents. Oh my, its Xiao He! Youre so grown up now and so beautiful, Zhou Sheng said happily. Back then, Xia He also did not hold a wedding banquet. Xu Lan did not agree to this marriage to begin with, and Kong Lu was still poor then and could not afford to pay for a wedding at all. He even needed to borrow money to prepare the betrothal gifts. Zhou Sheng did not know that Xia He got married. The last time he saw Xia He, it was when Xia Zhes grandmother passed away. Grandpa Zhou, I bought a lot of groceries. Come to our house for dinner! Qiao Mei said as she swung the groceries in front of Zhou Sheng. Id better not. I wont go given that youre having a family reunion, Zhou Sheng waved his hand and said. Grandpa Zhou, its just me, Xia Zhe, Aunt, and elder sister. You must come. Im going to go back and cook now. Dont stand on ceremony with me. Ill take it that youve agreed. You must come and eat, Qiao Mei left with her things the moment she finished talking. This child is in such a rush, Zhou Sheng said as he smiled and shook his head. Xia Fang and Xia He bade farewell to Zhou Sheng and he headed home. Qiao Mei thought that she did not manage to show off her skills at Zhou Shengs house the last time. Today, she must cook some nice dishes for Zhou Sheng. They could also celebrate their elder sisters homecoming as well. As soon as Qiao Mei entered the house, she rushed into the kitchen. Xia Fang wanted to go in and help but was pushed out by Qiao Mei. Theres no need to help me. I can do it by myself. Aunt and elder sister, why not go and take a seat in the house and take a look at how the furniture is being arranged. Im worried that Xia Zhe wont be able to get it right on his own, Qiao Mei said. Xia Fang and Xia He had no choice but to go into the house to help Xia Zhe with the furnishings. The furniture that they bought today had all arrived. Compared to the relatively empty house from before, it now had a more warm human touch to it. However, the new furniture were all modern designs, so there was no classy vintage feel anymore. There was also a huge dining table in the main hall that was big enough to accommodate the entire Xia family. For normal mealtimes, there was another small dining table. Elder sister, is there anything that you dont eat? Qiao Mei, wearing an apron and holding a kitchen knife and spatula in her hands, ran over and asked. The way she looked gave three of them a fright. Oh my goodness, my little ancestor. Why did you come out like this? What if you fall and get hurt by this kitchen knife! Xia Fang hurriedly took the kitchen knife from Qiao Mei. Xia Zhe also had a troubled expression on his face. Qiao Mei smiled awkwardly and quietly moved the spatula in her hand behind her back. She asked in a playful tone, Elder sister, is there anything you dont eat? Anything that you avoid eating. I eat everything. Im not picky. Ill eat anything you make, Xia He said. Alright, I got it. With that, Qiao Mei returned to the kitchen to get busy. Xia Fang was still worried about Qiao Mei and followed her while holding the kitchen knife. While there was a lively atmosphere in the Xia residence, Zhou Sheng had a frown on his face when he got home. It was not due to any serious matter. It was just that when he first met Qiao Mei, he did not give her anything nice. This time, he must bring her an appropriate gift. He searched through his house but could not find anything that was suitable for Qiao Mei. Throughout his life, he had no other hobbies except writing calligraphy. Zhou Sheng took out a calligraphy piece with the words Harmonious Family written on it, which he had personally written in the past, and encased it into a frame. Chapter 279 - Calligraphy and Painting Chapter 279: Calligraphy and Painting Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Before he entered the courtyard, Zhou Sheng shouted from the door, Xia Zhe, can you come out quickly? Xia Zhe put down what he was doing in the house and ran out in a hurry. When he opened the door, he saw Zhou Sheng standing there with a picture frame that was even taller than him. Grandpa Zhou, what is this? Xia Zhe asked as he hurriedly took the picture frame from Zhou Sheng. The last time Mei Mei came to my house, I didnt give her anything. I dont have anything valuable, and I only like to write. I thought that Ill give both of you a calligraphy piece which I wrote previously. Hopefully it will bring good tidings to you, Zhou Sheng said while panting. When Zhou Sheng entered the house, Qiao Mei finished cooking at the same time. Grandpa Zhou, youve come at the right time. Ive just finished cooking. Eh? Whats this? Qiao Mei looked curiously at the thing that Xia Zhe was holding. Its a calligraphy piece by Grandpa Zhou. He said its for you, Xia Zhe said. Qiao Mei liked things like antiques, paintings and calligraphy the most. Thank you, Grandpa Zhou. I love these things the most. Grandpa Zhou, quickly come in and eat. Qiao Mei held on to him and helped him into the house. Xia Zhe took the calligraphy into the study and hung it up. Previously, Qiao Mei had thought that the study looked ordinary and did not feel like a study at all. Once the calligraphy was hung up, the room suddenly had a more scholarly feel. When everyone sat down, they saw a table full of nice dishes. There were only five of them but the food was enough for twelve people. There were eight dishes and one soup, plus a cold dish. There were a total of 10 dishes. Are we celebrating any festival today? Why are there so many delicious dishes? Zhou Sheng asked curiously. Its because our elder sister is back. Besides, I didnt make any delicious food at Grandpa Zhous house the last time. Everyone can try my cooking this time! Qiao Mei said with a smile. Mei Mei is nicest to me. She even makes me so much delicious food when Im back. Xia He smiled happily. In the letter that Xia He received from home, Xu Lan had mentioned Qiao Meis family background. Therefore, Xia He thought that if Qiao Mei was from a small family, she must be a petty person. She did not expect Qiao Mei to be not only capable, but also very eloquent. Alright, alright, everyone. Stop praising me. Hurry up and eat, Qiao Mei said. Xia Fang was used to Qiao Meis cooking, so she felt that it tasted normal and was not surprised by the spread. However, the other three people had shocked looks on their faces. They could not believe that Qiao Meis culinary skills were actually comparable to that of a chef from a five-star restaurant. Mei Mei, your culinary skills are really fantastic. Xiao Zhe really has it good with a girl like you around, Zhou Sheng said with a sigh. Xia He also felt the same way. There was nothing that tasted like this at the Kong family residence. She did not know how to cook and just ate whatever that Old Madam Kong cooked. At the art troupe, there were usually meals provided. If she had to go back at night, she would find something else to eat or go to a restaurant. Ever since Old Madam Kong came to live with them, she had to eat the food that the old lady cooked. The issue with the food made by Old Madam Kong was that it was not a matter of whether the food was edible or not, but more a matter of whether the food was safe enough to eat without getting poisoned. Even with such food, Kong Li could still become so fat. When Xia He first got married, Kong Li did not look like this. Later on, after the mother and daughter took all her money, Kong Li started to eat and drink so much that she became obscenely fat. The Xia family had a helper to do the chores. After Xia He got married, she did not do any housework at first. After Old Madam Kong came, the old lady asked her to wash the dishes every day. Xia He often needed to perform in front of the camera and sometimes, there would be close-ups of her hands and face. If she washed the dishes often, her hands would not look as good as before. She had a longstanding argument with Old Madam Kong over this matter. She originally thought that Kong Lu would back her up when he returned, but not only did he not help her, he even said that it was a womans duty to do these chores. In the end, she had no choice but to wash the dishes while wearing gloves. After dinner, Xia Zhe rushed to wash the dishes and clear the table, making Qiao Mei feel embarrassed. During that era, these chores should be done by women. If a woman did not do the cleaning up and other people saw it, they would gossip about her. Chapter 280 - Couple Time Chapter 280: Couple Time Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios There was still Grandpa Zhou and his elder sister around. Xia Zhe had gone ahead to do the cleaning up without thinking about how they might react. This Xiao Zhe knows how to dote on his wife. Not bad, not bad. This is how it should be. Zhou Sheng looked at Xia Zhe and praised him. Qiao Mei, theres no need to be shy. Our family doesnt have so many rules. These are all things that Xiao Zhe can do. You dont have to do these things, Xia He said. When she heard what elder sister and Grandpa Zhou said, Qiao Meis face turned even redder. Why are you blushing? I didnt say anything about you. Alright, alright. The young girl is shy so I shant say anything more. Im going to head back. Zhou Sheng teased her before leaving and slowly made his way back to his house. Xia He packed her things and prepared to leave. Elder sister, Ive already tidied up the guest room for you. You can stay here, Qiao Mei said. I want to stay here too, but Kong Li is still at home. If she causes any trouble, I wont be able to show my face next time, Xia He said helplessly. With Kong Lis temper, she would definitely anger their grandfather if she stayed in the Xia family residence. Moreover, Xia Hes parents placed their things casually around the house and did not lock the drawers and cabinet doors. If anything went missing at home or Kong Li broke something, it would be too embarrassing to have to explain it to her family. Thinking of this, she felt worried. Come to my house then. My place is the most suitable, Xia Fang said. In Xia Fangs apartment compound, there were people whose tempers were comparable with Kong Lis temper. It might even lead to an exciting drama later. Thatll do. So sorry to have to disturb you, Aunt, Xia He said to Xia Fang with a grin. What a glib tongue. Lets go quickly. If we miss the last bus, we wont be able to go back, Xia Fang said. After the two of them reached the door, Xia Fang suddenly made her way back anxiously. She held Xia Zhes hand and walked him to the side, then she whispered, Dont be rash, kid. Shes still in the early stages and she cant handle any rough action. Although it was medically safe for Qiao Mei to sleep with Xia Zhe by this stage of the pregnancy, Xia Fang was worried that Xia Zhe did not know his limits. If he used too much strength and hurt Qiao Mei, it would be bad if something went wrong. Xia Zhe understood what Xia Fang meant and nodded with a blushing face. After speaking with Xia Zhe, Xia Fang left with Xia He. Only Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe were left in the huge house. For a moment, they felt that it was too quiet. Mei Mei, the hot water is ready. Do you want to take a shower? Xia Zhe asked. Yes, but the dishes in the kitchen are not washed yet. Ill go wash the dishes first, Qiao Mei said. Go take a shower. By the time youre done, I will be done washing these dishes. Then Ill go and take a shower. You dont have to worry about these things. Go quickly. Xia Zhe pushed Qiao Mei to the bathroom door situated in the side room. Thank you for your hard work. Qiao Mei tiptoed in a playful manner and gave Xia Zhe a quick kiss on the cheek before rushing into the bathroom. Xia Zhe was left alone outside the door. He stood in a daze as if he was still reminiscing about the kiss just now. Dont stand at the door in a daze. Go quickly! Qiao Mei shouted from the bathroom. Oh, oh! Call me if you need anything! Xia Zhe went to the kitchen to wash the dishes after he got his senses back. After they both showered, the two of them went back to the bedroom and lay down on the bed. It was finally a world where there were only the two of them. Previously, when they were together in the army camp, they were surrounded by his comrades who had very sensitive hearing. There were also patrols every day, so he did not dare to make any sound at all. At the current moment, no one could hear what they said or did in the house. Xia Zhe gently hugged Qiao Mei in his arms and buried his head in her neck to take a deep breath. You smell so good Xia Zhe said intoxicatedly. Qiao Mei, who had a sensitive neck, could not help but laugh. Hahahahaha, dont touch me there. Its so itchy! Qiao Mei said while laughing. Xia Zhe raised his head and adjusted his position. He placed his hand on Qiao Meis stomach and touched it gently, as if he was greeting the baby in her belly. Alright, both my big baby and little baby, go to sleep. If you dont sleep soon, Ill eat you up and leave nothing behind! Xia Zhe said as he closed his eyes. When Qiao Mei heard what Xia Zhe said, she looked at him with her big sparkling eyes and said coquettishly, So what if you eat me? Dont just talk about it without doing anything! Chapter 281 - Tidying up the Vegetable Garden Chapter 281: Tidying up the Vegetable Garden Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xia Zhe looked at how Qiao Mei reacted and felt both angry and helpless. He reached out and held Qiao Meis head while saying, Youre still pregnant. Be good and go to sleep. Qiao Mei giggled quietly in Xia Zhes arms. It got really late after a while and the two of them gradually fell asleep. On the other side of town, Xia He and Xia Fang returned to the Xia family residence. The moment they entered, they saw Kong Li sitting in the living room with a lot of food on the coffee table. Xu Lan, who was sitting at the side, looked very haggard. For the entire afternoon, it was only her, Kong Li and the helper at home. Putting aside the fact that Kong Li kept calling her auntie, Kong Li also kept asking her for food and drinks. If whatever they offered Kong Li was not deemed delicious enough, they would have to go out and buy something else. Otherwise, she would say that they treated their guests poorly and wanted to go out to publicize how the Xia family neglected their guests. It was how she managed to hold Xu Lan under her thumb as Xu Lan was the kind of person who cared the most about reputation. Seeing Xu Lan so haggard, Xia He went forward and said ingratiatingly, Ill leave now, Ill take her with me now. As soon as Xia He finished speaking, she went forward to grab Kong Li. However, Kong Li shook off Xia Hes hand and said, Where are you taking me? She did not want to go anywhere else. She did not know that the Xia family residence was so comfortable. It was such a big house and there were servants helping out. She could have whatever she wanted, so she did not want to go anywhere else. This is my grandfathers house. Do you think you can stay at my grandfathers house whenever you want? Hurry up and follow me, Xia He said as she stood at the door and looked at Kong Li. Im not leaving! If you want to leave, you can leave on your own. Kong Li ignored Xia He and sat on the sofa to continue eating, drinking and watching television. Xia He was so angry that she clenched her fists and said coldly, Are you leaving or not? If you dont leave, Im going to ask your brother to come back. Xia He did not want to get angry with the Kong family and had not quarreled with any of them for a long time. She had been maintaining a nice attitude in front of them. Kong Li could also tell that Xia He had reached the limit of her patience. She pouted and packed her things before following behind Xia He. Kong Li used to live in the countryside, in a house with two small rooms and a small courtyard. Later on, she moved to the city to live in Kong Lus new house. It was the Xia family who had paid for Kong Lus spacious new house with four rooms and two living rooms. Yet, it was definitely not comparable with Xia Juns villa which was a luxurious place with three floors. Now, they were headed for Xia Fangs house. Xia Fangs house had three rooms and a living room. The room that was kept for Xia Zhe to sleep in was not open to outsiders. There was still another small bedroom for Kong Li to sleep in while Xia He stayed with Xia Fang. As soon as they entered, Kong Li looked around Xia Fangs house and sized it up. For an ordinary family, such a house was already considered the best, but in Kong Lis eyes, it was just a lousy house. What kind of lousy house is this? Its so small, Kong Li said disdainfully. Its already good enough that you have a place to stay, yet youre still so picky. If you continue being so picky, you can go out and find a place yourself, Xia He said impatiently. What Kong Li did today had already embarrassed her within the Xia family. She could no longer be bothered to talk to Kong Li in a nice manner. Kong Li went into the guest room. Xia He and Xia Fang chatted through the night, and Xia He reminded Xia Fang to lock the cabinet doors and drawers at home. Otherwise, things would really go missing. The next morning, Xia Zhe got up early to tidy up the courtyard. He had finished arranging all the furniture in the house yesterday, but had not tidied the vegetable garden in the backyard yet. He borrowed a few bricks from the neighbors and placed them around the vegetable garden to demarcate the different areas, making it look much more orderly. He then plowed the old soil and picked up all the broken stones. When Xia Zhe was done, Qiao Mei was still sleeping on the bed without any signs of wanting to get up. Xia Zhe picked up a piece of foxtail by the roadside and sat by the bed to tickle Qiao Meis nose with it. Qiao Mei seemed to feel some discomfort with her nose in her sleep. She frowned and reached out to rub it before turning her body to the other side. Xia Zhe smiled quietly and started to use the furry part of the foxtail to tickle Qiao Meis nose again. Chapter 282 - Planting Vegetables Chapter 282: Planting Vegetables Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei could not help but sneeze. She opened her eyes in a daze and saw a green furry thing in front of her. She thought it was a bug and screamed in fear. Ah, caterpillar! Qiao Mei covered her face with her hand and said as she backed away. Xia Zhe threw the foxtail aside and hugged Qiao Mei gently. Dont be afraid, dont be afraid. Its just a foxtail, dont be afraid. When Qiao Mei heard that it was Xia Zhe teasing her, she clenched her fists and hit him on his back. You scare me so early in the morning! Qiao Mei said with tears in her eyes. Its my fault, its my fault. I wont do it again. Xia Zhe was at a loss when he saw Qiao Mei crying. He wiped her tears and covered her with the blanket. Qiao Mei did not know what was wrong with her. She never used to cry, but ever since she got pregnant and when Xia Zhe was by her side, she felt like crying whenever she felt aggrieved. Perhaps it was because her emotions kept fluctuating after she got pregnant and Xia Zhe had always indulged her and spoiled her too much. Then dont do this again next time, Qiao Mei said as she sobbed. Xia Zhe nodded and tried to redeem himself by saying, I got up early this morning to tidy up the vegetable garden you wanted. I didnt know what you wanted to plant though, so I havent gone to buy any seeds. Vegetable garden? Planting? What was he talking about? Qiao Mei had just woken up and felt a little puzzled.?Why did Xia Zhe suddenly mention a vegetable garden? What vegetable garden? Where did that come from? Qiao Mei asked in puzzlement. Did you become forgetful after getting pregnant? You were the one who told me yesterday that you thought the backyard looked quite nice and wanted to have a vegetable garden there, Xia Zhe said. Ah. Qiao Meis memories gradually returned and she recalled what happened yesterday. How is it, do you feel better now? Xia Zhe asked. Im awake now. Lets go take a look at what we can plant in the backyard. Qiao Mei got dressed and followed Xia Zhe to the backyard. The yard looked quite big. It was definitely more than enough to grow vegetables. They could also have fruit trees or something similar. Then they would not have to go out to buy fruits in the future. However, Qiao Mei did not plan to stay in this house for too long. She still wanted to return to the village to stay for a while before returning to the capital with her grandfather when he was ready. Lets go and buy the seeds to grow some potatoes, sweet potatoes and corn, Qiao Mei said. It was easy to grow these things. All they had to do was to sow the seeds and let them grow. Moreover, these things did not require much care. After they bought the seeds and planted them, Qiao Mei wanted to try her hand at making desserts. At this moment, Zhou Sheng came to visit again. I saw the two of you going out to buy things early in the morning. Where did you go? Zhou Sheng came in and said with a grin. Grandpa Zhou, youre here. I thought that the vegetable garden in the backyard was too empty and wanted to plant some vegetables, Qiao Mei said. Its such a big yard. It would be exhausting if you grow too many plants, Zhou Sheng said. Most of the neighbors in the vicinity had the same house layout, so they all knew what it looked like. Thats so true. Thats why Im also thinking whether its better to plant fruit trees or something, Qiao Mei said seriously. In the past, your family had plum trees. Those plum trees grew tall and big, and the flowers that bloomed every winter were especially beautiful. The neighbors in the vicinity all came to this house to get some plum branches to plant in their own homes, Zhou Sheng said. Looking at Grandpa Zhous dazed expression, it appeared that he was thinking of their grandmother again. It looked like he was not missing the plum blossoms, but the person who planted them. Alright, lets grow a plum tree then. There will be flowers blooming again during winter in the future, Xia Zhe said. Good, good, good. When Im free later, Ill take a few branches off my plum tree and plant them for your family, Zhou Sheng said with a smile. Thank you, Grandpa Zhou, Qiao Mei said with a sweet smile. Zhou Sheng felt very happy to see Qiao Mei.?Who would not like such a smart and capable girl? This must be a blessing that Xia Zhe had accumulated from his previous life. Chapter 283 - Antiques and Treasures Chapter 283: Antiques and Treasures Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios I heard that you had made an exchange for the two sections of your backyard from the Cao family, Zhou Sheng asked. Xia Zhe nodded and said, Qiao Mei was the one who did it. This young girl is quite capable. She actually managed to get the entire house back. This has always been your grandmothers wish and now it has finally come true, Zhou Sheng said emotionally. Its true. If not for Qiao Mei, I dont know when we will be able to get that part of the house back, Xia Zhe said with a smile as he looked at Qiao Mei, who was busy in the kitchen. Kid, youre so lucky. You have to treat this girl well and not do anything to let her down. You must dote on her, Zhou Sheng said sternly. Yes I know, Grandpa Zhou. I will definitely treat Qiao Mei well, Xia Zhe said. At this moment, Qiao Mei brought out a plate of low-sugar cake for Zhou Sheng. Grandpa Zhou, try this. Im worried that its not good for your health to eat too much sugar at your age. Theres no sugar in this. Try it and see if it tastes good, Qiao Mei said. Qiao Mei looked at Zhou Sheng expectantly. This was her first time making low-sugar cake. Zhou Sheng took one piece and tasted it. It was indeed not sweet, but had a nice milky fragrance. Zhou Sheng nodded and said, Its really delicious, and its not sweet either. Its so fluffy and soft. Mei Mei, youre really capable! After saying that, Zhou Sheng was about to pick up the second piece when he realized that half of the plate was already empty. Xia Zhe had been quietly helping himself to the cakes. I say, youre already an adult, yet youre snatching food from an old man like me! Zhou Sheng looked at Xia Zhe and said angrily. Xia Zhe was stunned by the outburst. He just felt that the cake was very delicious and could not resist the temptation. He did not realize that he had wolfed down so many of them. Hahahahahaha. Dont worry, Grandpa Zhou. Ill make some more for you so that youll be able to keep some at home. Whenever youre hungry after going out, youll have something to munch on, Qiao Mei said. Good, good, good. Thank you for the hard work, Mei Mei, Zhou Sheng said. Not at all, Qiao Mei said with a smile. By the way, you must take note of the Cao familys movements in the coming days, Zhou Sheng whispered. The Cao familys movements? Qiao Mei looked at Zhou Sheng in confusion and then turned to look at Xia Zhe, but Xia Zhe was equally confused. In the past, your grandmothers father was a famous gambler in the capital. Although your grandmothers ancestors were very rich, your grandmothers father was quite the prodigal son, Zhou Sheng said. Xia Zhe did not know anything about these things. His grandmother never mentioned anything about the past. Even if she happened to mention something, she never elaborated and would move on to something else. After all, being born into a noble family was not something glorious at that time. Back in those days, his grandparents only managed to cover up this background due to their countless contributions to the country. Your grandmothers grandfather was a very capable man. He was a businessman and had a lot of money, to say the least. However, when it came to your grandmothers father, he was not that capable. He liked to go around buying antiques and got cheated at some point in time, Zhou Sheng said. Xia Zhe did not care much about money, as he saw money as just a worldly possession. However, when Qiao Mei heard this, her eyes lit up. Young girl, did you think of something? Zhou Sheng smiled at Qiao Mei. You said that grandmothers father is a prodigal son. Then where did all the antiques go? Since he had both real and fake ones, there must have been some real ones around, right? Qiao Mei voiced her thoughts. Hahaha, youre indeed smart. Zhou Sheng laughed heartily. Qiao Meis quick-wittedness reminded him of Xia Zhes grandmother, Wu Min. Moreover, she was also beautiful and capable. Compared with Xia Zhes grandmother, she was not inferior in any aspects. Youre right, he had real antiques. After he died, he split all these things into two sets, giving one set to your granduncle and the other set to your grandmother. But one day, when I visited your grandmother, I realized that everything had disappeared, Zhou Sheng said. It was not just the decorative ornaments which had disappeared, even the furniture was gone. When he asked Xia Zhes grandmother what had happened, she only said that her children were sick and she had exchanged all the items for money so that she could seek medical treatment for the children. Chapter 284 - Know Nothing Chapter 284: Know Nothing Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios However, Xia Mao was at home at that time and he was not sick at all. He was only asked not to go out of the house. At that time, it was very chaotic in the capital, so it was likely that she did not tell Zhou Sheng the truth. He thought that if the things were not really sold away, then it meant that they were all hidden away. When youre able to do so, you can check if there are any of them hidden within the entire house. If there are none, then it would mean that she really sold those items back then, Zhou Sheng sighed and said. Antiques! Treasures! Qiao Mei did not pay any attention to what Zhou Sheng said after that. She felt that those things must have been hidden under this house. You both need to be careful too. Dont let others know that you know all this, Zhou Sheng reminded them carefully. He did not know if it was a good thing for him to do this. After all, although it was not as strict now as in the past, it would still be considered a very serious crime if someone found out and reported it. If that happened, it would not just be Xia Zhes career at stake. His entire family might even need to go to jail for it. Sigh, maybe I shouldnt have told you. Zhou Sheng began to regret what he did. What? I didnt hear anything. Wasnt Grandpa Zhou telling us that this cake is delicious? I dont know anything, Qiao Mei said as she blinked her big bright eyes. Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei and smiled. He turned to Zhou Sheng and said, Thats right, we didnt hear anything. If those things are there, let them stay there. If theres nothing, then its a relief for us. Zhou Sheng looked at Xia Zhe and then at Qiao Mei. He thought that these two kids were really good kids and it set his mind at ease. Now, Zhou Sheng could understand why Wu Min did not give this house to anyone else back then, even when people said that she was biased. She did not even give it to her own son, but chose to give it to her precious grandson instead. Xia Zhe was the kind of person who could give up a mountain of treasures. He had so far remained unmoved by such a huge temptation. No other person in the Xia family would be like him. Youre good kids, Im relieved to see you like this. Even if I die, at least I didnt let your grandmother down, Zhou Sheng said with a smile. Pfft, pfft, pfft. What are you talking about, Grandpa Zhou? You still have to bring our baby out for walks in the park! Qiao Mei hurriedly spat three times on the ground. Old people often said that if someone said something inauspicious, one must spit three times on the ground and pretend that nothing had been said. Zhou Sheng then took out a brocade box from his pocket. This was passed down from my ancestors. Its one of the pocket watches that they had received as tributes. There were three in total and I inherited this one, Zhou Sheng said. The gold pocket watch shone brightly in the brocade box. Although it no longer had the luster of a brand new item, it had aged really well. It was self-evident who this ancestor might be. He must also be from a very prominent family. However, Qiao Mei felt that the gift was too precious for her to accept. Grandpa Zhou, this item is really too valuable. You should take it back, Qiao Mei said to Zhou Sheng as she closed the brocade box. Zhou Sheng smiled and shook his head. He said emotionally, Im already so old and I dont have any children. I like Xiao Zhe and treat him like my own grandson, so youre like my granddaughter-in-law. Consider this watch to be a token from me. You just have to take care of it well. Qiao Mei glanced at Xia Zhe as she could not make up her mind. Xia Zhe smiled and nodded. Since it is a token from Grandpa Zhou, just accept it. Qiao Mei took the brocade box with both hands and said, Thank you, Grandpa Zhou. Ill definitely take good care of it. When the time comes, Ill pass this box to my child. Good, good, good. Thats good to know. Hearing that Qiao Mei treasured this pocket watch so much, Zhou Sheng felt very happy and satisfied. Zhou Sheng slowly stood up and walked out of the door, taking with him the remaining cakes as well as his bird cage. Grandpa Zhou, remember to come for dinner tonight! Qiao Mei said. Alright! Zhou Sheng left after saying that. Qiao Mei looked at the pocket watch in her hand and felt very happy. She thought that Grandpa Zhou was such a nice person. After putting away the brocade box, Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe eagerly and he could not help but smile at how she looked. Why? Are you thinking about the treasures Grandpa Zhou mentioned? Xia Zhe said. Chapter 285 - Another Appraisal Chapter 285: Another Appraisal Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei knew that Xia Zhe already understood what she wanted. Lets just pretend that we dont know about those things. If we find them now, it will only attract unwanted attention. Besides, the Cao family might also be eyeing them, Xia Zhe said after some thought. Qiao Mei felt listless when she heard that, but after a while, she also thought that what Xia Zhe said made sense. After all, there was only a wall between them and the Cao family. It would not be a good thing for the Cao family to hear the sounds of them knocking the ground and digging into the earth. No one knew what would happen if any valuable items were found in the yard. Alright, dont be sad. Come, lets go and deliver wedding candy to the neighbors, Xia Zhe said as he held Qiao Meis hand. Qiao Mei nodded and went back to the room to change into a dark blue maternity dress. Yesterday, they had gone back to have a discussion with the Xia family. Since they had already held a banquet at Qiao Meis hometown earlier, they did not plan to hold another one here. It was also a time of exceptional circumstances now, so they did not dare to make a big deal of the occasion. Qiao Mei even had to think twice even though she really wanted to wear red. Although every woman would want to have a nice wedding, Qiao Mei found herself liking the Xia familys prudent attitude. After all, during such turbulent times, it was very rare for a family to be able to make steady progress within the last ten years. After dressing up nicely, Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei went knocking on the neighbors doors one by one to deliver the wedding candies, peanuts and melon seeds in a simple manner. They did this to inform the neighbors that they were already married. The Xia family had a harmonious past few days, but it was different with the Cao family. After the Cao family received the ginseng, the first thing they did was not to start moving out. Instead, they immediately took the ginseng and visited another very famous old Chinese doctor in the capital. They wanted to check if this ginseng was as good as what others said. The old Chinese doctor examined the ginseng and said in surprise, How did you manage to get this wild ginseng? This ginseng is simply fantastic! Cao Da remained silent, not knowing where to start. The more people who knew about this matter, the more dangerous the situation would be. Is there really no problem with this ginseng? The Cao familys eldest daughter-in-law tried to change the topic. Theres no problem with this ginseng. Just tell me the price. I want to have it, said the old Chinese doctor as he looked at the couple from the Cao family. That wont do. We still have a use for this, Cao Da said. He knew that the old Chinese doctors backer was the He family. If the doctor took this ginseng, he would definitely give it to the He family as a gift. The Cao familys real intention was to give it to the He family themselves. We would like to give this ginseng to the third master of the He family, He Ning. Would it be convenient for you to introduce us? said the Cao familys eldest daughter-in-law. When the old Chinese doctor heard this, he immediately understood what they wanted. This old Chinese doctor was He Nings personal doctor and helped to take care of his health. There were three sons in the He family. The eldest son was He Guo, whose daughter was He Mei. The second son had died of illness when he was young. The third son of the He family was He Ning, who was also the largest shareholder in the family business. However, as the old saying went, the great had great hardship to contend with. Although He Ning was still young, he had been seriously ill for a long time. It was difficult for the He family to have more children, so He Mei was currently the only heir to the He family fortune. Alright, then come with me, the old Chinese doctor said. The old Chinese doctor brought the couple from the Cao family to the third master, He Nings house. It was a villa with a medium-sized garden that was located in the suburbs. They drove from the city to the suburbs and it was already dark when they reached. The area was so far that it was not even serviced by public buses, and the surrounding areas had always been occupied by businesses dealing in flowers, plants and fruits. It was a vast area with very few people and surrounded by farmland, so it was very quiet and the air quality was very good. This was the best location for someone who was recuperating from illness. The old Chinese doctor brought the couple from the Cao family to He Nings house. As soon as he opened the door, they could smell the strong scent of Chinese medicine mixed with the smell of medicinal cuisine. The moment Cao Da entered, he saw He Ning sitting at the dining table and looking at four medicinal dishes without even lifting his chopsticks. Mr. He, this medicinal cuisine is good for your body. You should eat it, said the old Chinese doctor. The medicine concoctions you prescribed are too bitter. How am I supposed to eat this? He Ning complained. You must have heard of the saying that good medicine tastes bitter. The old Chinese doctor tried to lighten the mood. He Ning did not say anything. He knew that the old Chinese doctor was truly very skilled. Chapter 286 - Giving Ginseng as a Gift Chapter 286: Giving Ginseng as a Gift Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios He Ning could feel his health getting better after eating these medicinal dishes, but he also thought that the food really tasted very bad and found it difficult to swallow. Shes already the best cook specializing in medicinal cuisine in my family. If youre not satisfied with her skills, who else can you find? The old Chinese doctor looked at He Ning helplessly. The family of the old Chinese doctor had been in the same line for generations. Most of his relatives and friends also did work that was related to Chinese medicine. In this instance, He Nings current cook was the old Chinese doctors cousin. This cousins family was very good at making medicinal cuisine. His cousin was the best cook among all of them and was well known for her skills in the capital. There were many people who wanted to invite her to their house to make medicinal cuisine, but she turned them down. But it really doesnt taste nice. As He Ning spoke, he saw the couple from the Cao family behind the old Chinese doctor. Isnt isnt this Director Cao? How did you find time to come to my humble house, please come in and take a seat, He Ning said with a smile. He had only seen Cao Da once and they did not even speak that time. He only saw Cao Da from afar that time, but it was enough for him to remember Cao Das face. He Ning had a photographic memory since he was young. We! We are we are not we are Cao Da stammered, not knowing what to say. He Ning continued smiling. He knew that people would not visit unless they needed something. Furthermore, given that the old Chinese doctor had brought them, they must be useful to him. The old Chinese doctor went forward and slowly opened the cloth bag. As soon as the bag was opened, He Ning had a whiff of an extremely strong smell. Yes! The smell is so strong. It must be top-grade. He Nings eyes lit up. Although He Ning had never studied medicine, he had learned a lot from taking medicine for so many years and had some basic medical knowledge. The old Chinese doctor whispered to He Ning, The medicinal value of this ginseng cannot be compared to those available in the market. This 100-year-old ginseng can let you live for another 15 years. Another 15 years! That was not a small number. He Ning was currently being kept alive by all kinds of valuable herbs. If not for these herbs, he would have died long ago. It would be great news for him if this ginseng could allow him to live for another 15 years. The couple from the Cao family stood rooted to the ground in a daze. They did not know what the old Chinese doctor and Xia Ning were talking about and did not dare to go forward to listen. He Ning nodded in the end. The old Chinese doctor understood what he meant. This is what Director Cao wants to give you. You can talk about other matters. Im going to prepare the medicine. The old Chinese doctor looked towards the couple from the Cao family before heading to the small pharmacy in the next room to brew the medicine. Ever since He Ning fell ill, the guest bedroom on the first floor had been renovated into a small pharmacy. It was filled with priceless medicinal herbs that the old Chinese doctor used to prepare concoctions. Seeing that He Ning had accepted the ginseng, Cao Da felt at ease. It seemed that this matter was settled. He Ning had been ill since he was young and he was congenitally deficient. This illness had haunted him for his entire life. The He family had all kinds of medicinal herbs, but the medicinal value of ginseng was determined by its quality. There were not many ginsengs of good quality around, let alone good quality wild ginseng. He thought that it was heavens will that he could come into possession of this wild ginseng. It was the heavens that were allowing him to live a few more years. In the past two years, He Nings health had been deteriorating and he could only stay at home to recuperate. The He familys businesses were all handed over to the eldest son of the He family, He Guo. However, the one who really had the right to make decisions was still He Ning. Youve done me a favor, so now Ill do you a favor as well. Tell me what you want, He Ning asked calmly, the fake smile gone from his face. Cao Da looked at He Ning nervously. He had heard rumors about He Ning, but he did not expect himself to be so afraid of He Ning even though there were no emotions on He Nings face. He had originally wanted to ask for something sky-high in exchange for this 100-year-old wild ginseng, but when he looked at He Nings face, he found himself unable to say a single word. What do you want? You have no desires? He Ning asked with a frown. The Cao familys eldest daughter-in-law hurriedly gave the stunned Cao Da a push and said, Speak quickly! Cao Da came back to his senses and he hurriedly took two steps forward and looked at He Ning. Chapter 287 - Save Myself Chapter 287: Save Myself Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios I want to hold on to my current position. Its best if I can keep this position until I retire! Cao Da said agitatedly. Until retirement? At Cao Das age, there was more than 30 years to go before he needed to retire. Until retirement? He Ning glanced at Cao Da uncertainly. Putting aside whether He Ning had the ability to help him keep his position for more than 30 years, using a 100-year-old wild ginseng to exchange for riches for the rest of his life was really asking too much. No, no, no. A few years is also good enough, Cao Da immediately corrected himself when he saw He Nings expression. Standing at one side, the Cao familys daughter-in-law sweated profusely. She had never seen someone like He Ning, who exuded a sense of authority even while sitting there motionlessly. Sure, He Ning said nonchalantly. In the coming days, there were going to be big changes at the top. Cao Da was the kind of person who was dispensable so it would not be difficult to protect him. Thank you, Third Master He! Thank you, Third Master He! Cao Da said excitedly. He Ning just sat there quietly without any expression and ignored Cao Da. Then shall we take our leave now? Cao Da said. Wait, where did you get this ginseng? He Ning asked. Cao Da was stunned for a moment and did not answer the question. He wanted to keep the source of the ginseng to himself so that he could keep asking He Ning for favors and getting the He family to help the Cao family. Is it from a dirty source? He Ning said slowly. Cao Da was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat. He turned around and said respectfully, Xia Zhe from the Xia family brought this to us. He used this ginseng to exchange for our house. When did the Xia family have such a treasure? Besides, shouldnt such a thing be given to that old man Xia Jun to keep in case of emergencies? Why would they use such a treasure to exchange for a house? Xia Zhe gave it to you? He Ning asked. Yes, he gave it to us. He said that his wife dug this ginseng out at her village, the Cao familys eldest daughter-in-law added. His wife? Xia Zhe is married? He Ning was very surprised by this news. He had been living in this house for more than three months, focusing on his health and not bothering about the outside world. He Mei had always been very concerned about Xia Zhes affairs. It was too strange that she did not react to Xia Zhes marriage. Hes married, probably for more than three months. From the looks of it, his wife is pregnant, said the Cao familys eldest daughter-in-law. He had originally thought that the He family and the Xia family would have a better future together if they had a marriage alliance. He did not expect this future to have disappeared. Alright, I understand. You can leave now, He Ning said with a frown. After the Cao family members left, He Ning thought for a long time before calling his eldest brother, He Guo. Ive just sent people to investigate this matter. Its very likely that the marriage happened because the woman lied to Xia Zhe. He Guo told He Ning about all his speculations. Although He Ning was not able to investigate these things personally, he believed in his eldest brothers capability. Given that such things were usually not groundless, he wanted to let these speculations ferment and become something real. He Ning already had a plan in mind. Leave this matter to me. When you have all the information, organize everything and send it to my house. Ill make the necessary arrangements after that, He Ning said. Sure, sure, sure. Its best if you are able to handle this matter, He Guo said happily. The main thing was that He Ning succeeded at everything he did. He Guo just needed to wait quietly to become Xia Zhes father-in-law. When the time came, all the Xia familys possessions would belong to him. I hope He Mei did not cause any more trouble recently, He Ning asked. She has been very well-behaved recently and has not gone there to cause trouble, He Guo said after some thought. Thats good. Let her stay at home for the time being. When this matter is settled, she can do whatever she wants. He Ning hung up after that. At this juncture, he could not let He Mei ruin the big plan. Otherwise, if this matter failed, he would need to think of other ways to salvage the situation. Chapter 288 - Eavesdropping Chapter 288: Eavesdropping Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios As dusk fell, Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe finished sending the wedding candies to the last few families and headed home. Sigh, its been such a tiring day, Qiao Mei said as she massaged her sore shoulders. Xia Zhe was also feeling very tired. They visited about 20 families along the streets and alleys today. Not only did they have to send wedding candies to every family, but people from each family would also hold them back to chat for a while. They wasted a lot of time doing that. You must be exhausted. Ill go boil some water for you to take a bath. You can go to bed once youre done, Xia Zhe said. Qiao Mei nodded listlessly and sat on the rocking chair by the door as it swayed gently. She had not rested long before she suddenly heard a strange sound. Whats that sound? Qiao Mei looked around the room curiously. It was a strange sound. Although this house had been around for a long time, it was not in a bad condition or in any danger of collapsing. Even if there were rats gnawing on the wooden beams, it would not make a sound like that. Qiao Mei walked into the house slowly and checked the rooms one by one. The sound was sometimes distant and sometimes close, and it was most obvious at the wall near the yard next door. Qiao Mei quietly brought over a stool and stood on it, looking through the small window to see what the Cao family was doing. The Cao family did not notice Qiao Mei. They were focused on searching for something. They had even removed the bricks in the yard. Logically speaking, if they wanted to move, they could have just moved their items away. Why did they have to remove the bricks from the ground? Qiao Mei felt that what Grandpa Zhou said made sense. The Cao family also seemed to know that Xia Zhes grandmother might have hidden something underground back then. Not long after, the sound stopped. It seemed that the Cao family was intent on searching through their entire house. Judging from the mess outside the house, they seemed to have started removing the floor tiles inside. Qiao Mei took a closer look and found nothing useful in the Cao familys yard. There were no plants around, even the weeds on the ground had been pulled out by the Cao family. This Cao family wont stop until they have searched the entire house, Qiao Mei muttered to herself. Qiao Mei returned to the room and took out the remaining vine seeds from her backpack. These seeds were from the same batch as the ones she used when she saved Xia Zhe. They had become useful again at this moment. Qiao Mei returned to the wall in the back room and stood on the small stool. Through the small window, she gently scattered the vine seeds into the Cao familys yard. Little vines, its up to you now! Qiao Mei said and used her energy to stimulate the vines to grow. At this moment, Qiao Meis energy was already connected to the vines. Ever since Qiao Mei obtained the other bangle, she felt that her energy was even purer than before. She could even attach her energy to plants. The vines gradually penetrated deep into the ground of the Cao family residence. Now, she was able to share what the plants heard and saw. She was still not very familiar with this new ability, so she could not hear very clearly. However, she could roughly make out what was going on from the intermittent voices. Brother, is what you said true? asked the Cao familys second son. Im not sure about it either. This is what our father said at that time, Cao Da whispered to his younger brother. Then why didnt you say so earlier? We could have searched in any manner we wanted when the Xia family members were away. Now, we can only do the search secretly. It would be bad if what were doing gets discovered, complained the Cao familys second daughter-in-law. Sister-in-law, youre being unreasonable. If we had said this earlier, wouldnt you have demolished this house long ago? Would we still have a chance to live here until now? said the Cao familys eldest daughter-in-law. Sister-in-law, youve misunderstood me. When did I say that I wanted these things? If the Old Master had wanted to give them to me, Ill take them. If not, I wont force it, the Cao familys second daughter-in-law said mockingly. The Cao family had two sons. The second son was a businessman and had a small business selling fruits and vegetables. The eldest son of the Cao family was the only one in the extended family who was a government official. Their relatives and friends usually ignored the second son and only paid attention to him. This caused the second daughter-in-law of the Cao family to be mocked and looked down upon from the moment she married into the family. Chapter 289 - Searching for Treasure Chapter 289: Searching for Treasure Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios It was usual for the Cao familys eldest daughter-in-law to act like a tyrant and order the second daughter-in-law around like she was the maidservant. Previously, the Cao familys eldest son lived in the front part of the house while the second son lived in the back part. However, the Cao familys eldest daughter-in-law disagreed with the arrangement and went to make a scene in front of Old Master Cao. She wept and complained about how good her family was to the old man and how they gave him the best things and the nicest food. Yet, they were not rewarded for their efforts and only had a room to stay in. When the neighbors heard this, they also said that the Cao familys second son and his family were insensible and ungenerous. In the end, all the gossip made the Cao familys second son and second daughter-in-law decide to move out and live on their own. The two of you stop arguing. Hurry up and carry on with the digging, Cao Da said angrily. They had been digging for two days, but they did not manage to find anything in the courtyard. By right, if there was really anything, they would have dug it out long ago. However, even after tearing through the entire house, they still could not find anything. Could it be in a corner? If I wanted to hide something, I would definitely put it in a corner and not anywhere else, said the Cao familys second daughter-in-law. When everyone heard this, they thought she made sense and they all stopped what they were doing. They decided to dig at the corners of the house instead. Hey, big brother, how do we split it if we dig up something? said the Cao familys second daughter-in-law as she looked at Cao Da. This Cao Da looked at the Cao familys second daughter-in-law, not knowing what to say. There were only four people in his own family. Other than him and his wife, he also had two sons. The two sons were very young and were unable to help with the digging, so he had no choice but to ask his second brother for help. He did not expect his second brother to be interested in these things as well. Big brother, lets be fair about it. Were all children of the Cao family. Whoever digs up something in this courtyard will get ownership of it, said the Cao familys second daughter-in-law. In any case, it was possible that the Cao familys eldest daughter-in-law would take it away even if it was someone from the other family who dug it out. It would be better to leave it to fate. Alright, well take your idea. Ill go dig in the east corner and youll dig in the west. Whoever finds something will get ownership of it, Cao Da said. Hearing what Cao Da just said, the Cao familys second daughter-in-law felt relieved and agreed with a smile. She hurriedly brought the Cao familys second son to the west side and started digging fervently. By now, Qiao Mei roughly understood what was going on and slowly pulled back the vines. It turned out that the Cao family had long known that it was highly possible that something was buried in this courtyard. Qiao Mei also felt a little anxious at this moment. Although she did not covet these things, she did not want to let them fall into the hands of others. Qiao Mei used her ability again to make the vines grow insanely fast underground to check if the treasure was really there. Not long after, using the roots of the vines, Qiao Mei found a fairly large box buried very deep underground. There was also another small box buried nearby. At this moment, the Cao family had not even managed to dig one meter deep. This box was at least at a depth of ten meters. Qiao Mei quietly pulled the boxes even deeper underground and used excess soil to fill up the empty spaces where the boxes were originally occupying. When the Cao family eventually dug into this spot, they would only feel that the soil here was looser than the surrounding areas, but would not find anything unusual. By the time she was done, Xia Zhe had come back from buying food. He originally wanted to cook, but after thinking about his experience a few days ago, he decided to go to the small restaurant in the alley to buy a few dishes. After all, Qiao Mei was pregnant. If the food he made was not delicious, she might go hungry. He was worried about her not getting enough nutrition, as now was the time when she needed nutrition the most. Xia Zhe had a lot of worries on his mind. Ever since he found out that Qiao Mei was pregnant, he had been very concerned about her safety. He was determined to take care of both her physical and mental health. When he returned home and did not see Qiao Mei anywhere, he went into the house to search for her and found her looking around while standing on a small stool. Xia Zhe was so frightened by the sight that he did not dare to make a sound. He was afraid that if he made any sound, he might scare Qiao Mei so much that she fell off the stool. Xia Zhe slowly approached Qiao Mei and gently wrapped his arms around her waist. Chapter 290 - Amazing and Charming Man Chapter 290: Amazing and Charming Man Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios My little ancestor, what exactly are you doing? Xia Zhe asked Qiao Mei with a frown. Shh!!! Qiao Mei quickly raised her left index finger to her mouth and made a shushing gesture. Lower your voice and listen to what the Cao family is doing, Qiao Mei whispered as she pointed towards the house next door. Xia Zhe pressed his ear against the wall and listened carefully for a while before saying, They theyre demolishing the house? I think they know grandmothers secret. Listen carefully! Qiao Mei tiptoed on the stool and tried her best to lean her head out. Seeing this, Xia Zhe immediately picked Qiao Mei up and sat her on his shoulder. Qiao Mei hurriedly held on to Xia Zhes arm. This man of hers was really amazing! She was already very impressed by the fact that Xia Zhe could carry her up. She did not expect him to be able to sit her firmly on his shoulder. Qiao Mei sat on Xia Zhes shoulder and giggled. She would not exchange such a man for any amount of money. Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei giggling away and wriggled his shoulders slightly, making Qiao Mei shake a few times. Dont just play around. Hurry up and listen to what theyre doing, Xia Zhe said as he looked up at Qiao Mei. Only then did Qiao Mei clearly see where they were digging. The bricks in the entire courtyard had already been pried up and all the furniture had long been moved away. Now, they were digging down at the corners at both the east and west sides. Qiao Mei patted Xia Zhe on the shoulder and said, I have seen everything. Put me down first. Xia Zhe squatted steadily on the ground so that Qiao Meis feet could reach the ground. Qiao Mei jumped down from Xia Zhes shoulder and stood beside him as she whispered, They have already moved everything away, but the entire courtyard is already in a mess. The square bricks on the ground have all been dug up. Xia Zhe frowned when he heard this. The old house used to have wooden floors. It seemed that this had been ongoing since Old Master Caos time. Come, lets go back into the house first. Xia Zhe pulled Qiao Mei back to the bedroom. What should we do? Qiao Mei sat on the bed and said worriedly. All the old houses used to have wooden floors. Given that theyve already changed it to square bricks, it would appear that Old Master Cao had already been searching since the beginning. Their house has always been undergoing renovations, so it looks like theyve been searching all this while, Xia Zhe said. Then is it possible that they have already found it? Qiao Mei said agitatedly. After all, the Cao family had lived here for so long. Since they had already redone the floor, they would definitely have found some clues along the way. It would have been possible that they had already found and taken away boxes which were buried at more shallow depths. Xia Zhe shook his head and said, Im not too sure about this either, but it doesnt matter even if they take it. Its not a good thing for these things to be dug out. But its still a pity for these things to fall into their hands, Qiao Mei said indignantly. It would still be alright if they hand it over to the authorities after finding it, but if they keep it for themselves, the consequences will be unimaginable if they are found out. Since they want to dig around, then let them be. If they manage to dig up anything, they wont have it easy either, Xia Zhe said gently. Qiao Mei understood all these principles, but she still felt uncomfortable to imagine that something belonging to the Xia family had fallen into the hands of the Cao family for no reason. Alright, lets not think about this anymore. Lets go and eat. Xia Zhe brought Qiao Mei out to the dining room. As soon as they entered the dining room, she could smell a nice and strong fragrance. There were three dishes and a bowl of soup on the table, and they all looked and smelled good. You you made these? Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe curiously. Am I that capable? I bought all these, Xia Zhe said embarrassedly. Even while eating, Qiao Mei continued to think about what happened just now. She could not just leave this matter alone. Xia Zhe watched as Qiao Mei picked up a piece of meat with her chopsticks and chewed on it non-stop. She stared blankly ahead, and it was obvious to him that she was still interested in those treasures. What are you thinking about? Youre not even eating. Xia Zhe knocked on Qiao Meis bowl lightly. Chapter 291 - Forgetting the Important Thing Chapter 291: Forgetting the Important Thing Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios I think that we should keep an eye on the Cao family. Although we had made an exchange for their part of the house, they definitely wont tell other people what we gave them for it. Anyway, we did not shortchange them by exchanging the ginseng for the house, Qiao Mei said as she looked at Xia Zhe with bright eyes. Right. Xia Zhe nodded in response. If they dig up something, then lets report them. In that way, I wont feel the pinch if the things get handed over to the government. They will also suffer the consequences of their actions, Qiao Mei said. In fact, Xia Zhe had the same plan. If the two of them started digging up their courtyard, the Cao family could also file a report that the Xia family was hiding something. Even if they had no evidence, they would still suspect that there was really something hidden underground. So, lets just keep an eye on the Cao family over the next two days. Hurry up and eat. Otherwise, the food will get cold soon, Xia Zhe said. Qiao Mei nodded obediently. All she could think about was how to pull the treasure boxes deeper into the ground. She decided to check again tonight if there were any other boxes buried under the house. After they had eaten and showered, the two of them went out to the nearby park for a walk to aid digestion. When they returned, Xia Zhe went to the back wall to check on the Cao familys movements. There was no more sound, so there was unlikely to be any more digging tonight. How is it? Qiao Mei asked softly. Theyve probably left. Theres no sound from the Cao family side, Xia Zhe said. Thats good, thats good, Qiao Mei said as she patted her chest. As it was already late, the two of them lay down on the bed. Xia Zhe used the excuse of providing the baby with antenatal education to touch Qiao Mei everywhere. Dont mess around, Qiao Mei said as she slapped Xia Zhes hands away. After a while, Xia Zhes hands started moving again. Qiao Mei closed her eyes and pretended to sleep. It was not as if Xia Zhe had not seen Qiao Mei sleeping before and he could tell if she was really sleeping. Xia Zhe smiled affectionately and just hugged Qiao Mei as he rested. Qiao Mei gradually fell asleep and completely forgot about her earlier plans to move the treasure boxes. The next day, Qiao Mei woke up before dawn. It could be that she was too tired yesterday and did not really sleep well. How muddleheaded of me, how could I have forgotten about this! Qiao Mei said in frustration. Qiao Mei quietly put on a thin coat and went to the same spot she was at yesterday. She first checked if there was anyone from the Cao family around. When she was sure there was no one around, she secretly sent energy to the vines. Golden energy surrounded the vines. Before long, Qiao Meis consciousness was connected to the vines. After checking the location where she had placed the treasure boxes yesterday and making sure that they were still intact, she continued to pull the treasure boxes even deeper underground. By now, the treasure boxes were already 30 meters underground. At such a depth, the Cao family would definitely not be able to discover them. Hmph, lets see how you can find the treasure boxes, Qiao Mei said, feeling pleased with herself. After finishing what she needed to do, the sky was not even completely bright yet. Qiao Mei crept back to the bed to sleep for a while more. The Cao family still had to go to work during the day and could only come back to dig at night. After digging for a while, they had to return everything to its original state. Otherwise, if any neighbors passing by saw them, they would think that their house was raided and this would invite gossip. This affected the speed and efficiency of their digging and they would not be able to find the treasure boxes even if they dug until the day when they had to move out. By the time the sun rose, Xia Zhe woke up. He turned around and saw that Qiao Mei was still sleeping soundly. He smiled and stroked her head before gently kissing her forehead. Time to get up. We still have to go to Aunts house today. Xia Zhe woke Qiao Mei up gently. After being back for so many days, Xia Zhe had yet to formally pay his aunt a visit at her house. Although he had already met with her, it was still more proper etiquette-wise to formally pay her a visit. Hmm I dont want to get up Let me sleep for a while more Qiao Mei turned over and curled up against the wall. If you still dont get up, we wont be able to go to Aunts house, Xia Zhe said to Qiao Mei threateningly. However, they did not expect Xia He and Xia Fang to come in just as they were about to get ready and leave the house. Chapter 292 - Settling Scores with Her Chapter 292: Settling Scores with Her Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Elder sister and Aunt? Why are you here? We are just about to go and look for you, Qiao Mei said in surprise. At this moment, Xia He looked troubled. Xia Fang did not think much of it, but Xia He felt very apologetic towards both Qiao Mei and her aunt. Qiao Mei, I want to apologize to you, Xia He said sincerely as she looked into Qiao Meis eyes. Whats wrong, elder sister? Qiao Mei was puzzled to hear that. Xia Zhe looked at Xia He. He knew that Xia He would not take the initiative to reach out unless it was something very important. Come, elder sister. Come in and talk. Qiao Mei pulled Xia He into the house. Xia Zhe looked at his aunt as they followed behind and asked, What happened? Xia Fang shook her head helplessly and said, Its Xia Hes sister-in-law. She had caused some trouble. Youve both come over so early in the morning, have you had breakfast? Xia Zhe asked. We havent eaten yet. Xiao He and I came out at dawn, Xia Fang said. We havent eaten either. Lets go out and buy some food and let the two of them talk. After saying that, Xia Zhe and Xia Fang went out to buy breakfast from a nearby shop, and also to visit Zhou Sheng. Inside the house, Qiao Mei brought Xia He into the main hall to talk and served her a cup of tea. Elder sister, dont be anxious. Have some tea first. What happened? Qiao Mei asked. Xia He had not eaten or drank anything yet since waking up very early in the morning. She quickly took a sip of tea and then took out 2,000 dollars from her pocket. Sister-in-law, Im so sorry. I know that the set of jewelry you bought for Aunt costs 2,000 dollars, Xia He said. Yes, its 2,000 dollars. But elder sister, what is the money for? Qiao Mei looked at Xia He and felt at a loss. Its like this. Kong Li has taken that set of jewelry and Im unable to remove what she had already worn, so I have no choice. Take it that I have bought over this set of jewelry and Im compensating you for it. Xia He pushed the money towards Qiao Mei. That night, Xia He had repeatedly reminded Xia Fang to lock all the drawers and cabinet doors in the house, but she was still a step too late. The next morning, Xia He woke up to find Kong Li wearing Xia Fangs jewelry and admiring herself in the bedroom. She could not take the jewelry off Kong Li no matter how hard she tried. Whenever she tried, Kong Li would kick up a big fuss. Even though both she and Xia Fang tried, the two of them could not win against Kong Li, so she had no choice but to come and apologize to Qiao Mei. She slapped you, didnt she? Qiao Mei asked with a frown. Although the marks on Xia Hes face had mostly disappeared, it was still obvious that the left and right sides of her face looked different. It was obvious that she had been hit by someone. Xia He gently touched her cheek and used her hand to block the marks. Im fine. Its almost fully recovered, Xia He said. Qiao Mei went to the kitchen to get a hardboiled egg for Xia He to use on her face. Take this money and buy another set of jewelry. You can give it to Aunt or do whatever you want with it. This whole matter is my fault, Xia He said guiltily as she looked at Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei smiled indifferently. If the jewelry was broken, she could go and buy new ones. If she lost something, she could get a replacement. However, she felt that it was a little too much that elder sister had been beaten up for no reason and then still had to be the one to repay the money. I dont want money, and you shouldnt be the one paying for it. Qiao Mei said as she pushed the money back. Its alright, Im willing to do it, Xia He continued. Just take the money. Ill feel better this way. Qiao Mei did not refuse anymore. If this money was in Xia Hes hands, it would be taken away by the Kong family sooner or later. Moreover, Kong Li already knew that Xia He had come to find her to compensate her today. If she did not accept the money and Kong Li found out, then Kong Li would definitely find other reasons to ask Xia He for the money. Alright, then leave the money with me. But we cant let this matter rest just like that. She definitely has to pay for the slap she gave you, Qiao Mei said with resentment. This gave Xia He a fright and she hurriedly said, Mei Mei, you cant go. Youre currently pregnant. What if she attacks you and something happens to you? Qiao Mei thought for a moment and said, Dont worry, Ill have Xia Zhe with me. He wont let anything happen to me. Chapter 293 - Brother Xia ~ Chapter 293: Brother Xia ~ Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Do I have a role to play in this? Xia Zhe said as he came in from the door. Where did you go? Qiao Mei asked. Both elder sister and Aunt havent eaten yet. Lets eat first and talk about other things later. Xia Zhe placed the soy milk and dough sticks on the dining table. After putting down the things, he went to the kitchen to get some white sugar. The soy milk they usually drank was bland and tasteless, with only the taste of beans. Xia Zhe added a spoonful of sugar to Qiao Meis bowl so that the soy milk would become very sweet. Xiao Zhe, why are you so biased? Why didnt you add a spoonful of sugar for Aunt and me as well? Xia He teased with a laugh. Xia Zhe stood there with a red face and said shyly, Its just that I dont know what Aunt and elder sister likes. Alright, alright. Stop teasing Xia Zhe and just eat, Xia Fang said as she sat down. After they finished their meal, they took a rest in the courtyard. Xia Fang had already told Xia Zhe the whole story along the way. Xia Zhe thought that it was not appropriate for him to say anything about this matter and he decided to go along with whatever Qiao Mei wanted to do. Lets rest for a while and then go look for Kong Li, Qiao Mei said as she lay on the rocking chair. Xia Zhe, please dissuade your wife. Xia He looked at Xia Zhe with a pleading gaze. Ill listen to Qiao Mei, Xia Zhe said firmly. When he said that, it was greeted with mixed feelings. Qiao Mei sat on the rocking chair and laughed happily. Xia He stood in the middle of the courtyard and pointed at Xia Zhe as she said, How can you listen to your wife when she wants to go for a fight! Dont worry, elder sister. Im very strong, Qiao Mei said with a smile. Xia Zhe gave Qiao Mei a meaningful look. It still felt as if what happened that night had happened just yesterday. Qiao Mei was shockingly strong, and even he stood no chance against her strength. How can you just let her be, Xia Zhe! What if something happens! Xia He stood in the middle of the courtyard and pointed at Xia Zhe as she questioned him. Qiao Mei stood up and lifted the rocking chair with one hand. Although the rocking chair was not very heavy, it weighed at least 20 to 30 pounds. Yet, Qiao Mei could lift it with one hand without any effort. She stunned Xia He and Xia Fang with this move. I just told you that Im very strong. Come on, lets go. Qiao Mei held Xia Zhes hand and walked out of the house, leaving the two of them in the courtyard, looking at each other and still immersed in the unbelievable scene just now. The four of them returned to Xia Fangs house together. Before they entered, they could hear many children making noise in the house. Xia He felt a little dizzy. She placed one hand on the railing and closed her eyes. Xiao He, are you alright? Xia Fang held Xia He anxiously. For the past few days, she had been worried about what Kong Li did. Not only did she not manage her own affairs well, but she even got her family into trouble. This made her feel very guilty and she did not sleep last night, thinking about how to apologize to Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei could tell what was going on. She knew that those children from the Sun family would not let the matter rest. They did not manage to bully Qiao Mei the last time and this time, they had their eyes on the newcomer, Kong Li. Qiao Mei wanted to push the door open with all her might, but she did not expect the door to be unlocked. She almost fell over from the momentum but fortunately, Xia Zhe held on to her. What she saw was a huge mess in the house. The tables and chairs were all in disarray and the cushions on the sofa had also been thrown onto the ground. Everything edible in the kitchen had been taken out and there were oil stains and food scraps everywhere. Kong Li and the children were seated around the dining table, eating the cake that Qiao Mei had made for Aunt two days ago. They were wolfing it down as if they had not eaten for five or six days. The children of the Sun family had always been like this, but she could not understand why Kong Li also behaved in the same way when she had regular meals every day. Kong Li was the first one to see Qiao Mei and the others returning. As she ate, she said with a grin, Brother Xia, youre here to see me. Qiao Mei could not help but roll her eyes. Brother Xia? Brother Xia, your head! Are you allowed to call him Brother Xia! This made Qiao Mei even more bad-tempered. She had to settle this score today, or it would never end! Although the children were badly behaved, they paled in comparison with Kong Li. Chapter 294 - Failed Snatch Chapter 294: Failed Snatch Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The children from the Sun family saw Qiao Mei and the others shortly after, and they quickly stuffed whatever they could into their pockets. These childrens pockets were custom-made and could hold a lot of things. Before long, the table was emptied of everything on it. The children took advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention to them and ran out of the house. They were so fast that no one could hold onto them. Even if it was possible to grab the children, Qiao Mei found it awkward to argue with the children and to ask them to take everything out from their pockets. After all, Kong Li was the main culprit today. Without another word, Qiao Mei went forward and pulled off all the jewelry that Kong Li was wearing, including the earrings. Kong Li would have been fine if she did not struggle, but she put up a fight, causing her ears to bleed from the struggling. Youre all bullying me! How dare you treat me like this! Kong Li said as she covered her ears. These things belong to me. I dont want to lend them to you, so Im taking them back, Qiao Mei said as she put the jade jewelry into her pocket. Xia He, how can you ignore this! This is how your family treats me! Kong Li pointed at Qiao Mei while she questioned Xia He. Those things belonged to someone else in the first place, Xia He said coldly. Youre all in cahoots! I just borrowed it to wear for a couple of days! Why are you so petty! Kong Li said as she looked at Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei laughed and said, This is mine and I didnt lend it to you. What right do you have to wear it? Of course Kong Li wanted to take it! She had heard Xia He asked Xia Fang yesterday and knew that this set of jewelry cost 2,000 dollars! Qiao Mei crossed her arms and looked at Kong Li fiercely, accidentally exposing the two bangles that she was wearing. When Kong Li saw them, she went up to snatch them. Kong Li behaved the same way when she was at home. If she took a fancy to something, she would snatch it away. She took advantage of the fact that no one could bully her because of her size. Once she managed to snatch something, no one could take it back. This method did not work on Qiao Mei though, given that she was stronger than Kong Li and she had seen all kinds of unreasonable people in the village. However, Qiao Mei did not expect her to be so vicious. Before she could react, Xia Zhe had already pulled her into his arms so that she managed to dodge Kong Lis attack. Xia He also knew that Kong Li would definitely use this move. Back when she was at home, Kong Li had done this to her many times. She rushed forward and used all her strength to push Kong Li away. What are you trying to do? How dare you think about snatching it! This is where the Xia family lives, not the Kong family. Its not a place where you can throw your tantrum! Xia He pointed at Kong Li and scolded her. Xia Zhe hugged Qiao Mei and then looked at his elder sister who was behaving like a shrew. His heart ached for her. In his memory, Xia He was that happy and warm elder sister who was always full of smiles. He did not expect the Kong family to make her such a wreck. At the end of the day, it was all Kong Lus fault! He had to settle all these scores properly after this! He must make Kong Lu pay for all the grievances his sister had suffered! Youre my sister-in-law and shes your sister-in-law, so shes also my sister-in-law! Since shes my sister-in-law, why cant she give me something since Im younger! Kong Li shouted at Xia He. Dont flatter yourself here! Whos your sister-in-law? Is she willing to be your sister-in-law! Xia He said. Is that how you talk to me! When I get back, Ill definitely tell my brother and let him give you a telling off! Kong Li said angrily. Then you better tell him everything that happened today so that he can teach me a lesson. Were not done with this yet! Xia He had thought it through. She did not want to be bullied by the Kong family anymore. She was fine if she was the only one bullied, but her younger brother, sister-in-law, and even her aunt, were being bullied now. She was definitely getting a divorce! Seeing that it was many against one, Kong Li stopped arguing. She sat down at the dining table and decided to finish all the cake before calling up Kong Lu to complain to him. Qiao Mei walked to the bedroom and put away all the valuable things, including the calligraphy painting in the study. These things would be worth a lot of money in the future and she could not let Kong Li ruin them. As for the flower pots, she decided to forget about them as she did not know where to hide them. She only wished that the flowers in the attic were not discovered. Xia Zhe and Xia He tidied up the mess in the house. Xia Fang sat in the bedroom, not knowing what to do. Kong Li was like a scoundrel and an eyesore who could not be chased away. Chapter 295 - The Reason for Not Growing Chapter 295: The Reason for Not Growing Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The few of them sat around in the study room and looked at one another in silence. How can we send her away? Xia He said as she looked at Xia Zhe helplessly. We cant really find an officer for her to marry, right? When you first came back, didnt you say that you can only bring her home when you find someone to marry her? Xia Fang said. Ask Kong Lu to come and take her away, Xia Zhe said expressionlessly. Its not enough to just ask him to come. He must pay for all the damages done to this house before taking her away, Qiao Mei said. From her quick cleanup session just now, she found out that two stools in the living room had been damaged and could not be used anymore. There were also a few glasses and bowls on the coffee table that had been shattered. In addition, if there was any damage to that set of jewelry, she also wanted them to compensate for it. It would be best if he would come, Xia He said with a sigh. She had already forgotten when she last saw Kong Lu. It was probably more than half a year ago. Aunt, put all your valuable things at my house first. Ill help you to replace whatever you need after Kong Li leaves, Qiao Mei said to Xia Fang. Xia Fang nodded, then she turned to look at Xia He and said, During this period of time, come with me to live in the house in the neighboring apartment complex. The military had allocated that house to your uncle for his family to live in. But she cant be allowed to live in this house alone. Who knows what else she might do, Xia He said with a frown. Why dont you all come to my house? Its not far from the hospital where Aunt worked and its also easy for you to go to work from there, Qiao Mei said. Never mind, let Aunt stay with you. I should watch over her in this house. Otherwise, it would be disastrous if she really did something nasty, Xia He said as she shook her head. Im going to stay in the house allocated to your uncle. You dont have to worry about me. That house is also not far from the hospital, Xia Fang said. Hearing what Xia He said, Qiao Mei had no choice but to ask her to take good care of herself. Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei only managed to reach home late at night. As soon as they entered their courtyard, they could hear the Cao family next door starting to dig again. The sounds were very faint, but could still be heard clearly. Im amazed that they dont find it tiring at all. They have to go to work during the day and then come over to dig up the house at night. Then, they have to return it to its original state in the morning. The way they do it, they wont be able to do much even if they dig till the cows come home, Qiao Mei said mockingly. I couldnt care less about them. Lets eat first, Xia Zhe said. Eat? What are we eating? Qiao Mei asked curiously. Ill cook today. You can just take a rest, Xia Zhe said. Seeing how enthusiastic Xia Zhe was, Qiao Mei did not want to discourage him. However, when she thought about how he had turned the potatoes into small potato chunks the other day, she felt that the meal today was fraught with grim possibilities. Alright, go ahead then. Ill just wait to eat, Qiao Mei said. After Xia Zhe left, Qiao Mei stood under the cherry tree and looked around. Although this cherry tree was still alive, it was not growing well nor in a good condition. Qiao Mei felt that it would definitely be able to grow better if she exchanged some energy with it. Furthermore, if she helped to spread its roots underneath the entire house, it would also make it easier for her to investigate the matter of the treasure. Otherwise, if too many vines started appearing out of thin air in the entire courtyard, it would also arouse suspicion. By now, Qiao Mei could already communicate with plants silently. She could achieve her desired goal just by communicating through her consciousness without making any physical contact. The only difference was that when Qiao Mei communicated with the plants using her consciousness, the plants speed of growth might only be around double the original speed. If she touched them, the speed of growth could reach up to ten or even twenty times the original speed. Qiao Mei gently touched the tree trunk, causing its roots to grow rapidly. Over the past few days, Qiao Mei had taken a long rest and recovered her energy. The cherry trees roots grew quickly. Before long, they bumped into a box underground. It was a big box that was buried directly under its main trunk. Qiao Mei immediately understood why this cherry tree had not grown properly for so many years. Chapter 296 - Asking Elder Brother for Help Chapter 296: Asking Elder Brother for Help Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios This box had seriously hindered the growth of the cherry trees roots into the earth. Qiao Mei quietly wrapped the box with the tree roots and moved its position so that the cherry tree could grow healthily. Qiao Mei increased her energy again and the roots of the cherry tree quickly grew all over the courtyard. As the roots spread, she found more boxes. Qiao Mei smiled whenever she sensed something that the roots touched. She counted a total of three boxes under the courtyard, two big ones and a small one. In addition to one big box and one small box at the Cao familys side, there were a total of five boxes. Qiao Mei knew that Xia Zhes grandmother would not put all the eggs in the same basket and would have packed them separately. However, Qiao Mei was really curious about what was contained in these boxes. Qiao Mei slowly moved the small box towards the well. The well had not been used for a long time and had long dried up. She thought about just retrieving the small box to take a look at it before burying it back. That way, no one would discover anything. She was sure that Xia Zhe would agree to it. If he was the kind of person who strictly abided by the rules, he would have done his best to dig out the things underground and handed them over to the authorities, instead of letting them stay hidden. Qiao Mei stared blankly at the well. It had been sealed for a long time and there was a thick stone slab over it which was already covered in moss. Xia Zhe had just come out of the kitchen. He only made two dishes tonight, potatoes stewed with kidney beans and scrambled egg. Xia Zhe learnt how to make these by asking his aunt. These were the two simplest dishes for beginners to make. Unfortunately, the eggs were a little scorched and he did not know how they would taste. When Xia Zhe came out with the dishes, he saw Qiao Mei crouched at the mouth of the well, looking around as if she was plotting something. If it was any other ordinary woman, he would not be worried because no ordinary woman would be able to lift up such a piece of heavy stone. However, Qiao Mei was different. Mei Mei, what are you doing next to that well? Xia Zhe asked nervously. Oh, youre done cooking! Hurry up and put down the food, then come over, Qiao Mei said. Xia Zhe did not have time to go to the dining room at all. He was so nervous when he saw Qiao Mei in such a dangerous place that he turned around and put the dishes back into the kitchen before running over to her. What are you doing? Xia Zhe asked. My darling brother, can you help me open up this well? Qiao Mei asked sweetly. When Xia Zhe heard this form of address, he was stunned to the spot and said to Qiao Mei with a red face, How can you call me that now? Do that only at night. Stop fooling around. Qiao Mei pouted and said, Why can other people call you brother but I cant? Listen to me. Also, no one else calls me that, Xia Zhe said. Then what do you want me to call you? Qiao Mei said. Call me by my name when theres someone around. You can call me that only when theres no one around, Xia Zhe said seriously. When there is no one around? My darling brother~ Just help me~ Qiao Mei tugged at Xia Zhes sleeve and said sweetly. Xia Zhes gaze instantly darkened.?This little vixen was really annoying. Xia Zhe did not speak and just stared at her quietly. This made Qiao Mei feel an immense sense of pressure as she felt like she was being targeted by a wolf. Why why is this well sealed up? Qiao Mei quickly changed the topic. Xia Zhe still did not speak and continued to stare at her.?This young girl was getting more and more lawless. Should he teach her a lesson? When Qiao Mei saw Xia Zhe not moving, she thought to herself that it was useless to rely on men. It appeared that if she needed anything done, she had to do it herself. Qiao Mei rolled up her sleeves and pushed lightly, causing the stone slab to fall to one side. Then she stood up and dusted off her hands as she looked at Xia Zhe smugly. Since youre not going to help, Ill just do it myself! Qiao Mei said. Xia Zhe sighed resignedly. He really did not know what to say about Qiao Mei. This well is very deep. Dont lean in too much. Just look from afar. Xia Zhe said as he went forward to stop Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei stuck her head out to take a look. The well looked to be about five to six meters deep. It had already dried up and there was only mud inside. She was aware that the box was located directly underneath the mud. Chapter 297 - Going Down the Well to Find the Treasure Chapter 297: Going Down the Well to Find the Treasure Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios This well became contaminated for some reason. In the past, my father fell sick after drinking the water from this well, so my grandmother sealed it up, Xia Zhe said. His father fell sick? This matched the timing that Grandpa Zhou mentioned! It seemed that the well was used to hide something. Then why dont we clean up this well and use it again! Qiao Mei said. No! This well is so deep. Besides, youre pregnant now and drawing water from the well is such a tedious and heavy chore, Xia Zhe said with a frown. If I can push away the stone slab on top of the well, why would it be difficult for me to draw water? Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe in puzzlement. Xia Zhe was instantly struck speechless. After thinking for a while, he said, After our child is born, what if the child falls into the well? Its too dangerous. Ill just close it with the stone slab after theyre born. Its not like I cant lift it. Otherwise, we can install a pump so that I dont have to draw water up, Qiao Mei said. That wont do either. My father fell sick after drinking the water from this well back then. What if there are still remnants of bacteria inside? Xia Zhe said sternly. However, his fathers illness back then was not real! Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe helplessly. He was trying his best not to let her use this well. After thinking about it, Xia Zhe was still worried. When he returned to the army, if Qiao Mei took advantage of the fact that he was not around to clean up the well and use it, he would not be able to come back and stop her. No! He must fill up this well quickly! Xia Zhe looked around for the shovel so that he could fill up the well now. He did not want to wait for even another second. Qiao Mei also could tell what Xia Zhe wanted to do and hurriedly went to the side to pick up the shovel and hugged it. If you dare to fill up this well, Ill fight it out with you! Qiao Mei said huffily to Xia Zhe. Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei, who was hugging the shovel and looking like an angry puffer fish, and did not know whether to laugh or cry. Alright, alright, alright. I wont fill it in, Xia Zhe said resignedly. Qiao Mei also knew that Xia Zhe was doing this for the good of their children and her. It was not a bad thing that Xia Zhe liked his children enough to plan ahead for them. If we clean up this well and restore it, we can use it later to water the vegetable garden and the fruit trees. We can save so much money in this manner! Qiao Mei said in a serious tone. Xia Zhe rolled his eyes at Qiao Mei, thinking that she was spouting nonsense. He wondered out loud about not knowing who had spent 30 dollars on three flower pots at the antique market. The money spent on those flower pots was enough to pay for three to four years of running water. What do you know? You have to save when you should save and spend when you should spend! Qiao Mei stood with her hands on her hips and holding the shovel next to her. Xia Zhe shook his head resignedly. It seemed like Qiao Mei was determined to make use of this well. We can eventually put a lid over the well and lock it every time after use. Otherwise, we can use something that pumps water and just install a pipe. Itll be very safe then, Qiao Mei said. You can tell my elder brother about this when its time. Hes a professor and he knows people in this field. Let them look into what you want to do, Xia Zhe said. Qiao Mei pulled Xia Zhe over to the well and pointed to the bottom as she said, Come and see if you can tell what this is? Qiao Mei had already quietly maneuvered the roots of the cherry tree to push the treasure box up. At this moment, a corner of the treasure box was already revealed. Xia Zhe pulled Qiao Mei behind him and lowered his head to see what was in the well. He caught a glimpse of something golden. Do you think thats some sort of treasure? Qiao Mei whispered. Didnt we agree to pretend not to see anything even if we did? Xia Zhe said as he looked at Qiao Mei. But we cant just leave it there. Since its already exposed, lets quickly take it out and bury it somewhere else! Qiao Mei asserted eloquently. Youre just a little money-grubber, Xia Zhe said with a laugh. Qiao Mei smiled sweetly and said, Isnt it only because I want to protect what grandmother left behind? Since its already exposed, lets quickly take it out and hide it somewhere else! Chapter 298 - A Box of Gold Bars Chapter 298: A Box of Gold Bars Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios What Qiao Mei said made sense, so Xia Zhe went to retrieve the soft rope ladder from the storeroom and picked up the shovel from the side. After tying the rope, he went down the well. Stay up there and keep watch. Dont come down. Its dangerous, so just stay up there, Xia Zhe said. Alright, then you be careful, Qiao Mei said as she held onto the soft rope ladder by the well. When Xia Zhe reached the bottom of the well, he only needed to dig a few times before being able to retrieve a wooden box with its four corners wrapped in brass. In the past, it would have been regarded as a high-grade box. Xia Zhe gently shook the soft rope ladder and Qiao Mei threw down a rope. Xia Zhe tied one end of the rope to the handle of the box and pulled the rope to send a signal to Qiao Mei. Upon receiving the signal, Qiao Mei pulled the box up forcefully. Her eyes lit up when she saw the box. Xia Zhe slowly climbed up and packed up his tools. Then, he walked in front of the box and wiped the top. Stand behind me, and stay further away in case theres any bugs inside that may give you a fright, Xia Zhe said. Qiao Mei nodded and stood gingerly behind Xia Zhe, staring at the box. After all, this box had been placed underground for a long time and there might be bugs that had used it as a nest. Xia Zhe opened the box gently, and what appeared in front of them was a box full of gold bars and silver dollars. Wow! Qiao Mei exclaimed with her eyes wide open. Xia Zhe also found it unbelievable. He did not know that his grandmother really had such assets. This was the first time in Qiao Meis life that she had seen a box full of gold bars. This was all real money! Qiao Mei went forward excitedly to take a look. These gold bars were very well-preserved. Only the box had rotted slightly after being kept under the well for a long time. There was a little mud inside, but it was not a big problem as the contents were waterproof. These are all good stuff! Theres nothing special about these gold bars, but look, these silver dollars are all priceless, Qiao Mei said excitedly as she picked up a few silver dollars from the box. Xia Zhe did not know much about these things and did not know what they were worth, but seeing how excited Qiao Mei was, they must be worth a lot of money. Mei Mei, you can take out these silver dollars and have fun with them. Then well bury the rest back. What do you think? Xia Zhe said. He did not know if anyone had seen him digging just now, nor did he know if he made any loud noises. If someone passed by and discovered what he did, it would become a big deal. It would be better to bury the box back quickly. Qiao Mei was also a little worried when she heard what Xia Zhe said, but she liked the way that Xia Zhe discussed the matter with her. It made her feel that he valued her opinion very much. We should bury these together too. Lets just pretend that we didnt open it and well dig it out again during a more peaceful time in the future, Qiao Mei said as she put the silver dollars back. She would be heartbroken if she lost these things after taking them out. Besides, she would also feel more at ease if they remained buried in the soil. Furthermore, these things would oxidize once they were taken out and they would lose their value. Xia Zhe knew that Qiao Mei was a sensible person at the end of the day. Although she was a little obsessed with money, she still knew how to look at the big picture. The two of them quickly hid the things back where they found it. By the time they were done, it was already past midnight. Xia Zhe went to heat up the food. Try it. I learned this from Aunt. Xia Zhe stood in front of Qiao Mei, wearing a pink apron, and spoke to her while pretending to be calm. You learned this from Aunt? Were always together, so how do you have the time to learn from Aunt? Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe in puzzlement. When I walked with Aunt, I asked her about the easiest dishes to cook and she told me about these two. Then I went to look up the recipes, Xia Zhe said. When Xia Zhe went out to buy breakfast in the morning, he had already planned to make a nice meal for Qiao Mei. He had bought a few food magazines from the roadside stall and followed the recipes while cooking. Doubtful about what he said, Qiao Mei picked up some of the scrambled eggs and put it in her mouth to try. It was not unpalatable and tasted quite alright. It was just that he had fried it over too high heat. However, for someone who was cooking for the first time, it was already a very good attempt. Chapter 299 - Sudden Visit Chapter 299: Sudden Visit Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Its very delicious. Looks like you have a talent for this! Qiao Mei praised him with a smile. Xia Zhe was relieved to see Qiao Mei eating the food heartily. After dinner, they cleaned up the house and then went to bed. For a few days, no one came to look for them. All their relatives and friends seemed to have left. What other fun places are there in the capital? Qiao Mei asked Xia Zhe as she ate grapes. Theres nothing really fun to do in the capital. Do you feel bored at home? Xia Zhe said as he looked at Qiao Mei. Not really. I just want to walk around more and look around, Qiao Mei said. If you really want to go somewhere, we can take the bus. When you see someplace where you like the scenery, we can get off the bus and walk around, Xia Zhe said. She thought that this was a good idea. Most of the sightseeing venues were already reachable by public buses. One could just get off at any station one wanted. Thats a good idea. Lets go after a couple of days when the weather is good, Qiao Mei said. For the past few days, Grandpa Zhou had gone off to a friends house, leaving only Xia Zhe and her at home. On most days, they would go out for a walk and then return to cook at home. It was a boring life. The strange thing was that the Cao family had become much more well-behaved recently. There were no more knocking sounds at night for about two to three days. Why do you think the Cao family has been quiet recently? Qiao Mei asked curiously. Im guessing they might be busy with work recently and dont have time to come over. Besides, maybe theres really nothing over there? Xia Zhe said. Lets wait a little longer. Theres still some time before they need to hand over the house to us. Lets see what else they can do during this period of time. Qiao Mei felt very excited just thinking about it. Just when she said that no one had visited them recently, someone came knocking on the door. Knock, knock, knock! Who is it? Qiao Mei asked. Sister-in-law, its me, Xia He said. Qiao Mei hurriedly gestured for Xia Zhe to open the door. Xia Zhe opened the door gently and saw Xia He standing at the door with a pile of things. Other than fruits suitable for pregnant women to eat, there were also many childrens stuff. I just came back from the mall and saw a store selling baby products. I thought that your baby would be born soon, so I bought some things. Im not sure if youre able to use them, Xia He said. Elder sister, its been only slightly more than three months. There are still six months to go before I give birth, Qiao Mei said laughingly. Six months will be over in just a blink of an eye. I dont know if youre having a boy or a girl, so I bought one set each. When the time comes, you can use whatever you want, Xia He said as she placed the things in the house. Qiao Mei was very moved by this gesture. Only she herself knew that she was pregnant with a pair of twins, so Xia He had really made the right choice in buying baby products for both boy and girl. Thank you, elder sister. By the way, has Kong Li caused any trouble recently? Qiao Mei asked. When Xia He heard this question, her face fell immediately. Ever since the incident the last time, Kong Li had indeed behaved herself for a day. However, she immediately asked those children over for dinner the next day. Those children were very hard to deal with as all of them were very quick-witted. They did not really cause trouble, they were just greedy. In actual fact, the children were more discerning than Kong Li. Kong Li keeps asking those children to come over to the house. I cant handle it and can only let them come by to eat, Xia He said helplessly. So that means these few children have eaten a lot these few days? Qiao Mei asked. Xia He nodded. The children were all boys going through puberty and they could eat a lot. In addition, Kong Li could eat a lot too. She must eat two roast ducks every day. What can I do, except to spend money to buy some peace and quiet. Xia He sat at the side in a daze. When is Kong Lu coming? Xia Zhe asked with a frown. I gave him a call yesterday, but he just hung up. He didnt even call me back. I dont think he will come to the capital, Xia He said. Chapter 300 - Preferring Sons Over Daughters Chapter 300: Preferring Sons Over Daughters Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios During this period of time, Xia Zhe kept thinking about what Xia He was going through. The earlier his sister could get a divorce, the earlier she would be able to escape from her misery. Ill make a call to get him to come to the capital quickly. Ill say theres something he needs to do, Xia Zhe said. Do you think hell believe what you say? Qiao Mei asked. Im considered his superior, so he should believe me. Ill get my soldiers to call him and wont do it myself. Otherwise, hell be suspicious. After saying that, Xia Zhe went into the house and picked up the phone to make arrangements. Xia He looked at Xia Zhes figure while he was on the phone and sighed silently as she said, Mei Mei, when Kong Lu comes, how do you think I should face him? Do you still like him? Qiao Mei asked. Of course not. In the past, we were indeed together because of our feelings for each other. But ever since we got married and his attitude towards me changed, I no longer like him anymore, Xia He said firmly. Then just treat this as a favor that youre doing for yourself. After this matter is settled, you can start a new life again, Qiao Mei comforted. Xia He sat quietly and looked into the distance. She really could not remember what she was like before she got married. That day, Xia Zhe even said that she was no longer the smiley sister he remembered. What was she like originally? You dont have to worry too much about it. The main thing you have to figure out is whether you will regret doing this, Qiao Mei said as she held Xia Hes hand. I wont regret it. I must get a divorce! Xia He said firmly after thinking about it. Xia Zhe walked out of the house and said, It has been arranged. Hell be here in two days. Alright. Xia He suddenly thought of something and said, Im here today with an actual task, not for these other things. What task? Qiao Mei asked curiously. Our Second Aunt-in-law, Third Aunt-in-law, Second Uncle, Third Uncle and Eldest Aunt are coming back. Theyre coming here specially to take a look at you, Xia He said to Qiao Mei. Look at me? Qiao Mei said in shock. She had heard Xia Zhe mention other relatives in the family, but he had said that Second Uncle, Third Uncle and Eldest Aunt were all in the military. They were usually so busy that they rarely went home and would only be back during the new year and the holiday period. Given that it was not the new year or the holiday period, were they making a trip especially to see her? Thats right! Xia Zhe getting married is such a big matter, they must all come back to see what his new wife is like, Xia He said. Then do I need to prepare anything? What do they like? Is it too late for me to go and buy now? Qiao Mei stood up in a flurry, not knowing what to do first. Ive already prepared the gifts for you. You dont have to worry about that. I know that its too sudden and you wont have time to prepare, Xia He said with a smile. Qiao Meis eyes widened when she heard this. With starry eyes, she went forward and hugged Xia Hes arm as she said, My elder sister is the best~ Alright, alright, stop acting like a child with me. Hurry up and change, then pack up and we can go, Xia He said as she gave Qiao Mei a gentle pat. Qiao Mei pulled Xia He into the room and asked her a few questions as she got dressed. Elder sister, can you tell me what they are like? Qiao Mei asked nervously. Second Uncle, Third Uncle and Eldest Aunt are all people with similar personalities to grandfather. The only people you may need to interact with often are Second Aunt-in-law and Third Aunt-in-law, Xia He said. Then what are Second Aunt-in-law and Third Aunt-in-law like? Qiao Mei asked. It was hard to say. These two aunts each had their own good and bad points, but no matter what they did, it was generally for the good of the Xia family and they did not bear any ill intentions. Second Aunt-in-law is a good person, but shes just a little picky and prefers sons over daughters, Xia He said with a sigh. Second Aunt-in-law was more traditional in her thinking. She felt that women should stay at home and only men should go out to work, and that women should be in charge of all family matters and men should not interfere. If she thought that any woman in the family did not do anything properly, she would specially go and educate that person. She might even go to that persons house to educate her! She had to make sure that that person fully understood that women must take care of everything at home before she would let the person off. Chapter 301 - Being Sarcastic Chapter 301: Being Sarcastic Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios By this time, Qiao Mei had changed her clothes. Based on what Xia He just said, she definitely should not wear pretty clothes today. She had to wear something mature and appropriate. Qiao Mei wore a dark blue maternity dress, paired with a pair of black leather shoes. She tied up her hair simply, looking presentable and elegant. Elder sister, do you think Ill pass if I wear this? Qiao Mei asked. Sure, of course. Youre naturally beautiful so you look good no matter what you wear. You wont go wrong wearing simple and elegant clothes like this, and theres nothing they can say about you, Xia He said. When you get home later, you must do some housework like washing the dishes and such. Otherwise, Second Aunt-in-law will definitely nag at you, Xia He reminded her. At this moment, Xia Zhe frowned and gave Xia He a reluctant look when he heard this. Xia He also noticed her younger brothers gaze and said resignedly, Why are you looking at me like that? I dont want Mei Mei to do this either, but its not like you dont know Second Aunt-in-law. If she doesnt do these things, Second Aunt-in-law will definitely criticize her. Xia Zhe also knew their Second Aunt-in-laws temper. Among the children of the family, Second Aunt-in-law doted on Xia Zhe the most. Previously, he did not think that there was any issue with her personality, but now, it seemed that there were indeed many problems with her. Then, you just put your own bowl and cutlery in the kitchen later. You dont have to worry about anything else, Xia Zhe said. That wont do! If Mei Mei doesnt go into the kitchen, dont you think Second Aunt-in-law will grab hold of her and keep saying these things to her? Its not like you dont know what Second Aunt-in-law can do when she gets angry. Have you forgotten what our eldest sister-in-law had experienced? Xia He said as she looked at Xia Zhe. When Tan Jing first married into the family, Second Aunt-in-law had also asked Tan Jing to help out in the kitchen. Although Tan Jing did not come from a very prominent family, her family was well-to-do and she did not need to do housework at home. When Tan Jing first joined the Xia family, she would sit on the sofa and chat with Xu Lan after dinner. Whenever Second Aunt-in-law saw that, she would grab Tan Jing into the kitchen and teach her how to wash the dishes, cook food, clean the kitchen, keep the crockery, respect her in-laws, and so on. Then Ill go and help out later. Otherwise, Ill just cook for them. I can cook very well! Qiao Mei said with a smile. Theres a helper at home, so you dont have to cook. Besides, you wont be able to cook for so many people. Itll be so tiring, Xia He said while feeling sorry for her. Qiao Mei nodded and asked, Then what kind of person is Third Aunt-in-law? At this point, Xia Zhe and Xia He looked at each other and lowered their heads while frowning. It seemed that the two siblings did not like Third Aunt-in-law. She was hoping that Third Aunt-in-law would be a nice person, but it appeared that this person was even worse than Second Aunt-in-law. Third Aunt-in-law was fine a few years ago, but Third Uncle hasnt been doing well in his career in recent years and fared the worst among the brothers in the family. Third Aunt-in-law feels embarrassed by that fact, so she always speaks sarcastically, Xia He said. Then does Third Uncle just tolerate it? Qiao Mei asked. She actually doesnt say anything bad about Third Uncle. Shes just jealous and likes to compare with others. However, I suspect that she is not back this time to take a look at you. I think her intention is to beg our grandfather to help Third Uncle out, Xia He said. Xia Zhe laughed and said, Grandfather wont render this kind of help. The Xia familys current status was partially based on the foundation that Xia Jun had built up. However, the rest of his sons and grandsons had relied on their own abilities to make a name for themselves. Xia Jun did not believe in pulling strings at all. If Third Aunt-in-law says anything bad about you or asks about your grandfather, dont take it to heart, Xia He said worriedly. Qiao Mei smiled indifferently. She would not take the words of these relatives to heart at all. As long as Xia Zhe was on her side, it did not matter if everyone else gossiped about her. She had heard worse things in the village and things like that were small matters to her. Elder sister, dont worry. I definitely wont mind. Ill just pretend not to hear it, Qiao Mei said with a laugh Chapter 302 - You Are Indeed Lying to Me Chapter 302: You Are Indeed Lying to Me Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xia He felt relieved to hear what Qiao Mei said. She felt that she had to preempt Qiao Mei about these things, so that Qiao Mei would not feel that members of the Xia family were all very rude. By the way, elder sister, you havent said what kind of person Eldest Aunt is? Qiao Mei asked. Ah! Eldest Aunt! Eldest Aunt doesnt have much of a temper. She doesnt really like to talk but shes a very upright person, Xia He said with a smile. It seemed that this eldest aunt was an easy person to get along with. Xia Jun had three sons and two daughters. Xia Fang was the youngest daughter and this eldest aunt was the second child of the family. Qiao Mei admired eldest aunt very much as she had heard that eldest aunt was not just in a civilian post in the army. Thats great, Qiao Mei said. I always forget that I have two paternal aunts. Eldest Aunt is more manly than any man! Xia He said. Xia Zhe chuckled at the side. What are you laughing at? Am I wrong? When Xia He saw Xia Zhe secretly laughing away, she turned to ask him with her hands on her hips. I see that youre not afraid that Eldest Aunt will hear you and punish you by making you do physical training again, Xia Zhe said. When they were young, they were most afraid of their eldest aunt coming home. Their eldest aunt always said that the children of the Xia family must be in the best physical condition regardless of their gender. When they were younger, their eldest aunt often brought them out for training. If all of you went through physical training in the past, then how did your elder brother become a professor? Qiao Mei asked curiously. Elder brother fell ill when he was 16 years old. After that, he could not undergo high-intensity training anymore, so he studied hard and became a professor, Xia He explained. I see. No wonder the whole family is in the military and only your elder brother is a scholar, Qiao Mei said with a smile. Elder brother used to Before he could finish speaking, he heard the door being kicked open with a bang. The door panel even bounced several times when it hit the wall. Xia He, you are indeed lying to me! Kong Li said from the door. Every morning, Xia He would use the excuse of needing to go out to buy food for Kong Li to get out of the house. Xia Fangs house had a gas stove, but Xia He was afraid that Kong Li would blow up the house at home by using the stove, so she went out to buy food every day. It was the only time of the day that Xia He could come out to have some fresh air and take a walk. Today, Xia He had told Kong Li that she was going out to deal with the matter of finding a marriage partner for Kong Li, and that she would take a longer time. Kong Li could not hold back her anxiousness after hearing that. Given that the matter was about finding a marriage partner for her, she definitely wanted to take a look as well. She followed Xia He all the way to the main alley, but in the blink of an eye, Xia He turned into another small alley and disappeared. She did not have an easy time going from house to house, eavesdropping at the doors before she could hear where Xia He was. I knew that you must be lying to me! Pretending youre coming out to find me a marriage partner! Wheres my marriage partner? Kong Li shouted from the door. When she saw Xia Zhe, Kong Li felt both happy and sad. Xia He had such a handsome younger brother, but she had hidden the fact from her sister-in-law. If Xia He had told her earlier, Qiao Mei would not have had any chance at all! At the thought of this, Kong Li started to look at Qiao Mei fiercely. Why are you messing around here! Xia He said while frowning. Whos messing around! Youre the one lying to me! Kong Li said as she pointed at Xia He. Xia He took out 20 dollars from her pocket and gave it to Kong Li. Go buy yourself some food with the money and then go back. We still have something on. Kong Li took the money and stared fiercely at Xia He. I heard everything. Youre going back to the big house. I want to go too! Why do you want to go? What right do you have to go there? Xia He said in disgust. Why cant I go! Since youre my sister-in-law, I can go to your Xia familys big house! Kong Li said. Then let her go. Elder sister, bring her along then. Qiao Mei said as she gave Xia He a look. Xia He could understand what Qiao Mei meant. After thinking about it, she decided to let Kong Li follow her. There was no harm in having Kong Li following them. Since her relatives were all gathered today, she could let everyone see what kind of life she had been living all these years. This way, everyone would be more understanding when she got a divorce. Thinking of this, Xia Hes originally tense brows relaxed. Alright, you can follow us then, Xia He said. Kong Li did not think too much about it. She even thought that Qiao Mei was speaking up for her because Qiao Mei was afraid of her, which meant that it would be even easier for her to snatch the bangle if she wanted Chapter 303 - Getting the Wrong Person Chapter 303: Getting the Wrong Person Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The four of them did not waste any time on the way and arrived at the Xia residence very quickly. Xia Zhe knocked lightly on the door. He did not expect the helper to be the one opening the door.?At this time, the helper should be cooking in the kitchen. Why could she come to open the door? They noticed that the helper, Auntie Chen, kept blinking at Xia Zhe and even gestured for Qiao Mei to leave quickly. Xia Zhe and the other two women immediately understood what Auntie Chen meant and frowned. Only Kong Li could not tell what was going on. Why are you blinking so hard? Is there something wrong with your eyes? Kong Li asked. Qiao Mei held her forehead helplessly. If she had known earlier, she would not have brought this woman here today. The living room was separated from the main door by a wall. The people inside the house could not see the people outside. Auntie Chen, whos here? a woman asked from the house. Qiao Mei thought that it did not sound like Xu Lan. In addition, Xia He had mentioned this morning that Second Aunt-in-law and Third Aunt-in-laws personalities were not as tough as this, so the voice must belong to Eldest Aunt. Its Miss Xia Hes sister-in-law. She might be here because of something urgent. Let me ask her. Auntie Chen still wanted to cover it up. Just as she was about to close the door, the eldest aunt shouted, Since shes here, then shes our guest. You should ask her to come in and have a seat. Besides, if Xia Hes sister-in-law really has some urgent matter, what can you do to help? Auntie Chen had no choice but to open the door and let Xia Zhe and the others in. Eldest Aunt, Im here with my younger brother and sister-in-law, Xia He said with a smile as she entered. After going past the wall between the house and the door, Qiao Mei realized that it was an ambush. She thought that there were only their relatives in the house, but she did not expect to see more than 10 people around. Other than the relatives that she had never seen before, there were also a few old acquaintances from her village. Who are these people? Xia He looked at the people around her in confusion. She had not heard that there were going to be so many people when she came in the morning. Xia He looked at Xia Fang with a puzzled expression. You dont need to care about who they are. The three of you can go to one side. It has nothing to do with you, said the eldest aunt, Xia Xiu. Xia He stood at the side with Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei with a puzzled look on her face. She did not even dare to breathe loudly. Xia Jun usually had the final say in family matters, but if it was regarding any critical issue, he would still wait for their eldest aunt, Xia Xiu, to come back before he made a decision. It seemed that what was happening today was no small matter. What did you say you were here for? Xia Xiu asked. The two people standing in the middle of the main living hall did not dare to answer. These two people were Qiao Meis old acquaintances from the village. She could no longer remember their names given that she last saw them a very long time ago. Qiao Mei only remembered that everyone called this old woman the old widow and she was famous for being mean. As for her son, Qiao Mei really had no impression of him. Speak up! Werent you very eloquent just now! Xia Xiu slammed the table and said sternly. I Im here to look for my wife! Wang Yong was so frightened that he knelt on the ground. Look for his wife? Why is he looking for his wife here? Xia He was even more baffled and looked at Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe in confusion. She realized that the two of them were frowning, so it appeared that this matter must be related to Qiao Mei. This is everyone in our Xia family. Come and see who is your wife? Xia Xiu asked. This question made Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe feel their hearts skipped a beat. They knew that these two people were up to no good by coming to their house today. Wang Yong sized up the people in the room nervously. He did not expect the old widow to jump up and run straight towards Kong Li, who was standing next to the door. Seeing that his mother had recognized her, Wang Yong followed closely behind. He pounced over and grabbed Kong Lis hand. Mei Mei, come back with us! I wont hit you anymore! In the future, Ill give you all the good food and drinks at home! Come with us! the old widow cried out as she hugged Kong Li. Come back with us quickly! Every generation of our Wang family only has one child! Only one child per generation! You must come back and give birth. After that, you can go anywhere you want! Wang Yong said as he held Kong Lis hand tightly. Everyone in the house looked at one another. Only Xia Xiu stared fixedly at Wang Yong, seemingly deep in thought. This was no small matter. Someone must be plotting against the Xia family and she had to get to the bottom of it. Chapter 304 - That Is My Child Chapter 304: That Is My Child Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xia Zhe had actually informed Xia Xiu about his marriage a long time ago, but she had been busy with military affairs and did not have the time to come back for a visit. At that time, she had only called him to congratulate him and sent him a gift. Now that she had some free time and heard that Xia Zhe and his new wife had returned home, she came back to take a look as well. She did not expect to run into this drama. Xia Xiu was the first one to reach home, followed by Second Aunt-in-law and Third Aunt-in-law. Xia Xiu hated Third Aunt-in-law the most. The daughters-in-law of the Xia family were usually either intellectual people or people in the military, but Third Aunt-in-law was different. Her family was in business and she did not study much. If not for the fact that when the third son of the Xia family met with an accident in the past and Third Aunt-in-law happened to save his life, he would not have married her. When the few of them reached home, they realized that someone also brought along these two strangers. When they questioned the strangers, they were told that Qiao Mei was actually in a relationship with someone else before she married Xia Zhe, and her babys father was actually that person. The two families were about to prepare for the wedding when Xia Zhe suddenly came for a visit. Qiao Mei and Qiao Qiang then decided to go with the flow and knocked Xia Zhe out, before pushing the responsibility to Xia Zhe. After Wang Yong and his mother told Xia Xie this story, she firmly believed in what she heard. This was because when she heard that Xia Zhe was getting married, she immediately sent someone to do a check on Qiao Mei. She was told that Qiao Mei was arrogant and despotic in the village and that she must have first pick of all the nice food and drinks in her house first. This was the reason why Qiao Qiang had been seriously ill for so many years. Based on this point alone, it was obvious to Xia Xiu that Qiao Mei was an unfilial child. She would not let such a person stay in the Xia family! Xia Xiu took one glance at Kong Li and turned away. Not only was she so fat, but she also looked very vicious. Xia Xiu had seen many women like her who were lacking in virtue and greedy for wealth. The investigator that Xia Xiu sent to the village also interviewed Qiao Zhuang and his family. Other people might praise Qiao Mei, but not Qiao Zhuang and his family. As the saying went, there was nothing one could expect from a hog but a grunt. Every member of Qiao Zhuangs family said that Qiao Mei was a greedy and lustful person who hooked up with men outside the village and gave in to all her sensual desires. They even said that she had a previous engagement, but broke it off. That was what led the investigator to Wang Yong and his mother. Representatives from the He family had visited the mother and son and offered them compensation in return for their insistence that Qiao Mei was supposed to be their familys new daughter-in-law. The moment the mother and son entered the Xia residence, they wanted to speak but Xia Xiu stopped them. Xia Xiu first told Xia Jun and Xia Zhes parents the whole story about what she found out. After hearing what she said, they were agitated for a long time. They had all met Qiao Mei before and thought that she looked quite demure. They did not think that Qiao Mei was such a heartless and seductive woman. Just like that, the group of over 10 people sat quietly in the house. No one spoke as they waited for Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei to return home before they questioned Wang Yong and his mother. Who knew that such a scene would happen after Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei were back? Xia Jun stood up solemnly, walked next to Wang Yong and asked, Are you sure this is your wife? Im sure! Of course Im sure! Wang Yong firmly and hurriedly replied in the affirmative. Kong Li was about to speak when Xia Jun gave her a glare. The veteran army general had a sharp and murderous look in his eye. Kong Li was just a young lady and could not withstand such intimidation. She covered her mouth and did not dare to make a sound. This question made the old widow suspicious. She raised her head to take another look and thought that Qiao Mei had become uglier after these few months, though her figure had not changed much. However, there were only three women who came in together just now. One was Xia Zhes elder sister and the other one was her sister-in-law. Both of them were very slender and their calves were even slimmer than Qiao Meis arms. Neither of them could be Qiao Mei. Although she had heard in the village that Qiao Mei had lost weight, it was not possible for her to have lost so much weight in just a few months. Wang Yong was even more certain that the person in front of him was Qiao Mei and that there was no mistake. Shes my wife. Although we didnt register our marriage, shes pregnant with my child! Wang Yong said as he grabbed Kong Li. Chapter 305 - Talking Rubbish Chapter 305: Talking Rubbish Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei and Xia He had been trying to hold back their laughter as they stood at the side. They had originally brought Kong Li here so that when she caused a scene, the Xia family would know that Xia He was having a difficult time in the Kong family. This was so that Xia He would have an easier time when she wanted to get a divorce. They could never have predicted that Kong Li would end up being a scapegoat and saving Qiao Mei from a disaster. Who knows if what you said is true or not? What evidence do you have to prove that she is your wife? Xia Jun said as he held back his smile. Wang Yong became anxious upon hearing this. He had only met Qiao Mei once back then and she even chased him out when he wanted to have a meal at her house. He did not know how he was supposed to prove that he was telling the truth. At this moment, Wang Yong threw all caution to the wind and decided to take a chance. He went forth and lifted Kong Lis clothes to reveal her stomach. Ah! Kong Li pulled down her clothes in fright. Look at the scar on her stomach! Wang Yong took a quick look at Kong Lis stomach and said as he pointed at the scar. Kong Li blushed and tugged at her clothes. She had never been treated like this in her life. I used to touch this scar every day and Im very familiar with it! Wang Yong said confidently. That scar was from Kong Lis previous appendicitis surgery. Back then, Xia Fang had to ask someone for a favor for Kong Li to have the surgery. At that time, the whole family was in an uproar because of this matter. Kong Li had said that she did not trust the small clinic in the countryside and wanted to go to a big hospital in the capital. Knowing that Xia Fang was a doctor, Kong Li insisted on asking her for help. Even though Xia He explained that Xia Fang was a doctor in the gynecology and obstetrics department, Kong Li still refused to give up. In the end, Xia He had no choice but to beg Xia Fang to get help from her colleagues in the hospital. Everyone in the family knew about this incident. When they heard what Wang Yong said, everyones expressions changed. Xia He thought to herself that it would be great if this was true! Then, she would not need to find a marriage partner for Kong Li. This person was actually quite compatible with Kong Li. Kong Li could not bear with the situation any longer and gave Wang Yong a kick on his waist as she said, What a load of rubbish! When have I ever seen you! Do you even know me! Wang Yong knelt on the ground from the kick. As he listened carefully to her voice, he felt that something was wrong, but he did not have the time to think about it thoroughly. He had never been so aggrieved in his life! He had been the only boy at home, so the old widow always gave in to him. In recent days, because of the money he received from the He family, many more matchmakers had come to visit him at home, eyeing the betrothal gifts that his family could afford to give. Wang Yong had always been treated nicely within his village. He did not expect to end up being treated like this when he came to the capital to settle the scores with Qiao Mei. Wang Yong stood up quickly in anger and gave Kong Li a slap. You damn woman! Youre pregnant with my child and you still want to run away! Do you think I care about you! After you give birth, you can go wherever you want! At that time, we wont care even if you seduce eight or ten men! Wang Yong said fiercely. After saying that, Wang Yong pointed at Xia Zhe and glanced at him. However, when he saw Xia Zhe staring straight back at him, he felt a little guilty and retracted his hand timidly. Not only did this slap not scare Kong Li, but it made her tremble in anger instead. She rushed towards Wang Yong and used her ample body to slam right into him, causing him to fly outwards. You money-losing good-for-nothing! You still want to Before Wang Yong could finish speaking, Kong Li had already sat down on top of him. She weighed more than 200 pounds and he felt as if there was a huge rock pressing down on him, making him unable to breathe. What else do I want? I still want to beat you up! Today, Ill let you know that Im not someone to be trifled with! After saying that, Kong Li gave Wang Yong a slap. She then followed that up with punches and kicks that showed no mercy. In the end, the old widow hugged Kong Lis thigh and begged her to stop hitting him. Kong Li only stopped because she was afraid that she would beat him to death. All of you split up! Go stand in the middle! Xia Xiu roared angrily. When the three of them saw Xia Xius imposing manner, they did not dare to fight or cause trouble anymore. They all stood in an orderly manner in the middle of the living hall, afraid that they would be pulled out and beaten up by Xia Xiu if they were not careful. Chapter 306 - The Truth is Revealed Chapter 306: The Truth is Revealed Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xia Jun looked at them for a long time before he sighed and asked, Where did you all find these people? Xia Xiu looked at Xia Jun and said, You have to ask my third brothers wife about this. Everyone turned to look at Third Aunt-in-law at the same time. Third Aunt-in-law waved her hands in a panic and said quickly, Everyone, its a misunderstanding. I met these two people at the entrance to the courtyard. They were asking all passerbys if anyone was from the Xia family and then they told me about these things. Thats why I brought them back. You didnt even do any checks before bringing these shady people home? Xia Jun asked with a frown. I I didnt know what to do at that time. I was anxious and wanted to come back and ask all of you. I thought that if we can question the people involved and let them confront one another face to face, the matter could be resolved quickly. I didnt think about the authenticity of this matter. Third Aunt-in-laws voice became softer and softer. How silly and brainless of you! Xia Jun scolded softly. Third Aunt-in-law wanted to retort but was pulled back by Second Aunt-in-law. Dont say anymore. Dont add fuel to the fire! Second Aunt-in-law whispered. Third Aunt-in-law flung the other womans hand away angrily. She was usually the one who got bullied the most at home, but now even her sister-in-law was trying to control her actions. Xia Xiu, what are your thoughts on this matter? Xia Jun asked as he looked at Xia Xiu. I think Xiao Zhes marriage must be annulled! Such a woman cant marry into the Xia family! Xia Xiu said as she pointed at Kong Li. Impossible! Xia Zhe said immediately without a second thought. Xia Zhes reaction surprised Xia Xiu. In a normal scenario, if one knew that ones wife was pregnant with someone elses child and even lied about it, one would be heartbroken or furious. She did not understand why Xia Zhe was so calm. Dont tell me they have something on you? Xia Xiu looked at Xia Zhe in disbelief. He was the best kid in the Xia family. How could he have made a mistake in such a matter? They dont have anything on me, Xia Zhe said. Nothing? Then why cant you reject this ridiculous marriage? Xia Xiu asked. Because Qiao Mei is pregnant with my child, Xia Zhe said with a smile. This statement made Xia Xiu furious. She stood up and pointed at the three people in the middle of the living hall and asked Xia Zhe, Didnt you hear it just now? This woman is pregnant with his bastard child, its not your child! Seeing that things were getting out of hand, Xia He gently nudged Qiao Mei. If you dont go out soon, Eldest Aunt will probably tear down the house later, Xia He said laughingly. Qiao Mei took the opportunity to walk to Xia Zhes side. He held her hand and walked up to Xia Xiu. Eldest Aunt, this is my wife, Qiao Mei, Xia Zhe said gently. Hello, Eldest Aunt. Im Xia Zhes wife, Qiao Mei said with a sweet smile. This shocked everyone who had never seen Qiao Mei before. They widened their eyes in disbelief to hear that it was the person in front of them that was Qiao Mei. The old widow and Wang Yong were especially shocked. Back then in the village, Qiao Meis figure was what they despised the most, yet this beautiful young lady turned out to be the Black Bear Spirit from before. The old widow now regretted not being nicer to her back then. Xia Xiu could not believe it either. The investigators who went to the village said that Qiao Mei weighed more than 200 pounds, but the person standing in front of her now weighed not more than 100 pounds. What exactly is going on? This person isnt Qiao Mei? Third Aunt-in-law asked in disbelief as she looked at the scene unfolding in front of her. It was clearly different from what they said at the door earlier.?What did these two people want? Why is Qiao Mei a different person? Do you understand the meaning of the farce today? Xia Jun looked at Xia Xiu meaningfully. Xia Xiu nodded with coldness in her eyes and said, I understand. Since you know whats going on, Ill leave this matter to you. Im tired and will go back to my room to rest for a while. Xia Jun returned to his room after saying that. He left behind a group of people looking at one another in the living hall. Chapter 307 - Interrogate Thoroughly Chapter 307: Interrogate Thoroughly Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xia Xiu sat on the sofa with a dark expression. She thought that Xia Zhe had been deceived, but she did not expect to be the one who had been deceived! Who exactly are the two of you! Xia Xiu asked coldly. She had killed people on the battlefield before, so she exuded an aura that ordinary people could not withstand. Her loud question frightened the old widow so much that she knelt on the ground. Wang Yong also stood rooted to the ground, not knowing what to do. Speak! Xia Xiu said angrily as she slammed the table. We we really are the old widow stammered. Xia Xiu frowned deeply. She did not have the patience to listen to the two of them anymore. Men! Take the two of them back and Ill interrogate them myself! Xia Xiu shouted towards the door. The guards standing outside the door immediately ran into the house and pulled the old widow and Wang Yong out. Xia Xiu then stood up and walked to Qiao Mei and said, Child, its my fault today. I misunderstood you. I will definitely interrogate them clearly and clear your name. Eldest Aunt, you can do it. I believe you can do it! Qiao Mei said to Xia Xiu with a sweet smile. Xia Xiu was infected by the smile and smiled as well. She thought that Qiao Mei was really a sensible person. She had wronged Qiao Mei, but Qiao Mei did not blame her and could still smile at her. Xia Xiu found herself liking this niece-in-law who had a sweet smile. It was not bad for such a sensible and decent girl to enter the Xia family. Although she was from the countryside, it was still better than a scheming girl. Xia Xiu left after giving Auntie Chen some instructions and did not even stay for dinner. After the troublemakers left, the house became quiet and there was an awkward atmosphere when everyone did not speak. Can any of you tell me whats going on? Second Aunt-in-law asked curiously. I think someone is trying to frame our family, Xia He said. Then have you seen these two people before, Qiao Mei? asked Third Aunt-in-law. Qiao Mei nodded and said, Weve indeed met before. They previously came by to propose marriage. There was really a marriage proposal! A marriage proposal? You mean such a thing really happened! Second Aunt-in-law took two steps back in fear. No, they came with a matchmaker. After that, they were chased out by my family and we never had any contact again, Qiao Mei explained. Third Aunt-in-law thought for a moment and asked, Thats not right. It doesnt make sense. Since theyve met you before, why cant they recognize you? After hearing what Third Aunt-in-law said, Second Aunt-in-law also felt that it made sense and looked at Qiao Mei doubtfully. Because I was originally fatter than Kong Li and also weighed more than 200 pounds, Qiao Mei said embarrassedly. A fatty weighing more than 200 pounds! That means Qiao Mei was fat when Xia Zhe met her! Xia He looked at Xia Zhe differently. Xia Zhe noticed his sisters gaze and turned his head away awkwardly and coughed twice. Oh my goodness, then how did you lose weight? Kong Li suddenly pounced in front of Qiao Mei and asked agitatedly. If Qiao Mei could be so beautiful after losing weight, then she would be a knockout if she lost weight! I walked tens of kilometers a day and did a lot of farm work, and I only ate two bowls of rice a day. If you persist in doing that for a period of time, you will definitely lose weight, Qiao Mei said as she thought back. Kong Li shook her head repeatedly after hearing that. If she ate like this, she would definitely become malnourished. She saw no point in living if she could not eat meat, so it was better not to lose weight. Ill go out and take a look. You stay here by yourself, Xia Zhe said to Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei nodded. She knew what Xia Zhe was going to do and also understood that it was useless to stop him. Go ahead, dont be too harsh, Qiao Mei said gently. Yes, I know. Xia Zhe patted Qiao Meis head and left reluctantly. He had a murderous look in his eyes. His anger had dissipated a lot when he was in front of Qiao Mei, but now it was time to settle the score. After Xia Zhe left, there was no longer any man in the living hall, so Second Aunt-in-law and Third Aunt-in-law felt more relaxed. Second Aunt-in-law suddenly came forward enthusiastically and held Qiao Meis hand as she said, Look how Xia Zhe has such good taste. He found such a beautiful new wife. Chapter 308 - Belly Getting Bigger and Bigger Chapter 308: Belly Getting Bigger and Bigger Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios On the surface, she seemed to be praising Qiao Mei for her good looks, but by saying Xia Zhe had good taste, she was actually praising Xia Zhe. Look at how quick Xiao Zhe is. He just got married and he already has a child, unlike my two unfilial sons. Its as if we want to eat them up when we ask them to go on blind dates! complained Second Aunt-in-law. Xia He rolled her eyes when she heard this. It was not that the boys were afraid of being eaten, but that they knew if they got married and their new wives met a mother-in-law like Second Aunt-in-law, their wives would leave out of anger after two days. Second Aunt-in-law had a total of four children, two girls and two boys. After her two daughters got married, one could count the number of times they returned to their parents house with one hand. Even when they returned home, they would leave after a short while. Otherwise, they would have to listen to Second Aunt-in-law nagging about what women should do at home. Qiao Mei, right? Third Aunt-in-law sat on the sofa and asked haughtily. Yes, hello, Third Aunt-in-law. My name is Qiao Mei, Qiao Mei replied with a sweet smile. I see that your belly is quite big. How many months are you? said Third Aunt-in-law with a smile as she looked at Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei gently stroked her belly. The way her clothes stretched over her belly made her look obviously pregnant. Xia Xiu had informed everyone that Qiao Mei was about three months pregnant, but Third Aunt-in-law wondered why her belly was so big? Second Aunt-in-law and Third Aunt-in-law looked at Qiao Meis stomach doubtfully. It was not that they were overly suspicious, but even though what happened just now had been proven to be fake, they could not help but feel wary. Qiao Mei looked at their doubtful gazes and knew that it was time to reveal that she was pregnant with twins. Aunt, please help me take a look. I also feel that my belly has grown a lot bigger recently, Qiao Mei said as she touched her belly. At first, Xia Fang was caught by surprise when she heard what the mother and son said. Although she did not think that Qiao Mei was such a person, she could not help but become suspicious when she heard what the other party said. Now that the truth was out, she felt much more at ease and also felt a little guilty for suspecting Qiao Mei. Come, let me take a look. Xia Fang walked forward and gently touched Qiao Meis belly. Aunt, what do you think? Qiao Mei asked. Xia Fang smiled and said, Your belly is indeed much bigger than the last time I saw you, but everyones physique is different. Some peoples stomachs get very big, but some peoples stomachs dont even show. Its all very normal. Xia Fang still did not realize that Qiao Mei was pregnant with twins. Maybe you can try eating less recently. Its possible that youve been eating too much and gained weight a little too quickly, Xia He guessed. What are fetal movements supposed to be like? I keep feeling that Im carrying two babies because sometimes the fetal movements are on the left, sometimes on the right, and sometimes on both sides at the same time, Qiao Mei asked curiously. Two? Second Aunt-in-law and Third Aunt-in-law looked at Qiao Mei in surprise. Even Xia Fang was shocked when she heard this. Given that Qiao Mei was only three months pregnant, it would explain the size of her belly if she was pregnant with twins. If she was really having twins, it would be great news for the Xia family! Dont move, let me take a look. Xia Fang checked Qiao Meis belly closely. Xia Fang gently covered Qiao Meis stomach with her hands. Not long after, she could feel the fetal movements. As Qiao Mei had described, it happened on the left side for a while and then the right side for a while. Sometimes, it happened together on both sides. Come on, lets go to the hospital. Lets go to the hospital now! Xia Fang said excitedly. Whats wrong? Is the child abnormal? Is there a problem? said Third Aunt-in-law, with an imperceptible gloating tone. No, no! Qiao Mei might really be pregnant with twins! I have to quickly bring her to the hospital for an ultrasound! Xia Fang led Qiao Mei out excitedly. Xia He took her bag and followed closely behind. Second Aunt-in-law and Third Aunt-in-law wanted to follow as well but were stopped by Xia Fang. She knew that these two chatty women only wanted to watch the fun. The ultrasonic machines were still very rare during this time. Due to the fact that they were rare, most people would not choose to do an ultrasound scan and only wealthy families could afford to do so. Moreover, one had to make an appointment in advance to do an ultrasound scan. Chapter 309 - Unable to Have a Child Chapter 309: Unable to Have a Child Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Second Aunt-in-law and Third Aunt-in-law, Liu Fen and Zhou Hua respectively, followed them all the way to the door. After watching the three of them leave the Xia residence, both women returned to the living hall and sat down to gossip. The two of them were full-time housewives so they were unable to talk much about current affairs and only chatted about family matters. Not long after, Zhou Hua noticed the quiet Tan Jing next to her. Qiao Mei is currently pregnant with the eldest grandchild of the Xia family. If she is able to give birth to two boys, Xu Lan will be so happy, said Zhou Hua as she looked at Tan Jing from time to time. Tan Jing sat at the side with her head lowered, completely ignoring what Zhou Hua said. Liu Fens biggest worry was that her four children would either not get married or that she would only have granddaughters without an eldest grandson. Thats so true. Xia Zhe is really lucky to have children right after he got married, and to have two at one go. Look at my children. All of them are so disappointing. Liu Fen became sad when she thought of this and reached out to wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes. Second sister-in-law, dont be anxious. Look at Eldest Brother and Eldest Sister-in-law. They only have grandchildren at such an old age. Even if you dont have a grandson, at least you have a granddaughter and you can enjoy life now. Its just that Eldest Sister-in-law finally has her wish granted. Zhou Hua then turned around and smiled at Tan Jing as she said, Dont you think so, Xiao Jing? Tan Jing smiled awkwardly and said, Third Aunt-in-law is right. My mother-in-law will be very happy. Tan Jing clenched her fists tightly, her nails digging into her palms. Compared to the pain in her palms, her heart hurt even more. From the moment she returned to the Xia family, she had been feeling very agitated. It was not that she did not like Qiao Mei, it was just that she felt that Qiao Mei was really too lucky. Xia Zhe had been very gentle to Qiao Mei after she married into the family. Tan Jing could not understand why such a country girl could get such treatment while she was treated with disdain. Tan Jing did not expect that not only was the entire matter today just a farce, the good news that everyone received ended up dealing her a heavy blow. Ever since Tan Jing got married to Xia Wen, she had been trying her best to get pregnant. In the beginning, she made changes to her lifestyle and went to the hospital for physical examination regularly. As more time passed, she became a little anxious and went around asking for all kinds of folk prescriptions. She would try everything once but nothing worked. She even went to the Guanyin Temple to pray for children but it did not help. She had worked hard for so many years, but in the end, she did not manage to have even one child. Qiao Mei had two children upon getting pregnant! How could anyone be so lucky! Why did she not have her own children! Of course she would be happy. Eldest Sister-in-law had wanted a grandson for so many years and now she finally got her wish. The more Zhou Hua thought about it, the more amused she felt. She was happy to see Tan Jing suppressing her anger and still smiling respectfully at her. Back when Zhou Hua married into the Xia family, they held a grand ceremony because they owed her a favor! If she had not saved Xia Guang, the third son of the Xia family, the Xia family would have lost a son! Her view was that if she stated the facts humbly, she was Xia Guangs savior; if she stated the facts bluntly, she was the Xia familys savior! In the past, Xu Lan would always use Zhou Huas family background as an excuse to laugh at her. Later on, when Xia Guangs career declined progressively, Xu Lan even got hold of some evidence against her. Every time Xu Lan saw her, Xu Lan would use this knowledge to mock her. Zhou Hua was adamant that if she did not have a good life, then no one else would have a good life! No one could look down on her! Then when is your family going to have a grandson? Tan Jing asked Zhou Hua with a smile. Tan Jing was usually quiet and soft-spoken, and she never got angry even when Liu Fen nagged her every day that as a woman, her responsibility was to have children and raise the next generation for the Xia family. Now that she dared to talk back, Zhou Hua thought that she had really underestimated Tan Jing. Zhou Hua did not get angry when she heard this. She was much younger than Xu Lan. She could afford to wait, but Xu Lan could not. Her son had only been married for a year and was not in a hurry to have children. Her daughter-in-law had a civilian post in the army and was a hundred times better than Tan Jing who did nothing at home! Im not in a hurry since my son and daughter-in-law just got married. My daughter-in-law is in line for a promotion! Its too rushed for them to have a child now. We can talk about that after she gets her promotion. It was like Zhou Hua was almost putting her daughter-in-law on a pedestal. Oh my, you still have to watch over them closely. They must still have a child, Liu Fen said. Yes, they definitely will. I still want to rest for a few more years too. Its tiring to take care of a child, Zhou Hua pretended to say in disdain. Chapter 310 - Interrogation Chapter 310: Interrogation Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios While there was a heated conversation going on at home, it was also full of activities outside. Xia Xiu brought Wang Yong and the old widow to a place equipped for interrogation. If this matter had been done by a family member, then it would be a family matter. However, it was obvious that someone had deliberately set this thing up, so they could not simply let these two people off. Xia Xiu had never been afraid of anyone. She wanted to let the forces behind these two people know that the Xia family was not any pushover that could be manipulated by them. As soon as Wang Yong entered the interrogation room, he confessed everything even before Xia Xiu opened her mouth. He talked about how in the past, he had never thought of going on a blind date with Qiao Mei. It was his mother who said that Qiao Meis family was rich and did not lack anything and that if she married him, he could do whatever he wanted with the money. He left out the incident when he went to look for her and she gave him a beating and chased him out. After that, they did not contact each other anymore. As time passed, he had long forgotten about everything. However, not long ago, two people who dressed quite well, and looked like rich people, came to the village. In the beginning, they went from house to house, trying to find out about Wang Yong and Qiao Meis relationship. Later on, they found Wang Yongs family and gave them a sum of money to tell an exaggerated story and to say that Qiao Mei was carrying Wang Yongs child. They made up an entire story for him to memorize. They told him that if he completed the task successfully, they would buy a house for his mother and him in the county city so that they need not live in the village anymore. They would also be given another large sum of money. Wang Yong was so enticed by the rewards that he agreed and he was then sent to the Xia residence. Then do you know who hired you? Xia Xiu asked. Wang Yong recalled carefully and said, Those two people didnt say where they came from, and I didnt dare to ask. They dont look like people to be trifled with. Xia Xiu stood up and slowly went to stand opposite Wang Yong. She placed her hands on the table and said patiently, Think about it carefully again. Were there any special signs or symbols, or whether they said anything that seemed strange. Looking at Xia Xius cold eyes, Wang Yong panicked and said, Let Let me think You have to think about it carefully. If you lie, dont even think about leaving this place. What you did today was slandering a soldier. We can send you to the police station and have you convicted! Xia Xiu stood up quietly and looked at Wang Yong. Xia Xiu held up three fingers and said, Ill give you another three minutes. When I come in later, I hope that you can tell me something I havent heard before. Do you understand? After Xia Xiu finished speaking, she walked out of the interrogation room. The people sitting outside were all from the Xia family. Xia Mao, Xia Wen and Xia Zhe were all there. They could see what was going on inside the interrogation room through the two-way mirror, and they could hear everything that was said inside clearly, but Wang Yong could not see what was going on outside. Eldest Aunts ability to interrogate people is still as formidable as ever, Xia Wen teased. Well, this is how I make a living. So, do you guys have any ideas yet? Xia Xiu asked. Xia Mao lowered his head in silence. Wang Yong did not say anything useful at all and they could only make guesses. There are too many people that we can suspect. In the past few years, our Xia family has done well and has been a thorn in their sides. I wonder who did this, Xia Wen said. Could it be the Zheng family? I heard that the girl from the Zheng family has been demoted recently because of you, Xia Xiu said as she looked at Xia Zhe. Xia Zhe knew Zheng Yuans character and also knew that Zheng Yuans father had always treated him like his own son. They would definitely not take the opportunity to take revenge. Uncle Zheng is my mentor and he wont do that. However, not long ago, Qiao Mei seemed to have an altercation with He Mei from the He family, Xia Zhe said. He only heard the story that night when Qiao Mei talked about all his romantic debts, and it took him a long time to coax her and to explain the relationship he had with each woman. It also made him realize how Qiao Mei had a difficult time when she first came to the capital. The He family? Then only He Ning would be able to do such a sinister thing! Xia Xiu immediately chimed in. When Xia Mao heard this, he also felt that it was most likely to be the He family. He nodded and said, The only person in the entire capital who can do this without any loopholes, and yet be able to distance himself from it, would be He Ning. No other person can be so meticulous. Chapter 311 - It Is Because He Is Too Charming Chapter 311: It Is Because He Is Too Charming Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The question was why He Ning would do this. The Xia family and He family had always stayed in their own lanes. Why would He Ning suddenly plot against the Xia family? Has anyone offended the He family recently? Xia Xiu asked with a frown. Xia Wen smiled and looked at Xia Zhe as he said, You probably have to ask Xia Zhe about this. He Mei has always liked Xia Zhe and He Guo has come to propose marriage several times, but the relationship between our family and the He family has never been good. Now that the political situation is so tense, we also cant have a marriage alliance with the He family. Moreover, if Xiao Zhe doesnt want to marry her, its useless for anyone to say anything. He Mei can be considered to be a pampered young lady from a wealthy family and she had been treated like a princess at home since young. Why is she doing this? Xia Xiu asked bewilderedly. Aunt, this is because our Xiao Zhe is too charming. If they had succeeded in this matter, He Mei can then become Xiao Zhes new wife after he gets divorced. Xia Zhe is already the battalion commander at such a young age. Dont you think theyre envious? Xia Wen explained. The way he said it made sense. No one had expected He Mei to be so infatuated and to have waited for Xia Zhe for so many years. Xia Xiu had spent all her time in the army and did not pay attention to such issues at home. The last time she saw He Mei was when Xia Zhe was in school, and she actually thought that He Mei had already gotten married after so many years. If He Ning wanted to get this matter done, he would do whatever it took. With his character, there was nothing he could not get as long as he wanted it. He had the capability to do anything. He Nings health wont be able to hold up for more than a few years, and the He family wont be able to achieve much either. Not long ago, Xia Mao had heard that He Ning had been recuperating at home and had not gone out for a long time. It seemed that he was seriously ill this time. Ill go in and see if he has any other valuable information. With that, Xia Xiu went in to interrogate Wang Yong. The Xia family members outside the room continued to discuss how to launch a counterattack on the He family. They could not just ignore what had happened today.. After Wang Yong confessed and stamped his fingerprint on the statement document, both he and his mother were released. Everyone else left as well. Xia Mao returned to the army to settle some matters while Xia Zhe and Xia Wen prepared to return to their grandfathers house. After all, their wives were still waiting for them there! The two of them stood at the door and waited for their ride. Xia Wen slowly leaned towards Xia Zhe and asked, What made you take a fancy to Qiao Mei back then? Eldest Aunt said that Qiao Meis weight was a shockingly big number then . Xia Wen had seen the information that his eldest aunt had given him. Back then, Qiao Mei indeed weighed more than 200 pounds. Xia Wen believed that no matter how desperate his younger brother was, he would not have fallen in love with her at first sight and slept with her immediately after they met Xia Zhe glanced sideways at Xia Wen. What happened back then He did not want to provide the details, but even if Xia Wen racked his brains, Xia Wen would not be able to imagine that it was Qiao Mei who was the one who ravished him back then. Xia Zhe smiled and said, Shes a very kind girl. Shes smart and capable, cooks well and does great needlework. She also treats me well. Usually, shell send me the pickled vegetables, dried meat and dried fruits that she made herself. She also Xia Wen quickly interrupted Xia Zhe and said, Stop, stop, stop! Take it that I know shes very good. Stop talking. If I dont interrupt you, I reckon you can talk until dawn tomorrow! Xia Zhe gave it some serious thought before replying, Theres such a possibility. Xia Wen rolled his eyes resignedly. He thought that this must be the power of love. Xia Zhe, who had always had a cold expression and never smiled, would actually smile foolishly when he thought of his wife. You I think youve been completely defeated by Qiao Mei, Xia Wen said as he shook his head helplessly. Their car arrived at this moment. Xia Zhe put his arm around Xia Wens shoulder and said playfully, Alright, big brother, lets go back quickly. I reckon my wife is still going through Second Aunt-in-laws ideological education! Hurry up and go back. I dont want to hear stories about you and my sister-in-law here. Im so jealous! Xia Wen pushed Xia Zhes arm away and got into the car, with Xia Zhe following closely behind. It did not take long for the two of them to reach home. The moment they entered, they could only hear Liu Fen and Zhou Hua chatting and laughing. Xia Zhe looked around but did not see Qiao Mei at all. Even his elder sister and aunt were not around. Xia Zhe asked coldly with a dark expression, Where did my wife go? Chapter 312 - Good News Chapter 312: Good News Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xia Zhe stared at Liu Fen. He thought that Liu Fen had said something to Qiao Mei and instructed her to do work. Liu Fens expression immediately darkened as well. Zhou Hua laughed and said, Your wife has been eaten up by your second aunt-in-law. Hahaha! She was the only one in the room who laughed loudly, while everyone else did not look too happy. Your wife, Xia He and Xia Fang went to the hospital, Liu Fang said sulkily. Hospital? Whats going on! Xia Zhe and Xia Wen said in unison. It was normal for Xia Zhe to have such a big reaction. After all, Qiao Mei was his wife. However, no one knew why Xia Wen was so worked up as well. Tan Jing glared at Xia Wen while trying to suppress her anger, but Xia Wen only paid attention to Liu Fang and what she was saying, and did not see Tan Jings expression at all. Perhaps he did not even notice Tan Jing there when he entered. Xia Zhe had no patience for Liu Fens slow explanation. Striding big steps, he rushed to the door to head to the hospital. As he opened the door, he bumped into Qiao Mei and the others who had just returned. Oh my, slow down. Where are you going in such a hurry? Xia Fang reprimanded him. Xia Zhe did not even hear what Xia Fang said. He grabbed hold of Qiao Mei and checked her carefully to see if she was injured. Before long, he realized that everyone was smiling and it did not look like something bad had happened. Your wife is pregnant! Xia He looked at Xia Zhe excitedly. Xia Zhe glared at her. How could he not know that his wife was pregnant? It was such an obvious thing. Twins! Twins! Theyre twins! Xia He said, jumping up excitedly. It took a while for Xia Zhe to register that. Twins? What twins? Qiao Mei was pregnant with twins!!! Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei, then at her belly, with an expression of pleasant surprise. He had only just been worried about whether Qiao Mei was safe and sound, but now his face was filled with shock and joy. Is it really a pair of twins? Xia Wen had stood behind Xia Zhe all this while, and he turned towards Xia Fang to ask her. Xia Fang nodded. Xia Wen excitedly hugged Xia Zhes shoulder and said, Younger brother! Theyre twins! Thats so great! Xia Zhe also laughed happily. This was such a joyous occasion! Liu Fen could hear a commotion at the door from the living hall, but she could not tell what was going on. She asked Auntie Chen to ask them to come in. Xiao Zhe! Xiao Wen! Hurry back into the house! Let the ladies come in! Why are you all standing outside on such a hot day! Liu Fen said laughingly. Although Liu Fen looked down on Qiao Mei, she appreciated the fact that Qiao Mei was giving the Xia family two children in one go! That was a great contribution to the family. I must be out of my mind. Hurry up and go into the house. Xia Wen let go of Xia Zhe and stood to the side, asking his aunt, younger sister and sister-in-law to enter the house quickly. I can hear you guys talking at the door just now. Did Mei Mei get the results? Liu Fen looked at Xia Fang expectantly. Xia Fang smiled and said, We checked already. Its confirmed to be twins. Liu Fen clapped her hands excitedly and looked at Qiao Mei with satisfaction. Among the children in the Xia family, she liked Xia Zhe the most and would think about Xiao Zhe whenever there were any nice things. Like what Xia He had said, she did not have any bad intentions. It was just that she favored boys over girls and she felt that womenfolk in the family should do all the housework so that men need not worry about such things. She was a traditionalist. However, she definitely doted on these boys at home. Her only hope was that the men of the Xia family would prosper and she did not have any bad intentions at all. Qiao Mei, its a great achievement to have two children. Most people dont have such good fortune! Come and sit down. Dont tire yourself out. Liu Fen quickly stood up and helped Qiao Mei to the chair she just vacated. Second Aunt-in-law, Im fine. Im in great health! Qiao Mei said with a smile. Zhou Hua looked at the way Liu Fen showered attention on Qiao Mei. She reckoned that people who did not know better would think that Qiao Mei was pregnant with her grandson! Sister-in-law, why are you so happy? Even my eldest sister-in-law is not as happy as you! said Zhou Hua. Third Aunt-in-law, Second Aunt-in-law is just excited. Shes happy that theres going to be a new generation in the family, Xia Wen explained. At this moment, Zhou Hua seemed to have thought of something. She was a person full of bad ideas. She looked back and forth at Xia Wen and Tan Jing. Chapter 313 - Just Joking Chapter 313: Just Joking Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios What are you looking at, Third Aunt-in-law? Xia Wen asked. Zhou Hua smiled at Xia Wen and said, I think you seem quite happy too. Actually, they can give one of the twins to you. Dont you think that would be perfect? The moment she said this, the atmosphere in the room instantly turned icy. Liu Fen also stood at the side, not knowing what to say. The smiles on Qiao Mei and Xia Zhes faces disappeared at the same time while Xia Wen and Tan Jing threw dirty looks at Zhou Hua. The angrier Xia Zhe looked, the happier Qiao Mei felt. There were many people in her village who gave away their children in exchange for money. There were also people who starved their daughters and married them off once they were of marriageable age. She was relieved to see that Xia Zhe cared about the children. No matter what other people said, Xia Zhe had no intention of giving his children to others. With this, nothing else could faze her. Seeing that everyone ignored her, Zhou Hua laughed awkwardly and said, I was just joking. Why did everyone take it seriously? Then Third Aunt-in-law should stop joking in the future. You dont seem to be very good at telling jokes, Xia Wen said coldly. Seeing that he did not give her an out despite him being her junior, Zhou Hua said mockingly, Youre really taking my good intentions for granted. Who do you think Im saying this for? Im being kind but no one appreciates it. Second sister-in-law, lets go cook. After Zhou Hua finished speaking, she did not forget to glare at Tan Jing. If not for this useless woman, she would not have been put on the spot today. Even a country girl could get pregnant with two children, yet Tan Jing did not have any contribution after marrying into the family for so many years. Ah, right, right, right. Its time to cook so lets go! Liu Fen smiled and answered Zhou Hua, hurriedly pulling her into the kitchen. When she reached the kitchen door, she turned back to look at the people in the living hall. Tan Jing did not say anything and quietly got up to go into the kitchen. Xia He also followed her. There were many juniors today, so Xia Fang did not have to help out. Liu Fen glanced at Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe hurriedly blocked Liu Fens line of sight by sitting beside Qiao Mei. He said happily, How did you all go to the hospital? Was it a bumpy ride? Were there many people queuing? You should rest so that you dont tire my son out. Xia Zhe even emphasized the word son loudly at the end. Liu Fen shook her head and smiled. This would be the familys eldest grandson, she had better not let Qiao Mei tire herself out. It was not as if there was no one else around to do these things. She would give Qiao Mei a break. Qiao Mei stole a glance at the kitchen and whispered, What if its two daughters? Xia Zhe happily patted Qiao Meis belly and said, Whats so bad about having daughters? Theyll grow up to look as beautiful as you. Our eldest aunt is so capable. Then look at our youngest aunt, shes also an important staff member of the hospital. Then look at my sister, the mainstay of the culture troupe. My mother was previously the head of the military art troupe. Besides, youre so capable, so its a good thing to have daughters. Xia Wen smiled as he looked at Xia Zhe and his wife. In the past, Xia Zhe rarely came home and even requested to stay in the army to work during the holiday season. He was like an iceberg that had no warmth. Now, he looked as though he would do anything for Qiao Mei. As Xia He washed the vegetables in the kitchen, she said, Now that Xia Zhe is married, hes happy all the time. Isnt that so? The old Xiao Zhe doesnt like to talk, but now hes just smiling every day. Liu Fen sighed as she looked at the loving couple through the kitchen glass door. Second Uncle was also like this when he married Second Aunt-in-law back then, right? If Second Uncle hadnt been so busy recently after his promotion, Second Uncle and Second Aunt-in-law would probably be the ones putting on a public display of affection! Xia He looked at Liu Fen and teased her. Liu Fen raised her hand and gently gave Xia He a push. She said embarrassedly, Youre making fun of me! Im so old already! But your second uncle has indeed been very busy recently. I havent seen him in a long time. Its a good thing that hes busy though. Im thinking he will be back soon. As Zhou Hua chopped vegetables at one side, she made loud sounds on the chopping board, causing the cabinet to shake from the impact. Third Uncle Xia Guangs career had not shown any signs of improvement recently. Not long ago, he had even been reprimanded by his superiors, and she had also been mocked by Xu Lan for that. Seeing Liu Fen showing off about how capable and reliable her husband was, Zhou Hua felt that all these people looked down on her! Chapter 314 - Naming the Children Chapter 314: Naming the Children Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xia He and Liu Fen closed their mouths discomfitingly and did not say anything else. Tan Jing pretended not to hear anything. Dont worry, its fine even if we have daughters, Xia Zhe comforted Qiao Mei. Liu Fen heard that from the kitchen. She hurriedly opened the kitchen door and came out raising a spatula at Xia Zhe, saying, Hurry up and spit on that! What unlucky things are you saying! You will have sons! Qiao Mei looked at the agitated Liu Fen and said, Yes, if Second Aunt-in-law says theyre boys, then it must be so! Liu Fen said proudly, Thats true. I have four children and Im very blessed to have both sons and daughters! Dont spout nonsense, youll have sons! Zhou Hua shouted from the kitchen, You should be more worried about your two sons getting married. Theyre not even married yet, but youre so anxious about Eldest Brother and Eldest Sister-in-laws grandchildren! Liu Fen did not mind and pretended that she did not hear anything. She said thoughtfully, What are these two childrens nicknames? Are they called Luck and Fortune? Or Wealth and Treasure! Xia Zhe lowered his head and held back his laughter. Qiao Mei looked at Liu Fen and said, Second Aunt-in-law, I think Luck and Fortune are good. If theyre girls, then theres no need for these nicknames. When Liu Fen heard Qiao Mei mention having girls again, she got so anxious that she stomped her feet. She quickly waved her hands and said, Hurry up and spit on that! Dont say such inauspicious things! It must be two boys! Qiao Mei was so ticked by Liu Fens reaction that she laughly loudly and said, Alright, alright, alright. It will definitely be the Luck and Fortune that Second Aunt-in-law is looking forward to. Liu Fen gave Qiao Mei a look of satisfaction and went back to cook. As she walked back, she was still muttering the words luck and fortune, and could not stop smiling widely. The eldest grandson of the Xia family would be using a nickname that she had chosen. She would be proud to tell that story to outsiders. She thought that Qiao Mei seemed like a nice person. Back when Qiao Mei first came to visit, Xu Lan had called up Liu Fen after that and kept complaining about Qiao Mei. She told Liu Fen how she thought Qiao Mei was such an ignorant village girl, as well as a lot of other nasty things.. Now, Liu Fen felt that Qiao Mei was in no way inferior to those young ladies from wealthy families in the capital! As if those young ladies could get pregnant with two children at once! Lets see who still dared to look down on Qiao Mei! She would definitely be the first to stand up and put a stop to it! Xia Zhe pinched Qiao Meis cheek and asked, Didnt I give the children nicknames in my letters back then? Are you saying that my nicknames arent as good as Luck and Fortune? Qiao Mei slapped Xia Zhes hand away and looked at Xia Wen, saying, Elder Brother is knowledgeable. Lets get Elder Brother to be the judge. He said in the letter that he wants to name the child Xia Zhuang! Xia Wen could not help but laugh when he heard this name. I also think that Luck and Fortune is much better than your Xia Zhuang. Xia Wen did not hide his disdain for the name Xia Zhe came up with. Xia Wen thought for a moment and said, If you trust me, Ill help you name the children. Xia Zhe looked towards Qiao Mei to see what she thought. Qiao Mei nodded and said, Elder Brother, please do. Youre so cultured and the names you come up with will definitely be nice names. When Xia Zhe heard the way Qiao Mei praised Xia Wen, he felt a little jealous. He had also studied in military school and he was in no way less cultured than his elder brother. He may be a military man, but it did not mean that he was uneducated. Let me think If theyre boys, shall we name them Xia Yun and Xia Xuan? If theyre girls, then Xia Wei and Xia Shuang, Xia Wen said after careful consideration. Qiao Mei also felt that these were nice names. When she looked up, she saw that Xia Zhe was still frowning. Qiao Mei asked softly, Whats wrong? Are you unhappy with the names given by Elder Brother? Xia Zhe said in a fit of pique, Xia Zhuang would have been a nice name for my son! It had been a long time since Xia Zhe threw a tantrum in front of Xia Wen and he had not seen his younger brothers childish side for a long time. He was so amused that he laughed out loudly and said, If youre not convinced, then let grandfather and father be the judges and see which names are better. Perhaps the two of them wont like the names we came up with. They might already have their own ideas regarding the names. Youre right. Grandfather has been looking forward to this for a long time. I think he might have already prepared names for our children. Lets ask grandfather to choose later. Xia Zhe thought about how his grandfather had always looked forward to him getting married and having children. He had asked Xia Zhe to get married when his grandmother was still around, but Xia Zhe did not meet anyone he liked. Therefore, Xia Zhe guessed that his grandfather might have already prepared names for his future grandchildren a long time ago. Chapter 315 - The Heavens Are Unfair Chapter 315: The Heavens Are Unfair Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios As Xia Wen excitedly joined in the discussion to name Xia Zhes children, Tan Jing silently shed tears in the kitchen. All these years, the fact that the two of them did not manage to have a child had always been a wound in her heart. Xia Wen had always comforted her and said that it did not matter if they had children or not. However, when she saw Xia Wen being so concerned about Qiao Meis babies and even excitedly helping to name them, she could not help but feel upset. Xia He observed quietly from the side. When Tan Jing first married into the family, Xia He liked her very much. She was cheerful, laughed a lot, and liked to sing and dance. Later on, after being married for many years and not having children, she completely changed into a different person and became silent and unwilling to communicate with anyone. She also looked unhappy all the time. At first, Liu Fen kept nagging her about the matter. Later, Tan Jing felt so hounded and uncomfortable that she starved herself for a long time. After that, Liu Fen did not dare to mention it again and the entire family also avoided this topic. Xia Wen also secretly spoke to all the other family members and asked them not to make things difficult for Tan Jing. However, now that Qiao Mei was pregnant, it was inevitable that everyone would feel happy and talk constantly about children, unintentionally hurting Tan Jing. In the beginning, Xia He and Tan Jing got along like biological sisters. Later on, it became harder and harder for Xia He to understand why Tan Jing cared so much about this matter. She had also gotten married herself, but she did not have children. Instead, she was very glad that she did not have that burden. Now that she was in an unhappy situation, she need not maintain a painful marriage for the sake of children. She felt free and unrestrained, but Tan Jing kept getting herself stuck in a rut. As time passed, the two of them grew apart. Zhou Hua glanced at Tan Jing from behind and laughed disdainfully. She had thought that with a daughter-in-law like Tan Jing, Eldest Brother and Eldest Sister-in-law would never have any grandchildren in their lives, meaning their bloodline would end with their sons. No one could have expected that Xia Zhe, who looked on track to becoming a monk, would actually get married and that his wife would be pregnant with twins. The heavens were really unfair. All good things went to the eldest son of the family. Back when her mother-in-law was still alive, she was also biased towards her eldest sons family. After she died, she even gave her house to Xia Zhe. No one else could get their hands on it. Zhou Hua only found out about this when Tan Jing accidentally let slip this matter while they were chatting. Otherwise, she would still be in the dark. The Xia family had a total of three sons. The eldest son had two boys, the second son had two boys, but their family had given the Xia family three boys! She could not understand why the house did not go to Xia Guang. Currently, Xia Maos three children were all married and their eldest grandchild was about to be born. The second son, Xia Yao, lived a thriving and happy life with Liu Fen. Only Xia Guangs family was not doing well! She could not understand why they could not get any good things. Their sons were unable to find wives because they did not have their own house. Zhou Huas whole family was still living together into a 120-square-meter allocated property. Her eldest son was about to propose marriage to the girl he liked but she was unwilling to marry him because he did not have his own house. She heard that Xia Zhe had managed to get back the part of the house occupied by the Cao family. There would only be five people living in such a big house, even If she included Qiao Meis grandfather. It was such a waste for only five people to live in such a big house! They might as well give her family a few rooms. She did not ask for much and would be happy to have just one section out of the four sections of the house. She had been thinking about this for a long time, but she was too embarrassed to broach this topic when Xia Jun was around. Given that there was no one in charge at home today, she started to put on airs. Auntie Chen, please set the table. Well take a break. Liu Fen came out of the kitchen rubbing her shoulders. Although Auntie Chen was the familys helper, she mostly just took care of Xia Jun and his meals. Xia Jun was an old man and he had a lighter diet, so his food needed to be made separately. Everyone sat in the living hall and chatted. Xia Zhe is still the most capable among the kids of his generation, Zhou Hua said flatteringly. Thats right. I also think Xiao Zhe is the most hardworking and capable! Liu Fen did not know what Zhou Hua had in mind and simply agreed with what she said. Xia Wen looked at Zhou Hua and smiled while Xia He did not reply as well. She knew that Third Aunt-in-law did not have a good heart and was a very nasty person. Qiao Mei also wondered why Zhou Huas attitude seemed to have changed after she came back from the kitchen. Chapter 316 - Getting Drunk Chapter 316: Getting Drunk Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios You can eat now. Old Master Xia said that he wont be coming down to eat. Ill bring it up for him, Auntie Chen said respectfully. Qiao Mei lowered her head and whispered to Xia Zhe, Is grandfather not feeling well? Xia Zhe patted Qiao Meis head and said, Dont worry. Grandfather probably feels that there are too many youngsters and women around and that his presence would make it difficult for us to talk and catch up. Thats why hes not coming down. If youre worried, we can go to the study room to chat with him after dinner. Qiao Mei nodded and followed Xia Zhe to the dining room. When everyone was seated, they started to eat in silence. So, let me say a few words. The Xia family has confirmed two kids of the next generation today and were all gathered together. Lets have drinks and catch up! Zhou Hua stood up and went to the liquor cabinet. Xia Wen said faintly, Third Aunt-in-law, dont take out the wrong liquor. The cabinet is filled with grandfathers treasures. Dont drink his favorite liquor by accident. Zhou Hua faced the liquor cabinet and cursed Xia Wen in her heart. In the entire family, Xia Wens relationship with her was the worst. She did not know how she had offended Xia Wen, but he always argued with her. She felt that Xia Wen was not as nice as everyone said and was not the gentle and modest gentleman that people talked about! His smile hid how treacherous he actually was! At the corner of the liquor cabinet, Zhou Hua found the bottle of liquor that she had given to Xia Jun. At that time, Xia Jun had asked Auntie Chen to put it away in the cabinet without even looking at it. The bottle was now covered with dust even though the rest of the bottles were clean. When the light shone on those bottles, they gleamed brightly. A few bottles had even been sealed with special methods to prevent their contents from evaporating. Zhou Hua did not pay attention to what Xia Wen said. She had something more important to do today. After taking out the bottle, Zhou Hua opened it and started pouring the liquor for everyone. The more everyone drank, the easier it would be for her to settle the matter. As long as Xia Zhe agreed, there was nothing that could not be done. When she was about to pour the liquor for Qiao Mei, Xia Zhe reached out to cover Qiao Meis glass and said, Third Aunt-in-law, shes pregnant and cant drink. Back then, his maternal aunt-in-law had given him a list of things that pregnant women should watch out for. In addition, his aunt had also told Xia Zhe about many things that pregnant women could and could not do, including not being able to drink alcohol. Xia Zhe would not forget anything that concerned Qiao Mei. Its fine to drink a bit! I drank when I was pregnant! Zhou Hua was about to pour the liquor when Xia Wen said, If anything should happen to Qiao Meis babies, what do you think my father and grandfather will do, Third Aunt-in-law? Zhou Huas hands stopped in midair. She was not a doctor. If anything really happened, Xu Lan would definitely cut her into pieces. Zhou Hua immediately turned her gaze to Tan Jing, who was sitting beside Qiao Mei. As she poured the liquor, she said gleefully, Oh well, then Tan Jing can drink more. It doesnt matter how much Tan Jing drinks since shes not pregnant! Zhou Hua thought that there were some benefits to Tan Jing not having children. It helped her to resolve the awkwardness like this. Little did she know that Xia Wens expression became even more thoughtful when he looked at her, while Xia Zhe stared at her as well. Zhou Hua was still forcing a smile, but her hands had already started to tremble. Well lets eat, lets eat! Liu Fen helped to smooth things over. She thought that if she did not interrupt now, all these people would start arguing again. Only then did Zhou Hua sit down and heave a sigh of relief. Even if she ended up offending everyone at the dining table, she still had to continue to make them drink so that she could achieve her goal. Xia Wen and Xia Zhe did not appreciate what Liu Fen did and just quietly ate and took food for their wives. Xia Wen also drank all the liquor in Tan Jings glass in one go. Tan Jing looked at Xia Wen with a slight smile. She knew that her husband loved her and had been protecting her in his own way all these years, but the pressure and stares from their relatives and neighbors made it difficult for her to breathe. It was her own anxiety that caused her to be in such a state now. Zhou Hua continued talking and drinking by herself. She was completely fine with drinking by herself if the others did not want to drink. If she got drunk, she could then use that as an excuse if she happened to offend anyone. She would just say that it was the liquor that made her sprout nonsense and asked for everyones forgiveness. This way, no one would be able to take what she said to heart. After she had a few glasses, she started to act up. Chapter 317 - Acting Crazy Chapter 317: Acting Crazy Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Zhou Hua suddenly started crying bitterly, tears raining down her face. Liu Fen, who was sitting next to her, was shocked and wondered what was wrong with her. Third Aunt-in-law, whats wrong? Xia He asked. Im just happy. Im happy that all of you are doing well! Zhou Hua said as she wept. Xia Wen shook the liquor glass in his hand and smiled at Zhou Hua. Why are you crying when youre happy, Third Aunt-in-law? Its so inauspicious to cry on a joyous day. Zhou Hua used a handkerchief to cover her face and wipe her tears. The expression behind the handkerchief was a very twisted and angry one, but after wiping her tears, she put on a pitiful look again. It was a waste that she did not become a performer. Look at what this kid is saying. Seeing all of you doing well makes me think of my Xia Xing. I dont even know when hell be able to get married. After saying that, Zhou Hua started crying again. Didnt Brother Xing say that he has a girlfriend and is getting engaged soon? Doesnt that mean hes getting married soon? Third Aunt-in-law should be happy about that, Xia Wen asked. Zhou Hua said with reddened eyes, Its just that although the girl wants to marry into our family, her parents say that we must provide a house. Thats why he hasnt gotten married yet. Xia Wen gave Xia Zhe a meaningful look. It seemed like her target was Xia Zhe. If Brother Xing works hard, wont he be allocated a house soon? Xia Wen said. The Xia familys ancestors were all soldiers, but when it came to Xia Zhes generation, they started working in other fields. For example, Xia Wen was a university professor, while Xia Xing worked in a government unit in the south. Everyone had heard that the benefits were not too bad. Although the salary was not high, he would be allocated a house. If a couple was both from that unit, they would be allocated a much bigger house. Xia Xings girlfriend was a colleague from the same unit as him, and she also had a relative who was in a leadership position there, so their allocated house would definitely not be too small. The unit did allocate them a house, but I felt that it was too small, so I asked them not to take it. Zhou Hua then continued, Besides, how can a house in the poor and remote countryside be better than a house in the capital? Im thinking of getting the two of them transferred to the capital so that everyone in the family can be reunited. It seemed that not only did she have designs on Xia Zhe, but she also wanted Xia Jun to help with Xia Xings transfer. Everyone in the neighborhood could hear her wishful thinking! Third Aunt-in-law, how big a house is good for you? That allocated house is almost 200 square meters. Why isnt it big enough for Brother Xing to live in? That place is also flourishing at the moment, how is it worse than the capital? I even went there on a business trip previously, Xia Wen said with a smile. Zhou Hua pointed at Xia Wen and shouted, What do you know! How can that place compare with the capital! Besides, if our Xiao Xing has children in the future, are they supposed to find their marriage partners in that place? Its such a poor and remote place, dont tell me they have to marry country bumpkins! Thats why I want them to be transferred back to the capital. Qiao Mei almost choked on her water to hear that she had become part of the topic. She kept having a feeling that Zhou Hua had something to tell her, so there must be something else she had not said yet. I cant help with Brother Xings work problem. I can only wish Third Aunt-in-law all the best. Xia Wen finished the liquor in his glass in one gulp. Zhou Hua stood up unsteadily and put both her hands on the table while saying, As if I dont know that you cant help! You could have gone to the army to take up a civilian position, but you insisted on being a teacher. Your monthly salary is so little and your house is so small! What were you thinking! Xia Wen did not refute and just nodded vigorously. Zhou Hua then turned to look at Xia Zhe and said, Xia Zhe is still the best. Xia Zhe is so capable. His grandmother also dotes on this grandson and left him such a big house. There are 14 rooms! Its so big! Sigh, I heard from Eldest Sister-in-law that Qiao Mei has taken back the part of the house that the Cao family occupied. Shes really a capable wife. There are now 28 rooms in total. Even after your children are born, there will only be four of you. You wont have use for so many rooms, Zhou Hua said as she looked at Qiao Mei. Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei did not reply. They lowered their heads and ignored what Zhou Hua said. They already knew that she was eyeing the house, but they did not expect her to broach this topic so quickly. Chapter 318 - Unfilial Son Chapter 318: Unfilial Son Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xiao Zhe, if the house remains empty, it will attract spirits easily! If no one lives in it for too long, everything in the house will break down! Why dont you let your Brother Xing move in with you when hes back? When youre not at home, he can help you take care of Qiao Mei! Zhou Hua looked at Xia Zhe with a sad face. Qiao Mei muttered in a low voice, Hmph, youre faster than any spirits! Zhou Hua did not hear what Qiao Mei said since she was a distance away, but Xia Zhe heard it clearly since he was just next to her. Xia Zhe quietly reached out to hold Qiao Meis hand and stroked it gently to reassure her. Qiao Mei was feeling unhappy about it. She had used her own ginseng to exchange for that part of the house, so she did not see why she must agree to let Zhou Hua move in. She was extremely unwilling to do that. At that time, many families lived together under one roof, just like what Qiao Zhuangs family did in the village. Although his five sons were married, other than the second son who snatched Li Guis house and moved out with his own family, the rest of the brothers still lived in the old house. It was common for people to have to take in relatives. Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe with a sad expression. He nodded to indicate that he understood what she meant. Xia Zhe put down his chopsticks and sat up straight. He looked at Zhou Hua and said, No. He did not give her any reasons. No matter how many reasons he had, Zhou Hua would view them as excuses and she would rebut all of them. He decided to reject her in a direct manner so that she would not have any reason to pick on anything he said. Zhou Hua did not expect Xia Zhe to reject her so bluntly. After all, she was Xia Zhes third aunt-in-law and his elder. She had expected him to at least consider her request. Xiao Zhe, arent you going to even consider it? Look at your Brother Xing Zhou Hua looked at Xia Zhe with reddened eyes. Xia Zhe still said the same thing, No. What a kid! Why! Why not! Zhou Hua questioned him exasperatedly. Her tone made it sound like Xia Zhes house belonged to her and that it was disrespectful of Xia Zhe to reject her request. Qiao Meis grandfather paid for the two sections of the house that the Cao family used to occupy, so that part doesnt belong to me nor does it belong to the Xia family. I have no right to decide who can stay there. Besides, my parents cant even stay at my house, let alone other people. After Xia Zhe finished speaking, he glanced at Zhou Hua, indicating to her that she belonged to the group of other people. Originally, Xu Lan wanted to move into that house because living under the same roof as Xia Zhes grandfather meant that she had to follow his rules. However, Xia Mao did not allow her to move there because they actually had their own house. Even if they left the patriarchs house, they should move back into their own house. The area of their own house was only 100 square meters and it was not as luxurious as the small villa, so Xu Lan was unwilling to live there. Later on, Third Aunt-in-law also kept saying that she wanted to stay at the old house. Xia Fang always stopped her from doing so and did not let anyone else enter the house. Xia Zhe originally did not mind and was not concerned about who stayed there. At that time, he was focused on his job in the army and only wanted to do better in his career. However, now that he knew about the things his grandmother kept underground, he also understood the deeper meaning behind what she did. Other than his grandfather, no one else could go back to stay in the house! You! Zhou Hua pointed at Xia Zhe angrily and glared at him, but she could not say anything. If even his own mother could not move in, she had no right to demand anything as his aunt-in-law. Why is it so noisy? Whats happening? Xu Lan asked curiously. Earlier in the afternoon, she went to help out at the military art troupe because they were having some issues. She did not expect to hear something about someones parents not being allowed to do something the moment she returned home. Zhou Hua was even pointing at her son, so that woman must be up to something again. Eldest Sister-in-law, your son is really filial! He says that he wont let you and Eldest Brother stay in his house in the future! Zhou Hua complained to Xu Lan while pointing at Xia Zhe. Xu Lan looked at Zhou Hua while keeping a straight face. Xia Zhe was not that kind of child. She knew best as she was the one who gave birth to him. Xia Zhe was a greatly loyal and righteous person, just like his grandfather. Xia Zhe definitely did not say something like that. Xia Wen looked at Xu Lan and said, Mother, Third Aunt-in-law said just now that she wanted to move her whole family into the house that grandmother gave to Xiao Zhe. She even said that Brother Xing is unable to get married because Im not capable enough and because Xiao Zhe didnt prepare a house for Brother Xing. As he expected, Xu Lans expression darkened. She looked at Zhou Hua with even more hatred in her eyes. She had long known that Zhou Hua had been eyeing the house for a long time, but she did not expect her to broach this subject again today. Zhou Hua must be jealous after knowing that they had managed to take back the part of the house that the Cao family occupied. Chapter 319 - I Will Give You the Money if You Do Not Have Any Chapter 319: I Will Give You the Money if You Do Not Have Any Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xu Lan walked behind Xia Fang and reached out to put her hand on Xia Fangs shoulder as if she was grumbling. Regarding this matter, youre not the only one. Your eldest brother and I had wanted to go and stay in that house for a couple of days as we thought that its not good for the house to remain empty. We thought we could bring some warmth to the house with some human activity, but Xiao Fang came up with all sorts of reasons to stop us from going there. Xia Fang smiled and took a sip of liquor. She did not want to get involved in this matter and only wanted to watch her Third Sister-in-law and Eldest Sister-in-law fight it out. Its not that I dont want to allow Eldest Sister-in-law to live there. Its just that it was my mothers last wish to leave the house to Xia Zhe. Even if my fathers here, he will agree that its a fact that no one can change, Xia Fang said. Zhou Hua glared at Xia Fang. The old lady was already dead. How could her words be equivalent to an imperial edict? Xia Fang was just trying to play the fool. It was not as if a dead person could know who eventually ended up with the house. Lets not talk about who she intended the house for. If Xia Zhe has the keys to the house, then it belongs to him now. In that case, he can give it to whoever he wants. Whatever his grandmother said belongs in the past. If this house must always belong to him, then what will happen if Xia Zhe dies one day? Who will get this house? The government? Zhou Hua tried to reason with Xu Lan. Qiao Mei was furious when she heard this. This woman had just cursed Xia Zhe to die quickly! Qiao Mei was about to refute Zhou Hua when Xia Zhe calmed her down. Xia Zhe turned to Zhou Hua and said, Third Aunt-in-law also said that the house is mine now, so I have the final say. As for whether I die or not, you can talk about it after I die. Qiao Mei and I are living in that house now. The backyard part that the Cao family used to occupy was bought by Qiao Meis grandfather. It has nothing to do with our Xia family whether he lives there or not. Even if he wants to leave it empty, it is entirely up to him. At this moment, Zhou Hua looked at Qiao Mei. Since Xia Zhe put it across like that, it would be possible for them to live in the part of the house that the Cao family returned as long as Qiao Mei agreed to it. Qiao Mei knew what Zhou Hua was planning and rejected her directly, saying, Third Aunt-in-law, my grandfather has the final say in that part of the house, not me. I still have four siblings at home, as well as my mother and grandfather. If my grandfather is kind enough to bring the entire big family over, its also not something I can control. What I say doesnt count. How about you go and ask my grandfather? Qiao Mei looked at Zhou Hua with a wide grin. Zhou Hua was so angry that she did not know what to say. How was she supposed to ask Qiao Meis grandfather? Was she supposed to go to the countryside to look for him? Furthermore, her own nephew did not allow her to stay in his house, so why would Qiao Meis grandfather help her? It would be embarrassing for her to go asking him for a house when they were not even remotely related. Young girl, I really dont expect you to have such a sharp tongue!! Zhou Hua said as she glared at Qiao Mei. I think my daughter-in-law is very demure. Why would you say that she has a sharp tongue? I think shes too kind-hearted. Otherwise, she wouldnt be getting bullied, Xu Lan said to Zhou Hua. Although she did not like Qiao Mei, she could not let others say bad things about her daughter-in-law. As Qiao Meis mother-in-law, she had not made any remark on this matter, so it was out of line for anyone else to say anything. She thought that Zhou Hua was being too disrespectful to her. Mother, were going home. Otherwise, it will be too inconvenient when it gets late, Xia Zhe informed Xu Lan as he prepared to leave with Qiao Mei. Ill walk with you. Your sister-in-law and I are going back too. Xia Wen took his jacket and followed them with Tan Jing. Mother, were leaving too. Well come back another day. Tan Jing bowed gently and followed Xia Wen. In the blink of an eye, everyone left. Xu Lan sat down for a rest in the chair that Xia Zhe just vacated. Eldest Sister-in-law, we just want to stay at Xia Zhes house for a couple of days as a temporary measure. We dont mean to stay there forever. Its all a misunderstanding, Eldest Sister-in-law, Zhou Hua said. If you need a place to stay for a couple of days, you can just find a guest house. Or could it be that Third Brother has been short of money recently? If thats the case, you should have said so earlier. Ill get Xia Mao to send some money to your Xia Guang. Then when he comes back, hell have a place to stay. What do you think? Xu Lan said with a smile. Zhou Hua knew that it was an insinuation that she was poor and had no money! She felt angry and aggrieved. Her intention was to move into the old house, but she did not expect to be scolded by everyone in the eldest brothers family. What right did they have to treat her like this! Chapter 320 - Plan Failed Chapter 320: Plan Failed Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After Xu Lan finished speaking, she was no longer interested in the conversation and went back to her room to rest. Xia He and Xia Fang also went home, leaving Liu Fen and Auntie Chen to clean up the house and wash the dishes. Seeing that no one wanted to pay any attention to her, Zhou Hua complained to Liu Fen, Why do you think the old lady was so biased back then? She gave such a big house to only Xia Zhe. Arent all these children and grandchildren her own? Now, Xia Zhe is living in a house with 28 rooms at such a young age and also has a house allocated by the military. Our two families have nothing! My two sons dont have girlfriends yet, and theyre still too young to get married. Besides, my children are all soldiers. When the time comes for them to get married, theyll be allocated their own house too, Liu Fen said contentedly. Your two sons are afraid that youll bully their wives, so they wont bring anyone to come and see you! How can you still feel happy! Zhou Hua said harshly. My own daughters dont even like me, what more my daughters-in-law. I cant stop nagging so its normal for them not to want to live with me. Liu Fen took the last of the dishes into the kitchen and did not come back out. Although Liu Fen was a person without any ulterior motives, she was not stupid. Initially, Liu Fen had thought that Zhou Hua was quite a nice person, but then she realized that Zhou Hua had gotten more and more overboard over the years and even took to blaming her for causing Tan Jings bad mood. It was Zhou Hua who always bullied Tan Jing and passed comments about her not having children, but Zhou Hua would put the blame on Liu Fen, causing everyone to misunderstand Liu Fen. Zhou Hua always wished that the Xia family brothers would quarrel among themselves, so that she could watch the drama. However, she felt that the matter about the house was really biased. Putting her personal concerns aside, she felt that everyone in the family should have a share in the house. In the end, only Xia Zhe got everything and the others did not benefit. She believed that the rest of the granddaughters-in-law would not get the bangles that Tan Jing and Qiao Mei received. All of them are so unkind to me! Zhou Hua sat at the dining table alone and wept silently. It was all the fault of her disappointing husband and sons. Otherwise, she would not have been bullied by the eldest brothers family like this. Qiao Mei was extremely happy to return home and see the huge courtyard. She sat comfortably on the rocking chair under the cherry tree. She did not need any relatives to come warm up the house or stay temporarily! Such quiet days were the best! Fortunately, Xia Zhe did not even allow his parents to come over to live with them. If she had to live with Xu Lan and face her every day, she would go crazy very quickly. Xu Lan did not like her to begin with, and if they lived together, they would definitely end up hating each other. Xia Zhe went into the kitchen to make some food for Qiao Mei as he had observed that she did not eat much just now at the dining table. He did not expect Qiao Mei to share his thoughts. She had also intended to cook for Xia Zhe. What do you want to eat? Xia Zhe asked. Let me do it. How about you go and rest? Qiao Mei said to Xia Zhe with a grin. Ill do it. Youll have plenty of opportunities to show off in the future. Give me a chance to show off now. Xia Zhe looked at the young girl in front of him as his heart ached. In the past, he did not think that there was anything bad about his family. However, when he saw how Second Aunt-in-law asked the juniors in the family to do the housework and the way Third Aunt-in-law sowed discord and dripped sarcasm, he realized that it had not been easy for his elder sister-in-law all these years. Not only did she have to do all the housework, but she also had to endure Third Aunt-in-laws ridicule and Second Aunt-in-laws teachings. When he returned to the army after the holidays, he was worried that Qiao Mei would suffer in the capital on her own. He wanted to do as much for her as he could while he was still by her side. Then you go ahead. Ill go make clothes for Elder Sister, Qiao Mei said. Alright, dont tire yourself out. Xia Zhe watched Qiao Mei enter the house before returning to the kitchen. Qiao Mei went through all the fabric she had at home and felt that the color orange suited Xia Hes personality. The vibrant color felt warm and energetic. Although Qiao Mei did not know Xia Hes size, she was quite familiar with her figure. She just had to make it a little loose so that it would be easier to alter it if required. It would be difficult to alter if it was too small. It did not take long for Qiao Mei to finish drawing the pattern. She even drew a sunflower on the orange dress, as she felt that the wearer was as beautiful as this flower. Xia Zhes actions in the kitchen were already much smoother than the last time. His movements were swift and his thoughts were clear. This time, he definitely would not make a mess in the kitchen. Chapter 321 - Take a Detour if You See It Chapter 321: Take a Detour if You See It Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After Xia Zhe finished cooking, he called Qiao Mei over to eat together. It was a full moon night, so they decided to eat on a low table outside. It was late at night and he had a beautiful girl by his side to admire the moon together. It made for a lovely scene. After dinner, the two of them talked about what happened today. Are you familiar with those two people from your village? Xia Zhe asked. Im not. Actually, Ive only seen them once. At that time, my second grandfathers family wanted to matchmake me. My grandfather was seriously ill then and their plan was to marry me off, wait for my grandfather to die before snatching my familys house, Qiao Mei said as she looked at the moon in the sky. She wondered if her grandfather was doing well in the village. It had been two months since her grandfather last wrote to her. However, she still called him on the phone regularly and she heard from Uncle Zhao Liang that her grandfather was doing well. The four younger siblings at home were also filial to her grandfather. Zhang Qian also did not come to ask Li Gui for money anymore and everything was fine at home. Xia Zhes heart ached as he hugged Qiao Mei and asked, How is grandfathers health now? Why dont I get someone to bring him over for treatment now. Qiao Mei leaned on Xia Zhes shoulder and said, Grandfather is much better now. Moreover, there are four children at home to play with him. Hes very happy now and hes cheerful every day. The person who instructed the two people today is from the He family. Its He Meis third uncle, He Ning. He stays in the suburbs and is seriously ill, so he wont be able to live long. However, the Cao family recently gave him that ginseng in exchange for the stability of their positions in the government for the next few years. If He Ning stays alive for a few more years, many people will suffer, Xia Zhe said. Qiao Mei kept quiet. The ginseng had caused trouble instead. If she had known earlier, she would not have given something so good to the Cao family. He Ning did not even know her, yet he could come up with such a despicable method to harm her. If it was anyone else on the receiving end, the person probably would have suffered greatly. If those two people had succeeded today, she would be doomed. In this era, tricking a soldier into getting married using a fake pregnancy was not a matter that could be resolved by getting criticized and re-educated. It was a jailable offense. If that happened, she would have a criminal record after she was released and she would never be able to find a good workplace. He Ning was so ruthless only because Qiao Mei was in his way. Do you know where He Ning lives? Qiao Mei looked up and asked. Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei curiously and said, Why are you asking this? I I just want to know where he lives! Ill take a detour in the event I have to pass by, in case I get captured. What if something happens and you cant find me? Qiao Mei pouted and said. Xia Zhe could not help but pinch Qiao Meis cheek. It was so soft and cute. He lives in the suburbs, near the nursery. I dont know where exactly, but there arent many residents there. As long as you dont go to the nursery, youll be fine. Xia Zhe gave some thought to it and felt that he needed to find out He Nings address. It would be bad if He Ning continued to have an eye on Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei nodded and noted it down obediently. When she had some free time, she would go there to ask around. She knew the location of the nursery because Aunt liked orchids very much, but there were very few pretty ones available in the capital. Someone had told her that there was a nursery in the suburbs which specialized in growing rare flowers and plants and asked her to go there to take a look. However, she had always felt that it was too far and was unwilling to make the journey. This time, she could take the chance to make a trip to find out where He Ning lived as well as to buy a few pots of orchids. As Qiao Mei thought about this, she leaned against Xia Zhes shoulder and gradually fell asleep. Xia Zhe was about to say something when he turned around and saw Qiao Mei sleeping soundly with her eyes closed. He smiled tenderly and carried Qiao Mei back to the bed in the house. The next morning, there was an argument in the He family. Xia Xius interrogation room had kept the matter very quiet and it was already the next day when the He family found out that Wang Yong had been interrogated. He Ning was so angry that he refused to speak and did not want to eat breakfast. This was the first time he had seen someone fail at such a small matter. It was only much later that he found out what went wrong. Theyve only been married for a few months. How can Qiao Mei slim down so much that they cant recognize her? How is that possible! He Ning said with a frown. If something else had gone wrong, he could still accept it, but this bunch of good-for-nothings even got the person wrong! They were definitely lying! Chapter 322 - Threaten and Intimidate Chapter 322: Threaten and Intimidate Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios He Ning looked at He Mei coldly and asked, Exactly how much does Qiao Mei weigh now? Reluctantly, He Mei said, Slightly more than 100, I guess. He Mei also could not believe that the original Qiao Mei was a big fatty. If Xia Zhe was even willing to marry a fat person like Qiao Mei, then what was wrong with her? Why was he not willing to accept her! He Ning asked again, She looks as beautiful as a fairy? He Mei was even more unwilling to admit this fact and nodded reluctantly. He Ning sighed. He was unwilling to face the fact that he had failed this time because he had underestimated his opponent. He originally thought he did not need to put in too much effort to handle a country girl, thus he did not ask for a lot of details before getting someone to arrange this matter. If he had paid more attention at the beginning, he would have known what Qiao Mei looked like now. It was said that after Qiao Mei came to the capital, she visited many prominent families. Her reputation for being beautiful had long spread around and he would have only needed to ask around to know about it. It was his fault for not paying attention and causing the plan to fail. He Ning stood up and walked around the living room a few times before stopping in front of the French windows. He looked into the distance and said, I cant continue to rest anymore. If I continue like this, Im going to be crippled. Ever since he obtained the ginseng, his health had become much better. He no longer felt weak and dizzy like before. The effect of this ginseng was hundreds of times stronger than the normal kind. He also did not feel as lifeless as before, and could feel that his body was much more agile. He wanted more of this ginseng. One was far from enough! Find out where that woman lives now, what time she usually goes out, who she knows and what activities she takes part in. Find out all these for me, He Ning said. I have the information. Shes now living in the Xia familys old house, that courtyard house. She had followed Xia Zhe around to visit the neighbors, but now she seldom leaves the house, his attendant said from the corner of the living room. He Nings eyes lit up. When Old Madam Xia died, she left this house solely to Xia Zhe. He had found out long ago that there were many treasures hidden under the Xia familys courtyard house. Is the Cao family still living in that courtyard? He Ning asked. The attendant continued, Theyre still around. Recently, theyve been looking around for a house, but they havent found anything they like. They have seen a few really nice places, but they keep rejecting the options. I dont know why. He Ning smiled and said, Go and tell them to hurry up and give them some pointers. Then, let the Xia family know what the Cao family is doing. Yes. The attendant went out to carry out the instructions. In the living room, He Guo and He Mei looked at each other. He Mei did not know anything, but He Guo knew a lot about what had happened back then. He Guo looked at He Ning and said, You cant be thinking of He Ning looked at his elder brother with a smile and did not say anything. If the Cao family really dug up something, that would become the Cao familys weakness. When the time came, He Ning could easily make use of the Cao family. If the Xia family knew that the Cao family had dug up something, Xia Zhe would definitely not be able to stay calm. A young and impetuous lad would not allow his familys things to fall into the hands of other people. Then, once Xia Zhe made a wrong move, he would be able to get anything he wanted from the Xia family. If Xia Zhe could manage to keep his cool, He Ning had other plans that he could set in motion. After the Cao family received the news, the entire family was in an uproar. They did not know why the He family knew about this. They did not leak any information at all and wondered who exactly informed He Ning about this matter. What should we do now? The Cao familys eldest daughter-in-law said as she looked at Cao Da anxiously. Cao Da sat on the chair and sighed. I just know that He Ning would never lose out. Hes threatening us because he has something on us now. Old Master Cao had gone overseas to visit his relatives earlier and had recently returned to settle these family matters. He looked at the junior family members in the yard and said, Theres no other way. Its too late for us to stop now. It was not as if he had not done anything all these years. He had already searched underground. Even if they were not the ones who buried the things, who would be able to give any good explanations if anything was found under their house? Furthermore, they had recently searched under the floor tiles again. Anyone who came to investigate would be able to tell what they had done. If word got out, it would be even more difficult for them to explain. No one would believe anything they said now. Chapter 323 - Not Leaving Chapter 323: Not Leaving Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios It did not matter whether outsiders believed them or not. What was more important was that He Ning had something on them now and could expose them at any time to make everyone believe that they had found something. Since he reminded us to hurry up, tell him that we appreciate his kindness and know what to do next. Ask him not to worry, Old Master Cao said resignedly. He Ning was ruthless and meticulous in whatever he did. Even when he clearly had something on someone, that person still had to thank him. After He Nings attendant spoke to the Cao family, he arranged for people to secretly guard the Xia family and observe their movements carefully. Xia Zhe discovered this on the same day the arrangement was made. Qiao Mei had originally planned to go to the antique market again. She still needed two pairs of tables and chairs at home, but Xia Zhe stopped her before she left. Whats wrong? Qiao Mei asked curiously. Xia Zhe said solemnly, Try not to go out these few days. Just stay at home and wait a few days before you go out again. Qiao Mei looked around and whispered, What happened? Xia Zhe leaned close to Qiao Meis ear and said, I dont know who is secretly monitoring us. There are more people spying on the Cao family, but there are also a few people observing us. Qiao Mei was very puzzled. She did not understand what relationship the Cao family could have with the Xia family. They did not have much contact with each other at work nor did they have any common relatives, so how could anyone think that they were related. The only form of relationship they had was living in the same courtyard house. The house? Could it be Qiao Mei stared at Xia Zhe to confirm if her thoughts were correct. Xia Zhe understood what she meant and nodded. Maybe the Cao family is being targeted by someone else. Recently, they must be tired from working during the day and then coming back to dig at night. Its possible that the neighbors heard the commotion or perhaps there were children who saw them and accidentally said something. Its hard to tell who sent these people here, Xia Zhe said. Although there were many possibilities, Xia Zhe felt that this matter was arranged by He Ning. Qiao Mei also thought the same thing. A few days ago, he had just tried to destroy their marriage. Now that such a thing was happening, it was hard not to suspect that he was the one who arranged it. What does he want? Could it be that he wants to take advantage of the situation? Qiao Mei also thought that He Ning might have done this and thought that he wanted to take advantage of the Cao familys dig to take the treasures for himself. Xia Zhe did not understand their intentions either. Lets wait patiently. Ever since there were people monitoring the surroundings, the Cao family no longer went to work. They dug the ground at home day and night to look for those things. Even their grandchildren who were in other cities were recalled home to dig together. Since the He family already knew about what they were doing, they were not afraid of others finding out. Anyway, even if they managed to dig something up, they would still die. If they could not dig it up, they would also not be able to survive. It was a vicious cycle so they could only do whatever they could. When Qiao Mei saw the Cao family working so hard, she secretly pulled the treasure chest down another 20 meters while they were resting. Even if they worked themselves to death, they would not be able to find the treasure chest. After digging for more than a week, the time came to hand over the house. Xia Zhe went over to collect the keys. The Cao family knew that this day would come and had long thought about how to delay it for a period of time. Have you not found a place to stay yet? Xia Zhe asked as he looked around. Its not easy for us to suddenly have to find a house. Can you give us a few more days? Anyway, youre not in a hurry to stay here. Cant you just give us a few days? The Cao familys eldest daughter-in-law negotiated with Xia Zhe in a self-righteous manner. This reason was exactly the same as what Zhou Hua said when she requested to stay in Xia Zhes house, that if no one else was going to stay there, it was only right for them to stay. Their mentality was that since no one was going to use the place anyway, Xia Zhe had no reason not to let them stay. Xia Zhe did not say anything and turned to leave. The Cao family members looked at Xia Zhe as he left and smiled smugly. Young people were so easy to fool, they believed everything and did not have their own opinions on anything. Even in the beginning, they had already thought it through. If they could not find anything, they would not leave the house. If Xia Zhe forced them to leave, they would publicize this matter extensively. At that time, the Xia family would be implicated. There were so many people in the Xia family, thus they would definitely be concerned about their reputation. Besides, Qiao Meis grandfather was alone and there were already so many rooms for him to stay in at their side. Chapter 324 - Déjà vu Chapter 324: Dj vu Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios If Xia Zhe were to criticize them, then they would offer to pay rent. It was not like they were asking to live there for free. He would not be able to kick up any fuss once they paid rent. When Xia Zhe reached home, he said, The Cao family is behaving like we expected. They dont plan to move away anymore. Qiao Mei said angrily, I just know that they want to cheat me of my ginseng! Xia Zhe pinched Qiao Meis little cheeks and said with a smile, Dont be angry. I have plenty of ways to deal with them. Qiao Meis eyes lit up and she asked curiously, What solution do you have? Cao Da had encountered a problem previously but it was suppressed by He Ning later. Since he can suppress it, I can revive it again and make him leave quickly, Xia Zhe said. At that time, the Cao family could go to the countryside, the suburbs, and the wilderness. They could go anywhere they wanted! The people from the Cao family were all useless. The only pillar of the family was Cao Da. If Cao Da failed, the Cao family would be finished. Therefore, Old Master Cao would definitely leave quickly to protect his son. If Xia Zhe wanted to stir up trouble, he would inevitably encounter He Ning. As long as it was something He Ning had promised, there was nothing he could not do. Therefore, when the time came, He Ning would definitely do his best to protect the Cao family. This was why He Ning had been able to survive until now. Even though he had harmed many people, those who had been helped by him would still remember his kindness. Its my fault for thinking too simply of this matter. I should have asked them to move away immediately and not given them time, Xia Zhe said apologetically as he patted Qiao Meis head. Its not your fault. Its the Cao family who didnt keep their word. What has it got to do with you? You just need to learn from your mistakes and dont be so soft-hearted anymore, Qiao Mei comforted Xia Zhe. Xia Zhe smiled and looked at Qiao Mei. The anger in his heart had lessened a lot. He had also guessed He Nings motive over the past few days. He Ning wanted to see the Cao family fight with the Xia family so that he could reap the benefits. Xia Zhe wanted to go out to run errands, but Qiao Mei hugged his arm and refused to let him go. Qiao Mei said in a pitiful manner, Its already so late, dont go out. Im scared to be alone. Look at the weather, its probably going to rain soon. Xia Zhe looked up at the sky and thought that it might be better to wait until tomorrow. It was not appropriate to leave Qiao Mei at home at a time like this, and he did not want to trouble his aunt and sister to come over. Alright, Ill stay at home with you, Xia Zhe said. If he went out and He Nings men came to the house to take revenge, it would be terrible if Qiao Mei got caught in the situation. These days, he did not dare to let Qiao Mei leave his line of sight for fear that something might happen. It would be better to bring Qiao Mei along to run his errands tomorrow and forget about going out tonight. Not long after, it started to storm heavily. The bean-sized raindrops pattered on the roof tiles, making it too noisy to fall asleep. When Xia Zhe kept groping around under the blanket, Qiao Mei sat up angrily and slapped his stomach. Im going outside to take a look. Qiao Mei still had something important to do tonight. Its my fault, my little ancestor. What if you catch a cold if you go outside so late at night? Xia Zhe thought that it was his fault and quickly apologized. Xia Zhe kept stopping her from going out. Qiao Mei was so angry that she reached out, grabbed his hands and pinned them above his head, pressing him onto the bed. Then she sat on him and looked at him. This posture seemed to be exactly the same as what happened when they first met. Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei with a deep gaze. Seeing that the situation did not seem right, Qiao Mei hurriedly got out of bed and ran towards the toilet in the side room. Dont follow me! Im going to the toilet! Qiao Mei shouted towards the bedroom. Xia Zhe was still slowly reliving the feeling he felt in bed just now and gradually recalling what had happened that very first night. When Qiao Mei reached the side room, she did not go into the toilet at all. She stood by the window and quietly scattered some vine seeds, slowly inducing their growth. The vines quickly crawled along the wall to the window. Qiao Mei reached out to hold the vines and said softly, My little darlings, whether we succeed or not depends on this! Tonight, it will depend on your performance! If you perform well, you will be greatly rewarded! When the vines heard what Qiao Mei said, they became even more active. Chapter 325 - The House Collapsed Chapter 325: The House Collapsed Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei gently held the vines and transferred energy to them. Very soon, the roots of the vines formed a huge net under the Cao familys side of the house. The Cao family members continued digging even in the rain. However, they did not dig in the yard this time. Some time ago, they had already searched through the entire yard. If they did not manage to find anything at the depth they reached, they were sure that there was definitely nothing in the yard. This time, they were digging inside the house. The floor tiles had already been cracked and removed. They planned to dig through one room at a time and they were sure that they would find something eventually. Two days ago, they had sent all the children staying in the side rooms to their relatives houses. By now, only the main room was still untouched. Everyone in the Cao family was trying their best to find something underground in every corner of the main room. Suddenly, there was a rumbling sound that shook the entire house. The Cao family members looked up at the house and ran out the next second with their hands over their heads. As they ran, they shouted, Run! Theres an earthquake! The neighbors also switched on their lights one after another. Qiao Mei wanted to continue watching the Cao familys farce, but the door of the side room was suddenly slammed open. A black figure rushed in, hugged Qiao Mei tightly and rushed out with her. Qiao Mei was not afraid. She knew that the person hugging her was Xia Zhe. He must have heard the Cao familys yells and came to look for her. Given that he had experienced an earthquake himself, he was more sensitive to such a matter. If not for Qiao Mei saving him then, he would have died long ago. Xia Zhe only let go when they were out of the house and in the courtyard. Are you alright? Are you scared? Xia Zhe asked as he held Qiao Meis shoulders tightly. Qiao Mei gently touched Xia Zhes chest and felt his rapid heartbeat and panicked breathing. Qiao Mei smiled and looked up. Im fine. Dont be afraid. Xia Zhe slowly exhaled and hugged Qiao Mei tightly in his arms. I wont dare to let you out of my sight again. Qiao Mei laughed heartily in Xia Zhes arms and said with a smile, Are you going to watch me even when I go to the toilet and take a bath? Xia Zhe thought for a moment and replied, Were legally married, so Im fine as long as you dont mind. Qiao Mei raised her hand and gently hit Xia Zhes chest twice. I dont think it was an earthquake just now. Earthquakes will shake the earth and mountains. It just shook for a moment and then there was nothing. Qiao Mei checked with him. Xia Zhe looked around and said, I think the sky looks quite normal too. It shouldnt be an earthquake. Looks like someones house collapsed. Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe looked at each other and understood what each other was thinking. The first people to mention an earthquake were the Cao family members. Moreover, they had also felt some tremors at their side of the house. Furthermore, there were more than enough reasons for the Cao familys house to collapse. Xia Zhe carefully brought Qiao Mei to the side bedroom and said, Rest here. Its raining heavily outside, so dont go out. Ill go and take a look at the situation and Ill tell you when Im back. You dont have to wait for me to come back to go to sleep. Just sleep in this room tonight. Xia Zhe went to the master bedroom to get two new sets of pajamas, one set for himself and the other set for Qiao Mei. Now that the weather was so cold and she had just gotten drenched in the rain, it was better to be careful. Have a good rest. Ill be back in a while. Xia Zhe quickly gave Qiao Mei a kiss and put on the raincoat that he had left in the side room before going to the Cao familys side. Whatever happened to the house was a small matter. If someone got hurt, he had to help out. No matter how bad these people were, they did not have any intention of harming others. They were forced into it. Qiao Mei did not want anyone to die either. She just wanted to teach the Cao family a lesson. However, this lesson seemed to be a little too big. Half of the backyard had collapsed and all the rooms would have to be repaired. Even when it was completed, it would definitely feel different from before. However, there was nothing she could do about it. Xia Zhes appearance shocked the Cao family, but it was actually not that strange. It was impossible for Xia Zhe not to know about it after such a huge commotion. Moreover, this house did not collapse from any earthquake at all. It was caused by all the digging they did. The Cao family was just about to find an excuse to send Xia Zhe away when the other neighbors came running over to ask what had happened. What happened? Why did this house collapse? Who knows! This house is quite sturdy. Weve lived here for so long without any issues. Chapter 326 - Natural Disaster or Man-Made Disaster Chapter 326: Natural Disaster or Man-Made Disaster Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Everyone started discussing among themselves. Although such houses had been around for a long time, it was uncommon for them to collapse. Even if any collapses occured, it would only be confined to a storeroom or one or two side rooms. No one had ever encountered a situation like what happened with the Cao family, where half of the house had collapsed. Other people might only have a collapsed storeroom, but the Cao family only had a storeroom left. Just as everyone was discussing, the remaining rooms also collapsed. Now, not a single room was left intact. What exactly did the Cao family do to cause this house to collapse? Director Cao, what exactly is going on? Xia Zhe said as he looked at the surrounding ruins helplessly. Even if you dont want to return the house to me, you dont have to do this. The neighbors understood what was going on once they heard what he said. Two days ago, they had already heard that Xia Zhe had used a 100-year-old wild ginseng to exchange for the Cao familys side of the house. Everyone knew about this matter and had praised Xia Zhe for being a good kid who knew how to fulfill his grandmothers wishes. The people who lived here were all old neighbors and everyone knew Old Madam Xias character. Back then, Xia Zhes grandmother, Wu Min, often helped the people around her. The neighbors in the vicinity had all been indebted to her at one time or another. Everyone remembered her kindness, so they doted on Xia Zhe very much. Everyone knew about the exchange done with the ginseng. Not only did they know about it, but they also knew that the Cao family had turned around and given the ginseng to the He family. However, they did not expect the Cao family to go to such an extent. Not only did they take the ginseng and use it to protect their wealth and status for the rest of their lives, but they even forcefully took apart Xia Zhes house. This was an ancestral home and it would be difficult to restore it to its original condition. The neighbors took out their flashlights to see which Cao family members were around. They realized that only the adults were there and the children were not with them. It was obvious that this was definitely not an accident. This was man-made! These people were afraid that the children would get hurt in an accident and had sent them away in advance. The Cao family was really black-hearted. Cao Da quickly waved his hands around and explained to everyone, Its not like that! Its not what everyone thinks! Then tell us how this house collapsed! The neighbors demanded an answer. Cao Da stammered and did not know how to explain. The Cao familys eldest daughter-in-law stood up and explained to everyone, Its the heavy storm today that made the house collapse. What happened today was an accident and we were almost buried as well. I havent been back to live in the front yard for more than 10 years. Tonight, the front yard didnt collapse but the backyard did. Furthermore, it collapsed right after you refused to give me back the house, Xia Zhe said to the Cao family. On the Cao familys side of the house, even if all the side rooms collapsed, the main room should not have been affected. Such an important part of the house would have been constructed with good materials and would not collapse so easily. The rain was just too heavy! We were almost smashed as well! Cao Da said. The Cao family really had no other reason to refute the accusation, and could only make everyone believe that they were also the victims so that everyone would be less suspicious of them. Xia Zhe shook his head and did not say anything. They just stood there in a deadlock. Everyone just joined in and waited for the Cao family to explain themselves. However, the Cao family did not dare to speak up and confront Xia Zhe. They were worried that the more they said, the more mistakes they might make. The rain is getting heavier. Why dont we clean up tomorrow? Lets all go back today, someone in the crowd shouted. Xia Zhe turned around and left. He still had to go back and accompany Qiao Mei. The Cao familys mess would have to wait until tomorrow. The only good thing was that he did not have to go through too much of a hassle to cause trouble for them. The crowd gradually dispersed. The Cao family members looked sadly at the collapsed ruins. Old Master Cao crumpled to the ground and sat there in a daze. None of them had expected this outcome. They did not plan to leave, so they did not move anything out of the house. Now, all the household appliances at home were ruined! Old Master Cao did not care about the furniture. He was upset about the jade antiques that he had accumulated over his entire life. Those were all his treasures that stayed in good condition for most of his life. He did not expect them to be destroyed at this moment and was on the brink of tears. Chapter 327 - Heavy Losses Chapter 327: Heavy Losses Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Old Master Cao did not come from a privileged background and was born in an ordinary family. Later on, he worked as a waiter in a restaurant and met his benefactor there. After that, he became an apprentice in a pawnshop. He was diligent and quick-witted, so he quickly became the manager of the shop. As time passed, he also fell in love with antiques and calligraphy. When someone came to pawn valuable things, he would hide them. Later on, Old Master Cao hid everything he had and only kept a few of his most precious jade artifacts with him. After being displaced and wandering around for half a year, he finally moved into this part of the Xia familys house. He originally thought that he could live in peace for a few years, so he had placed the items inside the wall of the main room. Now that the house had collapsed, the jade were all gone. Old Master Cao wanted to weep out loud, but he was afraid of disturbing the neighbors, so he could only sit on the ground and teared as he looked at the ruins. He did not dare to act rashly and attempt to look for those treasures in the ruins. If someone found out about it, he would never be able to explain himself. At that time, he would have to explain where his money came from and how these things came about. Why is Old Master Cao so sad? What happened to his family? asked a passerby. Him? I guess hes crying for his treasures. The people around him laughed about it and went home. The people here had all lived here for more than 10 years and everyone knew everyones background. It was no secret that Old Master Cao liked antiques, but there was no evidence so no one reported it. Now, it seemed that Old Master Cao had hidden away a lot of good stuff! When the Cao family members saw the old man crying silently, they realized something was wrong. However, it was too late and all the things inside must have been destroyed. Qiao Mei had yet to withdraw the underground vines. Now, she could still sense what was happening at the Cao familys side and she silently observed the items in the ruins. She could find scattered money, broken porcelain, eroded calligraphy and paintings, broken bangles, among other things. These things were not valuable at all. Shei slowly searched around and suddenly felt energy surging nearby. There must be something valuable nearby. Qiao Mei looked around and finally found an inconspicuous jar. She used a vine to slowly reach into it and found a treasure! It was a rusty iron box. After opening it, she found a crystal clear bangle inside. The quality of this bangle was definitely not inferior to the one she was wearing! It was such a pity that it was part of a set and only this bangle was left intact. The golden energy slowly transferred to Qiao Meis body through the vines. She closed the box and wrapped the vines tightly around it before pulling it underground. Father, stop crying. Lets find a place to stay first, Cao Da advised. If Old Master Cao continued crying in such heavy rain, he would probably fall sick and be hospitalized. Where else can we go asked Old Master Cao. The Cao familys eldest daughter-in-law said, Lets go to stay at Xia Zhes house. He cant possibly leave us in the lurch! The rest of the Cao family members also thought that it was a good idea. As long as they stayed in the front yard, they would definitely still be able to dig up something! However, they did not expect that Xia Zhe had no intention to let them into the house. The Cao family made their way to the front yard and knocked on the door. Their voices were so loud that they could be heard from two streets away. Xia Zhe came out with an angry expression and asked the Cao family, What do you want? The Cao familys eldest daughter-in-law put her hands on her hips and said, Our house collapsed! You have to take us in! Xia Zhe was so angry to hear what the Cao familys eldest daughter-in-law said that he burst out laughing.?How dare they destroy someones house and then still have the cheek to ask the owner to take them in. If they wanted to ask for help, then they needed to have the right attitude. What were they trying to do with this air of self-righteousness? No, my wife is asleep. Shes pregnant and cant take any shock. You guys can find another place. After saying that, Xia Zhe closed the door and refused to open it no matter how they shouted. Qiao Mei got up in a daze and looked towards the door. Xia Zhe! Xia Zhe! Qiao Mei shouted twice before she saw a black figure enter the room. Im here. Xia Zhe took off his raincoat and placed it along the long corridor. He went into the room and hugged Qiao Mei. Why is it so noisy outside? Qiao Mei asked curiously. She had been focused on searching for treasures in the Cao familys side and did not notice that the Cao family had started to have designs on her front yard. Chapter 328 - Extremely Stupid Chapter 328: Extremely Stupid Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Its nothing, let them be. Xia Zhe hugged Qiao Mei and went to bed. Qiao Mei found a comfortable angle and gradually fell asleep. The Cao family members took turns to shout at the door. They did not believe that Xia Zhe would be able to sleep well if the five of them took turns to keep shouting! Xia Zhe! Open the door! Xia Zhe, youre just leaving us to die! Even if we die, were going to die on your doorstep! Open the door! Not long after they started shouting, a pebble was thrown out from next door and someone shouted, Are you done! Why are you shouting in the middle of the night! Stop shouting! The Cao family was so frightened that they stood rooted to the ground. Old Master Cao sat on the steps outside Xia Zhes house and sighed. Lets go. Lets look for a guest house, Cao Da said. We dont have money! Everything at home is gone! the Cao familys eldest daughter-in-law whispered. Cao Da helped Old Master Cao up and walked towards the road. The Cao familys eldest daughter-in-law could only follow behind and scolded him softly, talking how she had never had a good day after marrying Cao Da. She said such things a few times a day since something happened to Cao Da, so everyone was used to it. Cao Da first made arrangements for his family to stay in the guest house and then went to the suburbs alone to look for He Ning. He had to ask He Ning for help on this matter. Only He Ning could help their family now. He Ning received the news even before Cao Da arrived, but he only knew that Cao Da had dug up his house and caused it to collapse. He did not know that Xia Zhe did not take them in and even chased them away. The last time he failed, he admitted that he had underestimated his opponent and that was why he did not succeed. This time, it was supposed to be foolproof. He did not expect Cao Da, that idiot, to be able to dig until the house collapsed! What a joke! Youre asking me to clean up your own stupid mess! He Ning said as he pointed angrily at Cao Da who was standing in the living room. He Ning now hoped that the crystal chandelier hanging from the living room ceiling would fall and smash this idiot to death! He was so incompetent that everything he touched turned to dust! He was as useless as Wang Yong and the others! Get lost! He Ning said as he turned around. The guards in the house chased Cao Da out. He Ning was not exactly heartless. Before Cao Da left, he even gave him 500 dollars to help his family survive this period of time. After sending Cao Da away, He Ning could not sit still. He had already sent someone to observe Xia Zhes house for a long time, but Xia Zhe actually did not do anything for a week. He Ning thought that Xia Zhe was really calm. Did Xia Zhe really not know anything, or did he have extraordinary endurance? He had secretly gotten someone to spread the news about the Cao family to Xia Zhe a week ago. Xia Zhe already knew about it! Yet Xia Zhe chose not to take action even after knowing about it. How impressive, He Ning said, looking out the window. He Ning looked at the rain outside and said with a smile, As expected, the person chosen by Old Madam Xia really cant be underestimated. Its a pity that Xia Zhe has a fatal weakness. Since ancient times, no man can resist the charms of a beautiful woman. Since Xia Zhe did not fall for his trap and even gave him a big gift, he had to return the favor. He Ning called his attendant over and whispered something in his ear. Go, He Ning said. Yes. The attendant rushed out after receiving the order and disappeared into the night. At the crack of dawn, there was a big group of people gathered at the main door of Xia Zhes house. Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe had just fallen asleep when they were woken up by frantic knocks on the door. What is it Qiao Mei asked in a daze. Xia Zhe changed quickly. He went out to take a look and then came back to help Qiao Mei change her clothes. These people dont come with good intentions. Get dressed first, so that you dont catch a cold, Xia Zhe said gently. It was still early in the morning, the rain had just stopped and the dew was heavy. It was easy to catch a cold at a time like this and nothing was more important than Qiao Meis health. Stay in the house and dont come out. Xia Zhe walked out after saying that. There was a big group of people waiting outside with all kinds of tools. They looked menacing. Who are you? Xia Zhe asked after he opened the door. The man in front of him looked like the leader of this group of people. He was about 40 years old and looked kind, but was probably a wolf in sheeps clothing. Looking at the tools his subordinates were holding, Xia Zhe could already guess who they were. Chapter 329 - Searching the Yard Chapter 329: Searching the Yard Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Hello, you must be Xia Zhe. My surname is Chu and Im the section chief of the Inspection Department. We received a report that there is a large number of restricted items hidden in your house. We came to do a check and hope that you can hand them over, Section Chief Chu said. Restricted items referred to any items or publicity materials that were detrimental to the country. You must have heard wrong. We dont have any restricted items, Xia Zhe said. Thats not for you to say. We wont know if youre telling the truth. Well only know whether theres any after we go in and conduct a search, Section Chief Chu said as he took two more steps forward. Xia Zhe looked at the people in front of him and thought that they looked legitimate. If he stopped them from entering the house to search the yard, there was a high chance that he would get into trouble for obstructing a public servant. They would also think that he was preventing them from entering because there really were restricted items in the house. Xia Zhe pondered for a moment before stepping aside to let them in. He realized that this was He Nings backup plan to ruin his reputation. As long as anything was found within the Cao familys section or his section of the house, he would not be able to escape the aftermath. The group of more than 20 people standing outside rushed into the house, but they did not act rashly. Two old men came out of the group with their walking sticks and slowly observed the surroundings with their flashlights. Comrade Xia Zhe, please dont take offense. These are our old experts who are especially experienced in digging for treasures and doing inspections, Section Chief Chu explained to Xia Zhe with a smile. Section Chief Chu, you dont have to explain it to me. I understand. Its just business, right? Xia Zhe said as he looked into Section Chief Chus eyes. Those eyes were filled with murderous intent, scaring Section Chief Chu so much that his back broke out in cold sweat. However, Section Chief Chu still had to stand up straight as he had the He family behind him! Of course its just business! Were all legitimate, said Section Chief Chu. Thats good. Dont cause the house to collapse with your digging, like what the Cao family did. That would be a disaster. Am I right, Section Chief Chu? Xia Zhe said as he looked at the ruins of the Cao family a distance away. Dont worry, were all professional experts, said Section Chief Chu. The two experts pointed around and exchanged opinions. Finally, they decided to dig in the corner of the courtyard and a few other spots that they deemed special, including inside the well and under the cherry tree. Just as they were about to start, Xia Zhe looked at Section Chief Chu and said, This cherry tree was planted by my grandmother when she was still alive. I dont want it to be damaged at all. Section Chief Chu ignored what Xia Zhe said and waved his hand to get his subordinates to continue. Xia Zhe looked coldly at the people who were about to start work. His gaze was even colder than the icy rain that poured down last night. Chu Fan, 42 years old, originally from Zhaocai Village, started working at 17 years old after being introduced by someone Xia Zhe stood where he was and quietly narrated details of Section Chief Chus resume. Section Chief Chu looked at Xia Zhe in surprise. This was only the first time they met and he did not expect Xia Zhe to be able to memorize details of his resume. A small fry like him usually did not attract any attention. There were not many people in the Xia family who were involved in politics and Xia Zhe also never asked about political matters. He did not expect Xia Zhe to know everything so clearly, down to the timeline. There were certain things that even he could not remember clearly by now. Be careful, all of you! Dont expect to keep your job if you damage anything here! Section Chief Chu said to his subordinates. The Xia family was indeed not to be underestimated. Even though he had He Ning backing him up, He Ning would not help him if something really happened. A small fry like him was like cannon fodder. It would be no loss to the two families to simply throw him to the wolves. Xia Zhe stayed with them in the yard and carefully looked at every place they dug. If they managed to throw in any restricted items when no one was paying attention, he would not be able to defend himself at all. After all, it would not be the first time that He Ning had done something like this. Over the past few years, as long as He Ning had any doubts, he would get someone to check for restricted items at Xia Zhes house. However, his people would be chased out due to inconclusive evidence. He Ning did not believe that Xia Zhe could still be so calm after knowing about the Cao familys actions, unless unless Xia Zhe knew that the items were not in the Cao familys side but in his own yard! This was also the reason why He Ning had asked these people to dig up the house thoroughly. He Ning believed that Old Madam Xia had a very good reason for giving this house to Xia Zhe alone. Not long after, another group of people came to the door. These people were not Section Chief Chus subordinates, but the Xia family members. Chapter 330 - End the Battle Quickly Chapter 330: End the Battle Quickly Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xia Zhe did not get anyone to inform his family. It was Zhou Sheng who had sent a message to the Xia family in the middle of the night to inform them that Xia Zhes house had collapsed. All the Xia family members rushed over in a panic, and even Xia Fang and Xia He rushed over from afar. Whats going on? Xia Mao asked as he entered and saw the people in the yard. Xia Fang and Xia He quickly grabbed hold of Xia Zhe and asked if Qiao Mei was injured or traumatized by the incident. Xia Zhe pointed to the room and told them that Qiao Mei was inside, so they went in to see her. They did not know how to deal with the matters outside anyway, but they did not worry about it as all the men of the family were around. The rest of the family members stood behind Xia Mao. This matter was not big enough for them to alarm Xia Jun yet. Section Chief Chu said with trepidation, Someone reported that there are a large number of restricted items in your house. We had no choice but to come and do a search to see if its true. Section Chief Chu looked carefully at the expressions of the Xia family members. He had been forced by He Ning to come here and carry out this task, but he could not afford to offend the Xia family either. He was just a junior section chief and was in no position to deal with either family. It was such a dilemma for him. Xia Mao looked expressionless, but he was feeling extremely shocked. He did not know whether there was anything buried underground. Back then, he had his own suspicions but Wu Min never mentioned anything to him. While Xia Mao could control his expression, the people behind him were not able to do the same. Everyone was stunned, especially the womenfolk. When Section Chief Chu saw this, he realized what was going on. It appeared that what He Ning told him earlier about the Xia family members not knowing about this matter was the truth. Now that he had said it out so openly, the Xia family must be in a state of disarray. Nonsense! During that time, my family gave everything we had to the government. In order to commend us, the government even specially gave us a letter of commendation. The letter is still hanging at home now! Xia Mao said angrily. Youre right, but we still have to do a routine check. Who knows whats under the ground? Its not for us to play favorites, Section Chief Chu said with a smile. Of course Section Chief Chu is businesslike. We all know that, Xia Wen said. Section Chief Chu knew about this eldest young master of the Xia family, who looked gentle and refined but was actually the one not to be trifled with. Back then, He Ning had reminded him not to communicate too much with Xia Wen. The young master was sharp and quick-witted, and would definitely be able to get something on him. Xia Mao did not know if there was anything underground or not, but he was relieved to see Xia Zhes calm expression. Even if there was, Xia Zhe had probably already dealt with it. While they were talking, the workers had already dug down two meters deep. The Cao familys team of weak people could not dig so much in one night. These workers were professionals and they were quick and efficient.. The people who jumped into the well had also dug out a lot of soil and piled it up high beside the well. When the Xia family heard that Xia Zhes house had collapsed, they immediately sent someone to investigate. Later on, when they found out that it was the Cao familys side which had collapsed, they were relieved. However, they also had a lot of doubts and suspicions. Logically speaking, the entire house was constructed using top quality materials. They could not understand why only the Cao familys side collapsed and not a single room was left standing. There must be something wrong here. When Xia Mao and Xia Wen came, they already knew that this matter was not that simple. The Xia family members stood in the yard and watched them dig. The Xia familys intelligence officers came in from time to time to submit their reports. Section Chief Chu saw what was happening but he was unable to stop them. He had no right to say anything. It was a battle of capital and might between the He family and the Xia family. A small fry like him could only wait quietly. If he said anything wrong, it could bring about a calamity for him. He Ning had instructed the team that they must dig something out. No matter how capable the Xia family was, he wanted to skin them alive. However, he also told the team to end the battle quickly without any delay. The Xia family would definitely not give the team the luxury of time at all. When the team dealt with other families In the past, it was normal for them to dig for three to five days. However, this was the Xia family the team was dealing with and there was no way they would allow a slow and lengthy digging process. Section Chief Chu also had his own superior at work. If the Xia family reached the higher-ups to issue an instruction for the team to stop digging, they would have made a wasted trip. However, if such a thing should happen, making a wasted trip would be the least of his problems by then! Chapter 331 - Digging up a Fountain Chapter 331: Digging up a Fountain Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The Xia family was a family of soldiers and politicians after all. It was not a small matter to be accused of hiding restricted items. If the team did not manage to dig up anything and the Xia family asked about who had slandered them, Section Chief Chu would not be able to bear the consequences. Their digging had already revealed a portion of the thick roots of the cherry tree. They all dug carefully and slowly, afraid that they would break any of the roots. The Xia family members stared at them intently. If they damaged even one of the roots, no one would be allowed to leave today! Xia Zhe looked at the tree and recalled what his grandmother had said previously. Back then, he was still too young to understand what she meant. When his grandmother was still alive, Xia Zhe had grown up by his grandparents side. At that time, Xia Mao and Xu Lan did not have the time to take care of Xia Zhe. One day, Wu Min held Xia Zhes hand and came to this cherry tree, telling him to treat this tree well. She told him that if this tree could not be saved or needed to be dug out some day, he would have to do it himself. No one else was allowed to do it. At that time, he only thought that it was because this tree was planted by his grandparents so it had great sentimental value for them. Now that he thought about it carefully, there might be another reason behind her instruction. After digging for three to four meters under the tree, they still found nothing. If they continued digging, they might reach the groundwater. If that happened, the water would surge up and flood the entire house. Besides, what normal person would dig for three to four meters to hide something? How long would it take for a person to dig so deep? Even if they wanted to hide something, they would not hide it so deep down. Xia Mao felt relieved when he saw that there was nothing buried here. Xia Zhe did not know how many treasure chests there were within the yard, so he just pretended that there was nothing under the tree. Section Chief Chus subordinates inspected another spot and sent someone to dig there. Xia Zhe looked at the well in confusion. Logically speaking, these people should have found something after so long. He and Qiao Mei had just buried it two days ago, so he did not understand why there was nothing discovered yet. Then what should I say when they found it and brought it up? Should I say that it was something left behind by my ancestors hundreds of years ago? However, other than the gold and treasure items, there were also silver dollars from recent years inside. Then who should I say it belonged to Lets just say that it belonged to the previous owner of the house, the Jiang family! This house had gone through eight owners before it finally fell into the hands of the Xia family. Most of the Jiang family members had died early and there was not a single one left by now. There was no choice but to let them take the blame. Just as Xia Zhe was thinking about how to get out of this situation, he heard someone shouting from behind, Oh no! Weve dug up underground water! The people digging at the cherry tree shouted out. The Xia family members all looked over. At this moment, the diggers had already climbed out of the pit. The water quickly filled the entire pit and started to overflow. As more and more underground water gushed out, it eventually formed a fountain. The amount of water gushing out was even greater than the rain last night. In just a few minutes, it had flooded the entire yard and completely filled up the few pits that were dug earlier. After what happened, there was no way to dig anymore. Section Chief Chu looked at the yard full of water and felt at a loss. There was definitely no way to continue digging today with the whole place being so flooded. If they were to come back another day, the outcome would probably be the same. Given that they did not manage to find anything even after digging up the groundwater, people would say that they had wronged the Xia family. The Xia family was not one to be bullied. Someone would have to pay for todays losses. Dig, continue digging. I want to see what else you can dig up. You have flooded the house and yet you still havent found anything. If you cant dig anything out today, dont even think about leaving! Xia Mao roared. Section Chief Chu stood awkwardly beside Xia Mao and smiled apologetically. He did not know what to say and could only bite the bullet and asked his subordinates to continue digging. They had no choice but to dig randomly in the courtyard. When they reached a depth that was waist deep, they were not able to dig anymore. If they jumped in and continued digging, the water would soon reach their heads. None of them dared to jump in, but none of them dared to stop either, so they could only dig around silently. What are you doing! A shout came from outside the door. Section Chief Chu knew that his mission had failed and he would not be able to keep his position. Everything was ruined! Chapter 332 - Dig Quickly Chapter 332: Dig Quickly Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The person who came in was Section Chief Chus superior, Wei Huai. As soon as Wei Huai entered, Section Chief Chu went up to him. However, Wei Huai acted as if he did not see Section Chief Chu and walked straight to Xia Mao. You must be Comrade Xia Mao, Wei Huai said with a smile. Xia Mao nodded and did not say anything. Wei Huai did not mind that Xia Mao did not exchange pleasantries with him. After all, no one would be in a good mood after someone caused their house to be in such a state. Ill take him away now. Your family is one of the pillars of the country and cant be holding on to any restricted items. This is all a misunderstanding. After saying that, Wei Huai waved his hand and prepared to leave with his staff. Xia Mao shouted, Wait! Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at Xia Mao quietly. Who are you? Xia Mao asked Wei Huai. I forgot to introduce myself to you. Im Wei Huai, his superior, Wei Huai said. You have to finish what you started. You cant give up halfway, right? Your subordinates brought people to search my sons house and said that there were restricted items inside. Did you find anything? Xia Mao asked. Wei Huai glanced at Section Chief Chu, who immediately understood and stepped forward to say, There are still many rooms that we havent searched. We still cant say that there is nothing here. He had already taken a look at the furniture in the house, but just because there was nothing suspicious about the furnishings did not mean that there was nothing buried under the floor tiles. Thats fine. We have plenty of time. Section Chief Chu, hurry up and search. You have to give our Xia family a conclusion today, Xia Mao said as he pointed at the rooms. Xia Wen, go and open the main door. Let the neighbors passing by take a look and bear witness for us, Xia Mao said to Xia Wen with his hands behind his back. Xia Wen ran to open the main door. Many passersby stood at the door and watched. The Cao familys house had collapsed last night and the Xia familys house was being searched today. They definitely did not want to miss such a thing and had come to take a look. Everyone, come in and take a look! Xia Wen said. Many of the people outside knew the Xia family. They had all come to take a closer look and Zhou Sheng also rushed over early in the morning. Xiao Zhe, hows Mei Mei? Zhou Sheng hobbled in with his walking stick. When Xia Zhe saw that, he hurriedly went forward to render assistance and said, Grandpa Zhou, why are you here? Qiao Mei is fine, shes in the room. Zhou Sheng was relieved to hear that Qiao Mei was fine. Since Xia Zhe was still here and looking well, he must be fine too. Zhou Sheng slowly walked up to Xia Mao. Xia Mao, what if this house collapses from their digging? Zhou Sheng looked in the direction of the Cao familys side and felt an ache in his heart. Xia Mao lowered his head and said gently, Uncle Zhou, its fine. They have two experts here. Even if theyre digging for something, theres also no need to dig up every inch of the ground. Zhou Sheng snorted. Hmph, experts? Yet the groundwater has been dug out and the entire courtyard is flooded. Grandpa Zhou, if youre worried, Ill ask a few more experts to come over. Theyre all teachers from my school, Xia Wen said. Zhou Sheng smiled and nodded. Yes, yes, yes. Xiao Wen is an expert as well. The people you find would definitely be right for the job. Not long after, seven to eight experts arrived outside the door. Xia Wen had already sent them a message earlier, asking them to come by. This was to prevent the inspection team from spouting nonsense that people could not understand. In the past, people did not pay much attention to education and they all looked down on teachers. Even if they had children, they would let the children come out to work at an early age. Even though there were prominent families who saw the value in education, they were still in the minority. If those two experts from the inspection team really went around spouting nonsense to the neighbors, the Xia family would not be able to clear their name even if they wanted to. Let the experts work together! These are all professors from the university. You can all go and investigate, but hurry up! You have to give our family an explanation today. Dont let others think that our family is doing anything wrong, Xia Mao said to Wei Huai. Today, they must reach a conclusion in order to settle the matter and convince everyone. Otherwise, there would definitely be other people who would use this as an excuse to cause trouble in the future. Firstly, it was to prevent the people in front of them, as well as outside, from eyeing the Xia family. Secondly, it was to stop certain Xia family members behind him from eyeing anything in this courtyard. Chapter 333 - Making Ginger Soup Chapter 333: Making Ginger Soup Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Section Chief Chu wanted to say something but Wei Huai stopped him. Xia Mao turned around and went into the side house to take a rest. With so many people around, these people would not dare to bring out anything to frame him. Xia Zhe stood silently at the side and looked at the cherry tree. The water was still gushing out under the tree. As he walked over to the side house, he passed by Wei Huai and said, I hope that after youre done investigating, you will restore my tree to its original state. Comrade Xia Zhe, dont worry. We definitely wont destroy anything of yours. Wei Huai gave him a polite smile. Xia Zhe nodded and said, That had better be the case. Lets dig too, Xia Wen said before he entered the side house as well. All the Xia family members had come into the side house. The womenfolk present did not dare to speak. There were not many stools in the room, so they could only stand inside. Father, mother and aunties, you can go to the room in the main house. Ill keep an eye on things here, Xia Zhe said. Xia Mao stared intently at the courtyard and said, Ill stay here. The rest of you can go to the other room. Xia Wen, you stay here as well. Tan Jing looked at Xia Wen worriedly. He quietly reached out and held her hand to reassure her. She lowered her head and followed Xu Lan and the others, but she still felt worried and looked back at him every three steps she took. Xia Mao was so busy that he only just realized that Qiao Mei was also in the house and he had yet to check on her. Oh, is Qiao Mei alright! Xia Mao stood up from the stool and yelled out. Xia Zhe shook his head and said, Shes fine. Shes not affected. Xia Mao nodded in relief and sat down. Xia Wen looked into Xia Zhes eyes and said, Theyll be going to Qiao Meis room later. Perhaps get her to tidy up now, so that she doesnt feel too rushed later. Xia Wen was implying something and Xia Zhe seemed to understand what he meant. Xia Wen did not know if there was anything in this courtyard, although his whole family had never stopped being suspicious of this courtyard. In particular, Third Aunt-in-law did not hide her unbridled interest in the house and would use this as an excuse every year to express her desire to occupy this house. If there was really something underground and yet these people did not manage to dig up, then either Xia Zhe found a new place to bury it or he did not manage to hide it in time and had put it all in the main house. Okay, Ill tell her now. Xia Zhe turned around and went to the main house. Zhou Hua ran in front of him and rushed into the main house in a hurry. She had long guessed that there must be something in this courtyard. It turned out just as she expected! Given that there were so many people here today, it served to prove that she was right! Xia Zhe must have hidden all the things away! If nothing was found even after digging up such a big courtyard, he must have hidden them in the main house. She wanted to be the first one to go in and take a look! Zhou Hua pushed open the door forcefully only to see an empty space. The five rooms in the main house only contained the furniture that Xia He had bought for Xia Zhe some time ago. There was nothing else. Zhou Hua then ran to open the wardrobe and cabinets. There was nothing inside except for one or two pieces of old clothing. Feeling disappointed, Zhou Hua sat down on a chair. Xia Zhe ran to Qiao Meis room and held her hand. Are you are the babies feeling okay? As Xia He and Xia Fang were still in the room, Xia Zhe was too embarrassed to ask about Qiao Mei in front of them and could only use the children as a cover. Qiao Mei smiled at Xia Zhe and said, Feeling much better. Father and elder brother didnt come in as well? Qiao Mei kept the modern way of thinking from her other life. Although she knew that in this era, she needed to behave in a manner that avoided arousing suspicions, she was much more open-minded than most people of this time. Xia Zhe patted Qiao Mei on the head and said, They have to keep an eye on things outside.?This young girl really just said whatever was on her mind. She did not think too much and just did things according to her heart. Qiao Mei said to Xia Zhe, Help me get my bag. I want to change my clothes. Xia Zhe brought the bag to Qiao Mei as she had asked. While she was rummaging through her clothes, Qiao Mei took the opportunity to nip off a small bit of the thousand-year-old ginseng root and hid it under her nail. I think Ill go and make some ginger soup for everyone. The weather is so cold after the rain, Qiao Mei said. Xia Zhe nodded and accompanied Qiao Mei to the kitchen to make the ginger soup. While no one was paying attention, Qiao Mei added the ginseng root from under her nail into the ingredients and made a full pot of soup. When everyone drank the hot ginger soup, their entire bodies warmed up and they could feel the chill and fatigue being swept away. Chapter 334 - Stop Hiding Chapter 334: Stop Hiding Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Come take a seat and dont tire yourself out, Xia Mao said to Qiao Mei with a smile after he drank the soup. The first time when Xia Mao saw Qiao Mei, he already felt that this child was very obedient and sensible. Others may say that Qiao Mei was a village girl who was not worthy of Xia Zhe, but he did not think so. A village girl had her own good points. What exactly is going on? Xu Lan asked Xia Zhe. The Cao familys side suddenly collapsed in the latter half of the night and I went over to take a look at what happened to their house. Then they came and said they wanted to stay over, but I didnt let them in. After that, these people came to dig up the courtyard, Xia Zhe said. Zhou Hua drank the ginger soup in one gulp and looked at Xia Zhe with resentment as she whispered, Now that the door is closed, tell us everything. Have you hidden everything well! Everyone stopped drinking. Xia Zhe looked at Zhou Hua expressionlessly and asked, What do you mean by everything? Were all family. Why are you so petty? Its not like I want anything from you. Just tell your third aunt-in-law the truth so that I can cover for you when the time comes, Zhou Hua said. If not for the fact that there were so many people outside, Xu Lan would have stood up and given her a tight slap to wake her up. Xia Zhe ignored Zhou Hua and turned to remind Qiao Mei, Theyre coming in to search the house later. Just put all your things in your bag. Qiao Mei nodded. The calligraphy and painting which she had bought at the antique market, the jade jewelry and the bangle were all in her bag. There were also two bundles of money which she had brought with her to cater for emergencies. There were also Qiao Meis personal items and underclothes. She wanted to make sure that these things would not get dirtied when they came in to rummage through the cabinets. Qiao Mei put her bag to one side. Given that everyone had arrived at the house so early in the morning, she knew that all of them must not have eaten yet. Qiao Mei whispered to Xia Zhe, Ill go and prepare some food for everyone. They must be hungry since they came so early in the morning. Xia Zhe nodded and instructed, Be careful then. If its too much work, Ill go out and buy some. Dont tire yourself out. Qiao Mei smiled and said, Its alright, Im already well rested. Ill go now! Wait a minute! Xia Zhe took out his jacket from the cabinet and put it on for Qiao Mei, buttoning it up properly. Dont catch a chill. Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei gently. The truth was that he was afraid the people outside would eye Qiao Mei covetously. Even though Qiao Mei was pregnant, she still had a good figure and had even grown more busty recently. He could not let others feast their eyes on such a sight. Wearing Xia Zhes clothes, Qiao Mei looked like a child who had stolen an adults clothes. It did not fit her and looked big and loose. Xia Zhe patiently rolled up the sleeves for Qiao Mei until she could see her own hands. Im off! Qiao Mei happily ran to the kitchen to cook. Xia Zhe handed the bag to Xia He and said, Sorry to trouble you, elder sister. I still have to go to the front to keep an eye on them. Sure, leave it to me, Xia He said. Xia Fang looked at how Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei were behaving in a loving manner despite everything that was happening and knew that everything was alright. Xia Zhe must have made all the necessary arrangements. Zhou Hua did not give up on her belief that there were things buried underground. She searched through every room and only went out unwillingly after confirming that there was nothing in the main house. The moment Section Chief Chu arrived at the house, she firmly believed that there must be something in this courtyard. Otherwise, there would not have been an investigation launched out of the blue. Back then, Wu Mins family was considered a wealthy family. She did not believe that they did not have anything left. Even if they had donated everything back then, it was impossible that they did not keep a few things. All these years, she had been looking for the familys valuable items, but she did not manage to find anything. It turned out that they were all hidden in this courtyard! No wonder the old lady insisted on leaving this courtyard to Xia Zhe. After today, she must sit Xia Zhe down and ask him what was going on. If she could not get anything out of him, she would ask Xia Guang to come back and ask him! They were all members of the Xia family, so they had to have a share of all these things! They were all the old ladys biological children, so why should all these things be left to only one grandson, Xia Zhe? Were all her other grandchildren not her biological kin? Zhou Hua herself had even given birth to three boys for the Xia family! Even if this was not an achievement, she should still be rewarded for her efforts! Chapter 335 - There Is Nothing At All Chapter 335: There Is Nothing At All Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios When all the womenfolk in the family were asked to come out of the main house, Qiao Mei also came out of the kitchen to cooperate with the investigation. All of Section Chief Chus subordinates went into the house to do the search. The floor tiles in the house were all pried open and examined bit by bit. Qiao Mei did not feel any heartache when she watched the Cao familys side of the house collapse, but she felt upset now as she saw the house being stripped bare. This was a historical building. Once it was damaged, it could never be returned to its original state. Even if the Cao familys side was not pulled down by Qiao Mei, it would still be considered unsafe for habitation as the foundation had been made unstable by their digging. However, if the house remained standing, the Cao family would continue to occupy it. She had no choice but to pull it down. When Xia Xiu received the news about what happened, she rushed over from the army unit and only managed to reach the house now. As soon as she entered, she saw the Xia family members standing outside and the people inside digging away. On the way, she had already learned the whole story and so she did not ask much. Oh, Eldest Aunt is here. Qiao Mei smiled at Xia Xiu, who arrived much later than the others. Xia Xiu looked at Qiao Mei and asked, How are you? Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere? Qiao Mei shook her head. She thought it seemed that Eldest Aunt was still quite fond of her, given that Eldest Aunt checked on her as soon as she entered the house. The earlier misunderstanding was something they could put behind them. Im fine. Qiao Mei looked at the floor tiles and sighed silently. Its alright. There are probably cracks on the old floor. Take this opportunity to put in a new floor, Xia Xiu said grandly. Qiao Mei looked at Xia Xiu and smiled. It seemed that Eldest Aunt was quite an easy person to get along with. Xia Xiu did not have Xia Fangs gentle temperament and she was more capable and forthright. She looked a little fierce but was actually very protective of her loved ones. I havent had the chance to apologize to you for what happened the last time. I believed in slanderous gossip without checking it out and ended up maligning you, Xia Xiu said as she looked at Qiao Mei seriously. Qiao Mei could tell that Xia Xiu really wanted to get along well with her and said gently, Its fine. It was just an oversight on the part of Eldest Aunt. I dont blame you. The kitchen was in a mess, so Qiao Mei could only bring out everything to cook outdoors. When Xia Zhe saw this, he hurriedly went over to help out. Before long, the fragrant dough soup was ready. Of course, Section Chief Chu and his team did not get a share of the food. They could only smell it but were unable to eat it and it made them feel terrible. Xia Mao deliberately stood at the door to drink the soup. He was overjoyed to see them working on an empty stomach. In the end, they did not manage to dig out anything by the time night fell. Wei Huai brought Section Chief Chu with him to apologize to the Xia family, and then they announced in front of the neighbors that someone made a malicious report against the Xia family but nothing was found in the house. There were experts everywhere in the courtyard at the moment. If none of them managed to dig anything up, there must be nothing underground. Wei Huai left with Section Chief Chu and his team, and Xia Wen sent off all the experts who were his colleagues. Xia Mao and Xia Xiu went to deal with the aftermath of this matter, leaving Xia Wen, Xia Zhe and the remaining womenfolk in the house. The repairs for this place wont be completed so fast. Come stay at my place, Xia Fang said. Qiao Mei thought for a moment and shook her head. Im worried that I will fight with Kong Li. Aunt, I think wed better not. Xia Wen looked at the courtyard and said, Leave the repair work to me. Our school has experts in the architecture department and many students. We can get them to come over to help out, and they can also make use of the chance to learn about such buildings. Xia Zhe nodded and said, Thank you, elder brother. From the looks of it, Xia Xiu probably intended to get He Ning to hire someone to repair the courtyard. However, he would not dare to use someone that the He family hired. If these people were to plant something inside while repairing the courtyard so as to frame the Xia family, they would find it hard to explain themselves. It was better to use people whom his elder brother knew, as he would be able to check on their backgrounds. Lets go, Xiao Jing. Well go make the arrangements now. Xia Wen held Tan Jings hand to leave together. Tan Jing looked at Zhou Hua reluctantly. She was still waiting for Zhou Hua to ask about the things underground so that she could also benefit from the knowledge. Xia Wen could tell what Tan Jing was thinking and he looked downcasted. He pulled Tan Jing away without further ado and she had no choice but to leave with him. Chapter 336 - Leave the Kong Family Quickly Chapter 336: Leave the Kong Family Quickly Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xia Fang looked at the cherry tree in the courtyard with heartache. There were a lot of memories attached to this tree. Her mother did not leave behind much and only this tree could still bring back many happy memories for her. Can this tree survive? Xia Fang asked Qiao Mei. She knew that Qiao Mei was very good with plants. Under Qiao Meis guidance, the orchids at home were blooming nowadays. When the weather was good, she would bring the orchids to the living room to admire them. The tree will definitely survive, but if we dont stop the water from flowing out, everyone living here will not be able to survive, Qiao Mei said helplessly as she looked at the bubbling fountain on the ground. Actually, those people did not dig up the groundwater just now. It was Qiao Mei who had loosened the soil to stop them from being able to continue digging. However, she did not expect the water to flow out continuously like a fountain. Lets leave it for the next few days. Itll be fine after a few days when it stops raining, Xia Zhe said. He had encountered such a situation during a previous mission, and it became fine after a few days. Even so, we cant just let the water keep flowing out. The courtyard is about to be destroyed since the soil has all been dug up, Xia He said as she looked around. Its fine. The courtyard has a drainage system. After elder brother makes the arrangements to repair the courtyard, well get everything repaired. The water wont flow into the house for the moment, Xia Zhe said. Just as everyone was thinking about the cherry tree in the courtyard and how to drain the water, Zhou Hua became anxious. She whispered, Xiao Zhe, just tell everyone the truth. Where did you put those things? Hurry up and dig them out now that theyre gone so that we can take them away. Xia He was rendered speechless when she heard this and rolled her eyes in anger. In the past, Third Aunt-in-law was not so stupid. Why was it that the older she got, the more foolish she became? Putting aside the fact that they did not know if Section Chief Chu had left anyone behind to spy on them, the people who had been keeping an eye on the Cao family still had not left yet. There were so many pairs of eyes outside staring at the Xia family covetously. Yet, Zhou Hua seemed totally oblivious and ready to announce her thoughts to the whole world. Xu Lan was also angry when she heard this. She would usually pretend not to hear anything when Zhou Hua talked, but Zhou Hua still dared to spout such nonsense at a critical moment like this. Was she trying to kill the Xia family! Liu Fen, Im leaving. Are you coming back with me? Xu Lan asked. Lets go, lets go! Liu Fen hurriedly held on to Xu Lans arm and left Xia Zhes house. Liu Fen also wanted to know if there was anything buried under the old house, but she knew that it was not the time to ask these questions now. She also knew that it was best if these things did not appear for the rest of her life. She and Xia Yao were living a prosperous life and her children were also doing well. All she wanted was for all of them to be safe and sound. Xia Fang looked at Xia Zhe and said earnestly, Why dont you come to my place? you are reading on our content copy site.Please copy and search this link " https://tinyurl.com/39hpcn6j " to support us Xia Zhe shook his head. He knew that Qiao Mei did not like Kong Li, so he still had to respect Qiao Meis wishes. Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei, but she did not say anything. Aunt, we wont go over. So many things have happened at home. Although Qiao Mei is in good health, shes still probably a little traumatized, Xia Zhe said with a smile. Xia He thought for a moment and said, Why dont you guys go back to grandfathers place? Its indeed not quite possible for Qiao Mei to rest well and take good care of her pregnancy with Kong Li around. By the way, why isnt Kong Li here? Qiao Mei asked curiously. Usually, Kong Li would be the first to rush to the front when it came to such matters. She loved to watch dramatic events like this, especially when it involved Xia He. Shes still sleeping at home. Not even a thunderstorm or an earthquake can wake her up, Xia He said mockingly. Qiao Mei suddenly felt a little emotional. For a person to be able to behave like this, she had to be a callous person. You should all go back to stay at grandfathers place. Ive already disturbed Aunt for the past few days. When Kong Lu arrives, Ill get him to take Kong Li away immediately! Xia He hugged Xia Fangs arm and said sweetly to her. When is he arriving? Xia Zhe asked. In his letter, he said in two or three days time, Xia He said. Ill ask him to speed up and travel both day and night, Xia Zhe said as he looked at Xia He. If it were the old Xia He, she might have told Xia Zhe not to rush Kong Lu as it would be dangerous and that he should ask Kong Lu to be careful and to take his time. Now, she only wanted to leave the Kong family as soon as possible. Chapter 337 - Not Leaving Chapter 337: Not Leaving Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei rolled up her sleeves and wanted to go forward to deal with the roots of the cherry tree. When Xia Zhe saw this, he quickly stopped her and said, Just tell me what to do. You can instruct me from the side. Now that it had started to rain again, Xia Zhe went into the house and took out the raincoat for Qiao Mei to wear. He was worried that Qiao Meis wrist would get tired if she had to hold an umbrella for a long time. Its indeed difficult to do such work in my current clothes. Ill rely on you then. Qiao Mei instructed Xia Zhe on how to wrap up the roots of the cherry tree to prevent them from rotting. Otherwise, given the incessant flooding from both the rainwater and the groundwater, the roots would rot from being soaked in water for too long. Actually, she was just putting on an act for everyone. Even if this tree died, she would be able to resurrect it. However, she had to make it believable. Otherwise, people would cast suspicions on her. Zhou Hua sat at the side and looked at Qiao Mei with disdain. This young woman was shameless enough to be able to flirt with a man in front of so many people. She was not as decent as she looked! After taking care of the cherry tree, Qiao Mei went to pack up the things in the house. They had just moved in for a few days and did not have anything valuable with them. She packed a few items of clothing for both of them and prepared to leave, but Zhou Hua continued to sit down motionlessly. Arent you leaving, Third Aunt-in-law? Qiao Mei asked. Ill help you look after the courtyard! Look, its so chaotic around here. There are all kinds of people here. Ill help you look after the things here so they dont get stolen, Zhou Hua said. Third Aunt-in-law, theres nothing valuable in this house, Qiao Mei said. Zhou Hua pointed at the beds and furniture in the house in exasperation and said, Youre a child from the countryside after all! Dont you know how to be thrifty! All the things in this house cost money! Youve only been married for a few days and youre already looking down on these things! Before Qiao Mei could get angry, she suddenly felt a tight grip over her hand. Xia Zhe had become angry. Third Aunt-in-law, theres no need to waste your time waiting here. Whatever you want is not here. Even if it is, its not yours. Xia Zhe looked at Zhou Hua with a vicious look. What he said made Zhou Hua so angry that her eyes turned red.?She was the third daughter-in-law of the Xia family! She had officially married into the family! She had given birth to three grandsons for the Xia family! Why was it that the things passed down in the family could not be given to the third son of the family but were all taken over by the eldest sons family! They had already taken the house, did they have to take all these things as well! Youd better speak louder too. He Nings cronies havent left yet. Youd better let them all know that theres something under the ground. When the time comes, let the He family come and tear down this house. If the Xia family gets implicated, Third Uncles life will become even more difficult and I hope youll be happy then! Xia Zhe said. Zhou Hua was overjoyed! It seemed that there was really something in this courtyard! However, why was this matter related to the He family? What did Xia Zhe do to offend the He family? What did you do to offend the He family?! Why did you offend him for no reason?! The He family is not to be trifled with! What if you implicate your third uncle?! Zhou Hua complained as she looked at Xia Zhe. The He family was the one who started all the trouble, but the Xia family members did not tell their womenfolk about it. This was all political and military strife. The women stayed at home all day and did not work or have any social circles. They just stayed at home obediently, so there were many things that they did not know. Xu Lan would occasionally hear Xia Mao talk about his family matters. After all, she still had some connections in the military art troupe and might be able to help. Liu Fen did not care about these things at all. What she cared about was Xia Yaos safety and whether her whole family was doing well. She would not even bother to listen to anything else even if someone wanted to tell her. As for Zhou Hua, they deliberately kept everything from her. Zhou Hua was very easily deceived and misled. If she knew about all these family matters, everyone on the streets would know about whatever was happening in the Xia family the next day. Sometimes, Xia Jun regretted not being stricter about his sons marriages. The Xia family had allowed their children to fall in love freely and marry whoever they liked without any restrictions. However, this freedom had now become a hidden danger for the Xia family. Chapter 338 - All Imagination Chapter 338: All Imagination Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Lets go to grandfathers place. Xia Zhe held on to Qiao Mei and led her out of the courtyard. He then looked back at Zhou Hua, who was still in the courtyard. Zhou Hua looked up at the roof and saw a black shadow flashed past. It seemed that what Xia Zhe said was true. If there was really someone secretly monitoring this house, then she definitely would not be able to find anything. Why is Third Aunt-in-law not leaving yet? Is she so confident that shes better than all the experts? So many experts cant manage to find anything, but she seems to think that she can, Qiao Mei asked curiously. Qiao Mei did not mean to look down on or mock Zhou Hua. She was really curious about it. It made the situation even more hilarious. Although Qiao Mei spoke very softly, everyone around could hear her. Third Aunt-in-law, when did you learn about archeology? You even have such skills! Xia He asked with a laugh. Xia Fang scolded Xia He from the side, Dont look down on your third aunt-in-law! Your third aunt-in-law is so much more professional than those experts. Xia Fang rarely joked and was unwilling to make fun of other people, so what she said must be true. So what exactly was Third Aunt-in-laws expertise? Qiao Mei widened her eyes and looked at Xia Zhe, then at Zhou Hua behind him with an incredulous look. What does that mean? Xia He asked, feeling puzzled. Looking at Qiao Meis expression, Xia Zhe laughed and said, Third Aunt-in-laws grandfather is a famous local tomb robber. Its said that Third Aunt-in-laws father knows how to do that too. As for Third Aunt-in-law Im not too sure about that. How would I have that kind of skill? In our family, the skills are only passed on to the men, not the women. By the time it gets to my generation, these sinister skills are gone. No one else knows how to do it, Zhou Hua explained quickly. Zhou Hua was telling the truth, but there were also some other things that she did not say. She had watched her father and grandfather do these things for a long time and had learned a little from them. She was not proficient in it, but she had enough knowledge to get by. This was not a matter to be proud of. After she left the village, she did not tell anyone about it. When she married into the Xia family, she never mentioned it at all. Even her own children did not know about these things and she did not expect Xia Zhe to know about it. Oh, no wonder. Third Aunt-in-law is so capable. Qiao Mei looked at Zhou Hua and asked excitedly, Then Third Aunt-in-law, can you see anything? To be honest, we dont know if theres anything under the ground. If there is, can you guess the approximate location? Qiao Mei asked Zhou Hua in a low voice with a serious and sincere expression. Zhou Hua thought that she did not look like she was lying. Could it be that they really did not know anything? From Xia Maos expression today, it seemed like he also did not know if there was anything buried at home. Qiao Meis expression looked real, but didnt Xia Zhe say that there was something to be found? Were just guessing. After all, the He family has been watching us and I also dont know where to start. Xia Zhe quickly understood what the young girl wanted to do, so he cooperated with Qiao Mei as she looked at Zhou Hua with a troubled look. Zhou Hua believed what Xia Zhe said and whispered, I think there are three suspicious places, namely under the cherry tree, the abandoned well, and the corner of the southeast wall. However, nothing has been dug out from these three places. The other places all look unlikely to me, so there are probably no other possible spots apart from the three. If we want to find anything, we have to dig very deep down. Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei looked at each other. Qiao Mei was even more shocked as she knew where those things were hidden. Zhou Hua was right about all three places. It looked like they should not underestimate others. Everyone had a capable side to them. Youre just making wild guesses. When I was just born, my family only had enough money to barely survive. Later on, when I was at the age when I could remember stuff, my family couldnt even afford to buy food anymore. At that time, as soon as we had money, my maternal uncle would come and borrow it all. No matter how much money our family had, it was not enough to give to my uncle, Xia Fang said with a sigh. Her uncle loved to gamble. Back then, if they did not give him money, his creditors would come knocking on their door. Therefore, they had sold many things in the house to pay off her uncles debts. Later on, my uncle lost his house in a bet. In a fit of anger, my aunt-in-law went back to her own family with the children. In the end, my uncle fell ill and died. At that time, it was my mother who paid for the coffin he was buried in, Xia Fang continued. Chapter 339 - Crushed to Pieces Chapter 339: Crushed to Pieces Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Actually, Xia Fang still liked that uncle of hers very much. Putting aside his gambling habit, her uncle was a knowledgeable and passionate person. Every time he came to the house, he would bring gifts and nice food for Xia Fang. Wu Min was usually busy with housework and Xia Jun was in the army all year round, so only her uncle kept her company. He would bring her to the temple fairs and even let her ride on his shoulder. Later on, she did not know who led her uncle astray and brought him gambling. From then on, he made one wrong move after another. He only cared about money and no longer cared about his relatives. Of course, Zhou Hua did not believe this story and she felt that there would definitely be one or two valuable items left behind. She did not believe in the tale of the prodigal uncle. Xiao Zhe, if theres really something, you cant just keep it for yourself! Everyone should have a share! Zhou Hua said with a smile. Xia Zhe looked to the other side and ignored what Zhou Hua said. Initially, he had no intention of taking it all for himself. He was going to wait for the matter to blow over before giving everything to his grandfather and letting him do the distribution. However, from the looks of it now, there was definitely no benefit in giving it to someone like Third Aunt-in-law. It would only make Third Uncle die faster and even implicate the Xia family. These things had to wait. The He family was not having a good time either. The news quickly reached the He family and He Ning was so angry that he could not even eat lunch. What a bunch of trash! How can there be nothing under the ground of the Xia familys house! He Ning grabbed a vase and threw it to the ground. His attendant was so frightened that he did not dare to make a sound. What the hell is going on! He Ning said, pointing at his attendant. Theyve basically dug four to five meters deep into the ground at the Xia familys house. They also carefully checked all the places that we suspected, as well as all the remaining spots. But theres not enough time, so they werent able to check carefully. When we go again next time said the attendant. After hearing this, He Ning sat on the sofa weakly and said, What next time! Will the Xia family allow you to have a next time? Useless things! Forget it, this matter will end here. The same plan wont work on the Xia family anymore. The Xia family still did not know Qiao Meis identity, so it was time to give them a big gift. Go and find the Liang family and tell them Qiao Meis identity. They will understand and thank me when the time comes, He Ning said with a smile. Yes. The attendant went off to look for the Liang family. Dear readers! you are reading on our content copy site.Please copy and search this link " https://bit.ly/3NSnQtR " to support us The Liang family was now at a dead end. If the Xia family found out that Qiao Mei was related to them, the Xia family would probably not feel good about it. After the Cao family stayed in the guest house for an entire day, Old Master Cao could not sit still anymore. As soon as the rain stopped, he brought the entire Cao family back to the wreckage. They were shocked to see that someone had obviously dug through the site. The Cao family members all rushed into the wreckage to look for their own things. Old Master Cao was the most careful and the luckiest. He quickly found his precious box, but it seemed to have been opened by someone and casually thrown aside. Old Master Cao opened it carefully and his heart almost stopped beating. The things inside had long been crushed into pieces and there was nothing left. After the heavy rain, most of the calligraphy and paintings that were hidden at home were also ruined. Oh heaven! Why do you do this to me! Old Master Cao hugged his mahogany box and sat on the ground, crying bitterly. The people around him also sobbed from time to time. The passers-by all knew what had happened to the Cao family, but no one dared to go forward to take a look. Although the Cao family members were pitiful, they were also hateful people. After crying for a long time, they still could not find anything useful. The women of the Cao family all returned to the guest house. There was no point in guarding the things in the wreckage as they were all crushed and useless now. The men of the Cao family all went out to think of ways to find a place to live. They could not keep staying in the guest house as it was not a long-term solution. Before leaving, the old man took a look at the Xia familys house. The Xia family could no longer live here as well. It was dug around as much as their side and looked like it could collapse at any time. However, why was there nothing dug up? Was there really nothing, or did they not dig enough to reach the things? Chapter 340 - This Is Not Considered My Home Chapter 340: This Is Not Considered My Home Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios On the way, the old man suddenly remembered that Wu Min had an older brother who was well-known in the area for being a gambling addict. It might have been possible that he had squandered away all the family assets. It seemed that the Xia family really did not have much left. The old man left reluctantly. Qiao Mei originally wanted to stay with Xia Zhes grandfather, but then she felt that it was not that convenient for them to live in the same house. The house was also quite far from the hospital, so they made a last minute decision to go to the house that belonged to Xia Zhes parents. As soon as he reached the door, Xia Zhe became nervous. Previously, they had only gone to his grandfathers house. This was the first time that he formally brought Qiao Mei back to his parents house. This house was usually not occupied. Xia Mao spent most of his time in the army and rarely went home. Xu Lan usually stayed in the house that was near the military art troupe and only returned to this house when Xia Mao came back. She was allocated the house by her workplace unit when she was young. It was very small, but it was good enough for a short stay. Xia Zhe was raised in his grandmothers courtyard house when he was young. When he grew up and went to school, he lived with Xia Fang and rarely came to this house. In his eyes, this was not considered his home. He would consider his grandmothers courtyard house to be his home. Weve been too busy these past few days and it didnt occur to me to bring you here to take a look. Xia Zhe explained as he looked at Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei knew that Xia Zhe was not so familiar with this place because he had gone to the wrong block when he entered the courtyard just now. In the end, it was Zhou Hua who showed them the way. Before Qiao Mei could speak, Zhou Hua said, You have been busy? What are you guys so busy with? It seemed that Zhou Hua still refused to give up on the issue of there being something underground. Nothing much. Is Third Aunt-in-law staying here too? Xia Zhe asked. Zhou Hua said, Of course! Xia Zhe had always been in the army and did not know much about the matters at home. Usually, when Xia Yao and Xia Guang came home, they would bring their families to stay with Xia Jun. However, when only the womenfolk came back, they would stay at Xia Maos house. It was convenient to go anywhere from here and the complex was lax about visitors, so Liu Fen and Zhou Hua would come here to stay. Xu Lan and Liu Fen were chatting in the house and were shocked to see the people coming in with all their bags. It was only later that Xu Lan realized that she should have asked Xia Zhe if he wanted to come back with them. She did not do it on purpose as it did not strike her that this was also Xia Zhes house. Xia Zhe also did not think of it either. Liu Fen quickly took Xia Zhes things and brought them upstairs to his bedroom. Liu Fen often came to this house, so she knew the layout of the house like the back of her hand. Xia Zhes bedroom was only about 20 square meters. It was very simply furnished. There was only a bookcase, a desk and a single bed. Qiao Mei looked at the narrow single bed and frowned. How could both of them sleep in such a small bed at night? Fortunately, she had lost weight and did not look like she used to. Otherwise, this bed would definitely collapse! Xia Zhe, who was behind Qiao Mei, was very satisfied with the size of this single bed. This way, he could stick even closer to Qiao Mei! Qiao Mei put down her luggage and started to unpack. Not long after, she took out the necessities from her luggage and put them aside. She changed the bedsheets and blankets, and then prepared to go downstairs to cook. Liu Fen witnessed all these quietly with a look of approval in her eyes. This was so much better than what Tan Jing could do when she first came. Back then, Tan Jing could not even change the bedsheets properly and was unteachable. Liu Fen was very satisfied with how diligent Qiao Mei was, but she did not understand what Xia Zhe was doing, following behind Qiao Mei all the time. How could a man enter the kitchen! Xiao Zhe, such a big thing has happened at home. Arent you going to your grandfathers place to take a look? Your wife will be fine here with us. Go and do what you have to do! Liu Fen shouted at Xia Zhe. Xia Zhe reached out and took the kitchen knife from Qiao Meis hand. He clumsily cut the potatoes and said, My father has already told my grandfather that the most important thing for me to do now is to stay by Qiao Meis side. Qiao Mei was pregnant and yet He Nings ultimate goal was to make Xia Zhe a member of the He family. He Ning would not harm anyone from the Xia family, so he would only target Qiao Mei. Chapter 341 - Blind Dates Are So Difficult Chapter 341: Blind Dates Are So Difficult Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After Xia Zhe said that, everyone in the room felt embarrassed. Xu Lan glared at Xia Zhe and said, Arent you ashamed to say such things in front of so many people! After Xu Lan admonished Xia Zhe, she even stole a glance at Qiao Mei. This daughter-in-law of hers was really amazing. Back then, everyone knew Xia Zhes personality. He was like a human iceberg, but he was now so infatuated with Qiao Mei that he seemed like a completely different person. Qiao Mei felt at a loss when she looked at the elders in the living room. They already could not accept what Xia Zhe had just said. If they knew those other shameless things that Xia Zhe did behind their backs, they would probably flip out. He would not turn out like that if he did not have the propensity for doing such things. It was not something she could teach him. Alright, Second Aunt-in-law. Come and sit down. Lets not care about the couples matters. Xia He pulled Liu Fen out of the kitchen. However, Liu Fen still felt that it was not appropriate. She wanted to say something more but was interrupted by Xia He. Second Aunt-in-law, theres a young lady from my workplace unit who wants to go on a blind date. What do you think? When she heard about the potential matchmaking, Liu Fens attention immediately got diverted and she asked excitedly, Which family is she from? Tell me the details! Shes from our troupe. Her parents are from a proper workplace unit and she has an elder brother. Shes beautiful and tall, and she said she wants to marry a soldier. What do you think of your Xia An? Xia He said. Liu Fen looked at Qiao Mei in the kitchen and said, Is she as good-looking as Qiao Mei? Yes of course, but why didnt you ask if shes as good-looking as me? Do you think Im not as beautiful as Qiao Mei! Xia He pretended to be angry as she looked at Liu Fen. Oh you. Of course youre the most beautiful! Liu Fen could not stop smiling. Previously, Liu Fen wanted to find modest and gentle girlfriends for her sons. She thought that it was not good for a girl to be too good-looking as the man would be worried when he was not around. She felt that it would be better to find virtuous girls, but the problem was her sons were not interested in virtuous girls. Back then, her sons had agreed to let Liu Fen make the arrangements, but before anything could happen, they became attracted to girls who were almost as beautiful as Qiao Mei. It occured to Liu Fen that she should find good-looking girlfriends for her sons. After all, it would be hard for her daughters-in-law to avoid comparisons with Xia Zhes wife in the future, and she did not want her family to lose out! She had to find someone who was prettier than Qiao Mei! In order to have grandchildren as soon as possible, it did not matter even if the girl did not come from a good family. Qiao Mei came from a village and she was kind-hearted and beautiful. Moreover, she knew how to do all kinds of housework and was especially good at it. No one could find any fault with her. It was Xia Zhe who was the one who made people worry. How could he do things that women were supposed to do Liu Fen gave Xia He her detailed wishlist. Xia He could only smile and agree. If she had to find someone who looked like Qiao Mei, her two younger cousins from her second uncles family would never be able to find girlfriends. Xia Zhe brought a stool into the kitchen and closed the door after he went in. This way, no one would see Qiao Mei instructing him. The two of them would be in their own world. Zhou Hua had been staring at Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe the entire time. Since they had closed the door, they must be sharing secrets. Zhou Hua was about to eavesdrop when she was stopped by someone. Third Sister-in-law, you said that you wanted Xiao Xing to be transferred back to the capital. How is it going? Is it done? Xia Fang asked. Once Zhou Hua was reminded about this matter, she sat down angrily and said, Its not settled yet! Im still waiting to ask our old master for help, but he hasnt been free. Why dont you help me talk to him? Zhou Hua had been waiting for the old master to give her an answer. Xia Jun had used all kinds of excuses to avoid her, and Xia Mao did the same as well. Therefore, she just kept waiting. If it really did not work out, Xia Fangs husband, Xiang Jin, was also a high-ranking official! He could also arrange something for her. Then what kind of position are you thinking of? Xia Fang asked patiently. Its best if its similar to his current job. This way, it wont be too difficult for him and hell be willing to do it, Zhou Hua said. When Xia He heard that, she was so angry to the point that she laughed. Thats a little difficult. Third Aunt-in-law, your request is not a simple one! Chapter 342 - Having Lunch Together Chapter 342: Having Lunch Together Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Zhou Hua looked at Xia He and said, Really? But my son is so outstanding! Xia He laughed and said, Oh, thats right. Brother Xing is the best. For a secretary from a small county to suddenly become a secretary in the capital? Brother Xing must be really capable. Xia Zhe, who was in the kitchen, managed to hear snippets of the conversation. It used to be that Xia Xing was doing the best out of the few of them and his third uncle, Xia Guang, was also doing quite well. He wondered what had happened that caused Third Aunt-in-law to become like this. It seemed that he needed to give Third Uncle a call to find out what exactly happened and not let Third Aunt-in-law cause any trouble with her behavior. Qiao Mei sat at the side and enjoyed the breeze. She smiled in satisfaction as she watched Xia Zhe busy himself in the kitchen. It would be great if he could continue to do this in the future. It did not take long for lunch to be ready. Everyone praised Qiao Meis culinary skills for being better than the chefs from the hotels. Even the usually picky Zhou Hua did not say anything harsh. Only Xia Fang and Xia He knew that the dishes on the table were all prepared by Xia Zhe. There was still a huge difference between his cooking and Qiao Meis cooking. However, he was still very talented to be able to cook such tasty food not long after he learned how to cook. Xia He felt emotional as she ate. She lamented about how all good men were taken and she did not know how much longer she would have to suffer. After the meal, Xia Zhe gave Xia He a secret signal and forcefully brought Qiao Mei upstairs to take a rest. This was a tacit understanding between the two siblings since they were young. Only the two of them understood the secret code. I dont think its a good idea for me to come up to rest just like that. I havent washed the dishes and cleaned the table yet! Itll be terrible if Second Aunt-in-law sees it, Qiao Mei said softly. Xia Zhe stood behind her and asked her to hurry upstairs so that she would not get caught by Second Aunt-in-law while halfway up the stairs. He whispered to Qiao Mei, Youre the one who cooked, so dont worry about the rest. Youre a pregnant woman. How can you do so much work? Go back and rest. The two of them did not sleep much last night. Not long after they fell asleep, the Cao familys side of the house collapsed and then, so many people came early in the morning. They did not manage to get much sleep at all. Qiao Mei obediently packed her clothes and washed up before lying on the small bed. Fortunately, the bed was placed against the wall. This way, Qiao Mei would not fall down even if she lay on her side. Xia Zhe could still lie flat in the space next to her. Qiao Mei patted the spot beside her. She looked at Xia Zhe with her big eyes and put on a pitiful expression. He hesitated for three seconds before giving up the struggle and lying down beside her. No man could resist the charms of a beautiful girl.. He was just going to take an afternoon nap and not anything else. If Zhou Hua saw this, she would definitely gossip about them again. With so many people outside, it was definitely not proper for the two of them to take an afternoon nap together in the middle of the day. Dear readers! you are reading on our content copy site.Please copy and search this link " https://tinyurl.com/39hpcn6j " to support us Xia Zhe thought that he would just take a short nap, but as soon as he lay down, he regretted it. Qiao Mei had just washed up and smelled nice and sweet. Being enveloped by such a nice fragrance, his heart beat faster and his breathing quickened, but he had to control his desire and not let his hands wander around. Xia Zhe took a deep breath and gently hugged Qiao Mei so as to suppress his desire. He buried his head in the crook of Qiao Meis neck and said, Go to sleep Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei did not manage to rest for very long before they were woken up by Xia He. Xia Wen had contacted an architecture professor and his students to discuss the repairs of the courtyard house. Given that they were the ones asking for help, Xia Zhe did not want to make them wait, so he got up and prepared to go over to the courtyard house. I want to go too, Qiao Mei said to Xia Zhe groggily. Now that Xia Fang and Xia He had gone off, there was only Xu Lan, Liu Fen and Zhou Hua at home. If Qiao Mei stayed here, it would be like sending a sheep into the tigers den. He felt that it would be safer to bring her along. Xia Zhe helped Qiao Mei change her clothes and brought her out with him. As soon as they reached the courtyard house, they saw the Cao family in the midst of moving out. Cao Da had gone to look for He Ning again. With the He familys help, they quickly found a place to stay. They came back here to see if there was anything useful that they could salvage. Although it looked like everything had been destroyed, the Cao family still did not give up hope that they might find some valuable item that remained intact. Chapter 343 - Blackmail” Chapter 343: Blackmail Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Hello, Professor. Please include the backyard when we carry out the repair work. Thank you for your hard work, Xia Zhe said with a smile. These historical buildings all had blueprints that were ready to be used for construction purposes. These historical buildings all had specific measurements, so there was no need to redraw the building plan. They could start work right away and add whatever was needed as they progressed. The professor from the architecture department was about 40 years old and his surname was Zhu. Professor Zhu looked at the house in front and the wreckage in the backyard with a look of regret. Dont worry, its not hard work. Ill try my best with the repairs, Professor Zhu said in a kindly manner. Qiao Mei looked at the extent of work required and felt a little worried. She asked softly, Professor, how much do you think this will cost? If we want to use all original materials, the material cost will be about 1,000 dollars, Professor Zhu said. It turned out that the quality of the antique bricks used in the original construction was thousands of times better than ordinary bricks. These bricks would remain in good condition even after thousands of years. Professor Zhu had checked through the house and felt that the bricks here could still be used for at least another 300 years. As for the side which had collapsed, the whole place had to be rebuilt. The most difficult part would be to find the timber to construct the house beams. In fact, the 1,000 dollars he mentioned would all be spent on the timber. Then how about the labor cost? Qiao Mei asked as she looked at Professor Zhu. Professor Zhu was stunned for a moment before looking at Xia Wen and said, Oh, you didnt tell them. Xia Wen smiled and said, Professor Zhu is my friend. Hes here to help this time, so theres no fee. Qiao Mei felt that it was inappropriate. It did not make sense for such a large project to be free of charge. How can there be no fees? The weather is so warm now, and this isnt about building one or two rooms. We have to rely on Professor Zhu to repair almost the entire building. Its definitely not right not to charge us any fees, Qiao Mei said. Qiao Mei did not know how to explain her current thoughts. She did not know if the current law allowed professors to take on jobs on their own. She did not know if they could do these things and how much money they should make. Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe, feeling at a loss. The money for the construction work would not come from the Xia family, as the Cao family would definitely need to bear the cost. However, since the builders were hired by the Xia family, they would feel like they were doing a favor for the Xia family. She could not let that happen, as the Cao family must be the one to pay the price. Xia Zhe understood what Qiao Mei meant and patted the back of her hand to reassure her. I dont think 1,000 dollars is enough for so many bricks and tiles, right? Xia Zhe deliberately said loudly in the direction of the backyard. Xia Wen understood immediately and shouted along, Thats right! Were only talking about the money for the bricks and tiles just now! We havent discussed the rest! Sigh, this house should have been usable for hundreds of years, but now it needs to be rebuilt after getting messed up. It definitely needs to be reinstated to exactly how it was before. Professor Zhu, what do you think? Qiao Mei looked at Teacher Zhu playfully and blinked. Professor Zhu also understood what was going on. He adjusted his glasses and said, I think it will cost about 1,500 dollars for it to be exactly the same as before. Ah? I would think 1,500 dollars isnt enough, Professor Zhu? You still havent said anything about the house beams and the rest of the details. I think we havent taken all these into account, Xia Wen said as he looked at Teacher Zhu. Professor Zhu hurriedly said, Thats right, thats right. It will probably cost at least 2,000 dollars. Professor Zhu felt a little guilty and whispered, There would still be a lot of money left over from 2,000 dollars. The extra money would even be enough to repair the front courtyard. I think thats enough Qiao Mei grinned at Professor Zhus cautious manner. She could tell at a glance that Professor Zhu was an honest person who seldom told lies. Professor Zhu was trembling in fear by then. He nervously took off his glasses and wiped the sweat off his face. Xia Wen felt that 2,000 dollars was still not enough. He reached out and took Professor Zhus glasses to wipe it for him and said, I think 2,000 dollars is still not enough. Back then, the roof was actually painted by a master artist. The painting materials used were top-quality, and they were all natural materials like cinnabar, gold foil and turquoise, among others. If were going to restore it to its original condition, it should cost at least 20,000 dollars, right? Xia Zhe looked at Xia Wen seriously and nodded. Indeed, I would say 20,000 dollars is a conservative estimate. Its just the cost of materials and does not include the labor fee yet. Altogether, it should cost at least 23,000 dollars. Chapter 344 - Adding Insult to Injury Chapter 344: Adding Insult to Injury Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Thats right, thats right. Xiao Zhe is right. There are so many students and experts here. In addition, we would need to get a master artist to come and do the painting. All these would incur a fair amount of charges. Even if we can find a master artist, the end result wont be the same as before. What a pity, what a pity! Xia Wen said and sighed. She did not expect that there would be someone even more ruthless than her. What they had said about the works of a master artist were all nonsense. Which master artist would come to such a place to paint! Which master artist would paint on the ceiling! It was at most a master craftsman who had painted it. Qiao Mei looked at the two brothers telling lies with a straight face and tried hard to hold back her laughter. Professor Zhu was so nervous that beads of sweat kept flowing down his face. Qiao Mei took Professor Zhu to the side to drink some tea. She would leave the negotiation to the Xia brothers. The Cao family members stomped their feet in anger when they heard the quote. Old Master Cao pointed his finger at Xia Zhes nose and scolded, Little brat, youre taking advantage of the situation! This is called adding insult to injury, Xia Zhe said as he looked at him indifferently. The Cao family members were speechless. I still have experts over there. If you dont trust my experts, you can also invite those two experts from Section Chief Chus team over here to find out how this house collapsed. Xia Zhe had no expression when he looked at the men from the Cao family. The Cao family members immediately cowered. It was fine to talk about some things in private, but it would be hard to explain themselves if the truth was exposed. The He family could suppress all the rumors now, but if Xia Zhe blew up the whole matter, He Ning would not care about them anymore. My house was originally fine but it collapsed because of you. Shouldnt you reinstate it back to its original state? Xia Zhe said as he looked at the Cao family members. Well repair it, but 20,000 dollars is too much. How about we find someone to repair it for you, Cao Da looked at Xia Zhe and said hesitantly. I dont trust you to fix it for me. What if the house collapses again after a few days? Xia Zhe said. Just 2,000 dollars. We dont have any more than that, said the Cao familys eldest daughter-in-law fiercely. Id say 2,500 dollars. There are so many workers to be paid. The amount of 2,500 dollars is non-negotiable. Send the money to us tomorrow morning. Otherwise, lets talk about how my house collapsed. After saying that, Xia Zhe returned to the front yard with Xia Wen. The Cao family members were stunned on the spot. They wondered where they could get 2,500 dollars when they did not even have 500 dollars now. The Xia family is really too much! Isnt he afraid that well tell everyone about this? The Cao familys eldest daughter-in-law gritted her teeth as she looked at Xia Zhes back. So what if you tell everyone? The Xia familys house has already been checked and theres nothing there at all. Even if you tell everyone, youll just be telling people that the Cao family is cowardly and doesnt dare to retaliate when were bullied, Old Master Cao said sulkily. Back then, they had occupied this side of the house because they wanted to take the Xia family down a notch. After being so tyrannical for so many years, they had caused the Xia familys house to collapse before they left. The Xia family would definitely not waste the chance to be able to take revenge. This was all just retribution. It was really an eye for an eye. Then well sue the Xia family! Well say that theyre extorting money! shouted the Cao familys second son. Old Master Cao kicked his second son on the leg and said, Little brat, speak louder so that Xia Zhe can hear you! He hasnt gone far yet! If you really sue him, he will definitely spend all his money on repairing the house. At that time, even 2,500 dollars wont be enough. He will continue to ask you for money until the house is repaired. The old man had enough experience to know how things could turn out. After all, he did not live his long life in vain. The Cao familys second son calmed down and looked at the old man with a long face. I only have 300 dollars left. Even if we ask eldest brothers family and third brothers family to chip in, I dont think we can come up with 2,500 dollars. When the house collapsed, the Cao familys savings were all destroyed as well. The money they had now was what they carried with them when they escaped or borrowed from their relatives later. They did not have a lot of money left. When Xia Zhe and Xia Wen returned in high spirits, Qiao Mei knew that they must have quoted a sky-high price. How much did you agree to in the end? Qiao Mei asked with a smile. We asked them to pay 2,500 dollars by tomorrow, Xia Wen said with a smile. Chapter 345 - Being Neighbors Chapter 345: Being Neighbors Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei thought for a moment and asked, Then if they dont have money, theyll go back on their word again! Back then, when they were asked to hand over the house, they used all sorts of excuses to stall for time. If Qiao Mei had not secretly pulled down the house, they would have just continued to stay there for the rest of their lives! Dont worry, everyone from the Cao family has proper workplace units. If they all go to their units to get their salary in advance, they will definitely be able to raise the money, Xia Wen said. Qiao Mei felt more at ease to hear that. Besides, Xia Zhe still had something on them. They would definitely not dare to renege on this matter. Professor Zhu led the students around to survey the area and have an understanding of the state of the buildings so that they could move on and come up with the construction plan. Qiao Mei looked at the cherry tree and thought about how to save it. She could not make up her mind on whether to leave it in its current position or to move it to another location. Over the past two days, the rain had lessened and the water coming out of the ground had also decreased a lot. Qiao Mei used the roots of some underground plants to plug in the holes so that she could replant the cherry tree in a few days. Qiao Mei looked down the well and leaned forward. Xia Zhe was so frightened by her action that he quickly grabbed onto Qiao Meis wrist and did not dare to let go. Why dont the two of you go back? Ill keep an eye on things here. You two are just going around and scaring people here. Xia Wen felt his heart tightened when he saw Qiao Mei standing by the well. Xia Zhe did not want to leave. He was afraid that the things underground would be dug out after construction started. He wanted to stay here and keep an eye on things, but he was also worried about Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei did not want to leave either. The jade items belonging to the old man from the Cao family were still in the wreckage. She had to think of a way to get them out. Otherwise, it would be terrible if someone else took them away. Qiao Mei slowly walked away from the well under the watchful eyes of Xia Zhe and Xia Wen. Xia Wen sighed helplessly and said, Keep an eye on your wife. Shes pregnant. What if she falls in? Xia Zhe did not know what to do. It was not just Xia Wen who was nervous. He had also broken out in cold sweat just now, but the young girl just acted as if nothing had happened. I must find a chance to teach her a lesson! Its so worrying to have a young wife. Xia Wen shook his head and decided to look for Professor Zhu to talk about the next steps. Even if Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei did not manage to kill him with their mushy behavior, he would probably be scared to death by Qiao Mei. Xia Wen was seven years older than Xia Zhe and had a deeper impression of this house than Xia Zhe. He also had more feelings for this place than Xia Zhe given that he was raised by his grandparents from a young age. Also, he did not join the army so he had stayed by Wu Mins side for a long time. Everyone in the family thought that Xia Wen was the one whom Wu Min doted on the most. After all, she was definitely closer to him than Xia Zhe, who rarely came home. The truth was that Wu Min loved both of them equally. It was just that Xia Wen was a very scrupulous and precise person and was not as determined and steadfast as Xia Zhe. That was the only reason why she left the house to Xia Zhe, and Xia Wen had never second-guessed her decision. Qiao Mei looked at Xia Wen as he busied himself and she smiled. This elder brother was really a good person. The concern on Xia Wens face when she stood by the well was real. She must definitely include elder brother in all her lucrative endeavors. She definitely could not give him a share of this house, but she could urge him to buy a courtyard house nearby. Where does your elder brother live now? Qiao Mei asked. Near the university. Its a house allocated by the university, Xia Zhe said. Qiao Mei thought for a moment and asked, Is that house a big one? About 60 square meters, on the west side of the city, Xia Zhe said. In the future, the houses in the west side of the city would not end up being valuable. It seemed that she must get elder brother to change his house. Then ask elder brother to buy a courtyard house and be our neighbor, Qiao Mei said. He has no money, Xia Zhe replied without hesitation. Qiao Mei was speechless for a moment, but Xia Zhe was telling the truth. During this time, teachers did not make much. Even the monthly salary of a university teacher was only about 70 dollars. Although it was already much higher than the salary of an ordinary worker, it was still not enough to be able to save up to buy a house. Tan Jing was a clerk at the same university as elder brother and her monthly salary was only 50 dollars. It was not even as much as elder brothers salary, so it was hard for her to save money too. Chapter 346 - Green-Eyed Monster Chapter 346: Green-Eyed Monster Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Although the current housing prices were extremely cheap compared to the future, many people still could not afford it. Everyones income now was also very low. If the Cao familys half of the courtyard house was to be bought with money, it would cost about 40,000 dollars. Even if Xia Wens family did not spend any money at all, they could only save a little more than 1,000 dollars a year. It would be hard for Xia Wen to have 40,000 dollars. People did not think of buying properties during this time. Their workplace units would allocate houses to them, so there was no hurry for them to buy their own house. It was good enough to have a place to stay and they did not worry about such property issues at all. During this time, people were not allowed to buy and sell privately-owned houses and only exchanges were allowed. Even if Xia Mao and Xu Lan wanted to buy a house using money, they would not be able to do it. The houses that the Xia family members had were all allocated by their workplace units. My sister-in-laws family always uses all kinds of reasons to ask my elder brother for money, so my elder brother doesnt have a single cent to his name, Xia Zhe said. Qiao Mei looked at Xia Wen and did not know what she could do. It would be too sad if such a good brother still had to struggle financially. Xia Zhe watched as Qiao Mei kept staring at Xia Wen. She was smiling and sighing and her expression kept changing. Xia Zhe felt very uncomfortable to see her doing that, even if the person she was looking at was his elder brother. Tell me, why do you keep going to the well? Xia Zhe pinched Qiao Meis face forcefully and turned her around to look at him. Qiao Mei covered her face in pain and said reluctantly, Green-eyed monster What did you say? Xia Zhe did not hear her clearly and leaned closer to look at Qiao Mei. I said! Youre such a green-eyed monster! Whats wrong! Qiao Mei shouted. It was so loud that Xia Wen could hear it from the backyard. Professor Zhu thought that the two of them were having a quarrel and hurriedly asked Xia Wen, Xiao Wen, could it be your brother and sister-in-law quarreling? Arent you going to check on them? In this era, it was common for men to hit women when they were drunk. There were many such incidents in the village that Qiao Mei came from, and it was common even in the capital. Professor Zhu was just worried that Xia Zhe did not know his own strength if he was that kind of person Xia Wen smiled and said, Professor Zhu, dont worry. My younger brother is not that kind of person. He dotes on his wife very much. Qiao Mei placed her hands on her hips and looked at Xia Zhe in exasperation. She widened her eyes and stared intently at him. She was just thinking about how to help elder brother become rich so that there would not be too much of a difference between the two brothers financial situations. Although Tan Jing looked timid on the surface, she was also a person who got jealous easily. She might not have been like this before, but she had become a sensitive person because of Third Aunt-in-law. Im wrong, Im wrong. Dont be angry, my little ancestor. Im just Xia Zhe stammered, not knowing how to express that he was really jealous of his elder brother just now. Yes, yes, yes. Youre just getting so jealous, Qiao Mei said. I just dont want you to look at other men Xia Zhe said aggrievedly. Qiao Mei turned her head to giggle. If there was no one nearby, Qiao Mei would have gone up to give Xia Zhe a kiss. I wont look anymore. I wont ever look anymore, Qiao Mei said as she looked at Xia Zhe. Xia Zhe nodded and looked at the well. Why do you keep going to the well? Qiao Mei said, I wonder if Professor Zhu and his team know how to repair a well. I still want to use this well. Xia Zhe thought that they had already closed this issue, but he did not expect Qiao Mei to still be thinking about it. Im still worried. Its just too dangerous, Xia Zhe said with a frown. Qiao Mei looked at the surrounding buildings and said, Having a dry well is not good for feng shui as well. We can just get Professor Zhu to put a lid on it and lock it up when its not in use. Seeing how persistent Qiao Mei was, Xia Zhe gave up on the idea of putting a stop to what she wanted to do. Anyway, Qiao Mei would become a military spouse in the future and she would not be staying in this house often. It would not be a problem to repair the well and fill it up again. Just as Xia Zhe was about to ask Professor Zhu if he knew how to repair a well, two people came to the door. It was a man and a woman in their thirties or forties and they had an air about them that suggested that they were from one of the wealthy families in the capital. Xia Zhe did not know these two people, but Xia Wen did. Xia Wen quickly walked to the door and glanced at Qiao Mei when he walked past her. It seemed that these two people were here for Qiao Mei. Chapter 347 - Unthinkable Chapter 347: Unthinkable Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios What rare guests. Director Liang, how would you have time to come here? Xia Wen greeted the visitors. The surname was Liang? Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe looked at each other and thought of the same person at the same time. Xia Zhe only wanted to target the He family, but he did not expect the He family to actually make use of the Liang family. He had really underestimated He Ning, who could apparently make use of anyone. I dont expect Professor Xia to still remember us. It has been four years since our first meeting. Professor Xia really has a good memory! Liang Guo said with a smile. What are you saying, Director Liang? Youre the one with a good memory. You can remember everything even though weve only met once, Xia Wen said respectfully. The two of them looked amiable and spoke politely with smiles on their faces, but they each had something else on their minds. The two of them shook hands and they gave off very different vibes. Xia Wen looked younger and more handsome and cultured, while Liang Guo looked like a heavyweight. He was almost 40 years old and exuded a strong bureaucratic aura. It was obvious that he had been a government official for many years. Hello, Secretary Liang. Long time no see. Xia Wen smiled and shook hands with Liang Lan. Liang Lan had an elegant smile, exuding the feeling of an intellectual woman, and she looked very classy. The two visitors looked very respectable, but all Qiao Mei felt was that these were two hypocritical people. In the past, if these two people had not personally written an untruthful report that falsely accused her grandfather of wrongdoings, he would not have been so angry that he publicly severed ties with his two children. Qiao Mei looked at Liang Lan. Before Qiao Mei could react, she saw tears welling up in Liang Lans eyes. She choked and said, Is this Qiao Mei? She looks so much like our father. Qiao Mei did not know how to answer. Xia Zhe recalled the first time he saw Qiao Mei, when she was the little fat girl standing under the kerosene lamp. Now, Qiao Mei looked like a doll. No matter then or now, she did not look like Qiao Qiang at all. It was such a pity that such a talented person did not become an actress. You said I look like your father? Then who are you? Qiao Mei pretended not to know anything. Xia Zhe looked at his wife beside him and felt that Qiao Mei was the one who should become an actress Im Qiao Qiangs daughter, Qiao Lan. This is your uncle, Qiao Guo. Liang Lan walked up to Qiao Mei and wanted to hug her and reminisce about the past, but she was blocked by the tall figure in front of her. Liang Lan looked at Xia Zhe in confusion. This must be the second young master of the Xia family. He was really good-looking, but his temperament was really very different from his brother. Xia Wen was as warm as a spring breeze, but when she looked at Xia Zhe, it felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave. His gaze was intent and fierce. No wonder so many girls in the capital refused to get married and they all wanted to wait for Xia Zhe. However, these were all just external factors. Most importantly, Xia Zhe was Xia Juns successor! The future head of the Xia family! You must be Xia Zhe. Im your aunt-in-law, Liang Lan said tearfully. Before this, she was already at her wits end and did not know what to do. She did not expect to receive this piece of joyous news from the He family. She never dreamed that she could become a relative of the Xia family, and even become Xia Zhes aunt-in-law! Wait a minute! Why are you called Qiao Lan? Isnt your name Liang Lan? Qiao Mei looked at Liang Lan with a confused expression. Looking at Qiao Meis puzzled gaze, Liang Lan felt relieved. Before she came, she was worried that Qiao Qiang had already told Qiao Mei about the past and she would need to explain the misunderstanding. She did not expect that Qiao Mei did not know anything. It would be a much easier situation for her now. My surname was Qiao for more than 20 years, but after our parents divorced, we followed our mother and had to change our surname. It was our mother who forced us to do so, so we had no choice. At this point, Liang Lan even wept openly. Liang Lan wiped her tears and said, Weve always thought about our father and we have never forgotten that our surname is Qiao. Its something we dare not forget. Then do you still remember what my grandfather looks like? Qiao Mei asked. Chapter 348 - Talking Nonsense Chapter 348: Talking Nonsense Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Liang Lans expression froze and she was stumped for an answer. Qiao Mei continued asking, No one in our village has ever said that I look like my grandfather. Why do you say we look alike? Could it be that you got the wrong person because my grandfather and your father have the same name? Everyone present fell silent. Xia Wen held back his laughter while standing at the door and looked at the deflated expressions on the faces of Liang Guo and Liang Lan. At the same time, he was a little shocked by the cute young girl behind Xia Zhe. He did not expect Qiao Mei to be such a person. Xia Wen could not tell if this was real or just an act. Liang Guo and Liang Lan, on the other hand, felt that Qiao Mei was very stupid and that it was expected for a girl who grew up in the countryside to be so rude. They were obviously trying to get close to her but she could not tell. How stupid of her! Ah dont you look alike? I think you do though. Maybe its because I dont have my glasses with me. I just feel that the outlines of your faces look very similar, Liang Lan said awkwardly. Qiao Meis expression immediately turned serious. It was really hard to deal with such a shameless person. Is that so? Then its indeed easy to get confused when you cant see clearly. However, since I was young, Ive never heard that I have any other relatives. Ive never seen either of you during the past 10 years and I dare not acknowledge relatives randomly. My apologies, Qiao Mei said solemnly. In the end, she was still too young and could not continue with the pretense! Liang Lan looked at Qiao Mei, who was starting to falter, and said with a smile, Your grandfather may not have mentioned us, but Chen Hu should have told you about us. You actually know about us, right? If not for Chen Hus letter, Qiao Mei might have been able to get away with it. Qiao Mei looked at Liang Guo and Liang Lan and understood that the problem lay with Chen Hu. Back in the village, Chen Hu had asked her to persuade her grandfather to return to the capital to reunite with them. Chen Hu had probably told them about this in his letter. Lets talk inside, Xia Zhe said coldly. Since these two people were already here, they were definitely not going to be dismissed so easily. They would definitely not give up until they achieved their goal. Xia Wen brought everyone to a room that had been cleaned up. The original floor tiles in the house had already been pried up, and Professor Zhu and the students had specially cleaned up a place for them to rest and talk. After bringing them there, Xia Wen left the room. After all, this was Qiao Meis family matter and it was not convenient for him to be there. Xia Zhe tested the chair for stability before letting Qiao Mei sit down and then placed a soft cushion behind her back. He then stood at the side and looked at Qiao Mei. Dear readers!you are reading on our content stealing site.Please copy and search this link " https://tinyurl.com/39hpcn6j " to support us When Liang Guo and Liang Lan saw how Xia Zhe treated Qiao Mei, they were overjoyed. The more favored Qiao Mei was in the Xia family, the more advantageous it would be for them. This way, the Xia family would be theirs for the taking. Hows your grandfather? Liang Guo asked. Qiao Mei looked at Liang Guo but did not answer him. Liang Lan then asked, Is your grandfather feeling better? Has he gotten better? When did you find out that my grandfather was sick? Qiao Mei asked as she looked at Liang Lan coldly. Erm maybe about a year ago, Liang Lan replied. Qiao Mei suddenly laughed and said, Thats really interesting. Its only been a few months since my grandfather found out that he was sick. You actually knew it earlier than my grandfather. Could it be that youre a prophet? Liang Lan and Liang Guo looked back at her coolly and did not know what to say. This Qiao Mei kept talking back to them. She really did not have any manners and did not know how to respect her elders. Xia Zhe almost suffered internal injuries from trying to hold back his laughter. This young girl was sharp-tongued and said the meanest things with the cutest expression and sweetest voice. She even looked cute while doing it. Only Qiao Mei would be able to do such a thing. I only heard that he had a small problem at first and later found out that he was seriously ill, Liang Lan said. Qiao Mei wanted to retort, but she did not say anything. Back then, when Qiao Qiang found out that he was sick, he did not tell anyone. It was only when she went out to seek treatment for him that everyone found out that her grandfather was sick. There was no need to delve into these matters. The real question at hand was why they had come to look for her. Who told you that Im here? Qiao Mei asked the two people. Liang Lan did not know if she should say it or not. Seeing that Liang Guo did not speak, Liang Guo deliberated for a long time before finally saying, He Ning told us. He Ning again. Xia Zhe had a fierce look in his eyes when he looked at the two people now. Chapter 349 - Telling the Truth Chapter 349: Telling the Truth Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios We heard from He Ning that the Xia family had recently gotten a new daughter-in-law, but we really did not know that she was our niece. We only found out after the He family congratulated us, Liang Guo said. Actually, they had known about this a long time ago, but they thought that the name was just a coincidence. They did not expect Qiao Mei to actually be their niece, and it made them overjoyed. He need not have to inform Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei about his relationship with the He family, but since his family wanted to rely on the Xia family in the future, he had to make it clear in advance. If he hid these things now and did not tell them, it would make things worse if it was exposed in the future. Furthermore, it was also something that they could not hide from the Xia family. Alright, I know what you mean, but we still dont have any form of relationship. My grandfather has long cut ties with you, so theres nothing between us. I hope you wont mention it again, Qiao Mei said impatiently. When Lang Lan heard that Qiao Qiang had already told Qiao Mei about what happened in the past, her eyes immediately turned red. How is your grandfather? she asked. Qiao Mei rolled her eyes and was so angry that she could not speak. She wondered why there was no end to this matter. However, Qiao Mei had no reason to refute her. This woman just kept asking questions about her grandfathers health. There was nothing wrong with that and she could only answer the woman patiently. Hes doing alright, Qiao Mei said. Then can he take the train? When can he come to the capital? Do you need us to prepare anything? Liang Lan quickly asked when she heard that Qiao Qiang was doing fine. Hell come after the backyard is fixed, Qiao Mei said. Oh, then theres no need to wait. Come and stay at our place. We have many rooms there. We are his children, so its only right and proper for us to take care of him when hes old, Liang Lan said with a smile. Thats right, you can ask him to come to the capital now, Liang Guo echoed. Didnt you sever ties with one another? Qiao Mei said as she looked at the two Liang family members. Now that they remembered him, they said that it was right and proper for them to take care of him. Then, why were they disloyal and unfilial back then? Did they suddenly recover the conscience that they had lost in the past? Sigh, youre just a child and you dont understand our situation at that time. We could only do what we did at that time. Otherwise, our family would still be living an unknown existence in goodness knows where. I think you should understand what were saying, right? Liang Guo looked at Xia Zhe as he finished up his sentence. Foshan Village, Qiao Mei suddenly said. What? Liang Guo and Liang Lan did not quite understand what Qiao Mei was talking about. Of course youre going to Foshan Village. Where else? Qiao Mei was stunned for a moment before asking them. What Foshan Village? Liang Lan asked curiously. Qiao Mei laughed and said, Dont tell me you dont know that my grandfather and I live in Foshan Village? Liang Lan and Liang Guo looked at each other. They really did not know the name of that village. They only knew that it was located in a poor mountain area in the northeastern part and it was a place where people could not go out for half a year when it snowed. It was located in a remote countryside that was extremely far from the city. They had only started to look for Qiao Qiang in the past few months and had gone to Chen Hu to ask for all this information. However, Chen Hu only told them about Qiao Qiangs recent situation and did not mention the name of the village. Ah yes, yes, yes! We remember it even after all these years! We wont forget Foshan Village. Weve always wanted to go back and see you guys, but you also know that your grandfather has a very stubborn temper, so we dont want to disturb him and make him angry, Liang Lan said. Qiao Mei suddenly laughed out loudly and said, Hahahaha, Im just teasing you! Our place is called the Qiao Family Village. The expressions on the faces of Liang Guo and Liang Lan instantly darkened.?This wretched girl had so many tricks up her sleeve! The Xia family cant help with the Liang familys issues, Xia Zhe said coldly. The two members of the Liang family thought that Qiao Mei was just a girl who grew up in the countryside and had not seen much of the world. They did not expect this wretched girl to be so scheming and even managed to fool around with them. Xia Zhe was the second young master of the Xia family and Xia Juns future heir. It seemed as if he did not have any real power given that he had been away from home, but in fact, his words still carried a lot of weight in the Xia family. Chapter 350 - Unified Stand Chapter 350: Unified Stand Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Liang Guo glanced at Liang Lan and she asked with a smile, Then when are you going back to the Qiao Family Village? How about we go back with you to visit your grandfather? Qiao Mei looked at Liang Lan and smiled as she said, I already said that its a lie. Our house is in Foshan Village. The two members of the Liang family could not stand it anymore. Their lie had been rudely exposed and it was no longer possible to keep up with the pretense that they missed their father. Is there anything else? Xia Zhe sneered as he spoke to the two Liang family members. Given that they could not pretend anymore, they left without even saying any niceties. Xia Wen saw the two Liang family members walk out in exasperation and went forward to ask, Whats wrong? Arent you going to stay for dinner? No, Professor Xia, Liang Guo said coldly. Xia Wen looked at the two people leaving and felt confused. When he entered the house, he saw Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei having a good laugh together. What did the two of you do? Look at how angry those people are, Xia Wen said with a smile. Xia Wen believed that it was impossible for Xia Zhe to be rude to strangers without a reason. Seeing the way the Liang siblings walked out, they were definitely furious because they had been embarrassed. They came to my house and put on a show of deep love that a pair of children had for their father, so I just exposed them a little. Qiao Mei shrugged innocently. Xia Zhe said as he massaged Qiao Meis head, You still have the cheek to say that. Why are you so naughty? Qiao Mei told Xia Wen everything that transpired just now, giving Xia Wen a rough idea of the whole issue. He did not ask about the details and only knew that it also concerned the Xia family. Although Xia Wen was a university professor, the truth was that the Xia family had originally wanted Xia Wen to go into politics and Xia Zhe to join the military. This way, the Xia family would have their hands in both military and political affairs. In the beginning, Xia Mao was the one who handled the Xia familys matters. Later on, Xia Mao brought Xia Wen along as his understudy and slowly started to leave the family matters to Xia Wen. This whole thing was their fault in the first place, but youre quite impressive. Liang Guo is famous in the political circle for being a very tactful and slippery eel. I didnt expect you to be able to make him so angry today! Xia Wen thought of Liang Guos expression when he left just now and found it very interesting. Today, they had only temporarily forced the Liang siblings to retreat. Those two would not let the matter rest. Qiao Mei was probably the only person in the entire capital who could turn them away empty-handed. Its fine, elder brother. Lets not bother about this matter. Qiao Mei then said to both Xia Zhe and Xia Wen, My grandfather cut ties with them back then because he really doesnt want to interact with them anymore. I would never have known what happened at all if it was not someone else who told me about it after all these years. I think my grandfathers original intention was for me not to know. Yes, I understand. Im glad we think the same. Xia Wen looked at Qiao Mei appreciatively. The young girl was very meticulous even though she was still young. Back then, before Qiao Mei entered the family, Xia Wen had heard Tan Jing mention a few things. She had heard the gossip from Xu Lan and the other aunts-in-law, and it was all bad things about Qiao Mei. At that time, Xia Wen really thought that there was some unspeakable reason behind Xia Zhes decision to marry Qiao Mei. In fact, it was truly because of an unspeakable reason Now that Qiao Mei was a capable girl who was even able to help the Xia family, it was something to be happy about. If Qiao Mei sided with others, it would undoubtedly be fatal to the Xia family. In that case, there would only be two outcomes. There would be a rift between husband and wife, and the Xia family would be greatly affected. Qiao Mei could also tell that Xia Wen was the one handling all the family matters. As long as Xia Wen understood what she was thinking, then there would be no big problem. The matter regarding the Liang family was considered settled. Xia Wen looked at Qiao Mei and said, Professor Zhu said that he doesnt know how to dig wells, so I found a new person to help. This matter has also been resolved. Qiao Mei said happily, Thank you so much, elder brother. Thank you so much. Xia Zhe was still worried about the well. He thought that it would be better for him to keep an eye on this matter personally. He also had to test if the well cover was sturdy enough in case Qiao Mei was not careful. Since he could not dissuade the young girl, he could only find another solution. Chapter 351 - Repairs Chapter 351: Repairs Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei returned to the room and put away all the bedding into the closet. There was not much left in the house now, given that she would be staying at Xu Lans house for a while. She intended to take whatever she could with her and to take the opportunity to clean up the house properly during the renovation period. Qiao Mei secretly ran to the small side room and grabbed the vines from before. She quietly pulled out the box that she previously removed from the Cao familys jar and took out all the jade inside. Other than a few broken pieces, there were also a few carved jade pendants and a bangle. Even though they were still intact, there were crack lines in them. They would be useless after she absorbed all their energy. Recently, Qiao Mei had discovered that the energy she could exchange with plants was unlimited until the plants died. However, there was a limit to the energy she could receive from precious stones like jade. The energy in the jade could not regenerate after it was absorbed. Although the jade would not have any energy left, Qiao Meis special energy would be sealed inside and the color of the jade would become nicer. Qiao Mei found that the air conditioner bangle that she bought not long ago had become even more translucent than before. Although she had completely absorbed the energy inside, it would be even more valuable than before if it was put on the market now. Qiao Mei had discovered a new way to get rich. Qiao Mei took out the carved jade pendant with the smaller crack lines from the box, pulled it to the ground beside her and moved it to the window with the help of the vines. She held the pendant in her hand and observed it carefully. This looked like a valuable piece of treasure carved by a master, but it was a pity that there were crack lines in the corner. After a while, the crack lines in the pendant in her hand faded. Qiao Mei rubbed her eyes and carefully examined the carved jade pendant. This shouldnt be the case There was clearly such a big crack line just now, Qiao Mei muttered to herself as she looked at the carved jade pendant. Qiao Mei suddenly thought of something and transferred some energy to the carved jade pendant. The last crack line disappeared and a carved jade pendant was restored to its original flawless glory! Qiao Mei raised the pendant up against the sun and looked at it. Its color was thousands of times better than before. She did not expect to have such an effect on it. There were familiar footsteps outside the door but Qiao Mei was still immersed in staring at the carved jade pendant. Xia Zhe walked over and saw Qiao Mei acting all mysterious. Just as he was about to call her, he discovered the carved jade pendant in her hand. When did you buy it? Xia Zhe asked curiously. Qiao Mei indicated for him to go over to her and said, I didnt buy this. I saw something shiny in the soil here just now. This is what I found when I dug into the soil. Qiao Mei had used the vines to dig a small hole at the corner of the wall when Xia Zhe was not paying attention. Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei in disbelief. There were so many people digging this place earlier, but they did not manage to find anything. Qiao Mei were able to dig things out once they were gone. Were they not meticulous enough? Or did Qiao Mei have an extremely good eye for such things? Xia Zhe quickly went out and dug a little more. He did not find anything and carefully filled back the hole. Qiao Mei decided not to keep the broken items that belonged to the old man from the Cao family. It would be terrible if Xia Zhe found out that she could restore broken items. It would be even worse if the Cao family found out about it. She did not want to tell anyone about her superpower, not even Xia Zhe. Hide this thing and dont bring it out, Xia Zhe said. Qiao Mei put the carved jade pendant into her pocket. She would not dare to bring it out to show anyone. It would be terrible if the old man from the Cao family saw it one day. The two of them sat in the courtyard for the entire afternoon. They did not know much about construction, so they could only let Professor Zhu and Xia Wen worry about it. At night, Professor Zhu and the students left to go back and rest. Xia Zhe pulled Xia Wen to one side and whispered, There are two boxes in the middle of this courtyard. I had found them earlier. Xia Wen already had an idea about why Xia Zhe had been keeping an eye on the courtyard today. If there was nothing in the courtyard, Xia Zhe would have long brought Qiao Mei back to rest and relax. There would be no need for him to stay here and supervise the work! We cant send anyone here to stand guard for now. He Nings people are nearby, Xia Wen said as he looked up at the roof. Chapter 352 - It Does Not Matter Chapter 352: It Does Not Matter Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In the past, when the house was still in good condition, there was no one living in the house and no one guarding it. It would be a little too obvious if they should get someone to stand guard over it now when the house was dilapidated. However, if he did not find someone to keep an eye on the place, he was afraid that He Ning would get his men to come back and dig up the things in the courtyard. He Ning would not do these things himself, but he was worried about those people who went to the Cao familys side to dig around. There were people trying their luck by searching through the wreckage every day. Its fine. If someone wants to dig, let them. Anyway, they wont make a fuss even if they manage to find anything, Xia Zhe said. So many people came to dig inside the house on official business but they did not manage to dig out anything. It would be a slap to Section Chief Chus face if any other person managed to find something as soon as he and his team left. Therefore, even if someone really dug out something, they would quietly remove it without saying anything. Xia Wen nodded. The two of them chatted about how to rebuild the remaining rooms and did not mention the two boxes again. Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe and Xia Wen with some admiration. Xia Wen knew that there was something underground but he did not covet them like Zhou Hua, and Xia Zhe did not have any greed for the things in the boxes. Qiao Mei knew what was in the two boxes. They were a box of priceless old paintings and a box of gold. When Xia Zhe found these things, he only had three words for them. It did not matter. Such an attitude was definitely not something an ordinary person would have. It was no wonder that this courtyard was left to only Xia Zhe. Xia Zhe could feel Qiao Meis gaze on him and he turned to look at her. When he saw her looking at him with a look of admiration, an indescribable feeling came over him. As Xia Wen spoke, he saw that Xia Zhe was not paying attention and followed his gaze to look at Qiao Mei. He and Tan Jing had fallen in love on their own. Back then, he felt that Tan Jing was liberal and dignified, which was rare for a child from an ordinary family. She was also kind, mature, gentle and responsible. He married Tan Jing very quickly, but the gossip that started in the third year of their marriage had crushed the spirit of such a gentle person. Tan Jings relatives and friends laughed at Tan Jing for not having any children and forced her to give all her money to her maternal family. Otherwise, they would come and cause trouble. As time passed, Tan Jing was no longer the same as before. Xia Zhe had grown up in an environment where he was used to having money and unimpressed by it. This was the character and upbringing that the Xia family had carefully nurtured in him. What about Qiao Mei? Xia Wen had the honor of meeting Qiao Qiang when he was young. Qiao Qiang was not a cultured person and there was nothing outstanding about him, but he was a very upright person. That same trait was probably in Qiao Meis nature as well. Xia Zhe could tell Qiao Meis character after seeing her only once, which meant that his instincts were really sharp. Both Xia Zhe and Xia Wen looked back at Qiao Mei with admiration. Qiao Mei quickly hid behind the door in embarrassment. They had really misunderstood her. She had never mastered the concept of treating money like dirt in both her two lifetimes and, if anything, she was even more money-minded now. Ever since she was reborn, all she could think about was how to make money and become so rich that she did not have to worry about anything for the rest of her life. She was able to seem so nonchalant about it now because the money was all hers and no one else could snatch it away. She was not in a hurry to take out all her money and hug it all. Lets stay at Grandpa Zhous house for the night, Qiao Mei said. Are you not going back to our parents house? Xia Wen asked curiously. Im thinking about coming here again tomorrow. Grandpa Zhous place is nearby, so its a good place to stay for the night. Qiao Mei glanced at Xia Zhe. Xia Zhe said dotingly, Lets ask Grandpa Zhou later. I wont go with you. I still have to go home, Xia Wen said with a smile. They discussed what to do tomorrow and then carried on with their respective lives. As expected, the courtyard house was not too peaceful at night. Many people came and almost got into fights over their preferred digging spots. In the end, these people who did not know each other came to an agreement and they each chose a spot to start digging. Initially, Qiao Meis ability to use plants from a distance only allowed her to do it within a radius of one kilometer. By now, it had increased to three kilometers. The reason why she wanted to stay in Zhou Shengs house was to secretly protect the things in the house from outsiders. At night, Qiao Mei used plants to protect the boxes before she retracted her energy and went to sleep. Even if those people dug through the entire ground, they would not be able to get to the treasure boxes. Chapter 353 - Sudden Visit Chapter 353: Sudden Visit Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The next morning, Qiao Mei was still sleeping soundly in the room when Xia Zhe and Zhou Sheng did their morning exercise in the courtyard. What do you plan to do with your house? Zhou Sheng asked. My brother found an expert to repair it. It will probably be exactly the same as before, or even better, Xia Zhe said with a smile. Zhou Sheng nodded in satisfaction. When the house collapsed, he had been worried that it would be different from before. Now that Xia Zhe had handled it well, he felt at ease. Xia Zhe looked towards the room and shook his head resignedly. He got up and walked into the kitchen to prepare breakfast. When did Xiao Zhe learn to cook? Zhou Sheng asked laughingly. Only recently. Its not convenient for her after shes pregnant so I want to help as much as I can, Xia Zhe said as he cut the potatoes. Zhou Sheng nodded in admiration. He was very supportive of the idea that both men and women should contribute to their families. Zhou Sheng took the birdcage and said, Then Ill go out and buy something for Mei Mei. Ill be back soon. Xia Zhe replied, Alright! Qiao Mei curled up in bed and did not want to open her eyes. In addition to the hard work over the past two days, Second Aunt-in-law had been keeping an eye on her and not letting her relax, so she was feeling a little tired by now even though Xia Zhe had tried his best to help her. Qiao Mei reached out to touch the blanket beside her. There was no one there and it was very cold. It was obvious that he had been up for a long time. Xia Zhe Qiao Mei slowly opened her eyes to look for him. There was no one around. She called out a few times but no one answered. Qiao Mei could only get up, feeling aggrieved, and put on her clothes and tidy her hair before walking out. Oh, youre awake? Xia Zhe had just finished cooking a dish and was placing it on the stone table in the courtyard. Qiao Mei pursed her lips unhappily and said, Why are you up so early? I accompanied Grandpa Zhou to do his morning exercise. Are you unhappy? Xia Zhe asked gently. No, go back to your cooking. Im going to wash up. Qiao Mei slowly walked to the side room to wash up while Xia Zhe returned to the kitchen to continue cooking. On Xu Lans end, she received a guest early in the morning. Eldest Sister-in-law, Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei didnt come back last night? Liu Fen asked in surprise. Xu Lan never cared about these things. It did not matter if Xia Zhe or the others returned or not. So be it, Xu Lan said indifferently. Liu Fen sat at one side angrily. She thought that Qiao Mei must have found her troublesome and decided not to come back. Qiao Mei must have gone to someone elses house to hide and did not want to come back and face her. Second Sister-in-law, dont think too much about it. Hurry up and eat, Zhou Hua said as she sat at the dining table. As soon as Liu Fen stood up, she heard someone knocking on the door. When she opened the door, she felt that the person looked familiar but could not remember who it was. You are? Liu Fen asked. Second Aunt-in-law, Im Kong Lu. Im Xia Hes husband, Kong Lu said with a smile. Oh, oh, oh! I remember now! Look at my memory, Im getting old and cant remember things. Dont take offense, come in quickly! Liu Fen greeted Kong Lu enthusiastically. Oh, Xiao Kong is here. Why are you so free to come to the capital? Zhou Hua asked. Hello, mother. Hello, Third Aunt-in-law. Im here for business, Kong Lu replied. Seeing that Xia He was not in the living room, Kong Lu asked softly, Wheres Xia He? Why isnt she here? Oh, Xia He is staying at her aunts place. Have you eaten? Come over and have a bite. Liu Fen pulled Kong Lu to the dining table. Liu Fen did not understand the conflict between Kong Lu and Xia He, but she felt that these things were not a big deal. All families had their own issues. Old Madam Kong always used Kong Lus money to supplement his younger brothers. There was nothing wrong with her wanting her other sons to have a better life. Kong Li was a troublesome sister-in-law, but she would get married sooner or later. After she got married, she would rarely come back and the problem would be solved then. How many sisters-in-law in the world were easy to get along with? Was there a need to hold on to such a small matter? As for the issue about having children, it was even less of Kong Lus problem. At Xia Hes age, she was still only concerned about work and not about having children! She was just like the older boys Tan Jing Chapter 354 - Deliberately Making Things Difficult Chapter 354: Deliberately Making Things Difficult Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In Liu Fens eyes, Kong Lu was the aggrieved party. Thus, Liu Fen tried her best to please Kong Lu so that he would not blame Xia He. Xu Lan sat at the side and did not say a single word. She understood the whole issue and knew what kind of person Kong Lu was. Although he did not commit any mistakes, his inaction was a problem. Ill go look for Xia He, Kong Lu said as he stood up awkwardly. After greeting Xu Lan and Zhou Hua, he hurriedly ran off with his luggage. Why is this child in such a hurry? He didnt even eat breakfast. Liu Fen looked at Kong Lus back and sighed. Kong Lu had never been to Xia Fangs house and did not know where it was, but he knew where the Xia familys ancestral home was. Back then, he had fetched Xia He from there during their wedding. At that time, Wu Min was still alive and both Xia Wen and Xia He held their weddings at the Xia familys old house. Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe had already gone to the courtyard house to help pack up. There were many things that required supervision during the construction process. Qiao Mei also wanted to give her ideas about making some changes to the house. Kong Lu asked around the neighborhood based on his memory and finally arrived at the courtyard house. As soon as he entered, he saw Xia Zhe and Xia Wen supervising the work, and there was an unfamiliar woman standing beside them. What are you doing? Kong Lu asked. The three people in the courtyard turned to look at Kong Lu. Xia Wen was the first to react and said, Brother-in-law, why are you free? Everyone in the family knew what kind of life Xia He was living in the Kong family. They all felt that Kong Lu was a good-for-nothing and no one was willing to be nice to him. Ah Im here at the capital for a meeting. I wanted to go to Aunts house to look for Xia He, but I only remembered this address, so I came here first to try my luck. Kong Lu smiled awkwardly. Xia Zhe walked up to Kong Lu and said, There are many people here right now. You can wait here and we can catch up at home tonight. Xia Zhes expression was fierce and cold. If not for the fact that there were too many people and also students around, he would definitely teach this bastard a lesson on the spot. Right, right, right Kong Lu stood at the door with his luggage and did not dare to enter. Both Xia Zhe and Xia Wen ignored him. The courtyard fell silent again. Qiao Mei looked at Kong Lu and said, Brother-in-law? Im Qiao Mei, Xia Zhes wife. Brother-in-law, come in and have a seat. Elder sister will be here soon. Kong Lu looked at Qiao Mei gratefully and said, Alright, alright. Qiao Mei stood beside Xia Zhe and gently held his hand as she whispered, Bear with it first. He just came and there are so many people here. Dont be angry. When Xia Zhe saw how Qiao Mei patiently coaxed him, all his anger dissipated. Kong Lu needed to be in the capital for a while, so he was not in a hurry. Not long after, Xia He arrived at the courtyard house. As soon as she entered, she saw Kong Lu sitting in the house in a prim and proper manner. Youre here. Kong Lu stood up and stammered. Xia He nodded but did not say anything. She turned to Qiao Mei and said, I hope you have not tired yourself out recently? No, I even put on weight! Qiao Mei said with a smile. Thats good, then I dont have to worry, Xia He said. She still had to face whatever was coming. Xia He walked to Kong Lus side and said, Lets go to my mothers place for dinner tonight. You have to go over since youre back. Alright, whatever you say, Kong Lu said. Go help Xiao Zhe and the others with some work, Xia He said. Xia Wen deliberately asked Kong Lu to go to the doorway to carry the building materials. Those were all real antique bricks. They had actually hired workers to carry the bricks, but now that Kong Lu was here, they could reduce the number of workers. Brother-in-law, there arent enough people carrying the bricks over there. Go over and take a look. Were all busy here, Xia Wen said with a smile. Kong Lu could only brace himself and go over. He knew that he was not going to have an easy time at the capital this time round, so he just had to endure it for a while. After Kong Lu left, Xia He stood there and looked at his back in a daze. Elder sister, what are you thinking about? Qiao Mei waved her hand in front of Xia Hes eyes. Im just thinking about how difficult it is to have a chance to see him and how unusual it is to see him under such strange circumstances. Xia He smiled resignedly. Chapter 355 - No Regrets Chapter 355: No Regrets Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xia Zhe stood at the side and looked at Xia He quietly. Elder sister, are you regretting your decision? Xia He understood what her brother was referring to. No regrets. We definitely have to split up. Xia He lowered her head and sighed. When she looked up again, her eyes were filled with determination. In the evening, when Professor Zhu and the others needed to leave, Kong Lus hard labor also came to an end. Lets go. Mother and the others are waiting for us at home, Xia Wen said. Kong Lu stood behind them with his face covered in dirt. Xia He could not bear to see him like this and pointed towards the side room. You can go over there and wash up. Alright, Ill be right back. Kong Lu smiled happily and hurried to the side room. Kong Lu had thought that the Xia family would definitely blame and scold him while he was in the capital this time, but as long as he apologized properly, Xia He would change her mind. Before he left, Old Madam Kong told him that there was no such thing as an overnight feud between husband and wife. As long as they talked things out, the matter would pass. Xia Wen drove all of them back to Xu Lans place. Liu Fen and the helper were busy cooking. Xu Lan and Zhou Hua did not enjoy each others company and were in their rooms. Second Aunt-in-law, wheres my mother? Xia Wen asked with a smile. Oh, youre all back. Your mother is upstairs. Since youre back, go and call her. I still have work to do! Liu Fen said and went back into the kitchen. Xia Wen looked at Xia He. After all, he was the son and it was not convenient for him to go upstairs when his father was not at home. Xia He went upstairs to call the two elders downstairs. Xu Lan was still working on some paperwork for the military art troupe and said she would go down a little later. When Zhou Hua came down and saw Kong Lu, she said with a laugh, Oh my, why is it that you look so fresh in the morning but so dusty when you come back at night? What did you do? Third Aunt-in-law, I got into this state by accident, Kong Lu said with an awkward smile. Zhou Hua glanced at Xia He and said, If you ask me, its still my familys Xiao Hui who is sensible. Your husband is covered in dirt, yet you have not made the preparations for him to take a shower? What kind of wife are you? Xia He was speechless. At this moment, she did not want to have an argument with Zhou Hua. She only wanted to resolve this matter quickly and not have anything to do with the Kong family anymore. Come with me, Xia He said coldly. This house had two floors. The guest room and store were on the first floor, and the master bedroom and the three childrens bedrooms were on the second floor, together with a study room. Xia Hes room was not big. As she had grown up in the military art troupe, she had always stayed in the dormitory and did not spend much time at home, so her room was not decorated in a feminine style like other girls rooms. The furnishings in the room were all old furniture that had been brought over from the old house. Thats the bathroom over there. Hurry up and wash up and then go down to eat. Dont let my mother wait too long. You brought your own clothes, right? Xia He asked. Yes, yes I did. Ill go now. Kong Lu immediately took off his clothes in the room. He felt that there was nothing wrong about that since they had been married for a long time. If it was in the past, Xia He would still feel shy or would tease him. However, right now, she only had a feeling of endless disdain and annoyance. Im going out. Xia He quickly walked out the door and closed it. The dishes were ready very quickly and the family sat around the dining table to eat. Other than Zhou Hua and Liu Fen, everyone else was very quiet. Liu Fen kept putting food into Kong Lus bowl while Zhou Hua watched from the side. Xiao Kong, eat more! Liu Fen said with a smile as she took more food for Kong Lu. Enough, enough. Second Aunt-in-law, you eat too. I have enough, Kong Lu said. Second Sister-in-law, do you think hes a three-year-old child? Do you have to send food to his bowl? Even Eldest Sister-in-law isnt so solicitous, yet youre so enthusiastic, Zhou Hua said mockingly. Liu Fen snorted coldly and said, Im happy to do it. Since Xiao Kong is here, we have to treat him well. Xiao Kong, try this again. Kong Lu nodded repeatedly and did not dare to raise his head to look at Zhou Hua and Liu Fen. Xu Lan, who had kept quiet all this while, snorted coldly at this moment. Back then, she thought that this kid was talented and was a soldier with a promising future. Now, she felt that he was just an idiot. Chapter 356 - Let’s Go Out and Have a Chat Chapter 356: Lets Go Out and Have a Chat Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Kong Lu picked up a piece of fish for Xu Lan and said respectfully, Mother, have some fish. Xu Lan tossed the fish out of her bowl without even looking at it. She stood up and said, Im full. Take your time, everyone. Kong Lu was like a child who had done something wrong. He sat motionlessly in his seat and watched Xu Lan go upstairs. At this moment, Xia Zhe also stood up and said to Kong Lu, Lets go and have a chat. Xia Wen gave Xia Zhe a meaningful look. Xia He lowered her head and remained silent. She knew what Xia Zhe wanted to do, but she did not want to stop him. Are you going to have a heart-to-heart talk with your brother-in-law? Qiao Mei said with a smile. Xia Zhe casually patted Qiao Meis head to let her know she need not worry. Qiao Mei blinked and said, Go on. Elder sister and I will clean these up. Why do you have to go out and talk! As soon as Liu Fen stood up, Qiao Mei pulled her back. Second Aunt-in-law, youre not done eating, right? I see that youve been so focused on brother-in-law that you havent eaten much yourself. Eat more, Ill accompany you, Qiao Mei said with a grin. At this moment, Xia Zhe and Kong Lu had already arrived at the backyard. There was no sign of the two of them in the living room anymore. You! Im not hungry! Xia He, why dont you go and take a look at your husband! And you, Xia Wen! Why dont you keep an eye on your brother! Liu Fen said anxiously in an accusatory manner. Xia Wen shrugged and said, Second Aunt-in-law, Xiao Zhe has grown up and I cant keep an eye on him. Jing Jing is waiting for me at home, so Ive got to go now. Take care, elder brother. Qiao Mei sent Xia Wen off with a smile. Let go of me! Youre just causing trouble! Hurry up and let go! Liu Fen reached out to pull Qiao Meis hand away. Qiao Mei held on to Liu Fens arm tightly and forced her to sit down. Liu Fen was shocked as she sat on the chair. Opposite her, Zhou Hua and Xia He also looked at Qiao Mei in disbelief. Liu Fen was so frightened that she did not dare to move. She was very aware that the woman holding on to her was pregnant, yet the force that was pressing down on her was terrifyingly strong. Second Aunt-in-law, you should just stay here and eat more. Dont waste all the good food on the table. Qiao Mei smiled at Liu Fen. Her smile looked sweet and alluring, but her eyes were filled with menace and coldness. Do do do you know what theyre doing? Arent you afraid that something will go wrong? Liu Fen asked fearfully. I know, but Second Aunt-in-law, you also said that there are things that should be handled by men. Its none of our business, Qiao Mei said. What if he hurts him! Liu Fen said anxiously. Dont worry, Xia Zhe knows his limits. Qiao Mei picked up a piece of potato with her chopsticks and placed it in Liu Fens bowl. Second Aunt-in-law, you should eat more. Xia He! How can you indulge your brother! Seeing that she could not do anything to Qiao Mei, Liu Fen vented her anger on Xia He. Second Aunt-in-law, dont make things difficult for elder sister. Brother-in-law bullied elder sister. Isnt it only right for Xia Zhe to stand up for his sister? Qiao Mei said. When did Kong Lu bully your sister? As a woman, you should act like one. Look at how Xia He has been married for so many years and still doesnt have children. Shes still busy with work outside and doesnt care about the family. Who wants to have such a daughter-in-law! Liu Fen said angrily. Liu Fen turned around and said to Xia He, Which family doesnt have to deal with conflicts? If you ask me, Xia He, your mother-in-law is already not bad. She doesnt hit you or scold you, but she still cooks for you and cleans up your house. Why are you still dissatisfied? Xia He lowered her head and did not want to repeat the hardships she had suffered for so many years. At this moment, she finally understood what kind of life Tan Jing had been living all these years. She had only needed to go through it for one day, but Tan Jing had to bear with it for years. Xia He muttered softly, Youve said this kind of thing 800 times. Look what youve done to my sister-in-law You! Liu Fen was about to point at Xia He and scold her when Qiao Mei pulled her back. Qiao Mei took the dish in front of Xia He and put them in front of Liu Fen before she said, Second Aunt-in-law, I see that you want this dish. Come, have some. Dont you understand human language! Liu Fen shouted angrily. Qiao Mei did not get angry. She was in no hurry to argue with Liu Fen. Chapter 357 - Punches Chapter 357: Punches Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Second Aunt-in-law, eat more. Theres so much food, isnt it enough for you? Qiao Mei said. Wasnt this saying that she was a busybody! That even so much food could not stop her from talking! At this moment, Qiao Mei suddenly understood how to get along with Liu Fen. She had thought that as long as she tolerated Liu Fen for a couple of days, she would be free after Liu Fen went home. However, that was not the case in reality. She had to be ruthless to people like Liu Fen and let them see what she was capable of. Only then would such a person avoid her and not meddle in her business. Liu Fen also realized that Qiao Mei was not someone to be trifled with. She had looked so obedient and cute when she first got here, but in fact, it was just an act and this niece-in-law of hers was actually very capable. Liu Fen ate obediently and everyone quietened down. At this moment, the sound of punches could be heard even more clearly from the backyard. In the backyard, Xia Zhe leaned against the wall and looked at Kong Lu who had fallen to the ground. There were a lot of fallen leaves and mud in the courtyard due to the heavy rain over the last two days. Kong Lus newly changed clothes were now covered in mud. Sorry for that, Xia Zhe said casually without any sincerity. I Im fine. Kong Lu forced himself to say this and slowly got up from the ground. Previously, he had thought that it was an exaggeration that Xia Zhe was the top army warrior who had held that title for consecutive years and was unsurpassed. He had never been convinced before, but now he knew that it was all true. At that time, he was also the top warrior in his district. He thought that since they were all soldiers, no matter how capable Xia Zhe was, there was no way Xia Zhe could be that accomplished. He felt that everyone was just exaggerating and praising Xia Zhe on account of the Xia family. Now he knew the truth. Just now, Xia Zhe had beat him up like he was a worn-out sandbag, and he was unable to fight back at all. Why was it like this! He had also trained very hard! Why was he not as good as Xia Zhe! Do you know why I beat you up? Xia Zhe asked as he walked up to Kong Lu. Its my fault. I let your sister suffer, Kong Lu said as he looked up at Xia Zhe. Suffer? Tell me how she suffered? Xia Zhe asked. Kong Lu was stunned for a moment. Before he came, he had heard from his mother about the recent issues at home, but he felt that these were just small matters and not worth mentioning. Besides, Kong Li was still young and ignorant. As her sister-in-law, Xia He should take care of her. Kong Lu stammered, I My mother and Li Li went overboard. I didnt stop my mother from doing that or educate my sister well. Its all my fault. Xia Zhe continued asking, How did you people go overboard? This time, Kong Lu could not answer. These things were too trivial, and they were all minor issues during daily life. There were so many things that could have happened. Did my mother and sister take things from the house? But we are all family. Whats wrong with taking a few items? His brothers cant even afford to eat. He is doing quite alright, so theres nothing wrong with him helping his brothers, right? Had his sister taken something from Xia He? However, he remembered it was just a few pieces of clothing, cosmetics and jewelry. After that, he bought new ones for Xia He.?Those were not expensive things, so what if his sister took them No matter how he thought about it, he still could not figure out what mistakes his family members had made.Then, he suddenly remembered that his mother and sister were always very fierce when they quarreled with Xia He. After all, they were originally from the countryside and were not as refined and polite as the Xia family. The way they speak and their attitudes are not good. They should talk to Xiao He properly and should not be so uncouth, Kong Lu said as he looked at Xia Zhe seriously. Xia Zhe was so angry that he did not speak. He raised his hand and punched Kong Lu in the stomach again. He threw punch after punch but he made sure that he did not touch Kong Lus face. Kong Lu still had to report to the capital troops in two days. If his face was injured, it would be hard to explain it. Qiao Mei took a look at the time and went to the backyard to take a look. Qiao Mei heard their conversation and thought that since Kong Lu still did not seem to understand Xia He, there was no need for him to be the Xia familys son-in-law anymore. Qiao Mei stood at the door to the backyard and looked at Liu Fen, who did not dare to move from the dining table. She asked, Second Aunt-in-law, will you take your daughter-in-laws money to give to your other son? Chapter 358 - How Generous Chapter 358: How Generous Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Liu Fen waved her hands and said, How can I do such a heartless thing! Of course I wont! Liu Fen did not know why Qiao Mei suddenly asked her this question, but she felt that all families had their own issues. Liu Fen thought for a moment and added, Every family has their own difficulties. If Kong Lus own family is doing too much better than his brothers, it will inevitably cause a rift. I mean, he cant just watch his brothers starve to death. Its indeed alright to help out, but he cant go overboard! Qiao Mei deliberately opened the backyard door a little so that Kong Lu could hear them. Elder sister said that in the past few years, Old Madam Kong had taken more than 3,000 dollars in cash from her. In addition, the old lady also took away many of her other belongings. She took two television sets, and also three or four bicycles and sewing machines. She actually wanted more, but elder sister did not agree to it. Otherwise, she would have taken even more! It was only after all that that elder sister started having a problem with Old Madam Kong, Qiao Mei said. When Liu Fen heard this, she looked at Xia He. When Xia He heard someone else finally saying all the things she wanted to say, she wept silently at one side. Finally, there was someone who knew all the hardships she had gone through over the years. There are only two younger brothers in the Kong family. Is there a need for so many household appliances? The money they took is enough to build a big villa for them in the countryside! I also hear that these two brothers are very generous now. They agree to whatever the villagers request from it, they just go back to ask our elder sister for it. Furthermore, where are all the various coupons that brother-in-law sent back in the past few years? Why is it that our elder sister has never seen any of it? Qiao Mei continued. By this point, Qiao Mei became more agitated and shouted towards the door, Our elder sisters own coupons are all taken away by Kong Li. That woman can even smash open locked drawers! Yet shes still not satisfied and wants our elder sister to hand over all her salary. Old people actually dont spend that much Besides, Xia He earns a lot They probably just want to save some money, right? Its not like she cant afford it Theres no need to quarrel over money and ruin the harmony in the family Liu Fen defended the other party softly. Qiao Mei was so angry that she laughed. Liu Fens family member was being bullied by outsiders and yet she still did not want to side with her own family. So I know now that Second Aunt-in-law is so generous. Then when Xia Zhe and I finished renovating our house, Ill like to trouble Second Aunt-in-law to buy us all the electrical appliances we need, Qiao Mei said. Liu Fen thought for a moment and said, Back then, Xia Zhe gave your family a betrothal gift of 2,000 dollars. When youve spent it all and its still not enough, then come and tell me. Ill definitely get what you need for you. Qiao Mei was stunned for a moment. She did not expect Liu Fen to use her betrothal gifts as an excuse. Second Aunt-in-law, the betrothal money is Xia Zhes gift to me. Dont you also think that a married couple should have some savings in order to have a better life together? So I have to trouble Second Aunt-in-law to spend some money on our electrical appliances. Were a family and its not good to ruin the harmony in the family because of this little bit of money. Dont you think so, Second Aunt-in-law? Liu Fen was rendered speechless by the retort! Kong Lu fell to the ground and looked towards the door in a daze. He did not expect his mother to have already taken so much money from Xiao He. He did not know any of this. When he asked his mother about why the television set at home was gone, she said that it was broken. Not long after, Xia He bought a new one. When he returned, it was gone again and his mother had given him the same reason. After that, he wanted to buy another one, but Xia He disagreed. She said that he should be more mindful, and that he should not buy one since the quality of the television set was not good and it would be a waste of money. At that time, he had thought that Xia He wanted to live frugally. They never had any sewing machine or bicycle at home as Xia He said that she did not know how to use them. Yet, it turned out that she had bought so many sets for his brothers? I I dont even know about these things My mother didnt tell me either Why didnt she tell me Kong Lu said. Qiao Mei opened the door and stood beside Xia Zhe as she said, Because our elder sister doesnt want to bother you with all these nasty matters. She doesnt want to put any pressure on you and wants to be a good wife. But what about you? What have you done? Has our elder sister said anything bad about your family over the years? Kong Lu thought about it and shook his head. She had never said anything in all these years. Then what about your mother and sister? Have they ever said anything nice about our elder sister? What did she get in exchange for all her efforts all these years? Qiao Mei said agitatedly. Xia Zhe reached out to hug the upset Qiao Mei and quietly helped her catch her breath. Your mothers main problem was not her bad attitude, but her lack of conscience, Qiao Mei said calmly. Actually, Xia He did not tell her too much. She had guessed most of what happened. After all, she had seen many such things happen in the village and could make a guess easily. Chapter 359 - Unmoved Chapter 359: Unmoved Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Kong Lu looked at Qiao Mei and was about to retort when Xia Zhe stared at Kong Lu with a cold look in his eyes, a look that was as frosty as an ice blade in winter. Do you think that your mother has done well in any way? Qiao Mei asked. Kong Lu thought for a moment and said, My mother did not do anything to hurt Xia He. Then what do you think it means to hurt someone? Would you repent only if someone dies? Qiao Mei looked at Kong Lu mockingly. Kong Lu slowly stood up and said unsteadily, Although my mother does not take very good care of Xia He and does not treat her like how my mother-in-law treats Xia He, she does tend to Xia Hes basic needs . Isnt that enough? My mother is kind-hearted, although the way she speaks and behaves might not be the nicest. Inside the house, when Xia He heard what Kong Lu said, she felt utterly disheartened. For so many years, she had acted as if nothing had happened for the sake of family harmony and Kong Lus filial piety. In the end, all she received in return was a statement that it was all her fault and that she was immature. Oh, do you think your mother paid for all the basic necessities at home? Qiao Mei asked Kong Lu in surprise. Kong Lu was stunned.?Was that not the case? In the past, Old Madam Kong had asked him numerous times to get Xia He to hand over her salary to the family because they did not have enough money at home. Old Madam Kong also said that the entire family depended solely on Kong Lus salary, and that Xia He squirreled away all her own money, did not contribute to the family and even relied on the family to provide for her. My mother said said that she was the one who pays for all the food at home Kong Lu said hesitantly. The art troupe provides meals for their staff, and theyre always traveling around to perform. How much food can elder sister eat? Xia Zhe said as he looked at Kong Lu coldly. Kong Lu knew about this. When they first got married, he was still not doing well in his career, unlike now. He was always at home while Xia He always traveled, and they quarreled about it many times. It was only after Xia He compromised and applied for a transfer to a local art troupe that the issue was resolved. Back in those days, Xia He was the principal performer of the capitals art troupe. She need not take part in ordinary performances and would only be asked to participate in large-scale performances. Now, she was just a minor actress in a small county city, and it was all because of Kong Lu. But my mother also said that Xia He is domineering and spoiled. She only wants the best things, otherwise she will throw them away and replace them with new ones, Kong Lu explained. My sister went away to boarding school when she was young. She grew up with basic necessities and items provided by the school. How can she be a person who leads an extravagant life? Xia Zhe asked. Qiao Mei suddenly thought of something and said, Does your younger sister also say that her sister-in-law doesnt dote on her at all and cant bear to buy anything for her to eat? Kong Lu nodded repeatedly and said, Yes, yes, yes. My younger sister says that often. Shes really been living a good life in the Xia family these past few days. She only eats meat and even asks the family helper to go out and buy the most expensive and best food for her. Your younger sister says that the Xia family is rich and must feed her well, otherwise shell complain to you, Qiao Mei said. Kong Lu lowered his head in shame and said, My younger sister My younger sister is still young and immature. I hope you dont take it to heart. Shes already 22 years old and still considered young? I was already a mother of two when I was 22 years old, Liu Fen muttered softly inside the house. In the past, one could get engaged at the age of 16 or 17 years old and get married at the age of 18. At that time, most families would quickly marry their daughters off for the sake of the betrothal gifts. It was the only option for poorer families, especially if they did not even have money for food. The more well-to-do families could afford to marry their daughters off later, but most girls would get married around the age of 20. Xia He sobbed uncontrollably in the house and covered her mouth tightly to prevent herself from making any sound. She did not expect Qiao Mei to be the one to speak up for her about all the hardships she had gone through for so many years. They had only met a few times, but Qiao Mei knew better than her own relatives how difficult it was for her to live with the Kong family. Qiao Mei was so angry that she did not know what else to say. She looked at Kong Lu and really felt like giving him a kick to wake him up. Xia Zhe looked at Kong Lu and shook his head. Back when Xia He said that she wanted to marry Kong Lu, he did not have any objections. He felt that this person seemed to have some potential and was also a filial person. He did not expect this filial part to be the reason for his elder sisters sufferings. Chapter 360 - Things Have Changed Chapter 360: Things Have Changed Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xia He wiped her tears and went to clear the dining table as if nothing had happened. Liu Fen also helped to clean up while Zhou Hua returned the tables and chairs to their original positions. By the time the three people outside entered the house, it was all neat and tidy. Eh? Youre back. Have a rest, Xia He said with a smile. Qiao Mei looked at Xia He in surprise. Her eyes were clearly red and swollen from crying, but she looked calm, as if nothing had happened. She was really a professional actress. If Qiao Mei was not the one who deliberately left a gap in the door when she entered the backyard, she would not be able to tell that Xia He had heard the entire conversation. Kong Lu hurriedly tried to cover the dirty spots on himself, but there was no way he could cover all of them. There was hardly a clean spot on him. Xia He frowned and said, Didnt you just change your clothes? Why are you so dirty again? What happened? Did you fall down accidentally? When Xia He saw that there was no injury on his face, she knew that Xia Zhe did not beat him up too badly and she felt relieved. Yes, I had a fall. I didnt notice that the ground was slippery, Kong Lu said embarrassedly. Kong Lu wanted to go closer to Xia He to let her take a look at the wounds and mud on his body. He was hoping that Xia Hes anger would have dissipated after what he had gone through. Xia He pointed upstairs and said, Then hurry up and go in to wash up. I hope you still have clean clothes. Kong Lu hurriedly nodded and said, Yes, Ill go now. Youre already an adult and yet youre still so careless. Go off then, Xia He said. Alright. Kong Lu quickly went upstairs. Xia Zhe stood at the side and sneered. Kong Lu was obviously trying to make Xia He feel sorry for him and wanted Xia He to give Xia Zhe a telling off. Kong Lu lowered his head and walked upstairs silently. He was indeed thinking too much. He did not believe that the usually smart and quick-witted Xia He could not tell that he got all dirtied because of her younger brother! However, there was no show of concern on her face at all and she did not even have any intention to teach Xia Zhe a lesson. She just pretended not to see the wounds on his body and the pain he was going through. When did Xia He become like this? When they first got married, Xia He would get extremely worried even if it was just a small cut on his hand. She had even wanted to bring him to Aunt Xia Fangs hospital to check for tetanus. Qiao Mei quietly held Xia Zhes hand and smiled happily. It would be too disappointing if Xia He were to scold Xia Zhe at this moment. Fortunately, Xia He was not the kind of person who did not know what was good for her. Now, she could really see Xia Hes determination to get a divorce. Xia Zhe gently grabbed Qiao Meis hand. Suddenly, Qiao Mei felt that Xia Zhes hand was a little wet. Oh my goodness, youre bleeding! Qiao Mei exclaimed. Its fine. I accidentally hit Kong Lus buttons, Xia Zhe whispered. When Kong Lu was changing his clothes, he realized that the buttons on his shirt had become deformed. He had wondered earlier about why it hurt so much around those areas. These buttons were all very hard and solid. Xia Zhe must really be a monster. Kong Lu still held some hopes that Xia He would show concern for him. He stood in the corridor on the second floor, still wearing his shirt, and quietly looked at the people downstairs. I wonder how he can still stand straight after being beaten up like this? Qiao Mei said. I didnt use all my strength. Otherwise, he wouldnt be able to stand up, Xia Zhe said as he sat on the sofa. Xia He did not say anything. She quietly took out the first aid kit for Qiao Mei and said, Treat his wound quickly. An injury is not a small matter. You need to be careful of tetanus, you know? Kong Lu stood on the second floor feeling completely disheartened. He understood now. Actually, Xia He had always been that Xia He, but he was no longer the same person. Kong Lu walked into the room dejectedly to take a shower. Xia He looked up from the first floor and sighed as she watched Kong Lu enter the room. Elder sister, do you want to go up and talk to him? Xia Zhe asked. Xia He smiled weakly. Since young, she had always thought that Xia Wen was the one who knew her the best. Yet, although Xia Zhe was always very quiet, he was actually the one who really knew her. Ill go for a while. Treat your wound properly. After saying that, Xia He walked into the kitchen to get some food and brought it upstairs. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 361 - Confrontation Chapter 361: Confrontation Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xia He still could not bear to see him like this. He did not dare to eat too much just now and he had done so much physical work during the day. He should eat more and have some nourishment. Xia He stood at the door of the room on the second floor and said to herself, Xia He, this is the last time. Lets have a good talk and end it here. After making up her mind, Xia He pushed open the door and placed the food on the table, waiting quietly for Kong Lu. Kong Lu went to the bathroom and took off all his clothes. The bruises on his body were clearly visible. Xia Zhe had used inner strength when hitting him, so although he did not seem to be injured, it was actually very painful when he tried to move. Kong Lu took a cold shower and put on his pants before walking out, thinking that there was no one around. Oh, youre here. Kong Lu was a little surprised. Xia He averted her eyes and said, Put on your clothes first. Kong Lu swiftly put on his clothes and sat down primly beside Xia He. Why are you here? I saw that you didnt eat much, so I brought you some food. Xia He pointed at the food on the table. Kong Lu immediately laughed and sat at the table happily. He knew that Xia He would ignore him and that she still cared for him. I know you still care for me, Kong Lu said with a smile. Xia He sneered and said, I dont care about you. Im just doing what a wife needs to do. Kong Lu knew that Xia He was still hung up about what happened at home. He turned around and looked at Xia He remorsefully. My my mother and the rest didnt do it on purpose They just had good intentions Kong Lu stammered. Good intentions? Then what about me? Do I have a lot of bad intentions! Are they the only ones with good intentions! Xia He glared at Kong Lu and shouted. She was so loud that it could be heard downstairs and Liu Fen stood up immediately. This Xiao He is too outrageous! How can she quarrel with a man! I have to go and take a look! As Liu Fen spoke, she rushed upstairs. However, she did not barge into the room but only continued to watch from the door. Qiao Mei was about to stop Liu Fen when Xia Zhe stopped her. Why did you stop me! Qiao Mei pouted and said reluctantly. Elder sister has to face these things herself sooner or later. We cant meddle too much. Besides, shes not that weak. Dont be anxious, Xia Zhe said. I just cant stand that Second Aunt-in-law is always criticizing elder sister, Qiao Mei said as she applied medicine on Xia Zhe. Second Aunt-in-law has been like this for so many years. Lets see how elder sister deals with it. Dont be so anxious, Xia Zhe said gently. In the room, Kong Lu stood up to comfort Xia He and she took two steps back. I dont mean to say that youre bad, Kong Lu said. Xia He asked with tears in her eyes, In your eyes, am I just a woman who likes to stir up trouble and make things up? Kong Lu quickly shook his head and said, Of course not! Xia He looked at Kong Lu angrily and said, Do you know why I didnt tell you about all these things? Because we were staying at your house at that time. If I told you, your mother would definitely cause a scene and fussed about it until all the neighbors knew about what happened. They would then all gossip behind my back. In the end, regardless of whether it was my fault or not, you would say that it was my fault. I didnt Kong Lu said softly. You didnt? Arent you the one who did all these? Xia He questioned. Kong Lu slowly lowered his head. Xia He was speaking the truth, but he was only trying to comfort his mother. She was already so old. If she became angry and got all worked up, she might fall sick from the exertion. At that time, you forced me to apologize to her. The neighbors all blamed me. If I didnt apologize to her, there would have been no end to the matter. How many times has something like this happened? Do you know why I dont say anything anymore? Its because I want my dignity! I dont want to be angry! I want to live my life quietly! Since I cant afford to offend her, then I will hide from all these! Xia He snarled in a low voice. Kong Lu felt ashamed when he heard what she said. These were all true, but he only wanted harmony at home and did not expect to hurt Xia He and leave such a deep scar in her heart. Chapter 362 - Being Subservient Chapter 362: Being Subservient Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios About that I just wanted to avoid unnecessary trouble at home After all, my mother is already so old Kong Lu still tried to explain himself. Xia He sighed and sat weakly on the bed. Even now, youre still defending your mother. Youre really your mothers good son! Im not defending her. I just want you to know what Im thinking Kong Lu said. Alright! Then lets not talk about your mother. What about your younger sister? Xia He asked. Kong Lu also knew that Kong Li was immature. As her elder brother, he thought that it was inappropriate for him to discipline a girl who was already at a marriageable age. However, his decision had caused her behavior to become worse over time. My sister is still young. She doesnt know how to behave herself Kong Lu said. So does that mean I have to be more forgiving! One is too old and the other is too young. There are also a bunch of brothers whom I have to help because theyre not doing well! You all have your reasons and difficulties, and Im the only one whos not human, right? Xia He shouted at Kong Lu. Liu Fen, who had been listening at the door for a long time, rushed in and said to Xia He, Xia He, talk nicely! How can you talk to your husband like that! How can you embarrass him like this? How are you going to get along in the future! At this moment, Xia He was so angry that her eyes had reddened. She threw a look of puzzlement at her second aunt-in-law, the one who always asked her to be more considerate of her husbands family and to take better care of her in-laws. Xia He was clearly the one who was a member of the Xia family and Kong Lu was an outsider. Why did her aunt-in-law scold her even more harshly after knowing what she was going through? Second Aunt-in-law, this is my family matter. Please leave the room. Xia He calmed herself down. After all, Liu Fen was still an elder. No matter how angry Xia He was, she had been brought up to have good manners. Liu Fen looked at the trembling Xia He and felt at a loss. She took a few steps back and said to Kong Lu before closing the door, Xiao Kong, dont lower yourself to Xia Hes level. Shes just too worked up for now. Dont be angry. Im not angry, Second Aunt-in-law. Its fine, Kong Lu said with a smile. Thats good, Liu Fen said and left after she closed the door. Qiao Mei thought that there were certain things that Liu Fen said which made some sense. Some men had a conscience and would protect their wives when they saw their wives being bullied. Sometimes, it was quite useful for a woman to act subservient. However, when Kong Lu saw Xia He being subservient, he bullied her even more. It became a habit to bully her, which was what led to the entire situation today. Third Uncle had probably doted on Third Aunt-in-law because Third Aunt-in-law took care of the family well and loved Third Uncle deeply enough to back down whenever they quarreled. For people like the Kong family members, if they had been taught the lesson that the Xia family was not one to be bullied, they might have stopped their bad behavior long ago. Qiao Mei looked at Liu Fen silently as she came down the stairs. Liu Fen walked over agitatedly and said, Look at this Xia He! She Before Liu Fen could finish speaking, Qiao Mei looked at her and said, Second Aunt-in-law, sit down. It was like Liu Fen suddenly had a fishbone stuck in her throat. She sat obediently on the sofa and started eating fruits, not daring to say a word. Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei and Liu Fen curiously.?When did Liu Fen start giving in so easily? What exactly happened while he was away? Qiao Mei sat beside Liu Fen and continued to maintain her authority as she looked at Liu Fen silently. Liu Fen did not dare to look at Qiao Mei or to say anything else. Even Zhou Hua, who usually liked to join in the fun and make mocking remarks for a long time, did not say a word today. At this moment, Xia He did not want to argue with Kong Lu anymore. There would be no outcome even if they continued arguing. She was completely disheartened. Finish up the food. I dont want to argue with you anymore, Xia He said calmly. Kong Lu did not know how to persuade Xia He and just sat silently at the side to finish his meal. Xia Zhe felt bored staying in the living room and brought Qiao Mei to the swing in the backyard to take a break. What method did you use to make Second Aunt-in-law so afraid of you? Xia Zhe asked. Qiao Mei touched her nose in embarrassment and said, I just intimidated her a little. Xia Zhe asked again, But what did you do to intimidate her? I didnt do anything. I just grabbed her and glared at her. Qiao Mei stood up and glared at Xia Zhe with her hands on her hips. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 363 - Three Wonderful Principles Chapter 363: Three Wonderful Principles Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Meis big bright eyes flashed with a sly glint, like a cute little fox. Back during the earthquake, she was so thin and her face was so sharp. Now that she had been in the capital for a period of time, her face had become rounder. Now, it was rosy and chubby, like a delicious little bun. He really felt like taking a bite to see what it was made of. This look of hers would not have made Second Aunt-in-law feel intimidated. This was clearly the look of a kitten that had not been weaned yet, trying hard to act fierce but looking adorable instead. Why do you look younger and younger Xia Zhe said as he pinched Qiao Meis cheeks. When he first saw Qiao Mei, she had a tanned and muscular figure and looked like she was in her 30s. Later on, when he met her again, she looked like an 18-year-old girl. Now that she was pregnant, she looked like a 15 or 16-year-old girl. You said it yourself. You cant touch me! Qiao Mei pointed at Xia Zhe and pretended to threaten him. Xia Zhes eyes flashed and he said, Alright, no touching. Eh? Why does this statement sound so strange? Qiao Mei looked at the smirking Xia Zhe and was about to question him when Xia Zhe interrupted her thoughts and said, So, how exactly did you intimidate Second Aunt-in-law? Its nothing. I just let her know how strong I am and how unreasonable I can get, and she got scared, Qiao Mei said with a shrug. What if she accidentally pushes you? Xia Zhe asked with a frown. Shes so timid that she doesnt dare to move at all. I would agree with you if youre worried about Eldest Aunt doing that. Second Aunt-in-law and Third Aunt-in-law are not of that caliber, Qiao Mei said. Xia Zhe shook his head helplessly and said, Be more careful in the future. The force of your strength is even too much for me. If you really hurt Second Aunt-in-law, I wont be able to help you plead for leniency. After all, shes an elder in the family. Yes, yes, I know what Im doing. I didnt even use much strength! Of course Ill think about the Xia family before doing anything. Ill consider what you have to go through and wont make things difficult for you, Qiao Mei said obediently. Xia Zhe reconsidered it and felt that it was not such a good idea. Xia He and Kong Lu were living examples of that. Back then, Xia He loved Kong Lu so much that she kept accommodating the Kong family so that she would not make things difficult for him and she endured everything quietly on her own. This was their most fundamental problem. One was unwilling to speak and the other was unwilling to ask. In the end, the two of them quarreled even more and were about to part ways. In the future, dont endure things because youre afraid that youll make things difficult for me. No matter what happens, you have to tell me. If any of my parents relatives bully you, even if its my grandfather, feel free to come and look for me. Dont be afraid that youll be making things difficult for me. No matter what, Ill stand up for you, Xia Zhe said as he looked at Qiao Mei seriously. It might be difficult for him to face his family if that happened, but that was a trivial matter compared to the possibility of Qiao Mei leaving him. Qiao Mei looked at the serious-looking Xia Zhe and was a little stunned. Then, she smiled sweetly. Fortunately, Xia Zhe was the kind of man who cared for her and she did not meet a bad person like their elder sister. It was like a womans life would go through a restart when she got married. Qiao Mei smiled and said, Dont worry, I wont leave you. If anyone bullies me, Ill tell you and you can help me bully them back! In her other life, she did not get married and had no in-laws to dispute with. However, she was a lawyer in her other life and had heard too many stories from her colleagues about family disputes. There was even a case where the daughter-in-law wanted to go to work but her mother-in-law did not allow it, so her mother-in-law went to the company to make trouble, causing her daughter-in-law to lose her job. She also took away a few principles from these cases. The first principle was that she needed her own comrades. There was no way she could fight alone. If her mother-in-law went to look for neighbors to be the judge, who could she look for? She must look for her husband and children, especially her husband. She must have him on her side. The second principle was to hide at the back and not be the one to go into battle. She must let her husband resolve the conflict because one was his biological mother and the other was his wife. Her mother-in-law and her husband were related by blood, so they would not hurt each other. As the saying went, even if the bones were broken, the tendons would still be connected. If the fight was between the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law, the mother-in-law would not feel any heartache at all even if she hurt the daughter-in-law. The third principle was that after the husband solved the problem, he must appease the emotions of both parties so that they could get along harmoniously. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 364 - Hiding It Quite Deeply Chapter 364: Hiding It Quite Deeply Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei could not stop smiling when she thought of all these. It seemed that Xia Zhe would have a hard time in the future! Qiao Mei had observed Xu Lan carefully. Although she looked cold and heartless and did not like Qiao Mei, she maintained her decorum and did not make things difficult for Qiao Mei. Perhaps it was because Qiao Mei had been hiding away in the courtyard house and did not have much chance to interact with Xu Lan, or perhaps Xu Lan could tell that Xia Zhe cared a lot about Qiao Mei and did not dare to do anything to her, or perhaps Xu Lan just did not know what it meant to put someone in a difficult position. Qiao Mei realized that although Xu Lan was arrogant, she was very simple-minded. In addition, Qiao Mei did not know what it was like for a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law to have a conflict, nor did she try to pick a fight, so they did not quarrel. During the few times they met, Xu Lan mostly ignored Qiao Mei and chose to sit quietly at the side to do her own things. This trick might work on a daughter-in-law like Tan Jing, but it was useless on someone like Qiao Mei. Alright, its not right for us to hide here. What if Second Aunt-in-law makes things difficult for elder sister again? Lets go into the house. Qiao Mei pulled Xia Zhe back into the house. After exchanging a few pleasantries, everyone returned to their rooms. Early the next morning, Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe left the house to supervise the work at the courtyard house. As soon as they entered, they saw Xia Wen looking at the ground around him with a frown. Elder brother, whats wrong? Xia Zhe asked. Look, all these spots showed signs of being touched. Youre not bad, kid. You hid it quite well and no one discovered anything, Xia Wen sighed as he looked at the freshly filled pits in the ground. Xia Zhe did not say anything, but he also found it strange. Even though he had hidden everything away, it had been so many days and there were so many people involved, but nothing had been dug up yet. Were they not diligent enough, or did he hide it too well? Xia Wen glanced at Qiao Mei, who was beside Xia Zhe, and said, Leave this place to me. You can show my sister-in-law around town. You havent been to any fun places yet, right? Qiao Mei smiled and said, Aunt brought me out before. Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe and thought for a moment before saying, I want to go to the nursery and buy some fruit tree saplings and vegetable seedlings for the backyard. These were things that Xia Wen and Xia Zhe did not know how to do. Qiao Mei could only rely on herself to choose these things. Xia Zhe thought for a moment and said, Ill bring you there in a while. He turned around and said to Xia Wen, I beat up Kong Lu. Before Xia Wen left yesterday, he already knew that Xia Zhe would not be able to resist the urge to beat the man up. Did you hit his face? Xia Wen asked casually. They were indeed biological brothers given that they even think the same way. No, Xia Zhe said. Then all good. So what does Xiao He want to do now? Does she want to go back with him? Xia Wen asked. Xia Zhe shook his head and said, She wants a divorce now. Xia Wen was shocked. He had thought that they only needed to teach Kong Lu a lesson so that he would be more mindful in the future and not let Xia He suffer anymore. He did not expect them to have already reached the point of getting a divorce. Tell elder brother about elder sisters life these past few years. Elder sister has told Qiao Mei everything, Xia Zhe said as he looked at Qiao Mei. This was something that he had found to be strange as well. Qiao Mei had clearly just married into the family, but his elder sister seemed to hit it off with Qiao Mei immediately. She did not say much to her own brothers but went to confide in Qiao Mei instead. Xia He had indeed told Qiao Mei some stories about the Kong family, but not everything. That Kong Lu really doesnt treat elder sister well at all! Elder sister not only has to buy things for her own household with Kong Lu, but she also needs to buy things for Kong Lus brothers. Just sewing machines, television sets and refrigerators, she already had to buy three or four each! Sometimes, the Kong brothers neighbors will ask them for things. If they cant fulfill the requests, they will ask elder sister to do it! And Qiao Mei exaggerated a lot of things, making the two brothers so angry that the veins on their foreheads bulged out. They got so worked up that they wanted to beat Kong Lu up again to vent their anger. When Xia He first mentioned all these things she was going through, Second Aunt-in-law had said that everyone lived like this and even wondered out loud why Xia He was so melodramatic and delicate. None of them took time out to ask her about her hardships. Chapter 365 - Let’s Get a Divorce Chapter 365: Lets Get a Divorce Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios It looks like Xiao He has suffered a lot in the past few years. When I have time, Ill go and talk to Kong Lu, Xia Wen said as he rolled up his sleeves. Qiao Mei looked at Xia Wen skeptically. Xia Wen had always seemed like a perfect gentleman and it was difficult to imagine him fighting with someone. Sensing Qiao Meis gaze, Xia Wen looked at her and said, I used to be a soldier too. Although it was only for five years, I was the top warrior for those five years. Really! Elder brother is so amazing! Qiao Mei stood up excitedly, her eyes filled with surprise and admiration. Of course! If Im still there, its hard to say who will be the current top army warrior now! Xia Wen said proudly. When Xia Zhe saw Qiao Meis reaction, he immediately glared at Xia Wen. Xia Wen raised his eyebrows smugly. Come, lets go to the nursery! Xia Zhe immediately grabbed Qiao Mei and pulled her out of the house. If he was any slower, Qiao Mei would be treating Xia Wen like a celebrity and asking him about his past glories! Alright, alright. Slow down. Although Qiao Mei followed behind Xia Zhe, she kept looking back as she walked. She took a few glances at Xia Wen, wishing she could hear more gossip. In the courtyard, Xia Wens shoulders trembled from the force of his laughter as he recalled the jealous look on Xia Zhes face. It had been a long time since he had seen such an expression on Xia Zhes face. He found it extremely interesting. Back then, Xia Wen was injured after a mission and it left him with a recurring injury, after which he was forced to retire from the army. Otherwise, the current top army warrior might not be Xia Zhe. He used to be the best sniper in the troops, and his physical fitness and combat skills were not inferior to anyone. When he thought of this, Xia Wen sighed. If he could ever recover, he would want to go back and continue fighting, and to hold his favorite sniper rifle again. After leaving the courtyard, Xia Zhe pulled Qiao Mei over to him and looked at her seriously. He gave her a flick on the head and said, Ive been a soldier for 10 years and Ive been the top army warrior for all those 10 years! Qiao Mei did not look excited or surprised at all. Instead, she had her usual expression on her face. I know. You told me before, and you look the part of a top warrior too. But elder brother is different. Look at him, hes so skinny and weak like ahem I mean, Im surprised by what elder brothers achievements. Qiao Mei wanted to say something, but the two of them had not gone far. She did not want Xia Wen to hear her. Xia Zhe was very satisfied with what Qiao Mei said and happily led the way to the nursery. In the courtyard, Xia Wen looked towards the door in shock. At this moment, he could no longer smile. Him? Weak? As weak as what? What? Xia Wen fell into a deep sense of self-doubt in the courtyard. Xia He and Kong Lu also went out early in the morning. There were too many people at home and it was inconvenient for them to talk, so they went for a walk in the nearest park. Early in the morning, the park was filled with elderly men and women who were there for their morning exercises. There were also young people who came here for a run, but very few people went to the lake. After they arrived at the park, Xia He bought tickets at the lake to row a boat with Kong Lu. Since there was no one by the lake, no one would hear them if they talked in the middle of the lake. Also, Kong Lu would not be able to run away halfway through the conversation. There were a few times in the past when Xia He wanted the two of them to sit down after a fight and talk about the grievances in her heart. She wanted to talk about everything that was happening at home so that they could both think of a way to resolve it. However, Kong Lu always felt that there was nothing much to talk about since it was just trivial family matters and he would always find a reason to leave the house. Every time, he would say that something came up at work or that his superior wanted to have drinks with him. It happened many times and they never had a chance to talk properly. Even their conversation yesterday was interrupted by Liu Fen. Neither of them could leave today. She wanted to see where Kong Lu could escape to and whether he would rather jump into the lake to get away than talk to her! Xia He knew that Kong Lu did not know how to swim. The two of them rowed the boat in silence. There were a few times when Kong Lu wanted to speak, but he could not think of a suitable topic. There were ripples on the sparkling surface of the lake. The sunlight shone on the surface of the lake and was dazzling. Kong Lus heart rate rose and fell with the ripples on the water surface. When they reached the center of the lake, Xia He looked at Kong Lu quietly and said, Lets get a divorce. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 366 - Being Understanding Chapter 366: Being Understanding Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Kong Lu was so shocked that he almost threw the oar out of his hand. He looked at Xia He in disbelief. What did you say? Are you joking? Say that again? Xia He looked at Kong Lu firmly and said, Lets get a divorce. Why? You have to tell me what I did wrong, Kong Lu said anxiously. His confusion and puzzlement made Xia He very angry. She roared at him, Youre still asking me why? Let me tell you why! Because your family keeps asking me for things, but dont even bother to thank me at all! Because your mother and younger sister always used vulgarities to scold and criticize me! They say that Im cheap! Because they call me stupid even while they eye my money! They say Im unlucky! That I deserved it for marrying you! Because every time theres a conflict, you only listen to your mother! You ask me to apologize to your mother! Your mother even goes to the neighbors to talk bad about me! Everyone always comes and scolds me! Every time! Every time! Every time! Ive had enough! Kong Lu! I want a divorce! Ive had enough! Ah!!! After Xia He finished talking about her grievances and indignation over the years, she burst into tears. Finally, she was free. Now that she had said everything, she could finally be free. Kong Lu looked at Xia He in a daze. He had never seen Xia He like this before and he wondered where the cheerful girl from before had gone. He also felt very unsettled after hearing what Xia He said. It was only at this moment that he realized the matter was very serious. Hear me out. Ill get them to change. Ill tell them never to scold you again in the future, and that they should not criticize you and ask you for money anymore. Also, I wont ask you to apologize anymore, is that alright? Kong Lu said. Xia He sneered. It seemed that Kong Lu still did not understand her. Then ask them to move out of our house and return to the countryside to live with your brothers, Xia He said with a cold smile. Kong Lu was speechless. Even if he was willing to do that, Old Madam Kong would definitely cause a scene and there would be chaos again. They I Im the eldest child in the family. By right, I should be the one taking care of my mother Kong Lu stammered. Ha. You can take care of her however you want, but I dont want to take care of a woman who scolds me every day, so lets get a divorce. Can your family just let me off? Xia He said. Xiao He, dont be like this! Ill definitely make them change! Really! Kong Lu looked at Xia He sincerely. Then tell me how youll make them change? Xia He looked at Kong Lu calmly. Kong Lu did not know how to explain it, but he believed that his mother and younger sister would change as long as he conveyed it to them patiently for a few more times.?Yes! He just needs to talk to them a few more times! Ill definitely talk to them once I get back. Theyll definitely do what I say! Xiao He, believe me! Kong Lu said anxiously. Dont lie to yourself. Dont you know your mother and younger sister well enough? If they are willing to listen to you, they would have done it long ago. Can you change them with just your words? Xia He said mockingly. Kong Lu did not know how to talk about this matter, but he knew that he did not want a divorce! Just let me go. This matter is not negotiable. Lets get a divorce. After saying that, Xia He rowed towards the shore. Kong Lu definitely did not agree with Xia He. He desperately rowed in the opposite direction. Given that the two of them rowed in different directions, the boat started spinning in the middle of the lake. Xia He quickly stopped what she was doing. What exactly do you want! Do I owe your family or what! Do I have to suffer for the rest of my life just because you married me! Just because you married me! Xia He shouted angrily. Ill get them to change. Trust me! Kong Lu kept repeating the same thing. Unless they move out, theres no room for discussion! Even our current house is paid for by the Xia family! Xia He said. Xiao He, please be understanding of my situation. Im the eldest child in the family. If I send my mother back to the countryside, everyone in the village will criticize me! Then people will always be able to badmouth me behind my back! Kong Lu begged. Xia He looked at Kong Lu in despair.?If she had to be understanding of Kong Lus situation, then who was going to be understanding of hers? The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 367 - This Is a Camellia Plant? Chapter 367: This Is a Camellia Plant? Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xia He did not want to listen to Kong Lu anymore. She threw the oar far away and jumped into the lake. Xia He knew how to swim from a young age and was a very good swimmer. Xia He! Kong Lu shouted anxiously as he sat on the boat. Now that there was only one oar left, he did not know if he would be able to row himself to shore. The other oar had already drifted far away. Oh my. Kong Lu sighed. He had wanted to have a good chat with Xia He, but he did not expect such an outcome. On the other side of town, Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe arrived at the state-run nurseries in the suburbs. The largest nursery in the capital that bought and sold all kinds of flowers and trees was located here. Qiao Mei wanted to build a small garden in the courtyard and to make it a spot where they could have tea and take a rest. When her grandfather came over, he would also be able to enjoy spending time in it. The two of them entered the first nursery. As soon as they entered, their noses were assailed by all kinds of fragrances. The yard was filled with colorful flowers and the air was filled with the fragrance of all kinds of flowers. As soon as Xia Zhe entered, he sneezed immediately. He did not like fragrant things, no matter what it was. The fragrance of all the flowers mixed together was too complex for him. Xia Zhe lowered his head and looked at Qiao Mei beside him. The only smell he ever liked was Qiao Meis smell. Xia Zhe had to lean closer to Qiao Mei and take a whiff of her body fragrance before his nose felt much better. Hello, what are you looking to buy? asked a staff member as he walked over excitedly. This young man was in his early twenties and not very tall. When he saw Qiao Mei entering, his eyes almost fell out of their sockets. However, when he got closer, he realized that this young lady was pregnant and there was a cold and stern man staring at him from behind her. When the young man met Xia Zhes gaze, he was so frightened that his hair stood on end. The whole situation felt like a jackal had taken a fancy to a rabbit, but there was a fierce tiger standing behind the rabbit. Do you have any particularly beautiful flowers, the rare kind that you cant bear to sell, Qiao Mei said. The young man was stunned for a moment and quickly said, Yes, come with me to the back. After saying that, the young man turned around and led the way to the back, not daring to look back. Qiao Mei wondered why the shop assistants attitude had changed so obviously. They passed through the front hall that was filled with flowers and entered the plastic shed at the back. Plastic was very rare during this period of time and plastic sheds could only be found in state-run nurseries. Furthermore, not all state-run nurseries could have as much plastic as they wanted, they still needed to apply for approval. The flowers and plants in the plastic shed were indeed the more valuable types. The flowers outside were very common, such as different kinds of roses, peonies, azalea and lilies, among others. Inside the shed, there were more tropical plants. Master, there are two people here who want to see our camellias, the young man shouted respectfully towards the small room inside. An old man walked out of the room with his walking stick and looked at Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe. This young lady was beautiful and fresh-faced. She was quite a good match for his precious camellias, so they can take a look. The old mans camellias ranked top among the nurseries around here. Ordinary buyers would not be able to purchase his camellias, and might not even have a chance to take a look. The old man nodded and said, Lets go. He brought the two of them out of the plastic shed and into the glasshouse at the side. Although glass was not as rare as plastic, the cost of glass was high. It seemed that there must be something even better in the glasshouse. This glasshouse was very small, with an area of probably only about 100 square meters. Qiao Mei took a quick glance and saw many precious flowers, but there were no plum blossoms. It seemed that the climate and land here were not suitable for plum blossoms. The old man brought the two of them to the center where there were a few small trees. This is one of the best camellia plants in our nursery. Take a look, the old man said. Camellias? Where? Qiao Mei could recognize all the flowers in the courtyard, but she did not see any camellias. Old mister this Xia Zhe looked at the old man in confusion. The old man pointed at the small tree beside him and said, This is my precious camellia plant. Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe stared blankly at the ordinary-looking tree in front of them. This is a camellia plant?! Chapter 368 - Diligent and Thrifty Chapter 368: Diligent and Thrifty Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Where are the flowers? Qiao Mei asked curiously. Qiao Meis serious expression made the old man laugh.?This young lady did not feel that he was lying to her. How interesting. Its not the flowering season yet. You can take a look at the booklet. Theres a picture of it when the flowers are blooming. The old man smiled and handed a booklet to the two of them. Qiao Mei flipped through the booklet. There were pictures of all kinds of camellias inside, and in different colors like white, pink and red. There was even one that was actually dual-colored, half the flower was white and the other half was pink. Qiao Mei pointed at the picture in the booklet and asked, How much is this variant? Young lady, you have good taste, but this one isnt for sale. After so many years, Ive only managed to cultivate this one tree. Take a look at the others, the old man said. Qiao Mei rolled her eyes and closed the booklet angrily. Why did he display it if he did not want to sell it! The rest of the camellia plants cost 100 dollars a pot, the old man added. Its so expensive! Qiao Mei exclaimed. The old man glanced at Qiao Mei and felt that her reaction was much ado about nothing. These camellias were the best of their kind. These are all rare and exquisite plants. You cant find them elsewhere. Were the only place that has such flowers. Do you know what it means for you to be able to chance upon them! Moreover, theyre all more than 10 years old! the old man emphasized. Qiao Mei looked hesitantly at the pots of camellia trees beside her. But we also have cheap seedlings, ranging from one dollar to five dollars per pot, the old man said. Qiao Meis eyes lit up as she asked, What about seeds? Yes, we have that too. Its 10 cents apiece, the old man said sulkily. Alright, then Ill take some seeds! Qiao Mei said happily. The old man looked at Qiao Mei and nodded before going towards the back to get the seeds for her. Qiao Mei was about to follow him when she had a whiff of a strange fragrance. The fragrance of this flower was different from the others. It was elegant, refined and very subtle. However, anyone who smelled it would definitely fall deeply in love with it and find it unforgettable. Qiao Mei looked around for the source of the fragrance and quickly realized that it came from some orchids placed in a corner. However, the leaves of the orchid were a little withered and hung limply. The flowers were also quite wilted and it was obvious that there was something wrong with the plant. Old mister, how much is this pot of flowers? Qiao Mei asked as she pointed at the orchids. The old man took a look and said, That was left here by a Mr. He. He asked me to take a look at the flowers and see whats wrong with them. He had bought them from me in the past. After saying that, the old man lowered his head and continued to look for the seeds. As he searched, he muttered, Its really strange. He doesnt know how to grow flowers, but he insists on doing so. He said that the fragrance of flowers can cure his illness. Ive spent most of my life growing flowers, but Ive never heard of such a thing. What a waste of my orchids. When Xia Zhe heard this, he frowned and looked at the orchids in the corner. There was only one person in the entire capital with the surname He who would use the fragrance of flowers to treat his illness. That person was He Ning. Qiao Mei also noticed Xia Zhes abnormal reaction. She walked to his side and whispered, Is it him? Xia Zhe nodded. Lets go, young lady. There are no camellia seeds here. Theyre probably in the storeroom. You can both come with me. With that, the old man led Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe out. After the two of them left, the orchid plant in the corner completely withered. The old man brought them to a storeroom that was stocked with seeds. There were also other storerooms at the side that looked as if they were used to keep saplings. Very few people would come to buy seeds. Usually, only people in the business would do that. Ordinary people would just buy flowers and plants that were already grown. These kinds of flowers and plants were not like weeds and wildflowers that could grow at will. Some people did not succeed in growing them even if they took good care of them. That was why there was a market for flowers and plants, and there was a reason why they could be sold at astronomical prices. Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei strangely. She usually spent money extravagantly, so why was she so reluctant to buy a finished product that cost 100 dollars a piece and insisted on buying seeds that cost 10 cents each? He felt that this did not seem like something Qiao Mei would do. Qiao Mei felt Xia Zhes gaze and said proudly, Dont you think that Im especially diligent and thrifty! Xia Zhe smiled. This mischievous look of hers definitely did not resemble Qiao Qiang at all. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 369 - Selling on Consignment Chapter 369: Selling on Consignment Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei knew that for ordinary people, it was much easier to nurture flowers than growing them from seeds. It was all the same to her though. However, those mature flowers had already been blooming for 10 years and it would be difficult to explain it if they suddenly mutated in her hands. It was a different thing if she grew them from seeds. Whatever bloomed from the seeds would have nothing to do with her. The old man stood in front of a small shelf and looked carefully at the words written on the bags. As he was old, his eyesight was blurry and he moved much slower than young people. Qiao Meis eyes lit up when she saw a label on the shelf. These are wild camellias! The old man glanced in the direction where Qiao Mei was looking and said, Oh, I almost forgot about them. I bought those seeds from an old farmer in the south. I want to use them to cultivate new breeds. Most new varieties were created by hybridizing wild seeds and seeds of existing varieties. After many tries, eventually there would be a likelihood for new varieties to emerge. But I want this! Qiao Mei said. The old man could not bear to part with these seeds. It had not been easy to buy them from that old farmer in the south back then, and yet this young girl wanted him to sell them to her. I can only give you a handful of seeds at most! One seed is 50 cents! the old man said angrily. He decided to sell this young girl a handful since she was so beautiful. This bag contained camellia seeds of different sizes, but they were all much bigger than the other camellia seeds. There were not many seeds in a handful, probably only about 15 to 16. Its enough, its enough. Thank you, old mister, Qiao Mei said happily as she held on to the seeds. When the old man saw how Qiao Mei treated the seeds, he was relieved. He had been worried that the young lady did not know anything and would just waste the seeds. Looking at her now, the way she cherished these seeds so much made her look like an expert. Youve grown flowers before? asked the old man. My family is from the countryside. Ive planted vegetables before. Growing flowers and growing vegetables are probably quite similar, Qiao Mei said laughingly. When the old man heard this, he regretted what he just said.?She was no expert, she was more like his enemy!? What a waste of those seeds! After taking the seeds, Qiao Mei looked at the rows of other types of seeds on the shelf and did not feel like leaving. Old mister, are you selling those seeds! Qiao Mei said. The old man said in exasperation, No! She was not here to buy flowers, she was here to cause trouble! Then do you buy flowers? Qiao Mei asked. At this point, the old man became interested.?Could it be that he had made a mistake? I have a few pots of very nice flowers at home that I dont have space for anymore. Im thinking of selling them to you since it would be a pity to throw them away. Do you think you would want to buy them? Qiao Mei asked as she looked at the old man expectantly. The old man thought for a moment and said, No, I dont want to buy. We only sell them here. Qiao Mei immediately felt a little dejected. She had thought that this could be another way to make money, and that when these camellias matured and bloomed, she could come back and sell them to him.?One camellia plant was worth 100 dollars! It was much more profitable than growing bean sprouts! Sigh, it was too difficult to live in this era where there was no free market. The commoners could not buy and sell things privately, so it was really too difficult to earn money. Looking at Qiao Meis dejected expression, the old man did not want to be too harsh. He said softly, If the quality of your plant is good, you can leave it here with me. Whether you sell it or not is up to you. If someone wants to buy it, you can discuss it among yourselves. Qiao Mei immediately felt as if there was a beam of light shining on the old man. He was like her God of Fortune! He was willing to sell them on consignment without taking any fee! Where else could she find such a good deal! The thing was if the nursery charged her a fee, they might get into trouble. The old man coughed twice and said, Let me put it across bluntly upfront. The quality of your flowers and plants must be about the same as the quality of those in my nursery. They cant be too lousy, otherwise I wont be able to help you. Thank you, old mister! Qiao Mei said excitedly. He was famous for being obsessed with flowers. Whenever he heard that someone had nice flowers at home, he would think of ways to go and take a look and learn from others. If Qiao Mei really had some quality flowers, he was willing to buy them himself. If they were lousy, he would ask her to take them back and not leave them in front of him like an eyesore. If they were not too bad, he would put them in a corner to see if there were any people who were fated with them. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 370 - Underhanded Swap Chapter 370: Underhanded Swap Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei gave him eight dollars and left the nursery with 16 wild camellia seeds. Can He Nings illness be treated with the fragrance of flowers? Qiao Mei asked Xia Zhe curiously after they left the nursery. Maybe. He has been in poor health since he was young. I heard that he had all kinds of illnesses and that he already had headaches during his school days. All the flowers he buys are to help alleviate his headaches, Xia Zhe said. As Xia Zhe spoke, he suddenly laughed and said, No one in the He family knows how to grow flowers, so they specially hired a florist to be in charge. However, all types of flowers are unable to survive in his house, so the He family has been searching for all kinds of rare and precious plants during all these years. Qiao Mei nodded and looked around before asking, Then where does he live? Xia Zhe pointed at the road ahead and said, Third place ahead. He lives there, inside a nursery that specializes in selling fruit trees. Xia Zhe had been keeping an eye on the He family recently and had heard that He Ning had recovered very well recently. He had been approaching all his past business contacts and it seemed like he was preparing to go back to work. After taking a look, Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe went to the next nursery and bought a lot of seeds from there as well. Only then did Xia Zhe realize that Qiao Mei was not actually diligent and thrifty. Based on his calculations, they had already spent more than 100 dollars buying saplings and seeds of all sizes. The seeds were of different types and sizes, so they were priced differently. His main concern was that their house was not big enough for them, as the seeds that Qiao Mei bought probably needed to be grown over a few hundred acres of land. However, Qiao Mei looked really happy when she was choosing the seeds. Therefore, he felt that the 100 dollars was well spent! Im going to bring these home so that I can plant them in the village. Grandfather and I have made use of our private plot of land. Since we dont lack food or clothes at home, I plan to go back and plant some fruit trees and flowers so that it can provide some entertainment for grandfather, Qiao Mei said with a smile. After leaving the second nursery, Qiao Mei pulled Xia Zhe along and prepared to go to the third nursery. Xia Zhe stood on the spot and said, Lets go to another place, not this one. Qiao Mei stood at the door with her hands on her hips and said fiercely, Why! Are we afraid of him! What can he do in broad daylight! Looking at Qiao Mei trying to act fierce, he felt like laughing. She did not look like a capable person at all. This was clearly a kitten that had not been weaned yet. In reality, Qiao Mei was also much stronger than Xia Zhe. Xia Zhe was not worried that Qiao Mei would be in any danger, but he just did not want He Ning to see Qiao Mei, not even a glimpse. Xia Zhe originally wanted to stay at the door and think about whether they should enter this nursery. However, before he could think about it, Qiao Mei forcefully pulled him in. His Mei Mei was indeed amazing! Qiao Mei used the excuse of wanting to buy fruit trees to walk around the yard, but she was actually snooping around. Through the gaps between the fruit trees, Qiao Mei saw that there was a house further in, and there was a man sitting inside and reading a book. Behind him, there was a pharmacy. As she made use of the plants to sense around, Qiao Mei could feel that her ginseng was not in the pharmacy. There were all kinds of precious medicinal herbs there. Since she was already here, she decided not to let it go to waste! Qiao Mei quietly absorbed the energy of those expensive medicinal herbs, leaving only a small portion of energy to maintain their appearances so that the He family would not discover that they had been tampered with. Qiao Mei wandered around, but was actually using all her energy to focus on searching for the ginseng in the house. The ginseng was planted using her energy, and the energy inside it would be able to resonate with her. It did not take long for her to find the remaining ginseng inside the safe. It seemed that He Ning had not eaten too much yet. Qiao Mei absorbed all the energy inside the ginseng, making it useless despite how good it looked. This was the real reason why she wanted to come to this nursery. She was not a fool. The He family had framed her time and time again and she naturally knew how dangerous the He family was. However, her stand was that nothing ventured meant nothing gained. Just as Qiao Mei was about to retract her energy, she realized that there were many rare and precious plants placed in the corner. As her energy swept past them, all the flowers and plants wilted and some even withered. He Ning suddenly glanced at the flowers and plants and felt that something was wrong. Qiao Mei quickly said, Give me two peach trees and two pear trees! Peach trees and pear trees were the most common fruit trees in the capital. They could live and grow as long as they were planted in the ground, then fertilized and watered. Chapter 371 - Coming Back From Jumping Into the Lake Chapter 371: Coming Back From Jumping Into the Lake Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The two of them hurriedly finished doing their shopping and returned to the courtyard house. He Ning looked at the withered flowers and plants beside him and said, Take these away quickly. Ask the experts to see if they can save them. As soon the plants were removed, he felt his temples throbbing. His head hurt badly and he felt uncomfortable all over when he could not smell the fragrance of flowers. Even though the doctor could not explain why it made him feel better, he continued to surround himself with as many flowers as he could so long as it made him feel more comfortable. He did not care if it was just a psychological effect. Men! Get me another batch! Get the best ones! He Ning said as he rubbed his temples. His attendant quickly removed the old flower pots and arranged for new flowers and plants to be moved in. Having worked for He Ning for a long time, he knew about He Nings headaches. He had previously bought a lot of flowers and plants and had them taken care of somewhere else. This was so that he would be able to replace the wilted flowers and plants with new batches as soon as it was required and there would be little downtime. It was a known fact in the capital that He Ning was unable to keep any plants alive. However, there were only a few types of floral fragrances that were able to alleviate He Nings headache. These flowers bloomed only during certain periods in a year and there was a high chance of running out when the flowers were not in season. This issue was a headache for all the experts. Every time the flowers ran out, He Ning would fly into a rage. Recently, the He family had started investing a lot of money into research on extending the flowering period of these plants. Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei arrived back at the courtyard house very quickly. After putting away their things, they returned to Xu Lans place to rest. As soon as they walked through the door, they saw Liu Fen talking earnestly to Xia He. Xiao He, how can you do this? Youre still his wife Seeing that Liu Fen was about to continue, Qiao Mei hurriedly rushed to Xia He and said, Whats wrong you, elder sister? Why is your hair so wet? But its not raining today? Your elder sister jumped into the river! Zhou Hua said with a fake show of concern. Qiao Mei looked at Xia He in surprise. She did not expect such a thing to have happened so early in the morning. Second Aunt-in-law, do we have ginger soup at home? Hurry up and get some for elder sister! Qiao Mei said. Qiao Mei turned around and smiled at Liu Fen. On seeing that, Liu Fen closed her mouth awkwardly and went to the kitchen to make some ginger soup. Xu Lan was very surprised by Liu Fen making a compromise. It seemed that this new daughter-in-law of hers was quite capable of dealing with Liu Fen. Although she did not know what happened, she decided that she had to be more careful of the girl. Im fine, Xia He said gently. Xia He slowly dried her hair with a towel. She was wearing old clothes that looked a little too big on her. Qiao Mei vaguely remembered that these were Xu Lans clothes. Why did you jump into the lake? Qiao Mei asked. Qiao Mei had squatted down earlier and Xia Zhe went forward to help her up, bringing her to one side to sit down. Qiao Meis belly was much bigger now and she was not as nimble as before. I went boating with him at the lake in the park, but we got into an argument on the boat. We couldnt reach an agreement, so I left him alone on the boat and swam back, Xia He said with a smile. Xia He whispered into Qiao Meis ear proudly, I dont know if he can come back ashore today. He cant swim. Qiao Mei looked at Xia He with admiration. This is such a great idea! Qiao Mei looked at Xia He cautiously and asked, Does Xia Zhe know how to swim? She thought that if Xia Zhe also made her angry one day, she might be able to use this trick! Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei with a dark expression.?This young girl really had a lot of ideas. Then youre going to be disappointed. Our Xia Zhe has been trained in all aspects since he was young. Dont forget that we were all trained by Eldest Aunt. Were omnipotent. Xia He smiled at Qiao Mei. This young lady was really interesting. No wonder Xia Zhe liked Qiao Mei so much.?Putting aside Xia Zhe, she liked Qiao Mei very much as well. Qiao Mei thought for a moment and suddenly looked at Xia Zhe with an awkward smile. Well I dont think I know how to swim. Xia He laughed out loudly when she heard this. How can you even think of leaving Xiao Zhe stranded at the lake when you cant swim? Hahahaha, why are you so funny! Xia He laughed until tears came out of her eyes. It was impossible to tell that she had just argued with someone. Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Meis figure and sized her up. From behind, it was impossible to tell that Qiao Mei was currently pregnant. If she wore a swimsuit The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 372 - Double Standards Chapter 372: Double Standards Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Its fine. After you give birth, lets get Xia Zhe to teach you how to swim, Xia He said. Xia Zhe had just been lost in his thoughts about Qiao Meis graceful figure. When he heard that Qiao Mei wanted to learn how to swim, he immediately became stern and said, No, I wont teach her. Its too dangerous. She must stay away from the water! Liu Fen walked out of the kitchen with a bowl of hot ginger soup and agreed, Thats right, Xiao Zhe is right! Why should a girl learn how to swim! Its so embarrassing to be seen by men dressed like that! Given that there was finally someone in the family who agreed with her on something, she must definitely say her piece. Qiao Mei blinked her big bright eyes and looked at Xia Zhe with a smile. She tugged at Xia Zhes sleeve and swayed it gently. Its useless to do that. I wont teach you. Theres no room for discussion on this matter! Xia Zhe shook off Qiao Meis hand and said sternly. Qiao Mei pouted and said, If you dont want to teach me, so be it. Why are you so fierce Xia Zhe also regretted his harsh words and actions just now. He looked at the aggrieved Qiao Mei and did not know what to say. He was surrounded by his elders and could not really say anything. Xia He reached out to rub the goosebumps on her arms and said, The two of you are really mushy! Hurry up and go back to your room! Dont let me see you! I dont want to talk to Xia Zhe. Elder sister, lets go to the room and talk, Qiao Mei said. Xia He took the ginger soup from Liu Fen and gulped it down. She wiped the corners of her mouth and said, Thank you, Second Aunt-in-law. After that, she went into the room with Qiao Mei. The living room was filled with her elders. If she stayed any longer, Second Aunt-in-law would definitely nag at her about what women should and should not do. She had long wanted to leave the living room and go back to her room. Before Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe returned, Xia He had already been reprimanded once. However, she was brought up to respect her elders. Furthermore, Liu Fen was being kind and did not have any ill intentions, so Xia He was too embarrassed to just walk out. Now that Qiao Mei was back, she finally had a chance to avoid her elders. Their timing was really perfect! Liu Fen held on to the bowl and chased after Qiao Mei and Xia He as she said, Im not done yet! Xia He! Qiao Mei smiled at Liu Fen and said, Second Aunt-in-law, its almost noon. Isnt it your turn to cook today? Liu Fen stood rooted to the spot and did not dare to take another step forward. She said softly, Ill go now, Ill go now. Then, she turned around, went into the kitchen and did not come out again. Xia He looked at Liu Fen strangely and then at Qiao Mei with admiration. She was also there when Qiao Mei and Liu Fen confronted each other, but she did not expect such a surprisingly good outcome. Even Xu Lan, who had married into the Xia family for so many years, could not do anything to Liu Fen. She did not expect Qiao Mei to be able to subdue Liu Fen so easily. Xia Zhe also finally found out how Qiao Mei managed to scare Liu Fen so much. The scene was a little different from what Qiao Mei had described to him. The Qiao Mei in front of him was someone he had never seen before. Her eyes were filled with coldness and determination, and the look she gave was spine-chilling. It was no wonder that Liu Fen was so deferential to Qiao Mei. Anyone who saw that look would be afraid of her. When Qiao Mei saw Xia Zhe looking over, her expression softened a lot. She smiled sweetly at Xia Zhe and brought Xia He upstairs. Xia Zhe shook his head resignedly.?This young girl After going upstairs and entering her room, Qiao Mei felt much more relaxed. Xia He also loosened up as she finally did not have to face Liu Fens questions anymore. Elder sister, you arent able to reach an agreement with him? What did you say? Qiao Mei sat on the bed and asked. I told him about the divorce. Xia He roughly told Qiao Mei about what happened on the lake. Qiao Mei understood what it meant and asked, So if he really sends Old Madam Kong and Kong Li back to the countryside, you wont get a divorce? This same question had also crossed Xia Hes mind. She had originally thought that if it was a possibility, then she would take a step back. However, the truth was that it was impossible for such a thing to happen. Im lying to him. Even if he wanted to send his mother and sister away, these two people would do anything to kick up a fuss and then he would agree to anything they want, so its impossible, Xia He said with a cold smile. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 373 - A Ruthless Person Chapter 373: A Ruthless Person Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios But what if? If Kong Lu really made up his mind to do it, then what would happen to elder sister? Qiao Mei looked at Xia He worriedly but did not say anything. If she asked the question she was thinking of, it would feel as if she was looking forward to Xia Hes divorce. In this era when societal norms frowned on separation, if others heard what Qiao Mei said, they would think that Qiao Mei had bad intentions. Xia He knew what Qiao Mei was worried about. She held Qiao Meis hand and said, If he is really able to send them away, it will only be temporary. This whole matter will be an arduous battle. Even if Kong Lu is lucky enough to win in the end, his mother will still be ready to counterattack at any time. Qiao Mei nodded in admiration. This was really a child raised by a military family. Her choice of words were all so professional. He will need to pay a huge price just to get his mother to go back for the time being. When hes injured and on his last breath, he will come and beg me not to get a divorce. At that time, he will view me as his lifesaver. Xia He spread her hand and reached out to grab the air. At that moment, Ill reject him and insist on getting a divorce. Then, his last hope will be shattered. Qiao Mei looked at Xia He in shock.?What a ruthless person. However, given that Xia He had her own plans and intentions, there was no need for Qiao Mei to plan anything for Xia He. After chatting briefly with Xia He, Qiao Mei went downstairs to help Liu Fen with the cooking. She was currently especially picky with food. She did not like food that was made by others and could not get used to the taste. Whats wrong with Second Aunt-in-law? Her culinary skills are too indescribable. Does she not cook at home? Based on her character, it doesnt seem like it, Qiao Mei looked at the kitchen and asked curiously. How can it be that she does not cook at home? Perhaps she doesnt have any talent. Some people cant cook well even if they do it all their lives, Xia He said. It seemed that Liu Fen was such a person. Xia He silently raised her hand and said, Im such a person too. Another reason why Old Madam Kong looked down on her was because she did not know how to cook. The Xia family always had helpers who cooked for them. It was not just Xia He, even Xu Lan did not know how to cook. Old Madam Kong could cook very well, but she just did not want to do it and always insisted that Xia He did the cooking. She despised Xia Hes cooking and would scold Xia He as she ate, but she still asked Xia He to cook every day. Thinking about the past gave Xia He a headache. She shook her head vigorously and decided not to recall these memories anymore. She wanted to have a fresh start. Qiao Mei walked into the kitchen. Xia Zhe also wanted to go over and help out, but he did not expect to be blocked by Zhou Hua the moment he got up. Um Xiao Zhe, can Third Aunt-in-law ask you for something? Zhou Hua stammered. Xia Zhe could guess what Zhou Hua stopped him for. Third Aunt-in-law, you can go ahead and ask, but you know the Xia familys rules. I can help you with things that are within our principles, but its best not to mention it if its not, Xia Zhe said as he sat opposite Zhou Hua. When Zhou Hua saw that Xia Zhe was willing to listen to her, she said excitedly, Of course I wont ask for something thats not! Its definitely within our principles! Xia Zhe looked at Zhou Hua and said, Then what does Third Aunt-in-law want? Its just that I heard that Qiao Mei has wild ginseng at home. Does she have any that are more than 30 years old? Can you give Third Aunt-in-law a few as I have an urgent use for them? Ill pay you later! Zhou Hua said seriously. Xia Zhe did not expect Zhou Hua to be here asking for ginseng, but it was quite obvious what the ginseng was for. Why do you need ginseng? The act of giving gifts violates the Xia familys principles, Xia Zhe said. Zhou Hua waved her hands and said, No, no! Xiao Zhe, youve misunderstood! Im buying it for my father! Its just that his health has gotten worse recently, so I want to buy some ginseng for him as nourishment. Then how many do you want? Xia Zhe asked. Its definitely better to have more! It would be easy to finish one a month, otherwise whats the point! Zhou Hua made it sound as if wild ginseng was easy to come by and free to eat. Even Xu Lan, who was sitting at the side, could not stand it anymore and said, You talk about finishing one ginseng a month, and its even 30-year-old wild ginseng that youre talking about. Arent you afraid of dying from too much nourishment? One ginseng can last ordinary people for a year! Chapter 374 - Lying Chapter 374: Lying Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios I because its so hard to find good ginseng. Its a treasure that can only be chanced upon by luck! I feel that I should stock up. What if I dont have any when I really need it? Zhou Hua said self-righteously. In the kitchen, Qiao Mei really could not stand it anymore. She handed the spatula to Liu Fen and walked out. Third Aunt-in-law, youre really too prudent. You even know that you have to keep good things for yourself in case of emergencies! Qiao Mei came to the sofa and pushed Xia Zhe aside, sitting down opposite Zhou Hua. She had to be the one to handle such matters. If it was a matter between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, then the man should stand up for his wife. However, when it came to other relatives in the family, the wife would need to play the role of the bad guy. You! Youre a daughter-in-law of the Xia family! You must put our Xia family first in everything! Its not a difficult thing for you to help! I wont ask you for too many. Just one will do, Zhou Hua said angrily. Its not the Xia familys problem. Its your personal problem, Qiao Mei said. Qiao Mei looked at Zhou Huas exasperated expression and continued, Besides, I have to put Xia Zhes parents and grandfather before him, and then theres Xia Zhe himself. In my opinion, there are so many people I need to prioritize before you, right? I dont have that many wild ginsengs at home, so I have to think for my family as well. Dont you think so, Third Aunt-in-law? You! You! You! Zhou Hua stood up angrily and pointed at Qiao Mei. Zhou Hua did not expect the young lady to be so sharp-tongued and to make her suffer a setback. Zhou Hua knew she could not win the argument against Qiao Mei, so she turned to Xia Zhe and said, Does a woman have the final say in your family! Does she think she can make decisions for your family? Xia Zhe leaned back on the sofa and said, Youre not asking for help from my family, but from Qiao Meis family, so she should be the one making the decision. But if Third Aunt-in-law is talking about our own little family, then Qiao Mei is indeed in charge. Zhou Hua was speechless for the moment and just stared at Qiao Mei. Liu Fen had wanted to come out and join in the fun, but she immediately met Qiao Meis warning gaze. Liu Fen did not dare to stay outside any longer and immediately ran back to the kitchen to continue cooking. Oh my, the water is boiling. Its time to cook, Liu Fen muttered to herself. She slowly closed the kitchen door and focused on cooking. This was the battlefield she was comfortable with and she decided not to worry about anything outside. Third Aunt-in-law, I really dont have too many ginsengs at home. You should buy from someone else, Qiao Mei said. Zhou Hua looked at Qiao Mei and was about to say something when Xia Zhe stood up, stared into Zhou Huas eyes and said, Third Aunt-in-law, everyone knows what you want to do with the ginseng. Lets not say it out loud and leave it dignified. Xiao Zhe, what are you talking about Im using it to treat illnesses Zhou Hua avoided Xia Zhes gaze and did not dare to look at him directly. Its useless for you to lie. Ill tell my father, grandfather, Eldest Aunt and Third Uncle about this. If your father is really sick, our Xia family wont sit back and do nothing, Xia Zhe said. When Zhou Hua heard that he was going to tell Xia Guang about this, she immediately became anxious. She hurriedly waved her hand and said, No, no, no! Dont tell your third uncle! If your third uncle finds out that I come to trouble you about my family matters, hell scold me! Dont tell him! Xia Zhe looked at Zhou Hua in disappointment. She was still lying so stubbornly. He had not intended to tell the elders in his family about this. However, now it seemed that he must tell them about this, otherwise there would be endless trouble in the future. Youre just a junior member of the family. Why are you getting involved in our matters? Zhou Hua said. Third Aunt-in-law was still asking us juniors for help just now. Why arent we allowed to get involved now? Qiao Mei said. Xia Zhe stared at Zhou Hua intently and asked, Have you already done something? Or have you already given something? Who are you giving the ginseng to? Who has agreed to grant you something you wish for? Zhou Hua was so nervous that her forehead started to sweat and she spoke incoherently. Xu Lan, who was usually not concerned about family matters, looked at Zhou Hua nervously when she heard what Xia Zhe said. It was not as if she did not know anything at all. In the entire capital, there were not many families who could render help to others. Apart from the Xia family, only the He family could do the same. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 375 - Background Check Chapter 375: Background Check Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xiao Zhe, what nonsense are you talking about? I did not ask anyone to grant me a wish, seriously By now, Zhou Hua had to wipe off her cold sweat. Xia Zhe frowned and probed further, The Ma family? The Zheng family? Or the He family? Zhou Hua did not react when she heard the first two words, but she trembled when she heard the He family being mentioned. Xia Zhe relaxed his furrowed brows and looked at Zhou Hua coldly. When Qiao Mei heard that it was the He family, she was shocked and looked at Zhou Hua in disbelief. She did not expect He Ning to be so powerful and to have already infiltrated the Xia family. Xia Zhe looked at Zhou Hua in silence for a while. Zhou Hua kept her head lowered and did not intend to explain anything. She already did not manage to seize her last chance. Xia Zhe did not say anything and walked out to make a phone call. Zhou Hua knew that it was all over at this time. Not only would the careers of Xia Xing and Xia Guang be ruined, but her life might also be ruined. How muddle-headed Xu Lan sighed and said. Zhou Hua sat on the sofa dejectedly. This matter started with an empty thought of hers, but He Ning was absolutely sure that he would be able to arrange for Xia Xing to return to the capital and take on a higher position, which was why she was willing to give it a try! Besides, she would just be giving him a ginseng and not telling him about the Xia familys secrets! At this moment, Zhou Hua was still deceiving herself and feeling that she did not make any big mistake. Xia Zhe returned and looked at Qiao Mei before saying, After youve had your meal, go upstairs and rest with elder sister. Dont wait for me. Yes, I understand. Qiao Mei nodded obediently and went to the kitchen to help with the cooking. After Xia Zhe returned, he did not sit at the dining table to eat. He sat quietly opposite Zhou Hua and stared at her, putting a lot of pressure on her. Qiao Mei, Xu Lan, Xia He and Liu Fen went upstairs to their rooms to rest after the meal. Not long after that, Xia Mao, Xia Xiu, Xia Wen and even Xia Jun arrived home. Xia Zhe brought Zhou Hua to the study and it did not take long for Zhou Hua to explain everything. Tell us, when did you contact the He family? Xia Jun asked. I I didnt contact the He family! I really didnt! I really needed the ginseng for an emergency! Zhou Hua stammered. Third Aunt-in-law, its better for you to tell us everything. Xia Wen looked at Zhou Hua sternly. When Zhou Hua saw that everyone was scrutinizing her sternly, her psychological defenses collapsed. She slumped to the ground and said, I was out one day and bumped into an attendant from the He family. And then? Xia Xiu asked. Later on, he told me that He Ning from the He family could solve my urgent problem and invited me over, so I went. He said that he would arrange for a better job for my son and help Xia Guang clear the obstacles in his career path. He only needed one ginseng in return, Zhou Hua said honestly. Xia Xiu looked at Xia Mao beside her but Xia Mao remained silent. Based on their understanding of Zhou Hua, she would not do anything to harm the Xia familys interests and reputation. After all, she was also a member of the Xia family and she still needed to maintain her status as a daughter-in-law of the Xia family. Third Aunt-in-law, youre so muddle-headed. If you receive benefits from He Ning, he will be able to blackmail you after that. Its not just a matter about one ginseng, Xia Wen said helplessly. Zhou Hua looked at the people around her agitatedly and said, No! I really didnt say anything about the Xia family! He just asked me for one ginseng! Then he will be able to help my husband and son in their careers! I didnt say anything else! I really didnt say anything! Even if he doesnt want anything else, why would he only want ginseng? Didnt he just take the Cao familys ginseng? Xia Xiu asked in confusion. Zhou Hua did not know anything about this. She did not know about such things. Maybe hes using Third Aunt-in-law to do a background check, Xia Zhe said. Xia Mao looked at Xia Zhe in confusion and asked, Background check? One ginseng can only alleviate his illness slightly, but if he wants to stay alive, he needs an endless supply of ginseng. He Ning is using Third Aunt-in-law to check on how many ginseng Qiao Mei has, Xia Zhe said. It was only then that everyone came to a realization. At this moment, Zhou Hua also understood how stupid her actions were. However, Old Master Xia did not want to help her husband and son, so she had no choice but to take the risk. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 376 - Eavesdropping Chapter 376: Eavesdropping Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After they finished speaking, everyone came out of the study and Zhou Hua left in Xia Xius car. The rest of them also left one after another. When Xia Zhe returned to the room, he saw Qiao Mei leaning against the wall, looking curious and trying to eavesdrop. What are you doing? Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei in puzzlement. Eh? Are you done? Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe in surprise. Xia Zhe smiled dotingly.?This young girl must be trying to eavesdrop. What exactly is going on? Hurry up and tell me, Qiao Mei grabbed Xia Zhe anxiously and whispered. Although there were no outsiders around, this was the first time Qiao Mei had experienced such a matter. She felt inexplicably stressed and did not even dare to breathe or speak loudly. Its nothing much. He Ning got someone to pretend to bump into Third Aunt-in-law by chance and then lied to Third Aunt-in-law that she can use ginseng to exchange for her family members career prospects, Xia Zhe said. Just that simple? Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe in surprise. Qiao Mei thought that He Ning had discovered some dirt on Zhou Hua and used that to make her help the He family. She did not expect things to be so simple. Yes, thats it. He Ning can be quite direct sometimes, but his intention this time is to check if you have any more ginseng, Xia Zhe explained. Qiao Mei nodded in realization. She seemed to have discovered a new way to make money. The method was a little wicked, but it was still much less evil than what He Ning had done. Since He Ning wanted a large amount of ginseng, she could give it to him. She would just drain the energy from the ginseng so that there could be no benefit to his health at all, and he would be paying for something useless. This way, she would be able to exact revenge on He Ning for trying to break up her family and also earn some money at the same time. Third Aunt-in-law is too gullible and she agreed so readily. If she had known earlier that He Ning was able to help her, she would probably have gone to look for him long ago, Qiao Mei said. He did not expect Qiao Mei to be able to tell Zhou Huas character after only meeting her a few times. Although Zhou Hua would not harm the Xia familys interests, it would take very little for her to take the bait once someone dangled some benefits in front of her. My Mei Mei is indeed smart. Youre so right! Xia Zhe praised Qiao Mei. After saying that, he reached out and poked her face. Ahem, there are still other people in the room. Watch your behavior! Xia He suddenly said from one side of the room. If she still did not say anything, she did not know what else Xia Zhe could do. Although Im not right under your noses, Im still in the room. This room is only so big. Do you really not see me? Xia He asked in confusion. Xia Zhe had actually seen Xia He, but he was only focused on his Mei Mei and did not pay attention to Xia He at all. He just ignored her and pretended that she did not exist Qiao Mei was so excited to hear the gossip that she forgot Xia He was also in the room. Besides, he had only poked her face and had not even kissed or hugged her yet. This was nothing! Where is Third Aunt-in-law now? Qiao Mei asked. We sent her back. Third Uncle has been informed about this and he wants to have a good talk with her at home, Xia Zhe said. Qiao Mei did not know what kind of person the third uncle, Xia Guang, was. She did not know if Zhou Hua would be beaten or punished when she returned home. After all, such things happened often in their village. How is Third Uncle as a person Qiao Mei asked worriedly. Third Uncle is a very nice person. He will be returning to the capital soon and grandfather wants to have a good chat with him. Third Aunt-in-law has done many things that grandfather would consider to have already crossed the line, Xia Zhe said in a deep voice. Qiao Mei nodded and did not ask further. These were all matters concerning the Xia family and it was not convenient for her to ask too much. At the moment, she only had the right to know but no power to make any decision, so she just needed to listen and not ask for too much details. Suddenly, they heard Liu Fen shouting downstairs. Heavens! Kong Lu, whats wrong with you! Come in quickly! Hurry, hurry, hurry! Liu Fen shouted. Only then did the people in the room remember that Kong Lu had been left in a boat in the middle of the lake. Xia He frowned and walked out of the room, followed closely by Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe. Initially, Xia He felt quite anxious and worried that Kong Lu might be injured. However, after thinking about their current relationship, she decided that there was no need to worry about Kong Lu and she could not be so indecisive anymore. Chapter 377 - Looking Down on People Chapter 377: Looking Down on People Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Kong Lu was already back. What else could have happened to him? When Qiao Mei saw how Xia He walked anxiously to the living room at first before slowing down, she knew that Xia He had completely come to terms with it. Qiao Mei was afraid that Xia He would say one thing and mean another, that although she said she wanted a divorce, she actually could not bear to part with him. In such a case, if she tried to persuade Xia He to proceed with the divorce, she would become a sinner for all eternity. She did not know whether Xia He really wanted a divorce now, but she knew that Xia He was at least very rational at the moment. When they went downstairs, they saw a drenched Kong Lu with mud and dead leaves from the lake stuck on him. Xia He frowned and walked up to him. You fell into the water? How did you get ashore? Were you saved by someone? Are the good Samaritans outside the door now? Ask them to come in so that we can thank them properly. After all, they were still husband and wife and had not gotten a divorce yet. When she saw him in trouble, she still wanted to help and could not sit back and do nothing. As a wife, she still had to do what she had to do. When Kong Lu saw that Xia He was worried about him, he smiled happily and said, The person who saved me didnt leave his name. He just saved me and left after that. At that time, I couldnt speak and felt a little dizzy. I only made my way back after I felt better. Lets go to the lake later and ask if anyone saw what happened. We have to go and thank the person properly, Xia He said. Kong Lu suddenly started coughing and held on to his chest. Cough, cough, cough I cough, cough. Xia He went forward to hold Kong Lu and said, Whats wrong? Maybe your lungs got injured! Come! Lets go to the hospital! Lets go to the hospital where Aunt is! Xia He pulled Kong Lu along and prepared to walk out the door. Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe looked at each other and immediately understood what each other was thinking. Xia Zhe went forward to stop Xia He and Kong Lu and said, You must be lying. Xia He was stunned. She looked at Xia Zhe in confusion and said anxiously, Xiao Zhe, what are you talking about! Hes already feeling so uncomfortable, just let me bring him to the hospital! Qiao Mei went forward and looked at Kong Lu. You only soaked yourself in water so that my elder sister would feel sorry for you. Kong Lu looked a little flustered and embarrassed. Xia He slowly let go of him and asked, You youre lying to me? Im not! Xiao He, listen to my explanation! I really fell into the lake! Kong Lu looked at Xia He nervously. Tell me the truth. Did you fall into the lake or not? Xia He asked as she pointed at Kong Lu. Kong Lu quickly flung his hands and went forward. Im not lying! Xiao He! Youre still not telling the truth! I trust my younger brother and sister-in-law more than you! Xia He roared at him. Im not, Im not! Kong Lu repeated this sentence to the two siblings. If you really fell into the water, your voice should be hoarse now. If you had tried hard to survive just now, you definitely wont have the strength to talk to us here like this, Qiao Mei said. I Kong Lu did not know how to explain himself. Your leather shoes are clean. If you had fallen in the water, you would definitely have lost your shoes. Even if you dont lose them, they will still be covered in mud. Youre covered in mud, but your shoes are very clean. Are you sure you fell into the water? Xia Zhe asked as he pointed at the leather shoes on Kong Lus feet. Kong Lu tried to hide his feet, not knowing how to answer. Xia He looked mockingly at the leather shoes on Kong Lus feet. These were the only pair of shoes that her mother had bought for Kong Lu. She had said that they were luxury goods and very expensive. Therefore, Kong Lu took care of them very carefully and could not bear to wear them. You must have taken off your shoes before getting into the water. So in your heart, Im not even comparable to a pair of leather shoes? You cant even bear to part with a pair of shoes and would rather lie to me! Xia He said as she looked at Kong Lu. Xia He felt that if Kong Lu had bothered to put on an act, she would not hate him so much. However, when Kong Lu heard what she said, he did not see it that way. Kong Lu felt that Xia He was looking down on him and mocking him for being poor. Kong Lu had grown up in the countryside since he was young. His family was poor and he lost his father when he was still very young. Later on, his mother brought up all her children painstakingly. Leather shoes were something he did not even dare to dream about when he was growing up. In order to ensure that his younger brothers at home could eat, he started working very early in life. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 378 - Resisting Desperately Chapter 378: Resisting Desperately Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios At that time, leather shoes were very expensive. He worked very hard and managed to get into a very good workplace unit. The salary at the unit was high and the benefits were good, and it was enough for him to support his family. Everyone at the workplace was dressed smartly and all his colleagues in the department wore leather shoes during formal occasions. At that time, he had asked Old Madam Kong to buy them for him, but she said that there was not enough money to buy food for his brothers at home and rejected his request. What happened was a traumatic experience for him. It was only after he became a soldier that he could finally afford to buy leather shoes. He treasured all his shoes, carefully wiped down each and every pair, stored them properly in boxes and could not even bear to wear them. However, every time he was with Xia He or when he came to visit the Xia family, he made sure to wear leather shoes. Kong Lu flew into a rage out of humiliation and said, Yes! Thats right! I pretended to fall into the water to make you feel sorry for me! Why cant I pretend to fall into the water? Do you really want me to drown! Smack! Smack! Xia He raised her hand and slapped Kong Lu twice. You should sober up! Xia He shouted. Kong Lus eyes instantly reddened and his entire body trembled with anger. He clenched his fists and stared fixedly at Xia He. She had actually raised her hand and slapped him twice in front of so many people, and did not bother about how it made him look. After slapping him, Xia He immediately regretted her action, but she did not want to back down. She glared back fiercely at Kong Lu, making him feel even more embarrassed. Besides, Xia Zhe was still around and there was nothing he could say He turned around to leave the Xia residence, but Xia Zhe grabbed him tightly. Trying to leave? Every time, you would avoid the problem and let my sister bear the responsibility alone. Dont even think about going anywhere today. Go upstairs and settle the issue with my sister before taking your sister with you! Xia Zhe said as he looked at Kong Lu coldly. Let go of me! Kong Lu roared back. Xia Zhe maintained his grip on Kong Lu and refused to bulge. Exasperated, Kong Lu wanted to punch Xia Zhe, but Xia Zhe stopped him with one hand. Xia Zhe forcefully dragged Kong Lu upstairs as if he did not hear Kong Lu cursing at him. Kong Lu took the opportunity to try and take Xia Zhe down, but Xia Zhe saw through his plan and the two of them started fighting at the staircase. Xia Zhe! Enough is enough! Kong Lu roared. How dare you still be so pompous! Xia Zhe was so angry that his veins were bulging. Without another word, he dragged Kong Lu upstairs. Liu Fen came out of the kitchen and felt at a loss when she saw the scene in front of her. Oh! Stop fighting! Xia He, go and stop the fight! Liu Fen hurriedly walked up to Xia He and Qiao Mei. Xia Zhe will be fine. Third Aunt-in-law, dont worry, Qiao Mei said with a smile. You! How can you still smile! Your husband is in a fight! And you, Xiao He! Why dont you care about your husband! Liu Fen stood there and pointed angrily. It was not that Xia He did not care about Kong Lu, but what just happened made her unwilling to worry about this man who always lied to her. Kong Lu wont die. Xiao Zhe knows his limits, Xia He said calmly. After saying that, the three of them looked towards the upper floor. Xia Zhes fists kept landing hard on Kong Lus body. There were numerous muffled thuds and Qiao Mei felt a sense of pain just looking at what was happening Her heart ached for Xia Zhes hands. This is still considered light? Still considered knowing his limits? Liu Fen hesitated for a moment before asking Qiao Mei. Um it seems alright. Third Aunt-in-law, if youre worried, why dont you go up and take a look? Qiao Mei said with a smile. When Liu Fen heard this, she silently turned her head away and looked up worriedly. Although she wanted to go up and stop the fight, she was sure she would lose her life if she got hit accidentally! Seeing how merciless Xia Zhes punches were and how decisive Kong Lu was in retaliating, it was definitely a serious fight. Xia Zhe threw Kong Lu into Xia Hes room and stood at the door, not entering the room. Xia He sighed and walked upstairs expressionlessly, followed by Qiao Mei and Liu Fen. Liu Fen had even forgotten how scared she was of Qiao Mei and chased after her to ask, What exactly happened between Xiao He and Kong Lu? Whats the conflict? Do you know? Can you tell me about it? Why? Qiao Mei rolled her eyes and wanted to ignore Liu Fen. She did not know which question to answer first. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 379 - So Be It, Let’s Get a Divorce! Chapter 379: So Be It, Lets Get a Divorce! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios When Liu Fen went upstairs and saw Xia Zhe, she immediately grumbled, Xiao Zhe, why are you so harsh! How is your sister going to get along with him after this! Liu Fen stood beside Xia Zhe and whispered, Look at that Kong Lu. One look and you can tell that hes a petty man. How do you think your sister will fare in the future! Hes arrogant and likes to hold grudges. How can your sister still have a good life in the future! Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei looked at Liu Fen in surprise. They did not expect her to know that Kong Lu was petty! Qiao Mei laughed loudly and shouted through the opening in the doorway, Second Aunt-in-law, why are you still so concerned for Kong Lus reputation! Kong Lu was not even concerned about elder sisters reputation! Elder sister has been taking care of his relatives and siblings for so many years, but look what happened to her in the end! She was like a dough that everyone took turns to knead! If you ask me, lets give him a taste of his own medicine! Although Xia Zhe hit him today, would he dare to hit elder sister? Let him try! Then we can just beat him to death! If he doesnt want to part on good terms, there are ways to make him suffer so much that he would prefer to die! Qiao Mei said fiercely. Qiao Mei clenched her fists and waved them in the air. Liu Fen knew that Qiao Mei was joking and that she was doing this for Xia Hes sake. Then what if Xia He goes home! Old Madam Kong wont let Xia He off! Liu Fen also imitated Qiao Mei and shouted towards the opening in the doorway. Liu Fen leaned against the door and continued, Will Xia Zhe be able to follow Xia He to the Kong family? Or can Xia He hit Old Madam Kong! In the end, Xiao He will be the one whos at a disadvantage! What should we do then! Xia Zhes wife! Liu Fen gave Qiao Mei a look and Qiao Mei immediately understood what she meant. Qiao Mei shouted loudly towards the door, Who told you that elder sister is going back to that tigers den! Get a divorce! Do they think that theres no one in the Xia family to back her up! When Liu Fen heard Qiao Mei suggesting a divorce, she stomped her feet anxiously and whispered, You said the wrong thing, kid! You should give him a warning! How can you talk about a divorce! Qiao Mei found it funny when she saw Liu Fens anxious expression. She thought that Second Aunt-in-law looked quite cute at the moment. Qiao Mei pulled Liu Fen downstairs to take a rest. As they walked, she said, Second Aunt-in-law, elder sister has spent so much money and effort for so many years, but in the end, her family still scolds her and her husband still only sides with his mother. Elder sisters life has been tough enough already. She should take advantage of the fact that she doesnt have any children and escape quickly from her misery. But what will happen to a divorced woman Liu Fen sat on the sofa and sighed helplessly. During this era, getting a divorce was a stain on a womans reputation. No one would be willing to be with a divorced woman. But how can elder sister stay in that family for the rest of her life? Wouldnt that be an even worse situation for her? What do you think you would do if shes your daughter? Qiao Mei advised patiently. Liu Fen thought about it quietly. What Qiao Mei said made sense. In the beginning, she thought that it was Xia Hes fault for being stubborn and headstrong. This time round, Xia He talked about a lot of her experiences over the years. Liu Fen had also heard much of it, but her judgment was clouded because she had heard that divorced women would not have an easy life. Look, elder sister is at a womans most glorious age, and shes also beautiful and earns a lot of money. In the past few years, she has given all her money to the Kong family. If she had been able to save up the money, she would have been able to buy a house for herself long ago. With our familys clout, cant we protect elder sister? Second Aunt-in-law, youre a sensible person. When there are difficulties in a marriage, you know how hard it is for the woman. After Qiao Mei finished speaking, Liu Fen suddenly felt enlightened. Liu Fen slapped her thigh and said agitatedly, Thats right! Our Xia He is still a good girl! She doesnt need to live in the Kong familys kennel anymore! At most at most Xia He can come to my house! She can stay with me! Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe looked at each other and smiled. Liu Fen finally understood what Xia He was going through and how hard it was for Xia He. However, there was really no need for Xia He to go and live with Second Aunt-in-law If she lived with Second Aunt-in-law, it would probably not be any better than living with the Kong family. Inside the room, Xia He looked at Kong Lu, who could not even straighten his back. She did not feel any concern for him this time. He had brought this upon himself. Everything was retribution! He could not blame anyone else! Chapter 380 - Get Lost Quickly Chapter 380: Get Lost Quickly Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In a while, Ill get Xia Zhe to find me the divorce application form. Complete it and then send it to your army unit. Once they approve it, then well be officially divorced, Xia He said calmly. To get the divorce, she needed Kong Lu to take the initiative to apply for it. Otherwise, this matter would not be settled. Although she belonged to the military art troupe, she was still different from a regular soldier. For people like Kong Lu and Xia Zhe who worked in the army all year round, the soldier would need to agree if his spouse wanted a divorce. Otherwise, the divorce could not go through. I dont agree! You can give it up! I wont agree to a divorce even if I die! Kong Lu said through clenched teeth. Xia He said calmly, Do you want me to be bullied by your mother in your house for the rest of my life? I can promise you that my mother will definitely not criticize you anymore, Kong Lu said as he swore to the heavens. Xia Hes eyes turned red from anger. Let me tell you this! Its fine if you dont want a divorce, but you have to send your mother and sister away within a week! Otherwise, Ill beat them up every time I see them! Ive also practiced boxing since I was young! Lets see if I can beat them to death! If youre not afraid, you can try me! Xia He broke the wooden stool beside her with a kick and looked at Kong Lu fiercely. The children of the Xia family had to learn all these skills so that they knew how to protect themselves. As the eldest granddaughter of the Xia family, she had always been brought up like a boy. At that time, Xia Mao and Xu Lan were not at home all year round. Afraid that Xia He would be bullied alone, they asked Xia Xiu to train all the children together. Although her martial arts skills were not as good as Xia Wen and Xia Zhe, there were not many women who could defeat her back then. If not for Kong Lu, she would not have chosen to go to the military art troupe and would not have given up her bright future and opportunities to go and take care of the Kong family. Kong Lu looked at the shattered pieces of wood beside him and realized that Xia He had a lot of skills. She had just been hiding her capabilities all along. I dont want to see you at all now. Dont lie on the ground and play dead. Go to Aunts house and take your sister away. Find a guest house to go to and dont come to our Xia residence again. Come back when youve settled your family matters. Either the house returns to its original state or you apply for a divorce. Get lost quickly after the meeting you came for, Xia He said. Kong Lu widened his eyes in disbelief at Xia Hes words. In the past, no matter how fiercely they quarreled, Xia He would never ask Kong Lu to get lost. However, she actually just asked him to get lost Hearing this phrase felt far more painful than when Xia Zhe hit him. He felt as if his dignity was being crushed and grinded against the floor, but he was powerless to fight back. Kong Lu stood up angrily and walked towards the door with Xia He following closely behind. She had to go to Xia Fangs house to stand guard. Who knew if Kong Li would secretly come looking for trouble while Kong Lu was not around. Elder sister! His luggage! Dont forget his luggage! Qiao Mei shouted. Xia He immediately turned around and went into the room to pack up Kong Lus things before chasing after him. Liu Fen wanted to stand up and stop her, but when she thought of what Xia He had gone through, she suppressed her urge and sat back down. Qiao Mei nodded in satisfaction at Liu Fens actions and whispered to Xia Zhe, Look, Second Aunt-in-law seems to have really thought it through. Second Aunt-in-law really cares for elder sister. Our parents were never around when we were young and Eldest Aunt had always kept an eye on us and trained us. Back then, there was only one girl in the family and Second Aunt-in-law doted on elder sister the most, Xia Zhe explained in a whisper. Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe with heartache and then in the direction where Xia He had left. It seemed that Xia Mao and Xu Lan really did not spend much time with the three children when they were young. Why are you looking at me like that? At that time, elder brother was already old enough to take care of elder sister and me. Besides, elder sister and I were both in boarding school, so there were not many issues. Xia Zhe patted Qiao Meis head and comforted her. Sigh! The two of you! You are really troublesome! No matter how Liu Fen thought about it, she still felt that a divorce would not be good for Xia Hes reputation in the future. Divorced women were despised everywhere. She wondered what would happen in the future. Liu Fen was so anxious that she stomped her feet and went upstairs to be alone. She did not want to care about this matter anymore! Qiao Mei thought for a moment and said, No matter what happens in the future, you have to discuss everything with me! The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 381 - Martial Arts Dream Chapter 381: Martial Arts Dream Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios I know, I know. Ill tell you everything, Xia Zhe said with a nod. And you cant hit me! If you hit me! Ill run away from home with the children! Ill make sure you never As Qiao Mei faced Xia Zhes increasingly fierce gaze, she did not manage to finish her sentence. The moment she felt a sense of menace from Xia Zhe, she understood where the problem lay. I Im just joking. Dont be angry, Qiao Mei said coquettishly as she hugged Xia Zhes arm. Dont say such things again! Xia Zhe said sternly with a frown. Qiao Mei nodded vigorously and said, I definitely wont! But the premise is that you cant hit me! I definitely wont hit you, Xia Zhe said as he looked at Qiao Meis stomach. I dont think I can beat her Otherwise, how did these two children come about Qiao Mei followed Xia Zhes gaze and looked at her stomach. She then looked up and smiled embarrassedly at Xia Zhe. Well, why dont you teach me martial arts? Then I can protect myself and the children if necessary, Qiao Mei said. She had divine strength! It would be too wasteful if she only used it to move things. In her other life, she had a dream of being a martial artist. Who did not want to be a heroine in the martial arts world! Back then, she had even enrolled in many classes, but in the end, she did not really learn anything. She did not think that those simple movements she learned counted for anything. Now she had such a powerful martial warrior in front of her in this life! She must make him her master and learn from him! Xia Zhe sighed deeply. If he taught Qiao Mei martial arts, he would really not be able to defeat her in the future. Lets talk about it after you give birth. Not now, Xia Zhe said. There was nothing bad about learning martial arts. If even he could not defeat Qiao Mei, then there were not many people who could. This way, he did not have to worry about Qiao Meis safety. He need not be afraid even if He Ning came up with 10,000 bad ideas to deal with Qiao Mei. With Qiao Meis smart little brain, if she added good martial arts skills to the mix, there was no need for him to worry about her all the time. Thats great! You agree to it! Qiao Mei said excitedly. Xia Zhe reached out and pinched Qiao Meis cheek as he said, I must tell you Im a very strict teacher. They all say that Im a demon. Beware and dont cry! Hmph, I wont cry! Im going to be a mother! Who would cry! Im not a child! Qiao Mei said as she touched her stomach. It did not take long for Xia He and Kong Lu to reach Xia Fangs house. Before they entered, they could already hear the commotion in the house. The volume of the television was turned up very high, but it still did not manage to cover the sound of Kong Li arguing with someone. The party quarreling with her were actually the children from the Sun family! The four or five children clamored to fight with her for the television. The issue was that Kong Li wanted to watch television dramas while the children wanted to watch cartoons. They argued incessantly over it. Suddenly, there was a loud bang in the house, followed by sounds of something cracking. The house instantly fell very silent. In the corridor, Kong Lu felt his heart tighten. He quickly walked forward and pushed open the door. A cracked television set was on the floor and there was also trash and debris all over. Whats wrong, whats wrong? What caused such a big commotion? an elderly female neighbor asked as she pushed open the door. Not only did the neighbors next door hear it, but even the neighbors downstairs also came by. Everyone could roughly guess what had happened. Those children from the Sun family must have gotten into trouble again and it seemed that they had offended Xia Fang, the person whom no one could afford to offend. They all wanted to see what would happen to the Sun family this time. Ever since this unknown relative came to Xia Fangs house, the entire corridor and passageway had become a mess. The children from the Sun family ran around all day long and no one could control them. Kong Li even let these children into Xia Fangs house every day to eat and drink. They ate whatever was delicious and expensive. Then, they would throw trash everywhere and leave everything in a mess. In the end, it was always Xia He who came back to clean up the mess. Although Kong Li did not offend them, these children fought with her over the television every day, raising a ruckus in the house and making it impossible for the neighbors to have a good rest. It was good that it was finally completely quiet now. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 382 - A Strong Backing Chapter 382: A Strong Backing Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios When Kong Li saw Kong Lu, she instantly straightened her back as if she had found her backbone. Elder brother! Youre here! They pushed the television to the floor! Kong Li said as she pointed at the children from the Sun family. The eldest boy immediately stood up and pointed at Kong Li as he shouted, Youre lying! You were the one who pushed it down! Were children, how can we be as strong as you! With that, the eldest boy gave all his brothers a look. The children ran out desperately and no one could not stop them even if they wanted to. Kong Lu made way for the children and slowly walked into Xia Fangs house. It was in a mess, like a battlefield after a war. Although he had never been here before, he remembered Xia Fang as an elegant and gentle person who was tidy and meticulous. He was quite sure that this house definitely did not look like this originally. Did did you do all this? Kong Lu asked Kong Li in disbelief as he pointed at the trash on the floor. It could not be Kong Lis doing. Every time he went back home, the house was very clean. His younger sister even said that Xia He did not do any chores at home and that she and his mother were the ones who looked after the house. How could you let those children escape! Im going to settle the score with them! I didnt do it! All of you come back here! Kong Li ran downstairs aggressively. The hearts of the surrounding neighbors trembled alongside her movements. Hey, be gentler. You cant torture this building like this! Young lady, walk slowly! This is an old building. What if you make it collapse? Thats right, thats right. Is she going to the Sun family to look for those children? The Sun family wont admit its their fault! Kong Lu could hear all the neighbors whispered discussions.?Where did his usually gentle younger sister go? This did not seem like Kong Lis usual behavior at all? Knock, knock, knock! Kong Li pounded on the door of the Sun familys house as if she wanted to force it open. However, no one from the Sun family answered or opened the door. If you dont open the door, Ill smash it down! I know theres someone at home! Hurry up and open the door! Kong Li stood at the door and shouted loudly. When the Sun familys daughter-in-law heard that it was a woman, she let down her guard a little. She slowly opened the door and said, Why are you shouting! Are you going to tear down our house! Whats the matter! Those children of yours smashed the Xia familys television! Hurry up and compensate for that! Kong Li said as she pointed at the children behind the Sun familys daughter-in-law. The Sun familys daughter-in-law did not think much of it and asked with a laugh, Its smashed by our family just because you said its smashed by our family? Who can testify for you? Everyone in this place knows that Xia Fangs television is very big. Who doesnt know how heavy her television is? How can it be my children who pushed it? The neighbors nodded when they heard this. When Xia Fang bought the television, the neighbors had all seen it. It was a big color television and she had bought the latest product in the market at that time. Everyone had wanted to go to her house to join in the fun, but Xia Fang was an unfriendly person and they did not dare to go to her house uninvited. Thats true. Even very few adults can lift the big color television at Xia Fangs house. Its indeed difficult for the children to do it. Thats right. I dont think it was done by those children from the Sun family. Who knows? Lets see what happens. The neighbors all looked towards the staircase, waiting for the Sun familys daughter-in-law to quarrel with Kong Li. It would be better if they got into a fight! They were all feeling bored these days as there was nothing fun to talk about. Your children did it! Kong Li roared. This was no small matter. If it was an issue like her eating up the food in the house, she was sure that Xia Fang would not be so calculative with her regarding food and drinks. If the house was in a mess, Xia He would help to clean it up. However, a television set was a big problem. Moreover, this was not any ordinary television, but a big color television! It was said that big color televisions cost more than 1,000 dollars each! Also, one might not be able to buy one even if one had money. One needed coupons to be able to buy it. The limited number of color televisions available meant that it could only be offered to certain families. Even when she stayed at the Xia familys big villa earlier, she did not see a big color television there! Chapter 383 - Don’t Look To Me for Anything Chapter 383: Dont Look To Me for Anything Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Pfft! Youre so shameless! How can you blame my children for this! The Sun familys daughter-in-law stood at the door with her hands on her hips and argued with Kong Li. What did you say! Say that again! Kong Li shouted as she pointed at the Sun familys daughter-in-law. I have no problem saying it again! Whats wrong! My children said that you did it! You deliberately smashed it! You deliberately caused trouble for the Xia family and even made my children take the blame! Youre already an adult! Dont you have any shame! the Sun familys daughter-in-law berated her. Kong Li had never been bullied in her life. No matter what happened, she was always the one who bullied others. She behaved unscrupulously just because her brother, Kong Lu, was a soldier. She was so used to bullying others that there was no way she could endure such grievances. Kong Li suddenly rushed forward and started fighting with the Sun familys daughter-in-law. As she hit the other woman, she scolded, You still dare to say that! Youre the shameless one! Its your children who did it and you still refuse to admit it! Ill beat you to death today! The Sun familys daughter-in-law was not an easy person to get along with. The neighbors nearby had all experienced her tantrums, but no matter how gutsy she usually was, she could not win a fight when she was being pressed down by someone of Kong Lis size. Someone! Help! This is murder!!! The Sun familys daughter-in-law lay on the ground and struggled. Kong Li slapped her and scolded angrily, What are you shouting for! What a b*tch! How dare you scold me! Dont even think about having an easy time after bullying me today! Hurry up and compensate me! Apologize! The other Sun family members were all stunned when they came out of their rooms. When the Sun familys eldest son saw his wife being bullied, he immediately went up and kicked Kong Li away. Kong Lu happened to come downstairs at this moment and witnessed this scene. He could not tolerate his younger sister being bullied. How dare you hit my sister! Who gave you the guts! With that, Kong Lu rushed into the crowd. When Kong Li saw Kong Lu, she immediately felt more confident and stood up to help Kong Lu fight the Sun family members. Elder brother! Theyre the ones who bullied me! Help me beat them up! The house downstairs was not as big as Xia Fangs house. With five or six people getting into a scuffle inside, everything in the house got broken in the process. The Sun familys seven-inch mini black and white television also fell to the ground and shattered. The sound of the television shattering made everyone stop in their tracks. The first person to react was the Sun familys daughter-in-law. The Sun familys daughter-in-law hurriedly went forward and knelt on the ground to check the television. She hugged the television casing and said, You have to compensate me for the television! Theres no justice! A soldier beating up commoners! The Sun familys daughter-in-law sat on the ground and slapped her legs as she wept. This sound attracted more people to come and take a look. Xia He stood quietly on the stairs to watch the commotion. Shut up! Youre the one who broke it, yet youre blaming us! Kong Li wanted to go forward and beat up the Sun familys daughter-in-law to stop her from spouting nonsense. The Sun familys eldest son was also not someone to be trifled with. He stood in front of his wife to stop Kong Li from getting close. The Sun familys daughter-in-law did not know these two people, but she knew Xia He who was standing near the door and watching the commotion. She quickly pointed at Xia He and shouted, Xia He! Your sister-in-law smashed our television! You have to be the judge! What do you think we should do! You have to compensate us! When Kong Li saw that this matter did not concern her anymore, she immediately shouted, Their children smashed your aunts television! Go and ask them for compensation! Im leaving! Everyone could go and look for Xia He! Anyway, she did not have any money and the matter could not be traced back to her! She did not care who compensated who! Kong Li quickly ran upstairs. With her figure, no one dared to stop her. Hehe. Xia He looked at Kong Lu mockingly and smiled.?This is your good sister. Kong Lu watched Kong Li and felt in a daze. When he left home to become a soldier, Kong Li was only five years old. At that time, Kong Li was not so fat and was as thin as a weakling. She did not dare to speak and was not domineering at all. She was just a weak and pitiful girl then. After he got married to Xia He, his mother said that she was not in good health and could not do farm work, so she came to his house with his sister. At that time, Kong Li was only 12 or 13 years old. She was not tall and looked like she was malnourished. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 384 - Embarrassing Chapter 384: Embarrassing Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios As she grew up, Kong Li became fatter and fatter and became not good-looking However, in his heart, Kong Li was always that innocent child. That younger sister who would leave him delicious food and wait for him at the village entrance. By the way, who are you? the Sun familys daughter-in-law asked Kong Lu. She was not afraid of Kong Li running away. In fact, she was afraid that Kong Li would not leave That girl was as strong as an ox and so fat that she could not win her in a fight. She only needed Xia He to be around. However, who was this man? She did not seem to have seen him before. The Zhao familys eldest son pointed at Kong Lu and said, That fat girl called him elder brother! Ah This is Xia Hes husband! So hes the elder brother of that woman who looks like a bear. And hes a soldier? He looks like a soldier in those clothes. Thats right, thats right. Xia Hes husband is a soldier! Theres no mistake! Everyone chatted about Kong Lus identity and voiced their complaints about Kong Lis behavior over the past few days. Xia He was already used to being criticized and censured by her neighbors, but Kong Lu could not stand such a scene, let alone hear others talking about him. How do you discipline your sister! You let her go to other peoples houses to eat and drink as if shes not an outsider! I hear that your sister eats more than half a bag of rice in a week! the Sun familys daughter-in-law said as she pointed at Kong Lu. The other neighbors also criticized Kong Lu. Your sister even asked Xia He to get five dishes for her every day! She wants three to four meals a day, and the dishes cant be repeated! It must be dishes from a big restaurant outside! Otherwise, your sister wont eat it! Thats right! Every day, Xia He has to prepare a days worth of food for her and put it there. Otherwise, shell cause a scene and disturb everyone. Isnt that so. Xia Fang cant come back to her own house and has to stay in the hospitals dormitory. Sigh, what kind of relative is your sister? Shes such an esteemed guest that she removed the owner of the house from her own house. The Sun familys daughter-in-law looked at Kong Lu smugly. It was clear that she was not spouting nonsense. With so many neighbors criticizing Kong Li, it meant that everyone saw everything clearly. Seeing that Kong Lu lowered his head and did not speak, the Sun familys daughter-in-law became even more enthusiastic and continued, I hear that your sister is like this at home. She must eat a meal in the middle of the night or shell get so hungry. Luckily Xia Hes salary is high, otherwise no one can afford to feed your sister! You really married a good wife who is so willing to spend money on your sister. If shes my sister-in-law, I would have chased her out long ago! This was stuff that Kong Li had said to the children from the Sun family, showing off how good and comfortable her life was. She told them how she got all the things she wanted and how Xia He did whatever she said and treated her with respect. The Sun familys daughter-in-law did not say all this to stand up for Xia He. She just wanted to sow discord and put Kong Lu on the spot. She said in front of so many people that his wife earned more money than him and could support the family better. Which man could stand that fact? Kong Lu lowered his head in shame and turned around to leave, but the Sun familys daughter-in-law grabbed him. You want to leave? Arent you going to compensate for the things in my house? Youre a man, yet you want to leave just like that! said the Sun familys daughter-in-law. Kong Lu looked at Xia He helplessly. These trivial matters at home had always been handled by Xia He and he did not know how to handle them. Xia He glanced at him and said, You deal with it. Im going to take a look at my aunts house! She turned around and ran upstairs. She had only wanted to watch the commotion, but she did not expect Kong Lu to want her to deal with these things. Seeing that Xia He had also left and there was no one to help him, Kong Lu said to the Sun familys daughter-in-law with a dark expression, Then what about the television upstairs The television upstairs was not damaged by my children at all! Havent you seen how big the television is? Even adults find it difficult to move it, let alone my children! The Sun familys daughter-in-law pointed at her youngest child and said, Look at how young this child is. What can he do? Can he move the television himself? Kong Lu looked at these children. They were indeed still very young. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 385 - I Acknowledge It Chapter 385: I Acknowledge It Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Tell me, what can my sons do! On the other hand, your sister often instigated my sons to do bad things and asked them to deliberately mess up Xia Fangs house. At first, my children dared not do it, but she threatened to hit them if they didnt listen to her! Tell me, what kind of person is your sister! said the Sun familys daughter-in-law. My sister is not such a person! Dont spout nonsense! Kong Lu glared at the Sun familys daughter-in-law. Even now, he was still unwilling to believe that the person they were talking about was his sister. To him, his sister was such an obedient and sensible person. Whats the hurry! Im telling the truth. If you dont believe me, you can ask all the neighbors here whether what I said is true, the Sun familys daughter-in-law said agitatedly as she pointed at the people around her. Everyone nodded and said, Thats right, its true. We can all testify! This is an old building and the soundproofing is not very good. We can hear everything your sister says to the Sun familys children at home. Ever since she came, she has been throwing tantrums every day. Isnt that so! I live downstairs from Xia Fangs house and its especially noisy at home every day. Your sister kicks up a fuss at home every day and orders Xia He to do things. I get so angry just listening to her! Based on everyones reactions, the Sun familys daughter-in-law was really not lying this time. This was indeed how Kong Li behaved. After Xia He left, she would go and ask the Sun familys children to go upstairs to eat and then mess up the house. When Xia He returned home, the house would be in a mess. The sofa covers and other surfaces would be all covered in oil and there would be food scraps all over the floor. If that was all, Xia He would consider it to be a good day and be thankful that nothing was done to the walls. Kong Lus face became so red that it looked like blood could burst out anytime. He could not believe what he heard, but so many people said that they had seen it with their own eyes. It was impossible that they colluded with one another in such a short period of time. Your family matters are none of our business. On account of Xia Fang, I wont pursue the matter of your sister hitting me, but you have to compensate us for our losses! the Sun familys daughter-in-law said to Kong Lu with her hands on her hips. How much Kong Lu asked. Let me take a look This television cost me 600 dollars. You definitely have to compensate me for it. Also, theres this table, the crockery, vases and stools. We must list everything down one by one. Ill go and get a notebook now. The Sun familys daughter-in-law did not lie about the prices. Whatever she quoted him was real, but she still profited from being able to get brand new items. All the items in the Sun familys house were even older than the house. The Sun familys daughter-in-law took a pen and paper and listed the items one by one. Even if an item was only slightly damaged, she would write it down. After she did a round of messy calculations, she told him to give the Sun family 752 dollars. I I dont have that much money, Kong Lu said. The Sun familys daughter-in-law looked at Kong Lu mockingly and asked, Who would believe that? Youre a soldier, how can you not have money? Kong Lu indeed did not have much money on him. He gave all his salary to Old Madam Kong, who said she would help him save money if all the money was in her hands. She said that Xia He was a very extravagant person who did not take care of the family and would spend everything he earned. I really dont have so much money on me, Kong Lu said seriously. The Sun familys daughter-in-law looked at Kong Lu to size him up and said, First, tell me if you acknowledge this debt. As everyone stared at him, Kong Lu nodded and said, Yes I do. Thats good. Everyone here is my witness. Now Im not worried that youll go back on your word later. Your wife, Xia He, has plenty of money. You have to give me the money within the next two days! Dont try to delay payment, otherwise how would we be able to find you! said the Sun familys daughter-in-law. Kong Lu nodded and walked upstairs with a dark expression. The moment he opened the door, he saw Xia He busy cleaning up the mess in the house. Her actions were brisk and swift. It was obvious that she was someone who did cleaning chores often. However, Old Madam Kong and Kong Li both told him that Xia He did not do any chores at home and only knew how to enjoy life every day. At this moment, it was his sister who was seated at the dining table and eating away. When Xia He saw Kong Lu return, she smiled and asked, How did you resolve it? Kong Lu remained silent. He did not dare to borrow money from Xia He, but the Sun family had only given him two days time to settle this matter. If he did not borrow money from Xia He, he would not be able to do it. Chapter 386 - You’re Not My Elder Brother Chapter 386: Youre Not My Elder Brother Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xia He looked at the listless Kong Lu and knew that the Sun familys daughter-in-law from downstairs must have humiliated him. She did not care how much the compensation sum was. Kong Lu would have to think of a way to deal with this matter himself. As Xia He cleaned up the debris from the shattered television screen on the floor, she asked, Then tell me, do they intend to compensate for my aunts television? Kong Lus face darkened even more. What could he tell Xia He? That he did not scold them for that incident, or that he had been insulted, or that he admitted that his sister was the one who broke the television? Kong Lu turned his gaze to Kong Li and asked, Li Li, are you the one who damaged this television? No, elder brother! Why dont you believe me! I really didnt do it! Kong Li said agitatedly. After thinking about it, she felt that the Sun family must have pushed the blame to her. Im going to settle the score with them! It was their children who threw it down! Im going to beat them up! Kong Li rolled up her sleeves and threw the buns in her hand onto the floor that Xia He had just cleaned, preparing to rush downstairs. Enough! Kong Lu stood on the spot and roared at her. Xia He looked at the angry Kong Lu and found it funny. He could barely say a word outside, but he became so domineering once he returned home. Kong Li was so frightened that she did not dare to move. Clean up the floor! Kong Lu said as he pointed at the buns on the floor. Unexpectedly, Kong Li turned around and pointed at Xia He as she shouted, Hey! Hes talking to you! Why arent you moving! Clean the floor! Kong Lu clenched his fists in anger and said, Kong Li, Im talking to you! Ah I understand Kong Li dawdled to Xia Hes side and took the broom. She swept the ground in a disorderly manner and caused the bun crumbs to scatter all over the floor. It was obvious that she did not do chores at home often and did not even know how to use a broom. Kong Li, who used to do the housework at home? Kong Lu stood behind Kong Li and asked. The cold voice seemed to pierce through Kong Li. She was so frightened that she did not dare to do anything else or answer the question. Old Madam Kong often told him that only she and Kong Li did the housework at home, and that Xia He had the temper of a spoiled young lady and did not want to do anything. She even said that she and Kong Li worked very hard and asked Kong Lu to teach Xia He a lesson. Kong Lu believed what Old Madam Kong said and never doubted her. Kong Li, Ill ask again! Who exactly is it! Kong Lu roared. The housework is done by our mother and me, of course! Kong Li said as she held the broom. Xia He sneered and said, The dishes in the kitchen havent been washed yet. You can go wash them later. Xia He, you shameless person, youre rebelling! Why should I be the one to wash up! Kong Li pointed at Xia He and blurted out. Xia He turned to look at Kong Lu, who did not dare to look her in the eye. It was obvious who was lying. I Im not Elder brother, listen to me. I never treated her badly, Kong Li stammered. Kong Lu no longer believed what she said and asked, Then who cooks for you at home? Kong Li opened her mouth and said softly, Sometimes, shes too lazy to cook for me, so she buys steamed buns just to keep me quiet. Besides, shes my sister-in-law. Whats wrong with her cooking for me! Kong Lu looked at Kong Li and found her to be like a total stranger. When Old Madam Kong told him that Xia He did not know how to cook, he believed her. Moreover, every time he went back during the holidays, Old Madam Kong would be the one busy at home and Xia He was not allowed to interfere at all. Then tell me whats going on with those children downstairs? Who let them come in? Kong Lu asked. Its not me! Why do you keep talking about what the people downstairs said! You believe everything that the people downstairs say! Why dont you believe your sister! Kong Li said. You still want to quibble! All the neighbors said that this matter is true! Yet you still refuse to admit it! Kong Lu said as he pointed at Kong Li. Seeing that the situation was not right, Kong Li immediately started crying and wiping her tears and ran back into the room. Boohoo, youre not my elder brother! My elder brother wont treat me like this! After Kong Li went to hide in the room, the whole house instantly fell silent. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 387 - Compensate For Sure Chapter 387: Compensate For Sure Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xia He suddenly asked, This television. You dont care about it? Therell be compensation for sure. Kong Lu smiled and sat down beside Xia He. Shall we compensate Aunt for this television ourselves? Xia He smiled.?So he was waiting for her to do something. We? Why the word we? Isnt it your sister who broke it? Why should we pay for it? Xia He emphasized the word we. Kong Lu pretended to be confused and said with a smile, Shes still young and still a child. As her elder brother and sister-in-law, we should take good care of her. Shes not married yet and doesnt have a source of income. We should be more magnanimous. Xia He looked ahead expressionlessly and said, Youre you and Im me. Shes your sister. Its only right that you bear the responsibility for her getting into trouble, but Im not anybody to her. Besides, well be strangers soon. If you want to compensate, think of a way yourself. Seeing that Xia He did not seem that angry, Kong Lu thought that there was still hope and said happily, Sure! Xia He turned to look at Kong Lu and asked, Do you know how much this 16-inch color television costs? Kong Lu said awkwardly, I heard someone say its 1,000 to 2,000 dollars. It seems to be this price. He had asked the people around him about this matter. The neighbors also said that the television in Xia Hes house was worth a lot of money. This television was the first batch being sold in those days. When we bought it, it cost more than 2,000 dollars. Since weve used it for so long, Ill give you a discounted price. Just 2,000 dollars will do, Xia He said. Kong Lu nodded and looked at Xia He happily. He had sent his salary home for so many years, so he definitely had enough for the compensation. Whatever amount you say! Its up to you! Kong Lu said excitedly. Kong Lu, dont tell me you want me to take out the money? Xia He asked. Kong Lu was stunned for a moment and said embarrassedly, Um I dont have any money on me. The moneys all at home. Let me do the math for you. When we first got married, you didnt have a single cent on you. You didnt even give my family any betrothal gifts, right? Xia He looked at Kong Lu mockingly. Kong Lus fragile self-esteem was once again shattered by Xia He. He thought that Xia He was mocking him for being poor and downtrodden back then. Thats right! I didnt have money back then! But later on, didnt I give all my salary to my family! Kong Lu roared. Xia He nodded resignedly and said, Then tell me, did you send your salary to me? You gave it all to your mother instead. Kong Lu instantly thought of something and the anger on his face gradually turned into disbelief. Thats right. In the first year after our marriage, your salary was only 45 dollars. You sent 30 dollars to your mother every month and kept the rest for your own expenses. You only gave me a total of 58 dollars that year, am I right? Xia He said as she leaned against the sofa. Kong Lu lowered his head and did not dare to look up at Xia He. Perhaps you dont remember any of this anymore, and I actually dont really care about these things, but I have a habit of keeping accounts. I like to record every income and expense. Even if its just a small sum of money for a small bun, I will note it down. My account books are in the bedside drawer at home. You know that, right? Xia He gave Kong Lu a dark look. Kong Lu nodded stiffly and said, Yes. But youve never looked at them before, right? You dont care about the accounts at home. Xia He got up and went into the room to take out a few brown paper-wrapped books from her bag. These are all the accounts from the past few years. After so many years of marriage, you only gave me about 500 dollars in total. My daily expenses for your mother and sister have been more than 500 dollars for so many years. Xia He placed the account books on the table and pushed them in front of Kong Lu. Also, your mother always says that your brothers are having a hard time and she has borrowed money and countless items from me. Guess how much it is? Its 2,682 dollars in cash and 4,080 dollars worth of items, Xia He said as she looked at the account books. Kong Lu subconsciously clenched his fists. He did not expect his family to have spent so much of Xia Hes money over the years. Xia He sighed and said, Although I earn more money than ordinary people, theres a limit to it. To be honest, I only have tens of dollars left. You should know how much your sister has spent in the capital during this period of time. Kong Lu did not know what to say and could only remain silent. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 388 - Bring the Money Chapter 388: Bring the Money Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Its not impossible for me to go back and live with you, Xia He said. Hope ignited in Kong Lus eyes. Just as he wanted to hug Xia He in a moment of excitement, his fantasy was shattered by what she said next. Return me all the money your family owes me first. I didnt give those cash and household appliances to your brothers for free. Back then, your mother had asked me to lend them the money. Even biological brothers have to settle accounts clearly. Since they have all gotten married, isnt it time for them to return the money? Xia He said. Seeing that Kong Lu did not speak, Xia He continued, She even wrote me an IOU and I have more than one. Your mother wrote the first one when she first asked to borrow money from me. The rest of the IOUs were written by your brothers. After that, your mother did not mention anything about IOUs anymore. However, I thought that were a family and they would not go back on their word, so I did not ask for it. Its been so many years. They should all have some spare cash now. Go and get all these things back. Xia He took out the IOUs from the account books and slapped them on the table in front of Kong Lu. The crooked words on the papers were indeed written by his mother and brothers. The exact time and amounts were all clearly written and all signed off at the end. Kong Lu looked at the account books and IOUs in front of him and did not say anything. He did not have the ability to repay so much money, which added up to about 10,000 dollars. Thats right. Your mother probably wont acknowledge these debts now, but it doesnt matter. Go home and ask around about how luxurious your brothers houses are. Go and ask them where they got their money and how they managed to build such nice houses, Xia He said. Kong Lu picked up the IOUs in front of him and counted them one by one. His hands trembled unconsciously. Xia He suddenly remembered that she still did not know how the earlier matter was resolved with the Sun family downstairs and asked, What did you say about what happened downstairs? They want 752 dollars, Kong Lu said as he slumped weakly on the sofa. Xia He reached into all her pockets and flipped them out. I dont have this amount of money. As you can see, I only have tens of dollars left. I dont even know if its enough to pay for your sisters meal tomorrow. Bang! Kong Lis bedroom door suddenly burst open. Kong Li pointed at Xia He and scolded, Youre lying! I clearly saw 2,000 dollars in your bag! Kong Li immediately rushed into Xia Hes room to look for the money in Xia Hes purse. The money bag was still there, but the money inside was indeed gone. Kong Li did not believe it and she went through the cabinet, drawers, bags and clothes in the bedroom. As you can see, this is how your sister rummages through my things. I did bring 2,000 dollars with me when I came, but after I got here, I lost 300 dollars, Xia He said as she looked at Kong Li in the room. Kong Li suddenly stopped rummaging when she heard that. Kong Lu felt that he had lost all his dignity. This is my aunts house. If your sister can rummage through everything here like this, then tell me, what do you think she does at home? Xia He said. Get out here! Kong Lu shouted towards the room. But I havent found the money yet! What if she hides the money and doesnt give it to you! Thats our familys money! Kong Li said anxiously as she held on to Xia Hes bag. Xia He sat at the side and did not speak. She just looked at the siblings quietly. During this era, no man would think that it was something glorious for his wife to earn more money than him. Instead, it was something that could not be revealed to outsiders as it was very embarrassing! There were also not many men who would say that the money their wife earned belonged to him. Come out here! Kong Lu said as he pointed at the living room floor. Kong Li walked out of the room unwillingly and threw Xia Hes bag aside. Dont think about my 2,000 dollars anymore. Previously, you snatched my sister-in-laws jewelry and I compensated her for it. After my brother got married, I also spent some money to buy some things for him. I dont have much money now, Xia He said. Didnt I give her the jewelry in the end! Hurry up and get it back! Kong Li shouted anxiously. Kong Li showed no respect for Xia He at all. Every time she opened her mouth, she would either be barking orders or shouting at Xia He. Kong Lu had never seen Kong Li like this before. Chapter 389 - Huge Amount of Pocket Money Chapter 389: Huge Amount of Pocket Money Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios There was a reason why Kong Lu had never seen her like this before. In the past, every time before Kong Lu returned home, Old Madam Kong would hold Kong Lis ear and tell her 800 times about what she should and should not do, so that she would not expose her true nature in front of Kong Lu. Today, after Kong Li had gotten into trouble and without Old Madam Kong around to give her advice, she had long forgotten about these reminders and simply treated Xia He in her usual manner. She didnt take the initiative to return the jewelry. Qiao Mei came to the house and personally removed it from her body. I dont intend to take back the money anymore. Im treating it as a first-meeting gift for my sister-in-law, Xia He said as she looked at Kong Lu. When Kong Li heard that such a big sum of money would be given to Qiao Mei, she immediately became anxious. She pointed at Xia He and scolded, Pfft! Why! Thats our familys money! A first-meeting gift of 2,000 dollars! Isnt your gift a little too big! How can she be so shameless as to take our familys money! So what if its 2,000 dollars? Ive already spent more than 7,000 dollars on your brothers. Whats wrong with me giving my younger brother 2,000 dollars! Xia He shouted back loudly. Thats money I earned myself! I can spend it however I want! You! Wait for me to go back and tell my mother. Ill see how she deals with you! Besides, didnt you lend all that money to my brothers! Its not like you gave it to them for free. When the time comes, theyll return it to you! Kong Li stomped her feet in anger. It was 2,000 dollars they were talking about. Xia He nodded happily and said, Thats right. They have to return it to me. Kong Li was still immersed in the matter of Qiao Mei being given 2,000 dollars for free and did not notice what she had just said. When you go and get the 7,000 dollars back from your brothers, Ill go and get the 2,000 dollars back from my brother, Xia He said to Kong Lu. She knew that Kong Lu would not be able to do it. Old Madam Kong would not even take out 70 dollars from her pocket, let alone 7,000 dollars. Kong Lu also knew this very well. Xia He! Have you prepared the money your family owes me! I still have to go to work! There was suddenly a knock on the door. Kong Lu looked at the door in shock. That woman had agreed to give him until tomorrow at the latest! Why was she here to ask for money now! Xia He gave Kong Lu a meaningful look. If there was a hole in the floor in the house now, Kong Lu would crawl into it. I I dont have any money left, Kong Lu whispered to Xia He. Xia He spread her hands and said, I dont have any money. What I showed you just now is all the money I have left. Kong Lu froze on the spot and did not move. For the first time, he felt that the knocking on the door was like the sound of his doomsday and it made him panic. But I can tell you that your sister definitely has more than 700 dollars in her bag, Xia He said. Both Kong Lu and Kong Li were shocked. Xia He, youre talking nonsense! I dont! Dont talk nonsense! Kong Li shouted in a state of panic and hurriedly rushed back into the room and locked the door. Xia He sneered and pointed at the door. Look at your good sister. Kong Lu felt a little embarrassed.?Kong Li did not have a job, so where did she get so much money? Even if Kong Li had money, it could only be pocket money given by Old Madam Kong. It was impossible for Kong Li to have so much money herself. An ordinary family might not even have 700 dollars, and he also had not even given Xia He that much money after being married for so many years Kong Lu slowly walked to the bedroom door and kicked it open. It was an old house and all the locks had been in disrepair for a long time. In front of Kong Lu, it was no different from a decorative item. Kong Lu slowly walked up to Kong Li and saw her holding a small pink bag tightly. Kong Lu snatched the bag from her arms. Elder brother! This is mine! This is all the money I have! Ive saved up for a few years! Also! Also, our mother gave me money to buy some specialties from the capital! Kong Li said in a panic as she tugged at the corner of the cloth bag. When did our mother become so generous? Kong Lu asked. He said that because he received almost no pocket money since he was young. During his entire childhood, his pocket money added up to less than 50 cents. Later on, when he started working and gave all his salary to Old Madam Kong, she did not even give Kong Lu some money. It was not possible that she would give Kong Li so much pocket money and even wanted to spend a few hundred dollars to buy specialties. Old Madam Kong was a person who knew how to manage her finances. He did not believe that Old Madam Kong would feel at ease giving Kong Li a few hundred dollars. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 390 - The Last Asset Chapter 390: The Last Asset Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Kong Lu snatched the cloth bag with all his might and counted the stack of money he took out from it. There was more than 900 dollars. Kong Lu thought for a moment and took 750 dollars before returning the rest to Kong Li. Kong Li did not even imagine that she would have any money left. She quickly took her bag and counted the money to see how much she had left. Kong Lu walked out without daring to look at Xia He. He opened the door to see his pushy creditor, the Sun familys daughter-in-law. This is 752 dollars. Here you go, Kong Lu said. Hey, hey, hey! Let me count! The eyes of the Sun familys daughter-in-law lit up when she saw so much money. There were many people in their family and many mouths to feed. The salary of the Sun familys eldest son was not even enough to feed everyone in the family. She had never seen so much money. The Sun familys daughter-in-law rubbed her hands excitedly and took the money from Kong Lu. She carefully flipped through a few dollar notes, spat on her hands and started counting the money. When Kong Lu saw that the Sun familys daughter-in-law was almost done counting, he snatched the money back. Hey! What are you doing! The Sun familys daughter-in-law shouted as she pointed at the money. You have to give me a receipt, Kong Lu said as he held up the money in his hand. The Sun familys daughter-in-law thought that Kong Lu had gone back on his word at the last minute. So he just wanted a receipt. She immediately ran downstairs and went home to write one and returned in less than two minutes. Take a look and see if this receipt is acceptable? Besides, all the neighbors can be witnesses, so there wont be any problem. Dont worry, you and your sister messed up my house today but compensated us with 752 dollars. This matter is considered over! said the Sun familys daughter-in-law with a grin. Kong Lu glanced at all the neighbors in the corridor who were watching the commotion and handed the money to the Sun familys daughter-in-law with a grimace. The Sun familys daughter-in-law held up the money and counted the notes loudly. One! Two! Eleven! Thirty! None missing! I hope everyone can bear witness to this! shouted the Sun familys daughter-in-law. Nothing must go wrong with this. This was a big issue and there was no room for mistakes. Besides, they were very lucky to be able to wash their hands off the matter regarding Xia Fangs color television today. Although she had denied that it was the children from her family who did it, no one knew what exactly happened at that time. What those children said might not be the truth. Anyway, this matter had nothing to do with her family now! She could even replace her familys lousy television with a new one now. It was a lucky day for her today. The Sun familys daughter-in-law walked home smugly. Everyone in the corridor looked at Kong Lu like they were looking at a fool. Kong Lu slammed the door shut and entered the house. He sat opposite Xia He and said, Ill return all the money we owe you. What money are you talking about? Is it this 752 dollars, or the money your family owes me, or the money for my sister-in-laws jewelry set? Xia He asked. Kong Lu paused for a moment before saying, Everything. Xia He was a little surprised. She curled her lips and said, Alright, thats 9,514 dollars. How about this, lets just take it as 9,500 dollars, Xia He said. Kong Lu gritted his teeth and nodded. Alright, I understand. After saying that, Xia He ignored him and went to clean up the house. There were still many parts of the house that she had not cleaned up yet. She reckoned that news of this matter would soon reach the hospital and her aunt would definitely be back tonight. She wanted to restore the cleanliness of the house and return the furnishings to their original state before Xia Fang returned. Otherwise, she would feel very embarrassed. She would not be able to hide what happened to the television today, but Xia Fang would definitely forgive her and would not laugh at her after knowing the reason. Kong Lu eagerly snatched the broom from Xia Hes hand and started to do the cleaning up. Xia He did not fight with him for it. This was what he should do. Xia He looked at the things around her and went back into her room. The pillow contained the last of her assets, an amount of 3,600 dollars. As if she would let Kong Li discover all the spots where she kept her money? As if she would not have any money left at all and would put herself in a helpless position if trouble came knocking? After getting a divorce, she would not have a home anymore. She would first need to find a place to stay. The local art troupe in the small town was not like the one in the capital where the principal performer would be allocated a house. The local art troupe did not even have that many performances, let alone having a principal performer. Chapter 391 - Repaying Within a Month Chapter 391: Repaying Within a Month Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios There was a dormitory at the workplace unit and she could stay there as long as she paid the rent. However, if the people there found out that she was divorced, she could drown in the amount of saliva generated by their gossiping. She might as well go out and find her own place where she could get some peace. When Xia Fang returned that night, she saw Kong Lu busying himself in the kitchen. The dining table was already filled with dishes. Kong Lu stood in front of Xia Fang and stammered, Aunt, Im sorry That television was broken by my sister. Ill pay for it. Xia Fang glanced at him and did not say anything. She walked straight to the room to look for Xia He. Are you alright? Xia Fang asked nervously. Xia He did not expect Xia Fang to check on her the moment she returned. She smiled and said, Aunt, Im fine. Its most important that youre fine. What happened to the television? Xia Fang heaved a sigh of relief and asked as she sat on the bed. She had heard some gossip at the hospital and quickly came back after work. The television did not matter to her, but she was afraid that Xia He was being bullied and had no one to back her up. Xia He told her the whole story in detail and did not leave out the fact that Kong Lu and Kong Li had created a mess at the Sun familys house. Aunt, dont worry. Just let Kong Lu compensate for it. All these years, his salary has been more than 100 dollars a month and I havent gotten a single cent. He doesnt give his mother money every month and theres no telling how much he has in his own pocket. Dont stand on ceremony with him, Xia He said with a smile as she held Xia Fangs hand. Xia Fang nodded in understanding. At this moment, Kong Lu knocked on the door and said, Aunt, Xiao He, the food is ready. The four of them sat at the table without saying a word. Kong Li did not treat herself as an outsider and seemed not to feel that what happened in the afternoon had anything to do with her at all. Before Xia Fang even picked up her chopsticks, Kong Li had already started eating. Xia He looked at Kong Lu mockingly without saying a word. Xia Fang did not care about such etiquette and just started eating. Aunt I dont have enough money for that television now. Can you give me some time? Kong Lu said. Xia He put down her chopsticks and said with a smile, Aunt, hes just joking with you. His money is all with his mother! Kong Lus expression froze. Although he gave all his salary to the family during the past few years, Old Madam Kong had always told him that the little bit of money was not even enough to feed the family. She also said that Xia He must have fish and meat for every meal He used whatever money he had left to buy cigarettes and liquor or to go out to socialize, so he did not have much left. He had a lot of social activities, like when his comrades got married, they all had to give gifts. Everyone would need to chip in a few dollars. Actually, he had been tight on money for so many years and he had to live extremely frugally so that he did not have to ask Xia He for money. Xia He then said to Kong Lu, This 2,000 dollars is not a small sum of money. If youre short of a few hundred dollars, go and ask your mother for it. She has plenty of money as Ive been the one paying for all the family expenses all these years. She hasnt contributed a single cent of the money you gave her. I can promise you that. The smile on Kong Lus face froze even more. He knew that Xia He had said these things to him on purpose, both for him and Xia Fang to hear. Also, give the money to my aunt as soon as possible. It cant be that you want to start saving from now, right? How many years would you need to save up that amount? Are you saying that my aunt cant watch television during this time? Xia He asked. Kong Lu lowered his head and said, Yes, yes, yes. Ill definitely return Aunts television. Xia Fang looked at the two of them and said, Theres no hurry. Just give it to me within a month. Kong Lu had nothing to say to that. Kong Li was so angry that she immediately slammed the table and stood up. Where can we get so much money! Besides, I didnt break this television, so why should our family pay for it! Kong Li, sit down! Kong Lu said sternly. I wont! Theyre all bullying our family! Kong Li said to Kong Lu as she pointed at Xia He and Xia Fang. The Kong family maintains such a good upbringing. Juniors can even talk back when their elders are speaking, Xia Fang said sarcastically. Kong Li clenched her fists in anger and wanted to retort further, but Kong Lu stopped her with a look and she sat back down silently. Chapter 392 - Forgetting About It Chapter 392: Forgetting About It Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Im sorry, Aunt. My sister is so immature. I hope you wont take it to heart. Shes still a child, Kong Lu said with an apologetic smile. Xia He said from the side, Your sister treats me like this in my own house. How dare she speak to my aunt in this manner now? Do you think that my Xia family can be easily bullied? To Xia He, Old Madam Kongs insults and Kong Li ordering her to do things were all her own family matters. Since she had married into the Kong family, she had no choice. However, for such things to happen to any Xia family members, she deemed it to have crossed her bottom line. No, no. It was a slip of the tongue on my sisters part. I hope you can forgive her, Kong Lu said. One week. This money must be repaid within one week. Dont you have plenty of money at home? We just found out today that your sister has so much money. Ive spent so much money on your family for so many years. Im sure all your brothers also have money. Just pool all your money together and pay it back within a week! Call your mother tomorrow! After saying that, Xia He slammed the table and brought Xia Fang back to the bedroom, unwilling to spend another moment with the Kong siblings. Kong Lu sat on the chair dejectedly, not knowing what to do about this matter. Kong Li seemed to understand that she had gotten into trouble and returned to the bedroom silently, not daring to make a sound. Kong Lu cleaned up the dining table and kitchen and planned to sleep on the sofa in the living room for the night. Xia He had not told him where to sleep. There was only one room left in Xia Fangs house, but it was Xia Zhes room, so he did not dare to enter rashly. Xia He suddenly came out and said, Its already late. Hurry up and bring your sister to a guest house to stay for the night. There wont be any good rooms left if you wait any longer. Kong Lu paused his actions. He did not expect that he could not even stay here? Kong Li rushed out of the room and questioned, Its so late and you want to chase us away! Isnt there another room? Why cant he stay there! Thats my brothers room. He doesnt like others going inside, Xia He said. I I can make do in the living room for the night, Kong Lu said as he looked around and pointed at the sofa. Theres no need to make do. What if my aunt wakes up in the middle of the night while youre sleeping in the living room? Its inconvenient for you to be here. Xia He took out everything belonging to Kong Lu and Kong Li from the room and said, Hurry up and call your mother. The earlier you get the money back, the sooner my aunt can watch television. You! Kong Li was so angry that she wanted to go up and argue with Xia He, but Kong Lu stopped her. Your luggage is all here. Take care. I wont send you off. With that, Xia He returned to the room. Kong Li asked angrily, Elder brother, why should we leave! She was not willing to go to the guest house. There was nice food and drinks here and the bed was big. It was so comfortable to live in a big house. She would not even be able to toss and turn in the hard little bed in the guest house, so she did not want to go! Stop talking and go take your things from the room, Kong Lu said. Seeing Kong Lus somber expression, Kong Li did not dare to complain anymore. She slowly packed up her luggage in the bedroom to leave with Kong Lu. Before she left, she looked at Xia Hes bedroom and spat on the floor. If not for Kong Lu, she would have fought with Xia He earlier. When she turned around, she saw Kong Lu staring at her fiercely. Kong Li was so frightened that she shivered and did not dare to walk forward. Is this how you usually treat your sister-in-law? Kong Lu asked. Kong Lu had spoken softly, but it sounded like an explosion in Kong Lis ears. She suddenly recalled all the previous reminders from Old Madam Kong that in front of Kong Lu, she must treat Xia He well, listen to Xia He and show respect. Only in this way could they continue to act like tyrants and enjoy life. If Kong Lu found out the truth, it would be over. In the end, she had been too comfortable and presumptuous for the past two days and had forgotten about all this What should she do now Kong Li looked at Kong Lu motionlessly and did not even dare to breathe out loud. The neighbor next door opened the door and came out to throw out the trash. Kong Lu turned around and rushed downstairs. He had already embarrassed himself enough in front of the neighbors today and did not want to see them anymore. Kong Li followed closely behind and did not dare to cause any delay. Now, she could only tread carefully and do whatever Kong Lu said. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 393 - Planting Trees Chapter 393: Planting Trees Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The autumn air was refreshing after the scorching sun set. After dinner, Qiao Mei started work on the vegetable garden and fruit trees at home. They were not in the courtyard house now as it was not ready yet. They were now at Xu Lans house and they intended to plant the fruit trees they had bought previously. Based on Xia Maos seniority, the house he lived in was much bigger than the house of an ordinary family and had two yards. If they planted two fruit trees, there would be a nice shaded area that the family could use during summertime. After they were done, they still had a peach tree left. Qiao Mei thought about giving it to Xia Jun. Lets give this peach tree to grandfather. He loves peaches the most, Xia Zhe said as he looked at the extra sapling in Qiao Meis hands. Alright. I also intend to give this to grandfather too, Qiao Mei said with a sweet smile. In the backyard where they planted the trees, Qiao Mei said, We would be able to get a harvest after a while. Then well have fruits to eat. Liu Fen was lazing around at the side when she heard this. She laughed and said, How can it be so fast? At the earliest, it will only bear fruit next year. No, Third Aunt-in-law. I bought a three-year-old sapling. Its able to bear fruits this year, Qiao Mei said. To think that youre from the countryside. Saplings dont like to bear fruits in the first year that they are planted. We have to wait until next year, Liu Fen said. Qiao Mei muttered softly, Just because they dont like it doesnt mean they cant. Youll definitely be able to eat fruits this year. Xia Zhe whispered to her, I believe you. Itll definitely bear fruit this year. Qiao Mei smiled brightly at Xia Zhe. Even when people around said that what she did was impossible, Xia Zhe was still willing to believe her. It was a good feeling to have. Qiao Mei patted the dirt off her hands and went into the house to wash her hands. This year, the fruit trees must bear fruits. She wanted the Xia family to slowly get used to the fact that she knew how to cultivate flowers and plants and fruit trees. She was looking to make money from this in the future. At the thought of this, Qiao Mei looked at her stomach. She was about to become a mother and would not have much time to go out and start a career. The current social environment also did not allow her to go out and start a career. Qiao Mei did not really want to socialize with outsiders. She might as well plant flowers, grow plants and sell fruits from home. She could still earn a lot of money but in a relaxed manner. It was dark after they planted the trees. Xia Zhe brought Qiao Mei back to the room. It was Tuesday, so there were no television programs in the second half of the day. The television station staff took their break on Tuesday afternoons. Then again, Xia Zhe had already realized that Qiao Mei did not like to watch television. Coincidentally, he did not like to watch television either. He had something important to do tonight! His wife had said that he could use his mouth but not his hands! Since she had already made such a request, he would not stand on ceremony. What are you doing Qiao Mei pushed Xia Zhe with some difficulty, but her arms were so weak that she could not exert any strength. No wonder Xia Zhe was acting so strangely today. He was happy to do anything she asked him to do. It turned out that he was up to no good! Previously, Xia Zhe had only tried his luck. Now, he was really going overboard. Stop it! Qiao Mei pouted. However, at this point, it was impossible to stop. Every moment of the night was precious. While a sultry night was only just beginning at the Xia residence, it was not such a comfortable night at the He residence. He Ning lay on the bed and tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. Without the fragrance of flowers in the air, it felt as if he had run out of oxygen. His head hurt and he could not breathe. The medicine tonight also seemed to be very different from usual, as if it had lost its effect. Previously, he would feel refreshed after drinking the concoction and feel much less ill. Moreover, he could clearly feel that his body was slowly getting better. However, he started feeling more and more uncomfortable today and it even felt as if he did not have long to live. He Ning immediately called the doctor and asked him to come over. After the doctor took He Nings pulse, he felt that something was wrong. Then he looked at the dregs of the medicine that He Ning had taken. There was nothing wrong with the medicinal dregs, but there was something wrong with the ginseng that he would never bear to throw out. The doctor immediately opened He Nings medicinal safe to check on the remaining ginseng. He Ning had locked the precious thing away in the safe so that no one could see it. Every time, he would personally take out a small piece before getting his subordinates to brew the medicine. Apart from him, only the doctor knew the password to this safe. This was so that if he was dangerously ill, the doctor could come and retrieve the medicinal herbs that could save his life. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 394 - Something Wrong With the Chapter 394: Something Wrong With the Ginseng Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Theres no way theres anything wrong with this ginseng. Because you havent come by recently, the servants had to prepare the medicine. I personally took out the ginseng. Even if theres a problem, it can only be during the brewing period, He Ning said with a frown. The brewing of the medicine was done by either his helper or subordinates. There was still no need to trouble the doctor to do such a small thing himself. The doctor did not say anything. He was not the one who brewed the medicine personally, so he could not be sure that everything went well. However, there was indeed something wrong with this ginseng. It disintegrated when he pressed on it, which did not happen previously. There was a red sandalwood box in the safe. This box came with a lock, an exquisite Burr lock. Only he could open this kind of lock. Even if someone came to steal it, it would take them a few days to open it without causing any damage. After He Ning fiddled with the lock using a complicated process, the 100-year-old ginseng was revealed to be in the box unscathed. He did not bear to eat this ginseng often. Usually, he would take out a small portion to add to the ginseng that were used earlier and brewed them repeatedly. The doctor leaned forward to take a sniff and realized that something was wrong! This is not right! The smell is wrong! This is definitely not the same ginseng from before! the doctor said firmly. What did you say! He Nings hands trembled as he looked at the ginseng in disbelief. No one had touched this ginseng except him. This was the treasure that could save his life! The thing that could give him another 10 years of lifespan! He Ning immediately plucked a piece of ginseng root and tasted it carefully. It indeed tasted different from the last time. Previously, he could not resist the temptation and had tasted this 100-year-old ginseng once when he was alone. The moment it entered his mouth and he tasted the strong flavor, his entire body felt very comfortable. However, at this moment, it felt as if he was chewing wood scraps. But this ginseng is indeed that one the doctor said as he looked at the mark on it. He Ning was afraid that he could not recognize the ginseng if anything happened, so he had made a marking on it. The mark was still there and had not changed at all. What exactly is going on! He Ning sat on the sofa dejectedly, not knowing what to do. This safe was placed under his bed and he did not leave this place at all. It was still fine when he took the medicine in the morning, so why did it lose its effect in the afternoon? How could someone have swapped it? If no one swapped it, then that means the problem lies with the ginseng itself, the doctor guessed. He Nings gaze instantly turned fierce.?The Cao family, or should he say the Xia family, had sold him a fake ginseng? To harm his body! Or to take his life! However, on second thought, it could not be so. Back then, the doctor had checked this ginseng and there was no doubt that it was a 100-year-old ginseng. Moreover, the medicinal effect had been very good when he started taking it and he could tell that it was real. There was also a saying that the medicinal effects of a 100-year-old ginseng would not just last for only a few days. If the ginseng was stored well, it could last for many years. Then what went wrong? The doctor let out a long sigh and said, Maybe theres something wrong with the way we kept it, causing it to go bad. The ginseng should be kept in a ventilated and dry place, but the safe is dark and damp, so its not a suitable place to keep ginseng. In such hot weather, its very likely He Ning looked at the ginseng in his hand with great pity. Sigh, I forgot that this is fresh ginseng. Its all my fault. The doctor looked at the ginseng helplessly. Actually, this matter had nothing to do with him. He had already told He Ning a long time ago how to store the ginseng, but He Ning did not believe him and insisted on putting the ginseng in the safe before he could feel at ease. He knew that He Ning had a bad temper and was hard to persuade, so he did not give any further advice and just let He Ning do whatever he wanted. The ginseng was in a semi-dried condition and he thought that it would be fine. He did not expect something to happen to it. For the sake of He Nings reputation, he could only take the blame on himself now. After the doctors explanation, He Ning looked much better. He felt comforted knowing that he had not been tricked. All these years, he was always scheming against others, but no one had ever succeeded in scheming against him. Even the Xia family had not been able to make him fall into a trap. If he let others succeed in scheming against him, he would become a joke. How would his reputation fare then? Chapter 395 - Doing It Personally Chapter 395: Doing It Personally Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Come in! He Ning shouted towards the door. The attendant outside quickly walked to He Nings side. The person you told me about today that person from the Xia family He Ning looked at his attendant with a perplexed expression. Zhou Hua, the wife of Xia Guang, the third son of the Xia family, said the attendant. Yes, her. Hows the matter going? He Ning asked. His attendant had reported this matter to him in the daytime, but he was feeling too dizzy to pay attention then. Zhou Hua asked for the ginseng but did not manage to get it, and Xia Zhe even found out that she had been in contact with you. He had already sent her to Xia Guang during the night, said the attendant. He Ning looked at his attendant in disbelief.?That woman could actually mess up this matter? What did you say? Asked for? Didnt I give her money? How did it become a situation where she went to ask for the ginseng? He Nings eyes seemed a little dazed as he wondered what had gone wrong. His goal was to get the ginseng whatever it took. At that time, he felt that the fastest way was to buy the ginseng through someone else and that was how they found Zhou Hua. He knew that if he went personally to the Xia family to buy the ginseng, he would definitely not be able to get it. He could only make use of Zhou Hua. He Ning did not lack money. Besides, there was no need to scheme against the Xia family for ginsengs. It was not something to lose his dignity over. As long as the Xia family wanted to sell the ginseng, it should not matter who they sold it to, even if it was someone sent by him. There was no need for him to snatch it by force. He had even offered a large sum of money. He promised Zhou Hua that he would take any number of ginseng that was available. If it was a 100-year-old ginseng, he would give Zhou Hua 200,000 dollars as a thank-you gift. If it was a 50-year-old ginseng, he would give her 100,000 dollars. At that time, He Ning had even given Zhou Hua an initial payment of 50,000 dollars, as he was worried that Zhou Hua would think that he was insincere. However, Zhou Hua had actually pocketed the money now. This incompetent and stupid woman! None of these things had gone smoothly recently! He Ning was so angry that he closed his eyes and fell to the side. Third Master He! Both the doctor and the attendant were so shocked that they immediately held on to He Ning. He Ning leaned weakly against the doctor. Cough, cough, cough Does the Xia family know that I gave Zhou Hua money? He Ning asked. I dont think so, the attendant said. That made sense. If she had told them about this, the Xia family would have already sent the money back to him. They would not have waited. I underestimated her. I actually got cheated by a woman. Cough, cough, cough. How impressive. He Ning panted and then said, Go and tell the Xia family this piece of news. My money cant go to waste like this! Cough, cough, cough! Yes, Ill go now. The attendant immediately went to the Xia familys house. The doctor slowly helped He Ning to catch his breath and said, At that time, I already said that we cant offend the Xia family. Even though they still have ginseng now, you cant negotiate a deal with them even if you wanted to. If anything, the whole issue has become so convoluted after what happened. Its even less likely for their family to be willing to offer you any ginseng now. Its not my intention to offend the Xia family, nor do I want to do anything nasty to them. That Qiao Mei was so fat in the past, but she still managed to marry Xia Zhe. I thought that she must have used some tricks so I wanted to give the Xia family a reason to dump such a person. I never expected her to be so capable. Sigh I have underestimated my enemy, He Ning said with a sigh. Is it still possible for you to underestimate your enemy? the doctor said with a smile. Me? One cant spend decades tap dancing on hornets nests and not expect to be stung. Its not possible for me to succeed in everything. As for that matter of digging for treasures, even if anything is found, I have a way to get the Xia family off the hook completely. Since I want Xia Zhe to be our He familys son-in-law, naturally there cant be a stain on his reputation. I just didnt expect them to be able to escape unscathed, He Ning said. He Ning muttered, Without the Xia family, Xia Zhe is nothing. The doctor also agreed with this point, but it was not something he should interfere in. His job was to take care of He Nings health and help him to live for a few more years. These things are not important, but you cant do without ginseng now. Otherwise, you wont be able to hold on for long, the doctor said anxiously. He Ning understood this very well too. That Qiao Mei should still have some left. Ill go and look for her personally tomorrow. This matter cant be delayed any longer. He Ning closed his eyes and sighed deeply. They had used so many tricks against Qiao Mei but none succeeded. He could only feel at ease if he took action personally. He could not afford to have another failed attempt. Chapter 396 - Creating a Persona Chapter 396: Creating a Persona Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The next day, Qiao Mei only woke up when the sun had risen high in the sky. When she opened her eyes, it was already past nine in the morning. Usually, Second Aunt-in-law would not be able to sit still by this hour. She would have started knocking on the bedroom door at around seven oclock. Why was she not here today? Qiao Mei got up slowly and got dressed. Qiao Mei had only realized something last night. Although she was stronger than others, she could not tolerate physical contact very well and her body was much more sensitive than ordinary people. Even if she was being touched using normal strength, she would feel more itchy, painful and sensitive than others. After getting dressed, Qiao Mei went to the bathroom to wash up. She looked around but could not find Xia Zhe, and wondered where he had gone so early in the morning. Xia Zhe usually kept a close eye on her and basically stayed by her side 24 hours a day, almost never leaving her line of sight. He would even do his morning exercises inside the courtyard and would leave a note by the bedside if she was not up yet. Second Aunt-in-law, where did Xia Zhe go? Qiao Mei went downstairs and asked. Xiao Zhe left in a hurry this morning. I think the old master asked him to go back there. He even said to tell you not to wait for him and to eat on time as hes not sure what time hell be back today. He also said that you cant go out today and dont go anywhere. Liu Fen counted on her fingers and reported one thing after another to Qiao Mei. It seemed that Xia Zhe had given her a lot of instructions. Qiao Mei nodded and said, Second Aunt-in-law, have you eaten? Ive already eaten. The food on the table is for you. Im going out now to buy the ingredients for lunch. Im leaving. Liu Fen pointed at the breakfast on the dining table and then left. After breakfast, Qiao Mei went to the backyard to take a look at the new fruit tree she bought yesterday. She fussed with the watering and fertilizing for a long time, and was still not done with the small fruit tree even after Liu Fen returned from doing the marketing. You dont say. Yesterday, the leaves on your small fruit tree were still wilted. After one night, the leaves have already straightened out. Perhaps the tree will really bear fruit this year, Liu Fen said as she stood behind Qiao Mei. Liu Fen grew up in the countryside when she was young and only moved to the city much later. She had some knowledge about farming. This fruit tree had already bloomed previously when they bought it. At that time, there were already a few small fruits hanging on the tree, but there were not many and the survival rate was low. She thought that these fruits would fall off after a few days, but she did not expect the tree to be growing well instead. Of course! Im a professional! Im very good at planting flowers, vegetables and trees in our village! Qiao Mei took the opportunity to praise herself and create a persona. This was so that later on, everyone would believe what she said and they would not find it strange when she started growing different plants at her house. Liu Fen listened in a daze. Back when she lived in the village, she only knew how to plant crops in the fields, that she needed to sow in spring and reap in autumn, and that there were different tasks to do at different times of the year. She did not know anything about high yield, survival rate and crossbreeding in plants. However, since Qiao Mei knew how to dig out good quality ginseng, then what she said must be true. Suddenly, the phone in the house rang. Liu Fen hurriedly ran to answer it. Who is this? Liu Fen asked. What! How would I have so much money Why the need for so much money! My family only has 2,300 dollars in savings. I didnt bring much with me this time. She had even given 100 dollars to Qiao Mei when they first met. Now, she only had a little more than 100 dollars left. How about this, Ill think of a way. Let me ask my maternal family if they have money and also check with my children. Dont be too anxious. With that, she hung up. As she hurriedly ran upstairs, she shouted to Qiao Mei, Mei Mei! Im going out for a while! Dont go out by yourself! Get the helper to cook lunch for you! Qiao Mei held out her dirty hands and looked at Liu Fen in puzzlement. Second Aunt-in-law, whats wrong? What happened? In the backyard, she could hear Liu Fen say things like money, being anxious, and something about wanting to go back to her maternal family. She did not manage to hear everything clearly. Its your Third Aunt-in-law! Oh my, Im so angry that Im muddled! Your Third Aunt-in-law is so bold as to borrow 50,000 dollars from He Ning! Its 50,000 dollars! Oh my goodness! Liu Fen was so worried that she paced around the house, not knowing where to go first. Qiao Mei had a shock as well. The sum of 50,000 dollars was not a small amount. Chapter 397 - Going Everywhere to Borrow Money Chapter 397: Going Everywhere to Borrow Money Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios So whats the situation at home now? Qiao Mei asked with a frown. Liu Fen knew that even if she took out all her familys savings, it would not help much with this debt created by Zhou Hua. Liu Fen took her bag and prepared to go back to her parents house to borrow money. As she packed her things, she said, Theres also nothing much you can do about this matter. Its such a big sum to repay! Ill go back and think of a way now. You must stay at home and dont wander around. Xia Yaos career had been thriving. When they first got married, they were so poor that they could not even afford to eat, and they had needed financial help from the Xia family. Now that Xia Yaos salary was more than 100 dollars a month, she stayed at home to take care of the family. Occasionally, she would return to Xia Juns house to demonstrate filial piety on behalf of Xia Yao. At home, she had a small courtyard where she could grow vegetables so she did not need to buy any. Over the years, she had managed to save up some money for her two sons to get married. Everyone already knew that Qiao Meis family was from the countryside. Even if Qiao Mei wanted to help, she only had the 2,000 dollars that Xia Zhe had given her and it was most likely that she had already spent most of it. She did not think that Qiao Mei would be able to help out right now. Qiao Mei quickly stopped Liu Fen and said, Second Aunt-in-law, dont be in such a hurry to go back. Tell me more as I have ginseng that I can sell! Liu Fen felt more at ease when she heard that. Ginseng was a rare commodity. If a well-to-do family wanted to buy it, it could be worth more than 10,000. Second Aunt-in-law, dont be anxious. Come back and tell me slowly whats going on? Qiao Mei slowly pulled Liu Fen back into the house. The moment Qiao Mei mentioned the matter, Liu Fen almost went crazy with anger. What Zhou Hua did was equivalent to pushing the entire family into a fire pit! Your Third Aunt-in-law! Its all her fault! They called to say that they just found out that Zhou Hua took 50,000 dollars from the He family and that Eldest Brother had managed to grab hold of her on the train. However, she refuses to admit that she has taken the money and refuses to hand it over. Theyve searched the entire house but they still cant find where she hid the money, Liu Fen said angrily. If Zhou Hua refused to say anything, they would definitely not be able to find the money within a short period of time. She must have hidden the money somewhere. Her ancestors were tomb raiders, so she definitely knew of places where others could not think of. The most important thing now is to quickly pool the money to return to the He family. Otherwise, the He family wont let this matter rest. If there is any delay, He Ning will definitely make an issue out of this matter. By then, the Xia family will be finished! Your second uncle will also be finished! The more Liu Fen said, the more she felt that the task was impossible and she started crying. It was an amount of 50,000 dollars! Even if they sold the house, they still might not be able to pool together this 50,000 dollars. Moreover, no one was allowed to buy or sell anything now, so she had no idea how they could get the money. Besides, Xia Yao had written to her a few days ago to say that his superior was happy with his performance and that he might be promoted soon. If anything went wrong at this critical moment, it would be all ruined! Qiao Mei was a little puzzled.?The Xia family and the He family were both among the most prominent families in the capital. The Xia family had to mobilize the entire family to pool together a sum of 50,000 dollars, but He Ning could take out so much money so easily. How was it that he was not afraid of being investigated for taking out so much money so openly? Where did the He family get so much money? Qiao Mei asked, feeling confused. Im not too sure about this either. The old master was the one who called me. Since thats what he said, then it must be He Ning who did it. Wheres that ginseng of yours? Sigh, even if you take it out, there might not be anyone willing to take the risk to buy it. Besides, what if He Ning turns around and takes a fancy to this ginseng now? Liu Fen said with a sigh. Qiao Mei was a little surprised. She did not expect Second Aunt-in-law to be so smart as to be able to guess what He Ning might be thinking. She did still have ginseng with her. It was a 20-year-old ginseng. However, even if she found a buyer now, it was very likely to be someone sent by He Ning. In the end, even if she got money for it, she would still have to return it to He Ning. That would be like giving He Ning a ginseng for nothing. Qiao Mei, Second Aunt-in-law knows that youre being kind, but the situation is tense now. I think I should go back and think of a way. You must stay at home. The whole family is in such a mess now. If anything should happen to you as well, it would be a disaster. Liu Fen picked up her bag and rushed out of the door. By the time Qiao Mei reacted, Liu Fen had already disappeared. Second Aunt-in-law can actually run so fast Qiao Mei looked at Liu Fens back in a daze and sighed. At this moment, Qiao Mei suddenly remembered that she still had more than 10,000 dollars in her bag that she kept aside for emergencies. In the end, she had forgotten to tell Liu Fen. Chapter 398 - Coming to Request for Ginseng Chapter 398: Coming to Request for Ginseng Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei pushed hard on the door of Xia Maos house and realized that the Xia familys main door was double-layered. The outer door was locked once it was closed. One needed a password even to open it from the inside. Unless she had a key or a password, she was unable to open this door. Forget it, we can talk about it tonight, Qiao Mei said with a sigh. From what she could hear from the phone conversation just now, it seemed that everyone would get together that night to see how much money they had managed to pool together. The Xia family members were either political officials or soldiers, and their salaries were not high. They were not able to save much from their salaries and depended on subsidies to help out with their expenses. The Xia family received a lot of subsidies and did not need to spend money on food and clothing at home. This was how they managed to have more savings than other families. Nowadays, ordinary families with only a few hundred dollars in savings could be considered to be rich. Liu Fens maternal family was from the countryside and they were self-sufficient by growing their own food. Qiao Mei did not know how much savings they could have and thought that they probably would not be able to help much. Qiao Mei still had a small 20-year-old wild ginseng she brought along to cater to emergency situations. She had no idea about the prices of goods and houses in the capital and was worried that a 100-year-old ginseng might not be enough to exchange for a house. That was why she had hidden one more ginseng in the compartment of her bag in case of any emergency. Xia Zhe did not even know about these things. He did not have the habit of going through her bag. Actually, there was something even better in her bag. It was meant to save Xia Zhes life back then, but it was something a little too extreme. If she took it out, it would probably shock the entire country At this moment, Qiao Mei suddenly heard someone ringing the doorbell. She opened the inner door and saw an unfamiliar man through the glass of the outer door. However, she felt that he looked a little familiar. Hello, who are you looking for? Qiao Mei asked politely with a smile. The stranger was clearly stunned for a moment before he quickly sized Qiao Mei up. He smiled faintly and said, Are you Miss Qiao Mei? Im here to look for you. Looking for me? Then who are you? Qiao Mei looked at the man in puzzlement. This was the first time someone had come to the Xia familys house to look for her. She had no relatives or friends in the capital, so she did not expect someone to come looking for her. My surname is He. Im He Ning, He Ning said. It took Qiao Mei by surprise.?So this was He Ning. No wonder he looked so familiar.?She had seen him from afar when she went to the nursery to absorb the ginseng energy. So youre He Ning, Qiao Mei said. Qiao Mei also sized him up. He was in his late twenties and tall with fair skin. He stood very straight but he was very thin. She did not expect a ruthless person like He Ning to look so gentle and refined. Why? You dont believe me? He Ning asked. No. Qiao Mei just wondered how such a person could actually seem to have a similar temperament to Xia Wen. However, when she conversed with Xia Wen, it felt like there was a spring breeze blowing on her, while this man was just unfathomable. In that case, can you let me in to talk? He Ning said with a smile. Qiao Mei shook her head and said, Im sorry, but you cant. There are no other men in the house now, so its not convenient for you to come in. If you have anything to say, you can say it here. Or you can come another day. During this era, men and women still kept a distance from one another as it was not in line with societal norms to get too close. Qiao Meis answer was not inappropriate at all. Alright, He Ning said helplessly. He Ning knew that Qiao Mei was telling the truth. After all, he had used all kinds of excuses to divert away all the occupants of the house. Otherwise, he would not have been able to pay her this visit. Its like this. Im not in good health and need ginseng to save my life. I heard that you still have a 100-year-old ginseng? I wonder what it would take for you to sell it, Miss Qiao. Im willing to pay any price, just name it, He Ning said. It was now that Qiao Mei understood what Xia Zhe meant. He Ning was indeed an unpredictable person who did things decisively and according to his own whim and fancy. Not long ago, he had framed the Xia family and almost killed them. Now, he was openly coming by to buy ginseng. It looked as if He Ning had been in very poor health for the past two days. After she had drained all the energy from all the plants and medicinal herbs in his house, it seemed to have made his life very difficult. Qiao Mei held back her laughter and looked at He Ning politely without saying anything. Then, Qiao Mei pretended to look at He Ning in confusion and said, Oh? Didnt the Cao family give you the ginseng? At the mention of this, He Nings head hurt even more. He was really too embarrassed to say it out loud that he had wasted such good ginseng. He found it to be a great humiliation and a reckless waste of natural resources. Chapter 399 - The Fragrance of Flowers Chapter 399: The Fragrance of Flowers Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios How can one be enough? A sick person like me needs to take it every day. Basically my life depends on ginseng, so it will never be enough. The more the better, He Ning said with a smile. He Ning looked at Qiao Meis doubtful expression and immediately said, Name a price or condition, Miss Qiao. Ill do my best to fulfill it. Qiao Mei looked at He Ning and said, Actually, theres something I dont quite understand. I wonder if I can ask Mr. He about it? With Qiao Meis beautiful face and sweet voice, coupled with her young age and the innocent and puzzled expression on her face, there was probably no one who could resist her charm. No wonder there was an old saying about how no man could resist the charms of a beautiful woman. Just looking at a beautiful woman made one want to speak gently as well. He Ning had always been dismissive of marriage and relationships, especially when it came to men who were trapped by women or love. He Ning felt that these men were extremely stupid. However, as He Ning looked at Qiao Mei, he finally understood why those people would make such crazy choices. You said that ginseng is very helpful to you? Qiao Mei asked. He Ning nodded and said, Yes, very. I really need ginseng. Im here today not only to ask for the ginseng that you have, but also to thank you. Without your ginseng, my health might be even worse. How sanctimonious. Then what did you do to thank me? You got someone to dig up my house, got people from the Liang family to come and look for me, tricked Zhou Hua into helping you and created a mess in the Xia family? Is this how you thank people? Then your way of saying thanks is really quite special, Qiao Mei said mockingly. He Ning looked at Qiao Mei with some admiration. As he listened to what Qiao Mei said, his initial faint smile turned into a big laugh. He found himself liking this young lady very much. She was frank and did not beat around the bush. He found it tiring to keep scheming against others, and there were very few people who were willing to talk to him so bluntly by now. It felt very good and he liked it very much. Since Qiao Mei was so frank, he decided to also lay his cards on the table. He Ning stopped his earlier act of pretense and said, Whether it was you or your grandfather who dug up the ginseng, you never thought of giving it to me. Furthermore, you were also not the one who gave it to me. The ginseng was given to me by the Cao family, so I will only thank them. If someone gave me life-saving medicine, shouldnt I thank the person who gave me the medicine instead of the person who made the medicine? Or should I just go and thank that ginseng and the rivers and mountains that nurtured it? He Ning asked. What He Ning said made sense and Qiao Mei was rendered speechless. As for the things you mentioned, I admit that I did them. I did go overboard, but on account that you were not hurt in the end, please forgive me, He Ning said with a slight bow. To He Ning, putting on such an attitude was already a show of humility. It had always been people coming to apologize to him. He Ning had never apologized to anyone before. If anyone who knew He Ning saw this scene, they would probably be so shocked that their eyes would pop out. Suddenly, a gust of wind from inside the house blew into his face. He caught a whiff of a faint fragrance and immediately felt his headache lessen by a great deal. He Ning was stunned by it and remained in the bowing position for a while. He had spent a lot of money to get people to find rare and precious herbs for him but he had never come across this fragrant smell before. The more amazing thing was that this floral fragrance was surprisingly useful to him. As the gust of wind died down, the fragrance gradually dissipated. He Ning straightened up and looked at Qiao Mei with a burning gaze. He was sure that he had just smelt the fragrance of flowers. In the past, he needed flowers to be piled up next to him at home so that he was surrounded by the fragrance of the flowers all the time. Using self-hypnosis, he was able to ignore his own pain by concentrating on the floral fragrance. However, this fragrant smell today was able to directly reduce his pain. The effect was immediate! He Ning took two steps forward agitatedly and asked, Miss Qiao, can you open the door and let me in so we can talk? He Ning made full use of his height to look through the glass to see what kind of flowers and plants the Xia family had in their house. He had to know what they were and try his best to get them. Qiao Mei stared at He Ning as he got very close to her and frowned. No. He Ning took a step back and said, Then about the ginseng Im sorry but I cant agree. I cant make a decision on this matter. Im a woman and I have to listen to my husband when it comes to family matters. Lets talk about it when the members of the Xia family return home, Qiao Mei said as she pretended to be helpless. Chapter 400 - Going Head-on Chapter 400: Going Head-on Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios He Nings eyes lit up. It looked like Qiao Mei still had more ginseng, even if what she had left may not be as good as the previous 100-year-old ginseng. He was still fairly sure that even if she only had ginseng that were tens of years old, the quality would still be much better than what was currently available in the market. He Ning was finally able to relax. As long as Qiao Mei had ginseng, he would definitely be able to get it. Before he came, the only thing he was worried about was that she did not have any left. This ginseng is yours. You can make your own decisions, so why do you need the Xia familys approval? He Ning asked. Qiao Mei smiled and said, Although this ginseng is mine, I still need the Xia familys permission to sell it to people targeting the Xia family. After all, Im the Xia familys daughter-in-law, so I naturally have to side with the Xia family. He Ning was a little stunned by Qiao Meis attitude. He had previously asked around about Qiao Mei and no one had said anything about her having such a sharp tongue. Qiao Mei did not pretend to be innocent and ignorant like she did with others when she wanted to charm them. When it came to He Ning, there was nothing else she could do aside from going head-on with him. Even if she put on a front, He Ning would still know it was an act. Instead of circling around with He Ning, it would be better to just go straight to the point. This would also let He Ning know that she was not someone to be trifled with and make him think twice before doing anything. He Ning had indeed reevaluated Qiao Mei. Previously, he thought that Qiao Mei was just an ignorant girl who grew up in the countryside. Now, the village girl was proving to be very difficult to deal with and was even making him look bad. The fact that the Xia family let a village girl marry into their family did not make them worse off. Instead, they had added another capable person into their fold. That means the Xia family has to decide on the matter of the 100-year-old ginseng? Do you have any requests that I can satisfy, perhaps like 100,000 dollars? A house? An easy and reputable job? As long as you ask for it, I can help you. He Ning deliberately emphasized the phrase 100-year-old ginseng. Qiao Mei understood what He Ning meant, but she did not intend to reveal her thoughts now. Dont worry, if there is anything I can offer you, it will only be better than the one you had. I dont really want anything. It mainly depends on the Xia family. Whatever condition that the Xia family asks for will also be my condition since I stand together with them. But if the Xia family is unwilling to give it to you then theres really nothing I can do, Qiao Mei said. He Ning stared at Qiao Mei and did not say anything. This was really a very smart person. He had found the women of the Xia family to be all very stupid. Now, they had finally found an outstanding woman to make up for this shortcoming. You can send all the members of the Xia family home now. Im going into the house to take a rest. Goodbye. After saying that, Qiao Mei closed the inner door and returned to her bedroom. It took her a while to realize that Xia Zhe and Liu Fen had both been diverted away by He Ning. Xu Lan usually went out early and was seldom at home. He had done that so that he could come and look for her when she was alone. He Ning looked at the closed main door of the Xia family house. Before he came, he thought that she was a village girl who could be easily deceived and it would be easy to take the ginseng from her. He did not expect her to be so smart, and for this whole matter to become more troublesome than before. With the door closed tightly, there was no longer any trace of fragrance. After He Ning left, all the Xia family members returned very quickly. Xia Jun, Xia Mao, Xia Zhe and Xia Wen were the first few to return. After getting out of the car, Xia Zhe rushed into the house to look for Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei! Qiao Mei! Xia Zhe shouted in the living room. Seeing that Qiao Mei was not in the living room, he headed straight to the bedroom on the second floor. When he pushed open the door and saw Qiao Mei resting in bed, he was finally able to feel relieved. Xia Zhe slowly made his way to the bed and gently stroked Qiao Meis head. Im so glad that youre fine Qiao Mei felt that there was someone next to her and slowly opened her eyes. When she saw that it was Xia Zhe, she said in a childish voice, Huh? Oh, youre back. Xia Zhe hugged Qiao Mei and said in a voice laced with guilt, Im sorry, I was so careless. I shouldnt have left you at home alone. Qiao Mei hugged Xia Zhe back and said, Im fine. Did he bully you? Did he threaten you? Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei and asked. Qiao Mei smiled and said, Threaten me? Its already good enough that I didnt threaten him. Is everyone back? Xia Zhe nodded and said, Yes. Grandfather, father and elder brother are all back. Come, lets go downstairs to see them, Qiao Mei said. Qiao Mei tidied up and went downstairs with Xia Zhe. The Xia family members sat in the living room solemnly and got ready to discuss this matter. Chapter 401 - Dropping All Pretenses Chapter 401: Dropping All Pretenses Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xia Zhe brought over a stool and placed it opposite all the men from the Xia family. Qiao Mei sat down slowly as all the men looked on solemnly. Qiao Mei smiled innocently and said, Everyone, dont be so nervous. Seeing that Qiao Mei had not been frightened by the ordeal, they all felt a sense of relief. Xia Wen blurted out, It scared me half to death! I almost wanted to ask the security guards to rush over! After learning about the situation at home, he rushed back to his own house to get all his savings, which amounted to 500 dollars. He was about to go to the school to try and get an advance of a few months salary when the phone rang. When he realized it was He Ning calling, he broke out in a cold sweat. He Ning told me that he had come to look for you. He said that since you still had some ginseng, he decided to come and talk to you personally. Then he said we should all go home now, and I was so frightened that my legs went weak, Xia Wen said as he wiped the thin layer of sweat on his head. The fact that there was another 100-year-old ginseng was not scary at all. The most terrifying thing was that Qiao Mei was alone at home, and He Ning had simply swaggered over to look for her. Who knew what that lunatic He Ning could say or do to Qiao Mei. If he threatened or intimidated Qiao Mei, it would at most cause her some mental stress. However, if he really wanted to hurt her, she would probably not be able to get out of it alive. When everyone received He Nings call, they quickly put down what they were doing and rushed home. Qiao Meis safety was more important to them than the money. They knew that He Ning was not crazy enough to hurt Qiao Mei directly as he still needed to negotiate with her. If anything should happen to her, he would not be able to get what he wanted. Along the way, Xia Zhe felt as if his heart was being cut by a knife. All he could think of was the worst-case scenario, and even though he kept telling himself that nothing bad would happen, he could not calm down at all. Now that he could see that Qiao Mei was fine, he heaved a big sigh of relief. Xia Zhe held on to Qiao Meis hand tightly and did not dare to let go for a moment. No one minded his action. Do you still have another 100-year-old ginseng? Xia Mao asked. No, I dont. I was just pretending. However, I dont know if my grandfather managed to dig up any new ones after I left home, Qiao Mei replied. Then did you agree to sell other ginseng to him? Xia Wen asked. What are all these questions that you are asking? Xiao Mei, tell us everything that happened from the beginning to the end, Xia Jun said to Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei nodded and told them in detail about how He Ning came by and what he said. She also recounted her conversation with He Ning word for word. After she finished, the entire living room was very quiet. The Qiao Mei who was sitting in front of them now did not seem to be the Qiao Mei they knew. Qiao Mei had also planned to lay her cards on the table with the Xia family and drop all her pretenses. To gain the recognition of the family, she must make them recognize her value and ability. Only then would they respect her. Everyone in the Xia family felt as if they were getting to know Qiao Mei all over again. Qiao Mei did not do anything stunning today, but she was calm, brave and clear-headed enough that He Ning was unable to take advantage of her. She even took back control of the situation and put it into the hands of the Xia family. It was really not an easy thing to do for an 18-year-old girl who had grown up in the mountain village. Such knowledge and composure were rare traits even among the daughters of other wealthy families in the capital. He Ning was someone who had spent many years in the world of politics and had taken down many people. Many people had fallen easily in He Nings traps and were tricked into giving up their wealth, and even their lives. However, not only did Qiao Mei not get tricked by He Ning, but she even took control of the situation and made He Ning agree to her arrangements. This was not just about being clear-headed anymore. Among the younger generation of the Xia family, only Xia Zhe and Xia Wen were able to do this. Even Xia He did not have that level of tenacity. Moreover, Qiao Mei put the Xia family first in everything and wanted to respect the Xia familys wishes regarding the matter of the ginseng. This gesture was a pleasant surprise for them. It was not as if Qiao Mei did not know the value of a 100-year-old ginseng. Before she came to the capital, she might not have known that it was that valuable, but after exchanging one for the Cao familys part of the house, she should have fully understood it by now. He Ning had made a very tempting offer to her. As long as it was something she wanted, there was nothing that He Ning could not do. Usually, no one would be able to resist this kind of temptation. However, Qiao Mei had remained unmoved. Chapter 402 - Raising Money Chapter 402: Raising Money Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The sense of doubt that had been in Xia Juns heart for many years also finally cleared up at this moment. He realized that there was nothing wrong with letting his children and grandchildren find their own marriage partners. It was his three sons who were blind! Look at how Xia Zhe managed to find such a good wife! At this moment, the other women of the Xia family arrived home in a rush. They did not receive any calls from He Ning, but had received notifications to come home while they were still on their way to raise the money. As soon as Xia He entered, she took out an envelope and placed it on the table. This is all my savings from all these years. I should still be able to borrow some more money. See if its enough. Xia He actually did not have good relationships with people at home and at her workplace. She was also not sure if she would be able to borrow any money from anyone. Xia He came from a good family, had a good figure, was beautiful and capable, and had a slightly cold personality. People around her actually did not like her very much. At this moment, there were probably many more people who wanted to watch her go through the ordeal rather than help her. Liu Fen looked at everyone with an embarrassed expression and took out 2,000 dollars. When she reached her parents house, she had been chased out by them. They said that a few of her nephews were going to get married this year and the family did not have any money left. Her sisters-in-law even asked her for money. She had to hold on to her bag desperately to keep it safe. This was all the money she had at home. Xu Lan took out 1,000 dollars and placed it on the table. I borrowed this amount from a few colleagues. Ill go and get the rest of the money we have at home. Xu Lan went upstairs and took out a mahogany box containing 20,000 dollars. Xia Mao was earning a good salary of more than 200 dollars a month, and he also had good benefits at the workplace. Usually, all his benefits were more than enough to subsidize the familys expenses. Xia Mao did not socialize much and even when he did, it was usually other people who paid for him, so he was able to save all his money. This box contained his life savings. Xu Lan hugged the box and sighed. It had not been easy for them to save up this amount through the years, but now she was going to lose everything because of Zhou Hua! However, no matter how much her heart ached, she still had to take it out. It was more important to save the family first. Xu Lan had just reached the door when she paused to think for a moment. Then, she turned back and took out all the gold and silver jewelry she kept at home. She felt that she should be able to exchange them for some money. When Xu Lan went downstairs, she saw that Xia Fang had also arrived and placed down 10,000 dollars on the table. Xia Fang had been promoted to chief physician in the hospital during the past two years, and she had a very good salary and other benefits. Xu Lan looked at all the money placed on the table and thought that it looked to be enough. She wondered if the old master had 10,000 to 20,000 dollars to spare? No one knew about the old masters financial situation. He did not socialize or spend money often, but he was always very willing to help his old comrades and often sent money to them. Perhaps the old master did not have any money left. It was something that nobody could tell. Xu Lan suddenly saw Qiao Mei holding a cloth bag and remembered that Xia Zhe had given Qiao Mei 2,000 dollars alongside all his other gifts to her! Then there was also the amount of 2,000 dollars that Xia He had given her to compensate her for her jewelry. That meant that Qiao Mei had 4,000 dollars. This cloth bag was not big and did not seem to hold much money inside. Would she bear to take out all her money? As for Tan Jing, Xu Lan did not hold any hopes. She was thankful so long as Tan Jing did not come home to ask her for money. She knew that her eldest son did not have an easy life. Seeing that everyone was here, Qiao Mei opened the small cloth bag in her hand. As she opened it, she said, I originally planned to give this to Xia Zhe to keep for emergencies, so I didnt think of it at the first instance. Qiao Mei placed the opened cloth bag on the table. It contained the 20-year-old ginseng as well as a small piece of ginseng root. The ginseng root was from a king of ginseng that was more than 1,000 years old! However, the Xia family members did not have any medical training and would not be able to tell how potent it was, so she did not want to scare them. All the women of the Xia family were stunned by what they saw. However, they wondered where they could find a buyer at such short notice? This ginseng is not money. It cant help to make up the 50,000 dollars, Liu Fen said anxiously. Xia Wen told them in detail about what happened between Qiao Mei and He Ning this afternoon. After Xu Lan heard everything, she looked at Qiao Mei with a meaningful look in her eyes. She now found this villager daughter-in-law much more pleasing to the eye. This ginseng is 20 years old. I dont know how old this ginseng root is. My grandfather had asked me to keep it for Xia Zhe, Qiao Mei said. Qiao Mei was unwilling to say much about the ginseng root. It would scare people to talk about a thousand-year-old ginseng root. However, the main issue was that Qiao Qiang did not know about this yet and might not be able to corroborate her story when asked. Chapter 403 - I Don’t Lack Anything Chapter 403: I Dont Lack Anything Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xia Wen immediately asked, Then is this ginseng root something rare and potent? Qiao Mei paused for a moment before saying, I dont know either. My grandfather just asked me to bring it along, so I did. Xia Wen looked at her and smiled without saying anything. He knew that this young girl was not telling the truth. She was someone who was able to recognize a 100-year-old ginseng, so this ginseng root must be something more valuable than a 100-year-old ginseng. Xia Wen looked at Xia Zhe but did not speak. Are we going to sell this ginseng to He Ning? Xu Lan asked as she pointed at the 20-year-old ginseng. We need to discuss it further. Xia Mao brought all the men upstairs, and asked Qiao Mei along. After all, this ginseng belonged to Qiao Mei and she also had the right to decide how to deal with it. The eyes of all the women downstairs followed Qiao Mei up the stairs. Other than Eldest Aunt, no other women in the family had ever participated in family discussions held in the Xia familys study. Liu Fen was the only one who did not care. She had no interest in participating in such matters at all. She was a person who only wanted to take care of the family and to leave all other decisions to the men. She only wanted to look after household matters. Now that it seemed like the issue was almost resolved, Liu Fen happily ran into the kitchen to cook. Xiao He! Come and help! There are too many people at home today and I cant cope! Liu Fen shouted. Xia He looked at Liu Fen busying herself in the kitchen and smiled. Maybe it was not too bad to live a life like how Liu Fen did. Lets just prepare the ingredients. Then when Qiao Mei comes down, she can do the cooking straight away. Lets not waste the ingredients given that she makes such delicious food. Its so rare that everyone is gathered together, Xia He asked. Liu Fen had tasted Qiao Meis cooking before. It was indeed more delicious than what the two of them could make. Moreover, Liu Fens cooking skills were on a level that was comparable to Xia Hes. The food she made could only be described as being edible. I just dont know if the food is made by Qiao Mei or Xiao Zhe. You have to talk to your younger brother. How can a grown man enter the kitchen? Which other man in the Xia family helps out in the kitchen? Liu Fen said as she held Xia Hes hand. Alright, Second Aunt-in-law, Ill talk to him when Im free, Xia He said vaguely. Whether or not she talked to him later was another matter for another day. Tan Jing sat in the living room and looked at the empty corridor in a daze. Everyone had gone out today to raise money to help the family. She was the only one who did nothing. She had not managed to save much money herself. No, it could be said that she did not manage to save even a single cent. Every month, she had to ask Xia Wen for money to subsidize the expenses of her maternal family, and it had been like this for so many years. When she telephoned her maternal family today, they told her they did not have a single cent to spare. When she first married into the family, she did not feel much pressure. She knew that the Xia family was a wealthy and prestigious family and they would not mind that she could not contribute much as her meager contributions would not make any difference to them. When Qiao Mei joined the family, she thought that Qiao Mei would be in the same situation as both of them came from humble backgrounds. In the end, she did not expect Qiao Mei to be able to solve the Xia familys problem singlehandedly. When she saw the relaxed smile on Xia Wens face earlier, she found it especially glaring.?Things were not supposed to be like this. In the study, everyone kept quiet. Xia Wen helped Xia Jun to sit on a chair slowly. Xia Jun looked at Qiao Mei kindly and asked, Mei Mei, tell grandfather the truth. Tell me what you want. Whatever the He family can do for you, so can our Xia family. Qiao Mei had prepared all these ginsengs for Xia Zhe. Now that she was contributing them to share the familys burden and solve their problem, they did not want to take this gesture for granted and wanted to treat her well. Qiao Mei shook her head and said, Im thinking about going back to the village soon. Ive been away for quite a long time and I want to go back to see my grandfather. In the future, I still have to stay at home and take care of the children. I want to keep an eye on the children when they are young, so I dont really want to go out to work. As for money I still have a lot of ginsengs back at home. All the men in the room fell silent. Initially, they all thought that Xia Zhe had married a villager wife because he wanted a hardworking woman to take care of his family. They did not expect this girl to be actually richer than all of them Xia Jun nodded to indicate that he understood what Qiao Mei meant. He turned around and discussed with the rest about how to best use the ginseng. It was definitely a worthy trade if it meant that they could use it to exchange for He Nings agreement not to cause trouble for them anymore. He Ning was not a scary person, but he was very difficult to deal with and was willing to do things that would cause trouble for others. The Xia family members were dutiful people who only did what they needed to do and were unwilling to participate in other things. They preferred to have a peaceful and quiet life. Although He Ning had not done anything that would rock the Xia familys foundation, it was still very annoying to them. Chapter 404 - Paying a Visit Personally Chapter 404: Paying a Visit Personally Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Based on what the Xia family members knew about He Ning, he would not give up until he got what he wanted. At this moment, they did not know what else he would do to get his hand on this ginseng. It was not a bad idea to use this ginseng to exchange for a peaceful time. It would be a good deal for them. They agreed to do it that way. Xia Wen sighed and said, Would it make us look like were easily bullied? He Ning had already attacked them three times and created a big fuss each time. Yet, in the end, they were going to use the ginseng to make peace with him. Those who did not know better would think that they were afraid of the He family. Xia Jun laughed loudly and said, Xiao Wen, his life is in our hands. Who do you think is the weaker one? Xia Wen paused and thought that it made sense. If Qiao Mei did not give him the ginseng, he would not have long to live. They also did not intend to give him the ginseng for free. Their price for it was 100,000 dollars, with the additional condition of leaving the Xia family alone in the future. The transaction would be fair and just and there was no such thing as to who was weaker. However, this ginseng was a consumable item. At this moment, they were taking what each of them needed and it was mutually beneficial, but what about the next time? Would He Ning do the same thing again? The Xia family truly did not lack anything. If there was a next time, it could only be He Ning coming to beg the Xia family again. Mei Mei, come here. Tell grandfather the truth. How many ginseng do you have left? Do you still have any more 100-year-old ginseng? Xia Jun asked. He wanted the information so that he knew how to approach any future negotiations with He Ning. He did not want to reach any settlement that Qiao Mei would not be able to fulfill, as that would be like playing a trick on He Ning. If He Ning was angered enough to go all out to destroy the Xia family, it was not something that they could handle. Qiao Mei blinked. Well she could not say that she could actually have as much as she wanted. My grandfather has a big box that he uses to specially store ginseng. He treasures that box very much, so I dont know how many ginsengs there are inside. But there should still be a few 100-year-old ginsengs. When I left back then, I saw him take one out of a bunch of them, Qiao Mei said. The Xia family fell silent again Was it really that easy to find 100-year-old ginsengs? Then when your grandfather is feeling better and comes over to the capital, Ill ask him myself, Xia Jun said. Not long after that, the doorbell downstairs rang. It was He Ning and a stranger at the door. Xia Jun asked Qiao Mei to put away the ginseng root and went downstairs with the 20-year-old ginseng. At the moment, he was only going to use this small ginseng to negotiate with He Ning. However, he still did not know how to thank Qiao Mei for the ginseng. Qiao Mei carefully put away the remaining ginseng root. When Xia Wen saw what she did, he smiled again.?If this young girl did not know the value of the ginseng root, why would she treasure it so much? Qiao Mei pretended not to see Xia Wen looking at her and quietly absorbed one-third of the energy from the 20-year-old ginseng. She definitely could not give such a good ginseng to He Ning. She had already intended to sell this ginseng so that she would have money for emergencies, thus it did not matter who she sold it to and how much energy it contained. However, if it was going to be sold to He Ning, then there was no need to give him any additional benefits. Xia Wen personally went to open the door to let He Ning and the stranger in. All the womenfolk of the Xia family went upstairs to avoid the visitors while Qiao Mei went to the kitchen to cook. She did not want to eat the food made by Liu Fen and Xia He. When Qiao Mei entered the kitchen, she realized that the two women had very strong self-awareness and had prepared all the ingredients for her so that she could just proceed to do the cooking. Given that Liu Fen had gone to the market this morning, there was even a fish among the ingredients. The fish was already cleaned and gutted and ready to be cooked. Liu Fen and Xia He had nothing else to do and went upstairs as well, leaving Qiao Mei alone in the kitchen. In the main living area, Xia Wen took out the cloth bag containing the ginseng and placed it on the table. He Ning asked the man beside him to take a look. This is ginseng thats about 20 years old. The quality is also much better than ordinary ginseng, the man said. You must be Senior Huo, Xia Wen said with a smile. Huo Gao looked at Xia Wen in surprise. He did not think that there were still people among the younger generation who remembered him. Ever since he went into the He familys employment and became He Nings doctor, he had retired from active work for many years and had not had any other patients. Very few young people remember me, Huo Gao said with a smile. Senior Huos name is so well-known. Please dont be so humble, Xia Wen said. After the two men exchanged a few pleasantries, He Ning spoke slowly, Why is it only 20 years? Chapter 405 - Asking for Flowers and Plants Chapter 405: Asking for Flowers and Plants Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xia Zhes wife said that you didnt specify the age of the ginseng you want and there were no other details. This is all we have to offer, Xia Mao said. Sitting in the Xia residence, He Nings headache eased a lot. He could smell the same fragrance from earlier. After his visit in the morning, he had a splitting headache half an hour after leaving the Xia familys house. Now that he was sitting inside the house, his headache had eased a great deal. It seemed that the Xia family really had some form of treasure in their house. He Ning looked closely at the Xia familys corridor, balcony, corners and backyard. Although there were flowers and plants placed at all these places, they were the same types he had in his house before and were just ordinary plants. Could these plants here be so form of mutated versions? 20 years is too short, He Ning said with a frown. But you also heard from Senior Huo that the value of this ginseng is much higher than whats available on the market, Xia Wen said. He Ning glanced at Huo Gao, who nodded and said, Indeed, its even better that those 50-year-old ones in the market. He Ning urgently needed ginseng to save his life at the moment. If it was really good ginseng, he would have to take it even if it was only a 20-year-old ginseng. From what the Xia family said, they seemed to have better ones in their possession. '''', Whats the price? He Ning asked directly. Its 100,000 dollars, plus you have to leave the Xia family alone in the future, Xia Wen said. Xia Wen and He Ning used to be classmates and were considered to be peers. Although they never really got along, Xia Wen was the person most suitable to conduct this negotiation. He Ning was still too junior to speak with Xia Jun. I see You want to ensure peace for your entire family for a lifetime with just one ginseng He Ning said as he gently tapped his knee with his fingertips. Seeing this, Xia Wen leaned back on the sofa and spread his hands out. In that case, if youre not satisfied, then forget it. After all, your whole lifetime is not very long. He Ning raised his head and gave Xia Wen a fierce look. This was the reason why he had never liked Xia Wen since he was young. Everyone said that Xia Wen was a perfect gentleman, but in reality, he was the one with the sharp tongue and evil heart. The amount of 100,000 dollars is not a problem, but to tie my hands for your entire lifetime This wont do. If you come and find trouble with me, do I then have to endure it? Besides, youre only giving me a 20-year-old ginseng, He Ning said. Our Xia family does not attack others, Xia Wen said. He Ning smiled and said, People change. He had yet to welcome Xia Zhe into his fold, so he was not going to let the Xia family off so easily. He did not want to give in on this matter. For 20 years then, Xia Wen said. He Ning shook his head and said, One year. ''Follow current novels ON N (ovelB in.)'', The two of them started a heated argument on this, but He Ning soon felt powerless. There was a strong fragrance coming from the kitchen and the smell of braised fish was so overpowering that everyone in the house felt a little hungry. He Ning did not even dare to speak casually, afraid that he would drool if he opened his mouth. Ever since He Ning fell sick, he had not had a proper meal as he found the taste of medicinal cuisine to be terrible. The smell of braised fish currently wafting from the kitchen was a fragrance he had never encountered before. It really smelled very delicious. Lets not argue anymore and just make it three years. I believe what you have in mind is also three years, He Ning said. Xia Wen nodded straightaway, but he could also tell that He Ning was acting strangely. It was not as if he had not negotiated with He Ning before. He Ning had always been very unyielding and would never back down, but he was being a lot more amenable right now. It struck Xia Wen that he should invite He Ning home for any negotiations in the future, and particularly during mealtimes. If he could get Qiao Mei to cook at the same moment as the negotiation, he would get twice the result with half the effort! The two families agreed to a three-year agreement, that they would not make life difficult for each other for three years. Even if someone begged He Ning to hurt the Xia family, he could not do anything, not even if it was the Cao family who asked him. They had heard that the Cao family was left with nothing except their jobs. The Cao family probably hated the Xia family the most now. It was said that the old man from the Cao family even secretly erected a memorial tablet for Xia Jun and would burn three incense sticks in front of it every day. It was a really despicable thing to do. The Cao family found a new residence that was too small for them and it was overcrowded. After the negotiations, He Ning looked like he had no intention of getting up to leave. He asked Huo Gao to go to the car to get the money, then he pretended to look at the flowers on the balcony and said, These flowers in your house look quite good. Xia Wen suddenly smiled brightly and replied, Theyre definitely very good compared to yours! He Ning rolled his eyes at Xia Wen. He did not understand why this guy must always diss him. Since you also know that I dont have much experience in growing flowers and that they dont grow well at my house, why not give me these few pots, He Ning said. Xia Wen looked at He Ning strangely.?Were these few pots of flowers very special? There was nothing special about them. These were just ordinary flowers and plants. Chapter 406 - Staying for a Meal Chapter 406: Staying for a Meal Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios What exactly are these flowers that manage to catch your eye? Xia Wen walked over and carefully looked at the pots of flowers. These were all common flowers that one could find everywhere, the type that anyone could grow by simply watering them every day. Xu Lan was usually not at home, so she would not have any flowers and plants that needed a lot of care. He Ning was well-known in the capital for not being able to keep flowers and plants alive. He was as fussy about flowers as he was about people, so it was strange that he was interested in these ordinary flowers and plants. Hmph, these few pots are azaleas, those few pots are peonies, and these are jasmine and those are bush lilies. Are you able to recognize what kind of flowers they are? He Ning looked at Xia Wen mockingly. Xia Wen did not take it to heart. He really did not understand such things. He knew that the jasmine was only newly bought last month to replace the previous pot of flowers that died. However, now that he observed the flowers and plants carefully, they looked to be growing much better than before. Was it Second Aunt-in-law or Third Aunt-in-law who took such good care of these flowers? After all, they often came over so it must be due to their efforts. '''', Then look at this Before Xia Wen could finish speaking, Qiao Mei walked out of the kitchen with a plate of fish. Dinner is ready. Everyone, come and eat! As she spoke, Qiao Mei turned towards the balcony and blinked. Xia Wen immediately understood what she meant. Actually, she had finished cooking a while ago. She knew that He Ning had designs on the flowers and plants at home, so she was just waiting for Xia Wen to speak before she came out to serve dinner. She already knew about He Ning using floral fragrance to treat his illness. In the morning, He Ning had reacted strangely when he was at the door. At first, she did not pay much attention to it, but now that she saw He Ning being especially interested in the flowers at their house, she understood why. It was because Qiao Mei had a special fragrance on her body. Previously, Qiao Mei did not even know that there was such a smell on her. It was only after Xia Zhe talked about it every day and even licked and bit her non-stop yesterday that she knew. He Ning thought that the smell was the fragrance of flowers and that was why he wanted to take away all the flowers in their house. However, the source of the smell was actually Qiao Mei, so it was useless even if he emptied the house of all the plants. Qiao Mei felt angry and upset every time she thought about how He Ning had ruined the courtyard house, so she did not want He Ning to have an easy time. It was not impossible for him to take all the flowers if he wanted, but he had to pay a price for that. He could not take them for free. As Qiao Mei brought out all the dishes, she asked Xia Wen, Elder brother, are you talking about the flowers at home? I also took a fancy to them a couple of days ago. Mother promised to let me move them over to the courtyard house after the repairs are done. Ah, then these flowers are yours. Its not for me to make the decision on this matter, Xia Wen said as he glanced at He Ning. '''', He did not believe what Qiao Mei said about Xu Lan giving the flowers to her. Xu Lan had not even said more than three sentences to Qiao Mei in the past few days, so he was very sure they did not speak about the flowers. Besides, he knew Xu Lans temper very well. Previously, Xu Lan had made it very clear that she did not like Qiao Mei. It was not possible for her to have suddenly accepted Qiao Mei and even given her gifts. Could there be something special about these flowers? Qiao Mei was not a petty person. There must be some kind of secret if she did not want to give away a few pots of ordinary flowers. He Ning sat at one end of the dining table silently. He took his seat in such a natural manner that the Xia family was stunned. When Huo Gao came in with the money bag, he was so shocked to see it that he accidentally dropped the money bag on the ground. The bag containing 100,000 dollars in cash was very heavy. When Qiao Mei brought out the last dish from the kitchen, she was also stunned to see He Ning sitting at the table. She thought that this He Ning was really thick-skinned. I wonder if Miss Qiao will be willing to sell those flowers? I like those flowers very much, He Ning said to Qiao Mei with a smile. Im not willing to sell. If the price is too low, Ill feel that its a loss to me. If the price is too high, someone may lodge a report against me. Its really not worth the efforts, so Im not selling, Qiao Mei said. The market price of these few pots of ordinary flowers was less than 10 dollars in total. If Qiao Mei asked He Ning for more than 100 dollars, he may get someone to report her and say that the Xia family was indirectly taking bribes. If that happened, it would be difficult for anyone of them to get out of it. Then what do you want? He Ning asked. He could tell that Qiao Mei was willing to do a sale, but since she did not want money, then what did she want? Did she want something else or did she have something that she needed done? Qiao Mei smiled at He Ning. It was just so easy to communicate with smart people. He knew what she wanted based on just a few words from her. It was something to be expected of the scheming Third Master He. Chapter 407 - I Want Food Stamps Chapter 407: I Want Food Stamps Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios I want food stamps, Qiao Mei said as she placed down the bowls and chopsticks. Xia Zhe quietly tugged at the corner of Qiao Meis sleeves and said, I have those. He felt a little uncomfortable seeing He Ning and Qiao Mei having a conversation. Moreover, he knew that Qiao Mei was a little money-grubber and he could already feel her eyes about to light up if they continued with this topic. Those you have are not even enough to feed yourself! Qiao Mei gave him a look, telling him not to interrupt her. When Xia Wen heard this, he almost laughed out loud. It was still acceptable if anyone should say that he did not have enough food stamps. However, to say that Xia Zhe did not have enough food stamps was treating He Ning like a fool who would believe that. Xia Zhe had more than enough food stamps to feed the entire Xia family. However, he understood that Qiao Mei was plotting against He Ning and held back his jealousy as he sat at one side without saying anything. I dont want ordinary food stamps. I want the national food stamps from the years 53 to 55 in all kinds of denominations. I want them in equal bundles and I want new ones. Lets say 100 sets. I wont take advantage of you. Ill exchange local food stamps worth 1,000 catties with you. Lets consider the difference of 20 catties to be your discount, Qiao Mei said. '''', Looking at Xia Zhe next to her, Qiao Mei asked, Do you have food stamps worth 1,000 catties? Qiao Mei suddenly remembered that it was actually illegal to buy and sell food stamps in private, but exchanges were allowed. Of course, no one would use national food stamps to exchange for local food stamps. If someone was willing to do that, he would be called a fool. Xia Zhes work took him away from home all year round. The food stamps they used at home were mainly Xia Maos food stamps. Xia Zhe had no use for his food stamps over the years and had saved them up. No problem, Xia Zhe nodded and said. He Ning frowned and looked at Qiao Mei. He really could not understand why she would make such a ridiculous request.?It was not as if the Xia family could not give her what she wanted, so why did she ask him for it? Moreover, she even wanted to use local food stamps worth 1,000 catties to exchange for national food stamps worth 980 catties. Did Qiao Mei not know that she was making a loss? She even specified the years of issuance and wanted brand new ones. What kind of requirements were these? Moreover, it was not as if national food stamps could get more food than local food stamps. What was the use of exchanging for them? To He Ning, it was not a big problem except for the part that Qiao Mei wanted brand new food stamps. This was the difficult part because he would need to send someone to go to a special warehouse to find them. Could it be that the Xia family was setting a trap for him? He Ning sized Qiao Mei up suspiciously. After Qiao Mei finished setting the table, she sat down and said, I only have this request. You can take the flowers away when you bring the food stamps. Qiao Mei had no intention of setting a trap for He Ning. These food stamps would be worth between 30,000 to 80,000 dollars per set in the future. If they were brand new, they would be worth more, and the value would just continue to increase every year. After all, these were rare items that could not be reproduced. ''??? ????? ???????s ??? ?????s??? ?? N(ov)elBin'', Dont tell anyone about the exchange of food stamps, Qiao Mei added. Actually, if the Xia family wanted to gather these food stamps, they would definitely be able to obtain a lot as well. However, when people eventually realized the value of these food stamps in the future, they would talk about it. By then, people might say that the Xia family was in possession of the countrys resources and that would not sound good. Furthermore, these 100 sets would eventually be worth tens of millions of dollars in the future. If He Ning was the one who handled this matter, even if someone found out about it later, the matter would fall squarely on He Nings shoulder. It would have nothing to do with the Xia family. After some consideration, He Ning agreed to Qiao Meis request. From what Qiao Mei said, there was nothing inappropriate about her request, so he decided to tentatively agree. Qiao Mei happily took a separate portion of the dishes upstairs to eat with the womenfolk of the Xia family. During this era, many families had different dining areas for the menfolk and womenfolk to eat separately, especially when there were visitors in the house. Moreover, they had a particularly unlikable guest today who refused to leave even when he should. Huo Gao found himself in a very awkward position. He did not know whether to sit or stand or to go elsewhere. He was so embarrassed that his ears turned red. Should he sit at the table? He did not dare to do so. He knew all about He Nings plans and that He Ning would not be easily restrained by this three-year agreement. He Ning would definitely think of all kinds of methods to secretly create trouble for the Xia family. He was also there when He Mei and He Ning made their plans. They spoke freely in front of him and had never hidden anything from him. He knew very well what He Ning was going to do to the Xia family next. Despite what He Ning had planned, he still had the cheek to dine at the same table as the Xia family. This was not just being thick-skinned anymore, this was simply being totally shameless! Chapter 408 - Good Culinary Skills Chapter 408: Good Culinary Skills Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios He Ning beckoned to Huo Gao and said, Put the money to one side, then come and have dinner. He Ning was behaving like he was the master of this house. He went about it so naturally that even Xia Wen was too embarrassed to criticize him and could only feel awkward. Even Xia Mao found it difficult to say anything, being an elder. Moreover, in the past, Xia Jun and Old Master He could be considered to know each other quite well. He felt a tinge of regret as he thought of Old Master He. Back in the days, he was a very wise and capable person. Unfortunately, his health was poor and he passed away early. Without their father around to bring them up properly, his sons had all grown up with questionable morals. Gradually, the He family and the Xia family became strangers. Feeling embarrassed, Huo Gao walked over and greeted the Xia family members before sitting down next to He Ning. It was only when Xia Jun asked everyone to dig in that they all lifted their chopsticks. Then, It was as if a whirlwind had swept past the dining table. The Xia family members were all from the military, so they had a habit of eating fast. They ramped up their speed intentionally at this moment. ''This chapter is updated by N(o)V(e)lB(i)n.'', He Ning had only finished half a bowl of rice when all the Xia family members finished eating and put down their chopsticks. He Ning looked at his surroundings and put down his chopsticks with some regret. No matter how thick-skinned he was, he could not bring himself to continue eating while so many people from the Xia family were staring at him. Mmm, this is really some culinary skills, He Ning said as he took out a handkerchief and wiped the corners of his mouth. Xia Zhe looked at He Ning proudly and said, Youre welcome. He Ning looked at Xia Zhe and said, Actually, my familys Xiao Mei has better culinary skills. Huo Gao glanced sideways at He Ning and wondered how he could say something like that against his conscience. One time, He Mei had almost poisoned her dog to death when she cooked at home. He Ning might not know it, but Xia Zhe had actually tasted He Meis cooking. One time, He Mei had made a lot of food for Xia Zhe but it was not during a private meeting between the two of them. He Mei knew that Xia Zhe did not want to see her, so she brought the food to the camp for Xia Zhe and his comrades to eat together. At that time, no one knew that the food was made by He Mei. They thought that the enemy had sent spies to infiltrate the camp and they scolded the cookhouse staff for it. Later on, when the cookhouse staff said aggrievedly that the food was from the He familys He Mei, everyone suppressed their anger and stopped talking about the matter. No one wanted to offend the He family over a meal. That day, everyone had no choice but to starve for the entire day. The entire troop still remembered the incident till this day. Oh? I see. If its so delicious, you should eat more then, Xia Zhe said while holding back his laughter. ''Visit (No ve (l)B i n) to read, pls!'', When He Ning saw how Xia Zhe answered him, he knew that he did not manage to fool Xia Zhe and the joke was on him instead. He thought that when he returned home, he should really find a professional chef to teach He Mei so that she could learn how to cook well. Her culinary skills should not be too far off from Qiao Meis. Otherwise, when Xia Zhe and He Mei got married in the future, it might affect their relationship. He Ning had never planned to give up on making Xia Zhe the son-in-law of the He family. As long as He Ning wanted to do something, he would never give up halfway. As for Qiao Mei after she got a divorce, she could go to his place to replace the cook at his house and make medicinal cuisine for him every day. He felt that this was really a good idea, one that would kill two birds with one stone. At the thought of this, He Nings mood improved and he left the Xia family with a smile. As Xia Wen watched He Ning leave, he frowned and said, He must be up to something since hes smiling so widely. He Ning doesnt give up on anything. Xia Wen also knew that the three-year agreement was only a temporary measure. The agreement was not enough to hold He Ning back and prevent him from attacking the Xia family. At most, he would just avoid brazen attacks that directly targeted the Xia family. If the He family had such intentions, so did the Xia family. The Xia family also did not intend to let He Ning off just like that. They had yet to settle scores with him with regard to the earlier incidents, so they had no intention of sitting back and leaving it. After getting bitten by a vicious dog, even if they did not want to beat the dog to death, they would have to punish it and teach it a lesson. How could they let the vicious dog go home in perfect condition? Otherwise, the Xia family could forget about staying in the capital. They would become a joke in the eyes of others and be laughed at before their backs. Hows the situation over there? Xia Mao asked. Eldest Aunt is on her way back. Shell be here soon, Xia Wen said. Xia Mao looked at the big bag of money from He Ning and said, Xia Zhe, take half of the money and give it to your wife, then send the other half back to the He family. Tell your wife that well owe her 50,000 dollars first and well give it to her later. Yes, I understand, Xia Zhe said. Chapter 409 - Something Wrong With the Money Chapter 409: Something Wrong With the Money Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The ginseng was sold for 100,000 dollars and this amount of money belonged to Qiao Mei. However, Zhou Hua would not tell them where she kept the 50,000 dollars she took from He Ning. Although it was Zhou Hua who took the money, the family would have to pay it back on her behalf if she refused to do it. They could not let this matter taint the Xia familys reputation and make them seem like people who default on their debts. Once Zhou Hua revealed the whereabouts of the 50,000 dollars, they would retrieve it and give it to Qiao Mei. The money did not belong to the Xia family. Their part of the payment was the three-year agreement. Xia Zhe carried the money bag upstairs. The women of the Xia family had not finished their meal yet, but when they saw the big bag of money, they immediately lost interest in the food. They had never seen so much money in their lives. An amount of 100,000 dollars was not something that any ordinary family could ever have. Many families would never see so much money in their lives. Wow, Mei Mei. Youre the richest person in the family now. When I have time, you must also bring me into the mountains to dig for ginseng! Xia He said as she laughed. Sure, come and look for me when youre free. Qiao Mei agreed readily. Tan Jing took a look at the money bag and then turned away with much difficulty. She stared fixedly at her rice bowl.?Qiao Mei was clearly only a villager ''?? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???????s, ????s? ??s?? Novel(B) in.??? ?? ?x???????? ??s??? ?????? s????.'', Qiao Mei counted the money happily. As she counted, she felt that something was wrong, as if she had forgotten something. Whats wrong? Is there a problem? Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei in puzzlement. Xia Zhes attention was always on Qiao Me and he could even notice the slightest change in her expression. They had already checked the authenticity of the money in the bag. Out of trust for He Ning, they did not check on the amount. They thought that even if there was any shortfall, it would not be too much, probably in the range of tens of dollars. Qiao Mei did not answer Xia Zhe and quickly ran to the window instead. Seeing that He Ning had not gone far, she opened the window and shouted, Wait a minute! Qiao Meis sweet voice was easily recognizable. He Ning raised his head to look at Qiao Mei on the second floor. Come back! I have something to tell you! With that, Qiao Mei closed the window and ran downstairs with the money bag. Xia Zhe followed closely behind, not knowing what Qiao Mei wanted to do. The other women in the family were also confused by what was happening and stood in the corridor on the second floor to watch the commotion. He Ning walked back leisurely and asked, Whats the matter? Theres something wrong with your money, Qiao Mei said. The Xia family was stunned. He Ning was also confused and did not know what was wrong. He turned to look at Huo Gao. Ive counted the money. Its definitely real, and the amount is correct, Huo Gao said. He was not the one who prepared the money, but he did not want to look bad. He was a person who cared about his reputation. '''', Im not talking about the authenticity or the quantity. I want new money, not old money, Qiao Mei said. He Ning looked at Qiao Mei helplessly.?Was she trying to torture him? And not just any new money. I want specific banknotes. Qiao Mei took out pen and paper and wrote down the denominations that she wanted. Currently, the currency that was in circulation was the countrys third version. Among these, there were a few denominations that would see their values appreciating in the future and becoming very valuable. The real value of an amount of money could be very different after taking into account the denominations it was made up of. An amount of 100,000 dollars consisting of varied denominations might only be worth a little more than 100,000 dollars after 50 years. However, if the currency was changed to the designated denominations she wanted, the future value might even become 10 million dollars. She had learned this piece of information in her other life from a friend who was a collector. He had told her that even an old dime could be worth 70,000 to 80,000 dollars! He Ning took the list from Qiao Mei with a smile. He thought that Qiao Mei was just deliberately making things difficult for him, that after what he had done to the Xia family back then, Qiao Mei was using this opportunity to take revenge. However, she was using such a small matter as a method of taking revenge? She was really just a village girl. Her methods were so childish. Alright, I understand, He Ning said. This was not a difficult task for him. He could just send someone to get it done. Do you have any other requests? He Ning asked. Qiao Mei thought for a moment and said, You can just deduct 50,000 dollars from the 100,000 dollars so that I dont have to send it back to you. I only want brand new currency. The banknotes must be in their original bundles. Dont cut the currency straps. Banknotes in the original bundles with running serial numbers and the banks exclusive currency straps around the notes would be even more valuable. After a few decades, if He Ning found out that he had helped Qiao Mei earn nearly ten million dollars, would he feel distressed? The Xia family members looked on as Qiao Mei talked to He Ning. They did not know what Qiao Mei was planning, but she must have her reasons for doing all these. Alright, He Ning said and turned to leave. However, he did not pick up the money that was on the ground. He could do the exchange tomorrow. Otherwise, it was such a hassle to keep moving the money around. Chapter 410 - Backbone Chapter 410: Backbone Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Back at the nursery, Huo Gao went to brew the medicine personally. If youre worried about security, you can get an iron cage to keep the ginseng. Dont lock it in your safe again, Huo Gao instructed as he brewed the medicine. He Ning rubbed his stomach and agreed in a casual manner. He thought about the meal he had at the Xia familys house. He had a craving for the food again, it was as if he could never have enough of it. It had been a long time since he felt this way. The medicinal cuisine he ate at home tasted terrible. If it was not for someone supervising him at mealtimes, he would not eat any of it at all. In addition, his medicine was very bitter, so he was never in the mood to eat anything and never felt hungry. He did not expect to suddenly develop an appetite now and felt that it must have something to do with the meal that Qiao Mei made. Could it be that someone with good culinary skills could treat his illness? ''This chapter is updated by Nov elB i n'', Little Uncle! Did you manage to get the ginseng? He Mei rushed into the courtyard and asked He Ning excitedly. Yes I did, He Ning said. Thats great! Little Uncle, then you will feel much better soon! He Mei said agitatedly. He Ning was the backbone of the He family. If anything should happen to him, the He familys prestige would definitely be affected. Her father had said so, and so did everyone else. She also knew that without He Ning, she would definitely not be able to marry Xia Zhe. Therefore, she truly hoped that He Ning would stay healthy and be able to live a long life. Little Uncle, the men are ready. When do we start? He Mei asked. He Ning was stunned for a moment. Huo Gao, who was preparing the herbs, was also stunned and quickly stole a glance at He Ning. He also wanted to know exactly how shameless and ruthless He Ning could be. He Ning had only just eaten the food made by that person and now he was able to break up her family. In any case, anyone else with a conscience would not be able to do it. If not for the fact that the He family and the Huo family were old friends and he had known He Ning since they were young, he would not have become friends with He Ning. After a moment of silence, He Ning said to He Mei, Get rid of those people you found. If needed, use money to dismiss them. He Mei was shocked.?Why was he going back on his word? Why! Little Uncle, didnt we agree on this! He Mei screamed. The ear-piercing sound made He Ning very unhappy. He frowned and stared at He Mei. ''New novel chapters are published on Novel-Bin'', He Mei immediately lowered her head and hunched her shoulders. She whispered, Im sorry, Little Uncle I didnt mean to be so loud. I was just a little surprised. He Ning closed his eyes and ignored her. Ill go and get them to leave now. He Mei dawdled as she made her way out of the house. He Ning suddenly opened his eyes and looked at He Mei intently. Wait. Little Uncle, have you changed your mind? He Mei looked at He Ning, hoping to be pleasantly surprised. The displeasure on He Nings face became even more obvious. He said sternly, Youd better not play any tricks behind my back. Get rid of all the people you found. You must not carry out the plan. Dont even dare to give me any excuse. Dont ruin my plans, or else Before He Ning could finish, He Mei already understood what he meant. He Mei had never seen He Ning speak to her in such a harsh manner as she was usually the most favored person in the family. She was so frightened that her face turned pale and she could not even speak properly. I Ill go now Going now. I definitely wont let them go and look for Qiao Mei! He Mei hurriedly ran out to put a stop to their original plan. They had the same goal, and that was to break up Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei. There were many ways to do it and there was no need to take action now. Previously, He Ning had asked He Mei to find a few men to find an opportunity to take a few photos together with Qiao Mei. There was no need to capture Qiao Mei. They just needed to isolate Qiao Mei and take a few photos with her while she was alone. These men were told to approach Qiao Mei and talk to her, and then to take photos of the entire encounter. No one would know exactly what they were talking about but the photos would show a man and a woman behaving in an ambiguous manner. When the time came, Qiao Mei would definitely have a hard time explaining herself. They wanted to create an impression that Qiao Mei had improper relationships with many men. When they released the photos in public, Qiao Meis reputation would be tarnished and the Xia family would become a laughingstock. After that, the Xia family would most likely ask Qiao Mei to leave for the sake of their reputation. Chapter 411 - ncrease Weight to 200 Pounds Chapter 411: Increase Weight to 200 Pounds Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios By doing this, He Ning would be able to reach his goal without violating the three-year agreement. It was Qiao Mei who did not have a good upbringing. The Xia family only suffered embarrassment, but not any substantial damage. Was this considered an attack against the Xia family? Of course not. As long as the Xia family chased Qiao Mei out, the familys reputation would still be preserved. This way, there would be no harm at all. This was originally a flawless plan, but He Ning no longer planned to carry it out. When he met Qiao Mei in the morning, his impression of her was that she was a very scheming person. Tonight, his impression changed when he saw how innocent and naive her revenge method was. People from the countryside were just so lacking in knowledge and experience. If the young lady felt wronged and then hurt herself, where could he find such a good chef? After tasting Qiao Meis cooking, it was no longer possible to eat the food made by the helper at home. The food at home tasted like poison! At the thought of this, He Ning felt a little frustrated. He did not know how long he would have to wait to be able to eat food made by Qiao Mei again. '''', He Mei came back after settling the matter and said, Little Uncle, Ive asked all the people outside to leave. He Ning nodded, then he suddenly thought of something. He looked He Mei up and down. You should handle this matter yourself. Theres no need to get someone else, He Ning said to He Mei. He Mei looked at He Ning in confusion. She did not quite understand what He Ning was saying. Huh? Me? He Mei asked. He Ning nodded in satisfaction and said, Yes, you. The safest thing is to attack Xia Zhe directly. He Mei still did not understand what He Ning meant. Previously, He Ning had said that if she targeted Xia Zhe directly, he was afraid that they would anger the Xia family and both families would suffer losses as a result. That was why they decided to target Qiao Mei in the end. I went to the Xia familys house today and realized that Qiao Mei had a very high status in the Xia family. Just a few photos alone will not be able to affect her position in the hearts of the Xia family. Even if they see the photos, they will still choose to protect her, He Ning said. After all, the ginseng in Qiao Meis hands was a treasure to keep him in check. They would definitely not give up on this granddaughter-in-law, so it was better to make a move on Xia Zhe. Find a way to spend time with Xia Zhe. Its best if you can get pregnant, then Ill think of a way to make Xia Zhe take responsibility, He Ning said. He Mei blushed and muttered to herself, I Little Uncle, what are you talking about Even if I take the initiative, Xia Zhe wont take the bait He Ning looked at He Mei in puzzlement and asked, You have tried it before? He Mei stomped her feet. How could he ask a young lady like her to speak about something like this? However, if she wanted He Ning to help her solve this problem, she had to tell him. '''', There was a time when he went to a mountain villa to settle some matters and I followed him there. When it suddenly rained, we ran into a pavilion to take shelter from the rain. I was drenched and wanted to get close to him for warmth, but he pushed me away. He even ran out alone in the rain to get away from me He Mei said embarrassedly. There was nothing wrong with her doing that, but the main point was that she did not manage to succeed! He Ning was even more puzzled. Although He Mei was not as beautiful as the current Qiao Mei, she was still slender and elegant. She had countless admirers in the capital and had received many marriage proposals all this while. In the past, Qiao Mei used to weigh more than 200 pounds. Even if they met at night, was Xia Zhe blind? Even if he was blind, did he have no sense of touch? Was he unable to feel such a huge mass of flesh? Could it be that Xia Zhe had been drugged at that time? However, the army trained soldiers to be able to know how to resist the effects of drugs and to have a certain level of tolerance for drugs. What kind of drug could make a man be able to function normally even when he was unconscious? Or was it a drug that gave Xia Zhe hallucinations that made him unable to control himself? He had never heard of such a drug before. Or was it because Xia Zhe liked that kind of size in women? His taste was different from others? Yet, now that Qiao Mei had fair skin, was beautiful and had a delicate figure, Xia Zhe did not love her any less. No one could work out how Qiao Mei had gotten her hands on Xia Zhe back then, not even the Xia family members. He Ning looked at He Mei and said, You should eat more and try to increase your weight to more than 200 pounds. You wont be able to succeed now. He Mei looked at He Ning in shock. She wondered if her Little Uncle was joking with her. If she increased her weight to more than 200 pounds, even the other families would ignore her, not just Xia Zhe. This was simply asking her to die! Chapter 412 - You Must Take the Initiative Chapter 412: You Must Take the Initiative Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios He Ning paced around the room and He Mei did not dare to disturb him. She knew that her uncle was thinking of a solution. You didnt manage to succeed because you werent bold enough! You have to be more proactive! He Ning said to He Mei. He Ning felt that Xia Zhe did not seem to have that kind of special taste in women. The reason why Qiao Mei could succeed was definitely because she was proactive enough. Xia Zhe did not look like a lecherous person at all. Although Qiao Mei also did not look like she was a lusty woman, it was possible that the young lady, being inexperienced, knew no fear. She might have used some tricks that made Xia Zhe unable to resist her, which allowed her to succeed. Yes, that must be it. Ill find an opportunity to make Xia Zhe lose his mobility and be unable to fight back. When the time comes, you must take the initiative. Once the deed is done, this matter will be settled, He Ning said. ''Follow current novels on No v elBin.'', Seeing that He Mei did not respond for a long time, He Ning asked, You you know what to do, right? The thing that can make you pregnant? He Meis face was so red that it looked as if it could drip blood and she nodded rapidly. She only wanted to quickly move on from this topic and stop talking about it. Huo Gao also did not dare to raise his head as his ears turned red. Could it be that He Ning could not see that he was there? He had known He Ning for so many years, but he did not know that He Ning was so audacious. He could even bring up such a topic so casually, and it was even to his own niece. However, if He Ning did not feel embarrassed, there was no use in others being embarrassed for him. Furthermore, He Ning thought that it was a very good plan and that it could be executed flawlessly as long as He Mei tried hard enough. If He Mei could also manage to get pregnant, then the Xia family would definitely have to give up on Qiao Mei. One of them was a rich young lady whose family had the same status as the Xia family in the capital, and the other was just a girl from an unknown village. Was it not obvious who was more suitable? At most, he would just give Qiao Mei more compensation when that happened. Moreover, as long as this matter was resolved by the He family and Xia family in private, there would not be any problem. Xia Zhe would not be criticized for having a messy private life and it would not affect his career. He would still be able to contribute to the He family in the future. As for Qiao Mei, her reputation would also not suffer any damage. After she gave birth and left her child with the Xia family, she could come to this house to be his chef. This plan would kill two birds with one stone. It was such a good plan, so long as He Mei did not screw it up Youd better dont mess it up! Go and learn more about what to do! Go back and wait for my news, He Ning said. He Mei hurriedly agreed and ran out of He Nings house. ''This chapter is updated by N(o)V(e)lB(i)n.'', Huo Gao also finally got all the herbs ready and ran to the pharmacy to brew the medicine. He Ning watched Huo Gao leave and then looked at the time. It was already two hours later than usual, but he did not feel any headaches or heart palpitations today. He felt much better than yesterday. He Ning took out the piece of paper Qiao Mei had written from his pocket and looked at it carefully from beginning to end. The handwriting on the paper was neat but there were still some incongruities. Occasionally, a prominent stroke would ruin the overall beauty of the handwriting, but one could clearly see the style of the person who wrote it. He Ning looked at the words on the paper and felt a little emotional. He heard that Qiao Mei had never gone to school, and that Qiao Qiang was also not very educated and only knew a few words. It seemed that this village girl had really put in a lot of efforts to improve herself. The reality was quite different from the results of his investigation. He Ning called out to his attendant and instructed, Prepare everything according to whats written here. It must be brand new banknotes in the original bundles. The food stamps also need to be brand new. And get some specially issued food stamps as well. Get as many as you can. He Ning was afraid that his attendant would not be able to remember the instructions, so he wrote down Qiao Meis verbal requests on the back of the piece of paper and handed it over. His attendant was very efficient and completed the task in the time it took to brew the medicine. He came back in a large truck, with all the required items filling up the entire truck. The attendant was not able to find many new banknotes in the original bundles, but he managed to find a lot of dimes which occupied a lot of space. Why is it so full? He Ning asked as he looked at the truck parked at the door. I cant find many banknotes that can meet the requirements. The truck is full of dimes which take up a lot of space, the attendant said. He Ning briefly looked at the different items and confirmed that whatever Qiao Mei wanted was there. He then asked his attendant to count the quantity again. He was somebody who could not allow any mistakes. Chapter 413 - Money in Exchange for Goods Chapter 413: Money in Exchange for Goods Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Third Master, come and drink your medicine, Huo Gao shouted from the room while holding a bowl of medicine. He Nings medicine had to be taken while it was still hot. Otherwise, the effect of the medicine would not work that well. He Ning frowned as he looked at the medicine in Master Huos hands. The smell was pungent and bitter. It was worlds apart from the food he just ate tonight. Just bear with it. Huo Gao handed the medicine to He Ning. He Ning finished the medicine in one gulp and then sat in the rocking chair, thinking about everything that happened today. Although he had promised Qiao Mei that he would see her tomorrow, he could not wait that long. He had always liked to do things earlier than needed. He could not stop thinking about the mysterious fragrance in the Xia familys house. It was a scent that he had never encountered before. He must bring it home as soon as possible so that he could smell it every day. Men! Lets go to the Xia residence now! Immediately! He Ning put on a trench coat and called out to his subordinates to drive to the Xia familys house that night. '' The Xia family did not find it strange that He Ning had returned to their house so quickly. That was the kind of person he was and he never dragged things out. Whoever offended him would definitely face revenge on the spot. He did not leave things undone overnight. There were only womenfolk in the Xia familys house now. The men had all been called away by Xia Jun in a mysterious manner. Xia Zhe had guessed that He Ning would definitely return tonight and had instructed Qiao Mei to be careful before he left with Xia Wen. Qiao Mei asked the rest of the women to help her count the money. She told them that it was enough to just count the number of bundles. If it had been possible, Qiao Mei would have wanted them to wear gloves to do the counting. After all, the future value of touched and untouched bundles were different. However, doing so now was simply too unconventional. It would not be worth it if it aroused He Nings suspicion. Qiao Mei counted the food stamps patiently. They were worth 980 catties in total, no more no less. Qiao Mei also took out Xia Zhes food stamps worth 1,000 catties and handed them to He Ning. The attendant went forward to receive the things that Qiao Mei handed over. Did you manage to find the special food stamps for use on planes and trains? Qiao Mei asked He Ning with a smile. She was not shy about demanding things from He Ning. Not long ago, this person had tried to ruin her reputation and even got someone to dig up the foundation of her family house. He had even sat down uninvited at the table for dinner. She did not feel embarrassed at all about asking for a few food stamps. Moreover, what she asked for were useless stamps that were not worth much. The attendant returned to the truck and brought back a large sack. When Qiao Mei saw the sack, her eyes immediately lit up. Was it really that many or was it her imagination Could it really be the food stamps that she had dreamed of! He placed the sack on the ground and opened it up. It was filled with special food stamps for use on trains, ships and planes. These were things from more than 10 years ago and had not been in use for a long time. He Ning looked at the excited Qiao Mei and felt very puzzled. These things were not like the national food stamps that could still be used anywhere. It was just a pile of waste paper. ''.'', You Do you know that these stamps are useless? They cant be used. You know that, right? He Ning reminded her in a kind manner. Qiao Mei nodded and said, I know. Im going to use them as burning materials. Why? He Ning looked at Qiao Mei in silence. He did not believe her at all. There was something strange about this matter and he decided to pay more attention to it in the future. This young lady was really strange. She was indeed different from others. It was like the issue of the money for the payment. She insisted on getting the amount in small change, although others would have been overjoyed to see the banknotes that he originally prepared. She had been so excited to see the pile of dimes but had turned up her nose at the earlier money bag containing 100,000 dollars Could it be that she was once a fatty and so she liked everything that was big? Looking at the strange look in He Nings eyes, Qiao Mei knew that he was up to no good. She picked out a few pots of flowers for him to take away, without even asking him which pot he was most interested in. Qiao Mei looked at He Ning and said, What you wanted earlier are these 10 pots of flowers on the ground floor. Ill give them all to you. The flowers upstairs are not included though. He Ning sniffed carefully. The smell was very faint, so it definitely could not be coming from the second floor. No need to include those upstairs, He Ning said. Then do a check on these 10 pots of flowers to make sure theyre the ones you want. Just to be very clear that we havent swapped them out. Qiao Mei pointed at the flowers and checked with him. He Ning took a glance at Qiao Mei. This young lady was really quite meticulous. Thats right, these are the ones. He had already checked these pots of flowers carefully and confirmed that they had not been swapped. Good. In that case, since youve confirmed it, then were square now. Money in exchange for goods. Weve also counted the money. Theres 50,000 dollars here, Qiao Mei said with a smile. Chapter 414 - Stay for a Meal Chapter 414: Stay for a Meal Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The other womenfolk of the Xia family were also in the house. Her mother-in-law, sister-in-law, aunt-in-law and Xia Zhes elder sister were all there. He did not expect that she, the youngest among them, would be the one to negotiate with him. He could see that Xu Lan and Liu Fen both wanted to say something, but could not find a way to take part in the conversation. Qiao Mei handled this matter in a manner that was neither servile nor overbearing, and with a sense of propriety. They could not find any fault with how she handled him and their help was not needed at all. This was what a daughter-in-law of an aristocratic family should be like. Even He Mei had not learned the tiniest bit from him after learning from him for a few years. He Ning was now even more determined to break the couple up. If Qiao Mei stayed in the Xia family, the family would go from strength to strength very soon and there would be no place for the He family in the future. After everything was settled, He Ning left. Actually, He Ning did not want to leave. He could smell something cooking in the kitchen. The Xia family must be making supper. What are you having for supper? He Ning asked. His words stunned everyone in the room. Qiao Mei had never seen such a thick-skinned person. ''Visit (Mybo x novel. com) to read, pls!'', Whatever were eating tonight has nothing to do with Mr. He. This is our private matter. Qiao Mei pointed at the door and said, Take care, Mr. He. Its not convenient for us, so we wont be sending you off. In her other life, Qiao Mei was quite a charming woman and there were many men who tried to woo her. Therefore, she was very skilled at rejecting people. If the other party had the cheek to ask for something, she also had the cheek to reject him heartlessly. He Ning was also stunned. This was the first time in decades that someone did not give in to his whims. Alright then. Goodbye. He Ning left the Xia family regretfully. The other party had already rejected him forcefully. It would be too shameless for him to insist on staying. Moreover, there were only women in the house and it would not be good if word got out. Wait a minute! Mr. He! Qiao Mei shouted as she looked at his retreating back. He Ning thought that Qiao Mei had felt that her words were too harsh and that she had offended him, and so she wanted to ask him to join them for supper. Are you still eating fish tonight? Or did you make a new dish? He Ning immediately turned around and looked at Qiao Mei with a wide smile. The speed at which he changed his expression even stunned his attendant. No I just want to say that Ill give you all the flowers upstairs as well, Qiao Mei said. Qiao Mei did feel a little sorry, but not about rejecting his request for supper. Instead, she felt uneasy about exchanging so many food stamps for only 10 pots of ordinary flowers and plants. Furthermore, if He Ning returned home and then concluded that the smell he wanted did not come from the flowers on the first floor, he might return to ask for the flowers and plants on the second floor. She might as well give him all the flowers now, rather than run the risk of that happening. '''', He Ning looked at Qiao Mei in disappointment and asked his attendant to deal with the flowers while he returned to the car. He did not expect Qiao Mei to really reject him. Qiao Mei asked He Nings attendant to wait downstairs while she and Xia He went to the second floor to bring down the flowers and plants. Xia He was already starting to be full of admiration for Qiao Mei. Due to He Nings reputation, she did not really dare to deal with him. Although they were around the same age, she could not deal with He Ning the way that Xia Wen did. She felt as if they were not on the same level. If He Ning had told her that he wanted to stay for supper, she would not have dared to refuse. She did not expect Qiao Mei to be so unrelenting. There were only three pots of flowers upstairs which were similar to the flowers downstairs. There were some peonies and jasmine and there was nothing special about them. Qiao Mei had not taken any special care of these flowers in the Xia familys house. Perhaps the energy that Qiao Mei unintentionally emitted had been absorbed by these flowers and plants, so they bloomed well. However, they only looked a little better than flowers everywhere else and did not have any special powers. Qiao Mei did not feel any pinch in giving them away. If Xu Lan wanted to grow flowers, she would go and buy a few pots of nice ones for her. After the flowers were given away, the Xia familys house quieted down. Everyone was tired after a long day. It was all because she would rather have dimes than banknotes. There were so many that the truck almost could not hold all the coins. Could it be that Qiao Mei wanted to use the dimes to buy candy and ice cream? Then there were also so many food stamps. Although they would have a little advantage by exchanging local food stamps for national food stamps, was the Xia family lacking these food stamps worth a few hundred catties? Could it be that she really planned to use the bags of food stamps as burning materials! Qiao Mei was unable to explain these things to them and just moved everything into her room. She stood at the door and looked at the room that was filled with sacks of food stamps and money. These things would be worth hundreds of millions of dollars in the future. Just thinking about it made her very happy. Lets eat braised pork tonight! Its a reward for everyone! Chapter 415 - Sending Gifts Chapter 415: Sending Gifts Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios He Ning and his attendant did not go far. Instead, they stood just outside the wall of the Xia familys house. Not long after, they could smell a nice fragrance coming from the kitchen. The attendant secretly swallowed his saliva. Now he understood why He Ning was unwilling to leave the Xia familys house.?However, did He Ning intend to just stand outside the wall and smell the fragrance? Of course, He Ning did not just want to smell it. He was waiting for the men of the Xia family to return home and then follow them in to eat with them. The men would be too embarrassed to reject him, right? However, by the time the sky was completely dark and they could hear the sound of dishes being washed inside the house, the men of the Xia family still had not returned. After being in He Nings employment for so many years, this was the first time that the attendant felt that He Ning was behaving illogically. The situation was so awkward that he did not know what to say. The night air was chilly and it would be disastrous if He Ning fell sick. Sir they probably have something on and wont be coming back tonight. Or perhaps theyre just ganging up to bully you! Why dont we go back? the attendant said mindfully. He Ning shook his head and said, Forget it, lets go. The two of them silently got into the car parked at the corner and went home. He Ning left in a state of exasperation. ''New novel chapters are published on Novel-Bin'', The first thing he did when he reached home was to smell the 13 pots of flowers one by one to see which one contained the smell he wanted. However, even after he checked them carefully a few times, none of them had what he wanted. As expected He Ning looked at the flowers and smiled. He knew that Qiao Mei would not be so compliant as to hand over what he wanted. She must have hidden the pot of special flowers. No wonder she was so meticulous when he was about to leave. However, she did say that she had already given him all the flowers in the house. Could it be that the smell was not from flowers but from spices? Qiao Mei must have known where the smell he wanted came from and how important it was to him. Yet, she deliberately asked for food stamps in exchange for the flowers so as to distract and mislead him. This young lady was really scheming and he found that interesting. After drinking his medicine, He Ning prepared to go to bed. He already felt much better after taking the ginseng. As for the 13 pots of flowers, they actually smelled quite good and he decided to leave them around. They looked better than his original flowers anyway. Xia Zhe only managed to rush home in the middle of the night. After quietly washing up downstairs, he returned to his room and carefully crawled into bed. Qiao Mei woke up immediately and sat up to ask, Hurry up and give me a report. Where did you go and what did you do? As she sniffed carefully, she could detect the smell of soil and muttered softly, Did the three generations of you go digging a tunnel? When Xia Zhe heard this, he was so amused that he laughed. He pulled Qiao Mei into his arms and said, Are you a puppy? Why is your nose so sensitive? You really went to dig a tunnel! Did you guys go to shift everything under the house? Qiao Mei asked as she looked at Xia Zhe in shock. No, those people wont be able to come by anymore. Its all our own people at the house now, Xia Zhe said. ''??? ????? ???????s ??? ?????s??? ?? N(ov)elBin'', Recently, many people had gone digging at the courtyard house at night. After digging for a few days without finding anything, many of them had left. They were also afraid of causing the front yard to collapse or that they would dig out the groundwater again. Now, there were only their own people at the house. They had sent people in disguise to hide among the crowd. Then where did you guys go? Qiao Mei asked curiously. Xia Zhe smiled proudly and said, We went to dig under the He familys house! Qiao Mei did not know how to express her feelings for a moment.?So it turned out that Xia Zhes grandfather had asked them out in such a hurry to dig under the He familys house while He Ning was not at home? So its a diversion tactic. Then what did you dig up? Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe with bright shiny eyes. If the Xia family had so many hidden treasures, then the He family must have a lot more. However, Qiao Mei got it wrong this time. They did not dig up He Nings house. Instead, they had gone to the He familys ancestral home, where they knew they would be able to find interesting things. There were many hidden guards looking after He Nings house and it was very difficult for people to enter. He Guo had long moved into his own house and no longer stayed in the ancestral home. The He familys ancestral home was vacant at the moment. Theres nothing in He Nings own courtyard. We went to their ancestral home, Xia Zhe said. Qiao Mei asked, Then did you manage to dig something out? No, we put something inside, Xia Zhe said. Qiao Mei was even more shocked when she heard this. It made sense to her though. If they really had gone digging around, they would definitely not be able to find anything valuable within such a short period of time. Xia Zhes hand wandered all over Qiao Meis body. During this period of time, Qiao Meis figure had filled out more and more. Xia Zhe enjoyed the feel of her smooth skin, gentle curves, as well as her voluptuous bosom. Xia Zhe leaned against Qiao Meis neck and sniffed greedily at the scent that only belonged to Qiao Mei. Chapter 416 - A Masterpiece Chapter 416: A Masterpiece Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios We didnt go there to investigate. Instead, we thought of a way to give him something, Xia Zhe said. Qiao Mei slapped away the hand that was wandering all over her body. Her heart ached at the thought that they might have given away some treasure that would be priceless in the future. Xia Zhe and the others did not understand how things would develop in the future and would not know the value of the things they sent. What a pity. Is whatever you sent very valuable? Is it something from our house? Which masters calligraphy and painting is it, or is it antique porcelain ware? Tell me quickly, Im getting so anxious, Qiao Mei said with heartache. Even if these things were dug up, He Ning would definitely do a careful check on whether the soil on the surfaces had been touched by anyone else. If the soil on the items was not old soil, then this matter would be exposed. ''???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? N ovelBi(n)'', Even if He Ning did not manage to investigate this matter in time, the items would still be kept away. Yet, items that seemed worthless now might be worth millions or even tens of millions of dollars in the future. In a few years time, everything that was seized would be registered. If the items managed to survive those few years, they would be returned to their rightful owners when they were found later. With the He familys ability, it would be easy for them to be able to retain their things. At that time, He Ning would be sitting on a windfall. Qiao Mei tossed and turned in bed. She had just ripped off a large sum of money from He Ning, but in the blink of an eye, Xia Zhe and the others had gone off to send money back to He Ning. Whats wrong? Who made our Mei Mei so angry? Xia Zhe reached out and gently tapped Qiao Meis nose. Xia Zhe reached out and hugged Qiao Mei gently. He took a deep breath to calm his restless heart and said slowly, Are you thinking about what we sent? Yes. What if the things you sent turned out to be quite valuable? Qiao Mei pouted and said. Previously, when Qiao Mei was actively buying up antiques, Xia Zhe had asked her about it once. Most of the antiques for sale on the market were officially registered and approved for sale and purchase. Even if such things were kept at home, as long as the owners had receipts, it was not a big deal and no one would report it. Xia Zhe had wondered why Qiao Mei seemed to think that all those worthless things were treasures.?Could it be that she bought them and took them home just because they looked pretty? Qiao Mei patiently explained to him what it meant for things to appreciate in value over time and what it meant by value being driven up by scarcity. Xia Zhe listened but did not quite understand the concept. After all, he thought that there was nothing good about old things.?Was it not a fact that people only like new things??However, he thought that whatever Qiao Mei said was always right. ''New novel chapters are published on Novel-Bin'', Dont worry, were only sending a few old items that He Ning is familiar with. The things are not from our family, Xia Zhe said. A long time ago, the Jiang and He families were both in the military, just like the Xia family. At that time, the three families got on very well. However, as Old Master Jiang and Old Master He had grown up together, they were particularly close to each other. Later on, during the tumultuous times, the He family had found it hard to retain their official status, so they decided to retire and start some business. The Jiang family was also weak and had no backing, so they retired as well to work together with the He family. Later on, the relationship between the two families became better and better. They enlisted together again later and donated their assets together. Unexpectedly, He Nings father suddenly passed away one day, and the harmonious days came to an end. After having his son die earlier than him, Old Master He also passed away not long after. At that time, out of the three children in the He family, the eldest child was still in school and the youngest was still learning how to talk. There were very few people in the He family, and they did not have many relatives as well. Old Master Jiang could not bear to see the children being without their parents, so he helped them out in every way possible. However, he could only solve the problems in their daily lives. As the days passed and the children were about to start working, an argument broke out. Why would there be conflicts? Dont we all rely on our own abilities? Besides, if Im helping you out of goodwill, I dont owe your family anything, Qiao Mei asked curiously. Xia Zhe stroked Qiao Meis head and explained, At that time, the Jiang family was not a prominent family. They just had a bit more money than others. The Jiang family only had that much resources, and the children and grandchildren from both families were about the same age, so the Jiang family must have made arrangements for their own children first. The children of the Jiang family were not close to the children of the He family. As Old Master Jiang doted on the He family too much, the children and grandchildren of the Jiang family were jealous and unwilling to befriend them. Chapter 417 - Past Events Are Like Smok Chapter 417: Past Events Are Like Smoke Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The Jiang family rendered help for so many years. Even if they didnt achieve much, they still deserved credit for their efforts. Dont tell me the He family turned on them because of work issues? Are the He family members all ingrates? Qiao Mei scolded indignantly. People die in pursuit of wealth, like how birds die in pursuit of food. People always want to get the share they think they deserve. Moreover, the He family kept feeling that there was something strange about the death of He Nings father, Xia Zhe said. Didnt they say he died of illness? Qiao Mei asked Xia Zhe in surprise. Xia Zhe did not understand everything that happened either. At that time, he was still young. However, Xia Wen had told him before that He Nings father did not pass away at home, but that he had an accident on a business trip. Old Master Jiang was originally supposed to be the one going on this business trip. ''New novel chapters are published on Novel-Bin'', We dont know what exactly happened. At that time, the news was very strictly suppressed. Even my grandfather doesnt know the exact details. Probably only the Jiang family and the He family know how He Nings father died. All we know is that something suddenly happened to the Jiang family after that and their family was broken up overnight. Old Master Jiang was also beaten up until he was on his last breath. Later on, he passed away as he was too badly injured to be saved. The rest of his descendants also suffered serious injuries and they later fled to different places, Xia Zhe said. At that time, Xia Zhe and Xia Wen were at the scene in person and saw with their own eyes the realities of human nature. Qiao Mei was stunned. She could not believe that Old Master Jiang had been beaten to death.?Was there no law and order in place? Qiao Mei sat up in disbelief and looked at Xia Zhe as she asked, Doesnt anyone care that this happened? And they just let these people do whatever they want. Xia Zhe shook his head. Too many people had rushed in then and no one knew who was involved. In addition, everyone felt that the Jiang family deserved their fate and was unwilling to testify, so there was no investigation done on the matter. Someone reported that the Jiang family colluded with the enemy and committed treason in the past, and that they even engaged in opportunistic speculation. Each one of these accusations is a serious crime on its own, Xia Zhe said. Opportunistic speculation meant the act of buying and selling items in private, which was not allowed in that era. The ancestors of the Jiang family were all former soldiers. Many of these ancestors worked in the armory and some of them even knew how to make weapons and had a unique love for firearms, so they also collected a lot of weapons in private. However, as the Jiang family became smaller and the family members went on deployments all year round, they lost the skills of making firearms and only continued to collect them as part of their hobby. Most of the firearms in their collection were unique to other countries. This later became the key evidence of the Jiang family being in collusion with the enemy and committing treason. The opportunistic speculation part was that the Jiang family bought and sold weapons and handed weapons over to enemy states in exchange for money. There were even people who surmised that the Jiang family was making prototypes of weapons used by the nations army for enemy states to carry out research. As news spread, the truth of the matter became more and more bewildering, and the Jiang family was accused of more and more crimes. '''', Although there was no proof behind the initial slander, there was indeed a box full of an enemy states country-specific ordnance dug up from under the Jiang familys house. If it was not bought from someone, where did it come from? Could it be that the Jiang family had made the same ordnance used by the enemy state out of thin air? No one would buy the story. At that time, there were a number of extremely paranoid people who rushed in indiscriminately and said that they wanted to beat the traitors to death. They said that the Jiang family members were sinners and should be arrested and executed to serve as an example to others. In their eyes, the truth was not important. What was important was that as long as these things appeared in someones house, that person would be the enemy and they would have to eliminate the enemy. Old Master Jiang was already old then and not in good health. There were many assailants and they attacked quickly and ruthlessly. As if they were targeting him, he was directly pressed to the ground and made immovable. Then he was punched, kicked and verbally abused. Just like that, he was surrounded by a big group of people. By the time the other Jiang family members rushed in to save Old Master Jiang, he was already on the ground and on his last breath. He did not even have the strength to explain himself, so the entire matter was hastily concluded on the spot. In the end, they did not even manage to send him to the hospital in time. Before they even reached the door, Old Master Jiang had already died with his grievance unsolved. The Jiang family was helpless in this matter. In order to protect themselves, they pushed all the blame to Old Master Jiang and only then did they manage to protect the descendants of the Jiang family. After all, as long as there was life, there was hope. It was much better than having their entire family die. As long as the descendants of the Jiang family were still alive, the truth would be revealed one day. A few of the other members of the Jiang family were taken away and locked up while others were sent to the labor camps for rehabilitation. A few luckier ones escaped from the capital and their whereabouts were still unknown till date. This matter had long been forgotten by people over time, and even the Xia family only remembered the Jiang family now that there was a need. Chapter 418 - Destroyed Marriage Chapter 418: Destroyed Marriage Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei pondered over the details. What happened to the Jiang family was exactly the same as what happened at their courtyard house not long ago. They were both cases of wrongful accusations. This matter was done by He Ning? Qiao Mei asked hesitantly. Xia Zhe nodded and said, Thats right. He was the one who reported it. At that time, everyone was looking for the person who reported the Jiang family. By right, if the Jiang family was doing something like that, they would have covered up their tracks very well. Furthermore, they did not have any enemies. Who would be willing to offend someone like that for no reason? Later on, it was He Ning himself who came forward and admitted that he was the one who did it. The Jiang family raised them for so many years and yet theyve turned around to bite the hand that feeds them and return kindness with ingratitude. Arent they afraid that the neighbors will gossip behind their backs? How dare he admit to it? Qiao Mei said. Compared to being criticized, hes more willing to do whatever it takes to achieve his goals, Xia Zhe said with a sneer. Thats true. Qiao Mei could see He Nings character more clearly now. ''This chapter is updated by N(o)V(e)lB(i)n.'', At that time, he described in detail what he saw at the Jiang familys house. He even said that the Jiang family gave him a sum of money to keep quiet about this matter, and that he reported them out of a guilty conscience, Xia Zhe said. As if he could have a guilty conscience? He Ning would probably think that he had executed the move well and even felt smug about it. So youre going to do the same thing now? Let He Ning suffer the consequences of his actions? Qiao Mei asked. She felt that such a plan was a little inappropriate and too crude. A meticulous person like He Ning would not fall for it. Besides, this was He Nings usual trick and no one was more familiar with it than him. Were not the ones doing it. Were just helping to make the arrangements, Xia Zhe said with a smile. Im guessing that you must have made an anonymous report, but will He Ning let someone into their house? Elder brother told me before that He Ning was involved in politics when he was still in good health. He still has a lot of connections. Qiao Mei was a little worried. We found the descendants of the Jiang family from back then, Xia Zhe said. Who is it? Isnt everyone from the Jiang family in hiding? How did you find them? This must be something youve been plotting for a very long time! Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe in surprise. It seemed that they had long made preparations to counterattack the He family. Back then, the Jiang family also helped us a lot. Weve always wanted to help them secretly, but theyve managed to hide themselves very well. There was no news from them at all and we only found them recently, Xia Zhe said. If He Ning could make up a story back then, then so could the Jiang family. They just needed to reverse the roles of the characters in the story. '', Qiao Meis eyes lit up. Then are they willing to come out and testify? After hiding for so many years, they should be living a peaceful life now. Why would they give up their current peace and quiet to fight the He family for us? If they dont come out to testify, then their descendants will all have to continue to live their lives hiding like rats in the gutter. The Jiang family will come forward for the sake of their descendants, Xia Zhe said. It made more sense for the Jiang family to make the accusation and submit the report. Every injustice had its own perpetrator. Then whos the one coming forward this time? Qiao Mei asked curiously. This person must be a heavyweight. Its the son of Jiang Yan, the eldest son of the Jiang family. His name is Jiang Shu. Eldest Aunt was the one who made the arrangements. They all just returned yesterday and hes probably already in the courtyard of the He familys old house. Xia Zhe seemed a little emotional when he said this. The reason why Xia Xiu remained single was also related to this matter. Xia Xiu joined the army when she was very young. One year, she met the second son of the Jiang family, Jiang Jin. The two of them helped each other out on the battlefield and subsequently developed feelings for each other. At that time, Xia Xiu was already very outstanding and decisive at work and did not behave like a 19-year-old girl at all. She would only lower her guard and reveal her innocent side when she was with Jiang Jin. Then did Eldest Aunt end up with him? Qiao Mei asked. No, Eldest Aunt also had no choice at that time, Xia Zhe said regretfully. Later on, Jiang Jins family arranged for him to go home and inherit the family business and the two young people could only correspond via letters. Xia Xiu had only just managed to receive the blessing from Xia Jun and Wu Min to get married when that disastrous event happened to the Jiang family not long after. At that time, the Xia family was still a family of nobodies and did not have the ability to help the Jiang family. Moreover, the entire issue was so serious that no one could fully protect them. Xia Xiu had no choice but to give up on this marriage and she remained single for the rest of her life. Over the years, she continued to secretly investigate Jiang Jins whereabouts. Chapter 419 - Use Both Hard and Soft Tactics Chapter 419: Use Both Hard and Soft Tactics Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios If it was not Xia Xiu who had gone to look for them, the Jiang family would not have dared to make an appearance so easily. The crimes that they were accused of were very serious ones. With such charges hanging over the Jiang family, they would be looked down upon for the rest of their lives. The foundation and reputation that their ancestors had built up over the years had been destroyed in one day. Not only did this matter affect the reputation of their ancestors, even the descendants of the Jiang family were affected. They would never be able to join the military or enter politics, and could only do odd jobs to support their families. In exchange for their reappearance this time, the Xia family had offered to do their best to ensure the safety of the Jiang family members and give them the chance to tell the truth about what happened back then and to seek redress. Even if that could not be done, the Xia family would ensure that the Jiang family members could escape unscathed and start their lives afresh elsewhere with new identities. Part of the reason why the Jiang family was willing to testify was also because of Xia Xiu. Back then, they were the ones who had let Xia Xiu down. For the sake of being with Jiang Jin, Xia Xiu even almost had a falling out with the Xia family. She even asked Xia Jun to remove her from their family tree so that she was no longer a member of the Xia family. Xia Mao was so angry that he knocked Xia Xiu out on the same day of the Jiang familys incident, marking the end of her marriage plans. It was hard to say if it would have been a good marriage, but to the rest of the Xia family, it was an ill-fated relationship. '''', In order to make it up to the Jiang family, Xia Mao and Xia Jun had gone around asking for information about them but both of them gave up in the end as they could not find anything. Only Xia Xiu persisted over the years. This time, the Jiang family had brought along some strong evidence from back then. The things that were currently buried in the He familys courtyard were from the same batch as what was dug up from the Jiang familys house back then. In those years, the Jiang family had kept their things in many places and only one place had been dug up. This time, when the Xia family went to look for the Jiang family to discuss countermeasures, they had brought out another thing to return to He Ning. Qiao Mei finally figured out the ins and outs of this matter. He Ning really deserved what he got. She had thought that He Ning was only ruthless but not to the extent of killing people. She did not expect him to be worse than she imagined. In accordance with the plans of the Jiang and Xia families, there were already people at the He familys old house, getting ready to start digging. Qiao Mei ran barefoot to the wardrobe to find a set of thicker clothes to wear. It was still early in the morning and the dew was heavy, so it was still a little cold. Xia Zhe frowned and lifted Qiao Mei in his arms. He said sternly, Youre not wearing shoes! What if you catch a cold like this! Its the middle of the night, why are you looking for clothes instead of going to sleep? Of course it was to join in the fun! Qiao Mei put her arms around Xia Zhes neck obediently and said, I I want to go and watch watch the sunrise! Yes! To watch the sunrise! ''???? ????s? ???????s ?? No(v) e lBin ????.'', Xia Zhe carried Qiao Mei back to the bed helplessly.?What sunrise was she talking about? She clearly wanted to go and catch the show! Qiao Mei suddenly remembered that the Xia family had just made a three-year agreement with He Ning earlier today.?Were they going back on their word by doing this? Moreover, if they turned up before the news spread about the He family, He Ning would definitely deduce that this matter had something to do with the Xia family. In the future, He Ning would definitely use this matter as a basis to take revenge on the Xia family. He would even use the fact that there was a three-year agreement to talk about the Xia family being treacherous people. However, she really wanted to see He Nings expression when he encountered such a situation. He was usually the one who plotted against others. She wondered how he would feel to be the one plotted against. Even in the dark night, Xia Zhe could see the sparkle in Qiao Meis eyes, making him yearn for her. He could not help himself from leaning down to kiss her gently, behaving like he was her most devout follower. During such a romantic moment, Qiao Meis mind was preoccupied with the drama that she wanted to watch and she did not care about what Xia Zhe was doing. Xia Zhe looked at the non-responsive Qiao Mei and pursed his lips. Young girl, what are you thinking about? Hurry up and go to sleep. Its almost dawn. Ill go over to the He familys house after you fall asleep. Qiao Mei leaned forward and planted a kiss on Xia Zhes face and said fawningly, Big brother~ Just bring me along~ Ill think of a random reason to explain why Im there. Just say that I lost my way! Or that I want to take a walk! Otherwise, how about I just watch from afar? Xia Zhe remained silent. Things would get very serious later and he might not be able to watch out for Qiao Mei. The Xia family members needed to be there to lend support to the Jiang family. Please~ Just bring me along~ Qiao Mei held Xia Zhes arm and rocked it gently. This was the first time Xia Zhe had seen Qiao Mei acting so coquettishly with him, but this was not a reason to give in to her request.?What if something unexpected happened??However, he could not bear to reject her coldly. Chapter 420 - I Don’t Want to Be a Helpless Chapter 420: I Dont Want to Be a Helpless Woman Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Believe me, I can definitely take good care of myself. I wont go in and I wont even stand at the door. Ill just stand a distance away or even at the door of the He familys next-door neighbor! What do you think~ Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe eagerly. As long as she was in the area near the He familys house, she would be able to see what was going on inside. Even after He Ning moved away, the He family still maintained the habit of growing flowers and plants at the house. Every year during the new year period, He Ning would come back for a gathering with his two eldest brothers. For the sake of He Nings health, they had always maintained the house based on what He Ning needed. They were worried that any changes might cause He Ning to fall ill if he suddenly came for a visit. Qiao Mei had found out that she could now use plants to see things within a six-kilometer radius. However, if she wanted to see clearly, she had to do it within a range of 500 meters. Otherwise, she would not be able to see or hear clearly as there would be very serious noise interference. Xia Zhe said gently, What if whats going to happen today turns out exactly the same as what happened to the Jiang family 10 years ago? Be good and stay at home. Ill be back to accompany you soon. Im not that weak! I wasnt even afraid when the earthquake happened back then! This is such a small matter! Qiao Mei said. ''Visit (No ve (l)B i n) to read, pls!'', Xia Zhe frowned and said, This is different from what happened that time. The last time, it was an unavoidable natural disaster and there were very few people around. I was also by your side. This time round, if there are many people fighting in the He familys house, how can I protect you? What if you get pushed around and fall down? What if He Ning holds you hostage? Xia Zhe could already imagine countless scenarios where Qiao Mei could get injured and did not dare to think further. He would not bring Qiao Mei along so that she would not get hurt at all. But if I dont face these things, how can I protect our children? Qiao Mei said as she looked at Xia Zhe with a serious expression. Second Aunt-in-law and Third Aunt-in-law just take care of their children by staying at home. Even my mother never cares about such things. Theyre all doing fine! Weve all grown up well! Xia Zhe felt so anxious that he stood up. Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe and felt a little shaken. She was not a helpless woman who could only stay at home to take care of the family. Xia Zhe also realized that he had spoken too harshly and quickly explained, Thats not what I mean Im just worried about you Qiao Mei also understood that Xia Zhe had said those words in a moment of anxiety. She held Xia Zhes hand and said, You cant protect me all the time. Besides, He Ning is eyeing us covetously now. You know very well what he wants to do, so I must develop the ability to protect myself and our children. Only then can you feel at ease. He would be returning to the army in half a months time. Given Qiao Meis current condition, she would not be able to join him as a military spouse yet. When she eventually returned to Foshan Village to look for her grandfather, there would also be no one around to protect her. Alright, Ill bring you there. Xia Zhe gave it some consideration and finally decided to bring Qiao Mei with him. '', Qiao Mei immediately jumped up and hung on to Xia Zhe like a koala bear. Xia Zhe could lift Qiao Mei with just one hand. Thats great! My husband is the best! Qiao Mei smiled happily. Lower your voice. No one else is awake yet. If Second Aunt-in-law wakes up, you wont be able to go, Xia Zhe said. Qiao Mei immediately covered her mouth with one hand and said, Yes, yes, yes. We cant be too loud. Lets make a pact first. You can only be next to me and must not leave my side at all. Do you understand? Xia Zhe sat on the bed and allowed Qiao Mei to sit down while straddling him. Qiao Mei wrapped her arms around Xia Zhes neck and said sweetly, I understand! My beloved husband! Qiao Mei was still worried about the three-year agreement. Although this matter would not be discussed publicly, He Ning would definitely take revenge. Then what about our three-year agreement with He Ning? Qiao Mei asked. The three-year agreement? The He family never has any intention of letting us off. Besides, who can prove that the Xia family did this? He Ning still needs to rely on the ginseng to extend his lifespan, so he wont act rashly. Dont worry, Xia Zhe said cunningly. Qiao Mei realized now that the type of conflicts and games of the upper-class society far exceeded her expectations. In her other life, she was a criminal lawyer and had seen many types of grudges held by people, but those paled in comparison with the current situation she was in. Chapter 421 - Lying Again Chapter 421: Lying Again Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios It was not up to her to make any decisions. Since she had come to this world, she had to understand the rules of survival here. Only then could she protect herself and not let others bully her as they pleased, and to make sure that what He Ning did to her would not happen again. Qiao Mei looked at her stomach worriedly, not knowing how much more trouble was waiting for her or her children in the future. She hoped that the children would be safe and could grow up without any worries. She also wished that she could be the one to bear all the hardships on their behalf, unlike the descendants of the Jiang family, who had to experience so much at a young age and were even displaced from their home. It seems that this world is not as simple as I imagined Qiao Mei said, feeling melancholic. Xia Zhe hugged Qiao Mei and said firmly, I will definitely protect you and our children. I wont let you get hurt or suffer. Qiao Mei looked into Xia Zhes determined eyes and said with a smile, I will also protect our home. She must understand the rhythm of this world and master its rules and regulations. Only then could she protect her children, the people she loved and everything she cherished. '''', Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Meis determined gaze. The gentle young girl in his arms had become strong for their family and was willing to go through thick and thin with him. Xia Zhe stroked Qiao Meis stomach gently and said, Alright, well go over there and take a look together. He felt that there would be moments when he could not keep an eye on her, and thought that it would be safer to borrow a few security guards from his father to protect Qiao Mei and avoid any accidents. Xia Zhe coaxed Qiao Mei to sleep for a while more. Otherwise, she would have rushed off to the He familys house immediately even though it was still before dawn. Most of the neighbors in the vicinity were reputable people in the capital and many families had complicated relationships with one another. They all knew that Xia Zhes house had been dug up a few days ago and that the mastermind was the He family. Now that the He familys house was being dug up, there would definitely be people who would come by to ask the Xia family to go and take a look. People would want to see the sparks fly between the two families, so naturally there would be people who would come to look for them immediately when anything happened. As Xia Zhe had expected, someone came to the door as soon as dawn broke. Is anyone there! Is anyone home! Something happened! There was a frantic knocking sound on the door downstairs. Xia Zhe had already been waiting in the living hall for a long time, concerned that the rest of the family would be woken up if someone pressed the doorbell. Whats wrong, auntie? Whats the matter so early in the morning? Xia Zhe wrapped a jacket around himself and pretended to look sleepy as he asked. ''Follow current novels ON N (ovelB in.)'', The neighbor whispered, Xiao Zhe, I see you just got up. I want to tell you that something happened at the He familys house. Hurry up and go take a look. I heard that its not a small matter! Xia Zhe pretended to be shocked and said, Huh? What happened? I heard that they got reported and that someone from the Jiang family had come looking for them! Im just here to tell you that. Im going over first! You guys come quickly! The neighbor hurriedly left after saying that. Xia Zhe watched his neighbor leave and closed the door before calling Xia Mao on the phone. Hello Father, it has already started at the He familys side. The neighbors have also gone over, Xia Zhe said in a low voice. Alright, Ill go over with your elder brother now. After saying that, Xia Mao prepared to hang up. After finishing what they needed to do last night, Xia Wen brought Xia Mao to his house. Tan Jing was staying with Xu Lan now. If they went back so late, it would disturb their rest. He had asked Xia Zhe to go with them, but Xia Zhe was afraid that Qiao Mei would be worried if she waited too long at home for him, so he went back to the house alone. Wait! Can I borrow 10 no, no, no, 20 security guards from you? Xia Zhe asked softly. Xia Mao found it to be a very strange request. Putting aside his own achievements when he was young, Xia Wen was a top army warrior for three years. Xia Zhe did even better than them.?Who would dare to attack the three of them? What do you need so many people for? Xia Mao asked. I Im afraid that the He family will incite a riot. If all the He familys enemies swarm over, we wont be able to stop them. What if they have a backup plan and were outnumbered, Xia Zhe explained haphazardly. Xia Mao thought about it and felt that it made sense. It was better to be safe than sorry. Chapter 422 - Simply Messing Around Chapter 422: Simply Messing Around Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Alright, Ill inform them to go there too. With that, Xia Mao went to make the arrangements. Xia Zhe leaned against the cabinet and heaved a sigh of relief. This was only the second time he had lied to Xia Mao. The first time was when he was young and he lied to Xia Mao that he had finished his homework so that he could go out and play. Later on, his teacher found out and went to look for Xia Mao. After he returned home and got a beating, he did not dare to do it again. When Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei made their way there, the neighbors all glanced at them with a gossipy look in their eyes, as if they were asking whether this matter was done by their family. Xiao Zhe, did you guys do this? a neighbor asked curiously. Everyone looked at Xia Zhe and waited for his answer. Xia Zhe also pretended to look very surprised as he looked at the neighbors around him and asked, Whats going on? I dont even know what happened. I only came here because I heard someone on the street say that something had happened to the He family. What has happened to the He family? What else could it be? Someone reported them, the neighbor said. ''Follow current novels on n0velbin.com.'', Oh my, who? Who dares to report the He family? Xia Zhe looked at the people around him in disbelief. The neighbors all played along with Xia Zhe. After all, they were all of a certain socio-economic status and everyone could tell what Xia Zhe was thinking. Since Xia Zhe wanted to put on an act, they would just play along with him. It was better for them to side with the Xia family than the He family. With the He family, no one knew when they would bite back. I heard that it was someone from the Jiang family who reported them. And its related to that incident back then. Dont you know anything about it given that the Xia family is so resourceful? the neighbor whispered. Hahaha, my wife and I have been resting at home recently. We dont know much about these things, Xia Zhe said with a fake smile. Sigh, didnt everyone from the Jiang family already escape? Why are they back now? Who knows? But theres going to be a good show today. The He family has done many evil things. I guess this can be considered their retribution. Its not certain whos right or wrong in this matter. Who knows what the third son of the He family will do. Youre right The people in the crowd chattered noisily about the past and made their guesses about what was going to happen today. '''', This scene looked very similar to what happened to the Jiang family 10 years ago. Back then, there were also as many people surrounding the house. This incident served as a constant reminder to Qiao Mei to be careful and take every step carefully so that she would not follow in the footsteps of the Jiang family. In aristocratic families, not only did the family members have to learn to protect themselves, but they also had to protect the interests of the family. No one could ever know whether decline or prosperity would come first. The only thing they could do was to play their parts well. Sigh, the Jiang family is really pitiful. Back then, our family had even received help from Old Master Jiang, the neighbor said regretfully. If not for the fact that it was a follow-up to the Jiang familys incident today, many people would not have come over to join in. Old Master Jiang was a sore point in everyones hearts. He had always helped others without asking for anything in return. Many neighbors in the vicinity had received help from Old Master Jiang before, and found it a pity that the heavens were unfair and let evil people get their way. Soon, Xia Mao and Xia Wen rushed over with the security guards. From afar, they could see Xia Zhe waiting for them at the side with that was Qiao Mei! Xia Mao and Xia Wen were both shocked. Xia Mao hurriedly walked forward, pointed at Xia Zhe and berated, Why is Qiao Mei here! Youre simply messing around! What is she doing here! Ever since Qiao Mei married into the family, Xia Mao had always been amiable and had never said anything harsh to her. This was the first time he had behaved like this. Qiao Mei was so frightened that she hid behind Xia Zhe. Xia Maos loud voice was like a clap of thunder. When Xia Mao saw Qiao Mei like this, he also felt that he had spoken a little too harshly just now. After all, Qiao Mei was not a soldier reporting to him. This was a dainty young girl and not one of those rough men in the army. Besides, Qiao Mei was pregnant with the eldest grandchild of the Xia family, so she could not be frightened. It would not be good if it affected her pregnancy. Xia Mao stood rooted to the spot, not knowing how to gently persuade Qiao Mei to go back. After all, he had been speaking sternly for most of his life and never needed to be gentle, so he had no idea how to do it. Only then did he understand that Xia Zhe did not ask for so many security guards as a precautionary measure. Instead, it was to protect Qiao Mei as he was worried that something would happen to her. At this moment, Xia Wen also had a stern expression on his face. He had thought that Xia Zhe was a dependable person and he did not expect him to be so reckless. Chapter 423 - Defend to the Death Chapter 423: Defend to the Death Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios When Qiao Mei saw that Xia Mao was embarrassed, she smiled and said sweetly to him, Im the one who begged Xia Zhe to bring me here as I had trouble sleeping. Father, dont be angry. I just want to come and take a look! When Xia Mao heard that Qiao Mei had trouble sleeping, he quickly asked, Are you not feeling well? Do you want your aunt to come and take a look? When did you start having trouble sleeping? Facing a string of rapid questions, Qiao Mei did not know which one to answer first. Xia Mao turned to look at Xia Zhe and said, Why arent you concerned about Qiao Meis health! How long has she been in this state! Is this how you treat her! Ill call your aunt and ask her to come and take a look. After saying that, he wanted to go to the newspaper stand at the side to call Xia Fang. During this era, there were no mobile phones. Everyone relied on the phone booth or the landline at home to make phone calls. Its nothing, its nothing! Im just tired from all the work at home last night. Ill be fine once I get some rest, Qiao Mei said as she hurriedly stopped Xia Mao. Xia Mao also understood that Qiao Mei was talking about the matter of the food stamps and banknotes. Xia Mao looked at both Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe suspiciously and asked, Are you really feeling well? '''', Im fine, Father. Dont worry, Qiao Mei said with a smile. Seeing how assured Qiao Mei was, Xia Mao felt more at ease. However, he still could not accept the fact that Xia Zhe sneaked out with Qiao Mei, and even lied to him. No one knew if the same tragic situation from 10 years ago would happen today. What if Qiao Mei got a shock, what if she was traumatized, what if Xia Maos mind was filled with the fear that something would happen to Qiao Mei, but since she was already here, there was no time to send her back. The women at home were not awake yet, so he decided to keep her by their sides. The action had already started at the He familys house. You brat! Ill settle the score with you later! Xia Mao still felt worried and went to the newspaper stand to make a phone call. He asked for another 10 security guards to come over to protect Qiao Mei. He wanted to be very careful today and not let anything happen. Now there were a total of 30 security guards, almost enough to make up a company. With so many of them around, it would definitely arouse He Nings suspicions. However, He Nings suspicions were not as important as the safety of his daughter-in-law. Over the phone, Xia Mao ordered them to protect Qiao Mei from a distance not too far away from her. He reiterated that both the inner and outer areas had to be absolutely safe. Nothing must happen to Qiao Mei! Qiao Mei looked at the busy Xia Mao and smiled. It felt so good to be cared for by her family. ''??? ????? ???????s ??? ?????s??? ?? N(ov)elBin'', In less than half an hour, a car arrived at the entrance of an alley not far from the He familys house and 10 people jumped out one after another. Among them, five people quickly disappeared into the crowd in the vicinity, making it impossible to spot them at all. The other five were elite officers who lingered close to Qiao Mei to protect her. The 20 security guards who had followed Xia Mao here in the beginning were also lurking around and protecting Qiao Mei. They only had one order and that was to protect Qiao Mei with their lives. After making the necessary arrangements, Xia Mao brought them to the He familys compound. If they did not go in soon, the kid from the Jiang family would not be able to hold on much longer. The He familys old house was about the same size as the Xia familys courtyard house. The eldest son of the He family, He Guo, and the second son of the He family, He Wei, had both lived here. He Ning felt that as there were too many people around, it was too noisy and not conducive to his recuperation, so he moved out. The main door of the He familys house was wide open and one could see that it was filled with people inside. There was also a big group of people outside the door who had come to watch the commotion.Everyone found it really rare that someone would dare to cause trouble for the He family in this day and age. After He Nings father passed away, many people came around to ask for their debts to be repaid. They said that He Nings father had gambled away the family business and even owed them large sums of money. Then they beat up the three He brothers when they could not receive any payment. After that, it was Old Master Jiang who helped to settle all the debts. Later on, He Ning became famous after excelling in a battle. As his reputation grew, no one dared to cause trouble for the He family anymore. Those people who came to bully them in the past all disappeared without a trace. As the saying went, even a goose passing by would leave a sound. However, those people disappeared as if they had never existed. It was just that these incidents were not as prominent as what happened to the Jiang family, so no one paid much attention to them. This time, someone from the Jiang family had returned and even brought along a group of people who rushed into the He familys courtyard to block everyones way and wanted to dig everywhere. The method was exactly the same as the one used on the Jiang family 10 years ago. The Xia family members pushed their way through the crowd and approached the He family compound. They had to go in and support the Jiang family. Otherwise, He Ning would definitely try his best to stop them. Xia Wen stood beside Xia Mao, followed closely by Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei. The five security guards stood at the back to block away passers-by and keep people away from Qiao Mei. Chapter 424 - Who Dares to Behave So Chapter 424: Who Dares to Behave So Atrociously Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The scene in the courtyard was very similar to what had happened to the Xia family not long ago. More than 20 men with shovels and hoes stood on both sides of the courtyard, waiting for the section chief to give the order to start work. There were also experts looking around to find the best spots to dig. A young and good-looking man stood in the courtyard. Opposite him stood the eldest son of the He family, He Guo, and the second son, He Wei. Behind He Wei was his son, He Li. Neither party spoke as they quietly waited for the right timing. The arrival of the Xia family broke the silence. I was wondering why you havent made a move. So youre waiting for the Xia family to arrive, He Wei said to the man as he looked at the Xia family members who had just entered through the door. The man was unfazed and stood on the spot without saying anything. He just stared fixedly at the He family members, as if he wanted to chop them into pieces. Do it! the man said to Section Chief Huang, who was beside him. ''Follow current novels on No v elBin.'', Section Chief Huang was about to ask the people to start work when He Li pointed at them with a stick and said, Lets see who dares to move! Do you really think you can behave so atrociously in our He familys territory! Wait for my little uncle! Dont even move! Qiao Mei looked at the person in the courtyard who was making threatening gestures. He was probably the silly son of the He family that her youngest aunt, Xia Fang, had mentioned. Xia Fang had previously told her that there were very few people in the He family. He Wei did have two sons, but they were both useless. When the children were first born, He Wei was still smug about it for a period of time. It was only when they grew up that he realized the shortcomings of these two children. The eldest son, He Li, had brute strength but no brains. The second son, He Han, was timid and unwilling to speak. He Ning arrived very late and made his way in slowly with his walking stick. As soon as He Ning entered, he saw the Xia family and immediately understood everything. The only person who could manage to find any Jiang family member was the Xia familys Xia Xiu. As Xia Mao was still an elder after all, He Ning slowly walked up to him and greeted, What brings Uncle Xia here? I heard from the neighbors that theres something going on at your house, so I came over to take a look, Xia Mao said. Looks like theyve been waiting for Uncle Xia to come before they start work. Since theyre all here, lets begin, He Ning said to the man in the middle of the courtyard. Its your people who kept stopping me. Otherwise, work would have started long ago, the man said. Xia Wen slowly walked up to He Ning and said, We only heard about this from our neighbors. This matter has nothing to do with our Xia family. Were not the only people who have come to watch the commotion. Does the He family disallow people to watch whats going on? He Ning smiled and did not say anything. '''', Since Mr. He is here, lets begin, the man said to Section Chief Huang. Section Chief Huang made some simple arrangements and the men started work. The bricks in the courtyard were lifted one by one and dust flew everywhere. No one from the Jiang family, the He family or the Xia family said anything. They were all observing each other, but everyone could feel the heated tension in the air. Qiao Mei carefully sized up the good-looking man in the courtyard. He looked about the same age as Xia Zhe and was dressed in burlap clothes with patches on the shoulders and elbows. One look and she could tell that he had grown up in a poor village. However, with his ramrod straight back and calm temperament, she could tell that he was destined to be an extraordinary person. The man was also looking at the Xia family members. It was early dawn and a ray of sunlight shone on the man. His bright and piercing eyes which should have been filled with aspirations and ambitions were only filled with hatred at the moment. He then stared fixedly at He Nings back, wishing he could tear the man apart. He Ning seemed to have sensed something and turned around to look at the man with a smile. Jiang Shu, I havent seen you for so long, but you seem to be very different from before. In the past, you always liked to hang out around me and call me Brother Ning. Back then, the Jiang family and the He family had three children each. He Ning and Jiang Shu were the youngest kids, so they got along best. He Ning was born with poor health, so as long as it was something He Ning wanted, Jiang Shu would think of a way to help him fulfill it. He Ning also gave everything nice to Jiang Shu first. On the day that they became enemies, Jiang Shu even wept and asked He Ning why he treated him and his family like this. He Ning did not say anything and only left Jiang Shu with a view of his aloof back. Ever since then, Jiang Shu kept to himself and became unwilling to talk to anyone. Chapter 425 - Thanks to You Chapter 425: Thanks to You Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Later on, he followed his father, Jiang Yan, as they fled everywhere to avoid being found by their enemies. In those days, he still had a younger sister. Then, she fell sick while on the run and passed away due to malnutrition. Soon, Jiang Yan also could not hold on anymore. Before he passed away, he sent Jiang Shu away to be raised by Jiang Jin, who had changed his name and gone into hiding. From then on, Jiang Shu and his second uncle, Jiang Jin, only had each other left. Jiang Jin never got married as he only had Xia Xiu in his heart. To Jiang Shu, Jiang Jin was like a father figure to him. Section Chief Huang carefully observed the expressions on the faces of the members of the He and Xia families. If he was not careful, he might not be able to keep his job. Ever since Section Chief Chu messed up the last time at the Xia residence, he had disappeared without a trace. After that, everything related to the search for restricted items had been handed over to Huang Fei. They had all waited for such a long time earlier because not only were the He family members waiting for He Ning, he was also waiting for the Xia family members to arrive. There was no way this poor kid from the Jiang family would be able to keep the He family in check. Jiang Shu looked at He Ning mockingly and said, Things are different now. I only feel that I was very stupid back then. I should have persuaded my grandfather not to help your family earlier. Otherwise, how would we get bitten back by a heartless person like you! ''???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? N ovelBi(n)'', What did you say! Say it again if you dare! He Li pointed at Jiang Shu and shouted. Usually, everyone looked down on He Li. Only He Ning would take care of him and speak up for him. Over the years, as long as their family went to He Ning for help, there was nothing that they could not do. He did not know what kind of bad things that He Ning had done, but he knew that He Ning was sincere when it came to them. He Li hated it the most when people badmouthed He Ning! He Ning smiled as he looked at He Li.?At least he did not dote on the kid for nothing. He Li, go back, He Ning said. He Li obediently put down the stick and stood beside his father, He Wei, as he looked warily at the people around him. Although he was not very clever and did not understand the twists and turns of the conversation, he knew very well that he had to protect He Ning. Actually, he was protecting He Ning not just because He Ning treated them well. He Wei had previously said that as long as He Ning was well and still around, the He family would not fall from power. If He Ning was no longer around, the He family would be nothing. Those who flattered He Li and tried to curry favor with him would also leave him then. He Li was used to being flattered by others. Only by protecting He Ning would he be able to continue having everything he had now. I wonder if youre well after all these years? Where are you living? Why are you wearing such tattered clothes? Do you need our help? He Ning said hypocritically. ''Follow current novels ON N (ovelB in.)'', Im in good health, so theres no need for Mr. He to worry. As for you, why are you still not dead yet after so many years? Jiang Shu said disdainfully. Jiang Shus tone was filled with regret, but He Ning did not care about Jiang Shus curse at all. After so many years, there were many people who wanted him dead, so one more person would not make any difference. Thanks to you, Im still alive and well. However, where have you been all these years? Ive been asking around for your whereabouts. It must not have been easy for the Xia family to find you. I wonder if your father and uncle are doing well? After saying that to Jiang Shu, He Ning turned around and looked at Xia Wen intently. When Xia Xiu found Jiang Jin, he was already terminally ill. He had been malnourished for a long time and still had to do farm work to support his family and his body was on the verge of collapse. Now that Xia Xiu had transferred him to a private hospital for treatment, Jiang Shu was here to seek justice on behalf of him and his father, Jiang Yan. Jiang Shu had already suffered once, so there was no way he would fall for the trick a second time. You dont have to try and trick me to give you information. Im the only one in my family. The rest of them are all dead. Thanks to you, my whole family died when they were on the run, Jiang Shu said through gritted teeth. He Nings expression was solemn as he said regretfully, What a pity. What a pity? Its not a pity at all. Your good days are coming to an end. You can go down and accompany them soon, Jiang Shu said with a smile. Im being framed. The things in the courtyard are not mine, He Ning said. Well all know in a while if you have been framed. Besides, who told you that Im here to make a report against you? Jiang Shu gave He Ning a meaningful look. He Ning felt his scalp tingle. He had not felt such fear for a long time. He Ning looked at the people in the courtyard, then at the crowd standing at the door and the eyewitnesses to the incident back then. He Ning instantly knew what Jiang Shu was going to do. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 426 - Framed Chapter 426: Framed Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios He looked at Jiang Shu in disbelief and said, Did the Xia family force you to do this! Think about it carefully. It wont do you any good! As long as you, He Ning, can die, so what if I confess? I dont have any other wishes. In any case, my Jiang family has long been destroyed! Im the only one left now! Theres nothing else I want! Even if I die, I want you, He Ning, to be buried alongside me! Jiang Shu laughed maniacally. He Ning was instantly filled with murderous intent. He turned around and stared fixedly at the Xia family members. He was sure that the Xia family was behind this entire matter. He already knew that the Xia family would not just sit around without doing anything nor write off everything that had happened. That was not their style, but he did not expect the Xia family to take such ruthless actions so quickly. Xia Wen took a step forward to block He Nings view, so that He Ning could only look at him. Why are you looking at me like that? Arent you happy that a Jiang family member has confessed to the familys crimes? The fact that hes confessing now means that you didnt falsely accuse them back then. This is good news for you! Xia Wen advised with a smile. Xia Wen, I dont think this matter only involves the Jiang family, He Ning said as he glared fiercely at Xia Wen. '' Xia Wen smiled and said, He Ning, why are you still not giving up? I already said that were here to watch the commotion. No matter how many times you ask, youll get the same answer. He Ning remained silent. They knew very well whether this matter was a false accusation and whether the Xia family was really just here to watch the commotion. For someone from the Jiang family to come out and confess at this time, there were definitely no good intentions behind it. When He Ning heard this piece of news early in the morning, he did not take it seriously at all and did not even want to go to the old house. A long time ago, he had already instructed He Guo to get rid of the things from back then as quickly as possible. Even if anyone managed to dig up anything now, it could only be antiques left behind by Old Master He. He did not expect this matter to become so tricky, but he was just pretending to be nervous. If he did not put on a good act, he would not be able to make the Jiang and Xia families believe that there was really something in this courtyard. He Ning smiled and glanced at He Guo, but He Guo lowered his head guiltily and did not dare to look at He Ning. He Nings smile froze on his face as he felt that something was wrong with He Guo.?Could it be that He Guo had not destroyed it No wonder He Guo always sent him all kinds of valuable herbs to curry favor with him. It turned out that he was still doing those shady things behind his back! He Ning looked darkly at the people digging in the courtyard and shouted, Stop right there! No one there listened to him. They all worked for Section Chief Huang and the only person who could make them stop work was Huang Fei. He Ning stared at Huang Fei and said, Dont forget who helped your cousin to get promoted to his position. Huang Fei said nonchalantly, Mr. He, thats my cousin, not my biological brother. My family hasnt interacted with them for a long time. '' He was able to take over Section Chief Chus position because of the Xia familys support. He understood that loyal servants could not change sides. He Ning turned to look at Xia Wen and said slowly, Tell them to stop. Someone is framing me in this matter. Someone must have done it! What evidence do you have to prove that whats dug out of the ground belongs to me! Then we also felt very wronged about what happened to our family not long ago. Who can seek recourse for us? The house was so badly dug up that no one can live in it even now. Eh? You also went to report it out of the kindness of your heart, right? Xia Wen said with narrowed eyes. When the onlookers outside heard this, they all tried to squeeze their way forward. They had waited all morning to see the Xia family and the He family arguing. Xia Wen, dont go too far. Im being wronged here! He Ning said through gritted teeth. A voice suddenly came from the crowd and said, What a thing to say that youre being wronged! Does that mean that everything thats dug up here later is planted by others? Then what about my family being set up by you back then! A man walked out of the crowd agitatedly and pointed at He Ning as he shouted, What about my house! What right did you have to say that something that was dug out of my house back then belonged to my family! Why didnt anyone believe me when I said that someone framed us! What right do you have to insist that what you say is true! Then where does that leave us? These questions made some people in the crowd, who originally did not dare to speak, raise their voices. Thats right! What right do you have! Its the same thing for our family! You did it! Why doesnt anyone believe us! What right do you have to stop the digging! Yes! What right do you have! Chapter 427 - Body Search Chapter 427: Body Search Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Furious shouts could be heard from the crowd one after another. These were all people from the families who had been set up by He Ning in the past. Some of them were asked to come by the Xia family, while others had rushed over on their own after hearing the news so that they could see the He family get into trouble. This was probably what it meant by everyone kicking a man who was down. It was all He Nings own fault for doing all kinds of evil. What He Ning said brought back painful memories for them. They could not help but want to vent their frustrations on him and take revenge for the families who were wronged in the past. You must have asked all these people to come here. It must have been really a tough job to be able to gather all of them, He Ning said through gritted teeth as he looked at Xia Wen. What does this have to do with my family? Didnt I say that were just here to watch the commotion? Why are you so sure that we have anything to do with it? Our Xia family didnt do anything, Xia Wen said with a laugh. There are so many people in my courtyard. It would be easy for anyone to frame me! Youre just trying to take advantage of the chaos to slander me! He Ning said as he pointed at the people around him. Slander? Everyone just stood at the door and never moved. The people outside the door did not break into your courtyard. How can we slander you? Xia Wen said. ''?? ??? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???????s, ????s? ??s?? Novel(B) in.??? ?? ?x???????? ??s??? ?????? s????.'', Then what about these workers! Dont they know how to hide things! Who knows if theyre trying to frame me! Cough, cough, cough Brother! Uncle! He Ning shouted so hysterically that his voice went hoarse and he lost all his strength to argue as he started to cough badly. He Guo, He Wei and He Li rushed over to support He Ning. He Guo immediately asked someone to bring a chair over. If He Ning was to collapse now, the He family would really never be able to make a comeback. Jiang Shu looked at He Ning disdainfully and said, With such a weak body, you should go back and rest. Besides, these workers dont know you at all. Why would they frame you? Stop work! I want to check them one by one to see if theyre carrying anything! He Li rushed to one of the workers and prepared to check his pockets. Xia Zhe rushed over and grabbed He Lis wrist and said, You have no right to speak here. Get back and stay there. With that, he flung He Lis hand away forcefully as He Li took a few steps back from the impact. Qiao Mei walked forward and whispered to the worker, Are you alright? Thank you, Im fine, the worker said with a smile. Section Chief Huang, please come and handle this matter, Jiang Shu said. Section Chief Huang looked at the He family and said calmly, Ill get my men to flip out their pockets and show everyone everything they have. What do you think? '''', Who knows if they hide things in secret places. If one of them hides things inside his pants, do I have to reach in to take a look! He Li spoke vulgarly to Section Chief Huang. Qiao Mei stood at the side and frowned. Did this fellow not have any family upbringing? He Wei did not look like a person who was full of obscenities and it was hard to imagine that he had a son like that. Xia Zhe whispered to Qiao Mei, Let me bring you out. Its not convenient for you to be around later. Qiao Mei nodded. Xia Zhe informed Xia Wen and Xia Mao and then brought Qiao Mei out of the courtyard. Since Young Master He is still so worried, then tell me what to do, Section Chief Huang said. He Li looked at the people around him and said, All of you take off your clothes! We have to check every spot! Otherwise, we will think that you have something with you! Section Chief Huang did not know how to respond. He turned to look at Xia Wen, who nodded. If they did not do this, even if they dug up something, the He family would insist that they had been framed. Im sorry, brothers! Since the He family feels that were not fair enough, please take off your clothes and let Young Master He take a look! This will also prove our innocence! Section Chief Huang said as he endured the humiliation. The workers looked at one another and took off all their clothes, leaving only their undergarments on. After a round of checks, there was nothing abnormal found on them. Section Chief Huang stared at He Li and asked, Young Master He, I suppose you can rest assured now. He Li could not think of any other solution and looked at He Ning helplessly. If he could not find any other excuse now, the He family would not be able to overturn the evidence in the event that something was dug up. He Guo looked at He Ning nervously and said, Youngest brother this He Ning held He Guos hand tightly and whispered weakly into his ear, This is the price we have to pay. Theres nothing I can do about it. Let them continue. Chapter 428 - Protection Chapter 428: Protection Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Section Chief Huang smiled and then said, Everyone, continue! Continue digging! Dont miss any single detail! Even though He Guo knew the good intentions behind He Nings advice to him back then, the money he could earn from buying and selling those things was three times the income he could make domestically. In the long run, it was definitely a substantial fortune. Although the He family did not lack money, no one would ever complain about having too much money. Even if He Guo had any regrets, it was too late now. Xia Zhe held Qiao Meis hand and walked all the way to the alley that was furthest away from the He familys main door. He did not care about the looks from the neighbors in the surroundings. During this era, if a man and a woman were to interact too closely in public, they would be criticized for being indecent no matter their relationship. In serious cases, if the couple was reported, they would even be criticized using posters. Qiao Mei wanted to shake off Xia Zhes hand, but he held on tightly. Quickly let go. What if those people report us? Youll be punished if the army gets to hear of it! Qiao Mei whispered. Xia Zhe said without turning his head, I dont care. I have to ensure your safety. Everything else is secondary. '''', Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhes big and strong back and felt a warmth in her heart. This man was definitely worth relying on. When he reached his destination, Xia Zhe vigilantly checked the surroundings for any danger. After confirming that there was nothing unusual, he asked Qiao Mei to stay here. Qiao Mei said to Xia Zhe, You should go back quickly. There are guards here to protect me. When things get dug out in a while, elder brother and father will need your help. Xia Zhe shook his head. He was really worried about leaving Qiao Mei here alone. If He Ning instructed people to hold Qiao Mei hostage to threaten them, failing at the last step of their plan would be the least of their worries. It would be a disaster if anything should happen to Qiao Mei. Its not like Im going anywhere. You should go back quickly. Qiao Mei pushed Xia Zhe in the direction where they came from. She could not do anything if Xia Zhe stayed here. There are so many people around me. Are you still worried even though its all already arranged by father? Hurry up and go, Qiao Mei urged. The voices of the He familys eldest and second sons could be heard coming from the courtyard. They usually did not talk much as He Ning was the head of the He family. However, when they saw that He Ning had fallen ill because of this matter, they thought that they had to help stall for time. Although they did not know what they could do, they knew that if they tried their best to stall for time, He Ning would have a chance to turn the situation around. The two of them started pestering Section Chief Huang to persuade him to stop digging. He Weis son, He Li, had already started to take action. Xia Wen alone could not hold off so many people. Moreover, if any Xia family member took action, this matter would become linked to the Xia family. They should only watch over the He family and the Jiang family for now and wait for something to happen before they chip in to help. Xia Zhe considered the troubling situation in front of him. He had his wife on one hand and his familys political affairs on the other hand. Both issues were not small matters and he did not know how to choose for a moment. Qiao Mei patted his shoulder and said, Get down to business first. I have the ability to protect myself. Father even sent guards. You have to trust me and them. '''', After much hesitation, Xia Zhe decided to settle the matter with the He family first. Xia Zhe whispered to the people in the dark, All of you, come out! Protect her well and dont let anything happen. Yes! All the guards who were in hiding came out and formed a circle around Qiao Mei. From the outside, it was impossible to see Qiao Mei in the middle. You must protect her well. Her safety is your top priority. Do you understand! Xia Zhe looked at them sternly. The guards shouted in unison, Understood! Xia Zhe took another look at the secure formation around her before he felt more at ease to go back to the He familys house. Xia Zhe returned to the house and was about to help Jiang Shu when Xia Wen stopped him. Its still not the time for our Xia family to interfere. Dont act rashly, Xia Wen whispered. Xia Zhe frowned and looked at the unreasonable He brothers. He suppressed the anger in his heart and said, Alright, Ill listen to elder brother. Xia Mao looked at Xia Zhe and asked, Have you settled Qiao Mei in a safe place? Everything has been arranged. The guards are all around her, Xia Zhe said. He Ning sat on a chair in the middle of the courtyard, panting heavily. He held the armrest with one hand and covered his chest with the other, looking very uncomfortable. Xia Zhe felt that He Ning was faking his current condition. The He family was too busy now and probably would not attack the Xia family, but he could not let his guard down. Chapter 429 - Surveillance Cameras Chapter 429: Surveillance Cameras Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios He Li picked up the wooden stick and wanted to hit Section Chief Huang. Xia Zhe could not stand it anymore and rushed forward to kick He Lis stick away. He Guo and He Wei immediately stopped what they were doing and did not dare to do anything to Section Chief Huang anymore. Xia Zhe also had a notorious reputation, but this notoriety was very different from He Nings. The notorious part about Xia Zhes reputation was simply his brutal methods. He had been to real battlefields and handled real weapons. He had killed countless enemies and slayed countless people. He exterminated enemies cleanly and easily as those were people who deserved to die. However, He Nings notoriety was due to the fact that he was truly vicious and liked to scheme against others. The two He brothers looked at each other and took a step back. It was better to avoid Xia Zhe. He Li, come back quickly! He Wei said to He Li. He Li rubbed his arm that had gone numb and retreated to He Nings side. Xia Zhe had already broken the wooden stick into two. '''', Xia Zhe looked around warily. The He family members in the courtyard did not dare to act rashly. After being stared at by that pair of eyes once, they felt a chill run down their spines, like they were prey being targeted by a wolf. He Guo and He Wei looked around awkwardly, not daring to meet Xia Zhes eyes. He Ning, I wonder how you plan to deal with this matter? Your nephew wants to attack a government official? Can it be that he has a guilty conscience? Xia Wen went forward and asked. Seeing that the Xia family was backing him up, Section Chief Huang straightened his back and looked at He Li arrogantly. Thats right! He clearly wants to beat me to death! He Li was so angry that he wanted to go forward and teach Section Chief Huang a lesson. He pointed at Section Chief Huang and said, Say that again! Ill break your legs! Look, He Ning. Xia Wen looked at He Ning in a seemingly teasing manner. He Ning frowned and glanced at He Li, who immediately cowered. Its inevitable for a small kid to be impulsive. I cant stand noise due to my illness, so he behaves so carelessly all because of me. I believe Section Chief Huang wont take it to heart, He Ning said as he narrowed his eyes at Huang Fei. When Huang Fei saw that Xia Wen had no intention of speaking up for him, he smiled at He Ning and said, Its fine given that its a child being insensible. I wont take it to heart As the conflict intensified in the courtyard, Qiao Mei found that she was stuck outside. Qiao Mei was surrounded by people and it seemed to be an extravagant hope for her to go to the trees nearby. '''', Brothers, can you let me move a little? Qiao Mei said helplessly. No, this is a mission given to us by the regiment commander! We dare not move without orders! the guard beside her said. Qiao Mei really did not know how to persuade them otherwise when she suddenly thought of the children in her stomach. Brothers, Im a pregnant woman. Im not going anywhere. I just want to sit under the big tree over there for a while. I cant stand for too long in my condition, Qiao Mei said, putting on a pitiful face. The guards looked at one another and decided to agree to Qiao Meis request. If anything happened to Qiao Meis children, they would not be able to absolve themselves of the blame. They escorted her to the big tree at the entrance of the He familys house to take a seat. She reached out to touch her stomach. This time, she was really grateful to these two little fellows. Otherwise, she would have to stand there for a long time. The two children seemed to have sensed Qiao Meis thoughts and moved vigorously. Qiao Mei felt their presence and said with a smile, You clever little things. Aristocratic families all seemed to have the same habits. Wealthy families would plant trees near the main door to indicate that their families were prosperous and that their lineages would continue for generations. The tree in front of the He familys house was a pine tree. Old Master He probably hoped that the children and grandchildren of the He family would be as upright and unyielding as pine trees. What a waste of Old Master Hes painstaking efforts. I dont think any of the He family members have good and honest thoughts, Qiao Mei muttered softly. Qiao Mei reached out to stroke the tree trunk. The pine tree also greeted her mischievously. She had realized that there was a new aspect to her energy and she could see the memories of plants within the last three days. However, she had only just learned how to use it and was not very familiar with it. That was why she could only go back three days. This was like having surveillance cameras everywhere! It was simply too convenient! With this, she could easily find out anything she wanted to know. When she knew how to use it properly in the future, she would go home and visit the cherry tree. Perhaps she could discover something embarrassing about Xia Zhe when he was young Chapter 430 - Carry Out the Will of Heavens Chapter 430: Carry Out the Will of Heavens Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei madly infused a lot of energy into the pine tree and soon, the roots of the pine tree had extended all around the entire He familys house. This time, her main purpose was to find out the location of the things buried under the He familys house and also to check if there were any other treasures! Not long after, Qiao Mei found the various locations where things were buried. There were a few boxes, a big jar and a small jar sealed with beeswax. Qiao Mei set her sights on one of the boxes. During the night, she had asked Xia Zhe for details and he told her that they had buried a box inside, roughly at the main courtyard area. Therefore, the rest that she found must be things that the He family had kept for themselves. Qiao Mei did not touch the rest of the things that belonged to the He family. She was only checking around to satisfy her curiosity. The He family and the Xia family were on par in terms of stature, so the He family must definitely have things hidden away as well. Maybe they had even more! She just wanted to see if there were any artworks by famous masters. She was about to quietly lift the box in the main courtyard closer to the surface when she recalled what the people standing at the door had said. The deafening yells and miserable voices narrating past events made her scalp tingle. She wondered how many of those voices belonged to families who suffered the same fate as the Jiang family, and how many families had been ruined by He Nings cold-blooded and heartless methods and ended up like the Jiang family. ''??? ????? ???????s ??? ?????s??? ?? NovelB(i)n. ???'', She could not let He Ning off so easily. He must pay the price. This was the only way to vent the hatred in her heart. However, it would be too eye-catching to take these things with her now. Qiao Mei moved all these other buried items to the ground under the house behind the He familys house. After this matter died down, she would slowly use vines and tree roots to transport the items to the victims houses. She could only limit it to the people nearby though. There was nothing she could do for people who lived too far away. When these things reached the hands of those people, she hoped that it could be considered a form of compensation from He Ning! As Qiao Mei touched the pine tree, she could even observe the interior of the He familys house using the leaves on the top of the tree. She quietly closed her eyes and made use of the pine trees vision. Youve been digging for so long, but theres still nothing! Are you going to keep digging! He Li said. Xia Wen nodded. This is only the main courtyard and we havent searched the house yet. We have to check carefully. If we miss anything, we still have to come back and trouble you again. Dont you agree, He Ning? He Ning rolled his eyes at Xia Wen and said, Cough, cough, cough Go ahead and search. I also want to see what there is Cough, cough, cough He Ning held his chest and coughed, looking very uncomfortable. Jiang Shu said mockingly to He Ning, You sound like youre going to die. Youre coughing so badly. If you cant take it anymore, leave quickly. Dont faint here, its not worth it. I didnt expect you to be so concerned about me, Xiao Shu, He Ning said with a smile. ''??? ????? ???????s ??? ?????s??? ?? N(ov)elBin'', Jiang Shu looked at He Ning in disgust and scolded, How shameless of you. I care about you? Its much better for me to care about a dog than you. Your hypocrisy is really disgusting. If you die and get fed to the dogs, even the dogs will feel disgusted. When He Li heard Jiang Shu insulting He Ning, he could not hold back anymore and went up to fight with Jiang Shu. Jiang Shu dodged the punches easily and He Li launched another attack. Compared to He Li, Jiang Shu was thin and looked weak, but he was much more agile. Jiang Shu did not attack and kept dodging left and right. His nonchalant manner with his hands behind his back made He Li even more irritated. He Li charged forward like a crazy bull. Behind He Li, He Guo and He Wei kept asking him to stop. He Li turned a deaf ear to them and only had eyes for Jiang Shu. In a flash, Jiang Shu stretched out his leg and tripped He Li. He Li did not manage to dodge in time and fell to the ground facedown. He Guo and He Wei immediately went forward and pressed down on He Li together, saying, Dont get up Just faint, do you hear me! Stop fighting! He Wei whispered. He Li did not care about these things at all. His eyes were already red from the shock of defeat. He could only stop when one of them won the fight. Since he did not have the upper hand in terms of skills, he would try to win verbally. He Li stood up and pointed at Jiang Shu as he said, Youre just a bastard mongrel without parents! Your father must have been jinxed to death by you! If you have the ability, then fight me! Whats so good about dodging! Both Xia Zhe and Xia Wen frowned and looked at He Li. They did not expect that there would be such a vulgar person in the He family who had no manners and spoke so crudely. It seemed that even if they did not do anything, the He family would still eventually decline on their own. Chapter 431 - Self-Defense Chapter 431: Self-Defense Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Initially, Jiang Shu did not care about the unreasonable behavior of a junior, but He Li had crossed the line with the mention of his parents. Jiang Shu glared angrily at He Li and instantly went in front of him. He raised his leg fiercely and kicked He Lis left leg, causing He Li to kneel on the ground in pain. It happened so quickly that even Xia Zhe did not even have time to react. He Li lay on the ground and held on to his leg as he screamed. He Guo and He Wei were stunned to the spot and did not have time to think. Ah!!! My leg!!! This leg is for my father, Jiang Shu said as he looked at He Li coldly. Jiang Shu raised his leg again and wanted to kick He Lis right leg in memory of his mother. Xia Zhe went forward and grabbed Jiang Shu. Dont be rash. If you hit him again, hell faint. Who knows what the He family will do then, Xia Zhe whispered into Jiang Shus ear. ''Follow current novels ON N (ovelB in.)'', Jiang Shu looked at Xia Zhe, then at He Li who was writhing in great pain on the ground. He brushed the dust off his clothes and walked to the side. You have to give me an explanation! My son cant have his leg broken for nothing! This is our familys eldest grandson! Youre trying to ruin the He familys future by doing this! He Wei shouted as he pointed at Xia Zhe and Jiang Shu. Back then, you people beat my grandfather to death. This boy insulted his elders, so Im educating him on behalf of your He family, Jiang Shu said indifferently. He Ning knew if they continued talking about this matter, no good would come out of it for them. Back then, the death of Old Master Jiang had always been an unspeakable matter. On the surface, it looked like an accident, but the fact was some of the people who went forward to beat him up back then had received money from the He family. Thats enough. Hurry up and bring He Li to the hospital, He Ning said calmly. Youngest brother! This is your own nephew! He Wei could not believe that He Ning would let Jiang Shu off just like that. His son had only attacked Jiang Shu because of He Ning! I said to send him to the hospital, He Ning said sternly as he looked at He Wei. He Wei lowered his head. He could not win against He Ning. If He Ning was not present today, the He family would be ruined. He could only swallow his anger today and wait for an opportunity to present itself in the future. He Wei left the He familys house with He Li to seek medical treatment. I didnt expect your martial arts skills to have improved after these years. Who did you learn this from? He Ning asked with a smile. It has nothing to do with you. You should care about yourself, Jiang Shu said sulkily. Qiao Mei was so engrossed in watching the drama from outside. She did not expect Jiang Shu, who looked so weak, to be so good at fighting. Everyone must have felt good from seeing him teaching this stupid brute from the He family a lesson. He Li often used his status as the eldest grandson of the He family to do bad things. He fought at the gambling dens often and did all kinds of evil things, but He Ning always protected him. '' Qiao Mei also heard some rumors that the real eldest grandson of the He family was actually the second grandson, He Han. In the past, the He family only had one granddaughter, He Mei. The He family could not accept not having a male heir, so they adopted a child from one of their relatives and that child was He Li. Later on, He Weis wife became pregnant and then gave birth to He Han. After that, He Li felt that He Wei would threaten his position, so he kept bullying He Han. That was why He Han was unwilling to interact with others. As time passed, rumors spread that He Han was so dumb that he could not speak anymore. Qiao Mei carefully looked at the He family members in the courtyard but did not manage to find He Han. Qiao Mei looked around and finally found a man looking out through the gap of the window in the family room in the He familys house. This man was thin and tall. At times, he hunched his shoulders and did not dare to look up, then at times, he seemed curious about what was happening outside and secretly looked around. This should be him. It had been four hours since the start of the excavation works and nothing had been found after so long. It seemed that they might not be able to get what they wanted today. He Ning found himself thanking his lucky stars. If the stuff was placed there by the Xia family, they definitely knew where it was. Could it be that they were putting on a show by not digging it out after so long? But there was no need for that. I hope that Jiang Shu can give me an explanation for the matter with my nephew after today, He Ning said as he looked at Jiang Shu. Jiang Shu looked at He Ning and asked, What kind of explanation do you want? That depends on the diagnosis from the hospital. You have to take responsibility for this, He Ning said. He was the one who rushed over and even spoke rudely and insulted my parents. I just taught him a lesson on behalf of your He family. I did it in self-defense, Jiang Shu said. Our He family will naturally teach He Li a lesson ourselves, but did he touch you? I dont think so. Then he didnt attack you, He Ning said with a smile. What He Ning said was indeed the truth. He Li did not touch Jiang Shu just now. Chapter 432 - He Is Just a Child Chapter 432: He Is Just a Child Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Jiang Shu looked at He Ning and did not speak for a long time. He Ning had always been such a person. He was good at sophistry and never did anything that he was not confident in. What happened just now was indeed his own fault for being impulsive. He didnt touch me because his skills were inferior and not because he didnt attack me. Mr. He, please dont get the two concepts mixed up, Jiang Shu said. Hes just a child. Of course hes not as skilled as you. How can you bear to hurt him and stoop to the level of a child? He Ning said with a smile. The people outside the door immediately became irritable. He Ning was trying to quibble his way out! Is a 20-year old still a child! the people outside the door shouted. Thats right! Who are you trying to fool! Is he a giant baby! Your He family has children! Do you think we dont have any! '''', He Li has done many evil things outside! He often bullies his classmates! My children are victims! Ours as well! You must give us an explanation today! The people outside the door rushed in. Xia Wen pulled Xia Mao to a corner and had five guards stand in front of them to form a barrier to protect them. Very quickly, someone targeted He Ning and prepared to take advantage of the chaos to deal with him. The persons eyes were filled with hatred for him. The attendant looked around nervously and helped He Ning up to go into the main room. Along the way, many people blocked their way. Suddenly, someone in the crowd snatched a hoe from one of the workers and ran towards He Ning. As he ran, he shouted, He Ning! Go to hell! The attendant rushed in front of He Ning to block the attack. The rest of the He familys subordinates rushed forward to stop that person. You dogs of the He family! What benefits did the He family give you! Youre working so hard for him! He Ning, you crook! Ill make you pay with your life today! the person shouted loudly. However, He Nings subordinates were all well-trained and these commoners were no match for them. Section Chief Huang looked at the chaos in the courtyard and went to hide in a corner, afraid that he would get implicated. Xia Zhe picked up the hoe and swung it at the glass part of the door. Crash! The loud smashing sound made everyone in the courtyard quiet down and everyone turned to look at Xia Zhe in unison. ''??? ????? ???????s ??? ?????s??? ?? NovelB(i)n. ???'', Section Chief Huang immediately came forward to smooth things over and said, Um Everyone, calm down. I know that everyone has many issues, but our mission today is to find the cultural relics in the He familys courtyard. If anyone still wants to stop us from carrying out our official duties, dont blame me for taking him away on account of disruption of official duties. As soon as he said that, a group of people started to walk out of the courtyard out of fear. Yet, there were also some people who swore to make He Ning pay the price and refused to go out. Section Chief Huang looked at Xia Zhe, not knowing what to do. Unexpectedly, Jiang Shu walked forward and said to these people, Well settle your grudges in the future. I hope everyone will be magnanimous and let him off today. Only when my issue is settled will you have a chance to take revenge, right? That person clenched his fists and said fiercely, Back then, I used to work for He Ning! He went back on his words and wanted me dead! Later on, my wife and children went on the run with me and they all died in the process! I think you had the same experience as me during that period of time! I only want to kill my enemy now. Dont block my way! Jiang Shu stood in front of He Ning and said, I understand how you feel, but we have to take turns. When the Jiang family is done seeking redress, whatever you do in the future has nothing to do with me, but now Jiang Shu turned around to take a glance at He Ning and then said to the man, No! That person looked at the determined Jiang Shu and then at He Ning, who was still in a state of shock. He could not make up his mind. If he missed this opportunity, would he still be able to take revenge? Believe me, once our Jiang family has seeked redress, He Nings life is over. Dont you want to see such an ending? Or are you more confident in making He Ning pay a painful price? Jiang Shu said patiently. That person felt that what Jiang Shu said made sense and left with the rest of the people. Before they left, they even turned around to look at He Ning. They would definitely take revenge later! He Ning heaved a sigh of relief as he watched them leave. He said with lingering fear, I didnt expect you to protect me. Im not protecting you. I just want to clear the Jiang familys name, Jiang Shu said. Chapter 433 - The Truth Chapter 433: The Truth Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Section Chief Huang instructed his subordinates to continue working. Not long after, there was a loud thud in the courtyard. A muffled sound came from under the courtyard and the workers hurriedly shouted, Theres something! Everyone came over to help. It was a mahogany box that weighed 60 pounds and it did not look like something from recent years. This! This is the evidence I mentioned! Jiang Shu said agitatedly as he looked at the familiar wooden box. Jiang Shu pointed at He Ning agitatedly and said, Back then, our Jiang family did sell these things overseas and received a sum of money. However, our Jiang family is not the only one who did this! Your He family is also involved! He Ning closed his eyes resignedly. He did not remember leaving these things behind back then. It seemed that He Guo had done it behind his back again.?These incompetent and useless things! Our He family was forced by you! He Guo retorted. Forced? Could it be also the Jiang family who forced you to do what you did in the past few years? We even found out that your He family is still doing business overseas. Xia Wen walked out and stood in front of He Guo as he asked. You youre talking nonsense! I I didnt! He Guo avoided looking at Xia Wen. Xia Wen took out the evidence of the He family conducting transactions with foreigners, as well as photos of He Guo shaking hands and chatting happily with foreigners, and photos of He Guos subordinates giving money to foreigners. ''New novel chapters are published on Novel-Bin'', The Xia family had spent a lot of money hiring a private investigator to get the evidence. They had initially wanted to check if the He family had hurt anyone else, so that they could gather all these people together to deal with the He family. They did not expect to discover the secret behind the He familys source of endless funds. They had also spent a lot of money to block out the news of this matter. Otherwise, it would have been impossible to catch the He family unaware. ''Visit (Mybo x novel. com) to read, pls!'', This is the evidence. Section Chief Huang, do you think you can help with this matter? Xia Wen said. Section Chief Huang took the photos respectfully and said, Although Im only in charge of excavating cultural relics, I can ask my colleagues from the other departments to handle it. Dont worry, Professor Xia. You! What right do you have to meddle in my affairs! He Guo pointed at Xia Wen and Section Chief Huang and questioned them. Men, grab him! Anyone can meddle in the affairs of a traitor like you! Section Chief Huang said arrogantly. A wise man must know how to submit to the circumstances. Anyone could tell that the He family was currently in a hopeless situation and that the best choice now was to rely on the Xia family. He Ning, you wont be able to get away today either. Jiang Shu smiled at He Ning and reached out to open the mahogany box that had been dug out. He continued, Back then, it was the He family who bought a large amount of armaments from us. We were not the ones who transacted directly with foreigners. ''???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? N ovelBi(n)'', Back then, Old Master He had studied overseas and kept some ties with people there. In the beginning, the He family and the Jiang family did honest business domestically. However, there was a lot of manpower and resources involved and the He family realized that they could not make much money after deducting the costs. In addition, they had to split the money equally with the Jiang family, so there was really not much left. Old Master He then conspired with He Nings father, He Cai, to export goods out of the country. Coincidentally, the Jiang family had experts who could make military equipment, so the two of them joined forces to deceive Old Master Jiang and tricked the Jiang family. Actually, in the end, our Jiang family only made a deal with your He family. The one who sold the stuff was actually your He family. However, later on, when my grandfather discovered your scheme, you came up with a plan to frame my family. Our family was raided that same day and we didnt even have a chance to defend ourselves, Jiang Shu said. He Ning pointed at the box and asked, You want to convict me with just this box? Everything inside is my elder brothers doing. Hes the one running these things. What has it got to do with me? He Guo could not believe that He Ning was saying this and betraying his own elder brother in order to protect himself. He Guo was He Nings biological elder brother! You! He Guo looked at He Ning in disbelief. He Ning mouthed, Ill save you. Dont worry. He Guo lowered his head in disappointment and left it to fate. I already know that you would say that. Back then, there were two exquisite jars among the things that were taken in the raid. There are originally four jars, and when they are lined up together, it makes for a whole set of chrysanthemums. At that time, your family was given two of them. I think they should still be inside the house now, Jiang Shu said with a smile. Xia Wen glanced at Section Chief Huang, who understood what he had to do. He immediately rushed into the house with his men and shouted, Search! Bring out anything that resembles the chrysanthemum jars! Chapter 434 - Failed Seduction '''', Chapter 434: Failed Seduction Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios These kinds of jars were not rare items. Most people used them as storage jars in their rooms or used them to keep marinated food items. The people in the family room fled in all directions. He Han was so frightened that he hid in a corner and did not dare to move. He had always been the least favored person in his family and no one thought of protecting him now. Xia Zhe walked into the house and patted He Hans head gently as he said, Dont be afraid. Theyre not here to hurt you. Come outside with me. After some hesitation, He Han decided to follow Xia Zhe to the courtyard. At this moment, He Mei had just rushed over from He Guos house in the suburbs after receiving the news. Initially, they did not intend to tell He Mei about this matter. The He familys secret agent had heard the news from the political department before dawn. He Guo and He Wei immediately brought their men to the old house to stand off with the Jiang family before getting someone to inform He Ning. He Guo had originally wanted He Mei to stay at home obediently, but when He Mei heard that the Xia family was also involved and that Xia Zhe would definitely be there, she naturally wanted to go and take a look. When He Mei came, she was wearing a silk dress with spaghetti straps and beautiful lace embroidered on the sides with a small white gauze jacket over it, making her look curvaceous and flirtatious. If not for the fact that the He family was famous and everyone knew that she was the eldest granddaughter of the He family, they would have thought that she was someone from the brothel. When He Mei entered and saw Xia Zhe, she immediately rushed over and said coquettishly, Xia Zhe~ Look at how they smashed my house~ Im so scared! Xia Zhe turned sideways and dodged He Meis embrace, causing her to crash into the arms of Section Chief Huang who was behind him. Her bosom smacked right into Section Chief Huangs chest and he said with a lustful expression, Miss He, I Ill feel embarrassed if you behave like this. He Mei screamed and escaped from Section Chief Huangs arms. She looked at Xia Zhe with tears in her eyes and said, Why did you dodge All the men in the courtyard widened their eyes when they saw He Mei. They all found her shapely figure really attractive. He Mei noticed the gazes on her and quickly covered her chest. She even tried to stand beside Xia Zhe. Miss He, please show some respect. I already have a wife and its not convenient for me, Xia Zhe said coldly without even looking at He Mei. He Mei looked at the lecherous gazes of the men around her and then at Xia Zhes cold attitude. She was too ashamed to stay here and ran into the house to wear a coat before coming back out and standing beside He Ning. Using the pine tree outside the door, Qiao Mei saw Xia Zhes actions clearly. She did not expect this person to still have designs on Xia Zhe. However, it made sense. Xia Zhe was so outstanding while the two grandsons of the He family did not have the capability to inherit the family business at all. They could only find a son-in-law to manage the He familys businesses and Xia Zhe was their top choice. Qiao Mei took a closer look at He Mei and realized that she was tall and had a curvaceous figure. Unfortunately for her, Xia Zhe did not have any interest at all. He Ning looked at He Mei reproachfully.?Was this how she intended to seduce Xia Zhe as he instructed? It was like childs play! However, now was not the time to think about this matter. The most important thing now was to deal with the Jiang family. Soon, Section Chief Huangs men found the two other jars and other relevant cultural relics inside the family room. There was also a box of foreign currency in the study. Mr. He, how do you explain this? Section Chief Huang asked as he pointed at the evidence in the courtyard. I have nothing to say, He Ning said as he looked at Section Chief Huang. Section Chief Huang took out a piece of paper and walked up to He Ning. These things are exactly the same as what you used to testify against the Jiang family. This is the list of things that were handed over by the Jiang family during the raid back then. Third Master He, do you want to take another look? Theres no need, He Ning said. Section Chief Huang asked his subordinates to seal up everything in the courtyard and check them one by one so that the He family would not claim that anything was missing in the future. Now that the evidence is conclusive, please come with us, Third Master He, Section Chief Huang said with a smile. He Ning stood up with some difficulty. The anger he felt at being schemed against troubled him much more than the pain that his body brought him. This was the first time He Mei had seen such a big scene. This time, not only was her little uncle going to be taken away, but even her father would be taken away to be dealt with. What could she do now that the backbone of the family was gone? Chapter 435 - Please Make a Trip Chapter 435: Please Make a Trip Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Little Uncle He Mei went forward and held He Nings hand as she looked at the people around her in fear . Its fine. Stay at home for the next few days and dont go out. My attendant will be with you. Im just going to attend to some matters, He Ning comforted her. He Mei nodded. At this point, there was nothing else she could do. Its not just Third Master He. He Guo broke the law by privately selling weapons and goods to an enemy country without the permission of the country, so He Guo also has to make a trip with us, Section Chief Huang said. He Guo struggled and said, Im being accused wrongly! You cant take me away just like that! Youre nothing! You have no right to take me away! These words made Section Chief Huang completely infuriated. Before Section Chief Chu got into trouble, Section Chief Huang was just an inconspicuous team member. At that time, the He family had bullied him and did not treat him like a human being. They treated him like an object that could be thrown away at will. Now that he had something on the He family, it was up to him to decide how to deal with the He family! The discovery today was that the He family not only colluded with the enemy and committed treason, but they had also wrongly accused the Jiang family in the past. In addition, they were also the ones who resold goods privately. Each piece of evidence was enough to doom the He family for eternity. This time, he wanted to see if the He family had the ability to come back from the dead. Take them away! Section Chief Huang said angrily. He Ning walked to the door and turned to look at Jiang Shu as he said, Good plan. Then he turned to look at Xia Wen and said, Good methods. This is called giving someone a taste of their own medicine. This is retribution, He Ning, Jiang Shu said. Qiao Mei felt a little emotional for a moment. She wondered if Jiang Shu felt relieved now? Did he feel any better after taking revenge for the Jiang family? As He Ning and He Guo passed by the alley where Qiao Mei was, He Ning looked at Qiao Mei indifferently and said with a smile, See you next time. Qiao Mei was caught by surprise. He had been caught committing such serious crimes and yet he still greeted her so nonchalantly. Was this He Nings usual behavior or did he have other plans up his sleeves? Continue digging! We must turn the He family upside down! Section Chief Huang shouted from the courtyard. Section Chief Huangs current subordinates were the same people who had followed Section Chief Chu to dig up the Xia familys house back then. If not for the Xia family protecting them and only holding Section Chief Chu responsible for what happened, they would all be unemployed now. In order to repay the Xia family for letting bygones be bygones, they worked even harder. Today, they must leave the He familys house in a worse state than the Xia familys house. Now that the main backbone of the He family was gone, only He Mei and He Han were left. By now, He Mei was crying her eyes out. She went forward and grabbed Xia Zhes sleeve as she said, Xia Zhe Please help my little uncle I I cant live without my father and little uncle Please save them Xia Zhe shook He Mei off fiercely and said, This is a political matter and I cant help them. Miss He, please find another way out. Xia Wen snickered at the side. This He Mei was really brainless. Even that silly He Li could tell that the Xia family had contributed to half of todays setup, yet He Mei still wanted their help. It would be more like helping He Ning to get locked up for a few more years! Now that everything is done, lets go back, Xia Mao said to Xia Wen. Father and Xiao Zhe, you go back first. Leave the matters here to me. Im afraid of things going wrong later. Let me keep an eye on them until the end, Xia Wen said. Elder brother, why not I do it, Xia Zhe said to Xia Wen. Xia Wen smiled and did not say anything. He patted Xia Zhes shoulder lightly and raised his eyes towards He Meis location. Xia Zhe immediately understood what he meant. Go back with sister-in-law, Xia Wen said. When Xia Mao left, he left the five guards in the courtyard with Xia Wen just in case. The two of them made their way through the crowd to look for Qiao Mei and then to go home. He Mei stared fiercely at Xia Zhe. She had waited for Xia Zhe for so many years, but all she got in return was her familys lack of understanding and Xia Zhes cold shoulder. He even treated her family like this. She must make Xia Zhe pay the price for this! Qiao Mei sat weakly under the tree. She had expended too much energy in moving the He familys treasures as well as spying on the He family. Now, her face was very pale. When Xia Zhe saw her, he thought that Qiao Mei was overly tired. He hurriedly went forward and asked, Why do you look so pale? Chapter 436 - Using Qiao Mei as the Standard Chapter 436: Using Qiao Mei as the Standard Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Me? Is that so? Qiao Mei asked as she touched her own face. Lets go home. Elder brother will handle the matters at the He familys house. Lets go home. Xia Zhe picked Qiao Mei up and carried her as he walked towards the car. Qiao Mei was so shocked that she wanted to jump off and she said nervously, Are you crazy? We are out in the open! What if someone sees us! Father is also here! Qiao Mei looked at Xia Mao nervously. Xia Mao immediately looked around and pretended not to see anything. These two were really biological father and son Then why dont you faint? This way, they wont say anything, Xia Zhe said with a smile. Qiao Mei closed her eyes and leaned against Xia Zhes shoulder without moving. Xia Zhe was overjoyed by what she did. After the Xia family members left, there was nothing left to watch and the people outside the door gradually dispersed. Lets leave since were done digging. Well contact you again if theres anything, Section Chief Huang, Xia Wen said and left the He familys house. After returning to the Xia familys house, Qiao Mei rushed to the second floor and promptly fell asleep. Xia He looked at Xia Zhe in puzzlement and asked, What did you do so early in the morning? Why is she in such a hurry? We went to deal with something. She must be tired and wants to go in and rest, Xia Zhe explained. Then what about you? You probably havent had breakfast. Come and eat, Xia He said as she pointed at the dining table. Xia Zhe shook his head and said, Father is behind us. He hasnt eaten either. Ill go upstairs to take a look at Qiao Mei. Dont worry about us. After a tiring morning, Xia Zhe could not bear to torment Qiao Mei, so he simply hugged her and gradually fell asleep as well. When Qiao Mei woke up in the afternoon, Xia Zhe was no longer by her side. She guessed he had probably been called away for a meeting. Qiao Mei stretched and got up to wash up. She felt refreshed after resolving the matter with the He family. To a certain extent, she had also taken revenge on He Ning for bullying her previously. As she slowly walked down the stairs, she saw Xia He looking at her with a long face and saying, Where did you go so early in the morning? You havent even eaten anything! Dont you care about your own health! Qiao Mei knew that Xia He was concerned about her health. She walked to Xia Hes side and said sweetly, Elder sister~ Whats wrong with my good elder sister~ Dont be unhappy! So you know that Im unhappy! Xia He said. Qiao Mei smiled and said, I know that elder sister is doing this for my own good. I promise there wont be a next time! This is because Xiao Zhe indulges you too much! He brought you there so early in the morning! Putting aside how dangerous that place is, you already didnt sleep much last night as you were waiting for Xiao Zhe. Now you even know how to stay up late! Youre still pregnant, mind you. Aunt always says that staying up late is harmful to our health. If you dont eat breakfast also, then can your body take the torment! Xia He said sternly as she held Qiao Meis hand. Elder sister, I wont dare to do it again! I swear! Dont be angry! Your little nephews and I are hungry now Qiao Mei looked at Xia He aggrievedly. When she heard what Qiao Mei said, Xia Hes heart softened. She pointed at the dining table and said, Second Aunt-in-law has already made food for you. Hurry up and go. Ill teach you a lesson after youre done eating! Qiao Mei said happily, I just know elder sister dotes on me the most! N0 v el Next. CoM Liu Fen brought out the last dish and said, Try to at least have a bite. What I make is definitely not as delicious as what you make. If you dont like it, then just eat some plain porridge and pickled vegetables. Theres some chicken and a big carp over there and Ive already cleaned them up for you to use. I bought them this morning. Theyre so fresh! For two consecutive days, Liu Fen had observed Qiao Mei and realized that she liked to eat fish very much. Today, she woke up especially early to go to the market to buy the freshest live fish so that Qiao Mei could get some nourishment. Thank you, Second Aunt-in-law. Come sit down and eat too! Qiao Mei said with a smile. Liu Fen shook her head and said, Ive already eaten. Im going out for a while. The walnuts I asked someone to buy for you have arrived. You have to take more nourishment. Those are all wild walnuts from my house and theyre much better than those being sold in the capital! Eat your meal slowly! Qiao Mei looked at Liu Fens departing figure in surprise and asked Xia He in a daze, Whats up with Second Aunt-in-law? Why is she suddenly so nice to me? Second Aunt-in-law is just like that. Shes not a bad person. She just favors boys over girls, Xia He said. After Qiao Mei had eaten, Xia He pulled her to one side and asked curiously, What exactly happened this morning? Qiao Mei thought carefully about what happened this morning and picked out the main points to tell Xia He. Xia He asked, Is Jiang Shu the only one from the Jiang family here? Yes, he said that hes the only one left in the Jiang family. The others have all passed away Qiao Mei said. Chapter 437 - Definitely Must Divorce Chapter 437: Definitely Must Divorce Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Sigh. In the past, he got on best with He Ning. At that time, our family and the He family could be considered family friends. Later on, there was an estrangement due to different ideals. In addition, these children from the He family were all crooks so we stopped interacting with them, Xia He said regretfully. No wonder Jiang Shu had looked at He Ning with mixed emotions. Perhaps he still could not understand why the big brother who protected and doted on him back then would kill his entire family. When Xia Zhe comes back, Ill definitely teach him a lesson. I have to get Aunt to come back and scold him as well. Hes really too indulgent with you! Xia He said as she frowned at Qiao Mei. Im the one who went overboard. Elder sister, dont scold Xia Zhe anymore, Qiao Mei said softly. Xia He felt jealous when she saw the way Qiao Mei defended Xia Zhe. They were really a couple in love and did not allow others to say anything about each other. Elder sister, how about I make you braised fish and roasted chicken tonight? Qiao Mei said. Sure! Xia Hes eyes lit up. In a few days, she would have to leave to go and apply for approval to return to the art troupe in the capital. While she was still here, she would enjoy Qiao Meis cooking as much as she could. Mei Mei, why dont you not become a military spouse and just stay in the capital permanently. Ill be going back to apply to return to the capital to work. Then in the future, I can go to your house every day to freeload my meals, Xia He said. Qiao Mei put on her apron and said, Even if I want to, you have to ask Xia Zhe if he agrees to it. Xia He smacked the table angrily and stood up. How dare he disagree! Ill skin him alive! This kid cant even escape todays beating! Lets not talk about it anymore. The more we talk about him, the angrier I am. Let me help you with the cooking. In the kitchen, the onions, ginger and garlic had all been cut and placed aside. Even the most difficult fish to handle had been cleaned up well by Liu Fen and every ingredient needed was placed on the table. Dont tell me Second Aunt-in-law has been bought over by your good culinary skills Xia He looked at the scene in front of her in shock. In the past, she and Tan Jing would have to do all these chores and Liu Fen would not have cleaned and prepared the ingredients. Maybe. Qiao Mei was also a little uncertain. Not only did Liu Fen find Qiao Mei more and more pleasing to the eye, but she even said that her standards for her future daughter-in-law would now be based on Qiao Mei. Not only did the girl have to be beautiful, good at cooking, capable of doing hard work and earning money, but she also had to be able to grow fruits and vegetables and know how to make clothes. If this was the case, her sons would probably not be able to find their wives for a while. She would have to wait a few more years. To be honest, Mei Mei, do you really plan to become a military spouse and follow Xiao Zhe around in the future? Xia He probed. She had discussed this matter with Qiao Mei before, but Qiao Mei did not give a clear answer at that time. Looking at how the two of them behaved like two lovebirds stuck together, Xia He was really afraid that Qiao Mei would be impulsive and insist on staying with Xia Zhe. After all, she was about to give birth soon. Xia He still hoped that she would stay in the capital so that the Xia family could help her. The standard of medical care in the capital was also much better than that in Foshan Village. It would be safer to have Aunt deliver the babies. I think I might need a few years. After you spoke to me the last time, I had thought about it. I know I should think for the children, but I also intend to go back and spend some time with my grandfather and see if hes willing to come over, Qiao Mei said as she cooked. Xia He stood at the side and nodded in relief. It seemed that Qiao Mei had taken her words to heart. What about you, elder sister? What do you plan to do? Qiao Mei asked. Xia He did not know what else she could do. Right now, she only wanted to get her job settled and there was nothing more important than that. I plan to stay in the capital, Xia He said. Thats good! This way, when its time for me to give birth, I wont be alone and will have you as my companion, Qiao Mei said with a smile. However, Xia He still had a frown on her face. Even if she settled things on the job front, her family matters were not over yet. She only hoped that Kong Lu could quickly return her the money so that she could get out of the Kong family as soon as possible. You have no idea how much trouble Kong Li has caused Aunt! Xia He told Qiao Mei everything that had happened in the past few days, including the matter of Kong Li and the Sun familys children breaking the television set, Kong Li bringing the children around to cause trouble, Kong Lu coming to take Kong Li away, and so on. She complained to Qiao Mei about everything that happened. Chapter 438 - Biased Chapter 438: Biased Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In the past, she felt that people should not wash their dirty linen in public. She would never tell her family about these things even if she was beaten to death. This was also the reason why the Xia family had never realized that Xia He was unhappy. However, she felt differently with Qiao Mei. When they met, it was as if she was looking at her own sister and she felt especially close to Qiao Mei. Moreover, Qiao Mei was very ingenious and was able to come up with many clever ideas to solve her problems. Qiao Mei also did not go around telling others about her issues nor nagged at her to be a good wife and mother. From Qiao Mei, she had learned that people must be true to themselves. Then how did you handle this matter? Do you intend to leave it? Qiao Mei said angrily. She did not expect Kong Li to have done so many things. If Xia He had told her earlier, she would have gone to teach Kong Li a lesson. Kong Lu is prepared to pay compensation. And also to return the money for the items I bought, as well as the money I lent to his brothers in the past, Xia He said. Qiao Mei was a little surprised.?Kong Lu agreed so readily? Does he have money? Qiao Mei looked at Xia He in puzzlement. He gave all his salary to his mother. There must be some money after so many years, but I dont think his mother will give it to him, Xia He said confidently. Why? This is his own money. Why wouldnt his mother give it to him? Qiao Mei asked. Xia He did not know how to explain it, but she felt that Old Madam Kong treated Kong Lu differently from his other brothers. Every time the old lady saw Kong Lu, she would either ask him for money or send him to do chores. Xia He had heard that when Kong Lu was young, he was especially hardworking in his studies, but for the sake of his younger siblings, he had to give up school and come out to work. At that time, Old Madam Kong did not even leave him any money for food. He ate steamed buns and pickled vegetables every day. When his brothers grew up, he still had to help them out. Otherwise, Old Madam Kong would cause a scene in front of all the neighbors. As long as something did not go her way, she would go to the neighbors and make a scene until Xia He and Kong Lu agreed to all her requests. If not for the fact that the couple were both very concerned with their reputations, they would not have been manipulated so much by Old Madam Kong. Every time his mother sees his two younger brothers, she smiles so widely that its like the corners of her mouth reach the tips of her ears, but every time she sees Kong Lu, she looks at him like he owes her money. She will give his younger brother whatever he wants, but when Kong Lu got married, she was so stingy. When his younger brother got married, she came and took money and stuff from me, Xia He said. Do you think its possible that his mother wants to train his mind? To make him stronger mentally. After all, his father passed away very early on. The eldest brother is like a father in such a situation, so she wants to train him more, Qiao Mei asked. Who knows, but it doesnt matter what his mother does. Im definitely getting a divorce! Xia He said firmly. At this moment, Kong Lu was at the post office, making a call to Old Madam Kong.. Recently, Kong Li had not dared to leave the guest house. She stayed by his side obediently and did not go to make trouble for the Xia family. She ate whatever was available and was no longer picky. Very quickly, someone picked up the phone on the other end. Who is it? Old Madam Kong asked nicely. Eh! Mother, its me, Kong Lu, Kong Lu said agitatedly. When Old Madam Kong heard that it was Kong Lu, she could not stop smiling and said happily, Oh my, did you get your salary? How much money are you giving me this time? You have to give me more this time. Your brother has not been doing well recently and he needs money urgently. I Mother, actually Im calling to ask you for money, Kong Lu said embarrassedly. When Old Madam Kong heard that he wanted to ask her for money, she immediately became unhappy and her face drooped. Why do you need money? Old Madam Kong asked. I Im sick and I need money for medical treatment. The money I have on me got stolen and I dont have a single cent now, Kong Lu said nervously. Who are you trying to bluff! Youre in the capital now, your sister has already told me. If youre sick, why are you looking for me instead of your wife! I dont have money! Go look for the Xia family! Old Madam Kong said angrily. But what about the money I send back every month? Mother, what about that money? Can you take it out and help me with my emergency first? Kong Lu said. Money? How much do you give me a month? Dont I need to spend money at home? Money, money, money, all you know is to ask me for money! Old Madam Kong scolded. Chapter 439 - Sneaking Out Chapter 439: Sneaking Out Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Kong Lu asked uneasily, But Im sick. What can I do? Old Madam Kong scolded, Hasnt that vixen in the capital send you for treatment? Whats the point of her having so much money? I already know that shes not a good person! Youre sick and she still doesnt render help! Tell me, what kind of scourge did you marry! Does that mean you arent giving me the money even though Im sick? Kong Lu asked in disbelief. Very quickly, the person on the other end put down the phone without a word. Kong Lu looked at the phone receiver in his hand and smiled bitterly. Initially, he only thought that his mother was overly concerned about his younger siblings because they were all young and needed someone to take care of them. As the eldest brother, he should help them more. He had never felt that Old Madam Kong was biased. From the looks of it now, even if he died of illness in the capital, she would not come over to take a look. Kong Lu walked down the street in a daze. He knew that if he asked for money to compensate the Xia family for the television set, Old Madam Kong would definitely not give it to him. However, he did not expect Old Madam Kong to ignore his request even though it concerned his life. When Kong Lu was young, his younger brother could get anything he wanted. Old Madam Kong was even able to get her hands on things that cost an astronomical sum. However, Kong Lu could only use those things when his younger siblings were done with them. He thought that they were all Old Madam Kongs children and all her own flesh and blood. Could it be that only his younger brother was her biological son and he was not After hanging up, the more Old Madam Kong thought about it, the more she felt that something was wrong. Kong Lu had always been the most obedient child. Why would he ask her for money when he fell sick in the capital? Was the Xia family really that heartless? That vixen must have instigated her son to cheat her of her money! That must be it! This heartless little brat! When you leave my sight, you get influenced by that little b*tch! You soft-hearted thing! You still want to cheat me of my money! Pfft! Old Madam Kong said in exasperation. She hurriedly ran downstairs to the neighbors resting area to start singing opera. Xia He valued her reputation very much. The old lady knew that as long as she went out to cause a ruckus, Xia He would compromise and agree to all her requests obediently. She could get anything she wanted and it worked every time. Oh my heavens! Why is my life so hard! Old Madam Kong cried out as she got closer to the crowd. Whats wrong with you? a neighbor asked. That son of mine! Hes so pitiful! He went to the capital on a business trip and fell sick there! My heartless daughter-in-law actually ignored him! Just now, my son even called me to ask for money for treatment! Old Madam Kong wept and complained tearfully. Old Madam Kong sobbed and told her story as if it was the truth. Everyone scolded Xia He for being heartless and not being a good wife and even comforted Old Madam Kong, asking her to relax and not argue with an insensible junior. Qiao Mei finished cooking very quickly. Liu Fen and Xia Zhe returned home just as she brought out the dishes. Xia Zhe! You still have the cheek to come back! Stand there! Xia He pointed at Xia Zhe and scolded him angrily. Xia Zhe was not afraid at all but Liu Fen, who was beside him, got so frightened that she dropped everything in her hands. Xiao He, whats wrong with you? Why cant you talk to Xiao Zhe nicely? Youre a girl and should not have such a bad temper. When you go back to the Kong family, your mother-in-law will nag at you, Liu Fen said. Second Aunt-in-law, do you know that Xia Zhe actually brought Qiao Mei to the He familys house this morning! Xia He said. Liu Fen was also shocked when she heard this. She had only heard a little about it, something about the He family committing some huge crime and that it had been a very dangerous situation at that time. He Lis leg had been broken by Jiang Shu in the process. This Xiao Zhe, youre too much. How can you bring Qiao Mei to such a dangerous place! But Xiao He, dont be so fierce and scold your younger brother. Your younger brother might not have done it on purpose, Liu Fen said. Xia He looked at Liu Fen helplessly. Even if it was Xia Zhes fault, Liu Fen would still be able to blame it on her in the end. In Liu Fens eyes at the moment, she was a bad wife with a bad temper. Its not elder sisters fault! Its not Xia Zhes fault either! I was the one who insisted on going! Everyone, come and eat. I cooked fish today! Qiao Mei went forward and pulled Liu Fen to the dining table to sit down while winking at Xia He. Alright, your wife already told me not to scold you. Come and eat. Xia He asked Xia Zhe to come over for dinner. Chapter 440 - Interaction Between a Couple Chapter 440: Interaction Between a Couple Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Liu Fen took two bites and was full of praise for the braised fish in front of her. Qiao Mei, Ive also watched you cook this dish before. Why isnt it so delicious when I make it myself? Its really strange. Do you have any secret recipe that you can teach me? Liu Fen asked as she wolfed down the food. Hahaha, I dont have any secret recipes. It must be because Second Aunt-in-law had bought really fresh fish. Its all thanks to Second Aunt-in-law, Qiao Mei said. Look at that, its like your mouth is laced with honey! How likable! Xia He, you should learn from her. If youre as capable as Qiao Mei, how can your mother-in-law not like you? Liu Fen looked at Xia He and criticized her. Me? Im not going back. Xia He looked at Liu Fen expressionlessly. When Liu Fen heard this, she immediately put down her chopsticks and looked at Xia He. Do you think thats appropriate? How can a woman not stay at home? Do you really want to live your life alone? Sometimes, Liu Fen was really nice and sometimes, she really made people speechless. Qiao Mei quickly grabbed Xia He and prepared to escape from this hellish scene. Otherwise, with Xia Hes temper, the two of them would definitely start a quarrel. Second Aunt-in-law, Im going out for a walk with elder sister. Take your time and eat! After saying that to Liu Fen, Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe and said, Dont follow us. Its my couple time with elder sister today. You can stay at home and clean up the house! Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei dotingly and said, Then dont go too far. Xiao Zhe! Are you going to let them go out just like that! Qiao Mei is pregnant. Its so dangerous to walk around like this! Liu Fen stood up and wanted to chase after them. Xia He turned around and shouted, Second Aunt-in-law! Many of my colleagues are coming to our house tomorrow. Please tidy up the house! You take good care of Qiao Mei! Liu Fen stood at the door and shouted. To her, it was a bigger deal that there were going to be visitors tomorrow. What if her future daughter-in-law was among these visitors? She must find a nice girl who was similar to Qiao Mei, or better still if the girl was more capable than Qiao Mei. Liu Fen looked at Xia Zhe and berated him, Seriously, how can you dote on Qiao Mei so much? Youve spoiled her too much. Xia Zhe smiled awkwardly and could only listen quietly as Liu Fen reprimanded him. His elder sister and wife had both gone out to have fun, leaving him alone at home to face the lecture. Im guessing that Xia Zhe will definitely get a scolding after we leave. Hahahaha, Xia He said happily. Theres nothing I can do about it. I dont want to listen to Second Aunt-in-laws lecture either, so I can only trouble him. Come, lets go to the nursery, Qiao Mei said. Xia He looked at Qiao Mei in surprise and said, Oh my, little girl, youve learned how to lie. I cant bring you somewhere so far away. If anything happens, Xiao Zhe will skin me alive. Elder sister is highly skilled in martial arts, how will others be able to bully me? Besides, its not as if I sneak out. I still have you with me, Qiao Mei said as she held Xia Hes arm. Then its not impossible. Lets go. Xia He straightened her back and strode forward. It was rare to hear anyone praise her for her martial arts skills. Her brothers were either the former top army warrior or the current top army warrior There was no place for her on top. If not for the fact that she did not like to study and did not want to go to suffer in the army, she would not have been arranged to work in the art troupe. Along the way, Xia He told Qiao Mei a lot of things that Xia Zhe had said about her. At that time, she was very envious of how loving Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei were every day, so she went to ask him how to be such a loving couple. She did not expect not to learn anything at all. Throughout the whole time, it was only Xia Zhe showing off his affection for Qiao Mei instead. During the session, she rolled her eyes until she was so tired. However, Qiao Mei had indeed changed a lot for Xia Zhe. Not only did she successfully lose weight, but she also learned to do many things and was also able to help Xia Zhe in his work. Moreover, she was willing to risk her life for Xia Zhe. These were things that Xia He could not bring herself to do. If you go back to the village, I will find it hard to get through days in the capital alone, Xia He said with a frown. I think Ill have to wait until the courtyard house is done up before leaving. When the time comes, you can stay with me for a few days. This way, you wont have to listen to Second Aunt-in-laws nagging, Qiao Mei said. That wont do. If I move in with you, Third Aunt-in-law and everyone else in the family will covet your house. Dont underestimate Third Aunt-in-law, she wont give up! Xia He said. Chapter 441 - Chapter 441 Chapter 441: Planting Melon Seeds Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei only knew how Zhou Hua was dealt with at that time, but she did not know what the final outcome was. She did not know if Zhou Hua was doing well at the moment or if she had been reprimanded by Third Uncle, Xia Guang. Is there any news about Third Aunt-in-law recently? Qiao Mei asked. Xia He recalled carefully and said, No, I just heard from my mother that she received a call at home from Third Uncle saying that Third Aunt-in-law has been sent back. I dont know anything else. Nove l B(in).C OM Alright then. What flowers do you want to buy? I still dont know what you like! Qiao Mei asked curiously. Me? I like sunflowers, Xia He said. Sunflowers? Why? Is it because they always face the sun? Qiao Mei said. Xia He crouched down sneakily and whispered into Qiao Meis ear, Because because they can produce seeds! Qiao Mei really did not expect the reason to be because sunflowers were edible. You like to eat melon seeds? Qiao Mei asked. Xia He nodded excitedly. Ever since she was young, her favorite food was melon seeds. At that time, there were not many snacks available and melon seeds were something that everyone could afford. However, her family did not allow her to eat that. Once Xia He joined the art troupe, Xu Lan strictly monitored her diet. She was not allowed to eat food like melon seeds and peanuts. At that time, she was still young and her teeth were still developing. If she ate melon seeds all the time, it would affect the overall beauty of her teeth and she would be eliminated by the art troupe. The melon seeds that I grow in our village are top-notch and sell very well. Ill plant some for you in the courtyard so that you get to eat it when you come back, Qiao Mei said. Dont just brag about it! Xia He said. Qiao Mei rolled up her sleeves and said, Dont doubt me! My melon seeds are the best. Even in the capital, theyll definitely still rank as one of the best! Xia He laughed at Qiao Meis serious expression and said, Alright, I believe you. But I dont just want melon seeds. I also want to eat the pickled vegetables and beef sauce that you make. Qiao Mei looked at Xia He in puzzlement. How did Xia He know that she knew how to make all these? Could it be that Xia Zhe told her? Stop looking! Xia Zhe told me. He bragged to me for a long time about how delicious the meat sauce is and how your pickled radishes are irresistible. You cant be biased. If my younger brother can eat it, I want to try it too! Xia He said. Xia He happened to see Xia Zhe sitting at the window and flipping through letters. When she asked him, she found out that the two of them had exchanged letters during the days when they could not see each other. Those pages were filled with the love between them. Back then, she and Kong Lu were also so loving. However, things had changed. That love had been replaced by trivial matters and scenes of arguments. Soon, the two of them arrived at the nursery. The old master she met during her previous visit was sitting in the rocking chair and sunbathing while listening to a song playing on the recorder. Old master, Im here! Qiao Mei said warmly. The old master opened his eyes lazily and closed them again when he saw that Qiao Mei came empty-handed. This little girl did not keep her word. He should not have given her those flowers back then. What a pity! Why are you ignoring me? How can I grow the flowers in such a short period of time? Im not an immortal. Old master, dont be angry. Ill definitely bring you the flowers next time, Qiao Mei said ingratiatingly. The old master said sulkily, What are you doing here again? Im telling you, I dont have any seeds for you this time! Im here to get some ordinary flowers and plants. You can go back to sleep, I know where it is. Ill go by myself! Qiao Mei grabbed Xia He and ran towards the glasshouse at the back to look at the flowers and plants. She behaves like shes not an outsider. This little girl The old master smiled and sat up as he pointed at Qiao Mei, but there was nothing he could do about her. It was Qiao Meis fault for being so beautiful and likable. The old master had been growing flowers and plants his entire life and he liked beautiful things the most, and beautiful people as well. Elder sister, take a look and see which one you like. Well get it, Qiao Mei said. Since He Ning had bought all the flowers they had at home, it was indeed time to buy more. Otherwise, the house would look empty, particularly since Xu Lan had no interest in these things. Chapter 442 - Astronomically Priced Flower Pot Nove l B(in).C OM Chapter 442: Astronomically Priced Flower Pot Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Lets buy some cactus. Arent there three pots of cactus at the door? Ill think thats good enough. Mother doesnt know how to take care of these things. Its already good enough that she waters them once a week. Dont buy flowers and plants, theyll just be wasted, Xia He said. Nove l B(in).C OM Let me take a look. Qiao Mei started choosing seriously. She was actually looking for the orchid that she had killed back then. When she first heard that it was sent over by He Ning, she had absorbed all the energy from the orchid. However, ever since she knew that she could obtain plants memories, she felt that the pot of flowers would be very useful. If she could manage to find something on He Ning, then it would really be an effortless reward. The old master also walked over leisurely. He was afraid that Qiao Mei would come and ask him for his rare and precious plants again. All the flowers in this yard were those that he had put in a lot of effort over the past few years. There was only one of each even after so many years and they were all meant to be ornamental plants. Old master, wheres the flower I saw the last time I came to your place? Qiao Mei asked. I wont sell that. Ive nurtured it for many years. I wont sell it to anyone, the old master said stubbornly. Qiao Mei suddenly realized that there were many more withered orchids around the orchid plant in the corner. She walked over and asked, Are you selling these? These are flowers that other people dont want. What do you want it for? The old master looked at Qiao Mei in puzzlement. In the eyes of the old master, these flowers were not salvageable. Even an immortal could not save them. I Ive taken a fancy to these flower pots! Qiao Mei said as she pointed at the flower pots. Young lady, you have good taste. These are not ordinary flower pots, the old master said with a smile. Not ordinary? Are they not just the most ordinary clay flower pots? There are some patterns engraved on them, but they are not antiques. Are they worth a lot of money? Seeing Qiao Meis puzzled expression, the old master said disdainfully, You dont even know which master made them and you want to buy them? This I just think that the flower pots are very beautiful. How much are they? Qiao Mei asked. Its 10 dollars each, the old master said. Selling them for 10 dollars each was still too low a price for him. This was the work of the famous master in this circle, Wei Guang. He rarely made such exquisite flower pots anymore. In the eyes of the people in this industry, these things were just getting rarer and rarer. He really felt that it was a steal to get it at 10 dollars. Xia He looked at the old master in shock and said, 10 dollars each! Its so expensive! Young girl! What do you know! This is the work of a master. Go out and ask around and see if Im scamming you by selling it for 10 dollars, the old master said angrily. Qiao Mei was also a little surprised, but for the sake of He Nings flowers, she did not care less. These, give me as many as you have. I want them all, Qiao Mei said as she pointed at the flowers in the corner. Six pots, 60 dollars. Not a single cent less, the old master said with his arms crossed. Qiao Mei pointed at the cactus outside and asked, Will those bloom? Yes, but its very difficult. Certain ones can bloom, the old master said. Cactuses could indeed bloom if they were well taken care of. Buying them could count as buying flowers. N0 v el Next. CoM And do you have any sword lilies here? Qiao Mei asked as she looked at the surrounding flowers and plants. Yes. Cactus costs 30 cents each. Sword lilies are cheap, its 10 cents each. The old master looked at Qiao Mei curiously. She used to ask about beautiful and expensive things. He wondered why she was asking about things that were easy to grow today. Give me three cactuses, six sword lilies and 10 ordinary clay flower pots with some simple patterns on them, Qiao Mei said with a smile. Xia He wanted to stop Qiao Mei from buying more, but then she remembered that Qiao Mei did not lack this money at all. What was the point of keeping so much money if she did not spend it? Money would not grow on its own. Mei Mei, there are still six pots here. If we just bring the pots back, what are we going to grow inside? Xia He asked. Qiao Mei had originally intended to save these orchids, but saying this in front of the old master would make her seem like she was boasting. After hesitating for a while, she said, I havent planted all the flower seeds I bought from old master last time. I can plant those. Young girl, dont tell me those flowers you took from me had died and youre looking for new ones that are easy to grow! The old master widened his eyes and looked at Qiao Mei. Chapter 443 - Logistics Company Chapter 443: Logistics Company Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei laughed and said, How can that be? Its just that the flowers we have at home are a little too boring and I want to buy something thats easy for my mother to take care of. When the old master heard that it was meant for her elder, he felt relieved. He could not bear to see flowers going to waste. If Qiao Mei did that, he would not sell them to her in the future! Xia He made a move to throw away the soil in the pots. The soil had already hardened and it was obvious that it could not be used anymore. Hey! Dont do this! Qiao Mei hurriedly went forward to stop her. Xia He looked at Qiao Mei in puzzlement and asked, The flowers are already dead. This soil must not be fertile anymore. What do you need it for? Its fine, its fine. I have my ways. Dont worry, Lets take them back like this. I think it looks alright. Qiao Mei hurriedly put the six pots of flowers together. The old master looked behind Qiao Mei and saw that there was no man around nor a car outside to pick her up. He asked, Young girl, how are you going to bring these six pots of flowers and so many other things with you? Qiao Mei thought for a moment and asked, Can you deliver? The old master snorted and said, No. There was a vehicle in the backyard, but it was used to transport fruit trees. Usually, these flowers and plants were cultivated by the people who bought them and did not need to be transported, otherwise the buyers would come to pick up their things themselves. Alright, can I leave them here for now and get someone to come and pick them up later? Qiao Mei asked. The old master nodded. He did not want to make things difficult for two women, one of whom was pregnant. If word got out, he would become a joke. Given that this young girl was good-looking and knew her stuff, he did not want to be so calculative with her. Thank you so much, old master. I forgot to bring my flowers today. Ill get someone to send the flowers to you next time, Qiao Mei said with a smile. Its not as if I like your flowers. The old master slowly walked back to the rocking chair to lie down and continue basking in the sun. Qiao Mei had thought of a new way to earn money. If she started a logistics company now, she would be able to make a killing! However, this was something that would take up a lot of manpower and resources, and it might not even be allowed. Such a business needed the governments approval. After Qiao Mei and Xia He left the nursery, they took the bus to the small park near the house to relax. If they went back now, Liu Fen would still be around and they would have to endure her lecture. Elder sister, if I want to buy and sell things now, do I have to go to the government for an audit ? Qiao Mei asked curiously. Xia He thought that Qiao Mei wanted to start a small business and said with a smile, If you want to start a small business, you can apply for a shop space and then get all the necessary permits. That will do and its all very simple. But if you want to open a restaurant, then it wont be easy. There are a lot of requirements to be met, like hygiene and safety. Qiao Mei shook her head and told Xia He about her idea to start a logistics company. Xia He frowned and said, This is a good idea, but you wont be able to do it now. Qiao Mei asked curiously, Why? Lets not talk about whether this matter can be done first. Who are your clients? Who has the ability to buy so many things like our family? Just look at the things you bought today, you must have spent about 100 dollars. Which ordinary family can spend so much money to buy things, Xia He said. Qiao Mei nodded thoughtfully. What Xia He said did make sense. Also, its not possible for you to do something so formal. Nowadays, the companies that sell large electrical appliances have their own professionals to come and do the installation. Places like the nursery have their own specialized drivers to transport goods. Although your method is indeed something totally unheard of, I dont think its very practical now, Xia He said to Qiao Mei truthfully. Qiao Mei did not expect Xia He to know all these things. Initially, Qiao Mei thought that this business still had some value to it, but now it seemed to be indeed very difficult. Qiao Mei quickly gave up on this idea and decided to wait for a few more years. Xia He raised her head and looked at the surrounding houses, saying to Qiao Mei after some hesitation, Mei Mei, do you think I should buy a small house in the capital in the future? Huh? Elder sister, why do you suddenly want to get a house? Qiao Mei was a little shocked. Qiao Mei had also thought about this issue before. She wanted Xia He and Xia Wen to buy a courtyard house in the capital to live in, but she did not have a chance to talk to them about it yet. Chapter 444 - Doing Business Together Chapter 444: Doing Business Together Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xia Zhe said that Xia Wens salary was not even enough to cover his own familys daily expenses and that he had other difficulties at home. Although Xia He made a lot of money, it had all been spent on the Kong family. Now that Xia He wanted to get a divorce and come out to live on her own, it would be a good thing to buy a house. I dont like living in the workplace dormitory, but if I live at home, theres always Second Aunt-in-law and the rest nagging me. Its also not convenient to stay with Aunt. I think itll be nice to have my own home, Xia He said. Then you can stay in my courtyard house. Or you can even be neighbors with me! Qiao Mei said as she held Xia Hes hand. Xia He reached out and gently knocked Qiao Meis head as she said, Do you think Im like you, little rich woman? All my money has been taken by the Kong family and I dont have much money now. I cant even afford a small house and you still want me to buy a courtyard house! Then do you still want to continue working in the art troupe? Or do you want to do some business? Qiao Mei asked. Qiao Mei wanted to get Xia He to go into business with her. Based on the way Xia He analyzed the issue of the logistics company just now, she would definitely be able to do well for herself! This way, everyone would be able to earn money and they might even be able to build a family business in the future! Me? I dont have that kind of brain. Besides, you need to face the fact that there will always be both profits and losses in business. I dont think I have the appropriate attitude to deal with that. I think I should just stay in the art troupe obediently. My salary is quite good there, Xia He said in satisfaction. Qiao Mei did not continue to persuade her. These things could be discussed again in the future. Kong Lu walked along the road dejectedly with a pile of papers in his hand. Those were telegrams from his colleagues back home. The messages were all similar. They all said that they had their own difficulties at home and could not lend any money to him. A few even said that they still owed other people money and could not help him at all. Kong Lu looked angrily at the telegrams in his hand. When these people were in trouble, Kong Lu had given them a lot of money as gifts. Now, he could not even get back a single cent. They were all heartless people! Do you think thats brother-in-law? Qiao Mei asked as she pointed at Kong Lu in the distance. Hmph, from the looks of it, he definitely didnt manage to get any money, Xia He said mockingly. Kong Lu frantically tore up all the papers in his hand. He originally wanted to throw the pieces into the air, but the people around him looked at him strangely, so he could only hold on to them awkwardly. Xia He sneered. At this point in time, he still cared so much about his reputation. He could really control his emotions well. It was such a pity that he did not become an actor. Brother-in-law, where are you going? Qiao Mei walked forward and stopped Kong Lu. Kong Lu looked up in surprise. At this hour, it was usually the Xia familys mealtime at home. He wondered why they were in the park. Ah Why are you here? Kong Lu asked with a smile. Elder sister and I just went to buy things we need at home, and were about to go back. Qiao Mei looked at the post office behind Kong Lu and said, Brother-in-law, did you just come back from the post office? You must have already gotten the 2,000 dollars. Kong Lu said with a troubled expression, It will still take another three to five days Three to five days? Thats true. It takes time to send mail from another city to the capital, Qiao Mei said with a smile. What she said made Kong Lu even more afraid to look up. Xia He secretly gave Qiao Mei a look. She knew that Old Madam Kong would never give the money to Kong Lu. She had given him the ultimatum to return the money immediately so that he could see Old Madam Kongs true colors for himself. It cant be that long. I remember that sending money by post will take about two days. The Kong family does not stay far from the capital. Xia He smiled at Kong Lu. Kong Lu knew that he could not hide this matter. He looked up at Xia He and said, Mother doesnt want to lend it to me. She said that she doesnt have any money anymore. Qiao Mei said in surprise, Ah? How can she be broke? I thought elder sister paid for all the expenses in the family over the years? This made Kong Lu feel even more ashamed because Old Madam Kong had said she did not have a single cent due to the family expenses being too high. The last time, your brother said that there was a leak in his house and that the roof needed repairs. Your mother gave him 2,000 dollars without saying anything. I remember that Kong Li saw it and even bragged to me that your mother still has 5,000 dollars left, Xia He said. Kong Lu looked at Xia He in disbelief.?How was this possible! Was his illness not as important as his younger brothers house? Chapter 445 - Things Have Changed Chapter 445: Things Have Changed Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei deliberately held on to Xia He and said in surprise, Ah! So much money! What does brother-in-laws mother do? Shes so rich. What else can she do? His mother just stays at home, Xia He said. Then how does she have so much money? Qiao Mei asked. Xia He looked at Kong Lu mockingly and said, She has a good son. He hands over all the money he earns to his mother. I have never even seen his salary before. How can his mother not be rich? Kong Lu stood there awkwardly as he listened to Qiao Mei and Xia He taking turns to criticize him. Then what about the 2,000 dollars, brother-in-law? Aunt is still waiting to watch television, Qiao Mei asked Kong Lu. My mothers money just take it as what I have given her for her living expenses. As for the 2,000 dollars, dont be anxious. Ill borrow some money from friends in the next two days, Kong Lu said with his head down. Alright, then I thank brother-in-law on behalf of Aunt. Otherwise, she would have to wait for a long time. Since brother-in-law is so straightforward, Aunt will definitely be very happy, Qiao Mei said with a smile. Kong Lu clenched his fists tightly. The papers in his hand were so crumpled that some of them even fell to the ground and got blown away by the wind. Xia He pulled Qiao Mei along and prepared to leave, not wanting to waste her breath on him. Xia He, wait! I I want to talk to you! Kong Lu reached out to stop the two of them. What else do I have to say to you? Ive said everything I need to say. Theres nothing more between us, Xia He said as she looked at Kong Lu coldly. Kong Lu walked forward anxiously and spread his arms to block Qiao Mei and Xia He. Before he could speak, he was interrupted by the person behind him. Oh, isnt this Qiao Mei? Why are you seducing another man once Xia Zhe is not by your side? Youre really cheap! Why would Xia Zhe choose someone like you! Qiane stood behind Kong Lu and pointed at them. Who are you! Xia He looked unhappily at the stranger in front of her. Xia Zhe usually did not speak harshly to Qiao Mei, and his parents also never reprimanded Qiao Mei before.?Where did this wild cat come from, and how dare she behave so atrociously in front of her? Qiane did not know that the person in front of her was Xia Zhes elder sister, Xia He. Although they had met before when they were young, it had been more than 10 years and they both looked different now None of your business! If youre with someone like Qiao Mei, you must be like her too! When people say birds of a feather flock together, theyre talking about people like the both of you! Qiane put her hands on her hips and berated them. Kong Lu looked at both parties, feeling at a loss. He did not do anything even though Xia He was being bullied. Didnt you hear what this woman said about Qiao Mei and me? Xia He looked at Kong Lu in disappointment. Kong Lu did not know how to explain himself. He stammered, Um youre all women Its not good for me to bully a woman, right? Xia He stared at Kong Lu. How could she have been blind enough to fall for such a coward who bullied the weak and feared the strong, but yet always acted like a bully in private? Elder sister, lets go. Dont get caught up with her nonsense. Qiao Mei pulled Xia He in the opposite direction. Qiane hurriedly rushed forward and shouted, The adulterous couple still want to leave after I caught you! Dont even think about going anywhere today! Let everyone see your true colors! The people around them were quickly attracted by this farce, and more and more onlookers gathered around. Everyone, come and take a look! This shameless woman is seducing another man while her husband is not around! Everyone, come and take a look! Qiane shouted with all her might. While Qiane was shouting, Xia He looked at Qiao Mei and whispered, Who is this person? When did you provoke a lunatic? Qiao Mei said helplessly, This is the person from Aunts complex. Her name is Qiane. Qiane? How could it be her? Xia He looked at the weathered woman in front of her in disbelief. She looked to be in her 30s and people would even believe that she was around the same age as Aunt. Although they had not seen each other for so many years, she had heard from Aunt about what happened to Qiane. Aunt said that Qiane became pregnant before getting married and the two families discussed the matter of marriage. Not long after, Qiane found out that the man was having an affair. In the end, Qiane had a miscarriage and even had to have her uterus removed. After that, the man broke off the engagement. Things had really changed a lot. The Qiane now was so different from the younger her. Chapter 446 - Times Have Changed Chapter 446: Times Have Changed Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios When Qiane was young, she would always hang around the entrance of the apartment complex to look at Xia Zhe. She was gentle and virtuous and was proficient in the arts. Her warm and cheerful appearance was especially likable. At that time, Xia He had thought that if Xia Zhe was agreeable, she would become related to the Qian family, so she always jokingly called Qiane her sister-in-law. She did not expect things to end up like this. Xia He looked at her with sympathy and pity. Qiane also noticed Xia Hes expression and stopped shouting. She questioned, Why are you looking at me like that! Im Xia Zhes elder sister, Xia He, Xia He said calmly. Qiane froze on the spot. She did not expect the woman with Qiao Mei to be Xia He! Back then, everyone in the Xia family looked down on her and ignored her. Only Xia He was willing to talk to her and even told her that it did not matter what others think and that she should pursue Xia Zhe if she liked him. Qiane could not quite accept the surprise and pity in Xia Hes eyes. She should not have behaved like this today, but it was too late and she could no longer care less. Since youre his elder sister, you should ask your younger brother to leave this vicious woman! How can you tolerate her seducing another man outside? Qiane pointed at Qiao Mei and said. Xia He explained, This is my husband, not some other man. After she said that, she did not expect Qiane to think differently from others and to actually think that Qiao Mei was trying to seduce her brother-in-law! Alright! I didnt expect you to be so cheap! You actually seduced your brother-in-law! Qiane said. The people around them gasped. When Kong Lu heard that he was now involved, he hurriedly tried to explain to everyone that this matter had nothing to do with him. Elder sister, lets go. Lets not get entangled with this person. Qiao Mei was unwilling to waste her time on Qiane. Qiane rushed forward and grabbed Qiao Meis wrist to pull her back. Xia He felt that Qiao Mei was in danger and went up to kick Qiane in the stomach. Xia He held on to Qiao Mei tightly, afraid that she would get injured. She looked coldly at Qiane, who was on the ground, and said, Stay away from her. Qiao Mei looked at Xia He with admiration. She did not expect that the person to protect her one day would be Xia He, who was also a woman. It seemed that she had to learn some martial arts from Xia Zhe. Elder sister really looked too cool just now!!! Help! Someone hit me! Ouch! It hurts so much! Qiane lay on the ground and rolled around while holding her stomach. Lets go, Mei Mei. Lets ignore her, Xia He said with a frown. Hey! How can you leave! an onlooker said. Thats right. Look, she cant even stand up after being beaten up by you. You cant leave! Apologize to the girl! Take her to the hospital! The commotion became more and more intense and seemed that it would soon reach an irreconcilable stage. Kong Lu took advantage of the fact that everyone was attacking Qiao Mei and Xia He to quietly slip away. This matter had nothing to do with him and he hoped that he would not be implicated. At this moment, Qiao Mei slowly squatted on the ground and started crying loudly. No one in the surrounding knew why. Xia He was also baffled by Qiao Meis actions. What she said is all not true! My husband and I are in love and she keeps slandering me. She likes my husband, but even though he rejected her, she refused to give up! Shes framing me! Qiao Mei said as she wept. Xia Hes heart ached as she held onto Qiao Mei. She thought that Qiao Mei was really aggrieved and almost went up to kick Qiane again to vent her anger on behalf of Qiao Mei. The more Qiao Mei spoke, the sadder she became. She leaned into Xia Hes arms and wept even louder. She secretly poked Xia Hes palm with her finger and Xia He immediately understood that this clever girl was pretending. You! Youre talking nonsense! You are the one who seduced your brother-in-law! Not only did you seduce your brother-in-law! You even seduced another man! Qiane was so angry that she sat up with difficulty and berated Qiao Mei. Everyone, dont listen to her slandering me. She was engaged to someone else and got pregnant before she got married. In the end, she lost her child and the engagement was broken off. Thats why shes so delirious. Shes just jealous that I married my husband and she really wants to slander me! Besides, my husband and I already had an arranged marriage when we were children. If you dont believe me, you can ask my elder sister! Qiao Mei said as she continued to weep. Xia He said to the people around them, Its true. Im her husbands elder sister. Its true. Everyone quickly changed their tune and spoke to Qiane with disdain. Chapter 447 - Better Shut Up Chapter 447: Better Shut Up Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Say, this girl is young but she actually did such an immoral thing. How shameless. Thats right. How can you be so jealous of another person? Seriously, weve wronged this girl. When a pretty girl cried, she looked especially pitiful. With Xia Hes help, Qiao Mei slowly stood up and said to everyone, She has been following me ever since I came! Now, shes even openly slandering me. I really I really dont know what to do Qiane tried her best to explain herself to the people around her, but no one believed her anymore. Qiao Mei and Xia He took advantage of the situation and walked away from the crowd while everyone was criticizing Qiane. Qiao Mei, Ill remember this! I wont let you off! Qiane shouted in the direction that Qiao Mei left in. These words made everyone realize that it was Qiane who was wishfully trying to frame someone else. Xia He turned around and heaved a sigh of relief when she saw that they had gone very far away from the crowd. Youre a smart little girl. Do you think you might catch a cold from sitting on the ground just now? Xia He looked at Qiao Mei worriedly. I wont, elder sister. Its useless to reason with such a person. People always only care about what they see. As for the truth, only officials care about it. The common people just want to watch the fun, Qiao Mei said. Old Madam Kong was no different from Qiane today. She openly said groundless things and slandered others. People only wanted to watch the fun and did not care about who was right and who was wrong. They just wanted to watch the commotion. Youre right. I never expected you to know so much at such a young age, Xia He said emotionally. Elder sister, havent you heard of that saying? Give someone a taste of their own medicine. Although its not something a nice person would do, Im just treating her in the same way that she treats me. Elder sister, youre too soft-hearted. Many people in our village are unreasonable. Some people behave worse than Qiane, Qiao Mei said. Yes, Ill remember that. But I really never expected Qiane to become like this. I also dont expect Kong Lu to run away the moment something happens, Xia He said sadly. Qiao Mei also did not expect Kong Lu to be so irresponsible. It seemed that not all men were as responsible as the men of the Xia family. Elder sister, are you going to drag this on? I dont think brother-in-law will be able to return the money anytime soon, Qiao Mei said with a sigh. Xia He smiled and said, As if I can make Aunt wait forever. Ill buy the television for Aunt first and she can pass me the money when he pays up. Ill just give Aunt a heads-up later. The park was close to their place. Qiao Mei and Xia He slowly walked home and ran into the runaway Kong Lu at the entrance of the alley. How interesting. I thought he was scared out of his wits and had long disappeared, Xia He said as she rolled her eyes. Qiao Mei understood what Xia He meant and asked with a smile, Oh, brother-in-law, what are you waiting for? The post office managed to rush the delivery of the money for you? Or your mother agreed to give you the money for your treatment, or is brother-in-law too tired from running away just now and is stopping here to take a rest? Kong Lu was so embarrassed that he wished he could find a hole to hide in. He braced himself and said to Xia He, Xiao He, I didnt do it on purpose just now. I I suddenly remembered that I had something on. Erm I want to talk to you, is that alright? Xia He said mockingly, Youre looking for me? I know what you want to say, so you better shut up. About this matter, we have nothing to talk about. I would also advise you not to look for my aunt. Ive already told her that she doesnt have to interfere in this matter. There were still three days before the deadline. Kong Lu only had 300 dollars now, including the 100 dollars from Kong Li. Mei Mei, lets go. Xia He pulled Qiao Mei home. Qiao Mei looked at Kong Lus back and asked, Will he look for mother? Or father? Xia He said confidently, He wouldnt dare. He cares so much about his reputation, so how can he let my parents know? Even if he goes to look for Second Aunt-in-law, she wont give him any money. Why? I feel that Second Aunt-in-law likes him the most, Qiao Mei asked curiously. Every time Kong Lu came, Second Aunt-in-law would treat him to good food and drinks, and just short of giving him the most precious things in the house. Chapter 448 - You Are a Real Eyesore Chapter 448: You Are a Real Eyesore Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios But if he really tries to get money from Second Aunt-in-law, she wont give it to him. She is famous for being stingy, Xia He explained. Qiao Mei nodded. From the looks of it, Kong Lu could only pray for himself. When they got home, Xia Zhe was no longer at home. He heard that Xia Wen wanted to discuss the renovation of the courtyard house with him, and he would not be returning at night. Where did the two of you go? I was so worried. Its already so dark outside. You cant come back so late next time, Liu Fen said sternly as she stood at the door with her hands on her hips. Qiao Mei and Xia He looked at each other and smiled. Sometimes, Qiao Mei felt that Liu Fen was more like her mother-in-law from the way she cared and worried about her. However, based on Qiao Meis personality, Xu Lan still suited her better. If Liu Fen was really Qiao Meis mother-in-law, Qiao Mei would probably have to listen to her talk about being obedient and virtuous every day. She would have to stay at home every day to take care of her children and do housework. Then, she would really have no freedom at all. We wont dare to do it again! Qiao Mei said with a smile. Liu Fen quickly noticed the stains on Qiao Meis dress. The hem of her dress was covered in dirt from sitting on the street earlier. Did you go to work in the fields? Why are your clothes so dirty? Liu Fen asked curiously. No, we ran into a lunatic on the way and I dirtied my clothes. Its fine. Qiao Mei casually patted the dust off her body and wanted to go back to the room to change. Liu Fen suddenly grabbed Qiao Meis shoulder and asked nervously, Lunatic! I just know I shouldnt have let you go out! Did you fall down! Are you alright! What about the babies! Are the babies alright! Qiao Mei originally felt fine, but almost had a fright because of Liu Fens reaction. Liu Fen immediately criticized Xia He and said, How did you take care of Qiao Mei? Youre the elder sister, how can you let her be in such danger? Seriously, you cant go out in the future! Its really too dangerous! Xia He listened quietly to Liu Fens lecture. Liu Fen had never liked her since she was young and she was already used to it. This was because she was not as elegant and presentable as other girls, nor was she gentle and virtuous. She learned martial arts and had a bad temper. Its not elder sisters fault. It was all an accident Qiao Mei said. Liu Fen said to Qiao Mei with heartache, Hurry up and go change your clothes! Check for injuries! Xia He winked at Qiao Mei to ask her to be at ease and go ahead boldly. She would just turn a deaf ear to these words and did not care about it at all. Qiao Mei made her way upstairs quietly. She quickly washed up and changed into a clean set of clothes before grabbing her gift for Xia He. She then hurriedly went downstairs to save Xia He, who was still being reprimanded. Whats that smell, Second Aunt-in-law! Are you cooking something? Qiao Mei asked as she pointed at the kitchen. Liu Fen stood on the spot and thought for a moment. She suddenly slapped her thigh and said, Oh! My chicken soup! She quickly ran into the kitchen to prepare dinner. Qiao Mei hid Xia Hes gift behind her back so that Xia He would not notice it. Xia He slumped on the sofa and said weakly, Shes too eloquent. Qiao Mei went forward and hugged Xia Hes arm as she said, Elder sister, look at what this is! What Xia He saw was a simple cloth bag. However, since it was a gift from Qiao Mei, she would like it no matter what it was. What is it? Xia He asked. Elder sister, open it and take a look. Qiao Mei looked at Xia He expectantly. This was the first time she was giving Xia He a gift and she wondered if Xia He would like it. She slowly opened the cloth bag. There were two beautiful dresses and a nice-looking shirt inside. Ah! Theyre so beautiful! Xia He said in pleasant surprise. There was a bright red dress. When Qiao Mei wore something similar the other day, she saw Xia He looking at her a few times and knew that Xia He must like it. There was also a long blue dress embroidered with lotuses. The collar of the shirt was also embroidered with lotuses. Xia He carefully touched the lotuses on the clothes. Putting aside the material and style of the clothes, there was a lot of effort put into the embroidery. The lotuses looked so real. Coupled with the blue dress, it looked like she was wearing a pond on her when she walked under the sun. It was really lifelike and ingenious. Even the embroiderers in the capital had far inferior skills when compared with Qiao Mei. Chapter 449 - Death Is Near Chapter 449: Death Is Near Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Elder sister, are you stunned? Qiao Mei smiled at Xia He. Xia He said agitatedly, Yes, Ive never received such a thoughtful gift! I really like it so much. Your embroidery is so good that I cant bear to wear it. When I made it, I didnt know what you liked, so I embroidered lotuses to match your name. Dont worry and wear them boldly. Ill make clothes for you every year! Qiao Mei said. Xia He folded the clothes one by one and carefully put them away. These were all her treasures. She would only wear these handmade clothes from Qiao Mei at formal occasions. Knock, knock, knock! They heard loud knocks on the door. Xia He stood up and said, Ill open the door. Is Xiao Zhe back? Didnt you say that he wont be back tonight? Qiao Mei did not fight with Xia He to open the door. She sat obediently on the sofa and thought about clothes that she could make for Xia He next time. In the entire Xia family, Xia He was the person she liked the most, followed by Aunt. These two people treated her extremely well and thought of her first whenever they had nice clothes and delicious food, making her feel the warmth of having a family and siblings. In her other life, she was a loner and did not even have a good friend. Her parents did not get along and always quarreled over trivial matters, so she had always yearned for a happy family and a brother to take care of her. In this life, she must be nice to the people who treated her well and not leave any regrets! There was suddenly a commotion at the door. No one knew who Xia He was arguing with, but it sounded like a woman. Qiao Mei walked towards the door curiously and saw the disheveled Qiane glaring at Xia He with her hands on her hips. Whats wrong, elder sister? Qiao Mei walked forward and asked. This woman said that shes looking for you. How shameless of her to make her way to our house, Xia He said as she rolled her eyes. When Qiane saw Qiao Mei coming out, she calmed down. She did not come here to cause trouble, but rather, she had something to tell Qiao Mei. Earlier on the streets, she had only slandered Qiao Mei because she failed to suppress her feelings. Qiao Mei sized up Qiane for a while and asked, Whats the matter? Its about the He family. Qiane looked at Qiao Mei calmly. Qiao Mei turned sideways and said to Qiane, Come in and talk. There are too many people outside. Qiane nodded. When she walked in, she deliberately avoided Xia He. The kick that Xia He gave her just now was still hurting. Xia He grabbed Qiao Mei anxiously and whispered, Are you crazy! Do you know that youre inviting a wolf into your house? How are you going to explain it if she causes trouble at home? Its fine if nothing happens to you, but if anything happens, father will definitely blame me. What if I cant subdue her! Of course, Xia Mao would not bear to teach Qiao Mei a lesson. He would only punish Xia He. Qiao Mei smiled and said, Dont worry, Ill bear the responsibility if anything happens. Besides, elder sister is so powerful and youre a heroine! How is it possible that you cant subdue her? I trust elder sister! Qiao Mei smiled innocently and spoke sweetly, as if her mouth was laced with honey. Xia He blushed and said, Alright, alright, alright. I cant win an argument with you. Lets go in. Im guessing she wont dare to play any tricks. Qiane stood in the middle of the living room without moving. In her current state, she was not in the mood to discuss anything. Wheres the bathroom? Qiane asked bluntly. Qiao Mei pointed at the room at the end of the first floor and said, Thats the one. Go and clean up. Qiane swaggered off to the bathroom as if she was at her own house. When Liu Fen heard the commotion, she also came out of the kitchen. She held on to the kitchen knife and asked warily, What happened Did someone come in! Xia He and Qiao Mei were stunned to the spot when they saw Liu Fens stance. Although Liu Fen was timid, she was still protective of the kids at home. The two of them laughed loudly, making Liu Fen very confused. Its fine, Second Aunt-in-law. Its an acquaintance of mine who has some matters to settle and is here to talk. Its not some bad guy, Qiao Mei said as she wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. When Liu Fen heard that there was no danger, she returned to the kitchen, feeling very confused as she continued cooking. Qiane was washing her hair in the bathroom when she heard the laughter outside the door. She smiled mockingly at her reflection in the mirror. You can still laugh when death is near. How bold, Qiane muttered to herself slowly. Chapter 450 - Coming to Make a Deal Chapter 450: Coming to Make a Deal Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios When she saw Qiane walk out of the bathroom, Xia He became more vigilant and stood in front of Qiao Mei to prevent Qiane from getting close to her. Qiane felt a little sad when she saw the way Xia He protected Qiao Mei. When they were young, Xia He had also protected her like this once, but now it was someone else. Qiane laughed self-deprecatingly and said, Elder sister Xiao He, theres no need to be so guarded against me. Im here to talk about something, not to fight. Xia He looked at Qiane doubtfully. However, Qiane did indeed look much better than earlier. Sit down and talk, Qiao Mei said. Qiane sat opposite Qiao Mei and crossed her legs as she looked at her surroundings. The house was very clean and there was the fragrance of food coming from the kitchen. If Qiao Mei had not appeared, then all these might have been hers. No, youre thinking too much. Qiao Mei looked at Qiane coldly. Qiane was stunned for a moment before she laughed loudly and said, You can actually read my mind? How interesting. As expected of someone who defeated the He family. Seeing that Qiane seemed about to go crazy again, Xia He became nervous again. Now that she was the only one in the family who could protect Qiao Mei, she had to be vigilant at all times. Dont tell me you come here just to take a look, Qiao Mei asked. Qiane shook her head and said, Of course not. Its because He Mei told me something that I thought would interest you. She did hate Qiao Mei for marrying Xia Zhe and becoming a member of the Xia family, but in comparison, she hated He Mei even more. If not for He Mei setting her up and making her suffer every step of the way, she would not have ended up in this sorry state. It was all thanks to He Mei that she became like this today! Now that the He family had fallen from grace, she felt extremely happy and just short of buying fireworks to celebrate. What does the He familys issues have to do with our Xia family? Qiao Mei asked Qiane casually. Xia He could not help but cover her face and laugh. Qiao Meis attitude was becoming more and more like that of a member of the Xia family. She was almost on par with Xia Wen. What if I tell you that He Mei wants to harm you? Qiane said. Harm me? Do I have any enmity with her? What reason does she have to harm me? Qiao Mei asked curiously. Just the fact that youre Xia Zhes wife is enough to make He Mei want to kill you. Now that the He familys status is unstable, if she can have some form of relationship with Xia Zhe, wont it be easy for the He family to rise from the dead? After all, the Xia family would not want their daughter-in-laws family to be guilty of a crime, Qiane said. Xia He slammed the table angrily and scolded, The He family is really a nest of snakes and rats. I never expected He Mei to have such an idea! Qiao Mei was not that shocked. After all, the He family had been targeting her for a long time. Even if He Ning went to jail, as long as they still had people outside, they would continue to cause trouble for the Xia family. Qiao Mei picked up the teacup from the coffee table and took a sip. So? What do you want me to do? Qiane was a little surprised. She did not expect Qiao Mei to really be able to read her mind. She had thought that this was just a country bumpkin who relied on Xia Zhe and some luck to bring down the He family. She did not expect Qiao Mei to be such a shrewd person. I hope you can help me get rid of He Mei so that the He family wont have a chance to make a comeback! Qiane said. Qiao Mei only knew what Qiane had experienced, but she did not know what kind of grudge Qiane had with He Mei. She had no reason to trust a person who spoke like a lunatic. Whats your relationship with He Mei? Qiao Mei asked curiously. We were classmates, Qiane said frankly. Many people knew about this and she had no intention of hiding it. I dont believe you. You were at loggerheads with me not long ago. I dont believe that you want to join forces with me now. Besides, youve known He Mei for so long. What if youre the person He Mei sent to harm me? Qiao Mei said with a smile. Xia He stared fixedly at Qiane, not daring to look away even an inch. It seemed that she must give Xiao Zhe a good scolding when he returned! He had incurred so many romantic debts! He even caused Qiao Mei to have to deal with these matters! She must also tell her grandfather and father about it so that they could teach Xia Zhe a lesson! Chapter 451 - Let’s Work Together Chapter 451: Lets Work Together Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Theres no need for me to walk into a trap myself. Besides, the enemy of an enemy is a friend. Were on the same side now, Qiane said. Qiao Mei thought for a moment and said, You say that you and He Mei are enemies, but do you have any proof? Whats the grudge between the two of you? In the beginning, she was the one who introduced me to Ma San. Later on, He Mei actually asked her younger sister to seduce Ma San! In the end, it was all thanks to her that I lost my child and became infertile! Tell me, how can I not hate her! Qiane roared. Visit n(o )velb(i)n.com for the best novel reading experience She could still feel an ache in her heart when she thought of the past. Her entire life was ruined by He Mei. Qiao Mei was still worried. After all, if she really collaborated with Qiane and then Qiane did something drastic that implicated the Xia family, the losses would outweigh the gains. Dont worry. If we work together, Ill tell you everything I know. When the time comes, Ill do whatever you want me to do. After all, Im really not smart enough. Since you can take down the He family, I believe you can also take down He Mei as well, Qiane said. I still dont trust you. I need time to consider if what you said is true. Qiao Mei looked at Qiane intently. It was a good thing as long as she was tempted. Qiane had plenty of time to wait, but she did not know how much time Qiao Mei had left. Im afraid you dont have that much time, Qiane said with a smile. Qiao Mei looked at Qiane in puzzlement and asked, Why? He Mei wants to give me a sum of money. She says that she had let me down all these years and asks me to go to her house for a chat. That everyone in her family is gone and she doesnt have anyone to help her now. That she doesnt know how to save her father and her little uncle. That as long as I lie to you, she will have a chance to threaten the Xia family and get them to protect her family, Qiane said. This offer of money was very tempting as her mother, Zhao Ni, worried about money every day. The money from the He family would be enough to last the two of them for 10 years, but she wanted revenge more than money. She wanted He Mei to experience the pain she felt before, and to know what it was like to experience the abuse from neighbors, the accusations from family, the disgust from friends, and the complete subversion of her life. She was no longer the ignorant fool from before! This time, she must pull herself together! He Mei must pay the price! So you have agreed? Qiao Mei asked. No, I didnt go to see her. This was what she told me over the phone. She asked me to go to her house to look for her, but I refused and said that I didnt have time, and that I would go another day, Qiane said. Xia He looked at Qiao Mei nervously. She had never thought that things would get to this point, nor did she expect the He family to still target Qiao Mei even though the family was already in trouble. Ill wait until you have met He Mei before I decide if I want to work with you. Bring He Mei to a public place where theres a spot for me to hide, Qiao Mei said. However, Qiane shook her head and said, This wont work. He Mei wont be stupid enough to come out and court danger. There are many people trying to find ways to cause trouble for the He family now. Shes currently hiding away in her fathers small house. If I want to see her, I can only go there to look for her. Just say that youre afraid shell do something to you since no one can guarantee your safety. Say you want to meet at a public place thats not too crowded to ensure that youll be safe and shell be safe. Then Ill be able to hear about He Meis schemes too, Qiao Mei said. Qiane hesitated. It would not be easy to persuade He Mei on this matter, but Qiao Mei would not help her if she did not give it a try. Alright, Ill try. Qiane looked at Qiao Mei determinedly. Qiao Mei smiled and said, Then lets do it tomorrow afternoon. When you have fixed a time, let me know in advance. Dont use your house phone to call me or the He family might find out. Qiane nodded and got ready to leave the Xia familys house. Xia He sent her to the main door. She turned around to look at Xia He and hesitated. What else do you want? Xia He said impatiently. Elder sister Xiao He, I Its nothing. I hope youre well. Im leaving. Qiane had a bitter smile on her face as she slowly made her way home. Watching the slender departing figure made Xia He feel bad. She stood there for a long time before she sighed resignedly and closed the door to go back into the house. Chapter 452 - I Want Proof Chapter 452: I Want Proof Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Mei Mei, do you think what she said is reliable? Xia He walked into the house and asked Qiao Mei worriedly. Qiao Mei smiled indifferently and said, It doesnt matter if its real or fake. Elder sister, dont think about it anymore. Lets eat. Why hasnt Second Aunt-in-law come out of the kitchen after so long? Since Qiane arrived, Liu Fen had been very quiet in the kitchen. There were only the three of them having dinner at home, so there was no need for her to prepare too much food. They wondered why she had not come out yet. Qiao Mei and Xia He made their way to the kitchen quietly. When they opened the door, they saw Liu Fen sitting on a chair and leaning against the wall, fast asleep. Her brows were furrowed and it was clearly restless sleep. She was still holding on to the spatula tightly. The two of them looked at each other and smiled. They knew that Second Aunt-in-law was very timid, but they did not expect her to have been so frightened. Xia He went forward and nudged Liu Fen gently. Second Aunt-in-law Second Aunt-in-law, wake up! Wake up! Liu Fen woke up in a fright and hurriedly raised the metal spatula and pointed it at Xia He. She opened her eyes wide and stared hard. When she saw that it was Xia He and Qiao Mei in front of her, she relaxed. You wretched girl! You scared me half to death! I thought some bad guy had come! Liu Fen said as she patted her chest. Come, Second Aunt-in-law. Lets eat. She has already left. Xia He helped Liu Fen up and led her to the living room to take a rest. Her shoulders must be so sore after sleeping in the kitchen for so long. The three of them quickly finished their meal and cleaned up before returning to their rooms to rest. The next morning, Xia He woke up very early. She did not sleep well the entire night and felt flustered whenever she thought about what Qiane had said. However, Qiao Mei was as calm and composed as if nothing had happened. Visit n(o )velb(i)n.NeTfor the best novel reading experience Xia He sat in the living room in a daze with dark circles under her eyes. She was very fidgety and only looked forward to the afternoon so that she could know what He Mei was up to. Only then would they be able to find a way to deal with it. Qiao Mei got up lazily from the bed and walked downstairs with her hair in a messy bun. At this hour, Liu Fen would be out grocery shopping and it would be a long time before she got back. Elder sister, why are you up so early? Whats with the dark eye circles? Did someone hit you last night? They look really bad. Qiao Mei yawned and slowly walked down the stairs. How are you still able to sleep! That He Mei wants to harm you! Xia He said anxiously. Qiao Mei shrugged and said, Dont be afraid. Its not as if shes going to harm me today. Besides, we have someone tipping us off. Elder sister, dont worry. Then shouldnt we at least let Xiao Zhe and elder brother know about this matter, so that they can help us think of a countermeasure, Xia He asked. Qiao Mei shook her head. She did not need Xia Zhes help to deal with such a small matter. Recently, He Ning had managed to find many people to help him. Now, the men of the Xia family were all busy trying to get He Ning convicted to ensure that it would not be possible for him to make a comeback. No need for that. Well talk about it when the time comes. He Mei has not taken any action yet. Elder sister, dont think about it anymore. Well find out more in a while, Qiao Mei said. Xia He had no choice but to do her best to protect Qiao Mei for the moment. She intended to secretly tell Xia Zhe about this later. Just after noon, the Xia familys phone rang. Qiao Mei walked over to pick up the phone and said, Hello? Its me. Ive already fixed a time with her to meet at the park. Do you know the secluded spot at the hill behind the park? Qiane whispered. I know. At that time, Ill watch you from somewhere nearby, Qiao Mei said. I hope you keep your word. Dont be a treacherous person when the time comes, Qiane said. That will depend on your sincerity. You have to find a way to make her leave behind some proof. That way, Ill feel more at ease, Qiao Mei said laughingly. Qiane had only wanted to go and meet He Mei so that Qiao Mei could hear He Meis plan for herself. She intended to be the winning third party when the two women fought it out. She did not expect that Qiao Mei did not intend to get her own hands dirty. If I do that, shell become suspicious, Qiane said as she looked around carefully. That will depend on your capability. I can only join forces with you if you get her to leave some proof behind. Otherwise, I wont do anything to her. If I stay inside the Xia familys house and dont come out, what can she do? Dont worry, shes the one whos anxious, not us. As long as you manage to get the proof, we can defeat her, Qiao Mei said. Xia He looked at Qiao Mei in admiration. She did not expect Qiao Mei to be so thorough in her plans. Chapter 453 - Are You Messing With Me Chapter 453: Are You Messing With Me Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiane hesitated for a while before deciding to agree to Qiao Meis request. She said softly, Alright, Ill try my best. What time are you meeting? Qiao Mei asked as she looked at the clock on the wall. Two in the afternoon, Qiane said. Got it. After saying that, Qiao Mei hung up and said happily to Xia He, Elder sister, grab your things and lets go watch the fun! As long as something exciting was happening somewhere, Qiao Mei could not help herself from going to take a look. She was always worried about missing out on a good show. Xia He hid a short dagger in her clothes. It was something that Xia Jun had given her on her 18th birthday to celebrate her reaching adulthood. The two of them set off once they were ready. They arrived 20 minutes earlier than Qiane and He Mei so that they would not be discovered by He Mei. After Qiane hung up the phone, she went to the pavilion located at the hill behind the park. Actually, she had already prepared a pen, paper and an ink pad. She was no longer the fool who had been played by He Mei back then! She also knew that she had to keep some proof to make He Mei afraid of her. The He family had no one to rely on now. He Wei had been taken away after sending He Li to the hospital. He Mei had to handle all the family matters now. That silly He Han could not be counted on at all. He Mei looked at He Han with disdain and placed some porridge and vegetables on the table. Come and eat. After putting down the food, she left. Although she did not like He Han, he was still her younger brother and a member of the He family. She still pitied him. In the living room, Ma San grinned as he stared at He Meis chest. His eyes had been fixated on the same spot since she came out. He Mei covered her chest and glared fiercely at Ma San. You despicable thing! Where are you looking at! If you continue to look at me, Ill get someone to poke your eyes out! Lets see if you still cherish your cheap life! Ma San lowered his head and muttered softly, Pretentious b*tch. Your He family is finished. You still think youre some daughter of a rich family He Mei glared at Ma San but did not say anything. After all, she still had use for him at the moment. Once her little uncle returned, she would definitely make Ma San die a horrible death! Ahem Do you remember what I said? He Mei asked as she looked at Ma San. Ma San said solicitously, I know, I know. Ill speak nicely today and lie to that woman that I want to reconcile with her. Shell definitely listen to me obediently! Dont worry! He Mei nodded in satisfaction. She had evidence that Ma San had gone out to party, gamble and solicit prostitutes. She must thank He Li for providing her with all this information. Remember all the details and dont make any mistakes! My He family is indeed in trouble now, but its very easy to drag your Ma family down with us! Dont act rashly! He Mei said. Ma San nodded hurriedly and said, Ill definitely do whatever you say and wont mess it up. Na Na just got pregnant recently. You have to take good care of her and dont let her suffer. After this matter is settled, Ill give you 100,000 dollars. I wont tell Na Na what youve done, He Mei said. Ma San was so excited that he almost knelt down in front of He Mei. Nowadays, he would treat whoever had money to be his parents. As long as they had money, anything was fine. The Na Na that He Mei was talking about was He Meis maternal uncles daughter, Shen Na. Back then, it was He Mei who set it up such that Ma San and Shen Na became a couple, causing Qiane to end up like this. He Mei walked to the door and turned around to look at Ma San. She asked, Will you rekindle your relationship with Qiane? When Ma San heard the name, he immediately said disdainfully, No! I feel disgusted just looking at that woman! Shes only in her 20s and already looks like my grandmother! Who would like such a woman! The two of them took separate cars and soon arrived at the hill behind the park. As soon as He Mei got out of the car, Qiane rushed over. Why are you only here now! What time is it! Are you messing with me! Qiane shouted angrily. Whats the hurry? I was held up by something. Why are you shouting? He Mei said as she rolled her eyes. Qiane wanted to say something else, but when she saw Ma San getting out of another car, she was so stunned that she could not say anything. Xiaoe, its me. Ma San went forward to hug Qiane excitedly. Qiane pushed Ma San away and took a few steps back. She pointed at Ma San and He Mei and said, So this is your plan! Why is he here! Chapter 454 - Unable to Hold Back Chapter 454: Unable to Hold Back Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios He Mei looked at Qiane nonchalantly and said, Why? Im helping you. Shouldnt you thank me for bringing your old lover here? Qiane had bloodshot eyes by now. She wished she could tie Ma San up and beat him up before washing his wounds with salt water every day, to let him experience the same kind of pain she went through when she had the abortion! Ma San immediately went forward and said with a sad expression, Xiaoe listen to me. I had my own difficulties back then. What difficulties do you have! You heartless man! If not for you, would I have ended up like this! How dare you show yourself in front of me! Qiane scolded. Its not what you think! Ma San said. I dont want to see you! Get lost! I feel like throwing up if I have to take another look at you! Qiane shouted. He Mei looked at the two people locked in an argument and felt a headache coming on. Ma San seemed to have turned a deaf ear to what she told him at home. He was totally useless! She said impatiently to Qiane, Hurry up and get in the car. Ill take you somewhere nice to talk. Upon hearing this, Qiane remembered that she still had something important to do today. She must calm down now and not let Ma San mess up her emotions. She still had a long time to deal with him. She must endure everything now so that she could make He Mei pay a huge price in the future. A little impatience would spoil great plans. Qiane slowly regained her composure and looked at He Mei mockingly. Why should I go with you? Who knows where youre taking me? Lets talk here! He Mei looked around and said, What if someone hears about our plan? Its better to go to my place. Jus say it! Otherwise, get lost and leave me alone! Qiane scolded her angrily. This place was not originally a park. It used to be a mass grave with many dead people buried underground. Later on, the government had asked a sorcerer to conduct a ritual so that they could build a park here. However, many people still felt that it was an inauspicious place, so everyone only walked around the square at the front. Basically, no one dared to come to this spot at the back of the park. It was better to be safe than sorry. If someone really walked in on their conversation, the He family would be in an even more difficult situation. The He family was currently at the center of the storm. If anything went wrong because of her, there would be no hope left for the He family. He Mei frowned and did not know what she should do. Qiane was currently the only person who could help her get rid of Qiao Mei. If she missed out on this opportunity, Ma San might not be willing to follow her instructions next time. After much hesitation, He Mei decided to stay. Come with me to the pavilion over there. Its tiring to stand and talk. Qiane walked away first and headed towards the pavilion. He Mei quickly pulled Ma San back and whispered, Speak nicely later and let her know that you still have feelings for her. Do you understand! Ma San said unhappily, If you ask me, I think we have come here for nothing today. As if that crazy woman is able to do anything. You might as well think of another way to save your little uncle. Previously, in order to cozy up to the He family, he had tried his best to find a way to marry the daughter of the He family. When He Mei first came to look for him, he was filled with joy. No one could resist the sight of her voluptuous chest. He did not expect his marriage partner to be changed to He Meis cousin later on. However, he did not raise any objections since she was still someone related to the He family. After they got married, everyone in the Ma family received promotions at work, with help from the He family. However, he did not become a valued member of the He family despite working as hard as a slave. Shen Na even ordered him around as if he was a dog! If not for the fact that the He family was currently in dire straits and the Ma family still had to rely on the He family to have a good life, he would not be doing what He Mei said! Shut up! What do you know! As long as something happens to Qiao Mei, the Xia family will definitely be in chaos! When Qiao Mei is in my hands, wont they give me anything I want? He Mei whispered. When Qiane reached the pavilion, she saw He Mei and Ma San still standing next to the cars, muttering to each other and seemingly plotting in secret. She was not in a hurry. He Mei needed to beg her now as no one else could carry out this task except her. How much longer are the two of you going to chat to each other! If you dont want to talk, then Im leaving! Qiane shouted. He Mei used her eyes to warn Ma San not to act rashly and the two of them quickly walked to the pavilion. He Mei sat opposite Qiane while Ma San sat beside her with a big smile on his face. Qiane turned her body to one side and did not look at Ma San. Chapter 455 - Name Your Price Chapter 455: Name Your Price Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xiaoe, you must be tired after waiting for so long. How have you been recently? How are you? Ma San said with a smile. Qiane was so disgusted by Ma San that she could not help but shiver and said, Stay away from me! You have the cheek to sit beside me when youre such a disgusting person! I find your mouth smelly! Get lost! Visit n(o )velb(i)n.NeTfor the best novel reading experience Ma Sans expression instantly darkened. He Mei also gestured with her hand and used her eyes to indicate that he should not speak. At this moment, Qiao Mei and Xia He arrived near the pavilion. They had made their way there by circling around from the back and did not attract He Meis attention. The two of them slowly moved behind the bushes behind the pavilion, to a spot about 200 meters away from them. With Qiao Meis ability, she could go somewhere else to take a rest and simply used the plants to hear what they were talking about. However, she was afraid that Xia He would become suspicious, so it was better for her to follow them in person. Alright, alright! Lets hurry up and get down to business! He Mei said impatiently. Qiane looked at the time and guessed that Qiao Mei must be nearby. She said leisurely, Did you ask me here just to make me feel disgusted? Make you feel disgusted? Why would I do that? Im here to help you, He Mei said. Only a fool would believe you! If He Mei could help, then a sow would be able to climb a tree! She was simply full of lies! If He Mei had not said that this matter was related to Qiao Mei, she would not have been interested in meeting He Mei, as it made her feel nauseous to even speak to He Mei. Since Qiao Mei could bring down the He family, she must be able to deal with He Mei! No matter how much money He Mei was willing to give her, she would not agree. Instead of money, she would much rather see He Mei kneeling at her feet in a sorry state and begging for mercy. Help me? How? Are you going to return my uterus to me so that I can have a child! Qiane looked at He Mei mockingly. Ma Sans guilty conscience caused him to immediately turn around to look at the surrounding scenery. Calm down, calm down. I have asked you here to discuss something with you. I can give you 20,000 dollars first and 30,000 dollars after its done, He Mei said. Qiane remained unmoved. She was only interested in knowing what He Mei wanted her to do. Tell me, what do you want me to do? Qiane said nonchalantly. He Mei clenched her fists and said angrily, As long as you find a way to make Qiao Mei lose her baby, this 50,000 dollars is yours. Qiao Mei and I have already had bad blood in the past. Everyone knows that I quarreled with her in the neighborhood back then. How can it be so easy for me to harm her now? Qiane questioned. Ill help you think of a way. As long as you make her lose her child, Ill give you money immediately and I guarantee that nothing will happen to you, He Mei said confidently. Once something happened, Qiane would be the first person that the Xia family looked for. Once it was discovered that she was the one who killed Qiao Meis child, she would have to go to jail. At that time, He Mei would only pretend not to know anything and push all the blame solely to her. He Mei, do you think Im still the same fool from back then? This is murder. If things go wrong, its two lives that might be lost. What if I go to jail? I know that your He family is rich and powerful and doesnt care about this 50,000 dollars, but even if Im interested in this 50,000 dollars, I have to be alive to be able to spend it, Qiane said. He Mei was a little surprised that the previously gullible Qiane had become so smart. She could actually rationalize so much. How would I? Youre thinking too much, He Mei said awkwardly. I wont do this. You should go and find someone else. After saying that, Qiane stood up and prepared to leave. She knew that with the He family in such a predicament, He Mei had run out of options. She was the only one who could help He Mei resolve this big problem. At this moment, no matter what request she made, He Mei would consider it. Stop! What do you want! Just name your price! He Mei said as she blocked Qiane from leaving. Qiane smiled and said, 50,000 dollars is not enough. If you want to do it, you have to show your sincerity. 100,000 dollars, no more than that. He Mei gritted her teeth and looked at Qiane. When the He family first got into trouble, He Ning and He Guo gave her a total of 150,000 dollars and asked her to think of a way to contact all the He familys long-time acquaintances. As the saying went, rats would leave a sinking ship. The people who relied on the He family in the past simply ignored He Mei, completely forgetting about the He familys kindness towards them in the past. Now, she could only make use of Qiao Mei to negotiate with the Xia family. This was the only method she could think of. Chapter 456 - Tired of Living Chapter 456: Tired of Living Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios For me, I dont need that much money. If I fail or get caught by the Xia family, Ill be an outlaw and wont be able to spend this money. I only have one request, but I dont know if youll agree, Qiane said with a smile. She turned to look at Ma San, who was watching the scenery at the side. He Mei immediately understood what she meant and said, I can agree to get my sister to divorce Ma San after this is done, so that you can be together again. Ma San looked at He Mei in shock.?It was totally unexpected that this b*tch want to use him like that! You! What a woman! Ma San said as he pointed at He Mei. He Mei gave Ma San a look and he immediately restrained himself. He still had to persevere for the sake of money. As long as there was money, he was willing to do anything. However, he thought it would be good for him to leave the He family. In any case, he had long grown tired of Shen Na, and he felt they treated him like an animal in the He familys house. It might be better to leave that place, and if he ended up with Qiane, he would be able to get his hands on the money that He Mei gave her! Then, he would be able to use this money to try his luck in the casino! This could be a blessing in disguise! If Qiane was disobedient, he would just beat her up. In any case, Qiane would not be able to get pregnant anymore. Nothing would happen to her just from getting beaten up. Qiane did not expect this. What He Mei was offering was indeed enough to tempt her. Now, everyone in the neighborhood said that she was a jinx, an indecent person, and a money-losing good-for-nothing who got thrown away by a man. If Ma San reconciled with her, then all the gossip would disappear. No matter what she had to do to get back with him, she could at least stop others from gossiping about her. Qiane sat down slowly and said, Let me think about it. Seeing that Qiane was wavering, He Mei immediately said, Ill still give you the money, and the man you want as well. As long as you help me get rid of Qiao Meis child, you dont have to worry about what happens after that. Qiane raised her head and looked at Ma San, recalling how he made her lose her child previously. No matter how she begged him, he did not send her to the hospital and took her money to gamble instead. If not for Ma San, she might still be able to have a child in the future She did not know how she could have been so blind to fall for such a man back then. She only had herself to blame for the current situation. Even if she got back with Ma San, the gossip would not stop and would only become worse. Once she thought things through, she felt more at ease. What do I need a second-hand good for? To put at home and cause trouble for me? He doesnt even have a proper job, so does that mean hes going to rely on me to support him? I dont want him, Qiane said. Visit n0velbin.NET for the best novel reading experience Ma San looked at Qiane angrily. He could not take it anymore. You slut! You were the one who seduced me back then! You were the one who insisted that you want to have a child with me! Now youre scolding me? How shameless can you be! If you hadnt taken a fancy to my Ma familys wealth back then, would you be with me so wholeheartedly? Youre a woman who only cares about money. What right do you have to scold me? Ma San said as he grabbed Qianes collar. Qiane widened her eyes and glared at Ma San as she said, Pfft! You heartless thing! Back then, my family was considered to be a scholarly family. Many people wanted to marry me, but I didnt agree! You say that I took a fancy to your money. How much money do you have! Who do you think you are! Is your family ranked among the top few in the capital! What Qiane said was true. At that time, her mother, Zhao Ni, was famous for being cultured and all-rounded. Not only was she knowledgeable, but she also educated her children well. In those days, Qiane had also won many domestic and international awards for her piano skills. When it came to her talent, she was definitely ranked at the top in the capital. Unfortunately, she met a bad person and ruined her life. At the same time, she also brought shame to the Qian family and disgraced them for the rest of their lives. She herself also became a shrew. You! Ill beat you to death today! Ill let you know what kind of thing you are! Ma San raised his hand to slap Qiane. He Mei went up to stop Ma San and said, I think youre tired of living! Dont forget our agreement! Ma Sans hand froze in midair as he glared fiercely at He Mei. Money! Money! Money! Using money to threaten him again! He looked disdainfully at Qiane, who was suffocating under his grip, and slowly let go. Alright, I wont touch her. Youd better keep your word and dont ignore everything for a woman. If your little uncle comes back and finds out about it, lets see who will suffer, Ma San said. Of course I know! You dont have to say anything! You dont have to worry about these things! He Mei snapped at him. He Ning must not know about all these things! Chapter 458 - Holding On to Evidence Chapter 458: Holding On to Evidence Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Last month, a woman came to his door and said that she was pregnant with his child. Of course, Ma San would not believe the words of a call girl. It was impossible to know whose child she was carrying. Later on, when Ma San realized that she had been with him for the past few months and had not slept with any other man, he really panicked. He only managed to settle this matter by giving this woman a large sum of money and bringing her for an abortion. Now that Shen Na was pregnant, he did not dare to do anything to make her angry. He would not be able to bear the responsibility if anything happened to her. Besides, he was looking forward to being a father. He thought that he had been very careful when he settled this matter, but he did not expect He Mei to be able to grab hold of evidence. What what are you talking about? I dont understand. Ma San looked elsewhere to avoid He Meis gaze, not daring to look at her directly. We both know what Im talking about. Its not good to say it out loud. If I tell my sister about this, can you guess what will happen? He Mei said with a smile. Ma San had no choice but to compromise. Alright, Ill listen to you, Ma San said. He Mei proudly went back to the pavilion with Ma San. Qiane smiled and said, Why? Are you going back on your word and not agreeing to my conditions? No, we both agree. But you have to tell me what you plan to do, He Mei said as she sat down. Qiane had already put some thoughts to this matter. She already guessed that He Mei would ask her about it. If I go to the house and say that Xia Zhe and I are having an affair, that will make Qiao Mei very angry. If she falls down of her own accord when were arguing, thatll make her lose her child, dont you think? Qiane said. No! Xia Zhe cant be dragged into this matter. If you do this, youll tarnish Xia Zhes reputation! You can only target Qiao Mei, He Mei said agitatedly. Looks like you want to be Mrs. Xia after Qiao Mei leaves, Qiane looked at He Mei derisively. He Mei did not panic even after her intentions were exposed. It was not as if Qiane did not know that she had always liked Xia Zhe. There was nothing wrong or shameful with her wanting to be Xia Zhes wife. Yes, please think of another way, He Mei said. Qiane thought for a moment and said, Then well trick Qiao Mei into coming out and get her to go to the lakeside. Then, well make it look as if she loses her footing and falls into the water. This way, we can kill two birds with one stone. As long as she dies, theres no child to worry about. He Mei was a little shocked. She did not expect Qiane to be so ruthless and to find it so easy to talk about fighting and killing someone. Thats quite a good idea, but Qiao Mei does not go out at all nowadays. How do you intend to do it? He Mei asked. Qiane was also not sure how she could do it, but there was no need to be so precise when she was only trying to fool He Mei. Why do you care! Why dont you do it yourself then! Qiane said as she pretended to be very angry. It made He Mei worried that Qiane would go back on her word after finally agreeing, so she did not ask further. Alright, Ill wait for your good news then. He Mei was about to get up and leave when Qiane reached out to stop her. You think all you need to do is to take out some money? Dont tell me Im doing this all by myself? Qiane asked. As Qiao Mei was still nearby, she had to get more information from He Mei so that Qiao Mei would believe her. Otherwise, all her efforts would go to waste and she would fail on both sides. He Mei looked at Qiane in puzzlement and asked, Do you still have any other issues? Dont tell me you wont help me with anything other than coming up with the money? You have to give me some guarantees to make me believe that you really want to work with me, Qiane said. This actually made sense to He Mei. Back then, she was the one who lied to Qiane, and she even lied several times. It was normal for Qiane to feel guarded now. Ill give you whatever you need. I can provide it to you as long as I have the manpower and resources to do it. You just have to ensure that the matter is done well, He Mei said to Qiane with a smile. New novel chapters are published on novelB(i)n.NET. Then tell me your request in detail again, Qiane said. He Mei looked at Qiane in confusion. Did she not make herself clear just now? She thought she had already made her conditions, requests and offers very clear. Was I not clear enough just now? He Mei asked. I dont quite understand what you want me to do. Whether you want me to kill Qiao Mei or for something to happen to the baby she is carrying. This is a matter of life and death, so we cant be careless, Qiane said as she looked at He Mei sternly. He Mei nodded. What Qiane said made sense. Suddenly, another thought flashed across her mind. Chapter 459 - Put Down in Writing Chapter 459: Put Down in Writing Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios If youre able to trick Qiao Mei into coming out, theres no need to hurt her. At that time, Ill send someone to take her away so that I can use her as a bargaining chip to threaten the Xia family. This way, itll be easy for me to get anything I want! He Mei could already imagine the successful outcome. By then, as long as she used the situation to threaten Xia Zhe and ask him to divorce Qiao Mei, he would definitely agree! Qiane looked towards the grass patch behind her and smiled without saying anything. Qiao Mei, who was hiding behind the grass, did not react much. However, Xia He was so angry that she almost rushed out to teach He Mei a lesson. The He family was indeed not a good bunch! They actually wanted to scheme against Qiao Mei and the Xia family like this! Given her younger brothers character, he would definitely cooperate with the He family to protect Qiao Mei if anything really happened to her. The entire Xia family would also do everything in their power to save Qiao Mei. Putting aside the fact that Qiao Mei was pregnant with the eldest grandchild of the Xia family, everyone liked her personality and way of conduct after spending such a long time together with her. When the Xia family was in dire straits, Qiao Mei was also generous enough to help them solve their problems. They were all aware of all this. Theyre really outrageous, thinking about harming our Xia family members! Theyre tired of living! When I go back, Ill tell Xiao Zhe that we must eliminate the He family and not let them have a chance to make a comeback! Xia He clenched her fists and glared at He Mei as she whispered. Qiao Mei smiled and comforted Xia He. Elder sister, this is a small matter. Were just here to watch the fun. Dont be anxious. Although she said that, she could not hide the chill in her eyes when she turned to look at He Mei. She could accept He Mei wanting to take revenge on her and hurt her because of Xia Zhe, but she could not accept He Mei wanting to hurt her children. This was her bottom line and no one could touch it. You want to kidnap her? How can I do that? Look at how skinny I am. How can I restrain her? Qiane looked at He Mei suspiciously. He Mei sized up Qiane carefully. The Qiane of the past would still be able to rely on her physical strength to hold Qiao Mei back, but she did look a little weak at the moment. Ill arrange for someone to help you. Give me a call when its time and Ill get a few people to help you. Ill get you a car too. If Qiao Mei doesnt want to come out, think of a way to get rid of her child. If she comes out, restrain her and think of a way to inform me, He Mei said. Qiane nodded and took out a pen and paper from her bag. She placed them on the table and looked at He Mei with a smile. Whats the meaning of this? He Mei asked. Words are useless. What if you find someone to arrest me? At that time, youll only push all the blame to me. This way, you wont need to use any money and youll still be able to solve your big Qiao Mei problem. Dont tell me that at the end of the day, youre the only winner? Qiane said. He Mei felt a little nervous for a moment. Everything Qiane said was exactly what she was thinking. Her intention was really to frame Qiane if the plan failed. This way, it would have nothing to do with the He family. Her little uncle would also praise her for being smart and capable. In the future, she might even be able to take over He Lis position. Then, she would be in a position in the He family where she could have a say. Once her words carried weight in the He family, she would no longer be just a tool for marriage. If an idiot like He Li could manage the businesses under her family, why not her! Furthermore, in the past few years, Second Uncle He Wei and He Li had been dividing up the assets of the eldest brother of the family. Although a portion of it was the inheritance of their ancestors, there were also assets that He Guo had worked hard to accumulate. She could not just let it fall into the hands of the second brother. She must get it all back! Upload first at NOvel[Bin][.]Net Dont you trust me? Theres no need to write everything down, He Mei said. Are you feeling guilty? He Mei, weve known each other for so many years. Dont I know what kind of person you are? Youve lied to me countless times, so why should I still trust you? Qiane jabbed at the paper on the table with her index finger and said, You have to give me a guarantee today. Otherwise, I wont believe you and I wont help you. He Mei had no choice when she heard the harsh words from Qiane. She took the pen and paper and scribbled a few words on it before handing it to Qiane. When Qiane saw what He Mei did, she laughed out loudly and said, Do you think Im not educated? Who are you trying to fool? He Mei had written on the paper, I made an agreement with Qiane to give her a fixed amount of compensation after the matter is completed.. She did not write anything else. Rewrite it. Write down the date, location, what you want me to do, what you will provide me, and how much youre going to pay me after its done. You also have to sign and stamp it. Otherwise, I wont admit it, Qiane said as she tore up the piece of paper He Mei had written on and threw the pieces back on the table. Chapter 460 - Studied Calligraphy Chapter 460: Studied Calligraphy Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios He Mei looked at Qiane in confusion and said, Weve known each other for so many years. Is there a need to write it like this? She even wanted to play the pathos card by now, but it was useless! He Meis actions only served to remind Qiane of the pain she had felt in the past. She would never forget how He Mei treated her and she would remember it firmly in her heart forever. This was how she would remain steadfast in the face of any offer from He Mei. After weve known each other for so many years, do you still want me to explain everything to you? The grudge between us has been going on for a long time. Dont say so much nonsense to me. Just tell me if you are willing to write it or not, Qiane said impatiently. He Mei gritted her teeth and looked at Qiane. Now that it was the villain holding sway over her, she had to endure it! Alright, Ill write. He Mei picked up the pen and started writing. Of course, she did not intend to be obedient.?What if Qiane really kept all this as evidence? Its done. Take a look. He Mei handed the paper over, but the handwriting was so crooked that it was impossible to tell what was written on it. Qiane was furious. She slammed the paper on the table and shouted, Do you think Im a child! As if I dont know what your handwriting looks like! Do you want to work with me properly or not? In that case, Ill leave now. Just pretend that you have never come to look for me today. Qiane picked up her bag and was about to leave the pavilion when He Mei blocked her way again. At this point, do you think you can leave? You have to do this today, He Mei said. Qiane smiled mockingly and said, Ive already told my family that if I dont go back before 6 p.m. tonight, they should call the police. Although my family doesnt like me, they still have to rely on me for their survival. Who do you think will end up worse in this situation? Actually, she did not tell her family. Notwithstanding that, Xia He and Qiao Mei were nearby. If He Mei wanted to do something to her, the two of them would likely not ignore it. When Ma San heard that the police would get involved, he panicked. He quickly walked to Qiane and held her arm as he said, You lets talk things over nicely. Dont hurt the harmony between us. Its just writing down a few words. Isnt it, He Mei? Ma San gestured crazily at He Mei with his eyes. He Mei pulled a long face and did not want to yield to Qiane. She sat back down at the table in a fit of pique. Qiane shook off Ma Sans hand and said, Dont touch me with that pig trotter of yours! I find it disgusting! Pfft! Dont be so shameless! Im only saying this now because of our past relationship! Ma San said. As if I wont be able to remember it if you dont make mention of it. Then should I thank you for making my life so miserable? Dont talk so much nonsense! You have to write it too! He Mei doing it alone is not enough! Qiane said as she took out another pen from her bag and slammed it on the table. The three of them looked at each other, stuck in a stalemate. He Mei had no choice but to compromise. He Mei was about to come up with another trick when Qiane reminded her, I know that youve studied calligraphy for many years and was taught by a master in the capital. Back then, you even kept bragging to me about this. Youd better write properly. I can recognize your handwriting. He Mei had no choice but to follow what Qiane said. After everything was done, she would definitely make Qiane pay the price! When the time came, she would send someone to secretly report Qiane and make her take the blame for the murder. She would make sure that Qiane would never be able to recover from this! By then, she would not only be a piece of trash, she would also be a murderer! Ma San kept hesitating and was unwilling to write. If the matter was exposed, he would not even have a chance to run away. He did not want to be buried with the He family. Why arent you writing? Qiane said as she stared at Ma San. It was as if he was being stared at by a poisonous snake and it scared Ma San so much that he did not dare to say anything. In the past, Qiane had a good temper and good looks. He could bully Qiane whenever he wanted and she would not dare to say anything. He was the kind of person who was a tyrant at home but would not dare to speak up when he met someone more ruthless than him. Qiane was going all out now. She was not even afraid of dying together with them, so what was there to be afraid of? Ma San had forgotten what people said about how even a rabbit would bite when it was anxious. Besides, Qiane was no longer the docile rabbit from before. I Isnt it enough for He Mei to write it alone? Theres no need for me to write Ma San stammered. Chapter 461 - Writing the Agreement Chapter 461: Writing the Agreement Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Hmph, no. How can what the He family is giving me be the same as what youre giving me? Qiane looked at Ma San disdainfully. Im unable to give you money Ma San said. Pfft, I dont want your stinky money! Write down todays time and place, as well as what youre here for and what youre going to do. And that after this thing is done, you will divorce Shen Na and let me do whatever I want to you! Qiane said. Alright Ill write it down Ma San took a pen and paper and started writing. He Mei had completed hers long ago and handed it to Qiane impatiently. Is that good enough? Qiao Mei had specially instructed Qiane to make sure that He Mei wrote everything down word for word and not to allow her to miss out on even a single word. Otherwise, if they really got into a standoff in the future, this piece of paper would be ineffective. In her other life, Qiao Mei was a lawyer and was very familiar with such things. That afternoon, she gave Qiane a proper lesson and told her where loopholes could appear and where she needed to pay extra attention. Qiane made sure that she listened attentively and did not dare to be careless. This part is not clear. Write down clearly what you want. You cant just write that you want me to harm Qiao Mei. Didnt you verbally list down everything so clearly and logically just now? Now you write as if you dont know what you want me to do? You have to write down each and every condition clearly, otherwise I wont be able to understand it, Qiane said as she returned the paper to He Mei. Thats enough. How can you not understand what Im writing? He Mei said fiercely. Qiane immediately stood up and shouted furiously, Just now, you had asked me to harm Qiao Meis baby! What youre writing now is that you want me to harm Qiao Mei! This is a matter of two different lives! If you dont even want to spare Qiao Meis life, your current condition is too limited! Do you still want to do this together! Qiane shouted so loudly that an echo could be heard. He Mei was so frightened that she quickly stood up to calm Qiane down, wishing there was a way she could shut her up immediately. Lower your voice! Do you want everyone to know! He Mei reprimanded softly. Hmph, if you want me to keep quiet, then write properly. Dont have any funny ideas. I wont fall for that! If you cant write it properly today, I definitely wont do it. I think you dont really want to save your little uncle. Im an idle person and I have plenty of time to waste with you, but does your little uncle have time to wait? Qiane pointed out the current situation of the He family scathingly. Time really did not wait for anyone. It would not be worth it to waste all this time on Qiane. Given He Nings health condition, he would not be able to hold on for long. They had to save He Ning as soon as possible, even if it meant not saving He Guo and He Wei. As long as He Ning could come back, they would definitely be safe. He Ning would not leave his two brothers behind. Then tell me how you want me to write it. Dont keep saying that I fail to meet your requirements and make me write it over and over again. Its a waste of time, He Mei said. Qiane thought for a moment and said, Then tell me what you want me to do and what you want to pay me when its done. I want you to think of a way to harm the child that Qiao Mei is carrying and make it disappear. It would be best if you can kidnap Qiao Mei. I can give you all the money and manpower to do this. After this is done, I will give you 100,000 dollars as remuneration and ask Ma San to leave the He family, He Mei said word by word. Qiane nodded in satisfaction and said, Ma San can write his part himself. You should write that you agree with my request to send Ma San to a remote mountain area and that he must leave the capital forever. He Mei took a glance at Ma San and said, Sure. Ma San could only listen to He Meis arrangements and did not dare to resist. These two women were vicious and he could not win against them. You write your part as well! Qiane said to Ma San. But Im not asking you to do anything. What should I write? Ma San asked. Just write down why youre here and that youre following He Meis instructions. That after this is done, you will divorce Shen Na and let me do whatever I want to you, Qiane said. The thought of Ma San and Shen Na getting a divorce made her feel good. She had heard that Shen Na was also pregnant now. If they got a divorce now, she did not know if Shen Na would be able to handle it. It would be best if Shen Na ended up like her back then! Ma San slowly wrote down what Qiane wanted. Qiane carefully examined the two agreements and did not dare to be careless at all. He Mei was already getting impatient from waiting. There was only one last step left, and that was for them to sign and stamp the agreements. Chapter 462 - Signing and Stamping Chapter 462: Signing and Stamping Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Are you done yet? He Mei said impatiently. Why are you in such a hurry! Im reading! What if you trick me again! Qiane shouted back at He Mei. At this moment, He Mei could neither rush nor scold Qiane. The initiative in this matter was with Qiane, so she had no choice but to listen to Qiane. He Mei was really at her wits end. Alright, alright. Now, you have to put your thumbprint on it before we can consider this matter settled. Qiane took out the ink pad from her bag and placed it on the table. Do you still need a thumbprint? Youre quite well-prepared. He Mei looked at Qiane mockingly. Qiane did not care about the look. Qiao Mei had already told her that only when the agreement was signed and stamped could it be considered that both witness and material evidence were in place. Then, they would be able to capture He Mei even if she ran away to the ends of the earth. Qiane pointed at the end of the agreement and said, Write your name here and put your thumbprint on it. After Ma San and He Mei were done, Qiane reached out to take the agreements but was stopped by He Mei. You have to write down your name here as well, right? Whats the use of just having ours? You have to sign and stamp it too, He Mei said. There was no need for He Mei to remind her that she needed to sign and stamp the agreements as well. Qiao Mei had already explained all these things to her. It was called Party A and Party B! Yes, yes, yes! Although she did not understand what Qiao Mei said, whatever Qiao Mei said must be right. Whats the hurry! Im just about to write it! Give it to me, give it to me! Qiane snatched the two agreements and wrote her name on them before pressing her thumbprint on them. Qiane took up the agreements and waved it at the two of them before keeping them in her bag. Alright, you all saw my signatures, so Im putting them away now. He Mei, wheres my 20,000 dollars? Qiane asked as she looked at He Mei. He Mei thought that Qiane had forgotten about this matter. She waved her hand and asked Ma San to go to the car to get the money. When Ma San heard about getting the money, he was overjoyed. He hurriedly ran back to the car and took out two stacks of money from He Meis bag in the back seat. There was so much money that he was sure no one would discover it if he secretly took a few notes. Just as Ma San was about to keep a few notes for himself, Qiane shouted loudly, Let me tell you! Not a single cent less! I will do a check! On the surface, it looked like she was talking to He Mei, but in reality, she was talking to Ma San who was in the car. She knew Ma San too well. He Mei was a careless person and would not have noticed how much money Ma San had stolen from her family. Moreover, Ma San also had something on He Mei, so He Mei turned a blind eye to these things. To her, it was not a big deal if he took some money as the He family could afford it. Why do you have to shout? Youre really a shrew. Im going deaf from all your shouting, He Mei said as she dug her ears. Hmph, its best if youre deaf, Qiane muttered. Ma San had no choice but to hand the two intact stacks of money to Qiane. Qiane handed the money to He Mei and said, Count it. Dont claim to have given me more and then ask me to return the excess. He Mei snorted and said, You should count it yourself. Does my He family need this bit of money from you? Dont go back and then say that I shortchanged you and then come to ask me for more. Qiane sat down in a fit of pique and slowly counted the money note by note. In any case, He Mei had told her to count them carefully, so she must count them one by one in detail. He Mei was so angry that she took out 500 dollars from her pocket and placed it on the table, saying I dont have time to waste with you! This 500 dollars is for you, you definitely wont be shortchanged! Ma San, lets go. Hey! What is this! No, you have to wait for me to finish counting! I dont want to owe you anything if theres any extra! Qiane said. He Mei said impatiently, If theres extra, just take it as my gift to you. This 500 dollars is also for you. Take your time to sit here and count them. You have to give me an answer within three days! He Mei and Ma San drove their cars and left the pavilion area. When there was no other sound around, Qiane took a look at the spot where Qiao Mei and Xia He were hiding before leaving with her things. They did not know if He Mei had arranged for her own people to wait at the foot of the mountain. It was safer for them to return to their own place to talk. After going down the mountain, Qiane returned to her neighborhood. Qiao Mei and Xia He also went to Xia Fangs house. It was already nighttime when Qiane went to look for them. Chapter 463 - I Like Aunt the Most Chapter 463: I Like Aunt the Most Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xia Fang was overjoyed to see Qiao Mei the moment she got home. Nowadays, she found herself missing Qiao Mei so much on each day that she did not get to see Qiao Mei. Oh my, Mei Mei is here! I just got off work and dont know about this! If I had known earlier, I would have gone out to buy some delicious food, Xia Fang said. Qiao Mei sat on the sofa and said with a smile, Aunt, dont get so busy. Come and sit down. Xia Fang placed her bag on the cabinet at the door and went to sit down beside Qiao Mei. She really liked Qiao Mei and wished that Qiao Mei could stay at her house every day. It would be great if she could have a daughter-in-law like Qiao Mei in the future! Why are you here today? I miss you so much! Xia Fang said as she held Qiao Meis hand. Qiao Mei pouted and asked playfully, Then why dont you come to the house to look for me, Aunt? Xia Zhe doesnt let me go out and I miss you too! You little girl, Ive been busy at the hospital for the past two days. By the way, how have you been recently? Do you want to go to the hospital for a checkup? I heard from Eldest Brother that you had insomnia the other day? Xia Fang asked as she looked at Qiao Mei nervously. The day when something happened to the He family, Qiao Mei had simply found an excuse to answer Xia Maos query. She did not expect Xia Mao to remember it and even gave Xia Fang a call to ask her many questions about insomnia, causing Xia Fang to worry about it for a long time. If not for the fact that her work had piled up during the long period that Kong Li stayed at her house for so long, when she had to hide from Kong Li and also deal with family matters, she would have gone to get Qiao Mei to do a proper checkup long ago. Well I actually wanted to go and watch the commotion that day, so Qiao Mei looked at Xia Fang guiltily. Xia Fang had raised her own children before, so she naturally knew how a kid would think. She reached out and tapped Qiao Meis forehead. You, you. When you go back and meet Eldest Brother, you have to tell him that youre already feeling fine. Otherwise, hell still be worried. Although hes usually very quiet, he actually remembers everything that happens at home, Xia Fang said. Qiao Mei nodded. She knew that Xia Mao treated her very well, and it was just that he was not good at expressing himself. Aunt, you only have eyes for Qiao Mei now. You dont even like me anymore, Xia He said with a bit of jealousy. Of course, it was not true. She was just teasing Xia Fang about the fact that as soon as Xia Fang entered, she only had eyes for Qiao Mei and did not even seem to see her niece at all. Not at all. Of course I like our Xiao He the most! Xia Fang said as she hugged Xia He. Hmph, thats more like it, Xia He said. Aunt, were actually here for something, Qiao Mei said seriously as she looked at Xia Fang. If she wanted to succeed in this matter, she still had to rely on Xia Fangs help. Qiao Mei briefly explained the entire matter to Xia Fang, causing her to be so upset that she grabbed the teacup on the coffee table and threw it on the ground. Outrageous! Does the He family not take our Xia family seriously! How can they even think of such a thing! Call Eldest Brother and Xiao Zhe now! Tell them not to let the He family off! Xia Fang said angrily. Qiao Mei and Xia He did not expect Xia Fang to have such a big reaction. Qiao Mei immediately went forward to calm Xia Fang down. Xia He poured Xia Fang a glass of water and went to the kitchen to get a broom to sweep up the broken pieces on the ground. Aunt, dont be angry. I know this matter is indeed too much, but this is a good opportunity to take down the He family in one fell swoop! Qiao Mei said. Xia Fang still felt that this entire matter was too risky. If anything went wrong, the children would be gone! What you did is really too rash. Im still worried. What if something happens? The He family is a small matter. Whats most important is you, Xia Fang said. Dont worry, Aunt. I definitely know my limits. Ill be fine, Qiao Mei said sweetly as she leaned on Xia Fangs shoulder. Have you told Xiao Zhe about this? Xia Fang asked. Qiao Mei shook her head. She did not dare to tell Xia Zhe about this. If she did, it would definitely make him angry. So you know it would make him angry? Xia Fang said. Thats why Im here to ask you for help, Aunt. I know youre the nicest to me! Qiao Mei said. Xia Fang turned to look at Xia He and said sternly, Are you also involved in this matter? Xia He smiled awkwardly and did not dare to say anything. Chapter 464 - I Can Help You Chapter 464: I Can Help You Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios You still can smile! Why didnt you stop Qiao Mei from doing this! Shes still young and doesnt have any sense of appropriateness. Are you also a child? Xia Fang reprimanded. I cant persuade her either, Xia He said. Qiao Mei stood in front of Xia Fang and said, Aunt, this has nothing to do with elder sister. She kept stopping me from going and even protected me. Xia Fang completely ignored what Qiao Mei said. This matter was just Xia Hes fault. Go and wait at one side. Ill settle the score with you later! Ill teach her a lesson first, Xia Fang said as she stood up. Xia He walked purposefully to one side and stood still. This was the Xia familys usual method of punishment. Do you know what you have done wrong? Xia Fang stood in front of Xia He with a ruler. Xia He stretched out her hands and said warily, I shouldnt have allowed Qiao Mei to do anything dangerous. I didnt tell Xia Zhe about this immediately. I knew that this was a very dangerous matter, but I still went with Qiao Mei. Xia Fang weighed the ruler in her hand. She just wanted to scare Xia He. During this period of time which Xia He spent running around with Qiao Mei lawlessly, she had almost forgotten her sense of propriety. I wont hit you. Just stand here for a while and think about what your grandfather taught you. After saying that, Xia Fang walked up to Qiao Mei. Your turn, Xia Fang said as she stared at Qiao Mei sternly. I um Aunt, you just came back and havent eaten yet, right? Ill go make you something to eat now. Aunt, please dont be angry. Qiao Mei slowly moved towards the kitchen. Xia Fang sat on the sofa and sighed. She could not do anything about this Qiao Mei. If she scolded the girl, she would feel bad as well. There was really nothing she could do. How could it be foolproof to let Qiane kidnap Qiao Mei when the plan was to get rid of her babies? If anything should happen to the babies, it could easily affect Qiao Mei too. This was no joking matter. Qiao Mei could not bear to see Xia Fang looking so dejected while sitting on the sofa. She knew that she had gone overboard in this matter, but if she did not do this, He Mei would continue to harm her. The He family would feel uneasy as long as she was not eliminated. As long as she was safe and sound, He Mei would continue to harm her by using any means necessary. Qiane was the one being made use of today, who would it be tomorrow? She might as well catch them all in one fell swoop. That way, she could finally feel at ease. Qiao Mei finished cooking and brought the food to the table. She quietly went to call Xia Fang. Aunt, we can eat now, Qiao Mei said warily. Why should I eat? Im already full of anger because of you. How can I eat anymore, Xia Fang said sulkily. The latest_epi_sodes are on_the novel(bin).???.website. Aunt, I know Im in the wrong. No matter what, lets eat first. Dont be angry. You can teach me a lesson after dinner, Qiao Mei said. Seeing how Qiao Mei acted cute in order to coax her, she could not stay angry for long and compromised her stand in the end. Xiao He, come and eat too, Xia Fang said. The three of them finished their meal without a word. During this short period of time, Xia Fang had also thought it through. Even if she went to tell Xia Zhe about this matter, it would not change anything. Given that He Mei wanted to harm Qiao Mei no matter what, even without Qiane, there would be someone else in the future. Instead of waiting for that to happen, it was better to make use of the current situation when they knew both themselves and the enemy, and got everyone to think of countermeasures to solve the problem together. The two of you, come over here. Lets discuss what to do about this, Xia Fang said sternly. Qiao Mei and Xia He looked at each other and smiled. This meant that Xia Fang had agreed to their plan. What do you want me to do? Xia Fang asked. Aunt, this is what I think. I would like to trouble you to arrange for an ambulance and some of our own people to stay in the operating theater and pretend to go and save me, Qiao Mei said. This is not a difficult thing. Your Uncle Liu Yang is the hospital director and we can arrange all these things for you. However, you have to tell me your plan in detail. Otherwise, I wont allow you to do it. I dont believe that if I lock you up at your grandfathers place every day, someone will dare to touch you, Xia Fang said. We Actually, Qiane will be coming over later. I have asked her to come over tonight. She went to see He Mei earlier today, Qiao Mei said. Xia Fang nodded and said, I can choose not to tell Eldest Brother and Eldest Sister-in-law about this, but you have to tell Xiao Zhe about this. Otherwise, he may do something too extreme when push comes to shove. Xiao He, you know your younger brothers temper. If this really happens and he doesnt know the truth, its very possible that he will kill everyone in the He family. Chapter 465 - Emotional Chapter 465: Emotional Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei had also thought about this carefully, but she really did not dare to tell Xia Zhe. She could usually get away with small matters by sweet-talking him. However, this matter threatened her life and the life of the babies in her womb. If Xia Zhe found out about it, the situation would probably be similar to what Xia Fang had described. Knock, knock, knock. The three of them looked towards the door in unison. Xia He stood up to open the door. At this hour, it should be Qiane coming around. Youre here. Come in quickly, Xia He said. Qiane stood at the door cautiously. Without Xia Fangs permission, she did not dare to step into the house. In those years, she had done many wrong things in order to woo Xia Zhe. She even came to visit Xia Fang all the time and shamelessly did that for more than a month. She had always felt bad about this. Come in and sit down, Xia Fang said with a smile. She had liked Qiane initially. After all, during that time, Qiane was considered a good match for the Xia family. Although her family was not as rich as the Xia family, her talent was definitely out of their league. She did not know what happened in between, but she knew that this kid was quite pitiful in the end. Qiane changed her shoes and sat down beside Qiao Mei, not daring to look at Xia Fang. She already felt sorry for things she had done in the past, and now she was still joining forces with the He family to harm Qiao Mei. In Xia Fangs eyes, she was probably already an enemy. Well since we all know each other, theres no need for any introduction. Qiane, tell us what happened today, Qiao Mei said as she gave Qiane a push. Qiane looked at Xia Fang with some apprehension. Xia He quickly said, Aunt already knows about this. Just speak up. He Mei has asked me to settle this matter within three days. Her goal is for me to kidnap Qiao Mei so that she can threaten the Xia family to let the He family off. After that, she might do something to Qiao Meis child. She said that if the kidnapping is not successful, then then Qiane stammered and did not dare to continue. Then kill the baby in Qiao Meis womb, right? Xia Fang asked. Qiane nodded and said, Yes she wants me to kill Qiao Meis child. She says it would be even better if Qiao Mei dies as well so that she can replace Qiao Mei. Xia Fang sneered and said, Hurhur, how can she have the cheek to enter our Xia familys door? Is she even worthy? She even says that I just need to tell her whatever I need. Theres nothing else. Oh right! These are the agreements that she and Ma San wrote for me. Qiao Mei, see if there is anything missing. Qiane took out the two agreements from her bag and handed them to Qiao Mei. please keep reading on n0velBin.COM Qiao Mei looked through the agreements in her hand patiently. Qiane really learned how to do it with only one lesson. There were no mistakes nor anything missing in the agreements. Even if they were to confront each other in court, she was 100% confident that they could take down the He family in one fell swoop. Qiao Mei passed the agreements to Xia Fang and Xia He to take a look. This was the first time Xia Fang had seen such a well-written agreement. Mei Mei, you know about these things as well? Xia Fang looked at Qiao Mei in puzzlement. Did they not say that Qiao Mei has never studied before? Even Xia Wen, the most learned of them all in the family, was not very good at making written agreements. Ah Ive discussed such things with elder brother before and I picked some stuff up myself. Im not really very proficient in it, Qiao Mei said. Xia Fang thought to herself,?This child is really smart. She will definitely be outstanding when she goes to school in the future. Is there any problem with the agreements? Qiane looked at Qiao Mei nervously. Qiao Mei patted Qiane on the shoulder and said with a smile, No problem. This can be considered ironclad evidence that can be used to testify against He Mei. Youve done very well. Qiane did not know why tears started welling up in her eyes. Ever since her abortion, her neighbors and family had only cursed her endlessly. This was the first time someone had praised her for doing well. Are are you alright? Qiao Mei looked at Qiane helplessly. She did not know what she had said wrong to make Qiane cry like this. Im fine. I just feel a little emotional. I clearly treated you that way in the past, yet youre still so nice to me and willing to believe me, Qiane said. Xia Fang and Xia He also admired Qiao Mei very much for what she had done. Even when this matter did not happen to them, they still felt a lot of anger and resentment towards Qiane, but Qiao Mei did not feel the same way. I think youre a good person who just got deceived by them. Right from the beginning, this matter is not your fault. Youre only doing this to protect yourself, Qiao Mei said as she looked at Qiane. Chapter 466 - How to Kidnap Someone Chapter 466: How to Kidnap Someone Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Alright, lets not think about the past. The most important thing now is how to deal with the He family, Xia He said. Qiane wiped her tears and said, I think He Mei prefers that I kidnap Qiao Mei, but how? I dont know what to do about this. If the intention was to hurt Qiao Meis baby, she just needed to cause a scene on the streets. There was bound to be many people gathering around and a lot of pushing and shoving around. When that happened, it would be easy for Qiao Mei to be caught in it and get pushed over by someone. She had never done something like kidnapping before. Kidnapping? How about we rent a warehouse? Qiao Mei asked Xia He and Xia Fang. He Mei did not say that Qiane had to use the He familys people to arrange this matter. In that case, they could arrange for their own people to do it. When the time came, they would make it look like Qiane arranged for Qiao Mei to go to that place and then put on a show so that no one would be suspicious. There arent many usable warehouses on the market now. It depends on the location too. If its too far away, the round trip will take a long time, Xia He said. This content upload first at It needs to be somewhere nearby and it has to be somewhere obscure. Otherwise, the He family might not believe it, Xia Fang said. That would be difficult. The area they lived in could be considered a prosperous area in the capital. How could there be a vacant and obscure place around here? What about the abandoned rubbish dump? Theres a rubbish dump in the suburbs of the capital that has been abandoned for a long time. That place should work, Qiane said. Xia Fang knew this place. Back then, the authorities had found it too small and relocated the rubbish dump to a bigger place. However, because there had been no one managing that place for a long time, many things had piled up there and it was smelly and unbearable. That one wont do. The environment is really too bad, Xia Fang said with a frown. Qiao Mei thought for a moment and said, We have so many parks here. What if you kidnap me and take me to a park? The park is too open an area. If someone from the He family sneaks into the park, things might go wrong, Qiane said. The last time, I brought Kong Lu to the center of the lake to discuss something with him. Why dont we go to the center of the lake? How about we pretend that Qiao Mei loses her footing and falls into the water? Xia He said. During this period of time, she had nothing to do and had taught Qiao Mei how to swim and change breath underwater. They had already made some progress, but she was still worried that Qiao Mei would panic and make mistakes in the process. Thats not a good idea. If Qiao Mei gets a shock from falling into the water, it will be very harmful to the baby. If that happens, it will really become an accident and the He family will really achieve their goal. Xia Fang quickly rejected this idea. None of their plans could work. The four of them fell into deep thought. There were only so many places in the entire capital that could suit this purpose. It was really too difficult to find a reasonable and appropriate place. Why dont we just go to the rubbish dump in the suburbs of the capital. Although the environment there is not very good, its desolate and there are very few people. When the time comes, Uncle Liu Yangs vehicle can also pick me up very quickly, Qiao Mei said. Im still worried. Lets think of another way. This is too risky, Xia Fang said. No matter what, she still did not agree with Qiao Mei taking the risk. It was too bold of them to plan such an important matter among the few of them. I think the lake is better. Firstly, Qiao Mei can swim nowadays. Secondly, the center of the lake is so far away from everything. When the time comes, no one will discover that its me pretending to be Qiao Mei. After our own people go into the water to do the rescue, Qiao Mei just needs to be drenched and lying down on the shore, Xia He said. This idea is quite good, but wont you be in danger? The center of the lake is so deep. What if you sink into mud or something? Xia Fang asked nervously. It was a tough call as both of them were dear to her. Among the kids in the younger generation, she liked Xia He the most. Although she was usually a little strict with Xia He, it was all for her own good. Thats right, elder sister. There are still three days left. Why dont we think of another way? This is too risky, Qiao Mei said. Qiane also looked at Xia He worriedly. Xia He was the one who taught her how to swim. She knew that Xia He could swim very well, but no one could guarantee that nothing would go wrong. Why dont I go and ask around about the warehouse again. Its too risky to carry out a kidnapping in the middle of the lake, Qiane said. Since everyone was so insistent, Xia He could only give up on this idea. Chapter 467 - Coming Home So Late Chapter 467: Coming Home So Late Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Although Im helping you out in this matter, I still have to be responsible for all your safety. We have to tell Xiao Zhe about this and let him know. I also want him to arrange for a few people to act as kidnappers. Its more reasonable than Qiane going to kidnap Qiao Mei alone, Xia Fang said. The moment she heard Xia Zhes name, Qiao Mei felt a chill down her spine. She did not dare to tell Xia Zhe about it herself. Xia He had also asked her earlier what she would do if Xia Zhe found out. At that time, she had even said confidently that Xia Zhe would forgive her as long as she acted cute. Now, it seemed that she was also just lying to herself. Now that it had come to a point to tell Xia Zhe about it, she ended up being the first one to beat a retreat. This content upload first at Why why dont we not tell Xia Zhe about this? If not, before He Mei can harm me, Xia Zhe will cut me open first, Qiao Mei said fearfully. Everyone laughed loudly. Xia He laughed most happily as she pointed at Qiao Mei and said, You little girl, what did you tell me back then? Why are you so afraid now? I! Oh my elder sister, dont laugh at me Qiao Mei said as she lowered her head. By the way, Qiane, I remember that you have a relative in the transportation business. He must know where there are warehouses in the capital, Xia Fang said as she looked at Qiane. Three pairs of eyes stared at Qiane in unison. My family members are unreliable. It would not be that bad if I really intend to kidnap Qiao Mei, but its all a lie now. When the He family investigates the details, everything will become exposed. Moreover, my family members They havent been nice to me all these years and they all say that Im a jinx Qiane said awkwardly. Lets think about this tomorrow. Its already dark. Qiane, go back quickly. Otherwise, your mother will come out to look for you, Xia Fang said as she looked at the time. Qiane nodded. There was nothing she could do at the moment even if she racked her brains. She decided to go home and think about it carefully. Seeing that there were not many people in the neighborhood, Qiane hurriedly ran back to her house. As soon as she opened the door, she saw a big metal tea jar flying towards her, still with some tea leaves and hot water inside. You jinx, where did you go! Youre back so late! Do you intend to starve me to death! I dont know where that unlucky mother of yours went. You two must be doing this on purpose! Old Madam Qian sat on the sofa and scolded as she looked in the direction of the door. Qian Wang was usually not at home. There was a daybed in the hospital office and he often rested there. He also depended on the canteen at the hospital for his meals and he would only come back once a week to get a change of clothes. Zhao Ni was the one who took care of everything at home. She took care of Old Madam Qians daily needs and she was often scolded and beaten up. However, she still served Old Madam Qian diligently for the sake of Qiane. Wheres my mother? Qiane asked as she looked around the house. Usually, Zhao Ni would not be out at this hour. She must have been delayed by something, otherwise Old Madam Qian must have done something to chase her away. Hmph, that b*tch actually talked back to me when she came back today. I only said a few words to her and then she ran off. She hasnt returned yet. Why do you care about her! Hurry up and make dinner for me! Old Madam Qian said. It was just as Qiane expected. She knew that Zhao Ni would not suddenly be away from home. However, Zhao Ni was already an adult and did not need Qiane to worry about her. She would come back by herself in the middle of the night, when Old Madam Qian was asleep. Qiane went silently into the kitchen to make some noodles for Old Madam Qian. She did not know how to make anything else. That b*tch mother of yours gives birth to you just to cause trouble for our Qian family! What sins has our Qian family committed! That b*tch is so disappointing. She only gave birth to a girl like you. Whats the use of having a girl! Shes trying to destroy the lineage of our Qian family! Its all your fault, you disappointing thing! Qiane had long gotten tired of hearing these words. Usually, Old Madam Qian said things that were much worse. Qiane wondered if her life would be much better if Zhao Ni had not insisted on marrying Qian Wang and then giving birth to her. She would not need to be at the mercy of others and be reviled every day. You little b*tch, are you done yet! Im about to starve to death! Hurry up and get me something to eat! Old Madam Qian picked up the cup beside her and threw it towards the kitchen. The cup shattered when it hit the kitchen door. Qiane looked at the glass shards all over the floor and wished she could pick one up and kill this old woman. Chapter 468 - Telling the Truth Chapter 468: Telling the Truth Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiane placed the bowl of noodles on the coffee table sulkily. Old Madam Qian took advantage of the moment when Qiane bent down to slap her. Qiane lost her balance and fell to the floor. Her arm was cut by the glass shards on the floor and the bowl of noodles also got overturned. Old Madam Qian started scolding her again. You useless thing! Whats the use of feeding me these lousy noodles! Are you going to starve me to death since theres nothing in it at all! Old Madam Qian shouted. Qiane sat up from the floor with difficulty. Blood was still flowing down her arm. She looked at Old Madam Qian coldly and said, This is all we have at home. Take it or leave it. Qiane went into the room to take out the first aid kit and skillfully treated the wound on her arm. This was a common occurrence. When she was still young, Old Madam Qian would hit her whenever Old Madam Qian thought that she did not do well enough. Zhao Ni would also get beaten up. She had always treated her own wounds and could do it even more professionally than the doctors in the hospital. She carefully picked out the glass bits from her arm, disinfected the wound with iodine and wrapped it in a simple bandage. With her thick skin, there was no need for her to go to the hospital for such a minor injury. We are n?o?v?e?l?b?i?n?.?n?e?t? , find us on google Qiane then patiently went to the living room to clean up the glass shards and the bloodstains on the floor. The only person she could not bear to leave behind in this house was Zhao Ni. After tidying up everything, Qiane went to the kitchen to cook a bowl of noodles for Old Madam Qian and brought it to her. Theres nothing else. If you want to eat, then eat it properly. Otherwise, Ill throw it away. You! This is how you talk to your grandmother! Do you still have any respect for your elders! Old Madam Qian pointed at Qiane and scolded her. Qiane did not care at all. She looked at Old Madam Qian and said, Eating it or not? Even if I die! I wont eat anything made by a little b*tch like you! Who knows if youll poison me to death! You just want me to die soon! Old Madam Qian said. Qiane did not let her have her way. She poured the noodles into the trash can and returned to the room. No matter how Old Madam Qian shouted and scolded her, she pretended not to hear anything. Together with Xia Mao and Xia Wen, Xia Zhe had been dealing with the remaining matters related to the He family. He had thought that he could uproot the He family this time, but he did not expect the He family to have so many connections after so many years. It turned out to be quite difficult to deal with them. It was not easy for him to find time to come back and spend time with Qiao Mei today. He did not expect her not to be at home when he got back. When he heard from Second Aunt-in-law that she had gone to his Aunts house, he immediately rushed over without stopping to take a breather. The three women were still sitting in the living room and discussing strategies when they were interrupted by a knock on the door. Who is coming by so late? Qiao Mei asked curiously. Ill go take a look. Xia He went to the door and looked out through the peephole. She did not expect to see Xia Zhe there. Xia He was so frightened that she quickly ran back and whispered to Qiao Mei, You should go and open the door Qiao Mei walked to the door with a puzzled expression and opened it. As soon as Xia Zhe entered, he held her in his arms. Ah! Why are you back? Qiao Mei said in surprise. I have some free time, so Im back to see you, Xia Zhe said with a smile. Xia Fang coughed twice and said, Ahem You dont even know how to greet your aunt first when you come by. You only know how to talk to your wife. Hurry up and close the door so that the neighbors dont see you. Xia Zhe let go of his hands in embarrassment and turned around to close the door. What are you all doing sitting in the living room at this hour? Xia Zhe asked. There was no television in the living room now, nor was there anything for them to pass the time with. There were also no peanut and melon seed shells on the coffee table. Could it be that they were just sitting here chatting? Well we have nothing to do, so were just sitting here talking, Xia He said with a smile. Based on Xia Zhes years of well-honed reconnaissance skills, he could tell that there was definitely something fishy going on. Youre really just talking? Xia Zhe looked at the three of them doubtfully. Qiao Mei looked towards Xia He for help, but Xia He was also afraid that Xia Zhe would blame her if he found out. It would be better for Qiao Mei to confess on her own. Xiao Zhe, sit down. We have something to tell you, Xia Fang said solemnly. Is there something wrong with the babies! Xia Zhe looked at Xia Fangs solemn expression and then at the evasive looks that Xia He and Qiao Mei gave him. He felt as if his heart was in his mouth. No, no. Sit down first. This matter is more complicated and I have to tell you slowly, Qiao Mei quickly waved her hand and said. Chapter 470 - Not Letting Them Get Away With It Chapter 470: Not Letting Them Get Away With It Why dont I just arrange for someone to expose the matter regarding the He family? These agreements will be the evidence, Xia Zhe said. No, she hasnt done anything to me now. She just arranged for someone to do it. These agreements are just two pieces of useless documents now. Its useless even if you go and look for them, Qiao Mei said. Qiane had not made a move yet, so it was useless to go after He Mei now. They would only be able to punish He Mei after this matter had happened. Dont worry, Ill take good care of our children. I wont let anything happen to them, Qiao Mei said. Then what about you? Do you think youll definitely be fine? Xia Zhe asked worriedly. Qiao Mei smiled and said, Of course Ill be fine. Im very strong. Besides, we havent agreed on what to do yet. Dont worry, Ill definitely take good care of myself and wont let myself and the children get into any danger. Ill also protect Qiao Mei. Dont worry, Xia He said. At the moment, he had no choice but to choose to trust Qiao Mei and also arranged for two capable people to protect her. Let me make arrangements now and get a few people to protect you in secret, Xia Zhe said. Theres no need for them to do it in secret. I still need two people to kidnap me. Can you help me find two people? Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe expectantly. Although Xia Zhe was so angry with Qiao Mei, he wanted to laugh. This young girl actually wanted him to find someone to kidnap her. She was simply too spoiled and lawless. However, it was better to have their own people than people from the He family. Coincidentally, Zhang Yong and Zhuang Hua were in the capital and he would feel at ease if they could help with this matter. Ill get Zhuang Hua and Zhang Yong to protect you. Xia Zhe was about to contact them when Qiao Mei stopped him. No, the He family definitely knows the two of them. You have to find some strangers. Otherwise, if the He family sees through our plan, all our efforts will be in vain, Qiao Mei said. Then Ill contact other people when I get back. I dont know who to look for now, Xia Zhe said. Ill help Qiao Mei make the necessary arrangements at the hospital. You guys settle the matters with He Ning. You can leave Qiao Mei with me, Xia Fang said. This matter must be resolved. Even if they let the He family off, the He family would not let them off so easily. Xia Zhe looked at the clock on the wall. Time had passed so quickly. He had to go back immediately. There were still many things that Xia Mao and Xia Wen had yet to settle. I have to go Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei reluctantly. Go ahead. Dont worry, Ill definitely be fine, Qiao Mei said with a smile. Xia Zhe held Qiao Meis hand and did not care that an elder was present. He went forward and kissed Qiao Mei deeply on the forehead and said, You must be safe. Dont risk your life. Dont worry, Ill definitely come back well, Qiao Mei said with a smile. Xia Zhe quickly left Xia Fangs house so that he could make the best use of his time to settle the matter with He Ning. If he did not manage to get something on He Ning soon, the detention period would soon pass. After that, it would be difficult to capture He Ning again. This time, they did not only want to take revenge on the He family, but they also wanted to help the Jiang family redress the past so that they could live a good life from this point onwards. At the same time, he also had his own selfish motives. If the Jiang family could settle down and live a good life in the capital, then Xia Xiu and Jiang Jin might be able to continue their previous relationship. Xia Xiu had waited for Jiang Jin for most of her life, and now there was finally hope. Early the next morning, Qiao Mei and Xia He went around the surrounding parks to see if there were any cleaner lakes or remote warehouses that were suitable for their use. After walking around for a while, they did not find anything. It seemed that they had to think in detail about the matter of falling into the lake. Elder sister, hows your swimming skills? Qiao Mei asked worriedly. I was the champion swimmer in the entire capital back then. If I joined the army, I would definitely be one of the best. Eldest Aunt had taught me how to swim, Xia He said proudly. Back then, she had suffered a lot in order to learn how to swim. It was very hard not to swim well, given that she had a devil trainer for an aunt . What if theres an accident? Im still worried, Qiao Mei said. Dont worry. Back then, when Eldest Aunt trained us, she just threw us into the river directly. At that time, we didnt even know how to swim, but we slowly became familiar with it, Xia He said. Qiao Mei did not even know how the three Xia siblings survived under Eldest Aunts care when they were young. Chapter 471 - Checking Out the Site Chapter 471: Checking Out the Site Eldest Aunt doesnt look like that kind of person to me. She looks quite good-natured, Qiao Mei said. Xia He looked at Qiao Mei in shock.?Since when could Xia Xiu be described as good-natured??Eldest Aunt was very famous for her interrogation skills. When they were young, they dared to lie to Xia Jun and Xia Mao, but they would never dare to lie to Xia Xiu. The lies would be discovered by Xia Xiu in less than two sentences and they would get beaten up after that. Maybe Eldest Aunt likes you. She is definitely much stricter with us, Xia He said. The two of them arrived at the lake where Xia He and Kong Lu had quarreled previously and carefully sized up the surrounding environment. Elder sister, look at the shore over there. Isnt it a lot more hidden? Qiao Mei said as she pointed at the opposite bank. The shore opposite was filled with reeds, but it was impossible to see how deep the water was or if there was any silt. Its better not to go over there. Its not very safe. The east side is not too bad. Its connected to the area with reeds and theres also an open area on the side. When its time, you can come out from there, Xia He whispered. Then what about you, elder sister? Qiao Mei asked. They were now standing on the south side of the lake, where the boatmen anchored their boats. If they wanted to go onto the shore, they had to go to the west side. Have you forgotten? I came up from the west side once before. Its very obscure over there. When the time comes, Ill get Xiao Zhe to arrange for a car to pick me up and take me away. This place is very close to Aunts other house. The He family probably doesnt know about that house, Xia He said. Thats good. I wonder if Qiane is a good swimmer, Qiao Mei said. Im the one who taught Qiane how to swim. When she steers the boat close to the east side, Ill pretend to be pushed into the water by her. With my ability, Ill be able to reach the west side quickly. At that time, you can come out and lie down on the shore. Well arrange for two people to pretend to be passersby and also get Aunts ambulance to get here a little earlier. This way, you wont have to suffer too long from the cold, Xia He said after some thought. Xia He had been worried about Qiao Meis health. Even if she pretended to be Qiao Mei and was the one to fall into the water, Qiao Mei still had to be totally drenched. Otherwise, she would not be able to convince all the onlookers. If it did not look real enough, the He family would know that she was just putting on an act once they investigated further. She did not know if Qiao Mei would be able to take it if she needed to wear wet clothes for too long. Im fine, elder sister. Dont worry, Qiao Mei said with a smile. The air conditioner bangle she bought at the antique market the last time not only kept Qiao Mei cool in the heat, but it could also keep Qiao Meis body warm. However, when touched, it felt no different from a normal bangle. It just seemed to add a shield around Qiao Meis body to regulate her body temperature. With such a thing in her possession, she was no longer afraid that any change in temperature would make her sick. She just did not know how long this bangle could last. After all, the energy of the bangle was different from that of plants. No matter how good the quality of the jade, there was a limit to it. It was better not to use such a good thing unless it was absolutely necessary. While jade stones were still cheap now, she wanted to go and look for more when she had time. Come, lets go back and talk to Qiane. We should do this as quickly as possible. Otherwise, if this drags on, Im afraid the He family will just arrange for someone else to do it, Xia He said. Qiao Mei nodded and said, Yes, lets go back. The two of them calculated the time and returned to Xia Fangs house. As soon as they entered the main entrance of the apartment complex, they saw Qiane waiting in the distance. Qiane immediately rushed up, pointed at Qiao Mei and scolded, How dare you come here! How dare you enter this courtyard door! The neighbors around them were also attracted by the sound of Qiane yelling at someone and they all surrounded Qiao Mei. Why cant I come! This is my aunts house, why cant I come here! Qiao Mei shouted back self-righteously. Qiane looked like she even wanted to go forward and hit Qiao Mei, but she was pulled back by the neighbors. This Qiane is acting up again. Xia He, quickly bring your sister-in-law home! Thats right! Go quickly! Dont stay here! Hurry up and go! Dont take it to heart. Shes sick, so dont lower yourself to her level! Dont leave! If youre so capable, dont run away! Qiane shouted. With the neighbors help in shielding them, Qiao Mei and Xia He managed to run home quickly. They then secretly leaned against the windowsill and looked downstairs. Qiane was still arguing with the neighbors. It was not a problem for her to fight with 10 people at a time. This Qiane is really amazing. Youve got to admire her verbal skills, Xia He said. Its probably well-honed from arguing with these people. Theyll disperse after a while, Qiao Mei said. Chapter 472 - Talking Irresponsibly Chapter 472: Talking Irresponsibly Not long after, it became much quieter downstairs as the crowd gradually dispersed. The moment Qiane entered her house, she was slapped by Zhao Ni. She did not understand what was going on at first, but when she saw her uncle and auntie in the living room, she knew that Zhao Ni had no choice. Zhao Nis eyes were filled with heartache, but she had no choice. If she wanted to continue living in the Qian family, Qiane would have to suffer through this. Oh, youre all here, Qiane said softly. We heard that you abused your grandmother yesterday, so we all came over to see what was going on. Sister-in-law, please give us an explanation, said the Qian familys second son. Qiane smiled disdainfully. It turned out that the old lady had called up her son to complain and they were all here to denounce her. Well Ive already hit her. Lets just forget about this matter. Kids are insensible, so lets not take it to heart. Its all my fault. I had something on last night and came back late, so I didnt have time to cook, Zhao Ni said ingratiatingly. Even if she wanted to compromise, it would not end well. The Qian family did not care about Zhao Ni and Qiane at all. In the past, they depended on her good reputation to make money, but now they only saw her as a puppet that could earn money. Dont listen to their nonsense! They often starve me! Old Madam Qian cried out. When the Qian familys second son heard this, he stood up angrily and reached out to slap Qiane. Zhao Ni stepped between them and let herself get slapped instead. Mother! Qiane quickly helped Zhao Ni up. You shameless woman, you still want to protect her. Get lost! You dont have the final say in this family! said the Qian familys second son as he pointed at Zhao Ni. Qiane pointed at the Qian familys second son and said, This is our house! If your heart aches so much for the old lady, then bring her back with you! Look at how fat your mother is! Then look at my mother and me! Who do you think is the one whos being mistreated! If you think we cant take care of her well, then bring her back! Who likes to take care of her! The Qian familys second son stood rooted to the spot, not knowing how to retort. Old Madam Qians usual hobbies were watching television, eating a lot of food, and occasionally listening to songs on the radio. Other than sleeping and going to the bathroom, she usually just sat cross-legged on the sofa and did not move, like a parasite growing on the sofa. Moreover, she did not like to clean herself. Sometimes, she would not even wash her hair even when there were bugs in it. If her hands were dirty from eating, she would just wipe them on the sofa. The entire living room was filled with an awful stench. In addition, she had not worked for so many years and did not have any retirement funds. She was just a parasite that they were feeding at home. This was the reason why her second sons family was unwilling to take care of her. His own son was already an idle and lazy person. If they added another troublesome old lady to the family, they would really have a difficult time! Back then, Old Madam Qian kept making a fuss about how her sons were unfilial and even went to Qian Wangs workplace to lie down at the front door and act shamelessly. As her eldest son, Qian Wang had no choice but to bring her home and worship her like an ancestor. He himself was not at home all the time, so Qiane and Zhao Ni bore the brunt of his action. You little girl, how dare you talk back to me! the Qian familys second son said as he pointed at Qiane. Qiane smiled mockingly and said, Better dont beat me to death. If you beat me to death, then the old lady wont have anything to eat anymore. When that time comes, you guys will have to be responsible for her care. Dont blame me for not reminding you. Hey! What are you saying! said the Qian familys second son. Qiane did not care about how they all looked at her. She helped Zhao Ni back into the room, locked the door and did not go out again. No matter how much they shouted outside, the two women ignored them. Xiaoe, its been so hard on you Zhao Ni said with reddened eyes. If you had gotten a divorce back then, would your life still be so difficult? Qiane said to Zhao Ni expressionlessly. Zhao Ni did not know how to tell her daughter about the hardships she had gone through in those days. Back then, she had also thought about getting a divorce, but Qian Wang was making a lot of money at work. At that time, Old Master Qian was still alive and the family was still quite well-to-do. Her daughter was also well-educated and was considered one of the most outstanding among her peers. At that time, Zhao Ni was the target of many peoples envy. No one knew about all her hardships behind this front. She could forget about the insults from her in-laws, but even Qian Wang was a heartless person. Every time he got drunk, he would come home and beat her up. Sometimes, he would even beat her until she was unable to get out of bed. Even so, she could not bear to get a divorce for the sake of her wealth and status. She did not expect her decision to end up hurting Qiane. Chapter 473 - Unable to Distinguish Colors Chapter 473: Unable to Distinguish Colors The commotion outside wont last long. Theyre just putting on a show for that old woman. They think that this house belongs to the old woman and they want to get a share of her assets after she dies, Qiane said mockingly. It was true that this house was registered under Old Master Qians name, but after Old Master Qian passed away, he had left the house to Qiane. This was because Qiane was the only person who accompanied him during the last few months of his life. Qiane was also his favorite grandchild and he felt that those were the happiest months of his life. Then you dont mind? Zhao Ni asked. No. These things will pass quickly, wont they? We just need to endure it until she dies, Qiane said. Zhao Ni hid behind and sobbed uncontrollably. She did not understand how such an outstanding and sensible child from back then had become like this. Perhaps everyone was at fault. The commotion outside the door quickly quietened down. The Qian familys second son and his family left. Qiane also returned to her room to prepare the things she needed for tomorrow. On the other side, Qiao Mei and Xia He were still sitting at home mixing the colors to make fake blood plasma. Mei Mei, this is already the 12th time youre mixing the color. Why arent you satisfied? Is there any difference between this color and the color of blood? Xia He said as she looked at Qiao Mei helplessly. Blood is dark red in color. Yours is too bright and its obvious that its fake, Qiao Mei said. Aunt is a doctor in the hospital. Cant she just go and get some real blood? Why go through so much trouble? Xia He said. The current level of medical care was still lagging behind. Who knew if the blood would contain any germs or bacteria? If anyone should catch an incurable disease from it, the gains would not make up for the losses. It was better to be careful. No, Ive already troubled Aunt enough. Besides, the blood bank keeps records of the amount of blood they have. What if it was traced back to Aunt? Qiao Mei found a random reason to brush off the suggestion. After the two of them tried 23 times, they finally succeeded. Qiao Mei quickly made a large amount of fake blood plasma according to this ratio. The fake bloodstains in the park would definitely be cleaned up by their people. What she needed to do was to spread the fake blood on her legs to make it look more realistic. Elder sister, do you think this looks real? Qiao Mei asked as she dripped a drop of fake blood onto her palm. I think it really looks alike. Can you stop torturing me? Xia He said with a long face. Xia He held up two glasses. This one was also red, and the other one was also red. What was so different about them? She had never heard of those colors that Qiao Mei mentioned, like dark red, cinnabar red or rouge red. Elder sister, you must ensure your own safety tomorrow. Dont get yourself hurt because of me, Qiao Mei said worriedly. Xia He looked at Qiao Mei steadfastly and said, Dont worry, Im a strong swimmer. This depth wont be a problem for me. Dont worry. Then will brother-in-law be there? Qiao Mei asked. Xia Zhe had informed Kong Lu about this matter. After all, Kong Lu was still his elder sisters husband and it was better for him to be present at such a dangerous moment. I dont know. What can he do when hes here? Come to watch the fun? He might get scared when he sees me jumping into the water, Xia He said. Ever since that day when she and Qiao Mei were misunderstood by Qiane on the street, she finally realized that Kong Lu was not a reliable person. It was useless even if she gave him endless chances. Even Xia Zhe knew that he had to protect his wife and children and his family first. Kong Lu only knew to draw a clear line between them and was so worried that family matters would drag him down. For a person who only cared about himself and not at all about his wife in times of danger, it was useless even if he seemed to have turned over a new leaf. Xia He had waited for him for many years in the past and she had no time for him now. After Kong Lu went back, he asked around and managed to pool together 1,000 dollars. He took out some money for Kong Li and himself to pay for food and wrapped the rest of the money in a cloth bag. Although he had not managed to gather the amount that Xia He mentioned, he had at least done his best. He would hand over this amount of money to Xia He first and then he would try and pool together the rest of the money later. Kong Lu arrived at Xia Fangs house nervously, but he hesitated outside the door for a long time. He did not know how to face Xia He. She must be very disappointed in him after what happened the last time. He was too embarrassed to let her know that he had not managed to raise the full amount of money. Chapter 474 - Can’t Go Back Chapter 474: Cant Go Back Hey! Why are you standing at the door! Xia Fang had just returned from work and stood on the stairs looking at Kong Lu in surprise. I Im here to deliver the money Kong Lu said with his head down. Xia Fang sized up Kong Lu carefully, took out her key to open the door and brought him into the house. Oh, brother-in-law is here, Qiao Mei said. As soon as Xia Fang entered, she saw red bottles all over the ground. Those who did not know better would have thought that it was fruit juice. Mei Mei, what are you doing? Xia Fang looked at Qiao Mei in puzzlement. Im studying how to make fake blood plasma. Aunt, come into the room with me and see if this color looks real enough. You cant see it clearly outside. Qiao Mei winked at Xia Fang. Xia Fang immediately understood what Qiao Mei meant. She held Qiao Meis hand and entered the room, leaving the living room to Xia He and Kong Lu. What are you doing here? Did my younger brother say something to you? Xia He asked casually. Im here to deliver the money Kong Lu said as he gripped the cloth bag in his hand tightly. Xia He looked at the thickness of the bag in his hands and knew that there was not enough money. If he had managed to prepare the full amount, he would have come looking for her arrogantly. Your mother is willing to fork out the money? Xia He said deliberately. Kong Lu choked when he heard the question and he did not know how to explain the situation. He stammered as he looked at Xia He and said, I I borrowed some money from a few friends, took the money that Kong Li had left, and added the subsidy I received when I came to the capital for field work. Its a total of just just 1,000 dollars His voice became softer and softer towards the end and Xia He almost could not hear him clearly. When are you going to give me the rest of the money? Xia He asked. Ill try my best to pay it back. Can you tell Aunt to give me more time? Ill definitely pay it back as soon as possible! Kong Lu said. Xia He did not make things difficult for Kong Lu anymore. Even if she forced him, there was no way he could fork out the money. Give me whatever you have first. Think of a way to get the rest and give it to me within a month. No later than that. Aunt cant wait that long. You can pay back the money you owe me within half a year. You can go and ask your younger brothers. Ask them to pay back the money they borrowed, Xia He said. Kong Lu nodded silently. He also knew that his younger brothers all had money. Actually, he also knew very well how much Xia He had sacrificed for this family over the years. It was just that he did not want to admit that he was a good-for-nothing and so he had ignored everything. Is there anything else? Xia He looked at Kong Lu and asked. Your younger brother had told me about what happened to all of you recently. Ill drive to the west side of the lake to pick you up tomorrow morning. Give me your change of clothes so that I can put them in the car. This way, itll be more convenient for you, Kong Lu said earnestly. Xia He did not expect Kong Lu to have such a thoughtful side. She was usually the one who had to take care of such things. Xia He went into the room to get the clothes she had prepared and handed them to Kong Lu. Ill go to the lake first tomorrow. When the time comes, you just need to pick me up on the west side. Dont worry about anything else. You just need to pick me up and leave. Do you understand? Xia He was afraid that Kong Lu might cause their plan to fail and make all their efforts wasted. Kong Lu nodded. Xia Zhe had told him everything in detail and he had memorized every single bit. However, he was not used to seeing the indifferent Xia He in front of him. In the past, Xia He would be in high spirits whenever she saw him and she always wanted to give him all the good things in the house. Now, she only looked impatient when she saw him. Xiao He, cant we go back to the way we were? Kong Lu asked Xia He sadly. Theres no turning back after so many things have happened. Youre unable to restrain your mother and sister from behaving badly, so dont blame me for not returning to the Kong family. All these years, Ive done everything I can for your family. Please be merciful and let me off. I dont want to go back to such a life anymore. Ive already applied to be transferred back to the capital to work, Xia He said calmly. Kong Lu did not dare to continue asking. He already understood that it was impossible for them to go back to the way they were. Then then Ill go back now. You must be careful tomorrow. Dont push yourself too hard, Kong Lu said. I know. Thank you. Xia He turned around and stopped looking at Kong Lu. Kong Lu placed the cloth bag containing the money on the coffee table disappointedly and left with the things that Xia He had given him. Everyone had prepared what they needed for tomorrow. Xia Zhe also did what Qiao Mei asked and found people he could trust to protect Qiao Mei. He also asked them to bring their female relatives to come along and help out just in case. Everything was ready and they were all just waiting to put on a big show tomorrow. Chapter 475 - The Show Begins Chapter 475: The Show Begins Qiao Mei and Xia He woke up before dawn to wash up. The two of them put on the same clothes and shoes and even combed their hair the same way. Qiao Mei, its not that I want to say something disheartening, but look at my figure. Is there any part thats similar to yours? Xia He looked at herself in the mirror with a feeling of inferiority. As Xia He had been a dancer for a long time, she was especially strict with her diet. She rarely ate a lot. Although she was as slender as Qiao Mei, there was not a part of her body that was curvy or shapely as was common on women. Xia He looked at her own chest indignantly. Initially, she did not think that there was anything bad about it, but now that she compared herself with Qiao Mei, she found her skinny figure unbearable to look at. Qiao Mei also felt a little helpless about this matter. Ever since she got pregnant, her chest had become bigger and bigger and she always felt very embarrassed when she walked around with her bouncy bosom. Why dont why dont I wrap it with a piece of cloth? Qiao Mei looked at Xia He sincerely. Xia He quickly shook her head and said, Let me boost mine so that it looks bigger. Dont make yours smaller. What if my nephew runs out of milk, hahahaha! Qiao Meis face flushed red. Xia Zhe had said a few naughty things to her last night and he had also teased her like this. Oh my, youre so embarrassed! Hurry up and help me. Also, help me put on that fake stomach so that it looks more realistic, Xia He said. They only just made that fake stomach last night. It was just a cloth bag with some cotton inside. There was nothing very special about it. Isnt it too difficult to swim when you have all these on you? These will be very heavy once they get soaked in water, Qiao Mei said with a frown. Its fine. This bit of weight is nothing. Back then, we used to practice with sandbags. Even diving is not a problem for me. Dont worry about me, Xia He said. Seeing how confident Xia He was, Qiao Mei did not hesitate anymore. Once she was ready, she went out first. She and Qiane had agreed to meet downstairs at 6 a.m. Elder sister, Im leaving now. You be careful, Qiao Mei whispered. Xia He nodded and sent Qiao Mei out of the door before secretly observing her from the windowsill. Qiao Mei slowly made her way downstairs. As soon as she went out, she saw the cold-faced Qiane. Qiao Mei, lets have a chat, Qiane said. I have nothing to say to you. I still have to go to the market now. Dont block the way. Qiao Mei turned to leave after saying that. Qiane took a big stride forward and blocked Qiao Meis path. She pointed at Qiao Mei and said, Today, lets talk about all our past grudges and settle this score properly. When the neighbors going to the market saw this, they whispered among themselves. Could it be that Qiane had a change of character today? She could actually speak normally for once. Xia Zhes wife, dont listen to her. Everything she says is fake! Thats right, Xia Zhes wife. Come back quickly. Do you really believe what she said? Listen to auntie and go home quickly. Dont go with her. Everyone was trying to persuade Qiao Mei to go home quickly. Qiane glared fiercely at the neighbors around her and shouted, You nosy old fogies! You should take care of yourselves first! Figure out your own family matters first before you stick your noses in mine! Hey! How can you say that! An elderly woman was exasperated and wanted to go forward to argue with Qiane. Qiao Mei quickly stopped the elderly woman and said, Auntie, dont be angry. She just wants to talk to me and wont hurt me. I just want to clarify everything with you today. I want you to resolve everything that you owe me. Your Xia family is a big family and doesnt lack money, right? You all played a part in me becoming like this. We have to settle these things properly, Qiane said. At the mention of money, everyone understood what was going on. Everyone knew that the Qian family was short of money. In order to earn money, Qiane worked very hard. Yet, in the end, Old Madam Qian still did not like her and she still had to suffer humiliation at home. Alright, then Ill settle this score with you today. I, Qiao Mei, wont owe you anything, Qiao Mei said. Lets talk as we walk. There are so many nosy people in this place. Im afraid that theyll say that Im bullying you. Qiane glared at the people around her. Qiane walked in front and Qiao Mei followed closely behind her. Chapter 476 - Switching Places Chapter 476: Switching Places After leaving the courtyard, the two of them did not dare to relax and kept walking into the distance. They did not know where the He family members might have eyes. Xia He watched as the crowd downstairs gradually dispersed. She went back into the room, put on a trench coat and went out. Qiao Mei had specially made this trench coat, which was as long as a dress. She had never seen this style of clothing before and did not even know what it was called. It seemed that Qiao Mei should consider opening a clothing shop in the future. With such dressmaking skills, Qiao Mei could even make her performance costumes for her! As soon as she went downstairs, a neighbor passing by asked, Oh, Xiao He, what are you wearing? Ive never seen something like this before! Oh this. Its something that my sister-in-law made for me. Our Qiao Mei is really skillful and knows how to make everything! Xia He said proudly. Then where are you going? the neighbor said. Im going to buy some breakfast. Im too lazy to cook in the morning. You must be done shopping, Xia He said with a smile. Thats right. My children kept asking for buns, so I went out to buy them. However, I heard from others just now that Qiane took Qiao Mei somewhere. I hope theres nothing wrong? the neighbor said worriedly. Xia He pretended to look at the neighbor in surprise and said, What! Then Ill quickly get someone to look for her! Thank you! With that, Xia He ran towards the main entrance. She and Qiao Mei had agreed to swap identities in the public toilet in the park. No one would notice that it was two different people going in and coming out. Qiane stood at the door of the public toilet and looked at the clock on the wall impatiently. Qiao Mei had already been in there for half an hour, but Xia He was not here yet. She hoped nothing had gone wrong. Xia He quietly walked to the bushes and looked around. Then, she lowered her head and walked past Qiane, bumping forcefully into her. Qiane held on to her shoulder in pain and shouted, Cant you see me standing here! Are you blind! Im sorry, Im sorry. Im really in a hurry. Im sorry! Xia He hurriedly apologized and ran into the public toilet. How unlucky! Qiane grimaced and rubbed her shoulder. She already knew that the person just now was Xia He, but she did not dare to make it too obvious because there might be people from the He family watching her. Qiao Mei pinched her nose and squatted inside the toilet cubicle in the corner. The stench was unbearable. The current technology was not so advanced yet. The public toilets outside were all dry toilets with holes dug in the ground. There would be people who would go and dig out the feces at fixed timings. Fortunately, Qiao Meis bangle could help her block out most of the stench, but she could still smell it. Mei Mei! Ugh Mei Mei Where are you? Xia He pinched her nose and whispered. The moment she entered, she felt like throwing up. She did not know how long Qiao Mei had been waiting here. Im here! Elder sister, youre finally here! Qiao Mei said animatedly. I think its a wrong decision to meet in the toilet. This smell is really really unbearable. Xia He looked at her surroundings in disdain. It cant be helped. Xia Zhe told me before that most of the He familys subordinates are men. They wont be able to go into the female toilet to monitor us. This place is the best choice, Qiao Mei said firmly. Thats good, but this smell Xia He looked at Qiao Mei with some heartache. She knew that Qiao Mei was different from ordinary pregnant women. It seemed that her pregnancy symptoms were not that obvious, but it was still no small feat for her to wait here for so long. Xia He took off her trench coat and put it on for Qiao Mei. She instructed, You have to be careful, understand? Dont be rash and remember to take good care of yourself. Qiao Mei nodded obediently and said, I understand, elder sister. Dont worry. Are you done yet! Youve been in there for so long. Are you eating sh*t! Come out quickly, its not like Im going to kill you! Qiane shouted impatiently with her hands on her hips. Xia He took a long look at Qiao Mei before turning around to leave. Why are you rushing me! Youre the one who eats sh*t! Arent I out now? Xia He said as she came out holding her stomach. Alright, lets go quickly. What a hassle, Qiane said impatiently. Xia He bent down slightly and held her stomach as she followed behind Qiane. She tried her best to lower her face so that no one could see her clearly. Qiane also walked much slower than usual, afraid that Xia He would accidentally fall and give herself away. Chapter 477 - I Want You to Be Buried With the Dead Chapter 477: I Want You to Be Buried With the Dead Wait for me here. Ill go buy two tickets, Qiane said to Xia He. Xia He nodded and slowly sat down on the stool by the big tree. She had acted in many stage plays and knew the kind of angles that would make it difficult for others to see her face clearly. Even professionals would not be able to see her face clearly unless they leaned in to take a closer look. There were not many people who came to row in the morning. Qiane quickly bought the tickets and the two of them chose a boat to row to the center of the lake. We can finally talk now, Xia He said with a sigh. We cant act too normal. Otherwise, the people ashore will become suspicious when they look at us. Do you think they are using binoculars? Qiane asked curiously. If you didnt tell them were going on the lake, I dont think they would bring such a thing out. People wouldnt expect us to be here, Xia He said. I didnt tell them about my plan. I just told He Mei that her wish would come true and I didnt mention it again. When I came out this morning, I was so nervous. I used to hate Qiao Mei and could come up with loads of things to scold her. Now, I have to think about what to say when I scold her, Qiane said helplessly. No one would have thought that she would become good friends with Qiao Mei. You still have to continue scolding. Let them see that were quarreling. Why not just let out all the frustration youve had all these years, Xia He said. I dont know how long Ill need to do that. I wonder if Qiao Mei is ready at her end. From time to time, Qiane would look towards the shore in the east to see if there was anyone coming. Its been more than 20 minutes since we came out and came to the center of the lake. I think theyre ready. Its time for us to take action, Xia He said. Qiane lowered her head and pondered for a long time. She recalled the past scenes of Ma San ruthlessly beating and scolding her, the cold metal bed in the hospital, the scoldings from her family all these years, and all the ridicule from her neighbors. All of these scenes were deeply engraved in her mind and she could not get them out. She suddenly stood up, pointed at Xia He and scolded, Its all because of you that I ended up like this! Its all because of you! If not for you, I wouldnt have been mocked! If not for you, I wouldnt have been deceived! Do you know how much I want you to die! As long as you die, Xia Zhe will fall in love with me! At that time, the position of Mrs. Xia will be mine! Ive waited for him bitterly for so many years! How can a girl from nowhere like you snatch him away! Who do you think you are! Why dont you look at yourself in the mirror! Qiane grabbed Xia Hes hair agitatedly and pulled it towards the surface of the lake, causing the entire boat to rock violently. Look at you. You have a pretty face, dont you! Youre a b*tch! You must have gotten pregnant to threaten Xia Zhe! Xia He tried her best to break free from the grip Qiane had on her and held on tightly to the boat with both her hands. She did not expect Qiane to be so agitated. She guessed that Qiane must have suffered a lot over the years. Qiane stared at Xia He indignantly and said, During that period of time, I was scolded every day! I was called a whore and a jinx every day. I only have myself to blame and I cant blame anyone else, but I cant accept it! I clearly have no intention of harming anyone! They are the ones who harm me! Why do I have to bear all of this! I didnt know you suffered so much back then. Xia He looked up at Qiane with a trace of pity in her eyes. What kind of look is this! I dont want you to pity me! Theres nothing pitiful about me! If not for you, would I be living such a miserable life! Qiane said as she avoided Xia Hes gaze. There was now a red cloth strip on a branch on the west bank. This was the signal that Kong Lu and Xia He agreed on. Xia He slowly stood up and said, You clearly brought this on yourself! Youre the one who did all kinds of evil and ended up like this! Who can you blame! Qiane stared fixedly at Xia He and said with a strange smile, In that case, if my child cant be born, how can your child live in this world? Then you and your child can be buried with my child! This way, my child wont be alone! What are you doing! Dont come over! Xia He said nervously as she held her stomach. I want you to die! Qiane seized the opportunity and pounced on Xia He, causing the two of them to fall into the water together. Chapter 478 - Hurry Up With the Rescue Chapter 478: Hurry Up With the Rescue Xia He splashed and shouted in the middle of the lake. Soon, she fell silent and Qiane slowly swam towards the shore. At this time of the day, no one took walks or played by the lake. When the He familys subordinates saw Qiao Mei fall into the water, they went back to report it. It did not take long for the lake to return to its original stillness. Xia He also slowly sneaked her way westward. As everything on her body was thoroughly soaked, her movements were much slower than usual. When she finally reached the shore, she no longer had the strength to speak. Kong Lu quickly ran over and carried Xia He back to the car to get warm. They could not stay around for too long. Quickly inform Aunt Dont worry about me for now. Hurry up and go tell Aunt, Xia He said weakly. Kong Lu had already informed Xia Fang the moment the two women jumped into the water. Aunt and her team were probably on their way here by now. Dont worry. Xia Zhe has already instructed me on these things. Ill bring you to Aunts other house first. Dont talk anymore, just save your strength. After saying that, Kong Lu drove away from the lake. Xia He covered herself with the blanket she had prepared in advance and fell asleep. Qiao Mei had been hiding near the shore the entire time. From where she was, she could only hear bits and pieces of the conversation. However, the entire scene still looked very dangerous. In the end, when they tussled with each other, it had caused the boat to overturn. I didnt expect these two to try so hard. This is even more exciting and thrilling than whats shown in television dramas, Qiao Mei muttered softly as she hid behind a tree. When she heard a loud splash, she hurriedly jumped into the water as well. Qiao Mei squatted in the lake and held her breath. The lake water in the morning was still very cold. Fortunately, she had a bangle that could maintain her body temperature and it formed a small circle of light around her. From time to time, she would poke her head out to take a breather. The original owner of the body did not have a watch and Qiao Qiang had taught her how to look at the sun to tell time. Qiao Mei raised her head and looked briefly at the position of the sun before looking at the shadows on the shore. It was time for her to climb ashore. Qiao Mei crawled to the shore with a lot of difficulty, digging her fingers deep into the soil. She hurriedly opened the pack of fake blood plasma and poured it on her legs, then threw the rest into the lake to create an illusion. Just now, in order for it to look more real, she had even held her breath in the water for a long time, making her look pale enough to resemble a drowning person. Help help me Qiao Mei shouted weakly towards people she saw. As she shifted her body bit by bit, the fake blood on her legs slowly seeped into her clothes, making it look especially scary. Xia Zhes people also arrived as scheduled and quickly found Qiao Meis location. Do you think thats a person? Sister Zhu pointed at the shore. Let me see Oh my! Its really a person! Hurry up and save her! Sister Qin hurriedly grabbed Sister Zhu and rushed over. Miss! Oh my! Its a person! Its a pregnant woman! Hurry up and save her! Save her quickly! The two women hurriedly ran over. Sister Zhu took off her coat and wrapped it around Qiao Mei while Sister Qin knelt on the ground and pulled Qiao Mei into her arms. Save me please save me save my children please Qiao Mei said weakly as she looked at Sister Qin. Sister Qin grabbed Qiao Meis hand and said, Well definitely save you. Dont worry! Sister, quickly go and get help! Aye, aye! Alright! Ill go now! You you take good care of her. Ill go and get help! Sister Zhu scrambled towards the park to get help. Although the two of them were also family members of soldiers, they did not know what it was like to fight a war. The most bloody scene they had ever seen was a pig being slaughtered in the village. This was the first time they had seen someones life in danger. Even if it was fake, the blood on her legs and her pale face still made them tremble in fear. You You hang in there Dont scare me Sister has gone to call for help. Little sister, you have to hang in there. Sister Qin hugged Qiao Mei tightly and did not let go. She was really worried about what would happen if the accident turned out to be real. Qiao Mei secretly held Sister Qins hand tightly to reassure her. When Sister Zhu went looking for help, she even fell down and scraped her knees. Her knees kept bleeding and the blood soaked through her pants. Help! Help save her! Someone! Help! Sister Zhu shouted in the park and quickly attracted the attention of many people. Chapter 479 - Timely Rescue Chapter 479: Timely Rescue Whats wrong? What happened? a passerby stopped Sister Zhu and asked. Over there! Someone fell into the lake! On the shore! Pregnant woman! Save her! Quickly save her! Sister Zhu gestured as she spoke. It had all happened too suddenly and she had run too fast. She could not even speak properly by now and could only pick the important points to say. When everyone heard this, they all ran to the lake to help. Soon, the ambulance arrived at the shore. Xia Fang jumped down and rushed to Qiao Meis side and looked at her nervously. She did a simple check to see if there were any external injuries. How are you? Are you feeling alright? Xia Fang asked nervously. I I still feel alright Qiao Mei said weakly. Stretcher! Stretcher! Someone get the stretcher! Xia Fang shouted towards the ambulance. The people inside used a stretcher and emergency supplies to move Qiao Mei into the ambulance and they quickly set off for the hospital. Xia Fang held Qiao Meis hand tightly and said, Everyone in this vehicle is our own people. How are you? Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere? Do you want me to do a simple checkup for you now? Are you cold? Do you need to change out of your clothes? Qiao Mei did not know which question to reply after listening to Xia Fangs long list. She laughed and held Xia Fangs hand tightly as she said, Im fine, Aunt. Theres no need for me to change my clothes now. It wont make much difference. What if He Mei has spies at the hospital? Im feeling very well. Dont worry. Then all this blood is fake, right? Are you sure? Xia Fang asked worriedly. Qiao Mei nodded. She did not feel any pain at all and her body felt very warm under the protection of the bangle. If there was anything uncomfortable, it was probably the fact that all her clothes were stuck to her body. Its fake. Aunt, dont worry. Well reach the hospital soon. Youll know when you do more detailed checks, Qiao Mei said with a smile. After we get out of the vehicle, close your eyes and dont speak. Dont make a sound no matter who calls out to you. Dont worry, Ill be around. Your Uncle Liu Yang is already waiting in the operating theater, Xia Fang whispered. Qiao Mei understood what she meant. She closed her eyes quietly and waited to get off the vehicle. The lake in the park was located not too far from the hospital and they soon arrived at the entrance of the emergency department. Everyone hurriedly carried Qiao Mei down and placed her on the hospital bed. It did not take long for them to enter Operating Theater 2. This operating theater was usually used by people in emergency situations. Ordinary surgeries were usually carried out in Operating Theater 1 and Operating Theater 3. Only if there were simply too many people and the queue was too long could they use Operating Theater 2 and Operating Theater 4 for normal surgeries. After entering the operating theater, everyone could finally relax. Mei Mei, you can get up now. Were all on the same side, Liu Yang said with a laugh. Qiao Mei opened her eyes tentatively. She not only saw Liu Yang, but also two young people in front of her. They should be the doctors who had pushed her in. Hello, Im his son. My name is Liu Hua and this is my younger sister, Liu Wen. Shes quiet and doesnt like to talk much, Liu Hua said as he took off his mask. The girl beside him also took off her mask. If not for the fact that they were of different genders, the two of them would have looked exactly the same. It was just that Liu Hua looked much more masculine, while Liu Wen was more gentle and reserved. Hello, Im you should call me sister-in-law. Im Xia Zhes wife, Qiao Mei said embarrassedly. The two people in front of her were obviously much older than her. She was simply taking advantage of Xia Zhes seniority in the family if she made them call her sister-in-law. Yo, yo, yo, little girl, you still know how to be shy. Your aunt has prepared a set of clothes for you. Hurry up and change first. Well go out now. Liu Yang and Liu Hua excused themselves to go out to check out the situation first and also to give her some space. With Liu Wens help, Xia Fang helped Qiao Mei change her clothes and did a checkup at the same time, cleaning up the fake blood plasma on Qiao Mei. She only felt relieved after confirming that all the various indicators showed normal readings. Just this one time. I definitely wont let you wreck havoc a second time. I almost fainted from fright when I saw you lying on the ground, Xia Fang said as she held her chest. Aunt, I also wont dare to do it again. Is there anything wrong with me when you check on me just now? Qiao Mei asked nervously. She was actually very afraid that she would get an infection or that the children would get hurt. Xia Fang looked at Qiao Mei and frowned. She raised her head to look at the equipment and sighed silently. Actually, there was nothing wrong with Qiao Mei. She just wanted Qiao Mei to know that she could not treat the childrens lives and her own life so lightly. Aunt so is is everything alright! Qiao Mei sat up nervously and looked at Xia Fang. Lie down properly. Ill take a look at the fetuses again, Xia Fang said seriously. Chapter 480 - Everything Is Normal Chapter 480: Everything Is Normal Xia Fang used the equipment and examined Qiao Meis stomach. Both fetuses were very healthy and Qiao Meis body did not seem to have been affected much. Everything was normal. Aunt, tell me quickly. Is there anything wrong with the children? Qiao Mei grabbed the corner of her shirt tightly and did not dare to move, afraid that it would affect Xia Fangs diagnosis. Xia Fang still did not speak and only frowned as she stared at the electronic equipment and sighed. Qiao Mei did not know what had happened, whether it was something wrong with the children or something wrong with her. Liu Wen, come and take a look at this, Xia Fang said as she pointed at some data on the screen. At first, Liu Wen thought that there was really a problem. She was the one in charge of Qiao Meis basic checkup and she had already done a thorough check on her. Professor Xia, this Liu Wen looked at Xia Fang in confusion. Remember to take note of the data here and record it properly, Xia Fang said as she tapped the screen. Liu Wen still did not quite understand Xia Fangs intentions. All the data had to be recorded. This was something that the professors had taught them in school, so why did she have to specially emphasize it? Alright, get up and put on your clothes. Ill send you to the ward, Xia Fang said as she packed up the equipment. Qiao Mei slowly put on her clothes and secretly observed Xia Fangs expression. She was not afraid if doctors said there was something wrong with her that was difficult to treat, but she was afraid when doctors frowned and sighed upon seeing her medical report, and even asked another doctor to come and take a look. Could it be that her children had some incurable illness! Pfft, pfft, pfft! She could not let her imagination run wild. Maybe it was just a small problem. Aunt, do I have some very serious illness? Qiao Mei lowered her head and touched her stomach uneasily. Alright, alright, Im just teasing you. Youre fine. The children are very healthy and your health is also very good. I was just scaring you just now, Xia Fang said quickly. She was afraid that if she left it any later, Qiao Mei would cry and Xia Zhe would come and settle the score with her. Oh my, Aunt. You lied to me! Qiao Mei said as she widened her eyes and looked at Xia Fang. If I dont scare you, do you know how serious this entire shenanigan is? Babies are very fragile. No matter how good your physical fitness is, you cant mess around. The water is so cold. What if you fall ill from sitting around in it? Xia Fang said anxiously. I know Im in the wrong Aunt, dont be angry. I promise there wont be a next time! Qiao Mei raised three fingers and made a promise. Xia Fang grabbed Qiao Meis three fingers and shook them. She held back her laughter and said, You! I definitely wont let you off easily next time! At that time, it would be useless to ask Uncle Liu Yang for help. Think of a way for yourself. I just know that Aunt dotes on me the most! Qiao Mei said. Alright, lie down quickly. When its time, Ill push you into the ward. Xia Fang patted the bed and gestured for Qiao Mei to lie down. Qiao Mei lay down obediently on the hospital bed and even took out some makeup foundation from her pocket to make her face look even more pale. You have quite a lot of tricks up your sleeve, little girl. Xia Fang carefully covered Qiao Mei with the blanket. This is called being careful! Which patient has rosy cheeks! This would be too fake! Elder sister gave this to me. Qiao Mei stuck out her tongue playfully. Liu Wen put away the data she had recorded and went out to ask Liu Yang and Liu Hua to come in. Mei Mei, when we go out later, dont open your eyes no matter what you hear. Just stay motionless, Liu Yang instructed. Why? Qiao Mei looked at Liu Yang in confusion. While Qiao Mei was doing her checkup, Xia Zhe had informed everyone in the family about this matter. Xu Lan hurriedly rushed over from the art troupe, dropping the ongoing rehearsals without a care. How is Qiao Mei! Xu Lan rushed to Xia Zhe and grabbed his arm as she asked him. Xia Zhe was also shocked by his mothers lack of decorum. He had never seen Xu Lan so agitated before. Even when his elder brother was sick when they were still children, Xu Lan had never behaved in such a flustered manner. Say something! Whats wrong with Qiao Mei! Answer me quickly! Xu Lan shook Xia Zhe agitatedly. Liu Fen was next to Xu Lan and held on to her, afraid that she would collapse to the ground. Mother, shes still inside. The doctors havent come out yet and were all still waiting for news. Sit down first and dont be so anxious, Xia Zhe said as he held on to Xu Lan. Chapter 481 - It Is All My Fault Chapter 481: It Is All My Fault How long has she been inside? Why isnt there any news yet? Wheres your aunt? Wheres Xiao Fang? Isnt she in this hospital too! Hurry up and go look for her! Go quickly! Xu Lan grabbed Xia Zhe and wanted to go look for Xia Fang. Xia Zhe quickly held Xu Lans hand and said, Aunt is already inside and shes already treating Qiao Mei. Mother, please sit down first. Xu Lan slowly sat on the chair and stared at the red light outside the operating theater. She only hoped that Qiao Mei could come out of this without any issues. It would be even better if she was able to hold on to her grandchildren. Sister-in-law, dont be anxious. Qiao Mei will be out soon. Good people are blessed by the heavens. Shes lucky so she will definitely be fine, Liu Fen said as she hugged the downcast Xu Lan. Xu Lan sobbed softly and leaned weakly on Liu Fens shoulder. She still could not believe that what happened today was real. Why did I treat Qiao Mei so badly! I look down on her just because shes a daughter-in-law whos a villager! Its really my fault. If anything happens to her, Ill regret it for the rest of my life, Xu Lan said sadly. Sister-in-law, you didnt do it on purpose. Dont worry, Qiao Mei will definitely be fine. Isnt Xia Fang still inside? You have to believe in them, Liu Fen said. As Qiao Mei was from the countryside and she was Xia Zhes own choice for a wife, Xu Lan had always held a grudge against Qiao Mei for this matter. At that time, there were clearly better girls who could marry into the family, but Xia Zhe went off to get married on his own. Not only that, Qiao Mei was already pregnant when he announced it to the family. He simply just disrespected his mother with regard to this matter. Therefore, she vented all her anger and frustration on Qiao Mei. Actually, she liked Qiao Mei very much. Qiao Mei was not only obedient and sensible and capable, she also did beautiful needlework. When Qiao Mei first came, Qiao Mei had given her a violet-colored dress. In order to make things difficult for Qiao Mei, she pretended that she did not like the dress and casually threw it to one side. Later on, it was Liu Fen who helped her put the dress away. She also liked Qiao Meis two babies very much. Sometimes, when Xia Mao did not come back at night, she would keep the light on and make clothes for the babies late into the night. During the day, she was afraid that others would see her doing it, so she only made them at night. She had also gone to the department store to take a look at the tiny clothes sold there, but most of them were not made of pure cotton and did not look too good. She felt that it was better if she made these things herself. She had already prepared the clothes for the two children, as well as brand new shoes and bedding. She had not even given all these things to Qiao Mei, so how could such a thing happen! Could this be the heavens punishing her! Mother, dont worry. Qiao Mei will definitely be fine, Xia Zhe comforted her patiently. Even though he knew that this was all part of Qiao Meis plan, he was still worried as well. After everything was done, Kong Lu had called him up and told him all the details. There was no such thing as a 100% success rate in the world. What would he do if anything happened to Qiao Mei? Not long after, Xia Wen and Xia Mao also came by. Even Xia Jun came to the hospital personally to see how Qiao Mei was doing. Xia Zhe went forward to support the aged Xia Jun. During this period of time, Xia Jun had caught a cold and was not feeling well. Before Xia Zhe could get close, Xia Jun raised his walking stick and swung it at him. This blow almost broke his bones. Xia Wen hurriedly held on to Xia Zhe and checked him for injuries. Grandfather! What are you doing! Xia Wen said. Im beating up this good-for-nothing! He cant even take care of his wife! How can you still have the cheek to stand here! How did Qiao Mei get injured! How can a living person just fall into the lake! Tell me, how did you take care of her! Xia Jun pointed at Xia Zhe and scolded him. Grandfather, its all my fault. You can hit me. Xia Zhe lowered his head and stood in front of Xia Jun. How am I supposed to answer Brother Qiao! This girl married you and got pregnant with your children! Now shes lying in the operating theater of the hospital! Will Qiao Mei wake up if I hit you! Can hitting you make what happened today not happen again! Didnt I tell you to take good care of Qiao Mei! Xia Jun stomped his feet in anger. He and Qiao Qiang were the best of brothers. Qiao Qiang had saved his life in the past. Now, his grandson did not protect Qiao Qiangs granddaughter well and even put her life in danger. He felt so guilty towards Qiao Qiang. Xia Zhe knelt on the ground with a plop sound. He was afraid that Xia Jun would faint from anger, so it was better for him to apologize first. Chapter 482 - Late Chapter 482: Late Grandfather, its all my fault. Youre right to hit me. I didnt take good care of Qiao Mei, Xia Zhe said. Although Xia Mao was also angry that Xia Zhe did not do a good job, he knew that people would talk if news of Xia Zhe kneeling on the floor in public spread around. Get up, dont kneel on the floor. Xia Mao helped Xia Jun to sit down and said, Father, dont be angry. Lets wait for the doctors to come out and see what they say. Its useless to blame Xiao Zhe now. Xia Wen frowned and helped Xia Zhe up from the ground. He guessed that Xia Zhes knees were probably bruised by now. Has the doctor come out yet? Xia Wen whispered. Not yet. Aunt is already inside. I dont know how she is now, Xia Zhe said. What about you? Grandfather was so anxious just now that he couldnt control his emotions and reprimanded you. Dont blame him. He has always doted on you the most, Xia Wen explained. I know, elder brother. Grandfather is right. This is all my fault. If I had taken good care of Qiao Mei, this would not have happened. Xia Zhe looked towards the operating theater. He really hoped to hear the doctor tell him that Qiao Mei was not injured at all. He did not want her to have even a small wound. The lake water was so cold and he did not know if Qiao Mei could take it. At this moment, the light outside the operating theater went out with a loud sound. The Xia family members all stood up and looked at the door, anxiously waiting for the doctor to appear. Liu Yang and his two children slowly pushed Qiao Mei out of the operating theater. Xia Fang followed behind them next to the bed and everyone crowded around to take a look at Qiao Mei. Xiao Fang, tell sister-in-law the truth. Is Qiao Mei alright! Xu Lan asked as she held Xia Fangs hand nervously. Ill tell all of you the details later. Let Qiao Mei go back to the ward and have a good rest first. Ill talk to you about the rest later, Xia Fang said. Alright, alright, alright. Hurry! Xu Lan followed closely behind the bed and everyone else followed closely behind her. Qiao Mei was staying in the VIP ward that the Xia family had prepared. She was the only one in this ward so that it would be a better environment for her to recuperate and easier for them to take care of her. Everyone, lets stop here. There cant be too many people entering the ward. Only one person can go in at a time. The rest of you can just watch from outside, Xia Fang said as she stopped them. Xiao Fang, are we really not allowed to go in? Can we just go and take a look? Xu Lan looked at Xia Fang pleadingly. Xia Fang shook her head helplessly and said, Her condition hasnt improved yet. Its better for her to rest well without too many people around. We can talk about other things later. Ill go and get her medical report first before making further arrangements. Ill pass you the results later. Xia Mao nodded and said, Go ahead. Well just take a look from outside. After Xia Fang settled Qiao Mei down, she left the ward with Liu Yang, Liu Hua and Liu Wen. Xu Lan looked in through the glass window of the ward. Qiao Meis pale face was like a knife stabbing into her heart. My grandchildren my Qiao Mei Whats going on! Why did she fall into the lake! Xu Lan said as she sank to the floor helplessly. Liu Fen hurriedly went forward to help Xu Lan up. The two of them were the only ones who could take good care of Qiao Mei now. They must remain strong at this time. Her words woke everyone up. Why did Qiao Mei go alone to such a dangerous place as the lake? When Xia Fang called to inform them, she said that Qiao Mei was drenched and there was blood on her clothes. There was also an upside-down boat in the middle of the lake. How could the boat capsize if it was rowed properly? Where were you when Qiao Mei got into the accident? Xia Mao asked as he looked at Xia Zhe. Xia Zhe looked down and said, I was resting at home. Qiao Mei went to Aunts house last night. Yes, Xia He accompanied Qiao Mei there. Eh? Where did Xia He go? Why isnt she here? Liu Fen looked around in confusion but did not see Xia He. It was only now that everyone realized that Xia He had not rushed over during such a critical time. Where did this girl go! Xu Lan said. At this moment, Xia He and Kong Lu had also rushed to the hospital after changing their clothes. With the help of the nurses, they found Qiao Meis ward. Grandfather! Father! Mother! Hows Qiao Mei? Xia He asked breathlessly. Xu Lan was about to step forward and criticize Xia He when she saw Kong Lu standing behind. She temporarily suppressed the unhappiness she felt. Chapter 483 - Secret Chapter 483: Secret Take a look for yourself, Xu Lan said to Xia He sulkily as she pointed at the window of the ward. Xia He felt nervous. She knew all of Qiao Meis plans and Qiao Mei had even confidently told her that this plan was absolutely foolproof. Could it be that Qiao Mei really met with an accident? She went to the window nervously. The pale face and pale lips that she saw almost made her lose her balance. She held onto the window and forced herself to stand up straight. Did Aunt say anything? Xia He asked. No, she didnt. She said that she would ask us to go over to her side later. The diagnosis and medical report are not out yet, Xia Zhe said. By now, Xia He could not support herself at all. She collapsed into a chair at the side and kept saying the word impossible. Xia Zhe looked at Xu Lan intently. He had to think of a way to make Xu Lan and Liu Fen leave here so that he could tell everyone the truth. Mother, Qiao Mei doesnt even have a change of clothes here. Besides, shes so weak. Can I trouble Second Aunt-in-law to make some nourishing food for her? Xia Zhe said worriedly. Xu Lan immediately perked up. She would go home and take out all the best medicinal herbs in the house, as well as the ginseng and lingzhi that Qiao Mei had given her. She would stew them for Qiao Mei so that it would help nourish her body and allow her to recover faster. As for her grandchildren, she would eventually get one in the future. Sure, sure, sure. Your second aunt-in-law and I will go back and do it now. Well come back later to take care of Qiao Mei. Xu Lan quickly pulled Liu Fen along and they left the hospital together. As he watched Xu Lan and Liu Fen leave, Xia Zhe slowly relaxed. He walked to Xia Hes side and patted her shoulder gently. Shes fine. Dont worry, Xia Zhe said. Xia He looked at Xia Zhe expectantly and asked, Really? Is she really safe and sound? Yes, dont worry, Xia Zhe said with a smile. Everyone else present felt confused. Anyone with a discerning eye could tell that something was wrong with Qiao Mei. What kind of riddle were the two of them talking about? Xiao Zhe, what are you talking about? Xia Mao looked at Xia Zhe in puzzlement. Xia Wen carefully observed the expressions on the faces of Xia Zhe and Xia He. Xu Lan and Xia Mao were usually very busy with work, so he was the one who brought up his younger siblings. He immediately knew that there was something else that they had not said. Logically speaking, they still did not know whether Qiao Mei was well and whether the babies were healthy. Xia Zhe loved Qiao Mei so much, so how was he able to smile at a moment like this? Xia He was also not a weak person. When she heard about this matter, she did not even ask about what caused it and only just kept saying she could not believe it happened. Then there was only one truth. There must be some unspeakable secret between the two of them. Is there something that both of you havent told us? Xia Wen crossed his arms and looked at the two of them sternly. Let Xia Zhe tell you about this. Xia He lowered her head and did not dare to look Xia Wen in the eye. Xia Wen was the one who attended the parent-teacher sessions at her school when she was young. She was most afraid of Xia Wen! Lets talk in Aunts office. There are too many people here, Xia Zhe said. Xia He quickly added, Ill stay here and take care of Qiao Mei. When Mother and Second Aunt-in-law come back later, at least theres someone here to accompany them. I wont go with all of you. Kong Lu, who was next to her, naturally stayed behind to accompany her when she took care of Qiao Mei. Everyone treated him as if he was invisible and completely ignored him. Xia Wen went forward and hooked his arm around Xia Zhes neck, dragging him into the office. During this time, ordinary doctors sat in the same room together. Only attending physicians and doctors above that position could have their own office. Xia Fang was already the director of the obstetrics and gynecology department, so she had a particularly big office. Go over there! Stand by that wall! Xia Wen said as he pointed at the wall. Xia Zhe walked over obediently and stood in a military posture. The people in front of him were all army veterans. If he did not stand properly, there might be even more serious punishments. When we say something, you answer it. Do you understand? Xia Wen said. Yes! Xia Zhe answered loudly. Xia Wen asked slowly, Is Qiao Mei alright? Everyone looked at Xia Zhe. This was the thing they wanted to know the most. Im not sure. It still depends on what Aunt says, Xia Zhe said. Chapter 484 - I Heard That I Am Dead? Chapter 484: I Heard That I Am Dead? Not sure? How could he not be sure? Did that mean that the falling incident today was real? Then did Qiao Mei lose her footing and fall into the water today, or did someone set it up? Xia Mao asked Xia Zhe sternly. Xia Zhe took out the two written agreements from inside his pocket and handed them to Xia Wen. Xia Wen was shocked after he read them. He did not expect the He family to do such a thing. This is too much! Does the He family think that theres no one left in our family! Xia Wen slammed the agreements on the table. Over the past few days, they had gone around trying to pull strings to cause He Ning to stay in jail for a couple more days. Not only did they encounter many obstacles, but there were even people who changed their minds and chose to help the He family. However, there was nothing wrong with that. No one would reject that much money. The He family had already prepared everything and He Ning would probably be released tonight. We were negligent in this matter. We only paid attention to that old fox, He Ning, but we didnt expect them to attack Qiao Mei. Xia Jun shook his head and sighed. He only hoped that Qiao Mei was safe and sound now. He did not even care about his eldest grandson. He just wanted Qiao Mei to be healthy and happy. Ive already found out more about this matter. It was He Meis own idea. He Ning did not have the chance to send any news to the outside world while he was inside. His illness has been acting up for the past few days and he cant even get any medicine sent in, Xia Zhe said. But this is not a reason for you to let Qiao Mei take the risk! This whole matter is so dangerous! Even if we have this document in our hands, if something really happens, is this document more important than her? Youre too indulgent towards Qiao Mei. Have you forgotten all the discipline I instilled in you back then! Xia Jun said in exasperation. Grandfather, its all my fault. I did not put too much thought into this matter and took it too lightly. Xia Zhe realized how ridiculous it was for him to help Qiao Mei with this matter. Leave the agreements to me. Ill go and make some arrangements. Take good care of Qiao Mei and dont go anywhere for the time being. Get Aunt to take good care of Qiao Mei and leave the family matters to me, Xia Wen said seriously. With these agreements in hand, even if he could not completely defeat the He family, he would be able to negotiate terms with them. While nothing major had happened to the Xia family, the He family was feeling overjoyed on their end. As soon as the incident happened, He Mei immediately received the news from her spies. They saw Qiao Mei fall into the water with their own eyes and reported everything to He Mei. He Mei even opened a bottle from her fathers precious collection of red wine to celebrate. Ma San also came over to join in the fun and poured himself a glass. You even dare to touch my fathers wine? Who do you think you are! But Im feeling happy today, so I wont fuss about this small thing. Ill let you have the wine, He Mei said with a laugh as she leaned against the sofa. She looked tipsy and there was a thin layer of perspiration on her slender neck. It was most suitable to use the word flirtatious to describe He Meis current expression. Ma San could not help himself from reaching out to grab He Meis hand that was holding the wine glass and said, Then this glass of wine is not enough . You have to thank me properly! He Mei immediately threw the wine in the glass on Ma Sans face and pulled her hand away from his grip. You dare to want more than this? Are you even worthy! Youre just our He familys dog! What right does an obedient dog have to ask its owner for things! Get lost! Ma San wiped his face with his sleeve angrily and said, And what are you? You still think you can hide behind the He family name! Your He family is about to collapse, so why are you still full of pretenses! No matter how capable your little uncle is, it has already been so many days! Can his body take it! Maybe he has already died inside! You! Youre just a dog, how dare you curse my little uncle! He Mei shouted as she pointed at Ma San. At this moment, He Ning stood at the entranceway of the He family house and coughed lightly. Cough, cough. I heard that Im dead? He Mei looked towards the door in surprise and said excitedly, Little Uncle, youre back! I miss you so much! Youre finally back! However, for Ma San, this was no different from a call from hell. He now knew very well that it was not He Nings death date that was coming, but his own. He had never dreamed that He Ning would be able to come out alive. In the beginning, the Ma family had done their best to help the He family save He Ning. However, on second thought, they reckoned that if the He family collapsed, they would be able to annex the He familys assets. After all, all the men in the He family had been captured and the only one left was He Han who was a fool. Chapter 485 - Reckless Guts Chapter 485: Reckless Guts In that case, would the He familys assets all belong to Ma San? Why would the He familys assets be left to a daughter who would eventually get married? Ma San, whats wrong? Arent you happy that Im back? He Ning sat down on the sofa with Huo Gaos help and looked at Ma San quietly. I um of course Im happy. How can I not be happy that Little Uncle is back! Congratulations on your safe return! Ma San was so nervous that his legs trembled like he was no longer in control of them. Dont be nervous. Im just asking. Theres no need for such politeness between us. Please take a seat, He Ning said gently. He Mei did not hide the joy she felt. She knew that the Xia family had always been against them. Now that she had gotten rid of Qiao Mei, her little uncle would definitely praise her when he found out about it! When the time came, he would definitely give her anything she wanted! Ill go brew some medicine for you. Are you alright by yourself? Huo Gao asked in a soft voice. He Ning nodded lightly. The past few days inside had been the most difficult days that he ever had to endure. The bed was especially hard and there were a lot of mosquitoes and bugs. If not for the fact that he was lucky, he would probably have died inside without being able to come out again, like what Ma San said. Little Uncle! How do you feel now! Are you feeling well? He Mei asked softly. He Ning shook his head and said, If I cant make it, do you think Ill still be sitting in front of you? He Mei smiled awkwardly and stood at one side, not knowing what to say. Now that her little uncle was already out, then her father He Guo, should be back soon too. Werent you very happy when I entered just now? Why are you so unhappy now? Dont you want me to come back? He Ning asked. He Mei quickly denied it. No, no! Little Uncle, youve misunderstood me! Why would I! Of course Im very happy! Im just thinking wondering when my father will be back He Ning avoided eye contact with her. He managed to make his way out this time not just with the help of outsiders, but because of himself as well. Based on what happened with the Jiang family back then, it was not enough to convict him. However, private possession of firearms was a serious crime, so he had pushed the responsibility of the entire matter squarely to He Guo. Since He Guo had been the one selling these things to begin with, it was not wrong to push all the blame to him now. Moreover, He Guo could only be saved if He Ning could come out. If they were all locked up, it would be difficult for any one of them to come out even if they wanted to. He was also thinking about the bigger picture. Ill think of a way for your father. Dont worry, He Ning said. I just know that Little Uncle will have a way! As long as Little Uncle is here, there will definitely be no problem! I believe in Little Uncle! He Mei said as she looked at He Ning naively. Ma San knew how He Ning managed to make his way out, but he did not expect him to be able to come out so quickly. However, it was not surprising that a selfish person like He Ning would never do anything that would harm his own interests. What have you been doing recently? He Ning asked He Mei. At this point, He Mei could not suppress the joy in her heart and said in high spirits, Little Uncle! I did something big! You wont be able to imagine it! He Ning looked at He Mei curiously and asked, Oh? What kind of thing! Did you succeed in seducing Xia Zhe? He Mei blushed and said shyly, Little Uncle, theres someone else here! Alright, alright, alright. Then quickly tell me what you did? He Ning picked up the ginseng tea from the table. However, before he even managed to take a sip, he was flabbergasted by what He Mei said next. I killed the baby that Qiao Mei was carrying! Its a pity that Qiao Mei didnt die too. If Qiane had been more ruthless, Qiao Mei might have died in the lake as well. Little Uncle, I guess this also counts as completing the mission you gave me! He Mei said happily. He Ning looked at He Mei in shock and threw the cup in his hand at He Meis feet. The shards of the broken cup flew up and caused bloody scratches on her calf. Ah! Little Uncle what are you He Mei cried out in pain. Youre simply messing around! Who gave you the reckless guts to hurt Qiao Mei! Didnt I tell you to go for Xia Zhe! Who asked you to lay your hands on Qiao Mei! He Ning pointed at He Mei and berated her. Chapter 486 - Faint From Anger Chapter 486: Faint From Anger Even Ma San, who was standing at the side, was stunned. He had never seen He Ning so angry with He Mei before. It was quite an eye-opener for him today. However, this was even better. If he could not chastise He Mei, there was naturally someone else who could. Little Uncle That Xia Zhe really wont fall for it. I have no choice but to come up with this last resort He Mei said pitifully. Was it a last resort? I think you did it on purpose! You must have wanted to get rid of Qiao Mei for a long time! Didnt you meet her sometime back? Dont tell me you already planned to attack her since that time? He Mei, youre really my eldest brothers good daughter! One secretly does business behind my back and the other secretly kills people behind my back! All of you are really getting more and more capable! He Ning roared. He Mei cried out in a panic, No, Little Uncle! I didnt think that way! Besides Besides, we didnt do this! It was Qiane! She did it! As long as we push everything to her, the He family wont be implicated! He Ning was so angry that his chest felt stuffy and he could not even breathe properly. He collapsed weakly on the sofa and called out to Huo Gao. Someone Huo Gao! Cough, cough, cough He Ning said in agony. Little Uncle! Little Uncle, whats wrong! Uncle Huo! Help! He Mei hurriedly went forward and grabbed He Nings hand. She did not know what was wrong with He Ning. She had never imagined that things would turn out like this. When Huo Gao heard the cry for help, he quickly ran over and chopped the ginseng root into powder to mix it into a drink for He Ning. He then placed a small pillow on the sofa for He Ning to lie down and perform acupuncture on him. He Ning quickly fell asleep. During this period of time, he had not eaten or slept well and had exhausted too much energy. His body could not take it anymore. After he heard the grievous news about Qiao Mei, coupled with the fact that He Mei was the one who did it, he fainted from anger. Huo Gao sighed and said, Hes fine now, but dont make him angry anymore. He cant have too many emotional fluctuations for now. He hasnt taken any medicine or rested well for the past few days and his bodys essence and vitality are running on empty. He Mei asked in a panic, Then what should I do now? Will Little Uncle be fine? Uncle Huo, you have to save him. Our He family cant survive without him. At the thought of this, He Mei sat on the ground and started crying. For now, there was nothing she knew how to do except cry. Ma San stood at the side and looked at them with a disdainful smile. He Ning did not have much time left, so the He family might as well give him all their assets. If they did that, at least they would not fall from grace without anything left. He had to think of a way to make He Mei his. Then when the time came, the Shen, He and Ma families would all have to listen to him! What was He Mei so high and mighty about? She was just a whore who pretended to be chaste! When the time came, he would make He Mei obey him! He would like to see if she still dared to be arrogant! By now, Huo Gao could understand why He Ning had such a personality. It was a miracle that he could hold on for so long given that the entire family had always been scheming against him and using him. If it had been anyone else, that person would have left the family long ago. Both of you, come out with me and let him have a good rest. Tell me if Qiao Mei is dead or sick, Huo Gao asked as he walked out with them. Huo Gao was usually the one who handled the He family matters when He Ning was resting. During such moments, his words were equivalent to He Nings instructions. She has probably lost the baby but shes definitely not dead. The spies are still out there, so we dont know what exactly is going on now, He Mei whispered. Then who else knows about this? Huo Gao asked He Mei sternly. Its just Ma San and me. No one else knows about it. The spies are all people who have been with us a long time, so they should be fine, He Mei said. Then what about Qiane? Just now, you said that this person did it. Then where is she? Huo Gao asked. He could vaguely hear what was being said in the living room when he was in the pharmacy just now, but he was just not sure if this Qiane was on their side. She she didnt get arrested. At that time, no one on the shore saw Qiane pushing Qiao Mei. Shes probably at home now, He Mei said hesitantly. Quickly get Qiane under your control now. Call her and ask her to come to the house. Dont worry about anything else, Huo Gao said. He Mei quickly nodded and went to do what Huo Gao had instructed her. She was also filled with regret by now. She did not expect that not only did she not manage to kill Qiao Mei, but she also almost caused her little uncle to die from anger. However, why did He Ning care so much about Qiao Mei? Could it be that there was something else going on with Qiao Mei? He Mei suddenly had a bold thought. Could it be that He Ning had taken a fancy to Qiao Meis beauty! Chapter 487 - Chapter 487: Cheating Chapter 487: Cheating No, no! He Ning would never fall for someone like Qiao Mei! He Mei shook her head and threw all these unrealistic thoughts out of her mind. The most important thing now was to let He Ning recuperate well and then get Qiane under their control so that they could pin the crime on her. Only then would the He family be free of any suspicions. Qiane had already expected He Mei to do this. She took photos of the agreements and had the prints developed. If she brought the original agreements with her and they managed to tear them up because they outnumbered her, she would have to spend the rest of her life in jail. Mother, make a trip with me to the He familys house, Qiane said seriously. Me? Why would I go to the He familys house? Im not going to a place like that, Zhao Ni said. I have promised He Mei to do something. After its done, they will give me a large sum of money as a reward. I cant carry all the money myself, so I would like you to accompany me, Qiane said. Zhao Nis eyes widened when she heard that there was a reward involved. She held Qiane by the hand excitedly and asked, Reward! Is it money! The He family is so rich, maybe they can give you one or two thousand dollars! Qiane looked at Zhao Ni resignedly and said, 100,000 dollars. 100,000! Zhao Ni gasped. An amount of 100,000 dollars! She would not be able to earn 100,000 dollars in her entire lifetime. What did Qiane do for them to be paid so much money? Zhao Ni just heard today that the Xia familys young daughter-in-law had an accident and lost her baby. Could this matter have something to do with them? Why would the He family give you so much money? Did you help them with something? Although we lack money, we cant offend people like the He family. This will get us killed! Zhao Ni said nervously. Well also offend the He family if we dont do it. We might as well choose the option that will get us paid. Dont worry, Ive already made all the preparations. When the time comes, this amount of money will be enough for us to buy a house away from here and live somewhere else for the rest of our lives. You can also finally leave Qian Wang, Qiane said. Zhao Ni was initially happy when she heard the news, but she did not want to leave Qian Wang. In this era, divorced women were looked down upon. So what if they had a lot of money? They would not have a man at home to help them. All the issues that Qiane encountered in the past had already caused her a great deal of embarrassment. She had spent most of her life serving others at home. If she got a divorce now, where else could she go to live? By then, maybe even her workplace would think that she had a bad reputation and no longer wanted her. I still dont think its a good idea. I actually dont want to divorce your father. Im doing alright now! Im very satisfied! Zhao Ni said with her head down. Youre satisfied? Do you like Old Madam Qian beating and scolding you every day? Or do you like Qian Wang having another woman outside and not taking care of this family? Qiane roared. Another woman? What woman? Zhao Ni looked at Qiane in puzzlement. What did you say? What woman? Zhao Ni grabbed on to Qiane and asked in a panicky manner. Yes, he has another woman outside. Shes from their hospital. I heard about this from He Mei. Qiane shook off Zhao Ni. It was time to let Zhao Ni face reality. She had also only just found out about this matter. He Mei had deliberately called her to let her know about this so as to annoy her further. The reason why Qian Wang had not gone home recently was because he was having a good time with the woman from the hospital. She was a divorcee and had her child with her. The child was still young and did not know who his biological father was, so he firmly believed that Qian Wang was his father. That woman did not ask for anything and just wanted to live with Qian Wang. Over the past few years, the amount of money he gave to Qiane and Zhao Ni had gradually decreased. If not for the fact that the He family had found them high-paying jobs to make it up to them fpr what happened back then, they would not have been able to survive until now. You must be lying! Your father wont do that! Hes just busy with work! Why would he cheat on me? What if He Mei is lying to you? Hasnt she always lied to you? Dont believe what she says. I know your father. He definitely isnt cheating on me! Zhao Ni retorted. After so many years, you should know very well in your heart whether hes cheating on you or not. I wont say anything else. You can decide on this matter yourself. Since you dont want to go to the He familys house, Ill go by myself, Qiane said disappointedly. She had thought that Zhao Ni would go and reason with Qian Wang and it would also strengthen Zhao Nis resolve to get a divorce. It seemed that she was overthinking it. Zhao Ni valued her reputation more than her own well-being. Chapter 488 - Chapter 488: Seeking an Explanation Chapter 488: Seeking an Explanation Qiane left without looking back. She had to go to the He familys house today to demand an explanation. She must go and reason with the He family before they report the case to the authorities. Knock, knock, knock! There was a knock on the He familys heavy door. Huo Gao hurriedly ran out to open the door. Although He Ning was still around and holding the He family together, the housemaids had all been dismissed and he was the only one left to take care of He Ning. Who are you? Huo Gao looked at Qiane in puzzlement. Before this, he had only heard He Mei mention her name and had never seen her in person. Hello, Im Qiane. Im here to look for He Ning. Is he at home? Qiane said politely. Huo Gao was a little shocked. His impression of Qiane was that she was a timid person. To everyone at home, He Mei had described Qiane as being young but with the looks of a woman in her 40s, and that she had resentment written all over her face, as if everyone owed her something. The woman in front of him had a slender figure and looked to be in her 30s. It was not as exaggerated as He Mei had described. He also knew that Qiane had gone through a hard time because of Ma San, and that she had lost her baby and even had her uterus removed. He Ning is still sleeping and will only wake up in a while. Do you have time to wait for him? Huo Gao said. Qiane nodded and said, Sure. Time was the one thing she did not lack. As long as her current urgent problems could be solved, she was willing to wait for as long as required. As soon as Qiane entered the house behind Huo Gao, she saw He Ning resting on the sofa. The originally arrogant Living King of Hell looked like a sick kitten now. She felt that she probably did not even need to use much strength to easily crush He Ning at the moment. Lets go to the living room first. Its not convenient for Miss Qian to wait here. Huo Gao not only brought her to the living room, but also prepared tea and snacks for her. This was the first time Qiane felt that there were humane people in the He family. Thank you. I have thought that everyone in the He family is like He Mei, Qiane said. Why do you say that? I think the He family members are quite nice. Huo Gao smiled at Qiane. This young girl actually dared to speak so freely. The people who came to see the He family were usually well-behaved and did not dare to speak more than necessary. Quite nice? Thats really a surprise, Qiane said mockingly. It was all thanks to the He family that she had fallen into such dire straits. How dare he tell her that the He family members were all quite nice? Miss Qian, youre here today for the Xia family matter, right? Huo Gao asked. Qiane sized up Huo Gao. How did he know about this? Would He Ning let his servants know about this matter? Could this man be one of He Nings two brothers? I still dont know who you are? You have asked me many questions, but you havent introduced yourself. Isnt that a little rude? Qiane said with a frown. Im really sorry. Im Huo Gao, the He familys private doctor. In other words, Im He Nings only doctor, Huo Gao said with a laugh. No wonder he knew everything about the He family. It looked like He Ning was very close to him. She decided not to tell him everything, in case it gave He Ning the chance to hold something over her. Dont be nervous. Im not trying to find out anything from you. I know all these things, but this is the He familys family matter, so its not convenient for me to interfere. Im just curious and asking questions for myself, Huo Gao explained. Its fine, I dont mind either. When will He Ning wake up? Do I have to wait for a long time? Qiane asked. How about this, Ill call Miss He and Mr. Ma and ask them to come back. This way, everyone can talk together and its less troublesome. After saying that, Huo Gao went out to call He Mei and Ma San to ask them to return to the house. He Mei could not believe her ears and even thought that she had misheard what Huo Gao said. She had not even had the chance to go and look for Qiane yet, but Qiane had come looking for her at this moment! He Mei drove back in a hurry and walked into the house angrily. She kicked the door open with a loud bang, startling He Ning who was still sleeping soundly in the living room. What an idiot! Who dares to behave so atrociously in my house! He Ning roared. He Mei stood at the door like a child who had done something wrong and did not dare to move. She had forgotten that He Ning was still resting at home and had kicked the door open on impulse. He Ning frowned and looked at He Mei, wishing that he could cut her into pieces. Chapter 489 - 489 Tempting Offer 489 Tempting Offer Youre such an incompetent thing, everything you touch turns to dust! What has my eldest brother taught you! Is this how youve been brought up! He Ning said sternly. He Mei stood at the door and trembled, not daring to approach. Even Ma San, who was behind her, was implicated and did not dare to take another step forward. Alright, dont be so angry. Qiane is waiting in the living room. All of you should go in, Huo Gao said nicely. He often played the role of the peacemaker at home. With him around and provided that He Ning was willing to listen to him, the quarrels at home usually did not last too long. As soon as He Ning pushed open the door, he saw Qiane nodding off. It was rare for someone to dare to behave like this in the He familys house. Wake up, He Ning said as he sat opposite Qiane. Qiane opened her eyes in a daze and saw the pale He Ning, the ashen-faced He Mei and Ma San, who had joined in like an extra. The He Ning in front of her looked like a completely different person from the one she saw deep in sleep just now. There was now an air of hostility between He Nings brows and a very vicious look in his eyes. Qiane did not even dare to look directly into He Nings eyes. Why are you here today? He Ning asked calmly. Qiane exhaled and said calmly, Im here to ask for my remuneration. Remuneration? What remuneration? He Ning looked at Qiane with a look of confusion. Earlier, He Mei had told me to get rid of Qiao Mei and said that she would pay me when the deed is done. This is the agreement that He Mei wrote herself, Qiane said as she took out two photos from her bag and handed them to He Ning. He Ning had originally thought that Qiane only had brute strength and no brains. He did not expect her to have grown so much smarter after not seeing her for a few years. These are the photos I took. I have hidden the original agreements. Ill give them to you after I get paid, Qiane said. He Mei was so angry that her entire body was trembling. He Ning was already unhappy with what she had done, and now Qiane had come to ask for money and was even using the written agreements to threaten them! You cheap thing! How dare you come up with such a trick to cheat our family of money! He Mei pointed at Qiane and scolded her. Mr. He, please tell your niece not to speak. Im afraid that this conversation cant continue otherwise. If I send the agreements to the Xia family in a fit of anger, this matter might not be so easy to resolve anymore, Qiane said to He Mei with a smile. Interesting, this was really too interesting. He did not expect a small fry like Qiane to be able to negotiate terms with him. It seemed that he was really down and out for now. What do you want? Tell me, He Ning said as he threw the photos on the table. He did not even need to verify the authenticity of these photos. He Meis reaction just now was enough to prove everything. I want the 100,000 dollars that He Mei promised me and also what Ma San promised me, Qiane said. Impossible! Let me tell you, Qiane! Dont even think about getting a single cent from me! How dare you threaten me! He Mei said in exasperation. He Ning raised his eyes to look at He Mei and said, Youre really well-behaved these few days when Im not around. Do you think Im dead? He Meis arrogance disappeared in an instant. This was how she usually behaved. She just pretended to be a well-bred young lady whenever she saw He Ning. Otherwise, He Ning would have been even stricter with her. Im sorry, Little Uncle! I didnt do it on purpose! He Mei said softly. He Ning tapped the tabletop with his index finger and considered the pros and cons carefully. It was not that he could not meet the conditions that Qiane asked for, but the matter of Ma San and Shen Na getting a divorce was more complicated. Once the couple got a divorce, the relationship between the Shen family and the He family would become very awkward. I know that you and your mother havent been doing well all these years. How about I give you 200,000 dollars, plus a house near your workplace? No, no, no! Ill get your superior at the workplace to give you a raise and a promotion. What do you think? He Ning said. This offer was really tempting, but she did not want to be swayed. The humiliation that she suffered at the hands of Ma San and He Mei in the past must be repaid today. She would rather die otherwise. It would be better to die in the He family than to go back and live a life worse than death. Dying would be a form of relief for her. No, I can even forgo the money, but Ma San must divorce Shen Na and go to the wilderness to undergo reformative training, Qiane said. Chapter 490 - 490 Disregarding Life and Death 490 Disregarding Life and Death Ma San rushed over and grabbed Qiane by the collar, pulling her up as he asked, You little whore, arent you so full of yourself! You still want me to get rid of me! Let me tell you, thats impossible! I wont divorce Shen Na! You can give up that thought! Its none of your business whether I die or not. But you, Ma San, let me tell you. If I dont have a good life, dont even think about having a good one either. One of us must die. Im not afraid of death! Today, I must let you experience what I went through! Qiane smiled in a strange way. She did not care about her own life at the moment. As long as she could take revenge, she was willing to do anything. You crazy woman! I think youre mentally ill! Id better send you to the hospital for treatment! Whats the point of dealing with me! He Mei did all these things! Whats the use of going after me! Ma San said through gritted teeth. Youre right. This entire matter was indeed done by He Mei, but how could she do it if you didnt agree? Could she force you to leave me? Dont make things sound so dignified. None of you can escape. Lets take our time, Qiane said. Ma San raised his fist to hit Qiane, but He Ning stopped him with a shout. How dare you! Do the two of you think nothing of me! Do you think the two of you are in charge of the He family now! He Ning roared. Ma San lowered his fist in embarrassment and pushed Qiane aside forcefully. He then quietly returned to stand next to He Ning. Qiane fell to the floor clumsily, but she did not care. She smiled at He Ning and said, Mr. He, do you think you can agree to my condition? He Ning narrowed his eyes at Qiane and said, The last person who negotiated terms with me was Qiao Mei. But we made an equal deal that time. Do you feel you have the same right? I dont know if I have the right or not! Anyway, I have gone all out! Just tell me if you agree or not! Qiane said. I can kill you as easily as I crush an ant. Do you think you can walk through this door alive if you threaten me? He Ning said as he pointed at the door behind him. At this moment, Qiane lay down on the floor and laughed loudly. Her back hurt after she fell just now, and she guessed that her bones were probably injured. However, she did not care anymore. I never expect to be able to leave here alive. Ive already told my mother that if I dont get back by 8 p.m., she should send the original agreements to the Xia family. My family lives in the same compound as the Xia family. Its probably already 5 p.m. now. What do you think will happen if we delay any longer? Qiane said. Little Uncle, she must be talking nonsense. Dont believe what she says! He Mei said from the side. He Ning was angry whenever he looked at her now. Why was the next generation of the He family all such trash! He had spent so much effort nurturing them, but all of them turned out useless in the end. It was not easy for them to get the two boys in the family, but one was addicted to drinking and bullying others, and the other was a fool who could not even speak in proper sentences. He had nurtured He Mei diligently but in the end, she was still a brainless person. She was completely immersed in her relationship issues, and the things she did were all full of loopholes. None of them were useful! You still have the cheek to talk to me after doing such a stupid thing? Even if I feed your brains to a dog, the dog wont eat it! He Ning picked up the photos from the table and threw them at He Meis face. He Mei was so frightened that she fell to the floor and covered her face, not daring to make a sound. She knew that He Ning would not forgive her easily no matter what she said now. Call Shen Na now, and then ask your mother and her younger sister to come over as well. The two of them must be present when Ma San divorces her, He Ning said as he lowered his head and rubbed his temples. He did not want things to end up like this either. However, Qiane had made it very clear that she would not give up until she achieved her goal. Besides, the Shen family was nothing to be afraid of. Even without the support of the Shen family and the Ma family, the He family would not be affected. It would only make things a little more difficult at the moment. However, a starving camel was still bigger than a horse. The most important thing now was not to go head-on with the Xia family. Little Uncle! I dont want to divorce Shen Na! Please save me, Little Uncle! I beg you not to agree to her request! Shes just a scoundrel! Ma San said on the brink of tears. If he lost the He familys help, how was he going to pay off his gambling debts in the future! Even selling off all the Ma familys assets was not enough! Chapter 491 - 491 Inconvenient to Move About 491 Inconvenient to Move About He Ning glanced at Ma San nonchalantly. Back then, when He Mei wanted Ma San to marry Shen Na, he had objected to it. He had many friends who owned casinos. After asking around, he knew that Ma San was not a simple person and was a regular at the casinos. He also knew that He Mei was a very jealous person and always wanted to put others down. This was the case with Qiane, and it was the same with Shen Na. He had wanted to find an honest and obedient man to stay by Shen Nas side so that the Shen family would be under the He familys control. He did not expect He Mei to act on her own and introduced Ma San to Shen Na. He had then decided to leave the matter to He Mei. If he had known that it would lead to so much trouble, he would rather Shen Na remain single for the rest of her life. Stop making so much noise! Youre giving me a headache! You dont even seem to like Shen Na that much, so why are you being so affectionate now? I dont have the final say in this matter. Lets talk about it when Shen Na comes over later, He Ning said as he rubbed the spot between his eyebrows. Little Uncle, you cant give in to that vicious woman, Qiane, on this matter! Little Uncle, you also know what shes like back then! Our Ma family has always done our best for the He family! Ma San said. I still have some patience left to listen to you now. If you continue to nag, Ill get someone to throw you out! He Ning roared. Ma San immediately shut his mouth. He could only wait for Shen Na and the others to come. He Mei followed He Nings instructions and asked Shen Na as well as her own family members to come over. Shen Na was pregnant and it was inconvenient for her to move about, so it took her a long time. Mom can I not go? I dont want to see He Nings face! Shen Na whispered. He Man covered Shen Nas mouth. The driver in the car was sent by the He family to pick them up. If He Ning heard this, he would blame her again. Na Na, bear with it. Well be at your uncles house soon. He Man felt uncomfortable looking at Shen Nas distressed expression. Everything was tougher for a pregnant woman to do, but they did not dare to disobey He Ning. She was told over the phone that the matter was important, so she could only ask Shen Na to endure it for now. Yes, Ill bear with it for now. Shen Na sat in the car with a livid expression. She was at the stage of pregnancy when she threw up badly all the time. She particularly felt like throwing up when she caught the smell of gasoline from the car. When she reached He Nings place, she definitely wanted to give Ma San a piece of her mind. If not for him causing trouble, she would not have had to go through the discomfort of traveling by car. The car finally arrived at the He familys house. He Man had not returned to this house for a long time. Ever since she married into the Shen family, she had not been back. Her brothers were all doing better than her. Even if she came back, no one would bother with her. She would have a more peaceful and quiet life by choosing not to return. He Ning, Im here with Na Na, He Man said as she helped Shen Na into the house. He Ning nodded slightly and gestured for them to sit down. He Mei wanted to give Shen Na a heads up, but Huo Gao stopped her. Miss, please sit opposite Miss Shen. Its more convenient this way, Huo Gao said. He Ning only spoke when everyone sat down. Ive asked you all here for just one thing. I want Shen Na and Ma San to get a divorce, He Ning conveyed his request simply and crudely. Shen Na even thought that she had heard wrongly. He Ning, are you joking? You want our Na Na to get a divorce from Ma San? Our Na Na is pregnant now. What will happen to the child if she gets a divorce? He Man asked. When the time comes, there will be someone to raise and take care of the children. Ma San and Shen Na must get a divorce. Theres no way out of this. You all have to pay for your own sins. Im going in to take my medicine and rest. Huo Gao will stay here and help you. He Ning handed the messy situation to Huo Gao and left. This was his usual way of doing things. As soon as He Ning left, Shen Na could not sit still anymore. She looked at Qiane provocatively and said, Isnt this the jinx who lost her child and her husband? Why is she here? Uncle Huo, how can a piece of trash like that be let in so casually? What an eyesore. Its not easy for me to make a trip out of the house, and I end up bumping into such an unlucky thing. I dont want to see you either! However, pregnancy is quite tiring, isnt it? So you have to protect this baby well. Dont end up like me. That will really be retribution, Qiane said. The appearance of a jinx like you will make my child unhappy! Get lost quickly! Shen Na slammed the table and shouted. Chapter 492 - 492 Cuckold 492 Cuckold Qiane was indifferent to it. She just wanted to achieve her goal, and others could say whatever they wanted. Miss Shen, please take a look at these two photos. Huo Gao handed the photos on the table to Shen Na. After Shen Na saw them, she angrily tore them up and threw the pieces at Qiane. You dirty whore, dont tell me youre still eyeing this man? Youre really incorrigible and only know how to covet another persons husband! Since youre so capable, go and look for one yourself! Whats so good about snatching someone elses husband! Shen Na scolded. Qiane glared fiercely at Shen Na. If Shen Na had not snatched Ma San away back then, she would not be where she was today. Yet, Shen Na was actually accusing her of snatching someone elses husband. Snatch someones husband? Miss Shen, youre really forgetful. Dont forget that you and He Mei worked together to make me abort my child back then and then you snatched this person away, Qiane said with a smile. I snatched him? Do I, Shen Na, need to snatch a man? Besides, take a look at this man yourself. No matter how bad my situation is, I wont need to look for such a man myself. He clearly came offering himself. Dont push the whole thing on me! Shen Na said disdainfully. I offered myself? Shen Na, can you make more sense when you say such things! You were the one who kept seducing me back then and wanted to sleep with me. If He Mei hadnt told me that you were pregnant, I wouldnt have married you so quickly! Ma San pointed at Shen Na angrily. But the child was lost because of you in the end! Can you have some conscience! If not for the fact that I was pregnant back then, I wouldnt have married you! Shen Na said in exasperation. You guys sure have a lot of stories to tell. Ma San, dont you know that the child she was carrying back then was not yours? Qiane smiled and looked at Ma San. Not mine? What do you mean? Ma San was stunned to the spot. Shen Na used to spend her days drinking and partying and fooling around with different men. She did not even know who got her pregnant and when it happened. At that time, she only told He Mei about it, and they decided to look for Ma San in the end. By doing that, they could hurt Qiane and help Shen Na at the same time, killing two birds with one stone. Ma San liked Shen Na very much the moment he saw her. Although Shen Na was not tall, she had a voluptuous figure and he thought that her bosom and butt were exceptional. This was the main reason why he dumped Qiane. He Mei kept telling Shen Na that Ma San was an honest person and had a good family background. Otherwise, Shen Na would not have decided to accept Ma San. Even if she was anxious to find a father for her baby, it was not as if any mediocre man would be allowed to become part of the Shen family. As for Ma San, even up to now, he still thought that Shen Na ended up with him because she liked him. How did you know about this! Shen Na stood up and glared at Qiane. You guys harmed me back then, so how can I not investigate you? Ive also worked in the hospital before. Dont you think I have my own friends after so many years? Besides, He Mei went around talking about this matter everywhere. Its difficult not to know about it, Qiane said as she shrugged. He Mei had always disliked Shen Na. Although Shen Nas family background was not as good as hers, Shen Na behaved arrogantly and looked down on her. She even had to pretend to have a sisterly relationship with Shen Na. If not for He Ning, she would have cut ties with Shen Na long ago. It had not been easy for her to get hold of something over Shen Na, so she naturally wanted to publicize it. You all! You! He Mei! Ive always treated you like my own sister! How can you harm me like this! Shen Na looked at He Mei in disbelief. Youve misunderstood! I really didnt say anything about this. Perhaps it was the doctor who examined you back then? Its really not me, Na Na. Weve hung out together for so many years, dont you believe me! He Mei said. You! You! Dont pretend to be nice to me! Shen Na said as she held onto the table. As Shen Na got agitated, she suddenly felt some discomfort. She reached out and gently stroked her stomach twice. Ma San also saw this action. What happened to that child was indeed his fault. If he had not accidentally pushed Shen Na down the stairs when he was drunk, the child would not have been lost. Back then, he kept blaming himself. He did not gamble or party for a year because of this matter and only focused on taking care of Shen Na at home. He did not expect that the child was not his! No one even knew who the real father was! Chapter 493 - 493 Resistance 493 Resistance Well done, Shen Na. You two sisters really put on a good show! Whose child is it now! Dont tell me its another bastard child! Ma San said as he pointed at Shen Nas stomach. You asshole! What do you mean by bastard child! This child is really yours! Shen Na said anxiously. How can I believe what you say! I feel nauseous just thinking about it now! Ill go for a physical examination tomorrow! A whore like you might have infected me with whatever disease you have! Ma San spat on the ground after saying that. He felt sick just thinking about those days and nights that they spent together. Qiane watched happily from the side. She had been waiting for this scene for many years. From the moment she lost her child, she had been looking forward to it. It had finally come true! Disease? Im the one who should be afraid that you may have some disease! Dont think that I dont know about that Xiaohong you have outside! You have kept this woman for more than three months! Do you think Im blind and dont know that! Do you think youre anything good! Stop trying to make yourself out to be a moral person! Youre not so clean either! Shen Na pointed at Ma Sans nose and scolded him. He did have another woman outside, but it was not that different from what Shen Na did! What right did she have to scold him! Ma San thought about how he had worked so hard for the Shen family for so many years and always behaved gingerly in front of Shen Na. They were all jackals from the same lair, so what was with all this pretense about being moralistic! Youre such a stupid pig! If not for the fact that your Ma family is still acceptable! How do you think you can be part of our Shen family! Can you have some self-awareness! Also! I will not get a divorce! Im pregnant with your child now, so how can I get a divorce! Shen Na was lost in her own ramblings, completely unaware that Ma San had already walked up to her. When Shen Na turned around, she immediately became nervous. She could see that Ma Sans eyes were already bloodshot from anger and his breathing had started to quicken. She could also see the bulging veins on his neck clearly. You What are you trying to do Let me tell you, this is the He familys place! No matter what, Im still He Nings niece! If you dare to touch me, He Ning wont let you off! Shen Na pointed at Ma San with a trembling finger. When He Mei saw the look on Ma Sans face, she went forward to stop him and said, Dont be rash. Little Uncle is still upstairs! Lets talk things out nicely! Ma San slowly turned to look at He Mei and said, If you dont speak, I would have forgotten about you. Back then, you were the one who kept persuading me to be with Shen Na. Im sure your intentions were not pure, right? However, I dont intend to pursue the matter with you today. Youd better get lost. He Mei still wanted to go forward to say something, but Ma San pushed her away forcefully and caused her to hit her head against the corner of the cabinet. Ah! My face! He Mei shouted in pain as she covered her face. There was already blood slowly flowing out from between her fingers. Ma San, youre too much! Shen Na was about to rush over to check on He Mei when Ma San grabbed her arm and flung her back. Shen Nas lower back was slammed against the table by this action and she suddenly felt great pain in her stomach. She held her stomach with one hand and used the other hand to support herself against the table. It was so painful that she could not even shout out. Stop pretending. You cant even protect yourself now, so why are you putting on a show of sisterly love? We must get a divorce today. I dont even know if this baby is mine, so dont try to push it on me! Also, your Shen family must give me money once we get the divorce. Otherwise, I wont let you live your life well. Ill tell everyone about your past. Lets see how you can get married in the future! Ma San said as he grabbed onto Shen Nas arm. Shen Na was in so much pain that tears flowed down her face. If not for Ma San grabbing her arm forcefully, she would probably be lying on the floor now. Ma San If you have a conscience, quickly call an ambulance I cant take it anymore Shen Na said in pain. Ambulance? As if youre worthy! Tell me the truth before you leave! Are you lying to me? Ma San said. He Man had just finished comforting He Mei when she turned around and saw her daughter being jerked around by Ma San. There was already blood flowing down Shen Nas legs. Ma San! You animal, let go of Na Na! Shes bleeding! He Man hurriedly rushed over to hug Shen Na and she collapsed weakly into He Mans arms. Chapter 494 - 494 Same Ending 494 Same Ending Ma San stared blankly at the blood on Shen Nas legs. He had thought that she would be fine. He did not use much strength, so how did this happen? You dont scare me! This is not my son! I dont care! It has nothing to do with me! Dont even think about blaming this on me! Ma San said as he left the living room out of fear, but he was caught before he could reach the door. Huo Gao looked at Ma San, who was tied up like a pig about to be slaughtered, and he wanted to laugh. He said to the attendants, Bring him to the back and hold him down for now. After were done with these matters, well hand him over to Mr. He. You know what to do. The attendants nodded and picked up Ma San from the ground before carrying him to an empty spot in the backyard. Huo Gao! Put me down! What right do you have to tie me up! Youre breaking the law! Help! Huo Gao, youre just He Nings dog. What right do you have to attack me! Wait! Huo Gao picked up a cloth from the flower rack, one that was usually used to wipe the flower vases, and stuffed it into Ma Sans mouth. After being left outside for a long time, that piece of cloth was already dirty and smelly. At this moment, Ma San could not even express his disgust even if he wanted to. Alright, this way it wont disturb Mr. He. Take him away! Huo Gao said as he looked at his handiwork with satisfaction. The ambulance arrived quickly at the He residence to take Shen Na and He Mei away. He Man also got into the ambulance, leaving only Qiane and Huo Gao in the house. Miss Qian doesnt seem to care about whatever happened? Are you still not satisfied? Huo Gao asked. Qiane did not know why she did not feel happy to see Shen Na lying in a pool of blood today. She had clearly imagined this scene many times in her mind, but when it really happened, she found that she did not look forward to it as much. Perhaps it was because it made her recall her past experiences again. At this moment, she felt as if she and Shen Na had overlapped, as if the person lying in a pool of blood was her. However, a person like Shen Na was not worthy of pity. She deserved what she got. All this has nothing to do with me. Will the He family give me what I want? Qiane said as she looked at Huo Gao. I think that after what happened today, Mr. Ma will not only get the treatment you wanted. He might even be punished by the Shen family and the He family. However, before that, I would need you to stay here in the He familys house. Huo Gao had no intention of letting Qiane go. If she went to ask the Xia family for help during this period of time, the He family would be attacked from both ends. He could not watch the He family collapse, nor could he watch He Ning collapse. Do you intend to imprison me? Qiane said. If we report what Miss Qian did, youll definitely be in jail. In order for us to cooperate better in the future, Miss Qian should stay in the He familys house for a while. As for the Qian family, well explain the situation to them, Huo Gao said. Its already past 7 p.m. The agreements are supposed to reach the Xia residence at 8 p.m. If my mother doesnt see me in one piece, I cant guarantee that they wont appear in the Xia residence, Qiane said threateningly. Huo Gao had no choice but to let Qiane go back first. At the same time, he sent a few people to follow her secretly to monitor her whereabouts at all times. By the time Huo Gao arrived at the hospital after dealing with these family matters, the situation was similar to what he had expected. Shen Nas child could not be saved, and He Meis facial injury needed six stitches. She would probably have a scar in the future. Mr. Huo, my daughter cant get hurt for no reason! He Ning needs to get justice for my daughter! He Man said as she wept. Huo Gao lowered his head slightly and said, We also feel very sorry for this matter, but this is a matter between the Shen and Ma families, so its not convenient for us to interfere. Ma San is already under my control. How do you want to deal with it? He Mans status in her family was even lower than a nanny. Shen Nas father had three other sons. These three sons were not He Mans children, but were children he had from his previous extramarital affairs. Shen Na had inherited her temper and character from her father. This I think we should let He Ning handle this. Its not something for the Shen family He Man said hesitantly. Lets talk about this when Mr. He wakes up. Ill go and see He Mei. After saying that, Huo Gao went looking for He Mei. Chapter 495 - 495 Eating Too Much 495 Eating Too Much He Meis face was as important to her as her life. Now that her looks were marred and the whole matter had been messed up, she knew that she would definitely be reprimanded by her little uncle when she went home. If he simply found some random family for her to marry into, her life would be over! At the same moment, Qiao Mei was lying on the hospital bed with her heels kicked up and eating delicious food. Her current lifestyle was simply the most ideal in the world. She did not have to do anything every day. She had a husband who loved her and family members who cared about her. She could eat whatever she wanted. She would not mind if she stayed here for the rest of her life! Hey you, dont eat so much! Youre only eating and not exercising now. What if your health is affected if you have to keep staying here? Xia He looked at Qiao Meis stomach worriedly. Her stomach looked a little bigger than when she first entered the hospital. It must be caused by all her eating in the past two days! Alright, I hear you. Did father and grandfather blame you? Qiao Mei asked. Of course they blamed her! However, they viewed Xia Zhe as the main culprit. She was only an accomplice and they had been lenient with her punishment. In comparison, Xia Zhe did not have it so easy. After he got home, he had to carry out military training like he was back in the army. She did not dare to imagine how that must have felt. No, they vented their anger on your husband. Of course Im fine, Xia He said gloatingly. You can still laugh about it! Hes your own younger brother! Hmph, be careful or Ill tell him, Qiao Mei said daintily. Thats also your husband, yet you dont feel sorry for him. Hes actually taking the blame for you. Dont act recklessly just because grandfather and father like you. They said that they would only turn a blind eye this time. If theres a next time, theyll break your legs! Xia He used her hands to gently chop at Qiao Meis legs. Hahahaha. Elder sister, dont scare me. I also want to get out of here soon. Its so boring here. I only eat and sleep every day, I dont even dare to go out for a walk. If mother and Second Aunt-in-law see me, the truth will be exposed, Qiao Mei pouted and complained. Not many people in the family knew about this matter for now. In order not to raise any suspicions, they did not tell Xu Lan and Liu Fen about it, afraid that the two women would do something wrong and ruin the plan. For the past few days, the Xia family had been sending tonics to the hospital as if everything was free. Every day, Qiao Mei only ate chicken soup and nothing else. By the way, wheres brother-in-law? Qiao Mei asked curiously. Xia He was peeling an apple and her hand paused when she heard the question. After Kong Lu completed his work in the capital in the past two days, he had gone home with Kong Li. If they continued to stay in the capital, they would probably run out of money. I dont know. I havent been in touch with him recently. I dont know what hes up to, Xia He said perfunctorily. Qiao Mei knew that this was only Xia Hes excuse to hide the fact that she was unwilling to face the issue. However, it was still better for her to be in the capital than in the small county city that the Kong family lived in. At least she felt more at ease at her own home. Then Old Madam Kong didnt force you to go back? Qiao Mei asked. Her? What right does she have to force me? If shes so free, she should think about how to return the money to me. Their family is in a mess now and I dont want to get involved. I refuse to answer her calls. They can come and look for me when Kong Lu has raised the money, Xia He said. For now, she had nothing to do and felt carefree. She was sure that everything would stabilize after her transfer to work in the capital was completed in two days time. However, the most important thing now was to take good care of Qiao Mei, and deal with the He family so that they could no longer have any ulterior motives towards the Xia family. Hows Qiane? Is there any news of her? Qiao Mei asked worriedly. Ever since she was hospitalized, there had been no news of Qiane. Xia He also did not manage to find out anything about her either. They thought that she was probably safe and sound and that the He family would not dare to cause trouble for her. Ive asked around and nothing has happened so far, but I cant seem to get in touch with her. I think the He family is monitoring her movements and its not convenient for her to contact us now. However, the He family is aware that Qiane has evidence, which means they wont do anything that threatens her life. So dont worry, Xia He said. Qiao Mei ate the apple that Xia He had peeled and looked at the scenery outside the window in a leisurely manner. She had heard from Xia Zhe that the two older sons of the He family would be released within the next two days. The He family would definitely still get up to something. She would let them get busy for a few days first. After a few days, she would go and find trouble with the He family and increase their workload. Chapter 496 - 496 Returning to the He family 496 Returning to the He family Huo Gao had just brought He Mei back to the He familys old house when he bumped into He Guo, He Wei and He Li, all three of whom had just been released. What happened to Xiao Mei? Let me take a look! He Guo looked at He Meis face nervously. Father, youre finally back! Look, Ma San did this to my face! He Mei said aggrievedly. He Guo wished he could kill Ma San now. He Meis good looks were the most valuable resource in his family. Now that her good looks were marred, how was she going to get married? What if He Ning became unhappy and married her off to a poor and remote village! Why are you so careless! How would this happen if you know how to be more careful! He Li said sarcastically. He had always hated the way He Mei bullied others. She could do that just because their little uncle liked her. What was so great about her? Now that she did not have this pretty face, she was just a defective piece of eye candy. She did not know how to run a business, and even needed to depend on the familys help to keep her position at her workplace. You! How can you say that! Thats your elder sister! He Wei said as he pointed at He Li. Alright, stop arguing. Go into the house quickly. Dont you think the He family has been embarrassed enough for now! He Guo said softly. He Ning sat on a chair in the main room and drank his medicine. Today was the day his two brothers were released, so he had to take good care of them. My brothers, you are back. Sit down and take a rest, He Ning said with a smile. After they left, the He familys house was also turned upside down. The situation at their house was no worse than what happened at the Xia familys house. Huo Gao had to find many craftsmen and spent a lot of money to repair the house in such a short period of time. Youngest brother, you look so full of vigor and vitality. Do you know the kind of life we have inside! He Wei said. Brother, are you blaming me? Are you blaming me for not getting you out earlier? He Ning asked with a smile. So you know! Tell us what youve been doing! How long have you been out! Arent you worried at all that were still inside? He Wei questioned. He Ning slowly put down the bowl of medicine in his hand. He had not even settled the score with them yet, and he did not expect them to come and question him accusingly as soon as they returned. They were only able to be released so early because he had spent a lot of money and asked for help from many people. Just the matter of selling firearms was enough to keep them locked up for the rest of their lives. I only manage to save all of you after pulling some strings. It seems that my brother thinks Im not powerful enough. Theres already nothing more that I can do. Second brother can take over all the family matters. Im tired too, He Ning said. He Wei had to swallow what he wanted to say when he heard what He Ning said. At this moment, everyone knew that the He family was nothing without He Ning. Even the beggars on the roadside might not think too highly of their family. Xiao Ning, dont be angry. Your second brother is just joking with you, He Guo said with a smile. Eldest brother, come to think of it, I have almost forgotten about something. Why didnt you listen to what I told you back then? If not for the fact that the two of you still insist on doing the business done during our fathers generation, the Xia family wouldnt have been able to find the evidence! He Ning said. Arent we doing it all for the He family? Its not like you dont know the amount of expenses incurred by such a big family. Im also forced into a corner, He Guo said awkwardly. He Ning smiled disdainfully. In the past, when he was still in good health, he was the one who managed the family business. Even if he did not do those things they did, he could cover all the expenses and still make a lot of profits. Even during the economic downturn, he did not really lose money. Eldest brother, when youre free, why dont you think about why the business started going downhill after I handed it over to you? He Ning said. He Guo was rendered speechless by his retort. After He Ning left the business, many connections were also gone with his departure. Losing many clients meant that the earnings were also reduced. He also had no choice. And that stupid daughter of yours, I havent even settled this matter yet and your daughter goes around to find someone to kill the child that Qiao Mei is carrying. Now that person still has a written agreement signed by your daughter. If its handed over to the Xia family, what do you think we should do, eldest brother? He Ning said as he looked at He Guo. What! He Guo could not believe his ears. In his eyes, He Mei had always been an obedient and adorable daughter and she had never done anything out of line. As a girl who grew up pampered, she inevitably had a temper, but he did not think that she would go so far as to commit murder. Chapter 497 - 497 Disrespectful 497 Disrespectful Eldest brother, dont you believe what I say? She has already brought the evidence and she wants 100,000 dollars from me, He Ning said teasingly as he looked at He Guo. An amount of 100,000 dollars! 1,000 dollars was already considered a huge sum of money for an ordinary family, but she actually asked for 100,000 dollars! Did something really happen with the Xia family? He Guo asked apprehensively. He Ning nodded and said, Although the staff from that hospital are more tight-lipped and theyre all the Xia familys people, my people have gone in to take a look. Qiao Mei is indeed feeling very weak every day and her stomach has also become much smaller. The attitudes and behaviors of the Xia family members also seem to be real. I dont think theres anything untrue about this matter. He Guo turned to look at He Mei and reprimanded her, Xiao Mei, do you know that what you did will harm the entire He family! He Mei was so frightened that she knelt on the ground with a plop sound. Tears streamed down her face as she grabbed He Guos trouser leg tightly and said, Father, save me! I did all these to save Little Uncle and all of you! I was really at my wits end. Now, Qiane says that we just have to hand Ma San over to her! Father, save me! Speaking of Ma San, He Guo already had the intention to settle the score with him. He was the one who disfigured He Meis face, so he was already a lost cause. Xiao Ning, how do you plan to deal with Ma San? He Guo asked. Ma San is tied up and in the backyard right now and Ive already gotten someone to teach him a lesson. He Mei promised Qiane that she would send Ma San to a remote area and never allow him to come back. As for the rest, its up to you, He Ning said. My brothers, I dont think this matter can be resolved just like that. Have you thought about how we can explain ourselves to the Shen family? Eldest brother and I have already heard about what happened today. It appears that the baby Shen Na is carrying cant be saved, He Wei said. He Ning had no intention of thinking about this matter at all. Every injustice had its perpetrator. No matter how anyone looked at it, this matter could not be blamed on him. Eldest brother should be the one thinking about this matter. Ive only just gotten back and Im still feeling weak. I dont have the energy to do so many things. He Ning put on a show of picking up the bowl of medicine. Xiao Ning, this is considered our He family matter. What if we become enemies with the Shen family at this point in time? He Guo asked worriedly. He was not afraid of losing the Shen familys help, but he was worried that He Man would have a hard time in the Shen family. When they were young, he doted on He Man the most. However, for some reason, both He Wei and He Ning had always ignored her. After their parents passed away, as the eldest brother, he had to go out to pursue his career. He left He Man behind to take care of their two younger brothers at home. When he returned home after finally making a name for himself, he realized that his two younger brothers were not close to him at all. Even He Man started to avoid his gaze and was unwilling to have a heart-to-heart talk with him. Every time he asked them what had happened in those years, they would avoid answering him. Eldest brother, you should think about your own issues. He Mei probably cant get married because of what the Shen family did, yet you still have the mood to worry about your younger sister, He Wei muttered disdainfully. He Guo was so angry that he smashed the tea bowl on the table. He pointed at He Weis nose and scolded, Thats your elder sister! How can you say that! Dont involve me in this. Shes your younger sister and has nothing to do with Xiao Ning and me, He Wei said. He Li did not know about what happened in the past. He quietly went next to He Wei and whispered, Father, whats with He Man? Why are you so angry at the mention of her name? It was not his intention to be disrespectful and not address He Man as his aunt. It was just that when he was young and addressed her in this manner, He Wei gave him a hard slap and told him to shut up. He Wei told him never to address this woman in this manner ever again, or He Wei would beat him until he got the point. In the kids opinion, He Man was a nice person. When He Man first married into the Shen family, she still had some standing in that family. She often brought them delicious food and fun toys, and also bought them all kinds of fashionable clothes. Little did they know that she was so nice to them only as a form of compensation to He Wei and He Ning. You little brat, get lost. Youre everywhere! He Wei reached out and slapped He Lis hand. The back of He Lis hand immediately turned red from the slap. He Li covered the back of his hand in pain and sat back down obediently, not mentioning this matter again. Younger brother, what deep hatred do you have for He Man? Our children have already grown up. Cant we forget what happened in the past? He Guo asked in puzzlement. Chapter 498 - 498 Please Help Eldest Brother 498 Please Help Eldest Brother Forget? What should they forget? The thin coats they had to wear during winter? Or the fact that the two of them did not even have meat to eat for an entire year? Or the fact that He Wei had to piggyback the seriously ill He Ning from house to house back then to beg people to help send him for treatment? Each of these incidents caused them to be unable to forgive He Man. She deserved to be in her current situation and it had nothing to do with them. Alright, Second Brother, lets not talk about what happened back then. Eldest Brother, if youre free enough to ask Second Brother and I about what happened back then, you might as well use the time to think about how to deal with the mess He Mei created. After all, He Mei is your biological daughter. He Ning fiercely emphasized the words biological daughter. He Guo slumped back in his chair weakly. He felt as if all his memories were false, and that everything seemed to be faked by these two women. He was incompetent and did not have the ability to protect his daughter, nor did he have the ability to shoulder the heavy responsibilities of the He family. Xiao Ning take it that Im begging you. Even if you dont care about the Shen family, on account that He Mei is your biological niece, can you help me? He Guo said. He Guos pleading words stung He Nings heart. He Ning knew in his heart that his eldest brother had been very nice to him for so many years. It was not that he did not want to help, but he was just unwilling to clean up after his eldest brother again and again. For so many years, he had been the one handling all the matters in the family, both big and small. Although He Wei was neither astute nor resourceful, he was loyal and ruthless and could be considered to be quite famous in their industry. Usually, no one would be able to find any proof of his wrongdoings. Even if he was involved in any dirty business, everyone in the industry would protect him. He Guo was different. He was quite smart, but soft-hearted and indecisive. Everything in the family seemed to have nothing to do with him, but he was actually the one who created all sorts of mess. If not for him indulging He Mei and allowing her to be so arrogant since she was young, she would not have been brainless and always ready to cause trouble. Eldest brother, do you remember how many times Ive helped you over the years? He Ning stared intently at He Guo. I Of course I remember everything. I have always remembered everything you have done for me, He Guo said nervously. Beads of sweat rolled down He Guos face. He Mei behaved herself and knelt on the ground, not daring to make a sound. Every word that He Ning said now was related to whether she could stay in the He family or not. Her fate was in He Nings hands. Eldest brother, what do you want me to do? He Ning asked. He Guo thought that He Ning had agreed to his request. He stood up agitatedly and started voicing his opinion. I think that we should give that woman 100,000 dollars first. No, no, no! Give her 150,000 dollars! Ask her to take this money and leave the capital to go somewhere far away. We have many business associates in other cities. It will be very easy to get them to help find her a good job. As for the Shen family, I think we should severely punish Ma San. However, this matter is considered the Shen familys family matter and its not convenient for us to interfere. Lets give Ma San a good beating and then hand him back to the Shen family to be dealt with. No, no I think we should break his legs before we send him to the Shen family, so that he leaves this marriage with nothing! He wont get a single cent more from the Shen family and the He family anymore! This matter was caused by He Mei, but He Meis face is already injured. I dont think the Shen family will make things difficult for us. Xiao Ning, when the time is right, you can find a good man from among your connections and ask him to marry Shen Na. This way, everyone will benefit. I dont think Shen Na will reject that He Guo spoke non-stop, as if he was a leader giving a speech. The only thing he lacked was applause and flowers. He Wei and He Ning looked at each other and then turned to look at He Guo. The way they looked at him was as if they were looking at a clown in a circus. Why why are you looking at me like that? He Guo paused and asked. I just think that eldest brother has really interesting ideas. Since eldest brother has already thought it all through, what else do you want me to do? Just do everything according to your plan, He Ning said with a smile. Thats right, eldest brother. Why are you telling Xiao Ning so much now? He Wei said. Actually, what He Guo wanted from He Ning was money. After his role in the arms deal was exposed, all his savings were confiscated and he had to close his shop. He even pawned all the jewelry in the family to repay the money. He did not have any more money left. Chapter 499 - 499 Exchange "Life" for Money 499 Exchange Life for Money He Ning ran a thriving business and many people must have given him gifts over the years. He must have a lot of savings. I dont have that much money now He Guo said embarrassedly. I dont have much money on hand either. Ive given whatever I have to He Mei to pay for your release. I still owe money to people outside and I still need medicinal herbs to keep myself alive. I really dont have any extra money, He Ning said. Medicinal herbs! He Guos eyes lit up. He looked at He Ning excitedly and said, Youngest brother! You have medicine! If you sell your ginseng and lingzhi and stuff, you can probably get more than 200,000 dollars! He Wei looked at He Guo with disdain. It was no wonder that He Guo would feel sorry for He Man. The two of them were the same kind of people, so of course they appreciated each other. Eldest brother, be more humane! Thats medicine which can save He Nings life! You want to use your brothers life to exchange for money! Do you have any conscience! He Wei said agitatedly. It was only at this moment that He Guo realized what a shameless thing he had said. Even if he had to sell off everything else, he could not take He Nings medicine. I I dont mean that! He Guo explained anxiously. He Ning waved his hand. He did not want to waste any more time here and did not want to hear more about how his life could be exchanged for money. Alright, lets end this matter here. No more discussion. Ill settle He Meis issue. Now Im going home to rest. If theres anything else, contact Huo Gao. He Ning dragged his ailing body slowly towards the door. His skinny frame made him look very pitiful. By now, Huo Gao also saw the true colors of the He family clearly. No matter how harmonious they were in the past, when it came to matters of life and death, everyone only knew how to hurt others interests, or even lives, for their own benefit. Actually, you can stay out of this matter, Huo Gao whispered as he supported He Ning. He Ning sneered. Of course he knew that. If I dont do anything, do you think Xia Wen wont come and take revenge on me? The Xia family just has no time to deal with me now. If I dont settle Qiao Meis matter properly, Xia Wen will come knocking on my door to denounce me, He Ning said. Qiane didnt tell the Xia family about this, did she? Why would they come and find trouble with us without any substantial evidence? Huo Gao asked. Even if she didnt, this whole matter arose only because of that stupid He Mei. With the existence of that three-year agreement, it can only be the He familys fault. I have to settle our family matters first before dealing with the outsiders. After we get back, go check on the Xia familys recent activities, He Ning said. Alright, Ill arrange for someone to do that, Huo Gao said. At the hospital , some people came to visit Qiao Mei every day. Of course, it was not just the Xia family members, but also Liang Guo and Liang Lan. They had also heard gossip that Qiao Mei had almost lost her life after being pushed into the river. If not for the fact that someone had passed by, Qiao Mei would definitely have lost her life. People even said that Qiao Mei had been knocked down by a car and left on the road, and that she would never be able to have children again. There were all kinds of rumors going around. They did not know who to believe and could only come over personally to take a look. If what other people said was true and Qiao Mei had become infertile, then she was no longer useful to them. Which wealthy family would treat an infertile daughter-in-law well since she could not carry on the family line for them? Moreover, Xia Zhe was the future successor of the Xia family. If he did not have an heir, he would not be able to bring the Xia family to greater heights and hand down the achievements of his ancestors. By then, it was even possible that the Xia family would dump Qiao Mei! They had to seize the opportunity to take a look at Qiao Meis current situation and then observe how the Xia family was treating her. This way, they would also know how to deal with what would happen next. Mei Mei, the Liang siblings have been waiting outside the door for two days. Should we let them in, Xia He said helplessly. I also know that they come here every day. If I let them in, theyll definitely fake their concern and ask about me for a long time. Just say that I cant see them now and that the doctor said Im not in a good mood and I may go crazy at any time. Qiao Mei buried herself under the blanket in annoyance. Xia He had no choice but to go out and persuade the Liang siblings to go back. Dont come again. This wont be good for Qiao Meis recovery. Then hows Qiao Meis health? Can she still have children? Liang Lan asked. Xia He suddenly felt that Qiao Mei was right. These two people did not come here for a simple purpose. Chapter 500 - 500 Unable to Give Birth Anymore 500 Unable to Give Birth Anymore She? She cant get pregnant anymore. Everyone in the family doesnt care about her anymore. Only an elder sister like me still feels sorry for her. Otherwise, why would she be in the hospital by herself, Xia He said with her hands on her hips. This Liang Lan and Liang Guo looked at each other. The worried expressions they had on their faces earlier had now disappeared. Why? Are you here to take care of Qiao Mei? It costs so much money every day and I still have to clean up after Qiao Mei. If you want to help out, then come in quickly, Xia He said disdainfully. Liang Lans expression instantly turned awkward. If it came down to taking care of Qiao Mei, the task would definitely fall to her. How could Liang Guo, being a man, take care of Qiao Mei? It was such a dirty and tiring chore that she was unwilling to do it! It was better to leave such things to the Xia family. As for the matter with Qiao Qiang, they would have to think of another way to bring the old man back. No, were just here to visit her. This is a small token from us. Please accept it on behalf of Qiao Mei. Well come back another day. Liang Lan smiled, handing the fruits and tonics to Xia He before turning around and leaving with Liang Guo without looking back. Xia He placed the things on the floor and said happily, Youre right! Didnt I act well just now! When they heard that someone has to take care of you, they left without looking back! I know they are up to no good. Lets give the things they brought to other patients later. I saw a little girl when I went out for a walk earlier, we can give those things to her, Qiao Mei said. That little girl was so pitiful. She was tormented by the pain of illness at such a young age and Qiao Mei hoped that she could recover soon. Qiao Mei got up from the bed and stood by the window, staring blankly at the grapevines in the garden downstairs. It was currently the harvest season for grapes and she wondered about the situation back in her own home. It had already been two months since she traveled out. Her grandfather, mother and the children would have finished all the vegetables they had at home. She did not know if the newly sprouted vegetables still contained her energy. What if her grandfather ate vegetables that had no energy in them and his condition returned to normal? Her grandfather definitely would not bear to use the ginseng and lingzhi he had. He knew that these things were precious and he would only use them when he felt especially uncomfortable. She had to practically force him to eat them previously. These two months that she was away, he definitely would not bear to eat them. For the past two months, she could only hear her grandfathers voice on the phone and she had never stopped being worried. Most of the time, her grandfather was not even at home and she could only get news about her family from Uncle Zhao. She did not know whether Qiao Zhuang and the rest went to her grandfathers house to bully him. Her younger siblings were still young and could not possibly handle all these things on their own. She had to go back and take a look as soon as possible. Elder sister, I want to go home, Qiao Mei said sadly. Go home? Then Ill get Xia Zhe to come pick you up? Later, Ill talk to Aunt and see if she can let you be discharged. I wonder to what extent elder brother has repaired your courtyard house. If the repairs are not finished yet, youll still have to stay at mothers place for a while, Xia He said as she peeled an apple. She realized that Qiao Mei especially liked to eat the apples that she prepared. Every day, she would peel and cut them for Qiao Mei. She heard from the nurses outside that pregnant women should be given more nutrition and fruits were indispensable. No, I want to go back to Foshan Village, Qiao Mei turned around and said calmly. Xia He was stunned for a moment and cut her finger with the fruit knife. Ah! Xia He quickly placed the things in her hand on the table to prevent Qiao Mei from touching them and getting hurt. Qiao Mei did not expect Xia He to have such a big reaction. It was her lack of attention that caused Xia He to get injured. Im sorry, elder sister! I dont know that you are peeling an apple. Let me take a look! Qiao Mei said as she blamed herself. Xia He wiped the blood clean with a piece of tissue paper. The wound was not very deep and the bleeding stopped very quickly. Dont worry, its not your fault. Im the careless one. Im just surprised that you want to return to the village, Xia He said with a smile. Qiao Mei pulled Xia Hes hand over to carefully disinfect the wound and wrapped it in a bandage before she felt at ease. Im worried about my grandfather. Ive been away from home for so long and I want to go back and take a look, Qiao Mei said. Then have you told elder brother and the others about this? Xia He asked. Qiao Mei shook her head. She had already discussed this matter with Xia Zhe previously. After all, Xia Zhes vacation was almost over and they wanted to go back and visit her grandfather. Chapter 501 - 501 Strange Cactus 501 Strange Cactus Its good to go back. There are too many people watching you in the capital now. Life will be more peaceful back there, Xia He said. In the past two days, there were a lot of rumors going around. There had been a big hooha within the He family, but she did not know how they managed it in the end. However, she did not care about these things. The He familys previous influential power was gone and they would not come looking for trouble in the coming days. Elder sister, after I leave, you have to take good care of the flowers and plants at home. I planted a lot of flowers and vegetables in my backyard. In case I dont come back for a long time, they will definitely die, Qiao Mei said. Actually, as long as Qiao Mei gave each plant some energy before she left, they would be able to grow very well. However, it would be difficult to explain this situation if it was discovered. She did not just have ordinary flowers and vegetables in the courtyard, but most of them were rare flowers and plants that needed to be taken care of and nurtured carefully. If people knew that she had been away from the capital for a few months and that the courtyard house was filled with mutated flowers and plants, they would probably get targeted. The old master had been researching for three to four years but he did not manage to find a single mutated plant. How could it be that the plants mutated after soaking up some sunlight at her place? Did you see the cactus at grandfathers house? Xia He said proudly. Qiao Mei had some impression of that plant because it looked like two cactuses had fused together. It looked as if the cactuses were hugging each other tightly and was very special. I remember. I thought that it was quite interesting. I even asked Xia Zhe why two cactuses were planted together, but he said that he didnt know either, Qiao Mei said with a smile. It was mine. I took care of it in the past but it split open. Grandfather really could not stand it anymore and asked the helper to take care of it. It took a lot of work for it to be saved. Actually, it was only one cactus in the beginning, Xia He said embarrassedly. Was it actually only one? And she could even take care of the cactus until it split open! This was even scarier than He Ning growing flowers. It appeared that it was better not to let Xia He take care of all the plants at home. What if she came back to see that all the plants had split open. By then, she would probably be so anxious that her head would split open too. Then then Id better leave the plants to elder brother and elder sister-in-law I think elder brother should know how to take care of these things, Qiao Mei said, with a lot less confidence. Elder brother should be able to do it. Elder brother is more meticulous than me, so he should be able to take good care of them, Xia He said. The only problem Qiao Mei had now was to tell Xu Lan and the rest about her intention to go home. She did not know if Xu Lan would let her leave. Ever since she heard the news that Qiao Mei had lost the babies, she had brought chicken soup every day. She gave Qiao Mei first dibs on all the good things in the family, and cared for Qiao Mei more than she cared for her own children. She had never taken such good care of anyone before. She heard from Second Aunt-in-law that Xu Lan cried every day while hugging the tiny clothes she had made for the babies, and that she was tearful every day. She no longer looked as good as before, as if she had suddenly aged a few years. Qiao Mei could not bear to continue lying to them, but Xia Zhe said that it was not time to tell the truth yet. The matter with the He family had not been settled yet and the news that the babies were still around could not be spread around. Mei Mei! Lie down quickly! Mother and Second Aunt-in-law are here! Lie back down quickly! Xia He had just reached the door on her way out to get some hot water when she saw Xu Lan and Liu Fen around the corner, followed by Xia Zhe. Qiao Mei scrambled under the blanket and lay down quietly. As soon as Xu Lan entered the house, she brought out the porridge and chicken soup that she had made. The fragrance almost made Qiao Mei want to sit up and taste it carefully. With one sniff, she knew that the food must have been stewed over a small fire for a long time. Is Mei Mei feeling better? Did Xiao Fang say anything today? Has she already gotten up today? Xu Lan asked worriedly. Xia He smiled and said, Mother, you ask the same questions when you come by every day. Qiao Mei is already feeling better. Aunt says that she has been traumatized, so she still feels a little down every day. She looks better and she seems to have more color in her cheeks compared to yesterday, Xu Lan said in relief. They had come in so quickly today that Qiao Mei did not have time to apply powder on her face. Otherwise, she would still look as pale as a few days ago. Mother, youre here Qiao Mei slowly opened her eyes and wanted to sit up and talk to them. Xia Zhe hurriedly went forward to support Qiao Mei and adjusted her pillow so that she could lean on it comfortably. Mei Mei, how do you feel? I stewed this with the best and freshest ingredients. Try it and see if it tastes good. Xu Lan carefully brought the chicken soup to Qiao Mei, afraid that she would spill and waste any bit of it. Chapter 502 - 502 Announcing Her Decision to Return to the Village 502 Announcing Her Decision to Return to the Village Qiao Mei carefully took the bowl and drank the chicken soup slowly. The chicken meat was so soft that it disintegrated with one touch. The soup was sweet and delicious. Thank you, mother. This soup is very delicious Qiao Mei said weakly. Its fine. If you like it, Ill stew it for you again tomorrow. Youll get better quicker if you drink more, Xu Lan said with relief. Qiao Mei could not bear to see Xu Lan so concerned about her health. If she were to leave now, it would hurt Xu Lans feelings. However, if she did not leave now, the matter of the babies would be exposed and all the plans would be ruined. She looked up at Xia Zhe, her big bright eyes filled with a pleading look. She could not bring herself to say that she wanted to return to the village. Xu Lan was really too nice to her now. Xia Zhe understood what she meant and said patiently to Xu Lan, Mother, I plan to bring Qiao Mei back to the village. Back to the village! Why so sudden! Xu Lan looked at Xia Zhe in shock and then turned to look at Qiao Mei. It was all her fault for being so nasty to Qiao Mei in the past. Now, no matter how much she tried to make up for it, it was useless. The babies were gone and Qiao Meis health was affected. It was useless to regret anything. Is it because I havent done well enough? Tell me what you dont like about me and Ill definitely change. If you go back to the village, who will take care of you? Isnt your grandfather sick too? Xu Lan said. My grandfather is in good health now and my mother is also in the village. She can take care of me. Its not that youre not doing well, its that I miss home, Qiao Mei said with a smile. I dont have many vacation days left. I want to go back and spend some time with her grandfather, and she can also go back to relax and recuperate, Xia Zhe added. Foshan Village was quite a wondrous place. Since it had an abundance of ginseng, the vegetables and fruits grown there must be nutritious too. It was not a bad thing to go back to the village to recuperate, but it was just that Xu Lan could not be by Qiao Meis side to take care of her. Then when are you leaving? Xu Lan asked dejectedly. Probably the day after tomorrow. Ill pack my things tomorrow and go buy some local specialties. Well take the bus back the day after tomorrow. Aunt says that there is no issue with Qiao Mei taking the bus in her current condition, Xia Zhe said. Then Ill go home and pack some stuff for you to bring along. Xu Lan poured the rest of the soup into a bowl and went back with Liu Fang, taking the lunch box with her. Qiao Mei could not bear to see Xu Lan like this. She was starting to like Xu Lan more and more now, but going home was equally important. Forget it, lets not think about the matters in the capital. I should think about how to give my grandfather a surprise! My grandfather will definitely be especially happy when I go back this time, especially when he sees that Xia Zhe has also come along. By then, he will probably only have eyes for Xia Zhe and not me. The two of you dont need to buy too much stuff tomorrow. I think our mother will definitely buy a lot of things. What if you cant bring all of it back, Xia He said. If we cant bring it back, then well give it to elder sister! Elder sister can help me share the burden, Qiao Mei said. Im not going to eat such stuff. Just feed yourself well. Ill take care of other things. Dont worry and just go back, Xia He said as she patted her chest. Qiao Mei suddenly thought of something and grabbed Xia Zhes hand excitedly to make him sit on the bed. She asked, Tell me quickly! What has happened outside recently! Her big round eyes stared at Xia Zhe like sparkling gems. They twinkled and looked so cute and spirited, making Xia Zhe unable to resist going forward to kiss her eyes. Ahem, theres still someone here, Xia He said as she held back her laughter. Xia Zhe could not hold back even in broad daylight. It seemed that Qiao Mei was really Xia Zhes Achilles heel. Even though Eldest Aunt had taken so much time to train him on his patience threshold, he forgot everything whenever he saw Qiao Mei. Xia Zhe coughed awkwardly and said, Ahem The He family has been on bad terms recently and many issues have erupted. We only know that Shen Na has been saved and is alive, but Shen Nas father hasnt come forward to resolve this matter yet. We dont know what his attitude is. The Ma family has now thrown Ma San out and given up on him. What do you mean? To let the Shen and He families deal with him? Qiao Mei found it unbelievable. The Ma family had four sons and Ma San was the third son in the family. Ma San was the most inconspicuous and also the most useless son in the Ma family. The family had never cared whether he was dead or alive. Chapter 503 - 503 Packing Up 503 Packing Up Then are Ma Sans brothers called Ma Yi, Ma Er and Ma Si! Qiao Mei asked curiously. Xia He laughed out loudly at the side. Qiao Meis way of thinking was quite novel. She had never found it strange before. Of course not. When Ma San was born, a fortune teller said that he was an inauspicious person, so the Ma family did not like him. In addition, he is ignorant, incompetent and likes to party, gamble and solicit prostitutes, so he is naturally not valued in the family, Xia Zhe explained. It was no wonder that after Ma San made such a big fuss when he married the daughter of the Shen family. In the past, everyone looked down on him. Therefore, when he became the son-in-law of the Shen family and was on good terms with the He family, he wanted to flaunt the fact that no one else had such luck. Then later? What happened after that? Qiao Mei asked. Xia Zhe also did not know much about what happened after that. Xia Wen was the one who told him all these things. Right now, he was only focused on how to take better care of Qiao Mei and did not want to care about anything else. You can ask elder brother about the matters regarding the He family later. What do you want to buy for grandfather? Xia Zhe asked with a smile. Her grandfather did not really lack anything and had everything he needed at home. She thought that she should buy something for her younger siblings. There was nothing much in that nearby county city and even books were really hard to come by. Children must be brought up with education, she did not want them to grow up and live in that mountain village for the rest of their lives. I think I want to buy some books for my younger siblings so that they can learn more. I also want to buy some books myself, Qiao Mei said. Its good to bring books. Ill ask elder brother about that later. Thats his area of expertise. Xia Zhe also wanted to buy some toys for the younger siblings, but he did not know what type they liked. He decided to buy whatever was the newest on the market when he went to the mall later. If you continue to shop like this, you should rent a car. I dont think the two of you can bring everything back yourselves, Xia He said helplessly. Books alone were already very heavy. Coupled with the rest of the stuff that they wanted to buy and the things that Xu Lan would ask them to bring, Xia Zhe would not be able to carry so many things no matter how fit he was. Thats true. Go buy a small wagon used for transporting goods tomorrow. Get a lighter one so that we can bring it onboard the train, Qiao Mei said. Xia Zhe never expected there would come such a day when he had to use a small wagon to carry things when he went visiting. It was rare for him to be back, so buying more things would make it easier for Qiao Mei. Otherwise, she would have to go out on her own. Alright. Ill come and pick you up when Im done tomorrow, Xia Zhe said. Actually, Xia Fang had already told Xia Zhe that Qiao Mei could be discharged from the hospital today. However, once she returned home, she would definitely have to face Xu Lans care and Second Aunt-in-laws fussing. Staying in the hospital would allow her to have some peace and quiet. The next day, Xu Lan went to prepare the ingredients early in the morning and bought a lot of things for Qiao Mei to bring with her. She even went to check with Xia Fang earnestly about how Qiao Mei should nurse her health, and even asked an elder who knew how to make medicinal cuisine to give her a few prescriptions. Xu Lan busied herself and only managed to get everything done at night. By then, Xia Zhe had also returned home with Qiao Mei. As soon as Qiao Mei entered, she saw packages stacked up into a small mountain-like pile, a heap of sealed medicinal herbs and some rare ingredients on the dining table. Mother what are all these? Qiao Mei asked. Xu Lan walked over and introduced everything to Qiao Mei one by one. Every package was indispensable! Mei Mei, look at the blue package here. It contains toys that I ask someone to get for me. I have also prepared some stuff for your grandfather. When he has nothing to do, he can take a look at them. I asked Uncle Zhou for recommendations. This box is filled with the books that you asked your elder brother to get. These were all used by him when he was young. When he told me that you can use them, I went to dig them out for you. By the way, this pink package contains all the food I brought for you, like biscuits, bread and other things. I went to ask my friends and they told me that the train ride will be tiring and that it will take you two days to get there. Im worried that you wont be used to the food on the train, so these snacks will come in handy if you get hungry. Xia Zhe was the one who went to buy that black bag. I dont know whats inside either. Also, I havent packed the things on the table for you yet. Today, I made a trip to look for the chefs who know how to make medicinal cuisine and they gave me a few prescriptions. You can just make the dishes yourself according to the instructions. As Xu Lan packed up, she talked non-stop about the use and classification of these things. Qiao Mei and Xia He were both stunned. They had expected there to be many things, but they did not expect her to have prepared so much. Chapter 504 - 504 Like Moving House 504 Like Moving House Mother prepared all these herself Xia He looked at the scene in front of her in shock. Even when she got married back then, it was not so grand. Qiao Mei had only fallen ill, but all these things were worth more than her dowry back then. I was also shocked when I came back with the things this afternoon, but I didnt stop my mother when I saw how happy she was. Anyway, I bought a wagon. Lets just bring all these things back, Xia Zhe whispered. When its time to load them, I dont think youll say that. I dont think we can bring everything back, Qiao Mei muttered hesitantly. Xu Lan searched through the pile of medicinal herbs for a long time before she finally found a book. She quickly handed it to Xia Zhe and said, Xia Zhe, you have to keep this book well. Your aunt wrote this for you and the prescriptions are also here. You must keep it well! Xia Zhe opened it and saw densely packed words on the pages, with many things to take note of. It was obvious that Xia Fang had written down the answers to Xu Lans questions one by one. This was because the contents were so detailed that it included the temperature of the water to note when Qiao Mei took a bath and the effect it would have on her body if it was too cold. I understand, Xia Zhe said. Xu Lan still felt that something was missing. She then went upstairs to see if there was anything else that she could give to Qiao Mei. Second Aunt-in-law is this how my mother behaved the entire day today? Xia He asked curiously. Liu Fang was so tired that she had collapsed on the sofa and did not want to speak anymore. Of course, Xu Lan did not buy all these things alone. She also had to put in a lot of effort. Not just today. Ever since Qiao Mei fell sick, your mother seems to have become a different person. The person who never went into the kitchen in the past can now cook a lot of dishes, Liu Fang said. After Qiao Mei lost her children this time, Xu Lan finally realized that she had some emotional issues and that she cared too little about her children at home. Actually, she also had many regrets in her heart, but there was no point in dwelling on them. The only thing she could do now was to treat Qiao Mei well and ask Qiao Mei not to mind the fact that she had been unhappy with Qiao Mei for the past month. Xiao Zhe, your mother feels that she owes you the most among everyone in this family. After all, your mother took care of your elder brother and elder sister herself. When you were born, your mother was not in good health anymore. You were first brought up by your elder brother and later handed over to your aunt to take care of. Actually, what your mother is doing now can be considered compensation for you. Dont hate her, Liu Fen said sadly. Second Aunt-in-law, Ive never blamed her. If you have time, please advise her not to think about these things. Qiao Mei has me to take care of her, Xia Zhe said as he looked upstairs. Not long after, Xia Wen and Tan Jing also came back to send Qiao Mei off. Xia Wen was holding a notebook in his hand. Oh my goodness, is our family moving house? Xia Wen had the same reaction as Xia He the moment he entered. Elder brother, mother prepared all these for Qiao Mei! Its scary, right! Xia He said laughingly. Tsk, tsk, tsk. There are so many things. As expected, the youngest in the family is so loved, Xia Wen said jokingly. Of course, he did not care about these things. They were a family and were happy for whoever was doing well. Moreover, he was the one who brought up Xia Zhe and he was happy that Xia Zhe was living a good life. However, Tan Jing did not think the same way. Ever since she married into the Xia family, Xu Lan had not given her anything decent, let alone such food. They only exchanged a few pleasantries when she first entered the family and she did not usually get to see Xu Lan after that. It was worse during the festive seasons. When her family had something going on and needed help, Xu Lan did not even look at her in the face. When Xu Lan went out and was asked about her elder daughter-in-law, her face was always filled with disdain. Between the two of them who married into the family, how could a girl from the city like her be inferior to a country girl from the countryside! This girl got pregnant as soon as she married into the family, and it was even twins! She was given all the food and drinks at home first, her husband loved her, elder sister and the other relatives all liked her, and even her own husband thought that Qiao Mei was not bad! It was not as if she did not know that Xia Wen liked children. Xia Wen was overjoyed to know that Xia Zhe was going to have two kids and even secretly went around to look at items for infants. How could she not be jealous! When she first heard that Qiao Mei had a miscarriage, she was happy for a moment. Finally, there would be someone as miserable as her. No one could be lucky all the time. However, when she returned home and saw the rare sight of Xia Wen drinking, she felt very upset. Chapter 505 - 505 Incompatible 505 Incompatible She was clearly Xia Wens wife! Why was Xia Wen so sad at this moment! Xia Zhe should be the one feeling sad! What did it have to do with their family! She was so jealous of Qiao Mei, jealous that she had gotten everything she should not have! They were both the Xia familys daughters-in-law, so why was there such a big difference in treatment! The things that mother prepared for sister-in-law are quite grand. Tan Jing smiled awkwardly. Xia He had always been guileless and did not understand the deeper meaning behind what others said. She even thought that Tan Jing was joking. Our mother must have secretly been swapped out with someone else in the middle of the night! Look at all these things! I didnt even have this much when I got married! Xia He said with a pout. Xia Wen knocked Xia Hes head lightly with the notebook in his hand and said, How rude! Thats our mother! You cant joke around like this, do you hear me! Xia He stuck out her tongue playfully and made a face as she said, Elder brother is behaving like a teacher again! Im not your student! Cant I just make a joke! So petty! Xia Wen was so annoyed that he raised his notebook and wanted to go forward to beat Xia He up. The two siblings chased each other and ran around the house. Xia Zhe hugged Qiao Mei tightly in his arms, worried that they would accidentally bump into her. Well done, Xia He! You can even make fun of your elder brother! Has it been too long since I last taught you a lesson! Stop right there! I just wont! If you have the ability, then catch up with me! You couldnt catch up with me when you were young! You still cant catch up after you grow up! The way the two of them played reminded Liu Fen of when they were young. She sighed and said, I remember the last time they ran like this was more than 10 years ago. In the blink of an eye, they both have their own families, but theyre still so naughty. Youve all grown up and your Second Aunt-in-law is old now. Liu Fen sat on the sofa disconsolately and watched them play noisily. Qiao Mei sat beside Liu Fen and said, Second Aunt-in-law is not old! Even if Second Aunt-in-law brings me out shopping now, people will think that youre my elder sister! Look at how well your skin is maintained! You! You only know how to make me happy! Xiao Zhe, look at your wife! Shes talking nonsense! Liu Fen said with a laugh. Im telling the truth! Its Second Aunt-in-law who doesnt believe me! If you dont believe me, when I come back in the future, lets go shopping and see if anyone calls you my elder sister. Qiao Mei hugged Liu Fens arm and giggled. Liu Fen quickly slapped Qiao Meis hand away and said, Then Ill be an old monster! Who can be so old and yet look as young as a teenage girl! Dont go out and say such things. If word gets out, people will laugh at me! Theyll say that Im old and indecent! Everyone was laughing and making a lot of noise. Tan Jing was the only one standing and looking out of place, as if she was not with her family. Xia Zhe only had eyes for Qiao Mei and did not notice the way Tan Jing looked at him. Tan Jing did not understand why, even though the two men were brothers, Xia Zhe could be so concerned about Qiao Mei but Xia Wen only cared about the big picture? Alright, alright. As an elder brother and elder sister, its not right for the two of you to make trouble in front of your younger brother and sisters-in-law! Liu Fen said. The two people chasing each other stopped immediately. Xia He looked fine and collected, but it was different for Xia Wen. After running a few rounds, he had started to pant heavily. Elder brother, you must have stopped training after leaving the army. Youre already tired after just a few rounds, Xia He said as she drank water. You little girl! Its already been a few years since I retired! As if I dont age! Xia Wen looked at Xia He resignedly. Qiao Mei grinned as she watched the siblings bicker. She had never experienced such a scene before. In her other life, her family was not on good terms and her parents always quarreled. In this life, she did not have any siblings either. Her father passed away early and her mother remarried. She had never experienced such warm moments before. Elder brother, whats that in your hand? Qiao Mei asked curiously. Oh, if you dont ask, it almost slips my mind! This is the notebook I used to take notes when I was in school. I only found this one booklet at home and I dont know where the rest are. It might be in the box that mother packed. Im thinking you might ask me for it today, so Id better quickly send it over. Xia Wen handed the notebook to Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei quickly opened it and read the first two pages carefully. This was knowledge that she needed. This notebook had really come at the right time! Chapter 506 - 506 Pigeon Blood Ruby 506 Pigeon Blood Ruby Elder brother, you dont have to do that. You even specially sent these notebooks over, Qiao Mei said with a smile. I dont know when youll be back. Im just worried that you have to wait too long if I mail it, so Id just bring it over to you now since I dont have anything else on, Xia Wen said. Tan Jing stared intently at Xia Wen. She knew very well that Xia Wen was lying. Xia Wen had spent the entire day at home today searching for this notebook. Moreover, he had also rejected two important meetings at school just to deliver this notebook. Elder brother, I have another favor to ask of you. Ill have to trouble you to take care of the plants in my courtyard house, Qiao Mei said. It was not a big deal to take care of flowers and grass. It was not difficult to take two days off a week to go and take a look, so Xia Wen agreed readily. Everyone chatted downstairs for a long time before Xu Lan came down with an exquisite wooden box in her hand. No one had seen this thing before. Mei Mei, you should wear this. Xu Lan stuffed the wooden box into Qiao Meis hand. Qiao Mei opened the wooden box slowly and saw a ruby necklace inside. The color of the ruby was gorgeous and dazzling. This was a pure pigeon blood ruby. There were not many high quality rubies on the market, let alone such a big one. This sister-in-law, isnt this your dowry from back then? Liu Fen said in surprise. Yes, this is a treasure passed down in my family. Im already the fourth generation to have it. Im giving this to Qiao Mei now. I hope you can treasure it well, Xu Lan said with a smile. Qiao Mei closed the wooden box and returned it to Xu Lan. She was too embarrassed to take such a valuable thing. Moreover, she had been lying to Xu Lan all this time and she already felt guilty. She did not feel good about taking Xu Lans dowry. I cant accept this. Its really too valuable. Mother, its better if you keep it with you. What if I lose it later? Qiao Mei said nervously. There were still thieves in the village now and there were even bandits previously. During these days, no family dared to store valuable things at home. Back then, Xia Zhe had already made other people jealous when he gave her a betrothal gift of 2,000 dollars. It was better to leave such valuable things in the capital. The jewelry and calligraphy paintings from the courtyard house also had to be kept at home, as well as the money she had now. She wanted to see if she could put them all in the bank, perhaps by renting a safe there. This is for you. Take it. If you dont, Ill get angry, Xu Lan said, pretending to be unhappy. Qiao Mei had no choice but to accept the gemstone. This was the first time she had seen such a good quality gemstone and she wondered whether the gemstone or jade would contain more energy. Thank you, mother. Then Ill take this, Qiao Mei said with a smile. Alright, everyone, come over for dinner. Its not easy to have everyone back. Come and have a good meal, Liu Fen said. The womenfolk were about to go into the kitchen to bring out the dishes when Xu Lan hurriedly stopped Qiao Mei and asked her to sit beside her. Mei Mei, dont go. Just let your sister and sister-in-law go. Youre weak now and cant work too hard, Xu Lan said with a frown. Tan Jing nodded obediently and did as Xu Lan said. She had been living like this ever since she married into the Xia family. Xia He could also tell that Tan Jing was feeling unhappy, but she did not say anything. It was all Xu Lans arrangements. At the dining table, Xu Lan also just kept putting food into Qiao Meis bowl so that she could eat more to nourish herself. When Xu Lan spoke, her attitude was exactly the same as Liu Fen, as if she had turned into a completely different person. Mother, you should eat too. Youre so focused on putting food into Qiao Meis bowl that you havent even eaten anything, Xia He said. Im fine. Im not in a hurry. Its good that Mei Mei eats more. Im not hungry. Xu Lans focus was all on Qiao Mei now and she did not listen to anything that anyone said. Tan Jing sat silently at the side and ate the food in her bowl. Suddenly, someone put another piece of fish in her bowl. She looked up and saw Xia Wen smiling tenderly at her. So Xia Wen knew that she was unhappy. This piece of fish was very big and there was not a single fish bone in it. There was also no fish skin on the surface. Xia Wen still remembered her preferences and he still loved her. Eat it, Ill get more for you, Xia Wen said. Chapter 507 - 507 Getting on the Train to Go Back to the Village 507 Getting on the Train to Go Back to the Village After dinner, everyone went back to their own homes. The next day, Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe arrived at the train station in the morning. Xu Lan and the rest also came to send them off. Mei Mei, you must take good care of yourself. Dont scrimp on food. Just buy whatever you want. Dont scrimp, understand? Xu Lan said with some heartache. I know. I definitely wont treat myself badly. Mother, dont worry, Qiao Mei said as she held Xu Lans hand. Xu Lan could not help but cover her face and cry. She really could not accept the fact that after she lost her grandchildren, Qiao Mei was going to leave too. If only she could turn back time! She definitely would not treat Qiao Mei badly. Qiao Mei felt bad to see Xu Lan in such pain. Their parents were getting old and she was worried that Xu Lan would still cry every day after she left. If that continued, her health would suffer. Mother, dont worry. Ill take good care of myself. You have to take good care of yourself too, Qiao Mei said. Xu Lan nodded. She had a lot to say, but as she watched the train enter the station, there was only a myriad of reluctance in her heart. She silently watched them get on the train. Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe were lucky enough to get seats by the window. Qiao Mei sat at the window and looked for Xu Lan. The thin figure was also looking for them by peering through the windows one by one. Qiao Mei rolled down the carriage window and waved her hand forcefully. Please go back! Mother! Alright! You must be well! If if you have time, give me a call! Xu Lan said in a choked voice. Qiao Mei nodded vigorously as the train started to move slowly. After the train attendant closed all the windows, Qiao Mei continued to look out of the window worriedly. Whats wrong? Xia Zhe asked. I just feel that what Im doing is too much. I still feel uncomfortable seeing mother like that, Qiao Mei said with a frown. We cant tell her the truth for the time being. Elder brother is already handling the matters related to the He family. Lets talk to her after were done with all these matters. Mother wont blame you. When you bring two plump babies home, mother will definitely forget about this incident, Xia Zhe said with a smile. The He family could be said to be facing troubles both inside and outside their family at the moment. Xia Wen had said that He Ning gave Qiane 100,000 dollars to settle the issue and that Ma San would first be handed over to the Shen family to be dealt with. He also heard that Old Master Shen was so angry that he broke Ma Sans leg. In return for what happened to He Meis face, He Guo also gave Ma San a fierce whipping. Now, they were all waiting to see how He Ning would deal with Ma San in the end. Otherwise, Qiane would not give up on her end. The He family would know about our departure tomorrow. By then, it will be too late even if they want to cause trouble. Qiane is still pestering them, Xia Zhe said. Why are you always talking about Qiane? Dont tell me youre Qiao Mei pouted and said unhappily. For some reason, she just did not like it when Xia Zhe mentioned other women. Only then did Xia Zhe realize that Qiao Mei was jealous. He quickly pulled her into his arms and coaxed her, What are you thinking about? Youre my wife now, so of course I think about you. What else can I think about? Qiao Mei pushed Xia Zhe away out of embarrassment and looked around in a panic. Behave yourself! Were in public! I know you think of me. Stop talking Qiao Mei said while blushing. When a mother with her son in the opposite seat saw Qiao Meis blissful expression, she smiled and said, Young sister, youre really lucky to have a husband who dotes on you so much. Young man, you have to treat her well. If your wife is happy, she will definitely bring good fortune to her husband! Yes, yes, yes. Ill definitely treat her well, Xia Zhe said. Auntie, you look like a blessed person too! Qiao Mei said with a smile. Oh my, this child has such a sweet tongue! Then Ill have to count on your blessings! Along the way, with the snacks that Xu Lan provided and Xia Zhe accompanying her, she felt much happier than during the journey when she first arrived in the capital. It also felt as if time passed faster. She wondered if her grandfather missed her, if her younger siblings had grown taller, and if her mother had a hard time at home. She also wondered if those people from the Liu family in the city had gone to find trouble with her mother. Over the phone, Uncle Zhao only talked about the good things and did not mention anything else. The more Qiao Mei thought about it, the more afraid she became. She slapped her own head and stopped thinking so much. If she continued to think about it, someone in the village would probably lose their lives! She decided to have a good nights sleep now. When she reached the village the next day, she would know everything. Chapter 508 - 508 The Days Without Her 508 The Days Without Her As soon as she got down from the train, Qiao Mei felt very comfortable. Even the air here felt different from the air in the capital. This was the smell of her hometown. It was so nice to be home. Should we go home first or go to the county city first? Xia Zhe asked as he dragged the wagon full of luggage. The people coming and going around them were either carrying big bags or had numerous family members with them. Xia Zhe was wearing a military uniform and carrying so many things with him. He also had a beautiful young girl standing next him, therefore attracting curious glances from passers-by. Qiao Mei had realized that many women stared at Xia Zhe in the train carriage. Now that there were even more people around after disembarking, it was better to hurry back. Lets go back quickly. If we go back now, well still be able to have dinner with grandfather. If its any later, hell have gone up the mountain for a walk, Qiao Mei said. The two of them made haste and rushed back. On the way, they even met the old man from the village convenience store. He had driven a three-wheeled vehicle to come out to buy goods so he was able to send Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe back to the village. Old mister, hows your business recently! Qiao Mei asked. Sigh, its no different from usual. Everyone just comes to buy some daily necessities, the old man said. Other than Qiao Zhuangs family, everyone else had made enough money during the time when they sold bean sprouts. How could no one be buying anything? I thought everyone earned some money this year! Why didnt they go to your place to buy more good stuff! Qiao Mei said. The old man smiled and shook his head as he said, Qiao Mei, you dont know this, but even if we all earn money, everyone will save it up and wont bear to spend the money at all. Which family doesnt have a few children who will grow up and get married? Families with boys are even more careful with money. They will have to save it for their boys to get married! If one really wanted to earn money, it was definitely not possible for one to do it alone. Otherwise, others would be jealous of ones family and play dirty tricks behind ones back. It would only be harmonious when everyone could make money together. Old mister, I remember that your family has two sons! Qiao Mei said. Thats right. Now that my first son is married, Im not so worried anymore. My second son is still waiting to get married! the old man said with a smile. Old mister, hows my grandfather recently? Qiao Mei asked. At this moment, the old man did not say much and Qiao Mei had a vague feeling that something was wrong. Could it be that something had happened to her grandfather? Old mister, tell me quickly! Qiao Mei said anxiously. Sigh just the same things that happened in the past. When you were not at home, Qiao Zhuangs family went to your house to take things. As your grandfather was alone at home, he could not fight them off, so he just let them take whatever they wanted. Sometimes, the situation is better if your mother is at home. Your younger siblings are all really young and cant stop Qiao Zhuang and the rest, the old man said angrily. One time, he happened to pass by Qiao Meis house and saw Qiao Zhuangs eldest daughter-in-law, Liu Ying, and third daughter-in-law, Jiang Ye, throwing a tantrum at the door, insisting that they wanted to take a pig from Qiao Meis house. At that time, both Qiao Qiang and Li Gui were at home, so they did not manage to succeed and only managed to scold everyone. Otherwise, if they had succeeded, they would have taken all the poultry to their house. Qiao Mei, youre pregnant so dont go and look for them. Dont suffer any losses. Your husband is also here, so Ill say a bit more. Lets not fight head-on with scoundrels. After all, your status is special. Theyre all commoners. It would not be good if things get out of hand, the old man advised them earnestly. Xia Zhe definitely could not come forward to handle such a matter. If Qiao Zhuang and the rest acted shamelessly and insisted that Xia Zhe had injured their arms or legs, it would become a matter of a soldier bullying commoners. This would be seen as a serious matter. If word got out, Xia Zhe could forget about his career progression in the army. Old mister is right. Ill definitely consider it carefully. Thank you, old mister, Qiao Mei said. Xia Zhe still wanted to say something in rebuttal when Qiao Mei stopped him and whispered, Lets talk at home. In no time at all, they arrived at the entrance of the village. Qiao Mei patted the old mans shoulder and said, Old mister, you can let me off here. Weve reached your convenience store. My house is just a few steps away. That wont do! It doesnt matter since its just a few steps. You have so many things, Ill help send them to your house. Dont stand on ceremony with me! The old man smiled and waved his hand. The people here were all very simple and honest. They still remembered how well Qiao Mei treated them, so they would do their best to help her whenever she needed help. Thank you then, old mister! Qiao Mei smiled sweetly. Chapter 509 - 509 Acting 509 Acting Xia Zhe watched Qiao Meis every move. It seemed that Qiao Mei had only used a small part of her talent in the capital. This village was her true small world. Everyone was fond of her and liked to help her. They would think about her whenever there was anything good and they would also help her family with the plowing. Her family members were mainly very young or very old, so they would help out whenever they could. Why are you looking at me? Qiao Mei turned around and saw Xia Zhe staring straight at her with a smile. I just like to look at you, Xia Zhe said. Before Qiao Mei could say anything, they arrived at the door of her house. Xia Zhe got down from the vehicle and carried Qiao Mei down before removing everything from the vehicle one by one. Old mister, come in and have a seat! Ill make you something delicious to eat! Qiao Mei said warmly. The old man quickly waved his hands and returned to the vehicle. No, no. My wife is still waiting for me to go home for dinner. Remember to greet your grandfather on my behalf! Alright! Old mister, be careful! Qiao Mei said as she waved. The old man chuckled as he drove away from Qiao Meis house. Qiao Qiang put on a shirt and slowly came out of the house. The moment he saw Qiao Mei, he thought that he was seeing things because of his old age. He rubbed his eyes carefully and looked again. Qiao Mei was really back home! Mei Mei! Is it Mei Mei! Qiao Qiang shouted as he hurriedly walked up to Qiao Mei. When Qiao Mei saw Qiao Qiang, tears welled up in her eyes for some reason. She went forward agitatedly to hug Qiao Qiang and said, Grandfather, Im back! Good! Its good that youre back. So good that youre back. Qiao Qiang stroked Qiao Meis head with trembling hands. Qiao Qiang also saw Xia Zhe behind Qiao Mei and recalled that when they first met, he got him drunk together with Qiao Mei. It had taken him a lot of effort to carry the young man into the back room Xia Zhe is back too, Qiao Qiang said. Xia Zhe stood up straight and saluted respectfully. He said loudly, Yes! Im back! Goodness, this child. Im an old man now and not a soldier anymore. Why are you giving me a military salute? Hurry up and enter the house, Qiao Qiang said with a smile. Xia Jun had previously instructed Xia Zhe to treat Qiao Qiang like his regiment commander. Although the old man was no longer a soldier, his glorious deeds were worthy of respect from everyone, especially the Xia family. Throughout all their generations, they must not forget that Qiao Qiang was their savior. Qiao Mei took a glance at their private plot of land in the courtyard from the corner of her eye. Although it looked to have been cleaned up, she could still tell that it had been trampled on. Grandfather, did Qiao Zhuangs family come here? Qiao Mei asked. No such thing. Would they dare to come knocking on our door? Ill break their legs! Qiao Qiang said as he seemed to put up a front. Qiao Mei went to the cabinet and took out the small box containing the ginseng and lingzhi. There seemed to be a few pieces less, but there was still too much left after two months worth of consumption. Did you also not eat these regularly? Qiao Mei asked with a little bit of anger. At this moment, Qiao Qiang lowered his head like a child who had made a mistake and said softly, Im not sick, so I dont need to eat these things. Ill eat them when I dont feel well. Qiao Mei closed the box and threw it back on the cabinet forcefully. She also understood how the older generation thought, but if her grandfather did not take good care of his health, his illness would become more and more serious. She had to put on an act. She wanted to make Qiao Qiang willing to soak the herbs in water and drink it every week so that she could feel more at ease. Xia Zhe hurriedly went forward to hold on to Qiao Mei. She had only just been drenched not long ago and was still tired from the long journey for the past two days. She got so angry the moment she returned home. Given that she was pregnant, he could not let her mess around like this. Dont be angry. Come and sit down. Xia Zhe helped Qiao Mei to take a seat on the brick bed. Tears started streaming down Qiao Meis face, scaring Qiao Qiang so much that he did not know what to do. He said in a panic, Ill eat it, Ill definitely eat it. Mei Mei, dont be angry and dont cry. Its not good for the baby. Grandfather, you still know that its not good for the baby! Then why dont you take care of your own health! Do you even eat three proper meals a day! Why havent you taken good care of yourself when Im not at home, Qiao Mei said as she wept. Xia Zhe already could not tell if Qiao Mei was really angry or just scaring the elderly man. He quietly wiped her tears with a tissue. Chapter 510 - 510 Pieces of Candy 510 Pieces of Candy Grandfather will definitely listen to Mei Mei and take good care of myself in the future. Mei Mei, dont cry anymore. Qiao Qiang took out two pieces of candy from the drawer and showed them to Qiao Mei. This was Qiao Meis favorite candy when she was young. Every time Qiao Mei got angry, he would use this candy to coax her. Then its a deal. From now on, grandfather will take good care of your health. You still have to look after your great-grandson! He also wants to ask great-grandfather for candy, Qiao Mei said proudly. At the mention of Qiao Meis baby, Qiao Qiang was overjoyed and said happily, Yes, yes, yes. Ill listen to you. Either a boy or a girl is fine! Its fine! Qiao Mei joyfully took the candy from Qiao Qiangs hand and stuffed one piece into her mouth, giving the other piece to Xia Zhe. Grandfather, theres another piece of good news for you, Qiao Mei said as she chewed on the candy. What is it? Qiao Qiang asked. Youre going to have two great-grandchildren! Im having twins! Qiao Mei said. Twins! He had been in the village for most of his life and had never heard of anyone giving birth to twins. This was such a super joyous occasion and he must put up lanterns and decorations to celebrate it. Really? Who told you this news? Qiao Qiang was overjoyed when he heard the news and the creases on his face became even deeper. Its Xia Zhes aunt. Shes a doctor at a big hospital in the capital. Its definitely true, but grandfather, dont make it public. Im just telling you this so that you can be happy too. Well tell people about it only after the babies are born, Qiao Mei said. Do you think the twins will look exactly the same, as if theyre carved from the same mold? Ive met a pair of twins in the army before. Other than their parents, no one can tell whos who, Qiao Qiang said as he looked at Qiao Meis stomach. Xia Zhe was actually also very curious about whether they would look very similar. He had never thought about this matter before and was simply just happy about it. If they look the same, then its better for them to look more like Qiao Mei. Shes beautiful, it will be terrible if they look like me, Xia Zhe said with a smile. It doesnt matter which of you they look like as long as theyre healthy! Just sit here, Ill go cook for you! Mei Mei needs more nourishment. After saying that, Qiao Qiang went to the water vat in the courtyard to get a fish. The four children had requested for this water vat as they did not have any playmates. There were no pregnant cats or dogs in the village at the moment. Otherwise, he would be able to get a pet animal for the children. Therefore, he had a big water vat made and put it in the courtyard for the children to raise fish. The fishes they caught during the day also need not die immediately and they could still keep the fishes alive at home for three to four days. In such a way, they would be able to have a supply of fresh fish all the time. Ah! Let go of me! I already say I dont have money! Suddenly, there were sounds of an argument outside. Qiao Mei listened carefully and knew that it was Li Guis voice. Oh no! This is my mothers voice! Qiao Mei immediately rushed out of the door and Xia Zhe followed her. Qiao Qiang took the hoe and wanted to go over to help. During this period of time when Qiao Mei was not at home, it was always Qiao Qiang who went over to help chase away those scoundrels from the Zhang family. He was already so old and with his status and position in the village, the Zhang family did not dare to bully him and would leave after a few words. Grandfather, well go. You can rest at home, Xia Zhe said as he stopped Qiao Qiang. Qiao Qiang held Xia Zhes arm and said, Protect Qiao Mei well. Dont let her get hurt! Grandfather, dont worry. After saying that, Xia Zhe took big strides and chased up with Qiao Mei. She was not sure if it was a coincidence this time or if it was always so many people from the Zhang family coming to ask for money. Zhang Qian, Zhang Cong and Old Madam Zhang were all here. At this moment, Zhang Qian was dragging Li Gui by the hair on the ground with one hand and pointing at the children in the courtyard with his other hand, asking them to go get the money quickly. Let go of my mother! Qiao Mei shouted loudly. The moment Zhang Cong saw Qiao Mei, his eyes lit up. He had not seen her for a few months and her figure had become more and more voluptuous. Ever since he married Sun Yan, he had found her annoying no matter which way he looked at her. Before Sun Yan got pregnant, he had thought that she was quite beautiful. After Sun Yan got pregnant, she ate a lot more than before and started to lose her figure. These two women were both pregnant, but Qiao Mei just looked so much better. Xia Zhe also noticed Zhang Congs gaze and glared at him fiercely. Chapter 511 - 511 Captured by a Wild Boar 511 Captured by a Wild Boar Zhang Cong tugged at the corner of Zhang Qians shirt and whispered, That wretched girl is back. When they came previously, they did not dare to do anything to Qiao Qiang, but they said a lot of nasty things to him about Qiao Mei going to the capital and never coming back. They said that she would leave an old fart like him to rot in the mountain village, and that she would definitely experience a difficult labor when she gave birth and the child would be born deformed. They said all the most unpleasant things. It made Qiao Qiang so angry that he was almost hospitalized. Now that Qiao Mei was back, she would definitely want to avenge Qiao Qiang. Im asking Li Gui for money, what has it got to do with you! Zhang Qian said. Shes my mother. How can it have nothing to do with me! Qiao Mei said with her hands on her hips. Xia Zhe went forward and grabbed Zhang Qians wrist. Let go. Zhang Qian looked at Xia Zhe, a good-looking man wearing a military uniform, and thought that this must be Qiao Meis soldier husband. Alright, let go let go Zhang Qian said awkwardly as he released his grip. Qiao Mei quickly went forward to help Li Gui up. Li Guis face was covered in tears and she was all covered in mud. She was too embarrassed to look at Xia Zhe. It was her first time meeting her son-in-law and she felt so mortified that he had to witness such a shameful matter happening at home. Mei Mei, Im fine Lets just send them away Li Gui said tentatively. No, we cant let this matter rest just like that! Qiao Mei said. What are you shouting about! Were just here to ask for some money! What are you shouting about! Back then, we let them come back to the countryside to earn money! You even lied to us and said that you can earn a lot of money after you come back! I think you have hidden away all the money! Old Madam Zhang scolded. In the past, when every family sold bean sprouts, they naturally could make a lot of money. At the moment, not everyone could grow bean sprouts well. The village had reverted to its previous economic level and every family had started to do other businesses. Li Gui had explained this to them countless times, but the Zhang family did not believe her and kept saying that Li Gui used that as an excuse to lie to them. Dont say anything else! Just hurry up and give me the money! Since your daughter is back, you have to give me 500 dollars! Otherwise, I wont leave! Ill smash up your house! After saying that, Zhang Qian went forward to tear down Li Guis shed. Zhang Wei quickly stood up and said, Theres no more money at home! Weve already given you all our money! You cant touch this shed! Only then did Qiao Mei realize that Zhang Wei had grown up a lot in the past two months and had become much bigger and taller. Get lost! You little brat, how dare you stop your father! Youre really too bold and deserve a beating! Ill teach you a lesson first today! Ill let your younger siblings take a good look! This is the consequence of being disobedient! Zhang Qian picked up Zhang Wei as if he was grabbing a little chick. He was about to raise his hand and hit down hard when Xia Zhe stopped him. Who do you think you are! Do you think you can interfere in other peoples family matters just because youre a soldier! Im teaching my son a lesson! Get lost! Zhang Qian tried to shake off Xia Zhes hand, but did not succeed in doing that. Xia Zhe kept exerting strength and grabbed Zhang Qians arm tightly. By now, Zhang Qian had let go of Zhang Wei due to the pain. Ouch! Ouch! Let go of me! My hand is going to break! Zhang Qian twisted around as he groaned in pain. You can let go, Qiao Mei said. After Qiao Mei said that, Xia Zhe let go of Zhang Qian and walked behind Qiao Mei to protect her silently. The children did not know who Xia Zhe was. In the past, Qiao Mei often mentioned Xia Zhe to them and even said that he was an upright man who was a great hero like their grandfather. She even told them many stories about his great achievements. Actually, Qiao Mei made up all the stories to scare the children into being obedient. When children of other families were disobedient, their parents would scare them and say that if they were disobedient again, they would get wild boars to come down the mountain in the middle of the night to capture them! What her familys children heard the most was that if they were disobedient, they would be taken away by their brother-in-law to be taught a lesson. He was even scarier than wild boars! When they saw how Xia Zhe dealt with Zhang Qian today, they all felt that Qiao Mei did not lie to them back then and that they would definitely not be disobedient in the future. Youre too much! So many people are bullying the three of us! Old Madam Zhang shouted shakily. If you dont talk, I wont know youre here. After two months, you look even worse? Dont be too angry. Isnt it better to live a few more years? Qiao Mei said as she rolled her eyes. Chapter 512 - 512 Get Out 512 Get Out You! You! How dare you curse me! Im still your grandmother after all! How dare you disobey your elder like this! Old Madam Zhang stomped her feet in anger. Qiao Mei could not help but roll her eyes when she heard this. What kind of elder! Was she even worthy to be called an elder! I wont dare to curse you. Arent I just advising you to think more about happy things? If you just stay put in the city, who will bully you? Qiao Mei asked. As the quarrel became louder and louder, the number of villagers watching outside also increased. Some of them even went home to ask more people to join in. Auntie Dong, who loved to join in any commotion, forced her way in from the back of the crowd. Before she even saw who was the one causing trouble, she spotted Qiao Mei in the courtyard. Mei Mei, youre back! Auntie Dong rushed forward excitedly. Auntie Dong! I was just about to go to your place to look for you when something happened, Qiao Mei said with a smile. Oh my, Im still wondering whats happening. This group of shameless people can come four times a week. Theyre even more diligent than the funeral people, Auntie Dong said mockingly. Her words made the people outside laugh loudly. Auntie Dongs tongue was as sharp as ever. Seeing that there were more and more people, Zhang Qian wanted to slip away from the back. Before he could even take two steps, Xia Zhe stopped him. Now, they could not get either money or vegetables. If the villagers did not discover that they were here, they still had a chance to get the things they demanded. They also did not know why the villagers here were so united. If anything happened at Li Guis house, the villagers would all come to help. As long as they entered the village, someone would definitely inform everyone. After all, it was Li Guis family matter and the villagers could only watch from outside the fence. However, as soon as the Zhang family lay a hand on Li Gui, they would be chased and beaten up by the villagers until they reached the outskirts of the village. At first, Zhang Qian felt that he would have some peace and quiet at home once Li Gui was not around. However, he did not expect Old Madam Zhang to kick up a fuss at home every day because there was no one at home to clean up the house! If you cant fork out the money today I Ill divorce you! You dont have money and youre not at home! Our Zhang family doesnt want you! Zhang Qian pointed at Li Gui and shouted. Before Qiao Mei could feel happy about hearing this, Li Gui rushed over and said, Give me a few more days! Give me a few more days! Everyone felt that Li Guis reaction was very normal. In this era, not many people got divorced. If one did, one would be mocked for the rest of ones life. Back then, Li Gui had remarried because Qiao Yue passed away and she had no other choice. There were also widows and widowers living in this village and very few of them remarried. Whoever got a divorce would be made to feel ashamed for the rest of their lives! No! Your daughter and son-in-law are both back! Dont they have even 500 dollars! If you dont give me 500 dollars, well have to get a divorce! I didnt hold it against you previously! Now that theyre back, you have to give me the money! Zhang Qian said as he shook off Li Guis hand. Li Gui really could not bring herself to borrow money from Qiao Mei, let alone Xia Zhe. How could a son-in-law be asked to help his mother-in-law repay a debt as soon as he came for a visit. For the past two months, she could barely afford to buy rice and noodles. The children already had to set off and walk to school before dawn. They originally still had the money to take the bus to go with the other children in the village. If this continued, the childrens tuition fees would become a problem too. She did not have any money left. How can you have the cheek to talk about getting a divorce! Not only does our sister have to raise four children, but she also has to give all of you pocket money! Have you ever given her anything! Auntie Dong shouted. Thats right! Didnt we say the last time that you need to have identification documents to enter the village! How can any Tom, Dick or Harry be allowed in! Auntie Wang shouted from within the crowd. However, there were many ways to enter the village and there were also inconspicuous paths in the mountains that the villagers could not block. The villagers quickly surrounded them, making the three people from the Zhang family retreat repeatedly. Zhang Qian took advantage of the moment when no one was paying attention and ran out from the back of the courtyard, followed closely by Zhang Cong. Old Madam Zhang was old and it was difficult for her to move around, so she could not keep up with her son and grandson. She was so afraid that she did not dare to make a sound and just stood there with her legs trembling. Your son and grandson have already left, so why are you still standing here! Hurry up and leave! Dont let others say that our village bullies the elderly! Auntie Dong said as she waved her hand. Chapter 513 - 513 A Make-up Wedding Ceremony 513 A Make-up Wedding Ceremony Old Madam Zhang ran out shakily. When she reached the door, she even tripped and had a big fall. She did not have time to check where she was injured but just stood up and continued running. She would probably discover that she had grazed her skin when she got back. After the bullies left, everyone gathered around and exchanged warm greetings. Their main purpose was to get a closer look at Qiao Meis husband! Back then, Qiao Mei was the only one who organized the wedding and the groom did not even show up. They could all finally get to know one another now, and they considered him to be part of the village from now on! Qiao Mei was forcefully pushed out of the crowd but she was not angry at all. She stared at Xia Zhe with her big eyes and sat in the pavilion, gloating over his misfortune. Qiao Mei! So this is your husband! Hes so handsome! Auntie Dong could not stop smiling when she saw Xia Zhe, as if she was looking at her own son-in-law. Thats right. Back then, we didnt believe what Qiao Mei said about you being tall and handsome! At that time, you came and left the village in a hurry and we didnt get to know each other properly. Now it seems that Qiao Mei is telling the truth! Auntie Wang said. As everyone chattered, Xia Zhe was quickly surrounded by the women in the village who kept asking him questions. Look at his build. He can definitely do hard work! Hes a soldier! Thats for the country! Hes a hero! What hard work! Thats right, thats right! Whats your name! Xia Zhe was so stunned by the aunties enthusiasm that he did not dare to move. He stood stiffly on the spot and stammered, My my name is Xia Zhe! What a good name! Hahahaha! Xiao Zhe, do you know any nice young men in the army! My daughter is 20 years old this year. Shes beautiful and capable! Please help out! Me too! My daughter too! Auntie Li! Its too early for you to say that! Your daughter is only 16 years old! Whats the hurry! Qiao Mei shouted with a smile. Thats right! Let my daughter go first! Auntie Wang said. Xia Zhe hurriedly looked to Qiao Mei for help. If he did not leave this place soon, this group of women would probably disassemble him and bring him home. Qiao Mei shouted loudly, Everyone helped a lot when I was not in the village! Dont go back yet today! Lets have a good meal at my house! Well treat you to good food and drinks! Taking advantage of the fact that everyone was around today, as well as the rare occasion that Xia Zhe could be around, she decided to hold a make-up wedding ceremony so that there would be a lively celebration in the village. I have salted vegetables at home. Wait for me to bring them over! And my house! I have sauerkraut! Two full jars! Wait for me to go back and move them over with my husband to make something delicious for everyone! Ill go back and get some too! Wait for me! Everyone went back to their homes to bring out the best things they had. Qiao Mei was always very generous and willing to treat them to meat, so they also had to take out what they had at home and could not be stingy. Qiao Mei stood up to help, but Auntie Dong pressed her back down on the chair and said, Youre already so far in your pregnancy. Just take a good rest. The few of us are enough! Qiao Mei called Zhang Wei over and said, Xiao Wei! Bring your brother-in-law to the old misters place at the village entrance to buy some liquor. Remember to get the best kind. Also, ask the old mister to bring his wife over for dinner. If the two of you buy too many things, get the old mister to send them over with his vehicle. Do you remember everything I say? Zhang Wei stood rooted to the ground. In the past, he often ran errands at home and helped to buy things for his family, but he did not seem enthusiastic this time. Whats wrong? Did Zhang Qian hurt you just now? Qiao Mei asked anxiously. Zhang Wei said fearfully, He didnt hit me But elder sister, can I not go with my brother-in-law I know how to buy the things myself Then go with Zhang Chao. Ill be worried if you go alone. If you encounter any danger, remember to find someone nearby to help, understand? Qiao Mei instructed. Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao took the money and set off. These two children had learned how to ride bicycles when they had nothing to do and disappeared in a flash. Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao also ran into the house and peeked at Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei curiously and fearfully through the small window. Xia Zhe thought that the children did not like him and were unwilling to get close to him. He asked dejectedly, Do the younger siblings not like me? Was I too fierce just now? Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe awkwardly. This matter was actually her fault. Its not that they dont like you. Its just that I always use your name to scare them and I say that youre scarier than a big wild boar Qiao Mei said softly. Chapter 514 - 514 Can You Not Leave 514 Can You Not Leave In that case, it was no wonder that they all avoided him. However, there were also benefits to this. The few of them would not dare to do anything naughty again. Then do I look like a big wild boar to you? Xia Zhe said as he leaned closer to Qiao Mei. I think youre more like a big bad wolf! Qiao Mei said with a laugh. Everyone went about cooking happily in the courtyard. There were definitely not enough pots on the stove at home for such a banquet. They took a metal sheet to form a circle to make a stove and then set up an iron pot on it. That was how they set up a portable stove. Basically, every family had such a thing. If it was still not enough, they would borrow things from their neighbors and everyone would come over to help. Now I know why you like coming back, Xia Zhe said as he looked at the figures busying themselves in the courtyard. Although everything is convenient and Im happy in the capital, I dont know many people. But Im familiar with everyone in the village. Everyone helps anyone who needs help. As long as you treat them well, they will also treat you well with all their heart, Qiao Mei said. Qiao Mei turned around and saw that Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao were still peeping at them through the window, looking like they wanted to say something to her. Ill go and take a look at my younger sisters. Go and ask grandfather to come over and then keep an eye on Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao. Im afraid that these two children will be too clumsy and fall down again, Qiao Mei instructed. When Xia Zhe heard this, he went to fetch Qiao Qiang. After the two girls saw Xia Zhe had gone a distance away, they ran out happily to talk to Qiao Mei. Elder sister! I miss you so much! Zhang Miao threw herself into Qiao Meis arms, scaring Zhang Qin so much that she held Zhang Miao back. Elder sister is pregnant! Be careful! Zhang Qin chided. Zhang Miao looked at Qiao Mei uneasily. She was just excited and did not rush over on purpose. Qiao Mei smiled and took Zhang Miao and Zhang Qin by the hands, placing their hands on her stomach as she said, Feel it. See if your little nephew is fine? Nephew? Elder sister, whats a nephew? Zhang Miao asked in puzzlement. She was still young. In addition, Old Madam Zhang did not allow the girls at home to read and write previously, so they only knew how to do housework. The old woman did not even allow the two girls to show their faces when there were guests at home. The young Zhang Miao did not know anything about such things. Elder sisters son is your nephew. Once hes born, he will need to call you little aunt, Qiao Mei said as she patted Zhang Miaos head. Zhang Miao looked at Qiao Mei as if she only vaguely understood what she heard. Zhang Qin also did not quite understand the concept of seniority. Since this was her elder sisters child, then they would protect him well! Elder sister, how long will you be back this time? Can you not leave Zhang Miao said aggrievedly. When Qiao Mei was still in the village, they still had someone protecting them. During the two months whenQiao Mei was not around, they were always beaten and scolded by Zhang Qian. The children from the neighboring villages also bullied them and said that they were fatherless children. Did Zhang Qian and the others bully you? Qiao Mei asked with a frown. She originally thought that Zhang Qian would behave himself for a period of time after taking the severance payment, but after she left, he became even worse. Zhang Miao covered her face and wailed loudly, causing everyone to look over. Qiao Mei hugged Zhang Miao and said, The child misses me! Its fine! Sigh, Qiao Mei is really kind-hearted. She even takes such good care of siblings who are not related to her, Auntie Wang lamented. Thats right. If only that silly boy from my family had married Qiao Mei back then. Its so difficult to find such a good wife, another auntie said. I remember that someone introduced Qiao Mei to your family back then! Your son chased away the matchmaker without even taking a look at her. You didnt even like Qiao Mei then! Auntie Wang said. The auntie blushed and flicked some water at Auntie Wang. She scolded jokingly, Shoo, shoo, shoo! I wasnt snobbish back then! If I had known that Qiao Mei would bring good fortune to her husband and is so beautiful and capable, I would have carried her into my family long ago! Id be happy to spend any amount of money! Hahahaha, Im just fooling around! Why are you really angry! Ill introduce a nice girl to your family if I meet one! Auntie Wang said with a smile. Auntie Wang was a famous matchmaker who was well known in the surrounding eight villages. However, she did not usually make introductions as she was afraid that she would offend others and ruin her own reputation. If she was asked to make an introduction, both the families of the man and woman had to give her double the amount of gifts, otherwise she would not render her services. Chapter 515 - 515 All Grown Up 515 All Grown Up Alright! We have a deal. You have to introduce a nice girl to my son! the auntie said. Auntie Wang nodded. Since she was feeling happy today, there was no need for double the amount of gifts. Tell elder sister the truth. How did Zhang Qian and the others bully you? Qiao Mei asked as she pulled Zhang Miao and Zhang Qin into her arms. They came and snatched away all the food at home and took all the money that mom had. They also snatched all the pocket money that we saved up, Zhang Qin said aggrievedly. Ever since Qiao Mei promised to give them a share of the earnings when the things they collected from the mountains got sold, they had worked even harder. Basically, each of them had about 10 dollars saved away. Zhang Wei was older and worked hard, so that he had earned more. Other children did not have a single cent in savings, but for them, they had the final say on how they wanted to spend their own money. They could afford new snacks and toys that were sold in the village convenience store. In the beginning, their classmates looked down on them when they first went to school. Later on, when they saw Zhang Qian and Zhang Chao being able to afford the latest comic book, everyone was extremely envious. Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao did not have any other hobbies. The girls in their class were envious of their new stationery cases and flower hair clips for a few days. After that, everyone took the initiative to be friendly and wanted to be good friends with them. With that, they realized the benefits of earning money, so they worked even harder. However, this hardworking attitude was ruined by Zhang Qian. Instead of letting Zhang Qian take all the money they earned, they might as well not go and collect anything from the mountains. At most, they just would not have any money. Then did you get injured? Qiao Mei asked worriedly. Money was a small matter. Their lives were the most important thing. If they lost their lives, they would not have any chance to take revenge on Zhang Qian. Were all fine, but when dad hit mom, eldest brother would rush forward to protect her. He probably got beaten up too. Eldest brother never told us, Zhang Miao said softly. Qiao Meis heart ached but she also felt relieved. This was the first time she felt that Zhang Wei had grown up. He was originally the most rebellious kid and did not want to live in the countryside. He even hurt Li Gui with all the things he said. Now, he even knew how to protect his mother well even with his small body. Ill ask Zhang Wei when he comes back later. Since elder sister is back, I wont let them bully you anymore. Dont worry, Qiao Mei said as she comforted them. Zhang Miao seemed to think of something and grabbed Qiao Meis hand excitedly. Then isnt brother-in-law very powerful! Elder sister, you always say that brother-in-law is more powerful than wild boars! Then can he defeat all these bad people! Qiao Mei did not know what to say for a moment. Should she first explain that Xia Zhe had no direct relationship with the wild boars, or that it was very difficult for a normal person like Xia Zhe to defeat an adult wild boar with tusks using his bare hands, or should she praise Zhang Miao for being smart enough to use a big devil like Xia Zhe to defeat those animals from the Zhang family. At this moment, Xia Zhe quietly stood behind Zhang Miao and said, Of course I can! Im very capable! Ah! Zhang Miao and Zhang Qin were so frightened that they hid behind Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei patted the two children and said, Hurry up and go in. Ill call you when dinner is ready. Zhang Qin held Zhang Miaos hand and returned to the house. They went back to their previous position to observe Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei through the window again. Did you badmouth me to your younger sisters again? Xia Zhe said as he sat beside Qiao Mei. I didnt say anything. Youre making guesses yourself. It has nothing to do with me, Qiao Mei said guiltily. Xia Zhe did not continue asking. Just now, when Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao saw him, they behaved like mice who saw a cat. Even when Qiao Qiang tried to explain, they did not listen. Both Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao are back. Grandfather said to call him over when its time to eat. Hes old and doesnt like to join in the fun. He said that there are too many people cooking now and that he wont be able to help even if he comes and will only cause trouble for everyone, Xia Zhe said. Actually, he was quite surprised to hear Qiao Qiang say that. After all, in his impression, Qiao Qiang was always very jovial. He had been happy to take care of so many children who were not related to him by blood. Perhaps he was getting older and felt that he had run out of steam. Then lets just do what grandfather said, Qiao Mei said with a sigh. Whats wrong? Is there something on your mind? Xia Zhe asked as he held Qiao Meis hand. He knew that Qiao Mei liked to sigh when she was troubled by something. If it was something that could be easily resolved, she would only tell him the end results smugly. After that, she would ask him to praise her properly, otherwise she would keep pestering him. If it was a more troublesome issue, Qiao Mei would sit at the side and sigh with a bitter look on her face. Chapter 516 - 516 Piqued 516 Piqued Im just wondering why my mother is unwilling to get a divorce. When Zhang Qian said the word divorce, I was so happy. Who knew that my mother would go up to Zhang Qian and beg him? Qiao Mei said, not able to understand why. It was such a rare opportunity. As long as they got a divorce, everything would be fine. Zhang Qian would never have the chance to come and bully Li Gui and her four younger siblings again. After that, they would be able to save up a lot of money by working hard. Li Gui was really muddle-headed! Divorce is not something that can be said casually. Besides, its a big deal for a woman to be abandoned by a man. This concerns her reputation. Perhaps your mother is doing this for all of you, Xia Zhe said. But nothing happened when she remarried, Qiao Mei said. But your father passed away in an accident back then. Its not considered a divorce. Besides, she probably doesnt want to tell you too much about all the hardships she has gone through over the years, Xia Zhe comforted her. Qiao Mei thought about it and felt that what Xia Zhe said made sense. It was just that she really could not accept Li Gui being at the mercy of others in this manner. Zhang Qian had bullied her for so many years and yet she still had to continue to bear with it. She was only Li Guis daughter. She could not interfere in the matter between Li Gui and Zhang Qian and could only help her silently. However, she was no longer willing to help now. Zhang Qian was a person who would keep asking for things. As long as he still had a relationship with Li Gui, he would continue to bully them and put them down. Mei Mei, dinner is ready! Auntie Dong ran over and said. Everyone helped to bring out the dishes to the table. There were two meat dishes and six vegetable dishes, served with good liquor. Only Qiao Meis family could afford to serve such a good meal. Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao sat inside the house with Qiao Qiang. They did not like the bustle and it was quiet in the house. Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe stood up and raised their glasses together. Qiao Mei said happily, Its been hard on everyone. Thank you for coming! Due to my condition, Ill use water instead of liquor to make a toast to everyone! Today, everyone must eat and drink your fill! Drink as much as you want! Everyone, enjoy yourselves! Alright! Everyone cheered in unison. The groom should also say something! Thats right! The groom should say a few words to us fellows! the uncles started making a fuss. Xia Zhe laughed and said, Hello, everyone! Let me introduce myself first. Im Qiao Meis husband and my name is Xia Zhe. First of all, I want to apologize to everyone. I couldnt make it back the last time, so Ill make it up to everyone this time! Ill punish myself by drinking three glasses! After saying that, Xia Zhe picked up his glass and drank from it. After downing three glasses in a row, Xia Zhes face had turned a little red. Good! The groom can drink well! None of us mind! Qiao Meis husband is quite something! Our Foshan Village sees you as one of us! Everyone chattered and started eating. Qiao Zhuangs family was not invited to the banquet this time. The entire village was quiet except for Qiao Meis house, which was brightly lit and bustling with activity. Today, everyone was in a good mood. They grabbed hold of Xia Zhe and made him drink a few glasses of liquor in a row. Basically, everyone present drank too much. In the end, they all left Qiao Meis house walking crookedly. Those who really drank too much and fell unconscious were carried back to their houses. Xia Zhe hugged the liquor bottle and leaned against the door frame quietly without moving. He did not even notice that there were mosquitoes biting him from time to time. Xia Zhe, are you asleep? Wake up! Qiao Mei walked forward and patted Xia Zhes face. Xia Zhe remained still. It seemed that he had really drunk too much. This was the first time Qiao Mei had seen Xia Zhe like this. Mei Mei, Xiao Wei and I will help my son-in-law into the room to rest. Youre pregnant, so dont go forward, Li Gui said. Qiao Mei nodded lightly and did not say anything else. She did not want to talk to Li Gui yet as she was still piqued over what happened in the afternoon. It was said that people who drank would feel heavier than usual. Although she was able to carry Xia Zhe, she was still afraid that an accident would happen, so it was better to get help. Auntie Dong and Auntie Wang both went forward to help carry Xia Zhe into the room. Qiao Mei grabbed a blanket and covered him with it. There was a fire going in the pit so Xia Zhe would not catch a cold at night. Aunties, why dont you stay here for the night too? Its already so dark, Qiao Mei said. Its fine. Weve walked this path for decades. Even with our eyes closed, we can still find our way home. Besides, my husband also drank too much. I have to go back and take a look. Dont worry, Auntie Dong said. Chapter 517 - 517 Finding Out the Details 517 Finding Out the Details Were leaving! Mei Mei, quickly go home! Its cold outside, dont freeze! Auntie Wang waved her hand and walked home with Auntie Dong. The courtyard was in a mess. The remaining food and the crockery would have to be cleaned up tomorrow. It was dark now and nothing could be seen clearly. Li Gui walked to Qiao Meis side to help her back into the house, but Qiao Mei dodged her unnoticeably. After going into the room to take a look at Xia Zhes condition, she walked to the other room and gathered all the children. How much money did you save over the past few months? Qiao Mei asked. Zhang Wei was older and could count faster than his younger siblings. Moreover, he was usually the one who distributed the money to his younger siblings after making the sales, so he roughly knew how much money his younger siblings had. I had about 20 dollars. Second brother had about 15 dollars. Third sister is more frugal so she had 40 dollars. Youngest sister likes to eat, so she only had about 10 dollars, Zhang Wei said. The children did not know the exact amount of money in their hands and only had a rough idea. Qiao Mei did some mental calculations and noted that Zhang Qian had taken about 100 dollars from the children. It appeared that they had plundered a lot of things from the house during this period of time. Did you give the money to your father willingly? Qiao Mei asked. The children all shook their heads. Zhang Miao said angrily, It was all snatched by Zhang Cong! I dont want to give it to him at all! Its been a long time since I ate the candy sold by the old grandpa from the convenience store! I dont even have money to buy a replacement for my broken red hair tie! If they took away so much money from all of you, then theres no need to talk about the savings at home. The amount they took would only be more and not less, Qiao Mei said seriously. Theres nothing to eat at home now. We have to rely on grandfather to survive, Zhang Wei said as he lowered his head. He knew very well that grandfather Qiao Qiang was not related to them by blood. Grandfather only helped them because of his elder sister. If not for his elder sister, none of them would be able to survive. He knew that he was grateful to Qiao Qiang and Qiao Mei. Zhang Wei was a child who cared about his reputation. If not for his father always coming to snatch things from them, they would not have troubled grandfather time and time again. Then what do you think about mom getting a divorce? Qiao Mei asked solemnly. The children looked at one another and refused to speak up. They knew what a divorce meant. If mom and dad get a divorce, does that mean we wont have a home anymore? Zhang Miao blinked her big eyes and asked innocently. Even if they get a divorce, Miao Miao still has a home. Its not like mom doesnt want you anymore. Theres still elder sister and grandfather. What are you afraid of? Qiao Mei smiled and patted Zhang Miaos head. Children were the most innocent and also the easiest to get hurt. Qiao Mei deeply understood how painful it was for them not to have their parents around when they were young. However, she also knew that if things did not come to an end now, the days ahead would be even more difficult. Elder sister I dont really want my parents to get a divorce, Zhang Wei said hesitantly. Zhang Weis attitude gave Qiao Mei a surprise. She had thought that Zhang Wei would be the most reasonable one among the children, and she did not expect him to choose to reject the idea. Why? Can you tell me? Qiao Mei asked patiently. When I was in school in the city, my classmates all said that we are children without parents. They all bullied me and younger brother Zhang Wei said as he lowered his head. Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao previously did not go to school or interact with the outside world. They did not know what could happen in school and how they could get bullied outside. When Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao were still studying in the school in the city, their classmates all bullied them and said that their mother was a jinx and they were also small jinxes. Whoever played with them would get implicated and become unlucky! Although the children in the countryside were envious that they had come from the city, if word got out that their parents had divorced, everyone would look down on them and their good friends would also ignore them. Qiao Mei was about to persuade Zhang Wei when Li Gui walked into the house after cleaning up the stove. When she saw the children gathered around and talking, she thought that they were sharing some secrets. What are you siblings talking about? Li Gui asked with a smile. Qiao Mei looked at Li Gui carefully. After two months, she looked much more haggard. Her weak body could not handle so much farm work at all and she had given all the food at home to the children. She probably had not eaten her fill for a long time. Chapter 518 - 518 Thoroughly Disappointed 518 Thoroughly Disappointed Zhang Miao happily threw herself into Li Guis arms and said sweetly, Elder sister is asking us how we feel about not having a father. Li Guis smiley face instantly fell. She did not want Qiao Mei to know too much about this matter. After all, Qiao Mei was the one who provided the money for the severance payment back then. She already owed Qiao Mei and Qiao Qiang too much. Did she have to continue to owe Qiao Mei for this matter? Mei Mei About this, Im actually Li Gui said hesitantly. I still want to ask you one last time. Do you really not want to get a divorce? Qiao Mei asked earnestly. Li Gui put down the things in her hand and slowly sat down on the brick bed. She was actually more concerned that it would affect the reputations of Qiao Mei and the children. If she did not have children, she would have divorced that bastard long ago. If she got a divorce now, it would affect the childrens chances of getting married and finding a job in the future. In that case, she might as well endure it for a few more years. At the very least, it would give the children a better future. I dont want a divorce. After the divorce, the people in the village will definitely talk about it. By then, I wont have a place in the village anymore. The children are still studying now. What if they get bullied in school in the future! Li Gui said worriedly. Qiao Mei also knew her difficulties, but it was better to deal with painful things quickly. If she did not get a divorce, she would only feel even more pain. You know what the people in our village are like. Everyone knows your difficulties. Even if you get a divorce, no one will say anything. Besides, if you dont get a divorce now, what about these children in the future? Qiao Mei said as she held back her anger. If I get a divorce, it will be difficult for Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao to find a wife. When that happens, Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao wont be able to find a good in-law either. It will be really difficult then, Li Gui said as she wept. If they did not get a divorce now, Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao would not have the money to get married! No nice girl would be willing to marry into a family where they would suffer! p1ease visit n0ve1b(in).ne)t When nice boys saw such a family situation, they also would not marry Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao. If the girls were lucky enough to have someone come and propose marriage, the Zhang family might even ask for betrothal gifts worth thousands of dollars. Li Gui and the children would not get a single cent in the end and those assholes from the Zhang family would take everything. Mei Mei, why dont you continue to help your younger siblings Li Gui put on a thick skin and said in a low voice. She really had no choice. If she did not give the Zhang family some money next time, Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao would get beaten up again. Now, there was not even an uninjured spot on Zhang Weis back. Qiao Mei also could not bear to see them suffer, but if Li Gui could not make up her mind to get a divorce, this was a bottomless pit. No matter how much money Qiao Mei had, it would not be enough to fill up this huge hole. Since Li Gui was determined not to get a divorce, she did not try to persuade her again. She decided not to fork out any more money to help Li Gui. If Li Gui did not leave the Zhang family, the Zhang family would only become more demanding in the future. The Zhang family had no limits. If they knew that Qiao Mei was willing to help, there would definitely be no end to it. I dont have any money left. Ive spent all my money on this trip to the capital. Think of another way. Its getting late, Im going back, Qiao Mei said coldly. Qiao Mei stood up disappointedly and went to look for Xia Zhe. At this moment, Xia Zhe was already sleeping soundly with his limbs spread out and did not look like his usual disciplined self. Wake up Qiao Mei reached out and poked Xia Zhe. Xia Zhe muttered a few words and adjusted himself to a comfortable position before falling asleep again. Qiao Mei sighed resignedly. It seemed that she would have to sleep at Li Guis place tonight. It was not too peaceful at the Zhang familys house either. When Old Madam Zhang returned home, she felt that her leg seemed to be broken. She kicked up a fuss and insisted on going to the hospital to see a doctor. Although Sun Yan was at home, she did not help with the cleaning and cooking at home. By now, they were all hungry and angry. Ow! Hurry up and bring me to the hospital! Im going to die! Old Madam Zhang lay on the sofa and shouted. If you can walk back on your own, how can there be any problem with you? We can bring you there. Just take out your money and well go, Zhang Qian said. People like Zhang Qian and Zhang Cong who had a workplace did not need to spend money if they went to the hospital. Their workplace would reimburse them. Old Madam Zhang did not have a job and had to pay for her own expenses if she went to the hospital to see a doctor. Zhang Qian did not have any money on hand. He had to set aside a bit of money so that he could still drink and smoke. Moreover, the young widow from the building next door had invited him to her house recently. How would he have the money to pay for the old ladys medical bills! He wanted to save some money to get married! He did not want to have to look at that jinx, Li Gui. Chapter 519 - 519 Encounter 519 Encounter When Old Madam Zhang heard that she needed to fork out the money herself, she immediately stopped shouting and making a fuss. If anyone wanted to touch her money, they would have to wait until she was dead! Why arent you yelling anymore? Werent you complaining about the pain just now? Dont go out and say that Im unfilial when your bones break! Zhang Qian said mockingly. Old Madam Zhang was the best at doing things like that. Now, everyone outside said that he was unfilial and did not hand over his salary to his mother, but just hid himself outside to pay for other women! If not for the fact that Old Madam Zhang had given Zhang Cong the severance payment from Li Gui so that Zhang Cong could get married, he would not have felt so resentful. Back then, they had agreed that he would get a portion of the money. He had planned to marry the widow from the factory once he divorced Li Gui! Unexpectedly, Old Madam Zhang did not give him a single cent. As time passed, the young widow felt that he did not cherish her and dated the factory manager in a fit of pique. Now, those two people were deeply in love. She might even have a child in another two months! Everyone in the factory knew that he had an ambiguous relationship with the young widow. The factory manager was also doing this on purpose to make things difficult for him! If not for this job, he would have snatched the young widow back and made her his wife long ago! When did I ever say anything about you! Dont spout nonsense! Old Madam Zhang shouted. What are you shouting for! My wife is pregnant! Lower your voices! Zhang Cong said as he rushed out of the room. Ever since Sun Yan married into this family, there had not been a day of peace. When Li Gui was still around, she was the punching bag that everyone would beat up and scold to vent their anger. Now, the house was as chaotic as a pigsty. No one would give in to one another, so they quarreled about anything. You still have the cheek to talk about your wife! You shouldnt have married that wife of yours! At least Li Gui still cooks and does the housework at home! Even when she was pregnant, she did not even take a day off. Look at how delicate your wife is! Those who dont know better might think that you have married an ancestor you need to worship! Old Madam Zhang scolded. Zhang Qian echoed, Thats right! Whats the use of a woman who doesnt do the housework! If he had known that Sun Yan would not do anything, he would have sent her away for an abortion. It would have been great if he could have gotten a hold of that money to marry the young widow. Not only was she beautiful and young, but she also knew how to take care of the family. He had been to the young widows house once. The house was clean and the cabinets were spotless. It was obvious that she was a person who knew how to live well! Then you can bring Li Gui back! Bring her back to do the housework! Thats not what you said when I married Sun Yan back then! Shes pregnant with our Zhang familys child! Zhang Cong said. He was not like Zhang Qian, who had a roving eye. Sun Yan treated him quite well now and her parents also had some say in the factory. When the time came, they would give him an official position. By then, Zhang Qian would have to listen to him even if he was his father! So what if shes pregnant! Like shes so precious! If not for Li Gui, where would you get the money to get married! You still have the cheek to interfere in my affairs! Zhang Qian pointed at Zhang Cong and scolded him. Zhang Cong lowered his head and did not speak. Two days ago, he had accompanied Sun Yan to the shop selling infant items to take a look. Those were all imported items and were very expensive. In the future, he still had to rely on Zhang Qian to go to Li Guis place to get the money he needed to support his child. Zhang Qian looked at the unused stove at home and sighed before turning to leave. Where are you going? Old Madam Zhang hurriedly got up and asked. None of your business! Zhang Qian slammed the door and left. Zhang Cong muttered softly, Where else can he go? He must have gone to look for that widow in the building next door. There was no food at home, so where else could he go except to her place? Coincidentally, Zhang Qians encounter with Chu Xin was quite accidental. At that time, he had come home from having drinks and was walking back unsteadily. He then bumped into Chu Xin, who had come out to throw away the trash. p1ease visit n0ve1b(in).ne)t His eyes widened at the sight of the woman in real silk pajamas. There were not many beautiful women in such a remote area. Furthermore, the clothes that people wore in a county city like this were all mainly made of linen and floral fabric. Those who could afford to wear silk were all rich people. One look at this indistinctive body outline, he could tell that she had a very good figure. She was much better-looking than the young widow from the factory. He made use of his drunken state to go forward and deliberately leaned onto Chu Xin when he walked past her. His hand also bumped into her soft bosom. Chu Xin was actually not wearing anything underneath! Zhang Qian looked at Chu Xin in shock. Chu Xin also blushed and said shyly, How how long do you want to touch me! Chapter 520 - 520 Difficulties 520 Difficulties Im sorry, Im sorry. I didnt do it on purpose! Zhang Qian smiled slyly. Before he let go, he grabbed another handful. Ah~ Chu Xin could not help but pout. Zhang Qian looked at her with an even more brazen expression. He had never met such a lewd woman before. Even the young widow from before had never worn such a thing. This woman was even flirting with a stranger. You ahem are you from this neighborhood? Why havent I seen you before? Zhang Qians eyes were fixed on Chu Xins soft bosom. Chu Xin blushed and slowly leaned towards Zhang Qian. I I just came to this neighborhood and Im still unfamiliar with this place. Big brother, you might not have seen me before. This dilapidated neighborhood was built more than 10 years ago. There were no surveillance cameras or street lamps around, and the only illumination on the street was the moonlight at night and the light seeping out through the windows. Zhang Qian mustered his courage and reached out to touch Chu Xins waist. Her waist felt as if it was boneless and became pliable as soon as he touched it. Chu Xin was immediately pulled into Zhang Qians arms. Big brother is so naughty~ Chu Xins sweet voice entered Zhang Qians ears, making him feel like he was being scratched by a kitten. How am I naughty? I just want to see if I injured you just now. Zhang Qians hands kept moving around Chu Xins body, making her tremble all over. She leaned into Zhang Qians arms and moaned softly. Zhang Qian did not know if Chu Xins reaction was real or just an act to tempt him. It would be a pity not to take a bite of something that was already sent to his mouth! Big brother, my legs feel weak. Can you send me home to sit down~ Chu Xin said. Zhang Qian happily agreed and carried Chu Xin to her house, staying there the entire night. Ever since then, Zhang Qian would not return home three to four days a week. If not for Old Madam Zhang nagging at him to go home every day, he would rather sleep at Chu Xins house every day and never leave the house for the rest of his life! p1ease visit n0ve1b(in).ne)t Today, Chu Xin had already prepared food and was waiting for Zhang Qian to go over. Im here, little beauty! As soon as Zhang Qian entered, he saw a table full of delicacies and a house filled with warm lighting. In the past, whenever he went home, he had to face his bad-tempered mother, his disappointing son, a few hungry children crying for food, and his unkempt and old-looking wife. It made him feel so annoyed. After work, he might as well go and drink with the guys to pass time. When he was with Chu Xin, he experienced the warmth of home and the considerate companionship of a lover. More importantly, Chu Xin was very flirtatious. When he was still with Li Gui, they only had one position and Li Gui was unwilling to change it. He had long gotten tired of her! He had never met someone who was so adventurous. No matter how much money he needed to spend on her, he was willing to do so! He was even willing to sell everything he had! You still know how to come back! Damn you! I have reheated the food four times! If you still dont come back soon, Ill feed it to the dogs! Chu Xin came out of the kitchen with two dishes. At this moment, she was wearing very little and the sheer pajamas looked even more tempting to him. She was not wearing anything underneath. The indistinctive view of her flesh made him forget his hunger and all he wanted to do now was to eat her immediately! Im at fault, darling Xin Xin. Please forgive me this time. Ill definitely come back to see you earlier next time, Zhang Qian said as he hugged Chu Xin from behind. Chu Xin put down what she was holding and used her butt to push away Zhang Qian. You damn thing, go wash your hands and eat! If we wait any longer, this dish wont be edible anymore! Eating this is not as important as eating you! Let me kiss you first! After Zhang Qian finished speaking, he leaned forward. Chu Xin smiled and covered Zhang Qians mouth. You still havent told me what you said to your wife today, Chu Xin said with a frown. At the mention of this matter, Zhang Qian started to worry. During the past two months when Qiao Mei was not around, he was able to get money nine out of ten times. Even if he did not manage to get any money, he would still be able to get some items. Now that Qiao Mei was back, and even brought Xia Zhe with her, it would be difficult for him to go there again. Sigh, Ill tell you while we eat. This matter has become difficult now, Zhang Qian said with a downcast expression. You failed? Chu Xin asked. Her eldest daughter came back today. Its the child she had with her ex-husband. That young girl is very shrewish and not someone to be trifled with. Her husband is a soldier and hes even more capable. Im afraid its going to be difficult to get money now. Zhang Qian sighed. Chapter 522 Taking Advantage Of Everyone’s Absence Qiao Mei had already been back for two days. During this period of time, no matter how Li Gui tried to talk to her, she did not respond. Li Gui also felt down. She did not know how she managed to anger Qiao Mei and what she had done wrong. In her impression, she did not seem to have done anything. The relationship between the two of them remained in a stalemate. Even so, life still went on. Early in the morning, Qiao Mei realized that many of the blankets at home were very old and there were even big holes in them. Some of these blankets were even made when Li Gui got married. Qiao Mei felt annoyed when she saw them now. "Grandfather, Xia Zhe and I are going to the county city to buy some cotton and fabric. The blankets at home are all old and the cotton is no longer usable," Qiao Mei shouted towards the courtyard. "Go, go. I''ll go to your Grandpa Zhang''s place in the neighboring village later. He wants to play chess with me!" Qiao Qiang said happily. There were not many elderly people in this village and he did not get along with them. Grandpa Zhang from the neighboring village was a retired soldier. His wife had died young and he did not have any children. He and Qiao Qiang hit it off very well and the two of them often got together to play chess. Sometimes, they would even meet up to go shopping in the county city. "Got it. Then remember to come back early. If it''s too late, there won''t be any transport to send you back!" Qiao Mei said. "Yes, yes, yes. I''ll remember what you say," Qiao Qiang said. Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe packed up and set off. Today was Thursday, the day when the village focused on farm work. It was now the autumn harvest season and every family was focused on working in the fields. Whoever worked the hardest would get high work points and receive more food at the end of the year. During this period of time, no one idled at home. Li Gui went out to work while Zhang Wei looked after his younger siblings at home. They washed and dried the wild vegetables they had picked so that they could help out more. This way, they could reduce the burden on Li Gui by a lot. They all knew how much Li Gui had suffered for them. "The four of you are really capable." When they heard this familiar voice, the four children froze. To them, this was the voice of a demon. Zhang Qian and Zhang Cong stood at the door of the courtyard with smug expressions. During the past two months, they already knew when Li Gui would be away from home. Zhang Wei hurriedly sent his younger siblings to hide in the shed and said nervously, "My mother... my mother isn''t back yet. She''s working in the fields. Recently, she''s been busy working in the fields and hasn''t gone out to sell vegetables. There''s only wild vegetables hanging out to dry at home now. There''s nothing else." Zhang Cong did not even look at the pile of wild vegetables. Who would want to eat such lousy wild vegetables? "I''m not here to look for Li Gui. I''m here to look for Zhang Chao and... Zhang... Zhang... What''s your name?" Zhang Qian pointed at Zhang Qin and asked. "Zhang Qin," Zhang Wei said softly. He really did not expect a father not to remember the names of his children. However, it was not something unexpected. He had not taken care of the children since they were born. He only came up with the names for the boys and he did not even look at the girls. The girls would have to get married eventually. It would be a waste of food if they stayed at home. If not for Li Gui risking her life to protect Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao, the two of them would probably have been thrown away by Zhang Qian long ago. "Yes! Zhang Qin! The two of you, come with me." Zhang Qian waved at the two children. Zhang Qin and Zhang Chao hid behind Zhang Wei. They were unwilling to return to that place, especially Zhang Qin. To her, that place was a nightmare. "What... what do you want them to do?" Zhang Wei asked cautiously. Zhang Qian looked at Zhang Wei impatiently and scolded, "You little brat, are you questioning your father now? Aren''t you getting bold! I can do whatever I want with my own children! If I ask you to die now, you have to die! How dare you question me! You don''t even greet me when you see me? The longer you stay with Li Gui, the worse your upbringing!" p1ease visit n0ve1b(in).ne)t Zhang Cong stood at the side and felt embarrassed when he heard the word "upbringing". What could someone like Zhang Qian teach? How to make friends with all kinds of widows? The more Zhang Cong thought about it, the more amused he felt. He could not help but laugh out loud, angering Zhang Qian. "You''re also my son! What are you laughing at! I haven''t even said anything and you still dare to laugh!" Zhang Qian went up and gave Zhang Cong a kick. Chapter 522 - 522 Taking Advantage of Everyone’s Absence 522 Taking Advantage of Everyones Absence Qiao Mei had already been back for two days. During this period of time, no matter how Li Gui tried to talk to her, she did not respond. Li Gui also felt down. She did not know how she managed to anger Qiao Mei and what she had done wrong. In her impression, she did not seem to have done anything. The relationship between the two of them remained in a stalemate. Even so, life still went on. Early in the morning, Qiao Mei realized that many of the blankets at home were very old and there were even big holes in them. Some of these blankets were even made when Li Gui got married. Qiao Mei felt annoyed when she saw them now. Grandfather, Xia Zhe and I are going to the county city to buy some cotton and fabric. The blankets at home are all old and the cotton is no longer usable, Qiao Mei shouted towards the courtyard. Go, go. Ill go to your Grandpa Zhangs place in the neighboring village later. He wants to play chess with me! Qiao Qiang said happily. There were not many elderly people in this village and he did not get along with them. Grandpa Zhang from the neighboring village was a retired soldier. His wife had died young and he did not have any children. He and Qiao Qiang hit it off very well and the two of them often got together to play chess. Sometimes, they would even meet up to go shopping in the county city. Got it. Then remember to come back early. If its too late, there wont be any transport to send you back! Qiao Mei said. Yes, yes, yes. Ill remember what you say, Qiao Qiang said. Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe packed up and set off. Today was Thursday, the day when the village focused on farm work. It was now the autumn harvest season and every family was focused on working in the fields. Whoever worked the hardest would get high work points and receive more food at the end of the year. During this period of time, no one idled at home. Li Gui went out to work while Zhang Wei looked after his younger siblings at home. They washed and dried the wild vegetables they had picked so that they could help out more. This way, they could reduce the burden on Li Gui by a lot. They all knew how much Li Gui had suffered for them. The four of you are really capable. When they heard this familiar voice, the four children froze. To them, this was the voice of a demon. p1ease visit n0ve1b(in).ne)t Zhang Qian and Zhang Cong stood at the door of the courtyard with smug expressions. During the past two months, they already knew when Li Gui would be away from home. Zhang Wei hurriedly sent his younger siblings to hide in the shed and said nervously, My mother my mother isnt back yet. Shes working in the fields. Recently, shes been busy working in the fields and hasnt gone out to sell vegetables. Theres only wild vegetables hanging out to dry at home now. Theres nothing else. Zhang Cong did not even look at the pile of wild vegetables. Who would want to eat such lousy wild vegetables? Im not here to look for Li Gui. Im here to look for Zhang Chao and Zhang Zhang Whats your name? Zhang Qian pointed at Zhang Qin and asked. Zhang Qin, Zhang Wei said softly. He really did not expect a father not to remember the names of his children. However, it was not something unexpected. He had not taken care of the children since they were born. He only came up with the names for the boys and he did not even look at the girls. The girls would have to get married eventually. It would be a waste of food if they stayed at home. If not for Li Gui risking her life to protect Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao, the two of them would probably have been thrown away by Zhang Qian long ago. Yes! Zhang Qin! The two of you, come with me. Zhang Qian waved at the two children. Zhang Qin and Zhang Chao hid behind Zhang Wei. They were unwilling to return to that place, especially Zhang Qin. To her, that place was a nightmare. What what do you want them to do? Zhang Wei asked cautiously. Zhang Qian looked at Zhang Wei impatiently and scolded, You little brat, are you questioning your father now? Arent you getting bold! I can do whatever I want with my own children! If I ask you to die now, you have to die! How dare you question me! You dont even greet me when you see me? The longer you stay with Li Gui, the worse your upbringing! Zhang Cong stood at the side and felt embarrassed when he heard the word upbringing. What could someone like Zhang Qian teach? How to make friends with all kinds of widows? The more Zhang Cong thought about it, the more amused he felt. He could not help but laugh out loud, angering Zhang Qian. Youre also my son! What are you laughing at! I havent even said anything and you still dare to laugh! Zhang Qian went up and gave Zhang Cong a kick. Chapter 523 - 523 Severely Injured 523 Severely Injured Zhang Cong wanted to retaliate, but he thought about how he needed to rely on Zhang Qian to settle this matter and how they would split the money after that and go their separate ways! No one would interfere with each others families anymore! They cant go with you! Theres still so much work to do at home! Besides, they still have to sell the vegetables once its ready! This way this way, they can earn more money! Zhang Wei mustered his courage and retorted. Zhang Qian walked forward angrily and gave Zhang Wei a slap, causing him to fall to the ground. Is there a need for so many people to do just these few things! Even if you get four more people to help, youll only make that few dollars! Whats the use! You cant even buy a pack of cigarettes with that! Besides, Im bringing them to the city to enjoy life! Dont hinder me from getting rich! Zhang Qian scolded. Zhang Wei looked at Zhang Qian suspiciously. Did he say something about earning money? His younger siblings were going to earn money? His younger siblings were aged ten and eight respectively. They were still children, so how could they earn money? Zhang Qian did not waste his breath on Zhang Wei. The more people knew about this matter, the more dangerous it would be for them. He called Zhang Cong to come over and they forcefully picked up Zhang Chao and Zhang Qin. Zhang Miao grabbed onto Zhang Qins hand tightly and refused to let go. Sister! Sister, dont go! I want my sister! Let go of my sister! Zhang Miao shouted at the top of her lungs. Zhang Qin was flung over Zhang Congs shoulder and she cried as she reached out to grab Zhang Miaos hand and kept kicking and struggling. Zhang Cong found it so noisy that he shook Zhang Qin. Zhang Qins stomach got knocked against his shoulder forcefully and she instantly fell silent from the pain. What are you shouting for! Its not like youre going to a funeral! Stop shouting! Remember, Im bringing your siblings to live a good life! You should give them your blessings! Zhang Qian pointed at Zhang Miao and scolded her. Zhang Wei hugged Zhang Miao tightly and covered her mouth as he looked at Zhang Qian timidly. He had been beaten up the previous few times when he tried to resist Zhang Qian. He was already covered in injuries and there was no way he could defeat two adult men on his own. From what Zhang Qian had said just now, Zhang Qian did not intend to take him and Zhang Miao away. He would try his best to protect at least one of them. Kid, at least youre still quite sensible. Take good care of your youngest sister. Well take these two children with us and raise them. Tell Li Gui not to worry. After saying that, Zhang Qian swaggered out of the courtyard with Zhang Cong. Zhang Miao bit down on Zhang Weis hand. She must bring her sister back! Zhang Wei pushed away Zhang Miao due to the pain and checked his wound. This little girl was so ruthless, he was already bleeding. Before the two men could walk far, they heard Zhang Miao following behind them, crying and shouting, Put my sister down! I want my sister! Return my second brother to me! Although there was no one around at the moment, the entire village would be alerted if Zhang Miao continued shouting like this. Zhang Qian turned around and kicked Zhang Miao in the stomach. Zhang Miao was sent flying more than a meter away and fell heavily to the ground. Ah! Zhang Miao cried out in pain. When Zhang Wei heard the sound, he immediately ran out of the courtyard and saw Zhang Miao lying on the ground, while Zhang Qian and Zhang Cong left with his two younger siblings. Zhang Wei immediately went forward to hold Zhang Miao and asked, Miao Miao, look at me! Im your eldest brother! Whats wrong with you! Zhang Miao was in so much pain that she could not speak. Gradually, she could not see clearly and her consciousness began to blur. Miao Miao, dont scare me! Wake up! Zhang Miao! Zhang Miao, look at me! Zhang Wei desperately hit Zhang Miaos face to keep her awake. Eldest brother it hurts Zhang Miao whispered. Zhang Wei immediately ran to Qiao Meis house and knocked on the door madly. Elder sister! Elder sister! Something happened to Zhang Miao! Is anyone home! Grandfather! Elder sister! Are you home! Save us! Is anyone there! After knocking on the door for a long time, no one came out. Zhang Wei immediately ran next door to look for Grandma Dong, but it was the same thing. Zhang Wei returned to Zhang Miao disappointedly. At this moment, Zhang Miaos face was already pale from the pain and her forehead was covered in sweat. He used all his strength to pick Zhang Miao up from the ground and onto his back. However, he was not strong enough to support her. Before he even took two steps, he fell and knelt on the ground heavily. Zhang Wei ignored the pain in his knees and quickly reached out to stabilize Zhang Miao so that she would not fall to the ground. Miao Miao, hang in there! Ill bring you to the clinic! Miao Miao, talk to me! Zhang Wei gritted his teeth and carried Zhang Miao on his back, walking to the clinic step by step. Chapter 524 Saved "Brother sister" Zhang Miao leaned on Zhang Wei''s back and said things that made no sense. She was still thinking about Zhang Qin even at this moment. "Miao Miao, say more things to me!" Zhang Wei sped up as he walked towards the clinic. Zhang Miao gradually stopped talking and her voice became softer and softer. Zhang Wei could no longer hear what Zhang Miao was saying. Zhang Wei was a little afraid and slowly put Zhang Miao down by the roadside. "Miao Miao, open your eyes and look at your eldest brother. Look at me!" Zhang Wei''s hand trembled as he stroked Zhang Miao''s cheek. He had never seen any of his younger siblings suffer such serious injuries. They did not look so bad even when they had flu or fever. "I''m sleepy Eldest brother" Zhang Miao said softly. When he heard Zhang Miao say she wanted to sleep, Zhang Wei completely panicked. He no longer had the strength to carry Zhang Miao on his back. They were still about one kilometer away from the clinic, so he needed to get the adults to come and help. "Miao Miao, don''t sleep. Wait for me here. I''ll be back soon." Zhang Wei mustered all his strength to run to the clinic, afraid that he would delay saving Zhang Miao. By the time Zhang Wei reached the entrance of the clinic, he was totally exhausted and did not even have the strength to stand. He held onto the pillar beside the door and shouted desperately, "Help! Save my younger sister! Someone!" Someone quickly came out of the clinic, saw Zhang Wei and hurriedly went forward to help him up while asking, "You''re Li Gui''s eldest son, right? What''s wrong with you? What''s the emergency?" Zhang Wei held the doctor''s hand tightly and said, "Auntie! You you have to save my sister! My sister is unconscious more than a kilometer away from here I beg you!" "Alright! I''ll go and look for her now. Go in quickly. I''ll bring some people to go look for her." The doctor asked her colleagues to come out and led them down the road to look for Zhang Miao. When Zhang Wei saw that someone had gone to save her, his tense nerves relaxed and he collapsed to the ground. "Hey! What''s wrong with you! Help him!" Another doctor quickly carried Zhang Wei in for emergency treatment. The doctors who went out also managed to find Zhang Miao and brought her back to the clinic for emergency treatment as quickly as they could. Zhang Qian and Zhang Cong walked back to the county city in a relaxed manner. With these two children, they would not have to worry about their happiness for the rest of their lives! For Zhang Cong, as long as he helped Zhang Qian get the two children, he would get 200 dollars. This meant that he made 200 dollars just by taking a trip with Zhang Qian! It was really easy money! "Dad, my 200 dollars" Zhang Cong asked softly. Zhang Qian gave Zhang Cong a kick and said, "Don''t mention this in front of the children! We''ll talk about it when we get home!" This matter concerned whether he could successfully marry Chu Xin and live a happy life with her without any worries! He could not be careless at all! "Will that kid Zhang Miao be alright?" Zhang Cong asked worriedly. Although he always bullied these children and had never been nice to them, Zhang Miao was still a small child after all. Getting injured was a small matter, but what if she got seriously injured and could not survive? Although he did not know anything about Zhang Qian''s plan, if someone got killed, the rest of his life would be ruined! "Zhang Miao? Who''s Zhang Miao? Oh! You mean that little girl just now! Who knows? I''m her father! Is it wrong for me to educate her?" Zhang Qian said self-righteously. Zhang Cong thought about it carefully and felt that it made sense. He had also been beaten up by Zhang Qian often since he was young, but he was still living well now. "Where are you taking us" Zhang Chao asked fearfully. "Oh! You know how to talk. I thought you had become mute after coming to the countryside," Zhang Qian said teasingly. "We''re bringing you home. Don''t you want to go back to the city to study?" Zhang Cong asked. If Zhang Chao was asked this question when they first went to the countryside, he would definitely say yes without any hesitation. However, he felt that there was nothing bad about studying in the countryside now. He had his brother and sisters, as well as his elder sister Qiao Mei who took good care of him. Grandfather Qiao Qiang also treated him very well and all the children in school admired him. He did not want to return to the city to be bullied. "I don''t want to go back! I want to be in the countryside!" Zhang Chao said. Zhang Qian gave Zhang Chao a slap and said fiercely, "Little brat, you''re not allowed to say that you lived in the countryside before, do you hear that?" Chapter 525 Making A Successful Sale Zhang Chao covered his face and nodded in fear. In comparison, Zhang Qin, who was on the other side, was much more obedient. Ever since she left with them, she had not spoken a single word and just followed them obediently. Zhang Qian looked at Zhang Qin in satisfaction. A child who behaved like this was considered a good child and they would be happy when the time came. After walking for more than two hours, they finally reached their neighborhood. Zhang Cong was about to walk into the apartment building when Zhang Qian stopped him. "Come and do one more thing with me," Zhang Qian said mysteriously. "Then let''s send these two children back first. What if they cause trouble later?" Zhang Cong looked at the two children in disdain. Zhang Qian whispered, "It''s related to these two children. Just come with me." Zhang Qian walked in front with the two children while Zhang Cong followed behind. When they reached Chu Xin''s house, he could hear many people chatting inside. Only then did Zhang Cong realize that this was where his father''s lover lived. No wonder he had been unwilling to go home recently. "Open up." Zhang Qian knocked on the door. Chu Xin opened the door with a smile on her face. The first thing she looked at was not Zhang Qian, but the two children beside him. "Oh my, you''re finally here! Come in quickly!" Chu Xin said with a smile. The two children stood at the door and did not dare to go in. They did not know this place, this house or this auntie. "Go in and follow auntie''s instructions," Zhang Qian said in a threatening tone. Zhang Chao held Zhang Qin and walked into the house slowly. It was not only Chu Xin inside, but there were also four unfamiliar uncles and aunties. After closing the door, Zhang Qian and Zhang Chao stood at the doorway and observed quietly. Chu Xin warmly pulled Zhang Chao to one of the couples. "Look, this is the little boy I told you about. He''s so cute. Look at how handsome he is!" Chu Xin said as she hugged Zhang Chao affectionately. From the looks on the couple''s faces, Chu Xin could clearly tell that they liked Zhang Chao. This deal was hopeful! "How are his results in school? Is he usually good-tempered?" the woman asked. Chu Xin did not know much about Zhang Chao, but she was about to close the deal. If she hesitated now, this deal would definitely fly away! "He''s a good boy! His results in school are not bad and he''s a very caring boy. He picked up many of the little pets at home," Chu Xin said with a smile. Even Zhang Cong, who was at the door, felt that this woman was really too amazing. She could lie without batting an eyelid and still managed to convince others. "Not bad, we''re very satisfied. Can he come with us tonight?" the man asked. Chu Xin clapped her hands excitedly and said, "No problem! Of course! But you all know how this is. As for the money..." The man simply placed a bag at Chu Xin''s feet and said, "This is what you want, but let''s agree that you won''t ever come looking for him in the future, right?" Chu Xin smiled and hugged the bag as she said, "Of course that''s not a problem. Don''t you trust me? But the child is still young and might fuss. Please be understanding." The couple nodded and stood up to take Zhang Chao''s hand to bring him away. Zhang Chao lay face down on the ground and grabbed the leg of the table tightly, refusing to let go. Zhang Qian went up and pried open the child''s hand with brute force before helping him up. "Behave yourself, or your eldest brother and younger sister will suffer," Zhang Qian lowered his head and whispered to Zhang Chao. Seeing that Zhang Chao obeyed Zhang Qian so well, the woman smiled and said, "Are you his biological father? This child really listens to you. Perhaps he can''t bear to part with you." Chu Xin held the woman''s hand hypocritically and said, "There''s no choice. The child is still not used to it yet. Bring him away quickly. The head of the family will send brother and sister-in-law off." The couple understood what Chu Xin meant and left with the child. Zhang Qian sent them off to the entrance of the complex with a big smile on his face before returning. Only then did Zhang Cong realize that Zhang Qian was selling these two children off. This was against the law! It was better to let these two children do manual labor than to sell them! Zhang Cong stopped Zhang Qian at the door and said, "Are you really selling these two children? It''s illegal!" "Illegal? These are my children. I can deal with them however I want. Besides, you''re involved in this matter. As long as both you and I don''t tell anyone, who will know?" Zhang Qian said nonchalantly. Only then did Zhang Cong realize that he had fallen into Zhang Qian''s trap. Moreover, he was going to be dismissed with only 200 dollars. Chapter 526 In Collusion How could one only make 200 dollars from selling children! It should be at least 2,000 dollars, right? If he backed out now, not only would he lose 200 dollars, but Zhang Qian would also push all the blame to him and put him in jail. Given the current situation, it would be a better move to ask Zhang Qian for more money. As long as they did not tell anyone about this matter, no one would know where the children had gone. That cowardly Li Gui would not dare to say anything. "If you want me to keep it a secret, I can do that. But I''m afraid 200 dollars isn''t enough. You have to split half of the sale proceeds with me!" Zhang Cong said. Half? If this kid was given half, how was he going to marry Chu Xin? He was still counting on using this money as his retirement fund! "Half is impossible. I''ll give you 500 dollars at most! Not a single cent more!" Zhang Qian said impatiently. Zhang Cong was still not satisfied. The two children would at least be sold for 5,000 dollars in total, but he was only given 500 dollars? That was too little. Did he think he was dismissing a beggar by giving 500 dollars! "1,000 dollars! Otherwise, I''ll go to the police! It can be considered that I''ve been tricked by you. If I go to the police now, I might even be able to atone for my mistakes. The police won''t arrest me then! Think about it!" Zhang Cong said threateningly. Zhang Qian gave it some thought. This amount of 1,000 dollars would not mean much to him in the coming days, just some small change. Giving it to Zhang Cong was no different from giving money to a beggar. It was not a loss if he could use this bit of money to shut Zhang Cong up. Zhang Cong would never have dreamed that the amount of 1,000 dollars was considered a small sum to dismiss him. "Alright, but the money is all with Chu Xin. You have to wait until this whole matter is over before I can give it to you. I don''t even know if the other family will take a fancy to that girl," Zhang Qian said. Zhang Chao''s price was much higher than Zhang Qin''s. He heard that the first couple was infertile, so they wanted to find a child to inherit the family''s shop business. At the end of the day, boys were still different from girls. Boys were still more valuable! Chu Xin used the same method to recommend Zhang Qin to the other couple. However, this couple did not like Zhang Qin''s looks. She was thin and small, and it was obvious that she had never eaten her fill in her life so far. What if such a miserable-looking kid made them go bankrupt in the future? "Sister, this child of yours is too skinny. Will she grow up well if she goes with us?" the woman said with a frown. "Sister Jiang, I understand you want to find a wife for your son? This child is especially diligent, and even the word ''Qin'' in her name means hardworking. The child will definitely get better once she eats more good food and takes good care of herself. Besides, she''s capable and that will save you a lot of effort in the future. Sister, what do you think?" Chu Xin looked at Sister Jiang expectantly. Sister Jiang also felt that what Chu Xin said made sense. With good food and drinks, the child would definitely look better in the future. She wanted to choose a child bride for her son so that she could have a better life ahead and need not worry too much. She definitely wanted to choose a capable girl. This way, the girl would be able to take good care of their son and deal with all the family matters. "You know that we''re here only because of your reputation. Since you say that this child is fine, then we''ll take her," Sister Jiang said impatiently. Ever since they entered the house, her husband had not taken his eyes off Chu Xin. If not for the fact that there were many people around, she would have already taught her husband a lesson. Chu Xin did not care about how the customers treated her. As long as she could get the money, everything else was a small matter! Even if she had to sit on a customer''s lap to introduce the child, she would willingly accept such a request with a smile. "Sister-in-law is really a straightforward person. This child is not that young, so please bear with it and educate her slowly." Chu Xin said. "Alright, you don''t have to worry about this child after we give you the money. We''ll decide how to deal with her. Don''t worry about anything else. I definitely have my own ways," said Sister Jiang. Sister Jiang''s husband hurriedly passed the bag in his arms to Chu Xin and he took the chance to stroke Chu Xin''s hand when he let go. Sister Jiang witnessed everything that happened. "Alright, let''s go." Sister Jiang glared at her husband and left Chu Xin''s house, carrying her own bag. When she got home, she would settle the score with her husband! Sister Jiang ignored Zhang Qin, who was standing at the side. She pointed to her husband and said, "You, bring her along." With that, she strode off. Chapter 527 The Child Is Severely Injured Sister Jiang''s husband stood uneasily in the living room. He was always bullied by Sister Jiang at home and now, he still had to be wary of her mood when they were outside. If not for the fact that Sister Jiang was good at doing business and made a lot of money, he would have left her long ago! "Big brother? Sister Jiang has already left. You should also leave together with the child," Chu Xin said with a smile. She wanted to send the customers away quickly so that she could count the money in the bags. These two children had made her a lot of money because of their good looks and age! The boy was sold for 25,000 dollars and the girl was sold for 20,000 dollars. These two children had made her 45,000 dollars, but the amount she told Zhang Qian earlier was 20,000 dollars less. Sister Jiang''s husband took one last reluctant look at Chu Xin before leaving with the child. Chu Xin hurriedly carried the two bags of money into the room and quickly took out 10,000 dollars from each bag. She could not let Zhang Qian know about this amount of money! Zhang Qian sent off these "gods of fortune" downstairs with a smile. At this moment, he no longer had to worry about his daily expenses. In such a small county city, once he had more than 20,000 dollars, he would not even have to work for the rest of his life if he wished! "Alright, you can go home. I''ll give you the money you ask for after I discuss it with Chu Xin. I won''t be going back tonight," Zhang Qian said as he patted Zhang Cong''s shoulder. Zhang Cong looked at Zhang Qian in disdain. He was not divorced from Li Gui yet and he was blatantly having an affair outside. If news of this got out, how could Zhang Cong and Sun Yan be able to hold their heads up in the future? "Father Why don''t you divorce Li Gui first before staying at this woman''s place? It''s not appropriate if others see this," Zhang Cong said. Zhang Qian gave Zhang Cong a hard kick and scolded him angrily, "Aren''t you so grown up now! How dare you talk bad about your father! Do I need to ask your permission to do whatever I want? Don''t forget who''s giving you that 1,000 dollars! It''s Chu Xin!" Zhang Cong remained silent. As long as he took that money, Sun Yan and him would have enough money for their child''s birth and other expenses. Getting money from Old Madam Zhang would be way too difficult. "Alright, you can go back." Zhang Qian waved his hand and walked towards Chu Xin''s house. Zhang Cong held his backside and limped back to his own home. After the village clinic staff took in the unconscious Zhang Wei and the injured Zhang Miao, one of them ran to the fields to look for Li Gui. Li Gui kept feeling like her work day was not going well today. First, she broke the hoe and then, she made a mistake with the grains. Her eyelids also kept twitching. "Sister Li! Li Gui! Something happened! Something terrible happened!" the older woman from the clinic said as she hurriedly ran into the fields. Li Gui quickly put down the hoe in her hand and ran over to grab onto the woman. She asked, "What''s wrong, sister? What happened?" "Your your Zhang Miao is injured and is now being treated at the clinic! Zhang Wei fainted from exhaustion after he carried Zhang Miao there on his back!" the woman said while panting. "What!" Li Gui hurriedly ran in the direction of the clinic and shouted to Zhao Liang as she ran off, "Brother Zhao! I can''t work today! Something has happened to my children!" Zhao Liang shouted in the direction that Li Gui had left in, "Go quickly!" "Brother Zhao, what do you think happened to Li Gui''s children? How did they end up in the clinic?" a villager asked curiously. Zhao Liang did not know the answer. Village clinics usually treated minor illnesses like headaches and colds. If any family had any issue that was more serious, they would go to the hospital in the county city. These were still not considered emergencies. What could have happened to these two children? They were fine when everyone left for work, so how did they end up being sent to the clinic for treatment? "Help Li Gui pack up her things! I have to go over there to take a look too in case it''s something major." After saying that, Zhao Liang handed the tools in his hand to the others and ran to the clinic. He had a say in everything that happened in the village. Even if it was a family going through some difficulties, he had to think of a way to solve the problems. Even if Li Gui was not a Foshan Village local and there were always people coming to cause trouble for her, given that she had moved in, she was considered a local villager and he had to help out with her issues. "How is it! How are my children!" Li Gui grabbed a doctor and asked as soon as she entered. "I''m guessing you''re the mother of Zhang Wei and Zhang Miao. Your Zhang Wei is fine, he''s just exhausted. However, your Zhang Miao''s situation is more dangerous. The child is very young and she has suffered a serious blow to her abdomen. It will take a while to get the detailed diagnosis. We''re doing our best to save her," the doctor said. Chapter 528 Kowtow And Plead After Li Gui heard what the doctor said, she immediately knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly while pleading with the doctor. "Please, doctor! You must save my daughter! Please!" Li Gui wept and shouted. The doctor quickly helped Li Gui up and said, "We''re all neighbors, so we''ll definitely do our best. We''ll take good care of them here. The most important thing now is for you to go home and get some money. I''m just worried that if Zhang Miao''s injuries are too severe, we need to send her to the hospital in the county city for treatment." When Li Gui heard this, her heart sank. When she left in the morning, Zhang Miao was with the other children. They usually stayed at home obediently, so how could she be so seriously injured? Oh right, where were Zhang Chao and Zhang Qin? Why was it only Zhang Wei who sent Zhang Miao to the clinic? "Then I''ll leave them to you. I''ll go home to get the money now. You must save my daughter!" Li Gui said as she held the doctor''s hand tightly. "Don''t worry." After saying that, the doctor went into the room to take care of the patients. There were not many staff in the clinic and all of them were attending to the two children at the moment. If she wanted to find her other two children, she had no choice but to go home. As soon as she walked out of the door, she ran into Zhao Liang who had rushed over on his bicycle. "How is it? What happened? I''m here to see if there''s anything I can help with," Zhao Liang said. "Brother Zhao, can you send me home? They say that my child is still undergoing emergency treatment. If they can''t manage the situation, the child would have to go to the bigger hospital in the county city. I don''t know where my other two children are. I have to go home quickly to get money and see if the other two children are around," Li Gui said as she cried. Zhao Liang quickly turned the bicycle around and patted the back seat. "Come on up, I''ll take you back on my bicycle!" Li Gui sat down and the two of them rushed to her house. At the same moment, Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe had also returned. When they reached the county city, they saw some nice-looking school bags and bought one for each of the four children, as well as pencils with the latest designs. "I wonder if they''ll like these?" Xia Zhe asked worriedly. "You''re already so nice to them, why will they still not like you? Their current school bags are sewed by me and the two girls maintained their bags quite well. The boys'' school bags are simply too unsightly. There are already holes in them," Qiao Mei said resignedly. When any of the children''s school bags tore, Li Gui would just patch it up. Zhang Chao was the most mischievous kid in the family. He often climbed trees to pick birds'' eggs or went into the river to catch fish. By now, it was impossible to tell that his school bag was actually a school bag. It looked just like a tattered cloth bag. "It''s all because you tell them that I''m more terrifying than a wild boar. That''s why I have to do well in front of them," Xia Zhe said. Qiao Mei quickly changed the topic and said, "Grandfather isn''t at home yet. Let''s go and deliver the school bags and stationery to the children." The two of them had just arrived at Li Gui''s house when they saw Zhao Liang and Li Gui rushing back in a hurry. "Do the two of you know where Zhang Chao and Zhang Qin went!" Zhao Liang asked. "We just came back too. What''s wrong?" Qiao Mei asked curiously. Li Gui could not be bothered and hurriedly rushed into the house to look for the two children. "Zhang Chao! Zhang Qin! Where are you! Come out quickly!" Li Gui shouted as she searched through the various rooms, but there was still no sign of the children. Qiao Mei asked Xia Zhe to go in and help with the search while she waited at the door for news. "Uncle Zhao, why the hurry? Did Zhang Chao and Zhang Qin get into trouble?" Qiao Mei asked. She would definitely believe it if Zhang Chao had gotten into trouble. However, Zhang Qin was such a sensible and well-behaved child, so there was no way she would mess around together with her second brother. "No! I don''t know what happened to Zhang Wei and Zhang Miao, but they''re both receiving emergency treatment at the village clinic! They''re both still unconscious! I don''t know where the other two children at home have gone! The doctor asks your mother to go home and get some money in case Zhang Miao needs to be transferred to the bigger hospital in the county city for treatment. Our clinic may not be able to help her!" Zhao Liang said. Emergency treatment? Unconscious? Children missing? How could so many things happen during the morning when she was not around! Qiao Mei''s bad memories from her other life suddenly surged into her brain. In her other life, she kept seeing her relatives pass away and she was left all alone in the end. What she was most afraid of was to part ways in life and be separated by death. Those children were all still so young and they were not supposed to go anywhere today. How could something have happened! Chapter 529 A Token From Everyone "Uncle Zhao, can you go to the old mister who lived at the village entrance to borrow his three-wheeled vehicle? Look at us, we''re a group of elderly people and a pregnant woman. It''s more convenient to have the vehicle around. I''m going home to get the money now. Do you think you can help?" Qiao Mei said embarrassedly. "No problem! I''ll go and ask now! Don''t be too anxious! I''ll get him to come and pick you up!" Zhao Liang quickly rode his bicycle to go and borrow the vehicle. Xia Zhe came out of the courtyard and gave Qiao Mei a serious look. "Mei Mei, Zhang Chao and Zhang Qin are not in the house. They might have been abducted." Abducted? In the village, who would dare to snatch someone else''s children in broad daylight! "How do you know that they were abducted?" Qiao Mei asked. Xia Zhe pulled Qiao Mei into the courtyard. During this era, everyone had yellow soil in their courtyard and people would leave behind faint footprints when they walked around. "There are two sets of footprints here and there are also some drag marks on that side. I''m guessing that the children were dragged away by someone. There are also signs of struggle here," Xia Zhe said sternly. Xia Zhe was speaking in his professional capacity, so what he said was probably what happened. If the children had been kidnapped, the nature of this matter was now different. It seemed that she needed to look for Chen Hu to help with this. "Mom, come with us later. Let''s go and save Zhang Wei and Zhang Miao first. I''ll get someone else to help look for Zhang Chao and Zhang Qin," Qiao Mei said calmly. Being the only person who understood the nature of the messy interpersonal relationships that Li Gui and the children had, she had to calm down and deal with this matter properly. "Mei Mei, where can these two children go? They were still fine when I left this morning. I even instructed Zhang Wei to make sure they stay at home obediently," Li Gui said anxiously. "Don''t be anxious. I suspect that the two children have been taken away by someone, but I don''t know who. I''ll get someone from the county city to help look for the children first. The most important thing now is to save Zhang Wei and Zhang Miao," Qiao Mei said. At the mention of saving the two children, Li Gui felt even more ashamed to face Qiao Mei. She had heard from the doctor that this treatment would cost a lot of money. She only had three dollars left, not a single cent more. "Mei Mei... Can you lend me some money to save your younger siblings... I''ll go to the county city to ask the Zhang family for money later. These children are also part of their family, so they won''t turn away!" Li Gui said as she held Qiao Mei''s hand. This was her last hope. If Qiao Mei rejected her, she did not know who else to borrow money from. Qiao Mei wanted to ignore Li Gui. At this point, Li Gui still foolishly believed that Zhang Qian would give her money for these children. If Zhang Qian really cared about the lives of these children, he would not still come to ask for money after he sent them to the countryside. "They''re also my younger siblings and they address me as elder sister. I won''t leave them in the lurch. I''ll handle the family matters. If you still feel hopeful about Zhang Qian, you can give it a try. If you can get the money, you can chip in the medical fees for Zhang Wei and Zhang Miao," Qiao Mei said expressionlessly. Li Gui said agitatedly, "Good, good, good! Thank you, Mei Mei, thank you so much!" "Grandfather has rode our bicycle out. In a while, Uncle Zhao will drive the three-wheeled vehicle to pick us up and bring us to the clinic. Later on, you can catch the last train to the county city," Qiao Mei said. Li Gui packed the two children''s clothes, drinking cups and wash basins and brought everything with her. Xia Zhe very naturally took these items from Li Gui. Qiao Mei also went home and put 5,000 dollars in her bag. She was not afraid of bringing such a big amount of money, and was more worried that this amount of money would turn out to be not enough later. Not long after, Zhao Liang came to pick them up in the three-wheeled vehicle. There were some clothes, thermos and other useful items from the villagers in the back of the vehicle. "Everything here is a small token from the other villagers. Also, here''s some money. Not much, just 21 dollars. This is what everyone has pooled for the two children. Everyone knows about your difficulties. It''s more important to save the children now. We can talk about other things later." Zhao Liang took out a small cloth bag from his pocket. It was all filled with loose change Li Gui quickly said, "This won''t do! It''s not easy for everyone to earn money!" Zhao Liang still stuffed the money into Li Gui''s hands. "This is from everyone. Just take it and get in quickly. It''s more important to save the children," Zhao Liang said. Chapter 530 The Child Is Innocent Under Zhao Liang''s lead, the three of them quickly arrived at the clinic. Zhang Wei was already in the ward and Zhang Miao was still undergoing emergency treatment. "How are the children?" Li Gui asked as she ran forward agitatedly. "The boy is alright now. He''s resting and will probably wake up in a while. The girl is still in danger and might need to go to the hospital in the county city," the doctor said. "Is it very serious? What''s the problem?" Qiao Mei asked. "We don''t have the more advanced technology and medical equipment here, so we can only make a preliminary judgment. We suspect that the ribs on both sides might be broken," the doctor said solemnly. When Li Gui heard this, she fell to the ground. She did not understand how the child could be injured so badly after she went out for only half a day. Li Gui sat there and gave herself two hard slaps. It was all her fault. As a mother, she did not take good care of them. It was all her fault! "Goodness, sister! What are you doing!" Zhao Liang said in shock. "It''s all my fault! If I''m not so busy with work, the child won''t have suffered such serious injuries!" Li Gui sat on the ground and sobbed. At the side, Qiao Mei also could not bear to see Li Gui hurt herself. She reached out to help her mother up and said, "Don''t cry. It''s more important to save the child first. I''ll go and pay the fees. Go and take a look at Zhang Wei." "Yes, yes, yes! Where''s Zhang Wei?" Li Gui asked. Zhao Liang brought Li Gui to the ward to look for Zhang Wei. Zhao Liang was the one who had requested for this clinic to be built back then and he was very familiar with this place. Qiao Mei sighed. Her heart tightened when she heard about Zhang Miao''s broken ribs. What exactly happened to make those animals do such a thing to such a young child? "I''ll go and pay the fees. Looks like we''ll have to do the paperwork for the hospital transfer now. Let me go and ask if the troops nearby can send a car," Xia Zhe said. Qiao Mei shook her head. She did not want Xia Zhe to call on his own people for this matter. After all, this village was so remote and the people he knew were all in the capital. It would take a lot of time for the news to be transmitted to and fro. It would be much faster to ask Chen Hu for help regarding this matter. "Go and pay the fees at the clinic cashier. I''ll contact Chen Hu from the county city. He knows my grandfather and he has some authority in the local area," Qiao Mei said. Xia Zhe agreed with Qiao Mei''s idea. He picked up the bag and went off to pay the bill. Qiao Mei walked into the room to make a telephone call to Chen Hu. "Oh my, isn''t this my eldest niece! Are you missing Uncle?" Chen Hu said happily. "Uncle Hu, something had happened on my end. Can I ask you for a favor?" Qiao Mei said. Chen Hu immediately stood up from the chair and asked nervously, "What happened! Is it your grandfather! Or is it your health! I''ll come immediately!" "No, no! It''s something to do with my mother, Li Gui. I wonder if Uncle Hu is willing to help me?" Qiao Mei asked. Back when Li Gui remarried after Qiao Yue passed away, she left a very bad impression on Chen Hu. His brother had only died a few years ago, and he wondered why she was in such a hurry to leave Qiao Mei behind and go off with another man. If Qiao Mei had not been lucky enough to hang on until Qiao Qiang returned, she would have died in the pigsty long ago! "Tell me what happened first," Chen Hu said unhappily. "It''s about my four younger siblings, the children Li Gui had with Zhang Qian. Two of them have been kidnapped by someone. One of them is seriously injured and needs to go to the county city hospital for treatment. The other one is still unconscious, but alright for now," Qiao Mei said. Chen Hu angrily threw the glass of water in his hand at the table, giving the soldier beside him a fright. There was actually someone who dared to snatch children in his territory? They were really courting death! "Then this matter is considered official business. I''ll send someone to look for the two missing children. As for the seriously ill child you mentioned, what do you want to do?" Chen Hu asked. "This child needs to be sent to the county city now. The doctor says that someone kicked her and her ribs are broken. I''m wondering if Uncle Hu can send a car here to drive her there. The three-wheeled vehicle we have here won''t be able to get us to the county city," Qiao Mei said. "It''s alright, the child is innocent. On account of you and your grandfather, I''ll help you with this matter. But I still won''t forgive Li Gui!" Chen Hu said. Chapter 531 Blocking The City Gate Qiao Mei laughed and said, "I know Uncle Hu is the best. I''ll leave this matter to you!" "Alright, take good care of yourself too. I''ll arrange for someone to go now." After saying that, Chen Hu hung up the phone and arranged to send a van to the village. He then sent a small team to Li Gui''s house to search for clues. Qiao Mei searched ward by ward and finally found the one Zhang Wei was in. Li Gui was bent over Zhang Wei''s bed, crying silently. "I''ve made arrangements with some people in the county city to transfer Zhang Miao to the hospital there. Someone will come and pick her up in a while," Qiao Mei said softly. "Thank you, Mei Mei. I don''t even know how to thank you. I''ll go and ask Zhang Qian for money to save Miao Miao now!" Li Gui said. "There''s no need to thank me. She''s also my younger sister. Later, you should also go together with Zhang Miao. Spend more time with Zhang Wei now. I''ll call grandfather and ask him to come over and keep an eye on Zhang Wei. Later, I''ll also go to the hospital in the county city to take care of Zhang Miao," Qiao Mei said. "It''s better not to let the old master come. It''s already so dark and he''s not in good health. I''ll stay here and keep an eye on the boy. Your auntie will also be here soon," Zhao Liang said. He had just asked his wife to prepare food and send it over. His wife knew that he was a warm-hearted person and would help anyone who needed help, so she did not blame him. However, Li Gui was still a married woman. Even if she did not have a husband, she was still a woman. If Zhao Liang helped her too effusively, it was inevitable that there would be dirty-minded people who would gossip about it. Zhao Liang''s wife would stay behind with Zhao Liang to take care of Zhang Wei tonight. If not for the fact that Zhao Liang had such a good wife supporting him, he would not have been able to devote himself to helping the village and working hard to build it up. "That''s fine too. Sorry to have to trouble you, Uncle Zhao," Qiao Mei said. "Thank you so much, Brother Zhao. I won''t forget how you take care of my entire family! I will definitely repay you well in the future!" Li Gui said as she continued to weep. "We''re all fellow villagers, there''s no need to be so polite. All of you can go and visit Zhang Miao. When the car comes later, don''t forget to bring all your things. You have me taking care of things here," Zhao Liang said with a smile. Qiao Mei went out to take a look at the items on the three-wheeled vehicle and retrieved Zhang Wei''s clothes. "Are you sure you want mom to go to the Zhang family on her own?" Xia Zhe said with a frown. Of course Qiao Mei was worried. She knew that Zhang Qian was not someone to be trifled with. Old Madam Zhang held the purse strings in the family and it would be a waste of Li Gui''s time to go there. However, if Qiao Mei did not allow Li Gui to do it, she would never give up. Instead of letting her live in a dream, she might as well force her into a desperate situation and let her see what the Zhang family was like when something happened to their children. "This is her own business. I don''t care. I just need to take good care of my younger siblings," Qiao Mei said. Xia Zhe understood what Qiao Mei was thinking, but he felt that it would be better if the mother and daughter could talk things out. It would be too risky to let Li Gui put herself in danger. "Alright, don''t think about this anymore. You don''t know what Zhang Qian did to her in the past. I just want her to understand that if she doesn''t get a divorce, these children won''t be able to survive," Qiao Mei said resignedly. Xia Zhe brought down all the luggage from the vehicle and helped Qiao Mei down. "You should go home and rest tonight. Someone has to take care of grandfather too. I''ll take care of Zhang Miao tonight. Why not you come and take over from me tomorrow?" Xia Zhe said gently. Qiao Mei leaned quietly against Xia Zhe. She was still very concerned about Zhang Chao and Zhang Qin. She wondered if they would get beaten up and if some bad guys had taken them somewhere to kill them. In her other life, she had often seen cases of people buying and selling children''s organs as well as selling children to earn money. She did not know if the injured Zhang Miao would be able to survive the night, if Zhang Miao''s broken ribs would affect her life in the future, and if Zhang Miao would end up with any psychological trauma that would affect her for the rest of her life. She really did not dare to imagine how what happened today would affect these children in the future. At the same time, she had a trace of delusional hope. She hoped that Zhang Qian still had some humanity and could come to the hospital to visit Zhang Miao and help look for the two missing children. "I think I''d better go with you. I''m worried that Uncle Chen Hu will ask for details about the children. He''s currently sending people to search for them," Qiao Mei said worriedly. Chen Hu had already sealed off the entrances and exits of all the train stations and bus stations. Anyone bringing children of between two to fifteen years old in or out of the stations had to undergo strict screening. Chapter 532 Worthless Zhang Qian walked back to Chu Xin''s house happily. When he reached the door and realized that it was already closed, he knocked patiently. He did not have the key to Chu Xin''s house. Chu Xin would open the door for him every time, and no matter what time it was, Chu Xin would always be at home. He had never been curious about how Chu Xin managed to maintain her lifestyle, nor was he curious about where she came from. All he could think about was being intimate with Chu Xin. "Xin Xin! Open the door!" Zhang Qian shouted. Chu Xin quickly hid the money in the room and brought the intact-looking bags back to the living room. She tidied up her clothes and walked foxily to open the door. n0(????(e)lbi????.n(et "I was in the toilet just now, so I''m a little slow to get to the door," Chu Xin lied flawlessly without batting an eyelid. "It''s fine, it''s fine. I already sent all of them off. Don''t worry," Zhang Qian said flatteringly. "I''ll go cook you something. You''ve been busy all this time and haven''t eaten yet!" Chu Xin said with a smile. Zhang Qian looked at Chu Xin''s busy figure in the kitchen and happily helped to collect the cups in the living room. He remembered Chu Xin saying that the cups used by others must be washed properly. He had never done these things at home, but when he was here, he actually felt that it was his duty. "Why are you doing such things? Put them down and let me do it. Go and help me count the money in the bags and see whether the amounts are right. I haven''t had time to count it after they gave it to me!" Chu Xin said. Zhang Qian''s eyes lit up when he heard about counting money. He had already caught sight of the two bags of money, but he did not dare to take action on his own without Chu Xin''s permission. The last time, when he could not find his clothes and went to look into the closet, Chu Xin ignored him for two whole days! "Fine, fine, fine! I''ll go take a look now!" Zhang Qian hurriedly ran to the sofa and opened the bags happily. Previously, he had secretly looked into Old Madam Zhang''s cloth bag where she hid her money. There was 600 dollars in it! That was the most money he had ever seen in his life. He did not expect to be able to see more than 10,000 dollars in his lifetime! "Hahaha, 100! 200! 300! 1,000! Hahahahaha, I''m rich, I''m rich!" Zhang Qian threw all the money on the ground and counted them one by one, looking as happy as a child who had received candy. Chu Xin leaned against the kitchen door and stared at Zhang Qian with interest. She had met many men like him in her life. Nowadays, due to either pressure or the need to join hands in business, there were many consanguineous marriages among the rich people, resulting in many children being born dim-witted or with disabilities. Sister Jiang from earlier was one of these people.. Her child was dim-witted, but he was not born with it. She had accidentally dropped the child when she carried him. Coupled with the fact that the child was too young and no one took good care of him, he developed a high fever which affected his brain. That was why Sister Jiang asked her to find a sensible and capable girl who could help her take care of her dim-witted son. As for the couple who adopted Zhang Chao, it was said that they came from a scholarly family. Both of them were highly educated people, but they were unable to have children due to an accident, so they found a way to contact her about buying someone else''s child. Chu Xin brought out the dishes and said with a smile, "Let''s count it later! Come over to eat! There''s so much money, you won''t be able to count it all even if you do it overnight!" "Hahahaha, do you know! I never even dreamed of having so much money!" Zhang Qian ran over excitedly with the money. Chu Xin smiled and nodded. "Put it down quickly. Wash your hands and eat!" Zhang Qian listened to Chu Xin obediently. After packing everything away, he sat at the dining table and pondered. These two children were sold for 25,000 dollars. If he sold the remaining two children, did that mean he would have another 25,000 dollars! "Xin Xin, since these two children can be sold for 25,000 dollars, I still have a son and a daughter. Can we sell them for a good price too!" Zhang Qian said excitedly. Chu Xin was a little surprised. She did not expect Zhang Qian to get on this wavelength. However, for a father to be so enthusiastic about selling his children, he was truly also one of a kind. "It''s possible, but your eldest son is already so grown up and it won''t be easy to get a good price. If only your youngest daughter is a boy, then she would be worth 25,000 dollars herself. Young girls don''t fetch high prices," Chu Xin said regretfully. Zhang Qian''s dream of getting rich was shattered just like that. For the youngest one, if it was not profitable to sell her at a young age, then he could sell her when she was older! As for Zhang Wei, he would leave him to Li Gui. The worthless money-losing good-for-nothing and the jinx could have each other. A perfect match! Chapter 533 Leave The Money With Me "It''s fine, it''s fine. After we get married, we''ll go fetch that girl Zhang Miao and raise her ourselves. We can sell her once she''s older. There''s no difference," Zhang Qian said with a grin. Chu Xin pouted and said, "Married? You still have the cheek to say that word. You want me to be with you even though you have not gotten a divorce?" Zhang Qian slapped his head and said in frustration, "Oh my, it''s my fault, my fault! Don''t be angry! I''ll go and divorce Li Gui now!" With that, Zhang Qian stood up to go and look for Li Gui, but Chu Xin quickly stopped him. "We''ll talk about it in a couple of days. It''s not like I''m in a hurry. Besides, it''s already so late now. Where are you going? I''m afraid of being alone at home~," Chu Xin said daintily. Zhang Qian liked it when Chu Xin wheedled like this! Moreover, compared to Li Gui, Chu Xin was capable and beautiful. The most important thing was that she understood him! No matter how much money Chu Xin spent, he was willing to let her! "Fine, fine, fine, little precious. I''ll listen to you! As long as you''re happy! I''ll do whatever you want!" Zhang Qian said with a smile. "Then... I want you to hand over all this money to me for safekeeping! The moment you marry me! That''s when I''ll give you the money!" Chu Xin said. This demand stumped Zhang Qian. After all, those were his children, even if Chu Xin was the one who contacted all the buyers. He could share a portion of the money with her like what he was going to do with Zhang Cong. If he gave her the entire 25,000 dollars, he would lose everything if she did not marry him! Just as Zhang Qian was hesitating, Chu Xin silently covered her face and cried. She said softly, "I really have a tough life! I lost my parents when I was young and wandered around alone for so many years. It wasn''t easy for me to get married, but my husband died not long after! I thought that meeting you was a gift from the heavens, but I never expected you to be such a heartless man!" "I''m not! Xin Xin, don''t cry! I haven''t said anything yet!" Zhang Qian''s heart ached as he pulled Chu Xin into his arms. "You''re truly a heartless man! Do you think I will take your money and then say that I don''t know you! I still have this house! This is the house my ex-husband bought and it''s in my name now. Where else can I go! When we get married in the future, it will be in your name too!" Chu Xin said as she sobbed. She actually wanted to give him the house! He did not expect her to love him so much. Zhang Qian looked at Chu Xin lying in his arms. For the first time in his life, he felt that he should protect a woman well. Ever since he was young, he saw his parents quarreling, being suspicious of each other and scheming against each other. What they had was not love, but they were just two people living together. In addition, Old Madam Zhang was not in good health. After giving birth to him, she did not have any more children. She gave Zhang Qian all the good things she had and spoiled him from a young age. That was why he was a selfish person who never cared about other people''s feelings. Zhang Qian said remorsefully, "I''m sorry, Xin Xin. I''m too calculative. It''s all my fault, I shouldn''t have doubted you! I''ll leave this money with you. We''ll use it to buy new furniture when I marry you!" After all, after he married Chu Xin in the future, even this house would belong to him, let alone the 25,000 dollars. Chu Xin would also belong to him! He could live however he wanted and do whatever he wanted! In that case, he had to thank Chu Xin''s ex-husband who died young. Otherwise, he would not have the luck to meet Chu Xin. "So you promise that you will marry me!" Chu Xin looked up at Zhang Qian with tears in her eyes. Zhang Qian nodded vigorously and said, "Yes! I promise I''ll marry you!" "Then I''ll believe you. Tomorrow, go and look for Li Gui and divorce her! Otherwise, I won''t believe what you say!" Chu Xin said willfully. "No problem! I''ll agree to anything you say! Even if you want the moon in the sky now, I''ll pluck it for you!" Zhang Qian raised three fingers and swore. Zhang Qian promised Chu Xin everything. Even if Chu Xin asked him to sell Zhang Cong now, he would do it! "Alright, stop hugging me. Hurry up and have your meal!" Chu Xin said laughingly. "Then little precious, have you forgiven me? Don''t be angry anymore, alright?" Zhang Qian asked cautiously. At this moment, Chu Xin was his cash cow. He was still counting on Chu Xin to sell Zhang Miao for a good price! "Alright, alright, I''m not angry anymore. Eat quickly. I still have to clean up!" Chu Xin said unhappily. "Don''t worry, you don''t have to do anything. I''ll do it myself! I definitely won''t let my little precious suffer!" Zhang Qian said. Chapter 534 - 534 Some Clues 534 Some Clues A vehicle came by quickly to pick Zhang Miao up from the village. Chen Hu always did things very efficiently. In order for Zhang Miao to be able to lie down properly, Chen Hu specially made arrangements for a military truck. The stretcher could fit in the back of the truck so that Zhang Miao could lie down. Moreover, the back of the truck had a covering that could block out the wind and sand. During this time of the year, the dew was heavy at night and the wind was also stronger, so they needed more blankets. Inside the truck, there were many military blankets, military coats and iron thermo bottles that were filled with hot water. Qiao Mei noted everything she saw. She did not expect Chen Hu to be such a meticulous person. Hello, Qiao Mei. Im a soldier who reports to Chen Hu. Just call me Xiaobei, Xiaobei said to Qiao Mei with a grin. Hello. Do you need us to do anything now? Qiao Mei asked. Lets carry the child up first. My boss has already contacted the hospital. If we send her over now, she can receive treatment right away. The hospital has the best specialists, Xiaobei said. Great, Ill go and make the arrangements now. After saying that, Qiao Mei went into the room to find someone to make the arrangements. When Zhang Miao was carried out on a stretcher, Qiao Mei could no longer suppress the anger in her heart. The small little childs face was very pale without a trace of color in it. She lay quietly on the stretcher, and even her breathing was extremely weak. What kind of beast could do something so evil to such a young child! Mom, put on the military coat and sit at the back to take care of Zhang Miao. Xia Zhe will accompany you, Qiao Mei said calmly. At this moment, Li Gui could no longer hear anything. She crouched helplessly next to Zhang Miaos stretcher and wept loudly. Out of her four children, this was the child she loved the most. This child was usually sunny and cheerful, always filling her with joy. If it was not for this child, she definitely would not have been able to survive those difficult days. My daughter! Why are you like this?! Get up and look at Mom! Li Gui wailed. Qiao Mei helped Li Gui up so that the stretcher could be lifted into the truck. She did not want to miss out on the golden time for treatment. Mom, calm down. Zhang Miao needs everyone to be supportive now. We have to rush to the hospital to save her. If we delay any longer, Zhang Miaos life will be in danger, Qiao Mei said. Li Gui gradually calmed down. The most important thing now was to save Zhang Miao. She had to persevere and not fall apart. She still had to go and look for Zhang Qian and ask him for the money to save Zhang Miaos life! Yes! I still have to ask Zhang Qian for money! Lets go! Lets send Zhang Miao to the hospital quickly! Li Gui stumbled up the truck. After Xia Zhe set down their things properly and Qiao Mei left behind some instructions, they set off for the hospital. There was someone at the entrance of the hospital to receive them. After being carried down from the truck, Zhang Miao was sent into the operating theater. Mei Mei, Ill go and look for Zhang Qian. Can you both stay here and help me look after Miao Miao? Li Gui pleaded. Qiao Mei held Li Gui back and said, Theres no hurry to do that. We can talk about it later. The most important thing now is to make sure Zhang Miao is settled down. When Zhang Miaos life is out of danger, you still have to go back and look after Zhang Wei. Theres no hurry to ask Zhang Qian for money now. Li Gui had no choice but to listen to Qiao Mei. Chen Hu gave Qiao Mei a call at that moment. Hello, Qiao Mei, its your Uncle Hu. Ive already sent people around to find the whereabouts of the two children, Zhang Chao and Zhang Qin. Dont be too anxious. Hows Zhang Miao? I heard from Xiaobei that he has already sent you to the hospital, Chen Hu said. Qiao Mei said in a low voice, Shes still undergoing emergency treatment. Thank you very much, Uncle Hu. If its not for you, this child would have lost her life. Chen Hu laughed heartily and said, Hahahahaha! Youre being so polite! If it werent for your grandfather back then, I might have lost my life! Theres no need to be so polite between us! Qiao Mei quietly walked to one side and asked, Uncle Hu, tell me the truth. Have you gotten any clues by now? Chen Hu suddenly fell silent. It was not that he did not notice anything weird about this matter, but he was still unsure. He suspected that the children had been sold. He had been stationed at this area for a long time. He would hear of similar incidents of children getting stolen, but it was usually the families who had sold off their children themselves. Some families had too many children and could not afford to feed them, so they sold their children in private. As long as both parties accepted these things and no one reported the case, the authorities would not be able to get involved. What if the childrens parents did not want them when they were found? After all, the childrens parents did not want to look for them. What could the authorities do even when they found the children? Chapter 535 Caregiving "We''re still investigating this matter. When Li Gui has some time, ask her to come and look for me. We need to question her," Chen Hu said. "I also asked her about it today. At that time, she was working in the fields and there were only the four children at home. There was no one else around," Qiao Mei said. Chen Hu hesitated for a while before he asked the question that he was thinking. "How is Li Gui''s relationship with these children? What is their father like?" Chen Hu asked. "She loves these children very much and I usually help to take care of them too. Their father''s name is Zhang Qian and he works in a factory in the county city. He doesn''t usually care about the children and doesn''t treat them very well," Qiao Mei said. It was already good enough if Zhang Qian did not come to harm the children! "Alright, I''ll go and investigate Zhang Qian''s background before contacting you again. Don''t stand on ceremony with me. If you need anything, just let me know. If you can''t find me, then look for Xiaobei. I''ve arranged for him to be with you in the next two days," Chen Hu said. "Thank you, Uncle Hu. I''ll make some delicious food for you next time!" Qiao Mei said with a smile. Ever since the guys in the troop tasted the pickled vegetables and meat sauce made by Qiao Mei the last time, they had been clamoring for Qiao Mei to be their chef. They were even willing to pay for it themselves. The food prepared by the cooks in the army was really quite inedible. It was already not bad if all the ingredients were cooked properly and not left raw! "Sure, sure, sure. Those guys in our troop are counting on you to make some more meat sauce! The food you made for me the last time was all gone before I could bring some home to give your auntie a taste! Next time, you have to make more and prepare a separate jar for your auntie. Otherwise, your auntie will tell me off when I get home!" Chen Hu said. "No problem! When I''ve settled this matter, I''ll definitely make more!" Qiao Mei said. "It''s a deal! I''ve got to go get busy now. Contact me if you need anything!" Chen Hu hung up after saying that. Qiao Mei sat along the quiet corridor of the hospital and watched the people coming and going. What Chen Hu said just now seemed to be his reminder to her to be wary of Zhang Qian. It was already close to dawn by now. Qiao Mei had been on the go for an entire day and she was almost out of energy by now. Staring at the red light outside the operating theater, she prayed that Zhang Miao would be safe and sound and that she could grow up healthy and happy. "Do you want to rest for a while? You''ve been up all day," Xia Zhe said as he hugged Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei shook her head. Her thoughts were all on Zhang Miao now and she would not be able to sleep well at the moment. "I want to wait until Zhang Miao comes out and make sure she''s fine before taking a rest. Don''t worry, I''m fine," Qiao Mei said as she pointed at her own face. The light outside the operating theater suddenly went out. Not long after, the doctor pushed Zhang Miao out on the bed. Li Gui, Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe gathered at the entrance of the operating theater and looked anxiously at Zhang Miao. "Doctor, how''s the child?" Li Gui asked. "The child is fine now. She will need to recuperate for a long time. Her ribs show signs of cracks and there are also fractures in some parts. Fortunately, her organs are not affected. She''s fine now and just needs to recuperate properly. You should hospitalize her for a period of time," the doctor said. The moment they heard that Zhang Miao was fine, the three of them were finally able to relax. Qiao Mei arranged for Zhang Miao to stay in the best ward in the county hospital. The setup and fittings here could not be compared to that in the capital, and the room was also very small and narrow. Xia Zhe went downstairs and bought two caregiver beds. The guest house in the county was very far from the hospital. If they wanted to have a good rest, they would need to make do in the hospital for the night. People who had no money chose to sleep on the floor along the long corridor of the hospital. There were people lying around on all the different types of seats. Some were sleeping on the chairs with their test results, while others stood around in the corridor and waited for their beds with their luggage. "How did you manage to buy the caregiver beds? I don''t see many people using this type of bed in the corridor," Qiao Mei asked curiously. "There aren''t many people in the county who are willing to see a doctor. After they use up all their money to treat their illnesses, they can''t bear to spend money on caregivers at all. Moreover, I''ve asked around and found out that the guest house is 10 kilometers away from here! There are also some people whose workplace would reimburse them for their treatment, but not for caregivers, so they can''t bear to spend the money too," Xia Zhe explained. "You''ve never lived in the county city before, so how do you know about this?" Qiao Mei asked. Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei in embarrassment. If Qiao Mei knew how he found out about this, he might be the one sleeping in the corridor outside. Chapter 536 I Quit It was the lady boss manning the shop at the moment. When she saw Xia Zhe, her eyes were almost fixated on him. She kept asking Xia Zhe about his birth date, age and his family background. She even wanted to marry her daughter off to Xia Zhe. If Xia Zhe had not paid fast and ran away quickly, he would probably still be held back by the lady boss and interrogated! "I... I was held back by that lady boss... Then, she told me a lot of things..." Xia Zhe stammered. There was a hint of murderous look in Qiao Mei''s eyes. She had thought that she would be able to avoid Xia Zhe''s romantic debts after leaving the capital. She did not expect that Xia Zhe would still be as popular as ever after coming to the county city. He was simply too well liked by both men and women, young and old! "I never expect the same thing even when I return to the village..." Qiao Mei muttered softly. Xia Zhe liked Qiao Mei''s jealous look very much. It made her look very cute and playful. The more jealous Qiao Mei got, the happier he was. This meant that Qiao Mei loved him and cared about him. "I didn''t say more than what was necessary. I just took my things and left! I''ve asked the doctor for a few unused blankets. Zhang Miao''s blanket is also here. I''ve made the bed for you, so go and sleep now," Xia Zhe said. Qiao Mei sat down slowly on the caregiver bed. The bed, which was originally only a piece of canvas supported by a few pieces of steel, was now tightly wrapped up with blankets by Xia Zhe. It felt as if she was sitting on a big cotton puff. "What about you? Aren''t you going to rest?" Qiao Mei asked. "I''ll keep an eye on Zhang Miao tonight. Mom is sleeping on the hospital bed next to Zhang Miao. I''ll rest if I feel tired later," Xia Zhe said as he squatted beside Qiao Mei. "Then wake me up when you''re tired. I''ll take over and keep an eye on her," Qiao Mei said. Xia Zhe nodded and turned off the lights in the ward, leaving only a small table lamp switched on in the corner. Soon, everyone fell asleep. Nothing much happened in the hospital, but something big happened to the Zhang family. Zhang Qian slept through the night and returned to work the next morning. Ever since he received the money from selling the children, he felt refreshed and no longer cared about the people at his workplace. "Zhang, did you pick up money or win the lottery? Why are you so happy today? Tell us and make everyone happy," the security guard at the door said with a smile as he held on to a large tea jar. Zhang Qian tilted his head and did not even look at the guard as he walked into the factory arrogantly. The people around him sighed, not knowing what was wrong with Zhang Qian. "Hey! Why is he ignoring me! Didn''t he see me!" the guard stood up angrily and yelled at Zhang Qian. Everyone in the surrounding area pulled him back to sit down and handed him some melon seeds. "Brother, why are you angry with him? Maybe he has done something bad and is too embarrassed to say it!" "Hahahaha! Is it because that young widow doesn''t like him?" "In the end, she ended up with the factory manager! He even promoted Zhang. Zhang now has to serve tea to the factory manager every day! I don''t know how he can tolerate it! If I''m Zhang, I would definitely quit!" "That''s right! His lover was snatched away and he still has to serve tea to her husband. I have to say that Zhang is really a big picture person!" "His wife is also a remarried woman. Zhang just likes to interact with widows. I wonder what''s so nice about this widow that Zhang can''t forget her!" "Why? Do you want to experience it too? But you don''t have Zhang''s luck!" "We have to get Zhang to tell us how he does it! So that everyone can learn from him!" "Hahaha!" Everyone burst into laughter. Zhang Qian was already tired of hearing these chitchat. Ever since the young widow married the factory manager, he was mocked all the time. However, he would not let himself be insulted anymore from today onwards! He had long wanted to quit this job! Zhang Qian walked back angrily and said, "You don''t have to sit here and laugh at me! I''m going to resign today! I quit! You can say whatever you want!" "Brother, why are you so angry? Isn''t everyone just joking? Why are you taking it so seriously?" the other employees laughed and said. "I''ve had enough of this lousy place for a long time! What''s so great about being a factory manager! I''ll quit after today! Just wait and see!" Zhang Qian shouted. "Why don''t you just leave now? Are you saying it for show?" the guard said sarcastically. Zhang Qian also felt like leaving now, but how was he going to break the news to Chu Xin? When he left earlier, she even told him to work hard and said she would cook a feast for him tonight. Chapter 537 You Still Have The Cheek To Come Back "When I leave is none of your business! I''m already here, so how can I go back empty-handed! I must get paid for today!" Zhang Qian said. He would not leave if his pay was short of even a single cent. How could the factory manager snatch his woman and still deduct his pay? Not a single cent less! He must get the full sum! "Zhang, did you make a fortune? If you have any new opportunities, don''t forget us!" the guard said mockingly. Zhang Qian did not say anything else to them. Chu Xin had told him that the fewer people who knew about this matter, the better. Otherwise, they would not be able to continue doing this business in the future. After finishing his work, he went to the accountant to get 24 dollars and left the factory. When he walked out of the factory door, he felt that even the air smelt fresher. He still felt a little reluctant to leave this place where he had spent most of his working life. However, there was a beautiful woman waiting for him at home and she also had endless money for him to spend. There was nothing to miss about life in the factory! After buying Chu Xin''s favorite apples and a few meat buns from the shop at the main door, he went home happily. "Xin Xin! Open the door!" Zhang Qian knocked on the door and shouted happily. After shouting for a long time, there was still no response from inside the house. The puzzled Zhang Qian leaned his ear against the door and listened for the sounds of movements inside. "Xin Xin! Are you home! Open the door!" Zhang Qian gradually became irritable and kicked the door fiercely. He made so much noise that the neighbor next door opened the door and scolded, "Who are you! Who knocks in this manner! It''s so noisy!" "How I knock on my house door is none of your business! Who do you think you are to talk nonsense here! Mind your own business and don''t disturb me!" Zhang Qian shouted back at the neighbor. "Even if you tear down the door, there''s no one inside!" the neighbor said. "What do you mean? Isn''t there someone living here?" Zhang Qian asked in puzzlement. Zhang Qian took a closer look at the unit number and the decorations on the door. He did not go to the wrong place. This was Chu Xin''s house. Then where did she go? "They moved out early this morning. It''s empty inside now. I don''t know what''s going on, but they barely lived here for half a year," the neighbor said. "Wait a minute! What did you say just now! Half a year! Isn''t this house previously occupied by a woman and her husband? How can it be half a year!" Zhang Qian was a little confused by now. Back then, Chu Xin had told him such a complete story and she said this house belonged to her husband, did she not? "This house was vacant for a long time. A woman moved in half a year ago and there are always men coming to the house. You''re not the first one, but you''re the one who comes most often," the neighbor said. Could it be that Chu Xin had lied to him? She was not a widow at all! She was a scammer! "Did you remember wrongly! Think about it carefully!" Zhang Qian asked as he looked at the neighbor nervously. "How can I remember wrongly? I''ve lived here for so many years. Of course I know who lives opposite me. There''s no mistake," the neighbor said confidently. Zhang Qian did not believe what the neighbor said. He threw the fruits he was holding to one side and slammed on the door with all his might, causing so much noise that everyone from upstairs and downstairs came out to criticize him. "Who is it! Here to collect debts or something! Or is someone going to die!" "Who exactly are you looking for! That family has already moved out today, why are you still knocking!" "Our child is studying! How can our child study if you behave like this! If you can''t find whoever you''re looking for, go to the police. What''s the use of knocking on the door now!" Zhang Qian ignored everyone and continued banging on the door. He must see Chu Xin today, otherwise he would not leave! "Eh? This is the Zhang family''s son, right?" "It seems to be... it''s really him!" "Why is he here?" Someone recognized him and even went forward to take a good look at his face. "What are you looking at! Haven''t you seen a visitor before! Get out of the way, get out of the way!" Zhang Qian hurriedly pushed away the surrounding neighbors and fled in a panic. If anyone found out that he had been having an ambiguous relationship with Chu Xin all this while, it would be reported and printed on posters to be put up everywhere and he might even have to go to jail. Zhang Qian walked home dejectedly. As soon as he pushed open the door, Old Madam Zhang threw a glass at him and it fell to the ground with an ear-piercing crash. "You still have the cheek to come back! You have totally embarrassed the Zhang family! Are you having an ambiguous relationship with the woman next door! Someone already came to tell me about this! Don''t you have any shame!" Old Madam Zhang scolded. Chapter 538 - 538 Cannot Call the Police 538 Cannot Call the Police What! Whats wrong with me looking for her! She doesnt need any status! Im going to divorce Li Gui now! I cant take it anymore! Zhang Qian roared. Old Madam Zhang scolded him angrily, Who will give you money if you leave Li Gui! Dont tell me youre going to raise those children yourself! At this moment, Zhang Cong had also returned from work. The news of Zhang Qian and Chu Xin having an ambiguous relationship had spread throughout the neighborhood. Now that Chu Xin had run away, it was obvious that Zhang Qian had been scammed. Dad! I just came back from the factory! Why did you quit? Zhang Cong asked as he rushed in. When Old Madam Zhang heard that Zhang Qian had resigned, she stood up shakily with her walking stick and said, You! You actually resigned from your job at the factory! Do you want your entire family to starve! Back then, this job was handed over to Zhang Qian after Old Master Zhang retired. The people in the factory were already unhappy with Zhang Qian because he lazed around all day long and even stole things from the company. Now that Zhang Qian resigned on his own, it was like a slap in the face for the Zhang family. You unfilial son! Are you trying to anger me to death! Old Master Zhang shouted. Zhang Qian sat on the chair indifferently and said, I dont want to work there anymore! I dont believe that I wont be able to survive after leaving the factory! Hearing the commotion outside, Sun Yan quietly walked out of the bedroom and stood at the side to join in. Ever since she married into the family, this was the first time she had seen the family arguing so fiercely. Only then did Zhang Cong realize something. Now that Chu Xin had left, what about his 1,000 dollars reward? Wheres my 1,000 dollars! Wheres Chu Xin! Give me my 1,000 dollars! Zhang Cong shouted as he pointed at Zhang Qian. What 1,000 dollars? Where did you get so much money? Sun Yan asked curiously. Old Madam Zhang also stared at Zhang Cong. All the money belonging to the family, no matter the amount, had to be handed over to her. She wondered what kind of windfall Zhang Cong had to have to be able to save up 1,000 dollars. His lover sold Zhang Chao and Zhang Qin for a lot of money! His lover promised me 1,000 dollars as compensation for the hard work. I just heard from the neighbors downstairs that his lover ran away early in the morning with all her luggage! She has probably left the city by now! Zhang Cong said. When Old Madam Zhang heard this, she almost fainted from anger. It was fine if he sold Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao, but no matter what, Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao were still sons of the Zhang family! After Li Gui brought them up, they would be grown men who could earn money for the family. At that time, the money they earned would have to be handed over to Old Madam Zhang. Old Master Zhang raised the smoking pipe in his hand and wanted to throw it at Zhang Qian. That kid was part of the continuation of the Zhang familys lineage! How could he sell the boy! Return Zhang Chao to me! Go and get Zhang Chao back for me! Thats a male Zhang family member! Hes a descendant of our Zhang family! How can you sell him just like that! Old Madam Zhang cried. Sun Yan was also shocked when she heard this. Everyone told her that she was expecting a boy whenever they saw her. If her son was taken away by Zhang Qian to be sold after she gave birth, that would be like killing her! p1ease visi(t) nove1B(in).ne)t No! She could not stay in such a family anymore! She wanted to go back to her parents house! Whats with all the noise! How would I know that shes a scammer! Besides, what if its because she has something urgent to do in her hometown! And she doesnt have time to tell me! Zhang Qian said vaguely. Do you believe what youre saying! As if she didnt scam you! As if you know where her hometown is! Call the police quickly! Find my grandson! Old Madam Zhang said. When Zhang Qian thought about it carefully, he realized that he actually did not know where Chu Xins hometown was. He recalled that he had never seen any of Chu Xins identification documents, not even any of her money. After living together for three months, other than knowing how Chu Xin behaved in bed, he did not know anything else about her. I I dont know Only then did Zhang Qian realize that Chu Xin did not even like him at all, but was only after his children. She specialized in seducing men so that they would bring their children to her to sell them. This way, there was no loss to her and yet she got to keep all the money. It was possible that her name was not Chu Xin at all! Chu Xin was just a fake name! Then what are you waiting for? Call the police now! Old Master Zhang shouted anxiously. No! We cant call the police! If we call the police, my father and I will have to go to jail! Were the ones who brought the children here, not Chu Xin, Zhang Cong shouted nervously. Chapter 539 Throwing His Weight Around At Home "Can''t call the police! If we can''t call the police, how can I find my grandson! Also, even if my grandson can''t come back, we have to get the money. After all, he''s the grandson that our Zhang family raised for more than 10 years. How much did he sell for? The money from selling the children should be given to us!" Old Madam Zhang said self-righteously. "She has already run away! The money is definitely gone!" Zhang Qian said. "Then... how much are these two children worth?" Old Madam Zhang probed. She would give up if these two children were not worth much money. Even without Zhang Chao, there was still Zhang Wei! Moreover, Zhang Wei was two years older and could start work earlier. He would be able to hand over his salary to them earlier. "A total of 25,000 dollars for two children..." Zhang Qian said softly. "What! How much! 25,000! Oh my heavens, the children are actually worth so much money!" Old Madam Zhang said in shock. Zhang Cong was also very shocked. No wonder Zhang Qian agreed so readily when he said that he wanted 1,000 dollars as a reward. This bit of money was nothing to him. "What''s the point of saying all this now! Chu Xin has already run away, the money is gone, my job is gone, and the children are also gone!" Zhang Qian said. "You still have the cheek to vent your frustration on your family because of that woman! You''re the one who can''t control yourself! You even quit such a good job just like that! Who are you to throw a tantrum once you get home!" Old Madam Zhang shouted. Sun Yan had already quietly packed her things and got ready to leave the Zhang family. She could not stay with such a family for even one more day. If Zhang Qian could sell his biological children for money, Zhang Qian might take away her child to sell once he or she was born. She must protect her child well. In the worst case scenario, she would divorce Zhang Cong! She did not want to stay with this family for even one more minute! "Yan Yan, where are you going?" Zhang Cong looked at Sun Yan''s luggage and asked nervously. "I can''t stay here anymore! I want to go back to my parents'' house!" Sun Yan said. Zhang Qian pointed at Sun Yan and shouted, "How dare you! Do you think you can leave just like that after marrying into our Zhang family! Do you still regard us as elders! You''re now pregnant with our Zhang family''s grandson! Who says you can leave! You must stay put." The more Zhang Qian talked like that, the more afraid Sun Yan became. They were all just eyeing her baby. Without this child, her situation in this family would be even more miserable! "Yan Yan, you should go back into the room. Don''t let anything affect the pregnancy and hurt your own health," Zhang Cong said as he held Sun Yan. "I want to go back! I want to go back to my parents'' house and look for my parents! It''s useless no matter what you say! You just want the baby I''m carrying! You don''t care about me at all!" Sun Yan shouted hysterically. Before they got married, Zhang Cong gave in to her all the time and listened to her about everything. He definitely did not dare to disobey her parents then. After she married into the family, he treated her coldly and sometimes did not even return home at night. If she asked too many questions, she would be reprimanded by Zhang Cong. He would say that her figure was out of shape after she got pregnant and that she was a parasite attached to him. Old Madam Zhang also made things difficult for her in every way. In the past, she had never suffered like this at her parents'' home. ? Zhang Qian went up and gave Sun Yan a slap. Anyway, he no longer had a job. So what if Sun Yan''s parents were government officials? As if they could make things difficult for him? Right now, he had the final say in this family. He could do whatever he wanted! "I''m not dead yet! How dare you talk back to me!" Zhang Qian roared. Sun Yan covered her face and looked at Zhang Cong and Zhang Qian in disbelief. She ran back into the room while crying. Zhang Cong looked at Zhang Qian with a complicated expression. Although he despised Sun Yan''s figure, he did not want to divorce her. It would sound too outrageous if word got out. Could it be that he would eventually end up marrying a widow like Zhang Qian? Then he would become the joke of the entire county city! "Then what should we do now?" Old Madam Zhang asked. "What do you mean by what we should do! Let''s just pretend that the children are dead! And that Chu Xin has never appeared! Anyway, it''s good that we no longer have the two younger children! The older ones can still earn money! When the time is right, we''ll sell Zhang Miao too!" After saying that, Zhang Qian returned to his room and slammed the door shut. "Why is he throwing his weight around now... When he was being scammed by that whore, he didn''t even want to return home. Now, he still has the cheek to come back..." Old Madam Zhang muttered unhappily. Chapter 540 - 540 Physical Recovery 540 Physical Recovery Zhang Cong hugged Old Madam Zhangs arm ingratiatingly. Not that Zhang Qian was no longer able to give him that 1,000 dollars, someone had to give him some money. Grandma~ Look at how hard my father hit Sun Yan just now. Can you give me some money to buy some fruits ~ Zhang Cong said. Fruits? What fruits? You still have the cheek to ask for money! If you know about this, why havent you told us earlier! If I know about this, how will our family not get a single cent! We really raised those two children for nothing for so many years! How much of the food I paid for did they eat! Just thinking about it makes my heart ache! Old Madam Zhang said with a pained expression. Zhang Cong pointed at the room Sun Yan was in and said, Yan Yan is pregnant with your great-grandchild! Youre going to be a great-grandmother! Just now, my father almost sent Sun Yan to the hospital with that slap! You cant just care about those two children and not care about your great-grandchild! Right now, Zhang Cong was the only person in the family who had a job and was earning money. If she made him unhappy and he left home like Zhang Qian, she would not be able to live her life well! Old Madam Zhang walked into her room slowly and closed the door tightly, afraid that Zhang Cong would be able to peep through the gap and see where she hid her money. After much consideration, she decided to give Zhang Cong five dollars. Five dollars was enough for him to buy all the good fruits from the stall! Here you go! Dont spend too much, do you hear me! Im buying it for my great-grandson! Old Madam Zhang said unwillingly. Zhang Qian took the money with a smile and turned around to go back into the room to coax Sun Yan. After a day, there was also good news from the village. Zhang Wei had woken up! The doctor at the clinic gave him a simple checkup and agreed to let him leave only after confirming that there were no problems. Xiao Wei, your mother and elder sister are both taking care of your youngest sister in the county city. Why dont you come to aunties house to stay for a couple of days and go home only when your mother comes back, Zhao Liangs wife said. Zhao Liang also chimed in, Thats right. Were also worried about you being at home alone. Come home with me and play at my house. Zhang Wei missed Zhang Miao very much. He wanted to go to the county city, but he felt like he had already troubled Uncle Zhao Liang enough. He would feel bad if they even had to bring him to the county city. Uncle Zhao, is grandfather at home? Zhang Wei asked. ? Yes, yes, hes at home. Your grandfather has already come over three or four times. Seeing that youre still not awake, he went home to make chicken soup. Hes using fresh chicken! the auntie said. Zhang Wei hurriedly jumped up from the bed and wanted to rush home. Zhao Liang grabbed Zhang Wei and said, Wait, wait! Your auntie and I will send you back! Look at how anxious you are! Zhao Liang drove the three-wheeled vehicle and sent his wife and Zhang Wei to Qiao Qiangs house. Before they reached the house, they could already smell the strong fragrance of chicken soup from afar. Smoke rose from the chimney as Qiao Qiang stood in front of the firewood in the courtyard to chop up the wood. As soon as the vehicle stopped, Zhang Wei jumped down and ran straight towards Qiao Qiang. He could no longer suppress the longing in his heart. Compared to his biological father, he preferred this grandfather who was not related to him by blood. Grandpa! Grandpa! Grandpa, Im back! Zhang Wei rushed over and knelt on the ground, hugging Qiao Qiangs legs. Get up quickly. Whats wrong? Hurry up and get up! Grandpa still has an ax in my hand. What if I hurt you. Qiao Qiang hurriedly put the ax aside and helped Zhang Wei up from the ground. At this moment, tears were streaming down Zhang Weis face. He felt aggrieved, sad, but also grateful to Qiao Qiang. At the same time, he was traumatized by what happened. Dont cry anymore. Come into the house with me. Ive made some delicious chicken soup for you. I even put some ginseng root in it! You need some nourishment! Qiao Qiang said as he patted Zhang Weis shoulder. Zhao Liang carried the wash basin and thermos and walked into the courtyard. He smiled and said, Uncle Qiao! The doctor says that Xiao Wei is fine and is a lot better. He just needs to rest at home. Qiao Qiang hurriedly went forward to hold onto Zhao Liang. If not for Zhao Liangs help yesterday, these two children would probably have it much worse. All these years, Zhao Liang had been willing to help him with everything, no matter big or small. Even when he did not have any money back then and Qiao Mei was young, unruly and willful, Zhao Liang did not mind at all. When he was bullied by Qiao Zhuangs family, Zhao Liang had also stepped forward to speak up for him. After so many years, he had long treated Zhao Liang like part of his family. Chapter 541 - 541 Hatred 541 Hatred Xiao Zhao, youre here! Thank you so much for your help in the past two days. Wheres your wife? Come into the house quickly. Ive made chicken soup. Come in and have some food before you leave! Qiao Qiang said warmly. No, Uncle Qiao. We still have some food at home. If we dont go back and finish it, itll go bad soon. You and Xiao Wei can eat together, Zhao Liang said. Im old and my teeth arent good. I cant really eat meat. Xiao Wei cant eat so much meaty stuff on his own. Let him drink more soup for nourishment. Otherwise, this leftover chicken will go bad as well. Eat here together with your wife. Dont say no to me. Qiao Qiang turned around and yelled towards Zhang Wei, Xiao Wei, go into the room and get chairs for your Uncle and Auntie Zhao so they can join us for dinner tonight! He was so hospitable that Zhao Liang and his wife had no choice but to stay behind. At the dining table, Zhang Wei appeared uneasy as he kept wondering how Zhang Miao was doing. !! Xiao Wei, why arent you eating? Qiao Qiang asked. Zhang Wei put down his bowl and chopsticks and said, Grandpa, I miss Zhang Miao. I wonder how Miao Miao is doing, and if Zhang Chao and Zhang Qin are doing alright. Zhao Liang had given Qiao Mei a call early in the morning to tell her that Zhang Wei was already awake. He had also asked about Zhang Miao. The situation was not very optimistic, but she was still alive and well. What exactly happened at that time? Do you know who took Zhang Chao and Zhang Qin away? the auntie asked. Its my father and my eldest brother. The two of them took Zhang Chao and Zhang Qin away for some reason. Before they left, they even said that they were bringing them away to raise them. Zhang Miao could not bear to let Zhang Qin go, so she went chasing after them. Then my father kicked her. Zhang Wei looked down and told her what happened that day. The other three people in the room all gasped. They did not expect Zhang Qian to be so ruthless to Zhang Miao. p1ease visit n0ve1b(in).ne)t Even a vicious tiger would not eat its own cubs. This man was simply inhumane! Alright child, dont think too much. Your elder sister Qiao Mei will take care of the matter regarding your younger siblings. The most important thing for you now is to take care of yourself, Zhao Liang said with a sigh. These children had such a tough life! With such a heartless father, even a deity could not help them. Now, he could only place his hopes on Qiao Mei and pray that the heavens would take pity on these children and let them be safe and sound. Zhao Liang and his wife returned home after dinner and called Qiao Mei to tell her about what they heard. After Qiao Mei hung up the phone, she sat in front of Zhang Miaos bed with a dark expression. Even after a day, Zhang Miao still showed no signs of consciousness. One bottle after another of medicine was being injected into Zhang Miaos body through an IV drip. For such a young child to be injected with so much medicine every day, no one knew if her body could withstand it. Qiao Mei, take a break. Ill take care of Zhang Miao for a while, Li Gui said. Qiao Mei looked at Li Gui coldly and did not say anything. She did not understand why Li Gui insisted on not getting a divorce. If she had agreed to the divorce back then, Zhang Miao would not have been injured and sent to the hospital, and the other two children would not have been taken away and gone missing. Mei Mei? Why are you looking at me like that? Li Gui asked Qiao Mei, feeling puzzled. Uncle Zhao called me just now to say that Zhang Wei is awake, Qiao Mei said. Li Gui was so agitated that she almost cried out. She quickly packed her things so that she could go home to see Zhang Wei, but then she remembered that Zhang Miao also needed someone to take care of her now. She silently put down the bag in her hand. Its good that hes fine. Is he at Uncle Qiaos place now? Li Gui said embarrassedly. She was really embarrassed to address Qiao Qiang as Uncle Qiao in front of Qiao Mei, but she was too ashamed to address him as father. Yes, grandfather is taking care of him. Uncle and Auntie Zhao will visit them often. Theres nothing much happening in the village now, Qiao Mei said. Thats good, thats good. Then is there any news from Chen Hu about Zhang Chao and Zhang Qin? Li Gui asked softly. Qiao Mei fell silent again. At the thought of those two children, her heart ached as if it had been forcibly dug out of her chest, but she did not know who to blame. Should she blame Li Gui for not getting a divorce earlier so that the children could live a stable life? Or should she blame Zhang Qian for being a heartless bastard? He did not even let his own children off! Or should she blame herself for being angry with Li Gui? If she did not go out that day, would the children still meet with such misfortune? Chapter 542 Agree To Get A Divorce "Do you know who abducted Zhang Chao and Zhang Qin? Do you know who injured Zhang Wei and Zhang Miao so badly?" Qiao Mei suppressed the anger in her heart and questioned Li Gui. Li Gui shook her head at a loss. She had no clue about this matter at all. She did not have any enemies in the village and everyone treated her well on account of Qiao Mei. If there was anyone in the village who held grudges against her, it would be Qiao Zhuang''s family members. "Can it be Qiao Zhuang''s family! They took Zhang Chao and Zhang Qin away!" Li Gui said agitatedly as she held Qiao Mei''s hand. "It''s Zhang Qian. Zhang Wei said that it was Zhang Qian who did it. Zhang Qian was also the one who injured Zhang Miao so badly. Can you hear me clearly?" Qiao Mei said mockingly. Li Gui took two steps back. She could not believe that Zhang Qian was the one who did this. That was the children''s biological father! How could he hurt the children! "No! It can''t be Zhang Qian! Even though he doesn''t usually treat the children well, he won''t be so ruthless to his children! Those are his sons and daughters!" Li Gui shouted at the top of her lungs. Xia Zhe had just returned with some water when he heard the commotion in the room. It was not convenient for him to enter and disturb them at this moment, so he could only stand at the door and listen quietly. "Do you believe what I say now? Zhang Qian is a mercenary person. Until now, the whereabouts of Zhang Chao and Zhang Qin are still unknown. Did he do his part as a father and raise these children? After he chased you out of the house, didn''t he also ask the children to come out and earn money together with you? When did he ever care about these children?" Qiao Mei questioned. Zhang Wei still had scars on his body from the beatings he received from Zhang Qian. During winter, Zhang Chao''s legs would hurt so much that he could not even walk or stand. It was all because Old Madam Zhang did not buy him thick pants in order to save money. In the dead of winter, she made Zhang Chao wear lightweight pants to school. Zhang Qin had frostbite on her hands. When Zhang Miao first came, she was as skinny as a tiny little chick. All these showed that the Zhang family was prejudiced against the children and treated them with contempt. It was all because of the fact that their household register was in the countryside and they received very little rations. As it was Li Gui''s second marriage, she had always been the subject of criticism and Old Madam Zhang had always looked down on her. "I... I don''t know... I never expected Zhang Qian to be so vicious..." Li Gui said softly. "It''s true that he does not constantly hit and scold the children. You think that he only treats you like this, that as long as you endure the pain, you can let the children have a good life. The truth is that Zhang Qian has no intention of letting any of you off," Qiao Mei said. Li Gui knelt on the ground and cried bitterly. She did not know how things had developed to this point. She must find Zhang Chao and Zhang Qin. These children must return to her side. She would not allow a single one of them to go missing! Even if she had to sell everything and borrow money from all the neighbors in the village, she must divorce Zhang Qian. Only then could her children grow up healthily. However, what was the point of saying all this now? She was just a woman and did not have the ability to find the children. Zhang Miao''s medical fees alone were already too much for her to afford. "Do you still have no intention to divorce Zhang Qian?" Qiao Mei asked. "I do! I want a divorce! But will Zhang Qian return the children to me before the divorce? Where can he have taken the children? Can I get the children back?" Li Gui asked. Qiao Mei could not guarantee that she would be able to find Zhang Chao and Zhang Qin. She was certain that Zhang Chao and Zhang Qin had not left the county city since Chen Hu had already sealed all the entrances and exits. Even if the human trafficker had extraordinary abilities, he would not be able to fly out. "I''ll settle the matter of finding the children, but you have to promise me that you''ll definitely get a divorce. Otherwise, I won''t help you. Even if the children are found this time, they''ll still be taken away by Zhang Qian and he can still bully them however he wants," Qiao Mei said. Li Gui quickly nodded. She had completely figured out this matter. As long as she did not leave Zhang Qian, these children''s lives would always be in danger. They had been taken away this time and their whereabouts were still unknown. If there was a next time, it was very likely that they would be skinned alive and have their internal organs removed. She really did not dare to imagine how she could live without Zhang Chao and Zhang Qin in her life, and what Zhang Miao would do when she woke up and could not find Zhang Qin. p1ease visit n0ve1b(in).ne)t "I promise you! I will definitely get a divorce!" Li Gui said firmly. Now, they were just short of finding the clues to save Zhang Chao and Zhang Qin so that their family could be reunited. Chapter 543 I Am Your Mother Sister Jiang and her husband brought Zhang Qin to the train station. They did not expect it to be so heavily guarded. Everyone entering and exiting the station were interrogated carefully before they were allowed to move on. People like them who came from other regions and did not know anyone in the county city were usually prime targets for interrogation. Moreover, Zhang Qin was already too grown up for them to be able to fool people about her identity. They did not drive here. If they did not take the train, there was no other way out. They could not leave their dim-witted son at home for too long. Sister Jiang and her husband, Guo Tian, were relatives. Her own family thought that Guo Tian was a useless man. His family ran a huge business, but he did not know how to manage it. It started to decline after he took over. In order not to lose their family assets, they could only choose a girl from within their extended family. At that time, Sister Jiang''s family had taken a fancy to the Guo family''s wealth and proceeded to separate Sister Jiang from the person she loved. Later on, Sister Jiang accepted the reality that was her life and decided to have Guo Tian''s children. However, because of the fact that they were related by blood, the children she gave birth to were either deformed or stillborn. It was not easy for her to finally have a normal-looking child, but he ended up to be a dimwit in the end. That was why they had no choice but to spend money to buy a girl to be their son''s child bride. Sister Jiang brought Zhang Qin to a hidden corner and said sternly, "When we get to the train station later, if anyone asks you, just say that I''m your mother. Do you understand!" "You''re not my mother! My mother''s name is Li Gui and my sister''s name is Qiao Mei. You''re not my mother!" Zhang Qin struggled and replied. Sister Jiang went forward to cover Zhang Qin''s mouth and reached out to pinch Zhang Qin''s body near the ribcage a few times with all her might. "You little brat, you''d better shut up. Let me tell you, if I don''t live well, you won''t get to live well either! Your parents don''t want you anymore! I''m your mother now! Do you understand!" Sister Jiang shouted. Zhang Qin widened her eyes. Even when Sister Jiang pinched her, she did not make a sound. It was not true that she was unwanted! It was Zhang Qian who took her and Zhang Chao away. Her mother and elder sister loved her and were looking for her now. She was not an unwanted child! "My mother''s name is Li Gui! My sister''s name is Qiao Mei! You''re not my mother! Let go of me!" Zhang Qin said as she struggled. Sister Jiang was very exasperated. She went up and slapped Zhang Qin, pointed at her and said, "You''d better listen to me, or I''ll throw you into the river!" Sister Jiang''s beating and scolding attracted the attention of passers-by. Guo Tian smiled and said to everyone, "The child is throwing a tantrum and insisting on buying toys. Her mother is educating her! Please disperse, disperse please!" When the passers-by heard this, they walked away and stopped watching. Zhang Qin did not retort and stood there silently, glaring at Sister Jiang. "At least you know what''s good for you. Hurry up and follow me. If we miss the train, you''ll have to sleep on the streets!" Sister Jiang pulled Zhang Qin and walked out of the alley. Guo Tian patiently held Zhang Qin''s hand and walked with her. Other than taking care of children, he did not know how to do anything else. "Hey! Where are you from! Is this your child?" an inspector asked. Sister Jiang walked forward openly and said, "This is my daughter. We''re from Blue City." Blue City? Blue City was at least 2,000 kilometers away from here. Who would come here for no rhyme or reason! "Why are you here?" the inspector asked. "We''re in business. Our family business is expanding and we''re thinking of coming to this area," Sister Jiang said with a smile. It was understandable to travel here on business, but which family would bring a child along when out on a business trip, especially when it was so cold in the north. If a child came here and could not get acclimatized, the child might even catch a cold. "Then why do you bring your child along? Does your child know how to do business?" the inspector was alert and asked as he looked at them. "It''s it''s rare for us to go on a long trip. Since the child has never been anywhere since young, we want to bring her out and broaden her horizons," Guo Tian said nervously. Zhang Qin suddenly broke free from Guo Tian''s grip and ran towards the inspector, shouting, "They''re not my parents! Save me!" Qiao Mei had once instructed her to go to the police station and look for the police officers if she ever got lost. In the past, she had never been bought out, so she did not know what kind of clothes police officers wore. However, Qiao Mei had told her that police officers were the people who had stars and badges on their shoulders. Chapter 544 - 544 Bribe 544 Bribe Sister Jiang wanted to go forward and grab Zhang Qin, but she was stopped by the inspectors. The people patrolling in the vicinity quickly surrounded them and Guo Tian was so frightened that he hid behind Sister Jiang. Sister Jiang, on the other hand, looked calm and composed. She had been through all kinds of difficult situations in her life and knew that they did not have any evidence to show that she was involved in the trafficking of children. What are you doing? My train is leaving soon. If you continue on like this, our entire family wont be able to go back! Sister Jiang said. The inspectors immediately sent someone to get Chen Hu. They kept a close eye on the scene and would not let go of anyone they deemed suspicious. Youre now our suspects. Please come with me, the inspector said politely. Sister Jiang smiled and went forward to hold the inspectors arm. Little brother, is it convenient for us to talk in private? The inspector looked around and did not see anyone who looked like an accomplice. This woman must have something to tell him since she asked him to step aside. Here was a good opportunity to catch them red-handed. Alright, come with me. The inspector took her to one side. Sister Jiang sneakily took out a stack of money from her pocket and said, Sir, please be kind and let us pass. We will remember your kindness today. The inspector stared at the stack of money. It was at least 1,000 dollars. This was equivalent to his salary for five years. With this money, his children and wife need not have such a hard life. Sister Jiang looked at the inspector mockingly. This county city was so poor that they could not even afford to repair the roads. To the people here, money was definitely very important. What she did not lack was money. What did it matter to her if she could use money to get someone off her back? The inspector reached out to take her money. Before Sister Jiang could feel happy about it, he shouted at his colleague behind him, She wants to bribe me! Come and arrest her! Sister Jiang looked at the inspector angrily. She did not expect him not to take the bribe. If he was unwilling to do it, then why did he still take her money! You! You were putting on an act for me! Sister Jiang roared. The inspector looked at her with a smile. Actually, it was not entirely an act. Anyone would be tempted by this huge bribe, but he did not want to ruin his career because of this money. All his life, he did not know much. It was Chen Hu who gave him a job and it was also Chen Hu who taught him everything he knew. He knew that since the scale of this operation was so huge, it must be something important to Chen Hu. Even if there were mountains of gold and silver in front of him, he would not bow down to it. A few days ago, during the parent-teacher meeting at his sons school, his son had said in front of everyone that he was a good police officer, a good father and was his role model. For the sake of that hero image in his sons heart, he could not do such a heartless thing. Bring them back! The inspectors escorted them to the police station and Zhang Qin was brought to Chen Hus office. Chen Hu hurriedly came back from outside. When he entered the room, the first thing he did was to check if Zhang Qin had suffered any physical injuries. Zhang Qin froze on the spot, not knowing who the person in front of her was. She stared at Chen Hu nervously. Child, dont be afraid. Im the head of the armed forces department. My name is Chen Hu. Can you tell me your name? Chen Hu asked gently. Zhang Qin looked at Chen Hu warily and whispered, My name is Zhang Qin Chen Hu was clear-headed. The name matched and it was a girl. She should be Qiao Meis younger sister. Then who else is there in your family? Chen Hu asked. Zhang Qin did not continue to answer his question. She could not casually tell outsiders details about her family. Chen Hu had a fierce look on his face. If not for his military uniform, he looked like a bad guy. Child, dont be afraid. My name is Chen Hu and Im your elder sister, Qiao Meis uncle. You can also call me Uncle Hu. Its your elder sister who arranged for me to look for you. Dont be afraid, Chen Hu said. Upon hearing that Chen Hu knew Qiao Mei, Zhang Qin quickly said, You know my elder sister! Is my elder sister looking for me! Is my elder sister really looking for me! She wont abandon me, right! Chen Hu nodded and told Zhang Qin in an affirmative tone, Your elder sister has been looking for you. She often calls me to ask if Ive found you or not. Your mother is also trying her best to look for you. Who said that they dont want you? Uncle Hu will break that persons legs! However, you have to give me some detailed information about yourself before I can be sure that youre the person Im looking for. Chapter 545 Finding Clues "Then I''ll tell you. My mother''s name is Li Gui, my elder sister''s name is Qiao Mei. I also have a grandfather and his name is Qiao Qiang. My family lives in Foshan Village and I have two older brothers and a younger sister," Zhang Qin said obediently. Chen Hu laughed happily. He had finally found one of the children. "That''s right, that''s right, I have found the right person! It''s you! Stay here with me first. Once your sister gets the news, she''ll come and pick you up," Chen Hu said. Zhang Qin looked around and asked cautiously, "Where''s my brother, Zhang Chao? Why isn''t he here?" Chen Hu looked at Zhang Qin, a little lost for words. Zhang Chao had not been found yet. He guessed that those people who took him must have received the news and did not dare to show their faces now. Now that they had found Zhang Qin, they would soon be able to find out more about this matter. It would not be easy to capture the people who took Zhang Chao away. "We''re still looking for your brother. Trust me, I''ll be able to find him soon," Chen Hu comforted her. Zhang Qin nodded. Since Chen Hu could find her, then he would definitely be able to find her brother. "I''ll ask you a few questions according to the procedures. Can you tell me everything truthfully?" Chen Hu said. "Yes, Uncle. Go ahead and ask," Zhang Qin said. "Who took you from your house? How were you taken away? Just tell me what you know." Chen Hu sat at his desk and prepared to take notes. "My father and eldest brother took me away and we went to a house in the county city. I don''t know whose house it was. There was a beautiful auntie and many other people in the house. Then my brother was taken away. After that, I was taken away too." Zhang Qin recalled carefully but there was only so much that she could remember. Chen Hu did not expect someone else to be involved in this matter. Previously, there were rumors of children being bought and sold in the county city, but it was all hearsay. They also had a few suspects previously and had been secretly observing these people. Unfortunately, no one came to report any case, and they did not have conclusive evidence to arrest anyone. He took out the photos of a few women from the drawer and asked Zhang Qian, "Is there anyone you know in here?" Zhang Qin recognized Chu Xin immediately. She would never forget this face for the rest of her life. She immediately took the photo and shouted, "It''s her, it''s her! She sold my brother and me!" Chen Hu looked at the person in the photo and thought that he seemed to have some impression of her. She used to roam around everywhere and many police officers were looking for her. She was famous for being a habitual child abductor. "I get it. I''ll call your elder sister now. They''ll come and take you home in a while. Stay here and play for a while!" Chen Hu gave Zhang Qin a few toys to play with while he went into the conference room next door for a meeting. There were already many people sitting inside waiting for him to decide on the next steps of the plan. Now that they found Zhang Qin, it was equivalent to finding new leads. It would become easier to find Zhang Chao by following the clues. "I want to pay special tribute to our inspectors for the achievement today. They successfully seized 1,560 dollars from the criminals. This money will go to the overtime pay for everyone''s additional workload recently. Share it among everyone later. I won''t be reporting this," Chen Hu said. Everyone cheered when they heard the news. There were a total of 50 of them who participated in the patrol, which meant that each of them would get about 30 dollars! That was half a month''s salary! "Thank you, boss!" everyone shouted. Chen Hu laughed and knocked on the table. The entire room fell silent immediately. "We have discovered something new. The child just told me that the woman in this photo kidnapped them and conducted the transactions. Who''s the one secretly investigating this matter previously?" Chen Hu asked. "It''s me, boss. This woman doesn''t have a name and she''s an orphan who called herself Big Red. She has always sold children for a living, but she only does things that are mutually consensual, the type where no one will call the police when the child disappears. That''s why she has never been arrested. I''m not too sure about anything else because I haven''t paid any attention to her for a long time," the soldier said. Chen Hu waved his hand and gestured for him to sit down. The most important thing now was to get a hold of the Zhang family and get some clues from them. Then, he would narrow down the areas where they could go to search for suspicious people. The most important thing now was the child''s safety. The rest could be discussed later. Chapter 546 - 546 Coming to Arrest Someone 546 Coming to Arrest Someone Your team will set off with me immediately to look for the Zhang family members and bring them back. The rest of you continue to patrol in shifts. I dont believe that those people will fly out of the city with the child! Get Xiaobeis men to investigate in secret and see if any neighbors have reported anything, Chen Hu said. Everyone shouted, Yes! Lets go! Chen Hu led a group of people to the Zhang familys neighborhood and headed straight for their house. The people in the house were not doing anything dangerous, so they could not just break in. Chen Hu knocked on the door patiently and shouted, Open the door. Im the head of the armed forces department. My name is Chen Hu! At this moment, all the Zhang family members were at home. Zhang Cong hugged Sun Yan and stayed in the room nervously, not daring to move. Old Madam Zhang hid under the dining table and did not dare to make a sound. Zhang Qian even squatted by the balcony, ready to jump down and escape at any moment. Only Old Master Zhang sat steadily on the sofa and drank his tea slowly. You lousy old man, youre still in the mood to drink tea! A disaster is imminent, quickly think of a way out! Old Madam Zhang shouted. Old Master Zhang smiled and said, From the beginning to the end, it was the few of you who did this. It has nothing to do with me. Im an upright person and Im not afraid of them. In todays society, it was not like in the past when if a person committed a crime, his entire family was punished as well. Now, whoever was at fault would bear the full responsibility. Old Master Zhang was naturally not afraid. You! Thats your biological son! Think of a way quickly! Old Madam Zhang picked up the chopsticks on the table and threw them at Old Master Zhang. Old Master Zhang looked around this shabby house. He actually doted on his grandson very much. No matter how poor the family was, these people should never have done anything sneaky and dishonest. Now, he must stand up for the two children who had been sold! He stood up silently and walked towards the doorway. He opened the door slowly and said to Chen Hu, Please come in. Chen Hu and his team barged into the house. Before anyone could react, they grabbed hold of Zhang Qian and Zhang Cong. The team then went into the rooms to search for other clues. Save me! Dad! I didnt do this! It has nothing to do with me! Let go of me! Grandma, save me! Its not me! Zhang Cong shouted at the top of his lungs. Sun Yan knelt on the ground and begged Chen Hu, This has nothing to do with my husband! My husband didnt know what he was asked to do! He was deceived by his father! Please investigate clearly! My husband is really not a criminal! Chen Hu turned to look at Zhang Qian. Along the way, he had already gathered a lot of information. He knew very clearly that Zhang Qian was definitely the mastermind, but he did not know whether Zhang Cong was involved as well. I didnt do this! It was Zhang Cong! He was blinded by greed! He wanted to sell his younger siblings to subsidize the familys expenses! It wasnt me! It really wasnt me! Mother, say something! Quick, be my witness! It really wasnt me! Zhang Qian shouted helplessly. Old Madam Zhang looked at her biological son and then at Zhang Cong. In the end, she chose Zhang Qian. This matter has nothing to do with my son! Zhang Cong, just plead guilty! Dont implicate the entire family! Old Madam Zhang said as she turned her back on him. Sun Yan crawled in front of Old Madam Zhang angrily and pulled her out from under the table fiercely. Grandma! Dont be a liar! Im carrying Zhang Congs child, your great-grandchild! The flesh and blood of the Zhang family! If Zhang Cong goes to jail, this child will be finished! He wont be able to raise his head for the rest of his life! Grandma, tell the truth! Old Madam Zhang was stunned. Even if she cared about her son, the descendants of the Zhang family were the most important. Zhang Qian was already old and he did not even have a job now. He was just a useless person at home. If Zhang Cong got a divorce and then married a widow like his father, the family would have to spend even more money. Sun Yan was an obedient child. Her family was capable and she was even pregnant now. Sun Yan did not have any siblings, so when the time came, her maternal family would definitely give her whatever she wanted. Protecting Zhang Cong was the most cost-effective move. However, Zhang Qian was her biological son! He was her flesh and blood! Grandma! Say something! Why would Zhang Cong sell his younger siblings! What does he get out of selling them! Seeing that Old Madam Zhang remained silent, Sun Yan knelt down to beg Chen Hu again. Chapter 547 Taken Away And Locked Up Old Madam Zhang started to wail. She really did not know how to choose between the Zhang family''s lineage and her own son. Zhang Cong shouted agitatedly at Old Madam Zhang, "Grandma! I''m still young! I''m also doing well at work! You will be able to play with your great-grandchild soon. By then, you just need to stay at home and enjoy life! Grandma, I can take care of you until you die! Grandma, think about it carefully!" These words completely woke Old Madam Zhang up. At her current age, it was not an exaggeration to say that she was already more or less in the grave. She had suffered her entire life. Would it be too much to want to enjoy life before she died? p1ease visit n0ve1b(in).ne)t Old Madam Zhang stood up and pointed at Zhang Qian with a trembling finger. "Son, just admit your guilt. This matter has nothing to do with any of us!" Zhang Qian looked at Old Madam Zhang in shock. He never thought that Old Madam Zhang would be so merciless to him. "I didn''t! Chen Hu! I didn''t do this! It was my mother! My mother said that these children eat and use everything we have at home. We might as well sell them to get some money! She was the one who instructed me to do this! It has nothing to do with me! She also chose the two children! I''m also a victim!" Zhang Qian shouted. Chen Hu quietly watched the scene of the Zhang family trying to sabotage each other. Even television dramas were not as exciting as this. Old Madam Zhang was definitely the reason for the fact that Zhang Qian was still such a scoundrel even as a grown man. Since both of them were pushing the blame to each other, he would bring them back for a proper interrogation. "I don''t want to hear you pointing fingers at one another here. Come back to the police station with me and explain yourself clearly." Chen Hu frustratedly pushed open the Zhang family''s door. His team escorted the Zhang family members and lined them up to walk to the car. People who passed by all stopped to watch. "I never expect the Zhang family to have such a day!" "Evil people do get what they deserve! Old Madam Zhang used to keep showing off in front of me, but now she''s being sent to the police station because of her son!" "That''s right! Doesn''t she keep saying that her son is the most filial! This is how he shows his filial piety." "Stay locked up for the rest of your life!" "Hahahahahaha" The Zhang family did a lot of evil things and usually treated their neighbors very harshly. Old Madam Zhang liked to kick people when they were down. When others had trouble at home, she would always pass sarcastic remarks. Now that the Zhang family was in trouble, it was not unexpected for other people to want to come and gloat. This was retribution! Zhang Qian glared fiercely at the people who mocked him. The police did not have any evidence to prove that he was the one who sold the children. He had only done something wrong because he was deceived by Chu Xin. He was also an innocent party. At the end of the day, Chu Xin was the main culprit and they should settle the score with her! It had nothing to do with him! Chu Xin had even cheated him of his money and feelings. If not for Chu Xin telling him all these things every day, he would not have been so obsessed. That was right! This was what he would tell Chen Hu later! Of course, Chen Hu knew what the Zhang family members were like. He had already sent his team to secretly conduct an investigation earlier. Qiao Mei told him that she still had some other use for Zhang Qian and that she would make a decision later. When they arrived at the armed forces department, Zhang Qian immediately saw Zhang Qin kicking shuttlecocks in the courtyard with some people. He thought she should be at someone else''s house now? Why was she here! "You! Why did you run out on your own! No! You''re not Zhang Qin! You''re in disguise! You''re here to lie to me so that I will confess!" Zhang Qian said crazily. Zhang Qin hid behind a soldier in fear, afraid that Zhang Qian would go crazy and take her away again. Chen Hu went forward and gave Zhang Qian a kick. How dare this guy cause a scene in his territory without any respect for him! After entering this courtyard, everyone had to listen to him. "Go in quickly! What are you shouting about! What right do you have to face your children now? Get in!" Chen Hu shouted. The men locked Zhang Qian up in the cell next to Sister Jiang and her husband. Sister Jiang recognized him as Chu Xin''s lover at one glance and rushed over angrily to glare at Zhang Qian, wishing that she could skin him alive. "You deserve a thousand cuts! I''m glad you''re caught! What kind of background does your family have? Are the children even yours! How did you manage to provoke people from the armed forces department!" Sister Jiang shouted angrily. Zhang Qian sneered and said, "How would I know who I''ve provoked? Besides, you willingly accepted the deal and now you''re blaming me. How dare you have the cheek to criticize me?" Chapter 548 Need Quiet Rest "I thought we had a deal! You gave this child to me voluntarily, and it''s not a child you stole from another family. How can so many things happen now!" Sister Jiang said. Back then, Chu Xin had hyped everything up and even used her own life as a guarantee that nothing would go wrong. There were also many rich families around her who went to buy other people''s children. They were all safe and sound and nothing happened to them. This girl was just a village girl from the countryside. How could the entire armed forces be mobilized to search the entire county city for her? Yesterday, she heard a junior soldier saying the family had offered a large reward in order to find the other boy, and he was wondering why the family had gone to the extent of selling the children if they were able to fork out so much money. Zhang Qian was about to say something when the soldiers quickly interrupted them and shouted, "Shut up! Who says you can talk! Stay here quietly and don''t talk!" Chen Hu returned to the office and gave Qiao Mei a call. "Mei Mei, we''ve already captured the Zhang family members. Now that we have a lead on Zhang Chao, we should be able to bring the child back tonight. How''s Zhang Miao?" Chen Hu asked. Qiao Mei looked at Zhang Miao, who was lying on the bed. She was not awake yet. The doctor said that it would likely take another week to see some improvements. It would not be easy for Zhang Miao to recover from her current condition. Qiao Mei sighed deeply and said, "The doctor said that there''s nothing serious now. The only thing we can do now is to let her recuperate quietly. Uncle Hu, I''ll go over to your place now. There are some things I have to make clear to Zhang Qian." "Alright, Xiaobei will come and pick you up," Chen Hu said. After Qiao Mei thanked Chen Hu, she packed her things and prepared to set off. This time, she must get Li Gui to cut off ties with the Zhang family, so that they would have nothing to do with each other anymore. Xia Zhe stayed behind to take care of Zhang Miao while Li Gui followed behind Qiao Mei nervously. She had already decided to divorce Zhang Qian, but because Zhang Qian had hit and insulted her over a long period of time, she would feel fear from the bottom of her heart whenever she saw him. They arrived at the armed forces department very quickly. Xiaobei enthusiastically brought them to look for Chen Hu. Everyone in the troops knew that Chen Hu had a beautiful niece. When Qiao Mei first visited, they were all not around. They would hear Chen Hu''s assistant, Xiao Liu, praising Qiao Mei every day, so much so that they felt that they had calluses in their ears! All of them put down what they were doing and ran out to take a look for themselves. "She''s really a fairy! Looks like Brother Liu didn''t lie to us!" "She''s so beautiful, but she''s already married. What a pity!" "Hahahaha, don''t let your wife hear this! Otherwise, you won''t be able to come here standing upright tomorrow!" Everyone roared with laughter, causing Qiao Mei to glance sideways and smile at them. They finally understood what it meant for a woman to be described as mesmerizing and alluring and as pretty as a fairy. "Mei Mei, you''re here! We haven''t seen each other for a long time. You''re even prettier than before!" Chen Hu said with a smile. "Uncle Hu, you''re such a joker. I''m already a few months pregnant and gained so much weight. Stop teasing me." Qiao Mei put down the bag of fruits she was holding. She had bought them on the way here. She asked Xiaobei to distribute the fruits among the soldiers. After all, everyone had worked hard and she had nothing else with which to thank them for. Chen Hu kept chatting with Qiao Mei and ignored Li Gui, who was behind her. Even though they had not seen each other for more than 10 years, he could still recognize Li Gui. He could indeed tell that Li Gui had suffered a lot over the years, but if not for her, Qiao Mei would not have been raised as an orphan from a young age. Qiao Mei silently held Li Gui''s hand and said, "Uncle Hu, I''m actually here to discuss something important with you." "Tell me what it is and I promise to do it for you," Chen Hu said. "I want Zhang Qian and my mother to get a divorce before you deal with this case. Let me know if it is alright," Qiao Mei asked. If Zhang Qian was brought to justice now, these children would not be able to work in the government and military services in the future. The fact that their father was a criminal who had abducted children would be an issue that would affect them for the rest of their lives. It would be different if the couple got a divorce now. Then, these children would have nothing to do with him. They were all victims and they would not be affected in the future. Chen Hu glanced at Li Gui and said earnestly to Qiao Mei, "Is this your idea or hers?" Li Gui hurriedly said, "It''s me! It''s my idea!" Chapter 549 - 549 I Am Their Father 549 I Am Their Father You have to think about the childrens future. If you have to take care of four children on your own, can you provide for them well? Chen Hu said. Li Gui said seriously, Ive thought it through. I can support these children on my own. Zhang Wei is already a big boy and they can take care of one another. The money I make from selling vegetables and doing other work can cover the childrens expenses. If you can raise four children on your own, then why didnt you raise Qiao Mei yourself back then? Chen Hu said mockingly. Li Gui was rendered speechless. Although she had her own difficulties back then, she should not have left Qiao Mei with the heartless Qiao Zhuangs family. Even if she had left the young girl at the door of any other family, Qiao Meis life would still turn out much better than being left at Qiao Zhuangs house. !! Thats all in the past. Lets not talk about it anymore. Uncle Hu, please bring me to see Zhang Qian, Qiao Mei said. On Qiao Meis account, Chen Hu did not continue talking about what happened back then. He walked in front angrily and ignored both Qiao Mei and Li Gui. Qiao Mei smiled and said, Mom, dont take it to heart. I dont blame you for what happened back then. I have turned out fine too, right? Dont take Uncle Hus words to heart. Li Gui nodded. She was in the wrong in this matter. In the future, she would definitely make it up to Qiao Mei twice as much and treat her well, making sure that she need not suffer anymore. She would get the four children to treat Qiao Mei well and repay her kindness when they grew up. As soon as the three of them entered the guarded area, Sister Jiang instantly perked up and crawled towards the cell door with all her might, shouting, Big brother! Big brother, let me out! I really didnt do this! Big brother, please be kind! Chen Hu asked someone to bring a chair for Qiao Mei. He stood behind Qiao Mei to back her up. Sit there obediently! Shut your mouth! Chen Hu shouted. Sister Jiang was so frightened that she sat on the ground obediently. Guo Tian quickly helped Sister Jiang to sit on a stone stool at the side and lowered his head in silence. The moment Zhang Qian saw Qiao Mei, he understood everything. With Qiao Qiangs influence, it would be easy for him to contact the head of the armed forces department. No wonder the movement of people in the entire county city came under control within such a short period of time. Zhang Qian propped himself up using the stone stool and said, I just know its you who blocked my way! If not for you, I would have a new family long ago! My Chu Xin would not have left me! Its all your fault! Chen Hu could not help himself from laughing aloud. He did not expect Zhang Qian to be a person who believed in love. No wonder he could be deceived by Chu Xin. Your Chu Xins name is actually Big Red. Shes a fugitive who specializes in trafficking children and is under police surveillance in various areas. Do you still think that its love between the two of you? In fact, youre just her money-making tool, Chen Hu said laughingly. Zhang Qian rushed to the metal door and roared at Chen Hu, Bastard! You must be lying! She loves me! Youre talking nonsense! She said that she would marry me! She doesnt want anything, she loves me wholeheartedly! Youre all lying to me! Qiao Mei felt that the current Zhang Qian seemed more like a human. At least he was arguing with others for the sake of the person he loved and was not doing some sneaky stuff. Whether you believe it or not, you helped her sell Zhang Chao and Zhang Qin. What you did is a crime, Qiao Mei said calmly. Those are my own children! Why cant I decide where they go! Im their father and I can sell whoever I want to anyone! What right do you have to arrest me! Zhang Qian said angrily. Do you have the right to call yourself their father! Have you taken care of them for even a day? I wont argue with you about this. Since you say that youre their father, then you should be responsible for Zhang Miao, Qiao Mei said. Zhang Qian looked at Qiao Mei in confusion. What did this have to do with Zhang Miao? The one he abducted was Zhang Qin. Whats wrong with Zhang Miao? Zhang Qian asked, feeling puzzled. Qiao Mei took out the test results from her bag and showed them to Zhang Qian. She said slowly, This is a summary of Zhang Miaos expenses from staying in the hospital during this period of time. She has broken ribs on both sides from that kick you gave her and is still in a coma. She will need to recuperate for at least half a year. Tell me, dont you think you have to bear this expense? In the neighboring cell, Zhang Congs heart skipped a beat when he heard that Zhang Miao had been hospitalized. He had been thinking about Zhang Miaos injuries and did not expect it to be so serious. Chapter 550 - 550 You Have to Give Me Money 550 You Have to Give Me Money Zhang Qian immediately remembered how Zhang Wei held Zhang Miao and wailed behind them. He originally thought that it was just a superficial wound and did not take it to heart. He had given Zhang Wei and Li Gui even more severe beatings previously and nothing had happened to them over the years. How could Zhang Miao be so seriously injured? Youre lying to me, right? I only kicked her once, how can it be so serious? You just want to cheat me of my money, Zhang Qian said with a guilty conscience. Youll know whether its fake or not when you go to the hospital with me. Otherwise, you can bring Zhang Miao to the big city for treatment. I wont stop you, Qiao Mei said. I dont have any money! That woman cheated me of all my money! I dont even have a job now! I I have no money, you can take my life if you want! Zhang Qian said. Qiao Mei summed up the amounts on the receipts. The total was 374 dollars. They would still need to incur nutrition fees and costs for various follow-up checks later. These would all require money. Back then, Zhang Qian had said that he would divorce Li Gui if they gave him 500 dollars. Now, they could just offset the medical fees and nutrition fees from this amount of money he wanted. Isnt all your money with Old Madam Zhang? Its alright if she wants to pay for you. Qiao Mei turned to look at Old Madam Zhang. Old Madam Zhang quickly curled up in the corner and muttered to herself, I dont have money I dont have money Dont look at me I dont have a single cent on me Its fine if you dont pay me. I have an agreement here. As long as you sign it, you dont have to pay me, Qiao Mei said as she placed the agreement in front of Zhang Qian. Zhang Qian reached out to take the agreement. The word divorce was like a knife stabbing into his eyes. For so many years, only he could bring up the topic of divorce to Li Gui. He would never allow Li Gui to go against him. Well done! Youre really your mothers good daughter! Youre forcing your mother to divorce me! Arent you afraid that others will point fingers at you and scold you if word gets out! I wont agree to a divorce! You can just give up! Zhang Qian said as he threw the divorce agreement on the floor. If you dont want a divorce, then give me the money. Youll be able to come out when youve paid me back in full. I estimate that Zhang Miaos treatment will cost about 600 dollars in total. Its hard to say if there will be any aftereffects from the injuries. If she becomes semi-paralyzed or worsens into a vegetative state, the medical costs will be even higher, Qiao Mei said casually. An estimate of 600 dollars was on the low side. Given Zhang Miaos current situation, if she did not wake up soon, it was very likely that she might not wake up for the rest of her life. She was already kind enough not to ask Zhang Qian to pay with his life! She wished that she could cut Zhang Qian into pieces and ripped his ribs out while he was alive, and cooked it to provide nourishment for Zhang Miao! Zhang Qian did not feel like agreeing to the divorce. He did not have a job now and Chu Xin had even run away. He has lost everything now. If Li Gui also left him now, then he was really left with nothing. With Li Gui around, he could still survive by going to her house every month to ask for some money. However, if he did not agree to the divorce, he would have to spend the rest of his life in jail. Zhang Cong also looked at Zhang Qian nervously. He hoped that Zhang Qian would reject Qiao Meis request. You! Let me think about it! Zhang Qian said. I cant give you too much time. If youve decided, then sign it quickly. Otherwise, you can stay here forever, Qiao Mei said with a smile. Even if Zhang Qian agreed to the divorce, the criminal act of selling Zhang Chao and Zhang Qin was enough to send him to jail for the rest of his life. Whether he signed the agreement or not, the outcome would be the same for him. Zhang Qian had already made a decision. These children were still his. Even if he agreed to the divorce, they would still have to support him when he was old. Otherwise, he would sue them for being unfilial! Qiao Mei had already guessed what Zhang Qian was thinking and added, Let me add that after you sign the divorce papers, you wont have anything to do with my mother and the four children anymore. You cant come and look for them and ask them for anything in the future. Youre too much! Its my blood flowing inside them! Zhang Qian roared. Are you signing it or not? Qiao Mei asked. Zhang Qian pointed at Qiao Mei and said, If you want me to sign it, you have to compensate me! I want 400 dollars! You have to give me money! He had not even given them the money for Zhang Miaos treatment and now he still had the cheek to ask for 400 dollars. What a joke! She had seen shameless people before, but she had never seen such a shameless person! Chapter 551 Pee His Pants "Give you money? What for?" Qiao Mei asked. "It''s not too much to ask each of my four children to give me 100 dollars, right? You can''t just cheat me of my children for nothing, right?" Zhang Qian said shamelessly. Li Gui went forward, pointed at Zhang Qian and scolded, "Have you ever raised these children! Have you taken care of them when they were sick! Have you taught them well when they were in school! How dare you ask for money! Return my children to me!" "Stupid woman! If you hadn''t said anything, I would have forgotten about you! You were a widow when you married me back then and I spent so much on the betrothal money! You have to return that money to me! You have to return the 500 dollars and the television set that I gave you!" Li Gui was so angry that her entire body was trembling. She had stayed with the Zhang family for more than 10 years and given birth to Zhang Qian''s children. She went to work during the day and came back to serve her in-laws at night. Were all her years of hard work in vain! "My mother has done so much for your Zhang family for so many years. Isn''t that worth 500 dollars? There''s no room for discussion on this matter. You sign this agreement and you don''t have to be responsible for Zhang Miao''s subsequent treatments. Otherwise, your family can just keep paying up! If you don''t have the money, your mother and Zhang Cong can pay for you. I''ll accept the money from any of you," Qiao Mei said. Old Madam Zhang shouted at Zhang Qian, "Hurry up and agree! We don''t have any money to give them! You were cheated by that woman and don''t have a single cent left. Do you still plan to bring down the entire family!" Sun Yan would be giving birth in a few months'' time. By then, the medical and hospitalization fees would require them to take out all their savings. They did not have the spare money to care about the life and death of a young girl. The most important thing now was the child that Sun Yan was carrying. The lives of the other four children had nothing to do with them! "Dad! What''s the use of those children! Your eldest grandson needs the money!" Zhang Cong said agitatedly. Qiao Mei leaned back and looked at this family with interest. She felt that Qiao Zhuang''s family in the village was already chaotic enough and everyone there was selfish. She did not expect there would be people who were even more selfish than them. Zhang Qian had no choice but to accept the agreement and put his thumbprint on it. "From this point on, they have nothing to do with you anymore. I hope you won''t come to look for them again. I don''t think you''ll have a chance to come looking for them anyway," Qiao Mei said mockingly. No chance to go looking for them? He had arms and legs so how could he not be able to go anywhere he wanted? Only then did Zhang Qian realize that Qiao Mei had no intention of letting him off. She had only promised that he need not have to pay Zhang Miao''s medical fees, but she did not mention anything about the issue with Zhang Chao and Zhang Qin. "You''re such a vicious woman! Let me out! Why can''t I leave this place!" Zhang Qian roared at Qiao Mei. "Human trafficking is a serious crime in itself. You even sold your two children. Even an immortal won''t be able to save you. Now, you should pray that Zhang Chao is still alive and well. If anything happens to him, you can spend the rest of your life here." After saying that, Qiao Mei left with Li Gui. Chen Hu arranged for people to half the amount of food and drinks given to the Zhang family members so that they would be taught a lesson and understood what karma was. "Qiao Mei! I won''t let you off! When I get out, I''ll kill you!" Zhang Qian scolded. Chen Hu stared at Zhang Qian murderously. His gaze was as fierce as an eagle staring at its prey from the sky, as if he wanted to skin Zhang Qian alive. Zhang Qian fell to the floor in fear and kept retreating. He had only spouted those few words of nonsense in a moment of anger. Chen Hu approached Zhang Qian''s cell slowly. He opened the metal door and squatted down in front of Zhang Qian. "If you dare to go and look for Qiao Mei and the rest again, or do anything to hurt them, then see if you can stay alive long enough to speak to me. I''ll let you know what it means to wish for death," Chen Hu said. Zhang Qian hurriedly nodded and said, "I understand... I understand..." Chen Hu grabbed Zhang Qian''s collar and pulled him forward, shouting, "Louder!" "I understand! I won''t dare to do it again!" Zhang Qian shouted. From the corner of his eye, Chen Hu saw liquid slowly seeping out on the floor below Zhang Qian. He looked at Zhang Qian mockingly. He did not expect Zhang Qian to be so timid to pee his pants upon hearing those few words. What a coward! Chapter 552 - 552 Finding Zhang Chao 552 Finding Zhang Chao Qiao Mei and Li Gui were about to return to the hospital to take care of Zhang Miao when they saw uninvited guests at the door. Liang Guo and Liang Lan sat quietly in the main hall with Zhang Chao, waiting for Qiao Mei to appear. They were definitely putting in a lot of effort to be able to see Qiao Qiang as soon as possible. As soon as they arrived in the county city, they contacted Chen Hu. Chen Hu was too busy to see them, so he asked Xiao Liu to bring them to the guest house. After making subtle enquiries, they found out what the team had been busy with recently. Liang Guo and Liang Lan had to use a lot of their connections to find this child. They were the ones who intercepted and found the child on a small road. That road was only known to the people living around it and was very hidden. When people bought and sold items, they would transport them using this road. At first, the couple was unwilling to hand over the child. It was so rare to be able to find such a good kid of the right age. Moreover, they had spent a lot of money to buy him, so they were not willing to give him up so easily. Liang Guo and Liang Lan both worked in government services and there were no business people in their families. All these years, they only had their salaries and did not have any other form of income. In the end, they used Chen Hus name to scare the couple and gave them 5,000 dollars to redeem Zhang Chao. Why are you here? Qiao Mei looked at them in puzzlement, and was even more confused about why they had Zhang Chao with them. Were just back here for a look and happened to bump into this child. Im thinking he looks just like your younger brother, so I decided to save him, Liang Lan said with a smile. There were so many loopholes in what she said. How did they happen to bump into the child? Chen Hu had been searching for so many days and had almost combed through the entire county city, but he still could not find Zhang Chao. How could it be so coincidental for them? She was the only child that Qiao Yue and Li Gui had. Zhang Chao looked more like Zhang Qian and did not resemble Li Gui at all, so how could anyone think that he was her younger brother? What a load of nonsense. So coincidental? You can tell who my younger brother is even though you have never met me when I was young. Its a pity that you didnt pursue a career in reading fortunes and feeling bones, Qiao Mei said mockingly. Liang Lans smile instantly froze. She was just trying to get by with a reasonable excuse, but she did not expect Qiao Meis sharp tongue and negative response. However, then again, they had seen for themselves how capable Qiao Mei was in the capital. They were just asking for trouble, coming to her. Hahaha, thats true. I think its too much of a coincidence too. Liang Guo laughed awkwardly. Even though the adults had been talking for so long, Zhang Chao just stared blankly ahead without moving, as if he had been possessed. Qiao Mei walked forward and gently patted Zhang Chao on the head. Zhang Chao slowly turned his head to look at Qiao Mei and said slowly, Elder sister save Liang Lan pretended to look heartbroken and said, The child was already like this when we saved him. Weve also asked a doctor to take a look and he said that this child has a serious psychological disorder that needs to be slowly resolved in the future. He might feel much better when he sees his family. Qiao Mei frowned as she looked at the Liang siblings. She was not sure if Zhang Chaos current state was man-made. It was alway possible that these two people were the ones who drugged Zhang Chao. Dont tell me youre the ones who kidnapped Zhang Chao? Qiao Mei looked at them warily. The two of us look so alike. When people look at us, they know we cant be husband and wife. Besides, we have our own children, so why would we need to buy children? Liang Guo said. Qiao Mei did not want to engage the Liang siblings further and lowered her head to look at the dazed Zhang Chao. He and Zhang Miao used to be the two most lively kids in the family. Now Zhang Miao was lying unconscious in the hospital and Zhang Chao was also in a daze. Zhang Chao, do you know who I am? Qiao Mei asked as she pulled Zhang Chao over to her. Zhang Chao looked at Qiao Mei in confusion and then at his surroundings. He whispered, Elder sister. Qiao Mei breathed a sigh of relief. It was a good thing that he could recognize people. At least he would be able to tell the difference between good and bad people. What about her? Qiao Mei asked as she pointed at Li Gui. Mom, Zhang Chao said in a daze. Li Gui squatted down agitatedly and hugged Zhang Chao. She sobbed and said, My poor child! Mom let you down. Its all my fault! Qiao Mei looked at the Liang siblings and asked, How did you save Zhang Chao? That family was afraid that we would go to the police and gave us the child in exchange for 5,000 dollars, Liang Lan said. Chapter 553 - 553 I Want You to Feed Me 553 I Want You to Feed Me Qiao Mei did not have that much money with her. She smiled and said, Ill give this money to Uncle Hu later. I think he should know where you are staying now. Then I wont disturb you anymore. No need, no need! Were all family! Its only right for us to help each other! Liang Lan said quickly. Your surname is Liang and my surname is Qiao. This childs surname will be Li, like my mother, in the future. None of us seems to have anything to do with the surname Liang, right? Qiao Mei said. This completely rendered the Liang siblings speechless. !! Back then, they were not the ones who wanted to change their surnames. It was their mother who instructed them to do so. They could not be blamed for this matter. Where are you going? Let me send you there, Liang Guo said. Theres no need to trouble you. We know the way and Ill pass you the money within the next two days. Goodbye. Qiao Mei held Zhang Chaos hand and left the armed forces department with Li Gui. Chen Hu had just walked out after dealing with Zhang Qians matter and kept smelling himself all over. This was the first time he had seen such a timid person who peed all over the floor after hearing just a few threatening words! The entire place was filled with the stench of urine. He did not know if the smell could be removed! How unlucky! Looking at Chen Hus strange posture, Liang Guo laughed and asked, What are you doing? Oh my, Brother Liang, Sister Liang, youre here! Dont remind me! I interrogated a criminal just now! He was so timid and made a mess of himself. I seem to have gotten the stench on myself. Im really sorry about that, Chen Hu said. Why are you being so polite to us? With your fierce looks, anyone who sees you will be afraid! Liang Lan said. Come and have a seat in my office? By the way, Qiao Mei just left. Did you see her? I dont know if you know her, Chen Hu said. Seeing her was worse than not seeing her! This girl was so stubborn and refused to listen to anything. You would be lucky enough if she did not cause trouble for you! n0(????(e)lbi????.n(et Yes, she left after we spoke for a while. She seemed to have other things on her mind, Liang Guo said dejectedly. Chen Hu waved his hand and said, Lets not talk about it. This child has a tough life. None of her younger siblings give her an easy life, but its all in the past now. Ill bring you guys to see them when everythings settled in their family. If Chen Hu brought them there, Qiao Qiang would likely not make things difficult for them and the situation would not get too ugly. Although Qiao Qiang had always emphasized that he did not want Chen Hu to contact any Liang family members and that he would never go back to them for the rest of his life, how could there be overnight enmity between father and children? Chen Hu thought that given Qiao Mei was already married, Qiao Qiang would not have anyone to take care of him. Since the Liang family members came bearing good intentions, he was willing to help them. He had only heard a little about what happened back then. After so many years, it was probably time to let bygones be bygones. Sure, sure, sure. Then we wont go up with you. The children are still in the guest house, Liang Lan said. Then Ill get Xiao Liu to send you there. Ill contact you when I have the chance! Chen Hu smiled as he sent the Liang siblings off, and hummed a tune as he went to the public bathhouse to take a bath. As soon as Qiao Mei arrived at the hospital, she took Zhang Chao for a checkup. She suspected that someone had drugged Zhang Chao to slow down his reaction. However, they did not discover any abnormalities after a round of examinations. The data on the test results were all healthy. The only abnormality was that he was a little malnourished. It appeared that the few children did not get much nutritious food recently. Youre back. I went to buy food. You and mom should come and eat, Xia Zhe said as he held up the lunchboxes. Qiao Mei sat on the caregiver bed and said sweetly to Xia Zhe, I want you to feed me! Xia Zhe laughed and said, Are you a child? You still need someone to feed you. If you dont want to eat it, Ill take it away. Im not going to spoil you! Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe pitifully with her big bright eyes and said aggrievedly, Big brother~ Im hungry~ Xia Zhes legs felt as if they were filled with lead and he suddenly could not walk at all. Which man could stand his wife acting so coquettishly in front of him? He finally understood why there were so many tales of men doing strange things to impress women. There was no man who did not like the feeling of having a beautiful woman by his side. No man could resist the charms of a beautiful woman! For him, he was trapped in the hands of this beauty for the rest of his life. Sure, sure, sure. Sit down obediently and Ill feed you, alright? But just this once! You wont get this treatment in the future! Xia Zhe pretended to be stern. There definitely wont be a next time! Qiao Mei said obediently. As if! Chapter 554 Seeing Improvements After another two days, Zhang Miao''s condition showed some improvements. The doctor suggested that she could go home to recuperate and they just needed to make sure that she took her medicine on time. After returning home, she could not get agitated or do tiring work. She could only lie quietly in bed and eat light food. She would only be able to take tonics during the later stage of her recovery. During this period of time, Zhang Wei and Qiao Qiang waited at home. They would call every day to ask about Zhang Miao and get updates about Zhang Chao and Zhang Qin. Qiao Mei was more worried about Zhang Qin''s mental health. Zhang Qin had always been more reserved and Qiao Mei was afraid that Zhang Qin was just pretending to be sensible now and kept all her feelings bottled up. Ever since Zhang Qin saw Zhang Chao always sitting alone in a daze and not being smiley and cheerful like before, she would sit by the window with Zhang Chao every day and just kept talking to him. Zhang Chao always had an indifferent expression on his face. Even his smile looked bitter. "Zhang Qin, come with me," Qiao Mei said gently. Zhang Qin left Zhang Chao behind reluctantly and followed Qiao Mei to the corridor. Qiao Mei asked, "How do you feel? Do you feel uncomfortable or unhappy in any way? You can tell me." Zhang Qin looked towards Zhang Chao and asked, "What''s wrong with my second brother? Why doesn''t he talk to me?" "Maybe Zhang Chao is in a bad mood. The doctor says that he has been traumatized and needs to go home to recover slowly. He''ll get better soon," Qiao Mei said awkwardly as she pursed her lips. Actually, she did not know how long it would take Zhang Chao to recover. If he was still around Zhang Miao''s age, he might be able to forget about what happened when he grew up. However, Zhang Chao was already at the age when he could already remember many things. If he took things too hard, he would probably be like this for the rest of his life. "Then will second brother still play with me like before? When will younger sister wake up?" Zhang Qin asked. "Let''s go home today. The doctor said that there''s no need for Miao Miao to stay in the hospital now. She just needs to recuperate quietly and she might get better after we move to a familiar place. How about I bring you home to look for Zhang Wei today?" Qiao Mei coaxed Zhang Qin. Zhang Qin jumped up excitedly and hurriedly went to pack her things. She ran to Zhang Chao happily and said, "Second brother, second brother! We''re going home! Going home!" Zhang Chao shuddered and hurriedly hid under the chair in fear. He covered his ears and eyes so that he could not see or hear anything. "I''m not going back I''m not going home I don''t want to go back to that house" Zhang Chao muttered to himself. Zhang Qin did not understand why he was still unhappy when they could already go home. She put down the things in her hand and sat on the floor to pull Zhang Chao out. She could not move him at all with the little bit of strength that she had. Seeing this, Qiao Mei hurriedly ran over. She was already many months into her pregnancy and it was now difficult for her to bend down, let alone squat down. "Qin Qin, tell your second brother that he''s going back to elder sister''s house to look for grandfather and eldest brother," Qiao Mei said. Zhang Qin repeated Qiao Mei''s words several times before Zhang Chao removed his hands from his ears in a daze and carefully climbed out from under the chair. Qiao Mei pulled Zhang Qin up from the floor and then gently patted the dust off Zhang Chao. She finally knew what the problem was. "Will you come home with elder sister? We will never return to the county city again," Qiao Mei said. Zhang Chao''s eyes gradually lit up. He looked at Qiao Mei expectantly and asked, "Elder sister Is what you said true?" Qiao Mei nodded vigorously and said affirmatively, "That''s right. From now on, we won''t ever come to this place again. I promise you! Your brother-in-law will also protect you well!" The corners of Zhang Chao''s lips curled up slightly. This was the first time he smiled since he returned. It looked like the doctor was right. The best treatment method was to return to a place where the children would feel safe and familiar. After packing their luggage and borrowing a truck from Chen Hu, the group of them set off for the village. In the midst of everything, they did not realize that there was a van following behind them. The Liang siblings really could not wait any longer. They had other things to deal with in the capital and they received calls from different people every day, either urging them to go back or asking them for help. If they stayed here any longer, their family''s situation would probably go downhill very quickly if they still could not get Qiao Qiang''s help. Chapter 555 I Will Give You Anything Their children could not stand living here either. Liang Guo''s son was called Liang Zu, and Liang Lan''s daughter was called Xiao Yu. When the two children were just born, Qiao Qiang had helped to look after them. Later on, after Qiao Qiang left, they were brought up by their own parents. After so many years, they had long forgotten who Qiao Qiang was. "The two of you must go to grandfather and cry loudly in front of him as soon as you enter the house, do you understand?" Liang Lan reminded them. Liang Zu looked at Liang Lan disdainfully and said, "Aunt, why are we at such a godforsaken place? It''s so hard to do anything here! It''s even difficult to take a shower!" "Mom, I don''t want to continue living here! Not even for a day!" Xiao Yu said as she threw a tantrum. Liang Lan really had no way of convincing these two little ancestors of their family. These two children had grown up with their grandmother and were taken care of by nannies. It would not be an exaggeration to say that they were very spoiled and pampered. Now that the two children were grown up and had their own personalities, their parents found it even more difficult to discipline them anymore. "Xiao Yu, listen to me. We''re here to look for your grandfather this time round. Do you still remember your grandfather? His name is Qiao Qiang. When you enter the house, you have to address him properly. Do you understand?" Liang Lan said earnestly. "I know But what benefit do I get if I address him correctly?" Xiao Yu asked. Benefit? They might not get any benefit at all! These two children were not easy to deal with. If they let the cat out of the bag, all the plans would be ruined. "The two of you must remember everything we said. As long as your grandfather comes back with us, you can have whatever you want," Liang Guo said sternly. "Then if I want the latest electric toy car, can grandfather buy it for me too?" Liang Zu looked at Liang Guo suspiciously. Given that his grandfather lived in such a remote village, how much money could he have? The latest electric toy car cost 56 dollars! Even his grandmother could not bear to buy it for him. Would his grandfather be able to give it to him? "Your grandfather has plenty of money. As long as you coax him and bring him home, you''ll get anything you want," Liang Guo said. "Then I want the most beautiful dress! And the most beautiful shoes!" Xiao Yu said excitedly. "Yu Yu, you already have enough clothes and shoes. Don''t buy anymore!" Liang Lan said sternly. Xiao Yu turned away angrily and said, "You''re all liars. Why can he get his wish but not me! You''re just biased!" Even at home, her grandmother liked Liang Zu more. Whenever there was anything good, grandmother would give it to him first before giving it to her. As for the really good stuff, her grandmother would give it all to him behind her back and not let her see them. Liang Lan was also strict with her, but let Liang Zu do whatever he wanted. "Buy! Uncle will buy it for you! As long as you listen to me! I''ll give you whatever you want!" Liang Guo said affectionately. "Yay! Long live uncle! I like uncle the most!" Xiao Yu said happily as she hugged Liang Guo. Liang Lan looked at them resignedly. She wanted to discipline these children, but she was out of steam at the moment. She could only hold it off and think about it in the future. The truck in front of them gradually came to a stop. They did not realize that they had already arrived at Qiao Qiang''s house and they cautiously observed the movements in front of them There was no one at home. Zhang Wei had an appointment for a follow-up checkup today. Zhao Liang came to pick Zhang Wei up to bring him to the clinic. Qiao Qiang could not help feeling worried and decided to follow them there. Qiao Mei carried the things down but did not go back to her own home first. Instead, she went straight to Li Gui''s house to get Zhang Miao''s bed ready before going home to take out the new blanket that she received for her wedding. "Xia Zhe! Help me bring this over there!" Qiao Mei shouted towards the outside. Xia Zhe knew that some of these things were what he had bought for her previously, but he was not too concerned about it. Zhang Miao''s health was more important now and he could always buy them again in the future. "This is from your wedding! You haven''t even used it many times, so how can you let Zhang Miao use it! Don''t give her such a good blanket. Children aren''t that delicate. Take it back!" Li Gui quickly stopped her. She still had many blankets at home. If she lay out a few more below Zhang Miao, the bed would not feel so hard anymore. "This blanket is meant to be used. Miao Miao is still growing now. If her bones don''t recover well now, then who knows what will happen in the future. I still have a few new blankets at home. We''ve already used this one before, so it''s fine," Qiao Mei said. Xia Zhe took the blanket and bedding into the house and carefully laid it out, making sure that there were no creases. Chapter 556 Discovering A Small Surprise Qiao Mei took all the useful things from her house to give to Zhang Miao. As long as it was something that was good for health, she moved it over. "Mei Mei, that''s enough! Don''t bring anymore. Miao Miao doesn''t need so many things! Keep these for yourself! You''re pregnant!" Li Gui said. "It''s fine. Zhang Miao needs these things more. There are still many new things at home that I haven''t used yet." Qiao Mei shouted into the house, "Xia Zhe, are you done tidying up! I want to carry Miao Miao in!" Xia Zhe was sweating profusely from the heat. He walked out of the house with Zhang Miao''s pillow in his hand and said, "This kind of soft pillow won''t do. I''ll go get the hard pillow at home. That will help Zhang Miao''s bones to grow better." Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe''s departing figure and said with a smile, "See, I''m not the one who wants to bring everything over. Xia Zhe also hopes that Zhang Miao can get better soon." Li Gui silently accepted these good intentions from Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe. Now that she had divorced Zhang Qian, nothing in her house would get taken away by the Zhang family again. As long as she worked hard, she would be able to repay the money she owed Qiao Mei one day. Whenever she could have any good things, she would bring them all to Qiao Mei. She would be a good mother and slowly make up for what she owed Qiao Mei all these years. Zhang Chao pulled Zhang Qin to the courtyard to put away the dried wild vegetables and mushrooms that Zhang Wei had picked in the mountain. "Let''s go, mom. Let''s carry Miao Miao in." Qiao Mei took the thin blanket and carried Zhang Miao into the house with Li Gui. After Zhang Miao was put down on the brick bed, she looked very much better than when she was in the hospital. It had not been easy for Qiao Mei to fatten Zhang Miao up previously. Now, she was all skin and bones and looked like she could be blown apart by a gentle breeze. "How magical. Home is much better than the hospital," Qiao Mei lamented. "That''s true. Perhaps Miao Miao also feels better now that she knows that she''s home," Li Gui said. Xia Zhe carried down all things from the truck and asked Xiaobei to head back. He had long noticed the van behind them and thought that the people inside were fellow villagers, but he did not expect these people to have come for them. "Did you meet Liang Guo and Liang Lan?" Xia Zhe asked as he entered the house. Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe in surprise and said, "How do you know that? If you haven''t mentioned it, I would have forgotten about this matter. I still have to return them some money. At that time, I was so angry, then I was busy with Zhang Chao and then I forgot all about it." "They''re just outside. They have managed to make their way here," Xia Zhe said. Qiao Mei looked out of the window and indeed saw a van. She did not expect them to have the cheek to come here. It was so cold outside, so she would keep them there for now. Zhang Wei and Qiao Qiang would not be back for a while. "I''m going home to make something delicious. Let''s have dinner together tonight." After saying that, Qiao Mei left Li Gui''s house with Xia Zhe. Since Qiao Mei came back, she had been busy running around and had not had a good rest at home. She leaned back lazily on the brick bed and closed her eyes. Qiao Qiang had burned some firewood before he left the house and it was warm on the brick bed now. If they had a kitten at home, it would definitely lie on the brick bed and refuse to leave. Xia Zhe took off Qiao Mei''s shoes and covered her with a blanket. Qiao Mei had not slept well for so many days because of the four children. He wanted to let her rest well and decided to do the cooking. Xia Zhe was shocked when he walked into the storeroom. All he could see were glass jars of all sizes. If he did not know any better, he would have thought that it was some kind of biochemical experiment laboratory! These bottles and jars contained all the food that Qiao Mei preserved and marinated before she went to look for Xia Zhe. Previously, Xia Zhe had written to tell her that he liked to eat the pickled vegetables that she made. Chen Hu and the others also wanted a few jars as well. Therefore, she had made a lot of each type. There was also a good portion of jam. The grape grew especially well in the courtyard and Qiao Mei harvested a lot to make jam, and she even canned some of it. There was a time and date recorded on each jar so that it would be easier for Qiao Mei to take note or check if there were any that had expired or gone bad. She had developed all these new recipes on her own and did not know if the food would taste nice. She had wanted to give Xia Zhe a surprise, but did not expect him to discover them himself instead. There were carrots, radishes, cucumbers, cabbages, cowpeas among others. There were also many rare ingredients and she even managed to preserve watermelons. There were also a few pieces of cured meat and dried sausage hanging from the beam. Qiao Mei had smoked all these to make meat sauce for Xia Zhe at a later time. These were all Qiao Mei''s creative ideas and it clearly demonstrated the love she had for Xia Zhe. Chapter 557 It Will Get Better The Liang siblings waited anxiously in the car. It had been more than an hour and no one from the Qiao family had come out. Could it be that these people really intend to ignore them? "Mom, let''s go back. It''s so cold here! I don''t want to stay here anymore!" Xiao Yu said. Liang Lan hugged Xiao Yu and tried to warm her up. They did not expect this mountain village to be so cold. They did not even feel this way in the county city. It was already almost dark when Qiao Qiang and Zhang Wei returned with Zhao Liang in the vehicle. The three of them chatted and laughed happily and it sounded very lively. "Hey! Uncle Qiao! There''s smoke coming out of your chimney! Is someone back?" Zhao Liang asked. Qiao Qiang slapped his thigh happily and said, "Isn''t that so! Mei Mei must be back! Oh, that''s so good!" After saying that, he started to worry again. He was really looking forward to seeing Qiao Mei, but he was afraid that his mood would be affected when he saw her. He was afraid that Qiao Mei would tell him that Zhang Miao could not be saved, and that Zhang Chao and Zhang Qin could not be found. He would not be able to stand hearing such bad news. Although these four children were not related to him by blood, he had feelings for them after taking care of them for so long. When Zhang Wei saw Qiao Qiang''s worried expression, he started to feel afraid as well. "Look at the two of you. You''re frowning even though your family members are back. Think happy thoughts. You''ll reach home soon," Zhao Liang said. The two of them forced themselves to feel better. As soon as they reached the door, Zhang Wei anxiously jumped out of the vehicle and went straight to his own home. He really wanted to find out more about his younger siblings. "Hey! This kid! Slow down and don''t fall!" Zhao Liang shouted worriedly. As soon as he entered the house, he saw Zhang Qin drawing on the ground with Zhang Chao. Zhang Wei remained stunned at the door and could not believe what he was seeing. He rubbed his eyes vigorously. It was true! Zhang Chao and Zhang Qin were back! "Second brother! Third sister!" Zhang Wei shouted excitedly. n0(????(e)lbi????.n(et The two children hurriedly stopped what they were doing. Zhang Qin threw away the branch in her hand and rushed into Zhang Wei''s arms excitedly while sobbing uncontrollably. Zhang Chao still stood there in a daze, not daring to go over. "Eldest brother! Eldest brother, I miss you so much!" Zhang Qin cried. Zhang Wei could not help but cry as well. He said happily, "I miss you too! It''s good that you''re back! It''s good that you''re back!" At this moment, Zhang Wei also noticed Zhang Chao abnormal behavior. Why was his most lively second brother so quiet now? He held on to Zhang Qin as he walked up to Zhang Chao. "What''s wrong? Don''t you recognize me?" Zhang Wei looked at Zhang Chao sadly. Zhang Chao whispered, "Eldest brother... I remember eldest brother..." Zhang Wei was filled with emotions. He did not know where to start or how to say how much he missed his younger siblings. He pulled Zhang Chao into his arms and said, "I will never let anyone bully you again. I swear that from now on, I will protect you even if I have to die." Li Gui stood under the eaves and witnessed everything. She did not expect that her most naughty child, whom Old Madam Zhang had raised badly, had now grown up into an upright person. "Mom, how''s my youngest sister..." Zhang Wei asked nervously. "Miao Miao is fine. She just needs to rest well at home," Li Gui said. Zhang Wei held the hands of both Zhang Chao and Zhang Qin and walked into the house with them. Zhang Miao was just lying quietly on the bed. "Then do we know when she will wake up? When can she get up and talk to us?" Zhang Wei asked as he sat by the brick bed and held Zhang Miao''s hand. The doctor was not confident to make any promises about this matter and only asked that they bring Zhang Miao home to recuperate. "As long as we work together and wait patiently for Miao Miao, I believe she will get better," Li Gui said. Zhang Wei chased his younger siblings out to play. He pulled Li Gui aside and asked worriedly, "Mom, what''s wrong with Zhang Chao? It seems that he doesn''t like to talk anymore and his reaction is also much slower than before?" Li Gui did not know how to explain it to him. She was also confused when she heard the doctors'' explanation in the hospital. They used all the professional terms that she had never heard before and she could not understand them since she had never gone to school. She remembered that the doctor had asked them not to force Zhang Chao to do things that he disliked as this would aggravate his condition. They should allow him to stay away from the memories that he did not want to remember. As time passed and he could accept what had happened, he would naturally feel better. Chapter 558 - 558 Meeting Up 558 Meeting Up When the Liang family members in the van saw Qiao Qiang, they looked like starving wolves seeing meat after a long time. Liang Lan hurriedly held back the two children and instructed them, You have to behave well. Only then will grandfather come back with us. Do you understand? Liang Zu and Xiao Yu nodded impatiently. The two children opened the van door and ran out first. They stood in front of Qiao Qiang and hurriedly addressed him as grandfather. Qiao Qiang smiled kindly and said, Which family are you from? Zhao Liang had never seen such grown children around here. He was very familiar with the number of people in every family in the village. n0(????(e)lbi????.n(et Uncle Qiao is going to be the grandfather of all the children in the village! Why do all the children call you grandfather when they see you? I dont seem to get such treatment, Zhao Liang said. Grandfather, dont you recognize me? Im Liang Zu, Liang Zu said as he looked at Qiao Qiang aggrievedly. Liang Zu? That sounds familiar His surname is Liang. Can he be that damn family from the capital! Qiao Qiang turned to look towards the van. Liang Guo and Liang Lan were standing beside the van with a lot of health products and fruits in their hands. You can go back. I dont want to see you, Qiao Qiang said with a sullen expression. When Zhao Liang saw that the situation did not seem right, he quickly laughed and said, Im going home. My wife is still waiting for me to have dinner! Uncle Qiao, call me if you need anything! Qiao Qiang waved goodbye to Zhao Liang and turned around to go home. As soon as he entered the courtyard, he saw Xia Zhe washing the big vats from the storeroom. Those things were used to prepare pickled vegetables. He had been so busy taking care of Zhang Wei recently that he had forgotten about this matter. Liang Zu and Xiao Yu stood rooted to the spot, not knowing if they should follow. Liang Guo and Liang Lan shamelessly brought the children into the courtyard. They firmly believed that as long as the two children were around, Qiao Qiang would not say anything harsh to them. Why are you still here! Didnt I tell you never to come again! Qiao Qiang said angrily. Father, Im just worried about your health. The two children also clamored to see you, Liang Lan said with a smile. Xiao Yu was the first one to take action. She ran to Qiao Qiang and hugged him as she said, Grandfather, dont you like me anymore? In the past, grandfather used to like me the most! Grandfather, have you forgotten? Qiao Qiang sat on the stool and looked at Xiao Yu as he said, Its not that I dont miss you. If you cant bear to part with me, you can stay here. Liang Zu can stay here too. How about we all live together just like before? The two children instantly looked troubled. Staying at the guest house in the county city already made them miss home, but he actually wanted them to live in the countryside from now on! He might as well just kill them! Um Father, look, I brought you some tonics. See if you like them? Liang Lan said as she walked forward. Qiao Qiang knew that these two young children were being used by his unfilial children to put on an act so as to soften his heart. If they really wanted him to go back, would they have ignored him for so many years? These two young children had already been led astray by them, and their behavior and attitude towards others were simply rude. You should take them back. I cant afford to eat such good stuff with my cheap life. If I eat these, my lifespan will get shortened! Qiao Qiang said. Liang Lan quickly said, How can that be! I still think such stuff is not worthy of fathers status. She was trying so hard to suck up to him. Back then, the person who said that Qiao Qiang had a cheap life was his wife Liang Hao, the woman who was the mother of Liang Guo and Liang Lan. He did not want to take orders from the Liang family nor collude with them. In the end, Liang Hao divorced him out of exasperation and even took the children away. Qiao Qiang turned to look at Liang Zu and asked, Do you still have the longevity lock that grandfather gave you? Liang Zu hurriedly ran forward and said, Yes I do. I look at it every day! Then take it out and let me take a look. I cant even remember what it looks like. Qiao Qiang reached out his hand after saying that. This made Liang Guo dumbfounded. In the past, the Liang family had a status that was similar to the current Xia family. After Liang Zu was born, there was an endless stream of people coming through their door and bearing gifts. Back then, they had indeed received a longevity lock, but he could not remember who gave it to them. He felt that such an ordinary item was not worthy enough to be given to Liang Zu, so he gave it to someone else offhandedly. Chapter 559 - 559 Get Lost 559 Get Lost Father, that thing is too precious. Ive kept it away. When we go back together, Ill get Liang Zu to bring it to you, Liang Guo said with a smile. Qiao Qiang smiled without saying anything. He had never given them a longevity lock before. Back then, he had heard that Liang Guos wife was pregnant with a girl, so he had gone to the city to buy a pair of silver bangles for the child. Unexpectedly, she gave birth to a boy so his wife had kept the gift away. By right, Liang Zu should not know anything about this. Zhang Chao stood at the door and looked across from him. Zhang Wei leaned over curiously and looked in the same direction. Is that not grandfathers house? What is there to see? !! Younger brother, what are you looking at? Tell me, Zhang Wei said with a smile. Zhang Chao pointed at Qiao Qiangs backyard and said, Eldest brother pig Zhang Wei immediately understood what Zhang Chao meant. The two of them would feed the pigs and clean up the pigsty twice a week. Qiao Mei had promised them that as long as they cleaned up the pigsty well, they would get a dime a week. If the piglets grew up and sold for a lot of money, they would get a share of the money as well. Come, lets go. Ill bring you to feed the pigs. Go back to the house and change into another pair of shoes. Elder sister bought this pair for you to wear to school. Dont get them dirty, Zhang Wei said. Zhang Chao skipped into the house to put on the rubber boots he wore for chores. He had bought these boots with his own money! The two of them carried the unwanted rotten vegetables from their house to Qiao Qiangs house. As soon as they entered, they saw four strangers who simply ignored them. Xiao Yu hid to one side in disgust. When Liang Zu saw Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao, he also looked at them with disdain. In their eyes, what the boys were doing was the job of the family helper. Liang Hao had also told the two children that people who did this kind of work could be ordered around at will. Qiao Qiang smiled and said, The two of you can go and feed the pigs with them. Didnt you say that you want to be with me? Then you have to know how to do these tasks. Under the forceful gazes of the Liang siblings, Xiao Yu and Liang Zu slowly walked towards the pigsty. As soon as they got close, the two children ran back because they could not stand the stench. Xiao Yu even felt so disgusted that she kept dry retching. Liang Lans heart went out to her. How delicate. I wonder how you people raised these two children, Qiao Qiang muttered. One could not make an omelet without breaking some eggs! Liang Lan said to Xiao Yu patiently, Can you help grandfather take care of the piglets? The piglets are so cute. Go and take a look at them. Xiao Yu said arrogantly, This is work that servants do. Im not doing it! Thats right, why must we do such work, Liang Zu whispered. Xiao Yu should be 12 years old now, and Liang Zu already 13 years old. They were both older than the four children from the Zhang family. They were all children, but the difference between them was huge. Qiao Qiang also knew that these were children brought up by Liang Hao. They behaved no differently from how she used to behave in those days. All of you can go back! Weve already cut ties with one another, so theres no need for these two children to call me grandfather. I dont have grandchildren with such bad upbringing! Get lost and go back to the capital! Qiao Qiang roared. His voice was so loud that Xiao Yu burst into tears from fright. No one had ever dared to say such harsh words to her from when she was young. Even when she did something wrong, Liang Hao never scolded her. She would say that it was someone elses fault and that her granddaughter could do no wrong. I dont like grandfather anymore! Youre not my grandfather! I want to go home! Boohoohoo~ Xiao Yu wailed loudly. Liang Lan carried Xiao Yu helplessly and returned to the van. In a dejected manner, Liang Guo and Liang Zu also prepared to leave. Wait, Qiao Qiang shouted. Hope reignited in Liang Guos heart. Could it be that his father had thought things through? Or perhaps his father could not bear to part with his eldest grandson and wanted to have a good talk with him, or that his father had already forgiven him. Take your things before you get lost. Qiao Qiang took the gift box they had brought and threw it outside the door. Liang Guo looked at Qiao Qiang intently and silently picked up the things from the ground before leaving the courtyard. He then left Foshan Village with Liang Lan and Xiao Yu. Qiao Qiang stared at Xia Zhe, who had been watching the show from a corner of the courtyard, and asked with a smile, Do you know who they are? Xia Zhe did not hide anything and told Qiao Qiang about how he had met them in the capital. Qiao Qiang was so angry that he kept trembling. He did not expect them to even have designs on Qiao Mei behind his back. Chapter 560 Sharing Secrets "Mei Mei didn''t mention this incident to me and I''m also not willing to talk about what happened back then. Your grandfather knows what happened previously. If the Liang family asks your family for help or comes to you for help, you don''t have to care about them. I''ve already cut ties with them long ago. Qiao Mei and I have nothing to do with the Liang family." Qiao Qiang''s attitude was very firm. "I understand. I''ll listen to grandfather," Xia Zhe said. Qiao Mei slowly stuck her head out from under the blanket and stretched. This was the most peaceful sleep she had had in the past few days. As soon as she opened the door, she could smell the rich fragrance coming from the kitchen. The moment she opened the pot, a nice smell filled her nose. It was a full pot of stewed potatoes with beans and a lot of meat inside. In the other pot was chicken soup for the children and her grandfather. It also smelled very good. She did not expect Xia Zhe''s culinary skills to have become even better. In a few days, he would be able to surpass her! "Grandfather, what are the two of you talking about?" Qiao Mei walked out with a smile. Qiao Qiang said happily, "I''m sharing secrets with Xia Zhe. I''m not telling you." Qiao Mei narrowed her eyes and looked at Xia Zhe. Xia Zhe silently shifted his gaze elsewhere. Compared to Qiao Mei being angry, he was more afraid of offending her grandfather. What if grandfather got angry and locked Qiao Mei up and disallowed him to come to their house? "Why are you looking at Xia Zhe like that! You must treat him well! Don''t throw a tantrum at him!" Qiao Qiang said. Qiao Mei pouted in dissatisfaction. She was clearly his biological granddaughter, but why did it seem like Xia Zhe was the biological grandchild instead! As expected! Not only was Xia Zhe a popular man, but he was deeply well-liked by men and women, both young and old. "Mei Mei is especially good to me and has a good temper," Xia Zhe said gently. Qiao Qiang waved his hand in disdain and said, "Forget it, forget it. I won''t get involved in the matters of you young people. When the meal is ready, ask Li Gui and the children at home to come over for dinner. Let''s make it lively." "Grandfather, let''s go over there to eat. I''m worried about leaving Zhang Miao home alone," Qiao Mei said. Qiao Qiang nodded and took out the two largest basins in the house. He scooped the dishes into them and called out to the two children who were cleaning up the pigsty to go back for dinner. At the dining table, everyone chatted and laughed. It was rare for all of them to gather together, so Zhang Chao even spoke up more and laughed with them from time to time. After dinner, the children washed the dishes. Li Gui took some liquid food and slowly fed it to Zhang Miao. Qiao Mei stood at the door of the courtyard and walked around to aid digestion. She could see Auntie Dong rushing towards her from afar with a basin in her arms. "Auntie Dong, where are you going!" Qiao Mei shouted. When Auntie Dong saw Qiao Mei, she quickened her pace and came up saying, "Mei Mei! I''m here to look for you! Can you tell me what''s wrong with my family''s bean sprouts? Are they sick? After we grew these bean sprouts, they said that the bean sprouts did not meet the standard and returned them to us. We''re not earning as much money as before. Quickly help me take a look." Qiao Mei was publicly acknowledged to be the best at growing bean sprouts in the village. There had been a strange phenomenon. For a few months in the past, under Qiao Mei''s lead, everyone had done a good job and the quality of the bean sprouts always met the standard of the supply and marketing cooperative. Every family had earned a lot of money then. Later on, everyone felt that they had already learned Qiao Mei''s skills and tried to do it on their own. From then on, they did not manage to sell as much as before. It seemed that they still had not managed to pick up all of Qiao Mei''s skills. Otherwise, why was it that her bean sprouts grew well while theirs were not up to standard! Qiao Mei looked at the bean sprouts in the basin and fell into deep thought. During this period of time, she had not been in the village and there was no one transmitting energy to these bean sprouts. Of course, the quality would not meet the standard. It seemed that she had to get everyone to come over and learn it again. Only then could she hide the fact that she had superpower. Otherwise, it would make people jealous. "Auntie, I can tell that there are many factors. There are techniques in growing bean sprouts. You can''t use too much or too little beans. Temperature, humidity and the environment are all very important. Ask everyone to come over tomorrow, I''ll run through the steps with all of you again," Qiao Mei said with a smile. Auntie Dong was overjoyed and said happily, "I just know that you would know the reason, Mei Mei! I keep wondering why the bean sprouts don''t grow well! You''re still the expert!" "I also brought back many books on plants and agriculture from the capital. People in the capital sell fruits and flowers. In this beautiful place like ours, the fruits we grow will definitely be better than theirs!" Qiao Mei said. Chapter 561 Shameless Old Man At the mention of reading, Auntie Dong started to feel troubled. She was illiterate and only knew how to write her own name. Most people in the village were like her. Even if it was a good book from the capital, they still could not read it. "Mei Mei, to be honest, when I look at what''s written in a book, it''s like I''m trying to read a heavenly book. It''s difficult to even teach me to write numbers now. Even though I want to earn money, I don''t have that kind of ability," Auntie Dong said with a frown. "It''s alright, Auntie Dong. I''ll study it first before telling you the contents. When the time comes, we can all work together," Qiao Mei said with a smile. Auntie Dong clapped her hands happily and said excitedly, "Mei Mei! You''re really the god of wealth in our village! With you around, I''m not worried that my son won''t be able to get a wife!" "Auntie, go back and let them know I''ll teach everyone tomorrow. Anyone who wants to learn can come over," Qiao Mei said. "Alright! I''ll go back now! You should go back too! Take care of yourself!" Auntie Dong left happily with the basin. Xia Zhe took out a jacket and draped it over Qiao Mei. The temperature dropped drastically at night and she might catch a cold if she was not careful. It would be bad if she got sick. "Do you want to rest for a few more days? You just came back and you still have to help the villagers. Aren''t you afraid that you''ll tire yourself out?" Xia Zhe said with a frown. "I''m not tired. Don''t worry. If I feel tired, I''ll take a rest," Qiao Mei said with a smile. Xia Zhe knew that he would not be able to dissuade Qiao Mei. Once Qiao Mei made up her mind, even 10 bulls would not be able to hold her back. It was better to let her do whatever she wanted and just help her relieve some of the pressure. Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei hugged each other tightly and clung to each other. Qiao Yu, who was passing by, looked at the two of them enviously. She had always been superior to Qiao Mei since they were young and she was better than Qiao Mei in everything. She was prettier than Qiao Mei and more meticulous in her work. She was also more tactful than Qiao Mei and was well-liked by everyone. If she had not been born into Qiao Zhuang''s family and was Qiao Qiang''s granddaughter instead, she would definitely have a better life than Qiao Mei! She did not know what kind of sorcery Qiao Mei had used to make herself lose weight! Furthermore, Qiao Mei was now a hundred times prettier than her! In the beginning, everyone despised Qiao Mei, but now, they all came to curry favor with her. Qiao Yu could not accept such a change. If Qiao Mei did not use some tricks, why would a man like Xia Zhe fall for her? Qiao Yu ran back to her house angrily. Just as she was about to push open the door and enter, she heard the people inside discussing something. "Father, Old Guo from the neighboring village is willing to give 800 dollars as a betrothal gift and wants to marry Qiao Yu. They even say that they will give her three big gifts. It''s quite a good marriage. As long as you agree to it, I''ll go and look for them now," Wang Qin said as she sat on the brick bed. Qiao Zhuang''s eyes lit up when he heard the amount of 800 dollars. The most expensive betrothal gift his family had given was Wang Qin''s betrothal gift, which cost them 300 dollars. He did not expect Qiao Yu to be worth 800 dollars. He did not raise this daughter for nothing! In the end, she still turned out to be useful. "Are they really going to give us money? Are they lying to us?" Qiao Zhuang asked suspiciously. "It''s absolutely true! Don''t you trust me? They say that it''s the same to them no matter which girl from our family marries into their family. It''s just that they want the girl to be capable, honest and not talkative," Wang Qin said. The fourth son, Qiao Liang, slapped his thigh and said agitatedly, "What you''re saying does not describe Qiao Yu at all! Isn''t this set to fail!" Outsiders might not know it, but the family members all knew what kind of temper Qiao Yu had. She would only do the chores at home after getting beaten and scolded. Sometimes, she would steal food, and once she started talking, she would not stop. Everyone in the room became worried when Wang Qin suddenly saw Qiao Hua doing needlework in the corner. "Isn''t our eldest brother''s Qiao Hua about the same age as Qiao Yu? There''s not much difference between them. Qiao Hua is only two years younger than Qiao Yu. She meets all the requirements!" Wang Qin said as she pointed at Qiao Hua. Liu Ying immediately stood up and retorted, "Our Xiao Hua is still so young! How can you want to marry our Xiao Hua off. As her mother, I can''t bear to part with her. She has to stay by my side for a few more years." Everyone knew that the Guo family in the neighboring village was a wolf''s den. They relied on the fact that they had a big family, and that their children knew how to earn money, to harm other people''s daughters. Old Guo was old enough to be Qiao Hua''s grandfather! How could he still have the cheek to marry a young girl! Pfft! Shameless old man! You want to marry my daughter! Let''s talk about it in your next life! Chapter 562 Asking For Help "Sister-in-law, it''s not like what you said. Our mother also wanted to marry Qiao Yu off as soon as possible, but that family may not like our Qiao Yu. That''s why I think about your daughter," Wang Qin said. Liu Ying knew that Wang Qin had always looked down on her. Among the daughters-in-law in the family, Wang Qin was the one Qiao Zhuang liked the most and he felt that she made him proud. The next daughter-in-law whom he liked was her, as she could manage the family''s affairs well. However, she usually cannot beat Wang Qin. In this family, as long as Wang Qin spoke up, Qiao Zhuang would agree to her request in the end. "Enough! It''s so noisy you''re making my ears hurt! How about this, let''s send Qiao Yu to the Guo family for them to take a look first. If they like her, then they can marry her. If they don''t, then we''ll find another daughter for them to marry," Qiao Zhuang said. All these women in the family were not half as diligent as Qiao Hua. If Qiao Hua got married, then only Qiao Yu, the idiot who only knew how to eat, would be left behind. That would be the Qiao family''s loss! Liu Ying looked at Wang Qin smugly. At least she got her way today. Qiao Yu stood at the door and retreated repeatedly. She never dreamed that her family would sell her one day! Instead of marrying that old man, she would rather they throw her into the river and let her drown! After leaving Qiao Zhuang''s house, Qiao Yu walked aimlessly along the streets. When the neighbors around saw her, they did not dare to greet her. Although they were all willing to interact with Qiao Mei now, they still did not dare to offend anyone from Qiao Zhuang''s family. One could not underestimate the extent to which a village tyrant intimidated everyone. Qiao Yu unknowingly walked to Qiao Mei''s house and stood at the door in a daze. She had offended Qiao Mei previously and did not know if Qiao Mei would be willing to help her now. Li Gui was the first person to see Qiao Yu at the door. She poked Qiao Mei and said, "Mei Mei, do you think that''s Qiao Yu?" Qiao Mei took a closer look and realized that it was her! "What are you doing at our house?" Qiao Mei said bluntly. Qiao Yu held on to the fence and did not dare to push the door open. Qiao Mei had once said that if she dared to take a step into the courtyard, Qiao Mei would beat her and throw her out. "I... I want to ask for your help!" Qiao Yu said. "We don''t have anything to eat at home. Even if we do, we''d rather feed it to the dogs. You should go back," Qiao Mei said. Qiao Yu quickly denied it. "No! I''m not here to ask for food! I''m here for my own business!" The sun was going to rise from the west. Qiao Yu was actually here because of her own private matter. Qiao Mei entered the house and washed her hands. She slowly walked to the door and asked, "Say it, what''s the matter?" At this time, everyone would come out for a walk after dinner to help with digestion. If they talked at the door, others would definitely hear them. There might be all kinds of versions of the conversation after tonight! "Can... can I go in?" Qiao Yu asked. "No. I don''t know why you''re here to look for me. Why should I let you in? Have you forgotten what I told you before? I''m already being very patient to allow you to stand at the door and talk to me. If you have something to say, then say it quickly," Qiao Mei said impatiently. Qiao Yu had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "My father and the others want to marry me to the Guo family in the neighboring village." The Guo family was a rich family from the neighboring village. It was not bad to be able to curry favor with them. This was such a great thing, so was she unwilling to marry into the family? "The Guo family is not a family that any ordinary girl can marry into. I hear that the Guo family''s son is quite capable. You won''t suffer if you marry him. Why are you here to look for me?" Qiao Mei looked at Qiao Yu and asked curiously. "I''m not marrying his son. I''m... marrying Old Master Guo..." Qiao Yu''s voice became softer and softer as she spoke and Qiao Mei almost could not hear what she said clearly. This Old Master Guo was actually still in the mood for such amorous stuff at his age. She could only say that he was "old but vigorous"! However, she did not see the point in Qiao Yu coming to look for her regarding such a matter. It was not as if she could interfere with Qiao Zhuang''s family matters. Besides, it was best not to interfere in their family matters and get herself into trouble. "Just this matter? Alright, I understand. You can leave," Qiao Mei said as she waved her hand. Qiao Yu was overjoyed. She did not expect Qiao Mei to really not quibble about the past and be willing to help her. Chapter 563 Gossip "So you have decided to help me?" Qiao Yu asked eagerly. "When did I say I want to help you? Aren''t you just here to tell me about this? How can I help you? When you get married, I''ll definitely send you a big gift," Qiao Mei said to Qiao Yu. Qiao Yu''s mood went through highs and lows like she was on a roller coaster. "Qiao Mei! How can you treat me like this!" Qiao Yu shouted in exasperation. Her shouting attracted the attention of people passing by, who all stopped to watch. Qiao Mei did not know what Qiao Yu meant. Qiao Yu''s tone and emotions made it seem as if she was a man who had abandoned Qiao Yu or done something outrageous. "How did I treat you?" Qiao Mei asked. "You! You! You!" Qiao Yu pointed at Qiao Mei and kept repeating the same word. She herself could not say how Qiao Mei had let her down. All she could remember were incidents when Qiao Mei was good to her. There was none of Qiao Mei hurting her. Instead, she had always been the one scheming against and making use of Qiao Mei. "Me? Have I let you down in any way? If you can''t spell it out, then go back quickly. Don''t let others spread the news about you coming to me for help. Otherwise, Second Grandpa will come and find trouble with me later," Qiao Mei said. More and more people had gathered around. That day, many people saw the Guo family''s matchmaker going over to propose marriage and she had specifically asked for a daughter from Qiao Zhuang''s family. She had said any girl was fine as long as the girl was young. "Could it be that the Guo family wants Qiao Yu?" "It seems so. How can Qiao Yu have the cheek to come and look for Qiao Mei? Back when Qiao Mei was at her house, Qiao Mei almost starved to death. Now, she still has the cheek to ask Qiao Mei for help." "One must put the saddle on the right horse. What''s she doing looking for Qiao Mei?" Auntie Dong finally came along. Although she did not know what had happened, she would definitely subjectively side with people she liked. "Say, Qiao Yu! What does it have to do with Qiao Mei whether you get married or not? You''re her aunt, and since when does your niece have any say on your business? Just go home! Otherwise, if your father finds out that you''re not at home, he''ll beat you up again! There are so many families who can''t sleep with all your screaming going on!" Auntie Dong said mockingly. What she said made the people around her laugh loudly. Auntie Dong was still as sarcastic as ever. Qiao Yu ran home with a red face, feeling ashamed. After that, the people standing around soon dispersed. Auntie Dong went forward and said, "Qiao Mei, the next time you see her, just chase her off with a big stick! Why waste your breath on her? Don''t you find it tiring!" "Auntie Dong, as if I have any choice. Sigh. It looks like they might come to my house tomorrow to cause trouble," Qiao Mei said worriedly. Auntie Dong placed her hands on her hips and shouted in the direction where Qiao Yu had left, "Don''t worry! As long as I''m around, no one can bully you! I''ll see who dares to do that!" Although Qiao Zhuang was the famous village tyrant, Auntie Dong was not someone to be bullied too. She was the "loudspeaker" of the village. If any family had any secret, it would definitely not be able to escape her ears. Then, once she heard it, the entire village would know about it. There was never any exception. Everyone liked to gather together and gossip, especially with people like Auntie Dong, who knew a lot of things. It appeared that by tomorrow, there would be many versions of the story of Qiao Yu''s upcoming marriage circulating around. "Auntie Dong, do you want to come in?" Qiao Mei said politely. Auntie Dong smiled and declined. As she walked away, she said, "I''m going home to clean up the house! I only came here because I heard that something happened to you! I''m going off!" "Auntie, don''t forget to come over tomorrow to grow bean sprouts! I''ll be waiting at home!" Qiao Mei shouted. "Fine, fine, fine!" Auntie Dong left happily. Qiao Mei sat down slowly in the courtyard while holding on to her stomach. During the next two days, she would get Xia Zhe to make a swing when he was free. It was a little tiring for her to sit on such a small stool. With the swing, she could still entertain herself. "Mei Mei, why don''t you stay at my place with Xia Zhe tonight, or ask Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao to come over and accompany your grandfather. What if Qiao Zhuang comes to find trouble with you in the morning?" Li Gui said worriedly. Qiao Mei thought that she would deal with whatever came her way when it happened. She did not take Qiao Zhuang''s family seriously at all. "I can''t wait for them to come and look for me! Mom, rest early. We still have to grow bean sprouts tomorrow," Qiao Mei said. The two of them tidied up the courtyard and returned to their own homes to rest. Chapter 564 - 564 Locked Up 564 Locked Up Qiao Yu ran home dejectedly. As soon as she stepped into the house, Qiao Zhuang threw a tea jar filled with water towards her. The boiling hot water inside splashed down onto Qiao Yus feet, making her cry out in pain. Ah! It hurts! Qiao Yu fell to the ground and held her feet as tears streamed down her face. I heard that you want to ruin this marriage with the Guo family? Qiao Zhuangs faint voice came from above Qiao Yus head. Qiao Yu was so frightened that she ignored the pain and hurriedly knelt on the ground to beg for mercy. Father! I dont have that intention! I dont have that intention at all! You dont? If you dont, then why would you embarrass yourself by going to Qiao Meis place to complain to her! Have we raised you for so many years for nothing! Have we raised you to become a traitor! Qiao Zhuang said angrily. No! No! I just went to chat with Qiao Mei! I didnt say anything else! Qiao Yu said with a guilty conscience. Qiao Zhuang raised his stick and hit Qiao Yu on the back ruthlessly. Youre still spouting nonsense! Your sister-in-law saw it! That shrew from the Dong family had been shouting at Qiao Meis door! How dare you quibble! Qiao Zhuang said. As usual, good news did not travel far, but bad news spread far and wide. They found out about it so quickly. Qiao Zhuang was about to hit her again when Wang Qin stopped him. She smiled and said, Father, calm down. What can that girl, Qiao Mei, do? The Guo family wants to be in-laws with us because of you. So what if that little girl, Qiao Mei, has any tricks up her sleeves? Qiao Zhuang was still furious. He just could not let it go! Father, if you cause Qiao Yu to suffer any injuries, what if we cannot answer to the Guo family later? Calm down and dont let your anger affect your health. Leave the rest to Wang Qin and me, Liu Ying said. At this moment, if she protected Qiao Yu, it would mean that she protected her Xiao Hua as well. Before Qiao Yu married Old Guo, she would not let Qiao Yu escape. Qiao Gui, bring Qiao Yu to the woodshed next door. Qiao Yu would have to bear with it for this period of time, Wang Qin said. Qiao Gui approached Qiao Yu slowly. The woodshed was cold and damp and there was only one door. Once it was locked, she would not be able to get out unless she dug three feet into the ground. Second Brother! Dont listen to Second Sister-in-law! Second Brother, I dont want to go to the woodshed! Qiao Yu begged. Qiao Gui pretended not to hear anything, grabbed Qiao Yu and dragged her out to the woodshed. He locked the door with a long chain to make sure she could not leave the woodshed at all. Qiao Yu banged on the door frantically and shouted, I dont want to be here! Let me out! Please! Let me out! I didnt say anything, I didnt do anything! Let me out! Qiao Yus heart-wrenching screams made the women in the house feel uncomfortable, but there was nothing they could do. If Qiao Yu did not get married, their daughters would be the ones who had to suffer! We must get this matter settled. Otherwise, what if Qiao Mei comes here to ask for Qiao Yu? Qiao Zhuang said. Ill go and ask Qiao Mei about it tomorrow morning. Father, dont worry, Wang Qin promised. At this moment, Liu Ying also came forward and said, Ill go too! Qiao Zhuang nodded in satisfaction. With two daughters-in-law like that in this family, he had nothing to worry about. The next morning, Wang Qin and Liu Ying came looking for trouble early in the morning. Along the way, they caused a ruckus and woke all the villagers up, as if they were afraid that no one else would know about this matter. They were just short of beating gongs and drums and setting off firecrackers. Wang Qin stood at Qiao Meis door with her hands on her hips and shouted, Qiao Mei, come out! Come out! If you dare to do something, then admit it! Come out! Liu Ying shouted. Qiao Mei frowned and stuck her head out from under the blanket to look around. She already expected that Qiao Zhuang would come looking for trouble today but it was really way too early. Even the roosters at home had not even crowed yet! Xia Zhe patted Qiao Meis head and said, Go back to sleep. Ill go out and take a look. Qiao Mei nodded obediently and crawled back under the blanket. Xia Zhe tidied up his clothes and walked into the courtyard with a murderous look. He did not have much of a morning temper, but he also did not like so much noise so early in the morning. Waking him up was a small matter, but waking Qiao Mei up was a big deal. Who are you? Xia Zhe asked with a frown. Wang Qin could tell at a glance that this was Qiao Meis handsome and rich husband. She pointed at Xia Zhe and scolded, Your family is heartless! You go about ruining someone elses happiness! Thats right! What cant you just mind your own business and not get involved in other peoples marriages! Liu Ying chipped in. Chapter 565 - 565 Tell Me If You Can 565 Tell Me If You Can Before Xia Zhe could say anything, there was a shout from afar. You dont even look in the mirror before you say that others are heartless! Do you really think youre anything good! Auntie Dong rushed over with a big group of people. These were all the people who wanted to learn how to grow bean sprouts from Qiao Mei. Last night, Auntie Dong had gone from house to house to ask around. People who were close to Qiao Mei in the past had all rushed over. What does the matter between our family and Qiao Mei have to do with you people! What are you doing passing comments around here! Wang Qin shouted. !! Auntie Dong looked like she had heard the biggest joke in the world. A few women surrounded Wang Qin and Liu Ying. Qiao Mei had helped them to make money. Moreover, Qiao Mei did not ask for anything in return, and just helped them sincerely and genuinely. They had not been able to repay her kindness so far. So, Qiao Meis family business was their business. Whoever made things difficult for Qiao Mei was also making things difficult for them! Everyone knows whats going on in your house! Theres no need for you to cause trouble here. We all heard Qiao Yus screams last night. No one is deaf! Auntie Wang shouted. Thats right! In the past, your family always asked Qiao Yu to go to other peoples houses to ask for food. Qiao Mei was the one who gave her the most! If not for Qiao Mei, your family would have starved to death long ago! Will you still be able to come and make trouble for others? Auntie Dong continued. Wang Qin had never been surrounded and insulted by so many people before. It was simply too embarrassing! She had two sons and a daughter. Her youngest daughter was only eight years old. Even if the Guo family did not want Qiao Yu, the burden would still not fall on her family. The Guo family had said that if this marriage was successfully concluded, they would give Wang Qin 100 dollars as a thank-you gift. If not for this 100 dollars, she would not have worked so hard for this matter that was totally unrelated to her. Its none of your business what happens in my family! About that, Qiao Yu was the one who did something wrong, its not like we have nothing better to do! That girl Qiao Yu has confessed everything. She said that she came to look for Qiao Mei so that she did not have to marry into the Guo family! If you dont give me an explanation today, I definitely wont leave! Wang Qin shouted. Pfft! Are we supposed to believe what you say about why Qiao Yu came to look for Qiao Mei? Do you have evidence! Do you have witnesses! Youre slandering others without any evidence! Auntie Wang spat at Wang Qin after saying that. So what if there are no witnesses! I just know what Qiao Yu said! I dont care, I have to see Qiao Mei today! I want her to confirm it with me! Wang Qin said. Auntie Dong stood in front of Qiao Meis door and said, You still want to enter Qiao Meis house? See if you can get past me! As the saying went, a pair of fists were no match for four hands. Moreover, there were so many people here. Liu Ying did not say anything and just stood at the side to watch the commotion. If Qiao Yu was not the one who got married, then Qiao Hua would have to get married! She did not know who would feel more unhappy about that! Say something! Am I the one whos afraid that my daughter will have to get married or are you the one! If you dont say anything, then I dont care anymore! Wang Qin whispered as she grabbed Liu Ying. There are so many people, we cant beat them! Besides, Qiao Mei hasnt come out yet. Why dont we go back! Liu Ying said timidly. In the past, Liu Ying would still go around making threatening gestures. Now, she was actually being overcautious! Wang Qin secretly regretted coming over with Liu Ying today. It might have been better to come with the third sons wife, Jiang Ye! What? Are the two of you plotting about how to make your way home? Auntie Dong said mockingly. Wang Qin could not take this insult lying down. She pointed at Auntie Dong and shouted, Dont think that I dont have any evidence on your family! If you know whats good for you, get lost quickly! Otherwise, Ill make you suffer! When Auntie Dong heard this, she became even angrier. Her husband was well-known in the entire village for being good at his job. Other people took a long time to harvest rice, but not only was her husband able to do it fast, he also did a much better job than others! Even if the things grown in their own fields could not be said to be the best in the village, they were at least one of the best! Even so, his work points were not as high as Qiao Guis! It was all because Qiao Gui was Wang Qins husband. Wang Qin alone had the final say in how the work points were tabulated, so she could change them however she wanted! If you have the guts, just say it! What wicked things have my family done! Auntie Dong said. Wang Qin stammered and was unable to say anything. She was just trying to scare Auntie Dong, but she did not expect this old woman to be unmoved by both force and persuasion! She was really a tough nut to crack! Chapter 566 Stay Around Since You Are Here Qiao Mei''s last trace of sleepiness was completely extinguished by the commotion outside. She thought that after leaving the hustle and bustle of the outside world, she would be able to rest quietly in the village for a while. However, things did not go her way and trouble just kept coming. After putting on her thickest set of clothes, Qiao Mei walked out slowly. Other than the last time when she went to Wang Qin''s house to ask for the house, this was her second time seeing Wang Qin behaving like a shrew. "There''s nothing to say, is there! Our Dong family can be considered to be long-time residents in this village! Even our ancestors have never done anything sneaky and have always behaved properly! If you have caught anyone from the Dong family doing anything wrong, say it out immediately! Let everyone be the judge! Don''t go around complaining later about being wronged after being the one who slandered me!" Auntie Dong said. It was noisy outside the courtyard, but it was filled with love inside. As she had come out in a hurry, Qiao Mei did not even notice that there was a button on her coat that she had done up wrongly. Xia Zhe quickly grabbed hold of Qiao Mei and helped her button up her coat again. "Stop it! What if Auntie Dong can''t hold the fort anymore? I have to quickly send them away!" Qiao Mei said anxiously. "It won''t take long. If you get sick, then you really won''t be able to hold the fort," Xia Zhe said. Liu Ying looked around and immediately saw Qiao Mei cuddling with Xia Zhe in the courtyard. She was actually letting a man button her coat for her in broad daylight! What a vixen! How shameless! At that time, even after a married couple had already registered their marriage, if they held hands on the streets, they would still be criticized! This was called bad conduct! It would be written on a poster and pasted at the village entrance to be publicized! There would also be a meeting held to criticize them! "Qiao Mei! I see you! You''re actually holding onto Xia Zhe in broad daylight!" Liu Ying''s shout shocked everyone around. Qiao Mei did not think much of it. He was just helping her to button up, not hugging or kissing her. Was there really a need to kick up such a fuss? "What have I done? I just made a mistake with the buttons and he''s helping me with them. Besides, we''re a married couple who have registered our marriage. I''m pregnant now and it''s difficult for me to move around. What''s wrong with my husband helping me?" Qiao Mei asked. Liu Ying just could not bear to see other women living happier than her. Qiao Fu may seem like a decent person outside the house, but he often beat and scolded her at home. Whatever Qiao Fu was unhappy outside, he would come back and hit her even harder. No one noticed this issue, and even the children rarely knew about such things. Every time Qiao Fu hit her, he would gag her so that no one else would know. "You and your husband are so inseparable! Why do you still want to break up Qiao Yu''s marriage! Do you not want to see our family doing well?" Liu Ying said. "I''m still wondering why you are here. Is it because of this matter? Yesterday, so many people saw me chase Qiao Yu out. What are you up to now? What does Qiao Yu not being able to get married have to do with me? Just do whatever you want and go back to where you come from," Qiao Mei said sulkily. "You disrespectful thing! You should at least call me Aunt-in-law!" Liu Ying said. "My grandfather has long cut ties with your family elder. Now, our family has nothing to do with you people. If you''re an aunt-in-law, then you should at least act like an elder. Back then, when I almost starved to death in the cowshed, you contributed a fair bit to that, didn''t you?" Qiao Mei said as she stared at Liu Ying. Everyone who lived in this village knew about this matter. "I don''t want to talk to you about something else. Just tell us the truth. Did Qiao Yu ask you for help or not!" Liu Ying said. "She did, but I didn''t agree," Qiao Mei said honestly. "That''s good enough. As long as you promise us that you''ll leave Qiao Yu''s issue alone, we''re all fine!" After saying that, Liu Ying wanted to leave with Wang Qin as soon as possible. Auntie Dong gave the people standing around a look and everyone surrounded the two women even more tightly. Without Qiao Mei''s permission, neither of the two would be able to leave today. "What are you doing! Are you going against our family?" Wang Qin questioned. "I never had that intention, but you come to my house to insult me without distinguishing between right and wrong. Don''t you have to give me an explanation for this?" Qiao Mei casually picked up a stick and weighed it gently in her hand. Chapter 567 - 567 Severing Ties 567 Severing Ties The two women were so frightened that their legs went weak. They were good at arguing, but when it came to a real fight with real weapons, they were terrified. We we just want to settle this matter clearly with you Wang Qin said. Sure, since you dont want me to interfere in this matter, then lets make it really clear. My family has never asked your family for any help. Back then, when my mother sent me to your house and asked you to take care of me, you people also benefited from it. You have lived in that house for free for so many years. Now that you want to draw a line with me, then dont come and look for me ever again, Qiao Mei said. On the surface, they said that they wanted to draw a line between themselves and Qiao Mei, but then again, they often asked Qiao Yu to come around to Qiao Mei for stuff like food or household items. Sometimes, she even came to ask for meat! !! If something happened, they would let Qiao Yu take the blame. They did not believe that Qiao Mei would really beat Qiao Yu to death. Besides, a married daughter was like spilled water. Qiao Yu would eventually have to marry into another family and become someone elses wife. It did not matter to them if she suffered now. They all had a tacit understanding. As long as Qiao Mei did not pursue the matter, they would be able to continue benefiting from it. Now that Qiao Mei had addressed the elephant in the room, they would not be able to get any benefits anymore. How were they going to support the entire family in the future? Furthermore, Qiao Qiangs health was deteriorating year by year. If he died within the next two years and since Qiao Mei had already gotten married, this house would definitely belong to them. Severing ties at this moment was simply cutting off their familys future wealth! No! Your grandfather and my father-in-law are biological brothers! How can such a blood relationship be broken off so easily! Wang Qin said. It can! A strong voice came from behind Qiao Mei. Qiao Qiang walked over slowly with his walking stick and said, Go back and tell Qiao Zhuang that I dont have a younger brother like him anymore. From now on, your family doesnt have to care about whether my family lives or dies. I cant make the decision on this matter Wang Qin lowered her head and did not dare to look Qiao Qiang in the eye. Their purpose in coming here this time round was to take Qiao Mei down a notch and to tell her not to be a busybody. Now, not only did she not achieve her goal, but she even incurred a big loss! Since everyone is here today, you can all be my witnesses. From today onwards, I will sever ties with my younger brother, Qiao Zhuang. In the future, even if I die, I dont need their family to care about me. Even if my family cant afford to eat, I dont need their charity! Qiao Qiang said forcefully. Everyone present broke out in cheers. Wang Qin and Liu Ying took advantage of the chaos to run out of the crowd and return home in a panic. Qiao Zhuang still did not know about what happened and was singing along with the radio in the courtyard! Did you get chased by dogs? Qiao Zhuang asked curiously. We we didnt do anything. Father, continue listening. Were going back to the house to cook! Wang Qin said awkwardly. Before the two of them could take a few steps, Qiao Zhuang shouted from behind them, Stop right there. What about the matter today? Wang Qin tugged at the corner of Liu Yings shirt but Liu Ying also did not dare to turn around to look at Qiao Zhuang. The two of them continued to push and shove each other, neither of them wanting to speak first. Between the two of them, Liu Ying probably had it worse. For so many years, Liu Ying had been living in the same house as Qiao Zhuang and the rest of the family, and she did not have her own place. Back then, Wang Qin had made the family look good, so Li Guis house was given to her family. If Qiao Zhuang chased Liu Yings family out now, they would not even have a place to live! At this moment, Liu Ying hated herself for believing Wang Qins slanderous talk last night. Now, she was simply filled with regret! Even if Qiao Zhuang did not pursue this matter, Qiao Fu would also beat her to death! Speak up! Are you both mutes! Qiao Zhuang roared. Wang Qin slowly turned around and said with a smile, Its nothing, its just its just that Qiao Mei managed to escape a calamity. Qiao Mei did not agree to Qiao Yus request yesterday and had chased Qiao Yu away. Many people saw it, so we came back without saying anything else. Qiao Zhuang stared at the two of them suspiciously. If everything was really fine, why did they look so guilty? Wang Qin had always been unreasonable, and Liu Ying was the kind of person who could not help but go around singing her own praises. The two of them behaved like rats in the gutter when they returned today. They were so dejected that they did not dare to raise their heads. If they had not done something wrong, they would not have looked like this. Really? If I find out that youre hiding something from me, youll get it from me! Qiao Zhuang asked again. Chapter 568 - 568 Might As Well Die 568 Might As Well Die Liu Ying really could not stand the stress. She knelt down with a plop and said, Father, we messed it up What do you mean? Qiao Zhuang looked at Liu Ying in confusion and then turned to stare at Wang Qin. Wang Qin also hurriedly knelt down and said, Qiao Qiang wants to sever ties with you He said that even if his family starves to death, we dont have to care Qiao Zhuang laughed mockingly and did not take it seriously at all. He knew this old brother of his best. The fellow had a sharp tongue but a soft heart. As long as he begged hard enough, his brother would definitely lend him a helping hand. !! He had said things like severing ties countless times. Yet, when had he not come whenever they asked him for help? Blood is thicker than water! They were brothers from the same mother! Qiao Qiang would not really be heartless enough to ignore him. I thought it was some big thing. Get up, Qiao Zhuang said. Wang Qin and Liu Ying knelt on the ground and did not dare to move. They were afraid that Qiao Zhuang was lying to them and neither of them dared to be the first to look up. Do you think hes telling the truth? If it really ends up like what he says, isnt he afraid of being criticized? Im his biological younger brother. Hes said such things countless times, but when is it ever true? Qiao Zhuang said indifferently. But what if Qiao Mei doesnt give us the house when the time comes? Wang Qin said. Doesnt give? How dare she! Dont forget who has the final say in this village! How dare a little girl lord over me! Qiao Zhuang shouted. The thing was that this girl knew the head of the armed forces department. Even when the two children, Zhang Chao and Zhang Qin, were kidnapped by human traffickers, she was able to find them. She could even work with the countys supply and marketing cooperative to sell bean sprouts. The entire village had made a lot of money, except for their family who did not make any money and even lost a lot! They could not grow the beans no matter what they did! It was hard to say who had the final say in this village now These were all Wang Qins thoughts. Of course, she did not dare to say them out loud. Alright, alright, Im not dead yet! Dont be an eyesore kneeling here. Hurry up and cook. Also, give Qiao Yu more food. Dont let the Guo family say that shes too skinny and cant meet their requirements when they come around. Qiao Zhuang sat back in the rocking chair to listen to the music. Wang Qin and Liu Ying scrambled into the house. As soon as they entered, they went to the water vat and filled a big bowl with water. The two of them fought to be the one to have a drink first. They were already very thirsty from running all the way back just now. Coupled with the way Qiao Zhuang threatened them, they were both almost scared out of their wits. They had to drink some water to calm down! I never expected him not to be bothered Wang Qin muttered to herself. Liu Ying stopped thinking about this matter. She did not even care if there were mountains of gold and silver in the future. The most important thing now was to serve Qiao Yu well and marry her off to the Guo family. She only had one daughter. If her daughter could not marry into a good family, she would rather die! After Wang Qin finished drinking the water, she put the bowl aside and went back to her room to sleep. She did not ever help with the chores in this house. When Liu Ying was done cooking, she filled up the largest bowl in the house with food. Worried that Qiao Yu would not have her full, she scooped two more spoonfuls into it. She slowly opened the woodshed door and was greeted by the musty smell inside. Qiao Yu stretched out her hands to block the bright sunlight and she could not see who the incoming person was. Its time to eat, Liu Ying said coldly. Eldest Sister-in-law! Eldest Sister-in-law, save me! I dont want to marry that old man! Please save me! Qiao Yu used all her strength to crawl in front of Liu Ying and hugged her leg tightly as she shouted loudly. In her eyes, this person was a straw for her to clutch at! This was her hope! Liu Ying looked at the miserable state Qiao Yu was in and was rendered speechless. Actually, she pitied Qiao Yu, but if she pitied Qiao Yu, then who would pity her Qiao Hua? If the person locked up here was her Qiao Hua, would Qiao Yu be so kind as to save her? Liu Ying placed the food on the ground and pushed Qiao Yu away. She quickly ran out of the woodshed and locked the door, ignoring Qiao Yu no matter how hard she knocked on it. Qiao Yu! Dont blame Eldest Sister-in-law! Eldest Sister-in-law has no choice! If you dont get married, then what will happen to my Qiao Hua! Shes only 16 years old! Im sorry, Qiao Yu! What happened today is my fault! In the future, Eldest Sister-in-law will definitely remember your kindness! After saying that, Liu Ying hardened her heart and left the woodshed. Qiao Yu collapsed to the ground helplessly. Even though she was very hungry now, she did not feel like eating anything. Rather than being violated by that old man, she might as well starve to death! Chapter 569 Recorder Qiao Mei helped Qiao Qiang back into the house. The people around them all reminded Qiao Qiang to take good care of himself. Auntie Dong brought the few older women into the courtyard. "Thank you all so much today," Qiao Mei said with a smile. "Qiao Mei, why are you being so polite to us! We''re all neighbors and it''s our duty to help one another!" Auntie Dong said with a smile. Xia Zhe looked at the women chatting happily. It was not convenient for the menfolk, Qiao Qiang and him, to hang around. He patted Qiao Qiang''s back gently and said, "Grandfather, let''s go in. I''ll make you some tea." Qiao Qiang smiled and said, "Alright, all of you can chat here! Xiao Zhe and I will go into the house!" "Uncle Qiao, don''t you want to talk to us for a while more!" Auntie Wang shouted. "No, no! I''m old! I have to rest more!" Qiao Qiang said leisurely. Ever since Qiao Mei came back, Qiao Qiang went around with a smile every day and even seemed more nimble than usual. No elixir or medicine was as useful as Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe being filial by the old man''s side! If there was anyone in the village whom the villagers were most envious of, it would be Qiao Qiang. He had such a filial, beautiful and capable granddaughter, and now he had found a grandson-in-law who was capable in all aspects. He could simply live his life like an immortal! "Mei Mei, quickly teach us how to grow bean sprouts! We can''t wait!" Auntie Dong said excitedly. "That''s right, Mei Mei! We''ve already prepared everything and are just waiting to learn from you!" Auntie Wang said. Qiao Mei took out a few baskets from the storeroom, containing the beans that she had already chosen. Last night, she had filled up all the beans with energy. Even if someone who had no knowledge at all came by, the person would be able to grow bean sprouts of good quality. "Aunties, I''ve prepared everything. Take the amount of beans that you need to grow the amount of bean sprouts you want," Qiao Mei said with a smile. Everyone went forward to get a portion of beans. Everyone took a fair portion and no one took more. Qiao Mei took a portion for herself and slowly walked to the center. She sat on the stool and said, "There are many things to note about the beans. You can''t just do things casually and expect them to grow out fair and plump." Everyone listened to Qiao Mei attentively, afraid that they would miss out on any important information. Qiao Mei was actually making it up. If she did not have her energy, she would only be able to grow the same type of bean sprouts as everyone else. However, she needed to keep up with the pretenses. Fortunately, in Qiao Mei''s other life, she liked trees and plants and stuff like that, and she knew some theories. Since what she was doing now was related to plants, the same theories should be applicable! "Everyone, you have to choose the beans first. It definitely won''t work if there are any holes or defects. You can pour the beans into the basin and fill it with water. The low-quality beans will float on the surface of the water by themselves. This way, everyone can choose much faster," Qiao Mei said earnestly. Everyone noted what Qiao Mei said. Some of them even took out their notebooks to take notes. Auntie Wang pointed at Auntie Dong and said, "I say, Auntie Dong, you''re taking notes! Those who don''t know better might think that we''re having an important meeting! What is the term that my son uses! Yes, yes, yes! Recorder!" "Hahahahaha!" The laughter in the courtyard attracted the attention of countless passers-by. "Shoo, shoo, shoo. Haven''t you heard of a saying! A good memory is not half as good as a lousy pen! What if your brains can''t remember what Qiao Mei said! Won''t we still have to trouble Qiao Mei again then! If you''re so good, don''t come and ask me if you have any questions in the future!" Auntie Dong said as she waved the notebook in her hand. Although she was illiterate, she was good at drawing! She just needed to roughly draw what Qiao Mei had said, in a way that she could understand herself! "It''s fine. If there''s anything you don''t understand, you can come and ask me again," Qiao Mei said. "Mei Mei, you can continue. What should we do next?" Auntie Dong asked seriously. "Next, we''ll fish out these beans and put them in water again to ensure that every single one of them is flawless," Qiao Mei said hesitantly. It was normal for a batch to contain one or two bad beans. There were at least thousands of beans in one basket. Who would be able to pick them out carefully one by one? "Mei Mei, if we don''t manage to pick out the one or two bad ones, will it affect the germination of all the beans?" Auntie Wang asked curiously. She had never heard of such a theory before. Chapter 570 Well-Informed "That''s right, Auntie Wang. You''ve heard of the principle that a single piece of rat feces can spoil a pot of good soup, right? It''s the same thing to have bad beans in a pile of good beans. These beans might affect the germination of the entire basket of beans. If we are lucky, the other beans might not be affected. However, we would rather kill a hundred than let one bad thing get away" Qiao Mei said impassionedly. Although Qiao Mei was talking to everyone about beans, she spoke as if she was going to battle. Xia Zhe stared intently at Qiao Mei''s figure through the window, unwilling to miss a single moment. Qiao Qiang smiled and said, "Is Mei Mei that good-looking? If you continue staring out the window, your eyes will pop out!" Xia Zhe scratched his head in embarrassment and said, "I think Qiao Mei is very happy today. The way she shares knowledge with the older women is similar to how we discuss our strategies in the army. It''s very interesting." Qiao Qiang looked out of the window in satisfaction. She could even inspire people when growing bean sprouts. She was really his granddaughter, so similar to him back then! Qiao Mei did not know what the two of them were muttering about in the room. She only knew that she was almost unable to continue making things up. "Qiao Mei, then what should we do after we choose the beans?" Auntie Dong asked. "Let''s pour the water out and then put the beans under the sun for an hour. Then, we''ll move them to a shady place and sprinkle them with water. After that, we''ll just cover them with a cotton cloth," Qiao Mei said. Dry the beans before growing them! They had never heard of this before. These beans prefer to be damp. To dry them before soaking them with water seemed like a waste of effort. Could there be some kind of logic here? Qiao Mei was unable to give them an answer to this question. After all, even if it was a pile of rotten beans, she could still grow the best bean sprouts from them. "Everyone, let''s start. I''ll let you know if I spot any problems," Qiao Mei said. Everyone went to get water and started to wash the beans. They carefully picked out the beans one by one from the basket, worried that they would miss out on something. "No wonder Qiao Mei''s bean sprouts are so good. Look at the cumbersome process. It''s so amazing that she can do everything on her own. It''s only been an hour or so but my back is starting to ache and I already can''t see too clearly!" Auntie Dong said as she rubbed her shoulders. The other women all experienced soreness and weakness in their bodies. Their legs were either numb from sitting for too long or their necks were sore from lowering their heads for too long. "Back then, I thought that Qiao Mei had some shortcuts. Now it seems that if you want to do everything well, you have to work hard at it," Auntie Wang lamented as she leaned against the wall. "Auntie Wang, you flatter me. There are also times when I fail! In the beginning, I failed many times before I mastered all the tricks. Just the steps I mentioned are not enough. In the next few days, you have to control the humidity well. If you''re not careful, all your efforts will be in vain!" Qiao Mei said sternly. The women believed everything she said and they lowered their heads to choose the beans carefully. It took everyone another hour to clean up and put the beans under the sun. "Mei Mei, this is really a technical job. I was still thinking that it won''t be too hard, but now it seems that it''s really very difficult," Auntie Dong said. "You''ll get the hang of it after you do it a few times. Later on, you have to teach me any tricks you discover!" Qiao Mei teased. "Your Auntie Dong doesn''t know anything else, but she''s very good at finding out about what''s going on in other families!" Auntie Dong said proudly. Qiao Mei''s interest was instantly piqued. She really wanted to know if anyone had bullied her grandfather during her time in the capital, or if anyone was relying on anyone''s authority to do all kinds of evil! "Then does auntie know about the matter between the Guo family and Qiao Yu? I only know what Qiao Yu said about Qiao Zhuang wanting to marry her off to the Guo family, but I don''t know anything else. Does auntie know?" Qiao Mei probed. Everyone around them became very interested and stared at Auntie Dong. Auntie Dong did not hide anything and moved the small stool to sit in the center. "I only know a little about this matter. It''s not that much. Just make do and listen," Auntie Dong said humbly. p1ease visi(t) nove1B(in).ne)t Everyone urged her to get started quickly. Auntie Dong''s casual chit chat was even more interesting than the tales of those storytellers outside! No one knew where she got her news from, but regardless of whether something happened within or outside the village, she would definitely be the first to know. Chapter 571 Chitchat The old man from the Guo family had one son and three daughters, the son being the youngest. All four children were born to different mothers. It was said that the old man had married five times in his life, and Qiao Yu would be the sixth wife he was going to marry. Out of the first five wives, two ran away after being beaten by him. Another two of them had difficult childbirths and only the children survived. The last wife could not stand being tortured by him and committed suicide. The Guo family was a famous well-to-done family within the surrounding eight villages. In the past, they were also the wealthy businessmen in this area. During the generation of Old Man Guo''s father, the family started to decline and they no longer did as well as before. However, a starving camel was still bigger than a horse, and they were still richer than ordinary families. Old Man Guo did not have any other hobbies except for having a soft spot for young girls. Even Zhang Qian knew that at his age, he should find a widow so that no one would gossip about him. However, Old Man Guo still wanted a wife who was young enough to be his granddaughter! In any case, daughters from poor families were not highly valued. Their family would find it a good thing if they were able to get more money for the betrothal gifts. It was difficult for Old Man Guo''s son to get married because of Old Man Guo''s bad reputation. It was true that good news did not travel far, but bad news spread far and wide. It was said that Wang Qin had secretly found a matchmaker to go to the Guo family to ask around, with the intention of marrying off one of the daughters in the family. Then she would be able to get a share of the money to supplement her family''s income. Although being the accountant of the brigade sounded like a cushy job, she did not make much money. In addition, there were so many people in Qiao Zhuang''s family and he was famous for being stingy. The grownup sons in the family had to give Qiao Zhuang 10 dollars a month. As this money was Qiao Zhuang''s alimony for his old age, he secretly saved this money to buy liquor and the best cigarettes. Old Man Guo and Qiao Zhuang were old acquaintances. Back in the past, the two of them went gambling together and were the best mahjong buddies. That was why Old Man Guo felt at ease marrying a daughter from the Qiao family. "Then doesn''t my second grandmother feel sorry for her own daughter?" Qiao Mei asked curiously. "So what if she feels sorry? She''s been beaten up and scolded by Qiao Zhuang her entire life, so she probably doesn''t know how to resist anymore. However, it''s hard to say. A rabbit will also bite when it is anxious. Besides, Qiao Yu is her only daughter. Will she watch on as her daughter gets thrown into the fire pit?" Auntie Dong said. Qiao Mei''s face was filled with sadness. She was not worried about Qiao Yu''s safety, but she felt sorry for those girls who died. She did not expect Old Man Guo to be such a cruel person. p1ease visit n0ve1b(in).ne)t What a beast! He was worse than pigs and dogs! "Mei Mei, you''re still concerned about their family! Don''t you know how badly your mother and grandfather were bullied by their family when you weren''t around!" Auntie Wang said angrily. Qiao Mei looked at everyone in puzzlement. Her family had not told her about this and all she knew was that Zhang Qian had come to ask for money. "What happened?" Qiao Mei asked anxiously. "They did not do anything to your grandfather, but it was just that Qiao Zhuang''s family members came around to say that they can''t afford to buy food anymore. After that, your grandfather often went out and did not stay at home, so they gradually stopped coming. However, your mother" Auntie Dong hesitated to speak. Everyone knew what happened to Li Gui. If it was any of them, they would not even want to stay in this village anymore. They did not think they could be strong enough to endure it. "Wang Qin often uses her authority in her position to deduct work points from your mother. To be honest, the amount of work your mother does in the fields is not any less than my husband, but she only has half the amount of work points. Your mother has a soft personality and doesn''t dare to confront others, so she has tolerated it until now," Auntie Dong said. "Sometimes, they will even deliberately cause trouble in the area that your mother is in charge of and mess up the land. All these will be recorded on your mother''s account and she will have to bear all the responsibility," Auntie Wang added. Everyone chimed in and told her everything about how Qiao Zhuang''s family bullied Li Gui. Some of these things she heard had actually already crossed her mind, but she did not expect Qiao Zhuang to be so unscrupulous. Now that her stomach was getting bigger by the day, she could not go to their house to demand an explanation for Li Gui like what she used to do in the past. Qiao Zhuang''s family was not like Zhang Qian''s family who bullied the weak and feared the strong. Qiao Zhuang''s sons were not people to be trifled with. If they could use their fists, they usually would not waste their breath on you. If they got physical with Qiao Mei, she would be the one at a disadvantage. "Mei Mei, bear with it for now. You can settle this matter later," Auntie Dong whispered. She was also concerned for Qiao Mei. The most important thing now was for Qiao Mei to give birth safely. Chapter 572 Things To Note Qiao Mei did not think so. Instead, she felt that no one from Qiao Zhuang''s family would dare to touch her. Putting aside whether Xia Zhe was around or not, even if she went to look for Qiao Zhuang''s family alone, they would still be afraid that something would happen to Qiao Mei and would not really go after her. "Don''t worry, aunties. I know what I''m doing. I won''t put myself in danger!" Qiao Mei said with a smile. The women felt relieved. As long as Qiao Mei was fine, they were at ease. Besides, Wang Qin would not be the brigade accountant for much longer. The person taking on this position was chosen once every two years. Wang Qin could be the brigade accountant for so many years only because Qiao Zhuang''s family was not to be trifled with. If anyone dared to choose not to vote for Wang Qin, Qiao Gui would bring his brother to go from house to house to find those people until everyone agreed to vote for Wang Qin. "Mei Mei, how many months pregnant are you? When''s your due date?" Auntie Dong asked. Qiao Mei touched her stomach and said, "There are still a few months to go. It''s not time yet. I''m having two children and I''ll definitely have a hard time giving birth. I''m quite worried about this!" Two! p1ease visit n0ve1b(in).ne)t There had not been anyone in the entire village who got pregnant with two babies at once! Such good fortune was not something that ordinary people could have! "Oh my! Let me take a look! I''ve never seen anyone pregnant with two children!" Auntie Dong circled Qiao Mei excitedly while the other women looked at her enviously. During this period of time, people tended to favor boys over girls because men could do a lot of farm work. The more men in a family, the more rations and money they would have. If Qiao Mei gave birth to two sons, her family would definitely have a prosperous life! However, it was not a bad thing to have two daughters. The older generation always said that daughters were considerate little sweethearts. When they grew up, they would be very attentive and filial, and much more considerate than sons. Everyone hoped that Qiao Mei was pregnant with a boy and a girl! This was called prosperity brought by the dragon and phoenix! It was a great thing! "Auntie, I''m not sure yet. There are still a few months to go," Qiao Mei said shyly. "That''s right, Auntie Dong. It''s as if Qiao Mei is your daughter. Look at how anxious you are!" Auntie Wang said with a laugh. Auntie Dong did not care about what others said at all. She even wished that Qiao Mei was really her daughter! "The children you''re carrying are so obedient. They don''t torture you. Back when I was pregnant with my son, I felt terrible. I felt like throwing up whenever I smelled stir-fried vegetables!" Auntie Dong said enviously. All the women present had given birth and raised children before. They all had sons and daughters and had a lot of experience. Among the women here, Auntie Feng was the most experienced. She got married at the age of 18 and had eight children by now! The oldest few were already married and had their own children, while the youngest was still studying. "Auntie Feng, do you have any experience to impart to me? This is my first time giving birth and I''m a little uncertain," Qiao Mei said. "Actually, I don''t have much experience. When I gave birth to my second son, I was still working in the field! As I raised my arm to lift the hoe, I felt that I was about to give birth! My second son was born in the field, so his name is Feng Tian. The rest of the children were born quite smoothly and I did not feel any discomfort," Auntie Feng said. Auntie Dong grabbed Qiao Mei''s arm and said, "You have to eat well and make sure you get your nutrition. You need a lot of calcium when you''re pregnant! You have to replenish your calcium! Otherwise, what if your health becomes worse after giving birth?" "That''s right. You indeed need to replenish your calcium and you can''t touch cold water. Otherwise, you''ll fall ill after giving birth. Back then, I was pregnant and taking care of my eldest son at the same time, and also did all the housework. Now, whenever it''s windy, rainy or cold, my fingers and legs will hurt terribly!" Auntie Wang said as she stretched out her tanned hands. Her hands were extremely rough. It was obvious that she had been doing farm work for a long time and did a lot of work. Moreover, her joints were a little protruding. It was very likely that she had some minor illnesses. "I understand. I''ll pay attention to these things!" Qiao Mei seriously took note of all these things. "Qiao Mei, is there anything you feel like eating? Tell us aunties and we''ll make you whatever you want to eat," Auntie Wang asked. "That''s right, tell us!" the other women asked in unison. There was really nothing that she particularly craved for. She was fine with her usual diet and did not have any special needs. Her preferences also remained the same as before. Chapter 573 Sweet Talk Qiao Mei thought about it seriously and said, "I don''t have any particular craving" "No? Really? When I was pregnant, I really craved the potatoes that we grew at home!" Auntie Dong said in shock. No one believed what Qiao Mei said. She was currently at the stage of pregnancy when the symptoms became really obvious. Most women would throw up all the time, and there were women who would even throw up immediately after they ate so they could not even eat a mouthful of rice. It was fair enough if Qiao Mei had no symptoms, but she did not even have cravings! Her children were really worry-free! They were simply sent by the heavens to repay her kindness! "Then, do you prefer spicy food or sweet food?" Auntie Wang asked. "I like salty food" Qiao Mei said as she scratched her head in embarrassment. "You are so different from other pregnant women. When I was pregnant with my children, I suffered a lot. With my eldest son, I liked to eat sour apricots. The more sour, the better. They were so sour that my husband''s teeth almost fell out when he ate them, but I thought they tasted fine. In fact, I still found them not sour enough," Auntie Feng said. Auntie Feng''s words brought back memories for everyone. Different people had different cravings for watermelons, grapes and apples among others. These were all common foods that could be bought anywhere. Auntie Wang had craved for a strange thing when she was pregnant! She actually wanted to eat burnt potatoes! Moreover, she only ate the burnt portion and gave the rest to her husband. "I wish that I have worry-free children like yours. My third son started tormenting me since I was pregnant. I threw up everything I ate and there was never a day of peace. Now that my third son has grown up, he''s causing trouble everywhere!" Auntie Wang said with a sigh. "I don''t think Qiao Mei will have to worry about her two children in the future. They''re both such obedient children!" Auntie Dong said happily. While they chatted, everyone''s beans had been dried in the sun. They each carried a basket and went home to grow bean sprouts. Everyone would return the baskets later when they were free. This was their usual practice. Qiao Mei rubbed her shoulders and slowly stood up. Her throat was dry after talking for so long. Suddenly, a hand appeared in front of her with a glass of water. Qiao Mei smiled and said, "Oh my, my hands are so sore! I''m unable to hold this cup!" Xia Zhe brought the glass of water closer to Qiao Mei''s lips and let her drink from it slowly. "Don''t spoil me like this. If I don''t want to feed myself in the future, will you feed me? You''ll spoil me like this!" Qiao Mei said. Spoiling her was a wrong thing to do, not spoiling her was even more of a wrong thing. She was so hard to serve. He had no choice. Qiao Mei was the wife he chose for himself. Even if he had to go through hell and high water, he would do it without any hesitation. "No worries. You can do whatever you want. As long as it''s something I can do, I''ll do it. I''ll even feed you for the rest of your life! I can''t ask for more!" Xia Zhe said. p1ease visit n0ve1b(in).ne)t Qiao Mei had goosebumps all over her body from how mushy Xia Zhe was. For some reason, when they did not meet in the past and only corresponded via letters, the nature and tone of their letters were very serious and they rarely exchanged sweet nothings. Nowadays, Xia Zhe was glib-tongued and could say different things to her every day. She really did not know where he learned all this. "Why are you so enlightened? Have you learned to sweet-talk me?" Qiao Mei asked. These were all things that Xia He had told him. Previously, Xia He had taught him ways to make Qiao Mei happy and gave him many examples, like how saying sweet nothings could make Qiao Mei happy every day as if she was living in a honey pot. She also told him to take care of Qiao Mei in a meticulous manner, so as to make Qiao Mei get used to his existence and not be able to leave him. They spoke for an entire afternoon! "You you don''t like it?" Xia Zhe asked nervously. "I do! Of course I like it! As long as you''re being yourself, I like everything!" Qiao Mei said with a smile. "Then that''s good. I thought I did something you didn''t like," Xia Zhe said. Recently, the firewood in the backyard had piled up very high. Xia Zhe had gone up the mountain to pick the wood by himself and then chopped the firewood into a standard size. In the past, Qiao Qiang was the one who did these chores. Ever since he got older, he rarely went up the mountain and would only go when the family ran low on firewood. In the past few days, the firewood in the backyard had been piled up to the height of two people. Chapter 574 Coming To Propose Marriage "Why did you chop up so much firewood? This firewood can last us until next summer," Qiao Mei said. "I''m worried that there''s no one to chop up the firewood after I go back. It''ll be easier for grandfather if I prepare more," Xia Zhe said. As Xia Zhe counted the days, he realized that it was almost time for him to go back. He did not expect one month''s vacation leave to pass so quickly. Qiao Mei originally thought that they still had a lot of time. One month was a long time and the two of them had plenty of time to spend together. Now that the deadline was almost up, she felt reluctant to part with him. "Then when are you leaving?" Qiao Mei said as she looked at Xia Zhe sadly. Xia Zhe stroked Qiao Mei''s head. If it was possible, he also wished he could be by Qiao Mei''s side at all times. He had devoted himself to the army for so many years and had not taken a single day off. Actually, he still had more than a month''s vacation leave left. p1ease visit n0ve1b(in).ne)t However, he could not leave his troops without a leader. Not long ago, he received news that Zheng Yuan''s father had left the army because of that incident when Zheng Yuan caused a scene, and he had gone to a small place to train new recruits. There were a lot of things waiting for him to deal with in the army. "Probably the next few days. Maybe after three days," Xia Zhe said. "Three days Then I have to start preparing some stuff for you to bring back," Qiao Mei said. Xia Zhe did not want to bring too many things with him. He was often out on missions and could not bring along the things that Qiao Mei made. If he left them in the camp, Zhao Wu and the others would just snatch them away. He intended to only take some raisins and two jars of pickled vegetables. He did not need anything else while in the army. In the army, everyone ate and used the same things. It was not good for him to have anything special. "I''ll come back to see you when I can take more leave. Then, I''ll bring you and grandfather around the capital to have fun. When I have some time, I''ll talk to Aunt and ask her to bring you and grandfather to the capital. When the time comes, there will be someone to take care of you when you give birth. I''m also concerned that it will be hard on grandfather if he''s alone," Xia Zhe said worriedly. Although Li Gui was Qiao Mei''s biological mother, she also had four other children to take care of. Zhang Chao and Zhang Miao were still undergoing treatment and she could not do so many things at the same time. Qiao Mei had also already thought about what Xia Zhe said. Although her grandfather''s condition had improved, he still had not gone to a proper big hospital for a checkup yet. She must find time to bring him to the capital to get him checked out. Furthermore, the medical equipment in the county city was really too lousy. If she really gave birth here, she would have a slim chance of survival! She could recall from the memories of the original owner of the body that she had given birth to the children in a hospital in the county city. At that time, she had encountered a quack doctor and all three lives were almost lost! Fortunately, the original owner of the body had a strong will and she survived, so the children were also safe and sound. At the moment, she did not know what kind of fate she would have, but it was always good to play it safe. "Let''s wait and see. I remember Aunt''s phone number. I''ll just contact her when it''s time," Qiao Mei said. The sound of gongs and drums could be heard from the village entrance. The matchmaker from the Guo family had come to choose a girl from Qiao Zhuang''s house! The matchmaker was dressed brightly and went to the door with the betrothal gifts from the Guo family. The Guo family had announced that they would marry whichever daughter was available in Qiao Zhuang''s family! Wang Qin rushed all the way out to welcome the matchmaker, smiling widely from ear to ear. Those who did not know better would think that she was the one marrying off her daughter! "You''re here! The whole family is waiting for you! I''ve been looking forward to seeing you!" Wang Qin said excitedly. "I haven''t seen you for so many years, but you''re still so eloquent! The things you say! So melodious to my ears~" the matchmaker said as she held Wang Qin''s hand. "Come in quickly. Everyone at home is waiting!" Wang Qin said. The people with her carried the betrothal gifts into the house and Qiao Zhuang''s eyes lit up. Then, the matchmaker took out a red cloth bundle from her pocket and said, "Big brother! This is the betrothal gift money from the Guo family. It''s 1,000 dollars! See if the amount is correct!" She knew Qiao Zhuang''s family too well. If she did not make things clear in person now, it was possible for them to say anything contrary in the future. It was not a big deal for them to say that she was greedy for money, but if word got out, it would ruin her reputation! She was a famous matchmaker in this area! No one was as good as her and she had matchmade half the number of couples in every village! "We''re rest assured given that you''re the matchmaker! Who doesn''t know what kind of person you are! We don''t have to check the amount!" Qiao Zhuang said with a smile. The matchmaker reached out to hold Qiao Zhuang back and said, "Big brother, these are two separate things. We all have to do what we have to do. Otherwise, it will be difficult for me to do business in the future!" Chapter 575 The Third Party Reaps The Benefits The eldest son, Qiao Fu, and the second son, Qiao Gui, also craned their necks to take a look. All their money was given to Qiao Zhuang and his wife. They had never seen so much betrothal money. It was an eye-opener for them today! "Father, just open it and take a look. This way, everyone will feel at ease," said the third son, Qiao Wang. Qiao Zhuang opened the cloth bag impatiently. He had no intention of framing the matchmaker at all. Such a thing was beneath him. He was actually guarding against these heartless sons and daughters-in-law of his. This amount of 1,000 dollars was like a bomb. Who knew when these sons would turn against one another or conspire with his daughters-in-law to kill him and divide up his assets. Wang Qin''s eyes widened as she looked at the money in the cloth bag. The last time she saw so much money was at Qiao Mei''s wedding. At that time, Qiao Mei''s betrothal gift money had accidentally scattered all over the ground. However, she did not manage to see everything then. She only saw a few 100-dollar bills. "The Guo family is really generous!" Wang Qin flattered. The matchmaker said haughtily, "Of course. The Guo family said that as long as it''s a girl from Qiao Zhuang''s family, she can marry into the family, no matter who it is. Once she joins the Guo family, there''ll be plenty more things coming." According to the norms, if any family hired a matchmaker, they would have to give the matchmaker a pig head as a reward. Not only did the Guo family give her a pig head, but they also gave her 200 dollars! It was said that most other people were unwilling to help make the match and no one knew if she was willing to do it. The others did not want to do it as they felt that it was immoral to ruin someone''s daughter by marrying her off to Old Master Guo. She could not bear to do it as well, but she also had her own children to raise. Moreover, her son was about to get married and the family needed money. Therefore, even if she was unwilling, she had to make a trip on behalf of the Guo family. "Brother Qiao Zhuang, is the amount of the betrothal gift money correct?" the matchmaker asked. "Yes, yes. Come in quickly!" Qiao Zhuang hurriedly put the cloth bag into his pocket and decided to hide the money when there was no one around later. The matchmaker carefully sized up the situation at Qiao Zhuang''s house. Although the house looked old, it was very clean. There were no spider webs or dust on the ceiling, nor was there any dust on the cabinets and brick bed. Either Qiao Zhuang''s wife was capable, or these daughters-in-law were hardworking. However, based on what she had heard when she asked around, it should be Qiao Yu who did these chores. This girl seemed to be the one whom the Guo family had taken a fancy to. "By the way, where is the young lady? Let me take a look so that I can bring the message to the Guo family. Otherwise, they''ll be unhappy that I concluded this matter without even seeing her," the matchmaker said. "The young girl is shy and embarrassed to come out, but don''t worry! She is definitely not bad!" Wang Qin said. The matchmaker still shook her head and said embarrassedly, "I also know that the young miss is anxious about having to get married. We have all experienced it ourselves! But you have to let me take a look, right? Otherwise, if I ruin my reputation, how can I survive within these eight villages in the future? Sister, don''t you think so?" Everyone looked at one another. It was not something they could avoid, so they could only clean Qiao Yu up and bring her to meet the matchmaker. It was not that they did not want to let Qiao Yu come out, but Qiao Yu had chosen not to eat or drink for the past few days and had lost a lot of weight. If the matchmaker saw her in this state, she might worry that the Guo family might be dissatisfied. "Then wait here. My sister-in-law and I will go and help her get dressed up." Wang Qin grabbed Liu Ying and walked out with her. Liu Ying also knew the seriousness of this matter. If Qiao Yu did not appear today, her Qiao Hua would have to get married on Qiao Yu''s behalf! "Eldest Sister-in-law, you''ve seen the current situation. I can''t persuade Qiao Yu anymore. She looks at me like a mouse seeing a cat and doesn''t want to say a word to me. Eldest Sister-in-law, why not you go and persuade Qiao Yu," Wang Qin said as she pretended to be in a difficult position. Of course, Liu Ying knew what Wang Qin was up to. Wang Qin wanted Qiao Yu to bear a grudge against Liu Ying and cause both sides to suffer losses so that she could be the one to reap the benefits. However, Liu Ying could not think of any other way at this moment. She could not come up with a better idea to resolve this disaster. She decided to just be the evil person in this situation! As long as it helped her daughter! She did not care about anything else! Chapter 576 Come Out With Me The inside of the woodshed was a completely different world from the outside. Not only were there rats, but there were also snakes and poisonous insects. It was very dark all year round and even when the kerosene lamps were lit, it was still very dim. Qiao Yu sat on the ground with listless eyes. This woodshed which did not see daylight was like her life, dark and hopeless. Liu Ying slowly opened the door of the woodshed and a ray of sunlight shone on Qiao Yu. Qiao Yu remained indifferent. She knew that what awaited her was not a good life, but the beginning of a life of pain. "Qiao Yu, Eldest Sister-in-law will bring you to take a bath and eat something. Come with me." Liu Ying reached out to Qiao Yu. Qiao Yu remained unmoved. She knew that nothing good would happen if she was brought out. Nothing good ever happened to her in this house. Everyone had disliked her since she was young. She had five elder brothers at home and by right, she should have been the most pampered child. However, the situation was the exact opposite. She had been treated like a slave in the family since she was young. It was even too mild to describe her as a slave. She could only wear her brothers'' castaway clothes, and had never had any new clothes in her life. She had to use her brothers'' old clothes to make new ones for herself. Among the six children in the family, only her eldest and second brother had gone to school. The fifth son, Qiao Gang, was currently in school. Even if she wanted to study, she would not get the chance. She still remembered that there was a famine one year and there was no food at home at all. All the food they had was given to the boys first. By the time it got to her mother, Shen Ge, and her, everything in the bowls had been licked so cleanly that the bowls looked cleaner than after they were washed. Qiao Yu could only eat tree bark and the cores from the corn stalks to fill her stomach. After eating these things, she would be so constipated that she could not go to the toilet and her stomach would hurt terribly. "Qiao Yu? Qiao Yu, what''s wrong?" Liu Ying asked fearfully. Qiao Yu''s lips were dry and cracked. She slowly raised her head and said, "I''m not going" "Qiao Yu, listen to Eldest Sister-in-law''s advice. Don''t torture yourself like this. Your mother will feel sad if she sees you like this," Liu Ying said as she could not bear to see the girl like this. "My mother? Didn''t my father hit my mother?" Qiao Yu asked. Only at the mention of Shen Ge did Qiao Yu look more energized and her eyes seemed to light up. During those difficult days, only Shen Ge was by her side, saving up her own rations for her. "No, your mother wanted to argue with your father yesterday and I stopped her. Otherwise, your mother would definitely have been beaten up by your father," Liu Ying said. Actually, Shen Ge did not argue with Qiao Zhuang at all. She also did not know how to help Qiao Yu escape her fate of marrying into the Guo family. "Does my mother ask about me?" Qiao Yu said as she stood up with difficulty, holding on to the wall. "Well of course! Your mother is especially worried about you and is always thinking about your health," Liu Ying said with a smile. Worried? If she was worried, why did she not send her any food for so many days and did not sneak out to talk to her at night. "You must be lying to me! If she cares about me, why doesn''t she come to see me!" Qiao Yu asked sadly. "Because because your mother is also locked up. She can''t come out now and can''t come and see you," Liu Ying said. Qiao Yu did not believe these words at all. After living in this family for so long, she had long known about Qiao Zhuang''s tricks. It was all a lie to talk about locking people up. The real thing he did was to punch them hard. Wang Qin waited outside anxiously. As time passed, she still did not see any no movement in the woodshed at all. The matchmaker would leave in a while! Unable to wait any longer, Wang Qin rushed into the woodshed and said, "Qiao Yu, come with me quickly!" Qiao Yu looked at Wang Qin in fear and gradually crawled towards the corner. Wang Qin pressed on and slowly approached Qiao Yu. "Your mother is already locked up in the storeroom by our father. If you don''t go out today, your mother will definitely be beaten to death by our father." Hearing this, Qiao Yu suddenly covered her face and sobbed. She had no way out now. Why was her life so hard! "Qiao Yu, Second Sister-in-law also knows that it''s difficult for you, but think about it. It''s not as if there''s nothing to gain from the Guo family. They are a big family with so much money and assets. Won''t it all be yours when the time comes?" Wang Qin said agitatedly. Liu Ying stood at the side and listened quietly. If she did not know that the person getting married was Qiao Yu, she would have thought that Wang Qin was the one eyeing the Guo family''s assets! Chapter 577 Only One Daughter "I''ll go" Qiao Yu said as she wiped her face with her sleeve. Since she could not avoid it, she would just have to accept her fate. The truth was right in front of her, only these people had the final say. Wang Qin beamed with joy and said, "That''s great! Come! Come to my room! I''ll help you get cleaned up! I promise you''ll look beautiful!" Qiao Yu followed behind Wang Qin silently. When Qiao Yu was done dressing up, Wang Qin and Liu Ying held Qiao Yu''s hands and entered the house. Before she even saw the matchmaker, Wang Qin started shouting, "Come and take a look! The beautiful daughter from our family!" The matchmaker put down the pastry in her hand and sized Qiao Yu up seriously. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the person in front of her was all skin and bones and her face was sickly pale. If such a person married into the Guo family, Old Guo would cut her matchmaker''s fees! "This is the sixth child of your family, Miss Qiao Yu?" the matchmaker said doubtfully. Wang Qin nodded and said, "That''s right, this is Qiao Yu. Are you satisfied with her?" "I remember you say that there are other girls? Bring them over for me to take a look as well!" the matchmaker said with a smile. Liu Ying''s face instantly fell. She had thought that the matchmaker was only here for Qiao Yu, and she did not expect her to ask to see Qiao Hua. If the matchmaker saw Qiao Hua, she would definitely settle for Qiao Hua. At that time, no matter how capable Liu Ying was, she would not be able to bring Qiao Hua back. "There''s no one else! She''s the only daughter! Don''t tell me you think there''s something wrong with our Qiao Yu?" Liu Ying asked. "Didn''t Wang Qin tell me that the granddaughter of the family is also of age? I''m doing this for your own good. If the Guo family asks me how many daughters you have and how many I''ve seen and whether I choose carefully, won''t it be hard for me to answer? I hope you can understand my difficulty," the matchmaker said. Wang Qin immediately asked Qiao Gui to remove Liu Ying from the living room. She must get this matter done! As long as Qiao Zhuang was on her side, even an immortal could not help Liu Ying! "Yes, yes, yes. That''s our eldest granddaughter, Qiao Hua. She looks like a flower, just like her name! She''s in the other room now! Should I bring her here?" Wang Qin asked tentatively. At this moment, Liu Ying broke free from Qiao Gui''s grip and laughed crazily. "You shameless animals! You want to see my Xiao Hua! Dream on!" "What does this mean? Is she crazy?" The matchmaker looked at Liu Ying in horror. Wang Qin stomped her feet anxiously and scolded angrily, "Take her away quickly! Bring Qiao Hua here!" Liu Ying pointed at Wang Qin and said, "Qiao Hua has long left! All of you won''t be able to find her for the rest of your lives! I''m telling you, I will never let you ruin my daughter!" Liu Ying was not a fool. She had long expected Wang Qin to have designs on Qiao Hua. Instead of letting Qiao Hua sit at home and wait for her doom, it was better to let Qiao Hua go far away and never come back. "Where did you bring Qiao Hua!" Wang Qin asked. "Don''t ask anymore. I won''t tell you. Even if you beat me to death! I won''t tell you!" Liu Ying stuck her neck out and shouted. In Qiao Zhuang''s whole life, he had never felt so ashamed before. He raised his stick and was about to hit her. Liu Ying did not dodge. She just stood there and glared at Qiao Zhuang as she shouted, "Come on! Beat me to death and everything will be over!" As the saying went, bad-tempered people were not as scary as people who did not fear death. When one was not even afraid of dying, one was no longer afraid of anything. "You people deal with your family matters first! I''m leaving now!" The matchmaker hurriedly ran towards the door. Liu Ying grabbed her and said, "Go back and tell the Guo family that Qiao Zhuang only has one daughter, Qiao Yu. Regardless of whether they want to go through with the marriage, she is the only one available. Ask them to make their decision!" The matchmaker was so frightened that she quickly nodded and disappeared with a whoosh. She felt that she was really unlucky today. It was clearly supposed to be a joyous occasion, but it just did not go well. Once she returned to the Guo family, she would explain everything to them in detail. It was not that she could not conclude the arrangements for this marriage, but it was that Qiao Zhuang''s family had really gone too far. Even all the village chiefs had to be nice to her, but Qiao Zhuang''s family could cause such a mess. She did not know if she would be able to keep her job as a matchmaker! Chapter 578 Willingly "Tell me quickly! Where did you bring Qiao Hua!" Qiao Zhuang roared angrily. "You can guess where she is! She''s probably married by now! Would you force a married girl to marry into the Guo family? If you really do that, it''s against the law!" Liu Ying said. Against the law? Did she think that they were uncultured and ignorant, and she could bully them? As long as there was no evidence in the village to prove that she was married, it was simply child''s play! It was nonsense! Since ancient times, a match was made by order of the parents and the word of the matchmaker! There was no such thing as getting married in private! Qiao Zhuang thought that this woman simply had no respect for him! "Why didn''t you tell me about such an important thing! I''m the head of this family! All of you have to listen to me! I''m not dead yet! Are you intending to set up your own household!" Qiao Zhuang said as he pointed at Liu Ying. "I can decide on my daughter''s marriage! Father! It''s enough that you decide on the marriages of your own children! You don''t have to worry about my daughter!" Liu Ying replied firmly. Wang Qin was frightened by this fearless Liu Ying. She had thought that Liu Ying was a soft and easy person to manipulate and that she was just glib-tongued and full of fluff! She did not expect that a rabbit would bite when it was anxious. Liu Ying was going all out! "You! What a rebel! Qiao Fu, don''t you care about this matter! She''s your wife! Was everything she did actually your idea?" Qiao Zhuang asked as he stared at Qiao Fu. Qiao Fu quickly waved his hands and knelt on the ground anxiously as he shouted, "Father! I don''t have that kind of intention! I really don''t know about this! I really don''t know anything!" "Whether you hit me or scold me, I''ll accept it!" Liu Ying said. She had slogged so hard for the Qiao family her entire life. Even if she had no achievements, she should still be rewarded for her efforts. However, they did not take her seriously at all. Instead, they felt that they were entitled to her efforts. Would she allow Qiao Hua to live such a life? Absolutely not! Even though she was not very capable, she was still a mother who loved her child and would do anything for her. "Do you think beating you to death is useful! What''s the point of having you dead! Qiao Hua can''t come back!" Qiao Zhuang threw the stick in his hand to the side angrily. The most important thing now was to appease the Guo family. He could not let them take back the 1,000 dollars! If the money was taken back, how could he hold his head up high in this village anymore! How could he continue to be a tyrant! "Father, rather than thinking about how to deal with me, you might as well use the time to prepare Qiao Yu''s dowry. The Guo family already said that they''re fine with any daughter from our family. So they have no choice but to marry Qiao Yu!" Liu Ying said smugly. She had planned all of this. By now, her Xiao Hua had already gone to another city and married someone else. This person was her distant relative and he was quite a nice boy. She had long decided on him as her son-in-law. She was just waiting to marry Qiao Hua into that family once she reached 18 years old. She did not expect that things did not go according to her wishes and that the marriage would be brought forward by two years. She actually could not bear to marry Qiao Hua off so early. However, for the sake of Qiao Hua''s future happiness, she was fine to let her get married earlier. Qiao Yu looked at Liu Ying angrily and went forward to question her. "You want to ruin my life just because of your Qiao Hua! I have parents too! Sister-in-law, why can''t you pity me!" "The person who wants to marry you off is your own father! If you''re unhappy, go confront him! Eldest Sister-in-law has let you down. In the future, Eldest Sister-in-law can be your slave! As long as my Qiao Hua is safe and sound, I''m willing to die even if you want me to now," Liu Ying said. Qiao Yu also knew that there was nothing she could do about it anymore. Anyway, she did not have the guts to confront Qiao Zhuang. It was already good enough that he did not starve her to death back then. "Qiao Fu, bring your wife back and educate her well. Let her know that it''s the people with the surname Qiao who have the final say in this family." Qiao Zhuang emphasized the word "educate". Qiao Fu immediately understood what Qiao Zhuang meant and went forward to grab Liu Ying. At this moment, Wang Qin, who was the main family housekeeper, suddenly seemed to think of something and quickly went to the cabinet to look for the box containing the family''s savings. Qiao Zhuang asked impatiently, "What is it now!" Chapter 579 Going To Take A Look "The money! Where''s our money!" Wang Qin asked in a panic. These words exploded in Qiao Zhuang''s house like thunder had struck. Wang Qin was in charge of a portion of the family''s living expenses. Shen Ge only knew how to work hard but did not know how to manage the household. Qiao Zhuang could not be bothered to deal with most things in the family, so he handed everything over to Wang Qin. Anyway, his children would give him money regularly every month, so he did not care about anything else. Wang Qin was also the accountant of the brigade. Since she could manage the accounts of the entire village, what was so hard about running a household? It was simply a waste of talent! "What money! What are you talking about!" Qiao Zhuang immediately panicked. "It''s her! It must be her! She must have stolen it!" Wang Qin said as she pointed at Liu Ying. Liu Ying laughed and said, "I took the money for my Xiao Hua." Qiao Zhuang pulled Liu Ying and pushed her into the courtyard. The house was filled with the betrothal gifts that had just been sent over, as well as the new furniture that they bought for the wedding. These things were all worth a lot of money. It was not worth it to damage anything in the house because of Liu Ying. Liu Ying crouched over the ground in a sorry state and laughed loudly. She had never felt so good in her life. It would be even better if she could just die today. Anyway, she had no parents and Qiao Hua was already married. She had no burdens now. When Zhao Liang heard the news, he quickly rushed over. As he passed by Qiao Qiang''s house, he rushed into the courtyard and shouted, "Uncle Qiao! It''s not good! Something big has happened!" "What''s wrong? Xiao Zhao, don''t be anxious! Tell me slowly!" Qiao Qiang said. "Someone''s going to get killed at Qiao Zhuang''s house. They''re having a big fight over the matter of Qiao Yu''s marriage. If this continues, Liu Ying will be beaten to death! After all, this is their family matter and I can''t get involved. Aren''t you Qiao Zhuang''s eldest brother? Can you see if you can come forward and talk about this matter?" Zhao Liang said anxiously. Qiao Qiang found himself in a difficult position. He had just said that he wanted to sever ties with Qiao Zhuang. If he went over now and meddled in their family matters, it would be like a slap to his own face. "Uncle Qiao! I know you''re in a difficult position, but it''s a human life! You also know Liu Ying. She married into Qiao Zhuang''s family when she was young. Her parents are no longer around and she is all alone. If she dies, it will be difficult for me as the brigade leader. Uncle Qiao, can''t you just take it as helping me?" Zhao Liang begged. Zhao Liang had helped their family a lot. When Zhang Wei got into an accident, it was he and his wife who took care of Zhang Wei. Qiao Qiang would not forget such a favor. "Alright, I''ll go with you," Qiao Qiang said resignedly. "I''ll go too!" Qiao Mei said as she rushed out of the backyard. Xia Zhe followed behind her. "What are you two kids messing about! Qiao Zhuang''s family is almost beating someone to death! You''re pregnant, what if an accident happens! It''s not like you don''t know that their family hates you!" Zhao Liang said. "Mei Mei, be good and stay at home. I''ll be back soon. You don''t have to worry about me," Qiao Qiang said. Qiao Mei said firmly, "I have to go. I can''t let grandfather go alone. Uncle Zhao, don''t worry. Bring grandfather over first. I''ll follow behind right away." Zhao Liang and Qiao Qiang could not dissuade Qiao Mei, so they could only agree to her request. Xia Zhe stood at the side and did not say a word. He knew that as long as Qiao Mei set her mind on something, she would do it even if the sky collapsed. "Why haven''t you stopped me? None of them wants me to go," Qiao Mei asked curiously. Xia Zhe sighed and reached out to gently touch the tip of Qiao Mei''s nose. He said dotingly, "As long as it''s something you want, I''ll try my best to help you achieve it. With me around, no one will be able to hurt you. It''s fine if you want to go and take a look. Why should I stop you?" Qiao Mei smiled sweetly. She knew that Xia Zhe doted on her! He would also protect her well! This time round, it was something she must do. Although Liu Ying often came to the house with Wang Qin to do evil, Qiao Hua took good care of her and would secretly send her nice food when no one was paying attention. Other than the two of them, no one else knew about this. Therefore, on the surface, everyone thought that Qiao Yu had a good relationship with Qiao Mei, but no one knew about Qiao Hua. "Qiao Hua treats me very well. Liu Ying is not nice to me, but she''s Qiao Hua''s mother after all. No matter what, I have to go and take a look," Qiao Mei explained. Xia Zhe could understand Qiao Mei''s intentions. He put on a coat for her and walked with her towards Qiao Zhuang''s house. On the way, they even asked Auntie Dong and Auntie Wang to go with them. Chapter 580 A Rich Family With One Hundred Dollars "Tell me! Where''s all the money! Where is Qiao Hua! How much money did you give her!" Qiao Zhuang shouted fiercely. Liu Ying lay on the ground and looked at Qiao Zhuang mockingly. "Ha, better beat me to death! As long as I don''t say anything, you''ll never know where Qiao Hua is." Qiao Zhuang panted heavily and looked around. He had already broken all the things in the house that could be used to hit someone. Only the tools used for farm work were left. He took the hoe he had put aside and looked at Liu Ying viciously. "Since you want to die, then don''t blame me!" Qiao Zhuang raised the hoe to strike her. None of the other sons and daughters-in-law in the courtyard dared to stop him. Why would they want to be the one to get hurt in this situation? Even Liu Ying''s husband, Qiao Fu, stood at the side indifferently, as if this matter had nothing to do with him and the person being beaten up was not his wife. "Wait!" Zhao Liang stood at the door and shouted. Fortunately, he did not dawdle on the way and had rushed all the way here with Qiao Qiang. Not any later! Liu Ying''s life would probably be in danger. When Qiao Zhuang saw that it was Zhao Liang, he slowly put down the hoe in his hand and said with a long face, "Brother Zhao! You have to uphold justice for me! Our family can''t live!" "What''s going on? Why are you using the hoe? We''re all civilized people now. It''s against the law for you to do this!" Zhao Liang said sternly. Qiao Zhuang did not understand what was against the law or not. He only knew that although there were laws in this world, but as the elder in this family and Liu Ying''s father-in-law, there was nothing wrong with him teaching his daughter-in-law a lesson. Was this against the law? "Brother Zhao, what are you saying? How is it against the law for me to teach my daughter-in-law a lesson in my house?" Qiao Zhuang questioned righteously. "That won''t do. It''s wrong of you to hit someone! Let''s talk things out!" Zhao Liang exhorted earnestly. Qiao Qiang stood behind Zhao Liang and did not say a word. He looked at everything in front of him calmly, as if what was happening had nothing to do with him. In reality, other than the blood relationship that he could not choose, the rest really had nothing to do with him. Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe arrived at Qiao Zhuang''s house soon with a group of curious bystanders. There were not many people who could afford television sets nowadays. If anything happened to anyone in the village, they would hurry over to take a look. Otherwise, if they missed it, there was no repeat broadcast! Such an exciting scene did not happen often! "What''s there to say! This woman stole our family''s money! And it''s not a small sum! Wang Qin, tell us! How much is it!" Qiao Zhuang said as he pointed at Wang Qin. Wang Qin stammered and said hesitantly, "The box contains the money for our family''s living expenses. In total about 120 dollars." An amount of 120 dollars! Everyone present gasped. This sum of money was not a small sum in the countryside! Actually, Liu Ying had no idea how much money was in the box. She had accidentally discovered where Wang Qin had hidden the money and had taken it when Wang Qin was not paying attention. There was only a handful of money inside. She felt guilty the entire time and did not even count how much money there was. She just took all the money and stuffed it into Qiao Hua''s hands so that she could leave quickly. "Oh my! This Qiao Zhuang''s family is quite rich!" "That''s right! I really didn''t expect them to have so much money! They have more than 100 dollars for the family''s expenses, so how much personal savings does each of them have?" "A rich family with 100 dollars! It''s already a luxury for our family to spend 10 dollars a month! I never expected their expenses to be more than 10 times that of ours!" "Where does this money come from? I''m so envious." The villagers discussed among themselves. No one in their family had a job and they all relied on farming for a living. Even if they earned some money, they would go to the black market to sell vegetables like everyone else. Even if one woke up early and went to work in the dark, one would not be able to earn much money. Wang Qin was the only one in their family who made the most money and she earned 20 dollars a month. How could she have 120 dollars a month for expenses? How could Wang Qin manage such a big family and be such a spendthrift? Qiao Zhuang also started to have doubts, but he had both internal and external problems at the moment. Instead of thinking about this mere 120 dollars, he might as well try to find Qiao Hua and marry her off to the Guo family so that he could get more money. Chapter 581 Divorce Before Leaving "Wang Qin, are you sure that there''s really so much money? If you confirm it, Liu Ying will have to fork out this amount of money," Qiao Zhuang said. What Wang Qin said was all a lie. The box at home only contained 30 dollars, but not long ago, she had taken 50 dollars from the village accounts. Liu Ying would now have to take the fall for it. "Yes, it''s about 120 dollars!" Wang Qin said. Qiao Zhuang looked at Zhao Liang and asked, "My eldest daughter-in-law stole our family''s money. Am I still not allowed to put my foot down!" Zhao Liang was in a difficult position. He really should not interfere in this matter, but if he did not do anything, someone might die! "Qiao Zhuang! Enough is enough! If she really stole the money, just ask her to give it back. Just keep it within the family since it''s not an outsider who stole it. Or do you intend to call the police?" Qiao Qiang said. When Qiao Zhuang heard Qiao Qiang speak, he immediately went up and put on a pitiful act as he said, "Big brother! You must stand up for me! There are so many people in our family. How can so many of us survive without this money!" "What can I do for you? But it''s not right for you to beat up someone. If she has stolen something, you can hand her over to the police. Why are you beating her up here on your own?" Qiao Qiang said. Qiao Zhuang was about to say something when he was interrupted by Liu Ying, who was crouching on the ground. Liu Ying said agitatedly, "Brother Zhao! Please! Just take me away and hand me over to the police! I did steal that money! It''s because this group of people wants to sell my daughter to the Guo family!" Qiao Zhuang went up and gave Liu Ying a hard kick. The Guo family was here to marry her daughter! What did she mean by selling! It was simply nonsense! "When did we want to sell your daughter! Don''t talk nonsense! The Guo family has already given us the betrothal gifts and they just want to see Qiao Hua. What do you mean by selling her! The Guo family is so rich, she will get to enjoy life over there!" Qiao Zhuang shouted. Everyone present knew what kind of wolf den the Guo family was. Which daughter of a good family would want to marry into their family! No one wanted this kind of "blessing"! Staying alive was more important! Zhao Liang immediately went forward and pulled Qiao Zhuang away, keeping a distance between him and Liu Ying to prevent him from attacking Liu Ying again. Looking at Liu Ying''s current situation, she must have already been beaten up once. "Let''s talk things out. I''ll definitely get it settled for you. Don''t get physical," Zhao Liang said calmly. "I just want Qiao Hua to come back with the money! Nothing else!" Qiao Zhuang shouted angrily. Liu Ying pointed at Qiao Zhuang and shouted, "In your dreams! If you have time to waste on me, you might as well think about how to marry Qiao Yu into the Guo family!" Qiao Zhuang wanted to go forward and hit Liu Ying again, but Zhao Liang stopped him. Of course, he knew that the most important thing now was to resolve the matter with the Guo family, but he just could not take it if he left Liu Ying undealt with. Furthermore, there were so many people watching. If he let Liu Ying off now, how would others view him in the future? When the news reached the Guo family''s ears, it would sound like he was not much of a village tyrant and this marriage would be even more impossible. "Brother Zhao, arrest me! Let me go to jail! I''d rather go to jail than live with such a family!" Liu Ying said to Zhao Liang in a lowly manner. Everyone could understand what she was doing. She was a child bride whom Qiao Zhuang picked up for free and she had worked hard in the family for so many years. Moreover, Qiao Fu was no less ruthless than his father, Qiao Zhuang. Whenever they had any money in the family, Qiao Fu would take it and gamble. It was already considered humane of him not to use his child as chips. "Do you really want to go to jail?" Zhao Liang asked. Liu Ying nodded. There was food and drinks in the prison, and she did not need to do so much hard work. She only had to work for a few hours a day and the rest of the time was downtime. Compared to her current life, prison was like heaven! Zhao Liang hesitated for a moment before turning to ask Qiao Fu, "Do you agree too?" Qiao Fu said indifferently, "Just divorce me first before leaving!" He did not care about how much Liu Ying had sacrificed for this family all these years. He only cared about himself. He did not want to be a lonely married man after Liu Ying left! Who knew how many years she could be locked up! A few months would already be unbearable! Absolutely not! After this, he could marry any woman and have her stay at home and do the housework. Moreover, when he married Liu Ying back then, he did not have to fork out a single cent, so there was no loss even if he got a divorce now. He wanted this divorce! Chapter 582 Rebate "So be it if you want a divorce! Do you think I''m afraid of you! I just want my daughter! I don''t want anything else!" Liu Ying said. "Alright! Let''s go now!" Qiao Fu quickly returned to the room to get the marriage certificate issued by the village from when they first got married. They only had one daughter. It was meaningless for the Qiao family to keep a money-losing good-for-nothing who was going to get married sooner or later. There was no point in keeping her. It would be better to get another wife and have a son in the future! Let this "jinx" get lost with the "burden"! "Then I''ll bring the two of them to the county city for a divorce and then bring her to jail. Is that alright?" Zhao Liang asked. Qiao Zhuang did not say anything and left the courtyard with a cold snort. This matter was considered closed. However, the problem of the money had not been resolved yet! Wang Qin said agitatedly, "Then what about the money she stole! We''re such a big family, we can''t go hungry!" "Wang Qin, don''t you have any conscience! I heard that the matchmaker from the Guo family is very close to you. Didn''t you take her money? Just take out that money and your family will be able to survive!" Auntie Dong stood at the door and shouted inside. Wang Qin looked at Auntie Dong in shock. She had done this very discreetly. How could anyone know about it! Qiao Zhuang also stopped in his tracks and turned around to stare at Wang Qin. He had never heard of this before. Could it be that it was like what Liu Ying had said, that the Guo family did not take any fancy to his influence in the village at all, but that Wang Qin was the one behind it all? Qiao Mei covered her mouth and giggled. Auntie Dong was indeed the know-it-all of Foshan Village. Nothing could escape her eyes. Actually, it was an open secret that matchmakers privately gave money on the side. Whenever there was a difficult match, they would give the bride''s family some money to persuade them to marry off their daughter. Back in the past, Auntie Dong was also a matchmaker so she was a competitor too. Auntie Dong was a reliable and honest person, and everyone was willing to go and get her to be their matchmaker. Therefore, Auntie Dong naturally knew what the matchmaker could get up to! "I! I didn''t! Don''t talk nonsense!" Wang Qin said in a panic. "You didn''t? Do you dare to swear to the heavens that you really didn''t take her money! Do you dare to swear to the heavens that you have no selfish motives! You''re really shameless! How will your children view you in the future! Don''t you feel guilty as a mother!" Auntie Dong shouted agitatedly. These words struck a chord in Qiao Mei''s heart. As a mother herself, she understood what Liu Ying was going through. If it was her, she would also choose to send her children out of this hellish home. "Don''t come here and tell lies! What evidence do you have to prove that I took money from the matchmaker! Don''t tell me you''re jealous that our Qiao Yu can marry into the Guo family!" Wang Qin said. Auntie Dong said mockingly, "You''re so black-hearted that you apply your black-hearted logic to everything! My daughter will definitely marry well in the future! Who fancies the Guo family! It''s you who needs to keep an eye on your own daughter! To put it bluntly, don''t let the Guo family take a fancy to your daughter after Qiao Yu is gone in a few years'' time!" "Hahahaha!" All the onlookers could not help but laugh out loud. Auntie Dong really lived up to her reputation as the number one sharp-tongued person in the village! "You! You!" Wang Qin was so angry that she could not speak. She also knew that she was in the wrong. Auntie Dong was not afraid that Wang Qin would plot against her behind her back. It was just a matter of work points! Her husband worked harder and was more capable than anyone else. She was confident that Wang Qin would not dare to do anything behind her back! If her family''s work points were lower than others, then Wang Qin would just be shooting herself in the foot! Anyone with a discerning eye could tell at a glance if there was any cheating. "Alright! Everyone, disperse! Quickly get back to work! Everyone, stop watching the commotion!" Zhao Liang dispersed the crowd and brought Qiao Fu and Liu Ying to the county city to get a divorce. The procedures were completed quickly. Qiao Fu parted ways with them after leaving the county city office. He still wanted to go to the casino in the county city to take a look. It was such a rare opportunity to come out and he did not want to miss out on the chance! Zhao Liang brought Liu Ying to the armed forces department. Liu Ying looked at Zhao Liang in confusion and asked, "Brother Zhao, aren''t we going to the police station? What are we doing in the armed forces department?" Zhao Liang took out a letter from Qiao Mei and said, "Go in and look for someone called Chen Hu. After he reads this letter, he will understand everything. Just stay here for now." Chapter 583 - 583 Be A Slave 583 Be A Slave Liu Ying opened the envelope. The handwriting in the letter was neat and tidy. Although it was not beautiful, it looked good to someone like her who could not read. Qiao Mei wrote this? Liu Ying asked suspiciously. Back then, when the people from the armed forces department came to the village, they chatted happily with Qiao Mei. Now it seemed that they really knew one another. No matter, Qiao Mei was the only person in the entire village who could help her contact a place like the armed forces department. Yes, you still have to thank your Qiao Hua for this. Qiao Hua has always been nice to Qiao Mei and Qiao Mei has always remembered it. Qiao Mei is the one who finds this job for you. When you join the armed forces department, youd better behave yourself and not show your face in public. You owe Qiao Zhuangs family money now. If they find out about this, even the armed forces department wont be able to protect you, Zhao Liang said. !! Tears welled up in Liu Yings eyes. When she thought about how she had bullied Qiao Mei in the past, she felt very guilty. She did not expect Qiao Mei to be the one to help her in times of danger. I understand! Brother Zhao, go back and tell Qiao Mei that Ill definitely repay her if I have the chance in this life. Ill be her slave in my next life! Liu Ying said agitatedly. Zhao Liang smiled and nodded. At least Liu Ying could be considered a grateful person, unlike the other ingrates in Qiao Zhuangs family who would not spit out the bones even if you gave them meat! No need to be a slave, but you just have to take good care of yourself. Dont let Qiao Zhuangs family find out about this and cause trouble for Qiao Mei, Zhao Liang said. Yes! Thank you! Ill definitely be well! Then my daughter Liu Ying said hesitantly. Qiao Mei has also secretly made some arrangements for someone to take care of your daughter. Shes living very well now and is already married to the family you mentioned. From now on, as long as she lives her life well, shell be fine, Zhao Liang said. Liu Ying nodded, feeling touched. As long as Qiao Hua was settled down, she could finally feel relieved. Im leaving. Take care. Zhao Liang drove back to the village. Qiao Mei helped Qiao Qiang back home slowly. The three of them sat in the house happily munching on melon seeds. Over the past two days, Qiao Mei had a good harvest of melon seeds. She made a full pot of stir-fried melon seeds and gave a portion to the women in the village. She also wrapped up a portion and sent it to Xia He in the capital. Previously, Xia He had been clamoring for Qiao Mei to get her some melon seeds. Qiao Mei was happy to fulfill her wish now. At night, Qiao Zhuangs family held a meeting to talk about Qiao Yus future. By right, she should be the one marrying into the Guo family, but the Guo family did not seem to like her. Father, what should we do now? What if the matchmaker comes over tomorrow to ask for the betrothal gifts to be returned? Qiao Fu said anxiously. Qiao Zhuang glanced leisurely at Qiao Fu and said, Im not even anxious, so why are you so anxious? Dont tell me youre eyeing this 1,000 dollars? Qiao Fu laughed awkwardly and said, What are you saying? Why will I do such a thing? Im just worried. Qiao Zhuang ignored Qiao Fu and turned his attention to Wang Qin. He had taken what Madam Dong said earlier in the day to heart and specially went to ask around. He realized that the Guo family had always used this matchmaker to find new wives for Old Master Guo. Very few people would agree to do such an immoral thing. Those who sold their daughters to the Guo family all admitted that someone in their family took money from the matchmaker. Wang Qin, dont you have anything to tell me? Qiao Zhuang said. Wang Qin smiled and said, Father, what do you want me to say? About the rebate and why the box containing the money for family expenses has 120 dollars in it, Qiao Zhuang said. Well the matchmaker did give me 100 dollars. I was too embarrassed to take it all myself, so I put all the money in the box to supplement the familys expenses. I thought that there was nothing much to say about this matter, but I didnt expect Liu Ying to steal the money Wang Qin said. Now that Liu Ying was in jail, she could just accuse Liu Ying of anything! Anyway, it was impossible for anyone to get hold of Liu Ying now and ask her if she had done all these things. Qiao Zhuang nodded doubtfully. He had never asked for details about that box at home and only Wang Qin knew about it. Naturally, it was all up to her to say. Even if he suspected something, he had no evidence. Father, there are only boys and a few seven or eight-year-old girls at home now. If Qiao Yu gets married, theres no one to do the chores, said the fourth son, Qiao Liang. Are all your wives just for show! Did I give you so many betrothal gifts to marry into my family so that you can sit there like deities we pray to! Qiao Zhuang roared angrily. Chapter 584 Mother Cannot Leave Now, there was only Shen Ge, Wang Qin, Jiang Ye and Cao Zhi, the fourth son''s wife, left in the house. Among them, Wang Qin did not do any chores. After all, this had been the rule for many years. If she was asked to do housework, the entire family would be turned upside down. "But we have so many children at home. Even if all our wives chip in, they can''t do everything. Moreover, I have three sons at home. My wife already can''t cope," said the third son, Qiao Wang. Jiang Ye looked at Qiao Wang, feeling touched. She was a stupid person by nature and did not regret marrying Qiao Wang. Qiao Wang was smarter than her and did not beat and scold her like what his father did to his own wife. He took good care of her too. Compared to the rest of the family, she was already very lucky. "Let''s talk about the future later! Where did Qiao Yu go?" Qiao Zhuang looked around the house but could not find Qiao Yu. Even Shen Ge had disappeared. "Don''t tell me Qiao Yu has run away!" Wang Qin shouted. "Why are you shouting! Didn''t I tell you to keep an eye on her! What is this!" Qiao Zhuang shouted fiercely. Wang Qin lowered her head silently and did not dare to say anything else. She was in the wrong in this matter. In the afternoon, Qiao Zhuang had reminded her to lock Qiao Yu up properly. At that time, she was very unhappy with what Auntie Dong said and forgot about this matter. Shen Ge had long slipped away through the back door with Qiao Yu and they were now making their way to the train station in the county city, not daring to delay any longer. The two of them walked for the entire afternoon until dark, but they still had not managed to reach the county city. "Mother let''s take a break. I can''t walk anymore!" Qiao Yu said breathlessly. "No. Xiao Yu, you have to reach the county city before dawn. Hang in there. We''re almost there," Shen Ge said. Qiao Yu really could not walk anymore. She had not eaten anything for many days. Now that she had walked for an entire afternoon, she simply did not have any strength left. If they did not manage to reach the county city by dawn, they would be captured by Qiao Zhuang and would have made a wasted escape attempt. "Let''s go let''s push on," Qiao Yu said. The two of them supported each other and walked for another two hours. Qiao Yu was really exhausted by then and sat by the roadside to rest. Shen Ge took out the steamed buns she had stolen from home and handed them to Qiao Yu. "Eat something," Sheng Ge said. Qiao Yu broke the steamed bun into two and handed one piece to Shen Ge. "Mother, you should eat too." Shen Ge smiled and shook her head as she pushed the steamed bun back. Feeling consoled, she said, "I''m not hungry. You can eat it all." Qiao Yu''s eyes instantly welled up with tears. She had heard this sentence countless times since she was young. Sheng Ge would give her any food she had and would always say that she did not like it or that she was not hungry yet. She had heard such lies countless times. On such a quiet night, the two of them leaned against each other. Shen Ge stared intently at Qiao Yu, afraid that she would never see her again after tonight. "Mother, why are you looking at me like that?" Qiao Yu asked curiously. Shen Ge wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and said, "I just feel that I''ve let you down. I gave birth to you in the Qiao family and you''ve suffered so much. Now, you still have to live your life as a runaway." Qiao Yu put down the steamed bun in her hand. She felt that her life was tough, but she blamed everything on the Qiao family, not Shen Ge. She had always been grateful to Shen Ge for giving her life and doing her best to protect her. "It''s not your fault. It''s all my father''s fault and has nothing to do with you. Mother, come with me. As long as we work hard, we can make a living. You''re courting death if you go back," Qiao Yu said. If Qiao Zhuang and the others found out that Shen Ge had let Qiao Yu go, they would definitely not give up even after Shen Ge went back. It would be good enough if they did not beat her to death. It would be better for the two of them to leave this place together and settle down somewhere else. No matter how tough it was, could it be worse than being at Qiao Zhuang''s house? "Mother won''t be able to leave in this lifetime. I''m old. If I go out, I''ll only be a burden to you. Don''t worry, Qiao Zhuang won''t do anything to me. Now that you''re gone, and Qiao Hua and Liu Ying are also gone, there''s no one else to do the chores at home. He won''t beat me to death," Shen Ge said with a smile. That smile looked very glaring to Qiao Yu, like a needle stabbing into her eyes. The two of them had just rested and were about to leave when they heard the sound of a car behind them. They hurriedly ran into the cornfield at the side and stayed motionless. Chapter 585 - 585 Seduction 585 Seduction After taking a closer look and realizing that it was not Qiao Zhuang and the others, the two of them relaxed. Lets continue on our way. Qiao Yu and Shen Ge set off for the county city again. The next morning, Qiao Zhuang borrowed someone elses three-wheeled vehicle and left with Qiao Fu and Qiao Gui to look for Qiao Yu. In a few days, he would have to give the Guo family an answer. If they lost Qiao Yu now, who could they send over to get married! Even if they had to call the police, they must find her! Qiao Yu! Qiao Yu! Qiao Yu, come out! Qiao Yu, where are you! Go home quickly! Qiao Fu and Qiao Gui shouted out all the way, but they still did not see any traces of Qiao Yu and Shen Ge. They did not manage to find anything even when they drove into the county city. Father, they have not left, have they? Qiao Fu asked. Qiao Zhuang said in exasperation, Hurry up and find them! Even if you have to dig three feet into the ground, you have to find them! Go to the train station and stop them. They definitely dont have any other way to leave this place! The two brothers quickly ran to the train station to stop them. Qiao Zhuang drove around the city angrily, not letting go of any clues. Qiao Yu and Shen Ge hid in the alley and did not move. It was still early and there were not many people at the train station. They immediately noticed Qiao Fu and Qiao Gui. What should we do now! Qiao Yu asked in a panic. Shen Ge did not have any idea either. Her mind was blank. When she came out, she did not expect such an outcome at all and was only focused on sending Qiao Yu away. She only had enough money on her to buy a train ticket. Dont be anxious, they wont stay here for the entire day! Ill go lie to them and say that youve already left. Wait here and come out only after they leave, Shen Ge said. Qiao Yu held Shen Ges hand tightly, not wanting to let go. She was afraid that she would never see Shen Ge again. Mother come with me please Qiao Yu begged. Tears welled up in Shen Ges eyes. She held back the reluctance in her heart and shook off Qiao Yus hand. Take good care of yourself. Mother is going back. You have to live on your own from now on. Dont contact me, otherwise your father will find out. Dont worry, Qiao Zhuang definitely wont do anything to me. Qiao Yu nodded reluctantly. The two of them looked at each other intently one last time before Shen Ge turned around and rushed into the crowd towards Qiao Fu and Qiao Gui. In the dark alley, Qiao Yu covered her mouth tightly to prevent her sobbing from being heard. When she saw Qiao Fu and Qiao Gui take Shen Ge away, she still did not dare to go out. Now was not the time. She had to wait until they were really far away. Mother, wheres Qiao Yu? Qiao Fu asked. I dont know where Qiao Yu is. I just came out for a walk, Shen Ge said evasively. Think about it carefully. Dont lie to yourself here. Father already knows everything. If you dont tell the truth now, youll definitely get beaten up, Qiao Gui said with a frown. Although Shen Ge had doted on Qiao Yu the most when her children were young, she still took care of Qiao Gui the most. After all, he was her second child and she had more experience by then. Her eldest son, Qiao Fu, was not grateful to her at all. Instead, he hated her deeply. Why are you asking her here! Lets just go back! Shell tell us everything after a good beating! Qiao Fu said disdainfully. How can you talk to your mother like that! Even if mother did something wrong, you shouldnt speak like this Qiao Gui muttered softly. Qiao Fu glanced sideways at Qiao Gui and asked, Why? Are you also involved in Qiao Yus matter? No! Eldest brother, how can you think that way! Qiao Gui said nervously. He had been beaten up by Qiao Fu many times and been bullied by him since he was young. After he grew up, he became even more afraid of Qiao Fu, who took all his money to gamble. He did not dare to tell Wang Qin about these things. Alright, hurry up and go look for father. Let father decide on this matter. Otherwise, well get blamed for it later, Qiao Fu said impatiently. He was thinking that if he had enough time, he wanted to go to the casino in the county city. He did not have time to waste on Qiao Yu and Shen Ge. Now that he had no children and no wife, he was a bachelor and his family did not depend on him. There was no point in keeping any money, so he might as well spend it on gambling to buy some happiness. What if he won! Then he would never have to worry about anything again! At that time, he could choose any beautiful woman he wanted! There was no need to worry about not having a wife. Chapter 586 - 586 Please Take Me With You 586 Please Take Me With You After squatting for a while, Qiao Yu fainted in the dark alley out of exhaustion. Even a burly man could not withstand such physical exhaustion. By the time she woke up, it was already dark. She did not know how much time had passed, but the contents of her bag was scattered around her. It was obvious that someone had searched through her things. The money that Shen Ge had given her was all in her undergarments. Unless the thief took off all her clothes, no one would be able to find this money. Im so hungry Qiao Yu looked at her flat stomach and muttered to herself. As soon as she walked out, she saw Xia Zhe on his way to the train station. Qiao Yu quickly picked up her bag and ran over. !! Hey! Wait! Qiao Yu shouted weakly. Xia Zhe looked around in puzzlement. He seemed to have seen her somewhere before, but he could not quite remember. Are you calling me? Xia Zhe asked curiously. Yes, dont you remember me? Qiao Yu said sadly. She thought that Xia Zhe would remember her. Although she had been quarreling with Qiao Mei at that time, Xia Zhe was right there. He should have an impression of her! Do we know each other? I dont remember, Xia Zhe said. Its fine. Im Qiao Meis aunt. My name is Qiao Yu. Qiao Yu smiled weakly. She did not even have the strength to smile now, but she still had to show her gentle side in front of Xia Zhe. It would be even better if Xia Zhe took pity on her and developed a good impression of her! It may be a good thing that he did not remember her. After all, there was nothing good to remember about that occasion when they met. Oh, youre Qiao Zhuangs daughter, Xia Zhe said calmly. At the mention of Qiao Zhuang, Qiao Yus expression instantly turned unhappy. Yes Qiao Yu lowered her head and admitted. Why are you looking for me? Xia Zhe asked sternly. There was still a long time before his train departed. Before he left, Qiao Mei specially asked him to come out early, afraid that he would miss this train. There was only this one train from the county city to the capital every night. He needed to go to the capital to report his work before going to his own army unit. Can you take me with you? If I go home, Ill get beaten to death by them! Please take me with you. Qiao Yu suddenly knelt down and begged. Everyone around and looked at her strangely. Although it was nighttime, there would always be a lot of people gathered at the train station at any hour. Get up first. I cant help you with this matter. You should go home, Xia Zhe said. If you dont agree, I wont get up! I cant go home! If I go home, Ill definitely be beaten to death by my father! Ill even have to marry that old man! I beg you to save me! Qiao Yu cried. Xia Zhe did not want to talk to her anymore. He reached out to help her up and said, Im going to the county city now to get my documents. Follow me there. Qiao Yu thought that Xia Zhe had agreed to her request and did not think too much about it. She said happily, No problem! Ill go wherever you go! Xia Zhe walked in front silently, not caring that Qiao Yu was too weak to keep up with him. Although Qiao Yu felt resentful about that, it was not easy to get Xia Zhe to take her with him so it would probably seem too much of her to ask for anything else now. It did not take long for them to reach the entrance of the armed forces department. At this hour, everyone was resting and only a few patrolling soldiers were waiting outside for their replacements to turn up. Hello, comrade. Im from the troops in the capital. This is my identification card. I would like to look for Commander Chen Hu. Just tell him that Im Qiao Meis husband and hell understand. Xia Zhe took out his identification card from his pocket and handed it to the guard at the door. The guard carefully verified Xia Zhes identity and went inside to look for Chen Hu. Soon, Chen Hu ran out of the building with a smile on his face. Youre here! Theres no such a term as commander between us. Qiao Mei calls me uncle. You can follow her and just call me Uncle Hu! Chen Hu said generously. Back when Zhang Chao and Zhang Qin were kidnapped, Chen Hu had helped them a lot. Xia Zhe had seen Chen Hus attitude and methods in handling matters and respected him very much. Alright, Uncle Hu. Im here to ask you for a favor, Xia Zhe said awkwardly. Chen Hu looked at Xia Zhe happily. As long as it was something related to Qiao Meis family, he would do his best to help. For so many years, Qiao Qiang did not take the initiative to contact him and he did not have the chance to help them. Now that he had the chance, he would definitely do his best. Tell me quickly! Ill definitely help you if I can! Chen Hu said agitatedly. Chapter 587 Affair Xia Zhe glanced sideways at Qiao Yu who was standing behind him. Chen Hu immediately understood that it was about this woman, but why was he with another woman? Could it be that he was having an affair outside! "Commander Chen Hu Uncle Hu, this is Qiao Mei''s youngest aunt, Qiao Zhuang''s daughter. Her family is forcing her to marry an old man. I understand that it''s a high-priced betrothal deal and she has nowhere to go. I hope you can help," Xia Zhe said sternly. Only then did Chen Hu feel relieved. As long as he did not fool around behind Qiao Mei''s back, anything could be discussed! However, he also knew what kind of person Qiao Zhuang was. Asking him to help Qiao Zhuang''s daughter was akin to asking him to die. He still remembered how Qiao Zhuang treated Qiao Mei back then. "No, this person bullied Mei Mei previously. I won''t help her," Chen Hu said stubbornly as he secretly pulled Xia Zhe over. He remembered this person. Back then, the betrothal gifts that Xia Zhe had given Qiao Mei had all been taken by this girl using a trick. If he had not asked his team to follow Qiao Mei to get them back, the things would already belong to Qiao Zhuang! He would never help such a person! "Uncle, just think of it as helping me. Otherwise, she will continue to follow me." Xia Zhe looked troubled. Chen Hu looked at him and then at Qiao Yu behind him. He patted Xia Zhe''s shoulder confidently and said, "Leave it to me. I''ll definitely help her well. You should go on your way quickly." Xia Zhe smiled and nodded. He saluted Chen Hu and got ready to leave. Qiao Yu hurriedly went forward to grab Xia Zhe''s hand. "Are you going to abandon me like this! Didn''t you say that you would bring me with you!" Qiao Yu''s teary acting would melt the hearts of many men. If not for the fact that Chen Hu knew the inside story, based on what Qiao Yu just said, many people would definitely misunderstand that Xia Zhe was a sanctimonious person. Xia Zhe frowned and avoided Qiao Yu''s hand. He said, "Please respect yourself. I didn''t say that I would bring you with me. This is all I can do for you. As long as you explain the issue to Chen Hu properly, he will help you." "Don''t go!" Qiao Yu wanted to continue chasing after Xia Zhe, but Chen Hu immediately sent someone to block her way. As long as he was around today, he would not let this "vixen" ruin Qiao Mei''s happiness! He would tell Qiao Mei about this matter later and take credit for it. At the same time, he would also tell her about how infatuated Xia Zhe was with her. It would be killing two birds with one stone. This way, if Qiao Mei was happy, she may give him a few more portions of pickled vegetables! "Miss Qiao, it''s too late for us to help you resolve this matter now. Come in with us and sit for a while. We''ll send you back at dawn," Chen Hu said with a dark expression. Qiao Yu hugged the bag in her arms tightly in fear. There were only men in their troop. If she went in with them, would she still be able to come out? "Don''t be afraid. As long as we''re around, no one will hurt you. I''ve briefly heard about what happened just now. It can be considered that your father broke the law. As long as you tell us everything properly, we will help you," Chen Hu said. Qiao Yu had no choice but to follow them into the lounge. The lounge was located on one side of the main entrance of the courtyard. It was specially prepared for the two teams who patrolled at night. During their break time at night, they could even take a nap here. Qiao Yu hid in a corner of the room in fear. Chen Hu did not care about what she did as long as she remained in the room. There were only a few men chatting inside the room. "You guys go out for a while. I have something to ask this young lady," Chen Hu said. The men hurriedly took their things and went out to stand guard. They did not know why Chen Hu brought a woman back in the middle of the night, but based on Chen Hu''s character, he would definitely not do anything rash. "Young lady, tell me about it," Chen Hu said as he sat on the chair. Qiao Yu cowered in the corner and replied shakily, "I I''m fine" "Why are you so afraid? Don''t worry, we''ll help you if you have any difficulties," Chen Hu said. "I don''t have any difficulties. Let me go," Qiao Yu begged. "Then why are you following him?" Chen Hu asked. Qiao Yu immediately put on a pitiful expression and leaned against the wall with tears in her eyes. She acted as if Xia Zhe had done something unspeakable to her. Chapter 588 Special Fetish Chen Hu wondered why Xia Zhe was not tempted by Qiao Yu, who looked like this. Although Qiao Mei could be considered to be very beautiful now, she was a big fatty who weighed more than 200 pounds back then! Could it be that Xia Zhe really had some special fetish? Chen Hu could not help but shudder. However, this was also good. From now on, he would not have to worry about Xia Zhe doing anything to let Qiao Mei down. After all, it was hard to find the type of woman that Xia Zhe liked. During this era, there were not many fat people. If one really saw anyone who was fat, it meant that this family was very economically well off. "I he said that he would treat me well! He even said that he would always protect me!" Qiao Yu said embarrassedly. Chen Hu''s expression darkened even more. One could be irresponsible about what one ate, but one could not be irresponsible with one''s words. He believed that Xia Zhe would definitely not do anything to let Qiao Mei down, but if word got out that Qiao Yu was behaving like this, it would cause a misunderstanding. Chen Hu called all the men in the team to gather in the courtyard for additional training tonight! "Boss, why are you looking for us?" Xiaobei asked as he rushed over. "Nothing much. It''s just that we have to do extra training tonight. Bring this young lady along," Chen Hu said as he pointed at Qiao Yu. Qiao Yu looked at Chen Hu in shock. She was not a soldier under Chen Hu, so why did she have to train with them? "In a while, there will be supper in the canteen. After everyone is full, let''s get ready for training. You can follow suit and take it as a form of exercise!" Chen Hu said generously. No one could understand why he was doing this, but they had to listen to whatever Chen Hu said. Now that she was in Chen Hu''s territory and Xia Zhe had already boarded the train, she would not be able to survive if she really left this place. So what if she had the money that Shen Ge had given her. It was only about 10 dollars in total. The money would be gone after buying a train ticket and having a few meals. After everyone had their fill, they started their training. Qiao Yu could not keep up with them at all. By the time they got to part to lift the wooden stakes, Qiao Yu was so tired that she could not speak. Chen Hu got someone to carry Qiao Yu, who was drenched in sweat, back to the lounge near the main door. They walked very slowly along the way and there were many people around. Everyone''s clothes were drenched in sweat. From outside, it looked as if more than 10 burly men had done something to Qiao Yu. Chen Hu nodded in satisfaction. Everyone stayed in the lounge for the whole night. Some people played poker while others played mahjong. The rest were tired and went next door to sleep for a while. They left Qiao Yu at a corner and ignored her. That night, she spent the whole night in the same room as more than 10 men and was even carried into the room in a sorry state. If others saw her or heard about it, she would probably be too embarrassed to say anything. Early the next morning, Chen Hu woke Qiao Yu up and brought a team of soldiers to Foshan Village to ask Qiao Zhuang for an explanation. This matter could not be blamed on Qiao Yu. Qiao Zhuang''s family had to pay the price. Previously, when Liu Ying came to his place, he had bought a bus ticket for her on account of Qiao Mei and wrote her a letter of recommendation to go to another government department to be a cleaner. He had heard that the people there were very satisfied with Liu Ying''s performance and said that she was very efficient in her work and was quiet and polite. As soon as the police vehicle entered the village, it attracted the attention of countless people. "Where is this police car going?" "Look! They''re all carrying guns! Did someone commit a crime!" "This direction can it be Qiao Zhuang''s house!" "Could it be that they killed someone? How did the matter reach the police station?" The old men and women at the entrance of the village were all discussing why the police vehicle had come to the village. Some of them had very good eyesight and could see Qiao Yu in the vehicle at a glance. "Look! Isn''t that Qiao Zhuang''s sixth daughter!" an old man shouted as he pointed at the police vehicle. Everyone looked closer and saw that it was Qiao Yu. A large group of people followed the police vehicle to Qiao Zhuang''s house. Qiao Zhuang and the others hid in the house out of fear and secretly looked out through the gaps in the windows. They had been behaving themselves recently, so what could have happened? Among them, Qiao Fu looked most afraid. He had gone to gamble yesterday and owed a lot of money. Could it be that those people had called the police? No way. These people were all from underground casinos. Such things were not in the open. They would not be so brazen as to ask the police to help get their money back. Chapter 589 - 589 Open Meeting 589 Open Meeting Qiao Zhuang! Come out and take a look! Is this someone from your family! Chen Hu held his gun and shouted towards the house. There was silence in the courtyard and no one answered. Chen Hu knocked on the railing impatiently. The people in the vehicle came out and lined up one after another. In the end, Qiao Yu slowly got out as well. When Qiao Zhuang saw Qiao Yu, he walked out in relief. Officer, whats wrong? Did our child do something wrong? Why are you here personally? Qiao Zhuang said obsequiously. Are you sure this is your child? Chen Hu asked again. Qiao Zhuang nodded affirmatively. Even if he lied and refused to admit it, they would find out once they investigated it. Besides, Qiao Yu worked at home every day and did not have much contact with the outside world. He would believe it if someone said that his sons had caused trouble outside. Qiao Yu, this coward, would never do anything that would alarm the armed forces department. Yes, this is my daughter, my sixth child, Qiao Zhuang said firmly. Chen Hu smiled and said, Alright. She came to my place yesterday to report you! She said that youre involved in the trafficking of women and even abused her. If shes disobedient, you wont give her food or water. Is there such a thing? Qiao Zhuang was stunned. He never dreamed that Qiao Yu would go and report him. He had thought that he would be able to find out Qiao Yus whereabouts after capturing Shen Ge yesterday. He did not expect Shen Ge to be so stubborn that she would not say anything no matter how hard he hit her. He thought that Qiao Yu had already left this place, but he did not expect her to report him! Theres no such thing, sir. Theres no such thing, Qiao Zhuang said with an awkward smile. Chen Hu tilted his head and said to Qiao Yu, Repeat what you told me last night. Dont be afraid. With the few of us around, he wont attack you. Tell us about the time he locked you up in the woodshed. Qiao Yu was completely disheartened. She did not expect Chen Hu to be such a cunning person! He was revealing that she had already told Chen Hu the truth since he could even talk about the woodshed. Qiao Zhuangs gaze towards Qiao Yu gradually turned cold. After Chen Hu left, he would definitely teach Qiao Yu a lesson! Now she had grown up, she was so capable! She actually dared to go to the armed forces department to report her biological father! Since Qiao Yu did not leave, then he would not hold back! It was only right for a father to teach his biological daughter a lesson! Its just that the child was insensible and made a mistake. So she was locked up in the woodshed to repent, Qiao Zhuang said. Oh? Is that so? Then whats going on with your eldest daughter-in-law, Liu Ying, and your granddaughter, Qiao Hua? Is everything Qiao Yu said fake? I heard that you forced them to run away. If youre not lying, then ask them to come here to confront me, Chen Hu shouted as he pointed at the house. Qiao Zhuang looked at Qiao Yu resentfully. He did not expect Qiao Yu to have told Chen Hu all this. Qiao Yu looked at Qiao Zhuang in panic. She could already imagine how miserable she would be after Chen Hu left. Damn Qiao Mei! It must be her idea! Qiao Yu knew that Chen Hu was related to Qiao Meis family. She had not said a word about these things, and when Xia Zhe spoke to Chen Hu, she was right next to him. Liu Ying had already been sent to the police station by Zhao Liang. How did Chen Hu know so much when he was from the armed forces department? Qiao Mei must have told Chen Hu all these! That was definitely the case! She hated Xia Zhe for heartlessly leaving her at the armed forces department! However, she hated Qiao Mei, the instigator, even more! If not for Qiao Mei, she would not be leading such a miserable life! She would not have experienced so many things! She would also have a husband like Xia Zhe to accompany her for the rest of her life! Why did she not have what Qiao Mei had! Everything should belong to her! They they went back to their maternal home! Qiao Zhuang said with a guilty conscience. Rubbish! Liu Ying is an orphan! How can she have a maternal home! Chen Hu roared. Qiao Zhuang had nothing to refute and could only accept his fate of having to admit to everything. Chen Hu brought Qiao Zhuang to the village entrance for an open meeting. The term open meeting meant a censure meeting. When Qiao Mei heard about this, she quickly went to the village entrance to join in the fun. She heard from Auntie Dong that the last open meeting was many years ago. In her other life, she had heard about the term open meeting from others, but she did not know what it was like. Moreover, in a few years time, everyone would think that the custom of having an open meeting was not good, so there would no longer be such a thing as an open meeting in the future. Chapter 590 Someone Backing Her Up Chen Hu spotted Qiao Mei the moment she arrived. Chen Hu ran over enthusiastically and said, "Mei Mei, you''re here!" "Uncle Hu? Why are you here?" Qiao Mei asked Chen Hu in surprise. "I''ll tell you about these later. Are you here to join in?" Chen Hu asked. "I heard that something happened to their family, so I came over to take a look. I didn''t expect Uncle Hu to be the one in charge. This is very surprising," Qiao Mei said. "By the way, how has your grandfather been recently? Is he angry with me because of them?" Chen Hu asked nervously. This time, the arrival of the Liang siblings made Chen Hu see through their intentions clearly. Back then, he had mistrusted them and caused so much trouble for Qiao Qiang. "Grandfather won''t dwell on it. Don''t worry, Uncle Hu. He has a sharp tongue but a soft heart. He won''t really get angry with you," Qiao Mei said. "Then what''s your grandfather''s attitude towards them? I hope they didn''t anger the old master," Chen Hu asked hesitantly. Qiao Mei noticed that people around were looking at them and said in a low voice, "Let''s talk about this when we get home. Grandfather''s anger has already subsided." Chen Hu nodded and went back to deal with Qiao Zhuang''s matter. When everyone saw the way Qiao Mei and Chen Hu chatted, they now knew that Qiao Mei had the backing of the armed forces department. What happened at Qiao Zhuang''s house today was actually a show of support for Qiao Mei! Let''s see who else in this village would dare to lay their hands on Qiao Mei and Qiao Qiang! After everything ended, Chen Hu asked his team to head back in the vehicle. When he was ready to go, he would contact Xiaobei to pick him up. "Uncle Hu, you''re in for a treat today. I''ll make you a dish of stewed goose!" Qiao Mei said happily. Chen Hu could be considered a highly paid employee in this region. Not only did he get food stamps and cloth stamps every month, but he also received all kinds of subsidies during festive seasons. He was paid 60 dollars a month and should have no worries about his daily expenses. However, after Chen Hu''s wife gave birth, she had not been in good health and became sickly. Chen Hu had even asked someone to bring her medicine from the capital. In addition, Chen Hu''s wife still had to stay at home to take care of the children. His expenses were high, so he did not have the spare money to eat meat often. "Mei Mei is so generous! But your Uncle Hu just needs to eat some of your pickled vegetables. I won''t eat the goose," Chen Hu said, feeling consoled. Nowadays, a big goose could sell for 10 dollars! For ordinary rural families, 10 dollars was enough to support a family for more than three months. It would be good to keep this goose for Qiao Qiang to nourish his body. It was going to be winter soon and the road to the county city would be even more difficult to walk on. It was better for them to hold on to whatever good things they had. "Don''t worry, Uncle Hu. We can''t finish all the chickens, ducks and geese we have at home! I have many!" Qiao Mei whispered. No one in the village knew about this. They only knew that Qiao Mei''s family raised pigs, but they did not know that Qiao Mei also had more than 20 domestic fowl at the back of her courtyard. Just the eggs laid by the hens provided her family with countless eggs to eat every month. When Chen Hu heard what Qiao Mei said, he did not stand on ceremony with her. "Then do you have cabbages and mushrooms at home! I like to eat goose stewed in a big pot. The taste is simply delicious!" Chen Hu was almost drooling as he spoke. Qiao Mei smiled and said, "Yes, we have whatever you want to add!" She had intended to make more food tonight and to ask Li Gui and the four children to come over to eat. However, now that Chen Hu was also around tonight, it was awkward for him to sit at the same table as Li Gui. Otherwise, the past would embarrass them both again. When the food was ready, she would ask Zhang Wei to bring some back. As they chatted while they walked, they soon reached the courtyard door. Chen Hu stood at the door and did not dare to take another step forward. Seeing this, Qiao Mei pulled Chen Hu into the courtyard. Chen Hu looked at Qiao Mei in shock. He did not expect a pregnant woman to be so strong! He was not even able to resist! "Grandfather! We''re back!" Qiao Mei returned home happily. Chen Hu walked into the courtyard with a frightened expression. Qiao Qiang was originally smiling when he walked out of the house, but the moment he saw Chen Hu, his face instantly fell. "Oh, Chen Hu is here," Qiao Qiang said coldly. "Aye, I''m here. How have you been recently?" Chen Hu said awkwardly. Qiao Mei stood at the side and watched the weird greeting between the two men. Those who did not know better would think that this was the first time they were meeting each other. "Grandfather~ Look, it''s not easy for Uncle Hu to come by. Why are you still like this? Uncle Hu already knows his mistake. Don''t be angry," Qiao Mei said sweetly. Chapter 591 Wishful Thinking On account of Qiao Mei, Qiao Qiang did not want to argue with Chen Hu about these issues anymore. After all, Chen Hu had also been tricked by the Liang siblings. When Qiao Mei saw that Qiao Qiang did not say anything, she knew that her grandfather had forgiven Chen Hu. "Grandfather, why don''t you go to the backyard and kill a big goose. I have a craving for goose," Qiao Mei said. Qiao Qiang nodded and went to the backyard to get one. It used to be Qiao Mei doing these chores, but now that she was pregnant, she could not do such gory stuff. The villagers had told Qiao Qiang that it would be too inauspicious, so Qiao Qiang had been doing this type of chores ever since. "Let me do it!" Chen Hu volunteered. Qiao Mei pressed Chen Hu down on the chair and said, "It''s fine. Let my grandfather do it. We don''t do much farming now and there''s not much work to do. It''s good for him to get some exercise." When Chen Hu heard what Qiao Mei said, he did not argue with her about it and sat down obediently. "You don''t know the details about the matter with Qiao Yu yet, right? It was Xia Zhe who asked me to handle it," Chen Hu said. "Xia Zhe? What has it got to do with him?" Qiao Mei asked in surprise. "It''s a long story. Qiao Yu seemed to have met Xia Zhe somewhere and asked him to take her with him. I won''t tell you what she said, but if I don''t know about the truth between the two of you, I would really have believed her. However, don''t worry, Xia Zhe didn''t do anything that he shouldn''t have done," Chen Hu said. Qiao Mei narrowed her eyes. She had thought that Qiao Yu only dared to eye Xia Zhe secretly and that the most she dared to do was to find a chance to talk to Xia Zhe. She did not expect Qiao Yu to go and ask Xia Zhe to take her in. She decided that she needed to find an opportunity to teach that girl a lesson and let her know who Xia Zhe was in a relationship with! Her man was not someone that anyone could look at and think of! "I trust him. He won''t do such a thing," Qiao Mei said confidently. Chen Hu slapped his thigh vigorously and said happily, "I know you won''t misunderstand! I just want to make this clear to you. After all ahem, after all, doesn''t Xia Zhe have a special fetish? He doesn''t like bamboo poles like Qiao Yu! Don''t worry!" Qiao Mei could understand what Chen Hu said just now, but now she could not. What special fetish? Was there something else about Xia Zhe that she did not know? At this moment, Xia Zhe had just arrived in the capital and sneezed twice. He thought to himself, "Have I caught a cold?" "Ah Then did you receive the letter I wrote to you? What did you arrange for Liu Ying?" Qiao Mei asked. "She''s in another city now and her daughter is also doing very well. Don''t worry, I''ve made all the arrangements. I won''t tell you this matter in detail, in case Qiao Zhuang''s family finds out and comes looking for trouble with you," Chen Hu said. "Uncle Hu is so thoughtful," Qiao Mei said with a smile. Chen Hu only knew that the Liang siblings had brought their children to visit Qiao Qiang, but he did not know what actually happened. All he knew was what Qiao Mei told him about the incidents in the capital. "Mei Mei, tell me, what do those people from the Liang family want coming here?" Chen Hu purposely whispered when he spoke about the Liang family, afraid that Qiao Qiang would be unhappy again if he heard it. "It''s still the same thing. It''s just that this time, they even make use of the children. Grandfather was originally still quite nice to the children, but the way those people had educated the two children is really indescribable. When grandfather saw that, he became even angrier," Qiao Mei said with a sigh. Chen Hu could also understand how Qiao Qiang felt. Qiao Qiang had brought up those two children single-handedly. When the children were still in infancy, the two Liang siblings had left the children to Qiao Qiang and did not care about the three of them at all. When Qiao Qiang lost his value to their family and had to return the children to them, it was a huge blow to Qiao Qiang at that time. Fortunately, he still had Qiao Mei. Otherwise, his life after returning to the village would have been very tough. "It''s all my fault. If I didn''t trust them, I wouldn''t have caused you both so much trouble," Chen Hu said self-reproachfully. "They came again yesterday, but grandfather wasn''t at home. I don''t know if they''ll come again in the future, but grandfather has already made it very clear that he won''t have anything to do with them anymore," Qiao Mei said. Chen Hu nodded. Back then, he just wanted Qiao Qiang to enjoy life in his old age and also to experience the joys of family life. He thought that it would be nice if Qiao Qiang could spend his days in the capital with his children and grandchildren by his side. He did not expect the two siblings in the capital to be so heartless and that they actually only wanted Qiao Qiang to go back and help them solve their problem. Such wishful thinking on their part. Chapter 592 Do You Not Understand "Mei Mei, don''t worry. I definitely won''t let them come again in the future. As long as I find out that they''re coming, I''ll stop them! I definitely won''t let them enter the village!" Chen Hu said firmly. However, Qiao Mei felt that they would not give up for sure. If Qiao Qiang did not return to the capital, they would not be able to keep their positions. No matter the price, they would still do their best to ask Qiao Qiang to go back. They had already been away for a long time. If they stayed for a few more days, the situation in the capital would probably be quite chaotic. Therefore, they would definitely come and try again within the next few days. Xiao Yu''s clear voice could suddenly be heard from outside the door. It seemed that the Liang siblings had come by with their children again. "Grandfather! Are you home! I''m here!" Xiao Yu shouted happily. Chen Hu was overjoyed when he heard this voice. He had originally wanted to go and look for them, to ask them to leave the county city quickly and return to the capital. He did not expect these people to come knocking! Then they could not blame him for being rude! One may search high and low for something, only to find it when one least expected it! Xiao Yu pushed open the door excitedly and realized that Qiao Mei was in the courtyard. Her pretty little face instantly fell. "Where''s my grandfather?" Xiao Yu asked impatiently, looking at Qiao Mei with disdain. Liang Lan had told her that if it was not for Qiao Mei, her grandfather would definitely have left with them. Why would her grandfather want to stay in this remote countryside? What was so good about this countryside? There was nothing in the supermarket at the village entrance and all the toys sold there were those she had seen two years ago. She thought about those country bumpkins living nearby. When she gave them the toys she no longer wanted, they treated the toys like treasures! She found it really funny. Chen Hu rolled up his sleeves angrily and was about to teach Xiao Yu a lesson when Qiao Mei patted his shoulder and shook her head with a smile. "Uncle Hu, she''s just a child. Why get angry with her?" Qiao Mei said. "Look at her attitude towards you! You''re her elder sister after all! How can she talk to you like this?" Chen Hu said disdainfully. He did not expect that the children from the rich families in the capital were not as polite as the children in the countryside. The four children next door had a lousy father like Zhang Qian, but Qiao Mei had taught them well and they were all sensible and polite. Xiao Yu and Liang Zu were really inferior to the children next door. "I''m asking you a question! Where''s my grandfather!" Xiao Yu pointed at Qiao Mei and shouted angrily. This infuriated Chen Hu. He smacked the table and shouted, "She''s your elder sister! How can you speak like that! Don''t you know how to be polite when you enter someone''s house! Haven''t your mother taught you anything! Such bad upbringing! If you haven''t learned anything properly, go back into your mother''s stomach and get born again!" Liang Lan happened to hear this when she was at the door. She still had a smile on her face, but she had already scolded Chen Hu 10,000 times in her heart. She could not even bear to hit and scold her daughter, yet here her daughter was being bullied by others! If not for the Liang family for their positions, they would have long left this godforsaken place with Xiao Yu. When Xiao Yu saw Chen Hu''s big burly figure, she immediately thought of the baddies in the movies. She was so frightened that she turned around and ran into Liang Lan''s arms. "Boohoohoo! Mom! They''re all bullying me!" Xiao Yu cried and shouted. Not only did Liang Lan not back her up, but she even asked her to apologize. She could not believe her own ears! Was this still the mother who doted on her? Ever since they came to the countryside to look for her grandfather, Liang Lan had not favored her. Instead, she doted on Liang Zu more. Even this round, she had to be the one to put on an act! She was clearly Liang Lan''s daughter, so why was Liang Zu the one receiving preferential treatment! "Yu Yu, go and apologize to your elder sister and Uncle Chen Hu," Liang Lan said sternly. "I''m not going! I didn''t do anything wrong! I didn''t do anything wrong, so why should I apologize!" Xiao Yu cried. Liang Lan pulled Xiao Yu to stand in front of Chen Hu and said apologetically, "I''m really sorry, Brother Chen. My daughter didn''t do it on purpose just now. Please don''t take it to heart!" Chen Hu did not even look at Liang Lan. He snorted coldly and turned his head away, ignoring them. "Mei Mei, where''s your grandfather? Why isn''t he here?" Liang Lan asked after looking around. "He''s in the backyard. What do you need?" Qiao Mei said as she looked at them coldly. "Actually actually, it''s nothing much. We''re just here to visit your grandfather," Liang Lan said awkwardly. Chapter 593 Stay In The Countryside They originally thought that Qiao Mei would be polite enough to receive them as guests. Yet, Qiao Mei did not greet them, nor did she even offer them a glass of water. This was simply just thumbing her nose at them. However, it was not something they were not used to. In the capital, Qiao Mei was not nice to them as well. Now that they were in Qiao Mei''s territory, she naturally did not worry about stepping on their toes. "My grandfather said the last time that he doesn''t want to see you or these two children. You should go back," Qiao Mei said. Liang Lan pushed Xiao Yu forward and said, "The old master was in a fit of anger at that time. Such words don''t count. Besides, I can''t stop Xiao Yu from wanting to see her grandfather." Qiao Mei smiled mockingly. If they could come up with such a reason, there was really nothing they could not do. Chen Hu sat at the side and wanted to say something, but his status made it awkward for him to stand up for Qiao Mei, so he could only endure it silently. At this moment, Qiao Qiang walked out of the backyard with a knife in his left hand and a big goose in his right hand. He said, "Why are you here again? Didn''t I ask you not to come to my house again? Do you not understand me?" Liang Lan gave Xiao Yu a push and Xiao Yu immediately understood what she meant. She quickly ran to Qiao Qiang, but when she saw the bloody knife and the dead goose, she did not dare to go forward. However, for the sake of what Liang Lan had promised her, she tried her best to overcome her fear. She made up her mind, closed her eyes and rushed to Qiao Qiang''s side, hugging his leg and refusing to let go. "Grandfather~ I''m the one who misses you! I want to come and see you! Grandfather, come back with me. I can''t bear to leave you!" Xiao Yu said sweetly. Qiao Qiang put his things down to avoid hurting her. He turned around and squatted down with a smile as he said, "It''s fine if you miss grandfather. You can live with grandfather in this house and work together with me. If you think this place is not good, grandfather will get the village to build a new house for you. At that time, you can spend time with me every day! What do you think!" "But there are also many fun things to do in the capital! Mom has also prepared a very nice house for grandfather. Besides, isn''t it good that grandfather can see me every day?" Xiao Yu said. "Grandfather doesn''t want to go to the capital. Grandfather likes it here. Didn''t you say that you miss me? Then you have to stay here," Qiao Qiang said. Of course not! Who would want to live in this godforsaken place! Why must grandfather go back? If grandfather did not go back, would their house disappear? Then her grandfather was a bad person. If her grandfather did not exist in the first place, this matter would not have happened! It was enough that she had her grandmother who doted on her! Why did she still need her grandfather! Xiao Yu pouted aggrievedly and stood unhappily in front of Qiao Qiang. "Father, it''s not just Xiao Yu. Everyone in the family misses you. Come back with us," Liang Lan added. Liang Guo and Liang Zu stood quietly at the side. Before they came, they had already agreed on a plan. Xiao Yu was the main focus today. If they left this matter to Liang Zu, he would definitely mess it up. Given Liang Zu''s character, he would definitely offend Qiao Qiang if he said more than three and a half sentences. It was better to let him just stand there obediently. "Hmph, who else do you have at home! If you want the best for me, then get lost quickly! Otherwise, you''re just an eyesore in front of me! You make me annoyed!" Qiao Qiang roared angrily. "Grandfather!" Xiao Yu shouted aggrievedly. "You go back too! Don''t come here and bother me!" Qiao Qiang said. The grievances in Xiao Yu''s heart completely erupted at this moment. No one had spoken to her like this since she was young. Although Qiao Qiang had raised her, she was only two years old when he left and she did not remember anything from before. To Xiao Yu, Qiao Qiang was just a stranger. Liang Lan said that Qiao Qiang liked her and Liang Zu. Then what was the reason for her grandfather being unwilling to leave with them? It must be because Qiao Mei was in the countryside! If not for Qiao Mei, who would like the life here! This woman not only seduced others! She even went out and showed her face in public all the time! How indecent! Of course, these were not something that Xiao Yu could think of at her age. It was all because Liang Lan had once badmouthed Qiao Mei in front of the children. She did not care that there were young kids around, and Xiao Yu had secretly remembered everything that she said. Chapter 594 Closer Bond Between Grandparents And Grandchildren "It''s all your fault! If not for you, grandfather would have left with us! Who would want to live in this place! I want to go back to the capital! I don''t want to stay here anymore! I want to go back and look for my grandmother! I don''t like grandfather at all! Grandfather is a bad person!" Xiao Yu shouted as she pointed at Qiao Mei. Liang Lan went up anxiously and gave Xiao Yu a slap. Xiao Yu looked at Liang Lan in shock, her eyes filled with confusion and grievances. Ever since she was young, her grandmother had never even bear to hit her. Now, Liang Lan actually hit her because of her grandfather! "Shut your mouth! Why are you crying! Apologize to your grandfather and elder sister!" Liang Lan suppressed the sadness in her heart and scolded sternly. When she hit Xiao Yu, it also hurt her heart! Xiao Yu stood up silently and said to Qiao Qiang, "I''m sorry, grandfather" However, when it came to Qiao Mei, she just could not open her mouth and stood there stubbornly without saying anything. "Liang Lan, you have really taught your daughter well. I''m already looking at you in a different light now. I definitely have to tell my wife about this when I get back and ask her to be wary at all times," Chen Hu said mockingly. Chen Hu was a few years older than the Liang siblings and they used to hang out together when they were young. He did not expect them to have embarked on such a path. Qiao Qiang could not be bothered with them. He picked up the big goose and walked back into the house silently. With Chen Hu by Qiao Mei''s side, nothing would go wrong. They would go back after being snubbed. It was useless to say anything now. "Father! Father! Don''t go!" Liang Guo said anxiously. At this moment, Liang Zu also started feeling anxious. When they came out, Liang Lan had said that if they failed, they would have to stay here until they managed to convince Qiao Qiang. The older generation all said that there was always a closer bond between grandparents and grandchildren. Liang Lan was certain that Qiao Qiang would not be able to bear to part with these two children. As time passed, his heart would definitely soften and he would go back with them. "It''s all your fault! If not for you, why would grandfather be so angry!" Liang Zu pushed Xiao Yu angrily. Qiao Mei sat leisurely on the stool and munched on melon seeds. She even gave Chen Hu a portion. This was Qiao Qiang''s family matter, so Chen Hu should actually leave quickly to keep a distance from it. However, the stewed goose that Qiao Mei made was not something that he could eat anytime. He did not want to miss out on such a good dinner for these few crooked people. Ever since Auntie Dong said that Qiao Mei should not tire herself out now, Qiao Mei did not even need to personally prepare the ingredients for cooking. Usually, Qiao Qiang and Li Gui would get the ingredients ready, then they would ask Qiao Mei to do the stir-fry after they were done. Sometimes, Zhang Wei and Zhang Qin would come over to help out. Qiao Qiang put the ingredients aside and arranged them neatly for Qiao Mei. "Mei Mei! It''s all done!" Qiao Qiang shouted towards the outside. Qiao Mei patted the dust off her hands and washed her hands before going into the kitchen to cook. The fragrance wafted out quickly. The two children had been rushing around all day and were so hungry that their stomachs were growling. Xiao Yu and Liang Zu stood quietly at the door and drooled as they looked at the big goose in the pot. Liang Guo and Liang Lan also could not help but take a few glances. If it was mealtime, Qiao Mei would not chase them away, right? That would be too unkind. After adding the seasonings, she left it to simmer over a small fire. For food like this, the longer it was simmered, the more fragrant it would be. "Mei Mei, what delicious dish are you making tonight?" Liang Lan was not shy at all and brought over a stool to sit opposite Qiao Mei and Chen Hu. Qiao Mei laughed and said, "What has it got to do with you? Don''t tell me you want to stay for dinner?" "We all came from so far away. It''s fine for us adults, but the children have had a long day and it may be too tough on them on the way back," Liang Lan said. Qiao Mei pursed her lips. This was a really good reason. At the moment, as long as she used the children as an excuse, anything unreasonable would sound righteous. "You don''t have food with you when you know you''re traveling far? You must not usually be the one taking care of the children. Every time my wife brings the children out, she will bring a bag full of things, worried that the children will get hungry and thirsty," Chen Hu said to Liang Lan with a look of surprise. His words made Liang Lan blush in embarrassment. On the contrary, Liang Guo did not have any reaction. He was usually busy with work and his wife was the one who took care of the children. When he returned home after work, he would tell Liang Zu bedtime stories and grade Liang Zu''s homework. Although he did not have much time to accompany his son, he thought that what he did could be considered an alternate form of companionship. Chapter 595 Ask For Some Guidance He might not know much about Liang Zu''s daily habits, but he was still very familiar with other aspects of Liang Zu''s life. Liang Lan was different. She was a mother, but she did not know what her daughter liked or disliked. Even the clothes she bought for her daughter were always too small. She did not even know which grade her daughter was in school. Xiao Yu had always been taken care of by Liang Lan''s mother or sent to stay with Liang Lan''s mother-in-law. She had not even taken care of her for a single day. Now that she thought about it, she felt very ashamed. "I I''ll take note next time," Liang Lan said softly. "When you have time, call my wife and get her to teach you," Chen Hu said smugly. "There''s no need to trouble her. I''ll be more mindful," Liang Lan said. She did not want to embarrass herself. The food was about done. Qiao Qiang lifted the lid of the big pot and steam came out immediately, making the smell even stronger. Liang Zu and Xiao Yu stood at the door in a daze and stared blankly ahead. "Wow" Qiao Qiang ignored them and scooped out the share for Zhang Wei and the rest. He put a lot of meat in their portion, giving them almost all the meat in the pot. "Mei Mei! Come and bring this to Xiao Wei and the others," Qiao Qiang said. Qiao Mei smiled and took out a metal whistle from her pocket. She had found it in Xia Zhe''s bag and felt that it was quite useful, so she asked Xia Zhe for it. By now, there was a secret code between Qiao Mei and Zhang Wei. "No need! Grandfather, look!" Qiao Mei stood at the door of the courtyard confidently. She took a deep breath and blew her whistle forcefully in the direction of Li Gui''s house. When Zhang Wei heard the whistle, he immediately stuck his head out of the fence and ran to Qiao Mei after a while. "Elder sister! You called for me!" Zhang Wei said excitedly. This whistle was different from those sold in the convenience store. In the past, when they still had pocket money, they could still afford to buy whistles from there. It cost 50 cents a whistle, which was considered very expensive! However, the whistle was made of plastic and would break after using it a few times. If they carried it in the bag, it would also shatter if it accidentally hit something. The one in Qiao Mei''s hand was very well made. The sound was loud and clear and it was not difficult to use. The key thing was that it was made of iron and would not break no matter how it was handled. Zhang Wei looked at Qiao Mei with sparkling eyes. Qiao Mei had promised him that as long as he maintained first place in school this semester, she would give him this iron whistle. "Grandfather and I made stewed goose. You can bring some back for everyone to eat," Qiao Mei said with a smile. "Then what about you, elder sister? We have some vegetables already. Grandfather and you should eat the goose." After saying that, Zhang Wei saw Chen Hu in the courtyard and shouted enthusiastically, "Uncle Hu! You''re here!" Ever since he found out that Chen Hu was the person who saved his younger siblings, he regarded him as a hero and their family''s savior. Chen Hu smiled and waved his hand. "You still remember me!" "Of course I remember! Uncle Hu, my mother even said that she wanted to invite you to our house for a meal. It''s just that there''s nothing good in our house. I hope you don''t mind. I even secretly hid a bag of snacks! It''s delicious! I''ll give it to you when you come over!" Zhang Wei smiled innocently. Chen Hu also liked this child very much. This was how a child of his age should be. He was full of vigor and also very polite and warm and hospitable. "Don''t eat too many snacks! Otherwise, you won''t be able to join me if you don''t grow tall enough," Chen Hu said in a threatening manner. Zhang Wei had once shared with Qiao Mei his thoughts. He wanted to be a soldier like Xia Zhe and Chen Hu so that he could protect his younger siblings from harm, protect her and his grandfather from being bullied, and also help more people. Qiao Mei had told Xia Zhe about this, but the requirements at Xia Zhe''s unit were very strict and Zhang Wei had already missed the opportunity. Later on, Xia Zhe suggested they could try and ask Chen Hu. After Qiao Mei and Chen Hu discussed it, they decided to nurture Zhang Wei well. In the meantime, Qiao Qiang would also quietly monitor Zhang Wei''s training and point out his shortcomings to him. Zhang Wei''s height was a very serious shortcoming for him. Zhang Chao was two years younger than him and was almost the same height as him. "I definitely won''t eat anymore! I''ll work hard!" Zhang Wei said solemnly. "Alright, you should go back quickly. The food will get cold soon. Your Uncle Hu will stay around longer tonight. You can come back after dinner," Qiao Mei said with a smile. Chapter 596 I Will Not Let You Get Away With It Zhang Wei happily carried the dish home. Ever since Qiao Mei left, they had not eaten any meat or fish at all. It was rare for them to have some today, and he wondered if Zhang Chao would feel happier. Xiao Yu looked at Zhang Wei reluctantly as he left. The fact was she could not bear to part with the goose meat in his hand. When she came back to her senses and turned to look at the pot again, she realized that there was not much meat left. Xiao Yu pointed at the departing Zhang Wei and ordered Qiao Mei, "He took all the meat! Quickly chase after him!" "He''s my younger brother. So what if he took it? I gave it to him," Qiao Mei said. "No! How can you give it to him when I haven''t eaten yet! He''s just a bastard! How can he be considered your younger brother! It''s not like we''re born from the same father! I''m your younger sister! Why aren''t you on my side! I don''t agree with him taking all the meat away!" Xiao Yu said unreasonably. When she was at home in the capital, her family would give her all the good things. As long as Liang Zu was not at home, everything good would belong to her. Why did no one dote on her or like her in the countryside? Even without Liang Zu around, they still would not do things her way. "Who taught you all this!" Qiao Mei said sharply. How could such a young child know so much about their family? She even knew that Zhang Wei and the others were not related to Qiao Qiang by blood. Liang Lan must have accidentally said something that the child overheard. Xiao Yu hid behind Liang Lan and trembled. She did not think before she spoke. "It''s just a child talking nonsense! Don''t take it seriously!" Liang Lan said to Qiao Mei with a smile. Qiao Mei ignored Liang Lan completely. Although everyone knew about these things, it was not nice to expose them. She put the whistle back in her pocket and said to Chen Hu, "Uncle Hu, go back a little later today. Xiao Wei still has many questions for you." Chen Hu nodded happily and said, "Sure!" With such a motivated and studious disciple, he was more than willing to spend time teaching him. Although this child was not related to Qiao Qiang by blood, given how this child had taken such good care of Qiao Qiang and Qiao Mei, he might be more of a blood relative than a real blood relative. On the other hand, these two blood relatives seemed to be totally unrelated to them. The boy was unsmiling and conceited, while the girl was unreasonable, shrewish and delicate. "You haven''t asked that person to bring the dish back!" Xiao Yu raised her fist and went forward to hit Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei did not pander to Xiao Yu at all and would not indulge her just because she was young. She reached out and gave her a tight slap. "Slap!" "Ah!!!" This slap was crisp and loud. Xiao Yu was knocked to the ground by the slap from Qiao Mei and Liang Lan''s heart went out to her. She immediately went forward to hug Xiao Yu and carefully checked her for any other injuries. "Xiao Yu! Are you alright! Let mom take a look!" Liang Lan said worriedly. "Mom! How dare she hit me! Boohoo! She bullied me!" Xiao Yu said with tears in her eyes. "You were the one who wanted to rush over and hit me. What I did was self-defense. You said you''re my younger sister, so what kind of younger sister are you? How are you related to me? Besides, who said you can stay for dinner?" Qiao Mei asked sternly. If these people had made the effort to discuss these things properly with them in the beginning, perhaps as time passed and Qiao Qiang could not bear to part with these two children, there would still be some room for discussion. Now that the grownups were impolite and the young ones were insensible, they could not blame her for not holding back. A swollen handprint instantly appeared on Xiao Yu''s face. When Liang Zu saw that, not only did he not go forward to speak up for Xiao Yu, but he even pointed at Xiao Yu and laughed loudly. This was the first time he had seen someone''s head become a pig''s head. Liang Guo immediately covered Liang Zu''s mouth to prevent him from embarrassing himself. "Even if Xiao Yu said something wrong, you shouldn''t hit her so hard," Liang Lan said aggrievedly as she hugged Xiao Yu. Chen Hu stood angrily in front of Liang Lan and shielded Qiao Mei behind him. Why is your child so precious? Is Qiao Mei not equally as precious? Chen Hu pointed at them and said, "You''re the ones who are shameless enough to refuse to leave and insist on staying for a meal. Qiao Mei is pregnant and yet your daughter rushes over like this. What if Qiao Mei falls and loses the child? What can you do then? It''s not just Uncle Qiao and I who will want to settle the score with you. Qiao Mei is pregnant with the Xia family''s grandchild! What if the child is gone! Do you think the Xia family will let you off?" These words immediately reminded Liang Lan and Liang Guo that there was nothing beneficial for them if they offended Qiao Mei now. Chapter 597 Finding An Opportunity "You have to believe that Xiao Yu really didn''t do it on purpose! She''s too young to know anything! Just forgive her!" Liang Lan said nervously. Xiao Yu seemed to know that she had made a big mistake. She curled up in Liang Lan''s arms and did not dare to make a sound. "If a child doesn''t know anything, then do the adults also know nothing? Just because you don''t educate her well, can she hurt me at will without paying any price?" Qiao Mei asked as she pointed at Xiao Yu. Of course not But what could she do at this point Liang Zu looked at Xiao Yu resentfully. It seemed that he needed to do something. He did not want to stay in this lousy village for the rest of his life! Liang Zu walked over pitifully and held Qiao Mei''s sleeve as he said, "Elder sister, please let us stay for a meal. I haven''t eaten for a day and I''m so hungry that I have no strength to walk." Qiao Mei understood by now that they would definitely not leave without eating. She had no choice but to let them stay for the meal. Chen Hu immediately looked unhappy. He did not expect the Liang siblings to be so shameless. Not only were they shameless, but they even made use of their two children. After Qiao Qiang was done, he went into the kitchen to prepare the rice and set the table for dinner. When the Liang siblings brought the children into the house, they realized that there were only three sets of cutlery on the table and there was no share for them at all. Qiao Qiang remained silent and did not invite them to sit down. Qiao Mei and Chen Hu also did not say anything else and sat down to eat as if the Liang family was invisible. Xiao Yu and Liang Zu did not dare to go forward and provoke Qiao Mei again. They stood quietly at the side and watched them eat. Perhaps Qiao Mei would be kind enough to let them eat later? Liang Lan carefully sized up the goose in the bowl. She could tell at a glance that there were many medicinal herbs in the stewed goose dish, as well as a few ginseng roots. She slowly sat on the brick bed and stared intently at the bowl of stewed goose, waiting for an opportunity to ask about the ginseng. Chen Hu did not stand on ceremony with Qiao Mei and Qiao Qiang. The taste of the stewed goose was comparable to that of the ones served in restaurants. It might be even more delicious than that. "Mei Mei, your culinary skills are really not bad. You''re even better than the chefs in those restaurants! Why didn''t I realize that you have such skills back then!" Chen Hu praised her. Before Qiao Mei could say anything, Liang Lan took the opportunity and immediately said, "That''s right. When I smelled it outside, I felt that it was even more fragrant than the usual dish. I wonder how Qiao Mei makes it. Can you tell me about it? I''ll make some for Xiao Yu to try when we get back." "Nothing. It''s just ordinary goose and mushrooms," Qiao Mei replied indifferently. "I think there''s something else inside! This is wolfberries that''s mushroom Hey! Is that a ginseng root!" Liang Lan probed. Qiao Mei curled her lips and smiled without saying anything. So Liang Lan was waiting for this! No wonder she did not leave after so many days. She wanted to find out about the ginseng. They were really able to endure it and could wait so long before they revealed their motives. The atmosphere suddenly became strange. "Your eyesight is really good. I''m worried that my family would get sick during the change in season, so I added some nourishment. You can even tell," Qiao Mei said. "Ginseng is a good thing! I heard that my father dug up this ginseng! I didn''t expect my father to have such skills!" Liang Lan praised. "You didn''t spend much time by my side. Of course you don''t know what I know," Qiao Qiang said sulkily. Liang Lan had heard from the Cao family that the ginseng Qiao Mei gave to them was dug up personally by her grandfather in the mountain, and that she specially bought the house for him. "Father, is there a lot of ginseng on this mountain?" Liang Lan probed. Qiao Qiang frowned and said impatiently, "Yes, it''s everywhere in the mountain." This made the Liang siblings extremely excited. If they had ginseng, even if Qiao Qiang did not go back, their family would still be saved! The Liang family''s predicament was actually not much different from that of the Cao family. The Cao family was fired because they did not do a good job. What happened with the Liang family was that they were affected by the retrenchment exercise. The Liang siblings tried their best to stay in their positions. If they lost their jobs, the Liang family would be completely ruined. Since the Cao family could use the 100-year-old ginseng to exchange for the stability of the entire Cao family, why not them? Chapter 598 Borrowing Ginseng "Then... Father, do we have any ginseng at home?" Liang Lan asked. Qiao Qiang did not lie. He nodded and said, "Yes." "Then, how about you give us two if you don''t need them?" Liang Lan asked expectantly. Qiao Mei suddenly laughed out loud. She had thought that the Liang siblings were just stupid, but she did not expect them to be incurable. Back then, their family chased Qiao Qiang out of the house after making use of him. Now that they felt that Qiao Qiang was useful to their family again, they wanted to take him back and expected him to give them everything he had. What kind of logic was this? Even bandits would not do such a thing. "These things are decided by Mei Mei. It''s not my concern," Qiao Qiang said. The grandfather and granddaughter had a tacit understanding. Qiao Mei immediately said, "It''s not impossible if you want ginseng, but nothing in this world comes for free. What can you give me in exchange?" "We''re family! There''s no need to be so calculative as a family!" Liang Lan said shamelessly. "Then why do you need ginseng?" Qiao Mei asked. Liang Lan said hesitantly, "My... My mother-in-law is sick! I need ginseng to nourish her body!" She really did not even think twice before she lied. She could even curse her own family members. It took a special kind of person to do this. Although Liang Lan said that she wanted to give it to her mother-in-law, she was probably trying to curry favor with the He family. Previously, when Qiao Mei was in the capital, she had heard from Xia Zhe that the Liang family had become very close to the He family recently. It was no longer a secret that He Ning needed the ginseng that Qiao Mei had. "You also know the importance of this thing. Otherwise, you won''t have asked me for it. Isn''t it a little too late to tell me that we''re a family? Moreover, even biological brothers have to settle accounts clearly. I don''t know what kind of ginseng you want from me. The price of ginseng varies depending on its age. Even for those of the same age, the price will also vary based on how it looks," Qiao Mei said. Liang Lan stammered and could not speak. When she was in the capital, she had heard that the cheapest ginseng Qiao Mei had was worth 100,000 dollars. She could not afford it even if she sold everything she owned. "Don''t say that. How about this, can you lend it to me? Lend it to us and I''ll return it to you later," Liang Lan said with a smile. Qiao Mei once again refreshed her impression of Liang Lan. As the saying went, when one lent something, one would not know how it would be returned. If she let them borrow the ginseng, there will probably only be an empty box left at the end! "No. Either you exchange something with me or you give me money. 100,000 dollars for 10-year-old ginseng, 200,000 dollars for 20-year-old ginseng... and so on," Qiao Mei said as she turned her head. Putting aside the price of ginseng that was 10 or 20 years old, such a thing would not catch He Ning''s attention at all. Given his status and illness, he needed ginseng that was 50 years old or more. However, they did not have a house as big as the Cao family''s house. Even if they sold all those small houses they owned, they would not be able to get 500,000 dollars. This was simply impossible. "You don''t lack a house or money. Not long ago, you even exchanged a 100-year-old ginseng for a house in the capital. Even if there are any nice things now, I''m afraid they won''t catch your eye," Liang Lan said as she pretended to be in a difficult position. Qiao Qiang did not know about this, but he did not show any reaction. These things belonged to Qiao Mei to begin with and it was up to her to decide how she wanted to use them. He had no right to interfere. Chen Hu was so surprised that he dropped his chopsticks on the table. He knew that there were good things on the mountain around where Qiao Mei lived. Previously, when he bought supplements for Qiao Qiang, he was surprised to find ginseng slices in his water and had asked about it. He also understood that this kind of thing was very valuable, but he did not expect it to be that valuable. "What house? Mei Mei, you''re amazing. You even have a house in the capital!" Chen Hu exclaimed. "It''s just the house that''s part of the backyard of Xia Zhe''s house. It''s nothing much," Qiao Mei said. Liang Lan put on an envious look and said, "It''s more than that! That''s Xia Zhe''s grandmother''s house! It''s a standard courtyard house with more than 20 rooms in that part of the backyard! Qiao Mei is now famous in the capital! Everyone knows about it!" "If you have such a big house, I can also give you 100-year-old ginseng in exchange for it," Qiao Mei said. Hearing what Qiao Mei said, Liang Lan started to think about it. Qiao Mei must still have more 100-year-old ginseng in her hands. The Liang family could be saved! However, how could she trick Qiao Mei into giving her the ginseng? Chapter 599 Do Not Implicate The Xia Family If she wanted to resolve this matter, she had to start with Qiao Qiang. There was no reason for the granddaughter not to give her grandfather what he wanted! "Then is this house in your name or father''s name? Isn''t the ginseng dug out by my father?" Liang Lan asked. Qiao Qiang snorted coldly and said, "Even if it''s in my name, it will belong to Qiao Mei in the future. Don''t even think about it. Everything I have now will belong to Qiao Mei when I die!" Qiao Mei hurriedly smacked the table three times and said, "Pfft, pfft, pfft! Grandfather will live to a ripe old age! What nonsense! You still have to help me take care of my kids!" At the mention of the Qiao Mei''s babies, Qiao Qiang became happy. These two children would be born in a few months'' time. He had to find that old carpenter at the village entrance to build two cribs and a pram for the babies. The handmade stuff was definitely sturdier than the ones bought outside. Moreover, it was a token of his love for them. "Fine, fine, fine. Let''s not talk about it anymore." Qiao Qiang smiled kindly. However, Liang Zu was a little unhappy. Liang Guo had once told him that he was the eldest grandson of the Liang family and the only boy in the family, so everything in the Liang family would belong to him in the future. Since Qiao Qiang was Liang Guo''s father and he addressed Qiao Qiang as his grandfather, then Qiao Qiang''s things should also belong to him! "Why does it all belong to elder sister! I''m the eldest grandson of the Liang family. Shouldn''t it all belong to me?" Liang Zu said unhappily. "You''re not my grandson. I don''t acknowledge your parents, so I won''t acknowledge you as my grandson either. We have had nothing to do with each other since a long time ago, so don''t even eye anything that belongs to me!" Qiao Qiang said. The sky outside gradually darkened. After a while, Chen Hu told Qiao Qiang that he would go next door to look for Zhang Wei. "You guys can go back. If you want the ginseng, bring money or valuable items. Otherwise, I won''t give you the ginseng for free." After saying that, Qiao Mei pointed towards the door, indicating to the visitors to leave. In the end, the Liang family members did not even get to taste the soup before they returned to the guest house in the county city in a sorry state. However, they would not leave until they had thought of a way to save the Liang family. "Mei Mei, come here. Tell me about what happened in the capital?" Qiao Qiang asked. "There are so many things! Let me tell you about the house first. Grandfather, what do you think about living in the capital with me? Xia Zhe''s courtyard house was given to him by his grandmother. I made an exchange for the part of the house in the backyard and that part is now considered my house. I want to bring you there to stay," Qiao Mei said. Qiao Qiang actually did not care if he went to the capital or not. He only cared about his granddaughter, Qiao Mei. He would go wherever Qiao Mei went. If Qiao Mei really decided to return to the capital to live, he would be able to see Xia Jun and the two of them would be able to get together for a chat again. "I''ll think about it and tell you later. Did you get bullied over there? Did your mother-in-law like you after seeing you?" Qiao Qiang asked. Qiao Mei shook her head and said truthfully, "She didn''t like me at first, but she likes me very much now. When I came back, she still cried and refused to let me go! Many of the things that Xia Zhe and I brought back were either handmade or bought personally by my mother-in-law." Qiao Qiang was relieved. After all, as long as the Xia family liked Qiao Mei, with the Xia family''s standing, they would definitely be able to protect Qiao Mei from the Liang family. The Liang siblings were not people who would resort to violence. They were timid people and the tricks they used were all petty and shifty. However, their mother was not an ordinary person. She was ruthless and dared to do anything, and he was afraid that she would go and cause trouble for Qiao Mei. "You also have to watch your words and actions when you''re in the Xia family. Don''t let the Liang family go to Xia Mao and Xia Zhe and use your name to get them to help the Liang family. This is a private matter for our family. Don''t involve the Xia family, understand?" Qiao Qiang advised earnestly. Qiao Mei understood all these things. Xia Wen had also tested her before and the Xia family already knew that Qiao Mei was on their side. "Grandfather, I know. I definitely won''t let them use me to cause trouble for the Xia family," Qiao Mei said. "How''s Xia Jun? Is his health good? Do his old injuries still flare up often?" Qiao Qiang asked. Qiao Mei had no impression of any of this. She did not know if Xia Jun had any injuries, but he usually looked quite energetic. Chapter 600 Thinking About It "I don''t get to see him usually. He often goes out for exercises and walks. He looks quite good and should be in good health," Qiao Mei said as she racked her memories. "Is this all you have encountered in the capital? Don''t you have anything else to tell me?" Qiao Qiang stared at Qiao Mei and asked seriously. It seemed that she could not hide anything from her grandfather. He could see right through her immediately. Qiao Mei told Qiao Qiang everything that had happened and all the people she had met in the capital, but she did not mention the matter about the He family wanting to harm her children. She was afraid that her grandfather would be worried if he found out. After all, she was fine now, so there was no need to tell him about this. Qiao Qiang had expected those difficult issues that happened between relatives, but he just felt a little emotional to hear that Xia Jun''s grandchildren were all grown up now. The person who left the deepest impression on him was Xia Wen. This child was handsome and was cut out to be a soldier. It was a pity that he fell sick later, which cut his army career short. However, based on what Qiao Mei said, he seemed to be doing well as a university professor now. "Go and pack the things you want to give your Uncle Hu. I have prepared a chicken, it''s in the backyard. Pack it up too. Don''t tell him it''s from me." After saying that, Qiao Qiang lay on the brick bed with his back facing Qiao Mei and listened to the news on the radio. The old master''s bark was worse than his bite! He was still full of concern for Chen Hu. Chen Hu and Qiao Yue were both his men in the army when they were young. The two of them were like twins who were inseparable. Chen Hu was like half a son to him. Qiao Mei took a bag and filled it with a few jars of cucumbers and pickles from the storeroom, then some jam and raisins. Finally, she placed the chicken on top. After she was done, she carried the bag to Li Gui''s house. At this moment, Chen Hu was training Zhang Wei in the courtyard. Zhang Chao hid at the side and watched silently. He was not as passionate about being a soldier as Zhang Wei. He preferred to create things. Recently, Qiao Mei had realized that when Zhang Chao did not want to talk to anyone, he would hide in a corner of the storeroom to make things. He made many novel things, most of which were made out of waste materials at home. If she nurtured him well, he might become a builder or scientist in the future! "Steady your horse stance! Be in the right posture! You have to train your core strength!" Chen Hu gently corrected Zhang Wei''s mistakes using a bamboo stick. Zhang Wei was so tired that he was sweating profusely, but he did not dare to relax for even a moment. It was rare for Chen Hu to come by, so he must perform well and not disappoint Chen Hu. "Uncle Hu, all of you should take a rest. Look at my brother, he''s so tired that his clothes are drenched. I already called Xiaobei just now and he''ll probably be here to pick you up in a while," Qiao Mei said. Chen Hu looked at his watch and was shocked. "Oh my! It''s already so late! If I don''t go back soon, your auntie will scold me!" Chen Hu said in frustration. "Will my auntie really scold you! She''s so gentle, I don''t think she will" After saying that, Qiao Mei walked forward and handed the bag in her hand to Chen Hu. Chen Hu immediately saw the chicken. The chickens sold outside were all thin and not meaty at all. No one was willing to feed the chickens too much food. The chicken in the bag was fresh and plump, and it was obvious that it was well-fed. How could he accept such a valuable gift? "Mei Mei, what is this! Just give me a few jars of pickled vegetables! Forget about this!" Chen Hu said as he pushed it back. Qiao Mei smiled and said, "I''m not the one giving it to you" "If it''s not you, then what else can it be" Chen Hu suddenly froze on the spot. If not Qiao Mei If it was not Qiao Mei, who else could it be? It must be Qiao Qiang! It seemed that Qiao Qiang still cared about him and did not bear a grudge against him because of the issue with the Liang family. "Qiao Mei! Qiao Mei!" Zhao Liang''s shout came from the door. It was Qiao Mei who had asked him to come and help. She did not want Xiaobei to drive into the village. All their vehicles were military vehicles and it would cause a commotion if the villagers saw them. Therefore, she asked Zhao Liang to come and send Chen Hu to the entrance of the village where Xiaobei was waiting with the vehicle to send him back. "Uncle Hu, I''ll go to the county city to look for you when I''m free!" Qiao Mei said. "Go back! When you''re free, come over and I''ll get your auntie to cook delicious food for you! You must try your auntie''s cooking!" Chen Hu said as he waved at Qiao Mei. Chapter 601 Telephone Call From The Capital Chen Hu happily got into Zhao Liang''s vehicle with his things and gradually disappeared from Qiao Mei''s sight. Zhang Wei was still doing his basic training in the courtyard. "Xiao Wei, you can stop now. Go and rest," Qiao Mei said, feeling sorry for him. "Elder sister, I''m fine. I can still go on for a little longer!" Zhang Wei said as he maintained a horse stance. Zhang Wei could already do the horse stance steadily by now. In the beginning, his legs would tremble after standing for a while and it would be difficult for him to walk after that. His whole body would ache every day. Qiao Qiang had been monitoring his training every day. Now, it seemed that his hard work had paid off. He had already mastered the horse stance and he could maintain it without wavering. Qiao Mei looked at Zhang Wei, feeling comforted. She returned home and rummaged through the things that she did not need at home. Then, she handed them all to Zhang Chao. When the Liang family returned to the county city, they did not go back to the guest house immediately. Instead, they went to the best restaurant to have a good meal! The two adults and two children actually managed to finish all six plates of food, not even leaving any soup dregs. The boss looked on in shock. The boss wondered if they were reincarnated hungry ghosts. He thought that they had ordered too much and he did not expect them to finish everything so cleanly. "It''s all Qiao Mei''s fault! All because she didn''t let us stay for dinner! We wouldn''t have come out feeling so hungry! It''s really hard on the children!" Liang Lan said fiercely. "I wonder what she tells our father and what kind of bewitching potion she uses on him. Why does he listen to her?" Liang Guo said angrily. In Liang Guo''s eyes, a family should be controlled by the man. Everything should be decided by the man. Now, Qiao Qiang was being controlled and deceived by Qiao Mei and he only listened to her. He even let her have control over something as important as the ginseng. If Qiao Mei sided with outsiders and gave the ginseng to the Xia family, then that was a huge loss to them! Those belonged to the Liang family! Even if they did not dig it up personally, it was dug up by their biological father, Qiao Qiang. They had a share in it! What was even more ridiculous was that Qiao Qiang wanted to give the house to Qiao Mei after he died! What a joke! What a huge joke! If news of this got out, he would be too ashamed to continue staying in the capital! His father did not leave his house to him, the son, but to the granddaughter! "Alright, alright. Let''s go. Don''t talk about this here. Isn''t it embarrassing enough!" Liang Lan said softly. Liang Guo was worried that he would get hungry again tonight, so he bought another two orders of buns before they returned to the guest house. Along the way, the four of them looked very unhappy. Those who did not know better would think that someone had died in their family! As soon as they entered the guest house, the receptionist at the entrance called out to Liang Guo. "Hello! Are you from 202!" the receptionist said. "Yes, it''s me. What''s the matter?" Liang Guo said politely. The receptionist took out his notebook and flipped to a page with a phone number. "There was a telephone call for you. Do you recognize this number?" Liang Guo walked to the phone while feeling puzzled. When he saw the number, he immediately understood everything. It was a call from the Liang family''s house in the capital. His mother, Liang Xin, must be looking for him. Liang Lan brought the two children back to the room first and settled them down before coming down to look for Liang Guo. It was definitely nothing good if Liang Xin was looking for them. She must be urging them to go back quickly. Liang Guo made the call miserably and said, "Hello Mother." "You still know how to give me a call? If I don''t know any better, I''d have thought that you died in that village with my grandson!" The voice on the other end of the phone sounded very arrogant, a reflection of Liang Xin''s character. "I have been busy and don''t have time to call you to tell you that I''m safe," Liang Guo said guiltily. "How''s my grandson? Let me talk to my grandson!" Liang Xin said. If Liang Xin found out that he and Liang Lan had starved the two children for an entire day, she would definitely break his legs when they returned home! She would not allow anyone to hurt her precious grandson! "Liang Zu walked for a long time today and was so exhausted that he fell asleep once he came back. I''ll get him to call you tomorrow morning if there''s time," Liang Guo said. She agreed that it was not good to wake the child up if he was already asleep. Otherwise, this little ancestor would definitely throw a tantrum at her. It was better to wait until tomorrow. "How''s it going with the matter you''re tasked to do? Is he still unwilling to come back?" Liang Xin asked casually. Chapter 602 Good News Liang Guo was silent for a long time before saying, "I''m still thinking of a way. If there''s really no other way, we''ll buy the ginseng from Qiao Mei and then go to ask He Ning for help." Liang Xin snorted coldly. He Ning could not even protect himself now, so how could he have the time to care about ants like them? So what if they had ginseng? It was useless even if they had 100! Some time ago, she had also thought of using He Ning to resolve the Liang family''s current predicament. Everyone in the capital knew that He Ning was willing to pay a lot of money for ginseng. As long as the quality of the ginseng was good, he would agree to any request. She sent someone to ask around and discovered a shocking secret. He Mei actually caused Qiao Mei to lose her baby! This news of this matter had been suppressed very well by the He and Xia families. If it was not because she knew someone from the hospital, she would not have received this piece of news. She heard that the Xia family was currently pressuring the He family to explain themselves. The He family was like cats on a hot tin roof now and did not have the time to care about things like the Liang family''s issue. Now that Qiao Mei had lost her baby, the Xia family would not put their focus on Qiao Mei anymore. It was hard to say if she would be able to get pregnant in the future! If she lost Xia Zhe''s love and the Xia family''s trust, then she was just a useless thing. When the time came, Xia Zhe might even divorce her. By then, she would not only be useless to the Liang family, but would become a burden! "The He family won''t care about such a small matter related to our family now! You should think about how to persuade Qiao Qiang to come back" Liang Xin said. "Now that Qiao Qiang won''t even let us into the village, we really don''t have any idea how to make him change his mind. We''ve tried all kinds of methods." Liang Guo was also worried about this matter. "Didn''t Qiao Mei have a miscarriage recently? Think of a way to send some tonics or something. Qiao Qiang will meet you for Qiao Mei''s sake. Let him meet Liang Zu and Xiao Yu more often. As time passes, he will develop feelings for them. Give it some time and he won''t be able to bear to part with the two children and will return to the capital with you," Liang Xin said. Qiao Qiang only felt annoyed whenever he saw these two children now and he did not like them at all! As time passed, it would only intensify the conflict between them and Qiao Qiang! Wait who had a miscarriage? Qiao Mei? "Mother, who did you say had a miscarriage?" Liang Guo asked in puzzlement. He even wondered if there was something wrong with his ears and he did not hear clearly. "I said Qiao Mei. I got someone to ask around. Earlier, there was news from the Xia family that Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe went back to visit Qiao Qiang. Actually, Qiao Mei had a miscarriage and returned to the village to recuperate. I think it won''t be so easy for Qiao Mei to return to the capital this time. You guys should think of a way to bring Qiao Qiang back. It''s the safest way," Liang Xin said impatiently. She had felt that their plan was about to succeed and did not expect something to happen to Qiao Mei at this juncture. Now that her plans regarding the Xia family had been completely disrupted by Qiao Mei, and they could not rely on the He family, they could only quickly persuade Qiao Qiang to come back. "Qiao Mei didn''t have a miscarriage! We went to her place today. It''s obvious that she''s still pregnant!" Liang Guo said agitatedly. Liang Xin was very shocked to hear this. What Liang Guo said had to be true. They had seen it with their own eyes, so how could they be wrong? That meant that the problem was the news in the capital. Could it be that the news about Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe''s return to the village to visit Qiao Qiang was fake news? In reality, it was to cover up the fact that Qiao Mei was still pregnant! The Xia family was really scheming! What a move! Not only did this move save the baby, but the He family would still have to pay a painful price for it. Coupled with the previous issue of being reported to the authorities, the current He family would not be able to win against the Xia family. "The Xia family is really crafty. The He family definitely doesn''t know about this. Do you need me to teach you what to do?" Liang Xin said. Liang Guo laughed and said, "I understand. I''ll do it now." At this moment, Liang Lan had just walked down the stairs. Looking at Liang Guo''s smug expression, she guessed that there must be some good news from the capital. Could it be that the difficult situation at home had been resolved? Or could it be that there were new activities in the capital? "Why are you so happy? Did something good happen?" Liang Lan asked. Liang Guo said excitedly, "Mother told me a secret, a secret that will allow us to grab hold of Qiao Mei''s weakness! Let''s see how arrogant she can be now!" "What secret? How can you make Qiao Mei submit to us? Stop joking. We don''t have anything, not even money. How can we make Qiao Mei submit?" Liang Lan said dejectedly. Liang Guo explained to Liang Lan in detail what Liang Xin had said over the phone. Liang Lan''s eyes lit up. This was a godsend opportunity! "Then what are we waiting for! Let''s go now!" After saying that, Liang Lan prepared to rush back to Foshan Village. Liang Guo stopped her and said, "Don''t be anxious. Everyone is tired now. Let''s go tomorrow." Chapter 603 Crying And Begging For Mercy Qiao Mei originally thought that the Liang family would back off after not being able to take advantage of her. She was in a good mood and slept until she woke up naturally. When she got up, Zhang Wei and the other children had already fed the chickens and ducks in the courtyard. Her breakfast was being kept warm in the pot. Qiao Qiang had made it for her before he went out. Today was the day that Qiao Qiang met up with the old gentleman from the neighboring village. They were going to play chess and chat at the old gentleman''s village today. This was something that they did once a week. In Qiao Qiang''s words, this was called an exchange of chess skills! When they were young, they had both fought on the battlefields. Now that they were old, they could only "conquer the world" on a small chess table. She wondered if Xia Zhe had arrived at the army unit safely. He had been gone for so long and had not even given her a call. However, on the other hand, it was also understandable. She did not have a phone at home now. If she wanted to make a call, she had to go to the brigade to queue in line. There was only one phone in the entire village. Qiao Mei stood in the courtyard and started to think about installing a phone. She knew nothing about this and only knew the principles behind it. She did not even know how to go about doing it. She decided to discuss it with Qiao Qiang when he returned. If they could install one, then they could also make telephone calls at home. Just as Qiao Mei was thinking about the phone, Liang Lan and Liang Guo quietly walked into the courtyard. They looked as though they were walking into their own house, like the whole place was very familiar to them. "You''re home alone. Isn''t my father at home?" Liang Lan said. Qiao Mei could not be bothered with her and did not even look at her. She just nodded and made a sound. Liang Lan felt annoyed when she saw the way Qiao Mei ignored her. After all, she was Qiao Mei''s aunt. Although they had met so many times, Qiao Mei only pretended to chat warmly with her in front of the Xia family, and behaved like this the rest of the time. However, it was fine. Even if Qiao Mei did not want to look at her properly now, she would have to kneel down and cry out for help later! Liang Lan and Liang Guo sat down on the stone stools at the stone table in the courtyard as if it was a natural thing for them to do. They did not bring Liang Zu and Xiao Yu along this time round, and had locked them in the guest house, worried that they would disrupt today''s plan. Qiao Mei sat in Qiao Qiang''s rocking chair and closed her eyes to rest. She did not care about any move they made. She treated them like they were invisible. The two sides were in a deadlock just like that. None of them said a word, as if whoever spoke first would lose the edge. In the end, Liang Lan was the one who could not hold back and she said, "Don''t you need to cook today? What if your grandfather doesn''t have food when he comes back later? Is this how you treat your grandfather?" Qiao Mei chuckled and said, "My grandfather is not so old that he can''t use his hands and legs. Besides, look at the time now. He won''t be back so soon. Who am I supposed to cook for? You guys?" Liang Lan''s face immediately turned red. It was exactly what she was thinking. In order to catch the earliest train from the county city to the village, they had set off very early in the morning. When they reached the village entrance, no one was willing to give them a ride. They had to walk to Qiao Mei''s house and their stomachs were already growling by now. "If you''re hungry, you can go inside and help yourselves. However, it''s not for free. You have to pay us," Qiao Mei said. The Liang siblings looked in the direction of the kitchen before looking away. They had an urgent matter to do today and did not want to waste time on eating. "Qiao Mei, how many months are you? Are you going to give birth soon?" Liang Lan asked as she stared at Qiao Mei''s stomach. Qiao Mei slowly sat up from the rocking chair and stared intently at the Liang siblings. Why was this woman asking about her pregnancy for no reason? If she wanted to know anything, she would have asked earlier given that she had come by so many times in the last few days. There was something strange about her suddenly visiting today just to ask about this! "It''s a few months away from the due date. Didn''t you notice it a few days ago?" Qiao Mei asked. "I just heard some gossip in the capital and came to check on your health," Liang Lan said with a smile. It was one thing for the Liang siblings to have designs on her grandfather, but if they actually had designs on her children, then they could not blame her for not being able to tolerate their existences. No one could scheme against her child! "I''m in good health and so is my baby. Are you disappointed?" Qiao Mei questioned. They did not expect Qiao Mei to be so calm and at ease. Why was she not begging them not to expose her since they had found out the truth about her? Chapter 604 Not In The Wholesale Business Why was the situation different from what they had expected? Could this also be part of the Xia family''s plan? Was this all part of their plan? No! No! They could not panic. It was possible that Qiao Mei was tricking them to get information out of them! Liang Lan looked towards Liang Guo anxiously. Liang Guo calmly patted Liang Lan''s shoulder to calm her down. "Let''s not beat around the bush. Not many people know about this matter, right? The fact that you''re back safe and sound. I suppose the He family doesn''t know anything?" Liang Guo asked. Qiao Mei smiled faintly. She had long known that this matter would not be kept a secret for long. Back then, the He family was able to find out details about her background in the village and even found someone to bring the old widow and her son to the capital to frame her. They definitely would have sent someone to check if she had really had a miscarriage. It was just that He Ning was too busy with his own issues now, so their spies had not come by to investigate her. When He Ning came back to his senses, he definitely would not let her off. She did not expect to have attracted these two "hungry wolves" from the Liang family even before the He family''s people arrived. "So what they know and so what if they don''t? Then do you want the He family to know that my baby is still around? Or do you want them not to know?" Qiao Mei asked with a smile. This question was a sore point for the Liang siblings. This was also something they had pondered over last night without being able to come to a decision. If they told the He family about this matter, they would be able to negotiate terms with the He family. When the time came, it would not be difficult for them to ask for help to resolve their family''s current predicament. However, they still needed ginseng to succeed. After all, it was not a difficult thing for the He family to find on their own that Qiao Mei was still pregnant. Without having ginseng to push the process along, the He family definitely would not thank them, but would shoot the messenger instead. Then, not only would the He family ignore them, but they would also offend the Xia family. In the end, it would be all for nothing. However, if they helped the Xia family hide the secret from the He family, they would not be able to get a single cent out of it. Without even considering the fact of whether Qiao Mei would acknowledge them as relatives or not, the Xia family had always been prudent and did not band together with other families nor participate in any private deals. The Xia family would not help them solve their current problem at all. Moreover, the Xia family was the type of family that would not offend others unless they were attacked. If they offended the Xia family, they would definitely have to repay double the debt. Qiao Mei and Qiao Qiang treated them with indifference now. It was even more hopeless to get Qiao Qiang to go back and help the Liang family solve the problem. In the current situation, it was difficult to either advance or retreat. In that case, he might as well take a risk and threaten Qiao Mei before making a deal with the He family. At least there would be hope. Maybe Qiao Mei was young enough to be easily frightened and would give them everything they asked for? "We should be the ones asking you this. Whether you want the He family to know or not," Liang Guo narrowed his eyes and said with a smile. He looked like a wily fox waiting for Qiao Mei, this "little lamb", to fall into a trap! "Of course I don''t want them to know! If they find out about this, they won''t let me off," Qiao Mei said, pretending to be afraid. Liang Guo smiled even more smugly. If Qiao Mei was afraid, then there was still hope for them. He wanted Qiao Mei to pay the price for the humiliation they had suffered over the past few days! "We''re your uncle and aunt. Of course we won''t betray you and tell the He family that your child is still alive, but you have to give us some benefits," Liang Guo said. "Benefits? What benefits do you want? I can''t persuade grandfather to return to the capital with you," Qiao Mei said. "You can exchange it for a 100-year-old ginseng. If you take out the 100-year-old ginseng, we won''t tell the He family about this. We will also leave this village and return to the capital," Liang Guo said sternly. This wishful thinking could not be more obvious! If they could easily obtain a 100-year-old ginseng by hiding information about her from the He family, then did she have to give one to everyone who found out about this in the future? She was not in the wholesale business! Although she could indeed engage in wholesale production "This 100-year-old ginseng is rare and not easy to obtain. I don''t have any with me now, so how do you expect me to give it to you," Qiao Mei said awkwardly. "It''s fine if it''s not a 100-year-old one. Anything that''s more than 50 years old is fine! Just take out what any ginseng you have," Liang Lan said anxiously. Chapter 605 Persuading Her To Go Up The Mountain "How about this? When grandfather comes back, I''ll get him to bring you guys into the mountains to look for it. There''s indeed no more ginseng at home. If the heavens favor you, you might be able to find it!" Qiao Mei said. They did not want to wait for the old master to come back. If Qiao Qiang came back, he would only beat them up with a big stick and would not let them stay for so long. Being at their wits'' end, they did not believe that Qiao Mei really did not have any ginseng left. "You also know how your grandfather treats us. He won''t bring us along. What kind of ginseng do you have now?" Liang Lan probed. "Didn''t I just say that I don''t have anything," Qiao Mei said with a smile. The Liang siblings definitely did not believe her. They had even seen Qiao Qiang stewing a big goose with ginseng roots last night. Could it be that he had only dug up ginseng roots! "Then can you persuade your grandfather to go into the mountains to look for ginseng? Or do you know how to dig for ginseng? Why don''t you give it a try?" Liang Guo said anxiously. They had the cheek to say such things in order to achieve their goal. Currently, Qiao Qiang wanted Qiao Mei to take good care during her pregnancy, so he did not even let Qiao Mei do any heavy duty and tiring work at home. Li Gui, Zhang Wei, Zhang Chao and Zhang Qin would all come and help her with the farm work. If Qiao Mei wanted to go out, Zhao Liang would come and pick her up with his three-wheeled vehicle. Auntie Dong would also bring Qiao Mei nutritious food from her house and also pass Qiao Mei some of her children''s old things to see if she could use them. ? Other villagers brought her children''s clothes that they had made themselves, and a few even made a patchwork quilt for her children. Except for Qiao Zhuang''s family, the entire village hoped that Qiao Mei would be healthy and well and to give birth to two healthy children. At a time like this, the Liang siblings actually wanted her to go into the mountains to dig for ginseng! They even said that they were her biological uncle and aunt! Pfft! They were not half as considerate as the neighbors in the village! "I don''t know how. Only grandfather knows how to do it," Qiao Mei said. "You know your grandfather''s temper. If we can persuade him, he would have brought us into the mountains long ago. You''re the one he likes the most. If you talk to him, he''ll definitely agree," Liang Lan said. "I can''t persuade my grandfather either. Why don''t you stay here for a few more days? If my grandfather is in a good mood and goes up the mountain one of these days, he might be able to dig up a few ginsengs," Qiao Mei said as she slowly touched her stomach. In a few more days, their jobs in the capital would probably be gone! This matter could not wait anymore! They must get it today! "Qiao Mei, don''t blame aunt for being ruthless. Either you give us a 100-year-old ginseng and we leave now, or don''t blame us for turning our backs on you," Liang Lan said fiercely. Qiao Mei sighed slowly. They finally could not keep up with the act anymore. If they had done so earlier, they would not have needed to waste so much effort. "So what if you do, so what if you don''t? Is there any loss to me?" Qiao Mei said indifferently. It would be great if they turned their backs on her! There would be a lot less trouble in the future! She would not have to keep worrying about the Liang family implicating the Xia family. Looking at Qiao Mei''s current state, Qiao Qiang probably did not know what had happened in the capital. "You! I guess your grandfather doesn''t know about what happened to you in the capital. If your grandfather finds out that the Xia family didn''t protect you well, won''t he be angry?" Liang Lan said. "I''d advise you not to focus your scheme on my grandfather. Who do you think you are!" Qiao Mei said as she glared at Liang Lan viciously. It seemed that they wanted to do it the hard way! Not only did they have designs on her children, but they also did not want to let her grandfather off. "Although your grandfather''s health has improved a lot, he is still quite weak. What if he gets agitated and faints?" Liang Lan said. Qiao Mei was not afraid of Liang Lan''s threat. She just did not want Qiao Qiang to hear these things from others, as she was worried that her grandfather would be angry with her and Xia Zhe. Even if Qiao Qiang knew that the He family had tried to harm Qiao Mei''s children, now that Qiao Mei was standing in front of him unharmed, any unpleasant thing that had happened was already in the past. Just as Qiao Mei was thinking about how to resolve this matter, Qiao Qiang returned from outside. "Father! Why are you back!" Liang Guo shouted as he looked at Qiao Qiang in shock. At this moment, Liang Lan was so frightened that she almost fell on the ground. She did not know how much of what they said had been overheard by Qiao Qiang and when he returned. Chapter 606 I Cannot Let Him Off "Grandfather, why are you back?" Qiao Mei was also a little surprised. When Qiao Qiang was halfway to his destination, he remembered that today was the day he could go to the brigade to get his salary, so he thought about going to Zhao Liang''s place to get it first before giving his good friend a call. The moment he reached home, he saw these two heartless beasts threatening Qiao Mei. He had heard everything about the He family and did not miss a single word. "The two of you are really fantastic. Get lost now! Get out of my house and the village! If you come again, I''ll call the police to come and arrest you!" Qiao Qiang roared angrily. This voice was like a thunderclap that shook them so much that they did not dare to move. It was also like the god of death whispering to them. It was too late for them to regret anything now. "Father, listen to our explanation!" Liang Guo said nervously. Qiao Qiang used all his strength to give Liang Guo a kick in the stomach. Liang Guo collapsed to the ground and groaned in pain. Qiao Mei almost applauded Qiao Qiang! This was the first time she had seen Qiao Qiang hit someone. No matter how much of a bastard any of Qiao Zhuang''s family members was, he had never hit any of them. It seemed that the Liang siblings had really infuriated Qiao Qiang. "I don''t want to hear what you have to say. What is the Wang family or Li family? Go back and tell the person who harmed Qiao Mei that if he wants to harm Qiao Mei, he has to step over me first! I want to see who dares to touch my granddaughter!" Qiao Qiang roared. Liang Lan immediately helped Liang Guo up and left the courtyard. After this time, they would never come back again. At this moment, Qiao Mei was quietly trying to sneak back into her room while sliding along the boundary wall when Qiao Qiang grabbed her. "Where are you going?" Qiao Qiang said. Qiao Mei smiled awkwardly and said, "Grandfather, you must be hungry. I''ll go make you some food" "I''m not hungry. Tell me about those things they mentioned just now. Is there someone in the capital who wants to harm you?" Qiao Qiang said sternly. Qiao Mei obediently sat back on the recliner and told him honestly about how the He family had tried to harm her and how she had retaliated. She did not dare to miss a single detail. Qiao Qiang sat quietly opposite Qiao Mei and did not say a word. He was as steady as a stone statue. "Grandfather that''s all Look, I''m fine now. Don''t be angry," Qiao Mei said guiltily. "I''m not angry. You should have told me all these things. You shouldn''t have hidden it from me," Qiao Qiang said with a sigh. If she had told Qiao Qiang, he would definitely beat Xia Zhe to death For the sake of Xia Zhe''s safety, she definitely could not tell him these things! "What''s the situation in the capital now? Do they still want to harm you?" Qiao Qiang asked. "I don''t think so. He Ning needs our family''s ginseng. He won''t attack me for now. The person who attacked me was his niece, not him. I don''t think that''s his intention," Qiao Mei said. Qiao Qiang already had an idea about everything. He had a feeling that this person called He Ning would not let the matter rest and would definitely come looking for her. Seeing that Qiao Qiang was engrossed in his thoughts, Qiao Mei tugged at his sleeve and said, "Grandfather, don''t be angry with me. Don''t blame Xia Zhe either. He didn''t know about this beforehand. Besides, I''m all fine and in front of you now, so don''t be angry. I won''t dare to do it again!" "Hmph, don''t try to put in a good word for that kid! No matter how busy he is, how can he not care about you! When he comes back next time, I''ll definitely teach him a lesson! Let him suffer a bit!" Qiao Qiang said. Sigh, Xia Zhe could only pray for himself now. "By the way, grandfather, I''m thinking about installing a telephone at home. Do you know how to do it?" Qiao Mei asked. It was not an easy thing. They had to go to the brigade to apply for it. Moreover, there was no phone line in the entire village. What if everyone came to their house to make telephone calls after their family installed one? It was very expensive to make phone calls now and even though they could afford it, they could not let others take advantage of them for nothing. Now that Qiao Mei was in quite an advanced stage of pregnancy, it would affect her if too many people came by and disturbed her rest. He thought that they should think about this later. "It''s not easy to do it now. Let''s do it next spring," Qiao Qiang said vaguely. Qiao Mei considered it seriously. It was still unknown if they would still be staying here next year. By that time, she would probably be at the capital to prepare for delivery, and would bring Qiao Qiang along with her. It seemed quite useless to get a phone line now, so she decided to take Qiao Qiang''s advice. Chapter 607 Unwell Ever since Qiao Mei left, it went all quiet in the capital. Xu Lan was immersed in the pain of losing her grandchildren and did not even go to the art troupe to help out. She remained in a daze all day long, hugging the tiny clothes that she had made for her two grandchildren. Liu Fen tried to counsel her but it did not work. She was so immersed in her sadness that she could not be extricated. She also did not have much of an appetite. Even with a full banquet in front of her, she did not feel like picking up her chopsticks. This made Liu Fen very worried and she was afraid that something bad would happen to her. Today, while Xu Lan was taking an afternoon nap, she secretly gave Xia Fang a call. "Hello? Is it Eldest sister-in-law?" Xia Fang asked as she worked on the medical records in front of her. "It''s me, I''m your second sister-in-law. I have something to ask your Xiang Jin. I wonder if you can help me contact him?" Liu Fen said embarrassedly. "What''s the matter?" Xia Fang put down her work and asked curiously. Liu Fen rarely asked others for help. It had to be a really big issue before she would do that. Otherwise, she would simply grit her teeth and endure whatever difficulties she encountered and never tell anyone anything. Back then, in the early days of her marriage to Xia Yao, he had just joined the army and his salary was very low. She looked after her two daughters alone and they did not even have any food at home. Even when she could not afford to eat, she did not tell anyone. She saved her own rations for the children and endured the situation for half a year. Even if she was usually a little naggy, everyone knew that her intentions were good. Therefore, everyone was tolerant and not calculative with her. "It''s about Eldest Sister-in-law. Ever since Qiao Mei left, Eldest Sister-in-law''s mental state has been especially bad. I want to contact Xia Zhe, but Xia Zhe and your second brother are not from the same unit. I just want to ask if your Xiang Jin can contact Xia Zhe and ask him to come back and take a look," Liu Fen said with a sigh. Xia Fang knew a little about this matter. Not long ago, her eldest brother had told her to visit Xu Lan when she was free and to get her checked out. ? When she went back that day and saw Xu Lan, she was shocked. In just a few days, Xu Lan had lost more than eight pounds and she did not look well. She almost wanted to tell Xu Lan the truth there and then. However, before Qiao Mei left, she had instructed Xia Fang to wait until Xia Wen settled everything on his end before letting Xu Lan know. It was not the time yet. "Let me ask around. Oh right, Second Sister-in-law. Please ask Eldest Sister-in-law to come and look for me when she''s free. I''ll give her a checkup," Xia Fang said. "Fine, fine, fine. I''ll have to trouble you with this matter! Your eldest sister-in-law is coming down, so I won''t talk to you anymore. I have to go" Liu Fen hurriedly hung up. Xu Lan stared at Liu Fen agitatedly and asked, "Who called? Is it Qiao Mei! Is it Xia Zhe! Did they call me?" "I called my son to ask him about how he''s been recently," Liu Fen said with some difficulty. She did not want to see Xu Lan''s disappointed expression, but she could not lie to her and make her happy for nothing. Xu Lan did not suspect anything. She quietly walked to the sofa downstairs and sat down in a daze. Nowadays, they had a full-time housekeeper at home and Liu Fen did not need to do the cooking anymore. Xia Mao had specially instructed Liu Fen to keep an eye on Xu Lan so that she did not do anything silly. As soon as Xu Lan woke up, she would hug her grandchildren''s clothes sadly. If this continued, even a normal person would become abnormal. "Eldest sister-in-law! You can''t be like this! Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei will have another child!" Liu Fen said. "But even if they have another child, it won''t be my two eldest grandchildren! My eldest grandson was killed and Qiao Mei''s health is severely affected. I don''t know how she''s recuperating now, and there''s been no news from her. Do you think Qiao Mei hates me? Don''t they know the phone number at home? Why don''t they call me?" Xu Lan said sadly. "Qiao Mei is not that kind of child! Perhaps there are no phones in the village! The situation in the village is not like here. How can every family have a phone under those conditions? Perhaps Qiao Mei can''t find a way to contact you," Liu Fen guessed. Actually, when Qiao Mei left the capital, she had memorized the Xia family''s address and phone number. The issue was that it would take a long time for Qiao Mei to send things over, and it was also difficult to make phone calls, so she had not gotten a chance to contact anyone from the capital. Chapter 608 Debt There were three ways to send things out of the village. The first way was to tag it with the postman when he came to do a delivery. If the postman happened to come to the village to deliver mail, the villagers would ask the postman to help them bring out the things they wanted to send. The second way was to wait for the end of the month if there were no deliveries for anyone throughout the month. At the end of every month, the postman would go around the village to see if anyone wanted to send anything. The third way was to go personally to the post office in town. However, it was inconvenient for Qiao Mei to move around now, so she could only wait for the postman to come by. Unfortunately, it was a quiet month and no one in the village received any parcels. Qiao Mei could only wait until the end of the month to be able to send out her parcel and keep in touch with the people in the capital. "Xia Zhe has been unwilling to stay in touch with us since he was young. It''s also my fault for not caring much about him back then. It''s only right that he doesn''t care about me now. I only have myself to blame for what''s happening now. If I had treated Qiao Mei better back then, nothing would have happened to her and she wouldn''t have thought of returning to the village to recuperate. It''s all my fault!" As she spoke, Xu Lan could not help but cover her face and cry. If only all of this had never happened. "You can''t be blamed for this. Sigh, back then, you and Eldest Brother were too busy with your careers to take care of Xia Zhe. Now that Xia Zhe has grown up, he probably understands your painstaking efforts," Liu Fen said with a sigh. "Actually, it''s just that I don''t want to stay at home and take care of your eldest brother''s children. I don''t want to be a housewife. I want to stand on the stage and be the principal performer, but I lost my child in return. I regret it now!" Xu Lan said sadly. "Let bygones be bygones. Eldest sister-in-law, don''t think about these things anymore," Liu Fen persuaded. At this moment, Xia Zhe was still on his way to the army unit. He did a transfer in the capital to get on the transport to go to the army unit, so he did not stay long in the capital. He was already used to such a life. Whenever he passed by the capital and there was nothing urgent going on at home, he would not make a trip home. Even if he did, Xia Mao and Xu Lan were never there. Although his youngest aunt liked him very much and treated him like her own son, she was not his mother after all. In the end, he still did not feel at home in her house. His youngest aunt''s son might return home at any time, so he was also unwilling to stay there any longer. When he reached the capital, Xia Wen had given him a call and told him that the repair works on the courtyard house were almost done. Xia He had furnished the house based on her memories of what it used to look like. There were still many empty spaces for Qiao Mei to go back and decorate herself, so they did not make any decisions on that. The He family was on high alert and there was no news about them at all. No one knew what they were plotting, but this time, they must pay the price for their wrongdoings. He felt very at ease leaving the matters in the capital to Xia Wen. After hanging up the phone, he rushed back to the army unit. As soon as Xia Zhe arrived at the army unit, he was informed that his superior was looking for him and had asked him to return his call. Before he could even catch his breath, Xia Zhe hurriedly ran to the phone booth and called his superior. "Report! This is Xia Zhe! What instructions do the superiors have!" "Hahaha, there''s no need to be so serious. I''m your uncle. I called you this time for no other reason than to see if you''ve returned safely," Xiang Jin said laughingly. "Uncle, I''m already in the army unit now. The trip was very smooth this time," Xia Zhe said. "Then have you called your mother? She misses you very much," Xiang Jin said hesitantly. Xia Zhe was silent for a long time before he asked, "Did my mother ask you to look for me?" "No, it''s your second aunt-in-law who called your youngest aunt and asked her to look for me. Your mother hasn''t been in a good state recently. I heard that it''s because of Qiao Mei. How''s Qiao Mei''s health now? Uncle isn''t with you either. Is there anything I can do?" Xiang Jin asked worriedly. Qiao Mei was in excellent health and could eat an entire chicken all by herself! She was completely fine! He could not say these words to anyone before the He family paid the price, not even Xiang Jin. "She''s feeling better. Qiao Mei is currently recuperating at her grandfather''s place back in the village. The scenery there is beautiful and it''s a very suitable place for her to relax," Xia Zhe said. "If you need anything, just let me and your aunt know. If we can help, just let us know. Give your mother a call when you have time. Your aunt said that your mother is really not in a good state. Otherwise, your second aunt-in-law would not have contacted me through her," Xiang Jin said. Chapter 609 - 609 Troubled 609 Troubled If Xiang Jin came to tell him all this, then something must have really happened at home. However, when he called Xia Wen in the capital previously, Xia Wen did not mention anything about it. Could it be that Xia Wen also had not gone home recently as well? Xia Zhe said sincerely, Ill call her now. Bye, Uncle. The two of them exchanged a few pleasantries before hanging up. Xia Zhe did not choose to call Xu Lan immediately. He walked aimlessly on the training ground alone. This was the first time he had been troubled by family matters. In his childhood, he only had memories of his aunt Xia Fang taking care of him meticulously, his grandfather Xia Jun doting on him, his eldest aunt Xia Xius strict training, and his uncle Xiang Jins gentle teachings. During his childhood, his parental love came from Xia Fang and Xiang Jin. He did not have any relevant memories of Xia Mao and Xu Lan. Xia Mao always stayed in the army unit and rarely went home, while Xu Lan often went on performance tours outside. The entire house was always vacant and spiritless. He also did not know what a home was. When he was young, he was envious of other children whose parents sent them to school. During the parent-teacher meeting at school, he was also envious of other kids whose parents attended the meeting. He was the only one who went with his youngest aunt, Xia Fang. There was even once when he fell sick at home and did not go to school the next day. It was not until the teacher looked for Xia Fang before they found out that he was already unconscious. He did not know how to interact with his parents or communicate with them. For a moment, he wished he was not a grownup. At the very least, he would not need to interact with them and there would not be such troublesome issues. Sigh. Xia Zhe sighed deeply. At this moment, Zhuang Hua quietly followed behind Xia Zhe. Just as he was about to scare Xia Zhe, Xia Zhe discovered him. I saw you a long time ago. You still have to practice your camouflage skills. Your footsteps are too loud, Xia Zhe complained. Zhuang Hua pursed his lips resignedly. How could he be compared to the top army warrior? If he did not get discovered by Xia Zhe, then he would be the top army warrior instead of Xia Zhe! Why are you frowning the moment youre back? Dont tell me you did not have a good time during your wedding vacation? Havent you tasted any sweetness yet? Sister-in-law is pregnant now, so you cant attack her even if you want to, Zhuang Hua said as he looked at Xia Zhe with a gossipy expression. Xia Zhe blushed and punched Zhuang Hua on the shoulder. What the heck! Am I such a beast! Actually, it was not as if he did not touch her at all. If Xia Fang had not repeatedly reminded him that Qiao Mei was unable to do any vigorous exercise for the time being, he would not have been able to endure it until now. Then why are you troubled? Zhuang Hua asked curiously. Xia Zhe told Zhuang Hua everything that had happened in the capital recently. Zhuang Huas family could also be considered quite prominent in the capital. Even if Xia Zhe did not say anything, Zhuang Hua would eventually know about it. Is sister-in-law alright! Ill go chop up that bastard He Ning now! Zhuang Hua stood up and said indignantly. Xia Zhe quickly pacified him and said, Shes fine. The He familys evil plan didnt succeed. It seems that He Mei was the one who made the decision on her own accord. He Ning didnt know anything beforehand. Anyway, my brother is handling all the specifics now. If you ask me, you really have a lot of romantic debts. So many women are willing to risk their lives for you, Zhuang Hua said melancholically. Earlier, Zheng Yuan had destroyed her career path because of Xia Zhe. Then, Qiane had ruined her own life. After that, there was still a He Mei who was a lunatic who harmed others and herself. It did not seem to be a good thing to be handsome. People said that beautiful women were all femme fatales. In Zhuang Huas opinion, handsome men were nothing less! Then what are you worried about now? Dont tell me its because you miss sister-in-law, Zhuang Hua said as he looked at Xia Zhe in disdain. I havent told my mother that Qiao Mei is still pregnant because Im worried that she would leak the news and we wont be able to nab He Ning. Just now, my uncle called me and said that my mother is now in a very bad state and crying every day. I dont know what to do now, Xia Zhe said helplessly. Zhuang Hua felt that this matter was very simple and not so complicated at all. It all depended on Xia Zhes determination. I think its good to let your mother cry for a bit. Your mother has never cared about the three of you since you were young. Now that she has experienced this matter with Qiao Mei, its good if she learns how to cherish things because of it, Zhuang Hua said. That was indeed the case, but he was just afraid that Xu Lans body would not be able to hold on until the day she came to realize the truth. Chapter 610 Fix A Time Xia Zhe sighed deeply and said, "Actually, I don''t hate her at all. I just don''t know how to get along with them." "That''s very normal. After all, you didn''t grow up by their side, so it''s inevitable that you feel unfamiliar with them. Even though I grew up by my parents'' side, it''s not like I know how to get along with them. It''s not your fault, so you don''t have to blame yourself," Zhuang Hua comforted him. "What do you think I should do?" Xia Zhe asked. For a moment, Zhuang Hua did not have any good ideas as well. His relationship with his family was not as tense as what Xia Zhe had. Zhuang Hua pondered for a moment and said, "Then how about you tell sister-in-law? See if sister-in-law has any good ideas? Women know women better. How can a rough man like you know anything about their unhappiness?" Zhuang Hua''s cousin was the one who told him these things. A woman''s thoughts were unfathomable. It was entirely possible that she would be sad for a whole day just because she did not have any nice shoes to match her clothes. Since Xia Zhe did not know what to do, the person who started something must be the one to end it. After all, Xu Lan was sad because she was worried about Qiao Mei. The final outcome of this matter still depended on what Qiao Mei did. Otherwise, Xu Lan would always feel worried about Qiao Mei. He just did not know if Qiao Mei was willing to reconcile with Xu Lan. Even though Xu Lan suddenly came to her senses before Qiao Mei left, she had ignored Qiao Mei most of the time during this period of time when they were in the capital and had looked down on her daughter-in-law. "I''ll try." After saying that, Xia Zhe returned to the phone booth and dialed the number of the village phone after some hesitation. "Hello, this is Foshan Village. Who are you looking for?" Zhao Liang asked. "Uncle Zhao, I''m Xia Zhe," Xia Zhe said. Zhao Liang''s eyes lit up. He had been thinking about Xia Zhe for the past few days! When Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe first got married, he had mentioned Xia Zhe to his wife when they were chatting casually. At that time, they had never met Xia Zhe and knew nothing about him at all. They both felt that Xia Zhe was an unreliable person who let the pregnant Qiao Mei manage so many things alone and even made her go to the capital to look for him on her own. It was only after meeting Xia Zhe this time that his opinion changed completely. Zhao Liang had hurt his waist from doing farm work recently, but there were still so many things at home that he had to do. There were also many things in the village that he needed to deal with. It had been difficult for him to cope. When Xia Zhe found out about it, he volunteered to help Zhao Liang with the farm work at home. It only took him a day to finish Zhao Liang''s one week worth of work. Zhao Liang was older and his stamina could not keep up, so he was not as strong as the young man who could work much faster. Xia Zhe did this to repay Zhao Liang for taking care of Qiao Mei and Qiao Qiang all this while, and also for taking care of Zhang Wei during this period of time. Zhao Liang''s impression of Xia Zhe also soared. He felt that he should not have been so prejudiced against the young man previously. "Xia Zhe, are you at the army unit yet? Did you have a smooth journey? Your auntie and I are both thinking about you! However, we don''t know how to contact you. I have been thinking of asking Qiao Mei tomorrow," Zhao Liang said happily. "Uncle Zhao, I''ve reached the army unit. There were no issues along the way and everything went smoothly. I''m calling this time because I have something to discuss with Qiao Mei. I wonder if it''s convenient for Uncle Zhao to get Qiao Mei to answer my call?" Xia Zhe said awkwardly. Zhao Liang readily agreed to Xia Zhe''s request. Xia Zhe could not tell anyone his phone number so they agreed that Xia Zhe would call Zhao Liang again after half an hour. As soon as he hung up, Zhao Liang rushed out to look for Qiao Mei. Just as he was about to leave, he bumped into Wang Qin, who had just returned from a trip outside. "Oh my, Brother Zhao, what''s the rush? You''re in such a hurry that you don''t even look where you''re going," Wang Qin complained as she rubbed her shoulder that was hurting from the impact. "I''m really sorry. I''m in a hurry to go out and do something. I''ll apologize to you when I come back!" Zhao Liang drove off on his three-wheeled vehicle before he even finished speaking. Wang Qin looked in the direction that Zhao Liang had left in puzzlement and muttered, "How strange. There''s nothing serious going on today. Where''s he going in such a hurry?" She did not think too much about it and went into the office to work on the work points and accounts for this week. "Qiao Mei! Are you at home! I have something to tell you! Are you at home!" Zhao Liang rushed into the courtyard to look for Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei walked out of the house and said, "What''s wrong, Uncle Zhao? What''s the matter?" Chapter 611 What An Idiot Zhao Liang was still trying to catch his breath. He stood in the courtyard and stammered, "Come come with me quickly! Xia Zhe Xia Zhe, he" When Qiao Mei heard that it was about Xia Zhe, she grabbed onto Zhao Liang''s shoulder and asked, "What''s wrong with Xia Zhe!" She used so much strength that she almost crushed Zhao Liang''s shoulder. "Ouch! Be more gentle! Xia Zhe is fine but he''s looking for you. He said he''ll call again in half an hour. Come with me quickly," Zhao Liang said in pain. When Qiao Mei realized what she did, she immediately let go of Zhao Liang and gave him an embarrassed smile. Zhao Liang did not have the time to care about the pain in his shoulder. Once Qiao Mei hopped on the vehicle, he rushed towards the brigade office. It was quite a distance away from Qiao Mei''s house and it took them 20 minutes to get there. Xia Zhe called up the brigade office at the agreed time. Wang Qin picked up the call out of habit and said emotionlessly, "Hello, Foshan Village Brigade. What''s the matter?" Hearing Wang Qin''s voice, Xia Zhe was stunned for a moment before saying, "I''m Xia Zhe. Isn''t Uncle Zhao around?" Wang Qin immediately perked up. She would not miss out on anything that was related to Qiao Mei. Ever since this girl married Xia Zhe, she seemed to have become a different person. Not only did she become beautiful and capable, but she was also much smarter than before. This must have something to do with Xia Zhe! Moreover, ever since then, Qiao Mei had been finding fault with her and making her feel irritable. First, it was about the house that belonged to Qiao Mei''s mother, Li Gui. Then, it was about growing bean sprouts, and now Qiao Mei even caused her to be disgraced! Although it was Qiao Zhuang''s own fault that he was criticized during the open meeting not long ago and he brought it on himself, Wang Qin was also humiliated because of this matter and there was a lot of gossip everywhere she went. Some people said that she had a vicious heart and married off her husband''s younger sister to a dirty old man. There were also people who said that she sold the girls in her family for her own personal gain, and that she would even sell her own daughter when the girl grew up. People said so many nasty things. She could only ignore them all. Otherwise, if she went around arguing with everyone, she would be angered to death sooner or later. "Zhao Liang is not around. If there''s any issue, you can just tell me. I''ll pass the message to him later," Wang Qin said. "I''m just calling to ask about Qiao Mei," Xia Zhe said. "Qiao Mei I''m afraid it''s not convenient for Qiao Mei to talk to you now," Wang Qin said hesitantly. Xia Zhe was not in the village anyway. As long as she kept this matter a secret, who would know that Xia Zhe had called Qiao Mei? She had not had an easy time lately! So Qiao Mei could forget about having one as well! Xia Zhe was Qiao Mei''s husband, so he could also forget about having an easy time! "Inconvenient? Why?" Xia Zhe asked curiously. "Qiao Mei hasn''t been feeling well recently. I heard that she went to the village clinic for treatment," Wang Qin said. Of course, Xia Zhe would not fall for it so easily. He had just made an appointment with Zhao Liang to call again in half an hour. If something had happened at Qiao Mei''s place, how could Zhao Liang not know about it? Wang Qin must be lying to him. Since she wanted to lie, he would continue with the act. "What! Qiao Mei is at the clinic! Is it serious?" Xia Zhe said anxiously. Wang Qin curled her lips slyly and said, "Sigh, I don''t know what the doctor says, but Qiao Mei is staying there now. I hear that it will cost a lot of money and that she needs to take medicine for a long time to protect the child!" Many men in the village went out to work in other places. Every month, when they sent money to their families, they would first go to their local post office to send it via a telegram to the post office in this area. The telegrams would then be forwarded to the various villages and the villagers would go personally to collect the money. This way, not only could one ensure that the money would not get lost, but one could also ensure that one would be able to find the responsible party should there be any losses. Xia Zhe used to send Qiao Mei his salary. Wang Qin was the village accountant and she had secretly taken a look at the receipt. It was 120 dollars a month! That was more than 1,000 dollars a year! If Xia Zhe sent over Qiao Mei''s "medical expenses" this time and she secretly intercepted it, she would be able to make up for the money she owed the village! She could even earn a lot from it! "A lot of money? Then she must be very sick. I can''t go back now. I''ll get ready to send the money now," Xia Zhe said. Wang Qin did not expect things to go so smoothly. Xia Zhe looked very capable, but he was actually just an idiot! How could he be deceived by such a simple plot! Chapter 612 Conspiracy "Fine, fine, fine. Don''t worry, Xia Zhe. I''ll try to find out more about Qiao Mei''s situation. Don''t be anxious," Wang Qin said pretentiously. Qiao Mei kicked the door open and said, "What do you need to find out?" Wang Qin froze on the spot with the phone in her hand. Why was she here! She also saw the livid Zhao Liang behind Qiao Mei. Wang Qin immediately understood that this was all a trick. They were lying to her! They were playing her like a fool! "You! You tricked me!" Wang Qin roared at Qiao Mei. "What trick? Didn''t you tell Xia Zhe you will find out more about my situation? Have you lost your mind? What are you talking about?" Qiao Mei was confused and did not know what Wang Qin was talking about. She had only heard Wang Qin''s last sentence and did not know anything about what happened earlier. However, Wang Qin felt that this was all a scheme that Xia Zhe, Qiao Mei and Zhao Liang had come up with to trick her! Qiao Mei was a vicious and scheming person. This was definitely all part of her scheme! This matter was not caused by her own greed! It was all part of the evil Qiao Mei''s scheme! That was definitely the case! Just as Wang Qin was doubting herself, Qiao Mei snatched the phone from her hand. She did not have time to argue with Wang Qin about this. The bill for this phone call was very expensive and she was the one who had to pay for it. Her heart ached for the amount of money. "Hello, are you still there? I''m Qiao Mei," Qiao Mei said gently. "Are you alright?" Xia Zhe asked nervously. Although what Wang Qin said was just a lie, he was still worried about Qiao Mei. What if something really happened? If he had not made an appointment with Uncle Zhao today, then if Wang Qin had just given him more details just now, she might have gotten away with it. Being concerned made one unable to think straight. "Of course I''m fine! Silly man!" Qiao Mei said. "I''m just concerned about you and worried that something had happened to you," Xia Zhe said with a sigh. Qiao Mei deliberately said loudly into the phone, "What did she say to you? The moment I entered, she started barking like a mad dog." "Nothing much, just that you went to the village clinic and needed a lot of money. She asked me to send you the money quickly. That''s all," Xia Zhe said honestly. Money? She had always known that Wang Qin was greedy, but why was Wang Qin all about money recently? In the past, Wang Qin was only greedy for petty gains, such as giving herself a few more work points and taking more vegetables. If Xia Zhe really believed Wang Qin, the amount of money he sent over would definitely be quite a big sum. If she was found guilty of fraud, they would definitely be able to send her to jail. The amount of 1,000 dollars during this time was more than equivalent to 1 million dollars after 50 years. Wang Qin was really bold. Could it be that she needed the money for something else? However, Xia Zhe''s performance was not bad either. He even had the patience to put on an act with Wang Qin. He showed promise! "Alright, got it. Then why are you looking for me so urgently?" Qiao Mei said. "I''ve already reached the army unit safely. I want to discuss something with you. I can''t make a decision on my own," Xia Zhe said hesitantly. Qiao Mei took a stool from the side and sat down to talk to Xia Zhe on the phone. Wang Qin returned to her seat dejectedly. Zhao Liang looked at her even more fiercely. In the past, he only felt that everything was all Qiao Zhuang''s fault, but he did not expect Wang Qin to be the same kind of person as that brute! In the future, he would definitely need to be more wary of Wang Qin and not let her hurt Qiao Mei. "I never expect there will come a day when you''re unable to decide. Tell me about it," Qiao Mei said smugly. "Aunt called uncle and asked him to inform me that my mother''s condition is not very good at the moment. There''s nothing wrong with her health, but she has been feeling depressed and crying every day. She''s also worried about your health," Xia Zhe said. Qiao Mei did not expect herself to be so important to Xu Lan now. It was just that she did not know the progress of the matter in the capital yet, so they still had to let Xu Lan suffer for a few more days. "The postman hasn''t come by this month. I prepared something for mother, but I haven''t had the chance to send it out. I have to wait until the end of the month. Why don''t you give her a call to comfort her?" Qiao Mei said. Xia Zhe was silent for a long time. He was in a dilemma about how to talk to Xu Lan. "Don''t tell me you dare not make the call," Qiao Mei asked suspiciously. "No! I know what to do!" Xia Zhe said stubbornly. Chapter 613 - 613 Fake Account Book 613 Fake Account Book Qiao Mei was able to help him with this matter, but she did not want to do it. If she was the one to resolve the matter for Xia Zhe and Xu Lan, it would only affect the relationship between mother and son. There was already a rift between them. If they did not take this opportunity to reconcile, it would be difficult to find another suitable opportunity in the future. Talk to her nicely, do you understand? Dont just hang up after a few words. Also Qiao Mei told him a lot of things. Xia Zhe silently noted down everything in his mind and asked earnestly, I get it. Lets not talk about me anymore. How has grandfather been recently? How are Zhang Wei and Zhang Miao? Is Zhang Chao feeling better? Everyones in good health. Zhang Miao has woken up recently, but her movements are a little slow and she still needs to rest. Recently, I realized that Zhang Chao likes to invent and create things. If you happen to have any weird materials, remember to bring them back for him. I think hes very talented and we can nurture him well, Qiao Mei said happily. Alright, Ive noted it down. Ill definitely bring some stuff with me when I go back in the future, Xia Zhe said. It was getting late and he still had to go back and deal with all his work. After saying a brief goodbye to Qiao Mei, he hung up. Xia Zhe did not leave immediately. He stood at the phone booth and thought for a long time before deciding to call Xu Lan tomorrow. He still could not face Xu Lan yet. Qiao Mei went to Wang Qins table to settle the phone bill and said to her with a smile, Oh my, should I be terminally ill now? Qiao Mei, dont be so smug! If you hadnt joined forces to trick me, I wouldnt have fallen for it! Wang Qin roared. Youre making things up out of nothing. How can Xia Zhe have the chance to join forces with me? Even if he can, when did Uncle Zhao come to look for me? Arent you contradicting yourself by saying these things? Is it so difficult to admit that youre stupid? Qiao Mei said mockingly. You! You b*tch! Its not my fault! Youre the ones who schemed against me! Dont pretend to be merciful here! Get lost after youre done! Wang Qin stood up and pointed at the door as she roared. Qiao Mei wiped the saliva that Wang Qin sprayed on her face in disdain and said calmly, Whats the hurry? This office belongs to the village and Im also from this village. I can come and go whenever I want. What right do you have to criticize me? Dont tell me you have some unspeakable secret? Wang Qin instinctively pressed down on the account book on the table under her hand. Qiao Mei noticed this action. She just wanted to test if Wang Qin had really done something wrong, but she did not expect her guess to be right. You youre talking nonsense! I dont! Wang Qin said stubbornly. Zhao Liang hurriedly walked over and said, Mei Mei, your grandfather is still waiting for you at home. Lets go. Qiao Mei also did not want to waste any more time with Wang Qin and followed Zhao Liang back. Uncle Zhao, do you think you should check the village accounts? Qiao Mei whispered. Zhao Liang did not respond. He had actually noticed something fishy a long time ago, but he could not find anyone more suitable to be the accountant of the brigade than Wang Qin. Moreover, she was elected by the villagers, so it would not be good to dismiss her. Lets talk about it when we get back. There are many people on the road. Sit tight! Zhao Liang stepped on the accelerator and sped up. It did not take long for them to reach Qiao Meis house. Qiao Mei went into the house and brought out a stool for Zhao Liang to sit down in the courtyard. She then sat opposite Zhao Liang. In her memories, there were no problems that Zhao Liang could not solve. He could handle all the big and small matters in the village effortlessly, but Wang Qins matters seemed to have made him extremely worried. It would appear that this matter was really very tricky. Uncle Zhao, tell me about it. Since youve already discovered it, why dont you put a stop to it? Qiao Mei asked curiously. Sigh, I have no choice. I discovered it a long time ago. The current account book seems to be fake. The real account book is not in the office, Zhao Liang said helplessly. Fake? Then how do you know that this account book is fake? Qiao Mei asked curiously. The accounts get checked every quarter. After so many years, I already know the rough figures. However, although the harvest this year is not good due to the natural disaster, the villages accounts remain the same as last year. I started to become suspicious after that, but I dont have any evidence to prove that she is the problem, Zhao Liang said. Chapter 614 Do Not Alert The Enemy If Wang Qin wanted to falsify the accounts, no one would be able to catch her. After all, she was the only person in the entire village who knew about these things. Most of the other people had not even studied for a few years, so how could they even know that there was a problem. Even if anyone suspected Wang Qin, with a village tyrant like Qiao Zhuang protecting her, no one could do anything to her. It was likely that Wang Qin had grasped this loophole of everyone being fearful of Qiao Zhuang, so she started to steal from the brigade. Perhaps she had already started to falsify the accounts from the start. In the beginning, it was only one or two dollars. When she realized that no one was paying attention, she started to carry on recklessly, until the amount got bigger and bigger. "Then does Uncle Zhao have a countermeasure for this matter?" Qiao Mei asked. "No. Firstly, there are very few people who have gone to school and no one can take over Wang Qin''s job. Secondly, we can''t find any evidence to prove that Wang Qin is behind this. I''ve been observing her for a long time, but I haven''t been able to find the real account book," Zhao Liang said. Most of the villagers who had been to school were children of Zhang Wei''s age. The rest of them had gone to work in other cities. It was indeed not easy to find a replacement for Wang Qin. "Qiao Mei, you''re literate too. How about you take over Wang Qin''s job," Zhao Liang said expectantly. Any cadre in the village could only take office through an election. Based on Qiao Mei''s personality and character, everyone would definitely support her! Qiao Mei quickly rejected Zhao Liang. She would not be permanently staying in this village . She still had to go to the capital from time to time. What if she became a military spouse and followed Xia Zhe around in the future? She was destined not to stay in the village for the long term and definitely could not be the brigade''s accountant. "Uncle Zhao, you also know what my husband does. I''ll become a military spouse in the future. I can''t live in the village forever, so I can''t help you with this matter," Qiao Mei said regretfully. This time, Zhao Liang was really in a dilemma. Qiao Mei thought about it for a long time and finally thought of Chen Hu. Previously, when Chen Hu chatted with her, he had mentioned that most of his men in the army were not married. Some of them had parents who lived far away and they were unable to take care of their parents. Most of the men in the armed forces settled down in the county city after they got married, but there were still a few who were married but left their wives at home. It was usually because they needed to support a large family, so they could not afford to buy a house in the county city. If any of these men had any family member who was literate, the village could make an exception and allocate them a small homestead. They could deduct the cost from the person''s salary so that the person could have a job and also settle down here. Although the salary of the village accountant was not as high as the salary one could get in the county city, there was no need to rent a house or buy groceries, so there would be more savings. ? "Uncle Zhao, we have to consider this matter at length. Let me help you think of a way. We can''t alert the enemy now," Qiao Mei said. "Alright, then I''ll go back and continue to keep an eye on her so that she doesn''t steal more money. You should rest early too. Don''t tire yourself out." After saying that, Zhao Liang drove the three-wheeled vehicle back. Qiao Mei lay on the rocking chair and looked at the sky as she thought of a countermeasure. Wang Qin had been thinking of ways to target her, so she could not just sit back and do nothing. Since this woman cherished her job as an accountant in the village the most, she would make her lose it! This way, she would be disgraced in front of everyone and she would no longer be able to show off in Qiao Zhuang''s house. If people do not offend me, I will not offend them either. Since she keeps causing trouble for me, then she can forget about having a good life! Suddenly, a delicious piece of braised pork appeared in the air. "Ah~" Qiao Mei opened her mouth to eat it and tasted it carefully. "Is it delicious?" Qiao Qiang asked with a smile as he held his chopsticks. "Grandfather''s cooking is so delicious! It''s a hundred times better than mine!" Qiao Mei said in satisfaction. Qiao Qiang asked Qiao Mei to go into the house to wash her hands and eat. The table full of delicious food gave Qiao Mei a good appetite and she forgot all her earlier worries. The most important thing now was to have a good meal! The next morning, Xia Zhe followed Qiao Mei''s instructions and went to the phone booth to give Xu Lan a call. He held a piece of paper in his hand, which was filled with all the questions Xia Zhe wanted to ask Xu Lan. It was packed tightly with words. He had come up with these as he thought through the night, afraid that he would not know what to say and ended up making things difficult for Xu Lan. Chapter 615 First Phone Call He had thought that he would only write one or two lines, but he did not expect to have so many questions that he wanted to ask Xu Lan. The fact was that he was concerned about Xu Lan. Xia Zhe took a deep breath and slowly pressed his home phone number. He waited uneasily for the other end to pick up. "Beep, beep, beep" On the fourth ring, someone picked up the phone. "Hello? Who is it?" Xia Zhe did not expect Liu Fen to be the one to pick up the phone and his nervousness eased a little. "Second Aunt-in-law, I''m Xia Zhe. How has my mother been recently?" Xia Zhe asked hesitantly. Liu Fen almost spun around in excitement. It seemed that Xia Fang had taken her words to heart! "Xiao Zhe! Your mother hasn''t been in a good state recently and she doesn''t eat much. We have been trying to make her different kinds of food so she would eat, but she still doesn''t have much of an appetite. She''s already lost so much weight in a few days. If this continues, I''m afraid your mother won''t be able to carry on. I was also anxious, so I contacted your uncle. Don''t blame Second Aunt-in-law for being nosy," Liu Fen said. Xia Zhe understood why Liu Fen did what she did and he did not blame her. As Xu Lan''s son, he was unfilial and it had nothing to do with anyone else. He should be grateful to Liu Fen. Otherwise, he would really regret it for the rest of his life if Xu Lan became so sick that she could not get out of bed. "Second Aunt-in-law, I don''t blame you. When I get back, I still have to thank you properly for taking care of my mother. Then what is my mother doing now? Is it is it convenient for her to talk to me?" Xia Zhe asked nervously. He clutched the piece of paper so tightly in his hand that there were already signs of it tearing in some places. "Yes! Yes! Wait a moment! I''ll go get her now!" Liu Fen hurriedly ran upstairs to wake Xu Lan up. "Eldest sister-in-law! Wake up! Xiao Zhe has called home!" "Wake up! Eldest sister-in-law! Don''t sleep anymore!" At this moment, she could not care less about whether Xu Lan was sleeping soundly or not. It was so rare for Xia Zhe to call her, so she must not miss this opportunity! Xu Lan slowly opened her eyes and frowned at Liu Fen. "What''s wrong?" "Xiao Zhe! He called!" Liu Fen said happily as she pointed outside the door. Xu Lan did not even bother to put on her slippers and rushed downstairs barefooted, almost falling down the stairs. Even though there were small stones on the floor that hurt her feet, she did not care about the pain. "Eldest Sister-in-law, put on your slippers! Eldest Sister-in-law!" Liu Fen shouted behind her with the slippers. She picked up the phone and shouted, "Hello! Son! Son! Are you still there! I''m your mother!" ? Xia Zhe heard all of this over the phone and did not know what to say for a moment. In his memories, Xu Lan had always maintained an elegant image. No matter what happened, she would not allow herself to lose her composure. This was also the reason why Xia Mao liked Xu Lan back then. It was because she was beautiful and dignified enough to be the eldest wife of the Xia family. "Mother it''s me how how have you been recently?" Xia Zhe was so nervous that his voice was trembling. He really did not know how to talk to Xu Lan. This was the first time in so many years that mother and son chatted casually on the phone. "I''m fine. Everything is fine at home. What about you? How are you?" Xu Lan said agitatedly. "I have reached the army unit. There''s no problem now," Xia Zhe said. Xu Lan gripped the phone receiver tightly, not knowing how to ask Xia Zhe about Qiao Mei. She felt that she was the cause of everything that happened. If she had cared more about Qiao Mei, none of it would have happened. Now that Qiao Mei had lost her babies, she did not have the cheek to ask about how Qiao Mei was. The two of them held on to their respective phone receivers without speaking. Liu Fen placed the slippers by Xu Lan''s feet for her to put them on and looked at her anxiously. "Xia Zhe! Has Qiao Mei contacted you recently! Is she doing well! Do you have any recent news about her!" Liu Fen shouted towards Xu Lan. Xu Lan also looked at her gratefully. "I spoke to her on the phone yesterday. She said that she''s in good health now and that her grandfather and mother are taking good care of her, so you don''t have to worry. Qiao Mei even said that she doesn''t blame you. At that time, she was in a hurry to leave because she missed her grandfather. The methods of communication in their village are not very advanced and there will only be a postman going around to pick up the parcels at the end of the month. When the time comes, you''ll be able to get her letter," Xia Zhe said with a smile. Chapter 616 Compensate Slowly Xu Lan never even dreamed that Qiao Mei would be concerned about her and think about her. Could it really be that when Qiao Mei left in a hurry back then, she just missed Qiao Qiang? Was it really not because Qiao Mei hated her for the loss of her children? "Xia Zhe... Can you ask Qiao Mei to call me when she''s free... No, no, no! Just give me her address. I''ll send her some stuff. It''s going to be winter soon and I''m worried that she''ll get cold. I don''t know what she''s lacking, but I want to send her more things," Xu Lan said timidly. If she rashly gave Qiao Mei a call, she was worried that Qiao Mei would not pick up the call. Qiao Mei might even despise her for being too nosy. It was best to just send a parcel. "My elder sister knows the address. Mother, you can just ask elder sister. I still have something on here, so I won''t talk to you... I''ll talk to you another day." Xia Zhe wanted to say "I won''t talk to you anymore", but he was worried that Xu Lan would feel sad and thought that this was his first and last call, so he changed his words at the last minute. Xu Lan was so excited that tears welled up in her eyes as she said, "Fine, fine, fine! Go ahead! Call me again when you''re free!" After hanging up, Xu Lan still held onto the phone reluctantly and refused to put it down. Tears slowly rolled down from her eyes. She finally knew how ridiculous she had been back then. However, it was very difficult to have a balance between her career and family. If she had cared more about Xia Zhe when she was free, perhaps the relationship between them would not have been so stiff. However, it was not too late to salvage the situation now. At least Xia Zhe did not reject her. As long as she treated Xia Zhe well, the conflict would definitely be resolved as time passed. Liu Fen went forward and took the phone receiver from Xu Lan''s hand. She helped her to sit on the sofa and said, "Now that you know about Qiao Mei''s situation, don''t you feel much better?" "It''s also rare for Xia Zhe to call me. This is the first time he has spoken to me for so long since he grew up. He even said he''ll call me another day! Did you hear that! Did you hear that! Is it true!" Xu Lan held Liu Fen''s hand tightly, eager to know if she had heard wrongly. "Yes! I heard everything clearly! He''ll call you another day!" Liu Fen said with a smile. At the moment, Xu Lan''s complexion was rosy and her eyes were lively. She was no longer as lifeless as a few days ago. "Let''s not wait anymore. I''ll change my clothes now. You come too! Let''s go shopping and buy clothes and things that Qiao Mei needs!" Xu Lan went upstairs excitedly to change her clothes. Liu Fen was also happy to see her so energetic. She returned to her room to pack up her things and go shopping together. It was almost noon when Qiao Mei woke up. If she was in an ordinary village, she would have been scolded long ago! Zhang Wei and Zhang Qin were still sweeping the fallen leaves and dead branches in the courtyard. Zhang Chao squatted at the side and silently fiddled with a few strange items. Many of the tree branches that looked quite good could be used to make models. Although they looked very rough in the eyes of others, they were perfect pieces of work in Zhang Chao''s eyes! Not long ago, he had used branches to make a small crooked boat. Li Gui had never understood what he was doing, but Qiao Mei could tell at once and excitedly praised him for doing a good job. Zhang Chao''s confidence increased greatly and he had made more models over the past two days. According to Zhang Qin, her eldest brother was busy training up and her second brother was busy building items. If she did not do anything soon, she would be ostracized by her family! She was just joking. "You''re here so early. Have you all eaten?" Qiao Mei rubbed her eyes and walked out of the house. Zhang Qin put down the broom and said, "Elder sister! It''s lunchtime now! Mom said that if elder sister wakes up and doesn''t have anything to eat, you can come to our place. Mom made a lot of delicious food!" Qiao Mei looked at the pots and saw that there was indeed nothing prepared for her. She guessed that Li Gui and Qiao Qiang had probably come to some sort of agreement. Otherwise, no matter how busy Qiao Qiang was, he would not forget to take care of Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei brought the three children back to Li Gui''s house. As soon as she reached the door, she saw Old Madam Li and two young girls walking shakily in their direction. The three children all knew that this was their maternal grandmother. Zhang Wei had the deepest impression of her. When they were still living in the Zhang family, Old Madam Li often went to Li Gui to ask for money. Chapter 617 Seeking Refuge If Li Gui did not have money to give her, she would beat and scold Li Gui until Li Gui found something to give her. She wanted everything that Li Gui had, but when Zhang Qian found out about it, he beat her up and chased her out. Only then did she stop turning up to ask for things. Later on, Zhang Qian went home and beat Li Gui half to death, saying that she had stolen the Zhang family''s things to supplement her maternal family. The children heard that she contacted Li Gui behind his back not long after. They did not know how this matter was resolved after that. Qiao Mei gently patted Zhang Wei''s back and whispered, "Go and find your Uncle Zhao. Tell him that an outsider has come to our house and we need his help." Zhang Wei understood what she meant and disappeared in a flash. Old Madam Li did not even notice that there was a child missing. "Oh my! You''re Qiao Mei, right! I finally found this place!" Old Madam Li said as she staggered forward. Even if she had not met the current Qiao Mei, this girl''s reputation had already spread to the villages around! Everyone said that not only did this girl help the villagers get rich, but she was also young and beautiful. Many young men regretted not going to Qiao Mei''s house to propose marriage back then. When Old Madam Li finally saw Qiao Mei today, she realized that the girl was indeed different from the fat bear spirit from before. She looked as if she had been reborn! If not for the fact that she had Li Gui''s children with her, the old woman would not even dare to acknowledge Qiao Mei. "Grandmother, why do you have two children with you? Why are you here?" Qiao Mei said as she looked at the old woman. Without another word, Old Madam Li sat on the ground and sobbed. "That damn Zhang family! They came to ask me for money! I didn''t have any money to give them! Everything in the house was smashed! These two children and I are really at our wits'' end, so we''re here to look for your mother." As soon as she said that, Qiao Mei understood that these people were here to ask for money. They put it nicely and said that they were here to seek refuge, but they were actually here to try and get a big sum of money so that they could go back and enjoy life! She did not expect the Zhang family to be released so quickly. She had heard from Chen Hu that Zhang Qian had been imprisoned and sentenced to eight years in jail. Zhang Cong and Sun Yan were afraid that they would be implicated by Zhang Qian, so they cut ties with Old Madam Zhang and the others. Zhang Cong became a matrilocal son-in-law and went to live at Sun Yan''s house. Now, there were only two old people left in the Zhang family who were unable to go out to work. The person who went to look for Old Madam Li must be Old Madam Zhang. The Zhang family would definitely not dare to cause trouble for Li Gui again, therefore they could only bully Old Madam Li. After all, she was the one who had received all the betrothal gifts from the Zhang family back then. Qiao Mei already expected that after the divorce, the Zhang family would shamelessly go and ask for the gifts to be returned. Qiao Mei had no choice but to open the courtyard door to let them in. She could not let an old lady and two children make a scene at the main door. If others saw them, they might gossip again. She had just offended Wang Qin and could not let anything go wrong now. "Alright, stop crying. Come in quickly. Be quiet and don''t disturb the people in the house," Qiao Mei said disdainfully. Old Madam Li hurriedly rushed into the courtyard with the two children. Her fitful steps were not those of a weak old woman at all. If she did not claim to be weak, no one would even think that she was sick. "This courtyard is so much nicer than the one at my house! Look! These fruits are so fresh! Oh my, there are even chickens and ducks here! How good!" Old Madam Li looked around the courtyard as if she had never been out before and shouted loudly, not taking whatever Qiao Mei just said to heart. The way she looked at the chickens and ducks was as if she wanted to immediately heat up oil in a pot and cook all the fowls in the courtyard. Qiao Mei said coldly to Old Madam Li, "I told you to be quiet! If you make any more noise, then get out!" Old Madam Li was so frightened that she did not dare to make a sound. She still had something to ask of Qiao Mei. If she offended her now, she would get nothing. Qiao Mei sat on a bench under the pavilion. If not for the fact that Zhang Miao was still sick, she would definitely teach Old Madam Li a lesson. Li Gui heard the commotion and walked out of the house. When she saw Old Madam Li, her expression changed drastically. Ever since she was abandoned by the Zhang family and came to Foshan Village, Old Madam Li had never visited her again. Old Madam Li was worried that Li Gui would not be able to survive in the village and might need a lot of money to furnish her new place. Even if the villagers of Foshan Village were making a lot of money by growing bean sprouts at that time, it would definitely cost a lot of money when starting out. She had been waiting until Li Gui made money. Chapter 618 No One Can Get Any Closer She did not expect that the business of selling bean sprouts in Foshan Village gradually declined. Then, many things happened at home. Her two disappointing sons kept causing trouble for her and she eventually forgot about looking for Li Gui. "My daughter! I miss you so much!" Old Madam Li ran over with tears in her eyes and hugged Li Gui tightly as she cried. Li Gui could not bear to push her away and asked, "Mother, what''s wrong?" Before Old Madam Li could explain, the two children with her rushed into the house like police dogs and sniffed everywhere. Actually, Old Madam Li could already smell the fragrance of food the moment she entered the courtyard. She did not enter the house only because she was afraid of Qiao Mei. Zhang Qin recalled that Zhang Miao was still in the house and immediately rushed in. She stood in front of the dining table and spread out her arms as she shouted, "You''re not allowed to come closer! Who let you in! Get lost!" It was not a big deal for them to eat the food, but the immobile Zhang Miao was near the dining table and it would be a disaster if they hurt her. When Old Madam Li saw that Zhang Qin dared to speak so fiercely, she entered the house and pointed at Zhang Qin while scolding, "You little brat, how can you talk to your older sisters like that! Are you asking for a beating! I''ll beat you to death, you little brat!" Qiao Mei frowned as she listened from outside. It had only been a while after entering the courtyard, but these people had started arguing again. If she did not chase Old Madam Li away, Zhang Miao would not be able to rest well. For some reason, she had also been especially averse to noises recently. Every time she heard it, she would feel distraught. It was probably caused by the hormonal fluctuations of pregnancy. Qiao Mei sat there silently and did not go forward to help. This matter was just like the situation when the Zhang family came to ask Li Gui for money back then. She could manage it once, but she did not want to do it again. If she interfered too many times, Li Gui would still be bullied if she was not around. This time, she did not want to interfere anymore and would let Li Gui handle it herself. Zhang Qin was not afraid of Old Madam Li at all. She glared at Old Madam Li and stood rooted to the spot with her back straight. It was just a beating! What was the big deal No one could go forward and hurt her younger sister! Qiao Mei had said it before! They were siblings and must protect one another! Only then would they not be bullied by outsiders! At the moment, Zhang Miao was injured and could not move, Zhang Chao was also sick, Qiao Mei was pregnant, and Li Gui had not slept well for a few days in order to take care of Zhang Miao. She was the only one left in this family who could protect all of them! She just needed to hold on until Zhang Wei returned! As long as she was around! No one could bully her family! "Mother, my youngest daughter is sick and can''t get up from the brick bed. That''s why Zhang Qin is like this. She''s not throwing a tantrum at you!" Li Gui explained. "Hmph, you have to teach her a lesson. Such an uneducated girl who doesn''t even respect her elders. She deserves to be beaten up!" After Old Madam Li finished speaking, she pushed Zhang Qin to the side and went forward to pick up a bowl and started eating, not caring whose cutlery it was. Zhang Qin wanted to go forward and say something, but Li Gui only silently pulled her back. She wrapped Zhang Miao in a blanket and carried her to another room with great effort. During this period of time, Old Madam Li did not even look at them and was only focused on eating. "Zhang Qin, take good care of your sister in this room. I will be in the other room. Don''t come over, do you understand?" Li Gui instructed. "But what if she hits you again?" Zhang Qin asked as she looked at Li Gui worriedly. Li Gui patted Zhang Qin''s head gently. Actually, she did not know how to face Old Madam Li. After all, this was the mother who gave birth to her and raised her. No matter how big a mistake the old woman made, she still could not be unfilial. "Don''t worry, I will be fine. Just stay here and I''ll be back soon." After saying that, Li Gui returned to the room where Old Madam Li was. At this moment, the three of them had already finished everything on the dining table, including the soup. "Get me another bowl!" Old Madam Li said as she rudely handed the bowl to Li Gui. Li Gui sat on the stool and said sulkily, "That''s all." "That''s all! Who are you trying to fool! I don''t believe you! I don''t need you to scoop rice for me! I''ll find it myself!" Old Madam Li put on her shoes in exasperation and went to the kitchen to look for food. There was indeed nothing left in the pot, cabinet and rice jar. It seemed that Li Gui was not lying. There was only that much food at home. She saw two cucumbers on the floor and did not care about the condition they were in. She picked them up and started eating without even washing them. Chapter 619 The Living Can Also Starve To Death Old Madam Li swaggered into the house and sat on the brick bed. "You have to help me. Look at your eldest brother''s two children. They''re so thin that they''re all skin and bones! You can''t leave them in the lurch!" "Mother, it''s not that I don''t want to help, but as you can see, Zhang Miao is just lying there and can''t even move. She has to take a lot of medicine every month. There''s no food at home. I''m not having an easy time either," Li Gui said awkwardly. A lot of medicine? That meant she had the money to buy medicine every month! Old Madam Li''s eyes lit up. If she saved all the money she spent on medicine, that would be a lot of money! In any case, Zhang Miao was just a girl who would have to marry into someone else''s family sooner or later. Instead of wasting so many years of rations on her, it was better to just let her fend for herself! If she managed to stay alive, then she was lucky enough! When it was time for her to get married, she would be able to receive a lot of betrothal gifts. If she died, then it would be even better! There would be one less mouth to feed! "You still have money to buy medicine! Then you definitely have money to give me! I don''t want much, just enough for a living!" Old Madam Li said with a smile. "No! Zhang Miao won''t recover if she doesn''t take medicine!" Li Gui said anxiously. Old Madam Li waved her hand and said indifferently, "It''s just a girl. She will have to get married sooner or later! I don''t think that child will get any better. Why are you wasting this money! We, the living people, are still hungry!" "I''m also your daughter! It''s not as if you don''t come and look for me when you''re in need! Zhang Miao will get better! I''ll definitely make sure she gets better! I have to borrow money to buy the medicine! How can I have money to give you!" Li Gui said angrily. Old Madam Li did not believe what Li Gui said. She was sure that Li Gui had money and was deliberately hiding it from her. With a money tree like Qiao Mei around, how could she not have money? There were so many chickens and ducks in the courtyard. If she sold one, they would have enough money to eat for a month! There were people here who were about to starve to death. It was such a waste to buy feed for the chickens and ducks! "Then why do you have feed for the chickens and ducks! You''re clearly leaving us in the lurch! This entire matter started because of you! If you hadn''t divorced the man from the Zhang family! The things in our house wouldn''t have been smashed into pieces by them. Your eldest brother wouldn''t have abandoned me and these two children at home and gone off to the county city with his wife!" Old Madam Li scolded as she pointed at Li Gui. "Those chickens and ducks belong to Qiao Mei. I''m just helping her raise them and she''s the one who provides the feed. How can I just kill these chickens and ducks!" Li Gui said. "So what if they belong to Qiao Mei! Isn''t she your daughter! Doesn''t she listen to you! She dares to turn her back on her maternal family after getting married! She''s really rebellious!" Old Madam Li said as she put her hands on her hips. "The money to buy chickens and ducks is from Old Master Qiao. Qiao Mei doesn''t have a job, so her grandfather pays for everything. How can I have the cheek to ask him for it?" Li Gui said. Old Madam Li could not find any other argument. She suddenly knelt on the brick bed and said to Li Gui, "Your mother is now lowering herself! Please save me and these two children!" The two children also knelt on the ground in unison as if they had discussed it in advance. When Old Madam Li kowtowed, they followed suit and kowtowed as well. The knocking sounds became louder and louder, like the sound of a bell striking in a temple. Li Gui was so afraid that they would die from knocking their heads that she hurriedly went to help Old Madam Li up. "Mother, what are you doing! Even if you do this, I don''t have anything else to give you!" Li Gui said. Seeing that Li Gui was unmoved by force or persuasion, Old Madam Li pointed at Qiao Mei sitting outside and said, "She''s your daughter! You''re living such a difficult life now, why don''t you ask her for help!" Nowadays, the food they ate at home was all from Qiao Mei''s courtyard. Some time ago, when her family was in dire straits, Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe brought over a lot of things. As she was embarrassed, she rejected Qiao Mei''s kindness. Later on, Zhang Wei and the other children brought back a lot of vegetables every day. Sometimes, there was even rice. When she asked them, she found out that Qiao Mei used the excuses that she was pregnant and it was inconvenient for her to move around, and that Qiao Qiang was too old to do farm work, so she asked Zhang Wei and the other children to help her out. Every day, the children could get vegetables based on how much work they had done. It was almost winter and there were no more wild vegetables and mushrooms to pick on the mountain. The children actively went to Qiao Mei''s place to help out and she tacitly agreed. Chapter 620 How Did You Come In Whether it was the Zhang family or Old Madam Li, as long as they asked her for money, Qiao Mei would get implicated. Every time, Qiao Mei would fork out money and put in effort to help her settle these matters. Now, Old Madam Li was eyeing Qiao Mei again. This time, she could not be weak! She also had the ability to protect Qiao Mei! She had promised Qiao Mei that she would pull herself together and fight them to the end! "I haven''t raised this daughter of mine for even a day. Why would she give me all the good stuff? Back then, I wanted to raise her, but didn''t all the money go into your pocket? It''s also your fault that Qiao Mei isn''t that close to me now, isn''t it?" Li Gui said as she glared at Old Madam Li. Old Madam Li was speechless. She was indeed in the wrong in this matter. If not for Qiao Mei being lucky, she would have died at Qiao Zhuang''s house long ago. Fortunately, the heavens allowed Qiao Mei to survive. She was the most capable one among these children. Not only did she marry well, but she also knew how to earn money. As long as she could coax Qiao Mei, she could have anything she wanted! "Can''t you just take it that the money is a form of filial piety from you! All these years, you only know how to give money to Qiao Mei! When have you ever said that you will give me money! Take that money as a form of filial piety from you! Don''t mention it anymore!" Old Madam Li said overbearingly. "You!" Li Gui pointed at Old Madam Li angrily. The old woman had already spent all that money, so there was no point in pursuing the matter now. "Everything in my house needs to be repaired after being smashed up by the Zhang family. They even took away 300 dollars, which is the family''s entire savings! You have to make up for this money and also give me 200 dollars for my retirement. That''s a total of 500 dollars. Give it to me," Old Madam Li said. Back then, Li Gui did not get to enjoy any perks from the betrothal money and the three big items. Everything went into Old Madam Li''s pocket. Now that the Zhang family took her money, she came to ask Li Gui for it. How shameless! "Mother, since you want to settle the score with me, shouldn''t you return the money you borrowed from me all these years for my two older brothers to get married?" Li Gui asked. Old Madam Li used all kinds of reasons to ask Li Gui for money. Over the years, she had already taken more than 300 dollars. "I I don''t have money. Go and ask your brothers for money! I wasn''t the one who got married! I''m not the one who owed you the money!" Old Madam Li said. "Didn''t you say that a daughter is also a biological relative? If my daughter is mine, then why don''t you care about your own daughter? I still owe Qiao Mei 500 dollars for this house, as well as the work points and construction materials from the village. There''s also the 160 dollars that I owed others for the medical fees for Zhang Miao and Zhang Wei. You should help me pay for all these. If my two older brothers can spend so much money on their weddings, then I can spend money too," Li Gui said as she spread out her hands. Old Madam Li was about to say something when she was interrupted by Zhao Liang, who had just entered the house. "Oh my! Is it mealtime!" Zhao Liang said loudly once he saw that Zhang Miao was not in the room. "Brother Zhao, you''re here. Coincidentally, my mother ate all the food and there''s nothing left at home. I can''t keep you for dinner," Li Gui said, pretending to look troubled. Old Madam Li''s face instantly fell. This daughter of hers was saying that she was greedy in front of outsiders! The entire table was filled with plates. There were only Li Gui and her and the two children in the room. Where could she hide her face! This was a slap to her face! "Are you from the neighboring village? How did you get in? Did you get approval? Do you have a pass? How can you enter our village so casually? Can you bear the responsibility if something goes missing in the village!" Zhao Liang shouted as he pointed at Old Madam Li. A few years ago, people were not allowed to move around casually. If they wanted to go anywhere, they had to go to the village office to get approval and apply for a pass before they could go to other villages or the county city. The rules were not so strict by now. As long as everyone knew one another, there were not so many complicated rules. However, when faced with such an evil person, he wanted to do things impartially! Previously, the Zhang family had already disturbed the calm in the village. There were already negative rumors outside the village about how there were always fights in their village. Such a person would only cause chaos in the village! It would ruin the village''s reputation outside! This meant that no one would be willing to come to the village and everyone in the village would want to escape. Soon, this place would become a deserted village. Zhao Liang would never allow such a thing to happen! Chapter 621 Difficult Times "I I''m her mother! Why can''t I come here! I''m just here to see my daughter!" Old Madam Li explained nervously. "Even if the emperor is here, he has to show a pass! If you don''t have a pass, you can''t stay in our village tonight! Leave quickly!" Zhao Liang said. "I''m just staying for one night! Look, it''s already dark outside! If I walk back again, the two children won''t be able to take it! Please be kind and let us off!" Old Madam Li used her thick skin again and knelt on the ground to kowtow to Zhao Liang non-stop. Zhao Liang did not fall for it. He pointed at Old Madam Li and said, "What if something goes missing in the village? Our village has a lot of valuable things! If anything goes missing, it''s all on you! What do you think!" When Old Madam Li heard this, she slowly stood up. What could they lose in one night! He had said it to scare her! If Qiao Mei said tomorrow that she had lost the betrothal gifts that Xia Zhe had given her, Old Madam Li would not be able to afford it even if it was just one! Old Madam Li could not dissuade Zhao Liang and left dejectedly with the two children. Before she left, she even took the big pumpkin from the house. It was very easy to get the pass. As long as she went to the village to explain the situation, she would be able to get it. It did not matter if she could not stay today. She would come back another day! She did not believe that Li Gui could keep avoiding her! When Old Madam Li came, she had observed those chickens and ducks. Those chickens would definitely be able to lay eggs within the next three days! Her cousin used to raise chickens at the supply and marketing cooperative in the county city. She had also worked there when she was young. She could tell what the chickens were up to when they wiggle their butts. No one knew chickens better than her! It was just that later on, she stole five eggs from the supply and marketing cooperative and was chased away. "Thank you, Brother Zhao. I didn''t expect to have to trouble you again," Li Gui said embarrassedly. She felt really embarrassed to have to keep troubling Zhao Liang because of her family matters. Her family was poor and there was nothing she could give Zhao Liang to express her gratitude to him. If she rashly went to help out at his house, people would gossip about it. She could only hope that the children could repay Zhao Liang in the future. "It''s fine. It''s my job to help the villagers. You don''t have to take it to heart. If there''s nothing else, I''ll go now." Zhao Liang waved his hand and was stopped by Qiao Mei the moment he stepped out of the house. "Uncle Zhao, is there any way to stop them from entering the village? It''s also very difficult for us if they keep coming," Qiao Mei asked. "Sigh There''s nothing I can do. As long as the procedures are done properly, I can''t stop them," Zhao Liang said awkwardly. If he abused his power and got reported, losing his job was a small matter. He might even go to jail! "I''ll think of a way myself then. Thank you for today, Uncle Zhao. Without you, she would have stuck around for a long time!" Qiao Mei said with a sigh. Zhao Liang also felt that Qiao Mei and Li Gui had tough lives. One of them had lost her parents and only had her grandfather since she was young, and the other one had a vampire-like husband and maternal family. Their lives were really tough! "So long as you''re fine. Before Xia Zhe left, he asked me to take good care of you! I''m indebted to your grandfather and I''ll definitely help your family if anything happens. Don''t stand on ceremony with me!" Zhao Liang said with a smile. "When we cook delicious food at home another day, you and auntie must come over!" Qiao Mei said. As Zhao Liang walked away, he said, "No problem! Hurry up and go back!" Then he got on his three-wheeled vehicle and left. Qiao Mei was also very surprised when she heard what Li Gui said to Old Madam Li while sitting outside. She did not expect Li Gui to be so determined to protect her this time round. It seemed that Li Gui was no longer the submissive woman from before. She could protect her children well. "Elder sister, where are Zhang Chao and Zhang Qin?" Zhang Wei asked in a panic. As soon as Zhang Chao saw outsiders, he would run into the storeroom. It was useless even if Qiao Mei went to look for him. He would only come out after the person left. Qiao Mei pointed at the storeroom helplessly and Zhang Wei immediately understood what she meant. As soon as he entered, he saw Zhang Chao hiding in a big vat. Zhang Wei carefully held his hand and said, "Don''t be afraid. Eldest brother is back. I am here!" Zhang Chao looked up timidly and slowly followed Zhang Wei out. "Zhang Chao, don''t be afraid. They''ve already left! Don''t be afraid! Eldest brother is here!" Zhang Wei hugged Zhang Chao and comforted him. Chapter 622 Good Destiny The issue that weighed on Zhang Chao was these evil people who bullied them. If they came to bully Li Gui and these children again and again, Zhang Chao would always be traumatized and felt like hiding away for the rest of his life. The doctor said that they should let him try his best to face these issues bravely, but Qiao Mei felt that it would be very difficult. Even if Zhang Chao could become braver, it was not something that could be done overnight. This was something that needed to be done slowly and could not be rushed. It was the same for Zhang Miao. In the past, when she could move, she could run away or dodge if someone bullied her. However, now that she was lying on the bed and could not move, she had to rely on Li Gui to take care of her. The psychological pressure she felt was no less than what Zhang Chao was feeling. These two children who used to be lively and cute were harmed to this extent by the Zhang family! Although Zhang Qian had paid the price and received the punishment, it was not enough to vent her anger! Qiao Mei looked up at the sky and sighed. When would such days end! Let Zhang Chao and Zhang Miao get better soon! She was also a human being and would get tired. Why did these evil people refuse to let them off? Li Gui cleaned up the empty bowls and cutlery on the table and went to the cellar to get more food. The cellar was located in the corner of the storeroom. Originally, there was no cellar when the house was first built. However, the Zhang family had come to ask for things repeatedly, so Li Gui had no choice but to plan for a place to hide things. Otherwise, the children would have starved to death long ago. "Mei Mei, I cooked more food. Come in quickly and eat. You can''t go hungry," Li Gui said with some heartache. Qiao Qiang had something on today and she had wanted to take good care of Qiao Mei on his behalf. She did not expect such a big mess to happen. Ever since she came to the village, these children had not managed to have even one peaceful day. Qiao Mei was not in a hurry to go into the house to eat. Instead, she grabbed Li Gui to sit down beside her, wanting to have a chat. "Mom, how''s Zhang Miao?" Qiao Mei asked. Li Gui looked towards the house and sighed. "Now, we have to go and get the medicine on time every month. The doctor said whether Zhang Miao can recover or not depends on her willpower now. In the future, she still has to practice walking on her own. If she doesn''t practice hard, she might not be able to walk normally again." In this era, there was no such thing as rehabilitation exercises in the hospital. One could only rely on one''s own hard work to survive such a difficult situation. Zhang Miao was still young and her bones had not fully developed yet. It was not too late to correct the issue, but doing so would delay her progress in school. Summer was already over and the elementary school in the neighboring village had already started classes for a long time. If the children did not go to school soon and they fell behind in their homework, they would have to wait for another year. "I intend to bring the other three children to school tomorrow. They can come back and teach Zhang Miao whatever they learn. Zhang Miao is still young and there''s still time for her to go to school after she recovers, but Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao can''t afford any more delays," Qiao Mei said earnestly. Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao were destined to be the pillars of the family. If they were illiterate and could only do manual work, they would not be able to support the family. Moreover, they were all talented children. Such good seedlings should not be wasted and must be nurtured well. "But I can''t take care of them. I still have to take care of Miao Miao. If the three of them go to school, I''m worried about the expenses" Li Gui looked at Qiao Mei awkwardly before looking at Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao. She already owed more and more debts. If this continued, she would not have money to buy medicine for Zhang Miao. It was not as if she had not made plans for the other three children. It was easier to plan for the girls. When the time came, she would choose good in-laws for them and let them live a peaceful life. This was the best she could do as a mother. The truth was that Li Gui wanted Zhang Wei to go to work soon to earn money to supplement the family''s income. She understood that she would let Zhang Wei down like this, but she had no choice. If there was no one else earning money, none of the children in this family would be able to survive! The earlier he went out to work, the earlier he could earn money and get married. It could be considered a good destiny for him! As a mother, she was also in a difficult position. It was a tough call to give up on any one of them and it hurt her no matter who was the one affected. "You don''t have to worry about the school fees. Just treat it as if these children owe it to me. When they grow up, they can work and earn money to pay me back," Qiao Mei said. Chapter 623 Good Days Will Come "That won''t do! You''re about to give birth! Raising children needs a lot of money! The most important thing for you now is to take good care of yourself! You''ve already helped me a lot. I can''t drag you down anymore" Li Gui said. "You''re my mother, so it''s only right for me to help you. I''m not going to send my younger siblings to school for free. I didn''t know how to read and write when I was young, so I hope they won''t be like me. It can be my loan to them," Qiao Mei said with a smile. At the mention of Qiao Mei''s childhood, Li Gui had mixed feelings. She did not spend a single day by Qiao Mei''s side and it was all thanks to the heavens that the girl was able to survive. She did not expect Qiao Mei not to dwell on the past and that not only did Qiao Mei not hate her, but she also took good care of the children she had with Zhang Qian. She had to treat Qiao Mei even better in the future. She could not let Qiao Mei feel that she favored the other four children. Qiao Mei did not care about the past at all. Her mind was filled with the issues about the children going to school. Since she intended to lend the children the money to go to school, they had to agree to it. Otherwise, it was only a one-sided agreement. Qiao Mei asked the three children to come over and said seriously, "Elder sister wants to tell you something. After mom and I discussed it, we can''t afford to provide for your education now, so you can''t go to school." The three children all looked disappointed. The first person to look better was Zhang Wei. He forced a smile on his face and said, "Elder sister! We know that it''s not easy at home now. It doesn''t matter if we don''t go to school! Grandfather has a lot of knowledge and he can teach us." "That''s right, elder sister! Younger sister''s health is the most important thing now. It''s fine if we don''t go to school," Zhang Qin said obediently. Li Gui felt both gratified and sad to see how sensible the children were. Qiao Mei felt incomparably proud and gratified. They all cared about their family and their siblings. No matter what happened in the future, they would not abandon one another. This was the best form of knowledge to have. "Now, elder sister has a better idea. You can decide whether you want to go to school or not. Elder sister and brother-in-law can fork out the money to let you go to school, but you have to consider this money as a loan from us. When you grow up and earn money, you have to pay us back. Are you still willing to go to school if that''s the situation?" Qiao Mei asked. After all, Xia Zhe was the only one in the family who had a salary at the moment. Her "small side businesses" were all unstable and she did not earn much from it anyway. Furthermore, she had made Xia Zhe sound so scary in front of the children back then. Now was the time to make him look good in front of them! Otherwise, it would still be awkward for Xia Zhe to face the children the next time he came back. Zhang Wei and Zhang Qin quickly agreed with Qiao Mei''s plan. Only Zhang Chao kept thinking about it. He did not want to go to school and interact with others. He just wanted to stay at home, in a place where he felt safe. "Zhang Chao doesn''t want to go to school?" Qiao Mei asked patiently. Zhang Chao shook his head gently. "Don''t you like to make models and handmade mechanisms? When you go to school, you can learn more. Then in the future, you can build even more powerful ones! Don''t you want to learn?" Qiao Mei said as she looked at Zhang Chao. Even if she went to the capital and brought back all the books about mechanics and construction, it would be useless if Zhang Chao did not know enough words and basic knowledge to read them. Zhang Chao was a little hesitant, but he was still unwilling to come into contact with the outside world. What if someone hurt him again? "Don''t worry! There''s eldest brother around! No one will dare to bully you!" Zhang Wei patted his chest and said confidently to Zhang Chao. "Second brother! I''ll protect you too! Believe me! There are three of us! We can definitely defeat the bad guys!" Zhang Qin said. "And me too! I''ll go to school too and be with all of you," Qiao Mei said with a smile. Finally, with everyone''s encouragement, Zhang Chao agreed with Qiao Mei''s suggestion. With his siblings around, he was not afraid of being bullied. "Mom, look! Second brother is smiling! Second brother is smiling!" Zhang Qin pointed at Zhang Chao and said happily. Everyone turned to focus on Zhang Chao. Even Zhang Chao himself did not notice that he was smiling and his ears turned red from being the center of attention. "Alright, alright, let''s go in and eat! The food will get cold soon!" Li Gui said. Everyone returned to the house happily to eat. As long as they looked ahead, good days would definitely come! Chapter 624 Giving It Away However, the He family''s good days were coming to an end. He Mei knelt on the ground and begged He Ning not to let her go to jail or hand her over to the Xia family. She had nowhere to go now. "It''s useless even if you beg me now. The Xia family has conclusive evidence. What right do you have to decide to do such a thing at that time?" He Ning said helplessly. Even though he planned everything meticulously, this stupid niece of his had caused him to lose everything! She only knew how to keep causing trouble for him! Now that He Mei''s face was injured, there was no chance of her sending her off for a marriage alliance! Keeping He Mei would just be keeping a useless thing. After the Xia family secretly sent Qiao Mei away, they started to make use of the situation to cause trouble for He Ning. They did everything they could to tire He Ning out. Originally, He Guo, He Wei and He Li had already been released under He Ning''s arrangements. He did not expect them to be sent back to prison by the joint efforts of the Xia and Jiang families after only being out for a few days. He Guo had already been sentenced and there was nothing he could do about it. At the moment, he could only think of a way to save He Wei and He Li. Qian''e was not able to leave the Qian family house under his surveillance. He did not expect the Xia family to find a way to get Qian''e out. Now that Qian''e was under the Xia family''s care, he could not act rashly. It would be useless to threaten Qian''e with the safety of her family. Qian''e was more than happy to see them dead! Why would she even want to save them? He Ning had been vexed about this matter for a long time. He felt that his long stint in prison had made his mind go dim. He had actually let the Xia family succeed. In the future, he must not show any mercy to them, otherwise he would be letting down the hardships he suffered over the past month. Recently, He Ning had been so busy that he could only sleep four to five hours a day. He was able to hang on only because of the ginseng soup, otherwise his body would have broken down long ago! The Xia family had now threatened that if he did not hand He Mei over, they would use the evidence to destroy the He family! "Little Uncle! You can''t leave me in the lurch! If I''m taken away by them, I definitely won''t have a good ending! Please save me! I''ll give you all my family''s assets! We don''t want them anymore! Little Uncle, save me!" He Mei said nonsensically. He Ning looked at He Mei and smiled. Although a small portion of the He family''s business was from their ancestors, most of it was the empire that He Guo had worked hard to build. He Mei was really generous to give it away just for her own selfish reasons. If He Guo could come back from prison and hear what He Mei said, would he die from anger? "What use do I have for your family''s assets? You probably don''t know yet, but eldest brother has been sentenced. He will be imprisoned for 10 years and all his assets will be confiscated. You''re no longer the spoiled young lady of the He family," He Ning said. He Mei widened her eyes in disbelief. She crawled over to He Ning and grabbed the corner of his trousers tightly as she asked, "Little Uncle, are you joking with me! It''s not true! Didn''t you promise me that my father won''t go to jail! Why is it like this!" "The Xia family is relentless. Do you think I have any choice? If you hadn''t laid your hands on Qiao Mei, the Xia family wouldn''t have fallen out with us!" He Ning said as he shook off He Mei. "No! It''s not like that!" He Mei cried. "This is all thanks to you! How dare you cry in front of me! You still have family members locked up inside! Are you satisfied now!" He Ning roared. It was not that he did not think of a way. He even took out a lot of his treasures to ask for help, but the Xia family had irrefutable evidence and they even made it known that anyone who helped the He family hide anything would get dragged down together. No one dared to act rashly now. If they were not careful, they would die together with the He family. "Little Uncle, I know you''re very capable. You must have a way! Think of a way to save me! You watched me grow up! You can''t not save me!" He Mei said as she sobbed. It was not that there was no solution, but he did not know if the Xia family would be willing to accept it. "Stop it, you''re giving me a headache. Get lost! Don''t bother me!" He Ning said as he rubbed his temples and leaned against the sofa with a frown. He Mei kowtowed to He Ning a few more times and left the house quietly. Huo Gao slowly walked forward with a bowl of medicine. The medicinal smell could be detected from afar and it felt as if it was very bitter. "Did you change the prescription?" He Ning asked unhappily. "Bear with it for a while. You''ve been too tired recently so I added some tonic in it. Since you don''t cherish your body, your taste buds will have to suffer," Huo Gao said teasingly. He Ning did not quibble anymore. He gritted his teeth and drank the medicine in one gulp. It was so bitter that he almost vomited. Chapter 625 - 625 Job Transfer 625 Job Transfer Originally, he should be able to recover his health after eating the ginseng he received from Qiao Mei, and he would have been able to live for at least another 10 years! However, thanks to the Xia family, his health was even worse than before! It tastes awful. Cant you make some nice tasting medicine? He Ning complained as he threw a tantrum. In the face of this old friend with a bad temper, Huo Gao only smiled and did not say anything. He Ning said similar things a few times a month, but he was simply complaining. After the bitterness subsided, He Ning focused on thinking about how to give the Xia family a satisfactory answer without losing too much on his end. !! Although the current He family was not as powerful as before, it was not a big deal for him to take out 200,000 dollars. However, this method did not work on the Xia family at all. The Xia family did not care about money. They just wanted He Mei to pay the price and they wanted to get an explanation for Qiao Mei. Where do you think I should send He Mei? He Ning asked Huo Gao. Miss He Mei has an arrogant temper. Its not a bad thing for her to go out and gain some experience. Let her go out and suffer a little. Then shell understand your painstaking efforts, Huo Gao said. He Ning nodded in satisfaction. It would be good to send her away. Out of sight, out of mind. It would save him the trouble of having to clean up her mess after she went around causing trouble in the capital. At this moment, Xia Wen and Xia He were eating grapes and planting flowers in the courtyard house. After Qiao Mei left, Xia Wen brought the students to work overtime to repair the courtyard house. It was now in an even better condition than before. This was the last batch of grapes this year. If they did not come over to pick them, the grapes would probably all drop to the ground. At that time, the entire courtyard would be filled with insects and ants and the smell of rotting fruits. It would then take a lot of effort to clean up the courtyard. They had to take care of these things themselves so that Qiao Mei would not be disappointed to see a dilapidated courtyard when she returned. Elder brother, look at these grapes. Theyre big and sweet and even more delicious than what grandmother planted! Xia He sat on the swing and said with a smile. Xia Wen usually did not eat grapes. Back then, the grapes planted by his grandmother were a little sour. Every time she coaxed him to eat them, his face would scrunch up from the sourness. These grapes seemed to be of a different variety. It seemed that Qiao Mei really was not just bragging when she talked about her skills with plants. When Qiao Mei comes back, are you going to come here every day to freeload? Xia Wen said. Xia He thought about it carefully and said, Thats really possible. Anyway, Xia Zhe wont be back. Whats wrong with me accompanying Qiao Mei! Those who dont know better would think that Xia Zhe married this wife for your sake! Xia Wen said with a laugh. There were not many people in the family who could get along well with Xia He. In the past, she had always stuck close to Xia Wen. After Xia Wen married Tan Jing, they stopped interacting much so as to avoid making anyone uncomfortable. In the past, Tan Jing used to be a very suitable candidate, but nowadays she would feel sorry for herself every day and was full of negative energy. After talking to her, it usually made one even more depressed. As for the rest of the family, Aunt could be considered a candidate. However, Aunt was still an elder and it was not appropriate for her to talk to her elders about private matters. Qiao Mei was still the best. Although she was young, she was understanding and very interesting. No one would ever feel bored when with her! What are you saying! If Xiao Zhe finds out, he will definitely chase after me and beat me up. I cant beat him, Xia He said. By the way, have you settled your work matters? Do you need any help from the family? Xia Wen put down the things in his hand and sat opposite Xia He. Ever since Xia He and Kong Lu got a divorce, she had already started moving her work to the capital. Xu Lan also helped out secretly and this matter was quickly settled. Xia He was going to the military art troupe in the capital for training next month. There was only one thing that was very difficult for her. The current principal performer of the art troupe was someone who had lost to her back then. If not for the fact that she wanted to live a stable life with Kong Lu, she would have held on to the position of principal performer for life! That person had always been dissatisfied with her and felt that she was able to become the principal performer only because of Xu Lans support. After Xia He left, that person flaunted her prowess every day. Given that Xia He was going back, she might gossip about it! However, Xia He had never been afraid of such things and did not take these people to heart at all. The most important thing now was to quickly earn money so that she could buy things for her nephew! She heard that children were very difficult to take care of and were especially precious. At the mall, their things also cost more than other things. Chapter 626 Trash At The Door "It''s all settled. I''ll go back to work after a while. If I don''t go to work soon, there won''t be room for an idle person like me at home," Xia He said self-deprecatingly. "Even if you stay at home for the rest of your life, the family can afford to pay for you," Xia Wen said. During this period of time, Xia He did not go home and stayed at Xia Fang''s house. Every time she returned home, she would see Xu Lan crying. There was nothing she could do about Xu Lan, but she could not tell her the truth either. She felt really uncomfortable holding it in and thought that it was better to hide away rather than to face it. "Then what about Kong Lu? What are you going to do? Don''t blame me for asking too many questions. There has to be an end between the two of you," Xia Wen asked. This was the first time Xia Wen had asked Xia He about this matter in a serious manner. He had never been worried about his younger sister. The only issue he ever had was with this brother-in-law. Back then, he did not agree to them being together. If not for Xia He''s stubbornness, they would not have been able to get married! However, he had no right to criticize Xia He. When he first got married to Tan Jing, Xu Lan did not think highly of Tan Jing either. She felt that Tan Jing''s family background was not worthy of them. It was only because Tan Jing had a good temper and was a quiet person that she begrudgingly allowed them to get married. "Let''s wait for him to return all the money to me. He hasn''t contacted me yet and I''m not in a hurry. The ones who are anxious are definitely his mother and sister! Without my salary, they won''t be able to survive with that little bit of money that Kong Lu has!" Xia He said. It was easy for someone to go from frugal to extravagant, but difficult to go from extravagant to frugal. The Kong family''s mother and daughter had been living a luxurious life for so many years. Now that they no longer had a good source of income, they could not even afford to buy vegetables! It turned out that the food coupons they used belonged to Xia He. "Don''t forget too easily. You''ll be the one at a disadvantage later," Xia Wen complained. "I''ve already made a decision about this matter. Besides, Qiao Mei also talked to me about it. Anyway, he has to return the money to me first before we get the divorce. Then, I''ll use this sum of money to buy a house or something and make a home of my own. Qiao Mei said that if I buy it now, it will be seen as the joint property of the married couple. When we get a divorce, I''ll have to give half of the house to Kong Lu. I''m not going to let him take it away!" Xia He said. "Qiao Mei even knows this!" Xia Wen exclaimed. What a quirky little girl. It was the Xia family''s fortune that Xia Zhe married her. During this time, there was not much understanding about the division of assets between husband and wife. Even if there was a law, everyone would choose to settle it in private. After all, divorce was still a scandal in this era. Who would want to make a big fuss about the division of assets? Besides, even if there was money, how much could both of them take away? For the sake of their reputation, everyone chose to suffer in silence. As she spoke, there was a knock on the door. Xia He stuffed the grape she was holding into her mouth and ran to open the door. The moment she opened the door and saw He Ning and Huo Gao, and the hypocritical and smiling expressions on their faces, Xia He slammed the door shut again. He Ning''s smile froze on his face. The only people who would dare to leave him out in the cold was the Xia family. If his inner thoughts could manifest, then there would definitely be a bunch of ellipses above He Ning''s head. "What''s wrong? Who knocked on the door?" Xia Wen looked at Xia He in confusion. "Nothing. There are two pieces of trash standing at the door," Xia He said sulkily. When Xia Wen heard Xia He''s description, he knew who it was. He stood up and patted Xia He''s head gently and said, "You. You''re so rude to them. Go inside quickly. I''ll handle this matter." Xia He carried the plate of grapes into the house angrily. Even if she had to feed the grapes to the dogs, she would not give He Ning a bite! Xia Wen put on his professional smile and slowly opened the door. He felt good when he saw He Ning''s unhappy expression. "My younger sister just had an argument with me and she''s not in a good mood. If she offended Brother He, please don''t take it to heart," Xia Wen said with a straight face. "It''s fine. It''s common for girls to throw tantrums," He Ning said with a smile. "Sorry to keep you waiting. Come in and have a seat." Xia Wen turned sideways and invited He Ning and Huo Gao into the courtyard. He Ning looked around at the courtyard house in satisfaction. The original design was too old-fashioned and boring. There were spots that were too damaged. After Xia Wen worked on it, it looked quite elegant and suited his taste. Chapter 627 - 627 Eating Grapes 627 Eating Grapes This house is not bad, He Ning praised. Its all thanks to you, Xia Wen said mockingly. If He Ning had not made an anonymous report saying that they had hidden away cultural relics and then hired a bunch of people to dig up the house until it was unrecognizable, why would they need to renovate the house? He Ning did not feel embarrassed at all. He was a person who would admit frankly what he had done and firmly deny what he had not done. !! It could be considered one of He Nings very few strengths. Are you here just to take a look at my brothers house? Xia Wen asked. No, Im here to give you a settlement, He Ning said as he sat at the stone table. Xia Wen had been waiting for this day for a long time. He thought that He Ning would endure it for a few more days until there was too much work for him to handle before appearing. He did not expect He Ning to not have the patience. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? It seemed that he had overestimated He Ning. Are you going to deal with He Mei yourself or leave her to us? Xia Wen said. We plan to send He Mei to rebuild the village at Lan Gu. What do you think? He Ning probed. What he meant by rebuild the village was actually a scheme to send the educated young people in the city to the countryside to train them up, and to let them understand the hardships of the farmers and experience that every grain of rice was not easy to come by. Then, they were also supposed to bring the knowledge and technology developed in the city to the countryside and let the countryside know how exciting the outside world was. Currently, there was still the policy to rebuild the villages. In another three years, this policy would be completely scrapped. If He Mei was not allowed to go now, she would never have the chance to go and get trained up. Lan Gu, thats such a good place. Youre really willing to part with her, Xia Wen said with a smile. It was rumored that as He Ning had no children, He Mei was the person he doted on the most among the kids of the next generation. However, at the current moment, Xia Wen did not feel that He Ning liked her that much. That place was cold and remote. If traveling by the mountain road, one would have to walk more than 10 kilometers. There might even be no road. One had to go through a ropeway between the two valleys to reach the other side. It was difficult to make a phone call there. If one wanted to send something, they could only do it on a yearly basis. The mountains were dangerous and no one was willing to take that kind of risk. Most importantly, that place was neither within the He familys sphere of influence nor the Xia familys. He Mei could only rely on herself to survive there. She has to pay the price for her mistakes. I just dont know if youll be satisfied with this arrangement? He Ning said calmly. Is she going alone or bringing someone with her? Xia Wen asked. On her own. Our He family wont interfere in this matter, He Ning replied seriously. It seemed that what He Ning said this time was not fake. Then it was not impossible to deal with this matter like this. After all, He Mei did not really hurt Qiao Mei and her crime was not punishable by death. He Ning had long discovered the grapes planted in the courtyard, but had been too embarrassed to say anything. Now that they were done with the main topic, he decided to talk about something else. These grapes are not bad. Thank you. It smells so good and looks good. Its even better than the ones sold outside. Thank you. No matter what He Ning said, Xia Wens only answer was to say thank you. Previously, he had heard Xia He complain to him that He Ning shamelessly insisted on eating Qiao Meis cooking at home. Now, it appeared that he was eyeing the grapes at their house. Huo Gao stood at the side and looked at He Ning in shock. He had thought that staying at the Xia family house to eat was already the limit of He Nings shamelessness. He did not expect him to be even more shameless. Arent you going to treat me to some grapes? He Ning said calmly. The corners of Xia Wens mouth twitched slightly. He Ning really would not give up until he achieved his goal. Sure hang on Xia Wen said through gritted teeth. Xia Wen reluctantly went to the grapevine to pluck a bunch of the smallest grapes and placed them in front of He Ning. He Ning did not treat himself as an outsider at all and even asked Huo Gao to get some well water to wash them. Since He Ning was so thick-skinned, Huo Gao could not be thin-skinned. He silently washed the grapes and placed them in front of He Ning. Where did you put my flowers? He Ning asked as he looked around. What do you mean by your flowers? When did we take your flowers? Xia Wen looked at He Ning in confusion. Could it be that there was something wrong with his brain after eating grapes? Why was he eyeing their flowers everywhere he went? The last time he had already gotten his way on buying the cactus or something from their house, but now he actually wanted to plunder Qiao Meis courtyard. Chapter 628 - 628 Preparing to Go on a Business Trip 628 Preparing to Go on a Business Trip The flower pots in your courtyard are all from my place. You must have brought back my flowers too. I can still smell their faint fragrance in your courtyard, He Ning said. Was He Ning a dog in his past life? His nose was so sharp. After Qiao Mei brought back those flowers and nurtured them carefully, they came back to life in just a week. Now, as long as he watered them patiently and fertilized them regularly, they would grow well. In the past two days, some of them had even bloomed. Xia Wen originally thought that it was a good sign, but he did not expect it to be such bad luck! These are all things that Qiao Mei bought. How can they still be considered yours? You must have consigned these things at the nursery, right? Qiao Mei bought them at the market price. There was money exchanged for goods. These are our familys things and have nothing to do with you, Xia Wen said. He Ning did not say anything else and quietly ate his grapes while admiring the scenery in the courtyard. He did not expect Qiao Mei to not only be beautiful, but also have superb culinary skills and a very smart mind. Now, he had discovered another of her good points. His intention to get her to divorce Xia Zhe and bring her home to be his cook became clearer and clearer. If he could get Qiao Mei to be his nanny, he would be able to live for another 50 years! Alright, Ill make arrangements for this in the next two days. Just wait and see the end results. He Ning got up and prepared to leave. Three days at most, Xia Wen said. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? Deal. After saying that, He Ning took the entire bunch of grapes from the plate and placed them in Huo Gaos hand, not even missing out on the few grapes that had fallen onto the plate. Xia Wen had personally told him that this bunch of grapes was a gift for him. It was not too much for him to take it with him. He Ning was almost at the door when Huo Gao came back to his senses. He awkwardly held onto the bunch of grapes and bade farewell to Xia Wen before rushing out. It was too embarrassing! Too embarrassing! Huo Gao had never been so embarrassed in all his years of life! Xia He walked out of the main hall and said angrily, Why did you give them grapes! If I dont give it to him, he will sit here for an entire day. Its just a bunch of grapes. Its fine, Xia Wen said resignedly as he sat on the stool. I get so angry when I see him! If its not because he came to talk about Qiao Meis matter! I wouldnt have let him in! Xia He punched and kicked in the direction of the door, pretending that she was hitting He Ning. Xia Wen was amused by her expression and held back his laughter as he said, You should be glad that he didnt take away the plate when he took the grapes and left just now. Qiao Mei bought this plate from the antique market. How can he have the cheek to take it away! Im so angry! The next time he comes by, I definitely wont let him off easily! Xia He said angrily. This matter is considered resolved, lets not talk about it in the future. Hurry up and clean up the courtyard. You take some grapes back to Aunt and Ill send some to our parents so that they wont rot here, Xia Wen said mindfully. And Grandpa Zhou! Before Qiao Mei left, she instructed me to send more grapes to Grandpa Zhou when theyre ripe, Xia He said. Sure. The two siblings carefully packed up all the grapes. Xia Wen cut the grapes while Xia He put them into bags at the side. The two of them quickly finished the task with good teamwork. He Ning sat in the car and ate the grapes with relish. He suddenly thought of something and said to Huo Gao, Do you have anything on recently? Me? I have nothing on. Dont I just follow you around? Huo Gao said. Then come with me on a business trip to Foshan Village, He Ning said calmly as if he was talking about going home. Going to the north now would only be harmful to He Nings health and not beneficial at all. His workload would increase again! Can I choose not to go? Cant you ask your attendant to go with you? Huo Gao said bitterly. No, he cant take care of my health. You have to go. Ill pay extra, He Ning said with a smile. He decided to go for the sake of the extra money. After all, two days ago, his wife had told him that she wanted to buy a very expensive skincare product. He did not know much about womens products, but if she liked it, he would buy it for her. Do you really have to go? The weather there is not as comfortable as in the capital. You wont be able to take it, Huo Gao said worriedly. Chapter 629 Speaking "She has so much ginseng there, why would I need to be worried about my health? Let''s hurry up and deal with He Wei''s matter, and get him and his son out. Then send He Mei away and we''ll set off for the northeast." After saying that, He Ning focused on eating the grapes. It did not matter whether he was healthy or not. The efficacy of the ginseng he had was not as good as the 100-year-old ginseng. He must get another 100-year-old ginseng as soon as possible. Qiao Mei did not know that He Ning was going to come and look for her. Lying happily in the rocking chair and basking in the sun was the happiest thing for her every day. She still had some regrets this time round. Back then, she had asked Xia Zhe to make a swing for her in the capital. She wished that she had managed to get him to make one here. This way, not only would she be able to sit on it, but these children would also be able to come and play with it after she left. "Elder sister! It''s time to eat!" Zhang Qin ran over anxiously, sweating profusely. "You''re here. Why are you in such a hurry? Did your brother rush you?" Qiao Mei took out a handkerchief and slowly wiped the sweat off Zhang Qin''s forehead. For the past two days, Qiao Qiang would go to the neighboring village to look for people to play chess with. He said that they had organized a competition. Whoever won first place would host the chess session the next time. In order not to travel back and forth in the future, Qiao Qiang had been working especially hard for the past few days so that he could win first place. "No, it''s because I played with eldest brother at home. Elder sister, let''s go. The food will get cold if we wait any longer," Zhang Qin said with a smile. The two of them returned to Li Gui''s house hand in hand, chatting happily. As soon as they sat down on the brick bed, they heard someone crying outside. "Li Gui! My daughter! You have to save me! You can''t leave me in the lurch!" They could hear hoarse cries from outside, mixed with the sound of children crying. This timing was really coincidental. It happened right at lunchtime and not a minute later. Li Gui put down her bowl and chopsticks and hurriedly walked out. Zhang Chao hid in the corner in fear. Then, he saw Zhang Miao on the brick bed and hesitated before crawling over to hug her. "Brother brother is here Miao, don''t be scared don''t be scared" Zhang Chao said with difficulty. Qiao Mei, Zhang Wei and Zhang Qin all looked at Zhang Chao in surprise. This was the first time Zhang Chao had spoken since he came home! She did not expect Old Madam Li to be that little bit useful, but she must get rid of this scourge today. If this dragged on, it made her feel uneasy, and the children would not be able to live in peace as well. Li Gui hurriedly opened the courtyard door and went forward to help Old Madam Li up. "Mother! What are you doing! Get up quickly! If you need anything, come in and talk." "I''m not getting up! If you don''t help me, I won''t get up! You have to save us! If you also don''t care about us, we won''t be able to survive!" Old Madam Li broke free from Li Gui and knelt on the ground, crying and kowtowing, attracting the attention of many people. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? The news spread like wildfire and countless villagers came to join in the commotion. They would grab every opportunity. Ever since Li Gui came to the village, there had been one incident after another at her place. It made everyone''s lives so much more interesting! "Did something happen at Li Gui''s house again?" "Yes, this person looks like she''s from the neighboring village. It should be her mother. I''ve seen her twice." "Then who are these two girls? Are they the old lady''s daughters?" "Hahahaha, what a joke! It must be her granddaughters! She''s almost 70 years old and her husband has been dead for so many years. If it''s really her children, wouldn''t it be a joke!" Everyone had different opinions and gradually, they said all kinds of nasty things. Li Gui could neither stop Old Madam Li nor disperse the villagers, so all she could do was stand at one side. Qiao Mei waited in the house for a while and realized that there were no signs of the commotion ending. She slowly walked out to see what Old Madam Li wanted. "My life is so hard! I brought you up! Now that our family is in trouble, you don''t even care about me! You unfilial daughter! Are you just going to watch me die!" Old Madam Li shouted as she pointed at Li Gui. "Come into the house with me and have a bite. We''ll talk about other things after you eat." Li Gui went forward to help Old Madam Li up, but just as she placed her hand on Old Madam Li''s arm, Old Madam Li gave her a tight slap. "Why did you hit her!" Auntie Dong hurriedly went forward and grabbed Li Gui, wanting to argue with Old Madam Li. Chapter 630 Why Not Not to be outdone, Old Madam Li stood up and pointed at Auntie Dong as she said, "Who do you think you are! It''s none of your business when I''m teaching my own daughter a lesson! Get lost!" "How dare you! Do you have a pass from the village office! How did you come into our village! Chase her out quickly! Can any Tom, Dick or Harry come to our village!" Auntie Dong shouted as she stood between Old Madam Li and Li Gui with her hands on her hips. She was determined to get involved in this matter! "That''s right! Quickly get lost!" everyone said in unison. "I treat Qiao Mei like my own daughter, so she''s my goddaughter! That means Li Gui is my godsister! I''m definitely getting involved in this matter!" Auntie Dong said. Unexpectedly, after Auntie Dong said this, Old Madam Li did not get angry. Instead, Old Madam Lee looked at her with a smile and said, "If you acknowledge my daughter as your godsister, then aren''t I your godmother? Not only are you not filial to me, but you still insult me. How do we settle this? You have to kneel down and kowtow to me and admit that you''re in the wrong!" "You! You! You''re going too far!" Auntie Dong pointed at Old Madam Li and was so angry that she could not speak. She did not expect this old lady to have such a quick comeback. Why did she not think of this! Qiao Mei stood at the entrance of the courtyard and said with a smile, "Why should she be filial to you? You''ve never even looked at me after I was born. I can make the choice not to acknowledge you as my grandmother, can''t I?" When Auntie Dong saw Qiao Mei, it was as if she had seen her savior. She quickly ran to Qiao Mei''s side and said, "Yes! That''s right! Why should I be filial to you!" Old Madam Li looked at Qiao Mei unhappily and thought to herself, "Qiao Mei is such a jinx! Why is it that nothing good happens every time I meet her!" "Pfft, a dog bites on the strength of its master" Old Madam Li muttered softly. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? No matter how soft her voice was, it did not escape Auntie Dong''s ears. If not for her good vision and sharp hearing, she would not have discovered so much gossip about other people and be called the "know-it-all" of the village. "What did you say! Watch your mouth!" Auntie Dong pointed at Old Madam Li and shouted angrily. "What''s all the fuss about!" Zhao Liang shouted angrily from the back of the crowd. The people around quickly made way for him. Old Madam Li did not panic at all when she saw Zhao Liang. Instead, she looked a little arrogant. "Didn''t I tell you not to come? Why are you here again? Do you have a pass?" Zhao Liang asked with a frown. Old Madam Li calmly took out a crumpled piece of paper from her lapel and handed it to Zhao Liang. He opened it and took a closer look, and realized that it was indeed a pass issued by the village office. There was even an official seal on it! "Look! Look! Isn''t this proof! What are all of you making so much noise!" Old Madam Li said smugly. Since everything was done according to the rules, Zhao Liang could not kick Old Madam Li out. After all, this was Li Gui''s family matter and even if he was a cadre in the village, he had no right to interfere. Auntie Dong also looked at Qiao Mei nervously. They had nothing to hold against Old Madam Li now. Were they really going to let her do whatever she wanted here? If Old Madam Li stayed in the village tonight, Aunty Dong would be too ashamed to face anyone in the village in the future! "This is my daughter! This is my daughter''s house! I have a pass and I''m her biological mother! Why can''t I spend the night in this village!" Old Madam Li said. "I lent my mother the money to build this house. Before my mother pays off her debts, I have the right to decide who can or cannot live in this house. You come to my house without informing me in advance. It''s useless even if you have a pass. If I refuse to let you stay, no one can say anything," Qiao Mei said indifferently. "You little brat! I''m your mother''s biological mother! Your biological grandmother! How dare you treat me like this! My current situation is all caused by you! It''s all your fault that your mother divorced the man from the Zhang family, and now the Zhang family members come to my house every day to cause trouble! What do you think we should do!" Old Madam Li said. "Why don''t the Zhang family members come here to cause trouble after the divorce, but go to your house instead? Don''t tell me you owe the Zhang family something?" Qiao Mei asked curiously. Back then, the entire village knew about Li Gui''s second marriage to Zhang Gui. Even a woman marrying for the first time would find it impossible to get 500 dollars as betrothal gifts, as well as so many large household appliances and a bottle of good wine. For a widow like Li Gui, she was considered to have done well for her wedding to have such a display of extravagance! Chapter 631 Everyone, Do Not Leave Everyone was very envious of Li Gui then, and felt that beautiful people really had more luck. Even though she was a widow, many men came to ask for her hand in marriage. However, the current Li Gui looked like a completely different person from back then. She had only been married to Zhang Qian for more than 10 years, but she looked like she had aged for more than 20 years. After so many years in the Zhang family, she had to bear children as well as take care of the housework. She did not go through her confinement period even once! Old Madam Li and the Zhang family were the same kind of people! "What what can I owe them! That''s the money I deserve!" Old Madam Li said vaguely. "Then who else can the Zhang family look for if not you? Whoever takes the money should be the one to take it out again. This matter is as simple as that," Qiao Mei said. Old Madam Li quickly said, "You can''t say that! I raised her for so many years! Is it wrong of me to take the betrothal gifts from the Zhang family! That is money for my hard work!" Auntie Wang said indignantly, "So you mean you sold your daughter! You''re really shameless to say such things." "What hard work? Have you given my mother nice clothes or bought jewelry for her? Where were you when my mother was seriously ill? Were the betrothal gifts for you! They were for my mother! You took them all away! You even took away the money that my mother gave you to support me! If we calculate everything clearly, don''t you still have to return this money to me?" Qiao Mei asked. Although Old Madam Li was stubborn yesterday and insisted that Li Gui give her money to show her filial piety, everyone knew very well that if they really haggled over the sums, it would show that she had taken more than 500 dollars over the period of more than 10 years. When Old Madam Li could not win with logic, she started to act shamelessly. She immediately lay on the ground and sobbed. "Oh my heavens! Why are you doing this to me! I gave birth to a daughter who is not filial to me! Let me die! Old man, take me away! I don''t want to live anymore!" Li Gui could not bear to see Old Madam Li like this. No matter how badly Old Madam Li treated her, this was still her biological mother! Blood was still thicker than water. This blood relationship could not be severed. Tears welled up in her eyes. She wanted to go forward and help Old Madam Li up a few times, but the people beside her stopped her. "Alright, alright! Just say what you want," Qiao Mei said impatiently. Old Madam Li immediately perked up. She sat up and stretched out her palm as she said, "I want 500 dollars. In the past two days, the Zhang family has taken more than 100 dollars from me and more than 50 dollars from my eldest son. All the valuable items in the house have been taken, so I want 500 dollars!" "We don''t have money for you! Even if you cry yourself to death here, no one will care about you. Everyone, let''s disperse. Don''t stay here to watch the commotion." Qiao Mei waved her hand to dismiss everyone. Auntie Dong pulled Qiao Mei to the side and said anxiously, "You''re so muddle-headed! If you really let her kick up a fuss here, what if she dies? She''s already so old and her health isn''t good. Her health can act up at any time!" Of course Qiao Mei had thought of this. She returned to the house and asked Zhang Wei to bring out a stool. She intended to sit at the entrance and watched Old Madam Li kick up a fuss. When Old Madam Li got tired from shouting, she would give her a bowl of water. When the old woman was hungry, she would give her some wild vegetables to eat. If she really fainted, she would get someone to carry her to the clinic. In any case, she would sit at the door for as long as Old Madam Li could shout. There were so many people at home and they could take turns. How could they not be able to keep an eye on this person? "It''s fine, Auntie Dong. I know what I''m doing. Just wait and see." Qiao Mei patted Auntie Dong''s hand and comforted her. The people standing around gradually dispersed and Old Madam Li started to panic. She had wanted to use this opportunity to force Qiao Mei to submit to her. She knew that Li Gui did not have any money, but Qiao Mei did! As long as she acted shamelessly, Qiao Mei would definitely send her away if she found it annoying. That was what everyone said outside. The old widow and her son from the same village as her seemed to have become different people after returning from the capital. Every day, they would publicize in the village how Qiao Mei''s in-laws were presentable and rich. The amount of money they had could pile up into the shape of a mountain and they would not even be able to spend it all. Why would Qiao Mei be unwilling to part with a mere 500 dollars? "Hey! 400 dollars is fine too! Don''t go! 300 dollars! I want 300 dollars! Everyone, don''t go!" Old Madam Li shouted as she looked around her. Now, only Li Gui''s family, Qiao Mei, Old Madam Li and Auntie Dong were left. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? Aunty Dong was really curious about how Qiao Mei was going to solve this prickly issue. Chapter 632 Protecting The God Of Fortune "Stop shouting. They won''t come back. You should think about where you''re sleeping tonight. Let me make it clear to you. If you''re tired from shouting, we can give you water. But if you''re hungry, there''s nothing to eat. After all, we don''t have enough food ourselves. If you fall ill, we can get someone to send you to the clinic at any time. However, you have to pay for the treatment yourself. You can continue shouting," Qiao Mei said with a smile. To deal with such a scoundrel, one had to be as unreasonable as her. "Li Gui! You can''t just watch your mother going through this! You can''t just ignore your eldest brother, Li Dong. Look at his two children! You can''t just watch us starve to death!" Old Madam Li begged. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? After she could not get anything by being shameless, she started to put on a pitiful act. Such young children had to suffer together with Old Madam Li and become her tools to make money. These children also had a tough life. Li Gui could not bear to let the two children kneel on the cold ground. She was also a mother and could not bear to see children suffer. She tugged at Qiao Mei''s sleeve and whispered, "Mei Mei, why not let them come in and stay for the night. Look at those two children, they''re so pitiful." Qiao Mei could not bear to do it as well, but what could being kind achieve? Could others bully you without any limit just because you were kind? Could you let others trample on you just because you could not bear to take action? Back then, when she almost froze to death and starved to death in Qiao Zhuang''s cowshed, was she not also pitiful? She still managed to survive based on her own determination. Since one could not choose one''s fate, then one would need to fight hard and persevere. Even if her heart ached for these two innocent children, she could not allow Old Madam Li to use the children as leverage again and again. The last time, these two children had already been made use of to beg for food. Now, Old Madam Li was using them as a bargaining chip. If they did not resolve this matter ruthlessly, these two children would be coerced by Old Madam Li again. Moreover, these two children were not Li Gui''s biological children. The four children in the house, as well as her, were the ones who were Li Gui''s own flesh and blood! Li Gui could not even protect herself now, yet she still wanted to save others. Could it be that the lives of the five of them were not precious? If Old Madam Li and the kids stayed tonight, they could never be chased away again. In the future, Zhang Miao and Zhang Chao would only get more sick and their conditions would not improve. "If you want to care about these two children and their lives, and not the lives of your own five children, then I won''t care about this matter anymore. I won''t come to your house again in the future. Let''s go our separate ways and live our own lives, and not get in each other''s way," Qiao Mei said as she looked at Li Gui coldly. "Child, how can you talk like this!" Old Madam Li shouted in a panic. Old Madam Li immediately got up, patted the dust off her thighs and pulled the two children up. If Qiao Mei no longer acknowledged Li Gui, then she would not be able to get any money at all. How much money could she get from Li Gui? If not for Qiao Mei, why would she want to look for Li Gui! This "God of Fortune" must not get away! There was still a long way to go and there would be plenty of time to come and find trouble with them in the future. As long as she came to visit them more often, they would definitely send her away with money if they found her annoying! ? "It''s getting dark! I''ll settle the score with you another day!" With that, Old Madam Li limped away with the two children. Qiao Mei continued to sit on the stool in silence. Auntie Dong noticed the awkward atmosphere and said with a smile, "Oh my, Li Gui, don''t take it to heart! Mei Mei was just saying things out of anger! She was just scaring your mother!" "I''m telling the truth. Mom, I know you''re a kind person, but you have to think of us more. We''re your biological children, right? If you let her in today, then what about Zhang Miao''s illness? Will Zhang Chao be so afraid that he won''t be able to sleep all night? Do you know that Zhang Chao spoke today? What if Old Madam Li enters the house and agitates him, causing his condition to worsen?" Qiao Mei said angrily. Li Gui lowered her head and did not dare to look at Qiao Mei. She said softly, "I I just want to let them stay for one night. I''ll chase them away tomorrow." Qiao Mei was so angry that she could only laugh. She pointed in the direction where Old Madam Li had left and asked, "If you can''t even manage to chase her away today, how are you going to chase her away once she has moved in? The family is already running out of food. Are you going to let my four younger siblings starve to death!" Chapter 633 Unable To Be Ruthless Even though Li Gui understood everything that Qiao Mei said, Old Madam Li was still her biological mother. Even though Old Madam Li treated her badly most of the time, she just could not bring herself to treat Old Madam Li harshly. "I I don''t know either I just feel that since she''s my biological mother, I can''t do this." Li Gui looked at Qiao Mei awkwardly. Li Gui really did not know what to do at the moment. On one hand were her sick children and on the other hand was her lonely old mother. In the face of all this, she did not know what to do. "Forget it, you can think about it yourself. I''m going home," Qiao Mei said in a fit of pique. "Mei Mei! Mei Mei, you haven''t eaten yet! Mei Mei, don''t be angry!" Li Gui shouted as she looked at Qiao Mei''s departing figure. However, she still did not have the courage to grab hold of Qiao Mei. She could only watch her leave step by step. Qiao Mei returned home angrily. At this moment, Qiao Qiang had already returned from his good friend''s house. He had heated up his meal and was listening to the radio on the brick bed as he ate happily. Qiao Mei did not notice Qiao Qiang at all. As soon as she entered the house, she closed the door forcefully, causing the entire house to shake. "Why are you so angry? Who provoked my precious eldest granddaughter? Tell me and I''ll deal with her for you," Qiao Qiang said. "No one provoked me! I''m just angry at myself! I deserve it! I shouldn''t have interfered in my mother''s affairs!" Qiao Mei sat on the brick bed and looked at Qiao Qiang while huffing and puffing. Qiao Qiang put down his bowl and chopsticks and looked at Qiao Mei. "Then who are you angry with? Are you angry with Old Madam Li?" When he returned to the village, he ran into Zhao Liang, who was working in the village office. Zhao Liang told Qiao Qiang everything that had happened in the past two days and he understood why Old Madam Li was here. In the end, it was just because of money. "No! Why would I be angry with someone who has nothing to do with me!" Qiao Mei said. "Then let grandfather make a guess. Did that child Zhang Wei do something wrong? He has been through so much recently and is already much more mature than before. So it shouldn''t be him. Zhang Chao has been obsessed with doing research on his inventions recently and doesn''t talk to anyone at all. It''s even more impossible for Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao to provoke you." Qiao Qiang beat around the bush, not mentioning the key people involved. He just wanted Qiao Mei to say it out herself about who she was angry with and why. Qiao Mei pouted and said, "It''s my mother. She insists on taking pity on Old Madam Li! Tell me why does she take pity on that evil person and the two children she brought with her! It''s one thing for Old Madam Li to squeeze my mother dry in the past, but she''s still doing evil things now. How can such a person be pitied!" Qiao Qiang looked at Qiao Mei and laughed. In the end, she was still a child. Even though she was pregnant and was going to be a mother soon, she had not given birth and raised her own children, so she did not understand how a mother would feel. He did not watch his son, Qiao Yue, grow up but he had raised the two unfilial children of the Liang family. He knew what it felt like to be a parent. As a parent, one could not bear to see one''s children suffer and feel aggrieved. One would want to give them all the good things in the world. Perhaps it was because Li Gui had suffered when she was young, so she could not bear to see other children have similar experiences. She would try to help as much as she could. "Grandfather, say something. Don''t tell me you think my mother did the right thing?" Qiao Mei asked with a frown. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? "How would I know so many things, but grandfather knows that your mother must have her own reasons for doing that. She''s also an adult and should know how to consider the consequences before she does anything. What''s wrong if she''s willing to take responsibility when something happens? What''s the point of you worrying here," Qiao Qiang said with a smile. Qiao Mei suddenly felt dejected. She thought carefully about what Qiao Qiang said and agreed with him. In her eyes, she was trying to help Li Gui get rid of an evil person. However, to Li Gui, the person she was going to get rid of was not an evil person, but Li Gui''s own mother. She put herself in Li Gui''s shoes. She herself did hate Li Gui for abandoning her when she was young, and even if Li Gui had tried to contribute money, she still did not fulfill her duty as a mother. However, she had already forgiven Li Gui now and did not become unfilial to Li Gui because of this. Li Gui was facing the same problem now. Like her, Li Gui could not bring herself to be ruthless to her own mother. Chapter 634 Remember For A Lifetime "I understand now. I won''t interfere in this matter anymore. I was too anxious. I just want those children to be safe and sound," Qiao Mei said. "It''s good that you''ve thought it through. I heard from your Uncle Zhao that Old Madam Li always comes at mealtimes. Did you eat at your mother''s place?" Qiao Qiang asked. Qiao Mei was about to stubbornly say that she had eaten when her hopeless stomach growled. She looked at Qiao Qiang shyly and said, "Hehe, I was too focused on being angry with my mother. Do we still have food at home?" "There''s still food in the pot. I''ll go and get some for you. I''ve only just started eating. Recently, I''ve been so focused on playing chess that I haven''t eaten with you in a long time." Qiao Qiang stood up to get more food for Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei quickly said, "I''ll go on my own! I can still do this kind of thing. Grandfather, don''t be too nervous. My children aren''t that fragile!" "You! If I had accompanied you to the capital, you wouldn''t have been targeted by that Wang family or the Zhao family" For a moment, Qiao Qiang could not remember who had tried to harm Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei came back with the bowl of rice and said, "It''s the He family! Grandfather, why can''t you remember it? Is your memory not too good lately?" "I know everything. But why should I remember the name of a bad guy? If anyone dares to harm you again, I''ll take his life!" Qiao Qiang used his hand to mimic a knife and made a gesture of swinging a big knife, moving his arms a few times in front of Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei was so amused by him that she laughed loudly and said, "Grandfather is the best! So did you win the chess game today?" "Of course! Your grandfather is invincible in the village! Next time, they have to obediently play chess at our house!" Qiao Qiang said proudly. "Grandfather is like a good sword that never dulls! Then you have to take care of your own health. When the bad guys come, you have to protect me well!" Qiao Mei said. "Alright, alright, stop teasing me. Hurry up and eat." After Qiao Qiang and Qiao Mei finished eating, they went back to their rooms to rest. After Li Gui settled the children down for dinner, she did not eat anything and just sat in the courtyard in a daze. She began to regret not chasing after Qiao Mei to explain herself. Yesterday, she had already decided to be a good mother and protect her children well. However, when she saw Old Madam Li, she always felt that she should help Old Madam Li more. She always felt that Old Madam Li still doted on her, and it was just that compared to her two older brothers, Old Madam Li had less time to dote on her. Now that she thought about it carefully, she owed Qiao Mei and these children even more. Zhang Qin tiptoed to Li Gui''s side and appeared in front of Li Gui with her hands behind her back. "Xiao Qin, why are you here to look for mom? What do you have behind you?" Li Gui asked with a smile. Zhang Qin took out the roasted sweet potato she had hidden behind her back and held them up in front of Li Gui like it was a treasure. She said excitedly, "Look! Eldest brother helped Uncle Zhao with some work! Eldest brother roasted this. He said to let mom eat first, then we''ll eat." When Li Gui heard what Zhang Qin said, she was stunned. She looked at the sweet potato, and then at Zhang Qin, as tears gradually welled up in her eyes. She did not expect the children to have learnt to care about her. "Mom''s not hungry. You guys can eat it." Li Gui patted Zhang Qin''s head sadly. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? Zhang Wei ran out and said, "We all have one. Uncle Zhao gave me many and we each have one! The biggest one is for mom!" In the afternoon, Li Gui went to help out at someone else''s house and did not notice what Zhang Wei had brought back. When she heard that all the children each had one to eat, Li Gui felt at ease enough to take the roasted sweet potato from Zhang Qin. This was the first time she had eaten something made by the children. It also reminded her that she had done the same thing for Old Madam Li when she was young. That time, Old Madam Li had praised her for the first time. However, she was still young at that time and felt that her mother''s praise of her was the best reward. Later on, she realized that the sweet potatoes she brought back had all been given to her older brothers. She did not even get to eat a single bite. That was something that she had remembered for a lifetime. She had always lived in misery and would hold on to any bit of sweetness. No matter how ruthlessly and fiercely she was treated, she still did not want to imagine that her loved ones had evil mindsets. Chapter 635 Scoundrel Old Madam Li''s village was more than 20 kilometers away from Foshan Village. It would take at least a day to get there by foot. The one adult and two children casually stopped a horse carriage on the road and set off for their village after discussing the price. By the time they reached the village entrance, it was already dark. They did not expect the coachman to raise the price at the last minute. "You''re going too far in. Give me another 50 cents!" the coachman said unhappily. "Pfft! 50 cents! Why don''t you go rob someone! You''re already charging us a dollar and 50 cents simply for bringing us here from the neighboring village! How dare you ask me for another 50 cents now! I''m not giving it to you!" Old Madam Li said rudely. "If you don''t want to give me, then get off now! Give me a dollar and 50 cents! Otherwise, you have to pay me more!" the coachman said as he glared at Old Madam Li. The village entrance was still four kilometers away from Old Madam Li''s house! It would take at least an hour to walk back. When the two children heard this, they held on tightly to the carriage and refused to get down. "If you don''t send us to our door! We won''t get off! We''ll stay here!" Old Madam Li took the opportunity to lie down in the carriage. She was using her shameless method again, but the coachman did not fall for it. He had seen many people like this after doing this job for so many years! "If you don''t get off, I''ll send you to a place where no one can find you. I don''t think you''re worth much. These two children of yours are not bad. Are you going to pay me or not?" the coachman said as he looked at Old Madam Li sinisterly. "Get down, get down! We''ll walk back ourselves!" Old Madam Li dragged the two children out of the carriage forcefully and reluctantly took out a stack of money from her pocket. She was more afraid of losing her life! The coachman thought that she was a rich person, but when he took a closer look, he realized that the stack of money were denominations of 10 cents and 20 cents. The largest denomination was probably only 50 cents! Old Madam Li reluctantly counted the money and handed it to the coachman. The thick stack instantly reduced to a few notes and the coachman left the village without looking back. "You! The horse carriage will definitely fall into a deep ditch! You''ll die a horrible death!" Old Madam Li muttered as she watched the coachman leave. The two children hugged each other to keep warm from the cold. They were still wearing summer clothes and the clothes were also obviously too big for them. They were wearing tattered clothes that their older brothers discarded. One of the girls kept shivering from the cold and asked in a trembling voice, "Grandma Can we go home now?" "Always rushing me! What are you rushing for! If we don''t go home, are we going to stay here and be food for the wolves! Hurry up and go!" Old Madam Li kicked the two children sulkily. The children staggered behind Old Madam Li and walked for more than two hours before they reached home. Zhao Hong thought that they would all be sleeping at Li Gui''s house tonight, so she turned off the lights and went to bed early. Usually, she could not go to bed until the middle of the night. Old Madam Li forced her to keep doing needlework and housework. As long as it was something that she could do, the old woman would make her do it and did not allow her to rest at all. "Dong dong dong! Dong dong dong!" There were loud bangs at the courtyard door. All the dogs in the village barked wildly when they heard the sound, making it so noisy that no one could fall asleep. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? "Jinx! Open the door quickly! How dare you slack off when I''m not at home! Come out here! Open the door quickly!" Old Madam Li shouted while panting as she kicked the door forcefully. Zhao Hong ran out to open the door for Old Madam Li without even putting on her clothes properly. As soon as she opened the door, she received a slap from Old Madam Li. "Who allows you to go to bed so early! Don''t you know that I''m coming back tonight! Do you even listen to me! Don''t you take my words to heart!" Old Madam Li pointed at Zhao Hong and scolded her. When the two children saw their mother, they quickly shrank back beside Zhao Hong and looked at her timidly, not daring to say anything. "Mother I''m not trying to be lazy" Zhao Hong explained aggrievedly. "Then why! Tell me!" Old Madam Li shouted. "Are you done! Can''t you let me sleep in the middle of the night!" A scolding came from afar. Old Madam Li quickly walked out of the courtyard with small steps. With her hands on her hips, she shouted, "What the hell! You can sleep if you want! How dare you interfere with my family''s business! Come out if you dare! How dare you scold me!" No one in the entire village dared to provoke Old Madam Li. It was not because she was a village tyrant like Qiao Zhuang, but because she was a famous scoundrel in the village! Chapter 636 Bleeding Whoever provoked her would not have a peaceful time for the entire year. She would either stand at your door to curse you or wept at your door until you apologized. Everyone just wanted peace and quiet. No one dared to provoke her. Otherwise, the whole place would definitely be thrown into chaos by her! "Mother, let''s go inside. It''s cold outside," Zhao Hong whispered. After Old Madam Li noted that there were no more scoldings, she snorted and returned to her room to rest. She was tired after walking for the whole day. Zhao Hong suppressed the grievance in her heart and brought the two children to the side room. She noticed that the two children''s shoes were already torn from all the walking. Her younger daughter''s entire sole was covered in blood, while the older child had blisters all over her feet. "Does it hurt It''s all my fault I''m so useless" Zhao Hong looked at her two daughters'' feet with heartache. There was nothing at home that could be used to disinfect the wounds, so she could only wash their feet with water. "Ah! Mommy, it hurts!" The younger daughter screamed as soon as she put her feet into the water. Zhao Hong was so frightened that she quickly covered her younger daughter''s mouth and cried as she said, "Be good. Mommy will be gentle. Bear with it. If you wake grandma up, she will hit you again, understand?" The younger daughter nodded obediently. Zhao Hong brought a towel over and let her bite hard on it so that she would not be able to scream. However, the sounds of pain that the child made still pierced her heart. The mud and blood in the basin were like knives that cut her heart ruthlessly. The Zhang family came to cause trouble and took away all the valuable things in the house. Li Dong abandoned them and brought his two older sons to the county city. The three of them firmly believed that they could make a name for themselves in the county city. From then on, Old Madam Li complained every day. She would hit and scold Zhao Hong whenever she was unhappy. Sometimes, she would even hit and scold Zhao Hong''s two daughters. After she heard the idle chit-chat between the old widow and Wang Yong, she actually wanted to sacrifice Zhao Hong''s two daughters and make use of them to beg Li Gui. Zhao Hong was helpless in the face of these things and could only let Old Madam Li make whatever arrangement she wanted. Even if she felt sorry for the children, she could not even protect herself. How could she protect these two children? The children were in so much pain that they could not sleep. Zhao Hong gently waved the fan in her hand to keep the cold wind blowing on their feet. Only then did the two children feel more comfortable. Old Madam Li was so tired after a long day and did not even managed to get up the next morning. Her snores sounded like thunder. Zhao Hong did her usual chores, bringing in the clothes from the courtyard, cooking for the family, and doing all the things Old Madam Li wanted her to do. She prepared the ingredients and was about to cook when she realized that there was not much firewood left. Her husband and sons were originally the ones who took care of this. Now that there was no one else at home, she had to do it herself. As her posture was wrong when she tried to chop the firewood, she failed several times. Instead, the noise woke Old Madam Li, who was sleeping soundly in the room. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? "What are you doing so early in the morning?! It''s so rare that I''m sleeping so well! Then you wake me up! Do you want me to die early?!" Old Madam Li pushed open the door and shouted fiercely. Zhao Hong threw aside the ax in a panic and said, "No, there''s no more firewood at home. I was about to cook" "Hurry up and do it then! You''re dragging your feet! Why did my son marry a jinx like you!" Old Madam Li muttered as she looked around for the two children. "Where are your two children?" Old Madam Li asked Zhao Hong. Zhao Hong''s heart skipped a beat. Trouble was brewing. "Mother, the children''s feet are bleeding. They really can''t walk that far," Zhao Hong said. "What are you talking about! So what if there''s blood! Just bandage it up! How can they be so delicate! When I was young, I was fine even if I walked more than 20 miles on the mountain path! Just walk more and it''s fine!" Old Madam Li said stubbornly. Zhao Hong knelt in front of Old Madam Li with a plop and begged, "Mother, these two children will get hurt if they walk again! They really can''t walk! Why don''t we rest for a while and go again in two days?" The wounds on the soles of the two children''s feet were not disinfected yet. If there was any serious infection, their limbs would need to be amputated! At that time, Old Madam Li definitely would not be willing to pay for the children''s treatment. Then the children would definitely die! Even if she would get beaten up today, she had to protect these two children! "You dare to resist me? Who gave you the guts! How dare you talk back to me! Is it because my son isn''t around and you think you can call the shots in this family!" Old Madam Li said angrily. Chapter 637 Worse Than Livestock "No, no! I''m just thinking that if we visit them repeatedly and they get annoyed, then the more we won''t be able to get the money?" Zhao Hong said cautiously. Old Madam Li was about to retort, but then she felt that what Zhao Hong said made sense. After all, Qiao Mei''s attitude yesterday was already very bad. Even if she went again today, nothing good was going to come out of it. If Qiao Mei really cut ties with Li Gui, then Li Gui would be of no value at all. Perhaps her four children would be able to earn money when they grew up and she could still get some money then. However, she was not sure if she would still be alive by then! She was already almost 70 years old. By the time those children grew up, she would be 90 years old! There was no way that she would have the strength to go and cause trouble for them. "Then you tell me, what should we do about this matter?" Old Madam Li asked. Zhao Hong had always been a person with no opinion. At this point in time, asking her to think of ways to harm and deceive others now was just making life difficult for her. All her life, she had only followed instructions and it was never her place to make decisions. "Mother You also know that I''m stupid, but I do know that if you travel such a long distance every day, what if you tire yourself out after a long time? Won''t we be at a disadvantage then?" Zhao Hong said. Although Old Madam Li was old, she used to be an expert climber in the village. When she was young, no one was as fast or as good as her. No one would believe it if she got tired or became sick from walking more than 20 miles. "I really feed you for nothing! It''s better to feed livestock than to give food to you! What a waste! What good is your brain for!" Old Madam Li pointed at Zhao Hong and scolded her. Zhao Hong knelt on the ground and did not dare to make a sound. It was fine to just get a scolding, but if she talked back and got beaten up, that would be really miserable! "Why are you still kneeling here! Hurry up and cook! Are you going to starve me to death! Get lost, get lost!" Old Madam Li waved her hand sulkily to send Zhao Hong away. Zhao Hong ran to the kitchen with tears in her eyes. She had no right to speak in this house. Old Madam Li was right. She was indeed inferior to livestock. The livestock belonging to others could at least rest after they worked in the fields, but she did not get any rest all year round and still had to be beaten and scolded every day. Back then, her father had owed Old Man Li 200 dollars and really could not repay the debt, so he gave her to the Li family to be their daughter-in-law. If not for that, her life would not have been so miserable. It was so unfair! "Cry, cry, cry! All you can do is to cry! If you''re really capable! Find my son and my grandsons! I''ve worked so hard for most of my life and thought that I could enjoy life with my children and grandchildren for the next few decades. In the end, ever since a jinx like you married into the family, nothing had gone smoothly!" Old Madam Li cursed in the courtyard. She often muttered to herself about how tough her life had been, and scolded Zhao Hong for being useless. She could repeat all these more than a thousand times a day. Anyone who passed by the Li family''s main door would see Old Madam Li beating and scolding Zhao Hong. In the past, there was a kind villager who secretly gave Zhao Hong some ointment to help her wounds recover quickly. Unexpectedly, Old Madam Li saw what happened. Old Madam Li went to that person''s house and caused a scene for a week. Later on, when everyone in the village saw Zhao Hong, they all avoided her, afraid that Old Madam Li would misunderstand them if they spoke to her. For people like Old Madam Li, as long as one was a tiny bit related to her, one would get skinned alive by her. If one did not give her money, she would definitely cause a lot of trouble. The second son of the Li family, Li Xiong, could not stand Old Madam Li''s actions. That was why he left the village with his wife and children and settled down somewhere else. He did not even come back once during the new year and festive season. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? If not for the fact that the eldest son, Li Dong, was useless, they would have long distanced themselves from Old Madam Li as well! After mealtime, Zhao Hong went into the room to check on the two children''s feet. She could not see clearly at night, but now that she could, she was flabbergasted. A pair of originally fair little feet were covered in wounds and there were parts which had already started to fester and even bleed. The other child''s blisters had also been burst from rubbing against the rough cotton blanket. There was not an unhurt spot on either child''s feet. If the wounds were not disinfected, the condition of the children''s feet would only become more serious. If infection set in and the flesh rotted to the bone, they would not be able to keep their feet! Chapter 638 Helping Out Of Kindness Zhao Hong took advantage of the time when Old Madam Li was taking an afternoon nap to rush to the village clinic. However, she did not have a single cent on her. It was most likely that she would not be able to get rubbing alcohol or anything that could be used for disinfection. She could not care less now and could only brace herself to go and ask. If she had to steal it, she would! "Excuse me is the doctor here?" Zhao Hong pushed open the door and asked cautiously. "Ah, Sister Zhao. What''s the matter?" The person on duty today was Liu Xiao, the new young doctor from the county city. This village was her hometown. Back then, she went to the city alone to work and had a tough time as most people there did not like someone from the countryside. Therefore, she came home to work. Zhao Hong clenched her fists tightly and said awkwardly, "My my children have blisters on their feet and the wounds are bleeding There''s pus coming out as well. I want to get some medicine for them." "Then what kind of medicine do you want? If you want the child to feel less pain, I will suggest that you use iodine as it''s painful to use rubbing alcohol. But iodine is more expensive than rubbing alcohol. They''ll be fine after taking some anti-inflammatory medicine as well," Liu Xiao said with a smile. Seeing that this doctor was easy to talk to, Zhao Hong became even more nervous and guilty. She whispered, "I I don''t have money Can I owe you first!" The smile on Liu Xiao''s face suddenly became awkward. The clinic did not accept credit. This was a rule set by the higher-ups, so it was not appropriate for her to make an exception. "I can''t, Sister Zhao. I''m just an employee at the clinic. Look, it''s not easy for me as well. If the superiors question me, I won''t be able to explain myself," Liu Xiao said awkwardly. When Zhao Hong heard this, she hurriedly knelt down in front of Liu Xiao and kowtowed. "Please! I beg you! If I can''t get the medicine! My two daughters will die! Please! Please save my daughters!" Liu Xiao was so shocked that she quickly went forward to help Zhao Hong up and said, "Sister Zhao, what are you doing! Get up quickly! Even if you do this, I can''t give it to you!" "But I really have no choice! My children''s feet won''t stop bleeding and they''re not getting better yet. I really have no choice. Please save my children!" Zhao Hong cried. Liu Xiao really could not bear to see Zhao Hong like this because of her children. When Liu Xiao left the village, she was only 16 years old. At that time, Zhao Hong was still very young and beautiful. The person in front of her now looked like a completely different person from before. She was so thin that there was only skin and bones left! She also did not want the two children to have any aftereffects. As a doctor, she could not leave them in the lurch. Liu Xiao took a bottle of rubbing alcohol from the back of the shelf as well as some gauze and handed them to Zhao Hong. "Take this first. This is all I can do. Go back quickly to take care of the children." Zhao Hong looked at Liu Xiao in disbelief. She did not expect someone to really be willing to help her. After feeling agitated, she felt worried that she would not be able to pay Liu Xiao back. She looked at Liu Xiao nervously and said, "I I don''t have money to give you" "It''s fine. I''ll pay for it. Saving someone is more important," Liu Xiao said with a smile. "Thank you! Thank you so much! When my children recover, I''ll definitely bring them here to thank you. No, no, no! To kowtow to you!" Zhao Hong said agitatedly. "No need, no need! When you go back, use this to disinfect the wounds properly. Make sure that you clean up all the dirt first before wrapping it with gauze. Keep it dry and let it breathe. It''ll get well slowly if you take good care," Liu Xiao said. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? Zhao Hong wanted to kowtow to Liu Xiao a few more times to express her gratitude, but Liu Xiao stopped her and said, "Oh my! Sister Zhao, get up quickly. It''s more important to save the children. Go back quickly." "Yes! Yes! Yes!" Zhao Hong kept turning around to thank Liu Xiao even as she walked out. She accidentally bumped into the head of the clinic, Hai Hua. "Why don''t you look where you''re going! Isn''t this the eldest daughter-in-law of the Li family? Why are you here today?" Hai Hua looked at Zhao Hong in confusion. Zhao Hong nervously ran off with the rubbing alcohol and bandages in her arms and did not say a word. Hai Hua looked at Zhao Hong in puzzlement as she left. The sun had really risen from the west. When did the Li family have the money to buy medicine? They were so poor that even rats would cry after entering their house. "How strange. Why would she have money? Don''t tell me she stole money from her family," Hai Hua asked Liu Xiao in confusion. Chapter 639 - 639 Getting Beaten Up 639 Getting Beaten Up Liu Xiao said resignedly, I bought it for her. She said that her children were seriously injured and would die if the wounds were not disinfected. I had no choice. Hai Hua smiled meaningfully and patted Liu Xiaos shoulder. Youre still too young. You just came back and havent heard about what happened in the village in the past two years. No Liu Xiao shook her head in confusion. Hai Hua did not say anything else. She only told Liu Xiao to pray for the best and hope that Old Madam Li did not come to confront her. !! After all, she was that kind person from back then. If not for the fact that she helped Zhao Hong out of kindness back then, she would not have been targeted by Old Madam Li. Zhao Hong did not care about how others looked at her along the way and ran home happily. She stared fixedly at the bottle of rubbing alcohol, afraid that she would accidentally drop it. These were life-saving medicines for the two children. As soon as she stepped into the courtyard, she heard a whisper that seemed to come from the mouth of a demon. Where did you go? Old Madam Li said as she stood by the pillar behind the door. The moment Old Madam Li woke up, she realized that Zhao Hong had disappeared. The two children were still lying sickly on the brick bed. There were so many things waiting for her to do at home, yet she still dared to go out on her own at this time. She was simply being so disrespectful! She had then taken a stool to sit behind the door and waited for Zhao Hong to return! Zhao Hong hurriedly hid the rubbing alcohol and bandages behind her back and said, I I just went for a walk I didnt do anything Went for a walk? Isnt the courtyard at home big enough for you to walk around? Could it be that you were out having an affair! Do you have a man outside! How dare you betray my son! Betray the Li family! Old Madam Li said as she pointed at Zhao Hong angrily. Zhao Hong quickly shook her head and said, No! Its not like that! Theres really no such thing! Old Madam Li picked up the big stick beside her and pointed it at Zhao Hong as she asked, Then where did you go! Tell me! If you dont tell me, you must be having an affair! If she told Old Madam Li that she had gone to the clinic to get medicine, Old Madam Li would definitely suspect that she had stolen money from the family or that she had hidden away some money. When Li Dong returned, she would not have an easy time either! She definitely could not say anything about this! If she did, the children would be out of hope! She might even implicate Liu Xiao! Im not! I really just went for a walk! Zhao Hong said stubbornly. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? Old Madam Li gritted her teeth in anger. If she did not beat up Zhao Hong today, it would be difficult to vent the hatred in her heart! Over the past few days, after going to look for her wretched daughter Li Gui in Foshan Village, she did not get a single meal or a single cent out of her! She even had to spend money out of her own pocket! How unlucky! Old Madam Li used all her strength to raise the stick and hit Zhao Hong. Zhao Hong screamed in pain and ran around the courtyard. When Old Madam Li was not paying attention, she threw everything that Liu Xiao gave her into the pile of firewood. Then she fell onto the firewood and pressed her back against it so that Old Madam Li could not see anything. Ill beat you to death! How dare you dodge! Ill teach you a good lesson today! Ill beat you to death! Ill beat you to death! Old Madam Li waved the big stick with a lot of effort and only stopped when she was exhausted and panting. Zhao Hong was already covered in wounds from the beating and there was not a single unharmed spot on her body. Remember this! If I find out that you go out without informing me or go sneaking around again! Ill get my son to beat you to death! Do you hear me! Old Madam Li shouted as she held the big stick. I Ill remember that Zhao Hong said softly. Old Madam Li hit Zhao Hong again and shouted, Louder! Havent you eaten! Didnt you shout very loudly just now! Ill remember that! Zhao Hong shouted with a sob. Old Madam Li nodded in satisfaction and threw the stick aside. She rubbed her shoulders and returned to the house. As she walked, she muttered, Its so tiring, you thick-skinned thing! You really dont know how to appreciate favors! Why did my son marry you back then! Zhao Hong continued to lay motionlessly on the firewood pile. She would probably be covered in bruises again after this beating. Fortunately, the old woman had only used a stick this time. If she had used the bamboo cane at home, her skin and flesh would definitely be lacerated! Zhao Hong got up with great difficulty and took the items from the firewood pile and stuffed them into her clothes. She hid them in the room she shared with the children. She could not apply the medicine for the children yet and could only do it after Old Madam Li fell asleep at night. Chapter 640 - 640 Giving Ideas 640 Giving Ideas Zhao Hongs older daughter, her third child, cried and asked, Mom did you get beaten up again Zhao Hong forced a smile and walked over with difficulty to pat her childs head. Be good. It doesnt hurt. Mom is fine. Dont worry But this part is swollen The child reached out and pointed at Zhao Hongs wrist. If her child did not say anything, Zhao Hong would not have noticed it herself. In her panic, she had used her arm to block the stick just now and her wrist was so swollen that it was almost the size of her palm. She was already used to such injuries. Its fine. Mom will be fine tomorrow! Dont worry, go and sleep now, Zhao Hong said sadly. After comforting her two younger children to sleep, she dragged her injured body to the courtyard to do farm work. She worked until it was dark and then she prepared food for Old Madam Li before going to do needlework. It was only when Old Madam Li fell asleep in the middle of the night that she quietly returned to the room and woke the children up to apply medicine for them. The two children were also very obedient and bit the cloth tightly without making a sound. They only fell asleep when she was all done. Zhao Hong looked at the rubbing alcohol in her hand and then at the wounds on her own body. In the end, she chose to keep it for the children. She did not need to use these things. Early the next morning, she repeated the same chores she did yesterday. Just like that, she lived day after day without any joy or expectation. Her only motivation to persevere was her children. As long as the children grew up safely, she did not have any other needs or desires. Old Madam Li still looked for excuses to scold her as usual, but it was different today. For some reason, she had the thought of asking Li Gui for money again and insisted that the two children accompany her to Foshan Village. She wanted to use the two childrens injuries to threaten Li Gui. Quick, ask them to come with me. Dont block my way! Old Madam Li said stubbornly. These childrens parents are Li Dong and me, not Li Gui. Even if theyre sick, Li Gui wont feel sorry for them! Mother! Zhao Hong said. So what if theyre not her children? How can she leave them in the lurch! Old Madam Li said. Mother! These two children really cant walk anymore! Li Gui didnt pity these two children the last time! She definitely wont this time round! Isnt her own child also sick! Why would she care about my children! Zhao Hong said. Old Madam Li thought about it carefully and felt that it did make sense. However, these two children were the only ones who were sick and no one else was feeling unwell. Mother what if you say youre sick? Zhao Hong said vaguely. Old Madam Li started to roar angrily again, Are you cursing me to die! You asshole! Am I an eyesore to you being alive! Have you wanted me dead for a long time! No! No! What I mean is that you pretend to be sick to trick Li Gui into coming back, Zhao Hong quickly explained. This was a good idea! She was Li Guis biological mother! How could Li Gui not come back! If Li Gui did not come back, she would say that Li Gui was unfilial! Then she could go to their village to kick up a fuss. If she was sick, she would definitely be able to get money for treatment! She must ask Li Gui to bring more money! This way, she would not have to tire herself out and could make Li Gui bring the money over obediently. This was a good idea! Not bad, not bad. Your idea is very good. I didnt expect you to be enlightened after being beaten up yesterday! Then you can be the one to go and relay the message. Just say that Im going to die of illness and I urgently need money. Ask Li Gui to bring money quickly to send me for treatment, Old Madam Li said happily. Zhao Hong quickly agreed to Old Madam Lis request. Without even eating, she went to the village to apply for a pass. By the time she reached Foshan Village, it was already dusk. After walking for a day, coupled with the fact that she was injured and did not have any food or water, she was already dizzy and could not see the road ahead clearly. She found a big tree by the roadside and held on to it for support as she panted heavily. Auntie Dong had just returned from the county city. There was an event at the black market in the county city today and many people secretly brought their things to sell there. The crowd was three times bigger than usual! ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? She had sold all the things she brought there today and made quite a bit of money. For the first time, Auntie Dong bought herself a red headband and decided to doll herself up a little. Before she could enter the village, from afar, she saw a person holding onto a tree motionlessly. Not long after, the person fell down under the tree. Chapter 641 Making Things Worse Auntie Dong hurriedly ran forward to help. When she took a closer look, she realized that it was Li Gui''s eldest sister-in-law! Zhao Hong''s face was extremely pale at this moment. No matter how Auntie Dong shook her, there was no reaction and she did not even seem to be breathing. Auntie Dong was so frightened that she quickly took a few steps back. Could it be that this person is dead! She did not do anything! This matter had nothing to do with her! How could she have encountered such a thing for no rhyme or reason! She had only taken two steps away when she could not help herself from turning back to look at Zhao Hong. If she left Zhao Hong here alone and no one passed by, would the woman not become food for the wolves at night? Auntie Dong walked back slowly and squatted in front of Zhao Hong nervously. She reached out with her finger to check if Zhao Hong was breathing. The interval between each breath was longer than usual, but at least she could confirm that the woman was still alive. She heaved a sigh of relief, but now she had a new problem. She could not move Zhao Hong on her own. Moreover, the clinic was very far from here. How could she send Zhao Hong for treatment? "Um wait for me here! I''ll go get someone!" Auntie Dong patted the unconscious Zhao Hong nervously, as if trying to explain her actions. She looked extremely comical. Auntie Dong ran all the way to the village office to look for Zhao Liang. Before Zhao Liang could open his mouth, she grabbed him and pulled him along. "Where are you taking me!" Zhao Liang asked curiously as he ran next to her. "To save someone! Li Gui''s eldest sister-in-law has fainted at the village entrance! I can''t do anything by myself!" Auntie Dong said in a panic. Zhao Liang hurriedly called the villagers nearby to go with him to the village entrance to carry Zhao Hong to the clinic, while Auntie Dong went to Li Gui''s house to inform her. "Li Gui! Sister! Come out quickly! Your eldest sister-in-law is going to die!" Auntie Dong hurriedly ran to Li Gui''s house and shouted. Li Gui walked out of the house in confusion and asked, "What eldest sister-in-law? When did I have a eldest sister-in-law?" "The one from your maternal family! Your eldest sister-in-law! Come with me quickly! Come with me to save her!" Auntie Dong said. Li Gui did not even have time to instruct Zhang Wei to take care of his younger siblings. She threw down her apron and followed Auntie Dong. It was only when she reached the clinic that she realized it was Zhao Hong. Why would Zhao Hong suddenly come here? "Who''s the patient''s family members?" the doctor asked. Li Gui quickly stood in front of the crowd and said, "Me. Doctor, how is she? Is it serious?" "She has many bruises and old injuries on her body. The reason why she fainted is because she''s weak and had not eaten or drank anything. She''ll be fine after going home and taking a good rest, but she will need a long time to recover from her injuries," the doctor said expressionlessly. Li Gui silently noted down what the doctor said and carried Zhao Hong back to her house with Zhao Liang''s help. She already needed to take care of Zhang Miao. It was ridiculous that now there was another person she needed to look after. This was simply making things worse! Her life had become even more difficult! "Mom, who is this auntie?" Zhang Qin asked as she pointed at the unconscious Zhao Hong. Li Gui thought for a moment and said, "You should call her Eldest Aunt-in-law. This is Mom''s elder brother''s wife. Do you understand?" Zhang Qin nodded as if she vaguely understood. Zhang Wei stood at the door silently and observed everything. He knew very well that this person was from his grandmother''s house and definitely did not have any good intentions! Everyone in that family was bad! Zhang Wei hurriedly ran to inform Qiao Mei. However, when he reached Qiao Mei''s house, he started to hesitate. Qiao Mei was only his half-sister. It was not good for him to trouble her again and again over trivial matters at home. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? Furthermore, his elder sister was pregnant. His brother-in-law had told him not to let his sister work too hard. As a man, he should take the initiative to bear the responsibility. Zhang Wei stared blankly at the door for a long time. In the end, he decided not to tell Qiao Mei about this matter. "Xiao Wei! Why are you standing at the door and not coming in!" Qiao Qiang shouted as he craned his neck. Qiao Mei then realized that Zhang Wei was at the door. She walked to his side and asked, "What''s wrong? Why don''t you come in when you''re already at the door?" Zhang Wei instantly burst into tears. He did not want Qiao Mei to know about the struggle that was going on in his heart, so he looked down and tried to escape. Qiao Mei quickly held Zhang Wei down. Her strength was like a huge rock pressing down on Zhang Wei''s shoulder. Even Xia Zhe could not get away from Qiao Mei''s ridiculous strength, let alone Zhang Wei. "What''s wrong? Why are you crying? Are you hungry?" Qiao Mei asked gently. Chapter 642 Know Everything Zhang Wei still refused to say what he was really thinking and only said aggrievedly to Qiao Mei, "Elder sister you''re hurting me" Qiao Mei quickly let go of Zhang Wei''s shoulder. She did not use much strength, so how could it hurt? Could it be that what she meant by not using much strength was different from what ordinary people meant? "Oh, oh, oh! I forgot! I''m sorry, Xiao Wei. But why are you crying?" Qiao Mei asked as she massaged Zhang Wei''s shoulder. "I''m not crying Uncle Chen Hu said that a man can bleed or sweat but not cry," Zhang Wei said with his head lowered. "Our Xiao Wei is such a capable boy. Then what''s that on your face? Is it your sweat?" Qiao Mei teased. Qiao Mei knew that Zhang Wei must have come around because of Li Gui. She was in the courtyard in the afternoon and Auntie Dong''s voice was almost as loud as someone using the loudspeakers in the village. If she still could not hear it, she must be deaf. "Let''s go. Elder sister will go back with you. I''ll go and see how Zhang Miao is doing," Qiao Mei said with a smile. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? Zhang Wei grabbed Qiao Mei and said, "Elder sister, today Zhang Miao has already gone to bed today. Why don''t you visit Zhang Miao when she''s awake?" Qiao Mei reached out and flicked Zhang Wei''s head. "Alright, don''t try to find an excuse for mom. Elder sister is not angry about this. I''ll go and see how that person is." After saying that, Qiao Mei strode towards Li Gui''s house, leaving Zhang Wei standing there in a daze. By the time Zhang Wei reacted, Qiao Mei was already almost at the door of his house. "Sigh looks like I can''t hide anything from elder sister." Zhang Wei sighed and quickly ran to Qiao Mei''s side to go back with her. Li Gui was washing the children''s clothes in the courtyard. When she saw Qiao Mei, she immediately felt happy and thought that Qiao Mei had forgiven her. "Mei Mei, you''re here. Come and sit down!" Li Gui brought over the most comfortable stool in the house as if she was trying to curry favor with Qiao Mei. She was worried that the stool was dirty, so she even wiped it with her sleeve and placed a soft cushion on it for Qiao Mei. It could be said that she did everything meticulously. Qiao Mei did not want to argue with Li Gui about right and wrong. She just wanted Li Gui to think more for herself and the four young children in this family. She did not want them to be weak and being bullied, to the extent that as long as others threatened her, she would give them everything. However, Li Gui was not to blame for what happened to Zhao Hong today. Even if Zhao Hong was scheming, it was still a life at stake. If it were her, she would have saved Zhao Hong too. Qiao Mei had interacted with Zhao Hong before and knew that she was a timid person. It was impossible for her to do anything earth-shattering. If she was really a scheming person, she would not have been bullied by Old Madam Li to this extent. She was just doing Old Madam Li''s bidding. "How''s Zhao Hong?" Qiao Mei asked. Li Gui looked at Qiao Mei uneasily and said, "Oh, you already know about this The doctor said that she''s fine. She fainted because she''s been malnourished for a long time and also due to her injuries. After she wakes up, she''ll feel better after eating something." "Auntie Dong''s voice is so loud that it''s difficult for me not to know about it even if I don''t want to. Have you paid the clinic?" Qiao Mei looked at Li Gui expressionlessly. Li Gui nodded in embarrassment, then shook her head. Qiao Mei sighed and took out some money from her pocket to give to Zhang Wei. "Go and pay the medical fees at the village clinic and also buy Zhang Miao''s medicine for next month. Go and get the bicycle from grandfather. Be careful." Zhang Wei looked at Li Gui and then at the money in Qiao Mei''s hand. He muttered softly, "Why is our family paying for this" "Alright, we''ll talk about it when you come back. We can''t let the villagers laugh at us and say that we owe money," Qiao Mei said. Zhang Wei silently took the money from Qiao Mei and did as she instructed. "Mei Mei, there''s actually no need to" Li Gui said. "No? If we don''t pay, then who will? Zhao Hong? Do you think Zhao Hong looks like she has money? If the villagers find out that we owe the clinic money, what will they think of us? What will they think of these children?" Qiao Mei said. The more she thought about it, the more she could not understand what Li Gui was thinking. Even Zhang Wei knew that Zhao Hong was not a good person, so how could Li Gui not understand it? At this moment, Zhao Hong had woken up. Looking at the unfamiliar scene in front of her, she did not know if she was still alive or already in the netherworld. Chapter 643 Raising Money To Save Someone Zhao Hong slapped herself a few times. She could still feel pain, which meant that she was still alive. She started to feel dejected. How good would it be if she was dead... When Qiao Mei and Li Gui heard the noise, they went into the house to Zhao Hong''s side. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? "Eldest sister-in-law, you''re awake. Drink some warm water first." Li Gui handed a glass of water to Zhao Hong. "Thank you. What happened to me?" Zhao Hong asked. "The doctor said that you''re malnourished. You were too tired from walking all the way here, so you fainted. You''ll be fine after a few days of rest," Li Gui said. ? Qiao Mei sat quietly at the side and did not say anything. She only looked at the bruises on Zhao Hong''s body. These injuries looked like they were caused by being beaten with a stick and many of them were old injuries. In the Li family, if it was not her husband Li Dong who hit her, then it would be Old Madam Li. Qiao Mei did not expect such an old person to still have so much strength. When Zhao Hong heard that she had been sent to the clinic, the expression on her face changed instantly. She said nervously, "How much money did I spend at the clinic... I don''t have any money to give you..." "You don''t have money? Then you can return it to me when you have money in the future. Since we''re relatives, I''m not in any hurry. Just give me an IOU and a fingerprint," Qiao Mei said to Zhao Hong with a grin. "I might not be able to repay it in the future as well..." Zhao Hong said as she lowered her head. "It''s probably just one or two dollars. Can''t you earn it by selling some vegetables on the black market over a day or two? There''s no hurry," Qiao Mei said. There was indeed a private plot of land at home and Zhao Hong had also planted vegetables a few times. However, there were three adults and four children at home and that bit of vegetables was not even enough for them to eat. How could there be any extra vegetables for her to sell on the black market? The embroidery items she did at night could indeed be sold for a few dollars, but all the money would be snatched away by Old Madam Li and the old woman would not leave a single cent for her. "I... I''ll think of a way..." Zhao Hong said. Li Gui asked tentatively, "Why are you here in our village?" Zhao Hong looked at the sky outside and asked, "Oh yes! I have something to tell you! How long have I been asleep?" "The villagers found you not long after you fainted and sent you to the clinic. You only slept for an hour or two before you woke up," Li Gui said. Fortunately, the day was not over yet. If she only woke up the next day and Old Madam Li did not see her, the old woman would think that she had run away on her own. "I came to tell you... Mother is sick and needs money for treatment now. She wants you to go back and see her as soon as possible..." Zhao Hong said. Qiao Mei sneered. What a coincidence. That woman just returned home the day before yesterday and had fallen ill today. From the looks of the injuries on Zhao Hong''s body, it did not seem as if all of them were from a long time ago. Her wrist was so red and swollen that it must be a new injury. This must be a lie made up by Old Madam Li to cheat money. She did not even bother to look for any of her sons. Instead, she looked for her married daughter. Furthermore, this sickness came at a time after she failed to get any money from her daughter during her earlier visits. "What illness? When I saw her the day before yesterday, she was still fine and energetic, kowtowing at the door of this courtyard. Everyone in the village saw it. Why did she fall sick after she returned? Could it be an infectious disease?" Qiao Mei said. Zhao Hong avoided eye contact with Qiao Mei and Li Gui. She lowered her head and said, "No, it''s just an old issue." "Why don''t I know that my mother has an old issue? Hasn''t she always been in good health?" Although Li Gui had not taken the initiative to contact Old Madam Li all these years, Old Madam Li would basically look for Li Gui and ask her for money every month. In the past, she used Qiao Mei as an excuse to cheat Li Gui of her money. Later on, she used Li Gui''s two brothers'' impending marriages as an excuse to ask for money for the betrothal gifts. Later on, she also asked for money on adhoc occasions. Li Gui had never seen Old Madam Li sick before. Why did she suddenly fall ill? "Maybe... maybe it''s because the Zhang family has been coming to cause trouble recently... In addition, Li Dong brought his sons to the county city and doesn''t want to come back. There''s nothing to eat at home, so she must be so hungry that her illness is acting up... Look at me, I''m also unwell!" Zhao Hong said nervously. "Then how''s mother now?" Li Gui asked. "Now... now she''s lying at home and can''t manage to eat anything. The doctor said that she might die if she doesn''t get treatment, so she asked me to come and look for you to quickly raise the money to go back and save her," Zhao Hong said. Chapter 644 No Way Qiao Mei asked puzzledly, "Then where are her two sons? Shouldn''t they be by her side at this time?" Li Dong did not help out with anything at home and would not have any money to give to Old Madam Li. At most, he only did some chores at home and then go to the village to earn some work points. He could not be bothered to do anything else. Old Madam Li did not dare to look for Li Xiong after so many years. She heard that Li Xiong had become rich, but when Li Xiong cut ties with her back then, it was all signed and stamped with witnesses present. So she felt too shameful to look for Li Xiong! "They''ve all gone out to work. They don''t have access to phones and we can''t contact them. The only person she can count on now is you, Li Gui," Zhao Hong said as she held Li Gui''s hand. She had to think of a way to persuade Li Gui to go back with her today. To make Li Gui go back, she would say anything. There were still two children waiting for her at home. If she could not persuade Li Gui by tomorrow night, these two children would not be able to survive the winter. ???????????????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????????????? ???????? ????????????????????-????????????.???????????? "Then what exactly is her illness? Didn''t the doctor say?" Qiao Mei asked. Zhao Hong stammered and could not say anything. She had made it all up, so how could she know what illness Old Madam Li had! She said casually, "Mother doesn''t have the money to go to the doctor. All the money at home has been taken by the Zhang family. We can''t even afford to eat now, so how does she have the money to save herself? That''s why she asked me to look for Li Gui." "So she needs money because she''s sick. But my younger sister is lying in bed and also needs money to treat her illness. We don''t have any money left." Since they kept making themselves out to be so pitiful, Qiao Mei might as well start complaining about being poor too. Zhao Hong turned around and looked at Zhang Miao. She had also heard about this matter, but she thought Qiao Mei had paid for Zhang Miao''s medical fees when Zhang Miao was unconscious? Then Qiao Mei must still have money. "Li Gui, go back and save mother. If you don''t save her, she will really die!" Zhao Hong cried. "Is whatever you said true?" Li Gui asked. "Absolutely true! If it''s a lie, why would I come all the way here to look for you!" Zhao Hong said. ? Li Gui could not stand Zhao Hong''s pleading, but she did not have any money left and could only ask Qiao Mei for help. She pulled Qiao Mei out of the house and whispered, "Um Mei Mei, can you lend me some money? Take it that I''m borrowing it! I''ll definitely return it to you! I''ll write you an IOU! I want to go back and see my mother." Qiao Mei looked at Li Gui in disbelief and said, "Don''t tell me you really think that Old Madam Li is sick! She''s lying to you!" Could anyone really be so stupid? If she was really sick, how could she beat Zhao Hong up like that? If she had no food, she would definitely have fainted on the way like Zhao Hong. It would definitely not be the current situation. There was no clarity on her illness and they only knew that she was about to die. This must be a lie! "I don''t think she''s lying You''ve also seen her condition when she brought the children over these past two days, so can you can you lend me some money first? I''ll definitely return it to you!" Li Gui begged. Qiao Mei shook her head helplessly and looked at Li Gui in disappointment. "My money is not meant to be squandered like this. This is clearly a trap, so why do you still want to go?" "I But what if it''s true! What if she''s really sick?" Li Gui still did not believe that Zhao Hong would lie to her. Her reasoning was that Old Madam Li did not use her own life as an excuse to ask her for money for so many years, so why would she say that now? This matter must be true. Even if it was not true, she still wanted to make sure that her mother could remain alive. "I won''t lend you this money. Think of another way. If Old Madam Li dies and needs to buy a coffin, you can come and tell me. I''ll definitely fork out the money to get a beautiful coffin to send her on her way!" Qiao Mei shouted towards the house. On one hand, she was saying it to Li Gui. On the other hand, she also wanted Zhao Hong to know that there was no way they could get money from her! "Mei Mei! Please! Don''t be like this! Can''t you take it that I''m borrowing from you? Just treat it as you''re helping me, okay? Just treat it as you''re saving me!" Li Gui said. "No! You''d better think of another way! I''ll need money when I give birth! No matter what you encounter this time, I won''t help you anymore! Find someone else!" Qiao Mei said angrily. Chapter 645 Do Not Care Anymore Zhang Wei returned happily with the medicine in one hand and the change in the other hand. Actually, Zhang Miao had already run out of medicine two days ago. If they did not get more, Zhang Miao''s condition would only get worse and worse. Recently, Li Gui had been getting up very early and going to the black market to sell vegetables in the wee hours of the morning. She had tried her best to earn money, but in the end, she still did not manage to make enough for the medical fees. Now that Qiao Mei bought the medicine, it meant that Zhang Miao was saved! The doctor had told him that as long as Zhang Miao took her medicine on time, she would definitely get better! "Eh? Elder sister, why are you leaving?" Zhang Wei saw Qiao Mei coming out angrily. He handed the money in his hand to Qiao Mei and said, "Elder sister, this is the change. Here you go." Qiao Mei took a cursory look and realized that this amount of money should be enough for Li Gui to treat Old Madam Li. She said to Zhang Wei sulkily, "Give it to your mother! I don''t want this money anymore!" Why was she angry all of a sudden? She was fine when she came over just now? Zhang Wei looked at the worried-looking Li Gui in the courtyard and then at Qiao Mei who had left. Li Gui must have said something that made Qiao Mei unhappy again. He was already used to such situations. Li Gui did not have time to go after Qiao Mei. She snatched the money from Zhang Wei''s hand and counted it carefully. There was still more than 30 dollars left. She had 20 dollars from selling vegetables recently. An amount of 50 dollars would definitely be enough to see a doctor at the clinic! That was all she had. Li Gui put the money into her pocket and entered the house. She said to Zhao Hong, "Let''s go! We''ll go back now!" "But there''s no transport to go back now," Zhao Hong said awkwardly. There was a horse carriage in the village that was specially used for transportation. As long as they were willing to pay the coachman more money, he would definitely be able to leave now. Saving a life was more important and she could not afford to waste even a minute! "Come with me! I''ll go look for the horse carriage!" The two of them ran out in a hurry. Li Gui did not even take another glance at Zhang Wei. She only had eyes for Old Madam Li now and completely ignored this family and Qiao Mei. Perhaps she had already taken for granted that because Qiao Mei loved these children, as long as Qiao Mei was around, these children would not starve to death. Li Gui did not realize that the children were starting to drift apart from her. Zhang Qin walked up to Zhang Wei in a daze and asked, "Eldest brother, where did mom go? I''m hungry" Zhang Wei sat at the door. He was still young and could not support his younger siblings at all, and he was too embarrassed to face Qiao Mei. He buried his head tightly between his knees. At this moment, he could no longer withstand the torment in his heart and wailed loudly. Zhang Qin looked at her sobbing brother and was caught off-guarded. Then, she started crying as well. Qiao Qiang stood at the entrance of his courtyard and looked across anxiously. He had just opened the door and was about to go over to take a look at these children when he was reprimanded by Qiao Mei. "Grandfather! If you go over, then it means you don''t want me anymore!" Qiao Mei said angrily. Qiao Qiang retracted his foot. In the end, he chose Qiao Mei. After all, Qiao Mei was his most precious granddaughter. "Say, if you''re angry with your mother, why is it affecting these children as well?" Qiao Qiang sighed and said. "Do you think I want to be angry with her! It''s because she insisted on walking into a trap! I won''t care this time! I won''t care about anyone else! She just knows that these children have become obedient and sensible and that we can help to take care of them, so now she''s helping Old Madam Li even though she knows it makes me angry!" Qiao Mei said in exasperation. Qiao Qiang could not say anything about this matter. In his eyes, they were both at fault. Qiao Mei''s fault was that she spoke too bluntly and could be too hurtful. Her unforgiving manner was indeed a little similar to him, but he could not blame Qiao Mei. If Qiao Mei was like Li Gui, she would not have been able to last until he came back, and would have died in the snow when she was young. "Mei Mei, you''re pregnant so don''t be so agitated. Let''s not care about their lives, alright? Even if those children starve to death or die of illness, we don''t care! Let them fend for themselves!" Qiao Qiang went along with Qiao Mei''s wishes. Yet Qiao Mei could not bear to hear this. As she listened to Zhang Wei and Zhang Qin crying louder and louder, she could not help but look over. What if they really starved to death when Li Gui was not at home? Those children did not know how to cook. What if they were so hungry that they ate raw and cold food? Chapter 646 Broken Chopping Board Qiao Mei felt vexed when she heard the children crying. She returned to the house and started cooking dinner. The chopping sounds she made were much louder than usual, as if she was venting her frustration. She stewed a big pot full of potato and kidney beans with a lot of pork inside. The moment she opened the lid, the fragrance wafted out. After she finished cooking, the chopping board had also completed its life mission. There were already many cracks on it. If it was picked up, it would definitely break into pieces. Qiao Mei silently brought the dishes out, set the table and filled the bowls with rice, waiting for Qiao Qiang to enter the house to eat. There were two identical pots of food on the small table. One of the pots had a lot more meat. "Are you eating separately from grandfather?" Qiao Qiang said with a smile. Qiao Mei buried her head in her food and whispered, "I''ve cooked too much. If grandfather doesn''t want to eat, you can deal with it as you see fit. You can throw it out to feed the chickens and ducks." Qiao Qiang knew that Qiao Mei was being stubborn but soft-hearted. He deliberately went to take the pot in front of Qiao Mei, which had less meat in it, to test her reaction. "Take that one," Qiao Mei said as she held on to the pot in front of her. "Say, why do you do that and then sulk by yourself!" After saying that, Qiao Qiang carried the pot with more meat in it and went to look for the children. As soon as he entered the house, Zhang Qin could smell the fragrance of food. She hurriedly ran to the door and shouted, "Grandfather! Grandfather, you''re here to save us! Elder brothers! We have food!" Zhang Wei stood rooted to the spot uneasily. Even when Qiao Qiang placed the food on the table, he still stood at the side in a daze. "What''s wrong, Xiao Wei? Come and eat!" Qiao Qiang scooped rice for the children and prepared a bowl of warm rice for Zhang Miao so that he could feed her later. "Grandfather Is elder sister angry? Is it what my mother did that made elder sister unhappy? I think elder sister was especially angry when she went back Will elder sister abandon us?" Zhang Wei asked nervously. Qiao Qiang thought for a moment and said, "Come over and have dinner and I''ll tell you." Zhang Wei was still young and was easily coaxed into eating obediently. Qiao Qiang smiled as he watched the children wolf down their food, as if they had not eaten for a few days. "Is it delicious?" Qiao Qiang asked with a smile. The children nodded hurriedly. Their mouths were full of food and they had no time to talk to Qiao Qiang. "Your elder sister made all these. Do you still think your elder sister is angry, Xiao Wei?" Qiao Qiang said. Zhang Wei looked at the food in his hands in a daze. He knew that Qiao Mei would not abandon them, but there was nothing they could do to stop what Li Gui was doing, nor could they make it up to Qiao Mei. "Why is elder sister so good to us? We''ve always been a burden to her and you, grandfather. We''ve caused so much trouble, so why are you still willing to help us?" Zhang Wei asked with a sob. Qiao Qiang thought about it but could not come up with an exact answer. However, he knew that these children were good-natured and were good kids. "Your mother is just muddle-headed for a moment. Everyone makes mistakes, including grandfather and elder sister. You children don''t have to worry about adults'' issues. As long as you grow up well and study hard, your elder sister and I will be at ease. Do you understand?" Qiao Qiang reached out and patted Zhang Wei''s head. Zhang Wei remembered Qiao Qiang''s words well. When he grew up, he would definitely repay them both. "Alright, grandfather won''t stay here anymore. I still have to go back and look after your elder sister! Remember to take care of your youngest sister after you''re done eating, understand?" Qiao Qiang instructed. Zhang Wei nodded in understanding. Li Gui and Zhao Hong hired the horse carriage for four dollars and rushed back to the Li family house without stopping. Old Madam Li was lying on the brick bed leisurely, listening to the radio and humming along! "Mother! Mother, I''m back!" Li Gui started shouting as soon as she entered. Old Madam Li was so shocked that she hurriedly turned off the radio and lay down on the brick bed. She kept moaning as if she was terminally ill. "Aw ~ It hurts ~ It hurts ~" Old Madam Li muttered to herself. When Li Gui entered the house and saw this scene, tears flowed down her face. She knelt by the brick bed and said, "Mother I''m back. Let''s go to the clinic now! Hang on! I''ll get someone to come and treat you now!" When Old Madam Li heard this, she immediately grabbed Li Gui''s hand and said, "My illness the clinic can''t treat it Don''t go Stay with me" Zhao Hong chimed in, "That''s right. The clinic is closed now. Let''s talk about it tomorrow." Chapter 647 Save The Child If she had not even gone to see a doctor yet, why did she say that the clinic could not treat her illness? Could it be some incurable illness! When she just married Qiao Yue, she heard that someone in the village had an incurable illness! It seemed to be called cancer or something! Anyway, that person died not long after! Could it be that Old Madam Li had also contracted such a fatal illness! By this time, Li Gui was even more nervous. She held Old Madam Li''s hand tightly and asked, "Then should we go to the hospital. If the small clinic in our village can''t help you, let''s go to a big hospital! Let''s go to the county city now!" Old Madam Li quickly said, "No, no! It''s already so late, let''s not waste time and effort. Just have a good rest. Perhaps I''ll feel better now that you''re back!" Zhao Hong also nodded. Li Gui looked at the two of them doubtfully and finally agreed with them. "Then then let''s go and get you checked out tomorrow. We can go to bed for now." Li Gui covered Old Madam Li with the blanket and took out her old bedding from the cabinet. She decided to sleep next to Old Madam Li tonight. It was rare for Zhao Hong to be able to take a good rest tonight. With Li Gui around, Old Madam Li''s attention was no longer on her. She had not seen the two children for a day and was feeling very anxious. The first thing she did when she returned to the room was to take a look at the children''s feet. The side room was dark and damp and was not conducive to the children''s recovery at all. The two children did not dare to leave the room either. If Old Madam Li saw them, she would definitely make them do all kinds of chores. They would not be allowed to have any free time. "Your feet seem better, do the wounds still hurt?" Zhao Hong asked softly. Her third child shook her head. She only had some blisters and they had healed quickly. On the other hand, the situation with the fourth child''s feet was more serious and she was even running a low fever today. Zhao Hong looked at her fourth child with heartache. She could only ask Li Gui for help by now. Old Madam Li was not sick at all! However, her two children were really feeling unwell. Earlier, Li Gui was able to fork out money to save her while she was unconscious. If she saw the children like this, Li Gui would probably help out as well Zhao Hong fetched water from the well to wipe down her fourth child''s body. Soon, the low grade fever subsided. Zhao Hong was so tired that she fell asleep by the brick bed and only woke up at dawn. Before dawn, Li Gui had already started to clean up the courtyard and prepare breakfast. She had always been the earliest one to wake up at home and she had already gotten used to it. "Why are you doing these chores? Let me do it," Zhao Hong said embarrassedly. Li Gui smiled and said, "It''s fine. I''m also a part of this family. I''ve been doing these chores since I was young. Eldest sister-in-law, you can take a rest." Zhao Hong did not stand on ceremony with Li Gui. She took a small stool and sat beside Li Gui to help with the vegetables. As she plucked the vegetables, she secretly observed Li Gui. Li Gui also noticed Zhao Hong''s abnormal behavior and asked softly, "Eldest sister-in-law, do you have something to tell me?" "I do have a private matter that I want to talk to you about" Zhao Hong looked around and noted that Old Madam Li was not awake yet. She then felt safe enough to say to Li Gui, "I want to to borrow some money from you Don''t misunderstand! I''ll definitely pay you back! My child hurt her feet when she followed mother to your place two days ago. She''s starting to run a fever and there''s not a single uninjured spot on her feet I have no choice but to beg you" Li Gui looked at Zhao Hong awkwardly. All she had was the money needed for Old Madam Li''s treatment. If she gave Zhao Hong a portion of it, what if the money was not enough for Old Madam Li to treat her illness? She was unable to contact Li Dong and Li Xiong now and could only rely on herself. Qiao Mei already did not want to talk to her anymore. No one in the village would lend her money. She was a woman with four young children, as well as such a capable older daughter. Qiao Mei was the richest person in the village. If Li Gui''s own daughter was unwilling to lend her money, who else could give her money? "Sigh Eldest sister-in-law, it''s not that I don''t want to help you. I don''t even know what illness my mother is suffering from now. What if there''s not enough to treat her illness? I don''t have any extra money. Do you know how to contact my eldest brother? If you really cannot cope, then ask him to come back," Li Gui said. Zhao Hong did not know where Li Dong had gone with their two sons. If she knew, she would definitely have followed him there. She would not have to stay here and look after this broken home! Chapter 648 - 648 The Money Is Lost 648 The Money Is Lost Please save my child! As long as you can save her, Im willing to do anything! My child really cant wait another day! Zhao Hong cried. Li Guis heart softened. She put down the things in her hand and said, Lets go and see the child first. When Zhao Hong saw that Li Gui had relented, she hurriedly pulled Li Gui and secretly ran back into the room. The two children were still sleeping, Li Gui could smell something moldy as soon as she entered the room, mixed with a rotten stench. It had been a long time since this room was tidied up and the two children also had not bathed for a long time. The smell in the room could not dissipate at all, not even if the windows were left opened to ventilate the entire room. !! The smell was something that seemed to have seeped into everything. Please dont mind it I have no choice. This room has always been like this. Im really not lying to you. Just look at my fourth childs feet. If the child is not treated soon, therell be no hope! Zhao Hong said helplessly. The wounds were a shocking sight. There were only small and red swellings in the beginning, but most of them had already festered by now. No wonder the child was running a fever. In such a dank environment, it was impossible to recuperate properly. Even if the wounds were disinfected, it would not make things better. Why is it so serious Li Gui covered her mouth and exclaimed. Zhao Hong sat on the brick bed and said, Ever since they came back that day, the child has been like this. I begged the clinic to take pity on me and they gave me a bottle of rubbing alcohol, but its useless to only disinfect the wounds. I have to get a doctor to treat her. Please! Save my child! Then when mother goes to the clinic later, bring the child along too, Li Gui said. No! We must not let mother see this! Zhao Hong said as she grabbed Li Guis hand. This time, Old Madam Li had tricked Li Gui into coming back to cheat her of her money. Old Madam Li still did not know how much money Li Gui had brought with her, so it was not a big deal for Zhao Hong to borrow some money from Li Gui. She could not let Old Madam Li find out that she and her daughters had spent Li Guis money. Otherwise, she would get beaten up! No matter what, Old Madam Li must not know about this! Li Gui also understood what Zhao Hong meant and was prepared to take out 10 dollars to save these two children. An amount of 10 dollars should be sufficient for their treatment at the clinic. When she reached into her pocket, she realized that the money was gone. In the past, Zhang Qian used to snatch her money away all year round, and Old Madam Zhang would search around for all her savings. From then on, she had a habit of sewing a pocket at the chest area in all her clothes so that no one could find out where she hid her money. She had never lost anything during all these years. Why did the money disappear today? Li Gui rummaged through all her pockets nervously and could not find even a single cent. Wheres my money! Wheres my money! My money is gone! Li Gui said in a panic. This also gave Zhao Hong a fright. Before they left, she had seen Li Gui holding the money. Why was it gone after she reached home? Look carefully again! Did you drop it! Zhao Hong said. No, I put it in this pocket! How can it be gone! Li Gui said anxiously. Then do you remember where you put it? Zhao Hong asked. Li Gui pointed at the small pocket on the inside of her coat and said, Its right here. I remember it clearly! At that time, she was in a hurry to head out, so she stuffed it into the small pocket of her coat. Given that the weather was cold, she did not have the chance to take off her coat at all. How could she lose the money! Li Gui kept rummaging through her pockets. At this moment, Zhao Hong seemed to have thought of something and fell back dejectedly on the brick bed for a long time before laughing coldly. Whats wrong with you? Li Gui looked at Zhao Hong in confusion. Zhao Hong said mockingly, You must have taken off your coat when you went to bed last night. Thats right How can I sleep with my coat on? After saying that, Li Gui understood what Zhao Hong meant. Only her immediate family members knew that she would sew a pocket in her clothes. The only other person who knew was Old Madam Li. Back then, she always went to ask Li Gui for money and found out about Li Guis secret during a struggle. Therefore, it was not surprising that she knew where Li Gui kept her money. After it all became clear to Li Gui, she ran back to the main room angrily to ask Old Madam Li for an explanation. At this moment, Old Madam Li was eating steamed buns and listening to the radio! Li Gui took two steps back in shock. The person who was lying on the brick bed and unable to move yesterday was now eating steamed buns with a rosy face and listening to songs! Could it be that this was all a lie! Chapter 649 - 649 Murder 649 Murder You! Why arent you sick! Li Gui said in disbelief. You heartless person! Is it a good thing that Im sick! Old Madam Li said. Li Gui instantly understood everything. It was all a lie to trick her into coming back! Old Madam Li used such a method to get money from her! What a good plan! Qiao Mei was right, this was a trick! Zhao Hong slowly walked over from outside the door. She had no say in what Old Madam Li did. All she could do was to be obedient and keep her mouth shut. You Do you also know that shes not sick? Youre lying to me too, right? Li Gui asked as she pointed at Zhao Hong. Zhao Hong lowered her head in guilt. In the end, she admitted that she had tricked Li Gui into coming back. How can you treat me like this! Im your biological daughter! Give me the money! I borrowed all that money! Its the money for Zhang Miaos treatment! Return it to me! Li Gui shouted at Old Madam Li. Old Madam Li remained unmoved. She even turned up the volume of the radio and continued eating steamed buns and listening to the songs. Li Gui did not even have enough rice at her own house and the family could only eat potatoes and sweet potatoes to fill their stomachs. Sometimes, they did not even have these. When they cooked porridge, they would fill the pot to the brim with water. Each bowl of porridge was just rice soup with a thin layer of rice at the bottom. Even though her own family was in dire straits, she still chose to come back and save Old Madam Li. She cared about the kinship between mother and daughter, but what about Old Madam Li? She only had eyes for Li Guis money. What right do you have to treat me like this! Take out the money quickly! Otherwise, Ill Before Li Gui could finish speaking, Old Madam Li smiled and said, You will? What can you do? Can you snatch it back? Back then, even though Li Gui was bullied by Zhang Qian until her whole body was covered in wounds, she still stayed with him obediently. Old Madam Li remembered that when Li Gui just gave birth to Zhang Chao and was still in confinement, Zhang Qian ignored Li Guis condition and insisted on sleeping with her. In the end, before she could even recover from the recent childbirth, she became pregnant with her third child. If not for Qiao Mei helping her get rid of Zhang Qian, she would not have the guts to stand up to him! Youre just a coward. Its only about 50 dollars. The Zhang family stole more than 100 dollars from me! You still owe me money! Return all my losses to me! Otherwise, dont even think about having an easy time! Old Madam Li said. What about the money you borrowed from me and the money I sent to Qiao Mei go! Where did that go? Give me back all that money! When did I owe you anything! Give me back the money quickly! Li Gui roared. Old Madam Li picked up her walking stick and said, What a joke. Isnt it only right for a daughter to be filial to her mother! Now youre even asking me for money. How lawless! Ill say this clearly today! I wont give you a single cent! Too many things had happened in the past month. First, Zhang Chao and Zhang Qin were abducted, then Zhang Miao and Zhang Wei were injured. Even Qiao Mei, who had always helped her, now held a grudge against her. In this world, she had no one to rely on and no one to take care of her children. She must get her money back today. Otherwise, if she could not afford to buy Zhang Miaos medicine next month, Zhang Miao would die! Li Gui walked briskly to the kitchen like a lunatic and took a kitchen knife. She ran back and pointed it at Old Madam Li as she said, Either you give me all my money today! Or Ill hack you to death! Old Madam Li did not believe that Li Gui would hurt her. She even found it strenuous to kill a chicken, so how could she even kill someone. What a joke! Come on! Itll be better if you kill me! Ill go to the netherworld to look for your father! Ill let him know how crazy his daughter is! She can actually kill her own mother! Old Madam Li laughed mockingly, the sight of her smile hurting Li Guis eyes. Li Gui picked up the kitchen knife and ran towards Old Madam Li. Zhao Hong was so frightened that she hurriedly ran out to ask the other villagers for help. If Old Madam Li got killed, then she would also be a suspect. If that happened, she would not be able to explain herself! Only then did Old Madam Li start to feel afraid. She picked up her walking stick and used it to block the attack, then she ran to a corner of the room while shouting, Are you crazy! Im your mother! How dare you kill me! Why not! Hand over the money now! Li Gui held up the kitchen knife and threatened. Old Madam Lis legs trembled. She was now sure that Li Gui had really gone crazy. It was not easy for her to get that money, so how could she give it back just like that! If she returned it to Li Gui, how was she going to survive the days ahead! Chapter 650 Seeking Help Zhao Hong went to the village office to look for the village chief and bumped into Hai Hua, who had come to have breakfast with the village chief. The village chief, Sun Jian, was her husband. "I was wondering who it is? Isn''t this the eldest daughter-in-law of the Li family? Have you come to look for my husband after failing to deceive the young lady from our clinic?" Hai Hua said mockingly. "I! Anyway! Brother Sun, quickly go to my house to take a look! Li Gui wants to kill my mother-in-law!" Zhao Hong said anxiously. The couple''s reactions were completely different. "What! How dare she kill someone!" Sun Jian looked at Zhao Hong in surprise. "Oh my goodness! That''s such a good thing!" Hai Hua was so happy that she almost jumped up to celebrate. Back then, Old Madam Li had made her so embarrassed in the village. Now that the old woman was getting killed by her daughter, it could be considered retribution! This was a great thing! "What are you saying! If someone in the village gets killed, do you think I can continue to be the village chief!" Sun Jian pushed Hai Hua angrily. Hai Hua immediately understood what he meant. It was not as if there had never been any deaths in the village, but no one had ever died from murder. Generally, there were militiamen in the village and no one dared to do anything illegal. If Old Madam Li really died, then Hai Hua would not be the wife of the village chief for long. "Then go quickly! What are you waiting for! Hurry up and go!" Hai Hua said quickly. Sun Jian got on his bicycle and sped towards the Li family house. Hai Hua and Zhao Hong ran behind him with all their might, afraid that Old Madam Li would lose her life if they were any slower! "Are you really not going to return the money to me?" Li Gui said viciously. Old Madam Li was so frightened that she could not stand up straight. She leaned closely against the wall and said, "I I''ll give it to you now Don''t do anything" "Quickly! Hurry up and return it to me!" Li Gui roared. Old Madam Li had hidden all the money under the floor tiles outside the house. Even if she wanted to go now, she was unable to. Li Gui had blocked the door. Furthermore, her legs had long gone weak and she could not even take a single step. "You still don''t want to give me the money?" Li Gui said. Old Madam Li was so frightened that she fell onto the brick bed and quickly flung her hands. "It''s not that! Listen to me! I ''m not doing this on purpose! My legs are feeling weak now and I can''t move! Can you let me take a moment!" "Excuses! It''s all excuses! You just don''t want to give me the money! Since you''re unwilling to give me the money, let''s die together!" As Li Gui spoke, she held up the kitchen knife and rushed towards Old Madam Li. Old Madam Li was so frightened that she closed her eyes and screamed, "Ah!!! Help!!!" Sun Jian rushed into the house and pounced on Li Gui in a flash. The kitchen knife in Li Gui''s hand was knocked to one side. "Let go of me! I''m going to kill her! Let go of me!" Li Gui struggled and roared. "Calm down! Don''t be rash! Take a good look at who I am!" Seeing that Li Gui was still immersed in her crazy thoughts, Sun Jian raised his hand and slapped her. This slap managed to make Li Gui calm down completely. Old Madam Li sat stiffly on the brick bed, her hands trembling uncontrollably in front of her chest. There was also a pungent smell coming from some liquid under her butt. "Don''t kill me Don''t kill me" Old Madam Li muttered to herself. At this moment, Hai Hua and Zhao Hong had also rushed in. When they saw the scene in front of them, they did not know whether they should feel happy first or save the people first. "Li Gui!" Zhao Hong hurriedly went forward to help Li Gui up from the floor. Hai Hua also went to help Sun Jian, who was on the ground. Although she did not see what happened at the scene, she could tell from the kitchen knife on the floor and Old Madam Li''s expression that Li Gui had probably made up her mind. "Li Gui, what do you think you''re doing!" Sun Jian said. "I just want my money back! My child is paralyzed in bed and still needs treatment! She actually cheated me of all my money! I just want to get back the money in order to save my child!" Li Gui leaned against Zhao Hong and cried bitterly. The money was gone and Qiao Mei no longer trusted her. The four children would not be able to live well either. They would either starve to death or die of illness. Why should she continue to live such a life? She might as well die! "Pfft! Old Madam Li is really a sinner! She can even cheat money for this purpose! How shameless!" Hai Hua scolded. Sun Jian glared at Hai Hua. It was not their place to care about other people''s family matters. All they could do was to stop Li Gui from committing murder. As for mediation, it depended on whether the affected parties were willing to accept it. Chapter 651 I Will Settle It Looking at Old Madam Li''s current state, she probably would not be able to tell them where the money was at the moment. "Zhao Hong, do you know where your mother-in-law keeps her money?" Sun Jian asked. "I don''t know. She won''t tell me this sort of thing," Zhao Hong said as she shook her head. If she knew, her child would not be so sick! She would have stolen the money to treat the children long ago. Sun Jian had no choice but to pinch his nose and endure the unpleasant smell as he approached Old Madam Li and asked, "Auntie! Where did you put the money!" "Don''t kill me I''ll give it all to you Don''t kill me Save me Don''t kill me" Old Madam Li curled up in the corner fearfully. He did not know if she was pretending to be crazy or if she had really gone crazy. Sun Jian looked at Li Gui helplessly and said, "Look at the state your mother is in. She probably won''t be able to give you the money" ? Li Gui looked at Old Madam Li, feeling heartbroken. All these years, the kinship that she thought they had only existed in her imagination. To Old Madam Li, she was just a money-making tool. As long as Old Madam Li could get the money, she did not care about what happened to Li Gui and her children. Old Madam Li and Zhang Qian were the same kind of people! "I still need the money to save my daughter She tricked me into coming back and stole my money. If I don''t have that money, my daughter won''t be able to live either. I might as well die with her!" Li Gui said in despair. "Sister, you can''t think like that! You still have children! What will happen to your children if you die! Whatever happens to this old fart, she deserves it! But you''re different! You can''t die so easily!" Hai Hua tried to talk some sense into her. Sun Jian also chimed in, "I''ll help you deal with this matter. You can go back to your village first and wait for my news. I''ll help you get this money back. Consider this part of my responsibility as the village chief." Li Gui looked at Sun Jian suspiciously and asked, "Really? Will you keep your word? My child can''t wait too long!" "Just three days! Let Old Madam Li calm down first. If she''s still as crazy as now in two days'' time, I''ll find the money for you even if I have to dig three feet into the ground. Is that alright?" Sun Jian said. After considering it, Li Gui had no other choice but to agree with Sun Jian. Sun Jian hurriedly found a horse carriage in the village and sent Li Gui back. As long as she did not cause trouble in the village, he would do anything! "Tell me, aren''t you being cheap! Why do you care about the Li family''s matters! What has it got to do with you!" Hai Hua whispered. "What can I do! If this matter isn''t resolved, she''ll still come to the village to cause trouble! Don''t worry, I''ll come and take a look at Old Madam Li''s condition tomorrow. If she''s really crazy, I''ll bring people to dig up her courtyard. We''ll definitely be able to find the money," Sun Jian said. Hai Hua was happy when she thought of how the Li family house would look after being dug up and how crazy Old Madam Li looked! This was retribution! "Leave this to me," Hai Hua said smugly. With one look, Sun Jian knew that Hai Hua intended to use her position to take revenge and teach Old Madam Li a lesson. Back then, he had also almost failed to become the village chief because of Old Madam Li, so he did not care about what Hai Hua was going to do. Actually, everyone wished that Old Madam Li would die quickly. Even if he did something overboard, everyone would just turn a blind eye to it. It would actually command public support! "Alright, just know your limits. There''s still Zhao Hong and her children in the house. Don''t hurt the innocent," Sun Jian instructed. "Don''t worry, I know my limits," Hai Hua said with a smile. Li Gui sat expressionlessly in the horse carriage and looked into the distance numbly. She no longer had her mother or Qiao Mei. Her four children were now the only reason for her to keep going. She wondered what the children ate after she left and if there would be thieves who would break in to bully her children. There was nothing she could do even if she regretted her actions. If she had listened to Qiao Mei earlier, these things would not have happened and the children would not have to suffer. Li Gui suddenly gave herself two hard slaps, causing both sides of her face to instantly become red and swollen. The coachman was so frightened that he did not even dare to breathe loudly. He had heard that this was a crazy woman. What if she became agitated again and killed him? The coachman hurriedly cracked his whip and sped up, striving to send Li Gui back as soon as possible so that he could save his own life. Chapter 652 - 652 Does Not Appreciate Art 652 Does Not Appreciate Art The coachman only sent Li Gui to the entrance of Foshan Village. He was afraid that if he went to Li Guis house, he would not be able to go home alive! Anyway, he was already paid. They only asked him to send her back to the village, but they did not say that he had to send her to her doorstep. Li Gui got out of the carriage in a daze. The coachman quickly turned the carriage around and left without any delay. It was the time when everyone was at work in the fields. Li Gui did not meet anyone along the way, so she did not have to hear any gossip. Everyone knew that Zhao Hong had taken Li Gui with her and was waiting for Li Gui to come back so that they could hear what had happened! Zhang Wei was drawing on the ground with Zhang Chao and Zhang Qin in the courtyard. They drew out everything that they liked and even wrote on the ground. Anyway, they could modify it easily, so it did not matter how they wrote it! Brother! Look at what this looks like! Zhang Qin asked as she pointed excitedly at the picture on the ground. Zhang Wei thought for a long time and said awkwardly, Its a big tree? What! This is clearly a crab! You dont appreciate art at all! Zhang Qin said angrily as she pointed at Zhang Wei. Your drawing looks like a talisman! Who can tell what it is! Look at Zhang Chao! Look at the boat he drew! Then look at yours! As if its a crab! I dont think youve ever seen crabs! Zhang Wei said. Ive seen it before! Its just that you cant appreciate my art! I wont show it to you anymore! Zhang Qin squatted down and quietly finished drawing her crab. Zhang Wei was not interested in drawings at all. Hereferred to his book and focused on practicing calligraphy on the ground. Chen Hu had told him before that even if he had very good physical fitness, it was useless if he was uncultured! His brother-in-law was much more capable than Uncle Chen Hu, and was good in both his studies and physical fitness! Zhang Chao had heard that his brother-in-law was also an army warrior! When he grew up, he wanted to be like Xia Zhe and become an army warrior! Li Gui stood quietly at the door and looked at the children for a long time. She did not know how to face them. At that time, she had left very suddenly with Zhao Hong because of Old Madam Lis illness and did not even make any arrangements for the children. Although Sun Jian had promised her that he would find the money and return it to her, it would be hard to find what Old Madam Li wanted to hide away. Zhang Wei looked up and saw Li Gui standing at the door but not entering. He had thought that she would be gone for half a month or so this time, and he did not expect her to return so quickly. Mom youre back, Zhang Wei said stiffly. The other two children looked up when they heard him. Zhang Qin ran happily towards Li Gui and threw herself into her arms. One night without her mother was probably the longest that she could bear. Yes Im back. Have you eaten? Li Gui said awkwardly. Yes! We had nice food! Grandpa brought a big pot of meat over! Zhang Qin said excitedly. Most of the meat from the potato and kidney bean stew that night was given to these children. It was not an exaggeration to say that the dish was actually stir-fried pork with potato and kidney beans. Li Gui felt even more ashamed. If Qiao Mei did not allow it, Qiao Qiang would not have brazenly brought the meat from home to give to these children. She stared at the house opposite and sighed. Lets go in first. Its getting late. Ill heat up some food for you. After rummaging through the cabinets, she only found a small handful of rice and the leftovers from yesterday. She had no money and no food at home, while the children were still waiting to eat. In the past, Qiao Mei would be there to help her at times like this. Now that she had no one to rely on, she finally understood how much she had gone overboard with Qiao Mei. Sigh Li Gui looked at the empty rice jar and sighed. She had been busy with these terrible issues at home for the past two days and did not have time to work in the fields at all. Therefore, she also did not have enough work points to exchange for food. It was all her fault for being such a disappointment. Zhang Wei! Come and eat! Your elder sister made delicious food today! Come and eat quickly! Qiao Qiang stood at the door and shouted with a smile. Among the three children, only Zhang Qin was the happiest. The older children, Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao, did not move. Now that Li Gui was back, where did it leave her if they went to Qiao Meis house for dinner? Qiao Qiang looked at the children in puzzlement and asked, Why? You dont like your elder sisters cooking? Everyone in the village says that your elder sisters cooking is nice! If youre tired of it, then maybe I should cook next time. Li Gui walked out of the house uneasily. Qiao Qiang immediately understood the reason why the children did not speak. It was indeed not convenient for them to go over to his place now. Chapter 653 Renovation "Oh, you''re at home. I thought you''re not around, so I''m asking the children to come over for dinner," Qiao Qiang said. "I just came back" Li Gui whispered as she lowered her head in self-reproach. Qiao Qiang did not blame Li Gui and said gently, "How''s your mother? Has she recovered?" At the mention of Old Madam Li, Li Gui felt even more ashamed and whispered, "She''s fine" Qiao Qiang could tell that Li Gui was too embarrassed to tell the truth, so he waved his hand and went home. At this moment, Qiao Mei was still sitting on the brick bed and knitting. It had gotten cold recently and she wanted to knit a sweater for her grandfather. When she was working as a lawyer in her other life, her favorite hobby was to do handicrafts and grow flowers and plants. Knitting was an easy thing for her to do. However, what she had in her hands at the moment was not for Qiao Qiang but for her mother-in-law, Xu Lan. She had even knitted a scarf for Xia Fang and a pair of gloves for Xia He. The postman would be coming to the village in a few days'' time. She wanted to send these knitted items together with some pickled vegetables to the capital, as well as a letter to tell them that everything was fine with her. "Grandfather, why did you come back alone? Where are Zhang Wei and the others?" Qiao Mei looked behind Qiao Qiang in confusion. "Well Li Gui is back. I can''t just bring the children back when she''s around," Qiao Qiang said with a sigh. As Qiao Mei knitted, she said, "Then why don''t you get Zhang Wei to come over and bring the food back? There''s not even rice and noodles in that house. The children can''t starve together with her." "Never mind, so be it if they''re hungry. Forget it, I''ll set the table. Let''s eat!" Qiao Qiang said. The temperature had plummeted by a few degrees today and Qiao Mei felt a little cold. When she returned to the village, she did not bring the jade items she bought in the capital. Those things were too eye-catching and it would not be good if she became targeted. Without the "mobile air conditioner", it was really inconvenient. She wondered if there was anything else that had the same effect as that bangle. It seemed that she still had to go to the antique market again when she returned to the capital. In the capital, while there were people who were happy, there were also people who were worried. Nothing much was going on in the Xia family, except the addition of many pieces of furniture in the house. Xu Lan decided to hack and build a circular arch in the wall between Xia Zhe''s room on the second floor and the guest room beside it, as well as seal up the door of the guest room. During this period of time, she had spoken often with Xia Zhe and told him that it did not matter that Qiao Mei had lost her babies this time. The two of them were still young and there would be many opportunities in the future. They would definitely have another child in the future. If Qiao Mei wanted to give birth in the capital, then as the mother-in-law, she wanted to take care of Qiao Mei wholeheartedly and be prepared at all times. Therefore, she was now building a confinement room for Qiao Mei in the house. She had specially found the best master builder in the capital to do it. If she really waited until Qiao Mei was pregnant to do the construction, then the entire house would smell of the renovation works and it would not be good for Qiao Mei''s health. Anyway, she would have to renovate sooner or later, so she might as well start now. She had heard from Xia He that Qiao Mei liked old-fashioned things with an antique charm. Therefore, she specially spent a lot of money to find a master craftsman to build a wooden bed that combined those factors with modern craftsmanship. If the bed was really made using the old standard measurements, it would not be able to fit in the house. There was also a large built-in wardrobe and a huge bookcase to store Xia Zhe''s old things. The windows had also been replaced with floor-to-ceiling windows, which increased the natural light in the room, and then she placed a desk in front of the window. Liu Fen had not eaten or slept well for the past two days. Xu Lan would wake her up before dawn. Then they would both go out and shop for furniture. They would be out the whole day and Xu Lan would only be willing to go home after it got dark. As long as it was something that could be made by hand, Xu Lan would not buy the ready-made products. Every design was hand drawn by the master and she would personally choose the designs before finalizing the construction period. "Sister-in-law Why don''t we get the old master to go to our house to design for us? My legs are about to break from running around every day!" Liu Fen complained. "No! Then there''s no telling what time the master will come. My friends from the art troupe told me that if you don''t take the initiative, those old masters won''t hand in their work on time. They will definitely delay it for a few days," Xu Lan said firmly. "But Qiao Mei isn''t even pregnant yet. Even if she''s really pregnant, she''ll only be back when Xia Zhe is back during the holidays. Why are you in such a hurry now!" Liu Fen said. Currently, Qiao Mei was still recuperating and Xia Zhe had just returned to the army unit. They would not be able to return for the time being. In that case, there were still at least two years to carry out the renovations! Chapter 654 Returning To The Art Troupe "How can I not be anxious! If I''m not satisfied with the renovations after it''s done, I might have to redo it! Moreover, the room needs to be ventilated and aired out. It can''t be lived in immediately. Right now, I feel uneasy every night. I have to get it done soon so that I can feel at ease," Xu Lan said. At this moment, no one in the Xia family could control Xu Lan. Firstly, Xu Lan was doing this to benefit Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei, so everyone supported her. Secondly, Xu Lan was now a completely different person from when she first heard about Qiao Mei''s miscarriage. Now, she was full of vigor every day, so everyone simply let her do whatever she wanted. "Sigh Why did eldest brother give me such a difficult task" Among everyone, Liu Fang was probably the only one who most felt like crying. Xia He had not been idle during this period of time. Today was the day she reported for work at the capital''s art troupe. "Alright! Everyone, stop what you''re doing! I have something to announce!" said the art troupe chief as she clapped her hands. Everyone stopped their practices and stretches and gathered in front of the chief. There was a very good performance item coming up soon and the female lead was still unconfirmed yet! They had heard that whoever got the role of the female lead would be the future principal performer! "Chief! Are you gathering us so early to announce who the female lead is!" Zhou Ling said excitedly. "It must be our Yang Xin! Is there anyone better than Yang Xin!" Zhou Shuang said. Zhou Ling and Zhou Shuang were a pair of twins, but they did not look alike. One looked like their father and the other one looked like their mother. Yang Xin raised her head arrogantly like a proud swan. However, it was hard to say if this swan was the real deal or not. The way the Zhou sisters flattered her, even an ordinary wild duck could be described as a phoenix. "Alright, alright! The team is still discussing the matter of the female lead. I''m not the only one who can decide on this matter. It depends on the team''s arrangements. Don''t discuss it frivolously. If the higher-ups hear you, don''t even think about keeping your job!" the chief scolded. "Then why did you ask us to gather" Zhou Ling said unhappily. "We have a new member today. She''s actually an old friend." The chief shouted towards the door, "Come on in!" Xia He walked into the dance studio confidently, wearing her training tights. She was very familiar with this room. When she was young, she often followed Xu Lan here to practice her basic skills. Later on, even when she went to the dance school, she also practiced and performed here. Yang Xin originally did not care about who the newcomer was. Everyone knew how capable she was and that she was outstanding. However, the most important thing was that the person in charge of the art troupe was her maternal uncle. Who else could instigate anything against her with such a relationship? As soon as she asked, the female lead of any performance item had to be given to her first. If she did not like anyone, she could also ask that person to leave immediately! This was the reason why no one dared to provoke Yang Xin. "You! You''re Xia He! Why are you back?" Zhou Ling looked at Xia He in surprise. Yang Xin''s nonchalant expression suddenly became serious. She thought Xia He had gone to another region back then? Why did she return to the art troupe here? Her uncle did not tell her about this! "Almost everyone knows her, though the newer members might not. Her name is Xia He and she used to be the pillar of support for our troupe in the beginning. She''s also one of the very few candidates vying for the position of principal performer. Everyone, please remember to get along well, You can go back to your training now." The chief left shortly after that. Xia He smiled and said, "It''s been a long time. I''m back now." The older members of the troupe rushed forward and surrounded Xia He. They thought that they would never see Xia He again in their lives! "Where did you go! I haven''t heard from you for so many years!" "That''s right. Didn''t you say that you went somewhere else with your husband? Now you''ve come to your senses and come back!" "It''s so good to have you back. We can dance together again!" Everyone celebrated Xia He''s return. Only Yang Xin and the sisters, Zhou Ling and Zhou Shuang, stood there silently, their faces filled with displeasure and mockery. Back then, Xia He had left the art troupe in a dejected manner. Now, she still had the cheek to come back. What a joke! Candidate vying for the position of principal performer? That was such long gone history. Now, the only person who could be the principal performer was her, Yang Xin! It had to be her! Chapter 655 - 655 Holding a Grudge 655 Holding a Grudge After a simple exchange of pleasantries with everyone, Xia He went alone to one side to do leg presses and some simple stretching. She was not familiar with the routine in the capital, so she had to slowly observe everyones condition. I thought you would never come back, Yang Xin said as she slowly approached Xia He with the two Zhou sisters. Xia He did not even look at them and just focused on her practice. When the others saw Yang Xin bullying Xia He, they were angry but did not dare to say anything. Although they had all received Xia Hes care and guidance when they were still newbies, they were afraid that they would not have an easy time after offending Yang Xin. Yang Xin is talking to you! Didnt you hear her! Zhou Ling shouted angrily. !! Xia He looked at them leisurely and said, I wonder which familys dog is barking. Its so noisy. You! How dare you call me a dog! Zhou Ling shouted as she pointed at Xia He. Yang Xin frowned and looked at Xia He as she said, Werent you focused on getting married back then? How can you still have the cheek to return to the capital now? Is it because your husband earns too little to support you and you have to come out and earn your keep? Do you know me very well? Xia He said with a smile. At that time, Xia He was about to take on the position of principal performer of the art troupe. Yang Xin was only a minor supporting dancer and it was hard to say if she could even go on stage. What right did she have to strut around here now? Everyone in the industry knew that the capital art troupe did not have any outstanding performances in the past few years and many people were unwilling to hire them. If it was not for their past glory, no one would be willing to use them. Isnt your family living in the capital? I heard that you even applied to live in our art troupes dormitory. Is it because you cant live with your husband anymore? But then again, its really strange that your husband can tolerate someone like you, Yang Xin said. Yes, thats right. Still, it cant be compared to your situation. Your husband goes to the bar every day to get drunk and has so many women around him. I hear that no one cares about your daughter and she cries at home every night. How pitiful, Xia He said. Yang Xins house was located in the alley next to Xia Fangs house. If one wanted to know any news about anyone living there, one just needed to sit at the entrance of the alley for a day. One would be able to dig up everything about that person, including ancestral history. If Xia He was not at least prepared, how could she come back so calmly? Yang Xins expression immediately darkened. Everyone knew about this matter, but no one dared to say it out loud. After all, this was a family scandal and no one dared to mention it. You! You didnt even manage to have a child after so many years! Who knows if your husband abandons you because hes disgusted that you cant have children! Yang Xin said in exasperation. Xia He did not care about these things at all. She had already come to terms with things like reputation and money, which were all superficial. The most important and real thing was to get along well with her own family. As long as she led her life well, others could say whatever they wanted. They did not have any real evidence and could only mouth off. Rather than be in the mood to gossip here, you might as well go and practice your basic skills. If the role of the female lead is snatched away by me, that would be really embarrassing. At that time, will you still have the cheek to stay in the troupe? Xia He said mockingly. All these years, although she had been in the art troupe in a small town, she had still done solo performances. It was already a dream that many dancers could not fulfill. Who did Yang Xin think she was? She was just a paper tiger who did not amount to much. In this place, strength was always the deciding factor. As long as Xia He was outstanding, Yang Xin could not do anything to her no matter how much she gossiped. If Yang Xin gossiped too much and the higher-ups noticed the commotion, she would not be able to bear the consequences! Most people needed to think twice before bullying or slandering a member of the Xia family! Sister Yang lets not clash head on with her Zhou Ling said softly. The Yang family might have the clout to fight with the Xia family, but the Zhou family was just an ordinary family. It would be terrible if they became implicated! It had not been easy for them to come to the capital from their village. If they were chased out, how could they go home to face their fellow villagers? They were the ones at a disadvantage. Yang Xin could only swallow her anger. She would settle the score with Xia He when she had the chance in the future! She would definitely make Xia He suffer all the humiliation and grievances she had previously suffered, and make Xia He kneel down and beg for forgiveness! Chapter 656 - 656 Unqualified 656 Unqualified Yang Xin left the dance studio angrily with the two Zhou sisters. Xia He remained calm. She had already expected this outcome and was not surprised by what happened today. My goodness, Xia He, you actually dissed Yang Xin! You wont have an easy time in the future! her colleague said. Why? Can she eat me up? I didnt do anything. As if she can kick up a fuss, Xia He was unfazed as she replied. She actually had some knowledge of Yang Xins secrets and it was all thanks to Xia Wen. Otherwise, she would never know. It was not really Yang Xins secrets, but rather those of her husband, Bian Zhuo. Bian Zhuo worked in administration and Xia Wens friend happened to be Bian Zhuos colleague. In the past few years, he found out that Bian Zhuo often played cheap tricks behind everyones back and told Xia Wen all about it. As long as Xia He had this information in her hands, Yang Xin would not dare to bully her. Her stand was that she would not attack unless provoked. As long as Yang Xin knew her place, everyone would coexist just fine. Otherwise, she would make sure Yang Xin did not have an easy time! What have you been doing all these years? We all miss you very much, but we dont dare to go to your house to look for you. Your mother is really too fierce! the colleague said aggrievedly. Although everyone respected Xu Lan very much, they were also afraid of Xu Lans training methods. She was really the devil! In the past, they used to sympathize with Xia He for having suffered through Xu Lans devilish torture since she was young. However, the training was indeed effective. Xia Hes basic skills had always been better than any of them. My mother is just unsmiling. Actually, shes a very gentle person, Xia He said. Gentle! How is that possible! Ive never seen Professor Xu smile! her colleague said. Xia He remained silent. She had gone home once recently and had seen Xi Lan beaming with joy. She was always smiling and even hummed a tune at times. It was probably because she was in a good mood after doing all those things for Qiao Mei. It had nothing to do with her own children at all. Youll know in the future, Xia He said mysteriously. Life in the art troupe could be described as simple and tiring at the same time. Every day, they would practice their basic skills, prepare for their performance items as well as audition for roles. For the past few days, everyone had been practicing non-stop in order to compete for the female lead role. Xia He also seized every minute and every second, unwilling to waste any time at all. Whether she was chosen or not was secondary. The key thing was that the main judge for the female lead audition this time round was her mother! If she embarrassed Xu Lan, she would not be able to go home! During this period of time, Qiane had been living with a relative of the Xia family in a small house in the countryside. It was quiet and warm there and her days were carefree and happy. Without Old Madam Qians scoldings, Zhao Nis weak pleas for mercy and Qian Wangs relentless accusations, everything was so beautiful. However, she was about to leave this place soon. Xia Wen had sent someone to inform her that there was already an outcome regarding the matter with He Mei. No one would be able to threaten her personal safety by now. At the thought of returning to the Qian family house, she wanted time to pass slower so that her happy days could last longer. Sigh Why cant such a good life continue Qiane said, feeling distressed. Auntie Xia laughed and said, Dont tell me you want to stay with me for the rest of your life! Well, my son is not married yet! Why dont you just marry into our family! Qiane lowered her head, feeling a sense of low self-esteem. Auntie Xia was a nice person and her son had also taken good care of Qiane these past two days, but a person like her had no right to hold back someones future. Putting aside the fact that these were relatives of the Xia family, she was a divorcee and she could not have children. How could she carry on the family line for Auntie Xias family? She could not even handle those annoying matters related to the Qian family, so how could she have the cheek to trouble Auntie Xias family. She would just live like this for the rest of her life. She could not affect the future of such a good person. Its alright if you want to take me in as your goddaughter! I dare not go beyond my social standing and marry your son. It will benefit you more to take me in as your daughter rather than taking me in as your daughter-in-law! Qiane said with a smile. Auntie Xia already knew everything about Qiane. Xia Wen had been very upfront with her. Otherwise, would they take in a stranger so casually? They were supporters of the Xia family and had also received honors in the military in the past. However, they were all tired of living in the city and wanted to return to the countryside to farm and live and work in peace. That was why they settled down here. Chapter 657 Goddaughter At first, Auntie Xia did have her own impression and opinion about Qian''e. After all, what Qian''e had done in the past was not honorable. If not for the fact that they wanted to repay Xia Jun for his kindness to them, they would not have let Qian''e stay with them. However, as time passed, she gradually realized that Qian''e was a diligent and capable child. No matter what she was tasked with, she did it fast and was also quick-witted. She probably did what she did in the past because she was too young and insensitive then. It already caused her to regret it for the rest of her life. Everyone made mistakes during their youth. It was just that some people''s mistakes were more serious than others, but everyone would eventually pay the price for their own actions. It was the same thing for Qian''e. Actually, it did not matter to Auntie Xia whether she had grandchildren or not. As long as her son and daughter-in-law lived a happy life together, she would be fine with it even if they decided to go to the orphanage to adopt a child. When Auntie Xia saw that Qian''e insisted on being her goddaughter, she shook her head resignedly. It seemed that this girl was not fated to be with her son. "Alright, I''ll take you in as my goddaughter then. From now on, come and visit often when you''re free. This will always be your home," Auntie Xia said with a smile. Qian''e had tears in her eyes as she choked up and said, "I will definitely come back to see you." This was the first time a kind-hearted person had been willing to treat her well after the scandal. "Don''t cry anymore. Pack up your things quickly. Xia Wen will come and pick you up in a while," Auntie Xia said. Qian''e did not bring much with her when she came and she quickly packed up all her clothes and shoes. The car sent to pick her up arrived soon. When it was time to leave, Auntie Xia reluctantly sent her all the way to the village entrance as if she was sending off her own daughter. Qian''e looked at the bag in her hand in puzzlement. She had clearly pulled the zipper closed when she left, but for some reason, the bag zipper was half open now. As soon as she opened the bag, the contents spilled out. There was a pink sweater, a letter and something wrapped in a handkerchief. There were tattered notes amounting to five dollars in the handkerchief. The auntie and her son had set aside this amount of money out of their meager salaries. Auntie Xia wrote in her letter that this was her gift to her goddaughter. She did not have much savings and she had enclosed the five dollars for Qian''e to go shopping and buy a nice-looking silk scarf for herself. She wanted Qian''e to have a gift from her. She did not have much to give Qian''e. She just hoped that Qian''e would take good care of herself, so that her kindness to Qian''e would not be in vain. She had knitted the sweater during her rest time at night. She had long wanted Qian''e to be part of her family. Although Qian''e did not want to be her daughter-in-law, it was good enough to have Qian''e as her daughter! Qian''e hugged the sweater tightly in her arms. No one had ever treated her so nicely in her life. Even Zhao Ni had never made clothes for her personally. When she was young, she had always envied other children who wore clothes made by their mothers. She was the only one whose clothes were all bought from the stores. Many children even deliberately showed off their items in front of her. The reason that Zhao Ni gave her was that people who made these things themselves were all very poor. Only poor people could not bear to buy clothes, so they had to make their own clothes. Their family was doing well and wealthy, so they did not need to do such things themselves. If Qian''e really wanted it, they could get a tailor to tailor a set of clothes for her. Qian''e rejected Zhao Ni''s suggestion. She knew that Zhao Ni was just trying to brush her off because Zhao Ni wanted to enjoy the life of a rich wife and was unwilling to take care of her family. Qian''e did not return home directly. Instead, she went to Qiao Mei''s courtyard house where Xia Wen and Xia He were waiting for her. Originally, Xia Wen wanted to meet Qian''e alone, but no matter how Xia He thought about it, she felt that it was too weird. However, if Tan Jing went with Xia Wen, then the fact about Qiao Mei''s fake miscarriage would definitely be exposed. In order to avoid suspicion, it was better for her to accompany Xia Wen. "Elder brother, why isn''t Qian''e here yet? Did they not manage to pick her up?" Xia He said out of boredom. "It''s probably because Auntie Xia doesn''t want Qian''e to leave. I heard that Auntie Xia likes Qian''e very much and wants her to be her daughter-in-law!" Xia Wen said. "Auntie Xia has such a sharp eye, yet she likes Qian''e. This means that I have really misunderstood the girl previously. Then let''s wait a little longer. She might be here soon." Xia He ran to the door and looked around. She immediately saw Qian''e walking towards her with her luggage. Chapter 658 Crazy Xia He smiled and went forward to welcome her. She helped with the luggage and said, "Why didn''t you put your luggage in the car? I remember that my brother sent a car to pick you up." "I I''m too embarrassed to make them wait for me at the intersection for so long, so I asked them to leave first," Qian''e said embarrassedly. Xia He brought her to see Xia Wen. Xia Wen was different from He Ning. Although they were both equally scheming, He Ning gave people the feeling that he was like a cold poisonous snake that would take their lives at any moment. Xia Wen was different. He was gentle and reserved, like a nice gentleman, and it made people let down their guards. "How is it? Have you rested well recently?" Xia Wen asked gently. Qian''e nodded. If not for Xia Wen taking precautions back then, she probably would have already died at the hands of the He family. However, everything was fine now. He Mei was the one who was going to die. "Why are you looking for me?" Xia Wen asked. Qian''e paused for a while and then said, "I want to go and send He Mei off. Is that alright?" "It''s not that you can''t, but I heard that He Mei is not in a good state of mind and has been acting crazy. Although the people escorting He Mei to the mountain area are our guys, we can''t be 100% sure that you''ll be safe," Xia Wen said awkwardly. "It''s alright. I just want to see the miserable state He Mei is in. The fact that she harmed me back then has always been a thorn in my heart. Now that she has ended up like this, I want to go and take a look. Don''t worry, I won''t get close to her," Qian''e said firmly. After much consideration, Xia Wen finally agreed to her request. However, she would have to send He Mei off tonight. He Mei had suggested the timing. She was unwilling to leave this place in the daytime as she was afraid of running into someone she knew. If that happened, she would be completely embarrassed. In reality, she did not have to be too concerned about her reputation. Everyone already knew about what happened to her. The wind was particularly cold at night and it was the Xia family who made arrangements for the car and driver. When He Mei reached her destination, there would be someone specially sent to pick her up. Under normal circumstances, she should have taken the bus with the other people who were going to rebuild the village. However, they were afraid that she would escape halfway or that the He family would secretly intercept and rescue her on the way. If that happened, the Xia family would have worked so hard for nothing. The safest way was for the Xia family to arrange for their own people to send He Mei there personally. They hoped that she would obediently stay there and improve herself and stop causing trouble. He Mei did not bring much luggage with her. Huo Gao had arranged for her to bring similar items as the other people who were going to rebuild the village. It was definitely not He Mei''s usual style. Huo Gao did this to show the Xia family their sincerity. "Where''s my Little Uncle? Why isn''t anyone sending me off? Where are they? Did you hide my Little Uncle! Or did you lie to him and send him somewhere else! My Little Uncle won''t let me go without coming to send me off! You''re all liars!" He Mei shouted. The soldiers around her were unmoved. It had been more than just a day or two since He Mei behaved in this crazy manner. Ever since He Mei found out that her face was scratched and scarred, her mental state had been a little off. In addition, she felt that she had been sabotaged by the Xia family to go and rebuild the village while her father was also suffering in prison. She seemed to have become a different person. She was crazy at times and sober at times. The soldiers did not leave with He Mei immediately. Instead, they held her in place as if they were waiting for someone. He Mei''s smile gradually became more impudent and her words became more arrogant. "Are you waiting for my Little Uncle! Hahahaha! As expected, you''re a bunch of dogs. So what if you''re the Xia family''s dogs? Don''t you still have to wait for my Little Uncle to come before we can go? A bunch of useless people! When my Little Uncle comes later, let me go back or none of you will have an easy time!" He Mei said arrogantly. Applause suddenly sounded from afar. He Mei looked into the distance in confusion. It was too dark and the street lamps were very dim, so she could not see who it was. "You''re still counting on He Ning to come and save you now? Don''t you know who arranged for you to go and rebuild the village?" Qian''e walked to He Mei''s side with a smile. He Mei said disdainfully, "I was wondering who it is. So it''s you, just another dog. Haven''t you learned your lesson after so many years? You dare to scheme against me this time, but when I come back, I''ll definitely make you pay the price in blood. You''ll also taste all the hardships I''ve suffered!" Chapter 659 Farewell "Let''s talk about it when you make it back. There''s no need to wait anymore. He Ning won''t come. I''m the one they''ve been waiting for. I''m here to send you off," Qian''e said. He Mei looked behind Qian''e in panic. There were not even any passers-by, let alone the He Ning she was looking forward to seeing. "Impossible! Little Uncle will definitely come and save me! You''re lying to me! I''m not leaving, I''ll wait for him here! He will definitely come and save me!" He Mei roared. Qian''e smiled cheerily. She did not expect the high and mighty He Mei to end up like this. She still remembered the smug look on He Mei''s face when conspiring with Ma San to make her suffer a miscarriage. At this moment, she looked at He Mei with the same expression. After He Mei reached the village, it would take her at least five years to get a chance to come back. Five years later, He Mei would already be an old spinster. At that time, she would be too old and haggard, as well as disfigured. No one would want her by then. He Mei was just reaping what she sowed. It was her fault for doing all kinds of bad things! "Alright, thank you to all of you for sending her there. I''ve said what I wanted to say to her. Mr Xia said that you can set off now," Qian''e said politely to the soldiers escorting He Mei. "I curse you! You will never find your good destiny in this life! You will live in pain for the rest of your life! Qian''e! You will die a horrible death!" As He Mei was escorted into the truck by the soldiers, she kept struggling to break free from the soldiers'' restraints and glared fiercely at Qian''e. Qian''e smiled faintly and watched He Mei leave. Now that she saw He Mei''s ending, she did not know why she did not feel happy at all. Back then, it was He Mei who caused her to lose her child and her future. However, she could not bring herself to hate He Mei now. Instead, she felt that He Mei was very pitiful. In the past, she was the beloved eldest daughter of the He family. Given that she was now a prisoner and her beautiful face was gone, the He family would no longer favor her as much as before. Now that she was an abandoned pawn, He Ning did not feel any pity at all. Instead, he was glad that He Mei had left and saved him a lot of trouble. The next day, when the sun was high in the sky, the postman rode his green three-wheeled vehicle on the village road. The sound of the vehicle''s bell was like a happy knock on the door of every house he reached. "Qiao Mei! Your parcel!" the postman shouted as he held up the heavy package at the door of Qiao Mei''s house. Usually, the postman only needed to ride his bicycle to work. The reason why he drove this three-wheeled vehicle today was entirely because Qiao Mei''s parcel was too heavy. It would be too extravagant to send a car to deliver this package, so he could only work harder by riding the three-wheeled vehicle to the village. "My parcel? From where?" Qiao Mei asked curiously. Xia Zhe had just gone back to the army unit and there were so many things he needed to do that he could not even rest well. Moreover, Xia Zhe had just called her not long ago to update her about his situation. "It''s from the capital!" the postman said. "Wait a moment! I also have a parcel that I need to send!" Qiao Mei hurriedly ran to the storeroom and pulled out a big package that was no smaller than the one brought by the postman. The postman looked at Qiao Mei in shock. It seemed that he had made the right choice to ride the three-wheeled vehicle here. Otherwise, he would not be able to cycle back with a parcel of the same size! "The gifts you send are all quite big" the postman said as he gulped in shock. Qiao Mei scratched her head in embarrassment and said, "Um are you able to accept the parcel? Mine is very heavy." The postman patted his chest confidently and said, "Don''t underestimate me! I''ll definitely send it out for you! Don''t worry!" The two of them exchanged packages and did not exchange any more pleasantries because both packages were really too heavy! Qiao Mei watched the postman as he left. She easily lifted the package with one hand and carried it into the house. Qiao Qiang looked up and then lowered his head calmly. He was already used to Qiao Mei having this "divine strength". "Did that kid Xia Zhe send you this? He must have sent all the army tents over," Qiao Qiang said with a laugh. "This is from my mother-in-law. I wonder what''s inside." Qiao Mei opened the package out of curiosity and the contents instantly burst out of the packaging and fell all over the floor. Chapter 660 Heavy Parcel "Did your mother-in-law send you all your things from her house? Is she throwing you out of the house!" Qiao Qiang pointed at the things on the floor and said angrily. It was no wonder that Qiao Qiang was so edgy. Not only were there many pieces of clothing on the floor, but there were also two cotton jackets, a wooden box, a bag of food, two boxes of bird''s nest and jars of nutritional supplements of various sizes. "I think these are things she just bought for me." Qiao Mei picked up the things from the floor one by one and placed them on the brick bed. Qiao Qiang picked up a gray sweater and a light blue sweater. They did not look like they were store bought, but looked like they were made by Xu Lan herself. "When did Xu Lan learn how to do this? When she married Xia Mao, I didn''t hear that she was a good wife and mother," Qiao Qiang said disdainfully. Back then, Xia Mao had taken a fancy to Xu Lan''s cold and arrogant attitude and charming figure. Instead of saying that Xia Mao wooed Xu Lan, it might be more appropriate to say that he was infatuated with her. At that time, it was the new year and no one in the army could go home. The people from the art troupe had come to the army unit to celebrate with them. One of the goals was also to let this group of single soldiers interact more with the beautiful young ladies from outside. If any couple was fated to meet, they could end up together! Xia Mao took a fancy to Xu Lan with only one glance and then he took leave to go home and ask around for news about Xu Lan. At that time, Wu Min was still alive and she firmly objected to Xu Lan marrying into the family for a very simple reason. This was a young lady who neither did any household chores nor knew how to take care of her in-laws and children. Xia Mao had numerous arguments with his family over this matter. In the end, Wu Min felt sorry for her son and reluctantly agreed to let Xu Lan marry into the Xia family. "I''m guessing that Second Aunt-in-law made them. Grandfather, is that gray one for you!" Qiao Mei said. Qiao Qiang took the gray sweater and held it against his body. It did indeed seem to fit him. He could not possibly be wearing the light blue one! It would be too embarrassing for him to wear that out! "It''s rare that your mother-in-law still remembers me. How thoughtful of her." Qiao Qiang nodded in satisfaction. She even prepared two sets of cotton jackets. Again, one was gray and the other was light blue. Among the items, there were also tea leaves for Qiao Qiang. Judging from the packaging, it must be Xia Jun''s gift for Qiao Qiang. Xia Jun knew that Qiao Qiang liked to drink tea and that he liked Pu''er the most. The tea that Xia Jun sent over was all the good stuff. "That old man Xia Jun is really interesting. He put a note in the tea leaves and told me to savor it carefully. Hahahaha! It''s rare for him to be so generous and give me so much," Qiao Qiang said with a smile. "Is Grandpa Xia very stingy? I feel that he''s very generous to me," Qiao Mei said. Qiao Qiang said disdainfully, "He''s the most stingy among us old comrades! Back then, whenever we went to buy food in the canteen after we received our salary, he would only buy one steamed bun and then he would eat all our dishes. He said that it was because he wanted to get married as soon as possible. But true enough, he was really the first among us to get married." Xia Jun and Wu Min were childhood sweethearts and had made a marriage pact a long time ago. However, the Wu family was not an ordinary family. At that time, Xia Jun was only a kid from a poor family and did not have the capability to marry Wu Min. Having an opponent like Zhou Sheng, who also liked Wu Min, he had no chance of winning at all. Fortunately, Wu Min only loved Xia Jun and they went on to get married. During the early days of their marriage, it was quite tough on him. However, as Wu Min took good care of the household, his life got better and better. "I didn''t expect Grandpa Xia to be such a person. Then how did you and grandmother meet?" Qiao Mei asked curiously as she moved closer to Qiao Qiang. Qiao Mei was asking about Qiao Qiang''s first wife and Qiao Yue''s biological mother. Actually, the reason why they ended up together was a very simple one. They were introduced to each other by someone from the same village who felt that they were of equal status and were very compatible. After that, they got married. There was no exciting backstory at all. "Why does a kid need to know so much! You should worry about yourself! Are you going to tell your children in the future how you and Xia Zhe ended up together?" Qiao Qiang said witha meaningful look. Qiao Mei instantly blushed. She had never thought about this issue before. Would she have to tell the children that she had forced herself on Xia Zhe and forced him to do those shameful things, and that was why she became pregnant? Chapter 661 Unconscious "Weren''t you asking me so happily just now? Why are you blushing now!" Qiao Qiang teased. Qiao Mei turned around to look at the other things that Xu Lan had sent her and ignored what Qiao Qiang said. As for the story of how she and Xia Zhe fell in love she decided to leave this matter to Xia Zhe to worry about! Qiao Mei put the stuff like bird''s nest and other items in the cabinet to store them properly. When she had time, she would open them up and savor them together with Qiao Qiang. She was more attracted to the wooden box. She could feel a faint energy surging inside. Although it was not very pure, the sparkling yellow light made her feel exceptionally curious. She opened the box slowly and saw a medium-grade yellow jade bangle inside. The color was very ordinary, but the transparency was not bad. However, it was indeed not as good as the bangle that Wu Min left for her. It would appear that Xu Lan had spent a lot of money to buy it. She probably felt that Qiao Mei liked these sorts of things and wanted to buy them for her whenever she saw something nice. Xu Lan did not know anything about quality or transparency, and she simply bought whatever she thought looked nice. There was nothing that Qiao Mei could not repair. In less than three days, the transparency and quality of this bangle would definitely be top-notch! Not only would this bangle make Qiao Mei feel comfortable, but it could also exchange energy with her. "Grandfather, I suddenly feel that the things I sent to my mother-in-law are not very presentable," Qiao Mei said as she held up the wooden box and looked at Qiao Qiang aggrievedly. She had sent Xu Lan a sweater that she knitted herself, some pickled vegetables that she made, and some local specialties from home. She had also made a beautiful navy blue dress for Xu Lan. "No matter what you give, it comes from your heart. Whatever we buy here can''t compare to the nice things in the capital. I believe Xu Lan can see your efforts. She won''t think that the things you give are not nice," Qiao Qiang said. She had already sent out everything. It was too late to regret it now. She gave the cotton jacket a shake and saw that there were a few books inside. Judging from the handwriting in the books, they were from Xia Wen. It was really nice of him to be concerned about her studies. Before she could finish packing up, Zhang Wei ran into the house in a state of panic and shouted, "Elder sister! Bad news! My mother has fainted!" "What! What''s going on! Tell me slowly," Qiao Mei said to Zhang Wei with a frown. "Mom suddenly fainted without any warning. What should we do!" Zhang Wei was so anxious that his forehead was entirely covered in sweat. This was the first time he had encountered such a situation and he did not know how to deal with it. Qiao Mei put down the things in her hand and grabbed Zhang Wei as she walked towards Li Gui''s house. Qiao Qiang looked out of the window and sighed as he watched Qiao Mei leave. She wondered if this mother-daughter pair would let bygones be bygones. Li Gui was lying on the kitchen floor and panting heavily. Zhang Qin and Zhang Chao knelt beside her and wept. They were too weak to lift Li Gui at all. "Don''t cry, I''m here," Qiao Mei comforted them. Qiao Mei checked Li Gui''s pupils and tested the rhythm of her breathing. She shook Li Gui gently and said, "Wake up can you hear me?" Li Gui''s eyes were blurry and she could not see who it was. She nodded with her last bit of consciousness and whispered, "Water hungry water I want water" Qiao Mei easily pulled Li Gui up and slowly helped her back into the house. Li Gui''s weight was probably not even 100 pounds now. She looked like she weighed about 80 pounds. ? Li Gui had not eaten her fill for a long time and had low blood sugar. She usually recovered quickly after eating a piece of candy and some rice. However, looking at her condition now, she probably needed someone from the clinic to come and give her an infusion. "Xiao Wei, take the bicycle and go to the clinic. Tell them that your mother has fainted due to low blood sugar. Ask them to send someone to come over and give her an injection or prescribe some medicine," Qiao Mei said calmly. Zhang Wei had only just run out before he silently turned back and said, "Elder sister there''s no money at home Even if I go to the clinic, I won''t be able to get them to come" Qiao Mei smiled and said, "Don''t be afraid. Go and look for grandfather. He will help you. Elder sister also doesn''t have any money in my pocket now. Go." Zhang Wei hurriedly ran out to do as he was instructed. Zhang Qin and Zhang Chao stayed by Li Gui''s side for a moment and looked at her with tears in their eyes. However, the children were very sensible and did not cry audibly. They just silently wiped away their tears. Qiao Mei sat on the brick bed and sighed helplessly. She did not know how to face Li Gui. It seemed that Li Gui did not want to look for her even if she starved to death. She was not even really angry, she was just worried about Li Gui''s safety. Chapter 662 Searching The House Sun Jian gathered the militiamen from the village to go to Old Madam Li''s house to search for Li Gui''s money. Based on what Li Gui said, the amount was more than 50 dollars, so he just noted it as 50 dollars. As long as Old Madam Li handed over 50 dollars, he would not pursue the matter further. However, ever since Old Madam Li spouted nonsense after being spooked by Li Gui yesterday, she started to behave in a paranoid and crazy manner. Yet, Zhao Hong felt as if her life had become easier. Now, Old Madam Li only knew how to sit on the brick bed in a daze. If she saw strangers, she would hide in fear and mutter statements asking people not to kill her. Zhao Hong no longer had to work so hard every day or to burn the midnight oil. However, Zhao Hong did not have any clues regarding Li Gui''s money as well. She had searched everywhere she could think of, but there was no trace of that amount of money. "Everyone in the house, come out!" Hai Hua held up her shovel and shouted from the Li family''s main door. Zhao Hong walked out nervously and said, "Sister-in-law Hai, what''s the matter?" "We''re here to look for the 50 dollars that Li Gui lost. If you have found it, hand it over quickly. Otherwise, we''ll have to go in," Hai Hua said. "Didn''t you say that you would give us three days? This is only the first day. Sister-in-law Hai, please be considerate of my situation. My mother-in-law is afraid of outsiders now. Why don''t you come back on the third day?" Zhao Hong suggested. "No! Three days is the timeframe we gave Li Gui. Don''t you need to give us time to send the money to Li Gui!" Hai Hua said. Zhao Hong still wanted to say something, but she could not stop Hai Hua and the militiamen she brought along. They rushed into the courtyard and searched everywhere they could think of! A few of them even started digging up the soil in the courtyard in various areas. They did not miss out on any spot at all. Hai Hua even rushed into the house with four other people. Of course, her goal was not to enter the house to do a search, but to take a look at Old Madam Li''s miserable state. "Old Madam Li, do you know who I am?" Hai Hua said with a smile. Old Madam Li shook her head nervously and said quickly, "I don''t know anything I don''t know anything Don''t ask me" "Oh, you''ve really gone crazy. Where did you hide Li Gui''s money! I''d advise you to tell me the truth! Otherwise, I''ll get people to search your entire house!" Hai Hua said smugly. Old Madam Li hid in a corner in fear and said with a trembling voice, "Don''t kill me Don''t kill me I''ll give you everything Don''t kill me!" Hai Hua leaned closer and took a closer look at Old Madam Li''s pupils and body movements. She was sure that Old Madam Li was not pretending but had really gone crazy. It seemed that evil people would get what they deserved. This time, she was really doomed. "Everyone, search carefully. We must find the money today, otherwise we won''t be able to explain ourselves when we go back," Hai Hua said disappointedly to the militiamen. Hai Hua looked at Old Madam Li sternly. Old Madam Li buried her head between her knees nervously and covered her ears tightly with her hands while saying things like "let me go". "You did all kinds of evil back then. Now that you''re crazy, it''s what you deserve! You''d better die soon! I''m still waiting to eat at your funeral banquet when you die!" Hai Hua said to Old Madam Li. The few of them rummaged through the cabinet and even went through the pockets of all the clothes one by one. Even if it was just a small box, they would open it up to take a look. After searching the entire house carefully, she did not find where Old Madam Li had hidden the money. Even the people outside did not find anything. "Sister-in-law, we''ve already searched the area. There''s nothing," one of the militiamen said. At this moment, the militiamen outside the house also walked into the house and said, "Sister-in-law, there''s nothing outside the house either. We''ve already dug up the ground, but we haven''t found anything." Hai Hua walked around the house and took a closer look. There was not even a single valuable item in the house. It was so empty that she could see everything at a glance. How could the money have flown away by itself? Hai Hua looked at Zhao Hong in puzzlement and asked, "Is there any other place in your house? Where else can this Old Madam Li hide the money? Can it be hidden in the ceiling?" Zhao Hong shook her head. If she knew, she would not need to lead such a hard life. No one knew where Old Madam Li hid her money, not even Li Dong. Chapter 663 - 663 Contact 663 Contact Hai Hua did not believe it. She took the ladder and decided to check the roof of the storeroom. Unexpectedly, she found the money there. As soon as she climbed up, she realized that there was a dusty box on the beam. She held on to it carefully and brought it down, using an ax to break the small lock outside. When she opened it, she saw that it was filled with money. There was more than 50 dollars inside. At a glance, it was definitely at least 100 dollars. Hai Hua pursed her lips. She did not expect Old Madam Li to hide her money in such a special place. Ordinarily, no one would look up there. It was only because she once found out that Sun Jian had hidden away some money in the ceiling. That was why she felt that Old Madam Li might have hidden the money in a similar spot. Hai Hua took out 50 dollars, then put the remaining money back into the box and gave it to Zhao Hong. Take a look, this is 50 dollars. I havent touched the rest of the money and have put it back intact. Count it, Hai Hua said in an upfront manner. Zhao Hong had no idea how much money Old Madam Li had hidden in the box. Even if she counted the money, she would not know if there was any discrepancy. She believed in Hai Huas character. Although Hai Hua was unforgiving with her words, she was still a good person. Sister-in-law, I believe you. Ill have to trouble you to pass the money to Li Gui for me. I still have to stay at home to take care of the two children and my crazy mother-in-law. I really cant leave this place, Zhao Hong said. Hai Hua nodded. This was part of Sun Jians responsibility, so it was only right for them to do it. When the time came, she would tell all the villagers that Sun Jian was the one who handled the matter with the Li family. This would let everyone know that Sun Jian was a magnanimous and helpful person who was willing to let bygones be bygones. That would have a positive effect on the election for the village chief next month. Theres one more thing, but I dont know if you can help me with it Zhao Hong asked softly. What is it? Hai Hua said. Sister-in-law, look at me. I dont have any income, yet I have to support the whole family. I really cant do it anymore. My husband and my two sons have also left this family because of my mother-in-law. Im thinking of asking my mother-in-laws second son to come back and visit my mother-in-law. I wonder if you will be able to contact him, Zhao Hong pleaded. This matter was not so easy to handle. Indeed, Li Xiongs household register was still in their village. As long as Sun Jian called the police station, the police would definitely be able to find out Li Xiongs contact information within a week. However, Li Xiong had previously cut ties with Old Madam Li in front of the entire village. Why would Li Xiong want to come back now? Its not that I dont want to help you with this matter. You also know why Li Xiong cut off ties with your family back then. If you want me to ask him to come back now, arent you getting me into trouble? Besides, why dont you ask your own husband to come back? Whats the deal with looking for Li Xiong, Hai Hua said. Li Dong has gone to work in the county city and I dont know how to contact him. I know this is a difficult issue, but no matter what, my mother-in-law is still Li Xiongs biological mother. Sister-in-law Hai, please help me. Just contact him and ask him to come back quickly. You can leave the rest to me, Zhao Hong said. Hai Hua nodded reluctantly in agreement. When she returned to the village office, she told Sun Jian everything that had happened at the Li family house. They saw no urgency to send the money yet. They still had a meeting in the village tomorrow, and would only have time to go and send the money the day after. Sun Jian telephoned the county city police station and sent a telegram to Li Xiong, asking him to return to the village to visit Old Madam Li as soon as possible after receiving the news. After Li Xiong left the village, he did not go far and just lived in the city nearby. He and his wife, Sun Ying, worked hard to support their only son. Wife, its a message from the village saying that my mother is about to die. Should we go back? Li Xiong said as he held the telegram. Sun Ying said agitatedly, What! Your mother is dead! Then we definitely have to go back! If you ask me, you shouldnt have acted on impulse back then and insisted on cutting ties with her. The house is so big and it has been monopolized by your eldest brothers family for so many years. Its such a huge loss to us. Isnt that because she always bosses you around to do work? Back then, you were the one who said that you wanted to leave that house and cut ties with her. How did it become my fault now, Li Xiong said unhappily. At that time, Sun Ying told Li Xiong that her family had some money, and that her father said that as long as Li Xiong became the matrilocal son-in-law of the Sun family, he would find a job for Li Xiong in the city. What kind of future did he have in the village? He could only go to the fields every day to earn work points and even then, he would not be able to earn much money in a year. It was different in the city. There was a possibility that he could earn at least 100 dollars a month! Chapter 664 - 664 Returning to the Village 664 Returning to the Village Li Xiong did not think too much about it and immediately cut off all ties with his family. Without looking back, he went to the city with Sun Ying to work and happily became the Sun familys matrilocal son-in-law. However, when Li Xiong arrived, he found out that Sun Yings father was not part of the cadre at all. He was just an old man who worked as a doorman at the recycling center. The job that he found for Li Xiong was nothing cushy either. He worked as a scavenger and collected recyclables to sell. Even now, Sun Ying and Li Xiong were still living in the dingy part of the alley. Their family of three was squeezed into a house that was only 10 square meters big. They had to share the toilet and kitchen with other families. The surrounding neighbors were not nice people. Every day, they would quarrel over trivial matters. It was either someone used too much toilet paper belonging to someone else or someone used salt which belonged to another person. The quarrels were endless. Lets leave our child at my fathers place, then well pack up and go back. Your surname is also Li, so half of that house definitely belongs to you! Sun Ying said. On what basis do I fight with them for the house? My eldest brother and fourth sister are the ones taking care of my mother. If we go back and ask for a share of the house now, what will the villagers think of me! They all think that we left and became rich. If we go back now looking so dowdy, well just be a joke! Li Xiong complained. How are we a joke! We still earn more money now than in the village! No matter how bad it is, we can still make at least 30 dollars a month! Sun Ying said. Even an amount of 30 dollars was not enough for anything! Fortunately, Sun Yings household register was in the city and in turn, so was their son. The food stamps they received every month were enough for the three of them. After being away for so many years, they had only managed to save 80 dollars. Seeing that their son was about to start school soon, they had a lot of expenses coming up. The school fees in the village school was only three dollars a year, but the school fees in this city school was six dollars a month! It was simply daylight robbery! The school said that the fees were inclusive of the textbooks, meals, classes and practical lessons, which was why it added up to so much. Other schools were even more expensive. This one was already the cheapest. Then lets go back and not come back here! Li Xiong said in a fit of pique. Why not! Cant we just sell your mothers house and then come back to buy a house in the city? Then Li Le can go to school well, Sun Ying said. We dont even have any nice clothes. What are we going to wear when we go back! Li Xiong said. Sun Ying flipped through their things under the bed and found an old suit. She had picked it up near the office building in the city center just this month. It was torn in some parts, but it was still wearable after patching those spots up. What do you think of this? Is it good enough for you? Sun Ying said. Li Xiong nodded in satisfaction. If he wore this set of clothes, people would believe him even if he said that he was a big boss. Lets pack our things. Well leave tomorrow morning! Send Li Le to your fathers place tonight and ask him to take care of the boy for a few days, Li Xiong said. After the two of them were done with their work, they packed their bags and returned to the village. As soon as they entered the village, they attracted a lot of attention. Li Xiong was wearing a suit and holding an old leather suitcase, and his left hand was wrapped around Sun Yings waist. Sun Ying was wearing a bright red dress and red lipstick, looking very fashionable. As the two of them had been away from their hometown for a long time, no one could recognize them. After they walked away, everyone started whispering. Who are those two? Why havent I seen them before? Are they someones rich relatives? an auntie asked curiously. I find them quite familiar. I think hes the second son of the Li family! an old man said affirmatively. Impossible! The Li familys second son hasnt returned for so many years. Didnt he cut ties with his mother? No way hes back, the auntie said disdainfully. The old man approached everyone and whispered, Didnt you hear that Old Madam Li was driven crazy by her daughter using a kitchen knife? Really! I didnt hear about this! the auntie said in surprise. Its absolutely true! When I went to the clinic to get my medication, Hai Hua told me that there was a fight because Old Madam Li stole 50 dollars from Li Gui, the old man said. As everyone chattered about this matter, the story that went around became more and more ridiculous. Someone even said that Li Gui wanted to kill Old Madam Li to take revenge! Chapter 665 - 665 Unable to Take Care of Oneself 665 Unable to Take Care of Oneself Li Xiong and Sun Ying greeted everyone they knew and everybody looked at the couple enviously. No one knew that the things they were wearing were all picked up from the trash. Mother! Were back! Li Xiong shouted as he walked into the courtyard. Zhao Hong was washing Old Madam Lis pants in the courtyard. Old Madam Li often became frightened inexplicably and then peed her pants, so Zhao Hong had to constantly help the old woman change her clothes and wipe her body. She wondered if she owed the old woman a debt in their previous lives! Who are you Zhao Hong looked at Li Xiong and Sun Ying in puzzlement. Sun Ying sashayed gracefully and walked up to Zhao Hong. Eldest sister-in-law, dont you remember me? Im Sun Ying! Zhao Hong smiled awkwardly and said, Ah I remember now! Its been a long time since we last met. Youve become so beautiful that I dont even recognize you. Thats true. Im unlike you, eldest sister-in-law. Youve aged a lot after these few years. Look at your hands, theyre no different from mothers hands, Sun Ying said mockingly as she pointed at Zhao Hongs hands. Zhao Hong hid her hands behind her back and lowered her head as she said, Yes I have to do chores at home every day. My life is definitely not as comfortable as your life in the city. Sun Ying sized up the courtyard in disdain. Previously, when she first married into the family, it was not so dilapidated. Now, the house looked like it was almost unfit for habitation. Even if they sold this house, it would not be worth much. At most, they would be able to buy a place like their current 10-square-meter dilapidated unit in the city. Isnt mother going to die? Have you ordered the coffin yet? Sun Ying asked. Zhao Hong quickly said, Shes not dying! Shes just crazy! Shes still in good health! Shes just traumatized Sun Ying pursed her lips impatiently. They had only returned home because she thought that Old Madam Li was about to die. If the old woman was not dead yet, why were they asked to come back! That old woman was now so muddle-headed that she could not remember anything at all. Did she want them to come back and take care of her? Eldest sister-in-law, wheres my eldest brother? Li Xiong asked. Your eldest brother Your eldest brother went to the county city to work and rarely comes back, Zhao Hong said with a forced smile. She did not want Li Xiong to know that Li Dong did not return home at all. Otherwise, what if he took the opportunity to bully her and her two daughters? Other than the Li family house, they had no other place to stay. Only by guarding this place could Zhao Hong have a roof over her head. Then whos the one who asks me to come back, my eldest brother or you? Li Xiong asked as he narrowed his eyes. Zhao Hong stammered and could not speak. Sun Ying was unwilling to waste her time in the courtyard, so she decided to go into the house with Li Xiong to rest instead of waiting for Zhao Hongs answer. As soon as she pushed open the door, the stench of urine hit them in the face, causing Sun Ying and Li Xiong to hurriedly run to the side and vomit. Old Madam Li would pee her pants every once in a while. Sometimes, Zhao Hong was unable to help her change her clothes immediately, so the smell had slowly seeped into every corner of the house. This house was inhabitable now, not even the west room. Whats going on! Sun Ying shouted angrily. Mother has lost control of her bowels and bladder now. I still have to go to the fields to work, so sometimes Im so busy that I dont have time to clean up after her. Thats why theres a smell in the house, Zhao Hong explained. Li Xiong closed the door silently. Other than this house, they had nowhere else to stay. They were just pretending to be rich and did not actually have any money to go to the guest house in the county city. Sun Ying pulled Li Xiong aside and said, Dont you have a younger sister living nearby? Lets go to her place for a few days. Li Xiong said awkwardly, You mean Li Gui. She even dared to kill her mother, let alone us. I dare not go to her place. Then what do you think we should do! Do we really have to live in a house that smells like the toilet! Sun Ying said angrily. Other than Li Gui, he still had another younger sister, Li Juan. They used to get along quite well, but he did not know if she still acknowledged him as her older brother after so many years. Lets go and look for my youngest sister. I really dare not go to Li Guis place Li Xiong whispered. Sun Ying had no choice but to agree with Li Xiong. She picked up her luggage and prepared to leave the courtyard. This place was so dirty that she did not want to stay for another second! As long as she endured through this period of time, her good days would come! By then, her father would be able to live a good life with her and she would no longer have to work as a scavenger. Chapter 666 The Root Cause Of The Illness "Where are you going? I''m preparing dinner!" Zhao Hong said. "We''ll stay at a relative''s house for a while and will come back after a few days. You can stay at home and take care of mother." With that, Sun Ying briskly walked out of the Li family house with Li Xiong. Along the way, she did not show Li Xiong any nice expression. Sun Ying knew that someone had used that telegram to trick them into coming back so that they could help to take care of the old lady. Why would they want to support a disabled person who had incontinence! Old Madam Li had done all kinds of evil! Her current condition was retribution for her past deeds! There was a reason why Sun Ying hated her so much. It was winter when Sun Ying married into the family. It was said to be the coldest winter within those past 10 years. The snow fell heavily and covered the roads so thickly that even the bridal sedan that welcomed her could not be carried into the village. Wearing her thin wedding dress, she had to trudge through the snow with the matchmaker and the rest of the bridal party to reach the Li family house. She did not expect that there was not even a red lantern hanging at the entrance of the Li family house or the word for "happiness" pasted on the door! There was no hint that the family was celebrating as joyous an occasion as a wedding at all! Even at the wedding banquet, the number of people who attended was pitifully few. This was the first time she had seen a family holding a wedding like this. She was even asked to kneel down outdoors to pay respects to the ancestors even when it was so cold. She had to bow again and again as they were named one by one. She was told that that this was the Li family''s custom but it was all a lie. What rubbish custom! It was all just an excuse to torture her! Later on, she had secretly asked Zhao Hong about it. When Zhao Hong married into the family, she did not hear of such customs! She fell ill from that episode and suffered from the lingering effects from then on. When she gave birth to Li Le, she almost died in the delivery room. Until now, she could not touch cold water, otherwise she would have diarrhea and headaches. Was it too much for her to hate Old Madam Li? A shrew like Old Madam Li deserved to die! Leaving such a scourge alive in the world would just cause even more people to suffer! "Wife, when you get to Li Juan''s place, don''t give her any nasty attitude. Li Juan is a very particular person. If you treat her shabbily, she will remember it for the rest of her life!" Li Xiong said. "I know! I know! I know that your youngest sister is capable! She married a rich man! I''ll be more careful with my words!" Sun Ying said impatiently. Li Juan did not have a happy marriage, but in the eyes of outsiders, she had married very well. This was also all thanks to Old Madam Li. Li Juan was a beautiful girl, even more good-looking than Li Gui. Not only was she a good cook, but she also knew how to make shoes and clothes. She had a childhood sweetheart, a young man from the same village, and the two of them had made a pact to get married when they grew up. However, Old Madam Li looked down on that young man''s family for being poor, and felt that it would be better for her daughter to marry someone rich. Many matchmakers came to look for Old Madam Li to propose a match for her youngest daughter. In the end, Old Madam Li acted unconscionably and chose an older man who was 23 years older than Li Juan! It was all because that person was willing to give their family a color television and a betrothal gift of 600 dollars, an offer which no one else could better. The whole fiasco made Li Juan seem like a commodity that was being auctioned off. Whoever offered the highest price would get Li Juan. In the first few years, Li Juan even wanted to commit suicide. Later on, she gradually came to terms with her situation. Among Old Madam Li''s children, only Li Dong had quite a good life and was never harmed by Old Madam Li. The betrothal gifts which the family received for marrying off Li Gui and Li Juan all went into Li Dong''s pocket. When Sun Ying married into the Li family, they only gave her family a betrothal gift of 100 dollars. Old Madam Li had told Sun Ying to take it or leave it! She said that the Li family did not lack a daughter-in-law! "Do you think your mother was really driven crazy by your third sister? Can she be pretending?" Sun Ying asked. "It can''t be an act. Look at the mess she made in the house. How can it be fake? If she''s just pretending, she won''t be able to stand having all that feces and urine on her." Li Xiong felt disgusted just thinking about what he saw. Even though they did not enter the house to take a look at Old Madam Li, the smell had assaulted their senses. Old Madam Li was not dead yet, but they felt as if they were already dead from the stench! "How long until we reach Li Juan''s house? I''m so tired," Sun Ying said. Li Xiong pointed at the door in front and said, "We''re here. This is her in-law''s house." "Wow It seems that the person your sister married is really rich. Look at these bricks. One look and you can tell that they''re not cheap," Sun Ying said enviously. In the countryside, most families had wooden fences and timber doors that looked like they could fall off at any moment. It was a symbol of wealth for someone to build a solid wall with bricks and install a metal door with patterns on it. Chapter 667 Thanks To You Li Xiong looked at Sun Ying smugly and said, "That''s right! My younger sister is living such a good life! In the past, I got along the best with her! She will definitely help me!" Sun Ying wanted to stay in such a nice house for the night. She obediently stood behind Li Xiong and waited, not even daring to breathe loudly. Later, she must make Li Xiong look good and not let Li Juan look down on them. "Is anyone home! Is anyone there!" Li Xiong shouted as he banged on the door. A knock on the metal door was so loud that everyone in the village could hear it. Li Juan ran out of the house in annoyance and scolded, "Who''s so blind! Can''t you see the doorbell! I''m not deaf, why are you knocking so loudly!" Li Xiong looked around him but did not see anything that looked like a doorbell. Actually, he had never even seen a doorbell before! Rich people were really fastidious. He was her biological brother but he could not just enter directly, and still had to ring the doorbell. She simply had no respect for him as an older brother. As soon as Li Juan opened the door, she recognized Li Xiong. She looked at him with disdain and said, "What are you doing here? Didn''t you cut ties and said you''d never come back? You''re not able to survive in the city anymore?" "How can you talk to your brother like that! I just wanted to come back and see you!" Li Xiong said with a troubled expression. "You will think of me? Weren''t you and mother the ones who decided to sell me to this family to be the daughter-in-law back then? Why are you so hypocritically saying that you think of me now? You just want the money in my pocket, right?" Li Juan leaned against the door and said nonchalantly. Sun Ying looked at Li Xiong in shock. This was not what he had told her on the way. "Oh, look at my sister-in-law''s bewildered expression. I was already married when you got married to my brother, so you probably don''t know about this. My eldest sister-in-law was forced to marry into the Li family to repay a debt. My third sister originally married well, but her first husband died and my mother forced her to marry an abusive man. As for me, let''s not talk about it," Li Juan said. Sun Ying felt very emotional when she heard these words. She knew very well what kind of person Old Madam Li was, but she did not expect her to be so heartless. "Second sister-in-law, I''d advise you to divorce my second brother quickly. Second brother, just don''t ever come back for the rest of your life. Among the four of us, is there one who''s better off? You should leave quickly. I will never forgive you for what happened back then." After saying that, Li Juan wanted to close the door. Li Xiong stuck his foot in and pleaded, "Let us stay for one night, just one night. It''s already so dark now, where do you want us to stay? I''m sorry for what happened back then, but I really doted on you the most when we were young. On account of that, can you let your sister-in-law and I stay for one night?" Li Juan looked at Li Xiong helplessly, then at Sun Ying, and finally chose to let them in. Of course, she did not let them go to the main house, but led them to the woodshed. Li Juan''s woodshed was different from those belonging to ordinary families. Hers was really filled with firewood and coal and there was a lot of ash and dust. It was rarely tidied up. "Xiao Juan, you want your sister-in-law and I to stay in such a place! Cough, cough There''s not even a place to sleep!" Li Xiong said as he covered his mouth and nose. Li Juan pointed at the firewood and said, "Just pile up something and make do with it for the night. Beggars can''t be choosers. Since you''re here, you have to follow my family''s rules. You''re not allowed to come out. I''ll send food to you later. You have to leave at dawn tomorrow morning!" ? Without waiting for Li Xiong''s reply, Li Juan closed the door with a loud bang. Right now, Li Juan was alone at home. The old man she married had found a new girlfriend in the county city and she had heard that the woman was only in her early 20s! No one in the family could hold him back, so they just let him do whatever he wanted. All these years, Li Juan had been well-behaved and took care of him cautiously, which was why she still had a place in the family. Although everything looked glorious on the surface, she lived a hard life too. "Didn''t you say that your sister will treat you well? Why did she lock us up in the woodshed the moment we arrived? This lousy shed is not even as good as our own place!" Sun Ying said angrily. Li Xiong did not expect Li Juan to have such a bad temper. He could no longer remember what happened back then. Moreover, he was not the one who came up with the idea to get Li Juan married off. Back then, he only tipped her off and did not do anything else. Chapter 668 - 668 Raising the Price 668 Raising the Price In my opinion, the reason for the current situation is that wonderful third sister of yours! Its all her fault! Sun Ying said aggrievedly. Youre the one who said that if the old lady dies, we can come back and get a share of the family assets! In this situation, you still want to blame others! Li Xiong said. Why cant I blame her! If not for her, your mother wont have gone crazy! We wont have come back! When I passed by the village entrance today, I heard people saying that Li Gui snatched more than 100 dollars from mother! More than 100 dollars! How can that not drive your mother crazy! If you ask me, we should get the money back! Why should she be allowed to take this amount of money! Sun Ying said. Li Xiong only knew that Li Gui had driven Old Madam Li crazy. He did not know about the details. !! Based on what Sun Ying said, then he had a share in that amount of 100 dollars! No matter how much money Old Madam Li had saved up, it would be split among her children when she died! Li Gui was really shameless! She actually did such a traitorous thing for money! Well go and look for her tomorrow! Ask her for the money! Li Xiong said. Sun Ying thought about it carefully and said, I remember someone in our alley said that for such life-threatening matters, we must ask the guilty party to pay up. So, we must ask her for medical expenses, nutrition fees and compensation for emotional damage! Thats right! But how much does it cost? Is 20 dollars enough? Li Xiong said hesitantly. Didnt her daughter marry a rich man! She must have a lot of money! Lets ask for 80 dollars! Sun Ying said excitedly. You good-for-nothing! If even our mother can save more than 100 dollars, it would be easy for them to take out 80 dollars! Ask them for 150 dollars! Li Xiong thought that he had asked for a lot of money, but in reality, it was not even a fraction of what Old Madam Li had asked for. The more the two of them chatted, the happier they became. In the end, they raised their demand to 500 dollars and even felt that 500 dollars was already an astronomical amount. They had worked as scavengers in the city for so long and had not even managed to save 100 dollars. Was it something that was possible in the countryside? They roughly tidied up the woodshed and put two wooden planks onto the firewood pile. It was an uncomfortable night for them. The next morning, Li Juan stood at the door of the woodshed with a gong. The loud clang frightened Li Xiong and Sun Ying so much that they both rolled off the firewood pile. The two of them gritted their teeth and sat moaning on the ground. Li Juan was in an extremely good mood when she saw this scene. She just could not bear to see others living better than her. None of the people who harmed her back then could be allowed to have a good life! You wretched girl! Are you crazy! Why do you hit the gong so early in the morning! Sun Ying complained. Li Xiong stood up with difficulty. His entire body ached from the fall and he seemed to have twisted his ankle. At this hour, even the rooster was not up yet! Li Juan must be taking revenge on them! Hurry up and leave. Do you think our house is a free hotel? Im already being very merciful by taking you in. Leave immediately, Li Juan said coldly. As the saying went, to receive a favor was to sell ones liberty. Moreover, Li Xiong still owed Li Juan. Sun Ying wanted to say more, but Li Xiong stopped her. Lets go lets go somewhere else. Li Xiong endured the pain in his ankle and left Li Juans house with Sun Ying. The two of them stood at the door helplessly and looked around. They knew how to get here, but they did not know how to leave. They were not familiar with this village, so they could only leave in the direction they came from and see if they would luck out and bump into a horse carriage. In the end, Li Xiong and his wife left Li Juans house and paid a sky-high price of five dollars to turn around and head towards Foshan Village. When they first entered their own village, the two of them looked very glamorous. Now that they had suffered over a day and a night, they were so tired that they looked like refugees. As soon as they entered the village, they attracted Auntie Dongs attention. How could Auntie Dong miss out on such a thing? Soon, the news spread throughout the entire village. Li Gui had already recovered. Qiao Mei could not bear to let Li Gui go hungry again, so she secretly asked Zhang Wei to go to her place on time every day to get food. When he went home, he would tell Li Gui that the food was leftovers from Qiao Qiangs meal. This way, Li Gui would not reject the gesture and she would be able to get through the difficult issue at hand. Sigh Why am I so unlucky to have married a good-for-nothing like you! Now, not only do I have nothing, but I even have to follow you around and be looked down upon by others! What sin have I committed to have to suffer this! Sun Ying said. Chapter 669 - 669 Recognizing the Wrong Person 669 Recognizing the Wrong Person I also dont know what sin Ive committed! Do you think I dont regret marrying you! Li Xiong said indignantly. As they quarreled with each other, they soon arrived at Li Guis previous residence, which was now the house that Wang Qin and Qiao Gui were living in. Li Gui, come out! You heartless thing! Come out quickly! Li Xiong threw his luggage aside and stood at the door of Wang Qins house with his hands on his hips. He scolded loudly, as if he was venting all the grievances he had suffered over the past few days. Sun Ying also imitated Li Xiong and pointed at Wang Qins house as she scolded, You abused your old mother! You drove her crazy! Youre simply out of your mind! Its not even too much to have you arrested! If you dare to do it, then admit it! Come out quickly! !! Qiao Gui looked through the glass window and stared at the people outside, feeling puzzled. Then he turned to look at Wang Qin and said, Who are they? Your relatives? What a joke! Didnt you hear what he said something about someone abusing the mother. My mother has been dead for more than 10 years. Where can I go to abuse her? Wang Qin said with a laugh. Then who are they, having a tirade at our door. Ive never seen anyone like this before, Qiao Gui said as he looked at the door in confusion. Wang Qin came over to take a look and said in surprise, Isnt this Li Guis second brother! How can you have forgotten! Didnt you say that he went to the city to enjoy life? Why is he back? But they cant keep going on like this. Quickly think of a way to chase them away. Every injustice has its perpetrator. Why are they scolding us? Qiao Gui said unhappily. Wang Qin tidied her clothes and walked out of the door with a smile. You must be Second Brother Li! Its really been a long time! Is there a misunderstanding between us? Why are you here at my house, flaring up so early in the morning? Li Xiong was dumbfounded. Why was it not Li Gui coming out? Doesnt this house belong to my younger sister! Why are you here! Where did my sister go! Li Xiong said aggressively. Wang Qin sighed and said pretentiously, Second Brother Li, you also know that there are many people in my family. I managed to earn some money so I bought the house from your sister. At that time, I spent 500 dollars! Your sister is not here anymore. She lives in the big courtyard over there! When Li Xiong heard this, he became even angrier. Without another word, he led Sun Ying towards the direction that Wang Qin pointed out and found Li Guis house quickly. He was completely irrational by now and his mind was filled with his prejudice against Li Gui. When he reached Li Guis house, he pushed the door open and entered. He was not as polite as when he was at Li Juans house. Li Gui, come out! Li Xiong shouted arrogantly. Zhang Wei quickly hid in the house with his younger siblings and held the door tightly shut. Li Xiong looked much more burly than Zhang Qian and Zhang Cong. This was the result of years of scavenging and manual labor. Second brother, long time no see Come in and have a seat, Li Gui said weakly. Dont talk to me about anything else! Why did you go back and snatch money from our mother! Hurry up and hand over all her money! Li Xiong said. Snatch money? When did I snatch money Youre talking about the matter of me going home. I havent gotten the money back yet Before Li Gui could explain herself, Li Xiong went up and gave her a hard slap, causing her to fall to the ground. In the house, Zhang Qin stood on a small stool and saw everything through the window. She cried and shouted in the room, Mom! Mom! Zhang Wei quickly covered Zhang Qins mouth and said, Dont make a sound! Eldest brother please save mom! Mom is being beaten up! Zhang Qin cried. Zhang Wei could not stop crying either. However, he was still too young. He could only ensure that his younger siblings did not get hurt. What do you mean by you havent gotten the money back! Do you know that mother is so traumatized now! She doesnt even recognize anyone anymore! The entire house smells of feces and urine! You still have the cheek to tell me here that you didnt do it! Pfft! Li Xiong pointed at Li Gui and shouted. At this moment, Auntie Dong had rushed over with the other villagers. She hurriedly ran forward to help Li Gui up and said, Sister! Are you alright! There was blood at the corners of Li Guis mouth from the beating. Her already weak body looked even more fragile now. Who are you! Why did you enter our village to hit someone! Auntie Dong shouted angrily. Who do you think you are! How dare you talk to me like that! Im her brother! She drove my mother crazy using a knife! How can it be wrong for me to hit her! Li Xiong said. Second brother, I didnt I didnt snatch our mothers money. Thats not what happened, Li Gui said. Chapter 670 - 670 Let Me Listen Too 670 Let Me Listen Too Good news did not travel far, but bad news spread far and wide. This matter quickly caused an uproar. Everyone knew that Li Gui had used a knife to drive Old Madam Li crazy. Some people even said that Li Gui had killed Old Madam Li! Seeing that more people started gathering around, Sun Ying pointed at Li Gui and shouted towards the crowd, Everyone, come and be the judge! My mother-in-law was almost killed by this woman! How can a daughter behave like this! She actually used a knife to threaten our mother and even snatched our mothers money! The old lady is so traumatized that she cant even control her bodily functions now! What should we do! The neighbors had all seen Old Madam Li before. They had more or less heard about her. Although she was a bad person, she did not do anything to deserve getting killed. Gradually, everyone believed what Sun Ying said and started criticizing Li Gui for being heartless. No matter how badly Old Madam Li treated Li Gui, she was still the one who gave Li Gui life. How could Li Gui point a knife at her? Now that we want to take back our mothers money, she wont give it to us. Our mother is already so sick and doesnt even have any money to pay for treatment! This woman is still acting like a tyrant here. When she hears us asking her for money, she pretends to be weak and lies to us that she doesnt have money, Sun Ying said angrily. Wang Qin shouted from the back of the crowd, Thats right! How can a daughter be like this! When her mother doesnt have money, she can still use a knife to threaten her mother. Does that mean that the day when her mother cant fork out any money, she will kill her mother! When everyone heard this, they became even angrier. This was simply too inhumane! Li Gui, just take out that money and give it to your brother and sister-in-law. Do you feel comfortable spending such black-hearted money! the neighbor said. Quickly hand it over! Otherwise, well get the village chief to deal with you! another villager said. Li Gui leaned weakly in Auntie Dongs arms. Not so long ago, these people were still very polite to her and even said that they wanted to help her redo the beams and columns of her house Yet, at the current moment, everyone was simply criticizing and scolding her indiscriminately. Oh, everyones here. You seem to be having a good time scolding her. Should I join in? Qiao Mei slowly walked over. Wang Qin quietly hid at the side of the crowd to avoid being discovered by Qiao Mei. It was not easy for her to find an opportunity to teach Li Gui a lesson, but she did not expect Qiao Mei to still come and back Li Gui up. She thought everyone said that Qiao Mei had cut ties with Li Gui? Why were they still hand in glove now? Sun Ying sized up the newcomer from head to toe. She had seen Qiao Mei a few times when she was young, but she did not have much of an impression left. Later on, she had only heard from Old Madam Li that Qiao Mei had grown up to be a fatty who weighed almost 300 pounds, and that she did not inherit Li Guis beauty or Qiao Yues heroic spiritedness at all. She was like a bear spirit with a very unruly and domineering temper. The young lady in front of her did not look like a villager. Although she was pregnant, it was not difficult to tell that she was a great beauty before that. Now that she was pregnant, she had another kind of charm about her. Who are you? Why are you interfering in our familys matters! Furthermore, youre pregnant. Dont blame our family later if something happens! Sun Ying said warily. Qiao Mei grinned at Sun Ying and said, But Im Qiao Mei. Based on seniority, I have to call you second aunt-in-law! Sun Ying widened her eyes and looked at Qiao Mei in shock. Even Li Xiong could not believe that the person in front of him was Qiao Mei. She looked like a completely different person! Even if she had cut off all that flesh on her body, it was impossible to become so beautiful. Sun Ying was not in a hurry to speak. She immediately saw the bangle that Qiao Mei had hidden behind her sleeve. Only rich people would wear things like bangles. Ordinary people would not even own such good things, let alone people in a remote village. It seemed that what she heard was true. Qiao Mei really had money now. It seemed that they were going to be rich today! Qiao Mei! Youre all grown up! I cant recognize you at all. I must be blind. Since youre pregnant, just go back. Dont get affected by the matter between your mother and your grandmother. Let us deal with it, Sun Ying said obsequiously. It was really different when one was rich. Back then, when Qiao Mei went to their house to ask for a meal, she would be scolded for being a stinky beggar. They would put her food on a dogs plate and let her eat with the dogs. They did not remember these things anymore, but Qiao Mei remembered everything and would never forget it for the rest of her life. Chapter 671 Going Out Without A Brain In the original owner of the body''s memories, after she gave birth, the news reached Sun Ying and Li Xiong for some reason. These two heartless people even came back specially with the intention of taking the children to sell them! How utterly heartless! "Is my grandmother feeling fine? The day before yesterday, eldest aunt-in-law even came to ask my mother to go home quickly. She said that grandmother was dying and wanted my mother to bring money back to save her life. My mother even had to borrow the money from me. What happened? Are you here to inform us that she has recovered?" Qiao Mei asked with narrowed eyes. When it came to acting, no one could do it better than Qiao Mei. Ever since Qiao Mei was born, she had never called Old Madam Li "grandmother". She found it disgusting to even say it! If not for the fact that she wanted to lie to Sun Ying, she would feel nauseous if she said another word. "What illness? Isn''t the old lady driven mad by your mother!" Sun Ying said in confusion. "Really? Then she wasn''t sick earlier?" Qiao Mei asked. Sun Ying did not hesitate at all and immediately shouted, "No! If not for Li Gui driving the old lady crazy! The old lady would not have needed someone to take care of her! She has always been in good health! Everyone in the surrounding villages knows that my mother-in-law is famous for being able to walk long distances on the mountain roads! How can she be sick!" Qiao Mei looked at Sun Ying mockingly. This person had really forgotten to bring her brain along. She had given everything away so quickly. Everyone knew about Zhao Hong coming by. If not for the fact that Zhao Hong was spotted by a villager at that time, she would have died by the roadside. However, no one knew why Zhao Hong was here. They all thought that it was because she had nowhere to go and came here to seek refuge with Li Gui. Later on, for some reason, Li Gui and Zhao Hong left the village overnight. After some speculation, everyone guessed that something had happened to Old Madam Li, so they had asked Li Gui to go back and take a look. To hear that Old Madam Li was not sick and that she only felt sick after Li Gui went home to see her, then it meant that Old Madam Li was lying previously. Sun Ying looked at the trace of suspicion in everyone''s eyes when they looked at her and she finally realized that she had said something wrong. She explained in a panic, "But it''s possible that she''s sick! Li Xiong and I work away from home all year round. My mother-in-law is probably sick. Since she''s old, it''s inevitable that she has all kinds of illnesses. It''s just that our family members are afraid that we would be worried and so they don''t want to tell us." Auntie Dong curled her lips and said, "All your glib words sound even better than singing. In the surrounding villages, who doesn''t know that Li Xiong cut ties with Old Madam Li back then because of you? All these years, not only did you not come back to visit her, you didn''t even give her a single cent as allowance. You still have the cheek to criticize others here. How shameless!" "You''re dressed so nicely. You must have bought these clothes at the last minute! Your suit is even one size too big!" Auntie Wang said mockingly. Li Xiong tugged at his clothes awkwardly. He had clearly asked Sun Ying to alter the size before they left, so he did not understand how someone could still see that something was not right. He glared fiercely at Sun Ying. Seeing that the situation was not right and that the people who were on their side earlier now believed what Qiao Mei said, he pointed at Qiao Mei and shouted, "All of you are making sarcastic remarks! Weren''t you all scolding Li Gui just now! Why do you believe Qiao Mei now! You fence-sitters really follow the wind!" "You''re her granddaughter, yet you don''t even know how to go back and take a look! You still want to criticize us here! Who do you think you are!" Li Xiong shouted at Qiao Mei. As he spoke, he walked towards Qiao Mei and stood in front of her, looking at her angrily as if he wanted to fry her alive. "She has never raised me or taken care of me, so why should I go back and see her? I''m already flattering her by lending her money for her treatment," Qiao Mei said coldly as she looked up. "You think you make sense! I''ll teach you a lesson today! I''ll let you know what it means to respect your elders!" Li Xiong raised his hand to hit Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei dodged nimbly and turned around to give Li Xiong a slap instead. It caused him to fall to the ground. Li Xiong crouched over the ground and seemed dazed. The people around them looked at what happened with surprised looks. Auntie Dong and Auntie Wang kept straight faces. They were already used to this. Qiao Mei could easily lift with one hand the big bag of bean sprouts that the two of them could not even lift up an inch. She seemed to have the strength of a monster. Chapter 672 Laughing My Head Off Li Xiong looked at Qiao Mei in disbelief and then at the gazes of the people around him. He was a man and could not even win against a pregnant woman! People would laugh their heads off if word got out! "Ouch! Ouch! My leg is broken! Ouch! It hurts!!!" Li Xiong held his ankle and wailed. He decided to make use of the injuries sustained from the fall at Li Juan''s house this morning. Since they had already embarrassed themselves, they might as well go all out and blame everything on Qiao Mei. Their original intention was to come and get some benefits from Qiao Mei. It did not matter to them what method they had to use. Sun Ying immediately understood what Li Xiong was doing and hurriedly ran to his side. She said in a panic, "Hubby, where does it hurt! Quick, let me take a look! Ah! It''s all swollen! Don''t tell me the bone is broken!" Seeing this, Li Xiong lay on the ground and wailed loudly, causing the birds in the forest to fly away in fright. An old man in the crowd said disdainfully, "It''s just a pretense! How strong can a young girl be! Now that his lie has been exposed, he''s too embarrassed!" Auntie Dong and Auntie Wang held back their laughter and did not dare to laugh out loudly. Qiao Mei held her forehead and said aggrievedly, "I don''t know what''s going on either. I only blocked him. Why did he fall? I was just trying to protect myself. I really didn''t use any strength!" "Who said you didn''t use any strength! Look at my husband''s face! There are already five fingerprints! And you still say you didn''t use any force!" Sun Ying said as she pointed at Li Xiong''s face. In just a short while, one side of Li Xiong''s face was already swollen like a pig''s head and bruises were even starting to show. Everyone pretended not to see anything and ignored Sun Ying and Li Xiong. "Is there anything else? You don''t have a pass and yet you come to our village to frame and beat up someone. Now, one of you is even pretending to be disabled. What else do you want? Quickly take your things and get lost from our village!" Auntie Dong shouted at the two of them grandly. "We''re Li Gui''s second brother and second sister-in-law! Can''t we come and visit her! It''s not like we''re spending the night! What right do you have to chase us away! You''re all covering up for Qiao Mei! I''m going to the county city to report you!" Sun Ying said. Unexpectedly, not only was everyone unafraid, but they even said in a relaxed manner, "You''d better go now. When the time comes, we''ll say that you come here to cause trouble in the village. Let''s see who gets the short end of the stick." "You keep saying that Old Madam Li is your mother, then hand over the money. Your mother borrowed more than 200 dollars from your younger sister! This time, she even cheated Qiao Mei of 50 dollars by pretending to be sick. That''s about 300 dollars in total. It''s not too much for a son to pay his mother''s debt," Auntie Wang said. The moment Li Xiong heard her asking him for money, he immediately looked more lively. Suddenly, it was like his waist no longer ached and his legs no longer hurt. He quickly stood up and limped over to everyone as he said, "My mother isn''t dead yet! I don''t have to return this money! My mother can pay it back herself!" "Weren''t you just saying that Qiao Mei is unfilial? Why are you starting to draw lines with Old Madam Li now? Is it because you''re in the wrong and can''t defend yourself," Auntie Dong said. "Back then, my mother forced me to marry into the Zhang family and I accepted it. She kept all the money meant for Qiao Mei for so many years and I accepted it as well. But this time, I definitely didn''t snatch her money. She tricked me into going back. She forced me!" Li Gui said with tears in her eyes. "Isn''t it right for you to be filial to your mother!" Li Xiong said. "Then what about you! Why can you cut ties with her! Why can''t I! She even disregarded my daughter''s life just to ask me for money! Why should I care about her!" Li Gui shouted. Li Xiong had no retort to that and muttered softly, "I don''t care! Now that you''ve beaten me up so badly, I have to go to the doctor!" Qiao Mei could tell at a glance that Li Xiong''s real intention was not to uphold justice for Old Madam Li at all, but to get money from her. Those two were really biological mother and son. They had the same black hearts. "Then how much do you want" Qiao Mei asked in a pitiful manner. Without any hesitation, Li Xiong spread out his hand and said, "500 dollars!" "You can''t win against a woman, and you still want to ask her for medical fees! How shameless! Pfft!" Auntie Dong said angrily. At this moment, as long as he could get the money, Li Xiong would not take anything others said to heart. Anyway, after taking this money, he would return to the city with Sun Ying and never come back again. An amount of 500 dollars was enough for their family to live for three to four years! They could buy whatever they wanted! Chapter 673 A Bumpy Journey "I really don''t have 500 dollars. Why don''t I bring you for treatment," Qiao Mei said. Li Xiong refused to give up and shouted, "How can that be enough! How can I work when I''m injured? Don''t we have to eat or drink at home! You have to pay for my loss of income, emotional damage, medical fees and food expenses." Qiao Mei pursed her lips. This was a really comprehensive list of items. He was good enough to be a lawyer. Compared to Old Madam Li, Li Xiong was more skillful. "The way that you demand for things, you''ll come and ask me to buy your coffin for you in the future!" Qiao Mei muttered softly. "How can you say that! As if we offended you! Why are you cursing us like this!" Sun Ying said angrily. "Then why are you here? For Old Madam Li? Don''t you already know the truth? Why don''t we take our issue to the armed forces department in the county city?" Qiao Mei said with a smile. At the mention of going to the armed forces department, the women who were close to Qiao Mei all straightened their backs and glared at Li Xiong and his wife, as if they suddenly felt motivated. At the same time, in the capital, He Ning and Huo Gao set off for Qiao Mei''s house. Train journeys could be classified into good ones and bad ones. The more one paid for the ticket, the better the treatment. However, such special trains only traveled between popular cities. Qiao Mei''s tiny little hometown was not considered a rich city at all. It was already good enough that there was a train connecting it to the capital. When they first left the capital, everything felt fine. However, as they gradually approached Qiao Mei''s city, many pigs, dogs, chickens and ducks also boarded the train. The smell in the entire carriage was extremely bad. Some pigs even excreted everywhere in the carriage. The ticket price for pigs was half that of humans. As long as one was willing to pay, one could bring anything on board, even if it was very dirty and smelly. Everyone relied on trains to trade the livestock they raised in order to earn some money. "Didn''t you buy the expensive tickets?" He Ning pinched his nose and said disdainfully. Huo Gao looked at the train carriage helplessly and said, "There''s no other train that services the place you want to go. It''s already good enough to be able to get on this train." He Ning accidentally saw a pig excreting and immediately started retching. Once he started vomiting, he could not stop. He immediately got up and ran to the other carriages. He only sat down slowly when he found one that did not have any livestock. However, he still covered his mouth and nose with his handkerchief, afraid that he would catch a whiff of that disgusting smell once he removed it. Huo Gao picked up the luggage and followed closely behind He Ning. If He Ning had not insisted on coming, they would not have needed to suffer like this. He Ning chuckled for no reason when he saw the scenery outside the window, as if he was in a very good mood. A second ago, he was still vomiting uncontrollably, but now he was beaming with joy. It was a really strange sight. "What did you see that made you so happy?" Huo Gao asked. "I''m just thinking that it''s really quite amazing for such a place to produce someone like Qiao Mei. I put in so much effort to nurture He Mei, but in the end, she found it difficult to achieve anything and was defeated by a young girl from the countryside. Now, there are still a bunch of people laughing at me! They say that He Ning lost to the young daughter-in-law of the Xia family," He Ning said self-deprecatingly. "Maybe it has something to do with Qiao Qiang. After all, he was the one who brought up the child. Perhaps children from the countryside are better than what we imagine," Huo Gao said. He Ning could not explain it either and he quietly waited for the train to reach the station. When he disembarked, the strong smell of mud and sand blowing into his face made him feel very uncomfortable. It was also much colder here than in the capital. "Why don''t I take out the jacket from the luggage and put it on for you?" Huo Gao asked worriedly. "There''s no need for the time being. It''s getting late. Let''s find a car and go straight to Qiao Mei''s house," He Ning said. Huo Gao hesitated. They had already been on the train for one day and one night. Would it not be better to find a guest house and rest first? Even if he was looking for ginseng, there was no need to be in such a hurry. "Look, there''s a guest house over there. Why don''t we stay there for the night?" Huo Gao said cautiously. He Ning rejected Huo Gao''s idea without a second thought. If they went now, they would be able to make it in time for mealtime when Qiao Mei would be cooking. If she saw how pitiful they looked and allowed them to stay for a meal, that would be the best outcome. "Let''s go now!" He Ning said. Chapter 674 Different When He Ning saw the dilapidated horse carriage in front of him, he really felt like giving up. He had seen horses and cars before, but this was the first time he had seen such a horse carriage. When he was born, the He family had already started to prosper. Even after Old Master He died, he had left behind enough assets for them to live well. Other than having to drink Chinese medicine, He Ning had never suffered much. "There''s no car?" He Ning looked at Huo Gao in shock. It was impossible to get a car to go from the city to Foshan Village. The village was very remote and driving at night was a test of the drivers'' skills, so they felt that it was not worth the effort to drive there and back. No matter how much money the drivers were offered, they were still unwilling to do it. Their lives were more important. "Are you guys going or not? I''m in a hurry to go home! If it''s not because it''s on my way, I won''t do this," the coachman said. Huo Gao dragged He Ning into the carriage and he sat inside in disdain. The whole interior was covered in dust. Anytime he blew lightly, he could create a small pile of sand quickly. "When we reach Qiao Mei''s house, we must ask her to cook a good meal for us. She must at least make a fish dish. We can''t let her off easy," He Ning said through gritted teeth. Huo Gao laughed secretly at one side. He Ning''s shamelessness had reached a new level. Last time, he only craved her cooking, but now he was brazenly ordering the dishes. "What are you laughing at!" He Ning kicked Huo Gao angrily. Huo Gao ignored him and took out the map that the He family''s investigators had drawn for them previously. It clearly showed the exact location of Qiao Mei''s house and the details of her family members. Soon, they arrived at Qiao Mei''s house. However, everyone was gathered at the house opposite her house, making He Ning very confused. "What day is it today? Why are all of them there?" He Ning asked curiously. "I don''t know. Can it be Qiao Mei''s mother celebrating her birthday? But it''s stated in the information pack that her mother''s birthday is in June, so what else can they be doing?" Huo Gao stood on tiptoe and tried his best to look inside, but he could not see what was happening in the courtyard at all. He Ning was not a person who liked to check out any commotion, but if it was about Qiao Mei, he still wanted to go and take a look. When He Ning reached the back of the crowd, he frowned. It was simply too crowded for him to enter at all. With his status, was he supposed to squeeze together with these villagers? Just as He Ning and Huo Gao were at their wits'' end, Wang Qin noticed these two people who were dressed like misfits. The reason why she saw them as misfits was because He Ning and Huo Gao were dressed too elegantly. He Ning wore his custom-made suit and exquisite leather boots all year round. The cufflinks alone were made of top-notch jade. Although the tiring journey had caused him to look less polished and the shoes that should have shone like mirrors were covered in a layer of dust, it was enough to show He Ning''s identity. Huo Gao''s attire was much simpler than He Ning''s. His black coat was embroidered with dark golden bamboo motifs. If he had a folding fan with him, his aura would not lose out to He Ning''s. However, he looked really pathetic with a big suitcase in one hand and a huge military backpack on his back. "Look! Who are they!" Wang Qin hid behind the crowd and shouted. Everyone''s attention shifted to He Ning and Huo Gao, whose identities raised suspicion. The way they dressed looked similar to how Li Xiong and Sun Ying were dressed. The villagers could not tell what was fashionable and what was not, but looking at the style of the clothes, they felt that it was very similar to what Li Xiong wore. All the outfits looked like suits to the villagers. They could not tell the difference. "Are you here to look for Li Xiong?" a villager asked. "They look like they''re from the city. Look at how much stuff that person has. Can it be that Li Xiong asked these people to come?" Auntie Wang whispered. Auntie Zhou did not think so and said calmly, "Just watch. It''s definitely not anything good." Qiao Mei''s pupils constricted slightly. After a moment of shock, she came back to her senses. She did not say whether she knew them or not. It was a stalemate and no one spoke. Faced with the villagers'' speculations, Li Xiong limped forward and boldly grabbed He Ning''s hand. "Good brother, why are you here! Is the boss looking for me!" Huo Gao stared at He Ning''s hand in shock. He Ning looked at the overly ignorant man in front of him unhappily. This was the second time someone was in such a hurry to die. The last person who had held his hand so indiscriminately, he had ordered that the hand be cut off and fed to the dogs. Chapter 675 Solving The Problem Li Xiong leaned closer to He Ning and whispered, "Brother, do me a favor I''ll give you 100 dollars after this is done!" He Ning looked at Li Xiong disdainfully and said mockingly, "Do I know you?" "You! Hahaha! Have you forgotten about me!" Li Xiong patted He Ning''s shoulder awkwardly in an attempt to cover it up. Taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention, He Ning grabbed Li Xiong''s hand and twisted it away. "I don''t like others touching me. Also, I don''t know you at all and I don''t want your 100 dollars." Qiao Mei laughed out loudly. This was the first time she had seen someone offering He Ning 100 dollars to hire him to act. "You kept quiet for so long. Are you just waiting to laugh at me?" He Ning said as he looked at Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei did not deny that she knew He Ning. She sat on the stool and said, "I''m just wondering why you''re here." Sun Ying saw Li Xiong kneeling on the ground in pain and holding his wrist. Not only was his ankle injured, but his hand was now injured by this person. Qiao Mei must have arranged all of this. If not for her, they would have taken the money and left long ago. "At this point, I won''t hide it from everyone anymore! You''re the man having an affair with Qiao Mei!" Sun Ying shouted as she pointed at He Ning. Auntie Dong and Auntie Wang, who knew Qiao Mei''s character, did not believe what Sun Ying said at all. Qiao Mei was with them every day and Xia Zhe was also always with her in the capital. How could this man have any improper relationship with Qiao Mei? "You need to have evidence to say something like that. Do you even know this man whom you''re saying is having an affair with Qiao Mei? You''ve never seen Qiao Mei''s husband, right? Who would believe what you say!" Auntie Dong said as she rolled her eyes. Qiao Mei laughed loudly when she heard this. She did not even feel that the adulterous couple Sun Ying mentioned had anything to do with her at all. Although Auntie Dong did not say it out explicitly, she was implying that He Ning could not compare with Xia Zhe. Without the 100-year-old ginseng, He Ning looked like he was at the end of his rope. "They must have an improper relationship! Otherwise, why would this man come to look for Qiao Mei! He''s even helping Qiao Mei for no rhyme or reason! There must be an adulterous relationship here!" Sun Ying said. He Ning looked at Sun Ying unhappily and tightened his grip. There was a cracking sound, then Li Xiong let out a painful wail and fell unconscious to the ground. Sun Ying was so frightened that she hurriedly ran over and knelt on the ground, shouting, "Li Xiong! Li Xiong! You killed my husband! You killed someone!" He Ning frowned and said, "He just fainted from the pain of the fracture. He won''t die. If you continue to make so much noise here, I''ll break your arm too." Sun Ying quickly shut her mouth out of fear. They only dared to bully Qiao Mei only because they were relatives, but it was obvious that He Ning was not someone to be trifled with. If they really made him angry, they might not be able to leave this village alive. "Repeat what you said just now. Tell the truth," He Ning said coldly. "I I I didn''t say anything I was just spouting nonsense" Sun Ying said fearfully. He Ning nodded in satisfaction and said, "Very good. Here''s 200 dollars. Take the money and leave. Don''t appear here again in the future. Go back and pick up the trash well. Otherwise, you won''t even be able to survive in that city. I mean what I say." Sun Ying did not even have time to think and quickly nodded in agreement. When she left, she even forgot to take her luggage. Qiao Mei did not remind her and just threw her luggage out of the courtyard. The crowd gradually dispersed and only Auntie Dong and Auntie Wang stayed behind, staring fixedly at He Ning. They had to protect Qiao Mei and not let this dangerous person hurt her. "Why? Aren''t you going to invite me in? I''ve already helped you so much," He Ning said mildly. "You''re not welcome here. Please leave," Qiao Mei said. He Ning simply walked into the courtyard as if he knew Qiao Mei well and sat opposite her. "It''s not easy for me to find this place and it''s been a long day. Shouldn''t you let me stay here for the night? I''ve helped you out. You should return the favor, right?" He Ning said with a smile. "You''re a grown man and you want to stay in a woman''s house. If word gets out, how is Qiao Mei going to face others!" Auntie Dong said. He Ning turned around and glared fiercely at Auntie Dong. Auntie Dong was so frightened that her legs went weak. He Ning had harmed countless people all his life, and could ruin a person''s life with a snap of his fingers. Auntie Dong had only seen scoundrels before, but never such a ruthless person. Chapter 676 Collection Album "I''d advise you not to interfere in my issues with Qiao Mei. You should go home," He Ning said fiercely in the gentlest of tone. Qiao Mei gave Auntie Dong a look. Auntie Dong was still worried, but in order to save her own life, she still left Li Gui''s house with Auntie Wang. "It must be really hard on you to find your way to my house," Qiao Mei said. He Ning did not say anything. Instead, he looked at Qiao Mei''s stomach and laughed self-deprecatingly. He understood that He Mei did not make the decision on her own regarding the matter this time, but that it was Qiao Mei plotting against him. Qiao Mei touched her stomach nervously. She had let down her guard after returning recently and did not expect He Ning to come looking for her personally. "I originally came to offer my condolences, but I didn''t expect my visit to be unnecessary," He Ning said with a smile. Now that he had already seen her, there was no need to hide anything. He Mei had already received the punishment she deserved. At most, they could just recall He Mei back. "Since you''ve already seen it, then you can leave now," Qiao Mei said, deciding to stand her ground and go all out. "I think there''s a misunderstanding. I''m not here to talk to you about this. He Mei can''t win you and she only has herself to blame for what happened to her. I am here to visit you, and your grandfather as well. The things in that luggage bag are all gifts from me to him. He can take it as a token of appreciation from a junior," He Ning said nicely. Huo Gao opened the luggage. It was filled with interesting items from overseas, such as binoculars and magnifying glasses among others. Qiao Qiang had been interested in such things when he was in the army, so He Ning definitely knew how to tailor the solution to the problem. He Ning''s intent could not be more obvious. If Qiao Mei accepted his gift, surely she would ask him to stay for a meal? Otherwise, it would be very rude of her. He Ning was going to be disappointed. Qiao Mei was really that "rude". "Then I''ll accept the gift. Mr. He, is there anything else? If there''s nothing else, you can go back now. Don''t you have enough things to do in the capital?" Qiao Mei said. The corners of He Ning''s mouth twitched twice. This was really an unexpected ending. Huo Gao watched happily from the side. He had thought that He Ning''s shamelessness was most invincible, but now it seemed that Qiao Mei was still one up on him. It appeared that one could only defeat the enemy by using the enemy''s method. "You you''re not asking me to stay for dinner?" He Ning said. "Dinner? When? Our family doesn''t eat dinner," Qiao Mei said innocently. He Ning said good-naturedly, "Then can I stay here for the night? I can eat in the morning." "Everyone in my family doesn''t eat. They don''t eat rice or noodles or drink water. Why don''t you go back to the capital to eat," Qiao Mei said. Seeing that Qiao Mei was determined to chase him away, He Ning asked Huo Gao to take out the small box from his bag. It contained all the coins which were ever circulated in the market, from ancient times to the present. He had collected one piece each of all the denominations, and this was only a portion of what he had. When he went to buy the ginseng the last time, he had realized that Qiao Mei was very interested in these sorts of things. He originally thought that Qiao Mei was deliberately playing a trick on him, but after he sent someone to ask around, he found out that she really liked the stuff and even spent a few thousand dollars to rent a safe in the bank to store the money he gave her. "I hear that you like these, so I gathered everything for you to look at. I''m not sure if there''s anything you like among them. It took me a long time to find everything. This is only a portion. The rest are all in the capital. If you like them, I''ll give them to you," He Ning said. Li Gui looked at He Ning warily from the side. Xia Zhe was not around at the moment and this man was trying so hard to please Qiao Mei. It was obvious that he had ulterior motives. Qiao Mei flipped through the money booklet in her hand briefly. She liked all of them, as they would be worth a lot of money in the future and some of them would even be worth as much as a house. However, she was not interested. Who knew what He Ning was up to! What if he intended to harm her! There were antique coins inside. If He Ning went to report her, the loss would outweigh the gains. Besides, it was not difficult for her to collect these things herself. It was just tedious and needed a lot of time and effort. It was not as if the Xia family could not do it, so there was no need to take the He family''s things for free. "I don''t really like these. Mr. He, you should take them back," Qiao Mei said as she returned the booklet to He Ning. "What a pity" He Ning hugged the booklet and muttered to himself. Chapter 677 Helpful "Is there anything else? If not, you can go back," Qiao Mei said. He Ning did not beat around the bush anymore and directly said to Qiao Mei, "I have another reason for coming here. I want to buy the ginseng that you have." Qiao Mei already knew that He Ning was here for the ginseng, but if it looked as if she had too many, it would only make He Ning suspicious. It was not as if 100-year-old ginsengs could be cultivated in the greenhouse? How could there be so many of them all over the mountain area? Even the villagers heard about it, no one would believe it. "If you''re talking about ginseng that''s five to six years old, I still have that. I don''t have 100-year-old ginseng," Qiao Mei said. Huo Gao pursed his lips. A ginseng that was only five or six years old was no different from a little carrot to a dying person like He Ning. Even eating one whole ginseng in one bite could not make up for his depleted vitality. "That''s not what you told me the last time. Didn''t you say that you still have a few 100-year-old ginsengs?" He Ning said. "I did say that, but my grandfather is the one who safekeeps the ginseng. How can I remember how many there are? Not long ago, when I was not around, my grandfather ate it all. There''s nothing I can do about it," Qiao Mei said helplessly. Regardless of whether Qiao Qiang ate it all or not, there was no more ginseng. If He Ning returned to the capital now, there would really be no cure for him. Only Qiao Mei''s ginseng could save him. Nothing else could help. "Qiao Mei, name your conditions. I''ll give you any amount of money. How about 300,000 dollars?" He Ning said. "300,000!" Li Gui widened her eyes and looked at He Ning in shock. For her, 100 dollars was already a very big denomination and 1,000 dollars was considered a huge sum of money. This was an amount of 300,000 dollars! Such an amount of money could probably fill an entire house! "Does Auntie know where the 100-year-old ginseng is?" He Ning asked. Li Gui quickly shook her head. Putting aside the fact that she did not know anything at the moment, even if she did, she would not betray Qiao Mei. Since Qiao Mei said that she would not give it to him, there was naturally a reason for it. "Let me think about it," Qiao Mei said. He Ning felt relieved when he saw that there was still hope regarding this matter, but the new problem was his accommodation for the night. If they wanted to return to the county city now, they would have to wait until tomorrow morning. Even if they wanted to stay in the village, Qiao Mei would not take them in. He wondered what he could do "Alright, then I''ll wait for news from you." He Ning remained on the stool after saying that. Qiao Mei looked at He Ning in confusion and asked, "Is there anything else?" "Can I stay with your grandfather tonight? We can''t go back now and we don''t have a place to stay while we''re here," He Ning said. "No, it''s not right for you to stay at my place. Don''t you have money? Money makes the world go round. You can use money to solve the problem. I''m tired and I''m going back to rest. Go out and settle your own matters," Qiao Mei said. He Ning sighed. It was his fault for offending Qiao Mei back then and he deserved to end up like this. In the end, He Ning left Li Gui''s house with Huo Gao. When they left, Huo Gao only carried one bag. The rest he brought along were all gifts for Qiao Mei and Qiao Qiang. "Why do you want to go through this? Are you here just to spend money and send gifts? I really don''t understand what you''re trying to do," Huo Gao said. "I''m happy doing it!" He Ning said in annoyance. Now that he was under someone else''s roof, he had no choice but to lower his status. If he could not coax Qiao Mei well, he would lose his life. As long as he could get the ginseng from Qiao Mei, he would still be able to live for a period of time. He would make future plans in the future, but right now, he had to think of a way to stay in the village. Otherwise, he would need to waste a lot of time on the road if he needed to keep traveling between the county city and the village. Wang Qin suddenly appeared from behind the firewood pile at the side and said, "Why don''t you come and stay at my house! I have space there, but I don''t know if you will mind." He Ning did not agree immediately. He remembered this person. When the investigator came to the village to find out more about Qiao Mei''s background and what grudges she had with other people in the village, it was this woman who gave some information. She was the one who told the investigator many stories. It seemed that this woman hated Qiao Mei very much. Otherwise, she would not have waited here for him to appear. "Do you know me? Why would you bring a stranger to your house?" He Ning asked. "I don''t know you, but if you know Qiao Mei, then it''s as if we know each other too! I''m Qiao Mei''s second aunt-in-law. I''m also the accountant of this village, so you can take it as I''m helping to solve an issue for a villager''s friend!" Wang Qin said. Chapter 678 Expensive Rent Interesting. He Ning and Huo Gao looked at each other. He Ning nodded slightly as an indication to agree with Wang Qin''s proposal. "Then lead the way. We''ll have to trouble you tonight," Huo Gao said politely. Wang Qin did not lead the way immediately. She reached out her hand and said, "Um as for the rent" He Ning casually took out 100 dollars from his pocket and said, "Is it enough?" Wang Qin''s eyes widened as she stared fixedly at the money in He Ning''s hand. Her gaze followed the money wherever it went, as if it was her lifeblood. "No problem! No problem! I''ll bring you to my house now!" Wang Qin snatched the money from He Ning, and even took Huo Gao''s heavy bag. Wang Qin struggled to carry the bag on her back and said happily, "Come, come, come! I have gotten everything ready at home! I''m just waiting for you to come! I''ve just sunned the blanket and patted the pillows many times. I''ve also tidied up the main room so that you can stay there by yourselves!" Wang Qin''s family was not very big. Other than her and Qiao Fu, there were only two children. The elder son was 17 years old and the younger daughter was not even 10 years old. The four of them could make do and squeeze into the small room together. It was such a good deal to be able to earn 100 dollars a day! Wang Qin had to work hard in the village for a year to get a salary of 100 dollars. Taking He Ning in for a day was equivalent to her working for the entire year! Huo Gao looked at Wang Qin in shock. Her small body was quite strong. The bag was filled to the brim. Even when he carried it, his shoulder hurt after a while. Could this be the power of money? The charm of 100 dollars was so great that it could make a skinny woman carry such a heavy bag easily. "Is it 100 dollars a day or" Wang Qin asked hesitantly. He Ning said disdainfully, "If you take care of everything for us, then it can be 100 dollars a day." Wang Qin looked like a gossipy woman, so it would definitely be very troublesome to bargain with her. For He Ning, 100 dollars was nothing. He would not even mind if he lost that amount of money. Besides, he and Huo Gao were two people, so 50 dollars each was not considered too expensive. "Oh, that''s great! Come, come, come, we''ll be there in two more steps! Don''t be anxious!" Wang Qin said happily. After Qiao Mei settled Li Gui down, she returned to her own house. Qiao Qiang was also suspicious to see two big boxes suddenly appear in the house. He knew what was inside as he had already opened them to take a look. They were all things that he liked. It seemed that these people had come prepared. When Qiao Qiang saw Qiao Mei return, he said, "Has everything been settled? You haven''t had a good rest at home for these past few days. You might as well stay in the capital and not come back!" Qiao Mei did not find it tiring at all. In the capital, she was all alone. Although Xia Fang and Xia He treated her very well, she still did not feel as comfortable as being by her grandfather''s side. "I just miss grandfather. Did you open it? These are all gifts from He Ning," Qiao Mei said. "Yes, I did. Ask him to take them all back tomorrow. We don''t want this little bastard''s things! He must be the one who harmed you and your babies." Qiao Qiang''s eyes revealed a trace of murderous intent. Qiao Qiang did not remember who Qiao Mei had talked about previously, but now that he recalled it carefully, he could remember some details. He had even met He Ning before. At that time, He Ning was only in his teens. Old Man He was more savvy than Qiao Qiang. Otherwise, he would not have left the army to go into business. He Ning''s father was also a good man and had inherited Old Man He''s assets. When it reached He Ning''s generation, the family started to decline. None of his older brothers could take on the burden of the He family. At that time, He Ning was still young and in poor health. Qiao Qiang had thought that he would not live past the age of 20. He did not expect the boy to still be alive and even harmed his granddaughter and great-grandchildren. He would definitely ask He Ning for an explanation for this. "He has a favor to ask of us. It would be a waste not to take all these good things. If you don''t want them, I''ll give them all to Zhang Chao. That child likes stuff like this the most," Qiao Mei said as she pointed at the things He Ning had sent over. At the mention of Zhang Chao, Qiao Qiang also looked a little proud. If Zhang Chao had a little bit of Zhang Wei''s lively personality, then Zhang Chao would be exactly the same as Qiao Qiang when he was young. If this child studied these machines carefully, he would definitely have great achievements in the future. "The He family is asking a favor of us? What do we have that is worth it for them to come all the way here," Qiao Qiang said. Chapter 679 Receiving The Parcel "Ginseng. Previously, He Ning bought the 100-year-old ginseng I brought along. And for a very high price!" Qiao Mei said with a smile. "That won''t do. We can''t give it to such a person who doesn''t know what''s good for him! No matter how much money he can pay!" Qiao Qiang said angrily. He could not let go of anyone who harmed his granddaughter so easily! They had to pay the price. So what if He Ning died without ginseng? If Qiao Mei had lost her children at that time, it might have been two lives lost! No, three lives! "We can''t give him the ones we have at home. Even if he comes again, don''t give them to him," Qiao Qiang said. "Yes, yes, yes. I definitely won''t give it to him. Don''t worry." Qiao Mei agreed with Qiao Qiang. Xia Wen had just received news that He Ning had left the capital. As soon as class ended, he went to Xia Jun''s house to discuss countermeasures. Even Xia Mao, who was having a meeting in the army, was recalled back. "You all know about this matter, right? He Ning actually dared to go and look for Qiao Mei directly this time. We don''t have any reliable people there. We should think of a solution," Xia Jun said sternly. "Grandfather, I think we should send someone to investigate He Ning''s motive first. It''s fine if it''s just for the ginseng, then we can still wait and see," Xia Wen said with a frown. Xia Mao did not agree. In the beginning, he was still worried about Qiao Mei''s situation, but now that he thought about it carefully, he felt that there was no danger at all. Xia Wen and Xia Jun were just being too concerned. "Father! Why aren''t you saying anything? I''d better ask Xia Zhe to go back quickly. Doesn''t he still have a lot of leave? He can probably still take another month''s leave," Xia Wen said anxiously. Xia Mao waved his hand and said, "Is the army run by our family? As if Xia Zhe can come and go as he pleases. You''re just too anxious about this matter. He Ning won''t do anything to Qiao Mei, so don''t worry." "Won''t do anything? Why? There''s nothing that He Ning can''t do," Xia Jun said. The He family was currently facing internal and external enemies. Without He Ning in the family, there was no one in charge. He Guo was the only one who had been convicted. The matter with He Wei and He Li had yet to come to a conclusion, and the Xia family did not intend to pursue the matter with the two of them. However, He Ning seemed to want them to stay inside for another month so that they could hone their temperament. Although the Xia family did not have anyone they could rely on in Foshan Village, they heard that Chen Hu in the county city and Qiao Qiang had a very good relationship. Even a strong dragon could not defeat a local snake, so He Ning would not choose to harm Qiao Mei at this time. "Besides, Qiao Mei still has the ginseng that He Ning needs the most. Do you think He Ning will harm Qiao Mei?" Xia Mao said. Hearing this, they all felt relieved. They had always been busy with work and did not know anything about household matters. Even Xu Lan was being taken care of by Liu Fen as Xia Mao did not have the time or energy to take care of Xu Lan. Xu Lan sat at the door every day and peered around, hoping that Qiao Mei would write back and send her something. "Eldest sister-in-law, if you continue to sit like this, you will hurt your waist," Liu Fen said worriedly. "I''m just anxious. Tell me, why hasn''t Qiao Mei sent me a letter yet? Did my things get confiscated? It''s been quite a while." Xu Lan stood up and paced back and forth anxiously at the door. Liu Fen was very worried that the ground at the door would collapse if Xu Lan walked like this for another two days. "Is anyone there! There''s a delivery for the Xia family! Is anyone home!" the postman shouted from outside the door. Xu Lan hurriedly ran out of the door and shouted, "There''s someone here, there''s someone here!" Liu Fen stayed in the house and did not go out. How big could a letter be? Did she need to go out and carry it too? "Liu Fen! Come and help me! Liu Fen, do you hear me!" Xu Lan shouted happily towards the house. Liu Fen put on her shoes and walked out slowly. She was shocked by the scene in front of her. The parcel was almost taller than her and Xu Lan could not move it at all. Xu Lan sat down on the ground and pointed at the parcel as she shouted happily, "Look! Look! Qiao Mei sent me something! There''s so much! Look! Hahaha! She''s still thinking about me! Look!" Liu Fen looked at Xu Lan laughing. This was the first time she had seen Xu Lan lose her composure outside, not concerned about her image at all and only thinking about the things that her precious Qiao Mei had sent her. Chapter 680 Joyful "Alright, alright. Let''s open it up quickly, then bring them in one by one. Otherwise, do we leave it outside?" After saying that, Liu Fen went in to get the scissors. Xu Lan guarded the parcel without moving an inch and did not allow anyone to get close. When the neighbors came out and saw Xu Lan sitting on the ground, they wanted to go forward and help her. They said worriedly, "Oh my! What''s wrong with you? The ground is so cold. Why are you sitting on the ground? I saw you from afar." Xu Lan smiled and said, "Look, these are the things that my daughter-in-law sent me. I can''t carry them in myself so I''m just waiting here. Look at my daughter-in-law. I told her not to get too much stuff, but she doesn''t listen and insists on sending me so many things. Sigh, really." Liu Fen held back her laughter as she walked out of the house. She worked with the helper to slowly carry all the items in the parcel into the house. At this moment, Xu Lan was still talking about how filial Qiao Mei was, making the neighbors impatient. "Your daughter-in-law is really nice. I won''t talk to you anymore. I still have something urgent to do!" The neighbors hurriedly fled. Xu Lan did not think that she had gone overboard just now. Instead, she felt that she had not said enough good things about Qiao Mei. She hummed a tune as she went back into the house. Her eyes were filled with joy as if she had won the lottery. "Aren''t you beautiful? It''s as if you have the words ''my daughter-in-law, Qiao Mei, is the best'' on your forehead! Didn''t you see that the neighbor just now was almost scared to death by you," Liu Fen said with a smile. Xu Lan hummed a tune happily and said, "Is that so? I still think I haven''t said enough! How can just a few words describe how good my Qiao Mei is." Liu Fen held up the dark blue dress and said to Xu Lan, "Then look at the dress your precious Qiao Mei made for you. Are you satisfied?" Xu Lan hurried forward and held the dress that Qiao Mei had made. The fabric was from the capital and it was Xu Lan''s favorite style. "It''s so nice! Look at these stitches! They''re even better than mine! It''s so beautiful! Let me tell you, when you find a daughter-in-law for your son in the future, look for someone like my Mei Mei! However, it''ll be very difficult. After all, there''s only one Mei Mei!" Xu Lan looked as if she had been possessed. Ever since she received this parcel, she had not stopped smiling yet. Liu Fen placed the things from the parcel on the coffee table. As she put them down, she whispered to the helper, "Look at her. This is only a package from Qiao Mei. I wonder how happy she will be when Qiao Mei comes back!" The helper also smiled as she looked at Xu Lan. She had worked in this family for most of her life. Ever since Xu Lan married into the family, she had been a helper in this house. This was the first time she had seen Xu Lan so happy. In the parcel from Qiao Mei, there were not only Xu Lan''s gifts. Qiao Mei had also prepared different presents for everyone else. Xu Lan returned to her room and changed into the dress. She ran downstairs excitedly and asked, "Look! Do I look good like this! Take a look!" Xu Lan pulled up the hem of her dress and walked around the room a few times. This dress was a little big on her because she had not been eating or sleeping well recently and had lost weight. Now that she received this dress as a gift, she would probably gain weight in a few days. "It''s beautiful! Look at this scarf and this pair of gloves. They''re really well made," Liu Fen said admiringly. Xu Lan opened the letter that Qiao Mei had written and took out the yarn vest from the other side before reluctantly handing it to Liu Fen. "Mei Mei made this for you. Try it," Xu Lan said. "There''s even something for me! Let me try it! I like this color the most!" Liu Fen quickly put on the yellow vest. It was just the right size and fitted well. "Sigh, I''m really envious of you for having such a good daughter-in-law. When do you think my two sons will get married! How worrying! Look at you, your daughter-in-law is like your daughter and is even more considerate than your biological daughter!" Liu Fen said enviously. The rest of the things that Qiao Mei sent were put aside for the people they were meant for. They would call them tomorrow and ask them to come back. Xu Lan planned to send Xia Jun''s present to him personally. Xu Lan held the letter and read it over and over again. No matter how many times she read it, she did not feel tired. Chapter 681 Exhausted To Death In Three Days As soon as He Ning arrived at Wang Qin''s house, there was a frown on his face. He instantly felt that the 100 dollars was a huge loss to him. "Come in and take a look! I''ve already tidied up this room," Wang Qin said warmly. Huo Gao went in with the luggage to clean the brick bed first. Then, he tidied up the surface items and changed all the bedsheets and blankets. He was originally a doctor, but he had become He Ning''s nanny on this trip. When they returned, he would definitely ask He Ning for more money! He definitely could not work for nothing. "I gave you so much money, so you have to treat me well. I want to eat meat for every meal," He Ning said nicely. Wang Qin was stunned for a moment before she agreed to He Ning''s request. She had originally wanted to serve He Ning dishes like cabbages and potatoes and just make do. If she wanted to buy meat, she had to exchange for meat coupons. This way, she would not make as much money as she had calculated at the beginning. "No problem. I''ll definitely make the best food for you," Wang Qin said. "I want to eat by myself. I won''t eat with your entire family. There must be at least three dishes and a soup every day. All my leftovers have to be thrown out and I don''t want any repeat dishes. The dishes must be different every day. I only eat breakfast and dinner every day. You don''t have to worry about my lunch," He Ning said indifferently. Wang Qin could only agree to He Ning''s request. After all, she was paid 100 dollars a day! If she served He Ning well, it would not be a dream for her to earn 3,000 dollars a month! After deducting the money from buying meat, there would still be a lot left. Then, her entire family would be able to go to the county city to live a good life! She no longer wanted to look after such a big family in this dilapidated village. Ever since Qiao Yu returned, she had no status at home. Even her elder son did not talk to her anymore. It was Qiao Zhuang who taught her son to do that. On the surface, Qiao Zhuang was very polite to her and did not ask her to do household chores. She also still had a say at home. In reality, Qiao Zhuang had long wanted to chase her away. She was an experienced accountant. Even if she went to the county city, she could still make a living. Qiao Fu was also smart and strong. He could work at any factory. Her elder son was about to grow up and would soon be able to earn money to support the family. Her younger daughter did not need a lot of money. She had endured all the humiliation in order to save money to settle down in the county city. Now that there was He Ning, her wish was about to come true. Before she left, she must see Qiao Mei''s reputation ruined, and she also wanted to return all the hardships and grievances she had suffered to Qiao Mei! "Don''t worry, I''ll make whatever you want to eat. However, we''re in a remote village and there''s nothing much that''s very good here. Please bear with me," Wang Qin said. He Ning nodded and went into the room to get ready to rest. Before he entered, he even told Wang Qin that it was time to make dinner. Wang Qin went to the pork seller, Wang Wu''s house to exchange for some meat and then to her own vegetable field to pick a lot of vegetables. It was her first time cooking for He Ning, so she must make a few of her best dishes to let He Ning know that it was not a loss to him to spend this amount of money! If he felt happy and wanted to stay for a few more days, then she could get more money. "How many days are we going to stay here?" Huo Gao said awkwardly as he looked at the spider webs on the roof. He Ning frowned and thought for a moment before saying, "Let''s stay for five days first. I''ll try to get the ginseng from Qiao Mei within five days." Huo Gao had thought that he would only be in Foshan Village for three days. He reckoned that his wife would definitely reprimand him when he returned home this time. Being with He Ning, he could be exhausted to death in three days. "It''s not so easy to get a 100-year-old ginseng. Have you thought about what to do if Qiao Mei really doesn''t have it anymore?" Huo Gao asked. They had to make plans for this matter early. They could not just wait until Qiao Mei found the 100-year-old ginseng before they returned to the capital, right? There were still many issues waiting for them in the capital. "There''s no hurry. It''s rare for me to come out and relax. Don''t worry, I''ll give you more money. When we get back, get your wife to come to my house to take something. Just take whatever you like," He Ning said indifferently. Huo Gao nodded in satisfaction. Such compensation was acceptable to him. It would appease his wife''s anger and earn him money at the same time. It was like killing two birds with one stone. "I''m talking about ginseng. I''m not asking for what you said," Huo Gao said politely. He Ning stared into Huo Gao''s eyes and said, "If you don''t want it, take it that I haven''t said anything." Chapter 682 - 682 Wanting to Freeload 682 Wanting to Freeload Huo Gao quickly said, Yes, yes, yes! I want everything you give me! Only a fool would not want it! Not long after, Wang Qin was done cooking and brought the food to He Ning. There were three dishes and a soup. She would not make more than what he asked for. It would be such a waste of money! Are you satisfied with what you see? These are all my specialties. Potato stewed with kidney beans, braised pork, egg soup and stir fried eggplants, Wang Qin said nervously to He Ning. !! The taste of these dishes was far inferior to what Qiao Mei made. Just the smell of Qiao Meis cooking was enough to make people drool. Wang Qins dishes did not have any fragrance at all. He Ning and Huo Gao were really tired from walking all day. If they continued to be picky, they would probably starve to death. Alright, you can leave now. Ill ask you to come and clean up after were done eating. This room belongs to us now, so you cant come in as you like. You wont be able to explain yourself if we lose anything. Im doing this for your own good, He Ning said. Wang Qin noted everything He Ning said. This person was now their familys money tree. Whatever he said was right and must be done. Ill leave now. Please eat well, Wang Qin said obsequiously and left the room. He Ning put down his chopsticks after a few bites. Huo Gao was not picky and ate heartily. After eating, Huo Gao placed the table outside the door. When Wang Qin saw it, she would definitely come and clean it up. After a good nights sleep, He Ning brought Huo Gao to Qiao Meis house early the next morning and quietly squatted at the door. Do you think well succeed by squatting here? My legs are going numb from squatting, Huo Gao said as he grabbed his legs and grimaced. They had been crouching here for half an hour for the purpose of freeloading a meal at Qiao Meis place. He Ning did not seem tired at all. Instead, he was full of energy and kept staring at Qiao Meis chimney. As soon as smoke started to rise, He Ning intended to rush in immediately. Why not? Well just wait here. Do you think theyll just let us watch from the side while they eat? He Ning said. Qiao Mei lay on the brick bed and kept thinking about the matter of He Ning asking her for ginseng. Although the issue of He Mei plotting against her had already come to an end, it was a fact that He Ning had also harmed her previously. If she did not take revenge, it would be difficult to vent the hatred in her heart. However, ginseng was something which she could have as much as she wanted, and she could grow it to whatever age she wanted. In the ancient fable, whatever Ma Liang drew with his magical pen would become real. Similarly, Qiao Mei could casually produce a thousand-year-old ginseng with a wave of her hand. There was really no need for her to turn down an offer of money. The money that He Ning gave her now would be worth tens of times more in the future. When the time came, she could even earn hundreds of millions. Given that He Ning was sending her so much money, she probably could also ignore some of He Nings previous actions. As soon as Qiao Mei entered the courtyard, the small plants came to report to her and told her the exact location of He Ning and Huo Gao. Recently, she could communicate with the plants planted at home. Through the undercurrent of the golden energy net, Qiao Mei could hear the conversations of plants within 300 meters at any time. Qiao Mei washed the pumpkins as if nothing was going on, then she washed the cucumbers and other items. She then placed them in the basket. Qiao Mei looked out of the fence and then at the big basin of dirty water. She had an idea. Its almost noon. Why isnt Qiao Mei cooking at home? If you ask me, we might as well go back and eat the food that Wang Qin makes. At least well still have something to eat. Im about to starve to death now, Huo Gao said as he rubbed his stomach aggrievedly. He Ning was also hungry, but he was unwilling to compromise and make things difficult for himself. He had no choice but to force himself to eat yesterdays meal. If he had to eat that kind of food again, he would rather die. I want to eat the food that Qiao Mei makes, He Ning said stubbornly. Huo Gao said angrily, The chef at home has cooked for you for more than 10 years. I think the standard of her cooking is similar to Wang Qins, and you also ate it. Thats different. Its not like you havent tasted Qiao Meis cooking before. After eating it, you feel that other dishes dont taste good anymore, He Ning said helplessly. As soon as he finished speaking, the two of them were instantly drenched in dirty water. Huo Gao was further away and dodged when he felt water on his head. However, He Ning was not so lucky. He was totally drenched and there were even a few rotten vegetable leaves on his head. Chapter 683 What A Sin "Oh my, why are you here?" Qiao Mei covered her mouth and said in surprise. He Ning fell to the ground and suppressed the anger in his heart. The thing he hated the most was having dirt on his body, not even dust. "Didn''t you see us?" He Ning said through gritted teeth. He looked as if he wanted to skin Qiao Mei alive. In the village, there was no place to buy clothes. Even if they went to the county city to buy new clothes, the fabric would not be as good as what He Ning was wearing. "You guys are squatting under my fence so early in the morning. How would I know where you are? If you have something to say, why don''t you come in instead of sneaking around outside the door?" Qiao Mei said. He Ning was rendered speechless. He really could not blame Qiao Mei for this matter. If not for the fact that he was greedy and wanted to eat the food Qiao Mei made, he would not be in such a sorry state now. If he went back to change now, he would probably not be able to come back in time for breakfast at Qiao Mei''s house. If he did not go back, he could not tolerate the mud and sand on his body. "I see that you''re making breakfast, so I''m going to let Huo Gao stay and help you. We''re all friends," He Ning said with a smile. Huo Gao looked at him in shock. This fellow was selling him out with just a few words. He was a doctor, not a cook! If being He Ning''s doctor meant that he had to even take care of the patient''s daily living, it would be better if he had not agreed to come with He Ning! If he had insisted that He Ning''s bodyguards followed them, he would definitely have an easier time now! Qiao Mei looked at Huo Gao and then at He Ning. It would be a waste not to accept free labor. She had already splashed dirty water on him, so it was nothing much to allow him to stay for a meal. "Alright, he can stay and chop firewood." After saying that, Qiao Mei brought Huo Gao into the backyard. One wall in the backyard was lined with firewood that Xia Zhe had chopped before he left. Huo Gao looked around the backyard in confusion and asked, "Isn''t there firewood? What do I need to chop?" "Those are not for use. You have to chop new ones. Just pile them on the wall next to this wall when you''re done. Make sure you fill up the entire wall space!" Qiao Mei said. Filling up the entire wall space! Huo Gao froze on the spot. Did he hear wrongly The entire wall space needed to be filled He would probably need to chop the firewood for two days and two nights. He was a doctor, not a cook! Not a cook! Qiao Mei did not care about what Huo Gao was thinking at all. Since He Ning had asked him to stay behind to cover the cost of the meal, he had to do the job well. Firewood was a consumable item. Even with the pile that Xia Zhe had chopped and lined along the other wall, they would still use it all up one day. "Thank you for your efforts. You can do it!" Qiao Mei cheered Huo Gao on and ignored his unwilling look as she happily returned to the house to cook. Today, she was making pumpkin porridge, scrambled eggs with cucumbers and stewed tofu with cabbage. Auntie Dong had sent the tofu over last night. Every Wednesday and Saturday, there would be a small carriage secretly coming to the village entrance to sell things. Everyone could grow things like potatoes and sweet potatoes themselves. Even if they did not grow it at home, they could exchange what they had with other families. However, for food made with extremely complicated processes like tofu, everyone could only buy it. Moreover, it was not cheap! Previously, when Qiao Mei taught Auntie Dong how to grow bean sprouts for sale, Auntie Dong had made a lot of money. Therefore, from time to time, she would send some delicious food to Qiao Mei for extra nourishment. Today was a lucky day for He Ning. Huo Gao looked at the tree stump on the ground in the backyard and the ax in his hand helplessly. He had only used an ax to chop down medicinal herbs before, and this was his first time chopping firewood. Huo Gao raised his ax high and aimed. With a bang, the ax was stuck firmly in the wooden stake that was used to stabilize the firewood, and the firewood that was about to be chopped flew to the side. "What sin have I committed In my past life, I must have killed people like flies. That''s why in this life, I''m He Ning''s personal doctor. With my ability, I can even open a hospital on my own! Sigh what a sin!" Huo Gao complained and started working diligently again. After Qiao Mei finished cooking, she stayed in the courtyard to bask in the sun. Qiao Qiang also did some Tai Chi in the courtyard. This was something Qiao Mei had taught him. She said that the old men in the capital all knew how to do the exercise. They would practice one set every morning and another set at night, and it helped to train up their physique. Now that he was old, he could not practice the fist techniques to kill and subdue enemies that he had learned in the army. It was better to practice Tai Chi techniques to cultivate his body and mind. Chapter 684 Hiding The Truth "Mei Mei, do you think that kid will come back?" Qiao Qiang asked. Qiao Mei gently swayed in the rocking chair and said, "Yes, he will. He has already left his helper behind to do manual labor. How can he run away?" "That''s true. This set of fist techniques of yours is really useful. Every time I finish, I feel that my muscles and bones have loosened up a lot," Qiao Qiang said as he rubbed his shoulders. Qiao Qiang would go to the back mountain to walk a few rounds every day. Although he did more exercise than those old men who took walks in the capital, he did not exercise his upper body at all. It was better for him to practice Tai Chi at home. It was safe and reassuring. Not only did He Ning change into a new set of clothes, but he even took a shower. Wang Qin was kept very busy so that He Ning could take a shower at home. Not only did she have to sacrifice the storeroom at home for this purpose, but she also had to bring out all the items at home that could contain hot water in order for He Ning to take a shower. Their family usually bathed in the big river in the village. Ever since they discovered that there was a hot spring on the mountain, they would go there to take a shower. In summer, they used big water storage bags that could hold 10 liters of water in one bag. The bags were completely black and every summer afternoon at two o''clock, the water in the bags would be heated up and they would be able to take a shower. They would simply close the main door and put up a cloth covering, and no one would be able to see anyone who was taking a shower at home. This was how they had done it for so many years. However, He Ning was different. He insisted on taking a shower inside the room, which stumped Wang Qin. After He Ning was done and making his way to Qiao Mei''s house in a grand manner, Wang Qin''s entire family had to go to the storeroom and use basins to remove the water that had accumulated on the ground even before they made breakfast. This storeroom could no longer store food. "You wastrel old woman! Now that you let this storeroom be used for bathing, what are we going to eat in the future! Look at these potatoes. Sigh! They''re going to sprout!" Qiao Fu said angrily. Although Wang Qin''s heart ached for the losses as well, He Ning was full of hostility at that time. She did not have the ability to reject him even if she wanted to. "Why didn''t you say anything just now! Now you sound so capable! Who am I doing this for? It''s all so that our family can move to the county city as soon as possible! He gives us 100 dollars a day!" Wang Qin said. At the mention of 100 dollars, Qiao Fu fell silent. Although he did not know where this person came from, the 100 dollars a day was paid on a daily basis and he felt at ease upon collecting the money. If the man wanted to pay cumulatively at the end, then it was definitely a scam. "Alright, alright. We can''t let our father and the others know about this. Otherwise, this money won''t be in our hands," Qiao Fu said cautiously. It was not as if Wang Qin did not think of this problem. Even if they did not tell Qiao Zhuang now, news would still quickly spread like wildfire as time passed. They could not hide it even if they wanted. "With that old woman Dong in the village, the entire village will know about this sooner or later." Wang Qin sighed. Wang Qin and Auntie Dong had always been on bad terms. Back then, the higher-ups had issued a notice that they wanted to add a new position in the village, known as the director of women''s affairs, specializing in managing the reproductive issues and population migration in the entire village. At that time, everyone felt that Auntie Dong was the most suitable candidate. Not only did she know everything about all the families in the village, but she also knew all kinds of gossip and rumors. If there was anything going on, she was definitely the first one to know. Just as Auntie Dong felt that the position was hers, Wang Qin joined in the discussion, saying that since Auntie Dong was uneducated, she could not write the summary report, so she could not take on this position. There was indeed nothing wrong with this reasoning and it left Zhao Liang with no choice. It would be easy to nurture a new director of women''s affairs, but it was very difficult to teach Auntie Dong to be able to read and write in a short period of time. From then on, Wang Qin and Auntie Dong became enemies. "So what if everyone knows. We''re all cadres in this village after all. When the time comes, you can just say that you''re just helping him and did not take any money from him," Qiao Fu said. Wang Qin looked at Qiao Fu in admiration. She did not expect this man to be so useful at critical moments! This was a good idea! Not only would it improve her reputation, but she could also hide the fact that she was getting paid. "You''re still the smartest! It''s been hard on you, my husband, to have to help me clean up this mess," Wang Qin said coquettishly. Qiao Fu blushed and said shyly, "No need to use the word help. You''re also doing this for our family." Chapter 685 A SmallToken He Ning walked into the courtyard in high spirits with a bag in his hand which looked to be quite heavy. "Are you guys waiting for me?" He Ning said. Qiao Qiang said with annoyance, "You still have the cheek to come here." "In the past, my little niece had created trouble in the capital and caused Qiao Mei to be frightened. Although it was not my intention, it''s only right that I take responsibility for it. I apologize to you for this matter," He Ning said as he lowered his head slightly. Qiao Mei smiled mockingly. What a scheming person. What a good way to put it. He made it sound like it was all He Mei''s fault and that it had nothing to do with him. Back then, that was not how he behaved when he made use of Wang Yong and the old widow to deal with her. "Then where did you send Wang Yong and the old widow? Wasn''t this incident instigated by you?" Qiao Mei asked innocently. He Ning raised his originally lowered head. He had almost forgotten about these two people and he did not expect Qiao Mei to still remember them. Those people were in the hands of the Xia family. Xia Xiu personally tied them up and sent them to the He family house to demand an explanation from He Ning. He had lost to Qiao Mei because he had underestimated his enemy. In order to reassure the Xia family, He Ning found a random mountain area and threw the two of them there for labor reform. He had promised the Xia family that they would stay there for three years, but later on, he secretly sent Wang Yong and the old widow back to their original place of residence. Qiao Mei had heard all the rumors from their village. With Auntie Dong around, it was difficult not to know about the happenings in the surrounding eight villages. "I punished them," He Ning said vaguely. He could not possibly capture Wang Yong and the old widow and punish them again. That would be a total disregard for human lives. This was not his territory, so it was better not to cause trouble. Qiao Mei did not expect He Ning to do anything. She was able to carry out her own revenge and just wanted to remind He Ning not to think that he did this matter flawlessly. In the end, she would get back what he owed her. "Come in and eat. Don''t stand here," Qiao Qiang said impatiently. He Ning quickly nodded and went to the backyard to ask Huo Gao to go into the house for their meal. The simple dishes were more delicious than what Wang Qin made at home. Even though there was no meat, it even smelt better than meat. This made He Ning even more determined to seize Qiao Mei No, no, no! His idea was to seize Xia Zhe! However, He Mei''s face was now ruined and He Guo would not be able to return in the next few years. This lineage was definitely out of the question. He Wei also did not have a daughter, so he could only choose among the other relatives of the He family. It was all He Mei''s fault for being a disappointment and messing up his plans. She could stay in that godforsaken place for the rest of her life! He would only consider letting He Mei return when he was in a good mood. After He Ning finished eating, he opened the bag he brought with him. It was filled with rolls of banknotes. Qiao Qiang did not even look at them as he leaned against the brick bed and listened to the radio. Qiao Mei did not care about what was in the bag at all. What she was concerned about was what He Ning wanted from her. "This is a small token. Take it as a deposit. It''s a total of 50,000 dollars. I''ll get someone to send the rest here overnight," He Ning said. "I''m not interested. You should take it back," Qiao Mei said. He Ning found it strange. Could it be that Qiao Mei found the deposit too little? He would be schemed against if he brought too much money with him. It seemed that he needed to inform the capital to send the money over faster. "Name your conditions and I''ll try my best to satisfy you," He Ning said seriously. "It''s not that I don''t agree, but we only have ginseng that''s 10 plus or 20 plus years old. I''m afraid you won''t like it." Qiao Mei took out the box she had prepared in advance and handed it to He Ning. He Ning opened it and took a look. He could tell that these ginsengs were all inferior goods without even needing to show them to Huo Gao. After taking medicine for so many years, he could already be considered half a doctor. "It''s indeed not what I want, but I can accept it," He Ning said as he patted the box. Although these ginsengs were not that good, they were still many times better than ordinary ginsengs of the same age available on the market. The smell of this ginseng was similar to the 100-year-old ginseng from back then. "If you insist on having 100-year-old ginseng, it''s not as if I don''t have any, but we have to go and dig it out. So you have to give us time," Qiao Mei said with a smile. He Ning looked at Qiao Mei in shock and asked, "Dig it out? Are you saying that you''ve already discovered the location of the ginseng?" Chapter 686 Pay Close Attention To Details "You must be joking. It''s not as if this back mountain belongs to my family. Does it mean that if I say something is mine, then it''s mine?" Qiao Mei said with a smile. There were many mountains near the village. Among them, there was a big mountain behind Qiao Mei''s house. Usually, the villagers would not walk around near her house. Although there was no rule about who owned the mountain, everyone had a tacit understanding. With one''s home as the center point, the mountain area within the radius of one kilometer was considered one''s private territory. No one else would go near it when picking wild vegetables and mushrooms. Otherwise, anyone could enter someone else''s house and even secretly hide on the mountain to peep at their private life. That would be breaking the law! Outside that radius, it was considered a public area where everyone could enter and exit. When Qiao Mei was not around, Qiao Qiang had gone up the mountain to walk around and found many small ginseng seedlings that had just grown out. Even if he dug them out, they were not worth much. These were actually scattered by Qiao Mei when she had nothing to do. She now had many high-quality ginseng seeds left behind by the 1,000-year-old ginseng king. The quality of those seeds was top-notch, but she also had many other seeds of varying quality. Qiao Mei found them to be useless, so she casually gave them some energy and scattered them all over the ground. Even if someone discovered them, not everyone knew how to pick ginseng. There were less than three people in the entire village who were able to dig ginseng out in an intact state. "You''re right. Then how do you know that there''s a 100-year-old ginseng in the back mountain?" He Ning asked curiously. "It''s a guess. Maybe there is one?" Qiao Mei said. He Ning gave Qiao Mei a thumbs up in admiration. He did not expect it to pan out this way. If they could find one, then he could be considered quite lucky. "When are you going? Huo Gao and I can go with you," He Ning said. What He Ning wanted was Huo Gao to go with him. After all, he was a Chinese doctor. It was said that this mountain had good feng shui. If they could find other precious medicinal herbs, they would be able to make a profit during this trip. If they could find the 100-year-old ginseng themselves, they would be able to save a lot of money. Huo Gao did not think so. He Ning definitely would not be able to endure walking on such a steep mountain path. He got tired so easily that he would be out of breath even when walking on flat ground. He would die faster if he climbed the mountain path! "You guys can forget about it. You''ll just be a burden if you go. You should just wait at home. I''ll let you know if there''s any news," Qiao Qiang said. He Ning nodded in agreement with what Qiao Qiang said. After Qiao Mei cleared the crockery and cutlery off the table, she came back and took a look at Huo Gao before saying to He Ning, "Which one of you will be washing the dishes?" He Ning pointed at Huo Gao silently. Huo Gao sighed resignedly and followed Qiao Mei out to tidy up the courtyard and wash the crockery and cutlery. More money! I must get more money! I must make He Ning go bankrupt after this assignment! Huo Gao angrily swept the courtyard with the broom, taking this opportunity to vent his anger. He Ning continued talking to Qiao Qiang without caring if Qiao Qiang responded to him or not. Whether by accident or design, he told Qiao Qiang everything that had happened to the Liang family in recent years. He spoke about the people involved in the Liang family''s promotion, named the people who did not support the Liang family behind their backs, named those who had always been determined to help the Liang family, and listed down the number of people in this generation of the Liang family who were officials or enlisted in the military. He told Qiao Qiang everything in detail. Qiao Mei listened with relish from behind the door. He Ning''s success was not due to luck. Qiao Mei was impressed with his memory and observation skills. Even Xia Wen was probably not as meticulous as He Ning. "You don''t have to tell me these things. I''m not a member of the Liang family and I have nothing to do with them. If you mention the Liang family again, don''t blame me for chasing you out without cherishing the relationship between your grandfather and I," Qiao Qiang said with a dark expression. "That''s not what I meant. I just want to tell you about the situation in the capital over the past few years," He Ning said with a smile. Qiao Qiang did not care about the situation in the capital at all. He had long been an outsider and there was no point in knowing so much about the capital. Now, he just wanted to live quietly in this village and be Qiao Mei''s grandfather. He wanted to live a few more years and watch his great-great-grandchildren grow up. That would be enough. As for issues concerning the Liang family, the He family or the Xia family, he did not want to know at all and did not care to know. He only wanted Qiao Mei to be safe and sound and did not care about anything else. Chapter 687 Take The Rice Bucket Away "If you have the time to tell me about those aristocratic families in the capital, why don''t you tell me what you did to Qiao Mei and whether the matter of Qiao Mei''s baby being harmed has anything to do with you." Qiao Qiang snorted coldly and left the room. He Ning smiled awkwardly in the room. What was done was done. If he had known from the start that Qiao Mei''s culinary skills were so good and that she was also very good at growing flowers, he would not have laid his hands on her at all. Qiao Qiang did not walk far before turning back. He looked at He Ning coldly and said, "Is there anything else you need here now?" "Nothing! Nothing at all!" He Ning said. "If there''s nothing else, you should go back quickly. It''s not good for our family''s reputation if you stay here with that ''rice bucket'' you brought with you. It won''t sound good if word gets out. If there''s nothing else, you shouldn''t come again," Qiao Qiang said disdainfully. Huo Gao was the "rice bucket" that Qiao Qiang was referring to. While he despised He Ning for shamelessly coming to Qiao Mei''s house to freeload, he ate more than He Ning. If not for the fact that there was not enough rice in the pot, Huo Gao would have eaten everything in their house. It was not Huo Gao''s fault. The main thing was that although Wang Qin used a lot of ingredients in her cooking, it did not taste good and was worlds apart from what Qiao Mei made. He Ning had no choice but to leave Qiao Mei''s house dejectedly with Huo Gao. Qiao Qiang also left on his bicycle. The results of the previous chess competition were out. Qiao Qiang did not win. In the end, it was the old man from the neighboring village who won, so now he had to go to the neighboring village every week to continue playing chess. Qiao Qiang even asked Qiao Mei to check with Xia Wen in the capital about getting him a book on chess. He wanted to learn chess well and defeat those old men so that they had to come to his house to play chess. Qiao Mei had some free time and wanted to go to Li Gui''s house to take a look. She had not completely forgiven Li Gui, but because of what happened yesterday, she was worried that the children would be traumatized. Zhang Miao had been lying on the brick bed all this while. Even if the sky collapsed outside, she could not react. After taking her medicine regularly, she could already move her limbs slowly. Qiao Mei believed that it would not be long before she could get down from the bed and start her rehabilitation exercises. The other children were not too affected as Zhang Wei had protected them. Tomorrow was the official first school day for these children, so Qiao Mei fried some melon seeds for them. Although this was not something rare and basically every family knew how to fry melon seeds, Qiao Mei''s melon seeds were just different from those from other families. She used her own secret ingredients and they were very fragrant. Whoever ate Qiao Mei''s melon seeds would definitely not like other melon seeds anymore! "Have you prepared everything you need for school?" Qiao Mei walked into the courtyard and said to the three naughty children. Zhang Wei was the first to step forward and report to Qiao Mei, "Pencils, erasers, books and water glasses!" They only had tea jars here. Those big tea jars were big enough to use as bowls and it was very troublesome to carry them to school. When Qiao Mei was in the capital, she had bought water glasses for the children, Li Gui and Qiao Qiang. In a small county city like theirs, there was no such fashionable thing. It was almost guaranteed that these children would attract everyone''s attention as soon as they went to school. Anyway, there was no need to worry about anyone coveting these things. Only the Zhang siblings had them. If anyone dared to steal it, Qiao Mei would break their legs. "What did you eat this morning?" Qiao Mei asked. Zhang Wei was stunned for a moment and did not say anything. Zhang Qin did not know what to say and hid behind Zhang Wei to look at Qiao Mei quietly. Qiao Mei knew at a glance that they either had not eaten anything again or had only eaten a potato or a sweet potato. After Old Madam Li plundered everything edible at home, Qiao Mei had thrown a tantrum at Li Gui until now. There was nothing left at home at the moment and Li Gui was too embarrassed to go and look for Qiao Mei. In addition, Li Gui was not in good health and was currently lying weakly on the brick bed, unable to move. Qiao Mei patted Zhang Wei''s shoulder and said, "You''re the man of the household now. You have to learn to bear the heavy burden of the family. Elder sister can''t be by your side all the time. You have to learn to take good care of your younger siblings and mother. The most important thing is to take care of yourself too." Zhang Wei nodded solemnly. He was no longer the kid who only knew how to enjoy life. Since he had chosen to leave Zhang Qian to live with Li Gui, he must work hard. Chapter 688 - 688 Owing Too Much 688 Owing Too Much Elder sister, dont worry. Ive also learned how to cook now. The food that Zhang Qin and I make is delicious! Zhang Wei said with a smile. Qiao Mei nodded gratifyingly and said, You can take whatever you want from the storeroom, including meat. Ill put a notebook and a basket inside for you. Although you can take whatever you want, you have to note it down and use your results to offset it. What do you think? It was a small matter for Zhang Qin, but Zhang Weis results were the worst among his siblings. He also had the worst comprehension ability. If he had to pay for stuff with his results, he might as well do manual labor. Elder sister how am I going to pay for it Zhang Wei asked nervously. !! Its only counted when you take an exam. If you do better than usual, youll be rewarded. If you do badly, youll be punished. When the time comes, Ill write it down in the notebook. Then you can do the math yourselves, Qiao Mei said. Zhang Wei gritted his teeth and agreed. It was just an exam! It would not be a problem for him! Moreover, Chen Hu had also told him that if his results were not good, he would not be able to join their team. He had to be developed in all aspects to be able to join them. Alright, you guys can go to the storeroom. Take whatever you want to eat. Ill teach you how to cook later, Qiao Mei said. The children left the house happily. At this moment, Li Gui slowly walked out of the house with her jacket draped over her shoulders. She stood beside Qiao Mei, not knowing what to say. She held onto a pillar and slowly sat opposite Qiao Mei. She took out more than 30 dollars from her pocket and placed it on the table. Early this morning, Hai Hua came to look for me with the money that they managed to find. I had already cut ties with my mother. I heard that my second brother had also left and gone back. Qiao Mei remained indifferent and continued to sit there looking at Li Gui coldly. She had long expected such an outcome, but it was a pity that Li Gui did not believe her at all. Mei Mei I know I made a mistake this time. And its a huge mistake. Can you stop being angry with me? Li Gui pleaded. Qiao Mei turned her head to the side and said softly, Whats the use of me being angry? In the end, Im the sinner who stopped you from doing what you want. I should go along with everything you want so that you can be happy. No, no, no! Its not like that! The fact is that I didnt believe what you said. If I had believed you, I wouldnt have ended up like this. Its all my fault! I shouldnt have pitied them. I brought this upon myself! I deserve it! Li Gui reached out to slap herself. Qiao Mei stopped her immediately. How could a daughter watch her mother being hit, even if it was her mother hitting herself. Its good that you know your mistake. Theres no need to hit yourself like this. If you have the strength to hit someone, you should make use of it to recuperate well, Qiao Mei said. Li Gui nodded repeatedly. She knew that she owed this eldest daughter of hers too much. She had now completely seen through Old Madam Lis character. From now on, she would no longer care about Old Madam Li. She only wanted to take good care of her children and let them live out their lives in peace. Nothing else was important. Keep this money, Li Gui said as she pushed the money in front of Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei took a few glances before stuffing it back into Li Guis hand, saying, Forget about this. You still have to buy medicine for Zhang Miao next month. Use it to buy the medicine. Li Gui also knew that without this sum of money, Zhang Miao would still face the situation of running out of medicine next month. She would take it that she borrowed this money from Qiao Me and put it down in her notebook. When she had money, she would pay Qiao Mei back. Qiao Mei helped Li Gui back into the house and then secretly walked towards the back mountain behind the house. Back then, she had taken all the ginseng on the mountain with her, leaving behind only the low-grade ones. This time, she had to secretly plant a few more ginsengs. Otherwise, the truth would be exposed when Qiao Qiang went into the mountain to search tomorrow. Qiao Mei chose to first go and see if the cave she camouflaged had been discovered. The grass in front of the cave was still very lush and looked better than before. It was probably related to the 1,000-year-old ginseng she had left behind. She did not expect that growing good quality ginseng could also change the nutrition of the surrounding soil. In the future, she would use this cave specially to cultivate ginseng. When the time came, it would not be a problem to cultivate ginseng that was more than 10,000 years old. Chapter 689 Prep For Work However, Qiao Mei did not want to do that. She already felt that the existence of a 1,000-year-old ginseng was against the laws of nature. A 10,000-year-old ginseng would probably turn into a spirit! Qiao Mei had also made a new discovery. She refined the 1,000-year-old ginseng and extracted all the liquid out of it before putting it into the small canning jar she brought with her. The dark green liquid looked like freshly squeezed spinach juice. Qiao Mei had tried this method when she was in the capital. However, at that time, she used grapes. As there was no way to finish all the grapes at home, in order to maximize the usefulness of the grapes, Qiao Mei decided to extract all the liquid from the grapes. When she put it in water, it would become grape juice! Now, she drew inferences from that experience and applied this discovery to the ginseng. Not only could it bring out the medicinal effects of the ginseng, but it was also portable. The current level of medical care was still limited. The hospitals in small county cities could not be compared with the hospitals in the capital. If Qiao Qiang was sick and did not have any medicine to treat his illness, it would be more convenient to have this concentrated ginseng juice as a backup. When Qiao Mei had time, she would extract a few more and get someone to forge a few necklaces when she returned to the capital. At that time, everyone in the family would be able to wear one that contained 1,000-year-old ginseng juice. This would cover emergency situations. It could also be used as a family heirloom to be passed down to future generations. She just did not know if this thing had an expiration date. It would be terrible if it turned bad. "Little baby ginsengs, grow up quickly!" Qiao Mei sprinkled a handful of 100-year-old ginseng seeds on the ground and kept growing them. Then she extracted them and put the ginseng juice in another canning jar. Qiao Mei only stopped when the canning jar was half full. At this moment, the canning jar was filled with light green liquid which was much paler in color than the 1,000-year-old ginseng juice. It seemed that the color was related to age. The ginseng juice emitted a faint fragrance, and the fragrance on Qiao Mei''s body also became even more obvious. There were still three 100-year-old ginsengs left on the ground and Qiao Mei continued to grow them. When the ginsengs were almost 1,500 years old, they stopped growing. At this moment, the ginsengs were already showing signs of withering, as if they were reaching their limit. Qiao Mei gently sprinkled some of the 100-year-old ginseng juice on them. After that, the ginsengs emitted a sparkling green light and looked even better than before. "This is really good stuff. It can actually bring plants back from the dead!" Qiao Mei looked excitedly at the three ginsengs that looked lush again. Qiao Mei licked the remaining ginseng juice on her hand and instantly felt refreshed. The feeling of tiredness had completely disappeared. Now, she would not feel tired even if she had to walk 10 kilometers. Qiao Mei looked at the yellow jade bangle on her wrist again. Ever since she received this bangle from Xu Lan, she had been wearing it. Initially, this bangle was still a little turbid, but now it had changed a little. Under the sunlight, its color looked much better than before and the turbidness had disappeared. "What will happen if I soak this bangle in the ginseng juice Won''t I be able to create top-notch yellow jade!" Qiao Mei looked at the bangle on her hand excitedly and fantasized endlessly. After Qiao Mei absorbed all the energy from this kind of jade stone, the color and quality of the jade stone would decrease greatly. If she could use the ginseng juice to nurture the jade stone, then she only needed to get an imperial green jade stone of any quality. As long as it was the correct color, she would be able to turn the jade stone into top-notch imperial green jade. She did not expect to be able to discover another way to get rich! ? However, this method was really too wasteful of ginseng. No one would believe her even if she told them. They would even investigate the origins of the ginseng that she had. She could only use this method to preserve these jade stones so that she could collect them. Qiao Mei sealed the canning jars and put them into her bag. She then took out a couple of seeds and planted them at the place where Qiao Qiang had to pass through. She kept growing them and exchanging energy with them. After they reached the age of 100 years old, Qiao Mei stopped. She would just wait for Qiao Qiang to go up the mountain tomorrow and find them for himself. If he really did not see them, she would give him more hints. There was a lot of grass around the ginsengs that were withering as they could not withstand the energy. Qiao Mei sprinkled some of the ginseng juice on the ground and very quickly, the grass thrived again. If the area surrounding the ginseng was bare, it would definitely arouse Qiao Qiang''s suspicion. Chapter 690 Family Meeting She also did not want to create an environment where nothing other than ginseng could grow in this mountain in the future. This would also cause unnecessary trouble for the village. However, she should learn to control the range of her energy in the near future. She must be able to lock her energy on one plant and not hurt other innocent plants. Qiao Mei continued to walk deeper. Ever since she harvested many pumpkins from the hot spring, many people had gone there to pick pumpkins. In order not to make anyone suspicious, she also brought some pumpkin seeds and prepared to plant them there. There were many pine trees and hazelnut trees on this mountain. It was almost winter and she wanted to sprinkle some ginseng juice under the trees to exchange for more pine cones and hazelnuts so that the children could sell them on the black market. She wanted them to earn some money so that they did not have to live a life where they had to keep going to her storeroom to ask for things. It would not be a good thing for the children''s psychological development over time. Even though she was their elder sister, she was more like their mother by now. She just did not know if the two little fellows in her stomach would be obedient. She hoped that if she had a boy, he would be as brave and outstanding as Xia Zhe, and if she had a girl, she would be as quirky as her. In the capital, everyone in the Xia family had gathered together on a rare occasion. Furthermore, Xu Lan had informed them one by one and even said that they must be present. It seemed almost as important as the new year. It was only during the new year that she would make it so grand. They all wondered why she had asked all of them to go back. Xia Jun walked into the house unhappily. He had made arrangements to fly kites with his old comrades today. He was naturally angry that he had been called back for no reason. In order to make it more convenient, Xu Lan had asked them to go to the house she lived with Xia Mao, and did not choose Xia Jun''s house to be the venue. The moment Xia Jun entered, he noticed that the coffee table and the floor were covered in knitted items. It looked like a street stall. Did Xu Lan not know that everyone was coming back today? He wondered how anyone could sit down with such a mess. "What are you doing! You''re making such a mess. Are you setting up a stall at home!" Xia Jun said in annoyance. Xia He hurriedly walked forward to support Xia Jun and said, "Grandfather, Qiao Mei knitted all these herself. Look, there''s a name on that one!" When he heard that it was made by Qiao Mei, Xia Jun''s attitude took a 180-degree turn. Earlier, he was still glaring angrily, but now he was smiling and holding the item with his name on it lovingly. There was even a hidden pocket woven into the vest that Qiao Mei had made for him. Back then, he had told Qiao Mei that when Wu Min was still around, she would always sew a small pocket at the chest area on the left side of his clothes. He was always worried that someone would accidentally take the wrong set of clothes, and that if he lost his money, he would not have money to eat. Later on, he kept 100 dollars wrapped in plastic and put it in this pocket in case of emergencies. However, after Wu Min died, there was no one else to do this for him. He did not expect Qiao Mei to still remember it. Xia Jun kept rubbing the small pocket as tears welled up in his eyes. "Grandfather, you''re so touched!" Xia He said in shock. "Your grandmother used to sew this type of pocket for me. I told Qiao Mei once, but I didn''t expect her to remember it. I just miss your grandmother," Xia Jun said emotionally. Xia He laughed when she heard this. She felt that this was a good thing. It proved that Xia Zhe had married a good wife and that the Xia family had an empathetic daughter-in-law. Xia Wen and Tan Jing received a pair of black and white gloves each. Liu Fen received a vest as well. Xia Mao received a dark blue sweater that matched Xu Lan''s dress. Xia Fang received a scarf. Qiao Mei had even prepared a gift for Xia Xiu. Like Xia Fang''s, it was also a scarf. Everyone was very happy to receive the gifts except Tan Jing, who had a worried expression on her face. When she first married into the family, she had also bought gifts for everyone. At that time, Xu Lan had thrown them aside without even looking at them. Those items were probably no longer at home anymore. Xu Lan currently wore the clothes that Qiao Mei made for her every day. Even now, she was twirling the hem of her dress in front of Xia Mao, constantly praising Qiao Mei. They were both daughters-in-law, so why should Qiao Mei be loved and valued by the entire family, while she was constantly criticized and scolded because she did not have children after getting married. She was happy that Qiao Mei''s babies were gone. She felt that no one could have a perpetual smooth sailing life. It was only right that Qiao Mei got into an accident. Without the children, everyone would like her much less. Chapter 691 Confession When Qiao Mei was pregnant, she was already treated like a treasure by the family. Now that she was not pregnant, she received even more care and favor. Was this not telling her that she was not as good as Qiao Mei, not as outstanding as Qiao Mei, and that she was not a good daughter-in-law of the Xia family? As long as Qiao Mei was around, she would not have a good life in this house. Nowadays, everyone outside knew that the eldest son of the Xia family had a capable and virtuous granddaughter-in-law who was also very beautiful. As soon as she married into the family, she had made an exchange to get back Wu Min''s house. How filial. Everyone praised her and envied the family. Tan Jing had been married into the Xia family for so long and had never been valued by the outside world. "Mother, come over and let me take a look," Xia Wen said to Xu Lan with a smile. The last time he saw Xu Lan so happy was when Xia Zhe became the top army warrior for the first time. She could not hide the pride on her face. Xu Lan twirled around and danced her way to Xia Wen. However, Xia Wen did not admire Xu Lan''s clothes but pulled her into the backyard instead. "Xiao Wen, why did you bring me here?" Xu Lan looked at Xia Wen in confusion. Xia Wen whispered, "I brought you here to tell you something about Qiao Mei." When Xu Lan heard that it was about Qiao Mei, she nervously grabbed Xia Wen''s arm and asked, "What''s wrong with Qiao Mei! Tell me quickly! Did something happen to Qiao Mei! Is it a problem with her health or is she short of money? I''ll bring money and go look for Qiao Mei now!" "No, no! It''s good news about Qiao Mei!" Xia Wen said as he held Xu Lan back. Xu Lan slowly relaxed. She only wanted Qiao Mei to be fine. "Get to the point next time! Don''t you know that I have a heart problem! You''ll scare me to death!" Xu Lan held her chest to catch her breath and glared at Xia Wen. "I''m telling you now. Previously, because the issue with Qiao Mei''s miscarriage had something to do with the He family, we kept it a secret from everyone. Now that the He family has been punished, I''m not afraid to tell you the truth about this matter. Actually, Qiao Mei did not have a miscarriage and the babies are fine," Xia Wen said. The babies are fine? What does that mean? Is this a scheme to frame the He family? "Wait, I don''t understand. Are you saying that Qiao Mei is actually still pregnant? My two eldest grandsons are still around!" Xu Lan said as she looked at Xia Wen agitatedly. Xia Wen nodded to affirm what Xu Lan said. Xu Lan was so excited that she almost shouted out. Xia Wen covered Xu Lan''s mouth and said, "Don''t shout! I know that you''re sad, so I''m telling you first. You can''t let my second aunt-in-law know about this. Otherwise, I''ll get beaten up on Xia Zhe''s behalf." Xu Lan blinked and asked Xia Wen to remove the hand covering her mouth. She definitely would not go out and publicize it. "Oh my, that''s so great. Then I''ll take out the baby clothes and wash them! I''ll wait for Qiao Mei to come back and give birth! No, no! I''ll make another set for the babies. The original set is inauspicious! Oh right, I also have to speed up the renovation of the house so that Qiao Mei can go through confinement at our house!" The more Xu Lan spoke, the happier she became. Qiao Mei, who was the mother, was not even in such a hurry. Instead, it was Xu Lan who was extremely anxious, worried that she would not be able to take good care of Qiao Mei if she did not get everything ready in time for Qiao Mei to deliver the babies. Seeing his mother so happy, Xia Wen felt much more at ease. As for He Ning being with Qiao Mei now, it was not a big problem. It was not difficult to get He Ning to return immediately. As long as he created some issues for the He family and gave He Ning something to do, He Ning would definitely return. Qiao Mei busied herself at the back mountain until it was dark. She had left in a hurry previously and many plants in the back mountain had started to wither, so she used them to do experiments. Since ginseng could be refined into essence, could she also refine pine cones into oil? Then she would be able to add pine nut oil to her cooking. It would be nutritious and delicious. Just like that, Qiao Mei did experiments from noon to night and only returned home after she had grasped some logic. At this moment, Qiao Qiang was already at home. He Ning and Huo Gao were sitting opposite him. Qiao Qiang was listening to the radio nonchalantly and did not care what He Ning was saying to him. These two people could not be chased away, and they even took the initiative to come and deliver money. He could only pretend not to see anything. Chapter 692 I Want To Eat Fish Like Qiao Qiang, Qiao Mei pretended not to see anything and walked straight into the house. When He Ning saw Qiao Mei coming back, he smiled and pointed at the vat in the courtyard. "I want to eat fish." Qiao Mei remained silent. "I want to eat fish," He Ning repeated. "I''m not free. If you want to eat, make it yourself," Qiao Mei said sulkily. He Ning did not continue to insist. Instead, he asked Huo Gao to catch the fish and pass it to Qiao Mei after cleaning it up. He was quite sure that Qiao Mei would not reject an ingredient that had already been nicely prepared. "Miss Qiao, can you see if the fish is prepared to your satisfaction?" Huo Gao said. Qiao Mei looked at the fish in the basin and then at the smug He Ning outside. She silently suppressed her anger. Anyway, as long as He Ning was alive, she would be able to earn an endless amount of money. She would just take it that she pitied him. After dinner, it was still Huo Gao who went to wash the crockery and cutlery. For a moment, Qiao Mei did not know exactly what kind of existence Huo Gao had in He Ning''s life. "Don''t come over tomorrow morning. There won''t be anyone at home. We have to go into the mountains to dig up ginseng for you. You can come back at night. The kitchen is closed tomorrow and no one will cook for you," Qiao Mei said. He Ning was still reminiscing about the taste of the fish just now, but now he looked unhappy. Did that mean that he had to eat Wang Qin''s cooking tomorrow? That food tasted terrible. It was already good enough that he was not poisoned to death. "Alright, I understand." After saying that, He Ning reluctantly left Qiao Mei''s house with Huo Gao. Qiao Mei quietly put a drop of 100-year-old ginseng juice into Qiao Qiang''s glass. The medicinal effect of the 1,000-year-old ginseng juice was too strong. She had heard that if one ate too much ginseng to nourish one''s body, one''s hair would turn completely white overnight! Although Qiao Qiang was already at the age when his hair was turning white, it was still harmful to a person''s body if all the hair turned white overnight. Qiao Qiang picked up the glass of water and took a sip. He looked at it in puzzlement. The taste of the water seemed to be different from usual. There was something different about it, but he could not describe the feeling. Perhaps what Qiao Mei cooked tonight was too fragrant, so much so that even water tasted very fragrant now. Qiao Mei sat on the brick bed and counted the melon seeds. These were all new varieties that she had brought over from the capital. She did not know if these seeds were suitable for planting in the northeastern region. The ripening time of these melon seeds was 25% shorter than the usual melon seeds in their village. If she planted them now, they would definitely be ready for harvest before the first snowfall in winter. A few days ago, she had fried the last of the melon seeds in the house and sent them to Xia He. She wanted to see if this new variety was suitable for planting in their village. She could not always depend on her energy. If the villagers discovered that they could not grow the new variety that she had brought and only she could do it, everyone would suspect that she was trying to cause trouble here. She would bring some over to Li Gui tomorrow and get Zhang Wei and the other children to help with the planting. They could plant it in their private plot in the courtyard. "Grandfather, who won the chess game today?" Qiao Mei asked with a smile. Qiao Qiang snorted coldly. If not for Old Man Sun cheating today, he would have won all those old men! Recently, Qiao Qiang only listened to the radio programs that discussed chess. Every day, he would put on his reading glasses and work hard, reading the books that Xia Wen sent over. Even when Qiao Qiang was in the military academy, he did not put in so much effort. In Qiao Qiang''s words, he would not fight for steamed buns but he would fight for validation. In order to get everyone to come to their village to play chess the next time, he must fight for glory. He made it seem like he represented the entire village. Early the next morning, Qiao Mei woke up early and prepared dry rations for Qiao Qiang to bring with him when he entered the mountains. She also filled up a military water bottle and then put three drops of 100-year-old ginseng juice into it. She shook it gently a few times and it was all done. She was not using Qiao Qiang as a guinea pig. She had tried it herself before she dared to give it to Qiao Qiang. Besides, not everyone could be Qiao Mei''s guinea pig. Even if He Ning knelt on the ground and begged her to give him a few drops of ginseng juice, she would not bear to part with it. It would not be considered a good deal. Only a few drops could be extracted from an entire ginseng. To be able to sell to He Ning, she would need an amount that was extracted from hundreds of ginsengs. The price of one ginseng was already hundreds of thousands of dollars. The concentrate would probably cost tens of millions. Those who did not know better would think that Qiao Mei was trying to rob them. Chapter 693 Entering The Mountain Besides, how was she going to explain to He Ning that she had hundreds or even thousands of 100-year-old ginsengs? Was she here to do wholesale? With He Ning''s intelligence, he would soon be able to sense that there was something wrong with her. When he discovered her special ability, she would probably be rumored to be a "spirit" and it was even possible that she would get sent to be dissected. "Grandfather, be careful when you enter the mountain." Qiao Mei handed the backpack to Qiao Qiang. Not only did it contain the food and drinks she had prepared for Qiao Qiang, but it also contained the tools he needed to dig up the ginseng. Qiao Qiang put on his straw hat and walked happily into the mountain. The sun had not fully risen yet and there was some morning dew hanging on the plants. Not long after, the hem of Qiao Qiang''s pants were all wet. He waited until he walked three to four miles, when he was halfway up the mountain, before he started to patiently search for traces of ginseng. The area at the foot of the mountain had already been searched by others, so there would not be any good quality ginseng there. Even if there was any, it would have been poached long ago. Qiao Qiang did not find any trace of any ginseng even at noon, but he was not in a hurry. Finding ginseng needed patience and one could not be anxious. The more anxious one was, the more one would not be able to find it. Qiao Mei did not idle around the entire morning. She went to look for Li Gui with the seeds she had picked out. Although Li Gui was still a little weak, she looked much better after eating a few full meals. Zhang Wei brought Qiao Mei a glass of water. Qiao Mei secretly took out the small bottle containing the 1,000-year-old ginseng juice and gently poured a little into it. The amount was almost negligible. However, this little bit was still better than 10 drops of 100-year-old ginseng juice. Li Gui coughed all the time and would occasionally have gastric pains. Since she did not have money to go for treatment, she could be Qiao Mei''s second "guinea pig". "Drink some water." Qiao Mei handed the glass of water to Li Gui, who obediently drank it all in one gulp. Now, she listened to everything Qiao Mei said. If she had a different opinion, she would discuss it with Qiao Mei. "Why is this water different from what I usually drink? It smells a little fragrant." Li Gui looked at the glass in surprise. After drinking the water, she instantly felt energetic and refreshed. It felt as if she could even walk 50 miles without any problem. Over the past few days, her waist had been sore and her body felt weak. After drinking the water, these symptoms seemed to have disappeared. "Is there any difference? Isn''t it just water from home? Then how do you feel?" Qiao Mei probed. "I feel so energetic after drinking it. If I had known earlier, I would drink less. I could have let Zhang Miao drink some too. This way, she''ll recover faster," Li Gui said regretfully. It was all her fault for being greedy. Otherwise, she could have given some to Zhang Miao. Qiao Mei originally did not intend to give it to Zhang Miao, but after hearing what Li Gui said, she had a new idea. Yesterday, she had sprinkled ginseng juice on the plants and they could all be revived. So if she heated up the ginseng juice and soaked the towel in it before applying it to Zhang Miao''s ribs, would it have the same effect? Zhang Miao was still so young, so the 100-year-old ginseng juice would definitely be too strong for her. Qiao Mei would have to find some time to go to the cave to cultivate more 10 to 20 years old ginseng to extract the juice and then dilute it with water before applying it to Zhang Miao like a medicine. This way, maybe Zhang Miao would be able to stand up and go to school with Zhang Wei and the others in less than a month. "What are you holding in your hand?" Li Gui asked. Qiao Mei reached into the bag and took out a handful of melon seeds. The shiny melon seeds immediately attracted Li Gui''s attention. This was the first time she had seen such big and good quality melon seeds. "Did you grow this? I''ve never seen such big ones! This is really good stuff!" Li Gui said excitedly. "I bought this from the capital. Our local melon seeds can produce about 300 catties per mu of land. If the land is fertile, then maybe a maximum of 500 catties. The person who sold me this in the capital said that this variety of melon seeds can produce at least 800 catties per mu!" Qiao Mei said. An amount of 800 catties! That was worth a lot of money! If she planted them in the two mu of land in the courtyard, she would be able to harvest at least 1,600 catties! It was almost the end of the year and every family would need to buy things for the new year. Even poor people like them would buy melon seeds for the festive season, let alone the families in the county city. If she could really grow these melon seeds, she would definitely be able to earn a lot of money! It would be at least 300 dollars! "But it''s going to snow soon. If we want to plant it, we can only do it next year," Li Gui said regretfully. Chapter 694 - 694 Planting Melon Seeds 694 Planting Melon Seeds These melon seeds will ripen much faster than the ones we grow now! Well definitely be able to harvest by winter! At that time, there wont be any melon seeds for sale in the market, only ours! Qiao Mei said. When Li Gui heard this, she stood up excitedly. If she could earn so much money, Zhang Miaos medical expenses and her familys living expenses would be settled. She could even return some money back to Qiao Mei. How much did you pay for these seeds? Ill buy them, Li Gui said. Qiao Mei felt that Li Gui was quite good when it came to this. Even biological brothers should settle their accounts clearly. However, these seeds were indeed much more expensive than the ones on the market. The cost price of melon seeds in their village is 25 cents per catty. Hers, excluding the freight fee, already cost 50 cents a catty just for the seeds. Ill give you some to plant first. These seeds are much more expensive than those being sold in the market. You can pay me back when you make money. Qiao Mei grabbed a few handfuls of melon seeds and handed them to Li Gui. No, I have to pay you. Ill eventually pay you back all the money I owe you. We have to be clear about this. Feelings are another matter, Li Gui said seriously. Qiao Mei had no choice but to weigh the seeds. In the end, she received four dollars from Li Gui. These seeds were enough for Li Gui to plant in the two mu of her own land at home. The two of them worked hard for the entire afternoon and finally planted all the seeds, including in the private plot of land in Qiao Meis courtyard. Not only did Qiao Mei want to grow them herself, but she also wanted to get everyone else to join in. When winter came and only her family had melon seeds, the others would definitely be envious. The hunter would shoot the bird that stuck out. One could not just focus on getting rich alone. The foundation of being able to have long-term earnings was to ensure that everyone could make money. Such endeavors were all speculative in nature. If someone reported it, people might die! Auntie Dong! What are you doing! Qiao Mei said as she walked into Auntie Dongs courtyard. Auntie Dong was lecturing her youngest son. Recently, he had not been studying well in school. He even skipped class to go out and play yesterday. He simply did not respect her as his mother. She had heard that Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao were both hardworking children. As they had previously studied in the county city, she found it acceptable that they would do better than the rest of the children in the village. However, even Zhang Qin, who had not gone to school previously, was one of the top students in the class with good results. Therefore, it must be her child who did not study hard enough! Mei Mei! Im really going to be angered to death by this little brat! I paid for his education with my hard earned money! But he skipped school and went out to play! He played crazily with a bunch of children on the mountain outside. Tell me, what kind of future does he have! Im so angry! Auntie Dong said angrily as she held the feather duster. She did not know what to do about this matter. After all, the three children at home were good at their studies because of Qiao Qiangs influence. Qiao Qiang kept a closer eye on the childrens homework than she did. If they had not finished their homework when he came back, they would be hit on the palms. If they did not do well in the examination because they encountered problems that they did not understand, they would still be forgiven. However, if they were too careless and made the same mistake more than three times, they would have to stand in the corner for four hours! Under such an environment, even children who were not good at their studies would be motivated to study. Put down the feather duster. Even if the child is in the wrong, you cant hit him. If you hit him, wont he hate you? Qiao Mei whispered. Auntie Dong sulkily asked her son to go into the house to study. She sighed deeply and said, Why cant I hit him? Hes the only one in this family who has an education. Our older son didnt even go to school. Hes the only one who gets to eat the eggs at home when none of us bear to eat any. Yet he doesnt even study hard! You cant always spoil him like this and give him everything good. Dont you still have an older son at home? If the two brothers dont get the same things, its inevitable that they will grow up resentful of each other, Qiao Mei said. I know that too, but our familys financial situation is such that only one kid can go to school. We really cant afford it, Auntie Dong said with a frown. At this moment, Qiao Mei took out a bag of melon seeds from behind her and placed it in front of Auntie Dong. The moment she opened the bag, the fragrance of melon seeds wafted into her nose. Oh my, such big melon seeds! Where did you get them? The quality is really not bad! Auntie Dong said as she looked at the melon seeds in satisfaction. Chapter 695 - 695 Not Selling To Your Family 695 Not Selling To Your Family I brought these over from the capital. Theyre a new variety! They can be harvested before winter if you plant them now. Moreover, the yield is 50% higher than our local old variety! Qiao Mei said. Really! Then how much do you have? I want to buy it! Auntie Dong said readily. Auntie Dong, this is a new variety. If its not suitable for our land, wont you lose money? Besides, its much more expensive than our local seeds, Qiao Mei said awkwardly. Auntie Dong did not think too much about it. When Qiao Mei first started growing bean sprouts, she believed that she would definitely be able to earn a lot of money by following Qiao Mei. During that time, her family made the most money in the village. Now that Qiao Mei wanted to grow melon seeds, she had to trust Qiao Mei again. Since Qiao Mei came to look for her, she would trust that Qiao Mei was here to make her rich! Just tell me how much for a catty, Auntie Dong said. I carried this all back from the capital myself. Ill sell you at cost. Its 50 cents, Qiao Mei said. Auntie Dongs heart skipped a beat. She had thought that it would maybe cost 30 cents and did not expect it to be 50 cents. However, these are things where you got what you paid for. If she bought the melon seeds now and planted them earlier, she would be able to harvest them earlier. Otherwise, if it really snowed, she would have planted them for nothing. Ill take four catties! I dont have much land at home, so Ill try to grow four catties first. Ill go get money for you! Auntie Dong went into the house to get money for Qiao Mei without any hesitation. This was also within Qiao Meis expectations. After Auntie Dong bought the seeds, everyone in the village knew about it. The few women who were closer to Qiao Mei all heard the news and went to buy seeds from her. They did not care about how expensive the seeds were. As long as Qiao Mei was the seller, she must be helping them to earn money. Even if they were to lose money, it would be because they did not put in enough effort to take care of the seeds. Anyway, it was impossible for them to plant any vegetables by this season. When it snowed in winter and the land became covered by heavy snow, everything they planted would be finished. In the end, almost everyone in the village came to look for Qiao Mei to buy seeds, except for Qiao Zhuangs family. By the time Qiao Zhuangs family rushed over after hearing the news, the seeds were already sold out and there were none left for Qiao Zhuangs family. I think that wretched girl Qiao Mei does it on purpose! Why is it that the entire village has seeds, but our family doesnt! Wang Qin said angrily. Why are you shouting? If not for you, would our family have ended up like this? Qiao Zhuang said sulkily. After the open meeting, no one in the entire village took him seriously anymore. This village tyrant had a reputation that was not real. Wang Qins job in the village office was not going well either. After He Ning gave her the rental fees for these two days, she immediately went to put the money back into the accounts. Father, if our family doesnt vent our anger, wont we always be bullied by Qiao Mei? Wang Qin whispered. Its more than being bullied! If not for your lousy idea, Qiao Yu would have marry into that family long ago! Why would we have to return the betrothal gifts to the family! I even have to compensate the matchmaker with an amount of money equivalent to the price of a pigs head. Its all your lousy idea! Qiao Zhuang said as he pointed at Wang Qin. Wang Qin hid at the side and did not make a sound. Now that the eldest daughter-in-law, Liu Ying, had run away, there were only Jiang Ye and Qiao Yu doing housework at home. It was impossible for the two of them to take care of such a big family. Shen Ge already could not take care of her children now. Ever since Qiao Yu could not marry into the Guo family, Shen Ge had been locked up in the room and beaten up every day. They did not care as long as she did not get beaten to death. Thats right. Im so tired every day. Second Sister-in-law, Eldest Sister-in-law is not at home now. You should help out with some chores, Jiang Ye said unhappily. Although Qiao Zhuang was an asshole, his second and third sons doted on their own wives. Qiao Wang, who did not have much say at home, also chimed in, Thats right, Second Sister-in-law. Youre all daughters-in-law of the family. My wife cant take care of so many things by herself. What if shes too slow for Father? Qiao Wang was quite smart. With just a few words, he pushed all the responsibility to Wang Qin. It was not Jiang Yes fault for not taking good care of the family, but it was because of Wang Qins inaction. As expected, Qiao Zhuang became even angrier. It was an embarrassment for him to have to return the betrothal gifts that he had received. When he was young, he was always in the limelight. Now that he was old, it seemed like anyone could bully him. Chapter 696 Hand Over The Money "How can you say that, Third Brother! If not for your second sister-in-law, would your work points be so high! Don''t just keep saying that my wife is not good, why don''t you talk about how she has helped you!" Qiao Gui said angrily. The two brothers started arguing with each other. Seeing that a fight was about to break out, Qiao Zhuang picked up the tea jar and threw it on the ground. The loud noise made the two brothers shut up. "What are you doing! Do you think I''m dead! Do you think you have the final say in the family now!" Qiao Zhuang roared. The two brothers, Qiao Gui and Qiao Wang, shook their heads cautiously, afraid that they would anger Qiao Zhuang again. "Wang Qin, I heard that your family recently took in two outsiders who came to the village. Is that true?" Qiao Zhuang asked as he stared at Wang Qin. Wang Qin had already expected such a day to come. She gripped the corners of her shirt tightly and said nervously, "That''s right I did take them in." "Don''t they pay you?" Qiao Zhuang asked as he shook his tobacco bag, pretending like he did not care. "No! I''m the village accountant. Since these outsiders come to the village, I should help out, so I didn''t ask them to pay," Wang Qin said with a smile. There was no such thing as a secret in the village. If Wang Qin did not receive any money, why would Wang Wu, who sold pigs on the east side of the village, tell others that she had bought a lot of pork. Why would Old Madam Dong, the loudspeaker in the village, go around saying that those two people were people Qiao Mei knew in the capital. If these two people did not pay, then where did they get the money to buy meat! "I''ll give you another chance. Tell the story properly," Qiao Zhuang said. At this moment, Wang Qin started to feel nervous. Could it be that she had done something wrong and let Qiao Zhuang realize what happened? When she took the money, she always made sure that there was no one around. Even Qiao Gui did not know how much money He Ning was paying Wang Qin, so how could Qiao Zhuang know? Could it be that He Ning told Qiao Zhuang? However, they did not know each other at all, so how could they have met? Qiao Zhuang must have said this to get information out of her. As long as she refused to admit it, Qiao Zhuang had no evidence to refute her. "No! I swear! We definitely didn''t take any money from them!" Wang Qin said firmly. Qiao Zhuang stood up with a whoosh and raised his walking stick to point at Wang Qin as he said, "You still deny it! If you didn''t receive any money, where would you get the money to buy meat from Wang Wu! If you didn''t receive any money, then you must have hidden some money away! How can a stingy person like you let two strangers take advantage of you?" Wang Qin was so frightened that she fell and sat on the ground. Qiao Gui also knelt on the ground and begged for mercy. Wang Qin said shakily, "Father I did receive some money for this, but it''s all proper! It''s not much, just a few dollars! The meat was bought with food stamps and money that I received from others! I really didn''t do much!" The two strangers indeed looked like rich people. Moreover, they had clearly said that they were from the capital, so they should not be too poor. Qiao Zhuang sat down slowly and thought for a long time before saying, "Give me all the money you have left tomorrow. You can''t hide away money on your own, do you understand?" Wang Qin quickly agreed to this matter and pulled Qiao Gui along as she ran home. Along the way, she did not give Qiao Gui a kind face. As a man, he actually could not protect his wife and children. What a good-for-nothing! "Honey! Honey, walk slowly! Wait for me!" Qiao Gui shouted as he smiled. Wang Qin said unhappily, "Don''t you know to protect me in front of your father! I have to worry about everything at home. Why don''t you care about anything? You never say anything whenever your father bullies us! Back then, if I knew that your father is such a person, I definitely wouldn''t have married into your family!" In those days, there were many people who wanted to marry Wang Qin. If not for the fact that Qiao Gui knew how to sweettalk her and had good culinary skills, she would not have taken a fancy to him! "Who would dare to say no to someone like my father? Honey, just bear with it. We can go to the county city once we save more money!" Qiao Gui said ingratiatingly. He still dared to say he wanted to go to the county city! Qiao Zhuang did not allow them to save money at all. They had to hand over all their money to Qiao Zhuang, otherwise he would beat and scold them. If not for the fact that she stole money from the village office and falsified the accounts all these years, they would have starved to death long ago! They would not even be alive now! However, this was not a long-term solution. It would be over if He Ning and the other man let it slip about the truth. Chapter 697 Digging Up Ginseng Qiao Qiang walked a few more miles into the mountains and suddenly saw lush grass growing under a pine tree. The grass at the other places were not so densely packed. He took a closer look and realized that there was a ginseng in the middle of the grass patch. There were even red small fruits growing on it! Qiao Qiang calmly took out a red string from his bag and gently tied it around the ginseng. The older generation all said that ginseng had spiritual energy. If he did not tie it with the red string, it would run away if he was not careful! He placed his tools on the ground one by one. Then he took out a straw mat and sat on it, carefully digging up the ginseng. Ginseng was expensive partly because of its age. The older it was, the more valuable it would become. On the other hand, it also depended on the quality of the ginseng. Even if the main ginseng was intact, but the roots were damaged, the price would drop a lot! Digging for ginseng tested one''s endurance and skills. If one was not careful, one would lose money. Qiao Qiang focused on digging out the ginseng. By the time he finished, it was almost dark. There were wild beasts in the mountains at night, so he could not stay any longer. Qiao Mei had been waiting in the courtyard for Qiao Qiang to return. Looking at how happy Qiao Qiang was, Qiao Mei knew that he must have a fruitful trip. "Grandfather, did you manage to find any!" Qiao Mei asked expectantly. "This mountain is really a treasure land. I only dug one out today. From the looks of it, it must be more than 80 years old. I can''t see it clearly since it is dark. There should be another one on the mountain. It was too late, so I didn''t dig for it." Qiao Qiang put down the bamboo basket and went to the water vat at the side to wash his hands. One ginseng was enough for He Ning to eat. She would ask Qiao Qiang to dig up the rest for fun. Qiao Mei did not go to look for He Ning immediately. It was almost dinnertime and the fact was that it was easier to invite someone than to send him away. If He Ning came, he would definitely shamelessly stay for dinner. In order to maintain the peace and quiet at home, she would approach them tomorrow morning. Qiao Qiang carefully cleaned up the ginseng and fixed it down with cloth and thread. If he made it look good, Qiao Mei would be able to sell it to that little brat from the He family for a much higher price. He would settle the score with He Ning when he went to the capital. Although he said that he would never set foot in the capital again in his life, he still had to be there when Qiao Mei gave birth. Otherwise, he would not be able to feel at ease. The Xia family''s gathering in the capital had also ended successfully and everyone returned home feeling satisfied. Only Xia He decided to make a detour at the last minute and go to the art troupe to practice her dance. The environment in the art troupe at the Kong family''s hometown was very bad and no one practiced dance at all. They did not even have good basic training and did not even know how to stand properly. She had to admit that the dancers did not develop their skills as fast as in the capital. She must have a more solid foundation than the others. Only then could she stand out in the casting selection next month. Before she left the house, Xu Lan even called her over for a talk. Xu Lan told her about some techniques and methods for training, as well as the general theme of next month''s performance. As long as she trained hard, she would definitely be able to get the role of the female lead. She could not let Yang Xin and the others take it away from her. Since she had returned to the art troupe, she must return to her original level and get the position that belonged to her! At this moment, there was another person in the dance studio. It was Deng Fan. He was in the same batch as Xia He when she joined the troupe the first time and he was one of the best dancers at that time. She did not expect him to secretly do basic training alone at night. "Ah... you''re here too..." Xia He said awkwardly. "Yes," Deng Fan replied coldly without even looking at Xia He. Xia He did not care to make things complicated. She took off her coat and did some stretching and warmups before preparing to practice her dance. Although there were two people in the same room, it was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. Xia He really could not stand such an atmosphere. She walked over and said, "It''s been a long time. I didn''t expect that you would still work as hard as before. I thought no one would be here tonight." "It''s always been like this. I have no talent and can only work hard," Deng Fan said coldly. "You didn''t seem to have such a personality in the past. At that time, you still hung out with me and called me Sister He! Why don''t you have anything to say when you see me now," Xia He said. Deng Fan was silent for a long time and could not figure out how to answer Xia He''s question. In the end, he shut his mouth and focused on dancing. Chapter 698 - 698 A Man and a Woman Alone 698 A Man and a Woman Alone Hey! Sister Yang Xin! Quick, take a look and see if the lights are on in the dance studio! Zhou Ling said as she leaned against the dormitory window. Yang Xin did not care at all. There was nothing valuable in the dance studio. So what if someone went there in the middle of the night? No matter how hard some people tried, they would not be able to shake her position as the main dancer. It doesnt look like Deng Fan is in the dance studio by himself. By right, Deng Fan should have gone home by now, Zhou Ling said doubtfully. She had always lived in the dormitory building of the art troupe and the facing of her room was the best. Every day, she could see who had entered the dance studio. !! Last year, Zhou Lings family had made arrangements for her to get married, but she refused and had threatened them with death if they forced her. She just wanted to wait for Deng Fan. They all said that Deng Fan was someone who did not make sense. He was already in his 30s and was still single. Most people like him were sick in some ways! In that era, women in the countryside would get married when they were 17 or 18 years old. Men would get married when they were 20 years old. People in the city might do it a little later, but most women would get married at around 20 years old and men at around 22 years old. If one did not get married after this age, one could get shamed to death by the neighbors! Therefore, even if people did not love their partners, they would still get married when the time came. For someone like Deng Fan who was not married even though he was in his 30s, there must be something wrong with him! Youre just thinking about Deng Fan! Then why dont you go to the dance studio to accompany him! If you dont meet him and talk to him, how are you going to get along with him? You even want to marry him. If you cant even talk to him, how are you going to get married? Yang Xin said. Zhou Ling came to Yang Xins side shyly and grabbed her sleeve as she said, Sister Xin~ Youre the best~ Can you come with me. Im afraid to go alone Although Yang Xin was usually sarcastic, she still treated the two Zhou sisters quite well. After all, these two people were always by her side. Alright! But lets make it clear. Im only going with you. I wont help you make conversation with Deng Fan! Yang Xin said. Fine, fine, fine! Zhou Ling hopped around happily and quickly went to get both their dancing shoes. During this period of time, Yang Xin had been living in Zhou Lings bedroom. It had been more than a month. Although Zhou Ling did not ask about Yang Xins family matters, she more or less knew that Yang Xins husband did not treat her well. This time round, it seemed that Yang Xins husband had another woman outside and even brought that woman home. Yang Xin was so angry that she ran away from home. Since Yang Xin did not say anything, Zhou Ling did not ask further. She simply pretended that she did not know anything about this matter. The two of them arrived at the dance studio happily. Before they even entered, they could hear Deng Fan and Xia He chatting and laughing, which made Zhou Ling furious. Deng Fan was usually a cold person and would not say a word no matter what she asked. Why was he chatting so happily with Xia He now? Something was definitely wrong. Yang Xin pushed open the door of the dance studio and shouted, Oh! Youre all here! Youd rather chat here in the middle of the night than go home. How fun. Deng Fan remained silent and quietly did his leg presses at one side. Xia He could not be bothered to talk to them and also started to do leg presses. The entire dance studio was silent and there was no movement at all. Xia He, why arent you saying anything? Are you feeling guilty! Zhou Ling said angrily. Xia He smiled and turned around to look at Zhou Ling. Im not talking because Im unwilling to talk to you. I have nothing to feel guilty about. Then what are you doing here in the middle of the night? A man and a woman, alone in the same room. What else do you have to say! Zhou Ling said as she pointed at Xia He. Open your snobbish eyes wide and see clearly. Tell me exactly what shameful things I have done. There are also surveillance cameras around. If you dont believe me, go take a look and see what Ive done, Xia He said as she pointed at the surveillance cameras above her head. Xia He was the one who suggested to Xu Lan to install the surveillance cameras. This was because the dancers kept losing their dance shoes in the dance studio. Many people complained to one another about it. It was not because the dance shoes were expensive, but because it was not easy to find a pair of dance shoes that suited oneself. One had to use the shoes constantly and mound them in order to have a pair of dance shoes that suited oneself the most. Therefore, everyone cherished their dance shoes very much. No matter how much money they were offered, they would not give their shoes away in exchange. Chapter 699 - 699 A Sharp Knife 699 A Sharp Knife Now, these surveillance cameras were going to help Xia He prove her innocence. It seemed that she had made a good suggestion back then. Dont you have a husband? Why are you seducing someone from our troupe now? Youre really a public bus, Yang Xin said viciously. Zhou Ling did not immediately understand what a public bus meant and only got it after a while. She gave Yang Xin a thumbs up. In terms of scolding people, Yang Xin was the best. She could do it without even using a vulgar word. Are you talking about me? In my opinion, this term is more suitable for your husband. Everyone already knows about your family matters, yet you still have the mood to care about things that have nothing to do with you! Xia He said. !! Yang Xin was so angry that her face turned red. She did not publicize this matter, so how did everyone in the capital know about it? Could it be that her husband had talked about it himself? Who did you hear this nonsense from! Its very harmonious in my family! Yang Xin braced herself and said. Your husband just stops short of bringing that woman out to gallivant on the streets and around the alleys. Everyone knows about it now. I hear that the womans name is Yan, right? Shes indeed good-looking. Its so good to be young. She looks to be in her early 20s, Xia He said meanly. In Yang Xins eyes, age was the one thing that should not be mentioned in front of her. She had been depressed for so many years that even the most expensive cosmetics could not save her complexion. Now that she was in her 30s, her face was already sallow and her figure was not as good as before. She used to dance day and night, so she could still maintain her slender figure. Nowadays, other than eating and drinking, she would cry until late at night every day. She was no longer as beautiful as she used to be. If not for the fact that she relied on her relatives to stabilize her position in the art troupe, she would not have her current position. Do you think youre good-looking! Your husband is not a good person either! Arent you getting a divorce! Yang Xin said as she pointed at Xia He. When the indifferent Deng Fan heard that Xia He was going to get a divorce, he turned to look at Xia He and then at Yang Xin to confirm if she was telling the truth. Zhou Ling thought that Deng Fan did not like the idea of a divorce, so she tried to add fuel to the fire and said, Deng Fan! You dont know how vicious she is. Not only does she treat her mother-in-law and sister-in-law badly, but she also does not even give them food. Now, she wants to get a divorce and dump her husbands family. Tell me, how vicious is such a woman! Deng Fan did not even hear what Zhou Ling said. He turned to look at Xia He coldly and asked, Is it true? Xia He did not intend to hide it from him and nodded readily. He still owes me something. Well get a divorce once he returns it to me. Deng Fan lowered his head and packed his things before leaving with a smile on his lips. He had waited for so long and this day had finally come. The person who had been in his heart for more than 10 years had finally come back. He had originally planned never to get married in this life, and he only wanted Xia He to be happy. However, now that there was a new opportunity, he must seize it well. Xia He, just give up! Deng Fan wont like someone like you. Hes not married yet. Youre already married once. How can you be worthy of him! Zhou Ling said disdainfully. The fact that Im a member of the Xia family makes me worthy. What capabilities does your Zhou family have? How dare you say such things in front of me, Xia He said with narrowed eyes. Among the three siblings of the Xia family, Xia Wen hid his real thoughts behind a treacherous smile and Xia Zhe could kill someone with one strike. However, Xia He was different. Although she hid her sting and did not seem to have any lethality, she was actually a sharp knife. As long as anyone bullied her and her family, she was fully able to stab them in the heart at any time. After all, she was trained by the devil, Xia Xiu, since she was young. How could she be bad? Id advise you to go back to bed early. You drink too much, smoke too much and stay up late. Your complexion is worse than my mothers. After saying that, Xia He started her practice. Seeing that Xia He had no intention of arguing with them, Yang Xin and Zhou Ling hurriedly ran back to the dormitory to take a look at the wrinkles on their faces. It would be a disaster if it was really as bad as what Xia He said. Early the next morning, He Ning brought Huo Gao to Qiao Meis house. Qiao Mei also made more food for breakfast as she knew that He Ning would be here today and very early too. She did not know what He Ning was made of to be so shameless. Not only did he freeload, but he even went to stay at Wang Qins house. If Auntie Dong had not secretly told her this news, she would have thought that He Ning was staying in the county city. Chapter 700 - 700 Astronomically Priced Ginseng 700 Astronomically Priced Ginseng Am I a little too early? He Ning smiled as he led Huo Gao into the courtyard. They behaved in such a familiar manner that it felt as if they were in their own house. Qiao Mei did not say anything and just walked out with a big pot of dough soup as usual. He Ning thought that it was for them and smiled as he stretched out his hands to take the pot from Qiao Mei. In the end, Qiao Mei did not even look at them. She turned sideways and went to the courtyard door to blow the whistle. Zhang Wei ran over happily and carefully brought the pot back home. He Ning awkwardly put down his raised hands and followed Qiao Mei into the house. Qiao Qiang was lying on the brick bed and listening to the radio as usual. !! His greatest hobby was to listen to news from all over the world. As long as it was news, he would listen attentively. Old Master, what youre hearing is what happened the day before yesterday. The broadcast is slow and its not accurate. If you like such things, you have to go to the capital to read the newspapers. The newspapers there have all the latest information, He Ning said. Qiao Qiang looked at He Ning disdainfully. He was just listening for fun and did not need to know any details. If you want to eat, dont just wait here. Do you really think youre the boss! Hurry up and help out, Qiao Mei said sulkily as she put down the bowls and chopsticks. He Ning gave Huo Gao a look and he got up resignedly to walk towards the kitchen. It was really not easy to earn this money. Next time, he would not serve He Ning even if he was paid double the amount. Unless he was given three times the amount. Everyone ate quietly and there was not a single sound at the dining table. In the past, Qiao Mei and Qiao Qiang would talk about matters in the village or their future plans while they ate. Ever since He Ning arrived, the atmosphere had become much more awkward. Did you manage to dig up the ginseng? He Ning asked as he put down his bowl and chopsticks. Qiao Mei took out a cloth bag from the cabinet and placed it on the table. This is the only one, but there should be two more on the mountain. It was already too late yesterday, so we didnt continue digging. Huo Gao carefully opened the cloth bag. He thought that the way the ginseng roots were handled could be considered professional. As soon as he opened it, he could clearly see the patterns on the ginseng and its size. This was definitely a top-grade ginseng. It was obvious that this ginseng was about 100 years old. The medicinal effect would definitely be 10 to 20 years better than ordinary ones! This was not something that could be bought casually off the market. It was a top-notch item that was priceless! Not bad. Name your price, He Ning said with a smile. Qiao Mei extended five fingers and He Ning heaved a sigh of relief. He said casually, 50,000 dollars? Ill give it to you now. Dont play dumb with me. I already asked you for 100,000 dollars for 20 to 30 years old ginseng. Dont you think its black-hearted to think that its 50,000 dollars for 100-year-old ginseng? I want 500,000 dollars, Qiao Mei said. An amount of 500,000 dollars! Was this woman crazy! Even if he robbed the bank, he would not be able to get 500,000 dollars. He thought that 300,000 dollars was already a very high price, but he did not expect Qiao Mei to ask for 500,000 dollars. Dont you think youre a little too much He Ning said through gritted teeth. Too much? Its fine if you dont want to buy it. I can use it to put into my grandfathers water. There are still two more on the mountain. You can dig them up yourself. But let me tell you, in the entire village, only my grandfather knows how to dig for ginseng. Even among people within a ten-mile radius, only my grandfather knows how to do it, Qiao Mei said confidently. This stumped He Ning. If he hired a professional to dig up the ginseng, not only would it be time-consuming and laborious, but the expert was also not very familiar with the mountain. If he got lost or was unfamiliar with the soil quality on the mountain, he might accidentally hurt the ginseng. It would be a waste of effort. He might as well buy Qiao Meis ginseng now. 500,000 dollars is too much. Quote me a little less, He Ning said as he clenched his fists. How about this, lets both take a step back. 400,000 dollars. If its any less, I wont sell it, Qiao Mei said. He Ning thought for a moment and nodded despite the pain in his heart. I dont have that much money now. You have to give me time to raise the money, He Ning said. Theres no hurry, theres no hurry. I dont intend to ask for it yet. You can give it to me when I return to the capital, but you have to write me an IOU. I dont need interest on it and I dont want the new money either. You know what I like. Let me have 200,000 dollars in the denominations I want and you can decide how to give me the remaining 200,000 dollars, Qiao Mei said with a smile. Chapter 701 1.28 Million This woman was a lunatic! However, there was nothing he could do. After all, he had to use money to buy his life now. There were very few 100-year-old ginsengs on the market. If he did not buy the few 100-year-old ginsengs that Qiao Mei had, he would have no other way out. If not for the fact that he had no other choice, he would not have been restrained by this woman to this extent. "Alright, I understand, but it might take some time. You also know that it''s not easy to find those denominations," He Ning said. Qiao Mei nodded indifferently. To her, it did not matter if she gave such 100-year-old ginsengs to everyone in the village for free, but she just did not want to let He Ning have it easy. If she had a place to store so much money, she would definitely ask him to exchange it for that special money. She could indeed store everything in the 40-room courtyard house, but these things were made of paper and would fade over time. Moreover, if they were left unattended for a long time, they would get damaged. If so, the value would also plummet. She could not possibly rent a bank vault just to store that money. The annual storage fees would be cumulatively higher than the total value of her money. "Write me an IOU. I''m not in a hurry to get this money. I''ll ask you for it when I return to the capital," Qiao Mei said as she took out a pen and paper and handed it to He Ning. He Ning was about to write when he paused. He also wanted the rest of the 100-year-old ginseng. "How much do you want for the remaining two 100-year-old ginsengs?" He Ning asked as he recapped the pen. Qiao Mei had not thought of the price yet, but she could not ask for those types of denominations anymore. She would just ask him for proper cash. "There are still two left. Let''s just be straightforward and settle the price quickly. 880,000 dollars. What do you think?" Qiao Mei said. "You''re not being straightforward. You sold the first one to me for 400,000 dollars, so why are you adding 80,000 dollars to these two?" He Ning said with a helpless smile. "Don''t you have to pay for manpower and storage? Besides, I''m not going to dig them out for you now. I have to wait until I go back to look for you. After all, it has already been growing for so long. Maybe it will be at its most effective by then? The medicinal effects are different at different timings. Do you really want to be calculative with me over this 80,000 dollars," Qiao Mei said. He Ning had no choice but to grit his teeth and write down the IOU of 1.28 million dollars that he owed Qiao Mei, as well as the payment timeline. If he could revitalize the family business, this 1.28 million dollars was not a big issue. It was worth it to use 1.28 million dollars to extend his lifespan by more than 30 years. "Take this ginseng and leave quickly. I don''t want to see you in this village again. You''ve brought too much trouble," Qiao Mei said. He Ning had wanted to stay in the village for a few more days, but he did not expect to have to leave so soon. It seemed that he would not be able to freeload any more meals. "Then can you cook me fish before I leave? And the chicken in the yard," He Ning said greedily. Qiao Mei had earned more than 1 million dollars in one day and she was feeling happy about it. She would treat it as the last meal she made for He Ning. Otherwise, she would not feel good about having fleeced He Ning of so much money. "Yes, but I''m not going to do any preparation work. You have to catch them yourselves," Qiao Mei said. The corners of Huo Gao''s mouth twitched. Was this a hint for him to do it? As if he could ask He Ning to do it. If that was the case, they would not be able to eat even by tomorrow night. He silently left the house and went to the yard to catch the fish and chicken. He would just endure and persevere over the next few days. Everything would be over soon. "It''s not an easy life to be your attendant," Qiao Mei said as she looked out of the window at the busy Huo Gao. "He''s a money-grubber. It''s fine. But it looks like you''re about to give birth soon. When are you going back?" He Ning said as he looked at Qiao Mei''s stomach. Qiao Qiang had been listening to the radio on the brick bed, but he immediately opened his eyes and stared intently at He Ning. His gaze was like that of an eagle at the top of a mountain. As soon as He Ning dared to move, Qiao Qiang would tear him apart. "You still concern yourself with such things. Don''t tell me you''re still targeting me?" Qiao Mei asked as she patted her stomach. "Whatever happened back then was not my intent. My family members did those things on their own. It won''t happen again. Don''t worry, I just want to know when you''re going back. I don''t suppose you intend to give birth here," He Ning said. What He Ning said was indeed what Qiao Mei was thinking. The standard of medical care in the county city was definitely not as advanced as in the capital, so she definitely had to go to the capital to give birth. Chapter 702 Good Romance Luck Li Gui gave birth to her on the horse carriage heading to the county city hospital. She gave birth to Qiao Mei before she even reached the hospital. There were not many people in the village who gave birth in the hospital. At that time, there were still no doctors in the village clinic and everyone would ask the midwives from all over the eight villages to help deliver babies. Some women could not manage to hire midwives and could only let their mothers deliver their babies. Those were mainly near-death experiences. She wanted to go to the capital to let Xia Fang deliver her children. She would feel more at ease with Xia Fang around. Factually, twins usually showed signs of being born prematurely, but she was told that there were two placentas. Xia Fang told her that she could wait until she was full term before giving birth. Therefore, her due date was around January next year. She had to go to the capital to get ready by the end of this year. Based on that, He Ning actually did not have much time to prepare the money. After dinner, He Ning did not delay any longer and went back with Huo Gao to Wang Qin''s house to pack their things. They were almost at Wang Qin''s house when Qiao Yu suddenly jumped out of the cornfield at the side and knelt in front of He Ning with a plop. "Please! Please save me!" Qiao Yu put her hands together and knelt in front of He Ning as she begged. Huo Gao was shocked by the woman in front of him, but He Ning''s expression did not change at all. He had seen too many people like this. In the past, everyone who came to ask him for help behaved like this. If he pitied everyone and helped everyone, the He family would really become a charity organization. "Who are you?" He Ning asked coldly. "I I''m Qiao Mei''s relative! I''m also the younger sister of the family you''re living with now! My name is Qiao Yu!" Qiao Yu said. When He Ning first met Qiao Mei, he had already investigated all her ancestors. This person should be the woman who was going to marry into the Guo family at that time. When he first found out about this, he thought that Qiao Zhuang was an insatiable person. He simply treated this matter as a joke. He did not expect the main character to be kneeling in front of him now. "Oh, I understand." He Ning was about to leave when Qiao Yu grabbed his trouser leg. "Take me with you! I know you''re going to the capital! I also know you''re leaving soon! I beg you to take me with you!" Qiao Yu cried. Huo Gao stood at the side as if he was watching a comedy skit. Every year, countless families would send women to He Ning''s side. If any family''s daughter became the third daughter-in-law of the He family, her family''s status in the capital would directly rise to the top. However, He Ning never liked these women and he felt disdainful to be with them. He had always used his own methods in business matters and looked down on people who used women to make marriage alliances. Huo Gao did not expect that there would still be someone chasing after He Ning even in the countryside. It was really rare. Could it be that He Ning had such good romance luck with women? "Why should I take you with me?" He Ning asked. "It''s Xia Zhe! He said that he would bring me to the capital! He even said that he would find me a job and buy me a house in the capital!" Qiao Yu said nervously. The meaning was self-evident. She was trying to say that Xia Zhe wanted to keep her as a mistress in the capital. He Ning was not interested in her at first, but now that she mentioned Xia Zhe, he did not mind helping Xia Zhe bring this "beauty" to the capital. However, he could not be seen to be involved in this matter. It had not been easy for him to gain Qiao Mei''s trust and he had even reached an agreement with her for the future. If he attacked the Xia family now, it would look too bad on him. "I won''t bring you there, but I can tell you where they are." He Ning took out a pen and paper from his pocket and wrote down the Xia family''s address for Qiao Yu. The address was also the Xia family''s main residence, which was Xia Jun''s house. "Keep this properly. It''s the Xia family''s address. When you go, just tell them who you''re looking for. Don''t say that I''m the one who told you, otherwise you know the consequences. It''s not impossible for me to send you to that old man from the Guo family next door." He Ning held the piece of paper between his index and middle fingers and dangled it in front of Qiao Yu. It was up to her to decide whether to leave or stay. Qiao Yu quickly grabbed the note, but she also realized another problem. She did not have the money to go to the capital. Ever since she did not get married, all her money had been taken away and she could not even make her way to the county city. Chapter 703 Break Your Legs "Um can you also give me some money? I don''t have any money to go to the capital" Qiao Yu said as she held on to the note with both hands. Huo Gao took out 30 dollars from his pocket and threw it on the ground. Qiao Yu quickly crawled over to pick up the money. "This amount of money is enough for you to go to the capital. When you get there, don''t mention that I''m the one who told you where the Xia family is. If the Xia family comes to look for me, you should know the consequences. I''ll wait for you 500 meters away from the village entrance tomorrow morning. I won''t wait if you''re late," He Ning said. Qiao Yu quickly nodded. She promised that she would never reveal He Ning''s name before He Ning and Huo Gao left. "You should know that this woman is not a tough nut to crack. If the Xia family grabs hold of her and scares her, won''t everything be exposed?" Huo Gao said worriedly. "It''s fine. She''s more worried about going to the Guo family to serve that old man. I believe Xia Wen won''t do anything outrageous. How can the Xia family not be able to tolerate a little girl?" He Ning said with a smile. "But Qiao Mei" Huo Gao said hesitantly. "Then there''s even less to worry about. This matter was originally between Qiao Mei and Qiao Yu. What has it got to do with us?" He Ning said casually. After returning to Wang Qin''s house, they paid for the rental today and told Wang Qin that they would leave tomorrow. Wang Qin''s expression changed immediately. She gripped the 100 dollars in her hand tightly and said, "Then shouldn''t you give me some money for tomorrow''s meal?" "You''ve only cooked twice in the past few days since we came here. Haven''t we given you enough money?" Huo Gao said wearily. Wang Qin did not dare to say anything else. She closed the door and returned to her family''s room. She angrily threw the 100 dollars to the ground. She had wanted to rely on He Ning to get rich! They had only lived here for a few days! It was not even enough money to cover the cost of the meat! Qiao Gui looked at Wang Qin in confusion. Why was she suddenly angry? "What''s wrong? Why are you angry with money?" Qiao Gui quickly picked up the money and blew the dust off it. This 100 dollars was so fragrant. Even in his dreams, he dreamed of having 100 dollars a day. His wife was so capable that she was able to trick that rich man into staying at their house and earning this money so easily. "What are you talking about! They''re leaving tomorrow! There''s no more money!" Wang Qin sat down on the brick bed angrily. She still did not know how to let Qiao Zhuang know about this. "What! Leaving! That won''t do! Our storeroom is in a mess because they wanted to bathe! They want to leave now! Won''t we have busied ourselves for nothing! It''s all your fault! If you hadn''t caused so much trouble, we wouldn''t have lost so much!" Qiao Gui stood up and pointed in the direction of the storeroom outside as he shouted at Wang Qin. At the mention of this, Wang Qin became even angrier. If not for Qiao Gui being a disappointment, she would not have to be so anxious to earn more money! If Qiao Gui had gone to the county city with her earlier to settle down, this would not have happened! Whenever there was good news, they would praise her and say that she was a great contributor. When there was bad news, they would all just push the responsibility to her. "You blame me for everything! I also get blamed for Qiao Yu not going to the Guo family! You even blame me for these people wanting to leave! Am I the sinner of your Qiao family! Back then, when I did all these, all of you agreed with me! Why is it that now that something has happened, it''s all my fault! Your family better not go too far!" Wang Qin roared back angrily. "What do you mean we all blame you! Didn''t you say that it was foolproof back then! If not for you, would my father have been criticized! You''ve embarrassed our family! Back then, you told me that you could earn 3,000 dollars in a month! Now you''ve only earned 300 dollars! You''re the one who tricked me!" Qiao Gui said. Wang Qin sat on the brick bed and cried aggrievedly. She had done all this for this family and to make their lives better. She did not expect Qiao Gui to say that about her now. I can''t live like this anymore! "If you can live like this, then you go ahead! I''ll just bring our daughter to the city myself!" Wang Qin said. When he heard that Wang Qin wanted to leave, Qiao Gui went up and gave her a slap, pressing her to the ground and saying, "How dare you leave! Let me tell you, you stupid woman, if you dare to take one step to leave Foshan Village! I''ll break your legs! Just try!" Wang Qin struggled with all her might. This was the first time Qiao Gui had hit her after they got married. She did not expect him to do it because of money. Chapter 704 - 704 Running Away 704 Running Away You hit me! How dare you hit me! Ive worked so hard in your Qiao family for so many years. Even if I dont have any achievements, I still deserve credit for my efforts! Are you sick of living anymore! Qiao Gui,do you think my entire maternal family is dead! Wang Qin shouted at Qiao Gui. Qiao Gui did not care about how many people there were in Wang Qins maternal family. He only cared about how much money he had in his pocket. In the past, Wang Qin could bring in money and make him look good, so he was very loving towards her. However, now this woman only knew how to waste the familys money and cause trouble for them. She even caused him to be reprimanded, beaten and scolded by Qiao Zhuang. He was already a grown man, but he was still beaten up by his father. All of this was caused by Wang Qin. What was wrong with him slapping her now? Qiao Zhuang had beaten up Shen Ge for his entire life, but he had never seen Shen Ge run away. When has your maternal family ever helped us! They only come for our money! Qiao Gui said. If she had known this would happen, she would not have married Qiao Gui. Back then, there were so many good families to choose from. If she had known that Qiao Gui would hit her, she would not have married him even if she had to die of poverty! Wang Qin lay on the ground and wept helplessly. She wanted to get a divorce like Li Gui, but if she got a divorce, how could she continue to survive in this village? This was especially since she had offended Auntie Dong. If Auntie Dong found out about this, she might say something behind her back that would be as unpleasant as it could get! When Qiao Gui saw Wang Qin like this, he suddenly came back to his senses. He quickly pulled Wang Qin up from the ground and checked the wounds on her body. I didnt do it on purpose Qiao Gui said softly. Wang Qin ignored him and continued to cry. She kept rattling, If you had worked hard, would I have to earn money like this! Whenever I have any money, I would have to give it to your father. We should have lived separately from him a long time ago. Why do I still have to give him my salary every month? Youre so disappointing. What right do you have to vent your anger on me? If youre so capable, go look for your father! What Wang Qin said was the truth. Qiao Gui was a person who bullied the weak and feared the strong. Qiao Zhuang was an ultra control freak. After so many years, they still had to hand their salaries to Qiao Zhuang. If he did not get married and still lived at home, and Qiao Zhuang paid for his daily living expenses, it would not be too much for him to have to give Qiao Zhuang money. However, they already had their own family for so many years and still did not have a single cent of savings. All the money was with Qiao Zhuang. You know my fathers character How would I dare to Qiao Gui said. Wang Qin could not blame anyone but herself for being unlucky enough to marry such an asshole. He Ning and Huo Gao did not pay much attention to the commotion as long as it did not disturb their rest. At dawn, they boarded the horse carriage and left the village. They had wanted to go to Qiao Meis house for breakfast, but Qiao Mei had probably thought of this as well. The door was closed early in the morning and no matter how they shouted, she did not open it. Qiao Yu had also packed her things last night. In the morning, she used the excuse of going out to pick wild vegetables and collect firewood to leave the house. In order not to be discovered, she even went into the mountains and made a detour. It was too dark last night and He Ning did not manage to see Qiao Yu clearly. He could only make out a rough outline of her figure. Big brother, Im coming! Qiao Yu quickly climbed up from behind the soil mound at the bottom of the slope. He Ning looked at her in disdain and asked, Who are you? Im Qiao Yu! Big brother, dont you recognize me? Qiao Yu scratched her head in embarrassment. The look of disdain on He Nings face became even more obvious. She was not at all good-looking and could not even be considered ordinary-looking. Not only was her face covered in freckles, but she also had big dark circles around her eyes. Due to the fact that she had not had enough to eat for a long time nor wore warm clothes, her face was thin and sunken. From afar, one would think that she was a drug addict. Alright get in, He Ning said. By the time Qiao Zhuang and the others realized that Qiao Yu had disappeared, it was already nighttime. When she went out in the morning, everyone thought that it was quite a good thing. If there was one less mouth to feed at home, the others would be able to eat more. However, when she did not come back at nighttime, it was obvious that she had run away. Did any of you see where that b*tch went? Qiao Zhuang asked as he suppressed his anger. Everyone shook their heads. Wang Qin and Qiao Gui were even more afraid and hid far away, afraid that Qiao Yus matter would implicate their family. Second son, did your guests leave today? Qiao Zhuang asked. Chapter 705 Time And Tide Wait For No Man Wang Qin and Qiao Gui pushed each other, both unwilling to answer the question. In the end, it was Wang Qin who came forward to explain the situation to Qiao Zhuang. "Father Yes, they left today. They left early in the morning. We made the arrangements for a horse carriage to send them off," Wang Qin said. This was strange. Those two men were people Qiao Mei knew in the capital. How could they be related to Qiao Yu? Everyone in this village knew that their family and Qiao Mei were irreconcilable enemies. Could it be that they would help their family? However, Qiao Mei was closest to Qiao Yu back then. This might make Qiao Mei feel sorry for Qiao Yu and help her leave this place. "Then do you know when Qiao Yu left home?" Qiao Zhuang asked his third daughter-in-law, Jiang Ye. Jiang Ye was currently the one in charge of all the miscellaneous chores at home. She had to do all the dirty and tiring work. The only benefit was that she could eat and take everything at home for free, which saved them money. "I remember she left early in the morning. At that time, all of us were not up yet. I had just gotten up to cook, but Qiao Yu left the courtyard as soon as I left my room. She was even carrying a bamboo basket on her back," Jiang Ye said truthfully. He Ning and the others had also left early in the morning, so it was very likely that Qiao Yu had followed them. Qiao Zhuang pointed at Qiao Gui and Wang Qin and said, "Go and ask Qiao Mei for an explanation. How can we let her run away for nothing? You''re the village accountant, ask the villagers if anyone has seen Qiao Yu. If we catch her, I''ll break her legs!" Qiao Gui wanted to refuse, but he did not dare to say anything after Qiao Zhuang gave him a look. After Qiao Zhuang went out, everyone in the family sighed. Only Shen Ge smiled the happiest. Qiao Yu would be free after leaving this house. No matter which family she married into in the future, it would still be better than being here. As long as she had food to eat, there would always be a way out. Wang Qin had a reluctant look on her face as she prepared to go home. If she stayed any longer, it would be too dark and she would not even be able to make her way home. "Second Sister-in-law, can you go home later. The crockery and cutlery haven''t been washed yet," Jiang Ye said as she sat on the brick bed. "This is not something that I do. What''s the use of telling me?" Wang Qin said disdainfully. It seemed that anyone could go above her and give her instructions nowadays. In the past, they were all respectful to her, but now they even wanted her to do housework. "It''s just that there are three people missing at home all of a sudden. Eldest sister-in-law has left, and both Qiao Yu and Qiao Hua are not at home. Now, I''m the only one left to clean up such a big house. Ever since the issue with Qiao Yu getting married, mother has become a little senile. If you don''t help me, then who will? We''re all the Qiao family''s daughters-in-law. You can''t be an exception," Jiang Ye said. Wang Qin ignored what Jiang Ye said and turned around to leave. She just would not do it, there was nothing they could do to her. As long as she was still the village accountant, this family had to treat her well. She was the one who earned the reputation and the money! None of them could look down on her! It was rare for Qiao Mei to have time to lie back on the rocking chair to rest. The evening breeze today felt especially gentle. Her stomach was getting much bigger than before. Speaking of which, it was strange that while other women had morning sickness when they were pregnant, she did not feel anything and had an exceptionally good appetite. At this stage of pregnancy, others were starting to favor one type of food, but she could still eat everything. The older generation often said that for pregnant women, a taste for sour food meant having a boy while a taste for spicy food meant having a girl. Qiao Mei ate everything, whether sour, sweet, bitter or spicy. If she did not know that she was pregnant with twins, people might think that she was having a weird child! "Mei Mei, take a look at the hawthorns in the courtyard. Do you want to eat some?" Qiao Qiang asked as he pointed at the fruits on the tree. "Grandfather, I don''t want to eat anything sour. I''ve eaten so much over the past two days that my stomach feels sour. I have two babies here and I''m not particularly craving for anything. I might be having one boy and one girl!" Qiao Mei said with a smile. It did seem that what Qiao Mei said made sense. Qiao Qiang smiled even more happily. In the past, he did not like children and always felt that they were noisy. He used to like peace and quiet, but now that he was old, he was happy to have children surrounding him. He did not expect to become a great-grandfather in the blink of an eye. Time and tide really waited for no man. It was like yesterday when young Qiao Mei stood in front of him. Now, she was about to become a mother. Chapter 706 Finding The Xia Family Upon arrival at the county city, He Ning had other things to do. He did not intend to take the same train as Qiao Yu at all, as he found her to be an eyesore. He knew that what Qiao Yu had told him were all lies. How could Xia Zhe like such an ugly woman? Everyone said that he had a special fetish. Xia Zhe would definitely not fancy a woman as skinny as Qiao Yu. However, as long as Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe got a divorce, it did not matter what the reason was. It was a good thing if this stupid woman took over Qiao Mei''s position. In any case, they were relatives. If the marriage was repayment for Qiao Qiang saving Xia Jun''s life back then, Xia Zhe could marry anyone from the Qiao family. This way, Xia Zhe could repay the favor, and He Ning could hire a good cook. This would be a win-win situation! "I''m leaving you here. When you get to the capital, you can look for what you want yourself. I''ll get someone to give you a certificate later. Remember, no matter what happens, you can''t say that I''m the one who asked you to go. Otherwise, you know the consequences," He Ning instructed again. Qiao Yu quickly nodded and left with the train ticket that Huo Gao bought. This was her first time taking the train and she was curious about everything. The seat looked strange, and so did the small table and the scenery outside the window. As the train passed through the cave, the loud bangs she heard were so novel and she was so excited that she wanted to scream. The outside world was so wonderful. It was so much better than the small mountain village. If she could find Xia Zhe''s house, she would not have to worry about the rest of her life. Qiao Yu had hypnotized herself for a long time. Even though Xia Zhe had barely spoken to her and did not even look her in the eye once, Qiao Yu felt that Xia Zhe cared about her. Otherwise, he would not have spoken to her at all. Back then, he had said that he would bring her away from the village. Later on, he left her at the armed forces department because of an urgent matter. These were not proof that Xia Zhe had abandoned her. It was just that Xia Zhe was too busy. Qiao Yu tightly gripped the piece of paper with the Xia family''s address written on it, afraid that she would never be able to find it again if she lost it. The moment she disembarked, she was deeply attracted by the scenes of prosperity in front of her. She did not expect the capital to be so prosperous. Everyone was dressed in nice clean clothes. Her clothes were torn and there was even a hole in her shoes. Feeling in a sorry state, Qiao Yu used the bamboo basket to try and cover her tattered clothes. She quickly ran to one side and worked out how to travel around. After asking for directions and feeling her way around, she finally arrived at the military compound. The high-rise buildings here were even more imposing than those in the county city. They all looked like they were inlaid with gold. She did not know what a villa was or what design meant. She only knew that this place looked very luxurious. It would be great if she could live here. They were both from Foshan Village, so why should Qiao Mei be allowed to live here while she could not? "You! Who are you!" the guard shouted at Qiao Yu while holding a gun. Qiao Yu trembled as she took out the note with the address and the certificate that someone had passed to her on the way. If not for the fact that He Ning was too cold and did not look like someone to be trifled with, she would have preferred to leave with him. The stamp on the certificate was real. The guard sized her up again. He had never seen such a relative from the Xia family. The backgrounds of the people living in this military compound had been thoroughly investigated and there was nothing that they did not know. "Who are you to the Xia family?" the guard asked. "I''m Xia Zhe''s wife''s youngest aunt. My name is Qiao Yu," Qiao Yu told him honestly. The guard looked at her suspiciously. There were not many families living in the military compound, and the guards all had an especially good impression of Qiao Mei. The Xia family also treated them well and would even send them dumplings during the new year and festive season. Qiao Mei had also made them a lot of delicious food previously. How could such a beautiful person have such an ugly relative? It was impossible to tell that they were related. "Um I''ll go and call them. Wait here." After saying that, the guard went to the phone booth to call the Xia family. It was the weekend and it was a rare time when most of the family members were around. Every weekend, when they had time, they would come to Xia Jun''s place for a visit. Even if the old master was not at home, they would still come back. It could also be considered their way of adding some liveliness to the house. Usually, it was only the women who came back. The men were usually busy with their own business outside. Xia Wen did not have class today, so he brought Tan Jing back with him. Xia He, Xu Lan and Liu Fen were all there. Xia Fang was not there because she needed to be the chief surgeon for a surgery in the hospital. Chapter 707 New Creation The entire family sat in front of the sofa and helped with the knitting. They had thrown away all the things they bought for Qiao Mei earlier and now they had to prepare everything from scratch. Xu Lan did not find it troublesome and was even happy about it. Liu Fen and Tan Jing still did not know about the truth of the matter and only went along with it to make Xu Lan happy. "I bought all the best yarn! The children will definitely feel warm wearing them. I even asked someone to buy a lot of pure cotton fabric and found the best tailor in the capital to make clothes for them. There will be enough clothes to last them until they''re one year old!" Xu Lan said happily. "Mother, this is too much. Back then, I used to wear my eldest brother''s clothes. Why are all these brand new?" Xia He said out of jealousy as she held the child''s clothes. "How can you be unhappy when you''re the aunt. Consider our family''s situation back then, then look at us now. Now we can afford it. Say, you don''t know how to knit or sew clothes, yet you''re still being so picky here." Xu Lan grabbed the clothes from Xia He''s hands in disdain. Xia He knew that Xia Wen had told Xu Lan that Qiao Mei''s children were safe and sound. Initially, she thought that it was a good thing, but now it seemed that Xu Lan''s efforts were getting a little too out of hand. "You can still get these things done in time when the time comes. First you renovate, then you make clothes. How much money have you spent?" Xia He asked. Xu Lan had not tabulated it yet. She did a rough estimate and said, "The renovation works cost more than 2,000 dollars, and these clothes cost more than 1,000 dollars. I also found a local master to make a lot of furniture! Those are all good stuff made of solid wood and I haven''t paid yet. All in all, it should be about 4,000 dollars." Tan Jing paused her knitting. The amount of 4,000 dollars was not a small sum. Xu Lan did not seem to feel any heartache at all and even felt that these things were far from enough. This was even more luxurious than when Qiao Mei married into the family. Tan Jing also did not even get such treatment when she married into the family. Xia Wen also chimed in, "Do you think this is all Mother wants? She even asks me to find 100 families who have both a son and a daughter, and to ask them for a piece of cloth each to make a patchwork quilt for Qiao Mei! Moreover, these people must be from families with good backgrounds and have good moral standing." The so-called patchwork quilt was a quilt sewed with cloth from a hundred families. It was actually not difficult to make, but it was very difficult to find people with both a son and a daughter. There were not many people in the city now and everyone was worried that they would not be able to support so many children. The reason why there were so many children in the countryside was because every child would be allocated land as well. Whoever had a bigger family would get more land, and naturally be better off than people with a smaller family. However, it was not that easy to find people with both a son and a daughter in the city, let alone someone with a good family background and a good character. "Aren''t you just making things difficult for my eldest brother? Where can he find them all?" Xia He complained. "Nothing is unachievable in this world! Your brother has so many students in his school. Can''t he even gather 100 people?" Xu Lan said. The fact was that Xia Wen had really succeeded in doing this task. He took out the 100 pieces of cloth from his bag and said, "Sigh, how can we not do what our mother asked us to do?" Tan Jing and Xia Wen were working in the same school, but she did not hear anything about such an ostentatious thing that Xia Wen did. It seemed that the family had hidden this issue from her. "I also made a few sets of maternity clothes for Qiao Mei and a cotton jacket suitable for a pregnant woman. Xiao Wen, send them to your sister-in-law when you leave later. Otherwise, it''s too inconvenient for me to bring them home," Xu Lan instructed. Xia Wen agreed with a smile. Suddenly, the phone rang. Xia Wen walked over and picked it up. "Hello? Who is this?" "Hello, there''s someone at the gate who says that she''s a relative of yours. She says that she''s Qiao Mei''s youngest aunt," the guard said. For a moment, Xia Wen did not know where this Qiao Mei''s youngest aunt came from, but since she was already here, he had to take a look. He gave a simple reply and hung up. "What''s wrong? Why do you look so serious?" Xia He looked at Xia Wen in confusion. "Qiao Mei''s youngest aunt is here. Does she have a youngest aunt? Why don''t I remember such a person," Xia Wen said thoughtfully. They had already found out everything about everyone in Qiao Mei''s family much earlier. There was no mention of a youngest aunt. Even if there was, why would she come to their house? "Let''s go take a look first. I''ll go with you." Xia He held on to Xia Wen and left with him. She was curious about what this youngest aunt looked like as she had never heard Qiao Mei mention this person before. Chapter 708 Skeleton Xia Wen and Xia He slowly walked out of the military compound. Qiao Yu took a fancy to Xia Wen at a glance. This gentlemanly young master was really good-looking. He was even better looking than Xia Zhe. Xia Zhe had the tough appearance of a soldier and a very cold temper. The handsome man in front of her was different. He had a softer face, curved lips and very nice eyes. "Hello, comrade. This is the person who is looking for you." The guard brought Qiao Yu to Xia Wen and Xia He. Qiao Yu did not say anything and just looked at Xia Wen in a daze, almost drooling. Xia He looked at Qiao Yu in disdain. She thought that Qiao Mei''s relatives would be beauties as well. This was really surprising. No one would disagree if she said that this was a walking skeleton. "Hey, hey, hey! If you keep staring, your eyeballs will pop out!" Xia He said impatiently. Xia Wen also felt disdainful of this person who called herself Qiao Mei''s youngest aunt, but it was his habit not to express his thoughts. "What... what''s your name? Where are you from? What''s your relationship with Qiao Mei?" Xia Wen asked warily. Qiao Yu did not panic at all and answered honestly. Xia Wen went to the guard office to sign off and then brought Qiao Yu back to the Xia family residence. After all, it would arouse suspicion if they kept standing outside. The matter between them and the He family had not ended yet, so it would not be good if the He family found something to use against them. "Eldest brother... are we really going to bring her back? Mother and the others are all in the house. It doesn''t seem appropriate," Xia He said worriedly. What if this person was another one coming here to slander Qiao Mei? They had not forgotten what happened with Wang Yong and the old widow back then. Now a so-called youngest aunt has come along and she wanted to be careful. "It''s fine. She''s so skinny, it''s not as if she can assassinate someone. She''s probably just here to cause trouble. We can just send her away after asking everything clearly," Xia Wen said. He thought that this was a good thing. It would be a good opportunity to see Xu Lan''s attitude towards this woman. Back then, Xu Lan hated Qiao Mei very much over the matter with Wang Yong. He was curious about how Xu Lan would react now. He was bringing this person back to the Xia family residence purely to satisfy his own curiosity. "Mother, we''re back," Xia Wen shouted as he entered the house. Qiao Yu tiptoed in behind Xia Wen. When Xia Wen entered the house, she still held on to the corner of his shirt and refused to let go. Xia He glared at Qiao Yu, but it was useless. Tan Jing stood up in anger when she saw that. She had just sent Qiao Mei away, so why was there a woman pestering Xia Wen now? Could it be that this woman was sent by Qiao Mei to seduce Xia Wen! Qiao Yu looked around. The things in this house looked much more valuable than anything outside. She did not expect Qiao Mei to live in such a place. "Is this the woman they mentioned on the phone?" Xu Lan put away the yarn in her hand and looked at Qiao Yu with a solemn expression, looking very much like a matriarch. Xia Wen quietly shook off Qiao Yu''s hand that was holding the corner of his shirt. Everyone sat on the sofa in the living room, leaving Qiao Yu standing alone in the middle, waiting for everyone to interrogate her. "Where are you from? How old are you? What does your family do? How many people are there in your family? Who do you live with? What''s your relationship with Qiao Mei? Are you married? What do you do?" Xu Lan asked sternly. Xia He looked at Xu Lan in surprise. She did not expect Xu Lan to know how to ask such things. Her tone and attitude were comparable to that of her eldest aunt, Xia Xiu. They seemed to have underestimated Xu Lan. Xia Wen was not surprised at all. Back then when Xia Mao traveled around, Xu Lan followed him as a military spouse. Xu Lan knew how to handle such things. Qiao Yu was so nervous that her legs kept trembling, but she was not an imposter and could answer all these questions. Seeing that Qiao Yu did not falter on anything, Xu Lan''s expression darkened even more. By right, a sensible child like Qiao Mei would not ask her relatives to come and seek refuge with their family. It was not as if Qiao Mei did not know about their family''s unique situation. Not everyone could enter through their door. Could it be that Qiao Mei had something urgent to do? However, she did not receive any calls from Qiao Mei these few days. Even the letter Qiao Mei sent not long ago did not mention that she was in any difficulties. "What are you here for?" Xu Lan asked. Qiao Yu knelt on the ground with a plop and tears streamed down her face uncontrollably. She said aggrievedly, "Xia Zhe told me to come and look for you..." Chapter 709 Confirmation About The Special Fetish As soon as Qiao Yu said this, Xu Lan immediately stood up. Xia He was also shocked. Qiao Yu''s expression and demeanor looked as if Xia Zhe had taken advantage of her. Xia Zhe was not that kind of person. Xu Lan knew her son best. This woman in front of her must be lying. Xia Wen just sat where he was and did not even look up. Xia Zhe did not like women who had no chest and no butt. Xia Zhe liked women who were fat. Xia Zhe would not even look at such a shriveled figure. It seemed that news of Xia Zhe''s special fetish had already spread among the social circle in the capital. Not only did his biological brother think so, but even the He family, his uncle Qin Dong and Chen Hu from the county city also felt the same way. This misunderstanding could never be cleared up. "Tell me clearly why my son asked you to look for us." Xu Lan pretended to be calm and sat back in her original seat. "My family wanted to marry me to someone older than my father. Their family had offered a lot of betrothal gifts, so my father sold me off. I didn''t want to live like this for the rest of my life, so I ran away. It was Xia Zhe who told me to come to the capital to look for you," Qiao Yu said. Xu Lan did not believe what Qiao Yu said at all. Even if she was really Qiao Mei''s youngest aunt, they could not just believe what she said. Now that Xia Zhe was back in the army, it was not convenient for him to answer the phone, so they could only call Qiao Mei to check on it. "Xiao Wen, go and call your sister-in-law and ask her if that''s true," Xu Lan said. Qiao Yu hurriedly went to stop Xia Wen and cried, "No! You can''t make a call to Qiao Mei!" If Qiao Mei found out that she was at the Xia family residence, Qiao Zhuang and the others would definitely come looking for her. Qiao Mei would not let her off so easily as well. Qiao Mei must not know about this at all. "Why can''t we make a call to Qiao Mei?" Xu Lan asked. Qiao Yu stammered and could not give an answer. Xia He realized that Qiao Yu might spill the beans that Qiao Mei''s babies were still around, so she went up and slapped Qiao Yu without any explanation. "I don''t believe that my younger brother would say such things to you. You''d better watch your mouth. I''ll send you back right away. Aren''t you just afraid that your father will make you marry into that family? I''ll get someone to tell your father that it''s illegal to do this and your father won''t dare to do it anymore," Xia He said. They were really from the same family. Xia He had the same thoughts as Xia Zhe. It was just that no one in their small mountain village would treat this matter as a crime. Everyone was already numb to such things. "I beg you! Give me a way out! Please save me! Don''t send me back! Please!" Qiao Yu knelt on the ground in agony. The shrill voice gave Xu Lan a headache. Liu Fen shouted at Qiao Yu, "Shut up! It''s so noisy!" Although Tan Jing frowned, she was actually in a good mood. Qiao Mei was unlucky enough to have such a relative. If this woman really had some kind of relationship with Xia Zhe, she would help this woman and push Qiao Mei out of the picture. This way, her position in the Xia family would be even more stable. If Xia Wen had the chance to take over Xia Mao''s position, she would be the mistress of the Xia family and no one would look down on her in the future. "How about this, I''ll bring you to the guest house outside. You can stay there for a while and we''ll look for you after we investigate the matter," Xia Wen said gently. ? Qiao Yu quickly nodded in agreement with Xia Wen''s suggestion. This man was still the best. He even spoke so gently. There was also a different kind of emotion in the way she looked at Xia Wen. Tan Jing stared at Qiao Yu and did not say anything. She had already made up her mind. Xia He volunteered to arrange for Qiao Yu''s accommodation. She brought Qiao Yu to the guest house that was very far from their house, and it was not a cheap place. Of course, Qiao Yu would have to pay for it herself. The Xia family would not fork out a single cent. "You can stay here. I''d advise you to spend less money. If you eat steamed buns every day, you can still stay here for three to four days." After saying that, Xia He prepared to leave. Qiao Yu said fearfully, "How how can I contact you?" She had already handed the note with the Xia family''s address to the guard. She did not take note of the location. If she was left alone here, she would never be able to find the Xia family residence again. Chapter 710 Phone Call From The Capital "You don''t have to be anxious. We''ll come and look for you when we''re done with the investigation." With that, Xia He left the guest house. Xia Wen and the others did not stay idle at home and he quickly made a phone call to Qiao Mei. Of course, they had to communicate with Qiao Mei about such matters. They could not simply believe everything an outsider said. However, he was still very satisfied with Xu Lan''s behavior just now. She did not directly suspect Qiao Mei like what she did in the past. Instead, she chose to trust Qiao Mei. The two of them had completely reconciled their relationship. "Hello, this is Foshan Village. Who are you looking for?" Zhao Liang asked when he picked up the phone. "Hello, I''m from the capital. My name is Xia Wen and I''m the eldest brother of Qiao Mei''s husband. I''m looking for Qiao Mei due to some family matters. I wonder if it''s convenient to get her to answer the call?" Xia Wen asked politely. "Yes! Yes! Wait a moment while I take down your number. I''ll get her to call you back later," Zhao Liang said warmly. There were many mountain forests behind their village. Every year, many people would call him and arrogantly order him to patrol the forests. Some people even scolded him for not managing the situation well. None of the people who called him had such a good attitude like Xia Wen. No wonder Xia Zhe was so calm and polite. This was all because of his good family upbringing. Zhao Liang rode his three-wheeled vehicle and went to Qiao Mei''s house again. "Qiao Mei! There''s a call for you from the capital!" Zhao Liang stood at the door and shouted. Qiao Mei hurriedly ran out of the house. Usually, it was Xia Zhe who would call her from the army unit and Zhao Liang knew him as well. Why would there be a call from the capital? Could it be that something had happened to someone at home! "Uncle Zhao, what''s wrong! What happened!" Qiao Mei asked as she held Zhao Liang''s arm anxiously. That grip almost broke Zhao Liang''s arm. If Zhao Liang had not shouted out in time, Qiao Mei would probably have broken his arm. "Be gentle, be gentle! Ouch! Nothing happened at home, but something has happened to your Uncle Zhao," Zhao Liang said as he rubbed his arm in pain. Seeing that Zhao Liang could still joke around, it should not be anything urgent. Qiao Mei sat in the back of the vehicle and followed Zhao Liang back to the village office to call Xia Wen. "Hello, eldest brother, what''s wrong?" Qiao Mei asked. "Someone came to our house. I want to ask if you know anything about this," Xia Wen said softly. The phone in the village was the oldest type. Even when the phone was placed on the table, the entire room could hear everything coming from the speaker. Wang Qin was working at one side just now and she immediately put down her work when she heard that someone had gone to Qiao Mei''s house in the capital. She guessed that the person was Qiao Yu! "Who is it? Is Third Aunt-in-law back?" Qiao Mei asked. Back then, Zhou Hua had run away with the money and there was still no trace of it at all. She refused to speak about it no matter what and it was useless even when Xia Guang came back. Xia Guang''s profession was quite special and he could not stay at home for too long. Before he could find out where Zhou Hua had hidden the money, he had to leave. After all, if he lost his job, he would not be able to pay back the money on her behalf. "No. Is it convenient for you to speak? Will someone else hear us?" Xia Wen asked warily. Qiao Mei was about to say that there was no one around when she turned around and saw Wang Qin craning her neck to eavesdrop. "Wait a moment, I''ll get them all to leave," Qiao Mei whispered. She pulled Zhao Liang aside and told him that her conversation with Xia Wen was something confidential. It was a government matter and it was not convenient for him and Wang Qin to be in the room, so she wanted him to bring Wang Qin out for a while. No matter what Xia Wen told her later, she could just make up a story. Zhao Liang also understood what Qiao Mei meant. Without another word, he brought Wang Qin to stand outside the door in the courtyard. Only then did Qiao Mei feel at ease to pick up the phone and said, "Eldest brother, there''s no one else in the room now. What exactly do you want to tell me that''s so mysterious." "Is there someone called Qiao Yu in your village? She''s here with us now," Xia Wen said. "Yes there is. I didn''t expect her to go to your place. She''s been gone for a day and a half and her family even came to question me," Qiao Mei said calmly. Xia Wen told her everything that Qiao Yu had told them, including the part where she slandered Xia Zhe. Xia Wen even told Qiao Mei not to think too much about it. This matter must have been made up by Qiao Yu as Xia Zhe would not be so muddle-headed. Chapter 711 Wanting To Rebuild The House Qiao Mei was not angry at all. She even found Qiao Yu very interesting. This girl always looked so gentle and weak, but she actually dared to go to the capital alone to look for someone. ? This was definitely not something she could do on her own. Qiao Mei knew very well how much money Qiao Zhuang''s family had. If Qiao Yu wanted to go to the capital, she would need at least 20 dollars. Qiao Zhuang valued money as much as his life. It would be impossible for him to give Qiao Yu a single cent, so the expenses for Qiao Yu''s trip to the capital must have been paid by someone else. It appeared that the money must have come from He Ning. After all, they had all left at the same time and he was the most suspicious person. "I know about this. As soon as Xia Zhe arrived at the army unit, he called me to explain everything. I know the whole story." Qiao Mei told Xia Wen about how Xia Zhe sent Qiao Yu to Chen Hu and how Chen Hu dealt with Qiao Yu. When Xia Wen heard this, he slammed the table angrily, causing the vase on the table to fall to the ground. Xu Lan and the others were shocked and looked in his direction. "It''s really too much. I''ll think of a way to get rid of her now. You don''t have to worry about it," Xia Wen said. "No, just leave her in the capital for now and perhaps get her a job sweeping the streets. Someone else must have arranged for her to go to the capital, it doesn''t seem like something she can do on her own. Don''t force her into a corner. If she comes back, she''s dead for sure," Qiao Mei said softly. She was not afraid of how sinister and cunning a person could be. Even a vicious person like He Ning would have a weakness. However, once a person was forced into a desperate situation, that person would want to perish together with everyone. When one was not even afraid of dying, what would one be afraid of? What if Qiao Yu had a hard time upon returning and decided to harm Qiao Mei and her children? It was safer to leave her in the capital. There was no urgency to punish her. "I understand. I''ll make the arrangements. How are you now? How''s your health?" After Xia Wen clarified everything, he started to engage in casual chit chat. Qiao Mei understood that Xia Wen was referring to her and her children when he talked about health. She smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern, eldest brother. I''m doing quite well now. I have everything I need at home and I''m in good health." "We''ve all received your things and everyone likes them very much. Recently, Mother has prepared some things for you and we''re preparing to send them to you within the next two days," Xia Wen said. Xu Lan quietly walked to Xia Wen''s side and leaned close to the phone to secretly listen to Qiao Mei''s voice. She did not dare to talk to Qiao Mei directly and could only use this method to get news about Qiao Mei. Xia Wen smiled when he saw the cautious Xu Lan and handed the phone receiver to her. Xu Lan held on to it in a state of panic and did not dare to say a word. "Hello? Eldest brother? Are you still there? Hello?" Qiao Mei looked at the phone line on the wall. This phone line was newly installed last year, so how could the signal be so bad? Xia Wen whispered to Xu Lan, "If you don''t speak, Qiao Mei is going to hang up" "Hello! Mei Mei! I''m your mother-in-law" Xu Lan said embarrassedly. "Mother! I received the things you sent me and the clothes are very warm. I also received that bangle. It''s especially beautiful and I like it very much. Thank you, Mother. How have you been recently? Are you eating well? I left in a hurry back then and didn''t manage to have a proper conversation with you," Qiao Mei said smilingly. "I''m glad that you like it. At that time, I saw it on sale and thought that you might like it. I''m glad that you don''t dislike it. I''m in good health now, so don''t worry. What about you? How are you? Tell me if you lack anything. I''ll buy it for you and send it over," Xu Lan said with heartache. The more she spoke, the more sad she felt. She was worried that Qiao Mei would starve or freeze there, and worried that the environment there would not allow Qiao Mei to recuperate well. She even set aside a sum of money for Qiao Mei to rebuild the house there if she still wanted to go back. She wanted Qiao Mei to live comfortably. "Mother, you''ve already bought me enough things. I can''t wear all the clothes even if I wear a new piece every day! You have to take good care of yourself, understand?" Qiao Mei instructed. "Yes, yes, yes! I understand!" Xu Lan said happily. Xia Wen looked tenderly at Xu Lan who was on the phone. Tan Jing found the scene very jarring. These were clearly her husband and mother-in-law, but they were now having a phone call with another woman enthusiastically. She was indignant as to why Qiao Mei received such preferential treatment. Xia Wen clearly loved her the most back then, but now she often saw Xia Wen secretly giggling as he fiddled with the children''s things. It was as if everyone was reminding her that she was not as good as Qiao Mei and that she was a woman who could not give birth. Chapter 712 A Harmonious Family Cultivates Prosperity After chatting for a while, Qiao Mei and Xu Lan hung up the phone. The two of them even agreed to write each other a letter every month from now on. Xia Wen helped Xu Lan back to the sofa to sit down. Qiao Mei''s call seemed to make her feel reassured. As long as she knew that Qiao Mei was fine, nothing else mattered. "Xiao Wen, remember to handle that woman well. Don''t let her cause trouble everywhere, understand?" Xu Lan said sternly. The most important thing now was to make Qiao Mei happy every day. She believed that this matter had nothing to do with her son and she knew that Qiao Mei did not believe it either. As long as this woman did not cause trouble, they would be fine. "Why does he have to handle this? This is all Xia Zhe''s own fault. Why does his eldest brother need to handle it?" Tan Jing complained softly out of dissatisfaction. Xu Lan looked over. She had never really paid attention to this daughter-in-law of hers and did not expect her to be such a sharp-tongued person. "Don''t tell me you think what that woman said is true?" Xu Lan said while suppressing her anger. Tan Jing could not tell what Xu Lan was thinking and wanted to say more. Xia Wen quickly stopped Tan Jing and said, "Don''t worry, Mother. I''ll definitely make proper arrangements for this matter. There won''t be any issues." Xu Lan nodded in satisfaction and continued to knit for her eldest grandchildren. Although Tan Jing felt resentful, she could not go against Xu Lan openly. She could only turn all her resentment into motivation and knit with more strength than usual. The price for this was paid quickly. Tan Jing accidentally pierced her hand with the knitting needle and bright red blood soon stained the snow-white sweater. "Are you alright!" Xia Wen looked at Tan Jing nervously. Liu Fen said disdainfully, "You, how can you get injured when knitting? It''s such a pity that such nice clothes are stained with blood." Xu Lan did not even look at it. She threw the bloodstained white sweater into the trash can and focused on the small piece of clothing in her hand. "Mother Sister-in-law knitted this You shouldn''t have thrown it into the trash can" Xia He reminded Xu Lan softly, feeling indignant for Tan Jing. Although what Tan Jing said just now had hurt the harmony between the brothers, not only did Xu Lan not care about Tan Jing when she got injured, but Xu Lan even threw away the things she had painstakingly knitted in front of her. It was more or less unjustifiable. "How can it be worn if it''s stained with blood? It''s so inauspicious. If you have the ability, quickly help me with the knitting and stop gossiping!" Xu Lan said unhappily. She just did not like this eldest daughter-in-law of hers. Tan Jing had married into the family for more than 10 years and she never got pregnant. The neighbors all had grandchildren over the years. Even Liu Fen''s eldest daughter Xia Yin, who got married later than Xia Wen, had a seven-year-old child. When her son joined the army, he had already done all-round physical examinations. Back then, because she wanted Xia Wen to have a child, and she was afraid that she would wrongly accuse Tan Jing, she specially asked Xia Wen to do another checkup in secret. Even after all this, she had never insisted that it was Tan Jing''s fault. At the moment, not only was Tan Jing not self-reflecting on why she could not give birth, but she was also slandering Xia Zhe and sowing discord between the two brothers. She could be useless in the Xia family and not achieve anything in her life, but she must not do anything to separate the two brothers. This was also a rule set by Xia Jun for the sake of family harmony. A harmonious family would cultivate prosperity. Xia He stood at the side helplessly and shut her mouth. She did not know how to do anything and could not persuade Xu Lan. It was better not to speak. "Mother, I don''t think Tan Jing is feeling too well today, so I''m going to go home with her," Xia Wen said respectfully. "Don''t forget what I reminded you just now. Remember to make arrangements and don''t let anything happen," Xu Lan instructed worriedly. Xia Wen noted it and left the Xia family house with Tan Jing. Along the way, Xia Wen drove while Tan Jing sat in the front passenger seat and did not say anything. She just looked out of the window and cried silently. Her heart was filled with resentment. She did not understand why the two people who were so in love back then could not say anything to each other now. She did not understand why she was so determined to marry Xia Wen back then. Was it really a wrong decision? In the beginning, she was also like Xia He, a girl who liked to smile and had a cheerful personality. Why was she becoming more and more sarcastic now? Was this all her fault? Chapter 713 Eavesdropping Outside The Window Xia Wen could not bear to see her like this and said patiently, "Don''t take it to heart. Mother didn''t do it on purpose. She''s just more sensitive nowadays. You know my younger brother''s character. He won''t do such a thing. What you said today was indeed too much." "I''m too much? Even you say that about me! I''m doing this for your own good! Your sister has a conflict with her in-laws and is clamoring for a divorce, but it''s you, the eldest brother who has to deal with it. You have to deal with your brother''s shady relationship with a woman outside, and you have to handle everything in the family! Will this family die without you!" Tan Jing roared angrily. Xia Wen remained silent. He was driving now and it was not good for him to be distracted. They would have a good talk when they got home. On Qiao Mei''s end, as soon as she chased Zhao Liang and Wang Qin out, Wang Qin tried her best to eavesdrop. However, Zhao Liang was so guarded that she could not hear anything clearly. "Brother Zhao, I''m going to the toilet," Wang Qin said as she pointed at the toilet. Zhao Liang looked at Wang Qin suspiciously. He clearly remembered that Wang Qin had just gone to the toilet not long ago. Why did she have to go to the toilet again? Could it be that she had eaten something bad? "Alright then, hurry up and go," Zhao Liang said. Wang Qin hurriedly ran to the toilet. After leaving Zhao Liang''s field of vision, she started to walk along the wall to the window beside Qiao Mei. Although the window was not open, she could more or less hear what was being said in the room. After hearing most of it, she realized that someone had gone to Qiao Mei''s in-laws'' place in the capital. Moreover, this person was related to their village. The only people who had left the village recently were the two guests from her house and Qiao Yu. It seemed that Qiao Yu had really found a good place to go. Could it be that she really had some kind of relationship with Xia Zhe? Otherwise, why would those two people bring her to Xia Zhe''s house? Without another word, Wang Qin quickly ran home. As long as Qiao Yu was back, she would not have to do chores at home. This morning, Qiao Zhuang had asked her and Qiao Gui to go home and even said that she had to go home every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday to do the chores at home. Qiao Zhuang was even raising a pig at home. Of course, he did not buy this pig, but snatched it from Wang Wu. According to Wang Wu, this pig was no longer as fat as it was at his house. It was so skinny that it did not have any flesh left. "Father! I know where Qiao Yu went! Father! I know!" Wang Qin rushed into the house excitedly, one of her shoes missing. "Why are you so flustered!" Qiao Zhuang said disdainfully. "Father, I know where Qiao Yu went. She went to the capital and is now at Qiao Mei''s in-laws'' house!" Wang Qin said as she sat on the brick bed. Qiao Zhuang did not believe what Wang Qin said at all. She was simply out of her mind. Qiao Mei hated their family so much, how could she still let Qiao Yu go to her in-laws'' house? Was she not afraid that her in-laws would find trouble with her? "Don''t spout nonsense here. Quickly go back to work," Qiao Zhuang said as he waved his hand. Wang Qin anxiously leaned forward and snatched Qiao Zhuang''s pipe away. "I''m telling the truth! I heard it with my own ears! Qiao Yu is really in the capital! The people in the capital have already called Qiao Mei, how can it be fake!" Qiao Zhuang was skeptical. Putting aside how Qiao Yu got there, she was illiterate and had never left the house. How could she make her way to Qiao Mei''s in-laws'' house? ? "Are you sure that Qiao Yu is in the capital? If this is true, we''ll go and ask Qiao Mei for an explanation! Back then, when Qiao Yu wanted to marry into the Guo family, she was the one who caused trouble. Now that she has let Qiao Yu go, she''s openly going against me! I''m already so old, yet I can still be bullied by a junior!" Qiao Zhuang shouted angrily. The student had really surpassed the master. Qiao Mei was now exactly the same as the Qiao Qiang who bullied him back then, or maybe even more high-handed. "Father! Quick, go and ask! If we delay any longer, Qiao Mei and the others will hide Qiao Yu. At that time, even if the immortals come, we won''t be able to find Qiao Yu," Wang Qin said pitifully. Those who did not know better would really think that she was the sister-in-law who doted on her sister-in-law. Qiao Zhuang weighed the issue carefully and asked, "How much does it cost to go to the capital?" "About 50 dollars. I''m not too sure either," Wang Qin said after being stunned for a moment. She had never gone out before and had never even taken the train, so how could she know the prices of goods outside? However, she knew that it must not be cheap. Chapter 714 Thinking Straight For A Change "Then forget it. There''s no need to look for her anymore. It''s such a waste to use 50 dollars to look for that little b*tch! 50 dollars is enough to buy a lot of vegetables and meat. Even if we sell this little b*tch, she won''t even be worth 50 dollars. If she likes to go out so much, then she''d better not come back. Don''t come back for the rest of her life!" Qiao Zhuang said. "No! Since Qiao Mei is the one who did this, we have to make her pay a price! We can''t let her off just like that!" Wang Qin said anxiously. Now, as long as there was any issue related to Qiao Mei, she had to grasp it. As long as she could make Qiao Mei pay the price, she wanted to do it no matter how big or small it was. However, Qiao Zhuang did not think so. Some time ago, Qiao Yu''s marriage had already caused an uproar in the village and Qiao Mei had even asked the armed forces department to find trouble with him. If he still went to look for Qiao Mei because of Qiao Yu, it would only put them in an even more passive position. Everyone already felt that Qiao Mei was right in this matter. Now, if they said that Qiao Yu had gone missing and pushed the blame to Qiao Mei, the villagers would not buy it. They would all say that their family was abusing Qiao Yu and no one would believe them. They would inevitably hold another open meeting to criticize him. He could not afford to be so embarrassed again! It was rare that Qiao Zhuang was thinking straight enough to consider so many things. "Who are you to care! This matter is over! If not, why don''t you give me 100 dollars! Your mother and I will go to the capital to look for her. Otherwise, you can shut up and stay at home obediently! Isn''t it enough for me to be scolded in the village because of what you did! Save me the trouble!" Qiao Zhuang said as he pointed at Wang Qin. Wang Qin had no choice but to give up on the idea of confronting Qiao Mei. Previously, when she had no evidence, Qiao Zhuang had asked her to ask Qiao Mei for an explanation. Then, she was afraid that she could not win against Qiao Mei without any evidence and would embarrass herself. Now that she had evidence, and could also prove that Qiao Yu was in the capital, Qiao Zhuang would not let her confront Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei hung up the phone and stretched lazily. Back then, she thought that Xu Lan was a cold person and was not as nice as Qiao Qiang described. She did not see what he said about Xu Lan''s bark being worse than her bite. Now that Xu Lan was so concerned about her, she realized that Xu Lan''s cold appearance was all an act. Putting herself in Xu Lan''s shoes, she would also be very shocked if her son found someone with an ill-matched family background in the future. Furthermore, it was a sudden marriage without his parents'' consent. Qiao Mei was in a good mood and decided to go home and take out all the good fabric in the house to make a few dresses for Xu Lan. She would make clothes for all the four seasons of the year and send them to Xu Lan when the postman came. At the same time, she would write a letter to Xu Lan to let her know about her life in the village. When she was in the capital, she had even asked Xia Wen to get her an advanced film camera. However, although it was easy to find the machine, it was difficult to get the film. Film was a consumable product. Not only was it expensive, but there were also very few places to go to develop photos. During this time, it was really difficult to record the lives of the people around. They could only go to the photo studio to take formal photos during the holidays. The next time He Ning bought ginseng from her, she would ask him to find 300 rolls of film and exchange the remaining money for the denominations she wanted. This way, the Xia family would not have run around to help her with this matter. Ever since she found He Ning''s weakness, he was like a tool to Qiao Mei. She would look for him whenever she encountered any difficult issues. He Ning could only blame himself for doing those things to harm her back then. "Uncle Zhao, I''m done. Let me know how much it costs," Qiao Mei said. "It''s two dollars. Put it in my drawer. I''ll give it to Wang Qin later. I''ll send you home first. Otherwise, your grandfather will get anxious later," Zhao Liang said. "There''s no need. I''ll walk back. It''s not good to keep staying at home every day. It''s not conducive to my future delivery. I''ll walk home slowly," Qiao Mei said. Zhao Liang could not dissuade Qiao Mei and gave her a few reminders before letting her go back on her own. Along the way, she observed the situation of every family with their melon seeds. Some families had already started to plant the seeds, while others were still watching. She estimated that all the villagers would plant the seeds within the next two days. She was lying earlier when she said that the melon seeds could be harvested early. How could there be seeds that could be harvested so quickly? She had distributed these seeds to everyone before she even developed them. Now, she could only cheat secretly and send some energy to each family''s seeds. Chapter 715 Separating From Xia Zhe When Xia Wen reached home, he remained silent. It seemed as if he did not say anything, but it already confirmed his stand. From the majestic Xia family''s main residence, they had arrived at their small apartment unit which was far away from the city. They even had to share the kitchen with others. If they had children, this house would be unlivable. "You didn''t say anything along the way. Now that we''re home, don''t you think you have to give me an explanation," Tan Jing asked as she sat on the bed. They did not even have a sofa in their house. The moment they entered the house, there was only a bed. Although the survey document stated that the area was 60 square meters, more than half of it was shared space. The corridor, kitchen and the corner of the storage room were all shared by everyone. In reality, that part did not belong to them at all. During the past few years, she had been advising Xia Wen to talk to his father and ask Xia Mao to get them a bigger house close to the school. She knew that there was a small house there that was allocated by the army. Although it was not big, it was a single-family house and did not have any shared area. The kitchen was also situated inside the house. However, for the sake of his reputation, Xia Wen did not want to say anything. He kept telling others that he was doing very well and did not want his family to help him, but he helped his family selflessly. How could anyone live like this! "What kind of explanation do you want?" Xia Wen asked. "Don''t you and your mother both blame me for not being able to have children? I know that you all like Qiao Mei and her babies! It''s not that I don''t want to have children, so can''t all of you restrain your feelings for Qiao Mei! For Qiao Mei, you''re almost emptying our house!" Tan Jing shouted aggrievedly. "We like Qiao Mei because she''s Xia Zhe''s wife. Regardless of whether she has children or not, we''ll treat her the same way. As for the issue of children, perhaps my parents really want to have grandchildren early. I can''t do anything about them being especially biased towards Qiao Mei, but no one is blaming you," Xia Wen explained earnestly. Tan Jing did not listen to these nice words at all. In her ears, they were all excuses and nonsense. She had never been treated in the same way as Qiao Mei. There was not a single person in the entire family who did not like Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei was just a country bumpkin from the countryside. What right did Qiao Mei have to rise above her? She was someone who was born and bred in the city. Qiao Mei even had difficulty reading. What was so good about such a woman? "You''re lying to me. Even if Mother is anxious to have grandchildren, what about you? Why are you so nice to Qiao Mei? You do everything yourself even when their courtyard is damaged. After the courtyard is repaired, you still go to clean up the house and take care of the plants in the courtyard every week. You even dig up all your old books and send them to her. How can you say that you don''t care?" Tan Jing said as she looked at Xia Wen agitatedly. What Tan Jing said was true, but Xia Zhe was the one who asked him to repair the house. He was paid for it so he was not doing it for free. Since he was the eldest brother, he decided to help take care of the flowers and plants in the courtyard. He no longer had any use for the old books and it was a pity to leave them piled up there. Since Qiao Mei wanted them, he decided to give them to her. How did these appear to be ulterior motives? "Just say what you want to say." Xia Wen could not be bothered to beat around the bush with Tan Jing. He knew what Tan Jing wanted to express. Basically, it was a woman''s jealous feelings. "Don''t interfere in Xia Zhe''s family matters in the future. Don''t bother about them from now on." After Tan Jing said that, she sat opposite Xia Wen and looked into his eyes. Xia Wen laughed and said, "Live separately? Then how are you going to pay off the gambling debts for your elder and younger brother? How much do you think I can save with my low salary? Can I afford to take out 10,000 dollars at one go to pay off your younger brother''s gambling debts?" Tan Jing''s younger brother was a gambling addict. In the beginning, Xia Wen did not care about it at all. He did not care to punish that fellow for small issues. Later on, the matter blew up. Tan Jing''s younger brother owed money to a loan shark and the other party said that they wanted 10,000 dollars before they would let her younger brother go. Xia Wen had no choice but to ask Xia Zhe to pay the ransom first and then captured all these loan sharks in one fell swoop later. However, he could not get back the 10,000 dollars. It could be said that Tan Jing''s younger brother''s life was bought with money. He only told Tan Jing''s younger brother about this matter and even threatened to send him to jail if he dared to gamble again. Only then did he manage to have a few years of peace. "What did you say? Did you take that money from home?" Tan Jing looked at Xia Wen in surprise. Chapter 716 Let Dreams Come True "With our combined salary, we can only be considered an average family in the capital. There are also all kinds of subsidies in school. Do you know how much money we have?" Xia Wen said. He never asked about family matters and left the money to Tan Jing to manage. As for the fact that she always helped her maternal family, he turned a blind eye to it and pretended not to see it. He had only been busy with Xia Zhe''s matters for a while and Tan Jing already started to be so calculative. If she really wanted to settle the scores, then she should include everything that happened with her brothers. "We have no more money" Tan Jing lowered her head in shame. "Has my younger brother been back for so many years? Has he ever begged us? When we got married, my younger brother even gave us a big red packet of 1,000 dollars. Don''t tell me you''ve forgotten that? What''s wrong with me helping my younger brother and sister-in-law now? Then I''ll completely separate from the Xia family and we''ll live our lives behind closed doors. You will also separate from your family," Xia Wen said calmly. How could she do that! Her family would definitely not agree! Back then, she was able to marry into the Xia family without a hitch because her family had taken a fancy to the Xia family''s prominence. Due to the fact that she married into the Xia family, her family members were all promoted. Although the Xia family did not openly arrange for their promotions, the leaders of their workplaces all rushed to curry favor with the Xia family. If one could get some pointers from the Xia family, it was not something that one could buy with money. Everyone knew that the Xia family would not be tempted by money and had never taken sides. This was also the reason why the Xia family could protect themselves during all those dangerous times. "No! That won''t do. It''s better for a family to be harmonious. How can we separate?" Tan Jing said in a panic. Xia Wen snorted coldly and did not want to continue arguing with Tan Jing. He had never thought of himself as a good husband and always felt that he was not able to protect his wife and did not earn enough money to cover the family expenses. He always saw himself as being the problem. Therefore, he had always allowed Tan Jing to do whatever she wanted. It did not matter even if she used all their money to help out her maternal family. However, now that she even wanted to cause trouble for Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei and spoke ill of them, she had crossed a line. No matter what she did, she could not touch the Xia family members. "Go to sleep." After saying that, Xia Wen lay on the bed and prepared to rest. Tan Jing sat at the side silently. She still hated Qiao Mei. Even though Xia Wen had helped Qiao Mei out of kinship, she was still jealous of Qiao Mei. Xia He also wanted to pack up and leave, but Xu Lan grabbed hold of her. For the past few days, Kong Lu had been calling her so many times like phone calls were free. Although their family could afford the phone bill of a few dollars, they still had to resolve this matter as soon as possible. Otherwise, they would get a heart attack from the ringing of the phone every day. "How have you and Kong Lu been recently?" Xu Lan asked. "I haven''t contacted him. The last time I contacted him was when he was about to leave. He said that he would go home to raise money. He owes me a lot of money and he says he''ll find a way to return it to me," Xia He said. "You''ve already transferred your position to the capital. Are you really not going back?" Xu Lan knitted her sweater and did not look at Xia He. Xia He had thought about this question many times. She did not want to stay in the capital all the time. The best opera house in the country was located in the South Sea, where there were many opportunities to interact with foreign dancers. If she focused on her studies, she would have a chance to go there. "I''m still thinking about that, but I''m serious about getting a divorce from Kong Lu. Don''t try to dissuade me from this. I''ve made up my mind. The reason why I didn''t get a divorce immediately is because Qiao Mei told me something about premarital assets. I didn''t understand what she said. Anyway, the general meaning is that I should only get the divorce after Kong Lu returns me all the money," Xia He said as she looked at Xu Lan firmly. Xu Lan had always been aloof to Xia He. She knew her daughter best and she also knew Xia He''s dream very well. Going to the South Sea dance troupe was Xia He''s dream since she was young. It was not only Xia He''s dream, but also the dream of all dancers. "Next year, there''s going to be an examination at the South Sea side. They recruit people every two years and the requirement is that these recruits need to have outstanding performances and must have danced solo as the principal dancer. Next month, your dance troupe will perform as a group. During the new year, there will be a chance to get a solo performance," Xu Lan said casually as she looked at Liu Fen. In reality, what she said was meant for Xia He to hear. Chapter 717 Going To School Xia He took out a notebook from her pocket and noted down the timeline that Xu Lan had mentioned. She could not treat this matter lightly and she must seize the opportunity. "Thank you, Mother." After saying that, Xia He hurriedly left the house. Taking advantage of the fact that it was still early, she quickly went to the dance studio to practice. After the children left one by one, only Xu Lan and Liu Fen were left in the house. It instantly seemed cold and deserted. "Look at you. It''s clearly for the good of the child, but you have to say it behind her back. Who would appreciate that," Liu Fen said disdainfully. "You still have the cheek to criticize me? Isn''t that how you treat your children? Otherwise, why would your third and fourth sons not come home all year round, but are doing the best among all these grandchildren," Xu Lan said with a smile. "You''re teasing me! Your eldest child is a university professor at such a young age, your second child is about to become the principal dancer of the dance troupe, and what more your third son. He''s an elite in the army and the top army warrior every year. If you say that my family members are not bad, then you''re really laughing at me," Liu Fen said. The two of them did not stay for long before they returned to Xu Lan''s house with their things. They asked the helper to buy some of the old master''s favorite dishes and prepare it for him when he got home. Every week, regardless of whether the old master was at home or not, they would come back to the house. Sometimes, the old master would only come home late at night in order to get some peace and quiet, so no one really waited for him to come back. They went there every weekend so that everyone could get a chance to get together and the family could be harmonious. Early the next morning, Qiao Mei''s house was empty. Qiao Qiang went up into the mountain to pick the remaining ginseng while Qiao Mei brought Zhang Wei, Zhang Chao and Zhang Qin to school. After being delayed for so long, Qiao Mei had to go to school to show her face. Otherwise, she would not be able to get her graduation certificate and would be an uneducated person. This was the first time she had entered the school in a long time. Before she went to the capital, she had always sent the children to the school gate only. She had never applied for admission. When the principal saw Qiao Mei, he said in a kindly manner, "You must be their elder sister. I always hear these three children talk about you." "Yes, it''s me. Are these three children obedient in school? I hope they didn''t cause you any trouble." Qiao Mei said. "No, no! They''re very obedient! Their results are also not bad! Particularly Zhang Qin, her results are especially good. Zhang Chao is also very good at mathematics. Zhang Wei has consistent results. The youngest Zhang Miao also has very good results," the principal said in satisfaction. These children were easy to look after. When the other children were having fun and rolling around, not only did the four of them complete their homework and obtain outstanding results, but they also helped the teacher clean the blackboard and clean up after class. These were things that other children could not do. It was all because of their good upbringing. With these children around, his usual workload became much easier. There was only one school in the village, and he was both the principal and the teacher. The salary here was low and the work was tiring. It was not a nice place to work and if the children were not taught well, he would get criticized by their parents. Moreover, many parents did not have good family backgrounds and did not have the money to continue paying school fees. He would help to pay for the school fees in such cases because he wanted more children to have the chance to study. The principal brought the children into the classroom and then realized that Qiao Mei was still standing in front of the door. Thinking that she was worried about the children, the principal said patiently, "Don''t worry, the children are very safe with me. You can just come back and bring them home tonight." "I''m not worried about the children. I just want to tell you that I also want to go to school," Qiao Mei said with a smile. That bright smile and positive optimism stunned the principal for a moment. One look at Qiao Mei''s stomach and he knew that she would be giving birth in a few months. It was ridiculous for a pregnant woman to come to study in elementary school. If anything happened, he would not be able to continue running the school. "Students, take out the language books first and memorize the ancient poems inside! I have something on and will be back soon." After saying that to the children in the room, the principal brought Qiao Mei to the room next door. There was only a cabinet and a table inside, and a tattered bed in the corner. The so-called bed was built from a few broken wooden planks and covered with a few layers of quilts. This was his home and what he had worked hard for his entire life. "Please take a seat. My place is quite rundown. You can sit on the bed, it''s more comfortable," the principal said. Chapter 718 Entrance Examination Qiao Mei did not stand on ceremony with the principal and sat down on the bed. Her purpose for coming today was to find out how she could get her elementary school certificate and obtain a qualification. "Principal, I''m not joking with you. I really want to study here," Qiao Mei said sincerely. The principal considered it again and again and finally felt that Qiao Mei did not seem to be joking. The academic system was very short during this time. It was five years in primary school, two years in junior high school and two years in high school. After that, one could go to university. There were people of all ages in elementary school. As long as their family could afford to send them to school, they would be accepted no matter their age. However, whether they could graduate or not was a different matter. The students needed to take a graduation examination in order to progress to the next year. Only those who passed the graduation examination would be able to get their certification. Therefore, in this era, the certification was very precious. "Then you can learn with the first graders. We have five classes here, one class for each grade. You can go to the first class," the principal said. Qiao Mei shook her head. She only wanted the certificate. If she had to study here for five years, the policy would have long been reformed and she would not be able to take the first college entrance examination. By then, it would be meaningless. "No, can I join the fifth grade?" Qiao Mei said. The principal widened his eyes and looked at Qiao Mei. Fifth grade! Did she know what she was talking about? For an uneducated person, going to the fifth grade at once was like reading a heavenly book. One would not be able to understand anything and would not be able to get one''s certificate after next year''s graduation examination. "Have you been to school previously? The graduation examination is next year. If you haven''t studied before, it''s better to start from the first grade," the principal said tactfully. "I''ve never studied in school, but my grandfather has always taught me how to read and write at home. Why don''t you use the fifth-grade examination paper and test me? If I pass, can you let me go to the fifth grade?" Qiao Mei asked. This was not impossible. He took out the graduation examination paper from last year. No one knew the answer to the questions. Every year, the students would leave after taking the paper and there were no explanations given to them. He could guarantee that Qiao Mei would not know the type of questions listed in this paper. Qiao Mei sat quietly at the table and wrote down the answers. While the principal went next door to check on the students'' homework, she went on to complete taking the examination. The subjects were only Chinese language and mathematics for now, so it was relatively simple. The students would only come into contact with the English language in high school, so there was no hurry. Back in the past, her best subjects were mathematics and English language. She was one of the top students in school and no one had been able to surpass her for many years. She had always been a legend in her school. "You''re done?" The principal stood at the door and looked at Qiao Mei in shock. "Yes, please take a look." Qiao Mei handed the examination paper to the principal and he gave it a cursory review. Qiao Mei scored more than 80 points in Chinese language and more than 90 points in mathematics. Among the students here, the best graduates only managed to score more than 70 points. It seemed that Qiao Mei was not lying to him. She could indeed join the fifth-grade class. "Your results are really good. Your grandfather taught you really well. You can go to the fifth grade now. With your stomach What about next year''s exams?" the principal said worriedly. There were two examinations every year. As the students'' progress was different, there were two examinations every year, in the spring and autumn. The purpose was to let more people have academic qualifications so that there were fewer illiterates. Qiao Mei''s due date coincided with the spring examination and she was worried that she would not be able to take the examination. "Professor, then can I take the autumn examination?" Qiao Mei asked. "Yes, of course. If you''re still at this level in autumn, you can participate," the principal said excitedly. Qiao Mei even wanted to skip class. After all, she still had to go to the capital for a period of time. It was also very tiring to take the horse carriage to school every day. "Then if I can maintain this grade, can I choose not to come to school? Look at my stomach, I really have no choice. These children will still come to school to study. Isn''t Zhang Wei also in the fifth grade? He can come back and teach me and also consolidate his knowledge," Qiao Mei said with a smile. The principal did not hesitate and simply agreed to Qiao Mei''s request. He was overjoyed that someone would pay school fees but chose not to come to school, and yet had such outstanding results! If she graduated, she would become a walking advertisement for him. With Qiao Mei''s outstanding results, no one could say that he could not produce good students. Even if a student self-studied at home, she would still be considered a student from his school. When the time came, there would be even more people coming to study at his school. Chapter 719 Someone Who Likes To Laugh The principal looked at Qiao Mei hesitantly and said, "Look for you to join the fifth grade directly the moment you start school, it''s actually against the rules. No matter how old a student is, everyone starts from the first grade. If you jump straight to the fifth grade, the school fees will be very expensive. You can pay a portion first. If you really don''t have enough, I''ll help you think of a way." Most of the children in the village had never gone to school before. Their families saved up money before sending them to school, so all the students would start from the first grade. Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao were special. They had gone to school in the city and had paid school fees there. They just needed to come here to attend the corresponding grades. Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao started from the first grade. Therefore, if Qiao Mei wanted to go straight to the fifth grade, she would have to pay 15 dollars for her school fees and 5 dollars for her books. Ordinary families nowadays would find it difficult to fork out so much money at once. If they did that, what about their daily expenses? However, if he did not collect the school fees, he would not be able to answer to the higher-ups. If the amount of money and the number of students could not tally, it was difficult for him too. Without another word, Qiao Mei took out 20 dollars from her pocket and placed it on the table. "Principal, please see whether the amount is correct?" "Yes! I''ll go and find the textbooks for you now. However, the textbooks for all five years may be a little too heavy for you. Are you able to bring them back? Why don''t you get the three children to bring them back for you," the principal said hesitantly. "It''s fine, it''s fine! Principal, don''t worry! I''m very strong!" Qiao Mei said as she pinched her biceps. She thought that the principal was quite a nice person. Not only did he impart all his knowledge to the students, but he also helped them pay for their school fees at times. When she graduated in the future, she could use her status as an alumnus to donate money to the school for renovation, to change the tables and chairs for the children, and to buy more pens and books. Previously, Qiao Mei had noticed that Zhang Qin continued using her workbook even after the pages were filled to the brim. She would use a piece of rubber at home to wipe away the pencil marks bit by bit. If she used a little more strength, she would cause the paper to tear. However, Zhang Qin could not bear to use an eraser because she wanted to save money. If she used an eraser to rub off the handwriting in the entire notebook, she would need to buy a new eraser once it was used up. It would be like putting the cart before the horse. Although rubber was not as easy to use as eraser, and the areas rubbed away remained black, it was good enough as long as it worked! Even though Qiao Mei had bought 10 notebooks for each of the children, they still could not bear to use them. They always told her that there would be nothing left once they used the notebooks, so she just let them be. In the past, when they were able to earn money themselves, they did not feel so inhibited when it came to spending money. Now that their family was in urgent need of money for Zhang Miao''s illness, and after their money was snatched away by Zhang Qian, they felt that money was not easy to come so they were especially thrifty. "Principal, I''m going home now. If there''s any issue but it''s inconvenient for me to come, you can just ask Zhang Wei and the others tell me. I have to go home and rest now," Qiao Mei said as she gently stroked her stomach. The principal carried the books and only felt at ease after sending Qiao Mei to the horse carriage. He instructed Qiao Mei a few things about her studies before asking her to go back. Along the way, Qiao Mei looked at the electric poles by the roadside and fell into deep thought. She had always thought that she would leave the village one day and bring her grandfather to the capital to settle down, so she did not install a phone. Now, more and more people were calling her on the phone, and Xia Zhe''s frequency of letter replies had also slowed down a lot. He had been very busy during this period of time. It would be much more convenient if she had a phone at home. The cost was not a problem at all. The problem was the cumbersome installation process. She had to find a tall and big circular column herself. Only Chen Hu would be able to do it. "Uncle! Can you send me to the village office in our village! I have something to do there!" Qiao Mei shouted at the coachman. "Alright! Sit tight. We''ll be there soon!" the coachman replied loudly. The coachman knew that the person sitting in the carriage was a pregnant woman, so he drove very slowly. He was afraid that the bumpy road would not be good for the baby. He had been a coachman all his life and his three children were born in this carriage. He knew very well what kind of speed was suitable for a pregnant woman. Qiao Mei hummed a tune and chatted and laughed with the coachman along the way. Sometimes, she would even greet passers-by. Her bright smile was infectious and made many people very happy. "Young lady! This is the first time I''ve seen someone who likes to laugh so much!" the coachman said. Chapter 720 Intend To Install A Phone "The day will pass whether you''re happy or not. Uncle, you have to be happy too! These are good days! There are still more to come!" Qiao Mei said as she waved her hand. The coachman liked this young lady very much. She was prompt in payment and was also beautiful. All the men in the surrounding eight villages felt that it was a pity that they did not come to propose marriage to her, either for themselves or their sons! "We''re here! No need to pay me since it''s on my way. Take it as I''m giving you a lift," the coachman said with a smile. "That won''t do! I made you wait for so long! I have to pay!" Qiao Mei took money out from her pocket, but the coachman drove the horse carriage away before Qiao Mei could finish speaking. The coachman shouted as he left, "Just treat me to a meal when you''re free!" Qiao Mei smiled and put the money back into her pocket. The neighbors in the village were still the best. Everyone was nicer and warmer. In the capital, if not for Grandpa Zhou, she would not have any chance to say hello to the neighbors living in the alley. "Uncle Zhao! I''m here to make a phone call!" Qiao Mei said as she ran into the room. Zhao Liang was so shocked that he quickly stood up and scolded Qiao Mei, "Slow down! You''re pregnant, why are you still so rash? Don''t you know how to walk slowly!" Zhao Liang moved his stool next to the phone for Qiao Mei to sit on. Qiao Mei smiled in embarrassment. The matter of calling Chen Hu had seemed more important to her. "Hello? This is the armed forces department. Can I help you?" Xiaobei said calmly. Qiao Mei immediately recognized Xiaobei''s voice and pretended to be serious as she said, "Hello, comrade. I''m from the armed forces department in the neighboring city. I have something to ask your Section Head Chen, please transfer the call to him." "Which armed forces department are you from? Please tell me the area code," Xiaobei asked suspiciously. He had been in the army unit for a long time. All this while, from his training days until his work days now, he had never seen a woman in their unit. Even the animals reared for food were all males. This was definitely a fake call! Qiao Mei did not know the area codes of the other units and said defeatedly, "Alright, alright. This is Qiao Mei. I have something to discuss with Uncle Hu. Is it convenient for Uncle Hu to answer the phone now?" "So it''s elder sister Qiao Mei! Yes, yes, yes! He''s in the office. I''ll transfer the call for you." After saying that, Xiaobei transferred the call to Chen Hu. After three beeps, Chen Hu''s voice came through the phone. "Hello, who is this?" Chen Hu said sternly. "Reporting to Section Head Chen Hu! I have an urgent matter to ask for your help! Please provide support quickly!" Qiao Mei lowered her voice and said haltingly. "Qiao Mei," Chen Hu did not even bother to guess and immediately said Qiao Mei''s name. Qiao Mei asked curiously, "Uncle Hu, how do you know that it''s me?" Chen Hu laughed confidently. The guys in their unit were all elite soldiers. They would not have transferred a call from an unknown caller to him. If such a thing really happened, then the person on duty could forget about working there and would be punished in accordance with military law. "Xiaobei won''t dare to put through calls from strangers to me. What''s your issue? I''ll help you think of a solution," Chen Hu said. "Uncle Hu, it''s like this. I''m thinking about installing a phone at home, but I see that the phone lines along the road are all hung on pillars. I can''t get those pillars on my own, and I''m also not sure about the procedures for getting the phone line. Can you help me?" Qiao Mei said sweetly. Wang Qin originally lowered her head to work quietly. She knew that Qiao Mei was here, but she did not want to look at Qiao Mei, so she kept quiet. When she heard that Qiao Mei wanted to install a phone, she could no longer suppress her curiosity. Qiao Mei was the first person in their village to have a black and white television and also the first person to have a Beihai sewing machine. There were no more than six sewing machines in the entire village, but the other sewing machines were second-hand junk bought from factories in the county city. From time to time, the owners would have to go and look for Lao Fan at the village entrance to fix the machines for them. At that time, the most enviable items one could own were Beihai sewing machine, Tianlan watch, Huaniao television set and Dongying radio. The betrothal gifts that Xia Zhe gave Qiao Mei were all from these brands and all of them were of the best quality. At that time, this matter had caused a stir in the surrounding villages. It was not as if they did not understand why someone made such a big fuss about getting a wife. Chapter 721 Home Installation However, the girl that Xia Zhe was going to marry was Qiao Mei! If the bride was Qiao Yu or another girl, they would think that Xia Zhe''s taste was quite normal. Although Qiao Yu was average-looking, her father was a village tyrant and Qiao Yu''s second sister-in-law, Wang Qin, was an accountant who controlled the village''s funds and work points. If a man married Qiao Yu, he would be able to gain a firm foothold in the village. Over the years, there had been many families who proposed marriage to Qiao Yu, but it was Qiao Zhuang''s plan to "sell" Qiao Yu for a good price. Although he was old, he was not a muddle-headed person. With his status in the village, he would want to receive a lot of betrothal gifts when he married off his daughter. He became even more pompous, especially after seeing the betrothal gifts Xia Zhe gave Qiao Mei. He felt that Qiao Yu was better than that fatty Qiao Mei, which was why it led to that matter with the Guo family. "This is a simple matter. I''ll arrange it for you now. Not long ago, we added new pillars to our courtyard and we have a few spare ones. You can take them to set up the phone line, but you have to tell me how many pillars you want and how long the phone line is. I have to find someone to arrange it for you," Chen Hu said. Currently, the only phone in the village was in the village office. Qiao Mei had already estimated that if she wanted to redirect one of the phone lines, she would need four pillars and a 200-meter phone line to reach her house. "Uncle Hu, bring four pillars and a 200-meter phone line. That''s about all I need. I don''t have a phone yet, so I''ll have to trouble Uncle Hu to help me buy one. I''ll give you the money when we meet," Qiao Mei said. She knew that these things would cost a lot of money. She did not want ordinary wood pillars, but the type that was coated with a layer of fireproof coating so that there was no risk of spontaneous combustion even if there was thunder or rain. Only Chen Hu would be able to get his hands on such things. She knew that one piece would cost 80 dollars. This kind of pillar was thick and tall, and it was not easy to get fireproof coating, so that was why it was so expensive. There were only pure wooden pillars in the village now, the kind that one could get by going up the mountain. She was not at home most of the time and would only come back a few times a year. If she wanted to do the installation, she had to do it in the safest manner. "Why are you being so polite to me! Is it an issue of money? Leave this matter to me. Don''t worry about anything else and just wait for my news at home." Chen Hu hung up after saying that. Coincidentally, his wife had also instructed him to bring Qiao Mei a lot of things for pregnant women. He did not have the chance to send them over yet, but now he could do so this afternoon. Qiao Mei looked helplessly at the phone speaker with a busy tone and smiled. This was how Chen Hu was. He did things for Qiao Mei without collecting money or asking for any returns. She could only find other ways to repay him. There were still gloves at home that she had knitted for Xia Zhe. She decided to give them to Chen Hu first, then make a new pair for Xia Zhe. She would also give him some pickled vegetables and two to three pieces of cured meat. "Mei Mei, are you going to install a phone line?" Wang Qin asked obsequiously. Qiao Mei immediately had goosebumps all over her body. Wang Qin had never addressed that way before, or even called her "Mei Mei"! Why did it sound so disgusting coming from her mouth! Wang Qin spoke like this because she wanted to take advantage of the situation. When Qiao Mei redirected the phone line, the line would pass by her house. If Qiao Mei could allow her to tap on it, she would be able to install a phone too. The reasons why so many people in the village did not direct the phone lines to their houses were because firstly, the phone bill was really very expensive and secondly, the application procedures were very complicated. Under normal circumstances, if one wanted to install a phone line, one had to go to the county city''s Power Grid Bureau to apply for it. One had to fill in an application form and write down all the information about one''s family. It was already difficult for most people at this step. They were mainly illiterate, and some people even replied that they did not know their exact addresses. The Power Grid Bureau had staff to help them with these things, but if they themselves could not provide the information, how could the staff help them? After the application was approved, there would be people coming to do field inspections, draw blueprints and design the routes. It would cost five dollars for the design fee and it would take more than a month for the designer to arrive. After the design was done, the staff would tell the villagers how many pillars they needed and asked them to prepare it themselves. The pillars sold by the government were pillars with fireproof coating. Not only were they expensive, but they also took a long time to be installed. Therefore, no one was willing to get a phone line. It was time-consuming and costly. They might as well buy more clothes and food with this amount of money! No one was willing to spend money on these things that they could not see or touch. Anyway, their loved ones were all by their side and there was no need to contact them by phone. Chapter 722 Wanting To Take Advantage "What does it have to do with you? Don''t tell me you want to tap on the line and take advantage of me?" Qiao Mei covered her mouth and said in surprise. Wang Qin, having her intentions exposed, immediately blushed and said angrily, "What do you mean by taking advantage of you! The phone line will pass by my house during your installation process! So what if I want to tap on it! Even if I make an application myself, it''s just a matter of tapping on the line!" Qiao Mei had long guessed what Wang Qin would think. Wang Qin''s house was not far from the village office. Wang Qin would reap the benefits of any house that wanted to get a phone line and install a phone. She just needed to tap it. What she said was true. However, Qiao Mei had long anticipated Wang Qin''s intentions and she had already decided to take a detour to avoid Wang Qin''s house. She would go around from the other side and use more pillars and a longer phone line. She did not lack this bit of money. Not everyone could take advantage of her! "Then I''m really sorry to disappoint you. I have chosen to install the phone line by taking a detour. That route just so happens not to pass by your house. So sorry!" Qiao Mei said to Wang Qin with a smile. It was obvious to everyone that Wang Qin''s face had gone from blushing red to angry burgundy. Her expressions kept changing, as if she was performing a magic trick. "Qiao Mei, let me send you back. It''s such a long way." Zhao Liang quickly interrupted and sent Qiao Mei off. It would be bad if Wang Qin and Qiao Mei got into a fight later. Zhao Liang had never seen anyone who could make Wang Qin so angry! "Qiao Mei, don''t come out too much these days. I''ve heard the rumors about Qiao Yu''s disappearance in the village. If Qiao Zhuang and the others go looking for trouble with you, don''t be afraid. Now that you''re going to install the phone line, just call uncle at the office. Uncle will immediately go and help you," Zhao Liang said. "Uncle Zhao, don''t worry. They don''t have any evidence and don''t have the guts. I didn''t inform you in advance about the matter of the phone line. You won''t blame me, right?" Qiao Mei blinked her big eyes and looked at Zhao Liang. Zhao Liang had wanted to reprimand Qiao Mei, but when he saw how cute she looked, he was not angry anymore and no longer had the mood to reprimand her. "You, you, what can uncle say? Let''s just leave it at that, but no more next time! Also, Wang Qin will definitely tell others about your family installing a phone. There will definitely be many people who want to take advantage of you. You have to think of a solution," Zhao Liang said worriedly. "Don''t worry, Uncle Zhao. I know what to do," Qiao Mei said. Qiao Mei had already thought about it and came up with a countermeasure. She felt that other than Qiao Zhuang''s shameless family, everyone else in the village took good care of her. Other than Qiao Zhuang and his family, who else would come by? Even if they came, she would ask them for an exchange with items or money. She would not let anyone make phone calls at her place for free. The main purpose for installing the phone was for her own convenience. Chen Hu quickly sent over what Qiao Mei needed in a big truck, including the specialists. Many young soldiers jumped out of the truck, including Xiaobei. However, Chen Hu himself was absent even though he promised to come. "Why isn''t Uncle Hu here?" Qiao Mei looked in the direction of the vehicle and asked Xiaobei. "Section Head Chen asks me to give you these from his wife. He says that if he comes personally, you will definitely give him money or something. He doesn''t want it. He has already paid for all these things," Xiaobei said as he pointed at the things in his hand. It was filled with Auntie''s love for her. Coincidentally, Qiao Qiang also came back from the mountain then. His journey today was very smooth and he quickly dug up a ginseng by relying on the markings he had made previously. He was not greedy and only dug one up. If he tried to dig up too many, he would only reach home late at night. "Xiaobei is here! Where''s Chen Hu? What are you doing here?" Qiao Qiang asked. "We''re here to set up the phone line. Erm Uncle Qiao, I''m going to go and help out! Let''s talk later! I''ll put the things in the house!" Xiaobei ran into the house in a panic with the package. For some reason, he was very afraid of Qiao Qiang. When he saw Qiao Qiang, he was like a little chick who saw an eagle. He was most scared of Qiao Qiang''s eyes, which were sharp and fierce. Even under normal circumstances, there was an indescribable look of authority about them. He would only show his gentle side in front of Qiao Mei. Other people felt that he made them feel stressed. Chapter 723 Rude "Grandfather, have you threatened Xiaobei before? Why does he run away whenever he sees you and find all kinds of reasons to stay away from you every time? Did you threaten him?" Qiao Mei looked at Qiao Qiang and asked curiously. She felt that Qiao Qiang was a very kind and gentle old man, so why was Xiaobei so frightened that he kept running away? It must be because Qiao Qiang had threatened Xiaobei before, or because Qiao Qiang had something on Xiaobei. In reality, only outsiders knew about Qiao Qiang''s "other side". They just did not know what kind of expression he would have on his face when he looked at Qiao Mei''s babies in the future. It was said that there was a closer bond between grandparents and grandchildren. So, if there were two generations in between, would that mean that the bond would be even closer and he would definitely dote on the children. "I didn''t threaten him. He''s the deputy section head of the armed forces department and I''m just an ordinary citizen. How can I threaten him? You''re such a joker. Didn''t you tell me that you don''t intend to install the phone line? Why have you decided to do it?" Qiao Qiang squinted his eyes and looked at the busy soldiers in the courtyard. Now that he was old, his eyesight was no longer as good as before. It was difficult for him to see clearly and he had to squint for a long time before he could see things clearly. "There are always calls from the capital. Also, Xia Zhe''s unit has been very busy recently and he doesn''t have time to write to me, so I thought it would be more convenient to install a phone. This way, you can also call the grandpas from the neighboring village and ask them out to play chess," Qiao Mei said with a smile. Qiao Qiang pouted. He did not intend to call those old fellows! The last time they played chess, one of them even cheated. The old man had clearly already placed down his chess piece, but when he saw that Qiao Qiang was about to win next, he quickly retracted their chess piece and said that he wanted to place it down again, that it was not set down properly because his hand had trembled. He was so angry that he did not intend to go for the rest of the week. "Grandfather, let''s go back into the house. It''ll take a long time for the soldiers to install the phone line. I''ll go make some delicious food for them. Let''s ask them to eat here tonight." Qiao Mei returned to the house happily and took out all the nice food in the house. After killing three chickens, she took out the cured meat and pickled vegetables from the storeroom, as well as the vegetables that had been preserved for a long time. She wanted to cook a good meal for everyone tonight. Not long after, the fragrance of food wafted from the chimney to the noses of the soldiers in the courtyard. This would be their first time trying Qiao Mei''s cooking. "Brother Xiaobei! This elder sister Qiao Mei is really virtuous. Smell the fragrance of the food. If my future wife is half as good as elder sister Qiao Mei, I''ll be satisfied!" a soldier said with a grin. "Isn''t your elder sister Qiao Mei perfect!" Xiao Bei said with a sly smile. "Of course! Elder sister Qiao Mei is perfect, so of course!" Xiao Bei asked again, "Then is your elder sister Qiao Mei as beautiful as a fairy!" "Definitely! Do you even need to ask! In the entire city, elder sister Qiao Mei is the most beautiful!" Xiao Bei was so amused that he laughed loudly. He pointed at the soldier and said, "You shameless person! Back then, you were the one who said that she was fat and ugly and not as good as the pigs in your backyard! Didn''t you say that!" The soldier blushed. He did not remember saying such things. When had he ever said such things about Qiao Mei? "Brother Xiaobei, you can''t accuse me wrongly! When did I say such things! You''re slandering a good person! You''ll be punished with 500 push-ups!" the soldier shouted. "I''m not spouting nonsense. Do you remember the young lady who came to deliver bean sprouts to the armed forces department?" Xiaobei said with a smile. The soldier immediately realized that the fat girl from back then was elder sister Qiao Mei! At that time, Qiao Mei had just gotten pregnant and had only lost a little weight. However,the amount of 50 pounds that she lost was a drop in the bucket for Qiao Mei, who was almost 300 pounds at that time. The weight loss was not much at all. To people who knew Qiao Mei, she had indeed lost a lot of weight, but to people like these guys who saw Qiao Mei for the first time, she was still considered fat. The soldier lowered his head in embarrassment. He deeply realized he had to pay a price for speaking without thinking and that it was his mistake. He should not have casually judged a person by their appearance. That was an extremely humiliating and rude thing to say. He must apologize to Qiao Mei for this matter. "Alright, alright. I''m just mentioning it. Everyone knows what kind of person you are. You were just careless back then. You just need to apologize. Everyone makes mistakes. Back then, I also looked down on elder sister Qiao Mei for being fat, so we have to work hard to make it up to elder sister Qiao Mei!" Xiaobei shouted out to the group. "That''s right!" Everyone''s morale was boosted and they worked even harder. Chapter 724 Like A Little Ancestor Qiao Qiang stood in the courtyard and smiled at the young men. He recalled the times when he was young and fought with his brothers-in-arms in the army. Those days were the most unforgettable days of his life. Qiao Mei wiped her hands on her apron and looked at the soldiers working in the distance in puzzlement. "Grandfather, what were they shouting about just now? Why were they so loud, like they were shouting slogans? Could something have happened?" "They''re fine. How is it? Are you done cooking?" Qiao Qiang asked. Qiao Mei nodded. Only the pumpkin porridge was not ready. She had to steam the pumpkin first and then press it into small pieces to stew with the millet. Only then would it taste most delicious. The rest of the dishes were being kept warm in the pot. When the work was done, everyone would be able to come back and eat. In order to prevent them from escaping, Qiao Mei even locked the door of the truck and put the keys in her pocket. Even if Chen Hu had ordered them not to eat at the house of the commoners, they had to stay behind today. It was about time. Qiao Mei set up the chairs and placed the bowls in the courtyard. Soon, the soldiers returned. When they saw Qiao Mei busying herself in the courtyard, everyone felt even more apologetic. "You''re back! Quickly sit down to eat! Let me tell you, there''s chicken tonight! There''s enough for everyone! Don''t tell me Uncle Hu won''t let you eat here. I''ve already taken the car keys. Hurry up and come over to eat!" Qiao Mei shouted as she put down the chopsticks. There was no response for a long time. Qiao Mei looked up in confusion and saw that everyone was lined up in the courtyard. They stood at attention as if they were being punished. Qiao Mei laughed and said, "What are you doing? Is there a ceremony before dinner? Are you going to sing a military song?" Xiao Bei looked at everyone. They all took the cue and saluted Qiao Mei in unison, shouting, "We''re sorry! We were wrong! Elder sister Qiao Mei, please forgive us!" Qiao Mei was shocked by this scene and so was Qiao Qiang, although he did not show it on his face. He just looked at them quietly from afar. Qiao Qiang thought that they were going to apologize to Qiao Mei in private. He did not expect them to stand in a group and apologize in such a grand manner. "Xiaobei, what''s wrong? What are you doing?" Qiao Mei asked. "Elder sister Qiao Mei, the first time we saw you was when you went to the unit to sell bean sprouts. At that time, we made nasty comments about you. It''s our fault and we hereby apologize to you. We shouldn''t have said those things. We hope you can forgive us," Xiaobei said sincerely. Qiao Mei waved her hands and said, "I was wondering what was going on! Hurry up and sit down to eat! I forgive you!" None of them just sat around and waited. They all did something, like going to the kitchen to help scoop the rice, bringing out the dishes and putting out the stools. Qiao Mei asked Xiaobei to get the three children from the Zhang family who had just finished school to come and eat with them. Li Gui had to take care of Zhang Miao and could not leave the house. When Xiaobei went over, he brought some dishes and rice with him. Then he asked the other children to join in the fun. Everyone finished their meal happily. Xiaobei took out the red phone and installed it for Qiao Mei. Under Xiaobei''s instructions, Qiao Mei called Chen Hu''s house to test if the phone was working. "Hello?" Chen Hu said casually. "Uncle Hu, why didn''t you come to my house for dinner? You didn''t keep your word," Qiao Mei said, pretending to be angry. In this world, the only person who could call Chen Hu "Uncle Hu" was Qiao Mei. Chen Hu quickly said genially, "It''s just that I have to go home to accompany your auntie. I''ll definitely go next time!" Qiao Mei did not believe his nonsense. Perhaps he had done something wrong and was afraid that Qiao Qiang would reprimand him, so he did not come by. "Alright, then I''ll get Xiaobei to bring some stuff back for you. You can''t reject and you can''t give Xiaobei a telling off, otherwise I''ll ignore you forever," Qiao Mei said huffily. Chen Hu quickly agreed. Qiao Mei was like his little ancestor and he could only dote on her. Even his wife had started to side with Qiao Mei after hearing his description of her. She especially liked Qiao Mei because of her good culinary skills. In the past, she even quarreled with Chen Hu countless times because Chen Hu did not tell her that Qiao Qiang''s granddaughter was so good, so she did not have a chance to rush over to propose marriage for her son. Chapter 725 Angering Old Man Xia To Death After Xiaobei and the others finished eating, Qiao Mei also gave them a jar of pickled cucumbers each. In any case, there were a lot of pickled cucumbers in the storeroom. She could just marinate a new batch later. The soldiers were all very happy and clamored to hurry back to show off to their comrades in the other teams. Such delicious food was very rare and they would never share it with those who did not have it. Let those guys crave for it! After sending the soldiers off, Qiao Mei called home by dialing the number that Xia Zhe had given her. After two beeps, someone picked up the phone. "Hello, this is the Xia family residence. What can I do for you?" the nanny, Auntie Xie, said politely. "Auntie Xie! I''m Qiao Mei!" Qiao Mei said. When she heard Auntie Xie''s voice, she felt a sense of warmth. Back when she lived with Xu Lan, Auntie Xie was the one who interacted with her the most. Auntie Xie took care of the family''s meals and daily necessities, and she had even learned many cooking techniques from Qiao Mei. "Qiao Mei! Wait! I''ll go look for Sister Xu now." Auntie Xie quickly ran upstairs to the dance studio to look for Xu Lan. Although Xu Lan had already retired, Xia Mao had specially converted a room into a dance studio for Xu Lan when he was renovating the house. Although he did not say anything, he silently did everything he wanted to do. This might be how Xia Mao expressed his love. "Sister Xu! Qiao Mei called! Qiao Mei called!" Auntie Xie shouted. Xu Lan quickly covered herself with a blanket and came out of the room. She did not even bother to change out of her dancing shoes. As long as something was related to Qiao Mei, it was a top priority. "Hello, Mei Mei. Why are you calling me? Did you go to the village office to call me so late at night?" Xu Lan asked worriedly. She did not know what it was like in the village. It was only when Xia Wen told Xu Lan everything that he had investigated that Xu Lan found out only the village office had a phone. "I''ve set up a phone line and installed a phone. In the future, I''ll be able to call you from home. I just need to make payment to the village office later. It''s very convenient," Qiao Mei said with a smile. When Xu Lan heard this news, she almost cheered happily. This meant that she could call Qiao Mei often. This was really a good thing. If not for the fact that everyone at home had been busy recently, she would ask them to come back to celebrate! "Mother, I want to ask you for the phone numbers to call grandfather and youngest aunt. I just set up the phone and I don''t know their numbers," Qiao Mei said. Ever since she came back, she had not written to Xia Fang yet. Xia Fang was the first person who treated her well when she went to the capital and she liked Xia Fang very much. After taking down all the phone numbers, they started chatting about family matters and only hung up reluctantly late at night. Qiao Qiang clicked his tongue a few times at the side and Qiao Mei heard everything clearly. She had not said a word to Qiao Qiang all night. It seemed that he was jealous. "Grandfather, are you unhappy? Tell me about it and get it off your chest!" Qiao Mei said as she patted Qiao Qiang''s leg. "What can I be unhappy about? You''ve been busy with work all night and it''s a long-distance business. How would I dare to disturb you?" Qiao Qiang said as he picked up the newspaper. He was holding the newspaper upside down, yet he still pretended to be reading it! "I was just informing my mother-in-law about the phone and we ended up talking until now," Qiao Mei said embarrassedly. Qiao Qiang was still a little dissatisfied with Xu Lan. In those days, when Xia Mao and Xu Lan got married, he even attended their wedding. At that time, he felt that Xu Lan was arrogant and not an easy person to get along with. At that time, it had nothing to do with him, so he did not care. However, after Qiao Mei married into their family, she even had to suffer when she first met Xu Lan. Qiao Mei had never suffered any grievances when she grew up under his care for so many years. Xu Lan actually gave Qiao Mei a hard time just because she was from the countryside. Although Xu Lan had nothing to do with Qiao Mei''s fake miscarriage, if Xu Lan had cared about Qiao Mei earlier, the He family would not have been able to take advantage of the situation! When Qiao Mei went to the capital to give birth in the near future, he would have to follow her there. At that time, he would settle the score with Old Man Xia. His precious granddaughter had gotten into such a big mess under Xia Jun''s hands, so that old brother of his must give him an explanation. Otherwise, he would take Xia Jun''s eldest great-grandson away and raise the boy in the village! He would anger that old man to death! He wanted to see if he still dared to treat Qiao Mei badly and let her suffer in the capital! Chapter 726 Realizing Dreams "Alright, I''m fine now. Don''t be angry about this, grandfather. I''ll go into the mountains with you tomorrow," Qiao Mei said with a smile. They needed to go into the mountains to do the last round of picking. It was now the end of the autumn harvest season. Although there were no more wild vegetables, nuts like pine nuts, hazelnuts and chestnuts were everywhere and all ready for harvest. If they could pick a lot, they could sell them for 50 cents a catty. "Why do you want to go into the mountains? Just stay at home and rest. I can still be in charge of picking these things. Wasn''t I in charge of it in the past? Don''t worry," Qiao Qiang said stubbornly. In the past, Qiao Mei was greedy and lazy. Whatever she could ask Qiao Qiang to do for her, she would not do it herself. She even needed Qiao Qiang to help her put on a coat when she went out. She behaved like his living ancestor. Qiao Qiang was already old. Although he drank ginseng water from time to time now, his foundation was still weak. After walking on the mountain roads for the past two days, his knees were starting to feel a little uncomfortable. Qiao Mei could also tell that Qiao Qiang''s walking posture today was slightly different from before. She did not ask Qiao Qiang directly but quietly put two drops of 100-year-old ginseng juice into his drinking water. "Grandfather, drink some water," Qiao Mei said as she held the glass of water. After Qiao Qiang finished drinking, he looked at Qiao Mei in surprise and said, "Where did you get the water from! There''s a pinewood fragrance in the water. It tastes much better than before. We didn''t have that in the past." "This this is from the well. There are probably a lot of medicinal herbs on the mountain recently. It''s harvest season now and maybe that causes the water in the mountain to get better. If it''s delicious, then grandfather should drink more," Qiao Mei said as she simply came up with an excuse. Qiao Qiang was skeptical and just silently drank the entire glass of water. He did not want to argue with Qiao Mei now. It would not be good if he made Qiao Mei angry and affected her pregnancy. After tidying up, Qiao Mei started to miss Xia Zhe a little. He had been gone for almost a month. The next time they met would probably be when the children were born. She wondered if Xia Zhe would even have time to come back and visit her and the children then. The books that the principal had given her were stacked on her desk. When Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe got married, she had drawn a design for the old carpenter in the village. She wanted a long desk with big drawers and a small cabinet beside the desk. The old carpenter had never seen such a table before. In order to accommodate the height of the table, Qiao Mei even increased the height of the sewing machine so that they were on the same level. At first, Qiao Mei had not intended to leave the village. She had planned to do some design work at home. In the future, she would be able to earn a lot of money just by selling design drafts. Besides, this was also her dream in her other life. She had accidentally become a lawyer back then. However, in the beginning, her dream was to be a designer and build up her own brand. This was also the reason why she did handicrafts. Since the heavens had given her a new life, she must work hard to realize her dream and make up for the regrets in her other life. She must cherish the time she had. Perhaps she could write some literary works now and become a rising star in the literary world in the next 30 years! Qiao Mei gradually fell asleep with her beautiful dreams. Somewhere else, the Kong family was in an uproar. Ever since Kong Lu returned home, Old Madam Kong had not been idle for a single day. She sat next to Kong Lu every day and chattered non-stop. If it was not bad things about Xia He, then it was about the Xia family being heartless, or that it had not been easy for her to raise a child like Kong Lu. Now that Kong Lu had grown up, not only was he not filial to her, he even wanted to anger her to death. The neighbors could not get a good night''s sleep. Even Kong Lu had serious dark circles under his eyes. Early in the morning, Old Madam Kong started complaining again. "Son! Bring Xia He back! It''s been so many days. What else does she want? Is she really not coming back?" Old Madam Kong said. "That''s right! When I was in the capital, my sister-in-law didn''t treat me well!" Kong Li wanted to add fuel to the fire, but Kong Lu glared at her. Did he have to list down all the embarrassing things that Kong Li had done in the capital? If not for Kong Li causing trouble every day, he would not have to compensate the Xia family so much money in his capacity as her elder brother. He had been trying to raise the money for half a month and had only gathered 1,800 dollars so far. He was still short of 200 dollars and could not manage to borrow that amount at all. Chapter 727 Going To The Capital To Ask For An Explanation His friends were all afraid of him coming to ask them for a loan. As for the money he had lent to others previously, those people either said that they really had no money, or told him to take their lives instead. Kong Lu was timid and afraid of trouble. If he really forced someone to death for this little bit of money, he would not be able to live in peace for the rest of his life. Although everyone had only borrowed about 10 dollars from him, the total amount was more than 300 dollars. He had lent out even more initially. It was Xia He who could not take it anymore and went from house to house to ask for repayment. Kong Lu even had a big fight with Xia He because of this matter. He felt that she embarrassed him and made him unable to hold his head high in front of his colleagues. He felt too ashamed to face anyone at work. Later on, he found out that Xia He only asked for money from people who had been transferred out from his current workplace unit. She did not ask any of his current colleagues at the workplace and only went to visit them to express her sympathy and said that it did not matter about how long it took for them to return the money. After Kong Lu calmed down these few days, he realized that Xia He had been a good wife to him during their years of marriage. Although in everyone''s eyes, she was a person who was not good at cooking and doing housework, it was already very nice of her to treat Old Madam Kong and Kong Li respectfully even when his mother made things so difficult for her. He was not a good husband. "Say something! When is your wife coming home! Is she coming back to this house!" Old Madam Kong said fiercely. Kong Lu could not take it anymore and shouted at Old Madam Kong, "She won''t be coming back! Are you satisfied! You only know how to ask! What were you thinking back then! What were you thinking when you bullied her! Now that she wants to divorce me, you''re here asking me for her!" Old Madam Kong had never seen Kong Lu so angry with her. Could it be that Xia He was serious this time? No, this must not happen. How could Kong Lu''s salary be enough to support her? She must go to the capital to look for Xia He! For an ordinary family, 10 dollars a month could get them a luxurious life in the countryside. Not only did Old Madam Kong ask Kong Lu for 100 dollars a month, but she also asked Xia He for 120 dollars. Sometimes, she even asked for more. In order to avoid unnecessary trouble, Xia He gave her money on time every month and treated it as using money to avoid trouble. Anyway, she earned enough to do that, although this in turn meant that she did not manage to have any savings. Seeing that the time limit given by Xia He had already been exceeded, Kong Lu rushed into Kong Li''s room to look for her savings. The last time she went to the capital, she took so much money. She must still have some money left. "Elder brother! What are you doing! That''s my money! What right do you have to touch my money! That''s my last bit of money! Return it to me!" Kong Li rushed forward to fight with Kong Lu. Although Kong Lu was a soldier, he could not withstand the force of Kong Li charging at him with her 200-pound body. He was knocked a few meters away by Kong Li on the spot. "What do you mean by your money! If not for you, would I need to compensate Xia He an amount of 2,000 dollars? Would Xia He divorce me?" After saying that, Kong Lu took the money he had gathered and went to the bank to do a transfer. Kong Li hugged the few dollars scattered on the ground and wept loudly. These were all the money she had hidden away. No one knew how much money she had, not even Old Madam Kong. It was the money she had been saving up for her marriage. Although she was usually extravagant, she still managed to save more than 200 dollars in secret. She had heard from her neighbor that someone as fat as her would not be able to buy a nice wedding dress off the shelf, but she might be able to get a custom-made one if she was willing to splurge. After asking around about the cost, she managed to save more than 200 dollars by holding herself back from buying food. However, Kong Lu had taken everything away. How could she get married in the future! "Mom! What should I do? I can''t get married anymore! What should I do? I don''t have money for my clothes!" Kong Li cried. Old Madam Kong did not even think about why Kong Li had so much money. She was now focused on the fact that Xia He wanted to abandon this family. Not only did she want to divorce her son, but she also wanted them to fork out a large sum of money. She had not even gotten a divorce but she did not want to come home anymore. She was simply disrespectful to her in-laws. Old Madam Kong wanted to go to the capital to demand an explanation. The Xia family was simply too much! "Don''t cry! Let''s go! Let''s go to the capital and talk to Xia He! We can''t let her bully us like this. It''s not up to her to make any decision in this family! As long as she''s not divorced, she''s still my daughter-in-law! She has to listen to me!" With that, Old Madam Kong returned to her room to pack her luggage. Chapter 728 Asking For Living Expenses Early in the morning, Qiao Mei stopped Qiao Qiang from going picking in the mountains and asked him to go shopping in the county city to buy something to ward off the cold. There was also no meat left at home, so she asked him to go to the county city to buy more. In short, there was nothing left at home. She asked him to go to the county city to do a good round of shopping and also bring back a few pieces of good fabric for her to make clothes for the babies. Xia He was on leave today and went home to help with the renovations. When she had some free time, she gave Qiao Mei a call. "Young girl, can''t you even write a letter to your elder sister to inform her that you''re back safe and sound?" Xia He pouted and leaned against the cabinet as she said unhappily. "I''m just busy settling all kinds of things at home. Sigh, it''s a long story," Qiao Mei said with a sigh. Qiao Mei told Xia He the main points about what happened after she returned to the village. The main thing she talked about was about how her younger siblings had gone missing. Those who did not know Qiao Mei''s family situation would think that she was talking about a plot from a television drama. "Alright, let''s stop talking about me. Has Kong Lu returned the money? What are your plans for the time being?" Qiao Mei asked curiously. "You just finished talking about your tragic incident and you''re questioning me again. I''m only doing better at work. Although there are a few ''flies'' in the unit, they''re still easy to deal with. At least it''s much better than what happened at your house. It''s nothing compared to what happened to you," Xia He said. As she spoke, the door was pushed open with a bang and bounced against the wall twice. Xia He was so shocked that she gripped the phone tightly. When she turned around and saw that it was Old Madam Kong and Kong Li, she instantly felt a surge of anger. In order to hide from the Kong family, she had chosen to return to her maternal home to take refuge. She could not be bothered to argue with them, yet she could not even hide from them. How could she live like this! "What''s wrong? What happened? Did someone enter the house?" Qiao Mei asked nervously. By right, the Xia family residence was heavily guarded and people who entered had to be checked thoroughly. They would not let anyone in casually. If it was a highly skilled thief, why would he enter the house so openly and cause such a big commotion? "It''s fine. The Kong family members have come to visit. I just finished mocking you about how exciting your life is. Now, my life is going to be exciting too," Xia He said helplessly. "Don''t hang up. I''ll listen too. Be careful," Qiao Mei said. Xia He slowly set down the phone and leaned against the wall without moving. She felt very disgusted to even look at the Kong family members. If not for the fact that Kong Lu had not returned the money, she would have gotten a divorce long ago. "Haven''t you seen me! Don''t you know how to serve me tea! Is this how you behave as my daughter-in-law?" Old Madam Kong said loudly. In the past, she used this move so that all the neighbors would hear her. After all, the apartment unit had been in disrepair for a long time and the soundproofing was not very good. Anyone could hear what anyone said clearly. The Xia family''s house had its own courtyard. Even if one shouted until one''s throat was hoarse, no one would not be able to hear it from next door. Old Madam Kong''s actions were just a waste of her voice and nothing else. "Where''s your family! Where''s the helper! Hurry up and get me some water! Make some food for me. I''m hungry!" Seeing that Xia He was the only one around, Kong Li immediately started to act mighty. She had lived with the Xia family for so long that she already knew who was in charge. Xia He''s parents were usually not at home and the helper did not come often. The only person who could be considered to be in charge was Xia He''s brother, Xia Wen. Xia Wen was not around at the moment, so the Kong family mother and daughter could do whatever they wanted in the Xia family''s house now. "Are you deaf? Didn''t you hear what your sister said? Hurry up and pour some water!" Old Madam Kong sat comfortably on the sofa and ordered Xia He around. Qiao Mei could hear that Old Madam Kong''s tone of voice was comparable to Old Madam Li. She just did not know how it compared with what Qian''e faced. Qian''e said that her grandmother was even scarier than a monster! "Does Kong Lu know that you''re here?" Xia He said, suppressing the anger in her heart. "Do I have to tell my son that I''m here to see my daughter-in-law? You''re not divorced yet! I''m still your mother! Why didn''t you give me this month''s living expenses! As long as you''re not divorced, you have to support me! Go and get the money!" Old Madam Kong pestered. Kong Li acted as if she was at home and went straight to the kitchen to open the fridge to eat and drink. She ate and drank all the delicacies inside. This was so much more comfortable than when she was at home. Chapter 729 Bad Upbringing "You!" Xia He wanted to say something to Old Madam Kong. Qiao Mei quickly said, "Calm down, talk about the money." Xia He held back her curses and said calmly, "Your son still owes me money. Bring me the money he owes first and we''ll talk about other things later." At the mention of money, Kong Li''s reaction was even greater than Old Madam Kong''s. Kong Lu had taken almost 1,000 dollars from her. All her money had been taken away and she only had a few dollars left in her pocket. How could she get married? "My brother took all the money I have! Now I can''t find a boyfriend to get married to! Find me a boyfriend! I don''t care! You have to be responsible for my marriage!" Kong Li said as she cried. Qiao Mei could not help but laugh out loud on the other end of the phone. When it came to Kong Li, even setting aside her figure, with such a family and her temper, how many men would want to marry her? At that time, she still asked Xia Zhe to help her keep an eye out and insisted that she wanted to find someone from the army. Kong Lu had been in the army for so many years and did not manage to find a suitable person for Kong Li, so how could Xia Zhe and the others help? "Is it because of money that you can''t find a boyfriend" Xia He muttered softly. Just as Kong Li was about to flare up, Xu Lan and Liu Fen arrived home with a lot of groceries. As soon as they entered, they saw that the glass window at the door had shattered. The glass in their house was blast-proof, so even if it shattered, it would not drop all over the floor. "What what''s going on?" Liu Fen looked at the glass in disbelief. Xu Lan was also at a loss. This was the first time she had encountered such a thing. She threw down the vegetables in her hand and prepared to grab Liu Fen and run away. When Xia He heard the commotion, she quickly ran to the door and shouted, "Mother! Where are you going?" "Why are you at home! Did a thief enter the house? Are you alright? Did the He family members come to seek revenge? Quick, follow me to your grandfather''s house!" Xu Lan pulled Xia He along and wanted to run out together. Xia He smiled resignedly and said, "My mother-in-law and sister-in-law are here. They''re kicking up a fuss in the house." Regarding the fact that Xia He insisted on a divorce, Liu Fen had kept advising Xia He to be sensible. There were no mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law in the world who did not quarrel. However, looking at the situation today, it appeared that Xia He had really suffered a lot for so many years. This mother-in-law was too aggressive. This door cost 400 dollars. It was the best anti-explosive door on the market, but she could even break it. Her combat strength was indeed extraordinary. "In-law, you''re back. Hurry up and come in for a chat," Old Madam Kong shouted towards the door. "Those who don''t know better would think that this is the Kong family''s house" Liu Fen muttered disdainfully. Xu Lan looked at the Kong family''s mother and daughter with a cold expression and said impatiently, "Go and get Xiao Wei from the security department. I''ll ask him if we simply let anyone in at will now." "What are you saying! We''re your in-laws! What do you mean by anyone? Can''t I come to my sister-in-law''s house?" Kong Li said arrogantly to Xu Lan, taking advantage of the fact that Old Madam Kong was also there. "Is this how the Kong family raise their kids? How dare a junior talk to me like this? Your family''s upbringing is really not bad!" Xu Lan said mockingly. Xia He had thought that Xu Lan would side with the Kong family. She did not expect her to start scolding the Kong family''s mother and daughter as soon as she entered the house. It was really satisfying to see. After Qiao Mei''s fake miscarriage, Xu Lan seemed to have become a different person. The specific change was that the unreachable fairy-like mother had become warmer. After understanding what motherly love felt like, Xu Lan began to change her mindset from focusing on her career and herself to caring more for her family. "It''s none of your business what kind of upbringing our family has, but how did you educate Xia He? We have come all the way here and don''t even get a glass of water. Is this the upbringing of the Xia family?" Old Madam Kong said, not to be outdone. This matter was indeed a lack of etiquette on their part. After all, the Kong family was still their in-laws now. Xu Lan gently patted Xia He''s hand and said, "Go, this is what we should do." Xia He sighed and took out the glasses that had not been used for a long time. She cleaned them half-heartedly and used them to serve Old Madam Kong and Kong Li. Later on, she would not feel any heartache even if she had to throw them away. She must get rid of all the things that the Kong family members had used. To her, the things were too dirty! It would be best if she never had anything to do with the Kong family again! Chapter 730 Hurry Up And Pay Back The Money Xia He filled the two glasses with water from the tap. She stared at the glasses for a long time before choosing to pour the water out and replace it with boiled water. It was not that she cared for Old Madam Kong and Kong Li! She was just worried that if they had diarrhea, she would have to pay for their medical fees. The gains would not make up for the losses. Xia He placed the water in front of Old Madam Kong and Kong Li with a look of annoyance. Kong Li looked at Xia He smugly. It felt much better to order Xia He around at the Xia family''s house than in the Kong family''s house. Xu Lan did not waste her breath on Old Madam Kong. Xia He had told her all the details a long time ago. At that time, she had even advised Xia He to take even better care of the family and bear with it. However, when she looked at the Kong family''s mother and daughter and their behavior, she did not intend to let Xia He continue to stay in that wolf den. "Why are you here this time?" Xu Lan asked sternly. Old Madam Kong took a sip of water happily and said, "In-law, don''t be so serious. I''m just here to see why my daughter-in-law doesn''t want to go home and has been staying at her parents'' house. I think your place is really nice. It''s so impressive. No wonder Xia He doesn''t want to come back." Xia He pursed her lips. Clearly Old Madam Kong wanted to find a way to stay here and was trying to find an excuse. She silently returned to the phone. She knew that Qiao Mei was still there and had not hung up yet. "Talk about the door," Qiao Mei said. Xia He immediately understood what she meant and said, "This house is built with the best materials. This door is military grade. You broke the door, so you have to pay for it." At the mention of money, Old Madam Kong quickly put on a sad face and did not talk about compensation at all. She said, "In-law, look at her. I have to come over this time because she leaves me with no choice. She insists that my son gives her money. It''s an amount of nearly 10,000 dollars. We don''t have that much money." "Where''s the money that Kong Lu and I gave you all these years? Anyway, you wrote me an IOU in black and white. Are you saying that you won''t pay me back?" Xia He took out the account book from the drawer. There were many promissory notes inside. A few were written by Old Madam Kong and the rest were written by Kong Lu''s two younger brothers. This was only a part of it. Sometimes, Old Madam Kong would ask her for money every two to three days, saying that it was for emergency purposes. There were no promissory notes for these incidents. "You! Who knows if your account books are correct!" Old Madam Kong said with a guilty conscience. "The amounts that are listed in the account book, I''ll treat it as a gift to you out of filial piety. Your thumbprint is on the IOU you gave me. If you don''t want to return the money to me, let''s go to the police station," Xia He said. Xu Lan remained silent and tacitly agreed with what Xia He said. Although their family did not lack this amount of 10,000 to 20,000 dollars, they could not suffer humiliation for nothing. Earlier, Xia He kept saying that it was Qiao Mei''s idea for her to wait for Kong Lu to return the money before getting a divorce. In that case, Xu Lan wanted them to spit out all the money now. "Are you trying to send me to prison! I''m already so old. If I go in, I''ll die inside. Anyway, I don''t have any money! You can take my life! If you do this, aren''t you afraid that my son will come looking for you!" Old Madam Kong pointed at Xia He and shouted shakily. Xia He spread out her hands and shrugged. In any case, she did not want to live with Kong Lu anymore. Once she got a divorce, the Kong family''s matters would have nothing to do with her anymore. "It''s only right and proper to pay back money that you owe. If you can''t afford to pay, then ask your sons and daughter to pay." Xu Lan looked at Kong Li. She had heard that this sister-in-law played a big part in bullying Xia He. She even snatched Qiao Mei''s jewelry and had an argument with Qiao Mei. This was something that Xia Fang had unintentionally mentioned to Xu Lan. Of course, Xia Fang did not say that Kong Li was powerless against Qiao Mei and only mentioned the cause of the matter. "I don''t have any money! I''ve already given the money for the television to my brother." Kong Li quickly waved her hands and declined. "We''re all family. What''s wrong with helping one another? Why are you so calculative?" Old Madam Kong said shamelessly. That was indeed the case. Relatives should help one another out, but there had to be reciprocity. The Kong family was like a blood-sucking bug raised by the Xia family for so many years. After the Xia family paid for their living expenses, they still scolded the Xia family behind the Xia family''s back. They said the Xia family treated them like beggars, looked down on their family and felt that they were useless. They even influenced Kong Lu into hating the Xia family as well. Chapter 731 Taking Care Of Her Forever "Since you mention the issue of helping out, then let''s talk about this. When my daughter and your son got married, our family bought a 140-square-meter house for my daughter in the county city in your hometown. You and your daughter are living in that house now, right? My daughter has never lived there for even a day. She has been living outside in a house allocated by Kong Lu''s workplace unit," Xu Lan said. When Xia He got married, Xia Mao had already sent people to investigate Kong Lu''s family situation. All the neighbors did not have anything good to say about Old Madam Kong. At that time, Xu Lan already felt that Xia He should live in a nice house in the county city. Their family could afford to live well and did not want their child to suffer. Besides, the property prices in the capital were worlds apart from the prices in that small county city that Kong Lu lived in. They did not need to spend much money to buy the 140-square-meter house, but it was still money that the Kong family would not be able to fork out in their lifetime. Not only did the Kong family not fork out a single cent for this house, they did not even contribute any money for the renovation. After the house was tidied up, Old Madam Kong insisted that there was something wrong with her health, that she could not live in the village anymore and had to go to the county city for treatment. Kong Lu was a filial son, so he had no choice but to bring Old Madam Kong over. After that, she simply stayed on for many years. In order to get some peace and quiet, Xia He moved to Kong Lu''s apartment that was allocated by his workplace. "What''s wrong with that? I''ve taken care of Xia He for so many years and I''m the one who takes care of her daily needs. Even if I haven''t achieved much, I still deserve credit for my efforts. She''s been married to my son for so many years but she hasn''t given the Kong family a grandchild. We haven''t even criticized her for this yet!" Old Madam Kong complained. Every time Kong Lu went to the army unit, he would be away for half a year to a year. Whenever he could come home, Old Madam Kong would ask to see him so that she could complain to him. Every time Kong Lu came back, Xia He would quarrel with him. Under such circumstances, it would be a miracle if they could have children! It was true that Old Madam Kong did not fight with Xia He about the issue of having children. This was because Old Madam Kong actually did not care whether Kong Lu had any descendants. Kong Lu was not her biological son at all. He was just a child that she had taken in. Even if he had children, they would not be considered descendants of the Kong family. However, in order to make life difficult for Xia He, Old Madam Kong went around crying that she could not experience the joys of family life, and that she felt even sadder when she saw everyone in the neighborhood bringing their children down to play. This made the neighbors gossip about Xia He. A few people even secretly gave Xia He prescriptions to treat her illness! "It''s a good thing we have no children. Do you think I''m willing to bear children for your family! Take a look at yourself! You make it sound like your other sons have sons! After being married for so many years, they also don''t have children!" Xia He muttered. Old Madam Kong rushed up to Xia He in exasperation and gave her a slap. Xia He was cursing the Kong family to have no descendants by saying such things! "You b*tch! What nonsense are you talking about! My second and third sons can have children! You can''t have children, yet you curse my sons! Are you tired of living!" Old Madam Kong roared. Before Xu Lan could go forward to teach Old Madam Kong a lesson, Liu Fen could not hold back her fiery temper anymore. She went forward and slapped Old Madam Kong. "Shameless old woman! You dare to behave so atrociously in our house! Who do you think you are! Do you think you can beat up my niece? Do you think you can touch our Xia family members just because you want to? Back then, your son knelt down and begged us to let Xia He marry him. Is this how you treat her now? Our Xia family will never let you off! Get lost!" Liu Fen pointed at the door and shouted. When Qiao Mei heard this from the other end of the phone, she could not help but cheer for Liu Fen. She had helped all of them to vent their anger. Xu Lan pressed the button to connect to the security room and asked them to quickly send someone to take the Kong family''s mother and daughter away and make sure they boarded the train. Xia He did not have time to say anything to Qiao Mei and simply hung up the phone. She would call Qiao Mei again after everything was over. Xu Lan even called Xia Mao''s guards and asked them to escort the Kong family''s mother and daughter back to the county city. She wanted Xia He to get a divorce right now! The Xia family did not lack that money they owed. They would never let the Kong family off for bullying Xia He like this. Liu Fen called Xia Wen and Xia Mao and asked them to return home. The family discussed this matter together and Xia Mao would go ahead to make the arrangements for Kong Lu''s transfer. "Xiao He has been living like this in the Kong family all these years. Let me make my stand. Even if Xiao He doesn''t get married for the rest of her life, I can still afford to take care of her. Xiao He can stay at home for the rest of her life," Xu Lan said firmly. Chapter 732 Divorce Agreement In the past, Xu Lan did not fulfill her duty and responsibility as a mother. Now, she must protect her children well and not let them suffer. "Alright, Xiao He still has some financial issues with the Kong family, right? Let me handle this matter," Xia Wen said with a smile. He was best at dealing with such things. Once he found out other issues related to the Kong family, they would never be able to make a comeback in this lifetime. He would get back all the money that the Xia family had spent on them. "Get a divorce, Xia He. Stay in the capital and don''t worry about anything else. If you don''t like it here, you can go somewhere else to take a break," Xia Mao said. Seeing how the situation had changed from everyone objecting to her getting a divorce in the beginning to protecting her and supporting her now, Xia He felt that it was good to be home. The Kong family''s mother and daughter only reached their home at noon the next day. Xia Mao''s guards insisted on sending them into the neighborhood complex before they were willing to leave. Along the way, many neighbors came to congratulate Old Madam Kong. "Oh my, how impressive. Your in-laws even arrange for people to send you back personally," the neighbor said as he pointed at the people in military uniforms outside. Old Madam Kong cared about her reputation and could only brace herself and say, "Isn''t that true. They''re worried that it''s not safe for us to come back on our own and made special arrangements for someone to send us back." "How lucky! It''s so good to be able to marry the daughter of a rich family in the capital. I''m so envious," the neighbor said. "That''s because my son is so capable. Otherwise, why would she be willing to marry him? Back then, it was my daughter-in-law who insisted on marrying into our family!" Old Madam Kong bragged. "Hurry up and go home. I hear that your son got promoted and would be rich!" the neighbor said. "I''m off! Come to our house for dinner another day." Old Madam Kong pulled Kong Li home happily. As soon as they entered the house, they saw Kong Lu sitting on the sofa with a dark expression. There was a piece of paper in front of him. They were illiterate and only saw a big red stamp on it. They thought that it was Kong Lu''s promotion papers. "Has my son been promoted!" Old Madam Kong said excitedly. "Yes," Kong Lu replied expressionlessly. He had taken the initiative to apply to work in the highlands. Although it seemed like a promotion, it was actually a demotion. He had always been a mediocre staff in the army. Due to his relationship with the Xia family, his career path was smooth and no one dared to offend him. Out of the blue, the leader had called him into the office early this morning and given him a piece of paper with the words "Divorce Agreement" written on it. It was stated that as the Kong family had been abusing and slandering Xia He for a long time, and even hit her sometimes, Xia He had the right to unilaterally apply for an end to this marriage. Xia He was also a soldier, being in the military art troupe. She had a military rank in the army and her rank was not lower than his. He had thought that by returning Xia He the money for Xia Fang''s television, he would be able to appease her and she would not divorce him. He did not expect his mother and sister to barge into the Xia family''s house and even smash things in their house. Not only did he lose his wife, but he also lost his job and his house had been taken back. In order to show his sincerity, he took the initiative to apply to work in the Highlands Force. That place was located in high altitude where oxygen was sparse all year round. It was not a place that ordinary people could go. The environment was very harsh and there was not even a phone there. They could only rely on people to send messages physically. It was precisely because of the harsh environment that the people who were transferred there would get promoted within a few years. However, no one wanted to go. If they went, they would never be able to come back. "That''s great! Then did your salary increase too!" Old Madam Kong looked at Kong Lu expectantly. In her eyes, it did not matter what Kong Lu did. The only important thing was money. The more money he earned, the more money he would have to hand over to her. "Money, money, money. All you know is money. Do you know that Xia He has divorced me because of what you did! What you''re holding is the divorce agreement! Who asked you to go to the capital to look for the Xia family! In the past, the Xia family did not do anything because they were unwilling to be so calculative with us. Do you really think they''re that easy to bully!" Kong Lu roared. Old Madam Kong slumped back in her chair weakly. She did not expect Xia He to be so heartless and make a decision so quickly. She did not know anything about unilateral divorce or promotion in the government sector. She just wanted money. "I I just want to ask Xia He to come back Who knows that the woman would be so heartless" Old Madam Kong said softly. Chapter 733 Soul Returning Herb "You''re still lying! She''s already gone to the hospital to get her injuries checked. Otherwise, how do you think she can send me a divorce agreement directly! Even if the Xia family has everything under their control, they still need to have real evidence. If you hadn''t hit Xia He, she wouldn''t have been able to divorce me!" Kong Lu said angrily. "Then what should we do now?" Old Madam Kong asked as she looked at Kong Lu nervously. "What should we do? What else can we do? The Xia family has already taken back this house and the apartment allocated by my workplace is gone. I''m leaving for the highlands tomorrow. You should pack up and go back to our hometown. I still have to help you and my younger brothers pay off the debts every month. You''re on your own now," Kong Lu said. Old Madam Kong looked at Kong Lu reluctantly. She used to have 100 dollars a month for living expenses. How did it get to a situation where she could no longer live in the house and her living expenses were gone. "I''m not going back!" Kong Li said as she tugged at Old Madam Kong''s sleeve. Her second sister-in-law and third sister-in-law in the countryside were both very difficult people. She could not win against them at all. If she went back, she would only be bullied. She had lived a good life for so many years and did not want to go back. "What else do you want to do if you don''t go back!" Kong Lu said angrily. "Elder brother, think of another way. If not, why don''t you send us some money every month. We can rent a room in the city," Kong Li said. Kong Lu looked at Kong Li in disbelief. These two had caused his family to be broken up and they still expected him to think of a solution for them. Were they still a family? "Go home. I''ll give you five dollars a month for your living expenses. My two brothers have not taken care of our mother for so many years. It''s time for them to show their filial piety. Also, return the money you owe Xia He as soon as possible. I heard from the leader that Xia He''s brother is searching for evidence. If you don''t return the money, you''ll go to jail. I don''t have any money left. You''re on your own." After saying that, Kong Lu left the place with his things. Old Madam Kong and Kong Li broke down and cried loudly. They also started to pack their things and prepared to leave. After Xia He was done with her divorce proceedings, she gave Qiao Mei a call, but no one picked up. Today, after Qiao Mei sent the children to school, she went into the mountains with Qiao Qiang. They usually went into the mountains very early and would return early in the afternoon. Every time, they would only carry half a basket of things and never more than that. The villagers were understanding of the fact that there was only an elderly man and a pregnant woman in their family, so they did not need to work in the village. They did not get any work points, so this was considered fair to everyone. However, it was now the autumn harvest season and there were treasures everywhere in the mountains. The other villagers went to work during the day and did not have time to go to the mountains to pick all these. If Qiao Mei and her grandfather took everything, it would inevitably make people jealous. Therefore, they would deliberately take a long detour at noon before they carried their harvest home. Naturally, there were less things to be harvested in the afternoon. If anyone went up the mountain during this hour and saw that Qiao Mei did not harvest much, they naturally would not say anything. "Grandfather, these chestnuts are quite big this year. I suppose we can sell them for a fair bit of money," Qiao Mei said. "That''s right. Look at the many good things in the mountains. I also see many medicinal herbs. Look at this grass, do you recognize it?" Qiao Qiang pointed at a green plant on the ground and said with a smile. There were also small yellow flowers growing on it and it looked no different from weeds. Qiao Mei really could not recognize it. "What is this? I''ve never seen it before!" Qiao Mei said. Qiao Qiang tugged at his pants and slowly squatted down. "Look, this is called Dendrobium. You don''t recognize it, right? I heard about it from someone in the army a long time ago. This thing is very valuable. It also has another name, the Soul Returning Herb. Isn''t it interesting?" The name "Soul Returning Herb" sounded like something that could only be found in martial arts novels. He did not expect it to really exist. The effects were probably different. "Grandfather, take a look around and see if there are any other herbs. Let''s pick them all and sell them to that guy from the He family at a high price. If he doesn''t want them, there will be others who will be willing to buy them!" Qiao Mei said. Qiao Qiang observed his surroundings slowly and found many herbs in the end. Every one of them was priceless. It seemed that this was really a treasure mountain. Qiao Mei did not know where these herbs came from. It was possible that because she had been cultivating ginseng here often, it had caused the soil quality of this mountain to change and allow precious herbs to grow and emerge one after another. Fortunately, the villagers here did not know such things and they all thought that it was weeds. Otherwise, what Qiao Mei did would soon be exposed. Chapter 734 Getting A Wife Qiao Mei carefully identified these herbs. She could plan to grow rare herbs on this mountain in the future. The idea of growing such things actually did not appeal to her. The money she made from selling ginsengs was enough to buy the entire mountain. Was there a need to spend so much effort to nurture a large number of precious herbs? What she had in mind was to lead the way for the village''s development and let the villagers become rich as well. However, her plan excluded Qiao Zhuang''s family, of course. Qiao Zhuang''s family gathered for a family meeting every day. There were too many issues in the family recently. Liu Ying and Qiao Hua had run away. Wang Qin only knew how to come up with bad ideas for the family. Their reputation in Foshan Village had already been tarnished. At least Qiao Wang and his wife did not create any issues and knew how to share the family''s burden. Qiao Liang was useless and only knew how to do manual labor in the fields every day to earn work points. "It''s time to get Qiao Liang a wife. What do you think?" Qiao Zhuang said. Wang Qin''s expression darkened. At that time when Qiao Wang got married, she had to contribute 300 dollars. That was all her savings. She did not want to take out the money but Qiao Zhuang kept urging her. "Let my family express our opinion first. Father, I''ve been serving you, our mother and our entire family at home. I don''t have much time to earn money. My husband just goes to work in the fields and doesn''t have any other skills. We will contribute 20 dollars. This is already all our savings," Jiang Ye said sincerely. She was telling the truth and Qiao Zhuang knew it in his heart. Qiao Wang''s children were still very young and there was no one who could earn money in his family. It was already very generous of her to contribute 20 dollars. It was Jiang Ye''s way of thanking Qiao Liang for helping Qiao Wang when they worked in the fields back then. Otherwise, Qiao Wang would have been permanently disabled. She considered this gesture to be returning the favor. Qiao Zhuang nodded in agreement and turned to look at his eldest son, Qiao Fu. Although his eldest daughter-in-law had run away, his son should still have some money. "I I''ve gambled all my money I only have 10 dollars left. I''ll give it to you" Qiao Fu reluctantly took out a crumpled wad of money from his pocket and handed it to Qiao Zhuang. Qiao Zhuang took it and counted it before agreeing. The fifth son, Qiao Gang, was still in school and did not have any money. Everyone looked at Wang Qin and Qiao Gui. Qiao Gui did not bother about anything at home. He tugged at Wang Qin''s sleeve, not knowing how to reply to Qiao Zhuang. Wang Qin smiled and said, "Father, have you decided whose daughter it''s going to be? What''s the amount of betrothal gifts that they want?" "Your fourth brother has long taken a fancy to the daughter of the Huang family. She said that she won''t marry for less than 200 dollars," Qiao Zhuang said. During this time, when people got married in the countryside, betrothal gifts were usually settled in the range of tens of dollars. An amount of 50 dollars was considered a huge sum for betrothal money, so asking for 200 dollars was indeed too much. Wang Qin had seen the young lady from the Huang family before. She was young and not good-looking. Her face was covered in pockmarks and she could not even walk very well. However, Wang Qin had heard that she was quite good at cooking and her culinary skills were not inferior to Qiao Mei. "Our family doesn''t have that much money either. We can only contribute 20 dollars," Wang Qin said. Qiao Zhuang looked straight at Wang Qin. He might be old, but he was not stupid yet. For so many years, on the matter of whether Wang Qin had touched any of the family''s money, he had an idea of what was going on. "Your family will contribute 100 dollars," Qiao Zhuang said. "Father! You''re being too unreasonable! Eldest Brother only gives 10 dollars and Third Brother''s family gives 20 dollars. Why do we have to give 100 dollars! When Third Brother got married, I was the one who paid for the betrothal gifts. Don''t tell me you''ve forgotten about this," Wang Qin questioned. "Since you''re talking to me about the past, let me ask you. The money that everyone hands over monthly, where is it? Does some money enter your pocket every month?" Qiao Zhuang asked. As soon as he said that, Wang Qin did not have any retort. She said obediently, "I understand. I''ll give it to you tomorrow." Everyone knew what kind of person Wang Qin was. That money was meant for the old man''s retirement and had nothing to do with them. Besides, all of them did not earn much money at all. It was only the eldest and second sons'' families who were able to contribute money. They were people who only knew how to earn work points, so they were not angry at all. They still had to thank Wang Qin for giving them more work points every time! Chapter 735 Discussing Countermeasures Qiao Fu returned to his room and looked at the ceiling regretfully. His wife and daughter were gone and he had spent all his money. All these were caused by Qiao Mei. If not for Qiao Mei, his life would not have been so tough. He must settle this score with her. Qiao Fu asked Qiao Gui and Qiao Wang to come and discuss countermeasures with him. He felt that they could not let Qiao Mei bully them anymore. "Eldest brother, why are you looking for us?" Qiao Wang asked. Qiao Fu looked at the two of them with a grin and quickly invited them into his room. He even brought out the most precious liquor at home. "Eldest brother! This is the liquor that our father always hides away! You''ll get beaten up if you drink it!" Qiao Gui said nervously. "Don''t worry. Drink it boldly," Qiao Fu said nonchalantly. Qiao Wang sat at one side in silence. He could tell that Qiao Fu wanted them to do something. He probably had a favor to ask of them. "Say, our family was originally living a good life, so how did a little girl cause so much trouble! Shouldn''t we do something?" Qiao Fu said as he looked at his two brothers. Qiao Wang instantly understood what Qiao Fu meant and said with a smile, "Eldest brother, let''s not provoke her. That girl is very capable. I must say that I can''t handle her. Let''s just live our days well. As long as we have nothing to do with her, we won''t suffer any losses." Qiao Fu slapped his thigh and said angrily, "Coward! To think that you''re our father''s son. What can a little girl do! Get lost, get lost. Don''t be an eyesore in front of me and spoil the mood Second brother, let''s drink." Qiao Wang hurriedly left Qiao Fu''s room and returned to his own room. As soon as he entered, Jiang Ye grabbed him tightly. "Eldest brother didn''t cause trouble for you, did he?" Jiang Ye looked at Qiao Wang nervously to see if he was injured. "I''m fine. Eldest brother is trying to trick our second brother into finding trouble with Qiao Mei. I acted a little weak so my eldest brother asked me to get lost. We can''t get involved in such nasty business," Qiao Wang said. In this family, the third son, Qiao Wang, was the smartest. The eldest son, Qiao Fu, was ruthless, but he was stupid and very impulsive. The second son was also a simple-minded person. If not for Wang Qin planning everything, he would have starved to death long ago. Qiao Wang did not intend to get involved in murder for money. It was enough for him to live a peaceful life with Jiang Ye. He did not want to get involved in anything else. "They''re planning to harm Qiao Mei. I left after hearing them say a few words," Qiao Wang said. Jiang Ye looked at the door uneasily. Although she was a housewife, she also knew how Qiao Zhuang treated the young Qiao Mei back then. It was already good enough that Qiao Mei did not take revenge on him. Now, the eldest and second sons of this family still wanted to take revenge on her. This was simply unreasonable. "Do they still have any conscience? They can''t blame Qiao Mei for these things. Isn''t it all because of Wang Qin''s greed? Why are they looking for trouble with Qiao Mei?" Jiang Ye muttered on the brick bed. Qiao Wang liked Jiang Ye''s kind character. She would not harm anyone and she taught their children well. When his two older brothers'' children saw him, they did not even address him as Third Uncle and did not have any manners. It would be a real disaster if they grew up to be like those stupid people in their families. "Alright, you''re not allowed to interfere in this matter. Rest early." Qiao Wang blew out the lights and quickly fell asleep. For the next few days, Qiao Fu and Qiao Gui would wake up early and go near Qiao Mei''s house to check out the timing and route of her usual trip up the mountain. They only dared to make a move on the fourth day. Qiao Wang was afraid that if Qiao Fu really did something bad, it would be difficult for everyone to clean up the mess. He tried to tell Qiao Zhuang both explicitly and covertly, but Qiao Zhuang did not take it to heart at all. Jiang Ye was really worried and often went to the area near the back mountain of Qiao Mei''s house in the afternoon to see if Qiao Fu and Qiao Gui had really gone to cause trouble for Qiao Mei. Pregnancy was a difficult time for a woman. Giving birth was like hovering around the gates of hell. Back then, when she gave birth, she almost bled out and died. If Qiao Fu did anything outrageous, it was very likely that Qiao Mei would not be able to keep her life. As soon as Qiao Mei and Qiao Qiang came down the mountain, they saw Jiang Ye. Jiang Ye quickly held Qiao Mei''s hand and walked to the side for a chat, but she could not just tell Qiao Mei that Qiao Fu and Qiao Gui were out to harm her. Jiang Ye was so anxious that she sweated profusely and did not know how to express herself to Qiao Mei. Chapter 736 - 736 Revenge 736 Revenge Whats wrong? Why are you looking for me? Qiao Mei asked as she looked at Jiang Ye in confusion. She even took out a small handkerchief to wipe Jiang Yes perspiration. You I Oh my! Pray for the best! Jiang Ye left in a hurry before she even finished speaking, leaving Qiao Mei behind alone. Qiao Mei looked at the departing Jiang Ye with a puzzled expression. Qiao Qiang also came to Qiao Meis side and asked, Why is she looking for you? Do you have any dealings with her? Qiao Mei did not remember having any contact with Jiang Ye, and they did not seem to have interacted before. Her childhood memories of being at Qiao Zhuangs house had long gone. What did she mean by pray for the best? Could it be that there was danger coming? !! Its nothing. Shes probably just here to ask me for melon seeds. Lets go home, grandfather. Qiao Mei did not say anything and led Qiao Qiang home. They were not affected by this matter. The next day, Qiao Mei and Qiao Qiang carried the baskets and went up the mountain early in the morning. Along the way, Qiao Qiang slowly taught Qiao Mei how to identify all kinds of medicinal herbs. When they reached the depths of the mountain, the baskets on their backs were almost filled with medicinal herbs. Grandfather, Ill bring some herbs back first. You rest here. Qiao Mei took Qiao Qiangs basket. Qiao Qiang wanted to go back with Qiao Mei. The mountain road was not easy to maneuver and they could take care of each other on the way if they walked together. If anything happened, they could deal with it in a timely manner. Ill go back with you, Qiao Qiang said. Theres no need, grandfather. You just rest here for a while. Ill be back soon. Theres a small path thats very close. Im off! Qiao Mei placed some water and food in Qiao Qiangs hands and went down the mountain with the baskets. Along the way, she hummed a song and the plants around her swayed slightly, as if they understood what she was singing. When Qiao Mei was halfway down the mountain, the little tomato plant beside her swayed anxiously, as if it had something to say to her. The other plants also began to behave in an anxious manner. This was the first time Qiao Mei had seen such a situation. In the past, she could indeed sense the feelings of plants, but those were plants that she had activated and produced herself. She could only clearly sense the feelings of such plants and not of other plants. However, at the moment, she could clearly feel that all the plants in the mountain were very anxious and uneasy. Qiao Mei reached out and touched the leaves of the little tomato plant. Soon, it allowed her to see the area where Qiao Qiang was. Qiao Fu was sneakily approaching Qiao Qiang with a stone in his hand. Oh no. Qiao Mei frowned and tried her best to rush back. At this moment, Qiao Qiangs back was facing the direction where Qiao Fu was coming from. He was eating the rations and drinking the ginseng water that Qiao Mei had brought. Qiao Fu had originally planned to launch a sneak attack on Qiao Mei. If he made Qiao Mei lose her babies, Qiao Mei would no longer have the energy to find trouble with their family. Moreover, since he had lost his wife and daughter, he wanted Qiao Mei to lose her children. Then it would be even. However, now that Qiao Mei had gone off, there was only Qiao Qiang left. It would also be worth it to kill Qiao Qiang. If Qiao Qiang died, then Qiao Qiangs house would belong to him. In the eyes of outsiders, because he was Qiao Zhuangs eldest son, there was nothing wrong with him inheriting Qiao Qiangs assets after Qiao Qiang died. In front of his own family, it would be clear that he was the one who killed Qiao Qiang and seized Qiao Qiangs assets. He was the one who fought for this inheritance and no one else helped with anything. No matter what, the inheritance should be given to him. Qiao Mei was just a granddaughter and she was already married. She definitely would not get a share of the assets. In that case, it actually seemed more worthwhile to kill Qiao Qiang. Just as Qiao Fu was slowly making his approach, Qiao Qiang heard his footsteps. The sense of vigilance which was honed on the battlefield for many years allowed Qiao Qiang to quickly realize that there was a sneak attack coming from behind him. Qiao Fu raised a big rock high up and smashed it down towards the back of Qiao Qiangs head. Qiao Qiang was already prepared and dodged Qiao Fus attack by sliding sideways. Oh, its you, Qiao Qiang said as he patted the dust off his body. So what if its me? Im here to take revenge today! Qiao Fu said as he pointed at Qiao Qiang. There was actually no enmity between them. It was all because of the way Qiao Zhuang had educated Qiao Fu since he was young, causing Qiao Fu to always think that Qiao Qiang owed their family a debt. Qiao Qiang did not know what he had done wrong to make Qiao Zhuang bear such a grudge. Chapter 737 - 737 I Am Going to Kill You 737 I Am Going to Kill You It was also possible that it was because their parents doted on their second son, Qiao Zhuang, so much that he became such a person. Then he brought up his sons to be as bad-tempered as him. Ever since Qiao Qiang was young, he could not stand the fact that Qiao Zhuang had grown up to be so lawless and he would always ask their parents to discipline Qiao Zhuang. Therefore, in Qiao Zhuangs heart, his elder brother Qiao Qiang was a bad person. He felt that Qiao Qiang disciplined him since he was young because Qiao Qiang did not like him. What grudge do we have? Ive never caused trouble for your family, Qiao Qiang said as he stared at Qiao Fu. Qiao Fu had been a bully in the village since he was young and always followed behind Qiao Zhuang while showing off. His scumbag behavior could be said to be even worse than Qiao Zhuang. !! He silently told himself that he was not afraid of this old fellow Qiao Qiang at all! If he did not succeed today, he probably would not be able to live in this village in the future and might even go to jail. If not for your granddaughter, I wont be without a wife and kid! I want to kill your granddaughter, but since shes not around, Ill kill you! Qiao Fu had never thought that the reasons for all this were because of his own cowardice and incompetence, Qiao Zhuangs tyrannical greed and Wang Qins bad intentions. He only wanted to push all the blame to Qiao Mei, an outsider. Qiao Mei clearly did not do anything wrong, and even helped his wife and daughter to settle down elsewhere, but Qiao Fu did not appreciate it at all. Qiao Fu took up a sharp piece of stone and pressed forward step by step. Qiao Qiang slowly retreated. When he reached the mountain road, he started to escape into the mountain with all his might, with Qiao Fu following closely behind him. Although Qiao Qiang had been through hundreds of battles, he was already old and his stamina was naturally inferior to the younger Qiao Fu. Soon, he could not run anymore. Qiao Fu played with the stone smugly and said, Hmph, havent you fought in many battles? Why are you tired after running a few steps? Run quickly. Perhaps you can still leave this place alive. This was a hero who was already in his twilight years. Qiao Qiang had to admit that he was old and was no longer a match for the younger generation. The only thing he was glad about now was that he did not let Qiao Mei stay behind today. Otherwise, Qiao Mei would be the one to suffer. Qiao Fu gripped the stone in his hand tightly and walked towards Qiao Qiang with a fierce expression. Qiao Qiang retreated repeatedly and tripped over a branch before falling under a big tree. As he fell, he knocked his ribs against a big rock beside the tree. I should actually call you uncle. Dont worry, if you die, Ill clean up your courtyard for you. You dont have to worry anymore. As long as you agree to give me your house after you die, I can let Qiao Mei off, Qiao Fu said greedily with a smile. You want my house? Ive already given my house to Qiao Mei. You can forget about it. The ownership of the house has already been transferred to Qiao Mei. I did this to guard against your family! Qiao Qiang looked at Qiao Fu mockingly and put on a victorious smile. Qiao Fu was so exasperated that he smashed the stone at Qiao Qiangs head. However, he did not use enough strength and Qiao Qiang also managed to dodge most of it. The sharp part of the stone made a cut on Qiao Qiangs forehead and blood kept gushing out. Even though Qiao Qiang was injured, and as the blood ran down the left side of his face and his eyes were gradually covered in a layer of bright red, Qiao Qiang continued to stare straight at Qiao Fu. He was not afraid of death at all and was not afraid that Qiao Fu would kill him. Victory and defeat were commonplace in war. Even if he died today, it would not be a big deal. However, he was only worried about Qiao Mei. He had not yet managed to inform Xia Zhe to bring Qiao Mei back to the capital quickly. If he died, Qiao Mei would be bullied by Qiao Zhuang and the others. Since I cant get the house, then you dont even think about getting out alive! Ill kill Qiao Mei later and let the two of you go on your way together! No Qiao Mei is pregnant with your great-grandchildren. I hear that shes having two babies. They can forget about staying alive too, Qiao Fu said. If I die, you can forget about having a good life! If you dare to touch Qiao Mei! I wont let you off when I die and become a ghost! Qiao Qiang roared fiercely. That voice was like the angry roar of a demon, causing the birds in the forest to flee in all directions. Qiao Fu hesitated for a moment as he raised the stone to deliver the final blow to Qiao Qiang. He had underestimated how intimidating a demon who had gone to the battlefield and killed countless people could be. Chapter 738 - 738 Cannot Leave Someone in the Lurch 738 Cannot Leave Someone in the Lurch Qiao Mei panted heavily as she ran back. Seeing that Qiao Fu was about to kill Qiao Qiang, Qiao Mei mobilized all the energy in her body and snapped the big tree behind Qiao Qiang in half before throwing it towards Qiao Fu. Just as Qiao Fu was about to make a move, he suddenly saw the big tree in front of him slowly smashing towards him. He hurriedly threw down the stone and fled in a panic. There were many vines and gravel nearby and he could not dodge in time. Qiao Mei controlled the vines on the ground to trip Qiao Fu and the big tree smashed down onto his thighs. Qiao Qiang remained unscathed under the tree. He sat in the gap between the fallen tree and the tree stump and watched Qiao Fu groan in pain as he lay on the ground. !! The tree was so thick that even two people hugging it could not touch each others hands. How could such a thick tree trunk break for no reason? Grandfather! Grandfather! Qiao Mei hurriedly ran to the tree and pulled Qiao Qiang out. By this time, Qiao Qiang was already very weak. The wound on his head was as long as a finger and the left side of his face was already covered in blood. Grandfather grandfather, dont scare me grandfather, look at me Qiao Meis eyes were instantly filled with tears. She did not expect Qiao Qiang to be attacked after she left for just a short while. She should have paid more attention when Jiang Ye reminded her to be careful yesterday! She had been too obnoxious and felt that she could do anything with her ability. She did not guard against the possibility of Qiao Zhuangs family wanting to kill her and Qiao Qiang. This was also a warning about Qiao Zhuangs family. She had thought that they would at most be shameless and do something sneaky. She did not expect them to be capable of murder. She must make Qiao Fu pay the price! Mei Mei, Im fine. Dont cry anymore. If you continue crying, your little face wont be beautiful anymore, Qiao Qiang said with a weak smile. Even though he was seriously injured, he still forced a smile as he did not want Qiao Mei to worry. The front of his clothes was already soaked in blood. Even a young man in his prime would be very weak after losing so much blood, let alone someone of Qiao Qiangs age. His health was originally already in bad shape. Qiao Mei hurriedly took out the 1,000-year-old ginseng juice that she had made some time ago. Of course, the human body could not absorb it in its concentrated form. Qiao Mei found a small stream nearby. The water here was from the mountain springs and it was natural and safe. They could drink the water directly from the stream. She soaked the small handkerchief in the stream and secretly dripped the 1,000-year-old ginseng juice on it. She squeezed the handkerchief and spread the ginseng juice more evenly around. After doing all this, she hurriedly ran back and gently wiped Qiao Qiangs wound. The small handkerchief covered the wound on Qiao Qiangs forehead and the bleeding quickly stopped. With such a serious injury, he had to go to the clinic for stitches. Her 1,000-year-old ginseng juice could only stop Qiao Qiang from continuing to bleed. Grandfather, how do you feel? Does it hurt anywhere else? Qiao Mei asked anxiously. Qiao Qiang moved his body slightly and said in pain, Sigh Im old and useless. My ribs on the right side seem to be broken. It should be fine though. Qiao Mei helped Qiao Qiang up and prepared to leave this place. She wanted to bring him to the clinic for treatment quickly. If his ribs were broken, it was very likely that his internal organs would be injured. If they were not careful about it, he could die. She could not let her guard down. If there was really no other way, she would bring Qiao Qiang back to the capital tonight and go to the best hospital in the capital for treatment. Mei Mei, go and see how hes doing, Qiao Qiang said as he pointed at Qiao Fu, who was pressed down by the big tree. If he died in the mountains, it would be difficult for them to explain themselves. Qiao Mei did not want to look at Qiao Fu at all. If her grandfather really died at Qiao Fus hands today, she would not be able to extinguish the hatred in her heart even if Qiao Zhuangs whole family paid for it with their lives. Grandfather, you should be more concerned about yourself. Your injuries were caused by him, yet you still have the mood to care about him! Qiao Mei said aggrievedly. Qiao Qiang knew that Qiao Mei was concerned about him, but this was a matter of life and death and he had to ensure that the man was still alive. Go quickly. Go and see if hes still breathing. He wants to kill us, but we cant really leave him in the lurch. Do you understand? Qiao Qiang said patiently. Qiao Mei could not argue against Qiao Qiang and went forward to check if Qiao Fu was still breathing. Qiao Fu was seriously injured, but Qiao Mei did not go all the way just now. If such a big tree hit Qiao Fus head, he would really be dead by now. Chapter 739 - 739 Getting Help to Save Lives 739 Getting Help to Save Lives The reason why he was still breathing now was because the tree trunk was still pressing down on him and stopping the blood from flowing out. If the tree on Qiao Fus body was removed, then Qiao Fu would be dead soon. Grandfather, he simply fainted from the pain. Hes not dead, Qiao Mei said impatiently. She felt disgusted just by looking at Qiao Fu. Qiao Qiang turned around and looked at the big tree carefully. This tree definitely had not been chopped and the middle of the tree was also not hollowed out. Why did it suddenly break? During this period of time, there was neither wind nor rain nor bad weather. Could it be that there were some spirits on this mountain? !! Or was it his deceased relatives protecting him? Was it Qiao Meis father or Qiao Meis grandmother? No matter what, he had managed to survive. At this moment, they had to quickly go down the mountain to find someone to save Qiao Fu. He could not let the man die in the back mountain. If the man died, both of them would not be able to explain themselves clearly. Mei Mei, lets go down quickly and find someone to save him. Qiao Qiang waved at Qiao Mei and the two of them, one elderly and one pregnant, helped each other down the mountain. Usually, at this time, Qiao Mei would have already asked Zhang Wei to go home to do his homework. However, it was almost dark today and nothing happened. Zhang Wei became suspicious and walked down Qiao Meis usual path to go up the mountain. As soon as he reached the foot of the mountain, he met both of them. Grandfather! Elder sister! What happened to you! Grandfather, why is your face covered in blood! Zhang Wei was so frightened to see Qiao Qiang in this state that his legs went weak. Back then, it was the same thing with Zhang Miao. She almost could not be saved. He was afraid that Qiao Qiang would fall sick like Zhang Miao. Grandfather is fine. Xiao Wei, go and look for Zhao Liang now and ask him to quickly bring people up the mountain to save someone. Tell him that Qiao Zhuangs eldest son has been pinned down by a tree and needs to be saved, Qiao Qiang said as he pointed up the mountain. Hey, hey! Then what about you, grandfather! Zhang Wei looked at Qiao Qiang nervously. He was more concerned about Qiao Qiangs health than saving someone elses life. Grandfather has me. Go and look for Uncle Zhao quickly. Well wait for you here, Qiao Mei said. Zhang Wei knew that he would not be of much help if he stayed around, so he quickly followed Qiao Meis instructions and went home to ride his bicycle to the village office to look for Zhao Liang. Qiao Mei helped Qiao Qiang to sit down by the roadside. At the moment, they could not leave yet. They had to wait for Zhao Liang to bring people over so that they could let Zhao Liang know Qiao Fus approximate location. Otherwise, they would waste a lot of time looking around. Very quickly, Zhao Liang brought a group of people to the foot of the mountain. Many people came with tools, including chainsaws and door panels that could serve as stretchers. Their village was surrounded by mountains on all sides. Every year, there would be people who rolled down the mountains and got injured, but this was the first time they had heard of someone behind pinned down by a big tree. Uncle Qiao! What happened to you! Zhao Liang looked at Qiao Qiang in shock. Everyone panicked when they saw Qiao Qiang. How could the battle-hardened Qiao Qiang be so seriously injured? Could it be that he had encountered wolves, tigers or leopards on the mountain? The mountains had been around for a long time, and it was very common to see wolves in the depths of the mountains. It was said that someone had even seen wolf carcasses before, but no one knew if it was true or not. As the rumors spread, everyone believed that there were wild beasts in the mountains. Im fine. Quickly go and save Qiao Fu. Hes being pinned down by a very big tree. Hurry up and save him. After saying that, Qiao Qiang wanted to get up and go with the rest of the team. It would be faster for him to lead the way. Zhao Liang hurriedly got a few people behind him to bring Qiao Qiang to the clinic at the entrance of the village. He still wanted to go up the mountain to save someone else when his own face was covered in blood. He was indeed an old hero who cared about the common people. You should hurry to the clinic. Weve all lived around the mountains for so long and know the general location. Go quickly, Zhao Liang said worriedly. Thats right, Uncle Qiao Qiang. Your injuries are so serious and you still want to go and save someone else. You should take care of yourself first! Wang Wu said as he looked at Qiao Qiang nervously. Why not I go with all of you, Qiao Mei volunteered. Of course she did not want to save Qiao Fu! She was just worried that Qiao Qiang would insist on going up the mountain himself. It would be better for her to go in place of Qiao Qiang. Everyone was very touched. Qiao Qiang and Qiao Mei still wanted to go and save someone else even though they were injured. They were both such nice people. Given that Qiao Zhuangs family often bullied the two of them, the villagers did not expect that not only did they not bear a grudge, they even wanted to save a member of that family. You dont have to go either. Accompany your grandfather to the clinic. Well go and save him, Zhao Liang said. Chapter 740 Serious Injury Under everyone''s persuasion, Qiao Qiang agreed to go to the clinic. Wang Wu rode his three-wheeled vehicle and sent Qiao Mei, Qiao Qiang and Zhang Wei there. When they arrived at the clinic, the doctors started to wash the blood off Qiao Qiang''s face. With their skills, they could only clean up the wound on Qiao Qiang''s face, stitch it up and apply medicine. However, they really could not treat the injury to his ribs. For this, they had to go to the hospital in the county city. "Mei Mei, let''s not go to the hospital. I''ll just take care of myself. Previously, when I was on the battlefield, I had so many knife wounds but I didn''t go to the hospital at all. Aren''t I still alive and well? Let''s go home," Qiao Qiang said as he held Qiao Mei''s hand. He was most afraid of going to the hospital. He was not afraid of getting injections or taking medicine, but he was afraid of knowing the details about his condition. If he was told that he had only a few days left, it would only bring him despair. He knew his own health very well. Many years ago, a doctor had told him that if he did not cherish his own health, he would not be able to live beyond eight years. It was already the seventh year. Although he felt that his health had improved, he was still afraid that something would happen. If one had no worries, one would not be afraid of death. However, with Qiao Mei and his two great-grandchildren with him, everything had changed. "Grandfather, we have to go. This time, you have to listen to me. Even if I have to tie you up, you must go!" Qiao Mei said fiercely to Qiao Qiang. "I''m not going! Don''t force me to go! I know my own body best! Don''t persuade me! It''s already good enough that I''m here at the clinic!" Qiao Qiang said stubbornly. Qiao Mei stood at the side angrily with her hands on her hips. She had already said all kinds of nice things, but it was useless. She had no other way to persuade Qiao Qiang to go to the county city hospital. Zhang Wei also looked at Qiao Qiang nervously from the side. His hands trembled as they gripped the corners of his shirt. Although this person was not his biological grandfather, after they spent so much time together, he had long placed Qiao Qiang in a very important position in his heart. Although they were not biologically related, it felt like their relationship already went beyond that. Zhang Wei knelt on the ground with a plop and hugged Qiao Qiang''s legs tightly as he said, "Grandfather! Go to the hospital! Please!" Qiao Qiang immediately understood what Zhang Wei was thinking. He was the one who had taken care of Zhang Wei all this while. He knew what Zhang Wei was most afraid of. Ever since Zhang Chao and Zhang Qin were kidnapped, this child had become very uptight. Qiao Qiang saw it all. "Good child, get up quickly. The ground is hard, don''t hurt your knees by kneeling!" Qiao Qiang patted Zhang Wei''s shoulder with heartache. He could not bend down now and could only do this to ask Zhang Wei to get up. Zhang Wei ignored Qiao Qiang. He would only get up from the ground when Qiao Qiang was willing to go to the hospital. "Grandfather, just listen to us. We''ll only be at ease if you go to the hospital to get checked out!" Qiao Mei persuaded anxiously. Qiao Qiang had no choice but to agree with Qiao Mei and Zhang Wei. The village clinic quickly made arrangements for a horse carriage to send the three of them to the county city hospital. Zhao Liang and his group also found Qiao Fu. At this moment, Qiao Fu''s breathing was very weak and his face was pale. Even his hands were cold, as if he was about to die. "Come on, let''s hurry up and save him!" Zhao Liang shouted. Everyone worked together to think of a way to save Qiao Fu. Some people sawed through the wood on Qiao Fu''s body, while others looked for useful vines. They thought that binding Qiao Fu''s injured leg could also have the effect of stopping the bleeding. With everyone''s tireless efforts, they quickly cut up the fallen tree into smaller pieces and threw them to the side. Only at this moment was the full extent of Qiao Fu injuries revealed to everyone. Many people could not stand this kind of shock and directly hid at one side to throw up. Even Zhao Liang could not bear to look at Qiao Fu''s miserable state. Qiao Fu''s legs had been smashed into a bloody mess by the tree, leaving only a few bones and tendons that were still connected. The blood had already dyed the ground red. As soon as the tree was lifted, blood flowed out uncontrollably. "Hurry, hurry! Put him on the board! Quickly apply the ashes from the stove pit to the wound! Hurry up! Don''t just stand there! Let''s save him!" Zhao Liang shouted to get everyone''s attention. The ashes in the stove pit were the ashes of plants and wood, and which could help to stop bleeding. This was a type of local remedy. In such a resource-poor place, it was the only method they knew. Everyone took turns to carry the door panels and carried Qiao Fu to the horse carriage at the foot of the mountain. The village clinic could not treat such serious injuries and they must send him to the county city hospital. Chapter 741 - 741 The Only Family Member Left 741 The Only Family Member Left Someone hurriedly went to Qiao Zhuangs house to inform them and the entire family rushed out. When Wang Qin and Jiang Ye arrived, they vomited when they saw the scene in front of them. They had never seen anyone injured so badly. My son! What happened to you! Qiao Zhuang crouched over Qiao Fu and cried his heart out. Their entire family knew that Qiao Fu had gone to ambush Qiao Qiang and Qiao Mei today. They had thought that the news coming from the village would be bad news about Qiao Mei, but they did not expect it to be about Qiao Fu. Uncle Qiao Zhuang, dont cry. The most pressing issue now is whether we should bring him to the county city hospital for treatment, Zhao Liang asked anxiously. Zhao Liang was just a village official and could not make this decision for the family as it involved payment. Even then, money was the smaller issue. It was truly a matter of life and death. If Qiao Fu died on the way, and then Qiao Zhuangs family tried to extort money from the villager office, he would get into trouble even though he had been kind enough to help. Yes, yes, yes! Lets go! Qiao Zhuang quickly agreed. If Qiao Fu died, there would be one less person in the family who could earn money. If they sent him for treatment, they could still ask Qiao Qiangs family for a sum of money! This matter definitely had something to do with them! Zhao Liang made arrangements for two horse carriages, one for Qiao Fu and one for the family members. They all reached the county city hospital not long after. By the time they reached the county city hospital, Qiao Qiang had already finished his checkup. Qiao Qiangs injuries were not serious. After the doctor did a general review, the doctor said that he would be fine after recuperating at home for a period of time. Qiao Qiang had osteoporosis since he was already elderly and this time, there were no broken bones, only a few hairline fractures. However, even if it was only a slight hairline fracture, it was not something minor. After all, at Qiao Qiangs age, if he continued to do tiring work and the injuries could not heal, it could drag on to a stage until it was beyond treatment. Qiao Mei even asked the doctor to give Qiao Qiang a referral for a gastric checkup, so that Qiao Qiang could get his old ailment looked at. Look, I told you Im fine. You guys insist on bringing me to the hospital. I wont go for another checkup. Lets go home, Qiao Qiang muttered softly. Qiao Mei had been holding back her anger all this while. This was the hospital and she could not make any loud noises in the corridor. She suppressed her annoyance and settled Qiao Qiang down in the lounge first. You still say youre fine! Youre already old, yet you still think youre young! Youre so infuriating! Qiao Mei said as she stood opposite Qiao Qiang with her hands on her hips. I know my own body! What illness can I have! Stop making a fuss Qiao Qiang said impatiently. Qiao Mei was so angry that her eyes were filled with tears. She had no other relatives in this world except Qiao Qiang and Li Gui. If anything happened to Qiao Qiang, how could she live? Even if you dont do it for yourself, you have to do it for us children. Zhang Wei and I cant lose you, Qiao Mei said as she sat at the side and wept in a fit of pique. This time, Zhang Wei did not side with Qiao Qiang anymore. This time, he also supported Qiao Mei. Grandfather, elder sister is right. You have to listen to us! Zhang Wei said stubbornly. Qiao Qiang sighed. As one got older, one would become muddle-headed. Qiao Mei was pregnant and if anything happened to her because she got too worked up, he would feel even more guilty. The days now were different from the past. Qiao Mei had made a lot of money and they would never be able to spend all that money in their lives. They should look after themselves better and live longer. Ill listen to you. Lets go and do the checkup, Qiao Qiang said as he patted Qiao Meis hand. Qiao Mei and Zhang Wei stood on either side of Qiao Qiang and slowly led him towards the room for his gastric checkup appointment. There were not many wheelchairs available in even the big hospitals in the capital, let alone in their small county city. As soon as they left the lounge, they saw a group of doctors surrounding Qiao Fu, seemingly at a loss. They had never seen such serious injuries at the county city hospital. They had given Qiao Fu an infusion of drugs to keep him alive and asked the family to send him to the hospital in the provincial city for treatment. The doctors there should be able to treat him in time if they sped up. Qiao Mei originally thought that Qiao Fu deserved to die, but when she saw him in such a miserable state, she could not bear it. While Qiao Zhuangs family went to make payment, she dripped two drops of 100-year-old ginseng juice into Qiao Fus mouth to keep him alive. Otherwise, with such a long journey ahead, Qiao Fu would die before he could make it to the provincial city. After absorbing the 100-year-old ginseng juice, Qiao Fus face quickly showed signs of rosiness. Under normal circumstances, such concentrated ginseng juice could only be drunk by mixing it with water. However, Qiao Fu was already seriously injured and drinking it directly was not too much for him. Chapter 742 - 742 Taking Care of Grandfather 742 Taking Care of Grandfather What are you doing here! Are you here to laugh at us! When Qiao Zhuang returned and saw Qiao Mei standing beside Qiao Fu, he thought that she wanted to harm him. Qiao Mei pursed her lips resignedly. In the eyes of Qiao Zhuangs family, no matter what she did, she always had ulterior motives. They were the ones who had done all kinds of bad things, but yet they were also the ones blaming others. Seeing that Qiao Mei remained silent, Qiao Zhuang became even more convinced that Qiao Mei was the cause of Qiao Fus current state. He pointed at Qiao Mei and scolded, You little asshole! You harmed my daughter and broke up my eldest sons family. Now, you still want to kill my eldest son! People who passed by stopped in their tracks to see this group of people make a fool of themselves. Everyone discussed the situation animatedly. Some people guessed that Qiao Mei was a mistress who broke up someones family. Some people even said that this man had let Qiao Mei down and that Qiao Mei had come to seek revenge, and that the man deserved it. Anyway, they said all kinds of things, no matter how unpleasant they sounded. Your son wants to kill me and my grandfather, snatch my grandfathers assets and kick me out of the house. Someone will come and tell you about this. You should save him now. Qiao Mei ignored Qiao Zhuangs cursing and prepared to help Qiao Qiang into the room for a checkup. Qiao Zhuang grabbed onto Qiao Mei and shouted, You cant leave! You have to give me money to treat my son! If you dont give me money, my son wont be able to see a doctor! Give me the money to save him! Qiao Qiang endured the pain in his abdomen and went up to give Qiao Zhuang a tight slap. The sound echoed throughout the entire corridor. Second brother, you should quickly bring Qiao Fu for treatment. Dont waste too much time. If anything happens, no one will be able to explain themselves, Qiao Qiang said viciously. Qiao Zhuang covered his face and looked at Qiao Qiang angrily. He was already so old and yet he had been slapped in public. It was simply embarrassing! Eldest brother! Eldest brother, whats wrong! Qiao Wang stood by Qiao Fus bedside and shouted, not knowing what to do. Qiao Fus body had gradually turned cold and even the medicine in the IV bottle stopped infusing. Qiao Zhuang no longer had time to argue with Qiao Mei and quickly ran to the doctor for help. In the end, Qiao Fu was intubated and given oxygen, and the family rushed to the provincial city. After Qiao Mei brought Qiao Qiang for the gastric checkup, they rushed back home. The doctor said that Qiao Qiangs health was actually not too bad and that the previous ulcers in his stomach and intestines had all healed. It was quite miraculous. After hearing that, Qiao Qiang was in a good mood. His gastric problems had already been resolved, so that meant he could live longer. The doctor even promised him that as long as he took good care of his own body, he could live for as long as he wanted! Mei Mei, this matter is really strange. That tree has been fine for so many years. Even when there was a landslide, it did not collapse. Why did it fall down for no reason today? I took a closer look and it really wasnt chopped off. Do you think your grandmother is protecting me? Qiao Qiang looked in the direction of the back mountain and sighed. I think so. Thats why you have to take good care of yourself and not let grandmother worry about you, Qiao Mei said, conveniently making use of the topic. Qiao Mei knew very well how that big tree fell. She just wanted Qiao Qiang to take better care of himself. After all, the tales of ghosts and deities were not substantiated. There were people who believed in them and people who did not. It was also a good thing to let Qiao Qiang believe that her grandmother was protecting him. Xiao Wei, you should hurry home as well. Tell your mother not to worry. Your elder sister and I are fine now. Qiao Qiang smiled and patted Zhang Weis head. Zhang Wei frowned and refused to leave. He turned to look at Qiao Mei and asked, My mother says that Miao Miao is a girl, so I cant take care of Miao Miao. That means that since elder sister is a girl, elder sister cant take care of grandfather. Then can I take care of grandfather? Qiao Mei nodded and said, Yes you can. Youre quite quick-witted. But do you still have the energy to take care of grandfather at night after you go to school during the day? I can do it! Zhang Wei flexed his arms and showed Qiao Mei his biceps, exerting all his strength to squeeze out the muscles. Alright, alright. Come over when youre free. Go home now and tell mom about what happened. Come back tomorrow to stay with grandfather, Qiao Mei said. Zhang Wei skipped out the door happily and ran home singing. Its not like I have a big problem and I dont need Xiao Wei to take care of me. Dont tire the child out. You can talk to him again tomorrow. Qiao Qiang looked in the direction where Zhang Wei had left with heartache. Chapter 743 Amputation "Xiao Wei must be trying to make up for something. At that time, Zhang Miao was seriously injured but Zhang Wei could not help at all. After all, Miao Miao is a girl. Now that you''re sick, he wants to do his best to take care of you and show his filial piety. Besides, I''m here to help him," Qiao Mei said with a smile. After helping Qiao Qiang to wipe down his body, the two of them quickly went to bed. The entire village was silent that day. It was not easy for Qiao Zhuang and the rest to reach the big hospital in the provincial city. This hospital in the provincial city was indeed different from the one in the county city. It looked grander and was more than twice the size of the county city hospital! Qiao Gui stood at the door and muttered to himself, "This is my first time in the provincial city. This place is really grand. It looks like it''s going to be expensive. Do we have that much money?" Wang Qin quickly covered Qiao Gui''s mouth and pulled him to the side. "Don''t mention money. Your father will definitely eye all our money! Didn''t you go into the mountains with your eldest brother today? Did you see who harmed him?" Qiao Gui did not go to the mountain with Qiao Fu at all. He had indeed accompanied Qiao Fu out of the house today, but after they went into the mountain, they split up. Qiao Gui was timid and scared, so he secretly went home using another route. He did not set out to harm Qiao Mei at all and did not even go up the mountain. "I went home! I think my eldest brother is too extreme. We can''t really cause Qiao Mei to have a miscarriage. There are two lives living inside Qiao Mei. Who knows, Qiao Mei might just die together with them. When the police come to investigate the case, my eldest brother and I will have to go to jail! I''m not clever, but I''m not stupid!" Qiao Gui whispered. Wang Qin had wanted to say that Qiao Gui was a coward, but she looked at him differently now. What Qiao Gui said made sense. She also hated Qiao Mei, and she would dare to feed Qiao Mei some croton that would cause diarrhea, but she also did not have the guts to do anything that could cause Qiao Mei to die. "Let''s pretend that you don''t know anything about this. You didn''t do anything. Don''t even say that you didn''t go, understand?" Wang Qin whispered into Qiao Gui''s ear. Qiao Gui nodded. He understood the stakes and would not take the blame for his eldest brother for no reason. Less than five minutes after entering the operating theater, the doctor came out and asked, "Who''s Qiao Fu''s family member?" Qiao Zhuang quickly walked forward and held the doctor''s hand as he said, "Me! I''m his father! How''s my son?" "You have to make a quick decision now. The patient can''t keep his legs. To save his life, we have to amputate them. We have no other choice," the doctor said regretfully. It was not as if the doctor was not skillful. Even if an immortal came, Qiao Fu would still be unable to keep his legs. "How can this be! Doctor, you have to save my son''s legs! He can''t be disabled! Please save him!" Qiao Zhuang cried. "We''ve tried our best. I''ll give you five minutes to consider. This is the best option," the doctor said. "Alright! Amputate them" After saying this, Qiao Zhuang collapsed to the ground as if all his strength had been sucked out of him. "Alright, go and make payment." The doctor then returned to the operating theater. None of Qiao Zhuang''s surrounding sons and daughters-in-law went forward to help him up. When they heard about making payment, everyone''s expressions changed. Not long ago, their families had just contributed the money for the fourth son''s marriage. Now, they had to fork out the money to treat the eldest son''s illness. This surgery would cost at least a few hundred dollars. The subsequent treatments would also cost money. Qiao Zhuang had no intention to pay for this. He turned to look at Zhao Liang. It was now the autumn harvest season and the money to buy seeds for next year should have already been transferred to the village. This money was an accumulation of contributions from everyone in order to buy seeds for next year. Any excess was set aside so that the villagers could borrow money from the village during emergencies. "Xiao Liang, look at my Qiao Fu. Can you give us some money from the village fund for emergencies? We really don''t have any money left," Qiao Zhuang stood up from the ground and said shamelessly. Zhao Liang did not want to lend them the money at all. After they borrowed the money, they would never return it. When the time came, he would have to make up for it. Qiao Zhuang and the rest had already done this once a few years ago. "This is the village''s money and I can''t lend it to you. Why don''t you send a few people home to raise the money. I can send them all back in a horse carriage," Zhao Liang said with a smile. Chapter 744 Shorten Ones Lifespan Seeing that Zhao Liang was so stubborn, Qiao Zhuang could only place all his hopes on his family. He glanced at his children and everyone avoided his gaze. Only Qiao Wang and Jiang Ye looked at Qiao Zhuang openly. "Qiao Wang, go home and find some way to borrow some money for your eldest brother," Qiao Zhuang said. "Father, I''m not very popular in the village. You might as well ask my second sister-in-law to go and borrow money. She knows so many people and there must be many people who are willing to lend it to her. Isn''t my second sister-in-law in charge of the finances in our family?" Qiao Wang said slyly. With just a few words, he tossed the hot potato to Wang Qin. Wang Qin looked at Qiao Wang with a dark expression. He was usually quiet at home, but he was quite good at pushing the responsibility at critical moments. At the moment, Qiao Zhuang only had 100 dollars left in his pocket. It was probably not even enough to pay for half of the surgery fees. Qiao Zhuang thought about it and finally said, "All of you go back with Zhao Liang and quickly go to Qiao Mei''s house to ask for money. Tell your eldest uncle that this is his biological nephew. Ask him if he would leave his nephew in the lurch! Otherwise, if he really dies, we''ll put him outside their door!" Zhao Liang pursed his lips helplessly. He was an outsider and could not say anything about this matter. He had finally seen how shameless Qiao Zhuang''s family was. This matter had nothing to do with Qiao Mei and Qiao Qiang. The two of them were also victims and Qiao Mei had even taken care of Qiao Fu for a while. Such kind people were still bullied by Qiao Zhuang and the rest. It was really inhumane of this family. After rushing back on the horse carriage for half a day, they finally reached the village. Qiao Wang did not intend to get involved in this matter at all and grabbed Jiang Ye to go home to rest. Qiao Gui was worried that he would get into trouble if Qiao Fu died, so he went straight to Qiao Mei''s house to ask for money without returning home. Zhao Liang also followed him there. As soon as they entered the house, Qiao Gui knelt on the ground and said without looking up, "Uncle! Please save my eldest brother! This matter started because of you! You can''t leave my eldest big brother in the lurch!" Qiao Mei and Qiao Qiang looked at Qiao Gui and laughed loudly. Qiao Qiang could not move his abdomen or he would hurt his ribs. It was painful for him to laugh. This was because Qiao Gui was kneeling where Qiao Mei was standing. "Second uncle, what are you doing? What''s so urgent that you have to kneel down to me. I''m worried that this will shorten my lifespan. Second uncle, you should get up and talk," Qiao Mei said as she held back her laughter. Qiao Qiang tried his best not to laugh. He felt really uncomfortable holding it back and held the blanket tightly to distract himself. His ribs hurt when he laughed. When Qiao Gui looked up and saw that it was Qiao Mei, he stood up from the ground with a dark expression and said unhappily, "You have to be responsible for my eldest brother. Give me the money quickly. My eldest brother needs money to save his life." Qiao Mei sat on the brick bed and said slowly, "You say that we''re responsible for your eldest brother? Responsible for what? It was your eldest brother who beat up my grandfather so badly. We''ve already filed a report in the county city. The armed forces department will come to your house soon. If there''s anything you want to say, you should say it to them." Qiao Mei was not lying. She had indeed spoken to Chen Hu on the phone and he had already sent people to the mountain to investigate the scene. There would probably be news from him tomorrow morning. Qiao Gui was instantly afraid. Although he was not the one who hurt Qiao Qiang, he had also participated that day. According to the law, this could be considered an attempted murder. "My eldest brother I didn''t see anything I don''t know how my eldest brother got injured. Maybe he bumped into something supernatural and the big tree smashed into him. But my eldest brother is also Uncle''s biological nephew. Uncle, you can''t just leave him in the lurch!" Qiao Gui said in a panic. Out of humanitarian reasons, Qiao Mei wanted to give Qiao Fu some money. After all, while the others did not know the truth of the matter, she was indeed the one who brought down the big tree. Her original intention was only to break Qiao Fu''s bones, but she did not expect that both his legs had to be amputated. "How much?" Qiao Mei asked. Qiao Gui asked for an exorbitant amount of 500 dollars. Zhao Liang looked at Qiao Gui in shock. The doctor clearly said that 260 dollars was enough, but Qiao Zhuang''s entire family really behaved in the same way. They were all scumbags. He could not afford to offend Qiao Zhuang''s family. If not for the fact that he was afraid of them all these years, he would not have been bullied by them. However, he did not want to lie to Qiao Mei. Qiao Qiang and Qiao Mei treated him very well. Zhao Liang could only madly wave two fingers at Qiao Mei and blink continuously to let her know how much it really cost. Chapter 745 Do Not Press A Desperate Foe Too Hard Qiao Mei nodded, took out 100 dollars from her pocket and threw it on the ground. "Take it. I know you took money from the He family. You have plenty of money to treat Qiao Fu''s illness. If you don''t want me to expose you, then just take the money to treat your eldest brother. Otherwise, you won''t be able to get even this 100 dollars." Qiao Gui reluctantly picked up the 100 dollars from the ground and left without saying anything. Zhao Liang looked outside worriedly and said, "You shouldn''t force him to the edge like this. When one''s in a desperate situation, one will decide to resist. If you force his family to a dead end, that woman Wang Qin is not an easy one to deal with too." Qiao Qiang also agreed with Zhao Liang''s point of view. In battle, there was a military strategy called "when you surround an army, leave an outlet free". What it meant was to leave an escape route for the enemy at all times and not forcing the enemy to the stage of desperation, so as to lower their defenses and make them less determined to fight to the death. There was no need to be afraid of how powerful the enemy was. No matter how powerful an enemy was, there would always be weaknesses. However, when a weak enemy disregarded life and death and was prepared to fight to the death, then this was truly the most terrifying enemy of all. "No worries. They don''t have that kind of guts. They''ve already injured my grandfather so badly, yet they still dare to cause trouble for me. They must be tired of living!" Qiao Mei said as she looked at Zhao Liang with a murderous glint in her eyes. Zhao Liang did not berate Qiao Mei for being extreme, but laughed out loud instead. He pointed at Qiao Mei and said, "Uncle Qiao, look at your granddaughter. This is truly the child you raised. The way she speaks is exactly the same as you. She''s just like you when you were young!" When he was young, he was good friends with Qiao Mei''s father, Qiao Yue. Every time he saw Qiao Qiang, his heart would be filled with admiration. This was the reason why he wanted to become a soldier. He had always felt that Qiao Qiang was a great hero and he also wanted to become someone like Qiao Qiang. "Hahahaha, that''s right. If my Mei Mei is a boy, she will definitely be a top army warrior! She won''t lose to my grandson-in-law, Xia Zhe, at all! It''s hard to say who will emerge the winner between the two of them!" Qiao Qiang said with a laugh. Qiao Mei said confidently, "Hmph, no matter if I''m a man or a woman, he will lose to me!" "That''s right, that''s right. Xia Zhe has already lost to you for the rest of his life," Qiao Qiang said. "Qiao Mei, I still want to give you a reminder. Be careful of them and don''t let them hurt you. During this period of time, I''ll investigate this matter carefully. You and your grandfather should recuperate well," Zhao Liang said. Qiao Mei understood Zhao Liang''s concern. After sending Zhao Liang off, she felt unhappy and suddenly had the thought of going to the capital immediately. If she had managed to persuade her grandfather to go to the capital earlier, they might not have run into such trouble. However, if they went to the capital, the people from the Liang family were still lurking around and it would still be annoying at some point in time. They would not have any peace and quiet even if they went to the capital. If they stayed in the village, they might get murdered. It was a difficult situation of being stuck being a rock and a hard place. "Mei Mei! Come here!" Qiao Qiang shouted towards the outside of the house. Qiao Mei carried the ginseng tea into the house and placed the teacup beside Qiao Qiang. She looked at Qiao Qiang quietly and waited for him to lecture her. She knew that the way she gave Qiao Gui the money just now was like dismissing a beggar and that he would definitely hate her for it, but she just could not take it lying down. "Stay away from their house for the time being, understand? Also, tell Xiao Wei and the other children to be careful and not to get into conflict with the children from Qiao Zhuang''s family. I heard from Zhang Wei that Qiao Gui''s eldest son always bullies Zhang Wei because he''s older," Qiao Qiang said worriedly. Bullying? Why had Zhang Wei never mentioned this to her? Qiao Mei had never taken the children''s small fights seriously. It was normal for children to quarrel with each other, especially boys. After they quarreled, they usually became closer. However, a fight with violent tendencies was bullying. How could Zhang Wei be a match for those people? This silly child was really being way too sensible if he did not even tell them about such things. "I understand. I''ll talk to him. When Uncle Hu finds the evidence, we can send Qiao Fu to jail!" Qiao Mei said. Qiao Qiang nodded. He was not a person who was kind to a fault. At that time, he had saved Qiao Fu because Qiao Fu did not deserve to die yet. The key was to let Qiao Fu go to prison and learn how to behave. He did not intend to let anyone involved with this matter go scot-free. Now that Qiao Fu''s legs were going to be amputated, it was hard to say if he would be able to come out alive after going to jail. Chapter 746 Something Not Worth Talking About The next day, just after dawn, Qiao Mei boiled a big pot full of water. The weather was gradually getting colder. In addition to having to light the fire every day for warmth, she also had to boil a lot of hot water. She suddenly missed the water heater at Xia Fang''s house. It would be nice to have an automatic device. It was such a strenuous process now and one could freeze to death while taking a bath! The water would turn cold not long after it was put into the bathtub. Now that she was pregnant, she did not dare to touch the cold water at all. Every time she took a bath, she had to ask Li Gui for help. There would be two big pots of hot water boiling outside. Once the bathwater turned cold, Li Gui would quickly hand her more hot water. It was already good enough that she could take a bath once a week. They did not dare to install any sewerage pipes in the house. If rats entered the house through the pipes, their toes could get bitten off! Auntie Wang was the one who told them about this when everyone gathered together for a casual chat. Although they did not know if it was true, the big rats in the countryside were really daring enough to bite humans. Not long after, Chen Hu and Xiao Bei stopped the car in front of Qiao Qiang''s house and got out with a dark expression. They had gone up the mountain to collect evidence but found nothing, so they could not be sure that it was Qiao Fu who did it. "Uncle Hu, Xiaobei, you''re here. Grandfather is in the house," Qiao Mei said. "I''m really sorry. I didn''t expect anyone to want to kill you in my territory. It''s my fault," Chen Hu said with a solemn expression. No one could predict the future. No one expected Qiao Fu to want to harm any of them. In her other life, Qiao Mei had come into contact with such cases often and knew all about such crimes like the back of her hand. "Let''s talk inside, Uncle Hu. My grandfather is still in the house." Qiao Mei led Chen Hu and Xiaobei into the house. Qiao Qiang lay quietly on the bed. There was a thick round of bandage wrapped around his head and his waist was strapped between wooden planks to prevent him from moving around in his sleep. When Chen Hu saw Qiao Qiang like this, he almost knelt down. It was not his fault for misunderstanding the situation. Qiao Mei had never had to deal with such a serious injury before. She went a little overboard with the bandages around his head and the splint also looked quite scary. "Oh, Chen Hu is here. Sit down and talk. I''m fine. It''s Qiao Mei who''s making a mountain out of a molehill," Qiao Qiang said nonchalantly. "Uncle Hu, did you manage to find any clues?" Qiao Mei asked as she sat on the stool. Chen Hu looked at Qiao Mei, then at Qiao Qiang and shook his head helplessly. Qiao Mei already knew that this would be the outcome. In her other life, she had handled countless criminal cases and many of them were similar to what she was going through now. Moreover, the person lying in the hospital now was Qiao Fu. Even if Qiao Fu had wanted to kill Qiao Qiang, it was only considered an attempted murder. There were no witnesses and no accomplices. Even if they arrested Qiao Fu and sent him to jail, it would only take a few days before he was released. "It''s alright, Uncle Hu. I''m making new arrangements for this matter. It''s been hard on you and Xiaobei to need to go to the mountains to look for clues." Qiao Mei took out all the remaining foodstuffs from the storeroom and loaded them up for Chen Hu to bring back. After Chen Hu put down the tonics and supplements he brought, he left Qiao Mei''s house. He reminded her repeatedly to call him no matter what happened in the future. Qiao Mei was lying when she said that she had an idea about what to do. She had taken Zhao Liang''s words to heart. Qiao Fu had already paid a tragic price by losing his legs. If he dared to have any ill intentions again, she would have to teach Qiao Zhuang and his entire family a lesson. "Why don''t you let Chen Hu take Qiao Fu away? Weren''t you bent on letting Qiao Fu spend the rest of his life in jail yesterday?" Qiao Qiang lay on the bed and said with a smile. "I''m trying to accumulate merit! Although Qiao Fu wants to take our lives, we can''t really take his life in return. If we can''t afford to offend him, we can hide. If there''s really no other way, we can go to the capital immediately," Qiao Mei said as she touched her stomach. Qiao Qiang had thought about this matter for the entire night. He also felt like going to the capital immediately. He was not afraid of others calling him a coward or and saying that he left Foshan Village because he was scared of Qiao Zhuang''s family. If he lost his life, what reputation would there be to care about? Now that Qiao Zhuang''s family wanted to take his life because of his house, who knew what other shocking things they could do in the future. He did not have much assets at all. He only had a house, a thatched storeroom, his family''s private plot of land and a few mu of land in the village. As he and Qiao Mei could not farm, he had leased out all the land and collected rent every year. The rent was only two dollars a year. For Qiao Qiang and Qiao Mei, these assets were too miniscule to even mention. Chapter 747 Learning To Cook It was better to wait until there was a chance in the future to slowly deal with Qiao Zhuang''s family. They probably would not have too many chances to do that in this life. Soon, they would leave Foshan Village for good. They might even want to bring Li Gui and the children to the capital in the future. The educational system there was better. Also, these children were all smart. Zhang Wei could go with Xia Xiu to join the army, Zhang Chao could learn from Xia Wen and eventually enter the university, Zhang Qin could learn dance from Xia He, and Zhang Miao would likely recover faster if she went to the capital to recuperate. With Zhang Wei''s help, Qiao Mei became even more proficient in taking care of Qiao Qiang. After a few days, Qiao Qiang could sleep soundly without needing the splint. Qiao Mei asked Zhang Wei to apply a hot towel to Qiao Qiang''s ribs every day. The towel was soaked with water that was mixed with a large amount of 100-year-old ginseng juice. She believed that Qiao Qiang''s body would recover very quickly after absorbing it for a few more days. At this moment, it was an important period of the autumn harvest. Everyone was focused on working in the fields and every family was busy. Qiao Mei did not intend to idle at home. She brought the excess vegetables from her house to the kitchen of the village canteen. This village canteen only opened during the spring and autumn harvest seasons. In the beginning, free food was provided here. The higher-ups would distribute food and the villagers would eat whatever was given. However, the amount of food they grew could not meet the requirements of the higher-ups at all. Later on, in order to reduce losses, they continued to distribute food, but asked everyone to use food stamps to pay for the food. After that, fewer people came. The people who did manual work needed to eat a lot of food every day. Auntie Dong said that her husband could eat six big steamed buns in one meal. When he was full, he could work more nimbly. The food here was not delicious at all. No one liked to go to the canteen to eat. If this continued, the village canteen would close soon. "Mei Mei, you''re here! Are you eating at the canteen because you didn''t cook today?" Auntie Dong said warmly. Back then, Auntie Dong did not manage to become the director of women''s affairs, but she became a manager in the village canteen and she seemed smug every day. As the saying went, food was the most important thing for the people. She might be just a manager but she was in charge of the most important thing! However, the "most important thing" that she cooked was really unpalatable. Many villagers had to brace themselves when they came to the village canteen to eat. "I''m here to help. I think you''re all so tired. I have nothing to do at home now. Since I''m pregnant, I should do some appropriate physical activities." After saying that, Qiao Mei picked up the kitchen knife and started cutting vegetables. It was going to be mealtime soon. Many people did not come to the canteen immediately when it was time to eat. They would always consider it for a long time. "Huh? Why does the food taste different today?" Uncle Dong asked as he looked at Auntie Dong. Auntie Dong smiled so widely that the corners of her mouth almost reached her ears. She said happily, "You''re really lucky to be here today. Qiao Mei is here to cook in our canteen! You have to eat more today." Soon, the news that Qiao Mei was helping out in the canteen spread around. People who did not usually go to the village canteen to eat arrived at the canteen on time every day, afraid that there would be no more food if they were late. Qiao Mei continued to help out here for more than half a month. By then, everyone''s favorable impression of her could no longer be described as fondness. It was more like admiration. Those who had daughters in the family used Qiao Mei as an example and asked them to learn from her and try their best to be "the second Qiao Mei in the village". This was so that when it was time they got married in the future, they would not be left on the shelves. In the past two days, there were even people who brought their 10-year-old daughters to the village canteen to follow Qiao Mei around and learn culinary skills from her. They wanted to know how she could cook so well. As time passed, Qiao Mei could not stand the fact that there were so many children following behind her every day. It was as if she was a hen with a bunch of chicks behind her every day. "Aunties, let the kids go home. There are so many kids crowding around here that there''s no room to do actual work," Qiao Mei said. "My child is already 16 years old and doesn''t know how to cook! I''m so anxious! She''s at the age to get married, but why doesn''t she worry about it?" Auntie Zhang, who worked in the canteen, said anxiously. "I only started cooking after I got married. Don''t you know what I used to be like?" Qiao Mei said with a smile. Auntie Zhang sighed. How could her children compare to Qiao Mei? They were stupid and were not good at anything. Chapter 748 - 748 Awake 748 Awake Now that Qiao Mei was becoming more and more famous in the village, many people said that Qiao Mei was like the leader of the village. As long as Qiao Mei had any issue, the entire village would help her without any hesitation. There was a bumper harvest this autumn. In the past, the yield was not as high as this year, so everyone was much more tired from work than in the past. In the past few years, after the autumn harvest, they all looked like they had peeled off a layer of skin. This year, however, they all looked radiant after finishing their work. Everyone looked more energetic than usual. This was all thanks to Qiao Mei. Who would not be motivated to work hard if there was delicious food to eat every day? The autumn harvest is over. Dont go to the canteen anymore. Rest at home. Qiao Qiang looked at Qiao Mei with heartache. After working so hard during this period of time, Qiao Mei had lost a lot of weight. If this continued, she would be malnourished after giving birth. Alright, Ill listen to grandfather. I wont go tomorrow. Qiao Mei carefully removed the bandage on Qiao Qiangs head. The wound had already started to heal. He would be able to go to the clinic to remove the stitches after another week. However, there would always be a scar as long as a finger on Qiao Qiangs head. This scar would serve as a reminder to Qiao Mei that Qiao Zhuangs family had harmed them. Qiao Qiang snapped his fingers and interrupted Qiao Meis thoughts. He said calmly, Cool down and dont think too much. Qiao Zhuang wont let the matter rest. Lets just wait quietly. Qiao Mei nodded. In fact, she had not let down her guard for more than half a month and had been keeping an eye on Qiao Zhuangs family. She heard that Qiao Zhuang had brought Qiao Gui into the mountains many times and would stay at that tree for a long time every time. Qiao Zhuang was indeed thinking the same thing as Qiao Mei. He still wanted to blame Qiao Qiangs family for what happened to Qiao Fu, but no matter how hard he investigated, he could not find any clues. On Qiao Fus third day in the hospital, he gradually woke up. His eyes were dull and he looked as if his soul had been sucked out of him. He looked as if he had been possessed. In reality, Qiao Fu also thought that he had been possessed. The people in the northeast believed in such things and that there were animals in the mountains which had absorbed the essence of the world after living for a long time and became spirits. They would call such an animal the Great Immortal. Ordinary people would not be able to see a Great Immortal, and only those who were fated would meet one. Legends had it that as long as one saw a Great Immortal appear and help one to survive a calamity and reach enlightenment, the Great Immortal would protect one for the rest of ones life. However, if one accidentally offended the Great Immortal, ones life would be over. Hurry up and tell us what happened! Youre making us so anxious! Did Qiao Qiang harm you? Ill go and confront their family now! Qiao Zhuang said. Qiao Fu stared blankly at the ceiling and said, No I was possessed That big tree just smashed straight at me Do you think Qiao Qiang had something on him? Or maybe the place I was at was a little too particular and I offended the Great Immortal. As soon as he said this, all the family members could not help but have goosebumps. They heard from the elders in the village that if one offended the Great Immortal, ones family could forget about living. Everyone was afraid that what Qiao Fu said was true. Nonsense! This is all nonsense that the village says to fool people! Have you ever seen anyone who has really met such a thing? Theyre just talking rubbish. Dont scare people with such things. Qiao Zhuang pointed at Qiao Fu and scolded him. But isnt the Guo family a perfect example? Back then, their family was so poor that they couldnt even afford to eat and they didnt even have a house. Later on, after Old Guos father went to the mountains, he came back and became rich. Look at how well the Guo family is doing now, Wang Qin said softly. Everyone knew about this matter. It was impossible that Old Guo had found gold in the mountain. Qiao Zhuang also did not know how to explain this matter. After the Guo family became rich, many people went to that mountain to search around, but no one found anything. Later on, the Guo family even built a small temple on that mountain to burn incense and worship there. Qiao Zhuang decided to leave Qiao Fu in the hospital and all of them went home. It would cause a delay in their work if they accompanied Qiao Fu every day. If they delayed it for a few more days, the work points from the autumn harvest would not be allocated to any of them. Initially, the doctor had suggested that Qiao Fu be discharged after two months but Qiao Zhuang insisted on bringing him home before he completed his treatments. The family really did not have the money for him to continue with his treatments in the provincial city hospital. If this continued, they would have to sell their house. They sent him to stay for two days at the clinic after he got home. It would not cost them anything for him to stay there. They reckoned that getting an IV drip would be good enough to keep him alive. Chapter 749 - 749 A Woman’s Thoughts Are Impossible to Fathom 749 A Womans Thoughts Are Impossible to Fathom Qiao Zhuang originally wanted to go back to the village to cause trouble for Qiao Qiang. On his way back, he passed by the village entrance and heard someone say that Qiao Qiang, who never believed in ghosts and evil spirits, had bought more than 100 dollars worth of paper money and gold and silver offerings. He had loaded a truck full of the offerings and went to the back mountain, kowtowing while burning them. He looked extremely pious while doing that. Qiao Qiang had relied on his own strength to fight on the battlefield for so many years. It was surprising that he believed in such things when he became old. Coupled with what Qiao Fu had said to them, could it be that Qiao Fu had really offended something supernatural Qiao Zhuang shook his head forcefully. These were stories that people told to scare children. How could he believe what these people in the village said? That would be simply crazy! !! Wang Qin had been staying at home during this period of time and did not go to work in the village at all. Although she said that she had been too tired from taking care of Qiao Fu recently and wanted to rest at home, she actually just wanted to lie low. Everyone knew that she and Qiao Mei had always been at odds, and now Qiao Fu had failed to harm Qiao Qiang and ended up crippled instead. Qiao Gui had already told her everything in detail after he came back from getting money at Qiao Meis house. Qiao Mei had already gone to Chen Hu from the armed forces department and asked him to gather evidence, but these people had not come to look for them after more than half a month. There were only two possibilities. The first possibility was that Qiao Mei did not manage to find any evidence. This matter was exactly as Qiao Fu had said, and it was caused by supernatural beings. The second possibility was that Qiao Mei had found evidence but did not want to expose it and was waiting for an opportunity to wipe out their entire family. The latter was more like Qiao Meis style. What has your father asked you to do recently? Wang Qin asked. Qiao Gui looked at Wang Qin impatiently. Wang Qin could ask this question 800 times a day. Every time, Qiao Gui had to give a precise answer, the kind that had to be verbatim. It was as if she had gone crazy and was possessed. What exactly are you doing? You ask me so many times every day. Its so annoying! My father didnt tell me anything today! He just went to see eldest brother! Qiao Gui said with a frown. Wang Qin patted her chest and felt relieved. Fortunately, she did not ask Qiao Gui to take revenge on Qiao Meis family. She must quickly raise the money and find a way to live in the county city. Originally, she thought that although Qiao Zhuangs family was the village tyrant, they never did anything outrageous. She was also a person who liked to take advantage of others. With such in-laws backing her up, her life had been smooth-sailing over the past few years. However, she never dreamed that Qiao Zhuang would ask Qiao Fu and Qiao Gui to kill someone! They could go to jail! She was a woman and did not understand anything, but she knew one thing. A life for a life! If Qiao Gui went to jail, she would not be able to survive with the children in this wolf den of a house. That would be like killing her. Now that everyone in the family was leaving one by one, she had to make plans early. Lets bring the children to the county city, Wang Qin suddenly said to Qiao Gui as she lay on the brick bed. Qiao Gui looked at Wang Qin in confusion, not knowing what was wrong with her again. She was still wide awake in the middle of the night. Now, not only was Qiao Zhuang torturing him in this house, but even Wang Qin was acting crazy. Where can we go? We dont even know anyone in the county city, so why are we going to that unfamiliar place? Besides, we dont have any money and our household register is in the village. I heard from others that Li Gui didnt get any food stamps in the city when she was there. How are we going to survive? Qiao Gui said. Wang Qin fell into deep thought. She had only thought about going to the city to earn money, but she had not thought about the issue with food stamps. She did not know about many things, but she knew that if she continued to stay here, something bad would happen sooner or later. They were dead either way. Wang Qin covered her face and cried. For the first time in her life, she felt afraid that she would lose her husband and her children would get killed by Qiao Zhuang. Her daughter would end up like Qiao Yu, or even worse. What can we do I dont want to be here anymore Wang Qin cried aggrievedly. Qiao Gui quickly pulled Wang Qin into his arms and asked her to lower her voice so that she would not wake the children up. He did not understand what Wang Qin was worried about at all. He did not do anything and Qiao Zhuang did not say anything. Why was she crying like this? A womans thoughts were impossible to fathom! He could not figure it out at all. Alright, alright, dont cry. Im not dead and I wont be disabled like my eldest brother. Why are you crying? Whats there to cry about, go to sleep quickly, Qiao Gui said as he patted Wang Qins head. Chapter 750 - 750 The Injury Has Almost Fully Recovered 750 The Injury Has Almost Fully Recovered In the end, Wang Qin became tired from crying and fell asleep in Qiao Guis arms. Qiao Gui also slowly fell asleep. A few more peaceful days passed. Today was a rare day when everyone went to Qiao Meis place for a gathering. Some of Qiao Meis new sunflowers were ready for harvest so she had invited everyone to go and try the seeds! Qiao Mei, my sunflowers dont grow as fast as yours, but theyre also almost ready. These seeds are indeed big, Auntie Dong said as she grabbed a handful of seeds and placed them in her palm. Qiao Mei had actually secretly forced the seeds to ripen last night! Recently, she had been idle and always felt like eating something. If she gave in to her cravings, then when it was mealtime, she could not eat anything. Hence, Qiao Mei snacked on seeds whenever she had cravings. It was also a good opportunity for everyone to see how good this new variety of seeds was. Once the news got out, everyone would be able to earn money. Im really envious of you. I should have listened to Qiao Mei back then and planted them when I bought them. Im one week behind you and the difference is not just a little bit. I just hope that it snows later this year, otherwise I wont get any seeds! Auntie Wang said with heartache. Its your fault for not believing in Qiao Mei! You just had to wait for us to plant before you started planting! Auntie Dong said. Auntie Wang rolled her eyes at Auntie Dong. This was called being cautious! Who would dare to plant a new variety just like that? Even Qiao Mei had never planted it before, so of course she had to wait and see. I definitely wont hesitate next time! Ill grow whatever you grow! Qiao Mei, do you have any other new varieties? Auntie Wang looked at Qiao Mei expectantly. Qiao Mei took some apples from the storeroom and distributed one to each of them. I havent found anything yet! When I have something good, Ill definitely let you know! Everyone believed in Qiao Meis character. She would share whatever good things she had with them and would definitely not treat them badly. Qiao Mei, did you hear that Qiao Zhuangs family is back? Auntie Wang whispered. I dont know. Ive been busy recently. What happened? Qiao Mei asked. Auntie Dong patted Auntie Wangs thigh. She was the one who should be reporting such juicy gossip. She knew a lot of things that others did not. Come, let me tell you! That day, I saw Qiao Zhuang and his family coming back looking very depressed, and they had Qiao Fu in a carriage with a blanket over his head! Those who didnt know better would think that its a funeral. The whole family had such dark expressions and didnt say anything. It was so scary! Auntie Dong said vividly. Everyone chimed in. A few of them had gathered at the village entrance to chit chat that day and they had seen the expressions on Qiao Zhuangs family members. It was not an exaggeration for Auntie Dong to describe that it was like a funeral! They were just short of tying up a big white flower and crying out a few times! I heard that Qiao Fus legs were amputated and he almost got castrated! This is really karma for evil people. Now, he lies at home every day and his mother, Shen Ge, takes care of him. Now that Qiao Fus wife is gone and his daughter ran away in anger, hes left alone, Auntie Dong said. Qiao Mei did not say anything about Liu Ying working in the county armed forces department, nor did she ask Chen Hu to tell Liu Ying about this matter. Telling Liu Ying about Qiao Fu would just be hurting her. With Qiao Fus current state, he would definitely need someone to take care of him for the rest of his life. Liu Ying had already been abused by that family for half her life. Did she have to continue to suffer for the rest of her life? As for Qiao Hua, both Qiao Mei and Liu Ying could not manage to contact her anymore. She would have to walk her own path. Qiao Mei, hows your grandfather? My husband came home and told me that your grandfather was also seriously injured, Wang Wus wife said worriedly. Hes fine. The stitches on his head can be removed tomorrow. The wound is almost healed, Qiao Mei said lightly. As the saying went, it would take 100 days for one to recover from a serious injury. Qiao Qiang was almost fully recovered after a month and it really shocked everyone. It seemed that it was true to say that there was a Great Immortal in the mountains protecting Qiao Qiang. Its good to hear that your grandfather is fine. We are all so worried, Wang Wus wife said. Although Qiao Qiang had killed countless people in the army when he was young, it was to protect his country and the people. It was something that benefited the world and he was a great hero. Such a hero would definitely get help from the Great Immortals in the mountains if he got into trouble. Their village relied on Qiao Qiangs reputation to get things done outside. Other villages did not have such a hero, and only their village did. Usually, the county city would also give priority to their village when there were any benefits. Chapter 751 - 751 Cancel the Marriage Plans 751 Cancel the Marriage Plans I see that everyone has been looking quite down recently. Whats the matter? Qiao Mei sized up everyone and asked. Auntie Wang sighed and said, Sigh Qiao Mei, you dont have to earn work points in the village, so you dont know how chaotic it has been for the past two days. We dont know whats wrong with Wang Qin. After she returned to the village, she said that she was sick and stayed at home every day. There is still a lot of work waiting for her in the village office. If this goes on, our family wont have any food. She is probably traumatized. In the middle of the night, Qiao Fu would kick up a fuss and say that he deserves to die. He even talks about begging the Great Immortal to spare his life. He would say all kinds of nonsense, making my dog bark along too, Auntie Zhou said with dark circles under her eyes. Everyone pointed at Auntie Zhou and laughed loudly. Auntie Zhou was actually younger than all the other women present. Her husband was 14 years older than her! Auntie Zhou paid a lot of attention to maintaining her health and she also looked very exquisite every day. !! She even did manicures! Of course, it was not the modern type of manicure. It was a method passed down from ancient times. This involved collecting the petals of the balsam flowers, mashing up the petals into a paste and then using leaves to wrap the paste on the nails. After a while, the nails would become dyed with color and it would last for a period of time, making them look especially beautiful. Auntie Zhou was the only person in the entire village who could get her hands on balsam flowers. Every once in a while, she would go to the county city to buy some. It was something she was willing to splurge on. Qiao Mei, were you at the scene? Did you see how Qiao Fu got smashed? Auntie Dong asked curiously. She was such a curious person that she had naturally gone to the scene to take a look, but no matter how she looked around, it did not seem like it was a murder attempt that had been planned for a long time. It really looked like an accident. Could it be that Qiao Fu had really offended a Great Immortal in the mountains and that was how he got into such a situation? I didnt see anything. I went down the mountain to get my things and when I got back, I saw that my grandfather was injured, Qiao Mei said aggrievedly. Everyone glared at Auntie Dong reproachfully. Qiao Mei had seemed quite happy initially, but Auntie Dong had to bring up that matter and affect Qiao Meis mood. Originally, the most popular person in the village was Qiao Qiang, followed by Zhao Liang. The person whom everyone was afraid of was Qiao Zhuang. However, Qiao Mei was now the most popular person and no one else could get in line for that title. She was a role model for all the girls in the village and the boys used her as a benchmark for their future wives. Every family liked Qiao Mei. In fact, comparatively, Qiao Qiang and Zhao Liang had never given any substantial benefits to everyone. Not only did Qiao Mei help everyone to get rich, but she also voluntarily went to the canteen to cook during the autumn harvest so that everyone could keep up the strength to work. Every year, everyone would be so tired from the autumn harvest that it was like they had lost a layer of skin. This year, however, everyone had gained a lot of weight. This was all thanks to Qiao Mei. Not only did she cook for everyone, but she also slaughtered three geese and shared them so that everyone had additional nourishment. They definitely liked such a good girl. If anything should happen to Qiao Meis family, they would definitely do their best to help her. As they chatted, the sky soon darkened and everyone went back to cook. Qiao Mei also got busy. At Qiao Zhuangs family, on the other hand, the mood was heavy. The entire family sat together but had nothing to say as they ate quietly. Qiao Liang, set aside your marriage plans for now. Your eldest brother is sick and our family has no money to help you get married, Qiao Zhuang said. Qiao Liang immediately threw down his chopsticks and became unhappy. Why should he bear the costs for Qiao Fus sins? He had already made an agreement with that family to marry the girl soon. If he changed his mind at the last minute, she definitely would not want to be with him anymore. No, Ive already said that this matter cant be changed, Qiao Liang said stubbornly. When Qiao Zhuang heard this, he was so angry that he threw his chopsticks at Qiao Liang and slapped him hard in the face. He said angrily, Your eldest brother is already in such a state! You still want to get married! Which is more important, your eldest brothers life or getting a wife! As if she can run away! All the family members were stubborn people. Qiao Liang stood up and shouted at Qiao Zhuang, No! Back then, you were the one who insisted that eldest brother harm Uncles family. Now, youve gone for wool and come home shorn. Why should I bear the responsibility for your mistakes! If I dont marry her now, what if she marries someone else! So be it! You can marry any other woman! If you dont want to listen to me, then you can get lost! Were the ones paying for your betrothal gifts! How dare you shout at us! Qiao Zhuang said angrily. Chapter 752 Running Away From Home Qiao Liang ignored Qiao Zhuang''s tirade and turned around to return to his room to start packing his things. He did not want to stay in this house for even another day. The fifth son, Qiao Gang, had graduated recently and just found a job in the county city. He had secretly written to Qiao Liang to ask him to join him. The elementary school in the village was located tens of miles away in the neighboring village and the junior high school was located in the county city. Qiao Gang had just graduated from junior high school and immediately went out to work. When they had to decide who to send to school, everyone in the family wanted to give the chance to the fifth son even though Qiao Liang clearly needed the opportunity more. This was because once he missed out on the timing, he would be too old to go to school anymore. Qiao Zhuang did not let him go, but let the fifth son go instead. He had always hated Qiao Zhuang for this decision. Now that his fifth brother had found a job in the county city after graduation and wanted to help him, he was more than willing to go and seek refuge with his fifth brother. "Fourth brother! Are you really going to leave just because Father said a few words to you! Father was just saying things in a fit of anger. Why are you taking it so seriously!" Jiang Ye said as she grabbed Qiao Liang. Jiang Ye and Qiao Wang cared for Qiao Liang the most in this family. In the entire family, only Qiao Wang and Jiang Ye did not fight over anything. The rest of them were infighting all the time. "Sister-in-law, don''t try to dissuade me. I don''t want to stay in this house anymore. When I make a name for myself outside, I''ll definitely come and bring you and third brother away!" Qiao Liang whispered. Seeing that Qiao Liang was determined to leave, Jiang Ye did not stop him. She took out eight dollars from her sleeve and quietly stuffed it into Qiao Liang''s hand. She held his hand and said, "Your brother asks you to take good care of yourself." Qiao Liang looked in Qiao Wang''s direction and immediately understood that it was Qiao Wang who had given him the money. His eyes were filled with tears as he held the money tightly and nodded before running out without looking back. "All of them are really spoiled! I won''t care even if he dies outside! He''ll definitely come home in a few days. As if he''s that capable!" Qiao Zhuang muttered. After dinner, Jiang Ye and Wang Qin started to do the cleaning up. Qiao Wang went out to chop firewood, leaving only Qiao Zhuang and Qiao Gui in the house. "Stay and talk to me later. Let your wife go back first," Qiao Zhuang said as he leaned against the wall. Qiao Gui nodded and understood Qiao Zhuang''s intentions. He hurriedly picked up the tobacco pipe beside him and lit it up for Qiao Zhuang. During these days, people smoked tobacco in a pipe and rolled the tobacco themselves. The smell was very unpleasant, but they seemed to find it comforting. Wang Qin tidied up the kitchen and was about to go when she saw Qiao Gui still sitting there motionlessly. "Aren''t you leaving?" Wang Qin said impatiently. "You can go back first. I have to talk to Father. I''ll go home later!" Qiao Gui said. Wang Qin frowned and lied, "The light at home is broken and hasn''t been repaired!" "It''s so dark now and I can''t see. Let''s talk about it during the day," Qiao Gui said. Wang Qin continued relentlessly, "I can''t reach the fence in the backyard, so you have to fix it." Qiao Zhuang stared at Wang Qin and scolded, "Are you trying to rush him to his death! Can''t he do these chores tomorrow! You''re so unhappy when I want to talk to my son. What is this!" Wang Qin was so scared that she ran home in a panic. This was the first time in so many years that Qiao Zhuang had been so fierce to her. It had never happened before. After Wang Qin left, Qiao Zhuang said slowly, "Did something happen to your wife recently? I hear that she doesn''t even go to the village office anymore." "No, she''s just tired out from the past two days and wants to rest at home," Qiao Gui said guiltily. "That''s alright. Don''t talk nonsense or you might hurt your tongue. I actually wanted to ask you what you were doing when your eldest brother went up the mountain," Qiao Zhuang asked calmly. Qiao Gui lowered his head and did not dare to make a sound. His palms were covered in sweat and he could even hear his own heart beating wildly. He thought that Qiao Zhuang had forgotten about this matter and did not expect him to want to pursue it. "My eldest brother and I went up the mountain separately. My eldest brother found them at the front of the mountain. I was at the back of the mountain at that time and was not with him," Qiao Gui said nervously. "Even if you were not on the same path, didn''t you hear your eldest brother screaming? That mountain isn''t very big," Qiao Zhuang asked. Qiao Gui did not even go up the mountain that day, so how could he have heard Qiao Fu''s screams? Just as he was thinking about how to cover up his lie, Qiao Zhuang wanted to talk about a new task for him to do. Chapter 753 Not Going To The City "Keep a close eye on Qiao Mei''s family and find a way to cause trouble for them. You must make them pay the price," Qiao Zhuang said through gritted teeth. "But now, everyone in the village likes to go to Qiao Mei''s house to spend time. It''s really not easy to do anything to them," Qiao Gui said awkwardly. "Then you can go at night. Tell me what you think you can do or any good ideas that you have," Qiao Zhuang asked as he stared at Qiao Gui. This could be considered as giving Qiao Gui a chance to redeem himself. He knew his son best. Qiao Gui would not do anything like killing and robbing people. At most, he would steal someone''s chicken or take away their belongings. He would never dare to kill someone. "How about we put some laxatives in their well! Let them suffer for a few days," Qiao Gui said with a smug smile. In his eyes, this was an unparalleled good idea. Not only would no one discover who had drugged them, but it would also make them suffer a little. It was killing two birds with one stone. Qiao Zhuang rolled his eyes. This second son of his was completely hopeless. If not for the fact that all his other sons had left or were injured, he would not have needed a fool like Qiao Gui. "Go and set fire to the firewood in their backyard when no one is looking. Then run away. Don''t let anyone discover you. If you succeed in this matter, your eldest uncle''s house will belong to you," Qiao Zhuang said in a nonchalant manner. As the saying went, if one burned down the mountain, one would go to jail for a long time. Their backyard was closely connected to the forest at the back of the mountain. It was already autumn and the cold wind was bone-chilling. If one really set fire to it, the entire mountain could be burned down. This was something illegal, but the conditions were very tempting. Qiao Qiang''s house had good feng shui and they always harvested whatever they planted. Moreover, they produced the best crops in the entire village. Back then, Qiao Zhuang''s family had also secretly tried to grow bean sprouts, but the bean sprouts they produced were all very shriveled and did not meet the standard at all. If they could get Qiao Qiang''s house, they would not have to worry about the rest of their lives. "Alright, but what if third brother wants that house?" Qiao Gui looked at Qiao Zhuang and asked tentatively. Qiao Fu was disabled and could only stay at home. Qiao Liang and Qiao Gang had also gone to the county city, leaving only him and Qiao Wang at home. Back then, his own family had occupied Li Gui''s house. If they would also be getting Qiao Qiang''s house, he wondered if Qiao Wang would feel unhappy about it. It would not be good if there was a rift between brothers. If the family was in chaos, he would definitely be the one to suffer. "Your younger brother definitely won''t get into a conflict with you. Just do what you need to do," Qiao Zhuang said. Qiao Gui believed what Qiao Zhuang said. On the way home, he started to think about how to harm Qiao Mei and Qiao Qiang. They raised many chickens and ducks in the backyard, as well as a few pigs. Those animals were even noisier than a dog. These animals would make a lot of noise once there was any sign of trouble. Then the plan would completely fail. "Why are you back so late? What did Father tell you?" Wang Qin asked hurriedly as soon as Qiao Gui entered. "Nothing much. We just spoke about fourth brother leaving," Qiao Gui lied casually. Wang Qin did not believe him at all. They had all witnessed Qiao Liang leaving. If the conversation was to discuss Qiao Liang''s matter, why was Qiao Gui asked to stay behind and not Qiao Wang, who was the closest to Qiao Liang. There must be something fishy going on. "I just tabulated the money we have at home. Let''s pack up this week and tell Father that we also want to go to work in the county city," Wang Qin said. Qiao Gui''s expression suddenly changed. He was about to be the owner of two houses. It would be a huge loss for him to leave now. He definitely could not leave! Qiao Liang and Qiao Gang were both in the city. If he also went to the city, then all three houses in the family would fall into Qiao Wang''s hands. It was definitely not worth it! "No! Don''t mention it again! We''ll stay in this village for the rest of our lives. We won''t leave," Qiao Gui said. Wang Qin frowned and said, "Didn''t we have an agreement? My parents have already agreed and said to let the two children study in the city. They will pay for the tuition fees." "No! I just won''t go! It''s useless no matter who wants to pay! I just want to stay in this village! Why do you want to go to the county city to live? Are you eyeing something in the county city?" Qiao Gui said impatiently. Chapter 754 I Promise Not To Hit You "What are you talking about! Didn''t we agree on this when we got married back then! What do you mean by this now! I''ve worked so hard for your Qiao family for so many years! What kind of person do you think I am!" Wang Qin pointed at Qiao Gui and complained tearfully. Qiao Gui was so sick of hearing about this. They had indeed agreed to eventually stay in the county city when they got married. However, after being married for so many years, they had never really discussed it. It was only this year that Wang Qin had a very strong desire to go to the county city. Could it be that something had happened in the county city? As the village accountant, Wang Qin often went to the county city with Zhao Liang to report her work and talk to the higher-ups about the yearly harvest. She would be gone for two days each time. Could it be that Wang Qin had a lover in the county city? Qiao Gui''s eyes widened and his breathing became much faster. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that this matter might be true. He held Wang Qin''s wrist tightly and growled, "Are you seeing another man behind my back? You must have a lover in the county city! Otherwise, why are you in such a hurry to go to the county city?" No wonder Wang Qin had no interest in him at all for the past two years. She always said that she was too tired from work and did not want to sleep with Qiao Gui. She was clearly at the age when she should be like a cougar, but she always seemed cold and disinterested. Those who did not know better would think that he was not good in bed! It turned out that she had been fooling around outside, so she naturally did not want to be close to him when she returned. "What nonsense are you talking about! Are you drunk!" Wang Qin raised her hand to slap Qiao Gui, but Qiao Gui stopped her and then slapped her. "B*tch, you still dare to say that I''m talking nonsense. Then let me ask you, why do you insist on going to the county city? What''s so good about that county city that you insist on going there?" Qiao Gui said. Wang Qin grabbed at Qiao Gui like a shrew. Whether she managed to hit him or not, she continued to scratch at him crazily and fought him fiercely. "Damn you! You bastard! Back then, I only married you because you said you wouldl bring me to live in the county city! Now you''ve changed your mind! You even ask me why I want to go to the county city! I''ve always wanted to ask you! Are you seeing another woman in this village! Is it that young widow at the east end of the village!" Wang Qin shouted. Wang Qin had some basis for saying that. That young widow waited around for Qiao Gui to look at her every day and even insisted on working next to Qiao Gui. Wang Qin had warned the young widow before, but she did not take Wang Qin seriously at all. Qiao Gui had never done anything with the young widow. According to Qiao Gui, it was all that woman''s own wishful thinking and had nothing to do with him. However, he still enjoyed the feeling of the young widow pestering him. Who would not like being pestered by a woman? "What nonsense! B*tch, I''m going to beat you to death today!" Qiao Gui kept slapping Wang Qin''s face and even started punching and kicking her. "Ah! Qiao Gui! I''ll fight you to the death! Help! Murder! Qiao Gui, do you think my entire maternal family is dead! I want a divorce!" Wang Qin struggled and shouted. Qiao Gui covered Wang Qin''s mouth tightly. No matter how hard she struggled, it was useless. Right now, he did not care about Wang Qin''s maternal family or whether Wang Qin had another man in the county city. As long as he could get Qiao Qiang''s house, everything else did not matter. That was right, he was already crazy. That house was worth a lot of money, and even Qiao Qiang''s money would go to him. Qiao Mei was only a granddaughter who had already gotten married and had no right to inherit Qiao Qiang''s assets. He heard that Qiao Qiang''s monthly retirement pension was 50 dollars. After so many years, Qiao Qiang should have saved more than 2,000 dollars. In addition, there were a few people from the capital who were filial to Qiao Qiang and would give him money. Qiao Qiang definitely had a lot of money. He must succeed this time and get some benefits for himself. He was not much inferior to Qiao Fu. In this family, he was the mainstay at the moment. Qiao Zhuang trusted him the most right now. After being oppressed for so many years, he could finally stand tall. After Qiao Gui was done hitting Wang Qin, he put on a pitiful face and said to her, "I didn''t do it on purpose Please forgive me Can you spare me for the sake of the children? I definitely won''t hit you again in the future. I definitely won''t do it again!" Chapter 755 Hiding Something Wang Qin got up from the ground shakily and did not say anything. She quietly went to the bed to sleep. She finally knew why Shen Ge had not fought back after being beaten up by Qiao Zhuang for so many years. The difference in physical strength between men and women was simply too great. Qiao Mei went to the backyard early in the morning to feed the chickens and ducks. Recently, the three children were busy with school, so she had to clean up her own courtyard. If she did not clean it up soon, she would smell bad odors when she opened the window. After sweeping up the poultry''s excrement in the backyard, she started making breakfast. She made a pot of thick medicinal soup for Qiao Qiang and then took out the blankets from the house to air them in the sun. Then, she packed up the dusty things in the storeroom. The morning passed quickly. Qiao Mei realized that it had been a long time since she went to visit Zhang Miao. She wondered if they had finished using the ointment made from 100-year-old ginseng. "Mom, what are you doing at home?" Qiao Mei entered the house and saw Li Gui standing in front of the kitchen cabinet and secretly hiding something. Li Gui had such a fright that the bag of flour in her hand fell to the ground. Fortunately, the bag was tied up, otherwise the flour would have been wasted. "You don''t make any sound when you walk. You scared me to death!" Li Gui said as she patted her chest. "What''s wrong? Why are you suddenly putting the flour away?" Qiao Mei asked. Li Gui sighed and then continued to hide the flour. Recently, Zhao Hong had found out that the three children were going to school. She had come to kneel outside Li Gui''s door, begging for food for her two daughters who were about to starve to death. Li Gui told Zhao Hong that she no longer cared about anything related to Old Madam Li''s family. From now on, she would not give Old Madam Li any money for retirement or eye any bit of inheritance. She steeled her heart and returned to the house after saying that, leaving Zhao Hong at the door. During the autumn harvest period in the village, she really had no time to go to the fields because of Zhang Miao, so she asked Auntie Dong to help her with the harvesting. She then went to the village office to inform Zhao Liang. She was only gone for a short while and she found that the flour at home had gone missing when she returned home. That was why she decided to hide all her things. There were indeed thieves in the village, but thieves usually stole valuable things. They had never cared about rice and flour. Furthermore, there was still a child in the house. Also, everyone knew that she was Qiao Mei''s mother, so no one would dare to steal from her house. Zhao Hong must have taken advantage of the time when Li Gui was not around to enter the house and take the flour. Li Gui could only suffer in silence this time round and to make it a point not to let Zhao Hong enter the village again. "I don''t want to argue with her over a little bit of flour. Even if I take this matter to the village office, it won''t be worth the time and effort," Li Gui said with a sigh. She had already troubled Zhao Liang enough with regard to her children. There was no way she could go and ask Zhao Liang for help about losing some flour. The crops that she planted at home were all growing well. She had secretly gone to the black market to sell them a few times and the family expenses were not an issue for her at the moment. The children had enough food to eat and they were also especially well-behaved. After school, they would go into the mountains to pick things like hazelnuts and chestnuts. They had even sold those for a grand total of six dollars! "Let me talk to Uncle Zhao Liang about this," Qiao Mei said. "Hey! Don''t do it. Let''s just forget about this matter. Let''s not look for Zhao Liang. He has so many things to do every day," Li Gui said. When she found out that there was a burglary at home, she had actually wanted to go and look for Zhao Liang while still in a fit of anger. Now that Wang Qin was not in the village office, Zhao Liang had to do everything, including all the calculations for work points. He was so busy that he almost had to sleep in the village office, so how could she ask him to waste his time on such a trivial matter? "I''m not going to cause trouble for her. I have something else in mind. Don''t worry." Qiao Mei patted Li Gui''s shoulder to comfort her. Suddenly, a new thought flashed across Qiao Mei''s mind. Next year was the year when the village would re-select the village office accountant. If she kept Wang Qin from being elected... "Mom, how''s your mathematics?" Qiao Mei asked curiously. "I often go to the black market to sell things, so my mathematics is not too bad. If I don''t know how to do the sums, how do I do business?" Li Gui looked at Qiao Mei and said with a smile. "Then... do you know how to write?" Qiao Mei asked. "I know how to write my own name, but I don''t know anything else," Li Gui said honestly. There was still half a year before the next election. It would not be difficult to learn a few commonly used words and words in half a year and Zhang Wei would be able to teach Li Gui how to read. She just did not know if Li Gui had the guts to take that position. She had to take care of four young children on her own. It was not enough to just rely on farm work. Chapter 756 Animals That Understand Spoken Language "Mom, do you want to be an accountant?" Qiao Mei asked. Li Gui waved her hands nervously and said, "Do you know what you''re talking about! I''m illiterate and you want me to be an accountant!" "Since you''re so good at calculations, why can''t you be an accountant? If you can''t read, you can learn. During the day, when you''re free, I''ll get my grandfather to teach you. At night, when Zhang Wei comes back, then he can teach you. You''ll definitely be able to learn in half a year. Look at how many words Wang Qin knows. She had studied for a few years, but she doesn''t really know much," Qiao Mei bluffed. Wang Qin had graduated from junior high school. At that time, anyone with such a certificate was considered very capable. Li Gui had never gone to school at all and it would be difficult for her to catch up with Wang Qin in half a year. However, nothing was impossible to a willing heart. As long as Li Gui was determined, she would definitely be able to become an accountant. Although the position of director of women''s affairs was still available, the person who took up this position needed to write a report every year. Li Gui was not qualified for this position, but she could stand a chance with the village accountant position. "I I''m stupid. I don''t think I can do it," Li Gui said fearfully. "Didn''t you do similar work in the county city back then? What''s so different?" Qiao Mei said. Li Gui quickly corrected Qiao Mei and said earnestly, "Back then, I was a piece-counter. I just needed to count things and then write down the quantity in the book. It doesn''t involve things like being able to read and write at all. I''m not that capable." Seeing that Li Gui did not have such ambitions, Qiao Mei did not mention this matter anymore. In the future, if there were other suitable positions in the village, she would ask Li Gui to give it a try. When the village was able to produce better agricultural products, they would definitely be able to form a working relationship with the county''s supply and marketing cooperative. When that time came, she could get Li Gui to do the liaison work. Li Gui was definitely good at this! However, the prerequisite was still that she had to be literate. After all, Li Gui had to take down the amount of things that every family sent over and write down their names. "Even so, you still have to learn how to read. It will definitely be useful in the future. You can only earn more money by studying and becoming literate. Otherwise, you can only make those few dollars every day," Qiao Mei said as she pointed at the vegetables in the courtyard. Li Gui nodded in a vague manner. Anyway, she agreed with whatever Qiao Mei said. It was a matter of learning to read! She would give it a try! "Alright! I''ll ask Xiao Wei to teach me. I''ll definitely try my best, but I''m stupid. If I can''t understand it, don''t blame me," Li Gui said embarrassedly. "You can definitely do it! It''s settled then. I''ll go back and get my school books for you. I''m already done with them. Take them and let Xiao Wei teach you," Qiao Mei said. Qiao Mei brought Li Gui back to her own house and gave her many chicken eggs, duck eggs, two pieces of cured meat and a bag of rice. If she did not give these things to Li Gui, they would rot in her house. Every month, the number of chicken eggs and duck eggs she had at home equated to the amount produced by the entire village in a year. They could not finish them at all! The other families had given her rice in exchange for eggs for their children. Basically, everyone would barter using different things. Qiao Mei did not care about what other people gave her in exchange. It was more important for her to give away all the things in the house. Recently, she went to Uncle Wang Wu''s house at the entrance of the village and made an exchange for a crock. This crock was perfect for marinating duck eggs. If she marinated the eggs now, it would be ready when it was time for her to go to the capital. In her other life, she also loved to marinate duck eggs the most. This was her specialty. The duck eggs that others marinated were salty and hard and not delicious at all. The duck eggs that she marinated were all filled with golden oil and smelled so fragrant! When she was not at home, she could teach Li Gui this technique so that Li Gui could earn a few hundred dollars by marinating duck eggs. Recently, there was also something else that had been bothering her. In the morning, the chickens at home would group together and make a lot of noise. Sometimes, they would wake her up before dawn. One morning, Qiao Mei yelled at the chickens and told them to stop making noise. From then on, the chickens really did not make any noise again. Qiao Mei had been puzzled about this for a long time. Every day, she would sit in her room to observe the jade pendant on her neck. Could it be that it could also allow her to communicate with animals? However, she had never heard what the animals were thinking, nor could she carry out any energy exchange with them. After repeated experiments, Qiao Mei confirmed that the animals in the house could really understand human language. It was such a magical thing. Chapter 757 Teaching Someone To Fish Qiao Mei kept observing and finally realized that it was because the chickens and ducks had eaten plants that she had catalyzed with energy. This was the reason why they could understand what she said and knew how to follow her instructions. It would not be so effective if they ate ordinary things from the mountain. It seemed that this jade stone could only be used to exchange energy with plants at the moment. Recently, Qiao Mei did not have much to do. She had been thinking about how to earn money and how to do it more easily. In her other life, she had eaten a type of chicken that only ate medicinal herbs and could be sold for an astronomical price. It was said that eating this chicken could let one achieve a nourishing effect and that it had more nutritional value than ordinary chickens. If she could let these chickens and ducks eat the plants that she had catalyzed and to set the daily timings for them to wake up, go for walks and eat medicinal herbs, then she would be able to replicate that business model. It was a pity that she could not earn any money from this idea yet and would only stand to lose a lot of money. What she needed to think about now was how to let Li Gui have a stable income as quickly as possible so that her family did not have to suffer or worry about food and clothing. She also had to think about how to solve the children''s needs for school fees and medical treatment. It was not that difficult to change the lives of the children, but it would still take them around 10 years to learn enough knowledge and go to university. In these 10 years, the difficulties that they needed to face could easily overwhelm them and cause them to give up. Although she could sponsor the children, it was still not a long-term solution. She might become a military spouse in the future, and then she would not be able to watch over them all the time. She had to find a practical solution now. Qiao Mei felt that working with the supply and marketing cooperative was the most cost-effective plan at the moment. As long as there was a harvest, there would be money. When the village had more money, they could build it up properly so that they could attract tourists in the future. This village was surrounded by mountains and there were many beautiful sceneries up on the mountains. Not only were there hot springs, but there were also waterfalls in the distance! By that time, she would get Li Gui to operate a farmstay in the village for the tourists. It was just that it was not possible at the moment yet. That was something that would happen in the next 20 to 30 years. If she mentioned it now, everyone would just think that she was a lunatic. "Sigh It''s so difficult This is too difficult" Qiao Mei sat back on the rocking chair and sighed. "Is there anything that my granddaughter finds difficult? Tell me about it and see if I can help you solve your issues." Qiao Qiang slowly headed to Qiao Mei''s side with his walking stick and sat down. Qiao Mei had found a block of wood and made this walking stick so that Qiao Qiang could walk steadily and reduce the risk of him falling. He would not have to worry about falling down when walking on the mountain road and it could also be used as a self-defense weapon. "Grandfather, will you believe me when I say that if our chickens grow up eating ginseng every day, they can be sold for tens of thousands of dollars each?" Qiao Mei asked as she looked at Qiao Qiang expectantly. Qiao Qiang laughed out loud to hear what Qiao Mei said. Could a chicken eat ginseng? If the animals at home could eat so well, then what would the humans eat? Eat the chickens that Qiao Mei said grew up eating ginseng? He had never heard of such a thing! "Mei Mei, are you awake yet? Putting aside how much this chicken is worth, it''s hard to say if this chicken will die if it eats ginseng. If one eats too much ginseng, one will get heaty and even bleed from all seven orifices. If you let such a small chicken eat ginseng, can it still stay alive?" Qiao Qiang asked. Qiao Mei had indeed never thought about this. In her other life, she had only come into contact with chickens that ate cheap herbs, but she had never encountered chickens that grew up eating ginseng. Now that she thought about it, what she just said was indeed funny. If the chicken could not be sold for tens of thousands of dollars, it was not worth the effort to raise it. "But but there might be a buyer in the capital," Qiao Qiang said meaningfully. Qiao Mei widened her eyes and asked curiously, "Grandfather, you know someone! Who is it? I''ll raise one and sell it to him! 5,000 dollars will do!" "Hahahaha! You''ve fallen into the money trap! I''m not talking about someone I know, but someone you know," Qiao Qiang said with a laugh. Someone she knew from the capital and who would spend a lot of money on chickens that ate ginseng "How is that possible? I only know people from the Xia family. Who would be a fool to spend so much money to buy" Before she could finish speaking, Qiao Mei suddenly remembered that there was indeed such a fool and quickly went into the house to call him. After three rings, the call was picked up. Chapter 758 Chickens That Eat Herbs "Hello?" the person on the other end said nonchalantly. Qiao Mei cleared her throat and replied with a happy voice, "He Ning? I have great news for you! It depends on whether you want it or not!" He Ning looked at the phone in his hand and then at the time on the clock. It did not make sense that Qiao Mei would call him and say that she had good news. How could he be first in line for her good news? Should she not be looking for the Xia family members first? Women were really strange. "Where are you calling from? Tell me why you''re looking for me," He Ning said. "I had a phone installed. I want to ask you, do you want to buy chickens?" Qiao Mei asked very sincerely. He Ning felt humiliated. Chickens were sold everywhere and he even had to drink chicken soup every day. The housekeeper at home would go to the market every day to buy the best chickens. "Are chickens very rare? There are chickens everywhere in the capital. Why should I buy one from you?" He Ning asked. "Of course it''s because this chicken of mine is different from ordinary chickens. This chicken of mine grew up eating herbs. You can specify what type of herbs this chicken eats. Over time, it will accumulate in the chicken''s body. This is much better than eating herbs directly," Qiao Mei said. He had never heard of such a thing before. What Qiao Mei said piqued his interest. He decided to ask Huo Gao about this. "Wait. I have to ask about this," He Ning said. Qiao Mei gave He Ning her direct phone number and then hung up. He Ning could come back and talk to her about it after he had considered it. The long-distance phone bill was very expensive. Even if her family had money, they could not squander it like this. One should know when to save and when to spend, depending on the circumstances. She did not feel any heartache about buying furniture that cost tens of thousands of dollars, but she found it wasteful to spend the extra few dollars on the phone bill. "Grandfather! What you say makes so much sense! I''ll go catch a few chickens to study them!" Qiao Mei ran out of the house happily. Coincidentally, the Dendrobium they picked up did not have much of a market yet. She could use this herb to feed the chickens! As soon as Qiao Mei reached the backyard, she vaguely saw a figure flash past outside the fence at an extremely fast speed and disappear into the forest. Qiao Mei rubbed her eyes vigorously and looked around for a while. "What''s going on Did I see wrongly?" Qiao Mei muttered to herself. Perhaps it was because she had used a lot of energy to extract the ginseng juice during this period of time. It seemed that she must do things step by step and not be in such a hurry. She lured three chickens to a corner and erected another wooden pen to feed them separately. It would probably take effect in a month. If she succeeded, she could raise more chickens in the courtyard house in the capital and sell them all to He Ning and make him go bankrupt! She was not intentionally harming anyone. All she was doing was to give He Ning something related to medicinal herbs for him to nourish himself with. When all He Ning''s money were in her hands, the Xia family would gradually grow stronger. By then, He Ning would no longer have the capability to fight with the Xia family. What she was doing could be considered a roundabout way of saving the country. He Ning was feeling completely confused on his end. He did not understand why Qiao Mei was doing this at all, but the one thing he forgot to ask Qiao Mei was how much such a chicken would cost. If he allowed the young lady to quote a price on the spot, he would definitely suffer a huge loss. "Huo Gao, Qiao Mei just called me and said that she wants to sell chickens to me. Something about chickens that grow up eating medicinal herbs? Do you think that''s something reliable?" He Ning said with a dumbfounded expression. Huo Gao had previously read about such a method. It was feasible and indeed valuable. "It''s indeed beneficial, but won''t work fast. It will slowly take effect over time. This is no different from the medicinal cuisine you eat every day. It''s just that it''s more nutritious," Huo Gao said. "Just tell me how many more years I can live," He Ning asked bluntly. In the past, every doctor had told him that medicinal cuisine was useful although the effect was slow. He also wanted to accumulate the effects over time, but his body could not afford to wait any longer. "I haven''t tried it before, but it shouldn''t be a problem to lengthen your lifespan by three to four years. Besides, you''ll feel much better after eating it and it''ll help with your discomfort," Huo Gao said. A period of three to four years was long enough. As long as it was a fair price, he could afford it. Recently, he had managed to rescue He Wei and He Li, and the family business was slowly improving. They had also put an end to all the shady businesses from before. Chapter 759 - 759 Shadow 759 Shadow At night, the entire village was quiet. There were always sounds coming from the houses of families who raised chickens and ducks in the village. The animals were easily scared by the sounds of nature. However, the animals in Qiao Meis house were acting abnormally tonight. All the chickens and ducks kept looking in the direction of the back mountain. At first, they just looked, but later on, all the chickens and ducks started making noise. Usually, even the sound of thunder would not wake Qiao Mei up. She would not even wake up if she was thrown out of the door. However, she was woken up by the noise made by the chickens and ducks at home tonight. The cries of her familys chickens and ducks echoed throughout the entire village. Qiao Mei pushed open the curtains and looked out. She saw a figure walking through the grass at the back of the mountain. This time, she was not mistaken. !! It seemed that this was the same person who came to their backyard during the day. Even the location was the same. Nowadays, there were also many people who took advantage of the fact that no one was at home during the day to steal the chickens and ducks that people left at home. People who did not have the money to buy meat would definitely think about stealing from others. Otherwise, they would not be able to survive. Qiao Qiang was also woken up by the commotion in the backyard. Qiao Mei whispered towards the window, Dont make any noise! The backyard instantly fell silent. All the chickens and ducks shut their mouths and obediently returned to their cages. Mei Mei, whats going on in the backyard? Dont tell me theres a weasel here to steal chickens. Ill go out and take a look. Qiao Qiang put on a shirt and prepared to go out with a flashlight. It was common for animals from the mountains to come down the mountain to steal food. There were wolves, tigers and even wild boars in the mountains. Some villagers farmed the land on the back mountain and on autumn nights, wild boars would steal sweet potatoes from the ground. Even five people would not be able to subdue a wild boar. Moreover, wild boar meat was not tasty. Even if they managed to kill one, there would be another wild boar coming to wreak havoc on the land. Later on, most people chose to raise a dog and tie it up near the back of the mountain. At the slightest movement, the dog would bark loudly and scare the wild boars away. This method was very useful. Grandfather, dont go out so late at night. Why dont we wait until tomorrow morning to go and count them? What if its a wolf? Lets talk about it tomorrow morning. Qiao Mei helped Qiao Qiang back into the room to rest. Zhang Wei was still sleeping soundly on the brick bed, snoring loudly. Look at Xiao Wei. Kids can sleep so well. Hes not disturbed even though theres so much noise outside, Qiao Qiang said with a smile as he pointed at Zhang Wei. Xiao Wei goes to school every day and has to take care of his younger siblings. He also has to do all the chores at home. Im worried that hell get too stressed. Qiao Mei looked at Zhang Wei worriedly. Zhang Wei was only 12 years old. There were so many things weighing on his young shoulders. If he could not take it one day, the consequences could be dire. Dont worry, Xiao Wei wont. Go back to sleep quickly. Qiao Qiang lay back on the brick bed and urged Qiao Mei to leave quickly. Qiao Mei took the flashlight and returned to her room. No matter how she thought about it, she could not think of anyone in the village whose figure fitted that shadow. She had not made any enemies recently, and her only enemy was Qiao Zhuangs family. All his sons were either away or injured, yet he still had the time to mess with her? She decided to wait and see. If something was going to happen, it would happen in due course. There was nothing she could do at the moment. She did the same things every day, including making breakfast, cleaning up the house, drying the blankets, going to the storeroom to check if there was any food that was going to spoil and feeding the chickens and ducks. After she finished her work that day, an uninvited guest came to the courtyard. Wang Qin stood at the entrance of Qiao Meis courtyard with a basket and did not say a word. Wang Qin had not been seen for so many days and she had lost a lot of weight. There were bruises around her eyes and also faded marks on her neck. She looked much more haggard. Although her hair was tied up, it was still a mess. Are you here to look for me? Qiao Mei asked as she walked forward hesitantly. Wang Qin nodded. She had thought about it for a long time and decided to look for Qiao Mei. Come in and talk. Qiao Mei opened the courtyard door and let Wang Qin in. Qiao Qiang had gone to the village entrance to take a walk and was not at home. Otherwise, he would definitely take a stick and chase Wang Qin out of the house. Im here to tell you that Qiao Gui wants to harm you, Wang Qin said with her head lowered. Why are you so kind as to tell me this? Wont you be happier if something happens to me? Why are you being so kind as to remind me? Qiao Mei said mockingly. Chapter 760 - 760 Tipoff 760 Tipoff Wang Qin herself was also in a dilemma. In the past, she was the one who caused trouble for Qiao Mei and did everything she could to torture Qiao Mei. When she married into the family, Qiao Mei was four years old and looked very cute and adorable. However, she was made to sleep in the pigsty and live with the pigs. At first, she thought that Qiao Zhuang was inhumane. Later on, she gradually got used to living with such a family and subtly became a person like Qiao Zhuang. Qiao Mei had experienced all kinds of things when she was young. She only had torn clothing and a pair of long pants all year round. Winter and summer were the two most difficult seasons for her. When she was young, she had nothing to eat. When she was really hungry, she would snatch food from the pigs. Sometimes, she would even go out to eat raw vegetable leaves. Those days were really unbearable. Wang Qin did not help Qiao Mei at all and turned a blind eye to it instead. Sometimes, she even bullied Qiao Mei together with Qiao Zhuang. However, she had never thought of harming anyones life. Seeing Qiao Fus miserable state, she did not want Qiao Gui to meet the same fate. Be careful these few days, Wang Qin said suddenly. This confirmed Qiao Meis thoughts last night. It seemed that the person in the backyard recently was really a member of Qiao Zhuangs family. Why are you telling me this? Your family members are the people in this village who want to harm me. Even if you dont tell me, Ill still be wary of you, Qiao Mei said. Thats not what I mean. Recently, Qiao Zhuang has been whispering to Qiao Gui very often. He probably has made some new plans. You just be careful, Wang Qin whispered. Dont you want to see me dead? Why are you telling me this? Qiao Mei asked Wang Qin. Wang Qin sighed and looked at Qiao Meis stomach. If Qiao Mei was not pregnant, she might have pretended not to know anything. As long as she did not participate in this matter, she would not feel any guilt. After all, Qiao Mei had always been at odds with her and made her suffer a lot in silence. However, Qiao Mei was currently pregnant and her babies were innocent. If anything happened, it was three lives at stake! This would attract retribution! Qiao Fu was the best example! She was afraid that one day, the heavens would punish her for her evil deeds. Anyway, be careful. Im going back. Wang Qin stood up and was about to leave when Qiao Mei stopped her and stuffed a small box into her hand. This was the 10-year-old ginseng juice that Qiao Mei had extracted recently. She decided to give it to Wang Qin as a thank-you gift. Go back and use the water in the box to wipe your wounds, Qiao Mei said. Wang Qin stared at the box in her hand for a long time. In the end, she left Qiao Meis house without saying anything. After Qiao Qiang returned, Qiao Mei told him in detail about Wang Qins visit earlier today, as well as about seeing the shadow in the backyard yesterday. Dont let Zhang Wei come tonight. Tell him not to come over the next few days. Its better not to let the child encounter such a thing, Qiao Qiang said gruffly. Qiao Mei nodded, but they did not know when Qiao Gui was going to make his move. They did not know the exact time and the method he would use. Grandfather, what do you think Qiao Zhuang will do? Qiao Mei asked. Hes been wandering around the backyard, which means that theres something he wants in the backyard. Theres only the firewood and the well. I cant think of any other method, Qiao Qiang said. If these people poisoned the well, the entire village would be affected! The water in the upper and lower half of the village were from two tributaries. Qiao Meis family lived in the upper half of the village while Qiao Zhuangs family lived in the lower half. The water in the well was connected to the water from other wells. If the well in Qiao Meis house was poisoned, all the villagers in the upper half of the village would be affected. Hes really vicious. He wants us dead, Qiao Mei said with a dark expression. Well have to see what Qiao Gui does. Lets take precautions first. Qiao Qiang methodically led Qiao Mei around to set up defenses. First, they moved the big water vat in the courtyard to a corner of the house and filled it with water. In this way, even if there was a fire, they would be able to run out of the house and buy themselves some time. Then, he put a wooden lid on the well so that there would be a sound when the perpetrator tried to take it off and they could catch the perpetrator. The hoes and shovels in the storeroom were all brought into the house. If necessary, these could be used as weapons for self-defense! Qiao Qiang quietly assembled a small package containing the ginseng slices and lingzhi that Qiao Mei had given him. He did not put his secret savings into the bag. Grandfather, why do you put these things inside and not money? Qiao Mei asked curiously. Chapter 761 Murder And Arson "Why bring money? It''s just a few dollars. You gave me these things. Look at this ginseng and lingzhi. They''re so hard to find, so we can''t lose them," Qiao Qiang said as he looked at the stuff in the package like it was a treasure. He counted them one by one and repeated the action many times before he felt satisfied enough to tie the package up with a knot. He even had to hug them when he slept, otherwise he would still feel worried. Qiao Mei spread some vine seeds on the ground surrounding the house. Once anything happened, she could protect the house immediately. No one would notice those few seeds on the ground at night. After countless rounds of surveys, Qiao Gui was finally ready to make his move. He took the only ax in the house and looped it at his belt at the back of his waist. He waited until Wang Qin and the children were sound asleep before he went out quietly. He also took some rat poison from home. This was something very toxic. Even humans would die if they ate it, let alone chickens and ducks. After making a long detour, he finally arrived at Qiao Mei''s backyard. When the chickens and ducks in the courtyard heard Qiao Gui''s footsteps, they all looked up in unison in Qiao Gui''s direction. Qiao Gui took out the rat poison from his pocket and scattered it all over the courtyard. After hesitating for a moment, the chickens and ducks started eating. Qiao Mei had wrapped a thin vine around her wrist. The other end extended underground and was connected to the vines around the house. As long as there was any movement around, Qiao Mei could immediately sense it. Qiao Mei had already sensed Qiao Gui''s presence through the vines. She quietly woke Qiao Qiang up and the two of them peeked into the backyard through the window to see what Qiao Gui was up to. Qiao Mei watched as the chickens and ducks she raised ate the rat poison. Actually, those chickens and ducks would stop if she said something, but that would have appeared too strange. Her heart ached for them! Among those chickens and ducks were also the experimental chickens she had been feeding with medicinal herbs! The few thousand dollars had gone down the drain again! She could raise new chickens and ducks if the current ones died. The most important thing now was to capture Qiao Gui! She wanted to punish this evil person severely! "Grandfather what do you think he''s doing?" Qiao Mei whispered. ? "I think he''s preparing to set fire" Qiao Qiang said as he craned his neck to take a closer look. Qiao Qiang was right. After the chickens and ducks died from eating the rat poison, Qiao Gui slowly walked into the courtyard, took out a pile of dried grass that he had prepared earlier and scattered them under the house. He even poured some alcohol as an accelerant. He had buried all these in the back mountain two days ago when he was doing his scouting rounds. Most of the houses in the village were thatched houses. The walls of Qiao Mei''s house were made of stone bricks, but the roof was made of wood. Once it was set on fire, the entire house would instantly be engulfed in a sea of fire. In addition, the weather was dry and the wind was quite strong today. If their house caught fire, the entire forest at the back of the mountain would be affected and the fire would spread very quickly. By then, no one would be able to control it. Qiao Gui must be crazy! "Grandfather should we take action? He''s going to light it" Qiao Mei said nervously as she held the hoe in her hand. However, Qiao Qiang felt that Qiao Gui seemed to be doing something else. He had already piled up the dried grass but he did not light it for a long time and kept pacing at the door. Just as Qiao Mei was about to look up to see what Qiao Gui was doing, Qiao Qiang suddenly pressed down on Qiao Mei''s head and squatted down as well. The next moment, Qiao Gui walked to the window and leaned against the glass to look into the house. Qiao Mei held her breath and listened quietly to the sounds outside. Qiao Qiang was indeed a war hero who had fought on the battlefield for many years. He was really good at guessing the enemy''s thoughts. The curtains were drawn in the room. After looking inside for a long time and seeing that there was no movement in the room, Qiao Gui took out the ax from behind his waist and prepared to hack the door lock and enter the house. How could a pregnant woman and an old fart fight with him? He heard that Qiao Qiang had also suffered a head injury caused by Qiao Fu at that time. He definitely would not have recovered in such a short period of time. Now was the best time for him to enter the house and steal their money. The house was nothing. The money that Qiao Mei had was the most important thing! He had heard from Qiao Zhuang that Qiao Mei had at least 5,000 dollars! The betrothal gifts from the man when they got married, the money from selling vegetables during this period of time and Qiao Qiang''s past savings surely added up to 5,000 dollars! A man''s heart was insatiable, like a snake trying to swallow an elephant. Once one became greedy, one would no longer be able to suppress the desire in one''s heart. Desires could also turn a person into a demon. Chapter 762 Feeling Warmth Qiao Qiang gave Qiao Mei a look and the two of them stood on either side of the door. Qiao Mei held the hoe in her hand and Qiao Qiang held the shovel. The two of them just stood at the door without moving. As soon as Qiao Gui opened the door, they would immediately rush out and knock him out. Qiao Gui gently pried open the lock and slowly opened the door to the house. He suddenly realized that his feet were unable to move, as if they were being grabbed by something. No matter how he struggled, it was useless. Qiao Mei instantly rushed out and smashed the hoe against Qiao Gui''s neck. If it did not work the first time, she would do it again! Before Qiao Gui could see who did it, he fell to the ground and the ax in his hand fell onto the stone slab in front of the door with a crisp clanging sound. "Grandfather! It''s done!" Qiao Mei threw the hoe aside and patted the dust off her hands as she looked at Qiao Qiang smugly. Qiao Qiang knew that Qiao Mei had extraordinary strength, so he was more worried about whether Qiao Gui''s life was in danger. What if Qiao Mei''s strength had broken his neck? He bent down to feel around Qiao Gui''s nose and found that he was still breathing. He touched the bone on the back of Qiao Gui''s neck and noted that it was still intact. It seemed that Qiao Mei had gone easy on him. "You''re too rash. You''re a pregnant woman. Your stomach is already so big, yet you''re not careful at all," Qiao Qiang said reproachfully. Qiao Mei touched her head in embarrassment. She had a strong body, and if not for the fact that her stomach was getting bigger by the day, she did not feel like she was pregnant. He went into the room and took out a flashlight to check on the chickens and ducks in the backyard. None of them was spared. They had all been poisoned to death by Qiao Gui. Even the chickens that he fed separately with medicinal herbs had been poisoned to death. How hateful! All their hard work for so many days was wasted again! "Help~ Help~ Murder~ Help~" Qiao Mei shouted at the top of her lungs. Not long after, all the lights in the village lit up. Qiao Mei''s voice was very recognizable and everyone immediately realized that something had happened at Qiao Mei''s house. Li Gui came out the fastest. She did not even put on her clothes properly and only slid her feet into her shoes. She ran out without even wearing her shoes properly. Even when she was in such a hurry, she had taken a kitchen knife and held it in her hand. "Mei Mei! Who dares to touch my daughter! Qiao Mei! Qiao Mei, what''s wrong! Mom is here!" Li Gui shouted anxiously as she ran. Qiao Mei looked at Li Gui''s flustered expression and tears welled up in her eyes. This was the first time she felt a mother''s concern. Whether it was in her other life or in the memories of the original owner of the body, this was the first time ever. "I''m fine! Why didn''t you put on thicker clothes before coming out," Qiao Mei said as she looked at Li Gui with heartache. Li Gui was so anxious that she stomped her feet. If she could fly over, she would have done so. At this speed, she still found it too slow! "Oh my! How can I care about that! Are you alright? Let me take a look! By the way, where''s your grandfather! How''s your grandfather!" Li Gui said in a panic. Qiao Qiang coughed twice and said, "I''m fine too." Seeing that the two of them were fine, Li Gui felt relieved. The rest of the villagers gradually arrived at Qiao Mei''s house. Some of them came with sickles, while others came with sticks and knives. Auntie Dong was afraid that Qiao Mei would be in danger, so she asked her husband to come along. Zhao Liang also rushed over with his wife. Basically, everyone in the village was here. Qiao Mei felt a sense of warmth in her heart. She really liked the feeling of affectionate neighborliness in this village. "Qiao Mei, Uncle Qiao, are you alright? What happened?" Zhao Liang asked. "Uncle, you''re here at the right time. Tonight, my grandfather and I suddenly heard someone doing something in the backyard. We didn''t expect it to be Qiao Gui. He poisoned all the chickens and ducks in our backyard and even wanted to set a fire and burn us to death!" Qiao Mei shone her flashlight at the stack of dry grass at the side of the house. Zhao Liang went forward to pick some up and sniffed it. The strong smell of alcohol had yet to dissipate. If this was lit on fire, it would devour the entire house in an instant. Qiao Gui was really ruthless! At this moment, Qiao Zhuang brought his entire family to Qiao Mei''s house. He raised his butcher knife and shouted, "Return me my son! You harmed my eldest son and now you want to harm my second son!" Qiao Mei could not help but roll her eyes. All of this was clearly caused by Qiao Zhuang himself, but he was blaming her instead. Chapter 763 Lets Attack Together "We didn''t harm your eldest son. You better be clear about who''s the one in the wrong!" Qiao Mei said fiercely. Qiao Zhuang did not believe what Qiao Mei said at all. If she had evidence, Qiao Fu would have been convicted long ago. He had been a tyrant for so many years and was not someone who could be easily intimidated! There was no way she could subdue him with just a few words! "Quickly hand over my son! Otherwise, I''ll kill my way in!" Qiao shouted with the butcher knife held up. The people around him took a few steps back. They had all seen how Qiao Zhuang could behave unreasonably. His reputation as a village tyrant was not for nothing. No one wanted to be cut down for no reason. "You want to retrieve your son? That''s impossible! Qiao Mei, go and call your Uncle Hu," Qiao Qiang said sternly. Qiao Qiang would not ask Chen Hu for help casually . If Qiao Mei had not gone to the county city to interact with Chen Hu often, Qiao Qiang might not have kept in touch with Chen Hu for the rest of his life. When everyone saw that Qiao Qiang was going to get the armed forces department in the county city to take charge of this matter, they instantly stood up straighter. So what if this was the village tyrant? No one could behave domineeringly in front of the armed forces department! Qiao Zhuang rushed in indignantly, but the knife in his hand was snatched away when he was not paying attention. Everyone punched and kicked Qiao Zhuang together to vent all the anger they had felt over the years. Currently, Qiao Zhuang only had his disabled eldest son Qiao Fu, and his sensible third son Qiao Wang by his side. Qiao Wang only cared about Jiang Ye and held her tightly to prevent her from getting hurt. He did not care about anything else and could not care less. "Alright, alright! If you continue hitting him, he''ll die!" Qiao Mei shouted at the crowd. Wang Qin craned her neck to take a look at Qiao Zhuang''s condition. She had wanted to take advantage of the chaos to sneak in and check on Qiao Gui, but she was discovered by Qiao Mei who then pushed her out of the courtyard. Even now, her shoulders were still numb! Qiao Zhuang sat on the ground and pointed at the people around him as he said fiercely, "All of you, remember this! As long as I am alive, you won''t have a peaceful life! You must all have been drugged! This girl is going to the capital to enjoy her good life soon! With my brother''s health, he won''t be able to live for more than a few years. How dare you go against me now! I won''t let you off!" It was indeed as Qiao Zhuang had said. Qiao Mei would be living in the capital in the future. Qiao Qiang was in good health, but he would also go to the capital to live with her. Everyone in the village only dared to go against Qiao Zhuang''s family because of Qiao Mei. If Qiao Mei left, these villagers would be the ones to suffer. This was a beautiful place. Qiao Mei even wanted to develop this area into a tourist resort in the future! If there was such a malignant society tyrant in the village, any good plans would be ruined by him. This time, she must get rid of Qiao Zhuang once and for all, and make him and his sons pay the price. They must not be allowed to cause any more trouble in their lifetimes. "You won''t let us off? How can you fight so many of us on your own? Let''s not talk about the future. You might not even be able to walk out of this courtyard today!" Qiao Mei shouted. Everyone instantly came to their senses. Since none of them could fight Qiao Zhuang singly, they would attack together! The power of the crowd was great. As long as everyone worked together, they would definitely be able to overcome the difficulties together! "Yes! We''ll beat him up today until he''s willing to submit! We''ll make him afraid to see us in the future!" Auntie Dong was the first to shout out. She had long had a grudge with Qiao Zhuang''s family. Although they did not fight on the surface, they did not like one another and had been arguing on and off for more than 10 years. Qiao Zhuang bore a grudge and refused to let her family off. He had done all kinds of sinister tricks. He either threw feces into her family''s courtyard when no one was around or peed at their doorstep. These were all despicable tricks. "Let''s attack together!" "Kill him! Kill him!" "You''ve bullied us for so many years. It''s payback time!" In just a short while, everyone gave Qiao Zhuang a few more kicks to vent their anger. No one pitied Qiao Zhuang, not even his own sons and daughters-in-law. Wang Qin, Jiang Ye and Qiao Wang all stood far away, afraid that they would be implicated. "Stop hitting him! What if he blames us when something happens! Let''s deal with Qiao Gui''s matter first! Uncle Zhao, look, he wanted to kill us. You have to stand up for us," Qiao Mei said pitifully. Chapter 764 Sending To The Police Station "Nonsense! My son was kidnapped and framed by the two of you vicious grandfather and granddaughter!" Qiao Zhuang quibbled. Qiao Mei did not want to waste her breath on Qiao Zhuang. She pointed at Qiao Gui''s pocket and said, "This pocket is full of harmful things. Uncle Zhao, take off his coat and shake it. You''ll see everything once you do that. There''s rat poison in his pocket, so don''t touch it with your bare hands!" The rat poison in this era was made by unknown manufacturers and ingredients. Some of the rat poisons were even homemade. What if the rat poison could not be washed cleanly off hands and the poison entered the body of the person who touched it? Qiao Mei was pregnant, so she was extremely cautious in this aspect. She tried her best not to touch poisonous and harmful substances. When Li Gui heard that there was poison, she quickly pulled Qiao Mei behind her and stood in front, worried that Qiao Mei would get affected when the coat was being searched. Zhao Liang took off Qiao Gui''s coat and shook it upside down. Matches, some dried grass bits and some remaining rat poison fell to the ground from the pockets. Everyone looked at Qiao Gui and Qiao Zhuang angrily. These people were not trying to harm just Qiao Mei, but their entire village! Once the fire started, sparks would fly to other houses. Soon, the fire would spread and the entire village would be lost in a sea of fire. "And the words ''Qiao Zhuang'' are carved on this ax! This belongs to your family!" Qiao Mei said as she picked up the ax from the ground. Qiao Zhuang''s family was full of petty people. They would never allow anyone to take away their things. All the tools in their house had Qiao Zhuang''s name engraved on them. It would be obvious if someone stole them. "Send him to the police station! Punish him severely!" Auntie Dong said angrily as she pointed at Qiao Gui on the ground. Qiao Mei also supported this view. These people had to be sent to the police station to be punished properly so that they would not bully her casually in the future. "Don''t! Qiao Mei! That''s your biological second uncle! Are you going to send him to jail just like that! You''re so ruthless!" Qiao Zhuang sat on the ground and wailed. "Second Grandpa, he''s not dead yet. You look like you''re at my second uncle''s funeral. I also know that he''s my biological second uncle, but isn''t he all out to burn me and my grandfather alive? Otherwise, isn''t he trying to kill us with rat poison like the chickens and ducks in my backyard?" Qiao Mei questioned. Qiao Zhuang was rendered speechless by Qiao Mei. He could not find any other reason to save Qiao Gui and could only put on a pitiful face to retain Qiao Gui. "Oh my! My eldest son has his legs amputated and can''t move at home! My fourth and fifth sons are very far away from me and not at home! There''s only my third son at home! Please be kind! Leave Qiao Gui behind! I only have these few sons!" Qiao Zhuang cried and hit the ground as he shouted, looking like a downtrodden woman. Qiao Mei almost laughed out loudly. She did not expect Qiao Zhuang to use such a method. If it was anyone else, she might still have some sympathy. However, because it was Qiao Zhuang, there was no way she would be sympathetic. She would never forget how Qiao Zhuang treated her when she was young. She was no pushover at heart, and she had intended to take revenge slowly and surely. She was not the one who went looking for all these troubles. This was Qiao Zhuang''s retribution! He deserved to pay the price for doing all kinds of bad things. "Second Grandpa, I''m also in a very miserable state. Why don''t you give me the 100 dollars you owe me first? You should also be kind enough to give it to me." Qiao Mei put her palms together and looked at Qiao Zhuang pitifully. Qiao Zhuang choked up. He had almost forgotten about the 100 dollars. If Qiao Mei did not say anything, he would have pretended that it never happened. "I''ll give it to you when I have money!" Qiao Zhuang said impatiently. Qiao Mei could not be bothered with him and said to Zhao Liang, "Uncle Zhao! I''ll have to trouble you to send Qiao Gui to the county city police station and uphold justice for me." Zhao Liang nodded. He would handle this well. In his position, he had been bullied by Qiao Zhuang''s family for so many years. It was time for him to take revenge! "Leave it to me! I''ll send him there now!" Zhao Liang said as he patted his chest. Seeing that the matter had come to an end, everyone chased Qiao Zhuang''s family members away. The remaining few people stayed in the courtyard to help Qiao Mei deal with the carcasses of the chickens and ducks in the backyard, as well as the dried grass at the side of the house. They sprayed water around to dilute the alcohol. After cleaning up, everyone went home. Chapter 765 - 765 Sentence 765 Sentence Mei Mei, why dont you and your grandfather stay at my place? Its not safe here, Li Gui said worriedly. No worries. Qiao Gui didnt go into the house and just kept circling outside. You can go back, mom. Xiao Wei and the others are still at home. Qiao Mei patted Li Guis hand to reassure her. After Li Gui left, Qiao Mei helped her grandfather back into the house to rest. She had gained a lot tonight! Zhao Liang brought Qiao Gui to the county city overnight. Usually, such matters would be reported to the county city police station, but Zhao Liang was shrewd enough to think that it would be the same whether to send him to the police station or the armed forces department. !! Since Qiao Qiang had said that he wanted to call Section Head Chen of the armed forces department, Zhao Liang would just deliver the culprit there directly so that Section Head Chen would not have to make a trip to the police station. Qiao Gui remained unconscious in the horse carriage. He still had not woken up when they reached the armed forces departments compound. Zhao Liang politely told the soldier at the door the reason for his visit and went up to look for Chen Hu. He was quite lucky that Chen Hu was on duty today. Zhao Liang knocked on the door and entered the room. Hello, Section Head Chen. Im the village chief of Foshan Village. My name is Zhao Liang. Qiao Mei asked me to come and look for you. When Chen Hu heard that Qiao Mei had asked Zhao Liang to come, he immediately stood up and asked, What happened to Qiao Mei? Its fine. Weve already subdued the culprit. The person in the courtyard is called Qiao Gui, hes Qiao Zhuangs second son. He went to Qiao Meis house in the middle of the night to set fire to her house, but we caught him. More than 20 chickens and ducks in Qiao Meis house were also poisoned to death by him, Zhao Liang told the truth. Chen Hu walked downstairs angrily and gave Qiao Gui a kick with all his strength! Men! Lock this bastard up! Get someone to wake him up! What a mess! Chen Hu roared angrily. The soldiers dragged Qiao Gui down. Zhao Liang caught up from behind and said, Qiao Mei is fine. This person was knocked out before he could do anything. Thank you for the hard work, Village Chief Zhao. Ill have to trouble you to go back and ask Qiao Mei to write a complaint letter. Just say that Im asking her to write it and shell naturally understand. Also, write down the crimes committed by their family and ask all the villagers to put their fingerprints on it. Then leave this matter to me, Chen Hu said. It did not matter if Qiao Mei did not know how to write the letter. Chen Hu could help her and then get Qiao Mei to sign it when the time came. Zhao Liang nodded. It appeared that Chen Hu was going to use his connections to punish the evildoer severely. He quickly rushed back to the village in the horse carriage. Everyone had received help from Qiao Mei all this while. Besides, Qiao Zhuangs family had really done all those evil deeds. It was just a matter of signing the statement. Once Zhao Liang reached the village, he gathered everyone to go to the village office to sign off on the statement. Zhao Liang told Qiao Mei exactly what Chen Hu said. Qiao Mei could not help but smile. As expected of Uncle Hu, he was so thorough. This matter was also very simple and could be considered to be her profession. In her other life, she had often written such documents. She wrote down everything that Qiao Gui did to her family. She even calculated the number of dead chickens and ducks as she wanted Qiao Gui to pay for each and every one of them! Particularly those chickens fed with medicinal herbs. They were all meant to be sold to He Ning! One chicken could sell for 10,000 dollars! It was such a loss! She also made many embellishments about how miserable these people made Qiao Qiang and her. Soon, the complaint letter and the statement from the villagers were delivered to Chen Hu. Chen Hu could not stop smiling after reading Qiao Meis complaint letter. This little girl was really smart. These things she wrote were much better than he had expected. Qiao Mei also stated in the complaint letter that Qiao Qiang was an old war hero and that she was now a military spouse. The higher-ups quickly sent someone to verify this matter. They found a few key witnesses and checked the scene to confirm Qiao Guis crime. In less than three days, the matter was settled. The news reached Foshan Village quickly. Of course, the first person to know was definitely Auntie Dong. Mei Mei! Go and take a look at the poster at the village entrance! Qiao Gui has been sentenced to 20 years in jail! He also has to compensate your chickens and ducks with 500 dollars! Come with me to take a look! Auntie Dong said happily. Qiao Mei felt that the 20-year jail sentence was not bad, but the amount of 500 dollars was too little. Those chickens and ducks were worth at least 1,000 dollars! Chapter 766 - 766 Being Cautious 766 Being Cautious Qiao Mei went to the entrance of the village with Auntie Dong and she immediately saw the big poster with Qiao Guis crimes written on it. This kind of crime that did not cause any casualties usually received a sentence of around 10 years in jail. The leaders had discussed among themselves. One thing they took into consideration was that one of the victims was an old war hero like Qiao Qiang who could have his medals hung all over the wall. Furthermore, Xia Zhe was a soldier who was currently serving in the army. For such a family to be bullied by Qiao Gui to such an extent, he must be severely punished to give everyone else a warning. Even if Qiao Zhuangs family wanted to plead for leniency, it was impossible. The case had already been sent to the provincial city to be dealt with. Qiao Mei, why do you still look unhappy? Auntie Dong looked at Qiao Mei in confusion. !! Finally, Qiao Zhuangs family would not be able to dominate the village anymore. This was a good thing! Qiao Mei suddenly thought of what Zhao Liang and Qiao Qiang had said back then, about not pushing someone too hard. Now that Qiao Zhuangs eldest son was disabled and his second son was in jail, there was only the third son left in the village to take care of him. If the fourth and fifth sons did not come back at all, would he attack Qiao Mei again? Im just afraid that Qiao Zhuang will fight me to the death. Auntie, youve lived in this village for a long time, so you should know Qiao Zhuangs character. What if he still doesnt give up? What should I do Qiao Mei said dejectedly. Everyone around Qiao Mei comforted her and told her not to worry. They all said that as long as they were around, they would not allow Qiao Zhuang to hurt her. If everyone worked together, the bad guys would not be able to behave atrociously again. Qiao Mei and Auntie Dong chatted happily on the way home. When they reached the house, they saw Wang Qin standing at the door with a dark expression and a bamboo basket in her hand. They wondered what was inside. Auntie Dong immediately stood in front of Qiao Mei warily and shouted at Wang Qin, What are you doing here! Wang Qin actually hated Qiao Mei, but she hated herself more. If she had not come to tell Qiao Mei that day, Qiao Gui would not have gone to jail and she would not have become a living widow. Her life would become even more difficult in the future. However, she was also a little glad that she would be able to leave Qiao Zhuangs family after Qiao Gui left. Wang Qin was the one who came up with the money to buy Li Guis old house and the house belonged to her. As long as she was still breathing, no one could take the house away from her. Im here to give you money. Qiao Gui is my husband and Ive brought you the compensation of 500 dollars. Wang Qin took out a small cloth bag and handed it to Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei was about to reach out to take it when Auntie Dong grabbed her hand and said, You! Open it! Show it to us! We dont trust you! Wang Qin had no choice but to do as Auntie Dong said. Seeing that there was no problem with the money, Auntie Dong pointed at a stone on the ground and said, Put the money on the ground and use that stone to hold it down. Then leave quickly. Are you afraid that Ill do something? Wang Qin said. Oh! I didnt say anything! Do you still have anything to say to Qiao Mei? If not, leave quickly! Dont be an eyesore here! Dont come again in the future! Auntie Dong said fiercely. Wang Qin turned around and left. Auntie Dong hurriedly went forward and used a tree branch to touch the money. It did not look like there was anything unusual, so she picked it up and handed it to Qiao Mei. Auntie Dong, youre so vigilant. Qiao Mei looked at Auntie Dong with admiration. You must do the same as me. Theres nothing good about Qiao Zhuangs family! What if she had smeared poison on this money? Its better to be safe than sorry. You have to be careful of them! Youre pregnant now! You have to be especially careful, understand? Auntie Dong instructed. Qiao Mei smiled and nodded. She did not expect Auntie Dong to be so vigilant. She definitely had to learn from Auntie Dong and be careful about everything in the future. Coincidentally, she had finished drying the seeds in the courtyard. Qiao Mei looked at Auntie Dong and asked, Auntie, are your seeds ready? I remember that you planted them on the same day as me. At the mention of the seeds, Auntie Dong could not help but smile. In the past years, she had planted the same amount of seeds and could only produce at most 300 pounds if she was lucky. In just over a month this year, there were already 800 pounds of seeds! Moreover, they were even more fragrant than usual. Her children all said that they did not want to sell the seeds and wanted to keep them for themselves. She was also worried that if she kept the seeds at home for a few more days, the children would finish everything. Eating them was a small matter, but eating too much would be too heaty and cause harm to the body! Chapter 767 Selling Seeds "It''s very good! 800 pounds! But where are we going to sell these seeds? I can''t bear to sell such good things for the original price of 20 cents a pound, but I''m afraid that no one will want them if we sell them at 30 cents," Auntie Dong said with a sigh. Qiao Mei did a quick calculation. In the next two days, everyone''s seeds would be ready for harvest and it was almost the end of the year. Every family would have at least 500 pounds of seeds. It was unrealistic for everyone to sell it on their own. If that was the case, everyone would lose money. "Auntie, can you calculate how much the entire village can produce?" Qiao Mei asked. In this aspect, Auntie Dong had really already done some calculations. It was not that Auntie Dong was greedy, but she just felt that her family did not have much private land. She was a little jealous that others had bought more seeds from Qiao Mei and their harvest was better than hers. She just wanted to take a look and did not have any other intentions. "There''s definitely 10 tons. There are so many families in our village! Every family has at least 500 pounds. Qiao Mei, quickly help me think of a way. In two days, all those good seeds will be eaten up by my children!" Auntie Dong said with a frown. With such a large quantity, she would be able to discuss it with the supply and marketing cooperative. The quality that each family produced should be about the same. When she had some free time, she would go around to transmit some energy to these seeds so that they could grow faster. It was just that the price was not so easy to negotiate. Qiao Mei felt that 30 cents a pound was very cheap. She even wanted to sell it for three dollars a pound! However, three dollars a pound may seem like an acceptable price in the capital, but in this small county city, it was something astronomical. Three dollars was enough to buy a brand new set of bedding. Who would spend three dollars to buy a pound of seeds! "Leave this matter to me. I''ll go to the county city and ask around. I''ll leave the matters in the village to you, Auntie. I still need you to think of a way to get everyone to report the quantity they produced to my mother. If there''s a clear number, it''ll be easier for me to negotiate the price, right?" Qiao Mei said with a smile. Auntie Dong clapped her hands happily. Leave this small matter to her! She would definitely settle it well! "Qiao Mei what''s the price that you are thinking of Do you have an idea?" Auntie Dong asked carefully. After all, she was asking someone for help. It would be too shameless of her to ask Qiao Mei to raise the price higher. Qiao Mei was already kind enough not to care only about her own returns and was helping the villagers to earn money. However, she still had to support her family. There were so many mouths at home. As long as she did not lose money, anything was fine! "Auntie, don''t worry. I can''t promise you anything else, but it will definitely be more than 30 cents a pound. I definitely won''t let everyone lose money!" Qiao Mei patted her chest and made a promise. "Good, good, good! I''m relieved to hear that! I''ll go and make the arrangements now!" Auntie Dong went home happily. Qiao Mei stir-fried all the seeds in her house. She had a total of 1,000 pounds and the fragrance spread to more than 10 miles away. This time, she had to think of a good solution. The next morning, Qiao Mei took the horse carriage and went to look for Chen Hu. Without anyone''s help, she carried the big bag full of seeds to Chen Hu''s office. Xiaobei was dumbfounded as he followed behind. Along the way, he had been worried that something would happen to Qiao Mei. He had been following her since she entered the courtyard, but she refused to give it to him even when he reached out to help her. "Uncle Hu! I''m here! Guess what great stuff I brought you!" Qiao Mei was not able to use her hands to push open the door, so she had to gently kick it open. Chen Hu was so shocked that he immediately got up from his seat to welcome Qiao Mei. He could not even lift the bag up, yet Qiao Mei had actually brought it from the village to the county city alone. She was really too strong. If he did not remember wrongly, Qiao Mei was already seven months pregnant. Due to the fact that she was having twins, the size of her stomach made her look like she was nine months pregnant and about to give birth. "Why did you carry such heavy things yourself! Xiaobei, what are you doing! You let a pregnant woman carry such a heavy load upstairs!" Chen Hu pointed at Xiaobei and scolded him out of exasperation. Xiaobei lowered his head aggrievedly. He wanted to help, but Qiao Mei did not allow him to. He wanted to help, but he was helpless. "Uncle Hu, I didn''t allow Xiaobei to help me. If he helps with such a heavy thing and the load is unevenly spread, we might both strain our waists! Look, I''m all fine!" Qiao Mei said laughingly as she touched her stomach. "Xiaobei, go out and run 20 rounds as punishment! Go quickly!" Chen Hu said as he pointed outside the door. Xiaobei quietly left the room to carry out his punishment. Qiao Mei noted this as a favor she owed Xiaobei and decided to bring him a lot of delicious food the next time she came! Chapter 768 Astronomically Priced Seeds Chen Hu waved his hands helplessly and chased Xiaobei out. He frowned and said, "And you. You''re not taking good care of yourself. This is so heavy that it''s difficult for the men in the army to carry it, yet you come to the county city alone! If you want to do this again, call me! I''ll send someone to pick you up!" "But I can carry it, I''m not that delicate!" Qiao Mei said. When Chen Hu heard this, he became even angrier. He put his hands on his hips and said, "You still don''t take it seriously! When your auntie was pregnant, the doctor told me not to allow her to carry heavy things! I couldn''t bear to let her do any chores! I''m even on tenterhooks when she carried a bottle of water! Look at you, this bag probably weighs at least 50 pounds!" "It''s 100 pounds" Qiao Mei lowered her head and added softly. Chen Hu was so angry that he could feel his blood pressure rising. He felt that he might collapse if he continued speaking. She was really Qiao Qiang''s granddaughter! There was only one word to use! Stubborn! "You really! Are you trying to anger me to death!" Chen Hu smacked the table angrily. "Alright, alright! I definitely won''t dare to do it again. I''ll definitely listen to you! Uncle, quickly sit down and don''t be angry. I don''t even dare to talk to you anymore. I still need a favor from you!" Qiao Mei said with a grin. Chen Hu calmed down and looked at Qiao Mei with a dark expression. He was still angry that Qiao Mei did not care about her health, but when he saw Qiao Mei''s cute face, he could not bear to be angry. If there was anyone to blame, it was himself! He doted on this little girl so much that she ended up being so lawless! "Speak! What''s the matter!" Chen Hu said sulkily. Qiao Mei opened the bag and grabbed a handful of seeds for Chen Hu. "Uncle, try these first." The things that Qiao Mei brought were always delicious. Even if he had not tried them, the moment she opened the bag, he could smell the fragrance of the seeds. Upon closer inspection, the size was different from the ones sold in the market. It was obvious that this was some good stuff. "It''s really not bad. Did you plant it yourself? Do you want me to refer you to the supply and marketing cooperative again?" Chen Hu asked. "Uncle, don''t you think these seeds are the best ones you''ve ever eaten? You''ve lived in the county city for so many years and you''ve also been to other places. Tell me the truth. Is it delicious?" Qiao Mei asked seriously. There were indeed no other melon seeds like them. They were big, thin-skinned and fragrant. If these were put on the market, they would definitely be sold out. "It''s indeed good stuff. If we put it in the supply and marketing cooperative, it will definitely be gone in two days," Chen Hu said. "I want to sell it for one dollar a pound." Qiao Mei raised one finger at Chen Hu. Chen Hu stopped eating the seeds for a moment. The most expensive type of seeds in the county city at the moment was 40 cents a pound. Who would buy it for one dollar a pound? Also, that would not meet the standards set by the supply and marketing cooperative. They had limits when it came to purchasing. They could not just raise their purchasing budget just because of connections. The bean sprouts that Qiao Mei sold the last time were reasonably priced and of top quality. The supply and marketing cooperative was more than happy to confirm the deal. If not for the fact that the quality of the bean sprouts got worse and worse later on, the supply and marketing cooperative would have wanted to continue working with Qiao Mei. "Qiao Mei, are you joking with me? One dollar a pound is almost the same price as pork. Are you mistaken?" Chen Hu asked. "Uncle, do these seeds taste good?" Qiao Mei asked with a smile. Chen Hu nodded truthfully. Qiao Mei took a piece of paper from Chen Hu''s table and folded it into a pouch. She grabbed a handful of melon seeds and placed them inside before sealing them and placing them in front of Chen Hu. "Now, see if this is worth one dollar. Later on, we can design the packaging and market it as a way to send gifts to relatives!" Qiao Mei said. Chen Hu''s eyes lit up. In that case, it was indeed feasible! The quality of Qiao Mei''s seeds definitely made them very suitable as gifts. Now that there was a lack of supplies, people were not so particular about gifts. As long as something looked exquisite, no matter what it was, everyone would think that it was something nice. "You''re indeed smart! I''ll contact someone for you now. I know someone better equipped to do this than the supply and marketing cooperative!" After saying that, Chen Hu made a phone call to his old comrade-in-arm. He asked the man to hurry over to discuss a big business deal. This person was never absent when there was money to be made. Not long after, Chen Hu''s old comrade-in-arm arrived. "You still keep me in suspense over the phone! What good business deal do you have that requires the factory director to come personally!" He Guang pushed the door open as if he was entering his own office. It was obvious how close he was to Chen Hu. Chapter 769 Troubling As soon as He Guang entered the room and saw that there was another person around, he immediately stopped in his tracks and tidied his clothes awkwardly. "Ah there''s someone else Are you dealing with something? Then I''ll come in later." "What are you talking about! This is the person who wants to work with you!" Chen Hu held his forehead helplessly. His old comrade-in-arm was good at everything except for his patience. He had been like this for so many years. Qiao Mei stood up and extended her hand to He Guang. "Hello, my name is Qiao Mei. It''s indeed me who wants to work with you." "Qiao? Your surname is Qiao?" He Guang held Qiao Mei''s hand and hesitated for a moment before turning to look at Chen Hu, his eyes filled with questions. Chen Hu nodded and said, "Yes, it''s his granddaughter." The way He Guang looked at Qiao Mei immediately changed. His eyes were filled with admiration and excitement. The person he had always admired the most was Qiao Qiang. He already admired Qiao Qiang since he was in the army. He really wanted to see with his own eyes the kind of war hero who had his merit medals hung all over the wall. As he had joined the army later and held a civilian post, he did not have the chance to meet Qiao Qiang. He did not expect to meet Qiao Qiang''s granddaughter here. He felt really lucky. "How''s your grandfather? How''s his health? How''s his energy level? Tell me if you need anything and I''ll definitely get it for you," He Guang said confidently as he held Qiao Mei''s hand. This was the second time Qiao Mei had heard something like this. The first time was when she met Chen Hu. "My grandfather is in good health. If there''s a chance, come to my house and I''ll stew chicken for you! I can cook very well!" Qiao Mei said. "Your grandfather doesn''t know me. I just admire your grandfather. His reputation was so resounding back then and everyone treated him as a role model! If not for the fact that it involves confidential information, I should really tell you about how suave your grandfather was back then. No one can compare to him," He Guang said. She did not expect her grandfather to have fans! Furthermore, all his fans were so fanatical! It seemed that her grandfather was really very outstanding back then. Qiao Mei had really never heard about what Qiao Qiang did in the past. She only knew that he was a hero and a very capable person, but she did not know anything else. "Alright, alright. Come and take a look at the goods." Chen Hu took out a handful of seeds from his pocket and handed them to He Guang. He Guang was immediately attracted by these seeds. The texture and taste were simply top-notch! They were 10,000 times better than anything produced in his factory! "His name is He Guang. You can just call him Uncle He. He''s the director of the food factory in our county city. He can do everything you just said," Chen Hu said. Qiao Mei could not help but take a deep breath. She did not expect Chen Hu to know such a person, and that they were even old comrades-in-arms. "The quality is not bad, but I''ve never sold seeds before. I''m not quite sure how to market it," He Guang said as he ate the seeds. Not long after, the seed skins in front of He Guang had almost formed a small mountain. After he started eating, he could not stop. Chen Hu snatched the seeds from He Guang''s hand and said impatiently, "What nonsense are you talking about! Just tell us if you can do it! You eat so much of such good stuff and still say that you can''t do it. You''re a factory director after all! Hurry up and make a decision!" He Guang turned to look at Qiao Mei and asked, "What do you plan to do?" "I''m thinking of some form of packaging, where we can print a melon seed on it and add some decorations. As for the name let''s call it Foshan Seeds!" Qiao Mei said as she gestured. He Guang looked at Qiao Mei in satisfaction. She was young but her ideas were very novel. This type of seeds were usually sold loosely and by weight on the market, and very few people would think of putting them in gift boxes. Most importantly, the quality was not up to standard. "Paper bags will get damp and I can''t leave them in the warehouse for too long. If there''s too many, I''ll definitely lose money. The airtightness of metal boxes isn''t very good either. Your idea can only be done using plastic bags, like those imported goods," He Guang said with a troubled expression. On the market, things like sweets and peanuts were sold in metal boxes and paper bags. The cost of making plastic bags was very high and ordinary factories were unwilling to produce them. In the event they lost money, they would not be able to make ends meet and the factory would face bankruptcy. Moreover, there were not many factories making plastic packaging. It would be very difficult to put Qiao Mei''s idea into practice. Chapter 770 Waiting For A Reply "Don''t say such useless things! I know you have connections!" Chen Hu said. "I''m not saying that I can''t do it! It''s just very hard to achieve! But since we''re all family, then tell me the bottom line. How much do you plan to sell it to me?" He Guang asked as she looked at Qiao Mei. "One dollar a pound," Qiao Mei said firmly. He Guang looked at Qiao Mei in shock. This young girl had a big appetite. However, if he packaged it into a gift box, this cost was not considered that high. It was just that it would eat into his profits. "Can it be cheaper? My labor and other costs are very high." He Guang put on the attitude of a businessman and wanted to bargain with Qiao Mei. "No, but I can guarantee that the supply chain will last for a long time. Moreover, the price of my one dollar a pound will not increase in the next few years. If there are any changes in the market price, you can change it later. You will have to solve the packaging problem. When you''re ready, just show me the design. I just want this one dollar a pound and the rest is yours," Qiao Mei said. This was a sure-win deal. As soon as everyone knew that Qiao Mei''s Foshan Seeds were delicious and the brand became famous enough, there would be an endless stream of customers. He had sold many types of imported products. For milk candy, the cost was a few cents and he could make a profit of more than 10 times. He could definitely do the same with these seeds. "Alright! I''ll try! I can''t guarantee that I''ll definitely be able to sell it well. Just pass me this bag of seeds and give me two weeks. I''ll give you an answer later," He Guang said. "Alright, I''ll wait for news from you," Qiao Mei said with a smile. He Guang knew the factory director of the plastic factory in the provincial city. That was his wife''s uncle. Not long ago, he had been told that there was a batch of goods that had been returned but no one wanted them. Now, he could just take over. Then, he would find a few printers to print the trademarks and this matter would be settled! "Alright, I''m going off with the things. I''ll call you later." After saying that, He Guang wanted to pick up the bag and leave. He pulled it many times, but the bag did not bulge at all. Qiao Mei and Chen Hu just stared at He Guang without saying a word. He Guang laughed awkwardly and said, "Hahaha this is quite heavy" "Heavy? Qiao Mei carried it over from the village herself. Is it very heavy? I''m not aware!" Chen Hu pretended not to know and looked at He Guang as if in confusion. ? He Guang''s expression became even more unhappy. He gritted his teeth and tried his best to lift it up before leaving Chen Hu''s office with great difficulty. How could he be weaker than a pregnant woman! "Hahahaha, Uncle Hu, you''re too naughty. What if Uncle He hurts his waist?" Qiao Mei said as she held back her laughter. "Hmph, it''s his fault for always finding trouble with me when we were in the army and going against me. There''s no need to feel sorry for him!" Chen Hu said with a smile. Qiao Mei looked at the time and felt that it was time to go home. She took out a bag of seeds from her pocket and said, "Uncle, these are spiced seeds. I just fried some to try out. You can keep them for yourself." "You''re still the one who cares about me! I didn''t dote on you for nothing! I''ll call your auntie now to cook some good food. Don''t leave. I''ll let your grandfather know later and get someone to drive you back later!" Chen Hu said as he picked up the phone. Qiao Mei quickly tried to reject the gesture. "I still have work to do at home! Don''t trouble Auntie!" "No! Your auntie scolded me the last time because I didn''t ask you to stay for a meal. Just treat it as doing me a favor. Your auntie has prepared a lot of things for you and she''s looking forward to meeting you," Chen Hu said pleadingly. He did not lie to make Qiao Mei stay. This was true. The last time, his wife really gave him a good scolding and was so angry that she ignored him for two days. If Qiao Mei had not asked Xiaobei to send food over, the cold war would have lasted for a long time! "Then I''ll stay!" Qiao Mei said. Chen Hu asked Xiaobei to help take over his shift and he brought Qiao Mei home for lunch. The table was filled with so much food that looked like they were celebrating the new year. It was even more sumptuous than the new year meal. Chen Hu''s child was not at home and was in school. There was a canteen in school and his child ate lunch there. It was just the three of them at lunch and there were 12 dishes on the table. There was soup, fish, meat and a lot of other stuff. There was even a can of canned yellow peaches. Canned food was very expensive these days and usually no one could bear to buy them. This was something that one would only have if they received it as a gift from relatives. This was enough to show how highly she thought of Qiao Mei. Chapter 771 Hitting It Off Immediately Qiao Mei did not know what to say. Most importantly, she came in a hurry and did not bring anything with her. She did not have any time to prepare before Chen Hu brought her home. "Mei Mei, why are you standing there! Come into the house to wash your hands and come eat! These are all my signature dishes! It just so happens that your uncle has already intended to come home for lunch today. When I heard that you''re coming along, I added a few dishes! I don''t know if it''s to your taste, come and try!" said Chen Hu''s wife, Sheng Fei. "Aunt, you''re too polite. It''s a lot of food!" Qiao Mei said with her mouth agape. After washing her hands, Qiao Mei sat down obediently and ate. For the first time, she even ate two bowls of rice. It was not that Sheng Fei''s cooking was delicious, but it was very difficult to reject her hospitality. She had wanted to go home after having dinner and exchanging a few pleasantries, but she did not expect Sheng Fei to insist that she stay for a good chat. Sheng Fei liked Qiao Mei very much the moment she saw her. "Can I call you Mei Mei? I only have a son and I dream of having a daughter. It''s just that I''m not in good health, otherwise I would want to have another child," Sheng Fei said regretfully. "Auntie, just treat me like family. I''ll visit you often when I''m free!" Qiao Mei said. Her voice was so sweet! The way she addressed Sheng Fei as auntie made Sheng Fei very happy. Sheng Fei took out a package from the cabinet. When Qiao Mei opened it, she saw that it was filled with things for children. There were tiger-head shoes, tiger-head hats and undergarments! "I don''t know what kind of clothes you like, so I made clothes for the children. I heard that you''re having twins, so I made two sets. My skills are not very good, so just take it as a token from me." Sheng Fei handed the package to Qiao Mei. The workmanship was exquisite and there were even pearls and other decorative items on the items! It was obvious that Sheng Fei had put in a lot of effort. It seemed that she really liked Qiao Mei. She was even willing to give Qiao Mei such nice stuff. The fabric was also the best type which she had asked someone to bring back from the provincial city because nothing in the county city caught her eye. The things she made for Qiao Mei must be the best things that she could make within her capabilities! "I like them very much! Auntie, you have such skillful hands. No wonder Uncle Hu dotes on you so much!" Qiao Mei teased with a smile. "I say! It''s already good enough if he doesn''t make me angry! You don''t know how careless he is. He Guang told me about how one day, Chen Hu was supposed to go and present a report to his superiors, but when he reached his destination, he realized that his presentation materials were still in the bedroom!" Sheng Fei said. "I didn''t expect Uncle Hu to do something like this!" Qiao Mei had thought that Chen Hu was a meticulous person, and she did not expect to hear about something so contrasting. Since Sheng Fei had given her such nice things, Qiao Mei was also thinking about what to do for Sheng Fei. Before she went home later, she would go to the shop to buy some cotton and make a long cotton jacket that could withstand the cold winter. Chen Hu had always said that Sheng Fei''s health was not very good. Qiao Mei decided to give her ginseng as well! What she did not lack the most was ginseng! She could have as many as she wanted! The two of them chatted happily until dusk. Chen Hu called to urge Sheng Fei to let Qiao Mei go home quickly. Otherwise, it would be difficult for her to walk back at night. Only then did Sheng Fei bid farewell to Qiao Mei reluctantly. Before Qiao Mei left, she made Qiao Mei promise to come back to her house for dinner again. It was still Xiaobei who was in charge of sending Qiao Mei back. As soon as Qiao Mei opened the car door, she could feel a sense of resentment coming from Xiaobei. It looked like he was tired after the punishment and was angry with Qiao Mei. "Brother Xiaobei are you angry with me?" Qiao Mei whispered. Xiaobei remained silent and did not answer. He did not know what he was feeling. He was angry, but he did not feel very angry. Perhaps the reason why he was angry was because Chen Hu punished him, and the reason why he was not angry was because Qiao Mei had always been very nice to him. "I''ll bring you delicious food next time! I''ll compensate you! What do you think! I''ll get it for you once I get home later! I still have a lot of seeds at home! There''s also a new batch of pickled vegetables. Take them all back to try!" Qiao Mei said. "Hmph, I haven''t done anything to deserve a reward. Don''t try to bribe me. I won''t fall for your tricks! If I get caught when I go back, Section Head Chen will punish me again," Xiaobei said helplessly. Qiao Mei waved her hand and said casually, "What''s so difficult about that? I''ll get you a black cloth bag! No one will know what''s inside! Don''t tell anyone, just lock it in the cabinet!" What she said was completely doable and Xiaobei''s expression gradually softened. Chapter 772 - 772 Preparing to Go to the Capital 772 Preparing to Go to the Capital Seeing that Xiaobeis expression had softened, Qiao Mei smiled and said, I hope youre not angry with me anymore? Youve already offered delicious food to bribe me. How can I be angry? Xiao Bei sighed and said. Soon, the two of them arrived at Qiao Meis house. Qiao Mei took out the rest of the things from the storeroom and filled a bag with food for Xiaobei before letting him go back. Mei Mei, come and help me take a look. Is this radio broken? Qiao Qiang frowned as he held it up. !! This radio was his favorite thing and he must listen to it every day. For some reason, there were constant interference sounds, as if there was something inside it. Coming! Let me take a look! Qiao Mei quickly took the radio apart. In her other life, she liked to do such hands-on work the most. It did not take long for her to discover the problem. The wind around here was strong and there was often sand being blown around. Qiao Qiang always brought the radio out when he basked in the sun. A few small grains of sand had gotten into the radio, but it was not a big deal. Qiao Qiang looked at Qiao Mei thoughtfully and said, Lets go to the capital. Youre more than seven months into your pregnancy now and itll be safer to be there. Old Xia can also protect you there. Qiao Mei had also been thinking about this matter for a long time but she did not mention it to Qiao Qiang. She was worried that Qiao Qiang would not be willing to stay in the capital and that it would be troublesome if they ran into the Liang family members. Moreover, she did not know if the progress of the renovation works in the house in the capital. She had heard from Xia Wen that it was already habitable. Since Qiao Qiang had already decided, they could start preparing to move to the capital. They would go to the capital at the end of the month, after she settled the matter of the seeds first. Then arent you worried that the Liang family members will come looking for you? Qiao Mei asked. Why should I be worried? They are the ones who should be nervous! Im an upright person. If I keep my door closed, are they going to climb over the wall? Qiao Qiang said disdainfully. Liang Guo and Liang Lan probably did not have the ability to do that, nor would they cry and kick up a fuss at the door like Old Madam Li. They were people who cared about their reputation the most. She felt excited just thinking about seeing their deflated looks! After fixing the radio, Qiao Mei and Qiao Qiang went off to bed early. The next morning, she went to Li Guis place to see how much seeds they had collected. Qiao Mei thought that she had woken up early today, but she did not expect to see a long queue at Li Guis house. Everyone was waiting at the door with their bags of seeds and went in one by one. Li Gui did not have any communication facilities at home and did not know anything about the weather forecast. She had no choice but to empty out a room and the storeroom to store all the seeds. Otherwise, if it rained, the villagers efforts this month would be wasted. She would not be able to compensate them! Everyone is so early! Qiao Mei said in surprise. Auntie Dong stood at the front and helped Li Gui with the collection. While Li Gui did the weighing outside, Auntie Dong wrote down the weights on the bags and placed them neatly in the room. Mei Mei, I have such a good harvest of seeds! Thank you for selling the seeds to us. We also have to thank you for helping us find a way to sell them, a neighbor said. Yesterday, when Auntie Dong went from house to house to inform them, she already told them that it was Qiao Mei who was helping them. If anyone was not satisfied with the price, they could talk to Auntie Dong and should not go and disturb Qiao Mei. Auntie Dong would then go and discuss it with Li Gui. They were all people who knew how to repay kindness, so how could they really go and argue with Auntie Dong and Li Gui? As long as Qiao Mei named the price, they had no objections. You have all planted these yourselves. If everyone didnt believe me, there wouldnt be such a harvest. Its all thanks to everyone. Qiao Mei exchanged a few pleasantries and went into the house. It was the weekend and the children were all at home. Even when it was their rest day, the three children were very sensible and helped out. Zhang Qin was in charge of taking care of Zhang Miao. The two brothers, Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao, guided everyone into the house to put down their things and helped Li Gui check the quantities. They helped out a lot. Xiao Qin, Miao Miao, have the two of you eaten? Qiao Mei asked. Not yet. They came before dawn. They said that they couldnt wait to earn money and couldnt sit still at home. Mom had no choice but to start collecting the seeds, Zhang Qin said. Qiao Mei looked outside and had some new ideas. She would think about it after this batch of seeds was sold and when the next batch of seeds was ready. Chapter 773 Net Earnings Of A Few Thousands After Qiao Mei finished making food for the children, Li Gui was almost done with her work. By this moment, all the families had to go to work and people stopped coming by with seeds. "Sigh If not for Sister Dong coming to help me today, I don''t think I can cope." Although Li Gui was tired, she was full of smiles and it looked as if she had done something interesting. Otherwise, she rarely interacted with the people in the village. She was always worried that others would say bad things about her. She did not take the initiative to talk to others as she was afraid that no one liked her. "Qiao Mei, what is the price you managed to negotiate yesterday?" Auntie Dong asked curiously. Qiao Mei thought for a moment and said, "90 cents." Auntie Dong was so happy that she kept clapping. She had thought that if the price was 30 cents, she would sell all 800 pounds. If the price was higher, she would save some for the children. The children were in for a treat this time. If she sold 750 pounds, that would be 675 dollars! It was equivalent to two years of earnings for her family! "You''re really the big treasure of our village! Oh my goodness! I have to go home quickly to clean up. My children kick up a fuss every day and clamor for me to leave some seeds for them," Auntie Dong said happily. "Auntie, stay and eat before leaving," Qiao Mei said. Auntie Dong waved her hand and said, "No, no. I have to go home to take care of the children! You guys go ahead!" As Li Gui watched Auntie Dong leave, she said carefully, "Is it really 90 cents a pound? Doesn''t the supply and marketing cooperative buy goods at very low prices? Don''t overstate the price. If the higher-ups find out about it, you''ll be finished!" "You''re right, it''s not 90 cents. It''s one dollar a pound! I have found a food factory to sell them in nice gift packs. I won''t be in the village by then. You can be the liaison person with the people in the county city. The extra 10 cents per pound is what we make for our family''s hard work. Even if we pay for expenses like hiring a car out of this amount, we can still make some money," Qiao Mei said. In the future, every family would be willing to grow seeds once they knew they could make money. The harvest would not be just a few hundred pounds per family like it was now. By then, the harvest would be by tons and would not even be able to fit into this courtyard. Nowadays, it would cost 50 dollars to hire a big truck for one trip. If Li Gui only made money from her own harvest, she would lose money and yet have to do more work than the other families. In the future, they could expand the business so that Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao would have money to get married. The Foshan Seeds could even be sold in the capital in the future! "How can you do that! Isn''t this cheating everyone of their hard-earned money!" Li Gui said. "Our family still has to gather everything and hire vehicles to deliver them. Later on, we also have to specially build a warehouse to store the seeds. Do you think 10 cents per pound is a lot of money? Moreover, I''m the one who does all the sourcing and negotiation. The price now is already several times more than the previous 20 cents per pound and it''s also a much more convenient way for everyone to sell it. If they go and sell it at the black market, they may get arrested!" Qiao Mei said. "Elder sister is right!" Zhang Qin said excitedly. This girl was quick on her feet. Although she did not carry the seeds together with her two brothers, she had already roughly calculated the amount of seeds in the house. They were all in small bags, each bag weighing 50 pounds. There were already two tons in the house! In this way, they had already made 400 dollars! Moreover, there were still others in the village who had not sent their seeds over. Once everyone was included, they would make at least 500 dollars! "But what if the uncles and aunties find out? Will they bully us?" Zhang Chao asked worriedly. "No, they''ve already made money. Why would they still bully us? The seeds are only available from our house. If they want to plant the crops, they have to come to our house to buy the seeds. These seeds were germinated in a special way! It''s not seeds that you can plant just by casually scattering them into the soil," Qiao Mei said mysteriously. It was not true that the seeds were germinated in a special way. She had simply catalyzed the seeds with energy. After she reached the capital, she would make improvements to the seeds so that no one would suspect that there was anything strange. Otherwise, if the difference in quality with existing varieties was too great, she would not be able to continue with the business. Now, it all depended on whether Li Gui had the guts. These crops could be grown and harvested three times a year. Based on the current net income of at least 500 dollars, it would be at least 1,500 dollars a year. In that case, they did not need to work so hard in the fields and did not even have to grow vegetables at home. By then, they would not have to worry about the fees to send the children to university, and the children could even head to the capital! Chapter 774 Mocking Each Other "But I What if I get something wrong I don''t really know much" Li Gui said fearfully. Qiao Mei looked at the children and asked, "Will you help out in our family business?" The children nodded one after another. They could not just watch Li Gui be so busy. That would be too much. "Look, the children will help you. You can also ask Auntie Dong to help out when necessary. Give her an extra 20 or 40 dollars in the months when you collect the seeds and she will definitely come and help," Qiao Mei said. This job was not too tiring and it was even better than going to the village office to be an accountant. Moreover, she could make so much more money. Since the children said that she could do it, she would give it a try! "Alright! I''ll remember that! Don''t worry, I''ll definitely do it well!" Li Gui said confidently. After the matter with the seeds were settled, it was time to pack up all the stuff at home. The marinated and pickled foodstuff could all be sent to the capital, but what about the live animals at home? The chickens and ducks had all been poisoned to death by Qiao Gui, so that was one less thing to worry about. Now, there were only two pigs left. Qiao Mei had originally intended to slaughter these two pigs and eat meat this winter! Now, she could only give them to Li Gui''s family. There were also two big baskets of eggs at home. She decided to sell them all to the villagers, to whichever family that could afford to buy. This time, she would not barter for stuff. Otherwise, there would be more physical items to deal with. If she had any left, she would give them to Li Gui. Anything that she could not bring along, she would give them to Li Gui. The children would eventually have use for the things when they grew up. "Grandfather, what do you want to bring to the capital? Is there anything you want to sell?" Qiao Mei asked. Qiao Qiang thought for a long time and said earnestly, "I don''t have anything to sell, but there''s something I want to buy." "What is it?" Qiao Mei had never seen Qiao Qiang taking the initiative to buy anything. Qiao Qiang lived a very frugal life and did not like to spend his money unnecessarily. Whenever he spent any money, it was to buy things for Qiao Mei. He had always been very stingy with himself. "I have a favor to ask of you. I''m asking someone from the village to get me some fabric from the county city. Make me a nice set of clothes. I can''t possibly let that old fellow laugh at me when I get to the capital! You don''t know this, but Xia Jun likes to laugh at me!" Qiao Qiang said. Qiao Mei was so amused that she laughed out loudly. It was not as if she had never made clothes for Qiao Qiang, but she had never made a complete set. It seemed that Qiao Qiang cared a lot about going to the capital to see Xia Jun. "There''s no need to buy anything. We have fabric at home. I''ll sew the clothes for you. But haven''t you known each other for so many years? Why are you still fussing over these things?" Qiao Mei asked curiously. This made Qiao Qiang recall the past. At that time, Xia Jun and Qiao Qiang were both very young and had joined the army with a lot of passion. The two of them were on par with each other and were the best soldiers in the army, so they naturally wanted to fight it out and find out who was better. There were many times when Qiao Qiang won by a narrow margin. Every time, Xia Jun would find all kinds of reasons to provoke Qiao Qiang. As long as Qiao Qiang was inferior to Xia Jun in any way, Xia Jun would mock Qiao Qiang. The two of them quarreled non-stop every time they met and sometimes even got into fights. Their relationship improved because of a strange twist of fate. At that time, Xia Jun was trapped during a mission and it was Qiao Qiang who risked his life to save him despite the orders from his superiors to stand down. Later on, the two of them were punished together. From then on, Xia Jun treated Qiao Qiang like his elder brother. Although there were fewer fights and squabbles, Xia Jun still liked to be critical of Qiao Qiang. "I''ll definitely make you the most fashionable clothes! You won''t be inferior to Grandpa Xia!" Qiao Mei said with a smile. "Alright!" Qiao Qiang said. After deciding which items to bring to the capital, it was time to plan the actual day of the move. Everything was ready. She only needed to find out when the people in the capital had time to pick them up. If Qiao Mei made the trip on her own, she would definitely be reprimanded by everyone for not taking good care of herself. This had already happened with Chen Hu once and she did not want to be reprimanded by more people. The first thing she would do when she got back was to buy many chicks! She must settle the matter of the medicinal herb chickens! She must definitely make a lot of money from He Ning! When Qiao Mei returned to her room, she started thinking about the designs for Qiao Qiang''s clothes. She was not going to simply take some cloth and make some clothes. She even thought of embroidering patterns on them! Chapter 775 - 775 Zhang Qin Is Missing 775 Zhang Qin Is Missing The next day, Qiao Mei woke up, tidied up the house, cooked and ate. Her life was very relaxed and comfortable. She then fried the remaining seeds she had in the storeroom so that she could send everything to the capital. The ones she sent to Xia He the last time were still the old variety. By the time she finished frying the seeds, it was already noon. Before she could clean up the kitchen, she heard a commotion outside. There were only two families near her house, Li Gui and Auntie Dong. Could it be that someone from Old Madam Lis family came again? Or was there a problem with Li Gui collecting the seeds? Qiao Mei walked out of the house curiously and saw Zhang Wei running towards her anxiously. What happened? Shouldnt you be at school at this time? Why did you run back? Qiao Mei asked. !! The school was tens of miles away from home, so it was impossible for Zhang Wei to walk back alone. He had only gone to school for a few hours, so why was he back alone? Where were the other children? Elder sister Zhang Qin Zhang Qin is missing! Zhang Wei said while panting. What! Arent you all at school? How can she go missing! Have you gone around the school to look for her? Qiao Mei asked in shock. Zhang Wei shook his head. In the morning, the three of them had set off for school together. As the three of them were of different grades, they were in different classes. They only gathered together to eat at noon and go home after school. At noontime, he realized that Zhang Qin was not in the classroom. He could not find her no matter where he looked. The teacher also helped in the search, but there was no sign of her. That was why he had brought Zhang Chao home with him in a hurry, thinking that Zhang Qin might be at home. The teacher has already helped us to look around but we cant find her. Weve already searched all the places that Zhang Qin might have gone Zhang Wei said fearfully. He had already lost Zhang Qin once. He was afraid that Zhang Qin might be captured by those human traffickers again. It was all his fault as the eldest brother. If not for the fact that he did not take good care of Zhang Qin, she would not have suddenly disappeared. Zhang Wei was trembling in fear. He was afraid that something would happen to Zhang Qin and whispered, Elder sister can it be that my father No, hes still in prison. Go to the places that Zhang Qin likes to go around the village. Ill call Uncle Zhao, Qiao Mei said calmly. Now that such a big thing had happened, she had to remain calm. At this moment, Li Gui must be so flustered that she did not know what to do. If Qiao Mei was also unable to stay calm, they would waste even more time instead of focusing on finding Zhang Qin. The most important thing now was to get more people to go and look for the child. Qiao Mei quickly returned to the house and called the village office. Soon, Zhao Liang picked up the call. Uncle Zhao, bad news! My Zhang Qin is missing! Qiao Mei said anxiously. The child is missing? Dont be anxious. Ill do a broadcast to inform all the villagers to gather now so that we can all go and look for the child together. Dont be anxious, Ill be at your house soon. After saying that, Zhao Liang went to make arrangements. Qiao Mei was certain that this matter had nothing to do with Zhang Qian. Zhang Qian was still in jail and even if Zhang Cong wanted to avenge his father, he did not have the guts to do so. Zhang Qin was the most obedient among the children. She definitely did not run off on her own accord. Qiao Mei walked to the corner of the courtyard and gently touched the flowers and plants on the ground. She focused on the big tree outside Qiao Zhuangs house but she did not find any traces of Zhang Qin, nor did she see any memories of Zhang Qin walking past this big tree. Strange Can I have wronged their family? Qiao Mei muttered to herself. After the broadcast, the villagers gathered at the door of Li Guis house. Everyone was very worried about Zhang Qins safety. Qiao Mei usually took good care of everyone, so it was only right for all of them to help out now. Qiao Mei quickly walked to Li Guis courtyard while supporting her stomach. Li Gui was already crying in the courtyard. Her eyes were so swollen that she could barely open them and her clothes were wet from the tears. My child! If anything happens to you I wont be able to live! Li Gui said as she wept. Mom, Im here. Have you gone to all the places that Zhang Qin frequents? Qiao Mei asked. Li Gui sobbed and said, Yes we did we searched the entire village. The villagers also kept a lookout on the way here but theres no trace of her anywhere. Tell me Where else do you think this child can go Chapter 776 - 776 Attempted Murder 776 Attempted Murder Mei Mei, dont mind Aunties unpleasant words, but lets go to the river to take a look, Auntie Dong said with a serious expression. Qiao Mei was actually thinking about the same thing. During this season, if one fell into the river, there was an 80 to 90% chance that one would not survive. Moreover, there was a reservoir in the village where Zhang Qin went to school. Even an adult would die after falling into it, let alone a child as young as Zhang Qin. Have we really searched everywhere except by the river? Qiao Mei asked with a gloomy expression. Everyone looked at one another. That was indeed the case. As they set off from their homes, they had searched the vicinity as well. They had almost combed the entire village, but there was still no sign of Zhang Qin. Qiao Mei, well go around and search again later. Ill bring a few people along the riverbank to take a look. You can stay at home and accompany Li Gui. Dont worry, well definitely do our best to find her, Zhao Liang said. Everyone chimed in and agreed. There was something else that Qiao Mei wanted to do, so she did not decline the offer. However, she did not stay to take care of Li Gui and asked Auntie Dong to stay and help instead. Qiao Mei hurriedly returned to her room and sent out all her energy. Using the roots of the plants, she began to search for Zhang Qins whereabouts. This consumed a lot of Qiao Meis stamina and energy. She even took out the treasured ginsengs at home and absorbed their energy without any hesitation. Even if she had to give it her all, she had to find Zhang Qin. Qiao Mei searched along the river and did not find any clothes, fabric or shoes. The plants by the river also did not have any memories of Zhang Qin. Now that she had searched all the villagers homes, the riverside and all the nearby places, the only place left was the mountains. There were many mountains around the village and Zhang Qin had climbed every one of them previously. Back then, in order to pick wild vegetables, she would go and take a look as long as there were vegetables to be found. Even if everyone in the village went up the mountains to look for her, they still would not be able to cover everywhere after three days and three nights. Qiao Mei searched meticulously and finally found some clues in the bushes at the foot of the mountain near the school. Through the line of sight of the bushes, Qiao Mei found a piece of Zhang Qins clothes on the ground. It was not big, but it was enough for her to recognize it. She was the one who bought everything that Zhang Qin wore. She knew very well the kind of fabric and the patterns. Those were all new fabrics that she had brought back from the capital and were not sold in the county city at all. Following this mountain path and heading upwards, Qiao Mei found Zhang Qin lying unconscious at the bottom of a dangerous slope. Her clothes were torn and tattered, as if they had been scratched by tree branches. Her beautiful face was also covered in blood and there were also many wounds of various sizes. Qiao Mei memorized the approximate location and hurriedly put on more clothes before running out. It was going to be dark soon. If she delayed any longer, Zhang Qin would be in danger. There were many fierce beasts on the mountain. If she did not bring Zhang Qin back, even if the girl was still alive, she would get eaten up by the beasts. Mei Mei! Where are you going! Im coming with you! Qiao Qiang said as he put on his clothes. Qiao Mei wanted Qiao Qiang to rest at home. The mountain path was steep and not easy to walk on. That mountain was the most dangerous mountain in this area, not because there were many ferocious beasts inside, but because the path was steep and dangerous. Most of the slopes were also dangerous and one could easily miss a step if one was not careful. No one was willing to go to that mountain to pick wild vegetables. Grandfather, Im going up the mountains. Its going to be dark soon, so its better if you dont go. Ill go and get Uncle Zhao and the others to accompany me, Qiao Mei said. No, then the more I have to go with you. Ill be even more worried if you go up the mountains alone, Qiao Qiang said with a frown. How about this, grandfather? Go to the river and ask the villagers to come and look for me. Ill go and scout the way first. Then later, itll be faster when we go into the mountains to search together, Qiao Mei persuaded him patiently. Qiao Qiang nodded. This was the only way. Saving the child was more important. You must be careful, do you understand? Qiao Qiang instructed. Qiao Mei immediately walked towards the house at the entrance of the village, to look for the family who had a horse carriage . Riding a bicycle was the fastest way, but now that she was more than seven months pregnant, she was also afraid that the bumpy road would have a negative impact on the babies. Along the way, she kept thinking about how Zhang Qin got there and how she climbed to such a high place alone. This was not an accident at all. Someone had done this on purpose! Chapter 777 - 777 Going Down the Slope to Save Someone 777 Going Down the Slope to Save Someone Old Mister Zhu! Are you home? Qiao Mei shouted at the door. Old Mister Zhu was the best coachman in the village. He and his son were both in this line of work. Anyone in the village who wanted to transport things would ask Old Mister Zhu for help. If Qiao Mei was the most popular person in the village, then Old Mister Zhu was probably the next most popular. Qiao Mei? Didnt you go and look for Zhang Qin? My son also went to help. Did something happen to you? Old Mister Zhu asked. Old Mister Zhu, can you bring me to the area around Zhang Qins school now? It doesnt matter how much it costs! Qiao Mei said. !! Without another word, Old Mister Zhu went straight to get his horse carriage ready and even padded it with soft cushions and put small stools inside. Ever since his son joined him in the business, he had rarely worked. No need to talk about money! Get in quickly! Old Mister Zhu shouted. Thank you, Old Mister Zhu! Lets go there first. My grandfather has gone to look for Uncle Zhao and the others! Theyll come along to look for us soon! Qiao Mei said. Alright! Sit tight! Well leave now! Old Mister Zhu whipped the horse and they set off. The horse carriage went very fast. This was the first time Qiao Mei felt like she was riding a tractor while sitting in a horse carriage. She had only sat in the carriage driven by Old Mister Zhus son, and it was very stable and the speed was much slower. It seemed that Old Mister Zhus son had not learnt the essence of driving a horse carriage from Old Mister Zhu. On the way, Qiao Mei ran into Uncle Wang Wu and a few other young men from the village. They also got on the horse carriage and accompanied her to the mountain together. By the time they reached the foot of the mountain, the sky was already a little dark. Mei Mei, you think that Zhang Qin has gone up the mountain? Wang Wu asked suspiciously. Uncle, lets give it a try. We should give it a shot. I just have a feeling that Zhang Qin is here. After saying that, Qiao Mei took the route that she remembered from her memories and walked up the mountain. Old Mister Zhu was old, so he waited for them at the foot of the mountain. After walking for more than an hour, they finally reached the area where Zhang Qin had fallen. Everyone shouted for Zhang Qin at the top of their lungs and dispersed to look for her. Qiao Mei crouched down at the top of the slope to observe the surrounding terrain. She saw Zhang Qin immediately. The girl was still in the same position as before and was still unconscious. However, seeing it with her own eyes and seeing it from a plants perspective felt completely different. All she wanted to do now was to rush down and hug Zhang Qin tightly. Found her! Found her! Qiao Mei shouted loudly. She was about to go down when Wang Wu pulled her back. Youre crazy! Its such a steep slope! If you slip, you wont be able to survive! Wang Wu shouted angrily. But Zhang Qin is down there! Uncle! Let me go down! Shes down there! Qiao Mei said. Everyone looked at Qiao Meis anxious expression and felt a little touched. She was so close to her half-sister who had only lived with her for a few months. They were even closer than biological sisters. Qiao Mei was beautiful and kind-hearted. There were too few of such people around.. Stay up here and dont move. Well go down and save Zhang Qin. Dont worry, nothing will happen, Wang Wu said firmly. Uncle, let me go. What if something happens to you, Qiao Mei said worriedly. Wang Wu was so amused that he laughed out loud. Could it be that the few of them could not compare with a pregnant woman? Ive lived for so long and Ive walked on this mountain path countless times. Ive seen all kinds of mountains. Just wait for us here. Theres no need to argue about it anymore. The most important thing now is to save the child. Wang Wu could not be bothered to speak further with Qiao Mei. He tied the rope he had brought around his waist and slowly slid down the side. He had only been to this mountain once. When he was young, he would go hunting with his father and uncles. Later on, his family handed over all their firearms to the authorities and stopped being hunters. Instead, he became a pig farmer and butcher and ran his own business. It took a long time to go down the slope. Wang Wu finally reached the foot of the slope and slowly squatted down, carefully approaching Zhang Qin step by step. Zhang Qin was located on a sloped area. If he was not careful, he could cause her to be injured a second time. He had to ensure that he had a foolproof plan and could get her out in one go. Zhang Qin Im your Uncle Wang Wu Wake up! Wang Wu gently patted Zhang Qins shoulder to see if she would show signs of consciousness. No matter how Wang Wu shouted, Zhang Qin still lay there motionlessly. Her face was already pale from the cold and her lips were turning purple. If they had not found her tonight, she probably would not be able to survive. Chapter 778 - 778 Treatment 778 Treatment Uncle Wang Wu! Hows Zhang Qin! Qiao Mei looked down the dangerous slope worriedly, not even daring to breathe loudly. Wang Wu felt the same way. He could feel that Zhang Qins position was not very stable. If he was not careful, she might fall down further. Wang Wu sat on the slope and took a few deep breaths. Throw me the rope! Wang Wu shouted. Everyone hurriedly fixed a rope to the big tree and threw the other end to Wang Wu. He picked up the rope and tied a firm knot before slowly putting it around Zhang Qins body. After making sure that it was secure, he slowly tied Zhang Qin to himself and climbed up bit by bit. !! With every step Wang Wu took, everyone felt as if their hearts were being squeezed by a pair of hands. Qiao Mei could have used the vines to send Zhang Qin up, but there were too many people with her. If she exposed her abilities, everyone would probably think that she was a demon. Then they would think that her babies were the descendants of a demon. It would be fine if everyone was willing to let her off, but if she was captured as a demon and dissected, she would lose her life. Now, all their hopes were placed on Wang Wu. Everyone silently cheered for him but were worried for him at the same time. It was not until Wang Wu reached the top steadily that everyone rushed forward to pull him up. Qiao Mei went forward to carry Zhang Qin and checked her body carefully. She seemed to have some broken bones in her hands but everything else seemed to be external injuries. Zhang Qin! Look at elder sister! Zhang Qin! Look at me! Wake up! No matter how Qiao Mei shouted, Zhang Qin did not seem to hear her. Qiao Mei took out a bottle of dark green liquid from her pocket and poured some into Zhang Qins mouth. This was the 500-year-old ginseng juice that she had just extracted not long ago. Zhang Qin coughed a few times and gradually regained consciousness. Elder sister Zhang Qin called out weakly. Good, good, good! Dont talk! Were going to the hospital now! Hang in there! Ill bring you there now! Qiao Mei said agitatedly. The journey down the mountain was much more difficult than the journey up. After Wang Wu saved Zhang Qin, he had almost used up all his strength. Now, it was a young man who carried Zhang Qin down the mountain and Qiao Mei followed carefully behind. The sky gradually darkened and it became more and more difficult to walk on the mountain path. It took them more than an hour to go up the mountain and almost three hours to go down. Everyone had to take every step steadily so that no one got hurt. When they reached the foot of the mountain, Zhao Liang was waiting with a group of people. After it got dark, Old Mister Zhu did not allow them to go up the mountain and asked them to wait for Qiao Mei and the others to return. They have brought many blankets with them and laid them in the horse carriage so that Zhang Qin would feel more comfortable and be cushioned from the bumps on the road. Hows the child? Zhao Liang asked. There are many injuries on her body, both big and small. Lets quickly go back and get her checked out. We should go to the clinic first, Qiao Mei said anxiously. They went back quickly on separate horse carriages. Zhang Qin did not dare to close her eyes as she was afraid that she would never see Qiao Mei again. Along the way, she held Qiao Meis hand tightly and refused to let go. Dont be scared Elder sister is here. Elder sister wont leave you. Dont worry. At some point, Qiao Meis eyes were filled with tears. In the past, she was not a person who cried easily. Now that she saw Zhang Qin getting bullied, she just felt very uncomfortable. Elder sister it doesnt hurt Im fine Zhang Qin said with great effort. Dont talk. Were going home soon. Just bear with it, Qiao Mei said as she held back her tears. The village clinic was all ready for Zhang Qin. As soon as she entered the building, she was sent in for a checkup. Qiao Mei waited anxiously outside. Li Gui, Zhang Wei and Qiao Qiang were already waiting at the clinic. Mei Mei, how are you? You should go home and rest. You dont look too good, Li Gui said as she looked at Qiao Mei with heartache. There was nothing wrong with her body. She had just used too much energy when she was looking for Zhang Qin and felt a little tired now. She would be fine after going home and taking a nap. Im fine. I can wait until Zhang Qin is done. Qiao Mei turned to look at Zhang Wei and asked, Let me ask you, who else in our village is studying at your school? Zhang Wei blurted out, Dong Tian, Wang Fan and Qiao Feng and his two brothers. Then whos in Zhang Qins class? Qiao Mei asked. Qiao Tian, Zhang Wei said. Chapter 779 Give Us An Explanation Qiao Mei already had an idea about what transpired. She took the hoe from the clinic and wanted to go to Qiao Gui''s house to demand an explanation on whether Qiao Tian had anything to do with this matter. "Mei Mei! Come back!" Qiao Qiang said sternly. Being anxious made one panic. There was no evidence to prove that it was Qiao Tian from Qiao Gui''s family who did it. They would not be able to gain anything even if they went. Moreover, Wang Qin was an unreasonable person and would probably make things even more difficult for them in the future. Qiao Mei looked into Qiao Qiang''s eyes and knew that she should not have been so distraught at the mention of Qiao Zhuang''s family. At this moment, she should wait for Zhang Qin''s checkup results and wait for her to tell them what had happened. The doctor pushed open the door and took off his mask. "The child only has superficial injuries. Her bones are fine, but she seems to have sprained her ankle. She''ll be fine after resting at home for three to four days. This is alcohol and cotton balls. You just need to go back and disinfect her wounds." Everyone heaved a sigh of relief when they heard this. Qiao Mei entered the room and sat beside Zhang Qin. She asked, "Zhang Qin, tell elder sister why you went up that mountain?" "I didn''t want to go but Qiao Tian took my school bag That school bag is the one you embroidered for me so I chased after him. Later on, when I reached the slope, someone suddenly pushed me and I fell down," Zhang Qin said. Everyone present gasped. This was an attempt at murder. Qiao Tian was really too much. It was fine if he just fooled around like he usually did, but now he wanted to kill someone! He was so young and yet he learned all the bad things! "Mom, bring Zhang Qin home with Xiao Wei first. I''ll go and ask Wang Qin for an explanation," Qiao Mei said with a dark expression. The villagers chimed in, "We''ll go too! Let''s go!" Together, they made their way to Qiao Gui''s house. If Qiao Zhuang''s family dared to stop them, they would beat Qiao Zhuang up again and scare this family off so that no one else would be bullied by them in the future. "Wang Qin, hand over Qiao Tian!" Qiao Mei shouted towards the house. Wang Qin walked out impatiently. Qiao Gui had indeed done something wrong to Qiao Mei, but Qiao Gui had already been sent to prison. It was not an easy time for the remaining family members, so what had they done to offend Qiao Mei now? "Why do you want Qiao Tian! What has my son done to you? You put my husband in jail and you still want to take my son away?" Wang Qin shouted as she pointed at Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei did not waste her breath on Wang Qin and simply smashed the glass window of Qiao Gui''s house. Qiao Tian was on the brick bed and she could see wounds on his legs. "Your son pushed my sister down the mountain! My sister is lying in the clinic now! Go and ask your son! How did he get the wounds on his legs!" Qiao Mei roared at Wang Qin. Wang Qin was stunned by the question. When Qiao Tian came back, he told her that he had a fall while playing around with his classmates. He did not mention anything about Zhang Qin. "My my son was injured when playing with a classmate! What evidence do you have to say that it was my son who did it!" Wang Qin shouted, not to be outdone. Qiao Mei smiled disdainfully and said, "That mountain is a long way from the school. Do you really think that no one saw your son and my sister along the way? Are you so sure! You''d better ask your son to tell the truth, otherwise I''ll go from house to house tomorrow to ask about this! Let''s see if your son can still get away with it!" Wang Qin took a few steps back in fear and bumped into the door frame behind her. Qiao Mei looked through the hole in the window and said to Qiao Tian, "You know very well what you did to my sister. If you admit it now, we''ll settle this matter in private. If you don''t say anything, you can just wait for your punishment." Qiao Tian was so afraid that he hid in a corner and did not say a word. By now, everyone already knew who was the culprit. It was really a case of a crooked stick having a crooked shadow. Qiao Zhuang was not a good person. None of his sons were good people, and now even his grandson dared to harm others. They were all simply lawless! Qiao Mei pulled down the window of Qiao Gui''s house angrily. These days, the windows in the countryside were all made of wood and they all opened outwards. They fell off easily with a light tug, but Qiao Mei''s actions still served to make a big impact in front of everyone. "I''ll give you another day. If you don''t come to our house to give us an explanation by then, I''ll investigate it myself and let your son go and accompany your husband!" With that, Qiao Mei left Qiao Gui''s house with everyone. Chapter 780 Asking For An Explanation Wang Qin leaned against the door frame for a long time before she regained her senses. Could it be that Qiao Tian really did this? Wang Qin entered the house and questioned Qiao Tian, "Tell me, what exactly is going on? Did you fight with others, or did you do what Qiao Mei said? That you bullied her sister!" Qiao Tian sat at the edge of the brick bed and did not dare to make a sound. He did not expect Qiao Mei to have such a bad temper, nor did he expect this matter to be discovered. Wang Qin only had one son and a very young daughter who still needed to be taken care of. If her son was really sent to jail by Qiao Mei, she would have no hope for the rest of her life. She must hang on for now. Wang Qin took out two woven bags from the storeroom and used them to cover the hole left by the broken window. Halfway through, she started crying. She missed Qiao Gui and having him around. If Qiao Gui was at home, he would definitely not let them suffer like this. Now that there was no man at home, there was no one to fix the window. Wang Qin squatted on the ground and cried aggrievedly. When Qiao Tian heard Wang Qin crying, he put on his pants and walked out of the house. He said timidly, "Mom it''s eldest uncle''s Qiao Feng who asked me to do this" Qiao Zhuang did not have many grandchildren. The eldest son, Qiao Fu, first had a daughter and then a son. Qiao Feng had grown up by Qiao Zhuang''s side and his temper and personality were very similar to Qiao Zhuang. The boy often ordered Liu Ying around. Liu Ying did not like this son of hers very much and she gradually stopped caring about him. Qiao Gui also had a son and a daughter, but his son was the older of the two children and was named Qiao Tian. "Go back inside. It''s so cold outside. I''ll come in and deal with you later!" Wang Qin said. After covering up the window, Wang Qin took a few blankets and went into the other room. Although it was a little damp, it was still habitable. When she had settled everything, Wang Qin held back her temper and looked at Qiao Tian as she asked, "Tell me the truth, are you the one who did this?" Qiao Tian confessed everything. He often bullied others in school. Now that Qiao Gui was in prison, the other children called him the son of a murderer and said that he was a scourge. He was very angry and wanted to teach these children a lesson. During that time, Qiao Feng came looking for him. Qiao Feng hated Qiao Mei for causing Qiao Fu''s legs to be amputated. Now that his elder sister was gone and his father was disabled, he only had his grandfather left. Instead of being bullied by others, it was better to teach them a lesson. Therefore, Qiao Feng targeted Zhang Qin and convinced Qiao Tian to hurt her. Originally, Qiao Tian just wanted to teach her a lesson and did not intend to endanger her life. What he did not know was that Qiao Feng had been lying in ambush at that place and came out to push Zhang Qin down the slope. At that time, Qiao Tian was terribly frightened when he saw Zhang Qin motionless. He thought that she was dead and he quickly returned to school. He was jittery for the rest of the day until he could make it home from school. "It''s fine. You just brought Zhang Qin into the mountain. You''re not the one who did it. Don''t be afraid." Wang Qin hugged Qiao Tian and comforted him. She did not expect Qiao Feng to be like Qiao Fu, going around bewitching others to do bad things. Back then, Qiao Fu had bewitched Qiao Gui into going along to harm Qiao Mei. Now, it was Qiao Feng''s turn to harm her son. "Stay at home. I''ll go and ask them for an explanation. You stay at home and keep an eye on your sister," Wang Qin said. Qiao Tian lay in bed obediently and watched Wang Qin leave the house to look for Qiao Zhuang. At this moment, Qiao Zhuang and the others were still eating and listening to the radio, not realizing that something had happened to their family. When Qiao Zhuang heard that Zhang Qin had met with an accident, he even specially opened a bottle of liquor. He thought that it was retribution from the heavens that caused Qiao Mei''s family to face trouble and he was overjoyed. "Are you eating in the house?" Wang Qin said sarcastically as she entered the house. Qiao Zhuang did not even look at Wang Qin and continued eating. Jiang Ye said politely, "Second sister-in-law, you''re here. Come and sit down to eat." Jiang Ye stood up to get the cutlery but was stopped by Wang Qin. "I''m not here to eat. I''m here to ask Qiao Feng what he said to my son and what he asked my son to do," Wang Qin said. Qiao Fu immediately flew into a rage. He pointed at Wang Qin and roared, "What''s wrong with you again! Father is quite happy today and you insist on coming here to find trouble!" Chapter 781 Being Careful "Happy? What''s there to be happy about? Your son is sending my son to jail! What''s there to be happy about!" Wang Qin said without backing down. "What are you talking about? How is my son sending your son to jail?" Qiao Fu asked curiously. However, Qiao Feng was dismissive. He spread out his hands and said helplessly, "I didn''t ask Qiao Tian to do this. He did it on his own." Seeing that his eldest grandson had admitted to it, Qiao Zhuang focused and listened carefully to what they were saying. "If you hadn''t asked my son to bring Zhang Qin into the mountains, would she have gotten into an accident? My son said that you were the one who pushed Zhang Qin. Go to Qiao Mei''s house tomorrow and make things clear. Don''t let my son take the blame for you," Wang Qin said. Qiao Feng was not afraid at all. He had planned this matter very well. It was Qiao Tian who brought Zhang Qin into the mountains and Qiao Feng did not show his face along the way at all. Moreover, when he pushed Zhang Qin, her back was facing him and it was impossible for her to see his face. There was no witness or physical evidence. Who could say that he was the one who did it? He originally wanted to do this on his own, but he was already 15 years old this year. In the countryside, a 15-year-old child was considered half an adult. If something happened, he may be sent to jail. However, Qiao Tian was different. He was only nine years old and still a child. Even if the authorities pursued the matter, he would at most get criticized and be reeducated, which was not really a punishment at all. Initially, Qiao Feng even wanted to get Qiao Guang to do it, but Qiao Guang did not want to listen to him at all. Qiao Guang was only five years old and could not outrun Zhang Qin. If Zhang Qin managed to snatch her things back, the gains would not make up for the losses. Therefore, only the silly Qiao Tian was the most suitable candidate. After hearing them out, Qiao Zhuang roughly understood what was going on. He coughed twice and said, "This matter ends here. Qiao Fu will give you some money to repair the window later. There''s no need to talk about anything else. At most, Qiao Tian will be criticized. If Qiao Tian was not willing to do this, would Qiao Feng be able to force him to do it?" "Then my son" Before Wang Qin could finish speaking, Qiao Zhuang glared at her fiercely. Now that her husband was not around, if Qiao Zhuang chased her out, she would be in dire straits. Wang Qin could only leave aggrievedly. With regard to this matter, she could only suffer in silence. "Qiao Feng, come here," Qiao Zhuang said calmly. Qiao Feng walked to Qiao Zhuang''s side and sat down. He grinned at Qiao Zhuang and said, "Grandpa, what is it?" Qiao Zhuang did not waste his breath on Qiao Feng and simply gave him a slap. It was not a hard slap, but it was loud. Qiao Feng had never seen Qiao Zhuang ever being angry at him since he was born. He was so scared that he knelt on the brick bed and did not dare to raise his head. "Do you know what''s your mistake?" Qiao Zhuang asked. Qiao Feng said fearfully, "Grandpa I shouldn''t have harmed others I shouldn''t have asked my younger brother to harm others" "No. Your mistake is that your plan is not thorough enough. No matter what, Qiao Tian is still your younger brother. You can''t just protect yourself and not care about your younger brother. Even if Zhang Qin didn''t see your face, what if Qiao Mei goes around to ask your classmates if you were in the classroom during that time? Won''t the truth be exposed then?" Qiao Zhuang said earnestly. Seeing that Qiao Zhuang did not blame him at all, Qiao Feng quickly looked up and asked eagerly, "Then what should I have done?" "Get up. Don''t kneel. Can''t you think of a way to harm Zhang Qin when there''s no one around?" Qiao Zhuang sat up and said to Qiao Feng. Qiao Feng frowned and complained to Qiao Zhuang, "Grandpa! Of course I''ve thought about it! But those children are so close that they even go to the toilet together! They''re never alone!" "Then you wait. You have to wait until there''s a chance. You have to learn how to bide your time, do you understand? You won''t be able to do anything well if you''re so impatient," Qiao Zhuang said. ? Qiao Wang and Jiang Ye could not stand it anymore and asked their children to go back to the room first. They did not want to hear Qiao Zhuang talking about these crooked ideas. If the children received this type of education, they would go to jail sooner or later. When Qiao Mei got home, she went to bed and slept soundly. She only woke up in the afternoon. Qiao Qiang also knew that Qiao Mei was exhausted and did not wake her up. She slowly stretched out and then folded the blanket, preparing to go to Li Gui''s place to take a look at Zhang Qin. Now that Li Gui had to take care of both Zhang Miao and Zhang Qin, Qiao Mei was worried that she would not be able to cope on her own. Chapter 782 Bring Them Away By now, the seeds collection was almost done and Auntie Dong had helped out a lot. They just needed to wait for He Guang to come to the village to pick up the stock. Zhang Qin looked like she had recovered a lot and ate more than usual. "Is Zhang Qin feeling better?" Qiao Mei asked as she entered the house. "Elder sister, you''re here. I feel much better! I still feel a little dizzy but I''ll be much better if I sleep a bit more," Zhang Qin said with a smile. Zhang Miao could now sit up and eat by herself. Her body had recovered well and she could walk around slowly by holding on to the wall. She was as lively and cheerful as before. "I''m relieved to hear that you''re fine. How is Miao Miao feeling today?" Qiao Mei said as she then looked at Zhang Miao. "I''m much better. Mom''s cooking today was especially delicious," Zhang Miao said. Seeing that the entire family seemed to be doing quite well, Qiao Mei felt more at ease. After they chatted for a while, Qiao Mei went home to contact He Guang to find out about the sale of seeds. "Grandfather, I want to talk to you about something," Qiao Mei stammered as she sat opposite Qiao Qiang. "What''s there that you find hard to tell me? Just say it," Qiao Qiang said. Qiao Mei hesitated for a long time before she said softly, "I''m thinking about bringing my mother and the kids to the capital." Qiao Mei had made a decision after she woke up early in the morning. Her original plan was to set off for the capital in half a month''s time, but she did not expect Qiao Zhuang''s family to attack Zhang Qin. It would be too dangerous to let the family stay behind in this village and it would be much better to have them by her side. Moreover, the education system in the capital was better and it would be beneficial for the children to go over. "That''s not a problem, but they can''t stay at my place. It''s not that I''m biased, but it''s just that your mother''s relationship with me makes it awkward," Qiao Qiang said. Although Li Gui was originally Qiao Qiang''s daughter-in-law, she had remarried and was not related to the Qiao family anymore. If they all lived together in the capital, people would gossip about them. Furthermore, that would not be good for the Xia family''s reputation as well. Even though the Xia family was an open-minded family, their neighbors might not be the same. If people found out that Qiao Mei had brought her mother and four half-siblings with her, it was hard to imagine what they would say about her. It would be better to buy them another house. Qiao Mei nodded in agreement. She did not lack money and could buy any kind of house. Since her grandfather had agreed to bring them to the capital, this matter would be much easier to handle. "Thank you, grandfather," Qiao Mei said with a smile. "No need to thank me. I also think that it''s been tough on those children. They''re very nice to me and we should take care of them as much as we can. I''ve long treated these children as part of my own family," Qiao Qiang said. She had originally planned to pass all the things in her house to Li Gui, but now it seemed that she had to find another family to take over. The most important thing was that the two pigs were not easy to sell. She planned to give one to Auntie Dong. After all, they would all not be in the village in the future and she would need Auntie Dong''s help with all kinds of things. She decided to give the other one to Uncle Zhao. She had lived here for so long and it had always been Uncle Zhao who helped her. If not for Uncle Zhao, they would have long been bullied badly by Qiao Zhuang''s family. However, she could not let anyone else know that she was gifting them. They must make it sound like she had sold the pigs to them. Otherwise, it would cause resentment among the villagers. They would not understand why Auntie Dong and Zhao Liang had special treatment when everyone treated Qiao Mei equally well. If the villagers started forming cliques, it would not do anyone any good. Qiao Mei secretly asked Auntie Dong to come over and said cautiously, "Auntie, can I discuss something with you?" "What''s the matter?" Auntie Dong said equally furtively. "I want to sell you one of these pigs," Qiao Mei said as she pointed at the larger and fatter pig in the pigpen. Auntie Dong was so shocked that she quickly waved her hands. Although her family was big, there was nothing she could help with if Qiao Mei wanted to sell the pigs. Back then, Qiao Mei had spent a lot of money on the piglets. Given that she had fattened them up so much, it must not be cheap. "I can''t! I don''t have that much money! Qiao Mei, you should ask other families. If there''s really no other way, you can ask your Uncle Wang Wu. He''s a pig seller. Maybe he has other connections?" Auntie Dong said anxiously. Qiao Mei was so amused that she laughed loudly and quickly said, "You haven''t even asked me how much it is! How do you know it''s very expensive?" "What nonsense! Such a big pig will cost at least 120 dollars!" Auntie Dong said. Chapter 783 - 783 Selling Pigs 783 Selling Pigs Qiao Meis pigs were even fatter than those sold in the market. Even if she based it on the lower end of the market price and sold it at 120 dollars, it would be a loss to her! I dont need that much money. Back then, this piglet was bought for 10 dollars. Just give me 10 dollars. Only you and I will know about this. If anyone asks you, you say its 120 dollars. How about that? Qiao Mei whispered. Auntie Dong smiled honestly and said, Then Ill be taking advantage of you. Youve fed this pig for so long. Auntie, I know how much youve helped our family. Im going to my mother-in-laws place to give birth soon. I still have to trouble you to help me take care of everything in my house, Qiao Mei said. !! Once a house in the countryside was not occupied, it would soon become inhabitable and collapse very easily. Someone had to go in to clean it from time to time and also to use the fireplace once in a while. Otherwise, if Qiao Mei wanted to come back one day, the house would no longer be in a habitable condition. It was very likely that she would not be able to return until the next elementary school graduation examination. If there was no one to take care of the house, it would be inhabitable, so she had to ask Auntie Dong for help. You dont even have to ask me! Dont worry, your house is my house. Ill definitely look after it for you! However, I cannot take advantage of you. You know my familys financial condition. Ill buy this pig for 50 dollars. What do you think? Auntie Dong said as she gritted her teeth. The amount of 50 dollars was equivalent to half a years worth of rations for her family. Fortunately, Qiao Mei had managed to negotiate a good price for the seeds this time and her family had made a lot of money. An amount of 50 dollars was nothing to her family at the moment. It was just that based on her spending habits, she could not bear to spend so much money at once. She felt a sense of heartache to have to fork out 50 dollars at one go. Sure, you can give me whatever amount you want. Im fine with anything. Just bring this pig home. When Im not at home, dont let anyone steal my house away! Qiao Mei said. Ill pass you the money after the seeds are sold. Ill ask my husband to come and pick up this pig tomorrow! We still have to set up the pigpen at home, Auntie Dong said with a smile. Qiao Mei also gave Auntie Dong a lot of fruits from the storeroom. These were all fragile items that could not be transported, so she might as well give them all away. After settling the matter with Auntie Dong, it was time to look for Zhao Liang. Qiao Mei slowly made her way to the village office. Currently, Zhao Liang was the only one working in the office and Wang Qin was nowhere to be seen. It seemed inappropriate for Zhao Liang to urge her to come to work at this time, so he could only take on all the work silently. Uncle Zhao, why are you so busy? You dont even rest for a day, Qiao Mei said. Zhao Liang sighed resignedly. He did not want to be so busy and tired either. If not for the fact that there was no one in the village who could take over Wang Qins job, he would not be so tired. Qiao Mei, do you need something from me? Zhao Liang asked. Theres indeed something I need. I want to sell my pig to you. What do you think? Qiao Mei said playfully. Zhao Liang had the same reaction as Auntie Dong and thought that Qiao Mei was joking. An ordinary family could not afford such a big pig at all. It may be affordable if three or four families agreed to share the cost. Under the current economic conditions, no one could really afford meat. In particular, Zhao Liang had been busy running around for the sake of the villagers and did not have any free time at all. His wife was the one who tended to the land at home and it was already good enough that there was enough food for the entire family. He never had any spare cash all year round. The entire family relied on his meager salary to make a living, so how could they have any spare cash? Not long ago, his wife had planted some of the seeds she took from Qiao Mei. They did not plant much, but they had made quite a lot of money and it was enough to last them for a long time. Mei Mei, if you want to sell your pig, I can help you ask around. We can afford it if we pool money together. If you want my family to buy it on our own, Im afraid I dont have the ability, Zhao Liang said awkwardly. Uncle, Im only selling it for 10 dollars. You can afford it after Auntie sells the seeds! Qiao Mei said. Zhao Liang still felt that Qiao Mei was joking and insisted on helping Qiao Mei find a few more families to share the cost of the pig. As the village chief, he had to set an example and not let anyone have something on him. Qiao Mei, I know what you mean. Thank you, but Im afraid its too eye-catching for such a big pig to suddenly appear in my family. Pass me the pig and Ill help you think of a way, Zhao Liang said. Chapter 784 - 784 Ungrateful Little Ingrate 784 Ungrateful Little Ingrate Qiao Mei did not argue with Zhao Liang. It did not matter what he did as long as he would take over the pig. Seeing that Zhao Liang was busy with the matters in the village, Qiao Mei did not want to disturb him. After dealing with all house matters, it was time to make arrangements for the matters in the capital. When she reached home, Qiao Mei quickly gave Xia Fang a phone call. Even if she did not make the call, Xia Fang was anxiously going to call her soon. It was fast approaching her delivery due date. If she did not go to the capital soon, once it snowed, the snowy road would make the journey to the capital even more arduous. Aunt, did you miss me~ Qiao Mei said sweetly. !! Xia Fang snorted coldly. Qiao Mei had been away from the capital for so long and had only written her a letter and sent her some gifts. This was the first time she had called! After all, she doted on Qiao Mei the most. This heartless girl only thought about calling her now. So you still know you have to call me. Those I dont know better, Id think that youre a very busy person! Its as if you dont want to come back to see me again, Xia Fang complained. Aunt, dont be angry. See, Im calling you now. Ill be returning to the capital in a while. By then, you can scold me however you want! Qiao Mei said. When are you coming back? Xia Fang asked. Aunt, you just said that you dont care about me. Why are you asking me when Im going back now? You still care about me, right! I just know that youre the best! Qiao Mei said shamelessly. Xia Fang really could not do anything about Qiao Mei. She had met Qiao Qiang many times and wondered how someone with Qiao Qiangs personality could have brought up a sneaky girl like Qiao Mei. I dont care about you! Im just hoping that youll come back quickly so that I can teach you a lesson in person, Xia Fang explained. Qiao Mei did not believe what Xia Fang said at all. Previously, Xia He had told her during their phone calls that in the past few months, Xia Fang had repeatedly gone through the case studies of surgeries regarding delivery of twins both domestically and overseas. She had studied all kinds of major and minor emergencies very seriously and read all the materials until late at night every day, worried that she would not be able to cope with any emergencies when the time came. She had always been dealing with singly born children and rarely delivered multiple children at one go. Recently, she had even consulted her own professor and picked up a lot of new knowledge. Alright, then just wait for me to go back! I wont talk to you anymore, Aunt. I have to call eldest brother and ask him for help, Qiao Mei said. Alright, go and do what you need to do! Ill deal with you when you come back! After saying that, Xia Fang hung up and continued to study the materials. Qiao Mei put a tick next to Xia Fangs name listed on her notebook. She had many phone calls to make today and there were also many things to do. The phone bill was probably going to go off the charts as they were all long-distance calls. After flipping through the phone book, Qiao Mei realized that she had forgotten where she put Xia Wens phone number. At that time, she had clearly recorded down everyones phone numbers. How could she have missed out on Xia Wen? After searching for a long time, she finally found a note with Xia Wens number written on it in a box that was used to keep needles and thread. The phone rang for a long time before someone picked up. The person who picked up the phone was not Xia Wen, but Tan Jing. Hello, Tan Jing said politely. Sister-in-law! Its me! Is eldest brother at home? I have something to discuss with him, Qiao Mei said with a smile. Tan Jing glanced at Xia Wen, who was reading in the bedroom, and said to Qiao Mei, Hes not. You can just tell me. Ill be home in a few days. I just want to ask him if the courtyard house is ready. I also want to buy another courtyard house and wonder if he has any good recommendations. Somewhere near my courtyard house is fine, Qiao Mei said. Tan Jing paid no attention and turned a deaf ear to everything, completely ignoring what Qiao Mei was saying. Whatever Qiao Mei said, she would reply affirmatively and say that she had noted it down. In reality, she did not take note of anything at all. Sister-in-law, Ill have to trouble you and eldest brother, Qiao Mei said. Its fine! This is just a small matter. Dont worry. If theres nothing else, Im hanging up. Tan Jing hung up the phone in satisfaction. When she turned around, she saw Xia Wen standing quietly behind her. Whos on the phone just now? What matters are you handling? Xia Wen asked in confusion. Chapter 785 Unaccountably Solicitous Tan Jing looked very calm on the surface and did not look like she was telling a lie. She said calmly, "It''s Xiao Mo from the workplace. She asked me to accompany her to buy clothes when I''m free. She''s going on a blind date." Xia Wen did not suspect anything and returned to the bedroom to continue reading. Tan Jing''s expression was solemn. She would never let Xia Wen know about this. Xia Wen was her husband, so why should he run around on Qiao Mei''s behalf? He had already spent too much time and energy repairing the courtyard house some time ago. Now that he finally had the time to accompany her, Qiao Mei still wanted to take away this little bit of time. She definitely would not allow this to happen. The only person in the capital that Qiao Mei had not contacted was He Ning. He still owed her 1.28 million dollars! He Ning definitely would not be able to take out so much money within a short period of time. However, since He Ning had promised her, he would definitely do it. The IOU was still in her hands. In this era, anyone who had 10,000 dollars was already a rich person. She wondered how much money He Ning had to be able to agree to such an unreasonable request from her. Qiao Mei made a call to the He family and asked happily, "He Ning, have you prepared the 1.28 million dollars?" He Ning was stunned for a moment before saying, "You''re coming back to the capital? Do you need me to pick you up?" After saying that, He Ning also wondered if he really said that out loud. He was surprised about his concern for Qiao Mei. He had never cared about anyone else before. Even Huo Gao, who had been by his side for so long, rarely received any words of concern from He Ning. Qiao Mei did not find it strange. She held the key to He Ning''s lifespan in her hands at the moment. If He Ning wanted to live a few more years, he would have to rely on her ginseng, so it was only right for him to please her. "There''s naturally people coming from the Xia family to pick me up. It''s best if you don''t show your face in front of the Xia family. Otherwise, if my father and eldest brother want to beat you up, I won''t be able to stop them," Qiao Mei said with a laugh. Thinking of Xia Wen''s fake and insincere smiling face, He Ning felt uncomfortable. It was better if they did not see one another. "1.28 million is a big amount. I haven''t managed to prepare that much money yet," He Ning said honestly. Currently, he could only fork out at most 800,000 dollars in cash. The rest of the money had been given to He Wei to do business. The Xia family had caused them to have to turn over all their valuable things to the authorities and there was nothing left for them to sell. Even if he sold the house, he could not get so much money in such a short period of time. The maximum he could get was 800,000 dollars. "Then give me 300,000 dollars first. You can give me the rest at your convenience, but you have to pay interest in the meantime. Let''s make it 200 dollars a month. I''m not a loan shark. The interest of 200 dollars a month for more than 900,000 dollars is a bargain for you," Qiao Mei said. She had to do this as it would be strange if she did not charge him interest. However, she had already cheated He Ning of a lot of money. If she asked for more interest, even if He Ning could afford it, she would not be able to live with her conscience. It was better to know when to stop. An interest of 200 dollars was not bad. "Alright, then I guess I must thank you. But why do you need so much money? If there''s anything you want, just tell me. I can make things happen," He Ning said confidently. Qiao Mei laughed and said, "My Xia family is also a prominent family and we can also get whatever we want. I won''t need to trouble you. You just need to prepare the money quickly and send it to me. There''s no need for any specific denomination for this amount of 300,000 dollars. Just send the money over." "Alright, I''ll contact you when you get to the capital," He Ning said. After hanging up, He Ning still had a smile on his face. He did not even realize that he was smiling. "What are you so happy about? You''re smiling so widely." Huo Gao looked at He Ning''s expression in disdain. He Ning was not angry at all. Instead, he smiled even more happily. It was naturally a great thing that he could go to Qiao Mei''s house to freeload again. He did not have to eat the tasteless medicinal cuisine made by the helper anymore. This was such good news for him. He could even hang two strings of firecrackers at the door to celebrate. "It''s nothing. Is this the new prescription? Why does it smell so bad," He Ning said with a frown. Huo Gao had no choice. After their trip, they had sent people to secretly pick a few ginsengs from the mountain where Qiao Mei''s village was located. Those ginsengs were not very good, but he did not want to waste them and could only use other medicines to complement them. Chapter 786 Lower Quality Ginseng Speaking of this matter, it was really strange. They had found many people to go and pick ginseng from the mountains near Qiao Mei''s village and these people had picked many ginsengs of various sizes, the oldest being about 10 years old, but the medicinal effects were very ordinary. The ginsengs all looked very shriveled and were very different from the ginseng that Qiao Mei had given them. The ginsengs that they sent people to pick were no different from what they could buy in the market. This way, they did not have any other option except to buy ginseng from Qiao Mei. There was no other way. The small ginsengs they picked were actually previously scattered around by Qiao Mei. She gave them some energy and let them grow freely. The quality was definitely not as good as those that Qiao Mei nurtured. "Just drink it. Do you think you can drink your 1.28 million dollars worth of ginseng every day? Qiao Mei will be bringing two ginsengs with her this time. When the time comes, you can drink whatever you want," Huo Gao said unhappily. The attendant walked in with a box and said softly, "Sir, this is ginseng from Foshan Village. A villager dug it up. I saw that it was different from the ones we picked ourselves, so I bought it." He Ning looked up at Huo Gao, who immediately understood what he meant. The moment he opened the box, a delicate fragrance wafted over. This was the kind of ginseng that Qiao Mei had given them! Huo Gao''s eyes immediately lit up, but it was a pity that it was dug up by someone who did not know how to dig for ginseng. There were not many intact roots left and the main body was full of bumpy marks. The value was instantly lower than what Qiao Mei had sold them. "How much did you pay?" Huo Gao asked, his heart aching. "That person doesn''t seem to know his stuff. He sold it to me for 500 dollars," the attendant said. Even after knowing the price, Huo Gao''s heart still ached. This was a 60-year-old ginseng that was rare on the market. It was such a pity that it was destroyed just like that. Although 500 dollars was an appropriate amount to pay, he was still unhappy. It seemed that Qiao Mei was right. Her grandfather was the only person in the entire village who knew how to pick ginseng. She did not know how to do it either. It looked like they could only work with Qiao Mei in the future. Ginseng was different from other things. Once it was damaged, it would dry up faster than good quality ginseng. By that time, there would probably be no value in preserving it. Ordinary families would not need the quantity that He Ning needed Therefore, there were very few people who would choose to buy ginseng at a high price. "What a waste of such good ginseng," Huo Gao said with a sigh. He Ning heaved a sigh of relief. He had been wondering if Qiao Mei had used some kind of fertilizer or unique skill, as well as why she was the only one who could get good ginseng while the people he sent could not find anything. It seemed that he was overthinking things. It was Qiao Mei''s grandfather who had extraordinary skills. This was indeed a skill that ordinary people did not have, and He Ning''s doubts about Qiao Mei gradually dissipated. The ginseng that had been picked up by someone else was the one which Qiao Mei had missed out on. There were supposed to be two more ginsengs on the mountain. If not for Qiao Fu''s sneak attack on them, no one would have been able to get their hands on even one ginseng and be able to extort a large sum of money from He Ning! "I''ll just eat this ginseng that''s of a lower quality. Don''t use the rest first. We can also throw away those small and useless ginsengs or sell them to the nearby Chinese medicine shops at a low price. These things are useless to me," He Ning said disdainfully. With He Ning''s current body condition, eating the small ginsengs was like eating carrots. The nutrition inside them could not help his body at all. He could only rely on good quality ginseng to keep himself alive. After dealing with the matters in the capital, it was time to deal with the remaining matters in the village. Qiao Mei started to get a headache when she thought of the amount of seeds in Li Gui''s house. By now, they had already collected a total of five tons. This would amount to 10,000 dollars. She wondered if He Guang could take all the goods off her hands. Qiao Mei called He Guang using the phone number that Chen Hu had given her. "Hello, I''m Qiao Mei. I''m looking for Director He," Qiao Mei said. He Guang immediately became agitated and said excitedly, "Qiao Mei! You finally call! For the past two days, your Uncle Hu has been so busy that he doesn''t have a chance to give me your phone number. I''m so anxious about not being able to contact you! It''s so good that you call me!" Chapter 787 Joint Petition "I''m just concerned about not giving you enough time, so I haven''t contacted you. Does that mean that the seeds are selling well?" Qiao Mei said confidently. He Guang had produced 100 packs of Foshan Seeds in the past two days and sold them as part of a trial. He left the seeds in the hands of some old customers and let them try selling them. The cost of packaging and labor was only 50 cents apiece. The seeds were bought for one dollar. If he packed them nicely and sold them in various gift shops, he could sell them for six dollars per pack! That was four times the cost price! He only had the clout to talk to Qiao Mei now after many of his old customers had come to say that they wanted to order another batch of seeds. "I want as much as you have! As long as you sell it! I''ll take all of it! In the future, if the seeds in your village still meet the same standard, I promise to buy from your village in the future. Just tell me the price!" He Guang said boldly. "I have five tons of melon seeds in my hands now. The rest will have to wait until next year. What do you think?" Qiao Mei said. The amount of five tons was actually too low for He Guang, but the rarer something was, the more valuable it would be. He could market the seeds as being really rare and then increased the price as well. "No problem! I''ll send the trucks to do a pickup tomorrow! I''ll settle the payment as well! That''s 10,000 dollars, right?" He Guang said. "Yes, but I''ll need a lot of loose change. I don''t want it all to be in large denominations. Otherwise, I won''t be able to distribute it to the neighbors in the village, alright?" Qiao Mei said embarrassedly. She could not go door-to-door and ask them to prepare their own change. It would easily cause a lot of confusion. If there were any mistakes, she would have to pay for it out of her own pocket! "No problem, you''re so thoughtful. I''ll ask my finance people to make preparations now. Just wait to receive the money!" After saying that, He Guang hung up and went to make preparations. After Qiao Mei settled the matter of the seeds, the last thing she needed to do was concerning the matter between Zhang Qin, Qiao Feng and Qiao Tian. After selling this batch of seeds, Li Gui should have enough money to live in the capital for a while. At a later time, she could find a job for Li Gui or let Li Gui run a business with her. Things would work out eventually. There would always be a solution. Qiao Mei sat in the courtyard and waited for an entire day, but no one from Qiao Zhuang''s family came to give her an explanation. She did not want her family to be bullied for nothing. At this moment, she was not in the mood to fight to the death with Qiao Zhuang''s family. Besides, Qiao Tian was still young. Even if he was taken away by the police, he would at most get criticized and reeducated. Since the punishment would be so light, she did not want to go and look for Chen Hu. She wanted to spend some money and get a few people to go to the village where the school was located to check if there were any witnesses. She wanted to publicize widely in the villages about how dangerous Qiao Feng and Qiao Tian were, and that they were narrow-minded and vicious people. This would make everyone isolate them. It would be a very good lesson for such young children. Although Qiao Mei did not get a visit from Qiao Zhuang''s family members, the principal of the school came to see her. The principal even brought two cans of canned food with him. Canned food was not cheap at this time. If not for the fact that he wanted to apologize properly, he would not have spent so much money. "Principal, why are you here?" Qiao Mei said in surprise. The principal placed the canned food on the stone table in the courtyard in embarrassment. Parents trusted him and handed their children over to him. He had never experienced losing a child under his care before so it was not something he had ever thought about. Now that a child had gotten lost during school time and had suffered such serious injuries, he must give the parents an explanation. "I''m sorry, is Zhang Qin alright now? Can I see her?" the principal said apologetically. "Zhang Qin is fine. She just has some superficial wounds and isn''t too badly hurt. Principal, you don''t have to be too hard on yourself. It''s not your fault. It''s Qiao Tian who hurt my younger sister," Qiao Mei said. "I''m their teacher, so I have to bear part of the responsibility. I''m here to offer my apologies." The principal took out two pieces of papers from his pocket. On them were signatures and thumbprints from the parents of the other students. Many parents had written a joint petition to ask the school to expel the children from Qiao Zhuang''s family and disallow them from ever returning to the school again. No one wanted their children to be classmates with a child who was capable of murder. Chapter 788 Visiting The Child "I didn''t expect the parents to act so quickly" Qiao Mei looked at the joint petition in shock. Other than her family and Qiao Zhuang''s family, everyone else had signed it. When Qiao Mei was looking for Zhang Qin, the matter had been made known very widely. The entire village was mobilized and even the people in the neighboring villages knew the whole story. Most of the students were from that village where the school was located and there were not many children from the neighboring villages. The people in that village were initially not agreeable to let children from other villages study in their village. Given that human traffickers were so rampant, what if someone disguised themselves as parents and entered the village to kidnap the children? They did not expect that the real problem would be a child. An underage child actually dared to kill someone! They would never allow such a child to be classmates with their own children. The principal also agreed with these parents and he invited many eyewitnesses to issue a statement together with him. This was also because he was worried that Qiao Mei would take the school to task for the issue. All the people in the nearby villages knew how capable Qiao Mei was. Previously, she was famous because she was Qiao Qiang''s granddaughter. Now, she was famous because she was virtuous and capable and she had received a betrothal gift of 2,000 dollars. She even received the ''three turns and one sound''. It was the type of betrothal gifts that had not been seen in their remote villages for more than 10 years. Under Qiao Mei''s leadership, there were also obvious changes in Foshan Village. Everyone had seen these changes. If only they could manage to curry favor with Qiao Mei and get a share of the pie, they would not have to worry about their livelihoods for the rest of their lives. Therefore, whenever they heard that it concerned Qiao Mei''s family, everyone took the initiative to help out. "Our school won''t accept any of that family''s children as a student here. You can all study at our school in peace," the principal said. Qiao Mei put down the joint petition and thought for a moment before saying, "I thank everyone for their kindness. Thanks to you too, principal, and it also benefits everyone. I''ve already made plans to bring my younger siblings to the capital, so we might not go to school here in the future." "It''s fine as long as the children are well. I''m just here to visit Zhang Qin. Is it convenient for me to see her?" the principal asked. ? "Of course it is. Come with me." Qiao Mei brought the principal to Li Gui''s house. At this moment, Zhang Miao was reading and Zhang Qin was keeping her company. Zhang Qin was the one who came back to teach Zhang Miao so that she could catch up on her homework, so Zhang Qin could be considered the young teacher in this family. Li Gui was cooking in the kitchen. She did not know the principal as Qiao Mei was the one who took care of all the school matters. "Mom, this is the school principal and also the children''s teacher. He''s here to visit Zhang Qin," Qiao Mei introduced. Li Gui quickly wiped her hands with her apron and stretched out her hand to the principal. "Hello! I''m Zhang Qin''s mother! Come in, come in!" The principal shook Li Gui''s hand politely. Qiao Mei was a little surprised. Even when she saw He Guang, she did not shake his hand so politely. She did not know where Li Gui learned it from. Zhang Qin smiled happily when she saw the principal and said warmly, "Hello, Teacher!" Zhang Miao also followed suit. "Hello, Zhang Qin. Hello, Zhang Miao. I''m here to visit you. I don''t know what you like to eat, so I bought two cans of yellow peaches. I hope you don''t mind," the principal said. "Principal, what are you talking about? This canned food is not easily available. This is too expensive!" Li Gui said. "I''m just here to take a look at Zhang Qin''s condition and see if Zhang Miao is better. I''m relieved to see the two children so energetic," the principal said in relief. After a short chat and giving the girls some pointers on homework that they did not understand, the principal left. Qiao Mei also took this opportunity to tell Li Gui about her plan. After all, the matter of going to the capital was not entirely up to her. It also depended on what Li Gui and the children wanted. If the children did not want to go, she could not force them. "Mom, I''m going to the capital in two days," Qiao Mei said. Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao stared intently at Qiao Mei. The last time Qiao Mei left, they were bullied and almost starved to death. They heard from Zhang Wei that this time round, Qiao Mei would not come back after she left. Chapter 789 Worried About Being An Embarrassment "Isn''t this already decided long ago? It''s good to go to the capital. Otherwise, the weather will turn too cold, and that will make the trip more difficult," Li Gui said calmly. "I don''t intend to just leave on my own. I want to bring all of you to the capital," Qiao Mei said firmly. Li Gui quickly refused. This was not something to joke about. "Mei Mei, I know what you''re thinking, but how can you bring your mother-in-law to stay with you when you''ve just gotten married? Wouldn''t that be a joke? I heard that Xia Zhe has many siblings. It''s better not to let others gossip," Li Gui said. "Isn''t this my first time giving birth? I''ll be scared if you''re not by my side. I''ve never given birth before and my grandfather can''t take care of everything for me. There has to be someone by my side." Qiao Mei wheedled at Li Gui. This actually made sense to Li Gui. When Li Gui gave birth to Qiao Mei back then, she begged Old Madam Li to come and help her. Old Madam Li did not even want to look at her. Qiao Yue''s mother had died early and there was no one around her who knew anything about giving birth. At that time, she was terrified. She could still remember the fear she felt at that time. It was etched in her heart forever. She did not want Qiao Mei to experience what she had suffered. "But don''t you have Xia Zhe''s mother with you? She can take care of you too, right?" Li Gui still tried to refuse. "She''s a leader in the art troupe, so she''s very busy and not usually at home. Also, she''s not my biological mother. You''re my biological mother, so I only trust you~ Mom~ Come along~ I''m scared if you''re not by my side~" Qiao Mei tugged at the corner of Li Gui''s clothes and said in a sweet voice. Li Gui had no reason not to go. After all, she owed Qiao Mei too much. If she was not around for such a big event in Qiao Mei''s life, she would regret it for the rest of her life. At that time, Old Madam Li had made her feel so dejected. She could not let Qiao Mei feel the same way, but what about the four children at home? Li Gui turned to look at Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao. The two children immediately understood the meaning of this look. They had seen this look countless times when they were living with the Zhang family. Every time the Zhang family members wanted to abandon them, they would look at them in this way. Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao instantly teared up. They did not dare to cry out loud and could only wipe their tears secretly. "Why are you crying? I want to bring you too. Didn''t I say it before? You''re my darlings. Mom also won''t abandon you, do you understand?" Qiao Mei reached out and patted her two younger sisters on their heads. The two children''s hearts were so fragile and sensitive that it might take a lifetime to allay their fears. They had suffered too much when they were living with the Zhang family. "Mei Mei, I think this whole matter is still inappropriate. We''re all villagers. Villagers are not allowed to enter the city even if we have passes. Don''t cause trouble for the Xia family," Li Gui said. In those days, in order to stabilize production in the countryside, the authorities indeed did not allow people from the countryside to enter the city casually. However, that was something from many years ago. If Qiao Yu could sneak into the capital, there was no reason why they could not. "Don''t worry, you will definitely be able to go! It''s not as difficult as you think, and there''s even no need for the Xia family to step in." Qiao Mei patted Li Gui''s shoulder. However, the entire family could not just stay at Qiao Mei''s house. The money Li Gui had made from selling seeds was probably only enough for the five of them to stay in the capital for half a month. Furthermore, she had never been so far away before. What she was most afraid of was that she might cause trouble for Qiao Mei and let others gossip about her. If Qiao Mei was originally doing well but their presence ended up creating trouble for Qiao Mei, then they might as well just stay in the village. "But we can''t live with you either. That would be outrageous. Even if the in-laws don''t mind, the neighbors will gossip," Li Gui said. She had experienced such things when she was in the county city previously. She did not really care about such things and could simply live her life behind closed doors and let others say whatever they wanted. However, Xia Zhe''s family seemed to be quite reputable. If their reputation was affected because of her, would that not be embarrassing for Qiao Mei? By then, Qiao Mei would not be able to hold her head up high at her in-laws'' house and she would not feel good either. It would be difficult for her to do anything. "You still remember that my grandfather knows how to dig for ginseng, right? Not long ago, he sold one ginseng and earned 200,000 dollars! I''ve asked Xia Zhe''s older brother to buy a house near my house for all of you. So don''t worry," Qiao Mei said. Chapter 790 - 790 Going to the Capital Together 790 Going to the Capital Together An amount of 200,000! Li Gui was so shocked that she jumped up from the brick bed. She thought that 800 dollars from selling seeds was already a huge sum of money. The amount of 200,000 dollars was so many times more than 800 dollars! Even in her dreams, she had never seen so much money. A ginseng was worth 200,000 dollars? Was Qiao Mei doing something illegal You did you did you cheat the person of the money? We shouldnt do anything thats wrong. If you cheated, quickly return the money to him, Li Gui stammered. Qiao Mei smiled. No one knew what the value of ginseng was. After all, no one had ever found ginseng on the mountain before she did. Even if people happened to see a ginseng, most of them did not know what it was. I dont do such dishonorable things. Dont worry, he paid for it voluntarily. When the time comes, you just need to live in the house I bought. You dont have to worry about anything else, Qiao Mei said. Since it was Qiao Meis house, then it would be fine for them to stay there. She would pay Qiao Mei rent every month and also find a job in the capital so that she could support the children. She could not simply expect Qiao Mei to support such a large family alone. Otherwise, as time passed, the Xia family would have objections. They must still be self-sufficient. Qiao Mei also knew what Li Gui was thinking. As long as she was willing to go to the capital, everything else was a small matter. Then should we wait for a few more days? We havent finished packing these seeds. Li Gui pointed at the seeds in the other room. Theyll come and collect it tomorrow. After that, well leave on the train at night, Qiao Mei said. Are we in such a hurry? Li Gui looked at Qiao Mei in shock. Yes, Im worried that Qiao Zhuangs family will do something again. Lets just leave quickly, Qiao Mei said as she looked at Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao. At this point, Li Gui also became worried. Qiao Zhuang had caused them a lot of trouble both openly and covertly. Li Gui was also concerned that the Zhang family would come and harm her children again. What Qiao Mei said made sense. It was better to leave as soon as possible. She just felt a sense of pity at leaving this house that had just been built a few months ago. Every brick, tile, blade of grass and tree here was the result of the hard work that she and the children put in. She was quite reluctant to have to leave so suddenly. However, it did not matter. As long as the whole family could be together, no difficulty was too great. Pack up quickly. Well leave after we split the money with the villagers tomorrow. Ive already made arrangements for the transport. After saying that, Qiao Mei went home to pack up for Qiao Qiang and herself. Li Gui and the children did not have much, only a few pieces of clothing. Qiao Mei told her not to bring anything extra. Everything was available in the capital. If they needed something, they could buy it anytime. She asked them to bring only their clothes and medicine and to leave everything else in the house. If they had time in the future, they should come back to take a look. It was still unknown if they would return in the future. Mom, is elder sister really bringing us to the capital? Zhang Qin asked suspiciously. Thats right. Our entire family is going. Elder sister even says that you can study in the capital. Are you happy about that? Li Gui asked with a smile. Zhang Qin thought for a long time. Seeing Li Guis serious expression, she finally believed that they were really going to the capital! That was a place that she only read about in her textbooks! She did not expect to have the chance to go there! The two children hugged each other and cheered. Li Gui only knew that they were very happy, but she did not know if they were happy because they could go to the capital or because she did not abandon them this time. The family ate together happily. Li Gui was so happy that she made two more dishes. The leftovers they had at home could be shared with the neighbors tomorrow. She would not need them in the future. Qiao Mei suddenly remembered that she had not dug up the remaining ginseng she promised He Ning. Just as she was about to go to the secret cave on the mountain to get one, she realized that Qiao Qiang had returned with a bamboo basket on his back. It looked like he had gone up the mountain. Grandfather, did you go up the mountain to dig for ginseng? Qiao Mei asked as she pointed at the bamboo basket on Qiao Qiangs back. Thats right. Didnt you promise that idiot three ginsengs? I only found one. Its really strange. I found two the previous time. I even left indicator marks. But one was already dug out. Otherwise, I could have brought both back, Qiao Qiang said. Chapter 791 Considering Repairing The Roads Qiao Mei felt that this was very normal. This mountain did not belong to their family, so it was normal for someone to pick stuff from the mountain. Even if the ginseng was dug up, it was not a big thing. "Grandfather, let''s leave tomorrow night. I''ve already packed everything. You can take a look if there''s anything else you want to bring along," Qiao Mei said. Qiao Qiang did not even have much clothes, so he did not have much to pack. He had already packed everything on the day they agreed to move. "Have you spoken to your mother?" Qiao Qiang asked. Qiao Mei nodded. Everything was settled very nicely. As long as nothing went wrong with the handover of the seeds tomorrow, everything would definitely go smoothly! However, things did not go as smoothly as Qiao Mei had imagined. Early in the morning, Wang Qin found out that the children in their family could not go to school. It was like a bolt from the blue. "What did you say?! Zhao Liang! Why can''t my child go to school?!" Wang Qin questioned as she looked at the joint petition. Zhao Liang only came to inform Wang Qin, and the rest was really none of his business. "This is the opinion of all the parents in the school, not me. If you have time to argue with me, you might as well go and ask those people who put their names down. Also, you''ve been on leave for almost half a month. If you don''t come back to work soon, I''ll go and ask the leader for a change in staff. I''ve done my best by delaying taking this action for half a month." Zhao Liang left after saying that. This joint petition was not the original copy. It did not matter even if Wang Qin tore it up. He still had to hurry to Qiao Mei''s place to collect his money! Several trucks had entered the village today, which was a big deal. "Mei Mei, the mountain roads to your village are really too difficult to maneuver. It''s not easy for us to drive in!" He Guang wiped the sweat on his forehead and said helplessly. Their village was built on the mountain. Not only were the roads steep, but the distance between each house was also unevenly spaced. The trucks could travel on some roads easily, but some roads were difficult to get through. This time, he had sent three trucks. They were supposed to reach Qiao Mei''s house after 40 minutes, but they drove for a full hour and a half! This was something that needed more planning in the future. Qiao Mei looked at the countryside roads thoughtfully. This is a matter that could only be resolved if everyone contributed money. After they made more money in the future, they would naturally be able to repair the roads. At the moment, the mention of the issue of repairing the roads would probably make everyone feel conflicted. It would cost a lot of money for the repairs. "Uncle, it''s been hard on you. Come with me to the house to take a look." Qiao Mei brought them into the house to carry the goods. There were so many seeds that it would take the three drivers a long time to do the loading. Qiao Mei was about to reach out to help when He Guang stopped her. He Guang was so scared that he broke out in a cold sweat. Each sack weighed 50 pounds. If Qiao Mei got hurt, he would be in serious trouble. At that time, Chen Hu would definitely skin him alive! "Please spare me. These people were arranged by your Uncle Hu. If they go back and tell your Uncle Hu, see if I''ll still be alive and standing in front of you next time. Take good care of the money. Here''s 10,000 dollars, all in loose change. I did what you asked for." He Guang handed a large paper bag to Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei looked at the money bag in a daze. It would probably be very troublesome when distributing the money later. "Uncle, aren''t you going to open up the bags to take a look? You don''t look like you''re here to acquire stock," Qiao Mei said with a smile. Usually, when purchasers acquired stock, they would require each bag to be emptied to check the quantity, quality and whether it met the agreed standards. This was the custom of the supply and marketing cooperative when they collected bean sprouts. Not a single defective product was allowed. Everything had to be perfect. He Guang waved his hand and said nonchalantly, "You''ve already given me all the seeds the previous round to do the trial. How can I not trust you? This is the money for the seeds you gave me. If there''s any excess, take it as my gift to you." He Guang took out another 1,000 dollars from his pocket and handed it to Qiao Mei. His food factory had always been looked down upon. Even if they handled the same imported products as others, they did not make as much money as the rest. Now that he was the sole distributor of Foshan Seeds, not only was the factory''s business booming, but its reputation was also gradually improving. All of this was thanks to Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei did not refuse and directly handed the 1,000 dollars to Li Gui. She thought that Qiao Mei did not have anywhere to keep the money and wanted her to help keep the money safe. Chapter 792 Earning Big Money "Qiao Mei, when should I collect the next batch?" He Guang asked. Qiao Mei was stunned for a moment. These seeds were just ordinary seeds from the capital. All the benefits were stimulated by her energy. It would probably take half a year for the next batch to be ready. However, business was so booming that He Guang would definitely not be able to wait so long. "Uncle, these seeds are a new variety. The unique thing about these seeds is that we can''t use the seeds harvested this year to continue planting. We have to go back to buy them from the supplier. Even if everyone plants the remaining seeds they have this year, they will only be able to harvest next spring," Qiao Mei said. These were all Qiao Mei''s excuses. If He Guang had not mentioned it, Qiao Mei would not have thought about this at all. She had intended to sell more seeds when she distributed the money later. In a while, she would hurry home and secretly infuse some energy into the seeds. Although these new seeds would not grow as fast as the previous batch, it could still be harvested in two to three months'' time. Qiao Mei used her unique ability to accelerate the growth whenever she planted crops. She no longer knew what the normal growth cycle of plants was like and could do a rough estimate. The villagers arrived one after another and Qiao Mei also started to do the payout. A few of the villagers saw He Guang and even wanted to go forward to talk to him, asking him indirectly how much he paid for the seeds. After all, the price was decided between him and Qiao Mei. Since Qiao Mei had not said anything, he did not find it appropriate for him to say anything. If he said something wrong, it would ruin Qiao Mei''s reputation. He Guang did not say anything. He just smiled and left the village with the trucks. Everyone lined up in an orderly manner to collect their money. "Everyone, don''t be anxious! Everyone has a share! I still have some seeds that you can use to plant next year, but the quality is not as good as this year''s batch. The cycle is also longer than the current batch by a month, but the quality is definitely the same as this year''s. If anyone wants to buy the seeds, go and collect money from my mother first before coming to me to buy the seeds!" Qiao Mei shouted loudly. The villagers had all kept some seeds from the harvest this year for planting next year. They did not expect Qiao Mei to be selling new seeds. "Mei Mei! We''re all experienced farmers. Every family will leave some seeds for planting after harvesting. We really don''t lack any" Aunt Wang said embarrassedly. They were all worried that Qiao Mei would be disappointed if they did not buy new seeds from her. After all, social norms advocated reciprocity. Qiao Mei always included them whenever there were any benefits, so it was not nice of them not to buy the seeds that Qiao Mei had specially set aside for them. "The seeds you kept can''t be planted and harvested. The person who sold me the seeds specially told me that only the seeds bought from him would grow at the same speed as this last batch. Even if we keep seeds from the harvest, these seeds won''t work that well. If we continue to plant seeds from subsequent harvest, the seed quality of the second, third and later generations harvested will only get worse and worse and will not meet the standard," Qiao Mei said. "It sounds so serious! We''ve never heard of such a thing!" Auntie Wang immediately panicked. Everyone started to discuss among themselves. They had been farming their entire lives, but they had never heard of such a magical thing. They all knew that Qiao Mei would leave the village this winter and they had wanted to ask her to bring back some seeds for them from the capital, but they were too embarrassed to raise this issue. Since Qiao Mei still had seeds with her at the moment, they should buy as many as they could afford! "Let me make it clear first! Based on the amount of seeds I have, each family can at most buy six pounds! The price is still 50 cents per pound! I won''t sell more than that to each family even if you ask for it! I''m going by headcount! You can buy less, but you can''t buy more!" Qiao Mei shouted out. "Then how much per pound did we sell those seeds! Qiao Mei, tell us!" Auntie Dong asked with a chuckle. "Everyone, make a guess!" Qiao Mei said. Some people guessed 30 cents, some people guessed 50 cents, and some people said 20 cents. Everyone had different opinions and no one knew what the price that Qiao Mei had negotiated. The highest amount guessed was 50 cents. "Mei Mei, just tell us the truth. We''re so anxious!" Auntie Dong slapped her thigh anxiously. As the "know-it-all" in the village, this was the first time she did not have any information about something. She was so restless. "90 cents!" Qiao Mei said with a grin. There was a collective gasp from the crowd. Each family could earn more than 400 dollars! This was something that they had never done before! Chapter 793 Coming To Cause Trouble "Mei Mei! You''re really the God of Fortune of our village! Oh my goodness! I sold 750 pounds! I have 675 dollars! Is this true! Pinch me quick!" Auntie Dong got the people beside her to pinch her so hard that her arms turned red. Everyone was so happy that they almost shouted out "Long live Qiao Mei". In the past, every family had to save up for many years to get an amount of 400 dollars. Some families might not even be able to save up so much money in their entire lives. Qiao Mei had helped everyone to make so much money in one go. Everyone''s faces were filled with smiles and hope. Every family could eat their fill. This had fulfilled Qiao Mei''s initial wish. "Everyone, don''t be too happy yet! I have something to tell everyone. I''m going to the capital soon. I hope everyone can help me with my family''s matters! Don''t go around telling others about us earning money. If I''m not in the village and get investigated, I won''t be able to come back. Don''t show off your wealth. Everyone, you must be careful!" Qiao Mei said. In this era, there were still many poor people around. If their village suddenly became rich, it would definitely attract the envy of other villages. It would not be good if they attracted trouble. After discussing the important issues, everyone started to collect their money one after another. There were also many people who wanted to buy seeds. Everyone went to Qiao Mei''s place to buy six pounds of seeds. After reaping the benefits, they definitely wanted to plant as many seeds as they could. "Qiao Mei! Get out here!" Wang Qin shouted as she stood at the door of the courtyard. Everyone was busy with their own things and no one paid Wang Qin any attention. No one had the time to care about this crazy woman now. Her husband was an arsonist and her son was almost a murderer. Her entire family members were all nasty people and they wanted to stay as far away from her as possible. No one wanted to be associated with this family! "Are you deaf! Didn''t you hear me calling out to you!" Seeing that everyone was ignoring her, Wang Qin arrogantly walked up to Qiao Mei and shouted at her. Qiao Mei raised her head slowly and said, "I''m not selling it to you." "Who wants your lousy seeds! Do you think I care!" Wang Qin said disdainfully. "If you don''t want to buy, then leave quickly! Don''t waste our time!" Auntie Dong pushed Wang Qin away impatiently. Wang Qin''s anger flared up and she behaved like a shrew and pushed Auntie Dong. Auntie Dong was not someone who could be bullied easily, so the two of them started fighting in the courtyard. Of course Wang Qin was at a disadvantage. The men did not want to get involved in beating up the women. Auntie Wang and Auntie Zhou, who were on good terms with Qiao Mei, as well as a few other women who were on good terms with the rest of them, all surrounded Wang Qin and beat her up. Her clothes were almost torn off and her hair was in a mess. No one wanted to look at her. When Zhao Liang saw that they had gone overboard, he shouted, "Stop! If you have something to say, just say it! Don''t fight!" "She hit me first! Who do you think you are! When the village was in trouble, you just sat back and reaped the benefits! Now that we''re having a better life, you want to stop us! Who do you think you are!" Auntie Dong shouted angrily. In the past, everyone was afraid that if they offended Wang Qin, she would deduct their work points. This directly affected the issue of whether each family could eat their fill, so they had always been polite to her. Now that everyone could support their families by selling seeds, they were naturally not afraid of her anymore. "I''m here to talk to Qiao Mei! Who do you think you are! Stop interrupting me with your lowly mouth!" Wang Qin pointed at Auntie Dong and scolded her. Qiao Mei really could not stand it anymore. She got up and slapped Wang Qin so hard that Wang Qin saw stars and immediately fell to the ground. She had not even gone to look for Wang Qin about what happened to Zhang Qin. Now that Wang Qin had come knocking on her door, she did not intend to be polite. Auntie Dong had been beaten up for trying to help her, so she had to stand up for Auntie Dong now. "How dare you hit me!" Wang Qin looked at Qiao Mei in disbelief. "Yes I dare to! I haven''t even settled the score with you for your son hurting my younger sister, yet you still dare to come here and behave so atrociously today? Bring me my sister''s medical expenses, nutrition fees, tuition fees and compensation for emotional damage. Otherwise, get lost and go as far away as you can go!" Qiao Mei said. At the mention of money, Wang Qin chickened out. She only had about 10 dollars left and all the money the family had was used to pay off Qiao Gui''s debts. Qiao Zhuang had even plundered some of it. She had originally wanted to ask for an explanation on behalf of her son, but she did not expect to be insulted by Qiao Mei instead. The villagers were all on Qiao Mei''s side now and no one would help her. "Why should I give you money! My son can''t go to school now! He can''t go to school in the future! You have to give me an explanation!" Wang Qin shouted at the top of her lungs. Chapter 794 Setting Off Everyone looked at Wang Qin with disdain and ridicule. Qiao Mei already did not intend to pursue the matter, yet Wang Qin still refused to let it go. After Qiao Gui went to jail, did Wang Qin go crazy? "Your son deserves it, yet you still want to blame Qiao Mei. How shameless of you," Auntie Wang said. Auntie Zhou could not stand it anymore and spat on the ground. "Pfft! How shameless! Just go home! Don''t embarrass yourself here!" "Qiao Mei doesn''t even pursue the issue with you, but you still want to put up a show. There are really all kinds of birds in the forest." "This is what they mean by birds of a feather flock together. Isn''t that so true of their family? Nothing strange about that." "That''s true. Qiao Zhuang really has a good eye for finding his own kind." Everyone''s words were as unpleasant as it could get. Wang Qin could not stand it anymore and ran home crying. Qiao Mei did not take it to heart and continued to distribute seeds to everyone. All the villagers praised Qiao Mei for being kind. Wang Qin had already bullied her to this extent, but she still did not take it to heart. After everyone took their money and the seeds, they all went home. Qiao Mei''s own seeds were already all sent to the capital and she had given the rest to He Guang as the first batch of goods to do trial marketing. Naturally, she did not get any money this round. Li Gui carefully hugged the paper bag containing the money and rapidly ran into the house with a whoosh. She even closed the curtains in the middle of the day. "Mom, do you have to do this? Won''t it make people realize that something is wrong?" Qiao Mei looked at Li Gui in amusement. Li Gui slapped her thigh excitedly and poured out all the money from the bag. She gathered them neatly one by one and tabulated that she had earned 1,800 dollars. The 800 dollars was from her own sale of seeds. The remaining 1,000 dollars was, in Qiao Mei''s words, the compensation for their hard work! "Mei Mei! I''ve never touched so much money before! So much money!" Li Gui said excitedly. Qiao Mei was also very happy to see Li Gui so happy. Ever since Li Gui and Zhang Qian divorced, she had been smiling more and more. This was really a good thing. Li Gui thought for a moment and took 1,200 dollars and handed it to Qiao Mei. After such a long time, she had already owed Qiao Mei a lot of money. It probably added up to about 1,180 dollars. "This is the money I owe you after coming to Foshan Village. As for the children''s tuition fees and the meals previously, I''ll give you the money when I earn more in the future. Take this first," Li Gui said embarrassedly. Qiao Mei took the 1,200 dollars and thought for a moment before returning it to Li Gui note by note. As she gave it to Li Gui, she muttered, "This 400 dollars is for the four children. Take it as a red packet for the trip to the capital. This 500 dollars is for you. Take it as my filial piety to you. This 100 dollars is for the four children to buy new clothes." In the end, Qiao Mei only took 200 dollars. She could not possibly not take a single cent, otherwise Li Gui would feel bad about it. "This won''t do! I owe you money! Hurry up and take it!" Li Gui refused. Qiao Mei sighed and said, "We''re biological mother and daughter. You''ve already paid me back. The money I''m giving you now is to show filial piety to you, as well as to give you some money for the four children. Take it. There will be more chances for you to treat me well in the future. There''s no need to dwell on this." Seeing Qiao Mei''s firm attitude, Li Gui did not reject her. She put away the money and prepared to leave with Qiao Mei later. Everyone had lunch together. After packing up, they stood at the entrance of the street and waited for Chen Hu''s car to pick them up. Last night, Qiao Mei had asked Chen Hu to help them buy sleeper train tickets to go to the capital and also to send a car to pick them up. The journey was comfortable and there were no incidents on the way. It was the children who were very excited. They leaned against the car window and did not even want to blink, afraid that they would miss any beautiful moment. It was already at night and it was impossible to see anything outside, so no one knew what beautiful scenery the children was trying to see. "Look at them. They''re so naughty," Li Gui said with a smile. "It''s the first time they''re traveling, so it''s inevitable that they''ll be curious," Qiao Mei said. Qiao Qiang instructed the children, "The few of you don''t make noise later. Many other passengers are already asleep in the train carriage. We can''t disturb them, do you understand?" The children nodded sensibly. In the latter half of the night, none of them could take it anymore and they gradually fell asleep. They only arrived in the capital at noon the next day. However, the closer they got to the capital, the more worried the children became. Chapter 795 Arriving In The Capital When they first came to the countryside from the city, the children in the village all looked up to them. However, now that they were going to return to the city from the countryside, and heading towards the most prosperous city this time round, they were worried if they would be bullied and looked down upon. Qiao Mei also noticed the children''s abnormal behavior. She patted Zhang Wei''s shoulder and said, "Zhang Wei, why are you unhappy now that we''re almost there?" "Elder sister I''m scared In the county city, there were already many people who bullied me and my younger brother. Do you think they will also look down on us? Can we not go to school" Zhang Wei lowered his head, feeling dejected. Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao had never experienced being bullied in school in the county city. They were only filled with anticipation about coming to the capital and did not think too much about it. "When you went to the village school back then, do you still remember how elder sister taught you to interact with others?" Qiao Mei said patiently. Zhang Wei thought for a moment and said, "We must do our best to get along well with others. If they''re not friendly, give them some seeds to eat. But if they bully us, then we should fight back." "That''s right. If anyone bullies you, you can bully them back. We won''t take the initiative to cause trouble, but we''re not afraid of trouble either. Do you understand?" Qiao Mei said as she patted Zhang Wei''s head. Zhang Wei understood what she meant, but he was still afraid. In the village, the situation would never get too bad as all the uncles and aunties in the village liked him. However, it was different in the city. The children in the city school came from all over the country. If he caused any trouble, then he would need Qiao Mei to help him clean up the mess. He had overheard a part of Li Gui''s conversation with Qiao Mei in the past. Qiao Mei also had no relatives in the capital and could only rely on his brother-in-law, Xia Zhe. Therefore, if he got into any trouble, he would only cause trouble for Qiao Mei. "What else are you afraid of? Tell me," Qiao Mei said gently. "I''m afraid of causing trouble for elder sister. If that happens, brother-in-law won''t like us anymore and will quarrel with elder sister. I''m worried," Zhang Wei told her all his real thoughts. Qiao Mei then realized that he had overheard what the adults said. She sighed and said slowly, "The few of you are elder sister''s treasures. No matter who says anything about you, I will protect you. The house you''re going to live in doesn''t belong to your brother-in-law either. It''s mine. Don''t be afraid of your brother-in-law and his family. As long as we don''t take the initiative to cause trouble, what are we afraid of?" Qiao Mei added, "It''s fine even if you get into trouble. You have an elder sister around. Don''t tell me you''ll leave me alone after you grow up? What if I cause trouble when I''m old? Will you still care about me?" "Yes! I will definitely take care of elder sister!" Zhang Wei said firmly. "So think about how important I am to you, and that is how important you all are to me. Do you understand? Don''t worry and be bold. Don''t be afraid. You''re their older brother. If you''re afraid, won''t they be even more afraid?" Qiao Mei said. Zhang Wei no longer felt lost. He decided to do as Qiao Mei said and be a good person. As long as he remained kind and did not do anything bad, he should not have many enemies. The train stopped and everyone disembarked slowly with their luggage. Zhang Wei carried Zhang Miao on his back and walked slowly while Zhang Chao held on to Zhang Qin and followed behind them. When they reached the train station exit, Qiao Mei saw Xia He and Xia Fang from afar. They were with someone else that she did not expect to see. Xu Lan had also come to pick her up. Xia He quietly observed Xu Lan''s expression. There did not seem to be any changes, so she knew that Xia Wen had already told Xu Lan the truth. Xu Lan was no longer sad and instead actively went about renovating the house. "Why are you all here to pick me up? I''m still thinking of going back on my own," Qiao Mei said with a smile. Xu Lan held Qiao Mei''s hand enthusiastically with tears in her eyes and said excitedly, "What nonsense are you talking about! It''s bad enough that you didn''t tell me you''re coming back! But you still want to go home by yourself! If not for your aunt bringing us to pick you up! We would still be in the dark!" Li Gui originally thought that Xu Lan was the kind of mother-in-law who was difficult to get along with. Seeing how concerned Xu Lan was about Qiao Mei, Li Gui felt relieved. "Uncle Qiao, it''s been a long time. Do you still remember me?" Xu Lan said politely. Qiao Qiang nodded. Xu Lan was indeed different from the person in his memories. Her temper had become much better and she was no longer as cold as before. A person who was about to become a grandmother was indeed different. Chapter 796 - 796 Sneak Back Next Time 796 Sneak Back Next Time Yes, youre the same as before. You dont look any different from the first time I saw you, Qiao Qiang said politely. Li Gui stood at the side and felt uneasy as she watched them exchange pleasantries. She did not know what to say or not to say. If she was too enthusiastic and Xu Lan did not like her, Xu Lan would have a bad impression of Qiao Mei. It was better to just stand at the side and watch. Earlier at home, she even specially instructed the children not to say anything else when they met Qiao Meis in-laws in the capital other than greeting them and answering questions politely. Xu Lan and Li Gui exchanged a few words out of politeness. Xu Lan originally thought that relatives from the countryside would be like Tan Jings family who had nothing to say apart from asking for money and trying to get into the Xia familys good books. She did not expect Li Gui to seem like an honest person. !! Whats wrong with this child? Why is there a splint on her leg? Xu Lan looked at Zhang Qin, who was on Zhang Weis back, in surprise. This was the solution that Qiao Mei had thought of. Zhang Qin was not seriously injured and going to the county hospital to get a cast would delay her trip to the capital. In order to prevent her from getting injured again on the train, Qiao Mei had used cloth strips and wooden planks to stabilize it. With Qiao Meis ginseng juice, they did not have to worry much about Zhang Qins injuries. She sprained her ankle. Its not very serious, Qiao Mei explained. Nowadays, Xu Lan felt close to every child she met and she could not bear to see children getting hurt. Mother, lets quickly bring Qiao Mei and the rest home, Xia He reminded her. Xu Lan hurriedly asked Xia Maos guards to help with the luggage and escort them all the way to the car. Those who did not know better would think it was a leader coming here for an inspection. I cant inform you guys in advance when I come back next time. Were making such a big fuss. What if people say that this is an abuse of power by our family? Qiao Mei whispered as she held Xia Hes hand. Dont worry, this is all permissible. Their job is to protect the safety of our family. Youre the most precious treasure in our family now, so of course we have to take care of you well. Dont worry, Xia He said as she patted Qiao Meis hand. Qiao Mei sighed. She still felt that she should sneak back in the future. Otherwise, she would not be able to take it if everyone made such a big fuss every time. Wheres eldest brother? Qiao Mei asked. Eldest brother and eldest sister-in-law are at home. Aunt informed mother that youre coming back and mother made a phone call to eldest brother. Early in the morning, she instructed eldest brother to go to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy the largest crabs and prawns and even asked second aunt-in-law and eldest sister-in-law to buy a lot of groceries. Theyre all just waiting for you to come back! Xia He said. Qiao Mei was so shocked that she could not speak. However, as she had brought Qiao Qiang with her this time round, it somehow seemed reasonable for the family to be making such a big fuss. Li Gui and the children took one of the cars while the rest of them took the other car. The guard team were in two cars, one in front and one behind, to protect their safety at all times. Soon, they arrived at Xu Lans house. Wow The four children looked at the house in front of them in shock as they thought it looked like a castle. It shocked them even though they had previously lived in the county city. At that time, although five or six of them were squeezed together in a small house, they were considered to be doing quite well. However, as there were so many people, they all had to sleep on the floor. They did not expect to be able to stay in a castle in the capital! Why are the two boys carrying the girls? Is it because its inconvenient? Or is it some sort of custom? Xu Lan came to Li Guis side and asked softly. When Xu Lan went to perform in the south in the past, she had visited a village where the daughters of rich families did not touch the ground with their feet. They had people to help them with all their daily living, including traveling around. However, that was a long time ago and these customs had gradually disappeared. My third daughter, Zhang Qin, has an injured foot, and my fourth daughter, Zhang Miao, has injured her ribs. They both havent recovered yet, so its not convenient for them to walk on their own. Im just worried that well waste everyones time if theyre too slow, Li Gui said embarrassedly. Upon hearing that, Xu Lan asked the guards to get two wheelchairs for the children so that it would be more convenient for everyone. The wheelchairs were delivered quickly. Xu Lan asked Xia He to handle this matter as she still had to take care of Qiao Qiang. The four children looked at the wheelchairs curiously. They had only seen bicycles and tricycles before, but this was the first time they had seen this kind of two-wheeled contraption. Chapter 797 - 797 Wheelchair 797 Wheelchair Elder brother what is this? A bicycle? Zhang Qin stood and looked at the wheelchair as she asked curiously. Zhang Wei scratched his head while looking puzzled. This was the first time he had seen such a thing. A mechanism with two wheels should be a bicycle, but how should one ride such a bicycle? It was really strange since there were no handlebars or pedals. This is Xia He was about to explain. Zhang Chao suddenly said, A wheelchair. Xia He looked at the young Zhang Chao in surprise. When she was at Zhang Chaos age, she did not know anything at all. She definitely did not expect him to recognize a wheelchair. Wheelchairs were not very common nowadays and were only used by more well-to-do people. Younger brother, dont talk nonsense Zhang Wei was so frightened that he quickly tugged at Zhang Chao. Before they came to the capital, Li Gui had asked him to take good care of his younger siblings and not cause trouble for Qiao Mei. Hes right. Its a wheelchair. After saying that, Xia He picked Zhang Miao up and carefully placed her on the wheelchair. She even showed them how to use it. Zhang Wei finally relaxed his nervous expression. Xia He looked at the quiet Zhang Chao and asked, How do you know its a wheelchair? Zhang Chao first looked at Zhang Wei and only dared to speak after Zhang Wei let him speak. He said, Elder sister brought back a lot of books previously I read them by myself If there are words I dont know, Id look them up in the dictionary This thing looks exactly like the picture in the books Xia He gave Zhang Chao a thumbs up and praised him. It seemed that Qiao Mei had educated these children very well. They were all very polite. When she was still living with the Kong family, the children downstairs would play crazily in the courtyard every day. They did not greet her when they saw her and even played pranks and threw mud at her. Everyone walked into the house noisily. Tan Jing and Xia Wen hurriedly came out to welcome them. Tan Jing, who was still gloating over Qiao Meis misfortune, was stunned to the spot when she saw Qiao Meis round belly. No matter how Xia Wen called out to her, she did not react. Xia Wen had no choice but to pull her to the door and greeted everyone with a smile. He introduced Tan Jing to everyone, but she was in a daze and did not say anything. She did not even nod in response. Qiao Qiang did not care about these minor details. He was more concerned about meeting his old friend, Xia Jun. However, Xia Jun had an important meeting in the army today. Even though he had already retired, he was still an outstanding soldier. The army still needed him to be an advisor for many issues. Hello, Grandpa Qiao. Im Xia Wen. I dont know if you still have any impression of me. My father and grandfather are not at home today. Theyll be back tomorrow and theyll meet up with you then. Lets just have a casual meal today. I hope you dont mind, Xia Wen said to Qiao Qiang apologetically. Qiao Qiang patted Xia Wens shoulder. The child who used to be as thin as a little chick had now grown up to be so handsome and charming. He looked really different now. Youve changed quite a bit. You look much healthier than when you were young. Do you still get sick often nowadays? Qiao Qiang asked. Grandpa Qiao, thanks for asking about me. Im much better now and dont get sick so often, Xia Wen said. Everyone entered the house in a grand manner. When they were all seated at the dining table, Tan Jing was still standing at the door in a daze, staring fixedly at Qiao Meis stomach. Xia Wen looked at her a few times but she did not notice anything. In the end, Xu Lan said unhappily, Tan Jing, why arent you coming over here yet? Im sorry! Tan Jing quickly walked to the dining table and sat down. After everyone was seated, Liu Fen brought out the last dish, which was steamed fish. They usually cooked braised fish at home. Knowing that Qiao Qiang was coming today, she specially made a dish that was lighter in flavor. She did not know if it suited Qiao Qiangs taste. All the dishes are here! Come, come, come! Lets eat! Liu Fen said with a smile. Everyone picked up their chopsticks together. After taking a few bites, they realized that Qiao Mei had only been eating rice and drinking chicken soup. She did not touch any of the other dishes. Mei Mei, try this. This is your favorite braised pork ribs. Your second aunt-in-law woke up early and went to the supply and marketing cooperative to queue up to buy the freshest ones! Xu Lan picked up a piece of pork rib and put it in Qiao Meis bowl. Qiao Mei hesitated for a moment and said with an awkward expression, Thank you, mother. Chapter 798 - 798 Weird Tasting Dishes 798 Weird Tasting Dishes Xia He realized that something was wrong with Qiao Meis reaction and immediately picked up a piece of braised pork rib for herself. As soon as she bit on it, she spat it out. This was not something edible. There was too much vinegar in it. Why is it so sour Its so sour that my teeth hurt! Xia He said as she quickly drank a lot of water. Liu Fen did not believe it and took a bite as well. Her reaction was exactly the same as Xia Hes. She frowned and said, Impossible! I clearly tasted it after I was done! There wasnt any problem then! How strange! Tan Jing lowered her head and ate silently. Xu Lan tasted the dishes one by one. There were a few dishes that still tasted fine, but the dishes that Qiao Mei liked all tasted weird. !! These dishes were either too salty, very sour or especially sweet. It was not as if she had never eaten Liu Fens food before. This was definitely not her usual standard. Im sorry, Uncle Qiao. This is too inhospitable of us. There are a few dishes that arent done well. Well remove them now. Xu Lan and Liu Fen took away the unpalatable dishes. Qiao Mei was not usually picky about what she ate, but after she got pregnant, her taste buds became more nitpicky and sensitive to tastes. There was indeed nothing left on the table that she could eat, except for the bowl of chicken soup. She could not eat anything that was numbing and spicy or sweet and sour. Nor could she eat cold seafood dishes. Xia Fang had told her before that these things were not good for the babies, so she could only bear with it for now. Xia Wen! Go to the state-owned restaurant to pack a few of your sister-in-laws favorite dishes! Xu Lan said. Qiao Mei quickly dismissed the suggestion. Dont go. Im almost done eating. Lets cook tomorrow. Dont worry about me. Please continue eating. Qiao Qiang looked at everyone present and ate silently without saying anything. Xu Lan did not eat anything after that and felt as if a huge rock was pressing on her chest. After dinner, everyone sat in the living room and chatted. It had been a long time since they last met and they missed each other a lot. Eldest brother! Do you remember I called to ask you about buying another house? Is there any news? I hope its not too troublesome? Qiao Mei asked. When did you call me? Didnt you always call mother directly? I dont remember receiving any calls from you, Xia Wen said. Qiao Mei was about to speak when she thought about what happened with the food today and immediately understood what was going on. She did not say anything else, but smiled as she patted her own head and said, I must have remembered wrongly. Then Ill have to trouble eldest brother to help me find another house. I want to buy one thats close to my place. Xia Wen nodded and noted down Qiao Meis request. He knew that Qiao Mei had a good memory and buying a house was not a small matter. It was impossible for Qiao Mei to have remembered wrongly, so the problem must be on his end. Xu Lan stared at Tan Jing for a long time without saying anything. It was getting late and there was no room for so many people to sleep over in the house. Xia Wen arranged for a car to send Qiao Mei back to the courtyard house. When all of them reached the entrance of the courtyard house, the children were even more shocked. Qiao Mei had only said that her house in the capital was big enough for all of them to live in, but they did not expect it to be so big. It was several times bigger than their house in the countryside! Elder sister! Is this our house! Zhang Qin said in shock. Thats right, its our house. Well all stay in the front part today. You can all go in and take a look. Qiao Mei patted the children and let them go in to choose their own rooms. Xia Wen stood in the courtyard and called out to Qiao Mei. He felt that he had to explain what happened today. Qiao Mei, Im sorry. Its my fault for what happened today, Xia Wen said sincerely. Qiao Mei also knew what Xia Wen was referring to. She had originally thought that Tan Jing just had a dour personality, but she did not expect her to play such a small trick. It was really childish. She did not have the energy to confront Tan Jing, nor did she want to embarrass everyone because of these things, so she did not argue with Tan Jing. If Xia Wen had not mentioned it, she would not have brought it up. Its fine, eldest brother. Were a family. Theres no need to apologize. I understand what you want to say. I also know that eldest brother treats Xia Zhe and I very well, Qiao Mei said with a smile. They were both smart people and there was no need to say anything else. Xia Wen did not want to disturb Qiao Mei further and left after giving her a few simple instructions and teaching her how to use the floor heater. Chapter 799 - 799 Sowing Discord 799 Sowing Discord Xu Lan was not as amiable as Qiao Mei. She and Liu Fen had been sisters-in-law for decades. Although Liu Fen had a sharp tongue, she was always on the Xia familys side. Everyone was bound together for good or ill. Putting aside the fact that everyone was celebrating Qiao Meis homecoming today, the most important thing was that Qiao Meis grandfather, Qiao Qiang, was also here. He was the Xia familys savior. If not for Qiao Qiang, the Xia family would not be where they were today. Even if Qiao Qiang said that he wanted the moon in the sky, they had to do everything they could to satisfy his wish. Qiao Mei was Qiao Qiangs only precious granddaughter. What would Qiao Qiang think of the Xia family after he saw how she was being treated? Explain yourself while Im still in a cordial mood now. Is it done by Xia Wen or you, Xu Lan said as she looked at Tan Jing. Tan Jing said fearfully, Why is it me and Xia Wen? Second Aunt-in-law also participated in the cooking, and and the helper at home! Or perhaps theres a problem with the ingredients Seeing that Tan Jing remained incorrigible, Xu Lan smacked the table angrily and stood up. She pointed at Tan Jing and shouted, Do you think Im a fool! Is your second aunt-in-law that kind of person! Our helper has served the family for more than 30 years! If Xia Wen is such a senseless person, hes not worthy of handling the Xia familys matters! Im giving you a way out so that you can tell the truth, yet you still have the cheek to quibble with me! Tan Jing was so frightened that she stood rooted to the ground and did not dare to make a sound. This was the first time she had seen Xu Lan so angry. Your second aunt-in-law bought everything from the supply and marketing cooperative early in the morning. All the best restaurants in the capital buy their ingredients from the same place, yet you dare to say that theres something wrong with the ingredients? Is there something wrong with your brain! There were outsiders around just now, so I was too embarrassed to criticize you! Youre really going too far! Xu Lan shouted with her hands on her hips. Liu Fens face darkened and she was unwilling to say anything else on Tan Jings behalf. In the past, whenever there was a fight at home, she would try her best to stop it as long as she was around. She was always the peacemaker in this family. Now, when she looked at Tan Jing, she only felt disgusted. Tan Jing, did you do this? Liu Fen said. Seeing that she could not hide it anymore, Tan Jing nodded and admitted to it. She was just jealous that Qiao Mei could still be so loved by the entire family even though she lost her babies. She was just jealous that even though Qiao Mei had the same kind of background as her, Qiao Mei seemed to have a more superior position in this family. She also hated the fact that Xia Wen cared so much about Qiao Mei. Therefore, Tan Jing added ingredients into Qiao Meis favorite dishes to make her suffer a little. She did not have any other intentions except to make Qiao Mei feel uncomfortable. She was simply happy to see Qiao Mei upset. Is there something wrong with your brain! Did I not tell you that Qiao Meis grandfather will be coming today! Dont you know how important he is to our Xia family! Where do you want me to hide my face! How am I supposed to answer to father! Xu Lan was so angry that she almost wanted to give Tan Jing two tight slaps. The Xia family had a reputation in the capital and they had to be careful about what they did. If they were too extravagant or did something immoral, they would be reported. Therefore, they had to be careful with their every move. If others knew that this was how the Xia family treated their savior, their reputation would be tarnished. No one would want to deal with the Xia family. Sister-in-law, dont be too angry. Uncle Qiao didnt say anything today so hes probably not angry. Lets make sure everything goes well tomorrow. Dont make yourself sick from anger, Liu Fen advised. Youre my eldest daughter-in-law and Qiao Mei is my younger daughter-in-law. I dont ask you to be exceptional, but can you not cause trouble for me? How do you expect Xia Wen to face Xia Zhe in the future? Are you trying to destroy the kinship of our Xia family? Are you trying to sow discord between Xia Wen and Xia Zhe? Have you even thought about the consequences of what youre doing! Xu Lan said. Tan Jing remained silent. It was not that she did not want to speak up, but she did not dare to say anything at all, afraid that saying another word would make Xu Lan even angrier. Do you think I dont know that your relatives keep coming to look for you? My son has been wearing that same coat for four years. Shouldnt you reflect upon yourself? Xia Zhe was even the one who bought that coat for him! Xu Lan said as she slowly sat on the sofa. Her health was not as good as before and she would get dizzy whenever she got angry. She really could not stand Tan Jing making her so angry. Chapter 800 Having A Meeting Together Xia Fang and Xia He sat at the side and did not speak. Xia Fang held Xia He''s hand tightly, worried that Xia He would also get too angry and lash out at Tan Jing. She felt that Tan Jing was only muddle-headed for a moment and did not have any real intention of harming anyone. "Speak up! Are you mute!" Xu Lan shouted at Tan Jing. At this moment, Xia Mao returned home after his meeting and saw a group of people sitting at the sofa with Tan Jing being the only one standing opposite them. It looked like a court hearing in session. "What''s going on? Are all of you having a meeting together?" Xia Mao said jokingly. Xu Lan''s expression darkened and she did not want to say anything else. After all, this was a matter for the women and it would become too serious if Xia Mao interfered. "It''s nothing. Tan Jing, you can go back to your room. I''ll ask Xia Wen to stay here tonight. Everyone should go and take a rest," Xu Lan said. Other than Xia Fang, who had an important surgery in the hospital tomorrow and needed to go home to rest, everyone else stayed over at Xu Lan''s place. Xu Lan asked Xia Mao to go into the study with her. "Why are you so angry? You weren''t even so angry when Xia He left the art troupe back then," Xia Mao asked. "Do you know what Tan Jing did today! It''s so infuriating! She actually added a lot of seasonings to Qiao Mei''s favorite dishes. At that time, Uncle Qiao and Qiao Mei''s mother and younger siblings were also around. If father finds out, Tan Jing will definitely be punished. I only just reprimanded her a little," Xu Lan complained in a low voice. Xia Mao did not know much about family matters. At most, he would ask Qiao Mei about her health and whether she needed a bodyguard. He did not really take notice of anything else. It would seem that their family was lacking towards Tan Jing. They did not become close even after she had married into the family for so many years. However, Tan Jing did not treat them very well either. If anything happened to the Xia family, Tan Jing would always stand by and do nothing. Moreover, Tan Jing''s family had gone to look for Xia Mao in private many times to ask him for help in finding jobs and to borrow money. He did not tell Xu Lan about this as he knew that she would get agitated and kick up a fuss at home again. However, he had told Xia Wen about this so that Xia He was not caught unaware. Just as Xia Mao was listening to Xu Lan''s complaints, Xia Wen knocked on the study door. "Father, Mother, can I come in?" Xia Wen asked. "Come in," Xia Mao said. As soon as Xia Wen entered, Xu Lan did not give him a kind face. Back then, she did not agree to Xia Wen marrying Tan Jing, but Xia Wen did not care and insisted on marrying her. Now, there was so much trouble. "Father, Mother, I''m sorry. I apologize to you on behalf of Tan Jing." Xia Wen bowed deeply to the two of them. Xu Lan sighed and said, "Get up, we don''t need your apology. Can''t you tell who Tan Jing is targeting today? Son, although Qiao Mei didn''t help you much, when the Xia family was bullied by the He family, it was Qiao Mei who took out her money without any hesitation to save the Xia family. Her grandfather also saved your grandfather''s life. This is a friendship that the Xia family will never be able to repay in our lives. Tell me, how can I face them after what Tan Jing did today?" "I''ve already apologized to Qiao Mei. I''ll definitely handle these things well and there won''t be any more such incidents in the future. Father, Mother, don''t worry," Xia Wen promised seriously. Xu Lan did not want to pursue the matter. She stood up and said, "Alright, I''ll go in and rest. You two can talk." With that, she returned to her room. Xia Wen sat down wearily on the stool and folded his hands in his lap. He had never felt so tired and for a moment, he did not know how to deal with it. It was not just the things that Xu Lan said. That call which Tan Jing received not long ago was probably the one Qiao Mei made to ask him to look for a house for her. Tan Jing had also kept this matter a secret from him. Each and every one of these was an incident of them letting Qiao Mei down. "Father, do you know anyone living near the courtyard house? Is there anyone who wants to sell their houses? Qiao Mei wants to buy one," Xia Wen said. Xia Mao knew that Qiao Mei wanted to find a place for Li Gui and the family to stay. He had already found out more information about the situation in that area and written down a list of phone numbers for Xia Wen. "There are a few vacant houses over there and you can bring Qiao Mei to take a look. Don''t make any mistakes in this matter. If there''s any issues, come and look for me. Don''t let Tan Jing get involved in this matter. Try and talk to her." Xia Mao left the study without saying anything else, leaving Xia Wen alone to think. Chapter 801 Just A Little Hardship Xia Wen stayed in the study for more than an hour before he sorted out his thoughts and returned to his room. Tan Jing was still combing her hair in front of the dressing table. After Xia Wen entered, he did not say a word. He just took a shower, packed his clothes, sorted out the things he needed to wear tomorrow and read in bed. He did not even look at Tan Jing. "Don''t you have anything to say to me?" Tan Jing asked Xia Wen calmly. Xia Wen closed his book and looked at her quietly. They had been married for so long, but this seemed to be the first time he looked at Tan Jing so seriously. It was as if all these years of marriage had been a torture for Tan Jing and made her into a different person. "I don''t know where to start. There''s too much going on," Xia Wen said. Tan Jing still did not think that she had gone overboard. She just wanted Qiao Mei to taste a little hardship and suffer like her. "You must be terribly disappointed in me. You must think that I''m a vicious woman who only knows how to bully others and that my family is not good enough to be of help to you. Do I embarrass you?" Tan Jing said with tears in her eyes. "When have I ever said anything about your family? Have I even said anything once? Have I ever rejected them when they came to me for help all these years?" Xia Wen questioned. Ѧd ?ͨl(㨰m) Tan Jing shook her head, but she still felt that Xia Wen was blaming her. There was nothing to discuss about this matter. Tan Jing just sat there quietly and cried. Xia Wen sighed and walked over to hug her. "You''re the daughter-in-law of the Xia family and Qiao Mei is also the daughter-in-law of the Xia family. What good will it do you to hurt her? Has she ever hurt you?" Tan Jing suddenly pushed him away and roared, "It''s because she''s pregnant! All of you care about her and have so much concern for her! Have all of you considered my feelings! That''s right we''re all daughters-in-law of the Xia family. Why are all of you so nice to her! Have I done anything wrong!" "My parents are old and they like children. They might not have paid attention to what they said and hurt you unknowingly, but has Qiao Mei ever harmed you? Why would you hurt someone who has never harmed you!" Xia Wen said with a frown. "I didn''t harm her I just wanted her to taste a little hardship This way, we''ll be the same I never thought of harming her" Tan Jing said as she cried. Xia Wen patted her back and did not say anything. Gradually, Tan Jing got tired of crying and fell asleep in Xia Wen''s arms. Qiao Mei settled the children and Li Gui in their rooms one by one and then brought the softest blanket to Qiao Qiang''s room. "Grandfather, you can sleep here first. I haven''t bought anything for the back part of the house yet. Let''s make a list of what we need tomorrow and then we can go shopping," Qiao Mei said with a smile. Qiao Qiang did not show any dissatisfaction with Xu Lan and had kept quiet to save the Xia family from embarrassment. Actually, there were also still many facets of the various relationships which Qiao Qiang did not know about, so it was not appropriate for him to flare up on the spot. He did not expect the Xia family to be not as nice as Qiao Mei said, and that there were also people with ulterior motives around. "Tell me, does Xia Wen''s wife treat you well?" Qiao Qiang said. Nothing could escape Qiao Qiang''s eyes. "Grandfather, she has a hard life too. Don''t take it to heart. I believe eldest brother will handle it well," Qiao Mei said comfortingly. Qiao Qiang did not think so. He was a good judge of character and he could tell that this person would do even more outrageous things sooner or later. If the Xia family did not punish her, then she would definitely become unscrupulous in the future, and might even commit murder and arson. He did not expect it to be chaotic in the capital as well. Everywhere they went, there were nasty people. It seemed that peaceful days were hard to come by! "You''re too kind-hearted. She bullies you to this extent and you still don''t take it to heart. When Xia Zhe comes back, I''m going to have a good talk with him. This brat''s family matters have caused you to suffer!" Qiao Qiang was so angry that he knocked the floor with his walking stick, almost lifting up the tiles on the ground. "Grandfather! This floor tile costs 30 cents apiece! Slow down!" Qiao Mei said as she looked at the floor tiles with heartache. Qiao Qiang looked at the heartless Qiao Mei and felt even angrier. It seemed that he had to settle this matter himself. This soft-hearted Qiao Mei would not be able to do anything. "Fine, fine, fine. I won''t knock it anymore. You should go in quickly. You''ve been running around all day and didn''t have much rest. Go to bed early," Qiao Qiang said. Qiao Mei agreed and silently closed the door before returning to her room. The furnishings looked the same as before. It appeared that Xia Wen had put in a lot of effort to do up the house. Chapter 802 - 802 Friendship Between Sisters-in-law 802 Friendship Between Sisters-in-law Back on the same bed after a long time away, she still felt a little different. She missed Xia Zhe very much. They had not contacted each other for a long time. The last time she spoke to him was when he first went back to the army unit. She had heard that he was going on a very dangerous mission this time. This mission was confidential and no information could be revealed. She had not received any news about Xia Zhe for a long time and wondered if he was doing well. Qiao Mei sighed deeply and thought that she should ask Xia Mao and the rest tomorrow if they had heard anything. Without the chickens and ducks at home making noise in the morning, everyone woke up much later than usual. Li Gui was the first to get up and she swept up the fallen leaves in the courtyard and cleaned the windows. After doing this, she did not wander around for fear of causing any trouble. Mom why are you up so early? Qiao Mei walked out of the house leisurely. Ive gotten used to it after so many years. Arent you going to sleep for a while more? Wheres the kitchen? Im thinking about making some breakfast, Li Gui asked carefully. Qiao Mei waved her hand and said, Mom, the entire courtyard house is ours. The front part belongs to Xia Zhe and the back part is the house we exchanged in return for my grandfathers ginseng. The whole place is ours and the kitchen is in the room on the left after the main door. Lets go out this morning to buy some groceries. Li Gui knew how valuable that ginseng was. Previously, Qiao Mei had told her that she wanted to use the money from selling the ginseng to buy a house. It was obvious that this courtyard house was worth a lot of money. Qiao Mei first went to look at Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao. The two children were sleeping soundly and did not need anyone to help them into the wheelchairs yet. She took the bamboo basket and wanted to go to the bun shop at the entrance of the alley to buy breakfast. As soon as she opened the door, she bumped into Xia He. What a coincidence. Where are you going? Xia He asked with a smile. Im going to buy breakfast. Have you eaten? Come in and eat with us, Qiao Mei said. Xia He lifted up the groceries that she was holding. There were two big bags full of meat and vegetables that were bought early in the morning. There were also all kinds of seasonings. It was Xu Lan who went out to buy all these. She even specially instructed Xia He not to say that she had just bought it. She asked Xia He to just say that they had bought too much groceries yesterday and wanted to share it with Qiao Mei. Lets go back in. I have brought so much groceries with me. These are all leftovers from yesterday. Mother asked me to send them over early in the morning. If I dont do it, shell argue with me! Xia He said resignedly. Li Gui took the groceries from Xia He and said, Ill go and cook. You guys chat and the food will be ready in a while. Youre Xia He, right? Stay for a meal. Sure! Thank you, Auntie! Xia He said with a smile. Xia He held Qiao Meis hand and sat down on the rocking chair. She looked like she wanted to gossip with Qiao Mei about what happened at home last night. Her room was only one wall away from Xia Wens room, so she heard everything even if she did not want to. However, Tan Jing really had gone overboard yesterday. If Xia Fang had not stopped her, she would have already taught Tan Jing a lesson on Qiao Meis behalf to vent her anger! Yesterday, Mother reprimanded eldest sister-in-law in the living room for a long time and even made her cry. Later on, Mother and Father had a meeting with eldest brother. After eldest brother returned to his room, the two of them quarreled again. It was really satisfying! Xia He said. Eldest brother already apologized to me last night. Im not taking anything to heart. I know how good he is to me, Qiao Mei said. Between both her sisters-in-law, Tan Jing and Qiao Mei, Xia He still preferred Qiao Mei. Tan Jing had married into the Xia family for so many years and never really got close to them. Qiao Mei had only joined them for half a year and was already well-liked by the entire family. Moreover, Qiao Mei had also helped her a lot with the matter of her divorce. Qiao Mei did not persuade her to bear with the situation like everyone else. Instead, Qiao Mei wanted her to live an exciting life for herself. So what if she lost her relationship with Tan Jing? Having Qiao Mei as her sister-in-law was enough. Its not easy for eldest brother either. Its good that you understand, Xia He said. Qiao Mei went into the house and brought out a plate of seeds. She gently placed it on the stone table and said, Dont worry, this matter will at most be a conflict between eldest sister-in-law and me. It has nothing to do with eldest brother and I also wont say anything to Xia Zhe. The relationship between the two brothers wont be ruined because of the issue between eldest sister-in-law and me. Chapter 803 Change "By the way, do you have any news about Xia Zhe? I haven''t heard from him in a long time and I''m a little worried about his safety," Qiao Mei asked. Xia He shook her head. She truly did not know anything about this matter. Although she and Xia Zhe were both soldiers, she was in the art troupe and did not know anything about Xia Zhe and the news on his end. "Xiao Zhe and I are from two different troops. I have no right to know about these things. You don''t have to worry. Father should know where Xia Zhe is, but he can''t tell the family too much. When Father was in the army, Mother also didn''t know what Father did every day. There was once when she had no news for more than two years, and Mother was so anxious that she almost went to Grandfather to demand for Father to be back. If he hadn''t returned soon after, she might have hung herself," Xia He said with a smile. This incident happened when Xia Zhe was only more than a year old. At that time, Xia Zhe was still too young to remember anything. Xia Jun and Xia Mao went out on expeditions all year round. There were only Xu Lan and Wu Min around to take care of the three young children. Furthermore, Wu Min had to take care of her other two sons as well. The house was always in a mess. That period of time was also the most difficult for everyone, but everyone turned out safe and sound and nothing major happened. "Alright, then I can only wait for news patiently," Qiao Mei said disappointedly. For some reason, now that she was getting on in her pregnancy, her longing for Xia Zhe became more and more intense. She used to be busy every day and did not have time to think about Xia Zhe at all. She would only think about him when she was about to go to bed. Nowadays, whenever she had some free time, she would miss him terribly. "Mother says that we will all have dinner at your place today. She says that she''ll prepare the dishes herself and will also ask the helper to come over," Xia He said. Qiao Mei quickly stood up to tidy up. This announcement was too sudden. pd-?ͨ.㨮 "There''s no reason for you to come to my place to eat and have to prepare the meal yourself. I''ll go buy more things now," Qiao Mei said. Xia He quickly pulled Qiao Mei back and said, "Wait! Just sit at home. This whole thing was arranged by grandfather. As if there''s anyone who can dissuade grandfather. You should just wait at home obediently. If you help with the work, then I''ll be in trouble." Qiao Mei had no choice but to listen to Xia He and sit down obediently. The grapevines had already withered during this season, leaving only a row of shelves behind and making the courtyard look very empty. "Do you have time recently? I want to go shopping and buy things for the house," Qiao Mei asked. "Sure, I don''t have much to do now. It''s quite relaxing and I only have programs at the end of the year. I just need to show my face once in a while. I can''t be bothered to go there because it''s so annoying," Xia He said with a frown. She really could not be bothered to deal with Yang Xin and the two Zhou sisters. One of them felt that she wanted to snatch the position of the principal dancer, while the other two felt that she was simply out to seduce men. In order to avoid trouble, it was better not to go to the art troupe. Anyway, there was a dance studio at home. It was freer to be by herself and she would not feel restrained. Xia He found it strange that ever since Qiao Mei faked the miscarriage, Xu Lan seemed to have become a different person. Usually, Xu Lan would not go to the dance studio to teach Xia He movements and techniques. Now, Xu Lan actually went to look in on Xia He often and pointed out many of her shortcomings. Xu Lan even wanted to help with the song arrangements, which really gave Xia He a shock. However, in essence, Xu Lan still had the same temperament. If Xia He did not do well and did not train properly, she would still be beaten up and punished. This side of Xu Lan had never changed. "Is there anything else that makes you unhappy? Tell me about it so that I can feel happy," Qiao Mei said as she looked at Xia He gloatingly. Xia He slapped Qiao Mei''s shoulder gently. Only Qiao Mei could joke with her like this. "I''m not unhappy. I''m waiting to become an aunt!" Xia He said as she looked tenderly at Qiao Mei''s stomach. It did not take long for Li Gui to prepare breakfast. She woke all the children up and went to ask Qiao Qiang to come over. Everyone ate in the courtyard and it was a very lively session. "It''s not very well made. Xia He, I hope you don''t mind," Li Gui said embarrassedly. "What are you talking about? It looks, smells and tastes good. I can''t be happier! I think Qiao Mei inherited her good culinary skills from Auntie," Xia He said. "Alright, hurry up and eat. If you continue to praise us, the food will get cold!" Qiao Mei said. Chapter 804 - 804 Checkup 804 Checkup Xia Fang arrived at Qiao Meis house when everyone finished eating. She brought along a metal box filled with the latest equipment from the hospital. It was the lightest type and most convenient for use during emergencies outside the hospital. Early in the morning, Xia Fang went to look for Liu Yang to approve the request. At first, Liu Yang had refused. After all, this set of equipment was very expensive. If it was damaged, he would not be able to pay for it with his life. However, when he heard that it was for Qiao Mei, he approved it without even looking at the form. When Xia Fang left, she told him that he had no principles. Liu Yang even boasted shamelessly that as long as it was a matter concerning Qiao Mei, it was not a problem for him to stake all his assets. Mei Mei, come into the room with me. I want you to do a checkup, Xia Fang said. !! Xia He helped Qiao Mei back into the room. Xia Fang carefully observed and measured Qiao Meis stomach before recording the data. Currently, they could only do a superficial checkup. For a proper checkup, she still needed to go to the hospital. Everything looks good now, but you have to find time to go to the hospital with me for a comprehensive checkup tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. Youve already missed the best timing to check if theres any abnormality, but its still not too late to take a look now. You have to take it seriously this time, Xia Fang said sternly. Qiao Mei was not worried about what Xia Fang said at all. In the original owner of the bodys memories, these two children were just a little malnourished. Everything else was normal and there were no problems. If she could successfully give birth in such a difficult place as the village, there would not be any problems in the capital. Moreover, she was eating so well now. The children could only be overnourished, not malnourished. However, she heard from the other women in the village that it was not a good thing to have children who were overnourished. If the babies grew too big, it could become difficult to deliver them. It was better to find time to go to the hospital for a comprehensive checkup. Alright, Ill listen to Aunt, Qiao Mei said obediently. Xia Fang pointed at the two little girls sitting in wheelchairs in the courtyard and asked, Whats wrong with them? Do they have inherent issues? Do you want to bring them to the hospital to take a look? Your Uncle Liu is very good at treating pediatric patients. Xia Fang liked little girls the most and had always dreamed of having a daughter. Therefore, she always felt an affinity with little girls from other families and could not bear to see the children suffer. Xia He and Xia Fang were not outsiders, so Qiao Mei told them about what happened in the village. The elder girl is Zhang Qin and the younger girl is Zhang Miao. Zhang Miao was kicked by her biological father and had a few broken ribs. She has already recovered, but she just needs to walk around more often for rehabilitation training. Zhang Qin was pushed down the mountain by my second uncles son. Fortunately, she only sprained her ankle and is fine, Qiao Mei said. The two of them widened their eyes in disbelief. They had never heard of such things happening. Even though there were many aristocratic families who fought both openly and secretly against the Xia family, no one had ever been injured badly. Thats not all. As you all know, my grandfather has a younger brother. We have a very deep feud with one another now. After I returned to the village, my eldest uncle ambushed my grandfather on the mountain and smashed a big hole in grandfathers head which needed many stitches. He even wanted to harm me. A big tree suddenly fell on my eldest uncles body and he had to amputate his legs, Qiao Mei said lightly. Xia He said in exasperation, This kind of person deserves it! Then how is Grandpa Qiao now? Does he need to get a checkup? Will he have a concussion? Did he go to the hospital for a checkup after the accident? When she was a young girl who was still learning how to speak, it was Qiao Qiang who brought her around to play. At that time, Xia Mao and Xia Jun were busy and Xu Lan also had performances nationally. Xia Wen had gone to summer camp, so she and Wu Min only had each other for company at home. At that time, Wu Mins health was getting worse by the day. Qiao Qiang would come by with a lot of delicious food and play with Xia He every day. Therefore, she liked Qiao Qiang very much and always remembered how nice he was to her. Hes fine now and almost fully recovered. He doesnt feel particularly uncomfortable anywhere. He had done a checkup at the county city. They said its nothing serious, Qiao Mei said. Xia Fang frowned and asked, Is there anything else? Has their family been punished? Thats not the end! Later on, in order to avenge my eldest uncle, my second uncle came to our house in the middle of the night to set fire, and he even poisoned all the chickens and ducks in the courtyard. Fortunately, I found out in time and knocked him out with a stick. After that, it was Zhang Qins turn to get injured, Qiao Mei said. Chapter 805 - 805 Pretending Not to See 805 Pretending Not to See Ever since Qiao Mei started talking about how Qiao Zhuangs family had tried to harm them, Xia He and Xia Fang had not relaxed their furrowed eyebrows. They did not expect to hear of such scary incidents in the countryside. Then what about now? Have they been punished? The more Xia He thought about it, the more worried she became. She said firmly, No, I have to talk to father and tell him to get them convicted! We cant let such people get away with it! Its alright. My second uncle has been sentenced to jail for 20 years. Also, unless their children leave that city, they wont be able to go to school for the rest of their lives, Qiao Mei said. Evildoers should be punished accordingly. However, Xia He felt that these people should be cut into pieces before her anger could be vented. If Qiao Mei had not discovered Qiao Gui that day, it was very likely that she would only be looking at the corpses of Qiao Mei and Qiao Qiang now. Dont worry. From now on, you have us to protect you in the capital, Xia Fang said. Qiao Mei went to Xia Fangs side and hugged her arm as she said, I just know that Aunt dotes on me the most~ Elder brother is already looking into the matter of you wanting to buy a house. You should get some news by this afternoon. Mother also helped out, Xia He said. Xia Fang looked at Xia He in shock before her expression quickly returned to normal. Back then, Wu Min did not discuss the matter of this house with anyone. In her will, she wrote that this house could only belong to Xia Zhe. Back then, Tan Jing had some opinions on this matter and had urged Xu Lan to fight for the ownership of this house. Xia Wen was also a son of the Xia family, so why should this house only belong to Xia Zhe? However, Xia Wen did not care about these things at all. Instead, he felt that they should respect Wu Mins last wish. However, Tan Jing repeatedly told Xu Lan that their small house was not big enough and that the surroundings were too noisy. She spoke about how good it would be to stay in the courtyard house. At that time, Xu Lan indeed had the intention to make the situation fairer for everyone. Xia Fang had always put a stop to this matter. She spent a lot of effort to protect the house for Xia Zhe. Without her, this house would no longer solely belong to Xia Zhe since long ago. She did not expect Xu Lan to be willing to help Qiao Mei find a house now. It was really rare. At first, Xu Lan was also very unwilling. She thought that Qiao Mei had brought Li Gui and so many other people to the capital so that they could occupy Xia Zhes courtyard house. When the children grew up and got married, they would all want a share of the house. She had not even lived in this courtyard house before, but Li Gui had beaten her to it. If not for the fact that she felt Li Gui was an easy person to get along with when they met on the first day, she would have told Qiao Mei about her thoughts long ago. Now that she knew Qiao Mei wanted to buy a new house, she felt even more uncomfortable. After all, Qiao Mei was the daughter-in-law of the Xia family. Buying a house was not a small matter and it was such a pity to spend so much money. However, on second thought, this money did not belong to her. Qiao Mei had earned it herself. As a mother-in-law, she had no right to get involved in this matter so long as Qiao Mei did not spend the Xia familys money. In the end, she just pretended not to know. Aunt, do you know of any nice houses nearby? Qiao Mei asked. You should ask your Grandpa Zhou about such matters. He lives here and definitely knows more about such things than us, Xia Fang said. Qiao Mei had also thought of asking Zhou Sheng for help, but she kept in mind that he was already so old and she really did not want him to spend time on her issues. It was better for her to look around herself. I havent had time to visit Grandpa Zhou after I come back. Ill go and see him in a few days, Qiao Mei said. While everyone was chatting, Xia Juns hearty laughter could be heard from outside the door. He was really in high spirits due to the recent joyous events. After knowing that Qiao Qiang had come to the capital, he ate more than usual in the morning and walked faster than before as well. Where is he! Is he still lazing around in the house! The main door was not closed and Xia Jun went straight into the courtyard to look for Qiao Qiang. Qiao Qiang walked out of the house and said, Chief, youre still the same as before. You havent changed a bit. Why are you calling me chief! Im already retired! Just call me by my name. Weve been brothers for so many years. If you call me chief, youre not treating me like a brother! Xia Jun said as he pretended to be annoyed. Chapter 806 Giving Oxygen Back then, Xia Jun''s combat ability was outstanding and his rank was much higher than Qiao Qiang''s. In the beginning, the two of them trained with their local troops before they joined the same army unit. During that time, Xia Jun had even been Qiao Qiang''s leader for a period of time! Qiao Qiang had always remembered how Xia Jun rendered help to him, so he had always called him "Chief". "Then you''re older than me. I''ll call you big brother then!" Qiao Qiang said with a smile. "Sure! I had something on yesterday and didn''t manage to pick you up. Hope you''re not angry with me over that?" Xia Jun asked. "I''m not angry. It''s good enough that you come to see me." Qiao Qiang quickly invited Xia Jun into the house to chat. They had not seen each other for so many years and there was so much to talk about. The two brothers wanted to catch up properly. Not long after, Xu Lan arrived at Qiao Mei''s place with Xia Wen. There were also many people behind her, each of them carrying many things of various sizes. Qiao Mei did not find these things very valuable. After all, with the Xia family''s status, they did not lack food stamps and meat coupons at all. Moreover, they also had their own supply of seasonal vegetables which they could have whenever they wanted. "Xia He! Your sister-in-law is pregnant! Hurry up and get up so that Qiao Mei can sit down!" As soon as Xu Lan entered the courtyard, she saw Xia He lying comfortably on the recliner in the courtyard while Qiao Mei stood at the side. Qiao Mei quickly explained, "Don''t blame elder sister. If I sit for too long, my waist will hurt, so I just want to stand for a while." Only then did Xu Lan''s expression look better. For Qiao Mei''s sake, she decided not to berate Xia He. "Eldest brother, why isn''t eldest sister-in-law here?" Qiao Mei asked. At the mention of Tan Jing, Xu Lan''s face instantly fell. She had informed everyone of the family gathering today, but Tan Jing''s family suddenly called and asked her to go back home. They said that it was an urgent matter. Even though Xu Lan looked very unhappy, Tan Jing still went home on her own. There was nothing that Xia Wen could say. After all, he could not stop her if the Tan family called and asked for her. It was already good enough that they did not ask him to go back with her. "She has something on today and can''t come. There''s always a next time," Xia Wen said. Qiao Mei did not really care about this matter at all. It always felt awkward whenever they met, so it was actually better that she was not around. Everyone sat in the courtyard and chatted happily. They told Qiao Mei about all the things to take note of in the late stages of pregnancy, as well to prepare herself mentally for childbirth and also what she should have on hand. Xia He had never given birth before, but one did not have to go through something to know about it. She knew many people who had given birth before. In addition, Old Madam Kong always nagged at her, so she naturally amassed a great deal of knowledge after hearing so much. "I still remember that when I gave birth to Xia Zhe, I almost lost my life! At that time, it was your aunt who delivered the baby for me!" Xu Lan said. "That''s right. At that time, my eldest brother was so frightened that he almost cried and knelt down to pray. That was the first time I saw my eldest brother so scared!" The memory was still fresh in Xia Fang''s mind. "How did this happen?" Qiao Mei asked fearfully. At that time, Xu Lan was already unconscious and only Xia Fang knew all the details. Xia Fang said slowly, "At that time, eldest sister-in-law had to perform everywhere. Even though she was pregnant, she still had to go on tour all over the country with the art troupe while in the late stage of her pregnancy. She had to be in charge of supervising the reviews. Later on, all of us advised eldest sister-in-law not to tire herself out, but she did not listen. It was only when eldest sister-in-law was seven months pregnant that she really could not take it anymore and rested at home." After giving birth to Xia He, Xu Lan''s body had become weaker and she was no longer as strong as before. From time to time, she would feel dizzy. In addition, she often went to the art troupe to monitor their progress during her confinement period, so she did not recover properly. By the time she was pregnant with Xia Zhe, she already felt obvious discomfort. However, for the sake of her career, she still chose to continue working. By the time she was seven months pregnant, she could not move around anymore. She had to be given oxygen at home and had to have someone take care of her daily living. She was already very thin and weak because she worked too hard. Coupled with the fact that she could not manage to eat at the later stage of the pregnancy, she lost a lot of weight. It was Xia Zhe''s good fortune that he was born. He was a premature baby and Xu Lan would probably have died if she waited until full term. Fortunately, the Xia family was very open-minded. To save Xu Lan, they would have chosen to give up Xia Zhe. Chapter 807 - 807 Preferring Boys Over Girls 807 Preferring Boys Over Girls There were many families in Foshan Village who chose to save the children and not their mothers. Some people were even worse. No matter how hard and tiring it was for a pregnant mother, she still had to take care of the entire familys daily needs and also to work in the fields. Otherwise, she would get beaten and scolded. These people had the idea that as long as the child was fine, nothing else was important. Hearing this, Li Gui became quite emotional. It was still fine when she was pregnant with Qiao Mei and she did not suffer. However, giving birth to the four children in the Zhang family weakened her a lot. These children were two years apart in age from one another. Basically, for eight years, she went through a non-stop cycle of confinement, pregnancy and giving birth. Actually, she did not even go through confinement. Once she gave birth, she had to do housework, including using cold water when washing up. She had many illnesses which arose from that time. Xia Zhe is very healthy now. He doesnt look like he was born prematurely, Qiao Mei said. Generally speaking, premature babies were very fragile and needed to be looked after with care. Some children were also very weak and sickly from birth. It would actually be more accurate to say that based on health conditions, Xia Wen looked more like a premature baby than Xia Zhe. It was said that in winter, Xia Wen would have a persistent cough. Sometimes, it would get so bad that he would cough up blood. This was a common occurrence. At that time, under the care of Xia Zhes grandmother, Xia Zhe recovered very quickly. Ever since he was young, Xia Zhe had his diet strictly controlled. The fact is that Xia Zhe had chosen a great time to be born. At that time, the Xia family had started to prosper and did not lack food or clothes. The ones who suffered the most were Xia Wen and Xia He, Xu Lan said. Xia He quickly shook her hands and said, You can say that my eldest brother has a hard life. I dont have a hard life! I grew up getting fed by everyone. Our Xia family is no longer living those tough days from before. When my eldest grandsons are born, they will definitely live a good life and can have whatever they want! We definitely wont treat them badly! Xu Lan said as she looked at Qiao Meis stomach with a smile. At this moment, Li Gui frowned slightly. Could it be that Xu Lan favored boys over girls? Ever since she came to the capital, she kept hearing Xu Lan speak about her eldest grandsons and had never heard her talking about a granddaughter. Did that mean that if Qiao Mei did not give birth to a boy, the Xia family would despise her? When she gave birth to Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao in the Zhang family, no one in the family was happy and they kept cursing her. Qiao Mei could tell that Li Gui was worried. She looked at Xu Lan playfully and asked, Mother, what if its two granddaughters? Then theyll enjoy life even more. The boys in our family have the lowest status. When we were young, Xia Zhe and I suffered a lot. Whatever good stuff is given to Xia He first. We dont have the right to use it at all, Xia Wen said as he walked out of the house. Xu Lan nodded and said, I just feel that girls are precious and there are many things to worry about. They should be cherished and protected carefully. Its different for boys. I just need to send them directly to your father and ask him to watch over their training. Just hand them over to the army and let them serve the country. Boys have thick skin and dont need to be raised too preciously. When Li Gui heard this, she felt much better. It seemed that the Xia family was really nice to Qiao Mei and did not hold any prejudice against her. Qiao Meis life was much better than her own and she felt at ease seeing Qiao Mei happy. Xia Wen called everyone to gather for the meal. At first, Li Gui and the others stood at the side uneasily, not knowing where to sit. In the past, whenever there was a banquet, Li Gui and her two daughters were not allowed to sit at the table and could only eat leftovers in the kitchen. Come and sit down, in-law! Sit beside me so that we can have a nice chat! Xu Lan smiled and pulled Li Gui to sit down. The four children sat with Qiao Mei and the entire family finished their meal while chatting and laughing. Xia Jun and Xia Mao left first because they had to go back to the army unit. Xia Fang also returned to the hospital to prepare for a surgery that night. Mei Mei, theres some news regarding the house you want to buy. There are four houses nearby. Do you want to take a look? Xia Wen said. Qiao Mei looked at Xia Wen in surprise. She did not expect Xia Wen to get back to her so quickly. She had thought that it would take at least a week or two to find some options. It looked that she had still underestimated the Xia familys capability. Have you contacted the owners? Can we go today? Qiao Mei asked. Xia Wen took out the information he had prepared. It stated the condition of each house and how far they were from Qiao Meis courtyard house. One of the houses was located along the alley at the back door of the courtyard house and was very close to Qiao Meis house. Chapter 808 Choosing A House Qiao Mei nodded in satisfaction. The prices and locations of these houses looked alright. If the houses were in good condition, she would buy all of them and keep them for her children so that they could each get a house when they grew up. "Eldest brother, it''s such a pity that you''re not a detective!" Qiao Mei said as she looked at the information. She did not expect Xu Lan and Xia He to laugh out loud at such an ordinary sentence. Even Xia Wen could not help but smile. Qiao Mei looked at them in confusion and asked, "Why? Did I say something wrong?" "Back then, eldest brother was a scout in the army and he was the best scout!" Xia He held her stomach and laughed loudly, not caring about her image at all. "This means that I have a good eye for people and I have good judgment!" Qiao Mei said stubbornly. No one had anything to say in rebuttal. After all, Qiao Mei had taken a fancy to Xia Zhe at first sight. In the beginning, Xia Zhe had still struggled to disagree! Thinking of the situation back then, Qiao Mei could not help but blush. It was a good thing that only the two of them knew about this. If more people found out, it would be so embarrassing. "Then let''s go and take a look," Xia Wen said. Xu Lan did not intend to join in the fun. She still had to go to the art troupe. She had not gone there to check out the arrangements during this period of time and did not know how things were going. Qiao Qiang stayed at home to spend time with the four children while the other four people walked over to look at the houses. The first house was only two streets away from Qiao Mei. It was neither too close nor too far. As soon as she pushed open the door, she could feel that the courtyard was covered in dust. It looked like it had not been lived in for a long time. The courtyard was about the same size as Qiao Mei''s and the place was maintained quite well. It would be habitable once it was cleaned up. "How much is this one?" Qiao Mei asked. "The owner of this house told me that the minimum price is 30,000 dollars," Xia Wen said. An amount of 30,000 dollars! Li Gui''s eyes widened. This house looked about the same size as her house in the village, but it actually cost so much money. She did not even use so much money when she built her house back then. "30,000 dollars is a little expensive, but this house is quite well-kept. I''ll think about it." Before Qiao Mei left, she took a few more glances and memorized how the house looked. The other two houses nearby were in shambles and there was also a lot of trash inside. Qiao Mei did not even want to consider these two at all. Finally, she arrived at the last house, the one along the street outside the back door of Qiao Mei''s back part of the courtyard house. The location of this house was not very good. The corner of the street opposite was where everyone stored their trash. Although there was not much smell at the moment, no one knew what it would be like during the heat of summer. When they entered the courtyard, they found a part of it still occupied by household waste. There was also still a lot of furniture in the house. Although the style of the building was old-fashioned, it was maintained quite well. The original owner of the house must have cherished these things very much. This house was not as big as the previous three houses with just six rooms. The front yard was quite standard and there was still some land in the backyard that could be used for planting. "Eldest brother, how much is this house? Are the property rights to the house straightforward?" Qiao Mei asked. "In the past, many people lived here. The owner had rented it out. Later on, when there was a check on non-local household registers, all these people could not produce their identification documents and the owner chased them away out of fear of inviting trouble. The house was left vacant after that. The property rights should clearly be with the owner and have nothing to do with the people who rented the house. The owner says that he wants 10,000 dollars and that he will bring all the furniture in the house with him, so he''ll only leave an empty house for us," Xia Wen said as he looked at the information in his hand. As long as the property rights were clear, it would not be too troublesome. This way, it would be easier for them to complete the sale and purchase. As for the furniture, they could always buy their own. Qiao Mei held Li Gui''s hand and asked, "Which of these four do you prefer?" After all, she was buying a house for Li Gui. Even if it would be under Qiao Mei''s name, they would still need to go along with Li Gui''s preference. "Are there only these few?" Li Gui asked softly. This surprised Qiao Mei. None of these houses were satisfactory? "You don''t like any of them? If you don''t like anything around here, we can still look at those further away. It''s fine," Qiao Mei said. Li Gui quickly waved her hands and explained, "No! I just think it''s too expensive" Chapter 809 Lunatic "It''s fine, I actually intend to buy all four! Just tell me which one you like." Qiao Mei patted Li Gui''s shoulder to reassure her. After thinking about it, Li Gui still felt that the last house was better. It was close to Qiao Mei''s house and six rooms were definitely enough for her and the four children to live in. It would even be enough when the children got married in the future. "Then let''s get this one. I''ll pay you rent every month. Take it that I''m renting it from you," Li Gui said. Xia He and Xia Wen had thought that Qiao Mei was buying a house for Li Gui. Seeing Li Gui''s attitude, they had a much better impression of her. They did not know if their family was cursed when it came to relationships. Xia He''s mother-in-law and Xia Wen''s mother-in-law were both not easy to get along with. Before they met Li Gui, they were already worried that Li Gui would be an arrogant and domineering person. After all, Qiao Mei was raised by Qiao Qiang and Li Gui did not participate in Qiao Mei''s upbringing at all. It was all thanks to Qiao Qiang that Qiao Mei was brought up so well. Therefore, they were not able to judge Li Gui''s character. It appeared that Li Gui was much better than most of the other people they knew. Xia He was also especially fond of her. Perhaps it was because she felt like she had met her own kind. After all, there were still very few divorced women in this era. Qiao Mei had told Li Gui about this matter on the train, worried that Li Gui would talk too freely and touch on topics that Xia He found sensitive, like asking questions about her marriage and having children. The Xia family knew everything about Qiao Mei''s family. Every once in a while, they would send someone to check on Qiao Mei and see if she needed any help. "Eldest brother, I want this house and the first house we saw. The sooner we sign the contracts, the better," Qiao Mei said. Xia Wen had already drawn up the contracts. As long as the owners agreed, they could sign immediately. The property rights to these two houses were very clear and the sale and purchase process would be simple. Ever since Qiao Mei married into their family, they had become more particular about matters of the law. Their family now had a specialized legal consultant who would handle any important matter, like drafting of contracts and agreements. They just needed to check if there were any mistakes in the most basic details. Qiao Mei would always find time to impart more knowledge about the law to them. Under her influence, everyone started to become keen in learning. "We can do it tomorrow. I''ll contact the owners when I go back later and ask them to prepare the relevant documents and sign the contracts with us tomorrow," Xia Wen said. Qiao Mei nodded. She did not have much money on hand. The limited edition denominations that He Ning had given her back then were now stored in the bank. She had to quickly call He Ning to ask for money. There was no telephone line nearby and there was no way to install a phone at home. If she wanted to make a call, she had to go to the public phone at the entrance of the alley. The capital was not like the village where one could install a phone at will. The procedures in the capital were much more complicated than those in Foshan Village. She could only think about this matter in the future. Qiao Mei went to the public phone booth and dialed He Ning''s phone number. When the call got through, she said, "Give me 400,000 dollars." He Ning simply hung up the phone with a puzzled expression on his face. He did not even ask who the other party was. "Who called? Why did you hang up?" Huo Gao asked as he sat at the side. "I don''t know. It must be a lunatic. The moment she spoke, she asked me for 400,000 dollars. In this day and age, everyone must be really crazy about money. A scammer can even ring me up," He Ning said as he shook his head helplessly. Qiao Mei looked at the phone receiver in shock. He Ning actually hung up on her in order not to give her money! Was He Ning trying to go back on his word! My 1.28 million dollars could not disappear just like that! Qiao Mei angrily dialed He Ning''s phone number again. This time, she did not quote the amount immediately. Instead, she chose to identify herself first. "I''m Qiao Mei. Can you give me 400,000 dollars tomorrow? Give me a portion first," Qiao Mei said angrily. After He Ning heard this, he realized that the lunatic just now was actually Qiao Mei. "400,000 dollars is too much. I don''t have that much money. I only have 150,000 dollars now," He Ning said. "Are you lying to me? Before I came to the capital, you told me that you had already raised half the amount of money. Now you''re telling me that you don''t have the money?" Qiao Mei asked. He Ning was speechless for a moment. He just wanted to find an excuse to eat at Qiao Mei''s house a few more times. If he gave her less money each time, he would be able to make more trips to her house. Then he could at least get free food a few times. Chapter 810 Choosing A Room "Why would I lie to you? I can only raise 150,000 dollars now. I''m not lying to you," He Ning said calmly. Qiao Mei was skeptical. However, He Ning had spent a lot of money to save He Wei and He Li, and also given Zhou Hua a big sum of money earlier. He had also paid up when he bought her ginsengs previously. In total, he had spent more than 500,000 dollars. In this era, there were not many families who could fork out so much money. In any case, 150,000 dollars was definitely enough to buy the houses and furniture. She would let He Ning pay her back slowly. It was not as if she did not charge interest. "Alright, get someone to send the money to me tonight." Qiao Mei hung up after saying that. Qiao Mei guessed that even if she asked He Ning to send someone over, he would definitely be the one to deliver the money personally in the end. After all, he would not miss out on any chance to ask for free food. However, contrary to what Qiao Mei had guessed, He Ning did not make the trip personally. Instead, he asked Huo Gao to hand the money to Qiao Mei. Huo Gao was also deeply curious about why he did that and felt that it was not in line with He Ning''s usual style. He Ning said enigmatically, "This is called making the enemy let down their guard." He knew very well that if he still shamelessly went to Qiao Mei''s place to freeload on food and drinks, there would not be a next time. The next day, Xia Wen brought the owners of the two houses to Qiao Mei''s place early in the morning. The procedures were completed very quickly and the process was very smooth. At this time, there was no rule on how many houses a person could buy. As long as one had money, one could buy as many houses as one wanted. No one suspected anything. After all, the Xia family was a prominent and well-to-done family and it was not a strange thing for them to be able to fork out 40,000 dollars. Moreover, they did not explain why they suddenly wanted to buy the houses. Perhaps it was to give one to each of the three children in the family? The next step was to renovate the houses. Qiao Mei hired someone to help clean up the house and sell the unusable furniture, as well as to repair the damaged parts in the houses. These two houses had been in disrepair for a long time. Xia Wen found a professional painter to repaint them and the houses looked much brighter after that. The furniture was all ready-made ones bought at the mall. He did not know what Li Gui liked so he bought them according to Qiao Mei''s preferences. Qiao Mei''s pregnant stomach was getting too big for her to move around. Xia He was the one who kept an eye on the renovation and clearance works done by the professionals. It took three full days for them to finish cleaning up. Li Gui and the four children moved to the new house happily. The distance between this house and Qiao Mei''s house was the same as when they were in the village. They now knew they had to avoid arousing suspicion. Recently, there had been quite a lot of gossip in the alley and they had all heard some of it. Although they liked living with Qiao Mei, they still had to keep a distance from her. "Which room do you like?" Qiao Mei stood in the courtyard and asked the four children. Zhang Miao sat in the wheelchair and looked at Qiao Mei in confusion. "Elder sister, don''t we live together?" When they were in the village, they had always slept on the same brick bed as Li Gui and had never been separated. Moreover, they were not allowed to like or dislike anything. They could only use whatever they were given and could not ask for anything they did not have. "You''re all getting older and should have your own space. Everyone gets their own room. The two rooms on the left belong to Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao, and the two rooms on the right belong to Zhang Miao and Zhang Qin. You can stay in whichever room you like. Everything inside is the same," Qiao Mei said with a smile. Zhang Miao was a little disappointed. That meant she could not sleep with Zhang Qin anymore. She had never slept separately from Zhang Qin in her life. However, Zhang Wei was very happy. He yearned to have his own space. This was the difference in mentality between the older and younger children. The children all returned to their respective rooms to sort out their things. Each room had a huge bookcase, a table with a matching chair, a big closet and a double bed. They could add their own things in the future. "Mei Mei, I''ll definitely pay you rent for this house. I''ll give you 100 dollars a month, is that alright? When I have more money in the future, I''ll give you more," Li Gui said to Qiao Mei. They had just arrived in the capital and did not know the local prices at all. Moreover, Li Gui had not found a suitable job yet. Back in the village, the four children could go up the mountains to pick wild vegetables to help subsidize the family''s expenses. Now that they were in a place with busy traffic and with the children still so young, she did not dare to let them go out alone. Chapter 811 Good Idea "It''s fine. You can pay me when you have money. Mom, have you thought about your plans for the future?" Qiao Mei asked. When Li Gui was still in the village, she had already started to think about the kind of work she could do after going to the capital. She did not have any special skills and only knew how to farm and do manual labor. She did not know anything else. If there was really no other way, she could collect recyclables to sell first. At the very least, this could subsidize her family''s expenses. "I''m sure I can find work. I''m strong and there will definitely be people who want to hire me. Don''t worry," Li Gui said casually. She did not want Qiao Mei to worry, nor did she want Qiao Mei to ask the Xia family for help. She had already caused Qiao Mei enough trouble by coming to the capital. She wanted to prove that she could continue living well on her own. "Mom, do you think we can sell the seeds we grow in the village?" Qiao Mei said. Li Gui was also thinking about the same thing. If not for the fact that she had to come and take care of Qiao Mei, and also needed to stay away from Qiao Zhuang''s family and their malicious schemes, she would definitely stay in the village and plant the seeds diligently. "Of course we can. Those seeds originally came from the capital! I noticed that there''s some land in the backyard, so I''m thinking about planting some here. Even if there''s no place to sell them, it''s good to have some to eat at home," Li Gui said as she brought Qiao Mei into the living room. The land in the backyard was definitely not as big as what they had in the village. The entire backyard could probably only produce 300 pounds of seeds. When they sold the seeds for one dollar a pound in the village, it was a special deal cut by Qiao Mei. Under normal circumstances, 300 pounds of seeds could at most make 40 dollars after deducting the cost, which was not even enough for one month''s expenses in the capital At the thought of this, Li Gui sighed helplessly. However, Qiao Mei looked at Li Gui with satisfaction. She had wanted to do this business since she came to the capital, but she had not thought about where she could do it. She had intended to rent an empty plot of land in the suburbs and grow the seeds in large quantities. However, to do that, she needed to take her time to find that right place and could not be too hasty. It was very good that Li Gui had such ideas. After being by her side for so long, Li Gui had become bolder and even knew how to think of ways to do business. "Then where do you want to sell it?" Qiao Mei continued to ask. Li Gui had not thought of this yet. When she was moving things with Xia He these few days, she saw someone selling corn and tea eggs outside the shops at the entrance of the alley. She wondered if it was the shop''s own business. When she lived in the county city, she knew that every small alley would have one or two people setting up stalls. These people would sell things that they made. No one in the county city cared about these things. As long as no one reported it and no one gathered around to cause trouble, people would not deliberately make it hard for others to make money. "I I don''t know. The capital is different from where we come from. I haven''t thought about it yet." Li Gui lowered her head in embarrassment. She was actually afraid of causing trouble for Qiao Mei. The capital was such a big place and she was sure that people were definitely not allowed to set up stalls at will. If she brought the seeds around with her and tried to sell on the go, she probably would not be able to make any sale. Besides, she could not simply carry all the seeds on her back. She had to continue to think of other ways. If she was discovered and arrested, she would be sent to the police station and the Xia family would have to come and help her. This would really be embarrassing for Qiao Mei. People were not allowed to do private business now, so it would not be not a small matter if she was arrested. "I''ll ask about this. Don''t worry," Qiao Mei said. Based on her memories from her other life, the economy would open up this year and the commoners could start their own small business. There would not be any issues. However, Li Gui''s worries were not unreasonable. Although Qiao Mei had a lot of money, money was not omnipotent. In some cases, it was more important to have reliable people around. After the two of them were done with their discussion, Li Gui took the food stamps and meat coupons that Qiao Mei had given her and wanted to go to the nearby market to buy vegetables. She intended to cook up a feast tonight to celebrate their move to their new home. Li Gui had even invited Xia Wen and Xia He to come by so that everyone could have a good time together. "Qiao Mei! Come quickly!" Xia He had reached Li Gui''s house with a big bag of things and she was finding it difficult to enter. Qiao Mei looked at Xia He in shock and said, "Are you moving in? Why did you bring so many things? Didn''t eldest brother come with you?" Qiao Mei quickly walked forward. Xia He placed the bag on the ground and wiped the sweat off her forehead. She pointed at Xia Wen in the distance with a gloating expression. "Over there!" Xia He laughed loudly at how miserable Xia Wen looked. At this moment, Xia Wen was carrying one burlap bag over his shoulder and dragging another one behind him. He looked very miserable and every step he took seemed especially difficult. It would not be an exaggeration to say that he looked like a refugee. Chapter 812 Medicinal Wine "Are you my biological sister or not!" Xia Wen said helplessly as he slumped at the door. "What''s in all these bags?" Qiao Mei asked curiously. Xia He opened the bags excitedly. There were many old clothes that the three of them had worn when they were young and which were still in very good condition. Xu Lan had wanted to buy new clothes for the four children, but she was worried that it would appear too pretentious and Li Gui would be too embarrassed to accept the gift. Therefore she only bought a few new pieces and then stuffed all the old clothes in as well. "Mother wants to give these to the children and she insists that I bring them over. It has been such a difficult journey," Xia He said. Xia Wen sat on the ground and patted the bag beside him. "These are the textbooks which the schools in the capital are using at the moment. The children can''t go to school immediately and have to learn at home. We can enroll them during springtime. When I have time, I''ll come and teach them using these textbooks." The pace of teaching in the county city was worlds apart from that in the capital. Zhang Wei was in the fifth grade of the elementary school in the village, but he would barely be able to keep up in the third grade in the capital. Zhang Wei and the others would also be a little older than the other students in their respective classes when they went to school. Qiao Mei wondered if they would be ostracized and hoped that they would be able to adapt to life here. "Thank you, eldest brother and elder sister. Just put these things aside and let the children choose for themselves. My mother has gone to buy groceries and will be back soon." Qiao Mei invited Xia He and Xia Wen into the house. They had not had time to buy furniture for the courtyard yet. "I see you''ve cleaned up this house very well these past few days. It''s completely different from how it looked when we first saw it," Xia Wen said as he looked around. Xia He straightened up and said to Xia Wen, "Of course! I''m the one who cleaned up everything in this house!" Qiao Mei took out three small bottles from the room. She handed two to Xia He and the last one to Xia Wen. The liquid in the small bottles emitted a dark green light and looked similar to pesticide, but it was actually wondrous medication. "This bottle is for mother. Please help me bring it back to her later. This is the medicinal wine I made with 100-year-old ginseng. It''s very nutritious. We all have a bottle each," Qiao Mei said. Xia Wen looked at the small bottle suspiciously. Although he had never seen medicinal wine made with ginseng, this dark green liquid did not look like anything nice. Could it be that it had gone bad during the process? It might even have mutated! "Qiao Mei can we really drink this Why don''t we ask Aunt''s cousin? He''s very good with Chinese medicine," Xia Wen said with a frown. Without saying another word, Qiao Mei put two drops into the water and poured it out into two small teacups for Xia Wen and Xia He to try. With just two drops, they could smell the fragrance of the water. This was the first time they had encountered water that smelt like that. Qiao Mei only put two drops, but it already made the water so clear. After drinking it, they immediately felt refreshed. The soreness in Xia He''s shoulders from carrying the things just now instantly felt much better, and Xia Wen''s headache also eased a lot. "This is really effective! It''s so magical!" Xia He looked at the small bottle in her hand in shock. "You can''t take too much. After all, it''s very nourishing. If you have a headache or a fever, you''ll feel much better after putting one drop into your drinking water. If your life is in danger, you can drink it directly," Qiao Mei instructed. After all, this was the essence extracted from the 1,000-year-old ginseng. If a normal healthy person drank it all at once, it would probably be so nutritious that the person would bleed from all seven orifices. Actually, she had prepared a big bottle for Xia Zhe because she was worried that Xia Zhe would get injured in the army. She could only wait and see if she could ask Xia Mao to give it to him. "Eldest brother, why isn''t eldest sister-in-law here?" Qiao Mei asked curiously. Xia Wen looked troubled. Over the past few days, the Tan family members had been coming over to his place non-stop. They did not stay for dinner and would just chat in the house. When they saw him come home, they would leave in a hurry with strange expressions on their faces. If Tan Jing did not say anything, he would not ask too many questions. After all, this was the Tan family''s own matters and it was better to avoid unnecessary trouble. If there were any matters that Tan Jing could not handle, someone from the Tan family would naturally come looking for him. Most of the time, it was either about money or asking the Xia family to recommend jobs to the Tan brothers. Tan Jing was the eldest daughter of the Tan family and she had three younger brothers and a younger sister. These four people were all living off the two elders of the Tan family. If not for the two elders who had rented out their land and collected rent every year, the entire family would have starved to death. Chapter 813 Learning To Cook Tan Jing''s father, Tan Bai, was born in an official''s family in the city. Later in his life, he had been sent to a village by his superiors to gain work experience. He met Jiang Yi in the village and fell deeply in love with her. Soon, he married Jiang Yi and chose to stay in the village. In the beginning, life was very difficult. When Tan Jing was 14 years old and wanted to continue with her studies, Tan Bo and Jiang Yi had stopped her from doing so. They wanted her to go to the county city to work, so that she could contribute to the family''s income and take care of her younger siblings. Tan Jing had to go to work and she studied part-time before she managed to enter the university. Before she got married, she had suffered a lot. "Something has cropped up in the Tan family recently and she has to stay at home to take care of her parents, so she won''t be able to come to your place these two days. We can arrange to meet after this matter is settled," Xia Wen said politely. Qiao Mei did not ask further. These were all Xia Wen''s family matters. If Xia Wen needed help, he would tell her himself. Li Gui bought a lot of groceries and walked around the market for a long time. She asked around at all the shops about the prices of all kinds of groceries so that she had an idea about the differences in prices in the future. The things in the capital were twice as expensive as those in the village. A bit of vegetables already cost 20 dollars, and she had not even bought meat yet. All in all, she spent more than 50 dollars. When the meal was ready, Xia He pulled Qiao Mei aside and asked, "Do you secretly put some special seasoning in the food you make? Why is it that although your mother makes the same dishes as you, the ones you make seem to taste better?" "It''s a secret!" Qiao Mei said with a smile. Xia He grabbed Qiao Mei''s arm and said, "Just tell me. I''ve been learning how to cook recently." Qiao Mei looked at Xia He in shock. She did not expect that a person who did not even go into the kitchen previously had already started to get acquainted with the kitchen. Could it be that she had met someone she liked? "This doesn''t seem like your style. I thought you would never go into the kitchen?" Qiao Mei asked. "It''s all because I want to live alone. To tell you the truth, I''ve been thinking about your advice to buy my own house. If I save up over five to six years, I think I will be able to buy a house of my own. After all, a rented place is still not my own home. It''s too expensive for me to go to restaurants every day. If I want to save money, I have to cook my own meals," Xia He said. In five to six years'' time, house prices would already have increased. At that time, it would not be a good time to buy a house anymore. However, Qiao Mei could not just suddenly offer to lend Xia He money to buy a house. "That''s quite good. It seems that you''ve really made up your mind and won''t turn back," Qiao Mei said. Turn back? There is no turning back. That situation was really an abyss! If she still lived with Kong Lu, then she would really be making life difficult for herself. The Kong family''s place was the real living hell, so it was better to stay as far away from them as possible. If she could become the principal performer of the capital''s art troupe, she would be able to earn more than 180 dollars a month. She would also get an additional bonus for every performance. In addition, Kong Lu would be returning her 8,000 dollars, so she would definitely be able to buy a house within five years. However, Xia He was used to being extravagant and could not control her spending at all. When she needed something, she still tended to get the best things. She would still need to plan properly if she wanted to save money. "Come, come, come! Let''s eat!" Li Gui said as she brought in the last bowl of soup. There were a total of 7 dishes and 1 soup served at this sumptuous meal. In the past, back in the village, the family had to rely on Qiao Mei''s help to be able to have a meal which included meat and vegetables. Now, Li Gui did not feel any heartache about eating pork ribs and braised pork at all. This was the first time the children saw Li Gui being so generous. After everyone had their fill, they went home one after another. Xia Wen had drunk some liquor and could not drive, so he called one of Xia Mao''s guards to come and send him home. As he walked down the corridor of the old low-rise apartment building, he could hear different voices coming from inside every house. Some were arguing and some were laughing. When he reached his door, he could not hear anything. Xia Wen thought that all the relatives from the Tan family had left. However, as soon as he pushed open the door, he saw his three brothers-in-law and sister-in-law, with their families, sitting at the dining table and waiting to eat. Tan Jing was the only one busy in the kitchen. Tan Bo and Jiang Yi had already started eating. "You are all here," Xia Wen said. Everyone had strange expressions on their faces. Tan Jing was so shocked that her face turned pale and she said in a trembling voice, "Um oh you''re back Didn''t you say that you won''t be home for dinner tonight? Why are you back at this time?" Chapter 814 Local Pork Xia Wen looked at everyone expressionlessly and said, "Am I back at the wrong time?" "How would we dare to say that? Come in quickly," Xu Xiang, the Tan family''s eldest daughter-in-law, said obsequiously. This person was their Tan family''s God of Fortune. If they made Xia Wen angry, their entire family would not have any money in the future. Tan Jing was of no help to them. All these years, Tan Jing had always dragged her feet when they came to ask her for help. In the end, they found it most efficient to look for Xia Wen. In the beginning, the Tan family did not go overboard. They knew that they should talk to Tan Jing first and ask her to raise the issues with Xia Wen. After all, in the first few years of their marriage, Xia Wen doted on Tan Jing very much. As long as Tan Jing wanted something, Xia Wen would try his best to help her. The Tan family took advantage of this and kept asking the Xia family to help make things easier for them. They either wanted help with finding jobs or getting preferential treatment with the authorities. However, the Tan family''s three sons were all people with grandiose aims but puny abilities. Even when Xia Wen found them the easiest jobs, none of them were willing to take it up. They even said that Xia Wen did not put in any effort to help them, that other sons-in-law could find jobs for their younger brothers-in-law that paid more than 100 dollars a month but Xia Wen found them jobs that were tiring and tough and only paid 70 dollars a month. In this era, it was already a lot to be paid 70 dollars a month. As a university professor, Xia Wen''s pay was only 80 dollars a month. Xia Wen did not stand on ceremony and sat down at the dining table. He picked up the chopsticks beside him and started eating. He was sure that Tan Jing definitely did not buy the meat herself. She usually could not bear to spend the money on meat and would always go to get some from the Xia family''s house. Some time ago, Qiao Mei sent them a lot of meat from the countryside. At that time, Xu Lan had asked him to get rid of the meat. She said that pigs in the countryside were all sickly and had not been through proper treatment. Currently, people were not allowed to sell pork from pigs that they raised themselves. The authorities were concerned about the pigs not being vaccinated properly and that the viruses from the pigs might spread to humans. Xu Lan was especially particular about this. Although she liked Qiao Mei very much, she would never be able to enjoy the pork that Qiao Mei sent over. Xia Wen was so busy that he forgot to deal with it and had stuffed it into the freezer at home. Jiang Yi must have found the meat when she looked into the fridge today. "This pork is really delicious. Mother, what do you think?" Xia Wen asked. "Of course it''s delicious! Tan Jing even told me that there''s nothing in your fridge! How can she not know that such a big piece of meat is in there!" Jiang Yi said as she rolled her eyes. Xia Wen nodded and continued, "Mother, if you think it''s delicious, then eat more. This is pork that my sister-in-law brought from their village. It''s especially fragrant." Jiang Yi was so shocked that she jumped up. "What! This is local pork!" Xu Xiang said in a panic. Xia Wen did not move at all and ate with relish. Originally, he also minded the fact that the meat was local pork, but now that he ate it, he felt that it was even more fragrant than the store-bought meat. If he had known that the meat Qiao Mei gave them was so delicious, he would have stewed it long ago and not let these people from the Tan family benefit from it. "Hurry up and spit it out! Are you trying to kill my son!" Tan Yue, the Tan family''s youngest daughter, quickly grabbed her child''s throat to make him spit it out. Everyone in the room kept trying to throw up. One had to know that once one ate contaminated pork, one would definitely die. The seriousness of the illness was one issue, but the other issue was that they did not have the money to go and see a doctor. After Jiang Yi finished throwing up, she quickly walked up to Tan Jing and gave her a hard slap. "Useless thing! How dare you poison us! If we get sick, we won''t let you off!" "Mother, there''s no need to be so agitated. This is good meat and nothing will go wrong. Weren''t you eating very happily just now?" Xia Wen said. Jiang Yi could not flare up at Xia Wen, so she could only vent all the resentment in her heart on Tan Jing. Tan Jing felt very aggrieved by the unreasonable scolding. However, what she cared about was not Jiang Yi scolding her, but the fact that Qiao Mei had given the pork to Xia Wen. She never knew about this. They usually ate in the school canteen where meals were free of charge so that they could save a bit of money. She did not know what was stored in the fridge at home. "If everyone doesn''t want to eat it, I''ll eat it myself," Xia Wen said with a smile. The few people behind him exchanged glances. They looked at one another and did not want to be the first to speak. They were just waiting to see who would lose patience first. Chapter 815 Rumors Xia Wen only stopped eating when he felt that his stomach was about to burst. He had already eaten enough at Qiao Mei''s place. However, this pork was simply too delicious and he really could not stop eating. "Is there anything else? If not, I''m going to rest," Xia Wen said. Tan Bai cleared his throat and said solemnly, "Son-in-law, did your family buy two new houses recently? How''s your sister handling the renovations?" Xia Wen immediately understood why the Tan family had been swarming at their house like flies for so many days. It turned out that they were all eyeing the houses. However, this was something that the Xia family had not told anyone. Other than the two owners who sold the houses, only the Xia family members knew about it. Xia Wen turned around and glanced at Tan Jing. Tan Jing lowered her head and did not dare to look Xia Wen in the eyes. She was not the one who leaked the news, but she did not deny it. She was simply too ashamed to deny anything. Back then, she had been very dissatisfied with Xia Zhe monopolizing Wu Min''s front part of the courtyard house. With all this talk about Xia Zhe being the Xia family''s son, but the fact was that Xia Wen was actually the eldest son of the Xia family! In terms of seniority, Xia Wen should have priority! Now that they had also taken back ownership of the back part of the courtyard house, Qiao Mei was the only one living in such a big courtyard house. Even if she had children in the future, the back part of the courtyard house would still be left to Qiao Qiang alone. That did not seem to be the best use for the house. Although Qiao Mei was the owner of the back part of the courtyard house, she was Tan Jing''s sister-in-law. She should rent it to them! "You''re really well-informed. Our family did buy two courtyard houses, but they don''t belong to my younger sister. My sister is just helping with the renovation works," Xia Wen said. When everyone heard this news, their eyes lit up. Since these two houses did not belong to Xia He, then it must mean that they solely belonged to Xia Wen! It appeared that the Xia family still knew how to compensate their eldest son, Xia Wen. For so many years, Xia Wen had done his best for the Xia family and it was only right for him to get these two houses! If there were only two people living in a big courtyard house, there was definitely still a lot of space available. They could move in together and it could be considered as them helping Xia Wen''s family to liven up the living space! "Oh my, then you have two courtyard houses now! I said before that Xia Wen is still valued in the Xia family! My eldest son-in-law is still the best!" Tan Bo said with a smile. Zhou Nan, the youngest son-in-law who was coaxing his child, felt extremely awkward. Xia Wen was the one who helped him find his current job. It was already common for Tan Bo to praise Xia Wen and mock Zhou Nan for being incompetent, but he still found it uncomfortable every time he heard it. Tan Yue did not notice Zhou Nan''s discomfort at all. She felt that what Tan Bo said was the truth. She always felt that Zhou Nan was inferior to Xia Wen and that Tan Jing had married well! If she was the one who married into the Xia family, she would definitely live a better life than she did now! "These two houses are not mine either. It''s my sister-in-law who bought them," Xia Wen explained. "That woman from the countryside? Why does she have so much money? That''s not what Tan Jing told us!" Jiang Yi turned to look at Tan Jing and said, "Didn''t you tell us that one of these two houses belongs to you!" Everyone fell silent. Seeing Tan Jing being berated by Jiang Yi, Xia Wen still felt sorry for her. He looked at Tan Bai and asked, "Although my sister-in-law is from the countryside, her home there is a treasured piece of land with good feng shui. She dug up some ginseng and managed to make some money selling them. That''s how she has money to buy the houses." "Oh my! Why does she need so many houses! She can''t live in all of them!" Jiang Yi complained. Xia Wen had thought about this issue previously and had even considered whether he should ask Qiao Mei not to buy so many houses because she would be targeted by people with ulterior motives. However, on second thought, Qiao Mei was pregnant with two children. Even if the children had to stay by Qiao Mei''s side when they were young, when they grew up and got married in the future, she could give each child a house. He just did not expect that before any Xia family member kicked up any fuss, the Tan family members had already come knocking on the door. Since the soft approach did not work, he would use harsh words. "Xiao Wen, you also know how big our family is. Now that Tan Yue and our second son, Tan Bao, have children, it''s so noisy every day. The two of us older folks really can''t take it anymore. Do you think you can find a place for them to stay?" Tan Bai said nicely. "This is not a difficult issue. Let''s see what kind of price he can afford. Recently, I''ve been helping my sister-in-law to look for houses so I know of many places that are very good and I can recommend them to you," Xia Wen said. Chapter 816 - 816 Money Is a Touchy Issue 816 Money Is a Touchy Issue Tan Bai quickly waved his hands and said, Were not buying one. How can we afford to buy a house? Oh! So you want to rent a house? Xia Wen asked. Were not renting a house either. I just want to ask if your sister-in-law has any spare room for them to move in. We dont have any money yet, but well definitely pay her back when we become rich in the future, Tan Bai said. That was certainly some grand wishful thinking. He would be embarrassed to talk to Qiao Mei about letting the Tan family move into her newly purchased house. Tan Jing quietly raised her head and looked at Xia Wen expectantly. If he agreed, then the two of them could also move into Qiao Meis new big house together. The day before yesterday, she had secretly gone to take a look after she got off work. That house was no different from the one Qiao Mei was living in now. It was extremely big. If they could all move in, the Tan family could live in the back part and she and Xia Wen could have the front part to themselves. Then how much rent are you going to pay my sister-in-law every month? How will you bear your share of the monthly electricity and water bills? My sister-in-laws house is newly renovated. If the house is damaged and the furniture is damaged, how are you going to calculate these expenses? Xia Wen said. When Xu Xiang heard this, she immediately became unhappy. She pointed at Xia Wen and said, Money, money, money! Why are you always talking about money! Were relatives. Shouldnt relatives help one another? Money is such a touchy issue! Relatives? Xia Wen curled up his lips mockingly. What kind of relationship did they have with Qiao Mei? As much as they wanted to say there was a connection between them, there was really nothing. At most, she was Tan Jings sister-in-law. If they were willing to pay rent, he might be able to talk to Qiao Mei about it. After all, it was such a big house. If Qiao Mei wanted to rent it out, he could ask her to consider the Tan family. Youre a family with me, but not with Qiao Mei. We have to make these things clear, otherwise I wont be able to discuss the issue with her. Im still not that shameless that I can ask to live in someones big house for free, Xia Wen said. Who are you calling shameless! Xu Xiang roared at Xia Wen. Xia Wen smiled gently and said, Why are you so worked up? I remember that your parents forked out the money for you to build your current house. I think my family also contributed a lot of money then. Why dont you return that amount of money to us first so that my family can lend the money to Tan Bao and Tan Yue. After all, were a family. We should repay what we borrowed. Tan Hu, the Tan familys eldest son, grabbed hold of Xu Xiang, who was about to go forward and argue with Xia Wen. After all, this matter had nothing to do with their family. Their family had their own house and it was big enough for them to live in. They must not get themselves into trouble. If Xia Wen got angry, they would also be affected. In that case, ask your sister-in-law to lend us the money. We will definitely return the money to her in the future. She must still have a lot of money left after buying these houses, Jiang Yi said. Xia Wen asked again, Then how do we calculate the interest? Do we still need to pay interest? Even if were not close relatives with her, were still in-laws of the Xia family. Shouldnt she not ask for interest on your account? Jiang Yi said disdainfully. Xia Wen knew that he did not have any say. If Qiao Mei put the money in a fixed deposit account in the bank, she would be able to earn a few hundred dollars a month. There was no need for her to go to work at all. She just needed to wait for the bank to pay her interest every month. Moreover, Qiao Mei had even more money locked away in the bank vault. He knew all these because he was the one who made all these arrangements for her. I dont borrow money to pay for my expenses. If you find it tough to live at home, then come and stay at my place for a few days. We can still fit quite a number of people in my living room. Its fine as long as you dont mind staying here. I can also help take care of the children. I like being with children the most. Its fine for all of them to come to my house, Xia Wen said with a smile as he looked at Tan Yues children. Tan Jing stood by the kitchen and was stunned. What did Xia Wen just say He liked children he said he liked children For so many years, every time she asked Xia Wen about this matter, he would avoid answering her. However, she knew that Xia Wen wanted a child of his own. Every time Xia Wen passed by the childrens park downstairs, he would stay there for a long time and watch the children playing with a smile on his face. Xia Wen finally admitted that he liked children. How can we live in your house! Tan Yue whispered. Seeing that there was no way to negotiate the terms, they did not dwell on it. At most, they would think of a way to resolve it themselves and not ask Xia Wen for help. Lets go! We wont beg you, alright! Jiang Yi said as she smacked the table. Chapter 817 - 817 Exquisite Choker 817 Exquisite Choker Xia Wen did not stop them from leaving. He maintained a smile on his face until they all left. After closing the door, he silently collected the crockery and cutlery and cleaned up the house. He was not the kind of person to let Tan Jing do all these things alone. Tan Jing continued to stand at the kitchen door in a daze and looked at Xia Wen sadly. The man in front of her liked children. Xia Wen despised her for not being able to have children, but he had not said it to her explicitly just to save her the embarrassment. Even after Xia Wen tidied up the house, Tan Jing still stared at him blankly like a statue. You should rest early, Xia Wen said after some hesitation. !! So you like children? Tan Jing asked calmly. Xia Wen did not want to lie to Tan Jing. He really liked children very much and had been very envious of other people with children for so many years. However, he would not blame Tan Jing for all these things. This kind of thing was about fate. Back then, Xia Zhe had gotten Qiao Mei pregnant after one night. That was fate at work. Yes, I like children, but it doesnt matter if we have children or not. You should rest early. After saying that, Xia Wen went into the bedroom. Tan Jing leaned against the door frame and slowly collapsed to the ground. Xia Wen finally admitted it himself. It was all Qiao Meis fault! If Qiao Mei had not married Xia Zhe and entered the Xia family, she would not have ended up in this state! If not for Qiao Meis pregnancy, Xia Wen would not have liked children so much. Her family also would not have come to ask for the house, let alone curse her for being an infertile woman. A fierce glint appeared in Tan Jings eyes. She must definitely make Qiao Mei pay the price. The next day, they both went to work as usual. However, Tan Jing and Xia Wen began to interact less. Xia Wen did not find it strange at all. Tan Jing needed to work on her own issues. Over the years, they had already quarreled too many times over the matter of having children. Every time, Xia Wen would be the one to comfort Tan Jing and help her deal with the Tan familys matters so that she would not feel burdened. This time, he would let Tan Jing calm down on her own. Xia He came to Qiao Meis place to hang out as usual. For some reason, during this period of time, she really liked spending time here. She always felt a sense of familiarity and leisure in this courtyard. Qiao Mei, Im here! Xia He quickly walked into the courtyard with a big roast chicken. Roast chicken! How do you know I want to eat it! Ive been talking about eating it for the past two days! Qiao Meis eyes were bright, as if there were stars hidden in them. Actually, she was not just craving roast chicken. She craved everything and just wanted to take a bite of every dish. Perhaps it was because her babies were greedy. She would not admit that she was the one who wanted to eat it! Aunt asked me to come and ask you to go to her place for a checkup in the afternoon. She said we should also bring Grandpa Qiao and your mother along, and the children as well. I dont think Zhang Miao is walking that well, Xia He said worriedly. Qiao Mei also noticed this. Perhaps it was because the girl had been bedridden for a long time and was not used to walking anymore. Those children had probably never undergone a physical examination before and it would be good for them to get checked out. Alright, lets do as you say. Qiao Mei smiled sweetly. Xia He mysteriously took out a red brocade box from behind her. There was a gift for Qiao Mei inside. Recently, Kong Lu had returned her a lot of money. She had been thinking about what to give Qiao Mei, so she bought this necklace. It was even made of gold and jade! It had cost her a lot of money. What is this? Qiao Mei asked. I noticed that you like jade more, so I went to the antique market to buy you a gold and jade necklace. See if you like it, Xia He said. Qiao Mei looked at Xia He obsequiously and said sweetly, Oh my~ I like anything that elder sister gives me~ Xia He was so shocked by this that she quickly sat back and said disdainfully, Just behave normally. I want to beat you up when you look like this. Hurry up and open it. It was a choker. The shop owner said that it was an item from more than 500 years ago and was a piece of real antique. There were figures of a dragon and a phoenix made of golden threads on it. In the middle, there was a black ink jade the size of a pigeon egg and of excellent transparency. Qiao Mei gently touched the piece of jade on the choker. The energy was strong and they were mutually attracted to each other. This thing was definitely of excellent quality, second only to the necklace from Wu Min. Chapter 818 - 818 Boy or Girl 818 Boy or Girl She must treasure such a thing well and include it in her daughters dowry in the future! Although she was not sure if it was really from 500 years ago, it would definitely be worth a few million dollars in the future. If it was well-preserved, it might even be worth tens of millions. How much money did you spend? Dont tell me you bought me a choker with all the money that Kong Lu returned to you? Qiao Mei asked in disbelief. Xia He touched her head in embarrassment. Qiao Mei was right. Kong Lu sent her 4,000 dollars this time and the choker had cost her 3,600 dollars. However, she was willing to spend any amount of money on Qiao Mei! Qiao Mei was worth her efforts! Its fine. Im making a lot of money now plus I dont have any family to support, so dont worry about me. I even bought two longevity locks for your babies, Xia He said proudly. Actually, the longevity locks were a gift from the seller when she bought this choker. They were certainly not as valuable. In the afternoon, all of them went to Xia Fangs hospital together. Xia Fang had worked overtime for a few days so that she could take a break today and do a proper checkup for Qiao Mei. Xia He brought the others for their physical examinations. Xia Fang brought Qiao Mei to the obstetrics and gynecology department for a full-body checkup. The report came out very quickly. The babies were very healthy and she could give birth at full term without any negative impact. Im relieved to see that youre fine. The two babies are doing very well, Xia Fang said. Qiao Mei pretended to be curious and asked, Then are my babies two boys or two girls? Xia Fang smiled and did not say anything. According to the rules, she could not release the information. Even if Xu Lan asked, she still would not say anything. No matter if the babies were boys or girls, they were the Xia familys treasures. Once they were born, the truth would be revealed. The full medical report would only be out in a few days and Xia Fang would pass it to Qiao Mei when it was ready. Since it was rare for everyone to be gathered together today, they went to a nearby state-owned restaurant for a meal and then took a walk home together. Elder sister, can you stay with me tonight? Qiao Mei said charmingly. For some reason, she kept feeling a sense of emptiness in her heart recently. Although Qiao Qiang was just living nearby in the back part and Li Gui came to chat and take a stroll with her every day, she still felt uncomfortable. It was as if something was missing. Perhaps her life was too dull. Im not busy at work recently so I have time to accompany you, but you have to teach me how to cook! Xia He said with a laugh. Its just cooking! No problem! The goal is just to produce edible food right? Qiao Mei said jokingly. Xia He really felt like teaching Qiao Mei a lesson for teasing her. However, Qiao Meis body was already much clumsier than before. Everything could wait until after she gave birth. Sure, sure, sure. Whatever you say is fine. From afar, Xia He could see a group of people sitting at Qiao Meis main door. They looked a little familiar and she asked curiously, Look who are those people at your door? Why are they all sitting at the door and not leaving? Qiao Mei had never seen these people before, but they looked like they were here to cause trouble. Mom, bring my younger siblings home through the street at the back, Qiao Mei said. Li Gui went forward and grabbed Qiao Meis sleeve. Come home with me through the back door. What if they do something to you? Thats right, Auntie is right. Lets all use the back door, Xia He echoed. Qiao Mei did not want to hide. Whatever needed to happen would happen. If these people were really here to cause trouble, they would have to confront one another head-on sooner or later. Let the children go back first. Im fine. They wont do anything to me in broad daylight, Qiao Mei said. Li Gui had no choice but to bring the four children home first. She would come back to look for Qiao Mei after she sent them back. The Tan family members had been sitting outside Qiao Meis house for the entire afternoon. The scorching sun was so hot that they almost fainted. They did not drink even a single drop of water because they wanted to extort a sum of money from Qiao Mei. Hey! Look and see if that pregnant woman is Qiao Mei! Xu Xiang said excitedly as she pointed at Qiao Mei in the distance. Tan Yue did not know Qiao Mei, but she had seen Xia He before so she confirmed it. Thats right! Its Qiao Mei! Weve finally waited till shes back! Tan Yue said happily. Tan Bai and Jiang Yi stood up and dusted themselves off as they looked expectantly at Qiao Mei who was walking towards them. Since Xia Wen did not want to help them, then they would solve the problem themselves! Chapter 819 Helping Relatives "Why are you sitting at the door of my family''s house?" Qiao Mei asked gently. The Tan family members looked at one another. This was completely different from what they had imagined Qiao Mei to be. Tan Jing had told them that Qiao Mei was good at bewitching people and was a petty person, that she had a bad temper and would throw a tantrum easily. Could it be that Tan Jing had lied to them? Qiao Mei looked so gentle and it was obvious that she was easy to bully! "You must be Qiao Mei. We''re your in-laws! You''ve never met us before, but we''ve long wanted to come and visit you!" Jiang Yi went forward excitedly to hold Qiao Mei''s hands as she spoke in a friendly manner. Xia He frowned and slapped Jiang Yi''s hand away. She finally remembered who these people were. The Tan family was still as shameless as ever. She used to rarely return to the capital and only met the Tan family members when Xia Wen got married. Later on, the Tan family members even came to look for her a few times. After so many years, the Tan family still seemed to be stuck in a rut. "If you want to talk, just talk. Don''t grab her. If anything happens, you won''t be able to bear the responsibility," Xia He said coldly. Jiang Yi said unhappily, "You''re Xia He, aren''t you? I''m your sister-in-law''s mother after all. Why don''t you have any manners! How can a woman be so fragile just because she''s pregnant? I''ve given birth to so many children, but I still can work!" Qiao Qiang''s expression was also quite unhappy. He did not expect Xia Wen''s wife to have this type of maternal family. He really did not know how Xia Jun allowed Xia Wen to become related to such a family. Qiao Mei also stopped pretending to be gentle. Nowadays, she could not bear to hear anything bad about her babies. "I''m unable to help you. Go and talk to my eldest brother," Qiao Mei said with a sullen expression. "Hey, hey, hey! We have something to discuss!" Jiang Yi said as she blocked Qiao Mei. Tan Yue looked at the increasing number of onlookers and whispered, "Um can we talk inside?" Qiao Mei did not want to blow this matter up. After all, Xia Wen treated her very well. "Come in," Qiao Mei said coldly. As soon as the Tan family members entered the courtyard, they could no longer hold back their feelings. This was the first time they had seen such a luxurious courtyard and they thought it was decorated like a palace. When they entered the main hall, it was as if they had never been out of their own house before. They looked around everywhere and touched everything, and even wanted to enter Qiao Mei''s bedroom to take a look. "Hey! Where do you think you''re going!" Xia He said as she pointed at Jiang Yi. Jiang Yi walked back embarrassedly and looked longingly in the direction of Qiao Mei''s bedroom. She had heard that Qiao Mei liked to collect antiques and she could tell that the jade bangle on Qiao Mei''s wrist was worth a lot of money. If only she could go into the room and steal something, she would be rich. Ѧd ?ͨ|(㨰m) "Alright, sit down. Just say what you want to say," Xia He said. Since Jiang Yi still had a favor to ask, she did not mind Xia He''s attitude. She turned around and said to Qiao Mei obsequiously, "I''m your sister-in-law''s mother. I''m here to visit you and see how you''re doing." Xia He snorted disdainfully. How could so many people come to pay someone a visit without bringing anything? It would already be a blessing if they did not steal anything on their way out. "As you can see, I''m in good health. You can leave now," Qiao Mei said in a direct manner. The smile on Jiang Yi''s face froze. She did not expect Qiao Mei''s attitude to be so cold. Tan Bai coughed twice and said, "Erm, we''re here because we have a favor to ask of you. I wonder if you can help us." Without thinking, Qiao Mei blurted out, "No, I don''t have the ability to help you." "How can you reject us when you haven''t even heard our request! Don''t you have any manners!" Tan Yue said unhappily. Xia He could not take it anymore and snapped, "You''re the ones begging us now, not the other way round. Not only do you have such a bad attitude when you come to ask for help, but you also don''t bring anything with you. Do you visit someone empty-handed just because you think that you''re an elder?" "You! We''re not doing well so we have no choice," Jiang Yi said pitifully. "We''re here this time to ask if you''re going to live in the house you bought some time back? If you''re not, can you help us out?" Tan Bai said. Qiao Mei and Xia He looked at each other and smiled. Trouble had come as they expected. The house would definitely attract people who eyed it covetously. Chapter 820 High Rent "So do you intend to rent my house?" Qiao Mei asked. "We don''t have money, but we can give you an IOU! When we have money in the future, we''ll definitely pay you back!" When Jiang Yi saw that Qiao Mei''s attitude was still rather gentle, she quickly tried to act pitiful. Qiao Mei nodded in satisfaction. She already intended to find someone to rent that house. An empty house would become inhabitable if it was left vacant. No matter how well a house was built, it could not maintain its structure if it was not looked after. The annual maintenance fee for an empty house would also be quite high, so it made more sense to rent it out. However, she was worried about renting it to the Tan family. Putting aside whether the Tan family had money or not, even if they did have the money for the rent, Qiao Mei did not want to be acquainted with such a family. Otherwise, in the future, they would use the excuse of being relatives to come to her place every few days to ask for something. She had seen this kind of thing many times. Back then, Qiao Yu had done that to her all the time. "An IOU is fine. Then how many rooms do you plan to rent? Or do you intend to rent the entire house? The rent is different for individual rooms and the entire house. Let me know your preference," Qiao Mei said. When the Tan family members saw that Qiao Mei was so amiable, they definitely eyed the entire house. If they could all move in to enjoy life, it would definitely be more cost-effective than renting rooms. "Then we''ll rent the entire place!" Jiang Yi said happily. Xia He gripped Qiao Mei''s arm nervously to indicate to Qiao Mei that she should think it through before speaking. Qiao Mei smiled at her and patted her hand gently to reassure her. "Alright, there''s 12 rooms in that house. The rent for each room is 100 dollars a month, so it''s 1,200 dollars a month for 12 rooms. I''ll give you a discount by letting you use the courtyard for free," Qiao Mei said with a smile. When Xia He heard this, she sat back on the chair and smiled as she watched the show. If the rent was 1,200 dollars a month, even 10 of her could not afford it. Moreover, the Tan family members were all unemployed and relied on the two elders of the Tan family to support all of them. They definitely could not afford such an amount. "It''s so expensive! You''re simply robbing us!" Tan Yue said angrily. "How am I robbing you? I spent a lot of money to buy the house. During the renovations, we put in the best and latest items. There''s even an oven in the kitchen and a large color television in the main hall. I''m quoting a cheap rent because you''re relatives. Otherwise, I would have asked for 120 dollars per room!" Qiao Mei said. Qiao Mei was right. That house was very close to the commercial street. Upon leaving the alley, there was a bus stop nearby. There was also a large market at the entrance which sold things at low prices, so it was a very convenient location. The rent was actually not as expensive as Qiao Mei had quoted, but it would still be around 40 dollars per room. During this time, the rent for most rooms was about 10 dollars, and the better ones would cost 25 dollars. For a house like Qiao Mei''s that had its own courtyard and in a convenient location that was close to transportation, the rent of 40 dollars was considered reasonable. She quoted a rate of more than 100 dollars just to scare off the Tan family. pd-?ͨ|㨮 The Tan family members looked at one another. Actually, they did not care how much money Qiao Mei quoted. All they cared about was the house. As long as Qiao Mei let them live in the house, did it matter if they did not pay in the end? They were all relatives, so how could she have the cheek to chase them for money? "Sure! Then when are we signing the agreement?" Jiang Yi asked. "There''s no hurry. The rent will be more than 10,000 dollars a year. You have to use your current property and land as collateral. Otherwise, I won''t feel at ease," Qiao Mei said nonchalantly. "You still want our house!" Tan Yue looked at Qiao Mei in shock. Tan Jing had said that this woman was just a country pumpkin from the village, so how did she know about collaterals and agreements? She had Xia Wen to help her when she bought the house, so Xia Wen was definitely the one who did up the agreement. They did not expect Qiao Mei to know how to handle such things. They assumed that she was just a nouveau riche. They thought that Qiao Mei was just a rich and brainless woman so they were not scared of her at all. "That''s right. Otherwise, if you owe me rent for 10 years, that will be close to 150,000 dollars. I also need the money. If you don''t use your house as collateral, I won''t be able to seek recourse if you go back on your word. Moreover, if you owe me money, you''ll also need to pay annual interest. Let''s go with the rate of paying 130 for every 90," Qiao Mei said. That was the loan sharks'' way of charging interest! Was Qiao Mei crazy?! Even if they sold everything they had, it would be impossible for them to pay her back. "Are you kidding us? Aren''t you afraid of going to jail?" Tan Yue questioned. Chapter 821 Beat A Retreat In The Face Of Difficulties "I''m negotiating with you right now. You can also choose not to stay in my house. Otherwise, what are my options if you owe me rent for more than 10 years in the future? So if you want to rent my house, you have to use something as collateral. Otherwise, I won''t let you stay," Qiao Mei said. The Tan family members were completely stunned on the spot. They had thought that everything would be fine as long as they went to look for Qiao Mei themselves. How could so many of them not be able to convince a country bumpkin who had never gone to school? Xia He looked at them with a smile on her face. Back then, He Ning did not even manage to take advantage of Qiao Mei. There was nothing scary about the Tan family. "We... we''ll go back and think about it." After Tan Bai finished speaking, the whole Tan family left in a sorry state. Xia He watched them leave the alley before she felt at ease to return. All along, the Tan family had bullied the Xia family. They relied on their status as the Xia family''s in-laws to ask for various benefits. Xia Mao and Xia Wen did not say anything out of respect for them. As long as that family did not go overboard, they just silently tolerated their behavior. "Qiao Mei! You should see the way they looked when they left! Hahahaha! It was really too satisfying!" Xia He said happily. "Has the Tan family always been like this?" Qiao Mei asked. Xia He also did not know the details. She only knew that the Tan family members were all very greedy. Xu Lan had occasionally told her what they did, but she did not know anything else. The only one with all the details was Xia Wen. "Should we tell eldest brother about this? After all, it''s considered eldest brother''s family matter. I don''t think it''s good for us to make any decision in private," Xia He said hesitantly. "Let''s not tell eldest brother first. If the Tan family is willing to stop what they''re doing, let''s just pretend that nothing happened. Eldest brother doesn''t seem to be doing well recently, so it''s better not to cause trouble for him," Qiao Mei said as she rubbed her temples. She had been sleeping a lot recently and could sleep for a long time every day. The energy that the bangle gave her had also decreased a lot. It no longer looked as lustrous as before. It was very likely that the energy was about to be exhausted. She must continue to look for new jade and find new "portable air-conditioners". Qiao Mei took out a small green bottle from her pocket and put a drop into the tea bowl. The entire house was instantly filled with the fragrance of pine trees, making one feel refreshed. Qiao Mei had previously sent 500 pounds of seeds to the capital. The postal rules set a limit on the package size and each package could not exceed 50 pounds. At the time of delivery, Xu Lan was the only one at home. When she saw so many packages, she was stunned and thought that Qiao Mei had brought everything from her house in the village. She quickly called the guards at the gate and asked them to help carry the packages into the house. Although it was not a lot of seeds, Qiao Mei intended to let Li Gui try to sell them first and see if she could succeed. When spring came, she would buy a piece of land in the capital and they could grow the crops on a bigger scale. By the night, Xia He could not hold back. She secretly went to the public phone booth at the entrance of the alley to call Xia Wen. "Hello? Eldest brother, is there anyone beside you?" Xia He covered the phone receiver and asked softly. "What''s wrong? What happened to you?" Xia Wen asked nervously. Xia He seldom made calls to Xia Wen throughout her entire life. She would usually contact Xia Fang if something happened. "Qiao Mei won''t let me tell you, but I still think you should know that the Tan family came to look for Qiao Mei today and said that they wanted to rent her house," Xia He said. Xia Wen sighed resignedly. He had thought that the Tan family would beat a retreat in the face of difficulties and he did not expect them to go straight to Qiao Mei. He had promised Xu Lan earlier that he would not let Qiao Mei be hurt because of the issues in their family, but now it seemed that he had broken his promise. "What did Qiao Mei say?" Xia Wen asked. "She asked the Tan Family to sign an agreement. If they can''t fork out the money for rent, they will need to use their assets as collateral. The Tan family has beaten a retreat for now," Xia He said. "I''ll handle this matter. Make sure Qiao Mei stays at home in peace first. Let me know if the Tan family comes again," Xia Wen said. pd ?ͨ|,㨰 Xia He briefly explained the results of today''s physical examination and what she had encountered before hanging up. The moment she turned around, she saw Qiao Mei standing behind her and looking at her with a grin on her face. It seemed like she had been waiting there for a long time. "Erm... the weather is quite good... I just came out for a walk. Yes! Just taking a walk!" Xia He looked around awkwardly. Chapter 822 - 822 Let’s Go to Watch a Movie Together 822 Lets Go to Watch a Movie Together Qiao Mei looked up at the dark sky without a single star. What kind of nice scenery was this? To think that Xia He was still a professional dancer. Her acting skills still needed some improvements. Lets go home quickly. If you dont come back, Ill lock you out. Qiao Mei pouted and pretended to be angry. Xia He followed behind Qiao Mei dejectedly. She was clearly more than 10 years older than Qiao Mei, but why did she feel that Qiao Mei seemed more like the older sister at the moment? The next day, Xia He returned to work in the art troupe early in the morning. At noon, Qiao Mei hired a driver from the alley to go to Xu Lans place and carry all the seeds back. She then went to shop for a big wok from the capital mall. Li Guis family began to stir-fry sunflower seeds in the house. The fragrance quickly wafted through the streets and alleys. People passing by could not help but look into the courtyard. Mei Mei, why do you still have so many seeds? Didnt we sell everything we have? Li Gui asked curiously. These are the ones I sent to the capital. I wanted to save them for our family to eat during the new year, but now I have other ideas, so I brought them here to use them, Qiao Mei said as she lay leisurely on the rocking chair. Li Gui was someone who was used to doing chores in the village. Building a stove was not a problem at all. They were used to doing all these things themselves. Where are we going to sell these after we fry them? Li Gui asked. Qiao Mei had been thinking about this for many days. At the moment, the most suitable places were the cinema and the entrance of the train station. It was mainly well-to-do people or young couples who frequented the cinema. As for the train station, the key thing was the high human traffic. When people were bored while waiting for the train, they would buy some seeds to munch on. We should try the cinema and the train station. On the day we arrived, I saw people selling these things right next to the train station, Qiao Mei said. Li Gui said impatiently, Then Ill go take a look after Im done frying this batch! At the moment, she was very proactive about anything that was related to making money. She could not just rely on the little bit of money in her hands to make ends meet. Although Qiao Mei said that she had already paid off her debt the last time, Qiao Mei had spent all that money on them later. She had to earn more money to buy some stuff for Qiao Mei. Even if she could not afford to buy anything, she should at least reduce the load on Qiao Meis shoulder and not become a burden to her. Where are you going? I want to go too! Zhang Qin asked as she ran into the backyard. By now, Zhang Qin could already put her feet on the ground and take a few steps. She could make her way around with a walking stick and would recover after another half a month or so. You little imp, why do you stick your nose in everything! Im talking to your sister about serious matters! Li Gui said. During this period of time, the children could only stay in the courtyard. Li Gui did not allow them to walk outside at all. Even if they were going to Qiao Meis house, which was very close by, they had to inform Li Gui before they could go out. If she lost the children in the huge capital, she would not be able to find them at all. The safest way was to let the children stay close to her. How about I bring all of you to watch a movie tonight? Qiao Mei said with a smile. Qiao Mei! Ill bring them there! Its not easy to walk around at night. You should stay at home, Li Gui said worriedly. Qiao Mei lowered her head and said, Im fine. Besides, Ive never watched a movie before. Just let me go and have some fun. Qiao Mei knew that Li Gui wanted to check out the standard of the seeds sold near the cinema and do some market research. However, if she was too obvious, it would arouse suspicion. She still needed to take a more relaxed approach when it came to doing business. Li Gui instantly felt that she had not treated Qiao Mei well for so many years. There was actually an open-air cinema in the county city. She had even been there when she first married Zhang Qian. Alright, then lets all go. Well go tonight and eat whatever you want! Li Gui said. Xiao Qin, go and tell Zhang Wei and the others that Mom will bring us out to have fun tonight! Qiao Mei said with a smile. At night, the children got all dressed up. Zhang Miao even put on her winter scarf. She put on every item she owed and made sure she did not miss out on anything. Miao Miao, dont you find it hot? Qiao Mei said while suppressing her laughter. How was it not hot? Beads of sweat rolled down Zhang Miaos face uncontrollably. Her back was all wet, but she still looked very happy. Im not hot! Elder sister, do you think I look nice today! Zhang Miao asked as she sat in the wheelchair and spread her arms out. Chapter 823 Not Tasty p?-no?1o "Of course our Miao Miao looks good, but if you wear so many pieces of clothing to the movies, you''ll fall sick," Qiao Mei said patiently. Currently, the children had their own room and they could decide what they wanted to wear. Qiao Mei was nurturing their independent personalities and aesthetics so that they would have their own views and opinions on things and not be influenced by the thoughts of adults. What the adults should do now was just to guide and restrain their actions. "But I like all these clothes very much" Zhang Miao said as she looked at her clothes reluctantly. "I know you like them very much, but you can wear them anytime, right? These belong to Miao Miao and no one can snatch them away. Of course, you can wear them if you really want to, but what if you fall sick?" Qiao Mei said. Zhang Miao thought about it and felt that what Qiao Mei said made sense. Things were completely different now and they could decide what they wanted to do. Zhang Miao took off her extra scarf, ribbon and thick cotton-padded jacket. After she was done, they set off together. Qiao Qiang did not like such occasions, so they did not bring him along. Recently, he would go for walks every morning and got along very well with the old men in the park. He was even very close to Zhou Sheng. As soon as they arrived at the entrance of the cinema, Li Gui began to look around to see what the peddlers were selling. There were two peddlers selling popcorn by the roadside. They sold them in bags and there was nothing special about them. There were also quite a number of peddlers selling seeds. She could count three in total. The competition was tough so she did not feel confident at all. "Mei Mei, this place won''t do. Look, there are so many people selling the same things. If I also sell seeds here, there won''t be much business. Moreover, these people have been selling here for a long time and might even have many old customers," Li Gui said worriedly. Back in the black market, everyone sold similar agricultural products, but everyone did not bring much and they set up stalls at a distance from one another. At that time, Li Gui was never worried that someone would snatch her business or no one would buy her things. However, it was a different situation now. There were so many stalls here selling the same things. Her seeds had no other advantages except for being tasty. "Our seeds are so delicious, what''s there to be worried about? Let''s go and ask first. Don''t be discouraged." Qiao Mei brought the children in front of a peddler. At the stall near the door of the cinema, the seeds were sold in cups. All the peddlers sold it the same way. "How much for one cup?" Qiao Mei asked. At first, when the peddler saw the children, he did not pay them any attention. One look and he could tell that they were country bumpkins. The children in the city did not wear clothes meant for all four seasons at the same time. These children obviously had not been out much. However, Qiao Mei was different. Although she was dressed simply, her elegance simply shone through. It was obvious that these children had come to seek refuge with her. "It''s 30 cents per cup! Do you want to buy a few cups to try?" the vendor said with a grin. Qiao Mei did not hesitate at all. She took out a dollar and 80 cents and said, "Give me six cups!" The sensible Zhang Qin immediately grabbed Qiao Mei''s clothes and said, "Elder sister, we just need to buy three cups. The four of us can share one." Zhang Qin had been through the process of selling seeds in the village. In the beginning, they could only sell one pound for 30 cents. Even when the seeds planted later were exceptionally delicious, it was still sold at one dollar per pound. This small cup of seeds in front of her only weighed about two taels but it was so expensive. She really could not bear to spend the money. "It''s fine. You can eat whatever you want today," Qiao Mei said as she patted Zhang Qin''s head. The vendor quickly handed six cups of seeds to the children, worried that Qiao Mei would go back on her word and decided not to buy them. Zhang Miao spat it out as soon as she took a bite. She frowned and looked at the seeds in her hand in dissatisfaction. She whispered, "This tastes really bad" The peddler''s expression instantly turned very unhappy. He had been selling seeds at the entrance of the cinema for so many years, but this was the first time someone had said that the seeds he sold were not tasty! "Erm children don''t think before they speak. A child''s words carry no harm. Big brother, please don''t take it to heart." Qiao Mei quickly pushed Zhang Miao''s wheelchair away. If she had been any slower, the peddler would probably start asking why the seeds he sold were not tasty. Chapter 824 Educating The Children It was not the children''s fault. They had stayed by her side for so long and ate fruits and vegetables infused with energy every day. Their taste buds had long been pampered too much. They did not care for ordinary foodstuffs at all. It could be considered a good thing. Did people not say that daughters should be brought up in abundance? "Miao Miao, even if it tastes bad, you can''t say it out so directly. If someone buys our seeds and says that it tastes really bad in front of you, will you be angry?" Qiao Mei asked. Zhang Miao immediately said angrily, "Our seeds are the best! How can anyone say that they taste bad!" "Look, I''m just making an analogy and you''re already so angry. That person also thinks that his seeds are the best. Don''t you think that he''s angry when you pass that comment?" Qiao Mei said with a smile. Zhang Miao realized her mistake and looked at the seeds in her hand in silence. Not long after, she raised her head and asked nervously, "Should I apologize to that uncle" "Let''s forget about it today. There shouldn''t be a next time, do you understand? It''s fine as long as you realize your mistake," Qiao Mei said in satisfaction. Li Gui stood at the side and watched Qiao Mei educate the children. There was an indescribable feeling in her heart. The little baby whom she held in her arms back then was going to be a mother soon. She did not set a good example as a mother, but Qiao Mei had grown up to be very outstanding. It was all thanks to Qiao Qiang. "Let''s go in. The movie is about to start," Li Gui said. The children were curious about everything and had thousands of doubts in their hearts. However, Zhang Chao was not interested in the movie at all, but was wondering how the images were being projected on the screen. He had not read about this in the books that Xia Wen gave him. He could only make his own observations and think through it himself. Qiao Mei could not help but sigh. If computers were available in this era, Zhang Chao would definitely become a very capable engineer in the future. After the movie, they waited for a car by the roadside. Li Gui stood beside Qiao Mei and said smugly, "If we sell our seeds for 30 cents a cup, it would definitely outsell theirs! The taste of their seeds is far inferior to ours." "Let''s sell it for 50 cents," Qiao Mei said. "50 cents! That''s too much. How about we sell ours in a bigger cup?" Li Gui said hesitantly. "Just use the same type of cup and we''ll sell it for 50 cents a cup," Qiao Mei said confidently. If they sold their wares in a bigger cup, it would affect the business environment. It did not matter if they sold it at a higher price as long as someone was willing to buy it. Qiao Mei saw that Li Gui was still a little hesitant and turned to ask the children, "Do you think our seeds are delicious?" "Yes! It''s so much better than what those people sell!" Zhang Miao said agitatedly. p?-no?1o "It''s a fact that our seeds are delicious. Even if we sell it at a higher price, people will still buy it. So it''s alright," Qiao Mei said. Li Gui nodded. She decided to go to the train station to take a look tomorrow. Perhaps she could sell them at the train station during the day and at the cinema at night. Then she could earn a lot of money in a day. "Alright! I''ll listen to you!" Li Gui said with a smile. Everyone had a good night''s sleep. The next morning, they were woken up by weeping sounds outside the main door. Qiao Mei covered her head with the blanket and went back to sleep. Unexpectedly, the cries outside the door became louder and louder, disturbing her sleep. Qiao Mei sat up from the bed impatiently and frowned as she looked in the direction of the main door. It was very noisy outside and she could not hear what was going on. She could only hear the sounds of many women crying. Qiao Mei put on a fluffy shawl and prepared to go to the door to take a look. The closer she got to the door, the louder the sounds became and she could hear a few words clearly. "My poor daughter! She doesn''t have a good life after marrying into the Xia family!" "The Xia family is too cruel to us! Not only are they not helping us, but they''re also taking our house away! We really have no choice!" "Everyone, come and judge! After this woman married into the Xia family, she started to bully my daughter!" Qiao Mei pushed open the door and saw that the alley was already filled with people. They were all here to have a laugh, but most of them were here to see the Tan family make a fool of themselves. When Qiao Mei first moved in, she went from door to door to greet all the neighbors. As the saying went, to receive a favor was to sell one''s liberty. After they received gifts from Qiao Mei, these people definitely tended to side with Qiao Mei and thought of her as a good person. Chapter 825 - 825 Slander 825 Slander What are you doing? Qiao Mei asked impatiently. Youre finally out! Its this woman! Shes going to take over our house! Jiang Yis hair was in a mess as she knelt on the ground and cried. The corners of Qiao Meis mouth could not help but twitch a few times. She seemed to have seen this situation before. Old Madam Li had also cried outside their house at the village with the two children. Could it be that all shrews used the same trick? Other people would cry and throw tantrums, but they would pretend to be pitiful and lie and ask everyone to be the judge. !! Make yourself clear. How did I take over your house? Qiao Mei said resignedly. Its you, you vicious woman! Ever since you married into the family, my daughter has been bullied because of you! Youre really too scheming! Jiang Yi did not mention any details at all and just simply slandered Qiao Mei. She wanted those people who did not know the truth to think that Qiao Mei was a heinous sinner, so that everyone would side with her. Ive been staying in my own house ever since I married into the family. The neighbors around here know that Ive only returned from my maternal home in the past two to three days. How did I bully your daughter from thousands of miles away? Qiao Mei asked. It was only then that Jiang Yi realized Qiao Mei had just returned a few days ago. That wretched girl, Tan Jing, did not tell her about Qiao Mei going back to her maternal home! My family is so miserable! My daughters life is so tough! She married into your family at such a young age and worked like a slave! Not only are you not grateful to her, but you also keep hurting her! I dont want to live anymore! Jiang Yi shouted. My sister-in-law was already 24 years old when she married into the Xia family. Thats not very young. All these years, my eldest brother also doted on my sister-in-law very much. You can go and ask around. Everyone knows about it, Qiao Mei said. Jiang Yi lowered her head and pretended to cry, but she was already panicking. How could a newlywed daughter-in-law know so much about the Xia family? Who told her all this? That son-in-law of mine always comes to help you! He even helps you build a house and buy furniture for you! He helps you with everything! Even if your husband isnt at home, you cant behave like this! Jiang Yi shouted as she pointed at Qiao Mei. This time, the way everyone looked at Qiao Mei changed. What Jiang Yi said was true. They had not seen Qiao Mei in this house for a long time, but Xia Wen had been in and out a lot. They had all seen him spend a lot of money and effort to repair the house. Could it really be as Jiang Yi had said between Xia Wen and Qiao Mei Qiao Mei could have held back her temper and treated Jiang Yi nicely on account that she was Tan Jings mother. However, this woman had now done a terrible thing and slandered both her and Xia Wen, and her marriage with Xia Zhe. She could not tolerate it any longer. Youre doing all this to get to my new house. Yesterday, you came to tell me that you wanted to stay there for free, and now youre slandering me? My eldest brother came to help because my husband asked him to. Besides, I wasnt in the capital when he was helping us. Whats wrong with brothers helping each other out? Besides, I paid for this house and it has nothing to do with the Xia family, Qiao Mei said forcefully. Qiao Mei looked at the onlookers and continued, Although I havent stayed here for very long, everyone here knows that I dont leave the house often. Other than my grandfather and two younger brothers, no one else comes to the house. Is this also a problem? Youd better think carefully before you speak. Youre slandering me and my husband, slandering a soldiers family and destroying a soldiers marriage. If youre so sure about what you said just now, then Im going to make a police report. What youre doing is called slander, so you have to bear legal responsibility. Qiao Mei narrowed her eyes and looked at Jiang Yi. Jiang Yi was so scared that she did not dare to look Qiao Mei in the eyes. She had just said it casually and did not expect there to be such serious consequences. It would be a big thing if Qiao Mei had behaved indecently. It was a serious crime for a military wife to have an affair. There would be a poster put up on the notice board in the alley and she would even be arrested and thrown into jail! At that time, Qiao Meis reputation would be completely ruined. There were past cases of people who could not withstand the gossip and committed suicide. Say something! Werent you so confident just now?! A voice came from the crowd. Thats right! If you have evidence, then take it out! Otherwise, dont spout nonsense here! Show us quickly! the neighbor shouted. More and more people around spoke up for Qiao Mei. In the end, Jiang Yi shrank to the side in fear and did not dare to speak. Chapter 826 - 826 Too Hasty 826 Too Hasty Qiao Mei had no intention of going to the police station to confront Jiang Yi, so she decided to stop at this point. If you cant produce any evidence, dont come here to spout nonsense in the future. Get lost as far away as you can, Qiao Mei said to Jiang Yi. Jiang Yi covered her head and ran out of the alley dejectedly. Once there was nothing more to watch, everyone dispersed one after another. Qiao Mei rubbed her temples tiredly. She did not expect to have to run into such a shrew in the capital. Why? Are there still moments when you cannot cope? Suddenly, a voice came from outside the door. !! It had been a few months since Qiao Mei last saw Qiane but she seemed to have changed into a different person. Not only was she dressed very fashionably, but she also looked much better. If not for the fact that her voice remained the same, Qiao Mei would not have dared to call out to her. Why are you here? Qiao Mei asked in surprise. Im just here to see if youre doing well. Im happy to see that you have so much trouble to deal with, Qiane said as she stood outside the door. Qiao Mei knew that Qiane was joking. After that incident, the misunderstanding between them had long been resolved. Qiane did not have many close friends for many years and her only friend, He Mei, had even betrayed her ruthlessly. In her mind, Qiao Mei was her good friend. When she heard that Qiao Mei had returned, she immediately came to pay a visit. You saw everything that happened just now? Qiao Mei asked. No, that woman had already run away when I arrived. If I was here just now, she wouldnt have been able to do anything at all. As if she can still bully you? But who is this person? Who else did you become enemies with? Qiane asked worriedly. Qiao Mei also did not know how she had offended the Tan family, but they had come knocking on her door all of a sudden. This might be what people meant when they said that the winds would howl around the highest peaks. However, she would still have bought those houses no matter what. If she had to blame someone, she could only blame herself for being too ostentatious and doing things too fast. This matter cant be explained with a few words. By the way, how are you now? You look much better, Qiao Mei said with a smile. Ever since He Mei was punished, Qiane lived a completely different life from before. Not only did she learn to dress up, but she also bought a lot of tonics and supplements for herself. As what people said, a womans face was her asset. Qiane was originally born beautiful, but she had given up on herself and looked like an old hag. However, she had now regained her self-worth and did not live with hatred in her heart anymore. Im a piano teacher now. I guess Ive found the joy I had when I was young. I was working in an assembly line in a factory but it was boring and mind-numbing. I plan to further my piano studies and regain my dream, Qiane said expectantly. Confidence would make a person look different. Qiane looked radiant now, but her infertility had always been her sore spot. She was unwilling to be in a relationship and be a burden to someone else. Are you still in contact with that person from the village? Qiao Mei asked. Qiane lowered her head slowly. Back then, in order to avoid detection from the He family, she had moved in with a relative of the Xia family who lived in the countryside. She did not expect to meet a nice man by a freak combination of factors. She knew very well what kind of woman she was. As one of their neighbors had said, trash was trash. Even if she had turned over a new leaf, she was still trash. How could such a woman stay by his side? He should find a better woman, or at least an ordinary woman, and live a peaceful life with a child of his own. We didnt keep in contact. He sent me many letters, but I dont want to be a burden. Lets leave this matter to fate. My heart is in a mess, Qiane said gloomily. Theres still a long way to go. Its good to put him through a test. Hes a good man, Qiao Mei said. You have never met him. How do you know that hes a good man? Qiane asked. In Qiao Meis heart, any relatives of the Xia family would not be too bad. Moreover, Xia Wen was the one who arranged for Qiane to stay with this family, so these people must surely be upright and trustworthy. I Its just my guess! By the way, are you free to come to my house to teach? Qiao Mei asked. Qiane stared at Qiao Meis stomach and said in disdain, Arent you a little too anxious? The babies are still inside and you already want them to learn the piano. Are you planning for your children to be able to do handstands at the age of one, memorize poems at the age of two, and become a pianist in the capital at the age of three? Chapter 827 Selling Goods Outside Qiao Mei was so amused that she laughed out loudly. She did not even start prenatal education for the children, so why would she intend to let them learn things at such a young age? She actually wanted to see if her younger siblings had the talent for the piano. In her other life, her family was not very rich and she was not able to learn everything she had interest in. In this life, she wanted to learn everything she liked! "I want you to teach my young siblings, not the little fellows inside!" Qiao Mei said. "Then sure of course, but it depends on your offer. My rates are not cheap." Qian''e smiled smugly. She knew that Qiao Mei was not short of money and naturally did not care about these things, but ordinary families definitely considered her fees to be very expensive. No matter how badly Qian''e lived her life, she was still the champion of the National Piano Competition back then. This trophy was real. In addition, she was not teaching in a classroom setting, but a one-on-one private class. Each session cost five dollars an hour. "Money is not a problem. As long as my younger siblings like it, money is no concern," Qiao Mei said generously. "Then let me take a look," Qian''e said. One needed talent to play the piano. Although people who were not talented could still make it through putting in a lot of hard work, they had to really put in a lot of effort. If one''s fingers were long and slender and one had a good sense of pitch, then one was really gifted. If one was willing to put in effort, one would definitely be able to reach the top. "They''ve all gone out with my mother to sell things," Qiao Mei said. "How old are they? They need to go out to sell things? Don''t they need to go to school?" Qian''e asked curiously. "Those children are used to having a hard life. During this period of time, I haven''t decided on where to send them to school, so I let them study at home. When my eldest brother has time, he will come by and check their homework," Qiao Mei said helplessly. Today, Li Gui had specially woken up early to pack seeds at home and was all ready to try her luck at the train station. She realized that the authorities in the capital were not very strict. As long as the peddlers did not sell too aggressively, they would simply turn a blind eye to it. At this moment, the government was supportive of the people doing their own businesses and in turn driving economic development. Zhang Qin and Zhang Wei accompanied Li Gui to the train station. It was densely packed with people for as far as the eye could see. They had never seen so many people at the train station in the county city. "Wow there''s so many people" Zhang Qin looked at the crowd in a daze. Li Gui held on tightly to Zhang Qin and Zhang Wei and said, "Let''s go to the corner over there to take a look. You have to hold my hands tightly, understand?" The capital was so big and there were so many people. If the children got lost, she really would not be able to find them. She must be very careful. It took them a while to make it through the crowd to the corner of the train station. There were many stalls selling things here. There were tea eggs, cooked corn, cigarettes and fruits, among other things. Li Gui found an empty place and started to set up the stall. There was an older woman selling tea eggs next to the spot. When she saw a new face, she greeted Li Gui warmly. "Are you new here?!" the older woman said excitedly. Li Gui was shocked by the woman''s enthusiasm. She nodded gently and said, "Yes, I''m new here. Do we have to pay a fee or can we set up our stall anywhere?" "There''s no rule in this place. Whoever comes first can choose a spot. No one cares." said the older woman. Li Gui finally felt at ease. She was a woman with two children. If she fought with others because of the stall, she definitely did not have the upper hand. The older woman looked at the seeds that Li Gui was going to sell and asked, "Sister, how much do you charge for each portion?" "50 cents," Li Gui said. The older woman''s jaw almost dropped. She pointed at Li Gui''s seeds with a trembling finger and said, "50 cents! It''s too expensive! I think someone is selling seeds for only 30 cents over there." Li Gui did not know what to say either. After all, this was the price that Qiao Mei decided. Zhang Qin smiled and said, "The seeds we sell are delicious! They''re different from what others sell. Auntie, look, these seeds are big!" Zhang Qin took out a small handful of seeds from her bag and handed them to the older woman. "Auntie, try some. They''re really delicious!" Qiao Mei had asked her to put these seeds into her bag last night. Qiao Mei also knew that people would be hesitant about buying the seeds at 50 cents per portion, so she asked Zhang Qin to give away the seeds as samples. Chapter 828 - 828 Different 828 Different The older woman took the seeds from Zhang Qins hand with a doubtful look. The seeds were indeed very fragrant. After she ate some, her eyes lit up. Its so delicious! What youre selling is really too delicious! the older woman said excitedly. When Li Gui saw the older womans reaction, she felt more and more confident. Soon, someone came by to ask about the price. How much do these seeds cost? a young man asked. !! Li Gui said, 50 cents per cup! When the young man heard this, his reaction was exactly the same as the older woman. He turned around and was about to leave when the older woman suddenly said excitedly, Young man, come and take a look at the seeds! These are delicious! I guarantee you! Theyre definitely delicious! Zhang Qin immediately took out some seeds from her bag and handed them over. The young man tasted a few and pointed at the seeds. Not bad! Give me two cups. Li Gui handed the seeds to the young man excitedly. This could be considered her first sale. After her first sale, the seeds became more and more popular. Before the morning ended, Li Gui had sold out 40 pounds of seeds. Zhang Wei grabbed the empty bag and ran happily in the alley. At night, they used the same method to sell outside the cinema, but they did not have as smooth an experience as when they were at the train station. As usual, that peddler stood at his original spot to sell seeds. His location was the best in the area near the cinema. As long as one wanted to go in to watch a movie, one must walk past him. Li Gui did not know where she could stand, so she hawked her goods at the spot opposite the cinema door. Seeds! Does anyone want to buy seeds? Fragrant seeds! Zhang Qin and Zhang Wei shouted with all their might. When the peddler heard this, he immediately walked over and said, Who says you can set up a stall here! Li Gui looked around and saw that everyone simply set up their stalls at random spots. She did not block cars or people at this spot, so was it that she could not set up a stall here? Were not allowed to set up a stall here? Li Gui asked. Its not that you cant set it up, but you cant shout. How can the rest of us do business if you shout like this? If everyone is like you, wont it be a mess? The peddler simply gave nonsensical reasons. Zhang Qin pointed at an old man selling popcorn in the distance and said, But that grandpa is also shouting. Why cant we do it if he can? The peddler glared at Zhang Qin fiercely. Zhang Qin was so frightened that she hurriedly hid behind Zhang Wei. She was only telling the truth. She was not in the wrong. Little girl, youre quite bold. I dont care. In any case, you have to listen to me if you want to be here. You cant shout! the peddler said rudely. Big brother, look at this spot. Its really not a very strategic location. If we dont shout, no one will know were here. Or can we move forward? Li Gui said nicely. The peddler did not care about what she said at all. If Li Gui had a capable husband, he would not need her to bring the children out to work. She was definitely a person who was easy to bully. No! Dont say anything else! You cant shout and you cant come forward! After saying that, the peddler returned to the entrance of the cinema and continued selling his things. Zhang Wei suddenly ran into the alley at the side and only reappeared after a long time. Li Gui looked at Zhang Wei listlessly and asked, Where did you run off to again? Mom, lets go and sell in the alley! I went to check out the surroundings. If people want to go to the cinema, they have to walk through that alley! Zhang Wei said with a grin. Li Guis hope was ignited again. She hurriedly moved the stall over. The human traffic here was busier than at the entrance of the cinema, but the location was also very dangerous. If she was caught, she would not be able to escape. A young couple came to Li Guis stall. The woman smiled at Zhang Qin and said, How much are the seeds? Sister~ It costs 50 cents a cup~ Zhang Qin put on her cute smile. Her innocent appearance instantly attracted the womans attention. Its so expensive Cant it be cheaper? the woman said awkwardly. She really wanted to buy it, but it was too expensive. She had only just started dating this man. If she bought a cup of seeds for 50 cents without a second thought, she would probably leave a bad impression on him. Zhang Qin used her old trick again. She grabbed a handful of seeds from her bag and stretched out her hand. Please try some! Our seeds are definitely different! Chapter 829 - 829 Need to Think of a New Plan 829 Need to Think of a New Plan The couple tasted the seeds doubtfully. After they tried, they could not stop eating. The man also felt that it was very expensive, but in order to appear generous and not embarrass himself in front of the girl he liked, he decided not to be too concerned about the additional few cents. Give me two cups, the man said. Gradually, Zhang Qin realized that the people who came to the cinema were all young couples. Very few people would come to watch the movie alone. If it was a couple who came to buy seeds together, Zhang Qin would take the initiative to take out some seeds from her bag and give them to the man to try. She realized that it was usually the man who paid for the purchase, so giving the man a taste was the fastest way to make a sale. !! When they had almost sold everything, the three of them packed up and went home. Were back! Zhang Wei and Zhang Qin ran into Qiao Meis courtyard happily. Qiao Mei walked into the courtyard while supporting her stomach and asked, How was the sales today? We sold 70 pounds! We sold everything today! Zhang Qin shook the bag excitedly. Its all thanks to these two children today. Otherwise, we wouldnt be able to sell all the seeds! Li Gui said as she wiped the sweat off her temples. Li Gui gave all the money to the two children and asked them to go into the house to count their earnings for the day. Although they had a good time selling the seeds, she had some new concerns now. Qiao Mei, we dont have much seeds left. Once we sell everything, we dont have anything else to do, Li Gui said with a sigh. Qiao Mei had also thought about this. She had only sent 500 pounds from the village. If Li Gui continued to sell at the same speed, it would be sold out in a week. It was time to think of a new plan. Let me think about it. Theres no hurry, Qiao Mei said with a smile. The next morning, Qiane arrived at Qiao Meis house punctually. The night before, Qiao Mei had told the children to stay at home because she had something important to tell them. Say, missy. You ask me to come to your house to teach them how to play the piano so why arent you up yet? Qiane stood at the door of Qiao Meis bedroom with a helpless expression. Once it was winter, Qiao Mei started to like to curl up under the covers and could stay in bed for a long time every day. If she did not have something to do, she could lie in bed the whole day without moving. Ill get up now, Qiao Mei said as she stretched. This was the first time Qiane had waited so patiently for someone. If it was in the past, she would have lost her temper and walked out long ago. After Qiao Mei washed up and dressed up, she brought Qiane to look for the children. The children were helping Li Gui with the housework in the courtyard. There was a huge maple tree outside their door and it was currently the season of falling leaves. Every day, many leaves would fall at the entrance of the courtyard. If they did not tidy up, there would be a smell of decay in the entire courtyard. These children are so sensible Qiane had a tender look on her face when she looked at the four children. Zhang Miao was the first to notice Qiao Mei. She rolled the wheels of the wheelchair excitedly and headed towards Qiao Mei anxiously. For a moment, she did not notice that there was an uneven floor tile on the stone brick road. The wheelchair lost its balance and Zhang Miao was sent flying out. Qiane instinctively ran forward to catch Zhang Miao. In her hastiness, she even sprained her own ankle. Miao Miao! Qiao Mei shouted nervously. Zhang Miao was so shocked that she wailed as she crouched on Qiane. Not only did Qiane not find Zhang Miao noisy, but she hugged her gently and stroked her head. Be good~ Youre fine now~ Zhang Wei pulled up the wheelchair. Qiane only dared to put Zhang Miao back in the wheelchair after confirming that the wheelchair was not damaged. Ill get someone to repair the floor tiles later. How are you? Are you injured? Qiao Mei asked as she looked at Qiane nervously. Qiane gently rotated her wrists and ankles and said in pain, I think I twisted my ankle. Ill be fine after resting for a while. Qiao Mei helped her to sit on a chair at the side. She took out the small medicine bottle she had with her and poured out two drops on her hand. Take off your socks and shoes. Ill massage it for you, Qiao Mei said as she raised her hands. Qiane did not stand on ceremony with her and placed her feet on the stone table to support herself. She was worried that if Qiao Mei exerted too much strength, she would instinctively kick Qiao Mei out of pain. Qiane felt Qiao Meis warm hands on her ankle and felt the pain easing a lot instantly. She had never seen this type of medicine before. Chapter 830 - 830 What Is a Piano 830 What Is a Piano Where did you buy this medicine? Ive never seen it before! The medicine I have at home for sprains and injuries has a very strong smell. I dont feel like applying the medicine whenever I injure myself. Your medicine smells quite good, Qiane asked curiously. This is my exclusive secret recipe. I wont tell anyone else! Dont think about it anymore, Qiao Mei said playfully. Qiane looked at Qiao Mei in disdain. Although she had reconciled with Qiao Mei, she still could not stand seeing Qiao Meis smug expression. All of you, come over and let this older sister take a look at you! This older sister teaches piano. You can learn from her if you want, Qiao Mei called out to the children. Qiane first asked the children to stand in a line and extend their hands out one by one. She checked the length of their fingers as well as the flexibility. All of you seem to have some innate talent. If you want to learn the piano, I can teach you. However, I have a requirement. I dont accept lazy students. You can be stupid, but you cant be lazy, Qiane said sternly. Zhang Miao raised her hand timidly and asked, Whats a piano The other children also did not know what a piano was either. This question really stumped Qiao Mei and Qiane. All this while, Qiao Mei only made sure that the children learn a few more skills, but she had forgotten to bring them to experience other things in life. Qiane looked at Qiao Mei helplessly. How could they learn to play the piano if they did not even know what it was? Qiao Mei!!! Do you know how much I charge for an hour?! Youve wasted the time I could be earning money! Qiane shouted angrily at Qiao Mei. Well I didnt expect this to happen either When I have time, Ill bring them to the piano shop to take a look. If theyre interested, Ill contact you again, Qiao Mei said with a sheepish smile. I dont care. Qiao Mei, you have to make it up to me! Qiane said with a pout. Qiao Mei patted Qiane on the ankle and said, I know, I know. How about I cook a full banquet for you? This solution was indeed attractive. She had always wanted to taste Qiao Meis cooking. Every time Qiao Mei cooked when she was at Xia Fangs house, the entire neighborhood could smell the fragrance of the food. However, Qiao Mei was still pregnant. If Qiao Mei was to cook a table full of dishes for her, Xia Zhe would probably skin her alive when he came back. Just thinking about that gloomy face of his was terrifying enough. Qiane shivered in fear. She quickly stopped thinking and said, No need. You can cook for me when you have the chance next time. I have to say that your medicine is really effective. It doesnt hurt anymore. After putting on her shoes and socks, Qiane left in a hurry. She still had many classes to teach and she was very busy every day. The children also went about their own business. Qiao Mei lay back on the rocking chair in the courtyard and sighed. This was the first time she felt that raising a child was a very tiring thing. Just thinking about what these children should learn already made her worried for two days. She also had to think about what to do about these childrens homework. Later, she had to think about which school to send them to and whether they could keep up with the progress. There were a lot of things waiting for her to do. Qiao Mei poked her stomach and muttered to herself, The two of you must grow up to be good kids! If youre two little naughty monkeys, I wont be able to handle you! The babies seemed to understand Qiao Mei and gently kicked her stomach. The checkup results for Qiao Qiang and the rest were also out. Qiao Qiang was very healthy and his physique was much better than people of his age! However, Li Guis health was not so good. As she did not recuperate well after giving birth, she had many lingering health issues. Whenever it rained, Li Guis knee would hurt unbearably. Sometimes, she could not even get out of bed. Qiao Mei looked at Li Guis health report thoughtfully. It seemed like she had to get some supplements for Li Gui to drink. Zhang Miao and Zhang Qin had almost fully recovered. Children were usually able to recover quickly. As long as Zhang Miao exercised hard, she would definitely be able to go to school next spring. Sigh Qiao Mei sighed deeply. Qiao Qiang chuckled and appeared beside Qiao Mei. Why are you sighing now? This doesnt seem like our Mei Meis personality. Grandfather! Arent you playing chess with Grandpa Zhou? Qiao Mei said happily. During this period of time, Qiao Mei did not even get to see Qiao Qiang at all. After breakfast in the morning, he would go to the park to practice Tai Chi with his pals. In the afternoon, he would play chess with Zhou Sheng and at night, he would go for a walk in the park. Chapter 831 Rich And Willful Qiao Qiang''s schedule was packed every day. Qiao Mei could not get the chance to see him even if she wanted to. "Your Grandpa Zhou isn''t at home today, so I''m back," Qiao Qiang said sadly. Qiao Mei pouted in dissatisfaction and said, "You still feel sad about it? I haven''t talked to you in a long time. All you know is to go out and have fun. You don''t even want your granddaughter anymore!" Qiao Qiang could not bear to see Qiao Mei aggrieved and sad. He was so shocked that he quickly took out two pieces of candy from his pocket and said, "That''s not true! Oh my, look, I have candy for you!" Qiao Mei took the candy with satisfaction, unwrapped it and put it in her mouth. This was the most ordinary hard fruit candy sold on the market. Since she was young, whenever Qiao Qiang went out, he would definitely buy a few pieces of hard fruit candy and put them in his pocket. He had not changed this habit throughout the years. "Grandfather, do you think I should buy the other two houses?" Qiao Mei said with a muffled voice as she ate the candy. Qiao Qiang pondered for a moment and said, "What do you think?" Recently, the commotion caused by Qiao Mei buying the houses had become a little too big. Many people knew that the youngest daughter-in-law of the Xia family''s eldest son had spent 30,000 dollars to buy two courtyard houses, one big and one small. Initially, Qiao Mei did not take a fancy to the other two messy houses, but recently, one of the owners was willing to sell it to Qiao Mei for 10,000 dollars. It would be a lie to say that she was not tempted. However, this house was also rather special. In the past, a rich family had lived in it. Later, this house was requisitioned by the country and rented to displaced people. After that, the house was reverted to private ownership, so the owner chased these people away. The property rights were very clear, but the house was very messy. "I actually feel like buying it," Qiao Mei said with a smile. If that house could be bought for 10,000 dollars, it was simply a bargain! If she bought it for 10,000 dollars now, this house would be worth hundreds of millions after a few decades! It would probably cost 7,000 to 8,000 dollars to repair it, but that was still worth it. No matter what Qiao Mei wanted to do, Qiao Qiang would support her unconditionally. Although he did not understand why Qiao Mei wanted to buy so many properties, it was also a pity if she did not spend some of the money she had. As long as Qiao Mei was happy, it did not matter how she spent her money. As long as one was rich, one could afford to be willful. In the afternoon, Qiao Mei asked Xia He to go shopping with her. Xia He and Qiao Mei walked around the mall three to four times, but Qiao Mei still did not buy anything. Xia He was so tired that she almost could not even lift her legs. "What do you want to buy? Isn''t the house already fully renovated?" Xia He asked. "I want to buy kitchen utensils. I''m just looking around," Qiao Mei said energetically. Qiao Mei''s current energy level made Xia He fall into deep thought. As a dancer, she had gone through a lot of physical training, yet her physical strength was actually inferior to that of a pregnant woman who was eight months pregnant and having twins! "Can we rest here for a while" Xia He begged. Qiao Mei did not feel tired at all and could even walk like she was flying. She realized that soaking the bangle in the 100-year-old ginseng liquid would allow energy to seep into it. Although the bangle was not as dense and pure as before, the fact that it could continuously store new energy was good news. After shopping for a long time, Qiao Mei finally decided on what she wanted to buy. She bought two frying pans, an oven and a large pile of corn. The mall would deliver the goods to her so they could just go home directly. "Why did you buy these? Don''t you already have an oven at home?" Xia He asked. "I''m buying this for my mother. My mother is almost out of seeds now, so I have to find something for her to do," Qiao Mei said. Qiao Mei then brought Xia He to a pastry shop nearby. The pastries here were all very exquisite, but they were also very expensive. Xia He looked at the price tags and felt as if her heart was being cut by a knife. A small piece of cake actually cost eight dollars. It was so small that she could eat it in one bite. She knew that Qiao Mei knew how to make pastries, but it was something time-consuming and laborious. Moreover, she would have to throw away whatever she could not sell on the same day. The cost was too high. Li Gui probably could not bear to start such a business. "Do you intend to open a cake shop?" Xia He whispered. "No, I don''t. I''m just here to take a look," Qiao Mei said as she looked around. When they walked into the third cake shop, Qiao Mei finally found what she was looking for. Chapter 832 - 832 Popping Corn 832 Popping Corn A piece of butter could cost 12 dollars here. Although cakes made with butter were sweet and delicious, the cost also increased greatly, so no one really used this ingredient much. To Qiao Mei and those shops with good reputations, it was nothing to buy a piece of butter for 12 dollars. They could easily earn back the cost. Is this what you want to buy? Xia He asked as she pointed at the piece of butter. Thats right, Ill go home and make something delicious for you! Qiao Mei said. The moment she heard that there was something delicious to eat, Xia He immediately followed closely behind Qiao Mei. As long as there was good food, what was there to be afraid of? Even if she had to walk another three or four more rounds today, she would not have a problem! Then tell me, what kind of delicious food is it? Xia He asked. Popcorn! Qiao Mei said. Xia He instantly lost her interest. Popcorn was not something rare. It was the kind of thing where one put some corn inside a huge iron jar and popped the corn under high pressure. There was nothing special about the taste, only a faint corn fragrance. I thought it is going to be something nice. Ive eaten this before, Xia He said. Qiao Mei shook her head confidently and said, Whatever I make is different from what you usually see. Mine is called sweet popcorn and it tastes much better than the ones on the market! Just wait and see! Soon, the things that they bought from the mall were delivered to the house. When they renovated Li Guis house, they specially left a spot in the kitchen for the oven. Now, they just needed to ask the master to install it. In the end, the corn became the problem that stumped Qiao Mei. She could not just throw the entire piece of corn into the pot. The corn kernels needed to be peeled off first. Given that Xia He was around, she could not use her energy to make the corn kernels fall off the corn by themselves. She could only peel them off manually. Theres so much corn. When can we finish Xia He looked at the piles of corn in Li Guis backyard and fell into deep thought. Everyone worked together and sat in the backyard to pick corn kernels. Each person even figured out his or her own way to pick corn kernels quickly. Although this process was cumbersome, they did it happily. Li Gui still sold out all the seeds today. Not only did she have new customers, but there were also many repeat customers. Some people were even waiting at the place where Li Gui usually set up her stall just to buy seeds from her. They were worried that they would miss out if they were too late. Why did you buy so much corn? Li Gui asked curiously. Mom! Youre back! We also dont know what elder sister wants to do. Shes making something delicious in the kitchen, Zhang Qin said. Qiao Mei modified the frying pan that she had bought. She removed the top of the pan lid and replaced it with a stick so that she could easily stir the corn inside. This way, it would be more convenient and the corn would not just fly everywhere. She heated the pot slightly on the stove and poured a portion of the corn in. Then she covered it and stirred it gently. When the water on the surface of the corn had evaporated, she cut off a small piece of butter and placed it in. Now, she just had to slowly stir through the lid and wait for the corn in the pot to pop. Not long after, the fragrance spread out. The entire courtyard was filled with a sweet smell. Many neighbors stopped to look into the courtyard when they passed by the door. Its done! Everyone, come and try it! Qiao Mei said as she came out with a large basin of popcorn. The children ran happily from the backyard, their small eyes wide open. They had never seen such delicious popcorn. Elder sister! Did you put white sugar in it? Why is it so delicious? Zhang Miao asked curiously. I made it with butter. Its different from making it with white sugar! Isnt it delicious? Qiao Mei said as she patted Zhang Miaos head. Li Gui kept singing praises after eating it. Once the seeds were sold out, she could sell this popcorn! The seeds could only be harvested in those few months every year. Corn was available anytime. However, Qiao Mei felt that this corn was still a little lacking. Perhaps it was because of the variety of the corn. It seemed that she should crossbreed a new variety herself. Otherwise, the taste and texture would not be as attractive and would not make people as obsessed with it as with the seeds. Chapter 833 Bargaining She decided to leave it at that for the time being. After all, there was no one in the market who made popcorn like her so it could attract everyone''s attention for a moment. When the people around them figured out this trick, it would no longer be so easy to sell it. "Then how do we sell it? Do we use cups?" Li Gui asked, feeling puzzled. She had seen the peddlers selling popcorn at the entrance of the cinema. Either the customers prepared their own bags or the peddlers used a plastic bag to hold the popcorn. There was no fixed way to sell them. If they used cups, the cost would become higher. If they had to sell it at 80 cents a cup, people might not want to buy it. Over time, the popularity they gained from selling seeds would gradually be lost. The most convenient way was to use plastic bags, but where could they order so many plastic bags? "Use a small bag! The kind of plastic bag that is used to hold those exquisite sweets. The bags are quite colorful and nice-looking! I have a friend who''s in this business," Xia He said. "Can it be custom-made? As in we provide the specifications," Qiao Mei asked. "It should be possible if we order a large quantity. After all, we''re doing a long-term business. It should be negotiable," Xia He said in a straightforward manner. Qiao Mei drew up a draft quickly and indicated that she wanted a totally transparent plastic bag which she could tie with a red string. It was better for such things to be as simple as possible. Otherwise, it would not be good if someone maliciously imitated their logo in the future. "Then I''ll leave it in your good hands~" Qiao Mei handed the draft to Xia He and said sweetly. What Xia He could not stand the most was Qiao Mei acting so coquettishly. She finally understood why Xia Zhe doted on Qiao Mei so much. If even a woman like her could not stand Qiao Mei acting coquettishly, then what more a man. She was simply too cute! With this plan taking shape, Qiao Mei had to start working on her own matters. That was... to buy a house! She wanted to hurry up and buy it while it was still cheap! Otherwise she would miss this chance! Qiao Mei contacted the owner through Xia Wen and asked him to bring all his documents to sign the agreement at her house the next morning. The next day, Xia Wen waited for the owner at the entrance of the alley at the agreed time. It was not until more than half an hour later that the owner rushed over. He was panting and looked in a sorry state. If not for the fact that there was no one following him, Xia Wen would have thought that he was being chased by a dog. "I''m so sorry! I was delayed on the way. I''m really sorry!" The owner clasped his hands together and apologized to Xia Wen. Xia Wen did not kick up a fuss. He smiled and said, "It''s fine. Let''s go quickly." The two of them rushed over. Qiao Mei had been waiting in the main hall for a long time and almost fell asleep while leaning against the table. The owner had heard about Qiao Mei from others, that she was fair-skinned, beautiful, young and rich. Most importantly, she was kind and friendly to people and had a good relationship with her neighbors. "This must be Qiao Mei. I didn''t expect you to be so young," the owner said. "Sir, you''re too kind. Let''s cut to the chase and settle the matter directly so that we make it easy for everyone," Qiao Mei said with a gentle smile. When the owner saw that Qiao Mei was a straightforward person, he took out the title deed and the keys to all the doors. After he handed the things over and signed and stamped the document, this matter would be done. "Then shall we sign the contract?" the owner asked eagerly. Qiao Mei waved her hands and said, "There''s no hurry. It looks to me that many people have lived in your house before. I would like to confirm that you''re the sole owner." The owner said firmly, "It''s mine. It''s written in the title deed! The area of the land is also stated. Back then, we answered the country''s call to rent the house to the homeless people, but now that the country has agreed for us to take it back, it belongs to my family." It was the truth. It seemed that his family was the actual owner, but Qiao Mei still wanted to push the price lower. After all, she wanted to spend as little money as possible. "Then how much do you intend to sell this house to me?" Qiao Mei asked casually. The owner looked at Xia Wen and then at Qiao Mei. They had already agreed that it would be nothing less than 10,000 dollars. Why was she asking him about this now? "I''ve already spoken to this little brother about this. As long as you give me 10,000 dollars in cash, I''ll sell this house," the owner said. Chapter 834 - 834 Bargaining 834 Bargaining Xia Wen did not know what Qiao Mei was up to and just looked at her silently. Qiao Mei calmly tapped the piece of paper on the table and said, As you know, theres another house thats exactly the same as yours. Its on the street next to yours. That house even has an extra storeroom compared with yours. The owner told me that she can sell it to me for 10,000 dollars. The owner of the house immediately panicked. Why was the deal suddenly in jeopardy? His family was in urgent need of money! My house is definitely better than hers! The location and the surroundings are definitely good! the owner said as he stood up agitatedly. !! Xia Wen stood at the side and held back his laughter. She was really a prolific actress. Where did this other house owner come from? This was clearly just a bluff. But I dont intend to live in it. All these factors dont matter if Im just going to rent it out. Maybe you can reconsider the price. Otherwise I need more time to think about it. Qiao Mei took up the backpack on the ground and gently pulled the zipper, revealing the money inside. The owner would not be willing to reconsider so easily, but which person could reject so much money especially when it was being placed in front of them? As Qiao Mei had expected, when the owner saw the money, he immediately corrected himself and said, 9,800 dollars! What do you think? Qiao Mei shook her head and said, I dont lack the 200 dollars. The amount of 200 dollars isnt even enough for me to repair the main door. Then how about 9,500 dollars, the owner said with a frown. Qiao Mei still shook her head and sighed. If this is how sincere you are, then Ill look at the other house. The lowest price is 9,000 dollars! No lower! This is my final price, the owner said firmly to Qiao Mei. Qiao Meis face instantly lit up with a smile. She happily took out the red stamp pad and said, Alright! Its settled then! When they were signing the agreement, Xia Wen quietly gave Qiao Mei a thumbs up. He did not expect that Qiao Mei would really buy it. This house was not much smaller than Xia Zhes front part of the courtyard house. Although the house was old and dilapidated, it was still worth more than 9,000 dollars. If not for the fact that the owners family business was not doing well recently and was in urgent need of cash, he would not be selling the house. Satisfied, Qiao Mei stamped her fingerprint and sent the owner off with a smile. Now that another property belonged to her, she felt that the days of her sitting in the house and counting money were not far off! You, you. Arent you afraid that the landlord will insist on 10,000 dollars? What if you force him into a corner and he doesnt want to sell it to you? Xia Wen said helplessly. Qiao Mei did not believe that a person would not be tempted by so much money being placed in front of him. She had already done a background check on that person. The owners family business was a medium-sized one in the capital, but it had not been doing well in the past two years. In the beginning, the house was listed on the market at the sky-high price of 50,000 dollars and no one bought it even after a year. That was why they were forced to sell the house to her in the end. After all, there were not many people who could afford to buy a house and pay fully in cash. In this era, workplace units allocated houses to their employees based on the number of years they were with the units. After a certain number of years, the employees would be able to own the houses they lived in. Since everyone already had a house to live in, then what was the point of buying one? Im not worried. At most, Ill give him 10,000 dollars. Its not like Im not prepared. I just want to experience the joy of bargaining, Qiao Mei said. Did the Tan family come to look for you after the previous incident? Xia Wen asked. Qiao Mei was silent for a long time before she smiled and said, No, they didnt. Xia He must have told you about it. They never came again, so dont worry. Xia Wen did not expect things to turn out like this. No matter how much he apologized, it would not help with the situation. He decided to help Qiao Mei even more diligently in the future to make it up to her. Its all my fault. Ill make things clear to the Tan family when I get back. Ill definitely give you an explanation, Xia Wen said sternly. Before Xia Zhe left, Xia Zhe had asked him to take good care of Qiao Mei. In the end, not only did he not take good care of her, but he also caused her a lot of trouble. If Xia Zhe came back and found out about this, he would definitely pick a fight. I know the situation well. Eldest brother, lets leave this matter at that. Anyway, the Tan family hasnt come by again. If they do, I have my ways to deal with them, Qiao Mei said with a smile. Chapter 835 - 835 Making Improvements to the Seeds 835 Making Improvements to the Seeds It was true that the Tan family had not come to look for Qiao Mei recently. That day, after Jiang Yi ran away dejectedly, she had gone to look for Tan Jing. Tan Jing was subjected to a scolding for no reason. Seeing that they did not manage to get anything from either the Xia family or Qiao Mei, they packed their things and prepared to leave. However, they did not intend to give up just like that. There was still a long way to go in the future and they could come back at any time to continue looking for trouble. As long as they did not achieve their goal, they would not give up. By the way, eldest brother, I heard that youre not a teacher anymore? Qiao Mei asked. Xia Wen smiled and said, Youre really very well-informed. Ive indeed been transferred. Im now working in the government sector, in charge of the revitalization of the market economy. Then whats your position? Qiao Meis eyes widened as she looked at Xia Wen expectantly. She knew that Xia Wen being a professor in university was a temporary decision made by the Xia family. It was to let Xia Wen have enough time to recuperate and improve his health. Xia Wen would have to go into politics sooner or later, so she was not surprised at all. However, she was curious about Xia Wens current position. If his level was too low, she would not be able to ask him for help. Me? I guess Im considered a section head, Xia Wen said nonchalantly as he noted the look in Qiao Meis eyes. This little fox must be scheming to see if she could make use of him! Xia Zhe and his wife were each smarter than the other! He just hoped that this couples children were not too smart. Otherwise, being the eldest uncle, he would be in trouble. Wow! Thats very impressive! Then tell me about the recent developments. Just tell me a little, Qiao Mei said. Were going to strongly support the common people going into business and will no longer stop them from trading, Xia Wen said. He could not tell Qiao Mei about the specific timing and implementation of the policies. These things were confidential and could not be divulged to outsiders. However, it was fine to give her a sense of the direction that things were headed since Qiao Mei would not go around telling others about these things. When Qiao Mei heard what Xia Wen said, she felt relieved. She had always been worried that if Li Gui was captured by the Industrial and Commercial Bureau or bullied by other peddlers, they would not be able to save Li Gui. She did not want to trouble the Xia family because of her own family. After all, Tan Jing was a good example. The Xia family would only hate having such in-laws. Good, good, good! Then Im relieved! Qiao Mei said excitedly. After a simple chat about family matters, Xia Wen needed to go back to work. As he was newly appointed and about to make drastic changes to an organization upon taking charge, he could not be too lax. It would not be good if someone had any dirt on him. Since Qiao Mei had a lot of time in the afternoon, she decided to do a study on the seeds. She took out the last two flower pots she had at home and went to the backyard to fill them with soil before returning to the empty side house. She planted both the most ordinary seeds on the market and the seeds that she had infused with her energy. She wanted to try and see if this method of grafting would change the growth cycle of ordinary seeds. Qiao Mei gently transferred energy to the two different types of seeds. After they grew taller, she grafted a part of the plant from the energy-infused seeds onto the plant that grew from the ordinary seeds. Then she continued to make them grow. Soon, she obtained a sunflower with a lot of seeds. However, the size of the seeds produced by this sunflower was far inferior to those produced by the energy-infused seeds. Although they were bigger than ordinary melon seeds, they were still far inferior. After Qiao Meis constant tries and attempts at grafting, she finally obtained seeds that were similar to the energy-infused seeds. Its really not easy Qiao Mei sighed deeply. Looking at the discarded sunflowers all over the ground, she started to worry about how to clean them up later. However, it was very simple. She just needed to extract all the energy from these discarded sunflowers and they would disintegrate into ashes with one touch. Then, she just needed to sweep them up. Qiao Mei took one of the seeds and tasted it. Although there were some subtle differences, most people would not be able to notice it. She would wait until next year to find a piece of land in the capital to grow them and take a look at the results. Next up was corn, but only her own family needed corn. When required, she just needed to give them some energy and there was no need to cultivate them in large quantities. She could simply plant them when Li Gui had almost used up all of them. Now, it was time for her to take a good rest. Previously, when she was inducing the growth of ginseng, there was always a faint fragrance on her body. Now that she had induced the growth of sunflowers a few times, she felt a nice sense of warmth all over. Chapter 836 In Pursuit Li Gui continued to sell seeds today as usual, but she brought along some popcorn from yesterday. She thought of giving away some popcorn with every purchase of seeds today. This way, she could lay the groundwork for selling popcorn in the future. It might even attract people who want to eat the popcorn she sold. Today, she brought Zhang Wei and Zhang Qin back to that same alley near the cinema to sell seeds. Many people were already waiting there with anxious expressions on their faces. When one of the older men saw Li Gui, he pointed at her agitatedly as he shouted, "It''s her! It''s her!" Li Gui froze on the spot and was so frightened that she wanted to grab the two children and run away. Qiao Mei had asked her earlier if she had been bullied by the other peddlers and she had confidently said no. She did not expect to receive retribution so quickly! "Don''t run! We''re here to buy seeds! Don''t run!" the older men shouted as they chased after Li Gui. Li Gui did not even hear what they were saying behind her back. She used all her strength to run forward and only stopped when Zhang Wei broke free from her grip. "Mom! Those people want to buy seeds from us!" Zhang Wei shouted towards Li Gui''s back. Li Gui panted as she sat on the ground and wiped the sweat off her forehead. How could they be here to buy seeds? If they were here to buy seeds, why were they so agitated? The older man also slowly caught up. He stood in front of Li Gui and asked, "You sister, why did you run away?" "I don''t know that you are here to buy seeds. It feels like you''re here to arrest me since there are so many people with you" Li Gui was so shaken that she did not even dare to breathe loudly. These people who came to buy seeds had never had the experience of being chased down for street peddling, so they naturally did not know what Li Gui was afraid of. The few grown men found it quite embarrassing to have frightened a woman with two children to such an extent. Each of them bought two dollars'' worth of seeds to express their apologies, and someone even bought five dollars'' worth! "Thank you! Thank you everyone!" Li Gui expressed her gratitude. Zhang Qin took out some popcorn from her bag and said, "Uncles, try our new product. You can give us some feedback too!" "Sure! We''ll try it." The older men took the popcorn from Zhang Qin. After that, everyone was full of praise. Everyone had eaten popcorn since they were young. There were peddlers who sold popcorn everywhere, but this was the first time they had eaten the type of sweet popcorn that Li Gui was selling. "How do you make this! Why is it different from what we usually eat! How much are you selling this for!" the older men asked. Speaking of which, it was quite strange. In the past, everyone only ate seeds for fun. Sometimes, when they brought their girlfriends to the movies, they bought seeds simply to show off. However, ever since they ate the seeds which Li Gui sold, they craved for the taste even after they returned home. If not for the fact that a small cup cost 50 cents and they really could not afford to buy too much, they would have bought bags of it home! They were unable to spend more than two dollars a month to buy the seeds that Li Gui sold. Ordinary folks could not afford to eat such expensive things too often. Now that Li Gui had come up with a new product, they were worried that their wallets could not handle it. "This is what we will sell in the future. In a few days, we will run out of seeds. If you like our popcorn, you can come over and buy it! The price is still 50 cents and it is definitely affordable! You won''t get any less!" Li Gui said with a smile. No one had seen the size of one portion of popcorn, so they did not dare to order in advance. However, they noted that the seeds were running out. They did not bring enough money with them today, so they would definitely bring more money tomorrow! After the older men left with the seeds they bought, Li Gui returned to the alley to continue selling her goods. The other peddler secretly followed her. His business was not as good as before and sales were slow. After so many decades of doing business, he had never been in such a miserable situation. However, he was also a person with some standards. He had occupied the best location at the entrance of the cinema and he had already made a lot of money after so many years. He just found it strange that given everyone sold the same type of seeds, why was it that the customers liked to buy such expensive seeds from Li Gui. "How strange Have I lost to a woman?" the peddler said in exasperation. Li Gui''s stall was surrounded by customers again. Everyone rushed over to buy the seeds and the peddler could not squeeze through at all. Chapter 837 Distribution Problem A customer saw the anxious peddler and asked, "Are you here to buy seeds too?" The peddler was stunned for a moment and said, "Yes that''s right. I also want to buy a few cups!" "Sigh It''s very difficult to buy their seeds. You should buy some soon!" After saying that, the customer left with his purchase. Today, Li Gui also gave Zhang Qin and Zhang Wei some seeds to sell. Each of them had 10 pounds to sell. That was the only way they could manage the crowd. It would be impossible for her to do it alone. The peddler walked over to Zhang Wei''s spot and bought two cups before going back. He just wanted to know the difference between the seeds he and Li Gui sold. On the way back, the peddler took two out to try. The taste was simply top-notch! It was no wonder that he could not beat her and he immediately admitted defeat. However, this was the first time he had seen such seeds. This must be a different variety from another country. It did not seem possible to propose to work together with her. If he had a supply of such good seeds, he would definitely not share them with others. With this, it was equivalent to having an endless stream of income. Very quickly, Li Gui and her two children sold out everything and the three of them went home happily. "Mom! We sold a lot today!" Zhang Qin said as she skipped along beside Li Gui. "That''s right, it''s all thanks to the two of you! I''ll follow the old practice and give you 10 cents a pound. Although Zhang Chao and Zhang Miao didn''t help with the sales, they''re helping to pick out the corn kernels at home, so let''s give them 5 cents, alright?" Li Gui said. After all, she must ensure that she treated the four children fairly. Picking corn kernels was also a tiring job. Moreover, not only did Zhang Qin and Zhang Wei have to help pick the kernels, but they also had to go out to do the selling. It was only right for the two of them to get more. The two children looked at each other as if they were telepathic. Zhang Wei nodded at Zhang Qin and turned to Li Gui. "We''ll take it as we''re helping our younger siblings to do the selling now. When the two of them feel better, they have to come and help with the selling too. We''ll also be picking corn at home as well then, so they should get a share of what we sell." Li Gui felt touched as she looked at them and asked softly, "Xiao Qin, do you feel the same way?" "Yes I do. So in the future,is it alright if we give all the money we make to eldest brother and then we discuss how to split it among ourselves?" Zhang Qin said. It was not as if this method was not feasible. After all, Zhang Wei had already grown up. Usually, when she was not at home, it was Zhang Wei who took care of the other three children. To the other three children, he was like a father figure. However, what if the distribution was uneven and the children fought among themselves She could not make up her mind about this matter and decided to discuss this matter with Qiao Mei. It would not be good if this bit of money caused a conflict between these few siblings. She had seen such things happen too many times and did not want the same thing to happen to her children. "Can Mom go back and discuss with elder sister? After all, elder sister also has a share of the earnings," Li Gui said. The two children had no objections. After Li Gui sent the two children home, she went to look for Qiao Mei to discuss this matter. She did not go in through the back door. It was already nighttime and she was worried that she would disturb Qiao Qiang''s rest if she went in through the back door. Thus, she took a long detour to Qiao Mei''s main door. "Mei Mei, are you asleep yet?" Li Gui walked quietly to Qiao Mei''s bedroom door and asked. Although the lights in Qiao Mei''s bedroom were still on, it was possible that she had fallen asleep. It was better to ask before she went in. "No! What''s wrong, Mom?" Qiao Mei said as she opened the door. "I want to ask you something regarding the four children. I can''t make up my mind," Li Gui said as she looked at Qiao Mei awkwardly. Qiao Mei turned sideways to let Li Gui in first. She had just been looking at embroidery patterns for the baby clothes. Now that the babies were about to be born, even though she had already prepared enough things, she still wanted to be more prepared. "What''s the matter? Is it because sales are not good today?" Qiao Mei asked. "No It''s just that we previously said we would give the children 10 cents per pound sold as pocket money. However, now that Zhang Chao and Zhang Miao are both sick and can''t come out, I have thought of another way, but I''m worried" Li Gui told Qiao Mei everything that had happened along the way. Although Qiao Mei had never experienced such a thing before, she believed in the children''s characters. Zhang Wei''s character was different from that of Li Gui''s eldest brother, Li Dong, so what happened to her back then would not happen to the children. Chapter 838 Leaving It To The Children "Mom, are you worried that these children will fight and complain about one another like other siblings in our village?" Qiao Mei said. Li Gui sighed deeply. She had experienced such a thing before, so she did not want to see her children suffer in the same way. Every child''s temper and personality were different. Each of them would get along differently with a different person. If Zhang Wei was left to make the decision and something went wrong, it would not be worth it if the children quarreled over money. "I think we should leave this matter to Zhang Wei. There are actually times when adults are biased too. Don''t you also like Zhang Wei a little more?" Qiao Mei said with a smile. This question stunned Li Gui. Among the four children, did she treat each and every one of them fairly and wholeheartedly? Of course not She would usually give all the delicious food to Zhang Wei first before she gave the other children. She had to go out every day to earn money to support the family and she left it to Zhang Wei to worry about the things at home. He was like the "father" of the family. Li Gui felt more sorry for Zhang Wei. He was so young and yet he had to take care of his younger siblings, so she took extra care of him. However could this be considered a form of favoritism? "I I just want Zhang Wei to eat more. He still has to take care of his younger siblings. I think he''s really too tired, so I want him to have more nourishment," Li Gui said. "Actually, the person who does the most work at home is Zhang Qin. Boys are usually careless so most of the time, Zhang Qin is the one who takes care of their daily living. You don''t know this yet, but Zhang Qin knows how to cook. That day, she stood on a small stool to fry vegetables. Sometimes, Zhang Wei is too busy with other chores at home, so Zhang Qin is the one who takes care of their basic needs," Qiao Mei said. Li Gui lowered her head deeply. She did not know about these things and had never even heard of this. It was really hard for her to imagine how a young child like Zhang Qin knew how to fry vegetables in a wok. It seemed that she was also an unfair mother who gave more care to Zhang Wei and ignored the other children. In fact, during the time she went out to earn money, all the children had a hard time. They all needed to help out and take care of one another. There was no such thing as one of them doing more than the other. When everyone was in a bad mood, Zhang Miao would even liven up the atmosphere! Zhang Chao would also solve problems that Zhang Qin and Zhang Wei did not understand. They took care of one another. "I understand now" Li Gui said. "Just let them be. Some brothers get along better after they fight. Besides, are you still worried about Zhang Wei''s character? What you''re worried about won''t happen," Qiao Mei said relaxedly. She did not understand what it was like to fight with siblings. She was the sole daughter of Li Gui and Qiao Yue and she did not meet any other children when she was young. She and her grandfather only had each other to rely on, so she had never experienced these things and did not understand them. However, the four children would definitely not quarrel over money. In this family, they did not lack money at all. Moreover, they had all worked hard to earn their pocket money. They knew very well how difficult it was to earn money. Moreover, they were much richer than ordinary children, and perhaps even richer than adults, so they would not plunder other people''s money out of greed. Li Gui also knew that this was her own sore point and had nothing to do with the children. If Qiao Mei had siblings, she would be equally worried about Qiao Mei. So be it. Whether this matter was good or bad, it all depended on how the children resolved it themselves. Li Gui turned around and saw the half-finished product that Qiao Mei was sewing. She had prepared a set of clothes for the children and Xu Lan had prepared even more. She wondered why Qiao Mei was still making clothes. "Why are you still making clothes for the children? The kids will grow up very fast in two to three months. The things we have prepared are already enough for these two children to wear every day," Li Gui said. Qiao Mei picked up the tiny clothes and said, "I don''t feel at ease and I keep feeling that I should be more prepared. Anyway, I don''t have anything to do at home. Now, those people are all keeping an eye on me and not letting me go out." Qiao Mei''s courtyard house was surrounded by the Xia family''s spies. There were even spies from the He family. They all had their own concerns about Qiao Mei getting into trouble. Chapter 839 Red Ribbon The Xia family was concerned that Qiao Mei would have an emergency and that they would not be able to protect her in time. The He family was just as worried as the Xia family, but their concern was that if anything happened to Qiao Mei, their ginseng supplier would be gone. This was a huge matter for them. Without the ginsengs, He Ning would not be able to live for long. Li Gui told Qiao Mei about the tricks and techniques which she used during labor, but she did not elaborate on the difficulties she encountered during labor. Since ancient times, women going through labor were tantamount to having a close shave with death. Qiao Mei actually knew that these two babies would be born successfully and that she would be well and alive. However, she was still afraid of things that she had not experienced before. The more she thought about it, the more panicked she became, especially since Xia Zhe was not by her side. She had not been in contact with Xia Zhe for a long time and he was always on her mind. After they chatted, Li Gui also returned to her house. Qiao Mei put away all the things she had made for the babies and fell asleep. At dawn, Li Gui started to clean up the courtyard again. She was someone who could not stay idle. Even if she was living a good life now, she still maintained all her old habits. Xia He kept her promise and brought over Qiao Mei''s custom-made popcorn bags. She tactfully parked the car in front of Li Gui''s house so that she did not wake Qiao Mei up. She did not want to get scolded! The last time she went to look for Qiao Mei early in the morning, she was almost frightened to death by Qiao Mei''s dark expression. It was enough for her to experience this kind of thing once. She did not want to experience it a second time. "Auntie! Why are you up so early?" Xia He smiled as she walked into the courtyard. Li Gui was so happy that she immediately put down the broom in her hand and went over with a smile. "I''m used to waking up so early for most of my life. Why did you come and look for me first today?" "I''m just scared that Qiao Mei will scold me. Auntie, look, these are the bags you wanted. There are also red ribbons which are also made by their factory! These ribbons are a gift from them as it''s a new product. They want to know if it''s easy to use, so I ask them to give us some to try," Xia He said. Li Gui''s original idea was to use a red string and simply tie it tightly. However, this would waste a lot of time. The time needed to tie a red string would be enough to fill up two bags of popcorn. Xia He had also considered this point. During this period of time, she had gone around to look at ribbons. Beautiful ready-made ribbons were very expensive. Given that they had kept their cost low at the moment, it would not be worth it if the packaging increased their cost.Ѧd `n??| om Now that she managed to get hold of a batch of ready-to-use red ribbons and resolved Li Gui''s pressing need, she could slowly set about discussing a collaboration with the factory in the future. "It looks so good. This is the first time I''ve seen such a convenient thing! Thank you so much. You must eat here today! I''ll go and cook now!" Li Gui said excitedly as she held Xia He''s hand. pnd`no?1~o She had specially put aside a big fish today to make some soup for Qiao Mei. Since Xia He was here, she would make a dish of braised fish instead and buy a bigger and better one for Qiao Mei tomorrow. "Sure! I like Auntie''s cooking! Let me help you!" Xia He said. Li Gui did not reject the offer. She really needed help. Not only did she have to cook for the four children, but also Qiao Mei and her grandfather. There was also Xia He today. There were four adults and four children to feed. She could not handle making a table full of dishes by herself. "Sure!" Li Gui said happily. "Auntie, why are the children in our family more obedient than others? Auntie, how did you educate them?" Xia He asked out of curiosity. She had come across many children of relatives, neighbors and friends. Every child would cry and throw a tantrum. Even the more obedient ones would do surprising things from time to time. However, Li Gui''s four children were very sensible. She did not know how they were brought up so well. "These children were also little rascals in the eyes of others in the beginning. You don''t know this, right? Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao didn''t even acknowledge me as their mother in the past! This was all instigated by my then husband and mother-in-law," Li Gui said helplessly. Xia He really did not know that the matter was so serious in the past. She said worriedly, "Oh, I''ve said something wrong. Auntie, don''t be sad" Li Gui shook her head indifferently. She would not be sad about the past. She just felt emotional as she did not expect the children to change so much, and her life to also change so drastically. She had to thank Qiao Mei for all this. It was Qiao Mei who gave her a chance of survival. Chapter 840 - 840 Uncomfortable 840 Uncomfortable Im fine. The children are doing quite well now. I feel quite content! Li Gui said in relief. Xia He looked around. She really felt like living in this courtyard. She did not even mind staying at Qiao Meis place to accompany her until she gave birth. During this period of time, she had been treated quite inhumanely at home. Xu Lans priority now was to take good care of Qiao Mei and ensure that she delivered the babies smoothly. However, Qiao Mei was living in the courtyard house now and Xu Lan could not go there to visit Qiao Mei every day. Therefore, she set her sights on Xia He. Xia He was already in her 30s this year. Although she was much older than the younger girls in their 20s, her figure and looks were definitely not inferior. When everyone found out about Xia Hes divorce, there were people who had come to propose marriage. !! Xu Lan even brought a prospective suitor to the house and sprung a surprise on Xia He, forcing her to meet the man. After this incident, Xia He felt worried whenever she returned home every day. She would first check if there were any unfamiliar cars nearby, and then check if there were any strangers shoes at the door, before she dared to enter the house. She would definitely have more freedom if she lived alone and she could then do whatever she wanted. However, she could not afford to buy a house with the amount of savings she had now and she did not want to live on credit. It was better to take it slow. With Xia Hes help, the food was quickly ready. Li Gui naturally took on the responsibility of waking Qiao Mei up. She first went to wake Qiao Qiang up, then went to Qiao Meis bedroom door. Li Gui held her breath and gently pushed open the door. She realized that Qiao Mei was still fast asleep on the bed and did not even sense her presence. She tiptoed to Qiao Meis bed, worried that she would make a sound. Then, she gently patted Qiao Meis shoulder and said, Wake up~ Qiao Mei~ Wake up~ Qiao Mei frowned and scratched the spot where Li Gui had touched her. She turned to the other side with much difficulty and went back to sleep. Now that her stomach was much bigger, it was very difficult for her to turn over in her sleep. If she slept for too long, her body would feel numb, so she would always wake up at night. She also had to go to the toilet more often, especially since she was pregnant with twins. It was already very difficult for her to fall asleep, so it was inevitable that she would get angry when she got woken up in the morning. Qiao Mei~ Get up and eat. The food is ready. Li Gui patted Qiao Meis shoulder again. This time round, Qiao Mei woke up. She slowly opened her eyes and only relaxed when she saw that it was Li Gui. Li Guis tense nerves relaxed. Fortunately, she was the one who came to wake Qiao Mei up today. If Xia He had been the one, it would probably be another story. She might go in standing up and come out lying down. Qiao Mei sat quietly for a few minutes and gradually woke up. After washing up, she went to Li Guis house. Before she entered, she was already deeply attracted by the fragrance of food. Why are you here too? Qiao Mei asked in surprise. That made Xia He feel a little speechless. Qiao Mei was the one who set the time and asked her to deliver the popcorn bags today, so why was she asking her this question now? Did you lose your memory? You are the one who asked me to come over the other day, Xia He said. Qiao Mei thought about it carefully. It did seem like she had said that. She could not sleep well every day and the dark circles under her eyes had become more serious. I forgot Qiao Mei said embarrassedly. These physical changes could not be resolved by energy. Energy could change her body temperature, but it could not help with the various changes to her body due to the pregnancy. After having breakfast in a hurry, Qiao Mei still wanted to go back to sleep, but she gave up on the idea after a light yawn. After all, she still had to watch over the popcorn production. You dont look very comfortable, Xia He asked worriedly. Qiao Mei sighed. She did not feel so uncomfortable some time ago, and even felt smug that as long as she had the necklace from Wu Min, she would not feel too uncomfortable. She did not expect to feel very uncomfortable during this last stage. She finally understood how difficult it was to be a mother. I cant sleep well at night. I think Ill feel much better after giving birth. Its fine, Qiao Mei said resignedly. Why dont I come over and accompany you? Im still worried about you living there alone, Xia He said. Qiao Mei was not worried that Xia He would covet the house at all. If Tan Jing was the one saying such things to her, she would become suspicious and wonder about her ulterior motives. Chapter 841 - 841 Living Together 841 Living Together Whats wrong, you cant stay at home anymore? Qiao Mei asked teasingly. She had also lived at home for a period of time. Most young people were unwilling to live with their parents mainly because their freedom would get restricted. It was not so bad to have to wake up early, but they had to watch their behavior all the time. Otherwise, they would get scolded. During that time, she could not even take an afternoon nap comfortably. She would be woken up to do housework, especially when Liu Fen was at home. Sigh I feel so stifled now that I want to buy a house quickly, Xia He said. Just buy it. Houses are so cheap now. It wont be worth it when the price increases in the future, Qiao Mei persuaded. Xia He poked Qiao Meis arm angrily. If Qiao Mei did not have the special ability to dig for ginseng, how could she have so much money to buy a house? Moreover, Xia He had already spent all the money that Kong Lu returned to her. I can lend you the money and I wont charge you interest. How about that? Qiao Mei asked. She had long wanted Xia He and Xia Wen to quickly buy a house for themselves. They were both children of the Xia family. If everyone progressed at different speeds, there would probably be animosity in the future. It would be best if everyone made progress together. Forget it! Ill have to spend more than 10 years to repay the debt! Ill think about it again, Xia He said. If Qiao Mei had a lot of money, Xia He would have liked to accept her offer. However, Qiao Mei was going to give birth soon and then she would need to bring up her children. There would be huge expenses coming up. Qiao Mei had just bought a few houses and probably did not have much money left. Xia He found it embarrassing to have to borrow money from Qiao Mei to buy a house. Qiao Mei understood Xia Hes concerns, so she did not say anything else. When she received the one million dollars from He Ning, Xia He would definitely come looking for her. After all, it would be obvious by then that she did not lack money. At that time, she would also try to persuade Xia Wen. I have no issues with you coming to my place, but how are you going to convince Mother? Qiao Mei asked. This matter is not difficult. Ill just say that Im coming over to take care of you! Its just that I cant be the one saying this. You have to help me put in the request, Xia He said pleadingly. Qiao Mei agreed to this matter and went to the public phone booth at the entrance of the alley to call Xu Lan. Initially, Xu Lan was firmly against it, but Qiao Mei used her trump card, i.e. Xu Lans grandchildren, to threaten her. She said that she could not sleep well every day and that if Xia He did not come to accompany her, no one would find out if something went wrong, then the babies would be in trouble. She directly targeted Xu Lans weakness. Xia He successfully received the green light to move into Qiao Meis house. After hanging up, Xu Lan heaved a sigh of relief. She finally did not need to arrange blind dates for Xia He at home. Those men were all introduced by her friends on their own accord and they called her every day to urge her to quickly arrange a time for Xia He to meet the men. Those who did not know better would think that she was the one being introduced to them! Xu Lan only obliged to do these old friends a favor. She actually felt that it was too soon for Xia He to get married now. There was not enough time for Xia He to understand the other partys character and personality at all. After having suffered once, she must not suffer again. Xia He could get married whenever she wanted to. She would not force Xia He anymore. Its done~ Qiao Mei said happily as she returned to the courtyard. Xia He gave her a thumbs up and said, As expected! As long as you take action, theres nothing that cant be done! Did you give my mom some magical potion? Why does she agree to everything you say now? Qiao Mei touched her stomach proudly and said, I have an immunity medallion! Xia He was no longer envious. She did not want to experience the hardships of being pregnant. She really did not know how Qiao Mei had managed to make it so far. But you have to help me with something if you want to stay here, Qiao Mei said. What is it? Xia He asked. Qiao Mei pointed to the north and said, I bought another house that I saw previously. I want to renovate it during this period of time and make good use of that place. That spot was hidden and undisturbed. It was just the right place to stockpile corn. Moreover, it was not far from Li Guis place and the location was very convenient. In the future, she would not have to worry about anything when they produced popcorn inside. Alright, I can still handle this small issue. I wont be able to do it if you want me to cook, Xia He said. Two days ago, you told me that you want to learn how to cook! Now youre going back on your word! Sigh! Women sure change their minds quickly! Qiao Mei teased. Xia He was so riled up that she pretended to hit Qiao Mei and then said shyly, Arent you a woman too! Chapter 842 - 842 The Poor Has More Say 842 The Poor Has More Say This house looked different from the other ones she bought. Back then, Qiao Mei did not even take a closer look because she felt that it was too rundown and dirty. After buying it, she asked the owner to clean out all the trash and now it looked much better. Qiao Mei and Xia He saw a suspicious looking man sneaking around not far from the main door of the house. He kept loitering around outside and would lean against the door from time to time to try and look inside. His behavior was very strange. Whats that person doing? Xia He grabbed Qiao Mei and pointed at the man. Qiao Mei grabbed Xia He and made a move to turn around, but they were still spotted by that man. The man shouted at Qiao Mei and Xia He, Stop! Are you the people who bought this house! He heard from the neighbors nearby that this house had been bought by a young and beautiful pregnant woman. The physical characteristics of these two women were the same as described. It must be them! Whatever needed to happen would happen. Trouble was brewing. Qiao Mei did not feel like hiding. She turned to look at the man and said, Whats the matter? When the man saw that Qiao Mei had admitted it, he immediately put on a different expression and said arrogantly, Youre just exploiting us commoners! You use the hard-earned money of us commoners to buy such a big house! I hear that you have three or four houses! You dont even intend to live in such a big house! Why are you taking away our house! If these words were spoken 15 years ago, it would definitely cause an uproar. At that time, rich landlords would withhold money from the commoners but build big houses for themselves. That was why later on, the country made these rich people offer their houses to the poor commoners so that they had a place to live. By now, this policy had already been abolished. The ownership of all these houses had returned to the hands of the original owners. A few people chose to move in while others chose to sell their houses. As for the people who used to live in the houses, they had no say at all. After all, they had lived there for free for so long and sufficiently enjoyed the benefits. The neighbors around the area all opened their doors and windows to watch the commotion, but no one was willing to come out to protect Qiao Mei and speak up for her. This house belongs to the Liu family! Who are you? Xia He asked. Me! Im the one who lives in this house! Su Liang said. Xia He laughed mockingly. To put it bluntly, he was just a scoundrel who wanted to continue living in the house for free. What are you laughing at! I dont care! You have to open the door! Let us move back in! Su Liang shouted as he pointed at the locked door. The main door was broken and dilapidated. It would not be an exaggeration to say that it was just made up of two wooden planks. It was surprising that Su Liang did not simply use force to break in and still waited for Qiao Mei to open the door. At the very least, he was aware of the need to obey the law. With this, he was already much better than any of Qiao Zhuangs family members. You still want to live here for free? No way! Weve already bought this house! So its already our house and we can do whatever we want with it. You should go find another place to live in, Xia He advised kindly. Qiao Mei grabbed Xia He and wanted to leave. She really did not have the energy to stand here and argue with such a scoundrel. If she could not take a look at the house today, it was fine with her. She could come back tomorrow or the day after. Su Liang could tell that Qiao Mei wanted to leave and quickly walked forward to block her way. He pointed at Qiao Mei and said, You cant leave! Hurry up and take out the key! Move aside. If anything happens to me, can you bear the responsibility? Qiao Mei said as she stroked her stomach slowly. Su Liang was not afraid at all. Who knew if this pregnancy was real or fake. Besides, it was nothing special for a woman to be pregnant. Back when his mother was pregnant with him, she even rolled down the stairs and yet he was still alive and well. Qiao Mei was just trying to scare him. Dont try to scare me! This is just a big belly! Im not afraid of you! Hurry up and take out the key so that we can continue living here! Su Liang said. Qiao Meis worldview had been completely refreshed. So these people did not want to work hard and did not have a place to live, but they were blaming her for buying this house? Fortunately, Qiao Mei did not transmigrate to an earlier period of time. Otherwise, she might have completely gone crazy. It was really scary and unreasonable to see what it was like when the poor had more say. Qiao Mei dodged to one side and continued walking forward. Seeing this, Su Liang reached out and gave Qiao Mei a push. Chapter 843 - 843 Broken Bones 843 Broken Bones Qiao Mei! Xia He shouted at Qiao Mei out of fear. Qiao Mei instinctively defended herself. The next second, Su Liang had hit the opposite wall. Everything happened so quickly that Xia He did not even see how Qiao Mei did it even though she was right next to Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei! Are you alright! Let me take a look at you! Xia He looked at Qiao Mei in a panic and checked her from head to toe, afraid that something had happened to her. She should not have brought Qiao Mei out today! The reason why she was staying by Qiao Meis side was to protect and help Qiao Mei. However, she had almost let Qiao Mei get hurt. This was already the second time something similar had happened in front of her. Probably only the two parties involved knew how Su Liang flew up against the wall. Im fine Qiao Mei said gently. The more Qiao Mei behaved like this, the angrier Xia He became. This person actually dared to launch an attack on the streets in broad daylight. Xia He quickly walked up to Su Liang, grabbed his collar and said fiercely, Let me tell you! We have bought this house and we can use it however we want! Im calling the police now. If you have anything to say, say it to the police! As soon as Su Liang heard that she was going to call the police, he immediately became afraid. He lay on the ground and rolled around as he shouted, Boohoo, just you wait. My mother wont let you off! Mom! Xia He took a few steps back in disdain. She did not expect this person to be a mummys boy. It was really unexpected. What are you looking at! Dont you hear Doggo calling out for his mother! Close the door now! a man said as he grabbed a woman. The neighbors had all lived in this alley for a long time and known one another since they were young. Su Liangs nickname was Doggo. As Su Liang fell sick often since he was young, his mother gave him this name and said that a lousy name would lead to a better life. His mother, Old Madam Fan, was quite a character. No one in the entire alley dared to provoke her. Whoever provoked her would not have any peaceful days! She was a very unreasonable person. Even if you were in the right, you would not be able to fight back in front of her. Even the police officers in this area were helpless against Old Madam Fan. Ill just take another look! Dont pull me! the woman said. She really wanted to see if this newcomer young lady could defeat Old Madam Fan. Youre still calling out for your mother! Its useless even if you ask your ancestors to come! Xia He shouted in exasperation. There was a small shop next to the house with a landline phone at the door. Xia He threw a dollar to the shopkeeper and asked him to call the police station to ask them to come and take Su Liang away. In the end, Xia He asked Qiao Mei to go home and she would go personally to the police station to deal with this matter. Su Liang looked at Qiao Mei in fear. He would much prefer that Xia He went along instead of Qiao Mei. This woman was really too terrifying. He had never seen such strength. The police officers first brought Su Liang to the hospital for a simple treatment. The result of the examination was beyond Xia Hes expectations. Su Liang had many bone fractures, and both his arms and legs were all broken. Qiao Mei was really ruthless No wonder Xia Zhe had previously said that she was very strong. Even if Qiao Mei attacked too ruthlessly, it was still considered a defensive action. Otherwise, Su Liang would have hurt Qiao Mei and her babies! Thinking about it this way, she felt that Qiao Mei did not hit him hard at all. After Su Liang had the casts put on, they returned to the police station. Xia He must see Su Liang being punished with her own eyes today, otherwise she would not leave! If he was lucky, this would be called picking a fight and causing trouble on the streets. Otherwise, it would be considered attempted murder and extortion! If he managed to escape today, then what if he went looking for trouble with them another day! She could not let this matter rest just like that! If anyone hurt Qiao Mei, she would return the favor a hundredfold! Did he really think that the Xia family was just an empty shell! Xia He borrowed the phone at the Public Security Bureau to call Xia Wen. Eldest brother, Im at the police station now, Xia He said self-righteously. Xia Wen looked at the phone in his hand in shock and hesitated for a long time before saying, Xia He? Is that you? Thats right! Eldest brother, its me! Im at the police station! Xia He said. What did you do to get sent to the police station? Xia Wen asked. This was way too unusual. Xia He was at the police station and yet she could still talk to him so self-righteously. Could it be there to uphold justice for someone? Chapter 844 - 844 Taking a Fancy to My Son 844 Taking a Fancy to My Son Someone bullied Qiao Mei! Come over quickly! People from their side will be coming soon! Xia He said. The moment Xia Wen heard that something had happened to Qiao Mei, he quickly hung up the phone, picked up his coat and ran out. This was a person who was as important as their ancestors. If anything happened to her, Xu Lan would skin him alive anytime. Wheres my mother! I want to call my mother too! I want to look for my mother! Mom! Su Liang shouted at the police. Sit down obediently! You have already made so many calls! the police officer said as he pointed at Su Liang. !! The more Xia He looked at Su Liang, the more she found it funny. How could there be such a person? He was already a grown man and yet he only knew how to look for his mother. He was even worse than a kindergarten kid. Comrade Xia He, its better that you go back first. His mother is not someone to be trifled with. Im worried that the police officer said softly. Although they were from different units, they were all members of the military and it was only right for them to take care of one another. Before Xia He could say anything, Old Madam Fan had already arrived at the police station. My son! Where did you take my son! Old Madam Fan roared as she entered the police station hall with heavy footsteps. When Su Liang heard Old Madam Fans voice, he kept yelling out like a little bird asking for food. Mom! Im here! Help! Su Liang shouted towards the door. Xia He and the police officers tacitly covered their ears. Such ear-piercing sounds could cost them their lives. Old Madam Fan did not even look at the police when she entered the room. She did not care about their presence at all but walked up to Su Liang and hugged him tightly. Xia He almost laughed out loud when she saw this comical scene. Old Madam Fan weighed about 300 pounds. When she walked, her stomach wobbled. With this hug, she pressed Su Liang against her chest and almost suffocated him to death. Which of you beat up my son like this? Old Madam Fan looked fiercely at the people around her. Xia He raised her hand fearlessly and said, He fell down himself. Do you think Im blind! How can a fall cause such injuries! You must have hit him! Vicious woman, how can you be so ruthless! Even if my son doesnt want to date you, you cant be so ruthless! Old Madam Fan accused. At this point, everyone present was stunned. Xia He was even more confused. What was going on? What did she mean by dating her son? Who would want such a person? What nonsense are you talking about! Who wants to date your son! Xia He said. Old Madam Fan curled her lips in disdain. She had seen many young ladies who behaved like this. Her son was so handsome, so how could no one want to woo him? If it was not because this young lady wanted to woo her son, then what else could have happened? The police officer whispered into Xia Hes ear, This man is a repeat offender and he often harasses women. Yet his mother always thinks that its the girls who have taken a fancy to her son and that the girls are the ones harassing him. When Xia He heard that, she wanted to teach Su Liang a lesson even more. She should have kicked him a few more times before coming here to vent the hatred in her heart. What a scumbag! How dare such a person still have the cheek to live in this world! Quick, give me money. My son is beaten up by you to this extent, so you have to give me money! You have to give me give me 10,000 dollars! Old Madam Fan said. You dont even know what your son has done, yet youre asking me for money. I havent even asked you for money yet! Xia He said. What else can it be? Isnt it because you took a fancy to my son? Then when he rejected you, you became so angry that you hit him, Old Madam Fan said. Xia He gritted her teeth in anger. How could there be such a narcissistic person! She would sooner fall for a dog more than this womans son! Xia He looked at Su Liang even more fiercely. Su Liang was so frightened that he quickly hid behind Old Madam Fan and said, Mom, Im scared. She bullied me! You have to stand up for me! Dont worry, my son! Ill definitely get an explanation for you! Old Madam Fan said indignantly. Xia He only wished that Xia Wen would arrive quickly. She really could not stand this situation anymore. If Xia Wen did not come soon, it was very likely that she would start a fight at the police station. If that happened, Xia Wen would really reach here in time to bail her out. Auntie, this matter is really your sons fault. Everyone saw your son attacking someone on the streets, the police officer said. Chapter 845 - 845 The Stall Is Smashed Up 845 The Stall Is Smashed Up Impossible! My son is even afraid of killing chickens! How can he attack someone on the streets! You must be lying to me! Old Madam Fan said. Xia He kept her eyes fixed on the door. This was the first time she looked forward to seeing Xia Wen so much. Only Xia Wen could handle such matters. She really could not hold it in anymore. Just as Old Madam Fan was getting tired of making her one-sided arguments, Xia Wen finally arrived. Xia He looked at him with a great deal of gratitude in her eyes. She quickly patted Xia Wens shoulder and said to the police officer, My eldest brother is here. Im leaving. Talk to my brother about the rest. Xia He had already told Xia Wen the whole story over the phone. Furthermore, during this period of time, the Xia familys spies had also already reported this matter to Xia Wen. Therefore, she did not need to stay here anymore. Hey, hey, hey! What right do you have to leave! Old Madam Fan asked as she pointed at Xia He. Xia Wen blocked Old Madam Fans line of sight and said, Im her eldest brother. You can talk to me. Old Madam Fan looked at Xia Wens refined appearance and thought that he was someone easy to bully. She sat on the stool and thought about how to trick him. In reality though, their good days were over. Li Gui packed up some popcorn at home together with the remaining seeds. Tonight, she still went to the cinema to set up a stall. As soon as she arrived, many people gathered around to buy things from her. The popcorn also sold very well. What is this? Is it a new product? a customer asked. Li Gui said warmly, This popcorn is our familys new product! Its sweet and delicious! Its also 50 cents a bag. Everyone, come and try it! At this moment, a group of people walked over with their hands in their pockets. They pushed through the crowd and came in front of Li Gui. Get out of the way! Get the hell out of the way! Cant you see that were here! Move aside quickly! Li Gui hurriedly shielded the two children behind her and looked nervously at the men in front of her. Um big brothers, what do you want to buy? Li Gui said in a trembling voice. The person leading the group was a peddler in the vicinity, though it was not the person who had a stall at the entrance of the cinema. All the peddlers had seen their business getting worse by the day. It was all because of the seeds and popcorn that Li Gui sold that made it difficult for everyone to do business. The man in the lead stepped on Li Guis stall and said disdainfully, Who says you can set up a stall here? I anyone can use any random place nearby Li Gui whispered. The man kicked the stall over, causing popcorn and seeds to fall all over the ground. Zhang Qin angrily broke free from Li Guis arms and pointed at the man as she shouted, Why did you kick over our stall! Apologize! Come back! Li Gui was so frightened that she hurriedly pulled Zhang Qin into her arms and apologized to the man, Im sorry, big brother! That the child is insensible and she didnt do it on purpose! Im sorry! Well leave now! We wont set up a stall here anymore! These peoples goal was not to stop Li Gui from setting up the stall today, but to get her to tell them where she got the seeds from. They wanted to know where she had bought them and how she got them so that they could also make money. They did not like the fact that she was the only one making money. As for us, were not here to cause trouble for you on purpose. We really cant survive anymore. By doing this, youve left us brothers without any income. We havent had any sales for three to four days. Just tell us where you got these seeds, the man asked patiently. My daughter brought this from the village! Its not available locally! We dont have any more left! Li Gui said truthfully. However, the man did not believe what Li Gui said at all. How could such a good thing be all gone? She must be lying to them. Really nothing left? the man asked. Li Gui quickly nodded and said, Its true! These are my last batch of seeds! Theres really no more! Its alright if you dont want to talk. Brothers! Smash all these things! With that, the man walked away coolly. The people he brought along smashed Li Guis stall to pieces and even removed the wooden planks. The small three-wheeled vehicle that Li Gui bought some time ago was also smashed up and had all its wheels removed. Now, it was just a pile of scrap metal. This was the first time Li Gui had encountered such a thing. She did not expect these people to be even worse than the nasty people in the village. The people standing around did not dare to go up to help, afraid that they would get implicated. Chapter 846 A Good Mindset The two children hid behind Li Gui and watched helplessly as these people destroyed their stall, or perhaps more accurately, destroyed their hopes. The popcorn was all trampled underfoot and the bags were all tore. Gradually, the men got tired but by that time, almost everything was already destroyed. "Either you quickly tell us about the supply channel for the seeds or don''t set up a stall here again. If you don''t believe us, you can give it a try. Remember, if you want to do business in this area, you have to listen to me." The man smiled mockingly. With that, he left with the other men. One of them even gave the three-wheeled vehicle another kick out of anger while leaving. The already broken three-wheeled vehicle completely fell apart. Those people disappeared as they laughed loudly and mockingly. It was only after the men had left did the people around dare to go forward to take a look at Li Gui and the two children, and help them with the cleaning up. "Sister you should ask your family members to come and help. Otherwise, how are you going to go back?" a kind-hearted person said while holding Li Gui. Li Gui sighed deeply. She had also felt like contacting Qiao Mei to come and help her, but Qiao Mei was a pregnant woman herself. It would not be good if it affected her pregnancy. After all, she had only lost a stall. Once she had money, she could buy another one. These items that they lost were just items that she could produce again anytime. They could always make more as long as they were uninjured. "It''s fine. I''ll make my way back slowly. Thank you," Li Gui said with a gentle smile. Seeing that Li Gui remained strong, everyone did not say anything else. They helped her pack up her things and then left one after another. Zhang Qin and Zhang Wei were sensible enough not to cry and quietly packed up the pieces of the three-wheeled vehicle. Zhang Wei even went to ask the shopkeeper at the road intersection for help and borrowed his vehicle. The two children did not fall apart because of this sudden incident. It was already rare for such young children not to cry when something like this happened, but they even knew how to help her out. Tears slowly flowed down Li Gui''s face. If not for the fact that these children had to follow her around, they would not have needed to go through so much. "Mom! We managed to borrow a vehicle! That kind-hearted grandpa lent it to us! We can just return it to him tomorrow! Grandpa even gave me and my sister a piece of crystal candy!" Zhang Wei said excitedly as he struggled to pull the three-wheeled vehicle. "I found an intact bag of popcorn! Mom, look!" Zhang Qin struggled to dig it out from the corner and turned around to see Li Gui crying silently. She ran over worriedly and asked, "Mom why are you crying?" Li Gui quickly wiped the tears off her face and smiled at the children. "It''s nothing. Mom just has sand in my eyes. It''s not a big deal." Zhang Qin stood on tiptoe and gently blew at Li Gui''s eyes as she said, "The last time the same thing happened to me, elder sister blew on my eyes for me like this. She said that it would be fine after she blew on them. So mom, you should feel better too!" Looking at Zhang Qin''s innocent and expectant expression, Li Gui relaxed. She patted the two children''s heads and said, "Yes, it doesn''t hurt anymore. You''re all so amazing. Let''s go home." After getting on the three-wheeled vehicle, the three of them sang their favorite song as they traveled along the small alley. They chatted and laughed along the way and did not look like they had just been bullied at all. Qiao Mei had nothing to do at night so she went to Li Gui''s house to take a look. It was getting very late, but Li Gui and the children had not returned yet. She stood at the door and looked around. By right, they should have returned long ago. Their family''s products had always been the most popular and would definitely be sold out in less than an hour. Why were they not back yet? Not long after, Qiao Mei heard their singing and quickly stood at the door to welcome them. "Why are you so late today? I''m waiting for you to come back!" Qiao Mei said. Li Gui let the two children go in first while she pushed the vehicle into the courtyard. Qiao Mei could tell at a glance that this was not their family''s vehicle. "What''s with this? Where''s ours? Do we already have enough money to buy a new one?" Qiao Mei asked with a laugh. Li Gui scratched her head in embarrassment and said, "Our our stall was smashed up by some people and our vehicle is gone too. However, the children and I are fine. We borrowed this vehicle from someone else and will return it tomorrow." Chapter 847 - 847 Begging Eldest Brother for Help 847 Begging Eldest Brother for Help Qiao Mei frowned when she heard that. She had long guessed that there would definitely be people who would be unhappy with Li Guis products selling so well, but she did not expect these people to be so daring. Did you make a police report? Qiao Mei asked, suppressing the anger in her heart. No Li Gui whispered. She was already used to such things. In the past, when she set up a stall in the county city, the stall would also get smashed and she would get scolded. Sometimes, those people would even snatch all her money and even beat her up. Setting up a stall was already doing something that was against the rules. If she resisted, it would be considered a light punishment if they only reported her and got her arrested. Otherwise, it could be as serious as getting fined or going to jail! Its fine. Lets just rest at home for the next two days and treat it as a vacation. The children have to go for lessons during the next two days anyway, Qiao Mei said. Li Gui was worried that Qiao Mei would think that she was weak and could not protect the children well. She whispered, I I I understand. Its fine, Qiao Mei said gently. Any person who had just arrived and encountered such a thing would be afraid. It was already good enough that she knew how to protect herself and their children immediately. Qiao Mei did not intend to reprimand Li Gui. Instead, she felt sorry for Li Gui. She had thought she was bringing Li Gui here to enjoy a good life, but she did not expect Li Gui to be bullied instead. After consoling Li Gui, Qiao Mei slowly made her way to her own house and bumped into Xia He who had just returned. During the entire afternoon, Xia He was at the Public Security Bureau dealing with Su Liang and Old Madam Fan. When Xia Wen finally arrived, she went to her workplace to settle some matters and had just finished her work. Its already so late. Why arent you asleep yet? Xia He asked. Not yet. I went to see my mother just now. Something happened, Qiao Mei said. Xia He quickly asked, Whats the matter? Has it been resolved? Qiao Mei shook her head and pulled Xia He into her bedroom. She still needed the Xia familys help in this matter. My mothers stall was smashed by someone. Shes fine, but she was so scared that she didnt call the police. Im thinking about asking eldest brother if he can help Qiao Mei said. These scumbags have really gone overboard! They still dare to cause trouble for our Xia family in the capital! They really dont want to live anymore! Just you wait, Ill talk to eldest brother tomorrow! Xia He said angrily as she smacked the table. I think I should be the one to talk to him about this. After all, its related to my mother. Im quite embarrassed Qiao Mei said. Xia He held Qiao Meis hand and said, Dont worry, your mothers business is the Xia familys business. Will your mother stay away if something happens to the Xia family? Besides, I like your mother very much. We can ask eldest brother to settle everything in one shot, including what happened today. This way, he wont have to run around. What? You also told eldest brother about what happened today? Qiao Mei said in surprise. Initially, Xia He wanted to handle it herself, but she was really too angry. Although she was part of the army, she was only in the military art troupe and only knew how to sing and dance. She did not have any relevant connections. She could still help with things like recommending Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao to enter the art troupe, but she could not handle these kinds of family matters. Xia He was really too angry, so she asked Xia Wen to come and handle the matter. Although the culprit did not cause any harm to Qiao Mei and her, who knew what could happen next time! Thats right. Eldest brother is really good at dealing with these things. He handles all the family matters. Theres no need to stand on ceremony! Were all family! Xia He said with a smile. Qiao Meis heart warmed when she saw Xia Hes smile. So this was how it felt to be loved by her family. Then I wont stand on ceremony! Qiao Mei said. The Xia family showed completely different attitudes towards Qiao Meis maternal family and Tan Jings maternal family. If what happened today had happened to the Tan family, the Xia family definitely would not have helped them like this. Back when the Xia family was in trouble, Qiao Mei did not hesitate to use the ginseng to help the Xia family tide over the difficulties. On the other hand, not only did Tan Jing simply hang up the phone, she did not even manage to raise a single cent when Xia Wen returned home. All their money had gone to the Tan family. Although Xia Wen did not say anything for so many years, it did not mean that he did not know anything or that the Xia family had no idea of what was going on. It was just that Xu Lan and Xia Mao were unwilling to pass any comments about the young couples family matters. Moreover, Qiao Qiang had saved Xia Juns life back then and Qiao Qiang did not ask for anything in return. He did not even tell the Xia family that he was coming to the capital this time. Even when his own family prepared a house for him, it ended up helping to make the Xia familys dream come true as well. Now that Li Gui was in trouble, they would help her in any way they could. Chapter 848 - 848 Whose Birthday Is It 848 Whose Birthday Is It The next day, everyone still went over to Li Guis house for a meal. However, Li Gui did not have to cook this time round. Xia He and Qiao Mei went to the state-owned restaurant located outside the alley early in the day to order a whole table of dishes and arranged for the food to be delivered. It was too difficult for the two of them to carry so many things, so they might as well spend an extra two dollars and have the restaurant send it over. Not everyone could enjoy such treatment. There were guidelines to follow when ordering food at a state-owned restaurant. People who could order food at these restaurants were either rich or from prominent families. There were rules on the types of fish, meat and vegetables that one could order. The private rooms were also not places that ordinary people could go to. This meal might help to settle everyones nerves after the traumatic event yesterday. Xiao Wei, Xiao Qin! Go and wake the other two! Qiao Mei shouted as she entered the courtyard. Zhang Miao had recovered quite well during this period of time. In the afternoon, Qiao Qiang would always bring Zhang Chao and Zhang Miao along when he went for his walk. The two children could now run and jump, but Zhang Miao still limped a little when she ran. After all, she had to lie down for such a long time and was still not used to running all of a sudden. After coming to the capital, Zhang Chaos personality gradually became more cheerful and he could talk and laugh with everyone. Although he was still a little afraid to see strangers, there were already a lot of improvements. These two children still like to laze in bed as usual, Xia He said with a laugh. Zhang Wei and Xia He cleaned the table and set up the cutlery. Soon, the people from the state-owned restaurant delivered the food. The 12 dishes filled the table to the brim. Anyone who did not know better would think that they were celebrating the new year! Zhang Miao came out of the room in a hurry and almost fell down when she walked out. Slow down, slow down! This child is really Li Gui smiled helplessly. Wow! Theres so much delicious food! Is it someones birthday today? Zhang Miao said happily. Qiao Mei sat on the stool and said, Your elder sister Xia He paid for everything today. You have to thank her properly. Zhang Miao walked up to Xia He obediently and held her hands together as she said, Best wishes! Happy birthday to elder sister Xia He! I hope youll be as beautiful every day in the future as you are now~ Xia He laughed out loud when she heard what Zhang Miao said. This was the first time she had seen such a sweet-talking child! She liked it very much! Youre such a sweet-talker, but its not my birthday today. I just feel like eating this today, Xia He said with a smile. Can you eat it whenever you feel like it! Then if I want to eat it in the future, can I eat it too! Zhang Miao asked curiously. Qiao Mei called Zhang Miao to her side and said, Arent you all earning money with mom now? All of you have money that you earned yourself. Yes, Zhang Miao replied. So as long as you have enough money to buy what you like, you can just buy it. If you dont have enough money, you can save up for it. If you like something and you think its a necessity which you need every day, then you can come back and look for elder sister. Elder sister will help you think of a way, Qiao Mei said. Zhang Miao nodded, not fully understanding what she heard. There were indeed things that she liked and things that she did not like, but when she was in the Zhang family in the past, they would scold her for that. They would say that she was daydreaming and that everything good had to be given to Zhang Qian and Zhang Cong first. The girls could not monopolize anything, nor could they have anything they liked. Otherwise, they would get beaten up. Things were so much better now! She could buy whatever she liked! Alright! I understand! Zhang Miao said happily. The family gathered together and ate happily. After the meal, Qiao Mei found a reason for Qiao Qiang to bring the four children out to play. The rest of them wanted to discuss something at home and she also did not want Qiao Qiang to worry about what happened yesterday. As she watched Qiao Qiang leave, Qiao Mei suddenly had the urge to buy two walnut palm massagers for Qiao Qiang to play with. Qiao Qiang did not want to have pets. Grandpa Zhou from next door mentioned that he wanted to give Qiao Qiang one of his pet birds. Qiao Qiang was so scared by the idea that he did not go to look for Grandpa Zhou for two days. He was a careless man and could not take good care of these little animals. Every time, he would use this as an excuse to reject the idea of having pets. However, he had raised Qiao Mei on his own and she was brought up so well and beautiful. Actually, this old man was just afraid of trouble! It was best to just buy two walnut palm massagers for him to play with. Not only could it relieve his boredom, but they looked nice as well. It was like killing two birds with one stone. After clearing up, Xia He told Li Gui about what happened to Qiao Mei at the new house yesterday. She did not go into too much detail, worried that Li Gui would be afraid. Chapter 849 The Su Family "Why didn''t you tell me immediately after you encountered such a thing! It''s so dangerous! When I saw you last night, why didn''t you say anything!" Li Gui said fearfully. "Nothing happened to me. These are all small matters and I don''t take them seriously," Qiao Mei said indifferently. As if this could be considered a small matter! She could have lost Qiao Mei! If anything went wrong, what would she do! Although she could now support herself and the children in the capital, Qiao Mei was still her greatest source of support. If she did not have Qiao Mei, her life would completely collapse. When Xia Zhe returned, how would she explain it to her son-in-law! "No! I won''t set up the stall anymore. I''ll stay at home and watch over you!" Li Gui said firmly. Qiao Mei quickly knocked on the table and said, "Get real! Nothing happened to me! Look at all of you. How are you going to support these children if you don''t set up the stall? Didn''t you say that you want to be self-reliant and buy this house from me?" By now, Li Gui had enough money to cover the expenses of these children for two months in the capital. In two months, Qiao Mei would have given birth and then she would be able to go out and work again. She could set up a stall anywhere. "But" Li Gui was about to say something when Qiao Mei interrupted her. "Just concentrate on your work. I still have elder sister with me!" Qiao Mei said as she patted Xia He. Xia He immediately understood what it meant. She raised three fingers to the sky and said, "Auntie! I swear to you! I will definitely take good care of Qiao Mei! I won''t leave her side!" Seeing that Qiao Mei and Xia He were so insistent, Li Gui did not say anything else. She still intended to be more mindful and would go and see Qiao Mei whenever she was free. After they spoke about what happened yesterday, Xia He went to look for Xia Wen to ask him about the situation. Today, Li Gui would rest at home and not go out to set up the stall. She would wait for Xia Wen to bring those troublemakers to justice before going back. "I''ve already asked around. During this period of time, the government is supportive of the common people doing business on their own. Eldest brother is in charge of this area. Don''t worry and just do it," Qiao Mei said. Li Gui was completely relieved to hear this. She had always been worried about this matter. If she continued to set up her stall but Xia Wen could not catch those troublemakers and she caused trouble for the Xia family instead, then they might as well not investigate this matter. There was happiness and laughter at Qiao Mei''s house, but the Su family was about to have a hard time. Old Madam Fan, Su Liang and his younger brother, Su Yang, originally lived in the house which Qiao Mei had bought over. At that time, each of them had a very spacious room. Now, they had to live in a small house allocated by Old Madam Fan''s workplace unit. There was only one bedroom and one living room. Old Madam Fan''s two sons slept in the living room and she slept in the room. The three of them were squeezed together and there was no space to move about. Now that Su Liang had his arms and legs broken, it was inconvenient for him to move around and Old Madam Fan had to let him sleep in the room. She felt uncomfortable and very frustrated. "Your elder brother was bullied so badly! Yet you''re still playing at home! Hurry up and get lost and go to work!" Old Madam Fan gave Su Yang a hard kick. Su Yang was famous for his nickname on this street and he was even very proud of it. His brother, Su Liang, was called "Doggo" and he was called "Flower Thief". In comparison, his nickname indeed sounded better. People had a reason for giving him this nickname. Almost every girl on this street had been bullied by these two brothers before. There were even girls who jumped into the well after being bullied! Su Liang did not really dare to do anything drastic. He would steal one girl''s underwear today and another girl''s underclothes tomorrow. Sometimes, he would even secretly peep at girls when they were in the shower. He was always doing such sneaky stuff. Sometimes, he would even steal eggs, white flour and noodles from other families. These things could not be bought even with coupons. Every household had a quota every year and ordinary families could not even get their hands on them! Every time the victims went to argue with Old Madam Fan, she would scold them back and chase them out. She had scolded everyone on the street and no one was her match. Su Yang dawdled for a long time before getting up to go to work. His job was actually Old Madam Fan''s old job. Old Madam Fan had retired this year, so she had given her spot to Su Yang. She had intended to pass it to Su Liang, but he felt that the work at the textile factory was tiring and the pay was too low. He might as well go out and play with his scoundrel friends! Those people could still give him some benefits sometimes. Chapter 850 - 850 Ambiguous Relationship 850 Ambiguous Relationship Alright, alright! I know! Su Yang said impatiently and pushed his bicycle out to go to work. When he arrived at the main door of the factory, he saw the guard standing at the door to record the names of the late arrivals. Su Yang suddenly sped up and entered the factory with a whoosh, not giving the guard a chance to stop him. Xiao Yu! Why are you here! Let me send you there! Su Yang stopped the bicycle and shouted at Qiao Yu. The entire factory occupied a very large area and the individual workshops were very far from one another so everyone had bicycles, except for Qiao Yu. !! The people around all stared at Su Yang and Qiao Yu. It was no longer a secret that Su Yang was wooing Qiao Yu. This had been going on for almost half a month. All the good-looking young ladies in the factory had been targeted by Su Yang before. He had set his eyes on Qiao Yu not long after she came. Qiao Yu looked at the people around her shyly, but if she did not take up Su Yangs offer of a ride, she would not be able to reach the workshop on time. The time one arrived at ones post in the workshop and the time one entered the main door were two different timings. Each post was at a different location so people would reach their posts at different times. The guard at the door only checked the arrival time of people who did not stay within the factory. Qiao Yu lived in the dormitory for singles in the factory, so she did not need to be checked by the guard. Alright Qiao Yu lowered her head and quickly ran over to sit on Su Yangs backseat. Su Yang hummed a tune and rode leisurely to the door of Qiao Yus workshop, as if he was afraid that no one could see them. Qiao Yu! Ill treat you to lunch! Remember to wait for me in the canteen! After yelling out at Qiao Yu, Su Yang rode back to his own post. Qiao Yu stood at the door, not knowing what to do. She shouted in the direction where Su Yang had left, Who wants you to treat me! Everyone looked at Qiao Yu a little expectantly and she quickly explained, Theres nothing between us! Oh my, Qiao Yu, were not such close-minded people. Dont be so worried! an older woman in the factory said with a laugh. In their eyes, Qiao Yu and Su Yang were a perfect match! They could not be more suitable! Qiao Yu was an unregistered resident, and they did not know where her household register was! Moreover, she was from the countryside. It was simply a blessing for her to be able to reach the capital and enter a state-owned factory like theirs. If they could do the same with only Qiao Yus qualifications, they would be so happy that they would wake up from laughing too hard in their dreams. However, Qiao Yu was still not satisfied. Su Yang was already wooing her so intensely, but Qiao Yu still did not want to accept him. She neither accepted or rejected him and just kept him in suspense. Qiao Yu did not like Su Yang at all. In fact, she had already quietly asked around about Su Yangs family. The rest of the workers used to be colleagues with Old Madam Fan, so there was nothing much they could tell her. They could only pick some nice things to say. Su Yang was capable and hardworking. His family had a household register in the city and his family background was not bad. His family consisted of his mother and four other siblings. Su Yang was the fifth child. His two older brothers and one older sister had already gotten married and started their own families. Their children were all quite grown up now, and only Su Liang and Su Yang were not married yet. His mother used to work in this factory. He had a household register in the capital, a house, a good job and a good family background. All these qualities were more than enough for Qiao Yu, but she still felt unsatisfied. Why was Qiao Mei able to find a rich and powerful family to marry into and live like a rich wife who did not have to do anything while she had to suffer in this factory? At the moment, she only earned 35 dollars a month. Even if she lived in the factory, this amount of money was barely enough for her to eat. She did not have a household register and could not get any meat coupons, so she could only eat vegetables. Although her life was much better than before, she was still not satisfied. Sigh, lets get to work, Qiao Yu said with her head lowered. The work at the textile factory was very tough and tiring. Once it got busy, everyone lost track of time and the morning passed very quickly. When it was lunch break, they all went to the canteen to eat. Everyone brought their mess tins and queued up to get food, including Qiao Yu. However, Qiao Yu did not seem to be in a hurry to eat. She kept letting the people behind her cut the queue and go in front of her. People who did not know better would think that she was being so nice! Hey! Look, Qiao Yu is queuing up over there! an older woman said as she pointed at Qiao Yu. Another older woman did not even look up. She kept eating with her head lowered and said, What else can she be doing? Shes waiting for Su Yang there. She looks as if shes addicted to queuing. Anyone can cut the queue and get food before her. Hahahaha, didnt she say that she has nothing to do with Su Yang? Why is she still helping him to queue up for food? the first woman said as she snickered. Chapter 851 - 851 For Meat 851 For Meat Who knows! She might have made a decision! another older woman said. Everyone roared with laughter. Qiao Yu also heard their laughter and turned around to look. One of the older women quickly waved at Qiao Yu and shouted, Qiao Yu! Who are you waiting for! If you dont get food soon, there wont be any dishes left! Qiao Yu blushed immediately and said, Im not waiting for anyone! Dont spout nonsense! The older woman looked at the other women around her and laughed as she said, Look, she says that shes not waiting for anyone! Qiao Yu continued to let others go in front of her to get food while she just kept queuing. She was indeed waiting for Su Yang so that she could have some meat for each meal. Sometimes, Su Yang would even pay for her food. If she saved a few cents a day, she would be able to accumulate a lot by the end of the month! She would not miss out on such a good thing and felt that it was worth it to wait for a while. As soon as Su Yang arrived at the canteen, he saw Qiao Yu. He knew that this tramp would still be queuing up! She just wanted him to spend his money on her. It was not impossible for him to do that, but he would not do it for nothing. Xiao Yu, youre still waiting for me! Su Yang shouted loudly from the door. Qiao Yu turned around and looked at Su Yang reproachfully. Su Yang, be mindful. This is a public place! Whos waiting for you! Im here to get food! Yes, yes, yes. We cant do this in public. Lets talk about it in private, Su Yang said with a wicked smile. The people around all looked at Qiao Yu. Some of them even started blowing whistles at her! Not even privately! No! Qiao Yu left the canteen in exasperation with the mess tin. It did not matter if she ate one less meal, but it would not be good if her reputation was ruined. In the future, she would still have plenty of opportunities to get Su Yang to pay for her meals! Su Yang did not get angry when he saw Qiao Yu running away. He chuckled and said to the people around him, This young girl is so shy! Everyone, continue eating! Hmph, there was no way such a tramp from the countryside could cheat him of his money! In their eyes, Qiao Yu did not have a good background and was the type of person who did not reject favors from others. After accepting the favors, she would even say that it was the person who took the initiative to give it to her and that it had nothing to do with her. Everyone was actually curious about how Qiao Yu managed to get into the factory, so they did not dare to offend her easily. This was also the reason why Su Yang had not made his move yet. The entire factory already knew that Qiao Yu was illiterate. The workers in this factory had to at least graduate from junior high school, but Qiao Yu did not even go to school for a day. It was even said that she was actually hired by the factory director. When Qiao Yu first came, it was the factory director who went personally to the entrance to greet her. The director was in charge of the welfare benefits, accommodation, staff performance and salaries of the entire factory. If not for the fact that the factory director was a married woman, everyone would have thought that there was something going on between the two of them. Judging from Qiao Yus surname, she should not be the directors relative. Someone even went to ask the director and was told that they were not relatives. Their factory could be considered one of the biggest and most reputable state-owned factories. No one knew what kind of relationship they had that resulted in the factory director making an exception to hire her and even went to greet her personally. In the afternoon, everyone returned to the workshop to continue working. By the time they got off work, it was already dark. Qiao Yu repeated the same trick she used at noon. If she did it a few more times, she would succeed one way or another. Although Su Yang did not force Qiao Yu to do anything, he would still try to hold her hands and hug her waist from time to time. Qiao Yu would occasionally reject him, but most of the time, she would tacitly allow it. After all, she wanted Su Yang to spend money on her. It was only right for her to give him some benefits. In the past, Qiao Yu could not even get a proper meal in the village and was as thin as a bamboo pole. Now that she could eat her fill at the factory, she had put on enough weight and actually looked quite presentable. Although she was not as beautiful as Qiao Mei, she was still an 18-year-old innocent maiden. Su Yang was not picky, he just liked young girls. Qiao Yu did not live so frugally to save up to get married. She just wanted to buy more cosmetics and clothes to doll herself up. In the future, once she had time, she wanted to go to the Xia familys house to pay them a visit. Maybe she would run into Xia Zhe when he came back one day? Then she could even go up and greet him. It would be fine if she ran into Xia Wen as well! Xia Wen was also a member of the Xia family. She had no preference! Dont hold on to me! Comrade Su Yang, you have to be mindful of the distance! Everyone is watching! Qiao Yu pouted and said. Su Yang thought that Qiao Yu was acting coquettishly with him and even said with a cheeky smile, Xiao Yu, Im just looking at your hands. Im not doing anything. You! No! You have to call me Qiao Yu! As if you can call me Xiao Yu! Qiao Yu said. Fine, fine, fine! I wont call you that anymore! Su Yang said. Chapter 852 - 852 Grandiose Aims but Puny Abilities 852 Grandiose Aims but Puny Abilities In Qiao Yus eyes, she was doing this to protect her image and show everyone clearly that she was not a person with loose morals. However, in everyones eyes, this was just a flirtatious scene between a young couple. There was nothing unusual about it. I wont be able to accompany you after work for a while. Dont take it to heart. After this busy period is over, Ill treat you to a movie! Su Yang said with a smile. Qiao Yu looked at Su Yang in disbelief. Su Yangs workshop was the place with the least work in the entire factory and there was no need to work overtime at all. Many people wanted to go there, but that workshop only accepted male workers and female workers could not enter at all. If Su Yang did not have time to accompany her after work, how could she get free meals? !! If Su Yang was busy for a week, that meant she would not be able to eat meat for a week. Are you working overtime? Is it tiring? Qiao Yu asked gently. Its not a factory matter! Sigh its my fourth brother. He got beaten up and had his bones broken. My mother wants me to go with her after work to demand an explanation from the attacker! I dont want to go either, but I have no choice! Itll be fine after we get the compensation, Su Yang said helplessly. He could care less about Su Liang! This was the time when he should be getting to know Qiao Yu better. If not for his mother saying that she could get more than 1,000 dollars as compensation, he would not do it at all! Money was not as nice as Qiao Yus small hands! Qiao Yus troubled mood turned into happiness. If they received a lot of compensation, Su Yang should be able to get a share of the money. She heard that Su Yangs mother doted on him the most and gave all the nice things to him. When Su Yang came back with a lot of money, she would be able to have a good time! Oh, I see, Qiao Yu said, lowering her head to hide her glee. Su Yang could not see Qiao Yus face clearly and thought that she was feeling unhappy. His heart ached so much that he almost changed his mind and said that he would not go! However, his mother was not someone to be trifled with. It would not be good if she came to the factory and ruined the relationship between him and Qiao Yu. Besides, these few days would not make any difference! At most, he would spend more time with Qiao Yu during lunch! Alright, alright! Ive reached the dormitory. You can go back now. With that, Qiao Yu walked into the dormitory building. Su Yang watched Qiao Yu enter the building and disappear through the glass door before he was willing to leave. Qiao Yu did not even look back once. Su Yang was just reading too much into the whole situation. Although this building was called a dormitory for singles, it was actually just a place for unmarried employees to stay. There were more than 10 people living in each room, and there were even 20 people in some rooms! In these rooms, there were only bunk beds and the only place for everyone to put their belongings was on the bed. There was not even a cabinet in the entire room. However, it was different for Qiao Yu. She lived in the south side and there were only 10 people in that room. Only cadres had such an entitlement! Only the team leaders of every workshops assembly line received such benefits. Therefore, no one would believe that Qiao Yu did not have a backer! As soon as Qiao Yu pushed open the door, everyone looked at her. One of the older women even asked curiously, Qiao Yu, did Su Yang send you back today? Su Yang is really nice to you! Oh my, sister, dont talk nonsense! He insisted on sending me back, Qiao Yu whispered. Qiao Yu, youre so shy! the older woman said with a smile as she pointed at Qiao Yu. They were only joking around. After all, they could not figure out who Qiao Yus backer was. The factory director was just a low-ranking official, so it must be someone higher up who arranged for Qiao Yu to be here. They did not know how capable these people were. Qiao Yu was also tightlipped about this issue. No matter how hard they tried, they could not find out how she got into the factory. She actually wanted to tell everyone that she was related to the Xia family, but when Xia He arranged for her to work in the factory, Xia He already told her to keep her mouth shut. She was not allowed to say anything about how she got in or who she knew. However, even though she was not allowed to say it, she did not stop others from asking her. When the time was right, she would quietly leak the information out. By then, everyone in the factory would respect her and would definitely no longer say that she was someone who had grandiose aims but puny abilities. She was going to become a rich wife in the future! She was definitely different from these people! Just wait and see, she would definitely marry better than Qiao Mei. When the time came, she would return to Foshan Village to show off to Qiao Zhuang and her brothers and sisters-in-law. Chapter 853 - 853 The Eldest Brother Who Was Like a Father 853 The Eldest Brother Who Was Like a Father Qiao Yu had many small buns on her bed. These buns were snacks for the workers on the assembly line. Now that it was almost the end of the year, there was a lot of pressure at work and everyone had to work overtime. Some workshops had a lot of orders and had even started their workers on double shifts. Qiao Yu had stolen all these buns. The boxes containing the buns were placed next to the main door and anyone who wanted to eat them could go and get some. Everyone would rather eat proper meals than these buns since they all earned enough to support themselves. The main thing was that these small buns were really unpalatable. The older employees would get a discount when they ate in the canteen. Moreover, they had eaten there for a long time and knew which chef cooked better and which chef served more rice. They were all wily and experienced enough to know how to save money after so many years. !! The current system was also different from the past. In the past, no matter how much work everyone did, the salary was the same. Now, it was calculated based on work done. Whoever made more would earn more. For someone like Qiao Yu, who had just arrived and was not familiar with the process yet, she could only earn about 35 dollars a month. Sometimes, it may even drop to 28 dollars! These older employees had worked for so many years. In a good month, they could earn up to 80 dollars! Their average monthly salary was about 60 dollars. Qiao Yu had stolen so many buns to tide her through the period when Su Yang would not be around after work. Since she could not get any free meals, she would eat the buns to fill her stomach and save as much money as she could. The next morning, everyone went off to work as usual. Li Gui still maintained her habit of waking up very early. Xia Wen also came to Qiao Meis place early in the morning to tell them about the results of yesterdays matter. Xia Wen was tactful enough to go straight to look for Li Gui without going to Qiao Meis house. Xia He had probably told him that Qiao Mei had a morning temper and that he should not look for her too early. Li Gui was cooking in the kitchen. Now, she was in charge of everyones three meals a day. Zhang Wei, Zhang Chao and Zhang Qin would occasionally come in and help out. As for Zhang Miao Li Gui could not count on her at all. She had thought that this child would be like the other children and had some talent in cooking, but this child seemed to be born to be at odds with the kitchen. The first time she helped, she smashed the bowls at home. If it only happened once or twice, it could be because she was still young and could not hold things steadily. However, every time she helped, something would happen. She would either break something here or drop something there. Once, she even almost blew up the kitchen. From then on, Li Gui did not allow Zhang Miao to enter the kitchen anymore. She was not even allowed to help to bring out the dishes, in case she blew up the kitchen again. Their house now was different from their old place. Every brick and tile was made of limestone bricks and would not catch fire easily. However, Li Gui was still worried. Xiao Wen, youre here! Come in and take a seat. I only just started cooking! I cant serve you any food yet! Li Gui said apologetically. Xia Wen did not think much of it and even rolled up his sleeves to help Li Gui wash the vegetables. He smiled and said, What are you talking about, Auntie? Were all family! Dont stand on ceremony with me. Let me help you with the chores. By then, Xia He and Qiao Mei were almost done washing up. They casually put on two sets of warm clothes and went to Li Guis place. The dishes were ready at this point. Xia Wen walked out of the kitchen with the dishes and said, You lazy bum. We let you stay here to take care of Qiao Mei. How can you sleep in? Look, Auntie has been busy since morning! Dont you know how to come and help! Its fine, its fine! Ive been busy for most of my life! I dont know what to do if you let me rest! Xiao He, you dont have to listen to your brother! Auntie doesnt feel tired! Li Gui said laughingly. Xia He made a face at Xia Wen. He was like her father and nagged her about everything. He was clearly only six years older than her, but he was so old-fashioned. Those who knew him would say that he was her eldest brother, but those who did not know him would think that he was her disciplinarian father! It was not Xia Wens fault. After all, no one was there to care for Xia He after she was born. Xu Lan left her in Wu Mins care. After confinement, Xu Lan went on tour around the country. Wu Min had to work during the day, so the heavy responsibility of taking care of Xia He was left to the young Xia Wen. It could be said that Xia Wen was the one who raised Xia He. Therefore, it was reasonable for Xia Wen to want to discipline Xia He. After so many years, he was already used to it. Auntie is willing to dote on me, so dont lecture me! Just eat your food! Xia He said unhappily. Chapter 854 The Table Almost Broke Xia Wen shook his head resignedly. Xia He was hopeless! Qiao Mei sat at the dining table in a daze. She had yet to wake up from her sleep and stared blankly at the dishes on the table. Although the dishes today did not look as high-end and classy as the ones made by the state-owned restaurant, these dishes seemed to taste much nicer. Perhaps this was the taste of home. Even a simple stewed tofu with cabbage could have a different flavor. At the end of the meal, there was no soup left in the bowl at all. "Auntie! The food you make is so delicious!" Xia He said as she wiped her mouth in satisfaction. "If it''s delicious, then eat more!" Li Gui said happily. After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, Qiao Mei gradually became more awake and she remembered the important things to deal with today. "Eldest brother, how did the matters go?" Qiao Mei asked Xia Wen. Xia Wen said sternly, "I''ve already settled what happened to Auntie the day before yesterday. Those people are repeat offenders from that street and they often bully the new peddlers. I''ve already made arrangements for them to be dealt with. They won''t be able to cause trouble in the future." Li Gui was so happy that she almost jumped up from the stool. She could go back to work again! She could earn money again! This was simply a great thing! When so much seeds were wasted that time, her heart ached so much. There were not many seeds left at home now, so she had to make more popcorn to sell at night. "Then what about Qiao Mei''s matter?" Xia He asked anxiously. "This matter is more troublesome. Su Liang''s mother is really unreasonable. I hear from the local police that she''s a repeat offender and there''s nothing they can do. At that time, their family didn''t say anything and I didn''t have time to waste with them, so I left it to the police to handle it. I would think that before they could do anything, Su Liang''s mother had already left," Xia Wen said resignedly. For the past two days, Qiao Mei had not been idle. She had also asked the surrounding neighbors about Old Madam Fan. No one had a good impression of her and everyone said the nastiest things about her. It seemed that everyone was bullied by Old Madam Fan all year round. However, Qiao Mei still had some admiration for this Old Madam Fan. Her husband died early and left her with five children, and she had raised these children with her meager salary. The older ones had finally gotten married, but for some reason, her three older children seemed to have made some sort of pact not to return home except during the new year. The neighbors had not seen them for a number of years. After they got married, they never came back to see Old Madam Fan again. Old Madam Fan did not care about this at all. She was satisfied as long as Su Liang and Su Yang were by her side. She took special care of them when they were still young. As time passed, these two sons became useless bums. "Can''t our family think of another way?" Xia He said with a frown. The situation now was that their enemy was in the shadows while they were in the light. The consequences would be unimaginable if Qiao Mei was suddenly pushed down or harmed by someone while walking on the street one day. At best, the Xia family would lose two grandchildren. At worst, Qiao Mei may lose her life! When Xia Zhe returned, he would probably turn the world upside down and kill Xia He and Xia Wen. She could not let this happen and must protect Qiao Mei well. "You already broke his bones. They said that it was just a verbal conflict and he didn''t hurt Qiao Mei, so there''s no way to convict him," Xia Wen said. Xia He smacked the table angrily and said, "Nonsense! He was the one who attacked first! If Qiao Mei had not dodged in time, she would have been the one injured! There were so many people around at that time! How could no one have seen it!" Qiao Mei patted Xia He''s shoulder and said, "Calm down. You almost broke the table." Fortunately, it was a stone table. If it was a wooden table, it would not have been able to withstand Xia He''s smack. It seemed that all their furniture would have to be custom-made from stone from now on "From now on, I won''t leave your side and I''ll keep a close eye on you! Let''s see who dares to attack you!" Xia He said angrily. "You''re not going to go to work anymore?" Qiao Mei asked. "It''s fine even if I don''t go to that job! I''ll get Mother to apply for a leave of absence for me from the art troupe! I''ll guard you closely for the next two months! Our mother will even praise me for it!" Xia He said smugly. What she said was true. If Xu Lan heard about this matter, she would definitely want Xia He to keep a close eye on Qiao Mei. Chapter 855 Giving A Ticket As A Gift Xu Lan might even ask Xia Mao''s guards to come over and surround Qiao Mei''s courtyard house. They would be given instructions that no living thing that could threaten Qiao Mei''s life was allowed to enter! Not even a bird in the sky! "It''s better not to tell mother about this. It''s fine as long as the few of us know about it. Let''s leave this matter at that. I don''t think there''d be any more trouble," Qiao Mei said. After discussing the countermeasures, everyone went home. Qiao Mei went home to take another nap since she had tossed and turned in bed the entire night. Xia He stayed behind to help Li Gui pack the popcorn. The business got better and better. After Li Gui returned the three-wheeled vehicle they borrowed from the small shop at the entrance of the alley near the cinema, she bought two new three-wheeled vehicles. She rode one herself. The other one was relatively smaller so that Zhang Wei and the other children could use it. After all, these children always went with her to set up the stall. They took up a lot of space in the back so it was more convenient to get another vehicle for them. In this way, they could load more goods as well. Besides, Zhang Wei was already at the age where he needed to do things on his own. When he was in the village, he used to ride his bicycle everywhere. Although there were many cars and people in the city and it was not as spacious as the village, he still had to try to do everything. A boy could not be scared of hardships and challenges. She was scared by the sight of how Su Liang and Su Yang were raised by Old Madam Fan. It also made her worried that Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao would grow up not manly enough. It was fine for girls to be pampered and grow up a little spoiled. Their family''s financial condition was much better now than before. They could buy whatever they wanted and the children did not lack anything. However, boys had to be raised to be able to handle challenges. Otherwise, after they grew up, they would not have their own opinions and would not be able to be the head of the family and bear the heavy burden. At night, Li Gui loaded up the two three-wheeled vehicles and set off with the children to sell popcorn. Qiao Yu went about doing the same job she did everyday. It was a long day so she could not wait to get off work and have a good rest, but as soon as she stepped out, Su Yang blocked her way. "Qiao Yu! I''m here!" Su Yang shouted as he waved his hands. Qiao Yu looked at the reactions of the people around her and ran over quickly. "Lower your voice! What are you doing!" "I bought movie tickets for tonight. Do you want to watch it?" Su Yang asked expectantly. "I''m not going. I don''t like it." Although Qiao Yu said that out loud, she actually looked forward to going to the cinema. She had not gone out to have fun since the day she came to the capital! "I''ve already bought the tickets! Why don''t why don''t you go and watch it yourself? I''ll give it to you!" Su Yang took out a movie ticket from his pocket and stuffed it into Qiao Yu''s hands. Before Qiao Yu could say anything, he ran away. Qiao Yu looked at the movie ticket in her hand and thought for a long time. In the end, she decided to go and watch the movie. She was not that stupid. How could Su Yang have only bought one movie ticket? The other ticket must be with Su Yang! She would go, and she would decide later whether to get a refund on the ticket. Otherwise, she could exchange the ticket with someone or she could go to the ticketing booth to ask about that. If not, she could even get a refund on the ticket! The cost of this ticket would be enough for her meals for two days! The news that Su Yang had invited Qiao Yu to watch a movie quickly spread around. Before Qiao Yu entered the dormitory, she could already hear the gossiping inside. "Do you know! I saw Su Yang giving Qiao Yu a movie ticket! The title of the movie seems to be ''Lovers'' or something" "It''s called ''My Darling Lover''! Don''t you know!" "As if you know best! Have you watched a movie before! You still have the cheek to criticize me!" "Even if I''ve never eaten pork, it''s not like I''ve never seen a pig run! I''ve heard it from others! Those are movies that only young couples like to watch!" "Darling. Hahaha!" Qiao Yu could not stand listening at the door anymore and kicked it open. Everyone was stunned on the spot and did not speak as they went about their own business. When Qiao Yu returned to her bed, she pulled the curtain closed and secretly cried on the bed. Why was everyone laughing at her! They were even gossiping behind her back! It seemed that they were all hoping that Qiao Yu would go and watch this movie! Qiao Yu decided to go along with their wishes. It would be a waste not to watch it! "Sister, I''m coming back late tonight. Can you leave the door open for me?" Qiao Yu whispered to the older woman sleeping on the lower bunk below her. The older woman looked at Qiao Yu with a gossipy expression and asked, "Are you still coming back tonight?" She spoke as if Qiao Yu would sleep with Su Yang after watching the movie. Chapter 856 Running Into An Acquaintance "I''m going to visit my relative. She''s about to give birth. I''m going to take a look," Qiao Yu said casually. This was the first time Qiao Yu had revealed anything about her relatives to them. Everyone pricked up their ears to listen to the conversation between Qiao Yu and the older woman. The woman also knew what everyone was thinking. "Your relative? Where is your relative staying?" the older woman asked curiously. Qiao Yu mentioned the name of Xia Zhe''s neighborhood to the older woman and everyone gasped. The people who lived in that neighborhood were not ordinary people. That was something which was beyond them in their lives. "Oh heavens! You have relatives who live there!" an older woman on another bed stuck her head out and said in surprise. Qiao Yu behaved as if she was used to it. She nodded calmly and said confidently, "Yes, my niece lives there." They did not expect Qiao Yu to be an elder at such a young age! No wonder her relatives would help her find a job and give her all kinds of benefits. So there was an existence of such a relationship. They had all underestimated her. "Then is your niece also from the countryside? I didn''t expect her to be so rich." The older woman in the lower bunk still did not believe what Qiao Yu said and probed carefully. These prestigious families in the capital were most particular about being of equal social status. How could a powerful family allow a villager to marry into their family? It would not sound good if word got out. "Sigh, she''s just lucky. Her grandfather and my father are biological brothers. Her grandfather was in the army and he saved one of his comrades. They agreed on an arranged marriage between their grandchildren, which is why my niece married into their family." Qiao Yu did not hide the envy that she felt. It was useless even if she tried to hide it. If she tried to hide her feelings too much, it would make people feel that she was hypocritical. Who would not be envious of such luck? Even people like them, who had their household registers in the city and had lived in the capital all their lives, would be envious of such an experience. It seemed that Qiao Yu was telling the truth. In the future, they all had to treat Qiao Yu well and not provoke her for no reason. It seemed that she could become part of a wealthy family. However, her niece was also quite a nice person. Even though she had succeeded in life, she did not forget to help her aunt from the village. From this, they could tell that this person was a kind girl. In the future, if they were in trouble, this girl might be able to help them too! "Then go ahead. I''ll leave the door open for you!" the older woman in the lower bunk said obsequiously. After knowing Qiao Yu''s background, everyone''s attitude towards her changed a lot. When the news started to spread throughout the factory tomorrow, even more people would probably become polite to her! "Thank you, sister!" Qiao Yu said happily. Before she left, she even brought along her meal coupons. The canteen provided mess tins, so she could just use the tins there. Did she have to eat in the canteen by herself before going to her relative''s place? It seemed that they were not very close. However, it was understandable. After all, she was of no value to her niece. Her niece was only helping out because they were relatives. If Qiao Yu pushed her luck, her niece might not be willing to help her anymore! Qiao Yu looked at the dishes in the canteen and could not bear to order any. She bought a portion of rice and took some free soup and made that a meal. To call the liquid in the bowl a soup would be an insult to an actual dish of soup. When one scooped out a portion with a soup ladle, one would not even see any sign of oil in it. There were only a few vegetable pieces floating around and the rest was just water. It would not be an exaggeration to say that it was simply water used to wash vegetables and then heated up. Qiao Yu happily went to the cinema with the movie ticket. She could not bear to pay for a ride and could only walk to the cinema. It cost 20 cents per ride! That amount of money was enough to eat meat and vegetables! She was already used to walking on the mountain road. Anyway, it was still early, so it did not matter if she took a walk. When she approached the cinema, she was deeply attracted by a rich milky fragrance. After being in the capital for so long, this was the first time she had encountered such a sweet smell! She slowly followed the direction of the fragrance and saw a popcorn stall that was surrounded by people. Li Gui and Zhang Wei were shouting among the crowd. At first, Qiao Yu still did not realize that it was her old acquaintances. She queued up with the crowd, but the closer she got to the front, the more she felt that something was wrong. Is that Li Gui! Why is she in the capital! Qiao Yu was so shocked that she fled to a corner to peep at them. After observing carefully, she realized that it was really Li Gui and the children. She did not expect them to have come to the capital. Chapter 857 Lunatic She had to make a Herculean effort to escape to the capital. It was not easy for her to find a job here, but Li Gui could come here easily and even started a business. The popcorn stall''s business was booming. During the time that Qiao Yu peeped at them, Li Gui and her children had already sold a cartload of popcorn. The remaining cartload seemed as if it would also get sold out very quickly. Qiao Yu counted earnestly. There were a total of 120 bags in the two carts and all sold out. In that case, they made 60 dollars in less than an hour! She could only earn about 30 dollars a month! They were both from Foshan Village, but why was the difference so big! She worked so hard and only earned about 30 dollars a month, but Li Gui had earned two months'' worth of her salary in an hour! Why was Li Gui so lucky! After the popcorn was sold out, Li Gui and the children packed up their things and left in their vehicles. Qiao Yu followed closely behind them but lost track of them after a while. After all, one party had vehicles and the other party walked. Just as Qiao Yu was about to give up on herself, she realized that Li Gui and the children had returned with two full carts. This time, they packed even more than before and even carried two big bags on their backs! Unlike seeds, popcorn was light and took up a lot of space. They could only sell more by going back and forth. Actually, it was just Li Gui being greedy. As long as she could sell more and make more money, she was not afraid of hard work. Fortunately, these children could endure hardships as well and were willing to help her sell the stuff. They could at most do two rounds per night. If they did another round, they would not be able to make it before the screening of the last movie at the cinema. By that time, no one would be on the way to watch movies and there would be fewer customers. Sometimes, Li Gui would feel sorry for the children and ask them to go back and rest without making the second trip. However, the children did not want to rest. "Elder sister already told me! She would give us five cents per bag of popcorn! I can sell many, many bags every night!" Zhang Qin said happily. The children were always thinking of ways to earn money, worried that they would sell too little. Qiao Mei had set a new rule for them. They would earn 10 cents per pound for stripping the corn kernels and they would not be paid for packing the popcorn. However, if they sold one bag, they would be paid five cents. If they sold two bags, they would earn 10 cents! This was much more profitable than selling seeds. They could only earn 10 cents for selling five cups of seeds which was about a pound''s worth. Compared to seeds, they preferred to sell popcorn. Sometimes, they could even secretly eat a few. Anyway, these things were cheap. A pound of corn kernels only cost a few cents but could produce a lot of popcorn. They could not bear to eat the seeds previously, because what they ate was money that they could earn! After Li Gui found out that the children wanted to earn money, she stopped nagging at them. In any case, Qiao Mei had already said that she would ask Xia Wen to hire a teacher to tutor them at home in a couple of days'' time so that they would be able to catch up on all the schoolwork that they had missed out. By then, they would not have any spare time to sell popcorn anymore. Qiao Yu silently watched Li Gui and the children from the side. Jealousy had made her face look all twisted. She wished she could rush out now and chase away all the customers in front of Li Gui''s stall! Why was she the only one suffering? Li Gui had abandoned Qiao Mei back then! Yet Qiao Mei was still willing to help such a mother! Qiao Yu could not be bothered to go to the movies anymore. Just as the cinema was about to close, she hurriedly went to return the movie ticket. "I''m here to get a refund on the ticket," Qiao Yu said fiercely. The ticket seller did not even look at Qiao Yu. She held up the ticket and took a look before saying, "This movie is over and you can''t return it." "I said I want a refund! Do you know what a refund is? Give me the money!" Qiao Yu screamed at the ticket seller like she had gone crazy. The ticket seller had never seen such a crazy woman before. She was so frightened that she took out 20 cents from the drawer. She did not even dare to hand it to Qiao Yu and just quickly threw it out of the small window. Qiao Yu hurriedly picked up the money from the ground and left. The ticket seller could only blame her bad luck and report this matter to her superiors to see how she should deal with it. This was the first time she had seen such a lunatic. This woman had probably just broken up with her boyfriend Qiao Yu still wanted to return to Li Gui''s stall to look for them. She wanted to follow them and see where they lived. She would feel better if they did not live in a nice place. Unexpectedly, Li Gui and the others had long disappeared during the 10 minutes that she was gone. They had packed up and gone home. Qiao Yu was so angry that she stomped her feet on the spot. Anyway, she had plenty of time. She would come over whenever she was free in the future. Sooner or later, she would find out where Li Gui and the children lived! Chapter 858 - 858 Becoming Tough 858 Becoming Tough After Qiane found out that Qiao Mei had returned, she visited once and never went around again. Recently, Qiao Mei had asked her for help to choose a piano. As she was in a rare good mood today, she came to Qiao Meis place after class. Your courtyard house is so big. Why dont you just give me a room here so that I wont have to be so tired going back and forth! Qiane said as she pointed at one of Qiao Meis side rooms. Sure! You can stay here if you want. Im more than happy for you to stay at our house! Qiao Mei said with a laugh. Qiane gave Qiao Mei a disdainful look and said to Xia He, How do you put up with her? Also, I hear that you get bullied. Why is it that youre so forceful when you get bullied by me, but you chicken out when others bully you? How would I dare to discipline her? Its not like you dont know her temper. Just come and stay here. Use that room! Xia He said as she pointed to the room next to her own. Qiane had no intention of staying here. She was making her own money now. Every month, she would send 30 dollars to her family and she could use the rest of the money at her own discretion. Although the house she rented was a little small, it was still her own little nest. No one nagged at her or scolded her anymore and she led a carefree life. I wont let Qiao Mei off so easily! If I really stay at her house, wont she get a piano teacher for free? I wont let her get her way, Qiane said proudly. Qiao Mei was so amused that she laughed out loud. She did not expect Qiane to have seen through her intentions. She did not even intend to charge Qiane any rent. She just wanted Qiane to teach the piano for free and be ready to give lessons anytime. Compared to the rent, it was definitely more worthwhile to have free piano lessons! Why dont you stay at my house tonight? Your house is too far from here and its not safe after it gets dark, Qiao Mei said. Qiane did not reject the offer. She could not be happier about staying in such a nice big house for nothing! Li Gui and the children had earned 130 dollars today! The cost was less than 2 dollars, so she saw great hope for the future. Not only did she not have to worry about the childrens school fees, but she could soon afford to buy her own place in the capital. Li Gui never ever dreamed that she would ever be able to buy her own place. Everything felt like a dream. What do you want to eat tomorrow? Li Gui asked. Mom! I want to eat fish! Zhang Qin said excitedly. Yes, yes, yes! Moms fish dish is the best! Zhang Wei said as he skipped around. Now that the family was doing well, they could eat whatever they wanted. There was no need to worry about not being able to afford anything. The children had no issues even if they had to pay for it themselves. When they reached the entrance of the alley leading to their house, someone came out to block their way. It was too dark to see who the people were, but they could vaguely make out that it was a man and a woman. The children hid beside Li Gui in fear and grabbed the corners of her clothes tightly. Brother, sister, can you let us through please? We have multiple vehicles and there are a few of us so its a little tight. Why dont you go first and well go in later, Li Gui said politely. Unexpectedly, the woman stepped forward and kicked the three-wheeled vehicle. The loud sound echoed in the alley and woke up the neighbors nearby. Dont you know who I am! Im Su Liangs mother! Your daughter broke my sons bones. You have to compensate me! Old Madam Fan shouted. The moment she spoke, Li Gui understood everything. This was the family who bullied Qiao Mei. It was clearly her son who bullied Qiao Mei and now she still dared to accuse others of wrongdoings. Li Gui said firmly, Nonsense! It was your son who pushed my daughter! All the neighbors saw this! If you dont believe me, go and ask around and see if its true! After Li Gui said that, she herself found it unbelievable. She was not like this in the past. When Zhang Qian abused her, she did not even dare to raise her head. Usually, when she was bullied outside, she did not even dare to make a sound. She did not expect herself to be so tough today and to be able to shout back at others. My son pushed your daughter? Can these neighbors be trusted? Maybe all of you are in cahoots! Old Madam Fan said. Su Yang stood at the side nonchalantly and listened to them fight. He originally did not want to come along tonight. If not for Old Madam Fan threatening him with his future betrothal money, he would have gone to watch a movie with Qiao Yu! It was such a waste of his time and effort. They did not manage to get what they wanted and he did not manage to watch the movie. He did not know if Qiao Yu would still pay attention to him tomorrow. How unlucky! Why did he have to handle his fourth brothers issue! Chapter 859 - 859 Kicking and Punching 859 Kicking and Punching Old Madam Fan could not be bothered to waste her breath on Li Gui and gave Su Yang a look. However, Su Yang was not looking at Old Madam Fan and just kept staring out of the alley. He was just waiting for Old Madam Fan and Li Gui to start quarreling so that he could slip out in the midst of it. He did not think that a man should get involved in such a situation where women bickered and pulled each others hair. When Old Madam Fan saw no reaction from Su Yang, she kicked him angrily. Your brother was bullied. You should think of something! Old Madam Fan muttered softly. !! Su Yang reluctantly walked over to Li Gui and looked at the children. Among them, only the little girl was quite good-looking. He reached out and dragged Zhang Qin out from behind Li Gui. Mom! Zhang Qin shouted in fear. Li Gui hurriedly went forward to stop him but Old Madam Fan knocked her to the ground. Seeing that Li Gui was being bullied, Zhang Chao and Zhang Wei also went forward to help. Zhang Wei went to hit Su Yang while Zhang Chao went to hit Old Madam Fan. Su Yang grabbed Zhang Wei off him impatiently. Beating up this brat would be a waste of his time! Unexpectedly, Zhang Wei bit Su Yang out of exasperation and refused to let go no matter how hard he was being hit. Su Yang was so angry that he kicked Zhang Wei away. The kick was so strong that Zhang Wei hit his head on the wall and blood instantly gushed out. Zhang Qin took advantage of the short span of time when Su Yang was checking the wound on his arm and ran all the way home. As she ran, she shouted, Help! Elder sister! Help! The three people who were chatting and laughing in the courtyard hurriedly opened the door and saw Zhang Qin panting as she entered. Whats wrong? Qiao Mei asked. Mom! Mom and my brothers are getting beaten up! At the entrance of the alley! Zhang Qin said as she pointed into the distance. Qiao Meis house was only one street away from Li Guis house. It would only take five to six minutes for them to get there now. Qiao Mei did not even bother to put on her coat and wanted to rush out. Xia He quickly stopped Qiao Mei. You go back first. Ill go with Qiane. Anyway, you cant run in your current condition. You should just wait at home, Xia He said with a frown. Qiane also persuaded Qiao Mei to go back quickly. Even if it was a matter of life and death, she still could not disregard her own safety. It was true that she could not run with the size of her pregnant stomach now. Otherwise, once Qiao Mei got there, Li Gui and the others would be in danger. It would be better to let Xia He and the others go. Thanks for your help then, Qiao Mei said. Xia He and Qiane did not say anything else. With Zhang Qin leading the way, they soon arrived at the place where Li Gui and the others got into trouble. Li Gui was hugging the unconscious Zhang Wei and crying bitterly. Zhang Chao was only hit a few times and there were some bruises on his body, as well as a few scratches caused by fingernails. He did not have any serious wounds. As for Zhang Wei, he hit his head against the wall and was still bleeding non-stop. He probably needed to be sent to the hospital for treatment quickly. Zhang Wei had almost bitten off a piece of flesh from Su Yangs arm. Su Yang could not do anything to Zhang Wei now that he was in Li Guis arms, so Su Yang felt that he was entitled to beat up Zhang Chao to vent his anger! Just as he was about to kick Zhang Chao, Xia He hurriedly rushed forward and threw Su Yang over her shoulder, smashing him to the ground. Xia He even gave Su Yang a hard kick in the stomach. Su Yangs entire face was pressed against the ground and he was sent flying half a meter away. It would take a while for these injuries to recover. Ah! As Su Yang lay on the ground motionlessly, Old Madam Fan looked at him fearfully and shouted, My son! You want to kill my son! My son! Xia He did not think that she had gone overboard at all. When Su Liang bullied Qiao Mei that day, she was so focused on Qiao Meis safety that she did not even manage to kick Su Liang to vent her anger. Since the Su family had come looking for trouble, then they could not blame her for doing what she did. Her actions would be considered self-defense. If she did not stop Su Yang from doing what he wanted to do just now, Zhang Chao would definitely need to be hospitalized! She could tell how much strength Su Yang was putting into that kick. Qiane did not say anything else and quickly called the police. She would not let Old Madam Fan and Su Yang escape. Xiao He! Xiao He, lets go to the hospital quickly! Zhang Weis head is bleeding! Li Gui hugged Zhang Wei and screamed in fear. She could already clearly feel that Zhang Weis breathing was not as strong as usual. The bleeding from his head was not stopping! Auntie, dont be anxious! Weve already called someone to come over. Xiao Wei will be fine! Xia He said. Its already one thing for you to break my sons bones, but you even beat up my other son! Are you bullying us because you think were easy to bully! Old Madam Fan shouted. Chapter 860 Making Enemies "If you don''t know how to speak properly, then shut your mouth. Why are you shouting nonsense? It''s the middle of the night and you don''t even care that you''re disturbing the peace," Xia He said unhappily as she tapped her ears. She had already heard this woman shouting at the police station for the entire afternoon the previous time and it made her ears feel uncomfortable for a long time. Now, as long as she heard someone screaming, she would feel uncomfortable all over. "You say that I''m shouting nonsense! You''re a junior, how can you talk to your elders like this! Don''t you have any manners! You not only hit us, but you also scold us!" Old Madam Fan shouted as she pointed at Xia He. Qian''e frowned and looked fiercely at Old Madam Fan. She had seen many people like this. This woman was bullying others just because she was fat and had a loud voice. She had thought that the person who bullied Qiao Mei must be quite impressive. She did not expect it to be someone like this. "The police will be here soon. You should see how your son is doing. He''s been lying motionless on the ground for a while," Qian''e said faintly. Old Madam Fan had never seen this girl before. She seemed to be an easy person to talk to. Old Madam Fan held on to Su Yang and pretended to be pitiful as she said, "Miss! You have to uphold justice for our family!" "Uphold justice? I can''t do that, but I can already see the issue just now," Qian''e said gently. Old Madam Fan hurriedly asked, "What did you see! Tell me quickly!" "I saw your son trying to kick that little boy. This young lady hit your son to protect her younger brother," Qian''e said. "Hey! How can you talk nonsense! When did my son hit this child! It''s clearly this child who hit us!" Old Madam Fan shouted as she pointed at Zhang Chao. Zhang Chao hid in Xia He''s arms and shook his head repeatedly. He did not do anything. If these two people had not hit Li Gui first, they would not have retaliated. "My younger brother said he didn''t hit you," Xia He said. "He''s lying! You were the ones who attacked us first!" Old Madam Fan said agitatedly. Qian''e pointed at Zhang Chao and said, "He''s just a child. Why would a child lie? Why don''t you ask the neighbors around here? They must have all seen what happened just now." After Qian''e said this, Old Madam Fan looked towards the dark alley. Many people retracted their heads and closed the doors. They just wanted to watch the commotion and did not want to get involved. The police rushed over in their car. It was the same two police officers from the other day. When they saw Old Madam Fan, they almost wanted to drive back. "You bunch of good-for-nothings! You don''t even dare to tell the truth! You''re all a bunch of assholes! You''re all in cahoots!" Old Madam Fan shouted towards the alley. Someone from one of the families immediately kicked open the door upon hearing this. Sun Juan, the neighbor, said, "I saw it! You were the ones who blocked the way of the children and that sister and even kicked their vehicles. In the afternoon, I saw you sneaking around outside their house! You were the ones who attacked first!" "Stupid bitch, shut up! You can''t believe what she says! She has a grudge against me! Everything she says is not true!" Old Madam Fan shouted. "Hey, hey, hey! Stop arguing! Let''s talk when we get back!" the police officer said. Xia He greeted the police officers, then pointed at Zhang Wei and said, "Officers, please bring my younger brother to the hospital first." The police officer brought everyone to the hospital first. Sun Juan stayed at home and would wait until tomorrow morning to go to the police station to record her statement. Regarding the grudge between Sun Juan and Old Madam Fan, it was not an ordinary one. This was because Su Liang had caused the death of Sun Juan''s daughter. Back when Su Liang stole things, there was a period of time when he only stole underwear from Sun Juan''s daughter. He did not care whether it was clean or worn, he would simply take everything. Everyone living here had to use a public bathhouse and they all had to line up to take a shower. The bricks and tiles were not laid close enough. One could see what was going on inside by secretly lifting the bricks. However, since they were all neighbors, everyone still had a conscience and would not do such immoral things. However, when Sun Juan''s daughter was taking a shower, she realized that Su Liang was crouching at the wall and peeping at her. After she discovered him, he even winked at her. After that, he often approached her and insulted her with vulgar language. As time passed, Sun Juan''s daughter could not take it anymore and jumped into the well to commit suicide. The family did not have any direct evidence to prove that Su Liang was the culprit, so they could not pursue the matter. Actually, Sun Juan had gone to look for Old Madam Fan to ask for an explanation. However, not only did Old Madam Fan refuse to admit it, but Old Madam Fan even scolded her and said that her daughter was a whore who deserved to jump into the well. Chapter 861 Treat My Son First The two of them even got into a fight. Sun Juan beat up Old Madam Fan more harshly, which made it harder for her to explain herself at the police station. She even had to compensate Old Madam Fan with a large sum of money. Every time Old Madam Fan ran into Sun Juan, she would behave arrogantly, as if she was afraid that no one knew that she had won the fight. From then on, everyone avoided arguing with Old Madam Fan. They were all afraid that Old Madam Fan would make things difficult for them, so they held back from fighting with Old Madam Fan even if they got into an argument with her. According to Old Madam Fan, whoever made the first move would need to fork out the money and whoever hit harder would have to bear full responsibility. The police brought Li Gui, Old Madam Fan and the rest to a nearby clinic. This clinic was known to the Xia family and Xia Jun was acquainted with the older owners of this clinic. "Quickly check what''s wrong with them," the police officer said to the doctor. The doctor first examined Zhang Wei, who was in Xia He''s arms. Other than the wound on his head, there was nothing else on his body. The doctor closed the wound up with four stitches. It looked like there would be a scar in the future. Xia He was worried that the anesthesia would cause problems to the child''s brain in the future. She used to hear Old Madam Kong saying that some children became fools after being anesthetized. Although she did not know if it was true, she was still a little afraid, so she asked the doctor to use local anesthesia on Zhang Wei and proceed with the stitches once the anesthesia took effect. Fortunately, Zhang Wei was manly enough to tolerate it. He did not make a sound when the doctor was stitching up. "When are you going to be done! My son''s face is still waiting for treatment! Move on once you''re done!" Old Madam Fan shouted rudely at the doctor. The doctor rolled his eyes at Old Madam Fan. He had never seen such a noisy person. She had been chattering non-stop since she entered the hospital and she was still talking even now. Is it not tiring! Are you not thirsty! "Wait for your turn! Can''t you see that I''m dealing with a patient here! This is the hospital, don''t make a fuss," the doctor said unhappily. "Hey! Who do you think you are! You''re a doctor. It''s your job to treat illnesses and save lives! If you don''t treat my son now, I''m going to ask the police to arrest you! I''m going to close down your small clinic!" Old Madam Fan shouted. The police officers stood at the side and looked at Old Madam Fan quietly. If Old Madam Fan called the police now, they would break the record and be at the scene within the shortest period of time. "If you want to save your son, then don''t talk. Otherwise, you can go somewhere else," the doctor said. He was not an immortal and could not multitask. He must prioritize and deal with the most serious injuries first. The wounds on her son''s face would form scabs and heal in no time. Although he was a doctor, he was not a dog that could be ordered around at will. If she was not satisfied with the way he worked, she could go elsewhere to see a doctor! He would not serve her! In order to make Xia He pay the medical fees, Old Madam Fan was unwilling to go to another clinic. If she had to pay first and then Xia He refused to reimburse her, then she would have wasted her money. They would see the doctor here! She was not going anywhere! After the doctor finished treating Zhang Wei, he went to examine Su Yang. Other than the flesh wounds on his face, there was nothing else. They just had to disinfect the wounds on his face. He did not need to do such things himself. The young nurse next to him could do it. "Wait! Why do you ignore my son! Why is this nurse the one treating my son''s wounds!" Old Madam Fan grabbed the young nurse and questioned the doctor. The young nurse''s wrist was held tightly in Old Madam Fan''s hand. It was so painful that her tears were about to fall. "This patient''s family member! Please let go!" the young nurse said with tears in her eyes. What Old Madam Fan detested the most was a woman behaving delicately, like what the young nurse was doing now. She felt that this behavior was all an act to seduce men. If not for the fact that there were always such sweet young things hanging around her two sons, her sons would not have been deceived and be unable to control themselves! It was all the fault of these young women! It had absolutely nothing to do with her sons! "Stop being so hypocritical! Why are you crying! A slut like you should be shut into a wicker basket and drowned! Are you trying to seduce my son with such behavior! Let me tell you, people in our family don''t fall for this! Get lost!" Old Madam Fan gave the young nurse a hard shove. The young nurse lost her balance and took a few steps back. Seeing this, Li Gui kindly went forward to help her, preventing her from falling to the ground. Chapter 862 - 862 Becoming a Fool 862 Becoming a Fool If you want treatment, then let us do our job. If not, go somewhere else! Dont cause trouble here! the doctor roared as he pointed at Old Madam Fan. Treat my son! Old Madam Fan shouted at the top of her lungs. The police officer could not do anything about Old Madam Fan and could only say to the doctor, Please just treat this patient. The doctor shook the dust off his clothes impatiently and took the things from the nurse, telling her to go back to the ward and take care of the other patients first. He slowly wiped the dust off the wounds on Su Yangs face and disinfected them properly before applying medicine. As these were just superficial injuries, there was no need for bandages. If the wounds were bandaged, it would not be conducive to the healing. As long as the medicine was applied on time every day, the wounds would recover. It was certain that there would be scars on the face. In any case, Su Yang was not very good-looking, so it did not matter if there were scars or not. Xia He did not intend to pursue the matter of compensation with Old Madam Fan. She just wanted Old Madam Fan to stop disrupting their lives in the future. They all lived in the same area, only two streets apart. When Li Gui went to set up a stall at the train station during the day, Old Madam Fan even brought people along with her to look for Li Gui. They really did not have the time to handle all these. The children at home still had to go about their lives. As usual, they handed this matter over to the police. It was already late and they had to go back early. Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao were still at home alone! You want to leave! No way! Old Madam Fan quickly blocked Xia Hes path. She clearly saw that Xia He did not pay the clinic a single cent. Could it be that Xia He wanted to simply go off and leave her to fork out the money herself! She did not care much about most things, but when it came to money, she would not lose a single cent! Lets talk at the police station tomorrow. Were going back now, Xia He said with a frown. The people at the clinic knew her family. At the end of each month, they would go to the Xia familys house to settle the medical costs. Xia Jun would visit this clinic if he had any illnesses like headaches or fever. Old Madam Fan still refused to give up. She stopped Xia He and said, My son was beaten up by you just like that. Dont you need to bear any responsibility at all? Give me money quickly! Didnt you beat up my younger brother first? Shouldnt you be the one to give us money? Before Old Madam Fan could react, Xia He continued, Isnt the rule supposed to be whoever makes the first move needs to fork out the money? She had heard about this argument from Xia Wen. At that time, Xia Wen had treated it as a joke and came back to tell Xia He about it. Old Madam Fan was stunned on the spot. Why did this sentence sound so familiar? The two police officers were also snickering at the side. They did not expect anyone to be able to subdue Old Madam Fan. They had been mediating among the neighbors for so many years and Old Madam Fan had always been a problematic source of trouble for them. Then you have to pay for my son! You hit my son! You have to pay! Old Madam Fan said. Xia He pointed at Zhang Weis head and asked, Then how do you plan to settle the issue of my younger brothers wound? You should compensate us as well. So should we compensate each other? Old Madam Fan had yet to realize the severity of the matter. How much would it cost for a child to get stitches? It was probably about 10 dollars. Alright! Old Madam Fan said. Xia He turned around and asked the doctor, Did you just say that there will be aftereffects from the injuries on my brothers head? The doctor stammered, Ah yes! Theres such a possibility! Old Madam Fan pointed at the doctor in exasperation and said, Youre in cahoots! This child looks so lively, how can there be anything wrong with him! Zhang Wei and Xia He looked at each other and quickly understood what each other was thinking. Zhang Wei held his head like he was in discomfort and slowly leaned against Xia He, whimpering from time to time. Look! My younger brother is already in so much pain! What if it affects his intelligence in the future! My younger brother is only 12 years old! Is he going to be a fool for the rest of his life! Xia He said tearfully. Zhang Wei echoed, Oh my~ It hurts~ My head is so dizzy~ Im going to die~ In the past, Old Madam Fan had often used this method to deal with others. Now that someone else was using it on her, she finally knew how discomforting it was. Then my sons face is also ruined! You have to compensate us too! Old Madam Fan said as she held onto Su Yang. Chapter 863 - 863 Having Dreams 863 Having Dreams Xia He agreed readily. She turned to the doctor and asked, Doctor, how much does his treatment cost? He would recover after applying medicine. The treatment on his entire face would need only around 10 dollars. If they added some ointment and anti-inflammatory medicine, it would cost about 15 dollars. Not much, just about 15 to 20 dollars, the doctor said. What about the cost of my brothers treatment? Xia He asked. Under normal circumstances, it was very difficult to discover a head injury immediately. They would need to do a brain CT scan and a blood test to know if there was anything wrong. Otherwise, the doctor would not be able to tell with the naked eye. In a big hospital, a brain CT scan would cost 200 dollars each time. Moreover, one would need to make an appointment to get a queue number. Only a few hospitals had such large equipment. A small clinic like his did not have it. We still have to continue to check on the brain issue. Its a very long process. The early stage treatment will probably cost about 1,000 dollars, and the special medicine for the brain is very expensive. Its hard to say. The main thing is to look at the results. Also, it might not even be curable, the doctor said seriously. If Xia He did not know that the doctor was just putting on an act together with her, she would really have collapsed to the ground in fear from what he said. If Zhang Wei really turned into a fool after getting beaten up, she did not know how to go home and explain it to Qiao Mei. You heard that, right? We dont want much from you. Well just take 1,000 dollars. Lets consider your medical fees to be 20 dollars. Just deduct the amount off when you pay us, Xia He said. Old Madam Fan was unhappy. Her sons injuries were also on the head! Why was it that the doctor did not give her son a checkup! What about my sons loss of income! Nutrition fees! And compensation for emotional damage! Pay me for all of these! Old Madam Fan said. Auntie, you want nutrition fees? My brother is so young, can you imagine how much nutrition he needs? Will your son live longer or will my brother live longer? You can go and think about it. Its only 1,000 dollars. We wont fuss about anything else. After saying that, Xia He left with Li Gui and Zhang Wei. A chauffeur from the Xia family had specially come to pick them up. When Xia He arrived at this clinic, she had already asked them to inform the Xia family to send a car to pick them up. In the car, Xia He could not help but praise Zhang Wei. His acting skills were top-notch even at such a young age! It would be a pity if he did not become an actor. Xiao Wei, tell me the truth. Do you really not feel uncomfortable? Xia He was still a little worried. Elder sister Xia He, Im really fine. Its just that my wound hurts a little. Everything else is fine. I feel great! Zhang Wei said with a smile. Li Gui felt relieved. She was glad that the child was fine, but she did not expect to encounter such an issue. If Xia He had not rushed over in time, they would probably be finished. Xiao He, thank you so much. If you hadnt come today, we dont know what would have happened to us, Li Gui said fearfully. Auntie, dont worry. Nothing bad will happen, Xia He said. She would get Xia Wen to transfer a few of Xia Maos guards over tomorrow and get them to keep an eye on Qiao Mei and Li Gui. She did not want any more such incidents. Xia He suddenly recalled that Zhang Wei had once used a small wooden stick to spar with Zhang Chao in the courtyard. From the way he moved, it looked like someone had previously given him pointers and it did not look like he was playing around. If one did not want to be bullied, one must know how to protect oneself. This was something that Xia Xiu had taught her when she was young! Ever since she was young, she had been the little tyrant of the military compound and had bullied all the boys in the compound together with Zheng Yuan. Xiao Wei, do you want to become a soldier like your brother-in-law? Xia He asked. At the mention of this, Zhang Wei immediately perked up. He widened his eyes and looked at Xia He and asked, Elder sister Xia He! I do! I even dream about it! If he had stayed in the village, Chen Hu would bring him to the unit for training once he reached a suitable age. When the time came and he could pass the physical fitness requirements, he would go and take the exams. However, after coming to the capital, he did not dare to cause trouble for Qiao Mei. He knew that the Xia family was a military family and that Qiao Mei just needed to say the word to make his dream come true. However, Li Gui had said that he could not ask the Xia family for help even if he ran into any difficulties. Otherwise, the Xia family would look down on Qiao Mei. Then can you endure hardships? If you go to the army, you wont get to go home easily, Xia He asked. Chapter 864 - 864 Study Hard in the Future 864 Study Hard in the Future This made Zhang Wei a little hesitant. His younger siblings were still so young. Zhang Chao was an introvert and his two sisters were also still very young. No matter how sensible Zhang Qin was, she was still a child. He had to help out with many things. If he was not at home, what would happen to Li Gui and his younger siblings? Li Gui could also tell that Zhang Wei was troubled. She smiled and hugged him as she said, Silly boy, we dont need you to be at home. Didnt I use to take good care of all of you? Moreover, were living with your elder sister Qiao Mei and grandfather Qiao Qiang now. Our family also has some money now and our days are getting better. Zhang Wei was still a little worried. He looked up at Li Gui and asked, Really? But Zhang Chao, he !! What if Zhang Chao had a relapse because of what happened tonight? Previously, Qiao Mei had brought him to see a psychiatrist. The doctor said that he was better now, but the psychological trauma could relapse at any time. No one could say when it would flare up. Hes your younger brother! You have to believe in him, understand? Li Gui said. Yes! Zhang Wei said with a smile. Seeing that Zhang Wei had let go of the heavy burden in his heart, Xia He felt like helping him. Xia Wen, Xia Zhe and her had all gone to a boarding school when they were young. That school specialized in nurturing talents to join the army. The conditions were much more arduous than in ordinary schools. The military way of management was very strict and the students could only go home during the new year. They had to go through training in school for the rest of the time. Moreover, the academic progression was by way of a selection process. Only one out of 100 students could go to the military academy in the capital. The rest could only go to other schools to continue with cultural studies and would not be able to join the army. Let me think about what we can do. Ill talk to my aunt and check on when that school will be taking in new students. When the time comes, Xiao Wei can also go to school. However, you have to study hard. They speed through the lessons there. Although I dont know what grade youre at now, we can get my eldest brother to come take a look, Xia He said. Zhang Wei whispered, Mom have I just caused trouble for elder sister Li Gui was also a little conflicted. She did not know whether it would be difficult for Xia He to get someone to arrange this matter. Xiao He, is it very difficult to make arrangements? If so, lets forget about it. Perhaps I can bring Xiao Wei to the school to take a look when it is recruiting students, Li Gui said. Only children from reputable families in the capital could enter that school. The campuses were segregated by zones and the one in the northern suburbs was for ordinary children. The selection process for the school was extremely strict and in actual fact, Zhang Wei could not meet the standards at all. She could only go to Xia Xiu and ask her about the admission rules for the campus in the western suburbs. It would still be possible for a kid to enroll there if there was a recommendation. The only difference was that the enrolment criteria and academic progress of the western campus were several times stricter than that of the northern campus. The western campus was simply a hellish existence. When she first started school, she would secretly cry in bed many times. There was really too much pressure and she could not take it. Its fine. I will just ask my aunt about when the school starts and also the criteria. For everything else, it will depend on Xiao Weis efforts. Xiao Wei, you have to work hard. If you dont do well in the exams, youll be asked to leave. At that time, we wont be able to help you, Xia He said. Dont worry! Ill definitely study hard! Zhang Wei said firmly. Xia Wen did not have free time every day, but Zhang Wei also found it unrealistic for them to hire a teacher just to teach him. Zhang Wei had secretly asked around and found out about the fees that Qiane charged per piano lesson. It was probably the kind of rates for other subjects. His family was not that rich yet. Besides, he could not be the only one enjoying such benefits. He still had younger siblings! He decided to take out all his books and study hard once he went home. Some time ago, he would always accompany Qiao Qiang for walks in the park. There, he had met an old grandpa and his wife, who were both long-time teachers. When the time came, if there was anything he did not know, he would ask the old grandpa and grandma! Xiao He, sorry to trouble you, Li Gui said embarrassedly. Xia He waved her hands and said, Auntie, youre too polite. Qiao Meis family is my family. If you have any problems in the future, just tell me! Ill definitely do what I can. Dont worry. Chapter 865 - 865 No Mood to Work 865 No Mood to Work Before Li Gui came to the capital, she thought that the Xia family would be the kind of family that had money and power and looked down on people like her. She did not expect the Xia family members to be so easy to get along with. Everyone was very friendly, especially Xu Lans three children. Each of them was better than the other. When they reached home, Qiao Mei, Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao were still waiting in the house. The youngest Zhang Miao was too sleepy and had already fallen asleep on the small table. Qiao Mei, on the other hand, sat calmly in the courtyard and was reading a book. Qiane had already returned to Qiao Meis house to rest. She still had many classes to teach tomorrow. Why arent you asleep yet? Xia He asked with a frown. Qiao Mei had not been sleeping well during this period of time, yet she even stayed up late to wait for them. Xia He did not recall Xu Lan being so tired when she gave birth to Xia Zhe. It could be because Qiao Mei was having twins. Xiao Qin cant fall asleep either. Shes worried about Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao and has been waiting for you to come back. Qiao Mei deliberately redirected their attention to Zhang Qin so that Xia He would not keep nagging her. As Zhang Qin looked at the wound on Zhang Weis head, tears flowed down her face uncontrollably. It was all her fault that Zhang Wei was beaten up. If she had not been careless and allowed herself to be captured by Su Yang, Zhang Wei would not have been so seriously injured. Zhang Wei hugged Zhang Qin and said with heartache, Why are you crying! Im fine! Boohoo Its all my fault for letting eldest brother get hurt Zhang Qin whimpered. Its not your fault. It was a bad person who hit me. It has nothing to do with you. Its only right for me to protect you, Zhang Wei said. As Zhang Wei consoled her, Zhang Qin finally stopped crying. Zhang Miao, who was crouching at one side, did not wake up no matter how anyone called out to her. Zhang Chao ran to Li Gui and pointed at Zhang Miao. Mom, whats wrong with my sister? Li Gui was used to it. Among these children, Zhang Miao had the best sleep. She would not wake up even if there was thunder outside. Zhang Miao would not react even if she was carried up and thrown out. Your sister is fast asleep. Shes fine. You should all go back to sleep. Well talk again tomorrow, Li Gui said. Xia He brought Qiao Mei back to the courtyard house to rest. After Li Gui settled the children down, she also went in to rest. At Old Madam Fans house, no one could get any rest. Su Yangs minor injury did not require him to be hospitalized. Initially, she thought that Xia He and Qiao Mei were two young girls who could be easily hoodwinked with a few words, but she did not expect to encounter a couple of tough nuts to crack. Now, not only did she have to give Qiao Meis family a big amount of compensation, she also had to cover the treatment fees for her two sons injuries herself. The more Old Madam Fan looked at her two sons who were lying on the bed, the angrier she became. Ever since they moved out, their lives had not been smooth-sailing. Not long ago, there were even people who went around saying that Old Madam Fan and her two sons were shameless and had occupied someone elses house for so long and that they deserved to be chased out. Nowadays, there were people who paid attention to her familys affairs every day, as if they were worried that her family would have too peaceful a life. You two good-for-nothings! How did I give birth to cowards like you! You cant even defeat young women and children. Are you still my sons! Are you even men! Old Madam Fan roared as she pointed at Su Liang and Su Yang. Mom I really cant beat her. That woman is really strong. I really have no choice, Su Liang said aggrievedly. Old Madam Fan did not actually expect her two sons to achieve anything, but she would not give up just like that. She had to think of a way to bully those people back! Otherwise, how could she maintain her reputation on this street in the future! The next morning, Old Madam Fan woke up early to cook as usual, but Su Yang had no intention of getting up to go to work. Old Madam Fan entered the room out of exasperation and shouted, Why arent you up yet! Do you want to be late and have your salary deducted! Su Yang opened his eyes in a daze. He did not want to go to work at all today. He would only go when his face looked better. In these past two months, after he was chased out of the previous house, everyone on the street snickered at him. There were even people who badmouthed him right in front of him. Now that his face was ruined, he was even more reluctant to go to work at the factory. If Qiao Yu saw him, he would not know how to explain himself. It was better to rest at home for a couple of days. Im not going! If you want to go, you can! Su Yang said as he lay under the blanket. Chapter 866 - 866 So What If You Have Connections 866 So What If You Have Connections Old Madam Fan really could not win Su Yang, so she let him be. She could still afford to support these two useless people with her pension. Ever since Qiao Yu saw Li Gui, she had been acting a little crazy. She did not even wake up on time this morning and only got up when everyone else had packed up and left the room. By the time Qiao Yu finished washing up and went to the canteen, there were only a few steamed buns left. The rest of the dishes and the porridge were all gone. Qiao Yu had no choice but to return to the workshop to get a few small buns to eat. In her eyes, unpalatable small buns were still better than steamed buns. Steamed buns cost money, but the small buns were free. During the entire morning, the machine in front of her stopped operating several times. The team leader of the workshop came over to look for her many times. If not for the fact that she found out Qiao Yu had a backer last night, she would have deducted Qiao Yus salary by now. If the mistake was serious enough, Qiao Yu might even be fired! The team leader of the workshop even came over to ask Qiao Yu if she was sick and if she needed to go back to the dormitory to rest. The people around were also very curious about what Qiao Yu had experienced. They recalled that Qiao Yu said she was going to a relatives house last night. Could it be that she had a fight with her relative? Qiao Yu, did something happen to your relative? Weve seen you go into a daze a few times, asked the older woman sitting beside her. Qiao Yu shook her head and said with jealousy, They are a prominent family and run a big business. Even if something happens, its not something I can solve. I want to help, but they dont need it! What Qiao Yu said made sense. They stopped asking about it and changed the topic to talk about Su Yang. The speed at which gossip spread in this place was no slower than back in the village. News spread very quickly! Su Liang and Su Yang are both resting at home now. Do you all know that they both seem to be quite seriously injured? Sister Li said. Really? Are you lying to us? Sister Wang questioned in disbelief. Among the people in the factory, Sister Li loved to gossip and was probably on par with Auntie Dong from Foshan Village. However, what Auntie Dong said was all based on evidence, but what Sister Li said was usually a mixture of truth and lies. She liked to exaggerate and distort the truth so that everyone would gather around her to listen to her. Why would I lie to you! Its absolutely true! Dont I live next to Old Madam Fans house? I saw everything last night. She got out of the police car with her son! Her sons face was bandaged up! He looked so scary! As Sister Li spoke, the expression on her face gradually became twisted. Everyone gradually believed that what Sister Li said was true. They slowed down their work and listened intently to her. Previously, I also saw her eldest son after he got his bones broken! I heard that he made the first move and then got beaten up by a pregnant young woman. This young woman is the person who bought the house that their family used to live in, Sister Li said. Sister Wang asked curiously, Young woman? How old is she? How can a pregnant woman afford to buy such a big house? She looks so young! Shes probably around 20 years old. My father-in-law has a good relationship with this young womans grandfather. I heard that theyre from the countryside and are from a place called Fo or something. The woman and her family have come to the city to stay with her husband, Sister Li said enviously. A place called Fo something? In the countryside? About 20 years old That sounded like Qiao Mei! Qiao Yu immediately perked up and hurriedly patted Sister Lis shoulder as she asked, Elder sister! Where do you live? Sister Li rubbed her shoulder in pain and said, Oh my! Qiao Yu, you hit me so hard! My shoulder is almost dislocated! Qiao Yu did not care about that. She just wanted to know if that person was Qiao Mei. She held Sister Lis shoulder tightly and stared at her intently as she asked, Where! Where do you live! Where is that place! The people around were all frightened by Qiao Yus crazy behavior. Sister Li cried out in pain, Someone! Help! Qiao Yu is going to kill me! The team leader of the workshop hurriedly ran over to separate the two women. Sister Li pointed at Qiao Yu and scolded angrily, Dont think that youre so great just because you have a backer! Im going to ask the factory director to be the judge of this! Is there no one in charge of this factory! How can you bully people just because you have connections! Chapter 867 Searching One was a "loudmouth" in the factory, and the other was someone in the factory who had connections. She could not afford to offend either of them! "Sister Li! I''ll handle this matter. Go back and rest today!" After saying that, the team leader of the workshop leaned over and whispered into Sister Li''s ear, "Your salary won''t be deduced. Go back and rest." Sister Li looked at the team leader of the workshop and then at Qiao Yu before leaving the workshop angrily. She was showing respect to the team leader right now, otherwise she would definitely fight it out with Qiao Yu. Who did this girl think she was! This girl got in through the back door just because of her family connections. Sister Li had been working in this factory since she was 18 years old and had spent most of her life here. Even if she had no achievements, she should still be rewarded for her efforts. How dare a little girl act so pompous in front of her! After the team leader of the workshop coaxed Sister Li, she came over to coax Qiao Yu while speaking gently, "Why did you have a conflict with Sister Li? Come to my office and tell me what''s going on. I''ll help you resolve it." Qiao Yu lowered her head aggrievedly and said, "I just heard something and wanted to ask Sister Li more about it, but I used too much strength and hurt her. I didn''t do it on purpose" If a man saw the delicate way that Qiao Yu behaved now, his heart would definitely soften and he would let her off. However, their entire workshop was filled with women and everyone already knew what kind of person Qiao Yu was. Given that everyone had interacted with Sister Li for such a long time, they knew that even though she usually spoke a little exaggeratedly, she was still a very direct person. As for Qiao Yu, whenever she encountered trouble, she would pretend to be weak. It was as if the person causing trouble just now was not her. If not for the fact that Qiao Yu had a very powerful backer, they would not let her get her way! "It''s fine, it''s fine! Sister Li is just very outspoken. She won''t take it to heart. It''ll be fine after today. Don''t feel too bad," the team leader of the workshop said. Qiao Yu looked at the team leader of the workshop with tears in her eyes and said, "Really? Thank you, team leader." The corners of the team leader''s mouth could not help but twitch twice. If not for the fact that a voice in her head kept telling her that she should not touch Qiao Yu or beat her up, she would probably have already taken some action. "Go ahead and do your work. Call me if you need anything." After saying that, the team leader of the workshop returned to her office. Other than the sound of machines, there was no other sound in the entire workshop. Everyone was busy with their own work and no one spoke, afraid that it would hurt Qiao Yu''s "fragile heart" if they said anything. Then, she would cry again and go to complain to the team leader of the workshop. What if she went to talk to the factory director about these things? Then all their benefits would be gone. It was better not to offend anyone. At noon, Qiao Yu habitually took a few glances at the door with the mess tin in her hand. Then, she remembered what Sister Li had said. Su Yang was injured and was currently lying at home. Feeling disappointed, Qiao Yu took the mess tin to get some dishes. She only scooped one serving of vegetables and stopped. Then she sat in the corner and quickly finished her meal before returning to the workshop. After finishing her work in the afternoon, she took a few small buns and left. She searched for the location of Li Gui''s house based on her memories. As long as Sister Li was not lying, it was very likely that Li Gui and Qiao Mei lived in the same area as Su Yang''s family. Qiao Yu asked around along the way and finally found where Su Yang''s house was. His family was famous in this area and everyone knew where they stayed. Along the way, everyone looked at Qiao Yu with a teasing gaze. This was the first time a girl had come to look for Su Yang! Ordinary girls would avoid Su Liang and Su Yang. No one knew which family this girl came from, but she must have been deceived by Su Yang. Qiao Yu wanted to say that she was not here specifically to see Su Yang! She was here to find out where Li Gui and the others lived, and to visit Su Yang on the way! It was just on the way! Before Qiao Yu entered, she could hear Old Madam Fan scolding Su Yang in a deafeningly loud voice. Qiao Yu was so frightened that she quickly ran away and did not even dare to look back, afraid that Su Yang would come out and spot her. After walking around the alley for a long time, she still did not manage to find Qiao Mei and Li Gui at all. She did not even see any of the children. Could it be that she had really heard wrongly? There might be many villages that started with the word "Fo". It was not a word exclusive to their village and could be used by other villages. Perhaps she was too sensitive. Qiao Yu thought that since she was already here, she would try her luck at the cinema again. This time, she would definitely follow closely and not lose track of them! Chapter 868 - 868 Throwing a Sandbag 868 Throwing a Sandbag It was rare for it to snow so early in the capital. The weather was not good and the roads were much harder to walk on than usual. Li Gui felt sorry for the children and she decided to rest at home today. Qiao Mei joined her in the living room to modify the small baskets. When she went to the market today, she realized that someone was selling very tall and deep baskets that could be used to store popcorn. Qiao Mei also brought over the remaining wooden planks from the house renovation and installed a few wheels on them so that Li Gui would be able to carry more popcorn to sell. Mom, why dont you stop going for now? You can go after the snow melts, Qiao Mei said as she looked at the heavy snow outside. Li Gui knew that Qiao Mei was worried about her, but this bit of snow was nothing to her. She had experienced even heavier snowfall than this and would just go about her business as usual. Moreover, Xia He had even given Li Gui an old down jacket that she did not wear anymore. This coat was much warmer and lighter than the cotton coat which she usually wore. Im fine. I can go by myself. I dont need to sell much. Ill only do one trip, Li Gui said with a smile. Qiao Mei knew that she could not dissuade Li Gui, so she just let her be. People who had just started doing business would find it addictive to earn so much money. After all, her goods were sold out every day. Sure, Qiao Mei said. Li Gui told Qiao Mei what Xia He had said in the car yesterday and Qiao Mei fully agreed. This matter had indeed reminded her of the need to pay more attention to the childrens homework. Ever since they all came to the capital, other than Zhang Chao who still insisted on reading every day, the other children had been helping out with the work to earn money and did not have time for themselves at all. They would need to put aside work for the moment. She should find a home tutor for the children. The cost was not an issue for her. Qiao Mei hurriedly went out to the public phone booth to call Xia Wen. Only he would know best about such matters. Eldest brother, are you free tonight? I want to talk to you about something! Qiao Mei asked. Sure, you can just wait for me at home. Do you need anything? I can bring it over for you, Xia Wen asked considerately. Qiao Mei thought carefully. There was actually one thing that she really wanted to eat. She did not see anyone selling it in the vicinity and she wondered if Xia Wen could get it. Eldest brother, isnt it snowing now? Do you think you can find candied hawthorns on your way here? If you do, bring back a few sticks, Qiao Mei said happily. Xia Wen noted down this matter. After hanging up the phone, he asked his secretary to buy eight sticks of candied hawthorns. He instructed that they must be fresh and the largest and best candied hawthorns. This was only the first snowfall in the capital. Usually, candied hawthorns would only be sold on the market after three to four snowfalls. He would probably have to find someone who sold candied hawthorn to specifically make it. Anyway, there was still enough time. In his current position, it was very convenient for him to do anything. He could have whatever he wanted and there were people who helped him arrange many things. After Xia Wen got off work, he brought eight big and red candied hawthorns to Qiao Meis house. The children were throwing sandbags in the courtyard! As soon as Xia Wen entered, he was hit in the face by the sandbags. The children pointed at Xia Wen and laughed loudly. Zhang Wei even said mockingly to Xia Wen, Eldest brother! Your skills are not as good as my brother-in-laws! These words successfully brought out Xia Wens desire to win. He put his bag and the candied hawthorns aside and focused on the game of throwing sandbags with Zhang Wei and the others. Kid, stand there and dont move! See how Im going to hit you! Xia Wen looked at Zhang Wei as he held a sandbag and said ruthlessly. Zhang Wei did not take Xia Wen seriously at all. He was the best at throwing sandbags in Foshan Village! No one could beat him! He had never met an opponent before! He did not even lose when Xia Zhe played with him. Hehehe! Hit me if you can! Zhang Wei said as he made a face at Xia Wen. Qiao Mei and Xia He looked out through the living room window and saw them playing happily in the courtyard. Xia He mocked Xia Wen mercilessly and said, Look at how clumsy eldest brother is. No matter what, he used to be a top army warrior. Why cant he even win against a child now Look, look! Hahahaha! Zhang Wei even hit him! Hes really too stupid! Xia He had not seen Xia Wen laugh so happily for a long time, nor had she seen him play with children with such abandon. The last time this happened was probably 20 years ago. At that time, she and Xia Wen were still young and the three Xia siblings had played with Zheng Yuan and the others. Chapter 869 - 869 Looking for a Home Tutor 869 Looking for a Home Tutor Time passed really quickly. They had all already aged. Xia He and Qiao Mei chatted inside the house. Not long after, Xia Wen came in panting while holding his bag and the candied hawthorns. The candied hawthorns had melted and almost became stuck together. Im old, Im old I cant even win a few children Xia Wen said resignedly. Xia He walked over to help him with the bag and said mockingly, You should go to the park to train with Grandpa Qiao. Your health isnt even as good as Grandpa Qiaos! When Grandpa Qiao plays the game of sandbags with these children, he can hit accurately even when he is sitting down. !! Xia Wen said stubbornly, Grandpa Qiao was a sniper back then! Of course he can throw accurately! Im not a sniper, so I naturally cant compare to him. Qiao Mei did not care about the siblings bickering at all and focused on eating the candied hawthorns. Even though they had already melted, Qiao Mei still ate them happily. When she first got pregnant, she did not have cravings. At that time, the women in the village all said that her babies were blessed because they did not kick up any fuss at all. She did not even have morning sickness, her body was not sore and she did not even have swollen legs. Now that she was about to give birth, she suddenly had a lot of cravings. She felt like eating everything, but she only wanted a bite because she only wanted to taste it. If only Xia Zhe was at home, then she would be able to buy a lot of food and just have a taste of everything. She could then leave it to Xia Zhe to finish the rest. For now, on a daily basis, she had to limit herself to only buying the foodstuff she craved the most. After giving birth, she would try to raise a puppy. Not only could it guard the house, but it could also share the food with her. Qiao Mei, why are you looking for me? Xia Wen asked. Oh right! Eldest brother, do you know of any home tutor? The fees and everything else is negotiable as long as the teacher is a professional, Qiao Mei said. Xia Wen knew of many, but the teachers in the school were not allowed to teach lessons in private. It was better for him to ask his friends for help. I have a friend called Zheng Peng. He came back from studying overseas but Im not sure its acceptable for you, Xia Wen asked softly. Of course Qiao Mei found it acceptable! An overseas graduate could even teach her younger siblings to speak and write English! It would be even better to have bilingual education! Zheng Peng was Zheng Yuans elder brother. Xia Wen and him could be considered childhood friends. Zheng Peng was a free spirit and his great love was painting. Zheng Peng was also the most outstanding student among them. Back then, Uncle Zheng had forced him to study in the same military school they studied in. Every year, Zheng Pengs results were always among the top three. Of course, the most outstanding person in their batch was still Xia Wen, who firmly took the top spot every year. When Zheng Peng needed to make a decision on whether he would enter the military school, he resolutely chose to go overseas to further his studies in art as he was passionate about painting. Uncle Zheng was so angry that he refused to provide any living allowances. No one knew how Zheng Peng managed to persevere overseas. Now that he was back, he did not do anything and just went around looking for inspiration. Are you sure you want Zheng Peng to come? Xia He asked hesitantly. Qiao Mei looked at Xia He in confusion and asked, Is there a problem with him? He hes Zheng Yuans brother Xia He said. Qiao Mei had thought that there was something wrong with this persons character. She did not expect it to be about this. In fact, she actually had a good impression of Zheng Yuan. Although Zheng Yuan had liked Xia Zhe before, she was a very upfront person. She took the initiative to admit to her mistakes and took responsibility for it. Who had never done something wrong before! Its fine! If he has the time, then he can come to our house. He just needs to name his fees, Qiao Mei said happily. Xia Wen nodded. He would ask Zheng Peng about this when he had time. He had not seen Zheng Peng for a long time as well. As usual, Li Gui prepared a table full of delicious dishes today and even took out a bottle of good liquor! It was rare for Xia Wen to have time to pay a visit to her house, so she had to take out all her best stuff and treat him well. Xia Wen, come over and eat! Look! Its all your favorite food tonight! Li Gui said with a smile. Xia He glanced at the dishes on the table and pursed her lips as she said, Auntie, why arent there so many dishes when I come over? Youre so biased! Then who ate the chicken and mushroom stew I made this morning? Who ate the guinea fowl I cooked the day before yesterday? Li Gui asked as she looked at Xia He. Chapter 870 - 870 Causing Trouble 870 Causing Trouble Xia He blushed and said, Its me Then how can you say that I dont like you? I will choose to cook what you like to eat every day! My culinary skills have improved a lot and Ive learned many new dishes! Li Gui said. Nowadays, it could be said that she was running a successful business and her family was thriving. Every day, she had to push a small cart to buy groceries. Otherwise, she would not be able to carry everything back. Qiao Mei also felt that it was too tiring for Li Gui to both take care of them and sell goods, so she wanted to find a helper to come and cook for the family. She did not expect Li Gui to strongly object to this idea. Li Guis purpose in coming to the capital was to take care of Qiao Mei so that she could give birth to the children in peace. She was sure that she could take care of Qiao Mei and her two grandchildren. If they hired a helper now, people might gossiped about it. What if Xu Lan became unhappy with them then? Although it was Qiao Meis house now, Xu Lan still felt a little uncomfortable about this fact. Xia He also started to wake up early to go grocery shopping with Li Gui. She went along as Li Guis assistant and sometimes, she would even help to fry one or two vegetable dishes! She had also improved a lot. After dinner, everyone went back to rest. At Xia Wens current position, he had a chauffeur to pick him up and it was already midnight when he got home. As soon as Xia Wen entered, he saw Tan Jing sitting on the sofa unhappily, waiting for him to come home. They had agreed to have dinner at home today, and she had made three to four nice dishes! Why are you back so late? Where did you go? Tan Jing pouted as she said unhappily. I was held up because of something. Whats wrong? Xia Wen tried to hide the truth. Nowadays, Tan Jing would quarrel with him whenever she heard anything about Qiao Meis family. He really did not have the energy to explain these things to Tan Jing, so he might as well not let her know. After being married for so many years, how could she not know Xia Wen well? He must have gone to Qiao Meis house! When Tan Jing approached Xia Wen, she could smell some alcohol on him and asked, Did you drink? A little, not too much, Xia Wen said. Tan Jing still pulled a long face. When Xia Wen saw this, he did not say anything. After changing into his pajamas, he went to bed and prepared to go to sleep. Tan Jing looked at Xia Wen in shock. Usually, when she was unhappy, he would think of ways to coax her, but there was no such reaction from him now. Where exactly did you go! Tan Jing asked unhappily. Xia Wen lay under the blanket and still did not speak. Tan Jing actually did not want to hear the answer anymore. She was more afraid of hearing the truth. I want to tell you that my parents came to rush me again. What exactly is Qiao Mei going to do with her house? I heard that she bought another courtyard house and the floor area is exactly the same as the courtyard house shes living in now. Whats the use of having so many houses! Tan Jing said as she pushed Xia Wen. Xia Wen already knew that this issue was definitely not over yet. He lay on the bed with his eyes closed and said, If your parents want to move out and live on their own, I can find a house for them. If everyone wants to live separately, then each family can find a separate house to live in. Itll be more peaceful if everyone lives a distance from one another. Tan Jing gently kicked Xia Wen and said, My parents call me every day and say that its too crowded at home. The children are making a fuss and its so noisy. Cant you go to Qiao Meis place and put in a good word for them? Its not as if she can live in three big houses alone! She might as well let my parents stay there. Then are your parents going to pay? Xia Wen questioned. Tan Jing behaved as if a fishbone was stuck in her throat and said guiltily, About that! Of course theyll pay! Its considered a lease. Since theyre going to pay to rent a house, why is it a must to stay in Qiao Meis house? Why cant they stay in someone elses house? Xia Wen asked. How are you going to find someone elses house now! Doesnt Qiao Mei already have a vacant house! Tan Jing said. As long as were willing to pay, well be able to find one. Dont worry about whether I can manage to find it. If your parents really want to move out, let me know the timeline. I can make the arrangements now, Xia Wen said sternly. Tan Jing did not know what to say for a moment. The current Xia Wen was different from before. He was now a government official and could do many things. He was no longer that unknown university professor. Why cant you just speak to Qiao Mei? Tan Jing asked angrily. Youre her sister-in-law, why dont you go and talk to her? Besides, were willing to pay her money to live there. Its not like were not paying. Why do you need me to go, Xia Wen said. Chapter 871 - 871 Borrowing Clothes 871 Borrowing Clothes She had no desire to see Qiao Mei at all. Every time she looked at Qiao Meis big belly, she would feel annoyed and wish that something would happen to Qiao Mei. It would be best if Qiao Mei could not give birth to the babies! Are you going or not! Tan Jing said in exasperation. No. If your parents want to move out, then give me a call and Ill make the arrangements. Otherwise, theres no need to talk about this matter. After saying that, Xia Wen lay down and fell asleep. Tan Jing already knew of the incident when Jiang Yi had gone to cause trouble for Qiao Mei. She even thought that Jiang Yi had done a good job this time. She heard that Qiao Mei was so angry that she almost had a fall. Although Jiang Yi did not achieve anything after causing a scene the last time, it was still a good thing to make Qiao Mei angry. If the matter regarding the house remained unresolved, the Tan family members would continue to call her every day to hound her. Moreover, Jiang Yi said that she only wanted to live in Qiao Meis house. She did not want to live anywhere else. After all, although renting any house could solve their problem, their family did not have any money at the moment. If they did not have money, how could they rent a house from someone else? Even if that person was willing to accept an IOU like Qiao Mei, the interest rate would definitely not be as cost-effective as Qiao Meis. Who knew if their family might become rich in the future! If they became rich in the future, they could even buy the house. It would be easier to discuss the issue if they lived in Qiao Meis house. They were family. Even if they did not pay rent to Qiao Mei, she would not be so heartless as to chase them all away. She would definitely still need to show them some respect. The purpose of living in a relatives house was to ensure that they would not be chased away. They could also be late with the rent. Moreover, Tan Jing was also up to no good. Even if Tan Bao, Tan Shi and Tan Yue all had their own rooms and Tan Bo and Jiang Yi occupied a room, there would still be a few rooms left in that house. At that time, she and Xia Wen could also go there to live. The Tan family members were a very noisy bunch to live with, but she would endure it for the sake of a big house. Initially, she thought that Xia Wen might be able to get a big house from the workplace unit after he was promoted this time, something similar to Xu Lans house. However, she did not expect the higher-ups to say that Xia Wen still needed to work for 10 years first! A period of 10 years! By then, she would be so old that she would not be able to walk properly! How could she wait for 10 years? She had to make plans for her future. In order to live in a big house, she must work hard to convince Xia Wen that she must rent Qiao Meis big courtyard house! The next day, Qiao Yu went to work as usual. She did not sleep well last night and her mind was filled with thoughts of looking for Qiao Mei and Li Gui. Yesterday, she walked around in the snow a few times but still could not find Li Gui. She still had to save some money to buy a new cotton jacket. When she came from Foshan Village, she did not bring anything with her. Actually, she never even had a cotton jacket before. During her rest day, she had gone to the mall to take a look. A cotton jacket would cost 20 dollars! She did not have that much money now, but if she did not buy clothes for the winter, she would really freeze to death in the capital. Fortunately, they were required to wear their uniforms in the factory and it was warm enough. Sister Li only took half a day off and came to work as usual the next day. When she saw Qiao Yu, she did not say a single word of greeting and also did not speak to the people around her. She just quietly went about her work. Qiao Yu was still in a daze today. She did not do much the entire morning and her mind was filled with thoughts of clothes. Sister Wang, can you lend me your cotton jacket? Qiao Yu whispered. Ah alright, you can wear it, Sister Wang said after a moment of hesitation. During the lunch break, everyone gathered together to talk about this matter. Why was Qiao Yu borrowing a cotton jacket? Moreover, she only wanted to borrow clothes from Sister Wang. In the entire dormitory, only Sister Wangs cotton jacket was new. It was a branded item that her daughter had bought from a big shopping mall. Sister Wang herself could not even bear to wear it! Sister Wang, dont you feel a sense of heartache from lending her your clothes just like that? Sister Li said as she ate. Sister Wang sighed resignedly. She did not have Sister Lis guts. Qiao Yu had a powerful backer and could not be offended! Anyway, it was just a piece of clothing and she was only lending it out, not giving it away. What can I do? Shes not shy about asking. What else can I say? Sister Wang said dejectedly. Did that rich niece of hers introduce a boyfriend to her? Otherwise, why does she go out after work every day? Sister Li asked. For the past few days, Qiao Yu had been coming back very late. Sometimes, she would even come back in the wee hours of the morning. She kept asking them to leave the door open for her, but no one knew what she was doing. Qiao Yu only said that she was going to visit her relatives. Chapter 872 Cooperation However, when Qiao Yu returned, she was always freezing. Sometimes, she was so cold that her teeth chattered. If her rich relatives cared about her, why would they let her come back on her own in such cold weather? They would have arranged for a car to send her back. It seemed that Qiao Yu was not valued much and that the rich relatives did not really like her. They reckoned that the boyfriend these relatives found for her would not be someone doing too well either. He might be just like them! Many people in this factory were still unmarried in their 30s and had spent most of their lives working in this factory. Sister Wang and a few of the other women were around 28 years old and had never been married. They were all jealous that Qiao Yu was good-looking and had suitors. They thought that if they secretly spread the news that Qiao Yu had rich relatives, other people would become scared of Qiao Yu. Unexpectedly, not only was no one afraid, but a group of men even came to their workshop to ask about who Qiao Yu was. A few of them even openly wooed Qiao Yu! For a moment, Qiao Yu became very popular. Whenever Qiao Yu thought of the scene when she went to Su Yang''s house yesterday, she would become afraid. If she married into the family and had a mother-in-law like Old Madam Fan, she would definitely not have a good life! For all she knew, Old Madam Fan would vent her frustration on her whenever she was angry. Pfft, pfft, pfft! No matter who she married, she would not marry Su Yang! Qiao Yu did not want to marry such a person at all. In the future, she wanted to marry into a family like the Xia family, one that was rich and powerful. If Qiao Mei could do it, she could do it too! She did not lack an arm or a leg, so why should she lose to Qiao Mei! After work today, she still wanted to go to the cinema to look around. She must find out where Li Gui lived! Li Gui used her newly modified vehicle to travel to the cinema to sell popcorn. The ambient temperature had gone up now and there was not much snow left after yesterday. She could still manage to drive her modified vehicle on the road. In another half a month''s time, when the temperature dropped and the snow became heavier, Li Gui would remove the wheels and leave only a board behind. At that time, it would be more convenient to push the cart and slide on the frozen road than to use the wheels! In the winter, only half the usual crowd would come to watch movies. A few people even specially came to the entrance of the cinema to buy a few more bags of popcorn from Li Gui. In the end, there was not much popcorn left in the big basket. The peddler, Zhao Fei, approached Li Gui slowly. He wanted to do business with Li Gui and do more sales! He was a seed seller. Now that he had sold most of the seeds, he did not have any other items to sell. Seeing that Li Gui''s business was doing so well, he wanted to come and learn from her. "Sister, I sell seeds over there. I just want to ask why you don''t sell seeds anymore?" Zhao Fei asked with a chuckle. Li Gui looked at Zhao Fei warily. Back then, many peddlers had come to surround her and even smashed her stall when they asked her about the seeds. Zhao Fei also knew about what had happened previously. He quickly waved his hands and said, "Sister, don''t be afraid! I''m not here to cause trouble! I just want to ask you where you bought the seeds. My business is not going well. Sister, can you help me? Don''t worry, I''ll give you a share of the profits. I won''t take them for free!" Seeing that Zhao Fei was quite upfront and did not seem to be looking for trouble, Li Gui slowly relaxed. "I''m from another city. I harvested those seeds in my village," Li Gui said softly. "Then sister, why aren''t you selling them anymore? I see that you''ve been selling popcorn recently," Zhao Fei asked curiously. "I didn''t bring that much with me when I came here. I already sold out everything I have," Li Gui said truthfully. Zhao Fei pondered for a moment and said, "Sister, do you still intend to sell it next year? If you do, then count me in! I''ll buy my supply from you! What do you think about 35 cents a pound!" Li Gui felt like telling Zhao Fei the truth. In their village, they sold these seeds for one dollar a pound. She did not even want to give them to Zhao Fei at 50 cents a pound, let alone 35 cents a pound. He had really underestimated the cost of the seeds. If she did business with him, she would definitely lose money. No, no! She still had to do it herself! "My daughter will already have children next year. I might not be able to return to the village to plant them. Besides, my house in the capital only has a small space and can only produce about 100 pounds. It''s not even enough for me to sell. I really can''t help you," Li Gui said awkwardly. If the issue was not having enough land, then it was simple! Zhao Fei''s supply of seeds was all planted by his relatives and he bought his supply from them. They could plant Li Gui''s variety of seeds next year. Then, both Li Gui and him would have enough seeds to sell. Chapter 873 - 873 Very Talented 873 Very Talented Sister! My relatives live in a village in the suburbs and they have a lot of land! You can plant them at my relatives place! Zhao Fei said excitedly. She could not make up her mind about this matter, so she decided to discuss it with Qiao Mei. What if Zhao Fei was here to sabotage her as she was from out of town? Let let me think about it Ill go home and think about it Li Gui said hesitantly. Good things were worth the wait. Anyway, it was winter now and the seeds could not be planted yet. Zhao Fei had no issue with waiting as long as Li Gui agreed to work with him next spring. !! Sure! Zhao Fei took out a card from his pocket with a string of numbers written on it. He handed it to Li Gui and said, Sister, call me if youve decided. This is my phone number. Li Gui nodded and carefully put the card into her pocket. Then, she dragged the basket home. Along the way, she kept looking back, worried that Zhao Fei would follow her. It was fine if she was in danger, but if her address was made known to everyone and people came looking for trouble while she was working during the day, those few children would be in trouble. After Li Gui reached home safely, she quickly went to look for Qiao Mei to discuss this matter. She told Qiao Mei exactly what Zhao Fei had said. Actually, Qiao Mei already had an intention to work with the farmers in the suburbs. After all, if she leased a piece of land herself, the cost would be very high and it would not be worth the effort. Furthermore, she would need to bid against others and then the costs would be raised even higher. Besides, this was only an activity for Li Gui to do now. It was not certain if she would be able to do this seeds business in the future. She could not let Li Gui run around outdoors selling seeds for the rest of her life. When Li Gui became older, she would need to rely on her children to support her. However, she was the kind of person who would never let such a thing happen. Therefore, Qiao Mei still had to think about if there were any other jobs that were suitable for Li Gui. It might be a good idea to set up a shop for Li Gui. What do you think about what Zhao Fei said? Qiao Mei asked. Li Gui hesitated for a moment and said, I dont have any views, but I think the price he quoted is really too low. 35 cents a pound is so little. If they did the planting in their own courtyard, then Zhao Feis price of 35 cents a pound was indeed very low. However, if Zhao Fei could help them solve the issue of the land, then it would be a different story. We can work with him and we can also pay those farmers to lease the land, but we wont sell him the seeds to plant. Well hire people to plant them and then well sell the harvested seeds to Zhao Fei for 35 cents, Qiao Mei said with a smile. This way, it was a much better situation than just selling the seeds to Zhao Fei and letting him find a place to plant them himself. They could earn a lot of money just by selling the harvested seeds. However, the prerequisite for a collaboration was to see how many people Zhao Fei could find to work with them. If only one or two families wanted to work with them, it would not be worth the effort. The small amount of seeds planted would not even be enough to make enough money to cover their travel expenses! Alright, Ill talk to him when I meet him again, Li Gui said. Li Gui took out 1,000 dollars from her pocket and handed it to Qiao Mei. I didnt help much with the issue of the children going to school, but I have enough money for their books and tuition fees. See if its enough. If its not enough, Ill raise more. Xia Wen had not settled the matter with Zheng Peng yet, so no one knew how much money they would need. If Zheng Peng could not take up the job, they would still have to think of another way. The matter of money is not that urgent. Theres no hurry. We can talk about it in detail when the teacher is here. What are your plans for Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao? Qiao Mei asked. Recently, Li Gui had also noticed that these two children had different interests. Zhang Qin was more inclined towards acting. Previously, Xia He had also said that Zhang Qin was quite talented in this area. Moreover, Zhang Qin had great interest in it herself. If her familys financial situation allowed for it, she could consider learning dance. Zhang Miao liked musical instruments more and could barely walk past an instrument shop without going in. Moreover, when Qiane came to visit these children, she also said that Zhang Miaos hands were very slender and suitable for playing the piano. If they started to nurture her now, she could definitely become very outstanding in the future. However, there were so many children in the family. Other than Zhang Chao, if the rest of the children wanted to pursue their specialties, it would cost a lot of money. Li Gui was the only one earning money and she did not have enough for the four children to pursue their interests at the same time. If they were to take turns, Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao might very well miss out on their golden period of development. Chapter 874 - 874 Filing a Report 874 Filing a Report Ill try my best I shouldnt delay the childrens development. They shouldnt need to worry about money. I just want them to study hard, Li Gui said. Qiao Mei thought for a moment and took out the notebook which she kept in her storeroom in Foshan Village. The children wrote this themselves when they took things from me previously. I can lend them the money and they can pay me back when they are able to. Anyway, I also have no use for so much money. This was indeed a good idea. Moreover, this was something that Qiao Mei and the children had agreed on before. If the children wanted to continue with this agreement, it was not impossible. Alright, lets ask them when the time comes, Li Gui said. !! Qiao Yu did not see Li Gui even after going to the cinema for two consecutive evenings and was becoming impatient. She took advantage of the one-day break every month to come out for the whole day and waited at the entrance of the cinema since the morning. Li Gui came later than usual, at a time when Qiao Yu was so cold that she had almost lost consciousness. Today, Li Gui came to the cinema alone with a basket to sell popcorn. Even after shouting for a long time, no one came to buy anything from her. There were fewer movie screenings today and the business today was not as good as usual. Many peddlers did not come out to set up their stalls because of the cold weather. The money they earned from their hard work in the first half of the year was enough for them to survive through this winter. Qiao Yu watched quietly from the side and observed Li Gui selling her goods. If she could also sell these things, her life would not be as shabby as it was now. Since she was not having a good time, Li Gui could also forget about having a good life. Qiao Yu quickly walked to the duty room at the side of the movie theater. The place was filled with people who managed the movie theater, and a few of them were government officials who were on duty to supervise the nearby areas. Is anyone there? Qiao Yu asked as she knocked on the door. Whats the matter? the person in the room said lazily. At this moment, they were all preparing to play cards. I want to file a report! I want to report that the woman outside is doing private business and secretly selling her own personal items. This is called being opportunistic! Qiao Yu used all the words she knew in her life to describe Li Gui. She was not very cultured and also never went to the black market in the county city to buy things, so she did not know the meaning of these words at all. However, she knew that these were the words that the women in the village were most afraid of. Every time someone mentioned these words, they would be very afraid. Cao Gang looked at his colleagues beside him. They basically would not take the initiative to investigate such things and would only take action if they received a report. It would not be an exaggeration to say that they had the most free time among their colleagues. After all, there were so many peddlers around. As long as there were no fights, they basically did not care too much about these things. Occasionally, these peddlers would even give them a lot of benefits, so they would turn a blind eye to everything. Who are you talking about? Cao Gang asked. Qiao Yu pointed at Li Gui through the window and said, Its that woman! Cao Gang looked at Li Gui, who was standing outside, and did not know what to say. This was someone whom the higher-ups had asked them to take special care of. They usually watched over her carefully and would never dare to cause trouble for her. It was not as if they did not want their jobs anymore? What kind of grudge did this woman have with Li Gui? There were so many peddlers outside but she did not report any of them and only targeted Li Gui. Could it be that they knew each other? Then write down your name, address, contact information and workplace unit on this piece of paper. Well contact you later, Cao Gang said as he took out a pen and paper from the drawer. Qiao Yu was stunned for a moment and said, Cant I make an anonymous report? Why do you need all these details? Other people were allowed to make an anonymous report, but not Qiao Yu. Li Gui was someone that the higher-ups had specifically asked them to take care of. If anything happened, they had to tell their superiors who the troublemaker was. If the leaders were happy with their performances, it was possible for them to be promoted and get rich. Theres no such thing as anonymous reports anymore! What if the leader asks us about the details and we cant tell them anything? We also wont be able to find you then, Cao Gang said. Qiao Yu hurriedly ran out of the duty room and disappeared into the alley without looking back. She did not even wait for Li Gui to close her stall and go home, she was more worried that those people would detain her. Cao Liang looked at his colleague beside him and said, Who do you think Sister Li offended? This young lady is so young. Why is she looking for trouble with Sister Li? Chapter 875 Distant Uncle Everyone had a good impression of Li Gui. She was a peddler who followed the rules. Even though she had protection from the higher-ups, she did not sell her goods in an aggressive manner in the vicinity. She would just quietly do her business at the entrance of the alley. The foodstuff that Li Gui sold was also very delicious. They were still eating the popcorn and seeds that Li Gui sold. Qiao Mei had asked Li Gui to give it to them as gifts. If one gave gifts to win people''s hearts, the returns were usually very quick and obvious. They would send some food to the office every week so that the officers would find them familiar. "I don''t know, but she looks like she''s from the countryside. She doesn''t look like she''s from this city," his colleague said. This served as a reminder to Cao Gang. Li Gui also came from the countryside, so it was possible that the two women knew each other. Cao Gang quickly wrote down a description of Qiao Yu''s general appearance and characteristics, worried that he would forget about these details after a while. He decided to report this matter to Director Xu tomorrow morning. Director Xu was the one who had instructed them on this matter. If what he thought was true, he would be rewarded greatly! The next day, Cao Gang went to the government office building to look for Director Xu and quietly told him about what happened last night. As expected, Director Xu praised him profusely and even wanted to treat him to a meal. "Xiao Cao, you''ve done a good job on this matter. Continue to observe Li Gui''s movements from now on. Tell me if there''s any sign of trouble and don''t let anything slip past your eyes. If anyone causes trouble for her, you must stop them quickly. You must ensure her safety," Director Xu said sternly. Cao Gang patted his chest and said, "Director Xu, don''t worry! Leave this matter to me!" After Cao Gang submitted a simple report, he returned to his workplace. Director Xu and Xia Wen both worked in the same office building and would run into each other during lunch break. Director Xu was actually Xia Wen''s uncle as he was Xu Lan''s distant cousin. It was not a close familial relationship. Director Xu was the one who took the initiative to look for Xia Wen, so Xia Wen did not say anything. He decided to just acknowledge this uncle for the time being. "Director Xia! You''re here to eat in the canteen too. Let''s eat together!" Director Xu said enthusiastically to Xia Wen as he held his plate. Xia Wen nodded and went to a remote corner to eat with Director Xu. Xia Wen ate in silence the entire time. "Director Xia, so last night, someone went to file a report on the person you told me about. One of my buddies managed to stop it. This is a description of the person''s characteristics. I don''t know if it''d seem familiar to you." Chief Xu took out the piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Xia Wen. Xia Wen simply took a few glances and thought that the description of the person seemed familiar, but he could not remember who she was. "Thank you. You''ve really been a great help," Xia Wen said gently. "Then shall we go out for dinner tonight?" Director Xu whispered. Xia Wen smiled quietly at Director Xu. Ever since he asked Director Xu to help protect Li Gui in secret, Director Xu would ask him to go out for a meal every few days. Every time, it was Director Xu who paid the bill, but he would bring other officials along on most of the occasions and would always secretly hint to them about his relationship with Xia Wen. This made Xia Wen feel very troubled. After all, even if he told Xu Lan about this relative, Xu Lan might not even know who he was. "I still have to go and meet my sister and sister-in-law tonight. My brother has been at the front line all this while and doesn''t have time to come home. Now that my sister-in-law is about to give birth, our focus is on her at all times, as we''re worried about accidents," Xia Wen said. "Oh! Congratulations! This is truly the most important thing. Let''s meet again another day," Director Xu said agitatedly. After a long silence, Director Xu said, "Then Director Xia, what do you think about the day after tomorrow? It''s our day off." This reasoning made it hard for Xia Wen to turn down the invite. Who would need to deal with work on their day off? Besides, he did not have children yet and did not need to spend time with them. "Alright, that day is fine," Xia Wen said resignedly. Director Xu continued to push his luck and said, "Then do you think should we ask some other people?" "I''ll invite Wang Yue and Zhou Chang to come along," Xia Wen said. These two people were both young masters from prominent families which were on par with the Xia family. Director Xu had been following Xia Wen around so that he could interact more with people at their level. When the time came, his meteoric rise would be just around the corner! Chapter 876 - 876 Might As Well Raise a Dog 876 Might As Well Raise a Dog Good, good, good! You must come! Director Xu said with a smile. Xia Wen quickly finished his meal and returned to his office with the piece of paper from Director Xu. Time passed quickly when dealing with official matters. After work, he asked the chauffeur to drive to Li Guis house. Coincidentally, Li Gui was about to go out to sell her goods and Xia Wen quickly stopped her. Auntie, dont go to work today. I have something to tell you, Xia Wen said with a serious expression. Li Gui put down the basket in a daze and led Xia Wen back to the living room. Nowadays, Qiao Mei and Xia He would come to her house every day after they woke up. They would have their meals and then stay here to watch over the four children. Xia He was also highly educated. She could still tutor these children when it came to the simple elementary school curriculum. Once the home tutor was able to start work, she would be completely liberated. Eldest brother? Why are you free to come here? Xia He looked in surprise at Xia Wen, who had followed Li Gui into the house. Xia Wen shook the piece of paper in his hand and said, Im not here to see you. I have something important to tell Auntie. Xia Wen handed the paper to Qiao Mei. It was stated that the girl was about 18 years old, had dark skin, an obvious accent, wore her hair in two braids, had rough hands and was dressed in very old-fashioned clothes. She was about 155 centimeters tall. With all these characteristics, even if Xia Wen did not say anything, Qiao Mei already knew who the person was. Whats this? Why is it with eldest brother? Qiao Mei asked curiously. I had previously arranged for some people to take care of Auntie at the cinema. This is a note from the person in charge there. He said that someone went to file a report against Auntie last night and said some very serious things. That person did not know who it was, so he wrote down a description of the persons appearance and handed it to me. Im just here to ask you if theres anyone you suspect, Xia Wen said. Ever since Qiao Mei came to the capital, she had completely forgotten about Qiao Yu. It was not that she had let the girl off, but she really did not remember that such a person existed. She had thought that as long as Qiao Yu did not cause trouble, they could all just live and let live and give her a chance of survival. Whether Qiao Yu lived or died would depend on her own luck. She did not expect Qiao Yu to still not know her own place. Then will this matter affect you, Xiao Wen? Li Gui asked worriedly. She was not worried that anything would happen to her. At most, she would be arrested and locked up for a few days or fined a lot of money. She would not be in much danger. However, it was different for Xia Wen. He was now an important staff in the government service. If others found out that he had played favorites, he would lose his job! At that time, he would not even have a job and this matter might even implicate the Xia family. This must not happen! If there was really no other way, she could bring these children back to Foshan Village. At most, she would just tolerate Qiao Zhuangs family. No matter what, they would not dare to kill anyone. If she returned to the village, she would still be able to earn money and would not cause trouble for Qiao Mei or the Xia family. Coming here this time, she had seen clearly for herself the kind of people the Xia family members were. They all liked Qiao Mei very much, so even if she was not in the capital to take care of Qiao Mei, she would still feel at ease. Im fine. Those people are very tight-lipped and this person was scared away. Theres no issue, Xia Wen said with a smile. We can think about this matter later. Its not a good thing to rashly go and look for Qiao Yu now. It wont be good if she retaliates, Qiao Mei said. Li Gui also chimed in, Ill just set up shop earlier these few days and come back early. Ill try my best not to go to the cinema. As long as I dont go too often, she wont have anything on me! The more Xia He thought about it, the angrier she became. Not only did this woman want to destroy Qiao Meis family and seduce her younger brother, but she had even coveted her eldest brother as well. They had found a job for her out of kindness, but she still refused to live honestly. Even if she raised a dog, it would still be thousands of times better than Qiao Yu! Why is this woman so cheap? Shes really like a lingering spirit. Isnt the work in the factory tiring enough! Xia He said with a pout. Xia Wen gave Xia He a fierce glare. How could a girl say such things every day? She was getting more and more impudent after getting a divorce. Xia He quickly lowered her head. In her life, she was most afraid of three people. Chapter 877 - 877 Changing the Doors 877 Changing the Doors Her impartial eldest aunt Xia Xiu, her strict mother Xu Lan, and this eldest brother who restrained her words and actions. When she was young, she thought that Xia Xiu was a demon-like existence because Xia Xiu trained her using the same standards as the boys. She did not expect that when she trained under Xu Lan later, Xu Lan controlled her diet every day and constantly made her practice her basic skills in the training room. As long as Xu Lan was even the slightest bit dissatisfied, she would need to start all over again. As she was surrounded by boys when she was young, she was also brought up like a boy. She spoke and talked like a boy and did not behave like a lady at all. According to what Xia Wen said back then, she looked like a human only if she did not talk. Ever since then, Xia Wen watched over her all the time. As long as she did anything out of line, he would look at her with the sharpest glare. Theres one more thing. I already had a discussion with Zheng Peng, but hes a person with a strange temper. Hes not interested in money or anything like that. Hes alright with whatever amount of money that we want to pay him. He only has one request and that is he wants to check out the childrens aptitudes, Xia Wen said. That was not what Zheng Peng said originally. Xia Wen had to beg him for a long time before he even agreed to come and take a look. He hated such troublesome things the most. If the children were unteachable, he would not do it even if Xia Wen wanted to pay him 1,000 dollars for a lesson! He did not want to do such a laborious job! Then when will the teacher be willing to come by? Qiao Mei asked. Anytime. If the children are free tomorrow, Ill ask Zheng Peng to come here tomorrow, Xia Wen said. Qiao Mei nodded and said, Lets do it the day after tomorrow. Ill get the children to do some revision tomorrow. Do you need them to prepare anything? Do they need to show off any talents? In her other life, Qiao Mei understood that some elementary school entrance examinations not only placed importance on the results, but also tested the children on their talents, speech, thinking process and socializing skills. The cultural class was just the simplest stage. The interview after that was more important. She did not know whether she needed to prepare anything, given that there was still the parent interview stage! She often heard complaints from her friends who were married and had children. Nowadays, going to school was not only a test for the children, but it also required the parents to put in a lot of work. Some schools even asked parents whether they could provide a bilingual learning environment for their children, and if they would have enough time to accompany their children as they grew up. At one point, it made her very anxious and she did not want to get married and have children at all. Theres no need. Its not like its a competition. Just let the children handle it in a relaxed manner, Xia Wen said. Qiao Mei slowly heaved a sigh of relief. She was very confident in these children. She was really facing too many problems at the moment. Recently, Old Madam Fan had been coming to Li Guis house frequently to smash on the doors and she would do it for the entire morning. The main doors of Li Guis house had been in disrepair for a long time, so Qiao Mei had changed it to a big metal door with beautiful patterns on it. She had spent a lot of money on it! Unexpectedly, Old Madam Fan came to smash the door day and night. None of the neighbors within a radius of 100 miles were spared and it was so noisy that no one could rest. It was still alright for the younger people who went off to work during the day, but most of the people living nearby were old people and they all had issues with their hearts and other parts of their bodies. Things could not go on like this. Qiao Mei really could not be bothered to go head-to-head with Old Madam Fan. Therefore, she asked someone to change the main door to a solid wooden one overnight and installed an electronic doorbell outside. The doorbell would only be switched on when it was in use. It was very convenient. As long as Old Madam Fan did not mind hurting her own hand, she could continue to knock hard. The sounds she made on the solid wooden door were much softer than on the original metal door. If there was really no other way, Qiao Mei would bring these children to stay in the house a few streets away for a few days. Anyway, she had many houses. She did not believe that Old Madam Fan could accurately locate all her properties. The police still havent dealt with the Su familys issues? Xia Wen asked. We want to settle, but Old Madam Fan doesnt agree. She comes to cause trouble every day now. Let her be. Just treat it as if shes providing some entertainment for me, Qiao Mei said calmly. Xia Wen looked at Qiao Meis stomach and said, If theres really no other way, you can go back to Mothers place to stay for a while. Her place has already been tidied up and the renovations are almost done. We originally want you to stay there after you give birth so that it would be easier for the doctor and confinement nanny to take care of you at home. It makes no difference if you want to go now. Chapter 878 Good Stuff This was also what Xu Lan wanted to say to Qiao Mei. With her status, it would not be appropriate for her to move into Qiao Mei''s courtyard house to take care of Qiao Mei. Once she moved in, her husband''s second and third brothers'' families would definitely have an issue with it. Tan Jing was also not an easy person to deal with. Tan Jing had been eyeing the courtyard house for many years and had always urged Xu Lan to move in so that her own family could also come over to live there and enjoy life. "Let''s wait a little longer. Eldest brother, I''m fine. Don''t worry. Besides, I still have elder sister by my side! She can protect me too." Qiao Mei held Xia He''s hand and smiled at Xia Wen. Xia He raised her head smugly and showed Xia Wen the muscles on her arm. She said confidently, "Don''t worry!" Xia Wen thought to himself, "Qiao Mei is fine because she''s lucky. It has nothing to do with Xia He. If anything really happens, it''s already good enough if Xia He doesn''t cause trouble for Qiao Mei." "I can really protect Qiao Mei!" Xia He said anxiously as she looked at Xia Wen''s doubtful gaze. "Fine, fine, fine. I''ll trust you," Xia Wen said resignedly. Li Gui brought out a lot of popcorn and seeds from the house and stuffed them all into Xia Wen''s hands. During this season, there were no vegetables growing at home, so she only had these few things to give away. "Xiao Wen, bring it back to eat with Tan Jing. There''s a new flavor!" Li Gui said with a smile. Li Gui had recently come up with a new flavor. By now, not only was her popcorn selling well near the cinema, it was also selling well at the train station. People who passed by could not resist buying a bag of popcorn from her. Some people even bought them in big bags! There were also many people who came to buy up all her stock at one shot. Li Gui did not deliberately market her popcorn as a specialty item of the capital. Qiao Mei said that this method of making popcorn was not unique to them. Once others found out how to do it and everyone started making popcorn in the same way as her family did, they would no longer be making anything special. Furthermore, the world was so big. What if there were identical items already being sold elsewhere? However, the news spread like wildfire among the customers. The popcorn became known as a specialty product from the capital and anyone who passed by had to buy a packet and bring it home. Many peddlers were extremely envious when they saw how well Li Gui was doing, but they did not have her ability and could only feel envious. One day, when Li Gui was selling popcorn, a fashionably dressed woman came to the stall with a child. The child was very good-looking and looked different from other children. She thought that the child seemed to be mixed-race. The child was holding onto a huge piece of chocolate. "How much is the popcorn?" the woman asked. Li Gui hesitated for a long time before replying, "Oh! It''s 50 cents a bag!" The woman nodded in satisfaction and took out two dollars from her pocket to buy four bags. However, Li Gui did not reach out for the money for a long time and kept staring at the child. The woman quickly hugged her child tightly. "What do you want! Why do you keep looking at my child!" the woman said angrily. Li Gui quickly apologized and said, "I''m sorry, I''m sorry! I''m not looking at your child! I''m looking at the thing in his hand! I also have four children. It''s just that I see your child enjoying it so much and I''m thinking about letting my children try it. I don''t have any ill intentions!" The older woman who manned the stall next to Li Gui also testified for her, "She really has four children!" The woman gradually let down her guard and took out a brand new box of chocolates from her bag. "I bought this for my son. His father brought it back from overseas. I can give it to you." "How can I accept that! Then then I''ll give you these four bags of popcorn! No, no, no! Six bags! You can take them all! There''s no need to pay!" Li Gui said excitedly. The woman did not stand on ceremony with Li Gui and left with the six bags of popcorn. Li Gui carefully placed the chocolates into her breast pocket, worried that she would lose them in her bag. Then, she brought them home while feeling satisfied with herself. The first thing she did when she got home was not to give it to the four children, but to look for Qiao Mei. She was sure that Qiao Mei had definitely never eaten such an interesting thing before! "Mei Mei! I brought you some good stuff! Guess what it is!" Li Gui held her chest tightly and smiled so widely that the corners of her mouth almost reached her ears. Chapter 879 Sending Money Qiao Mei asked curiously, "Is it gold?" "No, no! Guess again!" Li Gui said excitedly. Qiao Mei thought really hard about it but really could not figure out what Li Gui was up to. Seeing that Qiao Mei was at a loss, Li Gui quickly took out the chocolate from her breast pocket. However, the chocolate was in a completely different state from when she received it. It was soft to the touch and black liquid kept flowing out from the gaps in the corners. Li Gui was sure that she saw an entire piece of chocolate earlier! "What! What''s going on! That woman lied to me!" Li Gui was so anxious that she almost cried. Qiao Mei quickly went to the kitchen to get a bowl and put the melted chocolate in it. Li Gui would definitely feel very sad if she just threw it away. "It''s fine, it''s fine. The chocolate melted. It''ll be fine after we refreeze it," Qiao Mei said comfortingly. "It was still in good condition when I got it! Oh my, what a pity!" Li Gui said sadly as she looked at the chocolate in the bowl. Qiao Mei took the chocolate to the kitchen and poured it into the pot to make popcorn. Soon, a pot of fragrant chocolate cream popcorn was ready. The entire courtyard was filled with the strong smell of chocolate. Qiao Mei called out to the children to try out the new product she had developed. "Elder sister! What''s this! I''ve never eaten it before!" Zhang Miao asked curiously as she looked at the black popcorn in her hand. "This is chocolate. Mom brought it back for all of you. This is something that''s especially difficult to get!" Qiao Mei said. Li Gui was still brooding over this matter. If not for the fact that she was so clueless, the children would have been able to taste chocolate. Qiao Mei could tell that Li Gui was feeling down and brought a big basin of chocolate popcorn to her. "Mom, look, it''s chocolate-flavored!" Qiao Mei smiled and put a piece of popcorn in Li Gui''s mouth. Li Gui smiled and ate it. It was her first time eating chocolate and she felt that the taste was really strange. It tasted different from the sweets she usually ate. "Delicious! This is really delicious!" Li Gui said. "This thing can''t withstand heat as it''s very delicate. But we can still taste the chocolate now," Qiao Mei said. The chocolate sold on the market were all from overseas and even then, it was rare to see imported chocolate. The quality of the soil in their country was unable to support the cultivation of such raw materials, so the price of chocolate was more expensive than other foodstuffs. However, for a family like the Xia family, nothing was a problem. The next day, it was not Old Madam Fan who came to cause trouble for Qiao Mei. Instead, the person who came was the one she least wanted to see. It had been almost half a month since Qiao Mei came to the capital. In this half a month, He Ning could not find a suitable reason to visit Qiao Mei. "Say, do you think Qiao Mei needs money now?" He Ning looked at Huo Gao and asked. Huo Gao lowered his head helplessly. Instead of saying that Qiao Mei was short of money, it would be more appropriate to say that it was He Ning who had a craving. He must be thinking about going to Qiao Mei''s place to freeload a meal again. "Didn''t we give her a lot of money the last time? How much can a woman spend?" Huo Gao said. He Ning shook his head. He did not think so. Recently, his spies near Qiao Mei''s house had returned and told him a lot of things, including the dispute between Qiao Mei and Old Madam Fan and the fact that Qiao Mei had bought many properties. Although He Ning did not know why Qiao Mei wanted to buy so many houses, his intuition told him that Qiao Mei would definitely be renovating these houses soon. The money he sent over was only enough for Qiao Mei to buy so many houses. If she wanted to renovate them, she definitely did not have enough money. "I don''t think she has enough money. Go and get 100,000 dollars out of our company''s account and we''ll go to Qiao Mei''s house to pay her," He Ning said. "100,000! I''m not going! If you want it, go on your own!" Huo Gao said angrily. Currently, the He family''s businesses were all managed by He Wei and his son, He Li. Although it was not as prosperous as when He Guo was around, it was still profitable. The He family had only just resolved the family''s crisis when He Ning took 150,000 dollars, and now he wanted to go and take another 100,000 dollars. There was not much money left in the company''s account. If he went to look for He Wei again, he was afraid that He Wei would use a big stick to beat him out the door. Chapter 880 Finding A Reason To Visit "Are you going or not?" He Ning threatened. "No, I''m not. There''s no money in the company. Your second brother and nephew are not the nicest people. I''m afraid of getting beaten up. I''m not going," Huo Gao said fearfully. "Didn''t you tell me that we have prepared 600,000 dollars? Where did all that money go?" He Ning asked as he looked at Huo Gao suspiciously. Huo Gao was so angry that he flailed his hands on the spot and almost yelled at He Ning. "Do you think the company can buy goods without using money! Eldest young master, how long has it been since you dealt with the company''s matters! Anyway, I''m just not going. If you want, you can go and talk to He Wei yourself. It took me a lot of effort to get150,000 dollars from him the last time," Huo Gao said. He Ning sighed resignedly. So there was no way he could send money to Qiao Mei. Then what excuse could he use to visit her? Perhaps he could send some supplements and tonics to Qiao Mei? However, the Xia family did not lack anything. The Xia family might not allow Qiao Mei to eat the tonics he sent. It would be a waste to buy those. Then what about sending Qiao Mei something for the children? However, if he really sent something, Xia Zhe would probably come back from the army unit immediately and question him about his intentions. He had heard that Xu Lan valued these two grandchildren very much. Whatever he bought would probably be thrown away before they could reach Qiao Mei. If he gave any other presents, it would seem too deliberate and make him look like he had ulterior motives. He really did not want to face Xia Wen''s dark expression. Every time he saw it, he would get a headache. If this cannot be done and that is not possible, then how can I go to Qiao Mei''s place to freeload ah no how can I go to Qiao Mei''s place to visit her. "Do you need a reason to do things? Can''t you just go there directly?" Huo Gao muttered softly. He Ning immediately looked at Huo Gao with admiration. That was true! When did he, He Ning, need a reason to do things! He decided to arrange for a car to go to Qiao Mei''s place now! "Let''s go! Go and get those dead flowers from our house and we''ll send them to Qiao Mei," He Ning said. Even if He Ning could not fork out a large sum of money for now, he could still afford the cultivation fees for these few pots of flowers. At least now he had a reason to look for her. Huo Gao asked He Ning''s attendant to come over and tell him about He Ning''s arrangements in detail. After that, Huo Gao rushed back to his own home. It was such an embarrassing thing to go to Qiao Mei''s house to freeload. It was enough for him to do it once or twice. How could he go along every time! He Ning could go ahead and not care about his own reputation, but Huo Gao still cared about his own! He Ning did not care about who went with him as long as he could go. They reached Qiao Mei''s house very quickly, but no one answered the door even after a long time. "Mr. He, there''s no one in the house," the attendant said softly. He Ning turned around and asked the chauffeur to drive the car to Li Gui''s house. If Qiao Mei was not at her own house, there was a high chance that she was at Li Gui''s house. After getting out of the car, He Ning stood at the door and waited for his attendant to knock on the door. The man called out for a long time but no one answered. By now, He Ning gradually frowned. Zhang Qin stood in the courtyard and stared vigilantly at the main door. After listening for a long time, she entered the house to look for Qiao Mei and said, "Elder sister! There''s a man outside the door! It doesn''t seem to be that old grandma!" "A man? Did he say anything?" Qiao Mei asked. "He said something about He or something? I can''t hear him clearly," Zhang Qin said. One would never visit unless one needed something. It must not be anything good if He Ning had time to come by. "Don''t open the door. No matter how they yell out, don''t open the door," Qiao Mei said. Zhang Qin ran out to share the information with her other siblings and they all returned to their rooms to study. Not long after, the knocking on the door stopped. The attendant could tell that He Ning was not in a good mood. He came forward cautiously and said, "Mr. He, no one is answering the door." Old Madam Fan stood in the distance and observed He Ning for a long time. Although this person was dressed very plainly, she could still recognize the brand of the car. It was very expensive! She had always heard her next-door neighbor talking about the son''s luxury car that was worth tens of thousands of dollars! She could not remember the name of the brand, but she remembered that there was a shiny snake logo on it. These people must be Qiao Mei''s enemies too! Otherwise, why would she not answer the door after these people shouted for so long! As the saying went, the enemy of an enemy was a friend! If the two of them joined forces, they could definitely defeat Qiao Mei! At that time, Qiao Mei would have to give her family as much money as they wanted! She would not write off the medical fees she had spent on her two sons'' injuries! She must let everyone know something. On this street! In this alley! No one could provoke her, Old Madam Fan! Chapter 881 Cooperate With Me "Continue knocking," He Ning said with a frown. The attendant was about to step forward to knock on the door when Old Madam Fan ran over. As she ran, she shouted, "Brother! Brother, stop knocking!" Brother? Who is your brother? He Ning looked at Old Madam Fan with a dark expression. Was she calling out to him or his attendant? Did he look very old? Old Madam Fan looked to be more than 10 years older than He Guo. If his parents were still alive, they would probably be around the same age as her. "Brother, don''t knock on the door. This family won''t open the door," Old Madam Fan said breathlessly as she stood in front of He Ning. "How do you know that they won''t open the door?" He Ning asked Old Madam Fan. She came to Li Gui''s house three times a day to knock on the door, during the morning, noon and night. Even her own mealtimes were not so fixed. She had also arranged for Su Yang to guard the door with her. As long as anyone from Li Gui''s family came out, they would go up and stop them. They would not let anyone off no matter who came out, even if it was just one of the children. Old Madam Fan put her hands on her hips proudly and said to He Ning, "Of course I know! Not only do I know why they don''t want to open the door, but I also know whether they''re at home. I know the timing when they would usually go out. There''s nothing in this area that I don''t know!" He Ning was not interested in what Old Madam Fan said at all. There were spies from the He family nearby and he could just ask them about anything. There was no need to listen to a shrew. It was not as if he did not know Qiao Mei as well as this woman did? He knew very well what kind of person Qiao Mei was. No one knew better than He Ning about the way she handled things. He Ning glanced at the attendant to indicate that he should continue knocking on the door. He did not believe that Qiao Mei would not let him in today. "Hey! Hey! Hey! Brother, why don''t you want to listen to me! Tell me, is it is there any enmity between you and her family? I''ll help you resolve it!" Old Madam Fan said as she patted her chest. The flesh all over Old Madam Fan''s entire body shook a few times. If not for the fact that the ground was firm, it would probably shake together with her. He Ning felt disgusted when he looked at Old Madam Fan. After so many years, he had seen all kinds of people who came to the He family to ask for help. There were beautiful ones and ugly ones, but he had never seen anyone like Old Madam Fan. For some reason, looking at her made him feel uncomfortable. "You can''t solve my problem. Get lost quickly," He Ning said with a frown. His upbringing did not allow him to insult Old Madam Fan in public and teach her a lesson. However, it was really a little troublesome to watch Old Madam Fan press closely to him bit by bit. Before he came, he did not expect to have to encounter such an embarrassing problem. His spies had told him a few days ago about Old Madam Fan. He heard that she was a shrew who did not care about her reputation at all. Her ability to throw tantrums was far beyond imagination. Old Madam Fan took two more steps forward and reached out to hold He Ning''s hand. "Brother, listen to me. You and I can join forces to deal with their family. Since both you and I have grudges, let''s take revenge on their family together. We can definitely take them down in one fell swoop!" "Don''t doubt me! As long as you tell me what kind of grudge you have with their family, I''ll uphold justice for you now! I''ll demand an explanation on your behalf!" Old Madam Fan said agitatedly. "There''s no need," He Ning said. He retracted his hand in disdain and wiped his hands repeatedly with the handkerchief in his pocket, as if he had touched something unclean. Then, he gestured with his eyes for the attendant to open the car door. He could not stay in this place for another minute. If he stayed any longer, he did not know what other earth-shattering things Old Madam Fan could say. "Hey! Don''t go! Listen to me!" Old Madam Fan grabbed He Ning''s car door tightly. No matter how hard He Ning tried, he could not move the car door at all. "Let go," He Ning said sternly. "You have to cooperate with me!" Old Madam Fan said stubbornly. He Ning pointed at the car door and said, "If this car door is broken, the repair costs will be very high. Even if you sell your heart, liver, spleen, stomach and kidneys, it won''t be enough to repair it." These words were enough to frighten Old Madam Fan. As long as it was something related to money, she paid very close attention. She also knew that this car was worth a lot of money, so she let go instinctively. Chapter 882 Returning To The Factory At that exact moment, He Ning immediately closed the car door and hurriedly asked the chauffeur to drive off quickly. They disappeared into the alley in an instant. "Mr. He, where are we going now?" the chauffeur asked. "Let''s go home!" He Ning said through gritted teeth. How unlucky! Not only did he not get any food, but he even got pestered by Old Madam Fan. In the future, he would have to check the almanac to see if it was a suitable day to go out. Qiao Mei saw everything that was happening at the door using the plants around the courtyard. She could not help but smile and even started humming a song. She did not expect He Ning to run away so helplessly. It was really interesting. It seemed that this Old Madam Fan could still be quite useful. It was not bad to have a free guard dog. Old Madam Fan gritted her teeth in anger as she watched He Ning''s car drive away. It seemed that she had to settle the matter of taking revenge on Qiao Mei herself. She had thought that she would be able to get some useful information from He Ning. What a pity! "What''s so great about having money! Who are you looking down on! I don''t need you to take revenge for me! Who do you think you are!" Old Madam Fan muttered to herself. The more she looked at Qiao Mei''s front door, the angrier she became. Qiao Mei had installed a new door to guard against her! Old Madam Fan gave Qiao Mei''s front door a hard kick, but the thick door did not move at all. Instead, Old Madam Fan fell to the ground from the impact and wailed in pain. "Ouch! It hurts so much! This family is going to kill someone! They harm my two sons and now they want to kill me! If you''re so capable, then come out! Don''t hide inside like a coward! Pfft! You even changed the main door! It''s useless even if you move away!" Old Madam Fan said as she fell to the ground and held her butt. "Someone! Come and take a look! This family wants to kill me!" "I know you''re at home! Come out!" Qiao Mei thought to herself, "Whoever goes out is a fool. You can yell however you want at the door." In the beginning, the surrounding neighbors would still stand at their doors to watch the commotion, but they were already numb to it now. They felt that it was an affront to their eyes to take another look at Old Madam Fan. They were also afraid that Old Madam Fan would call on passersby to testify for her. After shouting for a while, Old Madam Fan went home. This was going to be a long battle. She could not waste all her efforts at once. She needed to come and put on a show every day! Some time ago, Su Yang could still take turns with her to cause trouble for Qiao Mei''s family, but he had to return to work in the factory. There was a batch of defective goods in the factory that he needed to deal with personally. No one else could do this except him. It was not that no one else could do it, but no one was willing to cover for Su Yang. Su Yang''s temper was no different from Old Madam Fan''s. All the members of this family were equally shameless. It could be said that Su Yang had perfectly inherited Old Madam Fan''s temper. Their workshop specialized in recycling scraps. The defective goods from other workshops would be sent to them to be broken down into raw materials and then sent back to the various workshops. Although this task was not difficult, there was a lot of work and very few people, so they were usually extremely busy. The thing was Su Yang was a sneaky person. Usually, the workers would help one another so if anyone fell sick, they would help to cover the person''s work. Su Yang did not want to help anyone and even mocked the others. He said all kinds of unpleasant things. As time passed, no one was willing to help him. The wounds on his face covered quite a big area and could not be covered by a mask at all. Moreover, the wounds had become inflamed and festered. Su Yang decided not to hide anymore and just went back to work in the factory. Many people looked at him quietly. Some people even laughed at him in front of him, saying that he had done all kinds of bad things and finally received retribution. Before Su Yang reached the workshop, he saw Qiao Yu from afar when he was at the intersection. He quickly raised his hands and shouted at her, "Xiao Yu! Xiao Yu! I''m here!" Everyone''s gaze was focused on Qiao Yu and Su Yang. She hurriedly ran to him and shouted, "Su Yang! Can you not call me that! Eh? What what''s wrong with you? Does it hurt?" When Qiao Yu got closer to Su Yang, she realized that there were injuries on his face. Qiao Yu did not mock him like the others did. Instead, she sincerely asked Su Yang if his injuries were serious. She stared straight at Su Yang with her big bright eyes. Su Yang suddenly felt a warm feeling inside. This was the first time someone had truly felt sorry for him! Chapter 883 Targeted "I''m fine. It''s almost all healed," Su Yang said as he pointed at his own face. "It''s good that you''re fine." Qiao Yu sighed deeply and took out 50 cents from her pocket before continuing, "I didn''t watch that movie and I don''t know how much you paid for the ticket. Take this money as my compensation." Qiao Yu thought to herself, "Don''t accept it! Don''t accept it! You''d better not accept it!" She was giving him 50 cents just for show. This was so that Su Yang would think that she was not a greedy person. What she was doing was called casting a long line to catch a big fish. If she made Su Yang happy and he bought her more things, then she would have benefited. Under everyone''s watchful eyes, Su Yang was too embarrassed to accept the money from Qiao Yu. That day, when he gave her the movie ticket, everyone in the factory knew about it. If he took the money from Qiao Yu now, he did not know what others would say about him behind his back! Besides, Qiao Yu was so concerned about him. How could she be a bad woman? She must have really wanted to compensate him. He definitely could not accept this money! "Take it back. The ticket is for you. It''s up to you whether you go or not," Su Yang said. Qiao Yu quickly put the 50 cents into her pocket, afraid that Su Yang would go back on his word and reach out to take it. She said happily to Su Yang, "Then I''m going to go to work. Goodbye." Su Yang quickly grabbed Qiao Yu''s hand and said, "I''ll wait for you after work tonight. Let''s go and have dinner!" Qiao Yu agreed to Su Yang''s request shyly. She could not miss out on such a good thing. Tonight, she must eat all the meat she missed out in the past few days! The team leader of the workshop was inspecting the speed at which everyone in the workshop was doing their work. The higher-ups had sent word that they wanted her to teach Qiao Yu a lesson so that Qiao Yu would do more work and not be a busybody. She was just a minor team leader, so she had to follow all the arrangements made by the higher-ups. The strange thing was that not long ago, Qiao Yu had said that her relatives were prominent people. It had only been a few days, but it seemed that the situation had changed. "You! Why are you only here now! I''m noting down that you''re late," the team leader of the workshop said as she pointed at Qiao Yu who came in late. Qiao Yu''s eyes widened in disbelief as she looked at the team leader of the workshop. There was no one else around who was late. Could she be talking about her? In the past, the team leader of the workshop would turn a blind eye to such things. She had never been angry with Qiao Yu or deducted her salary. What was going on today? "Me?" Qiao Yu asked as she pointed at herself. "Then who am I talking to! Yes, you! Hurry up and return to your position to work! If you can''t finish your work in the morning, you can''t go for lunch!" the team leader of the workshop said sternly. Qiao Yu hurriedly ran back to her seat. The others also whispered to one another, no one knowing what was happening. "Oh my, the tables have turned. I''m afraid somebody''s good days are coming to an end! Hahaha!" Sister Li said loudly to everyone. Qiao Yu turned around to look at Sister Li and said, "Sister Li, you can eat whatever you want, but you can''t say whatever you want." Sister Li threw the shuttle in her hand arrogantly onto the machine and said smugly, "I always eat well! I''m telling the truth. I don''t lie!" "Who lied!" Qiao Yu shouted loudly. "Who knows who''s lying! We''re all upright people who have relied on our own abilities to survive in this factory. We all know very well who''s up to no good," Sister Li said. Qiao Yu had nothing to refute. She lowered her head and went back to work. She must do her work quickly, otherwise she would be delayed from going out for dinner with Su Yang tonight. Seeing that Qiao Yu ignored her, Sister Li also turned around and went back to work. The situation in the factory also gradually changed. Many people who were afraid of offending Qiao Yu in the past now began to look down on her. The people who had been taken advantage of by Qiao Yu back then also began to think of ways to get Qiao Yu to return the favor. Even those people who wanted to "woo" her now slandered Qiao Yu behind her back. People even said that she had offended her relatives and that it had something to do with the news from the dormitory that Qiao Yu had borrowed someone else''s clothes to go on a blind date. Chapter 884 Keeping Up Appearances Some people even said that Qiao Yu did not want to listen to her relatives who wanted to introduce her to a rich old man. Qiao Yu did not agree, so her rich relatives started to make things difficult for her. There were also people who said that Qiao Yu did not know how to behave herself and had asked her rich relatives for gifts, so they were unwilling to care about Qiao Yu anymore. When the higher-ups saw that Qiao Yu was no longer useful, they started to think of ways to find trouble with her. There were all kinds of stories. There were even people who specially went to ask Su Yang about it to see if he was still willing to be with Qiao Yu after knowing about what she was going through. Su Yang did not react at all, but he actually felt a little happy. It was not as if he wooed Qiao Yu because she had a powerful backer. He just took a fancy to her because she was young and good-looking and she was a stupid woman without any bad intentions. By the time it was nighttime, Qiao Yu barely managed to complete all the tasks assigned to her by the team leader of the workshop. She tidied up her clothes and hair in front of the reflective glass and hurriedly ran back to the dormitory to borrow clothes. "Sister, can you lend me your cotton jacket?" Qiao Yu asked with a smile. The older woman behaved differently from usual and pointed at her cotton jacket as she said, "You borrow my cotton jacket every day. Is it my clothes or yours? This is a new set of clothes that my daughter bought for me. I haven''t even worn it! I didn''t even pursue the matter when you dirtied my clothes after wearing it, yet you still dare to come and borrow my clothes! I''m not lending it to you!" Qiao Yu turned to look at the others. The rest of them had the same attitude as that older woman. Qiao Yu had no choice but to put on her own tattered cotton jacket. The thin layer could not keep her warm at all. After leaving the room, Qiao Yu muttered softly as she turned towards the door, "If you won''t lend it to me, then so be it! What''s there to be so smug about! It''s just a piece of clothing! What''s so great about it, it''s not like I can''t afford it myself!" After muttering a few words to vent her anger, she quickly ran towards the entrance of the factory. What if Su Yang waited too long and had already left? Fortunately, Su Yang was still around when Qiao Yu arrived. He even brought Qiao Yu a small loaf of bread, worried that the journey would be too long and she would feel hungry. "You didn''t wait too long, did you?" Qiao Yu asked with a smile. "It''s fine! I''m fine no matter how long I wait! Why are you wearing so little? I remember you had a red cotton jacket before. Where did it go?" Su Yang asked curiously. Qiao Yu quickly changed the topic and said, "Um where are we going tonight?" Su Yang held Qiao Yu''s hand as they walked out and he said, "Let''s go and eat something delicious today! My house is nearby and there''s a restaurant that serves very delicious food. Let''s go and eat there today!" Qiao Yu quickly looked around to see if there was anyone she knew. She tacitly allowed Su Yang to hold her hand. After all, she had to give him some benefits. Soon, the two of them arrived at the restaurant. Although this restaurant was not big, it was one of the best in the vicinity. Usually, there were no seats available at this time of the day. Su Yang had even spent one dollar on a phone call to ask the boss to reserve a table for him! It was so that he could come here to eat with Qiao Yu. Su Yang politely handed the menu to Qiao Yu and said, "Take a look at what you want to eat. Let''s eat whatever we want today!" Qiao Yu hurriedly returned the menu to Su Yang. She could not take on this heavy responsibility. If Su Yang ran away halfway through the meal, she did not have enough money to pay the bill. It was better for Su Yang to order. "Su Yang, I don''t know how to order either. You should order. I eat anything," Qiao Yu said. Of course Su Yang knew what Qiao Yu was up to, but he was in a good mood today and did not want to be so calculative with her. Coincidentally, he had just received his salary and could eat freely today. "Boss! Give me a serving of stewed meat, minced meat, braised pork and this steamed fish!" Su Yang shouted out boldly. When the boss saw that this was a big customer, he served them enthusiatically. The customers at the other tables also looked in Su Yang''s direction. These four dishes were all meat dishes. After using the various meat coupons and vegetable coupons, he still had to pay the boss 11 dollars and 50 cents! Ordinary people would not be able to afford such good food. It seemed that this young man was on a date with his girlfriend and putting on an act in front of her. Chapter 885 Pretending To Be Innocent "Comrade Su Yang, did you order too much? We can''t eat so much" Qiao Yu pretended to be in a difficult position. "No, just eat boldly! It''s my treat today!" Su Yang said generously. As soon as the dishes were served, Qiao Yu could not stop drooling. If not for Su Yang watching her from the side, she would have started eating immediately. Once everything was served, Qiao Yu started to eat without stopping. Before Su Yang could eat much, there was already not much meat left on the plates. She had already eaten three bowls of rice. Her appetite was almost as big as two Su Yang. He was dumbfounded as he sat opposite her. If she married into the family, he would need to spend all his money just to feed her. He had never seen any woman eat like Qiao Yu. When he saw her eating at the factory, she did not wolf down her food like this. It turned out that she had only been putting on an act in the past. Qiao Yu only put down her chopsticks after finishing the fourth bowl of rice. Her entire mouth was covered in oil and she did not maintain her usual image. Su Yang stared at Qiao Yu in shock. "Um did I eat too much" Qiao Yu said as she lowered her head in embarrassment. Su Yang came back to his senses and quickly waved his hands. "No, no! It''s my treat today. You can eat as much as you want" All he wanted to do now was to pay up and leave this place as soon as possible. It was really too embarrassing. Originally, he was feeling proud to have a beautiful and young girlfriend. How could a girl come out and eat so much? She could eat more than his entire family. He did not eat much of the four dishes today and everything had already gone into Qiao Yu''s stomach. If she married into the family, she would be able to eat up everything in the house. She looked like she had been hungry for three to four months. Qiao Yu casually took a tissue to wipe her mouth clean. There was still half of the braised pork left. She originally wanted to pack it and take it with her, but when she thought of the way Su Yang looked at her just now, she could only give it up. Even as she was walking out of the door, she still turned around to look reluctantly at the remaining meat on the table. Su Yang saw all of this. He thought that it was also good if Qiao Yu behaved like this. As long as he brought her here for a few more meals, she would quickly fall into his arms. Su Yang left the restaurant with Qiao Yu. As soon as they left, he led her straight towards the west. The factory''s dormitory was on the east side, so they were now walking in the opposite direction. "Su Yang, where are you taking me?" Qiao Yu said as she pretended not to understand what was going on. Why else would he bring Qiao Yu out so late at night? He was definitely not letting her return to the factory''s dormitory! It would be best if he could make her stay outside with him. Even if nothing happened, other people would not think so. As long as the others thought that Qiao Yu was his woman, everything would be easy to deal with. It was easy to solve the problem of food. At most, he would ask Old Madam Fan to go to the countryside to farm. She could then send all the vegetables she harvested back to the house. This way, he would be able to feed Qiao Yu. Su Yang wanted to get a wife now and have a woman by his side. He was already infamous in this area. If any family had daughters, they would hide the girls away and some people would even send them to their relatives'' homes for foster care. As long as he could trick Qiao Yu, he did not mind spending any amount of money. Qiao Yu naturally understood what Su Yang was thinking, but she would not let him get his way so easily. Qiao Yu purposefully led Su Yang towards the cinema. It would be best if she could run into Li Gui. If she did not see Li Gui, she could still trick Su Yang into treating her to a movie. She had never watched a movie before! "Su Yang, should we go and watch a movie?" Qiao Yu asked with a smile. "Sure, sure, sure! Let''s go!" Su Yang said happily. The longer he dragged the date into the night, the higher the chances of Qiao Yu staying out with him. Of course he felt happy. Su Yang had a different look in his eye now when he gazed at Qiao Yu, like a wolf that had been hungry for a long time eyeing a little lamb. He did not expect Qiao Yu to be such a fool to follow him out just like that. Moreover, she did not seem to want to return to the factory dormitory even though it was late. Could it be that her usual innocence was just an act? Chapter 886 Wronged! Soon, they arrived at the square. Qiao Yu immediately saw Li Gui. There were not many peddlers in the winter and she was the only one selling popcorn in the entire square. It would be a pity if she did not scam Su Yang while they were here to watch a movie. She suddenly grabbed Su Yang''s hand and said, "Brother Su~ Can we buy some popcorn to eat at the movie?" Su Yang did not notice Li Gui at all. All his attention was on Qiao Yu, and the way she called him "Brother Su" made his heart tremble twice. This was the first time Su Yang had heard her use such a sweet voice and acted so coquettishly! It seemed that the meal tonight was worth it! He just did not know if Qiao Yu''s voice would still sound even more seductive when she was pressed under him "Sure, sure, sure! As long as you say so, I''ll buy it for you!" Su Yang said happily. The moment Su Yang turned around, he realized that the person selling popcorn was the woman he had blocked the other night. He had to hurry home to look for Old Madam Fan. This was such a rare opportunity! They had waited outside the courtyard for so many days and it was not easy for them to get this opportunity. This woman still owed their family the medical fees! That was a few hundred dollars, which was a big deal. However, about Qiao Yu getting married was also a big deal. Su Yang immediately fell into a dilemma. Qiao Yu could also tell that Su Yang had something on his mind and that he seemed to know Li Gui. "Why why aren''t you going over? Don''t tell me you know her?" Qiao Yu pretended to look at Su Yang in confusion. Su Yang laughed and said, "No, why would I know a peddler? Erm I have to go home. Can you go back to the dormitory by yourself?" The corners of Qiao Yu''s mouth twitched a few times. Why did he suddenly change his mind? There was definitely something wrong! "It''s already so late Brother Su, aren''t you going to send me back?" Qiao Yu said aggrievedly. "My mother hasn''t had dinner yet. I have to go back and get some food for her," Su Yang said as he looked at Qiao Yu''s bulging stomach. Qiao Yu was so embarrassed that she wanted to find a hole to hide in. He was looking down on her for eating too much! Just now, he said that he did not mind, but he really did not mean what he said. "Then hurry back and take care of Auntie. I''ll go back to the factory myself," Qiao Yu said. Su Yang did not even look at Qiao Yu. He turned around and ran back home. He had to quickly bring the news to his mother, otherwise Li Gui would leave if he was any later! Qiao Yu did not return to the factory dormitory immediately. This was also a rare opportunity for her. The snow on the ground was still thick and if Li Gui had to drag her basket, she would definitely not be as fast as when she was on her three-wheeled vehicle. Qiao Yu was sure that she would definitely be able to catch up with Li Gui. After waiting in the cold wind for a while, she saw a woman and a man pushing a handcart in her direction from afar. There was a person lying on the handcart and the woman was wailing. As the people got closer, Qiao Yu realized that they were Su Yang and his mother, Old Madam Fan! The person on the cart should be Su Yang''s fourth brother, Su Liang! Did he not say that he was going back to get food for his mother? Why was he back again? "My son! You''re so unjustly injured! It''s this woman who caused our family member to be hospitalized! My husband died too soon! How can these people bully a widow and orphans like this! Is there still any justice in this world!" Old Madam Fan pushed Su Liang''s handcart towards Li Gui and started crying as she crouched over it. The people around them who did not know the truth began to criticize Li Gui. Some of them had even bought popcorn from her before! Li Gui looked like a good person, so why would she do such a heartless thing! However, some people also began to wonder how such a skinny and small woman like Li Gui could beat up two men. It would probably be very difficult for Li Gui to beat Old Madam Fan if the two women fought. Old Madam Fan''s size was equivalent to two Li Gui! "Did this sister beat up your two sons on her own?" the people around them asked. Old Madam Fan quickly said, "She asked her daughter and many other people to beat up my son! My family is innocent! Everyone, be the judge! This woman is a black-hearted person! My family is going to die!" Li Gui was not to be outdone and said, "You have to speak with a clear conscience! Are you the ones who attack us first, or are we the ones who go to look for trouble!" Chapter 887 - 887 Do You Think I Am Dead 887 Do You Think I Am Dead Im telling the truth! Its this b*tch who bullied my family! What if my son cant stand up for the rest of his life! Old Madam Fan shouted with tears in her eyes. Li Gui looked at Old Madam Fan mockingly and said, My son was also beaten up so badly by you! Lets go to the police station now! Let them check whos lying! My family originally wanted to settle with you. Since you dont intend to settle, then fork out my sons 1,000 dollars worth of medical fees. Ill also give you 55 dollars worth of medical fees! Lets settle this matter! The moment Old Madam Fan heard about going to the police station, her expression changed. Su Yang slowly loosened his grip on the handcart. If they really went to the police station, there was nothing to gain from it. They might even have to compensate for the 1,000 dollars worth of medical fees. The people around them looked at all their expressions and quickly knew who was lying. On one side was the medical fees of 55 dollars, and on the other side was the medical fees of 1,000 dollars. It was obvious which family was more seriously injured. This must be Old Madam Fan. Her family is a famous family of scoundrels in the area! Her two sons have ruined many nice girls. A voice sounded from within the crowd. This was a neighbor who lived in that alley and usually received a lot of help from Li Guis family. Bullsh*t! Who said that? Come out! Old Madam Fan behaved threateningly as she walked towards Li Gui. She kicked the stall aside and roared at Li Gui, You must pay for my sons treatment today! Otherwise, dont even think about leaving! Dont even think about continuing with your business! Li Gui could not take this lying down either. She would not let anyone bully her! She must also get an explanation for Qiao Mei! Li Gui rushed forward and started fighting with Old Madam Fan. No one dared to go forward to stop the fight. Some people ran straight to the duty room of the cinema to ask for help. Is anyone around! Theres a fight over there! the crowd shouted as they entered the room. Cao Gang turned his eyes towards the direction of the commotion outside. That was where Li Gui usually set up her stall! Could it be that the person in trouble was Li Gui! Cao Gang was so frightened that he quickly put on his armband and rushed out with his colleagues. That was someone who could help him get promoted and become rich. What if something happened! What are you doing! What are you doing! Let go! Cao Gang rushed into the crowd and pulled Li Gui and Old Madam Fan away from each other. Li Gui was being pressed to the ground and beaten up by Old Madam Fan. Li Gui, who worked hard all year round, only weighed about 100 pounds and was not very tall. Old Madam Fan could knock Li Gui to the ground with a slap. Cao Gang and his other two colleagues had to use a Herculean effort to drag Old Madam Fan away and save Li Gui out from under Old Madam Fan. If they had come a little later, Li Gui might have been crushed to death by Old Madam Fan! What they would see would be Li Guis corpse! They would receive their dismissal letters! Who are you! Why are you causing trouble here! Cao Gang said as he pointed at Old Madam Fan and her two sons. Do you think Im a dead person! Youre causing trouble on my territory! Come with me to the police station! If theres any issue, well settle it there! Old Madam Fan slumped to the ground and struggled as she said, Why should we go! Why doesnt this b*tch need to go! Why can she get out of it! Let go of me! Im not going to the police station! B*tch, dont even think about leaving! Cao Gang did not want to hear the reason for why this whole issue started. All he wanted to do was to quickly chase Old Madam Fan and the others away. They could provoke anyone but not Li Gui. He really did not know how Li Gui had offended all these people. A few days ago, she had been reported by a young woman and now she was being pestered by such a family of scoundrels. His superiors really knew how to give him a hard time. Why did he have to keep an eye on such a troublesome person? It would be game over for him if something really happened. After he reported the matter about someone wanting to report Li Gui, he was praised for it. The leader had even treated him to a meal and he thought that his promotion and salary increase were just around the corner. Why did something happen again? Cao Gangs two colleagues dragged Old Madam Fan away. Su Yang also dejectedly pushed Su Liang and left with them. Li Gui sat on the ground tiredly and panted. She had already used up all her strength to resist and fight back just now. Chapter 888 - 888 Actually Getting Into a Fight 888 Actually Getting Into a Fight Cao Gang reached out his hand to Li Gui and said, Sister, let me give you a hand. Its cold on the ground, get up quickly. Li Gui did not reject Cao Gangs good intentions. With Cao Gangs help, she slowly stood up and did a simple stretch to see if she felt any discomfort. Other than the fact that her clothes were a little damp from sitting on the ground, she felt fine and did not seem to have any injuries. Sister, you should go home and check again. Its so cold now and you might not feel anything even if youre injured. You can take a look after you go home and get some rest for the night. If theres anything wrong, call me and Ill talk to the police, Cao Gang said. Director Cao, youre too polite. Thank you so much for what you did today. After saying that, Li Gui looked around and took out some popcorn from the basket. She wanted to give it to Cao Gang. No! No! Sister, quickly put it back! Its only right for us to help you. How can we accept your things! Cao Gang declined. Li Gui still stuffed the things into Cao Gangs hand and said, These are just corn that I planted at home. Take it as a token of my appreciation for your help! Sister, were still at work. How can we take things from you! Hurry up and take them back! Cao Gang said as he tugged at the armband on his arm. Li Gui immediately understood. There was still a crowd around. If other people witnessed the gesture, no one knew what kind of rumors would spread tomorrow. Cao Gang might even be branded as a person who took bribes. It was better to send the gifts after Cao Gang and the others got off work. This way, she could get it done and yet not make things difficult for Cao Gang and the others. Cao Gang seemed to be able to tell what Li Gui was thinking and quickly said, Sister, you also cant do it after we get off work! Why dont you give us more the next time we come to buy from you? We like to eat the seeds you sell! Li Gui quickly nodded and said, Fine, fine, fine! Ill keep all the seeds at home aside for you! Ill sell you at the cost price! Actually, the remaining seeds at Li Guis house were meant for everyone to eat during the new year. This way, she would not have to spend money to buy new year goodies. However, Cao Gang had helped her so much, so she had to thank him properly. After Cao Gang gave Li Gui a few pointers, he asked her to hurry home. Money was not as important as her life. After what happened today, she would not be able to carry on with the business tonight. Li Guis clothes were already drenched. If she did not go back soon, she would definitely fall sick. She dragged the heavy basket and walked home. Qiao Yu noted all of this. She did not know what kind of conflict Li Gui had with Su Yangs family. From what she heard just now, it seemed that Su Yang and Su Liang were injured because of Li Gui, which was why these two families had formed a grudge. However, why was it that only Old Madam Fan, Su Liang and Su Yang were taken away while nothing happened to Li Gui? It was as if this matter had nothing to do with her at all. It seemed that the people in charge of the movie theater were all in cahoots with one another. They all sided with Li Gui. Qiao Yu did not continue to follow Li Gui home. After watching the commotion for a while, she was already shivering from the cold. Li Gui could not run away anyway. If there was really no other way, she would go and ask Su Yang if he knew Li Guis address. If she did not return to the dormitory soon, she would really freeze to death in the snow. When Li Gui returned home, her clothes were already slightly frozen. The jacket that she took off could even stand upright on the ground. Qiao Mei looked at Li Gui in confusion. Did she get chased by wolves? Mom, what happened to you? Qiao Mei asked. Li Gui did not answer Qiao Meis question. Instead, she went back into the room to change her clothes. Trembling, she covered herself with a small blanket and squatted by the fireplace to warm herself. I got into a fight with someone. My clothes got soaked in the snow, Li Gui said lightly. For a moment, Qiao Mei did not know how to digest what Li Gui said. There was too much information. Li Gui actually got into a fight. Her previously weak mother actually got into a fight with someone! Who is it? Who bullied you? Qiao Mei asked angrily. Chapter 889 - 889 Afraid of Implicating Others 889 Afraid of Implicating Others Its Old Madam Fan and her two sons. I didnt suffer any losses. She hit me, so I hit her back! Fortunately, the people from the movie theater came to help me. They took Old Madam Fan to the police station and Im able to come back, Li Gui said proudly. Li Gui even felt that she had done a good job in this matter! She was behaving like a little kid. Qiao Mei frowned. She had thought that Old Madam Fan and the others would give up after a few days, but she did not expect their family to go so far. If this matter was not dealt with properly, there would probably be no end to it. She had to discuss this matter with Xia Wen and they could not delay it any longer. Qiao Mei went to the kitchen to prepare some shredded ginger and made a bowl of thick ginger soup for Li Gui. The entire courtyard was filled with the smell and it was thousands of times thicker than ordinary ginger soup. !! Can can I not drink it? Li Gui asked as she held the bowl of ginger soup. Qiao Mei shook her head and even took out a piece of fruit candy from her pocket for Li Gui, as if she was coaxing a child to drink medicine. Li Gui had no choice but to pinch her nose and drink it in big gulps. After a while, she was covered in sweat. Mei Mei, will this matter affect your eldest brother? Li Gui asked worriedly. Old Madam Fan would definitely not let the matter rest. Ever since Li Gui followed Qiao Mei around, she began to have some understanding of such things. For something like what happened tonight, Old Madam Fan would be released after being locked up for three days at most. After that woman came out, she would definitely take revenge even more fiercely. No one knew what she would do. It was just that Old Madam Fan did not manage to find the relevant departments to file a report against Li Gui today. After all, Li Gui was indeed not doing any formal business. If the old woman really reported her for doing private business, Cao Gang and the others would be implicated and Xia Wen would be affected too. What could she do then! She could not implicate the Xia family because of this matter. At most, she would just stop doing business. Its fine. You can rest at home for the next two days. Leave the rest to me, Qiao Mei said with a smile. Actually, if Old Madam Fan really wanted to report Li Gui, the anonymous letter would end up with Xia Wen. This matter would not affect Xia Wen much, but she liked Li Guis current attitude towards the Xia family. This meant that Li Gui also treated the Xia family as part of her family. Before Qiao Mei came to the capital, she was worried that Li Gui would not get along well with the Xia family members and that the two families would end up splitting up. Then, she would be caught in the middle and put in a difficult position. Now, it seemed that her worries were unnecessary. At night, Qiao Mei slept over at Li Guis place. She was worried that Li Gui would run a fever again after being in the cold for so long. After all, Li Gui did not take good care during her confinement periods when she gave birth to the four children in the past. Her bones would ache whenever she touched cold water. This time, she had been drenched and frozen in the snow for so long, so Qiao Mei did not know if her body could withstand it. Before Qiao Mei went to bed, she even put a drop of 100-year-old ginseng juice into Li Guis glass. Seeing Li Gui drink it bit by bit, she felt at ease enough to go to the side room to sleep. The next morning, Li Guis house was bustling with activity. Even Qiao Mei, who always liked to sleep in, woke up early to help Li Gui prepare food. It had been snowing in the capital for the past two days, but there was not a single snowflake in Li Guis courtyard. There was not even any frozen area. It was the same for Qiao Meis huge courtyard. This was all thanks to the four children. They were worried that Qiao Mei would fall down while walking on the snowy ground. Whenever the snow stopped, they would quickly take a broom to sweep it all up. They even swept up the alley as well. The neighbors became more and more fond of these children. No familys children were as sensible as these four children. Some families even wanted to send their children to Li Guis house for two days to learn from these children how to be so obedient. In the past, no one in the village was willing to play with Zhang Wei and the other children. Later on, everyone became familiar with one another because of the seeds. Qiao Mei recently realized that these few children would sometimes go to the house next door to play. There were also three children around the same age living in the house next door. Nowadays, the families with children who lived in the alley would let their children play with Zhang Wei and the other children. As the saying went, one would be influenced by the company one kept. These people felt that if their children played with Zhang Wei and the rest often, their children would also become obedient. Xia He yawned as she walked in from outside. In her hands, she held a lot of fresh vegetables and some fish, meat and fresh prawns that were specially provided for the Xia family. Chapter 890 Rumors Cannot Be Trusted All the preparations were to welcome Zheng Peng. Coincidentally, the last dish was ready just as Zheng Peng reached the front door. Zheng Peng had come with Xia Wen. This was actually not the first time he had heard of Qiao Mei. The first time he learned of Qiao Mei''s name was from his mother. At that time, he had just returned to the country to hold an art exhibition with a few friends. He happened to hear that Zheng Yuan had been demoted in the army. How could his usually outstanding younger sister have been demoted? After asking around carefully, he found out that this matter had something to do with Qiao Mei. Zheng Peng''s parents did not care about him since he was young. They had always felt that he was the family''s shame and a sinner. The only person who liked him and cared about him was his younger sister, so he also doted on Zheng Yuan very much. As long as Zheng Yuan wanted something, he would definitely help her achieve it. He had watched Xia Zhe and Zheng Yuan grow up. Zheng Peng actually looked down on Xia Zhe and had quarreled with Xia Wen over this matter several times. The two of them felt that their respective younger brother and sister were the most outstanding and looked down on the other party. "Look at the setup at my sister-in-law''s house to welcome you. It''s almost as grand as during the new year. The only thing lacking are two big red lanterns at the door and a banner with the words ''Welcome to our humble house, Professor Zheng Peng'' written on it," Xia Wen said with a smile. "Hmph, don''t use this to curry favor with me. These are separate matters. You know why I''m here," Zheng Peng said. Xia Wen was not at all worried that Zheng Peng would make things difficult for Qiao Mei. Instead, he was more worried that Zheng Peng would feel awkward when he saw Qiao Mei. In the entire matter, Zheng Yuan was the one who was a little too extreme and it had nothing to do with Qiao Mei. When Xia He saw Xia Wen, she quickly ran to the door and looked at the two of them carefully. She then went outside to see if there was anything in the car. "Xia Wen! Why did you come without bringing anything! Are you here for free food! I went to buy all those things early in the morning! You promised to bring me food!" Xia He stood by the car with her hands on her hips and yelled angrily at Xia Wen. Zheng Peng held back his laughter. He had not seen Xia He for so many years, but she was still as shrewish and forthright as ever. "I forgot! I''ll definitely get it next time. I''ll bring you whatever you want. Don''t shout like that on the streets. I still want my reputation!" Xia Wen said helplessly. "You''re still scared of your sister," Zheng Peng looked at Xia Wen mockingly. Xia Wen rolled his eyes and mocked heartlessly, "You make it sound as if you''re not." The two of them were both older brothers, but Xia Wen was a little more miserable than Zheng Peng. Not only was he scared of his younger sister, but he was also scared of his younger brother. Moreover, the tempers of these two little ancestors were each more terrifying than the other. Ever since they were young, Xia Wen had served the two of them like they were his ancestors. "Come in quickly. The food is ready. It''ll get cold if you continue chatting!" Li Gui shouted towards the door. Qiao Mei arranged the bowls and chopsticks inside the house and scooped rice for everyone. As soon as Zheng Peng entered, he was stunned by Qiao Mei''s appearance. She looked different from how his mother described her. They all said that Qiao Mei came from the countryside and was very ugly. Moreover, she was once a fatty who weighed more than 200 pounds and she dressed like a country bumpkin. There were even people who said that Xia Zhe had gotten drunk and did something wrong, and that the two of them got married because they had a child. In short, there were all kinds of rumors going around. The rumors were as unpleasant as it could get. However, the person in front of him looked like a completely different person from what he had imagined. "This is your sister-in-law?" Zheng Peng looked at Xia Wen in shock. Xia Wen said proudly, "Yes, that''s my sister-in-law. Let me introduce you. This is Zheng Peng, my high school classmate and childhood friend." Qiao Mei walked towards Zheng Peng in a dignified manner and stood in front of him. She reached out her hand and said, "Hello, I''m Qiao Mei, Xia Zhe''s wife. It''s our first time meeting and I hope you can forgive us if we''re not hospitable enough." Zheng Peng was stunned for a long time before he held Qiao Mei''s hand and said, "Everything''s good. Thank you." How was this person ugly? It was not even an exaggeration to say that this was a beauty that could put the flowers and the moon to shame. Xia Zhe was really lucky. No wonder he had no feelings for their Zheng Yuan. After exchanging pleasantries for a while, everyone sat down to eat. This meal was no different from their usual meal. The family chatted and laughed and did not treat Zheng Peng like an outsider at all. Chapter 891 The Aspiration Is To Make Money Zheng Peng observed that Qiao Mei was the complete opposite from how she was described in the rumors. He had thought that he would be able to avenge Zheng Yuan today, but he did not expect things to turn out like this. After dinner, Zheng Peng brought the four children to the living room for a study session. The rest of them went to the side room for a chat. Qiao Mei pulled Xia Wen to one side and told him about what happened last night. She also gave Xia Wen her views on the matter. "Let me think about this issue. They''re still being locked up at the police station now. It''ll be quieter for the next two days," Xia Wen said as he took a sip of tea. "Eldest brother, what about the issue at the factory?" Qiao Mei asked. When Li Gui was reported against, Qiao Mei had asked Xia Wen for help to talk to the people at the factory and get them to make Qiao Yu more busy. Two days ago, Xia He had found Qiao Yu appearing often near the cinema and she heard that there were also many rumors going around in the factory. The matter between Qiao Yu and Su Yang had caused an uproar and it was easy to find out the details after asking around. "It''s a simple matter and just a phone call away," Xia Wen said. "Just let her go," Qiao Mei said expressionlessly. Xia Wen understood what Qiao Mei meant. This matter was easy to handle and he would make the arrangements when he was back at work. Zheng Peng did not immediately talk to the children about their studies. He wanted to find out more about each child''s aspiration. Zhang Wei was the first to raise his hand and answer. He said confidently, "I want to become a soldier! I want to become as capable as my brother-in-law!" Zheng Peng watched as Zhang Wei fantasized about replacing Xia Zhe in the future. It was quite interesting. Although he did not like Xia Zhe, he had to admit that Xia Zhe was indeed very outstanding in the military. It was not too exaggerated for a child to aspire to be like him. "What about you?" Zheng Peng turned his gaze to Zhang Chao, who had been hugging his book and did not speak. "I want to build airplanes. I want to build many, many things in the future. My elder sister told me that people in this profession are called engineers! They can design all kinds of things and are very capable people," Zhang Chao said. Zheng Peng nodded in satisfaction. The country was currently short of top-notch talents. When he came in, he had also taken a quick look at the kind of learning environment each child had. Zhang Chao had the most books in his room and many books were those that adults read. "That''s very impressive, I think you can definitely do it!" Zheng Peng turned to look at the two girls and asked, "Then what about the two of you? What about your views? Tell me about them." Zhang Miao jumped up excitedly and said, "I want to become a pianist! I want to become the best pianist in the world!" Zheng Peng was so amused by Zhang Miao''s childish innocence that he laughed out loud. He patted Zhang Miao on the head and said, "Then do you know how big the world is?" Zhang Miao thought for a long time. She had only heard the word "world" from Zhang Chao. Zhang Chao said that the world was full of a wide variety of things and there were many things that they had never seen before in the entire planet. However, she did not know what a "planet" was or what a "world" was. However, according to Zhang Chao, it was something that was super duper big. "I know! My second brother said that it''s a place that can accommodate everyone! I want to become the most capable person among everyone!" Zhang Miao said. "Then do you have any views?" Zheng Peng looked at Zhang Qin and asked gently. Zhang Qin remained silent. There was nothing that she wanted. Previously, when she said that she wanted Xia He to teach her how to dance, it was only because she liked Xia He and so it extended to whatever Xia He liked. What she liked the most was to earn money and she liked anything that could earn money. However, Li Gui said that she was tacky and that she should study hard. Zheng Peng looked at the changes in Zhang Qin''s expression seriously. The other three children all had very wondrous dreams, but when it came to Zhang Qin, why did she hold back and not say anything? Could it be that it was a sore subject? "It''s fine if you don''t want to tell me. Everyone has the right to choose. No matter what you do, I will support you as your teacher," Zheng Peng said. "I I want to earn money" Zhang Qin whispered. Zheng Peng was stunned for a moment when he heard this. Looking at the way these four children were dressed and their family''s financial condition, they did not seem to be so poor that they could not afford to eat. Why would this child say that she only wanted to earn money? "Why?" Zheng Peng asked patiently. Zhang Qin did not know why either. She only knew that she was very happy doing it and that she would feel very joyful and satisfied. She did not know anything else. Chapter 892 Respecting The Childrens Views "Then then do you have any other wishes? Or why is it that you want to earn money?" Zheng Peng asked. "Because having money makes me feel at ease," Zhang Qin said. Zheng Peng could not believe that this was something a child could say. Children should be carefree at this age, should they not? After Zheng Peng finished questioning the children, he let them go back to their rooms to rest. He even asked them to write an essay titled "My Dream" and told them that he would check it the next time he came. Zheng Peng walked into the house and looked at Qiao Mei without saying anything. His eyes were filled with anger. He felt that the reason why children could have such thoughts was because of how they were educated by their elders at home. "What''s wrong?" Qiao Mei looked at Zheng Peng curiously. "How do you educate your younger sister? Why does a child only care about the stench of money? She actually told me that she wants to earn money?" Zheng Peng questioned Qiao Mei without caring if it made her look bad. Qiao Mei smiled and placed the tea bowl on the table. She had thought that it was something major. She had already asked these children what they wanted to do in the future and Zhang Qin had also been frank with her. She could understand Zhang Qin''s thoughts very well. Ever since Zhang Qin was young, she felt displaced and despised. She had lived a life under someone else''s roof, so she yearned for a sense of security even more. Zhang Qin was different from Zhang Miao. Zhang Qin was meticulous and attentive and could always sense the abnormalities in others, so she was especially sensitive to how others viewed her. Zhang Qin would probably have new hobbies and interests when she grew up, but it was not a big deal for her to want to be a merchant now. "I guess you''re talking about Zhang Qin. I don''t think there''s anything wrong with her liking to earn money. My mother has also spoken to me about this matter. I think it''s not a bad thing that she likes to earn money," Qiao Mei said. "Not a bad thing? Do you think it''s good for a child to only have eyes for money! Merchants only care about profits. If you teach such things to such a young child, what will happen to her when she grows up in the future?" Zheng Peng said angrily. "Is it bad to be a merchant?" Qiao Mei asked. "Of course it''s bad! If a girl runs a business on her own, she may get cheated. Aren''t those people running businesses all very cunning?" Zheng Peng said. "Zhang Qin is a very business-minded child. Mr. Zheng, you also know what our family does for a living. We''re not like you, someone born into a wealthy family and probably with a golden spoon. When they were young, these four children suffered a lot and had to follow my mother around to sell vegetables and stuff to make a living. Among these children, only Zhang Qin is good at doing business. What''s so bad about her wanting to make a living and being self-sufficient in the future," Qiao Mei said as she looked at Zheng Peng. It was true that he did not know these children well enough, but he felt that if their family was doing better now, then the children should study hard so that they could at least have a marketable skill and be able to do well in society in the future. It was not easy to be a merchant now and it was not so easy to earn money. Being a merchant meant that she would not be able to lead a stable life and she would have a much more tiring life than others. He just hoped that Zhang Qin could be a girl who could live a simple life. "I know that Young Master Zheng is doing this for the good of my sister, but I think it would be a good thing if my sister goes into business in the future. After all, that''s what she likes to do the most. I understand what you''re saying, but I think it''s also very important to let the children do what they like and are most interested in. Every trade has its master, right?" Qiao Mei asked. Zheng Peng immediately came to a realization. His original intention of asking these children about their dreams and aspirations was to let them walk the path they liked and teach them according to what they wanted to do so that their lives could be improved. However, he did not expect himself to be like most people, viewing this matter with his own entrenched way of thinking and subjectively concluding that the child''s wish was not conducive to her growing up well. In reality, whether an environment was good enough for a child to grow up, or if it was suitable for the child to develop, or whether the child could be successful in the future should be left up to the child. It was not right for outsiders to interfere casually. "I''m sorry, I''m being too one-sided," Zheng Peng said. "It''s fine. After all, you''re doing this for the good of the children," Qiao Mei said with a smile. Zheng Peng looked at Qiao Mei with some respect and admiration. Qiao Mei was not just a pretty face. She was someone with wisdom, great wisdom that exceeded her current level of education. Chapter 893 Working Together To Get Rich "Alright, it''s time for us to go. I''ve taken note of what you told me. I''ll go back and make the arrangements within the next two days," Xia Wen said. "Sorry for the trouble, eldest brother," Qiao Mei said. The entire family stood at the door and sent Zheng Peng and Xia Wen off. Xia He shouted after Xia Wen, "Remember to bring me delicious food the next time you come! Otherwise, I''ll complain to Mother! I''ll say that you don''t buy delicious food for Qiao Mei!" At the moment, as long as it was something related to Qiao Mei, Xu Lan would definitely take it seriously even if she had to go through hell and high water. Even if it was something that she could not do, she would still ask others for help. The entire family only doted on Qiao Mei at the moment. Xia Wen waved his hand and quickly got into the car. Xia He looked at the departing car and sighed. "Eldest brother is so stingy. His situation seems worse after being promoted. He''s so busy every day." "Aren''t you happy about eldest brother''s promotion? Hurry up and go into the house. It''s snowing outside. Aren''t you afraid of getting frozen?" Qiao Mei said as she patted Xia He''s shoulder. "Why are you nagging me? I should be the one saying this to you!" Xia He said. The two of them bantered noisily as they went back into the house. Xia He still had to go to the art troupe in the afternoon to settle some matters and would only be back at night. Li Gui had nothing to do, so she came to discuss her future business plan with Qiao Mei. She looked at the pile of corn in the backyard and felt a little angry. She had only made money for a few days and now she could not do it anymore. Li Gui had taken Qiao Mei''s words to heart. She had decided to nurture these children''s interests and hobbies, but the fact that she could not go out to earn money was the most difficult thing. "Mei Mei, now that I can''t go out and earn money, is there any other way to make money? If there''s really no other way, I''ll go to the restaurant at the entrance of the alley to wash the dishes. It''s better to have some income, otherwise it''s all just expenses," Li Gui said. Qiao Mei had also thought about this matter. The situation was a little tense at the moment, so it was not convenient for Li Gui to go and set up the stall. There were too many pairs of eyes on her. When the economy opened up some time later, she would rent a shop space for Li Gui to do business. This way, it would be much better than setting up a stall every day. "Didn''t Zhao Fei say not long ago that he wants to work with us? Let''s sell the things to him," Qiao Mei said. "Will Zhao Fei agree? At that time, he said that he wanted to sell seeds with us. How can we sell him popcorn instead?" Li Gui said awkwardly. The popcorn was made from their family''s unique recipe. If Zhao Fei learned how to do it, she would not be able to sell it in the future. Zhao Fei would snatch away many of her customers. "We''ll give him the finished product. He can decide if he wants to do this business," Qiao Mei said. Zhao Fei had been running his stall for many years. If he said that he was the best peddler in the area, no one would dare to dispute that. He knew very well which product sold well in various places in the capital. Qiao Mei needed such a person to work with them. Zhao Fei must have some kind of outstanding abilities to be able to set up a stall for so many years and not get caught. Such unique skills would not be taught to others. The quality and taste of their popcorn and seeds were the best on the market and were also the most popular. Whoever sold the items would get rich. If Zhao Fei worked with them, it would definitely be a profitable business for him. Zhao Fei had his own unique sales method and they had unique products. If the two parties worked together, they would definitely succeed. Li Gui took out the piece of paper that Zhao Fei had given her previously. The handwriting on it was already a little smudged. Li Gui went to the public phone booth at the entrance of the alley to call him and she had to try a few times before she finally got the right number. "Hello? Who is it?" Zhao Fei picked up the phone and asked impatiently. "I''m Li Gui," Li Gui said softly. Zhao Fei immediately perked up and said excitedly, "Oh my! Sister! Are you calling me with news?" "I just want to talk to you about what we spoke before. Let''s have lunch in the afternoon. I wonder if it''s convenient for you?" Li Gui asked. There was nothing inconvenient about earning big money. Zhao Fei agreed without a second thought and Li Gui arranged to meet him at the entrance of the cinema. Not only was Zhao Fei half an hour earlier than the agreed time, but he also brought a glass bottle filled with hot water for Li Gui to warm her hands. He was worried that the glass bottle would get cold so he even stuffed it into his clothes to keep it warm using his own body temperature. Chapter 894 Extravagant "Xiao Zhao! You must have waited for a long time! I''m really sorry!" Li Gui rushed over from afar in a hurry. Zhao Fei handed the bottle to Li Gui first and said with a smile, "Sister, I only just arrived too. Let''s go to the restaurant first. The weather is really too cold." "This thing is still warm! Xiao Zhao, you''re too considerate!" Li Gui said, feeling touched. Although Zhao Fei said that he had just arrived, Li Gui was not a fool. There was already a thin layer of snow on his shoulders. She thought that he was quite a good kid. Qiao Mei told Li Gui that if Zhao Fei paid for this meal, then there was room for discussion about the collaboration. It would be possible for them to do business together. If Zhao Fei did not pay for the meal, then there was no need to continue discussing the collaboration. At first, Li Gui had a different opinion. They were the ones asking Zhao Fei for help with the sales at the moment, so they should be the ones paying for this meal. Later on, Qiao Mei persuaded her in detail that this business was profitable for whoever worked with them. There would be many people rushing to ask their family to supply goods to them. Even if they did not supply to Zhao Fei, there would be others coming to buy it. There was no need for them to lower their status so much. If Zhao Fei was not even willing to treat her to a meal, then his experience of more than 10 years in business would be for naught. If he did not even know the basics of the way of the world, then he would not be the best candidate for them to work with. "Sister, this restaurant is a little small. Take a look and see if you want to eat here. If you don''t like the food, we can go to another restaurant," Zhao Fei said as he pointed at the nearest restaurant. "It''s fine, it''s fine! This one is good enough! Let''s go in!" Li Gui said. As soon as the two of them pushed open the door, they were stunned by the lively scene inside. Although the shop was relatively small, the food smelt authentic and there were no empty tables available. The boss had to add another table in the corner for Zhao Fei and Li Gui so that they could have a seat. Zhao Fei handed the menu to Li Gui and said, "Sister, order whatever you like! It''s on me today!" Li Gui quickly declined and said, "I don''t know how to order either. I''m not picky about food. It''s better that you order." Seeing Li Gui''s expression, Zhao Fei did not decline further. He ordered all the nicest dishes on the menu. There were a total of eight dishes for the two of them, and five of them were meat dishes. "Did we order too much? The two of us won''t be able to finish everything," Li Gui asked. "No! I still feel that we ordered too little! Sister, just eat as much as you want!" Zhao Fei said agitatedly. The people around had already started to notice them. After all, everyone was traveling in small groups and would at most order three dishes. It was difficult not to attract attention when Zhao Fei was being so extravagant. "I wonder what you think about the work that we discussed?" Li Gui asked tactfully. Li Gui could not speak too bluntly. After all, what they were doing was not something lawful. If someone with ulterior motives overheard their conversation, they could get into trouble. "As long as Sister is willing to help me, I''ll definitely do my best! I definitely won''t disappoint you!" Zhao Fei said with a grin. As soon as Zhao Fei said that, the people around turned to look at him. They did not read too much into the situation. They guessed that this older woman was retiring and this young man was taking over her job. After all, people were allowed to take over jobs at the factories. Typically, parents would let their children take over their positions and continue working. Some people would also hand over their job to others as long as they received more benefits. For people who had worked their entire lives in the factories, the factories would still give them this bit of leeway. It did not matter who took the job, as long as someone did it. The factory was not picky about this. Therefore, everyone was used to such things and now understood why Zhao Fei had ordered so many dishes. After all, a good job would mean a lifetime of wealth and glory. If this older woman was more capable and able to give this young man an easy and well paying job, he would not have to worry about his finances for the rest of his life. The bill for this meal was nothing compared to that. If it were any of them, they would also order as many dishes. Some people would probably even add on a bottle of good wine! "There''s no issue as long as you don''t mind," Li Gui said. Zhao Fei quickly poured a drink for Li Gui and said, "Why would I mind? Sister, you''re sincerely treating me well by handing it to me. I can''t be happier. As long as Sister trusts me, I definitely won''t let you down." Chapter 895 - 895 Ostentatious and Wasteful 895 Ostentatious and Wasteful Seeing how Zhao Fei took care of Li Gui so eagerly, everyone felt that this young mans character was not too bad. It was no wonder that Li Gui would give the job to Zhao Fei. There were some things that were not convenient for them to discuss at the venue. Li Gui ate a bit and then gestured for them to go out for a chat. Neither of them had a big appetite and there were many dishes on the table that they did not really touch. When the service staff came to clear the table, she muttered to herself, What a waste. Even if you have money, you cant waste it like this! How extravagant! The others around did not think that there was anything wrong with it. They thought that if he ordered too little, he would not have succeeded in this matter! Li Gui brought Zhao Fei to the house nearby that Qiao Mei bought. Qiao Mei did not intend to let Zhao Fei know where they lived. After all, Zhao Fei was only a business partner and their current business was not something that was lawful yet. If Zhao Fei betrayed them, it could cause them a lot of trouble. Xiao Zhao, its better that you call me Auntie. Youre about the same age as my daughter! Li Gui said. Zhao Fei did not seem to hear what Li Gui said. All he could think about was how Li Gui could have the key to such a big courtyard house. Moreover, there was no one in the house, so she was definitely not a tenant here. Xiao Zhao? Li Gui had already walked to the center of the courtyard, but Zhao Fei was still in a daze at the door. Oh! Coming! Zhao Fei then asked cautiously, Sister Auntie, is this your house? Li Gui did not hide anything and said to Zhao Fei directly, It belongs to my daughter. Goodness! It turned out that Li Gui did not lack money at all! To be able to own such a house in the capital and yet not live in it, she must be from a rich family. If Li Gui was so rich, then why did she have to come out to set up a stall to earn money? Auntie, why do you need to come out and earn money even though you have such a big house? Isnt it better to enjoy life at home? Zhao Fei asked. He remembered that in the early days, there used to be a beautiful pregnant girl beside Li Gui. That person should be Li Guis daughter and she did not look like she was an unfilial person. Zhao Fei was born in a slum in the capital. That area was extremely chaotic and home was a simple shed that was erected randomly. Later on, Zhao Feis father made a living selling junk and managed to leave that place with his wife and children after buying a small house in the village. However, Zhao Fei would never forget the days when he lived in the slum. He had also picked up his business skills there. Its not easy for my daughter either. I still have four other children. Ill take a break after I raise these four children, Li Gui said happily. Zhao Fei suddenly felt a sense of admiration for Li Gui. There were not many people like Li Gui who still came out to work even though they had rich children. Many parents would blatantly ask their children for exorbitant sums of money. Xiao Zhao, you also know my current situation. Those people come looking for trouble with me every day and I really cant run the business anymore. If you are really interested, Ill let you sell the popcorn, Li Gui said. No problem! I promise Ill do my best! Zhao Fei said as he patted his chest. Zhao Fei had also heard about what had happened in the past two days. Recently, he had also seen many people sneaking around the cinema. They were probably there to look for Li Gui. Li Gui was such a nice person. How did she offend so many people? She did not seem like someone who would cause trouble. Auntie, who exactly are those people? Zhao Fei asked curiously. My eldest son, second son and third daughter were all beaten up by them. We fought back instinctively and their family member was also injured, so they started looking for trouble with us. In the very beginning, it was their eldest son who went to push my pregnant daughter. That was what led to the conflict, Li Gui said. When he heard about Qiao Mei being pushed, Zhao Fei quickly asked, Is your daughter alright! Shes fine, shes alright. Its just that their familys son broke his arm and leg, Li Gui said. So it was all personal grudges. Zhao Fei had also noticed that Li Gui was very familiar with the director of the cinema, Cao Gang. On the day of the incident, Cao Gang was very protective of Li Gui. From the day Li Gui appeared, someone had already reminded him not to have any disputes with this woman and that she had a powerful backer. He had worked for a long time in that area before he got to know Cao Gang. He knew that as long as he hung on tightly to Li Gui, who was like a big tree, he would not have to worry about his future. Chapter 896 Making A Deal "So Auntie, what about the price?" Zhao Fei asked. "My daughter thinks that it should be four dollars a pound. However, I feel that you and I are already old acquaintances and you''re a young man who often takes care of me, so I discussed with my daughter about giving it to you at three dollars and fifty cents. What do you think?" Li Gui asked in a gentle manner. Qiao Mei had taught her to say it in this way. Qiao Mei knew that Zhao Fei was an experienced merchant and would definitely bargain with Li Gui. If they lowered the price on their end first, Zhao Fei would feel too embarrassed to bargain with Li Gui anymore. It happened exactly as Qiao Mei had expected. Zhao Fei was quite happy that Li Gui thought so highly of him, but three dollars and fifty cents a pound was still a little too much. If he accepted it, he would not be able to earn much money. "Sister, can you go back and discuss it again or I won''t be able to earn much each time. It''s really not easy to do business in winter. Can you go back and discuss it with young sister again?" Zhao Fei said awkwardly. Zhao Fei was so anxious that he even made a mistake in their seniority. He was already unable to differentiate whether the women were his peers, his seniors or his juniors. "Our popcorn tastes different from what other people sell. It''s definitely unique. You should know this," Li Gui said confidently. Li Gui was indeed telling the truth. Actually, Zhao Fei had also gone home and secretly attempted to make the popcorn many times. He tried all kinds of methods and even tried different brands of sugar, but he still could not produce the same taste as what Li Gui sold. If not for this, he would not have agreed to work with Li Gui. "Then how do you make it? Can you tell me?" Zhao Fei looked at Li Gui expectantly. "Xiao Zhao! I''m relying on this skill to support my family. If I tell you, how am I going to survive? The corn and production methods are all our own, so no one else knows. My daughter says that if you''re willing to work with us, she''ll make you our exclusive agent," Li Gui said slowly. She had worked very hard to memorize all these, especially the phrase "exclusive agent". She had repeated the words several times at home, worried that she would say it wrongly and show how fearful she actually was. "Auntie, what do you mean by ''exclusive agent''?" Zhao Fei was uneducated and did not understand such technical terms. Li Gui carefully recalled what Qiao Mei had told her and said slowly, "It means you''re the only one who gets to sell our products. No one else will be able to do it." When Zhao Fei heard this news, he reacted as if he was on steroids. He knew that many peddlers outside were also eyeing Li Gui''s products covetously. There were even people who wanted to band together to get the stocks from Li Gui. If he was the only person who could sell it, he would definitely make more money than before! "Our popcorn business is only temporary. When spring comes, we still have to grow and harvest the seeds. It''s actually not so convenient to sell popcorn as I need to make trips back and forth. I still have to support so many children in the family. This price is already the best. If we''re not selling to you, my daughter would want to sell it for four dollars a pound!" Li Gui said exaggeratedly. Only then did Zhao Fei understand that the popcorn was just a test for him. The real thing they wanted to sell to him were the seeds. If they worked together now, there would be many more opportunities for him to earn money in the future. "Seeds are good! Seeds are good! Seeds also won''t take up too much space! I''ll take the popcorn for three dollars and fifty cents a pound! But how do I take delivery of the goods?" Zhao Fei asked. What Qiao Mei wanted to do was for them to prepare the popcorn at home and then bring the goods to a designated place. Zhao Fei could then pick them up from that spot and it would be more convenient for everyone. "Auntie, how much can you produce every day?" Zhao Fei asked. Li Gui hesitated for a moment and said, "Probably about 60 pounds." Zhao Fei widened his eyes and looked at Li Gui. An amount of 60 pounds was too little. In this way, he could only make a few dollars a day. He could not earn much from selling it like this. "Auntie, can''t you make more?" Zhao Fei said. "Our family is facing a special situation right now. My daughter is about to give birth and we can''t handle all the chores at home for now. Would it be alright if we make more for you after this period?" Li Gui said. Zhao Fei could only agree with Li Gui. The two of them agreed on the location and time before Li Gui went home. As 60 pounds of goods a day was actually not that small an amount, Zhao Fei also needed to go home and see if he had enough money to pay Li Gui. If he really could not afford to do that, he would have to sell first and pay up later, settling the bill at the end of each day. Chapter 897 Buying A Pager Once he made more money in the future, he would be able to pay for the goods upfront. It would always take time to build up a business. Qiao Mei already knew that they would definitely close this deal, so she had already bought two bigger pots and modified them so that it would be easier for Li Gui to use. If Li Gui had to use the original small pot to prepare 60 pounds of popcorn, she would have to sit in front of the pot the entire day without rest. "I''m back!" Li Gui shouted happily. "Auntie, why are you so happy? Have you closed the big business deal!" Xia He asked as she stood outside the door of Zhang Qin''s room. Li Gui was so happy that she almost danced with joy. She would be able to earn 210 dollars a day! In a month, that would be Oh my goodness! More than 6,300 dollars! The cost price of the corn was only a few cents, so it was not a big deal at all. In less than two months, she would be able to buy this house from Qiao Mei! She would be able to have a house of her own in the capital! However, what she was thinking of was the most ideal situation. After all, if it was raining with strong winds, Zhao Fei would not be able to set up his stall, which meant that he would sell much less than usual. Furthermore, when it was windy or rainy, there would be a problem for them to keep in touch and communicate with one another. Qiao Mei did not have a phone in the house, and it was not as easy to install a phone line like what she did in the village. The city was too big and it was impossible for every household to pay to install a phone line. It would also be a lot of trouble. Qiao Mei vaguely remembered that pagers were already available in this era, the kind which one could use to receive messages from others. She could buy one for Li Gui to try out. She would also buy one for Zhao Fei so that the two of them could contact each other at any time. This could also be considered her small gift for Zhao Fei. After all, the amount of money they could earn in a month depended on how much Zhao Fei could sell. "Elder sister! Can you come over for a while!" Qiao Mei stood at the door and shouted towards Zhang Qin''s room. When Xia He heard this, she came out to look for Qiao Mei. She put her hands on her hips and asked smugly, "Why? Do you still need my help!" Qiao Mei pouted and said, "Then I don''t need you I won''t look for you then! I''m really so pitiful. My elder sister isn''t even willing to help me" Xia He could not bear to see Qiao Mei looking so aggrieved. When such a beautiful person looked so aggrieved, it made her uncomfortable and anxious. If Xia Zhe was the one who pretended to be aggrieved and tried to look pitiful in front of Xia He, she would have slapped him at the first instance and not indulged his antics at all. "Oh my! Tell me! I''ll help you! I''m really scared of you!" Xia He said helplessly. "Elder sister, can you get me four pagers? No, no, no, I want eight!" Qiao Mei said. Xia He looked at Qiao Mei in shock and said, "What did you say? Say that again?" "I want eight pagers!" Qiao Mei repeated. "Qiao Mei! Are you crazy! Do you know how much eight pagers cost!" Xia He suddenly remembered that Qiao Mei did not lack money at all, so she added, "Even if you have money, where can we find a place that sells so many pagers?" During this time, not everyone could have a pager. Xia Mao had only been issued with one this year, and the army only issued it to him so that it would be easier for them to contact him. Even Xia Jun did not receive such treatment. It was very difficult to buy this item. Even if one went to the shopto get it, one had to order it in advance and would only receive it after a month! Furthermore, the cost of one pager was about 2,000 dollars. Ordinary people would not be able to afford it. It was rare even for people who already had a phone at home. Eight pagers would cost more than 16,000 dollars! Was Qiao Mei crazy! Where could she get so many! "Who are you buying these for? Why do you need so many?" Xia He looked at Qiao Mei in puzzlement. Qiao Mei did not intend to tell Xia He what she wanted them for. It was almost the new year and she wanted to give everyone in the family a new year gift. It was better to keep this matter a secret. "I''m not telling you! I''ve changed my mind. I want 10 pagers. The sooner the better," Qiao Mei said. "Let me ask around and I''ll try to get them for you as soon as possible. I''ll ask people to find the goods for you. I don''t think there are even 10 pagers in the entire capital. You''re really crazy!" Xia He complained as she walked out of the house to find a supplier for Qiao Mei. In this era, cell phones were already available but they were really too expensive. One cell phone would cost around 20,000 dollars! Although He Ning still owed her more than a million dollars, it would be very dangerous if someone with ulterior motives filed a report against her. Chapter 898 Xia Zhe Having An Affair The original bulky handphone also became useless after a while. After a few years, the smaller portable mobile phones would become available. At that time, she could buy one for everyone. They could make do with pagers first. It would be more convenient for everyone. Xia Wen did not stay idle. He asked the chauffeur to help him buy two bottles of liquor and two cartons of cigarettes. After work, he went to the factory director, Director Tan''s house to pay a visit and settle the matter that Qiao Mei mentioned. As soon as Xia Wen entered the neighborhood, he became the focus of everyone''s attention. Someone who had a chauffeur was definitely not a nobody. "Whose son is this? I don''t seem to have any impression of him. He looks so presentable," an elderly female neighbor said. "Look at the cigarettes and liquor that he''s holding. That''s all good stuff! My son-in-law brought us a bottle before. It''s very expensive!" another older female neighbor said as she pointed at the things in Xia Wen''s hand. Although she seemed to be talking about Xia Wen, she was actually telling everyone that their family also received this kind of liquor before and that their status was not any inferior to this young man. The people who lived in this neighborhood usually sat around and chatted about these things, about which family had visitors or had received something good or had done something disgraceful. Otherwise, what else could retired people like them do every day? Xia Wen headed towards Director Tan''s house in a familiar manner and knocked lightly on the door. When Director Tan opened the door and saw that it was Xia Wen, she welcomed him warmly into the house and even took a look behind him. "Why are you here! I haven''t prepared anything at home! Isn''t Xiao Jing here with you?" Director Tan asked. Director Tan was Tan Jing''s aunt and her name was Tan Juan. She was the only person in the Tan family who was cultured and also the only clear-headed person. A large part of the reason why Tan Jing could go to school was because of Tan Juan''s support. Without Tan Juan, Tan Jing would not be able to be where she was now. It was also Tan Juan who helped Qiao Yu to get into the factory. Otherwise, this task would have needed a lot more effort. After Xia Wen put down the gifts, he said, "She''s been busy recently and is now sick from exhaustion. She''s resting at home and can''t come. I''m thinking that it''s been a long time since I last came by to see you, so I have brought you a small gift. I don''t know if you like it." It was actually not wrong to say that Tan Jing was sick. During this period of time, she had been sulky and depressed after Qiao Mei came back. In addition, the Tan family kept urging Tan Jing to hurry up and settle the issue with the house, but Xia Wen ignored this matter and did not help her at all. Instead, he took Qiao Mei''s side and spoke up for her. Tan Jing fell sick from all the anxiety and stress. If she could not work out the issues on her own, she would probably continue to feel sick. The angst would end up being harmful to her health. "Don''t say that! Of course I like it! There''s no need to bring anything next time. What''s the point of spending all that money? My place should be like a home to you as well, don''t stand on ceremony with me. I''ll call your uncle now and ask him to buy some groceries," Tan Juan said. Xia Wen sat on the sofa and said, "I''ll eat whatever you''re eating tonight. We''re family, so there''s no need to do too much." Even if he said that, the food she had at home was all the leftovers from breakfast. It would not look presentable to serve that. The current Xia Wen was no longer the ordinary university professor from back then. He was now a high-ranking official who was in charge of the economic development of the entire capital! To put it bluntly, he was the God of Fortune for anyone who was in business. If anyone had any problems, they would definitely go and ask Xia Wen for help. It seemed that the Xia family was finally letting Xia Wen develop his career in politics. Tan Juan must build a good relationship with Xia Wen and not cause trouble for him with trivial matters, like those other people from the Tan family. "Aunt, how''s the person whom I ask you to take care of?" Xia Wen asked. Of course Tan Juan remembered who he was talking about. Tan Jing had previously told her that the person was Xia Zhe''s mistress and also Qiao Mei''s aunt! She had been so shocked when she heard that. These were not things that one should speak about casually. Tan Jing was also too muddle-headed. If such a thing happened to her own family, she would never say a word about it even if she was beaten to death. However, Tan Jing had told her a lot of the Xia family''s scandals that day. In reality, all this information was just figments of Tan Jing''s own imagination! Tan Juan knew that the Xia family was one she could not afford to offend. She kept her mouth shut and did not say anything. She only said that this person was Qiao Mei''s relatives and pretended not to know anything else. Chapter 899 Keeping A Close Eye After making the arrangements for Qiao Yu to work in the factory, she did not continue to follow up about this matter and she guessed that Qiao Yu probably also did not make any big mistakes. Furthermore, because she was the one who brought Qiao Yu into the factory, the workshop supervisor also took care of Qiao Yu on her account. "Oh, her. She''s doing quite well. She can support herself with her salary," Tan Juan said. "Nowadays, consumers'' expectations for knitted products are getting higher and higher. It seems that our factory is not doing too well either. Those useless employees are really a burden to the factory," Xia Wen said meaningfully as he looked into Tan Juan''s eyes. Even a fool would know what Xia Wen meant, but she thought that Qiao Yu''s relationship with Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei was an unusual one? If they let her go, would it affect the Xia family''s reputation? If Qiao Yu ended up going to the Xia family to do something despicable, she did not want to be the one getting blamed for it. "Aunt, do you have any other concerns?" Xia Wen asked. "Doesn''t this person and your younger brother have If you chase her out like this, won''t it be disadvantageous to you?" Tan Juan said vaguely. Xia Wen frowned. He remembered that only the people present that day knew what Qiao Yu had said at the Xia family''s house. Moreover, they all knew that Qiao Yu was lying and that Xia Zhe would never do such a thing. Qiao Mei also knew the truth behind this matter and they had long cleared up any misunderstanding. There was only one possibility for this matter to reach Tan Juan''s ears. It must be Tan Jing who told her. Tan Juan thought that her words had triggered Xia Wen, so she quickly explained, "Xiao Wen, it''s really just out of concern for all of you. We''re all family, so let''s be frank. This Qiao Yu is not an easy person to deal with. If she really goes out to slander your family, how will you deal with this matter?" "Aunt, I know you''re doing this out of concern for us, but you''ve really misunderstood. This matter has nothing to do with my younger brother. This woman lied to us when she came to the capital. She''s indeed Qiao Mei''s relative, but her family treated Qiao Mei very badly when Qiao Mei was young. We didn''t know about these things then and we were also deceived," Xia Wen explained. After hearing this, Tan Juan completely understood why Xia Wen wanted her to deal with Qiao Yu. She did not ask for any further details since it was the Xia family''s private affairs. However, Xia Wen did not look too happy just now and she did not know how Xia Wen would treat Tan Jing when he returned home. Tan Juan made a few simple dishes and Xia Wen left Tan Juan''s house after dinner. "Director Tan! Who''s here to give you such valuable gifts!" the neighbor from next door asked through the opening in the door. Although Tan Juan was not a government official, she held a high post in the state-run factory and was in charge of the factory''s finances. Ordinary commoners did not expect any of their family members to become a government official. They all just wanted to find a cradle-to-grave job at the state-run factory so that they would not have to worry about their livelihoods for the rest of their lives. However, no matter what they sent to Tan Juan''s house, she would definitely send it back the next day. She did not want to render help to anyone. Therefore, they kept a close eye on Tan Juan''s house and monitored who went in and out of the house. As long as someone brought something to her house, they would come over and question her. If Tan Juan took any gift from anyone, they would file a report against her overnight. They just could not bear to see others doing well! If Tan Juan did not want to help them with their livelihoods, they would not let Tan Juan have an easy time either! "Don''t you remember! He''s our Xiao Jing''s husband! He''s here to visit me," Tan Juan said with a fake smile. They all knew Tan Jing. There were not too many promising people in the Tan family. In the past, Tan Jing loved to go to Tan Juan''s house and everyone who lived around the area knew her. However, ever since Tan Jing got married, they had not seen her visiting Tan Juan''s house. This was the first time they had seen Tan Jing''s husband come over after so many years. "Oh my! So he''s your relative! Xiao Jing really married into a good family. It''s really nice that he came to see you with such expensive gifts. We haven''t heard any good news regarding Xiao Jing yet. Tell her to hurry up! If she doesn''t have a child soon, no matter how good a family is, they won''t want her anymore," the neighbor leaned against the door and said mockingly. These people just could not bear to see others living well and always like to poke at other people''s sore spots. However, Tan Juan was also not someone who would take things lying down. Chapter 900 - 900 Being Dismissed 900 Being Dismissed You dont have to worry about this matter. Your son still doesnt have a job yet, right? He should quickly find a job. Otherwise, no nice girl will be willing to marry him and hell have to stay single for the rest of his life! Tan Juan said. The neighbor slammed the door out of exasperation and went home. Tan Juan hummed a tune and slowly closed the door. Today was another day of victory for her. The next day, after Tan Juan arrived at the factory, she called for a meeting with all the team leaders of the workshops. Everyone went to the factory directors office with feelings of trepidation. !! It was almost the end of the year. During this period in the factory, it was the time to review the performance of the various workshops. Workshops with good performances would receive a bonus. Everyone would get money based on the amount of work they did. Some people could even get an additional 15 dollars! That was equivalent to one-third of their salary! This was what everyone worked so hard for. The team leader of each workshop sat respectfully opposite Tan Juan. Each of them had a small notebook and they waited for Tan Juan to speak. I called all of you here today to discuss the future development of our factory. Were now at the end of the year and everyone has worked hard. Go back and take a look at the performance of every employee in your workshop and write a report for me. The sooner the better. Can you give it to me this afternoon at the latest? Tan Jing asked with a smile. The performance reports were checked every month and the team leader of each workshop would do a tally once a week. It was easy for them to prepare such a report. No problem. With that, everyone went back to make preparations. It did not take long for everyone to finish up and hand the reports to Tan Juan. As Tan Juan had expected, Qiao Yu was the worst performer in her workshop. She did not even do half the amount of work done by the second last person! If not for the fact that Qiao Yu was someone that she had introduced, Qiao Yu would have been asked to leave a long time ago. Soon, Tan Juan issued an official notice and sent someone to put it up on the noticeboard in the factory. During the lunch break, everyone crowded around the area. Sister Li! Come over quickly! Theres a notice! Come and see if your name is on it! Will you be the best performer again this year! Sister Wang shouted towards Sister Li. How can that be! If its me every year, the factory would already have promoted me, Sister Li said humbly. Everyone thought that it was the announcement of the year-end bonus, but when they looked at it, they realized that it was clearly a list of layoffs! Qiao Yus name was clearly written at the first position. Sister Li hurriedly rubbed her eyes, thinking that her eyes were playing tricks on her. Help me take a look! Is that Qiao Yus name? Am I seeing things? Why do I see Qiao Yu on the list? Sister Li asked as she grabbed hold of Sister Wang. Sister Wang leaned forward with all her might and said in shock, Its really her! Doesnt she have a backer! Hmph, I guess its not that useful after all. I heard that this list was tabulated by the factory director. Wasnt she originally brought in by the factory director? Sister Li said mockingly. Everyone gathered at the noticeboard and discussed among themselves. Qiao Yu had also heard the news and came over to take a look. As soon as she reached the area, there was an uproar. Sister Li stood in front of Qiao Yu and said, Isnt this Qiao Yu! Come and look at the notice too. Im getting old and cant see clearly. Is your name the first one on the list? Qiao Yu thought that she had been nominated for a reward and squeezed into the crowd excitedly. When she stood in front of the noticeboard, she realized that it was actually a list of layoffs! Tan Juan was not that ruthless given that the place was a state-owned factory. The number of employees each workshop could have was approved by the higher-ups. It was not possible to have one more or one less person. The number of positions could not be changed at will. She could not fire someone for no reason, but she could make people resign on their own accord! Tan Juan transferred the last placed performer in each workshop to the most tiring workshop. This way, they could not slack off and they all had to finish their work before they could knock off. As for Qiao Yu, she was not an official employee and everyone knew very well how she got in. Tan Juan used this as a reason to dismiss her. She was the only person who lost her job in the entire factory. If not for Qiao Yus matter, those other lazy people might not have been discovered! Chapter 901 - 901 Leaving the Factory 901 Leaving the Factory Qiao Yu walked back to the dormitory in a daze. She did not know what she had done to offend the Xia family. Why did the Xia family want to chase her away? At this moment, it suddenly struck Qiao Yu that Qiao Mei was likely the one behind this! The Xia family must have told Qiao Mei that she was here, and that made Qiao Mei unhappy enough to ask the Xia family to think of a way to fire her. It was all Qiao Meis fault! Qiao Yu, did you offend your relatives? What have you done? one of the older women in the dormitory asked. Thats right. Why dont you just eat humble pie and go plead with your relatives? another older woman said. Everyone thought that Qiao Yu had been going on blind dates during that period when she went out often. Qiao Yu must not have liked the arrangements made by her relatives or she might even have offended someone. That was why her relatives wanted to take her down a notch. The women in the dormitory still did not dare to speak too harshly. After all, Qiao Yu and her relatives were still related by blood. The moment this issue blew over, Qiao Yu might still be of help to them. Maybe they have arranged a better job for Qiao Yu! said the older woman from the upper bunk. Qiao Yu smiled and did not say anything. Others might not know what was going on, but she knew very well that this matter was definitely related to Qiao Mei. Before Qiao Yu could think further, the dormitory manager brought a middle-aged woman to their room. The managers attitude had undergone a 180-degree change. Back then, when she found out that Qiao Yu was recommended by the factory director, she had respectfully brought Qiao Yu around to view all the rooms until Qiao Yu found a bed she was satisfied with. You, move out quickly. This spot will be hers from now on, the manager said as she pointed at the middle-aged woman beside her. What? You want me to leave now! Its already dark. Can I leave tomorrow morning? Qiao Yu pleaded. The manager said firmly, No, this is an instruction from the higher-ups. You have to move out immediately. We dont have any spare space here. Where can she stay if you dont leave? Seeing that there was no room for negotiation at all, Qiao Yu reluctantly started to pack her things. She did not have many things and could fit them all in a cloth bag. The bedsheet and blanket were all provided by the factory and the bedding belonged to the dormitory. All these things did not belong to her. After packing up, Qiao Yu left in a sorry state. None of the women in the dormitory sent Qiao Yu off. As soon as Qiao Yu left, laughter could be heard coming from the dormitory, especially from the older woman in the lower bunk. She was overjoyed that no one would borrow clothes from her anymore. Qiao Yu carried the big bag on her back and walked away from the factory. Along the way, many people looked at her strangely. They were all waiting to see what would happen next. Su Yang already knew that Qiao Yu was leaving and had been waiting at the entrance of the factory. When he saw Qiao Yu, he waved his hands and shouted, Xiao Yu! Im here! Where are you going! Qiao Yu quickly walked forward, wanting to avoid Su Yang. He stopped her and said, Why are you avoiding me? Its already so late. Where are you going? He knew where Qiao Yus relatives lived. Qiao Yu had previously told him herself. That place was very far from here and she would only be able to reach that location late at night if she took the bus. Instead of going to such a far place, she might as well go to his house! Not only was his house close by, it would also bring them closer. Back when Qiao Yus relatives were backing her up, she was like a woman with a noble status. If he married her, he would also have wealth and status! At this moment, even if Qiao Yu had lost her relatives support, she was still a woman. He could marry her and make her his wife. Su Yang also knew what kind of reputation he had. Girls from good families would not like him at all. Therefore, he was not picky at all. If he helped Qiao Yu when she was down, then he could easily make her his woman! Qiao Yu could also tell what Su Yang was thinking. She said stubbornly, Im going to go and stay with my relatives. Back when she came to the capital and was penniless, the Xia family had found a place for her to stay. Even if she could not enter the Xia familys house, she could at least get access to a nicer guest house. Having a place to stay was the most important thing. Su Yang said warmly, Then Ill send you there! You have so much luggage, let me help you! Qiao Yu did not reject his gesture. It was a good opportunity for Su Yang to see how rich her relatives were. Chapter 902 Freeloading On the way to the bus stop, Qiao Yu kept staring at the restaurants by the roadside. She had felt so uncomfortable after she saw the notice at noon that she had not eaten yet! Her stomach was already growling from hunger. Moreover, the finance department had only given her half a day''s salary just now. They had only given her the salary and nothing more. If she was heading to the Xia family''s house on her own, she would not be thinking about food. However, things were different now that Su Yang was around. The timing of her dismissal was too coincidental. Why did she have to be fired at this time when it was almost the new year? Qiao Mei was really spiteful enough to make life difficult for her during the new year. Su Yang obviously noticed Qiao Yu''s gaze as well. He knew that this woman must be thinking about scamming him of another sum of money. However, Qiao Yu was homeless now. It would be good if he could give her some benefits, then she might even go home with him! Soon, they arrived at the restaurant where Su Yang had treated Qiao Yu to a meal previously. Su Yang realized that Qiao Yu''s pace had clearly slowed down a lot and she began to look towards the restaurant, sighing from time to time. "You haven''t had dinner yet, right?" Su Yang asked. Qiao Yu looked at Su Yang in embarrassment and said, "I haven''t eaten all day. Since noon, I was busy with the arrangements to leave the factory. You haven''t eaten either?" "I''m a little hungry too. Shall we go in and eat something?" Su Yang said with a smile. "Sure!" Qiao Yu was so excited that she almost jumped up. Before Su Yang even moved, she rushed into the restaurant, worried that Su Yang would go back on his word if she was too slow. She did not even leave the door open for Su Yang, even though he had his hands full with her luggage. "Tsk, this greedy woman is really not easy to feed" Su Yang frowned and walked in with the luggage. Su Yang ordered four meat dishes, the same as previously. He spent 12 dollars this time round, which was not much different from the last time. After they finished eating, Qiao Yu and Su Yang took the bus to the Xia family''s house. After having had two meals with Su Yang, Qiao Yu''s attitude towards him had also changed a little. The Su family''s financial situation did not seem as bad as what Qiao Yu saw when she went round. For Su Yang to have so many meat coupons and be able to spend more than 20 dollars to treat her to meals within a month, it was obvious that his family had money. It was just that Old Madam Fan was so shrewish that she did not leave all the money to her two sons. The amount of 20 dollars was equivalent to half a month''s salary for Su Yang! In reality, Su Yang had stolen all these things. Old Madam Fan had been busy taking care of Su Liang recently and did not have the time to deal with the matters at home. Su Yang was not afraid that Old Madam Fan would blame him. If he managed to marry Qiao Yu without needing to spend too much money, Old Madam Fan would definitely be happy about it. Along the way, Su Yang kept observing Qiao Yu''s expression. He did not know if these relatives that Qiao Yu spoke about were real or simply a fabricated lie. By the time they reached the entrance of the Xia family''s neighborhood, it was already dark. As soon as he got down from the bus, Su Yang was shocked by the scene in front of him. In the past, he only knew that the people living in this neighborhood were all prominent people in the capital, people whom he would never get to meet in his life. If he could become related to them, he would have nothing to worry about for the rest of his life. He did not expect Qiao Yu to be capable enough to know such people. What she said at the factory was true! These houses were like palaces to him. He had never seen them before. How blissful it would be to be able to live in one! However, when he approached the entrance of the neighborhood, Su Yang realized that the guards here all wore military uniforms and were armed with guns. He was so frightened that he almost wet his pants. He often caused trouble and was a frequent guest at the police station. By right, he should be very familiar with such things. Perhaps it was the guns which scared him. Qiao Yu looked at Su Yang and rolled her eyes. She did not expect Su Yang to be so timid that he would become so frightened when he saw guns. However, she had forgotten that she was just as frightened as Su Yang when she first set eyes on these guards. She walked forward in a familiar manner and provided the Xia family''s house number, her own name and the reason for her visit. She had memorized the procedure from the last time she was here. The guard at the door quickly went to check in with the Xia family members. Su Yang looked at Qiao Yu differently now. All his life, his dream was to find a rich young lady who lived in such a house. He would then be able to have whatever he wanted and would not have to ever worry about his livelihood again. Chapter 903 Do Not Misunderstand However, he had heard that the daughters of rich families were brought up to be accomplished and smart. They definitely would not have eyes for someone like him. If any of them could fall for someone like him, then it could only be because the Su family''s ancestral grave was blessed. The only reason why a young lady from a rich family would take a fancy to him would be because his ancestors had accumulated enough good deeds in their previous lives. He felt that someone like Qiao Yu was the best choice for him. Although she satisfied his wish to marry a young lady from a rich family, she had grown up in a family which was lacking. She was illiterate, greedy and short-sighted and was a woman who was easy to control. The main thing was that she was still young and her smooth skin looked much better than any of those older women! As long as he could manage to woo Qiao Yu, everything would be fine! At this point in time, he was willing to treat Qiao Yu to any amount of meat. Qiao Yu waited anxiously for the Xia family members to appear. It did not matter who it was, even the housekeeper was fine. As long as it was someone from the Xia family''s house, she would have achieved her goal. If the Xia family did not care about her situation today, then she would be a liar in Su Yang''s eyes. He would definitely badmouth her when he returned to the factory! In the future, Su Yang would not bring her out to eat meat anymore. Pfft, pfft, pfft! What had it got to do with Su Yang? The person she wanted to marry in the future was Xia Wen! She wanted to be the Xia family''s daughter-in-law! Otherwise, she would only marry someone from a family which had similar status and influence as the Xia family! She would not consider someone like Su Yang! Qiao Yu waited for a long time but no one from the Xia family came out. She was quite sure that the Xia family would not really leave her in the lurch and let her freeze to death by the roadside. If really no one came out, she would lie on the ground and throw a tantrum. By then, the Xia family members would definitely come out when they could not take it anymore. They would definitely want to protect their own reputation. As soon as Xia Wen saw the guard, he knew that Qiao Yu was here. He was already prepared for it. Qiao Yu would never go back home on her own. Based on her temperament and character, she also would not go to the guest house by herself. She was also an unregistered person who did not have a household register in the capital or any identification documents. No one would be willing to take her in no matter where she went. Her only choice was to come to the Xia family''s house. "Why are you here to look for us?" Xia Wen said coldly as he stood in front of Qiao Yu. Qiao Yu quickly pretended to feel weak and wanted to fall into Xia Wen''s arms. Xia Wen originally thought that Qiao Yu only had designs on the Xia family, but he did not expect her to have such intentions as well. He was still not prepared enough. After all, if Qiao Yu previously had ulterior motives towards Xia Zhe, she would naturally do the same to him. Qiao Yu''s goal was to marry into a rich family and it did not matter to her who she married. Xia Wen nimbly dodged Qiao Yu and she fell into the arms of the burly man behind Xia Wen. The feeling of the firm chest made Qiao Yu blush and her heart beat faster. The burly man was dressed in black and it was very difficult to notice him in the darkness of the night. If not for Qiao Yu colliding with him, no one would have noticed his presence! "Ouch!" Qiao Yu pouted. The burly man did not show any expression on his face. Instead, it was Su Yang who became anxious and went forward to pull Qiao Yu away from the burly man''s arms. "What are you doing! How can you touch my girlfriend!" Qiao Yu''s face turned pale as she looked at Su Yang with hatred. She shook off Su Yang''s hand and said, "Don''t touch me! Who''s your girlfriend!" It was not the burly man''s feelings that Qiao Yu was concerned about. She was only worried that Xia Wen would misunderstand and it would affect his judgment and feelings for her. If Su Yang prevented her from being with Xia Wen, she would kill him now! Su Yang stood rooted to the spot and looked at Qiao Yu in disbelief. Could it be that this burly man was the blind date that Qiao Yu''s relatives had introduced to her? Could it be that Qiao Yu was really going to date someone else? Ѧd n?a| om Su Yang wanted to go forward and continue speaking, but Xia Wen glared at him fiercely. The guards beside Xia Wen also stood protectively beside him to prevent Su Yang from going forward and hurting Xia Wen. That sense of authority immediately scared Su Yang so much that he did not dare to move. He almost had the urge to put his hands over his head and squat down. "Why are you here?" Xia Wen asked again patiently. Qiao Yu said softly, "I haven''t been in good health recently and I''ve been sleeping poorly. The clothes I''m wearing are also very thin, so I''m a little sick. My work performance hasn''t been very good recently and the factory fired me. I don''t have anywhere to go now" "He''ll send you to the guest house. You can follow him." After saying that, Xia Wen headed back to the Xia family''s house without even looking at Qiao Yu. Chapter 904 Like A Romantic Movie Ѧd n?a| om The burly man took Qiao Yu''s luggage from Su Yang and walked domineeringly in front of Qiao Yu. She also followed behind the burly man in an arrogant manner while taking small steps. She was under the care of the Xia family again. It seemed that the incident at the factory was not instigated by the Xia family and had nothing to do with Qiao Mei. Otherwise, why would the Xia family still find a place for her to stay and even get someone to send her there in a private car? Initially, she had wanted to come and stay with the Xia family. However, it was obvious from Xia Wen''s expression that there was no hope for that. She would have to try and impress the other Xia family members later. As long as she was able to enter the Xia family''s house, even deities would not be able to force her out. It was not too bad a situation to stay at the guest house. After Qiao Yu came to the capital, she had also stayed at that guest house. She did not know what it was like elsewhere, but what the Xia family had arranged for her must be the best. That had always been what she felt. When Su Yang saw that both the guard and Xia Wen were leaving, he quickly ran after Qiao Yu. As he ran, he shouted loudly, "Xiao Yu! Where are you going! Are you really seeing this man! Then what am I supposed to do!" Qiao Yu was both angry and uncomfortably embarrassed. She quickly turned around, pointed at Su Yang and shouted, "Don''t spout nonsense! We have nothing to do with each other!" If the burly man reported what he heard to Xia Wen, she would not be able to be part of the Xia family for the rest of her life! She did not want to marry someone like Su Yang! Su Yang looked at Qiao Yu pitifully and said, "How can there be nothing! We had meals together and went to work together! We even went on a date and watched a movie together! You even held hands with me! Aren''t we already a couple?" "Nonsense! What evidence do you have! Don''t accuse me of something without any evidence!" Qiao Yu shouted anxiously. "Everyone in the restaurant can be a witness! Let''s go and confront everyone and see if anyone remembers seeing you having a meal with me. There''s a ticket seller at the cinema entrance. Once we check the movie tickets, it''ll be clear whether we have been there! We even held hands! Everyone in the restaurant saw it. There''s still oil from the food we ate at the corners of your mouth!" Su Yang said. Qiao Yu rubbed the corners of her mouth with her sleeve in regret. Su Yang had hosted her warmly at the restaurant tonight and the meat dishes were very delicious. She did not stop Su Yang when he held her hand. After all, she had already eaten two free meals. She thought it was fine to let Su Yang hold her hand and take a little advantage of her. If she let him do it, she would be able to eat meat many more times in the future! The burly man looked at Qiao Yu and Su Yang with a complicated expression. This was the first time he had seen the Xia family met with such a dicey situation. It was really an eye-opener for him. Su Yang thought that the burly man was feeling jealous and continued to say to Qiao Yu, "If you don''t say anything, then you''re admitting it! Come with me now. Where are you going with this man so late at night?" The burly man decided to put on a show as well. Anyway, his purpose for being there tonight was also to deceive Qiao Yu. He grabbed the luggage tightly and spoke tenderly to Qiao Yu, "Let''s go. The weather is too cold and I''m worried that you''ll catch a cold. Let''s go into the car first." This car was an official vehicle that the government had allocated to Xia Wen. It was specially used to send Xia Wen to various places on his business trips and inspections. Qiao Yu did not know anything about cars, but looking at its brand new appearance and stylish design, she instinctively knew that this car was definitely not cheap. Since the burly man was able to stand right next to Xia Wen, he was definitely not any ordinary person. She was willing to build a good relationship with the burly man, but she had to first find out more about the burly man''s identity. It would be a waste of her time if he was just a chauffeur. Qiao Yu got into the car happily. The burly man stepped on the accelerator and they left Su Yang''s line of sight. Su Yang stood by the roadside angrily and shouted in the direction of the departing car, "Qiao Yu! I like you! Don''t leave me! Qiao Yu!" The guards standing at the side all held back their laughter. In this area, apart from the people who lived in the neighborhood coming in and out, they had never seen any strange or special people. Work had always been very boring every day and this was the first time they had seen such an interesting scene. It was as if these people were filming a romantic movie. Su Yang could also tell that the guards were laughing at him. If he was in his own neighborhood, he would already teach these people a lesson. However, he could not afford to provoke them here. These people had guns. What if they became angry and shot him to death? Su Yang left the Xia family''s neighborhood dejectedly and slowly walked home. Occasionally missing content, please report errors in time. Chapter 905 Sending Off Qiao Yu sat in the car happily and enjoyed this short period of time when she could behave like a rich person. This was the first time she had ever sat in a private car. The last time Xia He brought her to the guest house, they took the bus. The Xia family had chauffeurs. Xia Jun, Xia Mao and Xia Wen all had their own cars and full-time chauffeurs. The Xia family also had two other cars for Xu Lan and the rest to use. As long as they informed the guards at the entrance of the neighborhood, there would be someone who came to pick them up. Xia He was worried that Qiao Yu would dirty the family''s car if she sat in it. It would be troublesome to repair and wash the car, so it was better to take the bus! Qiao Yu behaved in an ignorant manner and reached out to touch all the fixtures in the car. Ever since she got into the car, she had not been idle. The burly man was the one who had fitted out the car. It was winter now and there was furry seat cushioning wrapped around all the seats. The fragrance in the car was also his favorite smell. The burly man said helplessly, "Miss Qiao, I''m driving. Please don''t touch these buttons. It won''t be good if anything happens to the car." "I I see I''m sorry I''m just a little curious." Qiao Yu lowered her head aggrievedly and gripped the seatbelt tightly in her hand. They had been traveling for quite a while, but they had not reached the guest house yet. The amount of time it took seemed different from when Xia He brought her to the guest house. By right, it should be faster to get there by car than by bus. pnd`no?1--o Qiao Yu felt that the burly man looked like an earnest person and that she could ask him some questions. She probed carefully, "Big brother Are you a friend of Brother Xia?" "Yes, I''m a good friend of his. I used to be in the same army unit as him," the burly man said calmly. What the burly man said was true. He was indeed a good friend that Xia Wen had made when they were both in the army. The two of them had even fought side by side before. Later on, he had suffered a serious waist injury during a mission, so he could not continue to serve in the army and was transferred back to work in the government sector. He was not an ambitious person. He just wanted to find a simple job in the government and live a peaceful life. In the beginning, he was a security officer in the government compound and his job was to patrol the vicinity every day. It was quite an easy job. When he heard that Xia Wen was going to work in the government compound, he quickly applied to his superiors to be Xia Wen''s bodyguard and chauffeur. His superiors approved the request soon after. He liked working with Xia Wen very much. To him, Xia Wen was a very grounded person, unlike some people who liked to take cheap shots to hurt others behind their backs. Qiao Yu was overjoyed. Even if she could not marry Xia Wen or Xia Zhe, it was good enough for her to marry any of their friends. For young masters like them, their friends must be of similar status to them. Otherwise, if the difference in status was too big, they would not be able to get along. Qiao Yu slowly leaned towards the burly man and held his hand in an unseemly manner. She said coquettishly, "Big brother, what''s your name? How old are you? Does your family live in the same neighborhood as Brother Xia? Do your parents know the Xia family?" "My name is Chen Mu. I''m the same age as Xia Wen and I don''t live there," Chen Mu answered truthfully. Chen Mu knew exactly what this woman was up to. He had seen what she had just done to Xia Wen at the entrance of the neighborhood. Such an improper issue must be resolved as soon as possible to avoid causing trouble for the Xia family. Qiao Yu looked at Chen Mu with some sense of disappointment. It was such a pity that he was not from that neighborhood. Qiao Yu withdrew her hand casually and leaned against the window to look at the scenery. She did not say anything else after that. She would not like people who lived anywhere else. She only wanted to know people who lived in the same kind of high-end neighborhood like the Xia family. It would be best if they lived next door to the Xia family. This way, when Qiao Mei came around, she would be able to go out and hang around so that Qiao Mei could see her at all times. She would try her hand at anything that could annoy Qiao Mei. If her life was not easy, then Qiao Mei could also forget about living a good life! If Qiao Mei could marry into a rich family, then there was no way that she could not! She definitely wanted to marry into a rich family and then return to the village arrogantly to show off to her brothers who looked down on her back then, as well as her father who wanted to sell her off. She must make them regret what they did! Chapter 906 Escape It did not take long for Qiao Yu and Chen Mu to arrive at their destination. The surrounding buildings were lit up and there were more lights around. The thing was that Chen Mu did not send her to the guest house but to the train station. Qiao Yu stiffened in her seat and did not want to get out of the car. She looked at Chen Mu nervously and asked, "Big brother Are you at the wrong place? Aren''t we going to the guest house?" Chen Mu replied firmly, "I haven''t sent you to the wrong place. This is our destination. You''re going back tonight. The tickets are ready." Qiao Yu still wanted to try and resist. She smiled awkwardly and said, "Give me the ticket and I''ll go by myself. It''s already late. You should go home soon." If not for the fact that Chen Mu knew Qiao Yu''s true colors, he would really have thought that she was concerned about him. If he did not know that this was a person who could kick up a fuss at the Xia family''s door, he might have felt very touched! "I''m sending you back. I''m coming with you," Chen Mu said as he unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car. Qiao Yu never dreamed that Xia Wen would be so ruthless as to send her back. She did not want to return to that mountain village! It was not easy for her to escape from that place and find a place to stay in the capital. Was she really going to lose everything? If she went back, Qiao Zhuang definitely would not let her off. He might beat her up and break her bones, or even sell her off to be someone''s wife. She definitely did not want to go back and live this kind of life. She would rather die than go back! "Get out of the car. I''ll send you off." Seeing that Qiao Yu refused to get out of the car, Chen Mu simply pulled her out in a rough manner. Chen Mu had brought her to the train station that was furthest from the city. Even if Qiao Yu wanted to shout for help, no one would hear her. There were no more than 10 passengers in the entire train station. This was also what Xia Wen had asked him to do. Xia Wen was the one who made all the arrangements. Qiao Yu looked around in fear. It would be a miracle if anyone could save her at this train station in the wilderness! Soon, Qiao Yu realized that there was a washroom nearby. "Big brother! I I have a stomachache Can I go to the toilet?" Qiao Yu asked fearfully. Chen Mu looked at Qiao Yu in silence for a while and then said with a smile, "I''ll give you three minutes. If you don''t come out by then, I''ll rush in to look for you. There''s no one in this place. I''m not worried about going in there." Once Chen Mu finished speaking, Qiao Yu rushed into the washroom. Although this was an isolated location, this was still a proper washroom with a window. It was no longer the old type of squat toilet but a properly partitioned toilet area. During this year, the government had given monetary grants to every public facility to build new washrooms, and this had turned out to be advantageous for Qiao Yu. pnd,no?1,o Just as Qiao Yu was thinking of a way to climb out through the window, she heard Chen Mu talking outside. "One, two, three" Chen Mu said slowly. Qiao Yu''s movements became even faster. It took her a lot of effort to climb up the wall before she realized that she could not fit through the window. During this period of time, Su Yang had fed her too well. If this was in the past, she would definitely be able to get out of this window easily. "60, 61 73, 74" Time was running out. Qiao Yu pushed with all her might and finally managed to squeeze out after making a Herculean effort. In doing so, she even tore a huge hole in her cotton jacket. She ran forward without any sense of direction. Even knowing that all her money and luggage were still with Chen Mu, she did not dare to look back at all. With Chen Mu''s stamina, he would definitely be able to find her easily. "160, 161 179, 180." After saying that, Chen Mu looked at the watch on his wrist and then slowly walked into the women''s washroom. By then, there was already no one inside. Chen Mu did not seem surprised at all. He went to the workstation at the train station and showed his work pass, then used the phone at the workstation to call the Xia family. "Hello?" Xia Wen picked up the phone and asked. "Qiao Yu has run away," Chen Mu said calmly. Xia Wen did not say much. He gave Chen Mu a few simple instructions and also gave him a day off tomorrow. After that, he hung up the phone. Everything was going according to his plan. Qiao Yu squatted in the bushes nearby and waited for a long time. She did not come out until she saw Chen Mu''s car driving off. However, even if she managed to hide from Chen Mu in this remote place, she still would not be able to escape. Chapter 907 - 907 Getting Rich Together 907 Getting Rich Together When Qiao Yu was running around, a lot of cotton stuffing had fallen out from the hole in her cotton jacket, and she was left with only the stuffing around her shoulders and chest. It became even colder later in the night. Qiao Yu had no choice but to return to the washroom while trembling. She closed the window and stayed inside so that she could at least be protected against the cold wind outside for a while. As time slowly passed, Qiao Yu squatted in a corner of the washroom and gradually fell asleep. The next morning, Li Gui made 60 pounds of popcorn. Her three-wheeled vehicle and basket could only hold about 20 pounds at a time. Sometimes, when the weather was good, she could sell about 50 pounds by herself. When the weather was bad, she could only sell about 20 pounds. In order to do business with Zhao Fei, she went to buy another three-wheeled vehicle and asked Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao to deliver the goods with her. At the designated time, Li Gui and the two children arrived at the place where they had agreed to meet Zhao Fei. He was already waiting there. Auntie! Im here! Im here! Zhao Fei waved his hands and shouted at Li Gui. Zhao Fei had even brought his younger brothers along. It had not been easy for Zhao Fei to ask them for help! Zhao Fei had promised them that he would give them 50 cents a day and that they just needed to help him with the vehicles every morning and night. They did not need to do anything else. His two younger brothers did not have much to do at home anyway and it would be good for them to come out and earn some money. The driving force was that their father had asked them to come and help. They really could not say no to him. They are Li Gui went over to Zhao Fei and asked nervously as she looked at the two people behind him. After all, what they were doing was still illegal. The more people who knew about it, the more trouble there might be. She was not worried about anything happening to her, but she was worried that Xia Wen would be implicated and get into trouble. Qiao Mei was about to give birth and Li Gui did not want her to worry as it could easily affect her pregnancy. Qiao Mei was having twins, so her risk was twice that of others. Auntie, dont worry! These are my two younger brothers, my biological younger brothers! I earn money to support them! They definitely wont tell anyone about this! Zhao Fei said confidently. Li Gui took a serious look at Zhao Fei and the two young men. They indeed looked quite alike. What Zhao Fei said should not be a lie. Moreover, Qiao Mei also said that she had to trust her business partner! If you could not trust someone, you should not work with them. If you worked with someone, you should not distrust them. You can do a check. Its a total of 60 pounds, Li Gui said as she pointed at the popcorn. Sister, I trust you! Im sure theres no problem. So Ill send the vehicles back at 6 p.m. tonight. Dont forget to come! Zhao Fei said. It was obvious that one of these vehicles was newly bought. He had seen Li Guis vehicle before and it was already scratched up all over. This vehicle was so new that it looked a little dazzling, which was enough to show him how much importance Li Gui placed on this matter. The three brothers quickly got on the three-wheeled vehicles and left the place. This place was not too far from Li Guis house and just a short walk away. Li Gui wanted to go and buy chicken to make a stew for Qiao Mei. Over the next few days, she must cook more nourishing food for Qiao Mei so that she would have more strength to give birth. Zhao Fei did not ride the vehicles to the cinema or train station. With so much popcorn, they would not be able to sell everything at just these two places. Zhao Fei went to the vicinity of the childrens playground. It was winter break now and many parents would bring their children here. Such a sweet smell would definitely attract the childrens attention. So long as the children wanted to eat, the adults would buy a lot for the children to bring home. Children also like to compare among themselves. They all wanted to have what other children had. The popcorn was not something expensive and all parents could afford to buy it. However, it was still not enough to only sell it here. Zhao Fei had grown up in the slum and he still knew many people there. A few days ago, Zhao Fei had asked them to gather to discuss the matter of earning money. Zhao Fei was the only person from the slum who had done well for himself. Therefore, everyone trusted him. Brother! Why are you looking for us! All the brothers are here! The guys ran towards Zhao Fei excitedly. Im here to introduce some business to everyone. I just dont know if everyone is willing to get rich together with me! Zhao Fei said with a smile. Chapter 908 Setting The Rules "There''s no reason for us not to want to get rich together with you! You don''t have to ask. We''ll definitely follow you!" Xiao Zhu said excitedly. Xiao Zhu was closest to Zhao Fei among them. Usually, Zhao Fei would think of him first whenever there was anything nice. When Zhao Fei was young, he had always followed Xiao Zhu around to play and Xiao Zhu had always taken good care of him. Now that he was doing well, he also wanted to take good care of Xiao Zhu. It was just that these people did not have any proper jobs. Even when they found jobs, the work would be very tiring, where they had to do manual labor and yet did not get paid much. Some of the guys were also immature when they were young and went around stealing and robbing when they did not make enough money to support themselves. After they were arrested, they ended up with criminal records, so many places were unwilling to hire them. "I have a batch of goods here. It''s too tiring to sell everything myself, so I want to ask you to help me sell them. Of course, you''re not doing it for free. There are a total of 11 people here. I will give each of you five pounds of popcorn and you can then find a crowded place to sell them. I''ll pay you five cents per pack sold," Zhao Fei said as he held up five fingers. Zhao Fei took out a pack of popcorn that he had prepared in advance, so that everyone could take a look at the size of one pack as well as do a taste test. Zhao Fei had calculated that one pound could yield 10 packs of popcorn, which meant that these guys could earn about two dollars and fifty cents a day. That was 75 dollars a month, which was not a small sum! Even people who worked in the factory might not be able to earn so much money. "We''ll do it! Brother, we''ll do it! Give me however much you have! I''ll definitely be able to sell it for you!" Xiao Zhu shouted enthusiastically. "But what if we can''t sell everything!" someone in the crowd asked. Five pounds meant 50 packs. How could they sell 50 packs a day? How many people would they have to find to sell 50 packs? Zhao Fei said confidently, "If you don''t believe me, then just try it out for a day first. I won''t force you. Wait and see how long it will take for you to sell five pounds of popcorn a day. I''m just worried that you''ll ask me for more after you sell out today!" They looked at one another, but they still chose to believe Zhao Fei. They had never done business before and were not familiar with these business matters. If Zhao Fei said that there was no problem, then there must be no problem. "You just need to sell five pounds a day. Everyone will be given 50 packs of popcorn and not a pack more. Everyone gets the same amount. I''ll pay you at the end of the day. Every evening at 4 p.m., come to the park to get money from me. If you exceed the time limit, your money will be deducted. You have to come back on time, do you understand?" Zhao Fei said sternly. He had grown up with them and was very familiar with the situation of everyone here. He could not give these people a lump sum of money, otherwise they would get lazy. He would have to give them a bit every day. If they had more money, they would not save it up and would definitely spend it on drinks. Within a day, they would definitely not have much money left. After they got used to the work, he would make them pay first before he would give them the goods. This way, Zhao Fei would be able to take on less risk. "Understand!" the guys shouted. Ѧd n?a| om Zhao Fei thought for a moment and continued, "One pack of popcorn is 50 cents each. Don''t bargain or give any discounts. It is simply 50 cents a pack. Even if the deities come, don''t change the price! Do you understand!" "Understand!" the guys shouted in unison again. Li Gui had specifically reminded him about the issue with the price. This was also what Qiao Mei had instructed Li Gui, although Qiao Mei also did not know where she was going with the business. In the future, if she opened a shop, she might want to create another separate branding. If Zhao Fei raised the price, it would be akin to deceiving the customers and it would cause trouble for others. If Zhao Fei lowered the price on his own accord, then Li Gui would not be able to go out to sell them after the matter with Old Madam Fan''s family was settled. Therefore, she had to set the rules for them now. The price was fixed and could not be changed. "If everyone agrees, then follow me to get the goods. We''ll start today. If you don''t want to do it, I won''t force you. It''s all voluntary." Zhao Fei turned around and left after saying that. Xiao Zhu followed closely behind Zhao Fei and said all kinds of nice things, hoping that Zhao Fei would give him more. Chapter 909 Wanting To Get A Wife He wanted to get more and earn more so that he could save enough money to get married! He was already 26 years old this year and was considered an over-age single man in the current society. If he still did not get married, he would really become an old man that no one wanted. Nice girls would not want to be with him. Young girls around the age of 17 or 18 would usually look for young or successful men. Who would be interested in a poor and unsuccessful old man? He had his own goals in life as well. At the very least, he wanted to have a wife who knew how to lead a good life. As the saying went, marrying a good wife would bless three generations with riches! Xiao Zhu''s parents passed away when he was very young and he had been scavenging since he was 13 years old to support himself. He did not want his children to have a tough life. He only understood these things after he saw Zhao Fei succeed in life. "Xiao Fei, just give me a bit more. I don''t need much, just give me another five pounds! Two pounds! One pound is fine too! Seriously, Xiao Fei, please help me," Xiao Zhu whispered to Zhao Fei. Zhao Fei did not think the same way. If Xiao Zhu could make 75 dollars a month, as long as he saved up properly, he would definitely be able to rent a small house within a year and live a stable life. Then there would definitely be nice girls who would take a fancy to Xiao Zhu. If there was really no other way, he would ask Li Gui to introduce one of the young ladies from her village to Xiao Zhu so that he could bring her to the city to live a good life! As long as Xiao Zhu put his mind to work hard, he would share whatever he had with Xiao Zhu. This business could only grow bigger and bigger. Last night, he even dreamed that he had become a leader who worked in the office! Many people treated him with respect. "No, I''ve already spoken to all the guys. Everyone gets the same share. If you say such things to me again, I won''t let you sell it!" Zhao Fei said coldly. Xiao Zhu was so frightened that he quickly shut up. He decided that he would never mention this matter again. At the entrance of the children''s playground, Zhao Fei gave them a simple briefing on the different areas where it would be easier to sell the popcorn. There were also rules when it came to doing business. Since Zhao Fei was the one who gave them this lead, they could not operate in Zhao Fei''s territory in the future. They all had to go elsewhere to do their sales. How much they could sell would depend on their own capability. Anyway, if there was any popcorn left by the time they returned at 4 p.m., Zhao Fei would sell the remainder at the cinema. He would definitely be able to sell all the popcorn. After the guys enthusiastically took their share of the popcorn from Zhao Fei, he specially instructed everyone to check their own stock clearly and not to say that they had lost the popcorn when they came back to pay for it. These problems and excuses would not work with Zhao Fei. When it came to doing business, the most basic requirement was trust. Only when there was trust between customers and merchants could there be recurring business. If a merchant had a good reputation, people would come back to buy his goods. Businessmen also needed to trust one another. Only when everyone worked together to earn money could the road ahead get better and better. Anyone who wanted to monopolize the market would not last long. After working through the entire morning, Zhao Fei had almost sold all his stock. During this period of time, many guys had already progressively came back to pay money to Zhao Fei. Everyone had happy smiles on their faces. This was the first time they had seen so much money for a long time! pnd`no?1--o "Brother Fei! Look! I sold everything in just half an hour! It''s simply too amazing, Brother Fei! Even though the popcorn packs are sealed, the sweet smell is still very obvious. As soon as I got there, many people came to buy it! Everything happened so fast!" one of the guys said excitedly to Zhao Fei as he handed over the money. All these were within Zhao Fei''s expectations. Back then, Li Gui also did a roaring business. If not for the fact that it was winter now and the weather was too cold, Zhao Fei would have wanted to sell everything himself. He would not have given them a share at all. "See, I was right. Yet you didn''t believe that you could sell everything. This is your money. If you still want to do it tomorrow, wait for me at the alley at 7.30 a.m. The quantity is still 50 bags each," Zhao Fei said with a smile. The young man agreed repeatedly and almost wanted to bow to Zhao Fei. Even though the guys were told to be back before 4 p.m., everyone came back by around 1 p.m. and they all paid up. Many of them asked Zhao Fei to make more popcorn as they felt that they could sell more. Occasionally missing content, please report errors in time. Chapter 910 Treating Him Well Zhao Fei also wanted more, but Li Gui was doing the production alone and there was only so much she could do. Furthermore, she could not teach the technique to outsiders. He had no other choice but to wait patiently. He did not want to be too greedy either. The more people were involved in this, the higher the risk. Zhao Fei had instructed these few people not to tell anyone about the matter. It would not be good if more people wanted to come and take a share as well. None of them was willing to let others take their money away. They did not even have enough to sell themselves, so how could they have any excess goods to share with others? After being done for the day and putting away the money, Zhao Fei did not go home immediately. He chose to take a ride around to see which were the areas where crowds gathered and would be suitable for them to do business. He had been doing this for so many years. If not for the fact that he did not have nice things to sell like Li Gui did, he would have made a fortune long ago. When it came to money, it was definitely the more the better. No one would ever think that they had enough money. Li Gui, Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao arrived at the agreed location before 6 p.m. She thought that it was not good to always let Zhao Fei wait for her. The weather was freezing cold now and Zhao Fei had already been selling goods outside for a long time. He must be feeling very cold by now. She felt bad if he had to waste time waiting for her. Coincidentally, Zhao Fei was returning from the other end of the alley at the same time. From afar, she could tell that Zhao Fei''s entire face was already all red from the cold. He was panting heavily and it was so cold that the breath he exhaled immediately turned into white smoke and disappeared into the air. "Auntie, I''m here! Why did you come so early to wait for me? Come later next time. It''s such a freezing day. What if you catch a cold!" Zhao Fei said with a frown. He did not have his mother around when he was young. After his mother gave birth to him, she ran off to live with another man and left him and his father behind. He was actually a little hostile towards women, but Li Gui was very nice to him and showed care and concern for him. Therefore, he also wanted to treat Li Gui well. "What if I come late and you catch a cold!" Li Gui said. "I''m young! I''m fine!" Zhao Fei pounded his chest and continued, "This is the money I earned today. Auntie, do a count and see if the amount is right." Li Gui simply put the money into her pocket and told Zhao Fei and the others to go home to get warmed up. She trusted Zhao Fei and was not worried at all. Zhao Fei also did not stand on ceremony with Li Gui and immediately turned around to run home. He was also eager to get home! He still did not know how much he had earned today! Li Gui was not idle at home during the day. She already finished making the popcorn that she was going to give Zhao Fei tomorrow. She made 30 pounds more than today! She would definitely earn more than today. The first thing Li Gui and Zhao Fei did when they returned to their own homes was not to warm themselves by the fire, but to quickly count the money! In this aspect, the two of them thought alike. Qiao Mei sat quietly by the heater to make tiger-headed shoes for the two babies. She had learned how to make them from the neighbors next door. The tiger-headed shoes she made for the children previously looked silly and dull and did not portray the liveliness of a tiger at all. Since she had nothing to do, she decided to try making two more pairs. "Ah!!!" Li Gui suddenly jumped up from the stool and yelled as she held up the money in her hand. She danced around the house excitedly. Qiao Mei was shocked by Li Gui''s actions, but she did not stop Li Gui. Who would not be happy after earning so much money? It was good that Li Gui felt so excited now. In the future, she would have to open a shop and do an even bigger business. It would be common to make tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even a few million dollars when the time came. At that time, she would view money differently and would no longer be as excited as she was today. It was not a bad thing to have such happy moments. "Oh my goodness! 210 dollars! Qiao Mei, quickly take a look and see if it''s true. This is 210 dollars! If I make the same amount of popcorn every day, won''t I be able to earn 210 dollars every day? Then I''ll have 6,300 dollars a month! That''s a lot!" Li Gui said to Qiao Mei with her eyes wide open. pnd,no?1,o Even when they worked from early morning to late night originally, they did not earn so much money. After all, they could not go out if the weather was bad, and they had to run away if the city enforcement officers came to make arrests. Although they were earning money, their bodies and minds were exhausted at the end of each day. It was so much better now. She could earn money easily and have a stable income! "You''ll be able to buy this house from me after two months! I don''t think you need to worry about the children''s tuition fees at this rate. The money you make this month will be enough for these four children to spend for half a year," Qiao Mei said. Chapter 911 - 911 Designing a New Machine 911 Designing a New Machine These were things that Li Gui had never even dared to dream about. In fact, she had close to 3,000 dollars in savings now. This money was meant for Qiao Mei after she gave birth. Having a pair of twins would definitely incur a lot of expenses. What if that guy with the surname He did not send the money over on time and Qiao Mei ran out of money? If Xia Zhe was still out on a mission and was unable to rush back, she would be too embarrassed to ask the Xia family for help. Qiao Qiang also would not go and look for those heartless children from the Liang family to ask for money even if he was in trouble. It was better to prepare more money for Qiao Mei. She was not afraid of any problems that could be solved with money. The matter of buying a house could wait until she had more money in the future. Although Li Gui knew that the Xia family treated Qiao Mei very well, Qiao Mei was still her own daughter after all. She must make her plans carefully and not be muddle-headed and hesitant if anything should happen. When a woman gave birth, it was like making a trip to the gates of hell. Every second was like a struggle for life with the King of Hell. She was really afraid that something would happen to Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei, how did you get that machine? Tell me where you bought it as I want to buy two more. This way, I can make more popcorn every day, Li Gui said. !! Qiao Mei had even wondered if she would be able to get an automated popcorn machine. It was really too tiring to make popcorn manually. The popcorn machine would probably take another 20 odd years to be born, so there was definitely no hope for it now. However, she had heard from Qiao Qiang that there was an old grandpa living nearby who was a grade-8 welder. His son was even a senior engineer! If she could make improvements to the small pot that she was using currently, it could also increase their production. Two days ago, Qiao Qiang brought Qiao Mei to their house to visit them and she told the old grandpa her ideas. That old grandpa admired Qiao Mei very much and did not charge her a single cent for the design! The old grandpa had never met a girl who was so interested in technical stuff and had so many ideas. He himself actually had a son and a daughter. The old grandpa and his wife were both famous technicians in the factory. They had hoped to pass on their skills to the next generation and that their pair of children could inherit their skills. However, they did not expect their daughter to have no interest at all. He had always felt a sense of regret over this. Now that he met Qiao Mei and she was smart and could speak so well, it would be a good choice for his wife to pass on her technical skills to Qiao Mei. Lets use those small pots first. I already asked elder sister to go and get more but they have already sold out. Theres no more stock now, Qiao Mei said. Its fine. Then Ill just use what we have first. I made 90 pounds today and Ive almost used up all the corn at home! Li Gui said proudly. They would always have more corn than they needed. Qiao Mei had already stocked up a huge amount of corn in the other courtyard house that she bought and it was all corn kernels. She did not use her energy to make the corn kernels fall out by themselves. She had found some women who had free time to help her do it. She paid them 5 cents for each pound of corn kernels produced. They liked to gather and chit chat and it made no difference to them whether they chatted on the streets or in Qiao Meis courtyard. Moreover, they would be able to earn money while chatting, so of course they were more than willing to do it. Li Gui made popcorn at home every day. Even if the neighbors could not see the process, they could smell the sweet fragrance. Everyones eyes were on them. Qiao Mei was also worried that the neighbors living around them would be envious of them for making money and file a report against them. If that happened, it would make it even more difficult for them to get along with the neighbors. She still wanted the family to live here for the rest of their lives! She could not let this affect the harmony among the neighbors. All human beings had feelings. If one could help everyone else improve their lives, no one will want to harm one behind ones back. Old Madam Fan had already been released from the police station yesterday. It was said that she had suffered a little when locked up. It was not easy to have to stay there for two days during the cold winter, yet it did not seem to be a big deal for her. After she came out, she went to the entrance of the cinema to look for Li Gui and even asked her relatives to go along with her. She told her relatives that as long as Li Gui paid for the medical expenses of her two sons, they would also get a share. Old Madam Fan lied to these relatives and inflated the amount, deceiving all of them. Otherwise, if there was no money to be made, who would want to waste time going with her? In the beginning, there were still people who believed what Old Madam Fan said. As time passed, Old Madam Fans credibility became worse and worse. Everyone went home and stopped going along with Old Madam Fans antics. Chapter 912 Little Corn Courtyard No one knew when Old Madam Fan would be able to get the money. They all had their families to take care of. If they did not go out to earn money, did they want their family members to starve to death? Even though everyone else had given up, Old Madam Fan did not give up. She waited bitterly in the snowy cold weather for Li Gui to appear. However, after staying outside for too long, Old Madam Fan''s body could not take it anymore, She caught a cold and had to go home to recuperate. There were many people who went to work in Qiao Mei''s "little corn courtyard" every day. At first, most people were unwilling to do it, but when they saw how those who worked had benefited from it, more and more people decided to take part. "Hey, do you know that Old Madam Fan has fallen ill?" Sun Juan said to everyone as she plucked the corn kernels. "That''s nothing interesting. I''m having a hard time. I live next door to them and Old Madam Fan snores so loudly every day that I can''t sleep!" Zhou Shuang said with dark circles under her eyes. When Sun Juan saw how haggard Zhou Shuang looked, she laughed loudly and said, "She must be snoring even louder now that she''s sick. She''s already as fat as a pig, but now she''s caught a cold, her nose is definitely blocked as well. Just thinking about it makes me feel terrible for you!" "You can still laugh!" Zhou Shuang pretended to be angry and threw a handful of corn kernels at Sun Juan. "Xiao Shuang, if the situation is too bad, you can go to the community group to report it. You can''t go through this every day," Feng Hong said as she looked at Zhou Shuang with heartache. Zhou Shuang was the youngest in their group of housewives. Her husband worked overseas all year round and could be considered to be earning a good wage. However, Zhou Shuang had just given birth half a year ago and the expenses at home were high. She also needed to recuperate. If her rest was disrupted like this every day, she would definitely fall sick over time. "Sigh I''d like to do that, but don''t you all know Old Madam Fan''s temper? My husband works overseas all year round and I don''t have much hope. I better just bear with it. My child is still young and I''m scared that Old Madam Fan will do something to my child," she said helplessly. Based on the kind of person Old Madam Fan was, what Zhou Shuang said was also not something impossible. Back then, when Sun Juan''s daughter was humiliated by Su Liang and ended up committing suicide, they could not do anything to Old Madam Fan. If they did not have any evidence to put Old Madam Fan in jail for a few years, they would not dare to provoke the old woman. Everyone did their work in silence for a while before Sun Juan asked again, "Is Sister Li still going out to sell her goods nowadays? Since Old Madam Fan is unable to go out, she should be able to do that." "I must say that Sister Li and her daughter are really good at doing business. Even if you give me this business, I won''t be able to do it," Zhou Shuang said enviously. Everyone knew very well that Qiao Mei and Li Gui have very powerful backers. Otherwise, they would not be able to sell popcorn and seeds so blatantly. They heard that on the day of the incident, Old Madam Fan had asked the people from the cinema''s duty room to come and judge the situation. In the end, the people in charge sent Old Madam Fan to the police station for a few days and Li Gui ended up fine. In the future, they might be able to ask Qiao Mei''s family for help. Their children might be able to benefit when it was time for them to look for jobs. Everyone just wanted to build a good relationship with Qiao Mei and did not dare to think about anything else! Ѧd n?a| om Qiao Mei also made sure she gave them some benefits. They only needed to work in the morning every day. Moreover, Qiao Mei had promised them that when their children started school in the future, they could schedule to work at the same time as when the children were at school. They could choose to work at any time and she would pay them as long as they worked. This kind of benefit was something that housewives like them did not even dare to dream about. For each day that they worked, each of them would be able to pluck at least 60 pounds worth of corn kernels. That amounted to three dollars a day! There was flexibility in the work hours and the amount of work done, they could discuss any issues with the boss and the salary was higher than what they could get anywhere else. People were all fighting to be able to do this job, so no one would say anything bad about Qiao Mei. Nowadays, if anyone said anything bad about Qiao Mei and Li Gui, they would be the first to step out and disagree! "Do you think we can learn how to make popcorn from Sister Li?" Sun Juan''s sister, Sun Jiao, muttered softly. Sun Juan was so frightened that she quickly covered Sun Jiao''s mouth. Was a salary of 90 dollars a month still not enough for her? If she had known that her sister was so stupid, she would not have let her work here. "Shut up! If you want to work, then do your work. If not, then get lost!" Sun Juan said in exasperation. Chapter 913 - 913 Making a Scene 913 Making a Scene Sun Jiao looked at Sun Juan aggrievedly and said, But I didnt say anything. Whats wrong with just asking! Can you use your brain! Shes kind enough to let us earn money together with her, yet you still want to snatch her business? If you dont want to work, then just get lost and go home quickly. Dont embarrass me here! Sun Juan said disdainfully. After being scolded, Sun Jiao realized her mistake and quickly lowered her head to do her work. Everyone stopped chatting and just focused on plucking the corn. Qiao Yu barely survived the night at the remote train station. The elderly woman in charge of cleaning up the train station washroom woke her up. Otherwise, she might have frozen to death there. After taking a breather in the washroom, she slowly walked out and looked helplessly at the people around her. She did not have a single cent on her and she was very hungry. She could not even remember the way back. Could it be that she was really going to die in this wilderness? What are you doing here? The security guard at the train station looked at Qiao Yu in puzzlement. Qiao Yu acted like she had seen her savior and hurriedly went forward to say, Big brother! Can you give me a dollar! I have become separated from my family! I want to go back and look for them! The security guard only came over to check on the situation because he saw Qiao Yu dressed in rags and snooping around. He thought that she looked like she was up to no good. He did not expect this woman to ask him for a dollar the moment she opened her mouth. He did not make much money a month. This woman must be crazy from thinking about money. Just as the security guard was about to chase her away, Qiao Yu quickly knelt down and said, Big brother, I beg you! You have to help me! Please! The people around immediately turned to look at them. The security guard looked around in a panic and said, I have nothing to do with you! If you want to take the train, then show me your documents! Otherwise, leave quickly! I wont lend you money! I really have no choice! Please save me! I just want one dollar! As long as I can go home! I beg you, big brother! Otherwise I cant go back! Qiao Yu shamelessly hugged the security guards thigh and wailed. The commotion quickly caught the attention of the leader in charge of the train station. The leader hurriedly came down to maintain order and asked the security guard to bring Qiao Yu to his office to explain the situation. This was the time at the end of each year when the government would judge each work units performance. If their train station was criticized because of this matter with Qiao Yu, they would not be able to apply for any funds next year! He could even forget about keeping his position! After the leader made sure that everything was settled at the train station, he returned to the office in exasperation and said to Qiao Yu, Young lady, please sit here for a while. Then, he pulled the security guard out of the door and reprimanded him, Didnt I say during the meeting that nothing can happen during this period of time! Nothing can happen! Dont you take my words to heart! Do you know how bad this matter can be? What if there are secret investigators sent by the government among the passengers today! Can our train station still maintain a good performance! She appeared at the entrance of our train station dressed in rags. I was worried that she had ulterior motives, but who knew that she was a scoundrel! the security guard said angrily. He was clearly doing this to maintain public order at the train station, so why was the leader blaming him without distinguishing right or wrong? So what if shes a problem! This is such an important and critical moment! Cant you report the situation to me first? the leader pointed at the security guard and shouted angrily. The security guard could only listen quietly and did not dare to say a word of rebuttal. The leader had all the say, so there was nothing he could say. The only thing he was afraid of was losing his job. At most, he would be reprimanded for a while. The worse case scenario was that his salary would get docked. He felt really unlucky to have encountered such a thing. The leader looked at the security guard silently for a while and sighed. Sigh you can go back. Ill handle this matter. The security guard hurriedly ran back, worried that the leader would go back on his word and change his mind. The leader pushed open the door and saw Qiao Yu rummaging through the things under the coffee table. She had even made herself a pot of good Puer tea and put in half a pot of tea leaves! Chapter 914 - 914 Public Bus 914 Public Bus He had been having frequent visits from his superiors at the office recently, so he had prepared a lot of good tea. He had asked his friend to bring these tea leaves from other cities and he did not even bear to drink a few mouthfuls himself. He did not expect this young lady to waste so much. How can you touch the things in my office? the leader said as he instantly rushed to the coffee table and hugged the teapot with heartache. Given that the tea was already brewed, there was no way to salvage it. Even if he asked this beggar-like woman to compensate him, she probably would not be able to fork out any money. The leader took the teapot away with heartache and looked at Qiao Yu with hatred. Who are you? Qiao Yu obviously knew that this thing was quite expensive and also knew what it was. Back when Xia He found a job for her, she had seen it in Director Tans office. It tasted completely different from water. If it was something that the factory director used, then it must be something good. This leader had told her to wait in the room, so why was it that she could not have a drink? Are you the manager here? Qiao Yu asked self-righteously. The leader nodded and said, Yes I am. Why did you hold on to the security guard and refuse to let go? Are you here to take the train? Qiao Yu quickly waved her hands and said, No! I have become separated from my family and I dont have any money left. I just need a dollar to take the bus home. Ill call the police and ask them to come and get you. Were only responsible for the train station. I can only let the police handle your situation. After saying that, the leader picked up the phone to call the police. This scared Qiao Yu out of her wits. If the police came to take her away, there would only be two outcomes. Either they would find out that she was an unregistered person and send her back to Foshan Village, or they would look for the Xia family. Xia Wen would then get her out of the police station and ask Chen Mu to escort her back to Foshan Village. No matter which outcome it was, it was a deadend for her. She might as well wander off on her own! If she could find a kind-hearted person who would give her a few dollars, she might be able to return to the city! No, no! Erm I just need one dollar to take the bus back to the city Qiao Yu said anxiously. The leader looked at Qiao Yu suspiciously. A normal person would have gone to seek help from the police after getting separated from her family. Why was she so resistant to the idea of getting the police involved? There must be something wrong with this woman. If he called the police, what happened at the train station today would also reach the ears of his superiors. If the train station was criticized during the year-end evaluation, then he would lose his bonus for the year. He was looking forward to this sum of money! After thinking about it, he took out a dollar from his bag and handed it to Qiao Yu. It was better to avoid unnecessary trouble and quickly send this woman away so that she could not cause any more trouble. A dollar was nothing compared to his future benefits. Qiao Yu quickly took the dollar from the leader and said happily, Thank you! Youre really a good person! Go off quickly. Dont stay here. The leader waved his hand irritably and chased Qiao Yu out. Qiao Yu gripped the dollar in her hand tightly and went to the bus stop outside the train station. Before she left, she even held up the dollar and walked a few rounds in a mocking manner in front of the security guard, as if she was worried that the security guard did not know that she had gotten the money. She waited for more than an hour in the cold wind while wearing her thin clothes before a bus arrived. Qiao Yu climbed onto the bus shakily and handed the money in her hand to the conductor. As it was a remote area, there were still many seats on the bus and the conductor quickly helped her to one side to sit down. Thank you Qiao Yu said weakly. The conductor did not say a word to Qiao Yu. If not for the fact that Qiao Yu was leaning against the door and blocking the way, she would not have cared! When she got close enough, she could smell the stench on Qiao Yus body. After all, Qiao Yu had slept in the toilet for a night and her clothes were definitely tainted by the smell. As the bus entered the city, there were more and more people who got on the bus. Everyone felt disgusted by the smell and some people even spoke harshly to Qiao Yu. Be more self-aware if youre so smelly! Get off! Not everyone can take the bus, an older woman standing in the bus looked at Qiao Yu in disdain. Qiao Yu was feeling so cold that she did not have the strength to refute what this older woman said. She could only lean against the glass silently and curl up into the corner. Chapter 915 Lost And Found The older woman who spoke became very impatient when she did not receive any response from Qiao Yu. She did not want to touch Qiao Yu with her hand, so she kicked Qiao Yu twice before saying, "Don''t you hear me talking to you? Get off the bus! You''re so smelly, why are you still taking the bus! How do you expect us to be able to stay on the bus!" "I paid for the ride too Why can''t I get on the bus" Qiao Yu was so cold that her teeth were chattering but she looked up stubbornly and spoke up. "No means no! Get off quickly! All of us feel uncomfortable because of you! There are also many people who feel nauseous because of you!" the older woman pinched her nose and said disdainfully. "That''s right! Be more considerate!" "It''s really too smelly! Get off quickly!" "Where''s the conductor! We all paid for the ride! Many people want to throw up! Hurry up and get this woman off the bus!" "Refund us!" "Yes! Refund us! We can''t take it anymore!" Everyone complained to the conductor and the conductor had no choice in the end. With so many people clamoring for a refund, she could not possibly pay for it herself. She pulled Qiao Yu to the bus door and did not listen to what Qiao Yu said at all. The conductor simply pulled Qiao Yu off the bus and then quickly hopped back onto the bus. The driver quickly stepped on the accelerator and drove off. "Are you trying to kill me! I curse all of you to die a horrible death!" Qiao Yu cried aggrievedly. These people were all so stuck-up. They bullied her because she had no money. If not for the Xia family, she would not be in such a sorry state! It was all Qiao Mei''s fault! If Qiao Mei had not arranged all of this, Xia Wen would not have chased her out of the capital! Qiao Yu slowly got up from the ground. The surroundings looked a little familiar to her. She had walked this path before and it seemed that this place was very close to Su Yang''s house. She would be able to reach his place in a few steps. Now, she had no choice but to go and look for Su Yang. With every step she took, Qiao Yu felt as if she was walking on needles. The bone-chilling wind made her hands turn red from the cold and she could not even feel anything anymore. When Qiao Yu was about to reach Su Yang''s house, her consciousness gradually faded. Just as she was about to faint on the road, a pair of arms suddenly grabbed hold of her. "Xiao Yu? Why are you here? What happened to you? Xiao Yu, wake up! Wake up!" Su Yang hugged Qiao Yu and asked in shock. "Help" After saying this, Qiao Yu fell unconscious. Coincidentally, Su Yang was in a bad mood today and went out for a walk. When he thought about Qiao Yu getting into another man''s car yesterday, he still felt very uncomfortable. He felt really indignant that his soon-to-be wife was gone just like that. The main thing was losing the mansion and Qiao Yu''s relatives. If he had known earlier, he would have dated Qiao Yu more often when they were at the factory. If only he had slept with her, then she would not be able to escape. He did not expect to run into Qiao Yu on his way back today. Could this be fate? Su Yang was so happy that he did not wonder how Qiao Yu made her way to their house. Even though Qiao Yu smelled bad, Su Yang did not care at all and quickly carried her into the house. He must hold on to this "treasure" that he had lost and found again. This time, he definitely would not let Qiao Yu escape again! Taking advantage of the fact that Su Liang was not at home, Su Yang put Qiao Yu down on Su Liang''s bed. Now that Old Madam Fan was sick and using the innermost room, he and Su Liang had moved back to the living room to sleep. Although he said that he did not despise Qiao Yu, he also did not want her to sleep on his bed in her smelly clothes. There were no women''s clothes in the house except for the ones that belonged to Old Madam Fan. However, if Qiao Yu wore Old Madam Fan''s clothes, it would be like a child wearing an adult''s clothes. Old Madam Fan''s pants were big enough to completely cover Qiao Yu. It was better not to undress her so that it would be easier to explain when she woke up. Qiao Yu cared about such things the most, so it was better not to provoke her. It was rare for Su Yang to be considerate enough to place the heater next to Qiao Yu so that she could get warmed up. When he held Qiao Yu''s hand, it was as if he was touching a piece of ice. It was frighteningly cold. If Qiao Yu did not speak to him just now, Su Yang would think that Qiao Yu was already dead. Chapter 916 - 916 You Might as Well Be Dead 916 You Might as Well Be Dead Just then, Su Liang came back from taking a walk. As soon as he entered, he saw his younger brother looking at a woman affectionately. What a strange sight. After Su Yang went out for a walk, he brought back a woman and even placed her on his brothers bed. It had been a long time since Su Liang had touched a woman. Ever since Sun Juans daughter died because of Su Liang, the girls from the surrounding families had all avoided him. The entire alley was on guard against him as if he was a criminal. If Su Liang even took half a step closer to someones door, all the people in the alley would come out to scold him and accuse him of wrongdoings. It was also because of this matter that he could not find a job. Reputable factories did not want to hire people with bad records like him, as it would affect the reputation of the factory. All these years, he had been idling at home and living off Old Madam Fan. Oh my, youve grown up, kid. Where did this girl come from? You even put her on my bed. Did you specially find her for me? Then I must thank you! Su Liang said lewdly. !! Su Yang immediately stood up and blocked Su Liangs line of sight. He looked at Su Liang fiercely and said, Elder brother, this is my girlfriend and your future sister-in-law. If shes your girlfriend, then why do you put her on my bed? Furthermore, its still too early to say if shell become your wife. Wait a moment Su Liang sniffed the air, pinched his nose tightly and pointed at Qiao Yu in disdain. Su Yang, did this woman defecate in bed! Why is it so smelly! Dont tell me you brought back a paralyzed person! Where did you kidnap her from! What are you talking about! Get lost as far as you can! Dont be an eyesore in front of me! This is really my girlfriend from the factory! What do you know! Su Yang pushed Su Liang impatiently. Su Liangs leg injury had not healed yet and he could only walk slowly. When Su Yang pushed him, he fell to the ground and the wound on his leg began to hurt. Ah!!! Su Liang screamed in pain as he lay on the ground, using his unhurt arm to clutch his leg tightly. Su Yang, you asshole! Are you going to kill your elder brother because of a woman! Im your biological elder brother! Su Liang pointed at Su Yang and shouted. The neighbors all stuck their heads out of the windows to see what the two brothers were doing downstairs. They did not own television sets and their greatest joy every day was to watch Old Madam Fan quarrel with others and listen to what the two brothers from the Su family bickered about. They probably viewed this as the television show of their neighborhood. Even my own brother also cant look at my girlfriend! Dont I know what kind of person you are! Su Yang said. Bullsh*t! You push me down first! If you dont help me up, Ill call out for our mother! Su Liang threatened. Under normal circumstances, Su Yang would not be afraid of Su Liang asking Old Madam Fan to be the judge. In their family, other than Old Madam Fan receiving a monthly retirement pension, Su Yang was the only person earning money. Su Yang was also good at sweet talk and could always coax Old Madam Fan into a happy mood. Su Liang did not have any advantage at all when it came to Old Madam Fan. However, it was different today. If Old Madam Fan found out that he had brought a woman home, there was going to be trouble. Dont put on an act here! As if we dont know your legs are actually fine! Get up quickly. Now that Mom is sick, theres no one to serve you or uphold justice for you. However, if you lie down any longer and your legs are affected by the chill from the floor, dont blame me! Su Yang sat on the stool and said mockingly. He might as well let a brother like Su Liang die. Su Yang would admit that he was indeed lecherous, but at least he would not do those sneaky things! At most, he would just chat with a girl and hold her hand. If not for Su Liang, he would not have been scolded so much. Su Yangs was considered quite presentable. If he could get a matchmaker to speak well of him, he should be able to find a girl from a good family. Previously, there was indeed a village girl from the suburbs of the capital who wanted to go on a blind date with Su Yang. Old Madam Fan was also very satisfied with this girl. However, the issue with Sun Juans daughter happened around that time. When the village girl saw that Su Yang had such a scoundrel for a brother, she immediately said that she did not want to get married. She refused to get married no matter how many betrothal gifts Su Yangs family wanted to give her. If it was not for Su Liang, he would have been able to trick that young lady into marrying him back then. He would not have to remain single until now! Chapter 917 - 917 Unconscious 917 Unconscious Im your elder brother! Help me up! Su Liang shouted. So you still know that youre my elder brother. As long as you promise not to have any bad intentions towards my girlfriend, Ill help you into bed. Su Yang walked to Su Liangs side and squatted down to negotiate with him. Su Liang had no choice but to agree. However, just because he agreed now did not mean that he would abide by it in the future. As long as Su Yang was not at home, he still had a chance to do whatever he wanted. How could he control himself when there was a woman around! It had been many years since he had touched a woman and he could rarely even look at one. He could only look at Old Madam Fan at home every day and that was enough to make him feel like throwing up. Su Yang carried Su Liang on his back and slowly placed him back on his bed. As Su Liang sat down on the bed, he could finally take a good look at Qiao Yus face. She could not be considered beautiful. This girls looks was far inferior to that girl Qiao Mei, but she looked quite young and her skin was quite delicate. She actually looked much better than the girls living in the alley. When Su Yang realized that Su Liang was staring at Qiao Yu, he pointed at Su Liang and said, Youre not as strong as before. If I fight with you, you definitely wont be able to beat me. Guess who our Mom will help if we fight? Will she help a useless thing like you, or me, the son who can earn money? You can only strut around for now. When I recover from my injuries, Ill see how long you can stay alive and kicking? Su Liang said. I can let you stay injured for a longer period of time. Su Yang suddenly looked at Su Liang differently. He had been unhappy with Su Liang for a long time. Just as the two brothers were arguing, Qiao Yu slowly woke up. After regaining consciousness, she felt very sore all over and every part of her body was in pain. Oh it hurts Qiao Yu lay on the bed and muttered to herself. Su Yang immediately ran over to Qiao Yu and held her hand tightly as he asked, Xiao Yu, how are you? Where does it hurt? Tell me. Where am I? Qiao Yu asked as she looked at Su Yang in a daze. This is my house. You fainted on the road and almost froze to death outside. Why are you here? Su Yang did not say anything else. Su Liang was right next to him and he had to make sure that it sounded like Qiao Yu was his girlfriend. If Su Liang found out that Qiao Yu had left with another man last night, he would definitely have designs on Qiao Yu. I want to drink water water Qiao Yu said weakly. Qiao Yu was not completely conscious yet. He would slowly ask her about everything after she woke up. The most important thing now was to let her rest and recover some strength. Su Yang poured the warm water from the kettle into a cup and slowly helped Qiao Yu up to drink it. Su Liang was dumbfounded as he watched from the side. Was this still the younger brother he knew? Old Madam Fan did not even get such treatment when she was sick. In fact, Old Madam Fan had not even eaten anything today. These two brothers did not care about Old Madam Fan at all. Unless Old Madam Fan made a request, they would not help her at all. This could be considered retribution for Old Madam Fan. When she was sick, she did not even have anyone to take care of her. After Su Yang gave Qiao Yu some water, he touched her forehead. This temperature was high enough to cook an egg! How could she be running such a high fever! Xiao Yu! Xiao Yu, can you hear me? Talk to me. Wake up, dont scare me! Su Yang patted Qiao Yus face nervously and shouted. After Qiao Yu drank some water, she fell unconscious again. Even a healthy and strong young man would not be able to withstand such cold weather for a day and a night while wearing only a thin shirt, let alone Qiao Yu. All the cold medicine at home had been given to Old Madam Fan. At this moment, Su Yang was worried about leaving Qiao Yu in Su Liangs care. Once he left, Su Liang would definitely do something beastly to Qiao Yu. If he gave Su Liang the money to buy medicine, it was very likely that Su Liang would take the money and go drinking instead. Su Yang was in a dilemma. Su Yang gritted his teeth and went to the place where he hid all his money and took all the money out. He carried Qiao Yu on his back and walked towards the clinic nearby. Other than bringing Qiao Yu out, he could not think of a better plan. Where are you going? Su Liang asked curiously. Its none of your business! Su Yang shouted. Chapter 918 - 918 Medical Treatment at the Clinic 918 Medical Treatment at the Clinic Su Liang could not be bothered to care about Su Yang and this woman. He did not believe that Su Yang would leave the family for this woman. Even if Su Yang wanted to do it, Old Madam Fan would not let him leave. Old Madam Fan was still counting on Su Yang to support her in her old age! As long as this woman stayed by Su Yangs side, it would be easy to find out about her whereabouts. They would be able to find him as long as they found her. Su Liang chose to go to sleep soundly. The only thing was that the bedsheets and bedding were all smelly from Qiao Yus clothes and it stank up the whole house. However, in his current physical condition, he was unable to clean up the house, so he could only pinch his nose and lie down on Su Yangs bed. He simply endured the stench and went to sleep. Su Yang carried Qiao Yu on his back and ran all the way to the clinic with great fanfare. The neighbors around stopped in their tracks and watched him. Everyone was very curious about Qiao Yus background. They could not believe that any girl would take a fancy to one of the two sons of the Su family. This girl must be blind. When Su Yang reached the door of the clinic, he kicked it open roughly. The doctor in the consultation room looked at the two of them in shock. Whats wrong with you? the doctor asked. Su Yang panted heavily and said, My girlfriend has a fever! Save her! Check whats wrong with her! The doctor quickly let Qiao Yu lie on the bed. After a careful examination, the doctor said to Su Yang, Shes suffering from serious flu and needs an infusion. Do you want to treat her here? There were many patients who could not afford the medical fees. In the past, their clinic would treat the patients first before collecting the medical fees. However, many patients would disappear once they were cured. Their clinic had suffered great losses because of that. From then on, they would ask the patients to settle the fees first before treatment. They were not running a big hospital which received support and funding from the government and charitable donations from business leaders . They were just running a small clinic that treated minor illnesses like headache and fever. They could not run it like a charity organization and help everyone for free. Su Yang hesitated for a moment and asked, How much? Not much. If the fever goes down after the infusion within the next two days, she just needs to go home and take medicine regularly. It will cost one dollar and sixty cents today. You only need to pay for medicine if its prescribed, the doctor said earnestly. Su Yang heaved a sigh of relief. He had thought that it would cost a lot of money, but he could still afford it if it was just a few dollars. He went to the cashier to make payment and then he returned to stay by Qiao Yus side. The auntie in the neighboring bed really could not stand the unpleasant smell coming off Qiao Yus body. She already lacked rest from being sick and she felt even worse now. Young man, are you her boyfriend? the auntie sat up and asked. Su Yang nodded proudly and said, Yes, Im her boyfriend. Why dont you go home and get a new set of clothes for her first? Ill watch over her for you. Your girlfriends clothes are all dirty. She wont feel comfortable lying here while wearing them, the auntie said kindly. Su Yang also wanted to change Qiao Yus clothes, but the clothes at home either belonged to the two brothers or Old Madam Fan, whose clothes were the size of big water vats. There was really nothing that the thin Qiao Yu could wear. Su Yang could not bear to go and buy a new set of clothes for her. An entire set would cost at least 40 dollars. He had handed all the cloth coupons issued by the factory to Old Madam Fan as he did not have any use for them. He did not know where she had hidden them. Seeing that Su Yang did not speak for a long time, the auntie asked again, Is there some sort of difficulty? Auntie, indeed there is My girlfriend had a fight with her family and didnt bring anything with her. She came to seek refuge with me on such a snowy day. I dont have any womens clothes at home, Su Yang said miserably to the auntie. The auntie took out a set of clothes from her bag. She could not bear to part with the clothes, but she was willing to exchange them for a clean environment. There were no individual wards in this clinic. Everyone stayed in the same big room with curtains between them. If Qiao Yus smelly clothes were not thrown away, she would have to endure the stench. These are my old clothes. Young man, if you dont mind, let your girlfriend change into my clothes. At least shell feel more comfortable, the auntie said. Chapter 919 - 919 Your Girlfriend Is So Lucky 919 Your Girlfriend Is So Lucky Su Yang quickly took the clothes and asked the clinic nurse to come over and help Qiao Yu to clean up. A simple sponge bath could also help to bring down Qiao Yus temperature. The nurse then helped to change Qiao Yus clothes and Su Yang threw Qiao Yus old clothes into the trash can. He would not wash her clothes for her. Old Madam Fan was the one who did all the chores at home. In their family, such chores were done by the women. When Qiao Yu woke up, he would ask her to buy her own clothes. He did not want to spend any more money on her. Qiao Yu had not even told him what had happened between her and that man and who that man was. Before Qiao Yu explained things clearly, he would not spend a single cent more on her! The young nurse held the basin of dirty water and went up to Su Yang and said, Shes all cleaned up. Make sure the cold wind doesnt blow on her and take good care of her. She should eat light food every day. Things like porridge and pickled vegetables are better. Its better not to eat things like buns and such. !! Alright, alright, alright. I understand, Su Yang replied nonchalantly. Ever since he got to know Qiao Yu, his expenses had increased a lot. In the past, he used to eat at home and everything was already paid for. He would give Old Madam Fan a portion of his salary and could save up the remainder. Occasionally, he would drink with his friends and also go to the casino to have some fun. His life was very comfortable and carefree. The remainder of his salary was not even enough to support himself. However, at the thought of being able to get a wife soon, plus the relatives and house that came with Qiao Yu, he was willing to make that sacrifice. How could he let go of this golden phoenix! While Qiao Yu was still unconscious, Su Yang had already thought of the worst-case scenario. Even if something had already happened between Qiao Yu and the man who took her away, it did not matter that Qiao Yu was already a tainted woman. Anyway, what he wanted was Qiao Yus relatives and not Qiao Yu herself. Once he got the money and the house, he would immediately abandon Qiao Yu. After that, he would be able to get any woman he wanted! After the infusion, Qiao Yus body temperature gradually dropped and she woke up very quickly. She had no recollection of what had happened before she fainted and did not know which kind-hearted person had sent her to the clinic and changed her clothes. Cough, cough, cough Where where am I? Qiao Yu asked weakly as she got up from the bed. The auntie quickly yelled out for Su Yang who had gone outside, Young man! Your girlfriend is awake! Come in to take a look! Girlfriend? What girlfriend? When did she have a boyfriend? Qiao Yu looked at the auntie, feeling confused. She was about to ask for an explanation when she saw Su Yang rushing into the room. Su Yang happily ran in with some porridge and pickled vegetables and stuffed them all into Qiao Yus hands. He said excitedly, Youre awake! I bought some food for you. The doctor said that this is all you can eat. You must be hungry. Eat some. Qiao Yu had not eaten for a day and a night. Coupled with the fact that she had a high fever and had exhausted a lot of her energy, she needed to eat quickly to replenish her energy. Without saying a word to Su Yang, she opened the bowl that Su Yang brought and finished the porridge in one go. The auntie was stunned. How long had this girl been hungry? She looked like she had not eaten for 800 years. Not only did she eat her own share, but she even ate Su Yangs share. As there was someone watching, Su Yang did not rebuke Qiao Yu publicly. Otherwise, he definitely wanted to teach Qiao Yu a lesson. No family could afford to feed Qiao Yu if she behaved like this! He would definitely get rid of this bad habit of hers once they were married! Why dont you sit down? Qiao Yu asked in embarrassment after eating and drinking her fill. Su Yang thought to himself, How would I dare to sit down? Did you starve to death in your previous life? How can a woman eat so much? Even Old Madam Fan doesnt eat as much as Qiao Yu. Young lady, your boyfriend is really nice to you. Not only does he take care of you, but he even buys food for you! Even when my husband was still alive, he didnt take care of me like how this young man takes care of you! Youre really lucky! the auntie said enviously. The auntie did not live near this area. Her relatives had brought her here for treatment. There was no clinic in their village, so she could only come to the city to see a doctor. It was too expensive to go to a big hospital, so she came to this small clinic. The auntie did not know what kind of person Su Yang was at all. If she had known that Su Yang was a sanctimonious person, she would not have helped him out at all. She would even have asked Qiao Yu to quickly leave such a person. Chapter 920 Pretending To Be Unconscious "Auntie! I''m not his girlfriend!" Qiao Yu said angrily. Su Yang quickly blocked the auntie''s view and pulled the curtain. As he did that, he said, "My girlfriend is shy! She''s too embarrassed! I''ll have a chat with her!" Qiao Yu backed up in fear and hugged the food container tightly as she looked at Su Yang in fear. She was still feeling weak and had yet to recover, so she did not have any strength to escape. "What what do you want" Qiao Yu whispered. Su Yang sat down impatiently beside Qiao Yu and said in a low voice, "What do I want? I should be asking you the same question. Didn''t you get into the car and leave with that man? Why did you appear at my door? After you are discharged, pay me back the money for your medical fees and leave quickly." Only then did Qiao Yu realize that it was Su Yang who had saved her. She had thought that it would be some other kind-hearted person and that if it was a nice man, he might be able to take her in and let her stay in the capital for a while. She had nowhere to go now and also did not have any good friends. It appeared that only Su Yang could possibly take her in. Qiao Yu still had to think of a way to smooth over the matter with the Xia family. Without the Xia family as her backer, she had nothing to boast of. She had to make Su Yang think that she was still in contact with the Xia family. "Sigh It''s a long story. As you know, I have a relative in the capital. She''s my eldest uncle''s granddaughter, which means that she''s my niece. She introduced me to that man, but I really don''t like him. The person I like isn''t him!" Qiao Yu became more and more agitated as she spoke and she even held Su Yang''s hand. This had never happened before. It was always Su Yang who took the initiative to hold Qiao Yu''s hand. This was the first time Qiao Yu had held his hand on her own accord! "Then who is the person you''ve always liked? Is it me!" Su Yang asked excitedly. Qiao Yu lowered her head shyly and smiled without saying anything, leaving it to Su Yang''s imagination. Her grip on Su Yang''s hand slowly tightened. Su Yang thought about how Qiao Yu usually treated him. Although she did not express clearly whether she liked him or not, and she sometimes seemed to despise him and would reject him in front of everyone, she still accepted his gifts after that. This meant that Qiao Yu was still interested in him! Moreover, she even took the initiative to throw herself into his arms right now! This was a good thing! Occasionally missing content, please report errors in time. Chapter 921 - Chapter 921: Moving House Chapter 921: Moving House Translator: Atlas Studios | Editor: Atlas Studios Early the next morning, Li Gui brought the two children with her to deliver the 90 pounds of popcorn to Zhao Fei. As there was insufficient space on the vehicles to fit all the popcorn, she packed the excess in a sack and fixed it to a board at the back of one of the vehicles. She must find a way to transport everything. All these bags of popcorn equated to money! Zhao Fei was again waiting there with his two younger brothers. Li Gui quickly rode in front of Zhao Fei and said happily, Look! Theres 90 pounds today! Do you think you can sell everything? If you cant sell them all, you can bring them back to me. Its alright to have some left. 90 pounds! Thats a lot! Auntie, you must have worked all day yesterday! Dont worry, Ill definitely be able to sell everything! Even if you give me 200 pounds, Ill still be able to sell everything! Just wait to collect the money tonight! Zhao Fei said with a smile. No problem. Then go quickly. Dont get delayed! Li Gui waved goodbye to Zhao Fei. In the past two days, Zhao Fei and his band of brothers had been selling their goods at the entrances of shopping malls, entertainment venues and alleys near schools. This attracted the attention of many other peddlers and many people who did not know about Li Guis popcorn went asking around about the source of the popcorn. Many peddlers who knew Zhao Fei also came to ask him where he got his supply. The smell of the popcorn and the packaging were exactly the same as the popcorn Li Gui sold. Many of the peddlers had tried to work with Li Gui, but she had rejected all of them. No one managed to gain Li Guis trust. Could it be that Zhao Fei knew how Li Gui made the popcorn! Xiao Fei! Erm, no! Brother Fei! Tell us, did you make this popcorn yourself? one of the peddlers, Jin Shui, asked obsequiously. Why dont you make a guess? Zhao Fei said mysteriously. Jin Shui was almost the same age as Zhao Feis father, yet he was willing to address Zhao Fei as brother just to find out more about the popcorn. Dont beat around the bush with me. Just tell me, did you make it yourself? Jin Shui said. What has it got to do with you! Just go back to sell your own popcorn! I can see your customers coming, go back quickly! Zhao Fei said disdainfully. Jin Shuis expression instantly darkened and he said unhappily, Xiao Fei, are you turning your back on us brothers just because you run a good business and have money now? You cant be so untrustworthy. If we didnt help you back then, you wouldnt have been able to survive in this place! Jin Shuis father had given him this name after consulting an old man who was a fortune teller. The old man did a divination and said that the child lacked the water element in his life. That was why he was named Jin Shui, the word shui meant water and was intended to make up for the missing element. Yet this man turned out to be as toxic as contaminated water! After Jin Shui calmed down a little, he coughed awkwardly before saying to Zhao Fei, I dont mean it that way. Weve known each other for so many years and you know me. Im just too forthright, so dont take what I say to heart. Its not easy to do business nowadays. Why dont you give me some stock as a favor to me? Ill sell it for you if you give me five dollars a day? Five dollars? How dare he ask for this amount. Those young men only earned two dollars and fifty cents while running around outdoors, but Jin Shui asked for five dollars the moment he opened his mouth. Zhao Fei wondered if Jin Shui could even earn five dollars at his own stall within two to three days! This fellow was really too much. Brother Jin Shui, I know youre good to me, but I still have to run my own business! Look, theres so many people queuing up to buy your popcorn. I wont take up any of your time anymore! Zhao Fei ran off after saying that. Currently, there were only two types of popcorn being sold in the market, at 10 cents a pack and 50 cents a pack. As long as the more expensive popcorn continued to exist, peddlers who sold the ordinary popcorn would not have much business. Jin Shui looked at Zhao Feis departing back angrily and shouted, Kid, just you wait! You can run but you cant hide! Ill catch you one day! He had to discuss this matter with the other peddlers. They could not let it go just like that and allow Zhao Fei to be the only one who was making money. The popcorn was quickly sold out again today. Zhao Fei even saw many repeat customers! These were people who had bought from him yesterday and felt that it was delicious so they came back again today.. Chapter 922 - Chapter 922: We Are a Family Chapter 922: We Are a Family Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios At this rate, even 200 pounds a day would not be enough. They would need even more popcorn. In that case, even the three vehicles would not have enough space. They would need a van or even buy a big truck to deliver the stock! Zhao Feis imagination was running wild. If he wanted a car, he had to get a drivers license first. However, even if he managed to get a drivers license, he could not afford a car yet. He had yet to buy a house or get married! Zhao Fei quickly slapped his own head to get rid of all these fantasies in his mind. He decided to focus on the work at hand first and think about the future later. The sky gradually darkened. Li Gui, Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao went back to collect the money and the vehicles. Zhang Qin crouched on the ground and touched the floor. She kept feeling that the house seemed much colder than usual today. She had already fired up the stove, but it was still very cold. The stove was almost completely filled with coal, but the temperature in the room remained low. Zhang Miao was shivering from the cold in her own room! When Xia He was at work today, she saw two beautiful floral dresses and bought them for these two younger sisters to try on. As soon as she entered the courtyard, she saw Zhang Qin crouching on the floor like a puppy and running her hands around. Xiao Qin, what are you doing? Why are you crouching there? Xia He asked Zhang Qin in puzzlement. Elder sister Xia He, I feel that the house is so cold! Its equally cold inside the rooms. Do you think I have damaged the stove Zhang Qin said in a pitiful manner. In this weather that was around minus 10 degrees Celsius, it could really get freezing cold if there was no floor heating. Qiao Mei had felt unwell today and had gone back to her own house to rest. Otherwise, she would definitely catch a cold here. Xia He first went to check if the coal in the stove was burning, then she went to check if the switches for the pipes were turned on and if the ventilation was working. After checking all the switches, she found that everything was operating normally, but the floor heating just could not bring the temperature up. Since she could not find the reason for the malfunction, she could not just let the children wait here. She must move them to somewhere warm. Xiao Qin! Miao Miao! Pack up everything you need! Xia He shouted. Alright! Zhang Qin said obediently. Other than Li Guis house, the other place that had floor heating was Qiao Meis house. However, they could not go and stay in Qiao Meis front part of the courtyard house. The rooms were all filled with all kinds of antiques, so there were not enough bedrooms. Qiao Qiangs back part of the courtyard house had just been renovated not long ago and many of the rooms were in move-in condition. In one of the bigger rooms, Qiao Qiang had even built a brick bed with a built-in stove. Once one heated up some coal, the entire room would feel warm and cozy and one would not even want to get down from the brick bed. Qiao Qiang did not like soft beds. He had slept on a hard brick bed all his life and he was still not used to the sudden change in his lifestyle. Therefore, Qiao Mei simply let Qiao Qiang do whatever he wanted. Xia He asked the two children to pack up while she went to look for Qiao Qiang on her own. Qiao Qiang was in the corridor listening to the radio and doing tai chi! Grandpa Qiao, can I discuss something with you? Xia He said as she stood respectfully beside Qiao Qiang. Qiao Qiang switched off the radio and patted the stool beside him. Theres no need to stand on such ceremony with me. Sit down and talk. Can I trouble you to take in the four children from Li Guis family for a few days? When I went over just now, there seemed to be a problem with their floor heating. I think we need to get someone to dismantle it for repairs. Qiao Meis place cant accommodate all of them. Can you take them in for a few days? Ill go and find someone to do the repairs now, Xia He said with a smile. No problem. Those kids are like my own grandchildren. Just tell them to come over. Theres no one using those few rooms here anyway. Ask them to come over quickly. Its so boring to live alone in such a big house. They can stay for as long as they want, Qiao Qiang said. Thats great. I feel embarrassed to have to come and talk to you about this. Qiao Mei is sleeping and I cant discuss it with her, so I take the liberty to come and talk to you, Xia He said. Our Xia family and the Qiao family are all one family. Xia Juns granddaughter is like my granddaughter. Just think of you as your grandfather. Theres no need to be so reserved, Qiao Qiang said. Qiao Qiang had seen how well Xia He treated Qiao Mei. As long as someone was nice to Qiao Mei, Qiao Qiang would dote on the person unconditionally. Xia He did not continue to exchange useless pleasantries with Qiao Qiang. She turned around and went to heat up the stoves in the side rooms. Once the rooms were warmed up, the children could move in straight away when they came over later.. Chapter 923 - Chapter 923: Quarrel Chapter 923: Quarrel Translator: Atlas Studios | Editor: Atlas Studios By the time Li Gui and the children came back after collecting the vehicles, Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao had already packed all their things. Zhang Miao even wanted to move the piano over to Qiao Meis house. Xia He was so shocked that she quickly stopped Zhang Miao and arranged for someone from the Xia family to buy an identical piano and deliver it to Qiao Meis house. Qiao Mei could keep the new piano for self entertainment in the future, or she could ask Xia Zhe to play a few romantic songs for her next time. The kids from the Xia family all knew how to play a musical instrument. This was something that Xu Lan had forced upon them. Every day, on the way home, Zhang Wei would compete with Zhang Chao to see who could run home faster. Zhang Wei always won and it was no exception today. As soon as Zhang Wei entered the house, he saw that Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao had piled up all their luggage in the courtyard. Zhang Qin had even gone into his room to remove the bedding. Xiao Qin, what are you doing? Zhang Wei asked in a state of confusion. Eldest brother! All of you are back! Were going to stay at elder sisters house! Zhang Qin said without explaining anything. He thought that this house belonged to them? Why did they need to move? Zhang Wei did not understand what Zhang Qin was talking about. When Li Gui entered, she was also shocked by the scene in front of her. There were so many bags of different sizes that it looked as they had been raided. When Xia He heard the commotion, she quickly ran over from Qiao Qiangs house to explain the whole story to Li Gui. Then will we be disturbing the old master? The old master is very particular about peace and quiet back in the village, Li Gui said hesitantly. Its fine. I think Grandpa Qiao is feeling quite happy about it! Your room is in Qiao Meis front part of the house and these children will live in the back part. Lets just make do with this arrangement for a while. You can move back once the repairs are done, Xia He said. Other than the solution that Xia He had mentioned, no one had any other better ideas. They moved their things over to Qiao Meis place quickly and then locked up this house. It appeared that Li Gui would need to shift the popcorn production to another location. Tan Jing had already been resting at home for a week. The school had given her a warning that if she did not return to work soon, they would fire her. However, Tan Jing did not care about this at all. Her focus was all on Xia Wen now. For the past week, other than going home to sleep every day, Xia Wen spent the rest of the time either returning work calls or being busy with Qiao Meis family matters. Even when Qiao Mei wanted to buy a pager, it was Xia Wen who had to help. What would be the next request? Would the next request be to repair the sewer pipes at her house? Would she ask Xia Wen to buy groceries for her family when they ran out of food? In the end, it was almost as Tan Jing had expected. At that moment, Xia Wen was on the phone with Xia He who was asking him to contact the floor heating company to send workers down to do the repairs. During this era, floor heating was still not very commonplace and there were not many people who knew how to do the repairs. It was Xia Wen who had found the contractor to install the floor heating at Li Guis house. Now that it was out of order, they had to get the same company to do the repairs. This matter would be resolved faster if Xia Wen handled it himself. Xia Wen stood in front of the window and held the phone receiver as he said, Yes, I understand. Ill call them tomorrow and ask them to go and do the repairs. Its already so late now. Even if I call, I wont be able to contact anyone. How have you and Qiao Mei been recently? Do you need Aunt to go over Before Xia Wen could finish speaking, Tan Jing walked over angrily and cut off the call, leaving only a busy tone on the other end of the phone. Xia Wen turned around and frowned as he stared at Tan Jing. He had noticed Tan Jings abnormal behavior in the past week and also knew the reason for it, but he still did not understand why it had to come to this. Is it Qiao Meis family matters again? Tan Jing questioned. Yes, theres a problem with the floor heating at their house. Xiao He called and asked me to get someone to go over and take a look, Xia Wen said nonchalantly. Why is it about Qiao Meis family matters again? Do they need your help with everything? If something is broken, cant they find a solution themselves! Why must they come and look for you! What is so urgent about her family matters that you have to be the one to deal with it! Tan Jing shouted angrily at Xia Wen. Xia Wen did not want to quarrel with Tan Jing and turned to leave. However, Tan Jing Wanted to stop him and gave him a push, causing him to hit his waist against the windowsill so hard that he almost cried out in pain.. Chapter 924 - Chapter 924: No More Secrets Chapter 924: No More Secrets Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Tan Jing did not seem to have seen what happened and continued to throw a tantrum. Xia Wen, do I mean anything to your family? Have you long forgotten that we have our own family! Do you think your presence in this house is not needed! Tan Jing said. Xia Wen continued to keep quiet and it made Tan Jing furious. She had never lost her cool or acted so crazy before. Say something! Tan Jing roared. Xia Wen endured the pain from the impact and said, What do you want me to say Whats wrong with me helping my sister and sister-in-law? Dont they know how to solve their own problems? Were all adults. Cant they even do such a simple thing! Tan Jing looked at Xia Wen and questioned him. It would not matter to Xia Wen if someone else said these words. However, when these words came out of Tan Jings mouth, he wanted to laugh. During the many years that they were married, the Tan family would ask Tan Jing for a lot of money every month. Every time, they would give all kinds of strange reasons. It was either because the eldest sons family was in trouble or something had happened to the second sons family. Every month, there would be an unlucky member of the Tan family who got into trouble. Xia Wen was already used to this. The Xia family had found jobs for Tan Jings older brothers. The Tan family took advantage of the Xia family in every way possible, but yet they still always slandered the Xia family and said that the Xia family was biased and did not treat Tan Jing well. Qiao Mei had only just arrived in the capital and was not familiar with anything. Xia Zhe had also reiterated the favor he asked of Xia Wen to take good care of Qiao Mei in his absence. As for Xia He, Xia Wen had not seen her for a long time until she finally came back to the capital to live her own life well. His younger siblings rarely came to trouble him for anything. Although he had to manage the Xia familys social circle and handle some political matters, this was not something that kept him busy all year round. On the other hand, the Tan familys greed was boundless and they never seemed to be satisfied. Then why cant your second brother handle his own matters? Xia Wen said resignedly. Tan Jing was stunned to the spot. What had her second brother done? She did not know anything at all. Could it be that her second brother had privately gone to look for Xia Wen? My second brother My second brother must have run into some difficulties but did not want to look for me, so he went to look for you Tan Jing spoke vaguely. Xia Wen smiled mockingly. It would have been better if her second brother had gone to look for him! The truth was something much more embarrassing! He went to look for my father and said that he was in a very difficult position. He said that if we did not help him, hed be a dead man. He owed a huge gambling debt of about 3,000 dollars. He said that if the Xia family refused to give him this amount of money, he would die at the Xia familys door and let everyone know that the Xia family had forced their in-law to his death. He wanted to make the Xia family so embarrassed that we could no longer walk with our heads held high. Xia Wen looked at Tan Jing and repeated exactly what Xia Mao had told him word for word. Tan Jing did not know about these things. Then did you give my second brother the money? Tan Jing asked carefully. If we didnt give it to him, do you think life would be so peaceful? Your family has been clamoring to move house, but isnt it your second brother who wants that? You must have received many phone calls this week, right? Xia Wen said. Tan Jing lowered her head out of shame. She did not know what to say to Xia Wen. She had never expected the Tan family to go overboard like this. She thought that them asking her for money was already the most shameless thing they could do, but she did not expect that they could do even more outrageous things. Since they were on this topic today, Xia Wen did not intend to cover up for the Tan family anymore. He originally wanted to keep these things a secret forever and let Tan Jing feel less stressed. The Xia family could afford to use money and connections to help others and it did not affect them at all. However, he did not expect Tan Jing to use this as a reason to attack the Xia familys integrity. Your mother even brought your family members to look for Qiao Mei. She cried and made a fuss at Qiao Meis door and asked Qiao Mei to give the house to your family, otherwise she would hang herself at Qiao Meis door. Qiao Mei is more than eight months pregnant and my brother is currently out on a mission. He had asked me to take care of his family before he went off. Is there a problem with me helping my brothers wife? Qiao Mei rarely takes the initiative to contact me. Its my younger sister who comes to tell me about these things. Qiao Mei is so busy with her own things now, so she doesnt have time to bother about anything else.. Has my younger sister ever troubled us during those years when she was married? Is there anything wrong with her contacting me frequently now? Chapter 925 - Chapter 925: The Heart of the Issue Chapter 925: The Heart of the Issue Your second brother isnt the only one in your family who has taken money from my father. Your parents and your eldest brother have also taken a lot of money. Ive already paid my father back. I just didnt tell you anything. There were many other things that Xia Wen did not want to mention. It would not be good to expose everything. There were so many such incidents that he might not even remember all of them. Tan Jing sat down limply next to the bed. She actually did not intend to quarrel with Xia Wen. This was the first time in her many years of marriage that she had kicked up a fuss like this and it was all because of Qiao Mei. Rather than blaming it on Qiao Mei, it would be more accurate to say that it was her own jealousy at work. She was jealous that everyone in the Xia family doted on Qiao Mei after Qiao Mei married into the family. She was jealous that Qiao Mei got pregnant so quickly and was even having a pair of twins! She felt that if Qiao Mei gave birth to two boys, then her status in the Xia family would become even lower. That money my family will pay it back! They will return the money to us! Tan Jing stammered. Even as Tan Jing spoke, she did not believe what she was saying. In the years since she had been married, the Tan family had taken more than 10,000 dollars from her and the Xia family. Her family members were either jobless or had jobs but could barely pay for their own families. How could they have any extra money to pay back what they took? Xia Wen actually did not care even if all the money was a lost cause. He looked at Tan Jing earnestly and said, If your parents and brothers still need a house, I can make the arrangements for them. They just need to pay the rent every month. However, Qiao Meis house is out of the question. Tan Jing still could not understand why Xia Wen would not allow the Tan family to stay at Qiao Meis place. It was not as if they did not want to pay rent. Qiao Mei was not using that house at the moment, so why was he making things so difficult for them? Moreover, they were all relatives. It would be good to stay close to each other. Liu Fen always stayed over at Xu Lans house and did not go back to her own house. If Xu Lan could specially set aside a room for Liu Fen, then why was it that Qiao Mei could not do something similar? Why cant we stay at Qiao Meis house? She has so many houses, does it even matter to her? I thought were supposed to help one another? Why is it that you need to help Qiao Mei, but Qiao Mei cant help our family! What kind of logic is this! Tan Jing shouted. Xia Wen smiled mockingly and said, How is Qiao Mei related to the Tan family? Besides, if your family really intends to pay the rent on time, do you think Qiao Mei will reject you? Also, is that really what you think? Xia Wen immediately guessed what Tan Jing was thinking. In the past, she had indeed thought of taking Qiao Meis courtyard house for herself, but that was because she did not understand why Xia Zhe should be the one to get their grandmothers house. Xia Wen was the eldest grandson of the Xia family, so why should the youngest Xia Zhe get it? She just could not accept it. It would be fairer for everyone to get one room and for all of them to live in the courtyard house together. She did not even know if she would ever see the day when Xia Wen became successful in life! Previously, before Xia Zhe married Qiao Mei, Tan Jing had instigated Xu Lan to redistribute the ownership of the courtyard house that Wu Min left behind. Actually, she could tell that Xu Lan was also tempted to move into that big courtyard house herself, but Xia Fang guarded the house zealously. No matter how hard Tan Jing tried, Xia Fang would not budge an inch at all and she only cared about keeping the courtyard house for Xia Zhe. She even hired two guards to watch over Xia Zhes house, worried that Xu Lan would be persuaded by Tan Jing to take an ax and break the lock. Fortunately, Xu Lan was not stupid enough to listen to Tan Jing. What what else can I think! My parents call me every day to rush me and Im so annoyed! What can I do if they only want to stay at Qiao Meis place? I just want to solve this issue quickly! Tan Jing said irritably. Theres no room for discussion on this matter. Ive already given you a solution. You can settle the rest of the issue yourself. The Xia family wont be helping the Tan family so freely anymore. Tell your parents to come and look for us if they need anything. Dont go and look for the rest of my family members, Xia Wen said coldly. Tan Jing looked at Xia Wen in disbelief. In the past, no matter how unreasonable the Tan familys requests were, Xia Wen would think of a way to help. Now, he was simply ignoring them. What did this mean Could it be that Xia Wen wanted a divorce? You but arent we a family? Tan Jing said as she looked at Xia Wen in fear.. Chapter 926 - Chapter 926: Going Home to Spend Time With Mother Chapter 926: Going Home to Spend Time With Mother Xia Wen held onto the cabinet and stood up with some difficulty. He began to pack up his daily necessities, his work documents and a few sets of formal suits. He was actually very busy recently. He had just taken office and there was going to be a big reorganization at work happening at the end of the year. There were many things that he had to check and redo. Staying at home and looking at Tan Jing made him feel annoyed. He thought that it would be better for him to go back to Xu Lans place to stay for a couple of days. It was also closer to his workplace and would be more convenient for him to go to work. At the same time, he could also spend more time with Xu Lan. What are you doing! Tan Jing rushed forward and shouted as she grabbed Xia Wens hands. Im going back to Mothers place to stay for a few days. Im very busy at work these days. You stay at home and rest well. Xia Wen ignored Tan Jing and continued to pack his things. Xia Wen did not have many items and it did not take him long to pack. He did not say a word to Tan Jing before he left the house. Tan Jing sat alone in the empty house and started to feel afraid. She began to reflect on whether she had really done something wrong. Could it be that Xia Wen had decided to divorce her? Back in the early days when she did not manage to get pregnant, although the Xia family did not outrightly blame her, she had a feeling that the Xia family members must have spoken to Xia Wen in private about the matter. Back then, Xu Lan had even asked her indirectly if she needed Xia Fang to help her improve her health. All of them seemed to think that the problem lay with Tan Jing. At that time, Xia Wen had told her that he would definitely not consider a divorce and that apart from death, there was nothing that could separate the two of them. Was he going to go back on his word now? Tan Jing lay on the bed and wailed loudly, causing the neighbors to open their doors one after another and look towards her house curiously. Usually, the occupants of this house were the most harmonious and quiet people. Why did they have such a huge fight today? What happened? Why is she crying like this? a neighbor, an older woman, asked curiously as she looked at another neighbor. We dont know either. This is the first time Ive heard them arguing! the woman next door said. All of them slowly approached Tan Jings door and listened carefully to what was going on inside. The wails stopped after a while. They thought that she must be tired from crying and had fallen asleep. Do you think it has got to do with the issue of kids? I heard that theyve been married for almost 10 years and still dont have any children, the woman next door said. The older woman replied agitatedly, Its possible! Ive lived here for so long and can confirm that they dont have kids! This man is really a nice person. He can accept the fact about not having children. I heard that hes from a rich family! The neighbors gossiped for a while before going home. For the past two days, Old Madam Fan had been sick. Su Yang had to go to work at the factory during the day and take care of Qiao Yu at the clinic at night, so he did not have the time to go and cause trouble for Li Gui. Her family enjoyed peace and quiet for the past two days. Xia He came back happily with a huge bag in her hand and it looked very heavy. Li Gui quickly put down the corn in her hand and took it from Xia He. Xiao He, what did you buy? Why is it so heavy! Li Gui and Xia He laboriously carried the bag into the house. Xia He said resignedly, You have to ask your daughter! Shes the one who asked me to buy these! Im so tired from the journey. My brothers driver refused to send me back! Qiao Mei walked out of her room slowly. She was almost due to deliver and she needed to go to the toilet frequently every day. She found it tiring to roll over in bed. With a belly bigger than a watermelon, she felt tired after walking for even a short while. In the beginning, these two babies did not make things so difficult for her. Also, even though she could manipulate energy, it could not save her from the painful process of being pregnant. What good stuff is this? Is this what you went out to get? When did I ask you to buy something? Qiao Mei asked in puzzlement. Xia He stood in front of Qiao Mei with her hands on her hips and said angrily, Pagers! There are 10 pagers here! Do you know how difficult it is for my brother and I to get you these 10 pagers? Everyone is asking my brother if his family is going to open a shop selling digital products, why else would he need so many otherwise. Qiao Mei was so amused that she laughed out loud. She also knew that she had bought too many, but it was ridiculous for these people to say that they were opening a shop. Even if they had the money to open a shop, they would not dare to do so. It was considered a serious crime during this time.. Chapter 927 - 927 Pa-ger” 927 Pa-ger Pa-ger? Is it a type of food? Is it a type of chicken? Does it lay eggs? Is it the capitals local specialty? Li Gui asked as she looked at Xia He happily. Xia He took out a machine and switched it on to show Li Gui. As she used it, she said, Auntie! Its not food or chicken! This is a machine thats like a phone, but it cant be used to make calls. It can receive messages so it makes it easier to find someone. Li Gui had thought that it was the name of a type of chicken! Many places would give the chickens and ducks they reared a special name that was unique to their hometown. For example, the chickens they reared in their village were called Foshan chickens. The chickens tasted completely different from those reared in other places and their sizes were also different. Oh its not a chicken. I have misunderstood, Li Gui said, feeling embarrassed. !! She had embarrassed herself in front of Xia He due to her ignorance. In the future, she should not speak about things that she did not understand. If she said something wrong, it would be too embarrassing! I have also never heard of this thing before. I only found out when elder sister told me. This is my first time seeing it! Let me take a look! Qiao Mei gave Xia He a look and pretended to be excited as she went forward to look at the pager, her eyes filled with curiosity. Xia He immediately understood what Qiao Mei was thinking and said, Thats right, Auntie. I also only found out about how to use this thing after talking to my brother. At first, I also thought it was a kind of chicken! My brother explained the functions to me for a long time but I still cant really understand it. After hearing what Xia He and Qiao Mei said, Li Gui gradually stopped being so worried. They also did not know anything about this, so she was not that ignorant after all. Qiao Mei observed the buttons on the pager closely. She had heard of such a thing in her other life, but this was the first time she was looking at the actual item. It was small and the workmanship was exquisite. In the past, she had seen pagers being used in television dramas. Everyone would attach a small pouch on their belts to hold the pagers and they all looked quite cool. Owing this item made it easier for others to contact them. Mom, this is for you. Give one to Zhao Fei as well. The two of you can communicate using this. Then you dont have to wait around for each other, Qiao Mei said with a smile. No, no! I dont even know how to read. How do I use this machine? You should keep it for yourself, Li Gui quickly declined. It was obvious that this thing was not cheap. Furthermore, she did not know how to use such a high-tech thing. Qiao Mei simply stuffed the machine into Li Guis hand and said to her, Do you still want to earn big money or not? Do you still want to become a boss? This is what all the businessmen are using! You have to use it too! Otherwise, how are you going to contact those big bosses? Li Gui looked at Qiao Mei doubtfully. Li Gui only knew the other peddlers and she had never seen any of them use such a thing. Even the owner of the shop at the entrance of the alley did not seem to have a pager. Elder sister! Dont you think so? Qiao Mei turned around and shouted. Xia He quickly said, Thats right! Auntie! This is really something that every businessman uses. Its very convenient! Let me teach you! Since Xia He also said that it was true, Li Gui did not reject the idea again. Xia He brought Li Gui to one side to take a look at the instruction manual. The instruction manual was written in a foreign language. It had been many years since Xia He graduated and she found that her language skills were a little rusty. She asked Li Gui to do other chores first and she would explain to Li Gui after she translated the instructions. Qiao Mei did a check on the remaining machines. Each one was in good working condition. She planned to give away all of them as gifts. Firstly, Qiao Qiang and Li Gui would each get one, as well as her business partner, Zhao Fei. Then, Xia Wen, Xia He, Xu Lan and Xia Fang would each get one too. Qiao Mei would keep one for herself. Qiao Mei also wanted to give one to Zhang Wei. She heard that there was only one phone in the school that he was going to attend and everyone had to queue up to make phone calls. It must be so tiring to queue up to make a phone call after a full day of training. Qiao Mei could not bear to let Zhang Wei suffer! With this thing, Zhang Wei could easily send them messages and could then rest early. The school probably would not care about such matters. As long as Zhang Wei kept a low profile, he would not be reprimanded. The last one was for Xia Zhe. This way, Xia Zhe would be able to receive news from Qiao Mei whenever he went on a mission. However, the reality was going to be very different from what Qiao Mei imagined. There were likely no communication signals at the places where he went on missions. In addition, the army did not allow the soldiers to bring personal electronic equipment with them.. Chapter 928 - Chapter 928: First Time Meeting Chapter 928: First Time Meeting Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios then After Xia He figured out the instructions, she asked the four children and Li Gui to gather in the living room so that she could teach them. In the future, if Li Gui was too busy and did not have time to reply after receiving messages, the children would be able to help her. It was very important that Zhang Wei learned how to use it. He was going to be on his own in school in the future, so he must be well-versed in it. Qiao Mei could read and understand the manual herself, so she did not sit through the session conducted by Professor Xia. After all this while, she had not personally gone to the place where corn kernels were produced to take a look. It was always Xia He who went to do the weighing and pay the women, and Li Gui who rode the three-wheeled vehicle to pick up the corn kernels. She did not know if these people were doing their job well, but it was better for her to take time out to go and take a look for herself. By the time it was dusk, everyone gradually worked slower. After a busy day, they were all a little weary, and their hands were especially tired and sore. This job was not as easy as they had imagined, but the advantage was that they could make a lot of money. !! Sigh How long more before we are done? My hands are so sore. I feel so tired thinking about the fact that I still have to wash the childrens clothes when I get home, Sun Jiao said as she looked at her slightly red and swollen hands. Sun Juan also took a look at her hands. After doing farm work all year round, there was already a thick layer of calluses on her hands and she did not feel any pain at all. She was already used to such hard work. In the past, when her daughter was still alive, her considerate daughter would always give her a hand massage. Now, there was no one around to do that for her and she could only hold on to these memories. Qiao Mei made her way to the courtyard quietly and was very shocked to see the piles of corn at the side. She did not expect them to work so quickly. Even if Li Gui used 60 to 70 pounds of corn kernels a day, they were able to produce that amount for her. Youre all hard at work! Qiao Mei said with a smile as she walked into the house. You are Sun Juan stood up and looked at Qiao Mei in puzzlement. Before this, they only knew that the owner of this house was a pregnant woman, and that she was not on good terms with Su Liang. However, they had only heard about these things from others. In fact, apart from Qiao Meis immediate neighbors, no one else had seen her before. Ever since the day Su Liang came to cause trouble, Qiao Mei had stayed at home and did not leave the house at all. She focused on resting and taking care of her pregnancy. Although Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe had gone around to deliver candy when they first moved in, it was a long time ago and no one remembered it anymore. Xia He had always been in charge of the business here. Qiao Mei only came to fill the entire house with corn when no one was around and she never took the initiative to show her face. Im Qiao Mei. I dont know if anyone still remembers me. Im here today to pay everyones salary, Qiao Mei said as she patted her bulging pockets. Upon hearing Qiao Meis name, everyone immediately perked up. Firstly, it was because Qiao Mei was their big boss. If they did not take good care of their big boss and left a bad impression on her, they could lose their job at any time. Secondly, it was because they all had grudges against Old Madam Fan but could not find any suitable opportunity or reason to deal with Old Madam Fan for many years. However, after Qiao Mei came, not only did she manage to deal with Old Madam Fan, but she even dealt with her wayward sons as well. They were all filled with admiration and gratitude for Qiao Mei. She had gotten rid of evil for the common people! Not only did she help them with their financial situation, but she also solved that difficult problem in their lives. Qiao Mei was their lucky star! Oh! Why are you here personally? Your stomach is already so big, you have to be careful. Youre about to give birth, Sun Juan said worriedly as she looked at Qiao Meis stomach. Yes, but since Im almost due now, I cant just lie at home all the time. I have to move around more. The doctor said that if I dont exercise appropriately, I wont be able to give birth easily, Qiao Mei said. They did not understand these terms and theories. The women present had all given birth before, but their family situations did not even allow them to rest after they gave birth. They had to take care of their families without the luxury of having a confinement period. Although they had never heard about what Qiao Mei was saying, they could understand the logic. Qiao Mei did not stand around to catch up with them. Instead, she asked them to pack up the corn kernels for today and to do the weighing one by one in front of her before she handed them their salaries for the day. Not only did they have to pack up the corn kernels properly, but they also had to pack up the corn cobs.. Chapter 929 - Chapter 929: Take a Break Chapter 929: Take a Break Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei took a portion of the corn cobs home for Qiao Qiang to burn in the stove. She gave the remainder away to whoever needed some. After all, Qiao Meis family was not the only one who needed fuel for the stove. Gas tanks were really expensive in the city now, so everyone would set up a small stove in the courtyard for daily use. Ive come here today not just to distribute the salary. I also have a few things to say to everyone, Qiao Mei said as she slowly sat down on the stool. Everyone stood attentively in front of Qiao Mei and looked at her earnestly, making sure they did not miss out on whatever she was going to say. Perhaps Qiao Mei wanted to increase their salary! Qiao Mei cleared her throat and said, Everyone knows that Im keeping this place a secret from others. We have enough people working here for now. If everyone keeps introducing new people to come and work here, then well be overstaffed and that would in turn affect everyones salary level. Therefore, we wont be hiring anymore. If the business does well in the future, therell be a corresponding increase in your salary. Sun Jiao frowned. She was introduced by Sun Juan to work here. Was Qiao Mei beating around the bush and talking about her? Qiao Mei did not notice Sun Jiaos strange expression and moved on to give everyone a red packet. If nothing extraordinary happened, Qiao Mei would not be coming here again until after she gave birth. It was almost the new year and she wanted to give everyone a red packet to express her gratitude for their help. Im giving everyone a red packet for the new year. Its not a lot, just 20 dollars per person. Please take it as a token of my appreciation for all your hard work, Qiao Mei said in a gentle manner. Zhou Shuang could not even wait for another minute and hurriedly turned around to open the red packet. It was indeed 20 dollars. This was the first time in her life that she had met such a generous boss. Even when she worked in the factory, she did not get such benefits. This amount of 20 dollars was enough to buy nicer food for the children and a bottle of good liquor for her husband! Thank you, Qiao Mei. Were just doing what we need to do. Dont worry, well definitely do our best and treat this place as our own home! We definitely wont slack off! Sun Juan said. Zhou Shuang hurriedly added, Yes, yes! Dont worry! Were not here to work. Were here to chit chat! This is called helping out! Were all neighbors! Helping one another! Qiao Mei looked down and smiled. This woman was quite quick-witted. She was like those people in Qiao Meis other life who were experts at currying favor! If only this woman was there, she would have definitely been highly valued by the company leaders. In Qiao Meis other life, the company leaders in her workplace liked people who knew how to curry favor. She finally understood the joy of being a leader now. You have all worked hard recently. You can all rest at home next week. Im getting someone to come and renovate this house. Otherwise, it will be too cold for you to work here, Qiao Mei said. When Qiao Mei was at home, she had taken a look at the accounts ledger for this place. There were still more than 600 pounds of corn kernels in the side rooms, so there would not be any issue even if the work here stopped for a week. Qiao Mei intended to only fit the main living room and the two attached side rooms with floor heating. The rest of the rooms would continue to be used as storerooms. Back then, Xia Wen had gotten someone to simply replaster the walls and fix the broken doors and windows in this house. There were originally no heating facilities in this place and the people who used to live here had to endure the cold winter without any heat. Sun Juan and the rest would usually put braziers next to themselves while they worked, but there were many safety issues with such braziers. The house was mainly made of wood and a fire could easily happen if they were not careful. It would be disastrous if the fire then spread to the neighboring houses. It would be much safer to install floor heating. Everyone packed up their things and went home. Once they had all left, Qiao Mei quietly walked to the backyard to check on the amount of corn left in the storeroom. The originally huge pile had dwindled and there was only a small pile of corn left. Sigh It looks like we need more storerooms, Qiao Mei sighed. It would be a pity to tear down this house and use this place as a corn warehouse. In the future, the value of this house would be much more valuable than these corn. If Li Gui really wanted to expand the business, then they would have to go to the suburbs to find an empty space to build a factory. It was not safe to work out of a small factory in the city.. Chapter 930 - 930 To Receive a Favor Is to Sell One’s Liberty 930 To Receive a Favor Is to Sell Ones Liberty Qiao Mei spent a lot of effort digging a small hole in the ground. Now that her stomach was so big, it blocked her sight and she could not see what was under her feet. The speed at which she grew corn was also much slower than before. Then again, she still had a lot of time. There was no hurry and she could do it slowly. He was not rich and did not have that much money to spend on Qiao Yu. He was just putting up a front for Qiao Yu. Youre back! Qiao Yu smiled at Su Yang. Yesterday, Qiao Yu suddenly realized that she still had 10 dollars hidden in her bra. It was money that she had stolen from Qiao Zhuang back then. After spending such a long time in the capital, she had forgotten about this matter. This amount of money was something that could save her life at the critical moment and she must not touch it for now. During these two days when she was warded for observation, Su Yang had done his best to take care of her. He was worried that Qiao Yu would go hungry at lunchtime, so he specially made a trip from the factory to deliver food to her! How are you today? Are you feeling better? Su Yang asked with concern. Qiao Yu quickly lay back down under the blanket and hid her excited expression from earlier. She looked at Su Yang weakly and said, Im alright I even went to the doorway to get some sun today. Its just that my head still hurts occasionally. After saying that, she even coughed twice symbolically and looked very weak. Actually, Su Yang knew what Qiao Yu was thinking. In this place, the nurses came to clean up the room every day and also change the bedsheets and bedding at regular intervals. This small clinic did not get many patients every day and the only other person living here was the auntie in the opposite bed. Qiao Yu did not need to fork out any money as Su Yang was the one paying for everything. She was living such a good life that she naturally wanted to stay for a few more days. Su Yang thought to himself, This Qiao Yu is really greedy. Does she really think that the money she spent for the past two days is all for free? She has to return it bit by bit in the future! So did the doctor say that you can return home today? Su Yang opened the food container and asked casually. Qiao Yu slowly raised her head to look at Su Yang and said, I still dont feel too well. I keep feeling dizzy and nauseous. I think Ill have to stay here for another day or two I see that you dont have an IV today. Do you still need to stay here? Just get some medicine and go home, Su Yang said. But I havent recovered yet. What if I fall sick again after I leave? Qiao Yu rebutted anxiously. Su Yang looked towards the doctor, who was at the side, and said, Is that so? Let me ask the doctor and see what he says. For a moment, Qiao Yu did not know what to say to Su Yang. The doctor had actually already told Qiao Yu yesterday that she could be discharged. It was Qiao Yu who kept this a secret from Su Yang. She had nowhere to go once she was discharged. It was not proper for her to stay at Su Yangs house. Dont! My My relative has been busy at home with the new year preparations recently and cant take care of me. I dont have anywhere else to go Qiao Yu said as she looked at Su Yang pitifully. This was simply a heaven-sent opportunity. If she had nowhere to go, then she could go to his house. Once he could take advantage of her, then she would definitely have to marry him. In the future, she would have to do whatever he said. However, there was no extra bedroom in his house. He did not know how he should handle this It was not as if he could ask Qiao Yu to sleep with him in his bed. Su Yang knew that there was a small room nearby that was up for rent. Previously, it was occupied by an old man who worked as a salvager and the rent was four dollars a month. His plan could still work if Qiao Yu was willing to stay there. That would be a much better situation than bringing Qiao Yu home. With Su Liang in the house and eyeing Qiao Yu all the time, he would be worried about her when he went to work during the day. I still have another place to stay. If you dont mind, you can come with me to take a look, Su Yang said. Huh? Do you live there with your family? Qiao Yu asked. No, its my own place. Su Yang handed the food container to Qiao Yu. Once Qiao Yu saw the food, she could not think about anything else. After all, to receive a favor was to sell ones liberty. It was good enough so long as she had a place to stay. Chapter 931 - 931 Blessing in Disguise 931 Blessing in Disguise The real purpose of why Qiao Yu came back to this area was to find out where exactly Qiao Mei and Li Gui lived. Only by knowing their location would she have a chance to make a comeback in the future. She felt that she had already gathered a lot of evidence against Qiao Mei. As long as she used everything she had to threaten Qiao Mei, Qiao Mei would have to give her whatever she wanted. She could then take over the courtyard house which Su Yangs family used to live in. In the future, Su Yang would definitely follow her around like a dog and would be willing to take care of her for the rest of her life. She had previously seen Su Yangs family making trouble with Li Gui. They must know the exact location of Li Guis house. In the future, once she had the chance, she would ask him indirectly. It would be much easier than if she had to go and look for them from house to house. Once Qiao Yu took a bite, she realized that the food was not bought from any restaurant or eatery. She had taken her meals in the factory canteen for a few months and could still remember the taste of the food there. Did you get this from the canteen Qiao Yu asked with a frown. Su Yang asked self-righteously, Yes, isnt it delicious? Qiao Yu swallowed her anger and continued to eat. At this moment, she did not have anything that she could offer, so she definitely could not mention the Xia family in front of Su Yang. If she had to go back to the village now, she might as well have died during the heavy snowfall. The only way she could get a breakthrough was to find Li Gui. As long as she could find Li Gui, everything would be fine. After lunch, Su Yang went home. He had to make arrangements regarding the lodging. He wanted to discharge Qiao Yu from the clinic tomorrow morning, otherwise he needed to continue to pay for her stay on a daily basis. If this continued, he would spend all the money he had saved to get married. Old Madam Fan had been sick at home for a long time. This bout of illness had caused her to lose more than 10 pounds and she looked much slimmer than before. Looking on the bright side, this could be considered a blessing in disguise. Wheres your younger brother Old Madam Fan asked hoarsely as she held onto the door frame. Su Liang did not even look up. He rolled over and went back to sleep, treating Old Madam Fan as if she was invisible. He had long thrown out the other dirty bed. It was very likely that the bed had already ended up with one of the salvagers. Just as Old Madam Fan was about to flare up, Su Yang suddenly walked in through the door. As soon as he saw Old Madam Fan, he started to put on an act. He threw aside the food container in his hand and rushed towards her. Mom! Why are you out of bed! Go back and lie down! Youre not in good health now and cant walk around! Su Yang pretended to be anxious. Old Madam Fan used all her strength to shake off Su Yangs hand and said, Dont put on an act here You didnt even take care of me at all Su Yang hurriedly knelt on the ground and cried, Youve misunderstood me! I have to go to work during the day and I come back at night to take care of you! You dont see me because I go out early and come back late! I cook for you every day and put the food on the table. I also make sure you have water! Nonsense! I havent eaten anything at all! Old Madam Fan said angrily. The changes in Su Yangs expression were very dramatic. He first looked at Old Madam Fan in shock, then lowered his head and thought for a while. Immediately after, he turned around and pointed at Su Liang angrily as he shouted, Did you eat all the food that I put aside for Mom! This immediately caught Old Madam Fans attention. Su Liang was the laziest person in the family and he simply idled around and did nothing. He was always doing sneaky things. Su Yang had always been sensible and obedient. Even if he made any mistakes, it was only because he was careless. Everyone made mistakes. Besides, Su Yang had to go to work every day and really did not have time to take care of her. Su Liang slowly sat up and calmly watched the show that Su Yang was putting on for Old Madam Fan. If Su Yang had cooked for Old Madam Fan, there should be signs of used crockery in the house. It was not as if food could disappear into thin air? Did Su Yang create the food out of nothing? It would really be a miracle if someone who did not even know how to cook noodles would know how to make a meal. Su Liang shrugged and said indifferently, Since we were young, everything you say is right. Mom dotes on you the most. What can I say? Its my fault even if I can explain myself. Just continue to put on an act in front of her. Anyway, shes always willing to watch the show you put up. Mom, you have to believe me, I really did take care of you. Su Yang knelt on the ground and hugged Old Madam Fans thigh as he cried. Chapter 932 - 932 Best Actor 932 Best Actor Old Madam Fan thought for a while and chose to believe Su Yang. She had never been suspicious of her youngest son. Old Madam Fan would believe whatever Su Yang said. Old Madam Fan also knew what kind of person Su Liang was. She knew her sons best. However, she still chose to put blind trust in Su Yang. After all, although she had so many children, most of them were not by her side. They had not even returned home for so many years. Now that she was old, she was very scared that no one would take care of her when she was on her deathbed. The way Old Madam Fan saw it, Su Liang only knew how to cause trouble and embarrass the family. The only person she could count on was Su Yang. When it came to Su Yang, she turned a blind eye to many things, which gave him a chance to take advantage of the situation. I know its not you. Get up quickly. The floor is cold, Old Madam Fan said to Su Yang with heartache. Su Yang lowered his head and wiped his face haphazardly with his sleeve. There was not even a single drop of tear on his face. He wiped his face just to put on a show for Old Madam Fan. He quickly helped her into the house and served her well. He even went out to buy food so that he could make her feel good. Su Liang looked at Su Yang in disdain as Su Yang busied himself with all these things. If Old Madam Fan had any brains, she would not have been deceived by such superficial acts. If she would just touch the bowls in the kitchen, she would find out that they were all covered in dust. It was obvious that no one had cooked in the house recently. He was the one who put the crockery and water glasses in Old Madam Fans room while she was still asleep as he was worried that Old Madam Fan would starve to death. He should have expected such an outcome today, but he still felt unhappy. He would never do such a thing again. Even if Old Madam Fan starved to death in the room, he would not care. After coaxing Old Madam Fan to sleep, Su Yang walked out of her room impatiently. He was also very tired from having to put on an act. When he saw Su Liang sitting on the bed and looking at him with a meaningful glance, he felt very angry. What are you looking at? Dont you know how to take care of Mom when Im not at home? Su Yang said. Su Liang snorted coldly and said, Why? You go out and take care of that woman outside and come back to blame me for not taking good care of Mom? Do you think she can survive after being sick for so many days without eating or drinking? Who provided her with all that food and drinks? Of course its me! Who else could it be! Su Yang deliberately shouted while facing Old Madam Fans room. It was such a pity that Su Yang worked in the factory. He should have gone to the television station to act in a television drama. His acting skills could get him the title of Best Actor! Su Liang did not want to argue with Su Yang at all. He turned around and lay back down on the bed, preparing to go back to sleep. After a tiring day, Su Yang also wanted to find a place to rest for a while. Only then did he notice that there was only the bed which Su Liang was lying on in the entire living room. The other bed was gone. Bastard! Wheres the other bed? Su Yang questioned. Su Yang grabbed Su Liangs collar in exasperation and said, You threw it away? What right do you have to throw the bed away? Get off immediately. This is my bed. Go out and find your own bed! Su Liang was roughly grabbed out of bed by Su Yang. If not for the fact that Su Liangs leg had almost recovered, he would probably have suffered a second injury at this moment. He did not give in to Su Yang. He smiled at his silly brother and said, The bed is mine now. If you want to sleep, go and sleep with your little girl outside. I know how much money youve spent on the little girl over the past two days and I also know where she is now. If you want her to be safe and sound and that Mom doesnt find out about this, dont provoke me. Su Yang pondered for a long time before letting go awkwardly. He only had two weaknesses. One was the fact that he had saved a lot of money behind Old Madam Fans back, and the other one was Qiao Yu. She was not his wife yet, so he could not let others ruin her reputation. He knew Su Liangs modus operandi very well. The entire house was silent. Su Liang looked at Su Yang as if he was looking at a dog. His silly younger brother was good at everything, but he was just too impatient. When someone mentioned his sore spot, it was as if one had stepped on a cats tail. He would get all prickly from the anger. Su Yang did not continue to argue with Su Liang. The most important thing now was to go out and find the bed. Chapter 933 - 933 The Person Who Once Felt Blissful 933 The Person Who Once Felt Blissful Based on Su Liangs current condition, it was impossible for him to drag the bed too far away. He could only throw it right outside the house. It must have been taken away by the neighbors nearby. Has anyone seen the bed from my house! Whoever has taken my familys bed, quickly give it back! Su Yang shouted as he stood in the middle of the courtyard. None of the neighbors around them came out or said anything and the entire courtyard was silent. If someone had stolen something, they would definitely not dare to admit it. Su Yang decided to knock on the door of each house to do a search. He did not believe that he would not be able to find this thief today. Su Yang first went to the house closest to theirs. He smacked on the door and shouted, Open the door! Is anyone there! Open the door! I can see that youre in the house! Zhou Shuangs children were seven years old and one year old. When they heard the loud noise, the younger child burst into tears out of fear. She hurriedly picked her child up and opened the door angrily. What do you want! Dont you know I have children at home? Make less noise! Why are you shouting! During this period of time, Zhou Shuang had been busy taking care of the two children and going to the corn courtyard to work. She definitely did not have any free time to go around picking up old beds. She could earn about 70 dollars a month now and her husband sent home around 100 dollars a month. She lived a comfortable life now and she did not lack any money. Why would she need to pick up junk? What nonsense are you spouting! Why would I take things from your house? Why is it my problem if you have lost your things! Get lost! Dont disturb me! As she was carrying the child in her arms, she could not speak too loudly. In Su Yangs opinion, that was an act of guilt. Move aside. I dont believe you. Ill go in and see if my familys bed is in your house, Su Yang said as he pushed her away. Zhou Shuang instinctively shielded her childs head. However, she herself was pushed hard against the wall and the intense pain made her sit on the ground in a daze. The child in her arms seemed to sense the abnormality and cried even louder. Dont cry Mommy is fine Im fine Zhou Shuang forced a smile and spoke to the child. When the other neighbors saw what had happened, they quickly ran out to look for Sun Juan. Zhou Shuang did not have any relatives or friends here, and Sun Juan was the only one who got along well with her. No one dared to help her out as they were afraid that Su Yang would take revenge on them. They all lived in the same area and would bump into one another frequently. The hunter would always shoot the bird that stuck its head out. If they offended Old Madam Fans family, they would not have a good life in the future. It was better to let Sun Juan settle this matter. Sun Juan was eating alone at home. She ate simply as it was only a meal for one and she had only stir-fried some vegetables. Originally, she was the one who had the most blissful family in this area. It could even be said that everyone was very envious of her. Sun Juans maternal family could be considered a rich family from the suburbs. Sun Juans husband was a poor boy at that time and did not have anything to his name at all. By chance, the two of them fell in love. Sun Juan ignored the objections of her family and resolutely wanted to be with this poor boy. Sun Juans husband used to love Sun Juan deeply, and her daughter was also a very outstanding and motivated person. Sun Juan ran her household well and the family quickly became prosperous. Many people said that Sun Juans husband was lucky to have married her. In the beginning, they rented their house, but they managed to buy it almost 20 years after they got married. Everyone was full of admiration for Sun Juan. After her daughter passed away, she seemed to have gone crazy. Every day, she would think about how to avenge her daughter and she ignored her husband, who was also feeling very upset. Later on, her husband could not stand such a family atmosphere and chose to get a divorce, leaving the house to her. After the divorce, he remarried and had children with his new wife. In the beginning, Sun Juan was not used to it, but she had come to terms with the situation by now. It was not that bad to live alone. Otherwise, whenever she missed her daughter, she would make another person sad too. Chapter 934 - 934 Do Not Touch My Child 934 Do Not Touch My Child Sister Sun! Sister Sun, something bad has happened! Theres trouble at Zhou Shuangs house! Go and take a look now! one of Zhou Shuangs neighbors said as she ran over while panting. Sun Juan hurriedly set aside her food and asked curiously, Tell me slowly, what happened to Zhou Shuang? Su Yang lost something from his house and he insisted on searching for it in Zhou Shuangs house. She got pushed down by Su Yang when she tried to protect her child! Go take a look quickly! shouted the neighbor. Sun Juan did not even wait for the neighbor to finish speaking and hurriedly went into her room to put on her cotton jacket without stopping to button it. She ran towards Zhou Shuangs house in a rush. On the way, she felt that she might need help and went to ask Feng Hong to go with her. When they reached Zhou Shuangs house, she was still sitting on the ground, unable to move. Shuang! Are you alright! Im here! Sun Juan rushed forward to pick up the child in Zhou Shuangs arms while Feng Hong helped her up slowly. Zhou Shuang stood rooted to the ground, looking pale in the face. Every slight movement made her feel internal pain everywhere, especially at her ribs. It was so painful that tears fell from her eyes. After she gave birth to her younger son, she immediately went back to work. She did not even go through her confinement period properly and already had some issues with her waist. Now that she had such a hard knock at the area, the issues had probably become worse. Sun Juan could tell that something was wrong with Zhou Shuang. She looked at Zhou Shuang nervously and asked, Tell me, where does it hurt? Zhou Shuang was in so much pain that she could not speak. Beads of sweat rolled down her face and she slowly raised her hand to point at her lower abdomen. It appeared that she had hit the doorknob when Su Yang pushed her and the impact had hurt the area around her ribs. At this moment, Su Yang was still searching around the house for his bed. Zhou Shuangs seven-year-old son had hidden under the table in the living room and was staring at Su Yangs legs in fear. When he saw Su Yang slowly approaching him, he let out an ear-piercing scream out of fear. Ah!!! The moment Zhou Shuang heard the sound, she ignored the pain and desperately wanted to go back to the house to take a look at her older son. Feng Hong hurriedly held on to her. If she moved too vigorously now, it might cause further damage to her internal organs. She should not move at the moment. Let go of me! Son! Son, whats wrong! Sister Feng, dont stop me! I want to take a look at my son! Zhou Shuang wailed. Sun Juan immediately stopped Zhou Shuang and said, Wait here. Ill go in and take a look. Dont move. Xiao Hong, keep an eye on her. Feng Hong took the child from Sun Juans arms. Sun Juian walked into the house aggressively. Su Yang had swept everything in the house to the floor and it was no longer as neat as before. Looking at Su Yang, who was approaching the table, Sun Juan shouted, Stay away from the child! Dont touch my child! Su Yang laughed mockingly and said, Your child? Isnt this Zhou Shuangs child? Dont tell me youve gone crazy after losing your child? Is every kid your child? Sun Juan had heard such words countless times and was already numb to them. She did not care about what others said at all. Sun Juan pointed at Su Yang and said, I have watched this child grow up since he was born. Im his godmother. Dont you think hes considered my child? Stay away from him and dont touch him! Su Yang did not have any intentions to hurt the child at all. It was the child who was too frightened and suddenly started screaming. Su Yang did not even know that he was under the table and was also shocked by the sound. The child knew Sun Juan and hurriedly crawled out from under the table, running into her arms in fear. Why did you come in? Sun Juan asked. My family lost a bed, so I came to see if Zhou Shuang had hidden it away, Su Yang said self-righteously, as if he was walking around his own house. Sun Juan asked the child to go out and look for Feng Hong first. It was better not to let children witness the scene of an argument to avoid traumatizing them. If your family lost a bed, shouldnt you go and make a police report? Why did you come to search someone elses house? Are you a police officer? Do you have such authority? You have caused my young sisters waist to be injured, so you have to bring her to the hospital for treatment, Sun Juan said. Su Yang looked at Sun Juan as if she was a joke. He had been a tyrant here for so many years and had never taken instructions from anyone. Yet Sun Juan still wanted him to pay for Zhou Shuangs medical treatment. She must be fantasizing. Chapter 935 - 935 I Feel Disgusted When I See You 935 I Feel Disgusted When I See You After living next door to Old Madam Fans house for so many years, Zhou Shuang had never lost anything although she was bullied often. Old Madam Fan always scolded and bullied Zhou Shuang whenever she was in a bad mood. It was not just Zhou Shuang who was bullied. When she was not at home, Su Yang and Su Liang often ganged up to bully her older son and they had even thrown him into the river before. It was not that they wanted to kill him, but they just found it very funny to watch the child struggling in the water. The river was not deep. It was not really a river but more like a small stream. If the child stood in it, the water only reached his knee. Su Yang simply felt that such pranks were much more fun than verbal abuse. When Zhou Shuang found out about it later, she went to ask Su Yang for an explanation. However, Su Yang had a nonchalant attitude. He said that since nothing had happened to the child, there was no reason for her to come and kick up a fuss. Not only did she not get an apology, but she even got beaten up by Old Madam Fan. From then on, Zhou Shuang dared not leave the children on their own. She constantly kept an eye on their whereabouts and did not allow Su Yang and Su Liang from coming into contact with them again. Even though it was very tiring, she would do it as long as she could keep the children safe. At that time, Zhou Shuang was very glad that she had given birth to two boys and not girls. This way, she did not have to worry about those two bastards from the Su family ruining her children. Medical treatment? I think youre the one who needs treatment for your brain? Do you need to go to the hospital to take a look? Move aside and let me go out! Dont be an eyesore here! I feel disgusted just looking at you! Su Yang said impatiently. Sun Juan blocked the door to prevent Su Yang from leaving. If Su Yang did not give her an explanation today, no one could leave! If he wanted to leave through this door, he would have to step over her corpse first! You wont be able to leave today! Ill give you two choices! Either you bring my young sister to the hospital for treatment and we wont pursue the matter further, or Ill call the police and let them handle this matter, Sun Juan said. Su Yang narrowed his eyes and stared at Sun Juan viciously. What if I dont choose either one? You have to choose! You have no other choice! Sun Juan said forcefully. It was freezing cold outside and Zhou Shuang could not stay outside for too long. Otherwise, before they could get her waist injury checked out, she might freeze to death in the cold weather first. However, if she let Zhou Shuang enter the house, Su Yang would take the opportunity to escape. At this moment, Sun Juan had to force Su Yang to give her an answer. Do you think youre able to stop me? Ill count to three. Quickly move aside, or Ill attack, Su Yang said. Sun Juan did not even blink when she heard Su Yang threatening her. It would be even better if Su Yang injured her. When the time came, she would go to the police station and say that Su Yang tried to commit murder! It was attempted murder! Everyone in the vicinity was her witness! Su Yang did not want to waste any more time with Sun Juan and reached out to push her away. Unexpectedly, Sun Juan grabbed Su Yangs arm and bit his hand, causing him to scream out in pain. Ah!!! B*tch! How dare you bite me! Su Yang shouted in exasperation and kicked Sun Juan in the stomach, causing her to fall and roll a few meters away from the door. Sister! Feng Hong shouted as she looked at Sun Juan. She was still carrying a child in her arms and supporting Zhou Shuang with her left hand. She could not go forward to check on Sun Juans injuries and could only stand there anxiously. Su Yang looked at the bite wound on his hand and thought that Sun Juan was too vicious. If she went any deeper, his bones would be visible! Su Yangs hand was bleeding profusely and he had to go to the clinic to get it bandaged. Do you really think you can stop me?Just because I havent gone to trouble with you for the past two days, have you forgotten how you used to live? Su Yang said as he slowly walked up to Sun Juan. Seeing that Sun Juan did not respond for a long time, Su Yang did not waste any more time with her. He reached into Sun Juans clothes to look for money and rummaged through all her pockets. In the end, he found six dollars in loose change. Su Yang looked at Sun Juan in disdain and said, Dont you find it embarrassing to have so little money in your pockets! You should hurry home. Dont come out and be an eyesore! Do you think youre so good-looking? I feel disgusted when I look at you! Before leaving, Su Yang felt that he had not done enough to vent his anger. He went up to kick Sun Juan a few more times and even spat on her before he was satisfied enough to leave. Chapter 936 - 936 Warm Atmosphere 936 Warm Atmosphere This whole time, Su Liang just sat on a stool near the door and watched the commotion. After Su Yang left, he quickly stood up and closed the door and windows, worried that Sun Juan and the rest would come looking for him if they could not find Su Yang. Now that Old Madam Fan was ill, there was no one else who could help him or speak up for him. It was better for him to keep a low profile. The neighbors only dared to go forward when they were sure that Su Yang had left. A few of them went to help Sun Juan up while the others went to help take care of Zhou Shuangs two children. No one mentioned anything about what happened just now. It was as if whatever just happened had nothing to do with them, yet yet they suddenly seemed to have found their conscience and wanted to render help. Feng Hong rushed to the entrance of the alley to make a phone call to the hospital. While waiting for the ambulance, Feng Hong brought the two children back to her house so that she could take care of them for a few days. Her eldest son was 17 years old and it was winter break at school now, so he could also help her to take care of the children. The ambulance arrived very quickly. As the alley was too small, the ambulance could not drive in. The medical staff got down and carried the stretchers to rescue Sun Juan and Zhou Shuang. Feng Hong took out all the money she had at home to help pay for the medical expenses first. In the past, Feng Hong would not have been able to fork out so much money. She had earned it all from working for Qiao Mei during this period of time. Ever since Li Gui and the four children moved into Qiao Meis courtyard house, the entire place felt much cozier and warmer than usual. Although it was noisy at times, it was a place filled with happiness. Not many people would go to the park during winter. It was not very convenient for older folks to move around, so they stayed at home and rarely went out. Therefore, Qiao Qiang often helped Li Gui with making the popcorn. For the past two days, Li Gui could make about 120 pounds of popcorn every day! It made Zhao Fei wonder if Li Gui had sacrificed all her mealtimes and sleep to make popcorn. Recently, Xia He would go to the art troupe in the morning to do some work. She had been caught in a dilemma lately. Xu Lan had told her about an administrative role in the art troupe. The role entailed managing the performance schedule and recording the daily activities of the art troupe. It was a very easy job. She just needed to report for work at the art troupe office and stayed around until the time to knock off. However, her monthly salary would be reduced by half. She would only earn at most 50 dollars a month, although the perks and benefits were still not too bad. Xia He rejected Xu Lan without even a second thought. She still wanted to try to make a name for herself and perform on the biggest stage in the country. There was still a chance for her to become an outstanding dancer, someone whose name would come to everyones minds when they talked about the countrys top dancers. However, Xu Lan wanted her children to be by her side so that she could feel more at ease. At the same time, she was also worried about Xia Hes future. If Xia He was busy with performances every day, she would not have the time to get married and have children. She felt that Xia He could not possibly want to live like this for the rest of her life. Initially, Xu Lan had thought that a divorce was a good thing for Xia He. It was not as if the Xia family could not support Xia He and they could not just let her be manipulated and bullied by the Kong family. However, she was now worried that Xia He would not have anyone to take care of her in the future and would be alone until the day she died. Xia He did not want to listen to Xu Lans reasoning at all. She was not even in her 40s yet and was only in her early 30s. She still considered herself to be young and the failed marriage had already made her exhausted. She did not want to experience the same thing for a second time. Xia He dragged her tired body back to Qiao Meis house. Instead of saying that she was physically tired, it would be more accurate to say that she was mentally tired! As soon as Xia He entered the house, Qiao Mei noticed that she was feeling down. Qiao Mei teased, Why are you so dejected? This is not your style. What style do I have? My family is driving me crazy, Xia He said and sighed as she sat down beside Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei sensed that something interesting had happened to Xia He and quickly put down the needlework in her hand. She stared at Xia He intently and asked, A family matter? Either Mother or Second Aunt-in-law must have said something. Tell me whos driving you up the wall? Chapter 937 I Will Support You ? Xia He found Qiao Mei''s inquisitive expression to be very annoying and raised her hand so as to scare Qiao Mei. "Look at you, young girl! Why are you so happy to see me being tortured by my family! To think I''ve always doted on you!" Qiao Mei grabbed Xia He''s hand and said laughingly, "Oh my, I''m just asking you to tell me so that I can help you solve the problem. Why are you unhappy about that! I''m only doing this to help you! In that case, I won''t help you anymore!" It sounded like a plan. Xia He told Qiao Mei about Xu Lan''s intent and also listed down the military art troupe''s future major performances and the stakes involved in the issue. By right, all this information was confidential, but Qiao Mei was a family member and the person she trusted the most. She did not think that it was a big deal to share it. "Just do whatever you want to do. Why do you have to think so much?" Qiao Mei said nonchalantly. Xia He had thought that Qiao Mei would support Xu Lan. She did not expect Qiao Mei to support her ideas and it made her feel very surprised. "You you want me to go after my dreams and not work in an office in the capital?" Xia He asked in surprise. Qiao Mei nodded and said, "If you like to dance, then continue dancing. It''s very rare to be able to find something that you love. I think that if it is something you''re able to do, you should persevere, cherish what you have now and boldly challenge the unknown. This is such a good thing. Why should I stop you?" Qiao Mei had thought seriously about it and meant everything she said. In her other life, she was not particularly passionate about anything, but there were many things that she was interested in. Every time, she would give something a try and give up when she had almost mastered it because she would have lost interest in it. Furthermore, her family was relatively poor when she was young and did not have the means to allow her to learn whatever she liked. She only started to pursue her interests after she started working. It was also because Qiao Mei did not have the means to pursue her interests and hobbies when she was young that she paid so much attention to her four younger siblings'' hobbies. Qiao Mei was willing to let them try whatever they liked. The only prerequisite was that they had to persevere. Qiao Mei would not allow them to give up easily. She wanted them to develop this good habit. In one''s life, it was a beautiful thing to find something one was passionate about and be able to keep doing it. "Then what if I fail? I can''t say that I have a 100% chance of success. If I fail, I still have to continue dancing in the capital. My next chance might only come along five to six years later! If I continue like this, then I might not have any salary in the future and might even get fired. How am I going to survive in the art troupe then," Xia He said worriedly. "What are you afraid of? I''ll support you. Don''t worry and just do it boldly. If you really have nowhere to go, then you can join me in doing business," Qiao Mei said optimistically. "Support me? Can you support me for the rest of my life?" Xia He asked. Qiao Mei patted her chest confidently and said, "I''ll give you the courtyard house next door now! I can give you whatever you want! I still have this bit of ability! In the future, when I''m old, my children will support you!" Money was like dirt to Qiao Mei. As long as He Ning was alive and his family''s business did not close down, she would have an endless stream of money. When she ran out of money, she just needed to sell He Ning a ginseng. He Ning was her ATM! Fortunately, He Ning did not know what Qiao Mei was thinking. Otherwise, he might want to kill her. Qiao Mei did not mind how much she had to sacrifice for someone who was good to her. From the day she married into the Xia family, she knew how well Xia He had treated her, so she was willing to do all these for Xia He. Xia He was so amused by Qiao Mei''s words that she laughed loudly. Even when Kong Lu married her, he did not say that he would support her for the rest of her life. She did not expect that 18-year-old Qiao Mei would be the second person to offer to support her for the rest of her life. The first person was Xia Mao. At that time, she had just finalized her divorce. Xia Mao had summoned her to the study and told her that the Xia family would support her for the rest of her life. The Xia family would always be her strongest supporter and backer. "Alright, I''ll come and seek refuge with you if I fail! Don''t go back on your word!" Xia He said with a laugh. "Don''t worry! I''ll always have a place for you here," Qiao Mei said. Chapter 938 How Inauspicious! ? Just as the two of them were teasing each other, Li Gui rushed in from outside with her basket. She did not even stop to pick up the vegetables which had fallen out of the basket. She just went straight to the water bottle on the table and drank two big glasses of water. "Drink slowly! Why are you in such a hurry? Did you get chased by a dog? Where were you?" Qiao Mei asked Li Gui curiously. Today was really a weird day. First, Xia He returned dejectedly, and now, Li Gui was all panicky. Could it be that today was a special day? It seemed that everyone''s luck was not very good. "I I passed by Old Madam Fan''s house on my way back from buying groceries. I heard them chatting at the door, saying that Su Yang had beaten up Zhou Shuang and Sun Juan and caused them to be sent to the hospital. These two names sound familiar and I thought they might be people who worked for you. I was so frightened that I ran all the way back," Li Gui said agitatedly. "What! Sent to the hospital! That''s very serious!" Xia He said in shock. For a period of time, they had not argued with Old Madam Fan''s family. They did not even see anyone from Old Madam Fan''s family and thought that these people had turned over a new leaf. They did not expect these people to get into a fight with the other neighbors. It was really a little shocking. Old Madam Fan''s family could really cause endless trouble. The police station had already become a permanent hangout for them. "Do you know anything else? Like what triggered the whole issue?" Qiao Mei asked with a frown. Li Gui could not remember clearly what the people at the door had said at that time. She only roughly knew what happened. At that time, she was so scared that she would encounter Old Madam Fan''s family members again and knew that she would definitely lose if a fight broke out, so she did not dare to stay there for too long. If they wanted to know the details, she still had to go around to ask the neighbors in the vicinity. Qiao Mei pondered for a long time. She did not know whether she should interfere in this matter. In the end, after considering it for a long time, she decided not to get involved. If she had immense authority in her own hands, she would definitely think of a way to help. However, if she wanted to help them now, she would have to ask Xia Wen to take action. She had caused Xia Wen enough trouble during this period of time. "Elder sister, when you''re free, go and give each of them 50 dollars. Tell them to take it as a token from us. Don''t talk about anything else," Qiao Mei said as she took out 100 dollars from her pocket and handed it to Xia He. Xia He took the money and went out to find out more about this matter. Li Gui rested for a bit and then went to the backyard to start making popcorn. After Su Yang left home, he did not go straight to the clinic where Qiao Yu was staying. He traveled for a distance of two kilometers and then entered a clinic to seek treatment after confirming that he was far away from home. Sun Juan had bitten down very hard. The deeper parts of the wound needed simple stitches. This was the first time the doctor had seen such a serious bite. "Is this caused by a quarrel? The person must be very angry to be so brutal," the doctor lamented. Su Yang glared at the doctor and said, "Don''t be a busybody and just do your job!" The doctor closed his mouth awkwardly. After quickly bandaging the wound, he took payment and "invited" Su Yang out. He did not check the almanac before he opened for business today. It was really inauspicious to encounter such a patient! After Su Yang left, the doctor even disinfected the entire room, acting as if something dirty had entered and stained the place. Su Yang endured the pain he was feeling in his hand and returned to the area near his house. Based on his memory, he found his way to the house where the salvager lived. There, he readily rented the room next to the salvager. Although this place was old and dilapidated, it was still livable. He would ask Qiao Yu to make do with it for now. At this moment, Qiao Yu was enjoying her last few moments at the clinic. If she could, she would want to stay here for a while longer. However, the nurses and doctors could not wait for Qiao Yu to leave. Even the older woman in the other bed could not stand Qiao Yu anymore. When Su Yang was not around, Qiao Yu seemed to change into a different person. She went from being a delicate and pitiful young lady to a pampered young woman who ordered the nurses around. She even asked the nurses to do something as simple as pouring a glass of water. If the nurses did not want to do it, Qiao Yu would use her headache or chest pain as an excuse. As time passed, everyone could tell what kind of person Qiao Yu was. The older woman who chatted with Qiao Yu in the early days also started to ignore her. Qiao Yu did not care about this at all. As long as she could enjoy life, she was willing to do anything. Chapter 939 Being Coquettish Makes Life Better ? Su Yang arrived empty-handed at the clinic. Qiao Yu started sizing him up from the moment he entered. She had been feeling hungry the entire morning and it was so hard for her to make it to noon, but Su Yang actually came to look for her without bringing anything. "You''re here. Erm have you eaten?" Qiao Yu asked indirectly. These words made Su Yang completely infuriated. After staring at him for so long, she did not even see the injury on his hand. All she could think about was food. It was as if she would die if she did not eat for a day! There was only food and money in Qiao Yu''s eyes! "I didn''t bring anything. Pack up quickly and come with me," Su Yang said impatiently. Qiao Yu felt a little afraid when she saw the vicious look in Su Yang''s eyes. She quickly hid behind the bed and did not dare to make a sound. She knew that she was going to be discharged today, so she quickly started to pack her things. When she came, she did not bring anything with her, so she did not really have anything to pack up. She started to tidy up the beds in the clinic, trying her best to stall for time. "Are you done?" Su Yang said impatiently. Qiao Yu quickly nodded and followed behind Su Yang while feeling on tenterhooks. Su Yang settled the medical fees and even bought some medicine for Qiao Yu. He took the things and walked at the front without saying a word, not caring whether Qiao Yu had a cotton jacket on her or whether she would get frostbite again in such cold weather. "Wait for me! Su Yang! Cough, cough, cough Wait!" Qiao Yu shivered from the cold and gradually slowed down. Su Yang frowned and looked behind him. Qiao Yu was unable to stand steadily in the cold wind and looked as fragile and pitiful as a flower that was about to fall off a cliff. He reflected upon himself and thought that he should not vent his frustration with Sun Juan on Qiao Yu. If Qiao Yu fell sick again, he would have to spend a lot of money again. Moreover, Qiao Yu was the golden phoenix who could help him become reborn in the future. If he treated her so shabbily now, she would not want to share a life with him in the future. It was better to endure it for the moment. "Put on my jacket. I''ll carry you." After Su Yang took off his jacket and put it on Qiao Yu, he squatted down and waited for Qiao Yu to climb onto his back. Qiao Yu originally wanted to throw a tantrum, but she really had no one to rely on now, so she decided to listen to Su Yang obediently. It was said that women who acted coquettishly were the most fortunate. She would also try to soften the tone she used with Su Yang so that he would feel bad for her. Otherwise, if Su Yang left her in the wilderness like what Chen Mu did, she would really freeze to death outside. Qiao Yu leaned on Su Yang''s shoulder and sobbed delicately. "I thought you don''t want me anymore You leave me behind alone I''m so scared Can you not behave like this, how did I make you angry?" These tears made Su Yang''s heart melt. He could not stand women crying. "I was wrong. I didn''t do this on purpose. Don''t cry, we''re going to be home soon! I rented a room around here. From now on, this will be our home," Su Yang said. Our home? What do you mean by ours! Qiao Yu rolled her eyes helplessly. As she was on Su Yang''s back, he could not see her expression at all. Even if she felt so disgusted that she was about to throw up, he would not notice anything as long as she did not make any sound. Even when Su Yang took good care of Qiao Yu wholeheartedly for the past few days, Qiao Yu did not have any feelings for him at all. Feelings were something that the current Qiao Yu considered to be useless. She swore that she would marry into a rich family in the future and that she would not be in any way inferior to Qiao Mei. This was what she really wanted. Right now, she was just putting on an act with Su Yang so that she could survive. Qiao Yu kept brainwashing herself and repeating her intent in her mind. She was afraid that she would really fall into Su Yang''s trap and accidentally agree to be with him. "Are you feeling cold?" Qiao Yu asked warmly. "I''m not cold! We''re almost home. Hold on a little longer." Su Yang quickened his pace and even started running in the end. It took a long time to reach their destination. This house was not very big and there were only three rooms. The courtyard looked quite spacious and it seemed presentable. She did not expect Su Yang to have found a proper house. Chapter 940 Live Alone ? "Wow This house is not bad! There are even trees! It''s just that there are so many things piled up and it doesn''t feel very clean, but it''ll be alright after it''s tidied up," Qiao Yu said as she frowned and looked around the courtyard. Su Yang did not wait for Qiao Yu to walk around the courtyard and just pulled her into the room on the far right. The moment he pushed open the door, the dust in the entire room was swept around, as if it had not been lived in for many years. There were also spiderwebs hanging in all the corners of the room and there were even piles of paper lying around. Qiao Yu did not want to enter the room. This was completely different from what she had imagined. At the very least, she had secretly come to this area before and knew what Su Yang''s house looked like. The furnishings there were much better than those in the room in front of her. Was Su Yang asking her to live in this dilapidated place? Ѧd---n?a| om "There''s so much dust um let''s go to the other two rooms to take a look! Perhaps those two rooms will be better!" Qiao Yu said optimistically as she pointed at the courtyard. Su Yang said impatiently, "There''s no other room. This is the only room. The others belong to someone else." Qiao Yu walked into the room unwillingly. Although the stove inside was not lit, it was still much warmer than standing outside. Qiao Yu was still wearing Su Yang''s cotton jacket and did not want to return it to him. She felt so bad that she did not even dare to look at Su Yang. "There''s only one bed Isn''t there another one?" Qiao Yu said fearfully. "When I rented it, there was only one bed. There''s no other bed. Let''s just leave it at that for now," Su Yang said. "Then where are you going to sleep if I stay here? Are we going out to buy another bed?" Qiao Yu asked. Buy, buy, buy! All you know is to buy! Have I not spent enough money these past few days? All you know is to spend money! He had already spent so much money without reaping any benefits! He felt as if Qiao Yu was not going to look for her relatives again. Instead, it was as if she wanted to rely on him for the rest of her life. This landlord was not a nice person either. He did not even help to clean up the room and the bedding in the cabinet was already so old. Anyway, Su Yang was not the one who was going to live here so Qiao Yu would have to make do with it. "I don''t have money! I can''t afford anything! Quickly clean up this house. I''m going back to my mother''s place. You will stay here by yourself," Su Yang said. Only then did Qiao Yu feel relieved. She silently used the broom to clean up the cobwebs on the ceiling and then wiped the dust off the table and windows. These were all chores that she often did at Qiao Zhuang''s house. She used to have to do everything in the house herself. Previously, when her eldest sister-in-law was still around, they still shared the workload. Later on, she had to do everything herself. In the cold winter, it was a common thing for her to go to the well alone to draw water and wash the clothes for the entire family. Every winter, she would get frostbite on her hands. At its worst, she would find it difficult for her to bend her fingers. Qiao Zhuang did not allow her to heat up the water. Even though there were many men in the family, they did not help out at all. Qiao Yu was also the one who chopped the firewood. Qiao Zhuang felt that it would be a waste of firewood for Qiao Yu to heat up the water, so he wanted her to wash everything using only the cold well water. At the thought of the hardships she had gone through in the past, Qiao Yu became even more determined not to return to Foshan Village. She decided to live a good life in the capital for the rest of her life and not return to that hellish life. Su Yang did not wait inside the room while Qiao Yu cleaned up. He put on his cotton jacket and went out to buy some food to eat with Qiao Yu. He had not eaten for the entire day and his body also could not take it anymore. By the time he returned, Qiao Yu had already tidied up the room. He still had to look for the landlord to solve the problem of the bedding. "Is anyone there!" Su Yang shouted loudly. The landlord walked out of his room slowly and asked, "What''s the matter?" "The blanket you provide us is covered in dust and it''s not usable. Change it for us," Su Yang said as he held out the blanket. The landlord did not even look at Su Yang and simply asked for more money. The monthly rent for the room was four dollars, but the furnishings and utility bills were not included. At that time, Su Yang did not enter the room to check it out. How could it be his problem? "No! No! Just make do with it! This is what you get for the rent! I don''t have anything extra that I can give you!" the landlord said rudely. Chapter 941 Value For Money ? After saying that, the landlord was about to return to his room when Su Yang rushed forward and grabbed his collar tightly. The small and thin landlord could not resist Su Yang at all and he was almost lifted off the ground. "I said change the bedding. Don''t you understand?" Su Yang stared fiercely into the landlord''s eyes and said each word slowly. "Let go of me! I''ll call the police! Help! Murder! Help!" The landlord shouted as he grabbed Su Yang''s hand tightly. Su Yang smiled mockingly. He was not afraid of the police at all. In the morning, he had just beaten some people up and caused them to be admitted to the hospital, but no one had come to arrest him yet. Now, he was just trying to intimidate this man. What could the police do to him? As long as Old Madam Fan went to the police station to kick up a fuss for a few days, he would still be released in the end. This was just a simple neighborhood dispute and there was no serious harm done. He had been locked up so many times, so he knew how far he could go and also how to explain himself to the police. "Do you know who I am? My mother is Old Madam Fan. If you want to have a peaceful life here in the future, then obediently bring us what we want. Otherwise, don''t even dream about staying here anymore," Su Yang said. The people who lived in this place might not know much about Su Liang and Su Yang since they did not have daughters. After all, these two men only targeted families with daughters and did not really bother anyone else. Old Madam Fan, on the other hand, bullied people from every household. Whenever anyone provoked Old Madam Fan, their neighbors would not have a peaceful time as well. As time passed, everyone had heard of Old Madam Fan. The landlord was so frightened that he kept nodding and said, "I''ll change it for you now Anything you want" Su Yang was no longer satisfied with bedding and blankets. He decided to get whatever he lacked from the landlord. In any case, the landlord was a salvager and kept all kinds of things that others threw out. He even had all sorts of clothes. Although these clothes were all damaged in some ways, one just needed to mend them and they would become wearable again. He did not intend to spend the four dollars for nothing. He must get his money''s worth! The landlord must provide everything that he did not have. In the future, the landlord would also have to pay for the electricity, water, gas and heating for the room. He did not intend to fork out any money. The entire time, Qiao Yu leaned against the window and looked out silently. She did not find anything wrong with Su Yang''s behavior at all. The things that Qiao Zhuang and her brothers had done previously were much worse than what Su Yang was doing. They had even attempted to commit murder and arson. A fight was only a small thing. When Qiao Yu saw Su Yang slowly walking towards her, she quickly went to set the table and placed the dishes on the table one by one. Su Yang looked at Qiao Yu in satisfaction. This was how a young wife should behave. After the room was cleaned up, it actually felt quite cozy and a little homely. If Qiao Yu could continue to behave like this and do whatever he said, then it would be fine even if she did not have the support of her relatives. "Not bad. You even clean up the crockery and cutlery," Su Yang said with some consolation. "It''s not like I don''t know anything at all! What did you say to him just now? Why were you arguing?" Qiao Yu asked. She did not show any trace of cowardice or fear and her eyes were filled with curiosity. Su Yang looked at Qiao Yu in surprise and asked in a gentle manner, "Aren''t you afraid of how I behaved just now?" When they were at the factory, Su Yang always showed his best side to Qiao Yu, worried that he would scare her away. Previously, when Qiao Yu refused to budge even after he had been so nice to her, he almost revealed his true colors and wanted to beat her up. Fortunately, he had held back at that time. "It''s alright. It just seems like the two of you were quarreling about something. I don''t think the landlord has a good attitude either. I''m just worried that something will happen to you and that you''ll get bullied," Qiao Yu said quietly with her head lowered. "I just want him to send what we need over to us. He also has a lot of clothes that you can wear. You should know how to do needlework, right? Just mend the clothes and make do with it first," Su Yang said happily. Qiao Yu immediately became unhappy. Why was he giving her tattered stuff? Was she a salvager? Or did he think that she only deserved tattered clothes? Chapter 942 - 942 Warded for Treatment 942 Warded for Treatment The dishes that Su Yang bought today were all vegetarian dishes, and they were even the cheapest ones in the restaurant. Qiao Yu looked at the two dishes in front of her that did not even have any oil on them and promptly lost her appetite. Su Yang pretended not to see anything and focused on eating. Which family could afford to eat meat for every meal? He still had to give Old Madam Fan a portion of his meat coupons every month! He did not have enough to give to Qiao Yu! After eating and drinking his fill, Su Yang went to the landlords house to take many things. Qiao Yu put them in the room one by one. Su Yang had stolen some coal and kept them in the room. As soon as the stove was lit, the entire room became very warm. To ensure that Qiao Yu would not run out of coal when he was not around, Su Yang packed a lot of coal inside cardboard boxes for Qiao Yu to keep aside. Not bad. Its much more comfortable now, Su Yang said as he looked at the room in satisfaction. Qiao Yu also had a strange feeling in her heart. This was the first time in her life that she had a place to live alone and a shelter of her own. It was as if she finally understood what it felt like to have a home. At night, Su Yang had to go back to his own home. He could not stay at Qiao Yus place for too long, otherwise Old Madam Fan would become suspicious. The hospital was a very busy place even when it was late at night. All the doctors and nurses had to be vigilant at all times. They needed to know each patients condition like the back of their hands and observe the patients for any abnormalities at all times. If there were any abnormalities, they must act on saving the patients immediately. Xia He asked someone to help her call all the hospitals to search for Sun Juan and Zhou Shuang. In the end, their names were found to be registered in the hospital that Xia Fang worked in. Xia Fang happened to be on duty at the hospital tonight. When she saw Xia He, she thought that her eyes were playing tricks on her. Xiao He? Why are you here? Xia Fang asked in puzzlement. From the looks of it, Xia He did not seem to be sick. She looked good, her face was rosy and there was no sign of pain on her face. Could it be Qiao Mei Xia Fangs eyes gradually filled with fear. Xia He grabbed Xia Fangs hand and quickly said, Im fine! Qiao Mei is fine too! Dont think too much! Everyone in the family is fine! Oh Then why are you here at the hospital? Are you here to look for me? Xia Fang asked. Its a long story. Ill go and settle this matter first. Ill tell you when Im done, Xia He said. As Xia He was not heading to the obstetrics and gynecology department and it was not appropriate for Xia Fang to go to another departments wards, she did not go with Xia He. She went to do her ward rounds first and told Xia He to wait for her in her office after she was done. Xia He quickly found Sun Juan and Zhou Shuang by following the nurses directions. Both women had similar injuries, but Zhou Shuangs injuries were more serious. The doctor said that there were slight fractures in her left ribs and she needed to rest in bed for a period of time. Sun Juan only suffered an impact on her abdomen and her internal organs were fine. She could be discharged from the hospital soon. Sun Juan and Zhou Shuang were not in the same ward, so Feng Hong had no choice but to go and take care of the more seriously injured Zhou Shuang. She would return to take care of Sun Juan after Zhou Shuang fell asleep. Sister Sun, dont call me Boss Xia. Just call me Xiao He. Qiao Mei heard that both of you were unwell but its inconvenient for her to come, so she asked me to hurry down to visit both of you. Have you paid for your hospitalization fees? Xia He asked as she sat on the stool meant for Sun Juans caregiver. Yes, we have. Its not like in the past when we didnt dare to come to the hospital for treatment. We can afford the fees now. And its all thanks to the both of you, Sun Juan said gratefully. Thats good. In a while, Ill arrange for you and Zhou Shuang to be reassigned to a double ward. This will also make it easier for Sister Feng to take care of both of you. Otherwise, if she has to go back and forth between the two wards, shell collapse from exhaustion when you recover, Xia He said. Sun Juan quickly rejected the idea and said, The doctor says that I can be discharged very soon. Im generally fine, but I still need one more day of observation tomorrow to see if there are any other symptoms regarding my head. Everything else is fine. Once Im discharged, I can take turns with Feng Hong to take care of Zhou Shuang. Chapter 943 - 943 Render Help Wherever Possible 943 Render Help Wherever Possible Xia He did not know Zhou Shuangs family situation and whether she had anyone to accompany her or take care of her. However, based on what Sun Juan said, there was probably no one else at home. Among the three women, Feng Hong was the only one who was doing quite well. However, Feng Hongs husband often stayed out and did not go home. Zhou Shuang had even seen Feng Hongs husband hugging another woman outside. Feng Hong was aware of all these. Every time Feng Hongs husband came home, he would behave like he loved Feng Hong very much. He probably felt a sense of guilt towards Feng Hong. Fortunately, her son was quite capable and his results had always been excellent. His teacher even said that he would be able to enter the university! For the sake of her son, she would endure everything and she did not want him to know about what was happening between her and her husband. It would not be too late to get a divorce only after her son went to university. Everyone had their own problems when it came to their families. Every family had its own difficulties. That was why they always looked at Li Gui with awe. It was really rare for a woman to be brave enough to get a divorce in this era, especially since Li Gui still had to take care of four young children alone. What exactly happened? Why are the two of you so seriously injured? You were fine when you headed home yesterday, Xia He asked curiously. Sun Juan told Xia He everything that happened at Zhou Shuangs house. Xia He looked at Sun Juan in shock and was rendered speechless. This was such an unexpected disaster! Su Yang had beaten up other people randomly for his own selfish reasons and even robbed them! This was a very serious matter! He must be severely punished! Then have you made a police report? Xia He asked with a frown. Xia He did not know what to do at that moment. She still had to discuss the countermeasures with Qiao Mei. Any casual decision she made now could put Qiao Mei in a difficult position. Qiao Mei asked me to give you this as she cant come and visit you. Heres 100 dollars, 50 dollars each for you and Zhou Shuang. Take it as a token from her. Its late and I should go back now. Ill come and see you again tomorrow morning. Xia He smiled and put the money in the drawer. She ignored Sun Juans refusal and ran out. Xia He knew that if she had given the money to Sun Juan directly, Sun Juan definitely would not accept it. She had to do it in such a way that Sun Juan could not reject her. Although the women had earned some money in the past half a month, the medical fees would still be quite a heavy burden on them. Moreover, they had to pay for all three meals at the hospital every day, so it would be good to render help to them whenever possible. She went to Zhou Shuangs ward and stood outside the door to take a look. Zhou Shuang was still lying unconscious on the bed and Feng Hong was wiping her down. Xia He did not go in and turned around to go and discuss with Xia Fang on whether she could be of any help in this matter. Aunt, are you still busy? Xia He smiled as she pushed open the door. Xia Fang lay on the sofa tiredly and said, Im not busy, but I have to go and check on the patients vitals every once in a while. Hows the thing you need to handle? Have you settled it? No, I still have to discuss it in depth with Qiao Mei. There are too many issues involved, Xia He said with a sigh. By the way, do you know that Xia Wen has moved back to your mothers place alone? Xia Fang said. Xia He said in shock, When did this happen! I dont know anything! Recently, they all had too many things to do and everyone was overwrought. Xia Wen faced pressure from his family, Xia He was troubled by the changes in her job, and Qiao Mei had to handle all these everyday issues. Everyone had their own problems, but they all looked out for one another and did not want to cause any more trouble than necessary. I think its something recent. I also heard about this from your second aunt-in-law. Do you need my help with this matter youre facing at the hospital? The director of the orthopedics department is my husbands relative, Xia Fang asked. Xia He shook her head and said, Theres probably no need for that for now. I still have to go back and talk to Qiao Mei. I cant make the decision on this matter. Hows Qiao Meis health recently? Does she feel any discomfort? After you go back, persuade her to come to the hospital for a checkup. Shes almost due. Otherwise, we can get a VIP single room for her at the hospital, Xia Fang said worriedly. Chapter 944 Tough Training ? There were both single and double rooms in the VIP wards in this hospital. This year, they received another donation from a charity organization to build a new VIP maternity ward. The charges for these VIPwards were much higher than ordinary wards. Apart from high-ranking officials and dignitaries, ordinary people could not afford to stay in them at all. The rooms were empty anyway. If Qiao Mei came to stay in the hospital, it would also generate income for the hospital. This could not be considered a waste of medical resources. Not only could they protect her safety, but the hospital could make money as well. It was like killing two birds with one stone. "Based on my observations, she keeps going to the toilet at night and sleeps most of the time during the day. During this period of time, she hasn''t been sleeping well. She eats normally and everything seems fine. It''s just that she doesn''t have proper sleep, which is quite worrying," Xia He said as she recalled what she had observed. These were all normal symptoms of pregnancy and there was no need for special care. Everything would get better after she gave birth. There was nothing anyone could do to help her at the moment. "It''s good as long as she can still eat. The rest are normal symptoms of late stage pregnancy. It''s better that you sleep in my lounge tonight. It''s too late and I''m worried for your safety if you go back now," Xia Fang said. "I''d better go back. Qiao Mei is still waiting for me at home. I''m worried that she''ll look for me at night. Currently, there''s only her mother and me staying with her in the front yard. I''ll feel unsettled if I don''t go back," Xia He said worriedly. Xia Fang did not insist that Xia He stay behind and called the Xia family''s chauffeur to come and pick her up. She would feel more at ease knowing that there was someone sending Xia He home. The next day was not as quiet and peaceful as Xia He had imagined. The four children groaned endlessly in the courtyard, especially Zhang Miao, who was even louder than the big rooster next door. Those who did not know better would think that the people in the house were abusing the children! "Stand properly! Put your hands together on the crease of your pants! Raise your head and puff out your chest! Look straight ahead!" Zheng Peng sternly held out the ruler to guide the children''s movements. As there were both boys and girls among the four children, it was inappropriate for Zheng Peng to use his hands to guide the two girls'' movements given that he was a male teacher, so he needed to use a ruler. Physical fitness was also an important subject in school. Zhang Wei''s training was different from the other three children. As he had already built up a certain level of foundation in Foshan Village, he was asked to start with the horse stance while carrying weights and he trained alone. "From now on, all of you will stand there for 30 minutes without moving! Zhang Wei will do the horse stance for one hour! If anyone moves or does not meet the standards, you will have to continue for an additional five minutes. Do you understand!" Zheng Peng said sternly. "Understood!" the four children shouted softly. Zheng Peng looked at them sharply as he said loudly, "What did you say! Louder! Are you still sleeping!" "Understood!!!" the four children shouted with all their might. Zheng Peng did not stay idle either. He stood in front of the children in a standard military posture to set an example for them. By doing this, he could also better supervise whether each child was maintaining a standard posture. Qiao Qiang sat in the long corridor, drinking tea with relish and looking at the children. When he looked at Zheng Peng, it was as if he was looking at himself in the military camp back then. Those days were really unforgettable. Qiao Mei rubbed her eyes in dissatisfaction and went to the backyard. After hearing Zheng Peng''s yells, she had goosebumps all over her body. She recalled those days of military training in university in her other life. She had to run five kilometers every day and needed to take part in marathons at times. It was simply hellish torture. "Grandfather, isn''t this training not so good for the children" Qiao Mei slowly walked to Qiao Qiang''s side and asked softly. "Huh? Which part do you think is not good?" Qiao Qiang asked. "Among these children, only Zhang Wei will be going to the military academy. It must be very tiring to go through such physical training." Qiao Mei looked at the other three children with heartache. However, Qiao Qiang had a different opinion from Qiao Mei. He looked at the children and said, "We''re not in the village now. It''s been a long time since they went out to run around. Do you still remember what they used to do? It''s not good for their physical development if they''re kept inside the house like this. Besides, we''re relatives with the Xia family. If these children''s standards are too far off compared with the Xia family''s children, how do you expect them to get along with people from the Xia family in the future?" Everything that Qiao Qiang said made sense. She really did not think of this part. Although Li Gui and the children had their own house and social activities, they would inevitably have to interact with the Xia family in the future. They would also have to interact with people in the same social circle as the Xia family, so it was better not to have too much of a gap with them. Chapter 945 - 945 Honing Mental Strength 945 Honing Mental Strength Thank you readers! Qiao Mei also hoped that these children would be able to choose the path they liked in the future. Any path was fine as long as they chose it themselves and did not regret it. However, she could not help but be like most parents who wanted their children to develop well and take a better path. Every family wanted to pave a smooth path for their children. Everyone hoped that their children would have a smooth journey without any obstacles. Then do the two girls need to be trained in the same way as the boys? Qiao Mei asked. Look at Xia He. She trained under Xia Xiu when she was young. See how capable she is now? Qiao Qiang said. There were no weak children in the Xia family. Given that there were merits to this method of education, it was better to leave it at that for now. Xia He was also woken up by the sounds of the training session. As she woke up in shock, she thought that she had returned to the days when she was young and still in the military academy. She almost stood up to shout out her attendance. At that time, she had to get up for training before dawn and did not even have time to eat breakfast. She never wanted a repeat of those miserable days. Elder sister, youre up too. When Qiao Mei heard a noise behind her, she turned around to greet Xia He. Thats right. I woke up in fright when I heard the words puff out your chest and raise your head. Those memories are really unforgettable. The memories from when I was young have all come back to me, Xia He said in pain. When she was young, she had been reprimanded by many teachers about how her back was hunched. She often had to stand against the wall as punishment. Sometimes, she had to stand there for an entire day and her entire back would ache. However, she had never regretted the experience. Instead, she was very grateful to those teachers for their strictness back then. If not for the tough training back then, she would not be able to have her current achievements. Elder sister, do you think its good for them to do this? I still think its better to let them choose their own path, Qiao Mei said awkwardly. Xia He had never brought up children before and did not know how to educate them. However, her own experience when she was young had taught her that only through hardship could one rise above others. If one lived a luxurious life from a young age and did not have to worry about anything, one would not have the tenacious willpower to overcome difficulties when something really happened. I think theyre still young and need us to guide them. This isnt a bad thing and we can let the children learn how to protect themselves. Theyve been bullied so much since they were young. If we cant protect them one day, dont they need to be able to protect themselves too? Xia He looked at the children and said meaningfully. The Xia family had been kept in the loop about Qiao Meis family matters and knew very well that the children had been trafficked previously. As the saying went, flowers and plants that were carefully taken care of would always be weaker than wildflowers that had endured the wind and rain in nature and still stood strong. Only with constant training could one bring out the best in oneself. Qiao Mei was convinced by Xia Hes point of view. Her initial heartache for the children gradually faded. I think Zhang Miao will cry in another 10 minutes. Lets go and cook something delicious for them as a reward. Otherwise, they wont be able to make it to the afternoon session, Qiao Mei said. It was a rare sunny day today. Qiao Mei put on the anti-slip shoes that Xu Lan had bought for her and put on many layers of warm clothes before going out to buy groceries with Xia He. She had been staying at home for the past two days and was feeling suffocated from the boredom. By now, Li Gui had also learned to ride the three-wheeled vehicle skillfully. Qiao Qiang modified the other two three-wheeled vehicles at home and attached them to Li Guis vehicle. This way, Li Gui could set off alone to deliver the goods herself. The combined vehicle was much heavier than her usual single vehicle. This time, Zhao Fei arrived before she did. When he saw Li Gui struggling, he quickly went forward to help. Auntie, you have modified the vehicles! Youre really knowledgeable! How did you ride it over when its so heavy? This path is uphill, Zhao Fei asked with a smile. Li Gui panted heavily and said, Sigh! I didnt expect this either. My family member modified the vehicle for me. It looks good, but my stamina cant keep up! By the way! My daughter wants me to give you a present. Chapter 946 - 946 Bargaining Again 946 Bargaining Again Zhao Fei looked at Li Gui expectantly. He had never received any gift in his entire life. He wondered what Li Gui wanted to give him. Could it be clothes? Or shoes? Or gloves or something like that. Thank you readers! Li Gui took out a pager from the vehicle and handed it to Zhao Fei. The young man held the pager for a long time and could not come back to his senses. When he confirmed that it was really a pager, he almost flew up in joy. He had seen this thing in the shop windows of the stores selling electronic products, but he had never touched the actual thing! It must cost a few thousand dollars! It was too valuable a gift to accept! Auntie, this is too expensive a gift. I definitely cant accept it. Keep it for yourself. I have a phone at home! Take it back. You cant give it to me! Zhao Fei said in a panic. Take it! If I say its for you, then its yours. This is our partnership gift. Take it as my red packet to you for the new year! You have to accept it! What if youre not at home when I need to look for you urgently? Its more convenient to have this thing with you. My child has written a manual with instructions. I think you young people definitely learn things quickly, so take it back and study it yourself. Im leaving! Quick, go sell the goods! After saying that, Li Gui turned around and walked back. !! Zhao Fei held the pager in his hand and had very complex feelings. He really did not know how to express his gratitude to Li Gui and her daughter. Right now, he was earning more money than before and his life was getting much better. This was all thanks to Li Gui and her family. If not for Li Gui, he would not even be able to earn so much money in a month! Not only were Li Gui and her family all kind-hearted people, but they were also generous and treated him like one of their own. He had not felt the warmth of a family for a long time. If there was ever a chance, he would definitely want to acknowledge Li Gui as his godmother! He just did not know if Li Gui and her daughter would mind. This also made him more determined to sell the goods well. Not only did he want to become rich himself, but he also wanted to make more money for Li Gui and her family so that they could all have better lives together! On the other side, Xia He and Qiao Mei walked slowly along the road and looked around at their surroundings. From time to time, they would greet the neighbors. How about we buy a chicken? Ask Auntie to make chicken soup for us tonight. I feel like drinking the chicken soup she makes! Xia He said. No problem. Lets buy the biggest one and we can also buy other types of meat. Qiao Mei wanted to buy everything she saw. She had not been out for a long time and wanted to take this opportunity to shop more! Soon, Xia He had more and more things in her hands. In the end, she was so tired that she could not even straighten her back. She looked up and saw that Qiao Mei had bought another big watermelon that was actually out of season. Qiao Mei had bought another one because she thought that one was not enough! Qiao Mei! Are you trying to kill me! Stop buying! If you buy any more things, we wont be able to go home! Xia He said with her back hunched and her hands almost reaching her knees. Qiao Mei looked around and immediately saw a very big three-wheeled vehicle parked next to the vegetable stall in front of them. Qiao Mei shouted enthusiastically at the peddlers, Do you give rides on this three-wheeled vehicle! I want to get a ride! How much are you offering? the stall owner asked. It was the peak timing to sell vegetables. There were many people and business was booming. If Qiao Mei could not give them a reasonable fee, they would not do it. Tell me how much you want to charge! I dont know the market price either! Qiao Mei said humbly. The stall owner and his wife looked at each other and finally decided to give a lift to Qiao Mei for two dollars. Their three-wheeled vehicle was very big and could seat six adults at one time. It would be easy to send Qiao Mei and Xia He home with all their groceries. Thats too expensive! How about one dollar! Qiao Mei bargained. Qiao Mei agreed readily without a second thought. Xia He stood rooted to the ground and watched in a daze as Qiao Mei bargained with the stall owner. This girl could buy 2,000 dollars worth of jewelry with a wave of her hand, but she actually wanted to bargain down a two-dollar fare. What a strange person. Xia He did not expect her to have such a concept when it came to spending money. Chapter 947 - 947 To Be Strict With Oneself 947 To Be Strict With Oneself Thank you readers! Xia Hes expression now was the same as the one on Xia Wens face when he saw Qiao Mei bargaining with the owner on the price when buying the house. They both found her to be unbelievable. Lets go, elder sister! Get in! Qiao Mei said happily. The stall owner and Xia He quickly moved all the groceries onto the vehicle. The back of this vehicle was the same as any other three-wheeled vehicle. The difference was that he had welded two platforms on both sides so that people could sit down on them. Xia He did not allow Qiao Mei to sit on the platform. She was worried that Qiao Mei would fall over when the stall owner braked. It was simply too dangerous. The stall owner placed a small stool in the back of the vehicle with two layers of cushions on it so that Qiao Mei could have a comfortable seat on the way home. Boss, are you a local? While they were on the way, Qiao Mei asked in a familiar manner. Yes, Im a local. Im just a peddler, not a big boss. My surname is Wang. I see that youre quite young, so you can call me Uncle Wang! the stall owner said. Qiao Mei quickly replied, Oh my, how can I call you Uncle Wang. I dont think youre that old. I should call you Brother Wang! Brother Wang, you have such a big stall so why cant you be considered a boss? Your business will only get bigger in the future, Brother Wang! Brother Wang was so amused by Qiao Mei that he laughed out loud and said, Youre such a sweet-talker! This was originally my parents business. I guess you can say that I inherited the family business! I dont know what else I can do. Xia He sat at the side and watched Qiao Mei chatting with Brother Wang. By the time they reached home, Qiao Mei had already asked Brother Wang about the number of people there were in his family, his parents health, where he lived and where his children went to school. She was just short of asking Brother Wang about all his ancestors. Brother Wang! Thank you so much! Ill go to your stall to buy vegetables next time! Lets keep in touch! Qiao Mei waved goodbye to Brother Wang happily. Xia He slowly moved all the groceries into the kitchen. This morning, she had learned something new. No wonder even Xia Wen said that he could not deal with Qiao Mei. Being someone who could deal with the entire He family alone, Qiao Mei was definitely not as obedient and nice as she looked. That young brat, Xia Zhe, was really lucky to have married such a good wife. Qiao Mei also wanted to help Xia He in some way, but every time she tried, Xia He would reprimand her. Later on, Qiao Mei accepted the fact that she was supposed to be living a pampered life and did not do anything to make Xia He angry. The childrens first round of training in the backyard had already ended. As expected, all the children were lying motionlessly on the ground. Zheng Peng simply let them do whatever they wanted. They would get up once they felt that the ground was too cold. It was not as if they were fools. Otherwise, should he provide a bed for each of them? He disliked spoilt brats the most. When Zheng Peng was young, his father had once asked him to run outside half-naked on a snowy day. His father said that it was to train his character, but in reality, it was to punish him for stealing and eating Zheng Yuans pastries. Qiao Mei did not meddle with Zheng Pengs training methods and sat down with Qiao Qiang to drink tea and watch what was going on. Everyone, get up and stand at attention! Follow the same formation as before! Zheng Peng shouted sternly. The children moved very quickly and immediately lined up in a row according to their sizes. Their postures were already much better than before. Ill give you 10 minutes to go back to your rooms and tidy up your bedding and messy clothes. If you dont come out within 10 minutes, you will be punished by having to stand in a military posture for 30 minutes after dinner! Are you ready! Zheng Peng shouted as he looked at the watch on his wrist. The children straightened their backs and shouted, Ready! Go! Zheng Peng gave the order and the four children rushed into the rooms like arrows released from a bow. Zheng Peng did not wander around. Instead, he stood in a military posture and maintained the standard of a teacher at all times. Since he was their role model, he must also be strict with himself and set an example for them. What right did he have to ask the children to do things that even he himself could not do? Qiao Meis opinion of Zheng Peng had also changed a little. He was completely different from her original stereotypical impression of him. She had thought that people in the art world were more free-spirited, but she did not expect there to be an artist who would be so strict with himself. Chapter 948 - 948 Nothing Good Will Come of It 948 Nothing Good Will Come of It Grandfather, why didnt you train me like this when I was young? Qiao Mei asked as she looked at Qiao Qiang curiously. Thank you readers! Qiao Qiang became lost in his thoughts for a long time. Even now, he could still remember the first time he saw Qiao Mei when he returned to the village. She was such a thin and tiny child with sunken collarbone and ribs. It was as if he could break Qiao Meis fragile bones using just a little bit of force. She was like a skinny kitten who was lying in the pigsty on her last breath. At that time, Qiao Mei had already suffered too much. Furthermore, she was Qiao Yues only daughter. He could not bear to let Qiao Mei go through such physical training. Later on, however, he often wondered if he had spoiled Qiao Mei too much. Her massive size and vengeful temper made many villagers come to complain to him. Qiao Qiang would just smile and forget about it. Sometimes, when the villagers went a little too far with their comments, Qiao Qiang would even quarrel with them. You dont need to join the army, so why should I train you? Besides, in the entire village, who can bully you? What should I be worried about? Qiao Qiang said matter-of-factly. That does make sense. Qiao Mei laughed awkwardly. The original owner of the body was famous for her violent temper. While Qiao Mei and Qiao Qiang chatted, 10 minutes passed quickly. Everyone, come and stand in the courtyard! 10 minutes is up! Zheng Peng shouted loudly. The children had no choice but to put down everything in their hands and walk out quickly. Zhang Wei wanted things to look perfect so he packed up the things on the table before he left, thus causing some delay. Zhang Wei! Step forward! Zheng Peng shouted as he looked at Zhang Wei sternly. Zhang Wei stepped out with fear and lowered his head, not daring to look into Zheng Pengs eyes. It was as if one look from Zheng Peng could condemn him to eternal damnation. Those eagle-like eyes would definitely become a source of trauma for the children in the future. Do you know why I asked you to come out? If you answer correctly, you wont be punished, Zheng Peng said. Report! I continued to clean up the room after the time was up! I violated the rule! Zhang Wei said softly. Zheng Peng had no intention of reprimanding Zhang Wei. He turned and went to inspect the other childrens rooms. The bedding in every room was not up to standard and the neatness did not even meet the most basic standard. The blankets that they folded were all crooked. However, Zheng Peng did not reprimand them like before. Instead, he asked the three children to wash their hands and get ready to have their meals. Then, he brought Zhang Wei into the room. Do you know what you did wrong? Zheng Peng asked. Zhang Wei thought carefully for a moment and said, I didnt complete the mission that you gave me. I even violated the rules. Zheng Peng shook his head and said to Zhang Wei in all seriousness, My original intention of giving you this mission is to improve your speed and daily habits. Its not embarrassing to be unable to finish. I hope that you will strictly abide by the rules and continue to work hard to do better in the future. As long as you train again and again, there will come a time when you will meet the standard. Do you understand? I understand. Ill train hard, Zhang Wei said with a smile. Zheng Peng gave Zhang Wei a hard pat on the shoulder and asked him to join his younger siblings. It would put a serious strain on the childrens bodies if he trained them before they had dinner, so it was better to wait for a while. Qiao Mei, come with me to look for Aunt when youre free. Yesterday, I ran into Aunt when I went to the hospital to visit Sun Juan. Shes quite worried about your health, Xia He said. Qiao Mei rejected the request without a second thought. She knew that other women would only go to the hospital when they were about to give birth. She was still a long time away from her due date. She would not have the same kind of freedom she had at home if she went to the hospital. Her diet would be fixed by someone else and there would be a lot of restrictions. She could only walk around in the small ward twice a day. Living such a life was simply a fate worse than death. I dont want to go. Ill go when Im due, Qiao Mei said with a pout. Even if you dont want to stay there, you should at least get a checkup done. If youre disobedient, Ill have to tell Xia Zhe. Then hell deal with you when he comes back! Nothing good will come out of it! Xia He said smugly. Chapter 949 - 949 The ATM” Is Here 949 The ATM Is Here Have Father or eldest brother received any news about Xia Zhe recently? Or letters from Xia Zhe or something, Qiao Mei asked. Thank you readers! Ever since Xia Zhe made the phone call to mediate the relationship between Qiao Mei and Xu Lan, Qiao Mei had not received any more news about Xia Zhe. Xia Mao only told her that Xia Zhe was on a mission and it was not convenient for him to reveal any details. The only thing he could tell her was that Xia Zhe was very safe at the moment. Earlier, she had asked Xia Mao to help her send the liquid made from the 1000-year-old ginseng to Xia Zhe and he had already received it. Otherwise, Qiao Mei would be more worried about Xia Zhes safety than now. With the 1,000-year-old ginseng liquid, Xia Zhe would have a much higher chance of survival if he was ever in danger. Although Xia He had previously been married for so many years, she had never experienced what Qiao Mei was going through. Kong Lus job was not as dangerous as Xia Zhes. It was considered one of the easier jobs in the army. He could call her every day and did not get sent on secret missions. During his vacation leave period, he could always go home. Although they were both wives of military men, things were very different. It was really tough for Qiao Mei to be pregnant and on her own for 10 months. It was very likely that Xia Zhe would still be on a mission when Qiao Mei gave birth and he could not come back on time. However, Qiao Mei understood Xia Zhes situation very well and did not resent him for it. Xia Zhe was protecting the people of the entire country, so she would play her part to protect their own little family. She saw it as a good division of labor. He hasnt said anything to us, but based on previous experiences, no news is good news, Xia He said. What about eldest brother? Xia Zhe did not contact eldest brother too? Qiao Mei continued to ask. Xia Wen had so much stuff to handle that he did not have the energy to think about Xia Zhes issues now. Although he was not facing any setbacks in his career, the trivialities in his life were more than a handful for him. No, he didnt. Yesterday, Aunt told me that eldest brother is injured and is now staying at Mothers place. This whole matter is quite strange. Eldest brother didnt explain how he got injured. In the past, eldest brother wouldnt go home to seek help from our parents no matter how difficult the situation was. Hes a very stubborn person. I dont know what happened, but hes acting abnormally, Xia He said in puzzlement. Let eldest brother handle his own matters. We cant interfere even if we want to, Qiao Mei said as she continued to embroider the clothes. There was a high chance that it had something to do with the Tan family. Since Xia Wen did not say anything, it was not convenient for them to get involved in the conflict between the couple. As she spoke, there was a knock on the main door. Xia He thought that Li Gui had forgotten her keys, so she quickly ran to the door and opened it with a smile. Auntie, youre back! Theres still food in the pot! You Why are you here? Is our house a place you can visit? Get lost! When Xia He saw that the person standing outside the door was He Ning, her expression changed drastically. The incident of the He family causing Qiao Mei to have a miscarriage was still vivid in her mind, yet this man still dared to take the initiative to come looking for Qiao Mei. This was simply the highest level of shamelessness! He Ning did not care about Xia Hes scolding at all. She always made a great show of strength, but she did not use her brains well. She was not even as capable as one of Xia Wens fingers. She only had brute strength and good looks, but nothing else. Im here to return money to Qiao Mei. May I trouble you to go and ask her if she wants the money? He Ning said with a gentle smile. Xia He closed the main door reluctantly and slowly walked back into the house. Theres a short-lived person outside whos here to return you money. Short-lived and returning money? That meant that her ATM, He Ning, was here! Coincidentally, she was a little short of money recently, so He Ning had come at the right time. Elder sister, let him in. They wont be able to do anything in broad daylight, Qiao Mei said. Xia He was still unwilling to let He Ning inside. She crossed her arms and leaned against the door frame as she said, Dont forget what the He family did to you back then. It all happened in broad daylight. Theres nothing that those heartless people from the He family dare not do. As long as they can achieve their goal, they will work hard to achieve it no matter the price. He Nings life is in our hands now. He wont do anything to me. Besides, dont I still have you by my side? If he makes any rash moves, just whack him! Qiao Mei said with a smile. Chapter 950 - 950 Rather Believe in Ghosts 950 Rather Believe in Ghosts What are you doing here! Are you here to hurt my daughter again! Li Gui rushed to the main door and shouted as she spread out her arms to block the door. Thank you readers! The passers-by looked at He Ning suspiciously. He Ning did not know how to explain himself. Why did the Xia and Qiao families think that he was here to harm Qiao Mei? Was this how the Xia and Qiao families treated their guests? Previously, when they were in the village, Li Gui did not know who He Ning was and even cooked many nice dishes for him. However, after Qiao Mei told her that his name was He Ning, her attitude took a 180-degree turn. He Ning sometimes wondered if there was something wrong with his name for him to be hated by so many people. Perhaps he needed to consider changing his name. Huo Gao looked at He Ning helplessly every time something like this happened. How could he really not know why everyone despised him! Im here to deliver money to Qiao Mei, not to harm her, He Ning explained resignedly. Li Gui still had a doubtful look on her face. Which bad guy would admit that he was a bad guy! He Ning was a scheming person and could lie about anything! She would rather believe that there were ghosts in this world than believe what He Ning said! Who knows if youre telling the truth! Since youre here to deliver money, then just put it down! Well amend the IOU! Then you can leave quickly! Li Gui said. He Ning had a whole new level of respect for Li Gui. He did not expect Li Gui to be so knowledgeable. The process she rattled off was clear and correct and she was completely different from the illiterate woman he met previously. Worldly exposure could really bring about a huge change to people. The person I owe money to is Qiao Mei. I wont return the money until I see Qiao Mei in person, He Ning said. Li Gui did not hesitate at all and said, Then you can go back. We dont lack that bit of money! He Ning did not say a word. Why did they behave like rich people now? Did money no longer hold any attraction? Why were the members of this family all so strange? Xia He quickly walked to Li Guis side and said, Qiao Mei says you can come in with the money. The rest should wait outside the door. He Ning readily agreed to Qiao Meis request and was even self-aware enough to empty out his pocket and leave his things with his attendant. He did not bring anything else with him. Are we going to let him in just like that? No! We cant let him get close to Qiao Mei! Li Gui said worriedly. Xia He held Li Gui back and whispered, Its fine. Theres no problem if hes on his own. Qiao Mei tells us not to worry, so we should choose to believe her. Li Gui had no choice but to take a step back to let He Ning in. From the moment He Ning stepped in, Li Gui stared at him the entire time. She held a stick tightly in her hand and did not even dare to blink, worried that Qiao Mei would be harmed if she let her guard down for even one second. Hence, the scene that Qiao Mei saw was one of He Ning walking at the front righteously while Xia He and Li Gui supervised He Ning from both sides and walked with all kinds of strange postures. Even though they wanted to keep an eye on He Ning in case he wanted to harm her, Li Gui and Xia He were far more eye-catching now! How much did you bring? Qiao Mei asked with a smile. Not much. Business is only so-so recently. Heres 50,000 dollars, He Ning said as he patted the case. Ill accept this 50,000 dollars. Give me another 100,000 dollars within half a month. Otherwise, I wont give you another ginseng. I can do business with anyone anyway. If youre not interested, there are plenty of high-ranking officials and dignitaries in the capital who want my ginseng, Qiao Mei said confidently. There are indeed many people who want your ginseng. However, not everyone can fork out as much money as me. Furthermore, once someone reports you for making a private transaction, what do you think will happen to you? He Ning narrowed his eyes and said as he looked at Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei was not worried about these things at all. She had so many ginsengs that they were like plain water to her. As long as she gave others a certain amount of benefits, they would help her out whenever she needed. Peoples hearts were driven by benefits. One could only tell if someone was a true friend after going through thick and thin together. You dont have to worry about whether anything will happen to me. However, if you dont have my ginseng, Im afraid something will really happen to you, Qiao Mei said. Chapter 951 - 951 Rich and Powerful 951 Rich and Powerful He Ning could not deny that what Qiao Mei said was true. Even if he bought thousands of ginsengs from other sellers, they could not compare to one ginseng from Qiao Mei. Thank you readers! That was how confident Qiao Mei was in herself. Moreover, He Ning could not find any loopholes or lapses in Qiao Meis dealings at all. If this one million dollars was put into the bank, she could make tens of thousands of dollars every year. Qiao Mei would be able to survive on the bank interest alone for the rest of her life. He Ning would then become of no value to her in the future. To her, the earlier he died, the less harm he would do to the world. Ginseng was different from other things. It took time to gather the essence of the sun and moon. The more aged it was, the more valuable it would be. He Ning could not possibly go to Foshan Village to grow ginseng himself just to spite Qiao Mei. By the time the ginseng matured, he would already be dead! Right now, he must find at least one of Qiao Meis weaknesses and grasp it tightly. Only then could he have a say over this and take control of Qiao Mei. Alright You need to wait a while, He Ning said, swallowing his anger. We have to sign a new agreement for the next ginseng. Based on the way you return me the money, Im really worried that you wont be able to pay me the rest. In the beginning, we agreed that you would give me 600,000 dollars first once I come to the capital, but look at the amount youve given me so far. Its definitely not 600,000 dollars, Qiao Mei said disdainfully. He Ning just did not want to give all the money to Qiao Mei at one go. This way, he would not have the chance to come to Qiao Meis house to ask for a meal. However, Qiao Mei seemed to have already seen through his intentions. How could it be so difficult to freeload a meal! Could it be that he was being too obvious? I understand. He Ning looked at Qiao Mei expressionlessly, but he was still wondering if he would be able to stay for a meal later. Everyone looked at one another for a long time. Finally, Xia He could not help but say, Mr. He, is there anything else? Nothing else, He Ning said. Then please go back, Mr. He. We wont send you off, Xia He held back her temper and said politely. He Ning stared straight at Qiao Mei and asked, Arent you going to ask me to stay for a meal? The corners of Qiao Meis mouth twitched slightly. This person was really way too direct and obvious nowadays. He used to be more subtle about what he wanted. Theres no more food at home. We have so many mouths to feed and theres not enough food. How can there be any leftovers? You have come at the wrong time. Li Gui looked at He Ning in disdain, her eyes filled with contempt and scorn for him. He was from such a successful family, so why would he always come to their house to ask for a meal? Was it their family asking the He family for help or the He family asking them for help? He acted as if Qiao Mei was the one who owed him something and he had no sense of propriety at all. He Ning had no choice but to leave Qiao Meis house dejectedly. The attendant had thought that he could take a nap in the car and did not expect He Ning to come out so quickly. He had such a shock that he quickly got out of the car and opened the car door. Sir, slow down the attendant said respectfully. He Ning glared at his attendant, then turned around to look at Qiao Meis main door before getting into the car glumly. The Xia familys spies, who were hiding nearby, noted down everything that happened and quickly went to send a report to Xia Mao. No matter how much Li Gui liked money, she did not even look at the money case that He Ning had brought. Qiao Mei, how much money does he still owe you? If its not a lot, lets just forget it. Its really dangerous to let such a person come to our house. Our family doesnt lack money, Li Gui said fearfully. Qiao Mei raised one finger silently. Li Gui laughed happily and said, Is it 10,000 dollars! Then lets forget it! 10,000 dollars is not a lot of money. If I make more popcorn, you can get 10,000 dollars in half a year. If its just 10,000 dollars then lets forget about it. Xia He looked at Li Gui with admiration in her eyes. That was an amount of 10,000 dollars that she was talking about. The previous Li Gui would split hair over every cent she spent, always concerned over whether the money was spent meaninglessly and worthlessly. Compared to money, Qiao Meis health was more important. At this critical moment, she could not afford to have any accidents. If He Ning came to say something nasty and cause Qiao Meis emotions to fluctuate too much, she might even go into premature labor. Money was just a worldly possession and one should not care too much about it. Chapter 952 - 952 An Ulterior Motive 952 An Ulterior Motive No, its one million dollars, Qiao Mei said casually. Thank you readers! Li Gui and Xia He stood rooted to the ground in shock and did not dare to move. Li Guis happy smile gradually froze on her face. How much? One million How much is one million 100 times 10,000 Oh my goodness, he owes you so much money Li Gui was completely dumbfounded. It was not just Li Gui who was flabbergasted. Xia He also could not believe what Qiao Mei just said. Even the Xia family would need to take a long time to save up 10,000 dollars. Their family expenses were very high and they spent a lot of money on their relatives and friends as well. They could not manage to save much money at all throughout the year. Before the children got married, they handed over their salaries to Xu Lan for safekeeping. Now that they had their own families, it was no longer possible for them to hand over all their money to Xu Lan. It was not easy for Xu Lan and Xia Mao to maintain such a big house with just her retirement pension and his salary. !! It would probably take all of them more than 60 years to save up an amount of one million dollars. No matter how rich the He family was, it should not be impossible for them to repay so much money quickly. Not long ago, the Xia family had worked with Jiang Jin to reopen the old case and even caused the He family to lose a lot of money! Qiao Mei, did you remember wrongly? Are you sure its not something like 100,000 dollars? Xia He asked suspiciously. Its really one million dollars, and theres still another amount of tens of thousands that he hasnt returned to me. I cant even remember the exact amount. He agreed to buy three 100-year-old ginsengs from me and Ive already dug them up for him. All thats left is for him to bring the money to collect the goods. I havent even received the entire amount for the first one. I dont feel like selling him the other two, Qiao Mei said. Li Gui and Xia He did not know what to say. They had rarely even seen 10,000 dollars in their lives and it was only because of Qiao Mei that they saw so much money. Xia He felt that the truckload of money and food stamps which He Ning sent over back then was already a lot. It was likely that even the people from the bank had never had to handle such a large sum of deposit at once. It took all the staff in the bank an entire morning to count all the funds. Previously, when Qiao Mei went to the bank to rent a safe, Xia He had gone with her. The bank staff were all very shocked by how Qiao Mei had so much money. The main thing was not about the money, but the fact that she did not choose to deposit such a huge amount of money into the bank to get interest, but chose to put everything in the safe. It was really puzzling for them. Xia He already felt that it was a huge expense for Qiao Mei to pay the bank 2,000 dollars a year to rent the safe. She did not expect that the bank would eventually have to pay Qiao Mei at least this amount in monthly interest in the future! It was simply too infuriating. Then then we must get the money Li Gui said. Dont worry, he wont do anything to me. Ist his intent just to come over here and eat? Qiao Mei said. The He family was a successful family and could have anything they wanted. Why would he take a fancy to Qiao Meis cooking? His motive was probably not that simple. Xia He looked out of the door meaningfully and recalled He Nings every move after he entered the house just now. Even when she and Li Gui questioned He Ning together, He Nings eyes remained fixed on Qiao Mei. Could it be that he had taken a fancy to Qiao Mei? Everyone said that He Ning was a very eligible bachelor with both money and good looks. Most importantly, he did not have long to live. Once He Ning died, the He familys assets would naturally fall into the hands of He Nings wife. Many young ladies from wealthy families tried their best to get a chance to marry He Ning. Some families had even arranged for 16-year-old girls to go on blind dates with He Ning, but they were all rejected by He Ning. Later on, He Ning himself spread the news that he was unwell and did not want to get married. Gradually, most people stopped their wishful thinking, but not everyone knew when to stop. There was a person who did not believe it and insisted on taking care of He Ning, firmly believing that as long as she took care of He Ning day after day, He Ning would develop feelings for her over time. In the end, He Ning suffered food poisoning from eating the food made by that young lady and was sent to the hospital. He was almost murdered. If not for the fact that the young ladys father gave He Ning a lot of shares in his company, his precious daughter would probably have to spend the rest of her life in prison. Xia He made up her mind to keep a close eye on Qiao Mei and not let any man get close to her. She must protect her sister-in-law well. Other than Qiao Mei, she would not acknowledge anyone else as Xia Zhes wife! Chapter 953 Unreasonable ? "It''s better not to tell anyone else at home about this. It''s enough for just the three of us to know. The more people who know, the more dangerous it will be for you. It might not be a good thing to have so much money," Xia He said cautiously. eglesnovel`c,om "Alright, I''ll do what you say," Qiao Mei said with a smile. Qiao Mei also understood what Xia He meant. There would not be any peace in the family, especially if Zhou Hua and Tan Jing found out about it. Tan Jing would only become more demanding and ask Xia Wen to come and ask Qiao Mei for things. She was only asking for the house now, but she might be asking for money in the future. Those were the type of people who did not want anyone else to live a happier life than them. If your life was going well, they would only be crazily jealous of you and even want to drag you down and ruin your family. Only then would they feel happy. They would continue to suck your blood under the pretext that relatives should help one another, until they completely drained you of everything that was of value to them. Zhou Hua was a perfect example. She just could not bear to see Xia Zhe''s whole family living better than hers. She could not understand why among Wu Min''s children, only the eldest son''s family benefited from the inheritance and no one else. That was why she made contact with He Ning and did something unfavorable to the Xia family. As soon as the farce in the front yard ended, a commotion broke out in the backyard for some reason. The three people in the house were very puzzled to hear a sharp voice. There were only two girls in the backyard, Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao. How could there be a woman arguing with Zheng Peng? Who was it? Could it be that Old Madam Fan had come knocking on their door? The three of them rushed to the backyard. Xia He held on to Qiao Mei, worried that she might get into an accident. When they reached the backyard and took a closer look, they realized that it was Qian''e! "What right do you have to stop me from taking the child! It''s not like I''m taking everyone away! Can''t I just take Zhang Miao!" Qian''e raised her head strenuously and shouted at Zheng Peng. The petite Qian''e looked like a little kid in front of Zheng Peng. Zheng Peng did not know who this woman was, but she wanted to bring Zhang Miao into the room as soon as she entered the backyard. She did not stop to speak to him. Since he was the children''s teacher, he must ensure the children''s safety. He could not let a stranger bring the children out of his sight. "I don''t know who you are. You can''t take the child away!" Zheng Peng said sternly. Qian''e stomped her feet in anger. She had never seen such a dogged person before. She had already said many times that she was here to teach a class, that she was not a human trafficker and that she was Qiao Mei''s good friend. Zheng Peng was simply extremely stubborn! Qian''e only fell short of throwing her piano certificate and the award certificate she had received back then at Zheng Peng''s face. At this time of the day, Qiao Qiang had already gone to Zhou Sheng''s house to play chess. He might not be able to go to the park, but he could still go to someone else''s house. He felt that he was too old to waste his time in the house every day. "I''m her piano teacher! She needs to attend my class now! Move aside! If you''re not happy, go and check with Qiao Mei! I still have other classes to go to later!" Qian''e said. Zheng Peng looked at Qian''e stubbornly and said, "I''m their teacher now. They can''t go with you." "Zhang Miao is only four years old! Why does she need physical training! There''s no need to learn elementary school knowledge at kindergarten age! Kids should learn the right things for their age! Just teach the remaining children well! I don''t want to waste time arguing with you! Quickly move aside and don''t waste everyone''s time!" Qian''e said with a frown. Qiao Mei quickly went forward to stop the fight. Qian''e had not been here for almost half a month and she had forgotten about the fact that she signed Zhang Miao up for piano lessons. Xia He only taught Zhang Qin basic skills when she had some free time. Recently, Qiao Mei had not been feeling well and did not pay as much attention to the children as she used to. "Alright, alright! Stop arguing! It''s all my fault. I got the schedules mixed up. How about this, you bring Miao Miao to piano class and the rest of the children follow Professor Zheng for elementary school lessons?" Qiao Mei asked with a smile. "No way! I''m so angry when I see this man!" Qian''e said angrily as she looked at Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei quickly pulled Qian''e aside and said, "Just do it for me. I really forgot to tell anyone about this. I haven''t been feeling well recently. Can you just take pity on me?" Chapter 954 - 954 Mending Clothes 954 Mending Clothes Qiane turned around to look at Zheng Peng and then at Zhang Miaos cautious and timid expression. In the end, she decided to give in to Qiao Mei. After all, the child was innocent and she did not want her to have bad memories. Thank you readers! Zhang Miao had already experienced too many misfortunes in her childhood. Qiane did not want her own childhood experiences to be repeated in the lives of other children. If youre not feeling well, then go back and lie down! Dont use your health to intimidate me! Ill give in to you! Go back into the house! Why do you still come out when youre not feeling well! Qiane said to Qiao Mei tensely. Although her words were not very nice and her attitude was very agitated, Qiane had good intentions. Her demeanor had already improved a lot compared to how she was before. Alright, alright, alright. You can bring Miao Miao into the room for her lesson first. Ill explain to Professor Zheng before going in, Qiao Mei said. After the lesson, you must explain to me whats going on. Why havent I heard about this person before, Qiane said unhappily. Qiao Mei agreed with whatever Qiane said. As long as it was something Qiane wanted, Qiao Mei would try her best to satisfy her as long as she did not quarrel with Zheng Peng again. After Qiane brought Zhang Miao back to the room, Qiao Mei went over to Zheng Peng and said, Professor Zheng, Im so sorry. Its my fault. There are some things which I have forgotten to tell you. That was Zhang Miaos piano teacher, Professor Qian. Also, my elder sister, Xia He, is Zhang Qins dance teacher. My elder sister will teach the child during her free time and theres no specific timing. Apart from these, the kids dont have any other classes. Zheng Peng nodded in understanding. He did not mean to make things difficult for Qiane, but it was just that this woman was really arrogant and despotic and did not respect him at all. She did not even look at him when she entered the house and even said that he abused children by making them go through such tiring physical training classes. Even when he realized later that the children and Qiane knew one another, he was unwilling to compromise. The situation had already reached a point where it would be embarrassing if he gave in first. Alright, I understand. You can go back and rest. Leave the children to me, Zheng Peng said. Li Gui returned to the small courtyard to make popcorn. Xia He helped Qiao Mei to make her way back slowly to the front yard. Too many things had happened today and she had to take a good rest. Su Yang went to work on time early in the morning. Before he left, he even went over to Qiao Yus place to give her five dollars as her meal money for this week. It was rare for Qiao Yu to be able to sleep until late in the morning. In the past, she always had to wake up before dawn. Even when she had a job in the capital, she still had to wake up early so that she could go to the canteen to be the first one to get food. If she went too late, she would not have anything to eat. It was so good to be able to live unrestrainedly at home! Qiao Yu only got out of bed slowly when she was so hungry that her stomach growled. The coal fire in the stove had already extinguished and the room was a little cold. Qiao Yu first restarted the fire in the stove and then rummaged through the old clothes that Su Yang had extorted from the landlord yesterday. She managed to find a cotton jacket in the pile, but a lot of cotton wool had fallen out and the fabric was also too dirty for it to be worn out. If she wanted to go out, she had to try and assemble a proper-looking cotton jacket. Qiao Yu found a mans jacket that was slightly too big for her, took out all the cotton wool from the other jacket and slowly sewed it all into this one. Soon, a thick cotton jacket was ready. It was even thicker than what she could buy outside! This piece of clothing looked quite clean on the surface, but if one flipped it inside out, one could see that it was lined with colorful pieces of scrap fabric. Regardless, it was good enough for Qiao Yu to survive this winter. Qiao Yu took the money and hummed a tune as she left the room. Before she left, she even locked the door carefully, worried that the landlord would take the chance to steal something from her room or retrieve the items that Su Yang had taken. She was not Su Yang and did not have the strength to fight with the landlord. What if the landlord had ulterior motives? She decided that when she got back later, she would take the rags and sew them together to make curtains so as to prevent anyone from peeping at her in the middle of the night. After walking around the supply and marketing cooperative, Qiao Yu realized that she could only buy some vegetables and could not buy meat at all. This was because Su Yang did not give her any meat coupons! Every year, the pork which Qiao Zhuangs family ate came from the pigs that they reared themselves. Qiao Yu had never left the village and had no idea that one needed meat coupons to buy pork. Her family had never given her any money. Chapter 955 - 955 Buying Meat 955 Buying Meat Qiao Yu was not an official employee when she was working in the factory. Everyone received meat coupons and food stamps together with their salary at the end of every month. However, Qiao Yu only had a card. Thank you readers! Unlike the others who could use their food stamps and money to buy the food they wanted to eat, Qiao Yu needed to bring her card to the canteen and have it signed. At the end of the month, the food expenses would be deducted from her salary before she was paid. This was something which Xia Wen had instructed Director Tan to do. His goal was to prevent Qiao Yu from saving money by not spending it on food. If she was able to save money, she would go looking for trouble with Qiao Mei once she had some spare cash. No one expected Qiao Yu to be such a disappointment and that her weekly performance was the worst in the entire factory. Even if Director Tan wanted to take special care of her, she had nowhere to start. Qiao Yu made it difficult for herself to move up the ranks in the factory. In the end, Qiao Yu bought two cabbages and some potatoes before going home. Along the way, she kept looking at the meat and eggs on display. As she already knew, every shop would only take meat coupons as payment. !! When she passed by the last butcher shop on the stretch, Qiao Yu stopped at the door and stared inside for a long time, almost drooling as she stood there. The meat in a butcher shop was sold by weight and the butcher would make sure that there was no more or no less. Therefore, there would usually be a lot of meat scraps in the butcher shop to make up the exact weight during weighing. Sometimes, fatty meat or pig skins that were not cleaned properly would be sold at a low price. If one was lucky, one could even buy them using money. The lady boss of the butcher shop had long noticed Qiao Yu loitering at the door of her shop, but she did not know what Qiao Yu was up to. It was so cold outside, yet Qiao Yu just stood there and stared fixedly at the meat at the counter. If not for the glass door, she reckoned Qiao Yu would have just rushed in and pounced on that piece of meat. Hubby! Look at the woman at the door. Is she the woman Su Yang brought back a few days ago? The lady boss gestured in Qiao Yus direction with her eyes. The boss was so busy with the work at the butcher shop every day that he did not have time to take notice of any women. The shrew he had at home was already enough for him to deal with, so there was no way he could get entangled with other shrews outside. The boss did not even look up and replied impatiently, Ah I think so I dont know. I dont know Su Yang well. The lady boss angrily pulled the bosss ear and said, You dont even want to listen to me now? Help me take a look! Im not sure! It hurts! Let go! Yes, yes, yes! You didnt see wrongly. That person is Su Yangs girlfriend! After the boss said that, the lady boss let go happily. She noted that Qiao Yu did not dress nicely. The material of her clothes was not even comparable to the clothes worn by any ordinary person. Moreover, how could a woman be wearing a mans clothes? It was obvious that Qiao Yu was wearing clothes that she had picked up from the streets. It was likely that Qiao Yu was facing some financial difficulties. Although Su Yang had a shrewish mother and a beastly brother, he had a job and was earning money. Not only did he work in the factory, but he also went out to work part-time when he had time. He always dressed flamboyantly and paid more attention to his clothes than some women did! Therefore, the clothes that Qiao Yu was wearing definitely did not belong to Su Yang. Her son was the one who told her all this. Otherwise, she would really think that Su Yangs money came from illegitimate sources! Their family did not have any conflicts with Old Madam Fan, but Su Yang always took advantage of them when he bought meat from them. He would either ask for an extra piece of meat or steal some fatty meat. Su Yang would never miss out on any chance to take advantage of others. Why would such a good girl fall for Su Yang? What a pity One second, the lady boss was still lamenting Qiao Yus pitiful fate, but in the next second, her opinion had completely changed. Qiao Yu finally mustered her courage and strode into the shop, asking, How much for the meat? We take meat coupons for the meat. Let me know how much you want and Ill weigh it out, the boss said respectfully. The boss turned around and glanced at the lady boss. He could not make the decision on this matter. The lady boss was the one who took care of the familys finances. Their family had always helped the poor people in private and kept aside all the scraps for them. They just needed to make sure that they gathered enough meat coupons to submit to the government every month. Chapter 956 - 956 Worse Than a Dog 956 Worse Than a Dog They were allowed to report a certain amount of losses every time they replenish their stock. This was mainly due to meat that was already not fresh when it arrived, or having excessive stock when there was no demand for meat. Thank you readers! The boss and lady boss took advantage of this loophole to help people who did not have meat coupons and would sell the meat reported as losses at a low price to these people. At the same time, they could earn a bit more money. It was like killing two birds with one stone and everyone was happy about this. However, they would not let the Su family benefit from such a good thing. We only take coupons when we sell meat. We cant sell any without coupons. This is the rule and we cant do anything about it, the lady boss said mildly. They did not want to have anything to do with the Su family! They could not let the Su family catch them making even just a small mistake. If it was found out that people could buy meat from them without using coupons, she and her husband would need to go to jail! They might even have to face a huge fine. !! Qiao Yu had already gone around to many places and did not want to continue walking on. This was already the last butcher shop in this area. If she could not succeed here, then she was out of choices. Qiao Yu said agitatedly, Please have mercy! I havent eaten meat for more than a month. Can you please give me some meat? Even a little bit is fine! I can pay for it! How much do you want? I have three dollars! Sister, its not a matter of money. Were running a business. Dont make things difficult for us. Youre Su Yangs girlfriend, right? Didnt he give you any meat coupons? the lady boss asked curiously. A look of surprise flashed across Qiao Yus eyes. She had been staying at the clinic during this period of time, so how did people know that she was Su Yangs girlfriend? Was Su Yang so famous that all the residents in this area knew him? Could it be that he was the type of good samaritan with a heart of gold? He he had to rush off to work today and didnt say anything to me. I just wanted to prepare a surprise for him, Qiao Mei said hesitantly. The lady boss looked at Qiao Yu derisively. Just now, she said that she had not eaten meat for a long time, but now she said that she was buying meat for Su Yang. This little girl was simply full of lies. Then youd better change the surprise. We really cant sell it to you, the lady boss said forcefully. Qiao Yu pondered for a moment and pointed at the basin on the ground that was full of meat scraps. Do you still want this basin of meat? Theres nothing in my shop that I dont want. Sister, if you dont have any meat coupons, then go home. We still have to run a business, the lady boss said impatiently. There were still many customers waiting to buy meat. If this pointless conversation continued, their familys business would be affected! Qiao Yu did not argue with the lady boss anymore and slowly walked out of the shop. Just as the lady boss thought that everything was fine, a loud wailing suddenly came from outside the door. Im so pitiful! I cant live anymore! Im about to starve to death, but they have a heart of stone and wont even give me some meat scraps! They wont even let me smell the meat scraps! They even say that theyll rather feed the meat scraps in the basin to the dogs than give it to me! My status is even worse than a dog! How outrageous! Do all of you have any conscience! Are you still patronizing a shop whose owners have no conscience! Qiao Yu sat down at the door and wept and cried out loudly. She immediately attracted the attention of many passersby. Many neighbors even opened their doors to come out and watch the commotion. The people here had an unspoken agreement with the shop to buy and sell meat scraps in private. The boss and the lady boss were very popular in the vicinity. The meat scraps were not only cheap, but also very fresh! What Qiao Yu said was nonsense. No one who lived nearby would believe her. However, it did not matter whether they believed her or not. So long as the passersby believed her, then the effect of her lies would snowball after a while. Youre just bullying me! I must get meat today! If you dont give me meat, Ill die in front of you! Qiao Yu shouted as she pointed at the lady boss. The lady boss reached out with the knife and said, Come on! Im not afraid of you! Die if you can! I have a knife here. Show me how you want to die! Chapter 957 - 957 At Most, I Will Take a Break 957 At Most, I Will Take a Break The lady boss was certain that Qiao Yu did not have the guts to put her neck under the knife. At the same time, Qiao Yu knew what the lady boss was thinking. As long as she was able to eat meat today, she would do anything! After all, she was Qiao Zhuangs child and had been brought up in a shameless family. Thank you readers! Qiao Yu prepared herself mentally. She closed her eyes and suddenly threw herself at the lady bosss knife, scaring the lady boss so much that she threw the knife behind her. If she had been any slower, Qiao Yu would really have died! Are you sick of living! This is a knife! Do you have to go so far just for that bit of meat! the lady boss roared in exasperation. Qiao Yu was actually feeling very scared. She could have died, but she must get meat today! She was not going to back off! The lady boss was so angry and gnashed her teeth so hard that they almost shattered. As the old saying went, only birds of a feather would flock together. Qiao Yus shameless and shrewish behavior was simply a combination of how Su Yang and Old Madam Fan behaved! She was even more terrible than the two of them! No wonder Su Yang was interested in her. !! Business owners like them were most afraid of running into two types of people. One type was unreasonable and shameless people, and the other type was people who were not afraid of death. The neighbors quickly ran out to advise the lady boss, saying, Sister, just give her some meat. Take it as youre feeding the dogs. Its useless for you to reason with such a person! How are you going to explain yourself if she really dies in front of your shop? I dont care how she explains herself! Its not like Im the one who killed her! What can I do if she wants to die at my door! Do I have to die with her! the lady boss said angrily. The neighbors quickly pulled the lady boss away and said, Calm down! Dont we all just want good things to happen? Itll be so unlucky if she dies. Just treat it as youre feeding the dogs. Lets take it as doing good deeds and accumulating good karma! Even if the police come, its not helpful to you. They might even close down the shop and do a thorough investigation! The authorities are very strict about such things now! The lady boss thought about it and felt that what the neighbors said made sense. However, what if Qiao Yu saw this as her weakness and came to make demands every day in the future? Would she then need to satisfy Qiao Yus demands every time? It was not as if there were meat scraps every day. It was considered good enough if there was even a little bit every half a month! No, dogs know how to be loyal if I feed them. But if I give in to her now, she will come here every day to cry in mourning. Not only is there no benefit, but I will be at the losing end! I really wont be able to explain myself then! the lady boss said. The lady boss looked at her shop and then at Qiao Yu, who was sitting at the door. She picked up the butcher knife from the ground and entered the shop, shouting loudly to the customers, This is the last batch of meat today! After we sell everything, well close the shop and take a break! If you want to buy it, then hurry up! If you buy more, well give discounts! Its the last day! After all the customers left after buying meat, the lady boss did not even look at Qiao Yu. She closed the curtains and locked the main door before turning around and returning to the backyard to rest. Who could fault her if she stopped doing business for a while? She did not believe that Qiao Yu would be able to hold on until she reopened the shop. At most, she would stop doing business for the rest of the week and take a good break. If Qiao Yu really sat at the door of her shop and froze to death, then it would have nothing to do with her. It was Qiao Yu who refused to leave, and she did not force Qiao Yu to sit there. Did she have to take responsibility for anyone who died on the street outside the shop door? The people standing around gradually dispersed when nothing exciting happened. Qiao Yu could not achieve anything at the door alone. She got up dejectedly and returned home. After sitting on the snow for a long time, her pants were all wet. This was the only pair of cotton pants she found among the pile of tattered clothes. How petty! Whats the big deal about giving me some meat! Black-hearted woman! Youre willing to feed the dogs, but youre not willing to give it to me! Its not like I dont intend to pay! Im giving you respect but you dont want it! Who do you think you are! Do you really think I think highly of the meat you sell! Qiao Yu muttered as she dried her pants by the stove. In the past, such a method was usually quite useful. She always saw her brothers and sisters-in-law using this method, especially Wang Qin. As long as she wailed in the village, she could have whatever she wanted. Why was it that this method did not work in the capital? Was she not vicious enough with her words? She would scold more fiercely next time. She was sure that she could succeed after trying it a few more times. Chapter 958 - 958 Not a Mother Yet! 958 Not a Mother Yet! In the evening, Li Gui went to collect the vehicles and money from Zhao Fei while Xia He busied herself in the kitchen. The childrens lesson was also almost coming to an end. Thank you readers! Nowadays, Qiao Mei would feel uncomfortable whenever she caught a whiff of cooking smells. Fortunately, the bangle she usually wore could block out most of these icky smells. Recently, Qiao Mei also realized that as long as she dripped ginseng liquid on the bangle, there would be a nice fragrance of plants around her and she would feel refreshed by the smell. She did not expect this bangle to have so many uses. At night, everyone had a sumptuous meal. Xia He not only had to prepare food for a family of eight, but an extra portion was needed for the two teachers today. She usually helped Li Gui with cooking the rice and washing and cutting the ingredients. Once Li Gui returned, she could go straight into cooking. The food that Xia He made could only be described as appalling. When one ate the food, one had to decide whether one should call for an ambulance. If one was not careful, one could die. Perhaps Xia He really did not have any talent in cooking. After learning from Li Gui for so long, she had not improved at all. The only improvement was that she knew how to cook rice now. At the very least, she would not starve to death if she was alone at home. She would be able to eat rice with pickled vegetables for a few days. !! Qiao Mei looked towards the kitchen thoughtfully. It was time to find a helper. Otherwise, Li Gui would not be able to cope alone. Although Qiao Qiang was healthy and strong now, it was Qiao Meis wish that Qiao Qiang could spend his time on his interests and not continue to take care of her for the rest of his life. Her requirements for a helper might be much stricter than the average person. In fact, one helper might not even be enough. She wanted a live-in helper to take charge of cooking, washing up, cleaning up the kitchen and clearing the fallen leaves and weeds in the courtyard. She would likely need another helper, more like a confinement nanny, who could take care of her and her two children. After she gave birth, she needed to have nutritious meals. The confinement nanny also had to help with feeding the babies and coaxing them to sleep until Qiao Mei recovered her strength. Li Gui just needed to be in charge of earning money to support the family. She could leave the trivial chores to the hired help. Just as Qiao Mei was thinking about all these, Qiane quietly came to Qiao Meis side. She crossed her arms and stood angrily at the side, looking at Qiao Mei Qiao Mei turned around and got a shock when she saw Qiane. She patted her chest and said, Why didnt you make any sound! When did you come over? You scared me to death I came in openly through the door! You are the one who keeps staring at the kitchen in a daze. Im curious to know why you are so engrossed in your thoughts, Qiane said as she pursed her lips. What else can I think about at home? Lets not talk about me first. Whats wrong with you today? Why did you argue with Professor Zheng? Did he do something outrageous to bully you? Tell me and Ill stand up for you. I definitely wont let you suffer any grievances, Qiao Mei said jokingly. Qiane became angry at the mention of this matter. At that time, Zheng Peng looked at her as if he was mocking her, or perhaps he was sizing her up and being suspicious of her. Anyway, that look of his made her furious and reminded her of many things from the past. In the end, under Zheng Pengs constant suspicions and questioning, she completely blew up. Actually, it was just a misunderstanding. The two of them were like children, unwilling to admit defeat but continue to bicker with each other. Its fine. Im a magnanimous person and wont argue with him. However, when did you find a teacher for the children? Instead of letting the children enjoy their vacation, you get them to do physical training at home. Is this the Xia familys tradition? Qiane asked with a laugh. My eldest brother found this teacher for me. Children should be developed comprehensively in terms of morals, intelligence, physical fitness and hard work, not just in their school subjects! Besides, these children did not do well in their studies when they were in the village. The standard of education in the capital is worlds apart from that in the village. What will happen to them if they dont work harder at this time? Qiao Mei said with a sigh. This action made Qiane laugh so loudly until she almost teared. Youre too funny! Youre not even 20 years old yet! Why are you behaving like your mother and actually thinking about how these childrens futures? Youre not even a mother yet, your babies are not even born yet, and yet you already know what a mothers responsibility is? Qiane said. Chapter 959 - 959 Emotional 959 Emotional Qiao Mei was so embarrassed that she almost picked up the tea bowl on the table and threw it at Qiane. This woman only knew how to spout nonsense all day long. Even when they were just having a chat, Qiane had to say provocative things to agitate her. Perhaps it was a habit that Qiane had developed over the years. Thank you readers! In my opinion, theres no need to put so much pressure on the children. Youre not short of money. Do you think these children wont have a way out in the future? Look at your mothers popcorn business. It has almost taken over half the market. I can even buy it near my house. In the future, even if the children just help your mother with her business, theyll still be notches above everyone else. They dont necessarily have to study to have a bright future, Qiane said in a serious manner. Qiao Mei did not expect Qiane to have such foresight. People of this era only wanted their children to study more. They thought that studying was the only way to achieve success and only incapable people would need to go into business. What Qiane said did make sense, but if the children wanted to expand the business and make it big, they still needed to have a strong foundation in theoretical knowledge. If they did not have a good foundation, even if the business was handed over to them in the future, they would not be able to achieve much. Qiao Mei had become a little confused. Qiane did not live nearby and Li Gui had not gone out to sell goods during this period of time. It was Zhao Fei who had been helping out. How did Qiane know that Li Guis popcorn was still being sold in the market? !! How do you know its my mothers popcorn? Qiao Mei asked curiously. Hmph, although the person selling near my house is an unfamiliar face, the taste is so obvious. In the entire capital, your popcorn is the most delicious. Moreover, the people in my neighborhood will specially wait at the main door to buy popcorn! Qiane said. From the looks of it, they were going to become even more famous. After Qiao Mei gave birth, she should put some thought into opening a shop with Li Gui. Sun Juan and all the other women seemed to be quite decent people. If she got along well with them, she could tell them the formula and get them to join in the production. Whether I have money or not has got nothing to do with the children. The Xia family is so rich, but the siblings still had to go through training. Having money is different from having an education, Qiao Mei said. Qiane still had the opposite opinion as Qiao Mei, but she knew that there would definitely be gains from putting in hard work. It was not as if these children were too stupid to be taught. When she was young, she put in a lot of effort to practice the piano. Even when other children went out to play, she would stay at home to practice. Even when she was in high school, she still carried on practicing the piano. After so many years of consistency, her devotion to the piano was no less than the devotion Xia Zhe and the others gave to their training. Because of you, I didnt manage to go to my other classes tonight. You have to make it up to me! Qiane said with a pout. Sure, sure, sure. Ill give you whatever you want! Qiao Mei said. Qiane did not stand on ceremony with Qiao Mei. She stood up and took a look around the room, but there was nothing much to see. Unlike Qiao Mei, she was not interested in antiques, calligraphy and paintings at all and did not care about their value. However, when she saw the tiger-head shoes that Qiao Mei made for the two babies, she still felt a little bitterness in her heart. She also yearned very much to have a child of her own. If not for her wanton behavior when she was young, she would not be in such a state today. However, one had to pay the price for ones actions. She had brought this on herself. What are you thinking about? Qiao Mei asked gently as she stood behind Qiane. Sigh Why dont you make me a cute tiger head pillow. I quite like it, Qiane said emotionally. Qiao Mei hesitated for a moment and asked, Why dont I make you a big and comfortable pillow so that you can use it properly. Forget it, you should just give me money. Have we discussed the fees for each lesson? Qiane turned around and asked. It could not be said that Qiane was greedy for money since she came to teach the children even before negotiating the fees. However, it also could not be said that Qiane was not greedy because she still knew how to bargain for a deal with Qiao Mei. How much do you usually charge for a lesson? Qiao Mei asked. It goes by the hour. Its 10 dollars an hour for a lesson conducted at the students house, Qiane said. Chapter 960 - 960 A Quarrelsome Couple 960 A Quarrelsome Couple Qiao Mei did not even blink and simply said generously, Ill give you 15 dollars an hour! Meals provided as well. Its not a problem even if you want to stay here! Thank you readers! This isnt like you at all. Shouldnt you bargain with me? Youre making me feel a little guilty. You provide food and accommodation and even give me so much money. Should I be giving the lessons for free? Qiane asked suspiciously. Qiao Mei smiled and said, This is my sincerity! As for your sincerity, it depends on whether youre shameless or not~ If not for the fact that Qiao Mei was pregnant now, Qiane would definitely want to fight it out with Qiao Mei. This woman was really too cunning! How could there be such a cunning person! Eight dollars an hour! Thats the lowest I can go! If Zhang Miao passes the examination or wins a competition, you have to give me a bonus! Qiane said. !! No problem, you cant go back on your word! Qiao Mei smiled smugly. Qiane gritted her teeth and said, I wont go back on my word! Alright! The lesson in the backyard had also ended. Zheng Peng brought the children to the front yard to have dinner. Xia He quickly walked out of the kitchen and instructed Zhang Qin to go to the railing in the corridor to do leg presses. She must do the basic training every day. Nowadays, the children had many lessons and were under a lot of pressure. Zhang Qin could only have dance lessons during the fragmented free time she had. To do so, she had to put in a lot of effort. Without patience and perseverance, she would not be able to keep going. Xia He was also using the chance to test Zhang Qins willpower. Professor Zheng, stay for dinner now that the class is over. The food will be ready soon, Qiao Mei said as she looked at Zheng Peng warmly. Zheng Peng wanted to accept Qiao Meis invitation, but once he saw Qiane, he immediately changed his mind. He did not want to eat at the same table with this woman. Never mind, I wont stay for dinner. Im about the same age as Xia Wen. From now on, you can call me Brother Zheng and Ill call you sister-in-law, Zheng Peng said politely. Qiane leaned against the door and said disdainfully, Dont tell me you cant eat when you see my face? Am I that ugly? Zheng Peng frowned and said, Youre thinking too much. Not everyone is interested in you. You! Be more polite! Did I offend you! What right do you have to talk to me like that! Qiane widened her eyes and said angrily to Zheng Peng. Zheng Peng did not want to quarrel with Qiane. This woman was simply unreasonable. She was the one who picked a fight with him first, so why was it all his fault now? She really liked to play the blame game. When he saw how serious Qiane looked when she was teaching Zhang Miao and witnessed her skills during the class, his impression of Qiane had improved a lot. He did not dwell on what had happened earlier. He just felt a little awkward and was too embarrassed to apologize. Alright, alright! Stop arguing! Whats the big deal? Lets not be so calculative about the previous misunderstanding and get to know each other again. Qiao Mei grabbed Qiane by the hand and said, Come, introduce yourself. Dont be so angry. Qiane slowly calmed down and reached out with her hand reluctantly. My name is Qiane. Im Zhang Miaos piano teacher. Zheng Peng. Zheng Peng reached out and politely shook her hand. The two of them stood on the spot and looked at each other awkwardly, neither of them willing to say another word. Qiao Mei sighed silently. Perhaps the relationship between these two people would improve in the future. She returned to her room to look for some fabric to make a pillow for Qiane, as well as the embroidery patterns which she had previously designed. Smoke rose from the chimneys of every house and the fragrance of food filled the alley. Su Yang could not wait to return to the home that belonged to him and Qiao Yu. He did not know if Qiao Yu would have prepared dinner for him or if she was waiting for him to deliver food to her. At the thought of this, the sense of anticipation in his heart lessened by a big deal. Coincidentally, Qiao Yu had finished cooking in the kitchen and was bringing the food into the room. She did not manage to buy any meat, so there was only cabbages stewed with potatoes tonight. She did not even have any oil and she secretly took some of the landlords lard. The dish would taste much better with the lard in it. Chapter 961 - 961 You Did Not Ask Clearly 961 You Did Not Ask Clearly Im back! Whats that smell! It smells so good! Su Yang said happily as he pushed open the door and entered. Thank you readers! Seeing the food on the table, Su Yangs doubts were finally dispelled and he gradually felt happy. Qiao Yu did not think too much about it. At this time, it could only be Su Yang. Without turning around, she scooped rice at the table and muttered, Go wash your hands. Dinner is ready. Su Yang looked at the warm scene in front of him and could not suppress his emotions. He slowly walked behind Qiao Yu and hugged her tightly. Qiao Yu screamed loudly out of fear and hurriedly pushed Su Yang away with all her might. The bowl in her hand fell onto the table with a loud bang. !! Ah!!! What are you doing all of a sudden! Who says you can hug me! Qiao Yu shouted angrily at Su Yang. What whats wrong with me hugging you! Its not like Ive never hugged you before! Su Yang said awkwardly. Qiao Yu slowly moved to the other side of the table and held back the anger in her heart. Now was not the time to go against Su Yang. She had to think of a way to talk to him nicely. The most important thing now was to get meat coupons and money from Su Yang. It was fine to let him take advantage of her as long as he did not do anything overboard. Lets eat! I spent so much time in the kitchen. Sit down and eat, Qiao Yu said as she sat on the stool in a panic. Su Yang was still feeling a little unhappy. He had already done so much. Even if Qiao Yu was an ice cube, she should have melted by now! Could it be that she really had a heart of stone? Their current relationship was not even as close as when they were working in the factory! Qiao Yu also noticed the change in Su Yangs mood. She took the initiative to pick up a piece of cabbage and placed it in Su Yangs bowl. Try this and see if its delicious. I dont know what you like to eat, so I just made this. Its delicious, but you should cook one more dish next time. Theres not enough food for the two of us, Su Yang said perfunctorily. Qiao Yu saw an opportunity and quickly looked at Su Yang aggrievedly, saying, When I went to buy groceries today, they all told me that I need coupons to buy groceries. I cant just use money. In the end, I can only buy things that dont need coupons. What are coupons? Why cant I use money to buy things? Su Yang looked at Qiao Yu suspiciously. The factory gave food stamps and coupons every month, but yet Qiao Yu did not know about such things. Was she putting on an act again to confuse him? Dont you know about meat coupons and food stamps? Su Yang asked. In the past, it was my sister-in-law who took care of the money matters at home. I dont need to care about these things. We raise pigs at home, so we dont need to spend money to buy meat. Ive never used such things, Qiao Yu said as she looked at Su Yang innocently. Su Yangs eyes suddenly lit up as he looked at Qiao Yu. His family also had some relatives who lived in the village on the outskirts of the capital. Those relatives were considered a rich family in the village as they raised chickens, ducks and geese at home. If Qiao Yus family actually raised pigs themselves, that was something extraordinary! During this period of time, there was not enough food for people to feed their families. Even the people in the city could only get simple food and shelter. They could only eat meat during the new year and festivals. If any family was able to buy meat, it would be a joyous occasion. However, since Qiao Yu had relatives who lived in such a luxurious district in the capital, she could not be too low in status. It was a pity that she had never gone to school, but then again, it was easier to control a woman who knew nothing. This could be considered an advantage for him. Then what about the coupons issued by the factory? You never used them before? Su Yang continued to ask. Su Yang was suddenly enlightened. No wonder Qiao Yu had always come to eat with him time and time again in the factory. She did not even mind waiting for him for more than half the afternoon for a taste of meat. It turned out that she had no other choice! Qiao Yu told him everything that had happened to her but eliminated all the important information. She did not consider it a lie since Su Yang did not ask clearly. So I see. Ill get you some coupons from home when I come back tomorrow. Lets buy some meat to eat too. I can try your cooking again tomorrow night! Su Yang said happily. Qiao Yu looked at Su Yang tenderly and did not stop serving him food. Su Yang could also tell that as long as he gave Qiao Yu some benefits, her attitude towards him would change drastically. Chapter 962 - 962 Fight to the End 962 Fight to the End Why are you wearing mens clothes? But it looks quite sturdy. If theres really no other way, you can embroider some flowers on it. That way, itll look nicer, Su Yang said as he pointed at the cotton jacket hanging at the door. Thank you readers! I made this by disassembling some clothes in the pile. Its even warmer than the one youre wearing! I think this is good enough. Theres no need to do anything else, Qiao Yu said smugly. Even if Qiao Yu did not have any relatives, the fact that her family owned pigs already carried enough weight. If he married her, it would not be for nothing! She was young, knew how to do chores, cooked fairly well, knew how to do needlework and did not pick fights with him. He wished he could immediately marry such a wife now! If he could marry Qiao Yu, then the Su familys ancestral grave must have received blessings! His ancestors were blessing him with a good wife! Ever since Su Yang found out that Qiao Yus family raised pigs, he started to behave a little awkwardly. He felt that he should treat Qiao Yu better and that he was still not nice enough to her. !! You should eat more too. Dont just take care of me. Su Yang passed some of the food in his bowl to Qiao Yu. He must work harder to make Qiao Yu like him. Qiao Yu did not continue to be polite with Su Yang. She had not had a proper meal since the morning and had been waiting for this meal tonight! Even though it was only cabbages stewed with potatoes, Qiao Yu still found it very delicious. Soon, she finished the entire dish and two big bowls of rice on her own. Even though she had eaten so much, she still did not feel satisfied. After dinner, Su Yang returned to Old Madam Fans house. Qiao Yu lit a kerosene lamp in the room and rushed to sew some curtains. It was only after midnight that the curtains were ready and she hung them up. Only then could she finally sleep in peace. A new day brought a new story. There were no new developments regarding Sun Juan and Zhou Shuang in the hospital. Zhou Shuang was still not in a good condition. Sun Juan was in a much better condition than yesterday, but the injuries on her body would take at least a week to heal. Zhou Shuang was still mainly knocked out but she was able to wake up occasionally to drink water and eat something. She usually gave all the good food at home to her two sons and did not eat much herself. She was still young but her health was worse than Li Gui. All her old ailments had to be treated together with her current injuries, otherwise she would get worse if it dragged on. It was possible that some of Zhou Shuangs ailments were not caused by Su Yang, but Su Yangs actions had accelerated her illnesses. Therefore, everything was related to Su Yang. Sister Sun, we dont have much money now. Zhou Shuangs medical fees are really too high. The doctor also said that she might have a slight concussion and asked us to bring her for a checkup, Feng Hong said uneasily. Sun Juan also did not have much money left. Although they had earned a lot from working for Qiao Mei, they had only been at their jobs for a short period of time. When they arrived at the hospital last night, they could only prioritize treating the most serious injuries. They could not bear to spend money on the more minor injuries. They would feel sad if they spent money on things that did not need treatment. Lets make a police report and get money from Su Yang! We cant just sit back and do nothing. We have to take the initiative to attack. If we dont pursue the matter, Im worried that Zhou Shuang will have an even more difficult time in the future! Sun Juan said firmly. But Sister Sun, will they hear us out? In the past, once Old Madam Fan went to the police station, Su Yang would be released. What if the same thing happens this time round? Feng Hong asked worriedly. Sun Juan had also considered this issue, but they would be encouraging Su Yang to commit more crimes if they did not go to the police. They must become strong and fight against such evil people to the end and not let them succeed. We might not get an ideal outcome if we go, but if we dont go, there will definitely be no outcome, Sun Juan said firmly as she looked at Feng Hong. Feng Hong decided to change her mind. She held onto Sun Juan and they slowly made their way to the police station. They narrated their experiences that day to the police but it was not enough to rely on their one-sided story. Chapter 963 - 963 Cannot Satisfy Her 963 Cannot Satisfy Her Hello, were police officers. Is there anyone here by the name of Su Yang? the police officer said as he showed his identification to the guard. Thank you readers! Let me check Yes there is! However, if you want to go in, I need to get our leaders approval. I cant just let anyone in. I hope you can understand, the guard said. The police officers stood at the door and waited quietly. At this moment, Su Yang did not realize that danger was coming for him and was still slacking off in the workshop! Su Yang! When are you going to get married! I hear that youre already living with Qiao Yu! When are you going to invite us to your wedding banquet? Were still waiting to have fun in the bridal chamber! a colleague teased. Su Yang was a person who cared very much about his reputation. Even if Qiao Yu had rejected him a thousand times, he would still tell others that it was a done deal. Otherwise, all his earlier acting in the factory would have been in vain. !! Whats the hurry! I have to respect her wishes. Theres no hurry! Su Yang said confidently. Then do you know why Qiao Yu left the factory? Didnt they say that her relatives are very powerful? With such a background, why would she still be fired, the colleague said. Well its because she found a better job. This job is too tiring. Shell start work elsewhere when its springtime. Su Yang tried his best to cook up lies. The colleague did not believe what Su Yang said. If that was the case, then why did Qiao Yu stay with Su Yang instead of with her relatives? There must be a conflict between Qiao Yu and her relatives! When Qiao Yu and Su Yang were both still in the factory, everyone knew that they had an ambiguous relationship. It was really suspicious that they did not consider getting married even when they already lived together. Moreover, there were rumors that Qiao Yus relatives had arranged blind dates for her. It was obvious that the relatives were anxious to get her married off. Are there some hidden reasons why Qiao Yu cant be with you? the colleague asked curiously. The people around them whispered among themselves. One of them stood up and shouted loudly, Is it because youre not good in that area! You cant satisfy the girl, so she despises you! Hahaha! These words made everyone laugh out loud. Everyone stared at Su Yang, waiting to see him make a fool of himself. They were all bachelors, so all they did when they gathered together was to tease others. It was just a joke and no one took it too seriously. Su Yang was just as anxious! He had always been able to sleep with a girl within half a month and then he would abandon her after that. There had never been any exceptions all this while. He had spent the most time on Qiao Yu. However, to him, there was a huge difference between Qiao Yu and those ordinary women. Qiao Yus value was not based on her looks. For the sake of his future house, what did it matter if he endured a little longer now? However, he was still a hot-blooded young man. If Qiao Yu still did not agree to be with him, he would not be able to control his desires any longer. Do I need you to tell me whether Im good or not! I have dated so many girls, which one of them didnt feel satisfied? Which one of them said bad things about me behind my back? Unlike your ex-girlfriend who went around saying bad things about you and she even said that you couldnt satisfy her! If you have time to worry about me, you should think about yourself! Su Yang said mockingly. You! Im just joking! Su Yang, why are you so sarcastic! his colleague said. Just as Su Yang was about to retort, Director Tan suddenly appeared at the door of the workshop. Everyone returned to their respective posts and got busy. Only Su Yang continued to lie down in the corner and took a nap as he pleased. So what if she was the factory director? What right did she have to order him around? Su Yang, come with me, Director Tan walked up to Su Yang and said calmly. Su Yang looked at Director Tan in puzzlement and asked, Whats the matter? Why cant you talk to me here? Director Tan coughed lightly and said, Its something very important and its inconvenient to talk here. Come with me to the office. Dont waste my time. Chapter 964 - 964 Constant Denial 964 Constant Denial Su Yang thought that it was about something good. Perhaps Director Tan wanted to give him a raise! Su Yang followed closely behind Director Tan as they walked. Thank you readers! The moment Su Yang entered the office and saw many police officers inside, he was so scared that he turned around and ran. As soon as he went out, he was pressed to the ground by the police officers lying in ambush outside the door. Three or four police officers held him down forcefully. Let go of me! Let go of me! What right do you have to arrest me! I havent done anything and you have no right to arrest me! Let go of me or my mother wont let you off! Let go of me! Is this even lawful! Su Yang shouted as he struggled with all his might. The police officer cut to the chase and asked, Why did you run if you didnt do anything? Did you hurt these two people, Zhou Shuang and Sun Juan, as well as Zhou Shuangs two children? Su Yang resolutely denied that he had anything to do with this matter and even said that he did not know Zhou Shuang and Sun Juan at all. How could there be any conflict if he did not even know them? All of this had nothing to do with him. !! Whats your relationship with Zhou Shuang? asked the police officer. Theres no relationship! I dont know her at all. Are you even listening to me! I already said that I didnt do anything. I dont even know these people. What else do you want? Let go of me quickly! Su Yang struggled and growled. Seeing that Su Yang did not want to tell the truth, the police forcefully handcuffed him to bring him back to the police station. The factory workers all came out to watch the commotion. Women who had previously been bullied by Su Yang also gathered together and renounced him. They even talked about having a drink together tonight to celebrate the occasion and they thanked the police for getting rid of a public enemy. Su Yang was too familiar with the police station. Going to the police station was like entering his own home and he did not feel nervous at all when he entered the interrogation room. If he could, he would even munch on seeds as he chatted with the police. Please think carefully before you answer the following questions. If you lie, youll have to bear a huge responsibility. Su Yang, do you know Zhou Shuang and Sun Juan? the police officer asked sternly. No, I dont. Ive already said it many times, I dont know them, Su Yang said firmly. The police officer then asked, Then do you know who lives next door to you on the left side? Su Yang replied nonchalantly, I dont know, I dont know who it is. Ill only give the same reply no matter what you ask me. Were already old acquaintances. Rather than waste your time with me, you might as well look for my mother and let her talk to you. Youve lived in your house for so long and you havent met any of your neighbors? the police officer questioned. Su Yang still gave the same answer. Your neighbor is Zhou Shuang, the person whom you injured. Do you admit to that? asked the police officer. Su Yang pretended to look at the police officer in surprise as he said, Oh! So my neighbors name is Zhou Shuang? Is she a beautiful woman? Have you seen her before? Is she busty? Is her butt perky? The police officer clenched his fists in anger. Ever since he was posted to this police station, he had been feeling deeply regretful. His colleagues at other police stations had better lives than him. If not for Su Yang and Su Liang always causing trouble and Old Madam Fan always obstructing the polices work, it would not have been so difficult for them to make progress in their investigations. Actually, it was not that the police wanted to let Old Madam Fan off easy, or that they let Su Yang and Su Liang get away with their crimes because they were afraid of Old Madam Fan. The truth was that not only did Old Madam Fan cause a ruckus with the police, but she would kick up a bigger fuss with the victims family to force the victim to come to a settlement with her family. That was why the police were always unable to detain the troublemakers from that family. Furthermore, the issues were never serious enough to become a criminal case. You should ask my mother to come. I wont say anything, Su Yang said. Su Yang was still the same as before and simply did whatever he wanted. He even sat opposite the police officer and cut his fingernails. He ignored the police officers questions and did not even take note of what the police officer said at all. Seeing that Su Yang had such a bad attitude, the police were no longer willing to communicate with him. It would be a waste of time to continue. They directly locked Su Yang up in the temporary detention center. The only way out was for them to gather more evidence. Otherwise, they would have to ask Su Yangs family members to come over. The current case was much more complicated than the previous fights, brawls and sexual harassment he was involved in. This case also involved robbery and attempted murder, so it had to be dealt with seriously. Chapter 965 - 965 Not a Simple Person 965 Not a Simple Person At that moment, Old Madam Fan was playing mahjong at a neighbors house. Recently, she had been quite lucky and could win two to three dollars a day. When her luck was at its best, she could even win five dollars a day! Thank you readers! Oh! I have drawn the winning tile myself! I won, I won! Come, come, come, everyone, pay up! Old Madam Fan smiled so widely that her eyes could barely be seen. Everyone reluctantly took out the money to give to Old Madam Fan. It was strange how Old Madam Fans luck had been so good for so many days. The other three players had only won a few times. Even when they won, it was only because they had colluded to play cards for one another. Sister Fan, youve been so lucky recently! It seems like the joyous occasion in your family has changed your luck for the better, a neighbor said enviously. Joyous occasion? How could there be a joyous occasion in her family? Perhaps they were referring to her recent recovery from her illness. !! It was truly not easy for me to recover from my illness. Otherwise, it would be a long time before I can play mahjong with you! When I was sick, I craved playing mahjong so much that my hands felt itchy! Old Madam Fan said agitatedly. The other three people looked at one another. They all pursed their lips and smiled without saying anything. Old Madam Fan found it strange and asked curiously, What are you all smiling at? Tell me so that I can smile too. Sister Fan, dont you know that your Su Yang has a girlfriend? He even rented a room outside! Its somewhere near your house! Two days ago, this young lady even quarreled with the lady boss of a butcher shop in the alley. Shes not a simple person! Your son is so lucky. Such a wife is definitely good at running a household! the neighbor said. Old Madam Fan did not think that this was anything to be happy about. Instead, she felt a sense of danger. She had never stopped Su Yang and Su Liang from finding themselves a wife. It was good if they could find a wife on their own. She knew her own sons best. No nice girl would be willing to marry into their family. Her ideal daughter-in-law would be one who was capable, sensible and not scheming. To put it bluntly, she wanted a fool who could do chores and take instructions from her. She would not agree for her sons to marry a woman who was too smart. She was still counting on Su Yang to support her in her old age! If he ignored his mother after getting married, it would be disastrous for her. Is that so? Im more lax about my sons affairs. So why did that girl quarrel with the lady boss of the butcher shop? I havent even heard about this! Old Madam Fan asked as she pretended to be calm. I also heard about it from someone else. They said she didnt have any meat coupons and yet she insisted on buying meat. In the end, she made the lady boss so angry that the lady boss closed the shop and stopped doing business. The shop is still not open for business today! the neighbor said laughingly. No meat coupons? Is she from the countryside? Shes so ignorant, another neighbor said mockingly. It was one thing for this girl to embarrass herself, but now she had affected Old Madam Fans reputation. This was really too much. The girl had not even married into the family yet, but had already caused her so much trouble! Old Madam Fan did not give any hint of her anger and just said lightly, Its hard to say if that young lady can marry into our family! It all depends on what my son wants. My son is most filial to me. He will come and tell me when he wants to get married. If one read between the lines, what she meant to say was that it was not so easy for any woman to marry into her family. Her family would not take in such a troublesome woman! The neighbors did not try to persuade Old Madam Fan either. They could not wait for Qiao Yu to marry into the family. They would be happy to see Old Madam Fans house in as much chaos as possible. It would be best if they could not have peaceful days! This would let Old Madam Fan have a taste of her own medicine! After they played two more rounds of mahjong, the police suddenly came around and kicked the door down with a loud bang. Everyone was so shocked that they quickly put away their money. Some people sat obediently at the table and did not dare to move, while some people tried to leave through the back door. There were people in the house who had never been arrested by the police before. When they saw the police coming, they ran around in a frenzy like rats which spotted cats. In the end, they were all pressed to the ground by the police. Chapter 966 - 966 Various Charges 966 Various Charges Dont move! All of you, sit properly! Raise your hands and dont move! Stop what youre doing! Zou Ming, the police officer in charge, shouted at them. Thank you readers! Everyone raised their hands in unison and waited for the polices next instructions. This was not a grave offense. If they were arrested, they would just need to pay a fine and sit through an education session. However, the thing was these people could not afford the fine of 100 dollars. It was equivalent to their entire familys food expenses for half a year! If they did not have money to pay the fine, they would be imprisoned for a year before being released. Brother were just friends having some fun together. Were not gambling! Cant friends play mahjong together? one of the neighbors asked softly. Zou Ming walked over and looked at their mahjong table. Do you think Im a fool? Are you sure youre not gambling? Its not the new year or any festive season today. How much money do you have in your pockets? Do you need me to search you one by one? !! No need! No need! Ill confess! Ill confess! Ill confess to anything! Dont take my money! said a person squatting on the ground fearfully with his hands behind his head. He was the richest person among them. Furthermore, he had withdrawn a sum of money from the bank today and made a detour here before he returned home. He did not expect to be arrested by the police! Zou Ming looked around. Everyone had lowered their heads so he could not see their faces. Which one of you is Su Yangs mother? No one said anything. At this moment, Old Madam Fan was also very afraid. The police officers she usually met were those who did not carry guns. Now, there were at least 10 police officers surrounding them in the house. Old Madam Fan was very scared that the police would shoot her if she made them agitated. Which of you is Su Yangs mother? Step forward yourself and dont let us screen all of you one by one, Zou Ming said as he looked at the crowd. One of the neighbors suddenly stood up, pointed at Old Madam Fan and shouted, Its her! Arrest her! Shes Su Yangs mother. Arrest her, dont arrest me! Let me go! The police pinned him to the ground again. Everyone felt that they would be safe as long as they pointed out Old Madam Fan. All eyes were fixed on her. Seeing that she could not avoid it, Old Madam Fan stood up in fear and said, Me Im Su Yangs mother Two of the police officers walked forward and handcuffed Old Madam Fan. The rest of the people were told to go back to their original seats. The police station would arrange for a bigger vehicle to come and pick them up. You come with us. Fatty, the two of you stay here and keep an eye on the rest. Someone will come and pick them up later. Dont let any of them escape! If even one of them escapes, you can forget about keeping your job! Zou Ming said. Understood! Fatty shouted. Along the way, Old Madam Fan lowered her head and did not dare to say a word. She did not know what she had done. Even if the crime was her gathering everyone to play mahjong, the police would not have mentioned Su Yangs name. Could it be that something had happened to Su Yang? When they arrived at the police station, Old Madam Fan behaved differently from her usual threatening manner and followed behind Zou Ming obediently. It was not until they reached the interrogation room that Old Madam Fan looked up. This was her first time here. Do you know what your son, Su Yang, has done recently? Zou Ming asked as he opened the interrogation records. Old Madam Fan shook her head and said, I dont know. What has my son done? These were phrases which Qiao Mei had taught Sun Juan to say. If she only described what happened to the police officers, they would deem it to be a fight caused by personal grudges. At the end of the year, all the government departments would tally their work achievements for the year. It was not only the train station which needed to submit their yearly results for appraisal. The police station would also need to do the same and they would even be appraised more stringently. Generally, the police would not want to pursue matters which could be settled among the parties involved. If both parties were willing to settle, it would be purposeless for them to insist on putting someone in jail. There would always be people who were willing to give up their rights and interests for money. It was a tough job being a police officer. Chapter 967 - 967 Not His Fault 967 Not His Fault Old Madam Fan had never heard of such terminology before, but she could still understand the word murder. She would believe it if the police officer said that Su Yang was causing trouble outside, but she was very sure that Su Yang did not have the guts to commit murder. He was someone who did not even dare to slaughter a chicken at home, how could he be able to kill someone? Thank you readers! She even wondered if the police officer was lying to her. Su Yang had been at work recently, had he not? How could he have gone around causing trouble? No one in the neighborhood mentioned anything to her. I dont quite understand what youre saying. Are you mistaken? My son is a good person. Our family wont do such a thing! Old Madam Fan asked. Zou Ming took out the photocopied evidence in his hand, which included the medical reports for Zhou Shuang and Sun Juan, the statement transcripts from the neighbors and a list of evidence from the crime scene, among others. Sun Juan did not tell the police about Su Yang stealing her money. She only said Zhou Shuang seemed to have lost some stuff from her house and it was very likely that Su Yang was the thief. !! Otherwise, if the police started investigating why she had money, it would definitely implicate Qiao Meis small corn workshop. If that happened, Li Gui would not even be able to run her popcorn business anymore. Cutting off ones source of income was like killing ones parents. She definitely could not do something like this. On one hand, she wanted to protect Qiao Mei and Li Gui. These two people had helped her so much and she could not do anything that went against her own conscience. On the other hand, she also wanted to protect her future income. As long as she continued to work for Qiao Mei, she would definitely be able to earn more money in the future. She was also helping herself by doing all these. Since you dont understand the terms, Ill make it simpler for you. Su Yang injured your neighbor, Zhou Shuang, and her friend, Sun Juan. He even smashed up Zhou Shuangs house and stole her things. It all started because Su Yang suspected Zhou Shuang had taken the bed which he had thrown out, Zou Ming said as he read from the statement. Once he said that, Old Madam Fan understood what happened. She felt that this entire matter was not Su Yangs fault at all. It was that b*tch Zhou who was creating trouble. If that woman did not take Su Yangs things, Su Yang would not have taught her a lesson. Sun Juan also only had herself to blame. If she had attempted to thwart Su Yang, then she deserved to be beaten up! What right did these people have to get her arrested and make accusations against her son! What has this got to do with my son! What have you done to my son! Let me go! I have to go and look for my son! Old Madam Fan said furiously. The issue now is that your son injured someone! Its your sons fault! Hurry up and tell us what you know! Zou Ming said as he suppressed his anger. Old Madam Fan remained very stubborn. That b*tch, Zhou Shuang, flirted around every day. Since her husband was always not at home, she could not suppress her desire to find a man. Old Madam Fan never liked Zhou Shuang. If not for the fact that the two of them did not run into each other often, she would not let Zhou Shuang live her life in peace. The problem definitely did not lie with Su Yang. It must be Zhou Shuang who had deliberately attracted Su Yangs attention and then wanted to seduce him! That was definitely what happened! Do you have any evidence to say that my son wanted to commit murder? Its obvious that these women have a grudge against us! Its that b*tch who took a fancy to my son! Everything she did was to seduce my son! Cant my son protect himself when he cant reject her! Youre wronging my son! Quickly let me and my son go! Old Madam Fan struggled and shouted. The usual interrogation chair had a partition at the front that could be locked to prevent the suspect from hurting the police. However, because Old Madam Fan was too fat, it was already very difficult for her to squeeze into the chair, let alone for the police to be able to lock up that panel. Therefore, they had put a chain around Old Madam Fans feet. It looks like you dont intend to be cooperative. Put her in the detention center and well interrogate her only when she decides to calm down, Zou Ming said. Under normal circumstances, after detaining a suspect, the police must solve the case within 24 hours. They only had one day to interrogate the suspect and must let the suspect go after 24 hours. Otherwise, they would be violating the rules. However, Old Madam Fan was being held in the detention center because of gambling, so they did not need to worry about this time limit of 24 hours. Chapter 968 - 968 None of Your Business! 968 None of Your Business! Once Fatty sent all the gamblers to the detention center, he rushed back to report the situation to Zou Ming. Thank you readers! Brother Ming, weve brought everyone back. Some of the family members have already gone to pay the fine. Our guys are also in the process of reeducating them. Do you have any other arrangements? Fatty asked while panting heavily. Come with me to the hospital to visit the injured parties. Lets resolve this matter as soon as possible, Zou Ming said with a sigh. Qiao Yu waited the entire afternoon but Su Yang did not appear. After he told her last night that he would bring her money and meat coupons, she had felt excited the entire night. It seemed to her that it had been for nothing. In the morning, there was no sign of Su Yang at all. She still had to rely on the five dollars which Su Yang had given her yesterday. If Su Yang continued to stay away, she would not be able to survive the next week. She only had enough coal for another four days at most. She was too embarrassed to ask the landlord for any free coal. Yesterday, she had used a small piece of lard belonging to the landlord. Today, the landlord had removed all the valuable things in the kitchen, including the salt. There was currently nothing in the kitchen except the cooking pot. !! How petty. I just used that little bit of lard. As if you have anything fantastic! Qiao Mei sat on the bed and muttered to herself. Instead of wasting her time in this dingy room, she might as well go around and look for clues related to Li Gui and the others. Once she could find them, she would have found money and accommodation. Qiao Yu made her way to the entrance of the cinema based on her memory of the route. Going by Li Guis previous schedule, now should be the time when her business was doing the best. However, after Qiao Yu went there, there were no women around at all, let alone being able to sight Li Gui. Qiao Yu hurriedly went to the main entrance of the cinema to check on the movie screenings of the day. There were screenings all the way past 9 p.m., so why was Li Gui not here? Just as Qiao Yu was about to leave dejectedly, she suddenly realized that Zhao Fei had appeared near the cinema with a lot of popcorn in his arms. She did not know Zhao Fei, but she knew the smell of Li Guis popcorn. From the packaging and the smell, these were definitely Li Guis goods! Big brother! Wait a moment! Qiao Yu called out to Zhao Fei who was about to leave. Zhao Fei put on his salesman smile and spoke to Qiao Yu nicely, Do you want to buy popcorn? Its 50 cents a pack. If it doesnt taste good, feel free to come back and look for me. Theres a guaranteed refund! Qiao Mei took a pack of popcorn from Zhao Fei and looked at it. The way that the ribbon was knotted and the smell of popcorn confirmed her thoughts. Big brother, do you make this popcorn yourself or buy it from someone else? Qiao Yu asked. Zhao Fei quickly snatched back the pack of popcorn. Qiao Yu was not the first person to ask him about this. Ever since he started selling popcorn, many of his peers had come to look for him and offered to work with him, but he had rejected all of them. He was the only distributor of Li Guis popcorn! He would never share this business with anyone! Its none of your business! If you dont want to buy, dont waste my time, Zhao Fei said sulkily. After saying that, he got on the three-wheeled vehicle and quickly left the cinema. It was almost time to meet Li Gui. Qiao Yu could not catch up with Zhao Fei, so she planned to go home first and come back tomorrow to hassle him until she could find new clues. On the way back, she even passed by Su Yangs house. It was quiet and there was no one around. It was as if the entire place had been emptied of its occupants overnight. There was not even any smell of food. How can there be no one Isnt it mealtime now? Qiao Yu mustered her courage and slowly walked forward, relying on her memories to find Su Yangs house door. Just as Qiao Yu was still wondering if there was anyone in the house, a mans voice suddenly sounded from behind her. Why are you sneaking around in front of my house? Su Liang asked with a frown. Qiao Yu quickly turned around and retreated guiltily until she fell on the steps. Su Liang had gone drinking with his scoundrel friends during the day and had rushed back when he heard that something had happened to Old Madam Fan. Im just here to take a look Its nothing! Ill get going first! Qiao Yu said nervously. Chapter 969 - 969 Like a Demon 969 Like a Demon Su Liang grabbed her and said, Youre my brothers girlfriend, right? Your name is Qiao Yu? Thank you readers! Qiao Yu nodded timidly. Su Liang started to look at her with a hint of lust in his eyes. Although she was way too skinny and did not have the big bosom and perky buttocks that he liked, she was very young. At close distance, her small face looked like a crystal bun that had just come out of the steamer. It was crystal clear and so tender and bouncy. Im not his girlfriend! Theres nothing going on between us! Were just friends! Im not dating him! Qiao Yu quickly explained, trying her best to distance herself from Su Yang. She thought that Su Liang did not want her to marry Su Yang and wanted to force her to leave Su Yang! Su Liangs eyes lit up as he looked at her. That kid, Su Yang, had not succeeded in wooing this girl after so long. He was really too weak. Since Su Yang was so useless, then he could not blame his older brother for making a move. !! Then are you here to look for my younger brother or me? Its getting very late, so you should stay here. Its not an easy journey back, Su Liang said as he held on to Qiao Yu with ill intentions on his face. It was only around 5 p.m. and the sky was not even dark yet. How could it be very late? Su Liang was simply lying through his teeth because he had designs on Qiao Yu. Qiao Yu used all her strength to try and break free from Su Liangs grip, but she was too weak. Qiao Yu bit Su Liang instead and he instinctively let go because of the pain. Qiao Yu took the opportunity to run off without looking back and scrambled her way home, scared that Su Liang would catch up with her. Su Liang was not in a hurry. He would definitely get his hands on this little girl and let her know what he was capable of! He could not let her bite him for nothing! It was enough to know that Su Yang and her were not in a relationship. Su Yang had been arrested and would probably be imprisoned for a few years. In addition, as long as no one went to bail out Old Madam Fan, she would not be able to come out for a year. He would be able to have a good time at home and enjoy life using Old Madam Fans retirement pension. The more Su Liang thought about it, the happier he felt. He hummed a tune and limped into the house to look for Old Madam Fans bankbook and the box containing her money It had been a long time since Qiao Mei had slept so well, but Xia He unexpectedly woke her up very early in the morning and insisted on bringing her to the hospital for a checkup with Xia Fang. Get up quickly! Were going for a physical examination! There are many checkups you need to do! We cant be late! The car is ready! If you dont go, Ill get the bodyguards to come in and carry you! Hurry up and get up! Xia He said as she sat by Qiao Meis bed. Xia He had been saying the same thing to her for more than an hour. As long as Qiao Mei closed her eyes, Xia He would start chanting in her ear. This went on until Qiao Mei got up impatiently. Qiao Mei sat up stiffly and stared fiercely at Xia He. In Xia Hes eyes, the current Qiao Mei looked like a demon with messy hair, angry bloodshot eyes and a fierce gaze. If Qiao Mei had a knife in her hand now, Xia He reckoned that she would probably be dead by now. Um Ill go out first. Get changed and wash up first. Ill be right outside. Call me if you need anything. Xia He silently left Qiao Meis room and closed the door quietly, afraid that the tiniest sound would make Qiao Mei blow up. Qiao Mei sighed and slowly got out of bed to look for appropriate clothes. She tried her best to wrap herself up warmly. It was still early which meant that there was no food at home. Qiao Mei did not intend to wait for someone to start cooking. She intended to go straight to a big restaurant later to have a good meal and get Xia He to pay for it. Xia He looked at Qiao Meis expression fearfully, worried that Qiao Mei would suddenly change her mind and refuse to go to the hospital for the checkup. If that happened, not only would Xia Fang reprimand her, but Xu Lan would definitely nag at her again if she found out. Sigh my life is really too difficult Xia Fang applied for leave again today. She could not take care of her patients and Qiao Mei at the same time. Today, she took on the role of a parent accompanying her child for a follow-up checkup. Chapter 970 - 970 Get In Through the Back Door 970 Get In Through the Back Door Aunt, lets go in, Qiao Mei said sulkily. Thank you readers! Xia Fang asked the nurse to bring over a wheelchair. Qiao Mei had many checkups to do today, so it was more convenient to use the wheelchair. The bodyguard walked in front as he pushed the wheelchair with Qiao Mei in it. Xia Fang quickly pulled Xia He to her side and asked, Whats wrong with Qiao Mei? Is she feeling unwell? She hasnt been sleeping well recently because of the pregnancy yet I still woke her up so early this morning. Its nothing, shell be fine in a while, Xia He said. They used the VIP route for which they paid fees which were 30% more expensive than normal. This caught the attention of some people who were there to see the doctor. A man had been watching them for a while. He and his wife had come to queue up before dawn today in the hope of being able to do the checkup sooner. However, after waiting for more than two hours, it was still not their turn yet. He wondered why Qiao Mei could go in directly without queuing. !! Dear, wait for me here. Ill go take a look in front. After covering his wife with a blanket, the man came near to Qiao Meis group. The bodyguard immediately noticed this suspicious-looking man and said fiercely, Sir, this is a private route. Please go back to the queue and dont come so close to us. This hospital is so big. Why cant I stand here? Does your family own this road? the man asked with a frown. The bodyguard felt that this person would pose a threat to Qiao Mei and hurriedly wheeled her into the room. The moment he saw Qiao Mei going in, the mans anger instantly erupted. What right does she have to go in! Whats her basis for going in! Why doesnt she need to queue up? We came to queue early in the morning and we are not able to enter yet. How can she go for her checkup right away! Ask her to come out! the man shouted agitatedly. The entire lobby echoed with the mans shouts. The nurse hurriedly went forward to pacify him and said, Sir, please dont speak so loudly. If theres any issue, we can discuss it at one side. This is the obstetrics and gynecology department and many of our patients are pregnant women. I hope you can be considerate of the other patients. Be considerate of them? Then who will be considerate of us! My wife and I came to queue at your hospital before dawn! How does the hospital treat us! Its not our turn for a checkup yet even after we queue up for so long, so how can that woman just go in directly! The hospital must give us a reasonable explanation! Give all of us an explanation! the man shouted. His words attracted many people who had the same experience as him. Many people started to gather around to speak up for the man. The nurse really could not handle so many people at the same time and quickly went to ask the security officers to come and maintain order. Xia He and Xia Fang were speaking with the doctor who did Qiao Meis first checkup. To save time, Xia Fang had asked the two bodyguards to bring Qiao Mei to proceed with the next checkup. She did not expect the incident to blow up. As soon as they heard the commotion outside, they quickly rushed over. Seeing that a group of men was about to rush into the consultation room, the two bodyguards desperately tried to block their way. Why are you shouting! This is the hospital! Xia Fang ran over and said. Who do you think you are! Leave us alone! We want an explanation today! the man shouted. The people around him shouted in unison, Thats right! Give us an explanation! Xia He stood in front of Xia Fang and tried her best to keep a distance between the crowd and Xia Fang. Soon, the security officers arrived at the scene and surrounded these troublemakers. After confirming that the situation was safe, Xia Fang took a few steps forward to communicate with them. Why are you causing trouble? Xia Fang asked. Xia Fang took out her employment pass from her pocket and said, Im the chief of the obstetrics and gynecology department here. You can speak to me. The man pointed at Xia Fang and questioned, Whats your relationship with the woman in the room! Why arent you wearing your white coat while youre in the hospital! Did you help her get in through the back door! So that she can go for a checkup without queuing up! Xia Fang did not panic at all. She looked at the man calmly and said, Im her aunt. Its my day off today. Dont I have the right to accompany my family members for a checkup? Also, we are using the VIP route, not getting in through the back door like you mentioned! Chapter 971 - 971 We Want an Explanation 971 We Want an Explanation Dont bullshit! What VIP route! These are all your excuses! Youre definitely getting in through the back door! Youre the one giving her preferential treatment! Dont you dare to admit it! the man shouted as he pointed at Xia Fang. Thank you readers! The people standing around were all supportive of what the man said. They wanted the hospital and Xia Fang to give them a reasonable explanation. They did not care if it was other people who were affected, but if they were the ones at a disadvantage, they would demand for an explanation even if they had to risk their lives. Xia He stood at the side and decided that she had enough. She came forward and said to the man, Do you even know what a VIP route is? Why wont I know! Its something for you people to get in through the back door! You think you can fool us by coming up with a term that we cant understand. Do you take us for fools! Everyone, dont you think so! the man said confidently. More and more people started to gather behind him, including many pregnant women who did not know what was going on. In the event that everyone started pushing one another and it led to a stampede, the consequences could be dire. !! Thats right! Youre right! We definitely want an explanation! Everyone shouted out their opinions and the entire lobby became noisy again. Xia He angrily took a flower pot from the side, held it high and smashed it down hard. The loud sound made the crowd quiet down. Dont use ignorance as your bargaining chip. We actually pay double the amount of money that you pay. As long as you can afford it, no one will stop you from using the VIP route. Now, well give you this opportunity. If you pay up, your wife can also use the VIP route now. Will you fork out the cash? Xia He said calmly. Everyone turned to stare at the man. They were all curious about what the man would do. This man was from the countryside and he had eight brothers, him being the eldest. Even after he got married with much difficulty, his finances were still being dragged down by his brothers at home. He still had to give his parents all the money he earned so that they could provide for his younger brothers first. Under such circumstances, he was already barely able to scrape together some money to bring his wife to the hospital The man flew into a rage out of humiliation and glared at Xia He as he shouted, So what if you have money? Whats so great about that? Do you think you can look down on us commoners just because you have money! Do you think you have more rights than us just because you have money! Who knows if your money comes from dishonest sources! Honest people like us look down on dirty money! Xia He laughed mockingly and just stared at the man quietly without saying anything. The man became angrier and angrier. He rushed towards Xia He and grabbed her collar as he shouted, What are you laughing at! Am I that funny! Am I a joke to you! Thats right, Im laughing at you. Im laughing at you for being so useless and unable to provide your wife with a better life. Thats why youre venting your anger on us. Your pregnant wife is standing in the queue, but what are you doing? Youre going around looking for trouble. Its not as if the VIP route only exists today. There has always been a big sign at the door. Dont you see it? Dont blame us because you cant afford the service, Xia He said. The man still said stubbornly, Who knows how to read those words Dont change the topic! Does the fact that youre illiterate give you a reason to blame others for being educated? Do you think the hospital is a charity organization? Its the hospital staffs job to save the dying and help the injured, but are they all immortals who dont need money? Are the meager medical fees that you pay enough to maintain and repair the hospitals equipment? Where does the hospital get the money to pay the doctors? Dont they all need to support their families? If there are no VIP route users like us who pay high medical fees in exchange for a shorter wait, the hospital would need to close down, Xia He said. The man did not know how to answer. He had never thought about such things. His own family was about to fall apart and he was having a tough time, so he was not in the mood to care about others. Whether the hospital made a profit or not had nothing to do with him. He could barely even afford the medical fees now. However, he agreed with one thing that Xia He said. He felt that the hospital should treat all patients unconditionally. The hospital must provide the services that it was being paid for. You youre using distorted arguments! Anyway, its all your fault! You should not jump the queue! You should queue up with everyone else! the man braced himself and said insistently. Chapter 972 - 972 Military Family 972 Military Family Seeing that the man was so stubborn, Xia He did not want to say anything else and decided to wait for the police to arrive. Xia He forcefully shook off the mans hand on her collar, dusted herself off and stood beside Xia Fang. Thank you readers! Qiao Mei had already completed the second checkup. She could not understand the test results, so she needed to get Xia Fang to go in and talk to the doctor in person. She slowly opened the door and everyones eyes were immediately drawn to her. Xia He immediately went forward and grabbed Qiao Meis wheelchair, wanting to bring her away from the location. This place was really too dangerous. Qiao Mei held Xia Hes hand to make her stop. She looked calmly at the man in front of her and said, If you dont have enough money, I can pay for your wifes checkup. What what do you mean? The man looked at Qiao Mei hesitantly. !! How could there be such a good thing in this world? Could it be that the woman in front of him was a fool? Otherwise, who would go around spending money on strangers? Or did these women want to use money to shut him up and stop him from spreading rumors? Just as the man was thinking about all these, Qiao Mei said something that made him furious. After all not all men can afford to spend money on their wives. I can understand that and Im willing to help her. As a woman, my heart aches for her that she hasnt married well. Just take this as my good deed of the day. Xia Fang was already used to Qiao Meis sharp tongue which was always coupled with a kind smile on her face. Qiao Mei had already taken some money out from her pocket to give it to the man. Xia He stood behind Qiao Mei and held back her laughter. With just one sentence, this young girl had completely defeated the other party. Qiao Mei was still the best at winning an argument! My wife doesnt need your hypocritical assistance! Youre just worried that this matter will be exposed, so you want to use money to shut me up! Let me tell you, theres no way! I dont even know where you get your money! Youre pregnant at such a young age. Dont tell me youre some rich mans mistress! The man looked at Qiao Mei with a disdainful smile. When the people around them heard such scandalous talk, they all gathered around and listened intently, not wanting to miss out on any exciting gossip. Qiao Meis expression darkened. It did not matter to her if others said that she was hypocritical or a show off. However, she would not allow anyone to say anything bad about Xia Zhe or mock the Xia family. This was her bottom line. You have to be responsible for what you say. If youre telling lies, youll have to pay a huge price, Qiao Mei said sternly. The man thought that Qiao Mei was just trying to scare him and said nonchalantly, So what if I say it? What can you do to me? How can someone whos a mistress be so bossy! Where does your confidence come from? My aunt and I are both family members of soldiers. My elder sister is a soldier herself. Are you sure that everything you said is true? Qiao Mei asked. During this era, if one quarreled with someone from an ordinary family, at most everyone had to go to mediation. However, if one had a conflict with a soldier or a soldiers family member, it was not something that could be resolved with a simple apology. One would have to bear legal responsibility. At the same time, soldiers were being scrutinized by the public at all times. The behavior of a soldiers family members would also be taken as a reflection upon the entire family. Whos going to believe that! I can also say that my father is a soldier! Our family is full of soldiers. Do you believe me? the man said disdainfully. He did not think that he would be so unlucky to have created trouble for a soldiers family member. This was simply like a bolt from the blue. If Qiao Mei and the rest really used a legit VIP route and did not get in through the back door, then everything he said would be lies and there would be people coming after him. If the issue was serious enough, they would even put up posters about his wrongdoings and he would have to repent aloud in front of all the neighbors until the victim was satisfied. Otherwise, he would be fined or even jailed. Were really military wives. You can call the police and check on it. They have records of all the family members of all the soldiers, Qiao Mei said. Chapter 973 - 973 Owe a Feast 973 Owe a Feast The people around him were afraid of being implicated and disappeared in the blink of an eye. Qiao Mei did not intend to lodge a report against this man. Perhaps there would be people in the crowd who would do it for her in order to uphold justice. Thank you readers! Aunt, the doctor is waiting for you inside to discuss the results. You can go ahead. Elder sister and I will wait for you at the next checkup spot, Qiao Mei said. After what happened, Xia Fang still felt a sense of lingering fear. She had witnessed how the man wanted to go forward and harm Qiao Mei. If Qiao Mei did not have any bodyguards by her side, the whole situation might have turned disastrous. She had thought that the hospital was a very safe place. Nothing major had ever happened in all her years working here. It seemed that danger lurked around every corner. Xia He could tell that Xia Fang was feeling worried. She looked at Xia Fang and said, Aunt, dont worry. Ill bring Qiao Mei to the next checkup spot. Nothing will go wrong. !! You must check carefully and see if there are any suspicious people nearby. Maybe we should get another two more bodyguards. Theres no harm for us to wait a while. It wont take them too long to come over, Xia Fang said worriedly. Qiao Mei quickly rejected Xia Fangs idea. It was already eye-catching enough to have two bodyguards following her around. If they increased the number of bodyguards, she did not know what others would say about her. It would be bad if she caused unnecessary trouble for Xia Zhe. Now that she had no way of contacting Xia Zhe, she did not want to cause any trouble for him or take any risk. Dont worry, Aunt. That man has already caused such a big scene today. No one else will dare to do anything to me, Qiao Mei said. Xia Fang reluctantly believed what Qiao Mei said. After instructing Xia He on many things to take note of, she went into the room to look at the results while Xia He brought Qiao Mei to the next checkup spot. Sigh Xia He sighed quietly with a serious expression on her face. She suddenly felt so powerless because she was unable to protect Qiao Mei. Whats wrong? Why are you sighing? Qiao Mei turned around and asked. Xia He felt a little remorseful. Ever since Qiao Mei and Li Gui moved to the capital, there had been an endless stream of threats to their safety. They continued to face danger even under the protection of so many people. Were all these incidents just accidental or was someone deliberately setting them up? She was not smart enough to deal with such things. All the familys issues were always handled by Xia Wen, but she also did not dare to call Xia Wen recently. His life was also in a mess. Tan Jing would phone Xia Wen at Xu Lans house every day to ask him when he was going home. It made Xu Lan very frustrated during this period of time. Whenever she heard the phone ringing, she would almost lose her temper. Im fine. Im just thinking about how eldest brother is doing. I havent spoken to him in a long time, Xia He said sadly. It was only at this moment that Xia He realized how well Xia Wen had protected her. In the past, she suffered in silence when the Kong family treated her badly. Xia Wen would take the initiative to call her up to chat with her and counsel her. She had always been the little girl who hid behind her eldest brother and this fact had never changed even after so many years. Qiao Mei had not seen Xu Lan for a long time. She decided to go back to Xu Lans place to stay for the night after the checkup. At the same time, she could also pass them the pagers she had bought for them. If it was convenient for Xia Fang, she also wanted Xia Fang to stay over at Xu Lans place to brief Xu Lan about the results of todays checkup. That would let Xu Lan feel at ease as well. Eldest brother knows how to handle his own issues. Dont worry about him. If he cant handle it, he will call us, Qiao Mei said. She only needed to speak to He Ning and she would be able to buy more than 80 courtyard houses like what she owned. Xia Wens current problem could be easily solved. However, this was not what Xia Wen wanted. In addition, Qiao Mei did not want to poke her nose into other peoples business, in case it made everyone look bad in the end. By the time she finished with the checkup, it was almost nighttime. After a long day, Qiao Mei could finally have a hot meal. However, it was not at the big restaurant that Qiao Mei was hankering for, but at the hospital cafeteria. Thats letting you off too easily. You must remember that you owe me a feast! Qiao Mei pouted and said grumpily. Chapter 974 - 974 You Seem More Like the Elder Sister 974 You Seem More Like the Elder Sister Xia He smiled and said, Sure, sure, sure. Ill buy you whatever food you want. Lets eat something to fill our stomachs first. Well go back to Mothers place later and we can have whatever we want. Thank you readers! Thats more like it! After saying that, Qiao Mei turned to look at Xia Fang and asked, Aunt, can I go and visit my neighbors later? Xia Fang nodded and said, Yes you can. I went to check on them yesterday. Sun Juan is recovering well and will probably be discharged earlier than expected. However, Zhou Shuangs condition is not so optimistic. She has too many health problems and she needs to get all her issues treated. Otherwise, it will be detrimental to her health. Ill talk to them about this, Qiao Mei said. They had a quick bite and then Qiao Mei and Xia He went upstairs to visit Sun Juan and Zhou Shuang. Xia Fang went to her office to organize the materials she needed for her work and also to make arrangements for the surgery she was doing tomorrow. Qiao Mei asked the chauffeur to go home to pick up the things she wanted to bring to Xu Lans place. She had already packed the pagers into a bag, but she had not found a chance to go back. !! It was rare that Zhou Shuang was still awake. When Qiao Mei entered the ward in a wheelchair, the women were all shocked and thought that something had happened to her. Qiao Mei! What happened to you! Are you alright! Sun Juan widened her eyes and looked at Qiao Mei. Feng Hong also went forward to look at Qiao Mei and asked nervously, Qiao Mei, where does it hurt? Tell us where the discomfort is and lets go for a checkup now since youre already in the hospital. Ill go and help you do the registration now. Xia He quickly stopped Feng Hong. Qiao Mei smacked her own legs and said, Im fine. My aunt brought me here for a checkup and insisted that I sit in a wheelchair because shes concerned that Ill get too tired. Im totally fine, so dont worry. Everyone felt relieved after hearing what Qiao Mei said. If something should happen to Qiao Mei as well, they would really be out of their wits. The police had been coming to the hospital frequently. Among the three women, Sun Juan was the only one who could take charge of the situation. The other two women were more weak-minded. However, even though Sun Juan could deal with small issues well, this was the first time she had encountered such a big issue. She did not really know how to handle it. Sister Zhou, how do you feel now? Are you feeling better? Qiao Mei asked. Zhou Shuang still looked unwell and her lips were a little pale. It would take time for her to recuperate. The good thing was that she was now able to stay awake for longer periods of time compared to before, and the dizziness and nausea was slowly subsiding. Im feeling much better. Thank you for coming to visit me. She forced a smile on her face. At this moment, even the slightest movement made her feel uncomfortable. Ill get someone to send over some tonics tomorrow. You must eat them. Sister Sun too. I hear from the doctor that youre recovering very well, but dont run around and disregard your own health. You also have to lie in bed and rest well, Qiao Mei reminded the two women. Sun Juan patted Qiao Meis head dotingly. She was really very fond of Qiao Mei who was about the same age as her daughter. If her daughter was still alive, she would probably be like Qiao Mei. Youre still so young, yet youre still educating us mothers. I think you seem more like our elder sister, Sun Juan said with a smile. The people in the room laughed loudly. Sometimes, Xia He also felt that Qiao Mei was more mature and reliable than her. Qiao Mei did not behave like an 18-year-old girl, but more like a 38-year-old woman. Just as everyone was chatting and laughing, there was a knock on the door of the ward and two men in police uniforms walked in. Are you Zhou Shuang and Sun Juan? Im from the police station. My name is Zou Ming and this is my colleague. You can just call him Fatty, said Zou Ming with a smile. Hello, Officer Zou. Are you here today because the police have found new clues? Sun Juan asked nervously. Zou Ming sighed and told them about everything Su Yang had said in prison. He also informed them that Old Madam Fan was currently being locked up in the detention center. The only way they could have a breakthrough now was if Sun Juan had other incriminating evidence that could directly lead to Su Yangs conviction. Chapter 975 - 975 Very Professional 975 Very Professional The only thing they could confirm was that Su Yang had gotten into a fight, but there was no obvious evidence regarding anything else. It was difficult for them to proceed further. The most important thing now was to find the whereabouts of that bed, but this matter was not so easy to do. Thank you readers! Our suggestion is for both parties to settle. We want to know if theres any possibility of mediation. Zou Ming found it difficult to inform them of the police station heads proposed solution. He did not really want the women to have to settle with a scumbag like Su Yang, but his superior was putting pressure on him and he had no choice. It was such a dilemma. Qiao Mei could tell how Zou Ming felt. It was a delicate situation at the moment. His superior did not want any open cases in their hands at this moment as it would affect the evaluation of their performance for the year. This issue was not as important to the employees since the only difference to them was whether they received a bonus of 10 dollars or 20 dollars. However, it was different for the leaders. The year end evaluation exercise would determine whether they could get promoted or not. The opportunity for them to achieve meteoric success was all in the hands of these commoners. Settle? How? Sun Juan asked with a frown. !! Zou Ming did not know what to say. They could not obtain any relevant information about the case from Su Yang and Old Madam Fan. The two of them only provided misleading information and lies and when they became agitated, they would even attack the police officers. They were really difficult to deal with. Officer Zou, if youre still unsure, then you can go back and think about it. We dont have anything to say for now. All the people involved are our neighbors and we will definitely bump into one another at some point in time. All we want is for everyone to get along well, Qiao Mei said with a smile. May I know who you are? This was Zou Mings first time meeting Qiao Mei. Previously, he had posted to another police station to work on another case and he had only returned to this station recently. He was not there when the police station was handling Qiao Meis case. My name is Qiao Mei. These three ladies are my neighbors and they look out for me all the time. Theyre like my elder sisters, Qiao Mei said. Sun Juan said affirmatively and excitedly, Yes! This is my younger sister! You can also discuss the issues with her! Alright, then I would like to know your opinion on whether theres any possibility of a settlement, Zou Ming asked softly. Sun Juan and Zhou Shuang looked towards Qiao Mei at the same time. They were willing to let Qiao Mei decide on the way to handle this matter. If they could not handle it well themselves, it would only allow Old Madam Fan and her family to continue to bully them. They preferred to take a chance with Qiao Meis decision. At worst, it would end up as if they had handled it themselves. A settlement is also not impossible. It will depend on Su Yangs sincerity. We should get compensation for medical expenses, nutrition fees, loss of income, emotional damages, among other things. Nothing less than that. Also, all the money and items that Su Yang snatched and stole must be returned. In addition, he needs to give us another 10% of the total amount as compensation for each person. If they agree to these conditions, then we can settle. We wont accept an IOU. We want the compensation in cash, Qiao Mei said in a gentle manner. Zou Ming looked at Qiao Mei in shock. These professional terms and the amount of compensation she mentioned did not sound like something a young girl of her age could say. Alright. I understand what you mean, Zou Ming said. Thats not all. Zhou Shuang has two children at home. At the crime scene, her child was the first one to get hurt. This is a very traumatic experience for a child. The younger child might forget about it as he grows up, but the older son wont. Therefore, I hope that Su Yang provides a solution for this matter as well, Qiao Mei said earnestly to Zou Ming. Zou Ming stared at Qiao Mei in silence. He had heard about what happened to the children when he took statements from the neighbors. Feng Hong was looking after them at her house now, and the two children suffered from varying degrees of trauma. He had also heard that Su Yang often bullied Zhou Shuangs older son, so it was not unreasonable for Qiao Mei to make such a request. Am I asking for too much? Why arent you saying anything, Officer Zou? Qiao Mei asked. No, I just feel that youre too professional. Even us police officers feel a little ashamed of being inferior to you, Zou Ming said embarrassedly. Fatty only kept staring at Qiao Mei from the moment he entered the ward. Youre too humble. I havent really done anything. Since youre clear about our request, then you can go back first. We can keep in touch when theres any progress. My two elder sisters are not feeling well and need to rest, Qiao Mei said as she stared at Zou Ming. Chapter 976 - 976 More Than You Think 976 More Than You Think Qiao Mei was giving the police their marching orders. It would not do them any good to continue to discuss this matter. They did not know how much pressure Su Yang could handle, nor did they know how much money Old Madam Fan could fork out. Thank you readers! They must be prepared for the worst. If they could not get him convicted, then at least they could move to a new place with the compensation monies. Instead of continuously getting entangled with Old Madam Fans family, it might be better for the women to start over somewhere else. Sun Juan and Feng Hong lived closer to Qiao Meis place and they were all separated by a street from Old Madam Fans house. They could actually take measures to avoid running into people from her family. Zhou Shuangs house was a rented place, so it did not matter if she lived somewhere else. Qiao Mei had so many houses that she had not rented out yet, so she could always rent one of the houses to Zhou Shuang. This way, they could all live very near Qiao Mei. In fact, if she wanted to build up her business and open a big shop in the future, she would have to nurture people that she could trust. People could only become close friends if they were willing to open up to one another. They would only become closer and treat one another like family members only after experiencing many things together. !! After the police officers left, the three women heaved a sigh of relief. Feng Hong gave Qiao Mei a thumbs up and said, Qiao Mei, youre really amazing! You managed to convince Officer Zou with just a few words. Im so scared that Im sweating! Thats right! Youre really bold to talk to Officer Zou in this manner. The last time he came to look for me, I even stammered when I spoke. Qiao Mei, based on what you said just now, how much money do you think we can get? Sun Juan asked curiously. Qiao Mei did not know how much they could get and she had only listed down the basic terms. Sun Juan would probably get less, perhaps 600 dollars at most. As for Zhou Shuang, it would depend on the kind of treatment that the children needed. The compensation for the children should work out to about 1,000 dollars. These amounts were all negotiable. It was all dependent on how much Old Madam Fan could give. Old Madam Fans house could be sold for about 2,000 dollars, so it all depended on her decision. If Old Madam Fan did not want Su Yang to go to jail and lose his job, she would definitely do everything she could to get him out. If he was found guilty, he would be sentenced to at least five years in prison. Coupled with the incidents that happened to Qiao Meis family previously, Su Yang would likely get a heavy sentence. It would definitely be more than you can imagine. Have a good rest. I have other things to do. Ill come and visit you another day, Qiao Mei said with a smile. Everyone looked at the departing figures of Qiao Mei and Xia He with a sense of warmth as they thought about how kind these girls were to be willing to help them. They did not know how to repay Qiao Mei for her kindness. They decided to treat her even better in the future. The group set off in two cars with Xia Fang taking one car by herself. There were bodyguards in each car and the entire journey was very safe. Xia He did not speak during the entire journey. When she reached Xu Lans house, she was still in a daze and deep in thought. She suddenly realized that she was not capable enough to deal with many things. She had focused all her attention on dancing, but she also had not achieved what she wanted in this field. Her life was also a mess and she also did not know how to help solve the problems at home. Even Qiao Mei, who was younger than her, could handle so many issues perfectly. When the Xia family was in danger, Qiao Mei could handle the issues calmly and solve the problems. Her abilities were on par with Xia Wen. Xia Wen had also told Xia He before that Qiao Mei was far more capable than him. If Qiao Mei was born and raised in the Xia family, she would definitely become even more outstanding than Xia Mao. In the past, Xia He relied on Xia Wen. Now, she was relying on Qiao Mei. She could not continue to live her life like this. Elder sister, whats wrong? Qiao Mei asked softly. Xia He smiled bitterly and shook her head as she said, I just dont know what I should do in the future. Im just a little lost at the moment. Ill be alright after I figure it out. Im fine. Everyone will feel lost at times. Dont be afraid and just walk forward boldly. Everyones life is different, Qiao Mei said with a smile. However, she had gained a lot during the entire process. When she looked back at it, she did not feel sad at all. Everyone had their own areas of expertise and could not be good at everything, so it was not a big deal in the end. Chapter 977 Walking Brown Bear ? "Do you get lost and afraid too?" Xia He looked at Qiao Mei in surprise. She had always thought that Qiao Mei was fearless. "What kind of look are you giving me? Why don''t I get afraid? I''m also human! I''m very afraid now. I don''t know if I can be a good mother. When I first married Xia Zhe, I didn''t know if I could be a good wife. I''m also very afraid that giving birth might be a very dangerous thing. There are so many things that I''m afraid of," Qiao Mei said honestly. "Don''t be afraid. I''ll always be by your side. Although my younger brother is very busy with work, please don''t blame him as that''s the nature of his job. I''ll always be here. Don''t worry!" Xia He said as she looked at Qiao Mei earnestly. Qiao Mei laughed loudly at Xia He''s expression. She reached out to pinch Xia He''s cheeks and said, "You''re so eloquent when you try to advise me, so why can''t you figure it out for yourself? How strange." "Shoo, shoo! I''m your elder sister! How can you talk to me like that! How rude!" Xia He said happily. Seeing that Xia He had relaxed, Qiao Mei felt relieved. By the time they reached Xu Lan''s place, it was already dark. From afar, she could see a figure which looked like a brown bear standing anxiously at the entrance of the neighborhood and looking around. "Look is that Mother?" Xia He leaned against the window and asked suspiciously. Qiao Mei was not sure as well. She could not tell who it was. The person''s entire body was covered by a mink coat, making her look like a bear walking in the snow. If not for the fact that the figure was standing upright, they might have thought that it was not a human. It was only when they got closer that they could confirm that it was indeed Xu Lan. Xu Lan''s face was all red from the cold, but she did not seem to care. Her eyes were filled with anticipation. "Oh my goodness! It''s really Mother!" Xia He exclaimed. Xia He quickly got out of the car to pull Xu Lan in. Qiao Mei reached out to hold Xu Lan''s hand to warm her up but Xu Lan quickly put her hands into her lap to prevent Qiao Mei from touching them. "No! No! Don''t touch me. My body is very cold now. You might catch a cold," Xu Lan said with a smile. Xia He had never seen Xu Lan like this. In the past, Xu Lan would try her best not to go out during winter. She was very scared of the cold. Her years of dancing had caused her to have many injuries on her body. When the weather was cold or when it was windy or rainy, Xu Lan would feel uncomfortable all over. This was an issue that many dancers faced. Xia He also had some minor issues, but not as serious as what Xu Lan had to go through. "Mother, why didn''t you wait for us at home? Why did you come out instead? How long have you been waiting?" Qiao Mei said with some heartache. "Not very long, I just came out! Your second aunt-in-law made many of your favorite dishes at home. Let''s hurry home and have dinner!" Xu Lan said happily. The family walked into the house while chatting noisily. Xia Wen was reading the newspaper in the living room. Xia Wen chuckled and said to Qiao Mei, "It''s only been a few days but you really look better now. How are the results of the checkup?" "There''s nothing wrong with me, but eldest brother, you sure look a lot more haggard. Is it because you have too much work to do at the end of the year? Do you need me to share your burden?" Qiao Mei asked tentatively. Xia Wen squinted his eyes and said, "The little girl has become even more quick-witted. Let''s eat first or the food will get cold. Second Aunt-in-law has repeated this sentence many times. She probably felt like driving the car to go and pick you up." Qiao Mei really liked how it felt to talk to Xia Wen. She need not say much for him to understand what she meant. Since Xia Wen did not accept her offer to help, it meant that he still had everything under his control. After dinner, while Xu Lan and Liu Fen asked Xia Fang for the details of Qiao Mei''s checkup, Qiao Mei took the chance to ask Xia Wen to go to the backyard to have a chat. The backyard had been converted into a glass house by now. It was actually Xia He who suggested it, given that Xu Lan wanted Qiao Mei to stay with her after giving birth. In order to make it easier for Qiao Mei to have a place to take a walk, she asked the workers to make the backyard into an enclosed space so that Qiao Mei would not feel cooped up at home when the weather was less than ideal. "Why are you being so mysterious?" Xia Wen asked. Qiao Mei took out a pager from her pocket and threw it to Xia Wen. "This is a gift for you. Everyone has one. Don''t look down on my gift." Chapter 978 Explaining The Interior Design ? Xia Wen knew that Qiao Mei was rich and that she had enough money for her and her children to spend for the rest of their lives, so he did not reject the gift. It was just that with his current status and position, it would be too ostentatious for him to bring this pager to work. It would easily attract suspicion and criticism from others. "It''s not the new year or any festive season yet you''ve spent so much money. When I saw the pager that Xia He had on her waist today, I was wondering what happened. I thought she had made money recently, but now I see the real reason is you," Xia Wen said with a smile. "It''ll be much more convenient for everyone to keep in touch if we all bring it with us. Everyone in the family has one, so you have to accept it," Qiao Mei said. Xia Wen held the pager in his hand and decided to use it only after he was promoted. It was going to be the end of the year soon and there were many things that he had to deal with. He had not even gone to check out the repair works at Li Gui''s house personally and had only asked his assistant to keep an eye on it. Qiao Mei''s gift made him feel a little guilty. Once he had time, he must make a trip down personally to take a look at the progress. He could not deal with it so carelessly. "How''s Auntie feeling recently? Does she still have to go out to sell goods every day?" Xia Wen asked with concern. Qiao Mei always felt awkward when this topic came up in their conversation. It was too weird for a government official in charge of economic development to ask her about her family''s business, especially since they were doing it illegally. If Zhao Fei was the one talking to Xia Wen, he would probably pee his pants in fear. "She''s in good health and I haven''t allowed her to go out recently. It''s getting too cold and I''m worried that she''ll get sick," Qiao Mei said. "That''s good. Health is more important than anything else. Have you given some thought to what Aunt said? The idea about you staying in the VIP ward for a while. You''ll be giving birth in another month, right?" Xia Wen asked Qiao Mei worriedly. When Xia Fang spoke to Xu Lan, Xia Wen had heard snippets of their conversation. Since Qiao Mei was pregnant with twins, she could go into premature labor at any time. They were all very worried about Qiao Mei''s health and would feel much more at ease with professionals taking care of her. "I still prefer to rest at home. There are so many people at my house, so don''t worry," Qiao Mei said. Seeing Qiao Mei''s firm attitude, Xia Wen did not say anything else. He decided to ask Xia Mao to send more security guards to keep watch near Qiao Mei''s house. If anything happened, they would be able to protect Qiao Mei immediately. After a simple chat, everyone felt a little tired. Xia Wen also told Xu Lan that he intended to go home tomorrow and would not disrupt their lives any further. He wanted to return to his own place so that they would not worry too much about him. When it was almost time to rest, Xu Lan excitedly brought Qiao Mei to her newly renovated room. The materials used here were all of the best quality and also had low levels of formaldehyde so that it was not detrimental to health. The renovation works were done by the most famous craftsmen in the capital and Xu Lan had personally supervised the entire renovation process. After opening all the windows and ventilating the room for so many days, it was now habitable. "Mei Mei, look. This is the crib that I custom-made for the two children. The bed is extendable so that the children can keep using it as they grow up. There''s also a nanny''s room next to yours. I heard from Xia He that you don''t want us to be too tired so you intend to hire someone to take care of the children. I''ve already tidied up that room." "And here! I''ve changed your mattress to a Simmons mattress. Actually, I wanted to buy an ancient bed like what you have now, but it''s really not easy to move such a big bed into this house. It''s also too big for this house, so I think this bed is good enough. Sleep on it tonight and see if it''s comfortable. If it''s not to your liking, I''ll buy a new one." "I''ve changed the windows to the floor-to-ceiling type. Xia He tells me that you like to look out at the scenery, but the location of our house is actually not very good. Fortunately, we can see the neighbor''s garden. A few days ago, I gave them some money to spruce up their garden. It''ll be spring after you give birth. When you open the window then, you''ll be able to see a courtyard full of flowers!" "And here That''s also" Qiao Mei stood on the spot and watched Xu Lan explain in detail the different parts of the room and the ideas behind the design. She put in a lot of effort into every aspect. Even if it was just a screw in the room, Xu Lan would consider carefully whether there were any safety risks until the children reached two years old. It appeared that Xu Lan was really nice to her and the children. She had really thought of everything. Chapter 979 Notice Something Amiss ? Xu Lan and Li Gui were two completely different types of mothers. Each had her own good points and Qiao Mei was very happy to have two mothers who loved her so much. "What''s wrong, Mei Mei? Why aren''t you saying anything? Is there something that you don''t like? Tell me. While there''s still time, I can get the workers to redo it," Xu Lan said nervously. Qiao Mei walked to Xu Lan and hugged her gently. "Mother, you''ve already done a very good job. This room is perfect and I like it very much. I''m just a little shocked. Thank you, Mother." Xu Lan patted Qiao Mei''s head in relief. She had long treated Qiao Mei like her own daughter and would only dote on her even more in the future. "Mother, I also have a gift for you. Bring the pager around with you every day. It''ll be easier to contact you when you are out," Qiao Mei said. "Oh my, I can''t accept this gift! I''m so old already and I don''t need it. You can keep it for yourself!" Xu Lan declined. Qiao Mei ignored Xu Lan''s attempts to reject the gift and simply unwrapped the pager and handed it to Xu Lan. In this way, Xu Lan could not insist upon her getting a refund after the packaging was opened. She had used the same method on Li Gui and it was also effective on Xu Lan now. However, Xu Lan was still a little resistant. "You can use it yourself, Mei Mei. Or you can give it to your younger siblings or your grandfather. We have a phone at home, so I don''t need this," Xu Lan said. "I don''t even know when I''m going to give birth. What if you''re at work or running an errand outside and we can''t contact you? Don''t you want to see the babies as soon as possible?" Qiao Mei asked Xu Lan with a sad expression. Qiao Mei had a firm grasp of Xu Lan''s desires. Xu Lan''s initial rejection quickly turned to wanting to know how to use the pager. When Xu Lan was almost done learning, it was time for them to go to bed. "It''s getting late. Go to sleep. I''ll make your favorite pumpkin cake tomorrow morning! I''ve learned many recipes from your second aunt-in-law. I''ll cook for you personally tomorrow morning! You can''t look down on my cooking!" Xu Lan said happily. Qiao Mei''s first reaction was not to feel happy. Instead, she felt a little sorry for Xu Lan. For the first half of her life, Xu Lan had lived a luxurious life and only needed to focus on her career. After she married Xia Mao, she did not need to work too hard and there was also Wu Min to help take care of the children. It was because of Qiao Mei that Xu Lan had to do chores and cook. "Alright, then I''ll wait for Mother to cook something delicious for me," Qiao Mei said with a sweet smile. After Xu Lan left, Qiao Mei slowly lay down on the new bed. The bed was much bigger than the previous one and it was definitely big enough for both Xia Zhe and her. Even when the two children grew up, it was still big enough for a family of four to lie on it. However, Qiao Mei still missed Xia Zhe''s old single bed. It had Xia Zhe''s warmth and smell on it. Even though it was very small, it made her feel very much at ease. However, this newly renovated bedroom did not hold any memories of Xia Zhe at all. She felt a sense of emptiness while lying on the bed. She wondered when Xia Zhe would be back Qiao Mei fell asleep while thinking about Xia Zhe. When Xia Wen left the next morning, Qiao Mei was still asleep. "Mother, I''m going home. Help me tell Qiao Mei and Xia He that I''ve left. I won''t go and say goodbye to them," Xia Wen said as he put on his shoes at the door. After hesitating for a while, Xu Lan said worriedly, "Talk to Tan Jing nicely when you get back. Don''t lose your temper." Xia Wen was tying his shoelaces and his hands paused for a moment. He did not expect Xu Lan to have noticed something amiss. The injury on his abdomen was only a superficial one. He had gone to the hospital for a checkup and confirmed that there was no issue. Perhaps his posture looked a little odd when he carried stuff and that was how Xu Lan noticed it. "Alright, I know," Xia Wen said in a muffled voice. Xu Lan sighed deeply. She had taken care of Xia Wen on her own for a period of time when he was young. This child always kept everything to himself and would never say anything. No matter how difficult the situation was, he would try his best to solve it on his own and not make things difficult for his family. After he grew up, he was the one who handled the Xia family''s dealings with other families and he talked even less to them. Chapter 980 Where Does This Princess Come From ? Xu Lan had heard about the conflict between Tan Jing and Xia Wen and knew that it must be about the issue of the house. Xu Lan had never taken this issue seriously, but when she saw Xia Wen coming back with an injury, she could no longer ignore it. "There are two houses registered under your grandfather''s name, near where our relatives live in the countryside. You can consider letting them live there," Xu Lan said. Xia Wen was about to reject the idea when he looked up and saw Xu Lan''s serious and concerned expression. He swallowed his words of rejection. Xu Lan was trying her best to get close to him. "Alright, I''ll go back and ask her," Xia Wen said with a gentle smile. Even when Xia Wen reached the door, Xu Lan was still nagging behind him. She asked him to be careful when he went out, to sit in the back when he was in the car, not to work too hard, and so on. Her last sentence was a reminder to him to come home more often. It was not until Xia Wen got into the car and it disappeared from Xu Lan''s sight that she retracted her worried gaze and went back to cook delicious food for Qiao Mei. She had always cared for these children, but she had been so focused on her career for the first half of her life that she did not know how to take care of them. After the experience she went through with Qiao Mei, she finally understood how scary it was to lose someone. She wanted to work hard at being a good mother and try her best to make it up to her children. Qiao Mei only woke up around noon. Xu Lan and Liu Fen did not go upstairs to wake her up. Xia He told them about Qiao Mei''s hardships and experiences during this period of time. They had both been pregnant before and understood how uncomfortable Qiao Mei must be feeling, especially Liu Fen, who almost died when giving birth to her last child. "Why don''t we persuade Qiao Mei again? We''ve never had twins before. Our past experiences are not applicable to Qiao Mei. It''s safest for her to go to Xia Fang''s place," Liu Fen said worriedly. "If we can''t convince her to do that, then she can come and stay here. We can get a private doctor to stay here and take care of Qiao Mei," Xu Lan said sternly. As Xia He watched the two elders echoing each other, she could not help but laugh out loud. Xu Lan frowned and said, "How rude! What are you laughing at!" "It''s useless for you to be so worried. Qiao Mei won''t listen to you. I''ve tried to persuade her for a long time but she won''t listen to a word I say. Instead of asking her to stay in the hospital, it might be a more viable solution to get a few more helpers to take care of Qiao Mei at home," Xia He said. Liu Fen rolled her eyes at Xia He. Since Xia He had never given birth before, she naturally did not know how dangerous it was. It was like having a close shave with death! There were many women who died while giving birth. It was such a heavy price to pay. Given that they had the ability to take all the necessary precautions, they should do whatever was necessary to minimize the risks. This was especially important in Qiao Mei''s case, as she was in a different situation from other people and faced greater risk. Just as they were having an intense discussion, Qiao Mei slowly walked down the stairs. Everyone turned to look at her. Liu Fen quickly went to the kitchen to bring out the warm food. Xu Lan hurried to Qiao Mei''s side and helped her down the stairs, worried that she would fall down. The current Qiao Mei was the entire Xia family''s treasure and the apple of their eyes. No matter how well they took care of her, they still felt that it was not enough. Xia He teased, "People who don''t know better would think that a princess married into our family. Mother, will you also take care of me like this when I''m pregnant?" Xu Lan glared at Xia He and said, "Aren''t you ashamed to say such things? If you''re so free, then go and find a nice man to marry! If you''re not married, how can you have children! If you find a man you can rely on for the rest of your life, I''ll take care of you like this when you''re pregnant!" Xia He pursed her lips and sat on the sofa to watch television. She did not want to get married. She had only enjoyed freedom for such a short while and did not want to get married and then had to serve her in-laws. The mention of marriage gave her a headache. The issue with Kong Lu was a well-learned lesson. She did not have the confidence to be able to manage a marriage well and she did not have the energy to get along with another man. It was better for her to live her own life well. Qiao Mei even said that if Xia He could not fulfill her dream, Qiao Mei would go into business with her! If that happened, she would be a rich woman who could have whatever she wanted. Being happy was the most important thing! Chapter 981 Too Stubborn ? Xu Lan and the others had already had breakfast. They did not know what time Qiao Mei would get up, so they kept the food warm for her. It was definitely not as delicious as when it was just cooked, but at least it was warm. "Qiao Mei, are you going back today?" Xu Lan said as she looked at Qiao Mei wistfully. Qiao Mei slept fairly well last night, but she still preferred to go back to the courtyard house. She had many memories of Xia Zhe there and it made her feel more secure. She still remembered that scene when Xia Zhe went home to look for her. Her heart was filled with anticipation and she just wanted to wait for Xia Zhe at home. "There are still many things at home that I need to deal with. If you miss me, I''ll come back and stay with you for a few days after I''m done," Qiao Mei said with a smile. "That''s good! But don''t blame us two elders for being long-winded. Please reconsider the matter of staying at your aunt''s hospital. We''ll wait for your decision," Xu Lan said worriedly. Qiao Mei nodded and then she suddenly thought of something. Only Xu Lan could help her with this matter. "Mother, do you know any good helpers? It''s good enough as long as the person knows how to cook and clean up the house. After the babies are born, we''ll find another person who''s good with taking care of children," Qiao Mei said. Usually, if a family heard that their daughter-in-law wanted to hire two helpers at home, the mother-in-law would definitely be furious. The family had spent so much on betrothal gifts to get a daughter-in-law, not an ancestor they needed to place on a pedestal. However, Xu Lan was not an ordinary mother-in-law. As long as it was something that Qiao Mei wanted, Xu Lan would get them for her, even if what she wanted was the stars in the sky. She would even be worried that Qiao Mei would get pricked by the pointy tips of the stars and would grind them down before handing them over to Qiao Mei. "I can''t help much with this matter. I''ll have to leave it to your second aunt-in-law. She interacts with those people often and she knows the situation. Otherwise, our current helper can go over and take care of you and we''ll find a new helper," Xu Lan said. Liu Fen agreed to help without any hesitation and said enthusiastically, "Leave it to me! I''ll definitely find you the best helper!" The helper at home had worked for Xu Lan for more than 10 years now. She was more like a member of the family than the hired help. Sometimes, Xia Jun would even invite the helper''s entire family over for dinner. Qiao Mei thought that it would be too much to ask the helper to go over to her place just because she made a request. "There''s no hurry. We can take our time to look for one. The helper at home should stay here and take care of Mother," Qiao Mei said. After breakfast, Xu Lan started to pack up the things for Qiao Mei to bring home. She had even already prepared diapers for the baby. She was concerned that the repeated use of the diapers would hurt the babies'' skin, so she bought the best fabric to make the babies'' diapers. She had prepared at least 60 pieces for now. In the beginning, Xu Lan had thought about forking out 1,000 dollars to make enough diapers for them to be disposable. She wanted to use each piece only once so that there was no washing required. They would throw it away once it was soiled. Liu Fen rejected this idea after she heard it, saying that 1,000 dollars could be someone''s entire savings. The fact that Xu Lan wanted to use that amount of money to make disposable diapers for her two grandchildren was really too extravagant. The things that Xu Lan bought for the children were arranged in stacks all over the house. There was so much that it was even possible for them to rent a shop outside and open a maternity shop. Many things were new products and even many women who had given birth had never used them before. Xu Lan was concerned that these things would cause discomfort to Qiao Mei, so she specially bought more and found other women to help her try the products. "I have prepared all these for you. Take a look and see if there''s anything else you need. If there''s anything you don''t like, I''ll go and buy new ones," Xu Lan said. "Mother, there''s no need to treat the two children so delicately. Just treat them like other children and don''t dote on them too much. Otherwise, they''ll become too weak and fragile," Qiao Mei said. "I just want the best for them. When my children were young, I didn''t spend much time with them. Now that they''re all grown up, they don''t need me anymore. I actually don''t have much experience raising children, so I want to give them the best things. Looks like I''m doing it the wrong way," Xu Lan said. Qiao Mei went forward and held Xu Lan''s hand as she said, "What are you talking about? Xia Zhe even told me before that you''re the best mother! He also said that he would be filial to you and would call you more often. He''s just too stubborn. He misses you, but he won''t say it out loud." Chapter 982 Just Being Jealous ? Xu Lan knew that Qiao Mei was comforting her. After all, Xia Zhe had been brought up by Xia Xiu and Xia Fang since he was young. One month after giving birth to Xia Zhe, she went out to perform again. It was only when Xia Zhe was in junior high school that she gradually found time to accompany him. However, Xia Zhe had already grown up by then and was not close to her at all. The first time he saw her, he even called her "Auntie"! At that time, Xu Lan had cried for a long time over this matter. After packing up, Qiao Mei and Xia He took the car back to the courtyard house. At this moment, Xia Wen had already reached his own home. As soon as he pushed open the door, he could detect the smell of all kinds of alcohol. He did not even know that Tan Jing was a drinker. Ever since they got married, he had never seen Tan Jing drinking. At this moment, Tan Jing was sleeping soundly on the carpet with a bottle in her arms, unaware that Xia Wen had already returned home. First, Xia Wen carried Tan Jing out from the pile of trash and gently placed her on the bed. Then, he quietly made his way to the living room and opened the windows to ventilate the room. After that, he picked up the miscellaneous items and bottles from the floor and put them into the trash bag, intending to throw them away when he went downstairs later. It was only when he got closer that he saw there was still some of Tan Jing''s vomit on the carpet. She had probably tried to clean up, but she was not thorough enough. Xia Wen did not have the patience to wash such a big carpet. The amount of money he needed to pay to get the carpet washed would be about the same as buying a new carpet. Without any hesitation, he rolled up the carpet so that he could throw it away. It had only been a few days and Tan Jing had already tortured herself so much that she looked a mess. Even the school leader had made a phone call to Xia Wen and he had submitted Tan Jing''s resignation to the school on her behalf. He just wanted her to rest at home for now and only go back to work after she was able to sort her thoughts out. After Xia Wen tidied up the entire house, Tan Jing gradually woke up. She held her head in discomfort and had no memory of what she did last night. She only remembered that she slept very well the past night and felt an unprecedented sense of security. After drinking, she could forget many of her worries. "You''re awake," Xia Wen said to Tan Jing as he stood at the door. Tan Jing struggled to get up. This was the first time she had ever been in such a sorry state in front of Xia Wen. Not only did she stink of alcohol, but her clothes were dirty and she looked like a crazy woman. "Mmm When did you come back? Why didn''t you wake me up?" Tan Jing asked softly. "Why did you drink so much this morning?" Xia Wen walked over and sat beside Tan Jing. Tan Jing lowered her head like a child who had made a mistake. She did not dare to look into Xia Wen''s eyes or face him. She was worried that Xia Wen would be completely disappointed in her and that this marriage would soon come to an end. Xia Wen sighed helplessly and said, "If you have any issues, you have to tell me. I won''t know what you''re thinking if you don''t tell me." Tan Jing had also thought about this issue when she was drinking yesterday. What exactly did she want? To get Qiao Mei''s house? Or to make Qiao Mei''s children disappear from this world? Or to have her own child? She thought about it for the entire night but still could not figure it out. Perhaps she was just jealous. She was jealous that Qiao Mei was gentler and more generous than her, jealous that Qiao Mei was more outstanding and capable than her, jealous that Qiao Mei could easily get everyone''s favor and that all she got was endless insults from everyone. "I don''t know I don''t know what I want either" Tan Jing said weakly. "Mother told me something today. Father has two houses in the village in the western suburbs, enough for father-in-law, mother-in-law and your second brother''s family to live in. Then they can give their current house to your sister. This way, they won''t disrupt one another''s lives and the issue with the house will also be resolved," Xia Wen said. Tan Jing did not see it as Xu Lan being kind. Instead, she felt that Xu Lan had ulterior motives. Why did Xu Lan want to make her parents go to the countryside? The western suburbs were so far away that it would take two hours to drive there. It had not been easy for the old couple to come to the city from the countryside, so they would never move back there. Xia Wen and Xu Lan were really doing everything they could to stop the Tan family from getting close to Qiao Mei. It was just short of Xia Wen divorcing her so that the Xia family could cut ties with the Tan family. "What are you saying! Are you asking my parents and brothers to live in the countryside! Is that even a livable place? My nephew still has to go to school!" Tan Jing said angrily. Chapter 983 - 983 What Exactly Do You Want 983 What Exactly Do You Want Tan Jings nephew was the son of her second brother, Tan Hu and his name was Tan Xue. The family gave him this name as Xue meant to learn and they wanted the child to be able to study well. None of the children in their family managed to get into a good school, so that was why Tan Hu gave the child such a name. Thank you readers! Although Tan Jing worked in the university, she was just a counselor who managed the students dormitory and their daily issues in the university. She did not know anything about academic issues and only got this job by chance. The work was tiring and the salary was low, so no one was willing to take up the job. In the past, Tan Hu had specially gone to look for Xia Wen to help Tan Xue out, and said things like We cant let the child lose at the starting line. He wanted Xia Wen to help Tan Xue enter a good school. Xia Wen was unable to reject Tan Hu. If his family did not render any help, Tan Hu would go home and complain to Tan Bo and then Tan Jing would be the one to suffer. No matter how Xia Wen did not feel like helping, he still had to do it. Xia Wen spent a lot of time and had to make use of his connections before he was finally able to get Tan Xue into the best elementary school in the capital. However, the outcome had turned out to be unsatisfactory. As Tan Hus family used to live in the countryside, the child had not gone to kindergarten and was illiterate. Initially, Xia Wen had suggested that the child should start from kindergarten in the capital and that it did not matter that the child would be older than his classmates. However, Tan Hu did not take the advice at all. Instead, he felt that Xia Wen had said all that because he did not want to help them. In the end, Xia Wen had no choice but to give Tan Hu what he wanted. When Tan Xue started elementary school, he could not understand any of his lessons at all and his results were always at the bottom. Tan Hu felt that it was all Xia Wens fault and asked Xia Wen to find a tutor and an extracurricular class teacher for the child. Moreover, he wanted Xia Wen to pay for it. Those who did not know better would think that this was Xia Wen and Tan Jings son, instead of their nephew! It would be better for him to study in the countryside. Otherwise, he would always be ranked last here, Xia Wen said. Even though Xia Wen was telling the truth, it sounded to Tan Jing like Xia Wen was mocking her and her family. This made the situation even more unacceptable for Tan Jing. How can you treat my family like this! My nephew is just not smart and cant keep up with the other children. Is it his fault? How can you say that about him! Tan Jing looked at Xia Wen furiously. Will you cut it out already? Are you blaming me for this? Tan Jing, what else do you want from me! When your family says that they dont have any money, my family will think of a way to give it to them. When your family says that they dont have a house to live in, we try to think of a way to help them rent a house. Yet, theyre still not satisfied. Now that we want to let them live in our previous homes, its still not a satisfactory solution. What exactly do you want! Xia Wen questioned her angrily. This was the first time Tan Jing had seen Xia Wen behaving like this. There was no longer any trace of love in his eyes at all, only impatience. After being married for so many years, Xia Wen had never spoken harshly to her. This was the first time ever. Tan Jing stood rooted to the ground and stammered for a long time without saying anything. She could not figure out what she wanted either. It was as if she could not control anything she did. Did she want Xia Wens love? However, Xia Wen already loved her enough, to the extent that all the neighbors envied her for having such a good husband. Did she want Xia Wen to take good care of her and be attentive of all her needs? However, Xia Wen had already been doing this for so many years. He did not need her to do any of the dirty chores at home and he basically handled everything. Did she want Xia Wen to be biased towards her maternal family? However, ever since they got married, no matter how overboard the Tan family was or how unreasonable their requests were, Xia Wen would try his best to satisfy them. Xia Wen had always taken the Tan familys requests to help with their work, living arrangements, school for the kids and money in his stride. After her marriage, she never had to face the issue of domestic violence and she did not have to do the housework. Xia Wen was also a motivated person and he cared for his family well. He loved his wife very much and was the perfect husband in the eyes of other women. However, why was she still not satisfied? It was because Tan Jing felt that she was a burden to Xia Wen. She always had this feeling when she faced Qiao Mei. It was only after Qiao Meis appearance that her relationship with Xia Wen gradually deteriorated. I I dont know Tan Jing said in a panic. This time, Xia Wen did not intend to give in to Tan Jing anymore. If he continued to give in blindly, it would only make the Tan family even more demanding and become even more impudent. It was better to draw the line as ruthlessly and as soon as possible. Chapter 984 Unable To Help You Anymore ? "Tan Jing, your parents and brothers have their own families, and we also have our own family. Have you bought anything for my mother all these years? I even had to urgently borrow money to be able to give Qiao Mei a gift when we met her for the first time, because you gave all our money to the Tan family. I am aware of everything that happened, but I didn''t say anything to you. I always think that it''s fine as long as you''re happy, but what are you doing now?" Xia Wen asked. "Your family is so rich! Your mother won''t like whatever I give her, so why should I make a fool of myself!" Tan Jing said. Xia Wen questioned, "What about fruits? Have you ever bought anything whenever we went back? Even just once." Tan Jing tried to recall carefully, but she really did not have any memories of doing this. For so many years, they had always gone to Xu Lan''s house empty-handed and returned with a trunk full of things. Even then, Tan Jing still felt that Xu Lan owed her something. As a mother-in-law, Xu Lan was already very nice. For so many years, Tan Jing did not have any children. Furthermore, Tan Jing always complained about Xu Lan. However, no matter how rude Tan Jing was to Xu Lan, Xu Lan never made things difficult for her. For the sake of Xia Wen''s family happiness, Xu Lan did not want to criticize Tan Jing and chose to turn a blind eye to everything. She felt it was better to pretend she did not know anything. Anyway, she really did not like whatever Tan Jing bought. "But" Tan Jing wanted to explain herself, but Xia Wen interrupted her coldly. Xia Wen sighed and said, "We''ve been married for so many years. Do we have any savings? How much money do we have? The two of us can be considered to be in the middle to high-income level. Our meals and accommodation are all paid by the school, so where do we spend our money? Do you need me to continue?" Tan Jing lowered her head and did not dare to look Xia Wen in the eye. Her monthly salary would be taken away by Jiang Yi for all kinds of reasons. If she refused, Jiang Yi would go to the school to cause trouble. In fact, she and Xia Wen only had 30 dollars a month for living expenses and the rest of their money was all given to the Tan family. After so many years, she had given them more than 10,000 dollars, and that was not including the money that the Xia family had given to the Tan family. The amount of money could get her a courtyard house like what Qiao Mei had. "Everyone has been very busy recently. I don''t have any more time to waste on the matter regarding your family''s house. They can either do as I say and live in our two houses in the countryside, or they can all continue to live together. If they decide to pool money to rent a house, I can help them find one. Don''t even think about anything else. Tell your parents about this as soon as possible," Xia Wen said. "Are you leaving us in the lurch?" Tan Jing looked at Xia Wen in disbelief. "It''s not that I''m leaving you in the lurch, it''s that I''m unable to help you anymore. Everyone knows what you really want. There''s no need to hide it. I definitely won''t do that so you should just give up the idea," Xia Wen said coldly. Tan Jing finally understood what Xia Wen meant. She sat on the bed for a long time and could not come back to her senses. Xia Wen continued to clean up the house. There was still a lot of trash and miscellaneous items to be cleared. Looking out of the window, Tan Jing suddenly had a new plan in mind. She did not need to tell Tan Bai about Xia Wen''s three options to know that Tan Bai would definitely not agree. If she went to tell them, she would only get scolded. After so many years, Tan Jing knew them very well. She wanted to go straight to the root of the problem. Qiao Yu waited from sunrise to sunset. Su Yang had not been here for three days. For the past three days, she had been eating steamed buns and cabbages every day. If she continued to eat like this, she would vomit. What was the difference between this and pig feed? Just as Qiao Yu thought that she was going to die, there was suddenly the sound of the door opening. Qiao Yu turned around excitedly but soon realized that the person who entered was not Su Yang, but his brother, Su Liang. "Su Liang! How how do you know where I live?" Qiao Yu stood up in fear and backed away, looking for something sharp to use for self-defense. "Why can''t I come? This is a place rented by my younger brother. I''m his biological brother, so why can''t I come?" Su Liang treated the place like his own house and swaggered into the room to sit on a stool. He casually picked up a steamed bun and started eating. Occasionally missing content, please report errors in time. Chapter 985 Is He Dead? ? Qiao Yu looked like a timid person, but she had never been timid when it came to the matter of "eating". When she was young, she did not get any food. She would rather snatch food from her brothers and get beaten up than have an empty stomach. To her, it was no big deal to be beaten up. The pain on her body felt thousands of times better than the discomfort she felt when she was hungry. Qiao Yu had bought all these things using her money. She did not have any food stamps and it had taken her a lot of effort to buy them at a high price from someone else. She could not even bear to eat much herself, so why should she give them to Su Liang? This was very likely all the food she had for the next week. It would be too much of a loss to let Su Liang finish everything now. "What right do you have to eat my steamed bun! Give me back my steamed bun!" Qiao Yu rushed forward to fight with Su Liang, completely forgetting how scary he was and also forgetting Su Yang''s previous instructions to her. During the struggle, Qiao Yu accidentally scratched Su Liang''s hand with her nails. As if by reflex, Su Liang pushed Qiao Yu and made her fall. In his life, no one had ever dared to treat him like this. Why did things keep going wrong? Earlier, he had been beaten up and his bones were broken, and now he had been scratched by Qiao Yu. How unlucky. Could it be that all women were femme fatales? Would he become unlucky whenever he got close to women? However, Su Liang did not want to believe it. He must make this relatively beautiful woman in front of him his wife. It did not matter if she was Su Yang''s woman or not! As long as he could get her, she would be his. "B*tch, how dare you scratch me! Are you tired of living!" Su Liang glared at Qiao Yu and roared. Qiao Yu fell to the floor and scraped her elbows and knees. The floor in the room was concrete flooring and a light knock against it would cause a bloody wound, what more when Qiao Yu scraped herself against the floor. "Why did you eat my food! I haven''t even eaten yet!" Qiao Yu said aggrievedly as tears flowed down her face. Su Liang originally wanted to continue to scold her to vent his anger, but when he saw Qiao Yu''s tear-stained face, he could not bear to yell at her anymore. It was just a lousy steamed bun. Was there a need to fight to the death with him? Su Liang already had dinner before he came over. At first, he had wanted to go to a restaurant to drink and celebrate being newly rich. As he drank, he heard someone at the next table talking about Su Yang and where his girlfriend lived. That was what made Su Liang interested enough to come over and take a look at Qiao Yu. If he had known that this would be the outcome, he would not have come. "Alright, alright, get up quickly. I''ll return you a steamed bun. I''ll give you 10 cents!" Su Liang said unwillingly. When Qiao Yu heard about money, she was completely revitalized. She quickly stood up and said, "How can 10 cents be enough! This is my dinner! What would I eat if you ate my dinner! You have to compensate more." Su Liang frowned and asked, "How much do you want?" "One dollar!" Qiao Yu mustered her courage and replied. Originally, Qiao Yu had wanted to ask Su Liang for five dollars, but it was too ridiculous to ask someone to pay five dollars for a steamed bun. One dollar seemed more reasonable. Su Liang looked at Qiao Yu in surprise. So it was true that only birds of a feather would flock together. The way she looked when she talked about money was exactly like Su Yang, except that she was even greedier than Su Yang. "50 cents. Don''t talk to me about useless issues. That''s all I have. Take it or leave it!" Su Liang said as he forcefully took out 50 cents from his pocket and slammed it on the table. Qiao Yu was a little afraid of the look in Su Liang''s eyes and quickly went forward to take the 50 cents before retreating to one side. She kept looking at Su Liang warily. If Su Liang should make any move, she would immediately rush out of the door. If something really happened, the landlord would definitely ignore it. The landlord probably even hoped that Su Liang would take her away! This way, the landlord would have no more dealings with the Su family and would not have to live on tenterhooks. "Why are you so scared of me? Do you think I''ll eat you up? I''m here to tell you that something has happened to Su Yang recently and that he won''t be back for a long time. You should make new plans as soon as possible," Su Liang said gloatingly. Qiao Yu looked at Su Liang in shock. Why would something happen to Su Yang? Was he dead "Is Su Yang dead" Qiao Yu asked hesitantly. Su Liang looked at Qiao Yu''s expression and decided to tease her. He said pitifully, "Yes, he got into a car accident two days ago and couldn''t be saved." Chapter 986 - 986 What Did You Eat Growing Up? 986 What Did You Eat Growing Up? The textile factory was only two kilometers away from here. During the daytime when Su Yang went to work, there was no one on the roads at all. How could he have gotten into a car accident? If Su Yang really got into an accident, why was it that no one in the neighborhood had talked about such big news? She had even gone to look for Su Yang yesterday and she did not see any funeral items at the house. Su Liang must be lying to her. Dont lie to me. Su Yang is not dead. Dont tell me you forgot that I went to your house yesterday? Qiao Yu said smugly. Oh, so youre not stupid. I have no problem telling you the truth. Su Yang got into a fight and went to jail! Instead of waiting for him here, you might as well find another way to make a living as soon as possible. Su Liang looked at Qiao Yu dubiously and said, Perhaps you can marry me. Its the same no matter who you marry. Im not any inferior to my younger brother. Qiao Yu looked at Su Liang nervously and said, In your dreams! If you still dont leave Im going to call for help! Im just kidding, Dont take it so seriously, Su Liang said with a smile. !! Before Su Liang left, he even placed some meat coupons and money on the table. It was not much and he had actually dug these out from Su Yangs pillow. Now that there was no one cooking at home and it was very expensive to go out to eat every day, he might as well get Qiao Yu to cook for him. Anyway, he was not spending his own money. He would just treat it as finding a young helper for free. However, Qiao Yu did not know what Su Liang meant and thought that he was trying to compensate her for scaring her just now. She picked up the money and coupons from the table and felt overjoyed. The next morning, Su Liang arrived at Qiao Yus house on time. He did not care if Qiao Yu had woken up or not and just pounded crazily on the door, waking up the landlord in the room next door. Sigh I finally got rid of Su Yang, but here comes Su Liang. What sins have I committed! the landlord said with a deep sigh. Qiao Yu woke up from her sleep in shock and quickly put on her clothes. She did not open the door immediately but looked through a small gap in the curtains to see who was standing outside. When she saw Su Liang, Qiao Yu frowned. Why was this person still haunting her? Why did he keep pestering her? Was he deliberately causing trouble for her! B*tch! If you still dont open the door! Ill kick it open! Su Liang shouted towards the room. Qiao Yu was so frightened that she hurriedly unlocked the door and slowly pushed it open. She looked at Su Liang unwillingly and said, What are you doing so early in the morning? I want to go back to sleep! I want to have breakfast. Hurry up and go buy groceries and cook! Su Liang said as he swaggered into the house and sat down. Qiao Yu said impatiently, Why should I cook for you! Besides, theres nothing in the kitchen and the coal is almost all used up. What can I do even if I buy groceries? You might as well go out and pay for a meal! Dont come here to eat! Isnt that simple? How can you be so useless, Su Yang said disdainfully. Su Liangs first reaction was to do the same thing as Su Yang. He went straight to look for the landlord. He knocked on the landlords door the same way he did on Qiao Yus door just now. I know theres someone in the room! Hurry up and open the door! Dont make me tear down your door! Su Liang shouted. The landlord hurriedly put on his shoes and went to open the door. He said to Su Liang obsequiously, Oh, its you. Why are you here so early? Isnt your kitchen meant for cooking? Why isnt there anything inside! Also, dont you know how to put more coal in my room after its all used up? Are you trying to freeze me to death in the middle of winter! Do you need me to personally remind you of such small issues? Are you bullying her because my brother hasnt been around these two days? Do you look down on our family? Su Liang questioned. However, what could he do even if he was being bullied? Old Madam Fan would have all kinds of ways to deal with him. Even if he went to the police station, she would get the issue mediated. Anyway, it was not a big issue and it did not cost him much money per month. He would let them continue to stay here for the time being and would think about it later when he really could not take it anymore. Chapter 987 - 987 Finding a Place to Stay 987 Finding a Place to Stay Ill go get it for you now. Its just that I have something to discuss with you. Can the rent next month be more than this month? the landlord whispered. Su Liang glared at the landlord. With that look, the landlord could almost see his own head falling to the ground. What did you say? Say that again? Did I hear wrongly just now? Su Liang questioned. The landlords back was instantly drenched in cold sweat. The look in Su Liangs eyes made him feel like he had fallen into an ice cave and heard the whisper of the devil. If he said anything to make Su Liang unhappy, he would probably not be able to survive the day. Nothing! I didnt say anything! Ill replenish the things in the kitchen and bring you the coal! the landlord said agitatedly. Su Liang nodded in satisfaction and returned to Qiao Yus room. Qiao Yu had thought that Su Yangs forceful methods were already very impressive, but she did not expect Su Liang to be able to deal with the landlord with just a few words. From now on, she could just take whatever she wanted and did not need to be bullied by the landlord anymore. Seeing that Qiao Yu had been staring at him, Su Liang asked, Why are you looking at me? Do I have flowers on my face? Im not looking at you! Im just staring into space! Whos looking at you! Qiao Yu said. What a shy young lady. Hurry up and go to the kitchen to cook! Cook something nice today! Su Liang shouted at Qiao Yu. Qiao Yu was woken up by Su Liang so early in the morning and had not gone to the market to buy groceries yet. Seeing that it was Su Liang who had paid for the food and helped her deal with the landlord, she did not want to be too calculative. As long as she had meat to eat, she did not care who gave it to her. Qiao Yu took the landlords bamboo basket and went out. Although Su Liang was alone in the room, she was not worried about what he could do. There was nothing but junk and clothes in that room. Everything valuable was with her. It did not matter even if he emptied out the entire room. Qiao Yu knew where Su Liangs house was. At most, she would force herself into their house. Qiao Yu hummed a tune happily as she walked along the road. As she walked, she saw Li Gui coming from an intersection and riding the three-wheeled vehicle with great effort. This time, she really saw it clearly. It was indeed Li Gui and the back of the vehicle was filled with popcorn. Qiao Yu followed Li Gui carefully all the way to the place where Li Gui and Zhao Fei often met up and witnessed the secretive transaction between them. Zhao Fei gave Li Gui a large sum of money and the two of them parted ways after a short conversation. Li Gui then rode home in a relaxed and happy manner. Zhao Fei also had an improvised three-wheeled vehicle by now. He would meet up with Li Gui every morning to pick up the goods and they would exchange vehicles. They could then proceed to do their own things after that and there was no need to come back to meet up at night. It was a very convenient arrangement. Recently, he had been thinking of ways to get a car and spend some money to get a drivers license. With a car, it would be even easier to deliver the goods. A car could carry a lot of things and was much faster. He just needed to be in charge of delivering the goods to his brothers. Even earning the differential between the cost price and the selling price was already a sizable income. This way, he would have a much easier time. Qiao Yu completely forgot about buying groceries and she followed Li Gui to a big house. It was not until she saw with her own eyes that Li Gui went in for a long time and did not come out did she confirm that she had found Li Guis residence. Seeing that there was no one around, Qiao Yu mustered her courage and went to Qiao Meis main door to take a look. She could vaguely hear the laughter of the four children coming from inside. Even if Qiao Yu had mistaken someone else for Li Gui, she definitely would not be mistaken about these four children;s voices. She often saw these children playing at the entrance of the village. As time passed, the sound of their laughter had become deeply ingrained in her mind. Qiao Yu walked one round outside the house. It was surrounded by high walls that were built with green bricks and it took her more than half an hour to walk one full round. It showed how big the courtyard house was. She wondered why Qiao Mei could live in such a nice house while she could only languish in that dilapidated room. Qiao Yu stood outside the door and stared at it for a long time. She only left in a hurry when someone came out of the courtyard. Xia He looked at the road intersection in confusion. Did something flash past just now? Was she seeing things? Chapter 988 Seeing A Ghost ? Qiao Yu was so scared that she only stopped running when she was a block away. She ran too fast and kept panting heavily. The cold air hurt her throat and she felt pain all over her body with every breath she took. She had found Li Gui''s residence but she still did not have any evidence of her selling things. She did not know if Li Gui did her trade at that alley every day. She had to continue to observe for a while longer and could not act rashly. Qiao Yu carried the bamboo basket and made a detour to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy her groceries. She spent money freely and behaved completely different from when she came earlier. Those who did not know better would think that Qiao Yu had struck it rich. Su Liang waited at home for an entire morning. When he saw Qiao Yu return home, the anger that he had accumulated for a long time completely erupted. "Where the hell did you go! Why do you need an entire morning to buy groceries! Are you trying to starve me to death!" Su Liang roared. Qiao Yu was so frightened that she dropped the bamboo basket on the ground and the vegetables and meat inside dropped out. Qiao Yu looked at Su Liang shakily. She wanted to squat down to pick up the groceries, but she was afraid that Su Liang would punch and kick her. If she did not pick them up, that was such a waste of such nice meat. "Why are you looking at me! Pick it up!" Su Liang pointed at the ground and shouted. Qiao Yu quickly picked up the groceries from the ground and ran to the kitchen to cook. As she washed the vegetables, she recalled how she was bullied by Qiao Zhuang and the others in Foshan Village. The situation now was no different from back then. Qiao Zhuang used to beat and scold her every day. She had enough of living a life like this. Su Yang was still in prison and she did not know what was going on. Qiao Yu could not go against Su Liang''s wishes for now as she still had to rely on Su Liang''s money to survive. She decided to make do with the situation and endure it for a few more days. As soon as she found conclusive evidence against Li Gui, she would be able to turn her life around. At that time, she would ask Su Liang to kneel down and wash her feet! She would make Su Liang drink the water she used to wash her feet! She would make everyone who bullied her bow down to her! The more Qiao Yu thought about it, the happier she became. Her hand shook twice when she put the salt in. This dish was going to be very salty. Qiao Yu did not cook multiple dishes. She just threw all the pork, cabbages, vermicelli and potatoes into the pot. After she added a thick spoonful of lard, the fragrance instantly filled the entire courtyard. Su Liang''s anxious mood also eased. It was indeed not bad to have a woman serving him at home. She seemed to cook better than Old Madam Fan. Not long after, Qiao Yu brought the food into the room. Unexpectedly, Su Liang did not reprimand her and just ate quietly. He was used to salty food, so he did not notice Qiao Yu''s mistake and even praised her culinary skills. Su Liang''s desire to make Qiao Yu his became even stronger and he silently praised Qiao Yu in his heart. After eating and drinking to his heart''s content, Su Liang put on his jacket and went out to gamble with his scoundrel friends. Qiao Yu finally had time to rest. Su Liang placed some money, food stamps and meat coupons on the table. She reckoned that it was probably the money for tomorrow''s meal. "Just you wait One day, I''ll make you address me respectfully! Pfft! What kind of nice man will bully a woman!" Qiao Yu muttered as she held the money in her hand. Even by the afternoon, Xia He still could not figure out where she was headed early in the morning. Could it be that she had really bumped into a ghost? Qiao Mei looked at Xia He''s distracted expression and said, "What''s wrong with you? You''re like a walking corpse. Why are you in a daze in the middle of the day?" "Qiao Mei I think I bumped into a ghost Really I''m not joking with you! It was a black shadow. It was at the door just now and disappeared with a whoosh! I really saw it!" Xia He said to Qiao Mei nervously as she gestured wildly. Qiao Mei never believed in such things. These were all feudal superstitions and had no scientific basis at all. However, just because she did not believe it did not mean that she did not have respect for such beliefs. She just felt that one should not think about it. "Is it because you did not sleep well yesterday? Do you want to go somewhere else and take a break for the next two days? I''ll get Mother to quickly find me a helper. If this continues, you''ll become too exhausted," Qiao Mei said worriedly. Xia He jumped up agitatedly and said, "It''s not that! I really saw it! I still can''t remember what I want to do. I''m not usually like this. I hold a record for having a super memory and no one has broken that record till date!" Chapter 989 - 989 Paying a Visit 989 Paying a Visit How could one hold such a record? Was there an instrument that could measure the extent of a persons memory? Would a value appear on the machine as soon as it did a test? Qiao Mei looked at Xia He carefully and sized her up from head to toe. Could it be that Xia He was really possessed? Why had she started to spout nonsense? Xia He was not usually like this. Why are you looking at me like that! I really hold a record. No one has broken it in our school until now. If you dont believe me, you can ask Xia Wen! Xia Zhe must know about it too. They both graduated from the same school as me, Xia He said proudly. Then how do you get such a record? Does someone have to grade you? Qiao Mei asked curiously. We have to memorize the value of pi. Youre given two hours to memorize as much as you can. Then, you have to recite it or write it down from memory. Whoever can memorize the most number of decimal places will be the winner, Xia He said. Then how many decimal points did you memorize? Qiao Mei asked with a grin. Xia He patted her chest and looked at Qiao Mei smugly as she said, Hmph! Its not that I want to brag! At that time, I memorized 512 decimal places! The second place was only in the 260s! At that time, I couldnt say so many numbers in one breath. If I paused, I would forget everything, so I wrote it down. The piece of paper which I wrote on is probably still in school! This was indeed quite convincing. The value of pi had no pattern at all and could only be memorized by heart. Anyone who could memorize more than 500 decimal points in two hours was indeed not an ordinary person. I dont think you bumped into anything supernatural. It could be a kitten or some other animal. It probably moved too fast for you to see it clearly, Qiao Mei said as she comforted her. Xia He did not believe what Qiao Mei said at all. How could there be such a big kitten? Unless it was an animal spirit! She decided not to think about it anymore. Even if she could know what really happened, there was nothing she could do. It was better not to pursue this matter. After lunch, Qiao Mei planned to go out for a walk, but an uninvited guest came unexpectedly. Tan Jing stood at the door of Qiao Meis house primly. She had stood at the same spot for a long time as she did not know what reason and excuse she could use for her visit. As she was still hesitating, she did not expect Qiao Mei and Xia He to suddenly open the door. The three of them stared at one another and stood rooted to the ground. They all stared blankly and no one knew what to say. In the end, it was Xia He who broke this awkward silence. What are you doing here? Xia He questioned. Most peoples impression of Tan Jing seemed to be that she was just an incompetent person who usually kept quiet but looked like a nice person. That was why everyone just let her be. In reality, only Xia He knew what Tan Jing was up to. Someone who grew up in an environment surrounded by people like the Tan family would not have a good character. Tan Jing was not nice to Qiao Mei previously so they did not know what she was up to now. I Im just here to visit Qiao Mei and to see if shes doing well, Tan Jing said self-consciously. Xia He snorted mockingly. She did not take the initiative to come here for such a long time, but suddenly came so diligently today. As the saying went, when the fox preached, one should take care of ones geese. She was definitely up to no good! Previously, Jiang Yi had threatened to hang herself outside Qiao Meis house. Even after such a big fuss, Tan Jing did not even come to take a look or apologize. What was she trying to do now? Qiao Mei sighed and patted Xia Hes hand, telling her not to become as prickly as an angry hedgehog whenever she was agitated. She was clearly the elder sister and was so much older than them, but she still had a childs bad temper. As soon as Tan Jing entered the courtyard, she started looking around. This was the first time she had come to the old residence. In the past, whenever she wanted to accompany Xu Lan here, Xia Fang would always stop her using all kinds of reasons. Even when she got married, she did not hold a ceremony at the old residence. She only came by to pay her respects and left after that. These flower pots and paintings were probably antiques. These were all left behind by the ancestors and Qiao Mei had gotten them for nothing. She had really benefited too much! Tan Jing had no idea that Qiao Mei had bought everything in the house herself. When she took over, it was an empty house and the only valuable item that came with the house was the bed in her bedroom. Chapter 990 - 990 Revealing Her Intent 990 Revealing Her Intent Qiao Mei had to cough twice to pull Tan Jing back from her thoughts. Um how have you been recently? Hows your health? Do you feel any discomfort? Tan Jing asked politely. These consecutive questions were all just pleasantries. Even Qiao Meis neighbors would not ask such questions. The person you were asking about was sitting right in front of you. If she was not feeling well, would she still welcome you into the house? The more Xia He looked at Tan Jing, the more annoyed she became. She also did not know why. In the past, she used to feel that Tan Jing was pitiful and so she always tolerated Tan Jing. Even when Tan Jing was greedy for small gains or caused trouble for Xia Wen, Xia He would turn a blind eye. She felt that Tan Jing had a hard life and so she would help whenever she could. Ever since Xu Lan told everyone about the Tan familys various demands over the years, it was out of respect for Tan Jing that Xia He did not go to the Tan familys house to cause a scene. However, Tan Jing still managed to find her own way here to make Xia He feel disgusted. Then Tan Jing should not blame her for being rude! Qiao Mei is not well! Shes not well at all! She needs more tonics now. Eldest Sister-in-law, I see that you have come empty-handed today. Didnt you say that you are here to visit Qiao Mei? Why do you come without any gift, and why havent my eldest brother come with you. Has my eldest brother forgotten to remind you about such etiquette? Or did your mother forget to teach you such etiquette, Xia He asked with a smile. Qiao Mei looked at Xia He reproachfully. Xia He was speaking too viciously. She was openly and covertly saying that Tan Jing had a bad upbringing and that Tan Jing did not even know basic etiquette. Tan Jing immediately blushed. The thought of getting a gift had never crossed her mind. She was here to ask for the house. Qiao Mei did not deserve to get so many good things. Was such superficial etiquette still needed within a family? I I came out in a hurry and didnt have time to bring anything. Next time! Ill definitely bring them next time! Tan Jing said. Xia He leaned back in her chair in dissatisfaction and stared at Tan Jing without saying anything. She knew that if she continued to argue, Qiao Mei would reprimand her and there would be no dinner for her. Sister-in-law, elder sister bumped into a ghost this morning and shes not in a good mood. Please cut her some slack. Im in good health and Im fine. Thank you for still thinking about me, Qiao Mei said. Xia He secretly glared at Qiao Mei. This little girl had said this morning that Xia He was mistaken, and now she was saying that Xia He had bumped into a ghost. Qiao Mei was just taking advantage of the fact that Xia He cared for her a lot. Otherwise, with Xia Hes temper, she would have lost her temper long ago. Tan Jing used to have a good relationship with Xia He, so she could tell how much Xia He liked Qiao Mei. Xia He liked Qiao Mei more than she liked Tan Jing back then. Not only did Qiao Mei snatch away Xia Wens attention, but she also snatched away Xu Lans care, Xia Hes bias and the love and affection of all their relatives. All these originally belonged to Tan Jing, so how could she not be jealous? It was Qiao Meis appearance that took away everything that belonged to her. As long as Qiao Mei disappeared Eldest Sister-in-law? Eldest Sister-in-law, what are you thinking about? Why are you so engrossed? Weve been speaking for a long time, Qiao Mei reminded her. Only then did Tan Jing wake up from her daze. She suddenly remembered why she was here today and said softly, Qiao Mei, I have come to speak to you about something. Your eldest brother was supposed to come and talk to you, but hes been really too busy recently, so he asked me to come over myself. Do you still intend to rent out your house? Do you think you can rent it to my family? This was the real reason why she was here today. She could finally not hide her fox tail anymore. Oh its about this matter. Elder Sister-in-law, what do you have in mind? Qiao Mei asked calmly. When Tan Jing saw that Qiao Mei seemed receptive, she quickly said, Dont you have six rooms in that house? My parents, second brothers family, youngest sisters family, and my second brothers eldest son will like to live there. How much is the monthly rent? Well pay for it. Qiao Mei was not agitated at all. She smiled and said, Your father came to talk to me about this before. They were not very satisfied with the rent I quoted, so they left. I didnt expect Eldest Sister-in-law to bring this up again today, so Ill tell you what I think. Chapter 991 - 991 What Is the Basis for Not Giving It to Me 991 What Is the Basis for Not Giving It to Me Xia He and Tan Jing stared at Qiao Mei with bated breath, waiting for her next sentence. I wont rent it to your family, Qiao Mei said firmly. Xia He nodded in satisfaction and pursed her lips so that Tan Jing would not notice how happy she was to hear that. If Tan Jing was not there, she would be laughing her heart out and would not have to hold it in with so much difficulty. From the start, the Tan family had been very rude to Qiao Mei. Jiang Yi went one step further and even tried to seize what they wanted by force. If Qiao Mei had not been smart enough to deflect the issue, her properties would probably have been snatched away by those wolves from the Tan family. Qiao Mei, do you mean you dont intend to rent it out anymore or you dont want to rent it to our family? Tan Jing suppressed her anger and asked again. She still could not believe that Qiao Mei was only targeting them. Qiao Mei repeated, Yes, I just dont want to rent it to your family. I recently bought two more houses and I intend to rent them out as well. But I dont intend to rent any of them to your family, not even to your relatives. Tan Jing smacked the table and shouted, Qiao Mei! Dont go too far! My family will pay rent! Why dont you want to rent it to us! Were all family! Wont you feel more at ease if you rent it to us! At ease? I dont feel at ease at all. I dont even know if this house will still be mine in the future. Its easier to raise the devil than to lay him. Besides, its hard to say if your family is made up of devils or demons. I really dont want to invite trouble for myself. Just let me have some peace and quiet, Qiao Mei said as she touched her stomach. As Tan Jing looked at Qiao Meis huge stomach, the anger inside her was like a fire that burned her heart and pierced at her nerves. All kinds of incidents from the past surfaced in her mind. Shes an infertile hen! Cant even lay eggs! She cant even manage to get pregnant. Its such a pity since her husband is such a nice man! Thats right! The Xia family is such a good family and its such a great thing to be able to climb up the social ladder. What a waste of the chance! She should just get a divorce quickly! Let me marry Xia Wen and Ill bear his children! Ill give him as many as he wants! The neighbors mocking laughter echoed in Tan Jings mind, as if it was going to shatter all her remaining rationality in the next second. She wished she could make Qiao Meis unborn babies disappear from her sight right now. Only then would Xia Wen pay attention to her again and the Xia family would treat her well. She wanted to be the only daughter-in-law of the Xia familys eldest son. Xia He watched as Tan Jings eyes slowly turned red and she stared intently at Qiao Meis stomach. Xia He instinctively felt that something was wrong and quickly got up to stand in front of Qiao Mei so that she could block Tan Jings view. She would not let any member of the Tan family hurt Qiao Mei deliberately. She had felt regretful about not being able to protect Qiao Mei well at the hospital. If she had been quicker and sharper, Qiao Mei might not have been traumatized yesterday. Currently, as long as there was any sign of trouble, she would be on high alert, worried that Qiao Mei would get hurt again. She would rather be overzealous in her reaction than run the risk of Qiao Mei getting injured. Eldest Sister-in-law, weve already told you what you want to know. You can go back, Xia He said sternly. As Tan Jing looked at Xia Hes gaze, she became even angrier. They were a family! Why were they looking at her as if they were guarding against a thief? Why wont you rent it to our family! Tell me! How did our family offend you! If you dont give me a reasonable explanation today, I wont leave! Tan Jing shouted and pointed at Qiao Mei, who was behind Xia He. Tan Jing was not to be outdone. She put her hands on her hips and said to Xia He, Whats wrong with my family! Tell me! After talking for so long, neither of you can point out any of my familys faults. Youre the ones whos quibbling! Just say that you dont feel like renting it to my family! Theres no need to slander my family! Slander? There was no need for them to do so. The Tan family was already infamous. Everyone who lived near the Tan family knew what kind of people they were. Those who knew both the Tan family and the Xia family all said that the Tan family was the Xia familys bloodsuckers and that it was amazing that the Tan family had not wiped out the Xia family after so many years! Yet now the bad guys were here to complain about being wronged. Chapter 992 - 992 You Are a Piece of Trash 992 You Are a Piece of Trash Do you know how much money your family took from my father! Do you know how much money your third brother lost at the casino! I guess you still dont know how your third brother lost his little finger. He went gambling and couldnt pay off the loan sharks and his finger was chopped off by the people he offended! My eldest brother and my father spent 100,000 dollars to save him! That was all the money which my grandfather and my family had! Otherwise, why do you think the entire family couldnt even pool together 50,000 dollars when Third Aunt-in-law got into trouble, Xia He said angrily. Tan Jing did not believe what Xia He said at all. She had never heard of these things before, so how could Tan Bao have done all these? She believed that he did not have the guts to go gambling. However his little finger was indeed missing. Back then, Tan Jing had also asked him about this matter. Tan Bao said that his finger had accidentally gotten caught in the machinery at work, so Tan Jing did not dwell on the issue after that. Since youve raised this topic today, Ill tell you everything thats on my mind. Dont make it sound as if our Xia family has mistreated you! Xia He brought over a chair and sat down opposite Tan Jing. She had so much to say. It would take her more than three days and three nights to list down the things that the Tan family had taken from the Xia family. When it comes to your second brother, third brother and those kids in your family, their issues related to work and school were all resolved by my eldest brother. Do you think that it doesnt cost money to make use of connections? Have you ever given my eldest brother money? Its the Xia family who paid for everything! Its my family who used our connections to help your family settle so many things! Its my father who asked someone from the community to help with the issue of your parents welfare payouts. Otherwise, how do you think your parents can so easily get a monthly subsidy of 50 dollars? Does money fall from the sky? Also, your family would ask my father for money every now and then. All these years, my parents have given your family a total of 60,000 dollars. This is not even including the gambling debts incurred by your third brother! Every word that Xia He said was like a knife stabbing at Tan Jing. The slashes completely shattered Tan Jings self-esteem. It appeared that Tan Jings supposed good family background and understanding parents were all illusions and only a part of her imagination. In actual fact, she was not worthy of Xia Wen at all. If she had not made use of a ploy back then, Xia Wen would not have married her. Everything had been a mistake from the start and she could not blame anyone else for the current situation. Alright, stop talking, Qiao Mei said as she tugged at Xia Hes sleeve. Unexpectedly, this small action agitated Tan Jing instead. Tan Jing stood up, rushed towards Xia He and gave her a slap. Xia He was stunned. No one had ever hit her since she was young. Even when the Kong family made things difficult for her, none of them dared to touch her. Tan Jing actually hit her! You dirty whore! What right do you have to talk about my family! Ill tear up your mouth today! How dare you spout nonsense! Tan Jing started fighting with Xia He without another word. At this moment, Xia He also came back to her senses. She pushed Tan Jing to the ground and hit her forcefully. Tan Jing was no match for Xia He and the situation quickly changed. Tan Jing went from having the upper hand to being the one beaten up and unable to fight back at all. How dare you hit me! Even my parents have never hit me! Even my eldest brother cant bear to see me being bullied! How dare you hit me! Xia He said as she kept hitting. So what if I hit you! Xia He, youre a piece of trash! You were abandoned by your husband, how can you still have the cheek to go back to your maternal family! How can you still have any say in your maternal familys affairs! Even when Tan Jing was in pain from the beating, she still continued to scold Xia He. She would not let go of any chance. Qiao Mei remained at the side and did not stop the fight. What Xia He did would be considered to be self-defense. Tan Jing might become much more well-behaved in the future after getting a beating. This could also be considered them helping Xia Wen to get his family affairs in order. It was only when Tan Jing yelled out in pain and did not have any more strength to scold Xia He that Qiao Mei spoke up, Elder sister, stop hitting her. Shell die. After Xia He stopped, she even spat on the ground. She felt really sorry for Xia Wen. He must be blind to have married someone like that! No wonder Xu Lan and Xia Mao objected to this marriage back then. The two of you I definitely will not let you off Tan Jing lay on the ground and glared fiercely at Xia He and Qiao Mei. Chapter 993 Not Xia Zhes Children Chapter 993 Not Xia Zhe''s Children Jail? Why would they go to jail? Could it be that Qiao Mei had gathered evidence about the Tan family''s wrongdoings? She stayed at home every day and did not go out. How would she know anything about the Tan family''s affairs? For many years, the Tan family had always been modest people. At most, they would take advantage of other people when it came to small things, but they would not dare to steal from others. However, since Tan Jing married Xia Wen, they had gradually become more impudent. They thought that as long as they proclaimed themselves to be part of the Xia family, everyone would have to be nice to them. As the old saying went, the water that could bear the boat was the same that could swallow it up. They only managed to harm themselves with this grand entitlement. "Are you trying to scare me! Everyone in my family is innocent! There are no criminals! Don''t spout nonsense or I''ll sue you for defamation and slandering my entire family!" Tan Jing shouted angrily. Qiao Mei looked at Tan Jing''s face and spoke slowly, "Isn''t your second brother having an ambiguous relationship with a married woman outside? There''s no need to talk further about your third brother, he''s still gambling. Your fourth brother is an honest low-ranking official in the government, but he took the hard-earned money of the common people to indulge in debauchery. You don''t know about this, right? I won''t say anything about your little sister. She''s a woman after all, so I won''t make things difficult for her." Every sentence was like a sharp blade at Tan Jing''s throat. This was her first time hearing about all these things today. If not for Qiao Mei, Tan Jing might still be kept in the dark. Xia He widened her eyes and stared at Qiao Mei. Could Qiao Mei be some "deity"? She seemed to know everything in the world after taking a nap. "Qiao Mei how did you know?" Xia He whispered agitatedly into Qiao Mei''s ear. "I''ll tell you later," Qiao Mei said. Tan Jing lay on the ground for a long time, unable to come back to her senses. Xia He went out to ask Zhang Wei to go to the public phone at the entrance of the alley to call Xia Wen and ask him to come and pick Tan Jing up. She was not going to let Tan Jing leave unscathed. "I don''t believe what you said. You accuse my family of doing things that I''ve never even heard about! No way! Qiao Mei, you''re such a vicious woman! Xia He, look at who you''re helping! Don''t be blinded just because of the babies! Who knows if these babies are really Xia Zhe''s children!" Tan Jing shouted as she pointed at Qiao Mei. This time round, there was no need for Xia He to step forward to deal with Tan Jing. Qiao Mei gave Tan Jing a hard kick and the gentleness in her eyes was completely gone. Tan Jing slammed hard into a pillar in the room and it felt as if the entire room shook twice. Tan Jing lay on the ground motionlessly like a corpse. "Xia Zhe knows very well whether they''re his children or not," Qiao Mei said coldly. Xia Wen hurriedly rushed over from his workplace. When he entered and saw Tan Jing lying on the ground, his heart ached for her. However, he still understood the situation. If Tan Jing had not wanted to attack Qiao Mei, they would not have treated Tan Jing like this. Tan Jing deserved what she got. "Eldest brother, this matter has got nothing to do with Qiao Mei. I was the one who beat her up. If you''re angry, just come at me," Xia He said as she stood up. Xia Wen looked at Xia He''s swollen cheek and already roughly knew what had happened. He just thought that Tan Jing was trying to split hairs and could not figure out some things. However, he did not expect Tan Jing to take the initiative to provoke Qiao Mei and even wanted to hurt Qiao Mei. He had let down Xia Zhe and his parents and even more so, he was unable to face Qiao Mei. The old senior Qiao was his family''s great benefactor, but his wife had almost threatened Qiao Mei''s life and ruined Qiao Mei''s peaceful life in the capital. Everyone said that it was Qiao Mei''s great fortune to have married Xia Zhe. In fact, it was the Xia family''s good fortune to have a daughter-in-law like Qiao Mei. They had really let the Qiao family down. "Qiao Mei This whole thing is my fault. I''ll go back and teach her a lesson now. I''ll come and apologize to you after I''m done," Xia Wen said guiltily. "Eldest brother, we''re all family, but if we continue to indulge the Tan family, things won''t be as simple as what happened today," Qiao Mei said sternly. Xia Wen understood what Qiao Mei meant and nodded silently before turning around to carry Tan Jing home. Chapter 994 A Female Stars Face ? Before getting into the car, Tan Jing still clung tightly to Xia Wen''s car door and shouted at Qiao Mei, "I won''t let the two of you off! Qiao Mei! It''s not over between us!" After the car left, Qiao Mei''s house was finally quiet. No one had expected Tan Jing to go so crazy to the extent that even the school did not want her to go back to work. It seemed that the Tan family had put a lot of pressure on her, causing her to become mentally unstable. She was not like this in the past. Or perhaps Tan Jing''s usual behavior was just an act that she put on for them and what she showed today was her real self. Qiao Mei returned to her room and took out the medicine box. Her medicine box was different from what others had. It was filled with ginseng of different ages and the different types of ginseng juice extracted from them. It would not be an exaggeration to say that this box was worth five million dollars. "Come, let me treat your face. Our female star''s face is very precious!" Qiao Mei teased. "Now that you put it this way, I''m getting angry again. I''m someone who depends on my face to make a living! She actually just came up and slapped my face! How does Xia Wen discipline his wife? I''ll go back to grandfather''s place now and show him how my face has been slapped! I''ll get grandfather to back me up!" Xia He pouted and said aggrievedly. The eldest son of the Xia family only had one daughter. Among the other grandchildren in the family, none of the girls joined the military, only Xia He. Moreover, she was beautiful and was good with flattery. Xia Jun doted on Xia He the most. Even if Xia He wanted all kinds of rare and precious items in the world right now, Xia Jun would think of ways to fulfill her wish. However, it was better not to let Xia Jun worry about such small matters. It was just a quarrel between the sisters-in-law at home. It was not a big deal and it would not be good to make the family elder angry. The Xia family placed great importance on anything that was related to Qiao Mei, and no matter was too small for them. Even if Qiao Mei wanted to eat tofu, it was also a big deal. "Do you mean you want grandfather to scold eldest brother? Is eldest brother not nice to you usually? For his sake, let''s just let this matter rest. In a few days, he will definitely give us an explanation after he has dealt with it. Don''t be angry anymore. Come over here quickly and I''ll apply some medicine for you. If you''re still disobedient, then I won''t apply it for you. It''s not my fault if you get disfigured!" Qiao Mei said. Xia He quickly sat down obediently beside Qiao Mei and closed her eyes as she waited for Qiao Mei to treat her injury. Qiao Mei put three drops of 100-year-old ginseng juice into some water, soaked the towel and applied it slowly to Xia He''s face. The ginseng juice slowly seeped into Xia He''s skin. Her previously swollen and painful cheek now felt very comfortable and cool, and she hummed a tune out of enjoyment. Qiao Mei had realized that this ginseng juice had the effect of improving one''s complexion. Earlier, when Zhang Miao went to the hospital for a checkup, the doctor said that she was almost fully recovered. However, Qiao Mei was still worried, so she continued to apply the ginseng juice to the young girl a few more times. She then realized that her own hands were also becoming more and more firm and fair, like hard boiled eggs that had just been shelled. "By the way, you still haven''t told me how you found out about the evidence against the Tan family. Don''t tell me you''re running some secret organization?" Xia He asked. "As if I have that ability. It''s just that He Ning found out about Jiang Yi coming to cause trouble the last time. He asked someone to send me the information as a favor to me," Qiao Mei said. "He Ning is actually so kind? It''s really unexpected," Xia He said disdainfully. Qiao Mei nodded. After she knew about the grudges between the Xia family and the He family, she rarely interacted with the He family anymore. However, it was still a good choice to let the He family work for the Xia family. In the future, if she wanted to continue doing business in the capital, she would have to interact with the He family. She knew very well that harmony was the bearer of wealth. Xia Jun had also discussed with her about how she could deal with matters related to the He family. Xia Jun said that as long as the He family did not hurt the Xia family''s interests again or hurt any members of the Xia family, then they would not target the He family too. "Looks like I can''t go out for the time being. I''ll just stay at home obediently," Xia He said with a frown. Liu Fen found two capable helpers for Qiao Mei. They were both good friends of the Xia family''s current helper. They had been in this line of work for more than 10 years and had worked for many rich families. They were both very competent and no one could find any fault with them. Qiao Mei briefly explained what she needed them to take note of, as well as the usual dietary habits and activity hours of all the people living in the house. Occasionally missing content, please report errors in time. Chapter 995 - 995 Body Search 995 Body Search Qiao Yu was still in dire straits. Every day, not only did she have to serve Su Liang, but she also had to go out to buy groceries. At first, Su Liang was very generous, but as it approached the end of the month, he gave her less and less money and yet he wanted to have meat for every meal. If Qiao Yu did not buy meat, she would get scolded when she returned home. Did he think she had magical powers? It was as if she could conjure up whatever she wanted. At night, Su Liang would happily go to Qiao Yus house to wait for dinner. His current lifestyle was what he had always dreamed of. He did not have to endure Old Madam Fans nagging and Su Yangs noisiness, and he also had money every day without having to work. Once he went home, there was even hot food on the table. Most importantly, there was also a beautiful young lady waiting for him to go home. Such days were really too blissful! However, as soon as Qiao Yu brought out the food, Su Liang was very dissatisfied. For a few days in a row, Qiao Yu had only made one dish, and it was always a stew. The dish was tasteless and she did not seem to know how to cook something else. Why is there so little meat today! Didnt I give you meat coupons! Su Liang said unhappily. Qiao Yu looked at Su Liang aggrievedly and said, I dont have any! The money and coupons you gave me are only enough to buy so much! Do you take me for a fool! My mother can buy a lot of things with those coupons, but you only manage to make this vegetable dish! Tell me! Did you pocket everything! Su Liang shouted as he pointed at Qiao Yu. I didnt pocket anything. Theres really only so much. Whats the use of me pocketing these things! Qiao Yu said aggrievedly. The amount of food that Su Liang gave her was not even enough for her to eat on her own, so why would she want to pocket any? Before having to run a household, she really did not know how expensive things like firewood, rice, oil and salt were. Old Madam Fan had so much stuff because half of what she had were a result of her snatching them shamelessly from others. Was she supposed to go out and snatch things too? Su Liang did not believe what Qiao Yu said and went forward to rummage through her pockets. Just as the two of them were struggling with each other, the buttons on Qiao Yus shirt popped open. Qiao Yu was so frightened that she quickly covered her chest and ran out crying. Su Liang did not even know what had happened. B*tch! You still know how to run away! If you have the guts, then dont come back! You can freeze to death outside! I hope you starve to death! Su Liang muttered to himself. Even if Qiao Yu was not around, Su Liang would still finish all the food. It would be a waste not to eat the food that he paid for. Qiao Yu was not even wearing a cotton-padded jacket. Everyone watched her run down the street with disheveled hair and clothes. Many people were curious about what she had experienced. Isnt that Su Yangs girlfriend? an elderly female neighbor said hesitantly. Thats her! Why is she running out in the middle of the night? Where is she going? Another female neighbor looked curiously in the direction Qiao Yu had left. Forget it, forget it. Lets go back. Its the Su familys affair so lets pretend that we didnt see anything. Otherwise, Old Madam Fan will come and cause trouble again. Everyone returned home and closed their house doors tightly, worried that they would be implicated. Qiao Yu only stopped when she reached Qiao Meis main door. She confirmed the location repeatedly by checking the mark she had left at the corner of the wall. Open the door!!! Open the door! Help! Qiao Yu shouted as she banged on the door frantically. Everyone in Qiao Meis family usually rested very early and everyone had long gone to bed. When the deafening knocks on the main door sounded, Xia He impatiently put on her cotton-padded jacket and went to the door to listen carefully to the voice outside. She found it to be quite familiar. Im looking for Li Gui! Im her younger sister! Open the door quickly and let me in! Qiao Yu shouted. Xia He gently opened the door a crack and Qiao Yu rushed in without another word. Xia He was caught off guard and got knocked into a pillar, waking everyone up. Qiao Mei arrived at the courtyard in a daze. Before she could regain her senses, she saw Qiao Yu barging around the courtyard in a disheveled state like a headless fly, as if she was looking for something. What are you doing here? How did you end up like this? Qiao Mei asked disdainfully. Tears streamed down Qiao Yus face. Her entire face was red from the cold and she was trembling non-stop. She looked like a battered and exhausted stray dog which was wandering the streets in winter. I want to look for my sister-in-law! Get my sister-in-law here! Qiao Yu said tearfully. Qiao Mei took pity on her, so she asked Xia He to bring Qiao Yu to the main hall to warm up while she went to put on something thicker. Chapter 996 Been Taken Advantage Of ? Even though the bangle could change the temperature around Qiao Mei, she still felt more at ease wearing a thick cotton-padded jacket. Qiao Mei did not want to be careless at all. The babies'' safety was the most important thing to her. The closer she got to her due date, the more she had to be particularly careful. Qiao Yu knelt at the side of the heater to warm her hands. Xia He leaned against the chair at the side and nodded off. Bad things always came one after another and would not give people a chance to catch their breaths. She had not rested well for the past two days. Dealing with these things felt even more tiring than going to work! There were either people who wanted to attack Qiao Mei or all kinds of people who came to her house to argue with her. It seemed that being too rich was not a good thing. There were always people who used all kinds of reasons to ask for money. Qiao Mei walked out of the bedroom and sat on the main seat. "Tell me how you found this place." "What did you say?" Qiao Yu asked in a state of shock. How could Qiao Mei not ask about her injury and situation immediately? She was indeed a cold-blooded person who did not even care about kinship. "I said how do you know where my house is? Shouldn''t you be sleeping in the factory''s dormitory now? Are your ears too frozen to hear anything? I''ll only say things once. Don''t make me say things a second time," Qiao Mei asked with a smile. However, it was a treacherous smile filled with murderous intent. At the mention of her job at the factory, Qiao Yu immediately perked up. She hurriedly pointed at Qiao Mei and questioned, "Don''t be so hypocritical here! My job at the factory is long gone. Do you dare to say that it''s not your doing!" "So what if it''s me and so what if it''s not me? Everyone knows how you came to the capital. Do you need me to call my second grandpa and tell him?" Qiao Mei curled her lips and said with a smile. At the mention of Qiao Zhuang, Qiao Yu fell silent. Compared to those days in the village, it was still better to stay in the capital. "I told you, I don''t want to repeat myself. Either you tell me quickly or get lost from my house," Qiao Mei said with narrowed eyes. Xia He was dozing off at the side when she suddenly thought of the matter of her bumping into a ghost in the morning. Could it be that the sneaky person was Qiao Yu? Looking at her figure and the color of her clothes, there were quite a few similarities. "Mei Mei! Don''t tell me she''s the ''ghost'' from daytime! Let me take a closer look It must be you! I can''t be wrong!" Xia He shouted as she pointed at Qiao Yu. Just as Qiao Yu was finding it hard to defend herself, Li Gui suddenly walked in from outside the door. The commotion just now had also woken up the four children in the backyard. Li Gui asked Zhang Qin to accompany Zhang Miao to sleep and rushed over once she had settled the children down. When Qiao Yu saw Li Gui, it was as if she had seen her savior. She crawled over and hugged Li Gui''s leg without letting go, crying and asking Li Gui to stand up for her. "What''s wrong with you? Get up to talk and say whatever you want to say slowly. Don''t be anxious," Li Gui said gently. After Li Gui helped Qiao Yu up, Qiao Yu was about to sit on the stool beside Li Gui when Qiao Mei deliberately coughed twice. It scared Qiao Yu so much that she quickly stood to the side. "Can you not make us ask you question by question? It''s like pulling teeth! It''s so late at night and we don''t have time to waste with you," Xia He said impatiently. "I I was Su Liang took advantage of me!" Qiao Yu covered her face and cried. The three women exchanged glances. How did Qiao Yu get involved with Su Liang as well? Could it be that Su Liang had the guts to do such a thing in the capital? Did he have a death wish? "Are you sure what you say is true? Do you know the meaning of being taken advantage of?" Xia He asked in puzzlement. Qiao Yu should still be a virgin. If someone had touched her hand or hugged her waist, that would at most constitute harassment. The man would not be charged even if she reported it to the police. He would be released after paying a fine and being criticized and reeducated for a few days. However, if she was raped, then the process would be completely different. "I! Of course I know! He really took advantage of me!" Qiao Yu said. There were only two rooms in her house back in the village. Other than Qiao Wang and Wang Qin who went out to live on their own, the rest of her brothers all had to live together in the same space in Qiao Zhuang''s house. Qiao Yu slept in the same area as them and they did not bother to hide whatever they did. The first few times, Qiao Yu did not really understand what they were doing, but she understood after a while. Chapter 997 Threatening Each Other ? "Then why do you come to look for us? What has this got to do with us?" Qiao Mei asked. "Li Gui is my sister-in-law! For the sake of my Brother Qiao Yue, you have to help me! I don''t have any other relatives in the capital, only you! Sister-in-law, you have to stand up for me!" Qiao Yu cried. At the mention of Qiao Yue, Li Gui lowered her head silently. The people she had let down the most in her life were Qiao Mei and Qiao Yue. Not long after Qiao Yue died, Old Madam Li forced Li Gui to remarry, saying that she would starve Qiao Mei to death otherwise. At that time, Li Gui had no choice but to break her oath with Qiao Yue. At the end of the day, Qiao Yu was still Qiao Yue''s relative, which meant that Li Gui was Qiao Yu''s elder. It was understandable that Qiao Yu wanted to get her elders to back her up on such matters. Seeing that Li Gui''s attitude was gradually softening, Qiao Yu took advantage of the situation and said, "Now that I have been taken advantage of and was bullied for no reason, how am I going to get married in the future!" "How do you know Su Liang? How did you meet him? How did you find my house? You''re wearing so little, so you should live nearby, right?" Qiao Mei asked. Qiao Yu did not dare to answer these questions, nor did she want to face Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei always gave Qiao Yu the feeling that she could see through people''s hearts. Even if Qiao Yu did not say anything, Qiao Mei would be able to guess it quite accurately. Li Gui was not so smart and was very soft-hearted. It would be easiest to ask Li Gui for help. "I''d advise you not to have any ulterior motives. I''m in charge here. Without my permission, you won''t be able to get anything you want," Qiao Mei said. Qiao Yu gritted her teeth and looked at Qiao Mei. She spoke slowly, "Su Yang and I were colleagues. After I was fired from the factory and I had nowhere else to go, I went to seek refuge with Su Yang. Su Yang arranged a place for me to stay near here. I didn''t expect Su Liang to find out where I live now and then he touched me" "Then what''s your relationship with Su Yang?" Xia He asked curiously. Qiao Yu quickly denied anything. "There''s no relationship between us! We''re just colleagues! Other than this, there''s nothing else!" "You''d better tell us the truth. There are some things that we can find out just by asking around. There''s no point in lying to us here," Qiao Mei said. "It''s it''s that he likes me very much, but I really don''t like him! I only treat him as a friend!" Qiao Yu said agitatedly. Xia He could not help but burst out laughing. They all knew about the matter between Su Yang and Qiao Yu. Back then, there was a dramatic scene at the entrance of the district where the Xia family''s house was located. Xia Wen had told her about it and almost reenacted the entire scene. She was not laughing at Qiao Yu''s attitude, but at the fact that Su Yang liked Qiao Yu so much but only got such an answer from Qiao Yu in return. He was really quite pitiful. "Then why did you open the door for a stranger and let him into your house?" Qiao Mei asked. "Because because I don''t have any money now. Su Yang was the only one helping me. Su Liang used Su Yang''s name to trick me into opening the door. He said that he had something that Su Yang wanted to give me, so I believed what he said," Qiao Yu said aggrievedly. Qiao Mei connected everything that Qiao Yu said together. There were still many suspicious parts that did not match the information they had. Besides, this matter had nothing to do with her family at all, so there was no need for them to help Qiao Yu. "You should go to the police. The police will help you," Qiao Mei said objectively. "No! If I go to the police and everyone knows that I''ve been defiled by Su Liang, then how can I marry into a good family in the future? Absolutely not! Are you trying to ruin me!" Qiao Yu shouted. "But we have no reason to help you. All these years, we both know very well what you''ve done to me. Is there any form of relationship between us?" Qiao Mei said disdainfully. Seeing that Qiao Mei was very stubborn, Qiao Yu looked at her with a strange expression and said with a smile, "Don''t behave like you''re so innocent. I know that Li Gui is running a big business now. Although she doesn''t go out to sell her goods on her own now, those people who are helping her aren''t that capable. If I file a report against all of them, can your Xia family protect so many people?" Qiao Mei frowned slightly. It was beyond her expectations for Qiao Yu to know about this matter. She did not want to cause trouble for Xia Wen at this time, in case it caused both Xia Wen''s work and family to be a mess. Chapter 998 - 998 I Want Your House 998 I Want Your House Since you have already made your way here, you must have already decided on what you want, Qiao Mei said with a smile. Thats right, I want to get back everything I lost! You must let me continue working in the factory and I dont just want my previous position. I want to go back and be the team leader of the workshop! I also want also want your house! I want you to give me a house thats as big as yours! Qiao Yu said agitatedly. Xia He sneered mockingly. She did not expect Qiao Yu to ask for so much. This was simply daylight robbery. What makes you think that I have many houses? This house belongs to the Xia family and it has nothing to do with me at all, Qiao Mei said. Qiao Yu was not a fool. After living in this area for so many days, it was not as if she did not know how to go around and find out more information. On the surface, Qiao Mei seemed so aloof and detached. Therefore, every family around here was curious about the kind of extraordinary ability Qiao Mei had for her to be able to live in such a big house as soon as she arrived, and even be able to buy over the Cao familys part of the house. !! Li Guis booming business had also made everyone envious, but from time to time, Qiao Mei would give the neighbors a lot of delicious food. She would always include them whenever there was anything nice. After all, to receive a favor was to sell ones liberty. Moreover, the neighbors also felt that if their children could become good friends with Zhang Wei and the other kids, they would have a bright future ahead! Of course, they knew how to weigh the pros and cons. They were definitely on Qiao Meis side. However, it was inevitable that they would still discuss the issue in private. After Qiao Yu found out that Qiao Mei lived here, she only had to ask around casually and she was able to find out a lot of information about Qiao Mei. She knew that Qiao Mei definitely had more than one property. Qiao Mei owned four houses in total! All the houses were big and spacious. Since Qiao Mei could live in such a luxurious house, then she could definitely do the same! Qiao Mei owed her all this! Given that they both came from the same village, why was it only Qiao Mei who was living a good life? She must ask for everything that was due to her today. Dont think that Im a fool. I know everything. I just want the part of the house behind your house! Are you going to give it to me or not! Qiao Yu said. Do you know how much such a big house costs? Xia He asked. Qiao Yu looked at them smugly and said, If its not worth anything, why would I ask you for it? You have to know that not everything is yours. If Im willing to give it to you, its only because I pity you. At most, well just stop running our current business. Its not like the Xia family cant afford to support me. What about you? What do you have to pit against me and wear me down? Without this business, I can still do other things. Theres no loss to me at all. Can you afford to wait while it drags on? Qiao Mei said. She could do a roaring business simply by selling ginseng. Moreover, Li Gui had a lot of cash in hand now and it would not be a problem for her to support her family for more than a year. In a years time, the economy would be fully open and there would no longer be any problem doing any type of business. Even if she wanted to do business overseas, no one would stop her. Qiao Yu was still too inexperienced to be able to threaten her. She was already being very nice to Qiao Yu if she gave her a job. Qiao Mei, dont go too far! If I go back to the village and say that youve become rich in the capital and no longer care about the lives of the villagers, see if anyone in the village is willing to work for you anymore! Qiao Yu shouted. Qiao Mei had always intended to go into the business of selling seeds in the capital. What she was depending on was the large piece of land in Foshan Village and that mountain in their backyard. The ginseng from the area had already become well-known. If she found a random mountain near the capital to grow ginseng, it would not be easy to cover up the truth if anything should happen in the future. Although Qiao Mei believed that those people in the village would definitely not betray her after listening to Qiao Yus casual chatter, the fact was that gossip was a scary thing. If she stayed in the capital for too long, people would start believing the lies. I can help you with the job, but its impossible to get the house, Qiao Mei said sternly. Qiao Yu considered it through and felt that it was something she could agree with. At the very least, she had solved the problem of her survival now. There was no urgency with the issue about the house. As long as she was able to stay in the capital, she could keep coming to Qiao Mei to ask for the house. One day, Qiao Mei would give in. Chapter 999 - 999 One Person Doing the Work of Eight 999 One Person Doing the Work of Eight Isnt there an empty room in this house? Why cant I stay here? Qiao Yu said unhappily. Xia He shouted angrily, Why do you have so many requests! Why dont I just send you to the police station to sleep! Its easier for you and well also have some peace! Qiao Yu silently shut her mouth. She realized that although Qiao Mei had a ruthless way of doing things, Qiao Mei still had a good temper and did not go around scolding people. Xia He was different. Her feelings were all over her face. Whoever made her unhappy would not have an easy time. Xia He followed behind Qiao Yu silently and gave her instructions on where to go. Xia Zhe was the one who taught her this method. Xia He did this to ensure that Qiao Yu did not escape when she was not paying attention. In this manner, Qiao Yu would be right under Xia Hes nose and she would not be able to escape even if she wanted to. They did not go through the back door of the courtyard. Instead, they made a long detour to reach Li Guis house. This was to prevent Qiao Yu from figuring out the shortcuts around Qiao Meis house. You can go in. Dont touch anything inside. If you break anything, you wont be able to afford it, Xia He said. Actually, there were not many valuable items left in the house. It would not matter even if there was a fire. When Xia Wen renovated the house, he had changed all the bricks and tiles to new ones. Moreover, the new materials were resistant to high temperatures and would not be easily destroyed or burned. Qiao Yu did not even hear what Xia He was saying at all. She only had eyes for Li Guis house, which was far superior to the place she used to live in. This was not just a place for humans to live. This was clearly a place where one could live like an immortal. Xia He wanted to ignore Qiao Yu as well. She found it disgusting to have to talk to such a person. Earlier, Xia He had already made a phone call back home to the Xia family and asked for more people to come over to protect Qiao Meis safety. At the same time, it would also make it easier for Qiao Mei to handle this matter. Li Gui lowered her head and sat on the chair in a daze. She was still a little soft-hearted when it came to Qiao Yu. In the past, when Qiao Yue was still alive, Qiao Yu often went to their house to play. She was obedient and cute and very likable. After Qiao Yu grew up, Qiao Zhuang always asked her to do all kinds of tiring and heavy work. Qiao Yue did not agree with Qiao Zhuangs actions and often helped Qiao Yu out in secret. Qiao Yu was not an ungrateful child. When she went to the mountains to chop firewood, she would always bring a portion for Qiao Yues family. When she went to the river to catch fish, she would also give them the largest one. Qiao Yu seemed to have become a different person by now. She still looked the same as when she was young, but her heart had changed too much. Qiao Mei are we really going to ignore Qiao Yu? Li Gui asked softly. Am I supposed to care about her? Mom, have you forgotten how she came to the capital? Have you forgotten how she bullied me when I was young? Qiao Mei questioned. Li Gui came to her senses with a start. It was best if she did not interfere in this matter. Qiao Mei would take care of everything. As for Qiao Yue His spirit in heaven would probably understand her actions. Things had changed and Qiao Yu was no longer the kind child from back then. Mei Mei, its all settled at Qiao Yus end and shes locked up in the house. There are two people guarding the door and there wont be any problems, Xia He said as she walked in with a yawn. Qiao Mei called over two guards and asked them to immediately go to both the Su familys house and the place where Qiao Yu lived to look for Su Liang and then bring him somewhere for a secret interrogation. She still did not believe what Qiao Yu said. If Su Liang had coerced her into doing something, there was no way she could have traveled so far to reach their house. Perhaps Qiao Yu was only putting up a show in order to cheat her of her house, or perhaps it was a new trick which the Su family came up with to take revenge on her family. Elder sister, is there any news from the prison? Did Officer Zou tell us about any new developments? Qiao Mei asked. It seemed that he had not contacted them There had been too many things happening recently and Xia He could not remember if anyone had given her any information. Every day, she had to take care of the familys daily needs, protect Qiao Meis safety and help Qiao Mei to send letters and messages. She was one person handling the work of eight people and she could barely cope. Oh right! Zou Ming didnt tell us anything about the case, but he sent someone to say that Su Yang and Old Madam Fan would be released in around three days time, Xia He said agitatedly. Chapter 1000 - 1000 Kidnapped and Taken Away 1000 Kidnapped and Taken Away The police station had tried to contact Su Liang many times, but he either hung up the phone or scolded them. When they wanted to go to the house to talk to him, he would always have all kinds of reasons not to be at home. The police had no choice but to call the Su familys daughter to see if the other children had time to come back and bail out Old Madam Fan. After this matter was dealt with, they would then be able to discuss the subject of mediation with Sun Juan and the other victims. Lets leave it like this for now. Ill leave Su Liangs matter to the guards. They know how far they can go. We can talk about the other things later. Theres no need to send food to Qiao Yu tomorrow. Theres food in that house. Let her cook for herself, Qiao Mei said tiredly. Li Gui and Xia He left the main hall together. However, Xia He turned back after walking halfway through and hesitated, not knowing what to say to Qiao Mei. If you have something to say, just say it quickly. Why are you being so awkward? Qiao Mei said. Its just that should we tell eldest brother about this matter? I think it will be faster to let eldest brother handle this matter, Xia He lowered her head and muttered softly. They did not know the situation with Xia Wen and Tan Jing now. Would they be causing him more trouble if they called him now? Qiao Mei shook her head and said, Lets not tell him about it for now. Well talk to eldest brother after hearing the results of Su Liangs interrogation session. After confirming that everything was settled, they all went back to sleep. The process of capturing Su Liang went very smoothly. Before the guards even needed to enter the house, Su Liang walked out on his own unsteadily, clearly having had some drinks. Who who are you? Get out of my way! Dont block me! Su Liang said fiercely as he slapped the shoulder of the guard team leader, Luo Yu. Without another word, Luo Yu pressed Su Liang to the ground, tied his hands together, put a sack over his head and brought him away. Their car was just parked outside and he pushed Su Liang into it before driving all the way to a small tiled house in the suburbs. This was a place that the guards had always used to do their work. Not only did they have to protect the Xia family, but they also did odd jobs for the government and also helped the criminal police division with investigation cases. As Xia He described, The guard team is like a brick that can be moved to wherever it is needed. Of course, the salary and benefits of the guards in this team were much higher than those in ordinary positions. The government would pay for a part of their allowance and salary, and the rest was the monthly subsidy that the family under protection would give to the guards. Based on the rules, they had to be paid at least 20 dollars per person and the amount would also be reimbursed by the army. In other words, the average salary of an ordinary member of the guard team was about 170 dollars a month, which was enough to support his entire family. However, this job was very risky and had very little rest time. There were pros and cons to the job. When they reached the place, Luo Yu untied Su Liangs hands and kicked him into a corner. Su Liang curled up in fear and lay trembling on the ground. He did not even dare to take off the sack over his head. He did not know where he was at all and also did not even know who had tied him up. He had been dizzy from drinking just now, but his head was feeling much clearer now. Hey, do you know who youve offended? Luo Yu sat down on the stool and asked domineeringly. Su Liang shook his head in fear and said, Big brother! No, no, no! Hero! Please spare my life! I really havent done anything. Im just an ordinary person. I usually only like to look at women and whatnot. I really havent done anything illegal! Please spare me! Su Liang was still wearing the sack over his head, so he could not see what was going on in the room at all. He quickly knelt down and kowtowed to the front. Luo Yu was actually behind him on his right. Everyone in the room laughed out loud when they saw how stupid Su Liang looked. Some people even wanted to go forward and tease Su Liang, but they were stopped by Luo Yu. If you really didnt do anything bad, then why would I come looking for you? Think about what you did tonight, Luo Yu said. I Qiao Yu and I had dinner at home I didnt do anything! Su Liang said fearfully. The colleagues from the guard team, who were behind Luo Yu, gave him a thumbs up. They were in awe of the team leader. He acted the part of a hooligan so well. Even his tone of voice was on point. Chapter 1001 - 1001 I Have Been Wronged! 1001 I Have Been Wronged! Su Liang was so frightened that he quickly knelt down and said, Please spare me! I really didnt do anything! Shes my woman. Isnt it normal for me to touch her? The thing is I havent even succeeded yet! Ive really been wronged! Oh? But she said that theres no relationship between the two of you. How do you explain that? Luo Yu asked. I I give her money and feed her every day but Ive never even held her hand. Ive really been wronged! Su Liang said fearfully. Luo Yu stood up and slowly walked to Su Liangs side. He slowly stepped on Su Liangs hand and crushed it. Su Liang lay on the ground in pain and screamed loudly. Ah!!! Are you telling the truth? If you tell even one lie, you wont be able to leave here in one piece, Luo Yu threatened. Su Liang was in so much pain that he broke out in cold sweat. He quickly nodded and said, Im telling the truth! If theres even a single lie, Ill be punished by being hacked into multiple pieces! I really didnt touch her tonight. There was so little meat in the meal today, so I asked her where the meat coupons had gone and reached into her pockets to look for them. In the end, she ran out of the door as soon as I went over to her. I really didnt touch her! Luo Yu looked at Su Liang and thought that he did not seem to be lying. Luo Yu slowly raised his foot and asked the colleagues behind him to tie Su Liang up. He wanted to go back and rest so that he could report this to his superiors the next day. Dawn was only just breaking and Qiao Yu was already making a scene in Li Guis courtyard. She yelled and roared like a crazy woman as she pointed at the main door. People passing by even thought that Qiao Yu was mentally ill. Brother should we report this to the Young Lady? Xiao An from the guard team asked as he looked at his colleague. Although Qiao Yus voice was not loud enough to reach Qiao Meis house, if anything should happen to this woman, it would be a difficult piece of news for them to report to the Xia family. They had never seen such a crazy woman. She had been cursing since she arrived last night. At first, her voice was not so loud and she only muttered softly. However, by now, she was getting more and more outrageous and it was almost like she wanted to rush out and eat the two of them alive. Xiao An had been with the guard team for a while and was waiting for his promotion this year. At this juncture, he could not afford to make any mistakes. Better not. Its still so early and Second Miss and the others arent awake yet. Wont you be asking for a scolding if you go now? If she wants to shout, then let her be. Its even better if the police come over because of the commotion, the colleague said. They were among those who knew what was going on. Xia He had already told them the gist of the matter. These people were very tight-lipped and would not betray the family. The Xia familys guard team was made up of a group of people from the troops who had volunteered their services and then had undergone a strict selection process. This was because the Xia family had contributed a great deal to the army. Not only did they have family members in the army, but everyone held a very important position. More importantly, everyone of them was a great contributor and the meritorious awards received by the entire family could fill up an entire wall. Both the government and the army attached great importance to such families that formed the backbone of the system. They wanted to protect the safety of the Xia familys various households on home ground so that the Xia family members who were at the front line would not have any lingering worries. It was not just the Xia family who enjoyed this treatment, but the Zheng family as well. As long as a family had made a huge contribution to the army, there would be a private guard team at their disposal. Big sister, if you yell anymore, the neighbors around you will call the police. If that happens, you know very well whos the one wholl be at a disadvantage, you or us. You should stop now, Xiao An said helplessly. It was already a miracle that Qiao Yu had managed to survive that night. The temperature outside was minus 10 degrees Celsius and there was no heater in the house. There was not even a place to start a fire. Li Guis house used gas for heating instead of stoves. There were no blankets in the childrens rooms either. In order to renovate the house, Qiao Mei had already emptied it of everything. Qiao Yu did not even have a bed and could only sleep on the cold floor. Xiao An looked at the colleague next to him and then at the crazy woman in the courtyard. It was better for him to stand guard and pretend to be deaf and could not hear anything. It was not their responsibility if anything happened to Qiao Yu, but if they made Qiao Mei angry, they could forget about working here anymore and would all be sent home to farm. Chapter 1002 - 1002 Buzzing non-stop 1002 Buzzing non-stop It was not until noon that Qiao Mei gradually woke up. She lay on the bed and stared blankly at the ceiling, thinking about what had happened in the past two days. There were still many things that she had not done, most of which were related to the Su family. This trip to the capital made her feel that it might have been better for her to stay put in the village. Qiao Zhuangs family members were all quite brainless. A few of them were simply just impulsive and reckless. They did not know how to strategize and would fight head-on most times. Qiao Mei just needed to hide from them for a while. Moreover, the villagers took very good care of her and would protect her if anything happened. However, in the capital, there were both open and covert attacks and it was impossible to guard against everything. Some people would even mock and tease you simply because they were jealous of your good fortune, hoping that you would encounter an accident soon. These people were like wolves which would never have enough to eat. No matter how much benefits you gave them, it was useless. If you gave them too much, they might even counterattack you and question you about where you obtained so many things. Qiao Mei went to the closet and found a beautiful navy blue dress. She had a dress like that before she became pregnant. Now that she was pregnant and her stomach had grown much bigger, she had made another maternity dress with the same fabric. She liked navy blue the most. Not only did it make her skin look fair, but it also made her look noble and elegant. Xia He behaved abnormally though. By the time Qiao Mei finished her breakfast, Xia He still showed no signs of getting up. Qiao Mei gently knocked on Xia Hes door and slowly walked into the room. Xia He was curled up like a ball on the huge bed and sleeping motionlessly under the blanket, looking obedient and cute. People who saw her at that moment would not be able to imagine that the woman in front of them actually had a fiery temper when she was awake. Everyone who saw her was usually bewitched by her appearance. Wake up! Why are you the one sleeping in today! Qiao Mei yelled out as she sat by Xia Hes bed. Xia He groaned as she sat up. She had to settle down for a bit before she woke up fully. As Xia He had gone to military school when she was young, she did not have a temper when she woke up in the morning. Sigh Im almost like your familys helper, yet you dont even give me a salary. Whats the point of me working so hard for you? Xia He rubbed her sore neck and asked with a smile. Qiao Mei did not hesitate at all and simply blurted out, How about I give you a house as big as mine? Will you renovate it as well? Im fine with you if you will also take charge of the renovation, Xia He said. No problem. I can even buy you a car! Qiao Mei said generously. Xia He waved her hand. She was just joking about this matter and did not want Qiao Mei to take it seriously. Qiao Mei might really end up buying her a house. She would take care of the matter of her own house herself. In the future, when she had money, she would buy a small house that was around 80 square meters and also get a dog for company. She would be quite happy to live alone like that. If she really bought a house as big as Qiao Meis, she would be exhausted just from cleaning up the rooms. She did not have that much money to hire a helper. There are a lot of things to do today. I have to get up quickly. My pager has been buzzing non-stop since early in the morning. So many people asked me to call them back, Xia He said with a deep sigh. It was not only Luo Yu, but also Xia Wen and Xia Mao. Even Xu Lan had sent her a message asking her to return a call quickly. Initially, she thought that it was a good thing to have this pager and that she could contact them if there was anything urgent. Now, she felt that it was simply a disaster. There had been no end to it since the morning! Xia He was so angry that she had to switch off the pager so that she could sleep well. Qiao Mei had already checked on whether they could be connected to a phone line in their area. It was quite uncertain and would require the agreement of six other neighbors. Moreover, it was not cheap and the cost of repairs in the later stages would be costly too. The pillars supporting the phone line looked unsightly and no one would want them to be erected at the door of their house. She decided to wait for the government to make the arrangements regarding this matter. Ill call them back and ask them to come to our house. You can just wait in the main hall. Ill get Xiao An from the backyard to move the rocking chair into the house. Dont even think about having a chance to return to the room for a rest for the rest of the day, Xia He said. Chapter 1003 - 1003 Brainless 1003 Brainless Xia He ran to the public phone at the entrance of the alley and returned calls to everyone one by one. Xia Mao was puzzled as to why Xia He had transferred so many guards over to her side overnight. He had thought that something had happened to Qiao Mei and was glad to know that Qiao Mei was safe and sound. Xu Lan had the same concerns as Xia Mao. Luo Yu wanted to provide a brief report on what happened last night, as well as the conclusion of the interrogation session. Xia He was unable to make a decision, so she asked him to come to Qiao Meis house in the afternoon to explain the situation in person. Finally, Xia He called Xia Wen nervously. After a few rings, Xia Wen picked up the phone. Hello? Who is this? Xia Wen asked coldly. Big brother Its Xia He. Why did you call me this morning? Xia He asked guiltily. Xia Wen laughed coldly and said, Im the person whos in charge of the Xia familys guard team after all. Half the guard team suddenly disappeared overnight, shouldnt I find out more about it? What are you afraid of? Is it because of a guilty conscience that you dare not talk to me? What trouble have you caused outside? The person who knew Xia He best in the Xia family was none other than Xia Wen. From a young age, Xia He would never address him as big brother. She felt that this form of address was too intimate. She would usually call him eldest brother or by his full name. She would only call him big brother when she felt guilty or when she was in trouble. I just know I shouldnt return your call. Qiao Mei doesnt want me to tell you about this matter. Well tell you the whole story after weve dealt with it. Were all fine. Its just that Qiao Meis relative came around, Xia He said with a sigh. Qiao Yu? Xia Wen probed. How do you know! Did you send someone to monitor us! Xia He said in shock. Xia Wen held on to his forehead. He really could not understand why he had such a silly sister. Even Xia Zhe was not that stupid. Could it be that all the smart genes in their family were only passed down to the men? However, those female cousins from the families of their Second Aunt-in-law and Third Aunt-in-law were all very outstanding people. Why was Xia He so innocent? The Liang family had always been under the surveillance of the Xia family and there had not been any negative news coming from that side recently. Since the issue did not originate from the Liang family, then the only scourge left was Qiao Yu. If it was not Qiao Yu, as if it could be Li Gui! There was really nothing he could do about this silly sister of his. Your brother is someone with brains. Otherwise, how can I survive in the government sector? Ill go and look for you after work, Xia Wen said. Xia He quickly refused and said, Dont come! If you come, how am I going to explain it to Qiao Mei! She must know that Im the one who tipped you off! You cant come! Besides besides, if you come by, Eldest Sister-in-law will come looking for trouble again when she finds out. Youd better go home as normal. The fact was that Xia Wen did not speak to Tan Jing at all yesterday. He did not say a single word to her. After sending her home safely, he went to stay in the dormitory at the workplace. They were living separately for the moment as he was really unable to talk to her calmly. After Tan Jing had time to cool down, Xia Wen would go home and talk to her. Dont worry, Qiao Mei wont scold you. You dont have to worry about my family issues. Its settled then. Tell Aunty to count me in when she cooks for tonight, Xia Wen said bluntly. This was how Xia Wen and Xia He had decided to address Li Gui, as the form of address sounded both friendly and pleasant to the ears. Got it. When you come, dont say that Im the one who asks you to come, Xia He instructed. Do you think Qiao Mei is as stupid as you? Its not as if she cant work it out for herself. Alright, I still have other things to do. Lets talk when we meet tonight. After saying that, Xia Wen hurriedly hung up the phone. She only found out about this when she came back to the capital and chatted with Luo Yu. Otherwise, she would still be kept in the dark! Chapter 1004 - 1004 Difficult to Make a Comeback 1004 Difficult to Make a Comeback She was the only one in the family who was all brawn and no brains. It was no wonder that when she was young, Xia Xiu always said that she was like a single-celled organism and was not suitable to enter the services of the army or the government. Anyone who was trained by Xia Xiu would end up holding an important position in the army. Only Xia He went to the military art troupe halfway through the training. Everyone agreed that Xia He did not belong in the army and should just live a simple life. By the time it was afternoon, Qiao Mei had settled down on the rocking chair and was falling asleep. In recent days, she found herself feeling sleepy all the time. She could fall asleep anywhere that was warm. She would not even feel anything even if someone came to carry her out to be sold off. Xia He went into the room and took out a blanket to put over Qiao Mei. It was so warm in the house that it was not a problem for them to wear summer clothes. Qiao Mei would not catch a cold. Huh? Did I fall asleep again? Qiao Mei asked groggily. !! Yes you did. Aunt says that this is quite normal and theres nothing wrong with the babies and you. Why dont I call the hospital now and get them to send someone to come and take and look at you. Dont tire yourself out just because youre having children, Xia He said worriedly. Qiao Mei slowly sat up and said, Its fine. Ive just been more tired recently. I will sleep more and get my strength back. Its not a big deal. Have you settled the matters of those people who called? When are they coming? Xia He stood nervously beside Qiao Mei and grabbed the corners of her own shirt tightly with both hands as she said, Um Im going to tell you something, but dont be angry! When I returned Xia Wens call just now, he found out about whats going on and he said that he would come to our place after work. It was totally within Qiao Meis expectations that Xia Wen would know about this matter. She just did not want Xia Wen to worry. However, as the eldest brother, it was inevitable that he would have to go through the tiring process of taking care of his younger siblings. What about the other stuff? Qiao Mei asked. Theres nothing else. Luo Yu will be here soon. He has the result from Su Liangs interrogation session, Xia He said. As soon as she finished speaking, Luo Yu arrived at the door with a document in his hand. It was filled with information about Su Liangs replies and the details of the interrogation session. Qiao Mei had to sign off on the document so that the team could go back and submit their report. Young Madam, please take a look, Luo Yu said solemnly. Qiao Mei was slightly stunned on the spot. She had only heard this form of address in television dramas which she watched in her other life. She did not expect to become a young madam one day! It actually felt quite good, but she still felt a little embarrassed to hear others say it out. Qiao Mei quickly took the document and said, You can call me Qiao Mei from now on. Were all friends, so theres no need to be so polite. Did any of our people get injured last night? Its more than enough for one person from the guard team to handle a piece of trash like Su Liang! Hes not able to hurt any of us at all, Luo Yu said proudly. Su Liangs recorded statement was completely different from what Qiao Yu had said. Other than the timing being the same, the rest of the details were completely two different versions. However, Qiao Mei believed that Su Liangs statement was the truth. Luo Yu and his colleagues were professionals, so Su Liang would tell the truth even if it was only for the sake of saving his own life. After Xia He finished reading it, she flew into a rage. She stood up and wanted to go to Li Guis house to confront Qiao Yu. Were they so easy to fool! Did she take them for fools! Enough! Why are you so agitated? Let Qiao Yu stay there and suffer for a couple of days first. Theres no issue as long as she doesnt die. As for Su Liang, Id have to ask for Brother Luos help to send him to the police station and report the case based on what Qiao Yu said, Qiao Mei said with a smile. Qiao Mei folded the blanket and put it away. Stay and have dinner with us tonight. Theres no need to go back right now. We still have other missions to complete, so we wont trouble you. After saying that, Luo Yu drove back to deal with Qiao Meis arrangements. All this while, he never managed to get a chance to deal with Su Liang. He finally had a chance to vent his anger now. Although Su Yang was also in the wrong, his crime was not that serious and he might still be of great use in the future. Moreover, Su Yang was a greedy and gullible person, so it was also easier to control him. He was not as ruthless as Su Liang. Given that Su Liang already had a previous criminal record, once they sent him into prison again, it would probably be very difficult for him to be released. Chapter 1005 - 1005 Endless Arguments 1005 Endless Arguments The entire police station was currently in an uproar and the voices of the three Su sisters echoed throughout the entire lobby. Not only were the three of them arguing, but even their husbands were in on it as well. It was simply a mess. There was nothing that Zou Ming could do to this group of people. It was not as if he could open fire in the police station to intimidate them. They would not listen to him even when he shouted at them, or rather, they could not hear him at all. Zou Ming might as well let them continue arguing at the police station. It would be even better if they started a fight! This way, it would save Zou Ming the trouble of sending police officers to arrest them. It would end up being much more convenient! Why should our family pay for this! Your family took a lot of money from Mom! Your family should pay more! the eldest sister, Su Miao, shouted as she pointed at the second daughter, Su Xiu. Su Xiu stomped her feet in anger and shouted back quickly, Bullsh*t! As if Mom is my mother alone! Didnt Mom raise you! Are you talking like a human! Thats right! Im not talking like a human. Youre the only one whos a good person! Back then, when you got married, my brother-in-law had given our mother some money. You took the money back from her to pay your own bills! In the end, our mother ended up giving you money to get married. Shouldnt you contribute more! Why are you shouting at me here! Su Miao roared angrily. You are the one who shouted at me first, yet youre also the one who complained first! Mom was the one who willingly gave me all the money. Did I ask for it! Dont talk nonsense! Su Xiu was so angry that her entire body was trembling. The third daughter, Su Li, and her husband sat at the side and watched everything silently. Su Miao and Su Xiu had no right to even ask her about such things. It turned out that their father, Su Guang, had always wanted to have a son. When his first two children turned out to be daughters, Su Guang forced Old Madam Fan to continue giving birth. In their fifth year of marriage, she became pregnant with his third child. Su Guang originally thought that it would definitely be a boy this time, but when the baby was born and he saw that it was a girl, he left the hospital in anger and left Old Madam Fan and Su Li behind. Su Li had been treated unfairly since she was young and was not even allowed to go to school. When she was 13 years old, he threw her out of the house and asked her to go out and start her own family. In the beginning, Su Li did not have this name. Su Guang had wanted to name his third child Su Di since he thought that it would definitely be a boy. He did not expect his fourth child to finally be a boy. After the third daughter left home, she changed her name to Su Li. She met her husband and got married on her own and had nothing to do with the Su family. If it was not because the police asked her to come back, Su Li would never have come to see Old Madam Fan. Third Sister! You should be the judge! Why arent you saying anything from over there! Su Miao said aggrievedly. Su Li sighed. She thought that it would be better to settle this matter quickly. It was a waste of time to stay here. She slowly walked between Su Miao and Su Xiu and said, Lets split the cost evenly among us. We can get Su Liang and Su Yang to return the money to us later. You mean you want our two younger brothers to return us the money? Su Xiu asked in puzzlement. All these years, all the good things in the family had belonged to these two younger brothers. Mom also gave her previous job to Fifth Brother, so now that something has happened, the two of them should take on full responsibility. Or rather, they should pay for it. Were just doing them a favor. If they want to come out, they can borrow money from us. Otherwise, I wont fork out a single cent, Su Li said sternly. Su Miao and Su Xiu looked at each other. This was such a good idea! This way, none of them would incur any losses and they could even get some interest out of it. Most importantly, if Old Madam Fan really could not fork out the money, she could use the house as collateral. After all, what were her two sons good for? It was already good enough that Su Li was willing to fork out the money. For the sake of the money in Su Lis hands, they had to agree to this plan. Sure, then lets do that! Su Miao quickly agreed. Su Xiu looked at Su Li warily and asked, But they dont have that much money now. When Mom is released, who should she return the money to first? Su Xiu still had some brains, unlike Su Miao who did not like to think. The five siblings from the Su family were either extremely smart or extremely stupid and incompetent; either lecherous and greedy or knew how to hide their true colors. Everyone of them had different tempers and personalities, but they had one thing in common, and that was greed and selfishness. Su Li had traveled extensively in the past two years, made money and had saved up quite a lot. What she wanted was not for Old Madam Fan to return her the money, but for Old Madam Fan to be unable to repay the debt and had to give the house to her as collateral. Chapter 1006 Loansharking ? Su Xiu was very pleased with this answer. The amount of money and interest that Old Madam Fan would pay back to the first family definitely would not be that much, and the last family might not even be able to get back much money at all. It was the best to be in the middle. Not only would she be able to get back the principal amount, but she would also be able to get the bulk of the interest. It was like killing two birds with one stone! After the three families agreed on this matter, Su Li went to talk to Zou Ming. "Have you decided?" Zou Ming rubbed his temples and asked tiredly. The loud noise just now had made his ears very uncomfortable. "We''ve decided, but I''ll have to trouble Officer Zou to ask my mother about her wishes and whether she wants us to bail her out," Su Li said. Zou Ming looked at Su Li curiously and asked, "Can you tell me what you have in mind? I''ll pass the message to your mother." Su Li did not intend to tell Zou Ming the details of the plan. She only wanted Zou Ming to talk to Old Madam Fan about needing to borrow money from them. The rest of the details were the Su family''s personal matter. They could talk about it among themselves when they saw Old Madam Fan in person. Before Zou Ming could even speak, Old Madam Fan immediately agreed to whatever Su Li and the rest wanted. She found it unbearable to stay in this place for another day. In the detention center, there were people who bullied her, people who spit in her food, and even people who snatched away her blanket. There were also cockroaches and bugs everywhere. This was simply not a place for humans to live! She had so much retirement pension every month, and coupled with the money that Su Yang had earned, she would definitely be able to pay off the bail money. As long as she could go out, she was willing to pay any amount of money! Zou Ming handcuffed Old Madam Fan and brought her to the conference room so that the three Su sisters and Old Madam Fan could sit opposite one another. Old Madam Fan looked at Su Li agitatedly. She had not seen this daughter of hers for almost 30 years. Su Li looked completely different from when she was young. If not for the mole on Su Li''s face, she would not have dared to call out to Su Li. "Su Di! You''re finally willing to come back and see me! Do you know how much Mom misses you!" Old Madam Fan said with tears in her eyes. Su Li frowned and said, "I''m not Su Di. My name is Su Li. It''s the word that means beautiful." "Fine, fine, fine. This name Su Li is good, any other name is also fine. It''s such happy news that you''re back. Our family is finally reunited!" Old Madam Fan said with a smile. Zou Ming coughed twice and showed Old Madam Fan the document containing the terms which Su Li had drawn up. Zou Ming now understood why Su Li did not tell him about the terms and conditions of the loan earlier. This was completely a case of loansharking. "I think you might not be able to understand what I wrote, so I''ll give you a simple explanation. The first to fourth lines are the amount of money you borrowed, the order in which it should be returned, as well as the final deadline. The last few lines are more important," Su Li cleared her throat and coughed twice before continuing. "We''re not lending you this money for free. The interest will be calculated according to the rate of ''paying 130 for every 90''. Otherwise, we won''t lend the money to you. Do you agree with this condition?" Su Li asked sternly. Zou Ming frowned. He did not know where this Su Li came from. She even knew the phrase "paying 130 for every 90". In other words, if Old Madam Fan''s bail amount was 10,000 dollars, then the interest for 10 months would be as high as 10,000 dollars. Ordinary families could not afford such a high interest rate at all. Moreover, it would not be enough to just pay back the same amount of money every month. In the end, one would need to fork out more interest to fill this huge hole. This was how many gamblers in the casino went bankrupt. What crushed them was not the capital sum, but the high interest rate. Su Miao and Su Xiu sat at the side and listened, feeling at a loss. They did not understand what it meant at all, but they were sure that Su Li would definitely not trick them. Since they were all in the same boat, Su Li would definitely help them! "Whatever you say!" Old Madam Fan said with a smile. It was obvious that Old Madam Fan did not know what the phrase meant as well. Zou Ming could not help but speak up, "Are you sure you want to do this?" "Yes, that''s my condition. I won''t lend her the money if it''s not this interest rate," Su Li said. Old Madam Fan thought that Zou Ming was being a busybody. Su Li had already agreed to bail her out, so why was he still asking so many questions? Could it be that Zou Ming wanted to get a kickback! "Why are you questioning my daughter! My daughter is doing this for my own good! Aren''t you just eyeing to get more money from us! We won''t give you any red packets! We won''t give you a single cent!" Old Madam Fan said smugly. Chapter 1007 - 1007 Each Taking a Step Back 1007 Each Taking a Step Back In the end, Zou Ming still could not bear to see Old Madam Fan being kept in the dark. Even though Old Madam Fan had insulted him, he still explained to her in detail the principle of paying 130 for every 90. At the very least, he wanted to be able to live up to his conscience and his police uniform. Old Madam Fans initial happiness gradually turned into anger. If not for the handcuffs on her hands, she would have flipped the table and fought with Su Li. Su Li! Im your mother! How can you treat me like this! How do you expect me to gather so much money in such a short period of time! You might as well let me die here! Old Madam Fan roared. Su Miao and Su Xiu looked at Su Li with fear in their eyes. They indeed had ill intentions, but they had not thought about getting so much money from Old Madam Fan. To them, getting 100 to 200 dollars in interest was already a big amount. What Su Li was doing was simply daylight robbery. Loan sharks would get sent to jail! Su Li even wrote this down in front of the police. Was she sick of living! This Su Li in front of them was no longer the person they used to know She had changed so much Um Officer! This is not our families intention. This is my younger sisters own idea and has nothing to do with us! Su Miao said fearfully. Thats right, thats right! Weve never even heard of this phrase! Su Xiu said hurriedly. Su Lis expression remained unchanged. It was indeed her fault for charging such a high interest rate without explaining it to Old Madam Fan. However, they were discussing it openly now and Old Madam Fan had every right to agree or disagree. She was not forcing Old Madam Fan to sign the agreement against her will. What was wrong with that? It was a mutually consensual deal. At most, she would not lend out her money. Su Yang got into a fight and went to jail. The victims had asked for 7,000 dollars as compensation. In your case, your bail is 10,000 dollars. Now that Su Liang is in jail for rape, we can only protect you and Fifth Brother. When it comes to Su Liang theres really no way out. Its up to you whether Su Yang can be saved and whether you want to be released, Su Li said. Zou Ming stared at Su Li intently and did not say anything. When Su Liang was arrested and sent here, he came in through the backyard. There was no news leaked out about this matter at all. How did Su Li know so much? Could it be that there was someone more powerful behind Su Li? Xiao Li your interest rate is really too high. Can you reduce it! Old Madam Fan said awkwardly. Thats not something impossible. You can give each family an additional amount of 2,000 dollars and well consider this matter settled. The principal sum plus 2,000 dollars each, not a single cent less, Su Li said. Su Miao and Su Xiu did not say anything. The interest of 2,000 dollars each was also far beyond their plan. Other than taking the cues from Su Li, they had no other choice now. Alright Then can your younger brother be released! Old Madam Fan asked anxiously. Everyone turned to look at Zou Ming. It was up to him to decide whether to let the man go or not. Zou Ming said hesitantly, You can go back after paying the bail, but not Su Yang. I need to negotiate with the injured parties by bringing along the compensation sum. He wont be able to get out until tomorrow or the day after. The actual timing would depend on how long it took for the higher-ups to approve it. The release of an offender was not something that could be done just by him nodding his head. Moreover, at that time, Qiao Mei had only mentioned the issue of compensation and did not specify the exact amount. He could not say with confidence that 7,000 dollars could hit the standard that Qiao Mei had in mind. Im not done yet. Mom, if youre unable to return us the money, then well take your house. When the time comes, well see how much money we can sell it for. We must get back what were owed, Su Li said smugly with a smile. Old Madam Fan looked at Su Li agitatedly and said, What did I do to offend you! For you to want to destroy me like this! Now you dont even want to let me have the house! What exactly do you want! That house is my dowry! Its the house left to me by your grandparents! It doesnt belong to your Su family! You can touch anything but my house! Dont even think about selling my house! Old Madam Fan shouted. As long as its your belongings and you dont pay your debts by the specified time, you have to use it as collateral. You should think about how to pay us back the money, Su Li said calmly. Seeing that Su Li was determined not to give in, Old Madam Fan had nothing else to say. There was no other way out for her now. Chapter 1008 - 1008 Not Even Fully Grown Yet 1008 Not Even Fully Grown Yet Zou Ming looked at Old Madam Fan and said, Please give us your solution as soon as possible. We still have other work to do and cant keep dealing with your familys matters. Old Madam Fan hesitated for a moment. She had no other way out except to agree to Su Lis demands. Su Liang and Su Yang were both in jail. Apart from the three daughters in front of her, she did not have any other relatives, let alone any good friends. No one was willing to be friends with Old Madam Fan. In the end, Old Madam Fan agreed to what Su Li wanted. Even if her debt ended up being overdue, she reckoned that Su Li would not dare to do anything too overboard. Would Su Li hound her to death simply because she was unable to pay the debt? If Su Li really went to her house to force her to return the money, she would sue Su Li for being unfilial to her parents! She would definitely have the upper hand! How could this little girl who was not even fully grown dare to pick a fight with her! Impossible! Zou Ming asked Fatty to come over and follow up with the Su family members as he still had to go and discuss the compensation issue with Qiao Mei. There was also a lot of outstanding work that he had to deal with at the police station. As the year came to an end, there were always many things to do. Su Liangs issue was a prickly one as well. He had no choice but to respect the wishes of his superiors. This matter had to be handled well so that the outcome was satisfactory to everyone. Just as Zou Ming was about to leave, Old Madam Fan grabbed him and asked, Officer Zou! What did my son do that caused him to be arrested! Tell me! Your son? Which son are you talking about? Zou Ming asked as he looked at Old Madam Fan. Su Liang! Didnt you just say that Su Liang was also arrested! What happened to my son? Old Madam Fan asked nervously. Zou Ming had thought that Old Madam Fan did not hear what he said, but it turned out that she had taken note of it. However, this matter was related to the higher-ups. If he said too much, he may not be able to continue working in the police station. This matter is more complicated. Your son hurt a woman. I dont know if you know this woman, her name is Qiao Yu. As your son is a repeat offender, Im afraid Zou Ming paused and sighed deeply. Old Madam Fan could understand what Zou Ming meant. Su Liang was already a lost cause, but at the very least, one of them could still be saved! At least Su Yang could still come home and there was still hope for their family! After completing the procedures and making payment, all the family members returned to Old Madam Fans house in a grand manner. As soon as they entered the house, they could smell the strong scent of alcohol. There were liquor bottles and cracked seed shells all over the floor. If Old Madam Fan had been released a few months later, the entire house would have become a house of rats! There was still no reaction on Su Lis face and her expression was very calm. Su Miao and Su Xiu stood at the door and did not want to go in. They wondered how Old Madam Fan could live in such a dirty and messy environment. Old Madam Fan had doted on their two younger brothers so much that the two men had become useless bums. They did not know how to do housework nor could they do their jobs well. They were always doing things that were against the law. The Su family would have to be very blessed for either of them to be able to find a wife. Since youre back home now, Ill take my leave. Dont contact me if anything else happens in the future. Return the money to Eldest Sister and Second Sister first and then call me when its done. After saying that, Su Li prepared to leave. Old Madam Fan stood at the door and shouted angrily, You little ingrate! How can I have given birth to someone like you! I should have listened to Su Guang and strangled you to death! There was still no expression on Su Lis face. She had long been completely disappointed in Old Madam Fan and no longer expected anything from her. Su Lis husband, Du Nan, hugged her tenderly and said, Lets go. The children are still waiting for us at home. Yes, lets go, Su Li said with a smile. Old Madam Fan continued to curse from behind, but Su Li did not care at all. She thought that it would have been better if Old Madam Fan had strangled her to death that winter so that she would not have to grow up in such a family. Fortunately, she met Du Nan when she was wandering around. Without Du Nan, she would not have been able to survive. At the moment, she and Du Nan operated a canteen in a factory in another city. They lived in the factory and had saved a lot of money over the years. They found their lives to be quite enjoyable. Chapter 1009 - 1009 The Ginseng Becomes a Spirit 1009 The Ginseng Becomes a Spirit Su Li hoped that her own familys future would not be affected by Old Madam Fan. She did not want to have anything to do with this family anymore. Qiao Mei was at home listening to Zhang Miao playing the piano when her pager suddenly vibrated a few times. Qiao Mei walked into the courtyard and shouted, Elder sister! Officer Zou contacted me! Can you help me reply to him! Elder sister! Come quickly! Xia He muttered under her breath as she walked over from the front yard and said, Qiao Mei! Do I owe you something in my previous life! I have to be ordered around by you like this in this life! I must have done something wrong to you in my previous life! Seriously! Qiao Mei laughed out loud when she heard what Xia He said. Perhaps there was really some grudge between Xia He and her in their previous lives. Xia He had liked Qiao Mei very much when they first met, so there must be a reason for it. Ill buy you a house! Is a house good enough! Dont be angry! Qiao Mei said. Id rather believe that there are ghosts in this world than believe in what you say! Xia He said out of exasperation. Although Xia He was unforgiving with her words, her movements were very gentle. The owner of the phone booth was by now very familiar with Xia He. He thought that he had never seen a person who liked to make phone calls so much. Say, young lady, does your family run some sort of business? You seem to need to use the phone every day, the boss asked curiously. My family has many relatives who are always on the move. Its not easy to get a phone line in this area, so I have no choice but to come to your place often, Xia He said sadly. Actually, they could jointly apply to the government for it but the boss did not tell Xia He about this. If every family in the vicinity had a phone, then what about his business? It was better not to say too much. Xia He read the message on the pager and quickly dialed the number listed in it. Not long after, the other party picked up the phone. Hello, Officer Zou. Are there any new developments in the case? Xia He asked. Yes, the Su family has agreed to pay compensation. Its best if we can discuss this matter face to face. Sun Juan and Zhou Shuang must be present, otherwise the negotiations will be invalid. The parties involved must be present, Zou Ming said awkwardly. Every day, Zhou Shuang needed an injection of anti-inflammatory medication. Qiao Mei had even given her some 100-year-old ginseng juice so that she could apply it on her wound every day and it had allowed her to recover well. Sun Juan had already completely recovered. Now, Zhou Shuang was staying over at Sun Juans house and the clinic staff would come and give her the injection every day. Her two children were still living at Feng Hongs house and she only intended to bring them home when this matter was resolved. Given that kids were still quite fragile, the adults tried their best not to let the kids feel traumatized. Then you can come over to our house when youre free. Theyve already been discharged from the hospital, Xia He said. Alright, then Ill see you tomorrow, Zou Ming said. Xia He suddenly seemed to have thought of something and asked in a hurry, Um Officer Zou, is it a convenient time for you now? Lets deal with this matter as soon as possible. After all, everyone here is not in good health. If we drag it out day after day, it wont be good for everyones recovery process. These were people that Zou Ming could not afford to offend. He had no reason to reject Xia Hes request and agreed readily. He told her that he would be at Qiao Meis house in two hours. Xia He did not want to have something happening every day! They had not had a peaceful life for a long time. Even if the Heavenly Emperor came for a visit tomorrow, they would not entertain him! They must take a good break! Qiao Mei! Why are you sleeping again! Xia He asked with a frown. Qiao Mei just felt very tired. Perhaps it had something to do with what happened last night. Last night, she felt very angry and could not sleep, so she planted a small ginseng seedling and slowly transferred energy into the flower pot. Not long after, Qiao Mei started to drift off and stare into the distance in a daze. By the time Qiao Mei came back to her senses, the roots of the ginseng were moving around uncontrollably. Its color was also different from other ginsengs. There was a faint golden glow around it and Qiao Mei could also feel that the energy in her body was about to be sucked dry by this ginseng. This ginseng could even run around on its own! It was as if it had really become a spirit. Chapter 1010 - 1010 Bribery 1010 Bribery Qiao Mei hurriedly closed the door and windows tightly and went back into the room to get a glass bottle to put the golden ginseng inside. The small ginseng was still able to rattle around in the bottle! It knew how to stretch out its roots to try and feel its surroundings. This can this really be a spirit Qiao Mei looked at the ginseng in the bottle in shock and said in disbelief. Out of all the ginsengs that she cultivated, the oldest one was only 1,000 years old. The quality of this ginseng was definitely much better than the 1,000-year-old ginseng. This one was definitely at least 10,000 years old. Qiao Mei sneaked into the storeroom when no one was looking. She took out the good wine that Xia Jun had given her and filled up the bottle containing the golden ginseng. All this while, she had been extracting concentrated ginseng juice from the ginsengs. However, she reckoned that she would not be able to cultivate a second golden ginseng. This was something that she had obtained by accident. Even if she extracted the juice from it, she would probably only get one or two drops. It was hard to say if she could cultivate another one in the future. It would be better to soak it in wine. Although the medicinal effects would be inferior to the extracted juice, it was still much stronger than any ordinary medicinal wine. If He Ning managed to get his hands on this bottle of wine, it would be like having the secret manual of immortality in his hands! By the time she was done, it was almost dawn. Only then did the exhausted Qiao Mei return to the room to take a quick rest. As she did not get much rest and the past few days had been more tiring than usual, this had given Xia He an excuse to comment that she was always feeling sleepy. Yet, it was difficult for her to defend herself. Elder sister, youre back Oh, Sister Sun and Sister Zhou are also here. Come and take a seat! Qiao Mei said groggily as she rubbed her eyes. Sun Juan and Zhou Shuang felt very worried when they saw Qiao Mei in such a state. Qiao Mei looked much more haggard than before. They felt that Qiao Mei would not be so tired if not for their issue. At the end of the day, it was because the two of them were such a disappointment and their characters were too weak, allowing others to bully them. Mei Mei, why dont we just forget about the matter between us and Su Yang? Its alright as long as their family doesnt go overboard in the future. Im almost fully recovered now and Sister Suns neighbors will be moving out soon to live with their children. I can move next door to Sister Sun and be neighbors with her and then well be able to take care of each other, Zhou Shuang said. Dont worry. Officer Zou will be coming here today to resolve this matter. We cant let Su Yang beat us up for nothing. We must make him pay the price. I originally planned to let you stay in my house in the neighboring district but if you want to stay next door to Sister Sun, its not a bad idea too, Qiao Mei said with a smile. Qiao Mei still had plans to expand her business. When the time came, she would have to provide benefits like a staff dormitory. If Zhou Shuang did not have a suitable place to stay when her children grew up, Qiao Mei would discuss the matter with her then. The house in the other district was still under renovation and it would take a few months before it was ready for anyone to move in. For the moment, moving near to Sun Juans house was indeed the best choice for Zhou Shuang. More than half an hour later, Zou Ming arrived at Qiao Meis house with a big bag of fruits that he had paid for out of his own pocket. His goal was to put everyone in a good mood so that the case could be closed quickly and he could settle it properly for the police department. If he could get Qiao Mei to put in a good word for him with the higher-ups and make his superiors happy, then he would have hope for a promotion and a raise next year. Officer Zou, why have you brought so many things with you? Isnt this considered bribery? Qiao Mei looked at Zou Ming and teased him. Zou Ming thought fast and he quickly explained, How can this be bribery? Its only bribery if youre the one giving me something! Im just showing my concern for the common people, so please accept it. Qiao Mei did not stand on ceremony with Zou Ming. There was no issue for Zou Ming to bring these things in, but if he brought them back out with him, it would become a different matter. People who knew what was going on would know that it was because Qiao Mei did not accept Zou Mings gift. However, if there were ignorant people who witnessed it, they would only take it out of context and say that Qiao Meis family wanted to bribe the police department. When that happened, Zou Ming could forget about continuing to work at the police station. Zou Ming was well aware of this, thus he was certain that Qiao Mei would accept his gift. Afterll, one would feel obliged to do a favor for others when one received benefits. Once Qiao Mei accepted it, she would probably feel too awkward to reject his request. Alright, since Officer Zou has said so, then I wont stand on ceremony. However, these are separate matters. The issue were discussing today is not a grudge between me and Officer Zou. We must ensure that the law is enforced impartially, Qiao Mei said. Chapter 1011 - 1011 Selling the House 1011 Selling the House Of course! Im here to convey the Su familys intention to pay compensation. Theyre willing to compensate 5,000 dollars to Sun Juan and Zhou Shuang for the losses. As for how the two of you want to split the money, it doesnt matter to the Su family. They are only offering a total of 5,000 dollars, Zou Ming said slowly. Sun Juan and Zhou Shuang turned to look at Qiao Mei at the same time. The amount of 5,000 dollars was not a small sum. It was enough for them to live in the capital for five years without having to worry about their daily expenses! In fact, Zhou Shuang did not even need to rent a house anymore. She could even buy over her current house! Qiao Mei looked at the expressions on the faces of Sun Juan and Zhou Shuang, and then at Zou Mings sincere attitude. However, she was still not satisfied. This offer of 5,000 dollars definitely did not originate from Old Madam Fan. With Old Madam Fans stingy character, how could she be willing to give them money? It was already good enough that she did not come to their houses to beat them up or scold them. It seemed that someone else had made the decision for Old Madam Fan. During this period of time, she had also asked around about Old Madam Fans family and had heard a little about them. Its not impossible to settle at 5,000 dollars, but the medical fees have to be calculated separately. It cannot be within the scope of compensation. Sun Juan and Zhou Shuang have the receipts for their hospitalization fees. The total amount is 643 dollars and 59 cents and we will not accept a single cent less. If that is alright, then we will accept what is being proposed at this mediation session. At the same time, Su Yang has to personally come and hand over the money to my two elder sisters. He will also have to apologize sincerely, Qiao Mei said sternly. Zou Ming was not sure if the Su family still had any more money, but Qiao Meis request was very reasonable and there was nothing wrong with it. Ill discuss this matter with the Su family again and Ill call you when theres a conclusion, Zou Ming said. At this moment, Sun Juan said, Officer Zou, lets do as Qiao Mei says. Well go along with whatever Qiao Mei says. If theres anything you need us to do, just let us know. Its not so convenient for Qiao Mei to move around. Qiao Mei smiled and looked at Sun Juan. Her efforts had not been not in vain. These two elder sisters now knew how to think for her well-being. In the future, they would become Li Guis good helpers in the business. Alright, Ill contact you if I need anything. After Zou Ming finished taking notes, he left Qiao Meis house and returned to the police station. Qiao Mei looked at the two women and asked, Are your houses owned or rented? My ex-husband left my current place to me after the divorce. It can be considered my own house, but its actually a room thats part of a bigger courtyard house. Its much smaller than yours, but its enough for me to live alone, Sun Juan said factually. For Zhou Shuang, they all knew that her house was rented. Besides, she still had two sons. She did not even know how her two sons would be able to get married in the future! There are still a few empty rooms in the courtyard house where you prepare the corn. The kitchen there has already been renovated and installed with floor heating. If you want to buy your own place, I can sell two rooms there to you, Qiao Mei said. Qiao Mei had bought the house for 9,500 dollars and the renovation had cost more than 2,000 dollars. Altogether, it had cost her about 13,000 dollars. If she sold them a room each for 2,500 dollars, she would still make a profit. Most importantly, she would not have to hire anyone to keep an eye on the corn in that courtyard. It was equivalent to getting two security guards for free! Furthermore, there would be no need for her to find a cleaner for the courtyard house. Whenever the women had nothing to do, they could go and pluck the corn kernels. If they did that, they would definitely be able to earn more than they did now. That house of yours is worth a lot of money! We cant afford it! Zhou Shuang said awkwardly. Its not that much. If I do a quick calculation, its about 2,500 dollars per room. You can use the kitchen and bathroom as you please. Of course, those areas are not part of the transaction as its considered the common area. All the furniture inside the room is included in the price. Ill sell it to you as a package. If you are interested, Ill sell each of you a room. Dont tell anyone about this. Ill only sell to the two of you. I wont sell to anyone else. You also know that houses are something that I dont lack, Qiao Mei said. It was not something that they could decide on their own right away. Zhou Shuang had to go back and discuss it with her husband, while Sun Juan had to go home to see how much savings she had left. After all, she still had to save some money for her retirement! She was not young anymore and would have to make sure that she had enough for her funeral expenses in the future. Theres no hurry. Its not as if my house will run away. Come and talk to me when youve made a decision. As long as the two of you are the buyers, the price will always be 2,500 dollars, Qiao Mei said earnestly. Chapter 1012 You Are My Biological Brother ? Zhou Shuang and Sun Juan were very grateful to Qiao Mei for being so forthright. The rooms in Qiao Mei''s corn courtyard house were much bigger than the ones they were living in now. Each room was around 25 square meters! The kitchen and bathroom were also installed with the latest equipment on the market. Moreover, a house with floor heating was definitely much warmer and safer than one using stoves or boilers. They never dreamed that they would have a place of their own. "Alright, let us go back and think about it. We''ll definitely give you an answer as soon as possible!" Zhou Shuang said. Xia He looked at the sky and saw that it was getting late. She smiled and asked, "Do you want to ask Sister Feng and your two children over for a meal? Let''s get everyone to gather together." "Oh no! There''s still a lot of food at home! It would go bad if we don''t finish it! We''re going home now. We''ll come and look for you another day," Zhou Shuang said. "You guys should rest well for the next two days. You can go back to work again at the beginning of next month," Qiao Mei said. "Alright, we''ll do what you say." Thereafter, Sun Juan and Zhou Shuang headed home together. Qiao Mei leaned back on the rocking chair again. The entire day had passed by in a daze, as if she had only blinked once and the whole day was over. Now that she had settled the matter with the two women, it was time to have a good discussion with Qiao Yu. There was actually not much of a hurry when it came to this matter. Qiao Yu had always dreamed of taking over Li Gui''s small house, so she would let Qiao Yu stay there for a few more days until she had enough of it. Qiao Mei returned to the bedroom to take a rest. She felt that she did not have enough rest in the afternoon and still needed to replenish her energy. Xia He paced around the courtyard nervously. It was almost time for Xia Wen to get off work and she was still not ready to explain to Xia Wen what had happened during the day. Even if she did not explain herself, Xia Wen would still be able to find out everything for himself. Nothing could escape Xia Wen''s eyes. "Is there something wrong with you? Why are you loitering in the courtyard on such a cold day?" Xia Wen stood at the door and looked at Xia He with some interest. In his eyes, Xia He was like a free-range chick that kept circling the courtyard. Even the donkeys in the production team were not as diligent as her. It was such a pity that she did not engage in manual labor. "You don''t make any sound when you walk! Don''t you know how to say something as you come in!" Xia He said as she held her chest in fear. Xia Wen walked into the courtyard and waved his hand with a smile. "If you don''t do anything wrong, you shouldn''t be afraid that there''ll be ghosts knocking on your door. If you''re feeling so afraid of me, you must find the reason within yourself." "You! Are you my biological brother! Why do you always lecture me!" Xia He complained. Xia Wen did not say anything else. He suddenly took out a package from behind him. It had the name of the most famous roast duck shop in the capital pasted on it. One could not buy a roast duck from this shop without an appointment and they only sold 50 ducks per day. Xia Wen had bought five in one go! Who knew how long he had to queue to make the purchase. "Look at this. Aren''t I your biological brother?" Xia Wen asked with a smile. Xia He''s eyes lit up as she excitedly took the roast duck from Xia Wen. She was so happy that she skipped on the spot. She had not eaten authentic roast duck from the capital since she got married. It was still Xia Wen who knew her taste well. "Yes! Definitely my biological brother! I love you so much! How do you know that I want to eat roast duck!" Xia He said. "I don''t know who it was but someone shouted at my car previously and told me not to come over unless I brought something along. Who was the one who said all this? Was it a dog? But I don''t think we have a dog at home." After saying that, Xia Wen still put on a show of looking around. "Alright, it''s my fault! It''s just that I was angry back then My eldest brother is definitely the nicest person!" Xia He said ingratiatingly. "Hurry up and go cut it up. Otherwise it''ll get cold soon," Xia Wen said. The two of them walked straight to the backyard. As it was already mealtime, naturally they would have their dinner first. Whatever they wanted to discuss could wait until after dinner. Qiao Mei only got up from the bed in a daze when she smelled the fragrance of food. After dressing up, she also went to the backyard. The entire family gathered together happily for a meal. Under Zheng Peng''s guidance, the four children had gradually become more sensible. It was actually very subtle and it was hard to put a finger on what had changed. After dinner, Qiao Mei brought Li Gui and the Xia siblings to the main hall and asked Xiao An from the guard team to bring Qiao Yu over to settle the matter between them. Chapter 1013 Send To A Mental Hospital ? As everyone was drinking tea and chatting, Qiao Yu was carried into the house trussed up like a pig going to be cooked over boiling oil. "This" Qiao Mei looked at Xiao An in shock. She had no intention of putting Qiao Yu in such a sorry state. No matter how much of a scoundrel Qiao Yu was, they should not insult her like that. "I''m really sorry. We are also forced to do this. The wounds on our bodies are all caused by this woman. If we don''t do this, she won''t have come over obediently. This is entirely my idea and has nothing to do with anyone else!" Xiao An said as he looked at Qiao Mei nervously. Qiao Yu did not hold back in her attacks at all! Xiao An''s face, neck and arms were covered in scratches. Some of the wounds were bleeding profusely and had not scabbed over yet. It was obvious that he had just been scratched not long ago. Xiao An had made such a decision to protect himself and also to ensure Qiao Mei''s safety. Anyone who faced such a crazy woman would make the same decision as Xiao An. "You can untie her. There are so many people in the house, she won''t have a chance to do anything," Qiao Mei said calmly. As soon as Qiao Yu was untied, she wanted to run towards Qiao Mei. Xiao An had to use all his strength to press Qiao Yu to the ground. This crazy woman was no longer thinking straight and he did not know what else she could do. "Qiao Mei! You stupid whore! Do you think I''ll give up just because you treat me like this! Let me tell you! No way! You''ll pay back double for how you bully me! If I die, you''ll have to be buried with me! Even if I die, I''ll drag you down with me!" Qiao Yu shouted as she stared at Qiao Mei. Xia He often followed Xia Fang around and had learnt some basic medical treatments. Liu Yang had also taught her a little bit about traditional Chinese medicine. She was not able to treat illnesses or save lives, but she did have some basic knowledge. She went forward and pressed down on Qiao Yu''s wrist. After a simple check, she did not find anything unusual. There was nothing wrong with Qiao Yu''s body, but she did not know if there was anything wrong with the mind. "There''s nothing wrong with her health. If she has gone crazy, let''s send her to the mental hospital," Xia He said. "I feel that she''s not in a normal state of mind. Let''s not talk to her anymore and just send her to the mental hospital. I know a few doctors there. We can make an appointment in advance and admit her directly," Xia Wen said calmly. These simple sentences seemed to be mapping out a death sentence for Qiao Yu. If she was really sent to a mental hospital, even if she managed to be discharged, she would be criticized and gossiped about. If that was the case, she might as well die. Even if one was normal, one would go crazy sooner or later if one was gossiped about every day. Qiao Mei pondered for a moment and also felt that what Xia Wen and Xia He said made sense. She did not want to cause Qiao Yu''s health to become worse. "You''re all assholes! I''m not sick! You want me to die in the hospital? No way! I''ll definitely report the Xia family''s evil deeds! I''ll let the world know that there''s no good person in the Xia family!" Qiao Yu struggled and shouted. Xia He sneered and said, "If you continue to scold us, you may really die in the hospital. Besides after you go in, who will believe what you say?" Qiao Yu quickly shut her mouth. Compared to a temporary victory, she wanted to save her own life more. "Come with us to the hospital for a checkup later," Qiao Mei suddenly said to Qiao Yu. Qiao Yu looked at Qiao Mei in confusion. She did not know what Qiao Mei had up her sleeve. Why would Qiao Mei suddenly be so kind as to bring her to the hospital? She was not sick at all. Could it be that Qiao Mei really wanted to send her to a mental hospital! "I''m not going! I''m not going! If you send me in! I won''t let you off even if I become a ghost!" Qiao Yu struggled violently. "What are you thinking about? I''m talking about going to the obstetrics and gynecology department. Didn''t you say that Su Liang defiled you? Then we have to go to the hospital quickly. If you get pregnant with Su Liang''s child, what will happen to you for the rest of your life," Qiao Mei said, pretending to be worried. She was giving Qiao Yu a chance now. Everyone present knew what the truth was. If Qiao Yu confessed now, Qiao Mei would still be able to give her a chance of survival and give her back her job at the textile factory. It could be considered a thank-you gift to Qiao Yu for helping Qiao Mei to get rid of Su Liang. However, if Qiao Yu was stubborn and refused to come to her senses, then she could not blame Qiao Mei for being heartless. Chapter 1014 Give Me A Lifeline ? "I I can''t be pregnant, right? How can I get pregnant so easily?" Qiao Yu said guiltily. Qiao Yu''s understanding of this was solely based on her observations of her relatives. She had seen her elder brothers and sisters-in-law doing these things before, but she had never heard of anyone getting pregnant after just once. How could there be such a coincidence? This must be Qiao Mei''s scheme. She would not fall for it. "Xia Zhe and I manage to hit the jackpot after just once and I even become pregnant with twins. So, nothing is impossible in this world. I''m doing this for your own good. Mom, don''t you think what I''m doing is right?" Qiao Mei said. "That''s right! This will allow us to be able to answer to your father and we can be considered to have done our duty. Xiao Yu, listen to Mei Mei and go to the hospital to get checked out," Li Gui said gently. The entire family looked at Qiao Yu as if they were looking at a monkey. There was no look of concern on their faces at all. Everyone was just curious to see Qiao Yu''s reaction. If something had really happened between Qiao Yu and Su Liang, how could she have spent the night so steadily in Li Gui''s courtyard? How could she not be afraid of getting pregnant? How could she not be afraid of having to marry a scumbag like Su Liang because she was expecting his child? At first, Qiao Yu was still thinking about how to explain herself, but when she saw the mocking expression on Xia He''s face, she finally understood that all of this was just an act put on for her. "All of you! You already know, don''t you! Qiao Mei, tell me, do you already know something!" Qiao Yu widened her eyes and looked at Qiao Mei. "At this point, you should tell us the truth. Su Liang has already confessed. What else do you have to hide? Or can it be that something really happened between the two of you? My mother is still a family elder after all. If you''ve really been defiled, we can also hold a wedding for you and be your witnesses," Qiao Mei said. Qiao Yu sat on the ground weakly. It looked like there was no way out for her and it was all thanks to Qiao Mei. Originally, she had a good job and there were even people who wooed her. At some point, even the people in the factory were a little wary of her. If not for Qiao Mei causing her to lose her job, she would not have ended up in this situation. "Qiao Mei! Why are you the only one benefiting from everything! Why am I always suffering? You''re just lucky enough to live in Qiao Qiang''s house! If I could also be born in Qiao Qiang''s house, I wouldn''t be like this!" Qiao Yu said aggrievedly. Qiao Mei did not say anything. She was not the original owner of the body and did not go through the miserable experiences which the original owner of the body did when she was young. However, the memories still existed. Even though the physical pain did not matter anymore, the feeling of despair which the original owner of the body felt as she lay inside the pigsty in the snow was something that Qiao Mei did not want to experience ever again in her life. Everyone had their own hardships. Qiao Yu was indeed pitiful as well, but she had used Qiao Zhuang''s reputation as a "village tyrant" and done all kinds of nasty things and bullied many people. She deserved what she was getting today. "Even if you become Qiao Mei, you won''t be Qiao Mei," Xia Wen said. Qiao Mei looked at Xia Wen for a long time. Xia Wen''s eyes were as clear as spring water, but underneath the spring water was a bottomless pit. This statement gave her great courage. It was as if she had gained the family''s approval. "You want to become Qiao Mei? As if you''re worthy! You''re not even worthy to be Qiao Mei''s toes! Have you forgotten how you came to the capital? Have you forgotten how you lied to us? Do you feel at ease taking on the job at the textile factory? All of this doesn''t belong to you at all. Stop daydreaming," Xia He said mockingly. Qiao Yu suddenly broke free from Xiao An''s grip and knelt on the ground as she looked at Qiao Mei and begged, "Since all of you already know what happened, then you can''t send me back! I won''t go back to Qiao Zhuang''s side even if I have to die! He will marry me off to that disgusting old man! As long as you give me a way to survive, I definitely won''t disturb you again!" At this point, nothing was important anymore. The most important thing was to have a chance of survival. The worst thing that could happen to her if she stayed in the capital was to marry Su Liang. However, if she returned to Foshan Village, that would be the real hell for her. Qiao Zhuang would skin her alive and then sell her for a good price. Her entire life would be over! Even if she had to die, she wanted to die in the capital! "It''s also because of you that we are able to successfully put Su Liang in jail. You still don''t know about this, do you?" Qiao Mei said happily. Occasionally missing content, please report errors in time. Chapter 1015 - 1015 Choose to Leave the Capital 1015 Choose to Leave the Capital Qiao Mei took a sip of tea and said, Su Liang is sentenced to jail for 20 years for rape. He already has a criminal record, so he received a heavier sentence. It can be said that you have gotten rid of evil for the common people. You cant stay in the capital anymore, but I can find you another job elsewhere. Xia Wen immediately understood what Qiao Mei meant. The two of them looked at each other and smiled, reaching a consensus. We have some connections in Guang City. You can work there. Your salary will be the same as what you had received here. Youll work in the supply and marketing cooperative and have to go along with your leaders arrangements, Xia Wen said. Working at the supply and marketing cooperative was a lucrative job! Many people could not get in even if they wanted to. If one worked there, not only could one buy fruits and vegetables at staff price, but one could also get the latest news first. The employees always took the freshest stuff. Qiao Yu was not a fool, so of course she would choose to go to Guang City! In the capital, she would still be restrained by the Su family. If Su Yang and Old Madam Fan came looking for her one day, she would not be able to handle them at all. It was better for her to slip away. But I Qiao Yu still wanted to bargain, but Xia He glared fiercely at her. This woman was simply insatiable. They had already given in so much and she was still not satisfied. If you say another word, well send you back to the village! Otherwise, well send you to the police station! Make a choice! Xia He said impatiently. Ill go! When can I go? Qiao Yu asked. Someone will pick you up in three days. You can stay at home and pack your things first, Xia Wen said. Qiao Yu agreed hurriedly. As long as she did not have to suffer anymore, she was willing to do anything! The earlier she could leave the capital, the better it would be for her. Qiao Mei asked Xiao An to bring Qiao Yu back to Li Guis house and told him that he could knock off after that. By now, Qiao Yu should know what was the best choice for herself and there was no longer any need to arrange for someone to guard the door. Eldest brother! Dont tell me you are really going to get that woman a job at the supply and marketing cooperative! Xia He said angrily. Li Gui was also feeling puzzled. Even though she did not know anything, she knew that Qiao Mei and Xia Wen had undoubtedly given Qiao Yu the best choice. This would not be beneficial to them at all. Instead, it would be like nurturing a tiger and inviting calamity for themselves! Qiao Mei and Xia Wen looked at each other and smiled. Qiao Mei raised her eyebrows and said, Eldest brother, you should explain yourself. Guang City is very near to Foshan Village. It only takes only about four to five hours to travel between the two places by car. Not all the jobs in the supply and marketing cooperative are cushy ones. Every day, they have to carry a lot of bags to replenish the stock. With Qiao Yus size, she wont be able to handle it, Xia Wen said. Qiao Mei then added, We can leak news about Qiao Yu to Qiao Zhuang through the neighbors in the village. This way, Qiao Yu will be able to return to her family very soon. As for the Su family, I have other plans for them. Eldest brother, you must have already thought about it too. Xia Wen nodded. Since these people had bullied the Xia family members, none of them deserved to have an easy time. They must pay a bloody price for it and they could forget having an easy life. Wow When did the two of you discuss this? Qiao Mei, I thought you hadnt left the house at all? How did you get in touch with eldest brother? Xia He said in surprise. We did not get in touch. We just made eye contact. I originally thought that it would be enough for eldest brother to send Qiao Yu out of town. I didnt expect eldest brother to be even more ruthless, Qiao Mei said. Oh heavens, can I still stay in this family? My IQ doesnt seem to be high enough, Xia He said dejectedly. Goodness! Youre beating around the bush and calling me stupid! How can you be an older brother like this! Xia He said as she pouted. When you were eating roast duck just now, you kept saying that Im your biological brother. I see you have changed your mind now, Xia Wen said resignedly. Li Gui sat at the side and did not say anything. She still felt that it was not a good thing to force Qiao Yu into a corner. The way that Qiao Yu wanted to pounce on Qiao Mei just now really gave her a fright. If not for Xiao An, Qiao Yu would have probably smashed into Qiao Meis stomach. It was such a nerve-wrecking moment. However, if they did not punish Qiao Yu, they would not have any peace in the future. It was a good thing to send her away. At least they need not be worried for the time being. Chapter 1016 - 1016 No Longer Dominating 1016 No Longer Dominating Eldest brother, is there still no news of Xia Zhe recently? Qiao Mei asked worriedly. Xia Wen shook his head. He was not the only person who did not have any information at all. Many people also did not know where Xia Zhe had gone. It was probably something that was only made known to the top ranking officials. In addition, Xia Mao had also gone on a secret mission recently. It was said that the mission was very dangerous and that Xia Mao needed to be there to ensure that it was successfully completed. No one in the family knew where Xia Mao had gone or when exactly he set off. Xu Lan was so anxious that she made a phone call to Xia Xiu, and Xia Xiu had to make use of her connections to ask around before she found out that Xia Mao had gone on a mission. Lets wait for a while. No news is always good news. Dont be too anxious. Xia Zhe is a very capable soldier and he will definitely be fine, Xia Wen consoled. As it was getting late, Li Gui did not allow Xia Wen to go home on his own. On a snowy day, the roads were slippery and it also became very difficult to walk around at night. Li Gui also asked Xia Wens driver to rest in the house for the night. The two men slept in the rooms which belonged to Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao while the two boys went to bunk with Qiao Qiang. The next morning, Qiao Yu made her way out of Li Guis house. She wanted to return to the room that was rented from the salvager and to move all her things out from there. Actually, nothing there belonged to her, but she had hidden a portion of the money and coupons which Su Liang had given her during this period of time. She had kept them as a backup plan in case of emergencies in the future, but she did not expect the situation to have turned out like this. Old Madam Fan and Su Yang sat at the door of their house to have breakfast. Things were different for them at the moment. For some reason, the factory management had heard about Su Yang being sent to prison for a few days. In the past, they did not see it as a big deal even when Su Yang got into fights, but this time, he had violated a taboo and he ended up being fired from the factory. Currently, the familys only source of income was Old Madam Fans retirement pension. It was only about 20 dollars a month and was barely enough for the two of them to buy food. It was impossible for them to repay Su Li her money. Hey! You probably havent heard! The Su familys fourth son is in jail! Hes been sentenced to 20 years and he will be an old man when hes released! Hes not married yet and doesnt have any children. Theres probably no hope for him in the future. An elderly female neighbor walked in through the neighborhoods main door with a basket of vegetables. The neighbors were so happy that the two brothers from the Su family had gotten into trouble. From now on, Old Madam Fan no longer had any say in this area. Old Madam Fan could no longer be so dominating. Whats the reason? another neighbor asked curiously. What else can it be! He harmed a girl from another family again. This time, Su Liang bullied Su Yangs girlfriend. Everyone is talking about this! During the night, the girl was disheveled and crying as she ran towards the northern area. She said that she has a relative living there. Do you know who her relative is? the elderly female neighbor asked curiously. The northern area is where all the courtyard houses with four sections are located. Some of the houses are even occupied by only one family! Theres a young married woman whos quite a nice person. Her name is Qiao Mei! Thats right! She lives alone in a big courtyard house! I heard that she was from the countryside and married into a family in the capital. Shes really lucky, the other neighbor said enviously. They both have the surname Qiao Can it be that the young girls relative is Qiao Mei! Oh my! Then Su Liang is in big trouble. Thats a prominent family in the capital. No wonder he is given such a heavy sentence, the elderly female neighbor lamented. Before Old Madam Fan could say anything, Su Yang could not hold back his anger anymore. He rushed to the door and shouted across the street, All you gossipy people will die a horrible death one day! Why do you keep harping on about other peoples family matters! As if theres nothing lousy happening in your own family! You cant even take care of your own wife, yet you still have the cheek to shout at us! Youre already a grown man and yet you cant do anything well! Your family dares to do shameful things and yet you dont allow people to talk about it! The elderly neighbor straightened herself up angrily with her hands on her hips and jabbed at Su Yangs face as she scolded him. The other neighbor hurriedly stopped her, worried that Su Yang would beat the two of them up and caused them to get sent to the hospital, like what he did to the other women. His family did not have any money left after paying the bail money. If they got into a clash with the Su family now, they would not be able to get any compensation from the Su family at all. Old Madam Fan also called out to Su Yang to get back into the house. If one was not capable, one should not go around causing trouble. He could barely afford to survive at the moment, so what right did he have to quarrel with others? Chapter 1017 - 1017 Let Bygones Be Bygones 1017 Let Bygones Be Bygones Su Yang, if you already know that Qiao Yu had such formidable relatives, why havent you said anything earlier? Old Madam Fan reprimanded him. She kept telling me that she was trying to contact them, but she didnt say when. Every time I mentioned this issue, she would get angry and fight with me. Mom, is what they say true? Did my brother really do those things? Su Yang asked with a troubled expression. He did not expect Qiao Yu to become someone elses woman in those few days that he was locked up! He was even made a cuckold by his own older brother. This was something that no one could accept. However, Qiao Yus relative was very capable and lived nearby. Since she could manage to get Su Liang to be sentenced to 20 years in prison, she must be a very capable person. Su Yang thought that if he could latch onto this relationship, he would not have to worry about his future. So what if he was cuckolded? Even if Qiao Yu became pregnant with Su Liangs child, at least the child was still part of the Su family. By the time Su Liang was released from prison, he would be an old man and no one would care about him. Its probably true. Didnt you hear what they said outside? Old Madam Fan said. Mom, I want to go and look for Qiao Yu. After all, shes now the Su familys daughter-in-law. It doesnt matter whose wife she is. As long as I marry her, well become related to her relatives. Perhaps we can even get back the house we used to live in! This Qiao Mei is the woman who bought that house, Su Yang said agitatedly. Old Madam Fan looked up and asked, Are you serious about it? Are you sure that the girl is willing to be with you? Shes already part of our Su family! Shes no longer a virgin! How can she still be picky! It shouldnt matter who she marries as long as she marries one of us. Its not any different being my wife, Su Yang said disdainfully. After pondering for a while, Old Madam Fan also felt that what Su Yang said made sense. If this relative could find a good job for Su Yang, it would turn out to be a wonderful thing for them. Then, they would be able to repay the money they owed Su Li. Qiao Yu rushed back to the room which was rented from the salvager and packed everything that she could carry. She took everything that had some value. As for the rest of the things they could be considered trash that could be salvaged. She decided to sell them to the landlord. Is anyone there! Is anyone home! Qiao Yu came to the landlords door and knocked hard on it. What is it! What is it! Im not deaf, theres no need to shout so loudly. When the landlord saw that it was Qiao Yu, he could not be bothered with her. His attitude was completely different from when he dealt with the Su brothers. Im not staying here anymore. See if you want anything thats left in the room. Ill sell them to you, Qiao Yu said. The landlord looked at Qiao Yu in shock. This woman was really shameless. Everything in the room belonged to him, even the clothes that she was wearing. Now that she was leaving, she still wanted to sell his things back to him. He really did not know if he should say that Qiao Yu was smart or that she was utterly shameless. No! If you want to move away, then get lost quickly! Dont come here to bother me, the landlord said impatiently. Why not! You havent even looked at the things and you already say you dont want them! You must take over the things today! Otherwise, I wont leave! Qiao Yu said. Are you threatening me? Youre the one begging me to take all the junk now, not the other way round! I wont give you a single cent. Just get lost. Dont bother me here! The landlord was about to close the door when Qiao Yu hurriedly grabbed it to stop him from going back into his room. After thinking hard about it, Qiao Yu had no choice but to threaten the landlord. Let me tell you! If you dont take over these things today! Ill ask Su Yang to come and talk to you! Even if Su Liang had gone to jail and Su Yang had lost his job, if one was in a desperate situation, one would be willing to do anything. Moreover, Qiao Yu could be considered Su Liangs woman now. If Su Yang wanted to stand up for her or if Qiao Yus relative decided to help her, it would not be difficult for them to get rid of the small recycling center the salvager worked at. Fine, fine, fine. Ill give you five dollars. Just leave those things here! the landlord said to Qiao Yu without even looking at what was left in the room. Five dollars! Do you think youre dismissing a beggar! Those things are worth at least 10 dollars! Qiao Yu said. He would only pay three dollars to buy a solid wooden cabinet nowadays, so how could those things in the room be worth 10 dollars? Qiao Yu might as well just rob him! Chapter 1018 - 1018 Weeping Bitterly 1018 Weeping Bitterly No! Absolutely not! Ill give you five dollars at most. Take it or leave! If you dont want it, then get lost! Even if you get Su Yang to come here, I cant give you 10 dollars! I only earn very little money every month working as a salvager. You might as well become a robber! At most, I wont do this business anymore! the landlord said furiously. Seeing that the landlord was so determined, Qiao Yu did not ask for anything else. Since she could not get what she wanted, she would try it another way! Fine! Then you should give me a refund of the rent! Ive only lived here for about a week, so you have to give me a refund! Refund me three dollars! Qiao Yu said self-righteously as she stuck out three fingers. Little girl! Can you be reasonable! When I rented the room to Su Yang, I already told him that theres no refund. Youre being shamelessly unreasonable now! This is what we have already agreed on in the beginning. Im not giving you any refund, the landlord said firmly. He was already doing a good deed by accepting the trash in Qiao Yus room. He did not expect this little girl to push her luck. She was really the daughter-in-law of the Su family. Could it be that Su Yangs taste in women was based on Old Madam Fan? This girl was exactly the same as Old Madam Fan! She was another scourge! Since both threats and bribes were useless against the landlord, Qiao Yu could only use her last resort. Oh heavens! Open your eyes and take a look! This person is bullying me! Im really at my wits end! If its not for that bastard, I wont have to beg you so humbly! Please take pity on me and give me a way out! Qiao Yu fell on the ground and started wailing. Her voice was even louder than the volume of the public loudspeaker in the district. The landlord was most afraid of people who made a scene. Such people were always full of lies and totally not trustworthy. She was ruining his reputation by saying that. The Su familys reputation was already completely ruined, but he could not allow Qiao Yu to drag him down with them! His salvaging business depended on the support of his neighbors! These neighbors were not good at most things, but they were all adept at spreading gossip. If your family bought a watermelon, by the time they spread the news around for you, what others heard might be that your family bought a truckload of watermelons! This was not something to joke about! Alright, alright! Just shut up! Ill give it to you! Take the money and get lost! Dont let me see you again in the future! The landlord threw eight dollars to the ground angrily. While Qiao Yu was picking up the money, he quickly closed his room door and put a stick against the door handle, propping the other end up on the ground. Even if Qiao Yu kicked up a fuss again, he would not care anymore. Giving her eight dollars was already the best he could do. Qiao Yu picked up the loose change on the ground smugly and counted it many times to confirm that the total amount was eight dollars before she was willing to leave. She did not care about her reputation at all. Money was the most important thing. She had lost all concern for her dignity a long time ago. She hopped and skipped as she made her way back. Now, she had about 15 dollars in cash. After deducting the cost of the bus ticket, it would only be enough for her to stay in Guang City for about half a month. There was no way she would be able to survive until the day she received her salary. She needed to ask Qiao Mei for more money! She also had to get Qiao Mei to pay for the bus ticket! Anyway, Qiao Mei had so much money, so what was it to her? Just as Qiao Yu turned a corner, she saw Su Yang from afar, rushing towards her direction with Old Madam Fan in tow. The two of them were talking to each other as they walked. Could it be that Su Yang was here to interrogate her? Qiao Yu hurriedly ran back the way she came and turned aside to hide in a small alley beside her. She held her breath and hid from the Su familys mother and son duo. Are you sure that the b*tch has come this way? Why do I feel that the news is inaccurate? Old Madam Fan asked in puzzlement. Its true! That woman living opposite us just told us about it. Why dont you remember all of a sudden? Later, lets make sure we talk nicely to Qiao Yu and make her believe us. Then I still have a chance to marry her! I dont mind what happened between her and my elder brother. As long as shes willing to stay with me, were a family, Su Yang said with a smile. The two of them chatted happily as they walked past. Qiao Yu only dared to make her way out when there was no one on the entire street. She jogged all the way back to Qiao Meis house. She could not stay in the capital anymore and she must ask them to arrange for her to go to Guang City immediately. Chapter 1019 - 1019 Leave Immediately 1019 Leave Immediately As Qiao Yu made her way back, many people pointed fingers at her behind her back, saying that she was the plaything of the Su brothers, and that after being toyed with by Su Yang, she shamelessly seduced Su Liang. They said that she was a shameless slut and a whore which the Su brothers bought. Those people said all kinds of nasty things. There were even people who deliberately splashed dirty water at her when she passed by their doors and insulted her. A few men even looked at Qiao Yu strangely. If it was not daytime at the moment, she might already have been abducted by those men with ill intentions. Qiao Yu did not dare to rest for a moment on the way back. She ran all the way to Qiao Meis house, and she moved so fast that sparks almost flew from her feet. Qiao Mei! Come out! Qiao Yu shouted as she barged into the courtyard arrogantly. It was rare for Qiao Mei to have a free day, so she was scrutinizing the bottle of golden ginseng wine in the study. Her good mood had now been ruined by Qiao Yu. Qiao Mei frowned and walked out of the study as she asked, Whats the matter? I want to go to Guang City tomorrow! No! I want to go now! Quickly make arrangements for me. I want to leave immediately! Qiao Yu said agitatedly. Dont you want to stay in my mothers house for a few more days? You were so reluctant to part with it earlier. Why are you doing the exact opposite now? Qiao Mei said mockingly. I dont care! Give me some money and make the arrangements in Guang City. I want to go there tonight! Qiao Yu said. Qiao Mei shrugged her shoulders indifferently. She told Qiao Yu to go home and pack her things first and that she would get Xia Wens men to send her off in a while. Xia He hurriedly ran to Qiao Meis side and asked, Are you really going to send her away today? Can eldest brother make the necessary arrangements in time? If theres not enough time, just send her to a guest house in Guang City. Its actually a good thing for her to leave now. Qiao Mei smiled with a meaningful look. Xia He felt confused for a moment and did not know what Qiao Mei wanted to do. However, she was worried that rashly asking Qiao Mei for the details would ruin the plan, so she decided to just wait and see. She did not know when Xia Wen and Qiao Mei had discussed these things. Could it be that she really had the lowest IQ in the entire family? Even though Xia He was filled with doubts and had a bad temper, she still played the part of the junior secretary who went to inform Xia Wen about what happened. If not for the fact that she had to help Qiao Mei, she would not have taken the initiative to contact Xia Wen! She found it annoying to talk to him for another minute! At night, it was Chen Mu who came to pick Qiao Yu up and send her off. Chen Mu was tasked to accompany Qiao Yu during this entire period of time. His mission would only be completed when Qiao Yu found a place to stay in Guang City and he personally saw her enter Guang Citys supply and marketing cooperative. Old Madam Fan and Su Yang waited until nighttime but did not see any sign of Qiao Yu. The landlord also did not want to go out and provoke these two people who would behave like his living ancestors. He had only just sent Qiao Yu off and now these two people had come by. This was turning out to be a very unlucky year for him! If he was only a tenant here, he would definitely move away and have nothing to do with these people anymore! The two of them slept in the room which they rented previously and did not go home. They only woke up very late the next day. Old Madam Fan was very angry that they did not manage to see Qiao Yu after waiting an entire night. Su Yang looked at Old Madam Fan impatiently and said, Why are you shouting at me! If you are free enough to scold me, then go home and cook for me! Lets go home now! Old Madam Fan got up reluctantly to pack her things. Before she left, she even took a teapot from the table. In her mind, everything in this house was paid for by her sons. Even if they could not find Qiao Yu, she could not let others take advantage of them! On the way home, they passed by Sun Juans house. Sun Juan and Zhou Shuang were sitting at the door and munching on seeds, as if they were deliberately waiting for Old Madam Fan. Oh my, where did you go for a stroll so early in the morning? Sun Juan asked. It has nothing to do with you! Just take care of your own family! Old Madam Fan said as she looked at Sun Juan fiercely. Are you still living in that dilapidated house? Su Yangs girlfriend! Oh, no, I should call her Su Liangs wife now. Shes living in Li Guis big house at the moment. Didnt she bring you along to enjoy life? Zhou Shuang asked Old Madam Fan, pretending to be puzzled. Chapter 1020 - 1020 So Blessed 1020 So Blessed Old Madam Fan was stunned for a moment and asked hesitantly, What what nonsense are you talking about? How did she get involved with Li Gui? Other people have already lied to me once! You still want to continue lying to me! Oh! You still dont know! Li Gui is your daughter-in-laws elder sister-in-law! I assume you know that beautiful young married woman who just moved in, the one who lives alone in that luxurious courtyard house. That person even has to address your daughter-in-law as her aunt! Didnt she tell you about all this? Sun Juan stared at Old Madam Fan as if she was watching a show. This time round, Old Madam Fan and Su Yang finally believed that this matter was true. Even if they regretted it, it was too late. They could only quickly think of a way to get her back. Old Madam Fan smiled so widely that the corners of her mouth almost reached her ears. She asked with a grin, Then do you know where Qiao Yu is now? If nothing goes wrong, she should still be living at Li Guis house! However, I heard from Qiao Mei yesterday that she is going to find a good job for Qiao Yu. I dont know if its true or not, Sun Juan said. Oh my, youre really lucky to have found such a daughter-in-law. It would be great if my sons can marry the two daughters of the Li family in the future. Then we wont have to worry about the rest of our lives! Zhou Shuang said with a smile. While Sun Juan and Zhou Shuang continued to chat happily, Old Madam Fan and Su Yang had already rushed to Li Guis house, worried that they would be too late. However, when they arrived, they were shocked to see a big crowd of people at the door. It was so packed that there was no place to walk. These were all the neighbors who used to live in the same compound as them. The moment they saw Old Madam Fan, they behaved like hungry tigers pouncing on their prey. Sister Fan! Sister Fan! Youre finally here! Weve waited for a long time! Youre finally here! Everyone grabbed the hands of the mother and son and chatted enthusiastically. Su Yang was stunned on the spot. These neighbors were usually very sarcastic when they spoke to him and it would be good enough if they did not scold him. What was going on today? Did the sun rise from the west? Why are you waiting for me? Old Madam Fan asked in confusion. What are you saying! Your son is so capable! He married such a good wife. Is it your daughter-in-laws niece who bought the house where we used to live? Can you see if you can make peace with her and let us go back to live there? Sister Xu said. When Old Madam Fan heard them asking her for help, she immediately straightened her back. This was the first time in so many years that someone had come to talk to her politely! Um So you are all here to talk to me about this? Old Madam Fan asked smugly. Thats right, thats right! Were all here to ask you for help! Everyone trusts you the most! You have to help us! Sister Xu said. Without another word, Old Madam Fan pushed open Li Guis house door and walked into the courtyard arrogantly to sit at the stone table. She crossed her legs and said leisurely, My daughter-in-law is very capable. Shes working in a very good place now! Its somewhere we cant even imagine going in our dreams and shes very busy every day! Im just worried that she wont listen to me. How can that be! Youre her mother-in-law, how can she not take instructions from you! Sister Xu hurriedly went forward to massage Old Madam Fans shoulders and back. She was only short of taking off Old Madam Fans shoes and massaging her feet. Im her mother-in-law, not her nieces mother-in-law. How can I interfere in someone elses business! I dont think I can do it, Old Madam Fan said. She knew very well in her heart that even if she managed to get close to Qiao Mei, there was nothing she could get at all. Back then, she had offended both Qiao Mei and Li Gui and caused such a big commotion that everyone knew about it. That girl, Qiao Mei, would definitely not be nice to her. It was already good enough that the girl did not come to beat her up! Then what can we do? I hear that your daughter-in-laws relative had arranged for her to work at Guang Citys supply and marketing cooperative! Her relative said so herself! I even saw your daughter-in-law when she left last night! Theyre so good to Qiao Yu, so they will definitely consider whatever you say! said Sister Xu. At this moment, two people wearing uniforms walked in. Only people who worked in the district office wore such clothes. They pushed their way into the crowd and shouted, Whos Su Yang? Chapter 1021 Do Not Offend People ? There was complete silence. Su Yang stood in the crowd like he was in a daze, as if he was not the person they were calling out for. Old Madam Fan hurriedly pulled the stunned Su Yang over and said, "This is my son. He''s Su Yang." Chief Lu from the district office immediately smiled and said, "We''re here to deliver the good news to your family! It''s a joyous occasion for your family! Recently, there''s a district office post that has become available. We''ve held a meeting and decided to let you take the position. The thing is it''s not in our district, but another district. You have to be posted to Guang City. The workplace has a dormitory and a canteen there. Do you want to go?" Chief Lu asked. "Yes, yes, yes! We''ll go!" Before Su Yang could answer, Old Madam Fan quickly agreed. The district office was a formalized workplace unit, which was a hundred times better than working in a factory. Although the salary was not as high as in the factory, it was a dignified workplace. It was something that one could flaunt proudly! "Are you able to answer for him?" Chief Lu asked. "Of course! My silly son is so happy that he can''t speak. I''m his mother and I can decide for him! We''ll definitely go!" Old Madam Fan said excitedly. "There''s also a job for you in Guang City. The two of you can go together," Chief Lu said. Old Madam Fan hurriedly asked, "Oh, there''s a job for me too! Then can I ask how much it pays per month?" She was already so old. If the pay was only around 30 dollars a month, she would not take it! If the pay is so little, she might as well rest at home and live off her pension. Whenever she was free, she could go to the park for a walk and go dancing. In the event that a rich old man took a fancy to her, she would not have to worry about the rest of her life! "Probably about 50 dollars. We''re not from there, so we don''t know the details. You''ll only know when you get there," Chief Lu said earnestly. "I''ll go! Thank you for your organization''s arrangements! Thank you so much!" Old Madam Fan said with a grin. "But you have to be very aware about who is giving you this job. Don''t accidentally offend them. The job can disappear at any time. Maybe it won''t just be the job that can disappear." Chief Lu looked around at the people in the courtyard before finally turning to Old Madam Fan and saying in a deep voice, "Don''t you think so?" Old Madam Fan''s smug expression instantly disappeared. She swallowed nervously and said, "Yes That''s right I understand" The people in the courtyard who came to look for Old Madam Fan to intercede on their behalf gradually fell silent. They realized that these men were here to take them down a notch! It was very difficult to find Chief Lu without making an appointment with him. The people from the district office were very busy every day and did not have the time to stop and talk about trivialities. Usually, they would use the loudspeaker to call out to whoever they were looking for and ask the person to go to the district office. There was no way that the chief would come over personally to send a message. Whatever he just said was meant to tell all of them exactly how powerful Qiao Mei was and that they should think carefully who they could and could not afford to offend. These words were not just meant for Old Madam Fan alone. In the future, anyone who lived nearby should make sure that they did not become enemies with Qiao Mei. "Alright, we''ve said everything we wanted to say. We''re leaving now. Why are you all gathered here on such a freezing day? Don''t catch a cold!" Chief Lu left after saying that. When the rest of the people heard what he said, they also left the place one after another. A few of them disappeared even faster than Chief Lu. At the end, only Old Madam Fan and Su Yang were left in the courtyard, still immersed in the joy of having found jobs. Once Old Madam Fan and Su Yang reached Guang City, Qiao Yu''s good days would come to an end. Their workplace was only about 10 kilometers away from Qiao Yu''s workplace and there was only one supply and marketing cooperative in that area. Sooner or later, they would bump into one another. Guang City was also very close to Foshan Village. Xia Wen had already arranged for someone to go to the village to spread the news. When the time came, he would just watch the three families fall into chaos! Whatever happened next would be beyond Qiao Mei''s control. After resolving this matter, Qiao Mei finally felt at ease. From now on, no one would come shouting at her door every day. In addition, Qiao Yu would no longer have time to have any ideas about Xia Zhe in the future. Late at night when it was time to go to bed, Xia He kept feeling as if there was a huge rock pressing on her chest, making her unable to breathe. No matter how hard she tried, she could not sleep well and could only toss and turn on the bed. Chapter 1022 - 1022 Something Happened 1022 Something Happened Xia He looked up and saw that the lights in Qiao Meis bedroom were still switched on. She got out of bed and put on a padded cotton jacket. Without stopping to put on her socks, she simply put on her slippers and stumbled out, almost falling over on her way. Qiao Mei, are you asleep yet? Xia He stood at the door and asked in a cautious manner. No, Im not. Come in quickly. Why are you panting? Did you get chased by a dog? Qiao Mei sat by the bed and asked Xia He, who stood at the door and looked in a sorry state. I I just I Xia He stammered, unable to speak properly. In the end, she mustered her courage and said to Qiao Mei, Can I sleep over in your room? From when she was young, she did not allow Xu Lan to sleep with her for even one night. She had always slept alone. After she got married, she and Kong Lu did not spend a lot of time together. In a sense, she had always been alone. She did not expect herself to be asking to sleep over in Qiao Meis room when she was already in her 30s. Just thinking about what she was doing made her feel embarrassed! Sure! But why do you suddenly want to sleep over today? In the past, when I begged you to sleep in my room, you always looked so disgusted! Qiao Mei said laughingly. Xia He sighed deeply and said, I dont know whats going on, but my left eyelid keeps twitching today. My heart doesnt feel very comfortable either and I feel like I cant breathe. Xia He still made it a habit to practice her dance every day. Although her physical health was not as good as Xia Zhe and people like him, her fitness level was definitely much better than that of ordinary people. Why would she suddenly feel uncomfortable? Just as Qiao Mei was deep in thought, a strong wind suddenly started blowing outside the house as torrential rain poured down. Streaks of silver-white lightning seemed to want to tear the night sky apart, followed by deafening thunder. This was the first time they had seen such bad weather. Furthermore, it was winter now when storms were rare. Given such strange weather, something major must have happened. The discomfort that Xia He felt became magnified again and she kept feeling that something had gone missing, which made her feel very upset. The feeling of discomfort she felt earlier was not so serious, but now, it was so bad that she could not even sit still. No, Qiao Mei, I still dont feel well. Do you think something has happened at home? Xia He said with a frown. Dont let your imagination run wild. Sit down and take a rest first. Ill make you a pot of tea. Qiao Mei quietly put two drops of 100-year-old ginseng juice into the tea, thinking that Xia He would feel much better after drinking it. As Qiao Mei held on to the teapot, her hands trembled slightly. She was also afraid that something had happened at home, but she could not and did not want to think about it in detail. There was no such incident inside the memories of the original owner of the body. Xia Zhe should have died in that previous earthquake. She was the one who saved Xia Zhe and rewrote his fate, which also meant that whatever happened from then onwards would be completely unknown to her. Have some tea. It might help you breathe better. Qiao Mei placed the teapot on the table and handed Xia He a cup of tea. The tea was boiling hot, but Xia He still felt as cold as if she had fallen into an ice cave. Qiao Mei, is everything really fine? I want to make a call to eldest brother Xia He whispered. Its raining so heavily outside now. Youll be drenched even with an umbrella. Ill sleep in the same room as you tonight. When the rain stops, well go out to make the phone call. Or we can just go home directly to take a look tomorrow, Qiao Mei said as she held Xia Hes hand. The two of them fell silent. Xia He picked up the teacup and took a sip. Her chest no longer felt stuffy, but her heart still felt uncomfortable and she kept having that uneasy feeling. Just as she was about to finish the cup of tea, the main door was suddenly kicked open. The door was always locked at night and only people with keys could open it. Moreover, there were security guards from the Xia family stationed around the house. It was definitely impossible for a stranger to enter this way, so it must be someone familiar to them. Xia He hurriedly ran to the main hall. It was raining so heavily that she could not see who it was. She could only vaguely see a figure in the rain. It seemed to be Xia Wen! Eldest brother! Eldest brother, why are you here without an umbrella! Hurry over! Xia He shouted immediately. Xia Wen braved the rain and hurriedly ran into the house. Xia He quickly went into the room and took an unused blanket to wrap around Xia Wen, worried that he would catch a cold. Eldest brother, what are you doing! Why are you running around on such a rainy day! What if you catch a cold? You dont take care of your health at all! Xia He said reproachfully. Xia Wen just looked at Xia He without saying anything, his eyes filled with sadness and seriousness. Qiao Mei sat at the side and looked at Xia Wen like she suddenly understood something. She clenched the armrest of the chair nervously. Who is it? Qiao Mei asked in a trembling voice. Dont be agitated. Ill tell you slowly, Xia Wen said in a deep voice. Chapter 1023 - 1023 Leaving Immediately 1023 Leaving Immediately Qiao Mei and Xia He looked at Xia Wen nervously, not even daring to breathe loudly. Xia Wen said slowly, Its Father. He has sustained a serious injury during this mission. I heard that he wanted to protect his comrade and took a bullet for that young soldier. The wound is right next to his heart. Although his heart is fine, the risk is very high because of his age. The doctors are trying to save him now. Before Xia Wen finished talking, Xia He had collapsed to the ground and stared ahead with lifeless eyes. She just knew that something big must have happened. For a moment, Qiao Mei also felt a sense of panic. This was the first time she had experienced such a situation. Where is Father now? Qiao Mei asked, putting on a front of calmness. Hes not in the capital. Hes being treated at the mission location. He cant be moved now. The bullet needs to be removed and his vital signs stabilized before he can return to the capital for treatment, Xia Wen said. Xia He hurriedly grabbed Xia Wens trouser leg and asked, What about Mother? Does Mother know about what happened? Even if Xu Lan had strong mental fortitude, she had also aged and was already almost 60 years old. When the army notified the soldiers family members of such incidents, they would always give the worst case scenario so that the family members could be mentally prepared. Xia He was worried that Xu Lan would fall ill before Xia Mao could even start to recover. She knows. Aunt is now taking care of Mother and Second Aunt-in-law at the house. Theyre still feeling alright. Eldest Aunt is currently investigating what has gone wrong during this mission, Xia Wen said. Qiao Mei hurriedly returned to the bedroom to retrieve her money. As long as Xia Mao was still alive when they arrived, she would have a way to save him. If she had known that such a day would come, she would not have soaked the golden ginseng in wine. The juice extracted from it might even be able to bring a person back from the dead! Elder sister and I will pack our things now No! Lets set off immediately! Qiao Mei said nervously. Xia Wen had not intended to involve Qiao Mei in this. After all, the journey was long and Qiao Mei was pregnant. If anything unexpected happened on the way, they would not be able to take care of her. One of their family members was already unwell and they could not let anything happen to anyone else. Qiao Mei, you cant go. Its sufficient for eldest brother and I to go. Ill call call Qiane in a while and ask her to come over and take care of you. The weather is bad now and the journey is too bumpy, Xia He wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and stood up to look at Qiao Mei firmly. She was an elder sister and could not always let her family protect her. She also had to protect these people who loved her. She reckoned that Xu Lan and Liu Fen were probably also feeling at a loss now. It would be a mess if they were asked to take care of Qiao Mei. As for Li Gui, she not only had to run her business, but she also had to take care of the four children. Qiao Qiang was already so old and also needed someone to take care of him, but she was also worried about finding a suitable nanny at such a last minute. In the end, Qiane was the best person for the job. Although there was a grudge between Qiane and Qiao Mei in the past, they had a very good relationship at the moment. Qiao Mei could talk to Qiane about anything and they were as close as sisters. Sometimes, Xia He also felt jealous of the relationship between Qiao Mei and Qiane. Stop dawdling. If you continue talking, dawn will be breaking soon. Lets hurry and go over to save him! I must go today! Qiao Mei said stubbornly. The two siblings could not dissuade Qiao Mei at all, so they had no choice but to bring her along to the place where Xia Mao was injured. They did not have time to wait for the heavy rain to stop before setting off. The three of them braved the heavy rain and left the house. They were drenched just walking the distance from the main hall to the main door and there was no way for them to bring along a change of clothes. Qiao Meis school bag was not spared either and it was totally drenched. Fortunately, Qiao Mei had the bangle which allowed her to maintain her body temperature and not catch a cold. Her clothes could also slowly dry up. Xia He and Xia Wen did not have such a good thing with them. Xia Maos mission location was a valley surrounded by forests. If they were not careful, they could become separated. If they accidentally walked into the depths of the valley, they could also be targeted by ferocious beasts looking for a meal. On the way, Xia He and Qiao Mei sat together in the back of the car. Xia He was so nervous that her palms were sweating and she kept muttering to herself, praying that the heavens would save Xia Maos life. I also think that everything will definitely be fine. Father is such a brave and skillful warrior. Nothing will go wrong! Xia He said with a trembling voice. Chapter 1024 - 1024 So You Feel Afraid Too 1024 So You Feel Afraid Too After we bring Father home, lets ask him not to go to the frontline anymore. He should retire and enjoy life. In the future, he can help to look after his grandchildren and go square dancing with Mother, Qiao Mei said. Xia Wens nervous expression also relaxed. Xia Mao had long reached the age of retirement, but he was still focused on fighting for the country. In addition, Xia Zhe was not still not experienced enough during that time, so he felt that he should continue with his work for a few more years. With this injury, even if he wanted to go back to the frontline, his superiors would probably not grant approval anymore. Xia He pointed at Qiao Meis hands and said with a smile, You still have the cheek to comfort me! Look at how your hands are trembling. Qiao Mei quickly hid her hands behind her back. She thought that Xia He would not discover it, but she did not expect to be exposed. Im just feeling nervous too Qiao Mei said shyly as she looked out of the window. In her other life, she was a criminal lawyer and she had seen too much about the dark side of human nature, as well as life and death issues. She thought that she had gotten used to these things, but when such things happened to her own relatives, she still felt afraid and nervous. Xia Mao was a very nice person. When they first met, Xia Mao had treated her very well and since then, he had been very nice to her until now. Xia Zhe also respected his father very much. No matter what, Qiao Mei must save Xia Mao. By the time they arrived, it was two days later. After traveling for two days and two nights, they were all already extremely tired. Xia Wen had stubble on his chin and Xia Hes dark circles were so big that she almost looked like a panda. Qiao Mei was the only one who remained in good shape. Although she was very tired, she was still in good spirits. This was all thanks to the bangle. Whenever the color of the bangle started to fade, Qiao Mei would drip one drop of 1,000-year-old ginseng juice on it. After the bangle absorbed it, it would emit a faint glow, as if it had been recharged by a power bank. Its another three kilometers to our destination, Xia Wen said as he looked at the road ahead. Are we able to drive all the way there? Qiao Mei asked. Mountain roads were hard to maneuver and cars could usually only travel until the foot of the mountain. If they wanted to go any further, they would have to get down and walk. The worst thing ahead was not climbing the mountain, but the fact that it was already late afternoon. If they progressed too slowly, they would not be able to move forward once it became dark. There were dangers everywhere in the forest. Even if there were many people following them into the mountain, they could not ensure everyones safety. Ill ask the chauffeur to send you to the camp at the foot of the mountain to stay for the night. Ill go up the mountain first to take a look at Father, Xia Wen said. He had left the army for many years, but he still retained his physical fitness and actual combat experience. He should be able to reach the camp, which was halfway up the mountain, before dark. Even though Xia Wen would not be able to help much even if he got there, he would feel better to be able to ascertain that Xia Mao was fine. As long as he could see Xia Mao, he did not care how tough it was for him. No, I have to go up. I walked on such mountain paths every day in the village. Its a piece of cake for me and nothing will go wrong, Qiao Mei said. Xia He also echoed, Thats right, eldest brother. I want to go too! Why are you messing around too! Xia Wen said earnestly. Qiao Mei, now is not the time to let your emotions get the better of you. Even though theres so many of us, even if we all get there, we wont be able to help much. Ill go up and take a look at Fathers situation first. Youre pregnant and its already been very taxing on you for the past two days. Listen to me and stay at the foot of the mountain with Xia He for one night before going up the next day. He needed to be responsible for Qiao Mei, as well as Xia Zhes children. Even if the sky fell down, he must bear the burden for the entire family and not let anything happen to anyone. Xia He also backed Qiao Mei up. Xia Wen really could not dissuade this stubborn sister-in-law of his, so he could only compromise. It was definitely not an easy task to be their eldest brother. Then we have to promise one another. If you feel any discomfort, well stop immediately. No matter how small the issue is, you have to tell me, Xia Wen said sternly. Qiao Mei and Xia He nodded together with a very sincere attitude, worried that Xia Wen would go back on his word and end up detaining the two of them in the camp below the mountain. The closer they got to the foot of the mountain, the more agitated everyone felt. Chapter 1025 - 1025 Simply Messing Around 1025 Simply Messing Around Xia He crouched at the window and looked at the surroundings as her breathing started to quicken. The car gradually slowed down. It was becoming difficult to drive on the road. Qiao Mei noticed that Xia He was behaving abnormally and took out a water bottle to pour a glass of water for her. Her water bottle was filled with water mixed with 100-year-old ginseng juice. Drinking it would temporarily make one feel refreshed and comfortable. Not long after, the car was unable to go forward anymore. They had arrived at the military camp at the foot of the mountain. The person who came to meet them was Xia Maos partner, Zhuang Pin. He was slightly younger than Xia Mao and they had been partners for more than 30 years. They had a very tacit understanding of each other and knew what each other wanted with just one look. Youre here! Zhuang Pin hurriedly ran forward to greet them. When he turned around, he was very shocked to see the petite and pregnant Qiao Mei. Zhuang Pin pointed at Xia Wen and shouted bluntly, Xia Wen! Dont you know what this place is! Its already bad enough for you to bring your younger sister here! But you even have a pregnant woman with you! Dont you know how dangerous it is here! Xia Wen lowered his head and endured the lecture obediently. He also felt that he did not handle this matter well, but with Qiao Meis stubborn temper, even ten donkeys would not be able to hold her back. Even if he did not bring Qiao Mei with him to look for Xia Mao, Qiao Mei would still find a way to get here. Therefore, it was better to keep her by his side. Godfather! Dont scold my brother! Were the ones who insist on coming with him. It has nothing to do with him! Xia He quickly explained. Zhuang Pin looked at Qiao Mei coldly. He knew that Xia Zhe had a young and beautiful wife who was pregnant with two eldest grandchildren of the Xia family. This news had long spread like wildfire in the army and many young men were envious that Xia Zhe had married such a good wife. They even said that in the future, they wanted to find a wife like Qiao Mei. The Zhuang family and the Zheng family were also very good friends, so Zhuang Pin naturally knew about what happened with Zheng Yuan. He had two daughters and one son. Ever since the children were young, he liked Zheng Yuan very much and treated her especially well. Zhuang Pin was not only the godfather of these children from the Xia family, but also godfather to Zheng Yuan and Zheng Peng. He did not have many hobbies, but he liked to go around collecting godchildren. It was a fun thing for him, but of course, he did not allow just anyone to join in the fun. If not for the fact that Zheng Yuan liked Xia Zhe so wholeheartedly, Zhuang Pin would have long asked his son, Zhuang Hua, to marry Zheng Yuan. Despite that, the ending turned out to be not too bad. Zhuang Hua was trying his best and had followed Zheng Yuan to a local army unit for training. The Zhuang family did not care about those big titles. They were not interested in becoming high-ranking officials and earning big money. Their family motto was to be loyal and righteous. Zhuang Pin was very supportive of Zhuang Hua giving up his career in pursuit of love. He was even very proud of it! Youre Xia Zhes wife? Zhuang Pin said sulkily. Hello, Uncle Zhuang. My name is Qiao Mei and Im Xia Zhes wife. I have come here this time despite the risk because Im worried about my fathers health. Dont worry, I wont cause you any trouble, Qiao Mei said in a gentle manner. She was a beautiful girl and spoke politely, thus Zhuang Pin could not pick on her at all. He could only purse his lips and say, Then you can stay here and wait until the troops there send Xia Mao down. No, I have to go up. I have to see my father today. It doesnt matter even if I have to climb up by myself, Qiao Mei said firmly as she looked at Zhuang Pin. Nonsense! Do you think your pregnancy is childs play! Zhuang Pin scolded angrily. Im not talking nonsense! Instead of wasting time here, its better for us to go up the mountain now. Ive lived in the mountain village since I was young and Ive walked more mountain roads than you. I definitely wont lose to any soldier! Qiao Mei said firmly, not afraid of Zhuang Pin at all. Xia He was stunned by what she was seeing as she stood behind Qiao Mei. From young, she had never dared to talk to Zhuang Pin in such a manner. He was as scary as Xia Mao, but the difference was that no matter how angry Xia Mao became, he would still talk calmly. On the other hand, Zhuang Pin would fly into a rage and criticize a person without holding back, just like what he was doing now. Even Xia Wen was afraid of Zhuang Pin. He did not expect Qiao Mei to disregard everything to save Xia Mao. Chapter 1026 - 1026 How Much Longer 1026 How Much Longer Qiao Mei did not back down at all and said, Im also very determined. I have to go up the mountain today. If we cant reach an agreement, Ill go up the mountain myself. No one can stop me. Just as the two of them stood eyeball to eyeball with daggers drawn, Xia Wen quickly stood up and said, Godfather, Ill bring Qiao Mei up. Dont worry, shes just feeling too worried about my father. She has a stubborn temper, so dont lower yourself to her level. Xia Wen hurriedly gave Xia He a look and she immediately reacted. She quickly went forward to hold Zhuang Pins arm as she led him towards the camp. As they walked, she said, Godfather, lets go back to the camp first. There are so many people here! We should not make her look bad in front of them. After Xia He utilized her power of persuasion, Qiao Mei was finally able to follow them up the mountain. As Zhuang Pin also needed manpower at the camp at the foot of the mountain, he could not assign too many people to them. He picked six elite soldiers from the team to go with them and escort them up the mountain. Everyone carried a load of emergency items with them. As Qiao Mei was pregnant and it would be difficult for her to walk if she carried heavy items on her back, Zhuang Pin tagged two soldiers to her and ordered them to stick close to her. These two soldiers were trustworthy people who had been personally trained by Xia Mao. Even if they had to sacrifice themselves to save Qiao Mei, they would definitely do it without any complaints. Look, my godfathers bark is worse than his bite. He actually still cares about you, Xia He whispered into Qiao Meis ear. In this military camp, other than Xia Mao, Zhuang Pin had the final say. He also wanted to go up the mountain to take a look at Xia Maos situation, but Zhuang Pin had his own mission and orders to follow. If he left his post, the troops at the foot of the mountain would be in a mess. Therefore, he could only stare at the phone every day and wait for updates from the camp halfway up the mountain. He just wants to do right by Father. After all, Im pregnant with the Xia familys children, Qiao Mei said bluntly. She did not hate Zhuang Pin. Instead, she liked people like him very much. Zhuang Pin was the kind of person who would say whatever was on his mind and did not hide anything. Qiao Mei liked to talk to people who were straightforward as it made things so much more convenient. It did not matter to her even if Zhuang Pin did not like her. It was impossible for everyone in this world to like her. In the eyes of outsiders, her current behavior was indeed very crazy. It was people like He Ning that Qiao Mei hated more. If He Ning had not begged her for the ginseng, she would not have bothered with him! Along the way, everyone was very vigilant and paid full attention to their surroundings. After walking on the mountain path for five hours, they finally reached the camp halfway up the mountain only when it had turned completely dark. This was the place where Xia Mao was being treated. Xia Wen did not rest at all. He rushed into the camp and asked, Where is Xia Mao? Im his son! The doctor inside the tent was shocked. He immediately took out a gun and pointed it at Xia Wens head as he questioned, How can you prove that youre his relative! And how did you get here! He was just a medic. When he saw that Xia Wen was not wearing a military uniform, not accompanied by anyone he knew in the army and barging in alone, he thought that Xia Wen was someone sent by the enemy. He could not let anyone get close to Xia Mao so casually and he had to ensure that Xia Wen was not a dangerous person. Just as Xia Wen was about to explain, the team leader of the elite soldiers accompanying the group walked into the tent quickly and said, Were all on the same side! Were on the same side! Put down your gun! The doctor reluctantly put away his gun and said mockingly, Captain Sheng, you dont follow rules and neither do the people you bring with you. Sheng Dong laughed embarrassedly and said, I have no choice. This is an urgent situation. We seek your understanding. Hows my fathers condition now? Can we go in and take a look? Xia Wen asked anxiously. The doctors face fell. He opened the folder beside him and said, As a family member, you need to be mentally prepared. This bullet has already been removed, but your father is in very bad shape. Weve tried our best to save him but the vital signs are weak. I think he has been hanging on to wait for you guys to get here. If theres no improvement in his condition, its probably three to five days. The doctor lowered his head after saying that. Chapter 1027 Ginseng Wine ? The doctor did not know how to face Xia Wen. Any other ordinary person in Xia Mao''s condition would not have been able to hold on for so long. It had already been five days since the accident, but Xia Mao was still tenaciously alive. Perhaps Xia Mao was waiting for Xia Wen and the rest to arrive so that he could see them one last time. Medically speaking, it was a miracle that Xia Mao was still alive. Qiao Mei stood silently behind them. When she heard that Xia Mao was still alive, she was finally able to relax. "Then can we go and see him now?" Qiao Mei asked. "Yes, but you have to be quiet and not affect the patient," the doctor said earnestly. The doctor brought them to the tent in the center of the camp. There were many soldiers guarding outside and many doctors inside taking care of Xia Mao. They monitored Xia Mao''s condition 24 hours a day so that they could administer treatment immediately if there was any issue. They made sure that they would not miss out on the golden window for emergency treatment. "He''s still conscious. If you talk to him, he might be able to hear you," the doctor whispered. Qiao Mei hurriedly walked forward to check on Xia Mao. The originally high-spirited and energetic person was now lying on the hospital bed. Xia Mao was as fragile as a piece of paper at the moment. It was hard to imagine that a person could lose so much weight in such a short period of time. Xia Mao was unable to eat at all and was being kept alive by the intravenous drips. The moment he was disconnected from the drips and oxygen, he would die immediately. Xia Wen and Xia He completely did not know what to do. They just stood quietly next to Xia Mao and wept silently. In their memories, Xia Mao had always been the hero whom they admired and aspired to become. Even if the sky collapsed, Xia Mao would always be there to hold it up. This was the first time they ever saw Xia Mao looking so weak. Only then did they realize that Xia Mao was getting on in years and was at the age when he needed their care and protection. He was no longer that omnipotent hero from the old days. Qiao Mei clenched her fists tightly and tried her best to calm herself down. She slowly placed her right hand on Xia Mao''s wrist to feel his pulse and quietly sensed his vitality. She suddenly discovered that Xia Mao seemed to have her energy in his body, which gave her a shock. Back then, she had distributed the 1,000-year-old ginseng juice to everyone. For the sake of convenience, she had made the containers in the shape of a small medicine bottle which could be worn around the neck like a pendant. Could it be that Xia Mao had listened to her and carried this medicine bottle with him everywhere he went? Qiao Mei hurriedly walked out of the tent and looked at the doctor anxiously as she asked, "When you were saving my father, did you find any glass shards on his chest or in his body?" The doctor replied without any hesitation, "Yes, we did. There were indeed some glass shards found near the wound and also a little bit in the body. We''ve removed everything. We still don''t know why these things appeared and we''re still investigating the reason." He remembered this matter very clearly. After investigating for so long, they still could not find the answer. They even suspected that it was some kind of new weapon which the enemy developed and they had handed it over to the R&D team for research. Qiao Mei did not wait for the doctor to finish speaking. She quickly returned to the room and opened her bag to take out the medicinal wine. This medicinal wine was not much different from the usual 1,000-year-old ginseng juice. If she put a drop or two in a glass, it would look dark green. However, inside the bottle, the liquid looked like ink and it was impossible for anyone to be able to tell what it was. Ordinary people would not be able to see the luster of this ginseng. Only Qiao Mei could see the golden sheen on it. Xia Mao could never have imagined that the reason for him surviving for so many days was because of the few drops of 1,000-year-old ginseng juice. It was fortunate that the bullet had accidentally shattered the bottle, but it was also very dangerous at the same time. If the glass shards had cut through his heart, even an immortal would not be able to save Xia Mao. "Qiao Mei, what is this?" Xia He asked as she looked at Qiao Mei nervously. "Ginseng wine." After saying that, Qiao Mei wanted to pry open Xia Mao''s mouth and pour the wine into his mouth. Xia Wen and Xia He were so frightened that they quickly stopped her. Even the doctors outside were so shocked by what she did that they rushed in. "What are you doing! What exactly is this!" the doctor asked in a low voice. Qiao Mei thought for a moment and said, "Uh this is a remedy from my hometown. This is wine made with ginseng and it''s very useful for treating illnesses and saving lives." Chapter 1028 - 1028 Alive! 1028 Alive! Even though Xia Wen and Xia He knew that this was a very rare type of ginseng wine, they did not dare to make a rash decision to let Qiao Mei try the remedy. They only had one chance. If they made a wrong choice, then there was no other way to save Xia Mao. No! You cant use this strange thing on the patient! the doctor said nervously. He had been a doctor for so many years, but this was the first time he had seen medicinal wine that was such a color. Was this not poison? How could wine be of this color? He definitely could not allow this thing to be used on Xia Mao. If Xia Mao died because of what Qiao Mei did, he would not be able to redeem himself even if he had 10 lives to give! Qiao Mei looked at Xia Wen with a stern expression and said, You know Fathers situation and I know it too. Hes not just my father and I cant make the decision alone. Im asking you now, should we try or not! After all, Xia Wen was Xia Maos eldest son and he should be the one making this decision. Qiao Mei was just a daughter-in-law. If Xia Maos health did not improve but worsen instead, Qiao Mei would be criticized by everyone. The gossip and mockery would be enough to crush her. Qiao Mei did not care about what others would say. She was just scared that if they made a hasty decision today, Xia Wen and Xia He would regret it for the rest of their lives. Xia Wen pondered for a moment and asked, How confident are you? Not at all. Its my first time trying this. This wine is better than everything I have at home. But I dont know how confident I should be, Qiao Mei said honestly. Then are we supposed to just throw the dice? Xia He said with a trembling voice. Xia Wen closed his eyes, knelt on the ground weakly and held Xia Maos hand with both hands. He was afraid of losing Xia Mao and did not dare to take the risk, but his only hope now was the bottle of wine in Qiao Meis hand. If Xia Mao did not drink it, he would only have three to four days left. If he drank it, he might still have a chance of survival. Father I Ill make a decision for you today Xia Wen looked at Qiao Mei with tears streaming down his face and said, Let him drink it. Xia He also knelt on the ground and buried her head in Xia Maos arm. She kept praying to the heavens that if Xia Mao could stay alive, she was willing to give up 10 years of her lifespan in exchange. She did not dare to open her eyes and watch Qiao Mei pour the ginseng wine into Xia Maos mouth. If they failed, this would be a nightmare for her for the rest of her life. The doctor slowly retreated outside the door. As a doctor, his sense of professionalism did not allow him to let Qiao Mei try out her remedy, not even to feed just one drop. However, even the doctors were already totally helpless now and could only watch on silently as Xia Maos life slowly slipped away. However, as a person, the most important thing for him was to let Xia Maos children express their filial piety. Since Xia Wen had agreed with Qiao Meis actions, he would let Xia Maos children boldly give it a try. Perhaps they would succeed? Qiao Mei gritted her teeth and slowly poured the ginseng wine into Xia Maos mouth. She did not dare to waste a single drop and fed him roughly the volume of one glass before stopping. She stared intently at Xia Maos face and listened carefully to the sounds coming from the medical equipment. Her fingers gently pressed on Xia Maos wrist to feel his pulse. Qiao Meis heart beat together with every beat of his heart. After 10 minutes, Qiao Mei realized that Xia Maos face was gradually turning rosier and his heartbeat was getting stronger. Xia Wen could also feel Xia Maos fingers trembling slightly. He looked up at Qiao Mei in surprise and stared nervously at Xia Maos hand. After confirming that the fingers were moving, Xia Wen was so happy that he almost jumped up and cheered. Doctor! Doctor, come and take a look! Xia Wen called the doctor over excitedly. The doctor quickly gathered all the other medical staff and asked the three of them to leave the tent. They nervously carried out a full-body checkup for Xia Mao. At this moment, a diminutive soldier suddenly rushed in front of them and knelt on the cold and hard ground with a plop. He kept kowtowing and saying, Its all my fault Please hit me Its all my fault Im so sorry Xia He forced herself to stand up straight. Xia Wen went forward to help the soldier up and said, Get up first. Whatever it is, we can talk about it. Chapter 1029 "Skinny Monkey" ? Unexpectedly, the soldier said tearfully, "I''m too ashamed to get up! I''m sorry! It''s all my fault! If not for me, Master won''t have to face death! I''ve let him down!" Xia Wen recalled the identity of the person in front of him. Xia Mao had mentioned this kid to him during one of their casual chats. In the beginning, the kid''s name was Fugui and he did not have a surname. He was a bastard child who did not know who his parents were. He was saved by Xia Mao and the team at the scene of a huge flood. They were unable to find his parents, so they asked if anyone in the army was willing to adopt him. In the end, a retired old cadre adopted him and when he grew up, he joined the army as he wished. The old cadre had named him Wan Zhuang because he wanted this child to grow up stronger. However, over the years, Wan Zhuang did not gain weight no matter how much he ate. Everyone teased him and gave him a nickname, "Skinny Monkey". He accepted this nickname coolly and even used "Skinny Monkey" as his code name in the army. Xia Mao said that when he looked at this kid, it was like looking at Xia Wen from the past. Although this kid''s results were mediocre and there was no way to compare his results with Xia Wen''s results from back then, this kid''s propensity for hard work was not inferior to anyone. He was just like Xia Wen in the way that he kept conquering peaks. If Wan Zhuang was nurtured well, he would definitely become a pillar of strength for the army. "You''re not at fault in this matter. Get up," Xia Wen said gently. Wan Zhuang stood up while still weeping. He had only just reached adulthood and Xia Wen was old enough to be his uncle. "I know you. My father mentioned you to me before. He said that you''re the soldier he thinks most highly of. He is looking forward to seeing you develop even better in the future. I won''t blame you. I was once a soldier. If I''m in my father''s position, I will make the same choice as him," Xia Wen said emotionally as he looked towards the tent. After hearing what Xia Wen said, Wan Zhuang wept even harder. "I I let him down If I hadn''t acted rashly and exposed my whereabouts, Master wouldn''t have needed to take that shot for me!" Wan Zhuang said as he wept. "Then what about now? Can you achieve anything by crying?" Qiao Mei asked as she looked at Wan Zhuang coldly. Her words stunned everyone present. They did not know what Qiao Mei''s intentions were. Xia Wen even thought that Qiao Mei was angry and that she resented what this kid did. "Qiao Mei, watch what you say. He''s still a child" Xia Wen reminded her softly. Qiao Mei completely ignored what Xia Wen said. She stared straight at Wan Zhuang and said, "Can crying solve any problems?" Wan Zhuang shook his head and said softly, "It it can''t solve any problem" "Then can crying bring my father back from the dead?" Qiao Mei pressed on, not giving Wan Zhuang a chance to catch his breath at all, nor telling him that Xia Mao had already gotten better. "No I''m sorry" Wan Zhuang said. "Since the facts can''t be changed, then don''t let my father get shot for nothing. It''s not your fault, but you have to become what my father expects to see and work hard to realize your dream. You shouldn''t be apologizing to us over and over again here and doing such meaningless things," Qiao Mei said. Wan Zhuang listened quietly to what Qiao Mei said. This was something that no one else had ever said to him and this was also the first time that someone had "reprimanded" him so blatantly. During this period of time, everyone had been comforting him, but every time someone comforted him, he hated himself even more. He wondered why he did not listen to Xia Mao''s instructions at that time and kept falling into a cycle of self-blame. At this moment, however, his confused heart seemed to have seen a bright light. "I understand. I''ll work hard and definitely won''t disappoint him!" Wan Zhuang said as he looked at Qiao Mei firmly. Qiao Mei nodded in satisfaction. Although this child had snot and tears all over his face and he did not sound imposing at all when he spoke, it was a good thing that he had a positive attitude and he knew what to do next. Xia Wen looked at Qiao Mei and shook his head helplessly. She was clearly being kind, but she insisted on using the cruelest words to provoke others. Fortunately, the effect was not too bad. This was simply Qiao Mei''s temper and personality and the way she did things. After Xia Mao''s physical examination was over, the doctor ran out excitedly and said, "He''s alive! He''s alive! He''s all well now!" Chapter 1030 Furious ? Xia He walked forward agitatedly and asked, "Is it true? My father is really saved!" "That''s right! It''s a miracle! His body has really recovered! However, we can''t allow the family members to go in yet. His condition isn''t very stable yet. You can go and take a rest for the night. If there''s any changes in the situation, we''ll come and report it to you. Once his condition stabilizes, everyone can come and see him," the doctor said. Qiao Mei and the others stood outside the door and did not go to take a rest immediately. They all heaved a sigh of relief at first. They were finally able to relax after being on jitters for three days. All of a sudden, everyone felt a little sleepy, but no one felt like leaving this place. It was only after Sheng Dong came to persuade them that everyone went to their respective tents to rest. The doctor immediately gave Zhuang Pin a call to tell him the good news. "Reporting to Commander Zhuang. Commander Xia is out of danger. His vital signs are gradually stabilizing and improving," the doctor said. "Not bad. It seems that this old man is still attached to his children after all. He feels much better after his children arrive." Zhuang Pin laughed happily. "That''s not it. It''s because Commander Xia''s third daughter-in-law gave him some medicine and he miraculously recovered after that," the doctor said in a tone of disbelief. Even now, he still could not believe that this was true. He must definitely find an opportunity to discuss it with Qiao Mei tomorrow. Such a divine medicine must be studied carefully. It might very well become the most powerful weapon in the army in the future! "Medicine? Did you allow it to be given to Xia Mao without checking it?" Zhuang Pin asked sternly. This was not a small matter. It might have cost Xia Mao his life if it failed to work! How could they be so careless! If something happened, who would bear the responsibility! He just knew that this young lady was not a good person. She had rashly given Xia Mao something that she had never even tried before. She was simply fooling around! "I At that time, it was Xia Wen who agreed. We were already totally helpless, so we boldly gave it a try. If anything had happened, I would definitely have taken responsibility," the doctor said firmly. Zhuang Pin was so angry that he smashed the phone receiver in his hand. Taking responsibility! How did he think he could take responsibility! Now that it was a success, it was easy for him to say that he would definitely take responsibility! Where had everyone gone when they were trying to do this! No one came to inform him of such a big matter! He vented all his frustration inside the tent. By the time his emotions stabilized, he realized that his clothes were all drenched in cold sweat. Zhuang Pin was actually feeling afraid. He had almost lost his best friend of a lifetime. It was really a case of touch and go. However, he was also glad that Xia Wen and the others had tried their remedy on Xia Mao and allowed him to survive the ordeal. Zhuang Pin felt a little conflicted about Qiao Mei. He was grateful to Qiao Mei for saving Xia Mao, but he also hated Qiao Mei for her boldness. "Luckily" Zhuang Pin sat on the chair and sighed deeply as he muttered to himself. Everyone slept soundly that night. It was the most peaceful sleep they had had in a week and it was also the most unforgettable night for them. The next morning, everyone woke up early at the same time, even earlier than the big rooster in the cookhouse. They were already waiting outside Xia Mao''s tent at dawn. "It''s not a good idea for us to keep watch like this. Although the weather here is not as cold as in the capital, it''s still quite chilling. Qiao Mei, you can go back first. Once there''s any news, I''ll go back and tell you immediately," Xia He said as she looked at Qiao Mei with heartache. Qiao Mei shook her head. She was not in the mood to sleep at all. She did not know how long the effect of the medicinal wine would last or whether it had any healing effect on Xia Mao''s wound. She did not know the effect of one glass of wine and the extent it managed to cure Xia Mao. If this medicinal wine could not save Xia Mao, she had decided to grow a 10,000-year-old ginseng overnight to save him. Although she had used up all her energy when she grew that first one and had not fully recovered yet, she could replenish enough energy by doing energy exchanges with the entire mountain. Fortunately, they were in the forest and there were many plants that could exchange energy with Qiao Mei. Otherwise, even an immortal would not be able to do anything. "I''m fine. Let''s wait for a while more," Qiao Mei said with a smile. Chapter 1031 - 1031 Recalling the Past 1031 Recalling the Past Even when the cookhouse staff called out for everyone to go and have breakfast, there was still no news from the tent. Xia Wen decided that they should take turns to eat. Qiao Mei and Xia He would go with Sheng Dong to have their meal first and then they could come back to swap places with him. Along the way, Qiao Mei kept thinking about an issue. She wondered who was able to hurt Xia Mao, but these were things that the higher-ups should be worried about. She had no right to ask about this. Lets give Mother a call after we eat. Im worried that shed feel very anxious while waiting at home, Xia He said worriedly. We should just tell her the good news and not talk about anything else for now. Lets ask Aunt to prepare a single ward in the hospital. I reckon that after Father finishes my bottle of medicinal wine, he will be almost fully recovered. Then he can be transferred back to the capital to recuperate, Qiao Mei said as she looked at Xia He and discussed the issue with her. Xia He nodded in agreement. This place was located in the wilderness and they only had the most basic medical equipment here. The facilities and standard of care were definitely not as comprehensive and good as what they could get in the capital. It was better to make arrangements for Xia Mao to return to the capital as soon as possible to avoid any future incidents which could cause Xia Mao to suffer on the way back. Lets eat first. Then we can go back and discuss it with eldest brother, Xia He said. Xia Wen sat alone outside the tent. He had put on very thick clothing and did not feel cold at all. As he sat there quietly, he was reminded of many things from the past. Actually, when Xia Wen was young, he hated Xia Mao. He always felt that Xia Mao did not love them and that he cared more about his career than his family. Xia Mao might even feel that his career was more important than his life. Xia Wen was the one who brought up Xia He and Xia Zhe and he even had to attend the parent-teacher meetings for these two brats. This was especially so when it came to Xia He. She was a girl, but she would always fight with the boys in school and did not have the bearing of a lady at all. At that time, he even wondered if he was the one who had led Xia He astray. However, even after Xia Fang took over the care of Xia He, there did not seem to be any changes in her behavior. He reckoned that it was just Xia Hes true nature to behave like that. Even though Xia He was mischievous, he was still proud of her. Perhaps it was because even when Xia He was up against three boys, she emerged unscathed while her three opponents ended up with bruised and swollen faces. On the surface, Xia Wen kept his head down as he was reprimanded by the teacher. He apologized to the three kids parents one by one, but behind everyones back, he went to beat up these boys another time. If they did not bully Xia He first, why would Xia He beat them up? At least that was what the young Xia Wen thought at that time. It was not until they were grown up that Xia He told Xia Wen that she was indeed the one who initiated the fight at that time. However, it was also because the three kids had kept causing trouble for Xia He for a while, so she had no choice but to start a fight. Her goal was actually to become the biggest bully among her peers. She was simply so childish then. However, after that incident, there were no more fights among their cohort. Everyone listened to Xia He and got along well. Once Xia He found out about the possibility of a fight breaking out, she would immediately put a stop to it. This could be considered the good deed she did in school. Just as Xia Wen was deep in thought, the doctor suddenly walked out of the tent. Ah! You give me such a fright! Why havent you gone for breakfast? the doctor yelled out as he held his chest in fear. Im waiting to hear from you. Hows my father? Xia Wen asked. Im actually on my way to talk to all of you. Hes much better now, but there are still many instability issues. We need to observe him for another day. If his vital signs are normal today, he can be transferred to the foot of the mountain for treatment, the doctor said. Xia Wen looked at the doctor expectantly and asked, Then can we go in and see him now? Yes you can, but not for too long. If all of you keep crowding around, it will cause delays to the treatment, so its better not to go in too often. The three of you can take turns to go in and take a look for not more than 10 minutes each time, the doctor said in a cautious manner. He still had not recovered from the shock he got when Zhuang Pin suddenly hung up on him yesterday. He did not even dare to go down the mountain now, and he did not know how to submit the report on his work for the past few days when he next saw Zhuang Pin. After the phone call last night, he had already started writing a self-reflection critique. It needed to be at least 5,000 words long and there must be some depth to it. Otherwise, Zhuang Pin would ask him to go through physical training with the soldiers in the team. Chapter 1032 Becoming Awake ? As long as the medics could keep up physically with the ordinary soldiers, their main job was to make sure that their medical skills were up to mark. Xia Wen hurriedly entered the tent to take a look at Xia Mao. Xia Mao clearly looked much better than he did last night. If one were to use an analogy, the impression was of a shriveled balloon suddenly being blown up. It was as if his entire person was filled with vitality. The Xia Mao from yesterday was clearly surrounded by a dark and lifeless aura. "Father can you hear me? If you can hear me, move your fingers slightly," Xia Wen said in Xia Mao''s ear as he squatted carefully next to him. After a while, Xia Wen saw Xia Mao''s fingers move slightly. He was certain that Xia Mao could hear him. "Father, I''ve come to see you with my younger sister and Qiao Mei. We have to thank Qiao Mei for the medicinal wine she brought with her. Otherwise, you wouldn''t have been able to wake up so quickly. Qiao Mei is really our family''s lucky star." Xia Wen sighed and continued, "I know you''ll definitely criticize me for bringing Qiao Mei to such a dangerous place. You can scold me after you wake up. I''ll listen to whatever you say." Xia Wen leaned next to Xia Mao''s ear and talked incessantly about all the things that happened over the past few days. He had never spoken to Xia Mao like this before. The two of them only talked about work and family matters and never had a heart-to-heart conversation before. This time round, Xia Wen also realized how important Xia Mao was to him. The misunderstanding from the past had completely dissipated. After Qiao Mei and Xia He returned, Xia Wen came out and told them what the doctor said just now. Qiao Mei also told Xia Wen about the ideas she had earlier. After they came to an agreement, they started to contact the people in the capital. When Xia Wen went to have his meal, Qiao Mei went into the tent and fed Xia Mao more ginseng wine. She still gave him about a glass full. Then, the two women said a few things to Xia Mao before leaving so that they did not disturb Xia Mao''s rest. Xia He and Xia Wen went to make arrangements for Xia Mao to be transferred out from the army camp. Qiao Mei was in charge of contacting the people in the capital and making arrangements for their trip back. Qiao Mei first made a call to Xu Lan to tell her that everything was fine and that they would be able to return to the capital soon. She did this so that everyone at home would feel more at ease. After talking about the matter at hand, Xu Lan immediately asked Qiao Mei how she was feeling. "Then how are you? Are you alright? Are you tired these few days? Why don''t you go and stay in the nearby county city for a few days first and I''ll arrange for a car to pick you up," Xu Lan asked anxiously. "I''m fine. I can go back with eldest brother and the others. I''m in good health!" Qiao Mei said with a laugh. "That won''t do! The army vehicle is very shaky and bumpy on the road. When I followed your father around as a military spouse, I couldn''t stand it at all and kept vomiting in the vehicle. You can''t sit in that vehicle!" Xu Lan said. "Mother, we came here in eldest brother''s car. I''ll just take that car back. Don''t worry, I''ll take good care of myself," Qiao Mei said gently. Seeing that Qiao Mei knew what she was doing, Xu Lan did not say anything else. She left all the arrangements in the capital to Qiao Mei. Before hanging up, Xu Lan repeatedly reminded Qiao Mei to take good care of herself and that nothing was more important than her. After making all the arrangements, Xia Wen and Xia He took turns to stand guard outside the tent. Qiao Mei was pregnant and it was inconvenient for her to do that so she stayed in the tent and waited for their update. Qiao Mei would go and feed Xia Mao the medicinal wine at regular intervals and there was a gradual improvement in Xia Mao''s condition. After two days, Xia Mao finally woke up. "Commander! Commander, look at me!" the doctor said agitatedly as he looked at Xia Mao. The doctor quickly shone the medical flashlight into Xia Mao''s pupils. When he saw that Xia Mao''s pupils were reacting, the doctor quickly called Xia Wen over. "He''s awake! He''s awake! The division commander is awake!" The doctor was so agitated that he almost could not speak properly. Xia Wen hurriedly rushed in without another word After confirming that Xia Mao was really awake, he quickly went back to inform Qiao Mei and Xia He. The three of them then rushed back to see Xia Mao and Xia He even almost had a fall on the way. By the time they came back, Xia Mao had already regained consciousness and was responsive. As soon as Xia He saw Xia Mao, she started to wail loudly and her tears kept streaming down her face. Qiao Mei also teared silently at the side. They all needed to vent out the fear which they had kept inside. Chapter 1033 Divine Medicine ? "Father you almost scared me to death! Do you know how worried I am about you! How can you treat us like this! I was almost scared to death!" Xia He knelt next to Xia Mao''s bed fearfully and wailed loudly. At this moment, she had set aside her strong facade. At this moment, she was only Xia Mao''s daughter. No matter how old she was, Xiao Mao would always see her as his adorable little daughter. Xia Mao slowly tapped Xia He''s cheek with his finger and looked at her in a kind manner. Although he had been lying on the bed all this while, he still retained his consciousness. These children had really suffered during this period of time. "Don''t cry anymore" Xia Mao whispered with great effort. Xia He quickly stopped crying and stayed quietly by Xia Mao''s bed. She just looked at Xia Mao without doing anything. Although she could not help but cry occasionally, she tried her best to hold it in. Xia Mao suddenly looked towards Qiao Mei. She understood what he meant and walked to his side, saying gently, "Father, we can go home soon." She reckoned that Xia Mao''s biggest wish now was to go home and reunite with his family. After all, he had just gone through a life and death situation and it had not been easy to wrestle his life back from the Grim Reaper. "Mother is waiting for you at home. She''s fine," Xia Wen said simply. Qiao Mei took advantage of the fact that Xia Mao was awake and fed him another glass of ginseng wine. There was only a quarter of the ginseng wine left in the bottle, which should be enough to last Xia Mao until he reached the capital. The doctors had all left the tent and only the four Xia family members were in the tent. No one would hear anything they talked about. The doctor only gave them 10 minutes to catch up, otherwise Xia Mao would feel overexerted. "Qiao Mei, I actually keep wanting to ask, how old is the ginseng in that wine?" Xia Wen asked curiously. Xia Mao also looked over curiously. He had eaten all kinds of supplements over the years, but none of them had such a magical effect. It really made him wonder if it was a spiritual herb obtained from a divine immortal. Qiao Mei did not know how to explain the origins of this ginseng. After thinking for a long time, she said, "My grandfather found this ginseng in the mountains and we have never told anyone about it. This ginseng should be more than 10,000 years old." "10,000 years!" Xia He exclaimed. Then, she felt as if she did something wrong and quickly covered her mouth. She whispered, "Oh heavens, Qiao Mei, are you joking with us? Is this thing actually 10,000 years old? Can it already be a spirit?" Qiao Mei pursed her lips awkwardly. In theory, it had indeed become a spirit and could even run around the courtyard! If not for the fact that Xia Mao was in mortal danger, she would not have brought this ginseng here so rashly. She was already prepared for the worst. If Xia Mao did not get better after drinking the medicinal wine, she would just take out the ginseng and grind it into powder for him to eat. Fortunately, the medicinal wine proved to be effective. Otherwise, Xia Mao would probably bleed from all seven orifices after eating the 10,000-year-old ginseng powder. "It''s really more than 10,000 years old. My grandfather only found this ginseng after he made his way to the deepest part of the mountain. I guess their fates are intertwined," Qiao Mei said deceptively. "Then we really have to thank Grandpa Qiao. He not only saved my grandfather''s life, but my father''s life as well. I don''t know how the Xia family can repay both of you," Xia Wen lamented. Qiao Mei said indifferently, "We''re all family, so there''s no need to be so polite. Let''s think about what to eat and how to celebrate when we get back!" They did not manage to hold any celebrations when they got back. The main door of the Xia family''s house was so crowded with people that it almost broke. As soon as their car arrived in the capital, there were people who received the news immediately. Everyone had heard that the Xia family was in possession of divine medicine which could even save the critically ill Xia Mao. Everyone came to the Xia family''s door to ask for that divine medicine regardless of whether they knew the Xia family personally or not. The phone at home did not stop ringing as the calls kept coming. Xu Lan was so angry that she pulled out the phone line to get some peace and quiet. It was not just the Xia family. The Zheng family, the Zhuang family and even Qian''e were not spared. Those people tried their best to contact anyone who was close to Qiao Mei and the Xia family. They just wanted to get hold of Qiao Mei''s divine medicine, even if it was only one mouthful! There were even rumors flying around that drinking Qiao Mei''s divine medicine would allow one to stay young forever and extend one''s lifespan! One could instantly return to being 20 years old! They had even prepared the advertising slogan for Qiao Mei. There were even people who said that Qiao Mei''s divine medicine could revive the dead. This was simply nonsense. Chapter 1034 Full Effects ? Even the area in front of Xia Mao''s ward was jam packed with people. In the end, Xia Wen had to quickly arrange for a private doctor to come to the house. Qiao Mei was worried that the home environment was not conducive to providing Xia Mao with the best treatment, so she spent a lot of money to rent all the medical equipment from the hospital. She also hired another two private doctors so that the three of them could work on shifts to take care of Xia Mao 24 hours a day. "Qiao Mei, this is too extravagant. If people find out that our family is spending so much money, they''ll probably make an issue out of it again," Xia He said worriedly as she looked at the mob outside. Qiao Mei did not care about all this. Even if the Xia family lost everything, she was able to support the entire family on her own. If required, she could just go into business like the He family. However, Qiao Mei only said those words in a fit of anger. She had already asked Xia Wen before she did all that. Xia Wen had already conveyed Xia Mao''s intent to retire to the higher-ups. The higher-ups did not agree to Xia Mao''s request and only asked him to recuperate well. They even said that he could ask for anything he wanted. "Don''t worry, as long as the people outside want my legendary ''divine medicine'', they won''t attack our family. Do you see the person in the gray vest in the corner?" Qiao Mei said as she pointed at the corner to her right. Xia He nodded and said, "Yes I do. He squats outside our house every day and is even more punctual than any office worker." "That''s the family member of one of the government leaders, so don''t worry. Everyone wants what we have. If they destroy us now, they won''t get anything," Qiao Mei said seriously. "How do you know who he is?" Xia He asked. Qiao Mei was actually not too sure, but this person avoided Xia Wen every time he came, seemingly worried that Xia Wen would recognize him. That was why Qiao Mei guessed that he might be from the government. "Intuition," Qiao Mei said as she looked at Xia He smugly. Xia He knocked Qiao Mei''s head impatiently. Qiao Mei always liked to joke with her. Then she asked curiously, "So do you intend to give them the medicine?" "Yes, but not real medicine. When the time comes, I''ll mix some aged vinegar with water and give them some so that I can send them away. Anyway, they don''t even know what the supposed ''divine medicine'' looks like," Qiao Mei said. This was quite a good plan, but what if someone saw through it? Besides, not all their family members were medically trained. Once everyone was satisfied with what they got and then someone took the opportunity to sabotage their family, the family would be caught off guard. Now, they were caught in a dilemma. They reckoned that the jam outside Qiao Mei''s courtyard house must be worse than the situation at the Xia family''s house. Xia Wen had to wait until the dead of the night, when the people outside the door left, before he could make his way home. He had to take leave from work for a period of time so that he did not need to go into the office for the time being. "Eldest brother, think of a way quickly. This can''t go on," Xia He said with a frown. Xia Wen sighed deeply. He had not gone back to his own home for a month already and this matter had made it even more difficult for him to go home. When he was at his workplace today, many management staff had come to cozy up to him. If he read between the lines, they were all approaching him to ask for the "divine medicine". "Do you know what they say about Qiao Mei''s medicine?" Xia Wen said. "Isn''t it about being able to resurrect the dead or live forever or become young again? Other than that, what else is there?" Xia He asked. "Now, there are even people who say that Qiao Mei''s ''divine medicine'' is an aphrodisiac. There are even people who make jokes about me!" Xia Wen said helplessly. Qiao Mei was drinking water at the exact moment and what she heard made her spit it all out. Xia He also looked at Xia Wen in shock with her mouth wide open. Then, the two women collapsed on the sofa as they laughed loudly. "Hahahaha, are there people who say that! It''s too funny. How can it have such an effect." Xia He laughed so hard that her tears flowed out. Qiao Mei laughed so hard that she could not speak. She did not know that this medicine could have so many functions. "Be serious. My solution is to tell everyone that the medicine is developed by the army and has nothing to do with our Xia family," Xia Wen said. Qiao Mei immediately rejected this idea. Such a blatant lie might be able to fool some people, but it would not be able to fool those people who were familiar with the army. Many of the people who made phone calls to them were Xia Mao''s army comrades from the past. These people could find out all the details once they asked around in the army. How could anything be hidden from them? Chapter 1035 Shield ? Just as the three of them were wondering what to do next, Qiao Mei thought she had come up with a good idea. "How about we get some fake medicine and then arrange for two of our own people to come up and snatch it from me. Once we break the bottle, then won''t it be the end of all this?" Qiao Mei said excitedly as she looked at the two of them. "Will those people outside believe it? They''re not fools. It''s very likely that they will beat up our people instead. If that happens, we''ll have to pay for their medical fees." Xia He looked at the crowd outside the door worriedly. She felt that those people had already gone crazy. If anyone made the "divine medicine" disappear, they would probably make that person disappear too. There was no lack of medical professionals in the crowd. If people found out that there was fake stuff involved, the Xia family''s reputation would be tarnished. The solution to this problem must be foolproof and not even the slightest mistake could be allowed. "I still think it''s better to just tell everyone that the medicine has all been used up. After all, everyone knows how serious Father''s injuries are. Since it''s a ''divine medicine'', then they must know that a rare thing tends to be very valuable. It won''t be good if it appears as if we are a distributor of the ''divine medicine''. At some point in time, someone will use this fact to kick up a fuss," Xia Wen said. Qiao Mei still felt unsettled. There were capable doctors who were able to work out the ingredients in medicine just by smelling it. After some experimentation, they would gradually be able to adjust the ratio of the ingredients so that they could work out the formula. Furthermore, the Xia family was already caught between a rock and a hard place. They could not give it to outsiders, but if they did not give it to anyone at all, there would definitely be people who could not sit still anymore. "Sigh" The three of them sat on the sofa and sighed together. They had never encountered such a difficult problem before! Qiao Mei flipped through the messages on her pager out of boredom. She suddenly stood up from her seat and cheered happily, "I have an idea!" Xia He and Xia Wen looked up at Qiao Mei and asked, "What is it?" Qiao Mei showed them the pager. There was a message from He Ning asking Qiao Mei to call him when she had time. He said he had something to tell her. "Let''s make it known to the public that He Ning has bought all the medicine. I don''t think there''s anyone in the capital who needs this medicine more than He Ning," Qiao Mei said. He Ning was well-known for being weak and sickly. Everyone had thought that He Ning would not be able to live longer than another two to three years and that he was going to die young. As He Ning was a businessman, it made sense for him to offer to buy this medicine at a high price. This would not only explain how Xia Mao''s family had the money to rent expensive medical equipment for him to use at home, but it would also put an end to this matter once and for all. No one would dare to covet this medicine once it fell into He Ning''s hands. It would not even be enough for He Ning himself! There was no way he would sell it to anyone else. Besides, was there anyone who was richer than He Ning? Apart from the wish to live for a few more years, He Ning did not lack anything else. Even if anyone offered to exchange all kinds of rare treasures with He Ning, he would not be interested. "But our family and the He family are irreconcilable enemies. Would anyone believe this?" Xia He asked. At the moment, both the Xia family and the He family were just biding their time. Once there was a chance, the He family would definitely relaunch an attack. How could a vengeful person like He Ning be afraid of the Xia family just because of that little bit of ginseng? It was just that he could not find an opportunity. Qiao Mei was the key that kept the He family in check. As long as Qiao Mei was around, the He family would not be able to create any big trouble for the time being. "Leave it to me," Qiao Mei said as she snapped her fingers smugly. Qiao Mei went to the house phone. As soon as she plugged in the phone line, a call came in. Within three seconds after she hung up, another call came in. As long as Qiao Mei hesitated for a moment, the calls would keep coming in, not giving her any time to catch her breath. Qiao Mei quickly hung up the phone and dialed He Ning''s number at the same time. "Ring, ring, ring" After a long while, someone picked up the phone. "Hello?" He Ning said in a hoarse voice. "Why do you sound half-dead?" Qiao Mei said mockingly. He Ning was really too tired to argue with Qiao Mei. He yawned slowly and said, "Sister, please look at the time. It''s already past one in the morning. Isn''t it normal for me to be sleeping?" "Didn''t you ask me to call you back? I received your message the moment I switched on my pager?" Qiao Mei looked at the pager in confusion. Chapter 1036 - 1036 Fish 1036 Fish Qiao Mei, Xia He and Xia Wen did not bring their pagers around with them recently. They had all switched off their pagers. Any communication device around them would ring non-stop as soon as it was turned on. Im here to talk to you about something beneficial. It all depends on whether youre willing to do business with me, Qiao Mei said laughingly. The moment He Ning heard that it was about business, he immediately perked up. The commotion surrounding the Xia family in the past two days was so huge that it was impossible for him not to know about it. Im not buying your divine medicine. Youve already emptied all my assets and youre still coveting my money. I still owe you a lot of money, He Ning said. I dont want money. Am I such a tacky person? Besides, there isnt any divine medicine at all. I just chopped up some ginseng and mixed it with water for my father to drink. The rumors flying around are too wild. I just want you to tell the general public that youve obtained this divine medicine and that the effect is quite good, Qiao Mei said. He Ning snorted coldly. Whoever wanted to do this thankless task could go ahead and do it. She really took him for a fool! No way, He Ning said coldly. Ill give you a discount of 50,000 dollars, Qiao Mei said even as she felt a sense of reluctance. 50,000 dollars? Do you think Im someone who lacks 50,000 dollars? If you say 500,000 dollars, I might still think about it. You only offer 50,000 dollars. Are you looking down on me or are you flattering yourself too much? He Ning said angrily. Now that Qiao Mei was the one asking for help, she could not be too forceful. If He Ning remained stubborn, Qiao Mei and the rest would need to pay a high price to find another way out. Qiao Mei pondered for a long time before saying slowly, Fish. Deal, He Ning said quickly. After that, Qiao Mei hung up the phone. Xia Wen and Xia He were both stunned to the spot and looked at Qiao Mei quietly. They did not know what kind of riddle Qiao Mei and He Ning were talking about. Qiao Mei what kind of fish is worth 500,000 dollars? Xia He asked. The kind that I cook, Qiao Mei said confidently. At first, Xia Wen did not understand what Qiao Mei was talking about, then he came to a realization. Back then, when He Ning came to their house to buy flowers and ginseng, Qiao Meis stomach was not so big yet and she could still help Liu Fen prepare meals for the family. At that time, He Ning had dawdled at their house until dinnertime. How can you cook in your current condition? He Ning is really the most shameless person in the world. Lets think of another way. Cant this issue be solved without He Ning? Xia He said angrily. Xia Wen also felt that what Xia He said made sense. They could always find another way. At most, they could just forcefully suppress this issue. The Xia family had been active in the capital for so many years and it was not as if they did not have the resources to do that. We can solve this issue with just one fish. Besides, He Ning wont be coming empty-handed. He still owes me so much money. When he comes to our house with the money, itll mark the end of this shenanigan. I wont be the one doing the cooking. Ill get the helper to do it, Qiao Mei said. The secret to Qiao Meis delicious food lay in the ingredients. When the time came, she would transfer some energy to the fish and the other ingredients and the dish would naturally taste good. It did not matter if Qiao Mei was the one who made the meal. As long as He Ning went to the Xia familys house with the money, Qiao Meis plan would have succeeded. At that time, they could just push all the issues to He Ning. It would be useless even if He Ning denied it. Why would people believe him if they thought that he was the ultimate beneficiary? Furthermore, the Xia family was known for their honesty and sincerity. As for the He family, everyone knew their reputation very well. Therefore, people naturally formed their own impression about who was more trustworthy. I think Father will break my legs if he finds out how this matter was resolved, Xia Wen said with a deep sigh. Too many things had happened during this period of time and there were so many family elders who had threatened to break his legs. It was because things had become too chaotic and he was not able to handle everything perfectly, so there were many people who felt dissatisfied with the situation. The areas outside the front and back doors of Qiao Meis courtyard house were jam packed with people. The entire family had been trapped in the courtyard house for many days and they all had to live a life of frugality and ration whatever they had. Fortunately, all the children were no strangers to hardships. There was still a lot of corn at home and it was enough to last them for a while. It was not as if they could not buy any groceries, the thing was that they did not dare to go out at all! Chapter 1037 Not Good At Something ? The moment any of them left the house, they would be surrounded and intercepted by the people outside and these people were unrelenting. However, these people definitely had no intention of starving the residents of the courtyard house. They bought a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables every day for Li Gui and the others and would leave the groceries outside the door. Li Gui and the rest did not even bother to take a look. They were not interested at all. "This is really like a weasel paying a visit to a chicken!" Zhang Miao muttered angrily. "What does that mean?" Zhang Wei asked as he looked at Zhang Miao curiously. Zhang Chao whispered from the side, "Being up to no good." Weasels preyed on chicken and it was their favorite food. What kind of predator would send gifts to its prey? Zheng Peng was also trapped in Li Gui''s house. He actually found life quite comfortable. He was a person who was satisfied as long as he had food to eat and he was not picky about food at all. However, he just felt a little defeated during this period of time. Qiao Qiang kept asking Zheng Peng to play chess with him. Zheng Peng originally thought that he would definitely be able to defeat Qiao Qiang with his skills, but he did not expect to be completely crushed by Qiao Qiang in less than 10 minutes. Zheng Peng felt indignant and continued to play a few more rounds, but he lost every round to Qiao Qiang without any exception. "Why can''t you even win against my grandfather?" Zhang Chao''s immature voice sounded beside Zheng Peng. "Are you saying that you play better than your grandfather?" Zheng Peng asked curiously. Qiao Qiang grabbed Zhang Chao proudly and said, "Our Zhang Chao is invincible in the park! No one can win against our Xiao Chao. Do you think he read all those books for nothing?" Zheng Peng suddenly felt a little emotional as he thought about Qiao Mei''s philosophy when it came to education. She was different from most people. Other families would not let their children spend so much time and effort on these hobbies. They would say that if the children could not even absorb the contents of the school textbooks, then how could they spend so much time on these hobbies? He had asked Qiao Mei about this before. Qiao Mei said that there were so many professions in this world and each profession would have its own master. Zhang Wei had his mind set on being a soldier, so if he persisted and continued to chase after his dream, he could definitely become the most outstanding soldier. As for Zhang Chao, at such a young age, he had already mastered knowledge that surpassed what many children his age knew. This was his strength. One should study to broaden one''s horizons, not to study for the sake of studying. As for Zhang Qin and Zhang Miao, Qiao Mei did not want them to live a tiring life. However, if she nurtured Zhang Qin well, then Zhang Qin might be able to take over her business in the future! At that time, Zhang Qin would be known as a famous female entrepreneur in the capital! "Come! I''ll play a round with you! I don''t believe that you can beat me!" Zheng Peng said stubbornly. This time, he suffered an even bigger defeat. The game lasted for 20 minutes though, and the reason was because Zheng Peng did not know how to play his moves and needed to think for a long time. If not for Zhang Chao being a patient boy, he would not have wanted to play with Zheng Peng anymore. "I have never expected that there is something which Professor is not good at," Zhang Chao said softly. Zheng Peng smiled and patted Zhang Chao''s head. "I''m not Superman, so how can I know everything? Of course there are things that I''m not good at. There will also be things that you''re not good at." Zhang Chao''s eyes suddenly lit up. He looked at Zheng Peng in surprise and asked, "Really? But none of the children outside are willing to play with me. They say that I''m a boring person" "Our Xiao Chao is just not good with words. It''s not that you''re boring. Don''t you see that I like talking to you? You''re also willing to chat with me. You don''t need to expect everyone to like you, but you have to like yourself, do you understand?" Zheng Peng said. Zhang Chao nodded vigorously. Before he walked away, he turned around and said to Zheng Peng, "But Professor, your chess skills are really just average." The thing that made Zheng Peng sad was not the fact that Zhang Chao defeated him, but that Zhang Chao even comforted him after defeating him and said that his chess skills were only average! That was not acceptable! He must work hard to improve his chess skills! He must surpass Zhang Chao! At the very least, he must be better than Qiao Qiang! After a few days of persistent research and learning, Zheng Peng could finally last 20 minutes when playing with Qiao Qiang. This could be considered a huge improvement. After all, Qiao Qiang was not as amiable as Zhang Chao, who would wait patiently for him to make his moves. Even before dawn the next morning, the area outside the Xia family''s main door was already packed with people. These people were all prepared for a protracted battle. They each had a small stool with them and some people were even ready to set up tents outside the main door. Chapter 1038 - 1038 Imposing 1038 Imposing These people were still quite reasonable and just quietly waited outside the house. They were all from reputable families in the capital and there was no need for them to fall out with the Xia family over such matters. Some of them were the helpers or chauffeurs of the prominent families while some of them were the family members of government officials. The rest were people who knew the Xia family quite well and had either elders or other sick people at home who needed help. A few hours later, everyone in the Xia family gradually woke up and started their day. Qiao Mei also washed up and dressed up before going downstairs to take a look at the situation outside. Dont they get hungry? Do they just wait around without eating or drinking for the whole day? Xia He asked as she stood behind Qiao Mei. There will probably be other people who come to take over their shifts. If a person doesnt eat for a day and yet spends such a long time outdoors in the snowy weather, the person will fall sick sooner or later, Qiao Mei said resignedly. Xia He could not bear to see these people go hungry while waiting outside, but the reason why they were there made it hard for her to pity them. She said unhappily, Then if they faint outside our door, will they blame us? Qiao Mei said thoughtfully, I think so. After all, theyre all here only because of the medicine. If anyone freezes to death outside, even though its not our fault, well still be criticized for not making a clear stand after so many days. No matter what, were in a disadvantaged position. Xia He nodded. Once she could make it through the day today, she would be able to return to Qiao Meis courtyard house. She was so tired of living with Xu Lan. Every morning, Xu Lan would wake her up early and ask her to practice her basic skills. These torturous days made her feel as if she had returned to her school days. It was so miserable! It was rare for He Ning to drive his luxury car out. Two black cars followed behind him. His bodyguards were in those cars and the trunks were filled with money. It had been a long time since he behaved in such an arrogant manner. He soon arrived at the entrance of the district where the Xia familys house was located. The door guards could not be bothered to ask for details anymore. In any case, all the visitors were there to look for the Xia family, and they were all prominent people whom the guards could not afford to offend. The guards felt caught in a dilemma as they would be at fault no matter who they sided with, so they turned a blind eye to everything as long as no one caused any trouble in the district. Hello, may I ask who youre looking for? the guard asked routinely. He Ning slowly wound down the window and said, He Ning here to look for Xia Wen. The guard took down He Nings license plate number and let him in. He Ning stopped at the roadside about 200 meters away from the Xia familys house. He knew that the scene at the entrance of the Xia familys house would be a spectacular one, but the actual scene in front of him still made him feel incredulous. There were even ladders which were propped up against the fence in the distance, and many people who could not enter the district had climbed in from there. There were people everywhere he looked. One really could not underestimate the power of human desires. Hey! Is that the He familys third son! someone in the crowd whispered. Everyone looked in He Nings direction in unison. This was also within He Nings expectations. Otherwise, why would he put on such a show of grandeur today? It was to let them know about what he was capable of and make them feel wary of the He family. Previously, when the Xia family and Jiang Jin joined forces to eradicate his elder brothers business chain and dig up the treasures buried under his familys house, many people began to slight the He family and felt that they were easy to bully. Some people even looked down on He Ning. Today, he would let these people see if he, He Ning, was capable or not. Thats right! I dont expect him to really come! In that case, we have no hope anymore, a man said with a sigh. Many people started to look for the families in the district who had phones in the house. They needed help so that they could call up their superiors. A resident even moved the house phone outside to join in the fun and put up a sign next to it with the words One dollar per use on it. In just the past few days, he had already earned more than 500 dollars! This was a new way to get rich! Get out of the way! Get out of the way, everyone! The people at the back, quickly move backwards! Chapter 1039 - 1039 The Fiery Female Chef” 1039 The Fiery Female Chef Cant you see whos coming? Make way! Dont make us use force! If you know whats good for you, then get lost quickly! Two bodyguards took the lead and cleared a path for He Ning. The rest of the bodyguards quickly surrounded He Ning and dispersed people standing nearby, clearing a wide path for him. He Ning quietly enjoyed the moment and did not care about what others thought of him. Ever since his health deteriorated three years ago, he had rarely appeared in front of the public. It had been a long time since he felt this way. Qiao Mei stood at the door and said impatiently, Why are you only here now? Do you want our entire family to wait for you? There was a traffic jam and I was held up for a while. Its my fault. Its so cold outside. Should we go in and talk? He Ning asked. To this, Qiao Mei frowned and replied, Its not impossible for you to come in. Where are the things I asked you to bring? Have you brought everything? He Ning smiled resignedly. This little girl was putting on a show and involving him in it. It was so troublesome to have to do all these. In the future, if anyone wanted to film a television drama, he would definitely recommend Qiao Mei to act in the show. It would be such a pity to let such a talent go to waste. Otherwise, he could invest in a movie himself. He had already thought of the title. It would be called The Fiery Female Chef. The script was simply full of scenes of Qiao Mei cooking for him every day. He decided that she could maintain her own personality in the show. Just thinking about it made him feel very amused. He raised his hand and the bodyguards beside him opened the boxes one by one. The eight boxes were all filled with money. This was the money he owed Qiao Mei for the ginseng. If not for the fact that he wanted to eat Qiao Meis fish dish, he would not have been so generous as to fork out 400,000 dollars to put on this act with Qiao Mei. Initially, he wanted to stretch out the entire payment process. The previous few times when he came to return the money, Qiao Mei did not offer him anything. It was rare for Qiao Mei to agree to let him freeload a meal this time. Out of a moment of impulse, he had brought too much money with him. He decided not to pay back the money so readily in the future. He still wanted to eat the fish dish a few more times! What about now? Can we go in and have a chat? He Ning asked. Qiao Mei took a few steps back and let He Ning enter the house alone. The bodyguards waited in the courtyard with the boxes. Without Qiao Meis permission, they could not enter or leave as they pleased. After closing the door, Qiao Mei looked more relaxed. She acted as if He Ning was invisible and just walked straight towards the kitchen. The food was not ready yet and He Ning needed to wait a little longer. The entire house was silent and no one spoke to He Ning. They were not like Qiao Mei and the enmity between the families was not something they could let go. Xia Wen even suspected that Xia Maos accident this time was related to the He family. It was all too much of a coincidence. He Ning did not care about all this and did not behave like an outsider at all. He walked to the sofa opposite Xia Wen and sat down. After staring at Xia Wen for a long time, he said, Your book is upside down. Have you developed some sort of new method recently? Xia He silently turned her head to one side. Even though she tried her best to hold back her laughter, her trembling shoulders still betrayed her. Ahem, I just want to try out a new way of reading. Do you have any objections? Xia Wen closed the book awkwardly and placed it on the coffee table. Not bad. Its good that you know there are benefits to making progress. He Ning looked towards the upper floor and asked politely, How has Uncle Xia been recently? Has his health improved? Hes alive. He will definitely live longer than you, Xia He said viciously. He Ning did not take what Xia He said to heart. The indistinct fragrance had appeared in the house again. It was strange that he could only smell this fragrance in the Xia familys house. Even though he had already bought all the flowers and plants they had in the house, the fragrance dissipated when he reached home. Has your family been using incense recently? He Ning asked. No, we dont use such things, Xia Wen said. It was so strange. There were mainly cactuses in the house and the rest were plants that were easy to care for. There were no plants with blooming flowers at all. Where did the fragrance in the house come from? Could it be that someone was wearing perfume? However, he knew the Xia family members very well. Xia Wen did not have the spare cash to buy perfume. Xia He was so lazy that she did not even put on makeup, let alone wore perfume. Perhaps it was Xu Lans perfume or Qiao Meis perfume. Chapter 1040 - 1040 For the Fish 1040 For the Fish Qiao Mei was now in the late stages of pregnancy. The Xia family members were so careful that they probably would not let her touch such things. In that case, the fragrance was probably from Xu Lan. These plants are all quite green. Auntie must have taken good care of them, He Ning sang praises against his conscience. The plants in the Xia familys house had once again died at Xu Lans hands, although this time, they lasted much longer than the last time. By the time everyone realized there was a problem, the cactuses in the house had either rotted from being given too much water or shriveled up because Xu Lan had forgotten to water them. They did not know what Qiao Mei did in the past two days to bring these flowers and plants back to life after just two days. Qiao Mei was not spouting nonsense when she said that she knew a lot about flowers and plants. She was really knowledgeable. He Ning, Xia Wen and Xia He chatted awkwardly. Out of politeness, they did not feel good about leaving He Ning alone in the living room. Qiao Mei sat in the corner of the kitchen and quietly watched on as the helper did the cooking. The fish was the last dish to make. Qiao Mei had just slaughtered the fish, so it was definitely fresh. However, the smell of blood was making her a little dizzy. Mei Mei, why dont you wait outside? Theres too much oil and smoke here and its not good for your health, the helper said worriedly. Its fine, Auntie. Our guest is outside and we cant let him find out whats happening. Im fine, Qiao Mei said with a smile. The helper did not argue with Qiao Mei and quickly put all the ingredients into the pot. She put the fish in last and then let the pot simmer over low heat. She did all the steps very smoothly and skillfully. You can go out now. Ill watch the fire, the helper said. Qiao Mei slowly walked out of the kitchen and sat down beside Xia He. She smiled at He Ning and said, Pay me. He Ning thought that Qiao Mei was asking for the bodyguards outside to deliver the money. He was about to get up to call for them when Qiao Mei stopped him. Im talking about my fish. Dont tell me you think you can eat my fish for free? Qiao Mei asked. Isnt this fish what youre giving me in exchange for my help? Why are you putting a price on it now? He Ning said. I didnt say last night that Im giving it to you in exchange. You have misunderstood it yourself. This is a fish which the government gave to our family. We cant even bear to take it out, Qiao Mei said with heartache. Even if it was the one and only fish in the world, He Ning must still eat it today! How much? He Ning said. Qiao Mei stuck out one finger and smiled at He Ning as she said, 10,000 dollars. 10,000!!! Are you crazy about money! He Ning lost his cool and yelled out. Then, he realized that his voice was a little ear-piercing and said softly, Qiao Mei, your fish is worth at most 100 dollars. Its too much to charge me 10,000 dollars. Qiao Mei had no intention of changing the price at all. In any case, the money which He Ning brought already belonged to the Xia family. All the people outside had seen He Ning enter the Xia family with their own eyes, so that was good enough. Qiao Meis wish had already been fulfilled. As for He Nings wish, he would have to work hard to fulfill it himself. Deal! Qiao Mei happily reached out to He Ning for the money. He Ning had no choice but to take out the money from his pocket and give it to Qiao Mei. It was so hard for him to eat this fish! He Ning was sure that Qiao Mei must have put some kind of magical potion in the fish dish, otherwise he would not be so obsessed with it. After He Ning ate Qiao Meis fish dish for the first time, he asked all the famous chefs in the capital to come to his house to cook fish for him. He was not satisfied with any of the dishes and he felt that Qiao Meis dish was the best. During that month, the stray cats outside his house all gained a lot of weight. They did not even bother about ordinary things and just waited outside the He familys house to scour the trash bags for food that He Ning threw out. Qiao Mei quickly took the money from He Ning and handed it to Xia He. The two of them started counting the money excitedly. You should discipline your younger sister and sister-in-law. Isnt your Xia familys values about living a simple life? He Ning looked at Xia Wen and questioned him. You make it sound like you can control He Mei, Xia Wen rolled his eyes and said mockingly. He Ning was rendered speechless. He could not even educate his own niece well, so it was true that he did not have any right to lecture Xia Wen. Chapter 1041 - 1041 Good Weather 1041 Good Weather It was soon time to eat. Everyone just looked at He Ning in silence. They had absolutely no desire to eat with He Ning, but it was not as if they could ask the helper to pack food for He Ning to go. If the people outside witnessed that and word got out, they would say that the Xia family had no manners. He Ning did not seem to notice anything amiss and happily joined them at the dining table. Xu Lan and Liu Fen could not find any reason to chase He Ning away, so they could only quietly endure his presence. Fortunately, He Ning had some self awareness. He sat at one end of the table alone while all the Xia family members sat at the other end. The helper portioned all the dishes into separate plates and placed them in front of He Ning. He Ning did not feel that there was anything wrong and he was actually quite happy to go along with it. For so many years, he was already used to eating alone and he did not like to share food with other people. What the Xia family did was actually in line with his requirements . It was as if so long as he could eat the fish dish, the Xia family could do no wrong in his eyes and he would not hold anything against them. There was only silence during the entire meal. This was the most difficult meal that Qiao Mei had ever eaten. Everyone held their breaths and watched discreetly as He Ning ate the fish. The Xia family members all knew that Qiao Mei had only stood next to the helper and gave instructions on how to cook the fish. She did not do the cooking herself. They did not know if He Ning could tell the difference. This fish seems different from the previous dish. Did you change the cooking method? He Ning asked as he looked at Qiao Mei. The Xia family members all tensed up when they heard what He Ning said. They were afraid that He Ning would become unhappy if the truth was exposed. At this point in time, no one in the family was able to expend time and effort to handle the troublesome He family. After so many busy days, Xia Wen was already exhausted. Since you dont have long to live, I use less seasonings in the dish. Its just a simple stew seasoned with some salt. Qiao Mei appeared nonchalant and answered He Nings question as she continued eating. He Ning did not ask anything else. The previous dish he ate at the Xia familys house was braised fish and it was more flavorful than the steamed fish today. He took it as Qiao Mei being concerned for him and he could not help but smile as he ate, even though Qiao Mei had just commented that he had a short lifespan. Everyone in the Xia family heaved a sigh of relief. After dinner, He Ning did not show any intention of leaving. Qiao Mei went to the study upstairs and wrote a receipt for He Ning. It clearly stated the amount of money she had received from him this round and the remaining amount that he still owed her. Take it and you can go, Qiao Mei said as she slowly walked downstairs and handed the note to He Ning. Dont tell me the Xia family cant stand my presence. How can you chase a guest away after dinner? He Ning said as he rubbed his round belly in satisfaction. Qiao Mei shrugged nonchalantly and said, The Xia family can, but I cant. Havent you already finished eating the fish? Why are you still here? Dont tell me you want to pay me more money? He Ning did not have any reply to that. He took the receipt from Qiao Mei and asked the bodyguards outside the door to put all the money into the house before they all left together. There was still a long way to go in the future and there would be plenty of opportunities for him to come to the Xia family house to eat fish. Half of the crowd outside the main door had already left. There were still a few people who remained unrealistically optimistic. There were also people who stayed to observe the current dynamics between the He family and the Xia family so that they could try to predict what the future would hold. The sun feels nice today, He Ning said as he looked up at the cloudy sky. After saying that, he glanced coldly at the people outside the main door and read out their names to his subordinates one by one. He simply ignored those whom he could not recognize. This should be the Liang familys nanny Thats a distant relative of the Han family. Oh, theres someone from the Jin family! He Ning said as he slowly walked up to a young man. Join in the fun? What fun? Is it me or the Xia family that you find funny? He Ning asked. The Jin family had always been the He familys lackey. Back when the Jin family was in dire straits, the eldest son of the Jin family, Jin Man, came to He Ning to ask for help. He knelt outside the main door of the He familys house for one day and one night. At that time, He Ning was still in good health and he was the one in charge of the He familys business. He was extremely rich then and could make a lot of money even if he sat around and did nothing every day. He was so bored that he gave Jin Man 10,000 dollars and asked him to manage a shop, making Jin Man work for the He family. Chapter 1042 Are You Saying That I Am A Horse ? He was curious about this person who was willing to kneel in front of him and wanted to see how capable this person was. At that time, He Guo and He Wei had even made a bet with him! His two brothers felt that Jin Man was hopeless and incompetent, and that it would make more sense to use the money to feed the dogs than give it to him. They did not expect Jin Man to really do quite well in the end. If not for He Ning, the Jin family would live a life like the other ordinary people in this city. They might not even be able to afford food or clothes and might even have frozen to death during that harsh winter. However, humans all behaved the same way. Once one had power and status, one would become insatiable and craved for more. Jin Man even felt that the reason for his current achievements was entirely because of his own hard work and capability, and had nothing to do with He Ning. He did not feel an ounce of gratitude at all . By now, the Jin family even wanted to gain a foothold in the government and the military. They had already started to look down on the He family and felt that they could become more powerful than the He family in the capital. However, none of the children from Jin Man''s family worked hard. They only knew how to party, gamble and have fun. In the past, there were many times when Jin Man came to the He family residence bearing expensive medicinal herbs, asking He Ning for help to bail his son out. He Ning had always been very generous to people who were on his side and always helped out with Jin Man''s requests. However, he did not expect the Jin family to have designs on the Xia family now. His spies had told him more than once that the Jin family was both openly and covertly trying to get close to the Xia family and had even sent gifts to the Xia family. However, the Xia family did not accept any of the gifts and also rejected the Jin family''s visits. The young man standing in front of He Ning now was Jin Man''s eldest son, Jin Yue. "Sigh I wonder how your father is doing recently. Does he also need this medicine to save his life? I haven''t seen him for so long and I do miss him a little. Go back and tell your father to come to my place for a visit when he''s free." He Ning smiled and patted Jin Yue''s shoulder, but it only made Jin Yue feel as if the Jin family was in danger. He Ning smiled like the Grim Reaper announcing his death date. "I This matter has nothing to do with my father. I''m just here to watch the fun!" Jin Yue said fearfully. He Ning patted Jin Yue''s shoulder and smiled. He said joyfully, "I''m just asking your father to come to my house for a visit, nothing else. Why are you so afraid? Don''t forget to pass him the message when you get home." Jin Yue slumped to the ground, not knowing what to do. As for He Ning, he felt refreshed. He stretched as he walked on and returned to the car to set off for the He family house. It had been a long time since he teased someone like this. Jin Yue hurriedly ran home and passed Jin Man the message, but Jin Man did not care at all. He said mockingly, "Hmph, what''s the big deal? How much money does He Ning have left now? He''s probably been wiped clean by the Xia family until there''s nothing left! Why should we be afraid of him!" "But but even a starving camel is still bigger than a horse," Jin Yue said nervously as he looked at Jin Man. Jin Man did not hesitate to go forward to give Jin Yue a slap. He said unhappily, "Are you saying that I''m a horse! Do you think our family is not as powerful as the He family!" "No, no! It''s just an analogy! I don''t mean that!" Jin Yue covered his face and explained himself quickly. In the past, Jin Yue was arrogant and domineering. Even if people just took a glance at him on the roads, as long as it made him feel uncomfortable, he would pick a fight. If anything happened to the other party, he would simply offer compensation. Originally, Jin Man''s biggest headache was his eldest son, Jin Yue. Then, Jin Yue got into trouble and was rescued by the He family. He Ning brought Jin Yue to stay at the He family''s house for one week. When Jin Yue returned home, his temperament had changed drastically. He had become as timid as a mouse and would feel scared whenever others raised their voices at him. He was much better now, but whenever he met someone from the He family, he would still tremble all over. Even when he saw He Mei, he behaved like a mouse that had seen a cat. "Alright, just get back into the house. I get angry whenever I see you!" Jin Man said unhappily. He Ning waited at home until evening, but no one from the Jin family came to look for him. He called Huo Gao to come over and asked, "Do you think I should go to the company to do something? There''s nothing for me to do at home." "Think about your own health. Do you want to reduce your lifespan by another two years?" Huo Gao asked. Chapter 1043 Disappear Overnight ? "Tsk, what can I expect from a hog but a grunt. Can''t you say something nice, like about me living a long life," He Ning said as he rolled his eyes in disdain. "I''m a doctor and I never tell lies. Do you want me to say that you can live to 500 years old when I discuss your condition with you? If you want to hear something auspicious, go and look for Jin Man. He''s the best at singing praises," Huo Gao said with a laugh. He Ning picked up an apple next to him and threw it at Huo Gao. This man was purposely rubbing his nose in something he was currently annoyed with. "Don''t you already know how two-faced Jin Man is? There''s no need to get angry over such a person. If you don''t like him, then get someone to teach him a lesson," Huo Gao said as he picked up the apple. To He Ning, what the Xia family and Jiang Jin ganged up to do to him was not really a big deal. Although it meant that he had fewer ways to make money, it did not affect his family''s status in the capital at all. At the end of the day, there were very few companies which kept a lot of cash at hand. Their main assets were always their stocks and goods. Even without the illicit ways to make money, the few private businesses he had which were endorsed by the government made enough money to support the three generations of the He family. It was really a big joke that someone would even dare to look down on the He family. He Ning did not intend to let Jin Man off so easily. He sat back on the rocking chair and thought for a long time before coming up with an idea. He Ning called out for his trusted aide, Jia Zhong, who specialized in helping him deal with shady matters. "Let the Jin family return to the state when I first met the guy," He Ning said lazily with his eyes closed. "Noted. About their lives" Jia Zhong said as he looked at He Ning hesitantly. "Let them keep their lives. Death is too good for them, how can we let them off so easily?" He Ning said. Staying alive was definitely a harder thing to do. He Ning wanted Jin Man to watch helplessly as all his assets disappeared and he became a pauper overnight. He wanted Jin Man to drop to the bottom of the social hierarchy. Perhaps Jim Man would be even worse off than the lowest social class since he would still have to bear a huge debt. Defeating a person meant taking away the person''s most precious thing. Jia Zhong understood what He Ning meant. After leaving the He family''s house, he instructed his subordinates to get the matter done overnight. He told them to do it cleanly and accurately, and not to give Jin Man any chance to get out of it. The news of the Jin family going bankrupt overnight spread throughout the streets and alleys. All of the Jin family''s assets were back in He Ning''s hands. The entire day was very eventful. Early in the morning, Xia Wen was recalled to his workplace to deal with these matters urgently. People no longer gathered outside the Xia family''s main door. It was very likely that the crowd outside the courtyard house had probably dispersed as well. Qiao Mei felt that it was time for her to go home and check on her grandfather and the rest. She wondered how they had been over the past few days. "Mother, I have to go home and take a look today," Qiao Mei said to Xu Lan. Xu Lan looked at Qiao Mei wistfully and hurriedly ran to her bedroom. She dragged down a big bag of things that she had prepared for Qiao Mei to use when it was time for her to give birth. She was so meticulous that she even prepared a few sets of hospital gowns for Qiao Mei to change into, as she was worried that the gowns which the hospital provided would not be comfortable enough. "Mei Mei, bring these back with you. I''m worried that you won''t have time to come and take them later. It''s safer to keep these things with you," Xu Lan said. "There''s really too much stuff. I already have enough things at home. If we prepare too many things, it will be wasteful if I don''t need to use them. There''s really a mountain of things at home," Qiao Mei said with a smile. Liu Fen quickly chimed in, "Mei Mei is right! Your mother acts like she wants to move the entire shopping mall to your house. She wants to buy everything she sees. That day, she even went to tailor clothes for the two children. It''s not as if she has never birthed and raised children before. Kids grow up so quickly that they probably won''t get the chance to wear most of the clothes we have at home. Yet, she still wants to buy more." Xu Lan felt embarrassed by what Liu Fen said. She was just worried that Qiao Mei and the children would feel uncared for. Her concern for them had made her go overboard. To be honest, she did not have much experience in taking care of children. She had left her three children with Wu Min after they were born and she did not have to worry about anything related to them. "I have listened to you and I''m not buying anything anymore! What''s the point of telling Qiao Mei about this!" Xu Lan said. "I know that Mother is doing all these for me. Let''s stop buying any more things. If there''s really not enough, we can buy more when the time comes. Right now, there''s already enough for the two children to wear a new set of clothes every day for a month without repeating!" Qiao Mei said. Chapter 1044 Bathtub ? Xu Lan thought about it carefully. She had indeed bought too many things over the past few months. In the future, she would buy less and only get necessities for the children. "Then let me know whenever you need to buy things for the children. I''ll go and buy it for them," Xu Lan said generously. "I have so much money on hand. If I still need you to buy things for me, then what do I do with all the money at home? Don''t worry, when the children are born, I''ll definitely need your help to take care of them!" Qiao Mei said laughingly. At the mention of taking care of the children, Xu Lan immediately beamed with joy. She had already made plans to go over and help to take care of these two children once Qiao Mei gave birth. Children needed to be around adults all the time until they turned one or two years old. There must be someone keeping an eye on them at all times. The children''s diet was also a very important matter. Qiao Mei definitely would not be able to cope on her own. Even though Li Gui was Qiao Mei''s biological mother, she was also the mother of four other children. She could not possibly ignore the other children to take care of Qiao Mei. Those children were still too young to be able to take care of themselves. Therefore, Xu Lan had to take the initiative to take on more responsibilities. Although she did not have much experience, she could still share some of Qiao Mei''s burdens. Not having real life experience was not an issue. Back then, she had observed how Wu Min took care of the children. "Alright, go back with Xia He then." Xu Lan quickly shouted for Xia He, "Xia He! Go home with Qiao Mei! You must take good care of Qiao Mei, do you understand!" Xia He nodded hurriedly. She could not wait to leave as soon as possible! At this moment, she would agree to any request Xu Lan made. "No problem, leave it to me," Xia He patted her chest and made a promise. The two of them made their way home with the gifts from Xu Lan. Just as Qiao Mei expected, the people outside the courtyard house had already all left. If nothing had gone wrong, this issue was already completely resolved. The chauffeur stopped in front of Qiao Mei''s house and got out of the car to carry all the items from the trunk into the house. Xia He slowly got out and did a big stretch. She said lazily, "I''m finally back~ I miss this small courtyard so much! I don''t have to wake up early to practice my basic skills anymore!" "Don''t let Mother hear this. She''ll ask you to go back and stay for a few months. Besides, don''t you want to be a dancer? If you don''t work hard, how can you realize your dream?" Qiao Mei said with a smile. "My mistake! It''s just the sense of novelty I feel when I see this courtyard. Mother is the nicest person in the world. Of course I like living with her the most! I''ll definitely train hard!" Xia He said unconscionably. Qiao Mei pretended not to hear anything and laughed as she returned to her room to take a rest. During this entire trip to bring Xia Mao home, there was no way for her to take a nice bath. Today, she must take a nice and comfortable bath in the bathroom. The so-called bathroom was just a small room in the house which Qiao Mei had fitted out. It was actually not too small and the area was about 12 square meters. Qiao Mei had spent a lot of money on the renovations. The walls were tiled and the water heater was the latest model on the market. The only thing was that there was no shower head installed as her main focus was on the bathtub. Qiao Mei preferred the traditional wooden bathtub where one could totally soak in the water. It was so comfortable that Qiao Mei even felt like taking a nap inside sometimes. However, such a wooden bathtub needed to be cleaned thoroughly every time after taking a bath. It was time-consuming and laborious. Therefore, Qiao Mei was currently using the most commonly found tiled bathtub. In her current condition, it was inconvenient for her to go in and out of the bathtub and she needed Xia He''s help to do that. It would be disastrous if she were to have a fall. Just like that, they lived in peace for three to four days. It was rare that nothing happened and everyone had a few nice and quiet days. The backyard house was very lively though. For some reason, Qian''e started quarreling with Zheng Peng again and they bickered every day over all kinds of trivial matters. The two of them quarreled all the time and the reasons for their fights were all very childish. However, they would always reconcile the day after they squabbled, like two little kids. Xia He leaned against the pillar in the backyard corridor and watched the two people bickering. The longer she watched, the more she found it interesting. She did not even notice that Qiao Mei had been standing behind her for a long time. "What are you looking at!" Qiao Mei whispered into Xia He''s ear. Chapter 1045 Quarrelsome But Loving Couple ? Xia He got a big shock. She patted her chest with her left hand and said, "How do you move so sneakily? I''m just here to watch the fun." "What fun? I want to watch it too." Qiao Mei also leaned against the pillar and looked in the direction Xia He was facing. "Don''t you think that Qian''e and Zheng Peng are quite compatible? One is a painter and the other one a pianist. There''s an artistic aura around the both of them and they look good together too. They''re simply a match made in heaven!" Xia He said enviously. "I think so too," Qiao Mei said with a nod of satisfaction. With Xia He''s eloquence, it was a pity that she was not a wedding organizer. It would not be a bad idea for Xia He to consider becoming a matchmaker after she retired. Qian''e and Zheng Peng behaved like a quarrelsome but loving couple. Previously, Qiao Mei had tried to ask Zheng Peng indirectly about his opinion of Qian''e. Even though Qian''e was a person who was difficult to get along with, Zheng Peng felt that Qian''e was a nice girl and that it was normal for her to have a bad temper since artists usually had weird temperaments. When Qiao Mei asked Qian''e the same question, Qian''e gave a completely different answer. She was full of criticism for Zheng Peng, as if Zheng Peng was the worst person in the world. However, when Qiao Mei went along with what she said and complained about Zheng Peng, she would instinctively feel protective of Zheng Peng and wanted to defend his reputation. The two of them admired each other in their hearts. However, because of their personalities, they did not say it out loud. "I reckon that Qian''e will invite us to attend her wedding banquet after a while! I have to buy a beautiful dress in support of Qian''e!" Xia He said excitedly. Qiao Mei felt that the two of them would not end up together. Previously, the distant relative of the Xia family also wanted Qian''e to marry her son, but Qian''e rejected the idea. Zheng Peng was an outstanding person and the only son of the Zheng family. Even if he was fond of Qian''e, his father would not allow him to marry Qian''e. It would probably be very difficult for the two of them to end up together. However, as the saying went, the road to happiness was full of hardships. If two people were determined to pursue the same goal, they would definitely be able to be together. "Let''s make a bet. I don''t think they''ll end up together," Qiao Mei said sternly. "You''ll definitely lose! I''ll definitely do my best to help them end up together! What''s the stack!" Xia He said confidently. Qiao Mei did not lack anything but she had taken a fancy to a gramophone recently. It had an antique feel that she loved, so she might as well use this as a stake. "If I win, you have to buy me something I like. If you win, I''ll buy you something you like," Qiao Mei said casually. Xia He was not satisfied with this proposal. Money was something that Qiao Mei did not lack at all. Buying things was not a big deal for her and was not a difficult task at all. "No, it''s meaningless this way. If I win, bring me to your hometown to take a look. I want to go to that mountain of yours to dig for ginseng. If I also find a ginseng that''s old enough, I''ll become rich too! You have to help me look for it," Xia He said with a laugh. "No problem, it''s a deal!" Qiao Mei said. Even if Xia He did not mention this, Qiao Mei already had such an intention. She also wanted to ask Xia Wen to come along and she would make sure that the two of them would be able to dig up ginseng. This way, they would have the money to buy their own house near her courtyard house. In the future, the Xia family''s three siblings would be able to live here together and there would be very little disparity between them. It was all calm on Qiao Mei''s end, but it was not so peaceful at the Xia family''s end. After Liu Fen heard about Xia Mao''s accident, she immediately informed Xia Yao and asked him to come back quickly. Given that such a major incident had happened at home, he should come back for a visit. Xia Guang also made a trip back to the Xia family residence, and he even brought Zhou Hua with him. The issue of her joining forces with the He family was not resolved yet. Xia Guang never managed to find out the whereabouts of the money from Zhou Hua, so he had no choice but to bring her back to face the Xia family''s punishment. The moment Xia Guang got out of the car, he rushed into the house and looked at Xu Lan nervously. "Eldest Sister-in-law! How''s my eldest brother! What''s the situation now! Is he awake!" Xu Lan calmed Xia Guang down before saying slowly, "He''s fine. He''s almost fully recovered now. It''s just that he didn''t get to sleep well during the mission period so it''s inevitable that he''s been sleeping more recently." Chapter 1046 - 1046 Reunion 1046 Reunion When Xia Guang heard that Xia Maos health was fine, he heaved a sigh of relief. Xia Jun only had these five children. Among them, they would rather take it upon themselves than let anything happen to Xia Mao. Xia Mao was the one who followed Xia Jun into the battlefield since he was young and could be said to be the child whom Xia Jun cherished the most. If Xia Mao were to pass away, Xia Jun would not be able to withstand the shock given his current physical condition. Second Brother is back too. Since everyone is back, Ill get Xia Wen to bring Father over for a meal. Lets have a proper gathering, Xu Lan said with a smile. Will Qiao Mei come over later? I havent met this kid yet, Xia Guang said. Qiao Mei is in the advanced stage of her pregnancy now. Since its getting late, lets not ask her to come. Xia He is staying at the old residence to accompany Qiao Mei, Xu Lan explained. In fact, Xia Wen had specially instructed her not to inform Qiao Mei about the gathering. If Qiao Mei was around, it would be very difficult for them to handle the matter at hand today. Xia Guang thought for a moment and asked, Is Fifth Sister coming? Is she busy at the hospital? He had not returned to the capital for a long time and wanted to take this opportunity to meet everyone. In this world, these were the only people he cared about. Other than his own family, he only had these relatives left. Ive called and asked her. Shes on duty tonight and will probably come to stay over in the latter half of the night. Ill ask the helper to keep a lookout and let her in when she comes, Xu Lan said. Only then did Xia Guang feel at ease. It was a rare occasion for him to take leave to come back. He definitely intended to stay for an extended period so that he could spend time with Xia Jun and his siblings. After everyone entered the house, they seemed to have an unspoken mutual understanding not to mention the issue regarding Zhou Hua. Zhou Hua also knew her place and kept a distance from everyone. She sat alone in the corner in a daze and would occasionally respond with a sentence or two when spoken to. Most of the time, she just sat there alone. Second Brother, I havent seen you for a long time, Xia Guang said as he went forward. Thats true. We havent seen each other for two years. Youve been busy in other regions and dont have much time to come back for a visit. Have you thought about transferring back to the army unit in the capital? Xia Yao asked tentatively. Xia Yao was a person who did not have any grand ambitions. He worked as an army clerk in the capital troops and would occasionally go on business trips to other regions with his superiors. His work was not dangerous, but it was a different story for Xia Guang. This year, Xia Guang was assigned to the border troops again. Although he would be promoted when he returned from the assignment, the border was a dangerous area. If not for Xia Maos accident this time, it would probably be at least three years before the family could see Xia Guang again. Im doing quite well at my current unit now. Lets see how things develop in the future. Its better to stay put for the time being, Xia Guang said after thinking for a moment. The two brothers chatted about their future plans. Both brothers wanted to settle down in the capital eventually. Xia Yao also wanted to spend more time with his family. Given that Xia Guangs latest posting was very recent, he would be criticized if he returned to the capital now. People would spread rumors about him doing it by getting through the back door or something like that. It was better for him to stay at the border for two years and wait for his promotion to be finalized before returning to the capital. While they were preparing the food, Xia Wen arrived with Xia Jun. Along the way, Xia Jun had a dark expression on his face and did not say a word. He did not visit Xia Mao immediately after the accident because he himself had also been sick recently. Xia Jun had been in poor health since the beginning of winter. After hearing about what happened to Xia Mao, the shock he felt had affected his heart and he caught a bad cold. However, he still talked to Xia Wen on the phone every day to find out more about Xia Maos health. He also knew that it was Qiao Mei who had saved Xia Mao this time. If not for Qiao Mei, he might not have been able to see his eldest son again. Therefore, Xia Jun was here today to back Qiao Mei up. Grandfather, dont pull a long face when you enter the house later. Its not easy for my second and third uncles to be able to come back. If youre unhappy, then Second Uncle and Third Uncle wont feel comfortable either. The one who causes the trouble should bear the responsibility. Dont blame the innocent parties, Xia Wen reminded as he sat in front. You little brat, how dare you educate me. Even your father doesnt have the guts to do that, Xia Jun said with a doting smile. Xia Wen said mischievously, Thats because Grandfather dotes on me. Otherwise, I would never dare to talk to you like that. When the car reached the main door, people started coming out of the house to welcome Xia Jun. Xia Wen held Xia Juns arm and whispered, Grandfather, put on a smile. Dont pull a long face and refuse to talk. Oh all of you are here, Xia Jun said coldly. Father, how have you been recently? Xia Guang asked. Chapter 1047 Get Lost Together ? "Hmph, I''m doing very well. If you come back to the capital, maybe I can even live for a few more years!" Xia Jun said in a fit of pique. "Father! What are you saying!" Xu Lan said angrily. "I''m speaking the truth! If all of you are obedient, I will be able to live to a ripe old age!" After saying that, Xia Jun strode into the house. His children followed behind him quickly. Xia Jun slowly sat on the sofa, using his walking stick to support himself, and then looked sharply at the people in the room. "Third son, recite the Xia family''s house rules." Xia Guang was a little stunned for a moment and did not know what Xia Jun''s intentions were. He said honestly, "We must be magnanimous and repay kindness with kindness, be honest and keep our word and never betray others." "Correct! You must all remember the Xia family''s house rules! As long as I''m alive, you have to abide by these rules! Do you understand!" Xia Jun roared furiously. "We understand," everyone said in unison. "Alright. Then third son, tell me. How do you plan to deal with that awful piece of business in your family?" Xia Jun asked. Xia Wen held his forehead slightly. He did not expect Xia Jun to be so outright and raised this issue as soon as he entered the house. All his reminders along the way had been in vain. He had already come up with a better plan to help Qiao Mei and Zhou Hua resolve this conflict, and he did not expect Xia Jun to completely disrupt his plan. "My wife, Zhou Hua, is in the wrong in this matter. She has already turned over a new leaf! She said that she would hand over all the money." Xia Guang hurriedly pulled Zhou Hua, who had been hiding at one side, to Xia Jun and turned to her with a smiling face as he asked, "Right? Quick, tell Father where the money is." Zhou Hua looked at Xia Jun stubbornly. There was no way that she would accept defeat and admit her mistake to the Xia family! Even if she had to die, she would not tell the Xia family where she hid the money. The Xia family could forget about getting even the smallest detail from her. Zhou Hua gritted her teeth. No matter what the people around her asked her about this matter, she refused to speak. Seeing that the murderous glint in Xia Jun''s eyes had become more and more obvious, Xia Guang knelt on the ground and looked at Xia Jun with a solemn expression. "Father, this is my family''s fault. I''m willing to bear all the responsibility. I''ll slowly return the 50,000 dollars to Qiao Mei. I''ll definitely pay her back." Xia Wen already knew that Xia Guang would say this. All the money that Xia Guang had earned over the years had been sent to the Zhou family by Zhou Hua. Xia Guang''s three sons lived a life of misery and Zhou Hua had always ignored the well-being of these three children. After the three children got married, they did not go back to visit Zhou Hua even once. Every year during the new year, they would avoid Zhou Hua and only pay visits to Xia Jun. "Third Aunt-in-law is the one who took the money, so Third Aunt-in-law should be the one to repay the money. There''s no reason for Third Uncle to be the one to pay it back. Besides, it''s not a small sum of money. With your salary, you won''t be able to repay it for a long time. Third Uncle, you''d better consider carefully," Xia Wen said calmly. Xia Guang lowered his head and did not respond to Xia Wen. What Xia Wen said was the truth. It was not as if he had not gone home to take a look. Zhou Hua had taken all his money and there was not a single cent left in his bank account. It was not that he did not know about what had happened at home in the past few years, but he was really too busy to do anything about it. Or perhaps he was just a coward who did not dare to come back and face all these issues. It was all Zhou Hua''s fault. If Zhou Hua had not made a willful decision to cooperate with the He family, their family would not have ended up in this situation and also almost put Qiao Mei in danger. Seeing that Zhou Hua did not speak for a long time, Xia Wen gave her a sharp look and said, "Third Aunt-in-law, I''d advise you to tell us the location of the money yourself. It will be a different story when we find out on our own." "Hmph, little brat, you can go ahead and investigate if you''re so capable. If you are able to find out for yourself, why do you still have to ask me? I won''t say a word even if I die!" Zhou Hua said stubbornly. When Xia Jun saw that Zhou Hua was not repentant at all and even wanted to fight to the end with the Xia family, he decided that the Xia family could not keep such a traitor among their midst. "Xia Guang, I''m giving you two choices now. Either you get Zhou Hua to quickly settle the issue about the 50,000 dollars, or you divorce her. Our Xia family can always find a way to pool together this sum of money and return it to Qiao Mei," Xia Jun said sternly. "Father! Can you give us a few more days! Zhou Hua didn''t do it on purpose!" Xia Guang said. "Then you can pack your things and get lost together with Zhou Hua! I cannot allow the two of you to stay in the Xia family anymore!" Xia Jun said heartlessly. Chapter 1048 Do Not Want Such A Life Anymore ? The atmosphere became more and more oppressive, so much so that everyone felt suffocated. Liu Fen had never seen Xia Jun so angry. Even when Xia Guang stubbornly wanted to go to the border back then, it did not become as dramatic as this. She cowered into Xia Yao''s arms in fear and did not dare to make a sound. No one dared to speak up rashly. Currently, Xia Mao was still unwell and the only person in the eldest son''s family who could make decisions was Xia Wen. He did not intend to let Zhou Hua off so easily. Qiao Mei had to suffer so much and experience all those grievances, and the He family almost got away with causing the loss of three lives. Zhou Hua played a part in everything that happened and he would not let it go just like that. When Zhou Hua fled with the money, everyone witnessed how the Xia family had suffered a huge blow. They had to borrow money from almost all their friends and relatives so that they could repay the money to the He family. If not for Qiao Mei, their family would have to endure a lot of suffering and criticism. They could not even imagine how embarrassing it could have turned out for them! "Third Uncle, don''t blame Grandfather for speaking so harshly. He''s just feeling angry right now and saying all those words in a fit of anger. We''re all family, so how can there be such enmity," Xia Wen said to Xia Guang with his usual smile. Xia Wen turned to look at Zhou Hua and continued, "Third Aunt-in-law, you should also spare a thought for your children. Think about what will happen to my younger cousins in the future? If you don''t hand over the money, we might have to go to the police station to settle this. If that happens, you should know how it will affect my younger cousins who just joined the army or the government service." "They can live their own lives. I don''t care. I don''t want to think for them either. I''ve already said many times that I don''t have the money you want. I have already lost it and I don''t have it at all," Zhou Hua said stubbornly. She was ready to even face death calmly. It did not matter even if the Xia family wanted to send her to jail. After living with Xia Guang for so many years, she had had enough! Xia Guang''s job was different from that of Xia Mao and his other siblings. He was always carrying out missions in the army and might be away from home for two to three years at a time. When they first got married, Zhou Hua had followed Xia Guang around as a military spouse. They had quite a comfortable life and the two of them were very much in love. Later on, when she became pregnant, she returned to her mother''s house to rest well during the pregnancy. After the baby was born, she dedicated herself to taking care of the baby. Even after the baby grew up into a toddler, Zhou Hua could not bring herself to revert to living the life of a military spouse with the baby in tow. Xia Guang was stationed at the border all year round. That region was either scorching hot in the summer or bone-chillingly cold in the winter and the weather was never pleasant. She did not want to bring her young children to suffer there, so she could only stay at home and wait in silence. This wait lasted for more than 20 years. In the past 20 years, Xia Guang returned home less than 50 times and he even spent most of those time staying over at Xia Jun''s house. Zhou Hua even felt as if Xia Guang was not her husband. As time passed, she no longer wanted to take care of her three sons. She maintained a belief that her life would not have been so difficult if not for these three children. Subconsciously, she felt exceptionally disgusted with these children. However, due to her motherly instincts, she cared for the children as well. As time passed, Zhou Hua''s mental health gradually deteriorated under the weight of such complicated emotions. Her three sons did not have their father around to take care of them since they were young. They also did not know what it felt like to feel the warmth of home. They could only remember feeling a sense of warmth when they visited Xia Jun, where the environment was not so joyless. "Really? Don''t tell me you still think that your brother is taking good care of your money?" Xia Wen asked with a laugh. Zhou Hua looked at Xia Wen in shock and said with a trembling voice, "Hmph, don''t try to trick me with just a few words! This matter has nothing to do with my family. Like I said, I''ve already lost that sum of money." "Your younger brother is a seasoned gambler and your sister-in-law is also a person who spends money freely. The two of them face a lot of difficulties and you must have given them a lot of money. You''re still stupid enough to believe that your younger brother will keep your money properly. He has long gambled all the money away and has even bought a big house in another city using your money," Xia Wen said. "Impossible! You must be lying to me! It''s absolutely impossible! My brother told me that he would definitely take good care of this money and that he would not spend it!" Zhou Hua said hysterically. Occasionally missing content, please report errors in time. Chapter 1049 Setting You Free ? Zhou Hua did not have any other relatives nor did she have any good friends over the years. Other than her younger brother, there was no one else she could ask to look after the money for her. If the money was deposited into a proper account, the Xia family would hear of it quickly. Zhou Hua had promised to give half of the money to her younger brother after this, so how could he not keep his word? Xia Wen looked at Zhou Hua mockingly and said, "Yes, he hasn''t spent it at all. The money is still in the big jar." Zhou Hua hesitated for a long time before she realized that Xia Wen was only putting on an act just now! Xia Wen had lied to her! Moreover, the Xia family already knew the exact location of the money and must have already retrieved it! Everything that happened today was just a show put on for her sake! "You! You lied to me! Xia Wen! You actually lied to me!" Zhou Hua pointed at Xia Wen and roared ferociously. Xia Wen''s eyes were filled with disappointment and disdain for Zhou Hua. Back when Xu Lan and Xia Mao first got together, the Xia family was poor and had nothing to its name. Later on, when the family''s financial situation became better, Xia Yao was able to marry Liu Fen. By the time Xia Guang married Zhou Hua, it could be said to be the Xia family''s most prosperous period. Zhou Hua did not go through a single day of suffering after her marriage. Even when she was taking care of her pregnancy in the capital, she lived in a luxurious house with a professional nanny taking care of her. At that time, Wu Min was still alive. Although Wu Min was not in good health by then, she would still go to Zhou Hua''s place every week to make soup for her. Zhou Hua not only did not appreciate this act of kindness, but she even said that Wu Min was only pretending to be nice to her. Wu Min returned home feeling sad and fell seriously ill not long after. Xia Jun was so angry that he almost wanted to ask Xia Guang to come back and divorce Zhou Hua. It was Xia Mao who suppressed this matter in the end. "Grandfather is giving you this last chance today to see if you''re sincere about repenting. After all, you''re getting old and my third uncle has indeed been less than fair to you because of all the time he spends at work. If you had told the truth just now, we would have made arrangements for a house for you to live out your old age in peace," Xia Wen said to Zhou Hua in disappointment. When he was at Xia Jun''s house earlier, he had suggested many ways to deal with this matter which would not cause much harm to Zhou Hua. Xia Wen had always kept Zhou Hua''s future well-being in mind. Even if she had done something wrong, Xia Guang did owe her a great deal for so many years. They should not force Zhou Hua to a dead end. Xia Jun and Xia Wen even made a bet. Xia Wen felt that Zhou Hua would definitely tell them where the money was hidden. Even if she did not care about Xia Guang, she still had three sons. He did not believe that she did not care about her sons. The truth was beyond his expectations. He did not expect Zhou Hua to be so heartless and blinded by greed. There was no reason for him to put in a good word for Zhou Hua in front of Xia Jun. It seemed that experience really came with age. Xia Wen''s wrong bet showed that he still did not grasp the truth of human nature. "Hmph, stop putting on a pretense here. Since you know where the money is, you can go and get it. I have nothing to say," Zhou Hua said. Even if Zhou Hua did not say anything, Xia Wen had already sent someone to retrieve the money. "Third son, do you have anything else to say?" Xia Jun asked as he looked at Xia Guang. Xia Guang lowered his head, at a loss for words. He had never wanted to rely on his family''s reputation. It was a nightmare for him to be a member of the Xia family. No matter what he achieved, there were always people around him who said that he would not have achieved those results if not for the Xia family. It was precisely because of this that Xia Guang disregarded everyone''s advice and went to guard the border without any hesitation. It was all so that he could get rid of the halo effect of being part of the Xia family and make a name for himself. His current achievements in the army were all a result of his own hard work. Even though his current military rank was not as high as his older brothers, he was already very satisfied. He did not expect his actions to have caused so much harm to Zhou Hua. In his memories, Xia Jun and Wu Min lived their lives in a similar manner, but Wu Min never blamed Xia Jun at all. That was why he felt that Zhou Hua could also endure such a life. The reason why he allowed Zhou Hua to handle all his money was because he hoped that Zhou Hua could have a better life at home. There was no point for the two of them to continue being entangled. It was better to set her free. "Do you want a divorce?" Xia Guang looked into Zhou Hua''s eyes and asked earnestly. He still hoped that Zhou Hua would change her mind. "Let''s get a divorce," Zhou Hua said calmly. Chapter 1050 Backing Xia Wen Up ? Xia Guang nodded silently. He would need to submit a report to his superiors about his intention to get a divorce. Army officers could not get a divorce on their own and must receive the organization''s approval before they could go ahead. Xia Jun had probably already informed the higher-ups about this matter and the divorce could be settled very quickly. "We have bought you a house located in the county city of your hometown. It''s paid for by Xia Guang and your children. You can live well there," Xia Jun said with a cold expression. After saying that, he used his walking stick to get up and slowly walked to the dining table for dinner. Xia Wen chuckled secretly. Xia Jun had a sharp tongue but a soft heart. Even though Zhou Hua was leaving the Xia family, Xia Jun still felt that he owed something to Zhou Hua after so many years. Since Zhou Hua would have nothing to do with them anymore, the best they could do was to give her a place to stay. Zhou Hua did not stay for dinner and left the Xia family residence immediately. She was no longer a member of the Xia family and there was no seat for her at the Xia family''s dining table. Everyone was very quiet during this meal and no one said a word. It was only after everyone had finished eating that Xia Jun spoke up, "Xia Wen, go and send the money to Qiao Mei tomorrow morning. Make sure there''s not a single cent less. I still have some bird''s nests with me. Remember to bring it to Qiao Mei as well." "Grandfather, Qiao Mei has all kinds of tonics at her place. When I brought her some good quality silver fungus the last time, she even reprimanded me!" Xia Wen said helplessly. Xia Jun said stubbornly, "Just bring it with you! Pregnant women should eat bird''s nests! Your grandmother ate that in the past! Qiao Mei has to eat it too! Just say that it''s from me and she definitely won''t dare to reject the gift." Xia Wen nodded and agreed. Xia Jun had asked his friends who were overseas to send him those bird''s nests! They were of the best quality. The womenfolk chatted gaily in the house after the meal. It was already late at night when Xia Wen drove Xia Jun home. Xia Guang followed Xia Jun back to his house. Now that Zhou Hua was not around, it did not seem appropriate for him to stay at Xia Mao''s place. After sending Xia Jun off, Liu Fen collapsed on the sofa and took deep breaths of the fresh air like a drowning person. "What''s wrong with you?" Xu Lan asked Liu Fen in surprise. "I''m so scared! Sigh why is Father so scary I was really scared to death tonight! If I wasn''t so far away, I would have knelt in front of Father out of fear," Liu Fen said seriously. Xia Yao laughed out loudly. He sat beside Liu Fen and massaged her shoulders as he said laughingly, "Father is actually not that scary. He just looks serious. He actually had no intention of blaming Zhou Hua tonight." "Not blaming her? How is that possible! She has to leave the Xia family! How is this not blaming her!" Liu Fen said. "Father gave Zhou Hua a place to retire and let her leave with her reputation intact. He won''t say anything bad about Zhou Hua to outsiders. If Father is really angry, Zhou Hua would have gone to jail long ago. She wouldn''t have been able to divorce Third Brother in such a proper manner," Xu Lan said as she sat at the side. Xia Yao gave Xu Lan a thumbs up and said, "As expected of Eldest Sister-in-law. Xia Wen has indeed inherited your intelligence!" "What do you mean?" Liu Fen asked as she looked at the two of them blankly. Xu Lan said disdainfully, "It is Xia Wen who put on such a big show tonight and Father is here to back Xia Wen up. Although Zhou Hua has done something wrong to the Xia family, the Xia family has also owed her a lot over the years. She had even given the Xia family three grandsons and that alone already balanced out this matter. I think Xia Wen is just taking revenge on behalf of Xia Zhe." Everyone had seen how Zhou Hua bullied the eldest son''s family for so many years. Whenever she came to Xu Lan''s house, she always spoke aggressively, especially when the subject was about Wu Min''s old house. When it came to this issue, Zhou Hua raised the most objections. If Zhou Hua had not secretly said all kinds of things to Tan Jing to sow discord, Tan Jing would not have such a big grudge against Xia Zhe. "My insensible son has put the two of you through an ordeal. You should go back to your room to wash up and take a rest. Second Brother, you haven''t been back for such a long time. You should have a good chat with Liu Fen," Xu Lan instructed. "Then Eldest Brother" Xia Yao looked upstairs worriedly. "You can go and see him tomorrow morning. It''s too late now. Anyway, you have taken a long period of time off this time, so there''s no hurry," Xu Lan said. Xia Yao agreed that it was not good to disturb Xia Mao''s rest so late at night and he went back to the room with Liu Fen. Xu Lan also returned to her room to take care of Xia Mao. It was a night when everyone was occupied with their own thoughts. Chapter 1051 Stealing Money ? Early the next morning, Xia Jun''s long-time chauffeur came to look for Xia Wen with the money he had retrieved from Zhou Hua''s younger brother. Xia Wen had specially taken the day off today to deal with this matter. After the chauffeur entered the house, he opened the money bag in front of Tan Jing and Xia Wen. There was a total of 50,000 dollars. Tan Jing had never seen so much money in her life. If not for the fact that the chauffeur was around, she would have immediately pounced on the money bag. "The entire sum is here. Zhou Hua''s younger brother has informed me that there is 1,000 dollars missing. He couldn''t help himself and had spent the money. Old Master Xia has already made up for the shortfall so there''s exactly 50,000 dollars here," the chauffeur said earnestly. Xia Wen nodded. Since Xia Jun had already counted the money, he would not need to do it again. He gave the chauffeur a few simple instructions and told him to go home and rest. After all, the chauffeur was the one investigating this matter in another city all this while and had also stayed up all night so that he could rush back. After the chauffeur left, Tan Jing immediately leaped forward to take out all the money from the bag and started counting the notes. "What are you doing?" Xia Wen asked with a frown. "Erm I''m helping you to count the money. What if that chauffeur had stolen some?" Tan Jing said awkwardly. Xia Wen shook his head helplessly. He did not want to have any conflict with Tan Jing at the moment. So many things had happened in the past two days that he could barely breathe. There were things that he preferred not to deal with for now. He walked into the bathroom to take a shower. It was very late when he came home last night and he had gone to bed without washing up properly. He could not go out looking so sloppy. After getting his things ready and dressing up neatly, Xia Wen set off with the money bag. He had planned his journey such that he would arrive at Qiao Mei''s house at lunchtime. "Oh my, what brings our eldest brother here today?" Qiao Mei said with a smile as she sat in the long corridor at the courtyard. "It''s my appetite that has brought me here. I hope you don''t mind adding an extra pair of chopsticks." Although Xia Wen spoke politely, his actions told a different story. He had already entered the house and taken off his coat. He was banking on the fact that Qiao Mei definitely would not ask him to put back his coat and leave with all his things. That would be too inhumane of her. "The food won''t be ready for another half an hour. Come and sit here for a while," Qiao Mei said as she patted the chair beside her. Xia Wen wanted to get the main issue out of the way first. He took the money bag, placed it on the table, unzipped it and took out all the money. However, the moment he emptied the bag, he realized that there was something wrong. One of the money bundles clearly held less notes than the rest. Qiao Mei was not a person who paid attention to such things. She did not notice if there was too much or too little money. In fact, she did not even know what Xia Wen was doing. "Where is the money from?" Qiao Mei asked curiously. Coincidentally, Xia He just arrived at the main hall. As soon as she entered, she saw the table full of money and was so shocked that she hurriedly closed the main door, worried that the people outside could see it. "Oh my goodness, what are you doing with so much money in broad daylight? Where did all this money come from? Is this money from legit sources?" Xia He asked fearfully. "This is the 50,000 dollars which Third Aunt-in-law took from He Ning. Grandfather located the money yesterday, so I''m now here to repay the debt," Xia Wen said with a dark expression. Xia He looked at the money on the table excitedly, picked up a bundle and said, "Did Third Aunt-in-law succumb to her conscience? But that''s not possible. She''s willing to give up anything for this money, so there''s no way she''ll take the initiative to hand it over. And to grandfather no less." "Third Uncle and Third Aunt-in-law are getting a divorce. Anyway, it''s a long story. The thing is that there''s a new problem now." Xia Wen tapped the smaller bundle of money and said, "This bundle of money is lesser than the rest. Tan Jing must have taken some." He realized that he had put too much trust in Tan Jing. He originally thought that Tan Jing was just curious about the money, but he did not expect her to be so covetous. This was something unforgivable. "How can you be so sure that it''s Eldest Sister-in-law? Have you counted the money personally?" Qiao Mei asked. Xia Wen was stunned for a moment. Indeed, he did not check on the amount after receiving it, but that chauffeur had worked for the Xia family for more than 10 years. There was no way he would betray them. Furthermore, at that time, the chauffeur had even taken the initiative to report that Xia Jun had made up for the shortfall of the missing 1,000 dollars. If he was the one who stole the money, he would not be so stupid to do this. Chapter 1052 - 1052 Emergency Funds 1052 Emergency Funds But Xia Wen said with a troubled expression. What if its Third Aunt-in-laws younger brother who did something? It might not be Eldest Sister-in-law. Xia He had the same opinion as Qiao Mei. In Xia Hes impression, Tan Jing seemed to only care about the matter of having children. She did not think that Tan Jing would go so far as to steal money. It was our grandfathers chauffeur who sent the money to me. Do you think its him? At my house, Tan Jing was the only one who touched the money. After the money was sent to me, she and I were the only two people who touched it, Xia Wen said calmly. Qiao Mei and Xia He fell silent. They both knew very well that the chauffeur would never covet the money. Even if he was threatened with death, he would not do anything to betray the Xia family. They had no idea how to deal with this matter, but Qiao Mei knew that if she said she was willing to turn a blind eye, it would embarrass Xia Wen even more. Xia Wen thought for a moment and said, Ill count the money again later and Ill make up for the shortfall. Ill have to write you an IOU first and bring the money from home another time. Qiao Mei quickly said, Actually, theres no need to go through so much trouble. My plan is to split this money into two portions and for you and Xia He to each take half. Once youre ready, you can buy a house and live nearby. Consider it a gift from Xia Zhe and me. Ever since Qiao Mei married into the Xia family, Xia Wen and Xia He had been busy helping her with her issues. In order to take care of her, Xia He was living a life like a housewife. Actually, Qiao Mei knew very well that if not for the fact that she needed someone to take care of her now, Xia He would definitely go forth to pursue her own dreams. As for Xia Wen, he was always there for Qiao Mei to help her settle all her problems so that she need not worry about anything. No! We definitely wont take this money. You have to take it back, Xia He said firmly. Xia Wen also rejected Qiao Meis good intentions. Didnt I promise to buy you a house a few days ago? Not that Im really buying it for you, why are you rejecting it now? Qiao Mei asked with a laugh. I was just joking with you. How can I really take a house from you? When I become a famous actress in the future, I will be able to buy a big house on my own! In addition, eldest brother will be promoted higher and higher up the ranks in the future and the workplace will allocate a house to him. You should save up this money for your children, Xia He said. Thats right, Qiao Mei. My current job is different from my father and my other relatives. I manage trade and business in the capital . If my residence is too ostentatious, people will file a report against me. My current place is not too bad and it suits me very well, Xia Wen said laughingly. Seeing that Xia He and Xia Wen were so determined, Qiao Mei did not say anything else. It seemed to her that she had to think of another way since this method did not work. Alright, Ill put it in my savings then. Treat it as an emergency fund that you park with me. Let me know if you need it in the future, Qiao Mei said. This is everyones emergency fund. You must save it properly. When I have children in the future, you have to make a big gold lock for them! You have to treat my children well! Xia He said as she pouted. Xia Wen laughed as he stood at the side. Xia He had always liked these materialistic things. Traditionally, when a child turned one year old, people would hold a ceremony for the child to draw lots. It was a symbolic ceremony for good luck. Everyone would place items related to many different professions on a big red cloth and arrange them in a circle. Then, they would let the child sit in the middle and see which item the child was most interested in, so as to predict the profession the child might choose in the future. For Xia He, she grabbed a gold ingot at first, then she swapped it for a pair of dancing shoes. It was such an accurate representation of her up to this point in time. They all went to the backyard for dinner. Xia Wen was still a little distracted. He kept thinking about how much money Tan Jing had taken from the sum of money meant for Qiao Mei and where she had kept it. He wondered how Tan Jing became like this or if she had always been such a person. Qiao Mei wanted to stop Xia Wen from counting the money, but Xia Wen was determined to do it. He said that if Qiao Mei did not let him do a recount, he would give her another 50,000 dollars. Seeing how stubborn Xia Wen was, Qiao Mei allowed him to do what he wanted. After a long while, Xia Wen finally finished counting all the money. There was a total of 3,000 dollars missing, which far exceeded Xia Wens expectations. Chapter 1053 - 1053 I Just Want Her Things 1053 I Just Want Her Things Xia Wen did not speak in the car on the way home. He stood calmly outside his house and stared at the very familiar door. This should be a place that made him feel warm inside, but instead, it had become the most unfamiliar place in the world. It was not the physical location that felt unfamiliar, but the person who lived with him. As soon as he pushed open the door and entered the house, Xia Wen saw clothes and bags strewn all over the living room. There was even a 40-inch color television. All these things were new. Tan Jing had bought them after he left. There was no need for Xia Wen to ask her about the whereabouts of the money. The answer was very obvious. Tan Jing stood in front of the mirror to admire her new clothes. This was the first time Xia Wen had seen Tan Jing so happy. He realized that Tan Jing had not smiled brightly ever since they got married. What are you doing? Xia Wen asked. Tan Jing said happily, These are my new clothes! Arent they nice! I think this color is quite nice and makes me look quite good. And look at this television set. They say that the images are very sharp. Your eyes wont get tired when you watch the news at home! Back when she was working in the school, she could not wear brightly colored clothes or dresses. She was only allowed to wear very plain clothes and the colors could only be black, brown or dark blue. Wearing overly bright colors meant not conforming to the school rules, so she did not even own a single beautiful dress. Now that she no longer worked in the school, no one could stop her from wearing whatever she wanted. She could choose her clothes freely and wear things that she liked. Where do you get the money to buy these things? Havent you stopped working since last month? Your mother has already taken all our money. How are you able to afford these things? Xia Wen said. I I have money Dont ask me about such things anymore! Come and see if you like it! Tan Jing avoided the topic and ignored what Xia Wen said. She ran over happily and pulled Xia Wen over to sit on the sofa, proudly showing off the newly bought color television. Xia Wens attention was not on the television at all and he just stared fixedly at Tan Jing. He even felt that Tan Jing was behaving very abnormally now. It was a side of her that he had never seen before. Did you take the money from the bag I received this morning? Xia Wen asked directly. Tan Jings smile gradually froze on her face. After thinking for a long time, she suddenly stood up and said, About that! That is clearly money that Qiao Mei needs to give you for your hard work! Dont you think that the money I took is what you deserve to get? What do you mean by what I deserve to get? What have I done to deserve it? Xia Wen looked at Tan Jing in disbelief. Why not! Ever since Qiao Mei married into the family, youve helped her so much! She should give you some benefits! Whats wrong with me taking some of her money! This is what she should give us! Youre worked so hard, but what has she ever given you? Has she ever given you anything? How is it enough just to say a word of thanks! No! Absolutely not! Anyway, she doesnt care about this bit of money, so whats the big deal if I take it! This is what she should give us! And the pork which she brought with her! Couldnt she have gone to buy some fresh pork! She insisted on sending us the meat from the pigs she reared in the countryside. Those pigs all have tumors! The pigs have diseases! She definitely has a motive! She just wants to poison me! Xia Wen looked at Tan Jing in shock as she stood in the living room and listed down everything he had done for Qiao Mei. She did not seem to remember anything about the nice things Qiao Mei did for him and his family. Even if Qiao Mei was an unruly and willful or arrogant and despotic person, Xia Wen still had to treat Qiao Mei well. One reason was because Qiao Mei was Xia Zhes wife. As the eldest brother, he must bear the responsibility of taking care of his younger siblings and their families. The other reason was that if Qiao Qiang had not saved Xia Jun, the Xia family would not have existed. No matter what Qiao Mei did, the Xia family had to treat her well. But these cannot be the reasons for you to commit theft. If you want to buy these things, you can tell me. Why do you have to steal Qiao Meis money? Xia Wen asked. But those things dont belong to you to begin with! Whats the use of having them! While you are criticizing others, have you ever thought about your own behavior! Xia Wen roared. Chapter 1054 Go Back To Your House ? It was only at this moment that Xia Wen understood that Tan Jing only hated Qiao Mei. As long as something belonged to Qiao Mei, Tan Jing wanted to either destroy it or take it for herself. During this period of time, the Xia family''s preferential treatment of Qiao Mei and their coldness towards Tan Jing had completely destroyed the front which Tan Jing had put up for so many years. She had been the Xia family''s only daughter-in-law for a long time. She thought that Xu Lan was just a cold person, but Qiao Mei''s appearance made her aware of the truth. Xu Lan was just not satisfied with her. "I''ve already spent the money. I don''t think Qiao Mei will kick up a fuss with you about this bit of money," Tan Jing said. "Isn''t 3,000 dollars considered quite a big sum of money? We have to scrimp and save for more than a year to have 3,000 dollars! Are you brushing it aside so easily now?" Xia Wen said as he looked at Tan Jing disdainfully. Tan Jing looked nonchalant. The current situation was already so bad that it made no real difference to her even if it got worse. She had already spent all the money. Even if he killed her, she would not be able to fork out the 3,000 dollars. "She''s so capable that she can easily make tens of thousands of dollars. A mere 3,000 dollars is nothing to her!" Tan Jing said. "I''ll return the 3,000 dollars to her. Every month, I''ll give you 20 dollars for your living expenses and the rest of my salary will go to Qiao Mei to repay the debt," Xia Wen said sternly. An amount of 20 dollars was more than enough for Tan Jing''s monthly expenses. During this period of time, he would continue to stay at Xu Lan''s house. He really could not live with Tan Jing anymore. He was unable to accept the person she had become. He had no choice but to deal with it in this manner for the moment. Life was peaceful and quiet for one week. Every day, other than helping Li Gui make some popcorn, Qiao Mei would potter around the courtyard. She was thinking about rearing some chickens and ducks in the corn courtyard house and feeding them with herbs. Back in the village, if Qiao Zhuang''s family had not poisoned her precious chickens and ducks, each one would be worth at least 60 dollars now! They would make very nutritious food! There were still two months to go before spring, so she still had time to demarcate a piece of land and tidy it up to continue with her experiment. "Elder sister, do you prefer to eat chicken or duck?" Qiao Mei asked curiously. "Duck, of course! The roast duck in the capital is world-famous! The roast duck here is the most delicious in the entire country! You can''t eat such greasy food now. After you give birth, I''ll bring you out to try!" Xia He said agitatedly. "Didn''t eldest brother bring some roast duck that day? Are you talking about that restaurant?" Qiao Mei said. "Yes, that restaurant. The food was already cold when eldest brother brought it over. You have to eat freshly made roast duck. That''s when it''s most fragrant!" Xia He said. Since Xia He liked to eat roast duck, she decided that she would rear ducks for the first batch. The next time they went over to see Xia Fang, she would ask Uncle Liu Yang to take Xia He''s pulse and check on the kind of herbs which Xia He needed to eat for her health. She would suit the remedy to the case! Qiao Mei was so engrossed in her thoughts that she did not notice that there was someone knocking on the door. It was only when the people outside shouted loudly that she came back to her senses. "Who is it? These people are as noisy as debt collectors." Qiao Mei reluctantly walked to the main door to open it. As soon as she opened the door, two children rushed in from outside and almost knocked into her. "Oh! So elder sister is at home! Why did you take so long to open the door?" Xiao Yu pouted and said aggrievedly. Qiao Mei frowned slightly and looked unhappily at the Liang family members outside the door. From the looks of it, there was going to be another round of arguments today. "Such rare guests. Why are you here today?" Qiao Mei asked curiously. "What a thing to say. We''re here to visit Father. We haven''t had a chance to come for a visit after you bring your grandfather to the capital. We had gone to the train station to pick you up that day but we didn''t manage to do so. So, we''re here to pay a visit since we have some free time today," Liang Lan said with a smile. Qiao Mei said disdainfully, "You people only have time to come and pay us a visit after we''ve been here for a month. You''re really quite busy." If it was only the Liang siblings who came to visit, Qiao Mei would not even speak to them and would just close the door and not let them in. However, they had brought the two kids and she did not want to let the kids bear the burden of the previous generation''s grievances. Qiao Mei did not say anything and just wordlessly brought them to the backyard. Looking at the renovated house, the Liang siblings were extremely envious. When they came to take a look previously, it definitely did not look as grand as it did now. "Elder sister, you live in such a nice house! Can I come and live here with you!" Xiao Yu asked with a smile. "No, this is my house. You should go back to your house," Qiao Mei said bluntly. Chapter 1055 - 1055 What Is The Matter 1055 What Is The Matter Xiao Yu was stunned. This was the first time in her life that someone had spoken to her like this. It was also different from what Liang Lan had told her at home. Liang Lan always told her that Qiao Mei and her were a family and that being a family meant they needed to share everything. No matter what it was, whatever belonged to Qiao Mei belonged to Xiao Yu too. There was no need for her to stand on ceremony when she was at Qiao Meis house. This house is indeed different from what it used to look like Liang Lan muttered to herself. Xiao Yu came to Liang Lans side aggrievedly and said, Mom does elder sister not like me? Why is it completely different from what you told me. No, shes just not feeling well now. Shes not deliberately targeting you. Go and look for your grandfather and do what mom briefed you at home, Liang Lan said as she patted Xiao Yus back. Liang Zu followed behind Liang Guo closely, as if all of this had nothing to do with him. In fact, he truly did not care about any of these things. Everything in the Liang family would eventually belong to him. He did not need to work hard or fight for anything at all. He just needed to do whatever Liang Guo told him to do. Furthermore, he already had an idea of how capable Qiao Mei was. This woman was not someone to be trifled with, so it was better to stay away from her. Previously, Qiao Mei had told them that this house belonged to the Xia family, but they found out that only the house in the front yard belonged to the Xia family. The house in the backyard was Qiao Qiangs property. Since it belonged to Qiao Qiang, that meant that the Liang siblings had a share of the property! At this moment, Qiao Qiang was taking a rest in the long corridor. There was a cheerful tune playing on the radio and Qiao Qiang was humming along. He waved his hands in the air in line with the rhythm of the music, looking to be in a very good mood. Grandfather~ Xiao Yu ran happily to Qiao Qiang and held his hands enthusiastically. Although Qiao Qiang did not like this child, they were still blood relatives after all. He still felt a sense of closeness to her, so he did not push her away. He just looked at her quietly without saying anything. Grandfather, the people from the Liang family are here to visit you, Qiao Mei said coldly, as if the two siblings had nothing to do with them and were just ordinary visitors. Yes, is anything the matter? Qiao Qiang asked indifferently. Father, were here to visit you. You didnt tell us in advance before you came to the capital. We rushed over the moment we heard about it. These two kids miss you too, Liang Lan said with a fake smile. Qiao Qiang did not believe anything she said. It was not as if he had never met these two children before. If not for his status and property assets, these two children of his would not want to have anything to do with him at all. Qiao Mei stood silently beside Qiao Qiang. At a moment like this, it was inconvenient for Xia He, Li Gui and the rest to show their faces, so they had all gone to the front yard. Qiao Mei had specially instructed them not to count the Liang family in when they prepared dinner. She intended to ask them to leave after they finished saying what they had come to say. Um Shall we go inside to talk? Liang Guo asked in a cautious manner. It had been a long journey to reach Qiao Meis house and they were exhausted. If not for the fact that his family elder kept urging them, Liang Guo did not want to make the trip here at all. Just say whatever you want to say out here. I dont have much time to entertain you. The kids at home still have lessons later, Qiao Qiang said impatiently. Grandfather~ Dont you want me to chat with you? I want to stay here for a few more days! Xiao Yu said coquettishly. She was only interested in benefits and instant gratification, and she did not possess the innocence that a child her age should have. Her sweet appearance was just an act. At home, she was like the devil incarnate who would throw a tantrum whenever things did not go her way. In particular, Xiao Yus temper had become worse after returning from Foshan Village. Is that so? Then why didnt you stay with me when I asked you to stay behind in the village previously? This is your elder sisters house, not mine. If you want to live here, you have to ask your elder sister first, Qiao Qiang said. Xiao Yu looked at Qiao Mei expectantly again and asked, Elder sister, can I stay here? Chapter 1056 Ten-Thousand-Year-Old Ginseng ? "No, you can''t. We already have too many children at home and there are so many lessons every day. The teacher can''t take care of so many people at the same time. We won''t be able to cope if the two of you join in. You should go back to your own house," Qiao Mei said. Xiao Yu pouted unhappily and almost revealed her true colors in front of Qiao Qiang. Liang Lan hurriedly pulled Xiao Yu into her arms and said, "The child is still young. She''s just curious about new things." "It''s fine. Children can be insensible but adults should know better. Is there anything else?" Qiao Mei asked bluntly. Liang Lan''s smile froze on her face. Qiao Mei did not have parents to discipline her since she was young, so it was not hard to understand why she was so rude. Liang Lan did not want to argue with Qiao Mei and wanted to get down to business. "Actually, we''re not here for anything special. We''re just bringing the kids over for a visit. I feel that Father''s health has improved a lot. Did he recover so well because of some medicine that he took?" Liang Lan probed. They were finally getting to the point. Qiao Mei and Qiao Qiang looked at each other with disdainful smiles on their faces. They knew that the Liang family was definitely up to no good. Not only did they come empty-handed even when paying a visit, but they kept requesting to stay over for a few days. Their behavior was completely abnormal. "Medicine? Grandfather doesn''t take any medicine. He just eats the fowl which we rear ourselves, as well as the vegetables we grow at home. Other than that, he only eats some herbs from the mountains," Qiao Mei said. "Is that so? I heard from other people that you seem to have a very useful ''divine medicine''. I wonder if you still have any left," Liang Guo asked. "Is there such a thing? Why don''t I know anything about it? Our family doesn''t have any ''divine medicine''," Qiao Mei said. Liang Lan said in disbelief, "We''re not asking you to give it to us for free. A few days ago, we even heard that He Ning bought all the medicine. You haven''t kept some for yourselves?" Qiao Mei really could not be bothered with these people from the Liang family. She had already explained this matter countless times. She was still able to be patient with other people, but when it came to the Liang family members, she simply could not suppress the anger in her heart. She always had the urge to scold them and tell them to get lost quickly, hoping that she never had to see them again. "Since you already say that it''s ''divine medicine'', then how can there be a lot? He Ning bought everything. If you want it, you can go and buy some from He Ning," Qiao Mei said. She was not willing to waste her breath and would simply redirect any queries about the "divine medicine" to He Ning. Qiao Mei guessed that the Liang family would not dare to go and look for He Ning to offer to buy the medicine. Otherwise, they would not have gone through so much trouble to come to their place. "Erm Then what is the medicine made of? Don''t you at least have the raw materials?" Liang Lan asked agitatedly. "Raw materials? Yes, a 10,000-year-old ginseng," Qiao Mei said as she looked at Liang Lan earnestly. A 10,000-year-old ginseng? How was that possible! The Liang family members all looked at Qiao Mei in shock. A 100-year-old ginseng was already considered a top-grade ginseng on the market. How could there be a 10,000-year-old ginseng? A 10,000-year-old ginseng must already be a plant spirit. Even if Qiao Mei did not want to give them the formula, she should not lie to them like this. How could she treat them like fools? "Nonsense! How can there be a 10,000-year-old ginseng! How can things be stored for so long! It would have gone bad long ago!" Xiao Yu shouted as she jabbed her finger at Qiao Mei''s nose. Seeing that Xiao Yu was being so rude to Qiao Mei, Qiao Qiang sat up and glared at Xiao Yu. His fierce gaze frightened Xiao Yu so much that she retreated repeatedly and fell to the ground while crying. Liang Lan hurriedly asked Liang Zu to bring Xiao Yu to one side so that she did not get in the way of what they were doing. Qiao Mei shrugged and said indifferently, "It doesn''t matter if you believe it or not. This is the truth. We really don''t have it anymore." "What about ginseng? Don''t you have any more ginseng?" Liang Lan continued to ask. Even if there was no more "divine medicine", the root of a 10,000-year-old ginseng was a very valuable item too. Such a root could easily be considered an elixir. "No, He Ning bought everything. If you really need it, go and buy some from He Ning. Everything related to the medicine has been bought by He Ning. You don''t have to waste your breath here," Qiao Mei said. Seeing that Qiao Mei was so stubborn, the Liang siblings gloomily left Qiao Mei''s house with the children. Chapter 1057 Overly Favored ? They did not expect such a conclusion today. They not only did not manage to find any useful information, they even had to suffer a rebuff with nothing to show for it. As they were leaving, Qiao Qiang shouted after them, "Don''t come to my house again in the future. All my assets will eventually belong to Qiao Mei. You won''t get anything and I don''t need you to be filial to me. I don''t wish to see any of you again. If you come to my house again, I''ll get the police to come and arrest you." "Grandfather! You can''t be so biased! We''re also your grandchildren! Why does elder sister get everything?" Xiao Yu stood at the door and shouted angrily. "You? You can only be considered my obedient grandchild if you can get used to the simple life I live here," Qiao Qiang said patiently. Xiao Yu stomped her feet angrily and left Qiao Mei''s house without looking back. It was only after the Liang family members left that Zhang Wei and the other children came out to go about their activities. Li Gui and Xia He also went to the kitchen to prepare dinner. "Grandfather, do you really dislike Xiao Yu and Liang Zu?" Qiao Mei asked, feeling a little sorry for him. After all, they were also her grandfather''s biological grandchildren. Qiao Qiang only had these surviving children and neither of them had ever taken care of him. Even though the Liang siblings were only putting on a show of hypocritical filial piety, it was still good enough if they could keep up with the pretense. Qiao Qiang was already old and it was time for him to enjoy life. He should get to enjoy his days with all his children and grandchildren, like other elderly people. "It''s enough that I have you. Just looking at those hypocritical people makes me feel uncomfortable. They''re really an eyesore. Besides, I still have Zhang Wei and the others. I already have many grandchildren and I don''t need them to make up the numbers," Qiao Qiang said proudly. In Qiao Qiang''s heart, he did not care about blood ties. Zhang Wei and the other children treated him well and he was willing to put in effort to take care of them. What did it matter if they were his biological relatives or not? Qiao Mei could finally put her worries to rest. As long as Qiao Qiang was happy, no matter what kind of life he wanted, Qiao Mei would work hard to help him realize it. Thinking of this, Qiao Mei suddenly felt her mood lightened and she happily went to the front yard to help Li Gui make dinner. The Liang siblings drove directly back to the Liang family''s old house. As soon as the car reached the main door, the Liang family''s servants rushed forward. Each of them had a different task to do at this moment. "Eldest Young Master, you''re back. Matriarch Liang has been waiting for you in the house for a long time," Butler Liang said respectfully with his head lowered. This butler was a distant relative of the Liang family. His family fell into dire straits and he came to Liang Guo''s mother, Liang Shu to seek help. Liang Shu thought highly of him as he was reliable and also very tight-lipped, so she gave him a job in her house. Three or four servants stood around Liang Guo and Liang Zu, helping them to take off their coats, change their shoes, wash their hands, freshen up and so on. The servants helped them with everything and there was no need for Liang Guo and Liang Zu to do anything themselves. On the other hand, Xiao Yu and Liang Lan stood awkwardly at the side as no one paid them any attention. Liang Lan took out a handkerchief and helped Xiao Yu to wipe her hands and her face. After they got tidied up, the few of them slowly followed the butler to the main hall. Liang Shu was sitting on the sofa and waiting for them. When Liang Shu saw Liang Zu, she shouted affectionately, "Liang Zu, come over here! Let grandma take a look at you. Grandma misses you so much!" He was only away for less than five hours, but Liang Shu already behaved like this. It was obvious how much Liang Shu valued and liked Liang Zu. "Grandma, I only went out for a while. I wasn''t away for very long," Liang Zu said helplessly. "No way! Even if you only go out for a while, I still feel like it''s a long time," Liang Shu said angrily. Liang Zu sat next to Liang Shu obediently and did not move an inch. This was the status and treatment that he enjoyed in the Liang family. Given that everyone doted on him and pampered him, in the eyes of outsiders, they all felt that Liang Zu lived a heavenly life where he could have whatever he wanted. In the beginning, Liang Zu also felt that it was a nice life. However, as he grew up, he began to feel that Liang Shu''s love for him was like shackles. To him, such an existence was full of pain and there was no joy at all. "Xiao Yu, go and greet your grandmother," Liang Lan whispered as she gently patted Xiao Yu''s back. Xiao Yu walked up to Liang Shu fearfully and said, "Grandma I''m back" "Mmm," Liang Shu replied without even looking at Xiao Yu. Liang Shu looked at Liang Guo and asked, "Where is it? Have you brought it back?" Chapter 1058 - 1058 Drink Your Blood 1058 Drink Your Blood No, I dont have it. Qiao Mei said that they dont have it anymore and that the He family has bought everything, Liang Guo said. Liang Shu was so angry that she pushed down the vase from the coffee table. The huge glass vase fell to the ground with a loud bang. This Qiao Qiang and Qiao Mei were simply too much! Nothing left! Who are they trying to lie to! How can they not keep such good stuff for themselves! All of you! What a bunch of useless bums. Why arent you able to gain Qiao Qiangs trust? If they see you as part of their family, will they still be so guarded! What have you been doing all this while! Liang Shu roared furiously. Xiao Yu was so frightened that she hurriedly hid behind Liang Lan. At moments like this, she would usually get a beating. Liang Shu never reprimanded Liang Zu. If anything went wrong, she would scold Xiao Yu first. Whenever Liang Shu was provoked and lost her temper, she would vent her anger on Xiao Yu. Liang Lan hugged Xiao Yu tightly and stood far away from the commotion. The two of them had no say in such matters. In fact, Liang Shu could even send them to their deaths with one word. We tried our best Liang Guo lowered his head and said weakly. Liang Shu paced back and forth in the living room out of frustration. This was the first time she had encountered something like this. Qiao Qiang was the only person who would dare not to show any respect to the Liang family. What else did that asshole Qiao Qiang say? Liang Shu asked. Liang Guo and Liang Lan looked at each other and neither of them dared to speak up. Liang Zu lowered his head while Xiao Yu stood behind Liang Lan in fear. She was trembling so badly that her legs were unable to support her body weight and she fell to the ground by accident. Xiao Yu was so scared that she hurriedly knelt on the ground and whispered, Im sorry! I didnt do it on purpose! Liang Shu narrowed her eyes and slowly walked up to Xiao Yu. She grabbed hold of that small cheeky face and asked, Tell me, what else did your grandfather say? He he said that were not allowed to visit him in the future He also said that he has nothing to do with us anymore, that Qiao Mei is his only granddaughter and were not his grandchildren, unless Xiao Yu hesitated for a moment. Unless what? Liang Shu continued to ask. Unless my cousin and I go back to the village with him and be able to endure the hard life there, Xiao Yu said with a trembling voice and tears in her eyes. Liang Shu snorted coldly. She did not care if this wretched girl had to go to the farmland to suffer with Qiao Qiang, but she would never let her precious eldest grandson, Liang Zu, go there! No one could take Liang Zu away from her! Unless she was dead! How arrogant of him! If not for the fact that our Liang family took a liking to him back then! How else can he enjoy his current glory! Hell still be living in the mountains without the means to eat! He even still dares to strut in front of me nowadays! I think hes tired of living! Liang Shu said furiously. What can we do Now that Qiao Mei has married into the Xia family, theres nothing our family can do, Liang Guo said resignedly. The Xia family? Whats the big deal about the Xia family? I thought Qiao Qiang bought that backyard part of the house with his own money? Why cant we go there? I want the two of you to bring the children and stay there from tomorrow onwards. I dont believe that the Xia family will come and stop us, Liang Shu said. Qiao Qiang already says that he will keep that house for Qiao Mei and that everything he owns will eventually belong to Qiao Mei. Now that Qiao Mei is the Xia familys daughter-in-law, that means the house will belong to the Xia family in the future, Liang Guo explained. She would not let this matter rest just like that! If she did not let Qiao Qiang have a taste of all the grievances she suffered back then, she would drop her surname, Liang! His children are still around, so why should Qiao Mei be the one to inherit this house! I dont care what method you use! You must obtain the divine medicine! If you cant get the divine medicine, then Ill drink your blood! Liang Shu shouted as she pointed at Liang Guo and Liang Lan. Liang Guo and Liang Lan quickly grabbed the children and rushed back to their own homes. Along the way, Xiao Yu lay down obediently with her head in Liang Lans lap, not wanting to be far from Liang Lan. Mom will grandmother kill me Xiao Yu asked as she looked at Liang Lan fearfully. Liang Lan smiled bitterly and said, No, shes just trying to scare you. Chapter 1059 The Use For The Aphrodisiac ? "But grandmother doesn''t treat my cousin like this. She gives him all the good things. I''m the only one she treats this way. Is it because I''m not as outstanding as him?" Xiao Yu said sadly. Liang Lan looked at her young daughter in her arms and it was like seeing herself when she was young. After Qiao Qiang left, Liang Lan was the worst off. In order to consolidate her own status in the Liang family, Liang Shu only cared about Liang Guo and gave him all the good things as well as the nicest food. Even after Liang Lan grew up, she was not allowed to make her own decisions. Liang Shu even controlled the type of clothes that she could wear. Whenever Liang Shu was unhappy, she would beat and scold Liang Lan until Liang Lan was covered in bruises. This was all because Liang Lan inherited Qiao Qiang''s looks and resembled him a lot. Even Liang Lan''s marriage was pre-arranged. As soon as she was of marriageable age, Liang Shu immediately married her off to the Xiao family because the Xiao family could help to stabilize Liang Shu''s status in the Liang family. It was only when Liang Guo gained a firm foothold in the government and Liang Lan was able to take charge of the Liang family that Liang Shu completely defeated her brother, Liang Can. Liang Can was now living in their old hometown and rarely participated in the Liang family''s power struggles in the capital. It could even be said that he was living a life aloof from worldly affairs. He never had any intention of competing with Liang Shu in the first place. It was all a show put up by Liang Shu. "Our Xiao Yu is so capable and outstanding. It''s not your fault. Even if grandmother doesn''t like you, Mom likes you very much. I''ll try my best not to bring you back to her house in the future, alright?" Liang Lan asked gently. "Alright." Xiao Yu nodded vigorously. After saying that, she buried her head tightly in Liang Lan''s lap, as if this was the safest place in the world. Liang Lan stared blankly out of the window. She did not know when such a life would end. If she could choose again, she would rather not be born into the Liang family. Even if she was born into a poor family in the countryside, at least she would not live a life without freedom. That night, the Liang family sent out many of their spies to try and find out how much money He Ning had paid for the "divine medicine". The replies they received vary between 60,000 to 100,000 dollars. It was hardly surprising for them to hear that the He family spent so extravagantly. This amount of money would be enough for Qiao Mei to spend for the rest of her life! When Liang Shu heard the news, she smashed up everything in the kitchen until there was nothing left to break. The He family did not remain idle. He Ning had asked Jia Zhong to secretly bring He Mei back from the mountains and find another girl to replace her spot there. Huo Gao looked at He Ning in puzzlement and asked, "Aren''t you afraid that Qiao Mei will hate you for bringing He Mei back now?" "Why would she hate me? I''m just bringing He Mei home. What does it have anything to do with Qiao Mei?" He Ning asked. "Have you forgotten how He Mei tried to harm Qiao Mei and her babies? Qiao Mei is due to give birth soon. If the Xia family finds out that you have brought He Mei back, there''s going to be trouble," Huo Gao said. He Ning nodded. What Huo Gao said made sense, but this was the exact effect that he wanted. He felt very much at ease with Jia Zhong handling matters for him. The Xia family''s attention was all on Xia Mao and Qiao Mei at the moment and they would not have time to note what the He family was doing. Furthermore, his intention in bringing He Mei back was not to hurt Qiao Mei. Initially, he had deliberately hurt Qiao Mei only because he wanted to get Xia Zhe on his side, together with the Xia family''s support. Later on, when he found out that Qiao Mei had outstanding culinary skills and she was good with flowers and plants, he felt that it was a pity for such a capable person to stay in the Xia family. He had no qualms about doing everything he could to get Qiao Mei on his side, but he knew that Qiao Mei was a very stubborn person. No matter what he did, he would not be able to affect Qiao Mei''s feelings for Xia Zhe. Since he could not break them up, he would make their relationship disintegrate from the inside. "I remember that Jia Zhong had given me a report on the general route that Xia Zhe would take to return to the capital after his mission? His army unit will definitely stay in the town hospital in South City to recuperate for a period of time. Let''s arrange for He Mei to go there to help out. The rest is up to her," He Ning said. Huo Gao looked at He Ning in admiration. With He Mei''s current looks, it was impossible for her to seduce Xia Zhe. No wonder He Ning kept urging him to concoct different types of aphrodisiac some time ago. He had thought that He Ning had finally come to his senses and found someone he liked. He definitely did not expect that it was meant to be used on Xia Zhe! This really made him feel a little disappointed Occasionally missing content, please report errors in time. Chapter 1060 Disintegrate From The Inside ? "What kind of expression is this? You have no faith in my scheme?" He Ning looked at the frowning Huo Gao in confusion. "I just think that you have such a hard life, to have to come up with such a scheme," Huo Gao said resignedly. He Ning relaxed on the sofa and said with a smile, "I''m just giving it a try. It''ll be a bonus if it succeeds. Qiao Mei is the kind of person who won''t accept a man who cheats on her. When Qiao Mei gets a divorce, I can then take advantage of the situation. However, it also doesn''t matter if He Mei fails. We still have other plans that we can use to slowly break up the couple''s relationship from the inside." Huo Gao could only send He Ning his best wishes. It was obvious that the plan would not succeed. If He Mei was able to seduce Xia Zhe in the first place, Qiao Mei would not have come into the picture at all. However, nothing was cast in stone. It all depended on what kind of tricks He Mei had up her sleeves. "Oh right, have you found out Xia Zhe''s current mission location?" He Ning asked. "No, but we found something interesting. No one paid any attention to it previously, but when I think about it now, I feel that something is not very right," Huo Gao said. He Ning looked at Huo Gao and asked, "What''s not very right?" "Isn''t it Qiao Mei''s ''divine medicine'' that saved Xia Mao? Apparently, this ''divine medicine'' is stored in glass bottles. Some time ago, the transportation team had seized one of Xia Zhe''s packages from home and found two glass bottles inside. I suspect that these bottles contain the so-called ''divine medicine''," Huo Gao said. "So what? The military seizes anything that is unidentifiable and then they''ll inform the soldier''s family members to bring it back. Nothing surprising about this," He Ning said. This was the crux of the problem. The name of the person in charge of the transportation team was Zhong Ye. He had always thought highly of Xia Zhe and wanted Xia Zhe to marry his daughter, Zhong Wan. Even if Xia Zhe did not like his daughter, he would not mind if Xia Zhe was willing to become his godson. If anyone dared to say anything bad about Xia Zhe, he was always the first to disagree! However, Xia Zhe had offended Zhong Ye by making his precious daughter feel aggrieved. If Xia Zhe had married the Zheng family''s daughter or the He family''s daughter, Zhong Ye would not have any objections. In fact, he would even send them a big gift to wish them well. The issue was that after Xia Zhe rejected Zhong Wan, he immediately married a village girl from the countryside. This was something that Zhong Ye could not accept. What was so bad about his daughter! How could it be that she was a worse choice than a village girl from the countryside! What Xia Zhe did was tantamount to telling people that Zhong Wan was not worthy of him and was not even as good as a woman from the countryside. Zhong Ye felt that this was a slap on his face! Zhong Ye had been holding back his anger and looking for an opportunity to take revenge. He did not expect the chance to come so quickly. During one of their routine inspections, they found two bottles of unknown liquid in a package sent to Xia Zhe. These were classified as illegitimate items. The military considered homemade products to be dangerous items. "Brother Zhong, take a look at this," said Xiao Luo, one of Zhong Ye''s subordinates. Zhong Ye did not even bother to look up. He closed his eyes and lay back on the chair as he said, "Don''t bother me. Can''t you just handle all these issues related to transportation? Haven''t I taught you a lot all these years? Otherwise, what do I need you for?" "That''s not it, Brother Zhong! This is a package from Xia Zhe''s family. I don''t know how to handle it, so you have to make the decision," Xiao Luo said anxiously. The moment Zhong Ye heard that it was related to Xia Zhe, his interest was immediately piqued. He quickly sat up and picked up a glass bottle to check it carefully. After inspecting it for a long time, he still could not find anything unusual. It just looked like a bottle of colored water. Zhong Ye gently pried open the bottle cap and took a whiff. That was when he realized that it was actually liquor! "You piece of trash! Don''t you know that such strong liquor is not allowed in the army! Do you still have to ask me about such things! Just confiscate it! Get the Xia family members to come and retrieve it!" Zhong Ye said furiously. Xiao Luo hurriedly went forward and pointed at the words outside the bottle. "Brother Zhong, look here. It''s stated here that it''s medicinal wine. Furthermore, it''s also strangely stated here that it can be used to treat all kinds of illnesses. Is there really such a medicine in this world?" Zhong Ye also found it to be unbelievable. If there was such a magical thing in the world, everyone would be able to live to a ripe old age. "Brother Zhong This is a package personally sent by Commander Xia Mao. Is it alright for us to confiscate it?" Xiao Luo said fearfully. Chapter 1061 Explanation ? Even though the Zhong family was in charge of all the transportation matters for the troops, they would not dare to clash with the Xia family head-on. The Xia family''s circle of influence was not only limited to that of the Xia family members, but also included everyone who was on good terms with the Xia family. People would definitely be more willing to do the Xia family a favor than the Zhong family. "Leave the things with me first. I''ll make a call later and get it checked out. I''ll give the things back to you after I''ve done the checks," Zhong Ye said. Xiao Luo placed the two bottles of medicinal wine on Zhong Ye''s desk and left the office in silence. Zhong Ye secretly hid the two bottles of medicinal wine and left the rest of the items in the package intact to be forwarded to Xia Zhe. In this manner, he not only would not offend Xia Mao, but also ensured that such good stuff did not fall into Xia Zhe''s hands. "The Zhong family has two bottles of ''divine medicine'' in their hands now. Do you want us to deal with it quietly?" Huo Gao asked. He Ning shook his head. What Zhong Ye did was a really stupid thing. It was very obvious when individual items went missing. Since the He family could find out about this matter, the Xia family must definitely already know about it. "Let''s just sit on the sidelines and watch the fun," He Ning said meaningfully. The Xia family had received news of this matter at the same time. Xia Mao was still seriously ill and was unable to discuss this matter with the family. It was up to Xia Wen to make the decision. "Xiao Wen, what do you think?" Xia Jun asked as he looked at the letter in his hand. "Grandfather, we still don''t have any clear evidence to prove that Xia Zhe''s medicinal wine was taken by a Zhong family member. No one will believe that a department head will commit theft. Zhong Ye has never done anything wrong all these years, so he must have a way with things. We can''t act rashly," Xia Wen said with a frown. Zhong Ye was a person with a good reputation. He was magnanimous and very generous to his friends. He was also loyal and always kept his word, so most people liked Zhong Ye very much. However, only those who really knew Zhong Ye knew that he liked to play cheap tricks behind everyone''s back. He was always cooking up some kind of scheme, making it impossible to guard against him. This was also the reason why the Xia family did not want to be friends with the Zhong family. "Then tell me what we should do now," Xia Jun said as he looked at Xia Wen with interest. Given Xia Mao''s absence, this could be considered a test for Xia Wen. He wanted to see if Xia Wen could shoulder the responsibility of being the head of the Xia family. Xia Wen thought for a moment and said, "This person is sinister and cunning. We can''t confront him directly. Let''s get someone to search his house first and only make a move after we find concrete evidence. This way, we can defeat the enemy in one go. Let''s pretend that we don''t know anything for now and only make a move when we find what we need." Xia Jun nodded in satisfaction. He had thought that the Xia family had already reached its peak under the care of Xia Mao''s generation. He did not expect that there were already successors waiting in the wings. There was Xia Wen to take care of the family matters and Xia Zhe who worked hard outside the family. The Xia family was also lucky enough to have added a resourceful daughter-in-law like Qiao Mei into the fold. It appeared that the Xia family could go even further in the future. For the past few days, Qiao Mei had felt uneasy. She had been telling people about those 100-year-old, 1000-year-old or even 10,000-year-old ginsengs and Qiao Qiang had probably gotten wind of this by now. Qiao Qiang was the one who had personally gone up the mountain to dig up the 100-year-old ginseng, so there was no need for Qiao Mei to explain it. However, Qiao Mei really did not know how to explain the existence of the 1,000-year-old and 10,000-year-old ginsengs to Qiao Qiang. She was worried that people with ulterior motives would come and question Qiao Qiang about this in the future. If Qiao Qiang''s story did not tally with hers, it could only bring disaster to both the Xia family and their family. Qiao Mei walked over to Qiao Qiang, pulling along a wooden box with rollers. She hesitated for a while and did not know where to start. Qiao Qiang smiled and said, "Are you here to show me your new wooden box?" Qiao Mei had made this wooden box based on her memories from her other life. It was modeled after a luggage bag. It was easier for her to move it around compared with a box that needed to be hauled around. "Grandfather have you heard about what''s been happening outside?" Qiao Mei asked as she looked at Qiao Qiang nervously. Qiao Qiang had heard too many versions of the same story recently and was aware of a lot of things, but he did not believe anything. He would only believe whatever Qiao Mei said. "I''ve been at home and don''t know anything about the outside world. Tell me about it," Qiao Qiang said with a smile. Qiao Mei held her breath and opened the box. It was filled with ginsengs and not just one type. There were ginsengs of various ages. These were all ginsengs that she had cultivated later. The original 10,000-year-old ginseng from before had already been given to Xia Mao for his treatment. The one in the box now was another one that she had planted subsequently. Chapter 1062 Where To Hold The New Year Celebrations ? Qiao Mei took a gulp nervously and said, "Grandfather these are all the ginsengs that we have. Erm there are 100-year-old ginsengs and also 1,000-year-old ginsengs and this 10,000-year-old" Qiao Mei''s voice became softer and softer until it was almost impossible to hear what she was saying. Qiao Qiang looked at all the ginsengs in front of him in shock. The existence of a 1,000-year-old ginseng was already hard to believe, but he did not expect there to be a 10,000-year-old ginseng. For a moment, he could not recover from the shock and just stared blankly at the box in front of Qiao Mei. He found it hard to look away from that 10,000-year-old ginseng. Qiao Mei looked at Qiao Qiang nervously. All she could think about was how to explain the origin of the 10,000-year-old ginseng. Now that they were not in Foshan Village, Qiao Mei spent her days under Qiao Qiang''s nose. It was impossible for her to tell him that she had found it somewhere outside, like in the suburbs of the capital. Then again, she also could not tell him about her superpower. In the event that Qiao Qiang could not accept the truth, he would treat her like a mutant or a monster. By then, Qiao Qiang would probably gradually realize that there were actually many differences between the current Qiao Mei and the past Qiao Mei. If so, Qiao Qiang may be the one who wanted to personally send her to "face the firing squad"! Just as Qiao Mei was feeling worried and afraid, Qiao Qiang said with a smile, "Aren''t these the treasures passed down from our ancestors? Why are you asking me about them? That particular ginseng was definitely left behind by our ancestors. Since you''re my only heir, these ginsengs naturally belong to you." For a person at Qiao Qiang''s age, rights and wrongs and truths and lies did not really matter anymore. To him, as long as Qiao Mei was still by his side and she was blissful and happy, everything else was superficial and unimportant. Qiao Mei looked at Qiao Qiang, feeling touched. She did not expect Qiao Qiang to react this way. Qiao Qiang''s love for her was completely unreserved, to the extent that he could even give up his life for her. As she recalled the memories of the original owner of the body, about how much Qiao Qiang doted on her throughout everything, all of this seemed to make sense. Back then, Qiao Qiang would rather starve and fall sick himself so that he could let Qiao Mei eat her fill and he would always give everything he had to her. "Yes! These are all passed down from our ancestors. That''s right!" Qiao Mei said happily. After solving this problem, she had nothing more to worry about. Life went on peacefully and soon, it was time for the new year eve celebrations. During this occasion, many people from the different families would come and gather together. Apart from Qiao Mei''s family, the other branches of the Xia family would also all be returning to the capital. Therefore, Qiao Mei wanted to discuss with Xu Lan to see if they could do the gathering at her house. The courtyard house was definitely big enough to host the event. "Elder sister, do you think that Mother will agree with my idea?" Qiao Mei said with a troubled expression. Even Qiao Mei herself felt that she was asking for too much. After all, she was now the daughter-in-law of the Xia family. It did not seem reasonable for her to ask all the Xia family members to come to her house just because she would feel sad for Qiao Qiang if he had to spend the new year alone. It would also be awkward for Li Gui to bring her four children to the Xia family residence to celebrate the new year. Although Li Gui was Qiao Mei''s biological mother, she had remarried and given birth to another four children who were not blood relatives of the Qiao family. It did not seem suitable for them to go to the Xia family residence. Xia He did not know how to handle this matter either. Qiao Mei was really caught in a dilemma. "How about I go home and talk to Mother about it?" Xia He asked. Qiao Mei shook her head. It would be more sincere for her to raise such an issue herself. Otherwise, it could lead to unnecessary misunderstandings and then it would become even more difficult to deal with. "Let me think about it," Qiao Mei said disconsolately as she lay back on the rocking chair. The matter could be settled easier if it only affected Xia Jun, Xia Mao and the immediate family. However, she had to take into account the fact that Second Uncle and Third Uncle were in town as well as their family members. Later on, Eldest Aunt Xia Xiu and Youngest Aunt Xia Fang would also be coming back. There were still many extended family members who had not met Qiao Mei yet. If they were asked to come to Qiao Mei''s house for the new year celebrations, it might leave a bad impression on them. She did not expect life to become so troublesome after getting married. Even if Qiao Qiang was willing to stay in the backyard house alone for the new year, it was not acceptable to her. She must find a way to solve this problem. Just as Qiao Mei was at her wits'' end, there was a sudden knock on the main door as it opened. Xu Lan walked into Qiao Mei''s house with numerous bags. Qiao Mei supported her stomach and slowly walked towards the door, looking at the scene in front of her in disbelief. Xia He was also shocked by Xu Lan''s actions. Xu Lan had even mobilized the family''s security guards to assist her. There were another three cars behind hers and each car was also filled to the brim with stuff. Chapter 1063 Spend New Year Together ? "Mother, what are you doing? Are you fleeing a disaster?" Xia He asked in shock. It looked as if Xu Lan had moved her entire house over. Xu Lan excitedly instructed Luo Yu and the others to move all the things out from the cars and sort them out by types in the courtyard. In order to store the frozen seafood and meat, Xu Lan had even brought the refrigerator with her. "I''m here to sort out all the things we need for the new year," Xu Lan said with a smile. "Huh?" Qiao Mei and Xia He looked at Xu Lan in confusion. They did not know what she meant and what they were doing for the new year. Qiao Mei brought Xu Lan to the main hall. She took out the best tea leaves and made tea for Xu Lan. As she prepared the tea, she asked, "Mother, are those things in the courtyard meant for my mum and the rest of them?" "Well yes and no. It''s indeed my fault for not letting you know in advance. I just think that since Xia Zhe is not at home this year and it''s not convenient for you to move about now, it will be good if Xia Wen''s family, your father and I come over to celebrate the new year at your place. Do you think it''s a good idea?" Xu Lan asked cautiously as she observed Qiao Mei''s expression. This was something that Xu Lan had done on a whim. The idea came to her suddenly when she was doing her new year shopping. It was only when she bought everything and reached Qiao Mei''s place that she realized the whole thing might be seen as inappropriate, but it was already too late for her to regret it. Qiao Mei was not angry at all. Instead, she was very happy. This was exactly what she had in mind! "There''s no problem at all! I''m still thinking about discussing the same thing with you, but I just don''t know how to bring up the topic. After all, it''s unheard of for a new daughter-in-law to invite her in-laws to her house for the first new year after the marriage," Qiao Mei said apologetically. "We don''t have to care about what other people do, we''ll just live our own lives well. Does that mean that you agree?" Xu Lan said excitedly. "Then what about Second Uncle and Third Uncle and their families?" Qiao Mei asked. Xu Lan had not thought about this yet. In the past, everyone would gather at her house. Now that her own family was coming over to Qiao Mei''s house for the new year, there would be no one at home to host them. Xu Lan was so focused on Qiao Mei that she had forgotten about the rest of the family members. "I forgot" Xu Lan said with an awkward smile. Qiao Mei pursed her lips tightly to hold back her laughter. She did not expect Xu Lan to have such an adorable side. She had originally thought that Xu Lan was as meticulous as Xia Wen. Xu Lan said nonchalantly, "It doesn''t matter. This is not a difficult issue to resolve. On my way home later, I''ll make a trip to your grandfather''s place. As long as your grandfather agrees to come over to your place for the new year, Xia Yao and Xia Guang will definitely come over too." Xia Jun doted on Qiao Mei the most. It was not only because Qiao Mei was sensible and well-behaved, but more importantly, Qiao Mei was also smart and capable. Such a granddaughter-in-law was really hard to come by. Not only did Qiao Qiang save his life, but Qiao Mei also saved Xia Mao''s life. It would not be a problem even if Qiao Mei did not pay him a visit during the new year. "I never expect to be able to call the shots in this matter," Qiao Mei said with a laugh. "Of course! Don''t worry, they''ll definitely come!" Xu Lan said firmly. Given that her daughter-in-law was such a nice person, she really did not expect anyone to say no to this request. If there was really no other way she would just put down her pride and ask them for a personal favor. Xia Yao and Xia Guang would at least do it for her sake. "Thank you for the help, Mother. Once you have news, I''ll have to trouble you to send me a message so that I can start to make preparations immediately," Qiao Mei said happily. Xu Lan was a very efficient person and it ended up as they had expected. Xia Jun agreed to the idea without waiting for Xu Lan to even finish speaking. The Xia family was now waiting for Qiao Mei to continue their lineage! She was pregnant with his first two great-grandchildren, so he did not want her to have to travel around too. After the matter was decided, there were endless deliveries made to Qiao Mei''s house every day. Qiao Mei even ordered a huge custom-made table so that everyone could sit together for the reunion dinner. In order to store things, she bought another four or five freezers. Fortunately, money was not an issue for Qiao Mei. Otherwise, she might go bankrupt after this meal! They did not intend to do the cooking that day. Since the dishes they wanted were more troublesome and complicated to prepare, they intended to order food from the state-owned restaurant located at the entrance of the alley. The restaurant staff would deliver everything to the house. There was also not enough bedding at home and they needed to buy more. In order to store these extra bedding, Qiao Mei also ordered a big custom-made cabinet for the storeroom. Chapter 1064 How Many Pages To Go Chapter 1064 How Many Pages To Go Qiao Mei''s courtyard was filled with the bonus items distributed by the government and the army during the new year. The items one received depended on one''s rank in the organization. Some items were specially for the Xia family. Only the Xia family had these and no one else. Given that Xia Mao had been injured in the line of duty this time round, it was very likely that he would get promoted when he resumed work. Many people sent gifts to him and there were particularly a lot of tonics. In the past, these things were always sent to Xu Lan''s house and the helper would sort everything out. This year, as everyone was gathering at Qiao Mei''s house to celebrate the new year, even the items meant for Xia Yao and Xia Guang were also sent to Qiao Mei''s house. There were a lot more things compared to the past years, so they were naturally running out of space. "Oh my goodness, this is too tiring. My arms are about to break from carrying so many things for the past two days," Xia He said as she collapsed into a chair. "Thank you so much for your hard work. I''m not of any help now. Why don''t I get Qian''e to come and help you," Qiao Mei said. Xia He quickly rejected the idea and said, "Better not. We have no chemistry and we quarrel whenever we meet. I don''t want to interact with her unnecessarily. It''s better that I do all these things myself!" "Is there still a lot of stuff that hasn''t been delivered yet?" Qiao Mei asked curiously. Xia He took out four pieces of paper from her pocket with a resigned expression. Each piece of paper was tightly cramped with words. These were the records of the items received over the past few days, including a list of the gifts exchanged between the Xia family and the other families they were on good terms with during the festive season. This was a task usually handled by Xu Lan and Xia Mao in the past. This year, the two of them had simply delegated everything to Xia Wen and Xia He. Fortunately, Xia He was very well-versed with these things and she did not face any problems during the entire process. However, the sheer volume of work still made her feel a little tired. "Based on my rough calculations, there''s probably still two pages to go," Xia He said helplessly. Qiao Mei laughed. The unit of measurement that Xia He used was page and not item. It was really an eye-opener for her. Xia He muttered unhappily, "Xia Wen and Tan Jing should be the ones doing all this. This shouldn''t have anything to do with me at all. Mother does not trust Tan Jing to do a proper job. She said that Tan Jing is stingy and petty, and that if she offends any of our family and friends in the process, it''s the Xia family who will suffer for it. I''m so angry that I can die. I wonder how our eldest brother managed to find such a wife." "Never mind. I''ll help you. Many hands make light work," Qiao Mei said. "Forget it! If anything should happen to you, Mother will definitely kill me. I can''t bear the responsibility. Just stay in the room obediently. You don''t have to worry about any of these things. I''m just venting my frustration to you. Eldest brother is at work all the time and doesn''t even come back to deal with any of these things at all. He just leaves everything to me. Sigh it''s so tough" Xia He said aggrievedly. Xia Wen had no choice on his end. The leaders in the workplace kept organizing dinner gatherings and there was no way he could reject the invites, so he could only ask Xia He to help him out. The busy days passed quickly and it was finally the last day of the year. Xia Mao had been drinking Qiao Mei''s medicinal wine every day and he could already move around freely by now. His wound had also almost recovered, but he still needed to take care of his diet and make sure that he did not eat too much oily food. There were many cars stopped outside Qiao Mei''s house in an orderly manner, attracting the attention of many neighbors. They had never seen such a spectacle before! A few days ago, when a few cars stopped outside Qiao Mei''s house to deliver new year goods, everyone was curious about how grand the event at Qiao Mei''s house was going to be. As they looked on, they realized that they could have underestimated the grandeur. In order to avoid causing traffic congestion in the alley, the cars only stopped temporarily outside Qiao Mei''s house. The chauffeurs would unload the items from the cars and once it was confirmed that there were no mistakes, the chauffeurs would then drive off. During this period of time, all the family members were staying over at Qiao Mei''s house and they would contact the chauffeurs to pick them up if they needed to run any errands. Qiao Mei had changed into a red padded cotton jacket coupled with a red maternity dress inside. To match the festive atmosphere, Qiao Mei even tied her hair into two buns on her head, looking very cheeky and adorable. "Oh my! Why are you standing at the door! Go in quickly! Why are you out here!" Xia Jun hurriedly walked forward to chase Qiao Mei back into the house, worried that she might catch a cold outdoors. "Grandfather, I''ll be fine. My clothes are very thick! Let''s go in quickly. My grandfather is still waiting to play chess with you in the backyard. He even says that he must thoroughly defeat you today!" Qiao Mei said. Chapter 1065 - 1065 Acting Like a Mother-in-law 1065 Acting Like a Mother-in-law Xia Jun straightened his back and said proudly, Hmph, the person who can defeat me isnt born yet! Your grandfather couldnt beat me when we were both in the army. Its the same even if hes already retired now! Zhang Wei and the other children were already helping out in the front yard. Zhang Wei and Xia Jun were also quite familiar with each other. For some reason, the two of them felt a sense of affinity from the moment they met. Xia Jun liked Zhang Wei a lot. Grandpa Xia! Ill bring you to my grandfather! Zhang Wei said happily. Fine, fine, fine! Xia Jun followed Zhang Wei to the backyard. Xu Lan stood beside Qiao Mei and pointed at Xia Yao as she introduced him. This is your second uncle. Hello, Second Uncle, Qiao Mei said respectfully with a slight nod. Xia Yao took out a red packet from his bag. As he held it in his hand, they could all see that it looked quite thick. He smiled and said, I didnt manage to come back to see you back then because of work. This is my first-meeting gift to you. Its just a small token. Qiao Mei did not reject the gesture and accepted Xia Yaos red packet in a dignified manner. She smiled and said, Thank you, Second Uncle and Second Aunt-in-law. I wont stand on ceremony with you. Xia Guang said almost the same thing as Xia Yao. The two brothers had come to an agreement on the amount of money to put in the red packets. Qiao Mei and Xu Lan went into her room after everyone else had entered the house. After just standing for a short while, Qiao Meis back started to ache and it felt as if it was about to break. You must be exhausted. You can take a rest in the room first. Xia He and I can handle the things outside, Xu Lan said with heartache. Qiao Mei slowly closed her eyes to rest for a while. Xu Lan and Xia He left the room quietly and went to the backyard to chat with everyone. The house was filled with people both inside and outside. Xia Wen, Tan Jing, Xia Fang and Xia Xiu only arrived at night. Its been such a long time! Second Brother, Third Brother, youre back! Its rare for everyone to get together! Xia Xiu said agitatedly. Due to her work, Xia Xiu also rarely returned home. The few of them always missed out on chances to see one another because of work. It was rare for the entire family to be able to get together like this. It was a pity that Xia Zhe was still on a mission this year. It could only be considered a grand reunion if he was here as well. Eldest Sister, you still look the same! You havent changed a bit, Xia Yao said happily. Xia Xiu patted Xia Guangs shoulder and did not say anything, keeping her thoughts to herself. It must be tough for Xia Guang during this period of time. It was a good thing for Xia Guang to take some personal time to sort things through. Wheres Qiao Mei? Why isnt she out here? Xia Fang asked anxiously. Qiao Mei is exhausted from all the work during the day. She had been busy planning for todays event the past two days. Shes resting in the room now. Let her sleep for a while. I think she has even lost some weight, Xu Lan said sadly. Youre acting more and more like a mother-in-law. Im just asking where Qiao Mei is. Look at how precious she is to you! Xia Fang said and laughed as she pointed at Xu Lan. She felt that she would only be embarrassing herself by coming here. What was the point? Qiao Mei finally managed to wake up and she asked Zhang Qin to go to the state-owned restaurant and tell them to send the dishes over. It was time for dinner. As soon as Qiao Mei reached the backyard, everyone cleared a path for her. All the chairs had already been lined with warm cushions. Come, take a seat. We can start eating since everyone is here, Xu Lan said. At the dining table, the main conversation topic was about Qiao Meis babies and everyones wishes for these two children. Tan Jing lowered her head more and more. Every time someone spoke about the children, Tan Jings heart would ache. It was as if they were not talking about Qiao Meis joyous news. To her, these were all voices complaining about her, tormenting her nerves over and over again. After three rounds of drinking, the atmosphere started to become very lively. Grandfather, this is the arrival of the first great-grandchildren in the family. Shouldnt you do something! Xia He said. Thats right, thats right! Father, its time for you to take out those nice things of yours, Xia Fang said with a smile. Xia Jun had never given away any of his cherished treasures. He felt honored to have these treasures and there were very few people who had ever seen them before, let alone him taking the initiative to give them away as gifts. Chapter 1066 Precious Gifts ? The first time he gave away one of his treasures as a gift was after Xia Wen joined the army. When Xia Wen received the title of top army warrior title for the first time, Xia Jun gave him a watch. It was the watch which Xia Jun wore throughout his entire career and continued to use even after he retired from the army. The next time was when Xia Zhe first received the title of top army warrior. Xia Jun gave him the bullet shell of the first bullet he ever fired after becoming a soldier. It held a lot of meaning for him. "Of course! Once the babies are born, I''ll give each of them one of my merit medals!" Xia Jun said generously. Xia Jun cherished his merit medals the most. Every month, he would wipe them carefully and no one was allowed to touch them. Even Xia Mao had never seen them before. All the merit medals were stored in one room and no one was allowed to enter the room. "My goodness. Qiao Mei, say thanks to Grandfather quickly. He doesn''t give gifts to just anyone!" Xia He said excitedly as she grabbed Qiao Mei. "Thank you, Grandfather~" Qiao Mei said sweetly. Xia Jun was overjoyed, but Qiao Qiang, who was sitting next to him, felt a little upset. He had brought up his granddaughter all these years and now that she had married Xia Zhe, it felt like a loss to him. "Hmph, only two? I have merit medals too. Who cares about those lousy things of yours? Take out something that shows your sincerity! I know you have something better! Hand it over quickly!" Qiao Qiang said unhappily. Xia Jun was so amused by Qiao Qiang''s behavior that he laughed out loudly. Xia Jun really had something that was exceptionally precious to him. To other people, it might seem like a very cheap item, but he had treasured it for his entire life. That item was the first ring he gave Wu Min and it was also a token of their love. At that time, his family was very poor and he could not afford to get married at all. He did not have much money, so he kept exploring the area near the army camp, found a nice big tree and secretly went to the tree every day and used a small knife to saw at it bit by bit. After a long period of time, Xia Jun finally managed to cut out a chunk of wood. Then he started to carve it secretly under his blanket nightly until he finished making the ring. By then, more than a year had passed. When he returned home during the holidays the next year, he did not even return to his own home first. He rushed straight to Wu Min''s house and put on this wooden ring for her. This marked the beginning of their relationship. "What exactly is it? Grandpa Qiao, tell us!" Xia He asked curiously. "I won''t expose your grandfather''s exploits when he was young. Let him talk about it himself," Qiao Qiang said with a smile. Xia Jun coughed shyly and explained, "It''s the token of love between your grandmother and I. I''ll still give the babies the merit medals! As for the ring, let it be my wish for Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe to live happily ever after, just like Wu Min and I." After saying that, Xia Jun''s eyes seemed to tear up. Wu Min had already been gone for many years, but he still could not help but think of the way she looked when she was still around. If Wu Min was still around, she would probably be very satisfied with Xia Zhe''s wife as well. "Yes, I''ll definitely get along well with Xia Zhe. Don''t worry, Grandfather," Qiao Mei said earnestly. Xia Jun smacked Qiao Qiang''s shoulder and said, "Old man, are you satisfied now? I don''t have anything left except that wall of merit medals! I don''t have anything else even if you make any more demands!" "Hmph, who cares about your merit medals? I also have a wall full of them and I even have two more than you!" Qiao Qiang said stubbornly. "Nonsense! You''re wrong! I have more than you! I have four more than you!" Xia Jun corrected him. The two of them were not to be outdone and insisted on returning to the house to list down all the merit medals they had ever received. They wanted to see who had more between the two of them. Qiao Mei smiled resignedly. Most of the people present tonight had their own merit medals. If they all took their medals out, her entire courtyard house did not have enough space to showcase them! Just the merit medals belonging to Qiao Qiang, Xia Jun, Xia Mao and Xia Xiu were enough to take up all the space in the entire house. "Qiao Mei, have you decided on the names for the children?" Xu Lan asked. Qiao Mei shook her head. She had discussed this matter with Xia Zhe before, but the names that he came up with were really not very flattering. The names that Xia Wen came up with back then were also not very appropriate. She felt that this matter ultimately needed to be decided by Qiao Qiang and Xia Jun. They should each come up with a name for each child. Otherwise, the two of them would argue about it again. Chapter 1067 Unable To Have Children ? "I''ll let both grandfathers worry about this. I don''t want to crack my head over such things," Qiao Mei said. By the time it was late at night, everyone settled down in the rooms that Qiao Mei had prepared for them. She did not have to worry about the crockery and cutlery as the helper was in charge of cleaning up. As there were not enough rooms to go round, Xia He finally had the chance to bunk over in Qiao Mei''s room. She was very happy to have her wish come true as she had long wanted to sleep in the same room as Qiao Mei! Tan Jing lay on the bed for a long time, unable to calm her jealous frame of mind. She originally thought that Qiao Mei had only gained everyone''s favor temporarily and that not every member of the Xia family would like her. However, it seemed to her today that Qiao Mei had easily won the favor of all the Xia family members. Xia Jun even gave her a gift. Putting aside what the gift was, it was a privilege that Tan Jing had never enjoyed before. She was chock full of hatred. She hated the fact that someone like Qiao Mei appeared in her life. She also hated the fact that although Qiao Mei''s family background was not as good as hers, yet everyone treated Qiao Mei the nicest. In the years she had been in the Xia family, Tan Jing always felt that she had to behave dutifully so as not to make Xu Lan angry. However, even as Qiao Mei joked around so casually with Xu Lan, she did not get into any trouble and everyone still continued to favor her. It could only be because of the babies. Tan Jing wondered if she would be able to gain a foothold in the Xia family like Qiao Mei if she also became pregnant. Tan Jing looked at Xia Wen intently and her hands started to move all over Xia Wen''s body. It had been a long time since they had been intimate. It was already rare for them to kiss or even hold hands. Xia Wen grabbed Tan Jing''s hands tightly and said, "Don''t mess around. We''re at Qiao Mei''s house now and all our relatives are sleeping in the rooms nearby. Don''t do anything stupid." "Why! Do you despise me so much!" Tan Jing said furiously. "Can you please be more clear-headed and take a look at where we are. Is it appropriate to do this now?" Xia Wen roared at her while keeping his voice low. Tan Jing lay down aggrievedly as tears flowed down her cheeks and spent the night like that. In fact, Tan Jing knew very well that she was the one who could not get pregnant. When she was young, she often went out to work in very thin clothing. Even in winter, she did not have any padded cotton jacket to wear. Jiang Yi gave all the good things at home to her younger siblings. As the eldest sister, she could only bear with the tough life. As time passed, her health became affected. The doctor had told her countless times that her body was considered too cold in the concept of traditional Chinese medicine and it would probably be very difficult for her to have children. However, she kept lying to herself and Xia Wen. She even blamed Xia Wen for being the cause of their unhappy marriage because he was infertile. This was all a self-directed show that she put up to lie to everyone. Some time ago, Jiang Yi had come to look for Tan Jing. This time, it was not to discuss the matter of the house. Instead, she wanted Tan Jing to adopt a child from a distant relative of the Tan family. The little boy was six years old and quite good-looking. He had thick eyebrows and big eyes and was very likable. This family had too many children and they could not afford to raise this child, so they were looking to find someone to adopt him. Jiang Yi immediately thought of Tan Jing. If Tan Jing adopted this child, it could be considered as her giving the Xia family a descendant! Then Tan Jing would have a more stable status in the Xia family. "Xiao Jing, what do you think about this idea?" Jiang Yi asked obsequiously. "It''s better that you revert to calling me a wretched girl. I feel uncomfortable when you use my name," Tan Jing said stubbornly. If Jiang Yi had not gone to Qiao Mei''s place to cause a scene, Tan Jing''s relationship with Xia Wen would not have reached this stage and Xia Wen would not make himself so busy every day that he could not go home. All of this was Jiang Yi''s doing! "You wretched girl, do you feel uncomfortable if I don''t scold you for a day! Just answer me! Do you want this child or not!" Jiang Yi said impatiently. Tan Jing rejected Jiang Yi without a second thought. She knew what Jiang Yi was up to. Jiang Yi wanted a child from the Tan family to become a member of the Xia family. After Xia Jun and Xia Mao died, the child would then have a share of the family''s assets. Although the child''s surname was Xia, he was still a part of the Tan family. Therefore, the assets should belong to the Tan family! "Don''t even think about it. I''ll have my own child. I don''t need to adopt any child! You''d better give up those thoughts!" Tan Jing said fiercely. "Don''t be ungrateful! You know very well whether you can have children or not! You don''t have to pretend in front of me!" Jiang Yi scolded. Chapter 1068 - 1068 I Will Give You One Day 1068 I Will Give You One Day Jiang Yis words caused Tan Jing to be completely infuriated. If not for Jiang Yis cruel treatment of her back then, she would not have become infertile. If not for Jiang Yi, she might have both a son and a daughter now and she would not have to endure all the gossip from her neighbors. It was all Jiang Yis fault. It was Jiang Yi who caused her all this pain! If not for you, I wont have ended up like this! Yet you question me about this now! How can a mother behave like this! Tan Jing said in agony. However, Jiang Yi did not think much of it. She felt that she was already very nice to Tan Jong. Normally, when a girl reached marriageable age, the family would quickly make arrangements for her to be married off. Not many mothers would have done what she did, allowing Tan Jing to date Xia Wen freely. If not for the fact that the Xia family was a prominent and well-to-do family, Jiang Yi would not agree to let Tan Jing marry Xia Wen. Her original intention was to make a big sum of money from marrying Tan Jing off. If Xia Wen was from a poor family, Jiang Yi would never even consider it. She would just ask Tan Jing to break up with him and then marry anyone from the village who could fork out 500 dollars as betrothal money. She did not care about Tan Jings happiness at all. What did I do to you? What did I do wrong? Tell me! How did I raise you wrongly! Jiang Yi said angrily. Tan Jing looked at Jiang Yi aggrievedly as tears silently flowed down from the corners of her eyes. She thought for a long time before saying, Why didnt you buy a padded cotton jacket for me when I was young? Yet you bought it for my younger siblings. Do you know that my health was affected by the cold winter because of that? If you had given me even a thin cotton jacket, the condition of my body might be much better than now. She thought that by saying that, Jiang Yi would feel sorry for her, feel guilty and blame herself. However, Jiang Yi did not think that it was her fault at all. Instead, she thought that Tan Jing should just bear with all that she had gone through. Are you talking about a lousy piece of clothing! What do you mean by I didnt buy it for you! When you were young, I fed you, didnt I! When I was young, not only did I not have a padded cotton jacket, I didnt even have food to eat! Despite that, I still took care of my entire family! Why are you so delicate! Why are you so difficult! If I am like you, I would have starved to death long ago! Dont blame me for the fact that you cant have children! Jiang Yi scolded. Tan Jings heart completely turned cold when she saw how atrociously Jiang Yi behaved in her house. She should not have expected anything from Jiang Yi nor imagined that Jiang Yi would feel sorry for her. All this time, all Jiang Yi wanted was money. As long as she could get money from Tan Jing, it did not matter even if Tan Jing died. Let me tell you! You have to do this! Ive already come to an agreement with the childs family. Its up to you to convince the Xia family to accept the child! Ill give you one day to do it! After saying that, Jiang Yi left Xia Wens house, leaving Tan Jing depressed and alone at home. In the end, this matter was left unsettled. Xia Wen was too busy with Qiao Meis family matters and helping the Xia family get ready for the new year. He often stayed over at Xia Juns house and did not go back to his own house. Even if she wanted to reconcile with Xia Wen, she did not get the chance to meet him. At this point, it was a situation of the two of them staying together despite not being able to stand the sight of each other. Later on, Jiang Yi came back a few times to kick up a fuss. However, due to the Xia familys prestige, Jiang Yi could not make the decision to directly send the child to the Xia family. It would not be a good thing to offend the Xia family. Tan Jing woke up early the next morning. Although she did not like staying at Qiao Meis house, as the Xia familys daughter-in-law, she still had to get up early to help out with the chores. Otherwise, Xu Lan and the others would have a lot to say about her. Xia Guang was used to waking up early in the army. He woke up before dawn and proceeded to sweep the courtyard, then he even wiped down the handrails of the long corridor and tidied up everything inside and outside the house. After that, there was really nothing else for him to do, so he went to the kitchen in the front yard to assist the helper. This helpers surname was Fan, so everyone addressed her as Sister Fan. The previous helper had to take care of her grandchild and did not have time to work for the Xia family anymore, so they had to hire a new helper. This new helper was a diligent person. She had worked as a helper for many families and was quite tight-lipped. In fact, she was recommended by the previous helper, so she should not be too lousy. Hello, Third Uncle. Tan Jing greeted Xia Guang and he simply nodded at her. He was busy cutting up vegetables and did not have time to chat with Tan Jing. Chapter 1069 Do Not Talk While Eating ? However, this made Tan Jing feel that Xia Guang was looking down on her. She recalled that Xia Guang''s reaction was not so subdued when he met Qiao Mei yesterday. He even helped Qiao Mei take food from the dishes that she could not reach. Tan Jing had witnessed all this for herself. Seeing that she was not needed in the kitchen, Tan Jing sat down in a corner of the courtyard. This was such a big courtyard. There was more than enough space for the children to run around and play in the future. During the time when Qiao Mei was renovating the house, she had even thought about building a car porch. However, if she sacrificed two rooms to build a car porch, it would make the entire house look much more cramped and the value of the house would depreciate greatly. The house opposite hers had a layout that was similar to Li Gui''s house. It also had six rooms and was half the size of the front yard part of her courtyard house. Qiao Mei had long set her sights on the house opposite, but she did not know if the neighbors had any intention to sell it. However, all this could wait. She was not in a hurry. Driving was a tiring chore and it was better to hire a chauffeur. In her other life, she was a "road menace" and she was always very cautious and scared when she drove. "If only my children can live in such a house in the future" Tan Jing muttered to herself. It was a rare thing for Xia He to get up early. It took her more than 10 minutes to get out of Qiao Mei''s bed, worried that she would bump into Qiao Mei or make a sound and wake her up. Perhaps Qiao Mei had been feeling better mentally and physically recently, so she had slept well these past few days. She did not have to make multiple trips to the toilet every night like before. Although she still needed to wake up to go to the toilet, it was much less frequent. As usual, Xia He got dressed and started to do her leg presses in the courtyard. Qiao Mei knew that Xia He must do her morning exercise every day, so she specially installed a dance barre in the courtyard. In any case, Zhang Miao would also be practicing dancing at home in the future, so the barre would not go to waste. Qiao Mei even had plans to ask Xia He to teach her daughter in the future! It was not that she wanted the child to be a good dancer, but she just wanted to improve the child''s temperament. Dancers all looked very radiant and had very good postures. If not for the fact that Qiao Mei was stunningly beautiful and overshadowed Xia He''s radiance, Xia He would have been the most good-looking girl in the vicinity. Slowly, everyone woke up one after another. By now, the helper had gotten breakfast for everyone. "Where''s Qiao Mei?" Xia Fang asked as she looked at Xia He. "Let''s eat. Don''t worry about Qiao Mei. She doesn''t sleep very well at night nowadays, so she can''t manage to get up in the morning. Usually, she only has two meals a day. Sometimes, she doesn''t even get up for lunch. We always keep some food in the kitchen so that she always has something to eat. At times, she can''t fall asleep the entire night," Xia He explained. "So serious? Is she sick? Should we bring her to the hospital for a checkup? Xiao Fang, do you know about Qiao Mei''s current condition?" Xia Xiu asked as she looked at Xia Fang nervously. She had never been married and never had children, so she naturally did not know anything about pregnancy. Xia Fang smiled and said, "It''s fine. Some time ago, Qiao Mei had already done a full-body checkup. The indicators are all good and we''re just waiting for her to give birth. It''s normal for her to feel like this now. Moreover, she''s having twins, so her stomach is bigger than other pregnant women. It''s inevitable that this will happen during the late stages of her pregnancy and it''s not a big deal. I think she eats well and sleeps enough, it''s just that she doesn''t get restful sleep." After Xia Fang''s explanation, all of them felt more at ease. Everyone at the table was very quiet as they ate. This might have something to do with their profession. Soldiers ate very quickly. In addition, the military rules prohibited them from chatting and whispering to each other while eating. They were so used to it that they brought this habit back to their own homes. Although Xu Lan and Xia He were only part of the military art troupe, they had also gone through military training. Even though the training duration was only one month, it had a huge impact on them and they also got used to such habits. As for Liu Fen and Xia Fang, although they were not in military service and had never lived in an army unit before, their husbands and sons were from the army, so they were familiar with such things. However, it was different for Tan Jing. She had only married into the family after Xia Wen retired from the army. They did not have so many rules in their own home and Xia Wen was also not that rigid a person. Even though she was well aware of the Xia family''s rules, she still could not get used to it. Unless it was absolutely necessary, she rarely ate with the family elders. She felt very uncomfortable to have to eat under such an oppressive dining environment. Occasionally missing content, please report errors in time. Chapter 1070 Introducing A Girlfriend ? After around five to six minutes, everyone put down their bowls and chopsticks. They had all finished eating and only Tan Jing was still eating slowly alone. Seeing that everyone had stopped, Tan Jing quietly put down her bowl and chopsticks. Sister Fan cleared the table efficiently. The next meal would be at noon. Everyone went to the backyard to chat as it was rare that the weather was warmer today. The men went back into the house to talk business, so the women gathered together to have a casual conversation about the gossip they had heard recently and the trivial matters at home. "Eldest sister, are you and that Jiang Jin still seeing each other?" Xia Fang asked. Xia Xiu and Xia Fang got along very well and could tell each other everything. Xia Xiu also especially favored Xia Fang''s son. If she had to rank her favorite children in the Xia family, Xia Zhe and Xiang Chen would share the top spot. "He''s so stubborn. He feels that being with me now will only hold me back for the rest of my life. We aren''t really in contact now," Xia Xiu said resignedly. At their age, as long as they were each doing well, they would not force anything on each other. Jiang Jin knew very well that he had let Xia Xiu down back then and he felt too ashamed to continue the relationship. Xia Xiu was living well now, so he did not want to disrupt her peaceful life. "That''s good too. You won''t have to worry about trivial manners. I really can''t imagine you being busy with groceries and household chores every day," Xu Lan said with a laugh. As Liu Fen munched on seeds, she asked, "Xiao Fang, is your Xiao Chen already of marriageable age? Does he have someone he likes or an idea of the kind of girl he likes? We can all keep a lookout for him." "Second Sister-in-law, are you muddle-headed? My Xiang Chen is still in school this year. He doesn''t even have a stable job yet, so how can he get married? Won''t he just be making life difficult for the girl!" Xia Fang said. Regarding the topic of marriage, Liu Fen should be the one feeling more anxious. Her two sons were not young anymore and they still had not even found someone they liked! Both of them had been single for many years. "Xia He, didn''t you promise me to find girlfriends for your two younger cousins? It''s been half a year. Where are the candidates?" Liu Fen asked. Xia He only wanted to just sit down and listen to the gossip, but she did not expect to be called upon. She had really brought this upon herself! "I did! I''ve been looking around all this while. I can''t do such a task too casually and I have to choose carefully. But then again, Second Aunt-in-law, you have such high expectations. It''s hard to find a girl like Qiao Mei. Why don''t you lower your expectations?" Xia He said with a troubled expression. "No! I want to find a daughter-in-law like Qiao Mei!" Liu Fen said stubbornly. Xia Xiu could not stop smiling. This was the first time she had seen Liu Fen like this. Back then, she wondered who was the one who despised Qiao Mei so much and said that Qiao Mei was just a pretty face with nothing going for her apart from her good looks. This same person even called Qiao Mei a foxy woman who seduced Xia Zhe into doing something wrong and then forced him to get married. The image of Liu Fen gnashing her teeth was still vivid in Xia Xiu''s mind. Now, Liu Fen would praise Qiao Mei many times a day. Not long ago, she even went to the temple to burn incense and pray to the gods to give her two daughters-in-law like Qiao Mei. "You should just lower your standards. Not everyone can find a girl like our Qiao Mei. Our Xia Zhe is still the best and he has good taste!" Xu Lan said proudly. Liu Fen angrily grabbed a handful of seeds and stuffed them into Xu Lan''s hands as she said, "Don''t say things to make me angry. Eat some seeds. There''s so much to eat, yet it can''t stuff your mouth!" "I still want to say it! My Qiao Mei is so likable! Oh well, it''s something you can''t have even if you want it~" If Xu Lan had a tail, she would be wagging it proudly! Today was the first day of the new year. After Qiao Mei woke up, she tied up her hair in a simple bun and decorated it with a hairpin. Then, she put on a simple teal-colored cheongsam with a modified design. The upper part of the dress was still based on the traditional design, but the lower part was an A-line skirt that could hide her bulging stomach. She had designed this dress herself! After getting dressed, Qiao Mei put on a cloak made from fox fur. Xia Zhe had personally hunted the fox in the mountains! She had designed and made the cloak herself. If she had time in the future, she could open a boutique and create her own brand. After the children grew up, she not only wanted to enter the food and beverage industry, the clothing industry and the furniture industry, but she also wanted to dabble in logistics and expand her business widely. Chapter 1071 The Loser Will Give Gold Bars ? Qiao Mei slowly made her way to the backyard. At this moment, she looked so dazzling that everyone''s attention was focused on her. "We''re just talking about you! Come and hold off your mother-in-law. If you don''t come soon, your mother-in-law is going to praise you to the skies!" Xia Xiu said with a smile. "Whatever Mother says definitely makes sense~" Qiao Mei said as she sat obediently beside Xu Lan. Xu Lan looked at everyone proudly and said, "See! My daughter-in-law is the best! Qiao Mei, ignore them. They''re all just jealous of me." This was the first time Xia He had seen so many different types of expressions on Xu Lan''s face. She looked as if she simply wanted to keep Qiao Mei by her side and to sing praises of Qiao Mei to everyone she met! "Hmph! I''ll definitely be able to find a daughter-in-law like Qiao Mei! Just wait and see! When my son gets married, don''t be too shocked!" Liu Fen said indignantly. "If Xia Yu and Xia Yuan can find you daughters-in-law who are better than Qiao Mei! I''ll give them gold bars when they get married!" Xu Lan said in a fit of pique. Everyone looked at Xu Lan out of surprise. This was the stingiest woman in the family. Although Xu Lan looked like a generous rich lady, she was actually very stingy. She would not spend a single cent unnecessarily and would only buy necessities. It was especially difficult to convince Xu Lan to give an expensive gift to anyone. No one had ever managed to get anything from Xu Lan. "You say it yourself! Don''t regret it and go back on your word later!" Liu Fen said. "Yes, I said it. There are so many witnesses! Why will I lie to you?" Xu Lan said with a laugh. "Then how big is the gold bar that you intend to give? Don''t just get a tiny one. Otherwise, what is it good for!" Liu Fen said disdainfully. "Am I that kind of person? Don''t worry, I won''t forget about your two precious sons. Besides, are you sure you can find a better daughter-in-law than our Qiao Mei! Maybe you will have to give me a gold bar instead!" Xu Lan said. Xia Yu was a serious person and he actually resembled Xia Mao a little. Being a very quiet person, he did not like to talk much. He was very hardworking and had already achieved many of his goals, but he just could not get his head around this topic called love. He had never been in a relationship before and he had not even met a girl he was interested in. Liu Fen often suspected that Xia Yu was secretly dating but did not want to tell his family about it. It was not until later that she realized all Xia Yu did every day was to go to work and return home to study. She had to accept the fact that Xia Yu was not interested in dating at all. If Xia Yu could find a girl he liked, it would be as rare as finding an iron tree in bloom! Xia Yuan had a completely different personality. He was a sociable person and could get along with everyone. He had so many girlfriends that he lost count of them. However, Liu Fen was never satisfied with any of his girlfriends. He finally managed to find a girl of equal social status last year, but he messed it up in the end. Her two sons really gave her a headache. If they could find her a daughter-in-law similar to Qiao Mei, she would be happy even if the girl only had half of Qiao Mei''s capabilities! That would still be a much better situation than now! Everyone chatted and laughed, trying to imagine and make up stories about the kind of girls whom Xia Yu and Xia Yuan would marry in the end. They even discussed whether their future children would be boys or girls! As it went on, the things they talked about became more and more far-fetched. "Do you think I should just run a kindergarten in the future? Look, my eldest daughter has two children and my second daughter has three. If Xia Yu and Xia Yuan have two children each, then an old woman like me will have to take care of nine children! I''ll be exhausted!" Liu Fen said in shock. "Shouldn''t you be happy about that! My Xiang Chen told me that he won''t get married until he''s 28 years old! Nowadays, everyone gets married at around 20 years old. By the time they are 28 years old, their children are already in school! Yet my son only wants to get married at that time! It''s so worrying!" Xia Fang said sadly. "Your Xiang Chen is a promising young man. He might even become a professor in the university like what Xia Wen used to do! Or he could even go overseas to further his studies. You should feel satisfied. Xiang Chen is already considered an obedient child!" Xia Xiu comforted her. "He''s still not as outstanding as Eldest Sister-in-law''s children. Her eldest is in politics, her second is so good-looking and her third is in the army and has a capable and beautiful wife. If I''m half as lucky as Eldest Sister-in-law, I''ll even laugh in my sleep!" Liu Fen said enviously. Chapter 1072 Look For The Tan Family ? "What''s so good about that! Don''t spout nonsense! At my age, I still don''t have a grandchild yet!" Xu Lan said. Xia He quickly grabbed Xu Lan''s hand and placed it on Qiao Mei''s stomach as she said, "Yes you do! Here! Look, isn''t your eldest grandchild here?" She was worried that someone would mention her divorce again. Ever since she divorced Kong Lu, people around her kept asking questions about it. Whenever she happened to meet someone she knew, there were numerous questions thrown at her. Many people were anxiously waiting to introduce a partner to her. To put it nicely, they were worried about her future happiness. To put it bluntly, they were just eyeing the Xia family''s prestige and wanted to build a relationship with the Xia family by having Xia He marry into their family. "That''s right, I''m about to become a grandmother soon! My happy days are coming!" Xu Lan said with a smile. Tan Jing was the only person who sat silently at one side. Ever since Tan Jing arrived at Qiao Mei''s house, Xu Lan had not even looked at her once or even said a word to her. Everyone kept praising Qiao Mei for being a good daughter-in-law, but no one made any mention of Xu Lan''s other daughter-in-law, Tan Jing. All of them treated her like she was invisible. Other than Xia Wen who would occasionally come to check on her, everyone else avoided her like she was a sewage rat. "Mother I''m not feeling so well. I''ll go into the room and rest for a while," Tan Jing went over to Xu Lan and whispered. Xu Lan flicked her hand nonchalantly and did not even speak to Tan Jing. In her heart, Xu Lan still felt disgusted with Tan Jing. It was not because of the issue about having children, but because Tan Jing had really gone overboard in the way she treated Xia Wen some time ago. It was time to suppress the Tan family''s arrogance and let them know who had the upper hand in this in-law relationship. The Xia family had helped the Tan family so many times over the years, both openly and secretly. However, not only were they ungrateful, they even belittled the Xia family time and time again, almost causing the Xia family to get into trouble. If Zhou Hua was considered a danger to the family, then Tan Jing was not far behind her. "Hey! Eldest Sister-in-law, is there still no good news from Tan Jing this year? Have you asked Xia Wen to go for a checkup? Can it be Xia Wen who has a problem?" Liu Fen asked softly. "There''s nothing wrong with Xia Wen. He secretly came to look for me before. We did a checkup for him and concluded that there''s nothing wrong with him," Xia Fang said. "It''s not like I can talk about this issue. Previously, I wanted to bring Tan Jing to see Xia Fang, but before I could elaborate, she said that I was blaming her even though it was not even important to Xia Wen. So I stopped caring about it," Xu Lan said. Liu Fen stole a glance at the figure of the departing Tan Jing and said unhappily, "I just know the problem is with Tan Jing! How can our Xia Wen be the problem! Seriously, she has wasted Xia Wen''s time for so many years! Is she going to let Xia Wen remain childless for the rest of his life?" Xu Lan shook her head resignedly. Her children had their own lives to live. She could not interfere in this matter and did not want to say anything more. Xia Wen was not a child anymore and knew how to decide for himself. It was not as if she could force Xia Wen to get a divorce and find another wife! A child was the fruit borne out of love between a couple. If there was no love, it was better not to have a child. Otherwise, the child would have a tough life after being born. Tan Jing did not go very far. She stood quietly around the corner and listened to the people in the courtyard talking about her. She just knew that everyone could not stand her! All of them despised her for being infertile! She knew that the moment she left, everyone would definitely talk about her. After eavesdropping for a long time, Tan Jing made up her mind. She left Qiao Mei''s house without looking back and did not even tell anyone where she was going. She went to the entrance of the alley and took the bus all the way to the Tan family''s house. After what happened today, she had made up her mind to adopt that child. As long as she had a child, she would be able to gain a foothold in the Xia family. As long as this child''s surname was Xia and he acknowledged Xia Wen as his father, his bloodline did not matter. The only thing Tan Jing desperately wanted to do now was to prove that she could be as useful as Qiao Mei, so that Xu Lan would value her and see that she could also contribute to the Xia family. She could let Xia Wen have descendants too! As long as the child was related to either the Tan family or the Xia family, it should be enough right? When Tan Jing reached the main door, she kept pounding the door knocker. The deafening sound could be heard from a long way away. "Who is it! It''s the new year, do you have to do this! Why are you knocking so incessantly! Are you trying to drive us to our graves!" Jiang Yi said angrily. Chapter 1073 Considering Adoption ? "Mom! Open the door! I''m back!" Tan Jing shouted through the crack in the door. Jiang Yi opened the door excitedly, but she realized that there was only Tan Jing standing in front of her. She stepped outside and looked around, but she did not see any car on the street. There was no one on the main street. "Mom, what are you looking for?" Tan Jing asked curiously. "You''re back alone? Where''s Xia Wen?" Jiang Yi said with a frown. Tan Jing had left in a hurry and did not even bother to tell Xia Wen. Anyway, no one in the Xia family cared about her. She reckoned that even if she did not go back tonight, no one would notice. "He''s not here. I''m back by myself. Can''t I come back to my own house?" Tan Jing asked. "You little asshole, what nonsense are you talking about! It''s up to you whether you want to come back or not! What has it got to do with me!" Jiang Yi grumbled. If Xia Wen did not come back with Tan Jing, then what was the use of her coming back alone! In the past years when Xia Wen came with Tan Jing for the new year visit, he would come with a truck full of things. The trunk would be packed so tightly that there was no space at all. Since Tan Jing came back alone this year, it meant that there was none of the good stuff. Therefore, Jiang Yi did not welcome her at all. After Tan Jing entered the house, the Tan family members had the same reaction as Jiang Yi. They first looked at Tan Jing, then looked behind her excitedly. Finally, their eyes were filled with disappointment. "Where''s Xia Wen? Why isn''t he here?" Tan Hu questioned. "He''s busy, so I''m back on my own," Tan Jing said. "Then did Xia Wen''s driver send you here? Or did you make your way here yourself?" Tan Hu continued to ask. "Can''t I come back on my own?" Tan Jing said as she looked at Tan Hu calmly, as if she was already used to such treatment. Tan Hu curled his lips in dissatisfaction and said, "What''s the use of you coming back when Xia Wen isn''t here! You even come back empty-handed! You have a big family here! Yet you come back without bringing anything with you! You''re really shameless." Tan Jing could not be bothered to argue with Tan Hu. She grabbed hold of Jiang Yi and went to another room in silence, then she said, "Which family''s child did you mention to me the last time? Are they closely related to us? What''s their background?" Jiang Yi found it a little unbelievable. Tan Jing had rejected her immediately back then and there had been no news after that. Why did Tan Jing suddenly come to ask about this matter today? Could it be that the Xia family was very satisfied with this child? Or was it the Xia family''s idea to adopt a child? That should not be the case. Qiao Mei was about to give birth to the Xia family''s first great-grandchildren, so why would they agree to Tan Jing adopting a child at this juncture? It was going to be hectic looking after Qiao Mei''s two babies, so why would they want to add on another burden? "Xia Wen has agreed?" Jiang Yi asked. Tan Jing hesitated for a moment before nodding. She would just take it that Xia Wen had agreed. She should be able to make the decision on this matter! As long as she brought the child home, Xia Wen would not be so heartless as to send the child away. She would act first and worry about it later. It did not matter if Xia Wen blamed her after that. By then, the child would be theirs and the Xia family members would no longer be able to look down on her. "It''s good so long as Xia Wen agrees. You don''t know this child. He belongs to a relative from our hometown. They have seven or eight children and they really have no money to feed everyone, so they came to ask me if I have any way to help them sell the child. I immediately thought of you then. See how good I am to you! I think of you even in such a situation! Otherwise, I would have helped them sell the child long ago!" Jiang Yi said proudly. "Sell? Is this child of unknown origin? I thought it''s meant to be an adoption? How did it become selling the child?" Tan Jing said fearfully. No matter how much Tan Jing wanted a child, she could not do anything illegal. If Xia Wen''s promotion was affected because of her, the rest of her life would be ruined! If that was the case, she would rather go to the orphanage. It was better to adopt a totally unrelated child than to have a child of unknown origin. "No, but you have to give the family some money for food. It''s not easy for them to bring up the child too. Now that they''re giving their child to you, shouldn''t you buy some food for them?" Jiang Yi changed the narrative suddenly. Tan Jing felt much more at ease after hearing this explanation. She asked a few more questions before she felt completely at ease. However, she still did not know if she had any affinity with this child, or if he had a good temper and personality, or if he was willing to return to the Xia family with her. If the child was very mischievous, then it would be too much trouble! In that case, she would prefer not to take in such a child. Chapter 1074 Choosing The Child ? "If you agree to this matter, then bring 1,000 dollars to me the day after tomorrow. I''ll get that family to send the child over and we''ll do an exchange. Then it''ll be considered done," Jiang Yi said calmly. An amount of 1,000 dollars! Tan Jing looked at Jiang Yi in shock. An amount of 100 dollars was already considered a huge sum of money to her. If Jiang Yi even dared to ask her for 1,000 dollars, she did not believe that those people were not selling the child. "I can''t give them so much money, but I can buy enough groceries for their family to eat their fill for the first half of the year. I will not agree to anything else. There are so many children out there and I can adopt any of them," Tan Jing said. "Do you think you can call the shots? You think you can get a child if you feel like it or call it off if you change your mind. You don''t get to do things like this! Are those children out there related to us by blood! Go and ask Xia Wen to send the money over. Otherwise, I''ll expose everything you said to me and we''ll see who''s the one who''ll be disgraced," Jiang Yi said mockingly to Tan Jing. Jiang Yi was already so old, so why would she care about her reputation? If reputation was important to her, then she would not have clung to Tan Jing and the Xia family like a leech for so many years. Was there not a saying? Shameless people were invincible. Since Jiang Yi was behaving so shamelessly with Tan Jing, therefore Tan Jing did not think there was anything wrong with turning her back on her mother. Was this about behaving shamelessly? She could do that too. After all, did she even command any more respect nowadays? These people who called themselves her family members had nothing but money on their minds. Everyone in the neighborhood knew that Tan Jing was infertile. At this moment, the Xia family was starting to treat her coldly, Xia Wen was drifting away from her, and she had no one to rely on and no job to speak of. Since she was already a person who had nothing, she was not afraid of anything. At most, she would just fight it to the death with Jiang Yi. "I don''t have any money, I only have my life left. If you don''t give me this child, I''ll go to the police and report you for abducting and trafficking children. Let''s see who''s the one who''ll suffer then!" Tan Jing said with a smile. "Are you crazy! You actually want to send your own mother to jail! How can there be a daughter like you!" Jiang Yi roared. "I don''t just want to send you to jail, but the rest of the family too! Tan Hu is still gambling outside. Isn''t Tan Bao having an affair outside? I recall that Tan Shi is going to be of marriageable age soon. If people find out that he has family members with criminal records, will there be any nice girls who will want to marry him? If I can''t live a good life, then none of you can have a good life too!" Tan Jing said fiercely. Among all her family members, the only person she did not mention was Tan Yue. Tan Yue also had a hard life and went through similar experiences as Tan Jing when she was young. Even after getting married to Zhou Nan, she still had a tough life. She had already given birth to three daughters after four years of marriage. Zhou Nan said that as long as she could not give birth to a son, she would need to continue to give birth until the Zhou family had a successor. He did not even care about whether Tan Yue''s health could take it. "I want to see this child tomorrow! If you don''t bring me the child, don''t blame me for doing what I need to do!" Tan Jing said. Jiang Yi said nervously, "Even if we inform the family tonight, the child won''t be able to get here until the morning of the day after tomorrow. Do you think he can travel by rocket!" "Fine, then let''s do it the day after tomorrow. I''ll buy some groceries for this child''s family but I won''t give them anything else. Isn''t it your intention for a child from the Tan family to get a share of the Xia family''s assets? Don''t think that I don''t know what you''re thinking. If you want money, then you should behave nicely. Otherwise, none of you can have a good life!" Tan Jing said. Tan Hu stood outside and heard everything that was being discussed in the room. Tan Jing needed a child to fight for a share of the Xia family''s assets and it must be a child from the Tan family. If so, then why not his son, Tan Xue? If the stakes were the Xia family''s assets, he was willing to give his own son to Tan Jing. They were biological aunt and nephew! This familial relationship was definitely much closer than one with a distant relative! Even if it ended up with Tan Jing only getting a small share of the assets, she would at least treat his son well. Tan Hu immediately turned around to pull Xu Xiang out of the house. The two of them sneaked into the woodshed for a chat. "What are you doing! I''m stewing vegetables in the pot! Your mother will scold me again if the dish gets burnt! Let me go back!" Xu Xiang said as she struggled. Chapter 1075 Sell The Child For A Fortune ? "Lower your voice! Sister-in-law is in the kitchen and can help out! That wretched girl Tan Yue is also there. So what if you come out for a while!" Tan Hu said unhappily. Xu Xiang broke free from Tan Hu''s grip and rubbed the spot where he grabbed her. He was a strong man but did not seem to know his own strength. Fortunately, she was hardy enough to withstand it. "What exactly do you want! Just say it! I must go back soon! Your mother will never reprimand you but if she sees that I''m not around, she will definitely scold me," Xu Xiang said. "I want Tan Jing to bring up our kid," Tan Hu said as he looked at Xu Xiang seriously. Xu Xiang thought that Tan Hu was joking with her and said laughingly, "Even if you find your elder sister disgusting, you shouldn''t go to this extent. Is it because she can''t have children? But she married well! She doesn''t have to worry about her future even if she doesn''t have children in this life. Don''t hurt your elder sister like what your mother does. Tan Xue still needs her help in the future!" "What I mean is I want to give him to Tan Jing. He will become Tan Jing''s child," Tan Hu repeated. Xu Xiang''s smile froze on her face. She could not believe what she just heard. What was Tan Hu talking about? Giving Tan Xue to Tan Jing so that Tan Xue''s surname would become Xia and his name would be Xia Xue? She had thought that Tan Hu was joking with her, but now it seemed that he was serious about it. "Are you crazy! That''s our son! We only have one son! Are you drunk! Do you know what you''re saying!" Xu Xiang said angrily. "Listen to me! Listen to me carefully!" Tan Hu grabbed hold of Xu Xiang tightly and said, "I just heard Mom and Tan Jing talking about how Tan Jing is going to adopt one of the children in the extended Tan family. The child will become Tan Jing''s child and will get a share of the Xia family''s assets in the future." Even if it was a tiny share of the Xia family''s wealth, it would be enough for Tan Hu and Xu Xiang to live well for the rest of their lives! Moreover, Tan Xue was already at an age where he could understand and remember things, unlike a young child. When Tan Xue grew up, they would be able to collude with him to slowly empty out the Xia family''s assets. At that time, the Xia family''s assets would all become Tan Hu''s assets. If they gave Tan Xue to Tan Jing, she would definitely have to give them some benefits. Otherwise, once they instructed Tan Xue to run home to them, Tan Jing''s plan would completely fail. In that case, they not only did not have to pay for Tan Xue''s living expenses anymore, they could even make money out of him. This was such a good deal! It was a business with guaranteed profits and no losses! So why not? "I definitely won''t agree! Are you even human! I think you must be a beast! Do you really think I don''t have any support from my maternal family! He''s my own flesh and blood. Even if I die, I won''t give Tan Xue to Tan Jing. You''d better give up on this idea!" Xu Xiang pushed Tan Hu away forcefully and pointed at him as she scolded him. "We can still have more children! But there''s only one chance to do this! Don''t tell me you''re not tempted by the Xia family''s assets at all!" Tan Hu said. Xu Xiang indeed loved money and she was definitely interested in the Xia family''s assets, but she would never sell her son to achieve her goal. Her son was her lifeblood. When she was giving birth to Tan Xue, she almost bled out and died on the operating table. It was not easy for her to have this child, so she would never hand him over to Tan Jing! Tan Hu''s last bit of patience was exhausted. He stared at Xu Xiang with bloodshot eyes and said fiercely, "Are you saying you''re not going to do as I say?" Xu Xiang said stubbornly, "Yes! If you want to send my son away! I I I''ll divorce you! At most, I''ll return to the Xu family and stay there forever! I won''t sell my son for wealth!" Seeing that Xu Xiang was unmoved by either force or persuasion, Tan Hu completely lost his patience. He rushed forward and started to beat Xu Xiang up. He even used the firewood next to him to hit Xu Xiang''s back viciously. The scrawny Xu Xiang could not withstand such a beating at all and curled up on the ground as she groaned in pain. "Ah!!!" "B*tch! How dare you talk back to me! How dare you shout at me! How dare you feel so smug and refuse to listen just because I talk to you nicely! B*tch, I''ll beat you to death today! Then I''ll give Tan Xue to Tan Jing! I''ll rub it in your face even after you die!" Tan Hu said angrily. Chapter 1076 Take A Look At My Son ? Xu Xiang''s screams of pain very quickly attracted the attention of the people in the house, but no one moved and everyone acted like they did not hear her. They all just went about their own business. Only Tan Yue frowned slightly and seemed sympathetic. All her brothers had the habit of hitting women. Even her father, Tan Bo, beat up Jiang Yi in his younger days. Tan Yue had witnessed all these incidents, but she could not and did not dare to do anything. If she went forward to stop them, they would beat her up as well. They did not care who they beat up during the process. Tan Jing went out to go to the toilet. When she passed by the woodshed, she took a look inside. Xu Xiang already looked as if she was on her last breath. If this continued, she would very likely be beaten to death by Tan Hu. "Cough, cough." Tan Jing coughed lightly twice before walking away rapidly. Tan Hu''s hands stopped moving and the mad glint in his eyes gradually disappeared. Tan Hu took a deep breath and threw away the piece of firewood in his hand. He said, "Pfft! I feel disgusted even when I hit you. I wanted to discuss it with you nicely but you have to make me do this. Anyway, I''m just informing you about this matter. In a while, I''ll go and ask Tan Jing about adopting Tan Xue. You won''t be able to change this fact even if you die." With that, Tan Hu left the woodshed without looking back and went into the house to look for Tan Jing. He must speak to her about this matter as soon as possible. Otherwise, once the other child was here, Tan Xue would no longer stand a chance. Xu Xiang lay on the ground in pain and could not speak. Tears flowed down from the corners of her eyes silently. All she could do now was to pray that Tan Jing would not accept Tan Xue. "Eldest sister, come out with me for a while. I have something to tell you," Tan Hu said fawningly as he stood beside Tan Jing. Tan Jing looked at Tan Hu in puzzlement. Tan Hu had never addressed her as eldest sister before. He already considered himself to be respectful if he called her by her full name. It was as odd as the sun rising from the west. "What''s the matter? Can''t we talk here?" Tan Jing asked. "Here" Tan Hu looked around and whispered to Tan Jing, "There are too many people and it''s not convenient. Eldest sister, just come out with me to say a few words. It''ll only take five to six minutes." She knew that Tan Hu would not dare to hit her as he knew that the Xia family would help her if he did that. At most, he would just threaten her, which was not a big deal. Therefore, Tan Jing was not worried about going outside with Tan Hu. When they reached the door, Tan Huo just looked at Tan Jing and wondered how to tell her about his idea. After all, he had found out about her desire to adopt a child only because he eavesdropped on her conversation. Now that he was asking someone for help, he must behave appropriately. "Are you going to say anything or not? If not, I''m leaving," Tan Jing said impatiently. "I am! I am! It''s I heard that you''re looking to adopt a child from the Tan family?" Tan Hu asked tentatively. "Yes, there is indeed such a thing," Tan Jing admitted openly. Tan Hu said happily, "What do you think of my Tan Xue?" Tan Jing was a little shocked. She had never considered Tan Xue. Putting aside the child''s character, there was only one boy in their branch of the Tan family. Her third brother, Tan Bao, had a daughter and her fourth brother was not married yet. If she took Tan Xue away, Jiang Yi would kill her! "He''s your only child. Are you willing to give him to me just like that? Aren''t you afraid that Mom will scold you?" Tan Jing asked. "I''m not afraid. He''s my son and I can do whatever I want. There''s no problem. Eldest sister, you should consider my Tan Xue. My son is really very obedient and sensible. He''s definitely better than any of those relatives'' children!" Tan Hu said. Tan Jing thought for a moment and said, "I don''t really have any say in this matter. It''s up to Xia Wen to make the decision. Even if I think highly of Tan Xue, I can''t just bring him home. I have to discuss it with Xia Wen. You should wait for me to ask him first." If she rejected Tan Hu right now, they would definitely get into an argument. It was easier to push the issue to Xia Wen. Tan Hu probably would not dare to go straight to Xia Wen to offer the child to him. "Alright, I''ll ask my brother-in-law about it in the future," Tan Hu said. The Xia family still had not sent anyone to look for Tan Jing by evening time. They did not even call the house to check if she was there. Feeling in low spirits, Tan Jing looked out of the window at the brightly lit houses outside. Even in a wolf''s den like the Tan family, there were so many couples. Tan Hu and Xu Xiang, Tan Bao and Wang Meng, and Tan Yue and Zhou Nan were all in pairs. Even though life was tough, each couple went through the hardships together. Chapter 1077 An Encounter ? She thought about how although she and Xia Wen had been together for so many years, it seemed that she was alone most of the time. Xia Wen would always be busy with the Xia family''s matters and did not have much time for his own family. The two of them rarely went out for a meal on their own. In the past, they would have lunch together with their colleagues in the school canteen and then go back to the Xia family residence for dinner. It was as if they stopped spending time together as a couple after they got married. After a while, the two of them found themselves having less and less common topics to talk about. Tan Jing did not want to stay at the Tan family''s house any longer. After saying a quick goodbye to Jiang Yi, she slowly walked down the main street and missed the last bus in the end. All the shops in the vicinity were closed for the new year holidays and she had nowhere to go since she did not have any money on her. She had no choice but to wander to a small park nearby. She found a bench to sit on and quietly stared into the distance. Suddenly, Tan Jing heard a clicking sound. She turned around and saw a very young man holding a camera and taking a photo of her. The man seemed a little shy and surprised to be discovered. "Hello, I just thought that you looked very pretty just now and couldn''t help but take a photo. If you don''t feel comfortable, I can give you the film. This way, you don''t have to worry about your photo being displayed in public," the man said softly as he walked forward in a gentlemanly manner. This was the first time in more than 10 years that a man had said she looked pretty. She felt so aged and haggard, so how could she be good-looking? This man must be joking with her. Tan Jing laughed self-deprecatingly and said resignedly, "Sir, you should give me the film. I don''t think I''m as good-looking as you say. I hope you can ask for permission before taking someone''s photo next time. Personally, I don''t really like taking photos." The man earnestly took out the film from the camera and handed it to Tan Jing. He kept a warm smile on his face as he did that, as if giving his entire row of film to Tan Jing was no big deal. Film was a single use item, so it was something very precious. Most people only have a few family photos which they displayed at home. These photos were usually taken at the photo studio during festive seasons when the entire family was around. The portable camera that he was holding was even rarer as it was an imported item. Film was equally expensive and not readily available. "Don''t you feel sad about removing your film? Are you giving it to me because you don''t have any other photos inside?" Tan Jing asked curiously. "Compared to the price of the film, aren''t your feelings more important? I''m a freelance photographer and I like to take photos of scenery everywhere I go. I place more importance on the unique and beautiful sight which I managed to capture just now. The image is already imprinted on my mind, so the film is already useless to me. Take it as my compensation to you," the man said. This man was glib-tongued and all his words were very pleasant to the ears. Tan Jing was very curious about the man''s background and why he was such a person. He even said that she was a unique sight? It was already good enough if she did not look like a mess. "Don''t make fun of me. Just remove the part with my image. There''s no need to give me the entire row of film. This thing is not cheap," Tan Jing said. The man nodded and took out a pair of small scissors from his pocket. He gently pulled out the film and slowly cut out the part with Tan Jing''s image before placing it in her hand. "Look, you''re really beautiful," the man said with a smile. Even though it was not a developed photo, she could still vaguely see the image on the film under the light. It was a picture of her sitting alone on the bench with an indescribable sense of disillusionment. It was well-taken and really looked very beautiful. "It indeed looks good. Your skills are quite good," Tan Jing praised. "No, it''s because you''re very good-looking to begin with. What I did was to capture your beauty in that moment," the man said. Tan Jing stared into the man''s eyes for a long time and felt that his eyes were so clear that they did not look tainted by the secular world at all. It seemed to be a common trait among artists. They all had their own unique perspective on the world. "My name is Cheng Gu. May I know your name?" Cheng Gu asked as he stared into Tan Jing''s eyes. Tan Jing blushed slightly. This was the first time she had met such an intense man. She whispered, "Tan Jing." Chapter 1078 Do You Have Any Wish ? "It means serenity. Your name suits you. When I saw you just now, I also felt that you''re serenely beautiful. Why are you here alone so late at night? There are no more public buses," Cheng Gu asked. This was the first time someone had praised her in this manner. However, she also found it weird that this stranger was strolling around here and behaving so abnormally. Generally, only elderly men and women would take walks in this place and only during the day. Most young people did not want to live in this area. Tan Jing looked at Cheng Gu warily and asked, "What about you? Why are you here alone?" "I live in the city and I''m here today to visit my parents. I was on my way back to the city when I caught a glimpse of this place. Since the moon is so bright tonight, I got out of the car to take some photos. I never expect to run into you in this way," Cheng Gu said gently. "Then where''s your car? Where did you park?" Tan Jing asked. Cheng Gu pointed at a white car in the distance and said, "That''s my car. If you don''t believe me, I can show you my driver''s license. It''s in the car." Seeing that Cheng Gu was so calm and collected, Tan Jing did not suspect anything else. After all, he was just a stranger. After this chance meeting today, they might never see each other again. It would not matter to her at all. "Why are you sitting here alone so late at night? Is there something troubling you?" Cheng Gu probed. "Me? I didn''t manage to catch the last bus, but indeed I haven''t been doing too well recently. It''s not a big deal. It''s just some family issues. Your family probably has your issues too," Tan Jing said sadly. Cheng Gu lowered his head shyly and said, "I''m not married yet But it''s obvious to me that you''re unhappy. There''s no light in your eyes." Not married yet! Tan Jing looked at Cheng Gu in surprise. He was probably only slightly younger than Xia Zhe, so how was he not married yet? Could it be that there was something wrong with him Or could it be that there was something wrong with his family "I thought that you''re already married. People your age probably already have kids who are in kindergarten. Don''t your parents nag at you to get married?" Tan Jing asked with a smile. "I haven''t met anyone I like yet. My parents are more open-minded and don''t ask for too much from me. They just let me be. The two of them should be anxious for me to get married, but they probably just talk about it behind my back and they don''t really force me," Cheng Gu said. "Then you have to treat your future wife well after you get married in the future. Don''t let her down. No matter who the girl is, it''s not an easy thing for her to marry someone. Don''t let her suffer within your family, do you understand?" Tan Jing said solemnly. "I swear that I will love her fully and give her everything unconditionally. I will never let her down!" Cheng Gu looked into Tan Jing''s eyes earnestly and asked, "What about you? Have you been let down?" Facing such a frank and sincere person, Tan Jing looked away as she did not know how to answer Cheng Gu''s question. Whatever Cheng Gu said just now, Xia Wen had also said the same thing to her before. After they got married, Xia Wen had never done anything to let her down. It had always been her own family who brought her endless trouble. It was only this year when the problem had intensified that Xia Wen quarreled with her. If not for Qiao Mei''s appearance, they would have continued to live their days in a muddled manner. It was only after seeing how Qiao Mei lived her life and how everyone treated Qiao Mei that Tan Jing realized that she was living an abnormal life and that it was not a good situation to be in. "I can''t say for sure, but you''re right about one thing. I''m not happy at all right now. I''m very unhappy, as if there''s no happiness in my life at all and that I don''t have anything to be happy about. I don''t even know what I can do to make myself happy. I guess there''s nothing," Tan Jing said helplessly. Cheng Gu looked at Tan Jing sadly. It was a very regretful thing for such a beautiful person to be crushed and destroyed by the triviality in her life. "Then is there anything you want to do, elder sister? I can consider helping you fulfill your wish," Cheng Gu said. Chapter 1079 Send Me Home ? "You? How are you going to help me fulfill my wish? What if I want the stars in the sky?" Tan Jing felt that Cheng Gu had spoken so immaturely because he was still too young. It was already good enough that a stranger took the time to chat with her, and he had even given her a piece of film with a beautiful image. How could she even dare to hope for anything else? "That''s right. As long as you ask for it, I will definitely fulfill your wish. Even if you want the moon, I can get it for you. What do you want to do the most at this moment? Tell me and I''ll help you fulfill this wish. As long as it''s something I can do, I''ll help you," Cheng Gu said seriously. Tan Jing looked into Cheng Gu''s eyes for a long time. He looked very serious and did not seem to be joking with her. Tan Jing asked in bafflement, "Why do you want to help me? We don''t even know each other. What do you get out of helping me, or are you up to something?" Unexpectedly, Cheng Gu relaxed and smiled. It was not wrong for Tan Jing to feel a sense of hostility towards him. It would be strange if Tan Jing did not feel suspicious at all. He was not concerned about Tan Jing feeling suspicious of him because he was being truly sincere. He was not doing this without anything in mind. "I just feel that you''re a nice person. I want to help you feel happy and find your happiness again. There was a period of time when I encountered many issues and I even thought about committing suicide. I''m still alive and well now because someone helped me back then, so I hope I can help you too," Cheng Gu said. Tan Jing was skeptical. She looked at the time and then at Cheng Gu''s car and said, "Then send me back to the city. I won''t be able to get a ride now. It might make me feel happy if you can send me back." "You''re not afraid of me now? You dare to take my car!" Cheng Gu said jokingly. "Why not? So are you sending me back or not?" Tan Jing asked happily. Who cares if it is safe or not! Who cares if it is a stranger or someone I know! None of this is important at all! The most important thing now was to be happy. She wanted to become happy and enjoy happiness! If Cheng Gu sent her back to the city, she would be able to go home, take a hot shower and have a good night''s sleep. This was what she felt like doing the most. It was probably the simplest form of happiness. Even if Cheng Gu brought her to a remote place to sell her or kill her, that would be even better! She would not have to go back and face those people from the Xia family, nor would she have to be threatened and scolded by the Tan family again. Everything would come to an end and she would no longer need to live such a bitter life. Sometimes, being alive was worse than being dead. She would prefer a quick death and get it over with. "For sure. As long as elder sister asks for it, I''ll do it," Cheng Gu said with a smile. The two of them chatted and laughed as they got into the car. Cheng Gu deliberately talked about the embarrassing things that happened to him when he was in school, which resonated with Tan Jing a lot. Along the way, Tan Jing spoke a lot about her childhood and recalled all the happy things that happened in the past. As she talked, she quickly forgot all her recent troubles. As Tan Jing looked at Cheng Gu''s side profile, she felt a sense of security. This sense of security was completely different from what she felt with Xia Wen. When she was with Xia Wen, it felt like she did not need to be afraid of anything because he would always help her out. However, with Cheng Gu, she felt a sense of warmth that could heal the pain in her heart. Tan Jing did not tell Cheng Gu her real address. Instead, she chose to drop off at the entrance of another neighborhood one kilometer away. It was safer for her this way and Cheng Gu would not be able to find her if he came to this neighborhood in the future. "This is where I live. Thank you for today," Tan Jing said. "Elder sister, I hope you will become happier in the future. See you next time," Cheng Gu said with a smile. Tan Jing shook her head and smiled without saying anything. This was probably the last time they would see each other. It was impossible for them to contact each other again in the future. As a married woman, how could she become close to a stranger who was a bachelor? She was just asking to be criticized! If there was any gossip about her, her position in the Xia family would be even more precarious. At this moment, everyone in the Xia family valued Qiao Mei a lot and was also very willing to nurture Xia Wen to take over Xia Mao''s position in the family. If anything went wrong at this time, Xia Wen definitely would not let her off. Cheng Gu watched Tan Jing''s figure disappear into the neighborhood before he drove off. Tan Jing hid in a dark corner and stared blankly in the direction where Cheng Gu had gone, the piece of film still clenched tightly in her hand. Chapter 1080 Panda Eyes ? "Really we won''t meet again But thank you so much for today" Tan Jing said regretfully as she looked at the piece of film. It took Tan Jing two hours to make the one-kilometer journey home. Along the way, she stopped frequently to look at the scenery in the city late at night and observe the people rushing by. It made her feel very happy and fulfilled. After returning home, she took a quick hot shower. Then, she tossed and turned as she lay on the bed. Cheng Gu''s face kept appearing in her mind and she seemed to keep hearing what he said to her. Was there really a need to do all these things she was doing now? Did she feel happy now? Perhaps she would have a good life after adopting that child. She guessed that she would be very happy then. She and Xia Wen did not lack anything except a child. Once they had a child, they would be able to secure his position as the next heir of the Xia family. At that time, whatever Xia Mao had would belong to Xia Wen. In the future, it would be up to Xia Wen to decide how and where they should live. Right. As long as she had a child, she would be able to defeat Qiao Mei. The Xia family would also think highly of her and she would then be able to answer to the Tan family. All this while, everyone looked down on her because she could not have a child. Once she had one, the Xia family would not be able to pick on her anymore. Tan Jing fell asleep while thinking about this. No one in the Xia family noticed that Tan Jing had gone missing. Even Xia Wen did not notice it. It was only at bedtime that Xia Wen realized that Tan Jing was missing. "Xiao He! Have you seen your sister-in-law?" Xia Wen asked with a frown. Xia He tried her best to recall everything that happened during the day. She did not recall having seen Tan Jing earlier, or even during the entire day Tan Jing did not have much of a presence, so Xia He really could not recall anything. "You can go and ask Aunt and the others. I was inside the room all day! I basically didn''t come out much. You can also ask Auntie Fan. Eldest Sister-in-law should have gone to the kitchen to help out during the day," Xia He said. Xia Wen did not act rashly and checked with Xia Xiu and Xia Fang. Based on Tan Jing''s character, she would not do anything reckless. She must have either gone back home to rest or to stay at the Tan family''s house. Tan Jing had been reluctant to spend the new year with the Xia family, so it was possible that she decided to go home in the end. Xia Wen tidied his clothes and decided to go back to his room to sleep. How could a living person just mysteriously disappear in this courtyard house? The most hidden place in this courtyard house was probably the well in Qiao Mei''s front yard. That well was covered with a huge stone slab and it was impossible to lift it without the help of two or three burly men. With Tan Jing''s strength, it would be impossible for her to move it. He decided to stop worrying and just let her be. She was not a child anymore and had her own judgment. It was not good for him to control her too much. Xia Wen lay on the bed and slowly closed his eyes. Recently, he had also been reflecting on his relationship with Tan Jing. After all, the Tan family was her maternal family and it was not her choice to be born in that family. Tan Jing also had her own difficulties, but the thing was that she should never have hurt other people. People who had been hurt before should better understand the feelings of people who were in the same situation. Everyone should be supporting and taking care of one another, not getting jealous and starting fights. Xia Wen was the eldest brother and the eldest male of his generation in the Xia family. He had to bear the responsibility of taking care of the entire Xia family. If he could not take good care of Qiao Mei, then he should not be a member of the Xia family anymore as he would feel too ashamed to face Xia Zhe. Even so, the Tan family could not be allowed to continue with their arrogant behavior. This time, they must be taught a lesson. Xia Wen could not take the initiative to reconcile with Tan Jing at the moment. Otherwise, once the Tan family found out, they would think that they could always revert to their old habits in the future. He wanted to let the Tan family know that Tan Jing was not favored in the Xia family now. This was so that the Tan family would refrain from looking for her so frivolously in order to protect her position in the Xia family. Everyone had their own worries throughout the night. The next morning, Xia He slowly walked out of Qiao Mei''s bedroom with her eyes looking like panda eyes. Xia He did not know what was wrong with Qiao Mei last night, but she had snored the entire night without a pause. Qiao Mei had fallen asleep the moment her head touched the pillow. The speed at which she fell asleep was jaw-dropping. Xia He had sat there and stared at Qiao Mei the entire night. She was a light sleeper and would wake up at the slightest sound. Chapter 1081 Treat Her Well ? "Oh my goodness. Xia He, did you get beaten up last night? What happened to your face?" Xia Fang asked as she looked at Xia He, feeling sorry for her. Xia He was so tired that she could barely open her eyes and did not have the energy to talk to Xia Fang at all. She staggered towards the rocking chair and wanted to sit down and sleep without even covering herself with a blanket. Xia Fang quickly stopped her. If she took a nap here, she would definitely catch a cold. "Come with me and sleep in my room. Why is this child so tired!" Xia Fang said as she pulled Xia He along. Xu Lan tiptoed to the door of Qiao Mei''s room and slowly pushed it open to take a look inside. Qiao Mei was still sleeping soundly and was not woken up by Xia He''s antics. "It''s probably because Qiao Mei felt uncomfortable last night, so Xia He did not sleep well too. There''s no need to wake her up for breakfast later. We can ask Sister Fan to heat up the food when she wakes up. The two girls can eat together later," Xu Lan said with a sigh as she closed the door. Xia Xiu could not hide the worry on her face as she said uneasily, "Qiao Mei is still so young. It''s her first pregnancy but she''s having twins. She''s still a child herself! It''s really hard on her." "I know what you''re saying. Moreover, even at such a young age, she''s so much more sensible than her peers. My heart really aches for her. She has lived with Uncle Qiao since she was young and Uncle Qiao has brought her up so well. Our Xia Zhe really found a gem. When he comes back, I''m going to give him a good scolding. How can he let Qiao Mei go through such a hard time!" Xu Lan said. "You! Two years ago, you kept telling me that you wanted to have a grandchild! You were so envious when you saw other people''s children. Now that Qiao Mei is pregnant, you feel sorry for her. Don''t you think that you''re conflicted?" Xia Xiu said with a smile. "It''s just that my heart aches for Qiao Mei! Even though I want a grandchild, I''m not in a hurry. I can wait for another two years. This Xia Zhe is currently in the army and can''t come back. Qiao Mei has been alone from the moment she got pregnant and will still be on her own when she gives birth. It''s a good thing that her mother is by her side. Otherwise, how can she cope!" Xu Lan said with a frown. "Then you have to dote on her for continuing the Xia family line. You have to treat her well," Xia Xiu said. Xu Lan was willing to do anything for Qiao Mei as long as it was good for her health. She had already sent all the good things in her house to Qiao Mei. Since ancient times, the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law was always dicey. When the two of them first met, Xu Lan even tried to take Qiao Mei down a notch, so she was sure that Qiao Mei must not like her. That was why she did not come and visit Qiao Mei often. The younger generation had their own way of life. If she spoke too much for no reason, she would only be despised, so she might as well give Qiao Mei some peace and quiet! In fact, Xu Lan was envious of Li Gui for being lucky enough to have all her children by her side. Her eldest daughter also took such good care of her. As Xu Lan got older, she realized the importance of having children. Although Xu Lan''s three children had the brightest futures even within the extended Xia family, they were also the busiest. It was already good enough if they could spend some time at home two or three times a year. Before Xia He got her divorce, she could not even come back during the festive seasons because she had to stay with the Kong family. If Xia He returned to visit the Xia family, Old Madam Kong would have a reason to scold her. Kong Lu would also criticize her. "I''m already treating her like a treasure! She''s probably due very soon and I''m also feeling very anxious. I don''t know what else to do. I keep feeling as if I haven''t prepared enough things. If anything happens, I won''t be able to deal with it," Xu Lan said. "Your house is almost completely filled with all the things you''ve prepared. What else do you want to buy? You have to calm down. Why are you so anxious at a time like this? It''s not as if you''re like me and have never given birth. You''ve given birth to three children. Shouldn''t you know the entire process best? We also have Xiao Fang around. Relax and don''t be afraid," Xia Xiu comforted her. "I''m still wondering if Xia Zhe is able to come back! No one knows where this child is now. I don''t even dare to tell Xia Zhe about your eldest brother''s accident in case he gets distracted," Xu Lan said with a sigh. "Wait a little longer. Eldest brother told me yesterday that he has already sent a message to Xia Zhe. He only talked about Qiao Mei and did not mention anything about himself. You don''t have to worry anymore in the future. Eldest brother no longer has to go to the frontline now. I hear that the higher-ups take this matter very seriously and want to promote him!" Xia Xiu said happily. Occasionally missing content, please report errors in time. Chapter 1082 Because She Is Worth It ? Xu Lan did not feel happy at all. Xia Mao was already so old, so the promotion did not matter at all. His health was no longer as good as before. This time, it was all thanks to Qiao Mei''s "divine medicine". If Xia Zhe had not married Qiao Mei, or if Qiao Mei was a person who did not know anything, would Xia Mao still be alive? In the past, she believed in Xia Mao''s capability and always felt that he would handle everything well. However, when she received the news that he had met with an accident, she felt as if the sky was about to collapse on her. Nothing was more important than being alive. Tan Jing woke up early in the morning and thought for a long time. In the end, she decided to return to Qiao Mei''s house. The most important thing now was to discuss the adoption issue with Xia Wen. The child would be arriving in the capital very soon and she must finalize this matter today to avoid any unnecessary trouble. When she reached the main door of Qiao Mei''s house, she saw two guards standing on both sides. They were only responsible for checking on the identities of the people coming and going and they did not have the authority to open the door for her. Tan Jing tried to push the door open, but it was locked from the inside. It was impossible to push it open from the outside. At this time of the day, everyone would be in the backyard and it was very likely that no one would hear her knocking on the door to the front yard. Tan Jing knocked forcefully, hoping to attract the attention of the people in the house to open the door for her. Xu Lan quickly walked out of the main hall and opened the door with a smile on her face. However, when she saw Tan Jing, her face instantly fell. "Why are you coming back from outside?" Xu Lan asked. "I Something happened at my parents'' house yesterday and I left in a rush. I forgot to tell you" Tan Jing lowered her head and whispered. "Next time, either use the back door or come back in the afternoon. Qiao Mei is still sleeping in her room. You could have woken her up when you banged on the door so hard just now," Xu Lan said with a frown. Tan Jing clenched her fists tightly and gritted her teeth so hard that there was an audible sound. Qiao Mei! Qiao Mei! Qiao Mei again! She had been gone for an entire day and the Xia family did not even seem to notice. Even when she knocked on the door to come into the house, she had to keep track of the time so that she did not disrupt Qiao Mei''s rest or disturb her peace and quiet. She felt so humiliated. They were both the Xia family''s daughters-in-law! Why did she have to wake up early to serve the entire family while Qiao Mei could sleep in! Why did she have to endure it when she was hungry, while Qiao Mei could get Auntie Fan to make a lot of delicious food the moment she was hungry! Why was it that even though they were all part of the Xia family''s younger generation, she could not live in such a nice courtyard house while Qiao Mei could enjoy life here! This was so unfair! Tan Jing glared fiercely at Xu Lan. Xu Lan was not a good-tempered person, so she stared back and said, "Why? Do you have something to say?" "No," Tan Jing said as she suppressed the anger in her heart. After all, Xu Lan was Xia Wen''s mother and her elder. If she made Xu Lan angry, nothing good would come out of it and Xia Wen would become even more distant from her. "I think you have something to tell me. You look like you want to eat me up," Xu Lan said mockingly. "There''s just something I don''t quite understand. Why are you so nice to Qiao Mei?" Tan Jing asked as she pretended to be calm. "Because Qiao Mei is worth it. If you want to question me about this, then you should think about what your Tan family has done. All these years, we''ve helped your family pay off gambling debts, find jobs and even enroll the kids in school. What about Qiao Mei? Qiao Mei''s grandfather was Father''s savior and now Qiao Mei is also my husband''s savior. Tell me, why shouldn''t I treat Qiao Mei well?" Xu Lan said. Just as Tan Jing was about to speak again, Xia Xiu suddenly came to Xu Lan''s side and said, "Let''s go in. Breakfast is served. My eldest brother is looking for us." Xu Lan nodded and left the main door angrily without looking back. She decided that she must speak to Xia Wen about this matter. She was already very unhappy with all the things related to the Tan family, and now Tan Jing was being so rude to her. How did Xia Wen find such a wife! Xia Xiu was about to turn around and leave when she noticed that Tan Jing was rooted to the spot, not wanting to enter the house. She frowned slightly and said, "If you don''t want to come in, then go out. The main door of the house isn''t open all the time." With that, she left. Chapter 1083 - 1083 Come to the Study for a While 1083 Come to the Study for a While Tan Jing walked into the courtyard dejectedly and the door slowly closed behind her. In this place, she was not valued by anyone, not even Xia Wen. She was not even as precious as a weed in this courtyard. Everyone was already sitting at the dining table. Tan Jing was the last one to arrive and they waited until she was seated to start eating. At this moment, the atmosphere in the room was very tense. Everyone was very angry that Tan Jing had gone out on her own without informing anyone. This was such an important festive season and the entire family was gathered here, yet she still went out on her own. Fortunately, there were only close relatives gathered in this house. If there were outsiders around, they would laugh their heads off at the Xia family! Xia Wen did not look too happy. He had thought that Tan Jing would not be back, so he had treated the matter lightly. He did not expect Tan Jing to suddenly come back and ever managed to make Xu Lan angry. If Xu Lan really lost her temper, even ten Xia Wens would not be able to appease her! Ahem, has everyone finished eating? Xia Mao said as he wiped his mouth. As Xia Mao spoke, he looked at his brothers who were seated next to him. The fact was that everyone ate as fast as him. What he said was meant for Tan Jing. Tan Jing immediately put down her bowl and chopsticks and said on tenterhooks, Im done Xia Wen, Tan Jing, the two of you come with me into the study. Xia Mao stood up and patted Xu Lans shoulder, saying, Ask Xia He to come along too. Xiao He is still sleeping. She had stayed up all night to take care of Qiao Mei, Xu Lan said. Then let her rest well. Its not a big deal, Xia Mao said. Tan Jing lowered her head slightly. She just knew it. As long as it was something related to Qiao Mei, everyone would downplay any issue and not pursue it at all. The four of them went to Qiao Meis study in the front yard. Qiao Mei had specially made the study a soundproof room. Even if firecrackers were being set off outside, nothing could be heard in the room. Qiao Mei had also specially designed a bell. If the people outside needed to contact the people in the study, they could pull the rope at the door to ring the bell in the room. Xia Mao sat down on the rocking chair beside the desk and just leaned back quietly without saying anything. Qiao Mei really liked this type of wooden rocking chair, so she bought one for each room. She found it very comfortable to take a nap in the chair. Xu Lan sat at the side and made tea, not saying anything. Xia Wen and Tan Jing stood in the middle of the room, feeling lost. After a long time, Xia Wen said, Father. Hmm, you cant maintain your composure anymore? Have I taught you everything for nothing? Xia Mao said. Xia Wen chuckled and said, I keep thinking but I cant work out whats going on. Youre right, I indeed cant manage to keep my composure. Tan Jing, tell us. What have you been doing recently? Xia Mao asked as he sat up. Tan Jing immediately panicked. She did not know what Xia Mao was referring to. Was it about her being fired from school, or about her family asking Qiao Mei for a house, or about the matter of the child. Father, I just stay home and dont even go out much. I usually just cook at home or something Tan Jing whispered. Xia Mao was a man and the head of the family. It would be beneath his position to argue with a junior or say anything harsh. It was better to leave such matters to Xu Lan. After all, Tan Jing was their daughter-in-law and it would sound very harsh if he was the one who raised these issues. Why did you go back to the Tan familys house so suddenly yesterday? Xu Lan asked. Tan Jing suddenly felt homesick, so she rushed back and did not inform Father and Mother. She told me but I was careless and did not pass on the information. Xia Wen decided to take on all the blame. After all, Tan Jing was still his wife. You dont have to speak up for her on this matter. She knows very well what she has done, Xu Lan said. Tan Jing pondered carefully about whether she had been too careless in her actions. It was very likely that they found out about what she did yesterday because for the sake of convenience, she had asked the Xia familys driver if he could send her back to the Tan familys house. It was unlikely that the Tan family had already told the Xia family about the matter of the child. These two elders were probably just trying to probe and find out from her what was going on. As long as she refused to admit it, the Xia family would not find out about this matter. My father was not feeling well, so I had to rush back, Tan Jing said. Chapter 1084 Owe Debts Everywhere ? "Is that so? I think your father''s health is still quite good. Not long ago, he went to one of the state-owned restaurants for a meal but made the reservation under the Xia family. The manager of the restaurant called our house. Otherwise, I wouldn''t even know that the Xia family owes money outside!" Xu Lan said angrily. This was the first time Xu Lan had encountered something so crass. The Tan family usually did not dare to make use of the Xia family''s name so blatantly. However, that day, Tan Bo had invited many of his old friends to the capital and they all knew that Tan Bo had a capable son-in-law. They decided to trick Tan Bo into going to the restaurant and it was too late by the time Tan Bo realized it. After Tan Bo drank too much, he spoke without thinking and generously offered to pay for everything. However, he did not have any money at all. Not only that, he would not be able to pay for the entire meal even if he asked the Tan family members to pool together all their money. By right, the state-owned restaurant did not allow credit payment. Even if the restaurant operator himself came for a meal, he had to pay cash too. However, during that point in time, the Xia family was in the limelight because of the so-called "divine medicine". If anyone could get the chance to help the Xia family in any way, they would definitely grab it with both hands and try their best to curry favor with the Xia family. They would definitely try their best to do whatever they could. It was an opportunity that no one else had! After running a business in the capital for many years, the restaurant operator had his own connections. When he received confirmation that Tan Bo was indeed the Xia family''s in-law, he hurriedly sent over another bottle of good wine. After that, when Tan Bo asked to pay on credit, he decided to settle the bill first, just so that he could get the Xia family''s phone number and be able to contact them in the future. "My my father might have left the wrong phone number! He couldn''t have done it on purpose! After all, he was drunk at that time and not in the right frame of mind, so it''s possible that he made a mistake!" Tan Jing explained in a state of panic. Xu Lan had already guessed that Tan Jing would quibble about it, so she took out three or four receipts with thumbprints on them. These were proof of the debts that Tan Bo had racked up over the past week in the name of the Xia family. Xu Lan had kept the receipts after she made payment. "Look at all these and then explain to me why your father ran up so many debts out there but left behind the Xia family''s phone number. These are only from the stores which proactively came to settle the bills. We don''t even know how many more stores there are!" Xu Lan smacked the table and yelled angrily. These receipts added up to more than 80 dollars, which was already one and a half months'' worth of salary for an ordinary family. If this continued, it would cost the Xia family more than 400 dollars a month! Even if the Xia family was rich, they would not be able to handle such excessive expenses! Xia Wen could not find a way to defend Tan Jing. The Tan family had already become a sore point for the Xia family. Every family would have a few poor relatives and it was not a big deal. Everyone just hoped that their poor relatives were not unreasonable people who went around causing trouble everywhere. Otherwise, no matter how rich one was, one would not be able to reverse the damages done! There were truly very few families who could tolerate the Tan family''s despicable behavior. It was already nice enough for the Xia family to have tolerated it until now. "It''s useless even if you don''t speak up. We have to clear up this matter today. This is only the first thing I want to talk to you about today. Don''t think that your Tan family can do things in secret. Is it your intention to adopt a child from the extended Tan family? That child is coming to the capital soon, right?" Xu Lan looked at Xia Wen after saying that. Xia Wen''s face was filled with shock. He did not know about this at all. Although Tan Jing had mentioned the matter of adoption to him some time ago, he had told her that now was not the right time. He was not ready to bring up a child yet and there were still many things for him to handle in the Xia family. Also, Xia Mao had not fully recovered yet, so he had tons of things to do. He barely even had time to take a breather at night and get some sleep. There was no way that he would have time to take care of a child. "I I" Tan Jing stammered, unable to speak properly. "Xiao Wen, what do you think about this matter?" Xia Mao asked suddenly from where he was seated. Xia Wen did not know what to do either. The Xia family had already suffered a lot at the hands of the Tan family and he still had not come up with a good solution yet. The Tan family was not afraid of falling out with them at all. They were people who had nothing to begin with, so it was useless even if the Xia family went to reason with them. He would have to let Xia Mao and Xu Lan decide on this matter because no matter what he did, he would get into trouble. He would either break his parents'' hearts or damage his relationship with Tan Jing. Occasionally missing content, please report errors in time. Chapter 1085 You Are A Little Magnate ? Firstly, the Tan family did not have any money, and secondly, they were incapable of talking nicely to other people. When things were in their favor, they would behave arrogantly and look down on others. They would talk down to people loudly and boorishly. When things were not in their favor, they were never worried. They would sit on the ground and cry and weep for three days and three nights. As long as they persevered with such behavior, there was nothing they could not achieve. They were more than willing to hang themselves at the entrance of the Xia family residence and see who would find it more embarrassing! It would be terrible for the Xia family if word got out that they wanted to force their in-laws to their deaths for that bit of money! If the descendants of the Xia family still wanted to make a name for themselves in the future, they must always maintain a good reputation. The thing about reputation was that once one''s reputation was tarnished, there were many aftereffects. At best, it would not be easy for the children in one''s family to get married since no one from a reputable family would be willing to be part of one''s family. At worst, all the members of one''s family would have tough lives and become looked down upon and ignored by others. The Tan family had banked on this fact to exert control over the Xia family. They knew that the Xia family did not have time to waste on the Tan family. Moreover, Xia Wen would not bear to put Tan Jing in a difficult position. However, from the looks of it now, it was Tan Jing''s weakness which allowed the Tan family to become so demanding and ungrateful. "Let''s sum up the amount of money which the Tan family had borrowed from us in the past five years. One must put the saddle on the right horse. We''ll ask them to repay all the money they owe us. Otherwise, we''ll file a police report," Xia Wen said firmly. Tan Jing looked at Xia Wen and said, "Do you intend to drive my parents to their graves! They''re already so old and you want them to scramble to pay the debts! How do you want them to live for the rest of their lives!" "Is this a bad time?" Qiao Mei whispered as she gently pushed open the door. Xu Lan hurriedly got up to let Qiao Mei in. Xia He followed behind Qiao Mei. When Xia He woke up and heard that Xia Mao and Xu Lan were looking for her and had asked her to go to the study, she asked Qiao Mei to join her. She was a little afraid to go into the study alone. She had been very obedient recently and had not done anything wrong, so she did not know why they had asked for her presence. "Why are you here when you''re not feeling well? You should sleep a little longer. Did we make too much noise and wake you up?" Xu Lan asked. Qiao Mei shook her head. It was not a must for her to come in, but she had heard from Xia Xiu that the matter was more serious this time, so she accompanied Xia He to come and see what was going on. "I''m just wondering what''s happening. From what Eldest Sister-in-law said just now, is our family having money issues?" Qiao Mei probed. "It''s not our family. If our family is short of money, we will definitely let you know. You''re the little magnate here," Xu Lan said gently. Xu Lan''s attitude was a complete opposite from when she spoke to Tan Jing just now. The speed at which she changed her demeanor was astounding. "The key thing is not the money. What''s most important for us is what else has your Tan family done while using the Xia family''s name? You''d better give us all the details," Xu Lan said sternly as she looked at Tan Jing. The truth was that Tan Jing did not know either. The Tan family would never tell her about what they did. Most of the time, she was just taking the blame for trouble which they caused on their own. Qiao Mei suddenly took out 12 receipts from her pocket. The contents of these receipts were similar to the ones Xu Lan had produced. These were all signed off by various shopkeepers. "I haven''t had the chance to tell all of you about this. After I reached the capital, many people came to ask me for money. I didn''t think it was a big deal since each bill was just tens of dollars and I kept forgetting to tell Eldest Brother and Eldest Sister-in-law about this. I hope it''s not too late to bring up this issue now," Qiao Mei said. Xia Wen''s ears flushed red. He did not expect that there were people who had gone to look for Qiao Mei. The thing was that Qiao Mei had produced even more receipts than Xu Lan and the amounts were also larger. Although he was their eldest brother, it was his sister-in-law and sister who were cleaning up the mess at home. It was really too embarrassing! "Why do you still have such things too! I hope they didn''t do anything to you!" Xu Lan asked worriedly. "No, these people are all from proper shops. When they came, they were all very polite. They probably heard that Auntie Tan had come to my place to kick up a fuss a few times, so they came to look for me," Qiao Mei said. Xu Lan''s eyes widened even more. Jiang Yi had actually gone to look for Qiao Mei! When exactly did this happen! Why was it that she did not know anything about it! Chapter 1086 I Guarantee There Will Not Be A Next Time ? That old b*tch, Jiang Yi, only had those same few tricks up her sleeves. Whatever she had done at Qiao Mei''s place was intended to scare Qiao Mei into submitting to her requests. As the saying went, one would never visit unless one needed something. She would never give up easily before she got something she wanted. "Why are you only telling me about this now! Did you get hurt?" Xu Lan turned to look at Tan Jing angrily and roared, "Tan Jing! What exactly is your mother trying to do! It''s one thing for your family to come to the Xia family to cause trouble, but now they want to disturb Qiao Mei and her family! What more does your Tan family want!" Whenever it was anything related to Qiao Mei, Xu Lan would get very worked up! If someone hurt Qiao Mei, Xu Lan would not let that person off easily. If she had to, she would chase that person to the ends of the earth and tear that person into pieces! "I I don''t know about this either. My mother and the rest of the family never discuss anything with me. There''s nothing I can do about it," Tan Jing said as she lowered her head. It was the same story all over again Xu Lan was always biased towards Qiao Mei. This was only a matter of Qiao Mei being reprimanded by an elder, so how could it be considered a serious matter? Jiang Yi could be considered Qiao Mei''s elder. It was not a big deal for her to come and pay a visit. "There''s nothing you can do? These are your parents! If you don''t have a solution, are we supposed to find a solution for you? You don''t agree with our plan to have the Tan family return the money they borrowed and yet you can''t come up with a solution. Does the Xia family look like suckers to you? Are we an easy target for your Tan family? Are the two of you going to repay this debt? Do you know how much money the Tan family has taken from the Xia family over the past five years?" Xu Lan questioned. Tan Jing and Xia Wen had been married for more than 10 years and it was already impossible to calculate everything in detail after so many years. Xu Lan and Xia Mao had only started to carefully record everything which the Tan family had taken from them in recent years. They had no idea initially, but they got a shock once they did the math. In the past five years, the Tan family had taken more than 20,000 dollars from them. This did not include the value of any physical items. Just the cash alone was more than 20,000 dollars. There was no wonder that Xia Wen did not have any savings at all after so many years. Everything he owed had been taken away by the Tan family. In addition, Tan Jing gave away all the valuable things in their house, leaving nothing behind. The Tan family was like leeches sucking on the Xia family. In the past, the leeches were small so the damage was not obvious. As time passed, these leeches were almost as thick as bamboo sticks now. If they were not completely eliminated, the Xia family would be destroyed by the Tan family sooner or later! "But my parents really don''t have the ability to repay the money. It''s difficult for them to even support themselves, so how can they repay the money?" Tan Jing said. "Eldest Sister-in-law, don''t you still have so many younger siblings at home? They must have taken a portion of that money too. Shouldn''t they help to repay the money? They are all young and healthy adults, so it shouldn''t be difficult for them to repay the debt, right?" Xia He looked at Tan Jing mockingly. Tan Jing looked troubled. It was already good enough if her younger brothers did not do anything illegal and she did not expect them to have any money. If they were people who knew how to save money, they would not have ended up like this. "Even if we put aside the issue about the money, what about the matter of the child? We can''t delay the resolution of this issue," Xu Lan asked Tan Jing. "The child the child is just coming to the capital for a visit. He''s just here to take a look and visit his relatives," Tan Jing said guiltily. Xia Wen took a step forward and said, "Father, Mother, let me handle these issues." "Let you handle them? That''s what you told us the last time. In the end, you took everything upon yourself. The current issue is much bigger than before. Are you still going to take it upon yourself?" Xu Lan said with heartache. Xia Wen had always been her most sensible child and she rarely needed to worry about him. However, this child was always muddle-headed when it came to Tan Jing and always took all the blame on himself. This could not be the solution and it would only make things worse. If Xia Wen could not bear to make a hard decision, then she would have to do it for him. She definitely could not allow the Tan family to continue causing harm to the Xia family. "Mother, let Eldest Sister-in-law think about how to solve this problem. After all, it''s related to her family. No one knows the Tan family better than Eldest Sister-in-law," Qiao Mei said. Tan Jing thought for a long time before saying, "I I''ll go back and advise my parents and the other family members to behave themselves and not cause any more trouble." "Is that all?" Xu Lan asked. "Yes, that''s right. I guarantee it! There won''t be a next time!" Tan Jing swore. Even if Tan Jing was willing to make a cursed oath, she would not be able to gain Xu Lan''s trust. However, the thing was that both Xia Mao and Xu Lan also did not know how to handle this matter. Chapter 1087 You Can Make Your Own Decision ? Tan Jing had no status in the Tan family. Even if the Xia family wanted to use Tan Jing as a bargaining chip, it would be useless. They had no way to threaten the Tan family at all. That was unless unless Xia Wen and Tan Jing got a divorce. Then there would be no reason for the Tan family to come and look for the Xia family anymore. However, Xia Wen would never agree to this solution even if he already had a good reason for it. Xia Wen was the Xia family''s eldest male in his generation and Tan Jing did not have any children after more than 10 years of marrying into the Xia family. Based on this fact, even if word got out that Xia Wen and Tan Jing had gotten a divorce, no one would not say anything bad about the Xia family. "I''ll pay back all the money borrowed by the Tan family as soon as I can. Father, Mother, please let me know the total amount," Xia Wen said apologetically. "Xia Wen, this is not the outcome we want. If you''re the one who''s going to repay this debt, we might as well just leave it. We only want the Tan family to pay it back, no one else. You''ve already cleaned up the Tan family''s mess for so many years. Are you going to clean up the mess again this time? Are you going to continue indulging the Tan family in the future?" Xu Lan said. Tan Jing''s face instantly fell. Although she sometimes also felt that her parents and brothers go overboard with their requests, what did it matter if they asked for help from her in-laws? Why did they have to be so calculative? Xia Mao coughed lightly twice and stood up. "We won''t help the Tan family settle any more debts in the future. We have already informed everyone out there about this. The Tan family''s creditors will probably go knocking on their door very soon. We won''t talk about these few sums of money or whatever happened in the past anymore. As for the matter about the child, Xia Wen, you should deal with it yourself." "I understand, Father. I''ll think about it carefully," Xia Wen said respectfully. Tan Jing panicked. They already owed the Xia family nearly 1,000 dollars by now. The Tan family probably still owed more debts amounting to a similar amount. If the Xia family was unwilling to help anymore, the creditors would come looking for her! She had experienced such a thing before and did not want it to happen again. "Father! This won''t do! My parents don''t have the ability to repay the debts. In that case, these people will come and look for me! Father! Save me! Xia Wen and I are husband and wife! You can''t just leave Xia Wen in the lurch! Please treat it as you''re saving Xia Wen!" Tan Jing knelt on the ground and said as she looked at Xia Mao. Xu Lan was so angry that she wanted to flip the table. She was never calculative with the Tan family because of the fact that Xia Wen and Tan Jing were husband and wife and they were bound together for good or ill. The Xia family did not want Xia Wen to suffer too much, so they repeatedly helped the Tan family and cleaned up their mess. However, this was not a reason for the Tan family to hold them ransom! "You don''t have the ability to restrain your parents so you use my son to threaten us. You''re such a good daughter-in-law of the Xia family!" Xu Lan said angrily. "I''m not! I really have no choice! If the creditors go to my family, they will definitely ask the creditors to come and look for me! But we also don''t have much money left!" Tan Jing said aggrievedly. Xu Lan could not take it anymore. She smacked the table angrily and pointed at Tan Jing as she said, "Then is my son a sucker! Does our Xia family owe you anything! Your family is the one who does all these things and it''s also your family''s debts! But now you want us to repay the debts for you! Dream on! We don''t have a daughter-in-law like you!" "Mother!" Xia Wen said sternly. If he allowed Xu Lan to continue, she might say something overboard. "You can make your own decision on this matter. Come and talk to me after you''ve decided," Xia Mao said. Xia Mao was feeling tired after this long session. He grabbed hold of Xu Lan to go back to the backyard to chat with his siblings. There was no question that Xia Wen would pay Qiao Mei back for the share that she borne. They could not let every member of the family clean up the mess for the Tan family. "Father and Mother have gone out and it''ll be noon soon. Elder sister and I have to go and check if the food is ready." Qiao Mei found a random reason to drag Xia He away. Xia He was actually unwilling to leave and wanted to stay in the study to see what happened next. Even after the door to the study was closed, Xia He still looked back repeatedly with reluctance. Qiao Mei quickly pulled Xia He towards the main hall. If they continued to stay there, Xia He and Tan Jing would probably get into a fight. "Why did you leave so quickly! I still want to see what''s happening!" Xia He said aggrievedly. "Do you think Eldest Brother doesn''t have enough on his plate? He already has to worry about so many things. If you continue to sit there, then how can he have a good talk with our sister-in-law?" Qiao Mei said disdainfully. Chapter 1088 Wanting A Child ? After everyone left, Xia Wen walked dispiritedly to the chair beside him and sat down. Recently, he had been avoiding having any interactions with Tan Jing. Every time he said something to Tan Jing, they would end up leaving on bad terms. Tan Jing was also much more willful than before and would start kicking up a fuss whenever things did not go her way. Xia Wen looked at Tan Jing helplessly. The issue with the Tan family was simple and difficult at the same time. Moreover, the Tan family was the one who could decide on their own fate, not Tan Jing. Even if Tan Jing and Xia Wen stood on the same side and joined forces to deal with the Tan family, they would not be able to achieve anything. The Tan family was more than willing to fight to the death with them and they would even end up benefiting in the end. After all, one who was down would fear no fall. If one already had nothing to lose, what else was there to be afraid of? "Let''s talk about the money issue later. Let''s talk about the most important thing first. What is this thing about a child? Why would my parents find out about something like this?" Xia Wen said as he massaged the space between his eyebrows. "I actually came back today to discuss this matter with you. I don''t know how the news got out, but I did tell my mother that I want to adopt that child," Tan Jing said as she looked at Xia Wen self-righteously. As soon as Xia Mao and Xu Lan left, Tan Jing immediately showed her true self. She did not even want to pretend in front of Xia Wen anymore. She was really too tired. "Didn''t I already say that now is not the best time to adopt a child? If you adopt a child now, where does that leave Qiao Mei and her babies? How do you expect my parents to deal with it?" Xia Wen questioned. Qiao Mei was about to give birth anytime. Xia Wen was not worried about this matter affecting Qiao Mei. He was actually worried that the adopted child would feel uncomfortable. Qiao Mei''s two babies would definitely be the focus of the entire family. After all, they were the biological grandchildren of Xia Mao and Xu Lan. The two of them were already at the age when their peers'' grandchildren were already in elementary school. Yet, they had only just become grandparents. It was inevitable that they would dote on the babies a lot. At that time, everyone''s attention would be on Qiao Mei''s babies. Who would pay attention to the child that he and Tan Jing just adopted? Moreover, this child did not have the approval of the family. Even after the child joined the Xia family, everyone would at most be nice to him, but it was probably impossible for them to really like him. On one hand, this child would have already lost his biological parents. Yet, on the other hand, he would feel unvalued in the Xia family. Instead of something like that happening, it was better not to adopt him and cause him to suffer for no good reason. It was not good for his personal growth and this psychological trauma from his childhood would affect him for the rest of his life. Xia Wen did not want to see such a thing happen. "What does this child have to do with Qiao Mei! Don''t tell me we need Qiao Mei''s approval for our own family matters now! Do I need Qiao Mei''s permission for everything I do!" Tan Jing said furiously. Her mind was simply filled with thoughts of Qiao Mei now and she did not bother to understand what Xia Wen was trying to say. She only held on to her belief that she was being rejected by "Qiao Mei", "Father and Mother" and Xia Wen, and she stubbornly refused to listen to Xia Wen. "Can you calm down? This is not the time to let your emotions get the better of you. You''re not young anymore, so why can''t you consider the big picture? Is it appropriate to adopt a child at this time? Have you observed the child''s character properly? You made such a reckless decision to have him sent over. Do you even respect my family''s opinions?" Xia Wen said with a frown. "This is my child! Do I need your parents'' permission to have my own child!" Tan Jing asked in disbelief. "How can it just be your child! Does the issue have nothing to do with me? Does it have nothing to do with the Xia family?" Xia Wen asked. Tan Jing was speechless for a moment. If she threw a tantrum now and said that this child had nothing to do with the Xia family, her plan would fail. In that case, this child would not be able to help her get a share of the Xia family''s assets and she would not gain anything. Instead, everyone would blame her. "I I really want a child of my own" Tan Jing said pitifully as she looked at Xia Wen. It was not as if Xia Wen did not want that as well. He had always liked children. Whenever there were children around him, he would look intently at them, especially the girls. He used to fantasize about what his own child would be like, what he wanted to teach the child and what kind of person his child would become. However, it was just a dream. Till this day, Tan Jing had not told Xia Wen the truth yet. Chapter 1089 It Is Just Not Possible ? Tan Jing had always refused to go to the hospital for a checkup, so no one had any conclusive evidence of Tan Jing being infertile or facing difficulty in getting pregnant. They could not accuse her without any proof. Furthermore, Tan Jing could not handle any such discussions. As long as the matter of having children was mentioned in front of Tan Jing, she would always kick up a fuss. Sometimes, she would even cry for a few days. In the end, Xu Lan and the rest of the family simply did not care anymore. "I know you want a child, and I''m not saying that it''s impossible, but this is really not the right time. Besides do you know the child''s character and personality? Won''t you just be hurting the child if you bring him back so rashly?" Xia Wen said. Ever since Xia Wen found out that Tan Jing had such an intention, he had carried out an investigation in secret. He had already found out everything about that child. His family was not an honest family at all. This family did not even have any actual blood relations with the Tan family at all. They had spouted some nonsense to lie to the Tan family. Their family was really too poor and this sinister man used his children as tools to earn money. His wife had not stopped getting pregnant for the past few years and she just kept giving birth. Once they could not afford to feed the child, they would sell the child away. The man''s current wife was his second wife. His first wife had bled profusely when she was giving birth and both lives were lost. Neither one could be saved. Using this method, this man was able to support his family during the past few years. They were going to sell this child to Tan Jing for the same reason this time round. They were not after Tan Jing''s money, but the golden mountain known as the Xia family. The child was already grown and was not an infant who did not know anything. As long as they could keep this child under their control, they would be able to enjoy endless wealth. Xia Wen knew this very well, which was why he did not agree to adopt this child. There were so many pitiful children in the orphanage who would be a better choice. He was the eldest son of the Xia family and he could not take such a risk. "Let''s go to the orphanage to adopt an adorable child after this period of time. We really can''t do this right now," Xia Wen said as gently as he could as he looked at Tan Jing. "Why! Why can she have her own child! And I have to wait! Why can''t I have a child of my own! Is it wrong for me to want to have a child now! Why do you have to treat me like this!" Tears welled up in Tan Jing''s eyes. She just could not understand why Qiao Mei was so lucky but nothing went smoothly for her. "No means no! This matter is non-negotiable! Don''t you know the real reason why! There are some things that become meaningless if they are spelt out too clearly." Xia Wen''s patience was completely exhausted by Tan Jing. He had already endured her for a long time. Tan Jing looked at Xia Wen. The way Xia Wen looked at her was as if he was looking at a stranger, no, an enemy. In the past, Xia Wen had always looked at her with a smile on his face, making her feel as if there was a warm spring breeze blowing at her. During those moments, it felt as if no problem was too big to be solved. However, what had caused this to change? She could not figure it out, nor did she want to. All these people from the Xia family did not understand her nor like her. The only person they liked was Qiao Mei. As long as Qiao Mei was around, she would not have a good life Yes! As long as Qiao Mei was around, she would not have a place in this family! As long as Qiao Mei''s children were around, she would not be able to have her own child! So all of this was Qiao Mei''s fault! It was all Qiao Mei''s fault! "Qiao Mei That''s right It''s her It''s because of Qiao Mei It''s all because of this b*tch" Tan Jing muttered softly to herself. Xia Wen tried to listen carefully but he could not hear what Tan Jing was saying. Suddenly, Tan Jing rushed out of the room and headed straight for Qiao Mei''s bedroom. As long as Qiao Mei and her babies were eliminated! Everything would return to its original state! "Let me tell you" Qiao Mei was chatting and laughing with Xia He when she looked up and saw the fierce-looking Tan Jing with something in her hand. Qiao Mei asked tentatively, "Eldest Sister-in-law? What''s the matter?" "Qiao Mei! I''m going to kill you!!!" Tan Jing raised the small garden shovel which she had picked up in the courtyard and rushed angrily towards Qiao Mei. Xia He reacted quickly and kicked Tan Jing to the ground, snatching the shovel from her hands and pinning Tan Jing tightly to the ground so that she could not move. Chapter 1090 Punishment ? When Xia Wen heard the screams, he hurriedly rushed over. He was shocked by the scene in front of him. Tan Jing, who would not even dare to slaughter a chicken at home, actually wanted to kill Qiao Mei! "What are you waiting for! Quickly tie her up with a rope!" Xia He turned and shouted angrily at Xia Wen as she held Tan Jing down. Xia Wen stood rooted to the spot and felt at a loss. That was his wife after all. How could he tie her up? Xia He did not have time to waste with Xia Wen and asked Qiao Mei to go into the room to get some rope. Qiao Mei quickly ran to the bedroom and found some thick hemp rope under the bed and handed it to Xia He. Without another word, Xia He tied Tan Jing up. "Xia He! Let go of me! I won''t let you off! Ugh!!!" Before Tan Jing could say anything more, Xia He stuffed a handkerchief into her mouth. This woman was so noisy that it gave her a headache. Tan Jing wriggled on the ground like a worm. Xia He tied Tan Jing to a table leg at the side so that she could not move. There was nothing that Xia Wen could do about this. Even if he wanted Xia He to let Tan Jing off, Tan Jing had wanted to kill Qiao Mei just now. Given that she had made such a huge mistake, there was nothing he could do even if he wanted to protect her. When everyone in the backyard heard the commotion, they hurriedly rushed to the front yard. Qiao Qiang and Xia Jun were at the forefront, both of them worried about Qiao Mei''s safety. Once Qiao Qiang reached the door and saw that Qiao Mei was safe and sound, he said to Xia Jun with a dark expression, "What a fantastic granddaughter-in-law you have. This is the second time she has tried to take my granddaughter''s life. Her mother has also been here once. Altogether, they have already done this at least four times. This is your family matter, so I''ll leave it to you. I''m going back to take a rest." The underlying meaning of his words was that he blamed Xia Jun for everything. It was not acceptable for a Qiao family member to join the Xia family just to suffer grievances. These people had been coming to create trouble every few days and even wanted to get Qiao Mei killed. If the Xia family could continue tolerating such behavior, then Qiao Qiang must make a move to demand an explanation from the Xia family. Although it looked as if Qiao Qiang spent all his time in the backyard and occasionally went for walks in the park, he knew everything that was going on at home. He did not want to worry about it because Qiao Mei was able to handle it well, but if anyone wanted to hurt Qiao Mei, he would be the first to take action! Xia Jun walked into the house with a dark expression and slowly walked up to Tan Jing with his walking stick. Tan Jing curled up in a corner and looked up at Xia Jun with a murderous aura. His eyes seemed to be able to see through Tan Jing''s heart. In front of Xia Jun, she had no chance of winning at all. She was like an egg that could be smashed with a light tap. "Xia He, bring Qiao Mei into the room. The rest of you, stand at the side." Xia Jun came to the master seat opposite the main door and slowly sat down. Tan Jing was now tied up like a dumpling and could not move at all. She could only lean against the table leg and sit there uncomfortably to look at the people in the room. Xia He helped Qiao Mei back into the bedroom. No one would not be able to plead for leniency on Tan Jing''s behalf. Now that Xia Jun was made aware, it would not even be enough for Tan Jing to have 10 lives. "I''m already old and I don''t want to care about the family affairs anymore, but look at what all of you have done! Do you intend to anger me to death!" Xia Jun growled angrily. Xia Mao quickly said, "Father, it''s all my fault. I haven''t disciplined my children well." "Xiao Wen, tell me what you think and what you''re planning," Xia Jun asked Xia Wen. The question which Xia Wen had heard the most today was about what he planned to do. He was also in a mess and did not know how to resolve these matters. The Tan family refused to let go and Tan Jing was also very stubborn nowadays. Xia Wen was really at a loss. "If you don''t speak, then I''ll decide for you. I''ve also heard a little about the issues with the Tan family. All these years, your father has also come to me for help at times. I don''t think he has ever told you about it. I don''t care about the Tan family''s matters, but I have to give Qiao Mei an explanation today. I can''t let it go so easily," Xia Jun said with a frown. "Mmm!!! Mmm!!!" Tan Jing yelled with all her might. Her mouth was gagged and she could not say a word. Even if he wanted to punish her, he should at least give her a chance to speak! He could not just pass judgment without hearing from her! Chapter 1091 Send Her Back To Her Maternal Home ? "Go, remove that thing from her mouth and let her speak. I want to know what she wants to say," Xia Jun snorted and said coldly. Xia Fang went in front of Tan Jing, grabbed a corner of the handkerchief and pulled it out forcefully. She was scared that if she got too close to Tan Jing''s mouth, Tan Jing would bite her, so she had no choice but to treat Tan Jing so roughly. "I It''s my fault I''ll go and apologize to Qiao Mei. It''s a momentary lapse in judgment and I don''t know what possesses me to do that! I didn''t do it on purpose!" Tan Jing said aggrievedly. "Are you still a child? You have to pay the price for your mistakes. Don''t make a show of being pitiful here. I won''t fall for that!" Xia Jun said furiously. Everyone fell silent. There did not seem to be any appropriate way to punish Tan Jing. They could not possibly send Tan Jing to jail. Even if Xia Jun was willing to embarrass himself by doing that, Xia Wen would not agree to it. Between these two men, one was the head of the family and the other one was the future head of the family. This matter did not concern the second and third sons'' branches of the family, so it was better for them not to get involved in case it became a sore point in the future. Just as everyone was caught in a deadlock, Qiao Mei pushed open the door and walked out. She smiled at Xia Jun and said, "Grandfather, there''s nothing wrong with me, see? Don''t get so angry. Your health is the most important thing." "Grandfather is just worried about you. I''m already so old, what can happen to me? Why are you out here? Why isn''t that little brat Xia He watching over you! Go back to your room," Xia Jun said with heartache. "I''m here to share your burden. I don''t think this is a serious matter. Why don''t we just let Eldest Sister-in-law go back to her maternal home for a couple of days. In this way, we can also resolve those issues between the Tan family and our family. Won''t this be having the best of both worlds?" Qiao Mei said. It may appear as if they were not punishing Tan Jing at all. However, doing this was actually doling out the worst punishment to Tan Jing. At this moment, everyone in the Tan family relied on Tan Jing to get money from the Xia family for their survival. If Tan Jing went back to stay with the Tan family for too long, she would definitely get scolded by Jiang Yi and her brothers. The Tan family never liked Tan Jing and used to make her do all kinds of tough and tiring chores. They also criticized her all the time. Tan Jing hated the Tan family the most, but she could not get rid of them. She could only be trapped in the Tan family and be bullied for the rest of her life. Furthermore, the act of chasing Tan Jing back to the Tan family was also a show of intimidation by the Xia family. It would serve to tell them not to think that it was easy to bully Xia family and that Tan Jing was not that important to the Xia family. If they continued to do anything unfavorable to the Xia family, the Xia family would simply return her to them! It would be obvious whether it was the Tan family who needed the Xia family more or the Xia family who could not do without the Tan family. "Is that really what you think?" Xia Jun was a smart person and naturally knew what Qiao Mei meant. Sometimes, mental torture was thousands of times more uncomfortable than physical torture. However, Xia Jun felt that this punishment was still too mild. If Xia He had not been in the same room just now, they would be looking at Qiao Mei''s corpse now! That would have three lives lost at once! How vicious must Tan Jing be to do such a ruthless thing! "Grandfather, we''re all a family. Eldest Sister-in-law just lost her senses for a moment. She would feel better after going back to get some rest. She can come back after one month," Qiao Mei said. After one month, she would have given birth. Even if Tan Jing wanted to harm her, she would not have the chance to do so. She was only being so merciful to Tan Jing because of how much she respected Xia Wen. This could be considered her way of returning all the favors she owed Xia Wen. "If I listen to you and resolve it your way, your grandfather will skin me alive. I can''t let her off just like that," Xia Jun said. "Let me handle my grandfather! After all, Eldest Sister-in-law didn''t manage to hurt me. Even if we go to the police station, won''t it be dealt with in the same way? Grandfather, you don''t have to take this matter too seriously. If my grandfather blames you, I''ll back you up!" Qiao Mei said as she massaged Xia Jun''s shoulders. These words made Xia Jun laugh out loud and he said happily, "You little girl, you can even back me up now! Then tell your grandfather to give me the watch that he has treasured for many years. Let''s see if he agrees!" "For such things, you have to ask him yourself. I can''t make such a decision for him!" Qiao Mei looked towards Tan Jing as she said, "Grandfather, do you think we can just do as I say?" "Alright! If that''s what you want, then let''s do as you say. Xia Mao, get someone to send her back," Xia Jun said sternly. Chapter 1092 An Infertile Hen ? Xia Mao called Luo Yu over and asked him to arrange for two of his subordinates to escort Tan Jing back to the Tan family''s house. Xia Mao did not instruct the guards to stay around and keep an eye on the Tan family''s house. After all, Tan Jing did not have much money. Other than that small house she and Xia Wen lived in, there was nowhere else for her to go. As long as they kept a close eye on Xia Wen''s house, Tan Jing would not be able to run away. It would be a waste of manpower to arrange for someone to spy on the Tan family''s house. After settling this matter, everyone dispersed. After staying over at Qiao Mei''s house for so long, it was time for them to go home. Xia Guang also had to return to the army unit before the end of his home leave to deal with the divorce. The matter could not be delayed any longer. No one knew if Zhou Hua would do anything else outrageous. When Xia Guang saw Tan Jing doing such a vicious thing to Qiao Mei today, he kept feeling uneasy. He was afraid that Zhou Hua would also harbor resentment towards Qiao Mei and do something bad to her like what Tan Jing did. The house that was bustling with activities suddenly became empty and Qiao Mei could not immediately get used to it. Fortunately, there was Xia He to accompany her and make the days pass by quickly. The babies were about to be born and she did not know when Xia Zhe could come back. Speaking of him, it had been months since she last saw him and there was no letter from him at all during this period. One week later, Tan Jing could not stand living with the Tan family anymore. Every day, apart from washing clothes and cooking, she had to give Jiang Yi massages as well. Every night, she also had to prepare water for Tan Bo to wash his feet. If she did anything that irritated the two of them, they would beat and scold her. Tan Hu and Tan Bao were drunk most of the time. When they could not find Xu Xiang and Wang Meng, they would beat Tan Jing up. As long as they could vent their anger, they did not care who they beat up. There were already many bruises on Tan Jing''s back and arms and there was not a single unharmed spot. Every day, Jiang Yi would point at her and scold her for a few hours. The moment she saw Tan Jing, she must lash out to vent her frustration. After that child came to the capital, he did not even make the trip to the Tan family''s house. They immediately bought him a train ticket and sent him back. That infuriated their relative and he told Jiang Yi to compensate him. In the end, Jiang Yi had no choice but to compensate this relative''s family using the last bit of money that Tan Jing had, together with the silver earrings that Xia Wen had given her. Only then was the matter settled. "What have I done wrong in my past life! To have a daughter like you in this life! You go back on your word after making a promise! Where should I hide my face! They might still be cursing me right now!" Jiang Yi pointed at Tan Jing and said resentfully. Tan Jing did not back down and retorted, "You''re the one who hurriedly wanted to bring that child over, so why are you blaming me now! Aren''t you the one who insisted that I take in that child?" "You''re such a money-losing good-for-nothing! You''ve been married for so many years and you can''t get pregnant! Yet you think you can blame me! Isn''t it you who came to beg me to find a child for you! You''re the one who can''t get pregnant, yet you''re blaming me now! Let me tell you! There''s nothing wrong with Xia Wen''s health. You are the problem!" Jiang Yi said. "How do you know that the problem is not with Xia Wen! As if I am the only party involved in the manner of having a child! What proof do you have that I am the problem!" Tan Jing immediately shouted at Jiang Yi, the tone of her voice much higher than usual. This issue had always been her sore point. "Hmph, you still don''t know! Xia Wen has an aunt who''s a doctor! Don''t you think that he will go for a checkup after so many years of not being able to have kids? You act as if it has nothing to do with you but his entire family already knows that there''s something wrong with you! You''re still feeling so smug here! Brainless fool! You''re an embarrassment to our family!" Jiang Yi looked at Tan Jing mockingly. It was Xu Lan who told her about this. Of course, it was not during a friendly chat between in-laws. This was something that happened many years ago. At that time, Tan Bao was getting married, but their family did not have any money to buy a house, so Jiang Yi went to the Xia family''s house to kick up a fuss. At that time, Xia Wen and Tan Jing had gone on a business trip to an overseas university for an academic exchange. Only Xu Lan and Xia Mao were in the capital. By then, the young couple had already been married for a long time. At that point, Jiang Yi felt that Xu Lan was being too stubborn, so she told Xu Lan that Xia Wen was the one who had problems with his health, in turn causing Tan Jing to be unable to have children. For this reason, the Xia family should compensate Tan Jing with some money. Occasionally missing content, please report errors in time. Chapter 1093 Hospitalized ? Jiang Yi had originally thought that she would be able to use this fact to lord over Xu Lan, but she did not expect Xu Lan to produce Xia Wen''s medical report and throw it at her face without any hesitation. No matter how uneducated she was, she could understand what was written on that piece of paper. After that, Jiang Yi could only walk out of the Xia family house dejectedly with her head down. If there was nothing wrong with Xia Wen, then Tan Jing must be the problem! There was no reason for her to ask for any money, so what else could she do but to return home! Even after Xia Wen and Tan Jing returned from overseas, she did not dare to go over and mention this matter. Later on, when she realized that the Xia family did not use this issue as a reason to bully Tan Jing, she shamelessly went to ask them for money again. "You still refuse to admit it! Isn''t it your fault that the two of you can''t have children all these years! If it''s not for the fact that you''re the one who can''t get pregnant, would I need to run out of the Xia family''s house so embarrassedly! How is it that I gave birth to such a useless person like you! Why don''t you just go out and get hit by a car!" Jiang Yi kept cursing, as if the person she was talking about was not her biological daughter. "I want to die too, but aren''t you the one who can''t bear to part with me?" Tan Jing said. Jiang Yi was so angry that she went forward and gave Tan Jing a slap. She said angrily, "Go and die then! Die now! Do you think I''m scared about you dying! If you want to die, you''d better die in the Xia family''s house. This way, we can still extort a large sum of money from them. Even if you die, make yourself useful! You''ll embarrass yourself if you die anywhere else! You can''t even compare with those stray cats and dogs!" Tan Jing was long used to Jiang Yi''s behavior and lowered her head to ignore her. If she had a choice, she would not want to be part of such a family! If she could have a life like Xia He''s No! If she could have Qiao Mei''s life, she would not have ended up like this! Why did all of this become her fault? The heavens were really unfair. Tan Jing only left the house after Jiang Yi finished scolding her. She went to the park again and sat in the same spot as that night. She suddenly looked forward to bumping into Cheng Gu. She regretted not exchanging contact information with Cheng Gu. If only she knew where Cheng Gu was, she could have a chat with him and it would make her feel better. Other than Cheng Gu, there was no one else who could understand her current predicament. "Elder sister, are you missing me?" Cheng Gu''s voice suddenly came from behind Tan Jing. Tan Jing turned around in surprise and looked at Cheng Gu. She could not hide the smile on her face as she said happily, "Cheng Gu! Why are you here?" "Recently, an elder in my family has fallen ill, so I''m back to stay for two days. It''s such a coincidence to run into you while I''m taking photos. Are you also back to visit your relatives?" Cheng Gu asked. Tan Jing laughed bitterly. Could this be considered a visit to her parents? It should be. If the Xia family said so, then so be it. She did not have any choice at all. "From the looks of it, elder sister Did something happen to you? Is there anything I can help with?" Cheng Gu sat beside Tan Jing and asked gently. Just as Tan Jing was about to say something to Cheng Gu, she felt a sharp pain in her abdomen. The pain felt like it was going to tear her apart. She held the right side of her abdomen and curled up, groaning softly. "Elder sister? Elder sister, what''s wrong! Don''t scare me!" Cheng Gu grabbed Tan Jing''s arm and asked anxiously. At this moment, Tan Jing was in so much pain that she could not speak. Cheng Gu did not hesitate and immediately carried Tan Jing back to his car to drive her to the nearest hospital. The doctor diagnosed Tan Jing with acute appendicitis and said that she must have her appendix removed. Otherwise, it would become even more serious in the future. If the appendix''s condition festered and it became inflamed, the consequences would be unimaginable! At that time, she might even lose her life! "Are you the patient''s family member?" the doctor looked at Cheng Gu and asked. Cheng Gu thought for a moment and said, "Yes, how is she now?" "The patient needs surgery and we need her family members to sign off. The surgery is scheduled for tomorrow. Can you sign off for her?" the doctor asked. "I have to discuss this with her. Can I come and look for you after she wakes up?" Cheng Gu said. "Yes, but try to decide as soon as possible. I can only wait until tomorrow. With the patient''s condition, we should not delay it any further." With that, the doctor went to do rounds at the other wards. Cheng Gu went out to buy a lot of food and then sat quietly and motionlessly near Tan Jing''s bed. He held on to Tan Jing''s hands tightly, worried that he would not notice it when she woke up. Chapter 1094 Surgery ? After four or five hours, Tan Jing gradually woke up. Currently, she was only given anti-inflammatory medicine and painkillers to temporarily alleviate her pain. If she wanted to get well completely, she would need to undergo surgery. "Where where am I?" Tan Jing asked weakly. "Elder sister, you''re awake. We''re in the hospital now. When we were talking, you suddenly fainted from pain. The doctor says that you have acute appendicitis and need surgery. I''m not your family member so I can''t sign off for you. Do you want me to call your husband?" Cheng Gu asked tentatively. Tan Jing closed her eyes slowly. The last thing she wanted was to deal with such a situation. She would rather that she had simply died in the park. Right now, she did not have any money on her and could not even afford to pay for the treatment and hospitalization today. She felt too embarrassed to ask Xia Wen for money and she definitely could not count on that bunch of heartless people from the Tan family. She was alone and helpless now and did not have anyone who could help her. "Elder sister, if you have any difficulties, just let me know. I can help you with anything!" Cheng Gu said firmly as he held Tan Jing''s hands. "Why are you treating me this way? This is only the second time we''ve met," Tan Jing asked. "Because because I like I feel that elder sister gives me a sense of familiarity. It feels as if you''re my own elder sister." Cheng Gu almost blurted out his true feelings. Tan Jing was not an innocent young lady without any life experiences, so it was not as if she could not understand what Cheng Gu meant. Unfortunately, she was already a married woman and much older than Cheng Gu. Even if she was not married, the two of them were still not suitable for each other. Cheng Gu could not explain why he liked Tan Jing. Perhaps it was because he worked in the arts field and was particularly obsessed with the pursuit of beauty. When he first saw Tan Jing, he felt that she epitomized his idea of a perfect image and looked indescribably beautiful. He really liked that sense of beauty coming from Tan Jing. Even if no one else saw it the same way, it did not change how he felt and it was as if he was intoxicated by it. He was willing to do anything to protect this sense of beauty. It did not affect how he felt even when he knew that Tan Jing had a husband. He just wanted to be by her side and protect her silently. Tan Jing did not share his feelings. Instead of giving Cheng Gu the wrong impression, she wanted to make it clear to him and make him give up that idea completely. "You''re younger than me, so you can be my younger brother. From now on, I''ll treat you like my own younger brother," Tan Jing said gently. Cheng Gu did not have much of a reaction to what she said. He avoided the topic and said, "Elder sister, I''ve already paid for the treatment and the surgery. When the time comes, I''ll sign off for you. If anything happens, I''ll take responsibility!" "You want to sign off? How are you able to fool the doctor? Even if I treat you like my younger brother, we''re not related by blood. The hospital won''t allow you to sign off for me," Tan Jing said with a laugh. "Don''t worry, I definitely can!" Cheng Gu said confidently. He had relatives working in this hospital and who could still help with such a small matter. Even if his relatives could not help, he still had his brothers and friends who could definitely settle the matter for him. Early the next morning, Tan Jing was wheeled into the operating theater. The surgery went well and she would recover as long as she rested well. Tan Jing only woke up after sleeping for the entire afternoon. By now, she had already left home for two days. If the Tan family realized that she was missing and reported it to the Xia family, Xia Wen would have appeared in her ward by now. Given the Xia family''s influence in the capital, they would easily find out that she was in the hospital. It only meant that the Tan family did not take her disappearance seriously at all. Tan Jing could not help but feel a little disappointed. Even if she died outside now, no one would know about it. No one would care about her until her body rotted and stank and she was discovered by strangers. "I" Tan Jing looked at Cheng Gu and said hoarsely. Cheng Gu quickly picked up the glass of water and let Tan Jing take sips. After that, he even made some rice gruel for Tan Jing to fill her stomach. After the surgery, she needed to regain her strength but she could only have a liquid diet. It was only two days later that Tan Jing felt a little better. Her constitution was weak to begin with, so she recovered slower than most people after surgery. After Cheng Gu took care of her attentively during the past two days, she could already hold a conversation with him and even tell jokes occasionally! Chapter 1095 People Are All The Same ? "Cheng Gu, I want to eat something spicy. Can you get me some spicy boiled fish?" Tan Jing looked at Cheng Gu as she begged for a favor. "No, you can''t eat spicy food so soon after the surgery. Are you tired of living! It''s not just spicy food that you can''t eat, Anything that''s sour, sweet or bitter is also not allowed! You can only eat porridge and some pickled vegetables. Nothing else!" Cheng Gu said sternly. Tan Jing pouted aggrievedly. Cheng Gu was clearly younger than her, but he was restricting her freedom like he was her father. She could only eat porridge and pickled vegetables for three meals a day. It was really a meaningless way to live! Cheng Gu looked at Tan Jing''s aggrieved expression and felt a little sorry for her. However, Tan Jing was still unwell. Even if Tan Jing begged him, he could not agree to such a request easily. This was for her own good and she must bear with it! "Fine, fine, fine. After you recover, I''ll bring you to eat the best spicy boiled fish in the city, how about that?" Cheng Gu said resignedly. "That''s more like it! Then I won''t stand on ceremony with you!" Tan Jing said happily. Cheng Gu sat at the side and stared at Tan Jing with a gentle look in his eyes. As he looked at her in silence, he felt that his life was very good right now. How could this feeling be anything but affection? "Say, you''re not young anymore. What kind of girl do you like? My husband''s younger sister works in the military art troupe. There are so many good-looking young ladies there, surely there''s someone you''ll like! Tell me about your ideal type and I can strategize for you," Tan Jing asked. Cheng Gu looked at Tan Jing intently and thought for a long time before saying, "I like someone with long hair, big starry eyes with double eyelids and charming baby eyebags, and who has two dimples when she smiles. She''s a very gentle and virtuous person and has a mole at the corner of her mouth." Tan Jing could not stand to hear more. He was describing her! After she tried so hard to change the topic, he still wanted to talk about her! "That''s enough! Cheng Gu you shouldn''t spend so much time on me," Tan Jing said. Cheng Gu smiled relaxedly and said happily, "Elder sister, what are you talking about? Isn''t it my duty as a younger brother to take care of my elder sister? You''re sick now, so how can I leave you alone?" The two of them knew very well what was going on but they just did not want to expose the truth and make things difficult for everyone. The older woman in the neighboring hospital bed grinned and said, "I''m so envious of you having such a younger brother! He''s willing to take care of his elder sister when she''s sick. My kid only knows how to eat, drink and make merry every day! I''m so envious of you!" "It''s my younger brother who''s the sensible one. As his elder sister, I''ve only caused him trouble," Tan Jing said with a smile. "I do it because my elder sister is nice to me. Otherwise, I won''t put in so much effort to take such good care of my elder sister. It''s mealtime. You should eat now." Cheng Gu put the food in front of Tan Jing and she ate obediently. These wondrous and peaceful days passed quickly. Tan Jing could not stay in the hospital forever. If the Tan family called the Xia family to ask for money after a while, the fact that she did not stay put in the Tan family''s house would soon be exposed. Based on Tan Jing''s current condition, as long as she took her medicine and changed her wound dressing on time every day, she would be able to recover quickly. This was something that she could do at home. "Cheng Gu, please help me with the discharge procedures. I''m going home to recuperate," Tan Jing said. After packing everything, Cheng Gu drove Tan Jing back to the Tan family''s house. However, Tan Jing did not allow him to drive up to the house door. She asked him to stop at the main entrance to the village. "You don''t have to send me all the way in. It''s too inconvenient. Thank you for taking care of me for the past few days. Give me your number and I''ll pay you the medical fees when I recover," Tan Jing said politely. "Sure." Cheng Gu took out a pen and paper to write down his phone number, completely unaware that the corners of Tan Jing''s mouth twitched for a moment. She was just trying to be polite to Cheng Gu. She had thought that he would not accept money from her and did not expect that people were all the same in the end, saying one thing but doing another. He said that he liked her, but he could not even bear to spend this bit of money on her. "This is my phone number. Elder sister, call me if you need anything. You don''t have to pay me back the money. We''re family, so there''s no need for this. Don''t stand on ceremony with me," Cheng Gu said gently. Tan Jing immediately perked up. She took the paper with Cheng Gu''s phone number and got out of the car to go home. The walk which usually took her 10 minutes had become so difficult and it took her a full 40 minutes to reach the Tan family''s main door. Chapter 1096 Buying A House ? As soon as Tan Jing pushed open the main door, Jiang Yi rushed over and gave her a tight slap. After that, Jiang Yi felt that one slap was not enough to vent her anger and slapped Tan Jing again. After getting hit twice, Tan Jing fell to the ground and almost could not get up. "So you still know your way back! The entire family is about to starve to death! You jinx, where the hell did you go! You don''t even bother to bring anything with you when you come back! What an ingrate! I really raised you for nothing!" Jiang Yi said furiously. When Tan Jing was not at home, all the chores in the family fell on Jiang Yi again. This inevitably made her angry. In addition, Tan Hu ran out of money to gamble at the casino recently, so he often came back to beat and scold them. Jiang Yi was already very distraught by now. Tan Jing did not dare to say anything. Once she said something, Jiang Yi would scold her for a while. She might as well keep quiet and let Jiang Yi vent her anger. Once Jiang Yi felt better after scolding her, she would be let off. "When are you going back to the Xia family! Quickly go and apologize to the Xia family! Our creditors come to demand for money every day and all the valuable things in the house have already been taken away by them! If you don''t go back to the Xia family soon, our family won''t be able to survive anymore!" Jiang Yi complained. "This I''m not the one who owes money. Besides, the Xia family don''t want me there now. Where''s my place in that happy and harmonious family? Isn''t it all your fault for what happened to me in the Xia family?" Tan Jing said helplessly. "What has this got to do with us! You''re the one who can''t get pregnant! If only you can give the Xia family a big fat boy! Then see whether the Xia family will give you everything. It''s not just cash, even if you want a mountain of gold and silver, the Xia family will also give it to you! Don''t even try to blame us for everything! Don''t even think about it!" Jiang Yi said overbearingly. Tan Jing did not want to stay with the Tan family anymore. She felt that it would be better for her to go back to the house she shared with Xia Wen. She would not be able to recuperate well in the Tan family''s house. If she continued to stay with them, her wounds would probably fester and rot sooner or later! Tan Jing did not even enter the Tan family''s house. She just took her luggage and went to the bus stop nearby to take a bus back to the house she shared with Xia Wen. As she stood outside the door, she kept thinking about what might happen after she opened the door and went through all the possibilities in her mind. Then, she mustered her courage and took out her keys to open the door. It appeared that the house had been left vacant for a while. Even after she left, Xia Wen did not come back to stay here. She found out that when his workplace unit realized that he worked overtime every day, they specially found an unused apartment in the workplace unit''s apartment block as a place for Xia Wen to rest. In the end, Xia Wen decided to use it as his living quarters! When others asked Xia Wen about it, he would just say that he was too busy with work and that his own house was too far away, so he might as well stay in the workplace unit''s apartment block. With that, Tan Jing felt at ease enough to settle down in the house. Qiao Mei had not been idle for the past few days. There was not much corn left, so when it was dark and there was no one around, Qiao Mei produced a lot of corn and filled up all the rooms in the house. Earlier, she had asked Sun Juan and Zhou Shuang about the matter of where they wanted to live, but the two of them had not given her a reply yet. The next day, Qiao Mei came to the corn courtyard house to discuss this matter with the two of them. "Sister Sun! Sister Zhou! And Sister Feng, you''re all here!" Qiao Mei said with a smile. "Yes we are! We''ve been waiting for so many days to start work! We''re all just waiting for you to come and inform us to come back to work. After you came to tell me yesterday, I immediately went to inform everyone!" Feng Hong said happily. How could anyone be disinterested in a money-making business! Only Sun Juan''s sister, Sun Jiao, would not be able to come again. She and her husband had moved to another location as their prospects there were better than in the capital. Their expenses were also lower there, which allowed them to live an easier life in return. "We''re all on the same side, so I won''t talk in circles. It''s about the rooms which I mentioned to you previously. Sister Zhou and Sister Sun, have you given thought to this matter?" Qiao Mei asked. Feng Hong already heard about this matter a while back. It was not like Qiao Mei was giving Sun Juan and Shou Zhuang the rooms. There was nothing for her to be jealous of. The two women had to pay for it with cash. If she had money, she would also beg Qiao Mei to sell her a room! "We''ve already decided! Our decision is to buy! But not in this courtyard house of yours. We want to buy the rooms in the courtyard house two streets behind this house," Sun Juan said. All the neighbors nearby knew very well the extent to which Qiao Mei had renovated the corn courtyard house. Also, there were still many former residents of this courtyard house living nearby. Chapter 1097 - 1097 We Are Family 1097 We Are Family If these people found out that Sun Juan and Zhou Shuang managed to buy two rooms in Qiao Meis corn courtyard house, they would definitely come around and ask to buy rooms as well. Who knew how much money they had for real! There may even be people who would be willing to sell everything they owned to come and live in this house which belonged to Qiao Mei. Anything was possible! How could Qiao Mei reject each and everyone of these people? Sun Juan and Shou Shuang did not want Qiao Mei to have to face such a situation. It was better to give more thought to whatever they did. Qiao Mei had not thought of this point either. She always felt that she could just reject those people. However, she would be busy with her children in the coming months and would not be able to handle all the matters related to the house. Sun Juan and Zhou Shuang were truly more thoughtful and thorough in their considerations. Furthermore, if Sun Juan and Zhou Shuang lived in the corn courtyard house, it would become inconvenient for her to go there to produce corn. It was a better idea to let them stay in the courtyard house located behind. Sure thing. I didnt do much renovations on that house and there are less fixtures and fittings compared with this place. For sure, the price is definitely not as expensive as here. I just hope you dont mind, Qiao Mei said. Of course we dont mind! Its already good enough to have a place to stay. Tell us the price. We will pay whatever amount you say! Sun Juan said generously. Qiao Meis beautiful eyes darted around for a while and she said, 5,000 dollars per room! Qiao Mei, youre so naughty! Are you teasing us! 5,000 dollars is enough to buy half that house! Zhou Shuang said. Thats not it. The thing is the house has good feng shui. After moving in, Sister Sun will be able to find her other half to spend the rest of her life with. Sister Zhous two sons will also grow up healthy and excel in their studies. In the future, they will be very filial to you! Qiao Mei said. Sun Juan was so happy that she grinned widely. She held Qiao Meis hand as she said, Look at this mouth of hers. She can speak so well! Tell me, is there anything in this world that she cant do! If what you say is true, then it shouldnt be called a house. It should be called a divine temple. Everyone will want to buy a room there so that everything will become smooth sailing for them! Zhou Shuang said laughingly. Alright, alright, I wont tease you anymore. Under normal circumstances, Im planning to sell each room at 1,000 dollars over there. For that house, Ive only scraped and painted the walls and changed all the furniture. Everything else remained the same. Were all on the same side, so Ill offer you my lowest price. Its 800 dollars per room, Qiao Mei said sternly. The house which Qiao Mei was talking about was not the big courtyard house that she had bought for more than 10,000 dollars. She intended to keep that courtyard house for Xia He. Qiao Mei was talking about the house next to it. After receiving the money from He Ning, she bought another house. It had three less rooms compared with the house which cost more than 10,000 dollars, but she had bought it for 8,000 dollars so it was still worth it. Then can I buy three rooms? My two sons will get married in the future and I have to make preparations for them in advance, she said embarrassedly. Sister Zhou! Youre not being nice! Qiao Mei is selling it to you at a loss! If you buy three rooms in one go, youre not letting Qiao Mei earn money! Feng Hong said. Severing ones source of income was like killing ones parents! One could not do such a thing that harmed others for ones own benefit. They were still counting on Qiao Mei to help them get rich! If Qiao Mei was upset over this matter and she became unhappy and disgruntled with Zhou Shuang, the losses would outweigh the gains. Feng Hong was also doing this for Zhou Shuangs sake. I! Ill buy the other two rooms at the price of 1,000 dollars per room! Is that alright? Zhou Shuang said hurriedly. Theres still a long way to go for my son! The family has already prepared a place for him! Im not in any hurry, Feng Hong said. Even if Feng Hong wanted to buy one, she did not have that much money! Old Madam Fan had given Sun Juan and Zhou Shuang a large sum of money, but she did not get anything. It was better to work for Qiao Mei for a few years and save more money for the future betrothal gifts first. If they could not afford the betrothal money, it would be useless to buy a room! Her son still would not be able to get married! Besides, her son would go to work and earn money in the future. He should be the one to earn the money needed for his own wedding. Feng Hong was just preparing a backup plan for him. If she helped her child with everything, he would not be able to achieve much in his own future. Chapter 1098 Patchwork Quilt ? "It''s fine. My plan is to rent out the rooms in that house, but as long as you''re the ones who want to buy it, I''ll sell it to you at the lowest price," Qiao Mei said. Qiao Mei did not just invest in these few houses. As long as someone in the vicinity wanted to sell their house, Qiao Mei would buy it if the price was reasonable. Some time ago, there was someone who wanted to sell his house. When he knew that Qiao Mei wanted to buy it, he immediately asked for 30,000 dollars. Qiao Mei simply ignored him after that. Later on, no matter how much money this person offered to sell the house to Qiao Mei, she would not even take a look. Even if he wanted to sell it to her for 5,000 dollars, she was not interested. Who knew how much trouble there would be after buying it? Qiao Mei would never be nice to such a greedy person. The three women were all very grateful to Qiao Mei. Without Qiao Mei, their lives would not be so good now! It was because they met Qiao Mei that they could have better lives and their children could get whatever they wanted. "Qiao Mei, looking at your stomach, I think you should be giving birth soon?" Sun Juan asked with a smile. Qiao Mei instinctively touched her stomach and said, "Yes, it will happen sometime within the next month. It''s my first pregnancy and I don''t know what it''s like to give birth. I''m actually a little scared." Actually, Qiao Mei still had the memories of the original owner of the body giving birth, but memories were still memories after all. The actual physical pain was still something unknown to her. The current medical technology was far inferior to what she was used to in her other life. She did not know whether the hospital would be able to give her anesthesia or an epidural. She expected these things to be unavailable and that she would have to grit her teeth and endure the pain. Just thinking about it made her feel afraid. "Don''t be scared. When the time comes, you have to listen carefully to what the doctor says and follow her rhythm. This way, things will go much smoother for you. When I gave birth to my daughter, I was so nervous and caused a lot of trouble for the doctor!" Sun Juan said embarrassedly. "Look at your stomach. Your two children are definitely obedient and well-behaved," Zhou Shuang said as she looked at the shape of Qiao Mei''s stomach. Qiao Mei lowered her head curiously to look at her own stomach. This was the first time she had heard such a thing! It appeared that one could judge a child''s temper just by looking at the shape of the mother''s stomach. "How do you gauge that? Elder sister, teach me," Qiao Mei said. "I heard it from others when I was pregnant. At that time, the shape of my stomach was more sharp and they told me that it must be a boy. Furthermore, the fetal position was quite high. When I was pregnant with my eldest son, I didn''t feel much discomfort, but when I was pregnant with my second son, it was really torturous." Thinking about it now, Zhou Shuang still felt uncomfortable! "So there''s such a thing! It''s so interesting. I''m having twins, so perhaps the babies care about me and just keep quiet. They don''t torture me much and I don''t really throw up! My appetite is also not bad," Qiao Mei said. "Eat more simple food for now. If the food is too oily, it''s not good for your health," Sun Juan said worriedly. The four of them chatted about the topic of children. Sun Juan suddenly thought of something and quickly went into the room to take out a big package. It was a gift that the three of them had prepared for Qiao Mei. "Sister, your family is so rich and powerful, so you must have already prepared all the children''s things. It''s also not so appropriate for us to give the children any personal items. We have made a patchwork quilt for the children. Treat it as our blessing for them!" Sun Juan said with a smile. The three of them had made the quilt together. They went from house to house to get pieces of cloth and sewed them together one by one. These pieces of cloth had their own history! They all came from happy families with children and have educated family members. They had to collect a total of 100 pieces! Back then, Qiao Mei had also wanted to make such a quilt for the babies. As she was familiar with everyone in the village, it was not difficult for her to collect pieces of cloth. However, the three women only knew a limited number of people in the capital. It was really not easy for them to collect the cloth piece by piece. Sometimes, they would even get chased out of the house they visited. "Thanks for your hard work, elder sisters. How am I deserving of this," Qiao Mei said, feeling touched. Sun Juan held Qiao Mei''s hand and said, "Sister, I don''t have my daughter anymore and I''m also divorced. I didn''t touch this quilt at all when it was being made! I just helped Zhou Shuang and Feng Hong by going around to ask for pieces of cloth. I hope you don''t mind!" Chapter 1099 Study Together ? In Sun Juan''s opinion, her experiences were inauspicious. She hoped that her bad luck would not get transferred to Qiao Mei. Otherwise, she would regret it forever! "What are you talking about! Why would I despise you! You are the nicest person in the world! I''m the lucky one to be able to get to know you! Don''t say such things! Otherwise, I''ll be angry," Qiao Mei said with a pout. Sun Juan quickly said, "Fine, fine, fine! I won''t say that again!" "Sister Zhou, how are your children?" Qiao Mei asked. Ever since the mother and son duo of the Su family left the capital, Qiao Mei had been busy with her own family matters and did not pay much attention to Zhou Shuang and Sun Juan. She did not know if the two children had experienced any psychological trauma. This type of bad experience from childhood was the hardest to eliminate. She only hoped that the children would grow up healthy. In the past, before she became a mother, she always felt that her own life was tough. She was not concerned when she saw other kids who went through the same thing. It was something that everyone had to go through, was it not? However, when she saw injured, sad or aggrieved children now, she always felt worried and wanted to help out as much as she could. There was always the possibility that Qiao Mei''s unintentional actions would light up a certain child''s life. "The children are all doing quite well! My second son is still young and probably won''t remember all these things. Only my elder son may have issues as he''s not that young anymore. The older folks always say that even dogs find kids who are seven or eight years old annoying, but this child of mine doesn''t make any fuss and is especially sensible. I''m always worried that there''s something wrong with him," Zhou Shuang said worriedly. She was a woman who was raising her two sons alone. Her husband worked in another location away from the capital and did not make much money. Now that she was also working, her elder son had to take care of his younger brother when he was not at school. However, he was also a seven-year-old child himself, and yet he had to take care of another younger child. Every time she thought of this, she felt sad. However, she could not give up her current job. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Earning more money meant that it would bring better opportunities and conditions to these two children. By now, Zhou Shuang could already afford to buy three rooms. If she continued to work hard, she might even be able to enroll the two children into the best school in the capital! Every time she went to Qiao Mei''s house, she would feel so envious of the four children who were proficient in the arts. If only her children could receive such an education too. "When you go to work during the day, you can leave your children at my house. The four children in my house are about the same age as your two children. They can take care of one another. Our family has also hired a few teachers, so the children can also learn from the teachers at my house," Qiao Mei said. Teaching was teaching, no matter if it was one student or a group of students. Zheng Peng should not mind. Money was not the problem. Zheng Peng did not care about money at all. He was only concerned about the temperament and character of the children he taught. He did not care to teach children who were pampered and spoiled. He would send them away without even looking at them. In fact, Qiao Mei did not know what Zheng Peng was in it for. Perhaps he had nothing better to do. "That won''t do! My two children are mischievous. It''s not good to let your grandfather and mother worry about them!" Zhou Shuang said. "It''s fine. I have helpers at home and they do the cooking. My grandfather and mother are usually not at home, so my younger brother, Zhang Wei, will take care of the younger siblings," Qiao Mei said. Zhou Shuang clenched her fists nervously. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. She heard that the teacher at Qiao Mei''s house had returned from overseas! He was highly educated and knowledgeable. Even the best schools did not manage to hire this teacher. Furthermore, Zhang Wei would be going to that military school once it was springtime. If she could also let her eldest son study with that teacher, that would be a good start for the child''s future endeavors! "Sister how much does that teacher charge per month?" she asked cautiously. Qiao Mei laughed and said, "This teacher has a very strange temper and doesn''t really care about the fees. He''s only concerned with the child''s temper and personality. To put it bluntly, it all depends on fate." "Sister, then forget it. My younger son is still too young. Let''s wait until the children are older!" Zhou Shuang said. Chapter 1100 Pay A Visit ? If her elder son went to study at Qiao Mei''s house, then there would be no one to take care of her younger son at home. She had no choice as her life was such. She was unable to give her child a good life and could only do her best. Since Zhou Shuang had put it across like that, Qiao Mei did not want to make things difficult for her. She decided to let Zhou Shuang have her own way. Just like that, another two days passed peacefully. Cheng Gu was really worried about Tan Jing and quietly made his way to her house door to try and get a chance to see her. However, after he waited for a long time, he did not see her at all and began to get a little worried. "Hello? Is this Tan Jing''s house?" Cheng Gu knocked on the door and asked politely. Jiang Yi raised her head and carefully sized up the person in front of her. He was dressed quite simply, but Jiang Yi was a person who had seen much of life. She could tell at a glance that the watch on Cheng Gu''s hand was worth a lot of money. It was definitely not something that ordinary people could afford. He must be a rich man! "Yes it is! Why are you looking for my daughter?" Jiang Yi asked with a wide smile. "I''m just here to visit her. Is she not at home? If she''s not at home, I''ll come again another day," Cheng Gu said. Jiang Yi quickly grabbed Cheng Gu and said, "Um she has gone out! To do some shopping! She''ll be back soon! Come in and wait!" Just like that, Cheng Gu was forced to enter the Tan family''s house. As soon as he entered, he was surrounded by Tan Jing''s younger brothers. Tan Hu and Tan Bao started asking all kinds of questions, almost wanting to find out information on all of Cheng Gu''s ancestors! The good thing was that Cheng Gu was an amiable person and he answered all the questions one by one. Jiang Yi took the opportunity to rush to the village entrance to borrow the phone and call Tan Jing. "Tan Jing, you wretched girl, come back quickly! An esteemed guest is here to look for you!" Jiang Yi said agitatedly. An esteemed guest? What kind of esteemed guest could the Tan family have? Could it be that the child was here again? However, ever since Jiang Yi compensated that family, she had not been nice to them. If that child was here, Jiang Yi would beat him up with a big stick. Why would she make such an agitated phone call to Tan Jing? "What esteemed guest? Why don''t I know anything about an esteemed guest?" Tan Jing asked curiously. "Just come back when I tell you to! Don''t talk so much! Hurry up! He''ll leave in a while!" After saying that, Jiang Yi hung up. It was very expensive to make a phone call! Jiang Yi did not even look at the boss and turned to leave. The boss hurriedly shouted, "Tan family''s daughter-in-law! You haven''t paid yet!" "The phone call isn''t even 10 seconds long! What right do you have to charge me! I only said two sentences! You still want to charge me for this! How can you earn such illicit money! How do you feel at ease after earning such money!" Jiang Yi said. "Hey! How can you say that! You have to pay me when you use my phone! You already used the same argument the last two times, but how can you do this every time! If you don''t pay me today, I''ll go to the police station to file a report!" the boss said furiously. Jiang Yi was not afraid at all. She could not wait for the boss to go to the police station! The police chief and Xia Wen were good friends. In the past, whenever their family members got into trouble and had to go to the police station, they would at most get a slap on the wrist. Even if they had to go to the police station, they would always be able to come back unscathed. The boss would be the one to suffer a bigger loss. For a phone bill of a few cents, he would have to close his shop and go to the police station with Jiang Yi to get the issue mediated. Jiang Yi was an idle person who did not have a job and did not need to go to work. The winning party would be the one who could afford to waste time. "Go! I''m not afraid of you! If you''re so capable, then ask the police to come and arrest me! You''re so black-hearted!" Jiang Yi cursed and argued for a while before returning home. She still had an important guest at home! She did not have the time to argue with the boss in this place. By the time Jiang Yi returned home, Cheng Gu''s mouth was already dry from all the talking. When Tan Hu and Tan Bao found out that he was a photographer, their expressions changed. In their eyes, if he was not an official, then he was not anyone useful. In that case, there was no difference between him and them. What was the use of treating such a person to good food and wine! "Oh my! Sorry to keep you waiting! Xiao Jing will be back soon. Wait a little longer!" Jiang Yi said with a smile. "Auntie, I''m not in a hurry as long as she''s coming back. I''m just here to pay her a visit today. There''s nothing else," Cheng Gu said politely. Chapter 1101 The Same Problem ? "Oh my, I''ve long heard from Xiao Jing that she has a fairly close friend who has a good temper and nice personality, and who''s also a kind person. This friend will help her out every time she runs into any difficulties. I suppose you''re the person whom Xiao Jing speaks about! My Xiao Jing doesn''t have many good friends. It''s so good that you think of her and have come to visit her," Jiang Yi said with a smile. Judging from the glint in her eyes, it was as if she was not looking at Cheng Gu, but at the God of Fortune! As long as she could manage to get some money from Cheng Gu today, it was not an issue for her even if she had to wait on him or sing high praises of him or take very good care of him. "Oh, she has even told you about me! I thought she would just forget about me" Cheng Gu lowered his head and said embarrassedly. "That''s right, she has mentioned you more than once! She says she''s very grateful and that she''s looking for an opportunity to invite this friend over to our house, but hasn''t found the chance yet. I never expect you to come over yourself! This is really fate!" Jiang Yi said. Actually, Tan Jing had never mentioned anything about Cheng Gu at home. Even Xia Wen did not know about the existence of this person. Tan Jing had never brought home any friends since she was young. When it came to the topic of friends, it would be more accurate to say that Tan Jing refused to make any friends at all. She felt that she did not deserve to have friends! Tan Jing''s first job was not something she expected. The moment she graduated, she started doing odd jobs in a canteen. She was in charge of washing the dishes and pots every day and rinsing the vegetables needed for each day. There were more than 2,000 people in the entire factory and there were only two canteen staff rinsing the vegetables, an old master and her. This old master took very good care of Tan Jing and even taught her many shortcuts. He would tell her about his experiences in his life and she benefited greatly from every session. Not long after, this old master retired and his daughter took over his position. This was because Tan Jing was about the same age as his daughter and the two girls had hit it off very well. They could chat about everything under the sun. For some reason, Jiang Yi found out about this. At that time, Tan Jing''s salary was only about 30 dollars a month, which was barely enough for her living expenses. Every month, she still had to send eight dollars to her family. One day, Jiang Yi took advantage of Tan Jing''s day off to go to the canteen to cause a scene and cheated the old master''s daughter out of a lot of money. Tan Jing felt very apologetic about this matter, so she quickly cut off all contact with the girl and quit the factory job to work elsewhere. When she found a new job, she tried her best to repay the money that Jiang Yi had taken. From then on, Tan Jing did not make friends with anyone else, regardless of gender. Tan Jing felt that being her friend seemed to be akin to going through suffering. As long as it was someone or something related to Tan Jing, Jiang Yi would do everything she could to get some benefits from them. She would not give up until she achieved her goal. "I haven''t done much. We''re friends, so it''s only right for us to help each other," Cheng Gu said gently. After chatting for a long time, Jiang Yi had a rough understanding of Cheng Gu''s temperament. She sat down enthusiastically beside him and held his hand as she said, "What''s your name? Where do you live? What do you do now? How long have you known our Xiao Jing?" This series of questions stunned Cheng Gu. Was this how the Tan family treated their guests? Why did every Tan family member come over to ask him these questions? Furthermore, they were all the same and even in the same order. Out of courtesy, Cheng Gu answered Jiang Yi''s question in full detail. Jiang Yi''s expression then changed a little. He had an unstable job and he came from an ordinary family. He also did not live in the same area as other rich people in the capital. The only good thing about him was that he was quite handsome. Apart from that, there was nothing impressive about him. Jiang Yi''s initial enthusiasm gradually died down. She sized up Cheng Gu and said, "Then did you come empty-handed?" "Oh I was really in a hurry to contact Tan Jing. I left in a rush and didn''t have time to buy any gifts for you." Cheng Gu quickly took out 100 dollars from his wallet and handed it to Jiang Yi. "Take this money as a gift from me. I hope you don''t mind." "Oh my, you''re such a polite child. Then I won''t stand on ceremony and I''ll accept it. You''re really a sensible child and exactly as Tan Jing described. I know that you must be a good kid. I never misjudge people!" Jiang Yi said. Chapter 1102 Give Me A Call ? As soon as Jiang Yi saw money, she immediately smiled brightly. Tan Hu and Tan Bao also hurriedly went into the house to talk to Cheng Gu. They tried to praise him in different ways, but no matter how hard they tried, they could only manage to come up with the same few phrases. The two brothers were uneducated and "handsome" was already the best word they could think of. It was not until it was almost dark that Tan Jing reached home. At this moment, Cheng Gu was already very tired from the Tan family''s shenanigans. His eyes were bloodshot and his throat was so dry it was about to emit smoke. He had never talked so much in his life. Today was the first time in his life that he had to do that. "Why are you at my house? Who says you can come?" Tan Jing asked with a frown. Jiang Yi stood up immediately and pointed at Tan Jing as she scolded, "How can you talk to Cheng Gu like that! Apologize to him now! Did you just eat gunpowder? Why are you shouting at him! He comes by to visit you because he is nice and yet you criticize him. Where''s all the knowledge you learn from your books! Is this how I teach you!" Cheng Gu hurriedly held on to Jiang Yi and said, "Auntie, it''s fine! She''s not doing it on purpose. I''m the one who didn''t tell her in advance about my visit today. This is truly my fault." Tan Jing did not appreciate Cheng Gu''s help at all. Before Jiang Yi could say anything polite to him, Tan Jing pulled Cheng Gu out of the door, not giving Jiang Yi and the others any time to react. "Hey! You''re bringing him away just like that! Are you skipping dinner tonight!" Jiang Yi shouted from behind them. She only shouted out once. After all, Cheng Gu had already given her the money and it did not matter if he left or not. She had expected Cheng Gu to stay for dinner but she could save on the food now! Tan Jing did not speak to Cheng Gu along the way as they drove to the park where they first met and then sat on the same bench. Tan Jing and Cheng Gu sat next to each other, not knowing what to say. After a long time, Tan Jing asked, "Why did you go to my house? How did you find my house? Who asked you to go to my house?" "I I''m just very worried about your wound and want to come and see you. I had wanted to just steal a glance from outside your house but I didn''t see you after waiting for a long time, so I really couldn''t help going to your house to ask about you. I didn''t expect Auntie to be so enthusiastic, so I didn''t leave." Cheng Gu lowered his head guiltily. He was the one at fault for what happened today. Actually, he had his own selfish motives. He just wanted to see what Tan Jing''s parents and her family environment were like. This was so that he could know more about Tan Jing. "Then don''t you know how to give me a call? Why do you have to come to my house to look for me? Do you know how much trouble you''ll cause me?" Tan Jing said reproachfully. Cheng Gu did not retort. After all, he was the one in the wrong. He must make Tan Jing stop being angry with him first. If not for the fact that he really cared about Tan Jing, he would not have done something so overboard. After Tan Jing reprimanded Cheng Gu, she slowly calmed down. She did not know why she was so angry. Perhaps it was because she was afraid that Jiang Yi would have designs on Cheng Gu. After all, Cheng Gu was just a simple-minded kid. It would be disastrous if he was tricked by Jiang Yi. She did not want to see a repeat of what happened back then. "Did you give my mother anything?" Tan Jing asked. " I gave her some money," Cheng Gu whispered. "How much?" Tan Jing continued to ask. "Only a little. After all, I didn''t bring any gifts with me for the house visit today. That''s my fault, so I gave Auntie some money to buy something she likes," Cheng Gu quickly explained. "How much!" Tan Jing asked agitatedly. "100 dollars" Cheng Gu answered honestly. Tan Jing was so angry that she could feel some pain in her heart. History was repeating itself. Back then, that good friend of hers had been bullied by Jiang Yi in the same manner. In the end, the relationship between them eventually fell apart. "Did did I do something wrong? Don''t be angry," Cheng Gu said tentatively. "I''ll think of a way to return the money to you. In the future, if you want to look for me, give me a call first. I''m not always at this house. My relationship with them is not very good. I think you can tell," Tan Jing said with a deep sigh. Chapter 1103 What Do You Think ? After what happened today, Cheng Gu also understood Tan Jing''s plight in the Tan family. However, how could such a nice person like Tan Jing be treated like this? Perhaps in Jiang Yi''s eyes, Tan Jing''s biggest mistake was that she did not make any mistake. Jiang Yi had never been able to find any evidence of Tan Jing''s wrongdoings to use against her. Jiang Yi also did not have any good reason to go and look for the Xia family. Naturally, she became more irritable and she spoke even harsher than usual. Sometimes, she would even purposely dredge up Tan Jing''s painful memories. She did all these things to provoke Tan Jing into a state of panic so that Tan Jing would speak without thinking, and perhaps even be drawn into saying something that could let her demand a large sum of money from the Xia family. If Tan Jing had been born into a normal family, she would not have ended up like this. She must have done something wrong in her past life and was reincarnated into the Tan family to suffer during this life. "I''m sorry I don''t know about these things in your family. I''m just worried about you. It''s not my intention to delve into your family background. I''m not doing this on purpose," Cheng Gu lowered his head and said with a sense of guilt. He looked like a puppy that had done something wrong and was obediently waiting for its owner to reprimand it. If Tan Jing were to reach out with her hand in front of Cheng Gu, Cheng Gu would definitely instinctively put his own hand on Tan Jing''s hand. Seeing Cheng Gu like this, Tan Jing could not bear to reprimand him. After all, Cheng Gu was just too worried to think straight. She was the one who did not make things clear to him, so this matter had something to do with her too. "It''s fine. Now that you see that I''m feeling alright, does that ease your worries?" Tan Jing said with a smile. Cheng Gu stared into Tan Jing''s eyes and thought for a long time before saying sternly, "I''m still worried." There was a magnetic quality to his voice, like the whisper of an angel that could steal one''s soul. If Tan Jing did not clearly know that it was impossible for anything to happen between her and Cheng Gu, she would have been seduced by Cheng Gu. "I am feeling fine and right in front of you. Why are you still worried? My wound doesn''t hurt very much now and I change my dressing and take my medicine on time," Tan Jing said helplessly. "It''s not about your health. The thing is you don''t look happy. You have a lot of things on your mind, so many that you can''t contain them anymore. Your eyes are filled with fatigue. I can see all these," Cheng Gu said earnestly. Tan Jing turned away and did not dare to look into Cheng Gu''s eyes. Her heart started to pound uncontrollably. This man in front of her, who looked like a kid, could always accurately read her mind. It was as if nothing could escape his eyes. As long as she looked into his eyes for five seconds, he would be able to read her thoughts and she could not hide anything at all. It had been a long time since she felt her heart race like this. It was as if something was slowly taking root and growing in her heart. However, how could Cheng Gu understand all those trivial family matters in the Xia family and the Tan family? It would be boring for a person who had never been married to have to listen to all these. Cheng Gu would not understand the bitterness in her heart. "Why would a kid make a fuss about happiness? How can there be so many happy things in this world? Isn''t it normal to feel tired? Don''t make a mountain out of a molehill," Tan Jing said. "But you did not seem unhappy at all when you were with me. Your eyes were smiley then, but now your eyes are misty and I can''t see them clearly at all. I''m not a child. I''m a man. You can''t keep treating me like a child," Cheng Gu said. Tan Jing sighed deeply. Perhaps Cheng Gu was someone she could talk to? She leaned back on the bench and said, "It''s an embarrassing thing to talk about. I''m infertile and I want to adopt one of my relatives'' children, but my husband and in-laws are not happy about it because my husband''s younger brother''s wife is going to give birth soon. She''s having twins and the entire family is only fully focused on this matter." Cheng Gu was shocked for a moment before he accepted the fact that Tan Jing was infertile. Not many people could say such things so calmly. Such a matter was actually a lifelong sore point for a woman. "Well then what do you think?" Cheng Gu asked. "What?" Tan Jing was a little surprised. She had thought that Cheng Gu would ask her to avoid doing what she wanted to do during this period of time, like what the Xia family did. She did not expect Cheng Gu to ask her for her opinion. Chapter 1104 A Perfect Plan ? "I mean, what''s your own opinion? Since this is what you want to do, then why can''t you do it? There are so many issues that you seem to be wary of and trying to avoid. If you can settle all these troublesome issues, won''t the problem be easily solved then? Actually, it all depends on whether you are keen to adopt this child or not," Cheng Gu analyzed calmly. "This is the first time someone has asked me for my opinion. I haven''t felt this way in a long time." This was the first time Tan Jing felt relaxed and happy in a while. She had never been so delighted before. Actually, she was doing all this to fight for a say in the Xia family. She wanted to have a say in the Xia family so that they would pay attention to what she wanted and not always order her around. "Actually I don''t know either" Tan Jing said. In the beginning, Tan Jing knew what she wanted, but at this moment, she already did not know what she really felt inside. She did not know if she was just angry with the Xia family, or she wanted to get a share of the Xia family''s assets, or she wanted to adopt a child before she liked children. So many things had happened recently and she could not calm down and think about it properly. She needed someone to help her with the decision. "Then can you tell me why your husband doesn''t agree?" Cheng Gu asked. "Because that child is not related to them by blood. He doesn''t like my family, so he won''t agree to let me adopt the child. He says that he will rather adopt an unrelated child from the orphanage than adopt a child from my family," Tan Jing said with a frown. If Xia Wen got wind of what she said, they might have another big fight. Tan Jing had completely misinterpreted the Xia family''s intentions and did not bother to understand the Xia family''s train of thought. In her eyes, everything she did was wrong, so she might as well just go all the way. "Then why don''t you just look within the Xia family for a child?" Cheng Gu said with a smile. A child from the Xia family? All the children in the Xia family''s main family branches had already grown up, so there were no more children for her to adopt. Furthermore, the Xia family did not have many distant relatives. The children from those families were also not young anymore and there was no suitable candidate at all. "They''re very picky. There''s no way they''ll let me do that. They''ll think it''s embarrassing!" Tan Jing said as she flapped her hands. If Xia Jun found out about this, Tan Jing would definitely be severely punished. Xia Jun would never agree to such an embarrassing thing. He would rather Xia Wen be childless than let the Xia family experience such embarrassment. Cheng Gu pondered for a long time before he said, "Didn''t you just say that your sister-in-law is pregnant with twins? That means they have an extra child. You can bring up her child. This is your husband''s bloodline and it''s perfectly justifiable. Won''t this be the best of both worlds? You''re even helping their family ease the burden. After all, the two men are biological brothers. They can also be sure that you won''t mistreat that child." Tan Jing felt suddenly enlightened and wondered why she had not thought of such a method! This method satisfied all the Xia family''s requirements! It also solved the urgent problem she had at hand. When the time came, it would be justifiable for her to get a share of the Xia family''s assets. It was simply too perfect! "But will my sister-in-law agree?" Tan Jing asked worriedly. "As long as your mother-in-law and the rest of the family agree, what else can she say? After all, she has already married into the family. There are so many of you. Can''t anyone manage to persuade her?" Cheng Gu said. The more Tan Jing thought about it, the more she felt that this was a good idea. She did not even stop to say goodbye to Cheng Gu before she hurriedly went to the bus stop and took a bus back to Xu Lan''s house to discuss this idea with them. In the end, as soon as Tan Jing mentioned it, Xu Lan completely tore into her. "How shameless of you! How dare you have designs on Qiao Mei''s babies! Are you crazy!" Xu Lan pointed at Tan Jing and reprimanded her. This woman was really shameless. The children were not even born yet and she was already thinking about taking one of them, completely disregarding Qiao Mei''s safety. Her scheme was so obvious that one must be blind not to see it! What a scheming and conniving woman. She had been asked to go back and reflect on her mistakes, but after so long, all she did was come up with such a beastly plan! It would have been better for her to just stay here and receive the Xia family''s punishments! "I! I''m also doing this for the sake of the Xia family" Tan Jing whispered. Chapter 1105 No One Can Think About Leaving ? "You''re doing this for the sake of the Xia family! If you want to do something for the sake of the Xia family! Go back to your parents'' house and watch over your parents and brothers! Make sure they don''t come to the Xia family to ask for money! Don''t use the Xia family''s name to swindle other people! Do you really not know or are you pretending not to know! Are you proud of what your family has done!" Xu Lan was so angry that she smashed the cup on the coffee table. Xu Lan had paid a lot of money for all her tea sets and they were all made by grandmasters. Any one piece was worth a lot of money. In the eyes of outsiders, it might not be worth much, but to people in the know, these were treasures which they would not bear to sell no matter how much money they were offered. This showed how angry Xu Lan was. "What does that have to do with anything! They''re all the Xia family''s children! It''s not as if I will abuse the child! The child will still be brought up within the Xia family. Isn''t it the same?" Tan Jing explained with a frown. Xu Lan was so worked up by Tan Jing''s words that her heart felt a little uncomfortable. She quickly took out a small medicine bottle from under the coffee table and took two pills to alleviate the pain. This woman could really drive her to her grave. Liu Fen hurriedly held on to Xu Lan to calm her down. She looked at Tan Jing fiercely and said, "Can you bear to give your child to someone else! Fortunately, you can''t have children. Otherwise, you''ll destroy the life of a child from the Xia family!" "Sister Fan! Sister Fan!" Xu Lan shouted with all her might. Sister Fan rushed out with her apron on, without even turning off the fire under the pot in the kitchen. "Aye! I''m here!" Sister Fan said. "Give Xia Wen a call and ask him to get back here! Also, ask Qiao Mei and Xia He to come back! There''s trouble in our family!" Xu Lan said angrily. Seeing that the situation was starting to look bad, Tan Jing wanted to leave quickly and stay away from this place of trouble. "Sister Fan! Tell the guards outside to lock down the house! Immediately! Let''s see who dares to leave through this door today!" Liu Fen roared. Sister Fan quickly made a phone call to Luo Yu from the guard team. In less than five minutes, Luo Yu brought his team to surround the Xia family''s house. Tan Jing had no way of getting out. "Mother isn''t this a little exaggerated? I''m not a villain. There''s no need to do this," Tan Jing said with an awkward smile. "You''re not a villain! You''re trying to cause trouble! You think you can do whatever you want in this family! Do you think that your father and I are both dead! Today, let''s thrash things out as a family! If we don''t resolve this matter today! I won''t let it go!" Xu Lan said. It just so happened that Xia Mao had returned to the army unit to hand over his work today. If Xia Mao was at home, Tan Jing definitely would not dare to speak in this manner. Xia Mao would have just asked someone to throw her out. After Qiao Mei and Xia He received the phone call, they immediately rushed back. Ever since Qiao Mei was pregnant, Xu Lan had never asked Qiao Mei to do something so tiring. As long as it was something that Xu Lan could handle herself, she would definitely not pass it on to Qiao Mei. If she had asked the two of them to go back so urgently, something major must have happened. "Do you think that something has happened to Father?" Xia He said fearfully. "It can''t be. Father has already fully recovered. How can he be sick again? Don''t worry, it shouldn''t be a big deal." Qiao Mei held Xia He''s hand and comforted her. "Then why does she call us back so urgently? Can it be that something''s wrong with Grandfather! Or Mother!" Xia He said in fear. Qiao Mei quickly covered Xia He''s mouth and said, "Don''t say anything anymore. Otherwise, you''ll be making wild guesses about every member of our family. Grandfather''s health is even better than yours, yet you say he may be sick? It''s more likely for you to be sick! Mother dances every day and is in good health. How can anything be wrong with her? Don''t think too much. We''ll know when we get there." Xia He shut her mouth tightly and used this method to alleviate the worry in her heart. When they reached the main entrance of the house, the two of them were completely dumbfounded. "Luo Yu, what happened? Why are there so many people here?" Xia He asked as she rushed forward. "We''re not sure either. You should go in first. It''s cold outside." Luo Yu hurriedly took off his jacket and wrapped it around Xia He as he said with some heartache. Xia He was not in the mood to think about anything else at all. Not long ago, she had just experienced the pain of almost losing Xia Mao. Was she going to lose someone else now? Chapter 1106 A Suitable Candidate ? Xia He ran straight into the house and Luo Yu''s jacket fell to the ground. She shouted loudly, "Mother! Mother! Mother, what''s wrong!" "Lower your voice. I''m fine," Xu Lan said calmly. "Then what has happened at home that you need us back in such a hurry? Don''t you know you almost scare me to death!" Xia He picked up the water bottle from the coffee table and gulped down half a bottle of water. Fortunately, nothing had happened at home, otherwise she did not know what to do next. Xia Mao had only just recovered. If something happened to Xu Lan, then when Qiao Mei gave birth in the coming days, Xia He would need to play a bigger helping role. She had never given birth before, so she did not know what to do! At this time, nothing must happen at home! "Mother, I''m back." Qiao Mei slowly walked in through the door with a smile. The angry expression on Xu Lan''s face immediately turned gentle. "Come over and sit down. I hope it''s not too tiring for you. If it isn''t for something important today, I won''t have asked you to come," Xu Lan said with a troubled expression. "I know. Mother will never come to me unless it''s something important," Qiao Mei said. "Mother, what''s the matter? Just say it!" Xia He said unhappily. "What''s the hurry! Your eldest brother isn''t back yet! Let''s talk about it when he''s back," Xu Lan said sulkily. Tan Jing felt like a cat on a hot tin roof. She wanted to leave, but she could not do so. If she had known earlier that it would end up like this, she would not have come back to discuss this matter with Xu Lan. She would have just gone to look for Qiao Mei directly. If she really could not convince Qiao Mei, she could ask Jiang Yi to go to Qiao Mei''s house to make a fuss and they would most likely succeed in what they wanted. She must have really lost her mind to come here to get reprimanded. Xia Wen did not come back even after two hours. Xu Lan stood at the door and waited. Sister Fan asked tentatively, "Do you want me to call Xiao Wen again?" "Yes, call him. He must come back today. Tell him that everyone in the family is waiting for him! If he doesn''t come back, he can only see my dead body!" Xu Lan said. Qiao Mei rested on the rocking chair in the corner. Ever since Xu Lan found out that Qiao Mei liked rocking chairs, she had specially created an area for Qiao Mei at home. She had floor-to-ceiling windows installed on the far right side of the ground floor. In the morning, when the sun rose, the sunlight would fill the entire room. There were also many flowers and plants outside and it was very pleasing to the eye. The design inside the room was also very unique. Behind the rocking chair was a huge bookcase filled with all kinds of books that Qiao Mei liked. The carpet was a shaggy one which Xu Lan had chosen personally. Qiao Mei could lie down on the floor and read comfortably. Xia He quietly came to Qiao Mei''s side and sat down. She whispered, "Why is Mother so angry? Look, Eldest Sister-in-law is also here today. Do you think it''s Eldest Sister-in-law who makes Mother angry again?" "In any case, it''s definitely not the two of us who make Mother angry. Just find a spot and take a rest. Don''t you find it tiring to think so much? Don''t you always argue with me at home about how tired you are every day? Why are you so energetic after coming to Mother''s place?" Qiao Mei said. "How can it be the same! Why are you not curious at all about such a big drama! I have to take a good look at what made Mother go to such lengths. Mother has never activated the guard team all these years! It''s only after you married into the family that she gets the guard team to do all kinds of things because she''s worried about getting outsiders to do it," Xia He said enviously. "When you get married, I''ll ask Xia Zhe to bring all his brothers-in-arms to do a parade march to celebrate for you, alright? Is this grand enough for you?" Qiao Mei said jokingly. "Pfft! I''m not going to get married! It''s not bad to be alone. Isn''t one marriage enough?" Xia He said. Qiao Mei pointed out of the window mysteriously. They could both see Luo Yu patrolling outside near the door. "Isn''t this a good choice? Why don''t you even want to take a look?" Qiao Mei asked curiously. "It''s not possible between the two of us. He''s eight years older than me! Moreover, he talks and behaves exactly like Father. I don''t want to marry such a person! I treat him like an elder brother and don''t have any other feelings," Xia He explained. "I thought you don''t know that he likes you. You were so heartless just now," Qiao Mei said with a smile. "Shoo, shoo, shoo! Stop teasing me! Do you still want your children to receive a big gold lock? If you continue to criticize me, their aunt won''t give them any!" Xia He said. "So be it. Who cares? My children don''t like your gold lock anyway," Qiao Mei said with a pout. Chapter 1107 Blind Date ? Xia He reached out and gently touched Qiao Mei''s stomach with her fingertips carefully, saying, "The kids want them even if you don''t! Otherwise, they''ll say that their aunt doesn''t dote on them." "Then you have to stay by my side and say nice things about yourself in front of my stomach every day. Then, they''ll definitely feel close to you after they are born. Education has to start from when they are still babies," Qiao Mei said as she looked at Xia He earnestly. Xia He never had kids and did not know if what Qiao Mei said was true. She had indeed heard about prenatal education from other elders, but she did not quite believe that it would be useful for her to say nice things about herself. "Are you just trying to trick me into buying a big gold lock? There are only a few days to go before the babies are born. What''s the use of me repeating ''Your aunt is the person who''s nicest to both of you'' to you 24 hours a day?" Xia He said as she stared at Qiao Mei''s stomach doubtfully. Qiao Mei held back her laughter. She was just teasing Xia He and did not expect Xia He to really believe her. It was really cute. What she liked most about Xia He was her forthrightness. She was truly nice to people and was not a calculative person. Xia He kept staring at Qiao Mei''s stomach as she pondered about prenatal education and touched the stomach from left to right. She did not notice Qiao Mei''s expression at all. As she thought, she felt that having kids was not such a bad thing after all. However, she also witnessed Qiao Mei''s discomfort during the entire pregnancy process, so it made her feel a little conflicted as well. Her marriage with Kong Lu had already made her feel utterly disappointed. Rather than living with someone else, she preferred to be on her own as she had so much more freedom. "What are you thinking about? Why are you happy one moment and feeling down the next," Qiao Mei asked softly. "I''m thinking about what you said. Eldest Brother and my parents all think that Luo Yu is a nice person. Moreover, Eldest Brother says that Luo Yu is not married yet because he''s waiting for me. However, the two of us are not compatible at all. I need to find an opportunity to make things clear with him," Xia He said with a troubled expression. "Don''t stress about it. He has never told you how he feels and has always behaved carefully around you all these years. What if he just feels protective of you like a younger sister? Since he has never made it clear, you don''t have to be in a hurry to reject him. If he doesn''t admit it, the two of you will feel very awkward in the future. However, you must make sure you don''t accept any of his kind gestures, otherwise he will misunderstand," Qiao Mei said. "I know. I don''t really pay much attention to him all this while. Unless it''s absolutely necessary, I don''t talk to him at all. Sigh Let''s not talk about this anymore. I get very frustrated whenever this issue is mentioned. For the past two days, Mother has been trying to sound me out both openly and covertly. She''s thinking of asking me to go on a blind date. I''m not going!" Xia He complained. Recently, when one of Xu Lan''s friends heard that Xia Mao was unwell, she made a call to Xu Lan to express her concern and even sent over a lot of supplements. In such situations, friends would send at most three to five cartons of supplements. Her friend came in a truck and filled up the Xia family''s living room with supplements. Although she said that she was paying Xia Mao a visit, it was actually to sound out Xu Lan and see if it was possible for Xia He and her son to date each other. Her son was six years younger than Xia He, but she was not concerned about age. As long as the two young people liked each other, nothing else mattered. Xu Lan had watched the boy grow up and knew him well. Furthermore, he lived in the capital, which meant that the couple would not move far away after getting married and would still be near Xu Lan. Furthermore, the two families had always had a good relationship and there was no worries about them not getting along. It all depended on how Xia He felt. "Then you have to discuss it nicely with Mother. If you get angry with Mother, you won''t have an easy time. What if Mother doesn''t allow you to stay at my place?" Qiao Mei said. "I know my own temper too and I have been very careful. I''m just scared that I won''t be able to control myself. Whenever Mother mentions this matter nowadays, I''ll change the topic so that she''ll forget about it. My life has been really difficult recently," Xia He said with a sigh. "Mother is just concerned about you. She''s worried that you won''t have anyone to take care of you in the future. However, let her say whatever she wants and you just do whatever you want. It''s fine as long as you don''t fight about it." Qiao Mei patted Xia He''s shoulder and comforted her. Occasionally missing content, please report errors in time. Chapter 1108 Delay In Getting Home ? "Who knows what the future will bring for me. I remember you saying that you want to buy me a house. If I give all my money to your two children, can the two of them handle my funeral affairs in the future?" Xia He asked laughingly. "Sure, sure, sure! I''ve already set aside a house for you. I''m just waiting for you to agree," Qiao Mei said. "Shoo, shoo, shoo. As if I can accept a house from you. I''m just saying for the sake of saying," Xia He said as she flapped her hands. Another half an hour passed but Xia Wen was still not back yet. Xu Lan became so agitated that she wanted to just burn down the whole house. Xia Wen was usually very proactive in handling the Xia family''s affairs, but when it came to his own matters, he would dawdle and make no progress for a long time. If Xia Wen had curbed Tan Jing''s actions much earlier and set out a clear boundary with the Tan family, the Xia family would not have suffered so much! No matter how successful their family was, they could not let the Tan family waste their money like this! Men were all the same. They were not in charge of household matters so they did not know how big household expenses were. What was the use of spending all their time on socializing outside! The family was going to run out of money! "Sister Fan! Has Xia Wen returned our call?" Xu Lan asked anxiously. "Not yet. He''s probably on his way. Let''s wait a little longer. He should be back soon," Sister Fan said in a careful manner. "Wait, wait, wait! All I do is to wait! Is it wrong of me to ask him to come back quickly! Is his work so pressing that it''s more important than his family!" Xu Lan said angrily. Qiao Mei and Xia He immediately stopped chatting and looked in Xu Lan''s direction. If Xia Wen did not return soon, he might even have to kneel in the courtyard tonight and not be able to enter the house. "Come, let''s go chat with Mother and buy Eldest Brother some time," Qiao Mei said. Tan Jing sat on the sofa like a statue and did not even blink. If not for the fact that she could still breathe, Qiao Mei would have thought that she had fossilized! "Mother, why are you throwing such a big tantrum? You''ll have wrinkles if you get angry," Qiao Mei said as she walked over and held Xu Lan''s hands. Wrinkles? If having one or two wrinkles meant that she could get these vicious people in the family to get lost, then she would be more than willing to have them! Xia Wen was already a grownup now and did not listen to her and Xia Mao anymore. He kept insisting on doing things his own way and his entire family was going to get harmed in the end! Initially, the Tan family only coveted the Xia family''s authority and money. Xu Lan did not expect them to have designs on Qiao Mei''s two unborn babies now. Xu Lan did not even dare to tell Qiao Mei yet, worried that Qiao Mei would rip out Tan Jing''s tongue right away. If Qiao Mei knew why they were asked to come back today, there was no saying what she might do! "Eldest Sister-in-law is already here. Why isn''t Eldest Brother back yet?" Xia He sat opposite Tan Jing and asked her. "I I didn''t come back with him. I came back first," Tan Jing said nervously. Just as they were talking, Xia Wen arrived breathlessly, having run all the way in. He had a very important meeting today and no one was allowed to leave without permission. There was nothing he could do. "I''m back! I''m so sorry, I have something on today and can''t rush back immediately. Mother, what''s the matter?" Xia Wen asked as he stood at the door. Xu Lan was furious the moment she saw Xia Wen. Although Xia Wen had a very respectable job now, he did not have as much freedom as he did when he was a university professor. Nowadays, he was bound by those rules and regulations every day and she saw him much less often than before. "Do you still know your way back! Doesn''t our Director Xia have a secretary? Why can''t your secretary return our call? What do you need this secretary for! You might as well fire him and find another secretary!" Xu Lan roared as she pointed at Xia Wen. Xia Wen was confused for a moment. Why was Xu Lan so angry today and even asked everyone to come over? Even Liu Fen was sitting here. He must have done something to provoke Xu Lan. Coincidentally, his secretary was on leave today so he had to do many things himself. That was why no one returned Xu Lan''s phone call. Otherwise, she would not have to wait so long at home for a reply. He quickly took out a pair of gold earrings from his bag and carried the box to Xu Lan. He had bought them on the way back just now. When he read the message on the pager, he knew that he would definitely be reprimanded when he returned home today. He thought that if he bought a small gift, it would make Xu Lan happy and he would get a less severe scolding. "Mother, don''t be angry. It''s my fault. I''ll definitely contact the family as soon as possible next time. I definitely won''t let this happen again," Xia Wen said tentatively. Chapter 1109 Unable To Have Children ? If this was in the past, Xu Lan might have been pacified by Xia Wen''s sweet gesture and forgave him easily, but it was different today. She must see the matter settled, otherwise she would not let it go, even if it meant bringing it to Xia Jun''s attention. "Put it away! What''s the use of dangling such petty favors! You can''t even manage to settle your own family issues properly. What''s the use of trying to use these things to make me happy now! If you just settle all those awful matters in your family, it''s better than any gift you can get me!" Xu Lan held the box that Xia Wen had given her tightly and slammed it on the coffee table. Tan Jing looked at Xia Wen with a complicated expression. The Tan family had basically taken all the money that they had. On the surface, she seemed to be doing well, but in reality, she did not even have enough money to buy groceries. Yet, Xia Wen still had money. This pair of gold earrings was definitely not cheap and was the latest design for this season. In the past, Xia Wen used to hand over all his money to Tan Jing. "Why are you so angry" Xia Wen looked towards Qiao Mei and Xia He for help. The two of them shook their heads expressionlessly. Ever since they entered the house, they did not really dare to talk to Xu Lan, worried about making her even more irritable. "Have you done what your father and I asked you to do the last time?" Xu Lan asked calmly after taking a deep breath. Xia Wen lowered his head and said softly, "Yes. The Tan family''s debts outside have all been paid off and the news of our decision has already been disseminated. The casino and the other shops won''t send people to come to the Xia family''s house to look for us anymore." He had borrowed the money from Qiao Mei. The Tan family had owed a total of 5,000 dollars outside. This did not include the money that Tan Hu owed the loan sharks yet. The expenses which the Tan family put on credit and all their loans already added up to 5,000 dollars. He really had no choice but to borrow money from Qiao Mei to repay the debts first. He would slowly repay the money to Qiao Mei in the future. After all, they were family and she was definitely nicer than those creditors who kept hounding him. They had done this behind Xu Lan''s back. If Xu Lan found out that it was the Xia family who forked out the money, she would definitely go to the Tan family to demand an explanation. Of course, Tan Jing did not know about this either. "I don''t want to hear about such things again in the future. Then do you know why I asked you to come back today?" Xu Lan asked coldly. Tan Jing sat at the side and kept fidgeting with her hands. She was so nervous that she did not dare to raise her head to look at Xia Wen. She was afraid of seeing the disappointed expression on Xia Wen''s face, as well as everyone''s disgusted glance. "That good wife of yours! She wants to snatch your brother''s child to become her son! Yet you''re still in the dark!" Xu Lan said as she pointed at Tan Jing. "What! Snatch the child!" Xia He quickly sat close to Qiao Mei and held her tightly and protectively. Xia Wen found it unbelievable as well. He heard that the child from the Tan family had already been sent back so he thought that this matter had already come to an end. He did not expect such a thing to happen. "I''m not snatching I just want want to take care of him. We''re family. Isn''t it the same for me to take care of the child?" Tan Jing explained. Qiao Mei frowned and stared fixedly at Tan Jing. She did not expect this matter to drop in her lap in the end. She had thought that asking for money and a house was the worst thing these people could do, but now they even wanted to target her children. So many people eyed her children even before they were born. In the past, there was Qian''e and He Mei. Now, there was Tan Jing. It seemed that it was the same situation, be it the village or the capital. It was not safe anywhere. Xia He was so angry that she almost rushed forward to give Tan Jing a slap. How could she have such a ridiculous idea? Was this even something a human could do? "Take care! You should just take care of yourself! Your family owes Qiao Mei so much money and you still have the cheek to want to snatch her child away! What a joke, you can''t even take care of yourself and you still want to take care of the child! Don''t get the child involved in your nonsense. A child would grow up into a better person while living as a wanderer than under your care!" Xia He said spitefully. "Nonsense! You''ve never given birth or raised a child! How do you know that I can''t do it well!" Tan Jing stood up angrily and reprimanded her. Not one to be outdone, Xia He retorted, "Hmph, I don''t have children because Kong Lu doesn''t come home at all! You make it sound like you have personal experience! Don''t you know the reason why you don''t have children! You can''t have your own children, so you want to snatch other people''s children! Stop talking about how benevolent you are. There are so many children in the orphanage, so why is it that you can only have a child from the Tan or Xia families? What ulterior motives do you have!" Chapter 1110 Pick One Of Two ? These words were like a wake up call for Xu Lan. Previously, Tan Jing was very unhappy about the fact that Wu Min left the house to Xia Zhe and would always come to Xu Lan to complain about it both openly and covertly. As time passed, Xu Lan also felt that there was something wrong with this decision and even wanted to move into the courtyard house herself. However, if she gave it some careful thought now, was this not Tan Jing''s scheme? If Xia Fang had not managed to stop them at that time and Xu Lan and Tan Jing had successfully moved into the courtyard house, then all the relatives of the Tan family would have come to take their share of the loot. By then, Xu Lan would not be able to reject them even if she wanted to. It was not as if the family did not support Tan Jing''s decision to adopt a child, but it was not the right time now. Also, it was really difficult to find a child of the right age with a good personality. Their family definitely met the criteria for adoption, but they had to be very strict when it came to choosing the child. It did not matter as much if the child was very young, as they would be able to educate the child well. If the child was older and already had formative memories, then they would need to consider it more carefully. The Xia family could not allow just anyone to become a member of the family. The child must have a really good character, otherwise it was better not to go through with it. If that child from the Tan family had an upright character, they naturally would not reject him. However, that child was greedy, lazy and had even committed theft. He was not a child of two to three years old who could still be reeducated from scratch. He was already more than five years old and had already developed habits. It would be very difficult to correct his mistakes. As the saying went, one could tell a person''s future by the age of three. This boy was too mischievous and his biological parents did not even bother to teach him properly, so the Xia family did not hold any hope that they would be able to teach this child well. "Xia Wen, are you mute! This is your wife, can you control her behavior! If you can''t, the two of you should get a divorce quickly. If so, then you''re still my good son. Otherwise, both of you can get lost from the Xia family together! I''ll pretend that I don''t have a son like you!" Xu Lan pointed at Xia Wen and said angrily. Liu Fen quickly stood up and held on to Xu Lan as she whispered, "Tsk. Eldest Sister-in-law, don''t be so rash. It''s not that big a deal, so calm down. Xiao Wen is just caught off guard for a moment. This kid has also never experienced such a thing, right? You have to let Xiao Wen take a breather." Xu Lan was so angry that she felt dizzy and even had a slight ringing in her ears. It was useless for anyone to persuade her. When Xia Wen wanted to marry Tan Jing back then, she had been very against it. Although she could not see any bad traits in Tan Jing at that time, Tan Jing''s family was really unbearable. The Xia family did not care about family status. As long as their children found a partner they liked, it did not even matter if that person was an orphan. It was alright as long as the person had a good character. In the beginning, Xu Lan disliked Qiao Mei only because Xia Zhe took matters into his own hands. None of her children gave her an easy time. Xia Wen insisted on going against her wishes and stood firm about marrying Tan Jing. Xia He did not care about her family''s opinions and insisted on getting married even when she had to move far away. Xu Lan originally thought that she would find someone she liked to be Xia Zhe''s wife, but she did not expect Xia Zhe to act without any notice to them and marry Qiao Mei straightaway. Therefore, at that time, she had strong feelings about Qiao Mei. Coupled with the fact that someone had tried to frame Qiao Mei in the beginning and Tan Jing had further fanned the flames, she disliked Qiao Mei even more. "Eldest Brother, I think you''ve almost forgotten that your surname is Xia," Xia He muttered softly. Qiao Mei quickly covered Xia He''s mouth and whispered into her ear, "Eldest Brother is very nice to us. Don''t wrong him because of the acts of others." "But but looking at how he treats the Xia family and you, does he even care about the Xia family at all? When Tan Jing quarreled with me just now, he didn''t even look at me or speak up for me. How is he still my eldest brother!" Xia He said aggrievedly. "Of course Eldest Brother is good to you. It''s just that there are so many things going on now and he needs time to react. Don''t be angry." Qiao Mei patted Xia He''s back and comforted her. Xia He thought that Qiao Mei looked very calm in contrast. It was as if it was not her child whom Tan Jing was trying to snatch away, like everything had nothing to do with her at all. "Why aren''t you angry at all?" Xia He asked curiously. "Me? Getting angry won''t solve the problem. I can''t even be bothered with her," Qiao Mei said with a relaxed smile. Qiao Mei just did not know how to start feeling angry. During this period of time, Xia Wen had come to look for her countless times and always to borrow money. She could see how embarrassed and helpless Xia Wen felt and also knew how difficult it was for him. Occasionally missing content, please report errors in time. Chapter 1111 What Do You Want ? However, Xia Wen could not be totally absolved of blame in the current situation. If he had done something and stopped the damage in time, it would not have made things so awkward for everyone. Qiao Mei would not allow anyone to take her children away from her. No matter who had such an ulterior motive, she would not let the villainous person succeed. In particular, Qiao Mei did not take foolhardy people like Tan Jing seriously at all. At the moment, she was most worried about how Xia Wen was going to make the decision. It involved his own family on one hand and the Xia family on the other. She did not know how he was going to choose. Sister Fan observed that Xia Wen had been standing for a long time and secretly brought over a chair for him to sit down and rest for a while. Sister Fan felt that Xia Wen was also a victim in this matter and that he was an innocent party. "I I I''m sorry" Xia Wen stammered, unable to speak properly. This was the first time he had ever felt so embarrassed at home. Qiao Mei looked at Tan Jing and pondered for a long time. If Xia Wen was made to come up with a solution to this matter himself, he would again sacrifice his own benefits to exchange for peace in the Xia family. In the end, this matter would still remain resolved. It appeared that she needed to be the one to take action in this case. "What exactly do you want?" Qiao Mei looked at Tan Jing and asked calmly. Tan Jing felt dazed for a moment. She thought that Qiao Mei would behave threateningly and scold her or even hit her, but she did not expect Qiao Mei to be so calm. "I don''t want anything" Tan Jing whispered. Qiao Mei said mockingly, "Didn''t you want my child just now? Why are you saying that you don''t want anything now? I don''t have any other intentions when I ask you this question. I just want to know what I can give you for you to completely drop the idea regarding my child." Xia He hurriedly tugged at Qiao Mei''s sleeve and looked at her in shock. What was wrong with her? Why was she handing out things to Tan Jing? Qiao Mei quietly patted Xia He''s hand to ask Xia He not to be worried. She knew her own limits. Tan Jing observed Qiao Mei''s expression and thought that Qiao Mei did not seem to be faking it. It seemed that Qiao Mei really wanted to know what she wanted. Perhaps Qiao Mei thought that she could simply spend some money to buy peace. No matter what it was, since Qiao Mei had asked her so openly, she definitely would not let go of this opportunity. "I don''t really expect much. It''s just that if I adopt or have my own children in the future, our 50-square-meter house won''t be big enough for all of us to live in. Look, you have so many empty houses. It shouldn''t be too difficult for you to give me one," Tan Jing said probingly. "Just one house?" Qiao Mei asked. "An entire courtyard house," Tan Jing said. Xu Lan, Liu Fen and Xia He all gasped audibly. They did not expect Tan Jing to be so greedy to ask for an entire courtyard house. That was something that Tan Jing would never be able to afford in her life. How audacious of her. Xia Wen shook his head resignedly. He just knew that the Tan family was the root cause of this matter. These were things that the Tan family coveted. However, rather than saying that the Tan family made her do it, it would be more accurate to say that the Tan family appealed to her vainful desires so that she would do all these. If Tan Jing did not crave for all these things herself, the Tan family would not be able to convince her to do it. "There''ll only be three or four people in your own family. Why do you need such a big house?" Qiao Mei said. "I I have to go back to work by then. There needs to be someone around to take care of the children at home. Mother is usually very busy in the art troupe, which means I''ll have to get my mother to come and help me take care of the children. I won''t want to trouble any of you," Tan Jing said earnestly. Was Tan Jing expecting them to thank her for being so considerate? She had asked for an entire courtyard house so that she need not trouble them. What a good reason to cook up. She used children as an excuse to ask Qiao Mei for the house so that she could give the Tan family what they wanted. It was truly killing two birds with one stone. "Anything else?" Qiao Mei continued to ask. "Also the money you lent to us to repay the debts. My parents don''t have the ability to repay it. Why don''t we just forget about it? Anyway, you don''t lack money at all," Tan Jing said shamelessly. Xia He rolled her eyes in anger. Even though Qiao Mei had a lot of assets, she had obtained them with her own abilities. How could Tan Jing have the cheek to ask for all these things? Shameless people were truly invincible! "Do you need anything else? It''s now or never. In the future, I might not even agree to let you speak up. Hurry up and say it while I''m still in a good mood now," Qiao Mei said. Chapter 1112 Selling The House ? "That house is really quite old, so you should renovate it before you give it to me. You don''t have to do too much, just repaint it and buy all the necessary household appliances. I want a 40-inch color television and a big refrigerator. The oven which Aunt has in her house is quite good. Get one for the house too." "Oh right! There seems to be a big tree at the entrance of the courtyard. I want another one. That tree doesn''t look nice. Get it changed once you can." "My parents have weak legs, so they''ll need a chauffeur and a helper to take care of them. Otherwise, they won''t be able to cope with taking care of such a big family." "Isn''t that business of yours quite profitable? Since our families will be living so close to each other, we can work together. This way, your mother will feel less pressure and everyone can earn more money, right?" "" Tan Jing rambled on for a long time. Everyone else just watched quietly as she described her unrealistic dream. As she spoke, she made more and more requests which became more and more overboard. She was just short of asking Qiao Mei to support the entire Tan family in their old age! Xia Wen really could not stand it anymore and said in disappointment, "Do you want to take my life as well!" "What do I want your life for? It''s Qiao Mei who says that I can make any request. What has it got to do with you! Why am I doing this, isn''t it for our family?" Tan Jing whispered. "I did say that you can make any request, but did I say that I would agree? I still have to consider whether I can agree or not," Qiao Mei said with a sly smile. "You! You lied to me!" Tan Jing looked at Qiao Mei angrily. Qiao Mei''s main purpose was to draw out Tan Jing''s most inner desires. None of her requests were related to children. She only focused on the house or the money. In fact, Tan Jing''s ultimate goal in wanting this child was to obtain these things. If she truly wanted the best for the child, how could she not consider the issue of the child''s education? Another concern should be the child''s upbringing. There were so many issues that she needed to consider when it came to bringing up a child, but none of them crossed her mind at all. Yet, she was very enthusiastic about making so many demands regarding her own living environment. "Why don''t you take a good look at yourself in the mirror! As if you''re worthy of getting so much! If you rely on your own capability, there''s nothing I can say. You keep saying that there''s nothing good about Qiao Mei, yet you still demand gifts from Qiao Mei. You behave so brashly even when you''re asking for charity! Even beggars aren''t as unreasonable as you!" Xia He said. Liu Fen turned her head away to cover her mouth and laugh. Xia He could be really pushy and unforgiving when she wanted to. Once Xia He caught on to a person''s wrongdoings, that person would be in deep trouble. Xu Lan glanced at Xia He and coughed lightly before saying, "Xiao He, be polite." Xia He hugged Qiao Mei''s arm and looked away. She just could not stand Tan Jing''s pretentious manner. She wondered how Tan Jing could so presumptuously ask Qiao Mei for so many things. "Eldest Brother, now that you know what my eldest sister-in-law wants, the matter can be resolved easily. If you can''t resolve it, then I''ll get Grandfather to come and uphold justice," Qiao Mei said sternly. Qiao Mei was their younger sister-in-law after all, so she could not make a call to punish Tan Jing. At the end of the day, Xia Jun still had the final say in the Xia family. However, Xia Jun doted on her the most now and would not say no to anything she wanted. The moment she told Xia Jun about this, he would definitely not let Tan Jing off easy. "There''s no need for that. I know what to do," Xia Wen said calmly. Everyone''s eyes were on Xia Wen as he spoke up, "Our family still has a house in the suburbs near the capital. I''ll sell the house in the city and we''ll move there. I can stay in the workplace unit''s dormitory during the week and go home to see you during the weekend. Let''s start working on this in the next two days." He wanted to imprison her! Tan Jing looked at Xia Wen in shock. She was unfamiliar with that place and transport was also inconvenient there. It would be difficult for her to escape even if she wanted to. Things like buying groceries, cooking and starting a fire would become very difficult tasks there. She could not handle all these things on her own. Xia Wen was trying to kill her! "No! Absolutely not! Over my dead body!" Tan Jing said fearfully. "The house in the city will definitely be sold and the money will be used to repay my parents and Qiao Mei. If it''s still not enough, I''ll think of another way. We definitely have to move away. I''ve already found someone to deal with the sale of the house," Xia Wen said. Chapter 1113 Prepare Your Dowry ? Xu Lan''s heart ached for Xia Wen. If a married couple lived separately for too long, it would affect their relationship. Moreover, the way Xia Wen and Tan Jing lived separately was a totally different situation from how his brother lived separately from his wife. It was such an odd thing for a couple in the same city to live in separate locations. With this arrangement, the relationship between Xia Wen and Tan Jing would likely break down soon. However, if they did not do this, the Xia family would face more difficulties in the future. It was better to let Tan Jing go away and do some reflections first. After the matter blew over, they could persuade Xia Wen to let Tan Jing come back. "It''s settled then. We''ll start moving out tomorrow. I''ve already gotten someone to clean up the house in the countryside," Xia Wen said. "I''m not going! I won''t go! Over my dead body! How can you disregard the wishes of a living person like this! I haven''t agreed yet! Don''t even think about sending me there!" Tan Jing shouted hysterically as she pointed at Xia Wen. The deafening yells were starting to bother Qiao Mei. Xia He could tell that Qiao Mei was feeling unwell and immediately said to Tan Jing, "Why are you shouting! It''s not like we''re going to kill you. It''s none of our business if you don''t like the idea! Why are you acting so atrociously here! Eldest Brother, bring her home quickly! Don''t let her disturb the peace here." The main issue had already been resolved. All that was left were the personal issues between Xia Wen and Tan Jing. Since Xia Wen had already made up his mind, it was not appropriate for them to say anything. Xia Wen grabbed Tan Jing and started walking out. Tan Jing turned around fiercely and said to Qiao Mei, "Qiao Mei! You''ll definitely die a horrible death! Something will definitely happen to you when you give birth! Hahaha! Just wait and see! The heavens have eyes! They''ll definitely make what I say true!" "Madness! From now on, she''s not allowed to come to our house! She''s really crazy!" Xu Lan said fearfully towards the door. Everyone present, except Qiao Mei, was so frightened that they broke out in a cold sweat. Qiao Mei behaved like nothing had happened and simply sat there drinking tea and eating snacks. She had almost finished half the snacks on the table. "Qiao Mei, don''t take her words to heart. She''s a crazy woman. Don''t get angry. You''re pregnant now, so don''t let it affect your health," Liu Fen said worriedly. "I know, Second Aunt-in-law. I don''t take her seriously at all." Qiao Mei smiled sweetly at everyone and they all felt much more at ease. Since it was getting late, Qiao Mei and Xia He did not rush back home. They made a call to Zhang Wei and told him that everything was fine and that there was no need for everyone at home to worry. As Xia He recalled what happened, she still felt a little afraid. She insisted on sleeping in the same room as Qiao Mei tonight. Since the bed in the room was big enough to accommodate three to four adults, Xu Lan just let them be. As they lay on the bed, Xia He held Qiao Mei''s hand tightly and did not dare to let go for even a moment. She behaved like if she let go, Qiao Mei would disappear, or that if she got distracted for a moment, Qiao Mei would leave her. "Say, if you grip any tighter, my bones will break!" Qiao Mei said as she patted Xia He. "Nonsense! I''m not gripping that tightly." Xia He quickly took a look at Qiao Mei''s hand. There was already some redness on her fair hand. It seemed that she had indeed used too much strength. "I''m sorry" Xia He said guiltily as she gently rubbed the redness on Qiao Mei''s hand. Qiao Mei knew that Xia He was worried about her, so she did not say anything. The two of them just leaned against each other, neither of them able to sleep or wanted to speak. They just lay there quietly, as if they would be able to console each other this way. Qiao Mei thought that it was fortunate that Xia He was around today. If Xia He had not spoken up for her, she would have to be the one to say those harsh words about the Tan family. It was inevitable that she would get angry and it would not be good for the babies. She would alway remember how nice Xia He was to her. "What kind of person do you like?" Qiao Mei suddenly asked curiously. "Why are you suddenly asking me this? Don''t tell me you still want to matchmake me with Luo Yu. I already told you that I don''t like Luo Yu and it''s impossible between us," Xia He said in all seriousness. "That''s not what I mean. I just want to know what kind of person you like. Then I can help you keep a lookout. Won''t it be good if you can find someone suitable? I can even prepare a bountiful dowry for you," Qiao Mei said. "Dowry? How can you be the one preparing dowry for me? How can a younger sister-in-law prepare dowry for her elder sister? You''re really muddle-headed," Xia He said as she looked at Qiao Mei dotingly. Chapter 1114 Go Find Someone Else ? Xia He knew that Qiao Mei was doing this for her own good and wanted her to have a better life. Qiao Mei wanted Xia He to find her own happiness again and start a new life. However, she did not lack or need anything. She only wanted the family to be well. She had already lost one home and did not want to lose the Xia family. As long as the Xia family was well and her brothers were safe and happy, she did not care about anything else. After experiencing a failed marriage, she definitely did not want to go through it again. "Just tell me what kind of person you like," Qiao Mei said sweetly as she held Xia He''s little finger and shook it gently. Without a second thought, Xia He said, "I want to find someone whose parents have already passed away. Someone who can treat me well and knows how to cook. Someone who''s an only child and doesn''t have any siblings, and has a good job. It''s best if he''s about the same age as me." Qiao Mei sat up slowly and reached out to flick Xia He''s forehead. She laughed and said, "You! Do you know what you''re saying! If Mother hears what you''re saying, she will definitely punish you for being rude and insensible. What nonsense are you spouting!" The ideal person whom Xia He described was the complete opposite of Kong Lu. It only served to show how much the relationship with Kong Lu had affected her. Based on her list, just those two conditions about both parents having passed away and being an only child had already ruled out every one of Xia He''s current suitors. During this era, most people had many siblings and very few were an only child. Most people thought that having more children was a symbol of wealth. Furthermore, given that the amount of coupons each family received was based on the headcount, each family would definitely have as many children as they could. In order to get more land in the village, Qiao Zhuang had six children! Each person was allocated one or two mu of land. Even after handing over a fixed amount of food to the village every year, there would still be some excess left for the family''s own use. Many people were envious of him! "Don''t worry about me. You should worry more about yourself! If I get married, what will happen to you? Who will accompany you? It won''t be like now," Xia He said. "I don''t need your company! If I have nothing to do, I''ll ask Qian''e to come and visit me. Or I can ask my younger siblings. I still have my two children! How can there be no one to accompany me!" Qiao Mei said. Qiao Mei did not want to be the one to hold Xia He back. However, Xia He thought that it was because Qiao Mei no longer liked her and found her annoying. Xia He looked at Qiao Mei with a look of jealousy. Ever since Qian''e and Qiao Mei resolved their past grudges, Qiao Mei had become more and more concerned about Qian''e. She would give Qian''e a share of all the good things in the house. Whenever she bought anything, she would also buy an extra share for Qian''e. Xia He was Qiao Mei''s husband''s biological elder sister! That Qian''e was at most considered a neighbor and not even a good friend of Xia Zhe. Why was Qiao Mei still so nice to her? Although Xia He usually did not usually say anything when she bore witness, she still felt jealous. "Sure, sure, sure! Then let Qian''e accompany you! Anyway, she''s the best at making you happy. You find me annoying even though I''m here in front of you. I think you don''t want me as your elder sister anymore! Tomorrow, I''ll tell Mother that I''m not going to wait upon you anymore. I''m going to Guanghai to find a dance teacher!" Xia He said in a fit of pique. "How can that be? I like you the most. How can I not want my elder sister? Qian''e is just a friend. I just want to matchmake her with Zheng Peng. Of course I know that my elder sister is nicest to me! Don''t be angry~ I like my elder sister the most~" Qiao Mei leaned on Xia He''s shoulder and said sweetly. Xia He hurriedly helped Qiao Mei to sit up straight. That posture just now caused her stomach to be squashed and that would hurt the babies. It was very important that Qiao Mei did not get hurt. "You''re at the most critical moment now. Be careful with your actions. You can''t do what you did just now! Do you understand!" Xia He said sternly. "Yes, yes, yes. I''ll definitely listen to my elder sister," Qiao Mei said. The two of them chatted for a while longer and only fell asleep when it was almost dawn. By the time they woke up, it was already almost lunchtime. If this was any other day, Xu Lan would already have woken Xia He up to practice her basic skills. However, she was worried that if she entered the room, she would disturb Qiao Mei''s rest, so she let Xia He off. This was also the other reason why Xia He insisted on sleeping in the same room as Qiao Mei. Occasionally missing content, please report errors in time. Chapter 1115 What Right Do You Have To Get The Same Treatment ? The four of them ate quietly at the dining table. Suddenly, Xu Lan seemed to recall something and hurriedly asked Sister Fan to go upstairs to retrieve a letter. "Keep this with you. In the next two days, find some time to go to the art troupe to take a look. I don''t think this role is suitable for you. It''s just a small performance and there''s no point in taking part, but you have to pretend to fight for the role. Don''t let others think that you look down on such roles and make everyone look bad," Xu Lan said as she handed the letter to Xia He. It was a list of the art troupe''s upcoming performances. Furthermore, the performances were all in other regions and the dancers needed to be away for a long time. Just as Xu Lan had said, she was not keen on any of these performance items. She had already done them when she was 17 or 18 years old. Qiao Mei was about to give birth, but there was still no news of Xia Zhe coming back. Xia Wen was usually very busy and did not have much time for Qiao Mei. Xu Lan and the others were not young anymore, so they could not be overworked. Right now, she was the only one who could fully support Qiao Mei. She could not leave at this time, so it was better to give the opportunity to others. "I understand, but Mother, don''t you never care for such things? Why are you giving me a tipoff now?" Xia He asked with a smile. "Don''t try to be smart. Eat up quickly! There''s so much delicious food, but yet they can''t shut you up!" Xu Lan said embarrassedly. Although Xu Lan''s words were a little harsh, it was a sign of her love for Xia He. It was rare for Xu Lan to be willing to give Xia He pointers, so Xia He felt really warm inside. For once, she could feel her mother''s love for her. She reckoned it was true that one became different after having grandchildren. Xu Lan seemed to have become a different person. This was probably what people meant when they said there was always a closer bond between grandparents and grandchildren. An elder would change after having grandchildren. When it was time to go home, Xu Lan prepared a trunk full of things for Qiao Mei as usual. In the past, Qiao Mei would reject the gesture, but now she happily accepted it. Xia He sent Qiao Mei back first before asking the chauffeur to send her to the art troupe. It had been almost half a month since she last went to the art troupe and she did not know the situation there. At this hour, it was the time when everyone practiced their basic skills, so all the dancers were around. When they saw Xia He, they all looked a little surprised. Yang Xin stopped what she was doing and slowly walked up to Xia He, saying, "I am still wondering who it is! So it''s the beloved daughter of the Xia family. Why is she gracing the art troupe with her priceless presence? Can it be that she has rushed back because she knows that there''s going to be a new performance soon?" If Xia He could get the news, so could Yang Xin. No one was surprised by this, but everyone was very worried that Xia He was here to fight for a role. Everyone knew in their hearts how much Xia He had sacrificed to dance well and that she was very talented. Yang Xin was no match for her at all. As long as Xia He was willing to work hard and practice wholeheartedly, she was totally out of their league. "Do I need to tell you why I''m back? You''re not my superior. I don''t have to report to you," Xia He said disdainfully. "You haven''t turned up for so many days, so you at least have to give everyone an explanation! Why is it that you can stop coming in for half a month and still get the same salary as us? Then does that mean we can stop coming in too!" Yang Xin said. When the rest heard her talking about money, they all came closer. Only Deng Fan continued with his practice in the corner and was not distracted by their conversation at all. As the art troupe paid a high salary, everyone there did not dare to take leave at will since a lot of money would be deducted from the salary for the days off. Furthermore, they would not be able to get the monthly full attendance bonus if they did not turn up every working day. The bonus was 30 dollars a month! "What''s going on? Is what Sister Xin said true?" a young girl who had just joined the art troupe whispered to the person beside her. Zhou Ling immediately said, "Don''t you believe what Sister Xin said! Sister Xin is usually so nice to all of you, yet you''re suspicious of her!" Yang Xin looked at Xia He smugly, as if she had done something marvelous. All this while, Xia He could not be bothered with Yang Xin at all. This was just a petty issue. It would be a waste of her time to argue with Yang Xin. "Is there anything else? If not, I''m leaving." Xia He turned around to go and change into her training clothes, but Yang Xin still blocked her way. Chapter 1116 Give You A Ride ? "If you don''t make yourself clear and give everyone an explanation, we won''t let you leave!" Yang Xin said. Xia He frowned slightly and said, "Regarding my salary and how much I get, that''s the decision of the higher-ups. If you''re so unhappy, go and look for our superiors. What''s the use of coming to me? I don''t want to fight with you for roles in this performance. Just get out of my way. Don''t be so persistent here." Yang Xin continued to block Xia He and spread her hands out to prevent Xia He from leaving. She said domineeringly, "Who will believe what you say! It''s just empty talk. Who knows if what you say is true! What if you''re just bluffing us!" "That''s right! You''re always telling lies! We won''t fall for it!" Zhou Ling echoed. "So what does it take for you to believe me?" Xia He asked. Zhou Ling and Yang Xin looked at each other. Zhou Ling smiled sneakily and said, "Unless unless you break your own leg, we won''t believe what you say!" Xia He laughed mockingly and stared at Yang Xin and Zhou Ling as if she pitied them. She kept shaking her head and sighing. Yang Xin looked at Xia He in puzzlement. Why was Xia He putting on such an expression! Did she need other people to pity her? Was there anything about her that deserved to be pitied? "Why are you looking at me like that!" Yang Xin pointed at Xia He agitatedly. "I''m just laughing at you for being stupid. If you have so much time to waste on me, isn''t it better for you to go and practice your basic skills? You already know in advance about the performance items, but wait until I''m here to tell everyone about it. If you''re really more capable than me, then what difference does it make whether I come or not? You attack me in a group just because you''re not as good as me. Don''t you find it embarrassing to do this," Xia He said. "You! How dare you say that I''m stupid!" Yang Xin had never suffered such a grievance before. She raised her hand to hit Xia He, but Xia He was not someone who could be bullied easily and started fighting with Yang Xin. Yang Xin was no match for Xia He at all. It did not take long for her to be pressed on the ground by Xia He and she could not move at all. She also twisted her ankle by her own doing. "Ah!!! My leg!!!" Yang Xin screamed in pain. For dancers, their legs were the most important parts of their bodies. If they injured their legs or feet, it was tantamount to ending their lives! "Let''s not push each other to the limit. It''ll be difficult for both of us if things turn ugly." After saying that, Xia He stood up and patted the dust off her hands, as if she had touched something dirty. She did not even change her clothes and headed straight out the door to go home. She felt really unfortunate to have encountered such an unlucky thing today. Next time, she must do her best to avoid Yang Xin. This woman behaved like a rabid dog going around to bite people. "Quick, call for an ambulance! Get the troupe leader!" Zhou Ling was so frightened that she hurriedly went forward to hold Yang Xin. The whole team was in an uproar except for Deng Fan, who continued practicing in the corner. He did not care about anything that happened and pretended not to see anything. All the male dancers who went forward to help Yang Xin were rejected by her. Yang Xin lay on the ground and shouted in Deng Fan''s direction, "Brother Deng~ It hurts~ Come and help me~" Yang Xin made herself look so delicate and pitiful. Zhou Ling frowned and looked at her. She clearly knew that Zhou Ling was fond of Deng Fan, so what was she trying to do by calling out to him in public? Furthermore, she was already married with children, so why was she still behaving so close to other men outside? Deng Fan picked up his bag and walked out of the door. He did not even look at Yang Xin who was still on the ground. Yang Xin was so angry that she simply fainted. As for whether she really fainted or pretended to faint, no one really knew. Coincidentally, Xia He was driving her car from the car park to the main entrance when she saw Deng Fan. She stopped and wound down the window as she said, "Deng Fan, do you want me to give you a ride? I''m heading in the direction of your house." Deng Fan said in surprise, "You know where my house is?" "Of course! I even went for a visit when I was young! Don''t tell me you don''t remember anything?" Xia He said with a smile. That bright smile made Deng Fan recall all kinds of past memories. If not for Kong Lu Forget it, it was best not to dwell on the past. Chapter 1117 Ignoring People ? "Alright, thank you." With that, Deng Fan got into Xia He''s car. Deng Fan was a person who did not like to talk, but Xia He was one who could not sit still for a moment and chattered non-stop. She just liked to share all kinds of fun and interesting things with other people, and she had been like this since she was young. "I realize that you''re the first one to reach the art troupe and the last one to go home every day. Moreover, your house is so far away from here. You''re really hardworking. I can''t do what you do," Xia He said approvingly. "I''m not as talented as you, so I have to practice harder. Otherwise, I won''t be able to catch up with you," Deng Fan said earnestly. "What are you talking about! I think you''re the best dancer among those people! Although it''s important to have talent when it comes to dancing, hard work is also very important. I think you''re the most capable person in the troupe!" Xia He then added, "Other than me, of course." Deng Fan lowered his head and smiled quietly. Xia He had always been like this. She was like a little sun, dazzling and warm and full of vigor. No matter her age now, to him, she looked exactly the same as when he saw her for the first time when they were young. He had been deeply attracted to her since then. "There''s a role in this performance that suits you. Aren''t you going to fight for it?" Xia He probed. "Me? I don''t think I''ll get any chance," Deng Fan said regretfully. Ever since Xia He left, Yang Xin behaved like a tyrant in the art troupe. She did not usually turn up to practice her basic skills and performance roles, but because of her relationship with the troupe leader, she still received all kinds of good resources. Even though Yang Xin always made mistakes on stage, the troupe leader never punished her. Other dancers might not even get a single chance to go on stage to perform after two to three years in the troupe. Deng Fan was not a competitive person, so he did not take these things too seriously. He knew himself best and did not mind whether he went on stage or could only practice off stage. It made no difference to him. "I believe in you. You can definitely do it. Don''t give up so easily," Xia He said. The two of them chatted in the car about the troupe''s previous performances during the past few years and arrived at Deng Fan''s house before they knew it. The Dengs were ordinary people who lived in a tiled house in a small alley, which had a medium-sized courtyard. His parents were very loving and it could be considered his blessing to grow up in such a family. "Let''s meet up again another day," Deng Fan said politely. "Alright, then you have to prepare good wine and nice dishes! Otherwise, I won''t turn up for the appointment!" Xia He said happily. "Then it''s a deal," Deng Fan said with a gentle smile. Deng Fan watched as Xia He''s car gradually disappeared into the alley. Even when he could not see her anymore, he still stood at the door in a daze and stared into space. He did not even notice his mother, Jiang Shu, standing behind him. "What are you looking at? Which family''s fairy daughter has captivated my son? She''s already gone and you''re still staring!" Jiang Shu asked curiously. "Mom! Why is it that you don''t make any sound when you walk!" Deng Fan said. Jiang Shu pointed in the direction that Deng Fan was looking and said, "Quick, tell me who it is. If you don''t tell me, I''ll go and do a thorough investigation! It must be someone you already know. I''ve met everyone, including your high school and university friends. Otherwise, she must be from the art troupe, and she must be the type you like." Deng Fan had been introverted since he was young and he had found it very difficult to play with the neighbors'' children. Moreover, there were always children who bullied Deng Fan. Gradually, Jiang Shu stopped letting Deng Fan interact with those children. When he was in elementary school, his teacher even specially asked her to come to the school for a chat. The teacher thought that Deng Fan might have some psychological problem as he was different from other children. He was unusually quiet at the age when children should be lively and active. There were very few children who behaved like Deng Fan. Jiang Shu was very worried about Deng Fan and even brought him to the best child psychiatrist in the capital. She was concerned that Deng Fan had autism or some other problem. After the doctor''s detailed examination, he found out that Deng Fan did not have any illness. He just preferred to ignore people and did not like to talk. One day, when they passed by a dance classroom, Deng Fan suddenly broke free from Jiang Shu''s grip and went to lean quietly against the glass window, refusing to leave. He stayed put like this for an entire afternoon. Chapter 1118 The Xia Familys Daughter ? From then on, Jiang Shu decided to send Deng Fan for dance lessons. As long as it was something which Deng Fan liked, she was willing to let him try it out. Just like that, Deng Fan persevered until now. "Are you going to tell me or not! If you don''t, I''m really going to call them one by one! I mean what I say!" Jiang Shu said as she pointed at Deng Fan. "The Xia family," Deng Fan said bashfully. "The Xia family! Oh heavens! Isn''t their daughter already married? Why are you still with her! Isn''t she out of town? When did she come back? Did you provide a random name just to lie to me?" Jiang Shu used her fist to give Deng Fan a punch angrily. Deng Fan held his shoulder in pain and said, "She''s Xia He She''s not" "Oh my goodness! Old Man Deng, come and discipline your son! Your son is totally lawless! He''s doing such a beastly thing! Is he still your son! Quickly come out to discipline him!" Jiang Shu cried out as she ran back into the courtyard, not giving Deng Fan any time to catch his breath or a chance to explain himself. Deng Fan''s father, Deng Rui, walked out of the house. He held the cage containing his crickets in his left hand and two walnut palm massagers in his right hand. When he saw his beloved wife weeping as she rushed in, he looked helplessly at Deng Fan who was right behind her. Deng Fan shook his head helplessly to indicate that he had not done anything. "What''s wrong? Who bullied you? Tell me and I''ll avenge you," Deng Rui said dotingly. "Your son! Your son actually fell for that girl from the Xia family! That girl is already married! How embarrassing! Why don''t you know anything!" Jiang Shu said angrily. Jiang Shu was a petite woman. As she was not very tall and spoke softly, even when she was angry, she looked like she was throwing a little tantrum. It only made people feel a sense of tender affection for her. Deng Rui sighed. He and his son always had it tough in the family since Jiang Shu needed to be pampered all the time. Deng Fan had never been a frivolous child and he had a mind of his own. In the past, when Jiang Shu saw her peers'' children getting married and having children, she kept urging Deng Fan to get married and nagged at him every day. She did not care which family''s daughter he married. He could do anything to find a wife as long as it was not against the law. She was fine with it even if it was someone that Deng Fan picked up from the streets! She just wanted to see Deng Fan married with his own family. From the start, Deng Fan was very unwilling. He did not even want to meet the girls whom Jiang Shu were fond of. In fact, whenever Jiang Shu mentioned this issue to Deng Fan, he would lose his temper. In the end, he even went on a hunger strike. From then on, Jiang Shu and Deng Rui did not dare to force Deng Fan to do anything. As long as Deng Fan was safe and healthy, everything was fine. "Deng Fan! What''s wrong with you! Quick, apologize to your mother!" Deng Rui gave Deng Fan a look, indicating that he should apologize quickly and let the matter rest. It would be hard to handle once Jiang Shu kicked up a fuss later. "Xia He is divorced and she''s single now. Besides, we''re just colleagues. She just sent me home as it was on her way," Deng Fan said calmly. "What? Divorced! Why would she get a divorce? Why doesn''t that family want her anymore! The Xia family is so prominent, yet the man wants to divorce Xia He?" Jiang Shu asked in shock. Although Jiang Shu did not know Xia He very well, she knew very well what kind of upbringing the Xia family''s children had. The children from such a strict family would never be too bad. Moreover, she heard that the Xia family''s three children were all talented and capable. How could there be a problem? Should it not be a great blessing for whoever married Xia He? "It''s not her fault. I heard that her mother-in-law took all her money and scolded her every day, which was why she got a divorce. Moreover, it was Xia He who wanted the divorce," Deng Fan explained. Deng Rui quickly said, "See, I always say that our son has good taste." "How do you know? I thought you don''t care about anything other than dancing?" Jiang Shu asked curiously. Deng Fan lowered his head in silence. He had found out about all this through his connections in private. Luckily for him, his former classmate was Kong Lu''s comrade-in-arms. Chapter 1119 Goddess ? Over the years, he found out about how Xia He was doing through this classmate. He knew that the rumors were all exaggerated and that the truth was already tainted. People only wanted to see the ending they hoped for. It was possible that Xia He''s experience was not so terrible, but his heart still ached for her and he felt that she deserved so much better. A woman like Xia He deserved all the best things in the world! She deserved everything good! "Why are you asking so many questions! Our son knows what he''s doing! Don''t you trust your son?" Deng Rui said. "Is it because I don''t trust him? It''s because I dare not trust him! Deng Fan is already an adult but he still doesn''t want to get married yet. How can I not be anxious? I''m looking forward to having a grandchild as soon as possible. Do you think I''m doing this for myself! I''m doing this for your Deng family! Will our grandchild have my surname? His or her surname will be Deng! Why are you grumbling about me now!" Jiang Shu said in annoyance. Deng Rui pulled Jiang Shu into his arms and coaxed her with all kinds of sweet talk. He waved his hand secretly to ask Deng Fan to hurry back into his room. This was a common trick used by father and son. Whenever Deng Fan did something wrong, Deng Rui would always cover for him. As long as Deng Rui put more effort into coaxing Jiang Shu, her anger would naturally dissipate. Deng Fan heaved a sigh of relief when he reached his room. He took out a precious photo from the drawer and touched it gently. It was the only photo he had taken with Xia He in high school, and it was also his only yearning. All these years, he had been waiting for Xia He. Now that he finally had a chance, he still did not dare to express his feelings to Xia He. In his eyes, Xia He was like a high and mighty goddess, sacred and inviolable. How could a mediocre person like him be worthy of Xia He? Deng Fan held on to this love for many years and had hidden it deep in his heart. As long as no one discovered it, he could hide it for the rest of his life. Qiao Mei had just finished lunch when she bumped into Xia He who had returned in high spirits. Xia He even skipped as she walked in. Did Xia He not say that she would only be back at night? How strange. "Why are you back so early?" Qiao Mei asked. "I did something fantastic today! It was especially satisfying! I even feel like setting off firecrackers to celebrate!" Xia He said excitedly. "We still have firecrackers in the storeroom. Why don''t you set them off now?" Qiao Mei said. "I''m just saying. We should set off those firecrackers when you give birth. Let''s keep them for now. I went to the art troupe today and got into a fight with someone. She''s probably still wailing in pain in the hospital now!" Xia He felt happy whenever she thought back to how uncomfortable Yang Xin looked. This was retribution for evil people. It was her fault for always spreading rumors. Let this be a lesson for her! Qiao Mei thought highly of Xia He''s combat strength and hoped that Xia He remembered to go easy on the other party. If Xia He beat up that person badly, how was she going to return to the art troupe in the future? Based on Xia He''s character, as long as she was not provoked, she would not take the initiative to attack. To Qiao Mei, there was nothing for her to worry about. The next day arrived very quickly. Xia Wen and Tan Jing had finished packing their things for the move to the countryside. Tan Jing had a big fight with Xia Wen over this matter and even smashed everything in the house when she was packing her luggage, but Xia Wen still refused to give in. Xia Wen was not that unreasonable. He gave Tan Jing two choices. Either she moved to the countryside with him and became self-sufficient, or she could return to the Tan family and live with them. Of course, Tan Jing would not choose to go back to the Tan family, so she could only leave with Xia Wen silently. Although people termed this place as the countryside, it was more like the urban-rural fringe. The living environment was not as arduous as Xia Wen had described and it was not that far from the city. The whole place was also quite well-equipped. The courtyard was very big and the farmland was vast. Tan Jing could grow vegetables or flowers, depending on what she liked. Life could be very cozy and comfortable here. If Qiao Mei saw this place, she would be very eager to buy it for herself! She was still worried about not having a place to plant her seeds. If she was the one who had to come to this village, she would definitely help all the villagers here to make money together. It would be just like her neighbors in Foshan Village, where she helped every family to live a comfortable life. Occasionally missing content, please report errors in time. Chapter 1120 Do Things With Conscience ? However, in Tan Jing''s eyes, this was hell! It was even more terrifying than hell and more uncomfortable than death. Back then, when Tan Jing lived alone and had to work very hard, the environment was even tougher than this. However, she was willing to endure the hardship then and did not have any complaints at all. Perhaps she had been living too well for too long. It was easy to go from frugal to extravagant, but difficult to go from extravagant to frugal. "Do we really have to live here? Can''t we plead with Father and Mother to let us return to our original home and continue living there?" Tan Jing asked. "Unless you ask your parents to repay all the money they owe our family or bring back all the things they have taken from my house over the years, my parents won''t let us go back so easily," Xia Wen said expressionlessly. "What do you mean by your parents! My parents! Aren''t they our parents? Why do you have to make the distinction!" Tan Jing said agitatedly. "Then what about my younger siblings! They''re part of the family too! You actually want my younger sister-in-law''s children! Aren''t you trying to kill her? If you give birth to two children and I give one to my younger sister, can you bear to do that?" Xia Wen questioned. Tan Jing rejected him directly. "It''s not like Xia He can''t have her own children! Why should I give my children to her!" "Then why should my younger sister-in-law give you her child! In this world, does it mean that whoever is poor and whoever can''t have children can demand for things? Then has our family ever asked you for anything? I don''t think so. Even this house is given to us by my parents. If you''re really so full of pride and want to have a standoff with my parents, then bring out your own bargaining chips!" Xia Wen said. "Xia Wen, are you crazy!" Tan Jing said. "Am I crazy? When you say that, take a good hard look at your own conscience as well. Is your conscience clear?" After saying that, Xia Wen got out of the car and started moving things into the house. In order for Tan Jing to live well here, Xia Wen even specially refurbished the fireplace. The stove he installed was the best one available on the market. If she wanted to cook, she would definitely have to burn firewood. After all, there was no one to deliver gas cylinders to this area. They did not have a lot of luggage. The bulk of their stuff was bedding and pillows from their wedding. After so many years, they were still as good as new so Xia Wen did not buy more. He had left all the household appliances in the other house. In order to be able to sell it for a higher price, Xia Wen had put in a lot of effort. The house did not sell for a lot of money, only 5,000 dollars. He had to ask a friend for help to be able to sell it so quickly. Xia Wen immediately sent the money to Qiao Mei as soon as he received it. As for the money that he owed Xia Mao and Xu Lan, he would think of a way to repay it as soon as possible. On the other hand, Tan Jing only knew how to wallow in self-pity although she was clearly the one who caused this tragic situation. If not for her and the Tan family creating all kinds of mess endlessly, Xia Wen would not have to worry so much and had to do everything himself. Things would not have suddenly become so complicated. After cleaning up the house, Xia Wen left, leaving Tan Jing behind alone. He also left some food stamps and 100 dollars on the table. There was also a second-hand bicycle in the courtyard to make it more convenient for her if she wanted to go out. Xia Wen had considered everything, but Tan Jing still did not appreciate it. She felt that the lousy bicycle was not as presentable as a car. In the past, when she went out, Xia Wen''s chauffeur would pick her up personally! No matter how big a fuss she kicked up now, no one would see it. Xia Wen was actually doing this for Tan Jing''s own good. In this place, not only could she isolate herself from the Tan family, but she could also quietly and peacefully reflect upon the mistakes she made during this period of time. It also meant that Xia Mao and Xu Lan would not feel irritated every time they had to look at Tan Jing. After another two to three days, Tan Jing sat in the courtyard and washed her clothes. The bone-chillingly cold well water made her fingers red and swollen and she could not help but tear up. She still could not understand how she ended up in such a state. "Stop washing. Leave it to me," Cheng Gu said as he squatted in front of Tan Jing and dipped his hands into the basin to hold her hands. "You! Why are you here! How did you find me!" Tan Jing looked at Cheng Gu in shock, completely forgetting to withdraw her hands from Cheng Gu''s grip. Cheng Gu did not answer Tan Jing''s question. He filled a basin with fresh water and asked Tan Jing to wash her hands properly. Then, he took off his coat and washed her clothes in the courtyard. "I found out that your house had been sold. Then I asked around and found out that you are here, so I''m here to see you," Cheng Gu said. Chapter 1121 Let Me Help You. ? Tan Jing stood at the side, feeling embarrassed. She dared not look Cheng Gu in the face directly. What this man had done for her had already exceeded what normal friends did for each other. Deep down inside her heart, she also knew that Cheng Gu did not just treat her like an elder sister. "It''s better that you don''t come here in the future. People will gossip about us," Tan Jing said. Even though she had only just arrived, she knew the speed at which gossip spread around in a village. In the few days since she moved here, these neighbors had already been making up all sorts of stories about her life. Some people even said that she was here to hide from her creditors, while others said that she looked like a child trafficker. There were even people who guessed that she was a mistress of some big boss out there. There were all kinds of stories, but none made her out to be a good person. Tan Jing did not blame them. After all, there was not even one television set in this village. The people here could only gossip about one another to pass time. Once she lived here long enough, the rumors would die down. Such things were commonplace to her. After so many years of being gossiped about because she was childless, she was already used to it. "As a younger brother, I''m here to see how my elder sister is doing. What''s so bad about that? Why should I be afraid of them?" Cheng Gu said gently. Cheng Gu noted down everything that was lacking in the house and quickly drove to the city to buy them. He filled up Tan Jing''s house with loads of things, including all the daily necessities that Tan Jing would need for the next month. He was worried that Tan Jing did not know how to cook, so he bought a lot of instant food. If Tan Jing was really hungry, she could at least have something to eat. "Is there anything else you need? Let me know and I''ll get it for you. Are these light bulbs in the house good enough? Do you want me to install a light in the courtyard?" Cheng Gu said. "I don''t need anything else. You''ve already bought enough! I haven''t even returned you the money for the surgery and now I owe you so much," Tan Jing said embarrassedly. "I don''t want your money. I just want to help you. You don''t have to return anything to me. You just have to live well," Cheng Gu said with a smile. Tan Jing looked at Cheng Gu and shook her head helplessly. She was not doing well at all. It all felt so terrible, like there was no situation that could be worse than this. Cheng Gu could also tell what was on Tan Jing''s mind and asked softly, "Can you tell me about what happened to you recently? Perhaps I can help you share your burden?" Previously, Tan Jing had already told Cheng Gu about her issues in the Xia and Tan families. Not only did Cheng Gu not despise her, but he even helped her come up with strategies. If not for Cheng Gu, she would still be at her wits'' end! She was no longer guarded against Cheng Gu. In fact, she trusted him more than she trusted Xia Wen. She told him about what happened over the past few days and even about those past grudges. She even told him about how Xu Lan treated her badly when she first married into the Xia family. As Tan Jing spoke, she felt more and more aggrieved and slowly started crying. Cheng Gu held Tan Jing''s hands and said with heartache, "Why don''t you divorce him? It''s too torturous for you." "No! I can''t divorce him!" Tan Jing said in fear. Her wealth and status were all given by the Xia family. She had seen what happened between Xia He and Kong Lu after their divorce. Xia He had forced Kong Lu to pay off all the debts he owed her for so many years. If Xia Wen divorced her, she would also have to bear a huge debt. The thing was firstly, she did not have a job now and secondly, she did not have any money. It was already a problem for her to support herself, so how would she be able to repay her debts? No matter what Xia Wen said to her, she would not ask for a divorce. Unless they wanted her to die at the Xia family''s door, they could forget about chasing her out of the Xia family! "Then do you still want children now? If you don''t have children, nothing in your life will change," Cheng Gu said. "But my husband is very averse to this matter. How can I broach the topic again?" Tan Jing asked with uncertainty. Cheng Gu thought for a moment and said, "Since you can''t adopt children from either your family or their family, then just go to the orphanage. There are so many orphanages out there. There must be at least one baby who''s suitable for you." If Tan Jing''s living arrangement was still the same as before, the orphanage might be comfortable to let her adopt a child. However, she was living in a village now and it was already a problem for her to provide for herself. How could she take care of a child? How could it even be possible? Chapter 1122 I Will Help You Achieve It ? No matter how capable Xia Wen was, he could at most earn 130 dollars a month. He had to pay off his debts and also had his own expenses. Part of his salary would also go to provide for her. This amount of money was not enough at all. If they still had to take care of a child, their lives would become even more difficult. "No, the orphanage definitely won''t agree to it with my current situation. Thank you for coming up with a plan for me, but let''s forget about this matter," Tan Jing said dejectedly. "Then do you still want your sister-in-law''s children?" Cheng Gu asked seriously. "What do you mean" Tan Jing said. Cheng Gu looked around, then lowered his voice and said, "Your sister-in-law is about to give birth. At this time, if there is some kind of catalyst thrown at her, she will definitely give birth prematurely. As long as your sister-in-law dies, won''t they ask you to bring up the children? Don''t tell me they''ll ask your husband''s sister to do it?" Both Xu Lan and Xia Mao were getting on in years, so they would not be able to keep their eyes on the babies at all times. Xia Zhe was always away in the army and would not have the time to take care of two newborn babies. Xia He had never given birth before. Furthermore, she was still young and her temperament was also not suitable. If Qiao Mei died, Tan Jing would be the most suitable person to bring up these two children. The two children would still be the grandchildren of the Xia family and would receive the best care with her. "No! Definitely not! We''re talking about the loss of a human life! Won''t my life be ruined as well?" Tan Jing said in shock. She still wanted to live for many more years! Murder was punishable by death. In the event the babies died with their mother, that would be a loss of three lives at one go! Then she would be sentenced to death! She did not want to die with Qiao Mei. "You don''t have to do it yourself. As long as it''s what you want, I''ll help you fulfill it," Cheng Gu said firmly. It would be a lie for Tan Jing to say that she did not waver in her decision. However, she could not be so treacherous for her own selfish desires. If she could sacrifice other people to achieve her goal, then she was no different from a beast. Cheng Gu was still so young and had a bright future ahead of him. In the future, he would marry a virtuous wife and have a smart child. They would live happily together. Cheng Gu should not give up his lifelong happiness for her. "No, don''t get involved in my family''s affairs. Even if you help me, I won''t remember your kindness. Instead, I''ll hate you for the rest of my life," Tan Jing said. "I know a friend whose team specializes in such dirty business. As long as this is what you want, I''ll arrange for them to do it. They''re very tight-lipped, so you don''t have to worry even if they fail," Cheng Gu said. As long as it did not affect Cheng Gu and her, then it was not such a big deal to her. All this while, Qiao Mei had bullied and suppressed her in every aspect. If she could get rid of Qiao Mei, then she would be able to fulfill all her desires. Her nightmare would also finally come to an end. "Then how do we find him? Do we need a lot of money? Or does he want something else?" Tan Jing asked. "There''s no need for anything. You just need to tell me about your sister-in-law, such as her normal schedule, habits, diet and what she likes," Cheng Gu said. Tan Jing told Cheng Gu everything she knew and remembered, down to the minute detail of the timing when Qiao Mei would go to the toilet. "This is enough. Just wait to hear from me." After saying that, Cheng Gu patted Tan Jing on the head and left coolly. Tan Jing was both excited and afraid. She looked forward to Cheng Gu bringing her good news. As long as she could get rid of Qiao Mei and get the children, she would be more than willing to shorten her own lifespan in exchange! When the time came, all of Qiao Mei''s houses would belong to her, together with Wu Min''s courtyard house. She would be able to take back everything that Qiao Mei took from her one by one! She was going to be a mother soon! She was going to have a son soon! At this moment, Qiao Mei was sitting in the courtyard and suddenly sneezed twice. Xia He was so worried that she quickly brought over a thick cloak to put over Qiao Mei. "Are you going to catch a cold! Come in with me!" Xia He reprimanded sternly. Xia He had already sealed off the corridor in this courtyard with plastic sheets so as to block out the wind. She only put in a small door opening, making the place look like those greenhouses in the suburbs. Chapter 1123 Worried ? "It''s just two sneezes. I guess someone was scolding me. What has it got to do with a cold?" Qiao Mei pouted and said. It was a common saying that one sneeze meant that someone was thinking about you, two sneezes meant someone was secretly scolding you behind your back, and three sneezes meant someone was talking about you behind your back. Any more than that and it meant that you had caught a cold. "You only know how to quibble with me! You never listen to me!" Xia He said angrily. "I didn''t do anything wrong! Why should I listen to you? Didn''t I just sit in the courtyard for a while? I''m wearing so many layers of clothes. Do you still need to criticize me?" Qiao Mei said aggrievedly. Xia He was so angry that she left Qiao Mei behind and returned to the room. With a loud bang, she closed the door forcefully, leaving Qiao Mei sitting there and feeling at a loss. What was going on? Why was Xia He so angry? Usually, Xia He could not even bear to say anything harsh to her, so she had never seen Xia He behave like this. Could it be that she had really done something which offended Xia He? Qiao Mei gave it some thought and finally decided to go to the kitchen to get some delicious snacks. Xia He really liked snacks and would definitely forgive her after eating some. She quietly went to Xia He''s room door and quietly pushed it open a little. "Elder sister~ My good elder sister~ Come and take a look. These are some new pastries~ Come and smell them~" Qiao Mei leaned against the door and shouted sweetly. Xia He could not help herself from taking a gulp, but she turned her head away from Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei continued to act pitiful and said, "If my elder sister doesn''t let me in, then I''ll just sit at my elder sister''s door until my elder sister forgives me! Ah it''s so cold outside" "Are you a child! How dare you joke around with your health!" Xia He said as she opened the door out of exasperation. "Hehe, you''re finally willing to pay attention to me~" Qiao Mei held the plate and smirked at getting what she wanted. Xia He pulled Qiao Mei into the room and covered her tightly with the blanket. She only spoke when she saw Qiao Mei''s face gradually turning rosy. "Don''t you know how dangerous it is for you now! You still dare to stand outside in the wind! What if something happens to you! How am I going to explain this to my family! You always don''t listen to me and you always think that everything is fine. What if something really happens! How will either of us be able to handle it!" The more Xia He spoke, the more agitated she became and she started crying aggrievedly. Qiao Mei was at a loss. The only time she saw Xia He cry, it was because of Xia Mao. Even when Xia He divorced Kong Lu, she was not so sad. Yet Xia He actually broke down out of concern for her health. The thing was that she had a multifunctional bangle. As long as she soaked this bangle in the 100-year-old ginseng juice every day, it would naturally be filled up with energy the next day, like a portable charger. Even if she wore short-sleeve clothes and walked around outside the house, she would not catch a cold. However, no one else knew that Qiao Mei had such an ability. Therefore, they were naturally worried about Qiao Mei''s health. After all, Xia He was not Qiao Mei''s biological elder sister and she could not behave like one. Xia He was worried that if she interfered too much, Qiao Mei would find her annoying and reject her presence. As time passed, Xia He felt more and more pressurized, leading to the breakdown today. "I''m sorry I''ll definitely take good care of myself in the future. I won''t let my elder sister worry anymore," Qiao Mei said as she tugged at the corner of Xia He''s sleeve. "You must be healthy and well. Otherwise, what am I going to do? Other than my elder brother and younger brother, you''re the only one I can talk to. If you don''t take good care of yourself, what will happen to me in the future?" Xia He asked. "I swear, I''ll definitely be healthy and well. I''ll definitely listen to you!" Qiao Mei raised three fingers and made an oath. "Then you have to listen to Mother as well. Recently, she has found you a few helpers and a gardener to take care of your meals and daily needs," Xia He said. It made sense to look for helpers, but why was there a need for a gardener? She could handle all the flowers and plants at home herself, so why was there a need for an outsider? Was she going to get a chauffeur after another two days! This house was getting more and more crowded. Chapter 1124 Getting Helpers ? Xia He seemed to notice Qiao Mei''s puzzlement and explained patiently, "Recently, your younger siblings have to clear the weeds in the courtyard during their usual rest time. After I put up the plastic sheets around this corridor, a lot of new grass started growing for some reason, so we need someone to find someone to deal with this." Qiao Mei lowered her head silently. Perhaps she was the real reason for the grass growing. Some time ago, she had been repeatedly cultivating 10,000-year-old ginseng at home. It was likely that the surrounding land had been affected. In the past, without the mock greenhouse setup, the courtyard was very cold and it was not conducive for plants to grow. Now that the environment had changed, the plants were all popping out one by one. It was actually very easy to deal with these things. Qiao Mei could solve the problem by absorbing all energy from the plants and there was no need to expend so much effort at all. However, doing that would attract attention and make the whole situation seem even weirder. She decided to go with the flow and let them find a gardener to handle the issue. Anyway, the flowers in the backyard could bloom well even if they were only watered randomly. "Alright then, I''ll follow the family''s arrangements," Qiao Mei said. Qiao Mei decided to let Xu Lan and the others do whatever they wanted. If she rejected their kindness, they might even come to her house tomorrow and ask her to move immediately to Xia Fang''s hospital and stay in the small VIP infirmary. They would need to incur expensive charges every day and she could only go home after she gave birth and when it was deemed safe for the babies to do so. In that case, she might as well hire a few more people at home! At least she could continue to stay in a familiar environment and she would feel much more relaxed and be in a better mood. Most importantly, she could continue to secretly grow her ginseng! Sister Fan was the one who found the helpers and gardener. Xu Lan knew nothing about such things. The previous helper at home was the one in charge of such matters. Now that she was no longer around, Xu Lan could only trouble Sister Fan. Soon, Sister Fan picked out two capable nannies and a male gardener. Sister Fan knew Qiao Mei''s daily schedule and only brought the three of them to Qiao Mei''s house in the afternoon. Qiao Mei was already waiting in the study by the time they arrived. "Auntie Fan, I miss you so much~" Qiao Mei said sweetly. "I think you miss the food I make!" Sister Fan was so tickled that she laughed loudly. She looked at Qiao Mei as if she was looking at her own daughter. She had four sons and her greatest wish in life was to have a daughter. Seeing Qiao Mei made her want a daughter even more. "I miss both. Auntie Fan, please take a seat," Qiao Mei said. After Sister Fan sat down, she did not make small talk and went straight to the topic at hand. She pointed at the three people and said, "This is Feng Hua and she''s 38 years old this year. She has 12 years of experience as a nanny and is very good at taking care of children. She has five children herself! There are both boys and girls. The other one is Wei Hao, she''s 30 years old this year and she has been working as a nanny for six years. She''s very diligent and cooks very well." "I''m definitely comfortable with people whom Auntie Fan recommends! Then this is" Qiao Mei''s gaze landed on the gardener. This person looked much younger than the rest, like a university student. He did not look like a gardener at all. "This is Shen Gui. Although he''s young, he knows a lot about flowers and plants. He''s recommended by my husband. My husband plants trees for a living so he knows many gardeners," Sister Fan said. Qiao Mei nodded. These three people fitted what she needed the most for the moment. She hoped that they could get along harmoniously. "So what are your expectations on salary?" Qiao Mei asked as she looked at the three of them. Feng Hua had a lot of confidence in her capability due to her many years of experience. She said confidently, "I''ve been a nanny for many families. I heard from Sister Fan that food and accommodation will already be covered in this job, so I''d like a salary of 120 dollars a month." An amount of 120 dollars! Xia He almost lost her balance at the side. This person was really daring to expect so much pay for a nanny job which was inclusive of food and accommodation. Sister Fan only earned 60 dollars a month! "Then can you tell me what I''m spending the 120 dollars on?" Qiao Mei leaned back in her chair and asked with some interest. "I graduated from high school so there''s definitely no problem for me to teach the children in the early stage of their lives. You can safely leave the children in my care. I''m also very good at cooking for children. I also know how to prepare the confinement meals for you after you give birth. You don''t have to worry about a single thing," Feng Hua said firmly. Chapter 1125 It Is Settled ? Qiao Mei really liked people who were confident and honest. What Feng Hua said indeed made her feel very interested. She was very curious to know the extent of Feng Hua''s capability to say that she could comfortably go through her confinement period and that her children would receive the best care and education. She did not expect the nannies of this era to have such advanced knowledge and abilities. "Then what about you, how much do you want?" Qiao Mei turned to look at Wei Hao and asked her. Wei Hao did not hesitate and said frankly, "50 dollars." This piqued Qiao Mei''s interest. Under normal circumstances, since Feng Hua had asked for a salary of 120 dollars a month, the next person would either ask for the same amount or thereabout. At the very least, it was unlikely to be lower than 100 dollars. However, Wei Hong immediately quoted a figure that was less than half of Feng Hua''s salary. Could it be that this person had other intentions? Or was she a fool? "Why aren''t you asking for more?" Qiao Mei asked. "That''s because my work is only worth that much. I must describe my capability honestly. I haven''t been in this line of work for very long and I''ve only worked for three families before this. I definitely don''t have as much experience as Sister Feng Hua. My best skill is cooking. As for cleaning the house and washing the clothes, that''s the basics and nothing to shout about. Therefore, I''m fine with 50 dollars," Wei Hong said humbly. Qiao Mei nodded in satisfaction and then looked at Shen Gui. He had an obtuse look on his face, as if he was not interested in anything other than flowers and plants. She caught him staring at the asparagus fern on her desk for a long time. "Do you think my asparagus fern is not nice?" Qiao Mei asked curiously. "No, no! It''s too nice! I''ve never seen such beautiful asparagus fern! It''s just that it''s not trimmed properly often enough, so the shape isn''t beautiful enough," Shen Gui said with a hint of pity in his voice. "Then what are you expecting with regard to salary?" Qiao Mei asked. "I''m fine with the amount as long as it''s enough for my living expenses," Shen Gui said with a smile. As the other two helpers were women, they could live in Qiao Mei''s house. There was no use for a live-in gardener. He just needed to come and take care of the plants twice a week. There was no need for him to come over every day. "How about this? Sister Feng and Sister Wei, you''ll get the amounts you ask for. As for Shen Gui you can come three times a week on Monday, Thursday and Saturday. You''ll be paid 6 dollars per session. We''ll talk about your main responsibilities when you start work. I''ll make a list for you by then. I don''t just have flowers and plants in this courtyard, there''s also flowers and plants in the backyard. Your job is to take care of everything," Qiao Mei said after careful consideration. Everyone was very satisfied. There was no need for them to start work today. Qiao Mei chose a room in the front yard for the two helpers to stay in. There were two beds, two desks and two closets in the room, which was definitely enough for the two of them. When the time came, Feng Hua would be the one to follow her to Xu Lan''s place. "Auntie Fan, are you leaving now? Aren''t you going to stay with me for a while longer?" Qiao Mei said reluctantly. "Your mother is still waiting for me at home! If I don''t go back soon, she''ll starve to death. I''ll bring you delicious food next time." Sister Fan patted Qiao Mei''s head and got into the car to go home. Tonight was the last time that Xia He needed to help Li Gui with the cooking. They had helpers at home now! She would no longer have to do all these tiring chores! She even hummed a tune as she cooked, wanting everyone to know how happy she was. The next day, Xia He woke up on time and got ready to go to the art troupe. It had already been so many days and she still did not know what had happened to Yang Xin. She decided to deliver some materials to the art troupe and take a look at what was going on. Deng Fan was still the first person to arrive at the art troupe. After Yang Xin was not around, the atmosphere in the entire practice studio became much better. Everyone was hard at work and diligently practicing their basic skills. Their biggest opponent, Yang Xin, had an injured ankle and definitely could not go on stage. In addition, Xia He had made it clear that she did not want to participate in this performance. Therefore, the main role would go to one of them. They definitely wanted to seize this opportunity and perform on stage. If they did well, then this would be the chance for them to make a name for themselves! At that time, not only would there be an additional salary for the performance, but the benefits would also be huge. It was definitely much better than just practicing basic skills in the practice studio every day. Chapter 1126 - 1126 Just You Wait 1126 Just You Wait Sister Xia He! Youre here! I thought you wont be here for a while! said Yuan Shan, one of Xia Hes colleagues from before, as she came over happily. Oh, youre still here. I thought you had gone somewhere else, Xia He said with a polite smile. Where else can I go? Its good enough that this place wants me. Im not like you. Youre so talented and you also have Coach Xu to back you up. Im so envious! Yuan Shan said obsequiously. Everyone else had disdainful expressions on their faces. Back when Yang Xin took over Xia Hes position and acted like a tyrant in the art troupe, Yuan Shan also said something similar to Yang Xin. For many years, she not only waited upon Yang Xin, but also gave Yang Xin massages like she was a slave. Yuan Shan did all that hoping that Yang Xin would bestow upon her one or two roles and let her have a chance to go on stage. However, Yang Xin did not really take her requests seriously at all. On one hand, Yang Xin appeared to agree, but on the other hand, Yang Xin belittled her behind her back. Over the years, one could count on one hand the number of times Yuan Shan had been on stage and those were all dispensable roles. Now that Xia He had come back, it meant that Yuan Shan had a chance to change her strategy. If Xia He was willing to help her, it would definitely be more worth it than being Yang Xins follower! Is that so? Coach Xu scolds me more than anyone else and punishes me the most. Have you forgotten all this already? It seems that your memory isnt very good. If you have time, you should go to the hospital to get it treated. I have to go and deliver something. You should go practice too. After saying that, Xia He patted Yuan Shans shoulder and left. Yuan Shan stood rooted to the spot in anger. If not for the fact that there were too many people around, she would have thrown a big tantrum and cussed out Xia He! When Zhou Ling found out that Xia He had returned to the art troupe, she dressed up and ran to the dance studio without even combing her hair. As soon as she entered, she pointed at Xia He and scolded, How dare you come here! See if I dont rip out your tongue! Go ahead. Lets see whose tongue gets ripped out, Xia He said with a smile as she sat at the side. You beat up Yang Xin and shes now in the hospital, yet youre here as if nothing has happened. Do you think youre so great just because your mother is Xu Lan! Dont you get this position only because of your mother? Everyone knows that! Why are you so pretentious! How can you even compete with Yang Xin! Zhou Ling said angrily. Xia He stood up and went forward to give Zhou Ling a tight slap. Everyone was caught off guard by what she did. Zhou Ling definitely did not expect it. Show more respect to my mother. Shes my mother and also your teacher! Dont you know you have to respect your teachers! Xia He roared. You! Whats so great about you Zhou Ling said fearfully. Whether Im capable or not has nothing to do with you or Yang Xin. Have I ever said that I want to compete with you two rotten eggs? You are the ones who keep imagining things and come looking for trouble for no reason. That day, you were the ones who started it! She was the one who was stupid enough to lose her footing because she couldnt balance herself. What has it got to do with me? Xia He said as she rolled her eyes helplessly. Zhou Ling was so angry that she took a broom from the side and pointed it at Xia He, saying, Youre lying again! Youre such a liar! Why are you always telling lies! Xia He had no idea which part of what she said was a lie. She also did not know why Zhou Ling thought of her as a liar. When she left the art troupe, Zhou Ling had not even joined. Zhou Ling only came to the art troupe after she left. You cant even hold a broom properly, yet youre still trying to play bluff here? Do you have the confidence to beat me? You cant even manage to dodge a slap from me, Xia He said mockingly. Zhou Ling was a little hesitant. The scene of Yang Xin being beaten up by Xia He and getting sent to the hospital was still vivid in her mind. If she also had to be hospitalized now, she would not have a chance to take part in the performance anymore. Now that Yang Xin could not perform, as long as she begged Yang Xin, she might get a chance. She decided not to get involved in this matter. Yang Xin should be the one to get the troupe leader to uphold justice for herself! Yang Xin must ask the troupe leader to teach this arrogant person a lesson! Just you wait! You just wait! We wont let this go just like that! With that, Zhou Ling threw down the broom and ran away gloomily. Chapter 1127 Send You Home ? Xia He did not understand why Zhou Ling wanted to create such a scene today. Her last sentence sounded like a line spoken by villains in television dramas. Generally speaking, people who mouthed such lines did not end up with a good ending. Sigh Her good mood today was spoiled by another crazy woman again. Why was it that every time she went to the art troupe, there would always be a "mad dog" coming to bite her? She must remember to bring a beating stick with her whenever she went out so that she could beat up any barking mad dog she met. There was no need to say anything. If she had to talk too much, it would only make her feel even more annoyed. If those dogs were too disobedient, she would just beat them up a few more times. With time, those "mad dogs" would know that they must avoid her. Xia He left the art troupe dejectedly again. This time, Deng Fan did not hesitate. He chased after her and said, "How did you come today?" "I''m going to have to disappoint you. I didn''t bring a chauffeur today. I came by bus," Xia He said sulkily. At this moment, she was not in the mood to be nice to anyone. She felt so annoyed. In the future, whenever she wanted to come to the art troupe, she must check if it was an auspicious day for her to go out. Why was she so unlucky every time! "I I rode my motorcycle. I can send you back," Deng Fan mustered his courage and said. "My place doesn''t seem to be on your way. Isn''t your house nearer than mine?" Xia He asked curiously. "Yes, but it doesn''t really matter. Take it that I''m thanking you for sending me home the other day." Deng Fan started scratching his head out of embarrassment. Xia He did not read too much into it and believed that Deng Fan wanted to return the favor. She patted Deng Fan''s shoulder readily and said, "Let''s go! Then I won''t stand on ceremony with you! But you have to stay for dinner. We have a new helper at home. I hear that her culinary skills are outstanding!" Deng Fan''s motorcycle was one of those huge ones, and he seemed like a different person when he rode on it. He sped on the road like a streak of lightning. Xia He hugged Deng Fan''s waist tightly, scared that she would be thrown off if she let go. This was actually part of Deng Fan''s selfish plan. He could enjoy this short period of intimacy when they rode at high speed. When they reached Qiao Mei''s house, Deng Fan stabilized the motorcycle before he let Xia He get down. After that, he went to find a parking spot. When he returned, he found Xia He sitting on the steps at the door, hugging the helmet and taking deep breaths. She looked a little pale. "Are you alright?" Deng Fan asked worriedly. "I''m fine! You''re so cool when you ride a motorcycle! It never crosses my mind that you know how to ride one! You''re super cool!" Xia He said excitedly. Deng Fan was a little flattered. He did not expect Xia He to like the experience so much. He originally thought that she would think that he was a lunatic. "I just ride occasionally, not often. You don''t look too well. Do you want me to help you into the house?" Deng Fan asked. "I just don''t get to ride a motorcycle often, so I''m not used to it. If I do it more often, then your speed is not a problem for me! However, I never imagine this is how you are in private. I always think that you have a similar character to my grandfather," Xia He said with a smile as she stared at Deng Fan. Deng Fan''s cheeks were a little flushed. He coughed twice to hide his joy and tried his best to ask calmly, "So what''s your grandfather like?" "He''s fierce and doesn''t smile. He must drink tea every day and he keeps drinking even after the tea leaves have been soaked colorless! Anyway, he''s an old-fashioned and thrifty person," Xia He commented. "I I''m not too extravagant" Deng Fan explained. "Of course I''m not saying that you''re extravagant, but how much is this motorcycle of yours? Actually, I rarely see anyone riding a motorcycle. Did you get it from out of town? My younger brother tried to fight against my father''s objection for half a month but he still failed," Xia He said. Deng Fan quickly waved his hand and said, "My father gave it to me. It''s not worth much. I only ride it to the art troupe when I wake up late." Qiao Mei leaned against the big pillar at the door and listened for a long time. The two of them were having such a lively conversation. This man was very delicate-looking. She thought that Xia He would not like this type, but perhaps Xia He had a change in taste? It was hard to say. Just as Qiao Mei was thinking about these, she felt a sudden pain in her stomach and cried out, "Ah" Xia He immediately rushed to Qiao Mei and asked anxiously, "What''s wrong? What''s wrong? What happened? Deng Fan! Quick, call an ambulance! Save her!" Chapter 1128 Invitation To Enter The House ? Deng Fan almost started running towards the small shop at the entrance of the alley. Qiao Mei quickly stopped him and said, "Brother Deng, there''s no need! It''s not a big deal!" "How is it not a big deal! Doesn''t your stomach hurt? Why don''t I give Aunt a call and ask her to come to our house to check on you! You can''t ignore this!" Xia He said anxiously. "It''s just the baby kicking me. I was caught off guard for a moment and got a shock. It''s nothing serious. There''s no need to ask Aunt to come over. Don''t alarm anyone," Qiao Mei said as she stroked her stomach. Only then did Xia He and Deng Fan heave a sigh of relief. The two of them did not have partners or children, and also did not have siblings with children. It was normal for them to get so flustered since they did not know what was going on. It was good to know that Qiao Mei was fine. The two of them took deep breaths. If this kind of thing happened a few more times, they could get heart attacks! "Alright, come in quickly. Brother Deng, come in and take a seat too. I''ve prepared nice snacks and tea!" Qiao Mei said with a smile. Even if Deng Fan wanted to refuse, there was no reason for him to do so. Xia He also called out to him to hurry in and he slowly followed behind Qiao Mei and Xia He. He had never seen such a big courtyard before. His parents'' house only had two rooms, a small kitchen and a toilet. It was not even as big as two rooms in Qiao Mei''s house! There were also two helpers taking care of Qiao Mei in the house. It was such an imposing place. He did not expect Xia He to live in such a place. After Deng Fan entered the house, he was even more shocked. There were calligraphy and paintings all over the wall and exquisite porcelain everywhere. Deng Rui liked these things very much. Back in those days, he was almost reported and arrested for illegally stashing away antiques! Fortunately, Deng Rui was meticulous enough to ask for a receipt for every item he bought from the antique market, even if it was just a small stone. It was easy for him to explain himself with the receipts. Even when someone reported him, he was not afraid of being accused by other people. The owners of those antique shops, whom he knew well, would always tell him that they would definitely testify for him if anything happened, but he knew that no one would turn up when there was trouble brewing! "Do you like calligraphy and paintings?" Deng Fan asked as he looked at the calligraphy and paintings on the wall in the main hall. "Yes, I don''t just have calligraphy and paintings. I also have porcelain and many precious jade stones in my study. I like gemstones very much too. Brother Deng, are you familiar with such antiques?" Qiao Mei asked curiously. "It''s my father who likes them, but he''s more interested in literary playthings like walnut palm massagers. He hung calligraphy and paintings at home to make the ambience better," Deng Fan said humbly. In fact, Deng Fan knew his stuff. Many of these paintings were from famous masters and were definitely not something that could be bought casually and off the shelf. It must have cost a lot of money, manpower and resources to preserve such ancient calligraphy paintings until now. It was already very rare for them to be in such intact condition. Qiao Mei''s admiration for Deng Fan increased a little more. Xia He did not dislike Deng Fan and the two of them looked very compatible together. Qiao Mei was very satisfied with him and almost wanted to run home and bring Xu Lan over to meet Deng Fan. As long as Xu Lan was satisfied! Then they should quickly get married! She must not let this man slip out of Xia He''s grasp! Wei Hao used the best tea leaves in the house and made tea for the three of them. A professional touch indeed made a difference. Compared to the tea that Qiao Mei usually brewed herself, the difference in taste was like the difference between heaven and earth. "I don''t know what you like. This is a new Pu''er that just arrived. See if it suits you?" Qiao Mei said. Deng Fan had drunk all kinds of good tea before. The fragrance and mellow taste of Qiao Mei''s tea was definitely extraordinary. It appeared to him that Qiao Mei was treating him with a lot of sincerity. He had thought that Qiao Mei would think of him as a bad guy who wanted to harm Xia He. "Are you my elder sister''s colleague? I don''t think I''ve ever seen you before," Qiao Mei asked in a gentle manner. Deng Fan quickly put down the tea bowl and said, "Xia He and I were classmates in junior high school. Later on, we worked in the art troupe together. I guess we''re considered colleagues now." "We''re old classmates! It''s so formal to say we''re colleagues!" Xia He said enthusiastically. Qiao Mei looked at Xia He with a teasing gaze. Xia He had never treated any "colleague" like this before. Chapter 1129 Matchmake ? Could Xia He have taken a fancy to this person? So that was why she rejected Luo Yu! "Oh~ Since you''re about the same age as my elder sister and the two of you are old classmates, can I call you Big Brother Deng?" Qiao Mei asked politely. "Of course," Deng Fan nodded and said. Xia He rolled her eyes resignedly. This little girl had addressed Deng Fan as Brother Deng earlier. It seemed that this little girl was going to play matchmaker again! Without batting an eyelid, Qiao Mei asked Deng Fan about his family situation and what his parents did for a living. She also asked him if he had any other siblings at home. The only thing she did not ask him to do was to recite the names in his family tree! The person in front of her met all of Xia He''s criteria, other than the condition of both parents having passed away. He was not bad at all, and he was also handsome and very elegant. He and Xia He could be considered to be like-minded and would have common topics. He was 10,000 times better than Kong Lu. She just did not know where the two of them should live in the future. They could not possibly have to stay with Deng Fan''s parents. After they got married, Qiao Mei would not be able to give Xia He a house as a gift anymore. Otherwise, that would be such a slap in Deng Fan''s face! She decided to give some careful consideration to this matter later. For now, she had to matchmake the two of them first! If she could matchmake them, then at least that was done! Qiao Mei was very satisfied with Deng Fan from all angles. All that was left was for Xia He to agree to the arrangement. The three of them chatted until the sky turned dark. Deng Fan imparted a lot of knowledge about calligraphy and paintings to Qiao Mei and she benefited a lot from the session. She asked Deng Fan to stay for dinner and he only rode his motorcycle home after dinner was over. Xia He stood at the door and watched reluctantly as Deng Fan left the alley, unwilling to go back into the house even after he was gone. "You''re still looking? It''ll be tomorrow morning soon! You won''t be able to see the sunrise at this door!" Qiao Mei teased with a smile. "What are you talking about! I''m just enjoying the breeze here! Who''s looking at him! Stop talking nonsense!" Xia He said with a blushing face. "I didn''t say anything! Why are you so anxious! Who said you were looking at him? You have a guilty conscience and yet you''re blaming me. I feel so wronged!" Qiao Mei said with a grin. "Who likes him! But you! Why do you try to matchmake everyone you meet! That Qian''e and Zheng Peng from the backyard is still your work-in-progress! Don''t set your sights on me!" Xia He said. Qiao Mei raised her eyebrows smugly and said, "How do you know I haven''t succeeded?" Xia He''s eyes widened in an instant. What was going on! Could it be that there was a new development in the backyard! She did not notice anything! "You must be lying to me. Qian''e hasn''t come to teach Miao Miao for the past few days. How did you manage to matchmake them?" Xia He asked doubtfully. "It''s beyond your understanding! I have my own ways! You don''t have to care about how I do it. As for you, you have to hold on tight. I think Big Brother Deng is really not bad. He''s such a nice person!" After saying that, Qiao Mei ran back into the room. She was worried that if she was any slower, Xia He would catch hold of her and scold her. Qian''e had been sick at home for the past few days. Qiao Mei told Zheng Peng about it with a worried expression and asked him to pay Qian''e a visit so that he could help her deliver the supplements she bought for Qian''e. She said that both she and Xia He did not have much time recently, but she could not possibly ask the children to go on her behalf. After a few rounds of persuasion, Zheng Peng finally agreed to go and visit Qian''e. Qiao Mei did not know if she would succeed in her plan or not, but the truth would be revealed when Qian''e recovered from her illness! When Xia He reached her room, she could not help but turn around to look in the direction of the main door. She lowered her head and smiled sweetly before entering the room. Everyone had a good night''s sleep that night and their dreams were filled with sweetness. However, the next morning, Xu Lan received a call from the Bian family, asking her to bring Xia He to the hospital immediately to apologize to Yang Xin. Otherwise, they would ask the art troupe leader to sack Xia He! The previous art troupe leader had recently retired. The current troupe leader was Bian Ding, Bian Zhuo''s biological uncle. Xu Lan was not very familiar with this person. She heard that he had used some underhanded methods to become the art troupe leader. Otherwise, he would not be able to get the position at all. Moreover, he knew nothing about dancing and was just a boorish person. Xu Lan hurriedly asked the chauffeur to send her to Qiao Mei''s house to ask Xia He about what happened. She was no longer the rash person from before. Chapter 1130 Notifying The Parents ? In the past, Xu Lan would always blame her daughter at the first instance. She did not care about her daughter''s reputation or the truth of the matter at all. She only knew that she must keep a distance from any trouble and that there was never anything wrong with being humble and cautious. The Xia family was rich and powerful. Even if they were in the right, people could still make them out to be bullying others who were weaker. Therefore, to avoid that, it was inevitable that they had to suffer some grievances. Ever since Xia He was young, she suffered a lot from Xu Lan''s way of handling things. After Xu Lan arrived at Qiao Mei''s house, she went to the main hall to look for them. It was a good thing that they were both already awake and doing embroidery. "Mother? Why are you here?" Xia He asked curiously. "I received a phone call from the art troupe. How can I not come and find out what actually happened?" Xu Lan looked at Xia He as if she expected better behavior from her. Qiao Mei was also lost and confused. Xia He did not tell her in detail about this matter, but she did know that Xia He had gotten into a fight with someone in the military art troupe. "She''s already a grownup, yet she notifies my parents about our issue. She really doesn''t find herself an embarrassment. Does she really think she''s still a child!" Xia He said angrily. "Don''t talk about others. Hurry up and tell me how this happened. I have my own way of explaining it to them. Otherwise, even if I want to go and kick up a fuss, I don''t have any reason to do so," Xu Lan said. Xia He told Xu Lan the full story, including the details of how Yang Xin fell. She even wanted to demonstrate it to Xu Lan there and then. Xu Lan quickly stopped Xia He from doing anything stupid. She frowned and said, "This matter is both simple and difficult. It all depends on what Yang Xin wants. There are no surveillance cameras in the art troupe. Unless you can find a witness to prove that you''re innocent, it''s going to be very difficult." "What''s so difficult about that! I didn''t hit her first! How can it be my fault!" Xia He said furiously. "Without any witnesses, they will definitely believe Yang Xin''s lies. After all, she''s the one in the hospital now," Qiao Mei said. There was no other choice now. Xu Lan could only bring Xia He to meet the Bian family and see what they wanted. "I want to go too," Qiao Mei said. "Why would you! What if there''s an altercation and you get hurt?" Xu Lan said worriedly. Qiao Mei was worried that Xu Lan and Xia He would be at a disadvantage. Although Xia He was a hothead and had a sharp tongue, she was quite naive and easily fell into traps. It was not a good thing for her to be barging around. Xu Lan also had a soft personality. What if they ran into a shrew? Qiao Mei would only feel at ease if she went along as well. "It just so happens that I feel like going to Aunt''s place for a checkup to see how much longer it is until my delivery date. Didn''t Aunt also say that I should move around more often? I haven''t been out for a long time, so let me go along and take a look," Qiao Mei said sweetly. After much consideration, Xu Lan decided to bring Qiao Mei along. She reminded Qiao Mei repeatedly, "You must not enter the ward. Once you reach the hospital, go and look for your Aunt immediately. Do you understand?" "Yes, yes! I promise I''ll go to Aunt''s lounge and not cause any trouble!" Qiao Mei said obediently. After getting dressed up, the three of them set off for Xia Fang''s hospital. It was such a weird coincidence. There were so many hospitals in the capital, so why did the Bian family choose the hospital that was known for its gynecology department? It would have made more sense to go to the hospital closest to the military art troupe. The orthopedic department of that hospital was the best in the capital and all the top orthopedic doctors worked there. No one knew what the Bian family was up to. As soon as they reached the entrance of the hospital, Xu Lan asked Xia Fang to come downstairs to pick Qiao Mei up. She did not believe that Qiao Mei could keep away from the Bian family! This little girl was very smart. If she did not get someone to keep an eye on her, she would definitely sneak away. Qiao Mei did not expect Xu Lan to have become smarter. She was indeed thinking what Xu Lan was thinking. She had originally planned to secretly follow Xu Lan and Xia He into the Bian family''s ward. "Mother I really won''t run around. There''s no need to trouble Aunt," Qiao Mei said helplessly. "No! I must ask your Aunt to come down and pick you up!" Xu Lan said firmly. Chapter 1131 Follow Closely ? Qiao Mei could not manage to convince Xu Lan. Even Xia He, who was usually on her side, chose to listen to Xu Lan this time. Qiao Mei stood rooted to the spot dejectedly. At this moment, she was like a child going to kindergarten. Her family was waiting here for the teacher to pick her up and bring her in. To play the character well, the next thing for her to do should be to cry a little and whine that she did not want to go to school! "Why are all of you here today? I''m not prepared at all! You''re scaring me!" Xia Fang said as she ran out of the hospital anxiously. "Everything happened too suddenly. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have to call you so urgently. I''m here to deal with Xia He''s issue but Qiao Mei insisted on coming along, so I have no choice but to hand her over to you," Xu Lan said apologetically. "Alright, then I''ll bring her with me now! I still have patients to see!" Xia Fang did not have time to ask Xia He about what happened. She had even brought along a wheelchair to save time. Today was the day when she held her clinic and she had many patients lined up along the corridor. She could not be away for too long. Xia Fang rushed towards the private elevator reserved for chief physicians and went straight to the top floor. She pushed Qiao Mei into her private office and placed a lot of delicious food and drinks in front of her. After setting everything out, she said to Qiao Mei, "Be good and wait for me here! My break time is in an hour and I''ll come back to accompany you straightaway!" "Aunt, please go ahead. Don''t worry about me. I''ll take good care of myself," Qiao Mei said with a sweet smile. Seeing Qiao Mei''s good attitude, Xia Fang trusted that she would not cause any trouble within an hour. Xia Fang asked a security officer to guard the door and watch over Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei waited quietly in the room for 15 minutes. After confirming that there was no more sound outside, she slowly stood up and moved to the door. She opened the door happily before her face instantly fell when she saw the fierce-looking security officer. "Do you need something? Chief Xia says that you can''t walk around casually. If you need anything, just tell me and I''ll do my best to help you," the security officer said sternly. "I I''m going to the toilet. Big brother, if you can let me pass, I''ll be back after using the toilet." After saying that, Qiao Mei turned her body sideways to move past him and quickly walked out. The security officer stared towards the direction that Qiao Mei had left and pondered for a while. Then, he quickly moved forward and followed closely behind her. No matter how Qiao Mei tried to chase him away, he would not leave. He gestured that he would stick with her no matter what. Qiao Mei stopped in her tracks helplessly and said, "Big brother, I''m going to the female toilet. Why are you following me?" "Chief Xia said that I can''t allow you to leave my line of sight and that I have to follow you at all times," the security officer said earnestly. "But I''m going to the female toilet. How are you going to follow me? Are you going to barge in as well?" Qiao Mei asked with a frown. "I''ll wait for you outside the toilet. After you come out, I''ll send you back to Chief Xia''s office. Miss Qiao, don''t make things difficult for me. I''m just a security officer. If I lose sight of you today, I might even lose my job. Please be more understanding," the security officer said aggrievedly. Qiao Mei did not believe what the security officer said! Xia Fang was not that strict. How could she fire a staff member for losing sight of a patient? If that was the case, she would need to fire many staff. Uncle Liu Yang also would not do such a thing. Unless there was a major mistake committed, staff members would not be punished so severely. However Even if it was a slight punishment, like deduction of salary, reduction of the number of monthly food stamps or other punishments, it would still be unbearable for the security officer''s family. Surely he had family members to feed! "Then wait for me near the toilet door. I''ll be out soon," Qiao Mei said with a sigh. The security officer smiled and said, "No problem!" Qiao Mei went into the female toilet and took a look around, but she did not manage to find any other way out. In the end, she could only walk out dejectedly to see if she could negotiate with the security officer. She wanted to find a solution where she could go and look for Xia He and Xu Lan and yet protect the security officer from being punished. "What did you say Chief Xia''s instructions to you were?" Qiao Mei asked. "To keep an eye on you and not to let you encounter any danger or harm," the security officer said. "Then Can you wheel me to look for my mother and sister? This way, I can meet my family and you also manage to follow her instructions. That will make everyone happy!" Qiao Mei said with a smile. Chapter 1132 Single Ward ? The security officer was about to nod when he immediately shook his head and said, "No! Chief Xia instructed me not to let you leave her office. Letting you come out to use the toilet is already pushing it to the limit. I can''t make any other exception for you!" Qiao Mei blinked and suddenly held onto her stomach, pretending to be in pain as she said, "Ow~ Ow~ My stomach~" "What''s wrong with you! I''ll go get the doctor! Wait for me! I''ll be back soon! Hang in there!" The security officer was so frightened that he could not remember which way to go and stumbled as he set off to look for a doctor. Qiao Mei hurriedly stopped the security officer and said, "No need Can you go and get the wheelchair? I just want to go and see my mother. Please" The security officer followed Qiao Mei''s instructions and hurriedly returned to Xia Fang''s office to push out the wheelchair. At this moment, he could not care less about "Chief Xia''s instructions". The most important thing was to protect Qiao Mei! After Qiao Mei sat on the wheelchair, she immediately looked relaxed. She pointed ahead and said, "I want to go to the orthopedic department. Do you know where it is?" The security officer did not listen to Qiao Mei. He turned around and pushed Qiao Mei towards Xia Fang''s office. Qiao Mei immediately started groaning again and held her stomach as she moaned in pain. It seemed so real and it did not look like she was pretending. "Ah! My stomach! My stomach hurts! I want to see my mother! I want to look for my elder sister!" Qiao Mei yelled out as she stole looks at the security officer''s expression. The security officer really could not tell if Qiao Mei was pretending to be unwell or not, so he could only agree to send her to the orthopedic department. He decided to explain everything clearly to Xia Fang when she returned. Xu Lan brought Xia He to the ward where Bian Ding had directed her. It was rare that the Bian family was willing to spend money to let Yang Xin stay in a single ward! "Wait for me outside the door. Come in only when I call for you. Do you understand?" Xu Lan said to Xia He. Xia He shook her head and quickly held Xu Lan back. "No, Mother. I''ll go with you. I can''t let you deal with Yang Xin''s family alone!" Yang Xin was a promiscuous woman, but Bian Zhuo did not care at all. In any case, he had many women outside as well. As long as the two of them remained on good terms and there was no news of any illegitimate children, everything looked good on the outside. Bian Ding was not a good person either. No one knew how he got his position as the art troupe leader! The entire family found themselves powerful protectors and then bullied others based on that. The Bian family had previously worked for the He family and even swore to He Ning that they would always be loyal to the He family. In the end, the moment He Ning got into trouble, they immediately distanced themselves from the He family. The He family had so many supporters who pledged loyalty to them that He Ning could not remember all of them and it seemed that he might have forgotten about this ungrateful family. However, if someone reminded him of them perhaps He Ning would finally be able to remember? It was hard to say. "Don''t go in and add fuel to the fire. Listen to me and wait for me here," Xu Lan said. She was not afraid that Xia He would be at a disadvantage after going in, but she was more afraid that Xia He would beat Yang Xin further and cripple her in a fit of anger. She knew her daughter better than anyone else. This was a girl who could not swallow any grievances. If anyone bullied Xia He or a member of the Xia family, Xia He would send that person directly to the ICU! That person could very well be paralyzed in bed for good. Xia He could not dissuade Xu Lan, so she could only sit gloomily on the hard bench in the long corridor and watched Xu Lan enter Yang Xin''s ward. "Oh my! Who is this! What a rare guest! I never expect you to really come here," Bian Ding said mockingly. "Since you asked me to come, then I have to come and take a look no matter what. After all, she''s also from our art troupe. How can I not come to pay a visit?" Xu Lan sized up Yang Xin. Her complexion was rosy and she certainly did not look like she had a fracture. It looked more like she was here for a holiday stay in the hospital. Bian Zhuo looked at Xu Lan''s empty hands and asked unhappily, "You come to visit a patient without bringing anything? Do you even look like you''re here to visit a patient?" "You don''t even bother to greet an elder. Is this part of your Bian family''s upbringing?" Xu Lan gave Bian Zhuo a side eye look. Bian Zhuo stood up indignantly and wanted to say something more, but Bian Ding stopped him and pushed him to the side. The main issue at hand was more important. Chapter 1133 Confrontation ? "I originally planned to bring a gift, but then again, I don''t think you lack anything here. I''m just here to take a look at Yang Xin. If you insist that I must bring a fruit basket to enter this ward, then I''ll ask my friends to send over two baskets now. As long as it makes you happy," Xu Lan said with a cold smile. Looking at Xu Lan''s expression, she did not look like she was talking about giving a fruit basket at all. It sounded more like she was talking about getting prayer items delivered! If she also asked a couple of funeral musicians to come by, it would be like giving Yang Xin a sendoff! The next step would be to hold the funeral procession! "Look at you, that''s not what we meant! Chief Xu, you''re thinking too much," Bian Ding said. ??dsǦȦͦ| "This child looks quite well to me. I supposed she has almost fully recovered?" Xu Lan walked to the foot of the bed and picked up the doctor''s notes. It clearly stated that the patient had an ankle sprain, slightly ligament strains and soft tissue contusions. Even though these phrases made her condition sound quite serious, in layman''s terms, it meant that Yang Xin had sprained her ankle. It was nothing serious at all and she did not even need to be confined to the bed in the hospital. The Bian family''s uncle and nephew duo had asked Xu Lan to come over purely because they wanted to demand a sum of money from her for the medical fees. "Still far from it! The doctor says that if the injury is not treated well, her foot might not heal properly and she won''t be able to dance anymore," Bian Ding said with a tinge of regret. As he spoke, he even wiped away his tears and put on a hypocritical act for Xu Lan! "Alright, I''ve already seen what I need to see. Yang Xin is unable to go on stage in her condition. I''m afraid that Yang Xin will have to miss this performance. I''ll go back and tell the rest in the troupe to practice well so that we don''t delay the progress of the performance." After saying that, Xu Lan prepared to leave. Bian Zhuo hurriedly blocked Xu Lan''s path and said fiercely, "You want to leave? No way! You must get Xia He to come and apologize to my wife! Otherwise, don''t even think about walking out of this door! You also have to compensate our family. Do you think that the medical, hospitalization and nutrition fees for the past few days don''t cost money!" "I wonder what mistake my daughter has made to have to come and apologize personally? You can go and ask for money from whoever caused this to happen," Xu Lan asked evenly, in a manner that was neither servile nor overbearing. "Xia He injured my wife. You have to apologize and compensate us," Bian Zhuo said stubbornly with his arms crossed. Xu Lan pointed at Yang Xin, who was on the bed, and said, "You were the one who attacked my daughter first and now you want my daughter to apologize to you. There''s no such logic. Besides, Yang Xin''s injury is a sprain, not wounds from a beating. There''s no way I''m going to let you push the blame on my family!" "So many people saw your daughter pressing my wife to the ground and yet you still want to quibble?" Bian Zhuo said.Ѧds `n??| om "Then surely there must be people who saw that Yang Xin hit Xia He first. We can''t just listen to your one-sided argument," Xu Lan said. "Don''t spout nonsense here! Zhou Ling already said that Xia He was the provocateur!" Bian Zhuo said. Xu Lan looked at Yang Xin, who had been cowering on the bed and not daring to make a sound. Then she looked at the arrogant Bian Zhuo and then at Bian Ding, who was watching the show at the side. She turned around and sat on the sofa opposite Yang Xin. "You know very well whether everything you''re saying is true." Xu Lan looked at Bian Ding and said, "Regarding the extra money you paid to my daughter, I''ve already repaid it to the troupe out of my own pocket. Don''t think that I don''t know about those sneaky things that you have done." "You''re mistaken. I just feel that since we''re friends, I should take good care of Xia He," Bian Ding said guiltily. It was Yang Xin who asked him to pay Xia He a full month''s salary. Her goal was to make it difficult for Xia He to defend herself. She wanted to get Xia He expelled from the military art troupe. As long as Xia He had such a stain on her reputation, she would never be able to succeed in anything for the rest of her life. None of them expected Xu Lan to see through this plan. If the plan had succeeded, not only would Xia He be affected, but the entire Xia family as well. At that time, the Bian family would be able to go to the He family to claim credit. "My daughter''s behavior is always aboveboard and she doesn''t need anyone to take special care of her. You know very well how you managed to become the troupe leader. I''m not considered very old yet. I can still stay active in the troupe for another five to six years," Xu Lan said politely. "Aye, aye I understand" Bian Ding said fearfully. Bian Zhuo spat at Bian Ding. What a timid thing!This person was a lousy relative to have. It was so embarrassing that he surrendered after just a few words from someone else! Chapter 1134 - 1134 Motherhood Makes a Woman Strong 1134 Motherhood Makes a Woman Strong You say that my daughter hit you first? Then lets talk about evidence. We must set aside those people who are on good terms with Yang Xin and Xia He respectively and only hear from those who are not familiar with the two of them. So you can forget about that Zhou Ling youre talking about, Xu Lan said. How can we just ignore what Zhou Ling said! Bian Zhuo said angrily. If you really dont believe me, then lets make a police report and let the police deal with this matter. At the end of it, well accept the polices conclusion, be it paying compensation or issuing an apology, Xu Lan said nonchalantly with her hands spread out. Arent you worried that the Xia familys reputation will be damaged! Ill go to the streets and kick up a fuss! Ill ruin your Xia familys reputation! Bian Zhuo said as he pointed at Xu Lan. Xu Lan looked at Bian Zhuo coldly. The Xia family had always been open and aboveboard and was not afraid of being investigated at all. The Xia familys money was all earned by the Xia familys menfolk through honest and hard work. Back when Xu Lan first took over the reins of the household, whenever something happened to the Xia family, she valued the Xia familys reputation more than anything else. If she could settle the matter quickly, she definitely would not overly pursue it. She felt that it was not a big deal to lose some money and she did not want to waste time on unimportant people. Time was the most precious thing to her. However, it was precisely because of what she did that made many people misunderstand them. They said that the Xia family was timid and only knew how to use money to smooth things over. Initially, Xu Lan just thought that by losing some money, she could also make these less well-off people feel better, but she did not expect to get such an outcome. From then on, Xu Lan changed completely. Did these people really think that the Xia family, who had been established in the capital for so many years, was a family to be trifled with? Go ahead. You can publicize it for my family. Our family did not do this. When word gets out, everyone will know that our family brings up our children well. Go quickly! Xu Lan said. Youre really not worried that others will misunderstand your family? Bian Ding asked curiously. Hmph. Whats there for me to worry about? In our family, the couples get along harmoniously and we are a happy family. No one does anything sneaky, not like some couples who have so many lovers outside and even have two or three illegitimate children. Some people are still being kept in the dark! Xu Lan said loudly and purposefully towards the bed. Bian Zhuos face instantly turned pale. How did Xu Lan know about all these? He had clearly kept it a closely guarded secret and made sure that no one would find out! Xu Lan did not come to confront the Bian family without any background information. Otherwise, she would be in a disadvantaged position. The Xia familys investigators usually dealt with work-related matters. It would still be quite difficult for them to find out about such private matters. Only women knew women the best. The Bian family was not prominent but also not unknown. There were many wives of rich families in the capital who stayed at home full-time. Xu Lan only needed to ask around to find out about the Bian familys shameful doings. These women were usually very free and their only hobby was to find out about the various prominent families deep and dark secrets. Actually, these rich women were no different from the women who gossiped at the village entrance. The only difference was that one group wore tattered clothes and sat at the village entrance, while the other group wore expensive clothes and sat inside luxurious houses. Hurry up and get lost! Get lost! Bian Zhuo said as he pointed at the door. Xu Lan laughed as she walked out of the ward. As soon as she left, she could hear Yang Xin kicking up a fuss in the room and her mood improved greatly. Xia He sat at the side and gave Xu Lan a thumbs up. This was the first time she had seen Xu Lan go into battle with full force. In the past, Xia Wen was always the one who handled these things. She had almost forgotten that Xu Lan was the one who handled all these household issues, big and small, before Xia Wen reached adulthood. Their mother, who was usually gentle to them, was actually a very strong woman. Motherhood served to make a woman strong. Xu Lan would fight to the death with anyone who bullied her daughter, even if it meant risking her own life. By the time Qiao Mei arrived, Xu Lan had already left the battlefield. Mother! Are you alright? Qiao Mei looked at Xu Lan and Xia He worriedly. Oh you. Youre still so disobedient. What can happen to us two? Xu Lan said as she tapped the tip of Qiao Meis nose dotingly. I Arent I just worried about Mother? Qiao Mei said as she scratched the back of her head in embarrassment. Xia He quickly came over to Qiao Mei and said, You didnt see how fantastic Mother was just now. Shes even more impressive than our father! Chapter 1135 The Xu Lan Of The Past ? "I''m going to kill you! Bian Zhuo, you''re inhumane! I''m going to kill you! Ah!!!" Just as Xia He and Qiao Mei were about to whisper to each other, Yang Xin''s sharp scream could be heard from inside the room, followed by the sound of many things falling to the ground. It immediately alarmed the surrounding nurses. The security officer hurriedly stood in front of Qiao Mei''s group to protect them. Even if someone rushed out of the ward later, they would not get hurt. "Let''s go quickly and not get involved with a lunatic. What if she really throws all caution to the wind? She may hurt someone if she rushes out," Xia He said worriedly. "Let''s go, let''s go quickly!" Xu Lan called out to the security officer and asked him to wheel Qiao Mei away quickly. The three of them returned to Xia Fang''s office in a panic. By then, it was already Xia Fang''s lunch break. The security officer did not follow them in. Instead, he stood at the door and continued to stand guard. Xu Lan and Xia He quickly sat down on the chairs to take a breather. Qiao Mei sat in the wheelchair and looked at Xia Fang obediently, worried that Xia Fang would get angry with her for disobeying instructions. "Did you get chased by a dog? What happened to all of you?" Xia Fang asked curiously as she drank water. "Something like that, and it''s a rabid dog at that!" Xia He said. "She''s probably agitated by what I said. I didn''t do it on purpose. It''s their fault for forcing us to the edge," Xu Lan said innocently. Although the couple both had lovers outside, Yang Xin never knew that Bian Zhuo already had two children. Moreover, Bian Ding also knew about this matter and had bought houses for Bian Zhuo''s two mistresses. The two women did not want to take over Yang Xin''s position. They just wanted money. Yang Xin had her suspicions about this in the past, but she let it remain as just suspicions. As long as she did not investigate the matter, then it was not true. Everything remained fine as long as she chose not to believe it. However, hearing it from someone else''s mouth was such a great humiliation! This was even worse than killing her. It was Xu Lan who shattered her fantasy about her current life and forced her to face reality. "Aunt! You didn''t see how suave my mother is today! She''s simply too cool! I''ve never seen my mother like this!" Xia He bragged excitedly. Xia Fang glanced at Xu Lan and said, "Your mother even got into fights when she was young. What hasn''t she done before? Back then, she brought me with her everywhere." "Ah? Really? Aunt, tell us the story quickly!" Qiao Mei widened her eyes and looked at Xu Lan. She did not expect Xu Lan to have such a side to her! She had always thought that Xu Lan was quiet and dignified. Today was really an eye-opener for her! "Alright, alright. Don''t tell the children about those impulsive matters from my youth. Come and examine Qiao Mei to check if there''s anything unusual. I''ve been feeling concerned for the past two days!" Xu Lan said worriedly. Xia Fang did a simple examination and did not find anything unusual. Seeing that it was almost time for Qiao Mei to give birth, she still wanted to persuade Qiao Mei to come in earlier and stay in the ward. However, her previous attempts to persuade Qiao Mei were all ineffective. She decided not to say anything now, afraid that Qiao Mei would get annoyed. Qiao Mei probably already knew what to do and would naturally come in once she was ready. "She''s fine. Just don''t eat too much greasy food these few days. Is there any news from Xia Zhe? Do we know when he will be back?" Xia Fang asked. The other three women did not look too good. Ever since Xia Zhe left on his last mission, he had not sent any news to the family. Qiao Mei had no idea at all. Based on the original owner of the body''s memories, Xia Zhe should have died in that massive earthquake. However, now that she had changed Xia Zhe''s fate, she did not know if Xia Zhe was alive or dead this time. Yet, Xia Mao kept telling her that Xia Zhe was fine. It was just that the mission was confidential and it was inconvenient for him to talk to his family over the phone or to send items to his family. Therefore, Xia Mao could only ask around within the army for more information. He had the idea that Qiao Mei''s 1,000-year-old ginseng juice was with Xia Zhe, so Xia Zhe would be able to cope even if there were any accidents. "Don''t worry, he''ll be back. Isn''t it good enough as long as he''s fine?" Qiao Mei said gently. "It''s good that you think that way. It''s just that the wife of a military man is destined to have a harder time than ordinary women. Even if Xia Zhe is not back, there''s still us! We''ll all accompany you and won''t leave you," Xia Fang said. Chapter 1136 Which Kid ? "Yes, yes! With Aunt by my side, I''m not afraid of anything!" Qiao Mei said. "Your Uncle Liu Yang keeps urging me every day to bring him to look for you. He wants to check on your constitution so that he knows which are the most suitable traditional Chinese medicines to nourish your essence and vitality during confinement. I haven''t allowed him to go yet. Who knows if his intention is just to ask you for a ginseng!" Xia Fang said jokingly. "Liu Yang only knows how to do academic research. He can go and check on other people. There''s no need to check on our Qiao Mei!" Xu Lan covered her face as she said with a smile. Qiao Mei was so amused that she laughed out loud. So what if Liu Yang was only after the ginseng? In the end, he was still concerned about her health. As long as it was a person who was really concerned about her, she could not thank him enough! As they chatted, it was soon time for Xia Fang to go back to work again. Xu Lan went home with the two younger women. It had not been easy for her to convince Qiao Mei to stay at her place for the night. She could not miss such a good opportunity! "Mei Mei, I found a necklace at the antique market two days ago. It suits you a lot. Come and take a look!" As soon as Xu Lan entered the house, she ran to get the gift for Qiao Mei. It was a gold necklace with a ruby the size of a fingernail hanging in the middle. It was obvious that it was worth a lot of money. The purity and cut were both top-grade! Even if Qiao Mei did not know anything about jewelry, she was also shocked by what she saw. This could even become a family heirloom in the future! "Wow! It''s so beautiful!" Xia He said enviously. "I''ve had my eye on it for a long time! Previously, this shopkeeper refused to sell this necklace as he said he wanted to keep him as part of the dowry for his daughter''s wedding. Then he suddenly put it up for sale. Later on, I asked around and found out that the groom-to-be was a heartless man! That''s why the wedding was canceled. So I quickly bought the necklace!" Xu Lan said excitedly. Qiao Mei did not care for taboos and did not dwell on the auspiciousness of such a nice item. No matter what, it was a token of Xu Lan''s feelings for her! "I like it very much! Thank you, Mother!" Qiao Mei happily accepted the gift. Xia He pouted and said, "What about mine? You only know how to dote on your daughter-in-law, but not on your own daughter!" Back then, she did not even have any dowry! Xu Lan was so piqued that she almost did not attend Xia He''s wedding. Xia Wen had to persuade Xu Lan for three days and three nights before he managed to convince her. Otherwise, Xia He would definitely have already cut ties with Xu Lan! Actually, Xu Lan had already prepared Xia He''s dowry. Although it was not as grand as those rich families'' dowry in ancient times, it would still be enough for Xia He to gain a foothold in her in-laws'' family. Xia He was actually quite glad that she had quarreled with Xu Lan and did not bring a single cent with her to the Kong family. Otherwise, her dowry would have been taken by Old Madam Kong! "You! I''ll definitely give it to you when you get married! Don''t worry!" Xu Lan said disdainfully. "Hmph! I''ll marry if I have to! Who''s afraid of you!" Xia He said stubbornly. "Hehe, Elder Sister has many suitors~ And there''s this handsome young man! Two days ago, he even sent Elder Sister home!" Qiao Mei whispered into Xu Lan''s ear. Xia He immediately blushed and pointed at Qiao Mei angrily. "Qiao Mei! Why are you such a snitch! The two of us are colleagues! Don''t spread rumors!" "What colleagues? Qiao Mei, tell me quickly!" Xu Lan''s interest for gossip was immediately piqued. She knew all those kids from the art troupe very well, but she never knew that there was anyone who was fond of Xia He. "I can''t say. If I say it, Elder Sister will get angry," Qiao Mei said as she looked at Xia He with a grin. Xu Lan did not continue asking about it. At the end of the day, Deng Fan was the only person there who knew Xia He and had been colleagues with her from the beginning. She was definitely very satisfied with Deng Fan. Although he was not very talented, he was diligent and did not slack off even after so many years. If not for the fact that she was no longer a key personnel in the troupe, Deng Fan would probably be the principal dancer by now. It was a pity that the previous troupe leader had been suppressing Deng Fan because he did not have a prominent background. "Alright, let''s go and eat. Let your elder sister continue to feel shy here!" Xu Lan held Qiao Mei''s hand and brought her to the dining table. Qiao Mei put the necklace into her bag for the time being, scared that she might lose it if she was too careless with it. Chapter 1137 - 1137 Contented 1137 Contented Qiao Mei took advantage of Xia Hes absence and asked quietly, Mother, are you particular about who Elder Sister chooses to be her next partner? Xu Lan really had not given much thought to this matter. She felt that as long as it was someone whom Xia He liked, she could accept it. However, Xia He had already met someone like Kong Lu previously. What if she ran into such a person again? This was also the reason why she had been arranging blind dates for Xia He. The men whom she wanted to introduce to Xia He mainly came from families which were close friends with the Xia family and the Xu family. Since these people were already old friends of so many years, she knew best what kind of character these men had. Xia He might not love the person she met from such blind dates, but she would at least have a stable life. Love could be nurtured slowly, but a life without happiness was totally unsalvageable. I think I will mind. Are you helping Xia He to sound me out? Xu Lan asked with a smile. No, I just want to know how you feel about Elder Sister deciding on her own marriage, Qiao Mei said earnestly. Qiao Mei did not want Xu Lan and Xia He to fall out again because of this matter. Now that Xu Lan and Xia Mao were older, she was worried that Xu Lan would have regrets if Xia He became estranged from them and could not be filial to them. I know who that kid you mentioned is. That kid is not bad. He hasnt gotten married all these years, so I reckon hes waiting for Xia He. As long as its a sensible person, I can accept it, Xu Lan said. Qiao Mei nodded happily. It was almost done! As the saying went, the onlooker would be able to see the bigger picture. Qiao Mei could finally see through Xia Hes heart. The truth was that Xia He liked Deng Fan and might have liked him since she was young, but she did not understand her own feelings at that time. Fortunately, the heavens had blessed them and Deng Fan had also been waiting for her. What happened next would depend on how Xia He and Deng Fan communicated their feelings to each other! A few more days passed by peacefully. After staying a few days at Xu Lans house, Qiao Mei even gained a few pounds. She counted the days and realized that the corn at home was about to run out. She had to hurry back to replenish the stocks. If she was too weak after giving birth, she might not have enough energy to produce corn! Then the truth would be exposed! It had also been a long time since she had a good chat with Li Gui. She did not know how the children were doing and how far they had progressed in their learning journey. Elder sister, youre back! Zhang Wei said excitedly. Wheres mom? Why dont I see her? Qiao Mei asked. Mom has been busy for the past two days! I dont know what shes busy with. Elder sister, why are you looking for Mom? Ill tell her when I see her, Zhang Wei said. Its fine, Ill go and look around. After saying that, Qiao Mei walked towards the backyard. Li Gui was actually counting money in her room! Li Guis bed was full of money and she sorted them out by denominations before tying them up in bundles. She hugged the money and smiled happily. Qiao Mei had never seen such a smile on her face before! It was one filled with satisfaction, happiness, steadfastness and even a sense of relief. Qiao Mei was a little puzzled. She did not know why Li Gui would have such an expression on her face. Mom, what are you doing here? Qiao Mei asked as she walked into the room. Quick, sit down! Why are you here to look for me! The floor is slippery, be careful that you dont fall. Li Gui hurriedly helped Qiao Mei towards the brick bed and sat her down. What do you intend to do with so much money? Qiao Mei said. Li Gui scratched her head and laughed in embarrassment. She handed the bundles of money to Qiao Mei and said with a smile, This this is 10,000 dollars. I want to buy that small house. Li Gui originally thought that Qiao Mei would be angry or reject her money, but when Qiao Mei looked at the bundles of money, her eyes welled up with tears. This was Li Guis hard-earned money and also a representation of her hopes and wishes. In the past, Li Gui would never have dared to imagine that there would come such a day! Alright, then Ill go and get you the title deed and draw up an agreement to state that the house belongs to you! Qiao Mei said happily. Sure, sure, sure. But Im not in a hurry. You can do it when youre free. I havent been able to take care of you during this period of time. Ive been busy with the business and even managed to save an additional 2,000 dollars! Im thinking that after you give birth, the money would come in handy, Li Gui said. Chapter 1138 - 1138 Choose One of Two 1138 Choose One of Two Qiao Mei looked at Li Gui quietly. She thought back to how Old Madam Li skimmed off the money Li Gui wanted to give Qiao Mei. If Old Madam Li had been honest enough to return everything that Li Gui had given Qiao Mei, the misunderstanding between her and Li Gui would not have been so deep. Actually, Li Gui was also a victim. If she had not been forced by Old Madam Li to remarry, Qiao Mei could have had a very blissful childhood. Fortunately, she still had her grandfather and he took very good care of her. Her childhood could be considered a happy one. Now that she was married to Xia Zhe, she would also be blissful for the rest of her life. Fate could be considered to have been kind to her. Youve been so focused on me, then have you thought of saving up some school fees for my younger siblings? What if the children have to go to school from next month onwards? Qiao Mei asked with a laugh. Li Gui was stunned for a moment. She really had not considered this at all. Now that these children had enough food and were living in such a good environment, Li Gui had forgotten about the matter of them going to school. However, she had many ways to earn money now and she could earn money quickly too. There was enough time for her to make money to cover any kind of expenses. The childrens school fees and the school bags and stationery they needed for school should total less than 200 dollars. Li Gui would be able to earn this amount of money within two to three days. Theres no hurry. Theyre still young and theres no need to send them to school so early! But theres something which I cant decide and I want to discuss it with you. Two days ago, Xia He came to chat with me and she asked me if I wanted to send Zhang Miao to learn dancing. Im feeling a little jittery. No one in our village has ever learnt such a thing. Do you think theres a future for her in this? Li Gui said hesitantly. Li Gui had only known Foshan Village all her life. Even after she married and moved to the city, her living conditions there were not even as good as what she was used to in the countryside! It was already very impressive when the children could go to school. The school there did not have such specialties like art, piano, dance, violin, and so on. They did not know how it could be useful to learn all these. Even in the capital, there were not many families who were able to let their children be schooled in these specialties. During this era, there were still very few families which wanted their children to go to school. Many families simply waited for their children to grow up and go to work in the factory to earn more money to supplement their familys income. They did not have the spare cash to let their children go to school. Only rich families would pay attention to their childrens education. Zhang Miao was now one year older after the new year. This was a good age to start dancing. Moreover, Xia He realized that Zhang Miao had a talent for it as well as great perseverance. If she could be taught well and nurtured from a young age, she would definitely have a bright future! However, even in such a good place like the capital, there was no school that allowed one to study and practice dance at the same time. Zhang Miao could only choose one of the two. If she chose dance, she might fall behind in terms of culture and knowledge in the future. Other than dancing, she would have no other employment options. Xia He only started dancing when she was in her teens. She knew very well how much effort she had put in. Every night, she would cry secretly. She only hoped that Zhang Miao would have it easier if she chose this path and would not have to put in so much effort like her. If Zhang Miao really likes dancing, then let her do it. But once she makes a choice, she has to persevere. She cant come home crying every day when she cant endure the hardship! We cant possibly be soft-hearted and then send her back to school when that happens. Mom, if youve really thought it through, then send her wherever she wants, Qiao Mei said. For their family, money was not a concern. Qiao Mei was just worried that the children would give up halfway. Once the children developed a habit of giving up halfway, they would never be able to drop the habit. In the future, they would never succeed in whatever they did. Qiao Mei wanted to teach them to be responsible for all the decisions they made. Even if they did not manage to achieve anything and came back to run the business with Qiao Mei, they must still have good morals. Running a business was not as easy as studying! Alright, then Ill ask Zhang Miao for her opinion first before I talk to Xia He again, Li Gui said. Li Gui looked at Qiao Meis stomach and could not help but feel emotional. The two of them chatted for a long time in the room about their thoughts about the future and Li Gui shared her experiences from when she gave birth. Unknown to them, the sky had already darkened. Qiao Mei had some free time after dinner, so she sat in the rocking chair in the main hall. Recently, she had asked Feng Hua to move the rocking chair from the inner part to a spot near the window. Chapter 1139 You Have No Sense Of Urgency ? At this spot, she could lean back and look at the moon. When it rained, she could also listen to the sounds of the rain. After all, there was a heater in the house, so it was not a big deal even if she fell asleep in the rocking chair. At most, her back would ache the next day and she would not feel rested. Qiao Mei stared at the crescent moon outside and rocked the chair as she gradually fell asleep Feng Hua had her own routine to follow. Before going to bed, she had to patrol every room to confirm if the taps and switches were turned off properly and if there were any hidden dangers. She also had to check if the furniture in each room was neatly arranged and if the lights needed to be switched off. The same routine could not be applied to every family. She had to be very clear about which rooms she could enter to check, which rooms she could not wander around in and had an idea about when each room would be empty. This was not something that could be done overnight, but once she managed to find out all the details, she would not make any mistakes no matter which family she worked for. Wei Hao memorized all these things. She was still lacking in many areas and wanted to learn more from Feng Hua so that she could earn the same amount as Feng Hua as soon as possible. Feng Hua was not a stingy or petty person. She openly shared with Wei Hao all her experiences over the years. She was very confident that even if Wei Hao learned everything from her, Wei Hao still might not be able to do better than her. In this industry, one''s reputation went around by way of word of mouth. As long as one had a good reputation, there would be an endless stream of job offers with high pay. "Qiao Mei Qiao Mei, wake up" Feng Hua came to the main hall and patted Qiao Mei gently. Qiao Mei woke up in a daze. "It''s late and the air is very damp here. Come, go back to the room and sleep," Feng Hua said with a smile. Qiao Mei nodded obediently and slowly made her way to the room to sleep. Feng Hua stopped to look at the rocking chair. After staring at it for a long time, she bent down and did some measurements with her hand before going in. After a few days, Qiao Mei suddenly realized that there was an additional soft cushion on each rocking chair in the house. The length of the soft cushion covered the entire rocking chair. It could not have been bought from the store. It must have been made by someone in the house who was skilled with needlework. The thickness of each cushion was different. The cushion in the study was harder and not as thick as the one in the bedroom, nor was the material as delicate as the one in the bedroom. Furthermore, each cushion had its location''s name sewed on it so that it would be easier to identify them after laundering. "Look at this pattern. It''s really pretty and the material is so comfortable!" Xia He could not help herself from trying it before Qiao Mei. It felt really good to sit on. "It''s probably Sister Feng who made these. I fell asleep in the rocking chair that day and she asked me to go back to my room to sleep. I can''t think of anyone else but her," Qiao Mei said as she slowly took a sip of tea. "Then where did the materials come from? Did she buy them out of her own pocket?" Xia He said in shock. Qiao Mei had no idea at all. She had not gone to the storeroom for a long time and did not know what was kept inside. She did not even know half as much as Feng Hua when it came to the items in this house. "We''ll know when we ask her during payday. Her food and accommodation are all provided for and she probably doesn''t spend much. It''s likely they don''t have any urgent need for money at the moment, so let''s wait and see," Qiao Mei said patiently. "I must earn more money. When the time comes, I''ll offer a higher pay to poach Sister Feng! Who doesn''t want such a good helper!" Xia He said. Qiao Mei smiled and said playfully, "There''s no need for you to poach her. When you''re pregnant, I''ll ask Sister Feng to go and take care of you. As long as Sister Feng is willing to do it, I''m most willing to let Sister Feng go! I have no problem paying her too." Xia He exasperatedly threw the wool pompom in her hand at Qiao Mei''s feet and said out of frustration, "Qiao Mei, have you been itching for a beating recently! I haven''t dealt with you for such a long time that you dare to joke about me now!" "I''m just anxious! Zheng Peng and Qian''e are already a couple. They might get married in another year! You still don''t have any sense of urgency!" Qiao Mei said. "What? When did this happen? How do the two of them progress so quickly! Why is it that I don''t know anything! Quick, tell me!" Xia He said in surprise. It was a natural progression of events. When Qian''e was sick some time ago, Zheng Peng went to her house to take care of her. Of course, he only took good care of her every day and never stayed over. Chapter 1140 Gardener ? After a while, the conflict between them naturally disappeared. Zheng Peng saw how gentle and vulnerable Qian''e could be, just as Qian''e also saw how thoughtful and gentle Zheng Peng could be. The two of them got together just like that. They were only dating now. Zheng Peng was still thinking of a way for them to get married. It was not that Zheng Peng could not persuade his father, but that Qian''e did not want to get married to him. She had too many concerns weighing on her mind. Zheng Peng had received a more open type of education from a young age and he was much more open-minded than most people. He did not mind what happened to Qian''e in the past at all. Zheng Peng had come to look for Qiao Mei regarding this matter. Zheng Peng indicated that if Qian''e liked children, they could go to the orphanage to adopt a child who bore a resemblance to Qian''e. The two of them would then bring up this child together and then nurture the child into an artist. If Qian''e did not like children, then they would roam the world and travel to many different places. "Aren''t you going to hold on tighter? I think Deng Fan is quite good. Aren''t you going to consider giving it a try?" Qiao Mei asked tentatively. "We''ll see. It''s only been a few days. Do you want me to jump into another fire pit right after I get out of one? I have to make plans for myself first! I''m still eyeing your house. I won''t get married until I earn enough money!" Xia He pouted and said stubbornly. "Then what about I just sell it to you for 10 dollars?" Qiao Mei said. "Shoo, shoo, shoo! Don''t joke with me! You should add another three zeros behind this number!" Xia He said disdainfully. Today was also the day when the gardener would report for work. If he did not show up soon, Qiao Mei would have forgotten about him. No one had not cleaned up the weeds in this courtyard for a few days and they had grown out again. With Qiao Mei''s current condition, they definitely could not get rid of the weeds by spraying chemicals. "It''s going to be hard work for you. You need to clean up all the grass by yourself. There are also many withered branches and the like in the backyard, so you need to trim the branches properly. Didn''t you say that the shape of the asparagus fern in my study is not nice enough? You can help me trim it too," Qiao Mei instructed. Shen Gui noted everything down and did not say anything. He rolled up his sleeves to get to work without any complaints. By the end of the afternoon, Qiao Mei had a whole new level of respect for this young man. "The people whom Sister Fan found are really quite good. They''re all very capable people. Seeing that he''s young, I expect him to be careless in his work. I don''t expect him to be so patient and composed," Qiao Mei lamented. It had been almost four hours since Shen Gui started working but he did not take any breaks and only took a few sips of water halfway through. The ground in the front yard was clean and there was not a single weed to be seen. The fruit trees and short bushes in the backyard were all beautifully trimmed. As it was currently winter, there were no new leaves and the branches were all withered. However, even if there were only withered branches left, it looked very unattractive if the branches were left to grow in a mess. Qiao Mei had always allowed these flowers and plants to grow freely as they were like her good friends. Even though she knew that moderate pruning was good for the flowers and plants, she still could not bear to do it. "Those fruit trees of yours should have been trimmed a long time ago. Fortunately, both the front and back courtyards belong to our family. Otherwise, we would have received complaints long ago. Also, the color of your grape rack has already faded. Ask this kid to change a new one for you," Xia He said. "What do you know! This is called art! It''s so beautiful! I want to keep this rack!" Qiao Mei said. "It''s already attracting ants! You still want to keep it! Our house is mainly made of wood. If this thing attracts ants, won''t this house be a gone case in the future?" Xia He said as she pointed at the house beams. Qiao Mei had forgotten about this matter. When spring came, she would hire someone to paint all her houses with a layer of varnish that could guard against pests like rats and ants. After Shen Gui finished cleaning up all the dead branches and rotten leaves, the sky was starting to darken. Qiao Mei was not a harsh employer. There would definitely be a lot of work on the first day, but it would get easier later on. "Brother Shen, you can stop work now. Come back tomorrow morning to clean up the rest. Anyway, you won''t be able to see clearly once it''s dark," Qiao Mei said as she stood at the door. Shen Gui followed Qiao Mei''s instructions and came back in after taking the trash out. According to their agreement, Qiao Mei would pay him his salary on a daily basis. However, it was really strange that there was no trace of joy on Shen Gui''s face. Chapter 1141 Taken Away For Investigation ? "Then I''ll come back tomorrow. I would like to ask about your daily schedule. I can come in the afternoon so that I don''t affect your rest time," Shen Gui said politely. "You can come whenever you want. There''s no need to look for me. You can go and look for Sister Feng directly. She knows exactly where you need to go and what you need to do. Just come over for half a day tomorrow and finish cleaning up this place. Sister Feng will give you your salary every day. With effect from the day after tomorrow, I''d need to trouble you to come every day. There are a few other places where I need cleaning up," Qiao Mei said. Shen Gui noted everything down. The untrimmed asparagus fern was still on his mind. He must trim it and make it look beautiful tomorrow. Not long after Shen Gui left, there was suddenly the sound of sirens outside the door. Qiao Mei initially thought that the vehicles were passing by their house, but she did not expect the sound to get closer and closer until it stopped at their door. The person who came in turned out to be an old acquaintance. Zou Ming stepped into Qiao Mei''s house with a troubled expression. Qiao Mei and Xia He went to the courtyard in a state of confusion. They wondered what was going on and why he had brought so many people with him. Qiao Mei asked, "Officer Zou, why are you here? Come in and have a cup of tea." "There''s no need. I''m here on official business. Xia He, you have to come with us," Zou Ming said sternly. Qiao Mei quickly blocked Xia He and said nervously, "What crime has my elder sister committed and why does she need to go back with you to be investigated? You have to make this clear to us. You can''t arrest someone for no reason, and that''s not your way of doing things too." "A man surnamed Bian came to our police station to file a report that you hurt his wife and didn''t apologize. His wife is a dancer and because of you, she won''t be able to perform on stage anymore. He wants to hold you accountable, so I''m here to bring you back to assist with the investigation," Zou Ming explained. By right, Zou Ming should not have provided such details to Qiao Mei, but they all knew one another and Zou Ming was also Xia Wen''s good friend. He thought that it did not matter if he told them a bit more. Initially, he had tried to help Xia He, but this matter had blown up because Bian Zhuo refused to back down. Therefore, he had no choice but to come and take Xia He away. "What nonsense! That was self defense! Besides, she sprained her ankle herself!" Xia He said agitatedly. Qiao Mei patted Xia He''s shoulder to calm her down. There was nothing else they could do at the moment. The police cars were already at their house and Xia He had indeed fought with Yang Xin. If she wanted to save Xia He, she would have to find a witness. "Elder Sister, you should cooperate with Officer Zou. After all, these officers have to do their jobs. Don''t worry, I''ll help you." Qiao Mei looked at Xia He earnestly. Even if Xia He had not done anything, she must still cooperate with Zou Ming and go with them to the police station to give her statement. It would not do her any good to resist their order. Xia He was sure that Qiao Mei would be able to help her, but she did not want Qiao Mei to get involved in this matter. It was now very close to Qiao Mei''s due date, which was likely to be within the next two days. Qiao Mei should not tire herself out at this point. "Sister Feng! Call my eldest brother!" Xia He yelled out towards Feng Hua who was in the kitchen. Feng Hua hurriedly went to give Xia Wen a call. At the same time, Xia He got into Zou Ming''s police car and they all left the alley. Qiao Mei asked Wei Hao to call Xu Lan and ask her to find Deng Fan''s home address from the military art troupe''s database. Qiao Mei then asked Wei Hao to make a trip to Deng Fan''s house and ask him to come over to her house. It was already late at night and it was inappropriate to ask a bachelor to come over to the house alone, but Qiao Mei had no choice if she wanted to save Xia He. At this moment, Deng Fan was the only person who could help Xia He. The moment Deng Fan received the news, he rushed over on his motorcycle without another word. When he took off his helmet, his hair was totally drenched in sweat, an indication of how anxious he was. "Xia He! Where''s Xia He?" Deng Fan asked as he stood anxiously at the door of the main hall. He was a person who had a sense of propriety. No matter how urgent the matter was, he felt he could not step into Qiao Mei''s house. It was also important to protect Qiao Mei''s reputation. "Xia He has been brought to the police station for questioning. My eldest brother will be here soon. Sister Feng is in the house so you can come in," Qiao Mei said. Deng Fan put his helmet aside and sat at the seat furthest away from Qiao Mei without saying a word. Chapter 1142 Eat Well ? Deng Fan''s eyes were fixed on the main door. All he wanted to do was to rush to the police station to save Xia He. Even if all he could do was to accompany her, he was willing to do anything as long as he could be with her. Xia Wen walked in with a pile of documents and a gloomy expression on his face. At this point, Qiao Mei started feeling more nervous. This was enough to prove how serious this matter was. "Eldest Brother, how is it? Will this matter be easy to resolve?" Qiao Mei asked. "Not that easy. Bian Zhuo has accused Xia He of many things and even involved Mother. I reckon that the police will ask Mother to go to the police station for questioning tomorrow. What exactly did all of you do to offend the Bian family? Tell me about what happened that day," Xia Wen asked with a frown. Qiao Mei glanced at Deng Fan and he immediately understood what she meant. He told Xia Wen about everything that happened that day. Qiao Mei also told Xia Wen about the conversation between Xu Lan and the Bian family when they went to the hospital, but she only knew roughly what happened. Only Xu Lan had all the details. "Mother probably stepped on Bian Zhuo''s toes, so Bian Zhuo is doing this to take revenge on us," Qiao Mei said calmly. "Our mother has even disclosed the number of lovers and illegitimate children he has outside. Yang Xin and Bian Zhuo have been fighting fiercely, I hear that Bian Zhuo even has a big bruise on his head! His face has also been scratched and wounded by Yang Xin. How can he not want to take revenge on us?" Xia Wen said sulkily. ?andasnovel.com Xia Wen was not blaming Xu Lan. He also felt that Bian Zhuo had really gone too far. Bian Zhou wanted to stop people from talking about his wrongful behavior even though it was true. What a shameless person. "I can testify for Xia He that she had acted in self defense and did not hurt Yang Xin," Deng Fan said. "You''re close to Xia He. Even if you testify for her, it won''t be taken seriously. After all, there were so many people there that day and they all said that Xia He beat up Yang Xin. It''s useless if you''re the only one to testify otherwise." Xia Wen was a little vexed. This matter was not as simple as it looked. Bian Zhuo was just a small fry, so why did he dare to openly go against them? Furthermore, Bian Zhuo was the kind of person who had a lot of wrongdoings which people could use against him. As long as Xia Wen investigated a little more, he would be able to directly send Bian Zhuo to jail for a few years. It did not make sense for Bian Zhuo to target Xia He so harshly. The Bian family was not in collusion with the He family and also not in contact with the other families. It was too strange that they would suddenly attack the Xia family.I think you should take a look at pandasnovel.com "Yang Xin and Xia He have a longstanding grudge. It''s normal for Yang Xin to want to frame Xia He! Furthermore, there''s nothing a person like Yang Xin won''t do!" Deng Fan said agitatedly. "That''s the exact reason why Xia He also has a motive to attack Yang Xin!" Xia Wen said irritably. Xia Wen had encountered too many issues recently, leading to him having a bad temper so he spoke a little too loudly when he replied to Deng Fan. The trivial matters at home had been troubling him for a long time and there were also difficult issues at work. If Tan Jing was willing to listen to him, he would not be so vexed now. "My brother is not criticizing you. Don''t take it to heart," Qiao Mei explained as she looked at Deng Fan. After that, she asked Feng Hua to clean up two rooms in the backyard so that the two men could stay over tonight. They could then go and handle Xia He''s matter together the next day. It was too inconvenient to go back and forth so late at night. Xia He had been a constant presence around Qiao Mei for a while so she was not used to Xia He''s sudden absence. Her heart felt empty. She lay on the bed for more than an hour before she was able to fall asleep. Early the next morning, Xia Wen set off for the police station to find out more about Xia He''s case. Deng Fan did not stay idle either. When he heard Xia Wen waking up, he followed suit. By the time Qiao Mei woke up, the two men had already been gone for a long time. Feng Hua brought some refreshing side dishes and freshly made porridge to Qiao Mei''s room and watched her eat slowly. "You have to eat more. How can you have strength if you don''t eat?" Feng Hua said earnestly. "I I just I don''t know why I''m feeling so flustered. I want to go and see Xia He," Qiao Mei said as she held her chest. Feng Hua advised her patiently, "Don''t worry, Miss Xia He has Young Master Xia Wen to take care of her. They''ll be fine. You don''t have to worry. The most important thing now is for you to take good care of yourself. If anything happens to you as well, Miss Xia He and the others will be even more anxious. Come, eat more. Eat more so that you have strength." Chapter 1143 Accidental Fall ? Qiao Mei obediently finished the porridge but she did not eat much of the side dishes. She really did not have much of an appetite. "Where''s Shen Gui? Isn''t he supposed to come and clean up the courtyard today? Why aren''t you checking on him?" Qiao Mei asked. Wei Hao was the one supervising Shen Gui as he cleaned up the backyard. Feng Hua''s current task was to take care of Qiao Mei wholeheartedly. This was what Xia Wen had instructed her to do. Feng Hua did not have to care about any other matters at home now and her only focus was to take care of Qiao Mei. She had to stay by Qiao Mei''s side 24 hours a day. If there were any abnormalities, she had to inform Xu Lan immediately. She must not allow anything to go wrong. Although Qiao Mei could understand why everyone wanted Feng Hua to take care of her, she was already an adult and could take good care of herself. There was no need for them to go to such an extent. There was still no news from Xia Wen by the afternoon. Qiao Mei walked up and down the long corridor out of frustration. As she walked, she kept looking in the direction of the main door. She would stop and stare whenever there were passersby. When it became clear that it was not Xia Wen and the others, she continued to pace the long corridor disappointedly. Qiao Mei had sent Feng Hua to the kitchen to get some pastries. She felt very uncomfortable having Feng Hua follow so closely behind her. "Miss Qiao," Shen Gui suddenly appeared beside Qiao Mei and spoke to her. "Huh? Oh, you''re back? That should mean the courtyard is already tidied up," Qiao Mei said in a gentle manner. "Yes, I''m all done. I have also trimmed the asparagus fern in the study and it looks very nice now. Let''s go and take a look at it together." Shen Gui''s eyes looked shiny as he spoke. Qiao Mei thought that Shen Gui had such a look in his eyes when he talked about plants because he really liked them, so she agreed to his request. Just as Qiao Mei turned around, Shen Gui suddenly rushed forward and slammed into her. "Ah!!!" She fell towards the pillar at the side and her stomach hit the railing forcefully. She was in so much pain that she could not make a sound and could only sit on the ground while holding her stomach. When Shen Gui saw that he had succeeded, he quickly ran towards the main door. Feng Hua did not even try to stop him. It was more important to check on Qiao Mei first. She had run over when she heard the sound and the sight of Qiao Mei shocked her so much that she dropped the plate in her hand and quickly rushed towards Qiao Mei.I think you should take a look at pandasnovel.com pandasnovel.com "Qiao Mei! Qiao Mei, wake up! Qiao Mei, hang in there! Somebody, help!" Feng Hua hurriedly went to the backyard to get help. When Qiao Qiang and Li Gui heard that something had happened, they quickly ran to the front yard. Li Gui instructed Zhang Wei to take care of his younger siblings and told them not to run around. Given the urgency of the matter, Feng Hua asked Li Gui and Qiao Qiang to stay by Qiao Mei''s side while she went out to call the hospital to send an ambulance. At the same time, she also informed Xu Lan to go to the hospital immediately to prepare them for Qiao Mei''s delivery. The whole house was in a mess and there was no time to find out the reason for Qiao Mei''s fall. Everyone surrounded Qiao Mei and did not even dare to breathe too loudly. Feng Hua quickly brought over a blanket and wrapped it around Qiao Mei. She said to Li Gui, "Sister Li! Wrap the blanket tightly around Qiao Mei. I''m going to the door to direct the ambulance when it''s here. Come and get me immediately if there''s anything unusual!" Li Gui hugged Qiao Mei according to Feng Hua''s instructions. Feng Hua ran all the way to the entrance of the alley and waited anxiously for the ambulance to arrive. As soon as she caught sight of it, she immediately waved her hands and asked them to hurry. Two male doctors carried a stretcher and rushed to Qiao Mei''s side, transporting her into the ambulance safely. Li Gui and Qiao Qiang followed them to the hospital while Feng Hua stayed at home to settle the outstanding matters. After she was done, she would meet them at the hospital. Along the way, Li Gui held Qiao Mei''s hand tightly, very scared that something bad would happen. She had thought that there were still a few more days to go, but she did not expect this sudden accident to happen. "Mom Mom Grandfather" Qiao Mei called out groggily. "Aye! Grandfather is here! Mei Mei, don''t be afraid! Grandfather will always be here! Mei Mei, do you hear me! Grandfather is here!" Qiao Qiang looked at Qiao Mei with tears in his eyes. His hands were trembling and he did not dare to use too much strength as he held her hand, worried that he would hurt her. Li Gui could not stop crying as she called out Qiao Mei''s name over and over again. The ambulance sped all the way to the hospital. Xia Fang was already waiting at the door. Fortunately, she did not have any surgery today which meant that she could deliver Qiao Mei''s babies herself. The moment Qiao Mei was pushed into the operating theater, Qiao Qiang lost his composure. He slumped to the floor weakly and stared at the bright red operating theater sign without moving. Chapter 1144 Hang White Lanterns ? Even after Li Gui helped Qiao Qiang into a chair, he still stared straight at the light as if the light represented Qiao Mei. As long as it remained lit, it meant Qiao Mei was still there. "Where''s Qiao Mei! How''s Qiao Mei!" Xu Lan stumbled towards the operating theater with Xia Mao and Liu Fen behind her. Xia Jun had also received the news but he would reach later because he was still some distance away. However, he was already on his way and would probably reach the hospital soon. "She''s still inside, not out yet" Li Gui looked down and said in a low voice. "How can this happen" Xu Lan did not manage to catch her breath and fell to the floor. Fortunately, Xia Mao caught her in time and they all sat on the benches on both sides of the operating theater door as they waited. "Don''t be anxious. Xia Fang is personally doing the surgery for Qiao Mei. She''ll be fine," Li Gui comforted her. Many doctors and nurses kept walking in and out of the operating theater. Every time someone walked in or out, the Xia family members, Qiao Qiang and Li Gui would stand up and look at the doctors and nurses expectantly before sitting down dejectedly again. This went on until Xia Fang walked out. "Xiao Fang! Xiao Fang! How''s Qiao Mei!" Xu Lan rushed forward and held Xia Fang''s hand tightly as she asked. "Don''t worry. Although Qiao Mei suffered from an impact, it''s a good thing that she was sent here in time. There''s no danger now. She has given birth to a boy and a girl," Xia Fang said with a smile. Xu Lan was still worried. Xia Fang''s words were ambiguous and Xu Lan only wanted to hear the phrase "Qiao Mei is fine". She asked repeatedly, "Really? Is Qiao Mei really fine? Are you lying to me? Is she really fine? Are her vital signs good? Is she well?" "All fine, all fine. You''ll be able to see her in a while. Don''t worry, Qiao Mei is fine!" Xia Fang held Xu Lan''s hand and comforted her. As soon as Xia Fang finished speaking, Qiao Qiang fainted. As he had been very highly strung earlier, the moment he relaxed, his body could not take it. "Father! Father, wake up!" Li Gui held onto Qiao Qiang as she said anxiously.I think you should take a look at This was the first time she addressed Qiao Qiang as "Father" after her divorce. She had been feeling too ashamed all this while and felt that she had no right to address Qiao Qiang in that manner again. However, it was an emergency situation now and she could not care less. Qiao Mei had only just gotten better but Qiao Qiang had collapsed from exhaustion. Xia Mao made arrangements for two adjacent VIP wards so that it would be easier for them to take care of both of them. No one thought about carrying the two babies after they were born. They were all more concerned about Qiao Mei''s safety. Xia Fang called for a nurse to send the babies to the nursery and also arranged for the best hospital nurse to look after Qiao Mei. When Xia Jun arrived, Qiao Mei was already lying on the hospital bed. He had gone out of town today to attend the wedding banquet of an old comrade-in-arms'' son. His original plan was to return tomorrow, but no one would have expected things to turn out like this today. The Xia family was one of the sponsors for the construction of the VIP wards in the hospital. Otherwise, based on the rules, each family could only occupy one VIP ward. In the VIP ward, the moment one entered, one would see a small living room first and the actual ward was further in. This way, it was easier for the patient''s visitors to take a rest. Li Gui stayed next door to take care of Qiao Qiang. It was not that appropriate for the Xia family to take care of Qiao Qiang. Li Gui knew that Xu Lan would treat Qiao Mei well. Even if she really wanted to be by Qiao Mei''s side, she could not simply ignore everything else. "What''s going on? I''ve only been away for a day and this happened!" Xia Jun stood in the small living room and asked with a dark expression. Xia Mao stood up in fear and said, "We also only just arrived. We don''t know what exactly happened to cause Qiao Mei to go into premature labor, but Xiao Fang said that it was due to an impact on Qiao Mei''s abdomen." "Have we ensured that there is an information blackout?" Xia Jun asked calmly. "Yes, it''s done. Other than the few of us here, no one else will know if Qiao Mei is dead or alive. However, the news of Qiao Mei''s accident is already spreading like wildfire. I reckon there will be many people asking about this matter tomorrow," Xia Mao said. "We''ll make an announcement that Qiao Mei has died. Arrange for someone to go back and hang white lanterns at the house now. As for the two babies, just say that they are very weak because they are born prematurely and it looks like they might not make it," Xia Jun said as he slowly sat on the sofa at the side. Chapter 1145 - 1145 How Coincidental 1145 How Coincidental Xu Lan was not very willing to do that. Qiao Mei was clearly fine and it was so inauspicious to hang white lanterns. What if something really happened to Qiao Mei because of the lanterns? However, she also understood that Xia Jun was trying to find the perpetrator behind the scenes. Given her status in the family, she could not refute Xia Juns instruction. Alright, Ill arrange for someone to do it now, Xia Mao said. Come back, Im not done yet. Do Xia Wen and the rest know about this? Xia Jun asked as he stared straight into Xia Maos eyes. Xiao He ran into some trouble over the past two days and Xia Wen has been busy dealing with Xiao Hes issue. Qiao Mei got into trouble right after that, Xia Mao said. Xia Jun laughed in a mocking manner. It was too coincidental that on this day, all the key people were not around. Xia He was arrested and held at the police station while Xia Wen had to go and deal with Xia Hes matter. He happened to be out of town for an event and Xia Mao was also not feeling well today. Xia Mao was stunned for a moment before he understood what Xia Jun meant. He nodded and left. Call my helper, Sister Zhang, to come over tomorrow to wait upon Qiao Mei. She was the one who took care of Wu Min in the past, so shed have no problem taking care of Qiao Mei. We can let the hospital nurses take care of her tonight first, Xia Jun instructed. Father, can I stay here with Qiao Mei? Xu Lan asked tentatively. No. You have to go home and oversee everything. If Qiao Mei has really suffered an attack but, as her mother-in-law, you are not sad at all and still stay here in the ward, it will inevitably make people feel suspicious, Xia Jun said. Xu Lan nodded to indicate that she understood. In this situation, the key thing to do now was to capture the person who hurt Qiao Mei. Otherwise, there would be endless trouble in the future. Since this person could manipulate everyone around Qiao Mei to create an opportunity to hurt her, it was hard to say that this person would not scheme against Qiao Meis two children in the future and put them in danger. They must bring down this enemy in one move without giving the game away . Ask the two helpers from Qiao Meis house to come over. I have a few questions to ask them, Xia Jun said. Xia Mao sent a chauffeur to pick up Feng Hua. She did not enter the hospital through the main door but used the back door and came through the staircase meant for the exclusive use of VIPs. She reached the ward door without being seen by anyone. Are you Qiao Meis helper? Xia Jun asked as he sized up her carefully. Yes, my name is Feng Hua. I just started working for Qiao Mei not long ago. I used to work as a nanny for many families in the past. Feng Hua was not afraid of Xia Jun at all. She was a person of integrity and was not afraid of being investigated. Is there anyone else? Didnt I hear that there are two people? Why is there only one here now? Xia Jun asked curiously. Feng Hua did not know what Wei Hao had gone off to do. She had waited in the house for so long but still did not see Wei Hao returning. However, she already had a rough guess in her mind. I heard from the chauffeur that shes the only one at home, Xu Lan explained. Did you see anything suspicious at home? Xia Jun asked. At that time, Qiao Mei said she wanted to eat pastries, so I went to the kitchen to get food for her. When I came out of the kitchen door, I saw the gardener rushing out of the courtyard. At that time, I was so concerned about Qiao Mei that I did not try to stop him. I suspect that this matter might be related to him. Feng Hua told Xia Jun everything in detail. Xu Lan fell into deep thought. Qiao Meis helpers were all recommended by Sister Fan. By right, these should be people who were close to her family, so how could such a thing happen? Ill get someone to investigate that. Qiao Meis siblings are still at her house, right? You should go back and take care of those children, Xia Jun said sternly. Then what about Qiao Mei? Doesnt Qiao Mei need me to take care of her? Is there anyone here to wait upon Qiao Mei? Although Feng Hua had only been at Qiao Meis house for a few days, she really liked Qiao Mei very much. She had been waiting for her beloved all her life so she remained unmarried and had no children. When she met Qiao Mei, she felt a sense of closeness, so she took care of Qiao Mei wholeheartedly. Qiao Mei is gone, Xia Jun said in a choked voice. Gone what do you mean by gone? Is is it what I think? Feng Hua asked with a trembling voice. Feng Hua could not accept this fact. Qiao Mei was so young and at an age where she was like a flower in bloom, so how could such a thing happen? This afternoon, Qiao Mei was still smiling and asking for Feng Huas handmade pastries. How could she be gone now Chapter 1146 Acting ? "Yes, we have to make preparations for her funeral, but you don''t have to worry. We''ll still continue to hire you. Qiao Mei has given birth to two babies, but they''re both still not out of danger. If the two children survive, we''ll still need you to take care of them. If if they don''t, Qiao Mei''s grandfather and mother also need someone to take care of them, so you can rest assured and continue working at Qiao Mei''s house," Xia Jun said. He knew that this person had a good character. Judging from the concern in her eyes and the fact that she was the one who protected Qiao Mei when Qiao Mei faced trouble, it was enough to see her loyalty. Furthermore, she had worked for various families for so many years. If she was not an honest person, she would not have been able to continue working until now. When the truth was revealed, they would definitely give her a bonus, but now now was not the time. "Alright, I know what to do," Feng Hua said. After that, the chauffeur sent her back to Qiao Mei''s house. Xu Lan had brought a lot of things from her own house to the hospital. If she took maternity items from Qiao Mei''s house, it would make people suspicious. It was safer to bring the things from her place. If she bought anything from the hospital now, it would also attract the wrong kind of attention. She decided to leave Xia He''s issue to Xia Wen. As for Qiao Mei''s matter, she would listen to Xia Jun. As long as the family worked together, they would definitely be able to overcome any difficulties. "Don''t mention this matter to Xia Wen and Xia He for the time being. I know how to handle Xia Xiu and the rest. Before the truth is revealed, no one is allowed to enter this room except Sister Zhang and Xia Fang," Xia Jun said. "Yes, I understand. Father, let''s go and visit Uncle Qiao. He''s just next door," Xu Lan said. Xia Jun felt at a loss. He did not know how to face Qiao Qiang. Qiao Qiang had handed Qiao Mei over to his family, but after coming to the capital, she had encountered so many issues which threatened her life. If he put himself in Qiao Qiang''s shoes and it was Xia He who encountered all these things, he would have brought her home long ago. He would not allow anyone to threaten Xia He''s life. He really was too embarrassed to face Qiao Qiang. "Uncle Qiao Uncle Qiao won''t take it to heart," Xu Lan said. "I hope so" Xia Jun said with a deep sigh. Xia Jun slowly made his way to the ward next door with Xu Lan''s help. At this moment, Qiao Qiang was still unconscious and Li Gui was taking care of him.I think you should take a look at "What does the doctor say? Is Brother Qiao awake yet?" Xia Jun asked anxiously. "The doctor says he fainted because he was too tense. He still has a low grade fever now. They will be giving him an injection and he should feel better tomorrow. Qiao Mei''s father-in-law brought some medicinal wine just now. He seemed better after drinking it," Li Gui said. Xia Jun suddenly bowed deeply to Li Gui and Xu Lan quickly followed suit. They bowed to Li Gui to express their family''s apology with regard to Qiao Mei. Li Gui quickly helped Xia Jun and Xu Lan straighten up and said, "What are you doing! Get up quickly! Get up quickly!" "Our Xia family has let you down. We didn''t take good care of Qiao Mei and let her get into such trouble at home. There''s truly nothing we can do to make it up to you," Xia Jun said apologetically. "You can''t be blamed for this, nor is it your fault. I was also at home at that time. If I had paid more attention to Qiao Mei, such a thing wouldn''t have happened to her. It''s a good thing that she''s fine and that''s the most important thing," Li Gui said sadly. She had also been too careless the past two days as she thought that with so many people in the house taking care of Qiao Mei, nothing would happen. She also bore an undeniable responsibility for Qiao Mei''s current situation. "I hope to keep this matter a secret for now. We want to catch the culprit who''s behind the scenes, so we have to release news that Qiao Mei is no longer with us. Those of us who know the truth must strictly keep this matter a secret," Xia Jun instructed. Li Gui nodded and asked seriously, "So do I have to act crazy and make a big show of crying?" That was how it was usually portrayed in television dramas. There was always a character who would cause a scene in the hospital and then she would cry until she fainted. Only then would the perpetrator, who must be hiding and observing in secret, really believed that the news of Qiao Mei''s death was real. "I don''t think there''s a need for it. I don''t want to cause you any health problems from crying too much," Xia Jun said. After briefing all the relevant parties, they did not stay in the hospital any longer. They were all looking forward to seeing what would happen the next day and whether the wily fox would come out from hiding. Chapter 1147 Good News ? Tan Jing was sunbathing in the courtyard. Cheng Gu had recently built a canopy for her and she rested under it every day while looking forward to his visit. This canopy faced the path which he must take whenever he came to her place. As soon as he appeared, she would be able to run out and greet him immediately. She used to feel sorry for herself and felt that Xia Wen did not love her as much as before, that there would not be any more romantic and sweet couple moments between them and that she would just be living here alone for the rest of her life. However, after meeting Cheng Gu, new hope had ignited in her heart. Cheng Gu was like a ray of light in her barren existence, bringing some color into her life and making a withered flower like her bloom again. However, ever since she told him about Qiao Mei''s daily habits the other day, he had not come back again. She did not know what had happened. It was possible that Cheng Gu was busy carrying out their plan. Ever since that day when they decided to hire someone to attack Qiao Mei, her heart had been in turmoil. She kept feeling that something big was about to happen and she felt both excited and afraid. What if Cheng Gu failed and all the clues led the investigators to her in the end? Also, what would happen to Cheng Gu? Just as Tan Jing was thinking about all these things, she suddenly heard someone calling her from outside the door. "Elder sister! I''m here to see you!" Cheng Gu walked in happily, carrying many new gifts for Tan Jing. "You''re here! Why haven''t you come over for so many days! I thought something had happened to you! You must give me your phone number, otherwise I don''t even know how to find you," Tan Jing said coquettishly to Cheng Gu. "Sure, sure, sure. My good sister, it''s my fault. Haven''t I been busy recently? But I''m here to bring you good news! Do you want to know what it is!" Cheng Gu looked at Tan Jing excitedly. Tan Jing swallowed nervously and quickly pulled Cheng Gu into the house. She closed the door and windows tightly and looked at him expectantly. "Qiao Mei is dead! Elder sister, are you happy! Oh my, I also didn''t expect the plan to succeed so fast. I thought it would fail, but it actually succeeded! I don''t think that woman is that smart after all," Cheng Gu said happily. Tan Jing fell to the floor out of shock and looked at Cheng Gu in a daze.I think you should take a look at pandasnovel.com Qiao Mei was dead Qiao Mei was actually dead! That most hateful Qiao Mei. That woman was really dead! "Are you really sure she''s dead? Is she really dead?" Tan Jing asked nervously. "The person who attacked her was sent by me and I even asked someone to go to the hospital to take a look. The person waited for one day and one night! She has already died in the hospital and my subordinate has seen her corpse. It can''t be false. That face belongs to Qiao Mei!" Cheng Gu said proudly. Tan Jing suddenly burst out laughing so hard that she almost could not breathe. Qiao Mei was really dead! Qiao Mei no longer existed in the Xia family! Everyone in the Xia family would like her again! She could do whatever she wanted and Xia Wen would come back to her. Everyone in the Xia family would have to worship her! There were also the children Oh right! The children! Were the children still alive? She was still counting on using Qiao Mei''s children to turn her life around! "Cheng Gu! Did the babies die with Qiao Mei? Where are the children?" Tan Jing struggled to get up from the floor and asked as she held Cheng Gu''s shoulders with both hands. ?andasnovel.com "I hear that the children are not in a very good state, but they''re still alive. As long as they are well taken care of, there should not be any problem in the future," Cheng Gu said with a smile. Tan Jing danced around happily, only short of setting off firecrackers in the courtyard to celebrate. She must have a drink with Cheng Gu on such a good day! She took out the wine which Qiao Mei had given to Xia Wen back then. Xia Wen had hidden this wine away like it was a treasure and did not even want to show it to her. She would drink it all up today! She wanted to destroy everything that was related to Qiao Mei! "Come! I''ll personally cook something delicious for you today! Let''s drink this bottle of wine today!" Tan Jing said excitedly. Tan Jing made a total of eight dishes! Even when she and Xia Wen celebrated at home previously, it had never been as grand as this. After a few glasses of wine, Tan Jing was already drunk. Cheng Gu was still fine, but he had never tasted anything like this wine before. He thought that he had already tried all kinds of liquor, but this was the first time he had seen something so strange. Chapter 1148 True Colors ? "Elder sister, what kind of wine is this?" Cheng Gu asked. "This? They say that it''s medicinal wine! My husband treasures it a lot! He hides it away and doesn''t let me drink it! But I will drink it! I want to drink every single drop of it! Also, it''s a gift from that little b*tch! Come, come, come, let''s drink it all! Drink it all! Don''t leave a single drop left!" Tan Jing said as she held onto Cheng Gu''s wine glass, unable to even sit up straight anymore. Not long after, Tan Jing crouched over the table and fell asleep. No matter how hard Cheng Gu tried, he could not wake her up. He put down his glass and looked at Tan Jing coldly, the usual gentle look disappearing from his face. Not long after, many people entered the courtyard, all of them wearing black suits. One of them knocked lightly on the door and walked in. The man first took a glance at Tan Jing to confirm that she was sleeping soundly. He thought that it looked like she would not wake up even if there was a thunderstorm or an earthquake. Only then did he dare to speak to Cheng Gu. ?andasnovel.com "Boss, the matter has been settled. That nanny is still in the warehouse and she demands to see you. As long as she''s awake, she will start shouting so we have knocked her out for now," Lu Miao said respectfully. Cheng Gu took out a handkerchief and wiped his hands in disdain. "See me? Why does she want to see me? Can''t you even handle such a small matter well? I''ve really taught you for nothing! Can''t you just kill her?" "Isn''t she a hostage? We don''t know how we should handle it so we''re waiting for your instructions," Lu Miao said. "Then just drug her. It''s too annoying if she makes a lot of noise every day. Make sure to stuff her mouth and if it doesn''t work, then cut off her tongue," Cheng Gu said irritably. Lu Miao looked at the drunk Tan Jing and wondered what to do about her. For a moment, Cheng Gu also did not know how to deal with her. Based on her own description, she was just an insignificant member of the Xia family. However, Cheng Gu had known the Xia family for many years and he did not believe that Xia Wen was someone who would abandon his wife. "Take this woman with us and get our brothers to scare her a little. If anyone dares to touch her, you can just chop him up," Cheng Gu said. "Alright, I understand." With that, Lu Miao found someone to carry Tan Jing and he left the room as well.I think you should take a look at pandasnovel.com Cheng Gu looked at the remaining bit of wine in front of him and thought about the plan he executed during this period of time. He smiled mockingly and drank it all in one gulp. He would settle both their old and new grudges together! Since the Xia family did not give him an easy time, he would not let the Xia family live a good life either. He must make them pay the price in blood. A woman valued her reputation the most. If Tan Jing knew that her reputation was ruined, that would be quite a show to watch. After spending such a long period of time with her, Cheng Gu would not go to the extent of killing a woman like her. After all, Tan Jing played a part in the success of his current plan. Without Tan Jing, his plan would not have progressed so smoothly. Letting his brothers play with her but not really touching her was already the greatest concession which Cheng Gu could give to her. The next morning, Tan Jing slowly opened her eyes. The surroundings looked completely different from what she was familiar with. She did not know where she was, but she was surrounded by metal sheets in a place that looked like a warehouse. "Let go of me! Where am I! Who are you!" Tan Jing shouted hoarsely. Lu Miao opened his eyes groggily. This woman was really annoying. They already could not touch her, yet she still made so much noise so early in the morning. Their band of brothers were still sleeping! However, given that she belonged to Cheng Gu, they did not dare to lay a finger on her. "Why the hell are you shouting! Stupid whore, shut your mouth! This is my territory! If you want to stay alive, you''d better shut your mouth and stop making noise. Otherwise, if you disturb our boss, you won''t have many days to live," Lu Miao threatened. "Who''s your boss? What grudges are there between us? Let me go and I''ll give you money! My husband''s family is very rich! You should go and look for them, not me!" Tan Jing said fearfully. "Don''t you understand what I''m saying! I told you to shut up! Shut up! If you make any more noise, I''ll cut off your tongue and feed it to the dogs!" Lu Miao said as he looked at Tan Jing impatiently. Tan Jing lowered her head and closed her mouth in fear. Her clothes were disheveled and her hair was in a mess. She could roughly guess what had happened, but even under such circumstances, she wanted to keep herself safe and stay alive. Chapter 1149 Making Grudges ? After a few more hours, Cheng Gu was almost fully rested. He looked different from his usual gentle and elegant self as he slowly made his way to the warehouse. When Tan Jing saw Cheng Gu, she behaved as if she had seen her savior and thought that he was here to save her. "Cheng Gu! Cheng Gu, save me! Are you here to save me! I know that you will definitely come and save me!" Tan Jing shouted at Cheng Gu expectantly. Lu Miao stood at the side and kept quiet. The corners of his lips curled up into an ambiguous smile. Cheng Gu was the best at playing dumb to take advantage of someone and he had never met anyone who could do it better. Cheng Gu was also the person he admired the most in his life. If Cheng Gu was not their boss, he might be able to become an actor in the entertainment industry and garner a Best Actor award! Cheng Gu slowly came round to stand in front of Tan Jing. The cold expression on his face made him look completely different from the Cheng Gu whom Tan Jing remembered. Tan Jing was about to say something when he slapped her mercilessly. She almost fell over along with the stool. "You''re so noisy. How can you have so much nonsense to say Do I make you feel shocked? That I''m actually someone like this," Cheng Gu said with a mocking smile. ?andasnovel?om Tan Jing looked at Cheng Gu in disbelief and said in a trembling voice, "You you lied to me? You lied to me? Is it a fake front? Have you been preying on my trust for you?" "When did I lie to you? Don''t I mean everything I say to you? Don''t tell me everything I do for you is fake? You''re the one who read too much into it. Stupid woman, you even betray your husband''s family for another man. It''s really a pity that Xia Wen has a stupid pig like you as his wife," Cheng Gu said regretfully. "You know Xia Wen? Then everything you did was to get at the Xia family!" Tan Jing said with her eyes wide open. "What else? Do you think it''s for you? Isn''t that thinking too highly of yourself? Look at yourself, how can you still think any man will be attracted to you! Dream on! You''re even jealous of Qiao Mei. If Xia Wen had married someone like Qiao Mei, then the Xia family would have achieved meteoric success five years ago and no one would be able to catch up with them. They won''t be in this state now," Cheng Gu said. The light in Tan Jing''s eyes gradually extinguished. No matter how stupid she was, she knew by now that Cheng Gu was only making use of her feelings to get information about the Xia family from her. However, there was at least one good thing that came out of it. Qiao Mei was dead and as long as she could return to the Xia family alive, then the Xia family would still treat her well and might even compensate her for what she went through! At that time, her good days would be back!I think you should take a look at pandasnovel.com The prerequisite was she had to return alive. "What exactly do you want? I can tell you anything. I can do anything," Tan Jing asked. "Not bad, not bad. You''re not too stupid if you know how to ask me this question." Cheng Gu clapped his hands in admiration. It seemed that Tan Jing was not hopelessly stupid yet. "I wonder what exactly it is that you want. You know that Xia Wen doesn''t care about me at all. I''m just an abandoned pawn to the Xia family. They won''t give up anything for an abandoned pawn," Tan Jing said as calmly as she could. Cheng Gu had no intention of using Tan Jing to get anything at all. He just wanted to see the Xia family destroyed. He did not have any grudges with the three children of the Xia family, but he had a deep grudge with Xia Mao. Xia He did not have anyone she cared about after her divorce. He had heard about a young man called Deng Fan, but they had not confirmed their relationship. Even if Deng Fan died, Xia He would not feel much. At most, she would feel guilty for a while. If Xia He were to go to jail and lose the use of one or both of her legs there, it would probably be even worse than killing her! He had already arranged for people to take action the moment she went in. Even an immortal would not be able to save her! As for Xia Zhe, Cheng Gu definitely felt that he deserved to die. However, there was no point in killing Xia Zhe. He wanted to kill Qiao Mei and her babies so that Xia Zhe would lose the loves of his life. Only a situation like that would allow him to vent the resentment in his heart. Even at this point, Cheng Gu was still not satisfied yet. Xia Zhe should have received the news of Qiao Mei''s death by now and would probably be back soon. He wanted to make Xia Zhe, this unusually lucky man, paralyzed from waist down. His plan was to have his band of brothers beat Xia Zhe up so badly that Xia Zhe would have to live out the rest of his life in loneliness and misery! Chapter 1150 A Life Worse Than Death ? Cheng Gu wanted the same for Xia Wen. Once Xia Wen lost the love of his life, he would definitely feel as much pain as Xia Zhe. Cheng Gu also wanted to take away Xia Wen''s ears and eyes. He had heard that Xia Wen had extremely sharp eyesight and was said to have been very smart since he was young, even possessing a photographic memory. Cheng Gu wanted to destroy Xia Wen''s eyes and ears so that he would have to live in silence and darkness for the rest of his life. Cheng Gu was the one who shot Xia Mao in the heart a month ago. He did not expect Xia Mao to be so unafraid of dying and take the bullet for someone else. However, Xia Mao doing that was as good as helping him to fulfill his wish. He definitely did not expect Qiao Mei to be able to save Xia Mao despite the serious injuries. What an eyesore she was. Therefore, Qiao Mei deserved to die! She deserved it! If not for her, Xia Mao would already have gone to hell to accompany Cheng Gu''s brothers! However, it was not a bad thing for Qiao Mei to be the one to go to hell. It did not matter who died as long as it was a member of the Xia family. Cheng Gu was actually a major drug lord in the country. Most of the drugs circulating within and coming from outside the country had to go through him. Although he was not the most famous drug lord, he attracted a lot of attention because he was decisive and was the youngest of the lot. During the past few years, he was getting tired and had planned to hand over the overseas business to some of his brothers. He was about to go traveling and relax when something went wrong. He found out that his most trusted aide was actually an undercover agent sent by the military. The man had worked undercover for many years in order to gain his full trust. Cheng Gu did not blame the military for doing what they did. He was the one who did not see through the man''s true colors. However, when he found out that the man was Xia Mao''s subordinate, he decided to show no mercy. He drove long nails into each and every joint of that man''s body and then cut off his flesh bit by bit while avoiding the vital parts. He slowly tortured the man until the man''s blood ran dry. Only then did he feel vindicated and after that, he fed the corpse to the dogs, not even leaving any bones behind. No, that was not it. Cheng Gu kept the man''s skull and used it as a footrest. Every time he sat on the sofa, he would step on the skull. As time passed, the skull eventually shattered and he found another person''s skull to step on. Just as he was about to forget about this matter, Xia Mao led a team of soldiers to attack more than 30 of his dens in the country, resulting in a bloodbath. His brothers either died or suffered injuries, but none of them gave up his location. In the end, they all chose to commit suicide to protect him. From then on, Cheng Gu held a grudge against Xia Mao. Last month, when Xia Mao was on the mission, he shot and killed Cheng Gu''s best friend who grew up together with him. Cheng Gu then swore that he would make Xia Mao suffer a fate worse than death. Death was too simple. One bullet would kill a person quickly, but living was more painful than dying. He wanted Xia Mao to experience such excruciating pain. "Keep an eye on her and don''t let her die." With that, Cheng Gu left the warehouse and Lu Miao followed closely behind him.I think you should take a look at pandasnovel.com "Boss, is there anything else you need me to do?" Lu Miao asked. Cheng Gu pondered for a long time and then said, "There''s not much fun now. Ask Xia Wen to come to the warehouse with 500,000 dollars to redeem his wife. Let him see with his own eyes how his wife gets defiled by our brothers." Lu Miao smiled smugly and followed Cheng Gu''s instructions. He quickly made a call to Xia Wen''s office. It was easy to get Xia Wen''s contact information. When Xia Wen found out about Qiao Mei''s death, he felt as if the sky was about to collapse. However, he told himself to get a grip on his emotions and be steadfast. He still needed to settle Xia He''s matter and could not leave her behind in detention without a care just because of what happened to Qiao Mei. At this moment, it felt as if everyone in the art troupe had made a pact. Everyone''s statement was exactly the same, down to the intervals between the sentences. It was obvious that someone was secretly manipulating the situation, but he really could not think of anyone else who had such means apart from He Ning. However, there was no reason for He Ning to kill Qiao Mei. Her ginsengs were the medicine to keep him alive. If he killed Qiao Mei, it would be equivalent to killing himself as well. He Ning would never do such a thankless task. pandasnovel.com "Ring, ring, ring~" Xia Wen picked up the phone impatiently and said, "Hello? Who is this?" "Do you still remember that you have a wife?" Lu Miao asked in a jovial manner. "What have you done with her?" Xia Wen immediately knew that this was the person who had been targeting them recently. He had been so busy that he had completely forgotten about Tan Jing. Chapter 1151 - 1151 Something Wrong With Your Brain 1151 Something Wrong With Your Brain Nothing much, shes still alive and well. Youre such a lucky man. The birthmark on your wifes shoulder is really beautiful. Her skin is so smooth that she doesnt look like a person whos almost 40! The guys all want to marry a woman like this! Lu Miao said gleefully. Xia Wen wished he could rip out the bones and tendons of the person on the other end of the phone. He gritted his teeth and said, What exactly have you done to her? If shes even slightly harmed, I wont let you off. Dont worry, we havent had enough fun yet! Of course we wont let her get hurt. But if you want to see her in one piece, then prepare 500,000 dollars quickly. I only have enough patience for one day, until tomorrow. The day after tomorrow, well do the exchange. You pay the money, youll get the human. Ill contact you again about the exact timing. After saying that, Lu Miao hurriedly hung up the phone. Xia Wen immediately asked his secretary to investigate where this person was calling from. They found out that the phone call seemed to have been made from a phone booth by the roadside. No one could remember what this man looked like. Even after asking everyone in the vicinity, no one could recall whether any man had made a phone call from there. Xia Wen was stuck in a passive position now, so he could only wait for Lu Miao to contact him again. The only breakthrough he could get was the phone call he was going to receive the day after tomorrow. However, Qiao Mei had passed away and no one would be able to give him so much money in one go. Even if he sold all the Xia familys properties, he would not be able to pool together 500,000 dollars in a day. Unless unless he looked for the He family! At this moment, He Ning was drinking tea at home and listening to music. His health had started to improve a lot thanks to the ginseng which Qiao Mei gave him. Huo Gao told him that if he continued to eat ginseng for another three years, he could basically recover his health and would not be as weak and sickly as before. He used to look like he could be blown over by a gust of wind. If he continued to eat ginseng for another five years, he might be cured of 80% of his illnesses. If so, it would only be a matter of time before he was free from illnesses and discomfort. Jia Zhong slowly walked in and said respectfully to He Ning, Mr. He, something huge has happened in the Xia family recently. So what if something huge happened to the Xia family? Who would be so blind as to go and cause trouble for the Xia family? I want to laugh when I think of Xia Wens worried expression now. The more He Ning thought about it, the happier he felt. There was nothing more fun for him than seeing Xia Wen anxious. Qiao Mei has died, Jia Zhong whispered. What did you say! Say that again! He Ning sat up from the sofa in shock and looked at Jia Zhong in disbelief. The Xia family has already hung up white lanterns at their house. I hung around at the entrance of the Xia family house for a long time and received confirmation that Qiao Mei has passed away. Her two children are also in critical condition in the hospital. I hear that the doctor has said if they cant last through the next week, they will also die. Jia Zhong related all the information he had found out. He Ning found it quite hard to accept. Previously, when he went to deliver money to Qiao Mei, he even asked Huo Gao to take her pulse. She was not in a worse condition than any ordinary pregnant woman. How could she have passed away suddenly? Did you find out why she passed away? Is there some misunderstanding? He Ning asked with a frown. I heard that she was killed. Were still trying to find out the details, Jia Zhong said. Xia Wen did not wait for the security officer at the door to announce his arrival and simply walked straight into He Nings house. He looked at He Ning and said, Theres no misunderstanding. Qiao Mei has really passed away and my sister is in jail. Now, my wife has also been captured. Didnt you do all this? Why are you still pretending? Me? What reason do I have to do that? Dont tell me Ive taken a fancy to your wife? That wife of yours is very boring. Why will I take a fancy to her! Your sister is like a shrew. Whats the use of having her! Its more realistic if you say that Ive taken a fancy to Qiao Mei. Xia Wen, is there something wrong with your brain? You must be so anxious that youre all muddled, He Ning said as he looked at Xia Wen in disdain. Xia Wen sat on the sofa opposite He Ning as if he had entered his own house. There was not much change in his expression. I know its not you. Im just asking a question. Why are you so anxious? Are you feeling guilty? Xia Wen said. Youre really! Really! He Ning thought for a long time but did not know how to describe Xia Wen. Think about it. Other than you, who else in the capital can set up such a big trap? Xia Wen asked. Chapter 1152 I Am Not Short Of Money ? He Ning had no clue either. Other than the He family and the Xia family, there were only the Gao family and the Chu family. The Gao family was in the tobacco and alcohol business and made a lot of money from it, but their family was also very principled and had a good reputation in the capital. The Gao family was friendly to everyone. Even a beggar would be able to get a lot of money from the Gao family if he could get to know them. As for the Chu family, they were in the steel business and very ambitious. The He family was in the business of essential goods. Although it seemed very substantial, it was actually not as valuable as the steel or tobacco and alcohol business. He Ning was only able to gain a foothold in the capital through his wiliness. "Who exactly did you offend? Even for me, I won''t be able to arrange for something to happen to everyone in your family at the same time. It''s impossible for an ordinary person to set up such a big trap. He must have received help from different places. The net being cast over your Xia family is really big," He Ning analyzed calmly. "Of course I know that. Otherwise, why am I here to look for you? Tell me something I don''t know." Xia Wen rolled his eyes resignedly. He Ning looked at Xia Wen and suddenly found the current situation quite funny. The two of them had not sat together and talked for a long time. At this moment, it felt as if they had returned to the time when they were in school. Both of them had not changed at all. They were still the same as before, getting into an argument after exchanging a few words. He Ning did not like Xia Wen''s holier-than-thou attitude and Xia Wen did not like He Ning''s way of doing things. Otherwise, the two of them could have become very good friends. "So why are you here to look for me? Are you looking for comfort or to scold me to vent your anger?" He Ning asked. "I''m here to borrow money," Xia Wen said frankly. "How much? If you want to borrow money from me, you have to be mentally prepared. My interest rate is not low," He Ning said as he looked at Xia Wen smugly. It was rare for him to get a chance to take down Xia Wen once in his life, even rarer that Xia Wen was actually begging him. The probability of this happening was even lower than that of a volcanic eruption! "500,000," Xia Wen said.I think you should take a look at pandasnovel.com "Both you and your sister-in-law really think I''m an ATM! Do you think my family runs a bank? Go and check how much you can sell me for! See if I''m worth 500,000 dollars! Your family can''t even save 5,000 dollars a year, but you''re asking me for 500,000 dollars! Xia Wen, did you get drunk before you came to my place?" He Ning stood up and pointed at Xia Wen. "I-I''m very clear-headed. If it''s not because I''ve run into some trouble, do I need to come and look for you? Are you going to lend it to me or not? If not, I''''m going to the Gao family and the Chu family," Xia Wen said impatiently. He did not have that much time to waste with He Ning. ?andasnovel?om "The Gao family''s youngest daughter liked you when she was young. You rejected her so heartlessly and then married Tan Jing. Don''t you know the Gao family hates you to the core now? You''re lucky they didn''t skin you alive. As for the Chu family, you won''t get far with them. They would never get involved in these matters," He Ning said. "Then what do you think I should do?" Xia Wen asked. "Tell me what exactly happened in your family. Let me make it clear first that I''m not going to help you for free. Qiao Mei is dead, but Qiao Qiang isn''t. Qiao Qiang is the one who knows how to dig up the ginseng. Qiao Mei still owed me one last 100-year-old ginseng. Go back and tell Qiao Qiang that I want three more 100-year-old ginsengs and to give them to me for free. Otherwise, I won''t help your family," He Ning said. The total value of three 100-year-old ginsengs would work out to about 1.8 million dollars. Even when Qiao Mei was alive, she would not give away so many ginsengs for free. It was too big a decision for Xia Wen to make. Furthermore, Qiao Qiang was still unconscious in the hospital. Even if he was awake, he would faint again from anger when he saw He Ning. "You''re asking for too much. Change the condition and I might agree," Xia Wen said as he looked at He Ning. "Other than me, do you have any better choice now? Xia Wen, get this straight. You''re the one who''s begging me now, not the other way around. You don''t have the right to negotiate," He Ning said with a smile. "I can owe you money, but I don''t have any say when it comes to ginseng. If you''re so capable, you can talk to Uncle Qiao yourself," Xia Wen said. "Look at me. Do I look like someone who lacks money? What I want is ginseng. I''m not interested in anything else," He Ning said. Chapter 1153 Do Not Be Nosy ? Xia Wen had no other choice now. Other than working with He Ning, he really could not think of another way out. If He Ning was willing to help him, this difficult situation could be easily resolved and he might even be able to find the real culprit sooner. Xia Wen was certain that he would be meeting the mastermind tomorrow. "Are you sure you want to negotiate with me behind your father''s back? As far as I know, your family is already investigating this matter. With both your Eldest Aunt and your father working on it, they will get results in less than a week. Why are you asking for trouble by coming to me?" He Ning said. Xia Xiu was a very famous interrogator in the military and could extract information from anyone. She had all kinds of methods to interrogate people. In addition, everyone knew how capable Xia Mao was. The two of them formed an invincible team when they worked together. Xia Wen also knew that the Xia family would definitely survive this crisis, but Tan Jing did not have much time left. He could not bear to see Tan Jing continue to be tortured but he knew that there was no way that Xia Mao and Xia Xiu would risk everything just to save Tan Jing. What Tan Jing did earlier had hurt all his family members. He was too ashamed to ask his family for help. "I guess you''re not telling me the truth," He Ning said. "Just give me 500,000 dollars. I don''t need your help with the rest. You can quote whatever interest rate you want," Xia Wen said stubbornly. He Ning could not dissuade Xia Wen, so he could only ask Huo Gao to go to the bank to withdraw 500,000 dollars. In fact, he had set aside this sum of money to return to Qiao Mei. He did not expect to be giving it to Xia Wen after so many twists and turns. "Take it. We''ll talk about the interest rate after you settle this matter. I''m not in a hurry," He Ning said nonchalantly. Xia Wen asked earnestly, "You should let me know now. I''m worried that I''ll fall into a trap later. At that time, who knows what you will come up with." "Do you think I''m going to behave like a loan shark in front of you? If I do that, you''ll be able to arrest me. You''re now a government official in charge of the economy. Everyone who does business in the capital wants to curry favor with you. My family has to make a living in the capital too. There are so many people whom the He family is responsible for. Why should I make things difficult for you for nothing?" He Ning said as he rolled his eyes helplessly. Xia Wen took the case and left without looking back. Huo Gao looked at Xia Wen''s back and sighed. He wondered if Xia Wen would be able to come back alive.I think you should take a look at pandasnovel.com "Are we really not going to help him?" Huo Gao asked, unable to bear the thought. "Not helping. I''m not an immortal who''s here to deliver all living beings from suffering. Do I have to help with everything? He only wants to give me interest and not ginseng. It''s already good enough for him that I agree to lend him the money. You don''t have to be overly sympathetic," He Ning said. Huo Gao pursed his lips. He should not have asked He Ning such a question. It was not as if he did not know that He Ning was a mercenary person. "Then do you have any clues? Who do you think is doing all this?" Huo Gao asked curiously. He Ning did not know who exactly the person was, but he knew that if He Guo was not in prison, He Guo would definitely know that person. He Ning ran the legitimate part of the business while He Guo was the one familiar with the illegitimate business dealings. "Stop disturbing me. I want to sleep," He Ning said impatiently. Xia Wen took the money and returned to the office. He just sat there quietly and looked at the case full of money. If he did not make it back this time, what would happen to Xia Mao and Xu Lan? What would happen to Xia He? Xia Zhe had not returned yet. He did not know if he would get a chance to see Xia Zhe when he returned. ?andasnovel?om Suddenly, the phone rang. Xia Wen quickly picked it up and said, "Hello? Is that you?" "How sharp of you! I guess the money is ready?" Lu Miao said with a laugh. "So what if it is." Just as Xia Wen had guessed, Lu Miao must have planted a spy near him. His every move was made under Lu Miao''s watchful eye. Even if he went to the toilet now, Lu Miao would know about it. He did not know if it was just him being put under surveillance or the entire Xia family. "Bring the money to the small forest in the western suburbs tomorrow. Just follow the path up. You''ve been in the army before, so your observation skills should be quite good. We''ll put markings in the forest. If you can''t find Tan Jing, you can only blame yourself for being useless." After saying that, Lu Miao hung up the phone without giving Xia Wen a chance to ask any question. Chapter 1154 Trap ? Similar to the earlier one, this call was also made from a random roadside phone booth. No one could remember what the person looked like. It was as if he could do magic and make everyone forget about him. Perhaps he had used some kind of high-tech equipment to cover up any traces of him, but what could it be? Xia Wen stayed up the entire night while staring at the case. There were many things on his mind, including the Tan family, the Xia family and even the Qiao family. However, he still decided to go and save Tan Jing, even if it meant meeting his own death. The next day, Xia Wen went to the forest in the western suburbs as agreed. He did not go in blindly without making any plans. Before he left, he wrote a letter and asked his secretary to deliver it to Xia Mao. After reading the letter, Xia Mao would definitely come and save him. Based on his calculations, help should arrive at around the same time when he found Tan Jing. "Such effort just to trick me into going up the mountain." Xia Wen laughed mockingly. There were many marks on the trunks of the trees in the surrounding area. Some of these marks were caused by animals, while others were man-made. Lu Miao and his people had drawn markings on almost every tree trunk. Only a few had meanings to them and the rest were there to obfuscate. Lu Miao had his own selfish motives in doing that. Cheng Gu always said that Xia Wen was very capable, and that if not for Xia Wen''s poor health, he would probably be the invincible "God of War" now. Lu Miao did not believe what Cheng Gu said. If Xia Wen was really so capable, why would he have put his wife in danger? Furthermore, he must be out of his mind to dare to come here alone for a woman. Only a fool would do this. "Big brother, he has already entered the forest. Should we take action?" one of Lu Miao''s underlings asked. "There''s no hurry. Let''s wait a little longer. I haven''t observed enough yet," Lu Miao said. Xia Wen took every step carefully. He carefully inspected the stones on the road, the weeds in the surrounding and the branches on the trees to see if there was anything different about each of them. He had already left the army for a long time and it was inevitable that he was unfamiliar with these things since he had not trained for a long time. However, for Tan Jing''s sake, he must persevere. After three or four hours, Xia Wen still had nothing. He did not manage to find any valuable information. He even began to wonder if the person on the phone was playing a trick on him or if he was really unable to find anything. "Did you really do proper markings?" Even Lu Miao began to wonder if his subordinates had done the markings properly. "We we don''t know how to make the markings, big brother. We just casually drew a few things" the underling lowered his head and said fearfully.I think you should take a look at pandasnovel.com Lu Miao was so angry that he kicked the underling to the ground. What a piece of trash! They made him wait so long for nothing! "Trash! A bunch of trash! What''s the use of having you! Is your brain for show? Don''t you know anything except how to eat?" Lu Miao pointed at his underling and scolded him. "Big brother, I''m sorry! I''m sorry! Give me another chance! I''ll definitely do it well! Don''t worry!" the underling knelt on the ground and said fearfully. Lu Miao did not even bother to look. He waved his hand and the subordinate beside him simply hacked this underling to death with a clean stroke. This underling did not even have time to react. "Let''s move!" Lu Miao picked up his gun and walked towards Xia Wen, taking extra care along the way. pandasnovel.com Xia Wen looked at the withered grass that had been blown by the wind and the traces of footprints on the ground. He was quickly able to estimate the number of people and their approximate build. Using the depth of a person''s footprints, the size and the way weight was distributed, he could make out how the person walked. "Come out, I know you''re nearby," Xia Wen suddenly stood still and shouted to his surroundings. If he continued forward, he would fall into the trap set up by Lu Miao. "Not bad, not bad. As expected of a member of the Xia family. You manage to find my tracks," Lu Miao said as he clapped his hands. Xia Wen muttered to himself, "The sound of your footsteps is almost as loud as a bear''s" "Where''s my wife?" Xia Wen went straight to the point. "Don''t be so anxious! Have fun with my guys first! We''ll talk about it after we''re done playing." Lu Miao gestured to his band of brothers and they all rushed forward. Chapter 1155 Wasted ? Xia Wen did not come empty-handed. He took out the expandable baton strapped at his waist and engaged in a fierce fight with the group. It had been a long time since he needed to work out like this. He was glad for the chance to take part in a fight again. There were more than 10 people fighting the lone Xia Wen, but they did not manage to take any advantage of him at all. Lu Miao watched from the side with some relish. Not long after, all the people whom Lu Miao brought with him were lying on the ground. "Where''s my wife?" Xia Wen asked again. Lu Miao looked at the guys lying on the ground. There were so many of them and they could not even defeat one man? He thought these guys were from their team of elite fighters? Why were they so weak? However, Xia Wen''s injuries were not mild either. His left leg looked broken. Lu Miao was not that stupid to send out all his guys in one go. He still had a group of guys waiting behind him. His team was not completely wiped out yet. "Don''t be so boring. It''s your wife who can''t bear to leave us! She even clamored to come into our arms. Oh right, I think you still don''t know. Your wife has long made a cuckold out of you behind your back! Otherwise, how do you think we caught her so easily?" Lu Miao said laughingly. Xia Wen did not believe what Lu Miao said. He did not believe a single word of it. After he rescued Tan Jing, he would pass his own judgment. It was not up to other people to say anything about this. "Put the money on the ground and go left. You''ll see your wife at the end of the road," Lu Miao said. Xia Wen raised his baton and pointed it at Lu Miao, saying, "You''d better be telling the truth! Otherwise, I''ll use your head as an offering to her." "Hmph, you''d better go quickly. I don''t know if she''ll still be alive if you''re too late." Lu Miao revealed a strange smile. Xia Wen had a very bad feeling and ran in Tan Jing''s direction. Lu Miao and the others took the money and quickly left the forest. Their goal was not to deal with Xia Wen. Cheng Gu had told them that now was not the best time to hurt Xia Wen. The Xia family definitely had a backup plan. Cheng Gu told Lu Miao not to continue fighting and to return immediately after getting the money. As for Tan Jing Tan Jing had been tied to a chair by Lu Miao. Her clothes were in tatters and there were countless bruises on her face and body. There were also whip marks on her back. However, these were all not important. Tan Jing also had many needle marks on her left arm. Xia Wen knew very well what these needle marks meant.I think you should take a look at pandasnovel.com "Xiao Jing Xiao Jing, look at me talk to me" Xia Wen squatted down and looked at Tan Jing with heartache. When Tan Jing saw Xia Wen, she did not react at all. There was only vigilance and fear in her eyes. She was completely different from her usual self. "Let''s go home I''ll bring you home." Xia Wen struggled to untie Tan Jing and then carried her on his back down the mountain. It was at this time that Xia Mao and the guard team arrived in a rush. Tan Jing suddenly bit Xia Wen''s neck with such force that it was like she wanted to tear his flesh off. Xia Wen gritted his teeth and did not say anything. He felt that he deserved it He had let Tan Jing down. "I''m sorry" Xia Wen said apologetically. However, Tan Jing could not hear whatever he said at all. She was like a lunatic, one who had gone completely mad. Xia Wen took off his jacket and put it over Tan Jing. Members of the guard team carried her away on a stretcher and Xia Mao stood in front of Xia Wen with a stern expression. "Father" Xia Wen said. "Slap!" Xia Mao gave Xia Wen a hard slap on the face. In Xia Wen''s memories, this was the first time that Xia Mao had ever hit him. "Do you know why I hit you?" Xia Mao asked as he suppressed the anger in his heart. "I don''t know" Xia Wen answered honestly. "Have you forgotten everything I taught you in the past? Have you investigated these people''s backgrounds? Do you know where they are from? You actually barge into their territory alone. How confident are you that you can escape unscathed? Do you intend to walk into your grave yourself?" Xia Mao scolded fiercely. pandasnovel.com Xia Wen had been so worried that he could not think straight. He was so anxious about Tan Jing''s safety that he had forgotten about his own. He wanted to save Tan Jing even if he died doing it. "You''re really my good son! Everything I taught you in the past was in vain! Come back with me quickly! Don''t embarrass yourself here!" Xia Mao roared furiously. Chapter 1156 Rescued ? Xia Wen followed Xia Mao back to the Xia family residence with a dejected expression. Xia He and Xu Lan were anxiously waiting for them at home. "Xia He? You''re back?" Xia Wen said in surprise. Xia Xiu looked at Xia Wen with a furious expression. If she had not brought Xia He out of the detention center in time, both Xia He and Xia Wen could be dead by now! From the moment Xia He was sabotaged and sent to the police station, Xia Xiu had already received the news. Under her interrogations and investigations, she found out that this matter was not as simple as it seemed. Bian Zhuo had honestly told her the truth about the matter and gave her the background. Not long ago, Bian Zhuo had a sudden windfall. The Bian family ran a small business, so how could they suddenly have so much money? Someone had bribed Bian Zhuo and asked him to use the money to pay off the people from the art troupe. The person said he would also help Bian Zhuo to complete the task. If Bian Zhou succeeded, he would be able to replace the Xia family and take over the Xia family''s position. "Bian Zhuo was too useless, so he asked Bian Ding and Yang Xin to put pressure on the people in the art troupe both internally and externally. Most of them were from ordinary families and they did not want to lose their jobs or get into trouble, so they were forced to follow the instructions given," Xia Xiu said. "But why didn''t they control Deng Fan? Deng Fan has never heard anything about this," Xia He asked curiously. "What can one person do? Can one person be more credible than a group of people? Besides, that kid Deng Fan is so upright. If he knew about this, he would definitely report it to the police. Why would he sit on it?" Xia Xiu said. "It''s all my fault I didn''t protect my younger sister well, nor did I protect my family," Xia Wen said apologetically. Xia Xiu looked at Xia Wen with heartache. Xia Wen was the child she thought most highly of. She did not expect him to make such a mistake when it came to this matter, but then again, she could not blame him. No one was free from making mistakes. He had been so stressed from all the recent family matters that he probably could not cope. "Go and take a rest. We''ll talk about your issue once you get some rest," Xu Lan said. Xia Wen shook his head stubbornly. He had not caught the mastermind yet and had not made the person who harmed the Xia family pay the price. How could he rest now? "Get back to your room! Who can you protect in your current state! You can''t even protect yourself, so what''s all this talk about protecting your family!" Xia Mao said angrily. Sensing trouble, Luo Yu hurriedly grabbed Xia Wen and dragged him into the room. If they moved any slower, Xia Mao''s fist would have landed on Xia Wen!I think you should take a look at pandasnovel.com "Mother Qiao Mei, is she really" Xia He asked in a choked voice. Xu Lan looked at Xia Mao. She did not know how to tell Xia He about this. Ever since Xia He returned, she had been crying. Whenever she thought about Qiao Mei and saw Qiao Mei''s things, Xia He could not stop herself from crying. Xia He felt that if she had not acted on impulse, Qiao Mei would not have been attacked, leading her to give birth prematurely. Then, Qiao Mei would not have died and the two children would not have been motherless from the moment they were born. pandasnovel.com She was the culprit. It was all her fault. Xia Mao and Xia Xiu looked at each other. Now that they knew who the real perpetrator was, there was no need to hide the truth about Qiao Mei''s matter from Xia He. "Qiao Mei is not dead," Xia Mao said. "Sob sob sob It''s all my fault Don''t lie to me I know that Qiao Mei died because of me. How can I face Xia Zhe!" Xia He continued sobbing. Xu Lan held Xia He''s shoulders and said slowly, "Qiao Mei is not dead! She''s still alive and well! Don''t cry! Otherwise, you''ll make bad things come true!" "Huh? Still alive?" Xia He asked. "This is all part of your grandfather''s plan. He told us not to tell anyone about this at first, not even you and Xiao Wen. Your grandfather suspects that there''s a traitor in the family and he''s still investigating it very thoroughly. Who knows that Xiao Wen that he''ll make such a misstep" Xu Lan said with a deep sigh. "Traitor in the family? Do you mean those people are colluding with our people?" Xia He asked. "Yes. It was the gardener who hurt Qiao Mei and it was your Auntie Fan who recruited the gardener, so it''s definitely suspicious," Xu Lan explained. Chapter 1157 More Powerful ? Auntie Fan how could it be her? "No way. Isn''t Auntie Fan a very honest and loyal person? Why would she betray us?" Xia He said in surprise. ?andasnovel.com It was true that Sister Fan would not betray Xu Lan, but the same could not be said about Sister Fan''s husband. Cheng Gu was very good at planning everything down to the last detail. He even took notice of Sister Fan''s husband. Sister Fan''s husband was also a gardener. He was a mediocre person his whole life and everyone he knew always said that he was a man without ambitions. They said that he was a person who sat around waiting to die and relied on Sister Fan to support him. Many people gossiped behind his back, saying that he would not be able to survive without Sister Fan and that he was a freeloader and a useless man! From then onwards, his attitude towards Sister Fan completely changed. The two of them used to live a happy and harmonious life together, but nowadays, as long as he got drunk, he would beat up Sister Fan. She had bruises all over her body, all of which looked very scary. Sister Fan was someone who cared about her reputation, so she did not raise this issue with other people. After all, in this era, it was not a big deal for a man to beat up his wife. The people around her would not care about such a matter. It was just a man beating up his wife to vent his anger, was it not? At the end of the day, it was a matter between husband and wife. Outsiders would not want to interfere. If he had beaten Sister Fan to death, they would call the police. Otherwise, they did not have any reason to do that. Cheng Gu had given him a lot of money and asked him to recommend someone to work for the Xia family. Once the person was successfully employed by the Xia family, he would receive another sum of money. Sister Fan had invited trouble only because she trusted her husband too much. She always felt that she had let her husband down. If she had not insisted on marrying him in the past, perhaps the two of them would be living separate and happy lives now. "Sister Fan has already gone home. Although it''s not her fault, this matter is still related to her and our family can''t employ her anymore," Xu Lan said regretfully. "So it means Qiao Mei is attacked by that gardener!" Xia He said.I think you should take a look at pandasnovel.com "That gardener is just a hired thug and not an important character. When we found him, he was already dead. The nanny from Qiao Mei''s house, Wei Hao, was also dead. The two of them died together in a very tragic manner," Xia Xiu said with a frown. "Dead? Murdered? Those people are too bold! How can this be!" Xia He said in shock. "It''s not just them. There''s also the possibility that Tan Jing has a very low chance of survival. The doctor just told us that Tan Jing was injected with a large amount of drugs and the wounds on her body are starting to fester. The chances of her being cured are very low. For now, we can only use tranquilizers to control Tan Jing and treat her external injuries. The damages which the drugs caused to her body might stay with her for the rest of her life," Xia Xiu said regretfully. This was the first time Xia He felt that her family had protected her very well. She had never heard of such things until now. How could someone be so inhumane and kill people without batting an eyelid? "Then what should we do next?" Xu Lan asked calmly. Xia Mao and Xia Xiu had already made arrangements for the next steps. Now that they knew who their opponents were, they were the ones holding the upper hand. Since the Xia family''s children had gotten into trouble one after another, it meant that those people would soon make a move on Xia Zhe. It was about time. Xia Mao and Xia Xiu had other things to do. Luo Yu had already secured the area surrounding the Xia family residence and would make sure that no suspicious person could get close to the perimeter. Actually, there were usually a few guard team members stationed near Qiao Mei''s house. However, on the day of the incident, the capital''s army unit was holding a recruitment drive. Every festive season, the military would organize training sessions. For the soldiers, being chosen to become a ceremonial guard was tantamount to getting a promotion! The guard team members were also considered a part of the army. Those young men with dreams and ambitions could take this opportunity to fight for the promotion. Therefore, Luo Yu transferred the guard team members back in batches so that they could be screened by the military representatives. He did not expect that when he did that, Cheng Gu found a way to take advantage of the situation. Luo Yu had only wanted to be part of the Xia family''s guard team for the rest of his life. He was satisfied with a position where he could always see Xia He, even if it meant that his job was to protect her family. However, after this incident, it made him understand that he could only protect Xia He and the Xia family well if he himself became strong enough. Of course, Cheng Gu would not let Xia Zhe off. Xia Zhe was Xia Mao''s most favored son. If he hurt Xia Zhe, the Xia family''s foundation would be completely destroyed and they would not be able to have any achievements in the military in the future. Chapter 1158 News Of The Death ? Cheng Gu wanted to see who else would be so blind as to block his way! Anyone who got in his way would not have an easy time! Everyone in the Xia family must be buried together with his dead brothers! Even after the Xia family members died, he wanted to chop off their heads and make the heads into incense burners to be placed in front of the graves of his dead brothers. Even in hell, they must suffer the torture of his brothers! Otherwise, Cheng Gu really could not let it go! Cheng Gu originally wanted to make Xia Zhe spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair, but he had changed his mind. He wanted to chop off Xia Zhe''s head and make it into his new footrest! He wanted Xia Zhe to be stomped on by his feet day and night! Xia Zhe received a call from his family before the end of his mission. The military did not allow phone calls unless it was absolutely necessary. When he checked the date, he noted that it was almost time for Qiao Mei to give birth. Could it be that the children had arrived? He ran to the military phone excitedly and said with a smile, "Report! This is Xia Zhe! What instructions do you have for me?" ?andasnovel.com "I''m your father" Before Xia Mao could say anything, he was interrupted by Xia Zhe''s excited voice. "Father! Has Qiao Mei given birth! How''s Qiao Mei? Is Qiao Mei in good health? Did she suffer from giving birth? Father, tell me, did Qiao Mei suffer?" Xia Zhe only asked about Qiao Mei and did not ask about the health of his children at all. He only had eyes for Qiao Mei. This made it even more difficult for Xia Mao to lie to Xia Zhe, but for the sake of the plan, he had no choice but to do it. "Xiao Zhe, hear me out. Qiao Mei she''s gone. She gave birth to two children, a boy and a girl, and they haven''t been named yet. Qiao Mei''s wish is for the two grandfathers to come up with a name each. Also, Qiao Mei''s grandfather has fallen ill and your grandfather''s health has worsened. They''re both in the hospital, but don''t worry too much" Xia Mao listed down all the different things which happened. Xia Zhe only heard the first few sentences but not the rest.I think you should take a look at pandasnovel.com Qiao Mei was gone Where did Qiao Mei go? Did she go back to her hometown? In what sense was she "gone"? He had not returned home yet, so why did Qiao Mei leave? "Father Qiao Mei Qiao Mei, she" Xia Zhe was so nervous that he could not speak. His throat felt like it was being strangled and it was especially difficult for him to breathe. "Yes You have to be mentally prepared. Qiao Mei, she she has left this world. The reason for this phone call is to ask you to come back and see her for one last time." In the end, Xia Mao still tried to deliver the message to Xia Zhe in a vague way. He did not want to use the word "dead" as it was too cruel and he could not bring himself to say it. Xia Zhe did not get overwhelmed by his sorrow. His intuition told him that this matter was not so simple. Xia Fang had frequently asked Xia Mao to tell him about the results of Qiao Mei''s prenatal examinations and the development progress of the two children. The results had been very good all this while. Why would something go wrong now? Something else must have happened. Xia Mao was not telling him the truth and he would never believe that Qiao Mei was already dead. Even if she was dead, he must see it with his own eyes. He must see her, be it dead or alive. "Is Qiao Mei''s death caused by a medical issue or an accident?" Xia Zhe asked with a trembling voice. "It''s an accident. I''ve already put up a request with your superior for your transfer. Someone else will cover your work for a period of time. The children are still young and they need their father to be around. They can''t be without their father after losing their mother. You should stay in the capital until the children grow up," Xia Mao said. Xia Mao would not bear to let such an outstanding kid languish in the capital. It would be like keeping him in a cage. Xia Zhe had a bright future ahead of him and he was meant for bigger and better things. Xia Mao was only putting on an act. Only by putting on such an act would others believe that something had really happened to the Xia family. It would just be hard on Xia Zhe to have to grieve for a period of time. However, it was probably a good thing to let him experience the feeling of losing Qiao Mei. In the future, he would cherish and love Qiao Mei even more and this experience would also help the young couple maintain a loving and harmonious relationship. "Yes, I understand. I''ll set off immediately," Xia Zhe said. Chapter 1159 Returning To The Capital ? After hanging up the phone, Xia Zhe walked back to the dormitory like a zombie. He looked at his cabinet and thought that there was nothing much to pack. He just wanted to return to Qiao Mei''s side immediately and stay with her all the time. When Zhao Wu saw Xia Zhe, he immediately put his arm around Xia Zhe''s shoulder and said, "Oh my, are you officially a father now! Can I be your child''s godfather!" "Shoo, shoo, shoo! Why are you fighting with me! How can you be the godfather of Xia Zhe''s child with your sloppy character! I''m a much better candidate!" Zhang Yong looked at Zhao Wu with disdain. Zhao Wu did not want to argue with Zhang Yong. He was feeling very excited at the moment. Among them, Xia Zhe was the first one to become a father. He was very curious about what babies were like, especially about whether Xia Zhe''s children would look exactly like Xia Zhe. Seeing that Xia Zhe did not speak for a long time, Zhao Wu asked, "Why are you in a daze? What happened? Don''t tell me you were too shocked by the huge surprise? Don''t tease me. You didn''t even blink when you met so many bandits in the mountain region. Yet you can''t even speak after your wife gives birth!" Xia Zhe stammered, "Qiao Mei she''s dead" "What nonsense are you talking about?" Zhao Wu looked at Xia Zhe in shock. Zhang Yong did not say anything and only patted Xia Zhe''s shoulder. In the light of such a situation, it was useless for them to say anything. The only thing they could do was to be there for Xia Zhe when he needed them. pandasnovel.com The three of them knew one another very well. Both men knew that what Xia Zhe needed the most now was peace and quiet. Zhao Wu and Zhang Yong went out to take a walk together, letting Xia Zhe spend time in the dormitory alone. Xia Zhe packed his luggage and set off towards the north in the car allocated to him by the military district, heading in the direction of the capital. He was fully focused on the road ahead and would at times urge the chauffeur to drive faster, so that he could reach the capital as soon as possible. Initially, the chauffeur had planned to take a relatively smoother road. Although the travel time would take half a day more, it was very safe and there would not be any surprises. He liked to use this route the most. Xia Zhe, on the other hand, wanted to use the mountain road. If they traveled on a straight route using the smooth road, it would take about five days to get back. Even if the two of them took turns to drive day and night, it would still take them four days. However, it would be different if they took the mountain road. They could reach the capital in three days. If the two of them took turns driving, they would probably be able to reach in less than two days. After the two of them had a discussion, the chauffeur drove in the direction of the mountain road. However, it was already getting late and they were forced to take a rest at the foot of the mountain for the night and set off at dawn the next day.I think you should take a look at pandasnovel.com After they arrived at the guest house, the chauffeur lay on the bed and fell asleep immediately. Xia Zhe looked out of the window quietly. He could not fall asleep and did not want to sleep either. His mind was filled with thoughts of the capital, but the chauffeur was right. No matter how urgent the matter was, he must still protect his own life. Now that his children had already lost their mother, he could not let them lose their father too. Suddenly, the distinct whistle tone used by the Xia family''s spies could be heard outside the door. It was very soft but Xia Zhe could recognize it right away. A note was thrown in through the crack in the door. Xia Zhe hurriedly ran over to read it. There were only a few words written on it, "Go along with the plan". There was nothing else. He quickly recalled Xia Mao''s tone of voice during the call with him and the contents of their conversation. It did not sound like Xia Mao''s usual tone of voice at all. It seemed that there was something more to this matter. Xia Mao did not tell him the truth because he was worried that the plan would become exposed and fail. Xia Zhe immediately burned the note. He lay on the bed and took a quick rest. At the crack of dawn, Xia Zhe and the chauffeur immediately set off. If someone was going to come at him, the only thing they wanted must be his life. All these were simply small matters to him. He had many such experiences after so many years of missions. He had offended so many people over the years that there was always someone who wanted to take his life, but no one was capable enough. This chauffeur was Xia Zhe''s subordinate and there was definitely no problem with him. However, this car was not theirs. Xia Zhe used hand gestures to inform the chauffeur of his plan and the chauffeur immediately understood what he meant. When they were about to reach the midway spot up the mountain, Xia Zhe swapped places with the chauffeur. Xia Zhe would drive the car personally to lure out the people who wanted to ambush them. Xia Zhe wanted to end the fight quickly. He did not want this matter to delay his return to the capital. The car gradually reached a steep mountain road with slopes on both sides. If one was not careful, one could easily roll down and plunge into the river at the foot of the slope. Chapter 1160 - 1160 Exaggerated Acting 1160 Exaggerated Acting Xia Zhes intuition told him that this should be the spot of the ambush. If the person who wanted to kill him did not set up an ambush here, then this person was not even worthy of being his opponent. Xia Zhe drove very slowly. He suddenly realized that there was something strange about the soil on the ground, as if it had been dug up previously. On such a dangerous and deserted road, the soil on the road should not be this color. There was also a lot of soil covering the grass beside the road. How old are you this year? Xia Zhe suddenly turned around and asked the chauffeur. Me! Im already 35 years old! Im much older than you. The chauffeur focused on Xia Zhes expression. On the surface, he looked nonchalant, but in reality, they both knew that it was time. Xia Zhe suddenly stepped on the accelerator. As the car drove across the strange-looking part of the road, it triggered a mechanism and the entire car was blown up by a bomb. The raging flames wrapped around the car tightly and kept becoming bigger. The sound of the explosion echoed in the mountains for a long time. As soon as Lu Miao heard the sound, he sent his men to the location of the ambush. Two underlings ran over furtively. After some consideration, Lu Miao remained worried. The last time when these underlings were told to make the markings for Xia Wen, they had screwed it up. This time, the boss attached special importance to Xia Zhe. He could not let anything go wrong! He did not want to die at Cheng Gus hands so soon! Moreover, it would be such an unjust death! When will this bunch of trash improve! Id better go and take a look at it myself! Lu Miao said with a frown. Their current subordinates were all newly recruited. The previous batch had all been exterminated by the Xia family. It was inevitable that the new batch was not as competent as the old batch. When Lu Miao arrived, the car had already been burned to the point that only the bare frame was left. He could vaguely see two bodies in the front seats. Given the ferocity of the fire, the bodies must be badly burned by now. Alright, lets go back and report it. Lu Miao whistled happily. They set off joyfully on their journey back and did not notice that there were some tails following closely behind them. Only after Lu Miao and his group left did Xia Zhe and the chauffeur stuck their heads out of the water. When they accelerated earlier, they had used their shoes to jam the accelerator and then jumped out immediately. This was how they had managed to avoid the disaster. This was likely to be part of the plan which Xia Mao had mentioned. The two of them followed the river current to the meeting location arranged by the Xia family. They changed into clean clothes and then continued driving towards the capital. Xia Mao and Xia Xiu also had parts to play in the plan. Along the way, the siblings did not speak. This was their usual behavior. It was Xia Mao who did not like to talk and had nothing to do with Xia Xiu. Eldest brother, do you know how to act? Xia Xiu asked skeptically. Such a loud explosion would definitely attract the attention of the media and the villagers nearby. Once this matter blew up, people would definitely find out that the victim was Xia Zhe. As Xia Zhes father, he must put on an act in front of everyone and shed tears to make them believe that the person who died in the car was Xia Zhe. I why not you play the part, Xia Mao said awkwardly. Im not Xia Zhes father, so you have to do it. Youd better not slip up. Cheng Gu isnt a fool and can tell if its an act or not. Just think about what expression you should have on your face later! Xia Xiu said gloatingly. Xia Mao sighed deeply. Life was so difficult. The car soon arrived at the location where Xia Zhes car had crashed. Before Xia Xiu could react, Xia Mao pushed open the car door with all his might, got out of the car and ran towards the explosion site. As he ran, he shouted Xia Zhes name. His action stunned Xia Xiu to the spot. Was this the acting skills that Xia Mao mentioned? It was really exaggerated Xia Mao even wanted to approach the burning wreckage to search for Xia Zhe, but Xia Xiu held him back. Eldest Brother! Calm down! That car is still dangerous! You cant approach it! Xia Xiu said as she grabbed Xia Maos arm tightly. Thats my sons car! Xiao Xiu! We have to save him! Xia Mao pointed at the car agitatedly. Xia Xiu almost could not hold back her laughter, but she kept it in and continued to put on an act. It was possible that Cheng Gus subordinates were among the crowd. Chapter 1161 Leaving The Scene ? The Xia siblings'' forte was not in fire fighting and carrying out disaster relief. If they rushed into the scene now, it would only delay the work of the response team. It was better to wait quietly at the perimeter. By the time Xia Mao and Xia Xiu arrived, it was already four hours after the accident. The villagers around the area had called the police when they heard the loud explosion, asking for help to deal with the fire and the aftermath of the accident. Most of the people living around here relied on this mountain for their survival. A lot of wild vegetables, even mushrooms, grew on this mountain and there were a lot of fruit trees. All these were a source of income for the villages. If the entire forest burned down because of the explosion, it would threaten their survival. "Eldest Brother, whatever it is, it has already happened. We have to accept the fact. Perhaps this is not Xia Zhe''s car? We shouldn''t get too anxious. Let''s wait for the staff to tell us what they found out," Xia Xiu lowered her head and said in a choked voice. "I guess there''s no other way. We can only wait for now," Xia Mao said sadly. There were three or four people behaving sneakily in the crowd and who kept looking in their direction. These were probably the people planted by Cheng Gu. Given that there were many villagers around, as well as police officers, Cheng Gu would not attack Xia Mao at this time. He would have to be extremely arrogant to do something like that. After about three to four hours, the scene was almost all cleaned up. The response team prepared to pack up and return to their office to run tests on the evidence collected at the scene and start the investigation work. Xia Xiu took out her work pass and said, "Hello. This is the car which my nephew is supposedly driving back to the capital. I want to know I want to know how many people there are in the car and the age of the deceased." "There are two people. At the moment, we can''t confirm how old the deceased are, but we can confirm that they are two men. We still have to carry out further search and rescue operations and investigations. Please trust us and wait patiently. Thank you." The response team left after saying that. Although Xia Xiu knew that it was not Xia Zhe and the chauffeur, she could not stop herself from trembling when she heard about the two bodies. The Xia family had managed to buy these two corpses from the black market, even though they did not know anyone from there. For people like them to do any dealings with the black market, it would be like a police officer making friends with a thief. It was very strange behavior and no one would trust them.I think you should take a look at They had He Ning to thank for this. He Ning''s condition was very simple. He simply wanted Qiao Mei''s ginseng but he would not take advantage of the Xia family. He would pay the Xia family 20% of the original price. He Ning was an opportunist. He would not do anything if he did not benefit from it. "Eldest Brother, let''s go back Xiao Zhe, he he won''t come back to life" Xia Xiu said sadly. Xia Mao suddenly fainted. Xia Xiu was so shocked that she quickly called out for help to carry Xia Mao into the car so that she could send him to Xia Fang''s hospital for treatment. In the car, Xia Xiu held Xia Mao''s wrist tightly to check whether he was really unconscious or just pretending. She was a very experienced interrogator. The rhythm of a person''s heartbeat could tell her everything about that person''s condition. Xia Mao''s heartbeat was steady and strong and he did seem sick or flustered at all. He was just pretending! Xia Zhe and the chauffeur sat quietly in the car sent by the Xia family. The car headed towards the suburbs and bypassed the capital. "Xiao An, where exactly are you taking us?" Xia Zhe asked. "Since it''s been announced that you''re dead, you can''t appear in front of the general public anymore. There will probably be many pairs of eyes on the Xia family residence tonight, so we have to send the two of you to the suburbs to stay for a couple of days. You can go back after the enemy''s spies leave," Xiao An explained. Xia Zhe said unhappily, "Turn around. I want to go to the hospital. I want to see Qiao Mei. Send me there!" Xiao An was caught in a dilemma. By right, Xia Zhe could be considered his superior and he could not disobey Xia Zhe''s orders. However, Luo Yu had already instructed him not to take any instructions from Xia Zhe at all, otherwise it would lead to a disaster! "Brother Xia Zhe, please spare me. If you go back now, the enemy will be able to make a comeback. In that case, the people we send after them will also be exposed. Just bear with it for us, is that alright?" Xiao An said with a troubled expression. Chapter 1162 Thankfully You Are Fine ? Xiao An knew that what he said sounded overboard and was unpleasant to hear. If he was in Xia Zhe''s shoes, he definitely would not be able to accept such a way of handling this matter. Xia Zhe remained silent. In his heart, no one was more important than Qiao Mei. However, what about the rest of the people who were still alive? To take revenge for Qiao Mei, these people were not afraid to face death. If all of them lost their lives because of his willfulness, it would be an outcome that Qiao Mei also would not agree with. If one was dead, one was dead. Even if he went to Qiao Mei''s side immediately, he would not be able to revive her. It was better better to allow the people who were alive to live safe and well. Xia Mao and Xia Xiu entered Xia Fang''s hospital through the main door. Immediately after, they slipped out of the back door when no one was paying attention. It was inconvenient for them to go home now, so Xia Mao wanted to go and meet Xia Zhe first. He had not seen Xia Zhe for such a long time and Xia Zhe even had to experience such an incident. He was quite worried about Xia Zhe. The two charred corpses from earlier had also left a deep impression on him. A thought kept echoing in his mind. "What would you do if it was Xia Zhe?" Yes, what would he do, and what could he do? Xia Mao finally realized how important it was to spend time with his family. All the memories he had were of his missions and he could not remember anything about his family. He had been totally absent from all his three children''s childhoods. The fact that these three children did not hate him was already the best thing he could hope for. He was very satisfied with that. "Where''s Xiao Zhe?" Xia Mao asked as he rushed into the house under the cover of darkness. "I''m here, Father." Xia Zhe felt a little flattered. Xia Mao had never addressed him so casually before. Xia Mao had always called him using his full name. "It''s so great that you''re fine," Xia Mao said emotionally. Xia Zhe still wanted to go to the hospital to see Qiao Mei. He would not be able to feel at ease until he saw Qiao Mei. "Father, Qiao Mei, she" Xia Zhe said hesitantly.I think you should take a look at "It''s been hard on you, my child. Tonight, Luo Yu and the team will go around and check if there are any suspicious people nearby. If they don''t find anything tonight, then we can go back tomorrow," Xia Mao said. Xia Zhe nodded. After exchanging a few pleasantries, they all went to take their rest. It was not until the next night that Luo Yu could confirm that Cheng Gu''s men were not nearby. He then informed Xia Mao and the others. Xia Zhe could not wait to reach the hospital immediately. Xiao An secretly brought them back to the hospital and they went up through the VIP passageway. Xia Zhe stood in front of Qiao Mei''s ward and did not dare to go in. He did not know what kind of expression he should put on to see Qiao Mei, whether to pretend to be calm or to cry bitterly. Finally, he steeled his nerves and walked into the ward. When he pushed the door open and entered, he thought he would see Qiao Mei lying on a bed with a white cloth covering her or lying in a freezer like the type within the funeral parlor. However, what Xia Zhe saw was Qiao Mei carrying a little baby. It was an image that was warm and blissful. "Hey! You''re back! Come and take a look at our children! They''re so cute! The older boy looks like you and the younger girl looks like me. They''re so good-looking," Qiao Mei said to Xia Zhe with a wide smile. As she smiled, her eyes looked like crescent moons and she looked very beautiful. Xia Zhe could not believe the scene in front of him. He pinched his thigh forcefully to make sure that it was not an illusion before walking forward. He wanted to reach out and hug Qiao Mei, but he had not showered or washed up for many days and his face was covered in dust. He did not know if he was carrying any germs and he did not want to pass them to his children. "Sister Feng, you can bring them back." Qiao Mei seemed to sense Xia Zhe''s concerns and asked Feng Hua to bring the children back to the nursery. "What''s wrong? Are you dumbstruck? Why are you still standing there motionlessly?" Qiao Mei asked. "I I" Xia Zhe choked on his words. He did not know how to describe his current feelings. It was the joy of regaining something he had lost, and also the feeling of being so touched to be able to see his wife again. "What do you mean by you, you! Come and hug me!" Qiao Mei opened her arms domineeringly to hug Xia Zhe, but she accidentally stretched the wound on her stomach. It was so painful that she gasped audibly. Xia Zhe was so frightened that he quickly held Qiao Mei''s hands and did not even dare to breathe loudly. "What''s wrong? Are you feeling unwell? I''ll go get the doctor! Wait for me! I''ll go get the doctor!" Xia Zhe said in a panic. "I''m fine~ Just sit down. I feel dizzy looking at how flustered you are," Qiao Mei said coquettishly. Chapter 1163 Like A Panda ? Xia Zhe sat up primly beside Qiao Mei and did not even dare to breathe loudly. He only wanted to quietly imprint Qiao Mei''s current appearance into his brain and remember this moment. He felt like he had not looked at Qiao Mei so closely for a long time. The last time they sat together like this was when they were still in Foshan Village. "What are you looking at?" Qiao Mei looked at her clothes in confusion. She did not drip any soup on her clothes. Also, the clothes did not smell bad. She had only just changed into this new set of clothes. "I''m just a little agitated and I want to take a good look at you. You have no idea how anxious I''ve been these past few days," Xia Zhe said sadly. It was only when Qiao Mei woke up from the operation that she found out about the news which the Xia family had released to the public. Since then, she had been trapped in this small room every day and could not even go out to take a breath of fresh air. The good thing was that Qiao Qiang''s health was fine and he had recovered quite well. It was just that he was no longer friendly towards Xia Jun. He was still angry with Xia Jun! At their age, they were no different from children. It was common for them to quarrel and throw tantrums. The dark circles under Xia Zhe''s eyes were so big and jet-black that he almost looked like a panda. Qiao Mei was worried that Xia Zhe would faint from exhaustion. If that happened, then instead of Xia Zhe taking care of her, she would have to take care of him! Xia Zhe still looked at Qiao Mei sulkily. He held her hands and refused to let go, afraid that she would disappear if he let go. He only felt at ease when he could feel the warmth from her body. "It''s not your fault at all. I was careless and allowed someone to take advantage of the situation. Don''t take it to heart. I''m fine now, aren''t I? Don''t worry," Qiao Mei said as she held Xia Zhe''s hands. "When people want to harm you, they will seize whatever opportunity they have. It''s impossible to guard against them and it''s useless no matter how careful you are. If there''s anyone to blame, it''s me. I didn''t take good care of you. I didn''t fulfill the promise I made to you back then and I don''t know how to face your grandfather," Xia Zhe said apologetically. During the time when Zheng Yuan caused trouble, Xia Zhe had told Qiao Mei that he would definitely protect her well and not let her get hurt at all. Later on, when she reached the capital, she first met Qian''e and then He Mei. Now, she was suddenly attacked again. If not for Qiao Mei''s good fortune, she might have died by now! Qiao Mei also did not know whether Qiao Qiang would reprimand Xia Zhe later. After all, Qiao Qiang did not even cut Xia Jun any slack. Xia Mao did not even dare to visit Qiao Qiang. He would leave his gifts at the door and ask the helper to send them in and to let Qiao Qiang know that he had come by. From the looks of it, there was a high chance that Xia Zhe would get a scolding as well.I think you should take a look at "It''s fine! I''m here! Grandfather won''t scold you! As long as I act cute, he won''t be angry anymore," Qiao Mei said with a laugh. "I don''t believe you. Even my grandfather didn''t manage to catch a break, so why would I be the exception. However, I deserve to be scolded. I definitely won''t let you be in danger again in the future," Xia Zhe said firmly. The two of them whispered sweet nothings to each other for a long time before Xia Xiu knocked on the door and said, "Xia Zhe, it''s time to go." The family had not announced that Qiao Mei was still alive. If anyone found out that Xia Zhe had stayed inside the ward for very long, it would definitely raise suspicions. After all, the Xia family had previously indicated that Xia Jun was staying in this ward. "I Wait for me. After I catch the culprit, I''ll definitely come and see you immediately," Xia Zhe said. "Sure, but you have to rest well too. You can''t look like this the next time you come here. You look like a giant panda now," Qiao Mei said with a smile. "Then it''s a deal." After saying that, Xia Zhe turned around and left the ward. When he reached the door, he still looked back reluctantly. Xia Jun was still getting lectured in Qiao Qiang''s ward every day! Even when they played chess, Qiao Qiang would find a way to criticize him sarcastically. "Oh my! Why do I lose to you again? Seriously, can''t you just give in to me," Xia Jun pretended to be annoyed and complained to Qiao Qiang. "You can''t play well and you still want me to go easy on you. Why don''t you get those criminals to go easy on us and ask them to let my granddaughter off!" Qiao Qiang muttered moodily. Xia Jun did not dare to make a sound. He quietly tidied up the chessboard and continued to coax Qiao Qiang to play another round. The outcome was still the same as before, with his chess pieces being completely obliterated by Qiao Qiang. Chapter 1164 - 1164 Dead People Cannot Stand 1164 Dead People Cannot Stand When Xia Zhe pushed open the door and entered the room, he happened to witness the scene of Qiao Qiang scolding Xia Jun. He immediately regretted barging in so hastily. Look, I still cant win against you! Xia Jun said resignedly. Hmph, when have you ever beaten me? Youve never beaten me before, Qiao Qiang said with a cold snort. Grandfather, are you playing chess? Xia Zhe said with a smile. Qiao Qiang looked up in disdain and totally ignored Xia Zhe. He turned around and gave Xia Zhe the cold shoulder. Xia Jun spread his hands out at Xia Zhe, indicating that there was nothing he could do. Looking at Qiao Qiangs attitude now, it looked as if no one would be able to coax him. Grandfather, I came back in a hurry this time and didnt bring you anything. My friend has some good Puer tea. Ill bring some for you to try the next time I come, Xia Zhe said. The next time you come? Am I supposed to stay in this hospital for the rest of my life? Are you going to make me stay here until I die of old age! Qiao Qiang roared angrily. No, no! Thats not what I mean! Xia Zhe quickly explained. Alright, alright. The two of you should just leave. Dont keep appearing in front of me anymore and making me annoyed. Come and see me only when youve caught the culprit! Since you have so much free time, you should go and capture him! Qiao Qiang said. Xia Jun waved his hand to ask Xia Zhe to go out quickly. He was here to take care of things. If Xia Zhe provoked Qiao Qiang now, he would keep getting nasty scoldings. Xia Zhe retreated silently and left the ward. He stood in the corridor and looked at the door of Qiao Meis ward. He felt like going in to see Qiao Mei again, but the urgency of the situation meant that he had to endure it for a while longer. Once the culprit was caught, their little family would be able to reunite again. Xia Fang drove back to the Xia family residence with Xia Zhe. Along the way, Xia Zhe remained silent. He slowly tried to connect all the information he already knew but there were still many parts that were incomplete. He knew that when he reached home later, Xia Mao would show him the intelligence reports. Perhaps he would be able to connect all the dots then. Xu Lan and Xia He were cleaning up the house. The house was in a mess and they did not have time to look for someone to replace Sister Fan, so they had to do all the chores themselves. Suddenly, they could hear the sound of a car outside the door. Xu Lan looked out warily and Luo Yu also asked everyone to be on guard. Luo Yu felt at ease only when he saw that the approaching cars plate number belonged to the Xia family. Xia Zhe! Youre finally back! I miss you so much! Luo Yu went forward and hugged Xia Zhes shoulder as soon as he got out of the car. When he first heard the news about Xia Zhe, he really thought that Xia Zhe had died in that explosion and was sad for a long time! If not for the fact that he was on duty, he would have brought two bottles of good wine to the location of the accident to send Xia Zhe off. Fortunately, Xia Mao told him the truth. It was only then that he could finally relax. It was rare for one to be able to meet a confidant in ones life and Xia Zhe was a good friend who really knew him well. If Xia Zhe had died, he would probably feel terrible for a long time. Of course its me. Im a lucky man. How can I die so easily, Xia Zhe said. Xu Lan looked out of the house and muttered to herself, Whos back? Xia He also followed Xu Lans gaze and looked out. It was Xia Zhe! Xia Zhe was back! Mother! Its my younger brother! My younger brother! Mother, look! My younger brother is still alive! Xia He said excitedly. Xia Zhe! Youre finally back! Do you know how worried I am! You little brat, you made me so worried! Xu Lan quickly rushed out of the door and hugged Xia Zhe as she complained tearfully. Xia He called out to the entire family to come out and welcome Xia Zhe home. Luo Yu quickly herded them into the house. Currently, Xia Zhe was still a dead person to the public! How could a dead person be standing in the courtyard? Alright, alright. Lets go into the house quickly. Its not safe outside, Luo Yu instructed. Xia Zhe hugged Xu Lan as they quickly walked back into the house. Xu Lan looked at Xia Zhe with tears in her eyes. She had not seen him for such a long time. He had lost so much weight that his cheeks were sunken. Was this really her son? She even felt that she was in a dream now. Younger brother, are you injured? Are you feeling unwell anywhere? Do you need me to call the family doctor to come and take a look at you? Xia He asked with heartache. Elder sister, Im fine. Besides, Father is the one who set up this plan. Dont worry, Im really not lying to both of you, Xia Zhe said seriously. Chapter 1165 Doting On His Wife ? Everyone sat on the sofa and looked at one another. Xu Lan and the others kept wondering if they should mention Qiao Mei in front of Xia Zhe, while Xia Zhe wondered why they suddenly stopped talking to him. He wondered if there was something that they found difficult to talk about. "Um let''s let''s eat first! Sister Xiu has been so tired for so many days! I specially made chicken soup today!" Liu Fen said with a smile. Everyone hurriedly took their seats at the table. Xia Mao and Xia Wen also came down from upstairs. Both of them looked very tired. "This soup is quite delicious. Second Aunt-in-law, do you have any more? Ask Luo Yu to send some to Qiao Mei and both grandfathers later," Xia Zhe said as he drank the soup. "Of course! I''ve already prepared their portions in the thermal containers! I''ll get Luo Yu to send them over now!" Liu Fen ran to the kitchen to take the meal containers and went out to look for Luo Yu. She repeatedly reminded him to drive steadily and not to spill anything. This was chicken soup that she had boiled and simmered for an entire morning! There were even some ginseng roots inside! It was very nourishing food! At the dining table, everyone was silent. Given that the matter was not resolved yet, everyone had their own troubles weighing on their minds. Xia He was worried about Xia Zhe''s health. She was concerned that Xia Zhe would always relay good news to them but not the bad. If he was badly injured but did not take it seriously, it would be too late for regrets in the future. Xia Wen, on the other hand, was worried about Xia He. After all, Xia He was only released upon Xia Xiu''s request. There was still insufficient evidence to exonerate her and he did not know when he would be able to find enough evidence. There were even more worries in Xia Zhe''s mind. Qiao Mei had already been hurt to such an extent. He must make everyone who harmed her pay the price. Even if it was a member of this family, he would not look past any wrongdoings. He would definitely find out who this parasite of the Xia family was. The room meant for Qiao Mei was disinfected and sterilized every day. Considering that Xia Zhe''s health condition was currently unknown, it was not a good idea for him to use the room in case he was infected with any viruses. Xu Lan did not want Qiao Mei and the children to fall sick and would not allow the slightest possibility of any virus being near them. Xia Mao always advised her to be less tensed up. He told her that if children did not experience some storms when they were young, they would grow up to be like flowers in a greenhouse, i.e. easily withered under the sun. It was better to let children grow up to be like the indestructible pine trees which grew in the border province. "Have a good rest after dinner. Everyone is tired. Xia Zhe, don''t use the bedroom meant for you and Qiao Mei. Just make do in the guest room for a few days," Xia Mao said.I think you should take a look at In the end, Xia Mao could not win the argument with Xu Lan. After all, she was his wife and he had to listen to her. Otherwise, they would just end up arguing non-stop at night. He was most scared of her tears. The moment she cried, he would agree to anything, even if it was an extremely unreasonable request. When Xu Lan was pregnant with Xia He, she had a craving for watermelon. However, where could he find watermelons for Xu Lan right in the middle of winter? Moreover, she could eat a lot during that time and could finish one watermelon a day! She had a huge appetite. After she ate watermelons for four consecutive days, Xia Mao issued an order that watermelons were not allowed to appear at home for the time being and that they should buy something else for her. In the end, she wept until midnight and insisted on eating watermelons, saying that she would die with the baby if she could not have any. He had no choice but to head out of the capital late at night to buy watermelons for her. Just like that, the night passed quietly. Early the next morning, Xia Zhe went into the study. He wanted to catch up with everything that had happened during this period of time when he was not around. The Xia family had a team of specially trained spies, but Xia Zhe was different. Xia Zhe had his own team of spies. Although there were only three people in his team, they were all extremely outstanding. Xia Zhe did not usually need them to do much. They traveled around and took on other jobs during the lull period. They always felt like they were unemployed vagrants. Their employer did not give them any tasks, so they had to go out and find their own work. It was time for him to activate them. No one dared to go to the study to disturb Xia Zhe. Anyway, there was no immediate urgency to deal with Cheng Gu. All the Xia family members were in this house now. They were safe unless Cheng Gu was bold enough to rush into the neighborhood and die together with them. "Just put food outside the study door so that Xia Zhe can eat when he is hungry. He knows what he''s doing," Xia Xiu said. "Really? I''m concerned that he''ll starve," Xu Lan said worriedly. Chapter 1166 Basic Trust ? She was sure that he did not eat much on the way back and he had even encountered such a dangerous explosion. After so many days, he must be exhausted. If he still did not eat well at home, he would definitely fall ill within a few days. "In the army, sometimes there are occasions when we don''t get to eat for a few days. When we run out of food, we even need to eat weeds to survive. Don''t worry, Xia Zhe won''t starve to death. He''s not a fool. He just doesn''t like to be disturbed when he''s concentrating on his thoughts. Just let him be." Xia Xiu looked very proud when she said this. Xu Lan could not understand her family members'' military way of thinking. She could not help being worried about Xia Zhe. She was almost unable to withstand the stress of seeing her children getting into trouble one after another. At night, Xia Zhe received news from his spies. The report he received was even more detailed than what Xia Mao had. The most glaring part of the information were the words "Tan Jing". He would never have dreamed that it was Tan Jing who colluded with those people who wanted to destroy the Xia family. She actually worked with them to attack the Xia family! No! It would be more accurate to say that her target was Qiao Mei and their small family. Xia Zhe walked out of the study with a dark expression and everyone''s eyes were on him. Xia Zhe held the photos and documents in his hand and did not know where to start. Xia Wen was also sitting in the living room. "Xia Zhe, come down and eat! I cooked today! You haven''t tasted my cooking for many years! Come and try!" Xu Lan said expectantly. Xia Zhe suppressed the anger in his heart. He would have a meal with his family first and settle the score later. "Eldest Brother, do you know the reason for Qiao Mei''s incident?" Xia Zhe sat on the sofa after the meal and questioned Xia Wen coldly. "I I don''t know. I only have fragments of information and I can''t seem to put them together," Xia Wen said honestly. "Take a look at this. This is what I found. I think it''s also the last thing you want to see," Xia Zhe said as he handed the brown envelope to Xia Wen. After Xia Wen opened it, he could not believe what he saw. The traitor was not only Sister Fan''s husband, but also Tan Jing That was his wifeI think you should take a look at There were three pages of detailed records, listing down information like the exact date when Tan Jing first met Cheng Gu, the separate occasions she met him after that, and even the date of that one night when Cheng Gu stayed overnight in that house in the countryside. The two of them were alone in the same room and no one knew what they did inside. Furthermore, these were only the information provided by the villagers, which meant that it was only the tip of the iceberg. There were still more things that Xia Wen did not know. After what happened to Tan Jing, Xia Wen had gone to that house to take a look and his impression was that Tan Jing had maintained the place very well. He was proud of how capable she was and had felt even more guilt towards her. In the end, she had received help from another man and many people actually thought that she and the other man were husband and wife. Where did this leave him, her actual husband? Perhaps he really did not put in effort in the relationship, which was why the villain had a chance to take advantage of the situation and put the Xia family in danger. He had been muddle-headed during this period of time. What exactly was he doing all this while! "I I''m sorry. I''m the one who caused Qiao Mei to get hurt," Xia Wen said apologetically. "Eldest Brother, this is not your fault. It''s all because of Tan Jing''s jealousy and the Tan family''s greed. Don''t take the blame for everything," Xia Zhe patted Xia Wen''s shoulder and comforted him. Xia He hurriedly snatched the documents and read the report word for word. She was so furious that she crumpled the papers in her hand, as if every word written on it was a knife that could hurt Qiao Mei. "This Tan Jing! She''s such a jinx!" Xia He said resentfully. Everyone frowned. None of them had even thought about suspecting Tan Jing. No matter the kind of danger they were in or how serious this matter was, they did not think about casting any suspicions on Tan Jing. This was because Tan Jing was a member of the Xia family and she was the family''s daughter-in-law. They would not suspect any Xia family members. This was the most basic trust which everyone gave to everyone. They all thought that although Tan Jing was just a very jealous person, she still had a good character, and that she would have grown up to be a good kid if not for the kind of maternal family she had. However, from the looks of it, they had completely underestimated the evilness of the human heart. In order to seriously injure Qiao Mei, Tan Jing did not hesitate to cooperate with outsiders, even if it meant the Xia family would be doomed. She did not even check on Cheng Gu''s identity and could only think about getting Qiao Mei''s children for herself. Chapter 1167 Cannot Accommodate Her Anymore ? In the past, no matter what the Tan family did or how much money they asked for, the Xia family was not calculative about it. They saw it as only the loss of some worldly possessions which they could still afford. After all, Tan Jing had not done anything out of line and she still treated Xia Wen very well. No matter what, the Xia family would render help to Tan Jing on account of Xia Wen. They always felt that she did whatever she did because she was left with no choice and that she would not have done it if it was not for her maternal family. However, it was a totally different story now. Tan Jing had almost gotten Qiao Mei killed and even brought trouble into the family, almost wiping out all the Xia family members in one fell swoop. Their ancestors'' foundation was almost destroyed in one day. In order to save Tan Jing, Xia Wen had even gone to ask He Ning for help. "You should divorce Tan Jing. This family can''t accommodate her anymore," Xia Mao said as he looked at Xia Wen calmly. Xia Wen also knew that this would be the outcome. However, Tan Jing had done all this in a moment of folly and she was also seriously injured at the moment. If he divorced her now, the Xia family would be despised publicly. "Can we wait for her to recover before we get a divorce?" Xia Wen said. "No! How can we wait! Even if Tan Jing''s injuries can heal, what about her drug addiction? It''s drugs we are talking about! If she can''t recover from that, do we have to take care of her for the rest of her life! Eldest Brother, wake up!" Xia He said agitatedly. Xu Lan quickly reprimanded her, "It''s not your place to comment about your eldest brother''s issues. Xia Zhe, bring your sister back to her room. Don''t let her disrupt our discussion." Xia He felt gloomy as Xia Zhe grabbed her. As she walked away, she kept looking back, as if she wanted to make a case for Qiao Mei. She just wanted to see justice being dealt out. How could she be deprived of that? Xu Lan was doing this for Xia He''s own good. Even Xu Lan could not make any decision on the matter concerning Xia Wen and Tan Jing. It was Xia Mao who had the final say. Xia He was an impatient person and what she said just now had already hurt Xia Wen. If she said anything more, it would probably cause discord between the three siblings. To Xia Wen, it was his own flesh and blood on one hand and the love of his life on the other. He was in a dilemma and did not know what to do. The last time he spoke to Xia Mao, Xia Mao had already tactfully requested for him to divorce Tan Jing. However, Tan Jing had not caused that much trouble at that time and he felt that the problem was not at the point where they needed to get a divorce yet. However, he had no choice but to let go now.I think you should take a look at "I also agree with what your younger sister said. Our Xia family can only take care of her to this point. After she receives treatment for her wounds, get the divorce finalized and send her back to the Tan family. Let them take care of her. After so many years, she has already taken enough money from our family to give to the Tan family. After the divorce, let her leave without giving her anything," Xia Mao said. "Father! Can we give her that house in the countryside? She I want to at least give her a roof over her head," Xia Wen said. "No, we can''t. It''s not that I don''t agree with your idea, but are you sure that Tan Jing will be the one living in this house if you give it to her? Will your decision help her or harm her?" Xia Mao asked. Xia Wen slumped on the sofa. Xia Mao was right. At the end of the day, all Tan Jing''s assets would end up belonging to Tan Bo and Jiang Yi. Tan Jing would not have anything at all. It was best if he did not give her anything. Not giving her anything would be equivalent to giving her everything. Seeing that Xia Wen did not talk back, Xia Mao took Xia Wen''s silence to mean consent. He said sternly to Xia Wen, "Stay at home with your mother and siblings during this period of time. Don''t worry about your work. I''ve already applied for leave of absence for you." Xia Mao only wanted Xia Wen to rest at home for now without doing anything else. Xia Mao did not even allow him to see Tan Jing and left this matter to Xia He instead. Tan Jing did not receive treatment in Xia Fang''s hospital. She was sent to a clinic that had a very good relationship with the Xia family. The doctors there were very discreet and very capable. It was not an issue for them to save Tan Jing. The doctors and nurses worked hard to treat the wounds on Tan Jing''s body. Although the wounds looked scary, they were actually not that bad. "Where are my family members? Why aren''t they here yet?" Tan Jing asked weakly. "Your current condition is very serious, so you''re not allowed visits from your family yet. Hold on for a while. Once your condition is stable, we''ll inform your family members," the nurse said patiently. Chapter 1168 - 1168 Private Clinic 1168 Private Clinic Tan Jing would often fall into bouts of madness and convulsions. She would also say things that they could not understand, and even spout nonsense and dance around. Sometimes, she would even hurt herself. During this period of time, they had been injecting Tan Jing with sedatives. However, if they continued to increase the amount, Tan Jings body would not be able to take it. Yet, there was no other better solution. I want to see my family members! I want to see them! Why dont you allow me to see them! Tan Jing suddenly struggled and shouted loudly. Doctor! Doctor! The nurse quickly called out to the doctor for help. The doctor injected Tan Jing with a tranquilizer and four doctors and nurses held down on each of Tan Jings limbs. They only heaved a sigh of relief when Tan Jing gradually stopped moving. This cant go on every day. If this continues, even a normal person will be tortured to death, the nurse said as she looked at Tan Jing. In her heart, she pitied Tan Jing. It was too much for a woman to have to endure such pain. Speak less! Dont you know her background! How many lives do you have to lose? the doctor reprimanded her softly. The nurse quickly closed her mouth and packed up the equipment before walking out quickly. This was a private clinic. The doctors and nurses were very discreet and no one could get any information about any families out of them. Moreover, they had clinics in many locations in the capital. Each clinic only took care of one particular family and all the administration matters were handled by a mysterious person. Until now, no one had been able to find out who the owner of the clinics was. People only knew that the owner was a highly skilled medical professional and nothing else. They did not even know if the owner was a man or a woman. At night, the Xia family could finally have some peace! However, Xu Lan and the rest still felt targeted. Xu Lan and Liu Fen were overwrought with having to cook for the entire family every day. Before Cheng Gu was caught, no person unrelated to the Xia family was allowed to enter the Xia family residence. Feng Hua had to take care of Qiao Mei and Xia Juns helper had to wait upon the two elderly men. The two women were the only ones left to handle all the household matters at home. No one else had the time. Xia Wen was currently feeling depressed and was absent-minded in everything he did. It was already a blessing if nothing happened to him! Xia Zhe and Xia Mao had gone on a mission to capture Cheng Gu and would likely not be back for the next two days. They all heard from Xia Xiu that there was already some progress. Xia Mao wanted to capture Cheng Gu in one fell swoop and Xia Zhe wanted to personally take revenge for Qiao Mei. As for Xia He Xia He was still sulking in her room! She could not go to work now, nor could she go out or to visit Qiao Mei and the two children. At home, Xu Lan complained and criticized her every day. It was so intolerable! Why arent you coming down to eat! Its already so late! Dont you know how to come down and help me and your second aunt-in-law! You only know how to stay in your room! Xu Lan shouted at the top of her lungs towards Xia Hes bedroom. Xia He covered her ears impatiently. She was not allowed to talk about Xia Wens issues nor interfere with Xia Zhes matters. Then what else could she do at home? She might as well go and become a nun! It would be more peaceful and quiet! Are you coming out or not! The food will get cold soon! Xu Lan shouted again. Xia He walked out of the room unwillingly. There were only three of them eating together today. Xu Lan had placed Xia Wens portion outside his room. He had locked himself in his room and there was nothing they could do about it. Is Eldest Brother still unwilling to come out and walk around? How long is he going to lock himself up like this? Xia He asked. Your eldest brother will probably need a week or two. He needs to figure it out for himself. Theres no other way, Liu Fen said with heartache. Over the past few days, Xia Wen had lost weight. The dark circles under his eyes had become more serious and he looked much more haggard. He did not look like that young and energetic young man of the past. Then what about Qiao Mei? When can I go and see her? Xia He asked again. You have to wait until Xia Zhe captures the culprit. If they cant catch the culprit, Qiao Mei and the children wont be able to come out for the rest of their lives. Otherwise, their lives will be in danger, Xu Lan said jokingly. During this period of time, Deng Fan would call Xia He from time to time. At first, Xu Lan would still pick up the phone to ask who it was, but later on, she made Xia He responsible for picking up phone calls. She did not want to listen to young people whispering sweet nothings to each other every day. It was way too annoying. Chapter 1169 Captured ? "Xiao He, when are you going to bring that kid Deng Fan home for us to take a look?" Liu Fen asked with a gossipy look. "Second Aunt-in-law! We''re just ordinary friends! Don''t misunderstand!" Xia He said as she blushed. Xu Lan and Liu Fen looked down and smiled to themselves. Everyone could tell what was going on. Xia He was the only one who did not know! "Or why don''t you consider Luo Yu? I think this young man is not bad. He can be considered to have grown up alongside all of you and has worked hard for the Xia family for so many years. He''s also very nice to you. Won''t you think about it?" Liu Fen said. "What''s there to consider! Luo Yu is like my older brother! How can I fall for him! Stop joking." After saying that, Xia He muttered, "Deng Fan would be a better suggestion than him" "Look! Good grief. Second Aunt-in-law won''t nag at you anymore. It''s good as long as you have a plan in mind." Liu Fen smiled in satisfaction. Everyone waited quietly for a week. Cheng Gu was finally captured and the truth was out. The Xia family could finally heave a sigh of relief. It was Xia Zhe who personally led a team to capture Cheng Gu. After a week of investigation and searches, they finally found Cheng Gu''s lair and captured all of them in one fell swoop. At the same time, they also rescued many kidnapped women, the majority of whom were captured by the gang for pleasure. Some of them were already delirious, while others had densely packed needle marks on their arms and thighs. It was simply inhumane. By the time these women were discovered, they had been there for a long time. These women were locked up in a container and it was so crowded and small inside that they could not even breathe properly. They even had to live, eat and do their toileting inside the same place. It was a very tragic sight. Xia Zhe went to the interrogation room in the prison with a solemn expression. He sat on a chair and quietly looked at Cheng Gu, who was behind the metal bars. Cheng Gu had been smiling happily in a carefree manner, as if being caught meant nothing to him. "How can you be alive! Shouldn''t you be dead? Why are you still alive! You clearly" Cheng Gu said in shock. "Sorry to disappoint you, but I''m actually not dead. I jumped out of the car before the explosion. It''s so regrettable that your plan failed," Xia Zhe said.I think you should take a look at Cheng Gu was only shocked for a moment before he said smugly, "Hmph, so what if you''re not dead? Didn''t your family die at my hands? Your wife and children are either dead or weakened. What''s the point of living on your own? I''m guessing you must hate me very much now?" "There''s a high chance that you''ll be sentenced to death. Most of your brothers will also die together with you. All your goods have also been confiscated," Xia Zhe said calmly. Cheng Gu did not believe what Xia Zhe said. Qiao Mei was dead and he had caused Xia Zhe''s two children to be born weak. Xia He had also lost her job and Tan Jing probably would not be able to survive. As for Xia Wen, he was probably crying in some corner! He had caused the Xia family to be in such a miserable state, yet Xia Zhe did not hate him at all. How was this possible? "Sorry to disappoint you. My wife and children are fine and my family is doing well," Xia Zhe said. He knew what Cheng Gu was thinking and feeling smug about. He Ning was right. Destroying a person meant destroying the thing that the person cherished the most. Death did not cause the most pain. The most cruel thing was to torture someone''s mind and soul. That was why everyone was so afraid of He Ning. He was an expert in this subject. "Impossible! How is this possible! I clearly made all the arrangements! You must be lying to me!" Cheng Gu smacked the table and shouted furiously. The prison guard immediately pressed Cheng Gu down on the table and restrained his hands as he scolded, "Be quiet! Behave yourself!" "I''m not lying to you and I don''t have any desire to lie to you. I do hate you for hurting my family, but you have nothing left now. What can I take away from you? You don''t seem to have anything valuable for me to take away. You should spend your last few days here alone." After saying that, Xia Zhe left the interrogation room. Before he left, he even turned around and smiled at Cheng Gu. Xia Zhe stood under the sunlight and smiled disdainfully at Cheng Gu with his back against the light. This action was like an arrow piercing through Cheng Gu''s heart. At the same time, it made Cheng Gu completely understand that he had really lost this time. He was completely defeated. Chapter 1170 - 1170 Wanting to Get Married 1170 Wanting to Get Married After Cheng Gu was arrested, the Xia family did not immediately release the news that Qiao Mei was still alive. The Xia family was worried that Cheng Gu still had accomplices who had not been eliminated. The Xia family wanted to capture all of them in one fell swoop this time and did not intend to let any of them off. Back then, they did not investigate deeply enough and also did not have such an opportunity, leading to the tragedy that befell to the Xia family. This time, they must eliminate the root of the problem and wipe it out in one fell swoop. Otherwise, it was very likely that these people would make a comeback in the future. When the Zhong family heard that the Xia family had finally taken revenge, they could not sit still anymore. Dad! Do you know that Xia Zhe is back! Quickly help me think of a way! I cant just see him leave again! After they finish dealing with that person called Right! That person is called Cheng Gu. He will definitely return to the army to continue his mission! Zhong Wan pouted and said angrily to Zhong Ye. Zhong Ye patted Zhong Wans head dotingly and said, My precious daughter, how can I bear to see you so sad? Ill go to the Xia familys house tomorrow, alright? You can come with me to take a look. I dont want that! I want to see Xia Zhe today! Please think of a way~ Dad, youre the best. Dont you dote on Waner the most! If you dont care about Waner anymore, then what will happen to me! Zhong Wan became more and more agitated as she spoke and even covered her face and started crying. Zhong Ye only had this one precious daughter and he gave her everything. Even if Zhong Wan wanted the moon in the sky, Zhong Ye would think of a way to get it for her. He would definitely be able to take down a mere Xia Zhe! Sure, sure, sure. Waner, dont cry anymore. Ill go to the Xia family house now, alright? Go freshen up and put on your most beautiful clothes. Lets go to the Xia family house now! Zhong Ye said. Zhong Wan jumped up with joy and hurriedly went into her room to put on an extremely dressy light pink gown. If she did not say that she was going to the Xia familys house for a visit, people would probably think that she was marrying into the Xia family! Dad! Do you think that I look beautiful! Zhong Wan lifted the hem of her dress excitedly and walked around the house. Even though her dress overturned many furniture items, Zhong Ye did not care. He doted on his daughter a lot. If Zhong Ke dared to do this at home, Zhong Ye would have beaten Zhong Ke up with a big stick. My daughter is as beautiful as a fairy. Its such a waste for you to be with that kid from the Xia family! Why dont you reconsider? This will be a remarriage for Xia Zhe. Are you really willing to be someones second wife? Zhong Ye said with heartache. Dad! How can you be so biased! Its not like Xia Zhe got a divorce because of personal reasons! Hes a widow! Its not his fault, Zhong Wan protested. But he has two children. Are you going to take care of those two children? If you marry him, youll have to be a stepmother! Silly girl! Its not easy to be a stepmother, Zhong Ye said. Zhong Yes wife passed away when she was giving birth to Zhong Wan. This was also the reason why Zhong Ye doted on Zhong Wan so much. Zhong Ke was a premature baby and was not in good health, but he was doing very well now and did not cause any worries. However, Zhong Wan was different. Zhong Wan had grown up being doted on by him. Back then, there were many women who wanted to marry Zhong Ye and were willing to be stepmother to Zhong Ke and Zhong Wan. However, Zhong Ye rejected all of them. His work brought him outstation all year round. Although his work was not that tiring, he could only come back two days a week and he spent the rest of his time in the army. At that time, Zhong Wan was still young and needed someone to take care of her, so he brought her everywhere with him. Later on, after Zhong Wan grew up, he hired two helpers to wait upon her at home! One of them was in charge of her daily life and the other was in charge of cleaning the house and sending Zhong Wan to and from school. Under Zhong Yes dedicated care, Zhong Wan had never experienced the real world. Zhong Ye did not have any other wishes. He just hoped that Zhong Wan would be able to marry a man who could protect her like he did. Xia Zhe was indeed an outstanding man, but he would not be able to protect Zhong Wan! Qiao Meis death already proved that Xia Zhe did not have the ability to protect his wife well, so there was no way that Zhong Ye could bear to let Zhong Wan marry into the Xia family. Chapter 1171 - 1171 Who is the Zhong Family 1171 Who is the Zhong Family However, for some reason, Zhong Wan only wanted to marry Xia Zhe and she kept the same thought even after so many years. She was just like that silly girl from the He family! Whats wrong with being a stepmother! Is there anything wrong with being a stepmother? Father, youre too biased. Giving birth is such a painful experience! Look what happened to Mom Zhong Wan said the wrong thing in her hastiness and quickly ran over to hold Zhong Yes hand. Im sorry, Dad I dont mean that. Zhong Ye looked at Zhong Wan with heartache and patted her head fondly as he said, I know its not on purpose. Youre right. The process of giving birth is very dangerous. Furthermore, our Waner cares so much about her figure. How can she let her figure get out of shape from having children? Dad, you know me best! The two kids are newborns and this is the best time for me to start taking care of them. I just need to find two nannies to take care of them attentively for now. When they start to retain memories, Ill take over their care myself. This way, theyll see me as their biological mother! Zhong Wan said smugly. Our Waner is still the smartest! Come, lets go to the Xia familys house. If we dont go now, itll get dark soon! After saying that, Zhong Ye drove to the Xia family house with Zhong Wan. There were still white lanterns hanging outside the Xia family residence. During this period of time, they had been so busy dealing with Cheng Gu that they did not have time to deal with such trivial matters. It was very likely that the Xia family had already forgotten about this matter. Many people felt uneasy about the fact that the Xia family just lost a member of their family, so they only sent gifts to express their condolences. No one was willing to pay a personal visit. However, in Zhong Wans heart, the white lanterns represented her hopes and dreams Lets go. Follow behind me later and dont talk too much, Zhong Ye said seriously. Zhong Wan clenched her fists nervously and followed behind Zhong Ye, not daring to make a wrong move. Zhong Ye pressed lightly on the doorbell and it was Luo Yu who came to open the door. He frowned when he saw Zhong Ye. This person was insatiably greedy and it was definitely not a good thing to see him at the Xia family residence at this time. Oh, its Uncle Zhong. Its been a long time, Luo Yu said politely. Hmph, I see youre still the captain of a small guard team in the Xia family. Youre still as useless as ever after so many years, Zhong Ye said mockingly. Yes, thats true. How can I compare with Uncle Zhong? May I know why youre here? Luo Yu asked. Im here to see my old friends. Just let me in, Zhong Ye said impatiently. In the past, when Zhong Ye was not doing so well, his family lived in the same alley as Luo Yus family. At that time, Zhong Ye already had a habit of looking down on others, especially the neighbors nearby. He felt that living in this small alley was a waste of a talent like him! It was an insult to him. When Luo Yu was young, he often played with Zhong Ke. When Zhong Ye found out about it, he would scold Zhong Ke and say that Zhong Ke was not a motivated person. As time passed, none of the kids wanted to play with Zhong Ke anymore. It was only when Zhong Ye made it big and moved away that the neighbors lived a more peaceful life. Luo Yu had always remembered the belittling look in Zhong Yes eyes and his arrogant attitude of looking down on others. I have to go in and ask the family. Uncle Zhong, wait a moment. Luo Yu closed the door and went back into the house. At this moment, Xu Lan and Xia He were sewing blankets for Qiao Meis children. The blankets they had at home did not feel soft enough to the touch. Xu Lan specially asked her own younger sister to send some fabric over from her hometown. Qiao Mei was coming back in a couple of days time. They must provide the best things for the children! Auntie, there are members of the Zhong family at the door, Luo Yu said. The Zhong family? Whos the Zhong family? Why havent I heard of them before? Xu Lan asked curiously. Liu Fen, on the other hand, knew of them and said disdainfully, Thats the person in charge of the transportation team in the army. I heard from Eldest Brother that day that he had stolen two bottles of medicinal wine from our family! During the delivery process, they stole the medicinal wine which Qiao Mei sent to Xia Zhe! How hateful. Zhong Ye was in charge of keeping the lists of the items each family sent to their family members in the army. Who would know whether there were any discrepancies between the items in the list and in the package? Moreover, each family could not contact their family member directly. Unless it was a family like the Xia family who had connections in the army, ordinary families would not have the chance to do so. Chapter 1172 - 1172 Treasured Item 1172 Treasured Item Oh! I remember now. Xia Mao had told me about this too! How despicable. We havent even gone to look for them yet, but here they are. Xiao Luo, you can let them come in, Xu Lan said as she continued sewing the blanket. Luo Yu brought Zhong Ye and Zhong Wan into the living room. When Xu Lan saw Zhong Wan, she furrowed her brows. That pink gown looked especially eye-catching. To outsiders, their family was still in mourning! It was unheard of for anyone to wear such bright colors when paying a visit to a household that was still in mourning. Was this supposed to be a slap on their faces? Sister-in-law, long time no see, Zhong Ye said obsequiously. Xu Lan nodded slightly and did not even stop sewing the blanket. She smiled at Zhong Ye and said, Dont say that. I wonder why youre at my house today? We heard that Brother Xia and Xia Zhe had personally captured your enemies, so were here to congratulate you! Zhong Ye held up the gifts in his hand. When Xu Lan took a quick glance from the corner of her eye, she could already tell that these things came from shady sources. The military gave out a limited amount of abalones and even the Xia family, at their level, was not entitled to them. It was only recently after Xia Mao was promoted that they received one small box of abalones during the new year. Such a big box was definitely not from a legitimate source. It was even more so for the other box. Deer antler wine was something that could not be obtained easily. One had to have special connections to get that! Zhong Ye had brought along these things to show that he thought highly of the Xia family and had something to discuss with them. If Zhong Ye came alone, then Xu Lan could leave Xia Mao to handle him. She did not understand the way men beat around the bush when they spoke. However, given that Zhong Ye had brought Zhong Wan along, it was a different matter. Everyone knew that Zhong Wan fancied Xia Zhe. Back then, when she found out that he had gotten married, she even threatened to hang herself! The whole issue had made Zhong Ye very unhappy. We cant accept such valuable items. You should bring them back, Xu Lan said. Sister-in-law, dont say that. I just want to give all the good things to your family. These are nothing impressive. Please accept them, Zhong Ye said politely. Although he spoke in this manner, he actually looked down on Xu Lan. He thought that a woman who came from a small family was naturally very short-sighted. She did not even know how to accept such good things. In the past, when Zhong Ye was not at home and people came to curry favor with the Zhong family, Zhong Wan would accept the gifts on his behalf. If the items were not valuable, Zhong Wan would give them to the helpers without a look. If those were nice items, she would tell Zhong Ye to take good care of the gifters. To those people, rather than asking Zhong Ye for help, it felt more like asking Zhong Wan for help. Furthermore, Zhong Wan was not interested in ordinary things! Oh, look at me. Im so busy that I havent offered you a seat. Come and sit down. Xu Lan quickly called out to Luo Yu and asked him to bring over two stools. Zhong Ye and Zhong Wan were about to go over to the sofa to sit down and they froze on the spot to hear that. It appeared that she was treating them as outsiders. The sofa was so big but she did not want them to sit on it, choosing to sideline them instead. The meaning could not be more obvious. Are you sewing blankets for the babies? Its hard on you to have to make it yourself, Zhong Ye said awkwardly. Xu Lan ignored him. For Zhong Wans sake, he had no choice but to try and start a conversation. How could a man like him find any topics in common with a bunch of women? It was really too difficult. Thats right. A handmade item is definitely better than a store-bought one. I also feel more at ease if I make it myself. This must be your daughter. She looks so cute. I wonder if you know how to make this? Xu Lan asked. Me? I dont know how to do these things. Its so tiring. Any helper can do it! Zhong Wan said disdainfully. Xu Lan frowned again. This child was just born pretty. If she sat there motionlessly, she still looked fairly nice, but the moment she spoke, her words were very unpleasant to hear. Is that so? Xu Lan sneered. No matter how stupid Zhong Wan was, she knew that she had said something wrong and quickly looked to Zhong Ye for help. He immediately tried to salvage the situation and said, I have spoiled this child. She doesnt need to lift a finger at home and doesnt know how to do anything! However, my Waner is especially good at educating children. She had gone to university. Xia He almost wanted to confront Zhong Ye. Xu Lan secretly patted Xia Hes hand to calm her down. If they read between the lines of his last sentence, he was mocking Qiao Mei for being uncultured! Chapter 1173 - 1173 Medicinal Wine 1173 Medicinal Wine Although Qiao Mei had never officially gone to school, she had as much knowledge as people like them who had gone to school before. Some people did not even know as much as her! What right did Zhong Ye have to badmouth Qiao Mei! Is that so? I actually think its a good thing for a person to be hands-on. Xu Lan continued with what she was doing, ignoring the expressions on the faces of the Zhong father-and-daughter duo. Zhong Ye and Zhong Wan sat on the stools in silence. The Xia family members ignored them and they really could not come up with a conversational topic. Zhong Ye gave Zhong Wan a look. There were only female members of the Xia family in the room. How would a man like him know how to interact with these women? Zhong Wan moved the stool forward and looked at the needlework in Xu Lans hand. Auntie, this task is really very straining on the eyes. Why dont you get a helper to do it? Our familys helper is quite skilled with her hands. Ill ask her to do it and then send it back to you when shes done. Our family cant afford to use the Zhong familys helper. Its better for me to prepare the childrens things myself, Xu Lan said disdainfully. Zhong Wan was stunned for a moment. Then, she looked at Xia He and said, Elder Sister must have learned this from Auntie. Your needlework looks similar to Aunties! Xia He ignored Zhong Wan. It was Old Madam Kong who forced her to learn needlework after she married into the Kong family! What did it have to do with Xu Lan? What a thing to rub someones nose in something so unrelated! Liu Fen looked at Zhong Wan cautiously, worried that Zhong Wan would say something to her. Zhong Wan did not even want to bother with Liu Fen and just ignored her, making her feel both lucky and angry. When it was almost time for dinner, Xia Wen made a rare appearance and came down from upstairs. When he saw Zhong Ye, he thought that they were here to return the medicinal wine! Other than this matter, was there anything else which required them to come personally? Oh, Xia Wen is here. I was just about to ask Sister-in-law where you are! Come down and take a seat, Zhong Ye said agitatedly. Finally, here came a man he could converse with. Otherwise, he was about to suffocate to death. Who had so much time to chat with a bunch of women! Are you here to return the thing? Xia Wen asked bluntly. The thing? What was the thing? What did they need to return to the Xia family? Zhong Ye and Zhong Wan looked at each other, not knowing what Xia Wen was talking about. Could it be that Xia Wen was asking them about the gifts they had brought on this visit? They did not expect the Xia family to be so snobbish and to behave completely different from the rumors. I brought abalone and deer antler wine! These are all really good stuff! Xia Wen, you have to drink more deer antler wine. That thing is very nutritious! Then your wife can give birth to a son for the Xia family soon! How can you have let your younger brother beat you to it! Zhong Ye said with a laugh. Xia Wen frowned slightly. Although his divorce with Tan Jing was already a foregone conclusion, they were not divorced yet! Husband and wife were supposed to be one and the same. This was like a slap in the face for him and Tan Jing. Is that so? Then do you find my younger brothers two bottles of medicinal wine tasty? Youre such a seasoned drinker. I wonder if you have any insights? Xia Wen said brashly. Zhong Yes expression changed drastically. He pointed at Xia Wen with a dark expression and said, Dont slander me here! When did I take anything from your Xia family! Youre talking nonsense! Im just asking a question. Why are you so agitated? Can it be that youre really the person who took the two bottles of medicinal wine which my brother lost? Xia Wen asked. Zhong Ye was shocked. He had been exposed! He did not expect Xia Wen to blow his cover. This man really knew how to hide his true colors. However, so what? The medicinal wine sent by the Xia family to Xia Zhe was an illegitimate item! Who knew if that thing was legit? What if it was poisonous! What he did was simply going by the book and he was not afraid of the Xia family coming after him at all! The medicinal wine you mentioned was confiscated by one of my subordinates. The words on the label are simply nonsensical. How can there be such magical medicine in this world? My subordinates are just going by the book. If you want to have it back, Ill go and check for you. Im not sure if it has already been sent out to be destroyed, Zhong Ye said. Is that so? Then lets check carefully where it is. It wont do for us to wrongly accuse your family and make it awkward for both families, Xia Wen said with narrowed eyes. Chapter 1174 Sussing The Background ? "What do you mean by that! Don''t tell me that you suspect me! What reason do I have to take something from your Xia family!" Zhong Ye pointed at Xia Wen and said furiously. "Uncle Zhong, what are you saying? I''m just asking a question. I don''t have any other intentions. I also don''t know where the things that my family sent to my younger brother have gone. Aren''t such matters under your care? I''m just asking for your help in private. I don''t mean anything else," Xia Wen said politely. Zhong Ye observed the "sincere" look in Xia Wen''s eyes and started to believe that Xia Wen might really have mentioned this issue unintentionally. At that time, the act of hiding Xia Zhe''s medicinal wine was done secretly in his office. How could anyone know about it? Moreover, he was surrounded by only the people closest to him and whom he had been trained personally. Even if he was betrayed, it could not be any of those people who did it. They usually took a lot of benefits from him, so if any of them reported him, none of them would be able to get out unscathed. Xia Wen was just sussing the background. He must not panic and must hold steady regarding this matter. "Then why didn''t you say so earlier? There''s no need to test me like this. It won''t be good for our families to be so distant. But don''t worry, I''ll definitely find out for you who did it! I definitely won''t let anyone bully your family like this!" Zhong Ye said as he patted his chest. "That would be best. So why is Uncle Zhong here then?" Xia Wen asked. Zhong Ye turned to look at Zhong Wan and said tactfully, "We hear that Xia Zhe is back, so I''m here to see him. I haven''t seen him since he joined the army unit. I''m here today to catch up." Xia Zhe probably did not even know who Zhong Ye was. In fact, he might not even remember who Zhong Wan was. Xia Zhe never took note of such stuff. He did not even have any memories of Qian''e who had pestered him so incessantly back then. It was Qiao Mei who had found out the truth bit by bit! Xia Wen pursed his lips resignedly. Most of these things which happened at home were caused by Xia Zhe''s rotten romantic luck. Why was it that he did not have so much rotten romantic luck in the past? It was probably because he was not handsome enough, or rather, not as handsome as Xia Zhe. "My brother has been working on a case recently and doesn''t even have time to come home. After that, he''s returning to the army unit soon. It''s such a pity that you probably won''t get a chance to meet him," Xia Wen said regretfully. Zhong Wan pouted unhappily and said, "Then can''t you give him a call and ask him to come back?" Xia He frowned and said, "The case that my brother is handling is very important. He doesn''t even have time to eat, so how would he have time to come home?"I think you should take a look at "Then then we''ll come back another day. I hope we can get to meet Xia Zhe next time," Zhong Ye said hurriedly when he saw that the Xia family members were getting a little angry. "Alright, then we won''t hold you back." After saying that, Xu Lan quickly called Luo Yu to come over and asked him to carry out the gifts which the Zhong father-and-daughter duo had brought with them. No one knew where the Zhong family got these items from. "You can keep these things. There''s no reason for us to take back what we have given away," Zhong Ye said. "Is that so? Then I hope you can help me look for the things which our family hasn''t given away," Xu Lan said with a faint smile. Zhong Ye immediately pulled a long face and left the Xia family residence without looking back. Zhong Wan''s movements were hampered by her heavy gown, but no matter how she called out to Zhong Ye, it was to no avail. She could only lift the hem of her dress herself and walked slowly to the Zhong family''s car before leaving dejectedly. Xu Lan and Luo Yu looked at the departing Zhong Ye and laughed mockingly. They then turned around and returned into the house. These people really could not withstand any provocation at all. The Zhong family could not sit still the moment they mentioned this matter. However, judging from Zhong Ye''s reaction, he probably did not touch the two bottles of medicinal wine and only put them at home like treasure items. The next thing for them was to wait and see how the Zhong family intended to move these two bottles of medicinal wine. Once the Zhong family took action, it would be the end for them. Two to three days later, the Xia family announced that Qiao Mei was safe and sound. As Qiao Mei had undergone a C-section, she could not be discharged from the hospital yet. She could only go home when she was almost fully recovered. "Sister Feng~ I want to go home~" Qiao Mei said aggrievedly. "Just wait a little longer. It''s not time yet! You already have such difficulty getting off the bed onto the floor, so how can you go home? At least there are doctors in the hospital who can monitor your condition. If you go home, the doctors can''t come with you," Feng Hua said. Chapter 1175 - 1175 Naming the Children 1175 Naming the Children But its so uncomfortable here. I eat the same tasteless food every day. I want to eat spicy food! I want to eat something with strong flavors! I dont want to eat such bland food anymore! If I eat any more of this, Im going to turn into a rabbit! Qiao Mei complained. If you eat whatever you want, the surgical wound on your stomach will feel uncomfortable. Dont cry out in pain next time. Also, you wont look good if it leaves a scar, Feng Hua said, trying to scare her. Although Qiao Mei could take her time to apply the medicinal wine on herself when she got home, just like how she treated Zhang Miaos wound back then, she could not tell Feng Hua about this. Even if she did, Feng Hua would not believe her. Ever since Qiao Mei got into an accident right under Feng Huas nose, Feng Hua had been fully focused every day. She took care of Qiao Mei wholeheartedly and did not leave Qiao Meis side at all. Even when Qiao Mei went to the toilet, she would stand beside Qiao Mei with her back facing Qiao Mei to make sure that Qiao Mei was safe. Even when Qiao Mei was sleeping, Feng Hua would keep an eye on her and did not dare to relax at all. During this period of time, Qiao Meis complexion had become much more rosy after giving birth, but Feng Hua had lost a lot of weight. Sister Feng, youre really too worried about me. Its been a long time since you returned home, right? Get my grandfathers helper to come and take care of me for a couple of days. You should go home and rest. Otherwise, if you keep working so hard, Im afraid that youll collapse from fatigue, Qiao Mei said with heartache. Feng Hua firmly objected to what Qiao Mei said. Even after Qiao Mei was discharged and they all returned to Qiao Meis house, she would stay by Qiao Meis side and not let any villain do anything bad again. She must protect Qiao Mei and the two children well. Im fine Have you thought about the childrens names? The two children dont have names yet! Feng Hua said. For the past two days, they had been addressing the children as elder brother and younger sister. The children did not even have nicknames and they were simply being addressed by their birth order. Thats right! I havent asked my grandfathers yet! I wonder if the two of them are up already, Qiao Mei said. Qiao Qiang and Xia Jun had been thinking about the childrens names. What Qiao Qiang wanted was for Xia Jun to name the boy and for himself to name the girl. The two of them would then ask for each others opinion. That was the crux of the problem! They both did not like any name the other person came up with. I want to name the boy Xia Guo! Why dont you agree! Whats wrong with this name! Xia Jun said unhappily. Cant you come up with a better name? What kind of lousy idea is this! Think again! Qiao Qiang roared. Xia Jun could not hold back his bad temper anymore. He smacked the table and shouted, Do you think the name you come up with is any good! What kind of names are Xia Juan and Xia Yan! Those are the names of those old women who live in the alley! Theyre not even half as good as what I come up with! You didnt even go to school and you still have the cheek to criticize me! At least I went to a private school! Qiao Qiang roared. That private school of yours is nothing! The names you come up with are not even as nice as the names of the trash collectors on the streets! Think again! Dont say so much useless stuff! Xia Jun waved his hand and said impatiently. When Feng Hua saw that there was an argument next door again, she quickly came back to report to Qiao Mei and told her everything in detail. After Qiao Mei heard the names, her first thought was that the names the two old men came up with were not even half as good as what Xia Zhe had in mind previously! Sigh She should think of a way on her own. After thinking for a long time, Qiao Mei muttered to herself, Xia Fan Xia Xing What? Feng Hua looked at Qiao Mei in confusion. Yes! Lets name them Xia Fan and Xia Xing! Sister Feng, what do you think of these two names? Qiao Mei looked at Feng Hua expectantly. Feng Hua was not educated, but she knew that these two names sounded cultured. They were different from the names she had come across in the village and seemed to be nice names. Not bad, not bad. But what does it mean? Feng Hua asked. Qiao Mei looked out of the window and said, I hope these two children will be as dazzling as the stars in the sky. I also hope that the two of them will always support each other. Thats a very good meaning! Do you want me to go and tell the old masters now? Feng Hua said excitedly. Pass this message to them. Gather like a ball of fire, scatter like a sky full of stars. Just say it like this, Qiao Mei said with a faint smile. She felt that Qiao Qiang would understand what she meant. Sure, sure, sure! Ill go tell them the good news now and make them happy! With that, Feng Hua ran to the ward next door. Chapter 1176 - 1176 Good Names 1176 Good Names When Feng Hua reached Qiao Qiangs ward, the two men were still arguing over how the other party had come up with lousy names! They kept squabbling and it was so noisy that it made ones head hurt. How long have they been arguing like this? Why hasnt it ended yet? Feng Hua stood in the living room with Jiang Deng, Xia Juns helper. These two old masters are like two overgrown children. They argue non-stop over the names they came up with for the two children. They might as well go to the streets to look for a fortune teller to do it for them! The fortune teller will come up with names that have good hidden meanings. My family had asked a fortune teller to pick names for the children based on their birth characters, Jiang Deng said with a deep sigh. Qiao Mei has actually thought of two names and she asks me to come over and tell them. Do you think I should go in now? They look like theyre going to argue into the night. Feng Hua could not make up her mind, but she could not just watch the two old men continue arguing like this. Yesterday, the doctor and nurse even came to reprimand Qiao Qiang and Xia Jun. Between the two old men, one had heart issues while the other had high blood pressure. Due to them arguing for the past two days, their underlying medical conditions had flared up again. Furthermore, Qiao Qiang and Xia Jun were people who ignored any advice they were given. Even though the doctors and nurses tried to be stern, it was to no avail. As time passed, the medical staff realized that it was useless to talk to them, so they could only give the two men medicine to control their blood pressure to prevent them from fainting if they got too agitated. Lets go in. Its already time for dinner anyway. Lets go in together. Jiang Deng went in with Feng Hua, bringing along the thermal lunch box she had brought from home. When Qiao Qiang and Xia Jun saw Feng Hua enter, the two of them instantly stopped arguing. One of them picked up the newspaper to read while the other casually grabbed a cup and inspected it. The two of them put on an act to try to fool Feng Hua. The two of them had come to an agreement that as long as someone from Qiao Meis side came to visit them, they would put on an act together and pretend to get along. They did not want to let Qiao Mei know about their quarrel as they could not bear to see her getting worked up! Master Qiao, Master Xia, Qiao Mei asked me to come and pass a message to you. She says that she has thought of two nice names. Do the two of you want to hear what the names are? Feng Hua said with a smile. Tell us about it, Qiao Qiang said. Qiao Mei says that the boys name is Xia Fan and the girls name is Xia Xing. Put the names together and they refer to the dazzling stars in the sky. Qiao Mei also asks me to tell you a phrase. She says that you will definitely understand the meaning behind it. Feng Hua took a deep breath and said solemnly, Gather like a ball of fire, scatter like a sky full of stars. Qiao Qiang and Xia Jun were stunned for a moment before they suddenly looked at each other and laughed. The way they quarreled with each other just now seemed to be an illusion. This phrase was what Qiao Qiang had said to his comrades in the past and it also later became a secret code among them. At that time, they were all under a lot of pressure. Everyone had a different fate. Some people chose to continue to rise through the ranks, just like Xia Jun, who worked hard in the army until he was old. However, there were also some people like Qiao Qiang who were discharged from the army once they were able to do so and live the lives of ordinary people. Although Qiao Qiang had been framed and forced to leave the army in those days, he shared the feelings of everyone else who were discharged normally. It was the same sense of sadness and reluctance. He only had endless nostalgia and sentiments for life in the army. Therefore, under those circumstances, Qiao Qiang had said this phrase to all his comrades. He hoped that when they were gathered together, they would be as hot-blooded as a raging ball of flames. Even when they were separated, they would be like the stars in the sky, each shining brightly and dazzlingly. What good names, such good names! As expected of my granddaughter! Qiao Qiang said proudly. Alright! Lets use these two names from Qiao Mei! Fan Fan and Xing Xing! Xia Jun said. Do you think these two children will be a hundred times stronger than us in the future! Qiao Qiang asked Xia Jun with a smile. Xia Jun did not really want these two children to join the military. Qiao Mei had a good aptitude for business. If these two children study well, it would not be a bad idea for them to help Qiao Mei with her business in the future. Life in the army was really tough. Back then, he only stayed because he wanted to make a name for himself and create a better future for his family. Chapter 1177 Who Took The First Glance ? Only he knew the price he had to pay for this path and how difficult the path was. Xia Wen was already a living example, was it not? Although Xia Wen''s health had been poor since he was young, it was still not as bad as now. He did not look any different from any other ordinary person outwardly, but his entire body would ache when it rained, to the extent that he could not even walk. It was as if he had been beaten up badly for an entire day. This was all because Xia Wen had to be submerged in water for three days when he was on a mission. Moreover, he was drenched in the rain every day and even had to sleep on the wet ground at night. This was the root cause of his illness. "For me I just want them to be well. I''m already very satisfied by what the Xia family has achieved till date," Xia Jun said. Qiao Qiang understood what Xia Jun meant. It was better to let the children decide their own fate after they grew up. After informing Qiao Qiang and Xia Jun about the names, Feng Hua could go back and report that she had completed her task. ? ? ? ? . Early the next morning, everyone from the Xia family rushed to the hospital. They no longer had to sneak around like before to visit Qiao Mei. The two babies could also be brought out of the nursery and returned to Qiao Mei''s side so that she could take care of them herself. When the two children were first born, no one had any time to take care of them, so the family asked the nurse to send them to the nursery to be taken care of. They all knew there was an old folk saying which stated that a newborn baby would resemble the first person whom the baby saw after the baby''s eyes opened. The Xia family was skeptical about such a saying, but regardless of that, they could not allow that first person to be an outsider. It must be one of the Xia family members! They would just take it as having some fun among themselves. Xia He and Xia Zhe waited anxiously at the door. The two of them wanted to rush forward immediately as soon as the nurses carried the babies in. "They''re my son and daughter! Why are you crowding around!" Xia Zhe said as he looked at Xia He unhappily. "So what? As if you are that good-looking!" Xia He said indignantly. "My looks are what you call handsome. What''s the use of a grown man like me being good-looking? When the nurse comes in later, tell her to cover my daughter''s eyes. The first person she sees must be Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei is the most beautiful!" Xia Zhe said proudly. Xia He did not refute him. After all, Qiao Mei was indeed the most beautiful person she had ever seen. Qiao Mei had a good figure and such fair skin. Moreover, Qiao Mei''s facial features were the nicest that she had ever seen. It was not too bad for Qiao Mei to be the first person whom Xia Xing saw.I think you should take a look at "Then Xia Fan must look at me first!" Xia He said stubbornly. "Xia Fan is a boy! What''s the use of him looking at you! He has to look at me!" Xia Zhe said furiously. "So what! If I had made the choice to become a soldier back then, do you even think you have any chance! The title of top army warrior would definitely be mine!" Xia He said indignantly. "I''m the children''s biological father! Why are you fighting with me!" Xia Zhe said in exasperation. "Well well, I''m the children''s aunt! I''m the one who''s been keeping an eye on these two children all this while! I don''t care, let''s rely on our own capabilities! Let''s see who Xia Fan is more willing to look at! How about that!" Xia He said as she pointed at Xia Zhe. "So be it! Do you think I''ll lose to you!" Xia Zhe said in a fit of pique. The other members of the Xia family were caught between laughter and tears as they sat around the room. They did not know why these two people were competing. One was the children''s biological father and the other was the children''s biological aunt. It did not matter if Xia He was the first person whom Xia Fan saw. That was just a folk saying. "Xia Wen, your two younger siblings are like kids who haven''t grown up yet. Why aren''t you joining in the fun?" Liu Fen asked with a smile. Xia Wen said slyly, "Hmph, I''ve already seen the children and the children have also seen me. So what even if they try so hard?" Good grief! The person who cared most about this matter was this one! "What did you say! The first person the children saw was you!" Xia He rushed back into the room agitatedly and questioned him. "Yes, it''s me. At that time, I felt guilty and secretly came to the hospital to visit the children once. I even had to beg Aunt to let me go in and see them. If you don''t believe me, you can ask Aunt. She''s my witness," Xia Wen said. Xia He turned around sadly to look at Xia Fang, hoping to hear a negative answer. It was obvious that what Xia Wen said was true. The children had indeed seen Xia Wen first. Chapter 1178 - 1178 Getting Another Nanny 1178 Getting Another Nanny Xia Wen, you deserve a thousand cuts! I want to kill you! Xia He ran towards Xia Wen noisily. The two of them played like kids, making everyone laugh loudly. Qiao Mei, in particular, laughed the happiest. She was not laughing at Xia Wen and Xia He, but at Xia Zhe who was behind them. He was still standing at the door expectantly, waiting for the two children to arrive! However, Xia Zhe was not looking forward to being the first person the children would see. Instead, he was looking forward to knowing what the two babies looked like. He had not met them yet! Xia Zhe also did not know how to carry a baby or if there was a need for a special posture for it. He stood there and tried to mimic different positions of carrying a baby, worried that if he did not carry the children properly, they would be affected adversely in some way. Xia Zhe rubbed his hands one moment and paced back and forth the next. He was so nervous that he even did high knees on the spot. It had been a long time since he was so nervous. In his younger days, whenever he was nervous, he would do high knees to relax. He did not expect that there were still situations that would make him nervous. ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Xiao Zhe, stop loitering at the door. The children will only be sent over later! Come in and take a seat! Xu Lan said. Xia Zhe turned a deaf ear to everything, as if he was immersed in his own world. He ignored everyone who called out to him. Mother, just let him be. Hes very excited now! He probably cant even hear what I say, Qiao Mei said with a smile. Lets not care about him. Lets talk about you. How do you feel? Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere? If the wound itches, dont scratch it! If the skin breaks, it will leave a scar and become something more serious. Itll be bad if the wound gets infected, Xu Lan instructed. Back when she gave birth to Xia Zhe, she also had to undergo a C-section. Both Xia Wen and Xia He did not give her as hard a time. Perhaps it was because the Xia family was already doing very well when she was pregnant with Xia Zhe, so she ate and drank whatever she wanted every day, causing Xia Zhe to weigh more than the other two children. She was unable to give birth naturally, so she had to undergo a C-section. It was also after that time that Xu Lan decided never to give birth again. She really could not forget the pain she felt at that time. Sister Feng watches me all the time! She wont let me do anything and will carefully screen everything I eat, worried that there will be any issues. Shes much more meticulous than me! With her around, you can rest assured, Qiao Mei said. Thats true. Im not worried about you with Feng Hua handling everything. With her around, youll recover faster. However, is one nanny enough? Do you want me to find another nanny to do the cooking? Xu Lan asked. The Xia family was very upset about what happened to Wei Hao. They had already compensated Wei Haos family for their loss, but the gesture could not bring back the dead. The pain caused to Wei Haos family was indelible. Fortunately, Wei Haos family was very understanding and knew that the real culprit was not the Xia family. It was Cheng Gu who killed Wei Hao. One must put the saddle on the right horse and they did not resent the Xia family. The Xia family decided to bear all the education expenses for Wei Haos children until they were able to find their own jobs. Thats good too. Sister Feng is so busy on her own. When we get home, there are still more children to take care of! Qiao Mei said. Dont worry about Xiao Wei and the rest. Those naughty monkeys are fine. Xiao Qin even learned how to cook! Its just that after drinking the porridge she made, the other children all vomited it out, Li Gui said. Its fine. Thats quite common in the beginning. She just needs to take her time. As time passes, shell get better at it, Qiao Mei said. There was no hurry to find another nanny. She would think about it at length and it would not be too late to look for one only after she reached home. Finally, the nurse brought the two children to Qiao Meis ward. The nurse did not allow Xia Zhe to carry them immediately. Xia Fang first gave Xia Zhe a briefing on the correct way to carry babies. She only allowed him to do it after confirming that he did not make any mistakes. As the tiny child lay in Xia Zhes arms, his heart turned to mush at the moment. This was the first time he had looked so closely at a little baby. Babies were much more fragile than he had imagined, as if they would shatter if he exerted too much strength. This made Xia Zhe cherish these two children even more. Chapter 1179 - 1179 Strange Genes 1179 Strange Genes Unknowingly, Xia Zhe had started crying. He did not even know when his tears flowed out, but he was inexplicably touched and a part of his heart became extremely fragile. Looking at Xia Fan sleeping sweetly in his arms, he had the most indescribable feeling. Oh my, oh my. How can a grown man cry! Tell me why are you crying! Look at how useless you look! Xia He said disdainfully. I just Sigh I dont know either. Xia Zhe could not explain it clearly. Xu Lan laughed and said, It must be the genes of the Xia familys men. When I gave birth to the three of you, your father bawled at the entrance of the hospital. Particularly when he saw Xia He, he cried so hard that the ground almost shook. Those who didnt know better would think that he was the one who gave birth to the three of you. How can there be such a thing! Mother! Tell us the details! Why dont we know anything about this! Xia He looked at Xu Lan and asked with a gossipy look. Xia Mao coughed lightly and said, Dont embarrass me Theres no need to tell the children everything ? ? ? ? ? During the three times that Xu Lan gave birth, Xia Mao was not by her side each time. It was always Wu Min who took care of her. Every time after she gave birth, Xia Mao would report to his superiors and receive special approval to return and visit her for a few days. Xia Mao had always wanted to have a daughter. When he heard that Xu Lan had given birth to Xia He, he wailed loudly at the door of the hospital ward. When he held Xia He, his hands could not stop trembling. Later on, the nurse was really worried that Xia Mao would accidentally drop the baby so she snatched the tiny Xia He away from Xia Maos arms. Xia Mao was not the only one. Xia Jun wept even harder than Xia Mao! Xu Lan had heard from Wu Min that when Xia Xiu was born, Xia Jun was so excited. After the doctor came out of the delivery room and announced that it was a girl, Xia Jun actually hugged the doctor and cheered as he walked a few rounds outside the delivery room door. In fact, Xia Jun even bought many meat buns and distributed them from house to house. At that time, meat buns were very expensive. Ordinary families would not even be able to afford one during the new year. Xia Jun happily bought them for every family. When Wu Min found out about this matter, she scolded Xia Jun for more than an hour! However, she actually felt very happy inside. After that, they went on to have more children and the custom of giving out meat buns continued until Xia Fang came along. Fine, fine, fine. I wont say anything, but I cant help you hide it for long. These children are all very smart! Xu Lan said proudly. The ward was filled with laughter, but when there was joy, there was also sorrow. After He Mei was sent to the small town by He Ning, she had kept waiting for news about Xia Zhe. However, when Xia Zhes army unit arrived, there was no sign of Xia Zhe at all. After asking around, He Mei found out that Xia Zhe had returned to the capital to look for Qiao Mei! Xia Zhe had two children now! It turned out that Qiane and Qiao Mei had colluded back then! They had played a trick on her! She had suffered all the hardships for so long in vain! Little Uncle! What exactly is going on! He Mei said anxiously. What are you talking about? What is it? She made He Ning confused the moment he picked up the phone. The matter of Qiao Mei giving birth! Qiao Mei is still alive! The two children are still alive! Didnt they say that Qiao Mei had a miscarriage! What is this! He Mei shouted. He Ning simply hung up the phone. He Mei was such a good-for-nothing. He was originally in a good mood, but after He Mei kicked up a fuss, she had completely ruined his mood. He made a phone call to ask Jia Zhong to come over. Recently, he had not been in good health and had not paid attention to the Xia familys matters. Jia Zhong related everything that happened to He Ning, who smiled with some interest. This whole thing was really interesting. The Xia family was really good at keeping their composure. Go and prepare a generous gift for me. I want to go and visit Qiao Mei myself, He Ning instructed. Jia Zhong immediately went out to buy gifts. Huo Gao looked at He Ning in puzzlement and asked, Are you sure you want to go? Why not? Xia Wen still owes me money! Most importantly, he still owes me ginseng. Of course I have to seize such a good opportunity, He Ning said with a smile. If he did not go and extort a sum of money now, then when would he be able to do it! He did not want to miss this chance! Chapter 1180 I Only Want The Divine Medicine ? In the afternoon, He Ning brought along two boxes of gifts to the hospital together with Huo Gao. One of the boxes contained donkey-hide gelatin that he had specially sent someone to buy. It was said that to be the best thing to nourish the essence and vitality of women who had just given birth. It was also a good opportunity to let Huo Gao take Qiao Mei''s pulse and see how she was doing, and to check if she needed to eat medicinal cuisine to nourish her body. He heard that after giving birth, a woman''s health would not be as good as before. He must take good care of Qiao Mei''s health. After all, He Ning had not gotten rid of Xia Zhe yet and Qiao Mei was still the "chef" that he had not employed yet! It would be a huge loss if Qiao Mei lost a few years of her life because of giving birth! "What are you doing here!" Xia He was about to go out to get some hot water for Qiao Mei when she saw He Ning walking towards the ward. She stared at him warily as she spoke. "Of course I''m here to congratulate Qiao Mei. How can I not come to attend such a big joyous occasion?" He Ning said casually. Xia He sized up He Ning and then took a closer look at what He Ning had brought. Then, she turned sideways to let them into the ward. ? ? ? ? ? ? ? "Everyone is here! It seems that I''ve come at the right time," He Ning said with a smile. None of the Xia family members responded to him, but He Ning did not feel awkward at all. He put down his things and casually pulled up a stool to sit opposite Qiao Mei''s bed. Qiao Mei admired He Ning''s thick skin the most. She did not know how he managed to train himself to be so shameless. No ordinary person would be able to do this. "It''s indeed a coincidence that you''re here just as I''m feeling a little better. But what are you doing here? Don''t tell me you''re here to visit me?" Qiao Mei asked with a smile. "Something like that. If you don''t mind, Huo Gao can take a look at you," He Ning said. Xia Zhe hurriedly handed the baby to Xia Fang and stood in front of Qiao Mei, blocking He Ning''s view as he said, "You don''t have to worry about anything." "That''s quite true. I''m here to collect on the debt. I wonder when Xia Wen will return the 500,000 dollars he owes me. It should be about 800,000 dollars now," He Ning said as he counted with his fingers. This was really a case of a weasel paying a visit to a chicken! He was up to no good!I think you should take a look at An amount of 800,000 dollars! Xia Wen looked at He Ning in shock, but after that, he felt that it made sense. At that time, he was in a hurry to borrow money and did not wait to reach an agreement on many conditions. This gave He Ning a chance to take advantage of the situation. Qiao Mei patted Xia Zhe''s hand to indicate that he need not be so nervous. Since He Ning had come to look for her, it meant that what He Ning wanted was not money at all. In He Ning''s eyes, money was just paper that was not worth his time. "Tell me, what do you want from me?" Qiao Mei asked. He Ning clapped his hands in appreciation and said, "I really like to talk to smart people. Didn''t you ask me to take the blame for the ''divine medicine'' the last time? Your family seems to be having a peaceful time now. Do you know how many people have been harassing my family? I''m not asking for much. 500,000 dollars and a bottle of ''divine medicine''. Once it''s done, this debt between us will be written off." Qiao Mei shook her head to reject He Ning''s suggestion. It was not because she could not bear to part with the "divine medicine", but because she was very dissatisfied with He Ning''s conditions. The "divine medicine" was a treasure item that could not be bought even with money. How could it be only worth 300,000 dollars of interest? Was it that He Ning did not know how to do the math or did He Ning think that she was stupid? A 100-year-old ginseng was already worth 600,000 dollars! This was "divine medicine" brewed from a 1,000-year-old ginseng. It was not too much to say that it was worth at least a million dollars! "Don''t ask for too much. One glass of ''divine medicine'' and we''re even," Qiao Mei said sternly. Xia Wen quickly said to her, "Qiao Mei, I know you have good intentions, but I''m the one who borrowed the money. I''ll bear the consequences myself. Don''t worry about me." It was not that Qiao Mei wanted to meddle in Xia Wen''s affairs, but He Ning''s original goal all this while was the "divine medicine" that Qiao Mei had. Anything he mentioned about money, objects or other people was just an excuse. "It''s fine, Eldest Brother. We''re a family," Qiao Mei said with a smile. "One glass? That''s too little," He Ning said. "You know very well what kind of effect this medicine has. It''s even more precious than three or four 100-year-old ginsengs. If not for the fact that you had helped us, I wouldn''t even give you this glass of ''divine medicine''. It''s not as if our family can''t afford to pay back the 800,000 dollars. You still owe me so much money," Qiao Mei said. Chapter 1181 Perpetrate A Deception ? He Ning did not speak. This was the first time he had ended up in a passive position despite being the aggressor. Firstly, he still owed Qiao Mei money. Secondly, he needed Qiao Mei''s ginseng in order to stay alive. Qiao Mei had a firm hold of his weak spot. Even if he had something on her, it would not be the ideal situation for him to go against her. "Don''t tell me you want me to spend this 500,000 dollars for nothing," He Ning said through gritted teeth. "Of course not. Haven''t you just used this 500,000 dollars to buy something that''s better than ginseng? Actually, you''re the one who has profited!" Qiao Mei said as she pretended to feel a sense of heartache. After a long time, He Ning finally calmed down and said, "200,000 dollars and ''divine medicine''. Nothing less than that." "This is not a negotiation. Just a small glass of ''divine medicine'' should be enough to settle this matter. Otherwise, I''ll pay you 800,000 dollars right away. Or let''s put it this way. After I deduct 800,000 dollars from the money you owe me, you still have to give me another 200,000 dollars! Think about it," Qiao Mei said. He Ning frowned, but he got over it after a while. If Qiao Mei was not such an aggressive person, he would not be so obsessed and interested in her. It was just 500,000 dollars. He would just take it that he had to spend money to buy the "divine medicine". ? ? ? ? ? In the future, if he ever faced a situation of being on the verge of death like Xia Mao, this "divine medicine" would be the thing that could bring him back to life. It was worth spending the money. "Fine. I''ll take it that I''m doing you a favor," He Ning said. "I''ll get someone to send it to you in a few days. I don''t have time now. As you can see, I can''t even move," Qiao Mei said as she spread out her hands. "Then I wish you a speedy recovery. I''m off," He Ning said sulkily and left Qiao Mei''s ward without looking back. The Xia family members were a little worried. The current situation was like nurturing a tiger and inviting calamity for themselves. In the past, He Ning only wanted ginseng. There was a big difference between ginseng and "divine medicine". Perhaps He Ning would regain the health of an ordinary person after eating ginseng for a long time, but he would need to continuously eat ginseng to achieve that. Once he stopped eating it, his body would run out of nourishment and he would eventually die. However, it would be different if he had the "divine medicine". It would mean that He Ning had a chance to be resurrected! If he was on the verge of death, he could be revived and his health would even be much better after that. "Why aren''t any of you saying anything?" Qiao Mei asked. Xu Lan asked Feng Hua to bring the two children out first. Since they had something to discuss, it was not appropriate for the children to be present. In the event they spoke too loudly, they might scare the children.I think you should take a look at "Qiao Mei, this is too risky," Xia Wen said seriously. "I think it''s alright. Why is it a risk?" Qiao Mei said. "We all know the effect of that medicine. Aren''t we just burying a mine for ourselves by doing this? It''s so destructive!" Xia Wen said with a frown. However, Qiao Mei did not take this matter that seriously. She blinked her beautiful eyes and said, "Does anyone know what that medicine looks like? Has anyone seen that medicine and can describe its characteristics? How does he know whether what I give him is real or fake?" All the Xia family members were suddenly enlightened. Qiao Mei was going to perpetrate a deception, like the old tale where "a civet cat was used to change out the crown prince"! Even if she gave He Ning a bottle of water, he would treat it like a treasure and would not notice anything amiss. Qiao Mei was really in a league of her own! "No wonder you agreed to give him the medicine! So that''s how it is!" The other members of the Xia family felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted off their shoulders. Only Xia Zhe remained silent with a dark expression on his face. As night fell, everyone went home after reminding Qiao Mei to take care. Xia Zhe stayed in the hospital to take care of Qiao Mei so that Feng Hua could finally take a good rest for a few days. Initially, Feng Hua still wanted to guard Qiao Mei with her life! She even wanted to sleep next to Qiao Mei''s bed. Xia He quickly instructed her not to deprive the couple of their private time for the next few days. It was not easy for them to have some time to spend together, so they should not waste it! "Are are you still angry?" Qiao Mei asked tentatively. "No," Xia Zhe said. Qiao Mei was not a fool. Ever since He Ning came by in the afternoon, Xia Zhe had been in this mood. Could it be that she had gone overboard? Or had she ignored Xia Zhe''s feelings at that time? However, no matter the sort of unreasonable things she had done in the past, Xia Zhe would always smile and forgive her. What was the reason for his behavior this time? Chapter 1182 - 1182 Emotions Go Out of Control 1182 Emotions Go Out of Control The more Qiao Mei thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt. She thought of all possibilities, but she still could not understand why Xia Zhe was in a fit of pique. She was doing all this for the sake of the Xia family, was she not? The involved party was Xia Zhes eldest brother, not her biological eldest brother. She was only doing this for the sake of their family! Although she was the one who forced Xia Zhe to be with her back then, she would not have been pregnant with two children if not for him! Moreover, even though there were so many accidents during her pregnancy, Xia Zhe had never been by her side. If she did not marry Xia Zhe, she would not have been attacked by his rotten romantic luck! No matter how brave and capable she was, she was still a woman who needed her husband to protect her! Although Tan Jing was not a good person, when she got into trouble, Xia Wen still went to save her without any hesitation. When she got into trouble, Xia Zhe was still far away! She had never complained about Xia Zhe, so why was he angry with her for no reason now! This was simply too unreasonable! ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Qiao Mei was so sad that she started crying and the sound of her sobbing reached Xia Zhes ears. He was so shocked that he quickly went to her bedside and said, Why are you crying? Dont cry, dont cry. What if you stretch the wound site and hurt yourself? Its all because of you! Why arent you talking to me! Why arent you paying attention to me! If you want to be like this, then ignore me for the rest of your life! Why are you being concerned about me now! Youre just pretending to be concerned! The more Qiao Mei spoke, the angrier she became and the more she cried impudently. In the end, she could not even stop her tears from falling anymore. Its my fault. Im not doing this on purpose Actually, Im jealous Xia Zhe whispered. Jealous? Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe in confusion. Who was he jealous of? Could it be Xia Wen! Are you mad! I helped your brother because hes your biological eldest brother! Were a family! Of course I have to help him! Why are you jealous! Thats your biological brother! Qiao Mei said in shock. Xia Zhe was also shellshocked by Qiao Meis amazing thinking process. What was she on about? He had never felt that there was anything wrong with Xia Wen. Its He Ning! Im jealous of He Ning! Xia Zhe said. Then tell me! Why did you ignore me all afternoon! What did I do wrong for you to treat me like this! If you dont like to talk to me, then you can get out! Ask Sister Feng to come back and take care of me! Sister Feng is so much nicer to me! Qiao Mei pouted aggrievedly and tried her best to hold back the tears in her eyes. Xia Zhes heart ached as he leaned forward to hug Qiao Mei. He did not know why he behaved this way. He just felt that during his absence, many things had happened to Qiao Mei that he did not know about so he felt a little jealous. Yes, he was crazily jealous. Im sorry. I shouldnt have lost my temper so casually and made you feel aggrieved. You can hit me or scold me. Dont cry, my little ancestor, Xia Zhe said tenderly. Qiao Mei reached out with her small fists and kept punching Xia Zhes chest. As she did so, she kept muttering to herself about the grievances and sadness she had suffered during this period of time and all the sadness and sorrows she had felt. She did not want to be such a strong person anymore and just wanted to behave like a spoiled child in Xia Zhes arms. After relating everything that had happened during this period of time, as well as expressing her dissatisfaction and complaints about Xia Zhe, Qiao Mei was so tired that she fell asleep in Xia Zhes arms. Xia Zhe gently patted Qiao Meis head. It was all his fault for not taking care of her emotions. Previously, Xia Fang had specially reminded him that the hormones of a pregnant woman before and after childbirth would fluctuate greatly and affect her mood. During this period of time, he must take care of Qiao Meis emotions. However, he was still too impulsive and had instantly forgotten everything that Xia Fang had told him. Go to sleep my darling I will work hard to be by your side in the future and not let you suffer like this again. Xia Zhe gently kissed Qiao Meis forehead and slowly helped her lie down. He sat by the bed and looked at Qiao Mei until dawn the next day. The moment Qiao Mei opened her eyes, she saw Xia Zhe with two big dark circles under his eyes. She was so shocked that she almost fell off the hospital bed. Chapter 1183 - 1183 As Long as She Likes It 1183 As Long as She Likes It What are you doing? Did you stay up the entire night? Qiao Mei asked in surprise. I think so. I just want to look at you, Xia Zhe said with a blissful smile. He did not feel tired at all. Instead, he felt very secure and happy. Qiao Mei pointed at the caregiver bed and said, Sleep now! Go to sleep immediately! Otherwise, Ill ask Sister Feng to come back and accompany me now and tell Mother to let you go home and rest. Xia Zhe could not argue with Qiao Mei, so he lay down on the small bed obediently and fell asleep. Qiao Mei then lay back on the bed and went back to sleep too. With professionals taking care of the children, they could feel at ease. Time flew by and another week passed. Qiao Mei could already get out of bed slowly with assistance. In a few days, she would definitely recover even better and be one step closer to being able to go home. ? ? ?, ? ? ? ? ?. Qiane and Zheng Peng were finally able to take some time out to visit Qiao Mei. After Qiane recovered from her illness, they had been so worried about Qiao Mei. They did not expect to eventually receive news of Qiao Meis death! Fortunately, Zheng Peng was close to the children and found out that Qiao Mei was still alive. Otherwise, Qiane would definitely turn the world upside down in order to get more information from the Xia family. Qiane would insist on seeing Qiao Mei, no matter if she was dead or alive. Even if Qiao Mei was really dead, Qiane would do her best to go to the Xia family residence to take a look at Qiao Meis body. During this period of time, the two of them had been staying at Qiao Meis house to take care of Qiao Meis family. Qiane actually wanted to know more about how Qiao Mei was faring, but the Xia family was in a mess at that time. It would not be good for her to cause more trouble by going there and it was also not that nice to trouble Zheng Peng to beg his father to get more information. All Qiane could do was to wait patiently. If they took good care of Qiao Meis family, it meant there was one less thing that Qiao Mei needed to worry about. Do you think Qiao Meis children will like our gifts? I wonder who the two children resemble more? Itll be great if they both look like Qiao Mei. Shes so beautiful, so the two children naturally wont look too bad! Also Along the way, Qiane and Zheng Peng chatted non-stop, mainly about Qiao Meis children. Qiao Mei had already told Zheng Peng about what happened to Qiane and Qiane had also been very frank with him. He actually did not have much desire to have children. He just wanted to love Qiane and take good care of her for the rest of her life. It did not matter even if there was no one to support them in their old age in the future. It was enough as long as the two of them loved and supported each other. If Qiane really wanted children, they could go to the orphanage to see if there were any children whom she liked. Whatever Zheng Peng did, the prerequisite was that it must be something that Qiane liked. Oh! I remember something! I still have a bag of good quality big dates at home! I should have brought them for Qiao Mei. I hear that soup made with dates is very nourishing. You must remind me the next time we come! Qiane said earnestly. Sure, sure, sure. Ill remember everything you say. However, you should first find out if Qiao Mei is lacking anything. I heard from Qiao Meis mother that someone gave her a box of donkey-hide gelatin recently! Dont buy things that she already has, otherwise she wont be able to finish so much, Zheng Peng said. Yes, what you say makes sense too. Ill do what you say, Qiane said happily. As they walked on, Qiane suddenly realized that there was a very familiar person in front of her. Although this person had lost a lot of weight, Qiane could recognize her immediately from the way she walked. He Mei! Stop right there! Qiane quickly rushed in front of He Mei to block her way. Oh my, isnt this the jinx? Why are you so free to come here? Why are you coming out to look for trouble instead of staying at home! Its so annoying to run into you, He Mei said disdainfully. Qiane did not care about what He Mei said at all, even if it was all words of mockery. The thing that mattered to her was the fact that He Mei was heading towards the direction of Qiao Meis ward. To get to the VIP ward, apart from the patients private passageway and a dedicated passageway for doctors, there was also a passageway for family members. This was only accessible to people who could verify the relationship between the patient and themselves. He Mei was holding a card that allowed her access to the family members passageway to the VIP ward. There was no way that He Mei was a good friend of the patient. That would be nonsense! Where are you going? Why do you have this card? If youre sick, take another path. This is not where you should be going, Qiane said warily. Chapter 1184 - 1184 It Is All Because of You 1184 It Is All Because of You Its none of your business where Im going! Just get out of the way! Dont block my way! He Mei was so exasperated that she wanted to shove Qiane to one side. Zheng Peng quickly pulled Qiane into his arms and frowned at He Mei. He Mei looked at Zheng Peng with some interest. She knew who this person was, but Zheng Peng probably did not know her. He Mei had studied painting for a few years after all. She often heard people say that a young master from the Zheng family had dared to drop out of school to study art overseas. Old Master Zheng was so angry that he lay sick in bed for a few months. How did the two of you get together? But its actually not that surprising. Trash will always look for trash. To a certain extent, the two of you are really a match made in heaven! An unfilial son and a crippled daughter are really a perfect match! He Mei said mockingly. Qiane wanted to go forward to hit He Mei, but Zheng Peng stopped her. It was not worth it to quarrel with a crazy woman and get angry with her. However, that was not what Qiane was thinking. She did not care if He Mei scolded, belittled or admonished her. It did not matter to her what others said. However, she could not allow the same for Zheng Peng. She could not accept others insulting him. He had clearly done nothing wrong, so he should not receive any unfair treatment. ? , ? ? ? ? ? ?. Say that again! Qiane roared furiously. Why cant I say it? Ill say it countless times! Did you also cut off your ears when you cut out your womb? Why cant you understand what Im saying? So what if I want to say more? What can you do to me? Ha, you should take a look at yourself in the mirror! Who do you think you are! After saying that, He Mei spat on the ground. Zheng Peng also felt like teaching He Mei a lesson, but he was brought up not to bully women. Even if a woman bared her fangs and brandished her claws, he still should not hurt the woman. Miss He, please speak with more respect, Zheng Peng warned. Respect? As if the two of you are worthy of it! Ill respect anyone! But not the two of you! An indecent couple asking me for respect! How shameless! He Mei said disdainfully. He Mei did not have any beef with Zheng Peng, but she would never let Qiane off. If not for Qiane, she would not have to live in that godforsaken place for so long! Other than fetching water, chopping firewood, washing clothes, cooking and doing other chores every day, she even had to go to the mountains to find food for herself! There was even one time when she did not have anything to eat for two days and fainted on the path in the village. Even when someone saw her, they did not reach out to save her. At that place, rations were very scarce. If anyone saved He Mei, it meant that the persons family would not have enough food. No one was willing to let their family members suffer to save a complete stranger. In the end, she had regained consciousness on her own and slowly crawled back to the house, saving her own life. Dont argue with her. Lets go and get the security officers. As long as the security officers can control her, itll be fine. Qiane grabbed Zheng Peng and was about to leave when He Mei went back on her word and reached out to hold Qiane back. You want to leave? Who says you can leave! We havent settled our scores yet! Dont even think about leaving! He Mei said fiercely. Me and you? I have nothing to say to you! Let go of me! Qiane said. How can there be nothing? Arent you the one who told me that Qiao Mei had a miscarriage? So how can she have given birth! Youve lied to me all along. You join forces with the Xia family to lie to me. Youre really vicious! He Mei said resentfully. Ha, Im vicious? Arent you the one who caused my health to end up like this! Qiane said agitatedly. At the mention of this, He Mei laughed out loudly. This was probably the thing she was most proud of. Only a fool like Qiane would believe her. You deserve it! Thats what you deserve! Why are you blaming me for it? You clearly reaped what you sowed. What has it got to do with me? Did I ask you to sleep with Ma San? Am I the one who made you pregnant? Is the child you had my child? Dont pretend to be the good person here! He Mei said. Chapter 1185 - 1185 The Unspoken Secret 1185 The Unspoken Secret These words were like needles stabbing at Qiane and straight into her heart. This was pain that she had to live with for her entire life and something that she would never be able to let go of. He Mei digging up all these past events in front of Zheng Peng was like making her lay out her festering and maggoty wounds in front of him. She kept lying to herself that as long as Zheng Peng loved her and she worked hard enough to love him back, there was nothing that could stand between them. He Mei had completely shattered the beautiful dream that she had been floating in for so many days. As if you are innocent! The Xia family asked for you to go to the mountains to reflect on yourself. How did you escape? If I tell Xia Zhe about this now, what do you think will happen to you? Qiane asked with a smile. Xia Zhe? Stop trying to scare me. If you can see Xia Zhe, Ill throw away my surname! He Mei said. If your Little Uncle finds out that you escape on your own, will he lock you up and send you to a more remote place? Dont tell me its the He family who brought you back? Then your uncle will suffer a huge loss. Qiane looked at He Mei as if she was watching a show. ? ? ?, ? ? ? ? ?. She knew very well that He Ning definitely would not take the initiative to ask He Mei to come back. He Mei must have secretly escaped when she received the news. If this matter blew up, He Mei would not be able to justify her action at all and would find herself in a worse position. He Mei instantly panicked, but she was not afraid. She just needed to hurry and tear that b*tch Qiao Mei apart and then kill Qiao Meis two children. After that, she would be able to be with Xia Zhe for real! No one could separate her from Xia Zhe! When Qiane was not paying attention, He Mei turned around and ran towards the VIP passageway for family members. Qiane quickly found an opportunity to push He Mei to the ground and shouted, Zheng Peng! Go and get the security officers! Go quickly! Zheng Peng did not listen to Qiane. Instead, he undid his belt and used it to tie He Meis hands behind her back. After such a big commotion just now, there would definitely be people sending the security officers here. What he needed to do was to protect Qiane well. Nothing was more important than Qiane. Are you alright? Zheng Peng asked worriedly. Im fine, but she definitely cant be allowed to go there. We must deal with her now, Qiane said. Deal with me? The two of you? How are you going to deal with me? Dont forget! My Little Uncle is also an investor of this hospital! You have to be more polite to me! Be careful that my Little Uncle doesnt find trouble with you! He Mei shouted loudly. Zheng Peng said impatiently, Do you think the He family is still the same as before? Are you still that pampered daughter of the He family? Stop daydreaming and open your eyes to see whos the prisoner now. Asshole! How dare you question me! Who do you think the Zheng family is! Youre not even fit to be the He familys servant! Youre just a useless painter! Whats there to be arrogant about! You even fall for a whore! Youre really filial! I think you wont stop until you anger your father to death! He Mei said crazily. Qiane! Untie my hands if youre so capable! Theres nothing great about hiding behind a man! Youre a piece of trash who only knows how to hang on to men! A piece of trash! No wonder Zheng Peng will fall for Qiane. You just want to anger your father to death! Youre a jinx! Its not enough that you jinxed your brother to death, but you still want to jinx your father to his grave! He Mei became crazier and crazier and even started spouting nonsense. Zheng Peng slapped He Mei furiously. This was the first time he had even hit a woman. The Zheng family had an unspoken secret. It was something that no one except the Zheng family members knew about. He did not know how He Mei knew about it so clearly. However, the He family was a rich and successful family, so was there anything that they could not find out? Actually, Zheng Peng was one of a pair of twins, but his mother was not as lucky as Qiao Mei to have given birth to both children. The doctor said that Zheng Pengs mother, Zhang Dai, looked to be pregnant with two boys. Zheng Pengs father, Zheng Su, was overjoyed with the news. All his neighbors, relatives and colleagues knew about this good news, but on the day of the actual delivery, his family almost became the laughing stock of the entire capital. The boy who was born first was deformed and extremely thin, as if he had not developed well. He died less than a day after being born. Zheng Peng, on the other hand, was very well-developed and very healthy. There was no problem with him at all. Chapter 1186 - 1186 Against the Law 1186 Against the Law In the end, the doctor told Zheng Su that the other child died because Zheng Peng was constantly absorbing nutrients from him. Zheng Su broke down after hearing that. He always thought that he had done many good deeds in his life, so why would he have to suffer such a thing? After Zheng Su and Zhang Dai heard the news, they started to despise Zheng Peng and left him in the care of a nanny since he was young. This was also the reason why although Zheng Yuan was so loved in the family, Zheng Peng was not favored, even if he was the only son. They felt that Zheng Peng was a demon and the one who murdered their son! However, it never seemed to occur to them that Zheng Peng was also their son! Youre a demon! You ate up a person! You killed a person! He Mei said as she laughed loudly. Qiane immediately asked the security officers to bring He Mei away and remove her from the hospital premises. Zheng Peng was still rooted to the spot as He Meis words kept replaying in his mind. It was something that no one had said to him for many years. Zheng Peng! Zheng Peng, look at me! Qiane shouted as she held Zheng Pengs hands. Im here Im fine. Lets go and visit Qiao Mei first. I think the noise just now must have alarmed them, Zheng Peng said with a forced smile. Given the current situation, Qiane was no longer in the mood to visit Qiao Mei. It would be better if the two of them did not go and cause trouble for Qiao Mei! Lets go home. Ill call Qiao Mei to tell her about this. Lets go home and rest, Qiane said. Zheng Peng nodded and followed Qiane out of the hospital in a daze. At the same time, something major was also happening at the Xia family residence. After the Tan family could not manage to contact Tan Jing for a long time, Tan Jings mother actually came looking for her. She sat on a small stool outside the Xia family residences main door and kicked up a fuss about how the Xia family had caused the death of her daughter. It was giving Xu Lan a huge headache. How long is she going to yell? Doesnt she need to drink water? Xia He leaned against the door and looked out curiously. How can you be concerned about whether she needs to drink water at a time like this? You should be worried about whether your mother needs water! Xu Lan said in exasperation. Xia He quickly filled a glass with water and handed it to Xu Lan. She said obsequiously, Mother, dont be angry. We cant do anything to her, right? I remember that Qiao Mei dealt with her by wasting her time! In the end, she gave up and left! Qiao Mei is Qiao Mei! Our family is our family! If you have Qiao Meis wits, I wont have to worry so much! Go and ask your eldest brother to come home! If he doesnt come back soon, this family will be finished! Im going to die of anger! Xu Lan said. Just as Xia He was about to make a call to Xia Wen, she could suddenly hear his voice outside. He coaxed Jiang Yi into entering the house with a few words. Xu Lan was about to hide in her room when Jiang Yi wailed, Oh my! In-law! I can finally see you! Youre so ruthless! You let me cry outside the door alone for so long! My poor daughter must have suffered after marrying into your family! Its our family who suffered Xu Lan muttered to herself. Son-in-law! You have to treat my daughter better! After my daughter married you, she really doesnt have a good life! Jiang Yi cried. Pfft! She lives in a house, wears nice clothes and has a good job. She even keeps sending money to the Tan family. If this is considered a tough life, then whats considered a good life! Your familys the one who enjoys a great life! Xia He said unhappily. Hey! What are you saying, young lady! How can you interrupt when your elders are talking? Youre a daughter whos already married, so how can you still strut around at your maternal home and say whatever you want? How lawless! How can a divorced woman be so arrogant, Jiang Yi said disdainfully. Xia Wen and Xu Lan immediately looked annoyed. Xia Wen said unhappily, Then why do you keep coming here to behave atrociously when your daughter is already married? What are you talking about! I havent seen my daughter for so long. Is there anything wrong with me coming to see her? You sold the house and dont allow us to contact Tan Jing. This is against the law, do you know that! Youre breaking the law! Jiang Yi stomped her feet anxiously. Chapter 1187 - 1187 Drawing Clear Boundaries 1187 Drawing Clear Boundaries Who says you are not allowed to contact each other? Isnt it just a change of housing? Its a detached house with a courtyard! Isnt this type of house even better? Xia He asked with a smile. Jiang Yi looked at Xia He expectantly. Could it be that Xia He was talking about a big house like what Qiao Mei had! Tan Jing had really gone to enjoy life! However, it was one thing for Tan Jing to enjoy life, but why did she not mention anything to them? How could children not care about their parents after they lived better? This made no sense! Even then, theres no reason for her not to contact us! Are you trying to guard against our family! Jiang Yi said. At least shes not that stupid Xia He muttered softly. In-law, since weve come to this point, Ill tell you the truth. Tan Jing will go home in a couple of days. By then, youll be able to enjoy your joyful family life together, Xu Lan said. What was this about joyful family life! Her idea of joyful family life was Tan Jing bringing money home! What was the point of Tan Jing going home if she did not bring a single cent back! That house did not belong to Tan Jing and she had no say in it. Only real money was the most practical! Why is she coming home? When are you going to find a job for her? I think Qiao Meis popcorn business is doing quite well. Anyway, Tan Jing doesnt have many job opportunities now and Qiao Mei has already given birth, right? Then its a good time for Tan Jing to help Qiao Mei! That will mean both of them will be able to make full use of their time, wont it? Jiang Yi said with a smile. She did not come to check on Qiao Meis well-being after Qiao Mei gave birth. Now that she was downtrodden, she came to try and get money from Qiao Mei! Did she really think that the Xia family was a bank! Xia Wen was not his usual gentle self as he said sternly to Jiang Yi, Once Tan Jing goes back, shell remain there permanently. She wont come back to our Xia family again. What? What are you talking about! Jiang Yi asked in confusion. It means that I want to divorce her, Xia Wen said as he looked at Jiang Yi seriously. He did not get scolded by Jiang Yi for saying that. On the contrary, she was very happy to hear it and looked like she wanted to celebrate! Tan Jing and Xia Wen had been married for more than 10 years. Although she did not bear any children, she had served the Xia family for many years. She would definitely be able to get a lot of money after getting a divorce. She should at least get half of the house! Also, Tan Jing should have a share in Qiao Meis big house. That house was left behind by Wu Min and should belong to the Xia familys three children. How could Xia Zhe have it all for himself? Sure! Then you have to compensate our family! You have to give everything you own to our Tan Jing! Jiang Yi said as she straightened her back. Xia Wen took out the evidence that Xia Zhe had gathered some time ago regarding the secret collusion between Tan Jing and Cheng Gu, saying, When Tan Jing and I get a divorce, Ill say that it was the Xia familys idea and has nothing to do with her. This way, it looks better for everyone. However, if you insist on behaving this way, I dont mind sending Tan Jing to the police station. Are you even human! You want to send your wife to the police station! Jiang Yi roared. She harmed my family, hurt my sister-in-law and even wanted to destroy the descendants of the Xia family. Shouldnt I divorce her? Also, pay off the debts your family owes to us as soon as possible, Xia Wen said heartlessly. Seeing that there was no way to salvage the situation, Jiang Yi immediately started being melodramatic. She knelt on the ground and cried bitterly, muttering something inaudible. Xu Lan did not have the time to waste with Jiang Yi. She called Luo Yu over and asked him to throw Jiang Yi out as far away as possible. Then, she wanted him to inform the patrol team at the entrance of the neighborhood and told them not to let Jiang Yi set foot in the neighborhood again! She never wanted to see Jiang Yi again! Eldest Brother, by putting it across this way, arent you worried that those people from the Tan family will come looking for trouble? Xia He asked. Im not worried. We have evidence of their misdeeds. Even if the issue blows up, our family wont be at a disadvantage. Its just that its hard on you and Mother to have to bear with the noise they make, Xia Wen said apologetically. The fact was that Xu Lan and Xia He were more concerned about Xia Wens feelings. If this continued on, they did not know if Xia Wen would still be able to hold on. It was best to take swift and ruthless action and not delay anything any longer. Xia Wen had finally sorted out his feelings and decided to continue working hard. They could not let this group of rotten people ruin his life! They must end the battle quickly! They must draw clear boundaries with the Tan family! Chapter 1188 - 1188 Miracle 1188 Miracle Were fine with that. So what if they make a lot of noise? Xu Lan said. Lets leave it at that for now. Theres nothing else we can do, Xia Wen said with a sigh. The next morning, Xia Wen went to the clinic to visit Tan Jing. This was the first time Xia Wen had visited Tan Jing since the incident. She looked much more haggard than before and had lost a lot of weight. Her cheeks were all sunken. Tan Jing had kicked up a fuss again earlier and had just been injected with a tranquilizer. The doctor quickly ran to Xia Wens side and said, Hello, Mr Xia. Do you have any instructions for us? Hows her condition now? Can she be discharged? Xia Wen asked. The doctor did not know what to say about this matter. Tan Jing could be considered to be a miracle. He did not know if it was because Tan Jings physique was better than other people or if Tan Jing had received divine protection, but she had recovered very quickly from such serious external injuries. It was three times faster than normal recovery time! Furthermore, she did not have any scars at all. It looked as if Tan Jing had never been so seriously injured. This made them very puzzled. They even took samples of Tan Jings blood for research and experiments. The results showed that Tan Jings body was the same as that of an ordinary person. However, it was still a miracle. This was a fact that they had no choice but to acknowledge. Perhaps it was the medicinal wine that Tan Jing and Cheng Gu drank before the incident that caused Tan Jings body to undergo some changes and allow her to recover faster than other people. Even Tan Jing did not know about this. Miss Tan can be discharged now, but she has been injected with a large amount of drugs back then and is already addicted. No matter how many tranquilizers we give her, its useless. Miss Tan needs to hold on by herself. As long as she can get through it, the drug addiction wont torture her anymore, the doctor said. Then do you have any medicine to suppress her drug addiction or to make it easier for her? Xia Wen still could not bear to see Tan Jing like this and wanted to think of other ways to make her feel better. There was actually another way to make it easier for her. This was done by fighting fire with fire and to reduce her intake of drugs bit by bit. However, there were pros and cons to this method. Humans were greedy creatures and Tan Jing probably would not be able to control the desires deep in her heart. It would likely destroy her in the end. This method would only end up harming her. No, she can only rely on her own willpower, the doctor said regretfully. Xia Wen did not ask anything else and just stood quietly in front of the bed for a while before leaving. He decided to think of another way to deal with Tan Jings discharge. If she behaved like a crazy person every day, the Tan family definitely would not be willing to settle this matter peacefully. Although Xia Wen thought that the Tan family would lie low for a few days, Jiang Yi came to the main entrance of the Xia familys neighborhood with Tan Bo and Tan Bao. Each of them was carrying a bucket of paint. What are you doing here! Youre not allowed to enter! The patrol team rushed forward to stop Jiang Yis group. Who do you think you are! How dare you stop me! Dont you know who I am! Youre just a lowly gatekeeper and yet you want to meddle in other peoples business! Pfft! Who do you think you are! Your status is even lower than animals! Jiang Yi shouted angrily. The patrol team members who were resting in the pavilion all neatened their uniforms and came out to see who was shouting at their teammates. After being stationed here for so long, this was the first time they had seen someone going against them so impudently. Who are you looking for? If you dont tell us anything, why should we let you in? one of the patrol team members said impatiently. What has it got to do with you who were looking for! Why are you interfering in other peoples family matters! What good is it to meddle in other peoples business! Jiang Yi roared furiously. The patrol team did not take Jiang Yis group seriously. While the old lady was arguing with them, her husband and son just stood at the back in a daze and did not even bother to move at all. If word got out, it would become a joke. They were not interested in beating up a woman. The last time Xiao An and the rest had to escort Jiang Yi out, they already felt embarrassed enough. They did not expect Jiang Yi to come to the door again today. Leave quickly! Dont say we havent warned you! the patrol team members shouted. Without another word, Jiang Yi opened the paint can and splashed it at the patrol team. Fortunately, they all reacted fast enough, otherwise they would have been hit! Chapter 1189 - 1189 Red Paint 1189 Red Paint The bright red paint splattered all over the ground and looked especially dazzling on the black tar road. Many of them got red paint on their shoes. It was going to be especially difficult to wash the paint out! The patrol team members standing at the back hurriedly went to the Xia family residence to look for Luo Yu to come and uphold justice. They could not resolve this matter on their own. After all, these people were the Xia familys in-laws. If any of them got hurt and the Xia family came to demand an explanation, they would not be able to answer to the Xia family! They also wanted to protect their jobs. Brother Xiao An! Bad news! Something big has happened! The patrol team members ran to the Xia family residence in a panic and yelled out. Xiao An had gone out on duty with some others today. Currently, Xiao An was equivalent to Luo Yus deputy. When Luo Yu was not around, everyone had to take instructions from Xiao An. Whats the matter? Why are you so flustered? Luo Yu said with a frown. The patrol team at the entrance of this neighborhood was made up of patrolmen sent by the various families to stand guard. After all, the people living here were either government officials or military cadres. The houses here were directly allocated to them by the nation and private transactions were not allowed, so security was very tight here. The patrol team did not know how to deal with visiting relatives like the Tan family. Under normal circumstances, they would first call the family to verify the identities of the visitors and then get a member of the family to come and sign off after confirming that there were no mistakes. Then, they would drive the visitors in to ensure that the visitors did not enter other families courtyards. Everyone else had to have a pass to enter. No one was allowed to enter or leave as they pleased. The person who was dragged out yesterday came back with two men and even brought paint. Come and take a look. We cant hold on anymore! a patrol team member said anxiously. Luo Yu immediately changed into his uniform and went to the entrance of the neighborhood. At this moment, Jiang Yi was scolding the patrol team. She did not care if they knew her or not. She scolded anyone who made eye contact with her. What are you doing! Who is this! Why havent you called the police? Have you forgotten what I told you yesterday? Luo Yu said sternly to the patrol team member with him. Im sorry! Its our negligence! the patrol team member shouted. Jiang Yi immediately rushed to Luo Yus side and shouted, I know youre that lackey of the Xia family! The Xia family must have asked you to bring us in! Hmph! I just know you people are the type who bully the weak and fear the strong! The Xia family is still quite sensible after all! Quickly lead the way. Dont waste my time anymore. Of course not. Im here to advise you to go home quickly. Even if you die at the door, we wont let you in, Luo Yu said impatiently. At this moment, Luo Yu was only focused with the paint on the ground. He did not know how long it was going to take them to clean up the red paint on the ground! Even if every member of his entire team scrubbed the ground with brushes, they might not be able to clean up the mess. The thought of this gave him a headache. Youre talking nonsense! Get Xia Wen to come and see me personally! If Xia Wen doesnt come and see me today! Ill stay here and not leave! Jiang Yi immediately sat down on the ground. It was useless no matter who grabbed and pulled her. She looked like she was going all out. Luo Yu had no choice but to call the nearby police station and ask them to quickly send someone to arrest the Tan family members and lock them up for a few days. Only then would the patrol team and the guard team be able to have a break and not have to deal with this type of family affairs every day. When Jiang Yi saw Luo Yu calling the police, she used her last resort again. The patrol team members looked at Jiang Yi with interest as she wept and threw a tantrum. It was even better than watching a play! Most of them were married with children. Their wives were from good and educated families and their children were filial to them. They did not know what a shrew was and what an unreasonable in-law was.They could only garner a general idea from their neighbors. What they witnessed now made them realize that they were still not imaginative enough. The things that Jiang Yi said and did were definitely not things that any troublemaker relative could do. She was one of the most vicious characters in the capital. If not for the Xia family preventing anyone from publicizing this matter, the reporters from the television station would probably have clogged up the entrance of the neighborhood by now. They definitely liked such great news material! Chapter 1190 - 1190 Coming Back to Get Married 1190 Coming Back to Get Married Big brother, if she continues shouting like this, how do we do the handover when its time for our shift change? a patrol team member looked at Luo Yu and said awkwardly. Just let her shout. Anyway, were not the ones who will get tired. My young masters instructions are that her family is not allowed to enter the neighborhood to disturb other residents. We cant interfere with what happens outside the neighborhood entrance. Brothers, just bear with it, Luo Yu said resignedly. It was getting dark and Jiang Yi had been coming to create trouble at the Xia family residence for a few days. She shouted until her voice was all hoarse and she could not really speak. Tan Bo and Tan Bao did not care about Jiang Yi at all and just sat at the side, smoking and looking at the scenery! The two of them did not want to come at all. If Jiang Yi had not said that they could cheat Tan Jing of her money, the two of them would not have cared about Tan Jings life and death! It would be better if she died! If she died, they could still extort a sum of money from the Xia family. If she died now, it would be because of the Xia family. Then they would have a hold over the Xia family. If so, they would be able to get anything they wanted. If they did not get it, then they would come and cause trouble for the Xia family. The Xia family would definitely have to satisfy all their requests! The Xia family is heartless Jiang Yi could only open her mouth slightly and her voice was very weak. Luo Yu could not stand it anymore. He handed Jiang Yi a bottle of water and said, Drink some water before you continue shouting. Youll only have the strength to continue shouting when youve eaten and drunk your fill! Jiang Yi looked at Luo Yu fiercely. At this moment, the siren of a police car could be heard from afar and then two to three people arrived. Only then did Jiang Yi realize that Luo Yu was not joking with her and that he was telling the truth about calling the police. Hello, may I ask who called the police? the police officer asked. Its me. The three of them slandered and insulted my family and even damaged public property. You also know what this neighborhood is like. If some big shot sees this, we wont be able to keep our jobs. This is a very serious matter. I hope you can give it due attention, Luo Yu deliberately frowned and said in a serious tone. The policemen immediately understood what he meant and quickly took out handcuffs to arrest the three Tan family members. No matter how they struggled, they were pushed into the car to be brought to the police station. Dont worry, well definitely clear your names. With that, the policemen left with the three Tan family members. Everyone in the patrol team heaved a sigh of relief. It was finally quiet and peaceful! All of you, get up. Theres still a lot of work to do! Luo Yu said. Big brother please give us a break! Were so tired! If this continues, even if I have money, I wont have the life to spend it! Youre all married! Im not married yet! Quickly get me a girlfriend so that I can get married quickly. This way, I can feel as secure as you guys, said the youngest member of the patrol team. Stop finding excuses! Just admit that you dont possess any charm! Why should we find you a girlfriend? Captain Luo isnt married yet! Why are you in such a hurry! another patrol team member said. The young man looked at Luo Yu in surprise. Luo Yu did not think that there was anything embarrassing about this. After all, it was not a secret that he liked Xia He. Everyone had an unspoken mutual understanding about this. It was almost the end of the work day for people in government service. Luo Yu quickly called some people over to clean up the red paint. If they did it any later, they might get into trouble! Luo Yu? Have you changed your line of work and become a cleaner? As Zheng Yuan drove into the neighborhood, she was shocked to see Luo Yu cleaning up the paint. Sigh Its a long story! Arent you out on a mission? Why do you have time to come back? Luo Yu asked curiously. The mission ended successfully and I have taken one month off. I hear that Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei have welcomed the arrival of their two children, so Zhuang Hua and I specially come back to celebrate with them, Zheng Yuan said blissfully. Luo Yu widened his eyes and looked at Zheng Yuan in disbelief. The girl who had shouted that she would not marry anyone other than Xia Zhe was actually getting married! Moreover, it was to his buddy, Zhuang Hua, who had grown up with them! That kid was really lucky! Uncle Zheng has agreed? With his character, he must have posed many difficult questions to Zhuang Hua, Luo Yu asked gloatingly. Not yet. Were back this time to discuss this matter. There should be no problem. After all, Uncle Zhuang and my father have a good relationship and the two of them are also old comrades, Zheng Yuan said. Chapter 1191 - 1191 Pride Is Worthless 1191 Pride Is Worthless Luo Yu had thought that Zheng Yuan would be like He Mei, unwilling to marry anyone other than Xia Zhe. In her younger days, Zheng Yuan used to follow Xia Zhe everywhere. In the past, Zhuang Hua kept his feelings for Zheng Yuan to himself. Everyone knew what he was thinking, but as these two people were both very prideful, they all decided to stay out of it. It was good to see the two of them together now. Zheng Yuan and Zhuang Hua were definitely a great match. Then youd better make your way back. I still have a lot of things to do here, so I wont send you off, Luo Yu said with a smile. We havent seen each other for such a long time. Come to my house when you have time and lets have a chat, Zheng Yuan said. Then you have to ask Zhuang Hua if he allows me to go! Luo Yu smacked Zhuang Huas shoulder and teased him. Zhuang Hua deliberately said with a cold expression, You still owe me a match. You can only enter my house after we compete. You brat! Its still early days for you and Zheng Yuan! Im the one who grew up together with her. Shes like my younger sister! You only knew her much later, yet you still dare to be so smug in front of me. Be careful that I get Zheng Peng to beat you up! Luo Yu threatened. At the mention of Zheng Peng, the couple did not look too comfortable. Zheng Su would call Zheng Yuan every day to talk about the fact that Zheng Peng had found a girlfriend whom he did not like. Zheng Peng did not even go home to visit Zheng Su nowadays and the relationship between father and son had become much worse. After Zheng Yuan and Luo Yu agreed on a time to get together again, she brought Zhuang Hua back to the Zheng family residence. The pitiful Luo Yu was left behind to continue cleaning the streets. After the police arrested Jiang Yis group, they only chastised the group. Luo Yu had instructed them to just threaten her verbally. If Jiang Yi was really locked up, she would probably die in the detention center! At that time, they would not be able to explain themselves clearly! Late at night, the police released them. However, on the way back, Tan Bo suddenly fell ill. It was probably because the visit to the police station had frightened him too much. He already had heart disease and high blood pressure, so it was possible that he fainted from the shock to his system. You good-for-nothing! Your parents were bullied so badly by others and you dont even know how to speak up for us! Your father is sick now! Your eldest sister is also missing! Hurry up and think of a way! Jiang Yi said in exasperation. Tan Bao originally did not want to go with them today. If not for the fact that Jiang Yi said she could cheat the Xia family of some money and give him 50 dollars, he would not have gone willingly! He was very busy nowadays! The young widow living at the village entrance liked to chat with him recently, but every time he wanted to reach for her hand, she appeared to be very unwilling. If he could get some money to buy a few jewelry pieces for the young widow, she would definitely feel happy! Then he would be able to have a good time with her. She was so much prettier than the old hag he had at home! What can I think of? Arent you super capable, so why do you even need me? Just give me the money. Im not going to have gone there for nothing today. I even accompanied you to the police station! Give me the money now! Tan Bao said unreasonably. Tan Bao was like their creditor. Other than asking for money, he had nothing to talk to them about. What money! Money from where! Doesnt your father need money to buy medicine! You still have the cheek to ask us for money. Youre already an adult, but not only do you not know how to be filial to your parents, you even go around causing trouble for us! Jiang Yi said. Yes, yes, yes. My eldest sister is the best. But how do you treat her? You make use of her and treat her like a piece of trash. Why are you pretending to be a good person in front of me? Are you going to give me the money or not! If you dont give it to me I wont let my son come for visits in the future! Tan Bao threatened. As people got older, they would always want to get closer to their children. It was said that there was a closer bond between grandparents and grandchildren. Jiang Yi really liked her grandchildren. Every time the children came to the house, she would feel overjoyed. In the end, this also became something which the Tan brothers used to threaten her. As one got older, one seemed to become more afraid of being alone. Theres no money! Just five dollars! Get lost! Jiang Yi reluctantly took out five dollars from her pocket and threw it on the ground. Tan Bao did not mind and picked up the money before leaving quickly. How much was pride worth? Could it be exchanged for money? Chapter 1192 Even Dogs Would Not Drink It ? Nowadays, if someone offered Tan Bao 10 dollars in return for a kowtow, he would immediately kneel down and kowtow to that person. He would not even mind kowtowing a few times! As long as the price was right, everything was negotiable. It would not be a problem even if they wanted to bash his head in tonight. "Gosh Why are you getting annoyed with your son? Go and look for Xia Wen and ask him to give us money! Cough, cough, cough" Tan Bo said weakly. "Money, money, money, all you know is money! You''re already in such a state, how can I go and ask for money? What if you die at home! Look at all your wonderful sons! I must have really done too many evil things in my past life to have to marry into the Tan family. I''ve suffered so much in this life!" Jiang Yi said angrily. Jiang Yi said this not because she was concerned whether Tan Bo would die of illness. She only cared about her own interests. Tan Bo used to be one of the top senior master technicians in the factory. After his retirement, he received a retirement pension of 20 dollars a month, as well as food stamps and meat coupons. If Tan Bo died, she would lose all the money and subsidies. Then, how would she be able to support herself! "I won''t die! Go and find Tan Jing! Ask Tan Jing to go and beg the Xia family!" Tan Bo said intermittently. They did not have any news of Tan Jing at the moment. Jiang Yi had already gone to the house Tan Jing and Xia Wen lived in, but it had already been sold. She did not know how much Xia Wen sold the house for and the sale had also been carried out secretly. Tan Jing should at least get a share of the money! How could the Xia family pocket all the money! The Xia family must really look down on the Tan family. However, where could they find more information about Tan Jing? He Ning had asked Jia Zhong to make an exact replica of Qiao Mei''s rocking chair. There were many rocking chairs sold on the market, but the one which Qiao Mei had was not a common design, as if the Xia family had custom made it. Even after Jia Zhong drew the exact design for the carpenter, the carpenter still could not make a perfect copy. However, the final product was already good enough. Jia Zhong even asked a tailor to make the exact same cushion to put on the rocking chair. Even the fabric used was exactly the same. This was also the reason why He Ning liked to ask Jia Zhong to do things for him. He was extremely meticulous, so He Ning need not worry so much. "Bad news, Mr. He. Something has happened," Jia Zhong said with a serious expression as he came to He Ning''s side. "Speak slowly, what happened?" He Ning asked nonchalantly. Jia Zhong related in detail about how He Mei had returned to the capital, how she went to the hospital to cause trouble, how she was gathering a gang of people to deal with the Xia family, and how she got into a conflict with Zheng Peng. He Ning did not react at all and seemed very happy instead.I think you should take a look at "Noted. You should keep an eye on the Xia family for the time being. As long as there''s any movement, send someone to report to me. The other matters are not important. You can deal with them as you deem fit," He Ning said. Jia Zhong understood what He Ning meant and left the He residence with his subordinates. At this moment, Huo Gao brought over a bowl of warm tonic. The medicine which He Ning was drinking now was Huo Gao''s latest concoction and it tasted even more bitter than before. It even smelt quite bad. "What kind of poison is this? Why is it worse than the previous medicine?" He Ning asked unwillingly. "Good medicine is bitter. If you want to recover quickly, you have to listen to me and drink the medicine! There''s Qiao Mei''s 100-year-old ginseng inside. It''ll be a waste if you don''t drink it," Huo Gao said. "Who says I''m not drinking it!" He Ning snatched the bowl of medicine from Huo Gao and gulped it down. After drinking it, he quickly rinsed his mouth with some water. If he hesitated for even a while longer, he would throw up. "Next time, can you prepare something that is fit for human consumption? Even if you give this to a dog, it will feel insulted," He Ning complained. Huo Gao took back the medicine bowl unhappily. He had flipped through ancient books for more than half a year to study the prescriptions! He had finally found the prescription which was most suitable for He Ning, but He Ning did not appreciate it at all! He would give up the position of being He Ning''s doctor to anyone who wanted it! He did not want to wait upon He Ning for even one more day. He Ning did not notice Huo Gao getting annoyed, or rather, it would be more accurate to say that it never crossed his mind to notice such a thing at all. "Do you know which hospital Tan Jing is at?" He Ning asked as he looked at Huo Gao. Huo Gao remained silent. He was still angry about what happened just now. He did not care if He Ning criticized him, but he definitely could not accept detrimental comments about his medicine. He Ning even insulted him by saying that even dogs would not drink his concoction! Chapter 1193 "L" ? Huo Gao used to charge 10 dollars for a consultation, with additional fees for writing prescriptions. Even though his charges were very expensive, people were still willing to come to him for treatment. Huo Gao''s status in the medical field was in a league of its own. "Say something! Are you mute!" He Ning roared furiously. The thing which He Ning hated the most was when people kept quiet and did not reply to him. He was already extremely patient with Huo Gao. If it was anyone else, he would have asked Jia Zhong to drag the person out to get a beating. "I don''t have any say. Just do whatever you want. What is there for me to say? Even if I speak up, you''ll still complain and blame me. Why should I invite trouble for myself," Huo Gao muttered softly. He Ning realized that he had spoken too harshly just now, but words were like spilled water and there was no reason for him to take them back. He also could not bring himself to apologize to Huo Gao. "I''ll give you the root from a 100-year-old ginseng. Help me find out which hospital Tan Jing is in," He Ning said awkwardly. Huo Gao''s eyes lit up and his resentment from before immediately disappeared. He had been eyeing the roots of He Ning''s 100-year-old ginseng for a long time. Every time he made soup for He Ning, he almost could not resist the urge to pluck one root and bring it home. It was his professional ethics which stopped him from doing so. "Tan Jing must be in a private hospital. Besides, it''s a place which neither you nor I can find. It''s in a covert location," Huo Gao said. "Is it handled by the person surnamed Bao? Or is it that private hospital?" He Ning asked curiously. "I''m not sure. Haven''t you asked someone to investigate this for a long time? For something which you can''t even manage to find out yourself, it''s a little too much for you to ask me about it," Huo Gao said helplessly. How could he, a mere doctor, find out what He Ning could not? "Don''t you know a lot about such matters? If I don''t ask you, am I supposed to continue looking for a needle in a haystack?" He Ning said. Huo Gao actually had a rough idea of what was going on, but he did not know if it was the truth or just fake news deliberately released by the Xia family. He was neither a spy nor an investigator, and he did not have the ability to deal with such information and differentiate whether it was the truth or not.I think you should take a look at "The only thing we can confirm now is that Tan Jing is in a private hospital under ''L'', but his hospitals are extremely difficult to locate. I''d advise you not to cause trouble in any territory under ''L''. No one can say for sure what he''s capable of," Huo Gao said as he looked at He Ning sternly. "L" was the owner of the private hospitals used by the various prominent families. No one knew his true identity, so they identified him by "L" to make it easier for everyone to address him. He Ning had wanted to set up a trap for the Xia family, but he did not expect the process to end here. It seemed that he had to start with Tan Jing''s family. He should not have to do it personally. Since that silly niece of his was back, she should help him out. He Ning asked Jia Zhong to send someone to unintentionally tell He Mei about the Xia family''s "divine medicine". A lot of the details were exaggerated and there was not much truth in what was said. The person even told He Mei that the Tan family and the Xia family had a long-standing grudge and also made it sound as if Tan Bo''s death was imminent. He Mei believed everything she heard and drove straight to the Tan family''s house. As soon as she reached the village, He Mei''s brows remained furrowed. She parked the car at the entrance of Tan Jing''s house and slowly got out to walk into the Tan family''s courtyard. "This lousy place" He Mei said disdainfully. "Who are you? Why did you park your car at our house?" Jiang Yi said bluntly. "I''m here to visit Tan Jing. Isn''t she at home? I have a favor to ask her," He Mei said, pretending to sound gentle. When Jiang Yi heard that He Mei was here to ask for Tan Jing''s help, she immediately changed her attitude. Since He Mei was the one asking for help, she would definitely be willing to give some money or a gift. Seeing that He Mei did not dress like them, Jiang Yi immediately welcomed her into the house with a smile. As soon as He Mei entered, she could smell a stench. However, those who wanted to achieve great things had to endure many things. Otherwise, her efforts in coming here would be in vain. "Take a seat! I''ll get you a glass of water!" Jiang Yi said excitedly, her eyes crinkling into crescent moons. "I don''t need a drink. I''m just here to visit Tan Jing. Is Tan Jing not at home today? Uncle, why are you wrapped up so tightly in broad daylight? Are you in poor health?" He Mei asked curiously. Chapter 1194 Old Immortal ? Jiang Yi deliberately raised her hand to wipe the corners of her eyes and pretended to be aggrieved and pitiful as she said, "Sigh I don''t know if my daughter is doing well in the Xia family. My husband is very sick and I''m just an uneducated woman who doesn''t know anything. We also don''t have any money to treat his illness. If we delay it for a few more days! The two of us probably won''t be able to survive!" He Mei said in surprise, "It sounds serious! But why don''t you go and look for the Xia family? Their family has a ''divine medicine''. I heard that when Xia Mao was about to die sometime back, he was saved by that medicine. Now, he''s like a person in his thirties and in even better health than Xia Wen! He seems younger and even looks like Xia Wen''s elder brother now. Don''t they know that Uncle is so sick?" Jiang Yi stood rooted to the spot and looked at He Mei. She had never heard of such a wondrous thing, not in passing nor had she heard Tan Jing and Xia Wen discussing it before. None of the neighbors around her had ever mentioned such a thing. Was it true? "This Where did you hear this from? Why haven''t we heard our daughter mention it before? Don''t tell me you heard it from someone who heard it from someone else?" Jiang Yi asked doubtfully. "Hasn''t Tan Jing told you before! She''s really Everyone in the Xia family has some. That ''divine medicine'' is already disseminated around the capital. That Qiao Mei is kind enough to give everyone a bottle! I hear that every month, she gives some to everyone related to the Xia family. I just don''t know how much each person gets, but everyone gets a share for sure!" He Mei did not even think before she spoke and the lies just slipped off her tongue easily. Jiang Yi did not really go to school and was illiterate, so she did not know anything about science. However, she had heard legends that mentioned elixirs which granted "immortality". She had even heard that there was an "Old Immortal" nearby! He was already more than 400 years old! This person lived deep in the old forest in the mountains and never came out from there, but everyone knew the approximate location of his dwelling. As long as one kowtowed a few times at the intersection and articulated the difficult matter that one wanted to solve, it would not take long for the matter to be resolved. Everyone believed that this legend was true and no one dared to enter the mountains to disturb the "Old Immortal". They all silently followed this rule. "You received a share too?" Jiang Yi asked.I think you should take a look at "That''s why I''m here to beg Tan Jing to help me think of a way. She already promised to help me! Since she already told me your address, how can any of this be fake?" He Mei said matter-of-factly. Jiang Yi''s expression immediately darkened. Their family did not even get a share of such a good thing, so how could they let outsiders take it first? This Tan Jing really liked to side with outsiders. Tan Bo was sick, but she did not think about bringing back some of the "divine medicine" to show filial piety to her parents. She actually even wanted to give it away! "Um Tan Jing won''t be coming home today. A lot has happened at home recently! My husband is sick, so I won''t invite you to stay. It''s getting dark soon, so you should hurry home," Jiang Yi said. He Mei had not planned to stay in the Tan family for long either. Her only intent was to convey the message and sow discord between the Tan family and the Xia family so that the Xia family would have their hands full. She had no interest in staying for a meal in such a remote village. It was much better for her to return to the He family residence as soon as possible. She had spent almost all her money, so if she did not return to the He family residence soon, she would really have to end up living on the streets. He Ning still treated her quite well. As long as she spoke nicely, He Ning would definitely let her return to the He family. How could He Ning really not care about his own family? He Ning had already sent her father to prison. If she died, the He family''s eldest son would have no descendants left! How could He Ning face his ancestors in the future! "Alright, then I''ll come and look for Tan Jing another day. Uncle and Auntie, take good care of yourselves!" After saying that, He Mei hurriedly ran out of the Tan residence and got into the car to leave the village. She was worried that if she was any slower, Jiang Yi would ask her for money! She did not want to bring such trouble onto herself. After He Mei left, Jiang Yi and Tan Bo reminisced about what He Mei said. They definitely believed in miracles and that there were magical elixirs in this world. They also believed that the "Old Immortal" in the mountains protected the safety of the area they lived in, but they had only heard stories from others and never seen anything with their own eyes! Occasionally missing content, please report errors in time. Chapter 1195 Immortality ? "Old woman, do you think this whole thing is true?" Tan Bo asked suspiciously. "I think it''s true! You haven''t met Xu Lan recently. Her face is so youthful and bouncy! She definitely doesn''t look her age! I''m the same age as her! The fact is that I have never seen her so radiant in the past. If you ask me, Tan Jing is hiding this information from us! She deliberately doesn''t want us to know!" Jiang Yi said resentfully. On the other hand, Tan Bo was willing to believe in Tan Jing. After all, they always went to Tan Jing''s house to freeload and had never seen anything out of the ordinary in her house. The two of them knew very well what Tan Jing had in her house. Every time they went, Jiang Yi would rummage the entire place for a long time. If there was anything valuable or odd in the house, they would always manage to find it and take it away. This was unless Tan Jing had not yet brought back the medicinal wine when they last went to her house! It was possible either way! "Why don''t you give Xiao Jiu a call and ask her? Isn''t Xiao Jiu working in the city! You can ask her. Perhaps she knows what has happened to Tan Jing recently!" Tan Bo said. Xiao Jiu was Tan Jing''s childhood friend. From young, Xiao Jiu had been a diligent and hardworking girl. Unfortunately, her parents died early. When she was 14 years old, she went to the city alone to work and was doing quite well for herself now. Jiang Yi shamelessly made a phone call to Xiao Jiu. The phone rang for a long time before Xiao Jiu picked it up impatiently. "Hello? Who is it?" Xiao Jiu said. "Xiao Jiu! I''m your Auntie Jiang! I have something to ask you. I wonder if you know what Xiao Jing has been doing recently?" Jiang Yi asked. Tan Jing seemed to have become a different person in the past few years and basically did not call Xiao Jiu anymore. However, Xiao Jiu still knew a lot about all those messy things that happened at Tan Jing''s house. After all, she used to be in the same workplace unit as Tan Jing and Xia Wen. Recently, many of her colleagues had been gossiping about the Xia family. It was difficult not to know anything. "I guess I know a little. Auntie Jiang, is there something you need from Xiao Jing?" Xiao Jiu asked.I think you should take a look at "Yes, yes! I just want to ask you, do you know about Xia Wen''s father being injured and then revived?" Jiang Yi asked expectantly. Xiao Jiu did not think too much about it and quickly said, "I know! Everyone knows about this, but no one knows why. He probably met a very capable doctor. He''s considered a pillar of the nation and got injured when on duty. They must have used all kinds of good medicine on him. It''s not surprising that he survived." After receiving confirmation, Jiang Yi was totally convinced that the Xia family had a "divine medicine". Before Xiao Jiu even finished speaking, she hurriedly hung up the phone. She really could not hide the excitement in her heart. If they also obtained the "divine medicine", they would be able to live as long as the "Old Immortal" in the mountains in the future! They might even be stronger than the Old Immortal! No wonder the Xia family had not allowed them to visit recently. The Xia family must be guarding against the Tan family as if they were thieves! So this was the truth that was waiting for them! The Xia family was afraid that they would find out about the "divine medicine". "Wait until I go to their house tomorrow! No! I''ll go to their house now! They''re so lawless! They actually dare to use Xiao Jing''s issue to threaten us. It''s obviously a lie! They''re probably slandering Xiao Jing! I''ll go and argue with them now!" Jiang Yi said angrily. Tan Bo hurriedly stopped Jiang Yi and said, "Where do you think you''re going in the middle of the night! Besides cough cough cough I''m sick. What am I supposed to do if you''re not around? You should think about it again." "What is there to think about! My life is ruined by your Tan family! I must have owed your family in my past life! You don''t even allow me to grab such a good opportunity! You''re just afraid that I''ll live long enough to get something from your Tan family! You''ve been on guard against me for my whole life, yet in the end, don''t you still depend on me to wait upon you?" Jiang Yi said sulkily. Tan Bo ignored Jiang Yi. Every time he disagreed with Jiang Yi, she would come up with all kinds of nasty things and say many things that belittled him and the Tan family''s ancestors. In the beginning, Tan Bo would still teach Jiang Yi a lesson, but now that he was old and sick, he was already unable to beat up Jiang Yi and could only aggrievedly listen to her say these things. However, Jiang Yi had a sharp tongue but she was not that vicious. She still treated Tan Bo conscientiously. Occasionally missing content, please report errors in time. Chapter 1196 Pigs Dread Being Fat ? Early the next morning, Jiang Yi set off into the city to look for Tan Jing. She was not a fool. After being rejected twice by Xu Lan, she would not go there again. As if she wanted to have to spend another night at the police station? First, she went to Tan Jing and Xia Wen''s previous address and tried her best to find out more about the Xia family''s "divine medicine". In the end, she even managed to find out about where Xia Wen was currently working and that Qiao Mei had given birth to two babies. Not only did she find out the names of Qiao Mei''s two children, but she also knew their gender and roughly when they were born. There were even people who told her that they could list down the children''s characteristics. However, most of them were just making wild guesses. They were just bragging to people who did not know anything, making it seem as if they were very close to the Xia family. In reality, what they said was all made up. As for the "divine medicine", it was not like what He Mei had said about everyone having a bottle. It was one person who had bought everything, but the Xia family should still have some left! It was impossible for them to give away all of such precious medicine! As the saying went, a man dreaded fame like a pig dreaded being fat! Once piglets grew up, the first one to be killed and eaten would definitely be the biggest and fattest pig. As for humans, once a person gained fame, then the person''s family matters would very quickly be dug up by others and there would be no privacy left at all. Since Jiang Yi could not find Tan Jing, and Xia Wen was not someone easy to talk to, she could only go and look for Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei was the true owner of that "divine medicine". It was unlikely that she would leave Jiang Yi in the lurch! The Tan family was the Xia family''s in-laws after all. If Qiao Mei could even save strangers, then why not Tan Bo? Jiang Yi arrived at the hospital where Qiao Mei was warded. After searching around for a while, she finally arrived at the main door of the VIP ward. However, she faced the same problem as He Mei. No one could enter without a confirmation note from the patient. "Hey kids, please make an exception and let me in. I''m really the Xia family''s in-law and I''m here to pay a visit. It''s very difficult for me to come all the way here, so please let me in," Jiang Yi said pitifully to the security officers. The security officers had heard such statements countless times in the past two days. People who wanted to curry favor with the Xia family had arranged for all sorts of people to send gifts and all kinds of delicacies. Xia Zhe refused to meet with any of them and rejected everyone. If anyone was unhappy, he would let Xia Wen deal with it. Anyway, Xia Wen was the one who handled all these matters related to the Xia family''s reputation.I think you should take a look at The security officers were also scared that they would lose their jobs. The tips they had received could not be for nothing and they must protect the safety of the VIP patients. If they really let in one or two troublemakers, they could forget about making a living in the capital anymore. They could only move their entire family out of town and live with their heads down for the rest of their lives! Although the matter with He Mei did not happen near the main door, the fact that she had a card had alarmed the Xia family. Fortunately, the Xia family was magnanimous and did not blame it on the security officers. If they really investigated carefully, the entire security team would probably be laid off! "Just leave. You must be brought in by one of the family members of the patients in the VIP ward. Otherwise, we definitely can''t let you in," the security officer said sternly. Jiang Yi wanted to barge in when the two men were not paying attention, but they directly blocked her off. Before the security officers even touched Jiang Yi, she fell to the ground and started to wail and sprout nonsense. "The security officers hit me! Ouch! It hurts so much! I have a fracture! I won''t be able to live! Can anyone save me!" Jiang Yi howled. When Qiao Mei heard the commotion outside, she felt a little vexed. She did not know why, but she was always in a bad mood recently. She might be feeling happy one second, but the next second, she would feel like crying or throwing a tantrum. Xia Fang said that this was normal and that she just needed proper counseling. After a woman gave birth, the hormones in her body remained unstable and it was common for her emotions to fluctuate. Therefore, Xia Zhe had to bear with it and take good care of Qiao Mei and not get drawn into a conflict with her. "What''s going on outside?" Qiao Mei asked with a frown. "I''ll go take a look. Don''t move," Xia Zhe said. Xia Zhe put down what he was doing and hurriedly walked out. He recognized Jiang Yi immediately. Even though he had not returned to the capital for a long time, he still remembered the in-law who almost ruined the occasion when Xia Wen and Tan Jing got married. Chapter 1197 - 1197 Ask Her to Come In 1197 Ask Her to Come In Xia Zhe knew quite a fair bit about the things that the Tan family had done over the years. He never cared about these complicated relationships related to the Xia family. He was a person who hated any sort of trouble. Also, he did not know how to do things in a roundabout manner and did not understand the intricacies within. Xia Mao also never told Xia Zhe about these trivial matters, worried that he would take action which would affect the familys plans. In the ward next door, Qiao Qiang and Xia Jun also heard the commotion, but they chose to ignore it and continued to play chess. The two of them should not need to be concerned about such a small matter. If Xia Zhe still did not take action, the two of them would reprimand him and dish out a proper punishment by asking him to go downstairs to run rounds around the hospital for an entire day. It would be outrageous if he could not even settle such a small matter! Stop making a fuss. What are you doing? Xia Zhe asked impatiently. Once Jiang Yi saw Xia Zhe, she immediately quietened down. She quickly stood up and ran to Xia Zhe, saying, Oh my! You must be Xiao Zhe! We havent seen each other for many years. Its hard to get a chance to see you since youre always in the army. Im here to visit your wife! I heard that she has given birth to two babies. What a wonderful thing! Congratulations! Xia Zhe glanced at Jiang Yi. He maintained a level of basic politeness and said respectfully, Thank you for your concern, Auntie. My wife is not in good health now and its not convenient for her to see anyone. We appreciate your kindness. Auntie, you should go back first. Well talk about it when my wife is feeling better. Jiang Yi immediately became unhappy. How could a junior chase an elder away! Was this kind of behavior allowed in the Xia family! First, Xia He had criticized her, and now Xia Zhe was chasing her out. How could they bully her like this! These people just had some authority and money and possessed the divine medicine that others were envious of! What was so great about them! Back then, their family members even came to beg the Tan family to let Tan Jing marry into the family. Isnt it more than half a month since she gave birth? How can she still be unwell? Youre a man and probably dont know how to take care of a woman. I think its better if I go and take a look at her, Jiang Yi said. There are doctors in the hospital, so you dont have to worry about this. Auntie, you should go home early. Its getting late, so dont waste your time here, Xia Zhe tried to persuade her tactfully again. Jiang Yi still refused to give up and wanted to barge in, but it was not appropriate for Xia Zhe to have any physical contact with Jiang Yi. Just as the two of them were at a standoff, Feng Hua suddenly walked out of the ward. Young Master, Qiao Mei said to let the auntie in for a chat, Feng Hua said. Xia Zhe was a little unwilling to do so, but he had to listen to Qiao Mei. After all, Qiao Mei must have her own reasons for doing this. Jiang Yi tugged at her collar and walked into Qiao Meis ward arrogantly. As soon as she entered, she yelled out at Qiao Mei in her high-pitched voice. Oh my! This ward is really not bad! Ive never seen such a nice hospital ward! The food also looks good! Theres even chicken soup! Let me try some. Im exhausted after the entire day! Jiang Yi did not see herself as an outsider at all and was about to drink the chicken soup meant for Qiao Mei. Fortunately, Feng Hua was quick enough to snatch it back. This is chicken soup that Qiao Meis mother boiled for a long time. She specially instructed me to make sure that Qiao Mei drinks all of it. Sister, dont make things difficult for an employee like me. Let me get you some water! Feng Hua said. Jiang Yi could not help but roll her eyes. It was just a mouthful of chicken soup and not as if it was some amazing treasure! What was so valuable about chicken soup? It was not as if it was made with gold! She looked around but did not see any strange medicine. The furnishings in the room were very ordinary and nothing stood out at all. If Qiao Mei was really so weak after giving birth, how could she not require that divine medicine? This did not make sense! Auntie, what are you looking for? Qiao Mei asked in a gentle manner. Im just checking to see if your living environment is comfortable! Im always thinking about you! Always worried that something will happen to you. How do you feel now? Jiang Yi asked warmly. Its just that the wound on my stomach hasnt fully healed yet so I dont feel very comfortable, Qiao Mei said honestly. Sigh! Your generation! Youre so delicate! Back when I gave birth to my second son, I didnt even rest for a day! I went straight to work in the fields and my chores did not even pile up! You just lack exercise, so you need to go out and walk around more. Why do you need to live in such comfort, Jiang Yi said in a pompous manner. Chapter 1198 Fake Medicine ? Xia Zhe immediately frowned to show his displeasure. If there was a way for him to go to the toilet on Qiao Mei''s behalf, then he would make sure that Qiao Mei did not need to get down from the hospital bed for the rest of her life. At most, he would just wait on Qiao Mei forever. It was no big deal. Which side of Qiao Mei had he not seen yet? What was this about how a woman should go to work in the fields right after giving birth! That was all nonsense! He did not care about what other people did and did not want to know. What was wrong with him wanting Qiao Mei to be comfortable and not have to worry about anything? It was not Jiang Yi''s place to criticize him. She should just take a look at her own life! Just because she was not doing well herself, she wanted others to suffer with her! Seeing that Xia Zhe did not look too happy, Jiang Yi quickly said, "Oh my, I''m simply too anxious and muddle-headed. A lot of things have happened in my family and I am all over the place! Please don''t mind me. After all, I''m just a boor and I don''t know anything. I''m just passing a remark, so don''t take me too seriously." Qiao Mei smiled faintly and did not say anything. She knew what Jiang Yi meant. She spoke as if she was apologizing to them, but she was actually trying to remind them tactfully that something had happened to the Tan family recently. She wanted Qiao Mei to be the one to ask her about it! Qiao Mei was not a fool! She must quickly send Jiang Yi away! "It''s fine, I won''t blame you. Since something has happened in your family, then you should go back. There''s nothing much for you to do here. Auntie, you should go back quickly," Qiao Mei said. "Sigh I want to go back too, but this matter is really too serious. I can''t manage to contact Tan Jing and Xia Wen has been busy recently, so I don''t know what to do," Jiang Yi said as she wiped the corners of her eyes with her sleeve, looking as if she was really sad. "Oh, it sounds really serious. That''s really a headache. My little family doesn''t have the clout to do much for you. I just hope that you don''t tire yourself out. I believe my eldest brother will find some time to deal with this matter," Qiao Mei said. Seeing that Qiao Mei had no intention of helping her, Jiang Yi went forward and grabbed Qiao Mei''s hands. She wept and said, "No, no! You''re the only one who can help me with this matter! I''ll tell you the truth! I''m really at my wits'' end. My husband is so sick that he can''t get up from bed. Our family doesn''t have any money and the children refuse to come back. If you don''t help me, I really don''t know what to do!"I think you should take a look at Qiao Mei pursed her lips. She was curious about why Jiang Yi wanted to look for her and what the big issue was. She did not expect to have gotten herself into big trouble. It was truly easier to raise the devil than to lay him. Xia Zhe stood at the side and found it difficult to say anything. After all, this was a matter between women. It would definitely make things more troublesome if he said any words of criticism. However, he could not bear to see Qiao Mei continue to be harassed by Jiang Yi. He felt caught in a difficult position "Auntie, this matter is easy to deal with! When my father-in-law fell sick some time back, I gave him some medicinal wine. He is in even better health than Xia Zhe now! Let me give you some too. Once Uncle drinks it, he''ll definitely recover!" Qiao Mei said. "Sure, sure, sure! I just know that you''re a nice girl! You definitely won''t leave me in the lurch! One look and I can tell that you''re a blessed person! You''ll always live a rich and comfortable life!" Jiang Yi smiled so widely that the corners of her mouth almost reached her ears. Qiao Mei secretly gave Xia Zhe a look and he immediately understood what she meant. He quickly walked to the living room outside. Recently, Qiao Mei had a craving for canned food, so there were many bottles and jars that they had not thrown out yet. Xia Zhe randomly picked one and tore off the packaging on it. He then found a bottle of water and poured some into it. After sealing the lid, he brought it into the room. "Auntie, this is the medicine that Qiao Mei mentioned. You must keep it well and not let anyone else know. No one outside knows about this! If word gets out, I''m afraid you won''t be able to have any more medicine in the future," Xia Zhe said to Jiang Yi in a cautious manner. Jiang Yi immediately hugged the glass bottle like it was a treasure! Worried that others would find out, she hurriedly thanked Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei and left. If Xia Zhe had not personally sent her out the door, the two security officers would have thought that she had stolen something! Her posture was really too strange. After Jiang Yi left, Qiao Mei could not help but laugh out loud. This woman was really easy to fool. Jiang Yi believed anything she said and she wondered how Tan Jing had gotten caught in an entanglement with Jiang Yi for so long. Occasionally missing content, please report errors in time. Chapter 1199 - 1199 Discharged from Hospital 1199 Discharged from Hospital It was probably because Tan Jing was easy to bully and also equally as brainless as Jiang Yi. Otherwise, she would not have let Jiang Yi lead her by the nose for so many years and even allow Cheng Gu to have the opportunity to take advantage of her. In fact, Tan Jing was also a pitiful person, but those who were pitiful always had a cause for sinking to their lows. Qiao Mei only felt a little emotional, but she would never be able to be a saintly person who could take pity on Tan Jing. By now, the wound on her stomach had already scabbed over. She was someone who cared about her looks, so she persevered in applying the ginseng juice to her stomach every day! The effect would definitely be several times better than when Zhang Miao used it. She wanted to recover as soon as possible as there were still many things she wanted to do! Do you think its alright to fool them like this? What if Uncle Tan is really sick? Qiao Mei suddenly asked. Its alright. My eldest brother and I have investigated everything about their family. Uncle Tan is an experienced technician who has retired from the factory. Every year, he would go for two physical examinations. The results of his physical examination in the first half of the year are indeed not very good, but these are all normal illnesses related to old age. Its not a big deal, Xia Zhe said. Tan Bo had high blood pressure, high blood lipids, high blood sugar, slight diabetes tendencies and mild heart disease. He also loved to drink and must drink liquor with every meal. As long as there was food, he must have the liquor glass by his side. The Tan family did not have much money, so Jiang Yi would buy him the cheapest liquor. That kind of liquor was very harmful to the body and drinking too much would cause problems in the various organs of the body. However, to Tan Bo, it did not matter how long he lived as long as he was happy! If he was not allowed to drink, he would rather be dead! Some people who had cancer could even live for a few more years if they maintained a good state of mind! Furthermore, Tan Bo was not afflicted with any major illnesses. What they did was to make him drink more water every day. What was so bad about that? When can I be discharged? Im starting to get moldy soon! Qiao Mei pouted and said unhappily. Probably the day after tomorrow. Aunt is coming to give you a full-body checkup tomorrow. If there are no major problems, you can be discharged. The two little fellows can also come home with us, but they have to come back for regular checkups, Xia Zhe said. The children still need to have more checkups? Are there any issues? Qiao Mei asked nervously. In her memories, there was no need for them to come to the hospital so often. Zhang Wei and the others had only spent some time in the hospital when they were just born and then they were all brought up at home. They never needed to go to the hospital for any checkup. It was the same for the three siblings of the Xia family. Why did Xia Fan and Xia Xing have to come to the hospital for checkups regularly? What could the reason be other than they had some issues? Dont be anxious. Its just that Aunt is worried about them. After all, these two kids were born prematurely. Although they were both born with sufficient weights, Aunt is still worried about abnormalities. After all, this is also her first time delivering twins, Xia Zhe explained. Only then did Qiao Mei heave a sigh of relief. Since it was Xia Fang who wanted them to come, then be it. She just did not want the two children to grow up too pampered. The more pampered the children were, the less they would be able to go through the storms in life. If anything unexpected happened, the children would not be able to take any blows. She had endless hopes and dreams about the future of the two children, but in the end, she still hoped that the two children could live like ordinary people. It would be best if they could spend the rest of their lives with her in Foshan Village. There was no need for them to have advanced education, money or a powerful family background. She just wanted them to be happy. At night, Tan Jings condition had improved a little. Her external and internal injuries had all fully recovered and her emotions had also slowly stabilized. As long as she took the sedatives on time every day, she would be able to live a normal life. The only thing was that it was inevitable that her drug addiction would flare up from time to time. As long as Tan Jing could persevere, she would eventually be able to get rid of her drug addiction. It was just that the process was intolerable for most people. After Xia Wen got off work, he went straight to the clinic where Tan Jing was. He quietly packed her things and put them into the bag one by one. Finally, he looked at Tan Jing and said, Lets go. Tan Jing looked at Xia Wen in a daze and followed him out of the clinic. She got into the car slowly. Chapter 1200 - 1200 Do You Still Love Me 1200 Do You Still Love Me They did not have a house in the city now and it was not a good idea for Xia Wen to bring Tan Jing to Xu Lans place. If Xu Lan saw Tan Jing, they would definitely get into a fight. If they returned to the house in the suburbs, Tan Jing would probably be reminded of how Cheng Gu had lied to her, so it was not a good option either. Fortunately, Xia Fang had another house which they could use for a while. This way, it would not affect Xia Wens work, nor would it be too difficult for him to take care of Tan Jing. Of course, he was not staying there for free. Xiang Chen was about to graduate from university soon. Xia Fang did not want Xiang Chen to follow the same career path as Xiang Jin. She knew how dangerous it was, having so many family members working in the military. Initially, Xia Fang wanted Xiang Chen to study medicine in university. However, Xiang Chen was not cut out for it at all. He only excelled in mathematics and even said that he wanted to work in the laboratory in the future, as well as to further his studies. Xia Fang supported Xiang Chen, but Xiang Jin wanted their son to enter the army to protect the country. Xia Fang and Xiang Jin had quarreled many times over this matter and they parted on bad terms every time. As a mother, her only wish was for her son to be safe. At the very least, working in government services meant that his life would not be in danger. Therefore, she wanted Xia Wen to think of a way to find a job for Xiang Chen. As for whether Xiang Chen could continue to study under his teacher work in the university laboratory, that would depend on his own capability. In any case, Xia Fang wanted to make sure that there was a backup plan for Xiang Chen. Tan Jing did not speak to Xia Wen along the way. She just looked out of the window in a daze and did not move at all. It was as if her soul had been sucked dry and she was like a zombie. It was not until she reached Xia Fangs house and rested for a while on the sofa that she said to Xia Wen, Do you not love me anymore Xia Wen was a little stunned. He had thought that Tan Jing would say that she was hungry, but he did not expect her to raise such an intense topic. He did not know whether he should answer her question, nor did he know what he was actually feeling inside. Could there still be love between them? In the beginning, Xia Wen cherished Tan Jing very much. However, when Xia Wen started to feel reluctant to go home and did not even want to hear anything about the Tan family, the passionate love in the beginning faded to leave only a sense of responsibility in the end. It was Xia Wens sense of responsibility that made him unable to abandon Tan Jing. He simply wanted to do his best to be a good husband, but it was no longer out of love for Tan Jing. I dont know either. Why do you suddenly ask this question? Xia Wen sat opposite Tan Jing and asked gently. It had been a long time since they had a proper conversation. I just feel apologetic. If I hadnt tricked you into being with me back then, you might be having a blissful life now, Tan Jing said apologetically. I dont think youve done anything. I also loved you deeply back then, so I like everything you do, Xia Wen said. Nothing happened between Cheng Gu and me. Absolutely nothing. Do you believe me? Tan Jing asked anxiously. Xia Wen did not hesitate at all and nodded forcefully. I know. Of course I believe you. Tan Jing smiled happily and asked expectantly, Then you wont leave me, right? You wont leave me, right? This time round, Xia Wen did not answer Tan Jing. Her initial anticipation turned to anxiety before she broke down. She could not accept his silence. She could accept that he did not love her anymore, but she could not bear to lose him. After so many years, she had long gotten used to relying on him. Without him, she did not know how she would be able to survive. Furthermore, how could a divorced woman survive in this society! She did not have courage and capability like Xia He, nor the powerful family backing Xia He up. She would be drowned by all the gossip! Tan Jing knew very well how much she had gone overboard this time, but how could there not be room for redemption no matter what she did? How could they not give her a way out? After all, she had been married to Xia Wen for so many years. Even if she had no achievements, she should still be rewarded for her efforts! Xia Wen, you cant leave me! Just put me in that house in the suburbs! As long as you dont leave me, Im fine with anything! Tan Jing said. Im afraid you cant have your way with this matter. Youve really gone too far this time. The Xia family cant accommodate you anymore, Xia Wen said sternly. Chapter 1201 Even If I Die, I Remain Yours ? "How have I gone too far? I was just momentarily confused! I just wanted to have someone to talk to! What did I do wrong! I even suffered such serious injuries! Is your family really going to give up on me! This is so unfair!" Tan Jing shouted. "You caused my sister-in-law to almost have a miscarriage. If help came any later, she would have died together with the babies. Moreover, Qiao Mei''s nanny and the gardener that Cheng Gu planted in Qiao Mei''s house are both dead. Isn''t all this bad enough?" Xia Wen questioned. "What has all this got to do with me! Am I the one who killed them! If you want to find the culprit, you should go and look for Cheng Gu! It''s his fault! What right do you have to say all this is all my fault!" Tan Jing stood up and pointed at Xia Wen as she spoke angrily. If Tan Jing had not invited the wolf in, none of this would have happened. Even without Tan Jing, Cheng Gu would still take advantage of every opportunity and arrange for someone to harm anyone from the Xia family. However, he definitely would not be able to do it so easily and quietly. Xia Wen did not dare to imagine what he would need to face if Qiao Mei and the two children were not saved in time. He wondered if Xia Zhe would be able to remain strong and whether Xu Lan, Xia Mao, Xia Jun and Qiao Qiang would break down. He did not dare to think about these things and was only glad that everyone was still around.nov\o/? "But does it have nothing to do with you?" Xia Wen asked calmly. Tan Jing sneered and said, "Isn''t this all about Qiao Mei? If it''s me, who knows how your Xia family will treat me! Why are all of you so nice to Qiao Mei! She only married into the Xia family because she tricked Xia Zhe into sleeping with her! She only relies on her children to gain a foothold in the Xia family! Who does she think she is! Why are all of you protecting her like this!" Although what Tan Jing said was the truth, the Xia family did not think that there was anything wrong with it. Instead, they all felt that Qiao Mei was a wonderful person and could not wait to give her the best things in the world. "That''s not something you should be concerned about. You should take good care of yourself. Once you''ve come to terms with it, we''ll get a divorce," Xia Wen said.I think you should take a look at Tan Jing suddenly smashed the teacup on the coffee table. She would never allow Xia Wen to leave her, nor could she accept leaving the Xia family in disgrace! She could not accept it! "Never! Let me tell you, Xia Wen! Even if I die, I want to die in the Xia family! Even if I die, I want to die as your wife! If you divorce me, I''ll kill myself! After all, if I get a divorce, I''ll be despised by everyone. Since I''ll die either way, I might as well die now!" Tan Jing roared. Xia Wen''s expression remained unchanged. He knew that Tan Jing was just bluffing. She cherished her life very much. She was the type of person who would rush to the hospital to check on a small cut on her hand and would only feel at ease after confirming that there was no danger to her life. How could such a person commit suicide? "You should think about your parents. They''ve been looking for you recently. Once you think it through, go back and visit them. Think about the divorce carefully. I''m discussing it with you now and I''m giving you a week. If you still can''t come to terms with it in a week, then I''ll I''ll send all the evidence I have about you and Cheng Gu to the police station. I''ll also send all the gambling debts and evidence of prostitution relating to your brothers," Xia Wen said. Tan Jing collapsed onto the sofa. Seeing that she did not cry or throw a tantrum, Xia Wen let her be. He did not intend to stay here tonight. This was a place he prepared for Tan Jing to stay. He decided to go back to the workplace unit and make do with the sofa there. Tan Jing did not sleep the entire night and just sat there in a daze. After a night of careful consideration, she decided to divorce Xia Wen. However, she had her own conditions relating to the divorce. She would not rest until she pulled a layer of skin off the Xia family! If Qiao Mei''s accident had something to do with her, then how could the Xia family not be responsible for all the hardships she had suffered? If not for the fact that the Xia family became enemies with Cheng Gu, she would not have become like this. Tan Jing quietly hailed a car to go to Xu Lan''s house early in the morning without telling Xia Wen. Due to Tan Jing''s injuries and her drug addiction which flared up from time to time, she was now only skin and bones and looked as if she could be blown over by a gust of wind. Therefore, when Luo Yu saw Tan Jing, he was shocked. He thought that he had encountered a ghost in broad daylight! "You what are you doing here?" Luo Yu looked at Tan Jing and asked hesitantly. Occasionally missing content, please report errors in time. Chapter 1202 Paying Mother-In-Law A Visit ? Tan Jing sneered and said, "Why can''t I come over? Xia Wen and I are not divorced yet! I''m still the Xia family''s daughter-in-law! Why can''t I come here! Or is it because the occupants don''t want to see me and ask you to stop me?" "No, but owing to the special circumstances now, I have to go in and report it no matter who the visitor is. Even if Xia Wen is here, he also can''t just walk in. I seek your understanding on this," Luo Yu said respectfully. "Is that so? Then what about Qiao Mei? Do you need to report it if Qiao Mei comes here?" Tan Jing asked suddenly. "Of course. It applies to everyone," Luo Yu replied without any hesitation. After hearing this reply, Tan Jing calmed down a lot. Luo Yu was stating the facts and he did not lie to Tan Jing. There was no need for him to lie to her at all. Currently, he would immediately get a headache whenever he saw any member of the Tan family. The bright red paint at the neighborhood entrance from yesterday''s incident was still not completely cleaned up yet! He and his team had been punished for the incident. Not only did they have to clean up the mess, they had to undergo physical training as punishment. They only returned to the dormitory to rest at three in the morning. They had the Tan family to thank for all this. He already planned to avoid any Tan family member in the future! Luo Yu entered the house and asked Xu Lan for her permission before letting Tan Jing in. Tan Jing was the type of person who bullied the weak and feared the strong. She knew that Luo Yu would not speak rudely to her, so she behaved threateningly and spoke maliciously to Luo Yu. However, she was a totally different person when she saw Xu Lan. After all, Xu Lan was still the matriarch of the Xia family. As long as Xu Lan issued an instruction, Tan Jing''s divorce would be a foregone conclusion. There would not be any more possibility for reconciliation! By the same logic, she had come round this time to beg Xu Lan to persuade Xia Wen to maintain the relationship and not get a divorce. She thought that the older generation would usually persuade couples to reconcile rather than break up? If Xia Wen got a divorce, it would also be a scandal for the Xia family. Xia He had no choice but to get a divorce due to the circumstances she was in. If Xia Wen got a divorce right on the heels of that, surely that would attract criticism? "Mother, what are you doing at home? Have you eaten?" Tan Jing asked with a smile. "If you have something to say, just say it. I don''t have a lot of time to spare right now," Xu Lan said coldly. "Are you going to the art troupe tomorrow? Then I have really come at the wrong time," Tan Jing said apologetically.I think you should take a look at "Of course not. I''m already retired now. What does the art troupe still need me to do personally? Qiao Mei will be discharged from the hospital tomorrow. As her eldest sister-in-law, it''s fine if you can''t remember anything, but you don''t even know how to express concern for her. Your mother is more diligent than you when it comes to going to the hospital," Xu Lan said. "My mother? My mother has gone to visit Qiao Mei?" Tan Jing asked in shock.nov?\?\o/? "Of course. I also don''t know why. Perhaps your mother also likes Qiao Mei. Otherwise, why would she visit Qiao Mei every day?" Xu Lan said casually. She did not know much and had only heard about it from the Xia family''s staff. Whether it was one day or one week, Jiang Yi had definitely visited Qiao Mei. So what if she mentioned more days? It did not make any difference. Tan Jing felt as if her heart was being cut by a knife. She could not believe that Jiang Yi would go and visit Qiao Mei. She did not even feel so sad when Jiang Yi chased her out of the house when she was young. Back then, she left home alone and started working. She never had enough money or time to eat proper meals. It was considered good enough if she could have one meal a day. As time passed, that became the root cause of Tan Jing''s illnesses. One day, she had such bad gastric pains that she could not take it anymore and made a phone call home. Jiang Yi only said nonchalantly, "It won''t kill you. What''s there to be worried about?" After that, she hung up. From then on, Tan Jing never relied on her family for anything. Yet Jiang Yi actually went to visit Qiao Mei! How ironic. "You still haven''t told me why you''re here?" Xu Lan asked impatiently. "I Can''t I come and visit you? I haven''t come over for a long time," Tan Jing said. There was nothing wrong with a daughter-in-law visiting her mother-in-law. Xu Lan was unable to pinpoint anything wrong, but she just did not want to see Tan Jing. Currently, she had to suppress the anger in her heart while talking to Tan Jing. If Tan Jing still kept talking incessantly, she might lose her temper soon and that would become an uncomfortable situation for everyone. Chapter 1203 Threaten ? "Sure you can, but I haven''t been feeling well recently and I''m not in a good mood. The doctor had suggested that it shouldn''t be too crowded at home, so only your second aunt-in-law is staying with me. I have even sent Xia He to Qiao Mei''s place. So if there''s nothing important, you should go back and rest well at home," Xu Lan said tactfully. When Tan Jing went back to her maternal home, her own family did not welcome her. At her own home, she only received the cold shoulder from Xia Wen. Now that she was at her in-laws'' house, she still had to face such looks of disdain from Xu Lan. Where else could she go? Did she need to go to Qiao Mei''s place to be humiliated as well? "It''s nothing much. I just want to ask Mother, do you know that Xia Wen wants to divorce me?" Tan Jing stared at Xu Lan and asked tentatively. "I know," Xu Lan said honestly. "Then then how do you feel about that? Do you really want Xia Wen and I to get a divorce?" Tan Jing asked. Xu Lan shrugged nonchalantly and said, "We won''t get involved in the children''s issues. It is up to the two of you to decide. The person who''s going to divorce you is my son, not me. It''s useless for you to come and look for me."nov/o/? Tan Jing and Xia Wen did not have any children nor did they have any joint assets. All these years, the amount of money which the Xia family had given to the Tan family on Tan Jing''s behalf was enough to buy five courtyard houses like the one Qiao Mei had. Xia Wen had even lent more money to the Tan family! The matter of their divorce had nothing to do with her. Even if this matter had something to do with her, she would not take the initiative to speak up and would let Xia Wen worry about his own issue! Back then, it was Xia Wen who was disobedient and insisted on marrying Tan Jing. If he had listened to her, none of these would have happened. It was the same for Xia He. In the end, these two disobedient children just ended up getting a divorce. Although she did not like Qiao Mei at first, Qiao Mei was different. Her marriage was arranged by Xia Jun and Qiao Qiang, which was a fact that everyone accepted. Xu Lan was just angry that Xia Zhe got married without letting them know in advance and even gave so many betrothal gifts and the Four Big Things without his parents ever having met her. By now, it did seem that Xia Zhe had made the right choice. She was such a nice girl, so of course he had to marry her as soon as possible! Otherwise, the Xia family''s two eldest grandchildren would be part of another family now! It would have nothing to do with their family!I think you should take a look at "I will never divorce your son. Mother, if you want both families to live peacefully, you should persuade Xia Wen not to divorce me. I believe he will listen to you," Tan Jing said. "Are you threatening me? What basis do you have to threaten me? Do you only intend to stop after the Xia family exposes all those things that you have done?" Xu Lan asked as she looked at Tan Jing in disbelief. "I''m not afraid! I will do everything to resist Xia Wen! I won''t agree to a divorce!" Tan Jing said furiously. Just as Xu Lan was about to say something to Tan Jing, Tan Jing''s breathing suddenly quickened and she gradually lost all strength in her body and seemed to have fallen into a state of madness. She felt like there were countless little bugs in her body nibbling at her flesh and eating her internal organs, making her feel so uncomfortable that she wanted to die immediately. Xu Lan looked at Tan Jing''s abnormal behavior and was so frightened that she put down the things in her hand and hid behind the sofa. Xu Lan had never experienced such a thing before and did not know if she would agitate Tan Jing by yelling out now. All she could do was to make her way carefully to the stairs and then make a run for the study room when Tan Jing was not paying attention. Apart from the phone in the living room downstairs, they also had another one in the study. Xu Lan called Xia Wen in a hurry. As soon as the call connected, she said fearfully, "Son! Come back quickly! Tan Jing has gone crazy! Come back and save me!" "Mother! What''s wrong! Are you alright!" Xia Wen said in shock. "I''m fine, but your second aunt-in-law is still in the room downstairs! Come back quickly and bring her away! If you can''t make it back, I''m going to call the police! Come back quickly!" Xu Lan said. Xia Wen immediately hung up the phone and rushed to Xu Lan''s house. Along the way, he was burning with anxiety. He was worried that something would happen to Tan Jing, but he was also worried that Tan Jing would hurt Xu Lan and Liu Fen. He was even more worried that Luo Yu would hurt Tan Jing in order to protect the two family elders. He could only hope that everyone in the family would be safe and sound. Chapter 1204 Get A Divorce Tomorrow ? Before he could witness the scene for himself, all kinds of images kept flashing through his mind. Many of them were figments of his imagination, but they were also what he was most afraid of happening. By the time Xia Wen reached home, Tan Jing had already fainted and was on the floor. Liu Fen and Xu Lan were hiding in a corner and did not dare to make a sound while Luo Yu stood protectively in front of the two women. Xia Wen automatically reached out to check Tan Jing''s breathing. Fortunately, there was no sign of asphyxiation. When Xia Wen was still on the way, he had already contacted their family doctor. The doctor would probably arrive soon. Xu Lan walked furiously towards the stairs and turned around to look at Xia Wen. "Come upstairs with me." "Mother! Can it wait until the doctor arrives?" Xia Wen begged. "No! Luo Yu is around to take care of her! She won''t die! Come upstairs with me!" After saying that, Xu Lan walked towards the study angrily. Xia Wen followed behind Xu Lan helplessly. The two of them entered the study and closed the door tightly. Xu Lan sat on the chair and stared at Xia Wen. In the past, she always felt that although she did not take very close care of her three children, she was still the one who birthed them and should more or less understand their temperaments and personalities. However, it was only today that she realized she did not understand Xia Wen at all. During the past month, he had demonstrated only immaturity in the way he handled things and his behavior was completely different from how he used to be. He was even worse than a kid who had not stepped into society! "When exactly are you going to divorce Tan Jing and send her back to the Tan family?" Xu Lan questioned. "Soon," Xia Wen said. Xu Lan smacked the table angrily and shouted, "I don''t need this word ''soon''! How many times have you given me this word! I want you to do it tomorrow! I want you to divorce Tan Jing tomorrow and send her back to the Tan family! If she continues to pester us, then hand over everything we have to the police station and let them arrest Tan Jing!" "Isn''t this being too cruel to her" Xia Wen said, feeling bad.I think you should take a look at "You can''t bear to do it! Don''t tell me you want everyone in the family to clean up this mess for you! Are we overly tolerating you and Tan Jing! Xia Wen! Are you disregarding whatever your father and I say and not listening to your grandfather too! Do you think you''re the head of the Xia family!" Xu Lan said furiously. Xia Wen lowered his head and did not dare to look at Xu Lan. This was only the third time he had seen Xu Lan so angry. The first time was when he insisted on marrying Tan Jing. The second time was when he wanted to use the family''s money to help Tan Hu pay off his gambling debts. Even when Xia He insisted on marrying Kong Lu, Xu Lan was not so angry.nov?/?/o/? "Why do you keep failing when it comes to this matter about Tan Jing? What are you hesitating about? Will you only be satisfied if our entire family dies together with the Tan family? She can even come to my house to confront me and almost cause a big scene. Qiao Mei is coming back soon. Do you want Tan Jing to continue harming Qiao Mei?" Xu Lan said. "No she won''t! I''ll keep an eye on her!" Xia Wen said immediately. "How can I believe you! What did you say when you sent Tan Jing to the countryside! How did Qiao Mei end up in the operating theater! Have you forgotten everything! How can I trust this vicious woman! Especially now that she''s delirious! Xia Wen! What exactly do you want! What exactly do you want from the family!" Xu Lan said as she looked at Xia Wen. She could not help but teared as she became emotional. She really could not understand what was happening with Xia Wen, how Tan Jing managed to bewitch Xia Wen to this extent, and why the Tan family wanted to harm her children and her family. All the pent up grievances that she had suffered silently for so many years suddenly erupted. Xu Lan turned her back to Xia Wen and wept silently. Xia Wen actually did not want all this to happen either. He just just felt that he would owe Tan Jing too much if he did this. Although the Xia family had fulfilled the Tan family''s material wishes, perhaps even giving them hundreds or thousands times more than what they deserved, Xia Wen still owed Tan Jing a lot when it came to emotions. "I hear you. Mother, don''t worry. I''ll handle this matter tomorrow," Xia Wen said gently. "You''d better keep your promise. Take the car and leave with Tan Jing tonight. Qiao Mei''s whole family is coming back tomorrow. Don''t let them bump into one another," Xu Lan said to Xia Wen while trying to control her trembling voice. Chapter 1205 Send Her Back To Her Maternal Home ? Before Xia Wen left, he turned around to look at the thin Xu Lan sitting at the table. The originally steely figure looked so fragile at the moment. It was all his fault. If he had not been so conflicted and hesitant, perhaps Tan Jing and the Xia family would not need to suffer so much. He returned home with Tan Jing during the night, not to their house, but the Tan family''s house. Jiang Yi put on a coat and opened the door groggily. When she saw Xia Wen and Tan Jing, she acted like she had seen a ghost and immediately closed the door and ran back into the house. "Why are you so flustered!" Tan Bo said disdainfully. "Tan Jing! Xia Wen brought Tan Jing back! They''re just outside! Hurry up and put on an act! Don''t expose the truth!" Jiang Yi said in a panic. She was so frightened that she quickly picked up the tea jar to drink a full glass of water as she patted her chest to calm herself down. Tan Bo hurriedly messed up the bedding and blanket. He poured some water from the metal tea jar into his palms and rubbed it over his head, messing up his hair. Then, he lay motionlessly on the bed. Jiang Yi dressed up properly and tidied up the house before going to the door to welcome Xia Wen. "Why are you here in the middle of the night? It''s so cold. Come in quickly," Jiang Yi said. Xia Wen helped Tan Jing into the house and did not even bother to look at Tan Bo. He only cared about putting a blanket over Tan Jing so that she could have a good sleep. Jiang Yi stood at the side and looked at Xia Wen quietly. It was really abnormal that they did not go home in the middle of the night but came here instead. Moreover, Tan Jing was sleeping so soundly, but there was no smell of alcohol on her, so why was she unconscious? "Um are you staying for the night too?" Jiang Yi asked curiously. "I won''t be staying over. I''m just sending Tan Jing home," Xia Wen said lightly. "Why is it that the two of you don''t go back to your own house but come here in the middle of the night instead? Is there some conflict between the two of you? Or did Tan Jing make you angry because she has not been sensible enough?" Jiang Yi asked.I think you should take a look at Xia Wen pondered for a moment before saying, "Tan Jing and I are divorced." Tan Bo was so shocked that he almost opened his eyes and grabbed Xia Wen by the collar to give him a good scolding. However, he still needed to rely on the Xia family''s divine medicine to extend his life! He must continue to put on an act. Even without him, Jiang Yi knew what to do next. "You have divorced my daughter! Did the two of them force you to get a divorce? Why are you getting a divorce for no reason! Every family has its own difficulties. What is so bad that it can''t be overcome?" Jiang Yi said. "I think I''ve already made it very clear to you the last time. She has made a very grave mistake and my family can''t accommodate her anymore. My parents don''t know about this yet and I''m the one who made the decision. If you still want to go to my house to cause trouble, it''s fine. At most, I''ll just send Tan Jing to jail. None of your sons can escape as well, each of them will have to go to jail for at least eight to ten years," Xia Wen said forcefully. Jiang Yi pointed at Xia Wen and said angrily, "Xia Wen! Back then, you were the one who begged me to let Tan Jing marry you! Yet you''re treating her like this now! Are you even human! Why is my daughter unconscious! Did you do something to her! You bastard! What right do you have to divorce my daughter!" Tan Bo raised a trembling hand and pretended to be weak as he pointed at Xia Wen and said, "Beast You beast How can you treat my daughter like this You heartless thing" These two people seemed to be standing up for Tan Jing, but they were actually doing it for the Tan family. If Tan Jing left the Xia family, all the glory which the Tan family enjoyed would disappear in an instant. The people they bullied in the past would definitely take this opportunity to come knocking on their door, and some would even kick them when they were down. They must protect the couple''s marriage at all costs. It did not matter even if it only existed in name, or if Tan Jing was imprisoned by the Xia family for the rest of her life, or even if Xia Wen beat Tan Jing up every day! As long as they did not get a divorce, the Tan family would allow Xia Wen to deal with Tan Jing as he pleased. "Dad, it seems that you''re quite sick. No wonder Mom had to ask Qiao Mei for the ''divine medicine''. Have you gone to the hospital for a checkup?" Xia Wen asked hypocritically. Jiang Yi thought that she would be able to scam Xia Wen of his money, so she quickly took out Tan Bo''s medical report and said, "Your father had gone to the hospital to do a checkup and it cost a lot of money! It''s not enough to only drink the medicine which Qiao Mei gave us, but he also has to eat other supplements. These are all huge expenses!" Xia Wen took the report to take a look. It indeed belonged to Tan Bo, but it was dated half a year ago. Chapter 1206 No Longer Associated ? The results of a medical report from half a year ago was hardly valid anymore. Furthermore, Tan Bo''s complexion looked rosy and he did not look like a sick person at all. There were also two bottles of liquor on the table at the other side! If he was sick, how could he still be able to eat proper meals and drink so much wine? He was probably just trying to cheat their family of the "divine medicine". "So Dad, are you feeling better after drinking the medicinal wine? Do you feel much better than before?" Xia Wen asked. "Isn''t that so true! Your dad is indeed in a much better state after drinking it. It''s just that he''s too sickly, so he needs to continue drinking it for a long time before he can completely recover. Otherwise, he will suffer from a relapse!" Jiang Yi said with a sigh. Xia Wen only knew that Qiao Mei had given Jiang Yi some medicinal wine, but he did not know that the medicinal wine was fake. If someone like Xia Mao, who was bordering between life and death, could be revived with the medicinal wine, did this mean that Tan Bo was even more seriously ill than Xia Mao? They actually claimed that Tan Bo needed to drink the medicinal wine on a long term basis so that he could stay alive. Even He Ning did not make such an unreasonable request. Xia Wen felt that Jiang Yi only wanted to get Qiao Mei''s medicinal wine so that they could make use of the opportunity to resell it and make a fortune. "There''s not much medicinal wine left anyway. This is the last bit. You should drink it sparingly. I''m leaving. Take care in the future," Xia Wen said emotionlessly. Jiang Yi immediately stopped Xia Wen and pointed at him. "What do you mean by this? Don''t tell me your family doesn''t want to care about us anymore? You''re really vicious! If my old man dies! Are you even able to compensate us!" "We have nothing to do with each other anymore. Move aside. I have nothing else to say to you," Xia Wen said impatiently. The matter of the divorce had dragged on for too long and their grudge with the Tan family had also been an entanglement for too long. It was time to end everything. Xia Wen left the Tan family''s house without looking back. No matter how Jiang Yi shouted, Xia Wen ignored her. From now on, the Tan family''s matters had nothing to do with him anymore. It did not matter whether they lived or died. The next day, Qiao Mei woke Xia Zhe up even before dawn. This was the first time Qiao Mei had ever been the one waking someone up! "Wake up! The sun is almost up! Get up and pack up! We''re going home!" Qiao Mei said as she pulled Xia Zhe''s hands.I think you should take a look at After Qiao Mei''s tireless efforts over the past few days, the wound on her stomach was almost healed. There was a light scar left, but it would disappear after she applied ginseng juice for a few more days. It was just a matter of time before she fully recovered. Xia Zhe opened his eyes groggily and looked at the sky outside. The sun had only just risen and it was still foggy outside. What was Qiao Mei trying to do so early in the morning? "My darling, look at the time. It''s only four in the morning. Are you really going home now?" Xia Zhe asked in agony. Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe firmly and said, "Yes! I want to go home now! I can''t wait another minute!" Xia Zhe got out of bed and carried Qiao Mei back to the hospital bed. He covered her with the blanket and crawled under it himself. As the two of them squeezed together on a single bed, Qiao Mei felt as if she had gone back to the time when she first came to the capital. At that time, she and Xia Zhe also squeezed together in the small bed at Xia Fang''s house and slept like this every day. In the blink of an eye, their children were already born. Time really passed quickly! "Sleep for a while more, my little ancestor. Even if we want to go back now, our grandfathers and the rest are not up yet. Besides, the two little babies are also still sleeping. Sister Feng isn''t here yet either. Are we going to sneak back ourselves?" Xia Zhe said. In the end, Qiao Mei burrowed into Xia Zhe''s arms to rest for a while. Ever since she became pregnant, she had not hugged Xia Zhe properly. Due to her big belly, the two of them were always very careful. If Xia Zhe wanted to hug her, he would only slowly wrap his arms around her from behind. He did not dare to rest his arm on Qiao Mei''s stomach. They did not need to worry so much anymore. They could hug each other however they wanted! Xia Zhe also noticed some changes in Qiao Mei''s body. It was like her bosom seemed to be bigger than before and her butt was also a lot more perky. He could not help but pinch Qiao Mei''s perky butt. "If you touch me again! I''m going to tell Aunt!" Qiao Mei said in a muffled voice. Xia Zhe sighed helplessly. Xia Fang had already reminded him not to do anything overboard even though Qiao Mei had already given birth. Chapter 1207 Avoid Trouble ? Qiao Mei had not fully recovered yet. It would take at least two months before they could sleep together. Otherwise, if they caused the core of her body to be hurt, she would never be able to recover her health. It was said that a woman going through her confinement period was like getting born a second time. Some people were weak and sickly since they were young, but if they took good care of themselves during the confinement period after giving birth, they might even be able to treat and recover from their existing illnesses! If a woman did not place any importance on the confinement period, she would end up like Li Gui. As long as her hands touched cold water, she would feel unbearable pain and her joints would also feel extremely uncomfortable. For the sake of Qiao Mei''s future health, Xia Zhe decided to endure his urges for a while longer. The two of them fell asleep groggily and only woke up at noon. It was rare for Xia Zhe to have a good rest. There was no standard timing to rest and sleep in the military. In fact, he only managed to sleep three to four hours a day, not even the most basic eight hours. He would be able to have proper rest time if he was training in the army camp, but he was on missions most of the time. Even if he managed to get some time to rest, he would rather choose to strategize a battle plan late at night or read the reports from his seniors to gain more experience and knowledge. It was safe to say that he did not get any proper rest all year round. In the past, Xia Zhe did not even take any vacation leave. It was only after marrying Qiao Mei that he started to come home more often when there was less work to handle! The vacation period could be considered his rest time. After Feng Hua arrived early in the morning, she did not go in to disturb the couple while they were sleeping. She quietly packed up the two children''s belongings in the living room outside before going to settle Qiao Mei''s discharge procedures. Qiao Mei had left a sum of money with Feng Hua. This was because Feng Hua needed money to buy groceries for meals, replenish daily necessities, repair any worn out furniture and buy all kinds of items for the house. If they did not do it this way, Feng Hua would have to come to Qiao Mei with a list every day to get the money for expenses. Although some families liked to do it this way, whereby every issue and each cent had to be reported, Qiao Mei felt that it was really too troublesome. She decided to just give some money to Feng Hua and let Feng Hua spend it at her own discretion. Feng Hua could then ask Qiao Mei for more when she had spent all the money. Qiao Mei simply gave Feng Hua 5,000 dollars and told her to only report it when she had spent all the money. If there was anything they needed to get for the house, Qiao Mei wanted her to buy good quality items that were similar to what they had in the past and not the cheap stuff.I think you should take a look at Previously, Liu Fen had reminded Qiao Mei to check on Feng Hua''s accounts from time to time, so that Feng Hua would not get greedy and get up to no good. Qiao Mei felt that if she decided to hire someone, she must trust the person. If there was not even the most basic trust between them, then what was the point of hiring the person? She should just hire someone she trusted! She felt very much at ease with having Feng Hua in charge. Sometimes, in order to buy things for Qiao Mei, Feng Hua would even chip in with her own money! Therefore, she was not calculative with Feng Hua. Even if Feng Hua stole tens of dollars, it was not a big deal to her. Xu Lan and Liu Fen came to the ward with many bags of items. Even though everyone knew that Qiao Mei was going to be discharged today, those who did not know better would think that they were going to be hospitalized, going by the amount of things that they brought! "Are Xia Fan and Xia Xing ready? It''s still cold out there and the two children must not catch a chill. They must be wrapped up tightly. I''ve prepared these blankets and clothes for the children. Put them on for the children later," Xu Lan instructed. "Sure, I''ll go and get a nurse to put the clothes on for the children now," Feng Hua said. Qiao Qiang and Xia Jun were still playing chess in the ward next door. The two old men did not bring much with them. They only had three sets of clothes each and it would all fit into one bag. Xu Lan and Liu Fen sat in the living room and did not even dare to breathe loudly, worried that they would wake Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe up. The two of them also did not dare to go next door to take a look at Qiao Qiang and Xia Jun. What if the two men became unhappy and started reprimanding them? There were so many things that happened at home over the past few days. Although Qiao Qiang and Xia Jun did not care about these family matters, they still knew everything clearly. They just could not be bothered to help. After all, it was nothing very major. Xia Zhe took advantage of the time when Qiao Mei was still asleep to pack up everything in the room. It was quite extraordinary that Qiao Mei had very good quality sleep nowadays. Even thunder or an earthquake would not affect her sleep. Probably even if the sky collapsed, she would still be able to have a good rest first. Chapter 1208 Thief ? "Mei Mei isn''t up yet?" Xu Lan asked softly. "Yes, do you want me to wake her up now?" Xia Zhe said. "Don''t! How about this, I''ll get the chauffeur to send Uncle Qiao and your grandfather back to Qiao Mei''s place to stay for a while. Your grandfather says that he wants to stay with Uncle Qiao for a while more. Since the nanny is already here, she can also come along. Your second aunt-in-law and I will bring the two children and all this mess back to our house first. You just wait here for Qiao Mei to get up," Xu Lan said. This way, not only did it not disturb Qiao Mei''s sleep, but it also would not disrupt the two old men''s game of chess and chitchat. It would also allow the children to go home first to get familiarized with the new living environment. Moreover, it would also give Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei a lot of couple time! This was the best arrangement! It was only after everyone left that Qiao Mei gradually woke up. When she opened her eyes, the entire room was empty except for her bed.?? "Did a thief come in?" Qiao Mei asked as she blinked her big eyes. "Do you think a thief will let you off? Are all those things more valuable than kidnapping you?" Xia Zhe said with a laugh. "Oh no! Then Mother and Second Aunt-in-law must have seen me sleeping in! I hope they didn''t complain about me!" Qiao Mei asked as she looked at Xia Zhe nervously. Given Liu Fen''s character, she would usually nag when she saw Qiao Mei sleeping in until late in the morning. How would she give up such a good opportunity now that Qiao Mei was getting discharged from the hospital today? Qiao Mei had completely underestimated her current status in the Xia family. Even if she wanted to go home in the same car as Xia Jun, he would be more than willing to do so. Even if she asked the Xia family to buy her a big house, the Xia family would sell all their assets to do it for her. Xia Zhe packed up the rest of the things and left the hospital with Qiao Mei, headed for Xu Lan''s place. Until Qiao Mei could cope with taking care of the two children alone, they would all stay at Xu Lan''s place. Although Qiao Mei''s room had proper flooring and floor tiles, the courtyard was filled with limestone bricks. There was soil all around and it was not very clean. To prepare for Qiao Mei coming over to stay, Xu Lan had even specially hired people to wrap the railings on the second floor with yarn as well as to weave it into netting to cover the gaps in the middle. This was to prevent the children from climbing over and falling through the gaps.I think you should take a look at As long as it was a hidden danger that Xu Lan could think of, she would do everything she could to address it. When one entered the Xia family residence now, one would feel that it looked like a kindergarten and no longer looked as grand as before. "Wow, the yarn is even weaved into patterns! How long did it take to do this!" Qiao Mei looked up at the railings on the second floor in surprise. "Not too long. I hired many master craftsmen, so everything was finished in a couple of days. Do you like it?" Xu Lan asked expectantly. "I like it! Thank you for your hard work, Mother," Qiao Mei said with a sweet smile as she held Xu Lan''s hands. Xia He came speeding down the stairs and handed Qiao Mei two red boxes. She held back her joy and said, "Take a look and see if you like them. If you don''t, there''s nothing I can do. I can''t go back and exchange them anyway." When Qiao Mei opened the boxes, she saw a gold lock and a silver lock with the names of the two children engraved on them. The silver lock was for the boy while the gold lock was for the girl. "Why do the two children get different items?" Qiao Mei asked curiously. She did not have any ill intent when saying that, she was just curious why they did not both get gold locks or silver locks. "Our custom here is that boys can''t be brought up to be too pampered, so I just buy a simple silver lock for Xia Fan in order to make him work hard. As for the girl, we have to give her the best things. The gold lock is meant to represent that she will be able to live a worry-free life. I waited until the two children were named before I asked the master to make the locks for me. It''s not too late to give them to you now," Xia He said. "Thank you, elder sister~ I know you care for the children a lot!" Qiao Mei said sweetly. "Eh~ Just behave normally. Don''t disgust me by behaving like this. I''m not used to it. It''s just two locks. It''s not a big deal," Xia He said disdainfully. Xia Wen still had work to do today and he could not come back for the family reunion, so he asked his secretary to send his gifts home first. It was similar to Xia He''s gifts. He gave two lockets, one gold and one silver, which were much smaller than the ones Xia He prepared. These were used to make anklets for children. It seemed that this was really the local custom for boys to receive silver locks and girls to receive gold locks. Even Xia Wen also prepared the gifts in the same way. Chapter 1209 - 1209 Sleep 1209 Sleep It was obvious that Xia Wen had prepared these things quite some time ago as the boxes did not look new. Even though he still owed He Ning 500,000 dollars then, he remembered to buy gifts for the two children. It was enough to show how much Xia Wen cherished these two children. Unfortunately Xia Wen did not have a child of his own after so many years Otherwise, he would definitely be a very good father. Alright everyone, dont just stand here. Go and take a rest! Xu Lan said. The two children had completely different personalities. One look at Xia Fan and one could tell that he was an obedient child. He ate and slept well and did not cry or make a fuss. He just liked to stare at people with his big round eyes and he smiled at everyone. Xia Xing was completely different. Although she did not cry much, it was very difficult to get her to fall asleep. No matter how hard anyone tried to coax her, she refused to sleep and would only fall asleep slowly in Feng Huas arms. Once she was put down onto the small bed, she would wake up, so Feng Hua had to carry her while she slept. These few days, Feng Huas arms hurt so much that she could not even lift them anymore. Qiao Mei only just heard about this today. She immediately went upstairs to check on Feng Hua. As soon as she pushed the door open, she saw Feng Hua sitting in the corner with a tired expression and holding the sleeping Xia Xing in her arms. Sister Feng, is the child still unwilling to sleep on the bed? Qiao Mei asked with a frown. Feng Hua thought that Qiao Mei was blaming her, so she quickly stood up and said nervously, Yes, but the child sleeps soundly in my arms. Im not tired at all. Its fine. Itll get better when she grows up. Perhaps shes still young and needs someone to take care of her. Qiao Mei called Xia Zhe over and asked him to carry Xia Fan out to Xu Lans room. They would only keep Xia Xing in their room. Sister Feng, put her on the small bed. She has to get used to it. How can she want someone to hug her to sleep all the time? We cant spoil the child like this, Qiao Mei said. Feng Hua followed Qiao Meis instructions and put the baby down properly. As expected, Xia Xing started wailing as soon as she touched the bed. Feng Huas heart ached and she wanted to lift the baby up, but when she saw Qiao Meis stern expression, she gritted her teeth and endured it. Sister Feng, let her cry. She just needs to know that crying is useless. This is something she must go through, Qiao Mei said. But what if she keeps crying? Feng Hua probed. This was also Qiao Meis first time having children. She did not know if the baby would continue to cry non-stop, but if that happened, she would think of a way to make a cushion that would let Xia Xing feel like she was lying in someones arms. Itll get better. If it really doesnt work out, Ill ask my mother to come over to take a look. She should know how to solve this problem. No matter what, we definitely cant keep carrying the child anymore. If this continues, no matter how many of us there are, there wont be enough arms to go around. We cant let the child develop such a habit, Qiao Mei said. Just as Qiao Mei had said, Xia Xing stopped crying not long after. However, it was possible that she was simply tired out from crying. She slept soundly on the small bed and looked very cute. Feng Hua could finally rest for a while. Qiao Mei told her to hire two more helpers. One of them would take over Wei Haos position and the other would work at Xu Lans house. The news of Qiao Mei reaching home spread very quickly and the phone downstairs did not stop ringing. Many families wanted to come and congratulate her. Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe discussed this matter and decided not to hold a one-month-old celebration event for their children. They would just invite only close relatives for a gathering and this would not include any of their friends. Firstly, the children were still young and it would be inconvenient to have so many people coming to the house. Secondly, these people would definitely rush and crowd around to take a look at the children and then at Qiao Mei. She did not mind it for herself, but it would be taxing on the children. It was enough to just accumulate good fortune for the two children! They were grateful that everyone cared about the children. Xia Zhe had already taken note of which families had sent gifts to the house. I wonder if Second Uncle and Third Uncle can come back. Second Aunt-in-law, has Second Uncle mentioned anything recently? Qiao Mei asked curiously. Your second uncle always behaves very mysteriously! I dont know what he does whenever he goes back to the army. He only tells me that hes going back to work and I dont ask anything. This time round, I also dont know when hell be back. I think you can ask Eldest Brother. He should know where his brothers are, Liu Fen said. Of course Qiao Mei knew that she could ask Xia Mao, but she was still afraid of him! Even though Xia Mao was very nice to her, the authoritative look on his face made her afraid to look at him. She decided to get Xia Zhe to ask him. Chapter 1210 - 1210 Embarrassing 1210 Embarrassing Elder Sister, why dont you ask Deng Fan to come over and have some fun with us? Qiao Mei sat beside Xia He and whispered into her ear. Shoo, shoo, shoo! Why should he be here! How can an outsider like him attend our family gathering? Xia He said angrily. However, Xia Hes ears were so red that they were the same color as the sunset outside. She was clearly feeling shy! But when you were in trouble, he helped a lot! In the end, Deng Fan was the one who resolved this matter. You cant just forget about him like this, Qiao Mei said as she pouted. Of course I know that! But its not good to invite him to your childrens one-month-old celebration. We havent even confirmed our relationship yet! At that time, this house will be full of our relatives and it will be so awkward for him to be here, Xia He said earnestly. Xia He could not go against her own conscience and say that she did not like Deng Fan at all. She felt that Deng Fan was a good person, but she also felt that if she really got together with him, it would hurt him. Deng Fan could be considered to be from a scholarly family and was still single after all these years. It was said that Deng Fans parents had a very loving relationship their entire lives and that Deng Fan had a very blissful life. He had a good personality and was also very knowledgeable. How could a previously married woman like her be worthy of such a good person like him? The neighbors would gossip about Deng Fan! The Deng family had never received a bad comment from anyone. If they were criticized because of her, she would not be able to take it. Then what about Brother Luo? Qiao Mei asked next. Theres even less of a relationship between Brother Luo and me. Hes at most my older brother, just like Xia Wen. Dont talk about these things to Mother. She likes to listen to such gossip the most. If she finds out, she might go to the art troupe to try and do something! Xia He reminded Qiao Mei. Oh my! I know, I know. Im just asking. Then you must update me if theres any progress! Otherwise, Ill go and snitch on you~ Qiao Mei said smugly. Sure, sure, sure! Take it that Im scared of you! Xia He said helplessly. While the Xia family was in a harmonious and happy mood, the Tan family was in chaos. The entire family had been arguing in the house for an entire day! How do you get yourself sent back by the Xia family! Isnt it embarrassing! Get lost as far as you can! I find it unlucky to see you at home! I dont even know what people will gossip about me when I go out in the future! Tan Hu said angrily. Tan Jing sneered and said, Hmph, you must feel uncomfortable that no one is paying off your gambling debts for you. What has it got to do with you whether I feel embarrassed or not? How can you talk to me like that! Mom! Cant you discipline her! Tan Hu said as he pointed at Tan Jing. Tan Jing! Hurry up and think of a way to go back! How can our family support you! Besides, your father needs the Xia family so that he can get his medicine! If youre not in the Xia family, how can we get the medicine? Jiang Yi said anxiously. Hearing the mention of medicine, Tan Jing perked up. She looked at Jiang Yi in puzzlement and asked, What medicine? Jiang Yi took out the bottle with a little bit of liquid left and said, This one! I dont believe that you dont know. Dont pretend to be ignorant. Isnt this the divine medicine from the Xia family? It can even revive the dead. Even if you are divorced, you have to hurry back and ask Qiao Mei for a few more bottles! Tan Jing could tell at a glance that this was definitely not the divine medicine which Qiao Mei had. She had even drunk that medicinal wine before and the color should be light green at the very least. It was impossible for it to be transparent and colorless like the liquid in the bottle now. It was obvious that Qiao Mei had lied to Jiang Yi. Tan Hu and Tan Bao could no longer sit still at the side. The two of them were veteran racketeers, so they were aware of the power of the Xia familys divine medicine. Moreover, many people had even asked them if they knew the price! Mom! Do you still have any more of this! Tan Hu asked with wide eyes. What do you want it for? This is for your fathers treatment! Dont you have even a shred of conscience! Jiang Yi said. Do you know how much this is worth? A tiny bottle is worth 1,000 dollars! What you have in the bottle can be sold for 3,000 dollars! Tan Hu said. What! Jiang Yi quickly held the glass bottle with both hands, worried that she would accidentally break it. She carefully placed it on the brick bed and only let go after confirming that it was safe. Tan Bo was also so shocked that he sat up from the bed. All his illness and pain seemed to have disappeared in an instant. The entire family, except for Tan Jing, stared intently at the small bottle on the brick bed. Chapter 1211 Discover A Scam ? "Xiao Hu, are you lying to me? Is this stuff really so valuable? Are you just playing a trick on me!" Jiang Yi asked suspiciously. "Of course it''s true, why would I lie to you! Tan Bao also knows about this!" Tan Hu said. Tan Bao quickly echoed, "That''s right, people are offering 2,000 dollars for a small bottle now! Second Brother and I discussed it previously but we were too embarrassed to talk to the Xia family, so we didn''t mention this matter." Although everyone had heard of the Xia family''s "divine medicine", they only knew that He Ning was in possession of it and no one knew whether anyone else had obtained the Xia family''s "divine medicine". It was really something that was priceless! Since no one could find out anything from the Xia family, everyone set their sights on these two ignorant and incompetent brothers from the Tan family. However, no one had expected that these two men were cowards who did not even dare to approach the Xia family at all. They did not even dare to think about this matter. The two of them were just tyrants at home. Once they went out of the house, they became wusses and did not even dare to retort when others shouted at them. As Qiao Mei had described, the two of them combined were not even half as good as Su Yang! Jiang Yi turned to look at Tan Jing. That woman who came to the house earlier said that everyone in the Xia family had a share, so Tan Jing must have a share too. "Where''s your share of the ''divine medicine''?" Jiang Yi asked. Tan Hu and Tan Bao looked at Tan Jing expectantly. It appeared that their source of wealth was Tan Jing. "I drank it," Tan Jing said honestly. Tan Hu went forward angrily and slapped Tan Jing. Just one slap was not enough for him to vent his anger and he wanted to continue hitting her. Jiang Yi did not stop him and just let him bully Tan Jing. Tan Bao pretended not to see anything and lowered his head silently. Tan Jing was weak to begin with and was no match for Tan Hu at all. After he slapped her a few times, she was already bleeding from the corner of her mouth and had swollen cheeks. She was not angry, nor did she cry or feel aggrieved. After returning to the Tan family, she had long known that such a day would come. It was her destiny and it was just a matter of time. "What a piece of trash! Why do you drink medicine when you''re not sick! Do you know how precious this medicine is! Is it something that a cheap life like yours deserves?" Tan Hu said angrily.I think you should take a look at "In any case, I have nothing to do with the Xia family now. Even if you beat me to death, you won''t be able to get the ''divine medicine''. Moreover, whatever you have in that bottle is fake. You''ve all been deceived by Qiao Mei and you still don''t know it!" Tan Jing said as she looked at them mockingly. "Fake? How can it be? Your father feels quite well after drinking it! What evidence do you have to prove that this is fake?" Jiang Yi asked. "At the very least, I''ve drank it before. This ''divine medicine'' is actually a type of medicinal wine and it''s light green in color. The darker the color, the better the medicinal effect. Back then, Xia Mao was able to be revived after drinking the light green type, so you can imagine how powerful the dark green type can be," Tan Jing said. Tan Jing only knew all this from hearsay. Although the medicinal wine which Qiao Mei gave Xia Mao was indeed light-colored, it was not light green but pale golden. No outsider got close enough to see it clearly, so these were all rumors. Even if Qiao Mei filled glass bottles with liquor and put them out for sale, there would definitely be an overwhelming number of people coming to the Xia family house to buy them. The key information they had was that the liquid was supposed to be a light color, but they did not know what color it was or even if it was supposed to be colored. "You wretched girl! Why didn''t you say so earlier! You only tell us when we have almost finished it! What if it''s poison!" Jiang Yi said furiously. "This is just a bottle of water. It won''t harm the two of you. What''s there to be afraid of," Tan Jing said. Now that the "divine medicine" was fake and it was no longer possible for Tan Jing to return to the Xia family, it appeared that Jiang Yi would have to be the one to go and look for Qiao Mei. Previously, Qiao Mei did not want to help them with their request for a house because it was really too expensive. Now, it was only a matter of a bottle of "divine medicine". It should be no skin off her back, so why would she be unwilling to give it to them? Based on Jiang Yi''s calculations, it should be time for Qiao Mei to hold the one-month-old celebration for her children. The next few days would be the perfect timing to pay them a visit! The men in the Tan family were all burly and brash and they would only cause trouble if they went. Jiang Yi was afraid to go alone, so she asked her youngest child, Tan Yue, to accompany her. "Then I''m not going to go there for nothing! You have to give me some benefits," Tan Yue said. "Have I brought you up for nothing! How dare you ask me for benefits? You''re really too shameless!" Jiang Yi said angrily. Chapter 1212 - 1212 Paying a Visit With Generous Gifts 1212 Paying a Visit With Generous Gifts In the past, Tan Yue would always be able to get money from Jiang Yi, sometimes less and sometimes more. Otherwise, she would just go steal some money from the cabinet. As long as Jiang Yi did not find out, it was not a big deal. However, after the Xia family stopped helping them, there was not much money left at home as Tan Hu had gambled away most of it. She had not been able to get anything from Jiang Yi for a few months already. Her mother-in-law beat and scolded her every day. In addition, Zhou Nan was a coward. He did not dare to say anything to his mother and would only stand by and watch Tan Yue suffer. Tan Yue was always getting scolded about the same few issues. She was labeled a money-losing good-for-nothing and a useless b*tch, and she was also mocked for only giving birth to girls. She already had three daughters. If she continued to have children, she was quite sure that it would still be a daughter. However, if she did not manage to have a son this year, then she would end up like Tan Jing and be sent back to the Tan family. If they could sell the divine medicine and earn enough money, it would not be a problem for her to buy a small house in the countryside. This way, even if she got a divorce, she could still live a good life with her children. I dont care. If you dont give me anything, I wont go! Get Eldest Sister to go with you, Tan Yue said stubbornly. Fine, fine, fine. Ill give you a little, Jiang Yi said vaguely. A little? Why should I only get a little? I want the same share as Eldest Brother and the rest. Im also a child of the Tan family. I must have what they have. I dont want more, but I definitely cant have less! Tan Yue said. Jiang Yi did not have much choice. She only had two daughters. One had already been abandoned and the other was very calculative. Early the next morning, the two women left the house with a bag of rice, an old hen which they raised at home, a fish and a pot of soybean oil. These things had cost Jiang Yi a lot of money! All these items could be considered generous gifts. However, as the saying went, if one could not bear to part with a child, one would not be able to catch a wolf. Since she had already decided to do this, she must gain something big! If they went empty-handed, they might not even be able to walk through the main door. Jiang Yi was stopped at the neighborhood entrance. She was still a person on the blacklist! Without Xu Lans instructions, the patrol team did not dare to let her go so easily. Please let me in. Im the Xia familys in-law! Im really here to celebrate the children turning one month old! Please be kind and let me off, Jiang Yi begged. No! We cant let you in without the Xia familys instructions! Please understand that this is our job! the patrol team member said. Then make a phone call! You should at least call and ask them! Jiang Yi said. The patrol team member dialed Luo Yus number doubtfully and said, Big brother, that woman is here again today. Should we let her in or just chase her away? Its not up to us to decide. Why is she here again Ill go and ask the family. You guys hold her back first, Luo Yu said helplessly. Xu Lan and the others were chatting happily in the living room. They did not expect the Tan family to come to their house during this hour. In fact, they thought that those people would be sensible enough not to come again! Xiao Luo, is she here to cause trouble or does she have other motives? Xu Lan asked. I hear from the guys at the door that she has brought a lot of things like rice, flour and oil. She seems to be here to celebrate something, Luo Yu said. The Xia family did not lack any of the items she brought. Xu Lan was about to instruct Luo Yu to send Jiang Yi away when Qiao Mei became curious about what Jiang Yi would do if she came in. She could not help the fact that she was a very curious person by nature. Perhaps Jiang Yi was here to take advantage of her, but she still wanted to see the pleading expression on Jiang Yis face. Mother~ Let them come in and lets see what they want, Qiao Mei said sweetly. But what if shes here to harm you? Have you forgotten how she treated you previously? Xu Lan asked worriedly. That wont happen. We still have Brother Luo here! Besides, Xia Zhe will be back soon. What else can she do to me? Qiao Mei held Xu Lans hand and continued, Mother, dont worry. I know my limits. Im very strong, so they definitely wont be able to bully me. Xu Lan could not dissuade Qiao Mei, so she had no choice but to agree. Luo Yu went to the door to fetch them personally. During this short period of time, Qiao Mei went upstairs to change into a beautiful dress. She wanted the Tan family members to know that even after giving birth, she still maintained her good looks! She was not some dowdy woman from the countryside. Chapter 1213 - 1213 Drinking Powdered Milk 1213 Drinking Powdered Milk As soon as Jiang Yi entered the house, she noticed that the interior had changed. It was completely different from how it looked the last time she came. Since it was such a cozy setup, it must have been remodeled for those two brats! It was such a pity. If Tan Jing was able to have children then this little b*tch would not have a chance at all! Ah, my heartiest congratulations to my in-law. You have two additions to the family at one go. This is such a joyous occasion, Jiang Yi said politely. Xu Lan smiled and said, Yes, Im definitely happy. Im unlike you, your eldest grandson is already a few years old and you have more grandchildren running around you! Im not as lucky as you. Its been a long wait for these two babies. Im so excited so I hope you can understand. In the past, when Tan Jing was around, Xu Lan never mentioned anything about children because she was afraid of hurting Tan Jings fragile ego. However, now that Tan Jing was not around, there was nothing wrong with making Jiang Yi annoyed. After all, Jiang Yi was the biggest culprit who made Tan Jing the person she was! One seldom heard of a mother being so heartless to her daughter. Tan Jing had previously mentioned that she had irregular periods since she was young and it remained the same even after she grew up. Sometimes, she would not have her period for a few months. At that time, she was still young and did not have money to go to the hospital. By the time she grew up, it was already too late! Tan Jing had asked Jiang Yi for help many times but to no avail. Xu Lan did not believe that Jiang Yi did not know anything. As a woman, how could she not have such basic knowledge? After all, Jiang Yi had given birth to so many children. How could she not know how to take care of her daughter? Jiang Yi actually knew very well what was going on, but what could she do? Therefore, when Tan Jing asked her, she only replied that she did not know anything. She felt that women should just bear with everything. Back in the past, she also had to work in the farmland and wash the dishes using cold water in winter. Even then, she still gave birth to so many children. If Tan Jing could not have children, it was Tan Jing who had a problem and it had nothing to do with her! It was Tan Jing who turned out to be a disappointment! Haha, I understand I understand Jiang Yi said with an awkward smile. Tan Yue just simply down all the things on the floor. She had carried the heavy rice and oil all the way here. After they entered the house, the Xia family members did not even say anything and just let the two of them stand there with the things like two fools. People who did not know better would think that they were people delivering things from the countryside! They were not treated like relatives at all! Oh my, Im so focused on chatting that I dont remember that you have all those things with you. You can put them there. They look quite heavy, Xu Lan said. These are all from our house. I hope you dont mind! That old hen is very plump! You can use it to make soup for Qiao Mei! This will ensure that she will have enough milk for the children! There are two children to feed! I wonder if Qiao Mei is able to produce enough milk, Jiang Yi said. We dont need Qiao Mei to breastfeed the children. We feed the children using powdered milk. Its no big deal, Xu Lan said. Drink powdered milk? That wont do! How can children drink something that has no nutrition! Is it because Qiao Mei doesnt produce enough milk to feed the children? Jiang Yi asked. Of course not. Were just worried that it will be too tough on Qiao Mei, so we decide to let the children drink powdered milk. After all, we must take care of the mother first, Xu Lan said. Jiang Yi was so full of hatred that she gritted her teeth. Everything that the b*tch Qiao Mei was enjoying now should belong to Tan Jing! It was all Tan Jings fault for being so disappointing! Otherwise, she could have helped her family become rich long ago! Also, she and her husband would not have reached the point of divorce! At the end of the day, the fact that Xia Wen and Tan Jing did not have any children made the divorce process too quick and easy, since there was no glue to hold them together. Can we go and see Qiao Mei and the children? Jiang Yi asked tentatively. Yes, but you need to disinfect first. The children are still fragile, Xu Lan said. Feng Hua sprayed some alcohol on Jiang Yi and Tan Yue using a watering spray bottle. However, she did not spray Xu Lan. Jiang Yi immediately understood that Xu Lan looked down on her and her daughter and felt that they were carrying viruses on their bodies! Xu Lan could not wait for the two of them to leave quickly and not harm her precious eldest grandson! How pretentious of her. It was as if only her family had young children. Alright, you can go in. Xu Lan walked in slowly with the two of them. Qiao Mei was still in bed! When she saw Jiang Yi, she did not get out of bed to greet them. She just sat up and nodded slightly with a smile. Chapter 1214 - 1214 Give Us Two Bottles 1214 Give Us Two Bottles Jiang Yi rolled her eyes angrily. How rude! Previously, when she saw Qiao Mei at Qiao Meis house, she did not think that Qiao Mei was very good-looking. However, with a closer look now, Qiao Mei was really quite good-looking. She did not look like an unruly girl from the countryside at all, but like a young lady from a rich family. Qiao Mei also looked very elegant. This was the first time Tan Yue met Qiao Mei and it was completely different from what she remembered hearing. She thought people said that Qiao Mei was a fatty weighing more than 200 pounds? At that time, she had wondered if Xia Zhe had taken a fancy to some kind of monster. In the end she turned out to be such a beautiful woman No wonder Xia Zhe got married so quickly Qiao Mei immediately noticed the look in Tan Yues eyes. A womans sixth sense was always spot on. She vaguely felt that Tan Yue was a little hostile towards her. She could not explain it, but there was just something wrong. However, it was no surprise at all. Xia Zhe had so much romance luck, perhaps this person was also another one of his admirers? Qiao Mei felt a little unhappy. She would settle the score with Xia Zhe when he returned later. For now, she must deal with these two people first. Oh my! Before Jiang Yi could say anything, Xu Lan stopped her. Speak softly. The children are still sleeping and Qiao Mei also cant stand loud noises, Xu Lan said with a frown. Fine, fine, fine. I understand. Ill speak softly, Jiang Yi whispered. However, she did not think the same in her heart. All her grandchildren slept soundly all the time. Even if she kicked up a fuss at home, they would not wake up. The Xia familys children were really too pampered! They were so overly protected! How do you feel? Do you still feel uncomfortable? Jiang Yi was about to sit down at the edge of Qiao Meis bed for a chat when Xu Lan pulled her up. Her butt had not even touched the bed yet! In-law, not everyone can sit on my daughter-in-laws bed. Not even me! I seek your understanding. There are a few stools over there. Lets sit there, Xu Lan said. Jiang Yis expression darkened, but she did not dare to say anything. After all, she had a more important matter to do today. It was not good to ruin the harmony over such trivial matters. Im fine now. I just need to take care of the two children. Mother will usually help me out, so its not taxing on me, Qiao Mei said in a gentle manner. As the two of them continued chatting, Xu Lan went downstairs to bring up some fruits for Qiao Mei. Xia Zhe had eaten up all the fruits in the room and he did not think of bringing more upstairs. Once Jiang Yi saw Xu Lan leave, she quickly put on a pitiful expression. The speed at which she changed her expression was comparable to that of an actress in a television drama! One second, she was chatting and laughing! The next second, her expression became gloomy. Sigh You look so well and healthy, so I dont have to worry about you anymore. Its just that my husbands health is still not too good. Hes been drinking the divine medicine you gave but there is still not much improvement. I hear from Tan Jing that the divine medicine comes in different colors. I wonder if I have taken the wrong kind? Jiang Yi probed. If she questioned Qiao Mei directly, she definitely would not get her way. By asking in this manner, she made it sound like it was nobodys fault and hopefully led to Qiao Mei giving them the real thing. Is that so? Maybe Xia Zhe did not see clearly, but I only had a few bottles anyway. Its not like theres a lot of it. We cant even produce one bottle within a few months. How can there be any more of such good stuff nowadays? Qiao Mei said with a straight face. Dont you have a few bottles set aside for your grandfather? Bring those out and pass them to our family first. You can always make more for your grandfather! Jiang Yi said. That self-entitled attitude undoubtedly crossed Qiao Meis line. She was actually open to negotiating terms and conditions with Jiang Yi. If Jiang Yi knew how to say things which made her happy, she could even reward Jiang Yi with a few bottles. However, from the looks of it, that family did not even deserve a few drops! No means no. Those are not available. You should bring your husband to a proper hospital for a checkup, Qiao Mei said as she held back her temper. Jiang Yi immediately flared up and shouted, Why not! Whats wrong with giving us one or two bottles! Your grandfather is in such good health! But my husband is not going to make it! Whats wrong with giving them to our family! Her loud shouting woke Xia Fan and Xia Xing up. The two children were so frightened that they started crying. Qiao Meis good temper was gone by now and she looked at the Tan mother-and-daughter duo coldly. Chapter 1215 You Still Know How To Come Back ? "I''ve never met someone so shameless! If I don''t give it to you, are you going to snatch it by force! It''s not as if you''re still related to our family now! Get lost!" Qiao Mei said furiously. As Qiao Mei was worried about scaring the children again, she spoke very softly. In fact, her childish voice was not intimidating at all. When Xu Lan heard the cries coming from upstairs, she quickly ran up to take a look. Upon seeing Jiang Yi bullying Qiao Mei, she quickly stood in front of Qiao Mei. "What are you doing! Get out now!" Xu Lan said angrily. "But we haven''t done anything. What has it got to do with us if these two children cry? Isn''t it normal for children to cry and look for the adults when they wake up? You can''t blame everything on us," Jiang Yi said without any shame. Qiao Mei gritted her teeth in anger, but her priority was to coax the children first. The most important thing now was to settle the children down. Xu Lan grabbed Jiang Yi and Tan Yue and pulled them out of the door, leaving Feng Hua and Qiao Mei in the room to comfort the children. Xu Lan chased Jiang Yi and Tan Yue out of the main door. She even called Luo Yu to come over and asked him to throw out all the things that the Tan family members had brought with them. Who would dare to use the Tan family''s things! "Just leave! Don''t come again in the future! My son and your daughter are already divorced. If you don''t want this matter to blow up and don''t want your daughter to go to jail, then go home and stay there! Don''t come to our house again!" After saying that, Xu Lan slammed the door shut. While on his way back, Xia Zhe caught sight of the two dejected people who had just been chased out. He quickly found a corner to hide and only came out after Luo Yu sent the two women out of the neighborhood entrance. When he finally came out from the corner, he gave Luo Yu a shock. "Why are you hiding there!" Luo Yu said wearily. "I''m hiding from the ''god of plague''. Otherwise, am I supposed to present myself to her?" Xia Zhe said resignedly. "Say, bring me along on your next mission. All these household issues have really broadened my horizons. I don''t even want to get married anymore! It feels like a headache," Luo Yu said uncomfortably. "What are you afraid of! If you win my elder sister''s heart, do you think my family will treat you badly?" Xia Zhe said jokingly.I think you should take a look at "You and your eldest brother just like to make fun of me, right? It''s impossible between Xia He and I. I don''t have any other intentions. As long as she''s happy, I don''t care about anything else," Luo Yu said. Xia Zhe did not say anything and patted Luo Yu''s shoulder. He could not really understand Luo Yu''s feelings, but yet he seemed to understand a little. If he had met Qiao Mei earlier, he might have to wait bitterly for her as well. Perhaps or perhaps not After all, when he met Qiao Mei, she was still a fatty weighing more than 200 pounds and who looked like a reincarnated bear! Even if he really met Qiao Mei much earlier, he would only treat her like a sister and would not think of asking her to marry him. This actually showed how much hard work and effort Qiao Mei had put in for him. He must treat Qiao Mei even better and give her all the good things so that she could live blissfully for the rest of her life! "Mother, why do you have such an expression on your face?" Xia Zhe looked at Xu Lan curiously. If Xu Lan had not tied her hair up, her hair would probably be standing on end from how angry Jiang Yi and Tan Yue made her feel! "You still have the cheek to say that! Where did you run off to have fun! You aren''t even home when your wife, children and mother are being bullied! You''re only back after everything is over!" Xu Lan said angrily. Xia Zhe got a shock and quickly ran upstairs. Xu Lan did not stop him. After all, she was fine. Qiao Mei was not in a good mood now, so Xia Zhe should go and take care of her. Feng Hua and Qiao Mei finally coaxed Xia Fan and Xia Xing to sleep. Xia Zhe slowly lightened his footsteps and came to Qiao Mei''s side. Feng Hua eyed the situation and decided to carry the two children out to sleep in Xu Lan''s room, giving the couple enough space to talk. "I''m sorry to come back too late," Xia Zhe said apologetically. "So you still know how to come back! But it''s also my fault I''m the one who''s too curious and insists on letting them in," Qiao Mei said as she lowered her head aggrievedly. She still felt uneasy up till now. Her heart ached whenever she thought of the two children crying. She finally realized that she was no longer the young woman from before who could do whatever she wanted. She must always put the children''s safety first and not put them in danger because of her own curiosity. Chapter 1216 Biased ? "You''re not at fault. It''s all my fault. If I was around, they wouldn''t dare to bully you. I''m sorry, it''s all my fault. Don''t blame yourself," Xia Zhe said as he looked at Qiao Mei with heartache. "It''s fortunate that you were not around! I can tell that Tan Yue has improper feelings for you. As soon as she entered the room, she kept looking around for you. She was so disappointed when she didn''t see you and she looked at me as if she wanted to eat me up," Qiao Mei said as she pretended to be angry. "Really? I don''t know anything about that" Xia Zhe said, feeling perplexed. Xia Zhe indeed did not know much about this matter, but Xu Lan knew it very well. In fact, she was the one who had dealt with it! It happened during the time when Xia Wen and Tan Jing got married. Xia Zhe had taken leave and returned home from the army. At the wedding ceremony, Tan Yue had immediately noticed Xia Zhe, who was the groom''s best man. People liked to say that the best man and the bridesmaid at a wedding had a high probability of becoming the next couple. Due to that, Tan Yue had always believed that she would be able to marry Xia Zhe. Not long after Tan Jing got married, Tan Yue would go to the Xia family residence every other day just to try and catch a glimpse of Xia Zhe. It did not take long for Xu Lan to see through Tan Yue''s intentions. Xu Lan scolded Tan Jing fiercely and asked her to settle this matter. Although Xu Lan did not know what happened after that, it seemed that Tan Jing had handled the matter quite well. "You have such excessive romance luck! Of course you don''t know anything about this!" Qiao Mei said angrily. Xia Zhe hurriedly went forward to hug Qiao Mei and said, "My dear wife~ Please forgive me. I''ll wear a mask whenever I have to meet people in the future! I definitely won''t let any woman fall for me!" "Hmph," Qiao Mei said daintily. She did not sound intimidating at all. Actually, Xia Zhe had done quite well in this aspect. It was always those women who pestered him. He had never given any mixed signals to any woman, so there was no issue. She was just angry at the fact that so many women clamored after Xia Zhe. However, they could do whatever they want. This only proved that Xia Zhe was a charming man. The popular man whom everyone liked was her husband! Let those women be as jealous as they wanted!I think you should take a look at Jiang Yi definitely felt indignant to be chased away like this. Along the way, she kept cursing the Xia family and the two children. Tan Yue walked beside her, carrying all the things and did not say a word, afraid that Jiang Yi would turn abusive if she said something wrong. Tan Hu and Tan Bao were currently at home discussing with Tan Bo on how to split the "divine medicine" among them! Tan Hu had his own house which had enough space for his small family to live in. However, it was different for Tan Bao. He had three children! Moreover, two of them were boys. Life would only get tougher when it was time for them to get married, so he must get a bigger share of the money! "Dad, you''re the head of this family. Once Mom comes back with the ''divine medicine'' and we sell it, how do you think we should split the money among us?" Tan Bao probed. "These are matters which you guys should discuss among yourselves. I don''t care about such things," Tan Bo said vaguely. He was not a fool and knew very well what these children were up to. "Dad, you have to help me! Your two eldest grandsons are in my family! You can''t just look on if they can''t afford to get married! I can''t keep staying in the storeroom at home. You have to help me out!" Tan Bao cried out. Tan Hu was unhappy when he heard this. They were both sons of the Tan family, so why should Tan Bao ask for more? If so, then he would behave like Tan Bao! "Younger brother, what you just said is not right. It''s not our parents'' fault that you don''t have a house. Back when you got married, our parents also bought you a house. Didn''t you use it to fund your extramarital affair? Why are you lamenting here now?" Tan Hu said mockingly. No matter how much Tan Hu liked to gamble, he knew very well that he could not use his house as collateral to pay off his debts. Even when the debt collectors came knocking on his door, he did not hand over the house. This was his home. Even if he ran out of options, he would at least have a place to provide shelter for his wife and children. At least Tan Hu was a man who took care of his family, but Tan Bao was different. Back then, Tan Bao sold his house so that he could be with his mistress. In the end, that woman took all his money and he ended up with nothing! Tan Bao was lucky enough to have married that silly girl, Wang Meng. Any other woman would have left him long ago! Chapter 1217 - 1217 Fake 1217 Fake What nonsense are you talking about! Tan Bao said with a flushed face. What do you mean by I am talking nonsense? If you have done something, how can you disallow others from talking about it? Will I want to slander you if you havent done anything? Were both sons of the Tan family and we must get the same amount! Otherwise, no one can get any money! Tan Hu said angrily. Tan Bao was not as muscular as Tan Hu. If Tan Hu lost his temper, a casual punch from him would be enough to make Tan Bao fall flat on the ground. Tan Bao would rather hide than offend Tan Hu. Anyway, there were only three sons in their family. Tan Shi was in school and out of town, so they would just leave him out. The two older brothers decide that they would split the money only between the two of them. Dont kick up a fuss here. If you continue to make a fuss, Ill drink that divine medicine once we get it! Therell be nothing for either of you! Tan Bo said angrily. The two brothers stopped talking. There was nothing more important than money. Furthermore, it was not good to makeTan Bo angry. If anything should happen to him, they would lose his substantial retirement pension and they would run out of money to pay for all the family expenses. As soon as there was a sound outside the door, everyone in the house raised their heads and looked out eagerly. When they saw Jiang Yi coming back with all the things intact, they knew that the matter was not a done deal. Mom, didnt you go to the Xia familys house? Tan Bao asked anxiously. I did! And almost got my head bitten off! Jiang Yi put down her things and looked at Tan Jing, who was sitting quietly on the brick bed. She pointed at Tan Jing and scolded, Why did I give birth to a useless thing like you! Why cant you have children! At that moment, everyone understood why Jiang Yi had failed. Tan Yue also did not look too happy. She also felt uncomfortable seeing Qiao Mei being so blissful. She should be the one sitting there Then what should we do! Ive already spoken to my clients! That Ill definitely be able to get the divine medicine. People are all waiting for it! Tan Bao said. Who asks you to go around telling everyone! Jiang Yi said angrily. Then how about we produce a few bottles of fake medicine? Doesnt everyone say that the Xia family has not given the medicine to anyone else? They have not sold the medicine as well, so no one knows what this divine medicine tastes like. We just need to make it green in color! Tan Hu said. This was a very good idea. Moreover, Tan Jing had seen the actual thing before. They could just keep trying. Even if they could only manage to produce just one bottle of fake medicine, it would be good enough for them! You! Do you still remember what that divine medicine looks like? Tan Hu asked as he pointed at Tan Jing. I do, but you wont be able to reproduce it. That green color is different from the normal shades, Tan Jing said calmly. They did not believe it! The family juiced all the green vegetables they could find and tried mixing the juices with water one by one, but they still failed in the end. This one wont do! That one wont do either! What else do we have to do! Tan Bao said angrily. How about lets go and steal it, Tan Hu said in a low voice. Steal? How? Do you know where Qiao Mei keeps the medicinal wine? Even if we want to steal it, we must have a way! Tan Yue said dejectedly. Idiot! Qiao Mei isnt at her own home now and shes the only one who knows how to make this thing. It must be kept at her own house! Tan Jing has gone to her house before! She can draw us a map and we can search for it room by room. Surely well be able to find it, Tan Hu said confidently. Tan Yue still felt that this plan was not workable. Qiao Mei occupied the front yard, but there was still Qiao Qiang and the others living in the backyard! How could they not be able to spot a thief? This was a very stupid plan. It was no different from tempting fate. Its not like theres no one at her house. How do we go in to steal it? Tan Bao said. You coward! Im asking you if you dare to come with me! If you arent! Then none of you can even dream about getting a share of the money! Tan Hu said angrily. If he managed to steal it, he would be able to enjoy endless wealth! If he failed, he would at most be jailed for five to six years. It was that not big a deal. Ill do it! Brother, Ill go with you! Tan Bao said agitatedly. Tan Yue remained quiet. She was a woman and did not know how to steal things. She could still help out if they wanted to replicate something, but she had her children to take care of and could not take any further risk. She was only short of money now and it was not a big deal. However, if she was arrested, her mother-in-law might find a new wife for Zhou Nan! She could not accept her children acknowledging someone else as their mother. She would rather be with her children than get a share of the money. Chapter 1218 - 1218 Making a Plan 1218 Making a Plan Tan Hu and Tan Bao came up with a plan and decided to go to Qiao Meis house tonight. Tan Jing obediently drew a layout of Qiao Meis house with the locations of all the doors. She only had a vague memory of the place and could not even remember where the study was located. When the house was being renovated, Qiao Mei had asked the builder to construct many secret rooms. This was something which Qiao Mei enjoyed doing. One might enter a room which looked like a small bedroom, but if one gently pushed the bookcase aside, one might be able to find a wine cellar containing Qiao Meis collection of good wines. Qiao Mei definitely would not put the ginseng medicinal wine out in the open. She had extracted a small bottle of concentrated juice, ready to be diluted whenever she needed. In particular, the 1,000-year-old ginseng juice continued to glow in the dark even with all the lights turned off. Qiao Mei bought a small wooden box to contain it and wrapped the box up tightly. The most dangerous place was usually the safest place. Qiao Mei simply placed the box on a shelf in the kitchen. After all, no one would imagine that such a precious item would be kept in the kitchen. Do you really intend to go now? There are people living in the backyard house behind Qiao Meis house! Her grandfather is there, Tan Jing reminded them out of kindness. Tan Hu could not be bothered with Qiao Qiang. So what even if there were 100 Qiao Qiangs? He was just an old man, was he not? How dangerous can an old man be? Hes already on his deathbed. I thought that Qiao girl brought her grandfather to the capital to get treatment for his illness? As if a sick man can do anything. Youre really ignorant and inexperienced, so much so that youre even afraid of an old man, Tan Hu said disdainfully. Since Tan Hu put it across this way, there was nothing Tan Jing could say to dissuade him. She would let them do whatever they wanted. If anything happened, it would have nothing to do with her. She also wanted to see the Tan family fall apart. It was all thanks to these scumbags that she had reached this point. Her life was already ruined, so these people could forget about living well! The two men quietly set off in the middle of the night. Eldest Brother, which door are we using? Tan Bao asked innocently. Tan Hu said confidently, Idiot! How can we enter through the door? Were going there to steal something! Were not guests! Of course we have to climb over the wall! The two of them chatted happily along the way and even fantasized about their wonderful lives in the future. They were only completely dumbfounded when they saw the towering limestone wall surrounding Qiao Meis house. Eldest Brother this can we make our way up there? Are we at the wrong place? Tan Bao asked with a trembling voice. However, when they reached the main door, they realized that they were at the right place. This high-walled compound was really Qiao Meis house. Tan Hu would have to stand on Tan Baos shoulders to climb over the wall and it was going to be a very strenuous thing to do. Only one person could go in as the other person had to keep watch outside. However, it was going to be easy to go in but difficult to come out. After he was done, it was not as if he could walk out through the door. Then what was the point of climbing over the wall? The two of them walked around Qiao Meis house again and again, but they still could not figure out where to make their move. However, Qiao Qiang and Xia Jun, who were in the house, had long noticed their footsteps. Qiao Qiangs room was close to the street and even if he was not trying to be vigilant, why would someone keep wandering around near the house in the middle of the night? The two of them were army veterans who had been through numerous battles, so they had an awareness of such things. Say, which two unlucky fellows are hanging around here in the middle of the night instead of sleeping? Xia Jun whispered with a smile. Hmph, no matter what, it definitely has nothing to do with me or my Mei Mei. Its all related to your eldest grandson! Qiao Qiang said moodily. I dont believe it! Our Xia Wen hasnt done anything bad. How can it be because of him? Furthermore, Cheng Gus remaining accomplices have all been captured in one fell swoop. Whatever happened would not happen again, Xia Jun said sternly. Youre still talking about Cheng Gu! Dont tell me that there cant be some other Nan Gu or Bei Gu appearing in the future? Besides, do you think these clumsy people are real criminals? If they continue to loiter around for a while longer, it will be dawn before they get anything done! Qiao Qiang said. Although there were not many secret guards stationed around Qiao Meis house, there were still a few elite soldiers assigned here to protect Xia Jun and Qiao Qiang. The guards had long discovered these two people who were behaving weirdly, but this was the first time they had seen such stupid thieves and they saw it as a joke. The guard team members also wanted to know what these two men were after. Chapter 1219 - 1219 Make a Bet 1219 Make a Bet The guard team members knew what they were doing and definitely would not let Tan Hu and Tan Bao get close to Qiao Qiang and Xia Jun. The night was long and they were bored. It was rare to have two stupid thieves coming round, so they naturally wanted to have some fun. Tan Hu and Tan Bao finally chose a spot and prepared to climb over the wall to enter the courtyard. Tan Bao squatted on the ground to provide support for Tan Hu. It took a lot of effort before Tan Hu reached the top of the wall and he even almost knocked off the tiles on top. Eldest Brother! Be careful! Ill wait for you here! Come back quickly! Tan Bao whispered. Alright! Wait for my good news! Tan Hu said happily. After saying that, he slowly climbed down the wall. It would be more accurate to say that he tumbled down instead of climbed down. There was a flower bed right behind the wall and since it was going to be spring soon, the soil was soft so he did not make much noise when he fell. He gritted his teeth and did not dare to make any sound. He had heard from Tan Jing that Qiao Mei did not raise dogs or other animals. It seemed that she only raised many chickens and ducks at Li Guis place, so it did not matter even if his footsteps were heavy. There was no one there to sense his presence. This house is really big Its really unfair that the little girl, Qiao Mei, lives in such a big house alone. She should live in our small house while we come and live in this luxurious mansion, Tan Hu said indignantly. The guard team members watched from the roof as Tan Hu clumsily made his way to the center of Qiao Meis courtyard. He behaved like he was the owner of this house and did not seem to remember that he was a thief. Brother Xiao An, when are we taking action? a guard team member asked softly. Xiao An happened to be on duty today. It was rare to get such an opportunity to make a great contribution. Lets wait a little longer. Keep an eye on the one outside and dont let him escape. Leave the one in the courtyard to me. Remember, as soon as I blow the whistle, take action immediately. Theres no need to worry too much, just make sure hes alive, Xiao An said. Noted. The other guard team members went on their way in accordance with Xiao Ans instructions. Tan Hu looked in through the windows one by one and finally stopped outside the study. People always said that rare treasures could be found in the study. Qiao Meis house was so big. Even if he did not manage to steal the medicinal wine, it was not a bad idea to steal something else that was valuable. Just as he was about to enter the room, Xiao An descended from above and pressed Tan Hu to the ground. He took out a rope and tied Tan Hu up, not giving Tan Hu any chance to resist. After subduing Tan Hu, Xiao An immediately blew the whistle and the other guard team members successfully captured Tan Bao outside. Before the Tan brothers plan could even begin, it was already nipped in the bud. It seems that Xiao An has subdued these two people. Xia Jun smiled. Come, lets go and watch the fun. I want to know whos so bold to come to my house in the middle of the night to steal things. Qiao Qiang snorted coldly and put on his padded cotton jacket before going out to the front yard to take a look. Old brother, make a guess whether these people are related to you or me? Xia Jun asked. Why? Dont tell me you want to make a bet with me? Qiao Qiang said. Xia Juns interest was immediately piqued and he said excitedly to Qiao Qiang, Sure! Ive long taken a fancy to the incense burner Qiao Mei bought for you. Ive asked so many people for help but none of them can manage to buy me the same one. If these intruders have nothing to do with me, then give me that incense burner. There was no way Xia Jun would be able to buy that incense burner! Qiao Mei had made it herself and hammered it out bit by bit for Qiao Qiang. He did not know how Qiao Mei made it, but whenever he burned incense inside, it would emit a faint fragrance of plants. The smell always made him feel very comfortable. This feeling was the same as when he was at his house in Foshan Village. It felt as if he was in a forest. Then if these people are related to you, give me your jade chess set, Qiao Qiang said. Xia Jun suddenly stopped in his tracks. That was his favorite treasured item. If he really had to give it to Qiao Qiang, he would be reluctant to part with it. However, if he did not give it to Qiao Qiang, the old man would definitely nag at him for a long time. Why? You want my treasure, but I cant take yours? My granddaughter made it for me herself. For yours, at most youll just need to put in some effort and find someone to buy a similar set for you. Its such a huge difference! Comparatively, youre the one who gets the better deal! Qiao Qiang said stubbornly. Chapter 1220 - 1220 Stupid Thieves 1220 Stupid Thieves Thinking about it this way, it seemed to make sense. Xia Juns earlier heartache instantly disappeared. There was nothing more precious than what Qiao Mei had made with her own hands. Xiao An restrained Tan Hu and Tan Bao in the middle of the courtyard. Just as he was about to go to the backyard to report to the two elders, he saw the two of them coming over. Uncle Xia, Uncle Qiao, these two are the ones sneaking around outside tonight, Xiao An said. The Xia family treated the guard team members like their own family members. Xia Jun disallowed them to address him by his official title unless it was during an official event. Usually, they behaved like elders and juniors, especially since the children in the family were buddies with the guard team members. Xia Jun, do you know these two people? I dont seem to have seen them before? Qiao Qiang asked curiously. At this moment, Xia Jun was already black in the face and did not feel like speaking. He never dreamed that these audacious people were actually the Tan brothers! It was really a slap to his face! The good thing was that Qiao Mei was not at home tonight. If Qiao Mei was in the front yard, who knew what could have happened! If the children got a fright, the consequences could be unimaginable! Just thinking about these things caused a chill to run down Xia Juns back. Of course, he knew how capable Xiao An and the rest were. They must have discovered these suspicious characters as soon as they appeared. Obviously, they were only trying to catch the perpetrators red-handed, but they must be told not to do this again. Next time, they must immediately capture anyone who looked suspicious. Old brother, leave this matter to me. Go back to your room and rest, Xia Jun said in a deep voice. Qiao Qiang did not dwell on it at all. He put his hands behind his back and walked back happily. As he walked, he said, Im off~ Im going back to get my jade chess set~ After hearing this, Xia Jun looked at the Tan brothers even more fiercely. The Tan brothers had never been in such a situation before, nor had they ever seen such an imposing person. Before Xia Jun could say anything, Tan Bao was so frightened that he peed his pants and Tan Hu fainted on the spot. Get two people to come and clean this area up. Dont dirty Qiao Meis courtyard. Im so annoyed to see this. Bring these two people back and let the guard team deal with them. I dont want to care about this matter anymore. Ask Xia Mao to deal with it personally! Xia Jun instructed. It was not that he did not trust Xia Wen, but Xia Wen had kept failing at any matter related to the Tan family. Xia Jun was also unwilling to let Xia Wen come into contact with the Tan family again. After all, Xia Wen still had feelings for Tan Jing. What if that woman wept and threatened to commit suicide and then Xia Wen had no choice but to remarry her? Anything was possible, so he must be on guard. He could not let this family harm his grandchildren anymore. It was time to put an end to all this. News of the incident was relayed to Xu Lans place early in the morning. After Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe heard about it, they laughed loudly. They knew how capable their two grandfathers were, so they were not worried at all. They just felt that the Tan brothers were really funny. How could anyone be stupid enough to steal from the Xia familys territory? Even though He Ning was so desperate for Qiao Meis ginseng and also wanted the so-called divine medicine, he did not dare to steal from the Xia familys territory. He had always delivered the money to Qiao Mei securely and did not do any scheming. The Tan family was really incurable stupid. After Xia Wen sent Tan Jing back, the Tan family did not come to kick up a fuss so the Xia family had thought that the Tan family had changed for the better! Who would have thought that they were actually plotting this! Ill leave the rest to your father. Qiao Mei, do you have any other ideas you want to add? Xu Lan asked softly. After all, given that this happened at Qiao Meis house, she had the right to handle it. However, since it had already been handed over to Xia Mao, she had nothing more to add. Xia Mao definitely would not let the Tan family off easily. I have no worries if Father is the one handling it! Ill let Father make the decision! Qiao Mei said sweetly. If Xia Mao was present, he would probably smile so widely that the corners of his mouth would stretch to his ears! Xia Mao had always felt that Xia He was too aggressive for her own good. The good thing was that Xia He could protect herself even if she ran into danger and nothing major would ever happen to her. The bad thing was that she was so combative that she could even go to the battlefield with Xia Mao anytime! If Xu Lan had not summoned Xia He home back then, Xia He would have become the second Xia Xiu! Chapter 1221 - 1221 All the Relatives 1221 All the Relatives Not long after, the Xia family heard from Xia Mao about what happened. He did not mercilessly send the Tan brothers to jail. Instead, he made Tan Hu and Tan Bao confess their crime and sign off on the statements. With these two documents, the Xia family could now exert control over the Tan family. In the future, the Tan family would not dare to behave so arrogantly anymore and keep coming round to disturb the Xia familys peace. It turned out to be a good ending in the end. Xia Mao even specially approved a bonus sum for Xiao An and told him to bring all the guys who were on duty that night for drinks. It was a small gesture from the Xia family to express their gratitude. After the Tan family was quelled, the Xia family was immediately busy with something else. It was almost time for the one-month-old celebration for Xia Fan and Xia Xing. All the Xia familys relatives would be coming back and the entire house would be full of people! Xu Lan and Liu Fen were busy with the shopping and marketing, so the children were fully left in Feng Huas care. The two children were quite obedient and sensible, so Feng Hua did not have to expend much effort on them. However, she still had to change and wash the childrens diapers every day, feed them powdered milk and handwash their clothes. All these minor tasks were enough to keep Feng Hua busy all day long. With the help, Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe were able to focus on the matters relating to the events on the day of the one-month-old celebration. For the meal alone, there were 18 main dishes and two cold dishes to coordinate. They also had to go to the supply and marketing cooperative to pre-order items from the Xia familys entitlement. If they went on the day itself, they would not be able to get everything they needed. Most of the dishes could be ordered from the state-owned restaurant outside, but they still had to make a few dishes at home. Otherwise, it did not make sense at all. If all the dishes were ordered from the state-owned restaurant, then they might as well host the meal at the state-owned restaurant! It would be a waste of effort to ask the restaurant staff to send all the dishes to their house. Soon, the day of the one-month-old celebration arrived. Qiao Mei chose to wear a dark blue A-line dress. The style was simple and elegant, but the phoenix embroidered on the hem looked very lifelike. It had taken Qiao Mei more than a month to make this dress, specially for the purpose of welcoming the esteemed guests! Xu Lan also wore clothes which Qiao Mei had made for her. She wanted all the relatives to take a good look at how skilful Qiao Mei was, so that everyone knew she had such a good daughter-in-law! Xia Yao and Xia Guang would not be coming back for the event. After all, the two of them had just taken their vacation leave. Unless the occasion involved their own grandchildren being born, the army would not grant them any additional leave. In addition, Xia Guang was situated far away in the border province and the trip back was not an easy one. There was no need for him to take the trouble to travel to and forth. However, their children would be coming back for the event. This would be Qiao Meis first time meeting these people! Xia Yao and Liu Fen had a total of four children. Their two daughters were Xia Wan and Xia You. They had not been home for many years, not even to Liu Fens place. The only reason why they were coming back was to take a look at Xia Zhes wife. They wanted to see the legendary person who was able to drive Zhou Hua away from the family. This time, Xia Yu had brought his wife, Yun Lan, with him. They had just gotten married but had not held their wedding ceremony yet. It was inconvenient to hold a banquet now as the weather was too cold. They intended to do it during springtime. Xia Guangs children were also coming. This time, Xia Xing would also be bringing his girlfriend, Shao Yin, to the Xia family residence. Even Zhou Hua had only met this girl a few times! Xia Guang had never met her before, so he did not know what Xia Xing was up to this time. Why was Xia Xing bringing this girl to such an important banquet at the Xia family residence? Xia Guangs other two sons, Xia Zhu and Xia Yan, were still in university. Everyone heard that they had made some achievements in scientific research and it appeared that their futures were going to be bright. A large group of people flocked into the house. Qiao Mei stood uneasily at the door and listened as Xia Zhe introduced these relatives one by one. Qiao Mei tried her best to remember everyones names. Although her memory was not too bad, it was still a little difficult to remember the names of so many new faces. She could only try to identify these people through their clothes and any special features. Back then, the relatives had all heard rumors that Qiao Mei was a fatty weighing more than 200 pounds and was also a dowdy village girl. However, after meeting her in person today, they found that she was completely different from what they had heard! At a glance, she looked like a pampered young lady from a wealthy family. Looking at her temperament and poise, how could she be from the countryside? Could it be that Xia Zhe had remarried someone else within such a short period of time? However, given the Xia family motto, Xia Zhe would not dare to do this. Could it be that someone had deliberately spread rumors within the Xia family? Everyone stood rooted to the spot and stared at Qiao Mei. Chapter 1222 Stranger ? "Everyone, let''s head inside. It''s cold outside. We can talk inside the house," Qiao Mei said with a gentle smile. Qiao Mei then caught sight of a stranger at the back of the crowd. She looked at Xia Zhe curiously. He frowned and seemed a little lost for words. That person was Zhou Hua''s older sister, Zhou Luo. As Zhou Hua was never fond of her own three sons, the three children had been placed in Zhou Luo''s care since they were young. Zhou Luo was the person whom the three children were the closest to. She was more like their biological mother than Zhou Hua! The Xia family had always been very polite to Zhou Luo. After all, without her, the three grandchildren from the third son''s family would probably have all starved to death. It was all thanks to Zhou Luo''s attentive care that the children were able to grow up well and healthy. After Zhou Hua and Xia Guang divorced, Zhou Luo felt very unhappy. After all, Zhou Hua was her younger sister. Even if Zhou Hua had done something wrong, her marriage to Xia Guang should not have ended in divorce. Did the Xia family think that they could bully the Zhou family? It was uncommon to hear of a wife being divorced by her husband just because she did something wrong. There would always be difficulties in life and a couple was supposed to go through it all together. "Auntie Zhou, you''re here today too," Xia Zhe said. "Why? Am I not welcome?" Zhou Luo asked unhappily. "Of course we welcome you, how can we not? We just don''t know that you''re coming. Xiao Xing didn''t tell us in advance either. Come on in." Xia Wen quickly brought Zhou Luo into the living room. As he walked, he gave Xia Zhe a look as a reminder to stay calm. Even if Xia Jun was here, he also had to show Zhou Luo some respect. If they made Zhou Luo upset today, then Xia Xing and his two brothers would become completely alienated from the Xia family. For the sake of the overall situation, they must be hospitable to Zhou Luo. "Who is this? Why do both of you have the same expression?" Qiao Mei whispered into Xia Zhe''s ear. Xia Zhe told Qiao Mei the whole story and she quickly had an idea of what it all meant. It seemed that she would not be able to have a comfortable meal today. "Elder sister, I think we won''t be able to execute our plan," Xia You whispered to Xia Wan as they walked on. Xia Wan hurriedly pulled Xia You to a corner and said, "You''d better stop it! Don''t you see how concerned Xia Zhe is about Qiao Mei? At first, I''m curious about how a village girl is able to chase Third Aunt-in-law away. Now that I''ve seen her, it seems that she''s indeed not a simple person. Since Auntie Zhou is here, it has nothing to do with us now. Just sit back and watch the show."I think you should take a look at "I had wanted to tease her! But I never expect her to be such a beautiful woman. I can''t bear to do it to her!" Xia You said as she pouted. "We''d better talk less and help out more today. Let''s go and help Mom and Eldest Aunt-in-law. I hear that they don''t have a helper at home now. They must be very busy today," Xia Wan said. The kitchen was bustling with activity, but it was not Xu Lan and Liu Fen who were cooking. It was Li Gui and Xia He. Ever since Xia He started learning how to cook, she helped out at every occasion where there was cooking involved. She did not care if the food she made tasted good or not, so long as it was edible! She just needed to make sure it did not poison people to death. By now, she knew how to make many types of dishes and her cooking had also improved a lot. Xia He''s purpose in learning how to cook was not to please her future in-laws. She simply liked to cook. When she moved out to live on her own in the future, she would be able to cook for herself at home and be able to save more money to pay for the house. Although Xia He was not as fast as Li Gui when it came to cooking, she was very proficient with a knife. She was able to chop the ingredients neatly and into pieces of almost equal thickness. She was also very quick and nimble, which made her a very good assistant in the kitchen. "Mom, your cooking smells so good!" Qiao Mei said as she leaned against the kitchen door. Li Gui smiled and said, "How can my cooking be as delicious as yours? Do you want to show off your skills later?" Qiao Mei shook her head forcefully. She was dressed so nicely today. It would be difficult to wash off the oil stains if she got the dress dirty into the kitchen. This was a dress which took her a lot of effort to make and she must take good care of it. "You''d better go out now. It''s oily and smoky here. If you breathe too much fumes, you may get a headache later!" Xia He said in all seriousness. She spoke with the tone of voice of an experienced mother who had given birth to many children before and it made Qiao Mei laugh out loud. Xia He had been hanging out with Li Gui for so long that she was starting to resemble Li Gui in her mannerisms. Chapter 1223 - 1223 Children Are Very Smart 1223 Children Are Very Smart I see youre taking my mother away from me! Qiao Mei said with a smile. Whats wrong! If you can snatch my mother away from me, I can also stick close to your mother! Xia He turned around and said sweetly to Li Gui, Auntie, lets ignore her and start cooking! Xu Lan was so focused on Qiao Mei that it seemed she might have forgotten she had a daughter named Xia He! Her mind was only filled with matters related to Qiao Mei! Sure, sure, sure! Li Gui did not stop smiling throughout the entire conversation. Given that Qiao Mei had married into such a good family, she felt gratified just thinking about it. At least her daughter did not have to go through what she had experienced. That was the best thing that could happen. Qiao Mei also realized that Li Gui seemed to look much better recently. She used to look like she was in her 70s although she was only about 50 years old! Her originally saggy skin had disappeared and she now looked no different from a person in her 30s. She did not even look very much older when she stood beside Xia He. This was the effect of the ginseng juice! Even for Xu Lan, who had always looked quite good, she looked as if she had been rejuvenated after drinking the medicinal wine from Qiao Mei during this period of time. Her skin looked glowy and she did not look her age at all. If one looked at her from the back, one would even believe that she was a young girl! Qiao Mei did not expect the ginseng juice to have the effect of beautifying appearances. She suddenly had a new idea. If she infused the ginseng juice into cosmetics products, would they sell exceptionally well? However, one needed to register a trademark before selling cosmetics and the products had to undergo quality checks as well. If the inspectors came to check on the raw materials, Qiao Mei could not possibly tell them that it was 1,000-year-old ginseng juice. They would think that Qiao Mei was lying! She could rethink this in the future. There were still many other ways to get rich! Everyone sat around in the living room. Feng Hua and Xia Wen walked out with the two babies in their arms. No one knew whether Xia Wen had found a special method, but Xia Xing was surprisingly quiet in his arms. She even kept looking at Xia Wen and smiling at him! This kid is really good-looking. The eyebrows and eyes bear some resemblance to Xia Zhe! Xia Wan said excitedly. Thats true. Look at Xia Fan. He looks exactly like Xia Zhe when hes young! I feel my heart melting just looking at him, Xu Lan said. Zhou Luo just sat on the sofa and did not even look at the children. This attracted Qiao Meis attention. If she came to attend the one-month-old celebration but did not even bother to look at the children, then she must be targeting Qiao Mei. It seemed that Zhou Hua must have told Zhou Luo a lot of things when she went back. Otherwise, Zhou Luo would not have appeared here today. Xia Zhe slowly approached Qiao Mei and whispered, In a while, say that youre not feeling well and want to go back upstairs to rest. Ill bring some food up and eat with you during mealtime. Im not afraid of her, so why should I hide from her? Qiao Mei asked. Shes very cantankerous. Im worried that youll get angry and it wont be good for your health, Xia Zhe said with heartache. Dont worry, who can be more cantankerous than me? If I dont stay around, I think shell make a fuss out of it and try to legitimize her complaints. I wont go and provoke her, so dont worry. Qiao Mei held Xia Zhes hand and comforted him. Xia Zhe sighed deeply. He only wondered why they had not handled the matter between Xia Guang and Zhou Hua cleanly back then and allowed it to drag on, leading to the situation now. Soon, it was mealtime. Xia Wen and Feng Hua wanted to send the children back to their room, but the moment Xia Xing was put down into her small bed, she started wailing. Qiao Mei had already weaned her off the bad habit two days ago. What was wrong with her today? Xia Wen had no choice but to pick Xia Xing up again and she immediately stopped crying. Eldest Brother, youre the one whos spoiling Xia Xing. She knows how to scratch people now. You have to be the one to hold her while she sleeps today, Qiao Mei said in a fit of pique. Xia Wen looked at Xia Xing tenderly and said, Its my fault. Ill put her onto the bed later. Let me hold her for a while. Children were very smart! Xia Xing clearly knew who doted on her the most and who was strict with her. Xia Fan was the more simple-minded one who simply ate and slept well. As long as he was fed well, he could sleep for an entire day! Qiao Mei often worried that Xia Fan would become stupid from sleeping so much. She intended to control the childrens sleep time and try her best to make it consistent for the two of them. Otherwise, it would be stressful when coaxing them to sleep in the future. Chapter 1224 - 1224 At Loggerheads 1224 At Loggerheads Shao Yin hid in a corner and kept quiet. Xia Xing was so excited to see his two younger brothers that he left her on her own. That was nothing she could do except to get some food and eat by herself in the corner. No one paid any attention to her since Xia Xing did not formally introduce her. She did not expect to bump into a man like Xia Wen in this place. He looked so refined and elegant, like a young master from a novel who had come to life. Shao Yins eyes sparkled and she looked like she wanted to pounce on him immediately. Your child must be very blessed too! You must be a very good father! How old is your child this year? Shao Yin walked to Xia Wens side and asked anxiously. The people standing around felt a little awkward and the smiles on everyones faces froze. Zhou Luo snorted coldly at one side. People who did not know how to read the situation would always do things which embarrassed themselves. Xia Wen did not show any emotions. The corners of his mouth remained curled up, as if he did not take anything which Shao Yin said to heart. Im divorced, Xia Wen said in a gentle manner. With that, he carried Xia Xing back into the room. Only then did Shao Yin realize that she had said something wrong. She just thought that every man here was either married or attached. Moreover, before she came, Xia Xing had told her that his eldest uncles three children were all married. He had never mentioned anything about any of them being divorced. She had thought that Xia Wens wife was not here because she was preoccupied. I didnt do it on purpose Shao Yin whispered. Its fine. This is something that we dont even know about. Your eldest uncle and eldest aunt-in-law wont blame you. Xiao Wen probably doesnt want to make a big fuss about it as well. Its not like anyone can blame our Shao Yin for this, Zhou Luo said as she looked at Xu Lan. On the surface, it seemed like she was helping Shao Yin and giving her a way out, but in reality, she was using Shao Yin as a needle to poke at the Xia familys eldest son. Her purpose for being here today was to avenge her younger sister, Zhou Hua. Although her younger sister did not take care of the children after giving birth to them, she had been loyal to the Xia family. Xia Guang was posted out of town for so many years, but she never thought of leaving him. She waited for Xia Guang for so many years and also gave him three sons, in turn contributing to the extension of the Xia familys bloodline, so she had already done well! Did they still expect Zhou Hua to wait on this big family like Liu Fen? It was none of their Zhou familys business if Liu Fen was willing to degrade herself this way, but if the Xia family wanted her younger sister to wait on the Xia family as well, they could dream on! What are you saying? Youre still young and dont know anything about whats going on. We wont blame you. Its probably because your elders havent made it clear to you. Its not your fault, Xu Lan said gently to Shao Yin as she pretended to hold her hand affectionately. Shao Yin did not know how to read between the lines and thought that Xu Lan had really forgiven her! She was so touched that she almost cried. Zhou Luo rolled her eyes helplessly and turned her head away. At this moment, Xia Xing was still chatting with his two younger brothers. Xia Lu and Xia Yan were promising youngsters who had both gained admission into the same university, one of the top few in the country. Their future prospects would definitely be bright. The two of them had always lived in Zhou Luos house and had been brought up by Zhou Luo since they were young. Xia Xing had at least stayed with Zhou Hua for a period of time, but Xia Lu and Xia Yan were entirely brought up by the Zhou family. In the past, Xia Jun had intended to bring these two children back so that they could grow up in the Xia family, but the Zhou family had refused to let them go. Moreover, Zhou Hua kept a tight grip over the three children. Even if she could not be the one to bring them up, she would not allow the Xia family to do it. Therefore, the Xia familys attitude towards Zhou Luo was also quite nuanced. Xia Jun had previously instructed that as long as Zhou Luo needed help, the Xia family should help her without any hesitation. Zhou Luo had found out a long time ago that she was infertile, but her current husband treated her very well. Her husband was a nice man and did not care about the matter of children at all. They had been very loving all these years, so Zhou Luo had long treated these three children as her own biological children. Over the years, she had spent a lot of money and effort on these three children and had never asked the Xia family for help. Even when Zhou Luo was so poor that she could not afford to eat, she still managed to find a way to take care of the three children. The three children also worked hard and did well. Each one was more hardworking and diligent than the last. They were even a hundred times more outstanding than the two sons from the Xia familys second son! Zhou Luos neighbors all said that she was blessed with good fortune. The three children not only gave in to Zhou Hua all the time, they were also very obedient and always did whatever she said. Xia You secretly tugged at the corner of Xia Wans clothes and said, Elder Sister, look at how silly that girl is. Where did Brother Xing find such a person? Chapter 1225 - 1225 Up to No Good 1225 Up to No Good I dont know either, but it looks like Auntie Zhou is up to no good this time. Lets just keep our heads down and eat quietly later. Dont try to be a hero or I wont be able to save you then! Xia Wan said worriedly. Her younger sister was full of quirky ideas and liked to get involved in everything. If she witnessed a bully in action, she would definitely be the first one to step up and protect the people who were being bullied. However, she did not even have the ability to protect herself! Then again, it was not exactly a bad thing. Such a pure and kind heart was rare in the world and very few people would want to stand up for a stranger. Xia Wan had always silently protected Xia You and her kind heart since they were young. Xia Yu and Xia Yuan also felt the same way. Although Xia Yuan was the youngest, everyone in their family actually doted on Xia You the most! Even Yun Lan, who had just married into the family, liked Xia You very much and took care of her in small ways which no one noticed. When have I ever caused trouble! I always only do the right thing! Besides, isnt Mom here as well? She wont let Auntie Zhou bully me. In my opinion, Auntie Zhou shouldnt be here today. Its our Xia familys banquet. Its not like she has any right to be here, Xia You muttered softly. Xia Wan quickly covered Xia Yous mouth and looked around warily. After confirming that no one had heard what Xia You said, she said, My little ancestor, can you please take a break. Dont just say whatever you feel like saying. Theres no one else here! Why are you so worried! My guess is that Auntie Zhou is here to talk about the issue of the 50,000 dollars. This Qiao Mei is also very strange. If she had agreed to lend Auntie Zhou money, why did she suddenly change her mind? It seems that this Qiao Mei is not a nice person either. Why does Xiao Zhe like her? Do you think its a shotgun marriage? Perhaps he was deceived by this woman. The more Xia You thought about it, the angrier she became. Whatever they had heard about the matter was what Zhou Hua went around telling others. Everyone did not think that Zhou Hua would lie about something like this. Xia Wan and Xia You actually had no interest in coming to this banquet today. They only came because the celebration was meant for Xia Zhes children and they both had a soft spot for Xia Zhe. In addition, since they had heard about how Xia Zhes new wife was so tough and badass, they were also curious about her and wanted to take a look for themselves. Just keep quiet and eat later! Why do you have to comment about everything everywhere you go! Please, Im begging you! Just do it as a show of respect to Xia Zhe. This matter has nothing to do with our family, so dont make things awkward for everyone, Xia Wan said earnestly. I know. Im an adult and I already have two children of my own! Dont you think I understand all this! Xia You said. The fragrance from the food wafted into the living room from the kitchen. Everyone had had a long journey and did not manage to have a proper meal on the way. By now, everyone was starving. Everyone, come and take a seat. We can eat soon! Qiao Mei stood up and said with a smile. They had to put two tables together in order for so many people to sit together. Xia Jun did not come to join in the fun today. He had decided to eat at Qiao Qiangs house before coming back to visit the children at night. Now that he was much older, he did not like to be in a crowded place. The noise gave him a headache. Old people like him preferred peace and quiet. The fewer people who disturbed them, the better! Qiao Mei and Xia He brought out all the dishes and everyone was stunned at what they saw. These dishes all smelled good. The different dishes were made by different people, namely Li Gui, Xia He and even Qiao Mei. In particular, the sweet and sour pork was Qiao Meis masterpiece. All the visitors stared at the dishes with their eyes wide open. They had never seen such extravagance when it came to food. Life had also been hard for the Xia family in the early days and they only began to prosper after many years. However, their living habits were still as frugal as before. Xia Maos family was the only one among them who enjoyed having special entitlement. With their ranks, Xia Yao and Xia Guang still did not qualify to have such entitlements, therefore their children never had the chance to taste such nice food. They were naturally shocked at the sight of the delicacies in front of them. Wow! This is so delicious! Xia Yous eyes lit up when she took the first bite of the meat and she could not stop eating. Xia Wan smiled and said, Xiao Zhe, youre really lucky to have married such a good wife. Youll always get to eat well in the future! But youre an even better cook! Ive heard from Second Aunt-in-law many times that youre the best cook among everyone at home. Im hoping to be able to come to you for guidance! Qiao Mei said. True! My sister is a better cook! But youre not bad either, Xia You said sincerely. Chapter 1226 May The Heavens Strike Me Dead ? Qiao Mei really liked the four children from the second son''s family. Yun Lan also made her feel very comfortable. She just felt a sense of familiarity the moment she saw them. Even though Xia You did not look at her in a friendly manner upon entering the house, she felt that Xia You and Xia He probably have similar characteristics. Both of them were the kind of people who were very straightforward and direct. Seeing that everyone had picked up their chopsticks and started to eat, Zhou Luo picked up her liquor glass and stood up. She looked at Qiao Mei seriously and said, "Qiao Mei, my younger sister has done many bad things to you in the past but I seek your understanding on that. As her elder sister, I apologize on her behalf. I hope you can forgive her. You''re a magnanimous person, so don''t hold it against my younger sister." Xu Lan''s expression immediately darkened. The three siblings from the Xia family''s eldest son also looked very unhappy. Xia Wen looked at Qiao Mei worriedly. Zhou Luo was clearly forcing Qiao Mei to forgive Zhou Hua. If Qiao Mei did not agree to forgive Zhou Hua today, Zhou Luo might even find a way to accuse Qiao Mei of some wrongdoing! Qiao Mei just sat there quietly and looked at Zhou Luo without saying anything. "It seems that I have not drunk enough to satisfy Qiao Mei. Maybe I should do this." Zhou Luo picked up a bottle of liquor and said to Qiao Mei, "I''ll drink this entire bottle of liquor as a gesture of apology from our family. What do you think?" Xia Lu and Xia Yan immediately looked nervous. This was a bottle of baijiuthe strong distilled spirit unavoidable at Chinese social functionsand it was potent enough to cause serious damage to anyone who drank the entire bottle! However, it was not appropriate for them to interrupt, so they could only let Zhou Luo and Qiao Mei settle it between the two of them. If Zhou Luo really intended to drink the entire bottle, the two brothers had decided that they would rush forward and drink it on her behalf. "Auntie Zhou, I don''t understand what you are saying. Why would I need to forgive Third Aunt-in-law?" Qiao Mei hesitated before she decided to address Zhou Hua as "Third Aunt-in-law". After all, Xia Guang had not remarried and Zhou Hua had given the Xia family three grandsons. They could not be disrespectful to her just because the couple had divorced. Even if she had done something wrong, they must still remember her contributions to the Xia family. "Back then, my sister had borrowed 50,000 dollars from you. You agreed to lend it to her, but then you suddenly changed your mind and said that you didn''t want to lend it to her anymore. It''s my sister''s fault for arguing with you and insisting to get the money, but do you think what you have done is above board?" Zhou Luo questioned. All the grandchildren from the other family branches turned to look at Qiao Mei in unison. Qiao Mei looked away and smiled. So this was the problem. No wonder all these people seemed quite hostile to her the moment they entered the house. It turned out to be part of Zhou Hua''s scheme. In order not to embarrass Zhou Hua and Xia Guang, Xia Mao and Xu Lan did not tell anyone the truth regarding this matter. Even when someone asked about it, they just replied in a vague way. Liu Fen also did not mention anything to her children.I think you should take a look at In the end, this allowed Zhou Hua to take advantage of the missing information and fabricated her version of the truth, pushing all the blame to Qiao Mei. In her version, she was the person who had done nothing wrong. "What are you smiling at? Is there anything wrong with what I said?" Zhou Luo asked with a frown. Xia Wen looked at Zhou Luo and said, "Auntie Zhou, I think you''ve really misunderstood what happened. It''s not like what you said. Qiao Mei did provide a loan of 50,000 dollars, but it was to pay a debt for Third Aunt-in-law. The money was never meant to be given to her." Zhou Luo was still a little puzzled. She had never heard of Zhou Hua borrowing money from anyone. Zhou Hua did not smoke or drink. She did not spend much money, so why would she owe someone money? Xia Wen related the whole story in detail. Only then did everyone realize the truth. It turned out that Qiao Mei was the one who had saved everyone in the Xia family and was the family''s benefactor. Xia You now looked at Qiao Mei with admiration and fondness, but Zhou Luo still did not believe what Xia Wen said. Even if Xia Wen was telling the truth, why would Zhou Hua lie to her own family? What good did it do her to lie to them? "Auntie Zhou, if you want to talk about forgiveness, then Third Aunt-in-law should beg Grandfather for forgiveness. After all, she did do something which violated the Xia family''s house rules. Or maybe she needs to beg He Ning for forgiveness," Qiao Mei said in a gentle manner. "You! How dare you talk about your elders like this! As an elder, do I need you to teach me how to do things?" Zhou Luo said angrily. "I dare not, but I must make things clear to Auntie Zhou. This matter has nothing to do with me from the beginning to the end. All I did was to top up the missing money. Third Aunt-in-law has not let me down in any way. I don''t know why Third Aunt-in-law would say that about me. If I have done anything wrong, then let the heavens strike me dead!" Qiao Mei daringly made a cursed oath. Occasionally missing content, please report errors in time. Chapter 1227 - 1227 Accumulate Merit 1227 Accumulate Merit Xu Lan was so shocked that she hurriedly shouted, Pfft, pfft, pfft! How can you say such things! Dont talk about death! Its inauspicious! Mother, I need to let Auntie Zhou know how serious I am. I cant bear to let Auntie Zhou misunderstand me like this, Qiao Mei said haltingly. With Qiao Meis good looks, she looked particularly pitiful when she put on such an aggrieved expression. Xia You could not stand it anymore and muttered softly, Its not Qiao Meis fault to begin with. Why will a good girl like Qiao Mei do such a thing? Auntie Zhou is still behaving so aggressively. Is she trying to force her into a corner? Zhou Luo glared fiercely at Xia You, but Xia You did not back down and simply glared back. Xia Wan hurriedly held on to Xia You to calm her down and stop her from speaking up again. Otherwise, Xia You would only make the situation even more chaotic. Alright, now that everyone knows what actually happened, lets eat. Sister Zhou, if youre still unsure, you can go and ask Xia Xiu. You also know that this sister-in-law of mine is the most impartial person in this family. You should be able to believe what she says, Xu Lan said. Zhou Luo sat back down slowly and decided to put this matter aside for now. She must investigate it carefully and not let anyone fool her. She did not intend to blindly believe in what she heard, even if Xia Xiu said the same thing. She must investigate it herself! What if the Xia family was spouting nonsense to stop her from taking any action! Could her biological sister have lied to her? Impossible! They were a family! All the people around the dining table finished the delicious food in front of them in silence. Once the meal ended, they would have to face the issue of their accommodation. Xu Lan had not said anything. Based on the usual practice, the family members of the Xia familys second son would stay at Xu Lans place and the family members of the Xia familys third son would stay at Xia Juns place. This was enough of an indication of the relationship between the three families. Zhou Luo always felt that Liu Fen was like a slave to the family of the Xia familys eldest son. She had actually gotten it wrong. Liu Fen would be more than happy to stay at Xu Lans place forever! It was a nice and big house and she had someone to talk to every day. Moreover, there was a helper to do all the housework, so she did not have to do anything. Xu Lan would also always give her a share of whatever good stuff she had. Which familys slave could receive such treatment? If there was really such a thing, everyone would be happy to be slaves! Hmph, lets go! Zhou Luo left Xu Lans place arrogantly with the three children of the Xia familys third son. After they left, Xia You immediately came up to Qiao Mei. Wow are these eyelashes real? How can a person have such long eyelashes! And this skin, you dont have any spots at all! How exactly do you take care of your skin! And your figure! Its such a pity that youre not a model! Goodness Xia Zhe, where did you find such a wife! Xia You lamented. Liu Fen hurriedly pulled Xia You back and said to Qiao Mei in embarrassment, Please dont take it to heart. This child of mine is just too talkative. Shes already so grown up but she cant seem to change this habit. I dont think so! I like this elder sisters personality very much. I will be more than happy if she wants to chat with me! Qiao Mei said with a smile. Xia You was so touched that she felt like crying. Other than her siblings, this was the first person in the Xia family who did not find her bothersome! She decided that she must become good friends with Qiao Mei! She suddenly thought of something and pulled Xia Zhe aside, ignoring everyones puzzled gazes, and asked softly, Um let me ask you, did you do something beastly to Qiao Mei? Absolutely not! I only want to dote on her. Why would I do anything bad to her? Elder sister, what are you thinking about, Xia Zhe said helplessly. Then how did you find such a nice girl? And how long has she known you before she became pregnant? Are you sure you didnt make her pregnant so that you can marry her? If you really did that, Ill break your legs right now! Xia You raised her fist and said fiercely. For a moment, Xia Zhe did not know what to tell Xia You. Should he tell her that Qiao Mei was actually the one who plotted for a long time and had ulterior motives towards him, and that it was Qiao Mei who got him drunk and then slept with him? That that was something he could never say out loud! He was a grown man, yet a woman had forced herself on him. If word got out, he would be utterly embarrassed! Of course not Qiao Mei and I were already betrothed when we were young. Qiao Meis grandfather is the person who saved our grandfather in the past, Xia Zhe explained. Chapter 1228 Formal Introduction ? Realization dawned on Xia You and she was no longer worried. She patted Xia Zhe''s shoulder forcefully and said, "Don''t forget what I said. Treat Qiao Mei well! Marrying a good wife will bring you prosperity for three generations! This is your blessing from our Xia family ancestors!" "Of course. Do I need you to remind me about such a simple matter?" Xia Zhe said happily. Xia Wan and Xu Lan had always been very close. Xu Lan always liked gentle girls like Xia Wan and felt that this was how daughters of wealthy families should behave. If only Xia He could have Xia Wan''s temperament and character, then Xu Lan would not have to worry about anything! "Eldest Sister-in-law, I haven''t had the chance to make this introduction yet. This is my third son''s wife, Yun Lan. Both of you have met before, but this is the first time she''s visiting you as my daughter-in-law!" Liu Fen was so happy that she kept grinning. Her wish was for Xia Yu and Xia Yuan to get married soon. With this, it was like half her wish coming true. The remaining half would depend on whether Xia Yuan was willing to do the same soon. "Yes, yes, we''ve met before! Your mother-in-law didn''t tell me that you''ve already registered your marriage. I only found out about it today! Take a seat downstairs first! I''ll be down soon!" Xu Lan hurriedly returned to her bedroom upstairs. Yun Lan looked towards the upper floor in puzzlement and asked awkwardly, "Did I do something wrong? Why did Eldest Aunt-in-law go upstairs all of a sudden?" Liu Fen said laughingly, "Silly girl, your eldest aunt-in-law has gone to look for treasures! Basically, all the daughters-in-law of the Xia family will receive gifts from her. This is a custom of our Xia family. Qiao Mei also received presents from us. Don''t worry and just accept it later." There was a reason why she did not tell everyone about the good news in advance. After all, the two youngsters had only registered their marriage and had not held the wedding ceremony yet. It was not appropriate to tell too many people about it. Therefore, she asked Xia Yu to bring Yun Lan here on this occasion so that she could inform the rest of the family. She did not expect Zhou Luo to have come and stirred up trouble, causing chaos at the family banquet. In the end, Yun Lan had to suffer for it. Xia Zhe and Xia Wen went upstairs to look after the babies, leaving the women to chat downstairs. It had been too long since these women last saw one another, so they definitely would have a lot of gossip to catch up on. They would only find it awkward if the men stayed around. Xia Yu and Xia Yuan also felt the same way, so they drove out to buy the ingredients for dinner. Xia Jun had not returned to his own house for a while. He had already gotten used to living at Qiao Qiang''s place after so many days. Now that he was back, he found everything to be an eyesore, but he could not sell this house and move to Qiao Mei''s place yet. Although the Xia family was rich and powerful, this house was still government property after all. It would only belong to him after he occupied the property for 20 years!I think you should take a look at Even when it belonged to him, he still could not sell it off too as and when he liked. However, if he only depended on his pension, it would not even be enough for him to buy one bathroom at Qiao Mei''s place. It was more cost-effective for him to continue to freeload from Qiao Qiang! "Grandfather," Xia Xing called out indifferently. Xia Lu and Xia Yan did not even say anything. They only stood behind Xia Xing and bowed slowly. Then, they went upstairs to the guest room which they usually used. They did not even bother to spend time with Xia Jun at all and Xia Jun was also already used to it. He had his own bias for sure. His favorite grandchildren were Xia Mao''s three children. He adored them and was more than willing to give them everything. Although Xia Guang''s children would stay with him whenever they came to the capital, they were just doing it for show. Between his two younger sons'' families, he preferred his grandchildren from his second son''s family. Although Liu Fen had a brash personality, she still managed to bring up her children to be kind-hearted people. He just wanted his grandchildren to be good people, there was nothing else he wanted. It did not matter if they were not outstanding, at least they must be upright with a clear conscience. When Zhou Luo saw Xia Jun, she also only exchanged a few simple pleasantries with him. She had been to Xia Jun''s house before, but she had never stayed there. It was not appropriate for her to stay at Xia Jun''s house, so she would return to her accommodation at the nearby guest house after dinner. Xu Lan and Xia Wan were chatting happily with the other women when the flowerpot by the window suddenly fell to the ground and shattered. Only then did they realize that there was someone else in the room with them. "You Aren''t you Brother Xing''s partner?" Xia You said as she looked at Shao Yin. Xu Lan was a little unhappy. This girl was not a member of the Xia family yet and she also did not conduct herself well. Now, she even broke the pot containing the flowers which she had specially prepared for Qiao Mei. It had taken her a lot of effort to find those flower seeds. Occasionally missing content, please report errors in time. Chapter 1229 Why Are You Here Xu Lan knew that Qiao Mei liked to grow flowers and plants, so she specially asked someone to find some seeds of rare blooms from overseas. She wanted Qiao Mei to have something to do to ease her boredom when she lived here, so that she would not feel too tired from taking care of the children at home. Previously, some people had told her about postpartum depression but she did not understand what it was. However, she had heard many people say that this was a terrifying illness which could deal a huge blow and cause a lot of pain to a woman who just gave birth. Xu Lan definitely did not want Qiao Mei to have such thoughts. She would rather tire herself out than see Qiao Mei feel down. Qiao Mei had done so many things for the Xia family and saved them many times. Even if Qiao Mei was not Xia Zhe''s wife, she would still need to be nice to Qiao Mei and treat Qiao Mei like her own daughter! Feng Hua quickly used the broom to sweep the floor. She knew how important the contents of the flowerpot was to Xu Lan, so she did not just throw everything away. Instead, she brought whatever she swept up to the backyard so that she could put everything into a new flowerpot. Xia Wan went forward to help Shao Yin up from the floor as she had fallen down earlier. The two of them slowly walked to the middle of the room. Shao Yin felt a little uneasy as she did not know how to explain why she was still there. "You" Before Xia You could say anything, Xia Wan quietly grabbed her palm tightly and she immediately shut her mouth. "When are you and Xia Xing getting married? Third Brother has never mentioned anything about this to us," Liu Fen said bluntly. "We we''re already engaged, but we haven''t chosen an auspicious date yet! We intend to discuss this issue while we are back this time round," Shao Yin said softly. Qiao Mei clearly remembered that this girl had followed Xia Xing out just now. Could it be that she had sneaked back when it was chaotic just now? However, why would she want to stay behind in their house instead of following Xia Xing to his grandfather''s place? Could it be that this girl wanted to harm her children? "Are you still here because there was no more space for you in the car? Did Brother Xing say when he would come back to pick you up?" Qiao Mei asked. "I I didn''t know the way out and they left so quickly, so we were separated in an instant. That''s why I''m still here. I hope it''s not too much trouble for all of you Why don''t you give me the address and I''ll go there myself" Shao Yin said nervously. Shao Yin and Xia Xing had been dating for a long time. It was actually the Zhou family who introduced her to Xia Xing! Xia Xing had dated one of his colleagues previously and she had broken up with Xia Xing for a very simple reason. Zhou Hua did not approve of the relationship as the girl was from another city. She wanted Xia Xing to marry a girl who lived in the capital.I think you should take a look at Zhou Hua''s only thought was to get Xia Xing to return to the capital to fight for a share of the family assets. She wondered why Xia Zhe could monopolize Wu Min''s entire courtyard house while the third son''s family did not get anything. These kids were all Wu Min''s grandchildren, so how could she be so biased? Perhaps Zhou Hua was not actually doing this for the children''s future, but only because she was piqued with the Xia family. Her goal was to get a share of the Xia family''s pie because she did not want to be left out. Xia Mao and Xia Yao both worked in the capital and both their families could enjoy life in the capital. Xia Guang was the only one of Xia Jun''s sons to be stationed out of town and he even went to the border area later on. If this was not the old man being biased, then what was it! Zhou Hua had poured out all the grievances in her heart to Zhou Luo. The entire purpose of Zhou Luo''s visit this time round was to stand up for Zhou Hua and to fight for the children''s future. Xia He frowned as she looked at this girl who had yet to marry into the Xia family. She did not understand why Xia Xing would take a fancy to such a stupid person. Could Xia Xing have gone crazy? Did his taste in women suddenly change after all these years? Xia Xing looked like a decent person, but he was actually a libertine. Due to the lack of discipline and education from Zhou Hua and Xia Guang in his early years, Xia Xing had been undisciplined since he was young. Zhou Luo also allowed him to do whatever he wanted as long as he did not cause any trouble. Deep down, he was still a good person, but he would suddenly come up with weird ideas from time to time. However, none of these ideas were anything good. Xia Xing liked women who either had good figures or wanton lifestyles. In the past, Xia Xing would not even look at a woman like Shao Yin. "I''ll ask the chauffeur to get the car and send you to Grandfather''s place," Xia He said calmly. Shao Yin wanted to explain herself further, but seeing how guarded the entire family was as they looked at her, she could only agree to the arrangement. She had only stayed behind because she was hoping to see Xia Wen again! Since Xia Wen was single now, that meant she had a chance. Perhaps Xia Wen may fall for her too! Chapter 1230 Unladylike Everyone there was no longer in the mood to chitchat. Xia You was particularly obvious about expressing her annoyance. She originally wanted to take this opportunity to have a good chat with Qiao Mei so that they could get closer! Her plan was all messed up by this weird person! How unlucky! They did not know if this woman was really Xia Xing''s girlfriend or how Xia Xing really felt about this woman. Was he planning to marry her or was he just fooling around? They did not know how they should respond to Shao Yin while she stood in front of them. "Luo Yu, is the car ready?" Xu Lan asked impatiently. "The car is on the way back now. It will probably reach in half an hour at the earliest. We can only send Miss Shao Yin to Grandpa Xia''s place in half an hour''s time," Luo Yu said. Xu Lan sighed resignedly. It seemed that they still had to continue to bear with Shao Yin''s presence for a while. Xia You simply ignored Shao Yin and said excitedly to Qiao Mei, "Qiao Mei, your clothes are really nice. Where did you buy them? It seems to me that both Eldest Aunt-in-law and you buy your clothes from the same place! Tell me. I want to go there and buy clothes for my mother and elder sister too." At the mention of her clothes, Xu Lan straightened her back and said smugly, "Your cousin-in-law made them herself! She even did all the embroidery! Isn''t she amazing? She also designs all the clothes. Most of my clothes are made by her! My daughter-in-law also made something for your mother!" As Xu Lan spoke, she stood up to show them what she was wearing and held out the hem to show the patterns to Xia You and Xia Wan. These few women had always been on good terms and knew each other''s personalities well. Xu Lan had always been quite nice to these two younger women, so they naturally did not think that Xu Lan was showing off. Instead, they felt that Xu Lan seemed very happy now. In the past, whenever they saw Xu Lan, she always looked dignified, putting on the air of a family matriarch. Either that or she looked super elegant and calm and rarely spoke. She would only speak briefly to Liu Fen. Now, she looked like a child showing off her beloved items to others! They were both very happy to see such a change in Xu Lan.I think you should take a look at "My mother must like it very much. I''ve never been good at needlework since I was young and I''ve been beaten up a lot!" Xia You complained. "In the past, I was stubborn and always felt that girls must know now to sew and do needlework. Otherwise, how can she take care of her family? But I won''t impose these requirements on you anymore! You can go ahead and do whatever you want," Liu Fen said. Xia Wan and Xia You looked at each other in surprise. Was this still their mother? Was she a doppelganger? Or was she possessed? "Heavens, does Qiao Mei have some kind of magical power? Even my mother has changed. Now I also feel like staying here for a few more days. Perhaps I will also change after a while. Maybe I can become a good wife and mother like my elder sister!" Xia You said enviously. "No way! With your personality, you''ll probably lead our Qiao Mei astray. I can''t let you stay here for too long!" Xia He said laughingly. "Shoo, shoo, shoo! As if you''re the only one who can monopolize Qiao Mei. Why can''t I like Qiao Mei too? I also work in the capital. At most, I''ll just take the effort and go to Qiao Mei''s place every day to stick close to her," Xia You said in a fit of pique. Qiao Mei looked at Xia He and Xia You arguing with each other and felt a sense of warmth inside. At first, she was worried that the younger generation of the Xia family would not like her, but now it seemed that she had been worried for nothing. "Don''t you think you''re fine the way you are? I really like how carefree you are," Qiao Mei said sincerely. "There are things you don''t know! My husband''s friends think that I should be more gentle. Although they have never said it explicitly, I can feel it. It''s not like they want me to behave in a gentle and virtuous manner all the time. They want me to be a little more ladylike when there are outsiders around. I''ve been so stressed out over this matter!" Xia You said with a frown. Xia You''s husband, Lu Huai, was a small-time businessman who often had to socialize with his business partners. Sometimes, Xia You would be invited to attend the events as well, but such social gatherings were not her cup of tea at all. She only endured it for Lu Huai''s sake. Chapter 1231 Adoptive Mother Has A Bigger Say "I don''t think you need to worry about this matter. Your husband likes you for who you are. Moreover, he is not the one who has any issue with your behavior. Why should you care about what others think?" Qiao Mei said. Xia You suddenly looked enlightened. She clapped her hands and said, "You''re so right! I shouldn''t care about what others think! It''s not like I''m in the wrong!" Shao Yin stood at the side and watched as the women carried on with their conversation. She kept staring at Qiao Mei to size her up. At first, she thought that Qiao Mei was only a pretty face, meant to be put on show like a beautiful "flower vase", and that the Xia family allowed her to marry into the family so that it made them look good. Who would not like having a beautiful woman around? However, from the looks of it, that did not seem to be the case at all. Qiao Mei was good with her hands, good cook and was even a natural beauty. She even gave birth to a son and a daughter for the Xia family. She was like a female lead in a television drama! This made Shao Yin so envious. "I would also like to get closer to all of you," Shao Yin said suddenly. One second earlier, everyone was still very lively, but in the next second, everyone fell silent. Liu Fen smiled awkwardly at Shao Yin and said, "Um you can come round often after you marry Xia Xing. We''ll be a family then." "That''s true! Besides, Xia Xing is coming to work in the capital! I''ll also come over with him to live in the capital!" Shao Yin said innocently. "What! Coming to the capital! Who told you that!" Xu Lan said in surprise. "Xia Xing himself! He has already submitted his application. He should be able to start work here next month," Shao Yin said. At this moment, the people at Xia Jun''s place were also discussing the same matter. Everyone was sitting in the living room and the atmosphere was very somber. Xia Jun''s long face was almost hitting the floor! He was already feeling vexed today, but these people still wanted to annoy him even more. "Uncle Xia, you''re the biological grandfather of these children and I''ve looked after them for a long time. Everything I do is for their benefit. I''m here today to discuss with you something related to Xia Xing," Zhou Luo said. "Let me know what you have in mind. If Xia Xing needs any help from the family, we''ll try our best to help," Xia Jun said. "Our Xia Xing is currently preparing for his wedding and he wants to hold the ceremony in the capital. I wonder if you can help us out. Our Zhou family has always lived somewhere else, so we''re naturally not as familiar with the capital as all of you. After all, you have lived here for a long time," Zhou Luo said tentatively.I think you should take a look at Xia Jun said with a long face, "If he''s getting married, then his partner should at least come and meet the family. Is he going to get married without letting us know anything?" "That girl is also here today. Isn''t this" Zhou Luo looked around but did not see Shao Yin. She quickly turned to look at Xia Xing, but he also did not know where Shao Yin had gone. Zhou Luo hurriedly got up and walked outside. She asked the chauffeurs who drove them here, but they all said that they had not seen Shao Yin. This made her so anxious that she almost wanted to rush out to look for Shao Yin! "Miss Shao Yin is at the eldest young madam''s house now. The chauffeur is already on the way to pick her up and will be soon," the helper said patiently. Zhou Luo looked unhappy. She had wanted to use the two kids to force Xia Jun to give them what they wanted! Now that the girl was not around, she could not go too overboard with what she said. Otherwise, if Xia Jun rejected her right away, she would have a much lesser chance of getting what she wanted. "It''s good that the kid is safe. You can continue with what you want to say," Xia Jun said. "It''s good to know that Uncle Xia is so magnanimous and doesn''t get offended by the antics of the younger generation. Let me just come right out and say what I think. Xiao Xing will be returning to work in the capital next month and that girl will also come along with him. They haven''t found a place to stay yet. Do you think you can allow him and Shao Yin to stay at Xia Zhe''s place?" Zhou Luo said bluntly. "Stay at Xia Zhe''s place? Why?" Xia Jun asked unhappily. He could tell at a glance that the Zhou family was eyeing the old house again. Before Zhou Hua divorced Xia Guang, she always had this issue in mind. Zhou Luo was obviously thinking about the same thing now. It was obvious that Zhou Hua had told Zhou Luo something inappropriate and Zhou Luo was now here to fight for a share of the family assets for Xia Xing, Xia Lu and Xia Yan! Xia Guang had a permanent posting in the border province, and now that he had divorced Zhou Hua, the couple did not seem to care about the future of the three children anymore. Zhou Luo wondered what would happen to them if she did not speak up for them? By right, she did not have any say. After all, her surname was Zhou and she was not the children''s biological mother. However, being the adoptive mother, she had an even greater say than even the biological mother. The Xia family would have to let her voice her opinion! Chapter 1232 Stay Over For A Few Days "Given that Xiao Xing is a new transferee into his workplace unit, they haven''t discussed the matter of his accommodation with him yet. So he doesn''t have a place to stay yet. Why not let him stay at Xia Zhe''s place? Isn''t Xia He also staying there?" Zhou Luo said. Xia Jun snorted. These people were really well-informed. Although Zhou Luo did not live in the capital, she knew so much about matters related to the Xia family. It seemed that Zhou Luo might have an informant working for the family. However, it was also possible that the news was simply leaked out by people in the know. After all, it was not a secret that Xia He was staying at Qiao Mei''s house. Anyone who was familiar with any of the Xia family members would know about this arrangement. "Xia He only moved there so that she could take care of Qiao Mei. She didn''t even go to the art troupe this month and just stayed by Qiao Mei''s side all this while. It almost caused her to lose her job. Besides, Xia He isn''t staying there permanently. Now that Qiao Mei has given birth, she will move out soon. Do you want Xia Xing''s life to revolve around Qiao Mei as well?" Xia Jun questioned. "But they have not moved back yet, have they? They''re still staying at Xu Lan''s place! Then what''s wrong with us staying over for a while? Aren''t these youngsters all part of the same family?" Zhou Luo said. Of course, it would not be a problem to allow someone to stay over for a while. After all, there would be times when one might really need help. Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe were not nasty people and they would definitely help if they could. However, Zhou Luo clearly had ulterior motives. Today, it was Xia Xing who wanted to move in. What if Xia Yu also wanted to move in after a while? After that, were all of them going to occupy a room each? Xia Jun wanted them to know that he was not old and senile yet! As long as he was still alive, he would not allow anyone to eye Xia Zhe''s house! That was the last task Wu Min handed to him before she died. No matter who came to cajole him, he would not waver! "There''s plenty of space at my place. I actually feel quite bored living alone in such a big house. Xia Xing can come and stay with me," Xia Jun said. Xia Xing''s face instantly fell and he immediately said, "I don''t want to!" Zhou Luo glared at Xia Xing. He was already an adult, yet he still acted like a child and showed all his emotions clearly on his face. What an embarrassment! Since the old house was left behind by Wu Min, all the children of the Xia family should get a share. Why should it be only given to Xia Zhe? Moreover, when Wu Min died, only Xia Mao and his family were by her side. She did not make a will and only conveyed her wishes verbally. Who knew if that was really what Zhou Min said? What if Xia Mao and the others had made everything about her leaving the house to Xia Zhe?I think you should take a look at She would never believe that those were Wu Min''s last words. These children with her were also the Xia family''s grandchildren and no one could snatch away whatever belonged to them! "That won''t do. Xia Xing will be coming with his girlfriend! It''s not convenient for her to stay at your place," Zhou Luo said. "This won''t do and that won''t do. Then you guys can find a solution yourself. Don''t even think about going to Xia Zhe''s place. If I find out that you guys secretly go to talk to Qiao Mei about this, I''ll break your legs!" Xia Jun said sternly. Xia Lu and Xia Yan trembled in fear and did not even dare to breathe loudly. This whole issue today had nothing to do with the two of them, but they still had to get lectured as well. They felt so aggrieved. Xia Xing still wanted to continue persuading Xia Jun, but Zhou Luo stopped him with one look. Since this idea did not work, why not change to another one? "We''ll talk about the issue of the house another day. Our Zhou family can still afford to pay for his accommodation. However, you have to help with the matter of Xia Xing''s wedding. We need to know where we can hold the ceremony. Xia Mao and Xu Lan must at least help us out with this," Zhou Luo said arrogantly. After beating around the bush, Zhou Luo''s real intention was to make use of Xia Mao and his family. If it was not about the money, it was about the house. At least she did not do what the Tan family did and tried to target the babies. Xia Jun could not be bothered to talk to Zhou Luo anymore and just sat there and listened quietly. Zhou Luo even thought that Xia Jun was doing this out of a guilty conscience! She quickly started to present the rest of her idea. She would never let go of anything that she could take advantage of. The helper could not stand it anymore and secretly went to the study to make a phone call to Xu Lan''s house. She wanted to tell them about what was happening so that they could hurry over to help Xia Jun. Xia Jun was already not in good health. He had only regained his strength after drinking Qiao Mei''s medicinal wine. Now that Zhou Luo was irritating him, he seemed to look quite ill again. Xia Xing and his two brothers just sat at the side silently. They did not have much feelings for Xia Jun and at most only felt a sense of responsibility towards the Xia family. Chapter 1233 Tell The Truth At Xu Lan''s house, they were getting ready to send Shao Yin over to Xia Jun''s place. When Xia He heard the phone ringing, she quickly ran over to answer it. "Hello? What''s the matter?" Xia He asked. "Eldest Miss, it''s me! One of you must come over quickly! They''ve been putting pressure on the Old Master Xia in the living room! I''m really worried about Old Master Xia''s health and that''s why I''m calling. I''m an outsider so it''s really not appropriate for me to interrupt them," the helper said worriedly. "Alright, alright, alright! Wait for us! We''ll go over immediately!" Xia He said worriedly and hung up. "What happened? What''s the urgency?" Xu Lan asked. Xia He quickly leaned over to Xu Lan''s ear and whispered, "Auntie Zhou and my three younger cousins are having a meeting at Grandfather''s place now! The helper auntie said that they''re being so aggressive that Grandfather is not feeling well. She wants us to go over quickly." None of them was suited to go over during such a situation. They must be discussing matters related to the youngsters at Xia Jun''s house. Xia Jun would always be at a disadvantage when he met Zhou Luo. The attitude and manner of those two Zhou sisters could anger anyone to death! They could only ask Xia Wen to go and help out. Xia He hurriedly went upstairs to tell Xia Wen. At the moment, Xia Wen was playing with Xia Xing and it was a heartwarming scene to see the two of them together. This was the first time Xia He had seen such a gentle side to Xia Wen. It seemed that he really liked children. "Eldest Brother, something happened. You might be needed at Grandfather''s side now," Xia He said to Xia Wen solemnly. Xia Xing seemed to understand what was going on and sensed that Xia Wen was going to leave. She looked at Xia Wen and pursed her lips aggrievedly, as if she was going to cry at any moment. Xia He hurriedly went forward to block Xia Wen''s line of sight so that he would not see Xia Xing''s pitiful appearance. Xia Jun was in urgent need of help! He must go over immediately! "Alright, I''ll go now. Xia Xing just drank milk half an hour ago so don''t feed her any more. Take note of the time. When Xia Zhe wakes up, tell him that I''ve left." Xia Wen hurriedly instructed Xia He and drove away from Xu Lan''s house with Shao Yin in tow. After Xia Wen left, Xia He turned around to look at Xia Xing. The aggrieved look on the baby''s face had disappeared, as if Xia He was hallucinating just now.I think you should take a look at "Little girl, are you bullying us? When your eldest uncle was around, you''re like a little angel, so obedient and cute. Why do you cry and make a fuss when we carry you? Do you like your eldest uncle most?" Xia He asked. Unexpectedly, Xia Xing just closed her eyes and fell asleep, completely ignoring Xia He. Then again, how could such a young child understand what the adults were saying? She only knew how to eat, drink and poop every day and to cry if anything went wrong. Shao Yin sat in the back seat and kept looking around. Her eyes kept darting back and forth between Xia Wen and the rearview mirror. This was simply a chance given by the heavens! A chance for her to be alone with him! However, she did not know what to say. She had already offended Xia Wen just now. If she said anything wrong again, Xia Wen''s impression of her would become even worse. "Brother Xia where are we going?" After saying that, Shao Yin felt that her question was exceptionally stupid. Of course, he was sending her to look for Xia Xing! It was not as if Xia Wen was bringing her to a restaurant for a candlelight dinner! "We''re headed to Grandfather''s place. Relax, I won''t eat you up. Just call me Elder Brother Wen. That''s what Xia Xing calls me too," Xia Wen said gently. After all, Shao Yin seemed to be only three to four years older than Qiao Mei. She was still a kid. Why should he be so calculative with a kid? Shao Yin thought for a long time before muttering softly, "Brother Wen" Xia Wen pretended that he did not hear anything and quickly found a new topic to talk about. He asked Shao Yin about her family and her work and how she met Xia Xing. A few questions later, Shao Yin had told him everything she knew. She even told Xia Wen all the secrets which Zhou Luo told her. This was probably what it meant by being blinded by beauty. In the face of such a good-looking man, she did not have the time or energy to think about what she was doing. Xia Wen drove quickly and steadily and arrived at Xia Jun''s house not long after. He asked Shao Yin to go in first and he went to park the car. He did not expect Shao Yin to still be waiting for him at the door when he returned! Chapter 1234 Even Biological Brothers Must Settle Accounts Clearly "Why haven''t you gone in?" Xia Wen asked. "I I don''t know where to go I don''t know the way" Shao Yin said shyly. Xia Wen looked helplessly at the helper who was also standing beside Shao Yin. At this moment, the helper also looked very wretched. She had been working as Xia Jun''s helper for many years. In fact, she had been serving the Xia family since Wu Min was still around. No guest had ever viewed her with any suspicions. Even these grandchildren of the Xia family showed her respect whenever they saw her. Without her care, Xia Jun probably would not be enjoying such a good quality of life! It was not as if she had any ulterior motives towards Xia Jun. She had already been married for a long time and had children of her own. Her grandchildren were about to have children! She stayed on only because Wu Min had treated her very well back then and even asked Xia Jun to introduce the young and handsome men in the army to her. That was how she found her partner in life. Therefore, she was grateful to the Xia family for this gift of lifelong happiness. When other people were concerned about having enough money for survival, she never had to worry about that. In fact, Wu Min bought her the house that she was still living in! Everything she had was given to her by the Xia family, so she did her best to take care of Xia Jun in order to repay Wu Min for her kindness in the past. "Let''s go in. I''ll go with you," Xia Wen said. The two of them walked into the house side by side. As soon as they entered, Xia Wen could hear Zhou Luo talking loudly in the living room. She was talking about how many relatives and friends she wanted to invite to Xia Xing''s wedding! As he listened carefully, he heard mention of the Zheng family, the Zhuang family, the Gao family and even the He family! Zhou Luo wanted Xia Xing''s wedding to be the grandest event in the capital! The Xia family did not even dare to invite these people to Xia Zhe''s wedding. How would Xia Xing have the clout to invite them? The Zheng family and the Zhuang family might accept the invite as a show of respect to Xia Mao, but the wayward Gao family? It was not even the wedding of Xia Zhe, the most favored child of the Xia family. These people would not give even a minute of their time to Xia Xing, especially since they probably did not even know who Xia Xing was. "I see Auntie Zhou has many issues to discuss! It looks like I haven''t chosen a good time to come!" Xia Wen said with a smile. He slowly walked to Xia Jun and gently patted his shoulder to reassure him.I think you should take a look at Xia Jun smiled slightly, feeling both proud and consoled. He had not doted on Xia Wen for nothing all these years! Xia Wen knew to rush back to help him! "No, no, no! You''re here at the right time! I''m talking about your younger cousin''s wedding. You can help me come up with some ideas!" Zhou Luo said excitedly. "Auntie Zhou, go ahead. If there''s anything I can do to help, I''ll do my best," Xia Wen said politely. Zhou Luo immediately said, "Xiao Wen is still the most sensible. Then I''ll just speak my mind. Xia Xing and Shao Yin will be holding their wedding soon. When the time comes, we want to use your younger brother''s house as the venue and the bridal chamber. We also want to book the best restaurant nearby. I hear that your younger brother has also bought the house in the backyard, so there should be enough space for our relatives and friends. There won''t be a need to ask them to stay in a hotel!" Xia Wen and Xia Jun looked at each other. With one glance, Xia Wen understood what Xia Jun was thinking and also knew how to deal with Zhou Luo. This was the tacit understanding which grandfather and grandson always had. "Auntie Zhou, that''s not right. That house doesn''t belong to my younger brother. It belongs to my younger sister-in-law. Both the houses in the front and back courtyards belong to my sister-in-law, so we don''t have any say in this matter," Xia Wen said. "Why are you drawing the line so clearly? Shouldn''t your sister-in-law''s assets also belong to your younger brother? We''re all family, so why draw lines?" Zhou Luo said with a smile. "No, that''s not possible! Even when I sold my house, I didn''t move into my younger brother''s house! Even biological brothers have to settle accounts clearly. Therefore, there''s no exception for you as well," Xia Wen said. At this point, Zhou Luo finally knew why Xia Wen was here. He was sent here as reinforcements! No wonder Shao Yin was sent here so quickly. "Then what do you think we should do about this matter? Are you really not going to help Xia Xing even though he''s holding his wedding in the capital? Xia Xing is like a younger brother to you!" Zhou Luo said unhappily. "Auntie Zhou is right. Xia Xing is also my younger brother, so our family will definitely help. However, can you tell me how much is your budget for the wedding?" Xia Wen asked. "What do you mean?" Zhou Luo asked as she looked at Xia Wen in confusion. Why was he asking her about money? Chapter 1235 We Are A Family "Why? Is Auntie Zhou''s intention for our family to take care of everything?" Xia Wen asked. That was exactly Zhou Luo''s intentions. Since the Xia family''s eldest son and his own family had received so many things from Xia Jun and Wu Min, what was wrong with asking them to fork out some money? Furthermore, she had helped to bring up three grandsons of the Xia family. Xia Lu and Xia Yan were two very promising young men. They might even be able to come out with inventions for the country. When that time came, they would be more capable than anyone else in the Xia family! How could the Xia family not thank her for her efforts? If Xia Mao''s family did not even want to help them with something as minor as wedding expenses, then when Xia Jun died, this eldest son''s family would end up taking over everything in the Xia family! Zhou Luo definitely could not let this happen. She must fight for the three children! There was a reason why she insisted on bringing up these three children all this while and refused to hand them back to the Xia family. They were her "hostages"! Only then would the Xia family be respectful to the Zhou family and nothing bad would ever happen to them. She naturally must hold on to something so useful. Although Zhou Luo did take good care of the children wholeheartedly, her intentions were not pure at all. "There''s only the banquet to pay for. How much money can it cost? We''re all family and it''s so tacky to talk about money. Xiao Wen, what you just said is so hurtful to everyone," Zhou Luo said as she looked at Xia Wen sadly. "You are talking about two different matters. Our family can indeed help Xia Xing and my future cousin-in-law to find a suitable restaurant in the capital, or we can also find someone to organize the ceremony. After all, Xia Xing is still the child of Third Uncle and Third Aunt-in-law, so it''s up to them to decide," Xia Wen said tactfully. The meaning between the lines was that Zhou Luo was being a busybody. Since Xia Xing''s parents were still around, it was not her place to come to the Xia family to make demands. Sitting opposite Xia Wen, Zhou Luo was almost bursting with anger. However, given that she was the one asking for help, she had to control her emotions and not let Xia Wen succeed in his plan. Xia Jun relaxed when he saw that Xia Wen was able to subdue Zhou Luo. After that, he began to observe Shao Yin. This girl was a little strange. It was not because of her looks and personality, but because her eyes had never left Xia Wen the entire time she was here. He wondered if Xia Wen had noticed this.I think you should take a look at "My younger sister is busy, so she has asked me to handle these things for her. The Xia family is rich and powerful. Are you really going to quibble about this bit of money? At most, all of you are exempted from giving Xia Xing red packets when he gets married," Zhou Luo said righteously, as if Xia Wen and the others had taken advantage of her. Did she mean that the Xia family''s eldest son had to pay for the booking of the hotel and the reception for the wedding, as well as for everything else? That would cost more than 5,000 dollars! It was an amount of money that would take an ordinary person more than a year to save up! Comparatively, how much money would they need to fork out for the red packets? Zhou Luo was really scheming. She wanted to collect the wedding gifts for free while the Xia family''s eldest son paid for all the expenses. Xia Mao''s family was not made up of fools! They did not owe Xia Guang''s family anything. Instead, it was Xia Guang''s family who owed a favor to Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei, and a huge favor at that! "Our family is not that capable. At most, we can help Xia Xing with the hotel booking. You guys will have to handle the rest yourselves," Xia Wen said firmly. "Xiao Wen, you''re really too humble. Aren''t you a high-ranking official now? Isn''t there anyone who wants to curry favor with you?" Zhou Luo asked. "Auntie Zhou, you flatter me. I''m nobody there, just an employee. There''s only so much our family can do. We really can''t help with anything else. We still have to take care of two newborn babies! We really don''t have any excess money," Xia Wen said. "We can hold the wedding at your sister-in-law''s house. Firstly, it will save money and secondly, it will be much more convenient. What do you think?" Zhou Luo repeated her request. Xia Jun had disagreed with this idea earlier, but it was Xia Wen negotiating now. If Xia Wen agreed, Xia Jun would not be able to reject the idea. "That''s not possible. My sister-in-law''s house is definitely out of the question, even if the couple agree. They have two young children at home now. They''re the future of our Xia family. Auntie Zhou, will you take responsibility if anything happens to them?" Xia Wen said. "Why should I take responsibility? Besides, it''s just two children. What can happen to them?" Zhou Luo said nonchalantly. She did not understand why these two children were so precious and warranted such care. Chapter 1236 - 1236 Please Help Me 1236 Please Help Me Hearing Zhou Luo speak about the two children in this manner, Xia Jun and Xia Wen did not look too happy, especially Xia Jun. His expression was simply murderous! He would not allow anyone to endanger his precious eldest grandson! Dont say another word, otherwise you can get lost! Its not up to you to decide on our Xia familys issues! Dont even get any ideas about Qiao Meis house! Xia Jun roared angrily. Why not! Are there treasures in the house and youre afraid we will find them! Zhou Luo questioned. Xia Wen and Xia Jun did not reply. Both of them fell silent. Zhou Luo sneered. It was exactly like what Zhou Hua said. There must be many treasures in that house. The Zhou family had been in their line of work for generations. As long as Xia Xing could move into the house, she would definitely be able to find the location of these treasures in less than a month. By then, it did not matter even if the Xia family did not want to give Xia Xing and the other children a share of the old house. Once they could obtain those valuable treasures, the house would be useless. I just know it! Youre biased towards your oldest son. Not only do you treat him well, but you even want to give everything to his children! Then what about these other children! Arent they also your Xia familys grandchildren? Zhou Luo said. Xia Jun actually did feel a sense of guilt to the three children. He became so worked up that he suddenly felt dizzy and fell backwards subconsciously. Xia Wen got a shock and quickly held on to Xia Jun. Grandfather! Grandfather, are you alright! Xia Wen quickly went to retrieve Xia Juns emergency medication and fed it to him. Then, he asked the helper to help Xia Jun back to his bedroom. Xia Xing, Xia Lu and Xia Yan remained expressionless even when Xia Jun collapsed. They did not even pretend to show any concern. Xia Wen felt his blood run cold when he saw their behavior. Why are you sending the Old Master away! This is all part of your scheme! Zhou Luo said. If you insist that there are contraband items in Qiao Meis house, go and make a report! Show us your evidence! Otherwise, dont try to slander us. You say that my grandfather is biased towards my family, then tell me which of us three siblings ask our grandfather for help when we get married? Xia Zhe did not even hold a wedding ceremony in order to avoid being extravagant and wasteful. Does Xia Xing really need to go to the extent of troubling my grandfather? Xia Wen questioned. Zhou Luo was rendered speechless by Xia Wens questions. Everything Xia Wen said was the truth and he was not worried even if Zhou Luo went to make a report against them. Even the He family could not find anything in the house. As if Zhou Luo was more capable? The three of us found jobs on our own and never let our family worry about us. My job requires me to pass a yearly examination. If you think there is anything fishy in the way I get my job, then report me and check whether I qualify for it all on my own! Xia Wen said. Xia Wen used to be a university professor, so there were definitely no issues with his qualifications and credentials. He had actually felt that the government examination was quite easy and did not require much effort on his part. Zhou Luo also knew that Xia Wen had relied on his own hard work to advance in his career step by step. She stomped her feet in anger and pushed Xia Xing forcefully as she whispered, Are you mute! Am I the one getting married! Say something! Xia Xing did not know what to say. He actually liked his relatives from this branch of the Xia family, but Zhou Luo always told him that these Xia family members were biased and looked down on them. Xia Lu and Xia Yan had been educated this way since they were young and had long viewed the Xia family as their enemy. However, he was different. He knew the truth of the matter. He would always be a pawn in these peoples power struggles. He was not allowed to decide on his career path. He also had to listen to these peoples arrangements as to where he could live. In fact, it was up to the elders in his family to decide who he could marry in the future. The truth was that Xia Xing did not like Shao Yin at all. Shao Yin had not even received proper education and she was currently just doing odd jobs in his workplace unit, helping to serve tea and print documents. There was no way that she was on par with his ex-girlfriend. This time round, the job he was taking up in the capital was nothing good. It was a clerical position at the police station, in charge of keeping file records of reported cases. If he compared himself to Xia Wen, they were worlds apart. He would only be embarrassing himself by coming back to the capital! He might as well continue in his current job out of town! At the very least, the workplace unit would eventually allocate a small house to him. As long as he worked hard, he could look forward to a good future. Elder Brother Please help me. I really dont know what to do, Xia Xing said. Chapter 1237 - 1237 Beggars Who Want to Be Choosers 1237 Beggars Who Want to Be Choosers Xia Wen was not moved at all. It was useless to act pitiful in front of him. Xia Xings current predicament was the result of his own choices and it had nothing to do with anyone else. Xia Xing was no longer a child who needed to consult his family on every issue. He was already an adult but he did not seem to act like one. He always needed others to solve his problems for him. If everything could be resolved so easily, then Xia Wen would like to ask others to solve his problems too! Why did he have to live such a tough life? Xia Wen, you cant treat us this way! You kept quiet when your ex-wife took so much money from the Xia family. Why is it so difficult for Xia Xing to get help from the Xia family now? No matter what, Xia Xing is still the Xia familys grandson! How can your ex-wife have a closer relationship to the Xia family than him ! Zhou Luo questioned. This question completely overstepped Xia Wens boundary. Xia Xing suddenly felt a rapid change in the atmosphere around Xia Wen, as if the oxygen in the vicinity had started to deplete. All of them started to breathe faster and everyone felt extremely nervous, worried that Xia Wen would suddenly go berserk. Although Xia Wen had only been in the army for a short period of time of three years, he won the title of top army warrior three times and also participated in all kinds of dangerous missions. He also received countless merit medals. In addition he was Xia Juns grandson. How weak could he be? The money I use is from my parents. Only my parents are entitled to have an opinion about my family. What has it got to do with you? My grandfather has never needed to worry about me. If you want to make demands on behalf of the Zhou family, then you should go and look for my Third Uncle. Why are you coming to us? Xia Wen said mockingly. While asking their family to contribute money and effort, these people also criticized them for being inhumane at the same time. Only the Zhou family could do such a thing. How could beggars be choosers! They should take a good look at themselves first! This Do you dare to make an oath! That you didnt take any of your grandfathers money! Or ask him to help you! Zhou Luo said with a guilty conscience. Xia Wen stood up readily and put his three fingers together while pointing them towards the sky. He looked at Zhou Luo sternly and said, I, Xia Wen, swear to the heavens that I have never asked my grandfather to help me with anything. Otherwise, Ill get struck by lightning and die a horrible death. When Zhou Luo saw Xia Wen making a cursed oath, she could not think of any other countermeasure to argue with Xia Wen. There was no other way out now. At this moment, Shao Yin suddenly stood up and said, Brother Wen! Dont say that. We believe in you! Theres no need to make such a vicious oath. Her anxious expression made her look very pitiful. Anyone who did not know better would think that Shao Yin was Xia Wens lover! Zhou Luo lowered her head to look at Xia Xing. Even though his girlfriend had taken a fancy to another man, Xia Xing did not even frown. It was as if Shao Yin had nothing to do with him. Zhou Luo thought to herself, What a good-for-nothing! What a vixen! Neither of them can achieve anything! I dont care about this matter anymore! Hes not my biological child, nor did I bring him up from a young age. As long as Xia Lu and Xia Yan dont do all these stupid things like Xia Xing, theres still hope for me. Just as Zhou Luo was about to give up, Xia Wen pressed on and questioned her, Auntie Zhou, do you dare to swear to the heavens that you have no selfish motives towards our family, my younger brothers family and my grandfather? Are you doing this wholeheartedly for Xia Xing? Do you dare! Of course, Zhou Luo did not dare to do so. If it was about Xia Lu or Xia Yan, she might be able to say so confidently, but when it came to Xia Xing she really could not say so. In that case, Auntie Zhou and my cousins, please go back and think about what to do. Dont mess up the auspicious day and miss out on such a great marriage. If you invite us to attend, we will definitely go, but if you want us to plan it for you, then no way! Xia Wen said angrily. Xiao Wen, thats not what we mean Zhou Luo immediately said. From the looks of it, Grandfather wont be able to host you anymore. Ill find a guest house for all of you to stay in. You can go now. After saying that, Xia Wen left the living room without looking back and walked towards the study upstairs. After making a call to instruct his secretary, he walked straight towards Xia Juns bedroom. The five people downstairs sat in the living room in a daze. Zhou Luo continued to berate Xia Xing! Xia Lu and Xia Yan started to look at Xia Xing mockingly. They felt embarrassed to have such an older brother! Chapter 1238 - 1238 No Privacy 1238 No Privacy When Xia Jun heard footsteps outside the door, he quickly put down the pork trotters in his hand and pretended to look weak as he lay on the bed. Even when Xia Wen walked to the edge of the bed, he did not move. Grandfather, wake up. The oil on your mouth is so shiny that its reflecting the light. Yet youre still trying to pretend! Xia Wen said as he held back his laughter. When Xia Jun realized that he had failed in his attempt, he stopped putting on an act. He had forgotten that Xia Wen had a background in investigation. It would be extremely difficult to hide anything from Xia Wen! It was probably not such a good thing to have nurtured a family of elite professionals. Whenever he faced Xia Xiu, he would always subconsciously tell the truth. If he accidentally lied to her, she would question him as if he was being interrogated. However, this was an occupational hazard for her and it would be hard for her to change. When he faced Xia Fang, he felt like he was facing a scanner. It was as if she could detect the slightest symptom of any illness. She could keenly sense if there was something wrong with his health, even if the only clue was that his voice was more hoarse than usual. Therefore, there was no difference between him being in this house and going to the battlefield. Even his helper could tell from his expression whether the food each day was to his liking. Has the matter downstairs been resolved? Xia Jun asked. I guess so. I wonder what will happen in the future, Xia Wen said with a deep sigh. Xia Wen did not really know how to deal with this matter. Whatever he said just now was a little too harsh. It was like putting the relationship between the families of the Xia familys first and third sons over a burner. The already fragile relationship was now in critical danger. He was not worried about Xia Guang. He was just worried that his younger cousins would drift further and further away from the Xia family. You dont have to think too much. Youre not the cause of this matter. What have you done wrong? You handled it very well. I heard everything that was said outside just now. Its not your fault at all, Xia Jun said. Xia Wens earlier melancholy was immediately swept away. So Xia Jun could hear them! That meant the fainting spell was just a pretense! Grandfather, you did it on purpose! Tell me, did you deliberately leave me to settle this matter so that you can come back here to eat pork trotters! Xia Wen said angrily. Xia Jun chuckled and did not admit to anything, but keeping quiet was also a form of tacit agreement. If he did not pretend to faint, Xia Wen would not be able to put on such a domineering face at all! No matter if it was an act or not, he was just cultivating Xia Wens ability to handle situations. How could it be said that he had ulterior motives! However, he still felt a little sad. When he fainted, none of the children from the third sons family cared about him. They even looked like they looked forward to it. From the expression on Xia Yans face, it was obvious that he hoped that Xia Jun would die soon! This was not the childs fault. It was the type of education he received from a young age that caused him to develop such a way of thinking. That was why the children hated the Xia family and distanced themselves from the Xia family. Everything was instigated by Zhou Luo. Grandfather why didnt you bring Xia Lu and Xia Yan back then? Xia Wen asked curiously. When these two children were born, the Xia family was already doing quite well. It was definitely more than possible to support the two children. During Xia Wens growing up years, he had even lived with another family and went around being fed by the neighbors! He still managed to grow up well, so why did Xia Jun not bring these two grandsons back? Did he face some other difficulties then? Its a long story Xia Jun said helplessly. At that time, Xia Guang was still a small platoon commander in an outpost while Xia Mao and Xia Yao were promoted to higher ranks year by year. At that time, Xia Wen was still in the army. That was his last year in the army and he had already taken on the position of deputy company commander. His rank was much higher than Xia Guang, which meant that Xia Guang had to salute to Xia Wen if they met each other. Xia Juns initial goal was for all the Xia familys children to start from the bottom so that they would become even stronger. This was what Xia Mao, Xia Yao and Xia Wen had to go through. Even Xia Zhe had to make progress based on his own merits. However, for some reason, Xia Guang turned out this way. Later on, Zhou Hua started to travel around and did not care about her children at all. During this time, Zhou Luo held on to the children tightly and refused to let go no matter what the Xia family offered her. It was not as if the Xia family had never thought of taking the children back by force, but Zhou Hua had threatened to kill herself so as to force the Xia family to give up. In the face of that, Xia Jun could only give up the idea. Later on, he asked Xia Guang for his opinion, but there was nothing Xia Guang could do about it. In the end, these two children were brought up to be like this. Chapter 1239 - 1239 Not Buying Houses For Now 1239 Not Buying Houses For Now Lets take it one step at a time. Its useless to say anything more for now. If Auntie Zhou knows her place, she wont come looking for trouble with us after today. At most, well help out when Xia Xing gets married, Xia Wen said. Xia Jun nodded and the two of them chatted briefly about some upcoming issues before Xia Wen went home to give everyone an update. Xu Lan and the others were still waiting for news from him at home! If he stayed over at Xia Juns place tonight, Xia He would probably drive over to look for him. Xia Wen had no control over the actions of this younger sister of his. For this journey, he did not drive the car himself. Instead, he asked Chen Mu to personally send him back to Xu Lans place. He did not feel very well at the moment and was not in the condition to drive. Every time Tan Jings name was mentioned, he would lose his cool. Even though he no longer had anything to do with Tan Jing, he still thought of her from time to time and wondered if she was doing well in the Tan family. Chen Mu had gone to check on her and came back to report that everything seemed well. He said that Tan Jing did farm work every day, just like before she got married. The Tan family did not starve her and she was fine. Xia Wen felt a lot more at ease after receiving this information. In reality, that was not the case. Tan Jing was living in inhumane conditions now. Whenever Tan Jing suffered from withdrawal symptoms, Jiang Yi thought that she was going crazy and concluded that she was having a mental breakdown. Therefore, Jiang Yi locked Tan Jing in the woodshed to prevent anyone from getting close to her, hoping to starve her to death. The good thing was that Tan Bao was still a person with a conscience . He gave Tan Jing a share of his familys food so that she could have enough to survive. Being in isolation meant that Tan Jing could be cured of her addiction since she could not have any contact with the outside world and would not have any chance to come in contact with drugs. Chen Mu obviously knew what was going on. It was Xia Mao who instructed him not to reveal the truth, otherwise he would lose his job! As soon as Xia Wen returned to Xu Lans place, Xia He immediately blocked his way. She had thousands of questions to ask Xia Wen. In fact, whe wished that she could rip open Xia Wens head and view his memories directly. This would save her so much time. Elder Sister, you have to let Eldest Brother come into the house for a drink before he updates us. Hes been busy the whole day, Qiao Mei said with a laugh. Xia He hurried over to the coffee table and poured a full glass of water for Xia Wen. She handed it to him and said, Drink it quickly! Then tell us whats going on once youre done! Xia Wen drank the water in one gulp resignedly and sat on the sofa. Dont worry, the matter has been resolved. Grandfather is fine. Is it really completely resolved? Xia Zhe asked suspiciously. In his memories, Zhou Luo was not someone who would give up easily. This person liked to bear grudges. Even if it was just a small matter, she must take revenge ruthlessly. Otherwise, she would not feel satisfied. No, its just temporary. She even wants to use your house as a venue to hold Xia Xings wedding ceremony! Look at you going around and buying properties so ostentatiously! Youd better stop doing that! Xia Wen said as he looked at Qiao Mei in disdain. Eldest Brother, youre being unreasonable right now! What has this got to do with me buying properties? Theyre clearly greedy people who want to take advantage of me. If they know their place, they wouldnt eye my house at all, Qiao Mei said innocently as she pouted. Xia Zhe smiled faintly and reached out to pat Qiao Meis head. This little girl had even learned how to talk back. He knew that Qiao Mei had bought many properties, but it was not because he kept tabs on her movements. His spies had come across the information by chance when they were gathering intel about the other issues for him recently. Even if he did not find out about this during the investigation process, Qiao Mei would still eventually update him about what she had been doing at home. It was just that there had been too many issues to handle recently and they also had to take care of the two babies, so they had not had a chance to talk to each other properly yet! However, it was still beyond his expectation that Qiao Mei did not just buy a few houses, but almost all the houses in their area. Although she was a little showy during the entire process, the properties were purchased through proper means. They need not be afraid even if someone wanted to check on the transactions. Youre right. Thats indeed the logic, but you should know the principle of how winds will howl around the highest peaks! Stop your purchases! Behave yourself! Xia Wen said. Alright then I wont buy any more for the time being, Qiao Mei said regretfully. Xia Wen and Xia Zhe looked at each other and shook their heads helplessly. There was nothing the two of them could do about Qiao Mei. Probably no one in this family would be able to manage her. The halt on buying properties was only for the time being! This meant that Qiao Mei still intended to buy more houses in the future. Chapter 1240 What Sort Of Present To Give ? "You have to control this money-grubbing wife of yours! If anything happens again, I''m not going to clean up your mess for you! When the time comes, you guys can deal with it yourselves!" Xia Wen said threateningly. "Don''t say that, Eldest Brother. If you don''t care about us, then who else will? I won''t buy anymore! No more! I''ll listen to your advice," Qiao Mei said with a grin. What Xia Wen said was for their own good. If Qiao Mei was so poor now that she and Xia Zhe could only afford to live in a tiny house, perhaps the Zhou family would still give Qiao Mei some money out of pity for her! They would not be eyeing her assets covetously. "If they come and act pitiful to you about being poor, don''t sing a different tune from me. I''ve already stated our family''s stand boldly and clearly just now. We won''t lend them anything no matter what, be it manpower, material items or financial resources. You can''t say yes to them no matter what they say," Xia Wen said seriously. "I promise to complete the mission! I definitely won''t embarrass you!" Qiao Mei saluted Xia Wen briskly. Her hand gesture was not up to standard at all and her posture was like that of a primary school student. Perhaps a primary school student might be able to salute better than Qiao Mei. With a playful person like Qiao Mei around, their lives would only become more interesting in the future. Xu Lan hired two more helpers, Wan Wen and Xu Kang. Wan Wen was introduced by Xu Lan''s friend while Xu Kang was Xu Lan''s relative and a loyal and honest person. She planned to let Xu Kang take care of Qiao Mei at the same monthly salary which Wei Hao used to get. The salary need not be a lot since Xu Kang was only expected to do the cleaning up in the house. It was still Feng Hua''s job to take care of Qiao Mei and everything else. Most importantly, Xu Kang was a relative, so Xu Lan did not have to worry about the trivialities. Moreover, Xu Kang''s family was quite well-to-do. She was only working as a helper just to pass time and she was willing to take on this job. No one knew what Xia He was busy with for the past two days, but she seemed uneasy every day. She kept opening her purse to count the money inside and she also kept staring at the television. She did not change the channels for an entire day and would just watch the programs from the start to the end. From time to time, she would flip the newspaper to read the latest news. In the past, Xia He had never cared about these things. "What have you been so busy with recently? Why do you seem so uneasy every day?" Qiao Mei asked curiously. "Qiao Mei if you want to buy a gift for Xia Zhe, what will you choose?" Xia He asked shyly. "What will I choose I''ll probably buy shoes or a watch or a belt, something like that. I''ll probably look at such things. Besides, the two of us have already been married for a long time. We buy gifts more for practical reasons and less about being romantic," Qiao Mei said.I think you should take a look at Qiao Mei was not really a romantic person at heart. In Qiao Mei''s eyes, making clothes for Xia Zhe personally was probably the most romantic thing she could do. When she looked at Xia Zhe wearing her handmade clothes from head to toe, she would feel a great sense of accomplishment! Xia He immediately looked worried. She did not have Qiao Mei''s handicraft skills and would fail at anything she tried to make. If she bought a belt, she wondered if she might be seen as being too ambiguous, like she was trying too hard. "Why are you asking me this question?" Qiao Mei asked. "Oh! It''s it''s Deng Fan''s birthday soon. I don''t know what to get for him," Xia He whispered. "Aren''t both of you dancers? Just give him dance shoes!" Qiao Mei said. Xia He immediately rejected the idea and said, "Absolutely not! For us, our dance shoes are custom-made according to the shape and size of our feet. We can''t give them as gifts too flippantly as it may cause injuries." This was the first time Qiao Mei had heard such a thing. After all, in her other life, she did not know much about dancing, so it was normal for her not to understand anything about it. Qiao Mei felt unsure for a moment. It was easy to buy a gift for a girl. A beautiful dress could make a girl happy for a long time. Perhaps Xia Zhe would know what would be an appropriate gift for a boy. "Qiao Mei, can you go shopping with me today?" Xia He asked as she looked at Qiao Mei expectantly. Given that the families of the Xia family''s second and third sons were all gathered in the capital recently, everyone left the house early and returned late every day. Even though they lived in the capital, their house was located in the outskirts. They rarely traveled to the city center, so whenever they had a chance to do so, they would definitely take their time to walk around. Chapter 1241 I Am Not Going ? As Xia Zhe had to take care of the two children, he did not have time to go out with Xia Yu and Xia Yuan. The two of them ended up bringing Yun Lan to tour around the capital. Whenever Xia Wen had some time off, they would force him to bring them out, not giving him any chance to take a break. Xia Wan and Xia You were having even more fun. They came back with bags and bags of things daily. Every day, Liu Fen would stand at the door and wait for them to reach home so that she could give them a good scolding. After that, Xia You would go to Qiao Mei to complain about how old-fashioned Liu Fen was. When Xia He saw everyone going out to have fun, she also did not want to stay at home all day. She also wanted to go out and walk around. However, Qiao Mei did not feel like doing anything recently. She had no interest in the outside world. If Xia He wanted to bring her along to buy a house though, she would be more than happy to do so. "I don''t want to go. How about I make you whatever you want? What''s the point of going out?" Qiao Mei said as she pouted. "Let''s go to the mall to buy shoes! Leather shoes! Although you know how to make clothes, I''m sure you can''t make leather shoes!" Xia He said with her hands on her hips. Qiao Mei thought about it carefully. What Xia He said made sense. It was not as if she did not know how to make shoes, but the process was really cumbersome. Moreover, leather shoes were hard to deal with. If she had to handle leather at home, it would make the whole house smell disgusting. For shoes, it was still better to go out and buy them. "Well well, I guess I''ll go with you then." Qiao Mei returned to her room to change her clothes and headed out with Xia He. Before they could go far, they saw Qian''e at the neighborhood entrance, leaving in a hurry and looking like she had just cried. "I hope I''m not seeing things. Qian''e just came from the direction of Uncle Zheng''s house, right?" Xia He could not believe her own eyes. She rubbed them again and took a closer look. The person was really Qian''e. "Yes, it appears that things have happened as I expected," Qiao Mei said with a slight frown. Back then, she had already advised Qian''e to prepare for such a day to come. Although Zheng Peng was a very nice man, Zheng Su definitely would not allow Qian''e to marry into their family. It would be for no other reason than the fact that Qian''e was infertile and could not carry on the Zheng family line. This was something that Zheng Su could not accept. Qiao Mei and Xia He waited for Qian''e to leave before they slowly got into the car and drove out of the neighborhood. The two of them looked discomforted. Although Xia He did not like Qian''e, it was as if Qian''e had committed any unforgivable sins. She did not deserve to be treated like this. "I heard from Brother Luo and my mother that Zheng Yuan and Zhuang Hua have returned recently. Both their families have started to discuss the matter of their impending marriage, which was why Zheng Peng became implicated. I think Uncle Zheng had already wanted to break up Zheng Peng and Qian''e for a long time and he''s just using this as an excuse," Xia He said.I think you should take a look at Qiao Mei stared ahead expressionlessly. These things had nothing to do with her. She was more concerned about Qian''e. Could it be that the couple really could not end up together? She really wanted Qian''e to settle down with someone nice. "Do you hear what I say? Why aren''t you jealous when Zheng Yuan is mentioned? Do you know who Zheng Yuan is?" Xia He asked. "Xia Zhe''s childhood sweetheart, a woman who liked Xia Zhe for more than 10 years. Moreover, she used to be in the same army unit as Xia Zhe," Qiao Mei said. "If you know her, then why aren''t you jealous?" Xia He asked. Given Qiao Mei''s usual temper, her expression would have darkened a long time ago. She would not be as calm and composed as she was now. "I already know about these things and I''m the one who settled the issue personally , so it''s not particularly surprising to me," Qiao Mei said honestly. Xia He silently gave Qiao Mei a thumbs up. There was really nothing that could stump Qiao Mei. As the two of them chatted on the way, they soon arrived at the shopping mall. As soon as Qiao Mei reached the main door, she did not feel like going in. The scene in front of her was reminiscent of the spring festival shopping chaos. It was so crowded inside that it looked impossible to squeeze in. Xia He was worried about whether she would be able to buy whatever she needed later, while Qiao Mei was more worried that someone would take advantage of the situation and molest her. "I''m not going," Qiao Mei said firmly. "Don''t be daunted by the sight of the crowd. It''ll be alright once you make your way inside," Xia He persuaded. "Either we go somewhere else or I''m going back to the car," Qiao Mei said. Chapter 1242 - 1242 Are You Willing to Accept It 1242 Are You Willing to Accept It Xia He looked at the shapely Qiao Mei in front of her. When Qiao Mei was pregnant, she looked like a typical pregnant woman except for her pretty face. However, after giving birth, she looked as if she had been reborn and was now strikingly attractive. It was indeed not safe for her to be in a crowd. Then lets go to the department store on the other side to take a look. It should be less crowded there, Xia He said. Sure. Anywhere was acceptable to Qiao Mei as long as it was not crowded. She followed Xia He and left the mall. The two of them did not notice two pairs of eyes staring intently at them from a corner. He Mei gritted her teeth as she watched Qiao Mei leave. Shen Na, who was next to her, did not feel anything. She actually did not have any grudges with Qiao Mei. Everything that happened to her was He Meis fault. If not for He Mei, her family would not have been broken up and she would not have suffered a miscarriage and lost her child. The fetus was already a fully formed boy! The culprit behind everything was He Mei! It was He Meis greed that caused all of this to happen. She did not expect He Mei to still have the cheek to come back and look for her. She did not understand why she had to suffer so much while He Meis punishment was so insignificant. It was not fair to her at all. Do you see that? After Qiao Mei gave birth, she looked no different from before. Or rather, she has become even more beautiful. She even helped that little b*tch to hook up with the young master of the Zheng family. As for you, no one wants you even up to now! He Mei said as she looked at Shen Na mockingly. Hmph, do you think your life is any much better than mine? Your Little Uncle must be investigating your whereabouts. If not for me giving you a hiding place, you would have been brought back to the He family for a beating long ago. Do you still need to live so shabbily? On what basis can you criticize me, Shen Na said. On the basis that Im not married yet, Im still an innocent maiden and my Little Uncle is He Ning! Based on these, I can still marry into a good family in the future. I havent lost anything. At most Ill just get a few beatings. Thats no big deal. But youre different. Youre a divorcee! Who would dare to want you! He Mei said. Ever since Shen Na left Ma San, she had not been able to recover her previous way of life. Her familys business was not doing well either and they were even on the verge of going bankrupt at one point. If not for the fact that He Ning continued to give them money, they might not even be able to afford food or a place to live. No one knew who helped Ma San, but he was released only after a few days in prison. Ever since then, he had disappeared without a trace. However, Ma Sans cousin and his mother were still in contact with him and it was said that he would return to the capital soon. The Ma family was probably looking for a new wife for Ma San. As long as Ma San did not take the initiative to provoke Shen Na, she would not take the risk to offend anyone. She had learned from her mistakes and would no longer be as impetuous as before. What does it have to do with you whether anyone wants me or not? I dont need you to pity me. Its not like I cant survive without a man, Shen Na said. Are you willing to accept all these? He Mei questioned. How could Shen Na be willing to accept this? However, what else could she do? She had already lost her child and her husband. The Shen family was currently not very nice to both her and her mother. If not for their relationship with the He family, Shen Na and her mother might already have been kicked out of the family. If He Mei wanted to cause trouble, then so be it. She would not disrespect He Mei, but she would not cooperate with He Mei either. Instead, she would tell He Ning about He Meis every move. Even if this person was beyond her control, there was naturally someone else who could exert control over the person. During this period of time, He Ning had been keeping quiet, as if he was granting permission for He Mei to do whatever she wanted. In fact, it was his way of tempting He Mei. Who said that he was willing to let the Xia family off just like that? The 500,000 dollars which the Xia family took from him not long ago was a huge setback to him. His intention was to let He Mei be the one to cause trouble for the Xia family on his behalf. When the time came, he would still be able to defend himself robustly. The logic of giving up a rook to protect the king was easy to understand, was it not? He Ning believed that he had everything under his control and that whatever happened next would be even more exciting. He could not wait to see what would happen next. Have you managed to find the gifts to send to Qiao Mei? I wont be attending their childrens one-month-old celebration, but I still must send them gifts, He Ning said as he looked at Huo Gao. Chapter 1243 I Am Not A Dog ? "I found a set of toys which I heard is popular with young kids. They''re all novel items that the Xia family has never seen before. I asked Jia Zhong to send them over, but I heard that Xu Lan quietly got rid of the set after accepting it. The items did not end up in Qiao Mei''s hands," Huo Gao reported. He Ning did not get into a bad mood because of this. For something which he had already given away, it was none of his business how the recipient dealt with it. It had nothing to do with him anymore. "Find a way to let He Mei and Ma San contact each other. Get the two of them to work together to find something for the Xia family to do," He Ning said nonchalantly, as if he was talking about something as ordinary as going out to buy groceries. "Qiao Mei always has a companion with her when she goes out recently, so I''m afraid it won''t be easy to make a move on her. However, the Zheng family is in an uproar at the moment. Perhaps we can start with Qian''e," Huo Gao said. "From now on, don''t affect Qiao Mei no matter what you do. Even if you want to hurt Qiao Mei or make use of her, you have to ask me first. I need to see if there''s anything in that brain of yours!" He Ning said as he looked at Huo Gao in disdain. His life was still in Qiao Mei''s hands! Besides, He Ning had yet to be in possession of Qiao Mei and make her cook for him every day. How could he let Qiao Mei be in danger? His plan was to start with Xia Zhe and make the family disintegrate from the inside so that he could be the one to reap the benefits. Although whatever happened to Qian''e would not have any direct impact on Qiao Mei, she would not sit back and do nothing. After all, if anything happened, she would lose her family''s two teachers. Her younger siblings still needed their teachers around for guidance and it had been so difficult to find someone suitable. Huo Gao felt very resigned about his fate. Was he He Ning''s secretary or doctor? Why did he have to do so much work but only getting paid one salary? He wanted to apply for a salary increase, otherwise he would go on strike! Qian''e did not have much contact with her family at the moment. After she settled the matter with Ma San, she focused on working day and night. She worked very hard to earn money and ate very little. After she managed to save some money, she bought a small place to live. It only consisted of one room and she had to share the toilet and kitchen with others. She was already very satisfied to have her own place. Occasionally, she would send Zhao Ni some money and she spent the rest of her time alone. Her days were relatively quiet and there was nothing to worry about, but Zheng Peng''s arrival completely disrupted her peaceful life.I think you should take a look at She had never thought of marrying Zheng Peng. She just wanted to date him and experience the feeling of being in love. She knew very well that she did not have the right to marry anyone. It was within her expectations that she would be humiliated at the Zheng family''s house. She had already prepared herself, but when she faced the actual situation, she still could not help herself from feeling hurt. Those sharp words had pierced right through her heart. She did not expect an educated individual to be able to say things that made her feel so powerless and heartbroken. He did not scold her directly, yet he managed to reprimand her with every sentence he said. "Sigh Qian''e oh Qian''e, why are you so stupid? Why would you believe in a man for a second time? Isn''t the lesson from the last time enough?" Qian''e mocked herself helplessly. Qian''e had waited for Zheng Peng to come and look for her, but he was now locked up by the Zheng family. He had no means of communication and could not contact Qian''e at all. "Let me out! How can you restrict my freedom! I''m a human being, not the Zheng family''s dog! You can''t treat me like this!" Zheng Peng roared. Zheng Yuan frowned. After hesitating for a while, she said to Zheng Su, "Father, let my elder brother out first. You should let him eat something. If this continues, he''ll starve." "Yuan Yuan, it''s not as if you don''t know how stubborn your brother is. Do you want your brother to go and look for that vixen! Just do what we say and go stay in our other house with Zhuang Hua for a while," Zhang Dai said earnestly. "Mother, is my elder brother really that stubborn? Why do both of you have an issue with him? All these years, you have been prejudiced against him. He just wants to be with someone he likes. Is there anything wrong with that?" Zheng Yuan said unhappily. Zheng Peng had always been nice to her. Even though their parents were so biased against him, when they were young, Zheng Peng would still spend a lot of money to buy Zheng Yuan the things she liked. Occasionally missing content, please report errors in time. Chapter 1244 I Do Not Want To Make You Sad ? In the past, Zheng Yuan used to think that the two of them had the same amount of pocket money. It was only after she grew up that she realized Zheng Peng had bought those things for her with the money for his breakfast. Zheng Peng was willing to go hungry to satisfy Zheng Yuan''s wishes. "Just go! You have no right to speak here! It''s not your place to speak about family matters! Get lost!" Zheng Su said sternly. Seeing that the situation was not right, Zhuang Hua bade farewell to Zheng Su and Sun Dai and dragged Zheng Yuan out of the Zheng family''s house. No matter how hard Zheng Yuan struggled, he would not let go. He did not let go even when Zheng Yuan bit him. "My little ancestor, stop biting me. I''m already bleeding," Zhuang Hua said dotingly. "Why did you drag me out! Can''t you see the situation my brother is in! If I leave the Zheng family, what about my brother! After you drag me out like that, he won''t have anyone at home to help him!" Zheng Yuan said furiously. There was now a very deep bite mark on Zhuang Hua''s arm caused by Zheng Yuan and it was still bleeding slowly. However, Zhuang Hua did not care about this. What he needed to do now was to calm Zheng Yuan down. "That''s why we need to get external help. Otherwise, what can you do even if you get your brother out? Besides, it''s not as if you can''t see your father''s stand on the matter. Will the situation get better once your brother gives in?" Zhuang Hua explained patiently. "Then who should we ask for help? I don''t think anyone can think of any solution for something like my brother''s situation. I''ve never seen anyone who can change my father''s mind, not even my mother," Zheng Yuan said dejectedly. Zheng Su had been so angry that he even reprimanded Zheng Yuan. This was already something very rare. Furthermore, he mentioned all those issues in front of Zhuang Hua, not showing Zhuang Hua any respect at all. However, Zhuang Hua did not care about this. After all, the group of children had all grown up together and Zheng Su had always treated Zhuang Hua like his own son and did not view him as an outsider. Zhuang Hua looked in the direction of the Xia family in the distance and said, "Let''s ask them for help. Perhaps there''s still hope?" Zheng Yuan was a little unwilling to do it. It was not that she still had any feelings for Xia Zhe, but she felt a little awkward and did not know how to face Qiao Mei. She still felt very guilty about what happened back then. Zhuang Hua also knew what Zheng Yuan was worried about. However, he felt that Qiao Mei was a very understanding person and definitely would not dwell on what happened back then. Xia Zhe was his good buddy and he was very sure that Xia Zhe would help him in this critical moment.I think you should take a look at "I don''t feel like going. What can they do to help? If they reject us, it''ll feel even worse," Zheng Yuan said as she lowered her head. "No, you have to trust me. Will you let me handle this matter?" Zhuang Hua said patiently. If the issue with Zheng Peng was not resolved properly, then Zheng Peng would not be able to attend their wedding to be held in a few months'' time. This would become a lifelong regret for Zheng Yuan. Zhuang Hua did not want Zheng Yuan to feel sad at all. After Zhuang Hua persuaded Zheng Yuan for a while, she agreed to go to the Xia family to ask for help. She followed behind Zhuang Hua with heavy footsteps and arrived at the Xia family residence. "Auntie, I''m Xiao Zhuang! Is Xia Zhe at home? Zheng Yuan and I are here to visit him and Qiao Mei," Zhuang Hua said with a smile. Xia Zhe was taking care of the children, so it was not convenient for him to go downstairs to welcome Zhuang Hua and Zheng Yuan. Anyway, they were not outsiders since they were all already so familiar with one another. Xu Lan brought them upstairs so that they could take the chance to take a look at the children as well. Zhuang Hua almost laughed out loud when he saw Xia Zhe being a nanny. This was the famous "top army warrior" in their army. At this moment, he was carrying one child on his back and another one in his arms. He was coaxing one to sleep while feeding the other one! He looked extremely comical. "The babies are very obedient. If you speak softly, you won''t wake them up. I''ll go back downstairs. You guys take your time to chat." With that, Xu Lan left the room and closed the door softly behind her. "Shouldn''t the two of you be enjoying your couple time together now? Why do you have the time to come to my house?" Xia Zhe teased. "I have something to discuss with you. We''re facing quite a serious situation here. Do you think you can ask Elder Brother Wen to help us?" Zhuang Hua said. There was no need for small talk between them. It was better to get straight to the point. This would save everyone time and it was also more efficient. Chapter 1245 Unconventional ? At the mention of Xia Wen, Xia Zhe noted the seriousness of the matter. He slowly placed the two children onto their small bed and waited for them to fall asleep before asking Feng Hua to come into the room to take care of them. The three of them then went to the study next door to have a meeting. "What is it that I can''t solve and need my eldest brother to step in? Tell me about it," Xia Zhe asked. "Zheng Peng is under house arrest at home because the family found out about his relationship with Qian''e and their plan to get married. Old Master Zheng totally objects to this marriage. Zheng Peng is now on a hunger strike and refuses to eat at all. Isn''t this the kind of thing that your eldest brother is best at resolving?" Zhuang Hua said. For a moment, Xia Zhe was at a loss for words. He was one of Zheng Su''s students and he knew Zheng Su''s character very well. To put it nicely, he was a principled man. To put it bluntly, he was chauvinistic and very domineering. Zheng Su always wanted everyone to go along with his arrangements. At home, Zheng Su ran his household like an army unit. He viewed Sun Dai, Zheng Peng and Zheng Yuan as his subordinates and needed them to do whatever he said, as if whatever he wanted to do was always the right thing. Back then, when Xia Zhe did not become a couple with Zheng Yuan, Zheng Su was very unhappy about it. On the surface, Zheng Su seemed to have forgiven Xia Zhe, but in reality, Zheng Su had not contacted Xia Zhe since then. In the past, he would ask Xia Zhe to come to his house during the festive seasons. Now, he did not even speak to Xia Zhe. This current issue with Zheng Peng was probably the result of accumulative feelings over the years blowing up, exacerbated by those nasty issues which happened in the past. This was the first time Zheng Peng had gone against his family. Back then, he did not even put up such a strong resistance about the issue of going overseas to study art. It seemed that he really liked Qian''e a lot. "Don''t just keep quiet. Help us come up with ideas. If not for the fact that we have run out of options, we won''t have come to look for you," Zhuang Hua said anxiously. "Instead of asking my eldest brother, it might be better to wait for my wife to come back and ask her to think of a way. After all, she''s the couple''s matchmaker," Xia Zhe said. "Sister-in-law just gave birth, yet you still want to let her worry about our issues," Zhuang Hua said embarrassedly. Xia Zhe did not know how to explain to Zhuang Hua that Qiao Mei was in a very good condition now. The moment Qiao Mei heard from Xia Fang the day before yesterday that she was allowed to eat some meat, she immediately became excited and made a table full of meat dishes! All of them ate so much that they felt like throwing up, but Qiao Mei remained very excited. They did not want to ruin her appetite, so they ended up eating such dishes for two and a half days in a row. In the end, they really could not take it anymore, so they had to discuss with her to see if they could reduce their intake of meat and eat more vegetables.I think you should take a look at Even Xia Fang said that Qiao Mei recovered the fastest among all the pregnant women she had seen. However, Xia Fang still pulled Xia Zhe aside and repeatedly reminded him not to do anything too overboard. Xia Fang said that if Qiao Mei got injured, she would break his legs! He did not know what kind of impression Xia Fang had of him nowadays. Every time she saw him, she would remind him of the same things repeatedly, as if he was a lecherous man who could not keep his hands off Qiao Mei. "Even if you ask my eldest brother to solve this matter, he won''t be able to come up with a good solution. Let''s just wait for my wife to come back. She''s unconventional and never one to play by the rules, so she should be able to come up with some good ideas. The two of you can stay here for the next two days so that it''s easier for you to observe what''s going on at your place," Xia Zhe suggested. "Isn''t your second aunt-in-law''s family here as well? I don''t think it''s that appropriate for us to stay here," Zhuang Hua said. "There are still so many vacant rooms! How is there not enough space for the two of you?" Xia Zhe asked in puzzlement. Since that was the case, the two of them had no reason to decline and agreed respectfully. Qiao Mei and Xia He only came home in the evening. The two of them came in with bags of things and the chauffeur even had another two huge bags in his hands! There were probably enough things to fill three large sacks! It took Xia He a lot of effort to drag her bags in, but Qiao Mei did not seem to feel anything while holding on to two big bags. She could still manage to run. This was simply unbelievable. "Heavens, what did you buy?" Xia You asked in shock. "I bought a lot of fabrics. There are so many designs that I have never seen before so I just keep buying. I never expect to end up like this," Qiao Mei said aggrievedly. Chapter 1246 - 1246 Continue the Family Line 1246 Continue the Family Line Xu Lan quickly grabbed hold of Qiao Mei and said, Zhuang Hua and Zheng Yuan are in the study. Theyre here to look for you. Go up, Ill tidy up these things for you. Qiao Mei hurriedly ran upstairs and pushed the door open. She did not feel awkward at all when she entered and saw Zhuang Hua and Zheng Yuan. Instead, she felt a sense of closeness to both of them. Why are the two of you here! Are you here to give us an invite! You cant leave us out of the guest list for your wedding banquet! Without the two of us, who knows when the two of you will be able to get married! Qiao Mei said happily. You mean I have to thank you! Zhuang Hua said in surprise. Qiao Mei looked at Zhuang Hua smugly and said, Of course. Without me, would the two of you have progressed so quickly? Zheng Yuan might not want to thank me, but you have to thank me! See, I told you shes very spirited. She always says all kinds of strange things. Dont take it to heart, Xia Zhe said with a doting smile. Zheng Yuans originally tense nerves finally relaxed. She had long let go of that matter herself but she did not expect Qiao Mei to be such a magnanimous person. Before Zhuang Hua even started speaking, Qiao Mei already knew what they were going to say. She had been thinking about this while she was out today, but she had not been able to contact Qiane and did not know what was going on over there. The two of you can stay here for a while and have some fun. Dont think too much, Qiao Mei said calmly. Then what about my brother? He cant hold on for that long! If he doesnt eat or drink for three days, hell die! Zheng Yuan said worriedly. Your father is still counting on your elder brother to carry on the family line. How can he die? If your father really doesnt care about him, then it wont matter who hes dating. Is there still a need to be so concerned? As long as your father still wants descendants for the Zheng family, he wont let your brother die, Qiao Mei said in a relaxed manner. As soon as she said that, everyone came to a realization. Xia Zhe also looked at Qiao Mei with admiration. He had always known that Qiao Mei was full of ideas, but he did not expect her to think of a countermeasure so quickly. It turned out that when she looked like a weak little girl in front of him, it was all just an act. They were all just thinking about how to save Zheng Peng, but they had never stopped to think about Zheng Sus stance on the matter. In the end, it was Qiao Mei who had an idea of what was going on. Even though Zheng Yuan now knew that Zheng Pengs life was not in danger, she was still a little worried. After all, she could not bear to see Zheng Peng suffer at all. This is the path your brother chose for himself and he must pay the price for it. Perhaps this is a good test of their love for each other? Its better if we dont interfere too much. The most important thing now is for the two of you to live well and not be affected by this matter. Your brothers relationship is already in a mess. The two of you should not get caught up in a mess too, Qiao Mei said. Then are you able to contact Sister Qiane? Ask her to come and see my brother. She can just stand outside the window and let my brother catch a glimpse of her. Im not afraid that my father will do anything vicious to my brother, Im more worried that my brother will take things too hard, Zheng Yuan said. Qiao Mei also did not know how to handle the issue with Qiane. She could not reach Qiane by phone and did not have her new address. If she took things in her own hands and rashly went to look for Qiane at home, it might cause Qiane to feel resistant. It would be better to give her some time to calm down. Dont worry, your brother isnt that weak, Qiao Mei comforted her. There was not much they could do now. They could only wait for Zheng Su to come around, for Qiane to think things through and for Zheng Peng to have a chance to escape from the Zheng family and take control of his own fate. Ma Sans mother, Chu Ju, had recently been looking at many girls from good families, mainly those who were young, pretty and attractive. Chu Ju was also smart enough to only look at girls from the countryside and not those from the capital. The matter which happened back then had caused such an uproar and she was too embarrassed to look for girls of marriageable age in the capital. Meng Meng, what do you think of this girl? Her face is so delicate and shes really young! Chu Ju said in satisfaction. Theyre all the same. Cant we just find someone whos able to give birth? Ma Meng said resignedly. She knew what kind of person Ma San was. To get him a wife would be to cause harm to the girl! Chapter 1247 I Am Back ? Unfortunately, Ma Meng did not have much say in this family and could only agree with Chu Ju''s decision. As long as the matter did not involve her, she would usually turn a blind eye. "Hmph! If not for that b*tch back then! I would have gotten my eldest grandson long ago! The more I think about it, the angrier I get! I can''t wait to tear her into pieces!" Chu Ju said resentfully. At that time, when Shen Na was still in emergency care in the hospital, there was only He Mei around to tell Chu Ju about what happened. He Mei had conveniently pushed all the responsibility to Qian''e and made her take all the blame regardless of whether she was actually the culprit or not. This had also led to Chu Ju hating Qian''e very much. In the entire Ma family, Ma Meng was the only sensible person. Chu Ju had thrown her into a childcare facility since she was young and Chu Ju had not personally taken care of her for even one day. Therefore, she always looked out of place in the Ma family. She really did not want to listen to what Chu Ju was saying and decided to return to her own room with her things. Originally, they lived in a big villa. They each had their own room and could even choose a different room to sleep in every day. After Ma San and Shen Na divorced, they did not enjoy such a privilege anymore. Fortunately, Chu Ju had a backup plan. When Ma San and Shen Na were still together, she had siphoned away a lot of the Shen family''s funds and bought this big three-bedroom house. This was the only reason why they were not in dire straits at the moment. It was a fact that Chu Ju had some foresight when it came to taking advantage of others. "You wretched girl! Why is it so difficult for me to talk to you! Your elder brother is coming back tonight! Don''t forget to open the door for him, do you understand!" Chu Ju complained. "Got it," Ma Meng replied quickly. At that time, Ma San had been sent to prison but he ended up being rescued for some reason. However, the conditions for his rescue were very strange. That person asked Ma San to leave the capital overnight to live somewhere else. He was not allowed to leave his new location without a letter from the person who rescued him. He was told that if it was discovered that he left on his own accord, he would be hunted down and killed. During this era, it was not unheard of for people to die under mysterious circumstances. If a person was murdered and the dead body thrown into the mountains, and then subsequently declared to have been killed by wolves or tigers during the night, no one would suspect anything.I think you should take a look at Recently, someone had sent a letter to Ma San and he was given permission to return to the capital. From the beginning to the end, he did not know who the person who helped him was. Perhaps this person had nothing better to do and just wanted to have some fun. However, Ma San was not going to come back and do nothing. He wanted revenge! He wanted to take revenge on He Mei, make Shen Na pay the price and for Qian''e to die! If not for Qian''e and He Mei scheming against him, he would not have lost his wife and family. It was all the fault of these two people! Even if he could live a good life in the future by keeping his head down, he would still be a good-for-nothing. He might as well take revenge and vent all the resentment in his heart. At night, Ma San returned home on time. Chu Ju had prepared a table full of dishes to welcome him home. As soon as he entered, Chu Ju hugged him tightly and said, "My son! You''re finally back! I miss you so much! Why are you only back now! Do you know how much we''ve suffered!" Ma Meng looked at the thin and dirty Ma San and then at the plump and healthy Chu Ju. She did not know who was the one who had suffered. "I''m back, Mom. Our family is finally reunited. We won''t be separated again in the future!" Ma San said agitatedly. "Come! Come and eat. I''ve made all your favorite dishes!" Chu Ju quickly led Ma San to the dining table. During the meal, the two of them chatted happily. Ma San even related to them what had happened to him during this period of time. Not only had he learned how to cook, but he also learned how to chop firewood and do farming. These were all things that he had been forced to learn. At first, he felt that it was very boring, but when he knew that he could earn more money by doing more, Ma San worked very hard. At the very least, he had lived life positively for a while. "My son, you''ve suffered. I never expect you to be living such a life! If your father comes back and sees you like this, he definitely won''t let those people off!" Chu Ju said angrily. Ma San''s father used to run a small business in the capital, but after Ma San''s incident, his reputation was tarnished. No one was willing to do business with Ma San''s father, so he had no choice but to go elsewhere to earn a living. However, he also encountered many difficulties as it was not so easy to earn money in an unfamiliar location. Chapter 1248 - 1248 I Only Want A City Girl 1248 I Only Want A City Girl Mom! You dont even know what kind of life I have out there! Ive lost weight during this period of time! I dont even get to eat any meat. Do you know how pitiful I am! Ma San hugged Chu Ju and wailed. Look at the table full of dishes I made for you. These are all your favorites! If theres something else you want to eat, Mom will buy it for you! You wont be treated badly now that youre home! Chu Ju said with heartache. Ma Meng stood at the side and watched the two of them act out a scene of great love between mother and son. They looked like they had just gone through a life-and-death separation. Those who did not know better would think that this family was very closely knitted. She was the one who made all the dishes on the table! Chu Ju did not do anything at all, but she did buy the ingredients so it was not wrong to say that she had contributed. At the dining table, Chu Ju and Ma San chatted happily. They did not care whether Ma Meng had eaten anything or not. In fact, Ma Meng could not even pick up any food. As soon as Ma Meng stretched her hand out to pick up some food, Chu Ju would take the dish and offer it to Ma San. Come, my son. These dishes are all for you. Eat more! Eat as much as you want, Chu Ju said with a smile. After this happened a few times, Ma Meng realized that Chu Ju had no intention of allowing her to eat. She moodily picked at the rice in her bowl and drank some cold water to soothe her throat when she choked from the dryness. Son, now that youre back, you can take a look at the girls from good families Ive picked for you. I have photos here! After dinner, you can see which one you like, Chu Ju said expectantly. Im only just back home and youre already urging me to get married. What if it turns out to be another jinx? I dont want to get married anymore. I dont want to suffer a second time, Ma San said disdainfully. He had realized that women were all troublemakers! Whether it was He Mei, Shen Na or Qiane, they were all scourges! If not for women, he would not be living such a miserable life. Dont worry! Im only going to show you girls from the countryside this time. Theyre all simple-minded and not so scheming! Chu Ju quickly explained. She had yet to have her eldest grandson! The other older folks of her age in the neighborhood already had three to four grandchildren. She could only secretly envy other peoples families. Since Ma San could come back this year and their family was finally reunited, she must get Ma San married this year so that they could give her a fat grandson next year! It was time to make others feel envious of her! She would then be able to show off to those who mocked her family for being one that jinxed children. She must prove that the Ma family was able to have descendants! The moment Ma San heard that his options were all village girls, he was immediately unhappy. Although his previous women were demanding, they were still educated girls from the city. He did not want to marry an illiterate village woman who only knew how to wash clothes and cook. What was the point of a person who did not know much! In the past, when Qiane was free, she would even perform tunes for him! Shen Na also knew how to play the violin and would also occasionally perform for him when she was in the mood. How would girls from the countryside know how to do this! He would rather die than marry a girl from the countryside. I dont want that! I only want a city girl! Ma San said stubbornly. Son, be obedient. Whats so bad about a girl from the countryside? Shes not educated and doesnt know anything. All she knows is how to wait on her husband and wont be like those women who cause trouble for our family. She will also be able to give birth to many children. What else are you dissatisfied with! Chu Ju asked. No city girl would dare to marry Ma San. The news of that incident back then had spread throughout the entire capital. If any nice girl was still willing to marry into the Ma family, she must be crazy. Its useless no matter what you say! I only want a city girl. I wont look at anyone else! Ma San returned to his room without even finishing his meal, completely ignoring Chu Jus feelings. Chu Ju could only sulk angrily. When she could not find a way to vent her frustration, she looked at Ma Meng and shouted, Eat, eat, eat! All you know is to eat! Other than eating, what else can you do! If not for the fact that youre a good-for-nothing, would your brother turn out like this! I should have married you off to any man of a high status, even an old man. Then at least youll still be of some use. Ma Meng raised her head to look at Chu Ju. She was already used to such situations and was even a little numb to them. When she was young, she had always wondered why Chu Ju did not love her and only liked Ma San, that ignorant and incompetent son, even though she was clearly more outstanding and capable. After a while, when she could not find an answer, she gave up trying to find it. Chapter 1249 Young And Beautiful ? Chu Ju looked at the pair of eyes fixed on her and suddenly felt a little guilty. She raised the wine glass in her hand and threw it at Ma Meng. Fortunately, Chu Ju did not hit Ma Meng. Instead, the glass brushed past Ma Meng and dropped on the floor. "Clean up the mess and these dishes! Don''t you know how to go out and buy food! It tastes so awful!" After saying that, Chu Ju returned to her bedroom, leaving Ma Meng alone in the living room. It was only at this moment that Ma Meng could finally take a few bites. "It''s not that bad" Ma Meng muttered softly. For the next few days, Ma San just kept sleeping at home. Every day, he would eat and then go back to sleep. Then he would wake up and continue eating. The slightest thing would irritate him and cause him to fly into a rage. Then Chu Ju would quarrel with Ma Meng. He only wanted to enjoy life now and only wanted to do relaxing things. He was especially happy to order Ma Meng around like a slave every day. Out of the blue one day, Ma San received a call from He Mei. She invited him to a cafe in the afternoon to catch up. He was still fretting about not having the chance to settle scores with her, and did not expect this slut to come knocking on his door instead! Ma San purposely arrived at the cafe an hour late. By then, He Mei had been waiting there for a long time. "Oh, you''re here so early!" Ma San looked at He Mei with a smug expression. He Mei''s patience had long reached its limit, but she could not lose her temper with Ma San yet. She still had business to discuss with Ma San. "I haven''t waited for too long. But it''s been a long time since we last met," He Mei said with a forced smile. "If you don''t feel like smiling, then don''t smile. It''s uglier than crying! If you have something to say, just say it quickly. I feel unlucky whenever I see you!" Ma San said. "Don''t you want revenge? Are you willing to live like this?" He Mei asked as she stared at Ma San. Ma San snorted. Who was the one who caused him to be in such a sorry state now? If not for He Mei being stupid and getting used by others, would he have to suffer? He would still be spending Shen Na''s money and living happily with her and his son by now. However, all this had become just a dream. It was all He Mei''s doing! "I have to thank you for what I have today! If not for you, I may already have two or three children! How can I still be single now! Moreover, I''ve been divorced twice. Who will still dare to marry me now? Don''t tell me you want to ask me to marry you!" Ma San said as he looked at He Mei in shock. "Who wants you to marry me! As if you''re worthy!" He Mei scolded. "If I''m not worthy, then who else is? That kid from the Xia family? You hurt his wife and he already hates you to the core, so why will he marry you? Stop daydreaming and marry me instead. I''ll give you a good time and let you know what it feels like to be a woman!" Ma San stared at He Mei with a different look in his eyes. Back then, Ma San actually did not take a fancy to Shen Na. In fact, he liked He Mei more because of her shapely figure. It was just that He Mei was really very aloof and did not allow anyone to touch her, unlike Shen Na. She was already willing to sleep with him on the day they met. Given He Mei''s current age, there were probably not many men who wanted to marry her anymore. Instead of giving others the chance, he might as well be the one to take advantage of the situation. This could be considered He Mei''s compensation to him. "Dirty hooligan! Is that all you have in your mind! Can''t you think about how to take revenge on those people who hurt you! For example, Qian''e?" He Mei said. "Qian''e? I thought you already taught Qian''e a terrible lesson. Isn''t that enough?" Ma San said. He still had some conscience left. Qian''e had already lost her ability to have children because of him. Moreover, even though she was in her 20s, she looked even older than her mother. It was impossible for any man to take a fancy to her for the rest of her life. Unless it was a hooligan. "Oh, you still don''t know yet. The famous young master of the Zheng family in the capital has taken a fancy to Qian''e. I hear that the kid from the Zheng family even turns his back on his parents for her. Qian''e is now different from before. She''s even more beautiful than when she was in school!" He Mei said. "Who are you bluffing!" Ma San looked at He Mei in disbelief. He Mei knew that Ma San definitely would not believe her. She quickly showed Ma San a photo which she had secretly taken of Qian''e. Only then did Ma San completely believe what He Mei said. Chapter 1250 - 1250 Is There Something Wrong With Your Brain? 1250 Is There Something Wrong With Your Brain? Qiane was a woman he had discarded, yet there was actually a young master who wanted such a woman. Even if Qiane was thrown into a pigsty, the pigs would not fancy her! Was there something wrong with this Young Master Zhengs brain? Could it be that this Young Master Zheng was disabled in some way? Perhaps he was impotent, which was why he would choose Qiane? But even if there was a problem with him, many women would still fall into the arms of the young master for the sake of the Zheng familys wealth. How could Qiane even get the chance? There must be something wrong with this Young Master Zhengs brain! Are you sure the woman in the photo is Qiane? Ma San asked. Have you forgotten what Qiane looked like when she first dated you? Isnt this what she looked like when she was in school? Those two women have been doing very well ever since they left a rotten person like you. Shen Nas family recently signed a new deal and made a lot of money. Youre the only one whos still so poor and downtrodden, He Mei said mockingly. In the past, Qiane was also a very beautiful girl. When she was in school, she had no lack of suitors, but they were all thwarted by He Mei. As long as He Mei was around, she would never allow Qiane to overshadow her. Qiane had to behave gingerly around He Mei and was not allowed to showcase any of her strong points. After He Mei bullied Qiane for a long time, it made Qiane unconfident in her own appearance and she kept feeling that she was ugly. This was the only reason why Ma San was able to take advantage of her. Ma San clenched the photo in his hand angrily and gritted his teeth as he said, Hmph, as if youre doing well yourself. At the end of the day, Qiane is still a woman Ive toyed with. This young master from the Zheng family must have taken a fancy to her looks. Anyway, Qiane is infertile so its convenient to play with such a woman. Theres no need to worry about her getting pregnant at all. Dont use such things to bluff me. I wont fall for that. He Mei felt a little nauseous after hearing what Ma San said. She did not expect Ma San to be so inhumane and not feel the slightest bit of shame at all! However, this was the only way to ensnare Ma San to work for her. She needed to make his mind twisted so that he could do all those crazy things. This way, He Mei would not have to worry too much. He says he doesnt care about what happened to Qiane back then. As long as Qiane loves him, the two of them can adopt a child together. Theyre already talking about getting married! He Mei said. Ma Sans expression instantly darkened. It was not because he loved Qiane very much. If it was Shen Na who had a new beau, he would also behave the same way. He could only accept Qiane and Shen Na having worse lives than him. It would be best if they did not even have enough to eat and were about to starve to death. In any case, they could not have a better life than him! It was the same for He Mei! None of these people could have a good life! As long as he was still suffering in pain, everyone had to be the same as him! Ma San immediately stood up and was about to walk out the door when He Mei quickly stopped him and said, Youre leaving just like that. Where are you going? Do I need to report to you who Im going to look for? Ma San said viciously, looking like he wanted to skin He Mei alive. It made her so frightened that she gulped. Um I just want to tell you that Qiane has moved away and is no longer living in the original neighborhood. You wont be able to find her without me, He Mei said as she pretended to be calm. Ma San stood at the door and stared at He Mei for a long time. Although this woman had made use of him before, she had also given him benefits previously. If he cooperated with her now, he could then trick her into going to a hotel after everything was over. He had heard that He Mei was still an innocent maiden! He would settle all his old and new grudges together. This way, he would not lose out! Are you coming out or not! Weve waited for a long time! said the man at the door who wanted to enter. He had a beautiful lady in his arms! Ma San gave the door a hard kick, shattering the glass. The man at the door thought that Ma San was just trying to scare him and wanted to look manly in front of the lady. He walked forward arrogantly and said, Whats the meaning of this! If youre unhappy, just say it! Ill beat you until you submit! Ill make sure your parents wont be able to recognize you! Its your parents who wont be able to recognize you! You little bastard, how dare you point your fingers at me! You must be tired of living! Ma San held the man down and gave him a fierce beating. The lady was so frightened that she ran away without even looking back. Chapter 1251 - 1251 Definitely Take Revenge 1251 Definitely Take Revenge It was only when the mans face was bruised and swollen and he cried out to Ma San for mercy that Ma San stopped with satisfaction. No one who witnessed the scene dared to step forward to stop the fight. The shop manager did not even dare to call the police. They were all afraid that Ma San would beat them up as well. It did not pay to meddle in someone elses business. As the saying went, one would be better off making friends with an idler rather than offend someone like a gambler. This was because such people did not care about their lives. They lived without knowing if they would see another tomorrow! Alright, lets talk inside, Ma San said to He Mei as he wiped his hands with a handkerchief. As he entered, he still felt that he had not sufficiently vented his anger. He turned around and gave the man another kick before entering with satisfaction. The two of them returned to their original seats and drank their coffee as if nothing had happened. It was as if the two of them had just met. There was now a smile on Ma Sans face. The more he looked at He Mei, the more she looked pleasing to his eyes. He felt much better after venting all the grievances he had suffered recently. Im just here to catch up with you and tell you about what happened in the capital during this period of time. I know you definitely wont want Qiane and Shen Na to have an easy time. My Little Uncle is going to send me back to the mountains soon. Before I leave, I can give you some clues, He Mei said pitifully. In reality, He Ning was not looking for her at all and did not even care if she was dead or alive. She had secretly returned to stay in the old house for the past two days. She knew of a dog hole at the old house through which she could enter the courtyard and stay in the woodshed for a few days. It was already good enough to have a shelter from the elements! In the past, she definitely would not have been able to endure such a life. She could not even imagine how people could live in the woodshed. You make it sound so real. How can your Little Uncle let you escape so easily? Ma San said suspiciously. It doesnt matter whether you believe me or not. I actually came back from the mountains secretly, but my Little Uncle discovered me the day before yesterday. He doesnt want to offend the Xia family, so he insists on sending me back to the mountains. I have no one else to rely on but you. If you dont help me take revenge, no one will remember what we suffered. As He Mei spoke, she even started crying. The way she wept so sadly made the people around feel sorry for her. Ma San was no exception. Although he knew that He Mei was full of schemes, he did not possess any rationality in front of a beautiful woman. As long as He Mei tempted him a little, he would lose his senses! Seeing that Ma San was still suspicious, He Mei slowly placed her hand on his hand and said, Do you know? Im ordered around by that group of people to do manual work every day! My hands are so rough now! He Mei waved her slender hand in front of Ma San. Just as Ma San was about to hold her hand, she suddenly retracted it. I will definitely take revenge! I definitely wont let these two b*tches have a good life! Ma San said firmly. Brother Ma San, Im counting on you! After I leave, dont forget what you promised me! He Mei said. He Mei continued to tell Ma San many things. Generally, what she meant was that as long as he made Qiane and Shen Na pay the price, she might be willing to date him. However, she was very vague with the details, leaving him with plenty of room to fantasize. The moment Ma San knew where Qiane was staying, he went to her house that night. In the dead of night, he secretly pried open the lock on the door. This was a skill that he had picked from his group of scoundrel friends. He did not expect it to come in handy at this moment. When Qiane heard the sound, she woke up abruptly and found Ma San standing in front of her door. She was both surprised and afraid to see him. Qiane immediately picked up the table lamp beside her and pointed it at Ma San as she shouted, How did you get in! Get out! Get out immediately! Why do you care how I get in? I hear that youve been living quite well since you left me. So this is the house which you bought yourself. It looks like you took a lot of money from me before you left. Ma San turned on the lights and looked around him. Everything inside looked brand new, especially the piano in the corner. He recognized this brand. In the past, when Qiane was still with him, she always talked about how good the piano from this brand was, but that it was very expensive. The kid from the Zheng family must have bought it for Qiane. She had really found himself a rich man! She had so many nice things that she almost could not fit everything in her house! Chapter 1252 She Is Also My Woman ? "What has this got to do with you! Get out! Help! Someone help!" Qian''e shouted. "Why are you shouting! Are you afraid that others won''t know! Don''t forget that I was your husband! Even if the neighbors come, they''ll only see a quarrel between a couple. Who do you think they''ll believe, you or me?" Ma San said with a smile. Ma San had caught on that Qian''e was most afraid of others knowing about her past. This was her weakness and she cared about her reputation the most. If she let others know about her past with him, she might even commit suicide! Qian''e looked at Ma San nervously. When he took a step forward, she would take a step back and keep the same distance away from him. She went out early and returned late every day. Her neighbors did not know her well at all and even thought that she worked in the sleaze industry. She did not reach home at a decent hour every day and did not even come back sometimes. The truth was that she stayed over at Qiao Mei''s house on those nights that she did not return home! No one wanted any trouble for themselves. Even if they heard Qian''e calling for help, they would pretend not to see or hear anything. As long as it did not involve them, they would not step up to help. "Don''t come over If anything happens to me! Don''t even think about getting away!" Qian''e threatened. "I know your parents too well. Even if something happens to you, they won''t care about you. They only know how to squeeze you dry of all your money. It''s even better if you die, then all your money will be theirs! They''ll be more than happy!" Ma San said mockingly. Qian''e took out all the money from her pocket and threw it in front of Ma San. "This is all the money I have. Take it and leave my house!" "Money? Do I look like I''m short of money? However, I haven''t tasted you in a long time If you spend the night with me, I might consider letting you go," Ma San said as he looked at Qian''e with narrowed eyes. Qian''e was indeed very stunning at the moment. She was more charming than before and her figure was also more shapely. She was even more beautiful than when they first met. It had been a long time since he touched a woman. Anyway, Qian''e used to be his woman. There was no reason why she could not sleep with him! "Dirty hooligan! Get lost! Even if I die! I won''t continue to fool around with you! Get out!" Qian''e looked at Ma San in disgust and kept waving the table lamp in her hand.I think you should take a look at "Are you trying to play hard to get with me? There''s no part of your body that I haven''t seen. Why not? It''s not your first time, why are you so shy! Don''t tell me that kid from the Zheng family hasn''t touched you yet? I don''t believe it!" Ma San said. Ma San actually knew about Zheng Peng''s existence! Qian''e felt even more certain that there must be someone who sent Ma San her way this time round. Based on Ma San''s capability, be it in the past or now, it was impossible for him to find out her address. The only person who was able to help him was He Mei. She thought He Mei was in the mountains? Could it be that these two people had escaped together! Qian''e looked at Ma San in fear. If Ma San and the He family were both looking for her, the chances of her escaping would be very slim. Ma San did not have the patience to wait for Qian''e to agree to his request and rushed up to knock her out. Qian''e fell weakly into Ma San''s arms and her soft bosom pressed against Ma San''s chest, making him feel very lustful. "This slutty woman. Why didn''t I realize that she has such a good figure in the past?" Ma San said with a lecherous smile. After locking the door, he left the neighborhood with Qian''e in his arms and secretly brought her back to the Ma family''s house. When Chu Ju saw Ma San carrying a woman back, she was shocked and thought that Ma San had abducted a girl from somewhere! "Oh my goodness! Son! Where did you find this woman! This is something illegal! You can''t do it! You''re my only son. You can''t take such a risk!" Chu Ju said agitatedly. Ma San threw Qian''e to the ground resignedly and said, "Look carefully at who this is. I won''t get in trouble for bringing her back! She''s my woman! So what if I bring her home!" "But aren''t the two of you already divorced?" Chu Ju said fearfully. "So what if we''re divorced! She''s a woman who has slept with me!" Ma San said self-righteously. Chapter 1253 - 1253 Do Not Go Home 1253 Do Not Go Home Since he had already brought her home, Chu Ju could not possibly send her back! Even if Chu Ju sent her back unharmed, it did not mean that Ma San had not done anything to her. Once Qiane woke up, she would still go to the police station to file a report. Ma San had just been released from prison. In order to hide from his enemies, he could not even return home for a long time. Otherwise, even if he could hide for a while, he could not hide for the rest of his life! Chu Ju did not want him to go through this again. She also did not want to go through the experience of waiting bitterly for him to come home. As long as she kept this matter a secret, no one would find out! Ma San would not be in any danger! Then then lets quickly move her into the room! But theres no place for her in our house. Where should we put her? How about we put her in your room! Chu Ju said in a panic. Ma San did not want to be in the same room as Qiane. She was not totally exhausted yet and could attack him any time. Even if he tied her up and threw her into a corner, he would not dare to fall asleep. Put her in Ma Mengs room. Then go and give Ma Meng a call and tell her not to come home for the time being! After Ma San said that, he picked up Qiane and walked towards Ma Mengs room. He did not even intend to discuss it with Ma Meng in advance. Chu Ju followed Ma Sans instructions and hurriedly made a phone call to Ma Mengs workplace unit. Ma Meng currently had a job in the factory, having taken over Chu Jus original position. Originally, Ma Sans grandfather also had a position in the factory and intended to let him take over, but he always complained that the job was too tiring. Therefore, he contacted He Mei and after contemplating between Qiane and Shen Na, he became the Shen familys matrilocal son-in-law. He did not care about how many people called him a toy boy. Ma Sans father also supported Ma Sans actions at that time. After Ma San and Shen Na got married, it was totally beneficial to their familys business! Ma Sans father had made a lot of money out of it! However, Ma Sans grandfather turned up his nose at this marriage. He did not even attend Ma Sans wedding ceremony and cut off all contact with Ma Sans family, deciding to live by himself. Ma Meng! Dont come home for the time being! Theres something going on at home! Chu Ju said hurriedly. What? I cant go home? Then where am I supposed to stay? Ma Meng asked in puzzlement. I dont care where you stay! Think of a way yourself! Youre already an adult, do you need an old woman like me to come up with a solution for you! Why is it that other peoples daughters dont need their parents to worry about them, but you are so troublesome! Anyway, dont come back for the time being! After saying that, Chu Ju hung up the phone, leaving Ma Meng in a daze on the other end of the phone. She did not know how to process what Chu Ju just said. This was not the first time she had encountered something like this. It was clear to her that whenever something happened in the Ma family, the first person they abandoned was Ma Meng. She could only thank her lucky stars that she was not in their way. Ma Meng sighed deeply. She had just received her salary the day before yesterday and Chu Ju had already taken all her money. She was penniless at the moment and only had the bicycle she rode to and from work. Was she supposed to sleep on the streets? Team leader, is there still any space in our factory dormitory? Ma Meng asked cautiously. Xiao Meng, its not that I dont want to help you, but there are so many people queuing up to get a spot in our factorys dormitory. There is indeed no more space. Why dont you look elsewhere? the team leader said awkwardly. The team leader was much older than Ma Meng and was almost the same age as Chu Ju. Naturally, she knew how badly Ma Meng was treated in the Ma family. However, every family had their own difficulties and Ma Meng was not the only one who faced issues. She could not allow Ma Meng to get in through the back door just because she pitied Ma Meng. That would only make everyone gossip about them. Ma Meng also understood all this and did not continue asking. In any case, the factory was big enough for her to find shelter somewhere. At most, she would just sleep in a corner of the factory for a couple of days. It was still better than sleeping under a bridge. When it was time to get off work, everyone left except Ma Meng, who sat in the workshop in a daze. At night, the security officers had to check the workshops one by one to see if there were any illegal trespassers. There were many thieves in the area around here! If the security officers could not guard the things in the workshop properly, they would have to be responsible for all the lost items. A single machine could cost tens of thousands of dollars! They could not afford to take on the responsibility. Chapter 1254 - 1254 Which Piece of Clothing to Choose 1254 Which Piece of Clothing to Choose Hey! Stop right there and dont move! Who are you! Why are you still here! What are you trying to do in the middle of the night! The security officer shone the flashlight in Ma Mengs eyes and she reached out to block the bright light out of fright. She could not even see who was in front of her. The security officer walked closer and realized that it was Ma Meng. He quickly shone his flashlight towards the floor and said agitatedly, Xiao Meng, why are you still here? I thought theres a thief in the workshop! You scared me! The security officer on duty today was an elderly man whom Ma Meng knew. His surname was Lu and he was a very nice person who always brought Ma Meng a lot of delicious food. Old Mister Lu always said that Ma Meng reminded him of his granddaughter and that he felt sorry for her. That was why he favored Ma Meng so much. Old Mister Lu I cant go home, so Im spending the night here. Please make an exception and dont chase me away, Ma Meng said as she held back her tears. Old Mister Lu immediately knew that something had happened in the Ma family again. Every time something happened, the Ma family would throw Ma Meng out and ignore her. Old Mister Lu had heard about it many times, but this was the first time he had bump into Ma Meng personally. Its fine! Come! Follow me. Theres a bed in the security office! You can sleep there. Im on duty the whole of this month. Dont worry, youll be alone in that room. I still have to patrol at night! You can sleep for as long as you want! Dont be afraid, Im here! Old Mister Lu said immediately. When Ma Meng heard what Old Mister Lu said, her tears started flowing uncontrollably. She thought that she could put on a brave front and deal with all this stoically, but in the face of Old Mister Lus concern for her, her tears seemed to have found a reason to flow out uncontrollably. If someone who was not related to her by blood could treat her so well, she could not understand why Chu Ju and Ma San could treat her like this. The next day, the sun rose as usual. Ma Meng still had to go to work. Qiao Mei and Xia He also had a lot of things to do. It was Deng Fans birthday today. The day they had been waiting for was finally here. The other day, the two of them walked around the shopping mall for a long time and finally decided on a watch for Deng Fans birthday gift. Qiao Mei heard from Luo Yu that when she met with her accident, Deng Fan had also put in a lot of effort to help. Qiao Mei knew that Deng Fans parents were highly educated people and liked to drink tea very much, so she bought two good quality Puer tea cakes for Deng Fan. She could only give Deng Fan a gift this way. After all, it was not appropriate for her to give him a gift directly. Qiao Mei, come and help me take a look at this dress! Is it inappropriate for me to wear red on someone elses birthday? Will I be overshadowing the host! Xia He picked up a dress and twirled around in front of the mirror. Qiao Mei was almost dozing off as she looked on. This was already the 12th dress that Xia He was trying on. Xia He had asked Qiao Mei the same question each time she tried on a new dress. In the beginning, Qiao Mei still had the patience to answer the questions one by one. By now, Qiao Mei would only say one sentence no matter what she saw in front of her. Its very nice! Qiao Mei finally understood why most men did not like to go shopping with their girlfriends. It was really too torturous. Even if they said that something looked good, the women would still try on another set of clothes. Moreover, they had to give different feedback for each set of clothes so that they appeared to be paying attention. However, it was either nice or not nice and it was not always possible to explain why. Furthermore, everyones aesthetic standards were different. Sometimes, it was just the feeling one had at first sight. Even if a dress seemed to look quite nice, some people would not like it no matter what. Help me choose one! Help me take a look! Xia He pouted and said angrily. Qiao Mei randomly picked up a dress and said, This one then. I think this one is not bad. No! Wearing a white dress to someones birthday celebrations! How inauspicious! Help me look for something else! Xia He said with a frown. Qiao Mei was completely annoyed by Xia He. She stood up and took out her favorite smoky purple dress, saying angrily to Xia He, This one! Stop choosing! Im getting dizzy from looking at them! If you dont believe me, then you can continue on your own! I like this one. No matter how many times you ask, Ill pick this one! Im going back to sleep! Alright Xia He said as she looked at Qiao Mei in shock. Although she had experienced Qiao Meis morning temper before, this was the first time she had lost her temper so directly. Chapter 1255 Grand ? Actually, it was not Qiao Mei''s fault for getting angry. She had not heard of anyone who started picking out clothes at six in the morning to try on one by one and even wanted someone to be around to provide an opinion. Even Xia Wan, with her gentle temper, would not be able to accept it. Qiao Mei was already very kind to have accompanied Xia He until now. Xia He took Qiao Mei''s advice and changed her clothes and shoes. It was rare for her to be willing to spend money to get her hair done. Her dark hair was styled into beautiful waves and it made her look much gentler than usual. This was all Qiao Mei''s efforts! In the beginning, Xia He could not bear to spend money to get her hair styled at the hair salon. Deng Fan had already seen her at her worst. She thought it was too much of a fuss to specially style her hair. However, Qiao Mei said that men needed excitement. If the woman did not give him some visual stimulation, as time passed, he would forget how beautiful she used to look. A woman could not always look so disheveled. To be able to attract a blockhead like Xia Zhe so quickly, Qiao Mei must have some tricks up her sleeve. Xia He felt that she could do no wrong to listen to Qiao Mei. Even the accessories she was wearing were chosen by Qiao Mei. Deng Fan''s birthday banquet was held at his house today. It was very likely that Xia He would meet Deng Fan''s parents, so it was very important for her to portray a good image. This was the first time that Xia He was formally visiting Deng Fan''s house after graduation, so she definitely must put her best foot forward. Xia He had even asked the Xia family''s chauffeur to wait at the door for her. There were already two bottles of good wine in the trunk to be given to Deng Fan''s father later. She had actually wanted to buy more gifts for the Deng family at the mall the other day, things like a gift box of donkey-hide gelatin and a box of red bird''s nest. Qiao Mei had hurriedly talked some sense into Xia He. She was only going to Deng Fan''s birthday celebration, not to meet her in-laws. There was no need to put so much effort into it, otherwise it would make Deng Fan''s parents feel uncomfortable instead. Bringing two bottles of liquor was appropriate enough. It did not feel too cheap but at the same time, it did not seem as if she was trying too hard. "Are you really not going with me? I''m scared to go alone," Xia He said pitifully as she looked at Qiao Mei. "It''s Deng Fan''s birthday. Why should I go? Besides, I don''t even know Deng Fan. It''s not appropriate for me to go," Qiao Mei said. "But" As Xia He tried to look for a reason to persuade Qiao Mei to accompany her, Qiao Mei quickly added, "Someone still says that she doesn''t like Big Brother Deng! Look at so many bags of things. She''s just short of moving her entire room over. Someone should quickly agree to Big Brother Deng''s request! If Big Brother Deng suddenly goes back on his word, someone can only cry!" "Who says I like him! I''m leaving!" Xia He said angrily.I think you should take a look at Xia He took her things and walked out of the door with heavy steps, looking like a warrior ready to meet her death. She looked like she was on a journey of no return. "Do you think she will succeed?" Xia You said as she appeared quietly behind Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei got a shock and patted her chest in fear, saying, "I don''t know if she''ll succeed, but you definitely won''t be able to escape your fate today!" After saying that, Qiao Mei started to tickle Xia You. The two of them chased each other around the living room and had a lot of fun. Along the way, Xia He was filled with trepidation. She really did not like such formal occasions. Xia He had a carefree personality and she never learnt the art of keeping up appearances and making small talk at social functions. She hated those superficial events the most. It was always better to head out for a couple of casual drinks. Before she knew it, she had already arrived at Deng Fan''s house. There were not many people inside and most of them were neighbors and a few of Deng Fan''s good friends. Deng Fan had been waiting at the main door for Xia He for a long time. He had never looked forward to seeing someone so much! "Why are you at the door? It''s so chilly today. Don''t catch a cold." Xia He got out of the car and looked at Deng Fan worriedly. "I''m fine. Let''s go in." Deng Fan took the things from the chauffeur in a gentlemanly manner and accompanied Xia He into the house. The current layout of the courtyard and the house was completely different from how it was when they were young. As soon as she entered the house, she saw that the walls were filled with calligraphy scrolls written by grandmasters. Xia He suddenly felt as if she had arrived at a museum. "Hello, Uncle and Auntie. I''m Deng Fan''s friend. My name is Xia He." Xia He greeted Deng Fan''s parents with a faint smile. Jiang Shu''s eyes lit up the moment she saw Xia He. No wonder when she asked Deng Fan to bring Xia He home for her to take a look, Deng Fan did not agree no matter what she said. Deng Fan even said that he was afraid that she would scare Xia He off. Chapter 1256 A Thief From Within Is Hard To Guard Against ? "Xiao He, you''re here! Come in quickly! Girls really look different once they grow up. You look completely different from when you were young! You''re so beautiful!" Jiang Shu said happily. Deng Rui walked on tiptoes to Deng Fan''s side and said, "Look at your Mom. If she''s a man, she''s a cad!" Deng Fan did not know if he should go forward to stop Jiang Shu and ask her to calm down. At this moment, Jiang Shu was already holding on to Xia He''s hand and refusing to let go. She even kept touching Xia He, the fondness in her eyes seemingly about to overflow and she looked like she might drool soon. "Come on, Dad. Don''t act innocent. It''ll be terrible if my mother hears you! Back then, my mother wouldn''t have married you if you''re not good-looking," Deng Fan said. Deng Rui straightened his back proudly and said, "Hmph! Of course! Back then, I was the school hunk! So many girls wooed me! Your mother has good taste!" Deng Fan held back his laughter. This was completely different from Jiang Shu''s version of the story. Jiang Shu had clearly told Deng Fan that it was Deng Rui who wooed her! Actually, neither of them had told him the truth. At that time, Deng Rui''s family was very poor, but his parents did everything they could to allow Deng Rui to go to school. After his parents finished paying for his education, they suddenly died in an accident. Thereafter, their house was forcefully taken away by Deng Rui''s grandfather. He suddenly found himself homeless and even had to sleep under a bridge for a period of time. At one point, he was so hungry that he fainted by the roadside. It was Jiang Shu who found him and brought him home. Fortunately, Jiang Shu''s family had some money at that time and had enough food to feed him as well. That was how Deng Rui managed to survive in the end. As a form of repayment to the Jiang family, Deng Rui gave Jiang Shu tuition for free in exchange for room and board at the Jiang family''s house. He was a good teacher to Jiang Shu and the young Jiang Shu eventually fell in love with Deng Rui. There was an eight-year gap between her and Deng Rui! However, she still insisted on marrying Deng Rui despite her parents'' objections. Deng Rui had never forgotten Jiang Shu''s kindness to him. Of course, he married Jiang Shu out of love and not because he wanted to repay her kindness. During the decades of their marriage, no matter how much money they had, Deng Rui would always set aside the best things for Jiang Shu. The fact that he loved Jiang Shu her entire life proved that she had not chosen the wrong person. "Save those stories of yours for other people. I''ll go and entertain Xia He. If I don''t go soon, my mother will rub a layer of skin off Xia He''s hands." After saying that, Deng Fan went to Xia He''s side. At this moment, Jiang Shu was still talking to Xia He.I think you should take a look at "Xiao He, how nice will it be if you are my daughter! I only have one son, Deng Fan. This is the thing I regret the most in my life! I have always wanted a daughter! Why don''t you become my daughter!" Jiang Shu said excitedly. Just as Xia He was lost for words, Deng Fan hurriedly interrupted Jiang Shu and said, "Don''t! What is this about having a daughter! I don''t want any younger siblings! Stop it!" "Xiao He is older than you! She can''t be your younger sibling!" Jiang Shu said angrily. Ѧdsvel.cm "No older siblings as well! Nothing!" Deng Fan said agitatedly. This was someone he wanted to be his wife! How could he let Jiang Shu make her his older sister! Then all his previous efforts would have been in vain! He had waited bitterly for so many years! Deng Rui also gestured to Jiang Shu from behind Xia He. Jiang Shu immediately understood what the father-and-son duo was thinking and said to Deng Fan with a smile, "Then you have to work hard quickly! If you can''t do it, don''t blame me for making a move. Anyway, I don''t mind the status as long as I can keep Xia He by my side! I''m not picky~" Xia He lowered her head and laughed discreetly. She did not expect Deng Fan''s family to be so cute. She had thought that these highly educated people were all very rigid! She did not expect Deng Fan to be so aloof in front of outsiders, but so chatty in private and to act so childishly in front of his parents. As there were still many other guests at home, Jiang Shu did not continue talking to Xia He and went to get busy in the kitchen. Deng Rui patted Deng Fan''s shoulder and said, "Your mother is very capable! You have to be careful!" Deng Fan held his forehead helplessly. What exactly was going on He did not expect that his greatest enemy was not Luo Yu, but his own mother! It was really hard to guard against a thief from within! Chapter 1257 - 1257 Huge Wardrobe 1257 Huge Wardrobe After dinner, a few of Deng Fans long-time neighbors stayed for a chat at the house. Jiang Shu took the opportunity to bring Xia He to Deng Fans bedroom. Even if Deng Fan caught up with them to stop her, it would be useless. In this house, Jiang Shu was the boss. Xiao He, come and take a look. These are all Deng Fans treasures! He usually doesnt let us touch them! Jiang Shu said mysteriously. Xia He looked at the huge wardrobe in front of her and felt a little shocked. She always had the impression that boys had very few possessions, like Xia Wen and Xia Zhe. Their rooms were very simply furnished, with only a table, bookcase and single bed. Their wardrobe only had one compartment and they could not even fill it up. It was rare to see someone like Deng Fan, who had a four-compartment wardrobe in his bedroom. Is this big wardrobe full of his clothes? Xia He asked curiously. Why dont you open it and take a look? Jiang Shu said with a smile. Xia He was curious enough to want to reach out and take a look, but she felt that it was not right to do so. This was Deng Fans personal item and she had no reason to look at it. Unless Deng Fan gave his permission, she should not touch it. No, no! I cant do this. What if Deng Fan gets angry? Xia He said cautiously. He will never bear to flare up at you. If you want to wait for that kid to take the initiative to show it to you, youll only be able to see it when its a cold day in hell! He only wishes that you never find out about this! Jiang Shu said angrily. After that, she opened the compartment nearest to the wall. As soon as the compartment door was opened, Xia He covered her mouth in surprise. The entire compartment was filled with things related to her and many of them were items that she used to have. However, the things Deng Fan kept here were brand new and completely unused. It seemed that Deng Fan had been silently observing Xia He all this while. There was a board filled with photos of Xia He. These were photos taken at school and even stills of Xia Hes dance performances. It was not an easy task to collect all these photos. Deng Fan had actually bought tickets to watch every stage performance which Xia He starred in. All the ticket stubs were pasted in a booklet in chronological order and he even wrote down his feelings for each day. The sentences reflected his fondness for Xia He. After flipping through two pages, Xia He did not have the courage to continue reading. He... Xia He blushed and did not know what to say. I just want to show you how my son feels. I dont have any other intentions. If I dont help him, he wont ever be able to find a wife! My silly son is exactly like his father! He has kept his feelings inside for so many years and refused to say it out. Hes totally unlike me! Jiang Shu said, as if she expected better from him. Was it Auntie who wooed Uncle back then? Xia He asked as she looked at Jiang Shu curiously. Jiang Shu said confidently, Of course! Your Uncle Deng was so handsome and he was tall and cultured too. He was a university student and there were so many girls who liked him! If I didnt take the initiative, your Uncle Deng would have been snatched away by another girl! I have never told anyone else about this except you. What I tell everyone is that hes the one who wooed me! In this era, although people were generally a little more open-minded about relationships, couples were still not allowed to do anything too intimate in public, not even holding hands. A couple must keep a distance of two fists between them, otherwise they would be criticized using posters! One could only imagine what it was like more than 20 years ago. Jiang Shu was very brave to dare to take the initiative to pursue Deng Rui. If she was discovered, she would be labeled as a slut and people would say that she was a shameless woman! Many women would simply choose to go along with their parents wishes and marry a man whom their parents found acceptable. At that time, there was a saying, Marry a man and be fed and clothed. A woman would marry any man as long as he could provide her with food to eat and warm clothes to wear. The children of poor families did not have the right to choose how to live their lives. If one did not even have enough food and was about to starve to death, why would one even have glorious ideals and great ambitions? Auntie, werent you afraid that Uncle would reject you back then? Xia He asked. Of course not. He also had a crush on me and had liked me for a long time. Otherwise, I wouldnt have worked so hard. Hes indeed a good man who is really hard to come by, Jiang Shu said blissfully. Chapter 1258 - 1258 Them” 1258 Them Xia He looked at the smile on Jiang Shus face and felt extremely envious. She had been married before and knew very well what life was like after marriage. In the beginning, the man would always pick the nicest things to say. After the woman really married into the family, everything would change. The new daughter-in-law always ended up having to do everything. If she also had a difficult and willful mother-in-law, she would only end up suffering through the days! Xia He could choose to get a divorce because she had the backing of her influential maternal family, but there were many women like Li Gui who had to endure the hardships no matter what. Li Gui was lucky to have given birth to a capable girl like Qiao Mei. Otherwise, she would still be suffering in that small county city! Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao also would not be so filial to Li Gui now. Seeing that Xia He was a little hesitant, Jiang Shu quickly said, I dont have any other intentions by showing you this today. I just want you to see how much my son likes you. Thats all. Otherwise, this kid will still keep everything to himself! Im just putting in the effort for him, but it doesnt mean that you must like him and marry him. Xia He did not understand why Jiang Shu would say that. She was in such a hurry to make Xia He either her daughter or daughter-in-law just now, was she not? However, she was saying something completely different now. Were both women and we both know how it is. I think my son is fantastic because hes my son, but others may not feel the same way. My son has his own issues and only you will know if hes suitable for you. You have to clearly see for yourself if my son is the person you can entrust your future to. Make sure you dont ruin your own life, Jiang Shu said earnestly. This was the first time Xia He had met such a reasonable person. Anyone elses parents would be urging Xia He to be with Deng Fan immediately. They would not advise the girl to consider her decision carefully. Looking at how serious Jiang Shu looked, Xia He suddenly felt like crying. Although Xu Lan loved Xia He very much, she never showed it outwardly. She may have done many things for her children, but she never said what she did. It was very difficult for them to feel her love for them. However, Jiang Shu was different. She was like the wind in spring, bringing vitality and coolness at the same time, making people feel very relaxed. Xia He realized now why Deng Fan had such a personality. It was closely related to his upbringing. I understand, Auntie. Thank you for telling me so much, but arent you afraid that Ill run away! You said just now that you like me very much! Xia He joked with Jiang Shu. Im not afraid! If things dont happen, then you can be my daughter! Its my sons loss, not mine. Theres nothing for me to be afraid of. Furthermore, it still depends on our respective capabilities! Its not like Im not helping him to get a wife, so he cant blame me if hes not capable enough, Jiang Shu said as she pouted. The two of them chatted animatedly for a long time. Jiang Shu had actually never taken a close look at Deng Fans things and only knew that he had such a compartment. Xia He quietly looked through everything for more than an hour. She had almost forgotten about those past days in school. She did not expect Deng Fan to notice everything and even note it down. This part of her life was like a very long story. In the past, she had always looked at the world from her own perspective and that was also how she recalled her experiences. She did not expect these memories to be about them rather than only her now. As she closed the last one of Deng Fans diaries, Xia He took a deep breath and felt her thoughts gradually becoming clearer. That feeling of love that she had never dared to admit to herself in the past also started to well up in her heart. However, she was not an impulsive person who would immediately want to be with Deng Fan after seeing all these things. She still wanted to observe Deng Fan for a while and she would only marry him if he met all her requirements. Thank you, Auntie. You let me know so much, Xia He said. I should be the one thanking you. All these years, my son has been working hard so that he can be worthy of you as soon as possible. You probably dont know this, but my son was a delinquent in junior high school! Hes a notorious one in this area! After he entered high school, he suddenly became a different person one day. It was like he underwent a transformation, Jiang Shu said. Xia He knew that the change was most likely because of her. Back then, when she ran into the delinquents who bullied her friends, she stepped out to teach them a lesson. She even had a clash with Deng Fan and both refused to back down. Chapter 1259 - 1259 I Seem to Like You 1259 I Seem to Like You The clash was actually a fight between them. In less than two minutes, Deng Fan lost to Xia He. How could an amateur like him defeat a professional like Xia He? Xia He told Deng Fan to disband his so-called hooligan team, to study hard and not to do such useless things again. Perhaps that was the moment when Deng Fan fell in love with Xia He. Xia He only entered the same high school later on. It was Xu Lan who specially transferred her there from the military school so that she could focus on learning to dance. Everyone was curious about Xia Hes background at that time. Deng Fan was no exception. Given the earlier incident, he began to wonder why this transfer student was so arrogant and how a girl could be so capable. There were too many enigmatic points about Xia He and he started to check on her background bit by bit, not expecting to become so engrossed in the end. As it was getting late, Deng Fan sent Xia He home. Neither of them wanted to drive. The two-kilometer journey was not an issue for them. People who were in love indeed tended to lose their heads. In the past, Xia He would never have walked two kilometers home on foot. That was like a nightmare to her! She would get the chauffeur to pick her up rather than walk home. However, when she was with Deng Fan, she always wished that time would pass slower so that the two of them could spend more time together. What did my mother tell you? I hope she didnt say a lot of weird things, Deng Fan said fearfully. Let me think... Oh! I cant remember! Xia He said playfully. Deng Fan could easily guess what Jiang Shu had done. He felt a little flustered and wondered if Xia He would still want to be friends with him after knowing about those things he did in the past. He wondered if she would think that he was a pervert and hoped that they could at least still be able to maintain their current relationship. novlUsb.cOm Xia He could tell that Deng Fan was worried. She did not intend to say too much to him. To her, there was no such thing as a girl taking the initiative to confess her feelings! That would be too unromantic! However, Deng Fan had held a torch for her for so many years. Even in those days when he could not see her at all, he still loved her deeply. Although they did not have any chance to interact at all, he still took the effort to accompany her silently. Even if she said something... it was not any loss to her! Stop right there! Xia He said while blushing. Deng Fan stood opposite Xia He and asked, Are you unable to walk anymore? Do you want me to carry you on my back? Were about to reach your house. Ill carry you for a while. Xia He nodded slightly. Deng Fan turned his back to Xia He and slowly squatted down. Xia He carefully climbed up on Deng Fans back. As she had undergone physical training for a long time, she was definitely not as slender as other girls and she had muscles all over. She hoped she was not too heavy for Deng Fan... She did not expect Deng Fan to be so strong even though he looked thin and weak. He carried Xia He on his back easily and he continued to breathe easily. Xia He silently buried her head in Deng Fans shoulder and whispered, I... I realize I seem to like you a little bit... Deng Fan stopped in his tracks. He stood rooted to the ground and did not know what to say. He wanted to put Xia He down and look into her eyes to check if she was telling the truth and whether he had heard wrongly just now. Why... why arent you moving... Xia He said. Im just too agitated and dont know what to say. Are you speaking the truth just now? I hope its not because of my mother. If what my mother said to you today makes you feel pressured, dont take it to heart. Shes just worried about me, Deng Fan asked worriedly. Im telling the truth. Ive been thinking about it for a long time, but this doesnt mean that Ive accepted you! I just... just like you a little but... not that much! Xia Hes words did not make sense. Deng Fan smiled faintly and listened quietly as Xia He continued to quibble. The streetlights shone on them and made long shadows. It was anyones guess if their future path would be as long. Ma San waited for an entire day but Qiane still did not wake up, so he had been throwing a tantrum at Chu Ju the whole day. One moment, he wanted to eat watermelons which were only available in summer and the next moment, he wanted chicken soup. Moreover, he wanted to drink it immediately and did not want to wait for even one minute. Try this! I just bought this soup. See if it suits your taste! Chu Ju asked eagerly as she held a bowl of chicken soup. Chapter 1260 - 1260 Conscious 1260 Conscious It seemed greasy and did not look appetizing. Ma San knocked over the bowl which Chu Ju was holding and said, Is this even meant for human consumption! Would you drink it! I dont want it anymore! Chu Ju did not even dare to make a sound when her hands were scalded. She quickly took a piece of cloth to wipe the floor clean. If Ma San had a fall while walking around later, she would get scolded again. Seriously! What are you good for! Otherwise, let Ma Meng come back and cook! At least shes quick with the chores! Youre so old and you make so many mistakes! Ma San complained. Chu Ju said nervously, I just didnt rest well yesterday! Ill definitely be able to do better. Son, dont be anxious. Ill go and cook you something! Theres no need to cook! Lets just eat whatever we have. I dont have any appetite now! Ma San said impatiently. When Ma Meng was at home, at least the food always smelled good. As for Chu Ju, it was already good enough if she did not poison anyone to death with her cooking! He could never expect her to be able to make any delicacies. The thing was that Ma Sans tastebuds had long been spoiled by Shen Nas chef and he did not care for simple food at all. Chu Ju had no choice but to go to the restaurant at the entrance of the neighborhood to buy a few dishes to tide over during this period of time. She did not want to let Ma Meng return to this house at all. Ma Meng was their familys jinx! As long as Ma Meng was around, nothing good would happen! Ma Meng might even betray Ma San and report him for bringing Qiane back. If Ma San went to jail again, she would have any hope left for the rest of her life. Could she expect Ma Meng to wait upon her and take care of her until she died? It would be good enough if Ma Meng did not strangle her to death! However, anyone with a discerning eye could tell that actually Ma San was the unfilial child. Chu Ju continued to be indulgent and biased only because her preference for boys over girls was already deeply ingrained in her mind. Not long after Chu Ju left, a banging sound suddenly came from the room. Ma San became excited when he realized that Qiane had finally woken up. Qiane struggled to open her eyes. Her vision was still not very clear, and it took her a while to take a good look at the room. This was a place she had never seen before and she did not know where she was. However, she could tell from the photo frame on the table who the owner of the house was. Combining that with the memories from before she fainted, she realized that she had been kidnapped by Ma San. Firstly, she had no money and secondly, she was infertile. What use did Ma San have for her? Just as Qiane was struggling to untie herself, Ma San pushed the door open and entered the room. Qiane widened her eyes and stared at Ma San. Her mouth was gagged and she could not speak. Her hands and feet were tied up and she could not move. Her current situation made her feel like she was at Ma Sans mercy. Hello you. I dont think youd ever expect to fall into my hands, Ma San squatted down and gently stroked Qiane on the cheek. Qiane instantly had goosebumps all over her body. She kept dodging his touch and her stomach started to feel a little uncomfortable. If not for the fact that there was a gag in her mouth, Qiane would have vomited all over Ma San. Even one touch from him made her feel disgusted! I know youre annoyed by me, but its useless. I just want to torture you! I want you to wish that youre dead! I want you to know that even if you leave me, you cant live a carefree life, Ma San said viciously. Qiane turned her head away and chose to ignore him. This action made Ma San very angry. He pulled out the towel from her mouth and grabbed her chin as he said, You look really good now. It seems that that man from the Zheng family has taken good care of you. Perhaps I should thank him. How do you know about him? Qiane looked at Ma San in shock. How difficult is it to know such things? I can find out everything after a little investigation. You probably dont know yet, but that kid from the Zheng family is about to die! Hes on a hunger strike because of you. How macho of him. Tell me, what did you do to charm an ignorant and incompetent young master to this extent? Youre not that good in bed, Ma San said as he looked at Qiane in disdain. Qiane immediately spat in Ma Sans face and said, I must be really blind to have taken a fancy to you back then! Not everyone is as disgusting as you! Dont apply your dirty thoughts to us! Let me go! Chapter 1261 - 1261 Like a Silkworm Cocoon 1261 Like a Silkworm Cocoon He originally thought that Qiane would be nicer to him after suffering a little, but he did not expect her temper to be no different from before. She was still so bad-tempered and stubborn. Even though Qiane was now very pretty and looked much better than before, Ma San did not dare to risk it. What if this crazy woman ended up attacking him? Besides, who knew if Qiane had already slept with that idiot from the Zheng family? He also did not know how many men she had slept with during this period of time. She might even pass on some disease to him! How disgusting would that be! Stupid whore, you can just stay here! No one will come and save you! How dare you be so rude to me! If you admit to me that youre in the wrong, I might still forgive you, Ma San said. Pfft! You bastard! Youre not worthy! Stop daydreaming! Let me tell you! Even if I have to die, I wont let you get what you want! Qiane scolded him angrily. Without another word, Ma San went straight to the storage room and took out long pieces of twine and cloth strips. He tied up Qiane by her hands and feet again and secured the knots even tighter this time. He then threw Qiane onto the bed and used the thick cloth strips to tie her tightly to the bed, making it impossible for her to move. Qiane now looked like a silkworm cocoon which was wrapped tightly and left on the bed. Ma San! Youll die a horrible death! Let me tell you, I wont let you off! When I escape, Ill definitely put you in jail! Qiane glared at Ma San with bloodshot eyes. Ma San did not care at all. Instead, he stood at the door and admired his masterpiece. He looked at Qiane mockingly and said, You want to go out? Lets talk about it when youre able to do that! You can stay here for the rest of your life. Youll never get a chance to leave! With that, Ma San left the room and locked the door with the key. No matter how she scolded him from the other side of the door, he pretended not to hear anything. Chu Ju sat in the living room and watched on with no intention of stopping him. Son, do you want to eat? How about l make you your favorite pork ribs today? Chu Ju asked with a smile. I dont want to eat. Later on, prepare some food for Qiane and go in to feed her. Dont let her starve to death. Im going out for a while, Ma San said. In front of Ma San, Chu Ju agreed to his request. Once he left, her kindly expression immediately disappeared. Prepare food for Qiane? Dream on! She did not care if that woman starved to death! Back when Qiane married into the Ma family, she did not want to do any chores at all and even ordered Chu Ju around while behaving like a pampered young lady! If not for the fact that Qiane was pregnant at that time, Chu Ju would definitely ask Qiane to wait upon her! Even when Shen Na married into their family later, she was always very polite to Chu Ju. She was not as arrogant and domineering as Qiane, who really saw herself as a pampered young lady! Ma San did not go out to have fun. Instead, he went to look for Shen Na at the Shen family residence as he still wanted to salvage his relationship with her. When Shen Na heard that Ma San was at the door, she immediately told the security officers to kick him out! Even taking one look at him would make her eyes sore! How could she allow such an indecent thing to enter their house? Tell him to get lost! What kind of security guard are you! Do you still need to come up and ask me what to do about such a person! Just chase him away! Shen Na roared. But... he was begging so hard at the door. I already tried to chase him away but he still stayed around, the security officer said with a troubled expression. Does he have anything dangerous with him? Or carrying any backpack? Shen Na asked vigilantly. No, he doesnt have anything with him, the security officer said. Shen Na suddenly had the urge to take a look at Ma San. She wanted to see how this useless thing was doing now. Without the big villa provided by their family, his family must not be doing well now. The He family and the Shen family had worked together to suppress the Ma familys business in the capital. The Ma family was probably not far from collapse by now. Right from the start, the Ma family only owned a small shop and could not be considered a rich family at all. They just had a bit more money compared with the ordinary people. Later on, it was all thanks to the He family and the Shen family that they became more prosperous. Ma San was like a dog she kept by her side. She never expected this dog to bite her and was already being kind by not getting rid of him. Chapter 1262 Beat To Death ? "Come with me to the door to take a look. You have to stay close to me and protect me later. Don''t let anyone get close to me, do you understand?" Shen Na looked at the security officer and instructed him. "Yes," the security officer said. Shen Na''s family was not doing so well now, but as the saying went, a starving camel is still bigger than a horse. Compared to Ma San, she was still more well-to-do. She draped a fox fur shawl over herself, looking very graceful and regal. After dressing up nicely, Shen Na walked towards the door arrogantly. When Ma San saw Shen Na, he pretended to look sorry and immediately leaned against the door railing. "Na Na! Na Na, you''re finally willing to see me! You don''t know how much I miss you!" "It''s not that I''m willing to see you. It''s just that there''s a crazy dog at my door, so I have to come out and take a look," Shen Na said rudely. Ma San did not care about how harsh Shen Na''s words were. He was only here to confirm one thing. He wanted to know whether the Shen family was as down and out as He Mei had described. Seeing how Shen Na was still dressed so nicely and the fact that the helpers and bodyguards were still around, the Shen family''s life seemed no different from before. They were probably in an even better state than before! "Na Na, listen to me! Can we have a good chat!" Ma San looked at Shen Na expectantly. "I won''t listen to anything you say. You''d better leave or I''ll ask the police to come and arrest you. We''re already divorced, so what you''re doing now is harassment," Shen Na said heartlessly. "He Mei lied to me back then! It''s all He Mei''s fault! It has nothing to do with me! Na Na, let me explain. This is all part of He Mei''s scheme! And that bitch Qian''e set me up too! We''re both the victims, Na Na!" Ma San said with a look of agony, as if all of this had nothing to do with him. Shen Na was not a fool. She would not forgive Ma San so easily. Her unborn child was killed by both Ma San and He Mei. She would never forget this for the rest of her life. As long as she was alive, she would avenge her child at all costs and make both He Mei and Ma San pay the price. Ѧndsnvl.cm However, the Shen family was in an awkward situation now. They had to become stronger first before they had the ability to strike down others.I think you should take a look at "Chase him away. Beat him up every time you see him in the future. Don''t let this person come to our door again," Shen Na said angrily. The security officer immediately followed Shen Na''s instructions and raised his stick to hit Ma San. Unexpectedly, Ma San knelt on the ground with a plop and shouted, "Even if you beat me to death today! I want to explain it to you clearly! I also want you to forgive me!" People always said that a man should behave like there was gold under his knee. He could only kneel to heaven and earth and his parents, but no one else. Shen Na was shocked by Ma San''s actions. The security officer did not dare to swing down the stick that he had already raised high, afraid that he would really kill someone. "Why are you hesitating! Hit him! You won''t get into trouble even if he dies! Just hit him!" Shen Na said as she gnashed her teeth. The security officer closed his eyes and kept swinging towards Ma San''s back with all his might. He only stopped when Ma San crouched on the ground and could not even stand up. Even then, Ma San was still muttering to Shen Na to forgive him. Shen Na''s steadfastness had wavered a little just now. Could it be that this matter really had nothing to do with Ma San? However, Ma San was the one who started the whole thing and she was clearly the victim! When she thought of her unborn child, she felt very sad. If her child was still alive, he would definitely be even more good-looking than Qiao Mei''s child! He would definitely be an obedient and adorable baby. Ma San just had no money and only suffered some injuries now, but her child was gone! Her child was dead! Ma San was not worth her pity at all! Even when the child died, Ma San was not by her side and did not ask about the child at all. "Ignore him! Just let him lie there!" Shen Na left the courtyard without looking back. Her child was more pitiful. Ma San was not worth any pity at all. Seeing that his plan had failed, Ma San decided to faint at the Shen family''s main door. The security officer could not bear to see him like this, so he made a call to the hospital to send someone to bring Ma San for treatment. When Chu Ju received the news, she hurriedly ran to the hospital to wait upon Ma San. Chapter 1263 - 1263 Abuse 1263 Abuse The security officer had listened to Shen Na and hit Ma San with all his strength. Ma San was found to have two broken ribs, one on each side, and he needed to recuperate in the hospital for a period of time. This was simply a disaster for the Ma family who was not doing well at the moment. Moreover, they did not dare to go to the police as the Shen family still had evidence against them! After Chu Ju left the house, she did not return home and just stayed in the hospital to take care of Ma San diligently. After three days, it was the weekend and Ma Meng had to go home to get a change of clothes. Ma Meng picked the time when Chu Ju would usually go out to play mahjong. She did not want to bump into Chu Ju and get scolded again. The moment she entered the house, she could smell a foul stench. Whats this smell... Is there an issue with the sewage pipes? Ma Meng used her sleeve to cover her mouth and nose and said disdainfully. She went to the kitchen to check the drainage pipe first, then to the bathroom, but she did not find any signs of blockage. In the end, she traced the smell to her room. When she opened the door, she was shocked to find a person lying on her bed! Oh my goodness! Ma Mengs legs went weak with fear and she fell to the ground. Her stomach churned and she almost threw up. No matter how simple-minded a person Ma Meng was, she could tell that the person on the bed was her ex-sister-in-law. Qiane had always been very nice to Ma Meng. Qiane felt that Ma Meng went through very similar experiences as her in her younger days, so when Chu Ju bullied Ma Meng in the past, Qiane would always protect her secretly. Qiane had not eaten or drunk anything during the few days she had been left at the Ma familys house. She even had to do her toileting on the bed. At the current moment, Qiane lay on the bed, unmoving and with a pale face, as if she was already dead. It did not sound like she was still breathing. Qiane had always been very skinny. Now, her cheeks were sunken in and she looked like she was all skin and bones. This was the first time Ma Meng had seen someone looking like this. She mustered her courage and got up from the floor, approaching Qiane slowly. Elder sister... are you alright? Elder sister, are you still awake? Ma Meng asked in a trembling voice. When Qiane did not respond to her, she reached out a finger fearfully to check if Qiane was still breathing. When she realized that Qiane was still breathing weakly, she immediately called the police. After the police arrived, they immediately set about saving Qiane and also made a call to the hospital to come and send her for treatment. After Qiane was taken away, Ma Meng was also brought to the police station to have her statement taken. She told the police everything she knew and the police immediately set out to restrict the movements of Chu Ju and Ma San. Ma Meng had never dreamed that Chu Ju and Ma San would actually kill someone! No, perhaps they just wanted to kidnap Qiane. However, Qiane clearly looked like she had been abused. Luo Yu happened to be at the police station to attend to some matter. As soon as he entered, he bumped into Zou Ming, who had a worried expression on his face. He went forward and patted Zou Mings shoulder as he asked, What are you doing? Why do you look so bitter and resentful? Who had provoked our Officer Zou again? Stop it! Dont act like youre very familiar with me! What are you doing at this police station? Zou Ming asked impatiently. Im here to submit some documents for my guys. Weve been collaborating with this police station on a mission recently. Do you think Im willing to come and see you? Tell me whats making you so worried. Come, entertain me, Luo Yu asked with a laugh. Zou Ming rolled his eyes and said, Theres this ongoing case and I cant seem to contact the victims family members. I have no idea what to do next. This case was regarding Qiane. He had tried calling her parents, but no one ever picked up the phone. He had also gone to her house, but he could not seem to find any contact details for anyone close to her. It seemed that she was a loner and did not have any friends at all. When he asked the neighbors, they all said the same thing too. Her medical expenses at the hospital were currently still being paid for by the police station! However, they had a rule that they could only cover a portion of the medical expenses. Once the amount hit the limit, the hospital would have to stop giving treatment. Therefore, Zou Ming was feeling very anxious and afraid that her condition would worsen if that happened. None of them could bear the responsibility of making a decision like this. Xia Zhe is at home. Give me that persons information and Ill get Xia Zhe to check for you. He knows many people. Its better than you being anxious and helpless here, Luo Yu said. Xia Wen and Xia Zhe both knew Zou Ming. Zou Ming and Xia Zhe were classmates and had served in the same army unit in the past. They were very familiar with each other. If Zou Ming was still in the army, they would currently be close team members going through thick and thin together. Chapter 1264 Divide Up The Tasks ? There was a time when Zou Ming and Xia Zhe went on a mission together. That particular mission was very dangerous and they lost three of their comrades at the end of it. Zou Ming''s family was so scared that they recalled him back. Zou Ming was his family''s only son. They did not need Zou Ming to do very well in life and just wanted him to be safe and sound. In the end, Zou Ming was transferred back to his hometown to work as a police officer. In the beginning, Zou Ming kept feeling indignant and thought that he should not be stuck in such a small role. It was a waste of his time. He had grand ambitions and great ideals, so how could he let them go to waste in such a place! It got to a point when Zou Ming often drank alone. During that period of time, he was often drunk and was always criticized by his superiors. Later on, when he found out that there was nothing he could do to change the situation, he adapted to living such a life. It was not a bad choice to be close to his parents and be filial to them. "Oh right. If you haven''t asked, I won''t have thought of it. Look at this photo. Isn''t this a friend of Xia Zhe''s wife?" Zou Ming asked as he took out a photo of Qian''e. Luo Yu did not dare to confirm her identity. He knew who she was and had even met her at Qiao Mei''s place before. Moreover, she was also Zheng Peng''s girlfriend. How could Zheng Peng not know that something had happened to Qian''e? The Zheng family was still infighting and Qiao Mei had just completed her confinement period and was still quite weak. If she overexerted herself over this matter, Luo Yu felt that Xia Zhe would probably kill him! He decided to go back and discuss the issue with them before making a decision. "Oh, I''m not sure. How about you give me a copy of the photo and I''ll go back and ask them," Luo Yu said vaguely. Ѧdsvel.cm Zou Ming handed Luo Yu a backup copy of the photo. Before that, he affixed the stamp of the police station on the front of the photo. Luo Yu pursed his lips. He simply could not stand the way Zou Ming was being so prim and proper. Then again, being a local police officer, it was right for Zou Ming to take everything seriously. Only a person like this could serve the common people well! Luo Yu went back and reported whatever he heard in detail. Xia He said in shock, "Ma San is inhuman! How is Qian''e blind enough to marry this man back then! Ma San even dares to kidnap her! He''s really lawless!" Even though Xia He did not really like Qian''e, Xia He still felt very sorry for her. She had already paid the price for the mistakes she made in the past. Why was it still not enough? How could Ma San continue to harm her?I think you should take a look at "So where is Qian''e now?" Qiao Mei asked Luo Yu sternly. "I didn''t ask about these things, but I know that the police station where Zou Ming is posted works very closely with Auntie Fang''s hospital. The police will send out all the injured parties they encounter to that hospital for treatment. The problem now is that they can''t find her parents. If no one comes forward to pay for her medical expenses, there''s not much that the police station can do," Luo Yu said. Qiao Mei quickly looked towards Xia He. At the same time, Xia He also looked at Qiao Mei and said, "I''ll go to the hospital to settle this issue, but shouldn''t we tell Zheng Peng about this?" "Zheng Peng is still on a hunger strike at home!" Qiao Mei said angrily. Even if she told Zheng Peng, he probably would not be of much use. However, she still wanted him to know about this matter. After all, Zheng Peng and Qian''e were still in a relationship. As for how Zheng Peng could rebel against the Zheng family, it was none of her business. How could an adult not be able to solve his own issues? Zheng Yuan and Zhuang Hua had been staying at the small house which Xia Mao''s workplace unit had allocated to him. Xia Zhe had brought them there to stay temporarily. They could return to the Zheng family''s house after the current issue was settled. "I''ll get Xia Zhe to inform Zhuang Hua and Zheng Yuan about this. Luo Yu, I''d have to trouble you to accompany my elder sister to the hospital. I''ll go to the police station to see how I can settle this matter," Qiao Mei said. They divided up the tasks and went their separate ways. Luo Yu sent two members of the guard team to the hospital to protect Qian''e. Xia He had already upgraded Qian''e to a VIP ward. Even if the He, Shen or Ma families wanted to take revenge, it would be impossible for them to do so. The Zheng family probably could not get to see her as well... At the police station, Qiao Mei found out about all the details of the incident and also repaid the money which Qian''e owed so far. After she was done, she immediately went to the hospital to visit Qian''e. Qian''e was currently as fragile as a glass doll that might shatter with a gentle touch. When Qiao Mei saw the sorry state Qian''e was in, she could not help but feel sad. Qian''e had already found the person she wanted to marry, but she still had to encounter so many problems. Why was her fate so twisted! "The doctor says Qian''e is malnourished. Coupled with the fact that she has ongoing gastrointestinal problems, it has made her condition worse and she needs to stay in the hospital to recuperate properly. They don''t know if she has any other infections stemming from that period of time so she still needs to be put under observation," Xia He said with a frown. Chapter 1265 - 1265 Leave a Light On 1265 Leave a Light On Elder Sister, you dont dislike Qiane anymore? Qiao Mei asked with a smile. Now that Qiane no longer harbored those unrealistic thoughts, Xia He did not hate Qiane anymore. She felt that Qiane was actually a very unfortunate person. I have never said that! Based on her current condition, she will still have to stay in the hospital for a period of time. Lets hire a caregiver for her, Xia He said. They did not expect the Qian family to arrange for anyone to come and take care of Qiane. They heard that her father, Qian Wang, had recently found a young and beautiful girlfriend and that Zhao Ni was currently locked in a tussle with Qian Wang! Zhao Ni did not dare to get a divorce, but Qian Wang was already living with his mistress now and refused to give Zhao Ni a single cent. In their eyes, Qiane was nothing. It made no difference to them whether she was alive or dead. There were many caregivers for short-term hire in the hospital. Qiao Meis helpers were so busy that it was impossible for any of them to come and take care of Qiane. Qiao Mei interviewed a few and found a pleasant-looking caregiver to wait on Qiane. Qiao Mei even secretly fed Qiane some of the 100-year-old ginseng juice and she immediately looked much better. The two women did not go home immediately after that and just stayed there quietly to watch over Qiane. They decided to put everything aside until Qiane regained consciousness. The VIP ward was spacious enough to accommodate everyone and they could take short naps in the living room outside. Qiane finally woke up in the later half of the night. Where... where am I... Qiane said hoarsely. She had not drank water for a long time and she found it very difficult to speak. Every word she said made her feel like her throat was being cut by a knife. Qiao Mei and Xia He immediately went over to Qiane. Qiao Mei held her hand tightly and said, This is the hospital and youre safe here. Dont say anything for now. Take care of your health first and well think about the rest at length later. Ma... Ma San... deserves a horrible death... Qiane said as she turned to look at Qiao Mei with all her might. She held Qiao Meis hand tightly and the determination in her eyes made Qiao Mei feel moved. Everything else could be put on hold, but when it came to Ma San, they must take swift and ruthless action. She did not want to wait another second. This time, she must send Ma San to jail! Alright, I promise you. Ill make Ma San pay the price for what he did, Qiao Mei said. Only then could Qiane feel at ease. Xia He called the doctor to come and check on Qiane. After discussing with the doctor about the follow-up treatment for Qiane, the two women returned to Xu Lans house. Xu Lan had been worried about them and had left a light on for them. There was also dinner waiting for them on the dining table. Xia Zhe took it one step further and simply slept on the sofa in the living room so that he would know immediately when Qiao Mei returned. Tsk, tsk, tsk. This younger brother of mine is really infatuated with you. Why is it that I have never seen him like this! The two of you can go ahead and be all lovey dovey. I cant bear to see such scenes. Im going back to my room to rest, Xia He said resignedly. If you date Big Brother Deng, you will behave like this too~ Qiao Mei said as she leaned over to Xia He. At that moment, Xia He felt quite tempted. Deng Fan would indeed treat her like this too. No, no! She must not be too impetuous! Marriage was not childs play. She could not date Deng Fan on a whim. She still had to continue to observe Deng Fan! Shoo, shoo, shoo! Stop trying to influence me! Go and whisper sweet nothings to Xia Zhe! Xia He said. Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei sleepily. The moment he heard the news, he called Zhuang Hua and then rushed to finish his work so that he could head home. It was not that appropriate for him to go to the hospital. Anyway, he felt at ease with Xia He and Luo Yu accompanying Qiao Mei. Elder Sister and I have already eaten. Why arent you sleeping in the room? Its too cold to sleep here, especially when you dont cover yourself with a blanket. Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhes face and felt exceptionally blessed at this moment. She did not know that it felt so good to have someone waiting for her at home. Qiao Mei snuggled into Xia Zhes arms and suddenly felt that it was not a bad feeling to be protected by someone. The two of them chatted about everything that had happened during the day before returning to the room to sleep. Chapter 1266 - 1266 Writing a Statement 1266 Writing a Statement The next day, Qiao Mei woke up at dawn. Recently, Qiao Mei had discovered a new way to use the jade pendant. After she made a simple exchange of energy with the jade pendant, she would become in sync with it. For a brief period, she could communicate with the jade pendant and request it to vibrate at a fixed time, like a mini alarm clock. Qiao Mei had tested it many times, but the jade pendant did not always vibrate at the correct time. Sometimes, the timing could be off by up to an hour. The energy was still not very stable. Qiao Mei had only discovered this function by chance and had not reached the point where she could make it work every time. She still needed to play around with it for a while. She decided to study it more closely when she had free time in the future. There were still too many secrets about this jade pendant that she had not discovered. For now, Qiao Mei still had to go to the hospital to take care of Qiane. She did not know if Zheng Peng would be able to break free from Zheng Sus imprisonment and come to the hospital to take care of Qiane. Rather than waste time wondering if she could count on Zheng Peng, she might as well go to the hospital to take care of Qiane herself! Qiane was mainly feeling unwell because her gastrointestinal problems had worsened. It was not a big issue and she would recover after drinking ginseng juice for two to three days. Xia Zhe held Qiao Meis hand and said, Why are you being so diligent? In the past, you wouldnt even get up before noon. Qiane is still in the hospital and theres no one to take care of her. I have to go and help out. What if theres still an outstanding payment or something? Someone needs to be there, Qiao Mei said patiently. Ask Luo Yu to go. Theres no need for you to do these things yourself, Xia Zhe complained. Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe and how he was behaving like the wife in the relationship. He acted like Qiao Mei was the heartless man who was abandoning him, the delicate wife, for another woman. Are you jealous? Qiao Mei asked Xia Zhe curiously. How is this jealousy! Im just... feeling sorry for you! Xia Zhe sat up abruptly and explained. The more he tried to explain, the more Qiao Mei felt that he might as well not say anything! Qiao Mei went up to Xia Zhe and gave him a kiss before running out the door. Xia Zhe sat on the bed in frustration and looked at the empty room. When Qiao Mei returned, there was going to be payback! He would note down all these debts one by one! He would make Qiao Mei pay them back slowly in the future! Qiane could already sit up to eat her food today. Although she still looked very weak, it was good that she had the motivation to go on. How do you feel today? Do you miss me? Qiao Mei asked happily. Qiane just smiled faintly at Qiao Mei and did not say anything. Qiao Mei looked at the caregiver in puzzlement and the caregiver pulled Qiao Mei into the living room. Miss Qiao, I think Miss Qian might have some psychological problems. The doctor already came to check her vocal cords this morning and theres no problem, but no matter who poses questions to her, she just wont answer. The police also came around to visit her this morning, but she didnt say a word. She indicated that she wont believe anyone until she sees you, the caregiver said worriedly. Ill think of a way. Thank you, Qiao Mei said gently. Sigh... This child has a really tough life. When I look at her, its as if Im looking at my own daughter, the caregiver said melancholically. Yes, her life is indeed tough, Qiao Mei said. Qiao Mei handed the soup she brought to the caregiver. She had specially added two drops of the 1,000-year-old ginseng juice into the soup! After drinking this soup, Qiane would definitely recover faster. However, when it came to psychological problems, Qiane still had to figure it out herself in order to get better. She walked back into the room slowly and sat down beside Qiane, saying softly, Qiane, can you tell me what happened that day? The police need you to tell them what exactly happened. Otherwise, it might affect Ma Sans sentencing. Qiao Mei knew that Qiane would be willing to do anything if it was related to Ma San. Qiane reached out and traced the word paper on Qiao Meis palm. Qiao Mei quickly found a pen and a notebook for her. Qiane wrote down everything she experienced in the past few days, making sure she did not leave out any details. Qiao Mei stood at one side and read as Qiane wrote. She wished that she could cut Ma San into pieces and pull out all his tendons and bones. Even then, it still would not get rid of the hatred in her heart! When Qiane finished, shee signed her name at the bottom of the letter. Qiao Mei did not brought an inkpad with her, so Qiane bit her finger and then pressed it against the letter. That bright red mark was like a symbol of her determination. Then, she handed the statement to Qiao Mei. The look of anticipation and pleading in her eyes left an indescribable feeling in Qiao Meis heart. Chapter 1267 - 1267 Go Back 1267 Go Back Ill help you get this thing done, but... but you have to be prepared. Hes unlikely to get the death penalty. Ill get Xia Zhe to check on their familys business and see if theres anything we can use to make sure he gets a heavier sentence. Other than that, theres nothing much we can do, Qiao Mei said regretfully. Based on the current situation, Ma San would at most be sentenced to 15 years in jail. If Xia Zhe could manage to find evidence of more crimes, Ma San might be sentenced to a few more years in jail. However, there was not enough evidence to send Ma San to his grave. Qiane put her palms together and shook her head at Qiao Mei. She did not want to speak at all. Instead of saying that she did not want to speak, it would be more accurate to say that she had lost the ability to speak and could not make any sound at all. During this era, there were still very few well-trained psychiatrists. Even if a person had a psychological problem, there was no way to get treatment. Most people would think that it was because the person was melodramatic or had weird thoughts and was mentally ill. They would not think that such issues were treatable. In everyones eyes, this was a shameful thing and a disgrace to the family! If anybody had a mentally ill family member, everyone would laugh at their family! Qiao Mei handed the statement to Luo Yu and told him to deliver it to Xia Zhe personally. She told him that he must witness Xia Zhe keeping it away safely before he could come back and that he must protect it with his life. He could not let this statement fall into the hands of the He, Shen or Ma families. Luo Yu immediately realized the severity of the matter and swore that he would not disappoint Qiao Mei and would complete the task well. Qiao Mei still needed to stay at the hospital to keep an eye on Qiane and monitor her state of mind. In addition, Qiao Mei herself had not fully recovered yet and it was really not suitable for her to keep traveling back and forth. Qiane felt a lot better when she saw Qiao Mei staying behind to accompany her. Qiao Mei asked tentatively, Do you... want to know anything about Zheng Peng? At the mention of Zheng Peng, Qiane had sadness and resentment in her eyes. She knew that she should not blame Zheng Peng for not helping her and being with her at this time, but she still could not help herself. During this most difficult time of her life, it was Qiao Mei and Xia He who helped her. She often used the landline at her house to make phone calls to Zheng Pengs house. The police had previously checked the items in her house, so they must have found out about this. In that case, the police must have already contacted the Zheng family. She had tried to attack Qiao Mei so many times and even wanted to snatch Xia Zhe away from her and harm her babies. However, Qiao Mei still lent her a helping hand when she was in danger. Xia He also did her best to help her get through these difficult times, but the Zheng family ignored her situation completely even after receiving the phone call from the police. They did not even bother to send someone to take a cursory look. Qiane was completely disappointed in Zheng Peng. He had indeed tried his best to resist the Zheng family, but he still could not escape the restraints they put on him. In that case, she would only cause more trouble for Zheng Peng in the future as the Zheng family would never allow her to marry Zheng Peng. Whatever happened to Xia Wen and Tan Jing was the perfect example. People like her should not cause trouble for others. Zheng Peng should find a nice and innocent girl, not someone like her. There was no longer any light in her eyes, which looked like pools of stagnant water. They had lost their original shine. Qiao Mei... I want to... go home... Qiane said with great effort. Her voice was so soft that it was difficult to hear her clearly. Qiao Mei had to keep leaning closer to make out what she was saying. However, it was not suitable for Qiane to go back and recuperate at home in her current condition. It was not possible for Qiao Mei to bring Qiane to Xu Lans place either. She wondered... perhaps she could bring Qiane to her own house and ask Li Gui and Xu Kang to help take care of her. Based on your current state, you still need to recuperate in the hospital for a period of time. Well go back when youve almost recovered, alright? Qiao Mei said patiently. Qiane nodded obediently, but then she turned around and shed a single tear. She had no one to rely on now. Even if it was a matter of life and death, she had to face it alone. She felt really lucky to have met Qiao Mei. In the afternoon, Zhuang Hua and Zheng Yuan brought Zheng Peng to the hospital. He sat in a wheelchair and looked very tired. It would not be hard to convince people that he was a vagrant. After half a month of resistance, Zheng Su finally compromised. However, Zheng Su only agreed to let Zheng Peng go to the hospital to see Qiane and did not agree to anything else. Qiao Mei! Can I go in and see her? Zheng Peng asked anxiously. Qiao Mei greeted Zhuang Hua and Zheng Yuan first before looking at Zheng Peng sternly and saying, You should... go back... Chapter 1268 - 1268 What to Do in the Future 1268 What to Do in the Future Go back? Why should I go back? Im already here, why cant you let me see Qiane! Is it your idea or hers! Zheng Peng asked agitatedly. Zheng Peng felt as if all his strength had been suddenly sucked out of him and he slumped into the wheelchair. He had tried so hard for so long, but in the end, he still missed out on the one he loved. It was not her fault. Everything was his fault. If he had resolved these matters with the Zheng family earlier and come to stay by her side earlier, Ma San would not have been able to kidnap her. Qiao Mei did not feel sorry for Zheng Peng at all. She even felt that he had brought this upon himself. Before Zheng Peng and Qiane started dating, Qiao Mei had already asked him about the Zheng familys objection to this matter. At that time, he had promised Qiao Mei that he would handle the matter perfectly and that he would not let anything happen to Qiane. Even though he knew that he would face many problems if he stayed with Qiane, he still wanted to be with her. However, he ended up not being able to deal with the aftermath. Zheng Peng had been living in his own illusion all this while. In reality, he could not solve any part of the problem. He only gave Qiane one empty promise after another. In that case, what was the difference between Zheng Peng and Ma San? Ma San hurt her body, but Zheng Peng hurt her heart. These two people had already exhausted all her energy. Qiao Mei, just let my elder brother meet Sister Qiane once, Zheng Yuan said as she looked at Zheng Peng with heartache. Not now, Qiao Mei said firmly. Qiane was not in a state where she could face Zheng Peng. Moreover, Zheng Pengs emotions were also extremely unstable. If the two of them met, it would only cause more problems and that would be completely meaningless. Then Ill wait here until Qiane is willing to see me, Zheng Peng said stubbornly. Qiao Mei took a deep breath and sighed. She did not know why these two people were both so stubborn. However, it did make sense in a way. If the two of them did not have anything in common, they would not be together. It was inappropriate for Zhuang Hua to speak up about this matter, but when he saw the dark circles under Qiao Meis eyes, he knew that Qiao Mei had done her fair share of worrying about Qiane recently. Xia Zhe was busy handling this issue at the police station while Qiao Mei stayed around to take care of Qiane. The Zheng family, or rather Zheng Peng, had not done anything at all. If Zhuang Hua was Qiane, he probably also would not forgive Zheng Peng. Then you can just wait here, Qiao Mei said helplessly and returned to the room. She instructed Luo Yu to send another two more guard team members to secure this place. Not only did they have to guard the main door, but they also had to guard the door to the living room and ward. They must not allow any member of the Zheng family to get in. Qiao Mei did not go home at night and stayed behind to accompany Qiane. She estimated that it would at most take up one week of her time. Xia Zhe could come to the hospital to look for her if he needed to see her! Xia Fang had a bed in her office that Xia Zhe could use. Zheng Yuan and Zhuang Hua could not dissuade Zheng Peng, so they could only stay and accompany him until he ran out of steam. After two or three days, Zheng Peng could not take it anymore and fainted. As Zheng Yuan wheeled him away from the ward door, Qiane stood and watched. Do you want me to go and take a look at him? Qiao Mei asked. Qiane shook her head. She was glad to see Zheng Peng leave. It did not matter how he left this place. The matter with Ma San is done. Ma Sans family had evaded tax and also been involved in some import and export issues. Ma San has been sentenced to 25 years in prison, his father to 6 years, and his mother to 3 years for being an accomplice. Ma Meng had always had a bad relationship with the Ma family and did not participate in all these matters. Moreover, she saved you, so shes fine, Qiao Mei said. Then what about you? What do you want to do in the future? Do you want to go into business with my mother? My mother needs help at the moment, Qiao Mei asked. Chapter 1269 - 1269 Expanding the Business 1269 Expanding the Business Qiane did not want to return to that small house anymore. For her, it was a place filled with nightmarish memories. By now, the story of what happened to her would probably have spread among the neighbors, including her past. Its alright, take your time to think about it, Qiao Mei said. Speaking of which, it was time to grow her familys business and create their own brand so that more people could get to know them. However, Li Gui would not be able to execute all these plans on her own. Li Gui had already said many times that she did not have enough manpower at her end. NOVlusb.cOm Back then, Qiao Qiang had talked about working with a neighbor to invent an automatic popcorn machine, but they had not managed to succeed yet! There were still many safety hazards to resolve and it would still take some time before they could even see progress in the research and development. Xia Wen had already told her about how the economy was going to open up soon. The official approval to allow the common people to go into small business had already come through, all that was left was for the legislation to be signed and stamped. Qiao Mei could start doing whatever she wanted. However, where would they be able to find help? If they hired random people, their familys secret recipe would probably be leaked. As the saying went, the winds would always howl around the highest peaks. There were definitely many people who were jealous of them. Furthermore, they could not just be selling popcorn. As time passed, people would get tired of eating it. Also, someone might eventually manage to figure out the recipe. They could not underestimate peoples determination to earn money. Their popcorn recipe was not something complicated. If one tried every possible combination tirelessly, one would eventually find the right combination. At night, Qiao Mei asked Luo Yu to come over and help her keep an eye on Qiane. She decided to go home and rest. Xia Zhe sat on the bed with a book and pretended to read it. An hour had passed and he had not even flipped a single page! What are you reading? Its been so long and you havent even touched it. Is it an e-book or does it have an automatic page-turning function? Qiao Mei said as she walked over with a smile. Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei in confusion and asked, Whats an e-book? Whats an automatic page-turning function? Qiao Mei quickly covered her mouth. Oh no! How could she have let it slip! E-books would only be available after a few decades! Its... its an electronic thing that can help you turn the pages. Ive seen our elderly neighbor look into something like this before. Dont you know that he always likes to come up with these strange things? Qiao Mei said, trying hard to make sense. Xia Zhe did not know much about the neighbors. If Qiao Mei said so, then it must be true. Then when the children grow up, we should let them interact more with this neighbor. Its not a bad thing for boys to learn such things. Its also not bad to be like Zhang Chao and aspire to be an engineer, Xia Zhe said happily. I thought you wanted Xia Fan to join the army? Qiao Mei asked. She always thought that these soldiers all wanted their children to join the army and serve the country. However, Xia Zhe seemed to have different ideas from others. Its alright. After all, its Xia Fans own life. He can do whatever he likes. I hope he wont follow my path. I know how difficult this path is, Xia Zhe said. Qiao Mei snuggled into Xia Zhes arms. The two of them had not shared their thoughts and feelings like this for a long time. Ever since Xia Zhe returned, they had been busy with family matters and their friends issues. They finally had some time to talk about their own future. Have you gone to take a look at Zhang Wei? Do you think Xiao Wei is cut out to be a soldier? Qiao Mei asked Xia Zhe curiously. Hes not that bad. It all depends on whether hes willing to work hard or not. He has fallen behind on his classes. Since Zheng Peng cant give them lessons recently, I have found another teacher for them. It seems to be working out well. Its the same thing for the other children. Theyre all quite talented and know they have to work hard. If this continues, they wont be too bad, Xia Zhe said seriously. Qiao Mei had not noticed any of this. She had been so focused on the issues related to the Xia family and Qiane that she had indeed neglected Qiao Qiang, Li Gui and the four children recently. If not for Xia Zhe, the children might have had to stay at home for another year before they could go to school. Chapter 1270 - 1270 Where Will The Raw Materials Come From 1270 Where Will The Raw Materials Come From Xia Zhe had never mentioned anything to her about taking care of the two babies at home, dealing with the disputes between the families of the second and third sons of the Xia family, comforting Xu Lan on a daily basis, or about what happened with her maternal family and Qiane. He had never complained to her and just quietly get things done. Why are you such a nice person~ Qiao Mei said sweetly. Do you mean you only know that now. Havent I always been like this? Xia Zhe looked down and said to Qiao Mei. Of course I know that youre very nice to me! By the way, do you know any reliable people? Im thinking about our familys business. Its too tiring for my mother to do everything herself. She needs to hire more people to help her. Do you have any ideas? Qiao Mei asked. Xia Zhe knew a group of retired soldiers who went back to farm in their hometowns. They would definitely be willing to come to the city to work. However, they all resided in different places at the moment. If they had to come to work in the capital, their accommodation must be provided for. What do you want these people to do? Or rather, do you have any concrete plans? Xia Zhe asked. Selling popcorn alone doesnt make much money nowadays, plus it also takes up a lot of manpower and raw materials. I intend to change to selling buns! Qiao Mei said excitedly. When the economy opened up, there would definitely be more people coming to the capital to do business as well as more businessmen traveling to the capital. At the current moment, Li Gui could not manage a big business so she could only start small. Once there was an increase in the number of people at the train station, it would definitely be a profitable business to sell buns there. People were always in such a hurry to catch the train that they did not have time to eat. Buns would definitely be popular with the travelers as they were both delicious and filling. When the time came, Qiao Mei intended to buy a shop nearby. Li Gui could make buns at the back and Zhou Shuang and Sun Juan could help to do sales. Then she would find someone else to take charge of the popcorn business. This way, she would be able to earn more money in a month. How do you plan to buy the ingredients for the bun filling? Xia Zhe asked. Qiao Mei had not thought about this yet. She had only just come up with the idea of selling buns! Currently, the price of meat on the market was 30 cents a pound if one paid with coupons. Sometimes, when there was less pork, the price would increase to 40 cents a pound. This was still based on paying with coupons. If one did not have coupons and had to go to the black market, the price was much higher. Even if Qiao Mei had enough meat coupons for 1,000 catties of meat, no one would sell 1,000 catties of meat to her. Firstly, there was a fixed amount of meat released by the supply and marketing cooperative every day. Secondly, there was also a limit on how much meat each person could buy. This was a safeguard against someone buying all the meat and then selling it off at a high price in private. Im so focused on the product that I havent thought about the ingredients. How about I make steamed buns with vegetarian filling? Qiao Mei said vexedly. If they only used vegetarian filling, they could not set the price too high and would not be able to make much money. The profits would definitely not be as much as selling meat buns. Every family knew how to make vegetarian buns! This was not something rare. Do you want me to help you think of a way? Its not difficult for our family to get meat, Xia Zhe said as he patted Qiao Meis head gently. No! I definitely dont want to depend on the family for help! I have to settle this issue myself. I cant let the family help me for the rest of my life, Qiao Mei said stubbornly. Fine, fine, fine. Then let my friends help you. Do you still remember those old comrades I told you before? Xia Zhe asked. Yes I do. At that time, our family did not have much money and we had enough help, so we did not ask them to come, Qiao Mei said honestly. Some of those people were now selling pigs in their villages, just like Uncle Wang Wu in Foshan Village. They raised pigs at home and would sell them to the supply and marketing cooperative. However, the supply and marketing cooperative only wanted the good cuts of meat. They did not want the pigs heads, tails or offal. The villagers would buy these parts to eat. Who cared as long as it was meat? As long as there was meat to eat, it did not matter which part of the pig it came from! If Qiao Mei was able to get her hands on such meat, then she would have nothing to worry about. If she wanted the usual type of meat, she needed to buy them with coupons. Actually, the supply and marketing cooperative also raised pigs themselves, but they did not have enough to sell. Most of the pig offal would have been distributed internally among themselves. Otherwise, people would find out the timing when the pigs were slaughtered and wait at the supply and marketing cooperative early in the morning. Such pig offal was sold for 20 cents a pound. There was no need to use coupons. It was on a first come first served basis. Chapter 1271 Have A New Plan ? "No wonder I''ve never seen these things before! So that''s how it''s done!" Qiao Mei said in realization. Some days, Qiao Mei would see a few pig trotters for sale at the supply and marketing cooperative, but there were usually not many left, probably only one or two. It appeared that there were still a lot of things for her to learn! "We can get someone to go and obtain it for you. The main thing is to see how you want to price your buns. Otherwise, we''ll always be doing business at a loss," Xia Zhe said. "Sigh... If only we are back in the village. In the city, we have to get up early to grab the things we want. If I''m in the village, I can ask Uncle Wang Wu for help and he will definitely put everything aside for me," Qiao Mei muttered aggrievedly. Xia Zhe was lost for words for a moment. He wanted to bring Qiao Mei to the capital so that she could have a better life and live in a big house. However, this intention of his had caused Qiao Mei so much inconvenience that she was thinking about returning to the countryside. How could he allow that! He must nip this idea in the bud! He would not let Qiao Mei return to where she came from. This entire business idea was still a little risky and they should not rush it. They must think carefully about their plans for the future and should not do things in a moment of hotheadedness. Qiao Mei actually still had many options to choose from. She could leave the popcorn business entirely to Zhao Fei. He had been taking care of business for the entire winter and knew very well where he could sell the most popcorn and where he would have the most sales. It was almost spring soon and the seeds in the village were probably about ready for harvest. When the time came, she could take a portion of the stock meant for Director He and sell them in the capital herself. "Oh right! You say that your comrades are all from different villages!" Qiao Mei widened her eyes and looked at Xia Zhe. "Yes. They''re all living in the villages now and just farming at home," Xia Zhe said. Since these people all had their own land, Qiao Mei could sign an agreement with them to grow seeds! When the time came, she could then hire a few big trucks to go to the various villages to collect the seeds and bring them all to the capital to sell. That sounded like a win-win option! However, if they collected seeds on such a large scale, production and packaging could not be done in their small courtyard anymore. The trucks would not be able to come into the alley anyway. It looked like Qiao Mei would need to go to the suburbs to buy a new house that was as big as the one He Ning had.I think you should take a look at "Let''s get Eldest Brother to help us buy another house!" Qiao Mei said happily. "Have you forgotten what Eldest Brother said to you?" Xia Zhe said as he looked at Qiao Mei helplessly. Not long ago, Xia Wen had instructed Qiao Mei not to even think about buying any more properties for the time being. It had only been a few days and Qiao Mei was about to break her promise. Furthermore, she still wanted to go and raise this issue with Xia Wen herself. Did she intend to anger Xia Wen to death? "It''s different! It''s for business purposes! I want to buy a house in the suburbs! I want to buy big trucks too! I also need business partners!" Qiao Mei yelled out in good spirits. Before Xia Zhe could react, Qiao Mei immediately got out of bed and went to the table to write down the plan she had in mind. She had too many things to do. If she took one more day to think about it, that meant she would delay her money-making venture by one more day. Every second counted! It was not until after midnight that Qiao Mei was ready to go to bed. She planned to use this set of documents to impress Xia Wen tomorrow and convince him to help her look for a house. Such a meticulous plan would definitely satisfy Xia Wen! Ѧndsvl ?m Xia Zhe lay in bed and looked at Qiao Mei rushing around energetically. He felt that Qiao Mei was quite adorable at the moment. Back then, Qiao Mei''s determination and perseverance was what made him fall for her. However, he would prefer it if Qiao Mei could rely on him more and not be so capable. Qiao Mei only slept for four to five hours before getting up to prepare to meet with Xia Wen. She also dragged Xia Zhe up at the same time. Qiao Mei was scared that Xia Wen would get agitated and scold her, so she wanted to bring Xia Zhe along to brave the scolding together. With Xia Zhe around, Xia Wen definitely would not reprimand her. It was more likely that he would say that Xia Zhe was the problem. "Let''s go! Eldest Brother will have already left his accommodation by this time! Hurry up and come with me!" Qiao Mei pouted and said angrily. "Coming, coming. What a little money-grubber!" Xia Zhe followed Qiao Mei resignedly and the two of them drove to Xia Wen''s workplace. Just like that, Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe stood at attention outside Xia Wen''s office. There was still more than half an hour before Xia Wen was supposed to start work! "Let''s go straight to Eldest Brother''s dormitory room to look for him. If we wait here, there''s still a long time to go," Xia Zhe said as he looked at Qiao Mei with heartache. Chapter 1272 - 1272 Agreement 1272 Agreement Its not that long. Lets just continue to wait. We must show him that we have a good attitude! If not, Eldest Brother will criticize us again, Qiao Mei said sternly. When Xia Wen saw the two of them, he even thought that he was hallucinating! He rubbed his eyes vigorously before confirming that they were really standing in front of him. You two... What are the two of you doing? Are you having a date at my office? Xia Wen asked with a smile. Of course not! Eldest Brother! I have important documents to show you! This has to do with our familys livelihood! You must help me! Qiao Mei looked at Xia Wen agitatedly. Xia Wen was totally confused by what Qiao Mei said and quickly let the two of them enter his office. If they continued to stand in the corridor, they would attract the attention of his other colleagues. Tell me, why are the two of you looking for me so early in the morning? Xia Wen asked. Qiao Mei directly handed the documents she had prepared to Xia Wen. When Xia Wen read that the first item on the list was to buy a house, he could feel his blood pressure suddenly rising. However, as he read on, he felt that there was a real viability to the proposal. However, if they bought a house now, the family members of the Xia familys third son definitely would not let them off. Those people would become very envious for sure! If they had the money to expand their business, then how could they say they did not have the money to help the third sons family tide through their current difficulties. It would not make sense. Have you given her some advice? Xia Wen said as he looked at Xia Zhe. Xia Zhe shook his head helplessly. There was no way he could stop Qiao Mei from doing what she wanted to do. Even if Xia Wen did not agree to help her, she would still think of a way to get it done. Eldest Brother! Dont you think that this is a good idea? Qiao Mei asked pitifully. Its viable, but the maturity period of the seeds is fixed. I dont think your stockpile is going to be enough. Based on Aunties past experience, she used to sell at least 40 pounds a day. You have 18 salespeople now, right? Even if each person sells 20 pounds per day, you need 360 pounds per day. The amount that you buy from your village is not even enough for a month, Xia Wen said sternly. Eldest Brother, you even know how many salespeople I have. Im not even sure about the exact number myself... Qiao Mei said as she looked at Xia Wen in surprise. Xia Wen held the documents in his hand and snorted coldly. Did she think that he only sat here to drink tea every day? He knew all the businesses that Qiao Meis family was doing like the back of his hand. Ever since his subordinates found out that Qiao Mei was a member of the Xia family, they had been secretly reporting Qiao Meis movements to him every week. It was not as if he was purposely keeping tabs on Qiao Mei. It was only because those people wanted to look good in front of Xia Wen. As time passed, Xia Wen knew everything that was going on and even knew the background of those salespeople. Then what about your popcorn business? Or are you going to just focus on one business? Xia Wen asked. Initially, she wanted to just focus on only one business, but now it seemed that she should run the two businesses at the same time first. She should wait until seed planting started at the other villages before she focused on only selling seeds. Theres one more thing you have to remember. If you get those villagers to help you grow seeds, you must sign an agreement with them and tell them that they can only supply the seeds to you. If we find the seeds being sold on the black market or at other supply and marketing cooperatives, they will have to compensate you handsomely, Xia Wen said. The type of seeds Qiao Mei had were of superior quality. Even if other people did not know how to control the heat and fry the seeds well, the taste and size were already much better than other seeds on the market. To maintain her business reputation for a long time, she must eliminate the possibility of fake goods appearing in the market. Only uniqueness could last forever. Alright. Then... then about the house... Qiao Mei asked softly. Ill help you find it! The two of you are really something! Its not like youre doing something bad so why should I stop you? Wait for news from me. Ill try my best to find you a big house. If its not possible, we can rent a piece of land and build it ourselves. As long as this is something you want to do, theres no problem, Xia Wen said. Thats great! Thank you, Eldest Brother! I just know that you will definitely help us! Qiao Mei said excitedly. Dont be so happy so soon! If anything happens, I wont help you. Xia Zhe will have to settle the issue with Third Uncles family. I wont clean up your mess for you! Xia Wen complained. Chapter 1273 - 1273 Come Over Immediately 1273 Come Over Immediately Xia Zhe hugged Qiao Mei and said, No problem! We definitely wont cause trouble for Eldest Brother! Go back home now! Dont stay here and bother me! I still have a lot of work to do! Xia Wen waved his hand and said disdainfully. Before leaving, Xia Zhe stood at the door and said, Eldest Brother, remember to come home when you have time. Xia Xing is always thinking of you! I dont know that kids can already recognize people at such a young age. Xia Wen could not help but smile. He said gently, Alright, I understand. Recently, he had been so busy that he had forgotten about going back to visit the two babies. He did not intend to get married and have children anymore. He was about to turn 40 years old and did not want to be bothered with matters of the heart again. It would be enough for him to see Xia Zhes two children grow up. It appeared Xia He and Deng Fan seemed ready to discuss marriage plans soon. He was satisfied as long as his family was happy. Qiao Mei hurriedly went home with Xia Zhe and asked him to quickly contact those people he knew. It would be best if there were people who knew how to drive. Only people like He Ning, who did not need anything, could stand living in such a sparsely populated area like the suburbs. Qiao Mei still hoped that these people could live in the capital. This way, they could bring Li Gui along with them when they went to the suburbs every morning. Li Gui was already getting on in years, so it was better that she did not learn how to drive. She was so timid and might get scared out of her wits if she got into an accident. Xia Zhe thought of three people at first instance. Chi Ze used to drive when he was in the army and was a meticulous and considerate person. Mao Hang used to work in the cookhouse, so he definitely had no problem with cooking. Also, Huang Xu was not bad either. He was very hardworking and capable. Then make the calls quickly! Ask them all to come over! Come with their families! Qiao Mei said eagerly. Do you really want them to bring their entire family? They might bring many people with them! Xia Zhe said. After considering it, Qiao Mei felt that she could not be too generous for now. She must plan it out carefully. She should not let them live in her place for free. If they did not want to pay rent, then their salary would have to be lower. It was better to just put a price tag on it and charge them 15 dollars a month for rent. They could choose to rent multiple rooms or buy over the rooms, but this arrangement would only last until the end of this year for now. If they wanted to buy the rooms, it was not up to them to say how many they wanted. They could only buy the number of rooms which tally with the number of children they had. The price definitely would not be the same as what Zhou Shuang and the rest paid. She would sell the rooms to them at market price so they could at least rest assured that they would not be making a loss. I think the rent for the first room should be 10 dollars a month. If their children want to have their own rooms, then the rent will be 15 dollars a month for each subsequent room. What do you think? Xia Zhe said. I dont think thats a good idea! Arent you just forcing all of them to live in the same room? Five dollars is enough for a family to eat for a week! Lets just fix it at 15 dollars per room. No matter how many people they squeeze inside it, its still 15 dollars a room, Qiao Mei said. Xia Zhe felt that what Qiao Mei said made sense, so he wrote all these things down and sent out three letters to the three men. He also left his contact information in the letters. Whether they agreed to the arrangement or not, they had to call him back. A few days later, Xia Zhe received the first call. Chi Ze had a forthright personality and a loud voice. Just by hearing his voice over the phone, Xia Zhe could already tell how excited he was. Xiao Zhe! Is what you write in your letter true? My wife is so worried about this! Thats why she asks me to call you quickly, Chi Ze shouted loudly. Yes, its all true. Weve already tidied up all the rooms. It all depends on whether youre willing to come and work with us. However, accommodation is not free. As I wrote in my letter, you can put it on credit for now and pay us back when you make money. If you cant manage to make any money, we wont ask you for a single cent, Xia Zhe said readily. Alright! Then wait for me! My wife and I will come to the capital to look for you immediately! Chi Ze said happily. The other two men had similar reactions to Chi Ze. Once they received the news, they immediately rushed to the capital from the countryside. They did not bring their children with them and left the children to their parents. After all, they did not know if they would be able to earn a lot of money. They could always bring the children and their parents over after they had settled down. Chapter 1274 Fast Worker ? They were all rushing over from various locations, so they would arrive in the capital at different times. Xia Zhe asked Luo Yu to arrange for them to stay together in the same courtyard house where Zhou Shuang was staying. He intended to hold a get-together session when everyone was present. After another three to four days, the three families were all gathered in the courtyard house. They did not bring many things with them, only personal items which were easy to bring around. As for other items, they could always buy them in the capital after they earned money. Everyone from these three families had nice personalities and good tempers. Furthermore, they were all from the army so they were all good at working cleanly and efficiently. On the day they arrived, Mao Hang and his wife had already cleaned up the entire courtyard and all the common areas. Initially, Zhou Shuang and Sun Juan were a little worried about these new neighbors, but now it seemed they need not have worried. The guys all knew that Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe just celebrated the one-month milestone for their babies. The three of them could be considered these babies'' uncles so they came to Qiao Mei''s house with two bottles of good wine, four pig trotters, a box of fruits and two jars of imported powdered milk. "Sister-in-law, the three of us are just rough men and don''t know what the children might need. This is just a small token from us," Chi Ze said politely. "Elder Brother Chi, what are you saying? You''re all being very helpful to me by coming here to help us. Come in for a meal. Why aren''t your wives here?" Qiao Mei said warmly. The three of them had come over on their own today. They thought that bringing their wives along would make it seem like they wanted to take advantage of Xia Zhe''s hospitality. That would not be not very nice, so they asked their wives to wait at home and not come along. Qiao Mei hurriedly asked Xu Kang to go to that courtyard house to ask everyone to come over. She also invited Zhou Shuang and Sun Juan so that everyone could gather together. From now on, they were "one big family"! After discussing the job scopes, they immediately started work the next day and went straight to the corn courtyard house to help Zhou Shuang clean up the storeroom. They cleaned up the entire courtyard very thoroughly. Everything was done even before Zhou Shuang and Sun Juan started work. When Qiao Mei arrived, she was stunned at the sight. They must have started doing all these chores before dawn. "Qiao Mei! If there''s anything else you need us to do, just let us know!" Chi Ze said excitedly. "Um... Elder Brother Chi, Sister Zhou and Sister Sun are in charge of these corn. If your wives want to do this job as well, they can come and help too. I''ll pay them the same salary as Sister Zhou and the others. Your job is to fry the seeds and you will work in the backyard," Qiao Mei said.I think you should take a look at Qiao Mei brought them in to clean up the backyard. Every part of the house had its own use. Today, their task was to buy a few big pots and bags to hold the seeds. Nowadays, they could not just sell seeds at the entrance of the movie theater. They had to sell them at different venues. The most important thing right now was the packaging. It would be too inconvenient to use small cups to hold them. What if someone wanted to buy them to eat at home? Ѧdsvel.cm Qiao Mei found that person who was related to Qian''e and asked her to make many packaging bags of various sizes for them to use. Each bag was marked with a price tag. She used the volume of the cup as the default size and the bags were made in different sizes to hold multiples of that default volume. They then priced it accordingly by applying the multiplier. In short, the unit price did not change. At the moment, she had not decided on the brand name, but she did not let that delay the production process. She intended to keep thinking while they worked. She wanted to first try out and see if the packaged seeds would sell well. After their discussion, the three men divided up their tasks and went their separate ways. They set up the stoves and pots within the same day. They also bought all the ingredients and were just waiting to learn how to stir-fry the seeds. "Oh my goodness... You guys move so fast... I thought that it would take a week to complete all the tasks," Qiao Mei said as she looked at the backyard in shock. She could not believe that everything was done in one day. Back then, it had taken her one whole day to set up one stove with Li Gui! "I used to be a cookhouse staff! When we go on missions, we have to build our own stoves. As time passes, we get used to it. No matter what kind of stove you want, I know how to build it!" Mao Hang said confidently. "We''re all in a hurry to start earning money! When are we going to start learning how to stir-fry the seeds!" Huang Xu said as he looked at Qiao Mei expectantly. "Let''s do it tomorrow. My mother has the final say in these business matters. Later on, you can just look for my mother. We haven''t started selling anything yet, but I can''t let you work for free. Your salary will be one dollar a day for now. After we start to stir-fry the seeds, we''ll tabulate by the pound. Whoever stir-fries more seeds will earn more. The more you work, the more you earn," Qiao Mei said with a smile. Chapter 1275 - 1275 Cooking New Dishes 1275 Cooking New Dishes Even if they just helped Qiao Mei with these odd jobs every day, they would still get a salary of 30 dollars a month. It was money that they could not even earn in three months! It seemed that Xia Zhe had not lied to them. It was not a dream to earn more than 100 dollars a month! Thank you, sister-in-law! the three of them said in unison. Qiao Mei suddenly seemed to have thought of something. She called Huang Xu over and asked, Elder Brother Huang, I understand that you know how to slaughter pigs? Yes, I have done that in our village for a while, Huang Xu said honestly. I want to get some pig offal or something similar. Elder Brother Huang, do you think you can help me get some? There are farmers raising pigs near the suburbs, but I dont know how to go about doing this, Qiao Mei said with a troubled expression. No problem. Tell me what you need and Ill do it for you, Huang Xu said as he patted his chest. Qiao Mei wrote down everything she wanted on a piece of paper. She would be glad if he could just help her get a few things on the list. After all, Huang Xu was still unfamiliar with the capital and it would be very difficult for him to get his hands on everything she wanted. The next afternoon, Huang Xu brought his spoils of war to Qiao Meis house. He got her everything she had listed down on that piece of paper, including pork liver, pigs head, pigs large and small intestines and pigs heart. Elder Brother Huang, how did you do it? Qiao Mei said as she looked at the pig offal in the courtyard in shock. People who slaughtered pigs knew the base price for these things and how to obtain them. As long as they went to the village to ask if there were any families who knew how to slaughter pigs, it was basically easy to solve the problem. The three of them had to go to four villages before they managed to collect everything, so it was not solely Huang Xus efforts alone. Come into the house to take a rest! Elder Brother Huang, you must be exhausted! Qiao Mei said. Im fine, but sister-in-law, why do you need these things? Huang Xu asked curiously. Xia Zhe was from a prominent family so they should be able to afford meat. These pig offal were usually kept aside for those families who could not afford meat. What was Qiao Mei doing not using the good cuts of meat, but asking for such meat that was hard to handle? I just want to try making some new dishes! Qiao Mei said embarrassedly. So she wanted to cook delicious food for Brother Xia! This fellow Xia Zhe was really lucky. He married such a beautiful wife who not only knew how to do business, but she was also diligent and thrifty. She was really a rare find! However, their own wives were also not too bad. Each of them had her own merits! When Li Gui heard voices in the front yard, she came over to take a look. When she saw the pig offal, she was also a little shocked. However, Qiao Mei surely had her reasons for wanting these things, so she did not ask further. Qiao Mei looked at both the large and small intestines in the basin and started to feel worried. In her other life, the large and small intestines she bought were ready-to-use ingredients which had already been cleaned up and processed. She had never seen the large and small intestines in their original state and still with feces in them. For a moment, she did not know how to start. What if the intestines burst open when she cut them on both ends... then the entire courtyard would be ruined... Li Gui smiled happily when she saw Qiao Mei rooted to the spot. She had yet to see anything that Qiao Mei did not know how to handle! She did not expect Qiao Mei, who seemed to know everything, to be worried over something. Let me handle these things. You can go and deal with the rest, Li Gui said. These things are very dirty. Mom, do you know how to do it? If theres really no other way, lets find someone to come and do it, Qiao Mei said with a frown. Dont worry, I know how to do this, Li Gui said. In the village, whenever pigs were slaughtered, all these parts of the pigs were like treasures. Basically, all the women in the village knew how to handle these pig offal. It was a piece of cake to them. Qiao Mei looked at the remaining parts and continued to feel worried. It was really difficult to clean them. Qiao Mei decided to ask Mao Hang for help and he did not take long to clean up everything. Satisfied, she went to the kitchen to mix a special sauce. Currently, the only seasonings that could be bought in the market were salt, peppercorn and star anise. She still needed to go to the Chinese medicine shop to buy the rest of what she needed. Qiao Mei did not buy too much. She still did not know if she would succeed in making it! She could only try the combinations one by one and let everyone judge which sauce was the most delicious. At night, more than 10 dishes appeared on the dining table. There were stir-fried pig intestines in sauce, stir-fried pig intestines with capers, pigs heart soup, and so on. Every dish was made from pig offal. Chapter 1276 - 1276 A Table Full of Braised Intestines 1276 A Table Full of Braised Intestines Mei Mei, this entire table of meat dishes is really too greasy. I dont think my body can take it, Qiao Qiang said with a troubled expression. I have already prepared a plate of vegetables for you! You can just try a bit of each dish and give me your feedback, Qiao Mei said with a smile. During this period of time, Qiao Mei was busy with all these things at home and the two babies had also moved back to her house with her. Xia Zhe was the one who stayed at home every day to take care of the children, not Qiao Mei. When the neighbors saw this, they were all locked in a heated discussion. They had not heard of the woman going out to work while the man took care of the children at home. However, Qiao Mei did not care about the opinions of these people at all. They could say whatever they wanted. It was none of her business as long as they did not stop her from making money. Xia Wen came to Qiao Meis place as soon as he got off work. He even brought along many toys for the two children. From the moment the children were born until now, the toys which Xia Wen had bought for them could already fill up every inch of the two childrens rooms! He had almost brought back every item available in the toy shop! I can already smell the fragrance from the door. What is it that smells so good? Xia Wen asked. Eldest Brother, youre here at the right time. Come and take a look at my new dish! Braised intestines! Qiao Mei said confidently. I never expected you to like things with such strong taste... Dont tell me you only made braised intestines? Xia Wen looked at Qiao Mei fearfully. Qiao Mei never expected that Xia Wen did not like to eat such things and said with a troubled expression, You can eat vegetables with my grandfather then! Theres a lot of stir-fried vegetables in the kitchen! After everyone finished eating Qiao Meis dishes, they were full of praise for her. Qiao Mei numbered all the flavors and asked everyone to vote for the one they liked the most. She would solely focus on that flavor from now on! ovELusb.cm I thought youre going to sell seeds? Why are you doing this as well? Xia Wen asked. The more the merrier! Will anyone think that having more money is a bothersome thing? Qiao Mei said. Eldest Brother, its not like you dont know that my wife is a little money-grubber. As long as its something related to earning money, shes always the first one there, Xia Zhe said laughingly. Xia Zhe had only recently discovered that Qiao Mei was like a little god of wealth. As long as it was something related to earning money, Qiao Mei could always seize the business opportunity promptly. Xia Wen gave Qiao Mei a brief update about the search for the factory. Qiao Qiang was not interested in such things and brought the four children out for a walk in the park. The rest of the group were looking forward to having this matter settled as soon as possible. Although they had already rented the factory, the fixtures and fittings were really too old and could no longer be used. They still had to find professionals to do some repairs. Since she was going into the food business, she must pay particular attention to the hygiene aspect. People in this era did not have an awareness of such things at the moment, but in the future, this would be a major issue. For the sake of their future, Qiao Mei intended to have strict requirements right from the beginning. Otherwise, it would be too late when someone reported her to the authorities! Many enterprises failed due to the issue of food safety, so Qiao Mei could not afford to be careless at all. After many days, the day finally came for Qiane to be discharged from the hospital. Ever since Zheng Peng fainted, there had been no news of him at all. Luo Yu brought her straight to the courtyard house where Zhou Shuang and the rest lived. Qiao Mei was already waiting for her there. I know you dont want to return to the place you used to stay. This is my house. The people living in the front yard are all my friends. Theyre all nice people and wont hurt you. I know youre not used to living with so many people, so Ive arranged for your room to be in the backyard. Youre the only one living in the backyard, Qiao Mei said. Qiane held Qiao Meis hand and said slowly, You... dont have to do this for me... When I met with the accident back then, if you hadnt stayed at my house to take care of my grandfather and my mother, they probably could not cope. Youve helped me so much, so why dont you let me help you? Arent we good friends for life? Or are you still eyeing Xia Zhe? Qiao Mei said jokingly. Thank you, Qiane said. Why are you thanking me? If you really want to thank me, then come and help me! I have so many businesses but no one to help me! Arent you already thinking of getting a new job? Qiao Mei said. Chapter 1277 Doing Business Together ? Qian''e had not thought about this matter yet. She really needed money now, but she did not know if she could help Qiao Mei solve the problem at hand. "Come and take a look at your room first. I''ve already furnished it simply for you but I''m not sure if you''d like it." Qiao Mei brought Qian''e to the largest room in the backyard. There was a huge white wardrobe, a single bed and a beautiful dressing table inside. Of course Qiao Mei did not forget her favorite piano. Qiao Mei had specially gotten someone to move it over from her previous place. Even if Qian''e gave up everything, she would not give up this piano. She had worked hard to move this piano from her parents'' house! It had accompanied her for many years. "I don''t think you have everything you need yet. When you''ve rested enough, let''s go shopping together with my elder sister," Qiao Mei said happily. "What... do you need me to do?" Qian''e asked hesitantly. At the moment, Qiao Mei was the only person she could communicate with. However, she needed to speak very slowly. If she spoke too fast, she would get nervous and might even choke on her own saliva. "It''s very simple. My mother already cannot cope on her end. She needs someone to help her make the popcorn. You won''t have to interact with too many people. You just need to make the popcorn and let it cool before bagging everything up. The thing is you''re the only one doing everything yourself," Qiao Mei said. "Do you need... a lot of... popcorn?" Qian''e asked. "No need. We will just sell whatever amount you make. I''ll pay you for the work done," Qiao Mei said. Since it was so simple, Qian''e decided to give it a try. As long as she did not have to interact with people, she should be able to complete the task. Qiao Mei had previously already told her how much money she could earn in a month. She needed to work hard to earn money to pay Qiao Mei back for the medical expenses and also to buy this room. "Can I ask you... for a favor?" Qian''e said embarrassedly. "Tell me. As long as it''s something I can do, I''m willing to try," Qiao Mei said patiently. "Can you help me sell my old place? I don''t want to live there anymore," Qian''e said disheartenedly. Qiao Mei thought about it and said, "I think you should consider renting out that place. It can only be sold for a few hundred dollars at most, not a particularly high price. But if you rent it out, you''ll receive money every month. Won''t that be additional income for you?" Qian''e knew that Qiao Mei was trying to help her, but she did not have the courage to return to that place. It was not appropriate for her to trouble Qiao Mei with such a complicated matter. After all, she was the legal owner. If she really wanted to rent it out, she must be the one to handle all these matters. "Let''s just sell it..." Qian''e said firmly. "Alright, then I''ll get my eldest brother for help. You don''t have to worry about this matter. Have a good rest first. There''s no hurry to go to work. You can start whenever you''re ready," Qiao Mei said as she patted Qian''e on the shoulder. During this period of time, Qiao Mei kept asking Huang Xu to obtain pig offal from all the villages and she tried his best to come up with different flavors. She only stopped the experiments when she had decided on three types. She packed each type into separate bags and planned to get Zhao Fei and his team of guys to try selling them tomorrow to see if it was a viable business . They already sold popcorn and seeds. Was it any different to sell braised meat? As long as it was a lucrative job, Zhao Fei and his team would be willing to do it. It did not matter how much they earned. What was important was that they have a guaranteed job with Qiao Mei and she definitely would not let them suffer any losses. "Mom, how much money have we made recently?" Qiao Mei asked curiously. Li Gui quietly pulled Qiao Mei into the room and took down a metal box from the beam. She said mysteriously, "Guess how much money I have here?" "3,000 dollars?" Qiao Mei guessed. Li Gui shook her head smugly. She suddenly opened the box and the money inside bounced out like there was a spring underneath. "This is 8,000 dollars! I made a lot of money this month! I planned to use this money to buy goods, so I didn''t put it in the bank," Li Gui said with a smile. "I never expected you to be so forward thinking. You''re quite something! It seems that I have actually inherited my business acumen from you!" Qiao Mei said. Chapter 1278 - 1278 Cannot Have Both 1278 Cannot Have Both What are you talking about! Im not that capable. You... might have taken after your father. I picked up all these skills from you! Li Gui said embarrassedly. You can keep this money. I still have enough money. When the time comes, we can use this as our initial capital. Otherwise, itll be difficult to settle the accounts, Qiao Mei said with a smile. How can we do that! I keep all the money while the capital comes from you. Then arent you making a loss? Li Gui said. Look at it this way, our business is getting bigger and bigger now. Im the person in charge of all these businesses. In the hierarchy, Im the boss! Youre my deputy! The money Im providing this time is all we have for now. In the future, we have to do the accounts every day! Qiao Meis vivid description made Li Gui laugh. She made it sound as if they were operating in a bandits nest. Ever since Li Gui was determined to make a name for herself, she had started attending classes with the children. She had learned many different things and now knew how to settle accounts and write. She also knew how to write down the details related to business matters. She might not be good with other things, but it was enough for now. Ill take note of it. Ill also do the accounts well. Thatll make it easier for you to check later, Li Gui said with a smile. She took out all the small change from the box and put the money back properly before returning the box to its original place. The small change would come in useful when they needed to give change to customers. It was rare for Qiao Mei to come and sit in Li Guis room for a while. In the past, she did not even have time to observe the interior properly. She did not know that Li Gui had printed out their family photo and hung it on the wall. There were also many other photos of some of their most unforgettable moments. Mom, when did you do all this? Qiao Mei asked curiously. When I found out that Xia Fan and Xia Xing were born. I passed by a photo studio and they told me what I need to prepare for them to print the photos. Isnt it nice? Li Gui asked. Yes, I have already forgotten that we have previously taken so many photos, Qiao Mei said, feeling touched. Xia Wen had a camera that he specially brought along to take photos at family gatherings. They would take many photos each time. However, Xia Wen was usually very busy and everyone had their own things to do, so no one went to get the photos developed. Another important reason was that it was very expensive. It cost 50 cents to develop one photo. An amount of 50 cents could buy two pounds of pork! Who would spend 50 cents on a photo for no reason? The owner of the photo studio must be overjoyed to see Li Gui. It was definitely not a small transaction since Li Gui developed so many photos. After putting away the things, Li Gui looked at Qiao Mei and asked, Mei Mei, have you thought about what you want Qiane to do here? Im thinking about giving her the popcorn business. Its up to her to decide on the quantity she wants to make. However, we cant just give it to her for free. Lets split it 40-60. After all, were the ones providing the raw materials and recipe, Qiao Mei said after thinking carefully. Li Gui also agreed with this plan. The popcorn business was still doing very well now, but it was almost the Spring Festival soon and every family would start to buy new year goodies. Popcorn would definitely not be as profitable as seeds at that time. One always had to give up something to gain something else. One could not have ones cake and eat it too. Li Gui decided to choose whatever was more important to her. This way, it would not take up too much of her energy. Li Gui now had a lot of money every month. She was no longer the person who had to spend every cent carefully. She did not even hesitate when she had to buy things that cost 100 to 200 dollars. However, she still adhered to the principle of being frugal. Even if her family was rich now, they could not be extravagant. She provided the children with the best when it came to material items, but when it came to their daily living expenses, she still maintained the same principle as when they were poor in the past. She could live frugally, but she could not be frugal with the childrens knowledge. Li Gui was very willing to spend money on things related to the childrens education. She just hoped that these children would be successful in the future. No problem. Ill take your lead on these matters, Li Gui said. In the future, youll have to take care of the braised meat, seeds and popcorn businesses! I have to focus on taking care of Xia Fan and Xia Xing, Qiao Mei said as she held Li Guis hand. Thats a lot. I cant handle them all by myself. I cant be the one making decisions! Li Gui said worriedly. Chapter 1279 - 1279 All Business People Are Profiteers 1279 All Business People Are Profiteers Although Li Gui had bought her current small house from Qiao Mei, she was always afraid that someone would set them up behind their backs and it would then implicate the Xia family. It had not been easy for Qiao Mei to build up their current family business. What if she messed it up? At most well just lose some money. But look at our family business, does it look like we will lose money? Dont worry and just go ahead and do it. As for the salaries for Xia Zhes three friends and how you and Qiane want to split the profits in the future, Im not going to care anymore! Im going to be a hands-off boss! Qiao Mei said happily. Sure, sure, sure! Ill earn more money to buy toys for Xia Fan and Xia Xing! Li Gui said. Qiao Mei wanted to work harder before the Spring Festival so that everyone could make more money and spend more freely during the new year. After the new year period, they could also take a break and need not be so busy every day. While Chi Ze and Li Gui looked into the matter of the seeds, Mao Hang and Huang Xu became very familiar with the matter of handling the pig offal. During this period of time, both of them helped to collect and buy these things. Many slaughterhouses actually had a lot of leftover pig offal. One could get hold of it by making use of connections. Then where did such connections come from? Naturally, one could slowly build them up with time and effort. Very quickly, Qiao Mei managed to make contact with a large slaughterhouse in the suburbs. The bosss surname was also Qiao so she was in luck. She went there early in the morning with Xia Zhe to visit Director Qiao. They hung around at the main entrance, waiting for the employees to start work so that they could go in and take a look. Many slaughterhouses were not up to standard when it came to hygiene. If they happened to buy spoiled pig offal and something bad happened to the people who ate Qiao Meis food, they would not be able to bear the responsibility. Is your boss around? Xia Zhe asked as he knocked on the glass panel of the guardhouse. Unexpectedly, the other party did not want to be bothered with him at all. The guard opened the window impatiently and asked, Do you have an appointment? Xia Zhe looked at the guard in shock. Did he need to make an appointment to meet the factory director of the slaughterhouse? Was it going to be as difficult as meeting the leader of a country? No, were here to pay him a visit, Xia Zhe said. Our factory director is very busy. If you dont have an appointment slot, our factory director wont see you. You should go back and fix an appointment before coming back. After saying that, the guard closed the window and went back to playing poker. Xia Zhe returned to the car with a resigned expression. He suddenly realized that without the halo effect of being part of the Xia family, he was nothing. He could not even enter this places main door. Whats wrong? What did they say to you? Qiao Mei asked. They say that we dont have an appointment slot. We need to make an appointment with Director Qiao before coming to the factory to look for him, Xia Zhe said. Qiao Mei looked at the main door and suddenly had an idea. She quickly hopped out from the car and went to the guardhouse. With just a few words, she settled the matter and they even politely invited Qiao Mei in. Qiao Mei secretly made a victory sign at Xia Zhe. On the way in, Xia Zhe asked curiously, What did you say to them? Why did they agree so quickly? I said that Im Director Qiaos niece. Do I still need to make an appointment to see my uncle? Qiao Mei said smugly. They believe it just like that? No way? Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei in disbelief. Of course not. They asked me to provide evidence, so I briefly described Director Qiaos appearance and then they believed that I was telling the truth. They were even very respectful to me after that, Qiao Mei said. Before Qiao Mei came, she had done her homework. It was not difficult for her to find out what Director Qiao looked like. She had arranged for someone to wait here for a few days and finally managed to take a photo of Director Qiao. Qiao Mei had never fought a battle which she had no confidence to win. If she did not make any preparations at all, did that not mean that everything would have to rely entirely on luck alone? In such a case, the chances of success were too low. Xia Zhe handled everything else very well, but when it came to the wily ways of the world, Xia Zhe was not well-versed in it. This was somewhat related to the Xia familys values. Most of the Xia family members were in the military and it was in their blood to be upright and brave. They would never lie to others to gain achievements. However, it was different for Qiao Mei. She was a businesswoman and there was a common saying about how all business people are profiteers. Cunningness was the essential quality of a good business person. Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei with loads of admiration. The two of them really complement each other! Chapter 1280 - 1280 She Is My Niece 1280 She Is My Niece At this moment, Director Qiao was playing with his parrot in his office! He did not have any other hobbies except drinking tea, admiring flowers and playing with birds. People begged him to share some meat with them every day. He did not need to show respect to anyone at all. Instead, others had to be very respectful to him! He did not need to entertain anyone either. He just needed to do his job every day and then take a bigger portion of the profit. That would be enough for him to live out the rest of his life. Along the way, Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe were not by themselves. There were also two security officers escorting them to Director Qiaos office. They were still suspicious of the couples identities. If Qiao Mei was not Director Qiaos relative, they could immediately atone for their mistake and chase Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe out. When we go in later, just keep nodding your head vigorously, do you understand? Qiao Mei stood at the door of Director Qiaos office and whispered to Xia Zhe. Xia Zhe nodded obediently with the two gift boxes in his hand. This had a direct impact on Qiao Meis future business so he had to be fully focused. He must complete it as if it was a mission! They had chosen the gifts based on Director Qiaos preferences. One of the gift boxes contained a superior 12-item tea set in the style used by the noble class during the Song dynasty. This was a rare treasure and also an antique. It was something that ordinary people would not be able to get their hands on! Qiao Mei had obtained this tea set by chance. Initially, she wanted to give it to Qiao Qiang, but Qiao Qiang already had a black-glazed teacup that he cherished very much. Besides, Qiao Qiang did not care for such things, so she decided to give it to Director Qiao instead. The other gift was superior Puer tea. These were rare treasures that many people could not get their hands on! Qiao Mei took a deep breath and put on a bright smile on her face. She knocked politely on the door and pushed it open. Uncle Qiao, long time no see! Do you still remember me? I miss you so much! Qiao Mei said warmly as she walked to Director Qiaos side. Director Qiao looked at Qiao Mei in puzzlement. Why did he not remember having such a niece? During festive seasons, even the most distant relatives would send gifts to his family. No matter what festival it was, they would come to gather around whenever they had the chance. However, Director Qiao really had no impression of Qiao Mei at all. It was not all that surprising to him. He did not know all his relatives, and he could not even remember what his own sisters son looked like. You... Director Qiao said hesitantly. Its me! Uncle Qiao! Dont you remember me? Im Qiao Mei! Qiao Mei said excitedly. Director Qiao was originally from the countryside and there were many people in the village whose names were Mei, Juan, Yan and Jun. It would not be surprising if this person really turned out to be his relative. Furthermore, he was too embarrassed to reject Qiao Mei in front of everyone. If Qiao Mei was really his relative, he would be so embarrassed if people heard that he could not even recognize his own niece. If word got out, they would say that he was too arrogant! He was going to retire in a few years and he could not afford to make any mistakes at this juncture! Ah... I remember, I remember! Youre from that family! How can I not remember! This must be your husband, Director Qiao asked as he looked at Xia Zhe. Yes! I just know that Uncle Qiao will definitely remember me! You remember everything the moment I mention it. They even said that I was lying just now! If I hadnt insisted that you are my uncle, they would have left me outside the main door! Qiao Mei said aggrievedly. Its fine, its fine. Ill reprimand them later! What are you waiting for! Get out! Dont hold me back from catching up with my niece and niece-in-law! Director Qiao said as he pretended to be angry. The two security officers were so frightened that they quickly closed the door and left the office. If Director Qiao flew into a rage, the two of them might not even be able to keep their jobs! Director Qiao had the most terrifying temper! After the outsiders left, Director Qiao sized Qiao Mei up carefully. She was quite beautiful and did not look like a woman who had grown up in the countryside. Moreover, this man had a dignified and imposing bearing. At one glance, he looked like a soldier. The two of them definitely had some sort of backing and were not just commoners. Chapter 1281 - 1281 Very Satisfied 1281 Very Satisfied Tell me, where exactly are you from? How did you manage to find me? Director Qiao said calmly. However, as he observed Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe, they did not look like people who decided to randomly come and ask him for help. They were dressed very well so there was no harm in talking to them. He took the birdcage and returned to his desk to sit down. He wanted to show off his sense of authority, but that did not work with Qiao Mei. She was not impressed by such things at all. We came from home of course! Qiao Mei acted as if she had entered her own house and pulled Xia Zhe along to sit on the sofa. Her actions stunned Director Qiao. He had never seen someone who acted so overly familiar with him. Xia Zhe almost laughed out audibly. He turned his head to one side to suppress his laughter. How... hows your father? Has he been well recently? If hes free, you should bring him here. We havent met each other for a long time, Director Qiao asked in a probing manner. Qiao Mei did not say anything else. She took the two gift boxes from Xia Zhe and slowly walked in front of Director Qiao and placed them on his desk. My father is not in good health and cant move around often, so its too inconvenient for him to come and visit Uncle Qiao. However, I have brought you a small gift. I wonder if you like it? I hope you do, Qiao Mei said with a slight smile. Director Qiao opened the gift box curiously and his eyes were immediately drawn to the superior 12-item tea set. He was like a cat which had been hungry for a long time and had finally spotted some meat. He could not bear to take his eyes off the tea set. Right on the heels of that, Qiao Mei opened the other gift box as well. Director Qiaos fondness for the gift was indescribable and he was so excited that he almost stood up. Uncle Qiao, do you like them? Qiao Mei asked softly. Director Qiao immediately came back to his senses and quickly put away the two gift boxes carefully. After coughing twice, he said amiably, I like them. I like anything that my niece gives me! Qiao... Qiao Mei, am I right! Thank you for your kindness! Please send my regards to your father. Since hes not in good health, then he doesnt need to make the trip here. I told you that Uncle Qiao will definitely like them! After saying that, Qiao Mei glanced at Xia Zhe and sighed helplessly. Director Qiao understood what she meant. The gifts were not for free and he immediately asked, Qiao Mei, is there something thats troubling you? Tell uncle and let me solve this problem for you! Tell me what I can do! I will definitely help you! Really? Uncle is indeed so kind to me! Then I wont hide it from you! Qiao Mei continued happily, Actually... we want to obtain some pig offal from you. The people in the village have not tasted meat or fish for a long time, so I want everyone to have some. Thats an easy thing to do! How much do you want! Director Qiao said readily. Everything! I want everything from now onwards! Qiao Mei said. This sentence frightened Director Qiao so much that he almost fell off his chair. Qiao Mei was really asking for too much. If she wanted some pig offal to go back and sell to the villagers, he had no problem giving her some meat. Just these two gifts from her were worth the price of five pigs. Giving Qiao Mei all the pig offal in the entire factory was equivalent to giving her a quarter of the total supply of pig offal in the capital. This was simply nonsensical! He would not be able to explain himself if such a large amount of pig offal disappeared from his factory! No way! Why do you need so much! Director Qiao said cautiously. Qiao Mei, are you trying to kill me? This is too tough for me, Director Qiao said. Qiao Mei raised one finger and Director Qiaos face fell. Since Qiao Mei knew that she could come to him to ask for pig offal, she surely knew that there were already others who were working with him. This woman was able to find out who those customers were and even accurately knew the price they were paying. She even knew what he liked and how far he could bend over backwards. With all this, he was even more afraid of Qiao Meis real identity now. Chapter 1282 - 1282 I Cannot Shortchange My Brothers 1282 I Cannot Shortchange My Brothers I can give you this, Qiao Mei said as she held up two fingers. You... Before Director Qiao could finish speaking, Qiao Mei continued, I know you definitely have a way to give me half, but I wont make things difficult for you. I wont ask for much, how about one quarter? I still offer the same price. Its much more suitable for you to work with me than those people. One quarter was still too much. His biggest concession was to give Qiao Mei pig offal from 20 pigs a day. He could not give her any more than that. Qiao Mei considered for a moment and then agreed. An amount of 20 pigs was not a small number and it would guarantee a supply of fresh offal if she sent someone to pick it up every day. She would feel much more at ease with using fresh ingredients. It just meant that if she wanted to expand this business, she would still have to wait another year or two! They needed some form of agreement to seal the deal. However, they did not sign a written agreement. Instead, they took Director Qiaos name stamp with them. They would return it tomorrow when they came to collect the pork. After the first deal was done, everything else could be easily resolved. They would be in the same boat and bound together. On the way back, Qiao Mei sat in the front passenger seat and hummed a tune. It had been a long time since Xia Zhe had seen Qiao Mei so happy. It seemed that this little girl was really addicted to doing business. What do you plan to do with these things when you get them? Are you going to process them yourself? Xia Zhe asked. My mother knows how to make the sauce now, so Ill just leave it to her. Didnt you say Elder Brother Chi knows how to drive? I plan to get Eldest Brother to get me a small van. Elder Brother Chi can then go to Director Qiaos factory every day to get the supply and then well process it every night so that it can be ready for sale early the next morning, Qiao Mei said. Shouldnt we sell it on the same day? When the weather gets hotter, the food products wont keep well, Xia Zhe said. Qiao Mei had not thought about this issue. Actually, she could use her ability to keep the temperature in a room at a constant level, but that would be too obvious. Their refrigerator and freezer were too small to hold everything they had. Moreover, if they really make use of electronic equipment, their costs would also increase. What Xia Zhe said made sense and she did not have an immediate solution for it. I... I dont know. Why dont we try it out first and then talk about it later, Qiao Mei said. The workers at Director Qiaos place go to work very early. The people we saw are those who pack up the items. In fact, the people who process the meat work through the night. We just need to drive over to pick up the supply in the wee hours of the morning, Xia Zhe said. It was not as if he did not do anything during this trip. After taking a look around just now, he basically understood the general production process of the slaughterhouse. He knew very well how much meat could be produced every day and how much the workers were paid on average. Even though Director Qiao secretly sold pig offal on the side, no one in the factory had reported him for such a long time. Everyone looked very content and it was obvious that Director Qiao had also allowed the workers to bring some of the pig offal home. Qiao Mei also felt that this was a good idea, but it would then be tough on Chi Ze and the rest. They would have to clean up these pig offal in the morning and stir-fry seeds in the afternoon. In that case, their salaries would need to be adjusted. Wow! How do you know that! Why didnt I notice anything? Qiao Mei asked in surprise. Its written on the noticeboard. You were so busy with Director Qiao that you didnt see me chatting with the workers in the factory, so of course you dont know, Xia Zhe said. Your idea is a good one, but your three friends will have it tough. I wonder if theyll be able to handle it. Qiao Mei was a little worried about their health. She did not know if anything would happen to them if the work was so packed and intense. Why dont I get a few more brothers to come over? Besides, you can set working hours for them. Their wives are all from the countryside and theyre all very nice people. Why dont we get them to deal with these pig offal? Xia Zhe suggested. Qiao Meis eyes lit up. Xia Zhes idea was definitely more comprehensive. This way, not only could he ensure that his friends earned good income, he would also be able to ensure that they had enough time to rest. In that case, the previous salary structure would not work anymore. Otherwise, it could cause big trouble. It was better to make sure that everyone was earning about the same amount. It would not be good if conflicts arose because one person earned more and another person earned less. Qiao Mei wanted to take an impartial approach and not shortchange any of them. Chapter 1283 - 1283 Osmanthus Braised Meat” 1283 Osmanthus Braised Meat After careful consideration, Qiao Mei came up with a temporary plan for now. There were still many rough edges that needed to be gradually smoothened out. She would slowly make improvements as she went along. The space at home was not big enough to accommodate the pig offal from 20 pigs, nor did they have a pot that was big enough to contain everything. Qiao Mei was currently buying the pig offal at the price of 25 cents per pound and about five pigs worth at a time. The price was high, so Director Qiao naturally did not say anything. Once Xia Wen completed the renovations on the other place, they would be able to move to the suburbs to work and would not have to work tensely in this cramped and small courtyard. Zhao Fei had bought a new van and it was now even more convenient for him to transport the goods. There were many people helping him with the sales now. Zhao Fei had asked many of his relatives and friends to help out. As his business grew bigger, he kept an even lower profile. It seemed that this person was a good business partner. Every morning, Zhao Fei would drive to Qiao Meis place to pick up the goods. No matter what he picked up, he would proceed to sell it. He accepted whatever cost price and selling price that Qiao Mei stated. At first, he was a little unwilling to do so. After all, the cost price which Qiao Mei offered him was very close to the selling price. What he wanted was to earn more money! Qiao Mei said that his idea was termed market disruption and that although he could make huge profits in the short term, it was not a long-term solution. It was better to be down-to-earth and sell the goods in a slow and steady manner. When Qiao Mei decided to sell braised meat, she had asked her elderly neighbor to help her modify the three-wheeled vehicle. They could now put four gas stoves at the back and connect them to the gas pipe at the side using wires at the bottom. One gas pipe was enough for Li Gui to use for more than a week! Braised meat did not taste good once it got cold. It was best to sell it while it was hot. It was a good time to enter the market now and they did not want to miss out on the opportunity. They had so much pig offal that they could not manage to process everything for sale. A lot of it was given to the neighbors for free as compensation for the disturbance caused to them during this period of time. With that, everyones attitude towards Qiao Mei running a business secretly softened a lot. Who did not like having things for free every month? Other people could not even manage to buy the goods that Qiao Mei was selling. It was so good that they could get it for free! It was not right to be picky. Mom, go and try it out today and see if it sells well. Well just sell a bit over the next two days. The main thing is to introduce our products to the market and let everyone know about us, Qiao Mei pulled Li Gui aside and reminded her. What market? Li Gui asked. Its the way everyone buys and sells things. A market is a place where you conduct business. What we call a black market means an underground market! Qiao Mei explained patiently. Li Gui carefully noted down everything that Qiao Mei said. If she did not understand something, she would write it down with a pen in her notebook. She carried a small notebook with her every day so that she could write down the things that she did not understand. If she did not know how to write the word, she would replace it with phonetics. If phonetics was also not possible, she would do drawings. It was fine as long as she could understand it when she got home. There were so many educated people in the family, so she could ask anyone and have them explain it to her. Qiao Mei had said before that their family business must eventually expand and become the best in the country! In the beginning, Li Gui just wanted to make enough money to support her family. However, since Qiao Mei said that they could do more, then she must study hard! According to Qiao Mei, they had to have standards and rules and could not do things in a haphazard manner anymore. This was the only way they could do business for a long time and grow it bigger. This was what was meant by nothing can be done without rules. I understand now. Then what should I tell people? We dont have a brand name yet, so its not that convenient to introduce ourselves, Li Gui said as she looked at the four big metal containers in the vehicle. Qiao Mei thought about it seriously. Li Gui liked to grow flowers the most and she even had the word Gui, meaning osmanthus, in her name. In that case, lets use the name Osmanthus Braised Meat! Mom, what do you think of this name? In the future, our products can all be branded with the word Osmanthus. Itll be so recognizable! Qiao Mei said excitedly. Good, good, good. Thats a good name! I like it very much! Li Gui said happily. Chapter 1284 - 1284 Ethical Person 1284 Ethical Person Li Gui got on the three-wheeled vehicle and left the house hurriedly. In a flash, she disappeared into the alley. The three-wheeled vehicle was almost as heavy as three Li Guis. No one knew where she got the strength to ride it so quickly. Qiao Mei shook her head resignedly. The two of them were really a pair of biological mother and daughter. Even their hobbies were the same. They both liked to earn money! Li Gui had woken up in the wee hours of the morning. Qiao Mei had originally planned to let Zhao Fei rest for a few days as there was no hurry to sell the goods. However, she did not expect Li Gui to be the first to disagree! Now that the seeds were already on the way to the capital, business would become even more prosperous after two days. She did not want to miss out on the chance of making a single cent. Given that she still had the energy to make popcorn at the moment, she wanted to make the best use of her time. It was a workday today and most people had gone out to work. At noon, most workplace units catered lunch for their employees, so there was no need for anyone to come out to buy Li Guis braised meat. Li Gui turned her attention to the family compound not far away, which was also near Xia Fangs neighborhood. There were many doctors and teachers residing there who were so busy that they did not have time to cook at all. There were also many elderly people at home in that compound, so it was a good place to sell braised meat! She pushed the vehicle and stood quietly downstairs. This was the first time she came out to sell braised meat and she was full of confidence! She did not even have the same amount of confidence when she sold seeds and popcorn. She firmly believed that the things Qiao Mei made would not be inferior and that there would definitely be buyers! Furthermore, she expected everything to be sold out, Not long after, an old lady came back from marketing. She looked curiously at the four big metal containers in Li Guis vehicle. She had never seen anyone selling things in this manner! Sister, what are you selling? the old lady asked. Li Gui opened the container and the fragrance wafted over. The old ladys eyes lit up. She had never smelled anything so fragrant! Elder sister, this is braised meat that I made myself. This is pig intestine, this is pork liver, this is pigs head meat, and this is braised pig trotter. Do you want to buy some to try at home? Li Gui asked expectantly. How much is it? the old lady asked. Li Gui did not discuss this matter with Qiao Mei at home. She made a decision and said, The liver and intestines are one dollar a pound! The pigs head meat is one-fifty a pound, and the pig trotters are 80 cents each. The old lady got a shock and quickly took a few steps back. She waved her hands and said, Sister! This is too expensive! One dollar can buy three pounds of meat! Your price is so scary! You dont have to use meat coupons to buy this. Besides, imagine the taste. Buy one pound to try. I promise that you will want to buy more after you try! Li Gui patted her chest and made a guarantee. The old lady was a little hesitant. The braised meat was indeed very fragrant, but the price... If you think it doesnt taste good! I wont charge you! Li Gui said generously. When the old lady heard Li Gui say such arrogant words, she went home without another word and brought back a big bowl. She wanted to see how delicious Li Guis braised meat was! Another important reason was that she was not a good cook. Her family always complained about the food she made, so she wanted to offer them something nicer during mealtimes. Li Gui did not hesitate. She picked up the big ladle and filled the bowl with pig intestines for the old lady. The old lady had been buying meat for so many years that she could tell the weight by feel. Li Guis one full ladle of meat, excluding the sauce, was definitely more than one pound. It was perhaps almost one and a half pounds. She was an ethical person. Ill go home and try it now, the old lady said as she handed Li Gui a dollar. Li Gui hurriedly dropped a few more pieces of pigs head meat for the old lady and whispered to her, Elder sister, if you think its delicious, please help me publicize it. My surname is Liang. You can call me Sister Liang. Seeing that youre so forthright, I cant take your things for free. Wait a while. Ill put down the bowl and bring you around to promote the food. After saying that, Old Madam Liang walked home and returned not long after, followed by two boys who were about 16 or 17 years old. After the two boys greeted Li Gui politely, they ran around the building floor by floor. The people living here had been neighbors for decades. It could be said that every family had watched the children in the compound grow up. When they heard that there was something good to try, they quickly went downstairs to join in the fun. Sister Liang, are they your grandsons? Theyre so good-looking! And so polite as well. One look and I can tell that they have a good upbringing! Li Gui said enviously. Chapter 1285 - 1285 Sold Out 1285 Sold Out Im too old and its too tiring to go up and down, so I ask my two grandsons to do it for me. Sister, the food you made is indeed delicious. The moment I brought it home, my two grandsons finished everything. Are you coming back another day? Old Madam Liang asked expectantly. Sure! I can come here every day! Sister Liang, tell me what you like to eat and Ill make some specially for you! Li Gui said with a smile. Hahahaha, thats great! Old Madam Liang said brightly. A slightly plump woman hurriedly ran downstairs and stated that she wanted to buy the braised meat even before she could catch her breath. This was her favorite food! However, she had never made it at home. It was extremely difficult to process the pig offal. If it was not cleaned up well, the smell would be too strong and simply inedible. It was also difficult to buy pig offal! One had to get up very early and wait at the entrance of the supply and marketing cooperative, otherwise one would not be able to get any. Auntie Liang! Youre here too! the woman said. Thats right. I know youll definitely come by. Old Madam Liang turned to Li Gui and said, This is one of the most kind-hearted people in our courtyard. Her name is Sun Yan and she loves braised meat the most in this entire compound! Li Gui hurriedly turned on all the gas stoves. As the bottom of the big containers heated up, the smell of the braised meat kept wafting out. Sun Yan was so tempted that she was almost drooling. Quickly, you can move these four containers to my house! Ill take them all! Sun Yan said excitedly. I havent even told you the price yet! What if you find it too expensive? Li Gui was a little surprised. Was the food really that delicious? Auntie Liangs recommendations definitely wont go wrong. Moreover, just by this fragrance, I already know that it must be delicious! Ive eaten these things for so many years, but this is the first time Ive encountered something so fragrant! Just bring everything to my house! Ill go home and get money for you! Sun Yan said excitedly. Sun Yan had just retired and all her children were doing very well. There was no need for her to worry about them at all. Not only did she and her husband have a retirement pension every month, their children also gave them living expenses, so they had a lot of spare cash. Sun Yans maternal family members also liked to eat these things very much. She intended to share them with her relatives and friends. She still thought that the braised meat which Li Gui brought today was not enough! It was still not enough to share among all the families. Come back, come back! How can you do this? Its her first day here. Just buy some to try. There are still so many people waiting to buy! How can she run her business if you behave like this! Old Madam Liang whispered as she grabbed hold of Sun Yan. Then... then are you still coming tomorrow? Sun Yan asked as she looked at Li Gui reluctantly. Yes! Of course! Ill come here every day! Tell me what you like and Ill make it for you! Li Gui said with a smile. Then give me five pounds today! Give me as much as you can make tomorrow! Give me at least 30 pounds of each type! I want all of them! Sun Yan waved her hands and put in her order for tomorrow. When Sun Yan went home and came back with her containers, there were already many people surrounding Li Gui to buy the braised meat. Li Gui had already set aside a portion for Sun Yan. Otherwise, by the time Sun Yan came back, there would be nothing left! I want five pounds! Give me 10 pounds! Dont fight! I was here first! Give me five pounds of each type! The crowd made so much noise that the security officers became alarmed. Old Madam Liang hurriedly stepped forward and said, Everyone, calm down! We all know that its not easy to find this type of food. If you continue to make so much noise, we wont have a chance to eat it again in the future! Everyone immediately fell silent. The economy had not completely opened up yet! What Li Gui was doing was still considered an opportunistic venture and she would have to go to jail if she was reported! Li Guis family would be implicated too! No matter how much they liked the food, they could not ruin her business. Im already sold out for tomorrow! Ill come back here every day in the future! Dont be anxious! Everything is sold out today. You can buy them the next time I come! Li Gui said. We all recognize you now! The next time you come here, well all come out to buy! an old man shouted from the crowd. I have to state the price upfront! You cant buy blindly! Everyone, choose what you like to try! I only use the freshest ingredients! Li Gui repeated the prices she quoted just now, particularly emphasizing that there was no need for them to use coupons. Chapter 1286 Big Business ? Li Gui thought for a moment and continued, "If anyone wants more than 50 pounds of braised meat, you can order it one day in advance! However, you have to make payment in advance too. When you come to buy it, you have to prepare your own containers. I don''t have any containers with me." "Alright!" everyone said in unison. Before she left, she gave the guard one pound of each type of braised meat and some popcorn, as a way of asking him to be magnanimous and let her off. This gesture was always very effective with security guards. Li Gui was still in a daze on the way home. She even felt that she might have priced it wrongly. They would probably still buy it even if it was priced at two dollars a pound. She was already heading home less than two hours after she started selling. Those people even bought all the remaining sauce to bring home to use as gravy. Qiao Mei sat on the swing at home and basked in the sun. She had thought that Li Gui would only be back at night! "Mom! How did you do!" Qiao Mei asked as she looked at Li Gui expectantly. When Li Gui left the house, her waist pouch was still flat and empty. It was now bulging and almost could not be closed. She hurriedly pulled Qiao Mei towards the backyard, into her room and she quickly closed the door. As soon as she opened the bag, all the money inside sprang out. "Look, look! This is all the money I earned! This is much more profitable than selling popcorn!" Li Gui said excitedly as she held the money. The two of them counted the money carefully. There was a total of 135 dollars! They had made so much money in just three hours! Even after they deducted the cost and labor fees, they still made a lot of profit! Li Gui danced around excitedly. In the future, there would be more people queuing up to buy the braised meat. That represented money! There was still a big order of 120 pounds tomorrow! She must ask Chi Ze to buy more pig offal later. At night, Xia Wen came to Qiao Mei''s house with a lot of things again. Xia Zhe was in the room coaxing the babies. Qiao Mei was really glad that she had twins. If she had only given birth to one child, the two brothers would definitely be fighting it out. "Eldest Brother, don''t carry Xia Xing for so long. Spend more time with Xia Fan. Xia Xing is so spoiled by you that she doesn''t even want to sleep on the bed," Xia Zhe said unhappily. "But our Xia Xing is so adorable! Look, she''s smiling at me!" Xia Wen said happily. Whenever he saw Xia Xing''s smile, he felt like all the troubles of the day had disappeared. "In that case, if she doesn''t want to sleep on the bed in the future, Eldest Brother will have to come and carry Xia Xing to sleep every day. Sister Feng has been so tired for the past two days and her shoulders are aching!" Qiao Mei said as she stood at the door. Xia Wen wanted nothing more than to hug Xia Xing and not let go! It was not that he did not like Xia Fan, but Xia Xing was more lovable. Xia Wen and Xia Zhe had the same educational philosophy. The boy should suffer more and nurture iron-like will and strength so that he could face the world on his own. They just needed to make sure that he did not starve to death. Apart from that, he should grow up freely. However, it was different for the girl! A girl must be cherished and protected carefully. They wanted to treat her like a princess and give her the best things in the world. As long as it was something that Xia Xing wanted, they would try their best to satisfy her. "If you spoil her, I want to know which one of you will take responsibility for it!" Qiao Mei said in a fit of pique. "There won''t be any problems! Don''t worry, if there''s really no other way, we can ask Grandfather to take care of her. Anyone whom Grandfather brings up will become an elite overachiever. Xia Xing will become just like Eldest Aunt, a heroic rose!" Xia Wen said. Qiao Mei tried to imagine what that would be like. If Xia Xing turned out to be similar to Xia Xiu, then would Qiao Mei be the mother or the daughter in the relationship? Xia Xiu was merciless when she reprimanded Xia Jun! Previously, Xia Jun had even secretly complained about this matter to Qiao Mei. He said he did not know who was the father and who was the child, making Qiao Mei laugh out loudly. "Forget it," Qiao Mei said with a pout. "Did something joyous happen to Auntie? I heard her singing when I came in and she''s still singing now! I''ve never seen her so happy before," Xia Wen asked curiously. "It''s the braised meat you tried a few days ago. She made good sales today and is in high spirits. I hear that there''s a big order of 120 pounds tomorrow and she''s so excited that she''s already starting to prepare the ingredients now. It''s already difficult to prepare the 70 to 80 pounds she sold today, yet she now wants to sell more than 100 pounds. I can''t dissuade her, but it''s fine as long as she''s happy," Qiao Mei said with a deep sigh. "Do you want me to arrange a car for Auntie?" Xia Wen asked. "Arrange for a car? Just open a shop for her!" Qiao Mei said with a laugh. Chapter 1287 - 1287 Doing What I Can 1287 Doing What I Can Xia Wen had already helped them enough. They could get Xia Wen to help with the purchase of items, but they definitely could not let Xia Wen get involved in their business. As a government official and the director in charge of the economy, he must set a good example and not have any external business dealings. Otherwise, he would never be able to clear his name. If someone reported Xia Wen for running a business, he would go to jail! This was no childs play! Its not impossible. You can just put in an application for her. Its just that the procedures are a little complicated, but I guess youll feel more at ease after opening a shop, Xia Wen said. Thats easy to say! How can we earn so much money after opening a shop? The monthly expenses are not low! However, I already have a plan. I just need to think more thoroughly about it later. I have too many businesses to run now! Qiao Mei said smugly. Xia Wen shook his head helplessly and turned to look at Xia Zhe. Please control your wife. Dont let her buy another house. Take control of your familys money. My familys money is not under my control. I only have one dollar in my pocket and its only because Qiao Mei forgot to take it back yesterday, Xia Zhe said pitifully. n0VElUsb.c0m It seemed that he could not count on Xia Zhe at all. His usually imposing younger brother was like a cute little puppy at home. In front of Qiao Mei, he was like an excitable little boy and not at all like that domineering person he showed others. After Xia Wen coaxed Xia Xing to sleep, he went to the kitchen to help Li Gui. Whenever Li Gui saw him, she felt as if she was looking at her own son. She treated Xia Wen and Xia He very well and always kept the two of them in mind whenever there was anything good. As long as it was someone who was genuinely nice to Qiao Mei, she would repay them regardless of the cost. Auntie, you sing so well. What did you do today? You seem so happy, Xia Wen asked naturally as he washed the vegetables. Xiao Wen! You dont know how much money I made today! I made popcorn at night and went out to sell braised meat during the day. I made almost 300 dollars in one day! Oh my! If this continues, I can make more than 10,000 dollars a month! Is there something wrong with my calculation or do I actually have so much money! Li Gui said excitedly. Xia Wen was also shocked when he heard the amount. There was no way an ordinary peddler could earn as much as Qiao Mei. It was already considered a lot if a peddler could earn 300 dollars a month. He looked thoughtfully at Qiao Mei who was in the distance. All these ideas definitely did not come from Li Gui. Qiao Mei had been strategizing behind the scenes and stabilizing the situation. Moreover, Qiao Mei was a clear-minded person who did business decisively and would not abandon her own interests because of interpersonal relationships. She was a person who could achieve great things. Could it be that the Xia family now have a business genius in their midst? It looked like the Xia family might actually be able to gain a foothold in the business world as well. This thought made Xia Wen excited. He really could not imagine how the future of the Xia family could turn out. However, he also understood that it was dangerous to be too ostentatious. The Xia family was already very outstanding in the political and military fields. If they dominated the business field as well, it would probably attract the wrong kind of attention. These things all needed to be thought out carefully. When the food was ready, the family sat down harmoniously to eat together. Before Xia Wen left, Qiao Mei even gave him a lot of braised meat so that he had something to eat when he returned to the office dormitory. Eldest Brother, why dont you consider moving to that house I prepared for you and Xia He. If you come and live in this area, you can help me take care of Xiao Xing as well, Qiao Mei said gently. That wont do. Dont worry, Im living in the workplace units dormitory now and its not too bad. My superior is already considering allocating a house to me. I hear that its quite big, so you dont have to worry about these things. Its also not too far away from here so Ill be able to come to visit Xia Xing and Xia Fan often, Xia Wen said. He knew that Qiao Mei only had good intentions and nothing else. She just wanted him and Xia He to have a better life. Xia He was right about one thing. The more capable a person was, the more power they could enjoy. He and Xia He were just ordinary employees and could not be too extravagant, otherwise they would attract a lot of trouble. Early the next morning, Chi Ze went to the slaughterhouse as usual to buy pig offal. This time, the quantity he wanted was twice as much as the last time. Director Qiao kept his word and supplied it to Qiao Mei. As long as it did not exceed 20 pigs, Qiao Meis price would remain at 25 cents per pound. Chapter 1288 - 1288 Full of Enthusiasm 1288 Full of Enthusiasm It was rare to see Qiane around today. She was wearing tattered clothes and an apron as she sat with the other womenfolk to process the pig offal. She had never done something like this before, but she learned from them diligently. She did what the other women do and was not inferior to them at all. No matter how Li Gui tried to dissuade Qiane, she refused to listen and continued to sit there and work. Li Gui had no choice but to wake Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe up. Only Qiao Mei was able to persuade Qiane. Mei Mei, go and take a look at Qiane. Is this kid crazy? Shes only just discharged from the hospital and hasnt recovered yet! Li Gui said worriedly. Qiao Mei took a quick look and said, Its fine. Let her do it. She has to do something to relieve her boredom. From the looks of it, she must have thought things through. Mom, when you come back in the afternoon, teach her how to make popcorn. Li Gui nodded and went back out to work. Qiao Mei stood there and watched Qiane for a long time. Actually, her heart ached for Qiane. Those hands were the hands of a piano player. It was really heart-wrenching to see Qiane doing such manual work now. However, it was better for Qiane to have something to do than stay at home and mope alone. Qiane would feel happy as long as she could earn money. She could buy clothes that she liked, the best piano and a big house eventually. Everything would be fine. Xiaoe, can you handle the work? There are so many of us! Why dont you take a rest again? Li Gui asked. Qiane had just been discharged from the hospital and she originally had a weak constitution. Li Gui was worried that she would tire herself out. Its fine, Auntie. Im in good health now and Im very strong, Qiane said with a faint smile. What Qiane said was not a lie. After she was discharged from the hospital, her health seemed much better than before. It seemed like she had recovered from those lingering effects from her abortion and surgery. She did not know what kind of magical medicine the hospital had given her that had actually nourished her body. n0velUsB.C0m Perhaps Qiao Mei had given her the divine medicine that people kept talking about not long ago. If that was the case, she must do her best to help Qiao Meis family and to repay Qiao Mei for this kindness. Li Gui took out the seasonings she had prepared last night and started to boil the braised meat in a big pot. The longer it cooked, the more flavorful the braised meat would become. After packing up all the things, the two of them worked together to push the vehicle slowly along the road. The vehicle was really very heavy now and needed two people to push it to make it move slowly. It was fortunate that Qiane was around today. Otherwise, Li Gui would not have been able to send the goods to the family compound on time. As soon as they entered, Li Gui saw Sun Yan standing in the courtyard waiting for her. There was also a man standing behind her. That must be her husband. Sister, youre here! Hurry up! Hubby, quickly pay up! Lets carry it upstairs together! If were any later, there wont be any left for us! Sun Yan shouted anxiously. Sister Sun, dont be anxious. This whole big container is specially for you. Can the two of you carry it up? If you cant, the two of us can help you, Li Gui said. Sure! Sister, youre so considerate! I was still worried about how to carry everything up! Well bring it up first and then well come down and return the container to you after were done! After Sun Yan finished speaking, she and her husband worked together to carry the container upstairs. Sun Yans husband took out 155 dollars readily. The extra two dollars was compensation for the hard work done by Qiane and Li Gui. Yesterday, Li Gui had given them more than two dollars worth of extra meat! They could not be too petty. Xiaoe, keep the money! Li Gui said as she was busy. Qiane put the money away. She did not expect the food in the big container to be sold for more than 150 dollars. It was so profitable! Even if they gave her a share of 20 dollars a day, it would still be 600 dollars a month! She could make more money than teaching children how to play the piano! After getting a taste of making real money, Qiane was full of energy and became even more enthusiastic about selling the braised meat. Old Madam Liang also arrived at the courtyard on time today with her basin. She joined the back of the long queue, but there was nothing left by the time it was her turn. Sigh... Sister, your things are too popular. My old arms and legs cant beat the queue! Old Madam Liang said sadly. Li Gui quietly took out a big lunchbox from between the big containers. When she opened it, it showed a full box of braised pig intestines with a layer of pigs head meat at the bottom! Chapter 1289 - 1289 Eating Popsicles in Winter 1289 Eating Popsicles in Winter Sister Liang, I will never forget your share no matter what! Take these home to eat. I specially made them for you with less oil and salt. Its much healthier this way. My daughter says that at our age, we should eat less salt. Its better for our health, Li Gui said thoughtfully. After packing up, she went home with Qiane. She felt unusually relaxed on the journey home. They sold more today than yesterday! They had made more than 200 dollars! What surprised Li Gui even more was how good Qiane was at doing sales. She did not expect Qiane to be so capable and constantly help out with helping the customers. Even when she encountered difficult customers, she did not get angry. She even explained to everyone the differences between each type of meat and which one she thought was the most delicious. When they neared the convenience store, Qiane saw a person selling popsicles. She stopped and stared fixedly at the box. At this time, popsicles were very expensive. Even though the popsicles were just frozen sugared water, they cost 20 cents a piece. The flavored ones were even more expensive. Most people could not bear to buy such expensive stuff. If one had to choose between paying 20 cents for a pound of meat or a popsicle, one would most likely choose the former under current circumstances. Do you want one? If you do, Auntie will buy it for you, Li Gui said generously. Forget it, Auntie. This thing is quite expensive. Lets go home, Qiane said sensibly. Without another word, Li Gui immediately parked the vehicle and went forward to buy a small popsicle for Qiane. She was not in good health and could not eat too much of such cold things. Here! Lets eat it together. Lets just do it because were too tired today and need to relax! Li Gui said. Thank you, Auntie. Qiane smiled happily like a little kid. It turned out that one popsicle was enough to bring her happiness. The two of them sat by the roadside and ate the popsicle happily. Many passers-by were very envious of them, but it was still winter! It was a strange sight to see people eating popsicles outdoors on such a cold day. Xiaoe, are you happy today? Li Gui asked, looking Qiane in the eyes. n0velUsb.C0m Im so happy! Auntie, this is the happiest day Ive had since all those things I experienced, Qiane said melancholically. Its good as long as youre happy. Im just worried that you are still dwelling on the unhappy things! Li Gui finally felt relieved. Qiane looked at Li Gui curiously and asked, Auntie, why did you get a divorce? Youre such a nice woman, yet the man still wants to divorce you. For me, I actually did not dare to get a divorce. In the past, I was beaten up by my ex-husband every day and my two younger daughters also got beaten up together with me. Later on, it was Qiao Mei who helped me and my children despite what she went through in her past. If not for Qiao Mei, I would still be living in that hellhole! Li Gui said. Li Gui told Qiane about everything that happened in the village. Qiane never knew that Qiao Mei had experienced so much. She always thought that Qiao Mei was the kind of person who had a smooth sailing life and that everything she did would go well and be very successful. She did not expect Qiao Mei to have almost died when she was young. In comparison, she seemed to be the lucky one. Qiao Mei is a very nice person, Qiane said. Li Gui was so amused by what Qiane said that she laughed out loudly. Qiane looked at Li Gui in confusion. She did not understand why Li Gui was laughing so happily. Did she say something wrong? Am... am I wrong? Qiane asked. Li Gui had seen Qiao Mei breaking Zhang Congs bones with her own eyes. With just a gentle touch, Zhang Cong let out wild sobs that echoed throughout the entire village. In life, it was easy to dodge an open attack but difficult to escape from a clandestine one. She wished that Qiao Mei would be able to go to another city where she did not know anyone and live out the rest of her life safely. Chapter 1290 - 1290 Earning Money Wholeheartedly 1290 Earning Money Wholeheartedly Alright! Lets go back! Ill teach you how to make popcorn! Li Gui said happily. Li Gui suddenly thought about asking Qiao Mei to try making popsicles. They could sell them at the same price and even come up with different types of flavors. She felt that it would also be a booming business. With Qiane helping out, they made 160 pounds of popcorn in one afternoon. This was an unprecedented amount. When Zhao Fei came to collect the goods tomorrow, he would definitely be overjoyed. Each portion of popcorn represented money to him. After Qiane started working hard to earn money, she seemed to have become Li Guis twin. It was as if Li Gui had found a confidant and the two of them busied themselves with earning money every day. Xu Kang took care of everything at home. Zhang Wei and the other children were under the care of the new teacher. Feng Hua took care of Qiao Meis two babies. Everything was arranged in a very orderly manner. Li Gui only needed to devote herself to her own career and her business kept getting better and better. Li Guis house had six rooms and she never knew what to do with the last room. Now, she finally had a good idea. Li Gui decided to use that room as a study. Although she did not do it up as nicely as the one in Qiao Meis house, it still looked quite decent. She had specially found a famous carpenter living in the alley to fill an entire wall with bookcases. Each childs bedroom was not very big. When they went to school in the future, they would definitely have many books. At that time, they could put their lesser used books in the study. The children could also put their storybooks and novels in the study and take turns reading them. She intended to specially use the room to do her accounts every day and store the ledger books. She had watched television dramas where all the big bosses had their own offices. This could be considered her office. 35 dollars plus 12 dollars... plus... and this is 11 dollars... Li Gui did her best to do the accounts in the study. She had specially bought a thick notebook to keep track of the accounts. Qiao Mei had even helped her buy a lot of paper from the paper printing factory. She could use one piece a day and then bind it at the end of every month. This way, she would not waste paper and could write freely. Early the next morning, Qiane ran into Li Guis courtyard while panting. Her anxious manner frightened Li Gui a lot and she thought that something big had happened. Whats wrong, Xiaoe? What happened? Li Gui said worriedly. Auntie, theres a person called Zhao Fei at the entrance of the corn courtyard house. He said that hes here to collect the goods. I dont know if I should let him in, so I quickly come to look for you, Qiane said. Oh my! My brain! I actually forgot about this important matter! Come, let me introduce him to you! Li Gui grabbed Qiane and went to the corn courtyard house. Zhao Fei was someone they trusted very much now and they only allowed Zhao Fei to come alone to collect the goods. The popcorn was not heavy although it took up a lot of space. There was no need for many people to help with transportation. Besides, the more the number of people who were involved, the more dangerous it would be. What if someone coveted the nice things in Qiao Meis house? One still must always be wary of others. Xiao Fei! Theres a lot today! You have to work harder! Li Gui said with a smile. Auntie, arent you looking down on me? I still think were not selling enough! Bring out all the goods you have! I can surely sell them all! Zhao Fei said as he patted his chest confidently. Coincidentally, Huang Xu was helping out in the backyard. It did not take him and Zhao Fei long to load the 160 pounds of popcorn into the van together. This is Zhao Fei. He helps us to sell the goods. After Li Gui spoke to Qiane, she pulled Qiane in front of Zhao Fei and continued, Xiao Fei, this is your Sister Qiane. From now on, she will be the one in charge of all our business with you. Im getting old and cant do so much anymore. Dont worry, were all family! Shes definitely reliable! n0veLuSb.c0m Then I hope that Brother Fei will take good care of me in the future, Qiane said politely. Chapter 1291 Hold A Meeting ? Zhao Fei liked women who looked like Qian''e. Everyone liked beautiful women! If he could marry a beautiful woman as his wife, he would feel so proud! Previously, Zhao Fei thought that Qiao Mei was the most beautiful person in the world. Now that he met Qian''e, he thought that she was as beautiful as Qiao Mei. Both of them were beautiful in their own ways. They did not talk much before Zhao Fei drove away from the corn courtyard house. He still had to hurry up and sell the goods! His guys were all waiting anxiously for him.n0veluSb.c0m "Auntie, let''s go and sell braised meat! We have to continue working today! We must earn more money! More and more every day! It''s best if we can earn 10,000 dollars a day!" Qian''e said happily. "That thought is too scary!" Li Gui said. They would never expect that in the future, an income of 10,000 dollars a day would just be a drop in the ocean. Now that Qian''e could make more and more money, she had more and more things to look forward to in life. As long as there was still hope, she could do anything and work hard to overcome any difficulty. After everyone worked for Qiao Mei for a while, they had all made a fair bit of money. Li Gui had revamped the salary structure. In the past, their pay was calculated on a daily basis. Now, people who handled the corn, like Zhou Shuang, were paid on a weekly basis while the rest were paid on a monthly basis. When Chi Ze and the others first arrived, they were penniless and had also brought their wives along. Qiao Mei said that she would leave it to Li Gui to handle the manpower and other business issues. She would help Li Gui out if she faced any difficulties, otherwise she would concentrate on the development of new products. In the beginning, Li Gui gave each family 50 dollars, plus five pounds worth of food stamps and five pounds worth of meat coupons as an advance salary. These people were all from the countryside, so they received very few food stamps and meat coupons from the government every month. Therefore, Li Gui intended to make up for what they lacked every month so that they were on par with people who had a city household register. Food stamps were not that rare. When some families needed money urgently, they would exchange these coupons for money. People did this in secret and with an unspoken mutual understanding between them. After selling the braised meat at noon, Li Gui asked everyone to stop what they were doing. She said she had an announcement to make. She came in with a huge backpack and a ledger book and then gathered everyone for a meeting at the corn courtyard house in a very formal manner. Everyone brought along small stools and sat in the courtyard to listen to what Li Gui had to say. There were a total of eight people in the courtyard, but Li Gui felt as if she had the entire world at her feet. It was as if she owned a big company and was the big boss. "Well... there''s no need for everyone to look so serious. I''m here today to pay everyone''s salary!" Li Gui said. "Elder sister! We can''t wait!" Chi Ze said excitedly as he rubbed his hands. Chi Ze''s wife, Wang Fang, quickly secretly pinched him at the waist and whispered in his ear, "We should just take whatever she gives us. Why are you rushing her! How do you expect her to continue after that? What if she wants to say something else!" Chi Ze suddenly realized how rude he sounded when he spoke up just now. He quickly shut his mouth and sat down obediently to listen to Li Gui. "There are more and more people on board by now. We know that everyone needs money, so we will pay you your salary on the first of every month to make sure that you have enough for the month! However, Zhou Shuang and Sun Juan have a different arrangement from the others. They work freelance hours, so they get paid once a week," Li Gui explained. The three men''s wives helped out with many things every day and Li Gui kept tabs of that. For processing pig offal, each of them would be paid 50 cents a day. If they helped with the corn, they would be paid the same amount as Zhou Shuang and Sun Juan. Li Gui did not announce the amount which each person received. Instead, she first explained to them how their salary was calculated before handing individual envelopes to everyone. Actually, Chi Ze and the other men also did not know their real scope of work all day. As long as they saw there was work to be done, they would simply do it and help out as much as they could. Everyone went back after that. When they reached their rooms, they all drew the curtains, looking forward to seeing how much money was in the envelope. "Honey, make a guess at how much I have!" Chi Ze said excitedly. Wang Fang quickly covered Chi Ze''s mouth and whispered, "You idiot! Why can''t you just keep quiet! Just keep your mouth shut! What if others hear you! Don''t you remember what happened just now!" Chapter 1292 Prosperous For Three Generations ? It was very difficult to correct Chi Ze''s habit of saying whatever popped into his mind. He did not open the envelope but handed it to Wang Fang. "Honey, take it. Help me see how much there is. I''ll hand over my salary to you from now on," Chi Ze said obsequiously. Wang Fang was also curious about how much money they had made. The two of them had only worked here for a week and they would be satisfied if they could earn 10 dollars in total! "Oh my goodness! I actually earned 10 dollars by myself! Am I dreaming!" Wang Fang said as she covered her mouth. "Honey, you''re amazing! How much corn did you pluck? How did you make so much money? You must be exhausted," Chi Ze said with heartache. "That job isn''t tiring. Isn''t it the same as doing farm work at home?" Wang Fang comforted Chi Ze. She knew that he was worried about her. "You do less work! I''ll do more work! I want you to come to the capital to enjoy life! You shouldn''t have to work so hard!" Chi Ze said. "Don''t be so glib. Let me open your envelope," Wang Fang said. Wang Fang opened it and took a look. The 20 dollars inside made their jaws drop in shock. There were also two pounds worth of food stamps and two pounds worth of meat coupons! These were even more valuable than money! "The two of us have made 30 dollars in one week! Doesn''t that mean we can earn almost 100 dollars a month!" Chi Ze said excitedly. "The best part is we still have a lot of free time nowadays. Once it gets busier in the future, that means we''ll earn even more money. It seems that Xia Zhe didn''t lie to us!" Wang Fang said happily. Chi Ze said smugly, "Hmph! That''s my brother! Why would he lie to me!" "Oh please! You''ve let your so-called brothers cheat you of too much! Don''t you know that you have to be wary of others?" Wang Fang said helplessly. Chi Ze was a very loyal friend. As long as a friend came to ask him for help, he would agree. He never rejected anyone. Wang Fang had felt vexed about this matter for a long time, but then again, it was Chi Ze''s sense of loyalty which attracted her to him in the first place. The two of them were childhood sweethearts who grew up in the same village. Back then, Chi Ze''s family was not very well-to-do while Wang Fang''s siblings were all doing very well. Even though Wang Fang was a village girl, she had many marriage proposals! There was even a businessman from the city who wanted to marry her! All the men took a fancy to Wang Fang as she knew how to manage a household well and had a positive attitude towards life. However, Wang Fang did not agree to anyone''s proposal and kept waiting for Chi Ze to come back and marry her. Chi Ze had passed that remark jokingly when they were young and Wang Fang had taken it very much to heart. Wang Fang''s maternal family refused to let a poor boy like Chi Ze come to their house to propose marriage. Wang Fang abandoned everything she had and eloped with Chi Ze. She only liked Chi Ze and she could do without everything else. Chi Ze also did not let her down and had now brought Wang Fang to the capital to live. "I know! But Xia Zhe is really nice to me! We got on really well in the army back then," Chi Ze said. "Yes, yes, yes. I''ve already heard these kinds of stories 800 times. You''re simply bending my ears. But tomorrow, when Mao Hang and Huang Xu ask you how much your salary is, how are you going to reply?" Wang Fang asked sternly. Without any hesitation, Chi Ze blurted out, "Of course I''ll tell them the truth!" "How can you tell them the truth! You''re so stupid! What if you have more money and they have less? What if they feel that it''s unfair? For us, it''s not a big deal if we have less money than them. We can just put in more effort next week, right? But what if they mind?" Wang Fang said. "Honey, what you say makes sense! Then what should I do?" Chi Ze said with a troubled expression. "Just say that you didn''t get to take a look at all and the money is all with me. Their wives won''t come and ask me about such things," Wang Fang instructed him clearly. As the saying went, if one married a good wife, one would be prosperous for three generations. Wang Fang was the kind of good wife who could help him prosper for three generations! After Chi Ze married Wang Fang, his life became better and better. The two of them were also very happy together. However, Huang Xu did not have it so good. The couple only earned 14 dollars in total, of which only three-fifty was contributed by Huang Xu''s wife.n0VElusb.c0M "Why did you earn so little?" Huang Xu asked as he looked at his wife, Pu Tao. Chapter 1293 Cannot Be Bullied ? Pu Tao was abandoned not long after she was born and she grew up in an orphanage without a name. Later on, the hospital director realized that she liked to eat grapes, so he simply called her Pu Tao, meaning grape. "How would I know! Li Gui is the one who calculated my salary, not me. You even told me that we can make a lot of money here! How is this a lot! They''re just stingy!" Pu Tao complained. Based on what Huang Xu knew about Xia Zhe''s family, Li Gui did not seem like a biased person and Qiao Mei was even more fair and just. It was simply impossible that they would shortchange their workers when it came to the salary, so what exactly went wrong? "Is it because you did not go to the corn courtyard house to help pluck corn?" Huang Xu asked. Pu Tao was stunned for a moment before she shouted guiltily at Huang Xu, "I didn''t go! So what! Who wants to do such hard work! Back then, you told me that I don''t have to do anything when I come to the capital, that all I need to do is to cook for you every day. Look at the kind of work I''m doing now!" "It''s still better than doing farm work at home! You are the one who insists on coming to the capital with me. You''ll be enjoying life now if you have stayed at home to take care of the children!" Huang Xu said angrily. He was worried about causing trouble for Xia Zhe. Xia Zhe had asked them to come here to work because he trusted them. It would be easy for him to hire people with the salary that he was paying, so why would he want to hire people who only wanted to slack off? Since Xia Zhe trusted them, they must work hard. However, Pu Tao was slacking off now and did not behave like a hardworking person at all. Was she trying to embarrass him? He did not know how to explain it to Xia Zhe. When Huang Xu received Xia Zhe''s letter, he was overjoyed. He had already been thinking about leaving the village for a long time. He and Pu Tao had fallen for each other on their own and were not matchmade. At first, he felt that Pu Tao was good in every way. She was gentle and virtuous and seemed like the type of woman who would be a good wife! Hence, after knowing Pu Tao for three months, he fell deeply in love and decided to marry her. Unexpectedly, after getting married, there was a drastic change in her personality and she seemed like a completely different person from when they first fell in love. Not only was she greedy and lazy at home, she was also very rude to Huang Xu''s parents. Huang Xu''s parents had taken care of the couple''s children since birth and even after they grew up. Pu Tao only gave birth to the children but did not take care of them at all. All she did was go out to play mahjong every day. The children even had to be fed goat milk when they were young! Their family was so poor that they could not afford powdered milk, so Huang Xu had no choice but to ask the goat farmers in the village for help. Every day, he would give them something in exchange for goat milk. Sometimes, it was the vegetables they grew at home or the eggs laid by the chickens they raised. Other times, he would buy the milk using money. If he really did not have anything to give in exchange for the milk, he would ask to take it on credit at first. After a while, he owed many people in the village a lot of money. The neighbors in the village were all kind-hearted people. They all felt sorry for his children, who had to endure such a tough life after being born into such a family, so they did not urge Huang Xu to repay his debt. The reason why Huang Xu had come to the capital was to earn money to repay the debts he had incurred in his hometown.n0velusb.c0m "I want to follow you around! Who knows why you want to come to the capital! I have to keep an eye on you every day! Don''t think I don''t know what you''ve been doing for the past two days! I know everything!" Pu Tao roared angrily. Her voice could be heard through the walls of the house and everyone in the courtyard knew that they were fighting. Chi Ze stood at the door and looked at Huang Xu''s room curiously. He whispered, "Huang Xu has already quarreled with his wife three times in the past two weeks. I wonder why he can''t talk to her nicely." "You''d better not get involved! You don''t know anything about Pu Tao, so how do you know who''s the cause of the fight!" Wang Fang said immediately. Chi Ze quickly closed the door and squatted down beside Wang Fang. "Honey, from what you''re saying, do you know something? Tell me. I need to help my brother!" "Do you think Pu Tao is a nice person! In the past two weeks alone, she had taken four apples from our family. Furthermore, she came to steal them sneakily. I simply turned a blind eye and pretended not to see. She also took many things from Mao Hang''s wife, Yang Mei!" Wang Fang said helplessly. "Then why didn''t you tell me earlier! She bullied you! I have to seek an explanation from her family!" Chi Ze said angrily. Occasionally missing content, please report errors in time. Chapter 1294 Keep It A Secret ? "It''s just a few apples. If your brother finds out, won''t he feel embarrassed? Don''t tell me you want him to go around and return all the things to all of us? At most we''ll lock our door in the future. As long as we lock the door when we''re not in the room, she won''t get a chance to steal anything," Wang Fang said. "It''s just going to be hard on you. I have to get up early every morning to pick up the goods and can''t help you with these things," Chi Ze said guiltily. "It''s fine. Then Hubby, you should earn more money for me to spend. I can take care of such household matters. You can stand up for me if it happens again!" Wang Fang said with a smile. "No problem! Whoever dares to bully my wife, I''ll kill that person!" Chi Ze said, pretending to be fierce. Wang Fang was so tickled that she laughed out loud. Their interaction was a stark contrast to what was going on in Huang Xu''s family. Huang Xu looked at Pu Tao in silence. He tried to recall what he had done last week. Every day, he went to learn how to stir-fry seeds in the backyard of the corn courtyard house. Li Gui had bought some raw seeds for them to try. Occasionally, he would go out with Chi Ze to buy pig offal. He spent the rest of his time with Pu Tao. Could it be that he had done something wrong? "Hmph, you dare not admit it!" Pu Tao said mockingly. "I''m by your side 24 hours a day. What have I done?" Huang Xu asked.n0velusb.c0m "You keep flirting with that little vixen called Qian''e! I already heard that she''s not a decent woman! Do you really think I won''t find out!" Pu Tao said. Huang Xu took it very seriously. Qian''e was Qiao Mei''s good friend and he could not let her reputation be ruined for no reason. "When did I flirt with her? Don''t spout nonsense if you don''t have evidence! I''ve never even met Qian''e!" Huang Xu said. "How dare you deny it! That slut lives in this backyard! How can it be that you''ve never met her before! I think you must have hooked up with her long ago!" Pu Tao said angrily. Huang Xu could not hold himself back from rushing over to Pu Tao to give her a slap, yet he could not bear to do it when he was right in front of her. After all, she was still his wife and the mother of his children. Pu Tao was always taking advantage of the fact that Huang Xu was soft-hearted. Many people had tried to persuade Huang Xu to get a divorce, but he refused to listen. Pu Tao also always tried to guilt-trip Huang Xu by mentioning the children. "Huang Xu! How dare you hit me! You''re bullying me because I don''t have parents! I gave birth to a fat boy for your Huang family! How can you treat me like this! You''re too much!" Pu Tao roared. Everyone in the courtyard could hear her screaming about how Huang Xu wanted to hit her. Mao Hang and Chi Ze were worried about Huang Xu and stood at their respective room doors, looking in the direction of his room. This was actually the first time the two of them had seen Huang Xu in such an awkward situation. The two of them did not know how to help with such family matters. Furthermore, they also had a lot going on in their own families, so they did not have time to stick their noses in someone else''s issues. It was common for a couple to bicker and quarrel. However, if Huang Xu hit her, then he would be in the wrong. As the heads of their family, they should give in to their womenfolk. They could not always be too harsh with their demands. As the saying went, if a man doted on his wife, he would be rewarded with money and treasures. Having a virtuous wife at home was the best that any man could hope for. "Should we go and take a look?" Mao Hang asked as he came to Chi Ze''s room. "Huang Xu is not one to use his fists. He''s probably just too angry and is posturing. Don''t you know him well enough? When we were still in the army, even if the veterans bullied him, he would not retaliate. He would only keep quiet," Chi Ze said darkly. "Sigh... Fate makes fools of us. How did a nice guy like Huang Xu meet such a woman?" Mao Hang said resignedly. "It''s fate that decides which two people become a couple. It''s not something that can be resolved with just a few words from us. Huang Xu is not a child, so let''s not worry about it for now. If he really needs anything, we can talk about it later. Don''t let Xia Zhe and the rest know about this, otherwise they will definitely be worried," Chi Ze said. However, even if they managed to keep it a secret, there was still Zhou Shuang and Sun Juan living under the same roof! The two of them had already been very unhappy with Pu Tao for a while. Even though Pu Tao had stolen things from Wang Fang and Yang Mei, at the very least, their husbands were good buddies and they might be willing to let the matter rest. Chapter 1295 Caught In The Act ? however, zhou shuang and sun juan had no such relationship with pu tao, and did not even know her at all. yet, pu tao had also stolen from them and the things she took were all valuable items. zhou shuang realized that the silk clothes she had bought for her children had gone missing. for sun juan, it was a pair of gold earrings. they were not short of money, but they were unwilling to be bullied like this. "sister sun, what do you think we should do? should we tell qiao mei about this?" zhou shuang asked with a frown. "how can we! she has only just completed her confinement period not long ago. let''s not disturb her and let her rest well. she''s taking care of two children alone and must be more tired than us. we should settle this issue ourselves," sun juan said. "then should we go and look for that woman directly? let''s report it to the police! let the police handle this matter! this way, we''ll have a reason to tell someone about this matter. we don''t have any evidence that it''s pu tao who has stolen our stuff. won''t it be better to let the police investigate the matter?" this was a good idea, but then qiao mei would know about it. sun juan still wanted to keep this matter within this house and not let the news spread. the neighbors here spread news around very quickly. if they found out that there was such a thief among them, what would they think of the occupants of this house in the future! qiao mei said that this was something... something known as corporate image! "then are we supposed to suffer in silence!" zhou shuang said aggrievedly. "let''s think of a way. it''s not like the two of us lack money, so let''s just treat it as giving those things to a beggar. but if she comes to steal again, we''ll catch hold of her!" sun juan said. the two of them got to work immediately. other than when they were sleeping, the two of them put all their attention on pu tao. one week later, the two of them discovered that pu tao was about to take action again. "you''re true experts. you can pluck corn faster than us," sun juan said enviously. wang fang and yang mei plucked corn speedily and flawlessly. in slightly more than half a day, the two of them could pluck the amount which zhou shuang and sun juan used to complete in one day. in a month, it would be as if they had worked a week longer than zhou shuang and sun juan! "hmph, people in the city are so ignorant," pu tao muttered to herself as she sat in the corner. the place was not big and they could all hear what pu tao said. no one paid her any attention. for people like pu tao, the more one cared about her opinion, the more she would try to push her luck. "sister sun, you flatter us. this is all we know how to do," wang fang said politely. "come on, we''re all the same. if the two of you continue like this, you''ll definitely earn more than the two of us even though we worked here earlier!" zhou shuang said agitatedly. "really! then i have to work harder!" yang mei said happily. zhou shuang raised her voice and said loudly, "if you do a good job, qiao mei will even reward you! when zhou shuang and i were hospitalized, qiao mei gave us a lot of money. she even gave us jewelry during the festive seasons." "speaking of which, it''s really strange. my pair of gold earrings have disappeared recently. i''m not just saddened by losing the earrings, but this pair of earrings is actually part of a set with a necklace! it''s such a pity that it''s no longer a nice set," sun juan said as she pretended to feel very regretful. "don''t be anxious, sister sun. out with the old, in with the new. don''t let this affect your mood," wang fang advised. just as everyone lowered their heads and got busy with their work, pu tao sneaked out through the back door. the four women exchanged glances and immediately took action. pu tao ran very fast. after entering through the main door of the house, she rushed into sun juan''s room immediately in a very familiar manner, as if it was her room. "where is it... where did this b*tch put the gold necklace... i don''t see it. where else can she put it in such a small room..." pu tao crouched on the floor and searched under the bed carefully. suddenly, a familiar voice came from behind her. "what are you doing!" the furious look on huang xu''s face gave the other four women a fright. they had never seen huang xu so irritable before. perhaps it was possible for them to teach pu tao a lesson this time.n0velusb.c0m "i... i saw a rat running in. i wanted to help sister sun by catching the rat!" pu tao got up from the ground awkwardly and explained. "will you believe such an explanation yourself?" sun juan said mockingly. Chapter 1296 Get Someone To Uphold Justice ? "why not! i saw a big rat and came in to help you chase it out!" pu tao said stubbornly. sun juan looked at all four corners of the room to make sure that she did not miss out on anything before asking, "where is the rat? where exactly is the rat?" "it ran out just now! just now! " pu tao pointed to the outside in a panic. "i think you''re that big rat! stop playing the trick of a thief accusing someone else of being a thief!" zhou shuang said furiously. seeing that the truth was about to be exposed, pu tao wanted to run off and hide from them as long as she could. "where do you think you''re going! don''t even think about it!" sun juan shouted as she grabbed pu tao by the hair.n0velusb.c0m "enough!" huang xu shouted into the room. he strode forward to separate sun juan from pu tao and even stood in front of pu tao in a show of support for her. everyone had thought that huang xu was a fair person. they did not expect him to choose to protect pu tao. "brother, you have to give me an explanation for this. it''s not the first time that things have gone missing from my room. i''m also not the only one living in this compound who has lost personal belongings. today, we have caught the culprit red-handed. how do you intend to prove that your wife is innocent?" sun juan said calmly. huang xu knew that it was pu tao''s fault, but he still wanted to take a chance. pu tao did not have anything in her hands at the moment. perhaps pu tao had been telling the truth and she just came in to help? perhaps a thief had come in from outside to steal things, or it could be anyone else living in the house who was the thief. how could they just be suspicious of pu tao? "sister sun, there must be some misunderstanding. my wife might have really come in to help. she didn''t take anything, right?" huang xu said. "maybe it''s because she doesn''t have time to take anything?" yang mei muttered softly. "rubbish! why don''t you suspect that slut in the backyard! why do you only suspect me!" pu tao said angrily to sun juan. sun juan was so angry that she wanted to slap pu tao, but she held back. she clenched her fists and said, "are you stupid? qian''e has a piano in her room that costs 2,000 dollars. why would she need to steal anything? do you think she lacks money? when you want to suspect others, please use your brain. don''t frame just anyone." "even if you''re trying to help, it''s not right for you to enter my house so casually. besides, i recently lost a pair of gold earrings. i still have the receipt and qiao mei and the neighbors nearby have all seen me wearing the earrings in the past. show all of us what you have in your room. if there''s none of our lost belongings in your room, then we''re the ones who are wrongly accusing sister pu tao and we''ll apologize," sun juan said openly. since the matter had already reached this point, she might as well see it through to the end and speak frankly. then they would not need to be suspicious of one another in the future. if they really wronged pu tao, sun juan would definitely bring a big gift to apologize to her! she had always kept her word. if she lied, she would be struck by lightning! she would die a horrible death! pu tao immediately panicked when she heard that they wanted to search her room. those things were just hidden under the bed! any of them would be able to find the stolen items easily. there was no need for them to even search carefully. "absolutely not! why can you search my room! do you have more authority than the police? you want to search my room! no way!" pu tao said. "if you ask me, we should all go and look for qiao mei and get her to uphold justice. let her tell us how this matter should be resolved. after all, this house belongs to her and you''re all renting rooms from her. i must get a resolution no matter what," zhou shuang said. "how dare you! you''re also renting a room! who are you to look down on us!" pu tao roared. "who told you that we''re renting? i bought my room from qiao mei! we have documents to prove it! zhou shuang, go get qiao mei!" sun juan said as she patted zhou shuang''s shoulder. zhou shuang ran out with a whoosh, so fast that no one could stop her. seeing that the matter had blown up, huang xu had no choice but to compromise. he had never imagined that things would end up like this after coming to the capital. at this moment, qiao mei was listening to music at home. recently, she had been getting headaches, so xia zhe stayed at home with her and gave her massages every day. in another two months, his massage techniques would be almost the same as that of a professional masseuse. Chapter 1297 Multifunctional Wheelchair ? "qiao mei! qiao mei! something''s wrong! something bad has happened!" zhou shuang said as she ran panting into the courtyard. "what''s the matter? why are you in such a hurry? did something big happen?" qiao mei asked curiously. "oh, xia zhe is at home too! both of you should hurry over to our place to take a look. we caught huang xu''s wife stealing, but she won''t admit to it no matter what! i want to talk to you first and see if we can resolve it in private. if not, then we''ll have to call the police," zhou shuang said. qiao mei knew what zhou shuang meant by saying that. she was trying to protect the couple''s reputation. she patted xia zhe''s hand and he understood what she meant. he put away the stool under qiao mei''s feet and moved the two small side tables to one side. after everything was cleared away, zhou shuang realized that the rocking chair that qiao mei was lying against had become a wheelchair. qiao mei was actually sitting in a wheelchair! "mei mei, what... what happened to you?" zhou shuang asked fearfully. she had not heard of anything happening to qiao mei. moreover, li gui was someone who could not keep any secrets. if something really happened to qiao mei, they would have been able to get hints from li gui''s every word and action. could it be that even li gui did not know about this? she did not even know that qiao mei was sick and was even causing trouble for qiao mei at this time. she now felt that she was really too much! "i''m fine, auntie zhou. it''s just that i''m too lazy to walk, so i ask xia zhe to push me around. i''m in good health!" qiao mei said with a smile. this chair was a gift from the grandfatherly neighbor next door. the old couple were both senior technicians and had spent all their money on buying all kinds of materials. they did not have the money to buy gifts for qiao mei''s two children, so they made some toys for the children, as well as this multifunctional wheelchair for qiao mei to rest in. qiao mei liked this gift very much and even gave them a bottle of 100-year-old medicinal wine in return. on the way to the courtyard, xia zhe and qiao mei chatted happily. it was as if they were not at all concerned with what was happening to sun juan and the rest. zhou shuang had no idea how qiao mei felt about the whole issue. when she came over to look for qiao mei, her thought was that since qiao mei had supported them previously, she would definitely help them again now. however, she did not consider the fact that huang xu and pu tao were xia zhe''s friends! comparatively, how deep was their friendship with qiao mei? it was at best superficial! qiao mei definitely had to respect her husband. after all, zhou shuang and sun juan were just qiao mei''s employees and were dispensable. they were the ones who needed qiao mei, not the other way round. thinking of this, zhou shuang now felt completely uncertain. before they entered the small courtyard house, they could all already hear pu tao yelling and shouting. the words coming out of her mouth were unimaginably vulgar and the main door was packed with people who had come to watch the commotion. "hey everyone, make way for me. let me go in and take a look," qiao mei shouted. the moment sun juan heard qiao mei''s voice, she immediately stood up arrogantly like a rooster which was ready to fight. however, when she saw qiao mei in a wheelchair, her mind was only filled with thoughts about qiao mei''s health. the current argument suddenly became not important at all. "qiao mei, what''s wrong with you?" sun juan asked worriedly. "i''m fine, i''m fine! i just have nothing better to do and want to try out with this wheelchair," qiao mei said.n0velusb.c0m "qiao mei! you have to uphold justice for me! i can''t let her accuse me so unjustly for no reason!" when pu tao saw qiao mei, it was as if she had seen her family member. she quickly rushed over and hugged qiao mei''s leg as she complained. qiao mei did not speak immediately. instead, she looked around and stared at the grass patch in the corner of the house. she activated her energy and looked through the grass patch''s memories, going through everything that had happened in this house during the past week. she then secretly injected her energy into the roots of the grass. the roots kept growing underground and very quickly, she came into contact with the box that pu tao had hidden in the room. it was filled with all the things that she had stolen in the past week and there were also many other things that zhou shuang and the rest had not discovered yet. it was quite a fruitful harvest. this way, qiao mei already knew roughly what had happened and would not wrongly accuse either party. "since you want me to uphold justice for you, are you willing to let me have full authority to handle this matter?" qiao mei looked at pu tao and asked gently. Chapter 1298 Silver Lock ? "of course! i trust you the most! and elder brother xia! you have gone through life and death situations with my husband! you were the best brothers in the past! you can''t just watch us suffer from such injustice!" pu tao said. xia zhe only smiled and nodded. he did not express any opinion as he left everything at home to qiao mei. he would only speak up if there was anything that qiao mei had missed out on. huang xu looked a little awkward, but he still chose to keep quiet. chi ze and mao hang, who were standing at the side, were barely able to stand it anymore. pu tao''s actions would end up shattering their friendship. they always thought that huang xu had his own reason for enduring pu tao''s bad behavior for so many years. in fact, huang xu was leading such an unhappy life only because he let her get away with such behavior. pu tao only behaved so arrogantly because she knew that huang xu would not hold it against her no matter what she did. "alright, since all of you trust me, i''ll investigate this matter properly and definitely give everyone a satisfactory answer." qiao mei whispered into xia zhe''s ear and told him the location where pu tao had hidden the things. xia zhe immediately understood what she meant and rushed into the room to search for them. soon, he found the box. "oh, it''s quite heavy," xia zhe could not help but sigh as he walked out. when pu tao saw what xia zhe was holding, her expression changed drastically. she quickly ran towards xia zhe and wanted to snatch the box from him. xia zhe dodged her easily and handed the box to qiao mei before standing in front of qiao mei to protect her. when qiao mei opened the box, everyone was shocked. aside from things which belonged to sun juan and zhou shuang, there were also things that belonged to yang mei and wang fang! among all the items, the most eye-catching one was an old silver lock . chi ze recognized it at one glance. it was something which wang fang had inherited when her mother passed away. wang fang had always kept it in the cabinet and did not open it easily. he did not expect it to have been stolen by pu tao. wang fang hurriedly went to her room to take a look and realized that it was really missing. only then could she confirm that the item in pu tao''s box was really the inheritance from her mother. yang mei''s necklace was also in the box. this was actually the token of love between mao hang and yang mei. it seemed that pu tao was very good at rummaging through things and could find anything.n0velusb.c0m "this ring... isn''t it mine?" qiao mei took out a gold and jade ring from the box. she had bought it recently because she had too much time on hand. ever since she bought a lot of high-priced goods from the antique market, the owners of the various antique shops always kept qiao mei in mind. as long as they received new goods or treasures, they would immediately bring the items to qiao mei to take a look. if qiao mei liked them, they would immediately sell them to her. this ring was not worth much to her. she initially thought that the jade stone looked more transparent than other stones and wanted to see if she could store energy inside. she had wanted to use it like those interspatial rings she had read about in her other life, the kind which could be used to store items inside. after many failed attempts, qiao mei threw it aside and did not look at it anymore. she did not expect pu tao to steal it. "it''s not mine! this box is not mine! you must have secretly brought it in to frame me!" pu tao roared. "what an idiot..." qiao mei muttered softly. "you still refuse to admit it even now! in that case, let''s call the police! there''s nothing left for us to talk about!" sun juan said. at this moment, huang xu stepped out and said, "pu tao was just muddle-headed for a moment! please forgive her!" "brother, we all know that you care about your wife, but you can''t be so indiscriminate, right? if your wife is precious to you, then aren''t our wives important to us? the things which pu tao stole are all items which are important to our families. for my family, the silver lock is a family heirloom! even at our poorest, we have never even thought about selling it. shouldn''t you give us an explanation?" chi ze said to huang xu sternly. huang xu lowered his head in shame. he no longer knew how to face his former brothers, especially xia zhe. it was out of kindness that xia zhe had asked him to come to the capital to earn money and live a better life, but he had let down xia zhe''s good intentions. "we''ll take out all the money we have and compensate all of you. then, we''ll go back to our hometown and won''t work here anymore," huang xu said. no one said anything though chi ze seemed a little dissatisfied with the proposed solution. qiao mei looked at everyone and said, "since all of you have agreed to leave this matter to me , i''ll make a decision on your behalf now." Chapter 1299 - 1299 Fooling Around in the Daytime 1299 fooling around in the daytime sure, well listen to qiao mei, sun juan said. why! if i return everything, then why should i give you money! pu tao looked at qiao mei in disbelief. then we can always send you to jail. my ring alone is already worth 1,000 dollars. based on that, you have to be in jail for at least five years, qiao mei threatened pu tao. pu tao had never had to face such a serious situation before. she was so frightened that she slumped to the ground. five years! in the past, she had heard people in the village said that jail was not a place fit for humans! she would go crazy after five years inside! huang xu! huang xu, you stay here! ill go back! ill go back to our hometown! you stay and earn money here! pu tao said nervously as she held huang xus hand. huang xu remained expressionless. there were no longer any feelings between the two of them. it had always been huang xus so-called responsibility that was still holding their marriage together. unless huang xu thought things through himself, he would be the only one suffering. when no one raised any objections, xia zhe asked luo yu to arrange for someone to keep an eye on huang xu and pu tao. the guard team members could only return to the capital after making sure that pu tao had reached her hometown. n0velusb.c0m after the matter was settled, qiao mei and xia zhe slowly made their way home. along the way, qiao mei was very curious about what xia zhe thought about her actions just now. she had been so focused on dealing with the matter that she did not pay attention to xia zhes expression. do you find me too... too domineering? qiao mei asked softly. why do you say that? xia zhe said with a smile. i was so fierce just now, and i even dealt with this matter related to your brother without asking for your opinion. dont you think im a willful woman? qiao mei turned around and asked xia zhe. xia zhe came in front of qiao mei and squatted down to look at her. in my eyes, no matter what kind of person you are, i will still love you. therefore, you just need to go ahead and do whatever you want. i will always be by your side to protect you. these moving words made qiao mei blush. after being married for so long, xia zhe had never said anything so sweet to her. this was the first time. she always thought that xia zhe was a blockhead who only knew how to do things for her and not how to say sweet nothings. she did not know that she would feel this way when she heard sweet nothings. her heart had started to beat wildly. what... what are you saying in the courtyard! what if grandfather hears you! qiao mei said shyly. does our female hooligan still know how to blush? what happened to the mighty qiao mei from back then? xia zhe teased. qiao mei immediately thought of the first night they met. i see! youre making fun of me! see if i dont take off your clothes! qiao mei said with a laugh. the two of them ran back to the room playfully. after that, moaning sounds could be heard from the room at times. it was so fun to fool around in the daytime. by nighttime, qiao mei started to have a low grade fever, scaring xia zhe so much that he squatted beside her and did not dare to move. xia fang had previously instructed him not to have any intimate behavior with qiao mei at this stage, but he did not manage to control himself. it was all his fault that qiao mei was running a fever now. id better go and get aunt to come and take a look. aunt will surely know whats going on, xia zhe said with heartache. im fine. arent you afraid that auntie will come and reprimand you? if she finds out why i have fallen sick, both grandfather and auntie will skin you alive! qiao mei said. qiao mei held xia zhes hand and said, i probably just caught a cold during the day. its not a big deal. ill be fine after drinking some medicinal wine. dont make such a big fuss. for the next week, xia zhe stuck close to qiao mei and took care of her meticulously. the two of them were like conjoined twins and xia zhe was just short of personally feeding qiao mei. itll be the spring festival in three days. mother and i were talking about whether we should celebrate the lunar new year here in this house? xia zhe asked. Chapter 1300 I Am Getting Married ? in qiao mei''s heart, she would like to celebrate the lunar new year in the courtyard house. however, she was the xia family''s daughter-in-law after all. xu lan had already made an exception for her during the new year celebrations. if the family made another exception for her during the lunar new year, people would gossip and it would not be good for the xia family''s reputation. she could not selfishly cause trouble for the xia family. furthermore, even if she received the go-ahead to hold the lunar new year celebrations at the courtyard house, qiao qiang also would not agree to it. "let''s go back to mother''s place for the lunar new year. grandfather has my four younger siblings and my mother to accompany him here. besides, it''s so nearby. we can come back the next day, right?" qiao mei said. "alright, let''s do it your way," xia zhe said. going by tradition, qiao mei and xia zhe should return to xu lan''s place seven days before the lunar new year. however, since qiao mei still had to take care of business matters, she asked feng hua to bring xia fan and xia xing back first. she had completely become a hands-off mother now. she only visited the children occasionally to play with them as well as to coax them to sleep at night. feng hua was the one taking care of them most of the time. she was not affected by postpartum depression at all, not even the slightest bit. this was also something that made qiao mei very happy. she had previously discussed this matter with xia zhe when they were corresponding via letters. she had thought that xia zhe would not remember what she told him, so she was surprised when he did everything she had said before. xia zhe was basically the one who took care of all the tasks related to the children, like changing the diapers and coaxing the children. the two xia brothers had taken full responsibility for all these chores. the first thing qiao mei did when she returned to xu lan''s place was to look for xia he to have a chat. she had not seen xia he for a long time and did not know what xia he had been busy with recently. "elder sister, you haven''t stayed over at my place for a long time. have you abandoned me?" qiao mei said unhappily as she pouted. "you''ve already given birth, so of course i have to move out. otherwise, auntie zhou will definitely make an issue out of it when she finds out! it was so difficult to get rid of her. don''t tell me you want to provoke her again?" xia he said. "i can let whoever i want live in my house! why is it her business! elder sister, don''t worry about her! if there''s really no other way, why don''t you go to the other backyard and be neighbors with qian''e?" qiao mei asked. "don''t you know that the two of us can''t stand each other?" xia he said helplessly. "but you say that you don''t despise her anymore? don''t tell me you''re going back on your word! have you changed your mind?" qiao mei looked at xia he curiously. xia he did not loathe qian''e that much anymore, but she still found qian''e to be an eyesore. the two of them just did not get along well and would quarrel whenever they met. "i''ll stay at mother''s place for now. besides... i might get married soon. when that time comes, i''ll be living with my husband''s family," xia he said with a sweet smile. getting married! when did this happen! xia he and deng fan were actually at the stage of discussing marriage! what exactly happened in the past few days for them to make such rapid progress! qiao mei widened her eyes and looked at xia he in disbelief. the couple had only been dating for less than a month. it seemed too hasty to discuss marriage so soon. however, qiao mei was in no position to criticize xia he. after all, she got married after knowing xia zhe for one day... "have you really thought it through?" qiao mei asked.n0velusb.c0m this time, it was xia he''s turn to be a little surprised. even xia fang felt that it was improper and asked her to test out deng fan again. however, qiao mei did not seem to be so opposed or surprised. instead, she seemed supportive of them getting married soon. "yes, i''ve thought about it. we''ve known each other for more than 20 years and he has been my mother''s disciple for the longest time. his parents have brought him up well and mother likes him very much. actually, she has long wanted me to be with deng fan, but i''m the one who can''t get past myself," xia he said. "do you intend to get married very soon? i haven''t finished the embroidery on your wedding dress yet!" qiao mei asked worriedly. back when xia he told qiao mei that she would never get married in this lifetime, qiao mei had already started making the wedding dress for xia he. she sewed every stitch by hand and each button was made of jade. the entire dress could be said to be priceless and she had not even shown it to xia he before. xia he had always thought that this was just a joke between the two of them, but it turned out that qiao mei was very serious about it. "really? then i''ll get married on the day you finish the embroidery!" xia he said happily. Chapter 1301 - 1301 Satisfying 1301 satisfying big brother deng wont come to the house every day to urge me to hurry up, will he? then i should embroider slowly and train him to have a better temper. we must make him feel a little anxious! qiao mei said. its me! its me, alright! you really like to bear grudges, little girl! xia he said as she looked at qiao mei dotingly. however, even if she had her own children in the future, she would not forget to dote on xia fan and xia xing. they were equally important to her. the two of them joked around noisily. however, before qiao mei and xia he could have a good chat, xia he left quickly after receiving a phone call from deng fan. qiao mei realized that she had already completely fallen out of favor! when deng fan came to fetch the bride in the future, she would definitely make things difficult for him and let him know that he could not marry xia he so easily! liu fen and xu lan chatted with qiao mei in the living room. the three of them had not sat together for a long time. during this period of time, there were always guests at home, so they were all very careful and did not dare to gossip at all. second aunt-in-law, why is there no news about xia xings marriage? didnt auntie zhou say that she wanted to arrange for the couple to get married this year? qiao mei asked curiously. oh, this matter! the whole thing turns out to be really satisfying! i want to tell both of you about it! liu fen said agitatedly. xia wen had blocked all of zhou luos means and ways to get things done. actually, xia wen was not to be blamed for this matter. it was zhou luo who was too insatiable. after zhou luo left xia juns place, she shamelessly went to plead with xia mao for help. xia mao was not a fool. he had already heard about zhou luo badmouthing qiao mei in front of xia jun. xia mao was a person who bore grudges. he did not even agree to meet with zhou luo and had her locked out of the government military office building. n0velusb.c0m zhou luo was so angry that it showed on her face. she even tried to barge in and was forcibly escorted out by the security officers in the end. in the end, zhou luo had no choice but take xia wens suggestion to rent a house for xia xing to stay in after he got married. xia wen did not take the chance to cause trouble for them with regard to this matter. instead, he genuinely rented a three-bedroom house for them. it was just that it was located a little far away, right at the edge of the capital. every time they wanted to enter the city, they had to drive for two hours. xia wen just wanted to keep the third sons family members away and stop them from harassing his family. it would have been fine if the third sons children were filial to xia jun and had a friendly relationship with the families of the eldest and second sons. however, the reason why everyone was being caught in such an awkward situation now was because of zhou luos interference! xia xing was already an adult, but he still did not know how to differentiate right from wrong. every time xia wen saw xia xing, he did not look at xia xing kindly. so they agreed just like that? they didnt cause any more trouble? qiao mei asked curiously. how can they be willing to move in! however, its not zhou luo who wants to cause trouble. its that little girl whos unhappy, liu fen said. shao yin was originally overjoyed to hear that xia wen had found them a new three-bedroom house. she thought that only xia xing and her would be living in the house! she was about to become a rich wife who could enjoy life. in the end, xia lu and xia yan were also moving in. zhou luo and her husband also wanted to live there. there was no way she could feel happy about the entire family squeezing into that house. zhou luo can actually be considered half a mother to xia xing. shao yin must feel uncomfortable facing zhou luo and the rest every day! her real in-laws dont even bother about what she does, but yet the adoptive mother watches her every move. do you think shell be happy about this? liu fen said with a smile. even if shao yin was unhappy, she still had to endure it. after all, not everyone could become a part of a prominent family like the xia family. she must grab hold of xia xing tightly no matter what. even if she could not get xia xing, there was still xia wen... second aunt-in-law, eldest brother wont fall for shao yin! dont worry! qiao mei said. Chapter 1302 - 1302 Fall in Love Freely 1302 fall in love freely whats the use of us commenting on the childrens affairs? as if they have ever listened to us, xu lan said resignedly. look at how your xia zhe has married such a good wife. you dont know how envious i am! xia zhe is clever enough to want to get married immediately when he sees qiao mei. otherwise, you wont have such a good daughter-in-law! liu fen said enviously. xu lan was usually very humble, but when it came to talking about qiao mei, she would become very boastful. those who did not know better would think that qiao mei was her biological daughter! thats true! our qiao mei is one of a kind! not everyone has our kind of luck! xu lan said smugly. second aunt-in-law, didnt you say you want to find a wife for xia yuan? have you found anyone suitable lately? qiao mei asked curiously. at the mention of this matter, liu fen looked gloomy. this was not supposed to be a difficult matter. for some reason, their familys xia yuan had suddenly become very popular. even people who looked down on their family in the past had come to propose marriage. distant relatives had suddenly popped up to recommend their daughters to marry into the family. many influential families wanted to introduce their daughters to liu fen. as long as they could marry their daughters to xia yuan, it did not matter what the conditions were. they were even willing to accept not getting any betrothal gifts! liu fen was both happy and terrified. she knew that these people were not interested in xia yuan per se, but in his identity as the xia familys grandson who was born in the family of the second son. seeing that the xia family was rising up in the political, military and business worlds, these people were naturally very interested. there were a few families whose daughters liu fen took a liking to, but xia yuan did not want to meet any of them and looked down on all of them. was this not a slap on liu fens face? however, liu fen had no choice but to align with xia yuan. she quickly looked for xia yao to discuss countermeasures, but xia yao was even more indifferent. he did not view xia yuans marriage as an important matter at all. xia jun also told liu fen to relax as the children and grandchildren all had their own lives to live. there was no need to expect too much, otherwise, plans would only backfire. he told her to just let xia yuan make his own choice. i heard that theres a girl from the liang family called liang chun. have you met her before, second aunt-in-law? how do you feel about her? qiao mei asked. liu fen had a troubled expression on her face as she said, i guess shes alright... i dont really like this girl very much. second aunt-in-law, please just do what you want. actually, my grandfather has nothing to do with the liang family. he really hates those people from the liang family. im just thinking that you may like that girl! its even better if you dont. this way, i wont be stuck in a dilemma, qiao mei said with a smile. liu fen had thought that qiao mei wanted to grill her on this issue. she did not expect the relationship between the qiao family and the liang family to be so bad that it already could not be salvaged. this meant that the liang family was previously unilaterally spreading all those rumors out there. it appeared that this liang family was not one that was easy to deal with. liu fen really did not like liang chun at all. all her scheming thoughts were so obvious to liu fen! she was just short of quickly writing the words i am doing this because only because it is the xia family on her forehead! moreover, liang chun was he meis friend, so this was one more reason why she could not be allowed to enter the xia family. if she did, there would not be any peaceful days in the future! it was a good thing for a couple to fall in love freely but not too freely. when xia wen heard about this matter, he agreed with xia juns point of view, though only half of it. on his day off, he took the chance to spend an afternoon with xia yuan so that they could have a good chat. xia wen told xia yuan everything that the tan family had done all these years, with the intention of making him more alert. their family was supportive of allowing the family members to fall in love freely. xia yuan could definitely go ahead and be with a girl whose family background was not very good, but he must take a good and clear look at the characters of her family members first. otherwise, xia wens experience was a very good example of the disaster that was waiting to happen! n0velusb.c0m xia yuan realized the severity of this issue and took note of what xia wen told him. only then did liu fen stop worrying about this matter. second aunt-in-law, just let xia yuan find his own partner himself. wont you be happier if he willingly brings home a daughter-in-law to you one day? qiao mei said. Chapter 1303 - 1303 Sideline 1303 sideline was there anyone who did not want to have a daughter-in-law like qiao mei? unfortunately, there was only one qiao mei in the world and she was a rare find. liu fen could only pray that the heavens would give xia yuan a nice girl who was decent and down-to-earth! she hoped he would not find a troublemaker like tan jing or qiane. there were already enough messy issues in the family and she did not want to be further vexed by such troublesome stuff. mother, did you really agree to let elder sister be with deng fan? qiao mei asked. ive met deng fans parents before. theyre upright people and deng fan is also a motivated kid. xia he is making a good choice if she wants to marry him. at least she wont suffer any grievances, xu lan said in all seriousness. however, deng fan could not manage to take part in performances and had been suppressed by yang xin for so many years. how could he have enough money to marry xia he? could it be that he intended to borrow money for the wedding? then how much is deng fans monthly salary? qiao mei continued to ask. it was not that qiao mei felt deng fan earned too little, but she did not want xia he to live a hard life. if deng fan really did not have that much money, qiao mei could consider letting him run part of her familys business. it would not be too late to get married after he earned enough money. your elder sister says that deng fan not only works in the art troupe, but he also takes on other work in private, something related to drawings. we dont know the details, but his father works in architectural design, so i guess its something related to that, xu lan said. qiao meis eyes lit up. architecture design was a good job and it was not so easy to come up with good designs. it seemed that xia he had found a treasure this time. she did not expect that dancing was just deng fans hobby and that his real career was in design. perhaps the reason why he had practiced dancing for so many years was so that he could see xia he again. he must be so infatuated with her. xia he running into deng fan again could be considered a happy ending for the couple. it was still a mystery as to how xia wen would fare in the future. during this period of time, everyone who worked in the government knew that xia wen had been staying in his workplace for a long time. there was only a simple folding bed in that office and nothing else. there were no facilities for him to take a shower and he had to go to the public bathroom to wash up every day. xia wen would go back to xu lans place to take a shower and then go back to spend the night in the office. xu lan wanted to give xia maos 60-square-meter house to xia wen, but he would not agree to it no matter what. he just wanted to sleep in his office. the workplace unit had hired a new girl recently. her name was mo zhu, a name which did not sound feminine at all. when xia wen heard this name, he thought that the new staff member was a very cultured young boy. hello, comrade xia wen. my name is mo zhu. im a member of your department from now on. please guide me well, mo zhu said in a manner that was neither servile nor overbearing. hello, comrade mo zhu. i cant say that im able to guide you. lets communicate more and exchange ideas, xia wen said with a smile. the two of them worked very well together at work and that led to many people wanting to matchmake the two of them. director xu even took the liberty to inquire about mo zhus family, eager to facilitate this match as soon as possible. director xia, oh no, were talking about private matters now, so im going to call you xiao wen. director xu smiled and said, xiao wen, how do you feel about mo zhu? shes a good colleague. shes very responsible and completes all her tasks on time, xia wen said objectively. n0velusb.c0m then... then what do you think of her personally? director xu asked curiously. me? i dont have comments on that. uncle, lets forget about this matter. ive been married before and shes someone who hasnt been married yet. why should i hold her back? besides, i just want to work hard now. i dont want to get married. i dont even have enough time to take care of my younger brothers two babies. xia wen could not help but smile when he mentioned xia fan and xia xing. seeing how stubborn xia wen was, director xu stopped talking to him about mo zhu. as the current lunar year drew to a close, every household began to stock up on the food they needed for the lunar new year celebrations. everyone needed to buy a lot of new goodies to prepare for visiting relatives and friends. li guis business became even better than usual. seeds, popcorn and braised meat were popular with everyone. in the family compound alone, the daily order for braised meat could reach as much as 200 pounds! after everyone worked very hard for three days, it was time for the whole country to shut down for the holidays. li gui planned to have a good rest for a period of time, until the lantern festival on the 15th day! she was going to take a break for a full half month. Chapter 1304 - 1304 The Qiao Family Members 1304 the qiao family members of course, li gui could not let everyone go home empty-handed for the lunar new year. not only did she pay everyone their salary, but she also gave each of them a red packet with 50 dollars inside and two pounds worth of food stamps and meat coupons. she also prepared five pounds of braised meat for each person so that their families at home could also get a taste of it. auntie, we dont know how to thank you. youve given us so much! chi ze said agitatedly. thats right. the sum of 50 dollars is enough for us to use for three months! this is really a lot! mao hang said. what do you mean by a lot! as long as you do well in the future, there will be more red packets! lets stop chatting. quickly pack up and go home. youve been in the capital for so long and your children probably miss you a lot, li gui said with a smile. chi ze, mao hang and their wives quickly packed their things and set off for their respective hometowns. zhou shuangs husband had also just returned home. sun juan lived by herself and did not have many relatives and friends, so she spent the lunar new year with zhou shuangs family. now, the two of them were so close that she was like zhou shuangs elder sister! it was rare for li gui to be able to stay at home and spend time with the children for a few days. the children all beamed with joy as they wore their new clothes. qiao mei had sewn these clothes for them herself! lu gui had been so busy during this period. if not for qiao mei taking care of these things for the children, they probably would not even have a single piece of new clothing for the new year. mom, why dont you hire someone to work for you? its so tiring for you, zhang wei said with heartache. li gui had already worn out four pairs of cloth shoes in the past few months and there were holes in countless pairs of socks. in the past, when li gui did farm work in foshan village, she only needed to work hard during the day. moreover, the four siblings could also go up the mountain to pick wild vegetables and help the family in whatever ways they could. here, they could only stay at home and study and could not help with anything else. zhang wei saw how li gui woke up early and slept late so that she could take care of the business. although the family was having a better life now, it was also getting tougher and tougher for li gui. im not tired. ive found what i like to do, so no matter how hard and tiring it is, im still very happy. xiao wei, its just like how you want to become a soldier. when professor zheng peng trained you, you still persevered no matter how tough it was, right? li gui said. mom, its alright as long as youre happy. theres no need to work so hard if its only because of us. even if we dont get an education, we can still live well. grandfather said that as long as one has ambition, one need not be not afraid of anything, zhang wei said firmly. li gui patted zhang wei on the head. she suddenly felt that it was the right choice to divorce zhang qian back then. otherwise, zhang wei and zhang chao would be living like gangsters in that county city now. it was also very likely that the zhang family would have forced zhang qin and zhang miao to get married. qiao qiang treated these four children very well, as if they were his own grandchildren. li gui took advantage of this holiday break to go out and buy qiao qiang a new set of clothes and a box of good quality tea leaves. she bought whatever she felt that qiao qiang would like. whatever qiao mei usually did for qiao qiang was her way of showing concern. li gui buying things for qiao qiang now was her way of being filial to him. although she was no longer the qiao familys daughter-in-law, she did not have the chance to wait upon her in-laws in the past. therefore, she wanted to grab this opportunity to be nice to qiao qiang so as to make up for all the debts she owed him over the years. uncle qiao, take a look and see if you like these. its the lunar new year, so this is a gift from me, li gui spoke to qiao qiang softly. n0velusb.c0m qiao qiang smiled at li gui and did not say whether he liked the gift or not. he only said softly, youre qiao yues wife. no matter what happens, youre still his wife. from now on, you should address me as father like before. the children all address me as grandfather, so how can you address me as uncle? li gui was so touched that she teared up. all these years, she had always felt that she had let down the qiao family, qiao mei and, even more so, the deceased qiao yue. now, qiao qiangs words made her feel completely at ease. she was considered a member of the qiao family now. humans were all emotional creatures after all. in the beginning, qiao qiang was indeed a little prejudiced against li gui, but it was all because of what happened to qiao mei. he had hated li gui for the fact that she totally neglected qiao mei after she remarried. however, when the truth was revealed, he realized that li gui had also been deceived and that she had led a hard life as well. Chapter 1305 - 1305 Your Surname Is Not Qiao 1305 your surname is not qiao furthermore, in those days when qiao qiang was making a living away from his hometown, li gui was the one who visited the grave of qiao qiangs first wife, wen ran, on her death anniversary every year. even after li gui remarried, she would still go regardless of the weather and she never missed a single occasion. by now, qiao qiang had realized he misunderstood li gui in the past. qiao qiang only wanted to live a happy life from now on. all those grudges and grievances were just small matters. he wanted to let bygones be bygones. n0velusb.c0m however, there were people who did not want these things to pass. knock, knock, knock! there were suddenly the sounds of knocking at the door. uncle qiao... no, father, ill go to the door to see whos here, li gui said with a smile. she thought that it was qiao mei or the others who came back because they had forgotten their things, but when she opened the door, she realized that it was the liang siblings and a woman whom she did not recognize. why are you here? li gui asked as she blocked the entrance. li gui had already heard about what happened to qiao qiang in the past and she was thus very brusque with the liang family. the liang siblings were really a pair of sanctimonious beasts! its the spring festival and were here to see our father. move aside, liang lan said rudely. in the past, liang lans impression of li gui was that this woman looked mousy and weak, as if she would shatter with a gentle push. she always walked with her head lowered and did not dare to raise her head at all. liang lan never took her seriously at all. in her eyes, li gui was just like the qiao familys servant, a maid who worked for free and had no value. since she was a maid who waited on qiao qiang, it was only right for her to wait on them too. if you want to come in, i have to go and ask the old master first. you can only enter if the old master allows it. otherwise, no one can take even half a step into this house, li gui said sternly. who are you to talk to us! how dare you block me! where do you get the guts! the woman standing at the side finally spoke. she was qiao qiangs ex-wife, liang shu. she was still as unruly and domineering as she was back in the past. she originally did not want to come and see qiao qiang. if not for her status in the liang family and the fact that she had to help her children secure their future, she would not even want to see qiao qiang again! she felt disgusted to even have to see him one more time! li gui finally remembered who this person was. based on family hierarchy, this was actually her stepmother-in-law! she did not expect to be meeting her under such circumstances and it felt really awkward. our old master usually doesnt receive guests. its not just you. even the xia family has to inform the old master in advance when they want to come over. dont you know about such things? li gui said sarcastically. she was implying that the liang family did not have any sense of social etiquette! that even a country woman like her knew how to behave properly, yet the liang family did not. what right do you have to argue with us here! you remarried and then subsequently divorced, yet you still have the cheek to stay here. your surname is no longer qiao! how is it that youre shameless enough to still be alive! if i were you, i would have jumped into the well and committed suicide long ago! liang shu said cheerlessly. in the past, li gui might really feel that it was all her fault. however, qiao qiang had just personally acknowledged her as the qiao familys daughter-in-law. qiao mei was highly regarded in the xia family and they all treated li gui very well too. in addition, she had money of her own and need not be afraid of others at all. then is your surname qiao? at least i have a daughter whose surname is qiao. are your childrens surnames also qiao? as if you are related to the qiao family, li gui said mockingly. liang shu was so angry that she rushed forward to hit li gui. li gui did not manage to dodge in time and received a hard slap from liang shu. just as liang shu was about to continue hitting her, li gui pushed her to the ground and the two of them started fighting. liang lan and liang guo also went forward to help liang shu bully li gui. your parents did not bring you up well! ill make you aware! about who has the final say around here! liang shu said furiously. when the people in the backyard heard the commotion, qiao qiang quickly rushed over with the four children. when zhang wei saw li gui being bullied, he rushed forward and bit liang lan on the arm, refusing to let go. liang lan soon cried out loudly from the pain. seeing this, zhang chao and the other children also went forward to help li gui. they were still young and could not fight with the adults, so they simply bit whichever body part they could and held on. no matter how hard they were hit, they would not let go. they definitely would not let anyone bully li gui. stop right now! qiao qiang shouted angrily. Chapter 1306 - 1306 Let Us Never Meet Again 1306 let us never meet again the four children helped li gui up from the ground. by now, li guis cheek was already slightly swollen and there was a very obvious palm print on it. oh! mom! someone hit your face! zhang miao said angrily. its fine, miao miao. mom is fine, li gui comforted her. liang shu patted the dust off her body and stood up, saying, hmph, shes just a low-class wench. her thick skin can definitely withstand a beating. how delicate can she be? who do you think you are! how dare you be so impudent in my house! get lost! qiao qiang pointed at liang shu and roared. liang shu looked at qiao qiang in shock. back then, when she married qiao qiang, she was still an innocent maiden while it was already his second marriage. it was qiao qiang who was way out of his league! how dared he chased them away at this moment! what a joke! to her, it was simply too humiliating! how dare you talk to me like that! qiao qiang, have you forgotten how our family treated you back then! liang shu said. hmph, if you dont mention the past, i might have let you off. was your family very good to me in the past? it was your father who forced me to marry you, and it was also your entire family who forced me to do things that i didnt like. in the end, werent you the ones who abandoned me too? now that youre in trouble, you want me to go back! pfft! youre not worthy! get lost! dont let me see you again! qiao qiang said angrily. father, how can you say that! we had no choice back then! thats... thats all my maternal grandfathers fault! you cant blame everything on us! liang lan said. in any case, old master liang had long died. even if they blamed him for all those things back then, there was no evidence to prove the contrary. there was nothing that qiao qiang could say. you should just continue to call me bastard qiao! werent you very happy calling me that back then? why are you calling me father now? qiao qiang said mockingly. the liang family had put in a lot of effort to sever ties with qiao qiang. not only did they publish letters to disown qiao qiang in all the major newspapers, but they also asked liang guo to hold up a poster and display it as he paraded on the streets with qiao qiang. as for liang lan, she wrote a statement of repentance and read it out loud in front of everyone. n0velusb.c0m qiao qiang was not afraid of anything. even if the liang family acted like that and even if liang shu divorced him, he was not afraid at all. however, when liang lan called him bastard qiao in public, she said it with clear intent and did not look sad at all. only then did he completely realize that it was all a scheme cooked up by the liang family and that they were serious about denouncing him. he realized then that his children would never return to his side again. their surname was liang, not qiao. speaking of his children, he had felt guilty towards qiao yue for his entire life. when he first married liang shu, he had always intended to bring qiao yues family to the capital to live with him. after all, qiao yue was his flesh and blood and he did not want his son to live a hard life outside. however, liang shu was already pregnant with liang guo at that time. she threatened qiao qiang that she would kill herself with pesticide if he brought qiao yue home. if he did that, she would die together with the baby! liang shu already had to accept the fact that she needed to marry qiao qiang, a man who was already in his second marriage. did she need to be a stepmother as well? this was something which she absolutely could not tolerate. she made use of the baby she was carrying to prevent qiao yue and qiao qiang from reuniting. this was why qiao qiang was not even able to see qiao yue for the last time. qiao qiang hated the liang family, but even more than that, he hated himself for being so useless. if he had resisted the liang family with all his might back then, perhaps they would all be living a different life now. qiao mei would not have grown up without her parents and li gui would not have remarried. get lost! get lost, all of you! i have nothing to do with you! dont come and look for me either! from now on, we should just mind our own business! otherwise, ill make your liang family lose everything! qiao qiang said as he looked fiercely at liang guo and liang lan. the two of them immediately realized that qiao qiang was very serious about what he said. zhang wei pushed the liang family members out of the door and closed it tightly. at this moment, liang shu suddenly had a heart attack and fell to the ground, twitching non-stop. liang lan was so frightened that she grabbed liang shu and shouted, mother! mother, whats wrong! father, save mother! close the door and let them shout. it has nothing to do with our family, qiao qiang said coldly. the few of them returned to the backyard and ignored the liang family. liang lan and liang guo cried at the qiao family door for a long time. it was only when they saw that liang shu could not hold on anymore that they rushed her to the hospital. Chapter 1307 Partially Paralyzed ? after the doctor examined liang shu, he found out that she had suffered a stroke and was now partially paralyzed. she could no longer speak properly and it was very likely that she would lose control of her bowels in the future. the family would need to find a caregiver to take care of her. liang lan and liang guo were stunned when they heard the diagnosis. they did not expect it to be so serious. liang shu already had very serious hypertension and was taking medicine to control it. although she might faint whenever she got too agitated, she would usually be fine after she recovered consciousness. they did not expect her to become seriously ill this time round. liang lan''s husband, xiao jing, and liang guo''s wife, bai ming, were also sitting outside liang shu''s ward. the four of them gathered to discuss and come up with a solution. "i still need to go to work! i don''t have time to take care of mother. my superior is about to promote me! i can''t let anything affect my work at this point in time," xiao jing said quickly. bai ming also chimed in, "that''s right, i have a job too. my workplace doesn''t allow me to take leave!" liang guo and liang lan also came up with reasons to decline. none of them wanted to wait on liang shu. they all blamed liang shu for being too arrogant today. the only reason why they could all keep their jobs until now was because of their link to the xia family. after the commotion at qiao mei''s house today, everyone would know that they had not actually reconciled with qiao qiang. they might not even be able to keep their jobs anymore! where would they get the money to treat liang shu''s illness? "elder brother, mother dotes on you the most. why don''t you make the arrangements for someone to take care of her? i still have to look after my own family! besides, i''m a daughter who has already gotten married and has nothing much to do with the liang family anymore," liang lan said. "aren''t you mother''s flesh and blood too? what do you mean by saying you have nothing to do with the liang family anymore? isn''t it the liang family who has given you everything you have now?" liang guo said in disbelief. "mother doesn''t even ask me to go home for any festive celebrations. my daughter isn''t treated very kindly at her house either. on the contrary, you''re the one who benefits in every way, so of course you have to be the one who takes care of mother when she''s sick. i still have to go back and pick xiao yu up from school. elder brother, please take good care of mother." after saying that, liang lan grabbed xiao jing and left without even looking at liang guo.n0velusb.c0m bai ming sat at one side and pretended not to hear anything, as if this matter had nothing to do with her. back then, it was liang shu who forced her to get married to liang guo as liang shu had taken a fancy to the bai family and how influential they were. even though bai ming was already engaged to someone else, liang shu simply just ignored the fact. bai ming hated the liang family to the core and there was no way she would take care of liang shu! it was already good enough that she did not kill liang shu herself. "you can stay here by yourself. i''m going home to play mahjong," bai ming said nonchalantly. liang guo did not even look at liang shu. he simply paid a sum of money and left the hospital. as long as they gave enough money, the hospital would do their best to keep liang shu alive. he did not want to help out with anything else and left liang shu to settle the rest of the medical expenses herself. he felt that since liang shu had so much money, she should pay for her own treatment. while the liang family was in an uproar, the xia family was bustling with noisy excitement. the entire family was gathered together and qiao mei was personally cooking a feast for everyone tonight. "i wonder what our cousin-in-law is cooking today. just the fragrance alone makes me want to drool!" xia you said as she looked towards the kitchen eagerly. "then why aren''t you helping out in the kitchen?" xia wan said as she laughed. "i went just now! qiao mei said that there was nothing for me to do and our mother also said that my cooking doesn''t taste good. she even said that i''m not good with a knife!" xia you said aggrievedly. her best dish was stirred fried shredded potatoes, which was also one of the simplest dishes to make. however, after eating the same dish cooked by qiao mei, she felt that her version was like swill in comparison! her version of the dish was to simply cut the potatoes into shreds and stir fry them. what qiao mei did was to slice the potatoes evenly, making them look like thin pieces of paper. xia you felt that she really had to improve her own culinary skills. since it was the spring festival, zhou luo did not come to the xia family house to cause trouble. then again, only xia xing and his fiance?e, shao yin, came with xia guang to the xia family residence. xia lu and xia yan were unwilling to turn up. xia jun did not really care. if they came back, they would only get on his nerves and make him feel annoyed. "qiao mei is really very capable," shao yin said ingratiatingly as she stood beside liu fen. "that''s right. our xia family''s daughters-in-law are all nice girls. my third son''s wife, yun lan, is also a good cook," liu fen said proudly. then she looked at shao yin and asked, "do you know how to cook?" Chapter 1308 Estrangement Between Father And Son ? shao yin was rendered speechless. she did not know how to do anything apart from working in the fields and doing manual chores like chopping firewood and washing the dishes. she did not know anything about needlework and did not have any skills that she could boast of. the food was ready very soon. since the rest of them did not help with the cooking, they quickly helped to bring out the dishes. with so many pairs of helping hands, all the food was placed on the table in a jiffy. after xia jun took his seat at the table, everyone sat down one after another. no one spoke when everyone was seated at the dining table. it was usually zhou hua who gave the opening speech for the spring festival celebrations. now that zhou hua was no longer around, no one knew who should take over this task. suddenly, shao yin stood up and raised her glass at xia jun while saying, "i wish grandfather happiness and good health in the new year!" her posture reminded everyone of zhou hua and all of them frowned slightly. shao yin was not considered a daughter-in-law of the xia family yet. by doing this, she was only bringing bad luck to their family. xia xing also felt a little awkward and nudged shao yin, asking her to sit down. "thank you. everyone, let''s eat." after saying that, xia jun started eating. shao yin sat down awkwardly with the glass in her hand. the atmosphere felt cold as the family ate quietly. it would have been much more lively if only the families of the eldest and second sons were gathered together. with the addition of xia guang and his family, everyone else felt a little uncomfortable. no one knew what was wrong with xia guang recently. whenever he saw his relatives and friends from the xia family, he always had a distressed expression on his face, as if someone owed him a few million dollars. it felt like he was ready to leave and return to the border as soon as anyone made him unhappy. perhaps he hated them for making zhou hua leave the xia family, or perhaps he felt resentful towards the family, or perhaps he did not think of this place as his home at all. recently, xia jun had been thinking of transferring xia guang back to the capital so that the whole family could be gathered together. it might be better for xia xing and his two brothers to stay with xia guang rather than zhou luo. it was still better for xia family members to return to the xia family. if these three brothers continued to be brought up by a vicious woman like zhou luo, something bad would happen to them sooner or later. after dinner, xia jun asked xia guang to go to the study with him so that the two of them could have a chat. it had been a long time since the two of them sat down to talk to each other face to face. "xiao guang, do you hate me?" xia jun asked calmly. xia guang did not know how to answer the question. perhaps he hated his father, but he did not know what it was that he hated. regardless, he definitely did not have any good feelings towards xia jun. "no, i don''t," xia guang said. "then tell me why you''ve been in such a state recently. is there a conflict between you and your eldest brother? or do you have a conflict with your second brother, or a problem between you and the grandchildren. tell me and i can help you resolve it," xia jun said. "no, there isn''t," xia guang said again. "then it must be me. you must be blaming me for asking you to divorce zhou hua and for not giving xia xing a grand wedding. is that right?" xia jun asked. this time, xia guang did not say anything. it seemed that xia jun had guessed correctly. "if there''s anything you are dissatisfied with, you can say it. let''s think of a solution together. haven''t you been angry with me for so many years already?" xia jun said resignedly. "i don''t have any right to be angry with you. you''ve never thought highly of me anyway. after i started working, you left me all by myself out of town and i was even bullied by other people everywhere i went. even until now, i''m still not as successful as eldest brother and second brother. i think it''s more a situation of you being dissatisfied with me," xia guang said. xia jun sighed deeply. back then, xia mao and xia yao had both started at the bottom of the rung too. why was xia guang the only one who had an issue with it? "a few years ago, i said that i wanted to transfer you back here, but you insisted on going to the border. i''ve also discussed with you about the issue of my three grandsons, about letting me bring them up. however, you still went with what zhou hua wanted. you have to divorce zhou hua because she did something hurtful to the family. it''s not our fault," xia jun said.n0velusb.c0m "yes, that''s why i think i''m a failure. i can''t do as well as anyone, not even eldest brother''s children," xia guang said self-deprecatingly. "i want to ask you if you''re willing to return to the capital to work? you can live with xia xing and the other two boys. you''ve seen how zhou luo takes care of these children. don''t tell me you want to be a hands-off parent and leave the three children to their own devices?" xia jun questioned angrily. "then i''ll do what you say. i''ll come back to the capital," xia guang said. Chapter 1309 An Ulterior Motive ? after xia guang and xia jun were done talking, they returned to xia jun''s house together. xia xing and shao yin stayed behind and continued to mingle with xu lan and the rest. the moment xia wen finished his meal, he carried xia xing and got busy with changing her clothes and diapers, feeding her the powdered milk drink, coaxing her to sleep and so on. xia zhe could not offer his help even if he wanted to. xia wen''s actions were smooth and systematic, as if xia xing was his child. qiao mei patted xia zhe''s hand and whispered, "are you unhappy?" "no, it''s just that my heart aches when i see eldest brother like this. if he had married someone else back then, his child might even be the same age as you now," xia zhe said with a smile. "i was worried that you might be jealous! these two little babies smile whenever they see xia wen. the two of them seem to know that xia wen will let them do whatever they want," qiao mei said resignedly. children of this age liked to grab people they saw! however, these two babies did not seem to feel excited when they saw feng hua and xia zhe. they only kept babbling and asking for hugs when they saw xia wen. seeing this, shao yin immediately went forward to chat with xia wen. she spoke to him very affectionately, "brother wen! you must really like children. i can see that you dote on xia xing a lot!" she was almost pressing her entire body against xia wen. initially, she had thought that it did not matter which xia family son''s family she married into since she would be taken care of no matter what. her only purpose in marrying into the xia family was to let her own siblings live a better life and to bring them over to the capital together to enjoy life. however, she did not expect xia xing to be like an empty vase, one which was good-looking but useless. the eldest son''s family still had the final say in the xia family. if only she could marry xia wen, then she would really be able to enjoy a good life! "look, brother xing''s fiance?e is sticking so close to eldest brother again. what exactly is she trying to do? brother xing doesn''t even care and just lets her go seeking out eldest brother?" xia he said angrily. "what else can she be doing? our eldest brother is so handsome and he''s also single at the moment. if it''s up to you, will you choose xia xing or xia wen? besides, xia xing and her are a match arranged by zhou luo. perhaps xia xing doesn''t want to marry her at all," qiao mei said. without any hesitation, xia he immediately said, "of course i''ll choose eldest brother! ah! so... so that little girl is targeting eldest brother! no, no, we have to stop her. we can''t let this scourge enter our family!" "don''t worry, how can eldest brother get harmed by her? how can she be wilier than eldest brother? it''s not as if she can force herself on him." after qiao mei finished speaking, she had a feeling that someone was staring at her from behind. qiao mei turned around and saw xia zhe looking at her thoughtfully. there was even a faint smile on his lips. she suddenly thought of their first night together and immediately felt a little embarrassed. xia zhe must have heard what she said just now. xia zhe recalled how the two of them spent that passionate night together. sometimes, he felt that it was not too bad to have a wife who liked to take the initiative... after some consideration, xia he still felt that it was better to tell xu lan about the matter. this way, they could be on guard and not get scammed. one had to be wary of others! xia wen looked at shao yin politely and said, "cousin-in-law, i''m going to put xia xing to bed now. you should find someone else to chat with." he left shao yin standing downstairs in a daze. xia xing had only just woken up but she was about to be coaxed to sleep by xia wen again. shao yin then turned around and came to qiao mei''s side. "cousin-in-law! i think i should be addressing you as third cousin-in-law!" "yes," qiao mei said. "third cousin-in-law, why is your cooking so delicious? can you teach me? do you have any secrets up your sleeves?" shao yin asked in a familiar manner. "there are no secrets. you just have to make sure that everything is well-cooked. if you can''t even do that, then you should go buy a few books. there are all kinds of dishes in the books. you can learn to make whichever dish you want," xia he said moodily. qiao mei was already so tired from having to cook for everyone, so how would she have the energy to deal with shao yin? yet xia xing just stood there like a block of wood. shao yin was behaving so inappropriately. she tried to chat casually with whoever she saw. those who did not know better would think that she had already married into the family! "i''m just so envious of third cousin-in-law. you''ve only just married into the family and you already have two children. they''re even a pair of twins! tell me, did you eat some kind of folk remedy?" shao yin asked curiously.n0velusb.c0m "i didn''t eat anything," qiao mei said with an awkward smile. Chapter 1310 No More Hugs ? "is that so! when my eldest sister was pregnant, she tried all kinds of prescriptions and they were all very useful. second cousin, do you want them? if you do, i can give you a copy of all the prescriptions!" shao yin said obsequiously. she had heard from zhou luo that xia he had been married for so many years but did not have any children. there was probably something wrong with her and she might even be infertile! if any of her prescriptions could help xia he, then xia he would definitely remember her kindness! xia he''s face instantly fell. being a person who did not like being slighted, she definitely would not let shao yin off easily. qiao mei lowered her head silently and said a silent prayer for shao yin. "i''m still single, so why do i need this prescription? but shao yin, aren''t you a little too eager? you''re still so young but you already know so many of such prescriptions. are you facing some kind of difficulty? or do you really like children that much?" xia he asked. shao yin immediately realized how stupid her earlier remark sounded and quickly explained, "i''m just very curious about such things. besides, i used to boil the medicine for my elder sister, so that''s why i remember all these prescriptions." "i see. then remember to go to the hospital for a checkup. just in case... don''t you think so?" xia he deliberately paused and looked at xia xing. she was trying to highlight this to xia xing!n0velusb.c0m "i''m fine! there''s nothing wrong with my health!" shao yin said in a panic. "i''m not saying that there''s anything wrong with you, but you should also ask your sister to eat less of such things. if such prescriptions really work, then she just needs one and shouldn''t need to try so many. don''t you think so?" xia he said casually. qiao mei held back her laughter. when it came to scolding people, xia he was still the best at it. she managed to make shao yin speechless with just a few words. after suffering a setback in front of qiao mei and xia he, shao yin learned her lesson and obediently returned to xia xing''s side and sat down. everyone went to bed early since they expected many relatives from the xia family to come visiting early the next morning! that was when they realized that xia wen had indeed spoiled those two babies. the moment they heard any sounds outside their room, they would wail loudly. after two or three rounds, the babies had already gone hoarse from the wailing. xu lan''s heart ached for them and she asked qiao mei to quickly bring them back to the courtyard house. she told qiao mei not to come back in the meantime and to return only when there were fewer people around. "it''s all your fault! my grandchildren can''t even live here! don''t carry them so often in the future!" xu lan looked at xia wen angrily. xia wen scratched his head in embarrassment and said, "i didn''t do it on purpose. it''s just that the children are too cute and i can''t help myself. i''ll carry them less in the future. i''ll definitely carry them less." "i''m so angry! you will go and greet the guests today!" xu lan watched as qiao mei and her family left her house and returned to her room unhappily. xia wen had no choice but to go and take care of the guests downstairs. it was only when qiao mei returned home that she found out that the liang family had taken advantage of her absence to cause a scene here. li gui was even pressed to the ground and beaten up. qiao qiang was so angry with the liang family that he almost fell sick. the four children also all had some bruises on their bodies. "elder sister! look at mom''s face! mom also has many bruises on her body! the three of them gang up to bully mom!" zhang miao said angrily. "yes, i can see that. i can''t even accept them touching an inch of mom''s hair, not to mention them beating her up! i''ll go and settle the score with them tomorrow!" qiao mei said angrily. when xia zhe heard about what happened, he was also quite angry. if qiao mei allowed it, he would destroy the liang family and make them leave the capital, never to be able to cause trouble again. li gui quickly grabbed qiao mei''s hand and said, "mei mei, it''s better if you don''t go and look for them. i hear that liang shu is in the hospital from getting too worked up. it seems that she has suffered a stroke and it''s quite serious. she might be paralyzed in the future." li gui kept feeling that she was the cause of all this. if not for her, liang shu would not have been hospitalized. she just wanted to stand up for herself and not let others look down on her, but she did not expect to cause such big trouble. of course, the liang family would not go to qiao mei and her family to ask for compensation. they might want to use this matter to gain qiao mei''s sympathy instead. if liang shu''s illness could improve their relationship with qiao mei, then liang shu would have made a great contribution. "a stroke is not an issue that suddenly pops up. this has nothing to do with you so don''t take it to heart. she''ll get better. if she hadn''t come to our house to cause trouble, nothing would have happened to her. she brought it upon herself with all her complaints," qiao mei comforted li gui. Chapter 1311 - 1311 Go and Visit Her 1311 go and visit her after hearing what qiao mei said, li guis mood did improve a little, but it continued to weigh on her conscience. if it was up to qiao mei, she would never give liang shu the medicinal wine. liang shu deserved what she got and it was no one elses fault. however, if liang shu continued to be ill, then li gui and qiao qiang would feel bad about it every day. qiao mei was a little hesitant about what to do next. ill think about it again. miao miao, stay with mom. ill go and take a look at grandfather first, qiao mei said calmly. qiao qiang was sitting on a rocking chair in the backyard, basking in the sun. ever since liang shu came to cause trouble, he had not left the house. he still felt a little uncomfortable. everyone out there would be in a good mood since it was the spring festival, but he had only bad luck written all over his face. if others saw this, they would be unhappy with him! n0velusb.c0m grandfather, im back, qiao mei said gently as she came to qiao qiangs side. i have expected you to stay at your mother-in-laws place for a few more days. why are you back so early? xia zhe must have come back with you too, qiao qiang asked curiously. there are too many people over there and the children are not used to it, so my mother-in-law asks us to come back first. grandfather, are you feeling alright? qiao mei asked worriedly. qiao qiang laughed lightly and said, oh, so you already know everything. im already so old, theres nothing for me to worry about. its just that liang shu seems to have fallen ill and i dont know what to do. at the end of the day, liang shu was still his ex-wife. even if there was an unresolvable conflict between them, it was not to the extent that he wished that she would die. it was true that liang shu already had an underlying medical condition, but if she had not gotten so agitated at their place, her illness would not have suddenly acted up. no matter what, this entire episode still had something to do with them. the reason why the liang family had not come to ask for money yet was because they wanted qiao qiang and the rest to feel guilty. then again, they were also too afraid to pay another visit. grandfather, ill go to the hospital to send her some medicinal wine. then at least we will have done our part, qiao mei said. are you willing to do so? qiao qiang asked. as long as it makes you happy, im willing to do anything, qiao mei said. then... then just give her a little bit. it doesnt need to be a lot. just enough for her to be able to take care of herself, qiao qiang said with a sigh. after qiao mei heard what qiao qiang said, she took out a small bottle of diluted 100-year-old ginseng juice and went to the hospital. along the way, qiao mei kept imagining what liang shu would say to her, or how liang lan and the others would use this matter to threaten her. she had already thought of how to rebut liang shu, but when she saw liang shu in person, she could not bear to say anything. ever since liang shu fell ill, liang lan and liang guo had not come to visit her again. the nurses took care of her daily requirements, but the nurses also had to take care of other patients. sometimes, it was a long wait before they were done at the other wards and they could find time to come to liang shus ward to feed her or help her change her clothes. sometimes, even when liang shu soiled her pants, she could only bear with it for a long time until the nurses had time to come and help her wash up. the amount of money which liang guo paid was only enough for liang shus basic medical expenses. there was not enough to hire a caregiver at all. before qiao mei could speak, liang shu immediately made threatening gestures. no one could make out what she was saying, but she was very agitated. the nurse quickly brought qiao mei out of the ward and went in to comfort liang shu before coming out again to talk to qiao mei. relative? perhaps in a sense, they were relatives not related by blood. however, qiao qiang had already cut ties with them, so technically there was no relationship between her and liang shu. sigh... if you know how to contact her children, then try to get in touch with them. this old woman is quite pitiful. shes left alone in the hospital at such an old age. the money in her account is only enough to last for another 10 days. if her family members dont come and pay the fees after 10 days, then we can only contact the police and ask them to send liang shu home, the nurse said. Chapter 1312 Discover The Problem ? "in her current condition, can she hold on until she gets home?" qiao mei asked curiously. in qiao mei''s opinion, liang shu seemed very seriously ill. it already looked as if a strong gust of wind could break all her bones. how could such a person still be able to travel around? "no, not at this moment. it''s too risky for her to leave the hospital now. it''s best not to move an elderly patient unnecessarily, unless there''s a private doctor who can take care of the patient 24 hours a day. otherwise, we don''t recommend that the patient be discharged," the nurse advised. "alright, i understand," qiao mei said. after the nurse left, qiao mei stood outside the door and quietly looked at liang shu through the glass panel. she recalled that qiao qiang had mentioned liang shu before. liang shu sounded like a person who wanted to win in everything. moreover, she did not have any morals to speak of. anyone who obstructed her path would be kicked away mercilessly. nothing could faze her. for such a person to end up in such a state, she must be in agony. qiao mei did not give the medicine wine to liang shu. she still wanted liang shu to suffer for a while longer and did not want to give her a way out so easily. qiao mei knew that the liang family would definitely come looking for her. she just had to wait quietly for that day to come. the spring festival holiday period ended in a flash and life returned to normal. qian''e filled up her schedule every day and she even made popcorn during the holiday break. when zhao fei came to the corn courtyard house on the first working day after the holidays, he thought that his eyes were playing tricks on him. it looked as if there was a small mountain in front of him! there must be at least 500 pounds of popcorn here, filling up the entire house. "heavens... how long did it take you to make all these..." zhao fei lamented in shock. "not too long. i had nothing to do anyway, so i came over to make popcorn. as time passed, the amount of popcorn just kept accumulating. can you move everything by yourself?" qian''e asked. "yes, i can, but i can''t fit everything in my car at one go. how about this, i''ll take 150 pounds today and for the rest, i''ll just take some every day. that should do," zhao fei said. "alright, then i''ll leave you to it," qian''e said. after a few days, qian''e discovered an inherent issue in their business dealings. when she saw that qiao mei had some free time, she quickly went to discuss countermeasures. "qiao mei, did you sign any contract with zhao fei?" qian''e asked.n0velusb.c0m "no. did something happen?" qiao mei asked curiously. qian''e brought over a stool and sat down as she said, "i''ve recently discovered something. it''s not about zhao fei, but the two people he has with him. they don''t look like decent people and are very sneaky. moreover, they aren''t very honest. they speak aggressively and can even be quite insulting sometimes." the two people whom qian''e was talking about were zhao fei''s younger brothers, but they were not his biological younger brothers. his parents had already passed away and these two men were the sons of the uncle who adopted him. their names were zhao kun and zhao kai. kinship was not particularly important to zhao fei, but it was inevitable that he would fall sick sometimes. during such times, he needed his family to take care of him. this uncle of his took on the caregiving role at such moments. although he and his family were simply after zhao fei''s money, at least they were also willing to take care of him. recently, whenever zhao fei could not transport the goods by himself, he would ask these two younger brothers to come and help out. zhao fei did not let them enter the courtyard, so they would just stand at the door. she had once overheard zhao kai say something vulgar to zhao kun as he commented on her figure in detail. those things he said were really unbearable for her to hear. "i''ve never really noticed this matter. let me talk to zhao fei about it," qiao mei said seriously. "but haven''t we given him the right to be an ''exclusive agent''? will it be detrimental if we fall out with him?" qian''e said worriedly. "we have never signed any contract. since we can give him the right, then we can naturally take it back. if he doesn''t keep his word, then we won''t do business with him anymore," qiao mei said casually. since she could grant him the right to be an "exclusive agent", then she could also revoke it. if zhao fei was unable to control his subordinates, there were still many other people who wanted to collaborate with qiao mei. there was no contract in place, so it was all up to qiao mei. furthermore, she still had xia wen''s backing if it involved the authorities! she could be as willful as she wanted! Chapter 1313 Partner chapter 1313 partner n0vlusb.c0m even if qiao mei revoked zhao fei''s right to be an "exclusive agent", he would not dare to cause trouble. if he still wanted to continue doing business in the capital, he could not avoid having to interact with qiao mei. he would still need qiao mei to take care of him in the future. "that''s good. i''m worried that he''ll be completely lawless if this continues," qian''e said with a sigh. "by the way, my mother will pay you soon. did my mother tell you about us sharing the profits from the popcorn business with you?" qiao mei asked. qian''e was not concerned about this at all and had not heard li gui mention it before. the main thing was that she had never asked about these details at all. as long as she had something to do to pass time, she did not really care about how much money she made. "there''s no need to give me a lot," qian''e said. "that won''t do! you''re different from sister zhou and the others. you''re our partner so you get to share the profits! i have already left the popcorn business in your charge now. we''ll split it 40-60. you get 40% and we get 60%," qiao mei said. "that''s too much. just give me 20%," qian''e said embarrassedly. "since we''re partners, we have to show you our sincerity. just accept it. as for the issue with zhao fei, i''ll settle it. don''t worry and just carry on boldly. actually, you can also restrain zhao fei''s actions as you see fit. after all, you''re his boss now," qiao mei said. when qian''e heard what qiao mei said, she felt much more at ease. in order to demonstrate her sincerity, qiao mei had also specially drafted a contract. she had prepared it a long time ago and was just waiting for such a day to come. "i don''t need to sign a contract with you. i trust you," qian''e said. "that won''t do. business is business and friendship is friendship. we can''t mix these two things up. who can guarantee that the business won''t suffer losses? we must at least give each other the most basic guarantees. it''s good for everyone if we sign a contract. in the future, even if something happens, we can still continue to be friends," qiao mei explained. qian''e did not even read the contract and simply wrote her name at the end and put her fingerprint on it. qiao mei had helped her so much. even if qiao mei wanted to sell it to her off to some place in the wilderness, she would not hate qiao mei. qiao mei kept staring at qian''e. there was something that she wanted to ask qian''e, but she was afraid that it would touch a raw nerve. two days ago, zhuang hua had called xia zhe to give him a general update about zheng peng. he had lost so much weight that he was almost skin and bones left. he had even accidentally fallen down the stairs and fractured his arm. the way zhuang hua described zheng peng''s life, it sounded as miserable as it could get. he would probably die in front of qian''e if he could. however, even though he was already in such a state, zheng su did not feel sorry for him at all. zheng su simply just asked the doctor to come to the house every day to provide zheng peng with nutritional supplements via a drip so that his body could continue to function. zhuang hua also said that zheng su wanted to quickly find zheng peng a wife so that she could give the zheng family a descendant as soon as possible. zheng su felt that since zheng peng was already half-dead, he might die anytime and leave the zheng family without any descendants. after xia zhe told qiao mei all this, she was not at all affected. initially, she did not even intend to tell qian''e about this. this was all a result of zheng peng''s own decision and had nothing to do with qian''e. no matter how miserable a state he was in, he only had himself to blame. "why are you looking at me like that?" qian''e touched her cheek in confusion. she thought that there was something on her face. "i''m just wondering if you want to know about an issue," qiao mei asked with a faint smile as she looked qian''e in the eyes. qian''e immediately understood what qiao mei meant. actually, she had been thinking about zheng peng for a long time and it had kept her awake for countless nights. she did not know how to make a decision or how to face zheng peng. after considering it carefully, qian''e spoke slowly, "i... i don''t want to know anything anymore... i just want to live my own life now. i also don''t plan to get married anymore. i think it''s good to be on my own. i feel that if i marry someone, then it is a burden to that person. instead of doing that, i might as well live a carefree life alone." "alright, then you have to earn more money to buy one of my houses and be my neighbor. i''ll leave my two children''s piano lessons in your hands!" qiao mei said happily. "you just want to exploit me! however, i don''t have that much money. i still have to continue to work hard to be able to buy a house. in the future, i will just buy a house that''s about the same size as the one auntie li has," qian''e said. Chapter 1314 Visiting The Zheng Family ? "then do you plan to continue to run the business with me?" qiao mei asked. she still felt that it was a pity for qian''e not to continue to be a piano teacher. "let me think about it again. i plan to take a break after i earn enough money. then i can teach the children in the alley for free every day. when the time comes, they''ll all have to call me professor qian!" as qian''e imagined the beautiful life she could have in the future, qiao mei caught a glimpse of the light in her eyes again. "no problem! then i''ll just buy a few more houses. when the time comes, i''ll raise the price and earn a huge sum from you!" qiao mei said jokingly. "i definitely won''t give you this chance. i''ll own one before you can buy it all!" qian''e said domineeringly. "then i look forward to your performance!" qiao mei said. qiao mei woke xia zhe up early the next morning. she told him she wanted to pay the zheng family a visit. "xia zhe, wake up!" qiao mei said as she pushed xia zhe forcefully. xia zhe buried his head in the blanket and turned around to stick his face to the wall, like an ostrich burying its head into the ground and keeping quiet. no matter what qiao mei did, he refused to come out. qiao mei had no choice but to use her killer move. she slowly leaned close to xia zhe''s ear and said softly, "hubby, come with me~ i don''t know anyone from the zheng family. it''ll be so awkward for me to go alone. can you accompany me~" when xia zhe heard qiao mei''s coquettish tone of voice, his whole body felt weak and his ears turned red. "fine, fine, fine! i really can''t stand you being like this. you''re really like my little ancestor," xia zhe got up and looked at qiao mei helplessly. qiao mei jumped up and down on the floor excitedly. as she jumped, she shouted, "oh yeah! hubby says yes! that''s great! hubby is the best husband in the world! i love my hubby the most!" xia zhe''s face also started to turn red. he looked like a well-cooked shrimp dumpling that was about to emit steam. he had never heard of anyone''s wife being as bold as qiao mei, always using the word love. xu kang was doing the cleaning outside and happened to hear a few words of their conversation. she hurriedly ran elsewhere to do the cleaning. only a young person dared to be so explicit! the reason why qiao mei wanted to go to the zheng family''s house was to persuade zheng peng to let go of the relationship. zheng peng was her four siblings'' benefactor. as the saying went, one''s teacher for even a day was like one''s father for a lifetime. qiao mei could not just watch zheng peng walk into a dead end. they went out to buy many gifts and then headed to the zheng family residence. qiao mei also had a bottle of diluted 100-year-old ginseng juice in her pocket. she did not know how serious zheng peng''s condition was, but perhaps the ginseng juice could save his life? everything was still unknown at the moment. "when you go in later and meet uncle zheng, you must greet him properly. just follow my lead and address him as mentor," xia zhe instructed. actually, xia zhe was also feeling quite nervous. the last time he came back to visit zheng su, he was rejected at the door. he did not know if it would end the same way this time. he thought that since qiao mei was with him, the family might open the door for them. it was sun dai who came out to greet them. when she saw xia zhe, she smiled and said, "xiao zhe, long time no see. come in, your mentor is at home." "hello, madam. this is my wife, qiao mei," xia zhe said formally.n0velusb.c0m qiao mei immediately said obediently, "hello, madam!" sun dai had heard of qiao mei before. she did not have a very natural expression on her face, but she still spoke to qiao mei out of courtesy, "hello, come in." xia zhe and qiao mei entered the zheng family''s living room while holding hands, without a care that they were in the presence of other people. zheng su was sitting on the sofa and when he looked up and saw the two of them, he snorted coldly. "it''s improper to behave so intimately in broad daylight! how outrageous! how can i have a student like you!" zheng su said angrily. "i''m sorry for making mentor troubled," xia zhe said shamefully. "isn''t it good for him to see his mentee have a happy family? is your mentor allergic to other people''s happiness? it''s like this for zheng yuan and it''s the same for zheng peng. it''s also the same for you now. he''s so weird," qiao mei muttered softly. zheng su had very sharp hearing. when he was in the army, he was known as "sharp ears". he heard everything that qiao mei said but he did not want to argue with a little girl. thus, he just silently stared at the television in front of him, completely ignoring xia zhe and qiao mei. "take a seat." sun dai brought over two chairs for them. after all, they were guests and she did not want to make things too awkward for them. Chapter 1315 Not Effective ? the four of them just sat quietly in the living room. other than the sounds coming from the television, the only other sound came from the clock on the wall. sun dai seemed to have experienced such scenarios very often. she appeared very calm and did not take the initiative to talk to xia zhe, nor did she show xia zhe and qiao mei any attitude. she just accompanied them quietly like an invisible person who did not exist. xia zhe knew zheng su''s temper very well. he was a typical stubborn person. as long as he felt that he was right, he would stick to his guns and go all the way. he did not care even if he turned out to be wrong and he would not listen to anyone''s advice. in the words of the people from qiao mei''s village, this was a "stubborn donkey"! this was also the reason why even though people like xia mao were still fighting at the frontline at such an advanced age, zheng su was holed up in his house even with his status as xia zhe''s mentor. if not for zheng su''s talent, he would have left the army even earlier. "what have you been doing recently, mentor?" qiao mei could not stand the silence and asked zheng su in a sweet voice. unexpectedly, her usual sweetness, which had never failed before with xia jun and qiao qiang, was not effective on zheng su! "you don''t have to address me as mentor. i''m not your mentor. after xia zhe married you, xia zhe is no longer my mentee. besides, i have never taught you anything so you don''t have to address me like this. if you have something to say, just say it quickly. if there''s nothing else you want to say, then get lost," zheng su said moodily. in zheng su''s eyes, xia zhe was ruining his own future. even if he did not want to marry zheng yuan, he should at least find a girl who was beneficial to him, even if it was that girl from the zhong family! in the end, xia zhe found a village girl who could only bear children for him, but could not help the family with anything else! she had not even gone to school, so how was she going to educate her children in the future? it was simply nonsense. when he decided to woo sun dai back in their days, it was because he was attracted to how educated and knowledgeable she was, given that she came from a scholarly family. as zheng su often had to carry out missions in the army and could not be home with his children often, he felt much more at ease having a wife like sun dai. this was the same set of principles he applied to xia zhe. ever since xia zhe married qiao mei, he had basically returned home every two months. this did not bode well for xia zhe''s career! this woman would ruin xia zhe''s future! among the few grandchildren of the xia family, only xia mao''s children were the most promising and were even comparable to xia jun back in his heydays. however, xia wen and xia he did not have any children and both their marriages were a mess. xia zhe was the only child with a promising career in the military, but he had now ruined his own future. was he trying to destroy the xia family''s future? "uncle zheng, are you angry?" qiao mei asked on purpose.n0velusb.c0m xia zhe hurriedly grabbed qiao mei''s hand and shook his head slightly. no matter what, the two men had been mentor and mentee in the past and she should not be so rude to his mentor. qiao mei patted xia zhe''s hand to reassure him. she had her way of dealing with this kind of stick-in-the-mud. in her other life as a lawyer who fought cases in court, she had encountered many old people like him. they would use their age and life experience as an excuse to start giving pointers to the younger generation. qiao mei hated this kind of people the most! she must teach zheng su a lesson! "can''t you tell if i''m angry or not?" zheng su said with a frown. "uncle zheng, what are you angry about? are you angry because xia zhe has a happy life now, or angry because you feel that xia zhe does not deserve to be so happy, or angry because the person who''s living happily with xia zhe is not zheng yuan?" qiao mei asked while acting innocently. these questions immediately made zheng su agitated. as xia zhe''s mentor, he naturally hoped that xia zhe would have a good life and a happy family. as for the last question... zheng su admitted that he had his own selfish motives, but it was all for xia zhe''s own good! if xia zhe and zheng yuan had ended up together, their future would be exceptionally bright! "so it seems that uncle zheng is unhappy about the last thing," qiao mei said definitively. "what does this have to do with you? are you here to show off to me?" zheng su asked. "it''s indeed none of my business, but we''re also here to inform uncle zheng that we''re doing quite well. thank you for your concern, uncle zheng. when the children are older, we''ll bring them over for you to take a look. the two babies look a lot like xia zhe when he was young," qiao mei said. zheng su muttered softly, "it has nothing to do with me. there''s no need to show me..." Chapter 1316 Game Of Chess ? "since uncle zheng is not angry anymore, then you should smile more. it''s not good for your health to always keep such a long face!" qiao mei said with a big smile. "who says that i''m not angry anymore! how can you make sweeping statements on your own! it has nothing to do with you whether i''m angry or not. just get out! i won''t be angry as long as the two of you don''t appear in front of me!" zheng su said.n0velusb.c0m qiao mei pursed her lips unhappily. what a difficult old man to deal with! how did zheng yuan endure it until now? it must be hard for zheng peng to grow up in such a family. xia zhe felt that he had not lived up to zheng su''s expectations of him and had let zheng su down. although he felt that he made the right decision to marry qiao mei, he was still unable to face zheng su squarely. zheng su had such high expectations of him and he could understand how zheng su felt now. "qiao mei, let''s go back," xia zhe whispered. "i''m not going back. do you want to be locked in such a stalemate with your mentor? i must make him like me today! otherwise, i won''t leave!" qiao mei said in a fit of pique. she suddenly realized that there was an international chess set placed in front of the window. the chess pieces and the chessboard looked a little worn out. it was obvious that someone often played chess there. qiao mei pointed at the chessboard and said, "uncle zheng! let''s play one round! if i win, you can''t be angry anymore! if i lose, we won''t visit you again from now on! what do you think?" "heh, a girl from the countryside knows how to play international chess? i daresay you don''t even understand how to set up all the pieces on the chessboard!" zheng su looked at qiao mei disdainfully. when it came to this game, he could be considered invincible. all these years, there were very few players in the capital who could beat him, except for the professionals of course. the rest of the chess enthusiasts had all lost to zheng su. for so many years, there was only xia zhe who could still last for a while when playing with him, but xia zhe still always lost in the end. back when zheng su was still in the army, he was very good when it came to deploying troops and he was famous for being "cunning". after he retired, he stayed at home and focused on studying chess skills. zheng su was quite sure that qiao mei was no match for him at all. "so uncle zheng, do you dare to play with me! don''t tell me you can''t even beat a village girl like me!" qiao mei said gleefully. "let''s play! as if i''ll be scared of you!" zheng su said angrily. xia zhe held his forehead helplessly. he already knew that something like this would happen, but he did not expect them to suddenly decide to spar in chess. actually, zheng su was as stubborn as qiao mei was headstrong. once zheng su discovered qiao mei''s strengths, he would probably be very fond of her. the two of them walked to the window with heavy steps. zheng su''s face was filled with disdain and scorn. how could an uneducated little girl beat him? however, it was good for them to have a competition. he wanted to end it quickly so that xia zhe and her would not be able to come and disturb him again. xia zhe and sun dai sat on the sofa and looked at the two people at the chess table in the distance. the difference was that sun dai was smiling while xia zhe''s face was filled with worry. "xiao zhe, you don''t have to feel so worried for your wife. your mentor is just concerned about his reputation. you know his temper," sun dai said softly. "i know that my decision back then was too sudden and i did not discuss it with either mentor or my family. this is indeed my fault, but i don''t regret it," xia zhe said with a smile. he knew that zheng su could hear their conversation even though he was a distance away. "then what do you like about this girl? actually, i have always hoped that you and yuan yuan can be together, but i also know that nothing can be forced," sun dai said resignedly. "she''s like the mini version of the sun. as long as i''m by her side, i don''t seem to worry about anything. actually, i also think that it''s very magical. it''s indeed as mentor said and she has never gone to school. however, her grandfather has taught her very well. moreover, she''s very capable and is very kind to others..." xia zhe talked non-stop for a long time, as if he needed to describe all of qiao mei''s strengths in one go. sun dai had also heard a little about qiao mei. after all, everyone in the city knew that she was the person who saved xia mao. in addition, she was qiao qiang''s granddaughter, so everyone was full of praise for her. qiao qiang was a very sacred existence in the hearts of military people like them. he was a very outstanding senior and war hero. his achievements had already gone beyond the reach of many people. Chapter 1317 Farewell ? "hearing what you say is starting to change my opinion of this girl. your mentor has been overwrought because of family matters recently. don''t blame him for still being angry with you," sun dai said gently. "yes, i just hope that mentor can bury the hatchet with me soon," xia zhe said with a sigh. while they were talking, qiao mei beat zheng su in a jiffy. she proudly played her last move and said, "i win." zheng su looked at the chessboard in disbelief and said in shock, "how is this possible! how can you beat me! this is definitely not real! no! let''s play another round!" qiao mei quickly stood up and said, "that won''t do. we have a bet in place. since i beat you, you have to fulfill your promise. don''t go back on your word!" zheng su really did not want to acknowledge what had just happened, but it was a fact that qiao mei had won. moreover, there was nothing opportunistic or dishonest about the way she did it. qiao mei had won this game fair and square. he had played too carelessly. "alright, i promise you that i won''t be angry anymore," zheng su said with a dark expression. "uncle zheng, you look like i''m forcing you even though you have agreed to the conditions of this bet," qiao mei said. "i''m really not angry anymore. you''re quite capable, little girl! let''s play another round! i must win you today!" zheng su said stubbornly. qiao mei could tell that zheng su was actually feeling happy inside, but she did not intend to fulfill his wish for now. an old man like zheng su had to be kept on tenterhooks, otherwise he would still show her a long face the next time. "no, no. if uncle zheng wants to play, i''ll come to visit you another day and play chess with you then," qiao mei said with a smile. zheng su looked to the side in a fit of pique and muttered softly, "as if i care..." "then i won''t come!" qiao mei threatened. "you little girl! how dare you threaten me! it''s up to you whether you want to come or not! there''s no food for you here!" zheng su returned to the study upstairs after saying that in a huffy manner. it was rare for zheng su to meet a chess opponent who could get along with him. if qiao mei really did not come over again, he was the one who would lose out!n0velusb.c0m qiao mei walked to xia zhe''s side smugly and said, "done!" xia zhe reached out dotingly and gently tapped the tip of qiao mei''s nose as he said, "you clever girl, why is it that i don''t know you know how to play chess." "my grandfather taught me," qiao mei said after a moment of hesitation. qiao qiang suddenly sneezed at home. there was no wind or dust, so it was really strange for him to suddenly sneeze. xia zhe held back his laughter and did not expose qiao mei. it was not as if he had not played chess with qiao qiang at home before. his chess skills were simply a mess. if not for xia zhe often going easy on qiao qiang, he would not be able to win even one round! "i don''t think you''re here just to visit us two elders," sun dai said with a smile. "you''re right, auntie. i''m here today to pass a message on behalf of my good friend. can you let me go up and visit zheng peng?" qiao mei looked at sun dai seriously. sun dai thought for a moment and nodded. she smiled faintly and whispered, "be quick. don''t let zheng su find out, or you''ll make him angry again." qiao mei and xia zhe quietly made their way to zheng peng''s room. when they opened the door, there was an unpleasant smell inside. this was completely different from the zheng peng they were familiar with. zheng peng lay quietly on the bed. his breathing was very weak, as if he would break his bones if he exerted too much strength. he was as fragile as a piece of paper. "zheng peng, we''re here to see you," xia zhe said softly. zheng peng tried his best to open his eyelids. when he saw that it was qiao mei and xia zhe, he said agitatedly, "you''re here... cough, cough, cough... you''re here! is she alright? how is she? is she willing to see me? you... you''re here to tell me that she''s willing to see me, right?" "no, we''re here to bid farewell to you on her behalf," qiao mei said. "farewell? why would she bid farewell... she won''t bid farewell to me... we have made a promise to be together forever..." zheng peng said helplessly as he looked at the ceiling with a look of emptiness in his eyes. "qian''e says that she hopes you can pull yourself together. the current you is not the person she met back then. even without her, you have to live well." qiao mei mechanically recited to zheng peng everything that qian''e hoped for him. zheng peng snorted coldly and said, "without her, there''s no point in me being the person i was back then." Chapter 1318 - 1318 Mrs. Xia Is Very Capable 1318 mrs. xia is very capable what i said just now is what qiane hopes for you. what im going to say next is my personal opinion. qiao mei took a deep breath and said, zheng peng, who are you flaunting your half-dead state to? dont tell me you want others to pity you? do you think uncle zheng will let you go because of this? then what other choice do i have? i want to go out, but i cant. i should have died instead of my brother back then. if hes still alive now, perhaps my father will dote on him very much, zheng peng said mockingly. you say that you like qiane, but isnt what youre doing now hurting her even more? youre fighting so hard with your family because of her. is this what she wants to see? she has no choice but to give up this relationship for your sake. if you continue to be so dispirited, youll just drift further and further from her, qiao mei said. qiao meis words were like a hammer giving him a wakeup call. qiane was a good girl and she did not want to see the zheng family in chaos because of her. if he loved her, he would have to become stronger and protect her well. he should not be so dispirited that he ended up hurting her and the other people around him. when two people have decided to be together, they must work together to have a better life. they should not be torturing each other. youre right... youre right... zheng peng muttered to himself. qiao mei smiled lightly and held xia zhes hand as she said, lets go. it seems that he gets the point. after the couple hurriedly bade farewell to sun dai, they walked towards xu lans house. it was rare for them to be in this area, so how could they not make a trip home? i think its a pity to keep you at home. you should come to our army unit and fight psychological battles with the enemy! xia zhe said with a smile. how am i that capable? i can only deal with these old people, qiao mei said. n0velusb.c0m you can even make a strange old man like my grandfather so fond of you, and youve even charmed my mentor. this means that youre very capable! how can you say that youre not? mrs. xia, youre too humble, xia wen said proudly. qiao mei could immediately tell what xia zhe was implying. it was self praise, was it not? he was praising himself for being clever enough to marry such a capable wife. mr. xia, please keep a lower profile. after all, we cant show off too much. otherwise, more people will end up liking me, qiao mei said. xia zhe immediately thought of that big sneaky fox from the suburbs. he ning was still eyeing the ginseng in qiao meis hands! based on he nings usual behavior, if he helped qiao mei, it was definitely not out of the kindness of his heart. this cunning man must have other motives. he must keep an eye on he ning and not allow him to succeed! the two of them chatted and laughed as they made their way back to xu lans house. before they entered, they could already hear the sounds of an argument inside. at this time, they did not expect any visiting relatives, so there was an 80% chance that it was a family quarrel. i dont care! you have to give me an explanation today! you cant just wash your hands off everything! zhou luo stood in the room and scolded loudly. why are you so noisy! do you think this is your house! qiao mei said unhappily as she pushed open the door and entered the house. no wonder zhou luo was shouting. she had come by while xia he was not at home and there was only xu lan and liu fen at home! after the holidays, xia you and the others had already gone home and did not continue staying at xu lans place. on the other hand, xia xing continued to stay at xia juns place and did not go back. he did not even go to work and he behaved abnormally. you ill-bred thing! how can you interrupt when the elders are talking! didnt your family teach you manners! zhou luo said angrily. my family did teach me how to interact with humans. as for interaction with other species... they really didnt teach me. as qiao mei spoke, she looked zhou luo up and down. liu fen snickered at the side and almost stood up to clap for qiao mei. xu lan also did not stop qiao mei and just let her be. how dare you call me inhuman! you bastard! dont think that i dont know about the dirty deeds you did in the past! those children of yours might not even really be part of the xia family! zhou luo said as she pointed at qiao mei. xia zhe went forward and grabbed zhou luos wrist, saying fiercely, please respect my wife and apologize to her now. i dont hit women, but i will protect my family. Chapter 1319 No Benefits ? zhou luo was shocked by xia zhe''s imposing manner. she had always used the fact that she had brought up a few children for the xia family to strut around them. to put it nicely, the xia family acknowledged her kindness in taking care of the children. to put it bluntly, zhou luo had brought up those children and turned them into useless people, so it did not matter if the xia family still had these family members or not. "you... is this how you talk to your elders! can''t an elder just teach a junior a lesson?" zhou luo said with a trembling voice. "i''m not dead yet!" xu lan said suddenly. "the people standing in front of us are my mother-in-law and aunt-in-law. but who... who are you? don''t tell me you want to be my aunt-in-law too?" qiao mei asked zhou luo innocently. xu lan and liu fen could not help but laugh out audibly. what she was insinuating was that zhou luo was a loose woman, that a married woman was eyeing the position of being the wife of the xia family''s third son. xia zhe could not help but turn around to look at qiao mei. this little girl was really very good at making people angry. "you little b*tch! you''re talking nonsense! i''m going to tear your mouth apart!" zhou luo roared. xia zhe did not make any move and just stood in front of his family members to block zhou luo from getting close. even when zhou luo hit him a few times out of exasperation, he did not react nor retaliate. qiao mei walked forward and flipped zhou luo to the floor. she pointed at her and said, "all this while, our xia family is respectful and polite to you because we are people with good upbringing and we see you as the adoptive mother of xia lu and xia yan. we''re grateful to you, but don''t ever think that this is something you can use against the xia family!" "who are you to talk to me like that! ouch... my arm... ouch... my leg... i don''t want to live anymore!" zhou luo crouched on the floor and yelled out. "i hit you because you deserve it. my husband is magnanimous enough not to hit you, but i''m not that magnanimous. if you hit my family members, i''ll make sure to return the gesture to you a thousand times over! continue shouting and see if any of the neighbors can hear you. even if they can hear you, no one will dare to do anything about my family," qiao mei said.n0velusb.c0m zhou luo''s shouting instantly became softer. qiao mei nodded in satisfaction as the noise level around her reduced by a lot. ever since she gave birth, she had become particularly sensitive to sounds. she would feel very uncomfortable the moment there was any noise around her, and even the children''s cries would also make her feel unsettled. this was her first time giving birth, be it in her other life or her current life. she did not know if all women felt this way after giving birth, so she simply endured it. qiao mei squatted down slowly and whispered to zhou luo, "you have to think carefully about who has the upper hand now. what''s the big deal about the xia family losing the third son''s family? at most, we just won''t be able to get together during the festive season. at least the eldest son''s family is still doing well. grandfather also has many children and grandchildren now. how does it benefit you if you continue to cause trouble?" "that''s none of your business!" zhou luo said. "can it be that you just want to see the xia family fall apart? but if the xia family really split up, how much do you think the third son will get? the old residence is mine and this house is under my mother-in-law''s name. at most, the third son will get a share of grandfather''s house. i''d advise you not to mess around. it''s not worth it," qiao mei said with a soft laugh. "you''ve finally revealed your true colors! the eldest son''s family simply wants to monopolize the old residence!" zhou luo pointed at qiao mei and looked at liu fen in the distance before continuing, "the second son''s family won''t be able to get anything as well! these people have already taken everything!" "it''s never ours to begin with. the old lady left the courtyard house for xiao zhe. stop talking about this!" liu fen said as she rolled her eyes resignedly. in the beginning, liu fen had also wanted to get a share of the old residence, but she knew very well her children''s caliber. although each one of her children was an honest person, their career paths had always only been mediocre. these four children were exactly the same as xia yao. they were all people who did not fight for the limelight. initially, liu fen wanted to work hard to gain something for her children by fighting it out with the eldest son''s family. at that time, she was influenced by zhou hua and wanted to do something for herself. however, at this moment, she only wanted her children to be happy. all these things were just worldly possessions. each of her children now had a house allocated by their workplace unit and they would all be starting their own families soon. it was better for her to behave herself and not cause any trouble for her family. Chapter 1320 - 1320 Exceptional Acting Skills 1320 exceptional acting skills not long ago during the new year, liu fen could also see qiao meis attitude towards her four children. in the future, qiao mei would definitely have a say in this family. xia wen and xia he treated qiao mei well, so qiao mei was generous enough to want to give them a courtyard house each. what was the mere old residence worth? only zhou luo was still muddle-headed enough to still be eyeing the family assets. n0vlusb.c0m either you get out now and dont come and disturb our family again in the future, or we will pursue this issue and try our best to make you stay in jail for the rest of your life, qiao mei said threateningly to zhou luo. do you think im not educated? what crime have i committed! no matter how powerful your xia family is! you cant just get someone arrested so easily! zhou luo said. qiao mei quietly turned around and gave xu lan a look. xu lan immediately understood what she meant and quickly pretended to feel weak. she then fainted in the blink of an eye, scaring liu fen so much that she panicked and shouted, eldest sister-in-law! eldest sister-in-law, whats wrong! dont scare me! xiao zhe, come and take a look at your mother! whats wrong with eldest sister-in-law! what should we do! xu lan was usually in good health and did not suffer from any illnesses. there were no abnormalities detected during her annual physical examinations, so how could she suddenly fall ill? youve made my mother-in-law faint from anger! dont even think about leaving this place! luo yu! send your men here! qiao mei looked towards the main door and shouted for luo yu. when luo yu heard her, he immediately ran towards the house. zhou luo had never experienced such a serious situation before. she was just here to ask for some money for xia xings wedding. how did it become a situation of someone getting hurt? she quickly scrambled out of the xia family residence. worried that the xia family would look for her again, she decided to pack her things and return to her hometown today! money was a small matter, but if she had to spend the rest of her life in jail, they might as well just kill her! mother! mother, look at me! xia zhe shouted in a panic as he held xu lan. alright, shes gone, qiao mei said calmly. liu fen thought that qiao mei meant xu lan was dead and she wept even harder. she pointed at qiao mei and shouted, why are you so calm! my sister-in-law has already died and theres no reaction from you at all! to think that my sister-in-law treats you so well! wheres your conscience! xu lan, who was lying in xia zhes arms, quickly opened her eyes and said, im not dead. im just putting on an act! liu fen and xia zhe were stunned on the spot. only she and qiao mei were beaming with joy. she stood up and hugged qiao mei happily, as if the two of them were as close as sisters. you... you two... liu fen said in confusion. i was pretending! otherwise, that woman would still linger in our house and refuse to leave! this is a scheme that qiao mei and i came up with! xu lan said smugly. after all, she had even acted in musicals when she was young! her acting skills were definitely top-notch! if there were any flaws in her acting just now, she would have to reflect on what she had done since she retired. xia zhe patted the dust off his pants and smiled resignedly. when these two women first met, they were like fire and water. now, they were so close that they were like two peas in a pod! he had almost been deceived by them as well. however, he was so worried that he could not think straight just now. no matter who fainted in the room earlier, he would be equally as anxious. after all, these were his blood relatives. he was unable to think about the problem logically at all. you scare me to death! you have to give me a heads up next time! my heart cant take the shock! liu fen said as she held her chest in fear. even now, her heart was still beating wildly. xu lan had felt a little touched when she heard what liu fen said just now. all the kindness she showed liu fen was not in vain. liu fen had proven herself to be reliable at critical moments. second aunt-in-law, if we tell you, our plan will be exposed! qiao mei said aggrievedly. my acting skills are indeed not that good... liu fen scratched her head in embarrassment. the family chatted and laughed about how realistic xu lans acting skills were just now and how qiao mei and xu lan had tacitly defeated zhou luo. there was a sudden loud bang at the door. mother! xia he shouted as she ran in anxiously. she almost broke the glass panel of the main door and deng fan was following closely behind her. the two of them were sweating profusely and panting. did you... get chased by dogs? xu lan asked curiously. what are you saying! are you alright? i heard that something happened at home, so i quickly asked deng fan to come back on his motorcycle. we even ran all the way up from the entrance of the neighborhood! xia he said. Chapter 1321 Come To Fruition ? deng fan''s motorcycle was not registered to enter the neighborhood, so he could not come and go freely. he had to sign off at the guardhouse before he could ride in. the entire process would have taken up a lot of their time, so they just left the motorcycle outside the main gate and ran all the way in, worried that they would be too late. xia zhe took the key from deng fan and went to help him with the registration process. the couple had already used up a lot of energy, so it was better for them to rest at home. "you''re always so rash. i''m fine now, see?" xu lan said with a smile. although she was scolding xia he, she felt warm inside. "i''m just worried about you! it''s like anyone can enter our house nowadays. let''s get brother luo to arrange for two of his men to stand guard at the door. people who are not related to our family cannot just enter or leave as they please. these people are really too much!" xia he said angrily. deng fan simply stood beside xia he and did not say anything. this was the first time he was visiting the xia family and he had never intended for his first visit to be so abrupt. he had even come empty-handed and it made him feel very awkward. liu fen gave xia he a look and she immediately noticed that deng fan felt left out. she quickly spoke in a gentle tone to xu lan and the rest, "mother, second aunt-in-law, mei mei, this is the person i''ve told you before. he''s deng fan." deng fan quickly bowed deeply to xu lan and the others and said, "i''m sorry, coach. i came over in a hurry today and didn''t bring anything with me. i hope you can forgive my sudden visit." "i know that you''re a good kid. our family is not so particular about such etiquette. you were also distracted because you were too concerned about my safety. it''s fine, i don''t blame you. come, stand up straight," xu lan said gently. deng fan only felt at ease when he saw that xu lan was not annoyed with him at all.n0velusb.c0m qiao mei sized up deng fan carefully. the last time, she had only taken a quick glance and did not really take a good look at him. as she looked at him now, she noted that he indeed had a very dignified bearing. it was no wonder that xia he liked him so much. if xia he had not been blinded by love when she was younger, she might already have enough children to form a basketball team now! "come and sit down. don''t just stand here. xiao fan, stay and have a meal with us later!" liu fen said warmly. deng fan was about to say something when xia he stopped him and said, "second aunt-in-law! let''s eat at home! it''ll be a nice and lively gathering!" "good, good, good! i''ll go and start cooking now! just wait for it!" liu fen went to the kitchen excitedly to prepare the dishes. she thought very highly of xia he''s current prospective partner. he looked so much more reliable than that kong guy! one look and she could tell that he was low-key and easy to get along with. when would xia yuan be able to find a partner? she also wanted to welcome her child''s partner excitedly. xu lan already knew deng fan well and there was nothing that she needed to ask him. everyone just sat awkwardly in the living room and did not say a word. "elder brother-in-law, are you busy with any projects recently? i heard from elder sister that you also do architectural design!" qiao mei said. "why are you calling him your elder brother-in-law! i''m not married to him yet!" xia he said shyly. "that''s not an issue! it''s only a matter of time! don''t you think so, mother~" qiao mei held xu lan''s hand and said sweetly. "yes, true. it all depends on what your elder sister wants!" xu lan threw the question back to xia he. since xia he already intended to marry deng fan, she did not stop qiao mei from addressing deng fan as her brother-in-law. luo yu could not bear to witness this scene and silently turned around to leave. qiao mei saw it and felt very sorry for luo yu. deng fan and luo yu had both waited and protected xia he for so many years. in the end, it was deng fan''s dream which came to fruition while luo yu was left behind. "i haven''t been doing much recently. i''ve just been busy with xia he," deng fan said honestly. "then... then can i ask elder brother-in-law for help? the price is negotiable!" qiao mei stared at deng fan with sparkling eyes, as if she could eat him up in the next second. "tell me, i''ll definitely help if i can. i can do it for free," deng fan said honestly. qiao mei quickly flapped her hands and said, "even biological brothers must settle accounts clearly. we must be clear that these are separate matters. my family keeps detailed accounts of all our dealings with eldest brother! so there''s no exception for you as well!" "then let''s do what you say. go ahead," deng fan said with a smile. Chapter 1322 - 1322 Cannot Bear to Part 1322 cannot bear to part xia wen had been very efficient. not long after qiao mei told him about her idea of building a factory, he rented a piece of land in the suburbs. qiao mei originally wanted to buy the piece of land, but they were unable to find out who owned it and the details in the land title were sketchy. thus, she decided to rent it for the time being and would buy it after they could sort things out. this could also be considered one of qiao meis wedding gifts to xia he and deng fan. elder brother-in-law, what do you think? qiao mei looked at deng fan expectantly. without even thinking, deng fan turned to look at xia he. it was only after she nodded slightly that he agreed to qiao meis request. while xu lan and deng fan were chatting, qiao mei pulled xia he over to her side and whispered, its really not bad. brother-in-law listens to you well! what nonsense are you talking about! i havent done anything, xia he said with a red face. but when i asked him to take on the design job just now, he asked for your opinion first. isnt it because you taught him well? qiao mei asked curiously. ive never asked him for anything. he did all that out of his own accord. i do have to thank you though. i know youre doing this for my sake, but you keep things professional and not be too muddle-headed. if his designs dont meet your standard, you should not compromise, alright? xia he said earnestly. i just know that im still the one you love the most! dont worry, i know what i want. you have to believe in deng fans skills. ive seen his previous works and all his designs are not bad, qiao mei said admiringly. deng fan and xu lan did not dawdle on frivolous topics and went straight to the point. deng fan honestly declared his monthly income, his future plans, as well as details of his properties and other assets. xu lan had never imagined that deng fan was actually quite well-to-done. he had a house in the forest area on the outskirts of the capital. the feng shui there was excellent, it had a big courtyard and the entire house was built using mortise and tenon techniques. once he had earned enough money, he intended to move there with xia he and live a carefree life. n0velusb.c0m he also owned a small house in the capital. there were only three rooms, but it was quite a decently sized house. deng rui had bought the place for deng fan to use as his future matrimonial home. deng fan promised xu lan that the betrothal gifts from him would not be any less than what xia zhe had given qiao mei back then. he wanted to give xia he the best of everything and also give her a grand wedding. he did not feel that he was compromising his standards by taking xia he as his wife. in fact, he felt that he was marrying someone who was out of his league. its good as long as you know what you want. lets find a time when your parents are free and we can all meet up and then set the wedding date. our family supports xia he in whatever she wants to do. as long as the two of you are sure of what you are, then theres no problem, xu lan said. after dinner, everyone went back to their respective homes. xia he had been staying at deng fans three-room house recently. the two of them slept in separate rooms of course. deng fan intended to renovate the house and wanted the design to suit xia hes liking, so she had been helping him out. now that elder sister is with deng fan, i actually cant bear to part with her, qiao mei said sadly. silly girl, why cant you bear to part with her? i think elder sister is doing very well now, even better than when she first met kong lu. i hope deng fan will treat her well, xia zhe said. i just cant bear to part with her. its probably the same way that a parent will feel. not so long ago, elder sister was by my side every day, and now she has already found her own happiness. i have to hurry up and finish embroidering her wedding dress! otherwise, it wont be ready in time for her wedding! qiao mei said anxiously. if you cant meet the deadline, you can just hire a seamstress. or you can ask deng fan to push back the wedding. dont make yourself all tired out again, xia zhe said with heartache. Chapter 1323 - 1323 Overzealous Person 1323 overzealous person xia hes wedding may be very important, but for xia zhe, nothing was more important than qiao mei. it would not be good if qiao mei became exhausted because of this. dont worry, im in good health! i grew up eating ginseng! qiao mei said proudly. xia zhe held qiao meis hand as they slowly made their way back to their house. he could not help feeling that such a life was quite comfortable. this time round, he had applied for a long period of leave from his superiors. he had also considered transferring back to the capital for two years so that he could accompany the two children and qiao mei for a period of time. however, this was just an idea and he had not decided yet. qiao mei worked tirelessly day and night for half a month before she finally finished embroidering xia hes wedding dress. she resisted the urge to give it to xia he immediately, thinking that it was still in time to hand it over to her just before the wedding. she wanted to give xia he a surprise. today, qiao mei had instructed qiane to give zhao fei the day off. qiao mei wanted to invite zhao fei to her house for dinner to thank him for his hard work during this period of time. zhao fei arrived at li guis house early in the day with many gifts. there were so many things that he could barely hold all the bags in his hands. he had even specially prepared two bulging red packets for the two children. knock, knock, knock zhao fei knocked loudly on li guis main door. li gui had already asked all her children to go to qiao qiangs house. today, qiao qiang would take care of the four children and let them play in the backyard. they would only go home after zhao fei left. she did not want these children to come into contact with any business matters for now, nor did she want to let anyone recognize their faces. xia wen had said previously that their business operations were not totally legal yet and there were still many problems at hand. she must be careful and not let anything go wrong. coming, coming! youre really early! i only expect you to come around noon! li gui said with a smile as she opened the door. zhao fei did not come alone and there was a person following behind him. it was his uncles son, zhao kai. sister li, we just dont want to keep you waiting! some of these things are for your children and some are for qiao meis two babies. those things that my younger brother is carrying are for you. these are all a token of our appreciation, zhao fei said happily. before li gui could speak, zhao kai quickly rushed out from behind zhao fei and said enthusiastically to li gui, sister li! you must accept these! i picked them out specially for you! ah... fine, fine, fine. youve really spent too much and bought too many things, li gui said, feeling a little awkward. she was very afraid of overzealous people. before this, she had only met zhao kai a few times, but they had never spoken to each other. she did not know why zhao kai was being so enthusiastic. was it because zhao kai wanted to thank li gui for the chance to make money? however, the person who gave him the chance was actually zhao fei! what did it have to do with li gui? she found it really puzzling. dont just stand at the door. come in! my daughter will be here soon! come inside and wait. im still in the midst of preparing two dishes! after li gui brought them to the living room, she quickly ran back to the kitchen. when zhao fei saw that there was no one around, he said to zhao kai with a dark expression, dont talk nonsense later! do you hear me! no)velusb/c-o,m what has it got to do with you whether i speak or not! im just being polite to sister li. how can you disallow me from doing that? zhao kai looked at zhao fei nonchalantly. hmph, dont think that i dont know what youre up to. dont even think about it! otherwise, dont even think about getting involved with this business in the future! you should just go with uncle and become a scavenger! zhao fei sneered and warned. youre so petty! alright, alright! i wont say anything, alright? zhao kai complained. after qiao mei washed up and dressed up, she came to li guis house and went straight to the living room. when zhao fei saw qiao mei, he immediately took out the two red packets from his pocket and said, sister mei mei! this is a small gift for the kids. please accept it! zhao fei could be considered the childrens uncle after all, so it was only right for him to give them a first-meeting gift. qiao mei had helped zhao fei make quite a lot of money, so she did not stand on ceremony with him and took the red packets. in that case, i thank you on behalf of the children. come, sit down, qiao mei said with a smile. Chapter 1324 - 1324 Be My Stepmother 1324 be my stepmother from the moment qiao mei entered the house, zhao kai had not stopped staring at her. he had originally thought that qiane fitted his idea of a classic beauty, but he did not expect qiao mei to be even more beautiful, especially with her full bosom, slender waist and perky butt. it was a sight that made him drool. qiao mei had seen the same kind of look in the eyes of many men too many times and it was clear to her that zhao kai was definitely not a good person. it seemed that qiane was right. zhao fei indeed needed to relook at the kind of people he was working with. zhao fei realized how rude zhao kai was and quickly gave him a kick before saying, this is my younger brother, zhao kai. i think you havent met him before. he just started working for me recently. no wonder. im just thinking that i dont seem to recall this person, qiao mei said with a faint smile. its fine, its fine! we can get to know each other today! lets get along well from now on! zhao kai quickly extended his hand towards qiao mei, but she refused to acknowledge his gesture and pretended not to see his hand. zhao kai could only retract his hand awkwardly and sit down obediently. zhao kai thought to himself, whats there to be so arrogant about! you just have a bit more money than us! li gui brought out the last two dishes. she had made eight dishes, five of which were meat dishes! she had never done something so grand before and this just showed how highly li gui thought of zhao fei. sister li, youre way too hospitable. there are so many dishes, i dont even know which one to eat first! zhao fei said embarrassedly. li gui even made some braised meat for them! zhao kais eyes lit up when he saw the dish. this was a rare delicacy. there was probably no other person in the capital who could make pig offal taste so delicious! you address me as sister and yet you also address my daughter as sister. this doesnt sound right at all. its better that you address me as auntie, li gui said with a smile. sure! then ill call you auntie li! zhao fei said. just as everyone was eating happily, zhao kai suddenly said inappropriately, auntie lis cooking is so delicious. it will be great if she can become my mother! our entire family will be so happy! what kind of joke is this! zhao fei said awkwardly. im not joking! if she joins my family, well be able to eat and drink well every day! zhao kai was so excited that he simply blurted out what he was thinking. li guis face instantly turned pale. she did not expect zhao kai to say something like this. she was already a divorced woman with four young children. it was already good enough that she did not cause trouble for qiao mei. she had already been married twice. if she got married again, the children would feel disgraced! she had no intention of ever getting married again! qiao meis face instantly fell and she slammed her chopsticks on the table. she did not expect the zhao family to have such an intention. no wonder there were so many gifts and this stranger also tagged along. it seemed that qiane was very spot-on with her judgment this time. sister qiao mei, auntie li, thats not what my younger brother meant... he just... he just has no sense of propriety when he speaks! zhao fei explained in a panic. however, zhao kai remained self-righteous and did not feel that he had said anything wrong. he already had his eye on li gui for a while and wanted her to become his mother. what was wrong with that? moreover, he was not the only one who thought that way. his entire family liked li gui and wanted her to quickly marry into the family and become their stepmother! he did not understand why zhao fei was being so cautious, but he did not really blame zhao fei. after all, zhao fei was not related to his family by blood. he would not expect an adopted child to watch out for their benefits. im telling the truth. auntie li is such a good person. isnt it good for her to become my mother? then well be able to do business together and also be a family from now on! well be even closer! zhao kai said happily. qiao mei did not expect him to be so ambitious. not only did he want to get li gui, but he even coveted their familys business. what an arrogant person! get out, qiao mei said coldly. n/.ov.el-usb/c(o)m what... what did you say? zhao kai asked in puzzlement, as if he did not hear what qiao mei said clearly. i told you to get out! qiao mei roared at zhao kai. zhao kai still wanted to argue with qiao mei, but when he saw the look in zhao feis eyes, he left li guis house angrily. before he left, he even kicked over the stools in li guis house. mom, you can go to your room first. i want to talk to zhao fei, qiao mei said calmly. Chapter 1325 Two Options ? li gui wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and nodded before returning to her room. there was nothing she could say about this matter. it was really too embarrassing! "sister qiao mei, my younger brother is too thoughtless. don''t be angry! i apologize to you on his behalf!" zhao fei said cautiously. "how long has it been?" qiao mei asked suddenly. "wh... what?" zhao fei stood rooted to the spot and did not dare to make a sound. "i''m asking you, how long have you people had designs on my mother?" qiao mei tried her best to keep her voice level. she believed that zhao fei was not involved in this matter. given his character, even if he was attracted to any woman in her family, he would not do such a thing. zhao fei had also only found out about this matter recently. in the past, he had always been on his own and lived unrestrainedly. however, after his uncle rendered a helping hand to him, there were actually more restrictions in his lifestyle. when he was younger, he worked hard at his own business and lived a carefree life. when he ran out of money, he would go out to do sales. when he had money, he would play cards with his friends from the small alley. after zhao fei reached adulthood, he did not know how it happened but his uncle found out about him and insisted on bringing him home. when he did not agree, his uncle kept causing trouble at the alley neighborhood until he gave in. zhao fei had no choice but to follow his uncle home. in the first week, the family hosted zhao fei with nice food and drinks and he gradually lowered his guard. it was the first time he experienced this thing called "kinship". however, things changed later on. whenever he earned some money, he had to share it equally with all of them. in the end, he never had much money left for himself. it was not until zhao fei and li gui did business together that he finally made more money and gradually had more savings. "sister qiao mei, it''s not what you think. listen to me, let me explain it to you," zhao fei said nervously. "explain? i don''t want to hear whatever you want to say anymore. this crooked idea has probably been brewing for a while. i trust you, but i don''t trust them. if you want to continue working with me, then from now on, i don''t want to see anyone from your uncle''s family, not even your other relatives from the zhao family," qiao mei said coldly. "sister qiao mei! give them another chance! they are not doing this on purpose!" zhao fei said. qiao mei shook her head and said, "i don''t have that much time to waste on this. you also know that time is money right now. i''ll give you two options. either you work with us on your own and we remain very good friends, or we end our collaboration. i''ll find someone else to do this business with me. you can choose between the two options." zhao fei looked at qiao mei in disbelief. she spoke as if there had never been any friendship between them. however, it also made sense. after all, it had always been a professional partnership all this while. they were business partners first and friends second. if he put himself in qiao mei''s shoes, there was nothing wrong with what she was doing. "i understand... i''ll go back and make the arrangements now," zhao fei said disappointedly. "we''ll take a break this week. let me know after you''ve settled your business matters. our future collaboration will depend on your attitude moving forward." after saying that, qiao mei sent zhao fei out.nov.elu.sb.c-0)m zhao fei walked home dejectedly. he did not know how things had turned out like this. was his path to becoming rich going to be completely cut off? as soon as he reached the door of his house, he could hear zhao kai cursing inside and even making groundless allegations about qiao mei and li gui. "i really don''t know what''s so good about those two sluts! zhao fei even spoke up for them! he simply asked me to get out! pfft! who do they think they are! do they really think that i''m attracted to them!" zhao kai said furiously. zhao kun hurriedly echoed, "that''s right! elder brother, i support you! i''ve long found them to be an eyesore and they order us around just because they have some money! they really don''t treat us as humans at all!" "bang!!!" zhao fei kicked open the main door and everyone stared intently at him. zhao fei''s uncle, zhao liu, immediately scolded him, "you little brat, are you sick of living! do you think that it doesn''t cost money for repairs if you break this door? where do you get the guts to strut around so arrogantly at home? why didn''t you behave this way in those people''s house when your younger brother was being bullied?" Chapter 1326 Greed chapter 1326 greed "why don''t you talk about what he did! what he said to them! how am i able to back him up!" zhao fei said as he pointed at zhao kai. "what did i say! i just casually chatted with them!" zhao kai said unrepentantly. "hmph, now they don''t even want to do business with us anymore! your ''casual chat'' caused our entire family''s business to be gone! are you satisfied now!" zhao fei said furiously. everyone in the house was shocked. by now, it was not just zhao liu''s family members who were involved in the business. zhao liu''s younger brother, zhao ming, and his family were also a part of it. each person earned about one dollar and fifty cents a day. sometimes, they could even earn three dollars. this was enough money for all of them to survive and they were now living a much better life than when they could not afford food in the past. when people got what they had always yearned for, their greed would only grow day by day. they even conspired to try and find a way to get li gui''s recipe as they thought that they would be able to earn more money if they knew how li gui made the popcorn. nov/elu)sb.c/o.m how could it be that a woman could run such a successful business, but they could not? they did not believe that they could not do it just as well. they had tried making the popcorn three or four times at home but did not manage to succeed. in the end, they even thought about stealing the recipe! however, they were too scared to go around stealing things, so they dragged their feet until now. they had evil intentions, but not the guts to do it. however, no matter how hard zhao liu, zhao ming and their family members racked their brains, they would never have guessed that the secret behind the popcorn was butter. even if they knew that it was butter, they still would not know how to use it. "what exactly did you say to them!" zhao ming''s wife, wang meng, asked as she pointed at zhao kai. zhao kai did not dare to look at everyone out of a guilty conscience. he whispered, "i... i didn''t say anything... why are you all looking at me..." "you say that you want auntie li to be your mother! do you think the big boss will let you off? it''s one thing for you to eye her recipe, but you even dare to have designs on her mother! you''re lucky that she didn''t break your leg!" zhao fei said angrily. "what! how can this be!" wang meng looked at zhao kai in shock. zhao ming''s family only wanted to know the recipe for li gui''s popcorn or the method for frying the seeds, or even just the recipe for the braised meat would do! knowing the secret to one of these items would be enough for them to live out the rest of their lives well! as conniving as they were, they did not expect zhao liu''s family to directly have designs on li gui. zhao liu had the same idea as his son. what was the point of trying so hard to get those women''s secret recipes? they might as well just get hold of li gui! if they got their hands on this woman who knew how to make money, then would it not mean that everything would be theirs? zhao liu had never been in direct contact with li gui and had never even met her before. however, he heard from zhao kai that she was divorced, had four children and owned a big house. if she became his wife, it was definitely no loss to him! he had heard that the two boys among those children were about to reach adulthood. did that not mean that they would be able to go out and earn money very soon? in addition, li gui had a daughter who married into a wealthy family. life could only be good for him! zhao liu did not seem too nasty and he was a hardworking and diligent man. however, he had a very bad habit. he loved to drink and would beat up women whenever he drank. in fact, he had beaten his first wife to death. if li gui married into zhao liu''s family, things definitely would not end well for her. "xiao fei, did that woman really say that she doesn''t want to do business with us anymore?" wang meng asked regretfully. "that''s what she''s saying for the time being. the other option is for me to do business with them myself and all of you can''t get involved," zhao fei related to them everything which qiao mei said. only a fool would give up such a good business! however, what would happen to them if they could not earn money in the future? in order to work with zhao fei, zhao ming''s eldest son, zhao tu, had even quit his job at the factory. he was not able to go back there now. if they had to take this option, there was another way out for them. after thinking about it, zhao liu asked, "then... xiao fei, after you earn money while working with them in the future, how are you going to split the earnings?" "what do you mean?" zhao fei asked with a frown. "you can''t be the only one getting such a good deal! why should you go out alone to earn money and enjoy, while we suffer at home and can''t even eat our fill! you have to share some of the money you earn with us!" zhao kai said shamelessly. Chapter 1327 - 1327 Hard to Earn Money 1327 hard to earn money you! zhao fei was so angry that he could not speak. how could he have relatives who were like bloodsucking vampires! his father and mother might as well have taken him with them back then! it would have saved him the agony of having to live in this world! xiao fei, weve always treated you well. if you cast us aside, then youre really an ingrate! therell be retribution! zhao liu said. and our family as well! our family has also helped you before. you cant forget our kindness! zhao ming said hurriedly. zhao fei had nothing to say to these people. the more he said, the worse it would get and they always had all kinds of reasons to rebut him. in the end, he could only silently agree to this arrangement. at most... at most, he would also quit the business and idle around at home. as time passed, zhao liu and the others would not be able to stand it and would naturally chase him out. by then, he would be alone and carefree again. if the storeroom remained filled with popcorn, as the humidity set in, it would not taste good and they would not be able to sell it. when qiane heard that li gui was in a bad mood, she quickly went over to stay with her for a period of time. with qiane by her side, li gui seemed to be in a happier mood. auntie, why dont we go shopping! lets go shopping at the mall! we can bring the children with us too! qiane said with a smile. the simplest way to cheer up an unhappy woman was to bring her shopping and buy lots of stuff! most women liked to shop. as soon as they bought something they liked, all the unhappy things from before would disappear like smoke in the air. no-velusb/c.o/m mom! whats a mall? zhang miao looked at li gui in puzzlement. it was only then that li gui realized she had not taken a good look around after being in the capital for so long! all her waking hours only revolved around the business. it was a little too absurd that she did not know how to spend any of the money she had earned. her original goal of earning money was to give the children a better life. if she spent all her time being busy and did not have any time for the children, then the whole process of earning money seemed to have become quite meaningless. alright! lets bring the children to the mall today! lets go and spend some money! li gui said happily. yay!!! the four children cheered loudly. they even put on their new clothes which they usually could not bear to wear. li gui held the young zhang miaos hand while qiane walked with zhang qin. the two boys, zhang wei and zhang chao, ran boisterously in front. the family arrived at the shopping mall in a showy manner. it was a workday and there were not many people in the mall. the bustling activity level of the spring festival was over and it was now back to a lull period. a sales assistants eyes lit up when she saw li gui and her group. she stood at the door and kept asking li gui to go into the shop to take a look! zhang qins eyes were immediately drawn to the princess dress in the display window. she had never seen such a beautiful dress! if she wore this dress, could she turn into a princess from a fairy tale? however, when she looked at the price tag, she realized that it cost 80 dollars. this was such an astronomical price! was this dress made of diamonds? was it made of fabric weaved by fairies? why was it so expensive? xiao qin, do you like it? qiane asked softly when she saw zhang qin standing rooted to the spot. zhang qin immediately shook her head against her will and said, i dont like it. i just want to take a look. theres nothing special about these things. zhang qin knew how difficult it was to earn money. in the past, when they were still in the village, she also had to go up the mountains to pick wild vegetables. although she could only earn a few cents at that time, it was enough to make her happy for a long time. she did not know how long it would take her to earn 80 dollars! it was better not to buy it. qiane wanted to enter the shop to buy the dress for zhang qin, but zhang qin hurriedly grabbed her and walked out. she did not expect such a tiny girl to have so much strength and could almost drag her down to the ground. alright, alright. i get it that xiao qin doesnt like this dress. we wont buy it. then what do you like? ill buy it for you, qiane said. mom says that i cant just casually accept gifts from other people. if i like something, ill ask mom to buy it for me, zhang qin said sensibly. qiane patted zhang qins head and her heart ached for the girl. when qiane was at zhang qins age, she had no concept of money at all. her family had always provided for her when it came to food and clothing. ever since she was young, she had worn all kinds of gowns to perform in many different places. Chapter 1328 - 1328 Cannot Afford It 1328 cannot afford it however, the reason why zhao ni was so willing to spend money on qiane was also because qiane was good at earning money. every time she won a competition, she would get a generous award. the money she made would be enough for her family to spend for three months! im not just some other person. im very good friends with your elder sister qiao mei, and your mother is very nice to me too. so you can think of me as your elder sister as well. do you still consider me to be just some other person? qiane squatted down and said patiently to zhang qin. zhang qin thought for a moment and said, no... youre my elder sister... thats right! so xiao qin, just tell me what you want and ill buy it for you. dont stand on ceremony with me. were family, do you understand? qiane said with a smile. i understand now! but you cant spend money recklessly! all of you work so hard to earn money. you have to spend your money carefully and only buy things that have value, zhang qin said as she looked at qiane earnestly. qiane laughed and touched the tip of zhang qins nose as she asked, youre still so young, but yet you make so much sense. who told you all this? elder sister qiao mei! zhang qin yelled out proudly. it was as expected of a child brought up by qiao mei. her manner of speaking and doing things were simply carved from the same mold. the entire family was so quick-witted! then do you know the meaning of value? qiane threw the girl a new question. zhang qin fell into deep thought again. she did not seem to know what it meant to refer to things of value and qiao mei had never explained it to her. i dont know... zhang qin said honestly. you can think about it. we can discuss this again after you come up with an answer. lets shop around first, qiane said. in the end, they walked around the mall and left without buying anything. the same thing happened at the next mall. when they reached the last mall, qiane forcefully dragged li gui into a clothing shop and told li gui that she had to buy a set of clothes before she could leave. li gui sat there quietly and watched qiane as she picked and chose the clothes. li gui tried on many pieces of clothing but was not satisfied. either the price was too high or the style was too uncomfortable. in the end, the shop assistant became a little impatient. auntie, try this! i think this color suits you very well! youll definitely look younger wearing it! qiane said. you cant try this one, the shop assistant said moodily. cant try it? why not? qiane asked with a frown. she had never heard of such a rule. there was no such thing as clothes that could not be tried on. it was not as if these were someone elses tailored clothes. you just cant try it. this is the rule in our shop. why dont you go to other shops to take a look, the shop assistant said. qiane immediately understood what the shop assistant meant. was she looking down on them and saying that they could not afford it? i dont want to leave this shop today. i just want to try on the clothes here. i also want to try the clothes piece by piece until im satisfied! qiane said. n.o-vel)u.s-b--)c,o,m can you afford it? dont dirty our clothes, otherwise youll have to compensate us later! id advise you to go to the market opposite to take a look at the clothes there! youre not worthy of the clothes we have here! the shop assistant said disdainfully. the shop owner isnt around today! even if you ask the owner to come, its not going to make any difference! the shop assistant said. yes, miss. dont be angry. this is all a misunderstanding, the other shop assistant said politely. whats your name? qiane asked. miss, you can just call me xiao lu, xiao lu said. alright, you can serve me. pack up all the clothes that we tried on just now. i want to buy everything. i remember that you people have sales targets, right? all my purchases will count towards your sales target, qiane said generously. xiao lu was still in a daze. based on the shops commission structure, she would earn a 1% commission from each piece of clothing she sold. if she could really sell so many pieces of clothing, her commission today could even exceed 100 dollars! Chapter 1329 Getting Fired chapter 1329 getting fired "tsk, you''re just bragging. i''ve met so many people like you! one look and i can tell that you''re not rich. the clothes in our shop are not cheap. the ones you tried just now add up to more than 2,000 dollars. can you afford them? stop putting on a pretense!" the shop assistant rolled her eyes and talked as if she was the shop owner. "what does it have to do with you whether i buy the clothes or not! it''s not like the amount will count towards your sales target. what a busybody." after saying that angrily, qian''e turned to xiao lu and said, "go and ask the shop owner to come by. as long as you can get her to come to the shop, i''ll buy these clothes and add the amount to your sales target. i always keep my promise." xiao lu''s eyes lit up and she quickly ran to the public phone booth near the door to make a phone call to the shop owner. the shop owner quickly rushed over from home, still wearing her slippers. it was a rare thing to have such a big client who would spend thousands of dollars in the shop. to her, people who could buy 500 dollars worth of clothing at one go were already considered very affluent. while on her way, the shop owner even lost one of her slippers and ended up having to hobble into the shop. "oh! isn''t this miss qian! it''s been such a long time! it''s so rare for you to have the time to come to this place!" the shop owner said politely. "sister fang! i''m still wondering who owns this shop. it turns out that you''ve moved on to prosper here," qian''e said with a smile. qian''e was originally one of those young ladies from a rich family and had tailored countless gowns. in the past, she would often tailor her clothes at the shop where sister fang used to work. at that time, sister fang was still a junior shop assistant. now, she was already a shop owner! time really passed quickly. everyone had moved on and progressed in life. "how is it that you have time to come to my shop? do you find these clothes suitable for you?" sister fang asked. with a look of dissatisfaction, qian''e looked at the shop assistant who had rebutted her earlier and said, "i''m here today with my godmother to buy clothes, but who knows that your shop assistant won''t let us try on the clothes. i thought that these are all tailored clothing!" "how can that be! go ahead and try whatever you like! even if it''s someone else''s tailored clothing, i''ll still give it to you!" sister fang said politely to qian''e after giving the shop assistant a fierce glare. "there''s no need to try." qian''e picked out a few pieces which she thought looked good on li gui as well as two pairs of shoes which suited li gui and then handed everything to xiao lu. "count these toward your sales target. wrap them all up for me." "miss qian, you''re still as generous as before. xiao lu! wrap them up nicely for miss qian!" sister fang smiled so widely that wrinkles appeared at the corners of her eyes. qian''e took a nonchalant glance at the shop assistant who argued with her. sister fang immediately understood what qian''e meant. although she did not know where qian''e was working now, based on how freely qian''e spent her money on clothes which cost nearly 1,000 dollars today, it was enough to prove that qian''e was doing very well now. "you don''t have to come to work tomorrow! you can leave after handing over your work to xiao lu today," sister fang said sternly. the shop assistant immediately said, "sister fang! don''t chase me away. it''s all my fault! i won''t do it again in the future! please forgive me. i still need money to take care of my elders at home!" "what''s the use of begging me? you''ve offended a client, so i can''t let you stay!" sister fang said firmly. the shop assistant immediately came to qian''e and said, "miss qian, i''m sorry! i''m so ignorant to not recognize you earlier. i shouldn''t be so stuck up as to look down on you. please be magnanimous and let me off. i won''t ever do it again." qian''e was not that kind-hearted. she was not magnanimous enough to forgive everyone who had hurt her. as adults, people must be responsible for what they did and must pay the price for their mistakes. "rather than spend your time begging me here, you might as well go to another shop to find a new job. i don''t have that much time to waste on you. sister fang, are my clothes ready?" qian''e asked. "yes, yes! we''ve wrapped it all up for you!" sister fang brought the clothes over enthusiastically. after qian''e paid, she left the mall arrogantly with li gui and the children, as if she had just won a battle and stepped on all those people who looked down on her in the past. "xiao''e, will that kid really get fired?" li gui asked worriedly. "i don''t know. if she gets fired, then she has brought it on herself. auntie, don''t worry about her. if she cannot withstand this outcome, then why provoke me in the first place?" qian''e said. Chapter 1330 Wait for Me to Come Back chapter 1330 wait for me to come back li gui already treated qian''e like her own daughter and she trusted that whatever qian''e said would always make sense. why could qian''e want to harm her? she had always been bullied in the past because she was too soft-hearted. one could not always just let things be and she must change her habit of being too kind-hearted. although it was a good thing for qiao mei and her team to have settled the issue with zhao fei, it did not bring her any happiness. it was almost time for xia zhe to return to the army. the days had flown by unknowingly and it was already more than a month since he came back. "do you really have to go back? then i''ll have to take care of the children on my own..." qiao mei looked at xia zhe aggrievedly. "be good. i''ll be back soon after this mission. if everything goes well, i''ll try my best to come back within a month, is that alright?" xia zhe said as he hugged qiao mei. qiao mei did not believe what xia zhe said! he had never managed to come back within a month. he only said that to pacify her every time! qiao mei was actually just throwing a tantrum so that xia zhe would dote on her more for now. she knew that she had to look at the bigger picture and should not delay xia zhe from going back to work. as usual, she packed xia zhe''s luggage this time round. the medicinal wine she gave him the last time had been too eye-catching and attracted envious looks too easily. this time, qiao mei had bought two small metal bottles from the antique market. they were each about the size of a thumb and xia zhe could carry them around conveniently. the liquid inside was also different from the previous batches. recently, qiao mei had accidentally discovered that she could extract red-colored juice from the ginsengs, which looked like fresh blood. however, she was not sure how old the ginseng needed to be for this kind of juice to be extracted and she also did not succeed every time she tried. sometimes, it was still the same golden color as before. she had to try around 20 times before she managed to get one or two drops of red liquid. however, she was sure that this red ginseng juice was definitely more effective than the golden ginseng juice. xia zhe already knew that the ginseng juice could even bring people back from the dead, so qiao mei did not hide anything from him. "i used an extraction method that i found from studying ancient books. the medicinal effect is better than the previous types. you have to keep it well in case of emergencies. you can''t take it out unless you''re in danger, do you understand?" qiao mei said as she stared into xia zhe''s eyes. she simply came up with a random reason as a form of explanation. if she really could not convince him, she would just say that it was a method passed down from her ancestors and that xia zhe could check with qiao qiang if he wished. she believed that xia zhe would not really go to qiao qiang to refute it. "alright, whatever you say. i''ll definitely carry it next to me," xia zhe said. "you can''t give it to others, not even if they''re in danger. this is only for you, do you remember! if you let others use it, i''ll be very annoyed with you!" qiao mei said. "yes, yes, yes. i know. i''ll definitely listen to my wife and won''t do anything that you disallow," xia zhe agreed. "that''s good. if i find out that you lied to me, you can forget about coming home from now on!" qiao mei pouted and said with a furious look. qiao mei was not such a heartless person for sure. how could xia zhe watch his brothers-in-arms die of their injuries? qiao mei had also prepared a big bottle of diluted 100-year-old ginseng juice for him. she knew that xia zhe would definitely not be able to hold himself back from saving other people, so she might as well prepare a share for those people as well! xia zhe hugged qiao mei tightly in his arms. this was the first time he had stayed by qiao mei''s side for so long, and also the first time he felt the warmth of home. furthermore, it was not the home he shared with his parents, but his own home. it was such a blissful thing to have his wife and children by his side. he really could not bear to leave this place. "once my mission is over, should i come back to the capital and work here?" xia zhe asked. "are you willing to give up your title of ''top army warrior''? if you return to the capital, won''t you have to take up a civilian position and end up like second uncle? are you willing to do that?" qiao mei asked curiously. he was actually unwilling. however, he would make this choice for his family. if he was still the old him, he would definitely want to perform well on the battlefield and be like xia jun, fighting bravely at the front line until the end. yet he knew the kind of trauma that would bring to his family and children. he also did not want xia fan and xia xing to go through what he had experienced when he was young. "who says that i can only take up a civilian position when i come back? don''t worry, i''ll be back when the mission is over," xia zhe said with a smile. the two of them hugged each other in the courtyard as they looked at the stars in the sky. this was actually the first time they spent such a quiet moment together. Chapter 1331 Leaving chapter 1331 leaving "if you miss me, just look up at the sky. the stars are our children and the moon is me," qiao mei said with a smile as she pointed at the sky. "then what am i? am i the night sky?" xia zhe asked curiously. "you''re the sun! the sun that belongs to me and the children! all of us revolve around you," qiao mei said agitatedly. there was a long night ahead and they did not waste it by staying in the courtyard. the two of them spent a tender night together. the next morning, xia zhe left the house when qiao mei was still asleep. he did not want her to send him off, otherwise she would cry again. if he had to watch her send him off, he would not be in the mood to return to the army. when qiao mei woke up, she reached out to the other side of the bed out of habit. it was already cool to the touch. she lay on the bed for a long time and remained in a daze until feng hua came to wake her up. oh... he was already long gone... qian''e was washing the vegetables and cooking in the front yard at the moment. it was rare that li gui did not need to work these past two days and she could sleep in and rest well. suddenly, she heard someone knocking on the door. who would come to pay a visit so early in the morning? "who are you? who are you looking for?" qian''e asked brusquely after opening the door. she had never seen the man in front of her before. she was familiar with all the neighbors and also all the people whom li gui knew. there were only the same few people living in the corn courtyard house and xia zhe did not mention anything about hiring any new staff. there was something suspicious about this man. zhao liu had never been to this area before. he only managed to find li gui''s house using the address that zhao fei had left at home. zhao fei had left the house after speaking to them yesterday. the rest of them had then come up with a solution. if they could get li gui to relent, this matter would be resolved, would it not? perhaps li gui and her daughter had only spoken harshly in a moment of anger. after all, women were usually much more amenable after being cajoled and coaxed. "are... are you li gui?" zhao liu asked with uncertainty. "no, i''m not. if you''re looking for her, then wait here at the door first. i''ll go in and ask her." after saying that, qian''e moved to close the door. zhao liu frowned slightly. if this person was not li gui, then she must be li gui''s employee. how dare an employee interfere in her boss''s affairs. she must be tired of living. he reached out to hold the door. before qian''e could react, he wanted to rush in. qian''e shouted, "what are you doing!" "i''m going in to see li gui of course. how can a hired help like you have the cheek to interfere in your boss''s business? move aside quickly. i have an urgent matter to tell her!" zhao liu said anxiously. "what urgent matter! you have to wait until i ask her! get out! otherwise, i''m going to call the police!" qian''e roared at him furiously. upon hearing that qian''e wanted to call the police, zhao liu stopped trying to enter the courtyard and stood at the door obediently, waiting for her to pass the message. qian''e locked the door and went to li gui''s bedroom. "auntie, there''s a man at the door and he says that he wants to see you regarding an urgent matter. he doesn''t look like a good person," qian''e said nervously. "urgent matter? what urgent matter? maybe we can let him come in for a chat. there are people from the guard team nearby so we won''t be in any danger," li gui said. "then you wash up first, auntie. i''ll go to the door and tell him." qian''e returned to the door and opened it, saying, "come in." "hmph, i already say i have to see her about an urgent matter, but you don''t believe me! get out of my way!" zhao liu walked into the courtyard arrogantly. as he entered, he even sized up qian''e thoroughly. although this woman had a bad temper, she was very good-looking. based on the look in zhao liu''s eyes, qian''e was even more certain that this man was not a good person! she definitely must not let him get close to li gui, nor let him have any designs on li gui. li gui had already washed up and was sitting in the master seat in the living room. zhao liu was stunned when he entered. although li gui could not be compared to those pampered women in the city, she was definitely the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. based on his knowledge, li gui should be almost 50 years old, yet she looked like someone in her 20s or 30s. when she stood next to qian''e, they looked like sisters! he definitely wanted to marry this woman! he could not let such an attractive woman escape from his clutches! "who are you? why are you looking for me?" li gui asked in a gentle manner. zhao liu quickly replied, "my surname is zhao. i''m here because i want to do business with you." Chapter 1332 Do Business Together ? "wait, your surname is zhao? then who is zhao fei to you?" qian''e asked with a frown. li gui''s expression also darkened. they did not expect a member of the zhao family to dare to come knocking on their door. qian''e did not know much about what happened yesterday, but she knew about the messy issues between zhao fei and the zhao family''s relatives. "i... i... i''m zhao fei''s uncle," zhao liu replied calmly. "uncle? then what''s your relationship with the two brothers, zhao kai and zhao kun! what''s your name?" qian''e asked fiercely. he knew he had to answer this question carefully. zhao kai had already offended li gui and her daughter. if he told them the truth now, li gui would definitely feel annoyed with him. "i''m zhao kai''s uncle. my name is zhao si," zhao liu said with a smile. "who are you trying to fool! if that''s the case, then my name is zhang san! you must be lying to us about your name! how can there be someone called zhao si!" qian''e questioned. "my name is really zhao si! it''s my parents who gave me this name," zhao liu said aggrievedly. he tried his best to make it sound more convincing so that li gui would believe him. li gui was disgusted with all the zhao family members, but she felt she could not tar everyone with the same brush. there were probably still one or two good people in the zhao family. "then why are you here to look for me?" li gui asked doubtfully. "i''m here to do business with you! i don''t know what exactly happened between the few of you, but i''m very sure it must be zhao kai''s fault! i hear from the neighbors that zhao kai''s father has already severely punished zhao kai! zhao kai already knows that he''s in the wrong!" zhao liu said. "since you''re talking about doing business, then what do you have in mind?" li gui continued to ask. zhao liu told li gui about his idea. since zhao fei was only in charge of the popcorn business, he was willing to take charge of the other two food items. anything was fine as long as he could earn money. before he came, he had specially found out more about li gui''s family background. he heard that li gui made very delicious braised meat and it sold really well recently. the moment he heard that, he immediately had dishonest thoughts. qian''e also understood what zhao liu meant, but she did not trust anyone from the zhao family at all. she did not even trust zhao fei at the moment. "how are we supposed to believe you? after what happened with your zhao family, we really don''t think we can trust you," qian''e said. zhao liu looked at qian''e impatiently. this woman was so troublesome. she had been picking on him since the moment he entered the house. li gui had not even said anything, so how could this employee have any right to make any decision on li gui''s behalf. "we''ve already told zhao fei before that we won''t work with the zhao family''s relatives. you should go back," li gui said calmly. "but my idea is beneficial to everyone! you just need to take charge of the production at home while i''ll take charge of the sales. when the time comes, you can decide on how much money we earn. you just need to collect money at home. furthermore, there are many people in our village who can help out!" zhao liu said. li gui and qian''e both knew that zhao liu''s method was very profitable, but they could not just take part in anything that made money. even if it was their intention to expand their business in the future, they could no longer continue to work with the zhao family. "it can''t be that all good things must fall into the hands of your zhao family. why can''t we get help from other people? it''s not as if your zhao family are the only people in the entire capital who know how to do business. then is everyone else just good-for-nothings?" qian''e questioned. "aren''t you sister li''s employee?" zhao liu suddenly asked. "she''s my partner, not my employee," li gui corrected him sternly. "look, there''s a difference between partners and people like us. as you know, partners get a share of the profits, but we only get to earn the difference between cost price and selling price. we''ll run errands for you and you just need to give us a little bit of money. i''m sure you''re magnanimous enough not to hold grudges. zhao kai is indeed too thoughtless. i''ll definitely teach him a lesson when i get back!" zhao liu said. "mr. zhao, it''s better that you leave. we''ve already made it very clear that we won''t be hiring anyone who is a zhao family relative. i hope you can understand our stand," qian''e said. since it seemed there was no way to salvage the situation, zhao liu did not pester them anymore. he had other plans in mind. he could only earn a little bit of money from this business. it was more important to find a way to get hold of li gui! "alright, i''ll go back now. sorry to disturb you today," zhao liu said readily. Chapter 1333 Do Not Ruin My Plans chapter 1333 do not ruin my plans qian''e did not expect him to do that. she had thought that he would pester them about it for a while and she did not expect the about-turn in his attitude. could it be that zhao liu had some other intention and was just playing hard to get? did he have some other schemes up his sleeves? the matter was not over yet and they still had to be careful. after sending zhao liu off, li gui told qian''e in detail about everything that happened the other day. qian''e was so angry that she almost crushed the teacup in her hand. "this is too much! i don''t think the person just now is whatever so-called zhao si or zhang san at all! he''s clearly zhao kai''s father! he even tells us to believe him. this is really a case of a weasel paying a visit to a chicken! he''s up to no good! from now on, i''ll beat him up every time i see him! how dare such a shameless thing come knocking on our door! i should have beaten him out of the door with a big stick just now!" qian''e said angrily. "do you think so... what if it''s really another of zhao fei''s uncles?" li gui said doubtfully. "auntie! that person is definitely zhao kai''s father! even if he''s not, he''s still not a good person. you can''t believe him! i''ve met many such people! don''t you believe me!" qian''e said firmly. she was very sure that she was right. previously, when she was in the hospital, she had heard many stories from the women in the surrounding beds. she had seen too many women who had been abused. she had also seen all these women''s husbands and the men all looked very different. it was not as if a fat man with an oily face must be a bad guy. these men came in all kinds with different figures, be it tall, short, fat or thin. there were even those who looked very dignified, but were vicious beasts who beat the women up badly! ma san was a living example. she did not want li gui to have to experience such a thing again. "of course i believe you!" li gui said firmly. "they are really out of their league! pfft! he should look in the mirror and take a good look at himself! how dare he come to our place! i''m not done with them about this!" qian''e said. "alright, alright, don''t get so angry. at most, we won''t work with the zhao family and let''s not work with zhao fei either. if zhao fei can''t handle this matter well and people from the zhao family still come looking for us, then let''s completely terminate the collaboration with him," li gui said solemnly. li gui was not in the mood to waste time with the zhao family. she was a woman who had already been married twice. if strange men kept coming to her house, she was worried that the neighbors would start spreading rumors about her. when that happened, how would the children feel? there might even be people who would say that she played dirty and relied on unscrupulous methods to do business. if that happened, she would not be able to clear her name even if she wanted to. on the way home, zhao liu bought two bottles of poor quality liquor. he thought that he would be able to gain some benefits by going to li gui''s house, but he was kicked out in the end! however, he was satisfied to get a chance to see what li gui looked like. this trip was not a total loss! "you two little brats! you''ve offended everyone there! it''s so embarrassing for me to be there!" zhao liu said angrily as he pointed at zhao kai. "what? do you mean to say that li gui even gave you a hard time! what a b*tch. i think she''s tired of living! if there''s really no other way, i''ll get my band of brothers from the village to go to her house in the middle of the night and smash it up. they won''t be able to see our faces if we do it at night!" zhao kai said. "what an asshole! how can i have such an idiot son like you! don''t do anything and don''t ruin my plans! i still have things to do!" in the blink of an eye, zhao liu had finished an entire bottle of liquor. zhao kai hurriedly grabbed zhao kun and ran away. if they stayed any longer, the two of them might very well get beaten up! after zhao liu got drunk, he would simply beat people up indiscriminately. even the heavenly emperor would get beaten up if he came by. "how can a widow still be so picky! hmph, i''ll subdue you sooner or later! i''ll get you to wash my clothes and cook for me every day!" zhao liu lay on the bed and muttered to himself. the one-week deadline arrived very quickly. qian''e was already waiting at the door for zhao fei to appear. zhao fei drove up and parked in front of qian''e with a smile on his face. as the saying went, people would not slap a smiling person. if he maintained a good attitude, qian''e probably would not scold him. "what''s your uncle''s name?" qian''e asked. "my uncle? my uncle''s name is zhao liu and his brother''s name is zhao ming," zhao fei said honestly. he only wanted to protect this business now. nothing else was more important. Chapter 1334 Sever Ties chapter 1334 sever ties "is he thin, not very tall and has a scar on his wrist, as well as dark skin and yellow teeth? he likes to sit with his legs crossed and also has a mole on his face," qian''e said, listing down the details. zhao fei immediately guessed that she was describing zhao liu. he still wanted to continue working with li gui and the rest and did not want to lose such a good business deal. the relatives from the zhao family did not matter to him. he would always prioritize li gui and the rest over his relatives. "it''s zhao liu, zhao kai''s father," zhao fei said honestly. "so it''s your uncle who came here. since we had previously agreed on the terms, then we have to follow them. qiao mei said that you don''t have to come and pick up the goods if you haven''t settled your family matters properly," qian''e said. "sister qian''e! give me another chance! i really don''t know that they came here on their own secretly! i swear that i really don''t know anything about this. i''ll go back and talk to them again. at most, i''ll sever ties with them. i won''t let them come looking for you again!" zhao fei raised three fingers and swore to the heavens. "alright fine, do you think i''m asking you for your life? rules are fixed but people are not. i have the final say in the popcorn business now, so i''ll give you another day. go back and settle all the messy stuff. if i see any of the zhao family members coming here again, don''t blame me for not being nice." after saying that, qian''e walked back into the corn courtyard house. zhao fei drove back to the village at top speed, but he did not return to zhao liu''s house immediately. instead, he went to the village office to look for the village chief and told him about everything that had happened. he especially emphasized that li gui wanted to terminate the collaboration with them. the name of this village was "zhao family village". other than a few families who moved here later, most of the rest were relatives. even if they were not relatives now, they were definitely related by blood within the past five generations. the village chief was like everyone''s elder and was highly respected in this village. even the worst-behaved person here would listen to the village chief''s advice. zhao fei hurriedly helped the village chief to make his way to zhao liu''s house. "oh, why is the village chief here? you brat, why haven''t you told us that you''re inviting the village chief to our place!" zhao liu said. "xiao liu, if i don''t come, i wonder if you people are still going to feed this child!" the village chief said jokingly. "village chief, what are you talking about! why won''t we feed zhao fei? i treat zhao fei like my own son and i definitely treat him no worse than my own son, zhao kai!" zhao liu said exaggeratedly. zhao fei could no longer suppress the disgust in his heart. he could not stand seeing zhao liu''s hypocritical look. "why don''t you listen to me when i tell you not to go to li gui''s house! why did you go and look for them on your own! now they say that they don''t want to work with us anymore! what else do you have to say! at most, i won''t do this business anymore and will go back to being a scavenger! i''ll rather become a beggar than have anything to do with your family!" zhao fei said as he pointed at zhao liu. zhao liu sneered disdainfully. he did not believe what zhao fei said at all. one look and he could tell that li gui was a kind person and she would never do such a ruthless thing. besides, he did not do anything that day. if anyone asked, he would say that he had gone to apologize on zhao kai''s behalf. "who are you trying to trick? besides, how do you know that i was the one who went? am i the only one with the surname zhao?" zhao liu quibbled. "you still don''t want to admit it! she looked me in the face and described clearly what you looked like and what you wore! she even mentioned the mole on your face! let me put it this way. if anyone goes to look for li gui and the others again, we''ll all drop this business! i also won''t return to this village in the future! even if i starve to death, it''s none of your business!" after saying that, zhao fei left the house in a fit of pique. zhao liu still wanted to chase after zhao fei and teach him a lesson, but he was stopped by the village chief. "xiao liu, just stay at home for a few days. if you feel bored, then come to my place and play chess with me. i have nothing to do all day. don''t leave the village for the time being," the village chief said sternly. "village chief, look at this child. he''s simply lawless! he doesn''t even listen to me! what he said is not the truth. i really didn''t do anything!" zhao liu said. Chapter 1335 Coming to Ask For Medicine chapter 1335 coming to ask for medicine "do i need to tell you to focus on the bigger picture? i don''t care if you have done it or not. when the matter of the seeds is settled next year, you can do whatever you want. don''t think that i don''t know what you''re up to. don''t you know best why you don''t have a wife?" the village chief questioned. qiao mei had visited this village for an inspection last year and confirmed that the land here was suitable for planting seeds. she had also already agreed on a price with the village chief and they would be signing the agreement when spring arrived. at this juncture, no one was allowed to do anything that would lead to trouble. everything must be set aside for the time being. they must focus on the matter of qiao mei''s deal with the village first. "got it," zhao liu said sulkily. anyway, he was not in a hurry. he would definitely do everything he could to get hold of li gui and make her his woman! with the village chief''s intervention, zhao liu''s family indeed became much more obedient. with that, zhao fei and li gui continued to work together. due to the reduction in the number of helpers, the amount they sold every day also decreased a lot. this was only a temporary situation for now. once the building in the suburbs was completed, they would be able to do everything they planned. at that time, it would not be a problem to recruit as many people as they wanted! after a few peaceful days, there was a knock on qiao mei''s door early one morning. qiao mei opened the door groggily and she certainly did not expect to find liang lan kneeling at the door. qiao mei thought that she had seen a ghost and was so shocked that she almost used the big stick at the side to hit the kneeling figure. the liang lan in front of her looked very different from the liang lan in qiao mei''s memories. she had lost a lot of weight and looked much more haggard than before. her eyes were bloodshot and her hair was a mess, as if she had not slept for a few days and nights. "what... what are you doing here?" qiao mei asked hesitantly. "please save my mother! she already knows she''s the one at fault! can you please give her some ''divine medicine'' and save her? you''re the only one who can save her now!" liang lan begged. she had been through a lot during this period of time. in the beginning, everyone had agreed to take turns to take care of liang shu, but the rest all found reasons not to do it in the end. in order to avoid taking care of liang shu, bai ming even returned to her maternal home, saying that her mother was also sick and that as the daughter, she had to go back and wait upon her mother. she also said that it was more convenient for her mother to be taken care of by a daughter rather than a son. how could she not stay by her mother''s side at such a time? the meaning between the lines was to remind liang lan that she should be the one taking care of liang shu. otherwise, she was an unfilial child! she deserved to be criticized! liang shu was hospitalized for a short while before liang lan brought her back to the family''s old house. now that liang can had occupied the liang family''s luxurious villa, it was impossible for liang shu to go back there. the old house was at the foot of the mountain in the suburbs and the place had been left vacant for a long time. occasionally, liang shu would arrange for people to come here to tidy up the courtyard and clean the house. "it''s not impossible for me to save her. has she thought things through by now? will she scold me again when she sees me? whatever happened the last time we met is still fresh in my mind!" qiao mei asked. "absolutely not! she has already thought things through! she''s the one who asks me to come and look for you this time round!" liang lan said. actually, liang lan did not know what liang shu was thinking. she did not even know when exactly qiao mei had gone to look for liang lan. she had only heard the nurses at the reception desk mention this incident, and then xiao jing had also asked her to come to qiao mei''s place to ask for the "divine medicine" to try out. she was only here to try her luck. at this point, liang shu could only make whining sounds and liang lan did not have the patience to figure out what liang shu meant. liang shu had suffered a lot since she fell sick and liang lan had clearly explained all the pros and cons to her during this period of time. if they did not beg qiao mei for help, then liang shu would have to stay in the dilapidated old house for the rest of her life. liang can would never let liang shu return to the liang family''s luxurious villa. perhaps liang can would even take over all of liang shu''s assets in the future! liang shu had been at loggerheads with liang can for her entire life. she would never allow liang can to get hold of her assets so easily. for that alone, she would smile at qiao mei even if she had to force herself to do it. "in that case, you''ll have to wait a while." after saying that, qiao mei returned to her room to catch up on her sleep. she asked xu kang to first bring liang lan to the living room, then to go to the convenience store at the entrance of the alley to make a phone call to xia he. under such circumstances, qiao mei definitely could not go alone and needed someone to go with her. Chapter 1336 Soiling Her Pants chapter 1336 soiling her pants qian''e had to stay by li gui''s side at all times nowadays. at the moment, xia he was the only person who could help her out. once xia he received the call, she rushed over from deng fan''s house. on the phone, xu kang did not make it clear why xia he was needed and only asked her to come to the house. xia he thought that qiao mei was not used to being alone after xia zhe returned to the army and was requesting for her company! she did not expect to see such an annoying person the moment she entered through the door. it really irritated her and ruined her good mood for the day. "what are you doing here? haven''t you already cut ties with the qiao family? why are you here again? don''t tell me you''re here to make peace again?" xia he questioned. before liang lan could say anything, qiao mei heard xia he''s voice and immediately walked out of her room. "elder sister, she has come to ask me for help. let''s go now," qiao mei said. xia he did not probe further. the few of them got into the car and went to the liang family''s old house. it was only when they arrived that xia he found out that qiao mei was here to deliver medicine. she could have just gotten one of the helpers at home to do that for her. why did she want to make a trip down personally? if it was another location, then qiao mei would not be interested. however, this place was different. this was the house where qiao qiang used to live. qiao mei just wanted to take a look at the place where qiao qiang spent part of his life. qiao qiang had mentioned to her before that there was a cherry tree in the middle of this courtyard which he planted himself. however, there was nothing in the middle of the courtyard now. the tree had probably been dug up by the liang family the year that qiao qiang left. otherwise, qiao mei would be able to see a lot of things related to qiao qiang through the tree''s memories. what a pity. "it''s cold outside, so let''s hurry up and go inside! my mother is in this room." liang lan warmly brought the other two women towards the room. as soon as they entered, qiao mei and xia he frowned and quickly backtracked. if they moved any later, they would have vomited inside. liang lan said embarrassedly, "um... perhaps you can wait in the other room first. i''ll help her wash up." she did not expect liang shu to soil her pants again while she was not around. liang lan pulled off liang shu''s dirty clothes in a rough manner and washed them carefully before putting on new clothes for her. "qiao mei is just next door. you have to be nice to her later, do you understand?" liang lan said. "mmmm mmmm!!!" liang shu seemed to be very angry and kept mumbling. liang lan did not care at all. as long as qiao mei could give her the "divine medicine", nothing else mattered. the one whom qiao mei was saving was not only liang shu, but also her. if liang shu could not get better, then she would be the one who would have a complete breakdown! even professional caregivers were not willing to come and wait upon liang shu. liang lan opened the door and all the windows. winter was not over yet and the wind outside was bone-chilling. as the cold wind blew into the house, liang shu kept shivering. with her illness, it would be detrimental to her if she caught a cold, but liang lan did not care at all. "just bear with it for a while. don''t forget what i told you. if you miss this chance, there won''t be such a good opportunity next time! then you can just lie paralyzed on the bed for the rest of your life!" liang lan said viciously. liang lan went to the other room and invited them to go over. she said gently, "come. i''m done cleaning up." at the room door, qiao mei and xia he hesitated for a moment. they did not want to get a whiff of that smell again. fortunately, there was no hint of any smell this time and the two of them walked in with a sense of relief. as soon as qiao mei entered, her expression changed and she went over to liang shu''s bed happily, saying, "i''m here to visit you! i hear from liang lan that you''ve thought things through. is that true?" liang shu still wanted to curse at qiao mei, but then she remembered what liang lan said to her. she forced out a smile and turned her face towards qiao mei with her eyes closed, as if she did not want to face this reality. "oh, so you''re unwilling to see me. then i''d better leave so that i won''t be an eyesore here." after saying that, qiao mei turned around and was about to leave when liang lan immediately went forward to stop her. "mother! open your eyes and take a look! qiao mei is here to visit you! she''s here to treat your illness! haven''t you been hoping that qiao mei would come and see you?" liang lan specially placed emphasis on the words "treat your illness" and liang shu widened her eyes resignedly to look at qiao mei. Chapter 1337 Group Photo chapter 1337 group photo the moment qiao mei turned around, liang shu felt as if all the blood in her body was frozen. she had never met qiao mei before and the previous photos she saw were all taken when qiao mei still weighed more than 200 pounds. this was the first time she saw qiao mei in her current state. she felt as if she had seen this face somewhere before, but she could not put her finger on it. after sizing qiao mei up carefully for a long time, liang shu acted as if she had seen a ghost. she panicked and used all her strength to move backwards. she kept whimpering, but no one knew what she was saying. it seemed as if she was begging for mercy, but also seemed like she was cursing. "what''s wrong with her? does she have other illnesses? or perhaps she doesn''t want to see me," qiao mei asked liang lan in confusion. liang lan also did not know what was wrong with liang shu. did liang shu ever have such a big reaction before? she had never even reacted like that when she had to meet liang can. "maybe my mother is too excited to see you. after all, she has been in this state for a long time and it''s been very difficult for her. seeing you is like seeing hope." as liang lan spoke, she even wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes with her sleeve. liang lan grabbed liang shu''s hands tightly and pressed them against the bed, whispering into liang shu''s ear, "do you want to get well soon or not!" liang shu struggled for a moment before calming down. she turned her head to the side so that she did not have to look at qiao mei, but it was not something that qiao mei cared about. qiao mei knew that it was impossible for liang shu to like her within a short period of time. she also did not need liang shu to like her. her only purpose in coming here this time was just to take a good look at this house. seeing liang shu in such a sad state, qiao mei felt a little emotional. no matter how strong and stubborn one was, one would not be able to retain any dignity or poise in the face of illness. however, liang shu only had herself to blame. if she had treated liang lan and liang guo fairly, perhaps she would not be in such a situation now. it was all of her own doing. qiao mei saw many photos on the wall, and there was even one from when liang shu was a baby! however, she did not see qiao qiang among the photos on the wall. there was not a single group photo. "isn''t there any photo of my grandfather?" qiao mei asked. "uh... back then, he was always in the army and did not have time to come home, so he was never around when we took photos," liang lan explained. actually, they had many photos of him. when qiao qiang left the liang family, liang shu had burned all those photos and no one really cared about it. they did not expect qiao mei to ask about this today. "huh... i thought she was a military spouse and all of you followed him around? you spent all your days together, so how could it be that you didn''t get to see one another?" qiao mei asked. liang lan gnashed her teeth and looked at qiao mei. she did not expect qiao qiang to tell qiao mei so much about the past. she herself already could not even remember these things clearly. "oh right, i remember now! it''s because my father doesn''t like to take photos! he always hides at the side and watches us as we take photos, so he''s not in any of the photos," liang lan said. qiao mei knew what liang lan said was a lie, but she could not be bothered to expose her. there were many photos of qiao qiang at their house in foshan village. qiao qiang had brought all those back with him and most of the photos were of qiao qiang with his comrades. there were also photos of qiao qiang when he received his badges of honor. however, those were not well kept and some of the photos were already faded. "not even one?" qiao mei asked again. liang lan was so anxious that her forehead was covered in sweat. after thinking hard, she suddenly remembered that they seemed to still have a photo of qiao qiang at home. however, it was kept in an old box and she needed to go and search for it. "i''ll pass it to you next time once i find it. this house is in such a mess now. i don''t even know where the box is," liang lan said vaguely. qiao mei simply went to a chair at the side and sat down. she smiled at liang lan and said, "there''s no hurry. i have plenty of time today. take your time to search for it. this house doesn''t look that big to me and i''m sure you''ll be able to find it within the day. if there''s really no other way, you can ask your mother. she probably remembers where it is." liang lan clenched her fists and wished that she could give qiao mei a tight slap to vent her frustration. qiao mei was clearly trying to make things difficult for her! however, qiao mei still had what they needed now. if she did not do as qiao mei said, it was very likely that liang shu would continue to remain like this. did that mean that she would have to wait upon liang shu for the rest of her life? as the saying went, a great person knew when to yield and when to stand tall. what was this bit of grievance worth? as long as she could escape from her misery, she was willing to do anything! "sure! then you take a seat here. i''ll go and look for it now!" liang lan said as she forced a smile on her face. Chapter 1338 A Ring chapter 1338 a ring liang lan had completely no recollection of where qiao qiang''s photo was kept. even if she had seen it before, it was when she was about seven or eight years old. she was almost 50 years old now and could not remember anything from her childhood. however, the house was only so big. she also knew where liang shu kept her things, so she was sure she would be able to find it soon. it was just photos and not anything valuable, so it could not be hidden somewhere obscure. liang lan rummaged through all the cabinets and boxes in the house. in the end, she found a rather exquisite wooden box inside a big box in the storeroom. when she opened it, it was indeed filled with old photos and she hurriedly ran back to the room to show qiao mei. the earlier she handed these things to qiao mei, the more satisfied qiao mei would be and the sooner she could be free. "look! this is the box. there are many photos inside. you can take a look at them," liang lan said happily. qiao mei searched through the photos one by one, worried that she would miss seeing qiao qiang''s photo. however, no matter how carefully she searched, she could not find any photos of qiao qiang. there was not even a group photo with him inside. the box was completely filled with only photos of liang lan and liang guo when they were young. there were photos of them at all ages and there were also quite a number of photos of liang shu. qiao mei did not expect liang lan to look so sweet and obedient when she was young. how did she become like this and changed so much! "are you messing around with me? or perhaps your mother has destroyed all the photos and you don''t know about it," qiao mei asked with a frown. "no! i''ve definitely seen it before! wait!" liang lan took the wooden box from qiao mei and rummaged through it carefully. as she searched, she muttered to herself, "i can''t be wrong... i clearly remember that it''s in this box... how can it have disappeared... i definitely can''t have remembered wrongly..." liang lan poured everything out of the box and a ring fell to the ground with a crisp thud. when liang shu saw the ring, she started to yell violently again. qiao mei did not know what she was trying to say, but she felt that this ring must be especially important to liang shu. "you can take this. we have no use for it anyway. i know you really like antiques and this ring should be quite old. take it as my thank-you gift to you for coming to save my mother," liang shu said. she was no longer sure if the photo was still around or not. if she really could not find the photo, she would have to give qiao mei something else to placate her. this way, there was a higher chance of her obtaining the "divine medicine". the ring was very exquisite and looked as if it was made by a master craftsman. it was not an ordinary item. the butterfly on it was lifelike and made of gold. the wings of the butterfly were embedded with all kinds of gemstones, including many rare gems. in particular, the rubies on the body of the butterfly looked like they could be pigeon blood ruby. "i can''t take this thing. if word gets out, how am i supposed to explain myself? i''m not here to save someone in return for such things," qiao mei said. not long ago, the grandson of xia jun''s close comrade, old mr. sun, suddenly came to look for her. he knelt down and begged her for a bottle of "divine medicine". old mr. sun was five years younger than xia jun, but no one had expected his health to deteriorate very quickly. old mr. sun was suffering from so much pain that he could not even eat. qiao mei had been very moved by what old mr. sun''s grandson did. if qiao qiang was terminally ill, she would also do anything to save him. even if it meant kneeling down to others, she would do it to save qiao qiang. if she accepted liang lan''s gift now, the sun family might send a big gift to her house in a couple of days. then did she have to give everyone the "divine medicine" if they brought their family heirloom along when they came to look for her? that would be such a mess. "just take it! it''s useless to leave it in our house! it suits you! you... you''re my father''s biological granddaughter after all. we''re related by blood, so there''s nothing wrong with me giving you a gift," liang lan said as she stuffed the ring into qiao mei''s hand. "my grandfather has already completely severed ties with your family, so the blood relationship between us is equivalent to nothing. you should take it back." qiao mei wanted to return the ring to liang lan, but she suddenly felt that something was wrong. the ring was slowly absorbing her energy. the energy in her body kept getting transferred to the ring through her palm. her body gradually turned cold as she held onto the ring tightly, unable to move an inch. liang lan just watched on as qiao mei stared at the ring in a daze. even xia he found her behavior to be a little strange. Chapter 1339 Photo From the Past chapter 1339 photo from the past the ring shone with a faint red light as qiao mei gripped it. of course, only qiao mei could see this light. once the ring absorbed enough energy, qiao mei could move her body again and her body temperature slowly rose. liang lan pursed her lips and looked at qiao mei disdainfully. although qiao mei kept talking about rejecting the gift, her hands were clenched around the ring tightly, seemingly worried that liang lan would go forward to snatch it from her. yet she still said that she was not interested in it. she was indeed just a country bumpkin from the countryside. even if the xia family managed to dress her up to look like a rich lady, she still behaved like a poor and greedy person. "qiao mei?" xia he called out to her. "oh! since you insist on giving it to me, i won''t stand on ceremony and will accept it." qiao mei put the ring into her pocket, then pointed at the bag in xia he''s hand and said, "the ''divine medicine'' you want is right there. as long as you find my grandfather''s photo, i''ll give it to you." "mmmm mmm!!!" liang shu almost twisted her body as she screamed while still on the bed. she had been shouting for so long that her voice was already hoarse, but yet she still kept yelling at qiao mei. it sounded like she was cursing and also like she was shouting out of fear. "mother! why do you still want to keep those things! money is just worldly possessions. is money more important than your health?" liang lan said as she quickly ran to liang shu''s bed. "mmm mmm!" liang shu whimpered as she glared at liang lan angrily. "i know, i know! i''ll go and look for the photo now!" liang lan did not even look at liang shu''s face and completely misinterpreted what she meant. even after searching for a long time, she did not manage to find anything. she also could not find anything in the wooden box. liang lan almost wanted to smash it open. how could the photo have grown legs and ran away? at this moment, her fingers suddenly touched a compartment and there seemed to be something inside. liang lan slowly took out the item inside the compartment. it was the photo of qiao qiang which she was looking for, one of qiao qiang wearing his military uniform. there was no such photo at home anymore. in fact, there was no photo of him within the five-year period before and after this photo was taken. "look! is it this one! i told you i''ve seen it before! i didn''t lie to you!" liang lan said agitatedly. liang shu turned around and glared fiercely at qiao mei and the others, making angry whining sounds. liang lan quickly blocked liang shu''s view. at this moment, nothing was more important than qiao mei. liang shu was bent on getting the photo back from qiao mei. if not for the fact that she was paralyzed, she would probably have run to qiao mei''s side and snatched it away. qiao mei did not care so much. she just wanted to take away something related to qiao qiang. in the photo, qiao qiang looked really handsome. he was dignified and charming and even had the look of a capable general! if qiao qiang could be transported to qiao mei''s other life, there would definitely be many girls wooing him. he would not have met a woman like liang shu, like what he did in this life. back then, liang shu had only taken a fancy to qiao qiang because of his looks. if not for the fact that qiao qiang was so handsome, she would not have married him even if she was beaten to death! it was also the reason why liang guo and liang lan were not ugly and could be considered to look quite pleasant. "i''ll take this photo with me. you won''t mind, right?" qiao mei held up the photo and asked with a smile. "of course you can!" liang lan agreed. qiao mei took advantage of the fact that liang lan did not think to ask for anything in return and quickly put the photo into her pocket. however, when she touched the photo, she thought that it felt different from anything she had ever seen. why did it feel like the photo paper used was thicker than what she had seen at other places? however, she did not have time to think more about this. perhaps the liang family had specially gone to the most expensive studio to take photos in order to please qiao qiang? anything was possible. seeing that qiao mei did not do anything else, liang lan immediately reminded her, "about that... medicine..." qiao mei took out a small bottle of "divine medicine" from xia he''s bag. the medicinal effect of the liquid in this bottle was probably the worst out of all the batches that she had ever made. not long ago, in order to do more research on the blood-colored ginseng juice, she had filled up her entire secret room with ginsengs. there was even a 1,000-year-old ginseng that she did not keep properly and it went running around the house. even though it moved very slowly, it was still a creepy sight. qiao mei did not want to face such a scene again. the ginseng juice which qiao mei gave liang shu was generally made from ginsengs that were only a few decades old and she had even used scraps that were useless. she was not sure if liang shu would get better after drinking it, but it was still better than nothing. "here you go. drink it once a day, one spoonful at a time." qiao mei simply threw out a random instruction. in any case, the effect would be about the same no matter how much or how little she drank. it was not a bad idea to let liang shu suffer a little longer. Chapter 1340 Ask Someone Else For It ? the size of the bottle was completely not what liang lan expected. she had thought that qiao mei would be very generous and give her many bottles, or at least enough doses to feed liang shu for a month. such a small bottle would be used up after a few sips. it would not even last a week. could this thing really cure liang shu''s illness? "is that all?" liang shu asked with uncertainty as she kept looking at xia he''s bag. if not for the fact that the bag was in xia he''s arms, liang lan would probably have gone forward to open it to confirm that there was really no second bottle inside. "what do you think this is? some kind of beverage? something which is sold widely in the shops? you should feel glad that you can get a share. i don''t even have any! if you''re not interested, then return it to us. there are many other people who want it!" xia he looked at liang shu, who was making threatening gestures on the bed, and continued, "i don''t think your mother wants our help at all. perhaps you should do as she wishes and return the medicine to us." "no, no, no! that''s not what my mother meant! she''s just too excited! she''s... she''s actually really happy!" liang lan hurriedly ran to liang shu and lowered her voice as she said, "mother... do you really want to lie paralyzed in bed for the rest of your life! only they can save you now!" "mmmm mmm!!!" liang shu moaned. liang lan tried her best to make liang shu shut up and liang shu''s voice gradually became much softer. "what... what if there''s not enough medicine?" liang lan asked as she held up the medicine bottle. "then you have to wait. after all, this medicine is not always available. i don''t know when there will be another batch. you can only wait," qiao mei said. "i can wait, but my mother can''t! please give us more!" liang lan begged. qiao mei leaned against the door and said, "why not... you go and ask he ning for some? he has quite a few bottles. all my stock was taken by he ning back then. the medicine which we gave to old mr. sun had to be portioned out of the xia family''s share." how would anyone from the insignificant liang family dare to appear in front of the he family? they would not even be able to enter the main door and were not worthy of he ning''s attention. if they happened to catch he ning in a bad mood, the liang family could completely disappear from the capital! there was nothing that a devil like he ning could not do. "then i''ll wait for news from you!" liang lan said immediately. qiao mei sneered disdainfully and left the liang family''s old house with xia he. before qiao mei left, she could not help but turn back to look at the dilapidated courtyard again. after memorizing all the details, she turned around and left. on the way home, xia he could not help but ask, "can that medicine really make liang shu better?" xia he had personally witnessed how amazing this medicine was. just one mouthful was enough to bring xia mao back to life. the amount they gave those people just now should be enough for liang shu to be reborn. liang shu had treated grandpa qiao so badly in the past. in xia he''s opinion, liang shu deserved what she was going through now! liang shu was suffering the retribution from all the evil things that she did and qiao mei did not need to send medicine to liang shu at all. it was such a waste to give it to such a person! "whether she can recover or not depends on her own luck. this medicine can only help her return to living a normal life but she would not be able to regain her previous physical condition. i just want to make grandfather feel better as i''m worried that he will think too much. i have no intention of completely curing liang shu. i''m not that kind-hearted," qiao mei said honestly. it was only then that xia he felt relieved. this was still the qiao mei she knew. the two of them went home happily. liang lan used a spoon to feed liang shu the medicine. initially, she had her own selfish motives. if qiao mei gave them a lot, then she would take the remainder. was there anyone who would not grow old one day? she could take a small sip every day so that her health could get even better and she could live longer. this way, most of the liang family''s assets would end up belonging to her. there was so little medicine now that even liang shu herself did not have enough, so how could she steal a portion of it? it was still unknown whether qiao mei would still be willing to give more medicine to liang shu in the future, so she must make full use of what she had. not long after liang shu drank the medicine, she suddenly said hoarsely, "photo... ring... photo..." liang lan looked at liang shu in shock. she did not expect this medicine to be so magical! it had not even been 15 minutes since liang shu drank it, but she could already speak! it seemed that the rumors were true and that this medicine could even revive the dead! Chapter 1341 Be More Ladylike ? "mother, if qiao mei likes that photo, just give them to her. don''t tell me you still can''t bear to part with my father?" liang lan said. they had already been divorced for so many years. if liang shu really could not bear to part with qiao qiang, she would not have kicked him out of the liang family back then and made him leave with nothing. everything in the family that was related to qiao qiang had been destroyed and even that tree had been cut down and burned. how could there be anything that liang shu could not bear to part with? what was the use of pretending to be affectionate now! it was not as if qiao qiang could witness it. even if he could, qiao qiang would not feel moved at all. he would only feel extremely disgusted. seeing that liang lan did not understand what she meant at all, liang shu did not want to expend too much energy on her. liang shu closed her mouth resignedly and turned her head away to take a rest. since those things were already in qiao mei''s hands, there was nothing she could do now, so she decided to take a good rest. she had exhausted too much energy just now. liang lan stared blankly at the glass bottle in her hand. if this medicine was really so magical, then she would only feed half of it to liang shu and stop once liang shu could move slowly on her own. then, she would threaten not to feed the remaining medicine to liang shu until she handed over a portion of the family assets. she could not let liang guo''s family have all the good things. she must take back what belonged to her! she did not want to take care of liang shu for so many days for nothing! she must get liang shu to give her some benefits! she did not want to be at the mercy of others anymore. if she did not take her revenge now, then when? qiao mei skipped her way to qiao qiang''s backyard. this was the happiest day of her life since the day she gave birth and she was even happier than usual. "grandfather! grandfather, i''m back!" qiao mei said with a smile. "why are you so gleeful? you look so graceless!" qiao qiang pretended to reprimand her. qiao mei patted the dust off her skirt and said, "grandfather now expects me to be graceful. why should i be graceful? i''m not a model and don''t need to go on stage to perform!" "a girl can''t go around behaving like a boy. besides, you''re already married and also a mother now. shouldn''t you portray a gentle image in front of the children? the xia family is a prominent family after all. don''t you want to maintain the image of being the xia family''s third young madam?" qiao qiang said eloquently. "third young madam! grandfather! you can address me that way if you go back 100 years in time, but we''re living in modern times now! you can''t be so old-fashioned and superstitious!" qiao mei said. "do you mean that i don''t make sense?" qiao qiang looked at qiao mei unhappily. "you make sense! you make sense! i''ll definitely listen to grandfather in the future! can i just be more ladylike?" qiao mei said quickly. the current qiao qiang was like a child. no wonder people used the term "overgrown child" to describe elderly folks! he still needed to be coaxed! "why are you looking for me? isn''t this the usual time when you go out to have fun?" qiao qiang asked curiously. every wednesday afternoon, qiao mei would always ask the xia family''s chauffeur to pick her up and bring her to antique city so that she could shop around. many shop owners in antique city placed their best items on the shelves on wednesdays, waiting for qiao mei to come and make her pick! the most extravagant thing that qiao mei did so far was to buy a small table made of golden cedar wood. since she could not transport it back using the car, she could only borrow a truck from the xia family. with a wave of her hand, qiao mei asked luo yu to send a big military truck, worried that her small table would be damaged during the transportation process. it went without saying that qiao mei had to pay a lot of money for the service. this truck was also a vehicle used exclusively by the guard team and was usually used to transport the team''s materials. "i went to visit liang shu today," qiao mei said calmly as she sat beside qiao qiang. qiao qiang was stunned for a moment before he nodded and said, "yes, how is she?" "she''s not in a very good condition and actually looks quite bad, but i have already sent her some medicine. the medicine is enough to let her return to her original way of life," qiao mei said. "that''s good," qiao qiang sighed and said. qiao mei took out qiao qiang''s photo from her pocket and handed it to him. "grandfather, look. i found this at their house. at that time, you were so young and looked completely different from now! there must be many girls who wooed you then!" "i never expected them to still have my photo!" qiao qiang took the photo and suddenly felt a little emotional. it felt as if the photo was taken in another lifetime. Chapter 1342 My First Wife chapter 1342 my first wife "yes, it''s probably a photo which they either forgot to destroy or missed out on. when i went there today, i saw that the cherry tree in the courtyard was already gone," qiao mei said regretfully. "they would not have kept anything related to me. if that house wasn''t the liang family''s old house, liang shu would have sold it long ago. she wouldn''t have kept it until now!" qiao qiang said with a smile, as if he did not care about all those things which the liang family had done. qiao qiang was a little puzzled though. by right, liang shu should be recuperating in the current liang family mansion or staying with either liang lan or liang guo. he wondered why she ended up at the old house. suddenly, he thought of liang can and shook his head resignedly with a smile. liang can was exactly the same as before and still so petty. liang shu must have suffered a lot at his hands both openly and covertly over the years. "grandfather, aren''t you angry about it? i don''t think i''ve ever seen you angry about anything other than me," qiao mei asked. qiao qiang carefully recalled the time when he was chased out of the house by the liang family. at that time, he did not feel anything. he was neither disappointed nor uncomfortable. he did not even feel angry. the truth was that he already had a premonition that he would have to leave the liang family. he and the liang family were destined to walk on different paths. in the first place, he had been forced to become the liang family''s matrilocal son-in-law, so it was only right for him to be the one to leave. he did not have any objections to the liang family asking him to leave with nothing. at that time, he was young and impetuous and was more concerned about his pride. he did not care about money at all. otherwise, his early days with qiao mei would not have been so tough. what made qiao qiang the most upset was that his two children publicly insulted him, reprimanded him and even declared that they felt ashamed of him. this was the thing which shattered his last line of defense. "everything else is insignificant, but you''re the apple of my eye! if anyone bullies you, i won''t let them off! i will turn into a malicious ghost to haunt them if i have to!" qiao qiang said. "pfft, touch wood, what nonsense are you spouting! grandfather, you still have to watch xia fan and xia xing grow up. you must be around when xia fan and xia xing get married! you must live to be 100 years old!" qiao mei said agitatedly. "alright, alright, alright. i''ll listen to you and live well," qiao qiang said with a smile. as qiao qiang spoke, his grip on the photo loosened and it fell to the floor. there was originally only one photo, but now there were two. such old photos tended to stick together as time passed. no wonder qiao mei had felt that it was much thicker than ordinary photos when she first held it in her hand. "eh?" qiao mei picked up the photo and looked closely at the people in it. there was a person who looked almost identical to qiao mei. the level of similarity was at least 80%. this woman stood in the middle of the photo with liang shu and another man on each side of her. since qiao mei had seen many photos of the liang family members when she was at the liang family''s old house, she naturally knew what the young liang shu looked like. "grandfather, do you know this person?" qiao mei handed the photo to qiao qiang and he subconsciously called out a name. "xia chun..." "what? grandfather, who did you say this is?" qiao mei asked. qiao qiang slowly stroked the image of the woman in the photo and said, "this is your grandmother, my first wife." no wonder liang shu looked like she had seen a ghost when she first saw qiao mei. could it be that there was some kind of grudge between liang shu and xia chun? a person who did not do anything wrong would not be afraid of ghosts coming to knock on the door. if they were just normal friends, then there was no reason for liang shu to look so frightened. "grandfather, who''s the man on the left?" qiao mei asked curiously. "that''s liang shu''s brother, liang can. this person is meticulous and ruthless. he''s even more canny than he ning. it''s just that he''s not as lucky as he ning and hasn''t achieved much even until now. his children are also a disappointment to him," qiao qiang said. this was something that could not be helped. if one wanted to achieve something, one had to do it at the right time, in the right place and with the right people. it involved all three aspects and one would not be able to achieve anything if any of the three were missing. sometimes, luck was only useful in the hands of a capable person. "but why haven''t i seen any photos of grandmother at home?" qiao mei asked. given that xia chun was so beautiful and came from the capital, why would she go to live in such a remote mountain village? li gui used to be very beautiful when she was young and all the young men in the area wanted to go to her house to propose marriage. with xia chun''s background and beauty, it was impossible that no one in the village had ever mentioned her. Chapter 1343 No Marriage Certificate chapter 1343 no marriage certificate qiao mei really looked very much like xia chun. when she first started losing weight, people around would definitely have noticed the similarity. however, even the oldest person in the village, grandpa deng, did not seem surprised and only felt that qiao mei had become more good-looking. no one seemed to remember anything about her grandmother''s looks. "your grandmother doesn''t like to take photos. she has a very long scar which runs across her entire face. the left side of her face is scratched so badly that it''s almost impossible to imagine what she looks like. the right side of her face is still alright but no one can tell what she used to look like. people usually don''t talk much to your grandmother," qiao qiang explained. even though her face was injured only after she took the photo, based on her demeanor and clear eyes, qiao qiang could still tell that the person in the photo was his first wife, xia chun. qiao qiang and xia chun could be considered to have met by accident. at that time, qiao qiang was a farmer in foshan village. when he was young, the qiao family was quite well-to-do and qiao qiang could still go to school. he studied in a private school for many years. however, after his parents passed away, he and the young qiao zhuang only had each other after that. the good thing was that they were two strong young men. after they grew up, the two of them would work especially hard during the autumn harvest season and would always rank number one in the village. however, this also meant that the two of them used up a lot of energy and needed to eat a lot. they only had enough money to feed themselves and could not afford anything else. they did not even have money to fix the roof when it started leaking. as the days passed, a homeless girl suddenly appeared in the village. all the children in the village were very afraid of her and even nicknamed her "the female ghost." at that time, if any child was not obedient at home, the adults would mention xia chun''s appearance to scare the children. men like qiao qiang and qiao zhuang could not find a wife at all. no one would dare to let their daughter marry into the poor and unsuccessful qiao family. at that time, qiao zhuang was already a bully in the village and everyone was a little afraid of him. when qiao qiang was around, qiao zhuang would still restrain himself. however, whenever qiao qiang was not around, one of the families in the village would definitely suffer from his bullying tactics. it was useless even if qiao qiang made a trip to apologize. the next time, qiao zhuang would just bully them even more. as time passed, everyone avoided the qiao brothers. even if qiao qiang was a nice and eligible bachelor, no one would dare to fraternize with the qiao family because of his younger brother''s character. xia chun just wandered around the village. some people took pity on her sometimes and would give her some food. sometimes, when xia chun was hungry and no one offered her any food, she would go up the mountain to dig for grass and weeds to eat. one day, qiao qiang had gone into the mountains to pick mushrooms when he came across xia chun who had fainted. he quickly carried her to the clinic and gave her the last bit of rations at home. she finally woke up after a few hours. perhaps it was fated. the next day, xia chun put all kinds of weeds at qiao qiang''s door. those who did not know better would think that qiao qiang''s family raised cows and sheep and that the weeds at the door were food for the livestock! some of these weeds were edible, but some were not. xia chun did not know anything about them at all. she had eaten all kinds while in the wilderness and found some weeds more delicious than others, so what she did was to give qiao qiang those which she found nice. she was lucky not to have eaten any poisonous weeds and grass. otherwise, all that was left would be xia chun''s corpse. "your grandmother is a very simple person and she''s very hardworking. you resemble her a lot. although she''s disfigured, everyone likes your grandmother very much. she always treats people with a lot of sincerity," qiao qiang said emotionally. "then where did my grandmother come from?" qiao mei asked. "she had never told me about her background. actually, during the years when we were together, she didn''t really say much to me. even when she spoke, her voice was very hoarse, as if her vocal cords were injured. what i remember most is that she liked to sit under the sun with a bright smile. also, no matter how late i came home, she would stay up and wait for me," qiao qiang said with a smile. "how did you two decide to get married?" qiao mei continued to ask. "in the beginning, i just could not bear to see a girl wandering around without food. i always gave her my food and as time passed, we ended up together," qiao qiang said to qiao mei with a smile. Chapter 1344 Butterfly Mark ? "did you hold a wedding at that time? was there any ceremony?" qiao mei asked curiously. "we did not have money to hold a wedding ceremony. besides, who could we invite to the banquet? at that time, we didn''t even have a marriage certificate. the two of us just felt that we could live together and so we did just that," qiao qiang said. one year after qiao qiang got married, qiao zhuang also found himself a wife. he applied to get a piece of land as the location of his matrimonial home and borrowed money from all the families in the village to build the house. rather than saying he borrowed money from everyone, it would be more accurate to say that he robbed everyone. after qiao zhuang and qiao qiang started their own families, it was as if they had gone their separate ways. one lived at the east end of the village while the other lived at the west end of the village. they rarely interacted with each other. at that time, a group of people suddenly came to the village to hold a recruitment drive for the army. any man of the right age could enlist as long as he passed the physical examination. after some careful consideration, qiao qiang left the village with them. he wanted to take this chance to work hard so that xia chun could live with her head held high and everyone would think highly of the qiao family. however, qiao qiang did not know that xia chun was already pregnant at that time. even xia chun herself did not know that she was pregnant. it was all the neighbors who helped out when xia chun gave birth. however, due to chronic malnutrition, she died not long after giving birth. as qiao qiang''s younger brother, qiao zhuang should be the one to take good care of xia chun and qiao qiang''s child when qiao qiang was not in the village. however, not only did qiao zhuang not help out, he even added insult to injury. everyone had to chip in to give xia chun a funeral. after that, it was village chief zhao liang who raised qiao yue. zhao liang definitely could not afford to raise a baby on his own. none of the villagers could. at that time, every family in foshan village was so poor that they could not even afford to eat. at the mention of foshan village, people from other villages would all run far away. qiao yue ended up being brought up by everyone in the village. by the time qiao qiang returned to his hometown, qiao yue was already of marriageable age and the grass around xia chun''s grave had already grown very tall. "i owe your grandmother a lot. all these years, this is the thing that i find hardest to let go. even if i can go back in time, i''m still in the wrong no matter what decision i make," qiao qiang said guiltily. "grandmother won''t blame you. she''s such a kind person, so she must understand why you did what you did and still be very proud of you," qiao mei said. qiao qiang could only hope that xia chun had reincarnated into a good family in her next life and did not have to suffer so much. qiao mei looked down and stared intently at the photo. she still could not understand why xia chun would appear in foshan village. in the photo, she was dressed very well. at that time, the liang family should be considered one of the most outstanding families in the capital. to be able to take a photo with liang shu and liang can, she should be from a family of high status. why would she suddenly appear in the village? there were too many questionable points about why this woman with the peerlessly beautiful face turned into the disfigured woman whom her grandfather had mentioned. when xia zhe returned, she would ask him to send an investigator to look into it. qiao mei had a feeling that there was something wrong here. perhaps she would be able to get some dirt on the liang family after the investigation. after qiao mei helped qiao qiang back to his room, she went to the study alone to carefully examine the butterfly ring. if this ring and the photo were placed in the same box, could it also be related to xia chun? just as qiao mei was inspecting the ring closely, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her palm. no matter how hard she tried, she could not shake off the butterfly ring. the ring began to emit a blood-red light and gradually melted into qiao mei''s palm while she could only look on in horror. her body seemed to be held tightly by someone and she could not move at all. she could only watch as the ring fused with her body and completely disappeared, leaving behind a faint red-colored butterfly-like tattoo on her palm. the butterfly seemed to have a life of its own and it slowly moved from qiao mei''s palm to her arm and then to her neck. finally, it stopped near qiao mei''s heart and its color changed from light red to black. the light also disappeared at this time. "what... what exactly is this!" qiao mei looked at the butterfly on her chest in fear. no matter how hard she tried, she could not wipe it off. her skin turned red from all the rubbing she did, but the butterfly remained intact. Chapter 1345 Test chapter 1345 test for a few days in a row, qiao mei locked herself in the study. she took out all the ancient books in the room and looked through them carefully, but she did not find any records about this ring. there was not even any drawing of something similar. she then drew a picture of the ring and the butterfly mark and showed it to each and every shop owner at the antique city. all of them said they had never seen such a ring. it was really strange to think that other than the jade pendant left behind by wu min, there were still other accessories with magical functions. this ring was only one out of many. however, if this ring had any magical function, qiao mei should have been able to sense it after so many days. why was it that she did not feel anything at all? the only difference now was that whenever she activated her energy, the butterfly on her chest would glow red. the more energy she used, the fainter the color of the butterfly. "can this be some kind of divine beast? maybe it''ll become a butterfly fairy after nurturing itself with my body and energy for a period of time?" qiao mei lay back on the rocking chair and made wild guesses. she had read many fairy tales in her other life. perhaps one day, this butterfly mark would take on a human form and become her slave? she could only make unrealistic guesses as she really did not know what the butterfly mark was supposed to do. qiao mei suddenly remembered that in many television dramas she had watched in her other life, the characters would need to say an incantation in order to activate magic. could it be that this butterfly also needed an incantation? qiao mei stood solemnly in the middle of the study. after thinking for a long time, she decided to do a horse stance. there was a determined and decisive look in her eyes as she stared ahead. then, she suddenly shouted, "space-time backpack!" even after waiting for five seconds, nothing happened around her. qiao mei touched the tip of her nose awkwardly and muttered softly, "is it the wrong incantation?" after that, qiao mei went through a long period of trial and error. "laser sword!" "thunderstorm! snow!" "open sesame!" "blood guidance! alliance with butterflies! elves from afar! please heed my call! i summon you here! please appear quickly!!!" "..." after trying for an entire hour, qiao mei had used up every phrase she could think of. there was no change in her surroundings at all. xia he and feng hua squatted under the windowsill of the study and listened carefully to the movements in the room. qiao mei had forgotten to close the window when she was trying to find out the use of the butterfly. xia he covered her mouth and whispered, "what''s qiao mei saying in the room? sister feng, can you hear her clearly?" "i don''t know either. has qiao mei been possessed? i don''t think qiao mei seems well during the past few days after xia zhe left. perhaps... we should ask xia zhe to come back. what if qiao mei can''t hold up anymore?" feng hua said as she looked at xia he fearfully. "no, qiao mei is not that weak. let''s observe further. if qiao mei continues to behave like this, then i''ll get father to ask xia zhe to come back," xia he said. qiao mei crouched on the windowsill and looked at the two people squatting below. "do you think i can''t hear anything you say?" xia he and feng hua raised their heads in shock and looked at qiao mei. then, the two of them smiled awkwardly and walked away from qiao mei''s study with their arms around each other''s shoulders. as qiao mei turned around, she suddenly felt a little dizzy. she quickly held onto the window to support herself. in her mind, she suddenly saw an image of many bugs gnawing at wood. she could even see the texture of the wood clearly. "oh! can this be... the window frame?" qiao mei hurriedly lifted her hand and kept a distance away from the window frame. the image in her mind also disappeared at the same time. she stared blankly at the window frame. it was xia wen who carefully selected and bought the wood. there should not be any problems, right? however, where did that image just now come from? she was clearly looking at this window frame. qiao mei took a hammer and a saw from the storeroom and cut out the damaged part of the window frame that she saw. it was true! the damaged part looked exactly the same as the image she had in her mind! even the number of bugs was the same! qiao mei could not believe that this was happening. she then placed her hand on the closet and slowly activated her energy. the butterfly mark on her chest turned light red and the interior of the closet appeared in her mind. qiao mei knew very well how the items inside were arranged and what material the closet was made of. Chapter 1346 Two Abilities chapter 1346 two abilities after qiao mei''s repeated attempts, she was finally able to confirm the use of this butterfly mark. not only did it give her x-ray vision, but it could also display all the items in her mind. just like the vr technology which existed in her other life, she could use her mind to control the items she saw. she just did not know if she could use this thing to design an item in her mind without touching anything, like making a 3d model. after qiao mei tried it out, she realized that it was not possible. perhaps this was still an undeveloped competency. with her current ability, she still could not fully utilize the power of the butterfly mark. by now, qiao mei had already uncovered two functions. the abilities hidden in this ring were definitely not so simple. when she first saw the ring, she had seen many types of gems on it. there were sapphires, pigeon blood rubies, topaz, emeralds, pink diamonds and some pave diamond inlays. now that she thought about it carefully, these gems might each represent an ability. qiao mei asked all the shop owners in antique city to show her all their good-quality gems, no matter the price. in the space of an afternoon, qiao mei bought four of the six types of gems based on the size and purity so that she could use them for comparison. the energy of plants and jade alone was not enough to improve the power of the butterfly mark significantly. it was only after she absorbed the energy of these gems that the butterfly mark felt slightly warm. furthermore, the purer the gems were, the warmer the butterfly mark on her chest became. it seemed that only by absorbing the energy of corresponding gems could the butterfly mark unleash its maximum power. "sigh... why is this thing so fussy? it can''t do much, but it needs so many things. just these gems alone will make me bankrupt!" qiao mei said as she looked aggrievedly at the dull gems in front of her. the price of gemstones was much higher than jade. furthermore, some gemstones could only be obtained through auctions. qiao mei needed more money. with the amount of money she had now, it was completely impossible for her to realize her dream of being able to retire comfortably in the future. if this continued, she would not even have enough money to buy gemstones! however, if qiao mei thought about it from another perspective, this ability could be considered a blessing. she could use the butterfly mark''s x-ray vision to go to the jade shop in antique city to buy raw jade stones! as soon as she touched the stone, she would be able to know the kind of jade that could be found inside the stone. this would save qiao mei a lot of money! if she thought about it this way, then the butterfly mark could be considered to pay back for what she was spending on it. it was almost spring and she needed to hurry up and get the factory in the suburbs built. then, she needed to find a place to grow seeds in the capital. she must make full use of her time and earn a lot of money. qiao mei leaned out of the study''s window and shouted, "xia he!!! come quickly! i have something to tell you!" xia he was carrying xia fan at the moment and the shout gave her a fright. xia fan did not react at all and continued to look up at xia he smilingly. xia fan held one of xia he''s fingers tightly with his small hand, looking extremely cute. "oh my... this loud voice really gave me a shock. xiao fan, are you already used to your mother being like this? little darling~ you''re so cute~ i''m going to go and look for your mother. be good and stay here with your sister and listen to sister feng." xia he handed xia fan to feng hua and went over to the study. "you''re so impatient. didn''t you chase me away just now? why are you asking me to come back now?" xia he entered and sat opposite qiao mei brusquely, crossing her arms and looking at qiao mei. qiao mei laughed and said, "did i chase you away just now? you were the one who was eavesdropping and then you left because you were embarrassed after getting caught in the act. it had nothing to do with me." "tsk, just spit it out quickly. what do you want?" xia he asked. "has deng fan done up the blueprint? i want him to go to the suburbs to start the construction work immediately and it has to be completed within half a month. i can give him a lot of money to hire as many people as he wants. i just want it to be completed within half a month and he can do it in whatever way he wants," qiao mei said anxiously. "i''ve never asked him about his design work. i think i''ll get him to come in later. the two of you can have a chat and set the timeline. he will be coming to pick me up tonight," xia he said. qiao mei felt a little apologetic. she knew that deng fan had intended to renovate his own house, but she had cut in and completely disrupted his plans. there was an urgency to start work on the factory and she needed someone she trusted to design the place. it looked like xia he would have to wait a little longer before she could get married. Chapter 1347 A Huge Battle chapter 1347 a huge battle xia he could read qiao mei very well by now. although she did not know where all those whimsical thoughts in qiao mei''s head came from, and sometimes she did not quite understand qiao mei''s intentions, she could always get an accurate feel of qiao mei''s emotions. "you don''t have to think so much. it doesn''t matter whether i get married earlier or later. it''s not like i''ve never been married before. if deng fan keeps urging me to marry into the deng family immediately, then i''ll wonder if there''s something wrong with the family and if they''re waiting for me to fall into the trap! so there''s no need to blame yourself for doing things that are related to work. i''m completely fine about it," xia he teased. "then i''ll really order deng fan around this once! you''re the one who says i can do whatever i want!" qiao mei said to xia he with a laugh. "go ahead and order him around. it''s also a good opportunity for me to find out what deng fan is like when he''s at work and whether he''s a reliable man. it''ll give me a chance to observe him closely. i can''t just throw all caution to the winds and get married so easily. as long as we haven''t registered the marriage, i can go back on my word at any time," xia he said. qiao mei had still wanted to put deng fan through a few more tests, but she did not expect xia he to be so cautious too. it seemed that there was no need for her to be the one to test him anymore. it was good enough that xia he was being very clear-headed about the whole situation. xia he asked xu kang to go to the convenience store at the entrance of the alley to make a phone call to deng fan. however, there was no sight of deng fan after a long time and he still did not turn up when it was time for dinner. xia he stood at the door and looked around anxiously. based on her understanding of deng fan, he would not miss an appointment for no reason. he must have run into some kind of trouble. xia he suddenly heard the roar of a motorcycle, then she saw deng fan riding towards her. xia he was about to berate deng fan when she saw that there were many scratches all over his body. he looked very disheveled, like he had just fought a huge battle with an animal. it looked as if he had been fighting with a tiger. xia he was at a loss. what exactly happened? could it be that deng fan had fallen into a tigers'' den? "you... what''s wrong with you?" xia he asked. "something happened and there was an argument. i must have been injured accidentally. it doesn''t hurt at all," deng fan said with a smile, as if he was not standing there with injuries all over his body. there was even a long and thin scratch mark on deng fan''s face that was still oozing a little bit of blood. for dancers like them, their looks were as important as their lives. who had beaten up deng fan and how could that person be so heavy-handed? "who the hell did this! tell me! i''ll get eldest brother to deal with them immediately! it''s too much! how can they hurt your face!" xia he said agitatedly. even if it was no problem for deng fan to quit being a dancer and become an architect instead, he could not be beaten up like this. there was no issue in this world that could not be discussed peacefully and had to be resolved by force. deng fan was a person who did not fight for anything. it was obvious that the scratch mark was caused by a woman. he probably just stood there in a daze and did not fight back at all. he did not have a habit of hitting women. "alright, let''s go in and talk about it. this matter is a bit complicated and i also don''t know how to handle it." deng fan had come to qiao mei''s place to ask her for help and see if there was any way to resolve his current predicament. xia he pulled deng fan towards the study to look for qiao mei. when qiao mei saw what had happened to deng fan, she was concerned about qiao qiang and li gui being worried if they saw him. the two of them had long treated xia he like one of the family and xia he''s status in their hearts was second only to hers. if they caught a glimpse of deng fan in his current state, they might want xia he to delay her marriage to deng fan! "sister xu, please bring our food to the living room at my side. just set out enough for the three of us. don''t tell grandfather why so that they don''t have to worry," qiao mei said. "sure." xu kang followed qiao mei''s instructions and replated all the food. it was still too early to bring the food out for qiao mei and the others since they were still discussing matters in the study. after qiao mei''s group finished their discussion, xu kang would set the food out for them. for now, she would serve qiao qiang and the rest first. "why do the two of you look so serious? what happened?" qiao mei asked. deng fan looked at xia he and did not know what to tell qiao mei. after all, this was the deng family''s issue, yet he could not handle it on his own and now had to trouble the xia family members. he felt really incompetent. "just say it. qiao mei is one of us. it''s fine!" xia he said agitatedly. Chapter 1348 You Have to Be Responsible for Me chapter 1348 you have to be responsible for me "just tell me if there''s anything i can do to help. this room is soundproof. other than the three of us, no one else can hear what you say today," qiao mei said. deng fan related everything that happened just now. jiang shu used to have a close childhood friend. the two of them grew up together and were like sisters. at that time, the two of them had even made a promise to be friends forever. if they both had only sons or only daughters in the future, then their kids would be like brothers or sisters. if one of them had a son and the other a daughter, the two of them would become in-laws. they made a promise to be best friends forever. later on, jiang shu''s childhood friend gradually began to disagree with her on many things. she even hung out with bad company outside of school when they were still students and her results plummeted as a result. she even instigated jiang shu to pursue this so-called "freedom" together with her. in the end, the two of them did not remain in contact with each other after they graduated. for some reason, her childhood friend found out that deng fan was getting married soon and quickly rushed over with her daughter. that girl had never even seen deng fan before, but the moment they met, she threw herself into his arms and even announced in front of everyone around that she was deng fan''s real fiance?e and that xia he was the third party who ruined their relationship. no matter how hard deng fan tried to explain, no one believed him. people were only interested in scandals and did not care about the truth. he did not know these two women at all. the mother-and-daughter duo became more and more agitated as they spoke and they even started to curse at jiang shu and deng fan for not caring about them after they prospered. deng fan barely managed to escape after getting beaten up by them. in fact, even up until now, he still did not know what was going on. no matter whether the marriage pact which the mother-and-daughter duo mentioned was real or not, he knew very well that xia he was not a third party, but someone he had been thinking of for so many years. "does auntie know about this matter?" qiao mei asked as she looked at deng fan sternly. "i don''t know. i came over as soon as the whole thing ended and didn''t have time to talk to her yet," deng fan replied honestly. qiao mei suddenly seemed to have thought of something. she grabbed her coat and walked out of the door. as she walked, she said to deng fan and xia he, "quickly put on your coats and follow me! hurry!" "oh no! they might have gone to your mother''s place! we must hurry back!" xia he immediately thought of the same thing as qiao mei. deng fan immediately ran out of the house. it was faster for him to go home on his motorcycle, so he did not go with the two women. it was just as qiao mei had said. the mother-and-daughter duo were making a scene at the entrance of the deng family''s house. the house which jiang shu and deng rui were currently living in was actually the jiang family''s old house. most of the neighbors grew up with jiang shu or were the older generation who had watched her grow up. they all knew who the woman crying on the ground was and everyone gathered at the deng family''s door while talking among themselves. "isn''t this ye xiang, the daughter of the ye family who used to live in this alley? why is she back here?" an elderly female neighbor whispered. "the person with her must be her daughter. seriously, a crooked stick will have a crooked shadow. the two of them behave in exactly the same way! how can she still have the cheek to come back? isn''t she worried that others will find out about those dirty things she did back then? yet she still dares to behave so atrociously here?" another female neighbor said as she put her hand over her mouth. "that''s right! she caused jiang shu to get into so much trouble back then, yet she still has the cheek to want her daughter to marry jiang shu''s son! she''s simply shameless! she bullies jiang shu because jiang shu is too nice!" the elderly female neighbor said. deng fan was only concerned for the safety of jiang shu and deng rui and did not even look at ye xiang and her daughter. as he walked straight towards the courtyard, ye xiang secretly gave her daughter, ye lei, a look. ye lei immediately understood what ye xiang meant. she threw herself in front of deng fan and hugged his leg as she cried out, "brother deng! how can you be so heartless! you can''t treat me like this! you must be responsible for me!" "what nonsense are you spouting!" deng fan frowned and looked at ye lei, who was on the ground. "i''m not spouting nonsense! you have to be responsible for me! you and i... both of us... oh my! do i have to say it out loud in front of so many people?" ye lei said as she looked at deng fan with a shy expression. the neighbors surrounding them all gasped. in this era, such matters were still very taboo. if a couple slept together before they were married, they would be criticized to death! the woman would be locked into a cage and forcibly drowned! the man would be tied to a pillar and beaten to death! Chapter 1349 Misidentify Someone chapter 1349 misidentify someone "oh my~ what responsibility? do i want me to be responsible for you as well? does any random stranger on this street have to be responsible for you?" qiao mei''s voice sounded from within the crowd. the people standing around did not know who qiao mei was, but they all knew xia he, who was with qiao mei. they had all met her at deng fan''s birthday dinner. the crowd made way and opened up a path for them. ye lei stared blankly at the beautiful woman in front of her. was this xia he? however, this person looked very different from her mother''s description. did she not say that xia he was just an ordinary-looking middle-aged woman? oh heck. since this woman was willing to step forward and argue with her, then she must be xia he! "sister xia he! please be magnanimous and let brother deng fan and i off! brother deng fan and i are childhood sweethearts and we are already engaged to be married. please fulfill our wish! if i can''t marry deng fan, then... then i don''t want to live anymore!" ye lei said tearfully. xia he stood behind qiao mei and wanted to step forward to argue with this woman. qiao mei quickly reached out to stop her and also indicated that deng fan should not say anything. since this woman had misidentified her, qiao mei decided to play along. she had nothing much to do during this period of time and it was good to get a chance to relieve her boredom. "you want me to fulfill your wish? i''m not your mother, nor am i deng fan''s mother. how am i supposed to fulfill your wish?" qiao mei asked. "as long as... as long as you leave brother deng fan, i believe brother deng fan will definitely come back to me!" ye lei said in a dainty manner. "you just said that you are in love with each other, but it has become your one-sided crush in the blink of an eye? are you telling lies?" qiao mei looked at ye lei teasingly. ye lei had thought that xia he was just a reckless woman who only knew how to fight. she did not expect her to be so eloquent. it really made her want to relook at her understanding of the phrase "reckless woman". "of course not!" ye lei said. "no? if it''s not like this, then what is it? in this era, do we still have to choose our partners based on what our parents and the matchmakers say? even so, deng fan''s mother likes me very much and all the neighbors here also know it for a fact. do i have to give him up just because some woman appears out of the blue and says that she and deng fan are engaged?" qiao mei questioned. "but! auntie deng approved of me first! brother deng fan and i are a match made for each other!" ye lei still wanted to continue quibbling. "you don''t have to tell me so much. i''m not xia he. you can''t even identify the right person, yet you still say that you and deng fan are in love? if you''re really in love, how can you not know who your rival is? do you only have an imaginary enemy in your mind? you only know the person''s name, but you don''t know what the person looks like," qiao mei said slowly as she stared at ye lei. everything qiao mei said was true and the people around her could not help but sigh. they did not expect that after so many years, ye xiang had brought up a child who behaved exactly like her when she was young. back then, she had gotten the yin family''s brothers in trouble and now she had instigated her daughter to harm the deng family''s son. how shameless of her! "you! you''re not xia he! you tricked me!" ye lei shouted as she looked at qiao mei angrily. "yes, i''m not xia he. you targeted me the moment you spoke. did i have a chance to refute you?" qiao mei said aggrievedly, as if she was the victim. before ye lei could speak, xia he looked at deng fan and said earnestly, "deng fan, go in and take a look at your parents first." deng fan was a little worried about leaving them with these two crazy women from the ye family. after all, he had seen what these two could do. if xia he''s face was injured, her dancing career might just come to an end today. if anything should happen to qiao mei, his life would also come to an end when xia zhe returned. "the two of you should come in with me," deng fan said with a frown. "it''s fine. i still have something to ask the two of them. we''ll go in later," xia he said in a gentle manner. qiao mei''s hair stood on end when she heard xia he''s gentle tone of voice. the calmer xia he became, the more furious she was. xia he was different from other people. usually, when a person became angry, the person would either keep quiet or fly into a rage. however, when xia he was really angry, she would act as if nothing had happened and continued to smile and talk to you. Chapter 1350 A Life for a Life chapter 1350 a life for a life although xia he usually seemed very bad-tempered, it was all just an act. as long as she was still willing to retort, it meant that there was nothing wrong and she was not really angry. qiao mei silently dodged to one side. she looked at the ye family''s mother- and-daughter duo with pity in her eyes. they were going to suffer in a while! after hearing what xia he said, deng fan went into the house to check on his parents. ye lei wanted to pounce on deng fan and stop him from going in, but xia he suddenly stepped forward and stomped on ye lei''s hand. "ah!!!" ye lei let out a heart-wrenching scream. ye xiang hurriedly crawled to ye lei''s side and kept grabbing at xia he''s foot, trying to lift it up. "how can you do this to my daughter! lift your foot! lift it up!" ye xiang said anxiously. xia he forcefully grinded her foot twice and then pretended to be surprised as she lifted her foot and said, "oh my, oh my! i''m really sorry. how did i end up stepping on someone? i didn''t see you. my apologies." ye xiang thought that xia he was really apologizing to them. she stood up, pointed at xia he and said in a pompous manner, "do you think you can get away with just an apology? no way! my daughter needs her hand to play musical instruments! you must have fractured her hand! this will affect her performance in the future. you have to take responsibility!" "this is too much. when does any ye family member know how to play musical instruments? they''re so poor that they''re still renting a house. they have even sold their old house. as if ye xiang has money to pay for her child''s music lessons!" the elderly female neighbor yelled out mockingly. "that''s right! those hands are as thick as radishes. how can they be the hands of someone who knows how to play musical instruments! they look more like the hands of a cook!" the other female neighbor echoed. fracture? then this was a golden opportunity! qiao mei''s eyes lit up. she walked forward and looked at ye lei''s fingers excitedly. they indeed looked a little swollen, but as long as she touched them lightly, she would immediately know whether what ye xiang said was true. without another word, qiao mei grabbed hold of ye lei''s hand. an x-ray image of ye lei''s body suddenly appeared in qiao mei''s mind. ye lei''s hand was not fractured, but something else shocked her. the thing was ye lei was pregnant! ye lei quickly shook off qiao mei''s hand as if she felt guilty. ye lei pushed with so much strength that qiao mei fell to the ground. xia he hurriedly went forward to hold onto qiao mei. "how dare you push my sister-in-law! if she hurts even a hair on her head! i''ll immediately make you pay with your life!" xia he roared with bloodshot eyes. when the su brothers bullied qiao mei back then, she had sworn to herself that she would always make whoever bullied qiao mei pay the price. even if it meant exchanging a life for a life, xia he would fight to the end! the ye family''s mother-and-daughter duo could not help but tremble when they saw xia he''s expression. the neighbors around them also felt indignant for xia he and qiao mei. ye xiang and ye lei were quickly surrounded by people and both sides kept arguing. taking advantage of this opportunity, xia he quickly grabbed qiao mei and ran into the deng family''s house. however, they only saw deng fan and deng rui sitting in the living room with very solemn expressions and did not see jiang shu. "hello, uncle. why isn''t auntie here?" xia he asked as she looked around. "my wife has high blood pressure and heart illness. she was so agitated that she fainted just now. she has already taken her medicine and will probably feel better after sleeping for a while. it''s not a big deal," deng rui said as he pretended to be calm. deng fan did not expect the matter to have become so serious and he buried his head in his knees. he did not know why such a thing would happen. he had nothing to do with the two women outside and had never even met them before. this was clearly slander. fortunately, the neighbors around here had watched him grow up and knew him and his family very well. no matter how much the ye family''s mother-and- daughter duo wanted to cause trouble, it would not affect their relationship with their neighbors. however, it was different for the xia family. the xia family was a reputable family in the capital. even though xia he was divorced, no one dared to say anything bad about her. this was enough proof of the xia family''s prestige. the news about their impending marriage had long spread throughout the capital. if someone with ulterior motives found out about the matter about the ye family''s mother-and-daughter duo, what would it do to the xia family''s reputation? how could xia he still get married in the future? Chapter 1351 It Turns Out That She Is Pregnant chapter 1351 it turns out that she is pregnant "i''m sorry, it''s all my fault. i''ll send both of you home later after they leave. it''s better that you don''t go out for the time being. i''ll settle this matter as soon as possible," deng fan said in a muffled voice. qiao mei sighed resignedly and took out a small bottle from her pocket. it looked exactly like the one she gave to xia zhe, except for the color. xia zhe had taken the gold-colored bottle with him, while the bottle in qiao mei''s hand was bronze in color. the color of the bottles served to indicate the type of ginseng juice it contained as well as the concentration. the bronze bottle in qiao mei''s hand contained the lowest-grade 100-year-old ginseng juice and was already diluted! "deng fan, let auntie drink this," qiao mei said. qiao mei was not being indiscriminately nice. she just did not want xia he to feel bad since she had heard xia he say nice things about jiang shu many times. she would consider her deed of coming forward to save jiang shu as giving deng fan a bonus payment for designing the factory in the suburbs. however, she still felt a little regretful about giving the medicine away. deng fan could tell that this was the legendary "divine medicine" from the xia family. he quickly rejected her offer and said, "my mother will be fine after she gets some rest. her current situation is not life-threatening. this medicine can save lives in your family, so you don''t have to give it to us." when qiao mei heard what deng fan said, her feelings of regret from earlier dissipated. with him being such an upright person, it was no loss for her to give him this medicine! the entire xia family would feel at ease if xia he married such a person. "it''s fine. we still have more at home. give it to your mother first," qiao mei said with a smile. "then... then thank you." after saying that, deng fan returned to the bedroom with the medicine and gave it to jiang shu. after jiang shu took a rest and woke up, her condition had improved a lot. her complexion also looked much rosier. jiang shu held deng fan''s hand nervously and asked, "where''s xiao he? where''s xiao he? don''t allow those people to go and bother xiao he! at most, just give them more money and send them away. don''t let them pester xiao he!" deng fan''s house had been around for decades and the soundproofing was not as good as qiao mei''s house. xia he and qiao mei could clearly hear what jiang shu said. "my wife is always concerned about you and she''s worried that you will feel aggrieved because of this matter. this is an issue caused by our family and we will definitely solve this problem," deng rui said seriously. "then how do you plan to resolve this matter?" qiao mei looked deng rui in the eyes and questioned him. deng rui frowned. he knew that qiao mei was a member of the xia family, but he still could not get used to a junior talking to him in this manner. "we... we plan to talk some sense into them first. if that still won''t do, then we''ll give them a sum of money and ask them to leave," deng rui said honestly. the ye family''s mother-and-daughter duo had also come to cause trouble in the past, but jiang shu had always settled it quietly. she would give them money and ask them to leave and deng fan did not know anything about these things. they had not appeared for the past two to three years and she had thought that her family would finally be able to live a peaceful life. she did not expect them to come and cause trouble again and that they even went straight to deng fan this time round. "you definitely won''t be able to settle it by talking to them this time," qiao mei said confidently. "why?" xia he asked curiously. deng rui also looked at qiao mei in puzzlement. after deng fan settled jiang shu down, he walked out of the bedroom. he also wanted to know why qiao mei would say that. "because... ye lei is pregnant. she has come to look for you now because she''s in a hurry to find a father for the baby," qiao mei guessed. pregnant! everyone else there was shocked and they could not believe their ears. it turned out that ye lei was pregnant! as far as they knew, ye lei was not married yet! "qiao mei, are you sure?" deng fan asked. "yes i am. i''ve given birth before so i can tell if she''s pregnant or not," qiao mei said confidently. she could not possibly say that she had x-ray vision and could see the fetus. fortunately, she was really the mother of two children and people would believe what she said. deng rui seemed to be really affected by what he heard. he never imagined that the ye family could be so shameless. if what qiao mei said was true, this issue would probably be very difficult to resolve. "let''s not face them head-on for now. our family will send someone to investigate this matter. you don''t have to worry too much," qiao mei said with a smile. Chapter 1352 Let Me Protect You chapter 1352 let me protect you qiao mei and xia he then went into the bedroom. jiang shu had sat up and was drinking her medicine. qiao mei took a discreet sniff and could tell that it was medicine to boost essence and vitality. jiang shu was not that old yet, so why would she need such nourishing medicine? "hello, auntie. i''m xia he''s sister-in-law. i''m really sorry to have come to visit without giving you advance notice today. i''ll definitely come and pay you a formal visit another day," qiao mei said apologetically. "don''t say that. i have to thank you for what you did today! without you, i don''t know how much worse those two people outside would behave," jiang shu said weakly. "auntie, i had studied with an old chinese doctor in the past. will you let me take your pulse and check on your health?" qiao mei asked. "sure," jiang shu said as she looked at qiao mei kindly. qiao mei had never studied chinese medicine before. she just wanted to use the ability of the butterfly mark to see how jiang shu was doing. she gently placed her hand on jiang shu''s wrist and slowly closed her eyes. the image of jiang shu''s body appeared in her mind. there seemed to be some black spots on jiang shu''s lungs and heart and there were even some small blood clots near her brain. if this continued, jiang shu might have a stroke or even a cerebral hemorrhage. when xia he saw qiao mei''s serious expression, she felt a little nervous and asked softly, "qiao mei, how''s auntie''s health?" "she''s alright. her health is not too bad. she just needs to make sure she doesn''t fall sick too often!" qiao mei said as she pretended to be calm. xia he and jiang shu chatted for a while. at night, qiao mei contacted luo yu and asked him to come over personally to escort the two of them back to the courtyard house. it would not be good if the ye family''s mother-and-daughter duo was hiding in the dark with an intention to harm them. "qiao mei, actually... you don''t have to get involved in this," xia he said apologetically. she was the elder sister and xia zhe was not around. she should be the one protecting qiao mei instead of the other way round. she did not feel good about it. furthermore, the ye family''s mother-and-daughter duo were very aggressive. although qiao mei had already given birth, she was still in recovery and needed to continue to take care. she did not want qiao mei to get involved in this matter as she was worried that qiao mei would get hurt. qiao mei knew xia he''s concerns, but it was not in her character to leave xia he in the lurch in times of danger. no matter what xia he said, she would definitely help xia he. "don''t think too much. when we get back later, just sleep over at my place. i''ve already reminded deng fan that his entire family should not go out for the time being. i''ll arrange for someone to send them food every day." qiao mei held xia he''s hand and continued, "don''t even think about throwing me aside. this time, it''s my turn to protect you!" "alright, i''ll listen to you," xia he said with tears in her eyes. after qiao mei reached home, she went into the study. she had no idea about how she could solve this issue. it would have been much better if xia zhe could have left a little later. she wrote a letter to xia zhe''s secret guard team in the capital and asked luo yu to arrange for someone to urgently send it to the place that xia zhe had specified. before xia zhe left, he had told her that she could contact them if she needed help and they would do anything to help her without any hesitation. the light from the oil lamp in the study was dim and qiao mei soon fell asleep groggily under a blanket in the rocking chair. the next morning, qiao mei was woken up by the chirping of birds. when she opened her eyes, she saw a pigeon standing on her windowsill! "where did this bird come from so early in the morning! shoo, shoo, shoo!" qiao mei covered her head with the blanket unhappily. the pigeon outside continued to chirp non-stop, so qiao mei had no choice but to open the window with two dark circles under her eyes. the pigeon tilted its head and stared straight at qiao mei and she stared back. the two of them had a standoff for a while before she realized that there was a tiny package tied on the pigeon''s leg. "you''re a carrier pigeon!" qiao mei looked at the pigeon in shock. this was the first time she had ever seen a carrier pigeon! the pigeon immediately puffed out its chest and raised its head as if it felt very proud. it even took a small step forward with the leg with the package tied to it. in qiao mei''s other life, she had heard about the practice of using pigeons to send messages, but she always felt that it was a very dangerous endeavor. if the pigeons were accidentally shot down by hunters, the messages would be exposed. however, such carrier pigeons should have been trained well and would not be so weak. Chapter 1353 Braised Pigeon chapter 1353 braised pigeon qiao mei reached out to remove the package from the pigeon''s leg but the pigeon hopped a few times and made its way to the other side to avoid her. she thought that the pigeon was scared because it was not familiar with her, so she reached out to try again. however, she did not manage to get it even after a few tries. "give it to me!" qiao mei pouted and lost her temper at the carrier pigeon. it also raised its head at her in a fit of pique. the little pigeon seemed to be protesting the fact that qiao mei had left it waiting out the window for so long early in the morning. did she think that pigeons did not feel cold! "are... are you doing this on purpose?" qiao mei asked softly. the pigeon turned its head to one side. it seemed that this pigeon had emotions too! it even raised the leg with the package to mock qiao mei, causing her to stomp her feet in anger. she was actually being played by a pigeon so early in the morning! qiao mei reached out again to try and take the package off the pigeon''s leg. however, she had a trick up her sleeve this time round. she planned to create a diversion on one side and then capture the pigeon from the opposite direction! as expected, the pigeon fell into her trap. qiao mei instantly grabbed it and quickly closed the window. her hands held on tightly to the pigeon to prevent it from flying around. "i''ll use you as an ingredient today! dish of braised pigeon!" qiao mei said seriously as she looked at the pigeon. the pigeon was so frightened that it did not move. it closed its eyes and pretended to be dead as qiao mei held it. "hey... hey! don''t tell me you''re dead... i haven''t even done anything to you!" qiao mei said cautiously. she gently placed the pigeon on the desk. the pigeon lay stiffly on the desk and did not dare to move. qiao mei thought that she had strangled it to death because she had grabbed it with too much strength! qiao mei hurriedly activated her x-ray vision to check the pigeon''s internal organs. everything was intact. only then did qiao mei realize that this little fellow was just pretending to be dead! she did not expect the little pigeon to be so smart. qiao mei removed the package from the pigeon''s leg. it was a note with a phone number written on it. before she did anything, she asked sister feng to retrieve the old birdcage from the storeroom. back then, when she saw zhou sheng walking around the park every day with a birdcage, she also bought one for qiao qiang. unexpectedly, qiao qiang was completely disinterested in such things and even released the birds which qiao mei bought for him. she did not want to let this pigeon go back for the time being. she wanted to keep it here for a period of time and let it have a taste of what she was capable of! then, she went to the convenience store at the entrance of the alley to make the phone call and a man answered on the other end. "you must be xia zhe''s wife," the man on the other end of the phone said. "yes, i want to ask you for a favor," qiao mei said tactfully. "i''ll find some time to come and look for you. we''ll talk about it then." with that, the man hung up. qiao mei paid the shopkeeper and returned home. when she arrived at the study, she found xia he playing with the pigeon. qiao mei smiled and said, "why are you visiting the bird in my room?" "i heard from sister feng that there''s a very smart bird which actually managed to trick our qiao mei. i''m too curious about what kind of bird it is, so i''m here to take a look. this little fellow has quite a temper! i tried to feed it a lot of things but it didn''t want to eat anything. do you think it''s sick?" xia he said. "this is called refusing to surrender. if we put it into xia zhe''s troop, it will definitely be a good soldier!" qiao mei said angrily. "hahahahaha! that''s an interesting way to describe it. it will definitely eat when it''s hungry. let''s go. auntie has made a lot of delicious food for us. she cooked today!" xia he said. "did something good happen? my mother hasn''t cooked for a long time. what can she be happier about other than her business?" qiao mei held xia he''s arm as they walked towards the backyard. the entire family was seated and qian''e was also at the dining table, waiting for the two of them. the entire table was filled with qiao mei''s favorite dishes. qiao mei looked around in confusion but did not see anything strange, such as a big box or a gift box. it was not the new year or any other festive season. what was going on? "what... what''s with all this?" qiao mei asked. "it''s nothing. i just feel that we haven''t had a meal together in a long time," li gui said. qiao mei nodded in a stilted manner. after the family finished the meal awkwardly, qiao mei felt that there was definitely something strange behind li gui doing this, but she could not put her finger on it. could it be that the zhao family had come looking for trouble again? did she not make it clear enough to zhao fei the last time? Chapter 1354 Personal Secret Agent chapter 1354 personal secret agent qiao mei called qian''e to come over and asked her, "what''s up with my mother? what happened? why do i feel that there''s something wrong with her today?" "i think she seems quite alright. there''s nothing particularly strange about her," qian''e said. "i wonder if she''s feeling sad because i haven''t had time for her recently," qiao mei probed. "did you spend a lot of time with her in the past? sometime back, she was so focused on making money that she did not even have time to sleep. she had never asked you to spend more time with her. you''re thinking too much," qian''e explained. could it be that li gui really just had a sudden impulse to cook a nice meal for them? qiao mei thought about it carefully. it was not anyone''s birthday, nor a special anniversary, nor the festive season. perhaps it was just as li gui had said, she did it purely because she felt happier than usual today. "how''s the issue with the zhao family?" qiao mei asked. "the matter with the zhao family seems to have been settled. during this period of time, zhao fei has been coming to pick up the goods alone. however, half of his sales team used to be from the zhao family. given that those people have been asked to go, our sales have naturally dropped a lot," qian''e said honestly. even though qian''e was now in charge of the popcorn business, when something like this happened, qiao mei also had to play a part to plan for the future. since she had agreed to let zhao fei be the exclusive agent, she could not go back on her word. "let''s leave it at that for now and just take it as we''re slowing down our pace. the construction of the factory in the suburbs has already started. we can actually take a break from selling the popcorn and other products for a period of time. when the factory is ready for operation, we can recruit more people then," qiao mei said. by then, qiao mei no longer wanted to recruit salespeople. instead, she wanted to be a wholesaler and distribute the goods to the retail shops. her people could still do direct sales themselves if they wanted to, but probably in a different manner. "alright," qian''e agreed. qiao mei waited in the study until late at night and wondered if the person who spoke to her on the phone would appear. would that person walk openly into her house? the television dramas portrayed such secret agents as people who could leap onto roofs and vault over walls. once their true identities were exposed, they might get themselves killed. were the television dramas too much of an exaggeration? just as qiao mei turned away, a figure appeared at qiao mei''s window. "madam xia, i''m the person you''re looking for," the man outside the window said in a low voice. qiao mei turned around and looked at him in surprise. the man walked in through the study door and sat opposite her desk with a straight face as he looked at her. "i... i thought you would jump in through the window..." qiao mei said with a hint of disappointment. the man raised his eyebrows and asked curiously, "then should i do it again?" "it''s fine. i still don''t know how to address you," qiao mei said. "i''m xia zhe''s personal secret agent. my name is yao nian. you can just tell me about what needs to be done. other than murder and robbery, i can help you with everything else," yao nian said with a smile. qiao mei sized up yao nian carefully. just as qiao mei was considering whether to believe this person, the pigeon in the birdcage suddenly made a cooing sound. it seemed that this person was the real deal. "is this your bird?" qiao mei asked as she pointed at the birdcage. "it''s my carrier pigeon. i have been wondering why it hasn''t come back. i thought it had been shot down by a skilled hunter. i never expected it to be captured by madam xia. what a... disappointment," yao nian said with a sigh. "it almost got turned into a dish of braised pigeon. fortunately, it''s smart enough," qiao mei said very seriously, as if trying to put across the point that she had really wanted to stew this pigeon. "since madam xia likes it so much, then let it be your exclusive carrier pigeon from now on. this pigeon knows how to find me. if you need anything in the future, use the carrier pigeon to communicate with me. it''s safer this way," yao nian said. what a strange person. it was so much more troublesome and time-consuming to use a carrier pigeon over making a phone call. furthermore, a carrier pigeon could only send a short message of about one or two sentences. what if there was a lot of information to be sent across? how did xia zhe usually make contact with these people? these people were really weird. Chapter 1355 Secret Door chapter 1355 secret door "don''t worry, the purpose of the carrier pigeon is to let me know that you need my help. i''ll still come and look for you. after all, this is what i''m paid to do. i''m someone who has professional ethics," yao nian said as he looked at qiao mei resignedly. if not for the fact that he had not earned enough money yet, he really wanted to quit this line of work and go to a mountain village to live a self-sufficient life. it was really tiring to have a job when he was on tenterhooks every day. when he worked as a private agent for other people, the issues he was asked to investigate were all trivial matters, such as who had stolen the zhang family''s chickens, or whether the girl from the li family was being intimate with another man, or to look for missing items. however, the things that xia zhe wanted them to investigate were completely different. they either had to investigate people from prominent families, or they had to delve into military secrets or things related to mafia organizations. each and every case was dangerous and life-threatening. if not for the fact that they owed xia zhe a favor and did not have enough money, they would have quit long ago. "then let''s get down to business. i would like you to help me investigate a person. to be precise, it''s a family with the surname ye." before qiao mei could finish speaking, yao nian took out a folder from his pocket. "this is all the information related to that family, as well as a list of all the suspicious people who had come into contact with them," yao nian said. qiao mei opened the envelope doubtfully. the photo on the front page was really of the ye family''s mother and daughter. no wonder xia zhe kept such a team on standby in the capital. they were much faster than any of the xia family''s secret spies. however, why did such a capable secret agent only take orders from xia zhe and not become one of the xia family''s secret spies? "that''s because i don''t want to work so hard, but i still need money, so i only work for xia zhe. i''m not the only one. there are two more people who are also xia zhe''s secret agents," yao nian explained. could it be that yao nian had some kind of special ability like her? how did yao nian know exactly what she was thinking? "how do you know what i''m thinking of?" qiao mei asked. "i''m a secret agent. i need to investigate many things in the dark. i have to investigate things that are not put down in writing and can only be found out through observing the relationships between people. i can''t go to their houses one by one to ask them, can i? the only thing i can do is to observe their every move." when yao nian explained these things, he spoke as if he was explaining to a fool about why humans needed to drink water. "if you become a psychiatrist, you''ll be a very good one," qiao mei said seriously. "but the things that come out of my mouth will make the patient wish that he''s dead. i''m going off. if you need anything else, use that stupid pigeon to contact me." after walking out of the door, yao nian disappeared into the night. the pigeon stared at the door blankly and motionlessly. in the end, it fell over and onto the bottom of the birdcage. qiao mei looked up at the birdcage for a moment and then lowered her head to continue reading the information on the ye family. this pigeon must have fainted from grief. it seemed that this pigeon was really out of the ordinary. it was not a bad idea to raise it as a pet. perhaps in the future, it could become a pigeon with special abilities after eating the food produced using her energy? now that she thought about it, it was indeed something for her to look forward to. seeing that qiao mei stayed in the study until late at night and slept there again, sister feng wanted to move a bed into the study. she did not know what qiao mei was so busy with every day that she had to spend the night inside the study. "mei mei, don''t tire yourself out. it''s not good for your health," feng hua said worriedly. in order for qiao mei to get more nourishment, feng hua even specially made some black chicken soup with ginseng roots for her. it was a very nourishing dish! "alright, i''ll definitely take sister feng''s advice. sister feng, please ask sister xu to get the car ready. elder sister and i are going to the deng family''s house later," qiao mei said as she drank the soup. feng hua immediately did as qiao mei asked and went out to do her work. after qiao mei finished eating, she took the brown paper bag and went with xia he to the deng family house in a low profile manner. they did not drive the car up to the house but slipped in through the alley at the back. deng fan had told xia he that when this house was built, there was a very obscure small door installed as an emergency escape route. the two of them entered the deng family''s house through this small door. "i really don''t expect your house to have something like this. it''s such a big surprise to me. if i had known that you are so capable, i would have hired you when i repaired my courtyard house. come to think about it, it''s really quite a pity," qiao mei said regretfully. Chapter 1356 The Past chapter 1356 the past "you''re so rich. you can afford to tear it down and rebuild it. at that time, you can ask him to do it for you," xia he said with a laugh. "you can''t spend money like this even if you''re rich! elder sister is really biased! however, at least i have brother-in-law to help me with the factory in the suburbs. it''s not such a pity after all!" qiao mei said. "come in first. it''s cold outside," deng fan said. the brown paper bag in qiao mei''s hand was particularly eye-catching. jiang shu and deng rui were seated together. jiang shu looked quite good today. as expected, the medicine had been effective. she needed to think of a way to give jiang shu a few more bottles so that all her illnesses could be cured. if xia he really got married to deng fan in the future, and jiang shu fell ill one day and became paralyzed in bed like liang shu, xia he would have to wait on jiang shu. qiao mei could not bear the thought of xia he going through such an experience and she also did not want anything to happen to jiang shu. "we''ve really caused you trouble by needing you to deal with our family matters and it''s not just once, but over and over again." jiang shu felt very ashamed and tears flowed down her face uncontrollably. she had never imagined that her good friend from childhood would become the person creating trouble for her family. if she could have predicted all of this back then, she would never have become friends with ye xiang. "auntie, don''t cry. it''s bad for your health. since our two families are about to become in-laws, your business is our business. i naturally have to help out in whatever way i can," qiao mei said with a faint smile. deng rui looked at qiao mei a little differently. the previous time when he saw this little girl, he only felt that she was quick-witted and was also a kind-hearted kid. when he looked at her today though, he felt that she seemed to have wisdom beyond her age. xia he did not say anything. she knew that qiao mei was doing this to establish authority in front of the deng family and telling them not to let xia he down. she was reminding them to remember the people helping them to resolve the situation today. qiao mei only hoped that the deng family would not become the second kong family. even though deng fan seemed to be a reliable man, no one could guarantee the future. xia he could not afford to go through another round of torture. a daughter of the xia family did not have to worry about not being able to get married! qiao mei must let them know that xia he was not a pushover. "this is all the information i''ve found out about the ye family''s mother-and- daughter duo. you can take a look too," qiao mei said as she placed the information on the coffee table. deng fan quickly picked it up and flipped through it carefully. he did not expect the ye family''s mother-and-daughter duo to have such a dirty past! ye xiang was a woman who was very prone to jealousy. she was not born in a good family. ye xiang''s father often beat up and scolded ye xiang''s mother, to the extent that her mother committed suicide. after ye xiang''s mother died, ye xiang''s father began to abuse her. from then on, it left an indelible scar in her heart. after she went to school, she met jiang shu who came from a good family and had a good character. she was so envious of jiang shu''s life. at first, she felt that jiang shu was a nice person and that they could be good friends for the rest of their lives. however, later on, everyone around her laughed at her and said that jiang shu only became good friends with her because jiang shu pitied her. ye xiang took all these words to heart. she began to be jealous of everything that jiang shu had. she originally wanted to influence jiang shu to become a delinquent like her, but in the end, she was the only one who ended up mixing around with bad company. she started drinking, like her father did. in the end, she was duped and raped by a man. just like that, she gave birth to ye lei alone. she did not even know who ye lei''s biological father was, but she did not care anymore. he was just a rotten person anyway. was it so important who the father of the child was? ye xiang started to live a life of debauchery. she was willing to sleep with any man as long as that man could support her and give her a lot of money. she did not care about her reputation at all. she needed an avenue to survive more than she needed her reputation. she had moved away from her home after that incident and no one knew what exactly happened to the ye family. they only knew that ye xiang had done something shameful. after that, ye xiang had come back and secretly went to take a look at how jiang shu was doing. she became jealous after finding out that jiang shu had such a good husband and wondered why all good things seemed to belong to jiang shu. ye xiang started to constantly cause trouble for jiang shu and even went to her house to ask for money. jiang shu was still the same as before. she pitied ye xiang, felt sorry for her and gave her a lot of money. however, ye xiang felt that she deserved all these. after all, it was jiang shu who wanted to be friends with her back then. Chapter 1357 The Antics of the Ye Family chapter 1357 the antics of the ye family the thing was that ye xiang never expected those men of hers to actually lay their hands on her daughter and bully her when she was not at home. in the end, they forced such a good girl to have to face the current situation. however, ye xiang did not feel that she was the one who brought this onto ye lei. she even felt that ye lei''s experience had nothing to do with her at all. instead, she pushed all the blame to jiang shu''s family. she just wanted to find a reliable man and quickly marry ye lei off. perhaps if ye lei got married, their family''s bad luck would finally end. therefore, they targeted deng fan. they felt that once deng fan married ye lei, it would mean the end of all their troubles. ye xiang knew that jiang shu was very particular about her reputation. as long as she accused deng fan of doing something shameful, the deng family would definitely give in to them in the end! after all that meticulous planning, they did not expect qiao mei to be able to find out everything and that deng fan had such a capable supporter. "this is too much! what do they take us for! am i the one who caused them to end up like this! how preposterous!" jiang shu said angrily. "auntie, don''t be angry. it''s bad for your health to be so angry. there''s no need for us to hurt our health because of such things. this matter can be easily settled, but i want to know where you stand when it comes to ye xiang," qiao mei said. "i have nothing to do with her! she even wants to harm my son like this! do i still have to care about her!" jiang shu said. "then if she dares to come again, let''s call the police. we have enough evidence of all the things she had done. once she and her daughter are arrested, they will have to spend the rest of their lives in prison," qiao mei said. after calming down, jiang shu felt a little dazed. she did not know how she and ye xiang reached this point today. if she had been able to help ye xiang back then and led her back to the right path, perhaps ye xiang would not have ended up like this. just as everyone kept quiet, the sounds of two women wailing suddenly came from outside the house. "oh my! heavens! i don''t want to live anymore! deng fan, you''re such a heartless person! you promise to be with me, but now you''re getting married to that woman! how can you do this to me!" ye lei crouched on the ground and wailed. ye xiang also wept next to her. it was as if they wanted to make everyone in the alley come to the deng family''s door. they were so noisy that jiang shu''s head started to hurt again. at this moment, as soon as she heard the voices of the ye family''s mother-and-daughter duo, her heart would feel uncomfortable. it had already gotten to the extent of being a conditioned response. "how long are they going to do this! i''ll go out now and ask the two of them to get lost," deng rui said angrily. "uncle, wait for a while. let''s do it when there are more people," qiao mei said. "are we waiting for everyone to come and laugh at my family?" deng rui said without thinking. after saying that, he felt a little regretful. qiao mei had come to help them out of kindness, but he had treated her like this. deng rui looked at qiao mei apologetically and said, "i''m sorry, qiao mei. i was just... too angry just now. i don''t mean to scold you. don''t take it to heart." "it''s fine, uncle. when everyone is here, we''ll just watch the ye family become a joke," qiao mei said with a smile. after 10 minutes, qiao mei grabbed xia he and deng fan with her and went to the courtyard. there were many people outside and the entire alley was choked up. almost everyone in the alley had come to watch the commotion. in the beginning, everyone believed that deng fan would not do such a thing. however, after the ye family mother-and-daughter duo caused a ruckus for so long, some people began to waver. if ye lei really had nothing to do with deng fan, then why would she come to look for him? would it not be better to use the same trick to deceive one of the rich families in the capital? there was no reason for her to kick up a fuss in front of the deng family. "can deng fan really... really have done something to that girl?" one of the neighbors, auntie zhang, said with a hint of suspicion. sister wang said angrily, "auntie zhang, it''s not as if sister jiang shu had not shared her family''s meat supply with you in the past. why can''t you think before you speak? is it because you''re too old to remember stuff? that kid deng fan definitely hasn''t done anything treacherous!" "then tell us why ye lei would cry at their door for so many days," auntie zhang asked. "i don''t know, but i know deng fan very well. deng fan is a gentleman and will never do such a thing!" sister wang said. Chapter 1358 Body Search ? when ye lei saw people coming out of the house, she wept even harder. if not for the fact that ye lei wiped off her tears with her sleeve as she cried, qiao mei felt like putting a big basin under ye lei''s face. perhaps if ye lei cried for a day and a night, she would be able to fill up the basin. then they could use ye lei''s tears to wash the vegetables and dishes. this way, they would be able to save water. ye lei could also be considered to have contributed to the conservation of water resources on earth. qiao mei suddenly had a weird idea. if she used ye lei''s tears to water the flowers, would she be able to cultivate new types of flowers? a long time ago, she had promised the old man selling flowers that she would grow a unique camellia one day! after qiao mei and the others came out, they did not say anything and just quietly watched ye lei cry. qiao mei was even concerned that ye lei would get tired from crying, so she thoughtfully put a pot full of water in front of ye lei. when ye lei ran out of steam, she would be able to drink some water before continuing to cry. "what''s the meaning of this?" ye lei questioned. "we''re just concerned about your health. if you lose your voice, then how can you continue to frame us? it''s only noon now and there''s still plenty of time for you to cry. take your time and cry slowly," qiao mei said with a smile. "you''re talking nonsense! when did i frame anyone! i''m telling the truth! deng fan and i are in love with each other and we''re already engaged! if not for you! deng fan and i will be getting married in a few days!" ye lei said firmly. after telling lies for so long, ye lei could no longer differentiate between truth and lies. "i''m getting so sick of hearing you say these same few sentences all the time. can you say something new?" qiao mei asked. "i still have... many things to say about deng fan! if you know what''s good for you, quickly lead me into the house. otherwise, i''ll spew all the dirt on deng fan in front of everyone!" ye lei pointed at deng fan and said righteously, as if she was the heroine who had come to punish an evildoer. qiao mei knew very well whether there was any dirt on deng fan. back when xia he wanted to date deng fan, xia zhe had already arranged for someone to investigate deng fan. he had a clean background and did not have any bad records. the people around him all spoke well of him. only then did xia zhe feel at ease to allow xia he to carry on with deng fan. xia zhe was not the only one who had investigated deng fan in private. xia mao, xia wen, xia xiu and even xia fang had arranged for the people around them to find out whatever they could about deng fan. at this moment, apart from the state of deng fan''s physical body, they knew everything else about him. "is that so?" qiao mei slowly walked to ye lei''s side, squatted down and whispered into her ear, "are you talking about the baby? don''t tell me that baby is deng fan''s child? the thing is you''re just looking for a father for the bastard child you''re carrying." in an instant, ye lei felt as if all the blood in her body was frozen. they had kept this matter a secret and no one had discovered it so far. back then, she was afraid that the matter would be exposed if she went to a big hospital, so she specially asked ye xiang to find a small clinic for her to do the physical examination. how could qiao mei know about this? she had even used a piece of cloth to wrap tightly around her stomach, worried that people would find out that she was pregnant. could it be that qiao mei was really so resourceful? who was qiao mei and how did she know about the pregnancy! "are you scared? i never imagine that you will get scared. if you are able to chat politely with us, maybe we can give you a chance for a calm conversation. if you still want to continue to cause trouble at the deng family''s door, then i can''t guarantee where you and your mother will spend the rest of your lives," qiao mei said. ye lei slumped to the ground, looking very stiff. ye xiang also heard the conversation between qiao mei and ye lei. "we... we''ll come in with you..." ye xiang said as she helped ye lei up. qiao mei glanced at ye xiang and then said to xia he, "elder sister, can you carry out a body search on them? i''m worried that they''re carrying dangerous items. it would be disastrous if they go in and hurt auntie." xia he nodded. ye xiang and ye lei were very cooperative. they were so scared that qiao mei would reveal their real intentions in public. if the truth was exposed, they would have nowhere to go in the capital. there was already no way out for them. Chapter 1359 Not Giving In to Each Other chapter 1359 not giving in to each other "look, this girl is really amazing. she made these two people from the ye family stop their nonsense with just a few words. i''m sure there''s something wrong with the ye family! otherwise, why are they so obedient now?" sister wang said as she looked at auntie zhang proudly. auntie zhang curled her lips in disdain and said, "hmph, if you''re so capable, why don''t you go and help jiang shu? why are you still arguing with me here?" "how can you say i haven''t helped jiang shu! i even taught these two women a lesson! that day, i was the one who rushed to the front to stop them! what did you do? jiang shu is so nice to you and yet you turn your back on her. when this matter is over, i''ll definitely tell jiang shu about this! let''s see how you can take advantage of their family in the future!" sister wang said angrily. "you really like to poke your nose in other people''s business! i think you''re just a busybody! what does my interactions with jiang shu have to do with you? are you jealous of my relationship with jiang shu?" auntie zhang said as she looked at sister wang smugly. both women did not want to give in to each other and started arguing. the crowd outside were basically divided into two factions. one faction was those who supported jiang shu, while the other faction felt that there was something wrong with deng fan''s behavior. a few people maintained neutrality and only stayed to watch the fun. "you''re just an old widow! you''re just jealous that jiang shu is happy and blissful! you can''t bear to see deng fan doing well! pfft!" sister wang pointed at auntie zhang and scolded her angrily. "who are you calling a widow! don''t make me hit you! you still have the cheek to talk about me. don''t you remember why your husband married you? slut! you''re the most shameless slut in the entire alley!" auntie zhang was so angry that her voice began to tremble. she was already so old, yet she still had to quarrel with others. just as the two of them were about to get into a fight, deng fan hurriedly walked over and said, "auntie zhang, sister wang, stop arguing. don''t ruin the harmony between you because of us. we''re all neighbors. let''s talk calmly." "xiao fan, i know that you definitely haven''t done anything wrong. i believe you! if anyone bullies you, i''ll definitely beat her to death!" sister wang said as she looked over at auntie zhang. auntie zhang had received a lot of gifts from jiang shu over the years. she was too ashamed to stand in front of deng fan, so she covered her face with a handkerchief and quickly disappeared into the crowd. "sister wang, don''t be angry. this matter will be resolved soon. all of you don''t have to worry about it," deng fan said with a smile. "good, good, good! you must take good care of your mother! i''ll take care of everything outside!" sister wang patted her chest and promised deng fan. on the other side, xia he carefully checked the items that the two women had with them and checked the spots where they could easily hide things, but she did not find anything unusual. however, just as they were about to enter the house, qiao mei suddenly stopped. she looked at ye xiang''s shoes without moving. just now, she had realized that ye xiang''s gait was a little strange, as if she walked with a limp. however, there was no mention of this in the documents. "take off your shoes," qiao mei said. xia he and deng fan looked on nervously. xia he had missed this part when doing the body search just now. the two of them held their breaths and focused on the shoes of the ye family''s mother-and-daughter duo. ye xiang took off her shoes embarrassedly. there was indeed something inside the shoes, but it was not the dangerous items which qiao mei thought of. instead, it was a handkerchief with something wrapped inside. "it''s... it''s my money," ye xiang said. "why do you put money in your shoes! seriously... i''m almost scared to death..." xia he said as she patted her chest. "i''m just worried that someone will steal it! not everyone is from a wealthy family like yours!" ye xiang said in a jealous manner. qiao mei and xia he ignored her. even if she came from a wealthy family, she still had to rely on her own efforts and add on to the hard work of her ancestors in order to accumulate wealth. could she become rich just by dreaming? it was simply something that a fool would say. when ye xiang entered the house, she behaved like how she used to in the past. everything looked beautiful and interesting to her. although this was the jiang family''s old house, the internal structure was completely different from before. deng rui had personally designed this place. "ha, it''s been a long time, jiang shu," ye xiang said with a cold smile. jiang shu suppressed the anger in her heart and said, "long time no see." "oh, your husband is still this man. i hope it''s a different person the next time i come by," ye xiang said as she looked at jiang shu. Chapter 1360 You Do Not Have the Right chapter 1360 you do not have the right deng fan clenched his fists. if ye xiang was a man, she would need to go to the hospital right now. just as jiang shu was about to flare up, deng rui grabbed her hand tightly and shook his head gently. there was no need for them to be angry with this woman. "it seems that you have good stamina and can still pick a fight with us. i just wonder if your daughter also has the same amount of stamina," qiao mei said as she sat at the side. ye lei had only been pregnant for slightly more than three months. during the last few days, she had come here every day to kick up a fuss. sometimes, she would even get into fights with other people. she even had to wrap her stomach tightly so that no one would find out that she was pregnant. after these few days, there was definitely a negative impact on her body. in addition, she was already a little malnourished to begin with and her health was not very good. seeing how all these had not resulted in a miscarriage, it could only be said that she was really blessed by the heavens. "i''m fine..." ye lei said stubbornly. her lips had long gone pale and big drops of sweat kept dripping down from her forehead. she looked as if she would shatter with a light touch. "lei lei! lei lei, how are you?" ye xiang hugged ye lei tightly. the two of them sat down on the floor and leaned against each other. anyone who did not know better would think that the deng family had done something to the two of them. fortunately, there was a thick carpet on the floor so that ye lei would not feel more discomfort. after qiao mei gave birth, she could not bear to see other pregnant women going through a tough time. although ye lei had done something wrong, the baby was innocent. qiao mei slowly walked to ye lei''s side and squatted down, placing her left hand on ye lei''s wrist. she quickly saw ye lei''s physical condition in her mind. there was not much of a problem with the baby for the time being, but if ye lei continued to hurt her own body like this, she would eventually lose the baby. "is the hatred in your heart more important than your daughter''s life?" qiao mei asked. ye xiang was stunned to the spot. she was nothing like what qiao mei said. she was the person who loved ye lei the most, so how could she not be fond of ye lei? if she did not care about ye lei, why would she try so hard to find a good family for ye lei to marry into? "no! you''re wrong! i love lei lei. i love her very much... i love her! what do you know!" ye xiang roared at qiao mei. "if you love her, you should bring her home to have a good rest and take care of her throughout her pregnancy. you shouldn''t be causing trouble at my house now," jiang shu said. "shut up!!! what right do you have to criticize me! what right do you have! jiang shu, what right do you have to talk about me like that! among everyone here, you''re the only one who has the least right to say such things! do you know how much i hate you!" ye xiang cried as she looked at jiang shu, speaking like a crazy person. "i don''t have any right? you want to harm my son! you want to destroy my family! how is it that i have no right to question you?" jiang shu roared back angrily. "yes, you just don''t have any right. you always look at me as if you''re so high and mighty. when we were young, i thought that you were nice to me and that you cared about me, but i was wrong! you only treated me as your pet, your toy. you mocked me all the time," ye xiang said. jiang shu did not have any memories of doing what ye xiang said. she was clearly the person who cared about ye xiang the most, and she was always very concerned about ye xiang. she did not understand why ye xiang had such a huge misunderstanding about her. when they were young, the two of them often played together. they went to school together, ate together and went home from school together. other than the time when they were asleep, the two of them were always together. jiang shu came from a scholarly family and her family was very particular about rules and etiquette. ye xiang had never received such an education from young and the two of them often had some minor conflicts. jiang shu wanted ye xiang to correct her bad habits, so she would nag at ye xiang from time to time. it was probably because of this that ye xiang misunderstood jiang shu and felt that jiang shu said all those things because she looked down on her. "i''ve never ever looked down on you," jiang shu said. "who''s going to believe you? what''s the point of saying all this now? stop talking so much nonsense. you didn''t ask my daughter and i to come in to try to reform us, did you?" ye xiang looked at jiang shu with hatred in her eyes. jiang shu smiled resignedly. ye xiang was no longer the person she knew. she was truly incorrigible. Chapter 1361 Giving You Two Options chapter 1361 giving you two options "of course not. if even the buddha can''t reform you, how can we be able to do that? we let you so that we can ask you, what do you want? i''m really too curious," qiao mei said as she blinked. "what does what i want have to do with you! who do you think you are!" ye xiang said angrily. jiang shu suddenly stood up and said, "that''s my goddaughter! she''s also part of the deng family!" qiao mei did not expect to have another godmother after coming over here. she suddenly felt a little narcissistic. perhaps it was because she was too outstanding, so everyone was very fond of her and wanted her to be their daughter. with jiang shu''s affirmation, qiao mei spoke with even more confidence. she said arrogantly, "i''m speaking up for my godmother. is there anything wrong with that?" jiang shu and qiao mei looked at each other and smiled. this was the kind of tacit understanding between women. "what we want is very simple. i want my daughter to marry deng fan! she will become the deng family''s daughter-in-law!" ye xiang said. "how short-sighted of her. our eldest brother isn''t married too, so why doesn''t she go and bully him? she''s just trying to take revenge on my godmother. yet she makes it sound like she''s doing it all for her daughter," qiao mei whispered into xia he''s ear. "excuse me! you actually want eldest brother to encounter such a woman. if he really bumps into her, he will go crazy!" xia he said as she covered her mouth. "i''m not afraid of all of you! so long as i say that this child belongs to deng fan, do you think those people outside will still believe you so firmly?" ye xiang looked at qiao mei agitatedly and then laughed loudly, as if her plan had already succeeded. "so what if you go out and say that the baby is deng fan''s? if i tell everyone about all those dirty things you''ve done in the past, let''s see if everyone will still believe what you say," qiao mei said in a gentle manner. "how do you know these things!" ye xiang looked at qiao mei in disbelief. qiao mei shrugged resignedly and flicked her hair gently. "perhaps... i''m just too capable." deng fan and xia he could not help but laugh out audibly. the two of them quickly coughed twice to calm down, but qiao mei''s actions just now were really too narcissistic and they really could not help themselves. ye xiang looked at qiao mei in fear. if her dirty past was exposed to the public, she would definitely be caught and locked in a cage to be forcibly drowned! she would die! she must not let this happen. "you... you won''t..." ye xiang muttered softly. "on account of your past relationship with auntie, i''ll give you a chance. do you want it or not?" qiao mei asked. "chance? what chance?" ye xiang looked at qiao mei anxiously as if she had found a straw to clutch at. "the two of you can either go to jail or... leave the capital and disappear from our sight forever," qiao mei said. ye xiang said in a crazy manner, "you''re lying to me! you must be lying to me! i only sat outside your house for two days. as if you can force the police to lock me up for the rest of my life!" most of the men who came to look for her were poor men who were unable to get married. whenever they had some money, they would go and look for ye xiang to have some fun. ye xiang was not very good-looking and could not manage to attract rich men at all. the first half of her life was simply a mess. ye xiang did not leave any evidence of doing these things. how could qiao mei have photos of these men in bed with her? those men would not dare to come out to testify at all. if they did, they would also go to jail. "everything is based on evidence, though we can''t know everything that happens in this world. still, i''d advise you to think about it carefully." after saying that, qiao mei picked up the brown paper bag from the table and waved it in front of ye xiang. ye xiang really did not dare to gamble with qiao mei, but she had no way out. some time ago, she met a man. that man was not a local, but he was very generous and spoke to her kindly. he was also quite skilled and even told ye xiang that he wanted to bring her away from this godforsaken place to live a good life. ye xiang could never resist such temptation. she thought that she had finally met a nice man and decided to be with him. Chapter 1362 Stingy chapter 1362 stingy in the beginning, ye xiang would fantasize about the future and how she should behave as a rich man''s wife. in order to go home with this man, she even bought a new set of clothes and kept thinking about the promises that he made to her. unexpectedly, after a few days, the man gave her 100 dollars and then left the small county city. ye xiang originally thought that this was the beginning of her moneyed lifestyle, but she did not expect that trouble was brewing. ye xiang had never imagined that the man actually had a wife and children. his wife hired a group of thugs to smash up ye xiang''s house. it was useless even when ye xiang called the police. even if she went back now, she would be homeless. she might as well wait for death at the deng family''s house! "there''s no use for you to stay here. i know everything you have done. i''d advise you to leave the capital immediately and not let me see you in the capital again. if you agree readily, maybe i can even give you some money for the train ticket," qiao mei said. she would just treat it as giving ye xiang a handout. if she could use 30 dollars to solve the deng family''s current predicament, it was a very good deal indeed. "i''m not leaving! jiang shu! do you really want me to die!" ye xiang said as she turned to look at jiang shu. "deng fan, bring uncle and auntie back to the bedroom. qiao mei and i will take care of things here," xia he said as she looked at deng fan tenderly. this was originally a matter for the deng family to handle, but now that ye xiang was pressing on incessantly and using jiang shu''s soft-heartedness to stir up trouble, xia he could not care about the optics. she had to take action on this matter. deng fan obediently sent his parents back to the bedroom and locked the door before returning to xia he''s side. "this is a matter between us elders. you little brats have no right to talk to me! i want jiang shu to talk to me!" ye xiang said. "we wanted to talk to you politely, but it seems that there''s no need now. you have to know that this is not a discussion. we''re telling you to choose between the two options. if you continue to cause trouble, then we''ll just send the two of you to jail," xia he said as she looked at ye xiang coldly. "you''re not the deng family''s daughter-in-law yet!" before ye xiang could finish speaking, deng fan interrupted her and said, "my wife is xia he. other than xia he, i won''t marry anyone else. xia he is the only daughter-in-law of the deng family!" xia he looked at deng fan and smiled. it felt good to be protected. in the past, she had always been the one to rush to the front to be the protector. now, she also had someone to protect her. "if you leave now, we''ll give you 15 dollars for travel expenses on account of your past friendship. this money is enough for you to leave the capital and go anywhere," xia he said. qiao mei secretly gave xia he a thumbs up. she did not expect xia he to be even stingier than her. qiao mei had actually intended to include the money for a meal for the two women. ye xiang looked at ye lei, who was lying in her arms, then at xia he and said, "we''ll leave the capital... but can you give us more money..." xia he sighed. she took out 20 dollars from deng fan''s pocket and threw it to ye xiang. "that''s all we have. we won''t give you any more. leave quickly with your daughter and don''t come back again." ye xiang looked at xia he with indignation and hatred in her eyes. qiao mei quickly stood in front of xia he and said, "i have all the evidence of your crimes here, so you''d better behave yourself in the future. i''ll keep an eye on you at all times. if you dare to come back and cause trouble, then don''t blame us for whatever happens." ye xiang grabbed the money from the ground and left the deng family''s house with ye lei dejectedly. they still did not know where they could go. however, what happened to them in the future no longer had anything to do with qiao mei and the rest. whether they lived or died would depend on their fates. after the women left, xia he looked at deng fan coldly before grabbing qiao mei and leaving the deng family''s house. she did not say anything and ignored deng fan no matter what he said behind her. "elder sister, what''s wrong with you?" qiao mei asked xia he in the car confusedly. the issue had already been resolved. they could focus on preparations for xia he and deng fan''s wedding next. why was xia he unhappy now? "i just feel that the deng family can''t protect me. do you know what i mean?" xia he was a little conflicted and did not know if she should think that way. Chapter 1363 Sense of Security chapter 1363 sense of security ? xia he found it hard to describe what was making her feel so uncomfortable. she had a stuffy feeling in her chest, like there was a heavy stone pressing down on her heart, making it difficult for her to breathe. "... i think i know what you mean," qiao mei said after thinking for a moment. in her previous relationship, xia he had been humiliated and reprimanded by all those relatives in the kong family and she had always silently endured it all. back then, she had expected kong lu to stand by her side and protect her, but he had never done this all throughout. he even blamed her for being too weak. xia he had that same feeling again after what happened just now. she knew very well that this whole issue was caused by the ye family and had nothing to do with deng fan. he had not done anything wrong. however, at the end of the day, it was qiao mei who helped her to resolve the issue. although deng fan had promised her that he would be able to settle it, she did not want to wait until he took action. perhaps she and qiao mei were too impatient, or perhaps she should have taken into account the fact that deng fan did not have time as he was too busy taking care of the sick jiang shu. she did not know how she should feel about this entire matter. "i... am i wrong? i don''t know what i should do now. i just... i just don''t feel at ease," xia he leaned her head weakly against the window and looked at the sky. "it''s probably the lack of a sense of security," qiao mei said gently. "sense of security? what''s that?" xia he looked at qiao mei in confusion. she had never heard of this term before, but yet it did not sound strange when qiao mei said it. "it''s like when you''re in trouble, you know you can trust someone unconditionally. if you encounter any difficult matter, you know that the person will help you solve it. even if he can''t, he will always be by your side and will never abandon you. that''s the gist of what it means," qiao mei explained. every word that qiao mei said was like a sharp sword stabbing into xia he''s heart. this was exactly how she felt, but she did not know how to address that feeling. "i need to calm down and think things through. i think i''ll stay at your house for the time being. i need to chat with grandpa qiao and ask him for advice," xia he said. "when did my grandfather become so capable? he even doess psychological counseling!" qiao mei said in surprise. "there are many things you don''t know! your grandfather is an open-minded person. i feel that i can work out many issues whenever i talk to him," xia he said. qiao mei realized that qiao qiang seemed to treat her differently from how he treated other people. every time she ran into trouble and went to look for him, he would unconditionally support her in all her decisions. no matter whether she was right or wrong, he would always firmly choose to be on her side. if she really could not resolve the issue, he would do everything he could to help her. the first thing qiao mei did when she got home was to go to the study to see if the "play dead" bird was still alive. the moment qiao mei opened the door, she saw the pigeon drinking water in the cage. it seemed that it had completely come to terms with its situation and realized that it was useless to fight back. "little fellow, you have to listen to me from now on! if you listen to me obediently, i''ll give you a lot of delicious food. if you don''t listen to me, i''ll feed you to the big tabby cat from the old grandma''s house next door!" qiao mei said fiercely. the pigeon nodded fearfully and then turned to face the wall, not wanting to look at qiao mei. this was no different from the concept of burying its head in the sand. as long as it did not see her, then it could pretend that it had never met her before. qiao mei did not force the pigeon to do anything it did not like. sooner or later, it would adapt to life here. "you still don''t have a name yet. i''ll call you ''coocoo''. anyway, you''re always cooing away," qiao mei said with a smile. the pigeon continued to face the wall motionlessly. qiao mei took it to mean that it was agreeable to the name and happily returned to the bedroom to sleep. she had been so busy recently that she did not have time to take care of xia fan and xia xing. tonight, qiao mei carried the two of them until they gradually fell asleep. the next morning, after qiao mei changed the children''s clothes and fed them powdered milk, she went to li gui''s house. zhao fei was coming by for a discussion on the direction of the business in the future. as soon as qiao mei opened the back door, she saw zhao fei standing at li gui''s main door, not daring to go in. it was probably because zhao fei did not know how to face li gui after those things which the zhao family did. Chapter 1364 New Operational Plan ? "why aren''t you going in?" qiao mei asked evenly. "oh! sister qiao mei, you''re here. i... i just arrived not long ago. let''s go in together," zhao fei said as he scratched his head in embarrassment. qiao mei did not comment on what she just saw. she led zhao fei into li gui''s courtyard and as usual, the children went to qiao qiang''s house to play. qian''e and li gui were seated in the living room and had been waiting for zhao fei since early in the morning. the two of them looked like they were prepared to do battle. li gui had even put on the new clothes she had bought for the new year. she did not even bear to wear them more than a few times during the new year! it was obvious that qian''e was the one who asked li gui to wear the clothes. she probably wanted li gui to look more authoritative and send a signal to zhao fei. li gui was usually very soft-spoken and she was not forceful at all. it was actually quite a good strategy to give zhao fei some pressure in this manner. qiao mei pursed her lips and smiled. these two women were really very cute when they were together. "since everyone is here, let''s not beat around the bush." qiao mei took a sip of water and continued, "the factory in the suburbs is still under construction and will take about half a month to complete. during this period of time, i think we should discuss and decide on our new operational plan." "are we going to move all our operations there?" qian''e asked. qiao mei thought for a moment and said, "yes, let''s work there in the future. i''ll go and think about how to solve the issue of transport." now that everyone had already settled down here, it would likely be difficult for them to get used to working in the suburbs every day. the daily journey was very long and it was also a waste of time and energy. "actually, i''d like to suggest that we build a dormitory in the suburbs. since we have designated rest days, we can stay near the factory during workdays and come back here during our off days. this way, we can save on time and cost," qian''e said. "this is a good idea. i''ll go and talk to the architect about this," qiao mei said with a smile. xia zhe''s friends were different from zhou shuang and the rest of the women. they were currently renters, so to them, staying in the dormitory would be no different from staying at qiao mei''s place. in fact, staying in the dormitory could save them money! the issues with the popcorn and braised meat were easy to resolve, but the main problem was the seeds. the seeds produced in foshan village had already all been bought up by director he. there was only that much land there. even if all the villagers stopped supplying director he in the future and made arrangements to transport all their harvested seeds to the capital, the transportation costs would be almost the same amount as the cost of the seeds. if that was the case, the seeds business would just end up making a loss. the best solution now was to rent some land in the villages around the capital or distribute seeds to the villagers. when it was time for harvest, they could then send someone to go around and collect the harvested seeds. "sister qiao mei... do you think you can start with planting the seeds in our village first? the seeds i sold in the past were all planted and harvested by the people in my village. the land there is definitely suitable for this! the people in our village have been farming for generations and are very experienced in growing seeds," zhao fei said as he looked at qiao mei expectantly. "have you resolved the conflict with your family? as i said the last time, we only want to work with you in the future and not with the rest of the zhao family," qiao mei said with a frown. zhao fei''s village was indeed the most suitable site for a test bed, but qiao mei was still nursing a grudge against what had happened previously. the thing she hated the most was a selfish business partner. "don''t worry! everything has been resolved! my uncle and the others have already turned over a new leaf. they know very well that they had hurt auntie li with what they did. they won''t dare to do it again," zhao fei said as he looked at qiao mei sincerely. with the village chief keeping an eye on them, those zhao family members probably would not dare to cause any trouble. moreover, this issue concerned the livelihood of the entire village. if the village lost its chance to make money because of the zhao family, the entire family would be reviled by everyone for the rest of their lives! "alright then. go back and do a tabulation on how many people are willing to work with us and how much land each family is willing to demarcate to grow the seeds. make sure it is accurate, not an inch more or less," qiao mei said. "sure, sure, sure! i''ll go back and tabulate the numbers now! i''ll come back tomorrow and let you know how much land we can get!" zhao fei said excitedly. "however, the acquisition price is different from what we talked about previously. we''ll pay 60 cents for one pound of harvested seeds and we''ll supply the seeds to you for your retail sales at two dollars a pound," qiao mei said. Chapter 1365 Unreasonable Price chapter 1365 unreasonable price "then what about my selling price?" zhao fei asked. "the selling price is still the same as before. one cup at 50 cents. the planting seeds will cost two dollars a pound. if you find it acceptable, then we can continue to work together," qiao mei said. zhao fei looked at qiao mei in shock. based on these numbers, both he and the other villagers would not be able to earn much money at all. he could only make a profit of 50 cents from selling one pound of seeds. most of the profits would go to qiao mei. this was clearly a 9:1 split. it did not seem fair. "sister qiao mei... isn''t that too little? this is different from what we agreed on back then," zhao fei asked tentatively. "the planting seeds supplied by my family can produce between 500 pounds and 800 pounds of harvested seeds per pound. if we base our calculations on the minimum harvest of 500 pounds, each family in your village can earn at least an average of 150 dollars a month." qiao mei looked at zhao fei and continued, "as for you... seeds always sell better than popcorn. if you buy more to sell, you''ll be able to maintain your usual income." the truth was that qiao mei could have bought the harvested seeds from zhao fei''s village at the same price as the harvested seeds from foshan village, but she was not in a good mood. she wanted to teach zhao fei and the others a lesson and make sure they knew who their "god of fortune" was. zhao fei still wanted to negotiate further with qiao mei, but qiao mei said in a straightforward manner, "if you still want to do this business, then bring me the tabulation on the land area from your village tomorrow. there''s nothing else to discuss." seeing how stubborn qiao mei was, zhao fei had no choice but to compromise. an income of more than 130 dollars a month was not considered a small amount, so the villagers should still feel satisfied. they currently earned only about 50 dollars a month and the amount even fluctuated from month to month. after they discussed all the items, the meeting ended. zhao fei walked back to the village dejectedly. he went straight to the village chief to discuss this matter and told him about qiao mei''s request. "at the very least, everyone will earn more money than before. that''s good enough for now. leave the matter of the tabulation to me," the village chief said with a smile. as soon as zhao fei returned home, he was surrounded by the zhao family members. everyone wanted to ask him about the matter of the seeds business. "xiao fei, how was your discussion with qiao mei? is our family still in charge of sales?" zhao liu asked. "younger brother, did you ask about how much you can get?" zhao kai looked at zhao fei expectantly. everyone''s gaze was fixed on zhao fei, as if they would not let him into the house unless he explained everything clearly. "as long as you don''t go looking for trouble with their family, they will naturally give the job to us," zhao fei said helplessly. "in that case! it''s a done deal!" wang meng said excitedly. during this period of time, she had felt so uneasy. those other women in the village looked down on her and gossiped behind her back. they even mocked her for being a nouveau riche in front of her. now that the zhao family could earn money again, let''s see who still dared to criticize her! zhao fei told zhao liu and the others the various prices which qiao mei had mentioned, but he did not tell them about his selling price. if they were to find out that zhao fei was earning several times more than them, they would come up with crooked ideas again. "the seeds are so expensive! is qiao mei trying to rob us? we have so much land, so we have to buy at least seven pounds of planting seeds! that''s 14 dollars! that''s too expensive! didn''t you try to negotiate with her? we''ve worked with her for so long after all. can''t she just give us the seeds for free?" wang meng said unhappily. "it''s already good enough that our family is allowed to grow it! if uncle and aunt-in-law don''t want to take part, you can tell grandpa village chief. he''ll remove our family from the list," zhao fei said. wang meng was about to say something when zhao ming hurriedly pulled her aside and then said, "we''ll do what you say. we''ll do whatever you want as long as there''s money to be made!" the entire family spoke nicely to zhao fei, worried that they would offend him. for once, zhao liu behaved like the head of the family. he coughed twice and said, "all of you go back and check on the land area and then hurry to the village entrance to tell the village chief. don''t cause our family to miss out on this opportunity." zhao fei gave them a few simple instructions and then went to the village office to help the village chief with the statistics. after zhao fei left, the family members'' expressions changed immediately. Chapter 1366 Develop Hybrid Seeds chapter 1366 develop hybrid seeds "elder brother, it''s not that i want to criticize you, but do we have to speak to a little brat in such a humble manner? look at him, he doesn''t have any respect for us elders at all. back then, you brought him home because you pitied him. now, he''s simply repaying kindness with ingratitude. what an ungrateful thing. we should have thrown him into the trash heap back then!" wang meng complained. "sister-in-law, let''s just bear with it for a while longer. once the planting seeds are in our hands, won''t we be the ones to decide our own future?" zhao liu said smugly. "elder brother is so smart! you''ve really thought of everything!" zhao ming said. they could just keep a portion of the harvested seeds for themselves and then they would be able to use these seeds for planting the next year. after a while, they would have the final say in this business, would they not? qiao mei would not be able to stay so smug for long. in the end, she might even have to cry and beg them to let her off! just thinking about it made them feel excited. not only would they charge her the highest interest then, but they also wanted to monopolize the supply of seeds in the capital! they even thought that they could take over the xia family''s position in the capital. little did they know that money alone was not enough to gain a foothold among the wealthy families in the capital. the most highly educated zhao family member probably only finished the third grade of elementary school. people would only think of them as the nouveau riche. who would even think highly of them? in the past, when qiao mei was in foshan village, she told everyone there that she had sourced the seeds from the capital. now that she was in the capital, she could not use the same story. zhao fei had sold seeds in the capital for so many years and he definitely knew all the varieties available here. if there were really such good quality seeds in the capital, he would have discovered them long ago. qiao mei previously told him that she had brought her batch of seeds from the village. given that li gui and qiao mei had come from elsewhere, it had sounded quite convincing then. the previous batches of seeds were developed as a temporary solution to solve qiao mei''s urgent needs back then and the characteristics of the variety were not very stable. in view of this, qiao mei had locked herself in her room for the past few days to look into developing new types of seeds. qiao mei had specially converted a room in the backyard into a small flower nursery. it was filled with many of her weird toys and trinkets, as well as the seeds she had obtained from other people. in her other life, qiao mei did not even work so hard when she was in school. it seemed that money could indeed be a great motivator. she had already reached the point where she could even forget to eat and sleep. qiao qiang had already sensed something strange with qiao mei a long time ago. after all, who could casually take out a 10,000-year-old ginseng and countless 100-year-old ginsengs within just a month? outsiders did not know the exact number of ginsengs that qiao mei had, but qiao qiang knew that all the ginseng juice that qiao mei extracted could not have only come from one ginseng. he had never heard of any family who had an inexhaustible supply of 100-year-old ginsengs, as if they were just common radishes. however, he believed that qiao mei had her own reasons for doing whatever she did. since she did not tell him anything, he would not ask her about it. he even covered up for her. when anyone asked about what she was doing, he would always stop them from going in to disturb her. in any case, qiao mei''s ability to tend to flowers and plants was really quite outstanding. everyone knew that qiao mei was skillful in this, so they found it quite normal for her to be addicted to the care of flowers and plants. they all gradually got used to it. a few years ago, the authorities had developed a batch of hybrid seeds and had already started to distribute them to the various county cities. as the cost of research was quite high, in the beginning, the price was much higher than the original normal seeds. in recent years though, the price had dropped and everyone was more willing to use hybrid seeds. qiao mei wanted to try and see if she could develop her version of the hybrid seeds. after a few days of tireless efforts, qiao mei finally succeeded. the batch she had was the sixth generation hybrid seeds. not only did this batch of seeds inherit the second generation seeds'' characteristics of high yield and a short cycle, but the yield had also increased by a lot. however, the cycle was one to two weeks longer than the second generation seeds. if the cycle was too short, it would attract too much attention. it was better to keep a lower profile. as long as the output could increase at least proportionately, it would not be an issue if it took more time. however, the sixth generation hybrid seeds also had a particularly interesting feature. they could only be planted once and could only be produced by planting fifth generation seeds. if anyone wanted to use the harvested seeds from the sixth generation seeds for replanting, they would only get a pile of seeds with empty shells. this was qiao mei''s trump card in this entire exercise. she already knew that it was very risky to sell the seeds in large quantities. even if she knew the amount of seeds that could be produced from the amount she sold, it was only an estimate after all. she could not accurately estimate the actual amount of seeds harvested. as long as she left even one seed in someone else''s hands, it would be a risk for her. Chapter 1367 Buy New Clothes chapter 1367 buy new clothes the zhao family definitely would not follow qiao mei''s instructions obediently. whenever qiao mei thought about the type of seeds they would harvest by replanting the harvested seeds, she felt like cheering. she very much looked forward to seeing the looks on the zhao family members'' faces when that happened. qiao mei then returned to the study and flipped through all her books on plants. the knowledge from her other life was not enough to support her in the research and development of what she wanted to do. she needed to have an even deeper understanding of the nature and characteristics of plants. only then would she be able to develop the best hybrid seeds. after another two weeks, spring finally arrived. zhao fei came to look for qiao mei to pick up the planting seeds. qiao mei gave zhao fei 300 pounds of hybrid planting seeds based on the total amount submitted by all the families. zhao fei and the rest of the villagers had heard of hybrid seeds, but they had only planted hybrid corn before. this was their first time seeing hybrid seeds! "the eventual output should be about 180,000 pounds of harvested seeds. i hope that the actual amount i receive won''t be too different from this estimate. if there''s a substantial shortfall, then we may not be able to work together anymore in the future," qiao mei said with a smile. actually, qiao mei was not telling the truth. to be precise, there should be 183,600 pounds of harvested seeds. after her repeated tests during this period of time, she could already come out with very accurate estimates. zhao fei nodded. he would definitely give these seeds all his attention. they were his "lifeblood"! as the saying went, blocking one''s path to wealth was akin to killing one''s parents. anyone who blocked his path to earning money was no different from trying to kill him. qiao mei stayed at home and did nothing for a few days. she heard from sister feng that deng fan had come to look for xia he not long ago and the two of them had reconciled. she had been so busy with the matter of the seeds recently that she could even forget to eat, so she did not notice this matter at all. she did not expect xia he to have thought things through so quickly. "qiao mei! are you at home! come with me to buy clothes! qiao mei, come out!" xia he shouted as soon as she entered the house. qiao mei quickly walked out of the study. "madam, my two little babies are still sleeping. if you do this, the two of them will get up and cause trouble," qiao mei said helplessly. xia he hurriedly covered her mouth and quickly walked over to qiao mei. "i''m sorry, i''m just too excited. i hope i didn''t wake them up..." qiao mei shook her head. xia wen had been very busy recently and did not come to carry xia xing around the house. xia xing slept especially soundly and could fall asleep even without anyone carrying her. qiao mei had already corrected all her fussy habits. "nowadays, these two children sleep like piglets. they won''t get up even when there''s thunder. don''t worry," qiao mei said. "that''s good. come shopping with me to buy new clothes! let''s go! if we don''t go now, it''ll be too late!" xia he said excitedly. "didn''t i make two sets of clothes for you during the new year? why do you still need to buy clothes?" qiao mei looked at xia he and asked curiously. during this period of time, xia he''s purchases had almost filled up an entire room and yet she still wanted to go shopping. "no! it''s almost xia xing''s wedding day. we must look more outstanding than them! you should wear new clothes too! i''ll buy them for you! let''s go!" xia he said stubbornly. qiao mei laughed and asked, "if we dress nicer than the bride, then who''s the lead character that day? you or me? are the three of us getting married together?" "tsk, she won''t care about these things! you still don''t know, but their family has been in a mess recently and they don''t have time to deal with the wedding at all. i''m so glad to know that!" xia he said happily and almost wanted to jump up and clap. xia jun had always said that the three brothers'' families should be united and not go against one another. however, the third son''s family members always created trouble for the eldest son''s family, so xia he would not treat them kindly! the day when the third son''s family members knew how to get along peacefully with them would be the day when xia he would talk to them nicely. in the beginning, when shao yin moved into the small house, she felt very happy. however, when everyone else moved in as well, she started to worry. this was not the life she wanted at all. given that both qiao mei and her were daughters-in-law of the xia family, she did not understand why qiao mei could live in such a big house while her entire family had to squeeze into such a small house. "you don''t know this yet! grandfather had arranged for third uncle to be transferred back to the capital and he''s now in charge of training new recruits in the army," xia he said as she held qiao mei''s arm. Chapter 1368 Pay A Visit ? "is third uncle really willing to return to the capital to work?" qiao mei asked curiously. qiao mei had heard xia zhe talk about xia guang before. the reason why the third son''s family was not close to the rest of the family had something to do with xia guang being piqued with xia jun. now that the third son''s entire family was back, she did not know what kind of trouble they could stir up. "i don''t know about this, but i heard from eldest auntie that third uncle is doing quite well and might be promoted after training the current batch of new recruits. xia lu and xia yan have also started school in the capital. everyone seems very satisfied with their current jobs and lives. but shao yin and xia xing recently had a big fight," xia he said. "huh? why? is it because the job that grandfather arranged for xia xing is not good?" qiao mei asked. "of course not. grandfather had arranged for xia xing to work in government services! he''s doing the same kind of work he did previously. it''s neither better nor worse, but there''s still a big difference between a job in the county city and a job in the capital. in that sense, xia xing can be considered to have been promoted. it''s shao yin who''s unhappy about her work," xia he said with a pout. "what does she want to do? if there''s really no other way, she can just come and work at my factory. anyway, i have to recruit people soon," qiao mei said nonchalantly. "no way! if you give shao yin a job in the factory, i''ll get angry with you!" xia he said angrily. qiao mei quickly comforted xia he. she did not know what this shao yin had done to make xia he hate her so much. based on xia he''s personality, she would not hate someone so easily. "sure, sure, sure. whatever you say. then tell me, why did they quarrel?" qiao mei asked. "shao yin insisted on working in government services as well. she had already quarreled with zhou luo about this a few times and she wept, threw a tantrum and even threatened to commit suicide. no one can do anything about her, but they are all scared of grandfather, so they dare not tell him about this," xia he said. "is it so difficult to enter government services? eldest brother''s bodyguard is also a government employee and i see that he''s doing quite well. can''t they just ask grandfather to arrange for her to have a job in the cleaning department?" qiao mei said after thinking for a moment. "what are you thinking! if things are really that simple, do you think there''ll be a fight! shao yin wants to work with eldest brother! she wants to work in eldest brother''s department!" xia he said furiously. qiao mei was stunned for a moment before she whistled playfully at xia he and said, "how interesting. no wonder no one dares to talk to grandfather about this." xia wen was xia jun''s treasure. whoever dared to do anything to xia wen would be tantamount to endangering xia jun''s lifeblood. shao yin was about to marry xia xing, yet she still behaved so indecently. "she didn''t even complete elementary school, yet she still wants to work in government services. the aunties who sweep the floor in the government departments need to at least have junior high school certificates! we can''t let her succeed in this! we have to tell eldest brother about this and ask him to be on guard against her," xia he said sternly. "eldest brother already knows about this problem. you have to trust him." qiao mei suddenly had an idea and said, "come! let''s go and take a look at her new home! we''ll just say we''re there to send our well wishes!" "what? go now? then what about our plan to buy new clothes?" xia he pouted and said unhappily. "another day, another day! if there''s really no other way, then how about i''ll make you the most gorgeous dress? i''ll make you whatever design you like," qiao mei said. the clothes they could buy outside were definitely not as beautiful as the ones qiao mei made. since qiao mei had already spoken up, xia he could only accompany her to visit shao yin. qiao mei thought that xia wen had simply found a farmhouse for xia xing and the others. however, when she arrived, she realized that the house was even bigger than her house in foshan village. it was twice as big! moreover, there were even two more tiled houses built at the side and the whole place looked very grand. xia wen had really put in a lot of effort in this. before qiao mei and xia he could enter, they already heard shao yin talking inside. every word she said was about how badly the xia family treated her and how they were not nice to her. "look at the kind of life i''m living! there are so many of us squeezed into this house. this is no way to live! look at the land area here. yet she lives in such a luxurious house. we are both daughters-in-law of the xia family. why do i have to live here!" shao yin complained. Chapter 1369 Who Do You Think You Are ? shao yin''s elder sister, shao le, frowned and said, "how big a house do you want? don''t tell me you want the xia family to build a castle for you? i think this house is not too bad. it''s much better than where we live in the county city. can''t you just be down-to-earth and live here? why do you have to keep comparing yourself with others?" "say, shao le, why are you siding with outsiders? she is your younger sister. how can you not pity her when even i find her pitiful! girl, listen to me. we must fight for whatever belongs to us! we can''t let others bully us!" shao yin''s cousin, bian jiu, said. xia he almost wanted to rush in to teach the three women inside the house a lesson so that they would know that the xia family was no pushover! qiao mei hurriedly held her back. it was not a good idea to rush in now. they still had to show xia xing some respect. "don''t be rash!" qiao mei whispered. "are we just going to watch them slander us like this?" xia he said angrily in a low voice. "don''t be anxious. let''s see what else they can say," qiao mei said as she leaned against the wall. this was a rare opportunity to hear about the shao family''s attitude towards the xia family. it sounded like shao yin''s elder sister, shao le, had a good character and at least knew how to be grateful to them. the other woman was not such a nice person. "the house! the money! nothing less! shao yin, you''re our shao family''s treasure. you''re the last unmarried girl in our family. you must get married in a grand manner! i definitely won''t let the xia family bully you like this!" bian jiu said. in the end, the things they said became more and more outrageous and they even wanted to target xia fang. they wanted to ask xia fang to give all the shao family''s relatives free full-body checkups. as qiao mei and xia he listened at the door, they could not stand it anymore. they coughed twice and walked into the courtyard. the three people in the courtyard were stunned for a moment. shao yin thought that she was imagining things and only confirmed that it was really qiao mei and xia he after taking a closer look. "who are you! this is the xia family''s courtyard! how can you barge in like this! aren''t you afraid that the xia family will come after you! are you tired of living!" bian jiu said as she looked at qiao mei and xia he arrogantly. those who did not know better would think that she was the xia family''s daughter-in-law. "oh, is this person part of the xia family? why don''t i know about this?" xia he looked at bian jiu mockingly. "who do you think you are! how dare you talk to me like that! be careful or i''ll get the xia family to teach you a lesson! when the time comes, you''ll have to kneel down and beg me!" bian jiu pointed at xia he angrily. shao yin hurriedly held bian jiu back and said to xia he, "i''m sorry, second cousin. my maternal cousin doesn''t mean it. please don''t take it to heart." "let me tell you who i think i am." xia he walked up to bian jiu and said slowly, "i am xia mao''s only daughter, the young lady of the xia family!" qiao mei turned her head and snickered. she had never seen xia he behaving in such a lofty manner before. it was like watching elementary school students having an argument. however, the phrase "young lady of the xia family" held so much weight that even she felt a little tempted. she wanted to try telling others that she was the third young madam of the xia family. no, no, no! forget it. it would be too awkward. the last time she went to xia jun''s house, that was how the butler addressed her and she instantly had goosebumps all over her body. she was not suitable for such dramatics. bian jiu looked at xia he awkwardly. she had said something wrong in a moment of agitation and she wondered if xia he would find trouble with her. "i''m sorry... i have no idea who you are... but even if you''re from the xia family, you can''t just enter the courtyard without knocking," bian jiu quibbled. "when we arrived, the door wasn''t closed. shao yin is about to marry brother xing. we thought that since we are family, there''s no need for such formal etiquette. we don''t know that we need to observe such proper etiquette even when entering our family members'' house," qiao mei said as she looked at bian jiu and shao yin. after such a long time here, shao yin had already found out everything about everyone in the xia family. in the eldest son''s family, although xu lan had the final say, qiao mei was right next in line. sometimes, xu lan might not even have as much say as qiao mei. this is because qiao mei could always find solutions to issues which had stumped everyone else. she could not afford to offend qiao mei. she must build a good relationship with qiao mei as she might need help in the future! "third cousin-in-law, that''s not what my maternal cousin meant. please don''t misunderstand," shao yin said quickly. Chapter 1370 - 1370 Unfilial 1370 unfilial we dont have any other intentions in coming to visit. we just want to see how youre doing here. since you have guests here, well go back now. well leave you to chat, qiao mei said. come and sit down. thats not what my younger sister meant. these girls are still young and insensible. please dont mind them. shao le quickly stood up and wanted to give up their seats to qiao mei and xia he. xia he and qiao mei looked at each other. it was difficult to reject such kindness, so they reluctantly sat down to hear what else the shao family members had to say. third cousin-in-law, i havent seen you for a while and youve become prettier! shao yin said with a smile. qiao mei nodded reluctantly. she really hated dealing with such situations. even when she was in the xia family residence, she had never felt so awkward. seeing that qiao mei did not say anything, shao yin turned around to talk to xia he. she did not expect xia he to ignore her and look at the sky instead. xia he found everything else interesting as long as she need not look at shao yin. i havent made introductions yet. this is my elder sister, shao le. this is my older cousin, bian jiu. the two of them are here to chat with me, shao yin said. so they have been staying at your place during this period of time? xia he turned her head and asked curiously. thats right! xia xing is very considerate. he knows that i dont have many friends in the capital, so he specially lets them come and accompany me, shao yin said without hiding her look of disappointment. the longer you stay here, the more friends you will have, qiao mei said. then can i go and look for you often? the last time i saw xia fan and xia xing, i really liked them very much. ive been thinking about them all this time! i really like children and i like to play with them, shao yin said as she looked at qiao mei expectantly. qiao mei lowered her eyes slightly. during the spring festival, qiao mei had seen how shao yin behaved towards xia fan and xia xing. her reaction was just lukewarm and she did not look like she liked children at all. if she really liked children, she would be like xia wen, who was always trying to find time to go to qiao meis place to play with the children. xia wen spent a lot of his monthly salary on stuff for the two children. according to xia wen, he was currently single and there was no point in putting aside so much money. he might as well spend his money on the two little babies. shao yin had an ulterior motive for saying all this. she had failed at her attempt to work in government services to get close to xia wen, so now she was having designs on qiao meis children. such wishful thinking. she should just continue to daydream! the children are still too young. its not good to have too many people in the house. lets wait until the children are older. in any case, youll be the xia familys daughter-in-law soon. we all live in the capital, so theres no hurry, qiao mei rejected tactfully. at the mention of the future, shao yin could not help but cover her face and cry. bian jiu immediately said, girl, why are you crying? i... i just feel a little sad that my parents cant come and stay with me. this house is only big enough for me and xia xings family. i cant take care of my parents. im really... really unfilial! shao yin said as she cried. xia he wished she could go forward and give shao yin two tight slaps. she had not even married into the xia family and she was already coming up with some much nonsense. once she married into the xia family, there was no telling what earth-shattering things she could do. she stared at shao yin and said sternly, brother xing did not grow up by his parents side. are you saying that brother xing is unfilial? no! thats not what i mean! second cousin, youve really misunderstood me! shao yin said as she looked at xia he with a pale face. qiao mei sighed resignedly. it seemed that what eldest brother said back then was right. she should not have bought so many houses. no! she should not have bought so many big houses. shao yin did not manage to get a house from grandfather, so now she was raising this issue in front of her. however, qiao mei could not put all her money in the bank. the massive amount of money would have attracted the attention of the counter staff. even though she had earned the money through legal channels, it was still better to keep a low profile. after all, it was better to avoid unnecessary trouble. cousin-in-law, if you think that this house is too small, you can tell brother xing and ask him to talk to my eldest brother. my eldest brother can help with issues regarding the house. i believe that with brother xings salary in the future, he can easily afford to rent a bigger house, xia he said casually. xia xings salary was not even as much as what xia he made. he only earned 60 dollars a month and could barely support his family. the rent for the house that shao yin was living in now was already 10 dollars a month. Chapter 1371 - 1371 More Exciting Than a Crosstalk Performance 1371 more exciting than a crosstalk performance xia xings salary was enough to feed the entire family if they kept their meals simple. there was no money for extravagant things. however, shao yin felt that the xia family should be dining like royalty every day since they lived in the capital. she was very sure that she had to live such a life because someone from the xia family was causing trouble for her. but... but were not doing that well yet... shao yin said tentatively. youre all so rich and powerful and it should be easy for you to help my sister out. i wonder why you are so petty, bian jiu said disdainfully. even if they had money, that was their hard-earned money. did they need to help out any random person they saw on the street? then did that mean that everyone who could not afford a meal should come and look for qiao mei? our family is not omnipotent. you should help shao yin out. after all, youre related by blood. you will help her, right? xia he looked at bian jiu and said earnestly. bian jiu smiled awkwardly and said, that... that goes without saying. its getting late, so qiao mei and i will take our leave first. if you need help with anything, ask brother xing to go and look for my eldest brother. take your time to chat. after saying that, xia he grabbed qiao mei and left xia xings house. she did not want to stay in that godforsaken place for another minute! xia he felt angry, but she could not scold shao yin in front of the shao family. she represented the xia family, so she must take care of the xia familys reputation when she was out. she could only control her temper until she reached xu lans house. she wanted to tell xu lan and liu fen about all these things and let the two elders decide on what to do next. fortunately, shao yin was the daughter-in-law of the third sons family. in the future, if xia wen found a woman who was even more outrageous than tan jing and shao yin, it would be better to ask xia wen to cut ties with the xia family. xia he definitely did not want to live such a life filled with infighting! once xia he got home, she told the two elders everything that had happened today in detail. qiao mei sat at the side and helped to fill in the gaps. the two of them echoed each other and it was even more exciting than a crosstalk performance, making xu lan so amused that she laughed loudly. mother, you can still laugh! im about to die of anger from the encounter with brother xings new wife! is no one going to discipline her! im going to tell grandfather about this! xia he said angrily. why are you going to tell the old master about the family affairs of the third sons family? dont you think your grandfather is already busy enough? besides, how can a girl like you behave like one of those women who gossip at the village entrance? you dont have to take these things so seriously. just listen casually to what they say and there is no need to get so worked up, xu lan said calmly. xia he pouted and said loudly, that shao yin still says she wants qiao meis big house! she wants the whole house! she wants to move everyone in the shao family to the capital! she specifically says she wants qiao meis biggest house! that woman also wants to go to the courtyard house that grandmother left behind! she wants to be by your grandchildrens side every day! who knows what shes up to! although xia he spoke a little exaggeratedly, it was not very far from the truth. what! how dare she! i want to see who dares to have designs on my grandchildren! xu lan smacked the coffee table angrily and stood up as she berated loudly. seeing that xu lan was getting a little angry, xia he continued to fan the flames and said, shes shameless! shes already married to xia xing, yet shes still thinking about my eldest brother! mother! you havent heard this but she specifically asks to work at eldest brothers workplace unit and that she must be in the same department as him. if shes not eyeing my eldest brother, then what else is she doing! mother, are you going to ignore this! qiao mei quickly got up to comfort xia he and xu lan. if it continued like this, these two women might even decide to rush into shao yins house and hack her into pieces. its not that serious. you make it sound like its the end of the world, qiao mei said with a smile. why arent you worried at all? shes eyeing your children! xia he said anxiously as she looked at qiao mei. she wont dare even if she gets the chance. dont worry. if shes smart enough, she wont cause trouble for the xia family at this juncture, qiao mei said. liu fen quickly echoed, qiao mei is right! however, we still must remind xiao wen to be on guard, so that this woman wont get what she wants. who knows what tricks she has up her sleeves. qiao mei, you too. ask luo yu to arrange for two guardseach at both the front and back doors of your house. tell him he must not let any suspicious people in. Chapter 1372 - 1372 Everyone Is in the Capital 1372 everyone is in the capital alright, second aunt-in-law. ill remember what you say, qiao mei said with a faint smile. xia he and xu lan still felt very indignant. their family had contributed both money and effort to help out with xia xings wedding, but they did not even get a word of thanks. at the end of the day, they had only gotten the shao familys greed in return. it seemed that there was no need for them to be nice to shao yin in the future. in the future, if xia xing chose not to side with the xia family and the couple started to covet things belonging to the eldest sons family, then there was no need for the eldest sons family to get along peacefully with the third sons family. liu fen just watched them fussing about the whole situation but she did not get involved. liu fen looked like a simple-minded person, but she was actually the smartest one among them. in this life, she had both sons and daughters and her husband also doted on her and loved her. furthermore, her in-laws glorious achievements made her look good as well and her children were also thriving at their jobs. although her family was not rich, they were happy and blissful. ever since qiao mei was in possession of the carrier pigeon, she would ask yao nian about everything. of course, it was not for free, but qiao mei was not concerned about the money at all. even if she investigated the background of every single person in the capital, qiao mei would still have money left over. the shao family was just an ordinary farming family. if there was anything special about them, it was that the shao family had a lot of relatives. almost all the villagers were their relatives. it was already too late for qiao mei and xia he to go back, so they slept over at xu lans place. very early the next day, xia wen received a strange call at the office. hello, who are you looking for? xia wens secretary picked up the phone and asked. hello, comrade. were the staff of the police post at the train station. there are about 30 people here who say they have lost their way. they all say that theyre looking for comrade xia wen. i wonder if you know this person, the police officer said politely. the secretary quickly routed the phone call to xia wen. xia wen picked up the phone and quickly seeked to understand what had transpired, looking a little frustrated. alright, ill send someone to pick them up now. thank you for your hard work. xia wen hung up the phone after saying that. he immediately gave xia xing a phone call but he had to redial many times before the phone was answered. he immediately shouted down the line, you finally know how to answer the phone! xia xing had never seen xia wen lose his temper to this extent. he quickly asked, whats wrong, elder brother? what happened? i was in a meeting just now and didnt hear the phone ringing. youre still asking me whats wrong. do you know that all your wifes relatives are here! there are more than 30 of them! they are clogging up the entire train station lobby! they are all at the police post at the train station now! her parents are also in the group. go and pick them up now, and get third uncle to go with you! now! xia wen roared. i... i dont know anything about this... ill go now! xia xing ran out without even hanging up the phone. xia wen suppressed the anger inside him. he had already endured enough during this period of time. ever since xia xing asked him for help to look for a house, he had not had a day of rest. if it was not that the house he found was too small, then it was too expensive. otherwise, the location was too remote or it was too far from the xia family residence and too inconvenient for them to go back for a visit. as long as it was not qiao meis big house, they would pick on every aspect. in the end, xia wen could not take it anymore and just took the liberty to confirm on a house for xia xing. it was only when they realized that xia wen did not care about their opinions anymore that they reluctantly moved in. otherwise, they would still continue to torture xia wen! this time, xia wen was not angry about the fact that so many people from the shao family had come by. even if the shao family invited their entire village to the capital, it had nothing to do with him. he was just angry that shao yin did not inform them in advance about this matter and that the visitors had to contact the xia family when they were already in the capital. this made the xia family look very rude. even when xia zhe and qiao mei hastily held their wedding in the past and the xia family members were not in attendance, xia zhe gave qiao mei an astronomical amount of betrothal gifts, a complete set of dowry and replaced all the furniture in the house according to qiao meis wishes. this showed xia zhes sincerity and in turn reflected well upon the xia family. even up until now, the people in foshan village were probably still talking about qiao meis wedding like it was a legend! theyre really too much... xia wen slumped back in his chair and said weakly. fortunately, xia xing was not his younger brother. otherwise, he would have given him a good beating! the police post was bustling with activity and the entire lobby was filled with people. the sound of chattering was so loud that it made one dizzy. Chapter 1373 - 1373 Accommodate a Thousand People 1373 accommodate a thousand people elder brother! your family has really struck the lottery! if you ask me, its useless to raise sons. my three disappointing sons cant even marry as well as your daughter! i wish i had a daughter too! shao yins aunt, shao chun, said. shao chun rolled her eyes in disdain. although her three sons did not do very well, they still relied on their own hands to make a living. it was definitely not a problem for them to support their own families, unlike shao tus son, shao xian, who only knew how to fool around. two days ago, there were even rumors that shao xian had taken a fancy to the young widow living near the village entrance and was spending all his time with her. those who did not know better would think that shao xian was the young widows husband! speaking of which, the young widow was also quite pitiful. she was still so young and her husband had died in an accident while working in the factory. this mans parents had passed away when he was young, so the young widow was his only relative in this world. the factory had given her a compensation sum that was enough for her to live on for three to four years! everyone said that shao xian had taken a fancy to the young widow because of her money and did not really want to be with her. shao xian did not care about those rumors at all. as long as he could be with the young widow, he was willing to do anything. however, the shao family would never allow such a thing to happen. no matter how lacking the shao family was, they would not allow a widow to marry into the family! shao tu was so angry that he told shao xian to return home immediately. even when shao xian was made to kneel in the shao familys ancestral hall, he still refused to repent. shao tu had no choice but to lock shao xian up in the woodshed. he thought that as time passed, shao xian would forget that woman. he then considered this matter temporarily settled. not long ago, shao chun even helped shao xian to cover up this matter. now that the worst was over, he even dared to pick a quarrel with her here. she would not forget what he did today. when she had a chance in the future, she would definitely settle scores with shao tu. shao yins father, shao zhuang, straightened his back and said, my daughter and xia xing had fallen in love on their own. when he came to my house to propose to marry shao yin, he even said a lot of nice things! in the beginning, it was also xia xing who proactively wooed my shao yin. xia xing is so good to my shao yin and has even invited us to come and live in a big house in the capital! i hear that shao yin is living in a siheyuan courtyard house in the capital now! one courtyard house can accommodate more than 100 people! shao tu said. how uncultured! that house is big enough to accommodate more than 1,000 people! shao chun said proudly, as if she was very cultured. in fact, even qiao meis entire courtyard house could only accommodate about 40 people. heavens! doesnt that mean that we can invite everyone in our village to stay here? shao tu said in surprise. everyone tried to curry favor with shao zhuang. perhaps if they made shao zhuang happy, he would bring them along to get rich too? shao xian stood at one side with a sullen expression. he did not want to be associated with these people. he had come today only out of respect for shao yin. he and shao yin had grown up together and shao yin was the only person in the family who agreed with and understood his decision to be with the young widow. therefore, he must attend shao yins wedding. if the xia family is so good in everything, then why havent the xia family members come to pick us up yet? why are we at the police post now? shao xian asked mockingly. everyone looked a little awkward and even shao zhuang felt a little embarrassed for a moment. the truth was that he had made an impromptu decision to ask everyone to come to the capital today and he did not inform anyone in advance about it. even shao yin was not aware that shao zhuang and the rest of them had come to the capital. he had to continue to keep up appearances on his own now. since he had boasted that he would be able to let all his relatives come to the capital to enjoy life, he could not go back on his word. otherwise, how could he show his face in the village in the future? what are you talking about! would your eldest uncle lie to you? this is all the xia familys fault. they are not well prepared at all! shao chun pointed at shao xian and reprimanded him. thats right! the xia family is looking down on us! when they come later, we cant just let them off. we have to teach them a lesson, shao tu echoed. Chapter 1374 Go And Look For Your Father ? xia xing did not know what else he could do. he knew that the shao family liked to appear important, but he was a nobody in the capital now. if he went to pick up the shao family on his own, they would definitely mock him. xia wen definitely would not help him out. he had no choice but to go and beg xia jun for help. at this moment, xia jun was drinking tea and playing chess at home. it was so rare for him to have some free time to relax. the last time when he played chess with qiao qiang at qiao mei''s house, he had lost to qiao qiang for three to four days in a row. he was determined to brush up on his chess skills and strive to defeat qiao qiang the next time. he was not going to lose to qiao qiang for the rest of his life. "grandfather..." xia xing said as he walked up to xia jun in a cautious manner. "xiao xing, you''re here! quick! it''s so rare for you to come to my place. sit down and play a game of chess with me!" xia jun said happily. he quickly picked up all the chess pieces on the chessboard and rearranged them one by one, preparing to start a new game with xia xing. xia xing did not even notice the joy on xia jun''s face. he was only focused on his own trivial matters. xia xing lowered his head and whispered to xia jun, "grandfather... i''m here today because i need help with an urgent matter. i hope you can help me. i don''t think i have time to play chess." xia jun''s hands paused for a moment as he stopped picking up the chess pieces and the curl of his lips slowly disappeared. it seemed that he was overthinking it when he thought that xia xing had specially come to visit him... forget it, he did not need it anyway. "tell me," xia jun asked calmly. "shao yin''s maternal family is here, but i don''t know where they can stay. i want to ask grandfather if you have any suggestions..." xia xing said tactfully. "since they''re in town, then ask your father to go and pick them up. host them well. the house which xiao wen rented for you should be big enough to house them," xia jun said. "there are more people than expected... there''s not enough room at my place..." xia xing scratched the tip of his nose and said embarrassedly. "then some of them can stay here. i still have so many empty rooms here," xia jun said as he pointed at the guest rooms upstairs. xia xing looked troubled and said, "i''m afraid... i''m afraid it''s still not enough..." when xia jun heard what xia xing said, he frowned and looked at xia xing. if his big villa was not big enough to house them, then exactly how many people were here? could there be more people than his second son''s entire family? "hurry up and tell me how many people there are! stop dilly-dallying!" xia jun said angrily. "brother wen called me just now. there are about 30 people, but we still don''t know the exact number. anyway... it can only be more and not less. they''re all waiting at the police post now," xia xing replied truthfully. xia jun looked at xia xing and laughed coldly. he thought that xia xing had suddenly come to visit him out of filial piety, but it turned out that he was here only because he was eyeing qiao mei''s house. if there were so many people, there would not be enough rooms even if they booked up two entire guest houses. the only viable option would be one of qiao mei''s new houses. since xia xing only came to inform him after these people had already arrived, that meant xia xing was practically forcing him to ask qiao mei for help. so long as he was the one asking, qiao mei would agree to anything. she would not even hesitate to give him that house as a gift. however, this kind of trickery did not work on him and threats did not scare him either. he had seen all kinds of things in his long life, yet this young kid dared to scheme against him. no way! "since this is an issue related to your wedding, you should go and look for your father. why do you come and look for me? since those people are already here, you should host them well. there are so many guest houses in the capital. call them up one by one and see which one has space to house all of them," xia jun said calmly. "if we ask them to stay in the guest houses, then what about our xia family''s reputation?" xia xing asked. "when you chose shao yin back then, the xia family had no say in it. when they made things difficult for the xia family, you never spoke up and asked them to stop. now that you have problems, you''re suddenly concerned about the xia family''s reputation?" xia jun questioned. "grandfather..." before xia xing could speak further, xia jun continued," do you still have time to talk to me about this? weren''t you very anxious just now? go and ask the butler to arrange for a bus to pick up the shao family members. xia wen and the others have been very busy recently. if you have any problems, go and look for your father. is your father just a piece of decoration?" seeing that xia jun was unwilling to help, xia xing turned around and left without even saying anything. xia jun looked at the chessboard in front of him and shook his head as he said, "i''ve lost... i''ve completely lost..." Chapter 1375 Receiving The Shao Family ? the butler had quickly arranged for someone to inform xia guang. at this moment, the father-and-son duo was on a private bus headed for the police post. along the way, the two of them did not speak at all, as if they were total strangers. the two of them did not even bother to fake a closeness like what the shao family did. when they arrived at the police post, xia xing quickly got out of the car and said to the police officer standing guard at the door, "hello, comrade. my name is xia xing. i''m here to pick up the people from the shao family. they''re my family members." "you''re finally here! the people inside have been waiting for a long time. quickly come in with me. i''ll bring you to see them," the police officer said. the police officer brought xia xing and xia guang to the meeting area. he really wanted the xia family members to quickly take all the shao family members away from here. otherwise, the ceiling of the police post might collapse from the noise made by all these people. it had been so noisy over the past few hours that he felt dizzy. "here they are. remember to pick them up at the train station next time. don''t leave them stranded at the train station. among them, there are elderly people and also young children! can you bear the responsibility if they get lost?" the police officer said sternly. "yes, i''ll remember that. there definitely won''t be a next time. wei''ve really caused you trouble this time," xia xing said apologetically to the police officer. shao zhuang immediately caught sight of xia xing. although the two of them had only met once, he remembered xia xing very well. "look! this is my son-in-law, xia xing!" shao zhuang walked forward enthusiastically and put his arm around xia xing''s shoulder, as if the two of them were as close as father and son. "oh my! you''re really as good-looking as what elder brother said! the two of you look like father and son! perhaps it''s fate that brings you together!" shao chun said excitedly. xia guang frowned slightly. xia xing''s real father was standing here, but she said that xia xing looked like shao zhuang. was she trying to humiliate him? these people from the shao family were indeed a real piece of work. "why are you here so late and make us wait at the police post for so long? we even think that we need to spend the night at the police post!" shao xian complained. xia guang coughed lightly and said, "i''m xia xing''s father. it''s indeed the xia family''s fault for not taking better care of you. we did not get any news that you were coming and did not make any preparations. we seek your understanding in this." shao tu looked at shao zhuang in confusion and asked, "elder brother... didn''t you say that you had already informed the xia family?" "that''s right! i had informed you. didn''t you receive my message?" shao zhuang asked forcefully. xia xing could tell at a glance that the situation today was caused by the shao family acting on their own accord again. shao yin was exactly like shao zhuang and they behaved in almost the same way. "let''s not talk about this anymore. i''ll find a place for you to stay first. shao yin doesn''t know that you''re here. after we settle your accommodation, i''ll bring her to see you. if she hears about this, she''ll definitely be overjoyed," xia xing said. shao tu immediately said to xia xing, "there''s no need to go through so much trouble! there''s no need to look for a place to stay! elder brother says that we can stay at your house and that it''s a very big house! we''ve never seen a big house before. you must show us around today!" "that''s right, that''s right!" shao chun echoed. from the moment xia guang entered the police post, he had a displeased expression on his face. although he was not as capable as xia yao and xia mao, he was still a pampered young master brought up in the xia family. when he was born, the xia family was already rising to prominence. he did not have to go through any tough times as they were already considered a rich family in the capital by then. he had expected the zhou family to find xia xing a wife from a good family and he certainly did not expect the family to be like this. he wondered how zhou hua had educated their children throughout all these years. xia xing had no choice but to bring the entire group to a few different guest houses first and find a random reason for them to stay there. he was kept very busy and it was not until midnight before he could drag his exhausted body home. shao yin had an unhappy expression on her face as she said, "why are you back so late? where did you go?" "i was held up by something. i''m going to wash up and go to bed," xia xing said moodily. "what exactly do you mean by this! you don''t even want to tell me anything now! we''re about to get married and you''re treating me like this! aren''t you afraid that i''ll tell auntie zhou about this?" shao yin threatened. Chapter 1376 Intelligence Network ? xia xing was already filled with a lot of resentment today. not only did he have to sit through xia jun''s lecture, endure xia guang''s disdainful looks, but even tolerate the mocking words from the shao family, especially from that person called shao xian. that person was very sarcastic whenever he spoke, so much so that xia xing wished he could obliterate that person! even when he was working in the small county city back then, he had never been treated this way. after all, xia xing was the eldest son of the xia family''s third son. people were nice to him out of respect for the xia family and his colleagues in the workplace unit were very protective of him. they would always give him the cushiest assignments first. they felt that if xia xing became successful one day, he might be able to help them too. however, after coming to the capital, it was nothing like he imagined. he was looked down upon everywhere. yesterday, he made one mistake in the data report, but his superior actually wanted him to redo everything. if he could not finish it, he was not allowed to go home. everyone laughed at him and felt that he was an inept person who got his position by getting in through the back door. even the security officers in his workplace unit looked down on him. everyone else in the xia family had started from the bottom rung and worked their way up step by step. xia wen had also gotten his current position with his own capability by passing the requisite examinations. xia xing was the only one who started in a senior position as soon as he arrived in the capital, so the people who reported to him were naturally unhappy about it. xia jun already knew that this would happen, but zhou luo had begged him bitterly and came to vent her grievances to him before dawn every day. she was even more hardworking than a mourner at a funeral! xia jun was so annoyed that he agreed to her request. he still wanted to live a few more years. if he did not give her what she wanted, he would definitely fall sick from anger. "you still have the cheek to ask me! if not for the stupid thing you did! will i have to come back so late! don''t block my way and just get lost!" xia xing pointed at shao yin and yelled at her angrily. shao yin was not a good-tempered person either. when xia xing lost his temper, she also became angry. she grabbed xia xing''s arm and asked, "why are you shouting at me! i wait upon the entire family at home every day! tell me what i did! how did i provoke you for no reason!" "since you want to pick a fight, then let me tell you everything! do you know that your father has brought so many people to the capital without informing me in advance, and he still had the gall to call up brother xia wen! do you know how embarrassing it is for me! the people at the police post even laugh at me! it''s all your fault!" xia xing said angrily. shao yin was slightly stunned. she seemed to know about this matter. not long ago, shao yin''s mother, bian duo, had called her and told her about it. however, she had been so troubled with the matters of work and the house recently that she had forgotten about it. when shao yin did not speak, xia xing frowned and looked at her as he asked, "you... do you already know about this?" "i don''t know! who says that i know! if i knew, would i have left my own father at the train station?" shao yin argued. it no longer mattered whether shao yin knew about this matter in advance or not. the shao family had already filled up all the guest houses in the capital. tomorrow, he had to think of a way to find another place for them to stay. he could not maintain the current situation of having two to three people in one guest house and four to five people in another guest house, meaning the shao family members were all scattered around the capital. it was not as if he was trying to map out an intelligence network. "whatever. i''m going to wash up. you may not need to go to work but i still have to go to work tomorrow! get lost!" xia xing said sulkily. "no! you haven''t told me how you resolved this matter! where is my father now?" shao yin questioned. "do you think i have sold your father? of course he''s in a sheltered place. can you just stay at home obediently and not cause trouble for me?" xia xing said impatiently. "what do you mean by my father? isn''t he your father too? you have to give me all the details. you have to tell me where my family members are or i won''t let you sleep tonight," shao yin said stubbornly. shao zhuang did not dote on shao yin for nothing. even at this point in time, shao yin was still worried about his well-being. shao yin was the youngest child in the family and shao zhuang would always give her all the nice food first. even shao le had never enjoyed this privilege. in fact, shao zhuang and bian duo were not that nice to shao le. "are you done yet? i already said that their accommodation is settled. do you need to go and take a look now with your own eyes?" xia xing said impatiently. occasionally missing content, please report errors in time. Chapter 1377 Fake Feelings chapter 1377 fake feelings "there are more than 40 people from your family here. that''s almost one train carriage full of people. there''s not enough rooms for them in one guest house. my father has arranged for them to split up into groups and stay in separate guest houses. the guest houses are all run by people we know and nothing will happen to them. they''ll be well taken care of," xia xing said, feeling exhausted. "that won''t do! why didn''t you let them stay at grandfather''s place! that place is so big and there''s definitely room for them!" shao yin said anxiously. shao zhuang and bian duo valued their reputation the most. although they were born and bred in a small county city, they considered themselves to be part of a big clan. they had done quite well for themselves in the county city and the rest of the shao family looked up to them. the shao family liked to trumpet the fact about shao yin marrying into the xia family. the rest of the people in the county city surely had some complaints about the shao family at one point or another after living in the same place for such a long time. however, even if they ever had any gripes, they would not voice it now. what if they needed help from the xia family in the future? it was better not to offend anyone. "grandfather''s place can only accommodate 20 people at most. there''s still not enough room to house everyone, so why trouble grandfather?" xia xing said. shao yin immediately said, "how can there not be enough room! surely they can squeeze into all the rooms? you should have asked grandfather to move in with qiao mei''s grandfather. anyway, the two of them are good friends, so they won''t mind living together! the xia family''s old house belongs to qiao mei now, so it''s her job to wait on the old master! i think they just purposely don''t want us to let us stay there! they''re just making things difficult for us!" xia xing walked forward and raised his hand to slap shao yin. no matter how difficult the situation was at home, he would never have any designs on xia jun, nor would he allow anyone to do that. he had not been filial to xia jun for even one day, so how could he have the cheek to ask xia jun for anything? shao yin was a woman after all. in the xia family, the men did not have a habit of hitting the womenfolk. xia xing retracted his hand sheepishly. xia xing was not xia jun''s favorite grandson. if he really went to raise this issue with xia jun, it would be a slap to his own face! he was not that stupid. "xia xing! you actually want to hit me because of this!" shao yin looked at xia xing''s hand in disbelief. shao yin, who had been eavesdropping outside the door, hurriedly pushed the door open and entered the room. she originally thought that it was normal for the young couple to bicker and that an argument could even bring them closer after that, but she would not allow someone to get beaten up! "don''t touch my younger sister!" shao yin rushed in and said. xia xing took two steps back and stood far away, watching the two sisters pretend to get along harmoniously. it was the shao family who had insisted on marrying one of their daughters into the xia family, so how could everything be his fault now. the zhou family and the shao family got along well. bian duo was also zhou luo''s classmate, so how could zhou luo not know what the shao family members were like? if shao yin had wanted to marry xia lu or xia yan, zhou luo would definitely disagree vehemently. as for xia xing, she did not bring him up personally, so it did not matter to her who he married. shao yin was actually quite an obedient child. she behaved like a tyrant in her own home, but when she went out and met other people, she was like a mouse which had seen a cat and did not dare to speak loudly at all. it was easy to control such a person. the worst thing she could do was to cause some minor trouble in the xia family. zhou luo did not mind that at all. however, zhou luo had never imagined that shao yin was so stupid. "elder sister, why are you here?" shao yin cared very much about her reputation. over the past few days, she had not wanted shao le to see any weakness in her. if shao le found out that she was not doing well in the xia family and told other people at home, she would become a laughing stock. she would put up a pretense forever if she had to. "i was already going to bed, but i heard the two of you arguing. i was worried that something might happen to you, so i came to take a look," shao le said nervously. "i''m fine. i was just fooling around with xia xing. it''s getting late. elder sister, go back and rest," shao yin said politely, as if the person in front of her was just a guest and not her elder sister. shao le looked at xia xing and then at shao yin. she sighed and returned to her room. xia xing did not have the strength to argue with shao yin. he simply washed his face and lay down to sleep. while xia xing fell asleep fitfully in his room, it was not at all peaceful at the shao family''s end. shao zhuang and the others were currently sitting in the guest house, discussing what happened today! "elder brother, in my opinion, the xia family simply looks down on us! they don''t respect us at all!" shao tu said unhappily. Chapter 1378 Already Married chapter 1378 already married "it''s fine if they have forgotten that we are coming to the capital, but what kind of accommodation is this! they split us up and we have to stay at different locations! look at our surroundings! is it a place fit for people to live?" shao chun gestured around the room in disdain. they were in an ordinary guest house. there were two beds and a big closet in each room. some of the rooms even had ensuite bathrooms! it was already considered quite a nice place. xia guang was concerned about how it would look on xia xing and had found guest houses which were considered above average. otherwise, the shao family members could have found themselves in even worse places! it was puzzling why the shao family despised these guest houses. their own houses back in their hometown were not even as nicely fitted out as the guest houses! among all of them, only shao xian settled down quietly without any complaints. "shao xian! you should speak up for your eldest uncle! you were still mocking xia xing just now, yet you don''t have anything to say now," shao tu said. "don''t you feel tired after traveling for the whole day? since we already have a place to stay, then let''s go to bed. it''s not like we''re only staying in the capital for only one day. if you''re not satisfied with this guest house, then ask the xia family to let you stay in another place!" shao xian said resignedly. even though he did not like xia xing, he disliked shao zhuang''s family even more. he just could not stand the way shao zhuang''s family members behaved. they were just poor people who behaved like they were rich. the main reason though, was that he was really tired and needed a good rest. shao zhuang and bian duo sat next to the bed with solemn expressions. this whole situation was too different from what shao yin had described to them, and also very different from what they had imagined. shao yin had said that the xia family lived in a grand house and even had two to three helpers in just one house. furthermore, their house was so big that a person would not be able to explore the whole place within a day. there were even many rare treasures at home, all of which were rare items that most people had never seen before. the women from the xia family were also far from ordinary. all of them wore stacks of either gold or silver jewelry. xia he wore a thick gold necklace! xu lan and liu fen also wore two very thick gold bangles on their wrists. in comparison, qiao mei did not seem to have much money, but she lived in the xia family''s biggest house. shao yin was unaware of the real value of these jewelry items at all. the jade bangle on qiao mei''s hand was worth eight of xia he''s gold necklace. in fact, it was more valuable than all the gold jewelry which the other three women wore combined. "maybe they didn''t manage to make the arrangements in time and will move us to another location tomorrow," shao zhuang said awkwardly. "another location? where? don''t tell me they want us to move to the village? have we come all the way here just to take a look at the difference between a village in a small county city and a village in the capital?" shao chun said sarcastically. bian duo hurriedly calmed her down. "i don''t think so. the xia family is so well-to-do. why will they make us stay in that kind of place? everyone, have a good rest! it''s been a tiring day of traveling." shao chun and shao tu did not say anything else and returned to their own rooms, leaving shao zhuang and bian duo sitting on the bed and arguing with each other. "look at you, all you know is to brag. look at what''s happening now. your lies have been exposed. if shao chun finds out that you have been lying all this while, she might say something nasty! how did i marry someone like you!" bian duo said regretfully. when bian duo was young, she had gotten married because she was piqued with her father. shao zhuang and her discussed marriage after only knowing each other for one week. in the end, the reality turned out to be similar to what her father had predicted. shao zhuang was not a man whom she could entrust her future to. from the day bian duo married into the family, shao chun had constantly targeted her behind her back. shao chun mostly spoke very sarcastically and also made up lies about bian duo. it was very difficult for bian duo to explain herself clearly, so it caused many misunderstandings and she had suffered a lot since then. in any case, she had already married him. even if she got a divorce, she would not be able to find a better man. she had forced herself to endure through the hardships in the first half of her life, and it looked like she was going to have to continue wasting the rest of her life away. "hmph, if you don''t like me, then you can get lost! who cares about you! now that you''re in the capital, you can find a nice man and remarry. our family can''t afford to provide for someone who needs to be put on a pedestal!" shao zhuang said disdainfully. "what''s the point of telling me all this now! quickly think of a solution! are we really going to let shao chun and shao tu laugh at us? that will be too embarrassing!" bian duo said. the two of them argued noisily until dawn and did not sleep the entire night. Chapter 1379 Look For Help chapter 1379 look for help the next day, xia xing had to return to work. he wrote down the names and phone numbers of all the guest houses where the shao family members were staying and handed them to shao yin. this matter was out of his hands now and he also did not want to care about it anymore. he would let shao yin deal with it however she wanted. he did not think that she could cause any big trouble. after shao yin woke up, she hurriedly looked for shao le and said, "elder sister, our parents have brought more than 40 people to the capital but they didn''t tell us beforehand. what do you think we should do now!" "then what does xia xing say? does xia xing have any suggestions?" shao le asked. at the mention of xia xing, shao yin was full of anger and wished that she could drag xia xing back and give him a good scolding. however, the most important thing now was to resolve the matter of the accommodation for the shao family members. "let''s not talk about him for now. we have to settle the issue for our parents first!" shao yin said anxiously. "then let''s bring them here first. after that, we can go to ask the xia family what we should do next. after all, this is their territory. why should we be the ones busying ourselves?" shao le said. "no! absolutely not!" shao yin said. it would have been fine if only shao zhuang and bian duo had come to the capital, but now that they had so many relatives and friends of the shao family with them, this issue needed more than such a crude solution. when she returned to the village previously, she told everyone she met about how happy she was to live in the capital. she even said that she was living in a very grand courtyard house now! if her relatives and friends saw her living in such a shabby house, they might gossip about her. "then... shall we go and ask qiao mei? perhaps she can help you?" shao le asked tentatively. "yes! let''s go and ask her!" shao yin immediately set off with shao le and bian jiu. shao yin was actually very reluctant to tell bian jiu about her private matters. after all, bian jiu was not her own sister. it would be difficult for her to refute anything if bian jiu went around telling other people about her issues. however, bian jiu was also useful in her own way. she was very good at arguing with people and she was always ready to help her family members. if she saw shao yin getting bullied, she would definitely stand up for shao yin. with her around, shao yin felt much more at ease and quite confident that qiao mei would agree to her request. when they reached the main entrance of qiao mei''s house, they could not help but lament the fact that qiao mei was actually living in such a big house alone. no wonder shao yin wanted to marry xia xing no matter what. "shao yin, is your house similar to this one?" bian jiu asked curiously. when bian jiu and shao le first arrived at the capital and saw how shabby shao yin''s house was, shao yin had told them that she was only staying there temporarily and that the courtyard house she had been given was still under renovation! "of... of course! it''s not easy to repair a big courtyard house. it will probably take some time," shao yin said awkwardly. shao le knew the truth of the matter but did not expose shao yin. while the two of them were talking, shao le walked forward and knocked lightly on the door. it was xu kang who came to open the door. feng hua was only in charge of taking care of the children nowadays. xu kang took care of all the household matters in this house. "hello. forgive me for asking but you are..." xu kang said politely. "i''m xia xing''s fiance?e and these are my two older sisters. we''re here today to look for qiao mei... to look for third cousin-in-law," shao yin quickly walked forward and said arrogantly. "please wait for a moment, i''ll go in and ask the lady of the house first." xu kang closed the door and returned to the house to look for qiao mei. she was not told that someone from qiao mei''s family would come for a visit today, so she could not make any decision on the spot. after qiao mei gave birth, many people came to look for her. most of them used the excuse that they wanted to see the babies, but they were just looking for an opportunity to ask qiao mei for some "divine medicine". if they caught qiao mei in a good mood, she might be willing to give them some in return for them coming to visit the babies. as the number of people who came by to try their luck increased, qiao mei became a little annoyed. she had instructed xu kang that as long as the visitors were not family members of the xia family''s eldest and second sons, xu kang had to come and ask her if she wanted to grant access to the visitors. qiao qiang did not have many friends in the capital. many of his old comrades also knew that he liked peace and quiet and rarely came to disturb him. most of them would go to xia jun''s place and ask xia jun to invite qiao qiang to meet them there. "why is she so smug! aren''t you from the xia family? you''re all daughters-in-law of the xia family. why is it so difficult to meet her! we''ve been standing outside for so long," bian jiu said unhappily. Chapter 1380 Selecting Schools chapter 1380 selecting schools "sis, please bear with it. after all, she has given birth to a son and a daughter for the family. she''s currently the person the xia family is most fond of! we can''t afford to offend her," shao yin persuaded. "hmph! i''ll let them off for now!" bian jiu said. qiao mei and xia he were in the room choosing suitable schools and classes for zhang wei and the other three children. school was about to start soon and this was an important matter related to the children''s future. they could not afford to be careless about it at all. "qiao mei, what do you think of this school? it''s not far from the house and they have good teachers there. eldest brother also knows a few of the teachers there! we''ll feel at ease if the children go to this school," xia he said. zhang wei had already decided to go to the same military school which xia zhe attended. zhang chao and zhang miao wanted to study in a normal school and to enroll in the same school. zhang qin had chosen to go to a dance school which xia he recommended. qiao mei originally wanted to just choose a random school for zhang chao and zhang miao. she felt that all the schools taught similar curriculum and there was not much difference between them. however, xia he rejected the idea. although the curriculum was similar, the ways in which the children were educated were very different. education was the most important thing when the children were young. once they developed good habits, the adults did not have to worry too much about them when they grew up. "i''ll take elder sister''s advice. i don''t know much about these things in the capital, so what you say is definitely reliable. when you have your own children in the future, they will definitely be educated well," qiao mei said with a smile. "what a glib tongue. we still need eldest brother to make these arrangements! i''m just helping out with the planning. how''s the factory design coming along? is it going smoothly?" xia he asked. "you ask me this question three or four times a day. it''s as if you''re worried that deng fan will mess up," qiao mei said. "this is also the first time i''ve seen him at work and i don''t know what he will produce. i''m just worried about you and scared that you''ll suffer a loss! you''re making fun of me instead! aren''t you afraid that i''ll get angry and make deng fan cut corners!" xia he pouted and pretended to be angry. "it''s my fault! it''s my fault, alright? look at you. after you get engaged, your temper is so much worse. i should ask deng fan to scold you. he can''t spoil you like this," qiao mei said. just as the two of them were bickering, xu kang walked in and said, "qiao mei, xia xing''s fiance?e is here with two other people. she said that they''re her older sisters and that she has something to discuss with you today." "what can she want to discuss! it must be the issue about the house. no, no, i''ll get annoyed if i see her. just say that qiao mei is feeling unwell and i''m here with her! say that it''s not convenient for us to have guests today and just send them away," xia he said moodily. "why are you so angry? don''t you want to know what''s going on in xia xing''s family? now that she''s here, let''s meet her and see what she''s up to," qiao mei said as she looked at xia he. since qiao mei had already said so, xia he had no other reason to send the women away. she waved her hands and asked xu kang to let them in. she felt so unlucky. no matter where she went, there would be people looking for trouble. she should really hang a protective peachwood sword at the door so that those despicable people with ill intentions would not be able to step into qiao mei''s house. this was the first time that the three women had come to qiao mei''s house. bian jiu kept looking around. she had never seen so many nice things before! she could not believe that a swing could look like this. most of the swings in the village were made by tying two thick hemp ropes to a big tree branch and using tires or wooden planks with holes in them as the seats. that was how a simple swing was made. qiao mei''s swing was exquisite and had been custom-made by a master craftsman. there was no way to make comparisons between the two types of swings, "look at them! they might take a fancy to something and ask you for it! i told you to leave them outside the door, but you just didn''t want to listen. i should ask eldest brother to come and talk to you and give you a proper lecture," xia he said angrily as she pointed at bian jiu in the courtyard. when xia wen told qiao mei not to buy any more houses the last time, she had taken his advice. at the very least, she had not gone around to look at any houses for sale recently. "don''t be angry! elder sister, if you really can''t stand it, then just listen in from your room. don''t make yourself sick from anger," qiao mei said worriedly. "i''m not leaving! i want to know why they''re here today. i can''t let them off so easily," xia he said through gritted teeth. Chapter 1381 Go Find Someone Else chapter 1381 go find someone else xu kang stood helplessly beside shao yin and looked at the women quietly. she waited for them to finish exploring the courtyard before she led them to the living room. the moment shao yin saw qiao mei, she immediately put on a troubled expression, as if she had suffered a huge grievance. she looked completely different from the person who was chatting and laughing in the courtyard just now. "what''s wrong with you, sister shao yin? why do you look so sad in broad daylight? can it be that something has happened at home?" xia he said sarcastically. if one of the shao family''s elders passed away, then the shao family would have to observe a mourning period of three years and none of the family members would be able to get married in those three years! if so, then xia xing could find another person who was more pleasing to the eye. that would be great news. since xia xing was not interested in anyone, then it did not matter who he was forced to marry in the end. it would be good if shao le were to marry xia xing instead of shao yin. shao le looked like a gentle and quiet person and she seemed to have a good heart. she was a hundred times better than shao yin. "second cousin, you said the last time that we''re all family, so i won''t hide anything from you. my parents have come to the capital and i don''t know where they can stay during this period of time, so i have come to discuss this issue with second cousin and third sister-in-law," shao yin said softly. it was qiao mei who had passed that remark. xia he would never treat shao yin as part of her family! all this while, the third son''s family had always behaved very selfishly towards the eldest son''s family and did a lot of plotting behind everyone''s backs. it was wishful thinking if they thought that she would treat the third son''s family as one family! shao yin seemed to have remembered a lot of the pleasantries which they said to her, but conveniently forgot that they had also told her not to have designs on qiao mei''s house! xia he turned to look at qiao mei. it was just like she had guessed. shao yin and the others were here because of the house. they knew that it was useless to waste their breath on the xia family members, so they had come round to target the soft-hearted qiao mei. they were really too much! "is the house that my eldest brother rents for you not enough to house all of you? i seem to recall that it won''t be a problem to house another four or five people there," xia he said. "but it''s not just my parents who are here... there are also other relatives and friends..." shao yin said cautiously. "then just let them stay in a guest house for the time being. go to the best and most expensive guest house in the capital," xia he said indifferently. firstly, she was not the one paying for it. secondly, she just wanted to get rid of shao yin as soon as possible so that shao yin could not cause trouble for qiao mei and her. as long as the matter was resolved, she could leave the rest to xia xing. "i... there are more than 40 people from my family here. i wonder if the best guest house in the capital can accommodate so many people..." shao yin said embarrassedly. qiao mei and xia he looked at shao yin in shock. xia he asked again in disbelief, "how many people?" "more than 40 people..." shao yin said. just as xia he was about to flare up, qiao mei patted her hand and said, "elder sister, have a drink first. you must be thirsty after talking so much." shao yin could not tell what qiao mei was trying to do and thought that qiao mei wanted to help her. she quickly said, "third cousin-in-law, you have to save me! only you can save me now." "me? what can a woman who doesn''t have a job and only takes care of her children at home do for you?" qiao mei said. "before i came to the capital, i already heard that third cousin-in-law is the most capable person in the entire xia family! third cousin-in-law, you don''t have to be so humble. please save me. i''ll definitely repay you in the future!" shao yin said firmly. "you''re really flattering me. i don''t have any good ideas. you can go and look for third uncle. after all, he''s your father-in-law and he knows the people who run the best guest houses in the capital. don''t worry about the money. the xia family will pay for it of course," qiao mei said gently. shao yin said all that in the hope that qiao mei would let them stay in the corn courtyard house for the time being. qiao mei would not fall for it. if she really lent the place to shao yin, xia jun would get so angry that he might even fall sick. it had not been easy for him to reject helping his third son. if qiao mei indiscriminately helped them right on the heels of that, then xia jun would have wasted all his efforts! qiao mei was not a fool. a mere shao yin was not her match. "but... can that place really accommodate everyone in our family?" shao yin said worriedly. "i think so. go and talk to third uncle. i still have to take care of the two children, so i won''t keep you here any longer," qiao mei said. "what''s the meaning of this? we haven''t been here for long and you''re already chasing us away. you haven''t even served us any food," bian jiu muttered softly. Chapter 1382 Not A Family ? qiao mei and xia he were not deaf. they could hear what bian jiu said, but they did not necessarily have to do as bian jiu said. it was already good enough for the three women to get the chance to come in, so they were dreaming if they wanted to stay for a meal! shao yin looked at qiao mei without moving and it did not look like she had any intention of leaving. xia he said in exasperation, "there''s nothing else we can do about this and there''s no point in you begging us here. you should go and look for xia xing!" unexpectedly, shao yin knelt down with a loud plop and almost broke qiao mei''s marble floor tiles. these floor tiles were one size bigger than ordinary floor tiles and had different patterns from the ordinary ones. they were all rare materials which xia wen found and each piece was custom-made. if the tiles really broke, qiao mei might even want to kill shao yin! xia he closed her eyes and pretended not to see anything. if shao yin liked to kneel, then xia he would let her kneel for as long as she wanted! "second cousin! third cousin-in-law! please help me! i''m really at my wits'' end!" shao yin cried. "are you going to force shao yin to her grave! she''s already begging you like this! what else do you want! our shao family''s daughter doesn''t have to worry about not being able to get married! why does she need to suffer such grievances after she marries into your xia family!" bian jiu pointed at xia he and qiao mei and yelled at them angrily. the loud noise caused the two children sleeping soundly in the next room to wail loudly and qiao mei immediately heard their cries. "then don''t marry xia xing. find someone else to marry!" xia he retorted. "you!" before bian jiu could continue, qiao mei smacked the table and said, "did we force her to beg us! did we force her to kneel! instead of going to xia xing and third uncle, you come to my house! do you think you''re behaving reasonably!" it had been a long time since xia he had seen qiao mei like this. qiao mei did not want to quarrel with them. ever since she became a mother, she had been very gentle. however, whenever she saw the two children crying, she would feel as if her heart was being fiercely squeezed by someone. it was very difficult to coax xia xing to sleep. even though she had already dropped her habit of needing someone to hug her to sleep, she was still a little harder to wait upon than xia fan. "you... aren''t you xia xing''s relatives! why can''t we look for you!" bian jiu stammered. "then i have to ask you. did you tell the xia family in advance that the shao family members are coming to the capital? was the date fixed? who did you tell in the xia family? give me all the details!" xia he questioned. shao yin whispered, "i did... i told xia xing..." at this moment, she could only blame everything on xia xing. looking at how qiao mei and xia he reacted, she might not even be able to walk out of qiao mei''s house otherwise. she just wanted to put some pressure on qiao mei. however, she not only did not manage to do that, but had even made qiao mei angry now. previously, every time she saw qiao mei, qiao mei was always smiling and speaking very gently to others. shao yin thought that qiao mei was someone who did not get angry and was a pushover. she did not expect to see this side of qiao mei today. "then go and look for whoever you''ve told! if he can''t make the proper arrangements, why are you here to look for us? although we''re all from the xia family, there''s still a difference! we''re from the eldest son''s family and you''re from the third son''s family. if you want to ask our family for help, you have to ask the head of our family, either my father or my eldest brother! what''s the meaning of coming to look for us privately? is this how your family behaves!" xia he said. even if the entire matter ended up being a mess, it was the third son''s family who would feel embarrassed. as the eldest son''s family members, they had already done their best to be kind. how much more did they need to do before the shao and zhou families would feel satisfied! "they''re all men! how can we go and look for them!" bian jiu said. "then is my mother-in-law sick? even if it''s not convenient for you to speak to the men, my mother-in-law is still the head of the womenfolk. don''t use these lame excuses on us. we''ve already told you how to resolve this matter. either you do as we say or get lost! don''t be an eyesore here!" qiao mei pointed at the door and roared. bian jiu was so frightened by the imposing manner with which qiao mei and xia he spoke. the three women scrambled out of qiao mei''s house and ran into the distance. they only dared to stop after running for a long time. after they left, the children''s cries became much softer. feng hua coaxed them for a while before they fell asleep again. fortunately, this matter did not affect the children much. Chapter 1383 Being Supportive chapter 1383 being supportive li gui had told qiao mei before that if a child got a fright, it was very likely to cause a high fever. some children might even get convulsions! there were even fatal cases! taking care of children was not a small matter and one had to be especially careful. young children were very fragile and would fall sick easily. the adults had to be especially careful. "look, this is the end result of you insisting on letting them enter the house! this family is not an easy one to deal with!" xia he said angrily. qiao mei sat on the chair and sighed. as the saying went, curiosity killed the cat. in the future, she would not be curious about these things anymore. her curiosity had caused her a lot of trouble! "i''ll listen to you from now on, alright? how would i know that they''d behave so inappropriately? i''m so shocked," qiao mei said aggrievedly. "there are more than 40 people here. is she going to move all the shao family members from the village to the capital? you can''t let them move into the corn courtyard house. who knows if they will ever leave after they move in. perhaps they have come here with the intention of settling down in the capital!" xia he said. "i''ll remember that. should we call home? what if they really go to trouble mother?" qiao mei said with a frown. "there''s luo yu at mother''s place. father has long issued an instruction not to let anyone enter the house. we are among the few who are allowed to go in," xia he said. "what exactly is zhou luo thinking? why would she introduce such a person to brother xing," qiao mei said. "who knows! isn''t she like another version of my ex-sister-in-law? she''s not going to be easy to get along with in the future. they shouldn''t have let xia xing return to the capital. there will definitely be more troublesome matters in the future!" xia he said melancholically. "sigh... let''s continue talking about the schools..." qiao mei picked up the introductory booklets from the various schools and continued the discussion with xia he. even if she chose this school, the children might not be able to study there. there was still the entrance examination at the school! if they did not have the aptitude, they might not even be able to pass the entrance examination. after shao yin sent bian jiu home, she secretly ran out with shao le to look for her parents. the two of them quietly slipped into the guest house while doing their best to avoid shao chun and shao tu. "what took you so long! it''s already getting dark! what does the xia family say? are we supposed to continue staying here?" shao zhuang asked as he grabbed shao yin''s wrist. shao yin frowned and said unhappily, "dad! you''re hurting me!" "i''m sorry, i''m sorry! i''m just too anxious!" shao zhuang quickly let go and asked, "do you have any news?" "no... xia xing just started work at the workplace unit recently and is very busy there. my father-in-law is in the same situation as xia xing," shao yin said with a sigh. she did not intend to hide anything from her parents. anyway, bian duo and zhou luo knew each other. it would be useless for shao yin to lie. "is there no one else in the xia family who can take care of this matter?" shao zhuang asked. "they''re all very busy and have no time for me! zhou hua has already divorced my father-in-law. who else can i look for now! i can''t go to my father-in-law to talk about these family matters," shao yin said angrily. back then, bian duo and the others were the ones who forced her to marry xia xing. they kept telling her how powerful the xia family was, but now? it was completely different from what they had said back then! now that something had happened, everyone was questioning her like it was her fault. she was the real victim here! "the xia family is really terrible! zhou luo is the one who urged us to marry our daughter to xia xing, but now they''re making my precious daughter suffer all kinds of grievances! it''s too much!" shao zhuang said. "you''re still blaming the xia family! why didn''t you tell me in advance that you were coming to the capital! you even brought so many people with you. how do you expect me to make the arrangements!" shao yin said angrily. "you said that you''re living in a big house in the capital, so that''s why i brought so many people to come and show their support for you! why are you blaming us for coming!" bian duo said unhappily. shao le stood up and said, "everyone, calm down. let''s think about what to do next. there''s no use talking about who''s the one responsible as it won''t solve any problems." shao zhuang walked forward and gave shao le a slap. shao yin and bian duo pretended not to see anything, as if they were already used to such things. "wretched girl! you''ve been staying here for so many days, did you even speak up for your younger sister! you still want to teach us what to do! get lost! don''t be an eyesore here!" shao zhuang said disdainfully. Chapter 1384 Embarrassing chapter 1384 embarrassing "that''s right. at this moment, you''re so talkative and have so many ideas! if not for shao yin saying that she wants you to come to the capital to accompany her, you''d still be farming at home! what a jinx!" bian duo said as she rolled her eyes. "i''m sorry..." shao le said as she covered her face. after saying that, she hid in a corner and did not make a sound, afraid that she would attract the attention of shao zhuang and bian duo and get beaten up again. the reason why shao le was not well-liked in the shao family was because she was not the couple''s biological daughter. after bian duo married shao zhuang, she had not been able to get pregnant and everyone in the village gossiped behind her back. the couple had originally planned to adopt a child, but by chance, they found a basket at the entrance of the village with a small baby inside. it was as if the heavens had heard their wish and granted them a daughter, later on, after asking around, they found out about a family with many children living in the neighboring village. the woman had died after giving birth to this child. when her husband saw that the child was a girl, he threw her away. there were already too many people in the family and he could not afford to feed her, so he abandoned her. in the first few years, shao zhuang and bian duo doted on shao le very much and gave shao le all kinds of delicious food. the two of them would rather go hungry so that they could let shao le eat her fill. unexpectedly, after five years with shao le, bian duo suddenly became pregnant. the two of them treated the new baby like a treasure and it did not matter even when it turned out to be a daughter. after that, bian duo never became pregnant again. shao zhuang saw shao yin as his only child so he naturally doted on her more. after the two children grew up, shao zhuang and bian duo would leave them alone at home when they went out to work. as the elder sister, shao le was supposed to take good care of her younger sister. however, shao yin was a naughty kid and one time, she fell after tripping over a stone when shao le was not paying attention. the wound on her knee bled a lot and there was still a big scar there until now. shao zhuang and bian duo resented shao le for this matter and often hit her after that. at that time, shao yin was still young and did not understand why. even when shao yin stopped shao zhuang and bian duo from bullying shao le, they would just treat shao le even worse the next time. as time passed, shao yin accepted it as the norm. "have you found out all the details about the xia family? i think xia xing''s status in the xia family is not as good as what zhou luo said! look at the vehicle he came in to pick us up!" shao zhuang said. shao zhuang had imagined that the entire xia family would be at the train station to pick them up. the cars they prepared would be small sedans, just like those cars in television dramas. it would be so grand to have more than 10 cars arriving at the train station to pick them up! he did not expect xia xing to come in a big private bus to pick them up. the seats in the bus were narrow and cramped and there was even a weird smell. it was extremely embarrassing! after that, xia xing even sent them to such a lousy guest house! last night, he had heard shao chun and shao tu talking about his family, saying that shao yin did not marry well and that shao zhuang was just bragging about the grandeur of the xia family. "back then, who was the one who told me that xia xing was the eldest son of the xia family''s third son! that all the good things would be given to the eldest son first! it''s all lies! the xia family''s eldest son is the most capable among them all and not all eldest sons have it good!" shao yin said angrily. "don''t be angry. i also don''t know this about xia xing. back then, zhou luo even guaranteed that everything she said was true! that as long as you marry xia xing, you will definitely live a good life in the future. otherwise, how can i bear to let you marry into such a family," bian duo said with heartache. "so... what''s going on with the xia family? did zhou luo lie to us?" shao zhuang asked. "not entirely. it''s just that everything zhou luo said is about the eldest son''s family. every one of his three children is outstanding! the eldest son is the government director in charge of the economic market, the second daughter is a lead actress in the art troupe, and the third son is doing very well in the army. i hear that he''s the top army warrior every year. the third son''s wife is the most outstanding. she lives alone in a siheyuan courtyard house which looks extremely imposing," shao yin said enviously. "then... about the eldest son you mentioned. is he married?" bian duo asked. indeed, a mother knew her child best. shao yin''s eyes had lit up when she talked about these things. since the third son of this family was already married, shao yin must have taken a fancy to the eldest son! "he''s divorced..." shao yin said shyly. Chapter 1385 Create Opportunities chapter 1385 create opportunities bian duo clapped her hands excitedly and said, "this is a good thing! since xia xing is so useless, why don''t you just marry that eldest son? it really doesn''t matter who you marry!" "what are you saying! xia xing and i are about to get married. how can i be with xia wen!" shao yin said as she looked at bian duo in disbelief. "your mother is right! you are only about to get married, so that means it''s not official yet, right? since you''re not officially married yet, then you can still try. he''s single and you''re not married yet. isn''t this a match made in heaven?" shao zhuang said agitatedly. this was really a whole new interpretation of the phrase "a match made in heaven"... "but... but how do i get close to xia wen? he doesn''t even want to see me now. even if i want to, i don''t stand any chance," shao yin said while blushing. "silly child! opportunities can always be created! since xia xing is useless, then let''s find someone else. we''ve already endured the experience of staying in this lousy guest house. you must think of a way to be with xia wen! do you understand?" shao zhuang said. shao yin nodded shyly. since her parents had already told her to go ahead, why would she still need to hesitate? however, she did not know how to get close to xia wen. if there was really no other way, she would go to qiao mei''s house and wait at the main door every day and night. at some point, she would bump into xia wen when he went to visit the children. "my daughter, even as you try to get close to xia wen, you have to consider xia xing''s feelings. in the event that xia wen is too stubborn to accept you, then you won''t find yourself being disadvantaged! don''t throw away the apple in your hand before you harvest the watermelon. if you lose both the watermelon and the apple, that would be a massive loss!" bian duo said. "i''ll remember that. i won''t let you down," shao yin said firmly. "alright, you''d better go back now. there''s no need for your elder sister to go with you. it''s useless for her to be there anyway. she''ll stay here with us," shao zhuang said impatiently. shao yin took a long glance at shao le in the corner and then quietly ran out of the guest house. she did not go home immediately but walked towards xia wen''s workplace. xia xing had mentioned the address to her before and she found the place by asking for directions. "this place is so imposing..." shao yin stood at the entrance of xia wen''s workplace in a daze. xia wen''s office was at the government headquarters in the capital. the main entrance naturally looked more grandiose and was much bigger than those district government office buildings. shao yin carefully memorized all the decorative details on the main door. she wanted to describe it to shao chun and the others about it next time! she must make them feel envious of her. still deep in thought, shao yin walked towards the entrance to enter the building. when the security officers saw that, they immediately stopped her. "who are you! how can you come in as you wish!" the security officer said. "oh! do i need to register? i''m xia wen''s family member and i''m here to see him," shao yin said instinctively. when she went to xu lan''s house the last time, she had to register at the main gate. at first, she thought that it was such a troublesome thing. however, now that she thought about it, this was actually a status symbol. only powerful people would need to have such a cumbersome registration method at the place they lived. seeing it this way, shao yin did not find it troublesome anymore. instead, she felt that it was a symbol of glory. "this is not a building where you can enter just by registering. come with me." the security officer brought shao yin to the security booth and left her outside the door. he knew what xia wen''s wife looked like and this woman was definitely not his wife. this person was behaving so sneakily at the main door just now. there must be something fishy going on! the security officer made a call to xia wen''s secretary and said, "report, there''s a woman at the door who says that she''s director xia''s family member. i''m calling to check if you''re expecting anyone." "family member? director xia is in a meeting now. he has instructed that he will not see anyone, including people from his family. please ask her to go back. it''s not a convenient time now," xia wen''s secretary said. "alright, i understand." the security officer hung up the phone and turned to shao yin. "i''m sorry, director xia is not free. you may wish to come again another day." at the xia family residence, he had found all kinds of reasons to avoid her. now that she was at his workplace, he was not free. could it be that she had really done something unforgivable and made him angry? shao yin wanted to barge in, but when she saw that there were another two people in police uniforms inside the security booth, she hesitated. if they arrested her and put her in the detention center, she did not know what shao chun and the others would say about her when they found out! it was better to play safe. if she could not achieve her goal today, she could come back another day! Chapter 1386 Rich and Willful chapter 1386 rich and willful after the meeting ended, xia wen returned to his dormitory to pack his things. some time ago, his superiors had approved his application for a house. xia wen had specially chosen a place that was very close to qiao mei''s house. he heard from his superior that the house had three bedrooms and a living room. it was very spacious and the layout was basically similar to xia fang''s house. this house was not given to him for free. he had to fork out 40% of his monthly salary to cover the cost of this house for five years. after five years, this house would completely belong to him. he could also choose to pay a lump sum of 3,000 dollars and the house would immediately belong to him. the total amount would work out to be around the same no matter which payment option he chose. now that his workplace unit had allocated a house to him, he could not continue staying at the dormitory. xia wen wanted to do some renovations to the house before moving in. in that case, he would have to make do by staying at xu lan''s place for the time being. the most important thing now was to knock off and visit the two babies. he had not been to qiao mei''s place for a long time. "director xia, someone wanted to barge in to see you just now, but was stopped by the security officers. be careful when you get off work later," xia wen''s secretary said. xia wen was stunned for a moment. some time ago, he had taken qiao mei''s advice and instructed his secretary not to let anyone come in to look for him. he did not expect qiao mei to be right about this. "alright, you should go back earlier too," xia wen said in a kind manner. the people who worked under xia wen all felt very blessed. they all liked xia wen''s personality very much. working until xia wen meant receiving difficult assignments at times, but no matter how tough the assignments were, they would try their best to do their work well. this just proved to show how charismatic xia wen was. on the other hand, xia xing was a complete mess. every day, he was either being scolded or about to be scolded. he did not do a single thing that earned him praises or commendations. in fact, he could not even complete the most basic tasks. xia wen asked the xia family''s chauffeur to drive into the office compound to pick him up and send him home. there were packages of all sizes on the floor around him. some packages were beautifully wrapped, while others were cloth bags which obviously contained clothing items. when they arrived at qiao mei''s house, the chauffeur and xia wen walked in with all these things. during this period of time, qiao mei had bought the house next door to use as a garage. qian''e felt that it was such a pity to do that. it was such a waste to tear down such a nice house and build a garage in its place! qiao mei did not think that it was a big deal. although the siheyuan courtyard houses would become very valuable in a few decades'' time, they would have been in disrepair for a long time by then and people would not be able to live in this alley anymore. there was still a long way to go before the relocation exercise. it would be better to just buy all the houses and renovate them nicely so as to ensure that they could live comfortably here. if they ever became affected by the relocation exercise, they would receive a lot of money as compensation. no matter what, they would not suffer any losses. there was nothing anyone could do about it. she was rich! and willful! it was not a problem for her to buy all the siheyuan courtyard houses in this area if she wanted. "eldest brother! how is it that you can find time to come here! i thought you had forgotten about the children!" xia he leaned against the door frame and teased him. "nonsense! even if i forget everything, i won''t forget xia fan and xia xing! i''ve gone on a business trip recently and it''s been so busy at work since i came back. i don''t have any time to rest at all and i don''t even have much time to sleep. don''t tease me anymore. just let me in to take a look at the children!" xia wen walked into the room after saying that. xia fan was still sleeping soundly on the cot, but xia xing widened her eyes and looked at xia wen excitedly. she kept babbling non-stop and moving non-stop. "qiao mei! come and look at xia xing! she keeps crying when i hug her. but when eldest brother comes in, she''s all smiles. if she can speak, she will definitely call eldest brother by his name!" xia he said, feeling jealous. perhaps xia he just did not have much luck with children. she was not popular with the children from all the different families. when she was young, she did not have many friends who wanted to play with her. it was only after she grew up that she had a better relationship with other people of her age. in the past, wu min was worried about this matter for a long time. how could a child not have any playmate? however, when she saw that xia he was very happy being alone, she did not dwell on this matter anymore. "then you should buy more toys for my two darlings. this way, they might remember you too," qiao mei said slyly. "it''s not that i don''t have money to buy toys, but look at the amount of things eldest brother bought! if i buy more, your house won''t be able to fit all of them!" xia he said as she pointed at xia wen''s bags. Chapter 1387 Are You Going to Kill Her chapter 1387 are you going to kill her during xia wen''s recent business trip, he bought many things for the children every time he reached a new place. as he bought more and more things, he could not even fit them all in his luggage. his colleagues had to help him by packing most of the things in their luggage. many people thought that xia wen had an illegitimate child! it was only later that they found out it was his younger brother who had children. "these are all things which other people recommended to me. they say that children of this age like to play with these things. qiao mei previously mentioned that children grow up very quickly, so i have also bought some toys for them to play with in the future. from now on, i''ll be in charge of supplying all your children''s toys!" xia wen said excitedly as he held onto the toys. qiao mei rummaged through the toys on the floor. most of them were new toys from overseas and there were also a few high-end toys made domestically. these needed to be reserved in advance. she guessed that xia wen had spent a lot of money on these toys. when xia wen was born, the xia family was only starting to make a mark. there was not a lot of money to spare and it was already good enough that he could go to school. he was often envious of other children who had toys to play with. every time he passed by a toy shop, he would lean against the display window to look at the toys inside. he knew that life was tough for his family and they could not afford to buy him toys, so he had never proactively asked for anything. at that time, xia mao and xu lan were very busy with their careers and did not have time to take care of him and xia he. fortunately, xia jun knew how to make all kinds of toys. in particular, the slingshot he made was even sturdier than the ones sold in the toy shop. even now, xia wen still kept all these toys with him. "eldest brother, children don''t need so many toys at this age. you don''t have to buy so many for them. when the children are older, i''ll hire another helper to take care of them separately. you can buy more toys then," qiao mei said. at this age, the two babies just ate and slept most of the time and it was still easy to coax them. in particular, xia fan slept a lot. some time ago, qiao mei even felt worried that there might be something wrong with xia fan''s brain. after going to the hospital for a checkup, the doctor said that this was a normal phenomenon. only then did qiao mei feel relieved. once the two children learned how to climb, feng hua would not be able to take care of them on her own anymore. at that time, the factory would have just been completed and there would be many things that qiao mei had to deal with. other than qiao qiang, there was no one else in the house. "qiao mei, have you considered bringing the children back for mother to take care of when they''re older?" xia wen asked. xu lan really wanted to take care of her grandchildren personally, but she was too embarrassed to tell qiao mei. firstly, she did not know how to raise the issue. secondly, qiao mei did not lack money at all and it was not a problem for her to hire a few more helpers to take care of the children. in the end, she did not talk to qiao mei about it. xia wen only found out about xu lan''s wish when he overheard a conversation between xu lan and liu fen. "we''ll see how it goes when the time comes. i still hope that i can take care of them myself. if i really don''t have the time, then i''ll ask mother to come over and help," qiao mei said. this thought had really never crossed her mind. even though xu lan was very nice to her now, xu lan was not her own mother after all. she still felt a little embarrassed to ask xu lan for help. however, she would keep what xia wen said in mind and consider it carefully. "eldest brother, has any shao family member gone to look for you recently?" xia he probed. "i don''t know. even if they try, they won''t be able to find me. did something happen at home?" xia wen asked as he turned to look at xia he. xia he was about to start complaining to xia wen when qiao mei covered xia he''s mouth and said, "it''s nothing serious. eldest brother, you can go and play with xia fan and xia xing first. stay for dinner later!" "sure," xia wen said as he shook his head helplessly. he did not know what these two were up to, so he did not probe further. when it was time for him to know, they would naturally tell him. qiao mei dragged xia he back to her bedroom. it was rare for xia wen to be able to relax so she did not want to disturb him with these trivial matters at home. it was not as if they could not handle these things themselves. "why didn''t you let me tell eldest brother? the earlier i tell him, the earlier he can be prepared!" xia he pouted and said. "it''s useless even if he''s prepared. as long as shao yin is still eyeing eldest brother, it''s useless no matter where he hides! we might as well target the shao family directly!" qiao mei said huffily. target? xia he widened her eyes and looked at qiao mei. she said nervously, "you... don''t tell me you want to kill her... it''s not like she did anything heinous! xia fan and xia xing are completely fine and did not get sick out of fright. i think you should spare her." Chapter 1388 Three Versions Of The Architectural Plan ? qiao mei looked at xia he and laughed loudly. "what are you thinking about! how can i do something illegal? i just want the shao family to be obedient and not cause trouble everywhere. it''s not what you think. do you really think of me as such a ruthless person?" xia he did not know if qiao mei was ruthless or not, but when the shao family members woke xia fan and xia xing up, the look in qiao mei''s eyes was murderous indeed. "that''s good..." xia he heaved a sigh of relief and continued, "you say you want the shao family to be obedient, but what''s the difference between that and eldest brother wanting the tan family to be obedient back then? unless xia xing marries someone else, there won''t be any positive outcome." "we''ll see. the shao family might not be as insensible as you think. what if they become obedient after this matter?" qiao mei said. after dinner that night, xia wen was going to leave qiao mei''s place and return to xu lan''s house. after qiao mei found out about xia wen''s situation, she tried to persuade xia wen to stay with qiao qiang in the backyard part of the house. since xia he was also staying here now, the more the merrier. however, xia wen felt that it was not a good idea. given that xia zhe was not at home at the moment, it was not appropriate for him to stay here. qiao mei did not insist. after sending xia wen off, she returned to the room with xia he to rest. early the next morning, deng fan brought the architectural plans to show qiao mei. she had felt that the first draft of deng fan''s design was not perfect enough and still lacking something, so she had repeatedly asked deng fan to modify it. "brother-in-law, why are you here so early? didn''t i tell you that there''s no hurry?" qiao mei stood in the courtyard and said with a smile. "i must treat the assignment you give me seriously. otherwise, what if your elder sister skins me alive?" deng fan said with a laugh. qiao mei turned around to look into the room and at xia he, who was still sleeping. last night, she tossed and turned a lot when she was sleeping and kicked xia he to the floor at one point. during the later part of the night, xia he had gone to sleep on the recliner outside. if qiao mei had not woken up in the middle of the night and realized that xia he was not next to her, xia he would have caught a cold after sleeping outside the entire night. "let''s talk in the study. she''s still sleeping." after saying that, qiao mei brought deng fan to the study. as soon as he entered, he realized that there was now a bird in the study. "since when do you like to raise birds? is this... a pigeon?" deng fan asked as he looked at qiao mei in puzzlement. other people would usually raise beautiful birds like parrots, but qiao mei had a pigeon, and a single one at that. "oh this! a friend gave it to me. i find this bird quite interesting, so i asked him for it," qiao mei said with a laugh. when coocoo heard what qiao mei said, it silently turned its face to the other side. qiao mei was lying! this woman had clearly kept it here against its will! this time, deng fan had prepared three sets of architectural plans. each one was of a different design. he did not have much confidence in what qiao mei had requested of him the last time. what he usually did was only interior design and he had never tried designing such a big factory. he was afraid that any mistake he made would delay qiao mei''s plan. "take a look at which one of the three versions you like. if you don''t like any of them, i''ll go back and redo it," deng fan said seriously. "you... you''re really responsible. these must have taken you a long time ," qiao mei said as she looked at all the markings on the plans. "not really, not a lot of time. take your time to look at them. if there''s anything you don''t understand, you can ask me. or you can just circle them out on the plans and i''ll make the changes," deng fan said. qiao mei could not bear to directly make modifications on the plans! they looked like pieces of artwork. if she put any markings on them, she would feel as if she had tainted the artwork. she was very satisfied with all three designs. she could tell that deng fan had put in a lot of effort and thought of many details that she had overlooked. in the end, she chose the design which had a layout that was easier for everyone to move around. "let''s use this one. i also want to build a glass-covered garden at this location. a small one will do. there''s no need to make it too grand," qiao mei said as she pointed at a corner. "sure, no problem. then when do we start work? when do we start buying the materials?" deng fan said. "no hurry, no hurry! you can rest for a few days before we start!" qiao mei said immediately. Chapter 1389 Buns at the Entrance of the Alley chapter 1389 buns at the entrance of the alley "didn''t you tell me the last time that i only have half a month? did you change your mind?" deng fan was most afraid of clients who behaved like this. the initial time frame would be half a month, then the client would procrastinate in the early stages, with no intention of making any progress. then when the deadline was almost up, the client would put a lot of pressure on everyone. in the end, things that could have been comfortably done over half a month had to be completed within a few days. if such a big factory really had to be completed within a few days, it would be a dangerous building! it definitely would not meet his standards. qiao mei laughed awkwardly. she had already forgotten that she had agreed on a time frame with deng fan. since he put it this way, it would not be good for her to make any changes, so she just went along with the previous timeline. some time ago, chi ze had brought some workers to the site to clean up all the rubbish there. when that piece of land was first rented, it was still occupied by an abandoned factory that had been left untouched for many years. it looked like it would collapse with a light touch. qiao mei had asked chi ze to pull the entire place down and leave behind only an empty piece of land so as to facilitate the building works. "then i''ll go with whatever you say." qiao mei took out a big bag from the safe under the table. she patted the bag and said, "there''s 100,000 dollars here. take it and use it first. if it''s not enough, just let me know. i''ll leave you to decide on all the purchases. i''ll also make a list of the equipment i need in the factory. you just need to buy everything that''s on the list." deng fan widened his eyes and looked at qiao mei. she was handing so much money to him so easily? qiao mei did not seem worried that he would run away with the money. this was a sum of 100,000 dollars! it would be enough for him to use until he was 60 years old! "this money..." deng fan said hesitantly. "don''t worry, the money is clean. as you know, many people begged me to buy my medicinal wine. this is part of the he family''s payment," qiao mei explained. deng fan still did not dare to accept it. he looked at qiao mei and said, "this is a lot of money and it''s not safe to leave it at my house. it''s also inconvenient for me to bring it around. i''ll take 10,000 dollars first to buy the materials. in the future, if i want to buy other things, i''ll ask xia he for money. what do you think?" "anything is fine as long as it''s convenient for you," qiao mei said. just as the two of them were discussing how to start the construction of the factory, xia he woke up. when she saw deng fan, her originally happy expression darkened. although the two of them had reconciled after their argument the last time, she was still feeling angry. it was all her fault for not being able to resist the temptation. whenever she saw deng fan''s face, half of her anger would disappear. "you''re up! there''s no food for you at home. you have to go out and eat," qiao mei said deliberately. "i don''t believe it. i''ll ask auntie xu. don''t tell me auntie xu won''t give me food?" xia he knew that this was qiao mei''s plan, but she refused to fall for it! "you can ask her but there''s nothing for you. even if there''s ingredients at home, we won''t cook for you! you have to go out and eat." qiao mei rolled up the plans on the table and handed them to deng fan. "brother deng, just do as i say. if there''s nothing else, you can go back." deng fan immediately understood what she meant and quickly took the design plans and walked to the door. "xiao he, there''s a new bun shop at the entrance of the alley. the food is very delicious. i''ll bring you there to try it." "what new bun shop? i walk around this alley every day and there''s no new shop at all," xia he turned away and said stubbornly. deng fan scratched the back of his head in embarrassment and said, "it''s... it''s at the entrance of the alley near our house, not the one here." "who... what our house! i''m not married to you yet! it doesn''t count!" xia he said in a fit of pique. "it''ll be our house in the future. go get changed and i''ll bring you out to eat," deng fan said. as xia he looked at deng fan''s earnest expression, she began to feel uneasy about what she was really thinking. before she could decide whether she wanted to go or not, she had already started to walk towards the bedroom. qiao mei stood at the window to watch the commotion. after it was over, she went to take care of the children. feng hua had said that xia fan and xia xing were starting to become chatty recently. "fan fan! say mommy~" qiao mei hugged xia fan and said with a smile. "children at this age still can''t speak yet! they need to be at least one year old before they can speak clearly," feng hua said as she looked at qiao mei. Chapter 1390 Grow Up in the Blink of an Eye chapter 1390 grow up in the blink of an eye "sister feng, look at how fast the children have grown. it''s only been a few months and they''ve already so big!" qiao mei said as she looked tenderly at the two children. when the two babies were first born, she could not tell who their eyes and mouths resembled. only xu lan and li gui could tell which part of the babies looked like which member of the family. at that time, she did not think that these two children looked like her at all. now that the children''s small faces had grown, xia fan was starting to look more like xia zhe and xia xing was starting to look more like her. "children grow up so fast. they just keep changing every day. if you don''t pay attention, you''ll miss out on a lot of things," feng hua said. "i''m so lucky to have sister feng here. otherwise, i won''t know what to do." feng hua had taken care of qiao mei from the late stages of her pregnancy until she gave birth. when the accident happened back then, it was even feng hua who had saved her life. in her other life, she had heard of many pregnant women suffering from prenatal and postpartum depression, but she did not feel any sort of sadness at all. it was all because feng hua had silently helped her out with everything. "sister feng, starting from next month, i''ll give you an additional 50 dollars a month," qiao mei said. in the past, when feng hua only took care of one child, her pay was 120 dollars a month. now that she had to take care of two children alone, it was more than reasonable for her to be paid another 50 dollars a month. "no, no, no! my salary is already very high now. i don''t need that much money. moreover, xia fan is easier to take care of than many children. i also like these two children very much. you don''t have to increase my salary." feng hua quickly rejected the offer. "that won''t do! then... how about an additional 30 dollars? it''s settled then. sister feng, don''t stand on ceremony with me. don''t worry about taking this money!" qiao mei said. "you''re such a child..." feng hua smiled and shook her head. after coaxing the two children to sleep, qiao mei went to the courtyard to get some fresh air. the weather was getting better and she should start heading out more often. if she stayed at home every day and did nothing all day, it would not do her health any good in the long term. just as qiao mei was doing some stretches, she suddenly saw shao yin standing at the door. it looked like she had been standing there for a long time and did not dare to come in. "why are you standing at the door?" qiao mei walked over and asked. "third cousin-in-law, the last time, i... i had scared the two children. i dare not go in to look for you, so i thought i''d just wait at the door. if anyone sees me, they can then bring me in," shao yin said pitifully. seeing how pitiful shao yin looked, qiao mei did not have the heart to chase her away. after all, she was also the daughter-in-law of the xia family. even if she did not care about the shao family, she had to show third uncle some respect. "come in." qiao mei went to the kitchen and said to xu kang, "auntie xu, please send a pot of ginger soup to the living room. we have a guest." shao yin''s hands and feet were all frozen from the cold. after she entered the house, she was still shivering vigorously. she did not have a thick coat and was still only wearing the coat which xia xing had bought for her! no matter how much the shao family doted on her, they were still too poor to buy new clothes for her. qiao mei handed the blanket on the recliner to shao yin and said, "put it over yourself. i have asked the helper to make some ginger soup. drink a bit more later and you''ll be fine after sweating it out." "thank you, third cousin-in-law," shao yin said shakily. "why are you here? is it just to take a look at me?" qiao mei asked curiously. "i''m here to ask third cousin-in-law for help. i wonder if you can help me?" shao yin''s tone of voice today was exactly the same as the other day. qiao mei subconsciously frowned, her mind filled with the sound of the children crying. "i''m not that capable and can''t help you much. you should try to ask someone else," qiao mei said coldly. shao yin said agitatedly, "only third cousin-in-law can help me with this! my father-in-law also asks me to come and look for you..." third uncle? qiao mei looked at shao yin in surprise. xia guang had never asked her for anything. furthermore, his entire family was still in her debt. why would xia guang ask shao yin to come and beg her for help? "shao yin, you have to know that it''s a bad habit to tell lies. if i find out that what you''re about to say is not something which third uncle asked you to come and say, then i''ll have to go home and tell grandfather. i''ll let grandfather find out what happened. if so, you should know how serious the consequences can be," qiao mei said with narrowed eyes. Chapter 1391 How Kind Can One Be chapter 1391 how kind can one be shao yin panicked. she only meant it as a casual remark and did not expect qiao mei to take her seriously. she quickly said, "i''m sorry, i didn''t mean to say that!" qiao mei was not in the mood to make things difficult for shao yin. she waved her hand and said, "just say what you are here to say. i was just joking with you just now. you don''t have to take it too seriously." shao yin swallowed nervously and whispered, "it''s like this... xia xing and i are getting married soon, but we haven''t confirmed the venue yet. as you know, my house is small and can''t accommodate so many people. so i''m wondering if we can hold the banquet at your house..." qiao mei already knew that such a day would come. during this time, wedding banquets were usually held at the couple''s house, just like qiao mei''s wedding in foshan village. if the couple held it in a restaurant, it would attract too much attention and may even lead to trouble. at a wedding banquet, there would usually be five to six people from the bride''s maternal family, usually the bride''s closest relatives. at most, there would be a dozen people from her side of the family. this was also the gauge which xia wen used when he rented a house for xia xing. no one expected more than 40 people from the shao family to be here. xu lan definitely would not agree to let shao yin and xia xing hold their wedding banquet at her place. it was not possible to do it at grandfather''s place either. even the largest restaurant in the capital did not have the capacity to accommodate so many people. after all, on that day, there would also be many of the xia family''s relatives and friends coming to congratulate the couple. this was a matter that was closely tied to the xia family''s reputation. in the eyes of the xia family, it was just the third son''s family getting a new daughter-in-law, but in the eyes of outsiders, it was the xia family gaining a new daughter-in-law. it was a huge difference in perception! for the sake of the xia family''s reputation and given that it was just a one-day banquet, she decided to lend her place to the shao family as a show of respect for grandfather. other than her house, there was no other place that could accommodate so many people at the same time. "alright, i agree," qiao mei said after thinking for a moment. "what?" shao yin did not really hear what qiao mei said and thought that she was hallucinating. "i said i agree to your request," qiao mei repeated. shao yin did not expect qiao mei to agree so readily, but since she had agreed to this request, then she should not mind holding another banquet here. "um... there''s one more thing. my family and xia xing''s family haven''t formally met one another yet. can we organize a dinner for that at your place as well?" shao yin said. "what? another banquet?" qiao mei looked at shao yin in shock. these 40-odd people from the shao family were not satisfied with only the wedding banquet, but wanted an engagement banquet as well? "no, no! it''s just my parents and elder sister attending! only them! not the rest!" shao yin quickly explained. "you can''t even fit such a small group in your house? i don''t see why you need to hold it at my place," qiao mei questioned. "well... we don''t have enough crockery and cutlery at home, nor do we know anyone who can cook well. besides, our house is so far away from grandfather''s house..." shao yin listed all the reasons she could think of. she was just short of saying that the air in her house was not as fresh as the air in qiao mei''s house. qiao mei thought that since she had already agreed to help, she would go the extra mile. after all, it concerned the xia family''s reputation. it did not really matter to her if it was one banquet or two. she would just treat it as... as... as a show of respect for the xia family! qiao mei hoped that shao yin would not make any more requests. if shao yin were to continue, qiao mei did not know what other excuse she could use to convince herself. fortunately, shao yin knew her own place and did not ask for anything else. following that, qiao mei sat there and listened to shao yin ramble on for more than half an hour. if qiao mei had to put a subject title to the monologue, it would probably be "describing how kind qiao mei can be". if shao yin wrote down everything she said, she would definitely win the most outstanding essay award. "alright, alright. i have other things to do. if there''s nothing else, you can go back. we''ll talk another day," qiao mei said impatiently. "oh, there''s one last thing! third cousin-in-law, can you give grandfather and the rest of the family a call? it would be best if everyone can attend the dinner," shao yin said tentatively. "do my mother-in-law and father-in-law have to come too?" qiao mei asked. "yes, yes! it''s best if your two siblings-in-law can come too! this will also show my parents that the xia family really thinks highly of me and they will feel much more at ease. third cousin-in-law, am i making things too difficult for you?" shao yin said. shao yin was simply asking to make use of qiao mei''s courtyard, money and favors to make herself look good. qiao mei almost wanted to curse out loud at her. Chapter 1392 Who Will Pay for the Expenses chapter 1392 who will pay for the expenses qiao mei could not possibly serve mediocre food if the banquet was held at her place, so she would have to make an application to get some seafood and fruits from the xia family''s special supply. the family had used up a lot of their entitlement during the spring festival, so they probably did not have much left now. at the end of the day, she might even need to spend a fair bit of money to obtain the ingredients from the black market. it was not an issue for qiao mei to pay for the engagement banquet, but the wedding banquet was on a much bigger scale. if this was xia he''s wedding banquet, it would not matter to her even if she had to spend all her money. however, if it was for shao yin, it was out of the question. "since you want to use my house as the venue to hold the wedding banquet, then what about the expenses?" qiao mei asked with a smile. "expenses... what expenses?" shao yin pretended not to understand the question. "don''t tell me you want to hold your wedding banquet at my house and also want me to pay for everything? then in the first place, you might as well come right out and say you want me to sponsor your wedding banquet." qiao mei almost blurted out something disrespectful about xia guang, but she managed to hold herself back. under normal circumstances, these were things that the groom''s mother should take care of. based on the family hierarchy, she would never need to be involved at all. "third cousin-in-law, we''ve only just arrived in the capital and don''t have much money... the xia family is the one paying for my family''s accommodation at the guest houses, so perhaps the wedding banquet..." shao yin said greedily. by right, the xia family should be the one forking the bill for the wedding, but even then, the bill should not just go to anyone from the family. why should the eldest son or second son pay for the wedding for the third son''s son? "go back and discuss the issue of the wedding banquet with brother xing. if you have no money, there''s nothing i can do for you. my own humble little family depends on my husband''s salary to support us and my in-laws also give me some support along the way. let me know when you manage to get the money," qiao mei said. shao yin panicked. she did not expect to be presented with an actual problem. qiao mei said that she could only help with the wedding banquet if shao yin could pay for it. shao yin wondered if that meant that she did not need to pay for the engagement banquet herself. qiao mei could tell what she was thinking at a glance. this woman really would not give up until she could take advantage of qiao mei, so qiao mei said resignedly, "i can help you plan something for the engagement banquet the day after tomorrow. i don''t know if the invitees will come or not though." shao yin was glad to have settled at least one issue. after thanking qiao mei, she quickly left qiao mei''s house, worried that qiao mei would go back on her word if she got into a bad mood. shao yin was sure that if she mentioned this issue at the engagement banquet, someone from the xia family would naturally step forward to foot the bill for the wedding banquet. qiao mei frowned slightly as she sat in the living room, feeling worried. she did not know what xia xing saw in shao yin. even if zhou hua did not take good care of xia xing from when he was young, xia xing''s life was not that tough either. at most, he just lacked some familial care and concern. could it be that shao yin was able to shower xia xing with the care and concern that he lacked? she did not look like that kind of person though. it was already good enough if she did not go around causing trouble for xia xing! if qiao mei was the one who informed the other xia family members about the upcoming event, they would attend the banquet even if they had to reschedule important appointments. she decided to wait for xia he to come back before doing anything. n//ovelbin xia he only returned in the evening when it was almost time for dinner. qiao mei had thought that xia he would be spending the night out. "how is it? are the two of you as good as new?" qiao mei stood at the door curiously and looked around. deng fan stood at the entrance of the alley far away and watched xia he walking back to qiao mei''s house. "what''s so good about that! i''m back to settle scores with you! you spout so much nonsense earlier in the day and you don''t even want to give me anything to eat from auntie xu''s kitchen. you just want to make me go out with deng fan," xia he pulled qiao mei''s ear and said in exasperation. "my good sister~ i did that so that the two of you can go back to being lovey dovey as soon as possible. i put in a lot of effort! you can''t misunderstand me like this!" qiao mei pouted and said aggrievedly. "fine, fine, fine! you''ve succeeded! we have reconciled," xia he said as she let go. "that''s great! i just know that brother-in-law can definitely get it done!" qiao mei said proudly. "you still address him as brother-in-law? we''re not married yet. don''t spout nonsense! it''ll be terrible if others hear us!" xia he said as she looked around warily. as long as a couple was not married, they were not a real couple in the eyes of other people. before marriage, a man and a woman could not get too close to each other. otherwise, if others saw them, they would be criticized for being indecent! "alright, alright, come in quickly. i still have something to tell you!" qiao mei pulled xia he into the study and told her in detail about what happened with shao yin this afternoon. xia he was instantly hopping mad. Chapter 1393 The Host Paying the Bill n-.o((v-.e.-l--b)(1)(n chapter 1393 the host paying the bill "this family is just too shameless! they''re too much! what does xia xing''s wedding have to do with us! why must we host this event!" xia he said furiously. "i have no choice. she came all the way here to look for me. for the sake of our family''s reputation, i have no choice but to agree. you also know how much grandfather and the others dote on me. if i ask them to attend, they will definitely find a way to come to the banquet. i need your help with this matter," qiao mei said helplessly. within the family, qiao mei''s words carry a lot more weight than xia he''s. although xia he was xia jun''s favorite granddaughter, qiao mei was exceptionally precious to the entire xia family. both the qiao family''s grandfather and granddaughter were the xia family''s saviors. even if qiao mei said that she wanted xia jun''s life today, xia jun would give it up without batting an eyelid. at this point in time, qiao mei was the most loved person in the xia family, at least among the families of the eldest and second sons. xia he took her little phone book and went to the convenience store outside to make the phone calls. of course, she did not just inform them of the event. she even told all of them the story of how shao yin bullied qiao mei, embellished with her own details, and also about how shao yin made the two babies cry. xia jun was very upset. he directly rejected the invitation to shao yin''s engagement banquet the day after tomorrow. on one hand, he did not like these people from the shao family. on the other hand, he had to attend a very important meeting and could not be absent. this meeting could not have been scheduled at a more opportune time. however, xia mao was not so lucky. during this period of time, other than a few phone calls with the military committee and being in charge of some minor arrangements, he did not have any other meetings, so he had to attend the banquet. as for the second son''s family, only liu fen would be attending the banquet. she was a full-time housewife, so what kind of urgent matters would she have? she had no choice but to come with xu lan to face the shao family. even xia fang would be attending this banquet. ever since the two babies were born, she had not come around to visit much. she had been very busy at the hospital and did not have much free time. this time round, she could finally make some time to come and take a look. xia mao asked xia wen to go to the guest house early in the morning the next day to send the invite to the shao family members. sending xia wen there was a show of respect to the shao family. he was the future head of the xia family and also the eldest grandson. this was something that he needed to do, being in this position. the next morning, shao zhuang and bian duo could not take their eyes off xia wen when they saw him. he was thousands of times better-looking than how shao yin had described him. one look at his distinguished demeanor and they could tell that he was an exceptionally capable man. this made them even more determined to bring shao yin and xia wen together. "you must be uncle and auntie shao. i''m xia xing''s eldest cousin. my name is xia wen. i''m here today to specially invite you to our house to be our guests. i hope you''ll do us the honor." xia wen spoke formally, making bian duo so mesmerized that she almost did not want to let go of xia wen''s hand! "of course! of course! we''ll definitely be there!" shao zhuang said immediately. "we''ll arrange for a car to pick you up then." xia wen left after giving them the details, leaving shao yin''s parents standing on the spot, still reminiscing about what had just happened. bian duo nudged shao zhuang and said, "do you see that? this is what a young master should look like. xia xing is really nothing!" "he seems good enough for our shao yin, but maybe a little too old. our shao yin is only in her early 20s. since he says he''s older than xia xing, then he must already be in his 30s," shao zhuang said with a frown. "so what if he''s in his 30s? i was only 18 years old when i married you! you were already 28 years old then!" bian duo said. "it''s fine! ask shao yin to quickly think of a way to marry xia wen. don''t just count on xia xing!" shao zhuang quickly changed the topic, otherwise he would be the one to suffer later. xia xing''s workplace unit had given their staff two days off. xia xing was at home when shao yin told him the news and he thought that he was just dreaming at first. "you''re saying that eldest uncle''s family wants to treat us to a meal? and it''s at third cousin-in-law''s house?" xia xing asked in disbelief. in the past, zhou luo was not even allowed to go to qiao mei''s place to take a look. xia jun and the eldest son''s family treated qiao mei like a treasure. in the beginning, xia xing did not like qiao mei and also did not know how much she had done for the xia family. he only heard that qiao mei was a village woman who had done something to trick xia zhe and then married into the xia family. Chapter 1394 She Still Got Her Way chapter 1394 she still got her way after xia xing arrived in the capital, he heard many different versions of the story. he also heard about how qiao mei had used the qiao family''s heirloom to save xia mao and was a benefactor to the xia family. xia xing''s opinion of qiao mei changed drastically after that. he felt that if he was from eldest uncle''s family, he would also want to treat qiao mei well. "yes! it''s set for tomorrow! qiao mei told me herself!" shao yin said. n-)o).v.--)1/(b/.1/-n "alright. don''t allow too many people from your family to attend! just your parents and elder sister should be good enough," xia xing reminded her. xia xing still found this whole matter to be very strange. after he came to the capital, he just wanted to work hard and let xia jun see his hard work and effort. he did not want to live a muddled life like before. zhou luo had always told him to take good care of xia lu and xia yan and to think more for the zhou family. he was not a silly person nor a child who did not know anything. between the zhou and xia families, did he not know who he should be closer to? when xia zhe married qiao mei, they did not hold a wedding ceremony. therefore, xia xing also wanted to keep a low profile. in the past, when he was still in that small county city, he only represented himself. however, in the capital, he also represented the xia family. if he held a flashy wedding banquet, people would definitely gossip about him. however, he did not know that shao yin had already told qiao mei that they wanted to have a grand wedding. he did not expect xia mao''s family to treat him so warmly. this was probably because they valued him as part of the family. he definitely would not let them down! shao yin did not tell xia xing the truth. if xia xing knew the truth about what had happened during this period of time, who knew what kind of fight he would pick with shao yin! after xia wen left the guest house, he went to buy a truckload of vegetables and fruits before heading to qiao mei''s house. by bringing along these things with him, he was truly qiao mei''s lifesaver! "eldest brother, you''re simply my savior! you don''t know how vexed elder sister and i are about how to get these things," qiao mei said with a sigh. her household register was in the countryside, so she did not get any meat and vegetable coupons in the capital. xia he''s coupons were not enough to buy so many things. the two of them were still in the room earlier, counting the total number of coupons they had! "don''t be so glib-tongued with me. explain yourself and about why you agree to take on this matter in such a muddle-headed manner. don''t you think you''re busy enough?" xia wen reprimanded her. although his words were reproachful, his tone of voice was very gentle. he just felt sorry for qiao mei. "i agree! eldest brother, you have to give her a proper lecture! i wasn''t at home that day and she was tricked in agreeing to this just like that. by the time i came back, it was already too late!" xia he said angrily. "i also... also agreed to let shao yin and xia xing hold their wedding banquet here," qiao mei lowered her head and muttered softly. "what! say that again!" xia he looked at qiao mei in disbelief. she could not believe that the person in front of her was the qiao mei she knew, the one who would never allow herself to suffer any loss. "lower your voice. the children are still sleeping in the room," xia wen said reproachfully with a frown. "i''m doing this for the sake of the xia family''s reputation. besides, i''m not holding the banquet here. it''ll be at the corn courtyard house over there so that it won''t affect the children. if i don''t agree, she''ll go and ask grandfather. grandfather is already so old, do you still want him to worry about such things?" qiao mei said. xia wen and xia mao had been so insistently guarded against those people, but shao yin still managed to take advantage of them in the end. actually, they could not blame qiao mei at all. xia jun was getting much older and he preferred peace and quiet over hustle and bustle. if xia xing''s place could not fit so many people, then the event would end up being held at xia jun''s place. qiao mei was only doing this because she cared for xia jun. if it were xia wen and xia he, they would have made the same choice as qiao mei. xia wen and xia he were concerned for qiao mei, while qiao mei was concerned for the xia family. there was nothing wrong with both sides'' perspectives and they really just cared very much for one another. "we''re not blaming you. we just can''t bear to see you suffer. don''t let mother and aunt know about this for now, otherwise they''ll surely kick up a fuss!" xia wen said with a sigh. these two women had long had a bone to pick with the third son''s family, especially xu lan. the last time zhou luo came over, she had offended xu lan and xu lan was someone who bore grudges. if there was a chance to take revenge, xu lan definitely would not let it go to waste. Chapter 1395 Preparing for the Engagement Banquet chapter 1395 preparing for the engagement banquet xu kang moved all the vegetables down from the truck and sorted them out for use the next day. some vegetables could not be washed in advance, otherwise they would spoil quickly. qiao mei also called mao hang to come over. mao hang used to work in the army cookhouse, so he was definitely adept in the kitchen. this way, she had enough help. suddenly, there was the sound of the children crying in the room. they were probably feeling a little hungry after waking up. xia wen immediately dropped everything and rushed into the room. "look at eldest brother..." qiao mei pointed at xia wen and said with a smile. "it''s just a pity that eldest brother doesn''t have any children of his own. if eldest brother didn''t marry that person back then, his child would probably be the same age as you now!" xia he said regretfully. "alright, let''s not think about those unhappy things. eldest brother''s good fortune lies ahead! let''s focus on what we need to do tomorrow. nothing must go wrong," qiao mei said. no matter who was the one throwing the banquet, it was still a xia family affair at the end of the day. qiao mei had to be fully attentive and focused. if anything happened, it would be embarrassing for the xia family. xia wen seemed to have thought of something. he came out with the milk bottle and looked at qiao mei as he said, "is everything you said just now all you want to tell me? didn''t shao yin say anything else?" "anything else? i don''t think so... oh right! she even wanted me to pick up the tab for the wedding banquet, but i rejected her straightaway. if she doesn''t have money to pay for the wedding banquet, then i won''t lend her the venue," qiao mei said smugly. "not bad, little girl. you''re always quick when it comes to money. but you must be careful. my feeling is that the shao family is after something big given that they are making such a fuss this round," xia wen said. "yes, i understand. i won''t let them take advantage of me," qiao mei said as she nodded earnestly. "you still say that you won''t be taken advantage of. shao yin has already made you pay for two meals," xia he said as she rolled her eyes. n-(o()v--e-(l/-b)/i/)n qiao mei laughed and went to tickle xia he. the two of them ran around in the courtyard and had a lot of fun. the day of the engagement banquet arrived quickly. qiao mei started to make preparations early in the morning. feng hua brought the two children over to li gui''s house so that the commotion in the main house would not frighten them. "third cousin-in-law! second cousin! i''m here to help!" xia xing stood at the door and said excitedly. "why are you here so early? i don''t see shao yin," xia he asked curiously. "i''m just thinking that since there will be many people coming today, third cousin-in-law must be very busy here. so i''m here to help," xia xing said. qiao mei and xia he looked at each other with a tacit understanding. qiao mei looked around but there was nothing else that needed xia xing''s help. they were already using gas in this house, so there was no need to have someone chop wood for fire. in the end, qiao mei''s gaze landed on the pile of crockery and cutlery. "xiao xing, can you help me wash the dishes? those crockery were last used during the new year and there''s still a layer of dust on them!" qiao mei said. "no problem! leave it to me!" after saying that, xia xing started to get busy. he looked very serious and did not seem to be just fooling around. in this house, they washed the dishes with warm water. qiao mei had installed a large water heater in the house so that she was prepared for days like this. "it''s such a pity about xia xing. i originally thought that he''s just an immature child, but i never expected that he''s forced to do all this by the zhou family..." xia he muttered softly. "how can any kid in our family be too lousy? it''s all because of that zhou family. i don''t even know if third uncle will come by tomorrow! third uncle hasn''t given me any reply," qiao mei said worriedly. "it''s xia xing''s wedding, so how can it be appropriate if third uncle doesn''t come? it can''t be that he''s not coming," xia he said with a frown. now that xia guang and zhou hua were divorced, if xia guang did not turn up, then who else could take his place? if that was the case, xia xing would definitely feel sad. recently, xia guang had missed out on many training sessions at work due to all the issues with the shao family. he could not take any more days off. his work was still the most important thing to him. besides, he had already met all of them at the police post back then and he felt that there was no need to meet them again. anyway, he would see them again at the wedding banquet. in that case, the person attending as xia xing''s elder would be zhou luo. she would definitely be sarcastic and pick on qiao mei. who knew what kind of trouble she could cause! not long after, mao hang arrived at qiao mei''s house on time. even though qiao mei did not tell chi ze and the rest, they came with mao hang out of their own accord. Chapter 1396 Behind the Glamor chapter 1396 behind the glamor "brother chi! sisters-in-law! why are all of you here?" qiao mei said as she looked at them in surprise. "we hear that you''re very busy today, so we''re all here to help out! anyway, we have nothing to do at home. we just can''t stay idle! if there''s anything you need us to do, just tell us. we can do anything!" wang fang said with a smile. with so many additional pairs of hands, qiao mei was able to cook a lot faster. the entire courtyard was filled with people chatting and laughing. for a moment, qiao mei felt like she had returned to foshan village! in the past, there was also always a courtyard full of people chatting with her and everyone was very nice to her. she wondered how auntie dong and the others were doing now. with the seeds business, their lives must be very comfortable. once her children were older, she wanted to go back and visit the villagers. it was time to give them a new batch of seeds. everyone dressed up nicely for the occasion today and put on their most beautiful clothes. xu lan wore a dress which qiao mei had made for her, but she kept a lower profile this round. she did not choose to wear the red dress with the phoenix embroidered with golden thread, but the royal blue dress with lilies embroidered at the bottom. "where''s qiao mei? why don''t i see qiao mei?" xu lan asked as she looked around. when qiao mei heard that, she immediately stuck her head out of the kitchen and yelled out happily, "mother! i''m here! i''ll chat with you later. i don''t have much time now." xu lan''s face fell immediately. everyone else looked glamorous and beautiful, but qiao mei was the only one with disheveled hair and still wearing a greasy apron. there was even some coal dust on her face! n--o-/v((e-.l/-b/)i//n when xia he saw that something was not right, she quickly brought xu lan and liu fen to her room. as soon as the women entered, xu lan pointed angrily towards the door and shouted, "how can the third son''s family bully us like this! they actually ask qiao mei to cook! how shameless of them! it''s one thing for them to eye our house, but now they even make use of qiao mei like this!" even liu fen, who usually maintained a neutral stance, had an unhappy expression on her face. liu fen always kept in mind the kindness qiao mei showed to her and her children. even a block of ice would be moved by qiao mei''s sincerity. "they are really too much. we have to tell father about this matter. what is third brother so busy with every day? if he can''t take care of so many children, then i can adopt them! they''ll still be the xia family''s grandchildren! it''s better than them being ordered around like livestock by those people from the zhou family!" liu fen said. "alright, alright, don''t be angry." xia he tried to calm them down, but how would these two women listen to her? "don''t you and xia wen help qiao mei at all? go and get xia wen here! is it because i haven''t kept my eyes on you two for too long and you''ve all forgotten how siblings should get along!" xu lan questioned. "eldest brother is at the door, getting ready to welcome the guests... mother, if you''re angry, then scold me. it''s all my fault. when shao yin came that day, i wasn''t at home. if i was at home, i wouldn''t have let qiao mei agree to all these," xia he said self-reproachfully. xu lan sighed. she was happy that qiao mei was a capable person. when everyone knew that xia zhe married such a capable wife, many people told xu lan that she was very lucky and that they were envious of her. however, she would rather qiao mei be more of an ordinary person. the qiao mei now was like xia mao in his glory days. at that time, many people told xu lan that she had married into a good family, that her husband was so capable and her sons were all doing so well. she was the only one who knew how heart-wrenching it was behind all the glamor. "go out and give qiao mei some support and help out your eldest brother. your second aunt-in-law and i will sit here for a while," xu lan said resignedly. before xia he left, she even brought them some pastries and tea. she was worried that xu lan and liu fang would get agitated and rush out to argue with the shao family, which would in turn damage the xia family''s reputation. however, she did not think that xu lan would be so irrational. not long after, xia fang arrived at qiao mei''s house with a gift in her hands. as soon as she entered, she felt that the atmosphere was a little strange. it did not feel like a joyous occasion, but more like a funeral. xia fang put down the gift and went to look for xu lan and liu fen. before she entered the room, she thought she heard xu lan and liu fen arguing fiercely. xia fang quickly pushed open the door and said, "sisters-in-law, why are the two of you arguing on such a happy occasion?" "we''re not arguing..." xu lan said after being stunned for a moment. "huh? but i heard you talking very loudly from the outside. aren''t you arguing?" xia fang asked. Chapter 1397 Cause Trouble chapter 1397 cause trouble "you have come at the right time! quickly talk some sense into eldest sister-in-law. she''s about to die of anger because of those people from the shao family," liu fen said with a sigh. xu lan told xia fang about everything that happened, not missing out on any detail. in the end, xia fang was even more worked up than xu lan. she looked around, picked up the shoe horn by the door and wanted to go out and pick a fight with the shao family. "hey! what are you doing! what nonsense is this!" liu fen said as she quickly used her body to block the door. "i think they''re tired of living! it''s good that the shao family is here today! i''ll deal with them one by one! i''ll make sure they dare not bully qiao mei again! i''ll get them to get lost and go back to that small county city! are they bullying the xia family because they think we''re weak!" xia fang said angrily. "alright, alright! after all, we''re still at qiao mei''s house today. even if we''re angry, we have to endure it. if we provoke them, i don''t know how badly these people can gossip about us," liu fang said helplessly. "what''s the big deal about reputation! is it more important than the children''s happiness? we can''t even bear to ask qiao mei to do such things for us. how dare the shao family ask for this! these are things that qiao mei''s mother-in-law and father-in-law don''t even ask for!" xia fang opened the window and shouted towards the outside, as if the shao family could hear her if she did that. fortunately, the shao family members had not arrived yet. otherwise, the two families would definitely get into a fight. xia wen looked towards the back part of the house and said, "why don''t you go and take a look? don''t let anything happen." "you should be glad that eldest aunt is busy today and doesn''t have time to attend the banquet. aunt is already so angry after hearing about the shao family. don''t you think eldest aunt will just bring her team and rush to confront the shao family straightaway?" as xia he thought about such a scene, she felt that it would be quite exciting. xia wen flicked xia he''s head forcefully and said, "wake up! do you feel that there''s not enough trouble? let''s observe the shao family''s attitude later. it''s true that our xia family can''t keep getting bullied." yesterday afternoon, he had already made arrangements for two cars to pick up the shao family members. he did not expect to see a familiar car following behind the two cars. the driver of that car was zou ming. xia wen frowned slightly. the shao family really did not seem to know their place at all. "oh my~ so this is xia xing''s house! it''s really imposing! shao yin, why didn''t you let us stay here directly? such a big house is definitely big enough for all our relatives to stay in!" bian duo said proudly. "this is my third brother''s house and has nothing to do with your family. our family members are already here and we''re just waiting for all of you. come on in," xia he said with a forced smile. zhou luo followed behind this group of people and said disdainfully, "it''s all because the eldest son''s family occupied xia xing''s house. you still have the cheek to say that this house belongs to your third brother. what a joke!" xia he wanted to go forward and teach zhou luo a lesson, but xia wen quickly pulled xia he behind him and said, "we must respect grandmother''s wishes when it comes to the ownership of this house. my younger brother was the only one who waited on her before she died. it''s hard on auntie zhou to have to know so much about our family matters. let''s go in, otherwise the food will get cold." zhou luo was so angry that her face flushed red. xia wen was effectively saying that she was a nosy parker. she stepped into the courtyard on her high heels and almost sprained her ankle. the people who got out of the last car were also from the shao family. shao yin had originally said that there would only be four people, but nearly 10 people had turned up in such a grandiose manner. as expected, shao yin could not be trusted. fortunately, qiao mei was already prepared for it. "why are you free today? come in and have a drink," xia wen said to zou ming. "these people kicked up a fuss and came to the police station to ask to borrow a car. they said that they are the xia family''s relatives and that the police need to show them respect. they were causing too much trouble, so i use my own car to send them here. it''s fortunate that they came and caused trouble at the station where i''m at. there''s no need for a drink today, but you can treat me to a meal next time," zou ming said with a smile. "thank you," xia wen said as he patted zou ming''s shoulder. "there''s no need to be so polite. we''re brothers. i won''t stay and chat anymore. i still have something on at the police station, so i''ll get going first." zou ming left the alley without looking back. xia wen had a solemn expression on his face. he really did not expect the shao family to go so overboard. it looked like it was not a coincidence that the shao family ended up at the police post in the train station on the first day they came to the capital. nove-lb)1n xia he was so angry that she kicked the pillar at the door, as if she did not feel any pain at all. "i''m so upset! why must xia xing insist on marrying the shao family''s daughter? can''t he find a girl from another family? there are so many nice girls in the world! why must he waste his life on such a person!" xia he said in a low voice. "if you''re done venting, then let''s go in. there''s no better punching bag than the pillar." xia wen looked at xia he and gave her a meaningful smile. Chapter 1398 What Are You Looking For chapter 1398 what are you looking for bian duo hurriedly pulled shao yin to one side and asked, "didn''t you say that the house we''re using today is yours? why did they say that it''s their brother''s house? are they already bullying you? everyone in our family is here now and we can definitely seek justice for you!" "it... it belongs to someone else. my house is still under repair! it''ll probably take a long time. you''ll know how big it is when you go in and take a look," shao yin whispered. shao zhuang walked at the front arrogantly, strutting like a peacock with its tail feathers up, just short of doing a dance for everyone to liven things up. "look at this big courtyard! my daughter will also have such a big courtyard in the future!" shao zhuang waved his hand and said in a rude manner. xia wen and xia he walked at the back and held back their laughter. with xia xing''s current ability, he probably would not be able to have a house of his own in the capital within the next five years. even if he did, he would at most be able to live in an old low-rise apartment building, the kind where one shared the compound with many neighbors. "elder brother! i''ve never seen such a big courtyard before! your shao yin is really capable!" shao tu said enviously. shao xian also felt a little shocked to see all this. although he had worked in different places for a few years and had amassed all kinds of experiences, he had never seen, or even imagined, the kind of grandeur that existed in the capital. "of course!" shao zhuang said proudly. nove-lb-in xia fang and the other women could vaguely hear the commotion caused by the shao family. liu fen hurriedly grabbed xu lan and xia fang by the hands and said, "you must be calm! don''t let your emotions get the better of you!" "that depends on whether they''re easy to get along with. if they have a sense of propriety, then we also won''t take the initiative to cause trouble. if they speak without thinking, then don''t blame me for giving them a hard time!" xia fang said with a sneer. xia fang was the youngest child in the family. xia jun and wu min doted on her in particular. she also had three older brothers and an older sister who took care of her since she was young. it could be said that xia fang grew up being showered with all the love of the xia family. after she got married, xiang jin also gave in to her with regard to everything. as long as it was something which xia fang liked, xiang jin would do his best to help her get it. she had never been afraid of anyone. with her powerful maternal family and the backing of her husband''s family which doted on her, she was not scared of having a showdown with anyone. even xia guang had to show her some respect! she was xia guang''s only younger sister. "youngest sister-in-law is right. we''re no pushovers!" xu lan said firmly. seeing that the two of them had already made up their minds and could not be persuaded no matter what, liu fen simply let them be. zhou luo carefully sized up the entire house. she pushed open the doors of every room and went inside to take a look. she walked around like she was in her own house and did not behave politely at all. she had only been to this house once and that was when zhou hua and xia guang got married. at that time, the house was still quite shabby and the furnishings in the house were all scruffy. in zhou luo''s eyes, the vintage stuff left behind by the ancestors were justl trash and it was always better to have modern furniture. "auntie zhou, what are you looking for? if you can''t find it, you can tell me! i''m most familiar with this place! i''ll definitely be able to help you find it!" xia he stood behind zhou luo and said loudly, so that everyone turned to look at zhou luo. "i... i''m looking for the toilet!" zhou luo said guiltily. xia fang and the other women happened to be in the room right next door to them. when they heard the voices, they quickly came out to take a look. xia fang leaned against the door and said with a smile, "isn''t this the elder sister of the zhou family? i hope you''ve been well. i certainly don''t expect to see you here today. oh? haven''t you been here before? why can''t you even remember where the toilet is?" most of the xia family members were still upset over the fact that zhou luo had brought up xia lu and xia yan. however, at that time, most of them could barely support themselves and had no way of bringing xia lu and xia yan back. at that time, xia fang wanted to fight the zhou family to the end. with her salary, she could definitely support two more children. unexpectedly, zhou luo did not allow these two children to meet anyone at all. xia jun had to advise xia fang to drop the idea before she was willing to give up. for many years after that, the two women were not on good terms. the rest of the xia family members would still give in to zhou luo, but xia fang only wished she could rip out zhou luo''s tendons and bones. to explore the reason why zhou luo got so close to the xia family, one had to start when xia guang wanted to marry zhou hua. at that time, the zhou family was doing very well, very much better than the xia family. after all, they had been tomb raiders for generations. they were always able to sell their stolen goods on the black market and they lived their lives much more comfortably than most people. Chapter 1399 Dishonest chapter 1399 dishonest due to their background, the zhou family needed to be related to a family with connections in the political and military world, so they targeted the xia family. the zhou family made zhou luo and zhou hua hang around the xia family residence often. by chance, zhou hua met xia guang at the roller rink and the two of them quickly fell in love and decided to get married. zhou luo felt very resentful about this. she felt that she was more deserving to be the xia family''s daughter-in-law. how could zhou hua be the one instead? this was especially since she felt that zhou hua was inferior to her in every way. at some point, zhou luo probably had a part to play in the eventual breakdown of the marital relationship between xia guang and zhou hua. given that zhou luo now had two grandsons of the xia family in her hands, she was just waiting to get her share of the xia family''s assets! "hasn''t this place been renovated? i''m just worried that the position of the toilet might have changed," zhou luo explained. "there are so many people at home to help you. xiao he, please bring sister zhou to the toilet. don''t let her enter the wrong room. she might not be able to explain herself if something goes missing," xia fang said. zhou luo glared at xia fang and walked to the toilet with xia he. xia fang looked at zhou luo''s departing figure and muttered softly, "who does she think she is! what a dishonest beastly thing. later, let''s remind qiao mei to lock up all the valuable things in the house. don''t give her a chance to steal anything! every time she comes to our house, there will always be something missing after that!" during the spring festival, zhou luo had stolen a pair of earrings from xu lan''s place. no one knew when and how she managed to enter xu lan''s room. one must say that her inherited skills were quite impressive. it was just a pair of earrings, so it was not a big deal and xu lan did not make any fuss about it. "qiao mei is a smart girl. she must have put away her jewelry and other things long ago, but... this one is a professional. even if all the things are all hidden away, she can still find them," xu lan said with a frown. "look at every room in qiao mei''s house. there are valuable items everywhere. even if she just takes one random item and sells it, she can make enough money for the zhou family to spend for a few years," liu fen said as she pointed at the rooms outside. in the past, the old folks used to say that it was better to let the thief steal once than to let the thief have designs on you. so long as the thief kept thinking about something, he would steal everything sooner or later. xu lan summoned all the guards who were nearby and asked them to keep an eye on qiao mei''s study and bedroom. if they saw anyone entering the rooms, they must inform the xia family members immediately. qiao mei finally finished cooking the last dish. there were a total of three big tables with 18 dishes on each table. every table held the same dishes. the banquet this time round was much more luxurious than the one during the spring festival. among these dishes, only the fish was a seafood item from the xia family''s special supply. the rest were all bought by xia wen from the market and were not very extravagant items. they were not inclined to serve the shao family members any rare fruits and vegetables. "look! these dishes are so exquisite!" bian duo said in shock. the shao family members sat around the tables and sang praises of qiao mei for a long time. everyone said all kinds of wondrous statements. no wonder shao yin was so eloquent. it turned out that it was an inherited skill. nove-lb/1n the tables were set out in such a way that there was one for the menfolk, one for the womenfolk, and one for the people who came to help out. all the shao family members looked very gleeful and only shao yin did not look too happy. she was a guest at the xia family residence during the spring festival and already knew that qiao mei knew how to make all kinds of delicacies. at that time, she had never seen all those different kinds of food in her life, especially that plate of prawns. it was the first time she had eaten prawns in her life! the dishes today were far inferior to the ones served during the spring festival! qiao mei clearly did not care enough about the shao family! shao yin did not know that those foodstuffs were available only because the xia family had a special supply of vegetables and seafood. she thought that everything could be bought with money. since qiao mei did not make the prawn dish today, it only meant that qiao mei was unwilling to buy it for them! "shao yin, what''s wrong? why do you look so unhappy?" shao chun asked. "it''s nothing," shao yin said coldly. xia fang sized up shao yin carefully for a long time before saying, "are you xia xing''s girlfriend? i didn''t have time to make it home during the last spring festival. i''m xia xing''s aunt." "hello, aunt. i''m xia xing''s wife. my name is shao yin." shao yin stood up politely to greet xia fang and even emphasized the word "wife". all the women from the xia family lowered their heads and held back their laughter. shao yin had yet to register her marriage with xia xing but she was already so keen to be part of the xia family. no one knew what she was up to. by now, everyone knew that xia xing and shao yin did not have any emotional attachment and were matchmade by their parents. if the xia family did not allow shao yin to marry into their family, there was nothing that the shao family could say. at most, they could only grumble that the xia family had gone back on their word. Chapter 1400 Light Drinker chapter 1400 light drinker ? then again, the xia family and the shao family did not owe each other anything and their ancestors also never had any interactions. the zhou family should be considered the one who had betrayed the shao family! "sit down. there''s no need to be so restrained," xia fang said with a smile. "these dishes look so good that i can''t bear to eat them!" bian duo looked at qiao mei and praised her. shao yin immediately said, "i think third cousin-in-law had made nicer dishes at the xia family residence during the spring festival. we even had prawns and abalones that day." hearing this, the expressions of everyone in the xia family darkened. only qiao mei was still smiling away and did not look angry at all. n(-o(/v)(e--l-(b/-i)-n prawns! abalones! the shao family had never even heard of such things before. bian duo looked at the 18 dishes in front of her. although there was a lot of meat, who had never eaten meat before? they all knew what meat tasted like, but they had never tasted seafood before! "third cousin-in-law, why didn''t you show off your skills today?" shao yin said meaningfully. "you don''t like the dishes i made? then we can remove them." qiao mei turned to the table behind her and said, "auntie xu! please go to the state-owned restaurant at the entrance of the alley and ask them to send over a few dishes. do it quickly. let''s not starve shao yin and her mother." "no need, no need! these dishes are already good enough! there''s no need to go and buy more!" bian duo said immediately. "how can i allow that? we must be hospitable today. don''t stand on ceremony with us. the food will arrive in a while," qiao mei said nonchalantly, as if she was just trying her best to be a good host. the shao family members really thought that the xia family respected them a lot! they were all overjoyed and qiao mei immediately arranged for chi ze and mao hang to bring out another big table so that the women from the shao family and zhou luo could sit there separately. "oh my, we''ve made you spend so much money," bian duo said hypocritically. "it''s fine! xia xing is a member of the xia family. getting married is a big thing, so of course we can''t be careless about it! just wait patiently. the people from the restaurant will send the food over soon," qiao mei said. xu kang had worked for qiao mei for so long and she was also xu lan''s relative. she had long felt annoyed with the shao family''s attitude. the two women had been employer and employee for so long that they could read each other''s mind. xu kang ordered a table full of vegetarian dishes without any meat at all. there were still 18 dishes served, but in the end, the dishes were not as nice as what qiao mei made! xia mao rushed over immediately after dealing with the outstanding matters in the army. the shao family was sensible enough not to pursue the matter of xia mao being late, but zhou luo did not intend to let xia mao off easily. "eldest brother xia, you''re here early! you only arrive when we are almost done eating," zhou luo mocked sarcastically. "i wonder who''s talking, so it''s you. why are you here today?" xia mao asked as he looked at zhou luo with a sincere expression on his face. xia wen and xia he turned away and snickered. xia mao was very adept at mocking people. this simple sentence from him made zhou luo blush and she could not even refute it. zhou luo was neither the daughter-in-law of the xia family nor the daughter-in-law of the shao family. xia xing had been brought up by xia guang and zhou hua. the event today could be said to have nothing to do with her. the shao family did not invite her here either. she was the one who invited herself and insisted on tagging along. qiao mei originally thought that zhou luo would behave as unreasonably as the last time they met, but she was very well-behaved today. qiao mei even thought that it was another person who had come today! xia fang took the opportunity to stand up and raise her glass as she said, "since everyone is here, let''s have a toast together! let''s celebrate this day! let''s celebrate the upcoming marriage between xia xing and shao yin!" everyone drank a toast together. the xia family had long heard that everyone in the shao family was a very good drinker, be it the men or the women. shao yin took advantage of the chaotic moment during the toast to move to the table where the xia family''s womenfolk were seated. she did not want to eat those dishes full of only vegetables! not long after, xia fang and the rest all became a little tipsy and xu lan''s vision became a little blurry. qiao mei had been drinking with qiao qiang since she was young, so she had built up a capacity for alcohol. however, she told everyone that she was still breastfeeding and that it would not be good for the children if she drank, so she managed to avoid the whole shenanigan. xia he had encountered many such drinking sessions when she used to go around to perform, so her capacity for alcohol was also slightly better than the rest. if even the women had already drunk so much, then let alone the men. shao tu and his son kept toasting xia xing. soon, xia xing was so drunk that he fell asleep with his head on the table. Chapter 1401 Forced to Drink chapter 1401 forced to drink n/-o-/v/(e/(l))b//1-/n "xia xing''s capacity for alcohol is not good at all! you need to practice more! once you join the shao family, he must be able to drink! otherwise, you''ll embarrass our shao family!" shao tu said as he patted xia xing''s shoulder. as xia wen frowned slightly, shao tu immediately realized that he had said something wrong. he quickly filled his own glass with liquor and said, "we''re in-laws from now on! our shao yin has joined your family and your xia xing is also our family''s son-in-law. we''re one big family!" "that''s right. one big family," xia wen said as he drank from his glass and smiled coldly. "oh, brother xing is drunk! i''ll get someone to bring him to the backyard so that he can rest. he can''t be comfortable lying here. everyone, please continue drinking!" qiao mei asked chi ze and mao hang to help carry xia xing to a room in the backyard. xia xing was so drunk that he could not exert any strength and his body was floppy like he had no bones at all. chi ze and mao hang had to use a lot of effort to carry xia xing onto the bed. drunk people always seemed much heavier than usual. seeing that there were no outsiders around, chi ze said to qiao mei, "sister-in-law, you have to be careful. i just feel that those people don''t look like decent people!" "that''s right. even though we''re from the countryside and haven''t seen much of the world, we also know that this is not the way to drink. if they continue like this, it may even lead to someone''s death," mao hang said with a frown. even chi ze and mao hang, who were meeting the shao family for the first time, could tell that something was wrong. the shao family had given themselves away quite quickly. even if they were good drinkers, it was still inappropriate for them to drink so much during such an occasion today. if the shao family members were not hiding some ulterior motives behind this behavior, then it only meant that this was their true colors and inherent behavior. during the short time when qiao mei and chi ze were talking, these people had drunk a lot more liquor. they even asked xu kang to go out and buy more, telling her not to be so petty. xu kang usually only took instructions from qiao mei, but on this occasion, she also knew that she must go and buy more liquor for the shao family. otherwise, it would make the xia family look very petty, as if they could not even afford to pay for a few more glasses of liquor. when it came to xia mao''s capacity for alcohol, even if he had to face both shao tu and shao xian, it was only considered child''s play to him. when he was younger, he traveled extensively with xia jun and had experienced all kinds of hardships and done all sorts of things. even though he could drink those shao family members under the table, he could not be bothered with them. these people did not deserve any chance to drink with him. shao tu was a person who knew his limits. he definitely did not dare to force xia mao to drink, so he turned his attention to xia wen. poor xia wen was bombarded by the shao family members one after another. the amount he drank was almost double the amount of any person from the shao family. xia mao said a brief goodbye to everyone and left qiao mei''s house. he still had a meeting later and could not be late for it. xia wen was his son and the future head of the xia family, and would definitely come across more situations like this in the future. he believed that xia wen could handle these matters well. even if xia wen could not handle it, he still had to bite the bullet and deal with it. xu lan and the other women held on to one another as they returned to xia he''s room. there was only qiao mei and xia he left in the courtyard to accompany the women from the shao family. xia he''s eyes were filled with worry. she had never seen xia wen drink so much before. what if something happened to him? "you must be xia he. shao yin talks about you all the time. please take good care of shao yin in the future. if she does anything wrong, you can lecture her!" shao chun said laughingly. "don''t say that. shao yin is all good and hasn''t done anything wrong. don''t worry," xia he said politely. after a few rounds of drinking, shao chun knew that with her capacity for alcohol, she would not be able to outdrink xia he. bian jiu and shao yin also helped out and kept trying to toast xia he. xia he looked around and realized that there seemed to be one person missing. she asked curiously, "shao yin''s elder sister isn''t here? i remember that shao yin only has one sister, yet she''s not present at such a happy occasion today." the shao family members suddenly had awkward expressions on their faces, as if they did not know how to explain it. bian duo quickly raised her glass and said, "she has always been in poor health since she was young and she falls sick quite easily! she was still all fine yesterday, but then she suddenly fell sick this morning. if she came along, she would only bring bad luck, so we left her in the guest house." "then should we arrange for a doctor to take a look at her? is she seriously ill?" qiao mei had quite a good impression of shao le. she felt that shao le was the only sensible person in the shao family. "it''s not serious! it''s just a relapse. it''s not a big deal. she just needs to rest more! let''s continue drinking! let''s not spoil the good mood today because of other things!" bian duo said. Chapter 1402 Let’s Get Hammered chapter 1402 lets get hammered "that''s good. she must take good care of herself. our health is our most precious asset!" xia he said. xu lan stood worriedly at the room door and looked towards the courtyard. even though xia wen and xia he were her children, she could not do anything about them being forced to drink by the shao family members. she was so worried that the two children would drink so much that they ended up with gastric perforation. xia wen had already drunk one and a half bottles of moutai by himself. this was already beyond the amount of what an ordinary person should drink. as for xia he, she was going to get married soon! if she hurt herself from drinking too much at this time, the wedding would have to be postponed. gradually, shao chun and bian duo became a little tipsy. shao yin did not drink much but she was the one who fell to the ground in a drunken state. no matter how hard everyone tried, they could not wake her up. the other shao family members seemed to be used to it and none of them looked worried or anxious. "perhaps... perhaps we should find a place for shao yin to rest? look at her, she''s too drunk and won''t wake up soon," shao chun said as she pointed at shao yin who was on the ground. "since she was young, this kid always gets knocked out after drinking too much. she will only wake up past noon tomorrow!" bian duo said with a sigh. xia he had a look of displeasure on her face. zhou luo had gone wandering around their house earlier and now, the shao family seemed to want to stay over at qiao mei''s house. could it be that qiao mei had something that they liked and they wanted to steal it while the xia family members were drunk? shao yin had drank too much at qiao mei''s house. if anything happened to her after she left this place, qiao mei would still have to take responsibility for it. qiao mei asked wang fang and yang mei, the wives of xia zhe''s friends, to carry shao yin into one of the rooms in the backyard. it was really strange. usually, when people got drunk, they would be in a daze for a while before they eventually fell asleep. shao yin did not seem to have gone through the transitional period. after drinking a few mouthfuls, she fell to the ground straightaway. if the shao family had not explained the reason behind it, people who did not know better might have thought that the xia family had poisoned shao yin! qiao mei arranged for shao yin to rest in the room next to xia xing. although the two of them were already living together, albeit unbeknown to outsiders, they should not have done anything they were not supposed to. the arrangement was that shao yin slept on the brick bed while xia xing slept on the other side of the room. there was always a wide distance kept between the two of them. shao yin was still an innocent maiden, so qiao mei must also protect... xia xing''s reputation. it would still be better to give xia xing the option not to marry shao yin. if not for xia xing''s insistence, the xia family would have already rejected shao yin. "sisters-in-law, both of you can go home with your husbands first. it''ll probably be a long time before the banquet ends. thanks for all your hard work today," qiao mei said apologetically. n.-o..v/)e-/l-(b--1--n "there''s no need to stand on ceremony with us. xia zhe and my husband are brothers who have gone through thick and thin together. i have long considered you both as part of the family. xia zhe is like my younger brother and you''re like my younger sister-in-law. don''t stand on ceremony with us," wang fang said in a forthright manner. "you''re only just out of your confinement period. you can''t be too careless about your health. if you fall ill, it''ll be too late even if you regret it in the future!" yang mei said worriedly. qiao mei was very busy for the past two days and she already felt unbearable pain in her waist and shoulders. if not for yang mei''s reminder, qiao mei would not have taken it to heart yet! she had been so busy that she did not have time to care about the soreness in her body. "i''ve noted everything you say. i''ll get sister feng to give me a massage later," qiao mei said with a smile. "when they''re about to leave, you can ask sister xu to come and get us. we''ll clean up the mess. don''t do it yourself," wang fang said. "then i won''t stand on ceremony with both of you." qiao mei sent chi ze and the rest off through the back door and then went to the kitchen to get some fresh fruits. by now, the food had already turned cold. she decided to serve the men some side dishes to go with their drinks and some fruits to the women. the shao family''s attitude towards qiao mei had improved a lot. they had not stopped praising her since earlier and zhou luo could not even get a word in. even when she spoke, both the shao and xia families ignored her. even though bian duo and zhou luo were good friends, it was not difficult for her to see that the xia family despised zhou luo. in order to protect shao yin''s future glory and wealth, she must give up her friendship with zhou luo. she would not let anyone become a stumbling block on her daughter''s path to success. zhou luo drank alone out of boredom and got so drunk that she started to walk out of the house. qiao mei asked the xia family''s chauffeur to send zhou luo back. she was not being indiscriminately nice, but just worried something would happen to zhou luo on her way back. if that happened, the xia family would have to clean up someone''s mess again. "let''s drink! open a few more bottles! let''s get hammered today!" shao tu said excitedly as he put his arm around xia wen''s shoulder. Chapter 1403 Professional Actor chapter 1403 professional actor qiao mei stood at a spot not far away and watched xia wen downing one glass after another. next to him, shao chun and bian jiu were like two cheerleaders who kept encouraging him to drink more. they even went forward to toast xia wen again and again. it looked like his vision was becoming a little blurry very quickly. she immediately ran to li gui''s house and then came out carrying xia xing. as she walked, she whispered to xia xing, "baby, your eldest uncle dotes on you a lot! it''s up to you to save him now, do you understand?" xia xing kept babbling in qiao mei''s arms, as if she could understand what qiao mei was saying. as soon as they went near xia wen, she immediately started crying and throwing a tantrum. she performed even better than those professional actors. qiao mei was taken aback in surprise. in the future, she must send this child to acting classes. it would be a pity to waste such a talent. "eldest brother! come and take a look at xia xing. she keeps fussing and crying. you know she only listens to you," qiao mei said anxiously. xia wen did not immediately get what she meant. he waved his hands and said, "i... smell of alcohol. it''s better not to let the baby get close to me!" "then go to the back and change your clothes. i really can''t pacify her. if she continues to cry like this, she''ll get sick," qiao mei said. even though xia wen was already a little drunk, he understood what qiao mei meant after she pushed the point across a few times. the two of them looked at each other and he immediately understood what she was doing. "i''m sorry, i''ll go and coax the baby first. you guys continue eating! i''ll be back soon!" xia wen tried his best to steady himself and to act like he was fine. he carried the baby and hurried out of the front yard with qiao mei. "hey! where are you going!" shao tu and shao xian still wanted to stop xia wen from leaving! xia he quickly blocked the way to the backyard and said, "my eldest brother will be back in a while. enjoy your food first. the baby is still young and prefers to see familiar faces around her. it''s so hard to take care of this child." "that''s true! back then, my shao xian was also like this! he''s so difficult to coax!" said shao tu''s wife, huang ning. unexpectedly, before she could finish speaking, shao tu gave her a hard push, almost causing her to fall to the ground. "you b*tch, what nonsense are you talking about! just shut up!" shao tu pointed at her and said angrily. huang ning was always getting beaten up at home, so she was already used to it. however, this was the first time xia he had seen a man hit a woman. she almost lost her temper and had to control herself from going forward to beat shao tu up so that she could punish him on behalf of the heavens. qiao mei quickly handed the baby to xu lan and the other women. they had already washed up and did not reek of alcohol anymore. qiao mei had also given them some tea made from 100-year-old ginseng earlier and they immediately felt less groggy. "eldest brother, are you alright?" qiao mei asked worriedly. "i''m a little drunk... i never expect the shao family to be such good drinkers. if i continue drinking for a while more, i''ll be the next one to collapse to the ground," xia wen said with a sigh. xu lan looked at xia wen and felt so sorry for him. those people from the shao family were beasts! how could they drink alcohol in such a manner! they could cause someone to get sent to the hospital! it was all that b*tch, zhou luo''s fault. if she had not introduced such a family to xia xing, these kids would not have to suffer like this. "how about i go and tell them to wrap things up for the day," qiao mei said with a frown. "no... they won''t let this matter rest today. do you have any hangover medicine for me at home? i''ll be fine in a while if i take some," xia wen said with a smile. qiao mei looked at xia wen angrily, like she wanted to kill him. she could not believe that he could still smile. those people from the shao family clearly had ulterior motives, yet he still wanted to go back like a lamb to the slaughter. was he stupid or something? she knew that xia wen was doing this for the sake of the xia family''s reputation, but she did not understand why he felt compelled to do it. was reputation more important than anything, even a person''s life? "here, drink this," qiao mei said resignedly. she took out the small bottle she carried around with her and poured one drop of the liquid into some water. then she gave the diluted drink to xia wen. since xia wen had made a decision, as the xia family''s daughter-in-law, she should stand on the same side as the xia family and not criticize his actions. xia wen could tell at a glance that this liquid was gold in color. it was different from the green liquid from before. this was the same medicine that had brought xia mao back to life. nove)lb/1n "i can''t drink this. that''s really too wasteful!" xia wen blurted out. Chapter 1404 Leaving Here On Their Backs chapter 1404 leaving here on their backs "i''ve already poured the medicine into the water. it would really be wasteful if you don''t drink it. besides, i have a lot of this at home and we won''t run out. just drink it," qiao mei persuaded him. when xia wen heard what qiao mei said, he felt less apprehensive. the moment he drank the liquid, he felt a sense of warmth all over his body and his mind instantly cleared up, as if he had not even touched a drop of alcohol at all. no wonder this medicine could save xia mao''s life back then. the medicinal effect was indeed powerful! this "divine medicine", which was a rarity in the eyes of outsiders, was no different from drinking water in the xia family. as long as qiao mei was willing to supply it, the xia family could drink ginseng juice every day in the future. each member of the family could probably live to be more than 100 years old! although xia wen was curious about where qiao mei got all these ginsengs, he did not want to take the initiative to raise the issue with her. if qiao mei wanted to tell them, she would naturally find an opportunity to do so. if qiao mei did not want to tell them, he did not want to interfere in this matter. he was very clear about one thing now. qiao mei was wholeheartedly devoted to the xia family. she loved xia zhe deeply and even gave the xia family two cute children. no matter what the xia family did, qiao mei would always stand by their side. that was enough for him. everything else was not important at all. "hmph, i''ll go back and drink to the end with them now! let''s see what tricks they have up their sleeves!" xia wen said furiously. "eldest brother, don''t you think that all of them are behaving strangely today?" qiao mei lowered her head as she thought about it. it was indeed a little weird. drinks were served at engagement banquets as a way to liven things up, but this was the first time she had seen people drink like the shao family. even at a banquet in the countryside, there was no such custom. it was indeed embarrassing for the xia family members to drink so much at an event and lose their composure, but the way the shao family tried to get all the xia family members drunk was way too shameless. if word got out, people would gossip behind their backs! based on how shao yin described the shao family, this was a family which valued their reputation very much and would not do such a nasty thing. no matter how idiotic they were, they should know that they should not do such a thing. "you''re right, but i just can''t figure out what exactly they want," xia wen said with a frown. "can it be our family''s money?" xu lan suddenly said. "it''s possible. i walked around the house just now. there are so many valuable things on display in this house. anyone would be tempted by these things, and it''s no surprise if they covet them. however, these things are not really that valuable," xia fang analyzed. just as everyone was thinking about which valuable items the shao family could want to take from qiao mei''s house, liu fen suddenly said, "hey! do you think they want qiao mei''s ''divine medicine''?" n--o./v-/e..l/(b/(1-)n this dawned on everyone as a possibility. otherwise, given that only qiao mei and xia zhe knew the exact location of the most valuable things in this house, how could the shao family know so much? however, the "divine medicine" was a separate matter. everyone in the capital wanted it. it was not impossible for someone to have offered a high price to the shao family to steal a bottle from this house. the tan family had done the same thing back then. "don''t worry. those things are kept away very carefully. they definitely won''t be able to find the location," qiao mei said confidently. "so what if they find out? i''ll make sure that although they walk in today, they''ll leave this place on their backs later!" xia wen said with a cold smile. when xia wen said that, qiao mei seemed to catch a glimpse of an image of the lord of hell in charge of life and death. it was as if whoever xia wen wanted dead would have to die and would not be allowed to stay alive for even another 15 minutes. qiao mei put a few more drops of the 10,000-year-old ginseng juice into the porcelain tea jar and also asked xia wen to apply some 100-year-old ginseng juice to his philtrum right under his nose. every time xia wen took a breath, he felt refreshed and no longer uncomfortable. xia wen returned to the banquet first to continue dealing with the shao family members. qiao mei secretly went to the doors of the rooms where shao yin and xia xing were. the two of them were still sleeping soundly and showed no signs of waking up. could she have guessed wrongly this time? shao yin seemed really drunk. "i''m back! come! let''s continue drinking!" xia wen said as he walked back unsteadily, like he was feeling disoriented! it was all just an act that he put on for them. when shao tu and shao xian saw that xia wen looked even worse than before, they became very happy. shao tu immediately said, "i''m going to the toilet! my son will drink with you first!" "sure, sure, sure! hurry up and come back quickly!" xia wen was even starting to slur when he spoke. Chapter 1405 Get Lost Quickly chapter 1405 get lost quickly when qiao mei was walking back, she happened to bump into shao tu, who was heading to the toilet. the way that shao tu was behaving sneakily made qiao mei suspicious. she quickly went forward and asked, "uncle shao, where are you going? do you need me to bring you there?" "no need, no need! i''m just going to the toilet. it''ll just take me a moment! i remember the way. you can go and join them in the front yard," shao tu said nervously. qiao mei nodded slightly and turned her body sideways to make way for shao tu. he quickly rushed towards the toilet. after watching him close the door, she tiptoed to the kitchen. a long time ago, she had grown plants all around and spread out their roots beneath the entire courtyard house. she could easily observe her surroundings with the help of the plants'' vision. after shao tu entered the toilet, he stuck his fingers forcefully into his throat and tried his best to throw up all the liquor he had just drunk. after vomiting out most of it, he slowly leaned against the wall. "what a beast! he already drank so much and yet he''s still fine! is he made of alcohol? he''s not a human!" shao tu complained. n.)o--v//e))l--b-.i/)n he and shao xian were the ones who had been drinking with xia wen the entire time. shao zhuang did not drink much at all. if not for the fact that the two of them took turns to go to the toilet and throw up, he would have collapsed on the ground long ago! just as qiao mei thought that shao tu had just gone to the toilet to vent his frustrations in private, she suddenly saw him taking something out of his pocket. it looked familiar... she seemed to have seen this packaging before... an aphrodisiac! what was the shao family doing with this? could it be... qiao mei was shocked. she did not expect the shao family to have planned to do such a thing in her house. no wonder they kept forcing xia wen to drink. however, who was the main character they were targeting? could it be that they had designs on one of the xia family members? could it be xia he... shao yin was already going to marry xia xing. she had heard that shao xian was still not married. although xia he and deng fan were going to get married, their parents had not met up officially and the two of them had not gone to register their marriage yet. technically, xia he was still single. she did not expect the shao family to be so insatiable even with their daughter marrying into the family of the xia family''s third son. they had now even set their sights on the only daughter of the xia family''s eldest son! what wishful thinking! the shao family wanted to get their hands on both of them! indeed, one really could not underestimate the greed in human hearts. qiao mei took control of the vines and manipulated them to climb up the wall of the guest room where shao yin was staying. then, she quietly extended a thin branch through the window. with qiao mei''s original ability, she could only use the vines like they were her own eyes to observe the movements in the room. however, with the butterfly mark, she had gained a new ability. the two abilities could be used together. using the vine branch, qiao mei could see shao yin even if she was under the blanket. shao yin had taken off all her clothes, including her underwear. she was totally naked and staring intently at the door! she was not drunk at all! how disgusting! qiao mei had just bought the set of bedding and blanket and it was still brand new! she would have to burn everything after shao yin left. what a jinx! however, why was shao yin doing this? could it be that the female lead in the shao family''s plan was not xia he, but shao yin? then that would mean the male lead was xia wen! when qiao mei finally came back to her senses, shao tu had already come out of the toilet. by the time qiao mei chased after him, he had already sat down at the table and picked up his glass to continue drinking with xia wen. qiao mei ran back to the backyard again and carried xia xing out. she muttered softly, "baby, don''t blame mom. you''re saving your eldest uncle''s life! don''t blame me!" xia xing''s acting skills were as good as before. as soon as she was in front of xia wen, she burst into tears. her loud cries even managed to make qiao mei flustered. if she did not know that this little baby was just acting, she would have rushed her to the hospital. "eldest brother, come and take a look at her. she''s crying again!" qiao mei said anxiously. just as shao tu was about to put the drugs into xia wen''s glass, he was interrupted by qiao mei again. he was so angry that he stood up, pointed at qiao mei and scolded, "do you know how to coax a child or not! how can a grown man be the one taking care of a child! if you can''t take care of the baby, then get lost! don''t disturb us while we''re having a meal here!" xia wen''s face instantly fell. at the next table, xia he also slammed down the glass in her hand and stood up with a whoosh to glare at shao tu. qiao mei hugged xia xing and stared intently at shao tu without saying a word. the temperature in the surroundings seemed to have dropped to sub-zero in an instant. "oh no! my husband drank too much! he has said something wrong! he didn''t mean it that way. please don''t take it to heart!" huang ning quickly ran over and said. Chapter 1406 Using Aphrodisiacs ? shao tu also realized he had gone overboard with his words and quickly said apologetically, "i''m sorry, i''m sorry! i had too much to drink! i thought that i was talking to my wife! i usually speak like this at home. i''m really sorry!" after he said this, the expressions of everyone in the xia family became even darker. shao tu actually thought that qiao mei was his wife. he should take a good look at himself in the mirror! could he even say such things out loud! "please continue drinking. i''m going to coax the baby." xia wen did not even look at the shao family members as he carried xia xing and walked towards the backyard. xia he did not leave immediately. instead, she clapped her hands and called for the guard team outside the door to come in and surround the shao family members. "hey! xia wen!" shao tu wanted to grab xia wen and better explain himself. however, he was so drunk that he could not even stand properly on his feet. he could only watch as the xia family members walked further and further away, leaving only the shao family members in the courtyard. xu kang went to hide in a corner of the courtyard to eavesdrop on the shao family members'' conversation. she wanted to help qiao mei keep an eye on these people who had no sense of propriety! "look at you! why did you say those things! look at what happened! you''ve offended the xia family!" shao zhuang complained as he looked at shao tu. "you still have the cheek to criticize me! if it''s not because you begged me to help you with this matter, do you think i''ll be willing to do it? can''t you see how much liquor my son and i have to drink?" shao tu said furiously. "did i beg you? didn''t i agree to give you benefits? don''t act innocent after taking advantage of me!" shao zhuang said. seeing that the two of them were about to get into a fight, shao chun immediately said, "we''re still in the xia family''s house! quickly think of a way to make up for it! are we really going to have an internal strife right now? it''s more important to get this matter done and dusted!" neither shao tu nor shao zhuang wanted to give in to each other and the two of them refused to look at each other. for a moment, everyone in the shao family fell silent. as soon as xia xing was put into xia wen''s arms, she fell asleep. there was no need to expend any effort to coax her. people always said that daughters were their fathers'' lovers in their past lives. qiao mei thought that xia xing must have been xia wen''s lover in her past life! xia wen handed the sleeping xia xing over to xu lan. xia xing had already cried twice and her face was no longer as smooth as before. her voice was also a little hoarse by now. qiao mei hurriedly diluted two drops of 50-year-old ginseng juice in water and gave the drink to xia xing to moisten her throat. children could not drink ginseng juice that was too aged as the effects might be too strong for them. "what have you discovered this time?" xia wen asked as he looked at qiao mei. if it was not something important, qiao mei would not torment xia xing repeatedly. it must be related to the xia family''s honor and his personal safety. "well... the shao family was about to put some drugs into your drink. when i passed by the toilet on my way back just now, i heard someone talking about drugging you," qiao mei said in a shy manner. "poison! they intend to murder my eldest brother!" xia he said as she looked at qiao mei in shock. qiao mei quickly explained, "no, no! it''s not that kind of drug!"n--o./v)-/(l/.b.-1)(n "huh? then what kind of drug is that? is it sedatives? is the shao family full of fools? what''s the use of only knocking out xia wen?" xu lan guessed. "xia wen is the only man in this house at the moment! if xia wen is knocked out and xia xing is already drunk, then the few of us women are no match for those men from the shao family!" liu fen said fearfully. "second aunt-in-law, what are you afraid of? i''ve taken lessons from eldest aunt for a period of time when i was young. moreover, there are security guards protecting us nearby. nothing will happen to us," xia he said. everyone kept making guesses but qiao mei, the only one who knew the truth, remained silent. her ears had even turned slightly red. xia fang asked tentatively, "aphrodisiac?" "yes, the shao family intends to give eldest brother... an aphrodisiac..." qiao mei said. everyone gasped. they did not expect the shao family to have taken a fancy to xia wen! then again, it was not surprising to them that the shao family felt that xia xing was not even half as useful as xia wen. xia wen was the eldest son of the xia family''s most valued eldest son and also xia jun''s favorite grandson. he had tagged alongside xia jun and xia mao since he was young and they had long announced publicly that he was the future head of the xia family. moreover, xia wen''s career was also thriving. anyone would be attracted to xia wen. "what about shao yin? what''s shao yin doing now? no, i have to go and take a look at her!" xia he said anxiously. "don''t go! if we go now, we''ll be alerting the enemy! we should think about it at length and find a way to get rid of the shao family in one fell swoop!" xia fang said sternly. Chapter 1407 Drink Using Bowls chapter 1407 drink using bowls qiao mei whispered, "i have secretly gone to take a look just now. shao yin isn''t even wearing her underclothes. she''s not drunk at all! she''s very sober! i think this is what the shao family is really scheming!" xia wen felt like throwing up. how could a woman behave like this? did she have no sense of shame? where was her sense of propriety and honor? "we definitely can''t let such a woman enter the xia family. otherwise, there will be endless trouble in the future!" xia wen said with a frown. no matter which xia family''s son married the shao family''s daughter, it would be a disaster for everyone in the xia family. the shao family was like the tan family back then! xia wen and the rest had to be on guard. "why don''t we just send them back home now? this way, xia wen won''t be in danger and our family won''t have to fight with the shao family. won''t that be killing two birds with one stone!" liu fen whispered. liu fen was most afraid of running into trouble without a solution. she was just a housewife. she did not have xu lan''s talent and ability, nor did she have zhou hua''s inherited unique skills. she was just an ordinary person who did not know much. she could not even cook well and her children used to complain about it in the past. she did not go to work and xia yao was the only one supporting the family. it was tough on xia yao to have to work very hard. her maternal family was not well-off, so she could not offer xia yao any help. it was xia yao who gave her a life where she did not have to worry about anything. she could not cause too much trouble for xia yao, and she also did not want to cause any trouble for her children. "even if we let them go now, they will still think of ways to get close to xia wen in the future. even after shao yin and xia xing get married, it''s still possible that they''ll continue to use similar tricks against xia wen," xia fang said. "sister-in-law, your xia yuan might also become shao yin''s target!" xu lan reminded her. liu fen suddenly seemed to have some wisdom knocked into her. she had originally thought that she could stay out of it and just burrow her head under the sand. however, for the sake of her children, she had to do her best to fight back too. "if she dares to touch my xia yuan! i''ll fight to the death with her! at most, i''ll die with her!" liu fen said through gritted teeth. "second aunt-in-law, don''t get so angry. xia yuan is still young. just try your best not to let xia yuan meet anyone from the shao family," xia he comforted her. "even if he stays away from them, the shao family can still ask around about him. if they don''t succeed with xia wen, they might target xia yuan. after all, the family of the xia family''s second son is also a good option," qiao mei said. "it will probably be even more difficult to deal with the matter after shao yin marries into the family. we might as well deal with shao yin now and let her know she can forget about marrying into the xia family for the rest of her life," xu lan said firmly. xia wen stood in the corner and watched the group of women discussing these things in an offhand manner. even if he wanted to say something, he could not say it out loud. he did not expect the shao family to be so despicable as to play such tricks. "eldest brother, this is a slice of ginseng. i don''t think the shao family will give up trying today. when the time comes, you can eat this ginseng slice to neutralize the effect of the drug they put in the liquor," qiao mei said. she could not be completely sure that the drug they were going to put in the liquor was not poisonous. what if the shao family had other types of drugs with them? nove.lb-1n "don''t worry, i definitely won''t let them have an easy time." xia wen put the ginseng slice under his tongue and walked out of the room with a smile. qiao mei and xia he did not quite understand what xia wen meant and followed behind him silently, ready to work with him at any time. as soon as the three of them appeared, everyone in the shao family stood up. they did not look too good, seemingly afraid that they would say something wrong next. "everyone, take a seat. don''t be so restrained. today is a joyous day. let''s forget about those unhappy things and have a few drinks," xia wen said with a smile. the shao family thought that xia wen was magnanimous enough not to hold what they had done against them! only qiao mei and xia he could tell that this was the fake smile that xia wen used with outsiders and it was not a genuine smile at all. "xia wen, you''re so magnanimous! come! i''ll punish myself by drinking three glasses of liquor! with this, i apologize to all of you!" just as shao tu was about to start drinking, xia wen stopped him and pointed at the bowls on the table. xia he immediately understood what he meant and went to the kitchen to take out three to four big bowls and put them down. "the glasses are really too small. let''s drink using these. it''s more satisfying to drink with these!" xia wen said agitatedly. "you... are you joking..." shao tu said as he looked at the three big bowls in front of him fearfully. Chapter 1408 Stay Here Tonight chapter 1408 stay here tonight "uncle shao, why will i joke with you? let''s use these to drink!" xia wen said firmly. they were in a different situation from xia wen. xia wen had the "divine medicine", but they did not. if they really drank liquor using bowls, they would probably end up at the hospital to get their stomachs pumped. seeing shao tu''s hesitation, xia he said regretfully, "can it be that uncle shao isn''t sincere about downing the drinks? then forget it, we won''t force you." "no, no! that''s not what i mean!" shao tu said in a panic. "then that means uncle shao has agreed to my suggestion. come, let''s drink!" xia wen said agitatedly. shao tu''s hands gripped the table tightly. their plan had already been put in motion and had reached this stage, so there was no turning back now. he took a deep breath and picked up a bowl from the table with trembling hands. he closed his eyes and took a big gulp. he almost spat out the liquor in his mouth, but xia wen did not even look at him and just continued eating the side dishes. xia wen did not care whether he drank the three bowls of liquor or spat everything out. he was doing this to send the shao family a message. the xia family was not one whom they could bully at will. after shao tu finished drinking, he ran to the toilet to throw up. shao xian looked at xia wen in fear. given that shao tu was gone, he was next... "brother shao! let''s continue drinking! all of you should stay here for dinner tonight. it''s rare for everyone to feel so happy! we must get hammered!" xia wen said happily. qiao mei glanced at xia wen and immediately understood what he meant. she quickly echoed, "that''s right, there are still many spare rooms in the backyard! all of you should stay for dinner. eat and drink as much as you want! we will have even nicer dishes tonight!" "in that case, your wish is my command. brother xia, please accept a toast from me!" shao xian did not forget the most important thing they needed to do today. he raised the liquor glass which they had prepared in advance and handed it to xia wen. xia wen had only used the bowls to scare shao tu. since the shao family wanted him to fall into their trap, he might as well beat them at their own game. xia wen took it and smelled it discreetly before drinking everything in one go. shao xian was relieved to see xia wen downing the entire glass. while the men were drinking enthusiastically, qiao mei and xia he did not stay idle. they chatted with the women from the shao family and tried to get more information from them. however, bian duo was very guarded and they could not get her to reveal anything no matter how hard they tried. "have a chat first. i''ll go get you some seeds and popcorn, as well as fruits that we grow ourselves!" qiao mei said warmly. "no need! there''s no need to go through so much trouble! we can just drink water!" bian duo said quickly. "auntie, we make all those ourselves. they''re all very clean! they definitely taste different from the ones you buy outside! you can eat without any worries! i''ll be back soon!" qiao mei quickly ran to the kitchen to slice up all kinds of fruits. she even prepared two plates of smashed cucumber salad and shelled peanuts for xia wen and the other men to eat while they drank. since qiao mei had said that, it was not good for the shao family members to reject her. bian duo and the others kept a close eye on the movements at shao tu''s end, worried that the men would forget about what they were supposed to do after drinking too much. they did not think any of the women would be able to carry xia wen to the backyard. fortunately, shao zhuang was also sitting at that table, so there should not be too much of a problem. "we should also drink some. i''ve long heard that all of you are very good drinkers. let''s have a good drinking session today!" xia he said with a smile. "no, no, no. i''m old and useless! our current capacity for alcohol is incomparable to when we were young. my health is not good and i can''t drink anymore," bian duo said as she repeatedly declined. her current behavior was totally different from how she behaved earlier in the morning. there must be one or two sober people among the shao family members who came today. otherwise, who would go and catch the couple in the act later? nove/lb.1n xia he naturally understood the reason behind this and did not force them to do anything. after all, the xia family also needed someone from the shao family to be their corroborative witness so that their plan could proceed smoothly. qiao mei deliberated for a moment before saying to bian duo, "auntie, i''ll go and see if my grandfather has eaten anything. he''s not in good health and i need to make sure that he takes his medicine." "please go ahead! the elderly''s health is more important!" bian duo said. before she left, qiao mei gave xia he a meaningful look. xia he lowered her head slightly to indicate that she understood and qiao mei went to the backyard without any worry. after all, the backyard part of the house belonged to qiao qiang. given that something so disgusting was happening here, qiao mei wanted to inform qiao qiang in advance so that he would not get a shock later. "grandfather, are you there? can i come in?" qiao mei asked as she stood outside and knocked on the room door. "yes, come in!" qiao qiang''s voice came from inside the room. when she opened the door, she could hear the radio playing. Chapter 1409 Pick Up Skills Everywhere chapter 1409 pick up skills everywhere qiao qiang seemed to be living his life like an "old immortal" now. he spent his days at home, eating and sleeping. if he felt bored, he would go out to take a walk around and chat with the neighbors nearby. the residents living in these two alleys were all quite well-off. each family had at least about 500 dollars in savings, which meant they were considered to be middle-class households in the capital. there were also many retirees who lived here. most of them were senior technicians who were very skillful. even after they retired, many people still came to visit them to ask for guidance! qiao qiang learned a lot from them during this period of time and even brought back many rare playthings which these retirees gave him as gifts. "look at this gourd. it''s so beautifully carved! zhang chao really likes it and keeps asking me for it!" qiao qiang said to qiao mei as he held up the gourd sculpture which grandpa feng had given him. "since the kid likes it, why didn''t you give it to him?" qiao mei asked with a laugh. in the past, as long as qiao mei liked something, qiao qiang would give it to her. to him, no matter how precious the thing was, it was not as precious as qiao mei. "no. i sent zhang chao directly to your grandpa feng''s house to learn the skill," qiao qiang said with a relaxed expression. qiao mei looked at qiao qiang in shock. this was not the first time qiao qiang had done such a thing. some time ago, qiao qiang realized that old mister sun, who lived at the entrance of the alley, was very good at calligraphy. seeing that zhang chao liked the writings, he sent zhang chao over there to learn calligraphy for a period of time. later on, he realized that his neighbor, grandpa liu, was quite knowledgeable about cars, so he also sent zhang chao over to study for a period of time. nowadays, everyone in the alley was very fond of zhang chao. there were even a few retirees who wanted to take zhang chao in as their disciple and teach him everything they knew. "is zhang chao happy about this? does he like to learn all these skills?" qiao mei asked. "that kid always goes out after dinner to take a walk around the neighborhood. everyone wants to teach him something. that kid is obedient and smart and willing to learn. these old fellows all have their own set of skills and they all want to pass down their skills down to someone. they all treat zhang chao like a piece of treasure!" qiao qiang said proudly. "grandfather, no matter what happens outside today, can you refrain from going out to take a look?" qiao mei said. "huh? isn''t it xia xing''s engagement party today? the shao family isn''t willing to let their daughter marry xia xing?" qiao qiang asked curiously. qiao mei did not know how to explain the situation. she blushed and said, "it''s... it''s just like back then, when xia zhe and i..." qiao qiang immediately understood what she meant and even felt a little embarrassed. he was even the one who orchestrated the whole thing between qiao mei and xia zhe back then! whenever he thought about that day, he still felt apologetic towards xia zhe. "i get what you mean... is the shao family really so bold? i thought xia xing had already agreed to marry her? it''s so unnecessary to do such a thing," qiao qiang said. "that''s because it''s not xia xing, but xia wen," qiao mei explained. qiao qiang was a little surprised to hear this, but that feeling passed quickly. xia wen was definitely an eligible bachelor. most single women would fall for xia wen after knowing him for a while. he was good-looking, had a good family background, a nice character, a great job, and most importantly, he was trustworthy and responsible. such a man was hard to come by. "i get it. you have to protect yourself too. are the two children alright? why don''t you leave them in my room? it''s safe here," qiao qiang asked in detail. "the children are with my mother now. the shao family won''t go over there. my mother-in-law even asked luo yu to guard the main door there. it''s definitely much safer than our side," qiao mei said. "that''s good. you have to be careful and don''t be rash," qiao qiang reminded her. "i know." after saying that, qiao mei left qiao qiang''s room. it was starting to get dark and shao tu and shao xian were about to throw up from all the drinking they did with xia wen. feeling that the timing was right, xia wen pretended to be drunk and "fainted" over the table. "xia wen? wake up?" shao tu gave xia wen a push to test his reaction. seeing that there was no reaction from xia wen, shao xian and shao tu discussed for a bit and decided to bring xia wen to the backyard to rest. "we''ll bring xia wen inside to rest! you guys continue chatting!" shao xian said. shao chun wanted to go forward to help, but xia he stopped her. "auntie, where are you going?" xia he asked. "all of them had a lot to drink, so i want to go and help out. it would be bad if they fall and damage something," shao chun explained.n))ovlb1n Chapter 1410 Success chapter 1410 success nov/lb-1n shao chun was worried that they would make a mistake after drinking so much. if they went to the wrong room, all their efforts would be in vain. all the hard work they had put in for the entire day would be wasted. "my eldest brother knows the way. besides, uncle shao knows which room xia xing is in. let them go on their own. let''s continue chatting. i haven''t heard enough of those stories you were telling just now!" xia he said with a faint smile. shao chun could not find any other suitable reason to go and help out. although shao tu and shao xian were both members of the shao family, she was not shao tu''s wife. it was not appropriate for her to tag along like this and it would only make it seem as if she just wanted to snoop around. she still cared about her own reputation! "alright, then let''s continue," shao chun said awkwardly. qiao mei quietly left the banquet and went to the study to manipulate the vines so that she could observe everything that was happening in the backyard. that shao tu weighed almost 200 pounds and was very big and strong. in the event he took the opportunity to knock xia wen out, then at least they would discover it in time and be able to save xia wen from danger. shao tu and shao xian slowly carried xia wen to the backyard. the three of them stumbled as they walked and almost fell over one another. xia wen had specially instructed qiao mei not to switch on the lights. it was not easy to walk in the dark and no one could see anyone''s face clearly, so it would be more convenient for him to do what he needed to do. they finally managed to find shao yin''s room. when shao yin heard the noise outside, she quickly leaned to one side and remained motionless. her heart was beating extremely fast. she had waited for the entire day and could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel! "you go into the room first. i can''t carry him anymore!" shao tu said impatiently. "he''s really too heavy. i also can''t hold on much longer!" shao xian said groggily. just as shao tu and shao xian were thinking about how to move xia wen in, xia wen suddenly had an idea and got up abruptly to attack shao xian. shao xian hit his head hard on the wall and fainted. xia wen took the opportunity to roll his body on the ground twice to the other side. it was very dark and shao tu could not tell which of the two people on the floor was xia wen. the amount of liquor he drank had made his vision a little blurry. xia wen hurriedly stood up and pulled up the unconscious shao xian. seeing this, shao tu went to give him a hand and said, "you just can''t do anything well! you can even make it so difficult to carry him into the room! go in quickly! i really don''t have any strength left!" xia wen grabbed shao xian and dragged him into the room without saying a word. he looked silently at shao yin, who was lying on the bed. at this moment, shao yin had wrapped herself in a blanket and was waiting for the shao family to deliver the person she had been thinking about day and night! he simply threw shao xian onto the bed and then turned to leave. after that, shao tu and xia wen both sauntered into the neighboring room to sleep. the two of them were so intoxicated that they fell asleep the moment their heads touched the pillows. even if there was thunder booming outside, shao tu would not wake up. seeing that their plan had succeeded, qiao mei secretly extended the vines through the window gap to observe the movements in the room. when shao yin heard that the people outside had left, she quietly took off all the clothes that "xia wen" was wearing and left him totally naked. she even felt a little shy when she reached his underwear, but she gritted her teeth and pulled it off. at this point, if she could not go all out, she would be letting down the entire shao family. after she was done, she lay back down and did not move. after some consideration, she placed "xia wen''s" hand on her stomach. it would give the shao family something to bear witness to when they came in later. the evidence would be irrefutable and the xia family would not be able to deny anything. qiao mei watched for a long time but shao yin did not make any next move. it seemed that she was not as decisive as qiao mei back then. now that qiao mei thought back about it carefully, she felt that the original owner of the body was very bold to force xia zhe to do those things. when she recalled the details of that day, her face would still flush bright red! it was not as if shao yin did not want to sleep with xia wen, but she did not know if she could get away with doing this. what if xia wen refused to be with her no matter what? she wanted to maintain her status as an innocent maiden so that she could still marry xia xing and live a comfortable life! qiao mei retracted the vines and went to the front yard. it was time to bring these women from the shao family to the backyard to take a look at what was going on. they probably could not sit still any longer too. "aunties! it''s getting late. let''s get some rest early. i''ve prepared a room for all of you in the backyard. let''s talk in the room." qiao mei purposely switched on all the lights and the previously dark house was instantly brightly lit up. shao chun had never seen such a beautiful place! it was like a fairyland! she had heard that xia guang was also divorced... perhaps she should get a divorce and then think of a way to marry xia guang? Chapter 1411 Self-directed Show chapter 1411 self-directed show if xia he and qiao mei knew what shao chun was thinking, they would definitely feel nauseated there and then. it was so true that birds of a feather always flocked together. these people were all cut from the same cloth. the shao family already held xia xing within their grasp, but the other women still set their sights on the other men from the xia family''s third son''s family. no one knew why the third son''s family was so unlucky to have encountered these insatiable gluttons from the shao family. "qiao mei, your house is so beautiful! i''ve never seen such a beautiful house! i''m guessing that shao yin''s house probably looks similar to yours," bian duo said enviously. "it must be! when the repairs on our shao yin''s siheyuan courtyard house are done, it will definitely look even nicer than this place! this is such an old courtyard house," shao chun said smugly. qiao mei did not reply and just smiled faintly at the shao family members. even now, they were still thinking about getting a siheyuan courtyard house. in a moment, there might not even be a wedding anymore! at first, qiao mei brought bian duo and the others to a room that was very close to qiao qiang''s quarters. this room was dark and damp and there were even spider webs in the corners. qiao mei had instructed xu kang to make it look like this so as to incite the shao family to go through with their "plan". "oh no, this room is not suitable for use. it''ll take a long time to clear out other rooms for you. what can we do!" qiao mei said embarrassedly. "it''s fine! in that case, we''ll just go and stay with shao yin. you don''t have to do anything!" shao chun said quickly. this was exactly what they wanted! otherwise, if they had to find a reason to go to shao yin''s room to catch the couple in the act, it would look very fishy. given the current situation, it was as if the heavens were also helping them! "that''s a good idea. i''m really sorry for not being a good host. aunties, please accept my apologies," qiao mei said. "we''re already going to be a family. there''s no need to stand on ceremony between us! you should go back to your own room too. it''s so cold at night. i remember you just gave birth not long ago? you should avoid the cold wind," bian duo instructed. if qiao mei did not know about the tricks which the shao family had up their sleeves, she might have been touched by what bian duo said. if only the shao family had behaved themselves, they might have been able to enjoy endless wealth and status, but now, they probably would not be able to get anything. qiao mei took the opportunity to lead xia he into qiao qiang''s room. as soon as they entered, she quickly closed the door. qiao mei went to get a stool while xia he went to switch off the lights. the two of them worked together like they had a tacit agreement. qiao qiang''s room was directly opposite shao yin''s room. from his room, qiao mei and xia he could see everything that was happening there. "why are the two of you leaning against the window sill? why do you need to switch off the lights?" qiao qiang asked confusedly as he sat on the brick bed with his book. xia he had switched off the lights so quickly that he did not have time to react. qiao mei did not inform him in advance about what they were doing. "grandpa qiao! come and take a look! the show is about to start!" xia he said excitedly as she pointed out of the window. this was the first time she had seen such an exciting thing happening with her own eyes! qiao qiang leaned against the window sill with the two women. even though three heads had suddenly appeared at the window in unison, the shao family members did not notice them at all. shao chun held the door handle nervously. she had often heard stories of the older women in the village catching adulterous couples in the act, but it felt totally different when it was her turn to do such a thing today. "go in, quick... if you hesitate any longer, it''ll be too late!" huang ning said anxiously. n/-o--v).e/)l.)b((1)-n "second sister-in-law, it''s easy for you to talk! then you go in and do it! i''m really scared," shao chun said. actually, huang ning did not dare to do it either. however, before they all came to attend this banquet, shao zhuang had promised her that if their family succeeded in this matter, shao yin would look for a girl among the xia family''s rich relatives to become shao xian''s wife. when that happened, her family would be able to live a good life too. she must do it for shao xian''s future happiness! no matter how nervous or afraid she was, she must overcome the feelings. huang ning pushed open the door forcefully. with the light shining in from outside the room, everyone could see that there were two people lying on the bed. when they could make out clearly that it was a man and a woman, huang ning yelled out loudly. "ah!!!" huang ning screamed as she pointed at the people on the bed. "what''s wrong! what happened!" shao chun pretended not to know anything and hurriedly ran into the room. she took the cue from huang ning and pointed at the man on the bed, saying, "what a beast! you deserve to be slashed a thousand times! the two of you are not married yet! you... why are you so impatient! you have ruined the innocence of our shao family''s girl!" Chapter 1412 Caught in Bed chapter 1412 caught in bed ? qiao mei nudged xia he and asked curiously, "can you make out what they''re doing? why does it seem to me that they don''t look agitated at all? they''re just screaming." "then how do you want them to act? do you think they''re acting in a stage play now? aren''t these considered very normal reactions? i actually think that they''re acting very well! don''t tell me you know how people should react in such a situation?" xia he said laughingly. these words immediately reminded qiao mei of the morning after her passionate night with xia zhe. after that, xia zhe had bade farewell to qiao qiang in a hurry and did not even look at qiao mei with a nice expression. qiao qiang also felt very uncomfortable as he listened in. at that time, he had almost acted in the same way to catch the couple in the act. nov)lb.1n "what do i know? you''re spouting nonsense..." qiao mei said awkwardly. "i''m just joking... but what are these people from the shao family doing?" xia he asked curiously. when the courtyard house was rebuilt, qiao mei had made sure that there was thorough soundproofing done to all the rooms. at the moment, the three people in the room could only guess what the shao family was doing based on their expressions, but they could not hear anything at all. "what exactly did eldest brother tell you? what kind of plan did he have in mind?" xia he asked as she looked at qiao mei. "eldest brother didn''t tell me anything! he just asked me to wait for his cue and be on standby to help him," qiao mei said. what qiao mei said was indeed the truth, but she was not like xia he who did not know anything. she had even "seen" the entire process. "then let''s wait and see. if anything happens, the shao family will definitely come and get us," xia he said. the man''s back was facing the door, so no one could see his face. they could only see his bare back. shao chun and huang ning did not dare to turn the man around to see if it was xia wen. between the two of them, one was shao yin''s aunt and the other was her aunt-in-law. they should not be the ones to take charge of this matter since shao yin''s mother was here as well. however, the man''s build bore some resemblance to xia wen. it was likely to be him! now, they just needed to get bian duo to come in and confirm it. after that, the deal was done! shao chun hurriedly looked at bian duo, who was still standing outside, and said, "sister-in-law! quick, come and take a look! oh my goodness!" only then did bian duo realize that it was her turn to perform. she rushed into the room and almost tripped over the door threshold! luckily, shao chun was there to catch hold of her. "this... this... what exactly is going on! where are the xia family members! is there anyone around! someone!" bian duo shouted in a panic as she went around the house looking for the other people. "it''s time!" qiao mei said. the two of them hurriedly ran out of qiao qiang''s room. qiao mei looked at bian duo with a panicked expression and asked, "what''s wrong? what happened?" "look at what your family has done! you''re just a junior and we don''t want to talk to you! ask your mother-in-law to come over! you have to give us an explanation for this!" shao chun said domineeringly. as she became more agitated, she even pushed qiao mei''s shoulder, almost causing qiao mei to fall over. "what are you doing! why are you getting physical! my mother is already asleep at this time. if you have something to say, you can say it to me," xia he said furiously. "as if you can make decisions on behalf of the xia family! i want to talk to your mother!" after saying that, shao chun pointed at xia he and continued, "if you don''t want to get her! then i''ll look for her myself!" by now, xu lan and liu fen had already put on their cloaks and rushed to the backyard. the two of them had gone to bed early, but when they heard the commotion in the backyard, they had to come and see what was going on. "what happened? why are you so angry?" xu lan asked. "come and see what your xia family has done! they''re already getting married soon! yet xia xing is so impatient! is this the kind of good upbringing the xia family has!" shao chun pointed at xu lan and roared. xu lan frowned unhappily. she had never been pointed at and scolded in this manner in her entire life. how could shao chun have the guts to dare to speak to her like this! "speak clearly. tell me, what exactly has our xia family done and what has xia xing done?" xu lan said. "hmph! do you still need me to spell it out! go and take a look for yourself!" shao chun made way for xu lan and liu fen. the two women took two steps forward and saw a man and a woman lying on the bed. Chapter 1413 They Are Siblings chapter 1413 they are siblings the two of them were so shocked by the sight that they quickly took a few steps back. however, both xu lan and liu fen knew very well that the man lying on the bed was neither xia xing nor xia wen. this was because xia wen was born with a birthmark on his neck. in the past, they had also heard from wu min that xia xing had many moles on his back. there was nothing on that man''s back, so it was obvious that he was not one of these two kids from the xia family. the thing that made xu lan so shocked was the actions taken by qiao mei and xia wen. she had thought that they were just going to spoil the shao family''s scheme and make their efforts go to waste. she did not expect these children to be so cutthroat as to find another man to take part in the dirty deed with shao yin. "see! you have to give us an explanation!" shao chun said. "how do you know who''s the person lying on the bed! his back is facing us. what right do you have to blame this on our xia family!" liu fen said. "if it''s not xia xing, then it must be xia wen!" huang ning said immediately. these few women kept arguing non-stop, making qiao mei''s head hurt. she picked up a big stick from the side and smashed it on the ground as she said, "stop arguing! just go in and see who that man is! what''s the point of arguing here!" the entire yard fell silent. fortunately, they had not quarreled too loudly just now and the surrounding neighbors probably did not hear them. otherwise, this alley would be very lively with gossip for a while again. xu lan was the first person to enter the room. she reached out to flip the man onto his back and present his face to everyone. when the shao family members saw that it was shao xian lying on the bed, they gasped in shock. "how can this be!" bian duo said in shock. "open your bloody eyes and take a good look! is this man from our xia family or your shao family! don''t wrongly accuse our xia family!" xu lan stood in front of the bed haughtily and pointed at shao xian. qiao mei immediately covered her mouth and exclaimed, "oh my goodness! how can such a thing happen!" xia he was still rooted to the spot. she never dreamed that xia wen would come up with such a plan. shao xian and shao yin were cousins. the two of them could not be in a relationship. this was going against society''s morals and values! qiao mei quickly stepped on xia he''s foot to make her come back to her senses. xia he immediately yelled out, "huh! then how can she still get married! how can your shao family do such a thing!" shao yin had been pretending to be asleep the entire time. she was waiting for the moment when they would be caught in the act. however, from the contents of the conversation happening around her, things did not seem to have gone as planned. she quietly opened her eyes and realized that it was not xia wen lying beside her, but shao xian. she was so shocked that she jumped up and wrapped herself tightly with the blanket. "ah!!!" it would have been better if she had not tugged at the blanket because when she did that, she basically caused shao xian to be exposed to everyone. shao xian was completely naked, but shao yin was not wearing a stitch as well. everyone could see that shao yin''s undergarments were on the floor! huang ning quickly took off her coat and covered shao xian''s body. qiao mei instructed xu kang to bring over another blanket to cover shao xian. it was not because she was kind-hearted, but more like she was worried that everyone would get an eye stye from looking at such an indecent image! "this is all a misunderstanding! a misunderstanding!" shao chun said. "misunderstanding? what kind of misunderstanding is this? there''s a man and a woman lying naked on the same bed. what kind of misunderstanding is this?" qiao mei questioned. "how can you interrupt when the elders are talking!" shao chun shouted. xu lan looked at shao chun unhappily and said, "my daughter-in-law can speak for me! do you have a problem with that?" "no... no..." shao chun said softly. she did not know that qiao mei had such a high status in the xia family, and that a village girl from the countryside could actually be so highly regarded by the xia family. what had shao yin been doing during this period of time while staying with the xia family! she did not seem to have found out any of such important information. the information that shao yin sent home did not give any indication of the status of each person in the xia family. she only said that the xia family was very particular about family hierarchy and etiquette, which was why they thought that qiao mei was not favored in the family. n()o//v-/e//l-.b-.i-/n "now it''s your family''s turn to give us an explanation," xu lan said. "this... shao xian and shao yin are like siblings. even if they sleep in the same bed, nothing will ever happen between them!" huang ning explained. Chapter 1414 Nothing Happened chapter 1414 nothing happened "then why was shao yin so shocked just now?" qiao mei immediately asked. shao chun gnashed her teeth and stared at qiao mei. why was this wretched girl so talkative! she should have sent this girl away earlier and not let her have a chance to speak in the room! "that... that''s because of us! there were so many of us in the room staring at her. of course she would feel afraid, especially since she just woke up!" shao chun explained. qiao mei secretly sized up bian duo. given that something like this had happened to her own daughter, she did not say or do anything but only just stood at the side and kept quiet. it was shao chun, who was only shao yin''s aunt, speaking up for shao yin. these people from the shao family were really a strange bunch. however, it did not matter which one of them stepped forward to speak. the most important thing was to make use of all the facts to nail down these people so that none of them would be able to escape! "is that so? auntie, didn''t you say earlier that shao yin always falls asleep if she drinks alcohol and won''t be able to get up until past noon the next day? why is she awake so early this time round?" qiao mei asked curiously. "maybe... maybe shao yin woke up in fright! when we quarreled outside just now, it was so loud that it might have frightened shao yin!" bian duo said. it did not matter whether shao yin woke up or not. the most important thing now was not to find out if shao yin was actually drunk earlier, but to find out if shao xian and shao yin had done something wrong together! "the two of them had done such a shameful thing in my house! i don''t think the wedding can still proceed!" qiao mei said angrily. "why not! whether it can proceed or not is up to the elders in the family to decide! what you say doesn''t count!" bian duo said as she pointed at qiao mei. n-.ovelb1n xu lan stepped forward and said, "i''m sure i can be considered an elder in the family! i can decide on this matter! our xia family will not allow xia xing to become related to the shao family!" "you''re not xia xing''s mother. you''re just his aunt-in-law. you don''t have any right!" shao chun said. "my husband is the eldest son of the xia family! he takes care of all the important matters in the xia family. xia xing''s mother has already left the family, so i can make the decision for him! even if my husband is here, he will also feel the same way!" xu lan said firmly. bian duo was so taken aback that she almost fainted. fortunately, huang ning caught her in time. shao chun had to step forward and say, "it might not be our family''s fault in this matter. the two of them did not look like they did anything!" "there''s a man and a woman lying naked on the same bed, and yet it''s fine just because you say so? besides, the two of them are born from different parents. in our village, many men marry their cousins when they can''t find a wife! you don''t seem to care that you don''t make sense!" qiao mei said. xia he quickly added, "that''s right! you were the ones who came to ask us to catch them in the act just now. now, you''re the ones saying that the two of them did not do anything. you simply twist the facts to suit your story! you can''t do that!" "they''re related by blood! what you say doesn''t apply! can shao yin be blamed for this? perhaps the men had too much to drink and brought him to the wrong room?" shao chun argued. xia he laughed loudly as if she had heard the biggest joke in the world. she looked at shao chun and asked, "if you''re saying that my eldest brother and uncle shao carried shao xian into the wrong room, then why did the two of them go to the room next door themselves? or was it uncle shao who had designs on shao yin?" "you''re spouting nonsense! how can you slander my husband! don''t talk rubbish if you don''t have any evidence! my husband is already so old, what can he do!" huang ning said agitatedly. xia he shrugged and said, "who knows..." "it''s still too early to tell if it''s really slander! the story that your shao family is telling is full of loopholes! you say that your shao family members have a habit of sleeping naked! then shao tu should be naked in the room next door too!" xu lan said as she glared at the women. shao chun and the others broke out in cold sweat. even if they wanted to refute, they could not find any explanation. there was no way for them to cover up the lie they told just now. qiao mei immediately told xu kang to go to the room next door to see if shao tu was properly dressed or not. when xu kang entered the room, she saw him lying spread-eagle on the brick bed and sleeping soundly! he did not bother to cover himself with a blanket and did not even take off his shoes before falling asleep. "both men have their clothes on," xu kang reported when she returned. Chapter 1415 Getting Bitten by a Dog chapter 1415 getting bitten by a dog ? "did you check properly? don''t get the facts wrong!" huang ning asked suspiciously. "hmph, even if i''m blind, i can still tell who''s from the xia family and who''s from the shao family!" xu kang said angrily. even if she did not come and work as a helper in the xia family, she was still xu lan''s relative. how could she not be able to recognize xu lan''s child? what a joke! "it seems that your shao family members don''t have the kind of sleeping habits that you mentioned. in that case, who took off shao xian''s clothes? shao xian was already drunk at that time. could it be that he took off his clothes himself? then that would mean he knew what he was doing at that time!" xia he said in surprise. if she made it sound like shao xian was still conscious when he went into the room, then it would seem like a sure bet that shao xian had designs on shao yin. if shao xian was drunk and unconscious at that time, then it would be someone else''s fault and could not have anything to do with shao xian. n)/o-)v)-e-.l.(b/-i)-n "nonsense! my son was so drunk that he was already in a blur! how could he be conscious enough to do such things!" huang ning said. "then... it would be shao yin who took off his clothes," xia he said immediately. the women from the shao family all started talking at once. shao chun spoke up for shao yin of course. after all, it would only be beneficial for her if shao yin married into the xia family. as for huang ning, she definitely wanted to protect her own son, shao xian. even if their family could not get any benefits in the future, she must at least protect shao xian''s reputation! he still had to get married at some point in the future! if it became known that something like this had happened between him and his cousin, no nice girl would want to marry him! bian duo, on the other hand, behaved strangely. she did not speak up to defend shao yin at all. instead, she looked very nervous. it was as if she was worried that she might say the wrong thing if posed with a difficult question. did they not say that bian duo doted on her daughter the most? then why was it that she did not seem to care about shao yin when shao yin was in trouble? "shut up, all of you!" shao zhuang suddenly barged into the room and pointed at the xia family members as he shouted, "this is your xia family''s scheme! all of this is part of your plan! we''re the ones who fell into your trap!" xu lan frowned and looked at shao zhuang who was standing at the door. this was a room full of women arguing with each other and there was no reason for a man to barge in here. moreover, the men from her family were all drunk. xia wen and xia xing were in a drunken slumber at the moment and could not be awoken at all. how could they, being the womenfolk, be the ones to talk to shao zhuang about this? if things got physical, they would be at a disadvantage. this matter was no longer something that they could handle. they had to ask the other men of the xia family to come back and discuss this matter together. qiao mei gave xia he a gentle pat and asked her to secretly go out to get reinforcements. she would take care of the matters in the house until the actual head of the xia family got here. xia he immediately went to the entrance of the alley to make phone calls to xia jun, xia mao and xia guang. xia yao was not in the capital now and his children were all busy with their own matters, so she did not disturb them. this whole issue had nothing to do with the second son''s family anyway. "alright, let''s not argue here. if you want to talk, then let''s talk in the front hall," qiao mei said. everyone arrived at the front hall one after another. shao xian was still sleeping and could not be awoken at all, so they let him be. even if he was awake, what he said might not be the truth. qiao mei gave shao yin some time to get dressed and look presentable before coming to the front hall. it was inappropriate for her to be so scantily dressed. the women of the shao family seemed less desperate than before. the moment shao zhuang appeared, all of them suddenly seemed remotivated. it was as if shao zhuang could change the fate of their family. that was simply a pipe dream! "since you say that the xia family is responsible for all this, then where is your evidence?" qiao mei asked. shao zhuang looked at qiao mei mockingly and said, "does the xia family even have family rules in place? how dare a small-fry like you talk to me? i''ll wait for old master xia to arrive. otherwise, i won''t speak." xia he was so angry that she almost went forward to beat him up. qiao mei quickly held on to xia he and said, "calm down. why are you so angry?" "didn''t you hear what he said about you? i really can''t take this lying down!" xia he said. "i heard him and i can''t be bothered to refute him. do i have to lower my head and bite a dog back when it bites me? isn''t that the behavior of a fool? just let it be. there''s no need to fuss about it," qiao mei said calmly. Chapter 1416 Spot On chapter 1416 spot on shao zhuang smacked the table angrily and said, "who are you calling a dog!" "oh my! your ears are quite sharp if you can hear my elder sister gossiping. didn''t you say that you won''t speak until my grandfather comes? then hold it in and don''t say anything," qiao mei said. "didn''t you say you want to discuss this issue with us? then let''s talk about it!" shao zhuang looked at qiao mei and continued, "today''s banquet was clearly a setup by your xia family to frame us! you deliberately buy so much liquor to get my younger brother and my nephew drunk so that you can fabricate stories about our family!" "uncle shao, listen to what you''re saying. the amount of liquor we prepared was based on an estimate of half a bottle per person. moreover, we even prepared less than what we estimated since there are more women here today! it was your younger brother who insisted on drinking even after we ran out of liquor and asked my helper to go out and buy some more. everyone who was present at that time knew about this," qiao mei said. "you''re talking nonsense! what proof do you have that it was my younger brother who asked you to buy more!" shao zhuang questioned. "the liquor that we served today is moutai and all specially bought for today. every bottle of moutai is numbered. if you go to the shop to do a check, it''s not difficult to find out the exact timing when we bought all the liquor. the liquor that you drank later on is just normal liquor sold at the shop at the entrance of the alley. the taste is surely different. those liquor bottles are still under the windowsill! we can go and bring them in later," qiao mei said. "even if we were the ones who wanted to drink more, you bought way too much. besides, you kept forcing them to drink! otherwise, why would the two of them keep drinking!" shao zhuang said accusingly. qiao mei picked up the tea bowl beside her and took a slow sip of tea before saying, "you know very well who drank more, my eldest brother or your younger brother and nephew. my eldest brother drank so much that he became giddy and only managed to recover after resting in the backyard for a while. during this period of time, he kept saying that he wanted to leave the banquet but all of you held on to him and asked him to continue drinking. is this what you mean by us forcing you to drink?" "it''s so obvious that it was the three of you who forced my brother to drink! don''t lie about it!" xia he said. "if you still want to say that we''re the ones who force you to drink, we can all go to one of those professional organizations to take blood samples and do a check on who has more alcohol in their body. this way, none of us will be able to shirk responsibility. however, your shao family will have to pay for this service," qiao mei said seriously. xia he had never heard of such an organization in her life. qiao mei was just trying to scare the shao family. such technology was not widely available yet and it would be a long time before everyone would be able to afford it. it was still in the research stage during this era and families like them could only hear snippets about the progress. it would be impossible for them to get the help of those researchers. the costs of running each round of tests was not a small sum! in any case, the shao family was illiterate and probably did not know anything about professional tests. they did not have much money anyway. all their current expenses were being paid for by the xia family! "that fellow xia wen is a really good drinker! in the end, he was the only one sober while all of us got drunk. he tricked my younger brother and nephew into going to the backyard and then knocked my nephew out. my younger brother already drank too much and could not see clearly who was beside him, so he fell for the trick!" shao zhuang said. he was actually spot on. other than the first sentence about how xia wen was a good drinker, everything else he said was almost exactly the same as what actually happened. however, shao zhuang did not have any evidence! there was no use in making wild guesses! nove-lb(1n "i only know that my eldest brother is drunk right now and resting in the backyard! he already vomited a few times during the day! how can he have the strength to harm others! my eldest brother drank twice the amount of what each of you drank!" xia he said angrily. if not for qiao mei being around to help, xia wen would probably be in the hospital by now. how could anyone drink baijiu, such a strong distilled spirit, like water? in the past, when xia wen was in the army, he did not touch any alcohol at all. later on, when he became a university professor, he started to drink a little. his current capacity for alcohol was honed only after working in the government sector. he had to attend many functions as part of his job given that there were always people who wanted to treat him to meals and drinks. he could not turn down any of these invitations and used to get drunk after each function. at that time, tan jing was still busy thinking about how to have children! she did not care about xia wen''s condition at all. xia wen had such a tougher life then compared to now! Chapter 1417 Finding Out More Information chapter 1417 finding out more information "you''re just bullying the shao family because we''re weak and defenseless and have no form of support in the capital. you actually do such a despicable thing just to prevent my daughter from marrying into your family! yet you find excuses for your behavior! who knows if you''re colluding with those organizations! i don''t believe in anything you say! anyway, it''s just all part of your scheme!" shao zhuang refused to listen to anything and just kept insisting that it was the xia family''s fault. he felt that so long as he remained so unreasonable, they would not be able to do anything to him. qiao mei smiled. she had encountered so many ruffians and scoundrels in the village in the past. there were so many people who were even worse than shao zhuang. why would she be afraid of shao zhuang''s threats? what a joke he was. at most, she would just borrow a page from those shameless old women and kick up a big fuss to give the shao family a huge headache! "since you say that it''s all a ploy by the xia family, then let me ask you. is it the xia family who has ulterior motives towards the shao family or is it your shao family who has ulterior motives towards the xia family? is your daughter as beautiful as a fairy or is she very talented, very virtuous, very gentle or very filial to her parents? is your family so rich that our family needs to eye your money?" qiao mei asked. nove-lb(1n speaking of shao yin''s looks, she was just ordinary looking and not very outstanding. in a small county city, perhaps she could be considered good-looking. however, for her to claim to be "as beautiful as a fairy" in front of qiao mei and xia he, then that would be too shameless! even if one searched the entire capital, one would not be able to find many women who were prettier than qiao mei and xia he. shao yin was illiterate and had never gone to school or learned any musical instruments. xia he was a trained dancer after all! as for qiao mei, she was a very rich woman. what could the xia family see in shao yin, given that she was just a lazy and inept woman? "oh right! your family members say that shao yin does not have much capacity for alcohol and that she gets drunk easily and will then sleep until the next day. we all heard it with our own ears. i was the one who asked someone to carry shao yin to the back. i should think that your shao family is considered a ''prominent'' family in the county city. if i get someone to go and ask around, i''m sure they''ll be able to get back to me very quickly on whether shao yin gets drunk easily or not," qiao mei said with a smile. seeing that all the shao family members were such good drinkers and eloquent speakers, qiao mei could roughly guess that the shao family members liked to go around socializing with others. some of them probably even relied on their sweet tongues to freeload on food and drinks! to put it nicely, if they went from house to house to freeload during mealtimes, they could save a lot of money. if the shao family members usually behaved like this, then there must be many people who secretly hated them! now that times were hard and everyone found it hard to put food on the table, why would anyone be happy to see freeloaders at their house? some people were probably too abashed to outrightly reject these people from the shao family and must have suffered a lot at their hands! shao zhuang immediately looked awkward. he had forgotten all about this! during the day, his attention was all on xia wen and he did not notice what was going on with the women at all. the county city where the shao family lived was not far from the capital. the xia family also had a few trusted aides there. it would only take a phone call to check on whether the shao family members were telling the truth just now. "that''s right! there''s even no need for us to ask around in the county city! isn''t there still a bunch of people from your family in the guest houses! i''ll arrange for someone to go and ask them right away! let''s see if what you said is true!" xia he ran out and looked for luo yu, who was standing guard in the backyard. she asked him to make the arrangements and get it checked out as soon as possible. while they waited for the news, xia jun and xia mao arrived in their cars. they did not enter immediately but had stopped outside the door for a while to listen in as qiao mei was speaking. her voice was sonorous and impactful, just as what they expected of the xia family''s daughter-in-law. they both felt very proud of her. xia he also spoke more logically nowadays. she was no longer as hot-tempered as before, when she preferred to let her fists do the talking. it seemed that when it came to her, spending a few months with qiao mei was much more useful than going to school! previously, whenever there were such situations, it was usually the men from the xia family holding down the fort. now, the xia family had a daughter-in-law who was equally as capable! with a daughter-in-law like qiao mei in the xia family, xia jun felt very much at ease. at the very least, xia mao''s family would never be in a mess and they would always live together harmoniously. "oh, it''s so bustling here. i can already hear the commotion in this room even before entering the house. what''s the issue that''s making the kids in my family so angry?" xia jun asked as he walked in. at that moment, xia he just came in from outside. when she saw xia jun and xia mao coming to give them support, she almost felt like crying aggrievedly. just now, she and qiao mei had to struggle to hold the fort as shao zhuang pressured them constantly and refused to give in. Chapter 1418 Look Down On You ? unexpectedly, shao zhuang became much more polite the moment he saw xia jun. his attitude was no longer as domineering as when he spoke to qiao mei just now. he said respectfully, "i''m just asking for an explanation. i don''t mean anything else. as long as xia xing marries my daughter as planned, we can pretend that nothing happened." "huh? is there such a thing?" xia jun looked at shao zhuang and asked nonchalantly, as if he did not even take this matter seriously. "pfft! dream on! she behaves like a loose woman in my house and yet she still wants to join our family! dream on!" xu lan scolded angrily. even though xia jun and xia mao were present, she did not care about decorum. the shao family had really gone too far. "i originally wanted to save your family from the embarrassment, but if that''s the case, then i''ll relate all the facts!" qiao mei looked at shao zhuang and continued, "it was shao yin who came to me and begged me so pitifully to lend her my place to hold this banquet. she even asked me to be the one to invite all the elders in the family to come over so that it would make your shao family look good. just now, you said that we did everything on purpose, but there is really no reason for us to do so." "that''s right! it''s you! you''re the instigator who frames my daughter! you hate my daughter and that''s why you set her up to be with another man!" shao zhuang stood up and pointed at qiao mei angrily as he roared at her. qiao mei wondered if there was something wrong with shao zhuang''s brain. what could she gain from plotting against shao yin? she was already married to the xia family''s most outstanding grandson and had a bright future ahead of her. there was no reason for her to be jealous of shao yin at all. should she be jealous of the fact that shao yin did not take baths often? "then what''s the reason for me doing that? you have to make sense when you speak. don''t be like a mad dog biting at everything. don''t you think you''ve been kicking a fuss in my house long enough? in that case, let''s go to the police station and lodge reports separately. even though it will be embarrassing for the xia family, we will just be laughed at for trusting people too blindly, nothing worse than that," qiao mei said with a faint smile.n/-0velb1n shao zhuang panicked. that b*tch, zhou luo, had previously sworn to him that the xia family was easily embarrassed and particularly easy to manipulate. they would always err on the side of caution as long as it was something related to their reputation. now that they wanted to settle this matter in the police station, his daughter would be utterly embarrassed if word got out! even if she could not marry into the xia family, she could still marry into another family. there were so many men in the capital, so surely one of them would fall for shao yin? "don''t tell me you can make decisions for your grandfather! so this is how your xia family treats us! you even only rent the venue for the wedding! look at where you''re living! the xia family gives you a big house when you marry into the family. yet they only rent a lousy house for my daughter even though she''s also marrying into the family. is this what your family means when you say you''ll take care of my daughter?" shao zhuang said. "since uncle shao wants to talk about this, then i want to ask how much dowry your daughter is bringing with her when she gets married?" qiao mei asked. "dowry? what dowry? don''t tell me that our family still has to fork out a sum of the money when my daughter has to wait on xia xing after she gets married?" shao zhuang looked at qiao mei in disbelief. he had never heard of the need for a dowry. "this courtyard house doesn''t belong to the xia family entirely. look at the backyard part of the house and the small house opposite it. those are all mine. even if i don''t marry into the xia family, my own family can be considered well-off in the capital. if the shao family cares so much about the issue of the house, then why don''t you just fork out the money to buy one for your daughter?" qiao mei looked at shao zhuang and said with a smile. shao zhuang had never heard zhou luo mention this matter before. he thought qiao mei was just a village woman? how could she have so much money! "how can a girl from the countryside have so much money! you must be lying to me!" shao zhuang said. "the title deed is in my hands and it''s my name written on it. how can this be fake? do you think everyone from the countryside is like you, as poor as a church mouse?" qiao mei rolled her eyes and said disdainfully. qiao mei had never intended to flaunt her wealth. it was shao zhuang''s fault for being so snobbish and always mocking her for being a woman from the countryside. everyone should take a good look at their own ancestry and trace back three generations! she would like to know which family did not come from a farming background! people who lived in the city for a few years would start to look down on people from the countryside. it did not seem to strike them that the food they ate was all grown and farmed by villagers! if there were no villagers, these so-called city dwellers would have starved to death long ago! occasionally missing content, please report errors in time. Chapter 1419 I Cannot Wait To Kill You ? the shao family''s financial situation had only improved in recent years. in the past, they used to be the poorest family in the village and even had a leaky roof! every springtime, during the rainy season, it was a very uncomfortable time for the entire family and the children would fall sick often. under such circumstances, only a few of them managed to survive through the years. the good thing about shao zhuang was that he was hardworking and he managed to improve the living situation for his own family. his family was small and he only had two daughters, one biological and one adopted. if not for the fact that xia xing was kind enough to buy them a house in the county city, they would not be enjoying such a comfortable life now. however, they took him for granted after taking advantage of him. in fact, xia xing would have been better off feeding a group of dogs! the dogs would be more loyal than this bunch of leeches from the shao family. "there''s no need to say so much. our xia family will never be related to a family like yours. if you keep your mouth shut and return to your hometown, we can pretend that nothing has happened between the two families. if you don''t agree, then a few of you will have to stay behind in the police station in the capital," xia jun said. "oh right! i''m sure you have already conveniently forgotten what you''ve done. when you go to the police station, i''ll bring my eldest brother''s liquor glass there as well and ask the professionals to run tests and see what kind of substances they can find. even though he had used the same glass to hold several drinks, i''m sure they can still find traces of the drug on the side of the glass. they can also check the fingerprints on the glass to find out who the real culprit is," qiao mei said with a smile. qiao mei did not say all this just to scare the shao family. she really intended to go and get the glass examined for evidence. earlier, she had already arranged for someone to retrieve the aphrodisiac packaging from the toilet and put it into a sealed bag, and had even asked the person to use tongs to pick it up! she was worried that the shao family members would deny everything and refuse to admit that they were the ones who did it. when xia jun and xia mao were on the way, they were not informed about the incident of the shao family drugging xia wen. xia mao hurriedly stood up and wanted to go to the backyard to take a look at xia wen. he turned to take a look at qiao mei and she shook her head gently. xia mao knew that since qiao mei could pull him back from the gates of hell, she would also be able to give xia wen an antidote. "beasts! you even want to harm my grandson! are you tired of living! xia mao! arrange for someone to send them to the police station now!" xia jun smacked the table and said angrily. xia wen was the grandson he doted on the most. he might not have been this angry if xia xing was the one who was drugged. after all, xia xing had never spent much time with him all these years. he had not even seen xia xing more than 20 times in his life and did not have much feelings for xia xing at all. it did not really matter to him whether this grandson existed or not. shao zhuang hurriedly knelt in front of xia jun and said, "uncle xia, please let my family and my daughter off. we were just muddle-headed for a moment! please forgive us. we won''t dare to do it again!" xia jun shook his head resignedly. if the shao family had readily admitted their mistake earlier, xia jun might have been willing to give them a way out. the xia family would just forget about everything they had given to the shao family in the past. however, these people made it such that there was no need for him to feel sorry for them! "stop it. there''s no point begging me here while trying to put on an act. i won''t malign your family for no reason. i won''t take to heart anything that has nothing to do with this issue. but i won''t let go of anyone who harms my grandson, xia wen! not one!" xia jun said. shao zhuang still struggled to find something to say, but he no longer had anything that he could use against the xia family. at this moment, it was only the xia family who had control over them. the women from the shao family could not withstand such a scary situation anymore and they all collapsed to the ground while covering their mouths tightly, afraid that xia jun would arrange for someone to kill them all! this thought had indeed crossed xia jun''s mind. however, the current era was different from a few decades ago. if it was 50 years earlier, xia jun would definitely slaughter this room full of black-hearted bastards with his own hands! qiao mei looked towards the door. when she told everyone to come to the main hall to talk, she had also asked shao yin to come along. why was she not here after so long? could it be that she was creating more trouble in the backyard? "i must get married today! none of you can stop me!" shao yin walked in smugly through the door. she did not even bother to wear her clothes properly. xia jun and xia mao lowered their heads to avoid looking at such a slutty woman. "your shao family can even do such a thing! our xia family can''t accept you! if you know what''s good for you, then you should just get lost! don''t stay around and be an eyesore!" xu lan said angrily.nove/lb-in "you won''t be able to chase me away! besides, i still have to marry xia xing! he must be responsible for me given that he has already touched me!" shao yin said. occasionally missing content, please report errors in time. Chapter 1420 Harming The Children ?nove/lb-in "nonsense! when did xia xing touch you!" xu lan said. the xia family had a set of family traditions and house rules. before the wedding banquet was held, even if the couple was engaged, they were not allowed to sleep together. otherwise, they would be beaten to death with a big stick! it was fortunate that the xia family did not know about the matter between xia zhe and qiao mei back then. even the people in the village did not know about it. otherwise, xia zhe would have died long ago! at this moment, xu lan was also feeling a little afraid. although xia wen was the one who had rented the house for the couple back then, no one knew whether xia xing and shao yin slept in the same room or separately. it was really hard to say. "hmph, of course it''s not today! it was something ago when xia xing was drunk and he forced me to do it!" shao yin said. xu lan immediately ran to the backyard to wake xia xing up. if she could not wake him up, she would pour a basin of cold water over his head! no matter what, she must get him up! xia wen had already woken up a while back. he just sat in the room and listened quietly to everything that was happening in the front yard. he had been very worried that no one in the xia family would be able to handle the situation. when he heard what qiao mei said, he felt incomparably proud. it was the xia family''s blessing that he had such a sister-in-law. xia zhe was really blessed. xu lan rushed into the room and gave shao tu two tight slaps. her action shocked xia wen so much that he quickly grabbed xu lan and said, "mother! what are you doing!" fortunately, shao tu had drunk too much and was unconscious at the moment. he would not be able to get up even if he was hit another 10 times. otherwise, the shao family would definitely kick up a huge fuss about it. "i just hate them! i can''t wait to kill this group of assholes!" xu lan gnashed her teeth and pointed at shao tu. ever since she married xia mao, she had gone through so many issues caused by the third son''s family. xia mao was highly regarded in the family and he saw it as his duty to care for his younger siblings, but when had xia yao and xia fang ever caused trouble for his family? they would never come and trouble him unless it was absolutely necessary. even liu fen had a sense of empathy for xu lan. whenever liu fen was free, she would come to xu lan''s house to chat with her. their two families enjoyed a very good relationship. sometimes, xu lan felt really glad to have a sister-in-law like liu fen. the two of them got along like they were real sisters. unexpectedly, zhou hua managed to find fault with xu lan all the time. every time zhou hua came to xu lan''s house, she would take some items with her when she left. xu lan did not care about this, but zhou hua could not harm her children like this! "mother! calm down. if we kill them, all our efforts will be in vain! what are you doing in the backyard? is there something that father and grandfather need me to do?" xia wen asked. "oh right! i''m here to get xia xing to go to the front yard for a confrontation! help me to wake this disappointing younger cousin of yours!" xu lan was so angry that she felt dizzy and had to sit at one side to take a breather. it was only after xia wen poured a basin of cold water on xia xing''s head that xia xing started stirring. as soon as he woke up, he scolded, "who is it! who dares to do this to me!" xu lan stood up and gave him a slap, saying, "it''s me!" "eldest... eldest aunt-in-law... why are you here? what time is it now? has the banquet ended?" xia xing asked as he held his face. "all you can think about is the banquet! do you know that your cousin was almost murdered by those assholes from the shao family! do you know what that fiance?e of yours has done!" xu lan pointed at xia xing and continued, "xia xing, you used to be such a good kid. why are you so muddle-headed now! what''s so good about that shao family''s girl? to the extent that you must marry her!" xia xing lowered his head dejectedly. he did not want things to end up like this, but zhou hua and zhou luo had never intended to let him off. he was their tool to seize the xia family''s assets. he was at their beck and call and he could not make any decision for himself. xu lan detailed everything that had happened today to xia xing. she asked calmly, "tell me the truth. have you already done those things with shao yin?" "yes... yes..." xia xing whispered. at that time, he did not think too much about it. they were about to get married and it should not matter if they did those intimate acts. who knew that things would end up like this! "you! you''re such a disappointment! go to the front yard and explain yourself to your grandfather! i don''t want to care about this anymore!" xu lan said in exasperation. Chapter 1421 Split Up And Live Separately ? xia xing briefly tidied up his clothes and rushed to the front yard without even putting on his coat. he picked up a stick and pointed it at shao yin,asking "did you really do those things with another man?" shao yin turned her head to the other side and remained silent. she did not want to say anything about these things. at this moment, she only wanted to harp on the fact that xia xing had already slept with her. she did not want to talk about anything else! the more she said, the more mistakes she would make. she was very clear about this logic! xia jun coughed twice and said, "xia xing, put down the thing in your hand. your eldest aunt-in-law has probably already asked you. so is what shao yin said true?" "it''s true... but i''d rather go to jail than let this woman get what she wants! i won''t marry a slut!" xia xing said through gritted teeth. "good! as expected of a child of the xia family! you have backbone!" xia jun said in satisfaction.n/.ovelb1n during this era, the act of taking liberties with women was not considered a minor crime. the man could be sentenced to jail or even death! moreover, everyone in his family would be criticized by everyone and they would be disgraced for their entire lives. it was not only xia xing who would get into trouble, even xia xing''s two younger brothers would not be able to hold their heads up high. xia guang rushed into the house from outside and knelt on the ground as he said, "father! we can''t send him to jail! father! i beg you! we can''t send xia xing inside!" "then what do you think we should do?" xia jun asked. the truth was that xia jun had never intended to send xia xing to jail. he was just very pleased with xia xing''s attitude. at least this was a man who dared to take responsibility for his actions! it may appear to other people that xia jun doted on xia mao the most, but he actually doted on his youngest son the most. back then, he had chosen an army unit where xia guang had the best chance to get promoted. as long as xia guang trained well and completed his missions successfully, xia guang would definitely do even better than him at his age. he did not expect xia guang to turn out to be such a disappointment. "just... just let xia xing marry shao yin... then at least he''ll be taking responsibility for her..." xia guang said. "father! are you asking me to marry a woman who has an affair with another man!" xia xing said as he looked at xia guang in disbelief. "then do you want to drag your entire family down with you! your two younger brothers are about to make a name for themselves in school! of course you have to take responsibility for the dirty things that you did!" xia guang said. xia xing looked at xia guang dejectedly. even at this point, xia guang was only concerned about xia lu and xia yan and was ready to disregard his well-being for the rest of his life. what a good father he had! sometimes, he even suspected that he was not xia guang''s biological child, but a child that xia guang and zhou hua had picked up from the roadside. otherwise, why would he be treated so unfairly today? "in that case, before the wedding, i want the family to split up and live separately!" xia jun said solemnly. xia mao immediately said, "father! are you so angry that you''re all muddled? the family can''t be split up!" "that''s right! father, the family can''t be split up! this matter isn''t so serious that we have to go to that extent!" xu lan said nervously. even though xu lan hated xia guang''s family to the core, she still did not want the family to split up. this was not a good thing. in this era, every family had many children. in fact, it was not really uncommon for families to split up and live separately. there were typically only two reasons for it. the first reason was that the parents were no longer around and the siblings wanted to live their own lives separately. under such circumstances, they would find the elders in the family to bear witnesses to the family being split up. the second reason was that an adopted son had found his biological parents and wanted to become independent. if he left the family and took nothing with him, he could split from the family. apart from these two reasons, this thought would not cross most people''s minds. this was because people believed that splitting up a family to live separately would affect a family''s fortune! everyone wanted to have a harmonious and united family. even when qiao zhuang was nasty to qiao mei and treated her badly back then, qiao qiang still could not bear to split up with qiao zhuang and they were still one family. "don''t try to dissuade me. let''s split up and live separately. we''ll all go our own ways and you can all do as you please. don''t come and bother me anymore. when i''m old, i''ll go and live with xia mao. i''m sure your eldest brother won''t treat me badly," xia jun said sadly. qiao mei brought xia jun a pot of hot tea and said, "grandfather, my grandfather still lives in the backyard. when you''re free, come over and play chess with my grandfather." the shao family already thought that victory was within their grasp, but they did not expect xia jun to take such a drastic measure! once xia guang''s family was removed from the sphere of xia jun''s glory and influence, they were equivalent to nobodies. they might not even be on par with the common people in the capital! Chapter 1422 Still A Long Way To Go In Life ? "i''ve already made up my mind on this matter. there''s nothing else to say. the family will split up and live separately!" xia jun said firmly. qiao mei thought for a while, then looked at shao yin and asked, "it has already come to this. do you still want to marry xia xing?" everyone looked at qiao mei in confusion, not knowing what she meant by that. "yes! of course i want to marry him!" shao yin said firmly. as the saying went, a starving camel was still bigger than a horse. even if xia xing separated from the xia family, he would always be related to the xia family by blood. if he was in danger, the xia family would not sit back and do nothing! "since you want to marry him, then i have to make things clear. if you return to your hometown obediently and pretend that this marriage never existed, then our xia family will let you off. if you insist on getting married, then i''ll go to the police station and let the police deal with this matter!" qiao mei said. "you! what right do you have to threaten us! if you want xia xing to stay alive! it''s best not to act rashly!" shao zhuang said with a mocking laugh. "shao yin and xia xing were already engaged. at the engagement banquet, she tried to sleep with my eldest brother but did not manage to succeed. after that, she even did something so despicable with her cousin. we still don''t know who the real criminal is here!" qiao mei said seriously. everyone in the xia family was stunned on the spot. why had they not thought of this? xia jun had almost agreed to the shao family''s conditions and was on the verge of splitting up the family because of xia guang. "you''re talking nonsense! xia xing was the one who took liberties with my daughter first!" shao zhuang said in a panic. "we never said that we won''t take responsibility for it. we will. we''re upright people. if we''ve done something wrong, we''ll admit to it. however, everyone saw with their own eyes that your family members drugged my eldest brother and that she was found in bed with another man at the engagement banquet. we also have conclusive evidence that you did these things on purpose! in ancient times, shao yin would have been locked up in a pig cage and drowned!" qiao mei smacked the table and berated them. shao yin was so frightened that she fell to the ground and did not dare to raise her head. the other shao family members trembled and hugged one another, not daring to make a sound, worried that they would be implicated if they said even one word. "it''s true that xia xing is in the wrong, but you have to weigh carefully about what''s more important. xia xing will at most be locked up for a few years. if he reforms well, he''ll be able to come out even earlier. he''s a man and will definitely be able to get a job after that. it''s not impossible for him to get married eventually, perhaps to an orphaned girl. think about it, how many people in your family can walk out of the police station alive? i will say none! do you think you still have a future to plan for?" qiao mei said with a smile. xia he stood behind qiao mei and kept staring at her back. for the first time, she felt that qiao mei was super amazing. qiao mei was even able to take control of the entire shao family! qiao mei could actually solve a problem that even xia jun could not! qiao mei was just lucky. in her other life, she had handled a complicated case similar to this situation. the woman in that case was even more wild. she had slept with more than 10 men within one week. at that time, the case had made her rethink her worldview, so she still remembered it vividly till this day. she was also taking a gamble. she knew that the shao family was as timid as mice and would not risk their lives for only a small benefit. the shao family would definitely retreat in the face of such difficulties.n(/o))v.-e./l/)b-.i))n "what do you want us to do before you let us go!" shao zhuang said helplessly. "it''s simple. write down your confessions and sign the documents. we won''t send you to the police station, but the documents will always be in our hands. as long as you don''t cause trouble for the xia family and never mention anything about the xia family or this engagement, then this matter will end here. otherwise... you know very well..." qiao mei held up a stack of paper with everyone''s crimes written out clearly. as soon as they signed their names, this matter would be considered settled. there was no other way out in this matter. qiao mei had removed all their options and they could only give up on the marriage with the xia family. the shao family members went forward one after another to sign the documents. some of them did not even know how to write their names and just stamped their fingerprints. everyone had to sign off before qiao mei was willing to let them go. before shao yin left, she glared fiercely at qiao mei. she would hold on to this grudge from today. if not for qiao mei, she would probably be xia wen''s wife by now! if she had the chance in the future, she definitely would not let qiao mei off! there was still a long way to go in life... Chapter 1423 Cause A Lot Of Trouble ? the xia family arranged for a car to send the shao family back to the guest house. from this point onwards, the xia family had nothing to do with the shao family anymore. it was very quiet in the house. after xia jun finished his tea, he spoke slowly, "all of you, come to my place tomorrow. i want to split up the family!" "grandfather, now that this matter has been resolved, let''s not split up the family. isn''t it good for a family to be together?" qiao mei said as she looked at xia jun. she could tell that xia jun was actually reluctant to go through with it. "what''s spoken cannot be unspoken. i always mean what i say. if i say i want the family to split up, then the family will split up. all of you, come to my place tomorrow. don''t be late." after saying that, xia jun turned to look at qiao mei affectionately and said, "child, it''s been hard on you to suffer so much for no reason. you''ve done a very good job today." "grandfather, i''m the xia family''s daughter-in-law. this is what i should do," qiao mei said with a sweet smile. deep inside, xia jun did not want the family to split up. he was very proud of xia mao and xia yao had never caused him any trouble even from a young age. then again, he felt that he had let xia yao down. it would not matter to him if xia guang was only causing trouble for him, but the thing was that xia guang was also creating trouble for xia mao''s children. the entire family had to go through so much because of xia guang, therefore xia jun was adamant that the family must split up! xia jun left qiao mei''s house, hobbling with some difficulty on his walking stick. xia mao, xu lan, liu fen and the others also left in their cars. they still wanted to try to persuade xia jun to change his mind. xia wen waited for everyone to leave and all the drama to end before he walked out of the backyard. he applauded qiao mei and said, "how capable. i was very impressed as i listened to the whole thing from behind." "how am i as capable as eldest brother? i was so shocked by your scheme that i almost let the cat out of the bag. have you already sent shao tu and shao xian away?" qiao mei asked. "yes, they have been taken away. luo yu personally dragged them out. the two of them were thrown into the truck like pigs headed for the market. it''s a pity that you and xia he didn''t see that scene," xia wen said as he shook his head. "eldest brother, do you want grandfather to split up the family?" xia he asked with tears in her eyes. in his heart, xia wen hoped that xia jun would split up the family. xia wen was not the kind of person who was old-fashioned and wanted to keep to traditions. he preferred to be selfish and only wanted his father to have a happy family life and his siblings'' own families to live harmoniously. he did not care about anything else. xia wen knew very well what the xia family''s current main issue was. xia guang was no longer the xia guang of the past. he was no longer on the same page with the rest of the xia family and had repeatedly harmed xia wen and xia wen''s younger siblings. xia wen really could not take it anymore. all these years, xia guang had always felt that he owed the zhou family and his children too much. therefore, he had done many wrong things and made one mistake after another. there was no turning back for him. during this period of time, the third son''s family had already caused the eldest son''s family a lot of trouble. in this short period of time, the eldest son''s family had already spent more than 5,000 dollars in cash! would anyone in this era even think that this was a small sum of money? if the xia family kept the third son''s family around, there might even be more trouble in the future. since xia jun was still around at the moment, xia guang would not dare to do anything out of line. once xia jun was gone, xia guang would only become even more demanding and ask xia mao for more things because xia guang always felt that the xia family owed him too much. "actually, i agree with what grandfather is doing..." xia wen said seriously. "elder sister, don''t think too much about it. grandfather must have his own reasons for making such a decision. we just have to take good care of grandfather and our parents. besides, it''s not like we can''t contact each other anymore after the family is split up. second aunt-in-law will still come to our house often!" qiao mei looked at xia he and comforted her. xia he also knew that this entire matter was targeted at the third son''s family, but her heart still felt empty and she needed some time to get used to it.n.-o/(v.)-(l/-b-/1/-n everyone washed up quickly and went to bed. xia he pestered qiao mei to sleep in the same room with her and the two of them chatted until very late at night before falling asleep. xia jun did not rush everyone to go over to his place first thing in the day. he chose to ask everyone to go over in the afternoon so as to accommodate qiao mei. qiao mei liked to sleep until past 10 a.m. in the morning. if she was in any other family, she would have long been woken up to do the chores. xia jun and the rest of the family doted on qiao mei and always accommodated her schedule. in the past, liu fen and the others were quite upset about this. why did they have to follow a village girl''s schedule? was the xia family going to change their surname to qiao? Chapter 1424 An Unrelated Party ? ever since qiao mei went all out to save xia mao, plus the fact that she had saved the xia family''s reputation yesterday, everyone was full of admiration for qiao mei and no one dared to say the word "no" to her. as long as it was something which qiao mei wanted, the xia family would find a way to give it to her even if they had to go bankrupt. xia he prodded the sleeping qiao mei and said, "qiao mei, time to wake up! if you continue to sleep, it will be nighttime soon! it''ll be hard to answer to grandfather! everyone is already there and waiting for us!"n..ovelb1n "mmm... does grandfather really need me there? splitting up the family is something that only requires the people from our parents'' generation, not us. as grandchildren, why do we need to be there?" qiao mei sat on the bed and said aggrievedly. "i don''t know either. grandfather says that we all have to go. anyone who lives in the capital has to be there," xia he said honestly. qiao mei forced herself to perk up. although xia jun doted on her, it was not right for her to go against all the family rules. she must still be filial to xia jun and could not let the family elder be the one to wait for her. xia wen and the two women went to the meeting at xia jun''s place together. xia jun was pulling a long face when qiao mei''s group got there, the last of the attendees to arrive. xia mao and the rest had been trying to persuade xia jun not to split up the family since the morning and had come up with all kinds of reasons. they were just short of getting a fortune teller to do a divination and state that it would be inauspicious for the family to split up! the moment xia jun saw qiao mei, he was overjoyed. he smiled and said, "qiao mei, you''re here! come over quickly! i''ve been waiting for you for so long!" "grandfather, i overslept. i''m really sorry for making everyone wait for so long," qiao mei said. "it''s fine, it''s fine! you can sleep as long as you want! if there''s really no other way, i''ll just hold the meeting tomorrow. there''s no hurry!" seeing that qiao mei wanted to sit at the end of the table, xia jun immediately said, "come! sit beside me! don''t sit there, otherwise i won''t be able to talk to you!" qiao mei went over to xia jun''s side obediently and sat down. xia he smiled as she looked at qiao mei. those who did not know better would think that qiao mei was xia jun''s biological granddaughter! however, she was not jealous at all. if xia zhe had not married qiao mei and made qiao mei her sister-in-law, she might even have asked qiao mei to become her sister! it did not matter to her if everyone in the family treated qiao mei well. on the contrary, if anyone said anything bad about qiao mei, she would definitely not let that person off easily. "oh my, old master xia is really fond of qiao mei. we''ve been waiting here all morning for you. it''s really difficult to make an appointment with a person of such importance!" zhou luo mocked. she should not be in attendance at a meeting regarding the splitting up of the xia family. she was neither a member of the xia family nor a daughter-in-law who had married into the xia family. how could an outsider participate in the xia family''s meeting? however, no one could persuade zhou luo to leave, and it was not as if they could ask someone to chase her away with a big stick, so they could only arrange for a seat for her. she was here to see whether xia jun was going to split up the family assets fairly and equitably, and to make sure that xia lu and xia yan were not shortchanged. "that''s right, auntie zhou. our qiao mei has to take care of two children! can''t you see that she''s been so tired and has lost weight over the past two days? it''s really tough for her to have given birth to two children at such a young age. she''s only a little late today. you shouldn''t mind, right?" xia he then slapped her thigh in frustration and said, "oh my, how can i have forgotten that you don''t have any children of your own. you won''t know how hard it is. but it''s alright, i can brief you." the family members of the eldest and second sons lowered their heads and pursed their lips as they smiled. after hanging around qiao mei''s side for a long time, xia he had become even more sharp-tongued and could even say things that many of them did not dare to say. in this house, probably only qiao mei and xia he could subdue this vicious woman, zhou luo! "you make it sound like you''ve given birth before. don''t tell me you got a divorce because you can''t have children," zhou luo said sarcastically. xia he was so angry that her face flushed red and she was speechless for a moment. was it her fault that she did not have children? it was because kong lu did not go home at all back then! how could she have the chance to have children? should she just drag someone from the streets back to her house? "that''s because my elder sister is very busy and her presence is needed in so many performances around the country! auntie zhou, you should go out and ask around, then you''ll know the number of people who can''t manage to get a ticket to watch my elder sister''s dance performances. sigh, she''s definitely not as idle as auntie zhou who has the time to take care of our xia family''s two grandsons. it''s such an admirable feat," qiao mei said with a smile. occasionally missing content, please report errors in time. Chapter 1425 Let Me Live A Few More Years chapter 1425 let me live a few more years zhou luo was illiterate and did not know anything about being classy and elegant. she did not know anything about musical instruments or dance, and only went around eyeing other people''s money. she could even help another family bring up their children for the sake of the family''s money! the xia family really did not know how to repay this type of kindness! zhou luo turned to look away and did not reply. qiao mei smiled in satisfaction. she looked at xia he and secretly gave a thumbs up, making xia he feel much better. after what happened with the shao family yesterday, whatever zhou luo was doing today was really only child''s play. qiao mei did not think highly of zhou luo at all. such a person could be easily gotten rid of and there was no need for her to waste too much energy. "now that everyone is here, i''ll get the process started. i don''t have a lot of assets, so it''s really very straightforward," xia jun said seriously. he took out a bankbook. there was more than 30,000 dollars in the bank account. this was all his savings and also the money for his eventual funeral expenses. this was the money he had put aside for his retirement and would remain untouched for now. if there was any money left after he passed on, the three families could split it equally. n.-0velb1n the house that xia jun was living in now was not his private property, but belonged to the government. only people who had made great contributions to the country could live in such properties. after his death, the government would take back this house and give his estate 20,000 dollars as compensation. the three families should also split this amount of money equally. by right, this house should have already become his personal property, in a similar manner to the one xia wen''s workplace unit allocated to him. however, due to the special nature of such properties only being available to an elite group of people, it was understandable that the government preferred to pay some money to retain the house. in fact, for people who qualified to live in such properties, the amount of money was nothing much to them. how could xia jun''s value be measured against all these assets? it was his connections that were valuable! xia jun personally knew many old cadres in the army and officials in the government. some of them were even his disciples! as long as xia jun gave an instruction, none of these people would disobey him. at this point in time, the eldest son''s family was doing very well. xia mao was still in good health and could continue working for another few decades! xia wen was an important staff in the government and xia he was quite famous in the military art troupe. xia zhe was doing even better. he was already akin to being xia jun''s successor! furthermore, he had qiao mei supporting him at home. if qiao mei went into business in the future, no one in the capital would be able to catch up with the xia family! by then, even the he family might not be worthy of carrying shoes for the xia family! qiao mei still had the "divine medicine"! as long as qiao mei was around, they would have a cure for any illness. everyone would only want to further curry favor with xia mao. in the future, the families of the second and third sons would only lag behind more and more. xia yao and his family did not care about such things. they had always maintained a clear conscience towards xia mao''s family and xia jun. they could make a good life for themselves with their own hands. they only wanted their family to live harmoniously and stay out of trouble for a long time. even after the family is split up, their relationship with xia mao''s family would be no different from before. the third son''s family should be the ones who felt most anxious! "father, why don''t you come and live with me? i can also take good care of you," xia guang said as he looked at xia jun. xia jun laughed coldly and said, "live with you? i think what you mean is for your whole family to come and live with me! if you want me to live a few more years, then don''t come and bother me! i''ve already found jobs for you and your sons. from now on, it''s all up to you." "but..." xia guang was about to say something when xia jun immediately interrupted him. "that''s all i have. in the future, when i''m old and i can''t walk anymore, i''ll go to xia mao''s house. i don''t need my two younger sons to worry about me. after the family is split up, don''t trouble one another anymore. from now on, there''s no more relationship between us. if you still have a conscience, you can come and pay your respects when i die. it doesn''t matter if you don''t come," xia jun said. while everyone was immersed in the sadness of the whole situation, zhou luo suddenly said, "then what about wu min''s house? that''s also the xia family''s asset, right?" xia mao and xia yao immediately had dark expressions on their faces. it was already not appropriate for zhou luo to participate in the xia family''s meeting, yet she still had designs on the xia family''s assets. she was simply delusional! "i know you''ll ask about this house. when my wife was still alive, she already said that she wanted to give the house to xia zhe. it doesn''t belong to the family anymore. it''s already xia zhe''s private property and can''t be shared among everyone," xia jun said. "if we don''t get a share in the house, then what about the things buried underground? don''t tell me those things also belong to xia zhe?" zhou luo questioned. everyone looked even unhappier. when qiao mei first moved into the siheyuan courtyard house, the he family had already come to cause trouble once and turned the entire house upside down, but they did not manage to find anything then. Chapter 1426 Talent chapter 1426 talent nove/lb(1n however, zhou hua refused to believe it. she insisted that there was something buried under the siheyuan courtyard house, and that those were very valuable treasures. zhou hua had also told zhou luo about this, which was why zhou luo kept harping on this issue. the zhou family had been tomb raiders for generations, so they naturally knew the value of such things. treasures like these were even more valuable than the house itself! one family heirloom could be enough to feed everyone in their family for half their lives! even if they did not get a share of the house, they could not possibly not get even a single cent! "what is it? is there anything buried under our house?" qiao mei asked as she looked at zhou luo in confusion. "qiao mei, stop pretending. there are no outsiders here. tell the truth. you may be able to hide the truth from others, but how can you hide it from me?" zhou luo said confidently. "i don''t know what i''m supposed to be hiding from you, auntie. you should just say what you mean. since you already say that we''re one family, then don''t scare me. i''m very timid and easily frightened!" qiao mei said weakly. she looked completely different from the person who stood up so forcefully for the xia family yesterday. "wu min was previously the daughter of a landlord and the family was very rich. how could she not have left anything behind? there must be something buried underground! we won''t hold it against you if you present it out earlier and share it with everyone. otherwise, if we''re the ones who dig it out later, then it won''t look good on anyone!" zhou luo said. "auntie zhou, you don''t trust the government? or you don''t trust the he family?" qiao mei looked at zhou luo and asked seriously. zhou luo stood up and pointed at qiao mei, saying, "i''m talking to you about your house. why are you talking to me about the government and the he family!" "back then, the he family said that we had hidden something underground and asked the government to send people to come and dig up the entire house inside and out. they even pried open the bricks in the house and dug three feet into the ground, but they did not find anything in the end. can it be that auntie zhou is more capable than these government officials? if you''re so capable, then i''ll get eldest brother to talk to the relevant departments and ask them to hire a talent like you!" qiao mei said excitedly. "that''s true. i still have to thank sister-in-law for recommending such a talent to me. why didn''t i realize it in the past?" xia wen snickered. it looked as if qiao mei was really feeling happy for zhou luo. in fact, qiao mei knew that zhou luo was not an honest person as well. there were also many treasures hidden under her family''s house, things that had been stolen and passed down by their ancestors. if qiao mei arranged for people from the government to dig up the treasures beneath zhou luo''s house, zhou luo''s losses would outweigh her gains! "you! you little b*tch, how dare you have designs on my house!" zhou luo pointed at qiao mei and said angrily. xia jun smacked the table angrily and shouted, "who do you think you are! how dare a person like you behave so atrociously in our house! we''re already done here. xia guang, you can get lost and take your family members with you! what a useless thing! don''t be an eyesore here!" "father, do you only care about the families of eldest brother and second brother?" xia guang asked as he looked at xia jun in disbelief. even at the last moment, his own father still wanted to treat him like this? xia he really could not take it anymore. there were some things that she needed to get off her chest. she said unhappily, "third uncle, you should speak with some conscience. who helped your xia xing get rid of those clingy in-laws last night? who helped xia xing avoid being imprisoned? who made it possible for your entire family to return to the capital? were all these done by the immortals from the heavens?" "third uncle, now that you''re in such a situation, it''s time for you to think about who are the ones helping you and who are the ones hurting you. who''s the one who caused the situation today? for us children from the eldest son''s family, which one of us hasn''t relied on our own efforts to achieve what we have today? if we have had even the slightest bit of help from our father and grandfather, then let us die a horrible death!" xia wen raised three fingers and made a cursed oath. for a moment, xia guang did not know what to do. however, even up to now, he still did not feel that it was his fault or the fault of anyone in his family. he blamed everything on xia jun and xia mao. this was the kind of person he was. he always felt that he was the most miserable person in the world and that there was no one in a worse situation than him. he blamed everything on others so that he could feel much better. from now on, they would have nothing to do with one another. there was nothing the rest of them could do for xia guang even if he clung onto them. xia guang would have to suffer alone henceforth. zhou luo had thought that she would be able to get at least 50,000 dollars from the family getting split up. she did not expect not getting even a single cent and even ended up getting a scolding. Chapter 1427 He Is Sickly! chapter 1427 he is sickly! zhou luo would never come to the xia family residence again. she also did not want to care about these two little brats of the xia family anymore. back then, she had taken in xia lu and xia yan in order to obtain the xia family''s assets. now that the family had split up, she no longer had anything to gain. these two children were no longer of any use to her. "xia guang, either you take care of xia lu and xia yan yourself, or you let the two of them take on the surname zhou. from now on, they''ll be my children and have nothing to do with your family! make your choice!" zhou luo said. "if you like them, then take them with you! i have nothing to say..." xia guang said dispiritedly as he sat at the door. he did not even have a home now, so what was the point of having children? these children had not been brought up by his side since they were young. even if he kept them with him, they would not be filial to him. he might as well give them to someone else! "then from now on, these two children will be called zhou lu and zhou yan. they''ll have nothing to do with you anymore!" zhou luo left after saying that. in this era, it was also a glorious achievement to have two university students in the family. zhou lu and zhou yan would have a bright future ahead of them. xia xing felt a little sad when he saw xia guang like this. in the past, he was so proud of xia guang being his father! now... now, he was like a public enemy! this was all xia guang''s own fault and he could not blame anyone else. "everyone, don''t be so unhappy! i''ll cook a table full of nice dishes for everyone!" qiao mei said to everyone with a smile. "sure, i love qiao mei''s cooking the most. i''m in for a treat today!" xia jun said with a smile as he patted qiao mei''s head. when everyone saw that xia jun was not feeling so sad anymore, they felt relieved. the family gathered together happily for a meal, knowing that they would not need to be embarrassed by other people''s issues in the future. the shao family did not return to the county city quietly as told. the rest of their family who were still in the guest houses did not know what had happened and kept asking, "what happened to your family? why are you in such a hurry to go back? didn''t you say that we would stay here until shao yin got married? where did shao yin go?" "that kid from the xia family... there''s something wrong with that kid! shao yin doesn''t know about it at first, but now that she knows, she insists that the marriage is canceled and has rushed home last night," shao zhuang said as he randomly made up an excuse. the truth was that they felt too embarrassed and sent shao yin back to the county city overnight so that this group of relatives would not be able to dig up any dirt on her. they could not stay in the capital anymore, so they must make sure that they could still stay in the small county city that was their hometown. "oh! what a pity. what''s wrong with that kid? can''t shao yin just bear with it?" a relative of the shao family asked. shao zhuang did not know how to reply. he had only just made up a random reason and did not give any thought to the sickness which xia xing supposedly had. he hurriedly looked at bian duo, who gave it some thought, and finally said, "he can''t have children!" "what? he can''t have children?" the shao family''s relatives looked at bian duo in shock. should this not be something that could only be discovered after a year or two of marriage? how did an innocent maiden like shao yin know about this? "yesterday, their family spilled the beans after drinking too much. they even asked our shao yin to adopt a child in the future. our shao yin is such a good girl. why should she be a mother to a child who is not related to her by blood! shao yin refused to marry him anymore and ran back to the county city in a fit of anger," bian duo said regretfully. n.-0velb1n they spoke very loudly when they discussed this matter and everyone else in the guest house could hear it. during this period of time, they had bullied many people around them and told everyone they met that they were the xia family''s in-laws. they told everyone to behave carefully around them or they would beat them to death! the news of xia xing''s infertility started to spread during the time when the xia family was dealing with the split in the family . in the future, there would not be any girls from the prominent families who would want to be with xia xing. no one else could be blamed for this. xia xing was the one who had done something wrong and he had to bear the consequences himself. after the family finished their meal happily, xia wen had to go back to the workplace unit to work overtime. he had been drinking all day yesterday and had to stay home to deal with the family matters today. he was behind on a lot of work, so he had to go back to handle all the paperwork. otherwise, if the progress of the project slowed down, his subordinates would get reprimanded. it was supposed to be a rest day today and there should not be anyone at the office except for the security guards. xia wen did not expect that there was someone else working overtime apart from him! Chapter 1428 Working Overtime chapter 1428 working overtime "why are you here? isn''t it a day off today?" xia wen asked in puzzlement when he saw that mo zhu was in the office. their latest project was under the care of one of xia wen''s staff, xiao zhang. mo zhu did not have any urgent work recently, so why would she appear at the workplace now? "there are some things which i''m not too sure about, so i thought of coming to the office to go through past data and see if i can learn more from it," mo zhu replied honestly. "is there anything i can help with? i can take a look at it for you," xia wen said. "it''s fine, director xia. i can handle it. what about you? why are you here?" mo zhu asked. "i was on leave yesterday as i had something on at home, so i have a lot of backlog. i happened to pass by the office today and decided to come in to do some work. i''ll go and get busy. if there''s anything you need, you can come and look for me." after saying that, xia wen returned to his own office. his office was diagonally opposite mo zhu. whenever mo zhu looked up, she would be able to see xia wen working earnestly at his desk. mo zhu had thought that xia wen was the kind of obsolete leader who only cared about having an easy life and had no real interest in political matters at all. she did not expect xia wen to be so serious and responsible. xia wen did not even notice that mo zhu was secretly looking at him. he was only focused on his work and wanted to finish as early as possible. then, he would be able to take the day off tomorrow and go to qiao mei''s house to visit the two children. it was very likely that he would have to go on another business trip shortly and would not have much time to visit the children. the children grew up so quickly and they looked different every day. the last round, there were so many things he bought for the children which did not fit them by the time he came back. nove/lb.1n the sky gradually darkened but xia wen was still not done with his work. mo zhu knocked gently on xia wen''s office door and asked, "director xia, i have a few questions for you. is it a convenient time now?" "sure," xia wen said. mo zhu asked him many questions about the previous year''s economic report. some of the data in the report was very different from the actual data. it could even be said that the report was all for show and did not present the real picture. it was all a lie cooked up to fool the superiors. xia wen had been dealing with new projects since he took office and did not have time to check on things from the past. mo zhu was helping him a lot by pointing this out. "i''ve never paid attention to the things that you have pointed out. i''ll investigate this matter carefully. once the truth is out, i''ll gather everyone for a meeting to discuss this issue," xia wen said in a kindly manner. mo zhu had thought that xia wen would just let it be. after all, this issue was related to the previous leader. if they launched an investigation, it would definitely implicate many people. "if director xia trusts me, i''m willing to be the one to carry out the investigation. i will definitely give you a satisfactory answer," mo zhu said. "then i''ll await your report," xia wen said. xia wen believed that mo zhu had the capability to do this. for some reason, everyone seemed to be prejudiced against mo zhu, as if they were deliberately targeting her. there were even rumors that mo zhu had gotten the job through the back door. mo zhu kept to herself and rarely interacted with others. she was also very outstanding in her work. it was very easy for a newcomer like this to attract jealousy. xia wen had read reports prepared by mo zhu. she was meticulous and logical and had a talent for writing. xia wen would never believe that such a person needed to get in through the back door. "let''s go. the sky is already so dark. where do you live? i can get my chauffeur to send you back," xia wen said in a gentlemanly manner. "there''s no need, director xia. i can go back on my own," mo zhu said. "really? if you feel awkward about it, then i can get chen mu to send you back," xia wen said. this time round, mo zhu did not reject xia wen''s kind offer. the two of them discussed a little more about the project and then went their separate ways. xia wen returned to his own house first and planned to go to qiao mei''s house for a visit the next morning after buying some powdered milk and diapers. early the next morning, it was not xia wen who came to qiao mei''s house, but an uninvited guest. "qiao mei! qiao mei!" liang lan tried very hard to look in through the main door. when xu kang saw her, xu kang pretended not to see anything. during li gui''s previous casual chats with xu kang, she had told xu kang about those issues between qiao qiang and the liang family. xu kang wished that she could beat liang lan out of the alley and stop her from standing at the main door and disturbing qiao mei''s peace and quiet. Chapter 1429 Be Looked Down Upon chapter 1429 be looked down upon "stop shouting. even if you want to look for qiao mei, you have to wait until she wakes up. there''s no such thing as disrupting someone''s life when asking for help. how shameless of you," xu kang stood at the door and said softly. "i really need to talk to qiao mei about an urgent matter. can you please go and get qiao mei? or let me go inside and wait for qiao mei!" liang lan said as she suppressed the anger in her heart. "our old master says that we are not allowed to let in any members of the liang family. previously, all of you were so arrogant and had bad-mouthed the family so much that our old master said he wanted to cut ties with the liang family. why do you come here so often now? don''t tell me that everything you say in the past doesn''t count?" xu kang said sarcastically. n-/0velbin liang lan gritted her teeth and looked at xu kang. no matter how down and out she was, she was still a member of the liang family. everyone she met would still show her some respect. this was the first time she had met someone as tactless as xu kang. what right did a helper have to criticize her! if not for the fact that she had to beg for liang shu''s medicine, she would not have to suffer like this! liang lan continued to shout qiao mei''s name outside the door. xu kang was so annoyed that she closed the main door. out of sight, out of mind. qiao mei''s house had very good soundproofing and no one would hear liang lan shouting outside at all. qiao mei only got up at noon. after that, she thought about going out for a walk. the moment she opened the door, she bumped into liang lan, who was sitting on the steps at the door. it gave her such a shock that she jumped back in fright. "ah! why are you here!" qiao mei said as she held onto her own chest. "i... i kept knocking on the door, but no one answered, so i had to wait outside..." liang lan said aggrievedly. qiao mei knew immediately that xu kang had deliberately refused entry to liang lan. she decided to give xu kang a sum of bonus this month! "are you here because of liang shu?" qiao mei asked. "yes, yes, yes! my mother feels much better after taking the medicine you brought last time, but she''s still partially paralyzed and can''t speak properly yet. can you give me some more medicine?" liang lan said embarrassedly. qiao mei did not want to get involved anymore, but as the saying went, to receive a favor was to sell one''s liberty. since the butterfly mark was obtained from the liang family, she felt uneasy if she did not give anything back to them. "you can come in. be quiet and don''t let my grandfather find out. i''ll give you one last dose of medicine. take it and don''t come to my house again. otherwise, if my grandfather finds out, you won''t even be able to keep this last bottle!" qiao mei said. liang lan followed behind qiao mei carefully, worried that she would run into qiao qiang. qiao mei asked liang lan to wait in the living hall and said that she would be back soon. liang lan went around the room, looking and touching different items, seemingly curious about everything. in the living hall, there was a new treasure which qiao mei had just bought and it looked very rare and interesting. it was a standing clock and it looked very ancient. some time ago, the owner of an antique shop had given it to qiao mei as a gift since she had given him a lot of business. this clock belonged to his family. due to some issues at home, his family had to leave the capital for a period of time and he had to sell away most of his goods. this clock was the only thing that he could not bear to part with. he could tell that qiao mei was a person who cherished antiques. giving qiao mei this clock could be considered as finding it a good new owner and he could also feel at ease with this decision. "don''t touch it! can you afford to pay for it if you damage it!" xu kang said loudly. "hmph, as if it''s something special. there''s nothing great about it," liang lan said as she rolled her eyes. "yes, it''s nothing great. if it''s beneath you, then you can leave! there''s no need for you to wait here!" xu kang said. liang lan put her hands on her hips and said mockingly, "you''re just qiao mei''s helper! what kind of attitude is this! i''m here as a guest! i''m not here to be looked down upon by you!" "so long as it''s a liang family member! that''s how i will behave! it''s already good enough that i''m not whacking you with a big stick! if you''re not happy about it, i''ll go and ask old master qiao to come over!" xu kang said. at the mention of qiao qiang, liang lan immediately fell silent. once liang shu recovered, she would definitely come back and teach this bunch of people a lesson! "here''s the medicine," qiao mei said as she walked over, pretending not to see xu kang bullying liang lan. liang lan took the medicine carefully and put it into her bag. she smiled and said, "i want to ask you about the photo you took the last time. was there another photo with it?" "photo? i guess you mean that photo of my grandfather. there''s indeed another photo stuck to it," qiao mei said. Chapter 1430 Auntie Taozi chapter 1430 auntie taozi qiao mei did not intend to hide this matter from liang lan. even if the liang family did not find out about it now, they would still learn about it when qiao mei sent someone to investigate the matter. it would be much easier to get the liang family to tell her who the people in the photo were. in that way, she would not have to pay yao nian to do the investigation. although qiao mei was not short of money, she could not spend it too recklessly. she should still save whenever she could. "then can you return the photo to us? that photo is very important to my mother," liang lan asked tentatively. ever since qiao mei took the photo away, liang shu had been cursing every day. no matter what liang lan gave her, she would throw it on the floor forcefully. she had never been concerned about this photo before, but she became very anxious the moment it was taken away. nove)lb.in liang lan did not understand why liang shu was doing this. she just wanted to bring the photo back quickly so that liang shu would stop this behavior and stop torturing her. she was not getting any quality sleep nowadays because liang shu was being so unreasonable. liang lan was taking care of liang shu out of the kindness of her heart, but liang shu despised her for it instead. in that case, liang lan might as well just rest at home for a few days and let liang shu fend for herself! "to be honest, the photo fell out when i was showing my grandfather his photo. when my grandfather realized that one of the people in that photo was your mother, he was so angry that he almost had a heart attack. in a fit of anger, my grandfather threw the photo into the stove pit and burned it. there weren''t even any ashes left. there was nothing i could do about it," qiao mei said with a sigh. the corners of liang lan''s mouth twitch a few times involuntarily. she did not imagine that it had ended up like this. it seemed that qiao qiang''s hatred for liang shu was at a maximum. she wondered how she should tell liang lan about this when she reached home. "then... then forget it..." liang lan said. "who are those people in the photo? i thought your mother only has one brother? is that her younger sister?" qiao mei asked curiously. liang lan quickly denied it, saying, "of course that''s not my mother''s younger sister! she''s a friend of my mother''s cousin. i heard that her name is gao tao and everyone calls her taozi." in that era, it was a dishonorable thing for a person to have illegitimate children. if word got out, one would live in disgrace for the rest of one''s life and one''s family would also be humiliated because of this. she could not let qiao mei have any misunderstandings about their family. both liang lan and liang guo were facing big trouble in their careers now. they could not allow the spread of any rumors that could be detrimental to their careers. "gao tao? then why is the photo very important to your mother? since it''s not even your aunt in the photo," qiao mei asked. liang shu had known gao tao from when she was still in school. liang shu''s older cousin, liang jin, had wanted to have more participants in an outing to go boating. coincidentally, liang shu and gao tao were among the people invited, which was how the two of them got to know each other. gao tao was a very cheerful person and was very good at socializing. liang shu hit it off with her at first sight. after that outing, they would arrange to go out together. later on, liang shu and gao tao realized that they were actually studying in the same school. they never had the chance to meet because they were not the same age and therefore attended different classes. "what happened after that?" qiao mei asked. "i heard that auntie taozi was the daughter of the richest family in the capital at that time. they were super rich and half of the farmland in the capital belonged to her father. when the war broke out, their family was also the most plundered, so grandpa gao fled and hid in many places with auntie taozi in tow. all their assets were taken away," liang lan said regretfully. "do you know where they ended up?" qiao mei said. liang lan suddenly leaned over and whispered, "i heard it from someone else. it seems that grandpa gao''s entire family has gone overseas. perhaps auntie taozi is among them." qiao mei nodded slightly. perhaps the wen ran whom qiao qiang met was actually gao tao. it was just that gao tao had hidden her identity and did not tell anyone the truth. perhaps she was also afraid that people would investigate her background and then she would implicate her entire family. "oh right! that brooch was auntie taozi''s gift to my mother. my mother cherishes this treasure very much," liang lan said as if she was taking credit for something. liang lan told qiao mei everything she knew. she just wanted to curry favor with qiao mei so that it would be much easier for her to come back and talk to qiao mei in the future. if the medicine she received this time was still not enough, then she could still come and beg qiao mei! "i''ll go to the liang family''s house with you to take a look. the medicine i''m giving you today is different from the one i gave you the last time. the effect is stronger than that one. i want to see the effects it has on your mother and whether i should give you the previous medicine instead," qiao mei said, coming up with a random excuse. Chapter 1431 Recuperate Well chapter 1431 recuperate well when liang lan heard this, she almost jumped up with happiness. if the effect of this medicine was stronger than the previous one, this meant that the quality of this medicine was better! she did not expect the heavens to be on her side! "sure, sure, sure! let''s go back together!" liang lan said excitedly. if qiao mei saw how miserable liang shu looked and took pity on her, perhaps she might give more medicinal wine the next time round! qiao mei and liang lan got into the car and headed for the liang family''s old house. this time, there was no stench in the house. liang shu was still lying on the bed, unable to get down and walk. she looked no different from the last time. qiao mei stared at liang shu in puzzlement and liang lan immediately noticed where qiao mei was looking. she immediately pointed at liang shu and said, "my mother is much better now! she can even move her fingers and hold things like cups and bowls, just not for too long." qiao mei felt that something was wrong. the amount of medicine she gave liang shu the last time was enough to enable liang shu to eat and talk normally by now. however, looking at liang shu''s current condition, it was like she had never drunk any medicinal wine before. it did not look as if there was even one-tenth of the medicinal effect. "auntie liang, i''m here to see you," qiao mei said with a smile. liang shu raised her hand with great effort and pointed at qiao mei as she cursed unintelligibly. based on seniority, qiao mei should address her as grandma liang. although that would make her sound very old, it was the correct form of address. the way qiao mei addressed her now made her sound as if she was from the same generation as qiao yue and her own children, which would put her one generation behind qiao qiang! qiao mei quickly said, "auntie liang, don''t be angry. i''m just here to visit you. if you don''t want me here, i can go." liang lan blocked the door and did not allow qiao mei to leave. if they offended qiao mei today, it would not be so easy for her to go and look for qiao mei again. "my mother is just muddle-headed. she''s old and her mind isn''t that sharp. please don''t mind her..." liang lan said apologetically. "it''s fine. since it''s getting late, i should head back. i''m just here to take a look at her. now that i have seen her, i should leave." qiao mei turned around and said to liang shu, "take good care of yourself! eat as much as you can. otherwise it''ll be a pity when you can''t eat in the future~" without waiting for liang shu to scold her, qiao mei left the house and got into the xia family''s car to return to her own house. liang shu continued cursing while lying on the bed and even threw everything on the bed to the floor. liang lan picked up the things from the floor one by one and arranged them properly. liang shu was so angry that she picked up a cup from the side and threw it at liang lan''s head. a patch of redness instantly appeared on liang lan''s head. "are you done with the fussing! if you''re done, then take your medicine!" liang lan said angrily. upon hearing that it was time for medicine, liang shu toned down her temper a little. nothing was more important than her health and she wanted to see improvements every day. once she recovered, she would definitely teach these people who bullied her a lesson! nove(lb-1n unbeknownst to liang shu, liang lan secretly poured out three-quarters of the medicine from the original bottle into another small bottle. she then topped up the original bottle with water to make it look exactly the same as before. "come! drink it quickly! you''ll recover faster after you drink it!" liang lan said sulkily as she brought over the bowl of medicine. liang shu drank the medicine obediently. after she finished it, she grabbed liang lan''s wrist tightly and whimpered as if she was trying to say something. liang lan knew that she wanted to ask about the photo, but liang lan dared not tell her what qiao mei said. she had only just gotten slightly better, so liang lan did not want her to fall sick again from anger. "i forgot to ask her. i''ll do it next time, alright? take a rest now." liang lan casually made up a random excuse to fool liang shu. after that, liang lan took the bowl and went to another room where liang guo had been waiting for a long time. "have you brought the medicine!" liang guo said excitedly. "here it is!" liang lan said smugly as she held up the medicine bottle. "this is too little. it''s even less than the last time! how am i supposed to explain this to them! is this how you do things! why can''t you even do such a small task well," liang guo grumbled. "it''s already good enough that i can get the medicine! yet you''re still so picky. if you don''t want it, there are plenty of others who want it," liang lan said. liang guo had already found a buyer for the medicine, but what he wanted in return was not money, but status. money was useless to their family at the moment. how much money would they need to resolve their current predicament? it would probably be like throwing money into a bottomless pit. Chapter 1432 You Can Talk About It Another Time chapter 1432 you can talk about it another time just the day before yesterday, liang guo had been framed and accused of embezzling money from his workplace unit. he was blamed for all the recent wrongdoings at the workplace. he was actually innocent though. however, even if he managed to prove that he did not embezzle the funds, there were still many other issues to clarify! now, he was like the public enemy! everyone wanted to beat him up! the rest of his colleagues had backers and only liang guo had no one to support him. he was subsequently fired from the workplace unit and given a small sum of compensation. it was as if they were paying him off for taking the rap. however, he had his whole family to take care of and there were so many people counting on him! this amount of money was not even enough to last his family for three months. liang guo was at his wits'' end now, so he could only use the "divine medicine" given by qiao mei as a tool to seek a way out. there were so many wealthy families in the capital who had elderly people at home or relatives who were seriously ill. these people were all eagerly seeking out qiao mei''s "divine medicine"! it did not matter if those people wanted the medicine for the sake of survival or longevity. so long as liang guo could provide them with some, they would reward liang guo with a lifeline and save him from a dead end. "i guess the amount is considered sufficient for now. at most, i''ll give him more the next time," liang guo said resignedly. liang lan leaned forward cautiously and said, "elder brother, is the person you found this time reliable? it''s not easy to get this medicine. there''s no guarantee that we can get more in the future. if this person can''t help you, we should find another person!" n)/o--v((e--l-/b-/1-)n "shoo, shoo, shoo! what does a woman know! the person i found is definitely reliable! i spent so much effort to get a chance to see him in person! don''t talk nonsense!" liang guo said disdainfully. the person he found was the song family''s eldest son, song dan. this man was about the same age as xia zhe and was already the section chief of the city police department! he was the youngest section chief in the capital! song dan''s family was not as distinguished as the xia family and he was the only promising kid in the entire song family. otherwise, song dan would already be as outstanding as xia zhe by now. the fact that he achieved so much without much help from his family made him an exceptional man among his peers. most importantly, song dan and the city police department chief''s son, du miao, were childhood friends. the two of them were so close that it was like they were two peas in a pod. if song dan could find liang guo a civilian post in the police department, it would be a cushy job for him to live a good life for the rest of his life! "elder brother, don''t be angry. i''m just worried about you. can he help me too?" liang lan probed. "one bottle of medicine can only help one person. how can you be so greedy! he won''t agree to help with so many requests. wait for your turn the next time. the next time qiao mei gives you the medicine, the favor is yours!" liang guo said. he had thought that the previous bottle of medicine was qiao mei''s way of compensating liang shu on behalf of her family. he did not expect them to be able to get another bottle this time, and that the medicinal effects were even better than the last round! he did not think that qiao mei was the one who was so generous. it must be qiao qiang who could not bear to see liang shu suffer. perhaps qiao qiang still cared for liang shu. in that case, as long as liang shu''s health did not improve, qiao mei would have to keep supplying her with "divine medicine". how could qiao mei go against qiao qiang''s wishes? liang lan swallowed her anger. at this moment, liang guo still had the final say in the family. she had no status in the family and it did not matter what she said. anyway, she did not mind waiting until the next round. if liang guo did not succeed this time, then she would ask liang guo to find another family to help them. it would still be much better than her going out to ask for help herself. "wait upon mother well. let me know if qiao mei comes around again! i''m going to take care of something important!" liang guo carefully put away the "divine medicine" and made to leave. liang lan hurriedly grabbed liang guo''s arm and said, "elder brother! um... shouldn''t you give me the money you promised the last time? mother and i don''t have any money for food." liang shu only had these two children. she had hidden away all her money and no one was allowed to touch it. in order to trick liang lan into taking care of liang shu, liang guo had agreed to pay for the two women''s expenses every month. it sounded like a reasonable arrangement to liang lan, that she would put in the hard work while liang guo paid for the expenses. unexpectedly, liang shu had been sick for almost a month but liang guo still had not given her a single cent. liang lan had to go around the liang family''s old house to search for money that was stashed away and she only had five dollars left now. if liang guo did not give them money soon, they would really starve to death. "i need the money to grease palms and pull some strings! wait a little longer! i''ll give you money when i have extra!" liang guo said, trying to brush her off. Chapter 1433 Why Not You Wait On Her chapter 1433 why not you wait on her liang lan grabbed liang guo''s arm tightly and refused to let him go. she could not let liang guo get all the good stuff and leave her with all the hard work! she wanted a taste of the sweetness too! "no! otherwise, i''ll stop taking care of mother and go back home. if anything should happen to her, everything you have done will be for nothing!" liang lan threatened. "if anything happens to her, do you get a good life in return?" liang guo questioned. "it''s none of your business whether i have a good life or not! you just need to know that if i don''t take care of mother anymore, then all your plans will go to waste!" liang lan said. she had not been home for a month already and xiao jing had called her on the phone countless times. every time he called, he would scold her for not taking care of her own family and would also threaten to divorce her. xiao yu also cried at home every day while waiting for her to go back. liang lan had to promise xiao jing that she would send 20 dollars home every month before he stopped harassing her. he was happy to get spending money in return for the wife not being at home to nag him. however, even then, he could only tolerate the current situation for another two months. this was because there was no one at home to do the household chores. in any case, liang lan already had nothing left. as the saying went, one who was down would fear no fall. even if she just gave up and went home to take care of her child, she would still have a better life than liang guo. after some consideration, liang guo took out a few meat coupons and vegetable coupons from his pocket, as well as 40 dollars. all these should be enough for the two of them to survive for a month and a half! furthermore, liang shu did not need to buy medicine so there should not be any other expenses. "this should be enough for both of you!" liang guo said sulkily. "it''s not enough. there''s still the expenses from last month. last month, i bought groceries for mother out of my own pocket. the total is 34 dollars and you should pay me back," liang lan said as she stood at the door. "she''s your mother too! how can it be so hard on you to spend some money on her? why do you have to kick up such a fuss about taking care of her!" liang guo roared. "why are you shouting! if you''re so great, then why don''t you take care of mother yourself! i''ve already taken care of her for a month, so it should be your turn! do you think i care about that little bit of money from you! if you get a helper, you still need to pay a salary of more than 50 dollars a month! go hire someone to take care of her!" liang lan took off the apron she was wearing and threw it to the side, starting to walk off. liang guo quickly stopped her. if liang lan really stopped caring about liang shu, then there was no one else to take care of the old woman. bai ming was still hiding in her parents'' house now! liang guo''s own house was already in a mess, so how could he find time to care about liang shu! "here! whatever i said just now was just out of anger. how can you stay angry with me? i''m your biological brother!" liang guo immediately took out another 25 dollars from his pocket and continued, "i only have this much left but i''ll give it all to you. don''t be angry. if you don''t care about our mother, then who else can she rely on?" "alright, but you have to keep your word next month. otherwise, i''ll go straight home! my own child is still so young and needs me to take care of her!" liang lan said as she put the money into her pocket. n-.0velbin "alright, i''ll definitely remember to do it! if i forget, you can remind me. let''s not ruin the harmony between us siblings," liang guo said with a smile. he still had to count on liang lan to steal the medicine! he had used the first bottle of medicine to finally get an introduction to song dan, so he needed to send this second bottle to song dan directly. if song dan agreed to his request this time, then he would give song dan another bottle. two bottles should be able to guarantee him a good future! "fine..." liang lan said sulkily. after liang guo left, liang lan hid all the money away. at night, she continued to give liang shu steamed buns, watery porridge with only a few grains of rice and homemade pickled radish. liang shu struggled to pick up a steamed bun to throw it to the floor, but liang lan quickly said, "if you don''t want to eat this, then there''s nothing else to eat! the doctor says that you can''t eat meat in your current condition! it''ll only make your illness worse. eat these light foods now and you''ll recover quickly!" liang lan was not worried that liang shu would become malnourished. back then, xia mao was already dying, but he miraculously came back to life after qiao mei fed him this medicine. in that case, even if liang shu did not eat or drink anything, it was entirely possible for her to stay alive just by eating the medicine. liang shu had not eaten the entire day. she was worried that she would really starve to death if she did not eat something soon. in the end, she could not fight the hunger and put down the steamed bun obediently. Chapter 1434 Many Times Smaller ? liang lan picked up the bowl and fed liang shu slowly. in liang lan''s eyes, liang shu was her "money" and her "future"! as long as liang shu was alive, qiao mei would send over a steady stream of nice things and her hard work during this period of time would not be in vain. liang guo did not go home but went straight to song dan''s house after leaving the liang family''s old house. song dan was sitting in his living room, waiting for liang guo to appear! "you''re finally here. mr. liang. you took so long. i thought that you''re not coming today!" song dan looked at liang guo and said unhappily. "section chief song, don''t be angry. i rush over as soon as i receive the medicine! i''m very mindful of not causing you any delay!" liang guo said solicitously. "there''s no need for all these pleasantries. let me take a look at the medicine," song dan said. liang guo slowly unzipped his coat and took out a small medicine bottle from the inner pocket. song dan frowned slightly when he saw the actual thing. this was many times smaller than the bottles of "divine medicine" which the xia family had given out! he had previously caught a glimpse of the medicine at the zhong family''s house. the zhong family had two big glass bottles! the color and smell of the "divine medicine" which liang guo was giving him seemed to be the same as what he saw, but the size... such a small bottle would be gone in one gulp! how could it be enough for his family! "this amount is really too little. that''s not what you told me earlier. this little bit is not even enough to fill the gaps between my old master''s teeth!" song dan said disdainfully as he placed the small medicine bottle on the coffee table. liang guo had never seen the "divine medicine" in bigger bottles than the bottle he had. he quickly explained, "qiao mei gave this to our family personally! there''s no mistake about it! my sister told me that the medicinal effect of this batch is better than what other people have. this is a bottle of concentrated essence!" song dan picked up the medicine bottle again and examined it carefully. it was indeed much darker in color than the one he saw at the zhong family''s house. perhaps what liang guo said made some sense. "where did you get this medicine? why would she give it to you?" song dan asked cautiously. he would not dare to accept something of unknown origin! "my mother has been sick recently and she specially came to our house to give it to us! it''s definitely the real thing! section chief song, don''t worry!" liang guo said. song dan looked at liang guo in disdain, but he did not really care who liang guo had snatched the medicine from. he was only concerned about his family''s old master being able to get some. it was not his business to care about the lives of others. if the old lady of the liang family felt upset, then she should go after her own children! given that liang guo could do such an unfilial thing to his mother, song dan did not really want to hire someone like him. he decided to send liang guo away for now by finding him an unimportant position. at a later time, he would find a reason to get rid of liang guo. "alright, i understand. if there''s more in the future..." before song dan could finish speaking, liang guo quickly said, "in the future, qiao mei will still send medicine to my mother! when that happens, i''ll send it to you first!"nove-1b.1n song dan was stunned for a moment before he nodded in satisfaction. he waved his hand to indicate that liang guo could leave. however, liang guo did not make any move. "is there anything else?" song dan looked at liang guo in confusion. "it''s... it''s about my job..." liang guo whispered. "i see. go and look for my secretary tomorrow. my secretary will make the arrangements for you," song dan said impatiently. "alright! thank you, section chief song! thank you! i''ll go off now. i won''t disturb your rest!" liang guo was so happy that he scrambled out of song dan''s house like he had forgotten how to walk properly. after liang guo left, du miao walked out of the study at the other side. he looked at song dan teasingly and said, "tell me, why do you have to get entangled with such a person? it''ll be terrible for you when things get exposed in the future!" "is there any other way to get the xia family''s medicine apart from getting it from him?" song dan said resignedly. he had checked with many people and found out that qiao mei had only given the medicine to two old men whom xia jun was indebted to. she had then sold the remainder to that sickly guy from the he family. he ning would never share this life-saving medicine with him, so he could only ask around to see if there was any other way. if the xia family could order qiao mei around, then this matter would be much easier to handle. they could learn from how he ning made use of zhou hua and take control of a random member of the xia family to help them. however, this little girl was very capable and she even behaved like the head of the xia family! this was something that was unheard of before! Chapter 1435 You Do Not Like Women chapter 1435 you do not like women song dan''s grandfather had a weak heart and even surgery could not save his grandfather''s life now. the doctor said that he probably had only a few years left. at the moment, song dan could only count on qiao mei''s "divine medicine", which could bring the dead back to life, to save his grandfather''s life. he had been brought up by his grandfather since he was young, so he could not live without his grandfather! the song family and the xia family did not have much of a relationship. their family was not as rich as the he family either. he heard that the he family had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to buy qiao mei''s "divine medicine"! even if all the song family''s relatives pooled their money together, it would not even amount to 20,000 dollars, what more hundreds of thousands of dollars. song dan''s father was a wastrel who wanted to spend every cent he had and not leave a single cent for song dan. his mother was a loose woman who had made his father a cuckold for a long time. if not for song dan secretly getting rid of those men who fooled around with his mother, there was no telling what huge trouble she could have caused! "it isn''t easy for me to find out about the underlying relationship between the liang family and the qiao family. for the sake of my grandfather, i''ll even go through hell if i have to. i can handle it even if it means getting exposed in the future!" song dan said seriously. "this is not a long-term solution. grandpa song needs a lot of medicine. are you just going to wait for the liang family to send it over bit by bit? as far as i know, the liang siblings are not decent people. they can even steal their own mother''s life-saving medicine without a care for her life. if their mother dies one of these days, qiao mei won''t give them any medicine anymore," du miao said. how could song dan not know about all this! since he was willing to make contact with the liang family, he naturally knew all about the grudges between these two families. he just had not thought of any better way yet! "if you''re so smart, then come up with some ideas! don''t just criticize me. talk is cheap," song dan said as he rolled his eyes. du miao walked forward and patted song dan''s shoulder. "we''ve been brothers for so many years and grandpa song is very nice to me. do you think i''ll just stand by and watch grandpa song suffer?" "you''ve already thought of a way?" song dan looked at du miao expectantly. "do you still remember our elementary school classmate, xia he?" du miao asked with a smile. "xia he... that one who behaved like a tomboy and threatened the boys in our class every day. she transferred to dance school after a few years," song dan said as he tried his best to recall. "that''s right! that''s the one! she''s single now! do you want to try putting in some hard work?" du miao said agitatedly. "forget it! what a lousy idea! she''s already been married before and you still want me to marry her! if i marry her, it''ll be like bringing a tigress home! i won''t do it!" song dan said unhappily. song dan was an ugly man. even though he held a high position at work, no woman wanted to marry him. he was not interested in marrying a girl from an ordinary family, but how would those prominent families bear to let their beautiful daughters marry song dan! just like that, he could not find a partner and ended up still unmarried at this age! however, no one dared to say anything. everyone was worried that if they made song dan angry, he would make life difficult for them. "how can you just count on the liang family! it''s more important to save your grandfather!" du miao said. "it''s not like i don''t know what''s going on. xia he is about to marry that kid from the deng family! if i throw a spanner in her plans now, i''ll be behaving in a despicable manner! if you want to do it, you can go ahead. i won''t!" song dan said in annoyance. n((ovelbin du miao had already been married for a long time, so how could he be with xia he? he stared intently at song dan for a long time before asking, "you... don''t tell me that you don''t like women?" all these years, he had never seen song dan dating a woman. the helpers at home were all men and there were no women in his life at all. even the cats at home were all male and there was no female presence around him at all. he even just said that he did not have any interest in xia he. this was not a normal reaction! song dan narrowed his eyes and looked du miao up and down. "hmm... why do you think so?" du miao was so scared that he had goosebumps all over his body. he quickly took a few steps back and said fearfully, "i''m just joking... just joking! don''t take it to heart! if you''re really unwilling, then i''ll think of another plan. how can there be no way out? don''t be anxious! i''ll definitely help grandpa song get the medicine!" Chapter 1436 Returning to the Art Troupe chapter 1436 returning to the art troupe nove.lb.1n "hahaha!" song dan leaned back on the sofa and guffawed. as he laughed, he said, "i''m just scaring you! i like women! it''s just that... you know what those women think of me and i''m quite resentful about that. otherwise, i wouldn''t have not thought of getting married for so many years." "sigh... of course i know about these things. those women just don''t know how good a person you are! why do you have to take their words to heart! all you''ve done is to waste a big part of your life," du miao said indignantly. "sigh, it''s all in the past. why do you get so angry about it? let''s not talk about it!" song dan said. "you should reconsider what i said. i''m not saying you must definitely end up with her. can''t you just go and take a look at her first? perhaps you''ll fall in love at first sight and be very fond of her!" du miao said. "we haven''t contacted each other for so many years, so how do i get a chance to see her? besides, we haven''t met for so many years, so there''s no reason for us to end up together the moment we meet again! this is such a lousy idea!" song dan said disdainfully. "let me think... and think again... i''ll go home and discuss it with your sister-in-law! wait for my good news! don''t drop the ball though! if you drop the ball, i''ll be the first one to come after you!" du miao pointed at song dan and warned him. "fine, fine, fine. i promise you, alright!" song dan shook his head helplessly. qiao mei finally managed to get a few days of peace and quiet. deng fan had been busy at the factory in the suburbs and did not have any time for xia he at all. he rarely even called her on the phone. in order to meet the deadline, deng fan even moved to stay with the workers. once he was done with qiao mei''s project, it would not be long before the date of his wedding! xia he had been feeling a little annoyed for the past two days. she had not gone to work for a long time but was still spending a lot of money. she would empty out her savings soon at this rate. "stop pacing around. i''m getting dizzy. tell me what''s wrong, don''t keep pacing around!" qiao mei said as she rubbed her temples. "i''m thinking about whether i should go back to work," xia he said as she sat down next to qiao mei. "if you want to go back to work, then go back. if you don''t want to go, then just stay here at my house comfortably. it''s not as if i can''t afford to feed you," qiao mei said with a smile. "as if you can take care of me for the rest of my life!" xia he said. "why not! i have all these things. isn''t it enough to support you?" qiao mei said generously as she pointed at the few antiques in the room. "tsk, i still want to be self-sufficient! it won''t be too late for you to support me when i''m too old to dance anymore!" xia he said with a grin. "i''m not going to support you! that''s not my job now~ with big brother deng around, why should i worry about it? if he''s unable to support you, i''ll ask xia zhe to teach him a lesson!" qiao mei said. "as if i can simply rely on a man! i must be self-sufficient! there''s a new performance coming up for trials tomorrow. i''ll go for the audition," xia he said. "with your ability, you won''t face any problem!" qiao mei said happily. the two of them joked around until late at night. xia he had made an agreement with qiao mei that she would move out of qiao mei''s house after she and deng fan got married. after all, she had initially moved in to accompany qiao mei during the pregnancy and to help take care of the children after they were born. the children were now growing up well under feng hua''s care and qiao mei was also recovering well. she stayed around only because she could not bear to leave this place. it was not for the material comforts, but because the children looked different every day. the two children may look tiny today but they would look different when she saw them the next week. perhaps the children were just babbling and mumbling today, but no one knew whether they would start humming a tune tomorrow. there was no way to predict anything. in any case, they would not live too far from qiao mei''s place after they got married. she could still come back and visit often when she was free. it was still a much better situation from the past when she moved out of town after she got married. early the next morning, xia he went to the art troupe after having breakfast. no one knew how the superiors heard about the incident of yang xin slandering xia he, but they had gotten rid of bian ding and replaced him with a new troupe leader. yang xin had also left the art troupe without any explanation. everyone in the troupe thought that it was the xia family who orchestrated all these! "have you heard! senior xia he is coming today!" said a newbie, a young girl named bai dian. Chapter 1437 Who Did It ? "it''s probably because of the upcoming performance. i hear that it''s going to be a musical this time. she''s the only one in the troupe who can play the lead role!" huang li said as she pouted. "to think that your name ''huang li'' means ''yellow oriole''. i never expected you to be tone deaf! if you can sing well, perhaps you can still fight it out with senior xia he!" bai dian said with a smile.n./0velbin "me? i''m a person who is totally self-aware! you don''t even know how much hardships senior xia he went through in the past!" huang li said with some heartache. most people in the art troupe would choose to work behind the scenes once they turned 30 years old and provide guidance for the younger dancers who joined later. very few people would be able to appear on stage at that age. on one hand, they all nursed some form of injuries from being a dancer for a long time. on the other hand, they no longer looked as good as the younger dancers, so they no longer felt confident about going on stage. however, xia he seemed to be an exception. it seemed like the older she got, the younger she became, and she was good at everything! everyone else basically focused on one area. some people only learned how to sing, while others only learned how to dance. it was really rare to see someone like xia he who could sing and dance well. she was really cut out for this line of work. xia he could be considered to be quite famous in this line. anyone who was familiar with this industry would know xia he''s name, but she had never had a piece of work that made her famous overnight. those years of being married was really a hindrance to her career. if she could become famous this time round, she would be able to make it big as a major actress in the future! "sister xia he! you''re here!" everyone said as they looked towards the door. xia he got a shock. she even thought that she had entered the wrong room! in the past, she had never been greeted so enthusiastically when she came to the art troupe. it seemed that there were many new faces in the crowd. "hello... hello everyone..." xia he said cautiously. everyone swarmed forward and surrounded xia he, trying to find out more about xia he''s latest news, hoping to get some gossip out of her. xia he did not say anything. it was not that she was putting on airs, but she really did not know anything. xia he could be considered to have achieved justice for the troupe. the longer yang xin and bian ding stayed in the art troupe, the longer the rest of the art troupe members would be suppressed and had to face a tough time. now that the worst was over for everyone, they all appreciated what xia he had done! "senior, do you know where senior yang xin went? we also have a new troupe leader now!" bai dian asked curiously. "huh? when did this happen? why don''t i know anything about it?" xia he said in shock. "senior, you don''t know? even the two sisters from the zhou family have left! many people who used to be close to yang xin have also left the art troupe. we don''t know where they went, it''s as if they just disappeared into thin air..." huang li said. looking at xia he''s shocked expression, she did not seem to be faking it. xia he frowned slightly. she had not done any of these things. could it be that xia wen had gotten rid of bian ding and yang xin in order to avenge her? that was quite unlikely... this sounded like something xia zhe would do, but definitely not xia wen. xia wen was sinister and cunning and would not let yang xin and the others leave so quietly. he would only let them off after ruining their reputation. "alright, alright, let''s practice. our teachers will come by to make their choices later!" xia he nudged everyone to practice their dance moves. once the session at the art troupe ended, she immediately went to seek clarification from xia wen. there was nothing that xia wen did not know. after xia he arrived at xia wen''s workplace unit, she attracted a lot of attention. she was now different from before. in the past, she had to live in a caustic environment that was the kong family. even though she was an extremely young and beautiful bride when she joined the family, she was so antagonized by her mother-in-law and sister-in-law that there were wrinkles all over her face in less than two years! the current xia he looked like she had undergone a complete transformation. she was in her early 30s but looked like she was 18 years old. her complexion and appearance were 10,000 times better than before! "eldest brother, look at the time now. why are you still working!" xia he said as she stood at the door. "why are you here? don''t you always find it troublesome whenever i ask you to come here?" xia wen said with a smile. "that''s because i don''t want to disturb you at work! you''re so unappreciative of my kindness! if you don''t want me here, then i''ll leave!" xia he threatened. xia wen quickly pulled xia he into the room and closed the office door. there was an uproar outside immediately. "hey! did you see that! director xia brought a beautiful woman into the room just now!" a junior colleague whispered. "yes! she''s so shapely! i''ve never seen such a beautiful woman!" another colleague said. Chapter 1438 A Fight Between Colleagues chapter 1438 a fight between colleagues mo zhu looked at everyone unhappily and said, "what are you people looking at? have you already finished your work?" the colleague sized up mo zhu and said, "why are you so anxious? we''re all colleagues. what right do you have to lecture us? you''re not even a supervisor yet and you''re already putting on the airs of one. if you really become one in the future, how can we still survive here!" "that''s right! who do you think you are! director xia doesn''t even chase us to go back to work, so why are you acting like the boss here! shoo, shoo, shoo! stay away from us! just do your own job well! you''re so nosy," the other colleague grumbled. xia he could vaguely hear the commotion in the corridor. she looked outside curiously and asked, "as the director, shouldn''t you go and take a look?" "what''s there to see? it''s just a few subordinates bickering. that girl is already having a difficult time here. if i stand up for her, she will have an even tougher time in the future," xia wen said melancholically. there were already rumors that mo zhu was someone sent here by the superiors, but they were not able to find out who these so-called "superiors" were, so they had been observing her in secret. sometimes, when they were angry, they would even mock mo zhu directly. mo zhu was actually quite tolerant of them and did not argue with them about these things. n.)o--v-)e/.l/)b/)i/(n "isn''t that girl from your department?" xia he asked curiously. "yes, she''s one of my subordinates," xia wen said honestly. "if she''s one of your staff, won''t you lose her trust if you don''t protect her? why will she still be loyal to you? if someone takes the chance to fan the flames a little, won''t she stop supporting you? if you protect her, you''re just a superior protecting his subordinate. what''s there to gossip about," xia he said as she looked at xia wen disdainfully. xia he was very prone to rashness. in the past, people either gave in to xia he on account of the xia family or avoided arguing with her because they could not afford to offend her. the art troupe was also a less complicated workplace. whoever had good basic skills and was more capable would be liked by everyone. it was different at xia wen''s workplace. there were all kinds of people in this place and they all had their own characteristics and abilities. it was not something that could be easily dealt with. who knew the kind of support each person had behind him or her? xia wen felt a little emotional for a moment. back then, he should have asked xia mao to let xia he train with him for a few years and learn how to deal with those sly old foxes. then she would not be as rash as she was today. it would also mean that xia he would not have been bullied by yang xin and the bian family members at that time. "if you don''t want to go, then let me do it. i saw that girl just now and found her quite beautiful. she seems to be quite an upright person too. i find it unacceptable that such a decent person is being bullied," xia he lamented. before xia wen could say anything to stop her, xia he rushed into the corridor with a whoosh when he was not paying attention. everyone looked at xia he in shock. they did not expect the commotion to have disturbed director xia''s guest. "are all of you from director xia''s department?" xia he leaned against the door and asked with a smile. "no, we''re from the department next door," the colleague said carefully. "what about you? what''s your name? are you also from another department?" xia he said as she pointed at the person standing next to mo zhu. just now, this person had behaved in a very arrogant and domineering manner. people who did not know better would think that she was the one with the final say in this department! "my name is cui fen. i''m also from the department next door. i''m really sorry to have disturbed you. i''ll scold her now!" cui fen said with a smile. anyone who did not know better would think that cui fen was the boss! "are you her superior?" xia he asked as she stared at cui fen and pointed at mo zhu. cui fen was stunned for a moment before saying, "no, no, i''m not her superior..." "then it must mean that you''re dissatisfied with director xia''s style of working but you dare not bully him, so you''re bullying his subordinates and having fun here, right?" xia he questioned. "no, no! that''s not what we mean! it''s just that she keeps rushing us, that''s why we''re a little annoyed. we''re just having an argument. it''s not a big deal," cui fen quickly explained. Chapter 1439 Lets Have A Meal Together ? "is that so? i can hear everything clearly inside just now. it''s obvious that the two of you are not working and are gossiping in the corridor. it even seems that you''re gossiping about me. do you need me to have a chat with your department head?" xia he asked.n))0ve1bin "no need! no need! we''ll go back to work immediately and definitely won''t chit chat anymore!" cui fen said fearfully. "then in the future, when i''m not around, you must still remember to work diligently. if i find out that you people bully mo zhu, then don''t blame me for taking action!" xia he threatened. "we understand!" cui fen hurriedly grabbed the other colleague and fled. as she left, she even almost lost her shoes! mo zhu kept looking at xia he in silence. she knew that xia he was helping her, but why would xia he help her for no reason? could it be that it was inconvenient for director xia to resolve the issue, so he asked xia he to come out and help? after xia he chased away those gossipy people, she finally had the chance to size up mo zhu. this person looked a little different from what she had imagined. she thought that someone with a name as cultured as "mo zhu" would be gentle and mild-mannered and appear more bookish. "you don''t have to be afraid of them in the future! if anyone bullies you again, come and look for me! i''ll definitely help you out!" xia he smiled brightly, looking like the dazzling morning sun that had just risen. mo zhu really liked people with this type of personality. "how do you know my name?" mo zhu asked. this was the first time she and xia he had met. logically speaking, xia he should not know her name. xia he did not know cui fen''s name earlier! therefore, xia wen must have mentioned her name to xia he before. "oh... director xia mentioned you once," xia he said as she scratched her head. "director xia? what did he say to you?" mo zhu said as she stared at xia he. "he just mentioned it in passing, that a capable girl named mo zhu had joined his department and that she has a nice name. that''s all." xia he honestly repeated what xia wen had said. mo zhu covered her mouth and chuckled. this was the first time she had seen such a frank person! "then aren''t you afraid of them? what if they take revenge on you behind your back?" mo zhu asked worriedly. "i''m not from your workplace unit, so of course i''m not afraid of them coming to find trouble with me. don''t worry. so what if they come to find trouble with me? i won''t let them have an easy time!" xia he said. "alright, then i feel more at ease." mo zhu heaved a sigh of relief and then asked, "i still don''t know your name. it''s almost time to get off work. let me treat you to a meal. there''s a very good restaurant nearby." "my name is xia he," xia he said truthfully. "xia... your surname is also xia, so you''re director xia''s..." mo zhu said carefully. "oh, oh! i forgot to tell you that i''m xia wen''s younger sister. it must be very difficult for you to work under a blockhead like my eldest brother," xia he said as she looked at mo zhu with some heartache. she did not look hypocritical when she said this, but more like she was revealing her true feelings. "no, it''s not. i learn a lot from working with director xia," mo zhu said seriously. "don''t worry! i won''t say anything to my brother! you can just speak truthfully. is my brother really a nice person? i think that he''s very rigid. i suffered a lot when i had to report to him previously!" whenever xia he thought of the past, she wanted to press xia wen to the ground and beat him up. "hahahaha, director xia is indeed a little stern, but he''s serious about his work and i can understand why he behaves like this. why don''t we go for dinner tonight? take it that i''m thanking you for helping me out." mo zhu''s sincere expression made xia he feel a little tempted, but they still had to go to qiao mei''s place for dinner tonight. she wondered how she could reject the invitation tactfully... xia he suddenly had an idea and said, "oh! then come with me tonight! i''ll bring you somewhere to eat delicious food!" just like that, xia he forgot why she had come to look for xia wen in the first place. she grabbed hold of xia wen and mo zhu and they headed to qiao mei''s house together. "qiao mei~ where are you~" xia he shouted excitedly. "why are you so happy? did something happen?" qiao mei was slightly stunned when she saw an unfamiliar face. then she smiled and asked, "who is this? why haven''t i met this person before?" Chapter 1440 Have A Good Eye ? "this is eldest brother''s underling. her name is mo zhu!" xia he introduced mo zhu to qiao mei enthusiastically. xia wen held his forehead and said, "what do you mean by my underling..." she made it sound as if he was a gang leader. if he gave her another two days, she could even come up with a gang name for him! he should not even think about retraining her. instead, he should send her back to elementary school to relearn her vocabulary! qiao mei sized up mo zhu curiously. mo zhu looked like a plucky and assertive person, but yet she was gentle and warm. this was the first time qiao mei had met such a person. "hello, i''m their sister-in-law. you can call me qiao mei," qiao mei said as she looked at mo zhu kindly. "this is my first time paying a visit to you but i came in a hurry and didn''t bring anything with me. it''s really rude of me. i''ll definitely come back with generous gifts next week," mo zhu said with a red face. this was the first time she had behaved so improperly. "it''s fine, you don''t have to stand on ceremony. i''m guessing that this elder sister of mine has brought you here by force. come and visit me when you have time. i really like it when people come to my house. it''s more lively with more people around," qiao mei said. xia he pursed her lips. qiao mei did not like crowds at all! it seemed that mo zhu was qiao mei''s type. otherwise, qiao mei would not have said such things. mo zhu immediately saw something in the corner of qiao mei''s house. her eyes were drawn to a large water vat. this was the first time she had seen such an exquisite water vat! "what''s wrong with you?" xia he asked curiously. "it''s nothing. i just saw something rare and couldn''t help but take a few more looks," mo zhu said. xia he hurriedly ran to the water vat and examined it, but she could not see anything special about it. during winter, the most delicious pickled vegetables were those made in water vats like this one! "i think... there''s nothing special about it. it just looks prettier than the water vats at other people''s houses," xia he said as she frowned and looked at the water vat. mo zhu smiled faintly and said, "this water vat is very old and the paintings on it are lifelike. it actually corresponds to the four directions of north, south, east and west. if i''m not wrong, these paintings are the four gentlemen of the flowers, namely plum blossom, orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum. if you pick some lotus flowers during summer and grow them inside the vat, it will definitely look very nice." "you have got a good eye. i''ve placed it there for almost half a year but no one has discovered its true value. if you hadn''t come by today, i''m afraid this silly elder sister of mine would still think that it was a water vat meant for making pickled vegetables!" qiao mei said as she looked at xia he resignedly. xia he had never paid attention to these things. as long as it was a usable item, it did not matter what era it was from. the most important thing was that it was useful! qiao mei felt further admiration for mo zhu. after she invited everyone into the house, mo zhu looked at all the treasures inside. however, it was different from how zhou luo greedily stared at qiao mei''s things. mo zhu was purely admiring these treasures. "if you see anything you like, you can take a couple of items," qiao mei said generously. "oh! you never allow me to take anything. why are you so generous with mo zhu?" xia he pouted and pretended to be jealous. "if you can recognize the things in my house, then i''ll give them to you too. i can even give you the house!" qiao mei said. masterpieces must be placed in the hands of people who could appreciate them in order to bring out their greatest value. otherwise, no matter how good a painting or calligraphy piece was, it would only be a piece of useless paper in the hands of people who did not understand it and they would not treat it with care. "forget it, forget it! it''s not like you don''t know me. other than dancing, i''m not interested in anything else," xia he said. after mo zhu had her fill, she sat quietly on the stool beside qiao mei and tasted the tea carefully. her posture and temperament belied a well brought up young lady from a wealthy family. it was definitely not something that could be faked. qiao mei had previously sent yao nian to check on these things in the capital, but she had never heard of a prominent family with the surname mo. could it be that yao nian had missed out on it? that was impossible. yao nian was definitely one of the best investigators in the country. there was no way he would have missed out on anything. there must have been a mistake somewhere. "sister mo, where do you live?" qiao mei asked curiously. "my family lives in the suburbs, behind those parks in the north. my father said that there is good feng shui there and he doesn''t want to leave that area, so we have always been living there," mo zhu said.nove)lb(1n Chapter 1441 Playing Matchmaker ? "there''s a huge forest in the north. i remember that there aren''t many houses there and also very few villages. however, i have heard that there''s a villa in the mountain area and people who stay there are those who prefer a peaceful and quiet environment. is your family one of those who live in the mountain area?" xia he said as she looked at mo zhu in shock. "yes, my house is indeed in the mountain area. after i started work here, i''m staying in a rented house nearby. otherwise, i would have to make my way out of the mountains to go to work every day!" mo zhu said with a sigh. the north side... qiao mei remembered that xia zhe had told her before that most of the people who lived in the north side were from scholarly families. there were many schools there and it was also the location for many private schools a long time ago! many teachers lived around the area and many people even moved there for the sake of their descendants'' education! xia wen''s laughter could be heard in the courtyard as he played with the two children. the two children did not know how to walk or climb yet, so they had to be carried out to see the world outside their room. sister feng said that it was too boring for the children to stay in the room every day. it was also too stuffy in the room. now that the weather was getting warmer, they could dress the children up warmly and then show them the outside world. by exposing children to more things when they were young, it was beneficial to the development of their brains. this could also be considered a form of early childhood education. "director xia seems like a really good father. he even makes time to play with his children after work," mo zhu said as she looked out the door. "those are my children," qiao mei said. "i''m sorry! you''re so young, so i never expected..." mo zhu covered her mouth and said apologetically. "it''s fine, you don''t have to be so sorry. since my elder sister has brought you to our house, she must really think highly of you. i live in this house with my husband. eldest brother and elder sister don''t live here, but they come here to accompany me occasionally and help me take care of the children. however, what you just said might be true. eldest brother might really be a good father," qiao mei said melancholically. generally speaking, such a big house was usually shared by a few brothers and their families. there was nothing wrong with mo zhu assuming that the children were xia wen''s. "might? director xia is not married yet?" mo zhu asked. "my eldest brother just got divorced! if not for that woman, my eldest brother would already have many children!" xia he said resentfully. qiao mei gently patted xia he''s hand to stop her from continuing. after all, this was the xia family''s family matter. mo zhu was also very diplomatic and did not ask about it. she only talked to qiao mei about the treasures in the house and nothing else. she did not even ask about the origin of these treasures and did not say anything that was out of line. after dinner, qiao mei arranged for the chauffeur to send mo zhu home. xia wen could not bear to part with the children, so he decided to spend the night in the backyard part of the house. as usual, xia he and qiao mei shared the same room. "qiao mei... do you think mo zhu is a nice girl?" xia he muttered as she lay on the bed. "why? are you interested in mo zhu?" qiao mei raised her eyebrows and asked xia he. xia he quickly sat up and explained, "what nonsense are you talking about! i''m thinking... mo zhu and eldest brother, don''t you think that they''re a match made in heaven?" "you haven''t even asked eldest brother whether he likes her and you''re already coming to a conclusion. don''t make a mess by trying to broker relationships. if you like to do such things, why don''t you go and become a matchmaker?" qiao mei said disdainfully. "i don''t mind being a matchmaker! i want to find eldest brother the perfect partner! i want eldest brother to live the rest of his life in comfort and not have to be so tired anymore," xia he said. "if eldest brother heard what you said, he would probably be so touched that tears would well up in his eyes. mo zhu is indeed quite a nice girl, but it''s not really an appropriate match..." qiao mei said tactfully. "what''s so inappropriate about it! eldest brother has such good qualities, don''t tell me he''s not worthy of mo zhu?" xia he questioned. "our eldest brother is truly the best, but the fact is that he''s not young anymore. mo zhu is only a few years older than me. even if mo zhu agrees, eldest brother will still feel pressured!" qiao mei said honestly. xia he leaned back on the bed dejectedly. she really thought that she had found a very good candidate to be xia wen''s wife! it did not cross her mind that the two of them would not be compatible because of xia wen''s age.n.-ovelbin "no! i don''t believe it! i must matchmake the two of them! you must believe my judgment. mo zhu and eldest brother are simply a match made in heaven!" xia he said firmly. Chapter 1442 Accident ? "how do you know that the two of them are the most suitable for each other? i don''t think eldest brother likes mo zhu at all. at most, he just had a good impression of her," qiao mei asked xia he, feeling puzzled. "i... i just have a feeling! there aren''t many women who can leave a good impression on eldest brother. you have to trust me!" xia he said confidently. she had always been very good at judging people. as long as mo zhu liked xia wen, she felt that there would not be any problems at all. the two of them chatted until late into the night. xia he even started to make plans for xia wen''s future children! if not for qiao mei asking her to stop, she would have even come up with names for xia wen''s children. this woman was really scary... qiao mei finally saw how crazy xia he could be when she took on a role as a matchmaker. when xia fan and xia xing grew up, she would not let xia he introduce anyone to them, not even one! xia he was still thinking about xia wen and mo zhu on the way to work the next day. she did not want to waste a single minute of her free time, but still, she could not focus all her energy on xia wen today. it was the day when the troupe would announce the name of the dancer taking on the female lead role in the musical. then again, so long as there was no spanner thrown in the works, the female lead role in the musical was already hers! she had heard that the female lead role originally belonged to someone else. it seemed that the investors had already made their choice. however, xia he was really much more outstanding than this person. no matter which role xia he took in the musical, she was going to end up outshining everyone. the investors were worried that this would affect the musical''s box office takings, so they decided to give the female lead role to xia he in the end. as for the original female lead... they just needed to coax her with some money. it was not a big deal. xia he hummed a song as she rode her bicycle on the way home after work. she wanted to rush home and share the joy of her getting the role with qiao mei and the others. it had rained last night and the ground was very wet and slippery with many water puddles! xia he thought of herself as a very good cyclist and did not even bother to slow down. however, she did not expect someone to suddenly barge out into the middle of the road. caught by surprise, she had to swerve the bicycle forcefully to one side in order to avoid the pedestrian. however, because of this, xia he lost her balance and fell to the ground. fortunately, she was fine since she knew how to protect her limbs from getting injured. "hey... are you crazy! don''t you look at where you''re going!" xia he said as she held her elbow which had taken a knock.n//o.-v-)e-/l.-b(-1(/n the pedestrian apologized profusely, saying, "are you alright! it''s all my fault. don''t be angry. do you want to go to the hospital for a checkup!" xia he frowned and looked up. she felt that this pedestrian looked very familiar. she must have seen him somewhere before, but she could not remember where... "xia he! why are you here!" the pedestrian turned out to be song dan and he looked at xia he in surprise. at this moment, xia he still could not remember who the person in front of her was. song dan first helped xia he up and then said, "it''s me! i''m song dan. we were classmates in elementary school!" "it''s you! i remember now!" xia he pointed at song dan and said furiously, "don''t you look where you''re going! i was riding in a straight line! do you have a death wish when you run out like this! it''s fortunate that i braked in time. if i couldn''t stop, you might be lying on the ground now!" when song dan was young, he was often bullied by his classmates. as he was not good-looking and did not do well in his studies, everyone called him a fool and no one wanted to be his friend. xia he still had some impression of him. xia he had specially worn a new set of clothes on this special day of the announcement of the female lead. the clothes were made by qiao mei and she was dismayed to dirty it after wearing it for less than a day. she looked at her dress in frustration. song dan also noticed xia he''s emotions and immediately said, "let me buy you a new set of clothes. there''s a shopping mall nearby!" even if song dan bought 80 new dresses to replace this dress, it would still be useless. this was something made by qiao mei and was irreplaceable. it was useless even if he gave her money for it. "forget it, i''ll go home and deal with it myself. goodbye." xia he picked up the bicycle from the ground. she patted the mud off herself, leaped on the bicycle and rode away from the road intersection, leaving song dan alone there in a daze. du miao made sure that she had left before he slowly walked out from the back. he stood behind song dan and looked into the distance as he said, "you''re still staring! i already told you that she''s your type, but you didn''t believe me." Chapter 1443 - 1443 Nothing Too Serious 1443 nothing too serious xia he used to look like a tomboy but she looked so different now. she had such a shapely figure now. when song dan helped xia he up just now, he even took the opportunity to touch xia hes hand. her skin was so soft and tender! it seemed that du miao had made the right decision for him this time. its just that she has a bad temper. otherwise, shes quite an attractive woman, song dan said melancholically as he looked into the distance. you have a problem with her temper? shes the daughter of a rich family and is now a leading actress in the capital! shes a famous actress now! do you think anyone can be her partner? isnt it normal for a woman whos so outstanding to be a little wilful? isnt it more interesting to conquer a hot-tempered woman? du miao patted song dans chest with a lecherous smile. song dan could not help but laugh along. so what if xia he had a fiance?? as long as their parents had not officially met and they had not gone through the engagement ceremony, he still had a chance! the song family was not a prominent family, but they could still be of great help to the xia family. at the very least, he thought of himself to be much better than that kid, deng fan. thats right! there are plenty of opportunities! song dan was now completely determined to be xia hes partner. he left the road intersection with his arm over du miaos shoulder as he continued to spout his dirty thoughts. xia he reached home while feeling furious. at the moment, qiao mei was clearing the withered flowers and plants in the courtyard. after the rain, there were many withered branches and leaves on the ground. the gardener she previously hired turned out to be someone who wanted to murder her. now, xu kang was the one doing the gardening, but xu kang was a little rough around the edges and did not know the art of cultivating flowers and plants. qiao mei wanted to take this opportunity to trim the branches so that the plants would look better when they began to sprout after the beginning of spring. then the courtyard would not be filled with strange-looking flowers and plants. what happened to you? did you get into a fight or did you have a fall? qiao mei looked at xia he curiously as she stood on the ladder with a pair of shears. dont mention it! its so jinxed! im going to take a shower first. ill tell you when im done! xia he said aggrievedly. qiao mei hurriedly called xu kang over and asked her to wash xia hes dirty clothes while xia he was in the shower. by the time xia he was done, qiao mei had almost finished trimming all the branches in the courtyard. tell me, what exactly happened? qiao mei sat back on the rocking chair and asked with a smile. you can still smile! you dont even know how miserable i am! i almost had a fracture today! xia he said as she pointed at her ankle. how is it so serious? dont talk nonsense. arent you fine and well and standing in front of me? qiao mei said. if my ankle gets injured, then my female lead role will be gone! it will drop into someone elses lap! do you know how important this musical is to me! im so angry! why didnt i grab hold of song dan and give him a good scolding just now! the new dress you made for me is so dirty now! xia he said angrily. qiao mei already took a look at the dress. it was slightly damaged but that was not a big problem. she could just embroider a flower over the damaged part. she just did not know if xia he had sustained any other injuries. usually, injuries from collisions would not be discovered immediately unless they were very serious. at that point of the accident, most people would be in a state of agitation and panic. even if there were wounds or painful injuries on their bodies, they would not notice anything on the spot. they would only discover more wounds after they calmed down. quick, drink some medicinal wine. did you see any other wounds on your body when you were in the shower just now? qiao mei asked worriedly. no, as you can see, im fine and dandy! as long as my face and my ankles are not injured, everything else is not a big deal, xia he said optimistically, as if she was not the one who was hopping mad just now. its good that theres nothing wrong. you should go to work by car from now on. its not like our family cant afford to hire a chauffeur, qiao mei said. the traffic is too congested to drive to work! besides, our family is in a precarious situation now. eldest brother is at the peak of his career and im also doing well at work now. xiao zhes future in the army is so bright and youre about to start running a factory. our xia family also has future heirs now. administration, landowning, agriculture and commerce. now that our family has a finger in every pie, there will definitely be many jealous people around! xia he said with a slight frown. since when do you worry about all this? qiao mei said in surprise. n)-ovelbin im not a fool! dont i know what are the things that will cause trouble for the xia family? if i go around by car now, and even have a chauffeur, that would be too ostentatious and flashy. it would cause trouble for father! xia he said. Chapter 1444 Dowry ? "what''s there to be afraid of! i''m no longer doing business in secret anymore. now, my income all comes from proper channels and eldest brother has made sure that the paperwork is done! our family is rich and we have plenty of money! we''re even richer than the he family! i''m happy to hire a chauffeur to send you around! what''s so bad about that!" qiao mei said in a fit of pique. the reason why she worked so hard to earn money was not only to ensure that she could live out her old age in comfort. she also wanted to let the people around her live a blissful life. "why are you getting angry? you''re so easily worked up today. does the money fall from the sky?" xia he sat beside qiao mei and patted her hand as she said, "i know what you''re saying and i know that you''re nice to me, but isn''t my bicycle already good enough? most people can''t even afford it. i''m the first person in my workplace unit to buy a bicycle! if you want to be nice to me, then you can make me a serving of braised pork." her favorite food was braised pork. every time she went to a restaurant, she had to order a serving of braised pork. even the helper at home had to learn how to cook this dish. when she came and stayed at qiao mei''s place, she managed to convince qiao mei to make the dish for her once. after that, she could not get the taste out of her mind and would pester qiao mei to cook the dish for her every day. to her, the braised pork that qiao mei made was the most delicious braised pork in the world! qiao mei looked at xia he helplessly and said, "eat, eat, eat! you only know how to eat! who knows when you will be taken disadvantage of outside! just you wait! i''ll definitely tell deng fan about this!" "don''t! he''s been so busy recently. don''t tell him these things," xia he said worriedly.n--o)(v(.e-/1-(b/.1-)n "then be careful when you''re on your bicycle! don''t make me worry about you!" qiao mei rolled her eyes and continued, "the factory is about to be completed. the two of you should be able to get married soon." xia he turned her head away shyly and muttered softly, "i have told my parents about this some time ago and they have already agreed. now, all we need is for both sets of parents to have a meal together and then we can go and register our marriage!" "that''s fantastic! why don''t i halt the factory construction work for now? the two of you should grab the chance and get married immediately!" qiao mei said anxiously. "we''ve already waited for so long. these few more days don''t really matter. there''s no hurry," xia he said. "then what about your wedding banquet? where should we hold it? are you doing it at their house or ours? is the venue big enough? if not, you can just use my house. i can give you the house next door as part of your dowry!" qiao mei said excitedly. xia he had not discussed this matter with deng fan yet, but xia he was the one who made all the decisions in the family. deng fan always respected xia he''s opinions. "i think it''s good enough for the relatives on both sides to have a meal together. i don''t want to make a big deal out of it. it was only a while ago that brother xing''s issue had made grandfather so unhappy, plus i''m getting married for the second time, so why make it so ostentatious? i don''t want to embarrass anyone at this juncture," xia he said. "sigh..." qiao mei took a deep breath. she had thought that xia he would be able to get married in a grand manner. she did not expect that the situation in the capital was worse than in the countryside! there were so many rules here! qiao mei went to her room and took out a wooden box containing the dowry that she had prepared for xia he. the moment she found out that xia he and deng fan were a couple, she had started to make preparations. she did not expect to buy more and more things until she needed a box to contain everything. "open it and take a look," qiao mei said as she pointed at the box. xia he opened the box curiously. the moment she opened it, she was stunned by what she saw inside. not only was there the wedding dress which qiao mei had embroidered for her, but there was also an exquisite pearl headpiece. that was a treasure which qiao mei had sourced for and was worth a lot of money. the dress itself could be considered a work of art. the embroidery on it was all done using gold thread. in particular, the phoenix''s eyes were sewn on using special embroidery techniques. "how... how long did it take you to prepare all this?" xia he said with a trembling voice. "it''s been a while. i always feel that the thing a woman looks forward to the most in her life is her marriage proposal and getting married. i couldn''t have a grand ceremony when i got married but i thought that it would be possible for your wedding. who would have thought that you can''t do it at your wedding either" qiao mei said regretfully. "i''m sorry... i have let you down. my younger brother has let you down. the xia family has let you down," xia he said as she looked at qiao mei guiltily. if qiao mei had not married into the xia family but into any other family in the capital, that family would have been able to give qiao mei a grand wedding. Chapter 1445 Childhood Sweethearts chapter 1445 childhood sweethearts qiao mei raised her hand and knocked xia he on the head. "what nonsense are you talking about? i''ve never been angry or ever complained about these things. it''s just a casual remark." "i don''t want so many things. i don''t know how to store such valuable items. i just want the wedding dress you embroidered for me." xia he hugged the dress like it was a treasure that she did not want to let go for even a moment. "if you don''t want the items, then i''ll throw them onto the streets and let someone else take them all. i don''t lack these things either," qiao mei said stubbornly. she actually liked all the jewelry very much, especially the headpiece. it would be worth a lot of money in the future and might even become a priceless treasure. her heart would ache if even one pearl dropped out! however, she also knew that xia he would not bear to let these things fall into the hands of others. "i... i''ll just take them, alright!" xia he said resignedly. n(.o/-v(-e//l)-b./i//n she had only seen merchants forcefully buying and selling things, but she had never seen anyone forcefully giving away something! moreover, these were all such valuable items. the two of them chatted about everything. once xia he got married, there would be very few opportunities for them to hang out like this. the next day, xia he went to work on time and nothing happened along the way. xia he also kept qiao mei''s words in mind and rode the bicycle carefully, not daring to be so rash anymore. inside the practice studio, everyone worked very hard. ever since xia he became the principal dancer, the practice studio was a much nicer environment to be in. they were all very enthusiastic about rehearsing their own parts and worked harder than before. this was because they all knew that as long as they worked hard, they would get results. xia he would help them fight for the roles they wanted and would not bully them like what yang xin did. "sister xia he, why isn''t brother deng fan here? he hasn''t come to work for many days," xiao nan asked. "that''s right, that''s right! sister xia he! when are the two of you getting married!" another colleague asked. xia he blushed and said, "he''s been busy recently and probably won''t come back in the future. our... our matter can only be settled after this busy period." "then you must invite us to the wedding banquet!" xiao nan said excitedly. "we don''t plan to hold a wedding banquet, but we can have our own gathering. we will definitely give you wedding candy!" xia he said. everyone understood that xia he''s status was quite unique. it was true that she should not be overly extravagant now. they were already very happy to be able to receive wedding candy. then again, there were also many people who felt that xia he was just being stingy. there were also people who were jealous that a previously married woman like xia he could actually settle down with a good man like deng fan. these issues were unavoidable and there was no way that xia he could make everyone like her. when it was time to get off work, everyone left together. the moment they stepped out of the main door, they saw song dan standing at the door with a big bouquet of flowers. as he looked at xia he passionately, everyone stared at him intently. only xia he walked towards her bicycle as if she did not see anything. "xia he! xia he, wait for me! these flowers are for you!" song dan chased after her agitatedly. "what nonsense are you talking about! what have i got to do with you!" xia he said in annoyance. "i''m here to apologize! let''s go and buy clothes! i still feel bad for dirtying your clothes the last time," song dan shouted loudly, as if he wanted everyone around them to hear him. xia he''s colleagues instantly gasped. they did not expect xia he to be involved with another man. what could the two of them be doing to get their clothes dirty? furthermore, it sounded that they were alone when that happened. "i just know it. xia he isn''t a decent person. she''s engaged to deng fan on one hand, but she''s still flirting with another man on the other hand. what a slut. she probably got a divorce because she had an affair," whispered li hua, who used to be quite close with yang xin. "what nonsense are you talking about! how do you know that xia he had done this!" xiao nan said indignantly. "there are much worse things that i can say. who do you think you are? are you xia he''s lapdog? even if you want to curry favor, don''t pick the wrong person!" li hua said as she raised her head smugly. xia he glared at song dan and said, "i haven''t settled the score with you for bumping into my bicycle when it rained the last time! just go away! i won''t pursue the matter anymore!" "even biological brothers have to settle their accounts clearly! we''re childhood friends! i must make it up to you!" song dan said as he pestered her. Chapter 1446 He Likes Men chapter 1446 he likes men li hua covered her mouth and pretended to be surprised as she said, "oh! childhood friends! that means childhood sweethearts! so these two people have a history together! looks like deng fan is the third party here." "you''d better be careful about what you say! keep your mouth shut! otherwise... otherwise i..." xiao nan said hesitantly. "otherwise what? you''d throw mud at me? throw away my clothes?" li hua looked at xiao nan mockingly and said, "you only know how to do such childish things. don''t embarrass yourself by acting like a child. if i''m you, i will look for a hole in the ground and hide inside. i won''t come out for the rest of my life. how shameful!" there was laughter all around. everyone in li hua''s group laughed at xiao nan''s incompetence. xiao nan lowered her head aggrievedly. she felt so indignant. she did not want to leave like this and did not want to be mocked by li hua and the others. bai dian hurriedly pulled xiao nan away from the main entrance of the art troupe. the two of them were newbies and there was no way for them to win against these veterans in the art troupe. the two of them only stopped when they reached an alleyway. "why did you pull me away!" xiao nan said as she struggled. "should i leave you there to be bullied by li hua? how can you be so unappreciative to someone who helps you!" bai dian said angrily. xiao nan lowered her head apologetically and said, "i... i don''t mean it that way..." "i know. li hua has a big group of people with her and they all act like shrews. how are you going to fight them? don''t be silly. besides, the most they can do is gossip about others. it''s fine as long as we don''t take them seriously. don''t lower yourself to their level," bai dian said. n-/o-)v.(e/-l.-b((i//n "i just can''t stand the way they talk!" xiao nan said. "it''s fine. we''ll just find an opportunity to teach them a lesson in the future!" bai dian said. after xiao nan and bai dian left, xia he did not spend too much time arguing with song dan. she quickly left on her bicycle and was still panting when she reached qiao mei''s house. "i thought i told you to ride slowly. is there a dog behind you trying to bite you? it''s very dangerous for you to do this," qiao mei said to xia he with a frown as she stood in the courtyard. "yes there is! something scarier than a dog! if i don''t run, i''ll be skinned and swallowed alive!" xia he yelled out angrily. qiao mei put down the clippers in her hand and asked curiously, "what is it? what are you talking about?" xia he told qiao mei everything that had happened. qiao mei immediately covered her mouth and said, "oh my goodness! don''t tell me this person is interested in you!" "him? i''ve never seen him interested in any woman. i think he likes men!" xia he said. xia he did not care if other people liked men or women. after all, it was none of her business. it was up to others to decide who they liked. she had no right to comment. however, during this era, these people would die if others found out about such behavior! they would be forced to their graves! "really? did you hear wrongly?" qiao mei asked as she looked at xia he agitatedly. she knew that homosexuality was also prevalent in the past, but she did not expect to be able to see it for herself. "it''s absolutely true! why would i lie to you! seriously, if you don''t believe me, you can check it out for yourself!" xia he said in annoyance. qiao mei went to the kitchen and personally made a portion of ice jelly for xia he to appease her anger. she had recently worked out how to make this! later on, she would look into how to make milk tea. otherwise, she was going to find life unbearable soon. she was someone who could not live without milk tea! that night, qiao mei wrote a letter and sent it to yeo nian using the pigeon. she asked him to find out exactly what was going on. she was not concerned about the fact that someone fell for xia he. after all, xia he was a beautiful woman and it was not surprising for men to like her. she was more concerned that song dan had other motives. if anyone wanted to harm xia he, she would definitely tear that person into pieces! after song dan reached home, he started drinking to drown his sorrows. he felt that all the women in the world were the same. they all hated his appearance and were afraid that he had ulterior motives towards women. du miao pushed the door open and entered. he behaved as if he was in his own house and did not have the self-awareness of a guest at all. "get lost!" song dan said impatiently. "did you drink too much? it''s me, your brother," du miao said with a smile. Chapter 1447 Giving Ideas chapter 1447 giving ideas "it''s all your fault for coming up with such a lousy idea. she''s completely ignoring me now. women are all the same. they think too highly of themselves! i don''t want to have anything to do with them anymore!" after saying that, song dan took another big gulp of liquor. "then tell me what you did. let me see if i can give you some advice," du miao said. after song dan finished relating everything that happened, du miao almost wanted to pick up the liquor bottle and smash it on song dan''s head! no wonder no woman ever liked song dan. no one would like a man who was so insensitive and even caused trouble for others! "you''re really muddle-headed! think about it from her perspective. would you like someone to woo you like this? this is clearly more like coercion!" du miao said. "then what should i do! do i have to worship her!" song dan said furiously. "you''re wooing a woman now! not kidnapping a woman! if you don''t get xia he, then your grandfather can''t be saved! go on and continue to be so stubborn. let''s see how long you can last!" du miao said angrily. after that, song dan sobered up a little. yes, he still had his grandfather to think about. for his grandfather''s sake, he must be patient and woo xia he properly. however, he did not know how to do it. he had never wooed a woman before. "how... how did you woo sister-in-law back then?" song dan asked softly. "at least you still have some brains..." du miao said disdainfully. after saying that, he cleared his throat and continued, "for a woman like xia he, you can''t use money and gifts to impress her. she doesn''t lack anything and she won''t be interested in anything that you can offer. you have to put yourself on her level before she will take you seriously." "i don''t understand. tell me in detail what you want me to do," song dan said. du miao sighed resignedly. however, he had no choice as song dan was his brother. if he did not do anything, grandpa song would be out of options. grandpa song was quite nice to him, so he could not leave the old man in the lurch. he came up with a series of plans for song dan to follow. the next morning, xia he went out to work. scared that song dan would block her way at the main door, she ran out as fast as she could when it was time to get off work, but she still bumped into him. this time, song dan was not so aggressive. instead, he stood at the side and said politely to xia he, "um... i was in the wrong yesterday. i went overboard. i apologize." "alright... i''m fine," xia he said awkwardly. song dan did not do anything else and did not say much to xia he. he came today purely to apologize to xia he and make her lower her guard against him. as usual, li hua came to the door to see what was happening with xia he. she shouted in xia he''s direction, "look! that man is here to see xia he again!" "i''m not here to see xia he. i''m just here to apologize to her. we used to be classmates," song dan explained with a smile. xia he was surprised by what he did. she had thought that song dan would continue to pester her like what he did yesterday, but she did not expect him to explain the situation on her behalf. however, it did not matter what he did. he was doing it in a way that seemed to reveal what he intended to hide. it would only make li hua more suspicious of his motives. "i forgive you. don''t come here again." with that, xia he rode her bike home. song dan did not continue to pester her. there was no sight of him at the door for three or four days after that and xia he finally relaxed. at home, she said joyfully to qiao mei, "i''ve been so happy these past few days! it''s so comfortable not to have anyone pestering me!" "has he really given up?" qiao mei asked suspiciously. "i don''t know, but he hasn''t appeared for a while. let''s not talk about him anymore! i''m going to go on stage soon. the ticket sales will start tomorrow and i''ll get you a few. you must come and support me!" xia he said excitedly. "what about mother and the rest? are you giving everyone tickets?" qiao mei asked. n.)0velbin there was no need for xia he to give xu lan one because xu lan could enter the performance venue directly and walk around as she pleased without the need for a ticket. xia he intended to send tickets to second aunt-in-law''s family as well as to xia wen and mo zhu. xia mao and xia jun were usually very busy and did not have the time to watch her performance. this was an unspoken mutual understanding between them, so she would not send any tickets to them. "then... what about third uncle''s family?" qiao mei asked. although the family had already split up, they were still related by blood. as long as xia guang remained above board, everyone could still live together harmoniously. Chapter 1448 See You There chapter 1448 see you there "third uncle and his family... i don''t know if i should send them the tickets," xia he said hesitantly. "i think you should send them the tickets. this way, we''ll have done our part. whether they come or not, it''s their business and has nothing to do with us. what do you think about handling it this way?" qiao mei said. "it''s a small matter to give them tickets, but what if they cause trouble in public? it''s not like you didn''t see the look in zhou luo''s eyes!" xia he said worriedly. this musical was xia he''s first performance after returning to the capital. she could not afford to make any mistakes, otherwise she would not be able to continue on this career path! this performance was one that could make or break her. given xia guang''s character, he definitely would not come to watch xia he''s performance. the tickets would be passed to zhou luo or xia xing. it was unlikely that xia xing and his siblings would want to hurt the other xia family members. zhou luo was the one they had to guard against! "then... then call xia xing and tell him. if they want to attend the performance, i''ll wait for them at the door and hand the tickets to them. this way, we can also prevent those unrelated people from entering," qiao mei said. "that''s a good idea. i''ll call brother xing tomorrow!" at the mention of xia xing, xia he suddenly said sadly, "i wonder if xia xing has settled things with that woman. i also don''t know how xia xing has been recently." no matter what, they were all members of the xia family. even if the family was already split up, they were still related by blood. if the third son''s family really encountered any difficulties, no one would really sit back and do nothing. "don''t worry, xia xing can handle it. he''s not a child anymore," qiao mei said as she patted xia he''s shoulder. it was another bright and sunny day as xia he hummed a song and rode her bicycle to work. before she reached the main entrance of the art troupe, she could already see song dan standing there motionlessly, holding a big bag in his hand. xia he lost her relaxed mood from the past few days and felt stressed again. why was this song dan looking for her again? he must be up to no good! "xia he! xia he!" song dan shouted. xia he acted as if she did not see song dan and walked straight towards the building. seeing this, song dan stood in front of xia he and said, "xia he! i have something to tell you!" "i still have to go to work. please move aside. i don''t think we have anything to talk about." xia he took a step back to keep a distance from song dan and looked at him coldly. song dan scratched his head awkwardly and said, "i''m here to tell you something important! there''s going to be a class reunion soon. you must attend it!" "class reunion?" xia he looked at song dan in confusion. they were classmates from elementary school and for so many years, no one had ever contacted xia he. it would cost money to organize a gathering. during the gathering, all the attendees would make comparisons between those who contributed to the funds and those who did not, and also about who did well in life and who did not! in order to find a proper reason to go out for a meal with xia he, song dan had specially spent a lot of money to organize this class reunion. of course, it was not done in his name and it was du miao who had gone around to send the invitations. everyone showed du miao some respect and agreed to attend the event. "that''s right, you''re the only one left!" song dan said excitedly. xia he really had no reason to reject the invitation. even though she transferred out of the school early, she was still acquainted with the people in this class. it was inevitable that people would gossip about her if she did not turn up. nove-lb.1n "when is it?" xia he asked. sensing that she was going to agree, song dan quickly said, "is tomorrow night alright for you?" xia he looked at song dan in puzzlement. she thought the date of the class reunion should already be fixed? why did song dan ask her if it was alright for her? "yes, alright. where is it held? i''ll go over after work," xia he said coldly. "it''s fine! i''ll come and pick you up! this is the gown that i''m giving you as compensation. you must wear it! i''ll see you there!" song dan ran off after saying that, ignoring xia he''s shouts behind him. xia he knew that there was nothing she could do to change the situation and entered the practice studio resignedly. "who wants to see you there..." xia he muttered disdainfully. nothing was more important than the musical at the moment. she must focus on her rehearsals and put everything else aside for now. Chapter 1449 Giving Clothes as a Gift chapter 1449 giving clothes as a gift after xia he reached home after work, she kept staring blankly at her wardrobe. everyone said that attending a class reunion was no different from going to the battlefield. the main purpose of the gathering was not to greet one another, but to compare among themselves to see who was doing better now. the xia family was doing very well in the capital, but xia he was not doing that well for herself. she was completely reliant on the halo effect of being part of the family. coupled with the fact that she had many scandals recently, she must look more beautiful than everyone else at this class reunion! she could not let others look down on her! qiao mei quietly appeared behind xia he and suddenly patted her on the shoulder. "you''ve been standing here for a long time with your things all over the room. what exactly are you doing? are you going to run away during the night?" "you gave me a fright! you can still stand here and make sarcastic remarks! hurry up and help me choose! what do you think i should wear tomorrow?" xia he asked with a frown. "don''t you have some new clothes?" qiao mei said as she pointed at the unfamiliar bag at the door. xia he frowned slightly and looked at the bag. if not for qiao mei''s reminder, she had already forgotten that song dan gave her something in the morning. she had brought it back with the rest of her things when she got off work. "i won''t wear that dress even if i have to die. i''ll throw it away later! i get so annoyed when i see it!" xia he said furiously. "why throw it away? recently, there are a lot of clothes at home that we can''t wear anymore. i''m getting auntie xu to pack them up so that i can send them to the poorer families. this way, they won''t have to spend money on clothes," qiao mei said. "you''re giving these people clothes? aren''t you afraid that they won''t be thankful but will despise your charity instead?" xia he asked. xia he had seen this kind of thing many times. in the current society, people hated the rich and could not bear to see others doing better than them. if they received things from the richer people, they would think that it was a charitable act that was done out of pity. in the end, they ended up hating those people who were nice to them. qiao mei also knew about these things and xu kang had also told her about it, but she still wanted to do it. it was enough if six out of ten families could remember her kindness. besides, she was going to send the things back to foshan village and not to people she didn''t know, so there should not be any big problems. "don''t worry, i know what i''m doing." qiao mei walked forward and picked up a navy blue dress with an exquisite pattern of lilies embroidered on it. "you want me to wear this?" xia he asked as she looked at the dress in qiao mei''s hand. "yes, i think this one looks very nice. it''s low-key and luxurious. i have a set of pearl jewelry that matches the lilies. you can wear them with the dress," qiao mei said. xia he immediately threw herself into qiao mei''s arms and said, "qiao mei~ why are you so nice! it''s my blessing that xia zhe married you!" nove)lb.1n "what are you talking about? shouldn''t i be xia zhe''s blessing?" qiao mei raised her eyebrows and said with a laugh. "yes, yes, yes! you''re our xia family''s lucky star! our lucky charm! our family can''t survive without you!" xia he said agitatedly. "stop flattering me! hurry up and tidy up your things. don''t tell me you want auntie xu to clean up your mess!" qiao mei said disdainfully. although xu kang was qiao mei''s helper, she could not ask xu kang to do everything. she could leave the household matters to xu kang, but if there was an intentional mess or any mistake that they had made, she could not ask xu kang to clean up their mess. it was already late at night when qiao mei finished matching the accessories for xia he. the next morning, right after xia he set off happily, qian''e came to look for qiao mei for a discussion. "why do you have time to come and look for me?" qiao mei asked curiously. during this period of time, qian''e had been going around to find resellers for her popcorn. now that the factory was under construction, zhao fei and his team were no longer big enough to fulfill her requirements. she also needed to find some trusted aides. xia zhe''s help was indispensable when it came to this. xia zhe had asked his old comrades who had retired from the army to come to the capital for interviews. it was up to qian''e to decide if she wanted to hire them. qiao mei was the one who arranged for xia zhe to do this. "i''ve discovered something strange recently," qian''e said with a frown. "something strange? tell me about it." qiao mei put down the needlework in her hand and looked at qian''e with a serious look. Chapter 1450 Sneaky chapter 1450 sneaky during the past few days, qian''e had gone to the factory in the suburbs to supervise the process. the factory was basically completed by now, except for the mechanical equipment inside and the beds in the dormitory. qian''e and li gui still needed to go to the factory to discuss with deng fan in detail with regard to these outstanding issues. by chance, qian''e discovered zhao liu behaving sneakily in the area one day. every evening, zhao liu would go walking around the factory at dusk using a very well-hidden route. if not for the fact that qian''e had taken the wrong path when she was rushing to go to the toilet, she would not have caught sight of zhao liu. "why is he there?" qiao mei muttered to herself. the exact location of the factory was not released to the public yet. before it was completed, she did not want to tell anyone. those who knew were all her trusted aides. for zhao liu to know this, it was not something simple anymore. "i don''t think he has any good intentions. i suspect that this matter is also related to zhao fei. should we consider finding another business partner?" qian''e asked. back then, zhao fei had promised them that he would not let anyone else from the zhao family dabble in the business. at the moment, zhao liu''s actions just served to tell them that zhao fei did not keep his word! everyone knew that zhao liu had designs on li gui. they were worried that he would catch li gui unaware and do something bad to her. if that happened, li gui would not be able to resist even if she wanted to. qian''e had heard too many such stories when she was in the hospital. she did not want li gui to experience any of those things and she would rather do too much than too little! "i don''t think it''s that easy to find someone else immediately. right now, we still need the land in zhao fei''s village to produce the seeds. it''s definitely not enough to rely on what my hometown village can produce and the cost will also increase greatly. it''s not a good idea to replace zhao fei now," qiao mei said with a slight frown. "then... then i''ll think of another way. zhao liu hasn''t done anything out of line yet. he''s just walking and looking around outside. we''ll deal with this matter when he makes a move," qian''e said. "that''s doable too. when the time comes, we''ll net them all in one fell swoop! i''ll go and talk to my mother later and ask her to stay at home for the time being. the children are starting school soon and the factory is almost completed. i''m afraid you''ll have to work very hard during this period of time," qiao mei said apologetically. "it''s not hard at all. this is not just your business. i have a share too! we''re a family! it doesn''t matter which one of us is keeping an eye on the business. there''s no need to be so polite between us. i''m going to work. take care of your own health," qian''e said. after sending qian''e off, qiao mei went to li gui''s house. li gui went to supervise the work at the factory often and she would go out early and return late every day. the children would play at qiao qiang''s house when she was not around. "elder sister is here!" zhang qin said excitedly when she saw qiao mei. "is mom at home?" qiao mei asked gently as she patted zhang qin''s head. "yes. mom didn''t go out today. she''s preparing our stationery at home!" zhang qin said excitedly. the children''s schooling arrangements have been settled. xia wen had arranged for zhang chao and zhang qin to go to an elementary school near their house. with xia he''s recommendation, zhang miao was accepted at the best dance academy in the capital. zhang wei also got his wish to study in the military school where xia zhe had graduated. each child was able to continue with their studies. li gui had bought new school bags for the children. the designs were still the most basic ones and as usual, each child''s name was embroidered on his or her school bag. even if the family had money now, she could not let the children develop the habit of spending money recklessly. money should be spent wisely. one should know when to save and when to spend, depending on the circumstances. "mom, i''m here." qiao mei walked into the house with a smile. n--ovelb1n "oh my! i''m so busy dealing with the things for those little brats that i didn''t even hear you enter the house. come and sit down to help me take a look. what else do they need? i''m worried i''m not meticulous enough," li gui said. xia wen had written down a list of items that each child needed when school started. li gui bought all the items according to the list and checked them over and over again. she had checked them more than 10 times, but she was still afraid of missing out on something. this was especially true for the things which zhang wei and zhang miao needed. li gui had checked the items many times. the two children were going to boarding schools and they would not be able to come back except during the holidays. she would not be able to help out the two children at all times as they would be far away. what if they lacked any item! Chapter 1451 Changed After Becoming a Mother chapter 1451 changed after becoming a mother qiao mei took the list given by xia wen and carefully checked each child''s requisite items twice. after confirming that there were no mistakes, she stuffed another 50 dollars into each child''s school bag. "hey! why are you giving them so much money! even if they need money, i should be the one giving it to them! i''m no longer short on cash now. quick, take it back!" li gui said anxiously. "this is my gift to them. this way, even if they lack something, they can go out and buy it. we don''t have to worry about them in the event that they forget to bring what they need," qiao mei said with a smile as she stroked the children''s school bags gently. "aren''t you worried that these children will spend money recklessly?" li gui said worriedly. n--o.)v--e-/1--b()i..n "they''ve been going around with us to earn money since they were young, so they definitely know how difficult it is to earn money. i believe they won''t waste money," qiao mei said. zhang miao looked at qiao mei in confusion and asked, "elder sister, what does it mean to waste money?" zhang miao, who was the youngest, did not actually know how she should spend money. however, li gui had previously taught her that she should only buy necessities, and necessities referred only to things that she could not do without! "to waste money means you don''t cherish money and simply buy whatever you want without any restraint. it''s not right to be so unrestrained. you can buy whatever you like or want and that''s not considered a waste of money. however, if you go around buying things no matter whether you like it or not, and those things are not even useful, then it''s a waste," qiao mei said after thinking for a long time. zhang miao looked at qiao mei but she did not quite grasp the concept. she still did not understand what qiao mei meant, but she understood the principle that money must be spent wisely! "i understand!" zhang miao said earnestly. qiao mei called all the children to come over and gave every child a whole list of instructions. she really wished that she could split herself into four parts and go to school with each of the children. for some reason, she could not help but feel nervous when she looked at children now. she had never felt this way before. perhaps she had changed after becoming a mother and her thoughts were all about all children''s well-being now. "you must hide whatever money you have. don''t let other people find out that you have a lot of money. nowadays, two dollars is a lot of money to most people. the money i have given you is meant for emergencies. you must not show it to others, do you understand?" qiao mei reminded them. "got it!" the four children replied in unison. after saying that, the children went out to play. they were about to start school and did not have much time left to play around. there was no point in asking them to read those boring textbooks for now, so the adults were inclined to let the children have fun for now. after work, xia he went to the changing room and changed into the clothes which qiao mei had matched for her. everyone was very envious of xia he''s outfit. "sister xia he! where did you buy such huge pearl earrings! look at this ring full of diamonds. this is the type which can only be found at auctions!" xiao nan said as she looked at xia he in shock. "oh, you actually know about auctions! you haven''t studied much, but you sure know a lot!" bai dian said to xiao nan with a grin. "hmph, i still know about such things!" xiao nan said smugly. "my sister-in-law gave these to me. she likes all these things," xia he lowered her head and said embarrassedly. li hua stood at the side and looked at xia he with a jealous expression. the li family was unknown in the capital and just a very ordinary family. li hua''s family had to scrimp and save to buy her dance clothes and dancing shoes. her entire family was waiting for her to become a big star! she had entered the industry in the same year as xia he, but she still only received mediocre roles now. she was indignant that xia he could so easily get the female lead role! "what is so rare about this that you have to fawn in this manner? such a bunch of ignorant country bumpkins! how ignorant!" li hua said disdainfully. "gosh, such sour grapes! have you ever seen such a big pearl! i don''t think you''ve ever seen anything like this before! if you''re so capable, then bring one and show us! you don''t have anything valuable on you, yet you''re still criticizing others!" xiao nan said as she looked at li hua mockingly. xia he did not want to get into any argument with the others and tugged at the corner of xiao nan''s clothes to stop her from talking. however, li hua was not going to let them off just like that. Chapter 1452 Without a Trace chapter 1452 without a trace "who knows if it''s her family members who gave her this thing? it might be from the man at the door that day! some people look cool and aloof on the surface, but who knows what despicable things they can do behind everyone''s back!" li hua said. "you''d better watch your mouth!" bai dian said as she glared at li hua. "did i say who it is? did i say this person''s name? why are you able to make the connection! don''t tell me you have a guilty conscience!" li hua said softly. xia he patted the dust off the bottom of her skirt with a cold expression on her face. she put away her training clothes and dancing shoes and locked them in the cabinet. then, she carried the clutch bag which qiao mei made for her and stood in front of li hua. "everyone knows very well who you''re talking about. don''t pretend to be clueless. you may be a fool, but no one else is. this is the second time you''re spreading false rumors. if there''s a third time..." xia he poked li hua in the shoulder fiercely and said, "i''ll make sure you die and disappear without a trace!" li hua sneered and said, "heh! who are you trying to scare! do you dare to kill me?" "then make a guess whether i dare to do it or not," xia he said after staring into li hua''s eyes for a long time. it made li hua break out in cold sweat. xia he''s stare was like that of a cheetah on the hunt and she was the prey targeted by the cheetah. no matter how she tried to escape, she would not be able to escape xia he''s grasp. xia he did not continue to argue with li hua and turned to leave the changing room. li hua was so frightened by xia he that her legs went weak and she collapsed to the floor. xiao nan and the rest also got off work one after another. as soon as xia he left the building, she saw song dan waiting near the door. he was wearing a white suit with a red rose in the breast pocket of his suit and holding a huge bouquet of red roses in his hand. xia he pursed her lips in disdain. it was not that his clothes did not look good, nor was it the flowers in his hands which did not look good. xia he could tell at a glance that the clothes were made by an established brand in the capital. the material used was also good quality silk, but it was just that this person... was not suitable for this suit. song dan was very tanned and also not very good-looking, so when he wore white clothes, it made him look even more tanned and highlighted his shortcomings. if song dan walked about in the dark, everyone would probably only see a white suit moving around. they would not be able to see the person wearing the suit and would think that there was a ghost around! "xia he! you''re finally here! let''s go now!" song dan said happily. "erm... didn''t i say that i would go on my own?" xia he said helplessly. "but i really want to come and fetch you. consider this my apology to you. you haven''t allowed me to make it up to you for what happened last time," song dan said. xia he could feel goosebumps appearing all over her body. she had a fiance? now. if she took song dan''s car, she might find herself being the subject of rumors. it was better for her to find her own transport. however, before she came out today, she did not inform the xia family''s chauffeur about this event nor did she have time to tell qiao mei. how was she going to find her own transport now? just as xia he was hesitating, the xia family''s car suddenly appeared from afar and stopped in front of her. chen mu, dressed in a neat black suit and wearing white gloves, got out of the car elegantly and stood in front of xia he. he bowed slightly and said, "eldest miss, i''m here to pick you up." n)(o()v-/e-)1/-b-/1)-n although this opening line sounded very awkward, the corners of xia he''s mouth only twitched slightly as she said, "alright... let''s go." chen mu helped xia he into the car, then he turned around and said to song dan, "mr. song, we''ll take our leave first. goodbye." "wow... who is this handsome guy?" xiao nan said as she looked at chen mu with stars in her eyes. "this must be the xia family''s chauffeur. i remember that xia he''s brother has a designated driver," bai dian said. "don''t pretend to know something you don''t. why would such a handsome man be willing to work for the xia family as their chauffeur?" li hua questioned. "the bai family is a good friend of the xia family after all. have you been to the xia family residence before? my elder brother and brother xia are colleagues. don''t tell me you know more about these things than me?" bai dian said as she rolled her eyes. li hua was rendered speechless by the retort. song dan stood rooted to the spot and clenched his fists. this was the first time he had been humiliated like this. with his current status in society, many women would want nothing more than to pounce on him. only xia he ignored him and even mocked him. song dan swore in his heart that he would definitely get his hands on this woman, xia he! he would do it no matter the cost! Chapter 1453 A Shabby Restaurant ? chen mu was not just the xia family''s chauffeur. similar to luo yu, although both of them worked for the xia family, they were considered members of the xia family. they were both trusted aides and also good friends with xia wen and the others. "eldest miss, why are you still so unhappy? do you want me to sing you a song?" chen mu teased. "shoo, shoo, shoo! you still dare to call me eldest miss. i was so shocked just now that my eyes almost fell out! you came at the right time though! but... how did you know to come and pick me up?" xia he asked curiously. "qiao mei gave xia wen a call. she said that you were in trouble and asked me to hurry over to provide you with support. that''s why i rushed over to pick you up. you''ve caused me to miss out on a date with a girl!" chen mu said sadly. xia he smiled faintly. qiao mei really knew her the best and knew that she would be in trouble tonight, so she specially found a "divine soldier" to come and save her! "on account of the fact that you haven''t forgotten about your friends after having a lover, i''ll get my eldest brother to give you an additional bonus next month! however... which family''s daughter is willing to accept an old bachelor like you! what a joyous occasion it is. when the time comes, i''ll definitely give you a fat red packet!" xia he said happily. "i save you and yet you still call me an old bachelor! do you believe that i can send you back now and let that man torture you?" chen mu threatened. xia he immediately said, "i''m sorry, i''m sorry! i won''t dare to do it again. don''t send me back!" "who''s that kid? it can''t be the deng fan that your brother told me about, right? he''s too... not very good-looking. why do you fancy such a guy? what are you thinking?" chen mu said disdainfully. "nonsense! that''s not deng fan! my fiance? is handsome and suave. he doesn''t look like that! that''s an insult to him!" xia he said angrily. "i''m just joking..." chen mu said fearfully. the combativeness of a woman in love was very scary. he could not even pass a few casual remarks. however, based on xia he''s taste, her partner''s looks would not be too bad. after all, xia he had taken a fancy to kong lu because of his good looks back then and had been so charmed by that scumbag. chen mu drove carefully and soon arrived at the venue of the class reunion. it was not a very fancy place, just a simple little restaurant. it was even hard to tell if it was big enough to accommodate all those old classmates!n(/ovelbin "is... is your class reunion really being held here?" chen mu asked in disbelief as he pointed at the small restaurant. xia he was also a little stunned. she had thought that they would be dining at one of the top 10 restaurants in the capital. after all, their classmates from back then were all doing quite well now.i think you should take a look at "i don''t know... let''s not criticize someone else''s choice..." xia he said helplessly. "do you need me to come and pick you up later? i''m worried that it''s not safe for you to go back by yourself," chen mu said, frowning as he thought of the man from earlier. "it''s fine. i''ll call you if i need anything, but i have to trouble you to go to my workplace to bring my bicycle home. i still need it to go to work tomorrow!" xia he said with some frustration. "got it. be careful." after saying that, chen mu watched xia he enter the small restaurant and then went to move the bicycle back to qiao mei''s house as xia he had instructed. xia he looked at the clothes that she was wearing. she had wasted all the time she took to pick out such nice clothes. "who is this person?" "is she on our list?" "i don''t know. do any of you know her? is she anyone''s family member?" the people there looked at xia he as they talked among themselves. xia he had transferred out from the school a long time ago and did not make many good friends when she was in this class. her friends were all people she met later in the art school. xia he stood nervously in the middle of the hall. she felt like a clown that everyone was laughing at. she was sure that no one would remember her even if she told them her name. song dan had probably lied to her. no one seemed to remember her, so why would anyone invite her? "you are all already here!" song dan walked in happily from the main door. xia he remained standing without turning around until song dan came to her side. "why haven''t you found a seat? come and sit over there with me!" song dan said warmly. Chapter 1454 A Discerning Man chapter 1454 a discerning man although everyone did not like song dan because he was ugly and also a very crude person, he was the most successful among them. they all wanted to get to know song dan better and become his good friend so that they could tag on his connections! there were many things which song dan could help them with. song dan did not allow just anyone to call themselves his friends. he remembered everything that happened in the past and did not intend to make it easy for anyone who bullied him in the past. he was not the kind to take the initiative to stir up trouble though. as the saying went, how could one spend time dancing on hornets'' nests and not expect to be stung? whenever song dan could get a hold over someone, he would not let that person off easily! "song dan, why didn''t you inform us that you got married! we didn''t even get to eat any wedding candy!" a man said agitatedly. "married? when did i get married?" song dan frowned and asked a little unhappily. "then who is this beautiful woman beside you? who else can she be but our sister-in-law?" the man asked as he pointed at xia he. song dan smiled with a meaningful look on his face. at first, he thought that this man was mocking him for not being able to find a wife! he did not expect this man to know the right thing to say! what was his name again... ah! the youngest son of the tang family, tang chuan! it was said that his father gave him this name because he liked to eat candied haws when he was young. "don''t spout nonsense! this is our classmate, xia he!" song dan said as he held back his smile. everyone looked at one another, but none of them could remember who xia he was. however, tang chuan managed to react quickly and suddenly rushed forward to hold xia he''s hand and said, "oh, it''s you! goodness, it''s so true that women change a lot once they grow up! you look completely different from before! you''re such a beauty now! if we''re on the streets now, i won''t even dare to call out to you!" song dan nodded in satisfaction. this person named tang chuan was quite a discerning guy. du miao seemed to have told him before that tang chuan''s son did poorly in school and often got into fights and caused trouble. not long ago, he was even sent to the juvenile detention center for fighting with people outside school. the reason why tang chuan came to the gathering this time round was to talk to song dan about this matter and asked for help. song dan was very satisfied with the man''s performance so far and would definitely settle the matter regarding his son! song dan could solve this issue with a snap of his fingers. given his good mood at the moment, he decided to reward tang chuan! "is that so..." xia he retracted her hand awkwardly. "what do you do now? why didn''t you keep in touch with us after graduation?" a woman in the crowd asked. "i know! i know! are you in the art troupe! i saw the name xia he on the posters at the big theater! there''s a musical starting in two days and the main lead is xia he!" another woman said excitedly. everyone started discussing xia he''s work and family and she became a little annoyed. what did her personal issues have to do with these people? they were more concerned about her issue than their own. however, such was human nature. there was always a possibility that xia he could be useful to them in the future. they naturally had to make a choice now on whether they wanted to get to know xia he better. "alright! everyone, let''s sit down and eat! let''s chat while we eat!" song dan said. xia he realized that all these people did whatever song dan asked them to do. it would not be an exaggeration to say that they were like song dan''s dogs. could it be that... song dan was the one who organized this class reunion? back then, there were a total of 24 people in their class, but only 16 people came today! there was definitely something strange going on! "you''re xia he, aren''t you..." a drunk woman sauntered over to xia he''s side. n((ovelb1n "hello," xia he said coolly. "hmph, my name is mao lu. i''m sure you don''t remember me," mao lu said as she sat on the chair next to xia he. xia he shook her head. it was not just mao lu. she did not know anyone present today. song dan was already surrounded by a large group of people and everyone wanted to give him a toast. if he continued to drink like this, it would not take long before he became drunk. "aren''t you going to save bureau chief song from drinking too much? say, what kind of girlfriend are you? don''t you care about your man?" mao lu said with a frown. Chapter 1455 Currying Favor With The Bureau Chief ? "he''s not my boyfriend. we''re just classmates. don''t misunderstand," xia he said as she looked at mao lu seriously. mao lu held on to her wine glass and stared at xia he for a long time before she suddenly laughed and said, "who are you trying to fool? who doesn''t want to become bureau chief song''s wife? he''s the youngest bureau chief ever! who doesn''t want to curry favor with him!" mao lu was only half right. everyone really wanted to curry favor with song dan, but none of the women wanted to marry him. who would want to marry such an ugly man? there were even rumors going around that song dan did not seem to enjoy the company of women, but seemed to like men! this made the women even more afraid to marry song dan. even if they had such an ulterior motive, they had no chance with him if he was not interested! xia he looked at mao lu with a hint of mockery and confusion in her eyes. she did not understand why a person had to live in such a lowly manner, but then again, she did not have the right to criticize others. even though she did not have a luxurious life growing up, she never had to worry about money. after she grew up, xu lan had already paved the way for her. her life had been smooth-sailing so far. although those days of daily dance practice were very tough, it was something that she had to go through. if not for the fact that she had been so stupid back then and insisted on marrying kong lu despite her family''s objections, she might already have three or four children by now. at the thought of her failed marriage, xia he sighed resignedly. "what kind of look is that? don''t you want to win bureau chief song''s favor?" mao lu asked suspiciously. "no, i don''t. i just want to be myself. besides, will my life be any different if i know him better?" xia he said. "tsk, so high and mighty!" after mao lu said that, she walked away from xia he while carrying her wine glass. xia he sat alone in the corner and continued drinking. at this moment, song dan was already so drunk that he could not be bothered with xia he. she was fine with the entire situation since that meant he would not bother her when he had nothing to do. xia he did not know why she had inexplicably agreed to come to this place today. perhaps it was because she hoped to have more friends. she had lost touch with her old friends in the capital because she rarely returned to the capital after she got married and did not even keep in contact with them. she longed for one or two friends to accompany her, but then again, it seemed that friends were not that important to her anymore. she had qiao mei, family members who loved her, as well as luo yu and chen mu, who were like her brothers. all these were enough. most importantly, she now had a partner who had loved her deeply for many years. she wondered how he was now and if he had sat down for proper meals. they had not seen each other for half a month by now...nove-lb-in at the end of the evening, everyone sent the wobbly song dan to the door. xia he stood alone by the side of the street, waiting for chen mu to come and pick her up. she had already used the phone in the restaurant to contact chen mu.i think you should take a look at acting under the influence of alcohol, song dan rushed over to xia he and grabbed her arm tightly. "come! let''s go home! i''ve asked the chauffeur to come and pick us up!" "let go of me! are you crazy! who''s going home with you! let go of me now!" xia he said as she struggled. mao lu looked at xia he''s prim and proper manner and felt a little nauseous. xia he had clearly come to the restaurant with song dan, but now she was rejecting song dan''s invitation. she really did not know what was good for her! "xia he, let''s go! go home! don''t you remember the way home?" song dan said groggily. xia he found it hard to break free from song dan''s grip. people who were drunk were exceptionally strong and they also seemed to weigh a lot more. xia he had been on a diet recently to lose weight in order to look good on stage, so she did not have much strength to fight him. at this moment, a pair of hands suddenly hugged xia he and slapped song dan''s hands away. "there''s no need to trouble bureau chief song. i''ll send xia he home." xia he was very familiar with this embrace. it was the person she had been thinking about day and night. "why are you here?" xia he asked as she looked at deng fan. "i''m here to bring you home, you idiot. why didn''t you tell me about this?" deng fan whispered. song dan grabbed his own hands which were in pain and yelled out loudly. he looked at xia he and deng fan in disbelief and said, "what an indecent couple! why are you hugging each other on the street! how improper!" "oh! it''s one thing for you to seduce bureau chief song! but you even have another man!" mao lu yelled as she pointed at deng fan. "what in the world is going on?" deng fan said with a frown. Chapter 1456 People Can Fly ? deng fan would never believe that xia he would betray him. he knew very well what kind of person xia he was. even if there was truth in this rumor, then it must be this "bureau chief song" who seduced xia he. "let''s go. they all had too much to drink. i don''t want to waste my breath on them," xia he said tiredly. just as deng fan and xia he turned around to leave, mao lu suddenly rushed in front of them and gave xia he a hard slap when deng fan was not paying attention. "b*tch! i must avenge bureau chief song today!" mao lu shouted. when deng fan realized what was going on, he gave mao lu a hard kick, causing her to fall to the ground. mao lu held her stomach and lay motionlessly on the ground. it looked like deng fan had used all his strength in that kick. "are you alright! let me take a look!" deng fan looked at xia he nervously. xia he stood rooted to the spot. she was not frightened, but stunned. xia he did not expect deng fan to be so strong. she had just seen mao lu fly out with her own eyes... the one in trouble now was probably not her, but mao lu, who was on the ground, and song dan, who was lying unconscious in the crowd... "let''s call the police. erm, no, call an ambulance," xia he said as she pointed at mao lu. deng fan was worried about leaving xia he alone outside, so he pulled her back into the small restaurant to make the phone call. by the time chen mu arrived, there was already no one at the venue. chen mu hurriedly drove qiao mei and xia wen to the police station to pick up xia he and deng fan. it was the first time any of them had encountered such a situation. the members of the xia family had all learned martial arts techniques and knew how to control their strength. however, even the battle-hardened xia zhe had never beaten someone up to the extent that the person needed to be sent to the hospital. "where''s my younger sister?" xia wen rushed into the police station and asked the person at the front desk. "who''s your younger sister?" the front desk staff asked in confusion. zou ming hurriedly came out of the room and said, "brother, why are you here only now? if you come any later, everyone inside will be eaten alive by your younger sister and brother-in-law!" "what''s going on? what exactly happened?" qiao mei asked.i think you should take a look at zou ming gave them a summary of what had happened. du miao was now sitting inside the room and waiting for zou ming to give him a reasonable explanation. song dan had been diagnosed with alcohol poisoning at the hospital and was already sent to have his stomach pumped. he had been too emotional before he fainted and since he already suffered from high blood pressure, it was quite a dangerous situation for him to be in. he might even suffer a stroke! as for... mao lu, it did not seem too bad. she seemed to have two broken ribs. du miao did not care about mao lu at all. he did not even know who mao lu was. "deng fan is really amazing! he''s simply too cool! i''ve never seen deng fan fight before! i never expected such a refined person to know how to fight!" qiao mei said excitedly and almost wanted to applaud deng fan! "lower your voice! there''s still someone sitting inside!" zou ming said helplessly. "i want to see my elder sister first. we''ll talk about the rest later. whatever they say is one-sided. we have to know what exactly happened to xia he," qiao mei said. "only one of you can go in," zou ming said. qiao mei forged ahead. she turned around and whispered to xia wen, "eldest brother, you go and meet that person called du miao. leave xia he''s issue to me." "alright, go ahead," xia wen said. when qiao mei entered the room, she saw xia he sleeping soundly in deng fan''s lap, with deng fan''s coat draped over her. initially, zou ming wanted to give the couple two blankets, but deng fan said that it was not good to be too conspicuous and that it would easily get them into trouble. they had already caused trouble for zou ming and did not want him to be implicated further. "i''m here to save you. not bad, i didn''t expect brother-in-law to know how to fight!" qiao mei said as she looked at deng fan in admiration. "i''m really... sorry to have caused you trouble. i didn''t even want to tell you about this at all," deng fan said embarrassedly.nove-lb/1n his parents were getting on in years. moreover, he was an obedient child in everyone''s eyes and had never done anything out of line. if his parents knew that he had gotten into a fight and was sent to the police station, it would be equivalent to telling deng rui that deng fan had killed someone. "this is nothing. you only did it to protect my elder sister. eldest brother is dealing with the situation in the other room. just wait a while. it will be over soon," qiao mei said relaxedly. Chapter 1457 We Are a Family chapter 1457 we are a family "can eldest brother handle it alone? i heard that song dan''s friend is not an ordinary person," deng fan said with a frown. he had found out more about the situation from zou ming just now. this du miao was not even afraid of the police and it was as if nothing could suppress him. he did not know if xia wen could deal with that man. qiao mei raised her eyebrows and said, "do you not trust eldest brother, or do you not trust me, or do you not trust the xia family?" when deng fan heard this, he laughed relaxedly and said, "i don''t know if i should feel apologetic or grateful now." he was originally just an ordinary person who lived a normal life. it was already a blessing for him if his parents lived a long and healthy life. he had no intention to curry favor with the xia family. he only wanted to take care of xia he in whatever way he could. actually, when he and xia he were talking about getting married, xia mao had met him in private once. he would never forget that experience for the rest of his life. xia mao took out the title deeds for two properties and a bankbook with 10,000 dollars in the account. xia mao did not want xia he to live a hard life with deng fan. in addition, xia he had already been married once and her reputation was already tainted. although the deng family was not a prominent family, they were still a good family with a clean background. xia mao just wanted xia he and deng fan to live a more comfortable life. it was not his intention to look down on deng fan. deng fan knew what xia mao was thinking and rejected him politely. based on his current capability, it was not a problem for him to support xia he. even if xia he did not go to work and just stayed at home, deng fan was still able to support xia he and let her buy whatever she wanted. however, if xia he wanted to live in a big house like qiao mei, then she would have to wait a few more years. he would definitely let xia he live in a spacious big house within the next five years. after seeing how determined deng fan was, xia mao finally felt at ease to let him take care of xia he. n-.ovelbin "you should feel at ease!" qiao mei said with a smile. "why?" deng fan looked at qiao mei in confusion. "because you''re a member of the xia family! we''re all your family members. if we don''t care about you when something happens to you, then who should do it? don''t worry, leave the man in the neighboring room to eldest brother and me. just take good care of xia he." with that, qiao mei went over to the other room. qiao mei originally wanted to put on a fake smile to deal with the situation, but she did not expect xia wen and du miao to already be sitting together and chatting happily. if the two of them had a bottle of liquor in front of them, it would not be long before they called each other brothers! if she did not know that this was xia wen''s usual ploy, she would really have gone out to buy some liquor! "oh my! is this xia zhe''s wife? i was so shocked when he got married back then! i thought he would marry that little girl from the he family. that girl has liked xia zhe since she was young. i didn''t expect it to be this woman in the end. but it''s no wonder that xia zhe likes her. she''s so beautiful that no man will want to give her up," du miao said as he sized qiao mei up. qiao mei clenched her fists slightly. this du miao was indeed not someone to be trifled with. he had a sharp tongue and said such mean things with a cheerful look on his face. "i''m afraid you outsiders don''t know about this. our xia zhe and qiao mei have been engaged for a long time. my grandfather had instructed xiao zhe to go and discuss the matter of marriage with grandpa qiao. after that, you all know what happened. qiao mei came to the capital to live with us," xia wen explained. "oh? is that so? then why did that little girl from the he family kick up such a big fuss?" du miao pretended to be puzzled and asked. "this is one of xia zhe''s romantic debts! don''t you know how talented and good-looking my younger brother is?" xia wen said as he stared at du miao. qiao mei realized that du miao looked like he had choked on a dead fly. could it be that there was some story between xia zhe and du miao in the past? after they settled this matter, she must ask eldest brother about it in detail! "cough, cough..." du miao coughed twice and then said, "it''s getting late. let''s get to the point. song dan is still lying in the hospital and the prognosis is unclear. i heard that xia he was the one who kept urging him to drink. you should give us an explanation for this." qiao mei sat down on the chair beside xia wen and said, "you already said that you ''heard'' about it. it''s better not to say too much about these things if you don''t have any evidence." Chapter 1458 Saving People With Medicine du miao looked at qiao mei furiously and questioned her, "what right does a woman have to sit here and talk to me! your eldest brother is still sitting here. when did the xia family start to be represented by a woman with a different surname?" xia wen looked at du miao unhappily. before he could speak, qiao mei looked at du miao mockingly and said, "what era is it now? don''t tell me that the women in your family can''t eat at the dining table? do they need your permission to speak? then i''ll get the women''s association to do a proper investigation and check on the women in your family to see if they have been treated inhumanely." du miao was about to retort when xia wen said, "you don''t have to worry about our xia family''s matters. qiao mei has free rein in our family and can do whatever she wants. even if qiao mei wants the moon in the sky, everyone in the xia family will do their best to fulfill her wish." qiao mei looked at xia wen, feeling touched. it definitely felt good to have family members protecting her! du miao''s breathing became heavier. he was a little angry, but he could not act rashly. qiao mei had saved xia mao''s life and she was now very precious to everyone in the xia family. he could hurt any other xia family members but not qiao mei. he immediately changed the topic and said, "there were so many people present at the event tonight. we can ask them to come over and ask them one by one to find out the truth." he had carefully chosen each of those people. in fact, many of them were not song dan''s former classmates but were people hired to put on an act. after losing touch for so many years, everyone had long forgotten about one another. as long as it was mutually beneficial, what did it matter if someone else pretended to be them? "that doesn''t mean anything! who knows if you''ve bribed them! you said that xia he kept urging song dan to drink, so don''t you think that the person who urged him to drink should also drink as much as him? why is xia he perfectly fine, but song dan ended up being hospitalized?" qiao mei questioned. "song dan must have been bewitched by xia he and listened to her!" du miao said firmly.nove-lb)in "is that so? i heard from others that song dan has never been close to women. no matter how beautiful a woman is, he doesn''t care about her. moreover, the more beautiful a woman is, the more annoyed song dan gets. everyone in the capital knows about this all these years," qiao mei said. "what do you mean by this?" du miao asked. "if he doesn''t like women, why would he listen to xia he? he must have been too happy and drank too impulsively. it has nothing to do with anyone else," qiao mei said. du miao smacked the table angrily and pointed at qiao mei. "you! you''re talking nonsense!" "i''m talking nonsense? if xia he urged him to drink, then her fingerprints must be on the wine glass and bottle. we''ll know once we get officer zou to get these things tested. oh right! mr. du, you''re also a police officer, so you should know that these procedures are always fair and just," qiao mei said with a smile. xia wen looked at qiao mei with admiration. there were many things that qiao mei could handle very well now and there was already no need for him to be the one to deal with issues. even if he had to leave the capital to attend to urgent matters, qiao mei could be counted on to protect the xia family when needed. after thinking about it, du miao decided to reach a settlement with xia wen and qiao mei and see if he could get some other benefits out of this. qiao mei was the owner of that "divine medicine". if he angered qiao mei and the xia family, it would not help song dan when he needed the medicine to save grandpa song in the future. forget it... grandpa song treated him very well. he would swallow his anger today. there was still a long way to go. when there was a chance, he would teach qiao mei and the xia family a lesson! "right now, song dan is at death''s door in the hospital. i understand that you can save him. since what happened tonight was caused by xia he and that... that kid surnamed deng, you have to save song dan," du miao said. qiao mei smiled. no wonder he had said all those things just now. after going around in circles, the fact was that he wanted the medicine which she had. it must have been hard on song dan and du miao to have to go through so much trouble. "i don''t have any medicine left. everyone knows about this. don''t tell me you don''t know?" qiao mei said. "your family must have kept some for yourselves. don''t tell me you gave everything away? don''t take me for a fool!" du miao said. qiao mei rolled her eyes and thought to herself, "i think you''re really a fool! if it''s meant for my family, then why will i give it to others?" Chapter 1459 We Will Pay for the Medical Expenses "it''s a fact that i don''t have any medicine left, but i know someone who definitely has some. i just don''t know if that person is willing to give it to you," qiao mei said with a sly smile. xia wen immediately guessed who qiao mei was talking about and he shook his head resignedly. he did not know if it was a boon or bane for he ning to be qiao mei''s acquaintance, given that she made him take the blame for everything. "i suppose you''re talking about the third young master of the he family," du miao said. "since you already know, then go quickly. if he finishes everything he has, i don''t know if you can still save song dan," qiao mei said, pretending to be worried. he ning, who was currently at home in the suburbs, suddenly sneezed twice. huo gao immediately asked, "what''s wrong with you? don''t tell me you caught a cold during the change in seasons!" he ning was very weak and they could not overlook any sickness. for others, it might just be a small cold, but in he ning''s case, it may even lead to pneumonia!n.)o()v)-e)/l--b-)i--n "i''m fine..." he ning did not feel any discomfort, but he just suddenly felt a chill down his spine. it was probably some little asshole who had thought about him. du miao was not a fool. he had already checked on all the "divine medicine" which qiao mei had given away. even if he was willing to snatch it from someone, he could not take it from he ning. that would be like trying to take that man''s life! "i heard that you''ve known him for a long time. why don''t you ask him for it? he won''t reject your request," du miao said. "who told you that i have a good relationship with him? i only sold him the medicine. other than that, we didn''t interact much," qiao mei said sternly. in this era, based on what du miao just said, anyone with ulterior motives would definitely be able to make a big deal out of it and make it sound like she had a sordid relationship with he ning. if that happened, she would not be able to explain herself even if she had more than one mouth to speak. "why does young master du keep asking us for that ''divine medicine''? is song dan''s condition really so serious at the moment? the doctors are all very capable nowadays. if there''s really no other way, you can transfer song dan to my aunt''s hospital. there are many experts there and i believe that they will definitely be able to treat song dan," xia wen said. "don''t you trust the hospital we''re currently using?" du miao said with a slight frown. "that''s not what i mean. song dan is your good brother, so you will definitely take good care of him. however, i also want to play safe. although what happened today has nothing to do with our xia family, we are willing to bear all the medical expenses in view of the relationship between our families. what do you think, young master du?" xia wen asked. du miao lowered his head and pondered for a long time. given that xia wen had already put it this way, it would be useless no matter how hard he tried to ask for that "divine medicine". instead, it would seem like he was being deliberately difficult. it looked like he would have to let song dan suffer for a while for now. he would take good care of grandpa song during this period of time. qiao mei brought xia he and deng fan back to her place to rest while xia wen and du miao went to the hospital to settle the outstanding issues. along the way, xia he looked unhappy and pulled a long face the entire time. if not for deng fan holding on to her, she might have jumped out of the car and returned to the police station to teach du miao a lesson. "are you still angry?" qiao mei asked cautiously. "how can i not be angry! these people actually plotted against me! we even need eldest brother and you to clean up the mess for us! i think eldest brother will nag me again when he comes back later..." xia he pouted and said aggrievedly. "if someone really wants to harm you, do you think you can detect it? furthermore, you were really plotted against, so there''s no point for you to take it to heart. just be more careful next time," qiao mei said with a smile. deng fan quickly echoed, "qiao mei is right. actually, it''s all my fault for being too impulsive this time. it''s also my fault for being too busy recently and not noticing what''s happening with you." "hey! stop, stop, stop! if we continue like this, it''ll be my turn to say that it''s all my fault! no one is at fault in this matter! it''s all those bad guys'' fault!" qiao mei quickly waved her hand to dispel all the thoughts that deng fan and xia he had. "by the way, elder brother-in-law! you must come and watch elder sister''s musical! i''ll give you a day off that day!" qiao mei said as she patted her chest. "i had wanted to talk to you about this too. given what you just said, i won''t stand on ceremony with you!" deng fan said happily. after they reached home, they immediately went to rest. xu kang brought deng fan to xia wen''s room in the backyard to stay for the night. Chapter 1460 Ticket Scalper chapter 1460 ticket scalper xia he left the house with deng fan the next day to go to work. when she returned at night, she had a pile of tickets in her hands. those who did not know better would think that she was a ticket seller! "qiao mei! how many tickets do you want! there''s definitely enough for you here!" xia he asked as she waved the tickets in her hand excitedly. "oh my goodness... are you going to book the entire place since you have so many tickets? did you buy all these?" qiao mei asked xia he in shock. xia he scratched her head in embarrassment and said, "ticket sales haven''t even started yet. i asked the supervisor for 50 tickets. i''ll pay him based on the lowest price for the number of tickets i take. this is not a lot given that there are so many seats in one show! i''ll return the rest of the tickets which i don''t need and they can sell them later." "are you sure this is not a lot..." qiao mei said helplessly. she did not know whether to praise xia he for being smart or for being honest. "quick, tell me! how many tickets do you want!" xia he said domineeringly. qiao mei counted the four children, li gui, qian''e and qiao qiang. after adding herself, that was already eight tickets. she decided to leave out the employees in the factory. grandpa zhou treated the xia family''s children like his own children, so they should also give him one ticket. in total, she needed nine tickets! "give me nine tickets. i''ll also pay for the other tickets that you''re giving away," qiao mei said. those tickets were basically meant for the xia family''s third son''s family and they were still part of the family. qiao mei never felt the pinch when she spent money on her own family. "how can i let you spend money! we agreed that i would treat everyone to the musical," xia he said as she pouted. "what i''m doing is called boosting your sales! we''re all on the same side. my money is your money. don''t stand on ceremony with me. quickly go into the house to wash your hands! auntie xu made many dishes tonight and said that she wants to celebrate!" qiao mei said with a smile. "will auntie and qian''e be here too? you should ask the children to come over for dinner," xia he said. qiao mei curled the corners of her lips and asked teasingly, "why? are you starting to like the sight of qian''e? that''s not what you used to say." xia he stood at the door, feeling a little helpless. she had really hated qian''e, but that was all in the past. the current qian''e was positive and no longer troubled by issues with men. she was also very devoted to qiao mei and this family, so there was nothing for xia he to pick on her. not long ago, when they were all seated at the dining table, xia he had mentioned in passing that her bicycle seat was a little bumpy. two days later, she suddenly realized that there was a light purple soft cover on the bicycle seat. this was xia he''s favorite color. on that day, there were only a few of them. li gui would never do such things, and xu kang and feng hua were not there. later on, after xia he observed carefully, she realized that it was qian''e who did it. it seemed that qian''e wanted to repay xia he for saving her back then, but in fact, xia he already did not remember the matter. "when... when did i say that i don''t like her... don''t forget to ask her to come for dinner! don''t say that i''m the one who asks her to come!" after saying that, xia he ran to her room to wash up. during dinner time, qiao mei took advantage of the fact that everyone was around and asked xia he to give the tickets to them one by one so that everyone would feel happy about it. instead of qiao mei distributing the tickets, it would be more meaningful for xia he to do it herself. "thank you, elder sister! wow! this ticket is so beautiful!" zhang qin said excitedly as she held the ticket with both hands. "i''ve never watched a musical before! elder sister, are you... are you the lead actress?" zhang miao asked after thinking for a long time. xia he smiled and patted zhang miao''s head. "that''s right. in the future, you can also stand on stage and become the main lead. i think very highly of you ~"n(-ovelbin "next time, we''ll be getting tickets from zhang miao! just thinking about it makes me look forward to it!" qiao mei lamented. when xia he passed qian''e her ticket, qian''e was slightly stunned. although the two of them saw each other often, they had not spoken for a long time. qian''e always remembered that xia he hated her. every time she saw xia he, she would take a different route, worried that she would make xia he annoyed. "do i get a share too?" qian''e whispered. "if... if you don''t have time, then forget it..." xia he said awkwardly. "of course i have time! thank you!" qian''e looked at xia he gratefully. xia he quickly went to li gui''s side to avoid that burning gaze from qian''e. after the family had an enjoyable dinner together, qiao mei brought qian''e to the study to discuss some issues related to the factory. Chapter 1461 Recruitment for the Factory chapter 1461 recruitment for the factory now that the factory was completed, most of the machines had been moved in and the dormitory was also almost ready. they were all set and all that was left was the matter of staff recruitment. "didn''t you say that there are many good candidates? have you interviewed any recently?" qiao mei asked. at the mention of this, qian''e became worried. the only people she knew were all relatives of the qian family. none of the qian family members were decent people, so she did not dare to hire them. the good thing was that xia zhe had put her in touch with many retired soldiers. those people were all hardworking and capable and not doing so well at home. as they all wanted to give their children a good future, many of them told xia zhe that they would come to the capital to work. if they had gone around looking for so many people on such a large scale earlier, people would surely have their doubts. however, with chi ze and mao hang already here and being testament to the success of the business, everyone believed in xia zhe and felt that they would find success by joining him! "no, the people who came are all xia zhe''s friends. the female workers whom we hired are all their wives. i haven''t publicized this matter yet because i don''t know what kind of arrangements you and xia wen have made. it would be bad if i leak anything which i shouldn''t," qian''e said cautiously. "it''s good that you have an awareness of such issues. you''re behaving more and more like a boss!" qiao mei praised her. "i''m just learning from you and simply following whatever you and auntie do. i''m still a novice and have lots to learn from both of you," qian''e said humbly. "has zhao liu come around recently?" qiao mei asked. "yes, he has. after i spoke to you the last time, i still see him coming here every day. sometimes, he would sneak into the area in the middle of the night to wander around. i think he''s not just eyeing auntie, but also our factory!" qian''e said resentfully. "ask zhao fei to go and take a look around the factory tomorrow and take the chance to give him some advice. if his uncle continues to do this, then our cooperation with their village will end here. at most, i''ll just spend more money and grow the seeds in the surrounding cities. i can''t accept my business partner being such a person," qiao mei said with a frown. qian''e fully agreed with what qiao mei said, but the thing was that even with the people whom xia zhe found, they still did not have enough workers. they were particularly short of female workers. men could do manual labor like stir-frying seeds and moving things. however, it was still better to have women doing the jobs like washing the pig offal, making braised meat and preparing popcorn. this was because women tended to be more meticulous.nove(lb(in they would have to depend on zhou shuang and sun juan to help find more workers. the two women had been living in this alley for so many years and must know many other women who lived in the area. "what about the salary and benefits for our workers? we still lack delivery vehicles. also, how do we intend to sell our goods?" qian''e asked. "benefits... i really haven''t thought about this yet. how about this, you and my mom can come up with some sample packs and go to the shops in various places to see if anyone wants to buy from us. don''t go to any of the state-run stores as they already have relationships with other sellers. we can''t go around snatching other people''s business," qiao mei reminded her. "yes, i understand. i''m good at such things!" qian''e said with a smile. back when she was a piano tutor, she had become acquainted with many well-off families. during this era, people who could afford a piano tutor tended to be quite well-to-do. qian''e decided to ask these people for help and see if there were any families in business who were willing to work with them. they were only looking for collaborative relationships and not investors. qiao mei did not lack money at all and she was fully capable of funding the business on her own. after discussing the important matters, qiao mei sat at her desk and thought hard about what kind of salary and benefits she should give her staff. the salary definitely could not be as high as before. at this point, there were a lot of expenses. if each of her staff could earn more than 100 dollars a month, then the employees of the other established factories would resign and come to work for her. the salary for new staff should be at the same level as the other ordinary factories, but the salary of the existing staff would remain the same or could even be adjusted higher. after that, chi ze would be in charge of the factory''s fleet of vehicles, mao hang in charge of the cleaning of the pig offal and ensuring food safety, wang fang in charge of supervising the workers who pluck corn, zhou shuang in charge of the production of popcorn, yang mei in charge of the production of braised meat, and sun juan in charge of ensuring the quality of the fried seeds for sale. everyone of them would become a department supervisor and had to start learning how to manage the different issues in the factory. by then, qian''e and li gui could just sit in the office and count money! Chapter 1462 Disrespectful chapter 1462 disrespectful after news of the job recruitment drive started spreading, many people wanted to come and work at qiao mei''s factory. in less than an hour, the entrance of the factory in the suburbs was packed with people. most of them were farmers from the nearby suburbs who did not make much money at the moment. in particular, the women had nothing to do at home so it was simply a godsend to them that the factory wanted to recruit many female workers! it did not take long for them to select the workers they wanted to hire. however, the workers were still on probation at the moment. the new recruits could get fired if they did not do their jobs well. this factory was going to be operated differently from the state-run factories. if the workers did not do well, they definitely would not be retained! there was no such thing as an "inherited job" in this factory. when the workers retired upon reaching retirement age, they would just recruit new people for the vacated positions. there was only a fixed number of job positions in the factory. why was there a need for a hereditary system? how could a position be held by the same family for generations! what if it was a family of lazy bums? qiao mei did not want to feed idle people! zhao fei drove up happily to the main entrance of the factory. in order to continue working with qiao mei, he had used his earnings to buy two big vans and also asked all his friends to come and work with him. he wanted everyone he knew to earn money and also wanted to make more money for qiao mei.nove.lb-in "sister qiao mei, this factory is really grand! it must have cost you a lot of money!" zhao fei ran to qiao mei''s side and said with a smile. qiao mei looked at zhao fei indifferently and said leisurely, "what does how much i spend have to do with you? you don''t have to come and work with us anymore. we''re going to work wit someone else." "huh! sister qiao mei! didn''t we agree that i will be your exclusive... exclusive agent? why aren''t you letting me do it anymore!" zhao fei asked anxiously. he could not waste all the money he spent on the new vehicles. if he had to sell them second-hand, they would not be worth much anymore! "it''s not that we don''t want to keep our word. you''re the one who did not convey our rules to your family. your uncle kept coming over and hanging around this place. back then, we had an agreement and you''re the only zhao family member that we want to work with. now that your people are not keeping to your side of the bargain, then there''s no need for me to honor our agreement," qiao mei said. zhao fei widened his eyes and looked at qiao mei. he had been keeping guard over zhao liu at home for the past few days and did not leave the man''s side at all. even when zhao liu went to the toilet, he would follow behind. he had repeatedly reminded zhao liu not to come and look for li gui and the others. when did zhao liu come out here? could it be that zhao liu sneaked out while he was out buying the vehicles? "give me some time! i''ll go back and teach my uncle a lesson now! sister qiao mei, you must not work with other people! you must wait for me!" zhao fei begged. "whether i work with other people or not depends on what you''re going to do. if your family repeatedly violates the agreement but yet i still continue to let you continue, then what about my business? most of the workers in our factory are women. if anything happens to them, then what about their reputations!" qiao mei said sternly. "i''ll go home now!" zhao fei quickly ran out of the factory. he ran so fast that one of his shoes even flew off but he did not even care. he must go home immediately to interrogate zhao liu. at the moment, the village chief and zhao liu were having a chat at home. the two men were actually related. the village chief, zhao kuo, was the younger brother of zhao liu''s father. zhao kuo was the only one left in his generation. to everyone, zhao kuo was like their "father". "zhao liu! come out! you really deserve a thousand cuts! get out here! i must teach you a lesson today!" zhao fei held up his shovel and rushed into the house, shouting loudly. "why are you yelling! zhao fei, when did you become so rude? he''s still your uncle. as a junior, how can you call him such names?" zhao kuo said as he looked at zhao fei unhappily. zhao kuo was a person who placed a lot of importance on social hierarchy and believed in having respect for seniors. otherwise, he would not have become the village chief and the villagers would not have trusted him so much. "second grandpa! it''s not that i don''t want to respect him, but do you know what he did! he went to sneak around qiao mei''s place and was discovered! they don''t want to do business with us anymore! she told me that she wants to get another business partner and even said that she wants to dig out all the seeds planted in the village and not leave a single one behind!" zhao fei said furiously. zhao liu immediately stood up and said, "impossible! how can she dig out so many seeds! isn''t she afraid of losing money?" Chapter 1463 Will Not Go There For Now chapter 1463 will not go there for now "what''s so impossible about that! they don''t care about this bit of money at all. they have such a big factory now. do they still care about the money for these seeds?" zhao fei said. "you! i already told you to endure it until summer. why didn''t you listen to me?" zhao kuo said as he pointed at zhao liu. summer? why did he have to endure until summer? could it be that these people had other plans which they never mentioned? summertime was when the seeds were ripe for harvest! zhao liu sat sulking on the brick bed and did not say anything. how could this be something that he could endure? he had been a bachelor for almost half his life. it was not easy for him to find a woman he liked, so how could he let her go? he initially thought that li gui would be a burden since she had to bring up so many children. however, he recently realized that the more he looked at li gui, the more he found her good-looking. she was even more beautiful than the most beautiful girl in their village! furthermore, she knew how to make money and could also run a household. which man could be able to hold back? he had not done anything and just wandered outside the factory to try his luck. he just wanted to see if he could run into li gui by chance and did not expect his movements to be discovered. "it''s not my fault..." zhao liu muttered. "if it''s not your fault, then is it my fault? give me a straight answer. do you still want this business or not? if you don''t, i''ll go back and tell qiao mei now and ask her to immediately arrange for someone to remove all the seeds! let''s not do it anymore!" zhao fei said angrily. "xiao fei! what nonsense are you talking about! this is such a good opportunity for our village. how can we not want it!" zhao kuo said. "then it all depends on whether my uncle can control himself!" after saying that, zhao fei sat down on the brick bed and stared at zhao liu without saying anything. he had to give qiao mei an explanation today, otherwise his reputation would be tarnished! then who would still be willing to do business with him! "i just went there to take a look. i didn''t do anything. do they want to beat me to death for that?" zhao liu said stubbornly. "what do you know! they say that the next time they find you near the factory or near their house, they''ll get someone to break your legs and throw you into jail. you can wait for death there!" zhao fei said. the fact was that qiao mei did not say any of this. zhao fei was just trying to scare zhao liu since he was a timid person and was most afraid of getting killed. zhao fei wanted to plant this idea into zhao liu''s head to scare him off and stop him from harassing li gui. "this is a society governed by law! don''t tell me they can just do whatever they want!" zhao liu said. "have you forgotten what i told you before? someone had hurt li gui''s child in the past and he''s still in jail! he won''t be able to come out for decades! also, the person who bullied them in the village was also sentenced to jail for more than 10 years. there were other people who had to move their entire family out of the capital!" zhao fei roared angrily. what did the zhao family have? the zhao family were farmers for generations and very few people in the family even knew how to read. there was no capable person in the family. the zhao family were like ants to qiao mei and it would be easy for her to stomp them to death. qiao mei did not even need to do anything and could just let the wind blow them away. "didn''t those people move out of the capital to have a better life? don''t lie to me." zhao liu still did not believe what zhao fei said.nove-lb.1n zhao fei stood up furiously and said, "if you don''t believe me, go and check it out for yourself. do you think going to the mountains means getting rich? then why don''t you exchange places with them and go to the mountains to get rich! you can go to prison and enjoy life!" "what nonsense are you spouting!" zhao kuo said with a frown. "there''s no need to say anything! i see that you still won''t admit your mistake! then i''ll go and look for qiao mei now!" after saying that, zhao fei was about to walk out when zhao liu hurriedly blocked his way. "we''re a family. let''s talk things out!" zhao liu said with a grin. the other children in the family could no longer sell seeds together with zhao fei now. they could only make money from planting the seeds which qiao mei gave them. if even this business was gone, their family would not be able to survive for long. there were so many mouths to feed. however, was qiao mei''s family really as powerful as what zhao fei said? what was their background? at first, when they heard zhao fei talk about these stories, they found it entertaining. however, now that they were the protagonists themselves, it was a little scary. "um... i promise you that i won''t go there for the time being," zhao liu stammered. "what do you mean by for the time being! you cannot go there at all!" zhao fei said sternly. Chapter 1464 Throw Me Away Quickly chapter 1464 throw me away quickly zhao liu picked up the shoes from the ground and wanted to throw them at zhao fei. as he raised his hand, he said, "you little brat! do you think you''re the head of the family! i''m not dead yet!" zhao fei was not afraid of zhao liu at all. he stood where he was and straightened his back as he glared at zhao liu. at most, they could all just suffer together. in any case, he would be able to have a more carefree life after leaving this village. he still had his friends who worked as scavengers and did not have any problem with starting from scratch. qiao mei was also a nice person. once he got rid of the zhao family, qiao mei might even be willing to help him! he had already secretly bought a house on his own and did not have to worry about his life at all. on the contrary, zhao liu''s family would not be able to survive without him! "stop it!" zhao kuo said furiously. zhao liu pointed at zhao fei and said, "second uncle! are you still going to tolerate this unfilial child? he''ll destroy our village! how can such a scourge be worthy of the surname zhao! i shouldn''t have brought you home back then!" "then throw me away. i''ll be thankful to you for it," zhao fei muttered softly. although zhao kuo was old, he was neither imperceptive nor muddle-headed. his mind was still very clear and he knew who was right and who was wrong. he did not want to talk about what happened in the past. the most important thing now was for everyone in the village to be able to earn money. "xiao liu, talk nicely. why are you being so rough with a child? how can you behave like this!" zhao kuo said. "but i!" before zhao liu could finish speaking, zhao kuo interrupted him and continued, "since we''ve made a promise to the qiao family''s mother and daughter, we have to follow their rules. i don''t think you cause the entire village to lose the chance to earn money. otherwise, who can help us if we suffer such a big loss? now that the season for planting is already over, what can we do if all the seeds are dug out?" "i hear you... i''ll behave myself for now..." zhao liu glared fiercely at zhao fei. zhao kuo smiled in relief. it was actually very easy to deal with zhao liu. he was a greedy and lecherous man. as long as there was money to be made, he would be willing to do anything, even if it meant he had to give up on a woman.nove)lb/in back then, zhao liu had brought zhao fei home because of his eldest brother''s assets and also because zhao fei was a smart boy. the house that zhao liu was living in now was actually built by zhao fei''s father! the previous owner was also zhao fei''s father. zhao liu had forced zhao fei to become part of his family in order to prevent the house from falling into zhao fei''s hands. according to the rules in the village, whoever took in an orphan would get a portion of the orphan''s inheritance. over the years, zhao fei had spent about half of his earnings on this family. otherwise, at zhao fei''s age, he could have bought a house and gotten married long ago. there was no need for him to wait until now. "xiao fei, don''t lower yourself to your uncle''s level. why argue with him since he''s so insensible? it''s inevitable for people to become muddle-headed as they get older. you''re a person who''s magnanimous enough not to hold grudges. let your uncle off. go and talk nicely to the qiao family''s mother-and-daughter duo. buy some gifts and apologize to them sincerely," zhao kuo said as he took out 20 dollars shakily from his pocket. zhao kuo was a person who diligently saved every cent of his money. he had no children and was all alone. if zhao fei''s father had not died early, zhao fei''s father would have taken care of zhao kuo in his old age. zhao fei had always treated zhao kuo like his own biological grandfather. "second grandpa, keep your money. as long as my uncle doesn''t go there and disrupt their lives, they definitely won''t have any objections," zhao fei said. the farce related to the zhao family finally came to an end and it was soon time for xia he''s performance. qiao mei even specially bought new clothes for the four children. zhang qin and zhang miao were dressed like princesses. the simple girls from the village now looked like daughters from wealthy families. "i''m not going!" qiao qiang said stubbornly as he sat in the backyard. "grandfather~ how can you not go! this is xia he''s first stage appearance after returning to the capital. don''t you want to go and take a look?" qiao mei said as she hugged qiao qiang''s arm. "i''m not going. if i go, i''ll have to see old man xia again. if i see him, my blood pressure will shoot up. don''t ask me to go!" qiao qiang said angrily. "grandpa xia isn''t going today! i''ve already asked xia he. grandpa xia has been busy recently and has gone on a business trip," qiao mei said. qiao qiang looked at qiao mei doubtfully and asked, "are you telling the truth? you''re not lying to me, are you?" Chapter 1465 Look Like Sisters chapter 1465 look like sisters ? "why would i lie to you! you''re my grandfather. do you think it''s good for me if you get sick from being angry?" qiao mei said, caught between laughter and tears. qiao qiang was like an overgrown child now. xia jun had come to play chess with qiao qiang one day and won. after that, qiao qiang no longer spoke to xia jun. he even said that until xia jun realized his mistake, xia jun would never be able to step into his house again and they need not see each other again in this lifetime. the problem had even escalated to the point that xia jun was unable to see his two great-grandchildren! when xia jun had some free time, he would send qiao qiang all kinds of interesting playthings, but qiao qiang would send them all back. the two old men kept bickering with each other and in the end, xia jun got angry and ignored qiao qiang too. qiao mei could only sigh silently. there was no good way to resolve the conflict between the two old men, but then again, the two of them were like children and would probably make up after a few days. in the end, qiao qiang still insisted on not attending the performance and came up with all kinds of strange reasons to reject the invite. qiao mei just went along with what qiao qiang wanted. she thought that he probably could not stand being in such a noisy place too. the children arrived at the entrance of the theater joyfully. at the main door, there was a huge poster with xia he''s face on it. the children surrounded the poster and happily kept calling out to their elder sister. li gui stood beside the children uneasily and would stare at other people when she had nothing to do. occasionally, she would even tug at her clothes, trying to maintain her image at all times. "mom, what''s wrong? are you feeling unwell?" qiao mei asked softly.nove-lb-1n "i''m fine..." li gui said embarrassedly. qiao mei knew that li gui was worried that she would embarrass xia he. after all, there were all kinds of people in the capital. back in the village, everyone liked li gui because she was beautiful and hardworking. when she went to live in the county city, there were countless beautiful girls around, so why would anyone pay any attention to an older woman like li gui? in the capital, there were many people who were much more capable than her. the xia family was one of the most prominent families and the family''s children were all outstanding people. she did not want to embarrass any of them. "don''t worry, you''re the most good-looking person today. just walk forward with your back straight!" qiao mei said as she patted li gui''s back. the children''s clothes were the most fashionable pieces in the mall and the colors were especially bright. they had heard that recently, human traffickers liked to abduct children under the cover of a big crowd. if the children wore eye-catching clothes, it would be harder for those people to make any moves. li gui''s clothes were different. qiao mei had made it herself. the style and embroidery were not available in the capital and it was very stylish! however, qiao mei did not make it too fashionable or else people would think that it looked weird. "really? are you lying to me..." li gui said shyly. "take a look at the people looking at us. how is this disdain? they''re all envious!" qiao mei said. "that''s right, auntie. who can be prettier than you!" qian''e echoed. li gui observed carefully. many women looked at her and quite a few of them even exclaimed in surprise! then again, they might not be saying that she was beautiful. after all, qiao mei was so beautiful and dazzling that she would attract a lot of attention just by standing there. qiao mei was her daughter and she felt extremely proud when she heard people praising qiao mei. she suddenly felt confident. since she did not embarrass her children, she would walk forward proudly and let everyone see how good her children were. after qian''e moved near qiao mei''s house, she would eat at li gui''s house every day. it was not a bad thing for the two of them to look out for each other. qiao mei also felt that it was a good thing. all the foodstuff at qiao mei''s house contained some energy and eating it for a long time would definitely be beneficial for the body. now that qian''e had become fair and beautiful, many people also could not help but steal a few more glances at her! those who did not know better would think that the three of them were sisters! "let''s hurry in. the show is about to start," qiao mei said. the tickets which xia he gave them were for seats right at the front and in the middle. the tickets for this zone were the most expensive and were all reserved for the vips! there was not a lot of entertainment during this era. whenever there were new movies or theater performances, everyone would come and attend the show. every show was full house without exception. if the performers were someone famous, the theater would even have to add stools in the aisle! people were more than willing to stand and watch the performance! Chapter 1466 They Are Here Too chapter 1466 they are here too qiao mei immediately saw xia wen and xu lan. second aunt-in-law had brought xia wan and xia you with her and they greeted qiao mei warmly. "qiao mei! come over here! i''ve been waiting for you here for a long time! i thought you had something on today and couldn''t come!" xia you said excitedly.n-.o/-v(.e-(l()b()i))n "how can i not attend xia he''s performance? if i don''t come, she''ll definitely skin me alive later!" qiao mei said with a laugh. this indeed sounded like something that xia he could do. after xia wan helped to settle the four children, li gui and qian''e into their seats, she returned to her own seat. if xia wen was the leader among their generation, then xia wan was like the head of logistics. she always quietly took care of all the minor details and handled many things that xia wen did not take notice of. xia wen had lamented before that he felt xia wan should continue to work in the government and not stay at home to take care of her husband and children. she would be able to achieve so much more if she pursued her career. there was nothing that xia wan could do about the whole situation. after all, her child was very young at that time, fell sick often and needed a lot of care. as a mother, she was often worried about how her own child was doing at home. in the end, she decided to resign and take good care of the child herself. after qiao mei greeted everyone, she suddenly saw zhou hua and zhou luo sitting on the leftmost seats. she had thought that the people from the third son''s family would not come! "oh! third aunt-in-law and auntie zhou are here too!" qiao mei said in surprise as she looked at the two people sitting next to them. "are you seeing them only now! i''m so angry that i''m about to die. third aunt-in-law didn''t say anything sarcastic, but auntie zhou said a lot of things to criticize sister xia he. she made me so angry that i almost slapped her!" xia you said furiously. zhou hua really liked to come to such places. she was not very cultured, but she liked to pretend to be a cultured person. she would attend every performance at the theater. zhou luo was probably just here to join in the fun. "don''t be angry. i''m the one who asked xia he to send them the tickets, but i didn''t know that third uncle would give the tickets to the two of them. i thought it would be xia xing and his two younger brothers coming today," qiao mei said softly. "it''s a waste to give them tickets! you''ve helped their family solve such a big problem, yet they don''t even feel grateful and still bully you all the time. if you ask me, you shouldn''t care about such heartless people!" xia you deliberately raised her voice and said this. liu fen patted xia you''s arm and said, "you''re a junior, so how can you gossip about your elders here? be quiet! be careful or i''ll tell your father to come back and teach you a lesson!" "hmph, i''m not afraid!" xia you pouted and said. "yes, yes, yes! you have lu huai backing you up, so what do you need to be afraid of! why isn''t your husband here today?" qiao mei asked. although qiao mei was very young, xia zhe was not! basically, other than xia wan, the rest of the cousins needed to address her like their senior. "he has something on today. he''s been busy recently and he''s out of town right now!" xia you said. lu huai was a truck driver and delivered goods between factories and vendors all over the country. every time he came back, he would bring xia you all kinds of local specialties from other areas. nowadays, xia you would also share some of the specialties with qiao mei. lu huai probably earned about 40 dollars per trip. it was not a lot of money. qiao mei looked down and pondered for a while. suddenly, she thought of a good idea. she grabbed xia you''s hand and asked, "does your husband know other truck drivers!" "yes... yes, they even have a convoy. they worry about getting into accidents on the road so they take care of one another," xia you said honestly. "alright! i''ll tell you more when i have a more concrete idea!" qiao mei said. at the moment, she still did not need lu huai and his big truck. she did not know how well their seeds would sell in other areas. however, it was something that she needed to do eventually. she could not stick to only retail sales in the capital. if she wanted to maximize profits, she would need to become a wholesaler. once the time was right, she would ask lu huai to come and work for her. she just needed lu huai to sit in the office every day and arrange the schedules for the other drivers. there was no need for lu huai to drive around anymore. this way, xia you would have a lot more time with lu huai and the two of them would not need to be separated like now. they had been married for more than a year but did not have children yet! the good thing was that xia you''s mother-in-law was a nice person. she understood that it was not easy for xia you to always be alone at home, so she often cooked for xia you and doted on xia you very much. life was still quite blissful for them. Chapter 1467 Acknowledging Someone Else as Mother chapter 1467 acknowledging someone else as mother "how rude. they don''t even know how to greet their elders when they reach! hasn''t their family taught them anything? they''re so badly brought up," zhou luo shouted in qiao mei''s direction. li gui, zhang wei and zhang chao looked a little displeased. zhang qin and zhang miao were still young and did not understand what zhou luo meant. they did not even know who zhou luo was talking about. qian''e was busy taking care of the two younger children and did not hear what zhou luo said. xu lan held li gui''s hand to indicate that she need not care about what she heard. the two of them chatted about the four children''s future and also about whether they saw any fashionable clothes recently. they pretended that zhou luo had not said anything. qiao mei was about to greet zhou hua and zhou luo when xia you hurriedly grabbed qiao mei''s hand to stop her. after that, she shouted in zhou luo''s direction, "huh? what elders! aren''t all our family members sitting here? why are there still other elders! oh my, isn''t this auntie zhou? auntie zhou, you like my elder sister so much that you even bought tickets to her show! why didn''t you tell us? we could have sent you a few tickets." the fact was that zhou luo did not buy the tickets. she was occupying one of the seats belonging to the xia family''s third son''s family. it was the same for zhou hua.n/.o-)v./e.)l)-b((1//n "i won''t even accept a free ticket to such a performance! why would i even spend money on it!" zhou luo said angrily. "then why are you here with the free ticket?" xia you asked as she looked at zhou luo mockingly. zhou luo was so angry that her whole face turned red and she could not speak for a long time. in the entire xia family, zhou luo hated xia you the most. every time she ran into xia you, nothing good would happen. xia you would always think of all kinds of ways to bully her. "auntie zhou, why are you free today?" qiao mei asked gently. "i''m free every day!" zhou luo replied sulkily. qiao mei did not argue with zhou luo. once they had spoken to each other, it meant that she had already greeted them. there was no longer any basis for zhou luo to say that she did not respect her elders. people like zhou luo were attention seekers. she would stop fussing around once she felt satisfied. "why aren''t you at home taking care of the children? why are you here? the children are still so young and you just leave them at home. how can you call yourself a mother!" zhou luo looked at qiao mei and said accusingly. qiao mei looked back coldly. she could ignore anything that was said about her, but she could not accept others passing comments about her children. "i have two helpers taking care of the children, so nothing will happen to them. i hear that xia xing is working very hard now. not long ago, his superior even put him in charge of many projects. brother xing is doing well," qiao mei said. "that''s true. they even say that our xia xing is a promising talent!" zhou hua said, feeling gratified. ever since zhou hua got divorced, she was a lot more restrained than previously. she was probably worried that she would not have anyone to rely on in her old age, so she was much more concerned about her three children than before. in particular, after what happened to xia xing, zhou hua was especially concerned about the children''s feelings. zhou luo immediately said, "helper? a helper is surely not as good as the children''s own mother. is your helper the mother of your children? don''t say that i didn''t warn you. my neighbor hired a nanny to take care of their child. the nanny taught the child to address her as mother and doesn''t allow the child to acknowledge her real mother. i hope your children won''t acknowledge someone else as their mother." qiao mei said nonchalantly, "really? then how do xia lu and xia yan address you?" "you! they... of course they call me eldest aunt!" zhou luo did not know what to say for a moment. zhou hua also looked at her with a complicated expression. back then, after zhou hua gave birth, she let zhou luo take care of them. in front of zhou hua, the children addressed zhou luo as their eldest aunt, but zhou hua would not know what went on behind her back. could it be that the story which zhou luo just told actually referred to zhou hua and her children? "i don''t understand why, but after shao yin left, our brother xing seems to be doing exceptionally well. it''s like what happened in the past. he suddenly can''t do well at work when he had been doing well for so long. what exactly is going on?" xia you asked as she pretended to be curious. qiao mei covered her face and smiled. this girl really had many tricks up her sleeve. zhou luo was the one who introduced shao yin to xia xing. back then, zhou luo had sung such high praises of shao yin, but in the end, shao yin turned out to be such an indecisive woman who even wanted to seduce xia wen. it was so fortunate that qiao mei had exposed the shao family''s evil scheme at that time. otherwise, xia xing would forever be a cuckold! Chapter 1468 Super Huge Bouquet of Flowers chapter 1468 super huge bouquet of flowers zhou hua coughed lightly and said, "maybe it''s because he''s not distracted anymore. he told me some time ago that he wants to concentrate on his career and doesn''t want to think about the matter of marriage." "what do all of you mean by this! are you blaming me!" zhou luo said angrily. "we''re just having a casual chat. why are you angry, auntie zhou? does this matter have something to do with you?" xia you asked. zhou hua looked at zhou luo with an intriguing gaze. zhou luo stood up like an angry rooster and pointed at zhou hua as she scolded, "why are you looking at me like that! i''m your elder sister! will i harm your children?" "why would i suspect you?" zhou hua said. xia you rolled her eyes. back then, if zhou hua had not been influenced by zhou luo and had allowed xia jun to take care of her two younger children, xia lu and xia yan would already be more exceptional than their peers! in addition, xia xing would not have to enter government services as a low-level employee now. furthermore, shao yin had also caused xia xing to be mocked by everyone by saying that he was infertile and not good in that aspect. it would be even harder for him to find a nice girl in the future. however, xia xing also had to take responsibility for this issue. he was not exactly unjustly treated after everything that happened. this could be considered due punishment for him. "auntie zhou, lower your voice. we''re in the theater," qiao mei reminded her kindly. zhou luo felt very indignant. she stood up and shouted, "so what if i make noise today! it''s none of your business whether my voice is loud or soft!" all the xia family members had a look of displeasure on their faces. this was xia he''s first performance but if zhou luo continued to cause trouble, xia he would not have to go on stage. the main character tonight would become zhou luo! the rest of the audience was also very unhappy with zhou luo''s behavior. some people even wanted to get the security officers at the door to come and chase zhou luo out. seeing that the people around her ignored her, zhou luo sat down awkwardly and continued to be at loggerheads with zhou hua. "alright, alright. why do you get so piqued at her? let''s wait for xia he to come out," qiao mei said as she patted xia you. "hmph, i just can''t stand the way she talks. it''s such a pity for those three younger cousins! don''t help them next time. good intentions don''t go unpunished. it''s like they don''t know who helped them get rid of those evil people from the shao family back then and they actually want to play the blame game now! how shameless!" xia you muttered angrily. xia wen whispered to qiao mei, "are the children really fine at home?" "they''re fine, eldest brother. my grandfather is also at home and sister feng is taking care of the children. it''s just that the children haven''t been feeling too well recently," qiao mei said as she pretended to look worried. "what''s wrong! what happened to the children! did you bring them to the hospital!" xia wen said nervously. "it''s fine! it''s just that the children miss their eldest uncle and want him to play with them," qiao mei said with a smile. only then did xia wen feel relieved. he looked at qiao mei helplessly and said, "you scared me to death. you only know how to make fun of me. i''ve been very busy recently. after this period, i''ll go and visit those two naughty kids." it had indeed been a long time since xia wen last went to visit the children. he had been focused on all his projects and spent all his time at work, but he had not forgotten about the children. he had bought a lot of things for them, but he just did not have much time to accompany them. qiao mei definitely hoped that everyone in the family would like these two little children. how could it not be good to have one more person loving them? the xia family had ordered a lot of flowers to be sent backstage. they did not want to be too ostentatious and just wanted xia he to know how they felt. they had already prepared their gifts for her at home and were just waiting to celebrate with her later. song dan also arrived at the theater on time. he had tapped his own connections to buy a ticket and his seat was in the middle of the first row. it was not easy for him to get this ticket and it had cost him a lot of money!n.-ovelbin a man dressed in a well-pressed white suit and holding a bouquet of gorgeous red roses would definitely become the center of attention in an instant. however, song dan looked out of place and even a little comical. the white suit made him look even more tanned. normal bouquets were usually a bundle of around 30 to 60 flowers, but he extravagantly brought a bundle of 520 flowers with him. the bouquet was even bigger than him. "qiao mei, who is that person? is that my new cousin-in-law?" xia you asked as she pointed at song dan. when qiao mei saw the bouquet of flowers, she was quite sure that the person carrying it was the one xia he said was harassing her. deng fan was keeping an eye on the work progress at the factory in the suburbs today, so how would he have the time to come here? Chapter 1469 Something Definitely Happened chapter 1469 something definitely happened qiao mei had already given deng fan a day off, but he insisted on going to work at the factory. the sooner he completed his work, the sooner he would be able to marry xia he. only then could he feel completely at ease. xia he thought the same way too. the two of them had made a pact to shine brightly in their respective careers so that they could have a sweet future together. "it''s probably one of xia he''s fans," qiao mei said calmly. "fans? what do you mean by fans?" xia you looked at qiao mei in confusion. for a moment, qiao mei did not know how to explain it. she stammered, "it''s... it''s someone who admires xia he''s talent and likes her for how outstanding she is." xia you nodded as if she only vaguely understood what it meant. the performance started very soon after that. the moment xia he stepped on the stage, she saw a sea of faces and was filled with excitement. she had thought that an unknown actress like her would not attract anyone''s attention and she did not expect so many people to turn up. the performance went very smoothly and there were no errors at all. when xia he took the curtain call, there was thunderous applause from the audience. song dan sat rooted to his seat in a daze. he had never seen xia he like this before. she was like a mermaid in the deep sea, with a beautiful singing voice that could move one''s heart. at this moment, he was finally sure about what he wanted to do. even if he could not get the xia family''s "divine medicine", he still wanted to marry xia he. when it was time to leave, xia wen went back with qiao mei and her family. he had definitely noticed song dan as well. after arriving at qiao mei''s house, the two of them went to the study. "that person must be song dan. he''s eyeing your medicine," xia wen said sternly. "as expected of eldest brother, you discover their motive so quickly," qiao mei said with a smile. ever since he spoke to du miao at the police station the last time, xia wen had already felt that something was wrong. now that he saw song dan in person, he was even more certain of this. "does xia he know about this?" xia wen asked. "i haven''t told her yet, but song dan is wooing her fanatically and making her a little overwrought," qiao mei said. "he''s even wooing xia he!" xia wen stood up angrily and said to qiao mei. "that''s right. it seems that everything which happened earlier is actually part of their scheme. i had thought that he''s really wooing xia he. deng fan has been worried sick for the past two days. he''s working day and night just so he can complete the work early and marry xia he," qiao mei said. xia wen did not expect song dan and du miao to be so callous and even dared to have designs on xia he. they were really going overboard and did not respect the xia family at all. after the performance, xia he prepared to walk back to qiao mei''s house. the theater was very near qiao mei''s place and she could reach home within 10 minutes. the moment she stepped out, she saw a huge bouquet of flowers that seemed to move on its own. "xia he! i came to watch your performance!" song dan said excitedly. xia he raised her eyebrows and looked at the scene in front of her. she did not know if she should laugh or be more serious, but the scene in front of her was really too funny. it was like a potato wrapped up with a white paper towel was rolling around crazily on the ground.n--o(-v-.e-.l--b-(1/)n "what... what are you doing here," xia he said. "to congratulate you, of course. these are the flowers i bought for you. i hope you can accept them," song dan said sincerely. xia he said politely, "thank you for the flowers. our staff will take care of these flowers. you can leave it with them. i''ll get going first." "hey! don''t go! let me send you home! it''s already dark and it''s not safe for you to go home alone," song dan said worriedly. xia he looked at song dan helplessly. she even suspected that song dan''s bout of alcohol poisoning was just an act at that time. it had only been a few days and song dan was already able to appear so energetically in front of her. anyone else would have needed to rest for a long time! she had heard from xia wen that song dan''s family member had even asked qiao mei for the "divine medicine". it looked like song dan''s illness was not serious at all and that it was all a lie. "there''s no need. i can go back on my own. goodbye," xia he said determinedly. li hua stood at the staff entrance passageway and looked at xia he, saying, "do you see that? it''s such a big bouquet of flowers and all red roses. how can you say that the two of them have nothing to do with each other? even a dog won''t believe it!" "what nonsense are you talking about! don''t make me rip out your tongue!" bai dian said as she pointed at li hua angrily. bai dian''s performance did not go smoothly today. as a supporting role, she did not have many scenes, but before she went on stage, li hua had caused her to trip and her ankle felt a little uncomfortable. li hua must have done it on purpose! Chapter 1470 A Dog Biting Someone chapter 1470 a dog biting someone bai dian was still thinking about how to pick a fight with li hua. she did not expect li hua to be the one to start the ball rolling. "am i talking about you? why are you getting so angry here? you''re really very nosy!" li hua said impatiently. "let me ask you! were you the one who tripped me backstage just now!" bai dian stood in front of li hua and interrogated her. when xiao nan saw that they were arguing, she threw the things in her hand to one side and came to be bai dian''s back up. with her hands on her hips, she said, "that''s right! i saw everything! don''t you dare to deny it!" "what did you see? what right do you have to slander me? you have to show evidence if you want to say this! if you frame me like this, i''ll tell the troupe leader!" li hua said. "if you think you can do it, then go ahead! let''s see who the troupe leader will side with! we usually don''t see you when it''s time to practice our basic skills. now that you''re not selected to go on stage, you become jealous of us! you actually want to get me in trouble! other than that, you''re also spreading rumors about senior xia he! i must rip your tongue out today!" after saying that, bai dian rushed forward and started fighting with li hua. xiao nan also got involved in the fight. while song dan was distracted by the fight, xia he took the chance to slip away. she got on her bicycle and raced home. along the way, no matter who called out to her, she did not respond. she just wanted to reach home quickly. "qiao mei! oh my goodness! qiao mei! come out quickly!" xia he shouted as she rushed into the courtyard in a panic. qiao mei and xia wen hurriedly rushed out of the study. xia wen was very agitated and went forward to grab hold of xia he and took a look at her a few times. he only heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that there were no injuries on xia he''s body. "why are you so flustered? did you get bitten by a dog?" qiao mei asked curiously. "what a guess! when have i ever been afraid of dogs! of course it''s because!" xia he wanted to complain about song dan, but as she calmed down, she realized that xia wen was staring at her seriously to hear her out. she immediately forgot about what she wanted to say. "say it. of course it''s because of what?" xia wen asked anxiously.n-)0velbin xia he stammered, "well... it''s... that... actually... of course... of course it''s because i performed too well! everyone likes my performance very much! they all praised me! they even wanted to treat me to a meal! it was so difficult for me to get home!" xia wen did not believe xia he at all. if the audience were to witness her lousy acting skills now, they would not believe that the person who performed on stage just now was xia he. "so the two of you are teaming up to hide things from me nowadays. xia he, so you think you''re so capable now. after that you''re all grown up, you don''t tell me anything anymore. you even start to hide things from me now?" xia wen questioned angrily. when she was young, xia he liked to tail xia wen everywhere and find all kinds of problems for him to solve every day. even though xia mao was xia he''s father, it was xia wen who seemed more like xia he''s "father"! when they were young, xia wen was even the one who attended her parent-teacher meeting. it was something that everyone tacitly agreed to. "it''s not like that... i just feel that eldest brother is very busy. i''m all grown up now, so i shouldn''t trouble you with such a small matter..." xia he whispered. xia wen stared at xia he for a long time before sighing deeply and saying, "it''s true that i''ve been too busy with work these past few years and didn''t pay attention to you and xia zhe at all. it''s my fault, not yours. but you have to remember that i''m still your eldest brother. no matter what happens, i''ll definitely protect you." ever since xia he got divorced, whenever xia wen thought of this matter, he would feel that it was his fault. if he had paid more attention to xia he at that time, perhaps xia he''s marriage would not have ended in such a manner. "eldest brother, i''m not doing this on purpose..." xia he said, feeling touched. "alright, alright! are the two of you intending to feed the mosquitoes outside? quick, come in. i already have two or three mosquito bites!" qiao mei pouted and said unhappily. xia he immediately stopped feeling so melancholic. how could there be mosquitoes in this weather? qiao mei was only teasing them. xia he hugged the two of them and walked back to the study with them. she told xia wen about everything that had happened during this period of time. from time to time, qiao mei would add fuel to the fire and spout some nonsense and xia he did not stop her. Chapter 1471 I Have White Hair chapter 1471 i have white hair "a chance encounter, an apology and a treat. no matter how i look at it, everything seems to be deliberate. i hope deng fan is alright with all this," xia wen said. "no, he''s very understanding," xia he said.n.(0velbin "you don''t have to worry. i''ll handle this matter. you and qiao mei should go and rest early. it''s been a tiring period for you too." after saying that, xia wen returned to his own room in the backyard. even if he wanted to do something, he would have to wait until daytime. xia he looked at xia wen''s departing figure for a long time before saying, "am i never able to get anything done right? why do i always make eldest brother worried?" she had caught sight of one or two strands of white hair on xia wen''s head just now. xia wen was not even 40 years old, but he already had white hair. this was all because he toiled too much. white hair was not necessarily caused by stress. sometimes it was related to diet! "stop letting your imagination run wild! go and sleep!" qiao mei said. xia he shook her head gently, as if she could get rid of all these troubling matters by doing this. she said happily to qiao mei, "i''ll listen to you! don''t think about these things! let me tell you! the show is doing well! i''m going to get a big bonus!" "bonus? how much is the bonus?" qiao mei asked curiously. in this line of work, one could make a lot of money once one was famous. the theater was in charge of selling the tickets and would take a small percentage as commission. if the price of a ticket was 10 dollars, then xia he would get 50 cents. the initial plan was for xia he to perform five shows. for every sold out show, she would get at least 1,000 dollars. that was not all. in total, she should be able to get 6,000 dollars! "heavens! that''s quite a lot!" qiao mei said in surprise. "that''s right, i''m thinking about how to spend this money! tell me what you want! i''ll buy it all for you!" xia he said generously. after thinking about it, qiao mei still liked properties the most. she suddenly thought of something and said, "why not... i''ll sell you that house for 5,000 dollars!" qiao mei was talking about the small house which she had just bought. it was near her house and there were a total of four rooms. qiao mei had bought two houses which were opposite each other. back then, xia he had felt that the other house she offered was too big. given that this house was even smaller than li gui''s place, xia he should feel satisfied. "for 5,000 dollars! you spent 10,000 dollars to buy it back then! don''t make such a loss-making deal!" xia he said. "am i someone who does business at a loss? i''m talking about the house that i just bought recently. it has just been renovated and i''ve redone everything both inside and outside. it''s just that i haven''t bought the furniture yet. you can think about it. i''ll sell it to you for 5,000 dollars and i won''t make a loss. don''t worry," qiao mei said. seeing how determined qiao mei was, xia he felt a little tempted. she had always wanted to have her own house. deng fan''s current house was a rental unit. recently, deng rui had told her that he wanted to buy it and had already discussed it with the owner of the house, but xia he still preferred to stay near qiao mei. dancers did not always get a bonus for performances. they only had one or two chances to perform in a year and sometimes, they may even need to spend more than what they made! "i have to go back and discuss this with deng fan. i can''t just decide on this matter on a whim," xia he said seriously. "it''s alright, i''ll always set aside this house for you," qiao mei said with a smile. "why do you want eldest brother and me to stay around your area?" xia he asked. "because i want you to help me take care of the children! how''s that for a reason!" qiao mei said. in another 20 years, property prices would skyrocket crazily. one square meter might only cost about 10 dollars now, but in the future, every square meter here would be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars! qiao mei really wanted xia wen and xia he to get rich alongside her. she did not want the three siblings to have too much of a gap when it came to their personal wealth. at this moment, she would just keep persuading them to buy a house. even if qiao mei had to make a loss to get it done, she was more than willing to do it. in any case, she had a lot of money. in the future, she would just keep getting richer and richer, so much so that she would not have space to store her money in the house! when the time came, she would ask qiao qiang and li gui to sit at home and count money every day. whenever they saw money, they would feel like throwing up! "then i''ll buy it! after that, i''ll get deng fan to design it for me. can i put him in charge of the furniture?" xia he said. "sure. i have to pay him his salary at the end of the construction period anyway," qiao mei said. Chapter 1472 Getting Drunk chapter 1472 getting drunk qiao mei had originally wanted to give deng fan a salary of 10,000 dollars by giving him something extra for the wedding. however, from the looks of it, 10,000 dollars seemed a little too much. it was better to just give him 5,000 dollars. the two of them chatted until dawn before falling asleep in each other''s arms. qiao mei started to miss xia zhe a little by now and wondered if he was doing well at the moment. it had been a long time since qiao mei was last in contact with xia zhe. with so many things happening at home, she did not even have time to make something and send it over to xia zhe. they could not possibly be as affectionate when they first got married. now that they had children and been married for a while, such formalities were not so important anymore. when she had some free time, she would call xia mao and ask him if xia zhe''s current mission location accepted deliveries. if it was really not possible, she would ask xia mao to get someone to send it over. the next morning, xia wen went out very early and drove straight to song dan''s house. he immediately saw a big bouquet of red roses in the courtyard. the flowers had already wilted though. last night, song dan asked du miao to go over to his place and the two of them had gotten drunk in the living room. du miao came up with many ideas for song dan, but he did not like any of them. he even thought about forcing xia he to get married to him. once he slept with her, she would definitely need to stay with him! xia wen stood outside and knocked on the door. after knocking for a long time, no one came to open the door, so he kicked the door open and entered. song dan and du miao woke up with a start. "damn it! who are you!" song dan asked impatiently. du miao rubbed his eyes and immediately recognized xia wen. his previously annoyed expression immediately changed into an amiable smile. "oh my, brother xia is here. why didn''t you tell us in advance? it''s really embarrassing for you to see us like this," du miao said politely. "what brother xia? which brother xia? even if the heavenly emperor is here, he can''t smash the door in!" song dan said as he pointed at xia wen. du miao hurriedly went forward and covered song dan''s mouth. he whispered in song dan''s ear, "shut up! this is xia he''s brother, xia wen. do you want to get married or not!" "oh, oh..." song dan immediately toned down his arrogance. xia wen sat down on song dan''s sofa and looked at song dan as he said, "the two of you know my sister, right? did you do all the things that happened to my sister recently?" "what are you saying, it''s all fated," du miao said. "so what if i like your sister! i want to marry her!" song dan said pompously. xia wen sized up song dan. this man was not outstanding in terms of looks, but he was doing quite well in his career. his family background was not too good though, and both his personality and character were terrible. such a person was not worthy of xia he at all, yet he still had the cheek to say that he wanted to marry her. "my sister is already engaged to be married. i''m afraid she won''t be able to accept mr. song''s kindness. when she gets married, she''ll send some wedding candies to mr. song," xia wen replied politely. du miao wanted to say something on song dan''s behalf, but the moment song dan heard xia wen rejecting him, he got angry and pointed at xia wen as he questioned, "why can''t i marry xia he? if she''s engaged, it means that she''s not married yet. what''s there for me to be afraid of if she''s still not married? besides, i''ve already had that man investigated thoroughly. he''s inferior to me in every way, so why shouldn''t she choose me?" "since mr. song is such a good catch, then our xia he is definitely not worthy of you. it''s better to forget it," xia wen said sarcastically. du miao wished that he could sew song dan''s mouth shut. song dan just did not know when to stop. he even belittled xia he in front of xia wen and made her sound worthless. by now, even if xia he liked song dan and wanted to marry him, no one in the xia family would agree to it. "i just like xia he! i''m flattering her by liking her! she has already been married before! how can she be so picky! brother, just marry her to me. don''t worry, i''ll definitely treat her well! i promise she''ll be fine and dandy!" song dan said as he stood in front of xia wen unsteadily.nove(lb-in xia wen clenched his fists and wished that he could rush up and give song dan a good beating. song dan was the first person ever to badmouth xia he in front of him. he would definitely remember this. if he did not take revenge, his surname would not be xia! "um... brother xia, he has had too much to drink and is talking nonsense. don''t take it to heart!" du miao said awkwardly. "he knows very well whether he''s speaking the truth or not. i know it too," xia wen said moodily. Chapter 1473 Severing Friendship Chapter 1473 Severing Friendship Du Miao looked at Song Dan in despair. How could he have been so blind to want to be good friends with someone like Song Dan? If there was a hole in the ground now, he would immediately crawl into it as he was too ashamed to face anyone! "Brother Xia, this is all a misunderstanding... a misunderstanding..." Du Miao said. Xia Wen looked at Du Miao and Song Dan and said sternly, "I don''t care about what you do on your own, but you''d better not have any ideas about my sister and my family. If I find out that you''re still doing things behind my back after today, then don''t blame me for taking action." People like Du Miao and Song Dan definitely had secretly done a lot of things against the rules. He just needed to find one incident to ruin the reputation of both the Song and Du families. The Xia family had always been aboveboard and never needed to be afraid of being threatened or targeted by anyone. As the saying went, an upright person would not have a crooked shadow. There was no way that Song Dan could do anything to the Xia family! Before Du Miao and Song Dan could reply, Xia Wen left Song Dan''s house. When he left, he even trampled all the roses in the courtyard. "How dare he give such ugly flowers to my sister," Xia Wen said disdainfully. Du Miao was so angry that he took the glass of water from the table and splashed it towards Song Dan. Only then did the groggy Song Dan finally woke up. "Why are you flaring up at me! Are you my friend or not! Why are you speaking up for others!" Song Dan said. "If I''m not your friend! I would have beaten you up by now! After what you said to Xia Wen just now, I''ll take your surname if the Xia family can still accept you! You still want to force yourself on Xia He! Dream on! With those combat skills of yours, you won''t be able to beat Xia He!" Du Miao said sarcastically. "Do you think I''m stupid? I can always drug Xia He!" Song Dan said. "And you''re not afraid that the Xia family will cut you into a thousand pieces? I can''t help you with this matter anymore. Do it yourself. If anything happens, don''t drag me into it. I won''t help you solve the problem." With that, Du Miao left Song Dan''s house. Du Miao would not put the entire Du family in danger for Song Dan. He still had his wife and daughter to think of! Two days later, Qiao Mei''s factory started operations as planned after receiving all the necessary approvals from the government as scheduled. Now, all that was left for them to do was to rake in the money! They continued to work with many people to sell the goods via retail sales. However, they also prepared packaged goods to sell in shops. Qiao Mei had signed a one-year contract with a few well-known shops in the capital. During this one-year period, Qiao Mei would provide them with a constant supply of goods. "Oh my goodness, this contract is worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Oh my goodness! Qiao Mei, am I dreaming!" Qian''e said excitedly as she looked at the document in front of her. Chapter 1474 Open for Business Chapter 1474 Open for Business "You didn''t see wrongly. Do you want to count how many zeros there are?" Qiao Mei asked with a smile. Li Gui also found it unbelievable. Although the money would be paid to them in installments, the total sum was hundreds of thousands of dollars, and that was only for one contract. If they added up all the contract sums, the down payments alone were already more than 200,000 dollars! "Qiao Mei, are we being too ostentatious? Will we cause trouble for Xiao Wen?" Li Gui said worriedly. "Mom, don''t worry. This is all legal now. Eldest Brother has already helped us sort out the approval documents. There seems to be some kind of trial... an assistance policy of some sort. I don''t quite understand how it works, but if Eldest Brother says that it''s alright, then it definitely isn''t a problem. Don''t worry," Qiao Mei said. "Unbelievable. In the future, we can just sit in the office and count money!" Qian''e said. "Yes! But not totally. This time round, I had to go to so many shops to negotiate the signing of the one-year contracts. During this coming year, I don''t intend to start any new businesses. Both of you have to quickly learn about contracts and the like. I''ll hand everything to you after this one-year period," Qiao Mei said. This was not a difficult task for Qian''e. After all, she used to be a top student. Now, all she needed to do was to learn management skills and some knowledge of law very quickly and she would be able to cope well. However, for Li Gui, this was more difficult than asking her to ascend to the heavens. She only knew how to do basic calculations now and she still could not work out complicated sums! For example, something which Qiao Mei said some time ago... about percentages... She did not understand words like that even if she had no issues doing simple additions, subtractions, multiplications and divisions. This was the name that they came up with when Li Gui started selling braised meat. Now, it was no longer a small food stall but a big factory! "I''ve already found someone to design the logo, using the image of an osmanthus flower. I''ll leave the matter to Deng Fan. We''ll probably get something in two days," Qiao Mei said. "What has Xia He been doing during this period of time? When is she getting married to that kid, Deng Fan? I want to buy her a gift," Li Gui said. "I have been so busy that I forgot about Xia He''s upcoming wedding. I have to buy a gift for Xia He too. Maybe... maybe I''ll buy her a big sofa!" Qian''e said happily. Qiao Mei covered her face and smiled. Those who did not know better would think that Qian''e was in charge of the betrothal gifts! Xia He did not lack anything, but the couple did need furniture for their new house. Deng Fan may even want to design the furniture himself. Anything they bought for the couple might not match the style Deng Fan had in mind! "Then you might as well just give Xia He money," Qiao Mei teased. "Money? That''s two different things altogether. I''ll still give money as a gift. If a sofa is not a good idea... then I can buy a big color television! There are only a few different models available so I can''t go wrong with that!" Qian''e said. No one knew how Xia He would react if she received a big color television from Qian''e. She would probably be very shocked. After all, Xia He would not expect Qian''e to put all their past behind her and attend the wedding ceremony. Chapter 1475 Buying Antiques Chapter 1475 Buying Antiques Qiao Mei received the down payments one after another. She looked at all the money and felt a little worried. Although she had space to keep the money in her courtyard house, there were too many people coming and going at her place every day. If He Ning saw this, it would also give him a reason to make a fuss. In the end, Qiao Mei put all the money at Xu Lan''s house, which meant that Xia Mao and Xu Lan had to guard a pile of money at home every day. Even though the two of them had been through all kinds of experiences in life, they also could not help but feel a little afraid. "Qiao Mei... are you sure you want to keep so much money at home?" Xia Mao asked as he pointed at the study. "I''ll just leave it here for the time being. If we deposit everything into the bank, I''m worried that it will attract the attention of the higher-ups. There are still procedures at the bank that have yet to be approved," Qiao Mei said resignedly. "Sigh... Mei Mei, you don''t know this, but your father seems a little crazy these past few days. In the middle of the night, he keeps checking to see if the money is still there. Sometimes, he even sits down to count the money. I''m so worried that he''ll go mad," Xu Lan pulled Qiao Mei aside and whispered. After thinking about it, Qiao Mei felt that it was not a good idea to just leave it around like this. She should spend the money, but how was she supposed to spend 200,000 dollars? Furthermore, it was not only the 200,000 dollars in the house. Not long ago, He Ning also suddenly decided to return all the money he owed her. Qiao Mei had tabulated that after excluding the coins in her collection, the remaining cash added up to a total of 1.1 million dollars! "I should buy something and spend all this money!" Qiao Mei said. "That''s a very good idea, but you have so much money that you can even afford to buy the entire antique market! If someone decides to investigate further, they will find out that it''s our family buying these things and you will still have to be screened," Xu Lan said. "That''s not difficult. Many of my friends like such items and they will usually go around to buy these things too. We can just pass them the money and ask them to buy the items for us," Xia Mao said. "Really! Father, can you really do it!" Qiao Mei said excitedly. Xia Mao could clearly feel Qiao Mei''s eyes sparkling like two bright bulbs. He nodded confidently and said, "I can still get such a small thing done." "Then I''ll make a list later and the uncles can just buy the items on the list! If there''s anything nice, you can give it to the uncles as a thank-you gift from our family! Oh right... it''s best to buy antiques without an owner. Otherwise, it can be very troublesome in the future," Qiao Mei said seriously. It was very likely that antiques with living owners would find their way back to their owners in the future. In another few years, those antiques, calligraphy and paintings which were confiscated would be returned to the original owners. However, some people in the government would make use of their positions to sell those things before that happened. Once the truth was exposed, the items would have to be returned to the owners and the buyers would have to suffer a loss. Xia Mao and Xia Wen looked at each other and smiled. Qiao Mei was not just a money-grubber, but a knowledgeable money-grubber. In order to protect her treasures, she had all kinds of ideas! "Alright, don''t worry. Leave this matter to me. I have already asked Luo Yu to arrange for 10 people from the guard team to stay near your place to protect you," Xia Mao said. Chapter 1476 Like Women Chapter 1476 Like Women A total of 10 people! She had never expected to live like one of those protagonists in television dramas. In the future, she would become the kind of person who was surrounded by bodyguards when she went out! She did not have to worry about her own safety anymore! She also did not have to worry about the children''s safety. Everyone in the family would be assigned a personal bodyguard. "So many people live near me? Why haven''t I noticed any of them?" Qiao Mei asked curiously. "They must have been arranged to stay at various locations in the alley. From now on, they will be in charge of the safety of your family," Xia Mao said. Recently, Qiao Mei either locked herself in a room to study flowers and trees or stayed at home to make clothes and shoes. She had helpers to take care of the household chores and she did not need to go out at all. No wonder Feng Hua told her that she had seen many new faces in the alley recently. It turned out that they were all people posted there by Xia Mao! "How about this! I''ll pay for their rent! If there''s really no other way, I can even buy the houses they stay in!" Qiao Mei said generously. If that girl was a nice and honest person, Xu Lan would not stop Xia Wen from going ahead. However, that girl was an indecent person whose relatives were all local hooligans! How could Xia Wen date such a person? In the end, Xu Lan forced Xia Wen to study hard and skip a grade so that he could graduate earlier and stay away from that girl. As time passed, Xia Wen forgot about this matter. Unexpectedly, Tan Jing appeared after that. Therefore, this time round, Xu Lan wanted to be very careful about this matter. She could not be muddle-headed again and allow a nasty woman to enter the Xia family! "Huh... If Xia He told you about it, then it must be Xia He who has taken a fancy to this girl," Qiao Mei said helplessly. "What! How can Xia He!" Xu Lan looked at Qiao Mei in shock and jumped up. Qiao Mei could clearly feel that Xu Lan was all tensed up like an angry lion. "No, no! Oh my... That day, Xia He went to Eldest Brother''s office to look for him and she happened to run into that girl. Xia He got along very well with that girl and brought her back to my place for dinner. The gist of the story is that Xia He wants to matchmake the two of them. So it''s Xia He who has taken a fancy to this girl and wants the girl to become her sister-in-law!" Qiao Mei quickly explained. It was only then that Xu Lan could relax. When she first heard that Xia Wen had found someone he liked, she felt very happy. Now that she knew it was only a misunderstanding, she felt a little sad. "I wonder if there is any girl who is willing to be with Xia Wen," Xu Lan said sadly. When Xia He got a divorce, Xu Lan was not very affected. Back then, it was Xia He who was bent on marrying into the Kong family and it was only a matter of time before she got a divorce. Xu Lan always thought that Xia He was asking for trouble by getting married to that man. However, she did not expect Xia Wen to also get a divorce not long after. After that, she began to reflect on whether it was because she had not taught her children well. Chapter 1477 Treasure Chapter 1477 Treasure Currently, Xia Zhe was the only child left in the Xia family who was in a happy marriage. However, Xia Zhe was always out on missions in the army and was rarely at home. If someone took a fancy to Qiao Mei at this time and took advantage of the situation, or if Qiao Mei became disheartened and did not want to wait for Xia Zhe in the capital, Xu Lan might lose such a good daughter-in-law to someone else. She had long wanted to give something to Qiao Mei but never had the chance to do so. The current moment seemed like the right time. Xu Lan took out an exquisite box from the cabinet. When she opened the box, there were many layers of cloth and paper inside. The cloth and paper were very old and had already started to turn yellow. "Mother, what is this? It''s wrapped up so tightly," Qiao Mei asked. "This is the bangle that my mother gave me when I got married. I heard from my mother that she had received it from her mother. Now, I''m giving this bangle to you. I hope you can take good care of it," Xu Lan said as she placed the gold bangle in Qiao Mei''s hands. This was a bangle that the Xu family had passed down to the family''s daughter for generations. She was only a daughter-in-law, so how could she accept such a valuable item! "No! No! Mother, you can''t give me such a valuable thing. You can... you can give it to Elder Sister. Elder Sister is getting married soon, so isn''t it the right timing to give it to her?" Qiao Mei said in a panic. "There''s so much! I like them a lot! Thank you, Father!" Qiao Mei wished she could pour out all the things in the box and lie down on them now. This was the first time she could actually have a sense of what it felt like to be rich. Every treasured item here would be worth hundreds of thousands or even millions in the future. Anyone would be tempted by it. If she told Xia Mao and the others the future value of these things, they would probably faint! "How... how can I move everything out! I''ll move them out tonight! Yes! Let''s do it this way! If I move them slowly, I''ll be able to complete the move eventually!" Qiao Mei said incoherently. She was so happy that she felt dizzy. "Look at this child. Don''t worry, I''ve already made arrangements for the transport. The vehicle is already outside the door. Later on, there will be specialists coming to move these things to your house. They will definitely be very careful and won''t leak any news to outsiders," Xia Mao said with a smile. "Really? I just know that Father is the best!" Qiao Mei said excitedly. Qiao Mei looked through the boxes for a long time. In the end, she chose two old-fashioned pocket watches for Xia Mao and Xia Wen and a set of red agate jewelry for Xu Lan. The red agate stone on that necklace was even bigger than a quail egg! Qiao Mei also picked out a set of imperial green jade jewelry for Xia He. The sisters from the second son''s family would get a ring each. She did not intend to give anything to the third son''s family, in case it caused someone to start eyeing her things. She had only spent around 200,000 dollars on these things, which was really too little. She still had so much money to spend! She wanted to buy some raw stones. In the future, it would be a pity if she designed beautiful jewelry but did not have any precious stones to work with. She had to buy more while these things were still cheap! She decided to set aside 100,000 dollars for the purchase. Very soon, she will need money for the factory, so she decided to park the remaining money there. Chapter 1478 Agree to Buy the House Chapter 1478 Agree to Buy the House When she got home, she saw Deng Fan''s motorcycle parked outside the door. It was rare for these two people to come to her house together. "What brings the conscientious Young Master Deng here!" Qiao Mei walked into the main hall and saw the couple sitting together and holding hands. "Here to exploit you, of course!" Deng Fan said with a smile. "Tell me about it. I want to know how you plan to exploit me," Qiao Mei said as she sat in the rocking chair and looked at them. After Xia He returned home, she discussed with Deng Fan for a long time and they finally decided to buy the house which Qiao Mei had set aside for Xia He. Their only condition was to buy it at the same price which Qiao Mei had bought it plus the renovation costs. They would not pay anything less than that. They were already lucky to be able to buy such a good house. If Qiao Mei needed to lower the price to help them out, she would incur a huge loss and they did not want to see that happen. Although they knew that Qiao Mei did not lack money at all, she could not waste money like this no matter how rich she was. "We''ve thought about it for a long time and finally decided to buy the house you mentioned. However, we want to take a look at your original purchase agreement and also the contract with the renovation contractor," Xia He said sternly. "Why! Are you worried that I''ll cheat you!" Qiao Mei said. "Of course not!" Deng Fan said quickly. After having a simple discussion on the details, Deng Fan made to leave. There was still some work to be done at the factory and he still needed to go there to deal with it. "Elder Sister, stay behind. I want to talk to you," Qiao Mei said as she grabbed Xia He''s arm. Xia He nodded. After sending Deng Fan off, she returned to the house dejectedly. What happened today was completely different from what she had imagined. That was not what Deng Fan had told her in the beginning. "Don''t tell me you''re spending the entire 5,000 dollars on this house," Qiao Mei said. "No, although that''s what I wanted to do at first," Xia He muttered softly. After Xia He and Deng Fan discussed the issue, Deng Fan secretly went home to talk to Deng Rui and Jiang Shu about it. Qiao Mei was paying Deng Fan 5,000 dollars for the work done at the factory. He already had a total of 1,200 dollars in savings, while Deng Rui and Jiang Shu also had around 2,000 dollars in savings. In total, they managed to pool together 9,300 dollars. It was enough for them to buy the house as well as the Four Big Things. However, they had an issue with the betrothal gifts. They knew that when Xia Zhe married Qiao Mei, he had given her 2,000 dollars. If they only gave Xia He 500 dollars, would that not seem like a slap on Xia He''s face? Even if they had to sell everything they owned, they must show Xia He enough respect. They must let Xia He marry into their family in a grand manner. Any hardships would only last for a while. After some time, they would have a comfortable life again. It was Deng Rui and Jiang Shu who wanted to put Xia He''s name in the title deed of the house. They had seriously mandated Deng Fan to do it. Otherwise, the couple had to buy another house. After Xia He finished explaining the cause and effect, Qiao Mei nodded in satisfaction. It seemed that the Deng family was truly nice to Xia He. In that case, Qiao Mei finally felt at ease. She could just pay Deng Fan more. After all, she had the final say in this matter! Chapter 1479 Astronomical Salary Chapter 1479 Astronomical Salary At dawn the next day, Qiao Mei dragged Xia He to the study to sign the agreement. Actually, she had drafted two sets of agreements long ago and was just waiting for Xia He and Xia Wen to sign them. She had waited for this day for too long. "Sign it quickly!" Qiao Mei said excitedly as she slammed the agreement on the table. Xia He looked at Qiao Mei''s anxious expression and laughed out loud. She had never seen a seller who looked even happier than the buyer! "Little ancestor, do you know what time it is? The rooster in Grandpa Qiao''s backyard hasn''t even started crowing yet, but you actually drag me here to sign the agreement! Moreover, the paper looks a little yellowish. You must have been waiting for this day for a long time," Xia He said helplessly as she picked up the document. "Yes! If you don''t sign it, I''m going to take it back!" Qiao Mei threatened. Qiao Mei was worried that Xia He would go back on her word or that something would happen. She even regretted not signing the agreement immediately yesterday. This way, Xia He would never be able to back out! Xia He signed the agreement without even reading it. Qiao Mei happily held it up and asked, "You didn''t even look at it. Aren''t you afraid that I''ll cheat you?" "What''s there to be afraid of? If you lie to me, then I''ll just stay at your house for the rest of my life. I won''t get married either! What can you do! Besides, the helpers and children are here, as well as Grandpa Qiao and Auntie Li who like me. I''m more than happy to cling to you!" Xia He said shamelessly. for new novels "How dare you not get married! Big Brother Deng may even come and chop me up with a kitchen knife. You should quickly marry him!" Qiao Mei said disdainfully. Xia He knocked on the table and asked, "I signed the agreement without paying. If I don''t pay you, what can you do?" "What''s there to be afraid of! Deng Fan''s pay is still with me and I haven''t given it to him yet!" Qiao Mei said as she patted her chest. "That''s not a lot of money. How can it compare to the price of the house," Xia He said. Qiao Mei raised one finger in front of Xia He. Xia He thought for a moment and said, "1,000 dollars?" Qiao Mei shook her head. Xia He was stunned for a moment before she suddenly stood up and yelled out in shock, "10,000! Qiao Mei, are you crazy!" "What? This is the pay which Big Brother Deng deserves. Why are you so shocked?" Qiao Mei covered her ears and said innocently. "The most that Deng Fan was paid was only 800 dollars and it was for half a year''s work. You actually want to pay him 10,000 dollars. Are you crazy!" Xia He said. Perhaps Qiao Mei was really too rich and had forgotten that in this era, one could buy a sausage and a loaf of bread for 20 cents. One could even buy one pound of meat with 20 cents! A salary of 10,000 dollars was indeed an astronomical figure. Some people would not even be able to save up 10,000 dollars in their entire lives. If Qiao Mei was always so generous and other people found out about this, how would she be able to ask for help in the future? People would definitely raise the price when it came to her. Chapter 1480 A Favor Done at Little Cost Chapter 1480 A Favor Done at Little Cost "I think Big Brother Deng is worth this price! That''s the maximum I will pay him. Don''t worry," Qiao Mei said seriously. Xia He still felt that Qiao Mei was paying too much. However, no matter how much she tried to persuade Qiao Mei, it would not change the outcome. Instead, it might even agitate Qiao Mei and make her rebellious. She might even give Deng Fan 20,000 dollars later! Qiao Mei just did not want the Deng family to "go bankrupt" in order to marry Xia He. She also did not want Xia He to live a tough life. She was willing to give all this money to Xia He for free. Ever since she married into the Xia family, Xia He had spent a lot of money and put in a lot of effort on her and her children. Even if she had to give one-third of her family''s money to Xia He, she would have no regrets. Since she could see how sincere the Deng family was, it was good enough for her. She decided to be the one to fork out the money. She had originally already wanted to give Xia He a house. If she did it this way, it would look good for everyone. The two of them chatted noisily for a long time. Suddenly, Xia He requested to go to Qiao Mei''s factory to take a look. She still did not know the location of the factory! She also wanted to see with her own eyes what Deng Fan had achieved after working so hard for so long. Qiao Mei asked the chauffeur to drive the two of them to the factory and also brought along some bedding and account books. Deng Fan''s work had already completely ended. Qiao Mei had requested for a separate lounge to be built in her office. She thought that she could go there to clean up and deck out the lounge today. Recently, she had also been thinking about something else. Not only did Deng Fan know how to design buildings, but he also knew how to repair machinery and also manage the factory. Why not hire Deng Fan to work in her factory? Xia He secretly gave Qiao Mei a thumbs up. Qiao Mei was probably the only person who would spend more than 100,000 dollars to build a factory without even checking the drawings. The two of them walked around the factory in a blur. Qiao Mei still did not know what each workshop was for. It took her a long time to find out the use of each workshop. "Qiao Mei, is this your factory or not? Why do I feel that the workers here are more familiar with it than you?" Xia He said with a smile. "It''s my mother and Qian''e who are in charge of the factory. I only front it. I''ll become familiar with it after some time. There''s no rush," Qiao Mei said with a grin. After searching for a long time, they finally saw the busy Deng Fan. This was the first time Xia He had seen Deng Fan covered in machine oil. Usually, Deng Fan would only dare to come and look for Xia He after dressing up nicely. He felt a little embarrassed to look so disheveled in front of them. "Why are you here? Quick, get out. It''s very dangerous. Wait for me outside," Deng Fan said very sternly. Qiao Mei and Xia He obediently stood outside the workshop and waited for Deng Fan to finish his work. Chapter 1481 Get Married Tomorrow Chapter 1481 Get Married Tomorrow While Deng Fan was busy in the workshop, Xia He stood outside and kept sneaking glances inside. This was the first time she had seen Deng Fan at work as an architect. Back when he was in the art troupe, Deng Fan was neither eye-catching nor outstanding. It would not be too much to say that he was just mediocre and he did not have any strengths. If not for Xia He, he would have left the troupe long ago and would not have waited until now. Now that Deng Fan was working in his area of expertise, he shone with confidence, making one unable to take their eyes off him. "How is it? Do you think Big Brother Deng is amazing? Do you find him especially handsome!" Qiao Mei asked with a smile. for new novels "I''ve always felt that he''s very capable!" Xia He said proudly. Qiao Mei leaned over and whispered into Xia He''s ear, "Since you''re so satisfied, why don''t you hurry up and get married to Big Brother Deng. There are many female workers in the factory and most of them are young girls. I heard from my mother that many girls have fallen for Big Brother Deng recently. There are even people who asked my mother about Big Brother Deng''s family background. If you don''t hurry up, you will allow other people to take advantage of the situation!" "I... I''m not afraid! Deng Fan won''t abandon me for another woman. Besides, are those women as beautiful as me? Are they more capable than me?" Xia He said with a guilty conscience. "But they are young, all 18-year-old girls! All of them are beautiful and charming at this age. There''s a saying that goes, ''A chaste woman is most afraid of a persistent man''. It''s the same for a man. I''m just worried that if someone pesters Big Brother Deng every day, nasty rumors will start spreading. By then, it''ll be difficult for anyone to prove their innocence!" Qiao Mei said. Xia He thought about it carefully. What Qiao Mei said made sense. Back when Qian''e was still insensible, she had gone around spreading rumors about Xia Zhe and herself. There were people who believed her! "Elder Sister, aren''t you being a little impulsive here?" Qiao Mei said as she looked at Xia He. Xia He said firmly, "I''m not being impulsive. I want to register my marriage tomorrow. Even if an immortal comes, he won''t be able to stop me from registering my marriage!" Qiao Mei did not want to rain on Xia He''s parade, but it was a fact that Xia He''s wish could not be fulfilled. This was because it was the weekend tomorrow and the people in the community center did not need to go to work, so there was no one to process it for Xia He. The sudden fighting spirit in Xia He dissipated. However, since she had already said it out loud, there was no reason for her to eat her words. Since she could not register her marriage during the weekend, she would do it on Monday. Moreover, she wanted to be the first one to get the marriage certificate on that day! Deng Fan looked at Qiao Mei awkwardly. He did not know how to raise the issue with her. "What''s wrong, Big Brother Deng?" Qiao Mei asked. "I..." Deng Fan was a little hesitant, but the look in Xia He''s eyes was too serious and anxious. He clenched his teeth and said, "Qiao Mei... can I get an advance on the pay? I mean the payment for this project." Qiao Mei had indeed not thought things through properly and did not discuss anything with Deng Fan in advance. The Four Big Things and betrothal gifts from the Deng family had not been delivered to Xia Mao and Xu Lan yet, so how could he go and register his marriage with Xia He now? If they did that, was it any different from eloping? Chapter 1482 Failed Attempt to Invest Chapter 1482 Failed Attempt to Invest "Big Brother Deng, don''t worry. I''ve already given your salary to Elder Sister," Qiao Mei said. "Director Qiao is giving you a payment of 10,000 dollars and she has already deducted the cost of the house from it. I still have 2,000 dollars with me and I have left it at Qiao Mei''s house for the time being. We''ll go and get the money when you get off work," Xia He said. for new novels Deng Fan seemed to have been turned into stone as he stood there in a daze. No matter how Xia He and Qiao Mei called out to him, he did not react. It was only when Xia He could not take it anymore and gave him a kick that he grabbed his ankle in pain and finally came back to his senses. "10,000... 10,000 dollars... I''ve never even seen so much money in my life... Did you get the sum wrong? It should be 1,000 dollars, how can it be 10,000 dollars? If I accept this money, will the police come and arrest me!" Deng Fan muttered to himself. "Why would they arrest you? You earned the money through your own hard work. Why would the police arrest you?" Qiao Mei said. Deng Fan still found it hard to believe and Qiao Mei and Xia He also did not continue to explain. When Xia He first heard what Qiao Mei said, her expression was no different from the one on Deng Fan''s face now. It was better to let Deng Fan digest the news himself. Qiao Mei brought Xia He to the factory''s office building. The office building had six floors and Qiao Mei had not thought of what to do with the first floor, but there was a big room that was perfect to be a meeting room. The second floor was her office and she occupied the entire floor. She was the one who decided where each office was located. In other factories, the factory director''s office would be located on the topmost floor, which was meant to signify reaching the top. However, Qiao Mei did not do it the same way. As for the reason... it was because she was too lazy. In this era without lifts, she really did not want to climb the stairs to work on the sixth floor every day. It was already a very painful thing to have to go to work and having to climb the stairs would only make it worse. "How much does it cost to invest in this place?" Xia He asked curiously. "Do you want to be a shareholder too?" Qiao Mei asked with a smile. "I can try. Who doesn''t want to do nothing and just wait for the dividends at the end of the year!" Xia He said. The amount of 200,000 dollars which Qiao Mei received was only the down payments. If Xia He owned 1% of the shares, even if Qiao Mei only earned 200,000 dollars a year, she would still be able to get 2,000 dollars at the end of the year! 2,000 dollars was already equivalent to her annual salary! "Say... 10,000 dollars! How about I give you 1%? I''ll sell you my own shares," Qiao Mei said. "Then you have to wait for me to save up," Xia He said dejectedly. After hanging around Qiao Mei for so long, she had also started to dream big. How could she save 10,000 dollars on her salary of slightly more than 100 dollars a month? It was simply wishful thinking. Even if she and Deng Fan saved up together, it would still take them a year. By then, the market value of Qiao Mei''s factory would have increased and 1% of the shares would cost more than 10,000 dollars. Chapter 1483 Building a Factory in a Distant Location Chapter 1483 Building a Factory in a Distant Location He Ning had mixed feelings when he found out that Qiao Mei had built a factory and purposely chose to do it in the western suburbs, which was very far away from him. The eastern suburbs where he lived now clearly had the most land. The land was also cheaper and closer to Qiao Mei''s house than the western suburbs, but Qiao Mei still chose to go to the other side. It would make sense if Qiao Mei was in the business of planting crops like fruits. The land in the eastern suburbs was not suitable for growing crops, and even the fruit trees sold in the nurseries were transported from the western suburbs. However, Qiao Mei did not have any special requirements for the land, so why did she not choose the cheaper land? The truth was that Qiao Mei never had to consider this issue at all. Everything was done by Xia Wen, so it probably had something to do with his personal grudges. Anyway, Qiao Mei did not lack that few thousand dollars. To her, there was no difference between the eastern and western suburbs. "Do you know which shopping malls are collaborating with Qiao Mei''s food factory so far?" He Ning asked Huo Gao gloomily. Huo Gao felt angry but did not dare to say anything. He was just a doctor! Why did he have to do the job of a private investigator all the time! Moreover, he had to work part-time as a nanny, bodyguard, as well as He Ning''s underling and personal chauffeur. His monthly salary was only 130 dollars. The money was so little but he had to do so much work! If not for the fact that He Ning always gave him a lot of Chinese herbs as well as bonuses, he would have quit long ago! "Isn''t this what Jia Zhong is supposed to do?" Huo Gao whispered. He gritted his teeth and ate the food on his plate. No human could live without food. If he did not eat, he would really starve to death. He had to build up his strength now. Only when he was healthy could he go and cause trouble for Xia Zhe. Some time ago, he had to spare the Xia family because he needed to take care of his own health. It was time to teach them a lesson soon. Most of the shopping malls in the capital had some form of collaboration with Qiao Mei, and only a few did not. Qiao Mei did not intend to start her business with much fanfare and the collaborations were only for seeds and popcorn. Qiao Mei had not solved the problem of how to sell the braised meat yet. If they sold it in sealed packaging like how it was done in her other life, it would taste different and the feedback would not be good. However, if they wanted to sell it at the canteens of other factories, there were procedures to go through and it was such a hassle. Sealed bags were still not widely available at the moment and many things were hard to find. It was also difficult to train the workers. In the end, they would not only lose money, but also time and effort. They were in the food industry. If the sealed bags were not good and something went wrong, they would not be able to continue with their business very soon. This was an industry which depended on reputation and credibility, was it not? Qiao Mei was stumped by this problem and it was also not appropriate for Xia Wen to say anything. After all, he was in a sensitive position and it was already very conspicuous when he helped Qiao Mei get the support of the government. If he did anything more, his enemies would probably start thinking of ways to torture the Xia family. Occasionally missing content, please report errors in time. Chapter 1484 Solving the Problem Chapter 1484 Solving the Problem Li Gui, Qian''e and Qiao Mei wished they could just live in the factory. Qiao Mei had already sent the two babies to Xu Lan''s place. Qiao Qiang was already old and he had been busy taking care of the four children in the backyard every day. How could he have the time to take care of the two troublemakers? Zhang Wei and Zhang Miao had already been sent to boarding school and would only be able to come back once a month in the future. Zhang Chao and Zhang Qin only had each other for company every day. Ever since they went to school, Zhang Chao had become much more cheerful and also made many good friends. They heard from Qiao Qiang that he even brought them home to play together! When the other kids saw that they lived in such a big house and even had their own bedroom, they became even more envious. At first, everyone was worried that those children would be unkind to Zhang Chao and Zhang Qin. It seemed that their worries were completely unwarranted. "Mei Mei, go home and rest. There''s still the two of us here. How many nights have you stayed up?" Li Gui looked at Qiao Mei with heartache. "Mom, I''m fine. There are still some issues that are not settled yet. Once everything is done, I won''t come again. By then, even if you and Qian''e beg me, I won''t come!" Qiao Mei said with a smile. Li Gui could only believe what Qiao Mei said. At the moment, she could not think of any solution and could only stare at Qiao Mei. There were already dark circles under Qiao Mei''s eyes and her complexion had worsened a lot. It was all because of all the work at the factory. At first, the superiors did not agree with this suggestion. After all, it was not easy to process pig offal. What if it was not cleaned properly and the soldiers got sick after eating it? Besides, who knew if Qiao Mei''s food was edible or not? If something really happened, they would not be able to explain themselves. However, such a small matter was not a problem for Xia Fang at all. Xia Fang secretly bought a lot of pig offal made by Li Gui behind Qiao Mei''s back. After that, Qian''e and her went to sell braised meat in the military family compound for three consecutive days, making sure that every family had eaten Qiao Mei''s braised meat before they started to publicize where the meat came from. At some point, the superiors'' family members would have bought the meat home to feed the family. Gradually, the brand name Osmanthus Braised Meat became well-known for selling delicious meat. Everyone expressed their intention to buy more, but Xia Fang''s stall was not open for sale anymore and they had nowhere to buy it. Nowadays, the family members even forced the men at home to buy more food during lunchtime so that they could bring it home to eat. "Oh my goodness, this is such a great help! I don''t even know how to thank you," Qiao Mei said agitatedly. If Xiang Jin''s troops were receptive to the food, then other troops would also ask their superior for approval when they heard the news. If only one person wanted to eat it , then that person would have to think of a way to solve the problem personally. If all the soldiers wanted to eat the same thing, then the cookhouse staff would need to work hard! Qiao Mei was very confident in things that she made. There was definitely no one in this world who could surpass her braised pig offal! "It''s not only that! Have you forgotten that my brother is the director of the hospital? My colleagues in the hospital all like to eat your braised meat. The canteen in our hospital also wants to order from you!" Xia Fang said happily. Chapter 1485 Barging Into the Office Chapter 1485 Barging Into the Office "How can I do that!" Qiao Mei said embarrassedly. "What''s there to be worried about! I''ve discussed it with Liu Yang and the delivery date is set on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday! This way, you''ll have income every day apart from Sunday! Don''t worry, once you build up your reputation, my brother''s troops and Xia Wen''s office will also order from you!" Xia Fang said. "When I''m done, I must go to Uncle Liu''s house to thank him," Qiao Mei said. "Thank him? Liu Yang wishes that you''re his real niece! That bit of ginseng root you gave him last time is enough for him to do anything for you. He''s even willing to go through hell and high water for you. He''s a ''medicine fanatic'' who cares especially about medicinal herbs and treasures them very much," Xia He said. Qiao Mei still had some good lingzhi at home. She would give a portion to Liu Yang, and also give Xia Fang a bit more, so that she could let Liu Yang feel happy for a period of time! Xia Fang could also use it to nourish her body and maintain her looks. One pound of braised meat was usually sold at one dollar, but it would have to be cheaper when selling to government agencies. They could do it at 60 cents per pound, which meant they could earn 60 dollars a day. In addition, they had many customers who bought the pig offal in small portions. She believed that many canteens would come to her to talk business soon! It looked like she would have to discuss the price with the owner of the pork factory soon. The previous price was a little high, but now she needed so much stock, he should be able to give her a discount. Perhaps Qiao Mei could consider buying up all the pig offal available and monopolize the market! "What''s wrong?" Qiao Mei said unhappily. She was usually bad-tempered in the morning and also had not slept well last night, so she was very irritable now. "Factory director, please be our judge! We are supposed to get a salary of 80 dollars a month, so why do you only give us 54 dollars!" a very muscular woman shouted at Qiao Mei. After Qiao Mei gave birth, she became especially sensitive to sounds. All her family members spoke to her in soft voices. Even when they were angry, they would express their anger in a low voice. Qiao Mei was already starting to get impatient with this woman who was making such a big fuss. She glanced at Wang Fang, who quickly ran over and whispered into Qiao Mei''s ear, "These few women did many things wrong last month and caused a lot of spoilage. After a discussion, we decided to deduct their salaries." "How much are the losses?" Qiao Mei asked directly. "A lot, about 500 dollars. They made a mistake when they operated the machines, so the entire batch had to be thrown out," Wang Fang said. Occasionally missing content, please report errors in time. Chapter 1486 Take the Money and Get Lost Chapter 1486 Take the Money and Get Lost "Then is there still enough time to deliver the goods?" Qiao Mei asked unhappily with a frown. "It was discovered in the nick of time. We''ve already worked overtime to make up for it. We can deliver the goods at the time agreed with our partners, and there''s no problem with the quality," Wang Fang said calmly. Qiao Mei nodded in satisfaction. She realized that Wang Fang was even more detailed than Chi Ze and was very meticulous in all aspects. Moreover, she was a very responsible person. It seemed to be a waste of her talent to ask her to supervise the workers. When she had time later, she would promote Wang Fang and let her do more management work. "What are you whispering about! Quickly give us an explanation! Otherwise, I''ll call the police!" The woman continued to shout, completely ignoring Qiao Mei''s unhappy expression. Qiao Mei tapped her fingers on the table impatiently. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Tell me what your request is." "We just want a full month''s salary, so you have to make up for the amount we lost!" the woman said. The other two nodded in agreement. That was what they wanted too. "Only your salary?" Qiao Mei asked. "Yes! We want our salary! We don''t want anything else!" the woman said. "Yes, what you say makes sense, but I believe in the people who work for me. If you''re not convinced, then take your salary and get lost! If you don''t want this job, there are plenty of people who want it!" Qiao Mei shouted fiercely. Wang Fang, who was standing behind her, was shocked. This was the first time Wang Fang had seen Qiao Mei when she was angry. "You! You''re unreasonable!" Zhang Zhi said as she pointed at Qiao Mei. "Go and reason with the police. Security officer! Ask her to leave!" Qiao Mei said. The two security officers who had been standing at the door immediately rushed into the room to drag Zhang Zhi away. The other two women had only come along because Zhang Zhi wanted to kick up a fuss. They did not expect to be fired as well. None of them was spared. Qiao Mei took two steps back and slumped into her chair. She had not eaten last night or this morning and her blood sugar was a little low. She felt a little dizzy after shouting just now. "Qiao Mei, are you alright?" Wang Fang looked at Qiao Mei nervously. "I''m fine. Sister-in-law, can you help me go to the canteen to buy some porridge and a salted duck egg? I''m feeling a little dizzy," Qiao Mei said weakly. Wang Fang did not dare to leave just like that. What if something happened to Qiao Mei while she was away? She quickly picked up the phone and called Li Gui, asking her to come to Qiao Mei''s office to take care of Qiao Mei. She only felt at ease to go and get food for Qiao Mei after Li Gui arrived. "Mei Mei, you should go home and rest for a couple of days," Li Gui said. Chapter 1487 Cannot Provide Any Help Chapter 1487 Cannot Provide Any Help "It''s fine. It''s just low blood sugar caused by not eating. It''s not a serious problem. Sister-in-law was being too anxious when she called you. Don''t get so worked up," Qiao Mei said weakly. "Why can''t you just listen? Don''t tell me you don''t even want to listen to me now?" Li Gui said sternly. This was the first time Li Gui had lost her temper with Qiao Mei and spoke to her so sternly. However, Qiao Mei was a very stubborn person. The more she did this, the more Qiao Mei did not want to go home. In Qiao Mei''s other life, she had no problem working overtime every day. She had only worked overtime for a week so far and it was not a big deal. Moreover, she could take ginseng to boost her energy. If she did not sort out the problems in the factory now, she would definitely face an even bigger crisis in the future. "I hear you. I''ll consider it," Qiao Mei said tiredly. Li Gui did not dare to force Qiao Mei to do anything. At the moment, no one in the family could control Qiao Mei. Other than Qiao Qiang, Qiao Mei would not listen to anyone else. Li Gui immediately ran home to look for Qiao Qiang and told him about what happened. She did not expect Qiao Qiang not to be concerned about Qiao Mei''s health at all and did not even show any reaction. He only nodded and told Li Gui to leave without any intention of visiting Qiao Mei. "Father! Don''t you feel sorry for Qiao Mei?" Li Gui questioned. No one knew what this eldest young master of the Han Corporation did to make a name for himself in the capital within such a short period of time and even managed to force those established companies to give in to him. "Hello, I''m the director of the Osmanthus Food Factory. My name is Qiao Mei. It''s a pleasure to meet you," Qiao Mei said confidently as she pushed open the door to the meeting room with a smile. That man sat right opposite the main door. He was very handsome and could even be described as being "vampy". This was the first time Qiao Mei had seen such a beautiful man. Xia Zhe was handsome and suave, completely different from this man. This man was more... exquisite? For a moment, Qiao Mei did not know how to describe this man''s good looks. "Nice to meet you. My name is Han Chen, and I''m the... chairman of the Han Corporation." Han Chen looked a little shy after saying that. This was the first time he had introduced himself so formally. "I wonder what kind of collaboration Mr. Han is here to discuss with me. Based on what I know, there''s nothing in Mr. Han''s business that I can help with," Qiao Mei said with a smile. Most people would make polite small talk for a long time when they met Han Chen, but Qiao Mei was different. Qiao Mei went straight to the point about what he was here for. She did not beat around the bush at all, which surprised Han Chen. He had thought that he was going to waste a lot of time again. "Mr. Han?" Qiao Mei whispered when she saw Han Chen standing rooted to the spot without saying anything. Chapter 1488 Still a Long Way to Go Chapter 1488 Still a Long Way to Go Han Chen came back to his senses and said apologetically, "Oh! I''m sorry, I was distracted just now. I have come to talk to you about the popcorn and seeds." "What can I do for you?" Qiao Mei asked politely. Recently, Han Chen had concluded a big business deal that dealt with mainly overseas exports. However, he did not just want to concentrate on overseas business. The domestic market was also important to him. He wanted to send some unique items from the capital together with the goods, but he found other items too ordinary. Coincidentally, at Qiao Mei''s factory, the quality of food was good and the packaging was exquisite, and everything seemed to meet his requirements. Under normal circumstances, Han Chen''s general manager would be the one to come and discuss these things with Qiao Mei. This time round, he had come personally to see for himself the woman who could run a successful factory in just three months. It was indeed breathtaking to see her in person. Qiao Mei did not think too much about it and directly briefed Han Chen about the type of products she currently had and the prices. In just half an hour, Han Chen already knew all the products available and even knew the type and style. Qiao Mei did not intend to change the price as everyone was treated equally. She decisively told Han Chen about the low price. Han Chen was a little surprised, but he liked such efficiency very much. "Miss Qiao is really... amazing..." Han Chen clapped his hands and praised her. From that day, there would be a bouquet of flowers sent to Qiao Mei''s office every day. The flowers were different every day and Qiao Mei''s office soon ran out of space. Xia He had been in a good mood recently. She had finally gotten married to Deng Fan and the renovation of the new house was coming to an end. She was even the one who personally chose all the furniture. After the musical ended, the art troupe had given her a week''s leave so that she could have a good rest. As the weather was good, Xia He and Deng Fan drove to Qiao Mei''s factory to take a look. The moment they entered Qiao Mei''s office, Xia He was dumbfounded. Was this place some kind of garden? "Oh my goodness! Why are there so many flowers! Aren''t you sick of the smell!" Xia He said as she looked at all the flowers in disdain. Some of the flowers had already started to wither and rot. Qiao Mei looked up tiredly from her desk and said, "I don''t want them either... Who would have thought that I would encounter such a thing? I''m just running a business." After Han Chen left, he sent her all kinds of flowers every day. In the beginning, Qiao Mei asked her staff to throw them away, but for some reason, Han Chen found out about it. Han Chen even specially made a phone call to Qiao Mei to ask her not to throw the flowers away. He said that if she kept them in the office and looked at them every day, she would feel much better at work. "Does this man want something from you?" Xia He asked. Qiao Mei felt the same way, but what was he after? She was already married and even the mother of two children. Chapter 1489 Want to Get a Wife Chapter 1489 Want to Get a Wife ? Anyone could easily find who Qiao Mei''s husband was and how powerful her in-laws were. She did not know what Han Chen was thinking to have the guts to woo her so openly. However, he actually did not say that he was wooing her. He only sent flowers to let Qiao Mei feel more relaxed at work so that it could better facilitate their collaboration. Since he explained it this way, what reason did Qiao Mei have to reject it? "This person is really as cunning as his looks! When I first saw him, I thought he looked very much like a fox! Cunning and beautiful and a dangerous character!" Xia He muttered agitatedly. "You''ve met him before? When?" Qiao Mei asked curiously. "A few months ago, at his sister''s birthday banquet. She invited Eldest Brother and me. Eldest Brother didn''t have time, so he left the social activity to me. I saw him from afar once," Xia He said. Many of the aristocratic families in the capital knew one another but very superficially. The Xia family liked to be left alone and was not particularly close to any other family, but they would still go through the motions. Before Xia He got married, she was usually the one who went to such events. Anyway, it was just dinner. There was no loss in going. If Xia He was not in the capital, then Xia Wen would attend. At night, Zhao Wu and Xia Zhe had dinner together. Zhao Wu secretly observed He Mei as she moved around and kept staring at her. "Brother, don''t you think that the nurse is very good-looking!" Zhao Wu asked as he secretly pointed at He Mei. "Just eat your food!" Xia Zhe said as he tapped on Zhao Wu''s bowl impatiently. "Sigh! You''re really boring! I''m just asking. I''m really envious that you have such a good wife like my sister-in-law. I also want to get married. I think that girl is not bad. Help me take a look!" Zhao Wu said. "You can look at any other woman, but not that one," Xia Zhe said sternly. Seeing that Xia Zhe did not look like he was joking, Zhao Wu asked curiously, "Why? Have you taken a fancy to this person? Don''t tell me you''re going to betray my sister-in-law!" Occasionally missing content, please report errors in time. Chapter 1490 Pretending to Be Asleep Chapter 1490 Pretending to Be Asleep "If you sprout any more nonsense, I''ll rip out your tongue! Do you still want to eat pickled cucumbers! Next time I bring pickled cucumbers, don''t come crying and asking me for them!" Xia Zhe threatened. Finding a wife was not as important as eating Qiao Mei''s pickled cucumbers. He did not even know when he would find a wife! However, if he wanted to eat pickled cucumbers, he could always ask Xia Zhe to bring some over. "Then tell me why! I''m just curious!" Zhao Wu said. "Her name is He Mei and she''s not a local. She''s from the capital and she has some... enmity with my family. Back then, she almost caused your sister-in-law to suffer from a miscarriage. I won''t tell you in detail what happened, but do you still think she''s a good person?" Xia Zhe whispered. "What the hell! This woman is so vicious! How dare she harm my sister-in-law! I must teach her a lesson!" Zhao Wu rolled up his sleeves and wanted to go and teach He Mei a lesson when Xia Zhe quickly stopped him. "Are you stupid? That''s a long time ago. Besides, do you think I didn''t do anything then? This issue is over. If you want to find a wife, ask your sister-in-law to look out for you in the capital. Don''t fall for just anyone on the street," Xia Zhe said disdainfully. Zhao Wu lowered his head happily and ate his meal. Just thinking about it made him happy, so he went to take another big bowl of rice. When the local troops heard that Xia Zhe''s team had arrived, they immediately arranged for their military doctors to come over and help treat the injured and sick soldiers. Their leader''s name was Du Jun. This person was very crafty and treated everyone differently. He was a very unpredictable person. for new novels At this moment, Xia Zhe had already woken up, but he did not intend to open his eyes. Instead, he continued to lie on the bed and pretended to snore. Xiao Jian knew that Xia Zhe was very quiet when he slept and he did not snore. He stood at the side and secretly pursed his lips and smiled. Du Jun walked to Xia Zhe''s bed and looked him up and down for a long time, but he did not know how to wake him up. In that case, he would let Xia Zhe sleep. He would interrogate Xia Zhe when he woke up later and ask him for a proper apology. Xiao Jian led Du Jun out of the tent and Xia Zhe went back to sleep comfortably without any worries. It was only at night that Xia Zhe received the news that Du Jun had taken the liberty to stay in their camp, saying that he intended to stay with them until Xia Zhe left. He was determined to share the hardships with the soldiers in the field. "Do you think he''s stupid? Why must he make things difficult for us?" Zhao Wu said in exasperation. "Then what can you do? Are you going to find a few people to carry him in the middle of the night and throw him out?" Xia Zhe said impatiently. Zhao Wu''s eyes lit up. That was such a good idea! "I''ll arrange for a few people to come over now! I''ll definitely do this beautifully and flawlessly!" Zhao Wu said confidently. "I think you''re a little sick in the head too! Do you think he sleepwalks in the middle of the night! How can you do it flawlessly? Just let him stay here. At this juncture, I can''t be bothered to argue with him. I want to return to the capital as soon as possible," Xia Zhe said helplessly. Chapter 1491 Unique Taste Chapter 1491 Unique Taste "I''ve arranged for two of our guys to keep an eye on him. There shouldn''t be any issues. Anyway, it doesn''t matter even if he really wants to create trouble. We''ll have eyewitnesses," Zhao Wu said sternly. Zhao Wu may look silly, but he was actually very smart! He was definitely not who he seemed to be. Otherwise, Xia Zhe would not have been friends with him for so long. Sometimes, Xia Zhe secretly wondered about his own judgment of people. What made him become friends with Zhao Wu back then? Just as Xia Zhe and Zhao Wu were thinking of ways to deal with Du Jun, the man came knocking on their door himself. "Commander Xia, you''re awake! It''s so hard to get a chance to see you," Du Jun said agitatedly. The corners of Xia Zhe''s mouth twitched. Du Jun''s tone of voice and his expression made it sound as if Xia Zhe had just woken up from a vegetative state. "That''s true! Ordinary people really can''t get to meet Xia Zhe. He has so many things to do every day and everything requires his approval. I don''t even get to see Xia Zhe often. Brother Du. it''s good that you also know Xia Zhe works very hard!" Zhao Wu held onto Du Jun and talked to him like they were close friends. "Company Commander Zhao, why do you ask to see us so urgently? Is it because that Du guy is making things difficult for our Commander Xia!" Squad Leader Liu said. "Something like that. That asshole actually said that all of you are also part of his troops. If Xia Zhe wasn''t there, I would have rushed forward to beat that guy up!" Zhao Wu said disdainfully. "What a joke! We''re all Commander Xia''s soldiers! Who does that guy think he is! How dare he speak like this in our territory!" Squad Leader Liu said angrily. "In that case, let''s teach him a lesson. We definitely can''t let Du Jun get too comfortable here! Tell your subordinates to stay alert. If I find out that there are any slackers among us, I definitely won''t let that person off! I won''t let any of you off easily either!" Zhao Wu said. Everyone looked at Zhao Wu firmly and said, "Noted!" Zhao Wu waved his hand and dismissed them. He was doing this behind Xia Zhe''s back and they must not let him find out about it. However, even if Xia Zhe found out, it was no big deal. Xia Zhe had always acquiesced in such matters. As long as the matter did not blow up too much, Xia Zhe would not reprimand them. When it was mealtime, Xia Zhe led Du Jun to the canteen for dinner. The head chef beamed when he saw Xia Zhe and scooped a lot of braised pork onto the plate. This was Xia Zhe''s favorite dish. Du Jun and Xia Zhe ordered the same dishes. It was very clear what the head chef thought of Du Jun. There were only three pieces of meat in his serving of braised pork with a lot of sauce. Those who did not know better would think that Du Jun liked to drink braised pork sauce! "Oh my! Brother Du, you have such unique taste. You like to eat soupy rice! I''ll tell the head chef to cook more dishes with sauce in the future!" Zhao Wu said excitedly. Chapter 1492 The Last Night Chapter 1492 The Last Night "No..." Du Jun wanted to explain further, but Zhao Wu had already run straight to the head chef in a nosy manner. Xia Zhe lowered his head and smiled. Zhao Wu was very good at doing such things which left people speechless. "Don''t mind him. He''s a really warm-hearted person. Many soldiers receive help from Zhao Wu when their families back home run into trouble. He''s just doing this because he wants you to eat well here. Don''t take it to heart. If there''s anything you need, you can tell him. He will definitely help you solve all your problems," Xia Zhe said with a stoic expression. If Xia Zhe said that Zhao Wu was doing this out of kindness, then what else could Du Jun say? He could only grit his teeth and bear with it. Other than Du Jun, the rest of the soldiers who came with him were given the exact same food as Xia Zhe''s subordinates. They only had a personal grudge against Du Jun and would not take it out on the other soldiers. He Mei had behaved herself over the past few days. Xia Zhe had also asked around and found out a lot of information. He Mei did not just arrive recently but had been stationed here for a long time. Her time here was even longer than his mission period. Could it be that she had really relied on her own abilities to escape from that mountainous location where she was sent to? Yao Nian had previously written to Xia Zhe to highlight that He Mei had already left the mountain area. However, at that time, he was only focused on Qiao Mei giving birth to the babies. By now, he already could not remember what Yao Nian had written in the letter. Xia Zhe still had his doubts about He Mei and would not let his guard down. He instructed Xiao Jian to keep an eye on the tent and that no one was allowed to enter or leave his tent without his permission. Just as Qiao Mei had told him before, if any woman''s undergarments were found in his tent or if a naked woman suddenly appeared from nowhere, he would never be able to explain himself out of it. Xia Zhe frowned slightly. He did not expect Du Jun to be a person who would say such things. It looked like this was not the first time Du Jun had done such a thing. He wondered how many women Du Jun had already harmed previously. "That''s my friend''s younger sister," Xia Zhe said. Du Jun said in shock, "Oh! Is that so! Then forget it. I never expected her to be Commander Xia''s old acquaintance. She''s so beautiful though." It was not that Xia Zhe wanted to protect He Mei, but there was no need for him to use such a method to take revenge on a woman. He would only do things that were aboveboard. After three rounds of drinking, many people got drunk. Xia Zhe continued to sit there expressionlessly. Zhao Wu got drunk and went back to his tent. Du Jun had prepared a lot of liquor. He had already asked around about Xia Zhe''s capacity for alcohol and knew that he would not be able to beat Xia Zhe. Fortunately, he had brought a special weapon with him! "Commander Xia, since you''re heading back soon, we must have a good drinking session together. After all, I don''t know when we''ll meet again!" Du Jun said. "If you want to see me, you can come to the capital to look for me anytime," Xia Zhe said. Chapter 1493 Drugged Chapter 1493 Drugged "Alright! If you say so!" Du Jun said excitedly. Xia Zhe nodded slightly and said, "I''m going to the bathroom. Excuse me." He made a huge detour to avoid Du Jun''s subordinates. After confirming that no one was looking for him, he returned to his tent. Unexpectedly, not long after he sat down, Xiao Jian came to look for him urgently. "What''s wrong?" Xia Zhe asked. "Commander Xia, Du Jun is looking for you everywhere! He''s heading here soon! He''s going to turn the entire camp inside out!" Xiao Jian said. Xia Zhe sighed deeply and wondered why he had to encounter such an unreasonable person. Zhao Wu should not have drank so much that he could not be around to handle this! When they went back to their base, he must train up Zhao Wu''s capacity for alcohol! Xia Zhe went out from the back end of the tent and played hide and seek with Du Jun for a while before returning to the canteen. Du Jun held up a glass and said drunkenly, "Brother Xia, where did you go! I''ve been looking for you for such a long time! Come! Let''s continue drinking!" "We can''t drink anymore. There are already too many guys drunk tonight. If an enemy launches an attack and all of us are drunk, won''t that be a disaster?" Xia Zhe said. The person beside Du Jun hurriedly went forward to check Xia Zhe''s breathing and replied softly, "He''s still breathing. He''s not dead." "Then hurry up and do what you need to do!" Du Jun turned around after saying that. Xia Zhe lay motionlessly on the bed. He did not expect Du Jun to be able to hide things so well and even have an accomplice with him. He had already thoroughly investigated all the people whom Du Jun brought along. This person beside Du Jun must have snuck in today. Just as that person was about to make his move, Xia Zhe jumped up. First, he went for Du Jun, who was turned away from the bed, and knocked him unconscious. Then, he grabbed the man who was trying to escape. "Tell me! What exactly are you doing here!" Xia Zhe said fiercely. "I''m sorry! I''m sorry! Please be magnanimous and let me go! I''m only here because they told me to do it. I''m being made use of. Please don''t kill me!" the man said fearfully. Xia Zhe checked the condition of the man''s body and muscles and let go only after confirming that he was not a soldier or a professional assassin. This man was so weak that he would not be able to run too far even if he wanted to. He was not a threat to Xia Zhe at all. "I won''t kill you, but you have to tell me who you are," Xia Zhe said. "My name is Cao Liang, I''m a doctor. I used to work at a small clinic in the capital. I''m forced to do this! I''m not the one who planned this!" Cao Liang said as he knelt on the ground out of fear. The capital? Forced to do this? It was unexpected to hear that this matter was related to the capital. If so, the purpose of Du Jun''s visit this time round was definitely not as simple as seeking credit. Chapter 1494 Intrauterine Conception Chapter 1494 Intrauterine Conception "What did they ask you to do? Why did you try to take off my pants just now? What''s the drug that I was given?" Xia Zhe said sternly. Xia Zhe had taken an antidote, but he did not know what the actual poison was. He still needed Cao Liang to give him the answers. Cao Liang knelt on the ground and did not dare to make a sound. The questions which Xia Zhe asked him could cost him his life. If he really answered all the questions truthfully, he could forget about staying alive! "Consider it carefully. If you tell me about what happened, I''ll punish you lightly. At most, you''ll go to jail for a few days. If you don''t say anything at all, you should know the consequences," Xia Zhe said as he looked at Cao Liang seriously. "You... you''re just a battalion commander. Can you really guarantee my safety?" Cao Liang asked. Xia Zhe raised his eyebrows slightly. Could it be that Du Jun was not the one who asked this man to do this? If the mastermind was really so powerful, then who was the person whom even Du Jun was afraid of? "I suppose you don''t know my name. My name is Xia Zhe. My surname is Xia. I think you should know if there are many families in the capital with this surname," Xia Zhe whispered. The technology in this era had yet to reach the stage of in-vitro fertilization or IVF. Some other countries had already successfully developed an insemination method to cause pregnancy. As long as the man''s sperm was inseminated into the woman at the right time, there was a possibility of pregnancy even though the chances of success were still relatively low. Xia Zhe had never heard of such things before. He was shocked to hear Cao Liang explain such a crude method to get a woman pregnant. In the beginning, he thought that Du Jun wanted Cao Liang to perform a vasectomy on him so that he could no longer have children! He did not expect their scheme to be even more vicious and that they even wanted to break up his family! "So what happens after you''re done? What do they want you to do next?" Xia Zhe asked. "There''s a refrigerator in the tent next door. They asked me to freeze the sample inside after I''m done. Then, it would eventually be put inside the body of a woman named He Mei," Cao Liang said. So that was how it was... No wonder He Mei was here. This was all part of He Ning''s evil scheme! Xia Zhe did not expect He Ning to do such a crazy thing, both disregarding He Mei''s future as well as the life of a yet unborn child''s life! He Ning had planned everything in detail. He was sure that once He Mei was pregnant, Qiao Mei would definitely be suspicious of Xia Zhe regardless of whether Xia Zhe admitted or not. After that, Qiao Mei would definitely divorce Xia Zhe and then he would be able to get hold of Qiao Mei for himself. He did not believe that Qiao Mei would still want to maintain a loving relationship with Xia Zhe by then! "Pretend that you don''t know about me waking up. Do you hear me? You can''t tell anyone about what happened today. Otherwise, I won''t be able to protect you even if I want to!" Xia Zhe said. Chapter 1495 Get Caught Climbing Over the Wall Chapter 1495 Get Caught Climbing Over the Wall "But then what about this... I won''t be able to explain why I failed in my task!" Cao Liang said as he took out a test tube from his bag shakily. Xia Zhe scratched his nose in embarrassment. He had no idea about what to do about this matter. Suddenly, he came up with an impromptu plan when he saw the unconscious Du Jun on the floor. "Do you still have any more of that drug?" Xia Zhe asked excitedly. "Yes! Yes! I brought a lot!" Cao Liang said quickly. Xia Zhe took the drug and poured it into Du Jun''s mouth. In order to prevent Du Jun from waking up, Xia Zhe knocked Du Jun out again. Cao Liang succeeded in his task very quickly. Xia Zhe held back his disgust and helped Du Jun to get dressed again. After that, he asked Xiao Jian to come over and carry Du Jun back to his tent to rest. Cao Liang followed the original plan and put the test tube into the refrigerator. Everything was done neatly and no one would suspect anything. By the time Du Jun woke up the next day, Xia Zhe was already on his way back to the capital. Du Jun secretly called Cao Liang over to check on why he ended up inside his own tent and also about what had happened last night. Xia Zhe had already expected such a thing to happen. Last night, he had already drafted all the answers for Cao Liang. "I came back with you! Don''t tell me you drank so much until you don''t remember. But then again, the liquor from yesterday was really stronger than usual," Cao Liang said cautiously. "Who are you!" Xia Zhe said in surprise. "And who are you! What are you doing here!" the four guards said in unison. "This is my house. Do I have to report to you when I come home?" Xia Zhe said helplessly. "Then why don''t you use the main door! Why do you have to climb over the wall! Isn''t this your house? Don''t you have a key!" one of the guards questioned. Xia Zhe was speechless for a moment. He was just so used to climbing over the wall here that he had forgotten about the existence of the main door. Qiao Mei had previously already reminded him to always use the door. "My name is Xia Zhe and I''m the male owner of this house. Why don''t you make a phone call and verify the information?" Xia Zhe asked. The few men looked at one another. They did not know the name of the male owner of this house, but they knew that Qiao Mei''s husband had an elder brother named Xia Wen. The person on the wall looked quite similar to Xia Wen. Perhaps he was really the male owner of this house? The guards asked a few more questions and Xia Zhe was able to answer everything easily. They only let Xia Zhe come down from the top of the wall when they finally believed that he was the owner of this house. "Brother, use the main door next time! If you had used the door, we wouldn''t have been suspicious of you at all. When we heard the noise just now, we thought there was a thief!" a guard said. "Are you Luo Yu''s men? Why haven''t I seen any of you before?" Xia Zhe asked. Chapter 1496 Vacant Chapter 1496 Vacant "My name is Da Zhuang. That''s my younger brother. You can just call him Xiao Zhuang. We''re Brother Luo''s new recruits, hired to guard Sister Qiao''s house!" Da Zhuang said with a grin. Xia Zhe looked around and realized that there was no one else in the front yard apart from the four men. Where had Qiao Mei and the others gone? "Brother-in-law, you don''t have to look around. Sister Qiao isn''t at home. She hasn''t been back for a few days," Da Zhuang said. "She hasn''t been at home for a few days? Then where is she?" Xia Zhe asked in puzzlement. "We''re not too sure either. We only know that Sister Qiao has gotten really rich recently and built a factory in the suburbs. She has even sent her children to her mother-in-law''s house. Oh right! To your mother''s place! We don''t know anything else," Da Zhuang said honestly. Xia Zhe shook his head helplessly. He did not expect so many things to have happened while he was away. Qiao Mei was still the same as before and could not stay idle for even a moment. Her favorite thing to do was to earn money. It was inconvenient for him to go and look for Qiao Mei or the children at this hour. It was better for him to wait until tomorrow morning to go and look for Qiao Mei and give her a surprise! "Everyone, you can go and rest now," Xia Zhe said as he patted Da Zhuang''s shoulder. "Xiao Zhe? Xiao Zhe, you''re back!" Qiao Qiang said happily. "That''s right, Grandfather. I''m back. Do you miss me?" Xia Zhe said warmly. "Yes! Of course I miss you! But when did you come back? You didn''t tell any of us in advance. Qiao Mei is still busy at the factory!" Qiao Qiang said. "I came back last night. After the mission ended, I rushed back without stopping, so I didn''t have time to tell anyone. See, I''m now here to ask you for a free meal?" Xia Zhe said. "Come, come, come. You''re in luck! I just made braised pork! Don''t you think it''s such a coincidence!" Qiao Qiang said as he pointed at the braised pork on the dining table. "This proves that Grandfather and I are in sync with each other. It''s all because Grandfather misses me," Xia Zhe said. Ever since he married Qiao Mei, Xia Zhe spoke in a more personable way. In the past, he would never say such mushy things. After the two of them finished their meal, they took a walk nearby. Many people were envious of Qiao Qiang''s good fortune. Even a biological grandson might not be as nice as this grandson-in-law of his. They also envied Qiao Mei for marrying such a responsible man. "Old Man Zhou! Come out to see who''s back!" Qiao Qiang brought Xia Zhe to Zhou Sheng''s main door. Zhou Sheng had not been in good health recently and it was the housekeeper who came to open the door. When she saw Old Master Qiao and Xia Zhe, she was overjoyed and quickly shouted towards the house, "Zhou Sheng! Look who''s here! Xiao Zhe is back!" Chapter 1497 Watch Over Chapter 1497 Watch Over Zhou Sheng sat in his wheelchair and slowly peeped out from the bedroom door. When he saw Xia Zhe, tears welled up in his eyes. His health had been very poor recently and he almost could not make it through the last winter. If not for Qiao Mei coming to visit him from time to time, he would probably be long gone by now. "Xiao Zhe! Come here!" Zhou Sheng shouted weakly. "Grandpa Zhou, what happened to you?" Xia Zhe asked Zhou Sheng with a slight frown. "It''s nothing... I''m just getting old. Everyone has to go through this eventually. It''s fine," Zhou Sheng said. "Grandpa Zhou, you still have to play with my children. Don''t you want to see Xia Fan and Xia Xing grow up?" Xia Zhe said as he held back the tears in his eyes. Zhou Sheng looked at the courtyard as if he was imagining Xia Fan and Xia Xing playing there. He did not know if his body could hold on until then. Qiao Qiang and Zhou Sheng chatted inside the house. Xia Zhe went home and rummaged through the remaining bottles of medicinal wine in Qiao Mei''s study. Back then, Qiao Mei had left him three bottles of golden medicinal wine. He had used one bottle and still had two bottles left, but the medicinal effect of the golden liquid was very strong. Qiao Mei had once told him not to use it unless absolutely necessary. Grandma Lan nodded and accepted the medicine which Xia Zhe brought. After Zhou Sheng saw Xia Zhe, he seemed much better and his complexion also looked more rosy. Xia Zhe and Qiao Qiang had lunch with Zhou Sheng before leaving. In the afternoon, Xia Zhe went to Qiao Mei''s factory with a gift for her. When he was in the mountain area, the troops had found a very beautiful stone. His comrades told him that it was a piece of beautiful jade which would definitely turn out to be very beautiful once polished by a craftsman. Xia Zhe knew that Qiao Mei liked such things, so he shamelessly asked his comrades to let him have it. The price was to treat his comrades to all their meals for an entire week. When Xia Zhe pushed open the door to Qiao Mei''s office, his expression turned dour. It was obvious that the flowers inside had been sent by someone else. This was because he knew that Qiao Mei liked sunflowers and all these colorful flowers in front of him were nothing that she liked. "Xia Zhe!!!" Qiao Mei jumped up from the chair excitedly and ran into Xia Zhe''s arms. Xia Zhe caught her steadily. "Little girl, are you attracting unwanted attention again?" Xia Zhe said as he pretended to be angry. Qiao Mei said smugly, "Why? You''re allowed to have so many rotten romantic encounters outside, yet other men can''t woo me?" Xia Zhe reached out and slapped Qiao Mei''s backside forcefully. As she tried to dodge him , she kept rubbing against his body. He had been celibate after she became pregnant, so it was hard for him to stay calm as she did that. Chapter 1498 Red Hearts Chapter 1498 Red Hearts "Behave yourself! We''re outside!" Xia Zhe said sternly. "Then why aren''t you putting me down? Can it be that you want to do something naughty in broad daylight? Oh! I don''t expect you to be such a person!" Qiao Mei teased him with a smile. Xia Zhe almost could not control himself from ravishing her there and then, but he still could not ignore those traditional values he held true in his heart. He was not like a certain little girl! She did not differentiate between day and night! She was totally shameless! "Then tell me which one of your lovers sent these flowers," Xia Zhe teased. "Look, the yellow ones are from Brother Zhang, the pink ones from Brother Li, and the white ones from Brother Tian. There are so many of them!" Qiao Mei pointed at the flowers and started spouting nonsense. Xia Zhe hugged Qiao Mei as he listened to all her lies. When the two of them were done teasing each other, Xia Zhe put Qiao Mei down on the sofa. He did not believe that these flowers were from so many men. He truly believed that Qiao Mei would never do anything to betray him. "Do you think I''m stupid? These are all from Han Chen," Xia Zhe said. "Why ask me when you already know!" Qiao Mei said. "I''m just testing you to see if there''s anyone else, so that I can get them all in one fell swoop! I''d rather kill 100 people by mistake than let one go!" Xia Zhe said steadfastly. "I just know that you''ll be able to recognize it for what it is. This is a stone that one of my comrade-in-arms found when we were on the mission. He''s quite an expert on this and keeps telling me about how great this stone is, so I snatched it from him," Xia Zhe said proudly. "I never expected you to behave like a bandit. That''s quite rare," Qiao Mei lamented. "Who''s a bandit! I paid a lot for it! I paid for his meals for an entire week and he''s so heartless! He spent all my bonuses on food! But it doesn''t matter, I must get my hands on whatever my wife likes!" Xia Zhe said. Qiao Mei rewarded Xia Zhe with a kiss. Before he could react, she turned around and focused on the stone. What should she do with this stone? Should she make it into a necklace or an ornament? Or perhaps she could make pendants for the two children! After thinking hard about it, Qiao Mei was still undecided about what to do with this stone. Since it was red jade... she would get it carved into a heart shape and put it in the office! Then she would be able to see it day and night and be reminded of Xia Zhe''s love for her. Although it was a very old-fashioned thing to do, Qiao Mei liked the idea very much. Qiao Mei still did not know how to activate her X-ray vision. At the moment, she had to touch objects to look inside them. Occasionally, she could also see through things which were further away, but she did not know how to control this power. She had to study it properly when she had time. "I heard from Grandfather that you haven''t been home for a long time. Do you have a lot of work to do? Can I offer my help?" Xia Zhe asked. "Sure, you came at the right time. Help me review some documents. There''s a pile of documents that I need to check over there. Just help me look through them and then sign them if everything looks fine," Qiao Mei said. "What if I get something wrong?" Xia Zhe asked. "What''s there to be afraid of! Your wife has plenty of money! You can squander it as you please! At most, I''ll just build another factory!" Qiao Mei patted her chest and said generously. Chapter 1499 Reliance Chapter 1499 Reliance "In that case, I''ll get on with it." After Xia Zhe covered Qiao Mei with a blanket, he sat at the desk and concentrated on the documents. Qiao Mei lay on the sofa and stared at Xia Zhe without moving. It had been a long time since she last saw Xia Zhe looking so serious. Her husband was so handsome! He looked handsome from all angles! "Go to sleep! If I find out that you''re still staring at me, I won''t let you have an easy time tonight!" Xia Zhe said without looking up from the documents. "How do you know? Don''t tell me you have eyes on the top of your head!" Qiao Mei said indignantly. "You don''t know it but I have paranormal perception! Just go to sleep! Otherwise, I''ll really teach you a lesson!" Xia Zhe threatened. Qiao Mei dived under the blanket and fell asleep not long after. She was so tired as she did not sleep well at all recently. Now that Xia Zhe was around, she felt more at ease than ever. It was not until dinnertime that Xia Zhe woke Qiao Mei up. They were in the suburbs where there were no restaurants or supermarkets around. If they missed the meal served at the canteen, Qiao Mei would probably have to starve through the night. "Lazy bum, get up and eat!" Xia Zhe said tenderly. In the past, Qiao Mei would look for him before she went to bed and pester him to tell her some stories before she could fall asleep. Now, Qiao Mei was so tired that she even snored immediately once her head touched the pillow. This was the result of her working overtime for a long time. "Sigh... little money-grubber..." Xia Zhe said with a sigh. The next morning, Qiao Mei woke up feeling refreshed but then she realized that Xia Zhe was not around. The other side of the bed even looked neat and tidy. In a state of panic, she ran to the office barefooted, scared that everything which happened yesterday afternoon was just a dream. After she gave birth, she became particularly emotional. It was fine when Xia Zhe was not at home, but so long as Xia Zhe was by her side, she just wanted to rely on him. If she could, she would even want him to feed her. When Qiao Mei saw Xia Zhe crouched over the table and sleeping soundly, she heaved a sigh of relief. He woke up once he heard her coming in. When he saw that she was not wearing any shoes, he immediately picked her up. "Why are you in such a hurry that you didn''t even put on your shoes? Did you have a nightmare?" Xia Zhe said tenderly. "No..." Qiao Mei said unhappily. "Then tell me why and about what made you so unhappy. I''ll help you deal with it," Xia Zhe said. Qiao Mei kept poking at Xia Zhe''s chest with her finger as she said, "It''s you! Whenever you''re at home, you must be in my line of sight! Just now, I thought that your homecoming was just a dream..." Chapter 1500 Lips Bleeding Chapter 1500 Lips Bleeding As Qiao Mei spoke, she felt sadder and sadder and she almost started crying. She usually looked carefree and seemed like she did not care about anything, but when she was with Xia Zhe, she just wanted him to take care of her. "Alright, I promise you. Are you still sleepy? Do you want to sleep a little longer?" Xia Zhe said as he gently stroked Qiao Mei''s back. Follow the latest novels at novelhall.com Qiao Mei shook her head. The sense of dread that she felt just now had completely woken her up, so she did not feel sleepy at all. It was seven in the morning now and the staff had not started work yet. Qiao Mei had fixed the working hours of the factory to be from eight in the morning to five in the evening, with one hour''s rest time in the middle of the day. If anyone worked overtime voluntarily, they would be paid three dollars an hour. In the past month, Qiao Mei had realized that the performance of each and every employee was very different. Some employees were lazy and liked to skive, while there were others who worked hard and were very conscientious. There was still no system to calculate salary based on performance, so what Qiao Mei did now was to reward each employee with outstanding contributions with 10 dollars. From this month onwards, the base salary would become 60 dollars and staff would then get additional performance-based pay calculated based on their production volume every month. There would definitely be people who would be dissatisfied with the change in the base salary from the original 70 dollars to the current 60 dollars. Qiao Mei had already thought of this issue. Therefore, she came up with a minimum standard performance. If the staff''s performance was not up to standard, 10 dollars would be deducted. Otherwise, as long as the standard was met, the staff would still get a salary of 70 dollars. All the staff here at Qiao Mei''s factory could also experience the joy of having two days off a week. However, the overall economic environment did not allow for a two-day break during the weekend. Qiao Mei had implemented a roster for the staff so that they could continue to maintain the efficiency of the factory while everyone could still enjoy their days off. She managed to achieve two objectives with one move. "There are still so many documents to check. I have to see how much work there is left." Qiao Mei put on her shoes and went to her desk. Xia Zhe had completed all her work for the next few days in one night and everything was done perfectly. Just as their car drove out of the factory''s main gate, they saw Han Chen waiting at the gate with a bouquet of flowers. Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei lowered their heads in synchrony, each worried about being spotted by Han Chen. "Why are you lowering your head?" Qiao Mei asked Xia Zhe curiously. "What if he spots me and wants to talk to me? Won''t he see you then? You''re still asking me! Then why are you lowering your head?" Xia Zhe asked. "I don''t want to talk to him today. Besides, he''s definitely not here to talk about work," Qiao Mei said with a pout. It was not until Han Chen was totally out of sight that the two of them sat up straight to talk. Qiao Mei had already done all the work related to the factory''s collaboration with the Han Corporation. It was only out of respect for Han Chen that Qiao Mei agreed to all the additional requests which Han Chen asked for. After all, Qiao Mei did not want Han Chen to be her only big client. She needed to show her sincere attitude to others in the market so that she could attract more big clients like the Han Corporation. It had only been a few months since Xia Zhe left the capital, but there had been a lot of changes. There were many new shops along the streets. "Now that everyone knows about the economy opening up, many people have applied for approval to do business, like me. The lives of the common people are going to get better and better," Qiao Mei said as she smiled and looked out of the window. "But they''re different from you. None of them goes around buying a piece of land to build a factory," Xia Zhe said. Chapter 1501 Childrens Behavior Chapter 1501 Children''s Behavior As the two of them chatted and laughed, they soon arrived at Xu Lan''s house. As soon as they entered, Xia Zhe went around looking for the children. Xu Lan and Feng Hua carried the two children down from the room upstairs. When Xia Zhe saw them, he rushed over to get close to them. "Hey! Go upstairs and take a shower first before coming down! Qiao Mei, you go too!" Xu Lan said to the two of them as she protected the children. Xu Lan had bought a lot of books on parenting recently and Feng Hua had also taught her a lot of things. Now, Xu Lan attached great importance to the hygiene levels of the children. She even wished that she could ask the visitors who came to play with the children to take a shower and change their clothes first! "Fine, fine, fine. I''ll go now," Xia Zhe said as he shook his head helplessly. The two of them held hands and returned to their room upstairs. As soon as they entered, Xia Zhe said, "Why don''t... we take a shower together?" "I just know that you''ll be up to no good!" Qiao Mei said. "It''s all about saving time..." Xia Zhe said embarrassedly. Qiao Mei pulled Xia Zhe into the bathroom. Originally, the two of them would only need an hour if they showered separately. Now, they were still not done even after two hours. Xu Lan and Feng Hua did not rush them. They had all been through this before. What else could husband and wife do when they were together? After the shower, Qiao Mei put on her pajamas and flopped onto the bed. Xia Zhe helped to massage her sore waist. "They still can''t talk by now?" Xia Zhe asked, feeling confused. "I don''t think so... I remember people say that children will only start talking when they''re about one year old?" Qiao Mei was also confused about such things and did not know how children were supposed to behave. This was their first time being parents and they had both never taken care of any younger siblings, so they naturally did not know anything. Just as they were discussing this, Xia Wen, Xia He and Deng Fan returned together. Xia Wen stood behind the two of them and said disdainfully, "Are you the children''s biological parents or not?" "Eldest Brother! Elder sister! Brother-in-law! You''re all back!" Qiao Mei said happily. Xia Zhe stood up and looked at Deng Fan. The two of them nodded at each other as a form of acknowledgement. "Children are able to look up when they''re three months old and they''ll know how to flip themselves over when they''re six months old. However, Xia Fan and Xia Xing seem to be smarter. They can flip themselves over at five months old," Xia Wen said. "Eldest Brother, you know so much," Qiao Mei said. When Qiao Mei was still expecting Xia Fan and Xia Xing, they had already absorbed the energy from her body. She already expected them to be smarter than other children. She was just scared that the two children would be too smart and attract unnecessary attention. However, the children still did not know how to talk now so she could not tell yet. Chapter 1502 Bring Out Her Dowry Chapter 1502 Bring Out Her Dowry As the group of adults surrounded the two children and looked at them, Xia Fan did not seem to mind as he was not scared of anyone he could recognize. However, Xia Xing was different. She had a fiery temper. True enough, she frowned not long after and looked like she was about to cry. "Sister Feng! Quick! Carry Xia Xing to the room!" Qiao Mei suddenly shouted. Feng Hua quickly wrapped Xia Xing in a blanket and brought her upstairs. Then, she came down and brought Xia Fan back to the room as well. "Your reaction is really fast..." Xia He lamented. for new novels "When you become a mother in the future, you''ll also be able to tell what your children want." Qiao Mei gave Xia He a meaningful look. Xia He stood shyly beside Deng Fan. The two of them had just gotten married and had not discussed the topic of children yet. She had thought that Xu Lan, or more likely Jiang Shu, would be the first one to urge them to have children, or perhaps even Liu Fen. She did not expect Qiao Mei to be the first one to raise this topic! "What nonsense are you talking about! Xia Zhe, can''t you stop her!" Xia He said as she glared at Xia Zhe. Xia Zhe immediately shook his head. It would be easier for him to stop the heavenly emperor than Qiao Mei! Although Liu Fen''s maternal family was not considered rich, she grew up in a happy family. Her parents and siblings were all very nice to her. When she got married, her mother had given her two silver bangles meant for children. She had originally wanted to keep it for her own children, but she did not expect to give birth to four children in total. There were not enough to go round, so she thought about giving the bangles to Qiao Mei. "I never expected Second Aunt-in-law to be so generous this time!" Xia He lamented. Everyone from the eldest and second sons'' families were all here. Even the Old Master had arrived, but there was no one from the third son''s family. Although the family had already split up, they were all still blood-related relatives after all. There was no need to take things too far. The third son''s family members only arrived when everyone was about to start eating. However, it was not Xia Guang and Xia Xing who came, but Zhou Luo with Xia Lu and Xia Yan in tow. The living room, which had just been bustling with activities, immediately fell silent. Everyone looked towards the doorway. Zhou Luo did not care that everyone was looking at her and even walked smilingly to Xia Jun''s side to make small talk with him. Xia Jun could only nod reluctantly. "She''s really shameless! It''s our family gathering today. What has it got to do with her! I''d rather see Xia Xing here!" Xia You complained. Lu Huai, who was sitting beside her, patted her hand and indicated that she should stop talking. If she quarreled with Zhou Luo now, the Old Master''s expression would probably look even worse. "Alright, let''s sit down and eat," Xia Jun said after coughing twice. Chapter 1503 Snatching Food Chapter 1503 Snatching Food By right, it should be Xia Mao and Xu Lan sitting beside Xia Jun, followed by Liu Fen. In this family, they always took their seats according to their seniority. Zhou Luo did not care about that and just sat down next to Xia Jun. There were not many people who could be as thick-skinned as her. Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe sat at the furthest end, not wanting to have anything to do with Zhou Luo. When Zhou Luo saw this, she said unhappily, "Why are Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe so far away? I almost can''t see them." "We''re the younger generation and I''m the one who cooked all the dishes today. It''s more convenient for me to serve the dishes from here." Qiao Mei found a random excuse to brush it off. Qiao Mei made most of the dishes today. As usual, she also went to the state-owned restaurant outside to order the dishes that were harder to make. Xia Jun even specially asked Xia Wen to go and get some special supply of seafood from the family''s entitlement to celebrate Xia He and Deng Fan registering their marriage and Xia Zhe coming back for a break. He did not expect Zhou Luo to be able to get a taste of it. During mealtimes in the Xia family, the rule was that the younger generation could not start eating if the elders had not picked up their chopsticks. However, as soon as the seafood dishes were served, Xia Lu and Xia Yan both picked up their chopsticks and took big pieces of the food to put on their plates. There was only one lobster, but Xia Yan actually took the whole thing for himself. There was a hint of disdain in everyone''s eyes. They did not know how Zhou Luo had taught these children all these years for them to end up with such rude behavior. Xia He glanced at Qiao Mei from afar and Qiao Mei immediately understood what the look meant. She quietly walked to the kitchen and told Xu Kang to serve the nice dishes last. The vegetable dishes should be served first. After bringing out eight vegetable dishes, Xu Kang returned to the kitchen and did not serve any more dishes. The two boys thought that everything had been served and quickly picked up their chopsticks to start eating. Zhou Luo also ate along with them, completely ignoring the looks from the Xia family members. After the two boys were full, Qiao Mei clapped her hands and asked Xu Kang to serve the remaining delicacies. There were a total of 22 other dishes! "You! Why don''t you want to let us eat the good stuff!" Xia Lu said angrily. "How would I know that you guys eat so fast? Sister Xu didn''t say that the dishes were all served. We''re all also waiting," Qiao Mei said with a grin. Xia You secretly gave Qiao Mei a thumbs up under the table. Qiao Mei was still the smartest! "You''re quibbling! You''re the nasty woman who won''t let us eat!" Xia Yan smacked the table and stood up to glare at Qiao Mei. Xia Zhe quickly stood up and shielded Qiao Mei by standing in front of her. Chapter 1504 No Manners Chapter 1504 No Manners With Xia Jun and Xia Mao around, Xia Lu and Xia Yan would not be able to harm Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe at all. However, by behaving this way, these two kids had probably completely alienated themselves from the Xia family. "Hey, the kids are just insensible. Don''t mind them!" It was rare for Zhou Luo to know that she should speak up in such a situation. She tried very hard to signal the two boys using her eyes. Xia Lu and Xia Yan suppressed their anger and sat back down. "Even if the kids are insensible, don''t tell me that you''re insensible too..." Xia You muttered in disdain. The good thing was that Zhou Luo did not hear her say this. Otherwise, Zhou Luo would have gone berserk again and would not be able to talk to everyone so calmly. Qiao Mei was very curious as to why Zhou Luo, who had been glaring around angrily just a moment ago, suddenly became so well-mannered now. Could it be that she had a motive for being here today? Or could it be that all the vegetarian food she ate just now had caused her to find her conscience? After all the dishes were served, Xia Jun picked up his chopsticks and everyone started eating. Zhou Luo and the two boys had eaten so much that their stomachs were already full. How could they still be able to eat the delicacies in front of them? Xia Lu and Xia Yan were going to graduate soon. Before the Xia family split up, Xia Jun would send them an amount of money for their expenses every month. Xia Guang would also send money to Zhou Luo. Now that the family had split up, Xia Guang no longer cared about these two children and Xia Jun had also stopped sending money. Their family was having a hard time now! These two children had it particularly tough. They were brought up in a pampered manner and were used to buying the best things. It was easy to go from frugal to extravagant, but difficult to go from extravagant to frugal! Their family had to borrow money to meet their current household expenses! Zhou Luo had thought that so long as she paid for their studies, they would be able to find a good job after graduation. Unexpectedly, none of the workplaces wanted to hire the two of them. Their results were all fake! They had lied about doing well in school and they had cheated on all their examinations! Now, she could only rely on the Xia family to find a good job for the two of them. She had heard that even the lowest-ranking employee in Qiao Mei''s factory could earn about 100 dollars a month after including the performance pay! This salary could even be higher than Xia He''s monthly salary, which was something unheard of. Given that Xia Lu and Xia Yan were both Xia family members, Qiao Mei must definitely offer the two boys managerial positions if she hired them. Otherwise, how could she face Xia Guang? "Your two younger cousins are about to graduate soon. They''re both university students. Do you want to consider hiring them?" Zhou Luo probed. "The factory has enough staff for now. We recently hired two fresh graduates from Capital University and their results are among the best in their year. My two younger cousins are too talented to be stuck at my factory," Qiao Mei said tactfully. Chapter 1505 Good Position Chapter 1505 Good Position Xia Lu and Xia Yan were not studying in a well-known university and they had even needed Xia Jun to help get them enrolled in the first place. They already had to struggle to graduate, so how could they compete with top students from Capital University? "How can it be better to hire outsiders rather than family members? It would be much more reassuring to have your own family members helping you with the work," Zhou Luo said. Xia Zhe frowned slightly. There were so many people in the family who were not happy at work but none of them had ever come to ask Qiao Mei for anything, yet this completely unrelated person had come asking Qiao Mei for help. In the past, Zhou Luo had even looked down on Qiao Mei for having come from the countryside! She had said a lot of sarcastic things about Qiao Mei behind everyone''s back. Now that Qiao Mei was doing well, all these people could not wait to come and curry favor with her. They were all really too stuck-up! for new novels If not for the fact that they were now living in a law-abiding society, Xia Zhe would have given Xia Lu and Xia Yan a good beating. He would break their legs to ensure that they remembered the lesson. If they could not recover, they could simply just perform as street buskers to earn a living. If anyone criticized him, he would simply say that he was doing his part to educate his juniors. No one could fault him for that. "I hear that Xia He''s husband is also working for you now and drawing quite a high salary! Also, Xia You''s husband is going to work at your factory soon. Let''s be frank here. Since you can help them, you can help these two in my family. There''s no difference," Zhou Luo said shamelessly. Xia He immediately smiled and nodded. "Sure! I''ll get it done in a while!" "Do my younger cousins want to take up the jobs? If you want to work at my factory, when do you want to start?" Qiao Mei asked. "Now! Right now! I''ll get the two of them to report to you at the factory tomorrow! About the salary..." Zhou Luo emphasized the last word and waited for Qiao Mei''s answer. Qiao Mei chuckled and said, "Auntie Zhou, I''m just introducing two prospective workers to my mother. We still have to discuss this matter. I can''t be the one making all the decisions, right? Don''t worry, I won''t shortchange my two younger cousins," Qiao Mei said. "Alright! Since Qiao Mei says so! Then I''m relieved!" Zhou Luo raised her glass in satisfaction and finished the liquor in one gulp. Xia Lu and Xia Yan just sat there unmovingly, as if this entire matter had nothing to do with the two of them at all. They did not even say a word of thanks. Qiao Mei did not really care about this. She just hoped that they would not cause trouble after knowing what the jobs entailed. Zhou Luo was in a good mood today and kept drinking. She even asked the Xia family to help the Zhou family with other matters. She pestered Xia Wen to help arrange for her younger brother to work in government services, and also asked Xia Mao to help arrange for her younger sister to go to university. In short, she asked for everything she could think of. Xia Wen and Xia Mao did not agree to any of her requests. After sending off the three members of the Zhou family, everyone in the house heaved a sigh of relief. Zhou Luo was simply like the god of plague! Chapter 1506 Incapable Parents Chapter 1506 Incapable Parents "Don''t invite anyone from Third Uncle''s family next time! Every time they come, they just make everyone unhappy. They only know how to cause trouble," Xia You said. "Are you rebelling! How many times have you spoken so rudely today! Go home now! You''re also not allowed to come next time!" For some reason, Liu Fen pointed at Xia You and scolded her angrily. "Fine, I''ll leave!" After Xia You bade a tearful farewell to Xia Jun, she left Xu Lan''s house with Lu Huai. Xu Lan looked at the departing Xia You and sighed. "Why are you doing this? It''s so difficult to even get a chance to see the children, yet you still push them away." Liu Fen also could not bear to send Xia You away, but she felt that Xia You had really gone too far. Xia You had said many things that she should not have said. If Liu Fen did not teach her a lesson, she would become too arrogant and forget the boundaries. for new novels "I don''t have any other choice. If I don''t discipline this kid well, no one will be able to control her in the future," Liu Fen said resignedly. The Xia family was no longer the same as before. If it was Xia He who said these words today, she would definitely not stop Xia He. After all, Xia He was already doing well for herself. In addition, she was the eldest son''s only daughter. The eldest son''s family was doing extremely well now and his children were the ones that the Old Master valued the most. At the end of the day, she could only blame Xia Yao and herself for not being capable enough to give their children a better future. It was their fault that the children could not speak freely. Xia You was not at fault at all. "Qiao Mei! Bad news! There''s an issue with the seeds at the Zhao family''s village!" Qian''e said anxiously. "Drink some water and talk slowly," Qiao Mei said patiently. The seeds at the Zhao family''s village had been harvested. The price had already been agreed on at the beginning, but that price was based on the arrangement that the Zhao family members handle everything, from growing to harvesting. After Zhao Liu made Qiao Mei angry, she only allowed the Zhao family members to take care of the seedlings in the field. She sent her own staff to take care of everything else. In that case, the price definitely needed to be renegotiated. Qiao Mei definitely would not make a loss-making deal. "They refuse to hand over the seeds to us and even want to raise the price!" Qian''e said. "I already know that this will happen. Since they want to raise the price, let them do it. It''s not a big deal," Qiao Mei said nonchalantly. "Then what about us? We don''t have a lot of seeds left in our stock!" Qian''e said with a frown. Qiao Mei tapped her fingers lightly on the table. This was her habit when she was thinking. After a moment, Qiao Mei picked up the phone on the table and called Director He of Foshan Village. She told him that she had an emergency situation and asked him to lend her 10 tons of seeds. Once those seeds arrived, the Zhao family members would know where they stood. Over the past few days, Qiao Mei had already walked around different areas and talked to many people. Other than Zhao Family Village, there were other farming villages in the capital. Everyone was very willing to work with Qiao Mei and the price they quoted was even much lower than that of Zhao Family Village. Chapter 1507 Toy Boy Chapter 1507 Toy Boy If the Zhao family members were honest in their business dealings with her, she would just let them make money. However, the Zhao family members were ungrateful and did not just stay in their lane. In that case, they could not blame her for turning her back on them. If she reported them, there might even be people who would be sent to jail. How it eventually transpired would depend on Qiao Mei''s mood that day. "Why aren''t you worried at all! I feel so uneasy!" Qian''e said anxiously. "Calm down. After all, you''re now the general manager of the factory. Why are you in such a panic? Have some tea and calm your mind. The show has not even started yet," Qiao Mei said with a smile as she picked up the teacup. Zhao Fei did not want to get involved for now. He had finally seen everything clearly. None of the Zhao family members were decent people and they were all just scheming against him and Qiao Mei. The more he got involved in this mess, the more Qiao Mei would feel that he was a part of it. It was better for him to not care about anything and just be a slacker. He did not want to be wronged for nothing. "You''re really useless! There''s so much money to be made, but you insist on siding with a woman. The seeds are in our hands now. We''ll only sell to her if we feel like it. If not, we''ll do the business ourselves. No big deal. You''re such a wuss!" Zhao Kai said as he looked at Zhao Fei, who was lying on the brick bed and doing nothing. "Since you''re so capable, I wish early success for all of you. You''re definitely better off without me," Zhao Fei said leisurely. "Xiao Fei, take my advice. It''s better to hold the money in your own hands. When we make a lot of money, can''t you get any woman you want? Even that woman, Li Gui! She will be mine!" Zhao Liu said drunkenly as he sat at the dining table. "Talk to me. Perhaps I can solve your problem?" Xia Zhe stood behind Qiao Mei and asked as he massaged her shoulders. "I do need your help with this matter," Qiao Mei said with a sigh. "Tell me," Xia Zhe said happily. Qiao Mei finally had a favor to ask of him. It was rare for Qiao Mei to be willing to ask him for help. No matter what she asked for, he would do his best to help her. "Can you help me contact Lu Huai? I want to talk to him," Qiao Mei said as she looked at Xia Zhe earnestly. Xia Zhe stood rooted to the spot for a long time. It took a long time before he asked, "That''s all? That''s all you want?" "That''s right. What else do you think it is? How can a woman like me go and talk to Lu Huai out of the blue? It will attract a lot of gossip! It''s more suitable to send you!" Qiao Mei said. "Alright..." Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei resignedly. After Lu Huai received Xia Zhe''s message, he rushed to Qiao Mei''s place and arrived within two hours. Chapter 1508 Work For Me Chapter 1508 Work For Me "Cousin-in-law, you''re here so soon. I thought you would only come tomorrow!" Qiao Mei said with a smile. "Third Cousin was so anxious on the phone just now. How can I still dilly-dally? I wonder why Third Cousin and Third Cousin-in-law are so anxiously looking for me?" Lu Huai asked. "My intention is to speak to you in detail at a later time, but I have a dicey situation now and need your help. I don''t know if you and your buddies have time now, but the price is negotiable," Qiao Mei said. Lu Huai had been resting at home recently. He had just finished a round of delivery and was feeling a little tired, so he wanted to take a break and spend more time with Xia You. If everything went well, they might be able to add a new member to their family soon. When he saw Xia Fan and Xia Xing this time round, he had a warm feeling inside. The image of Xia Zhe''s family of four having a harmonious time together stayed in his mind. He also wanted to have a child with Xia You. However, there was no hurry. It was more important to earn money. Who would mind having more money? "Tell me what''s going on first," Lu Huai said seriously. "It''s alright. We''ve all eaten. Since Third Cousin-in-law has such an urgent matter for us to do, I can''t be the one to drop the ball!" Lu Huai said with a laugh. Lu Huai introduced Qiao Mei to each of the guys one by one, giving her their full names, the size of their trucks and the number of years of experience they had. He was so detailed that he almost listed down their ancestry as well. "I''ve noted everything down. The thing is I don''t just want to talk about this order today. There''s also something else I want to discuss with you. I know that everyone here works freelance. You might get one order today, but none tomorrow. It''s really tough not to have a steady income. I would like all of you to come and work for me. I''ll pay you a monthly salary so that you can settle down properly," Qiao Mei said. "No! We don''t want to work for you! We only trust Brother Lu!" shouted a person surnamed Huang in the team. As he was the oldest among them, everyone called him Old Man Huang. "That''s not what I mean. Your leader is still Lu Huai. This is something that won''t change. I just want everyone to have a more stable job. Which one of you doesn''t want to have more time to spend with your wife and children in the capital?" Qiao Mei said. This concept was particularly attractive to Lu Huai. He recalled that Qiao Mei had told Xia You that she wanted his help with something. It looked like this was what she was talking about. Everyone looked at Lu Huai but he could not make up his mind. If he was the only one involved, he would definitely agree to Qiao Mei''s proposal. However, since this concerned everyone else''s livelihood, he must be very careful. Even if they were relatives, he could not make a decision carelessly. "Third Cousin-in-law, let''s get this current order done first. We can talk about the rest after this," Lu Huai said. Chapter 1509 Unspoken Rules of the Fleet Team Chapter 1509 Unspoken Rules of the Fleet Team Perhaps in the future, Lu Huai would be a talent who could lead a company. It seemed that everyone had good judgment and they all believed that Lu Huai was the right choice. With Qiao Mei''s memories of her other life, she knew very well how promising the future prospects of the logistics industry were. If she wanted to expand her business, she definitely needed to set up a logistics company. However, she did not have any experience in this area and was a novice who knew nothing. Lu Huai was a responsible man and knew everything related to cars. Moreover, he was also a member of the Xia family. It was like the heavens had sent a candidate for general manager to Qiao Mei! If one wanted to achieve something, one had to do it at the right time, in the right place and with the right people. The timing and the place were already right! All that was missing was the right person! Qiao Mei wanted Lu Huai to become the general manager of her logistics company no matter what she had to offer him. "There''s no hurry to discuss our future collaboration. Let''s talk about this current order. I don''t know the rules of your industry and I don''t know how the fees are calculated. Since you''re working with me, I''ll tell you what I think. The company will bear the travel and fuel costs. In addition, we''ll give each of you 10 dollars for meals for the next three days. When you come back, each of you will get a salary of 200 dollars. What do you think?" Qiao Mei said. After hearing what Qiao Mei said, some people were happy, but not all. In the end, the 11 people who came all signed the agreement. These people all had big trucks, meaning the seeds would definitely reach the capital successfully. "Lu Huai, you''ve really been a great help this time. When you''re back, I''ll definitely treat you to drinks at my house!" Qiao Mei pulled Lu Huai aside and whispered to him. "Third Cousin-in-law, this is what I should do. Besides, you give such a high salary and it''s so lucrative. I''d be a fool not to do it!" Lu Huai said with a smile. "Then help me keep an eye out and see which of these people are more honest and reliable. I intend to have a fleet of vehicles in charge of transporting the goods from the factory and I want you to head this department. What do you think?" Qiao Mei asked. "Third Cousin-in-law... I... I''m just a truck driver. I don''t know how to manage people," Lu Huai said fearfully. He had always been an ordinary person and there was nothing outstanding about him. Every time he took an exam, he would definitely be last on the list. Back then, the Lu family was given a position to work at the auto repair shop and Lu Huai''s father had given it to his eldest son. Unexpectedly, the eldest son fell head over heels for a woman after one week and then ran away from home! The job ended up being given to Lu Huai. Instead of saying that he was ordinary, it would be more accurate to say that he was an extremely lucky person who was able to emerge triumphant from adverse situations every time.Follow the latest novels at novelhall.com Chapter 1510 Have Drinks to Relax Chapter 1510 Have Drinks to Relax The Lu family members worked as car mechanics for generations but they only became well-known because of Lu Huai''s father. His father not only knew how to repair cars, but also manufacture parts and design improvements for cars. Everyone addressed his father as "Master Lu". In the capital, if his father claimed to be the second-best mechanic, no one would dare to take the top spot. Everyone thought that Lu Huai''s father would have clever and outstanding children, but Lu Huai''s elder brother turned out to be a simple-minded person who did not like to study. As for Lu Huai, he was very rebellious since he was young and always went against his father''s wishes. Things changed during the year when Lu Huai''s father lost his life in an accident. At that time, Lu Huai was only 16 years old and his elder brother had run away from home. As the only man left in the family, he had to buck up and be strong. From then on, Lu Huai stopped being wilful and began to earnestly learn how to repair cars and drive trucks. The only thing in his mind was to earn money to support his family and give his mother a good life. As for getting married and having children, he did not even dare to think about it. He felt that whichever girl who married him would only have a tough life. As he went through life feeling overwhelmed, Xia You entered his world and changed his fate. Xia You was like a small sun that illuminated the darkness of his life and made him understand the purpose of hard work and the value of life. Liu Fen was not a fool. Even if the Xia family''s second son was only mediocre, there was no need for his daughter to marry a mechanic and suffer for the rest of her life. Liu Fen set many difficult conditions for Lu Huai to fulfill, but he worked hard to meet all Liu Fen''s requirements in the end. Only then did he receive their approval to marry Xia You. Since Han Chen could not annoy Qiao Mei for the time being, he started to torment Qian''e. He frequently asked Qian''e to send documents or samples to him and also nitpicked at all kinds of issues. He insisted that the packaging design was extremely ugly and requested a new design. "I''ve really had enough! Is there something wrong with this person! Does he feel uncomfortable if he doesn''t find fault with us for one day! I only let him off because he gave our factory a large sum of money and a five-year contract. Otherwise, I would have thrown those samples at his face long ago!" Qian''e said furiously in Qiao Mei''s office, throwing a tantrum after drinking some wine. It was after office hours now. The two of them had been under too much pressure recently so they decided to have some drinks to relax. "I also think that there''s something wrong with him. Fortunately, I''m not allergic to pollen. My office was like a garden some time ago! I even asked Xia He to move the flowers to her house," Qiao Mei said after taking a sip of wine. "That''s right! He''s really crazy! Once the five-year contract is up, let''s cut him off! I don''t care how much money he wants to give us! Do you know what the people in his company say about him in private?" Qian''e said. "What?" Qiao Mei looked at Qian''e curiously. "They say that Han Chen is handsome and suave. They also say... um... that there are very few pretty men like him in the world..." Qian''e rattled off as she recalled what those people said. Chapter 1511 Disco Ball From the Dance Floor Chapter 1511 Disco Ball From the Dance Floor "Pfft! He''s an asshole! He''s such a nasty person! He makes fun of me every day! I have already broken three pairs of high heels! Those are my favorite high heels!" Qian''e cursed angrily. Qiao Mei was so amused by Qian''e that she laughed out loud. She hugged the wine bottle and said, "It''s fine, I''ll reimburse you! Let''s go to the mall tomorrow to buy shoes, the most expensive ones! The most beautiful ones! The most fashionable ones! The most dazzling high heels!" "I already did! Do I look like someone who lacks money! I went to buy it on the same day! Do you know what that asshole said when he saw me?" Qian''e said angrily. "What did he say? Rare words of praise?" Qiao Mei said as she laughed. "Rubbish! He said that I was wearing the disco ball from the dance floor on my feet! At that time, I was so angry that I wanted to take off my shoes and smash them on his head!" Qian''e said angrily. "Who does he think he is! That day, I couldn''t help but say something bad about him in the stairwell and those women actually said that I was blind! What a joke! I, Qian''e, only like outstanding and peerless men! Both Xia Zhe or Zheng Peng are handsome and capable men! I only have eyes for the best!" Qian''e said arrogantly. Qian''e staggered to Qiao Mei''s office door. Before she left, she hugged the wine bottle and turned around to look at Qiao Mei. "Give me a raise! Only money can heal the trauma caused to my heart! I don''t believe that I can''t deal with that man! When the time comes, I''ll definitely make him put the disco ball from the dance floor on his head and apologize to me!" Qiao Mei quickly took out 1,000 dollars from the drawer and gave it to Qian''e by stuffing the money in her clothes. She quickly sent this drunkard out of her office so that she could finally have some peace and quiet. She did not expect Qian''e to be such a bad drinker. They had only drunk a few bottles and she was already spouting nonsense. However, it was still quite interesting. If Han Chen heard what she said today, he might come up with even more nonsense. Qiao Mei went to bed groggily. As the night turned into day, Lu Huai and his team rushed back on time with all the seeds. The moment they reached the factory, they started unloading and taking stock. All this while, Chi Ze was the one in charge of the warehouse. "Brothers, you''ve worked hard. You can head to the canteen for breakfast. Director Qiao specially instructed me to prepare a few dishes for all of you. She''s just waiting for all of you to be back!" Chi Ze said warmly as he put his arm around Lu Huai''s shoulder. "There''s no hurry. We''ll help you unload the things first. There''s really a lot of seeds! I feel as if the few of us have moved the entire village back!" Lu Huai lamented. "Our Director Qiao always does things on a big scale. She only wants the best. The bulk for these seeds will not be sold to the public in the end and those that don''t meet the standard will be thrown out," Chi Ze said. Chapter 1512 Payday Chapter 1512 Payday Lu Huai frowned slightly and asked, "Throw out? Where do you throw them? Don''t tell me you really throw everything away? It would be a pity to throw away such nice stuff." "No, no, no, that''s not what I mean. Director Qiao will sell some of the substandard seeds to the factory staff at 20 cents a pound. Each of us can buy five pounds a year! Even the defective goods in the factory are a hundred times better than those lousy goods sold outside!" Chi Ze explained. Lu Huai smiled and nodded. Qiao Mei was almost exactly like how Xia Wen described. She was really a money-grubber! She was born to be a businesswoman. After they unloaded all the goods, they went to the canteen together for their meal. Chi Ze also asked his subordinates to come over and all of them chatted and laughed together. They even wanted to become sworn brothers! After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Lu Huai brought everyone to the large meeting room on the first floor of the administrative building to wait for Qiao Mei to pay their salary. By now, all the workshops and buildings had their own official names. Qiao Mei decided to do it this way in order to make it easier for everyone. Otherwise, if everyone came up with their own name for each building and workshop, no one would know where the other party was referring to. "Brother, how long do we have to wait? We haven''t slept well for a few days. We want to go home!" Old Man Huang complained. "Wait a little longer. It''s only 6 a.m. and they haven''t even started work yet. Why don''t you sleep here for a while and I''ll wake you up when Director Qiao comes," Lu Huai said. Somehow, Zhao Kai heard the news about the seeds and immediately returned to the village to tell Zhao Liu about it. Along the way, he kicked up a fuss and everyone in the village soon knew that Qiao Mei had just bought 10 tons of seeds. "Oh my goodness! This is a disaster! Dad! Hurry up and think of a way. We won''t be able to sell our seeds now!" Zhao Kai said in a panic. "What''s there to be afraid of? Can''t we set up our own stall? All of you are cowards! Useless things!" Zhao Liu looked at his two sons in disdain. Zhao Fei lay on the brick bed and looked at Zhao Liu mockingly. In his eyes, Zhao Liu was like a clown. "You little asshole, what are you laughing at!" Zhao Liu asked as he pointed at Zhao Fei. "I''m laughing at how ignorant you are! What else can I laugh at? Why do you think Li Gui was able to set up a stall at the entrance of the movie theater without getting bullied and even get protection from the higher-ups? That''s because her relatives have connections! You want to go out and set up a stall to sell seeds? You must be dreaming. As long as you''re still in the capital, they will come and find you!" Zhao Fei said. "Who are you trying to scare! It''s legal to set up a stall now! No one will arrest me!" Zhao Liu said in disbelief. "Yes, it''s legal now. Everyone can come out and start a small business, but you also need to have the approval documents. It''s still against the law if you don''t have the documents. You''ll still get arrested or fined. Besides, your seed harvest is so big. Who knows when you''ll be able to sell everything," Zhao Fei said. Chapter 1513 Give Us an Explanation Chapter 1513 Give Us an Explanation Zhao Liu had not even considered these things. Who would have thought that Qiao Mei would decide to reject the seeds from their village? This woman was so ruthless! She really had a way with things, being able to buy 10 tons from somewhere else without anyone''s knowledge! "Why didn''t you say so earlier!" Zhao Liu wanted to blame all of this on Zhao Fei but Zhao Fei would not stand for it. He had long expected such a day to come. "I''ve already said it a long time ago. You''re the one who doesn''t believe me, so how can you blame me? Besides, I don''t have any land in the village and I didn''t grow even one seed. Why should I get involved? I haven''t even blamed you for making me lose my job!" Zhao Fei said eloquently. Zhao Liu knew that he was in the wrong and had nothing to say to defend himself. He could only pick up the big stick and try to hit Zhao Fei, chasing Zhao Fei all the way to the courtyard door. At this moment, everyone was rushing towards Zhao Liu''s house, wanting to demand an explanation from him. "Zhao Liu! You deserve a thousand cuts! Why are you hitting the kid!" Auntie Zhuang roared as she stood at Zhao Liu''s door with her hands on her hips. Auntie Zhuang was the most righteous person in this village. She was a person who valued fairness and justice. Many people would ask Auntie Zhuang for help when they signed contracts or needed a witness present. They would then give Auntie Zhuang some gifts or money to express their gratitude. After the seeds were harvested, they were all put away for safekeeping. Qiao Mei had rented a warehouse space in the village to keep all the seeds. In order to prevent the Zhao family from falsifying the quantity, Qiao Mei even arranged for her own people to guard the warehouse. She had spent a lot of money on all this! Even if they wanted to steal the seeds and find another way to sell them, it would be a difficult task. If they were discovered by the people guarding the warehouse, they would have to go to jail! "Village Chief! You have to find a solution for us! If this continues, we won''t be able to survive! Back then, you were the one who asked us to grow seeds and not to plant anything else. Now that we can''t sell the seeds, what should we do!" Auntie Zhuang sat on the steps at the door and cried loudly. Many people followed her example and wept loudly. Zhao Kuo did not dare to go out at all. He did not expect to have to go through such a thing at his age. It was all Zhao Liu''s fault for being so incompetent! Zhao Kuo walked out of the house shakily and said, "I have heard what everyone said. Can one of you go to Zhao Liu''s house and ask Zhao Fei to come over. He knows the factory director and might be able to find a way!" Auntie Zhuang immediately asked her son to go and look for Zhao Fei. At the moment, Zhao Fei was still getting beaten up at home! Zhao Fei had long made a decision. He now had enough money to buy a small house in the capital. After this matter was over, he would split from the family! He would never work in this village again! Even if he did not go into business again, did he not hear that people could make a lot of money by working at Qiao Mei''s factory? There was always a way to survive!Findd new stories at novelhall.com Chapter 1514 I Want to Split From the Family Chapter 1514 I Want to Split From the Family As soon as Zhao Fei appeared, everyone stared at him. Only Zhao Fei could help them now. This kid was knowledgeable and was the most promising child in the village. If he could not find a solution, then they were doomed. "Fei, quickly think of a way. What should we do?" Zhao Kuo asked. "There''s nothing I can do now. I heard that they received 10 tons of seeds from elsewhere. "However, these seeds can only last the factory for a while. She will still need to buy our seeds eventually," Zhao Fei said. "That''s great! As long as she will need the seeds! Then we just need to wait a little longer!" Auntie Zhuang jumped up from the ground and said excitedly. Zhao Fei shook his head helplessly and said, "If she can get so many seeds from elsewhere, she can continue to get them from other places. She can easily decide to stop selling seeds since she still has other businesses. They don''t care about this bit of money at all. They can do without it, but we can''t!" When Auntie Zhuang heard this, she could not stop her tears from flowing. Her husband had died early and she still had to take care of her two sons. Her sons were not married yet! She had thought that she could use the money from selling the seeds to find a good wife for her eldest son, but it was all over now! Zhao Liu came last to sign the letter. After everyone in the village had signed, Zhao Fei did not set off immediately. Instead, he stood there motionlessly. "Fei, why are you still hesitating? Is there anything wrong? Tell us. We can all help and we''ll listen to you!" Auntie Zhuang said anxiously. "I don''t have a share of the land in our village. Previously, when I still sold seeds, everyone had also earned money together with me. I have a request. As long as everyone helps me, I''ll go to the factory and talk to them about the seeds in our village," Zhao Fei said. "Tell me about it," Zhao Kuo said. "I want to split from the family. I want to leave this village with all the things that belong to my father and me. I won''t come back here again. Whatever happens in this village will have nothing to do with me. Even if the village becomes rich in the future, I won''t care about it," Zhao Fei said firmly. "You little brat, in your dreams! No way! Our Zhao family has never ever split up before! Unless I die! Otherwise, don''t even think about splitting from the family!" Zhao Liu shouted angrily. The house which Zhao Liu was living in now was left behind by Zhao Fei''s father. If they really split up, then his family would not even have a place to live. He was not concerned about his reputation as that was not worth any money! The most important thing was the house and the money! They could not let Zhao Fei take everything away. "Then there''s nothing I can do. You can think of a way to look for Director Qiao yourself." Zhao Fei put down the letter and was about to head home when Auntie Zhuang hurriedly blocked his way.Findd new stories at novelhall.com Chapter 1515 Selling at a Lower Price Chapter 1515 Selling at a Lower Price Findd new stories at novelhall.com "Village Chief! Just agree to this kid''s request! Otherwise, what about the survival of so many people in our village!" Auntie Zhuang cried bitterly. Zhao Fei used to work closely with Auntie Zhuang to sell seeds. Auntie Zhuang was in charge of growing the seeds and Zhao Fei was in charge of selling them. At the end of the day, the two of them would split the profits. Auntie Zhuang''s two sons grew up alongside Zhao Fei and their entire family was very nice to Zhao Fei. Whenever Zhao Fei was in trouble, they would help him. They all knew the kind of life Zhao Fei led at Zhao Liu''s house. If Zhao Fei could leave Zhao Liu''s house and strike it out on his own, he would definitely lead a good life. "Alright, but not now. The matter of splitting up is too complicated. The village doesn''t have time to be the judge for your family matters now. Let''s talk about splitting up after we''re done with the matter of the seeds," Zhao Kuo said vaguely. Zhao Fei was not a fool. He had experienced all this trickery when he was young. Otherwise, he would not have been deceived by Zhao Liu and the others for so long! "Then draw up an agreement! After I''ve handled the matter of the seeds, I''ll split from the family! Split up fairly and justly! I want Auntie Zhuang to be my witness!" Zhao Fei said. "No problem! I can be your witness!" Auntie Zhuang said. "Is there something urgent that you want to discuss with me?" Qiao Mei said nonchalantly. "Sister Qiao Mei, I''m here to talk to you about the seeds from our village. I hope you can be magnanimous and let us off," Zhao Fei said softly. Qiao Mei was so amused by what Zhao Fei said that she laughed so hard that she almost teared up. Qiao Mei smiled and said, "You''re asking me to be magnanimous? I should ask all of you to be magnanimous. The price of two dollars a pound is even higher than my selling price in the market! If you want to sell the seeds to me at this price, then it would cost me 120,000 dollars! Who exactly should be the magnanimous one?" A business deal of 40,000 dollars was now three times the original price. Qiao Mei was not a fool and naturally would not do such a loss-making business. "Sister Qiao Mei, then how much do you want to pay per pound?" Zhao Fei probed. Qiao Mei thought for a moment and said, "We''ve worked together for so long, so I won''t shortchange you. To be honest, whatever I pay will just go to the village. You won''t get a single cent, so why do you have to work so hard? How about this, I''ll give you my best price, 30 cents a pound. How about that?" Zhao Fei had thought that the worst outcome would be to sell the seeds for 20 cents a pound. It seemed that Qiao Mei was willing to give them a way out. "Yes, yes! This is the letter of consent from all the villagers. If there''s no problem, I can sign the agreement on their behalf!" Zhao Fei said excitedly. Qiao Mei took out the agreement that she had prepared long ago. Zhao Fei did not even take a look at it and just signed off without another word. Chapter 1516 Not Giving a Single Cent Chapter 1516 Not Giving a Single Cent "Do you trust me that much? Shouldn''t you at least read the contents?" Qiao Mei asked. "I know that Sister Qiao Mei is a good person and you won''t cheat me. Besides, you won''t be interested in the little bit that I have. We have worked together for so long and I trust you. If not for those people in my family always coming to disturb you, perhaps we''ll still be working together..." Zhao Fei said dejectedly. "Sure, we can work together again. Help me deal with the matter of the seeds first. If you do it well this time round, I can consider continuing our collaboration. This is really your last chance. You have to grab it tightly with both hands," Qiao Mei said with a smile. Qiao Mei was still interested in using the land in the Zhao Family Village for one more round of planting. After all, she could not find any place with better soil quality at the moment. Qiao Mei had the ability to change the quality of the soil, but she did not want to do it for the Zhao Family Village. Once the soil quality was improved, the effect would last for a few years. If those people from the Zhao family had ulterior motives and decided to scam Qiao Mei after that, then she would have wasted all her efforts. She would rather discard her energy than allow those dishonest people from the Zhao Family Village to reap benefits from it. Zhao Fei said excitedly, "Yes, yes! Don''t worry! I''ll definitely complete this task very well! You''ll definitely be satisfied with the results!" As Qiao Mei watched Zhao Fei skip away from the factory, she felt that he was feeling too happy too soon. Given Zhao Liu''s character, he would not give up until he caused some trouble for Zhao Fei. This matter definitely could not be resolved easily. Zhao Fei returned to Zhao Liu''s house in high spirits. As soon as he entered, he saw everyone frowning and looking upset. He did not need to guess to know that they were worried about the matter of him wanting to split from the family! "Xiao Fei, you''re back. Tell me, how did it go?" Zhao Kuo asked. "30 cents a pound and she''ll come and collect the goods the day after tomorrow," Zhao Fei said calmly. "So little! Does she think that we''re beggars! She sells one pound for so much money but she''s only giving us 30 cents! This woman is really too evil!" Zhao Kai said angrily. Based on the price they wanted, their family could make at least 5,000 dollars! He had been bragging to other people about it for a long time, so the current situation was going to make him look bad. "That''s the price now. If you don''t agree, then don''t sell your share. I''ve already informed everyone else and they''re all very satisfied with the price," Zhao Fei said. "Alright, stop arguing. It''s already good enough that we can sell the seeds. Zhao Fei, you''ve worked hard. Go and take a rest in the room next door," Zhao Kuo said. "I''m not tired. Now that the matter of the seeds is settled, have you already discussed the matter of splitting up?" Zhao Fei asked as he looked at everyone in the room coldly. Chapter 1517 Accurate Weight Chapter 1517 Accurate Weight "It''s fine if you want to split from the family, but you can''t take anything with you and we won''t give you any money. If you want to leave, you can leave," Zhao Liu said. Zhao Fei took a look around the house and then at the people in front of him and smiled mockingly. He knew Zhao Liu well and had never harbored any hope of being able to get back the house. However, he still wanted to take back a part of what used to belong to his father. "My father had left behind the house, a bicycle and 200 dollars back then. I don''t want the money or the bicycle, but I want the house. Since I won''t come back here anymore, there''s no point for me to keep the house. Give me 130 dollars and I''ll take it that I''ve sold the house to you," Zhao Fei said. "Don''t you think we needed to spend money to bring you up! Didn''t we feed you! How dare you ask for the house!" Zhao Liu said furiously. "That''s why I only ask you for 130 dollars. This is already a discounted price given that you''re my relative. If you hadn''t fed me all these years, it won''t be this price," Zhao Fei said fiercely. "Impossible! Not a single cent!" Zhao Liu said. Zhao Fei nodded in satisfaction and said, "Alright, then I''ll go and look for Qiao Mei now and tell her that we''re not selling our seeds. You people can keep those seeds and leave them to rot in the warehouse. Even if I leave here with nothing, my life will still be a hundred times better than yours." "There''s no need to thank me! I like having you around in my house! Come in! I''ll slaughter a chicken for dinner tonight! Let''s take it as a celebration meal for you leaving that wolf den!" Auntie Zhuang pulled Zhao Fei towards her house. Zhao Fei only ever felt the warmth of family at Auntie Zhuang''s house and he always thought that it was really ironic. It was soon the day to collect the goods. Qiao Mei could finally take a few days off and go home to have a good rest, so it was Qian''e who went to the Zhao Family Village to inspect the goods. She brought Chi Ze and a few other burly men with her to make sure that she was well protected. "Sister Qian''e, come and take a look at these goods. The weights are all accurate and the quality is up to standard too," Zhao Fei said. Chi Ze moved their own weighing scales down from the truck and placed it on the ground to show everyone. Qian''e said, "This is a brand new weighing scale As everyone can see, we have just taken it out of the box. Whatever we weigh, the figure is definitely accurate. I trust you are all agreeable!" "Yes! We all agree! I''ve checked it, it''s accurate!" Auntie Zhuang shouted. "Alright! Everyone, retrieve your own bags and then write the weight on top. We''ll do a check one by one. If it''s heavier than stated, we''ll still pay you for it! It''s alright if it''s lighter than stated! As long as it''s within two pounds! If so, we''ll pretend not to see it! However, if it''s lighter by more than two pounds, we can only pay you for the seeds at a price of 10 cents a pound. Are you agreeable with this arrangement?" Qian''e asked. This was Qiao Mei''s idea. Her goal was to punish Zhao Liu and his family. Back when the family packed their bags of seeds, Zhao Kai had mixed in small stones in order to add a few more pounds. Chapter 1518 All Stones Chapter 1518 All Stones Given the volume of seeds, most people would not check too thoroughly since it was a waste of time. However, Qiao Mei was not like most people! "Look at the amount of seeds. It''ll be a cold day in hell when you finish!" Zhao Kai said unhappily. "No worries, we have plenty of time. Moreover, we''ve brought many people with us and 10 weighing scales. If we operate all the scales at the same time, we''ll probably be able to finish before dark. We also have people to record all the weights. Once it''s done, we''ll be able to match them with the amounts you have. Everyone, you can go home for now. We''ll send someone to inform you once all the weighing is done," Qian''e said with a smile. The people who had nothing to hide all went home. They still had a lot of things to do at home! Those people with a guilty conscience stood around to watch Qian''e and the others do the weighing. They wanted to see if Qian''e would cheat and falsify the numbers. Qian''e did not care about them. There were more than 20 young men in her team and she asked them to start work. They split into pairs with one person weighing the seeds and the other person checking if there was anything else mixed in with the seeds. They could work very fast this way. Even before the sun set, all the seeds had been weighed. There was not much difference in the reported and actual weights for the entire village, except Zhao Liu''s family. They had stated the weight of their seeds to be 4,000 pounds, but the actual weight was only 2,300 pounds. The difference was huge. This was not just about mixing small stones in with the seeds, but using stones to commit fraud! "I already say that we can''t do this! Look at what has happened now! We were caught!" Zhao Kai said unhappily. "You little brat, now you suddenly feel bad. Weren''t you very happy when you put the stones in! We only have 230 dollars now. I want to see how you can afford to get married!" Zhao Liu said. The more Zhao Liu thought about it, the angrier he felt. His family had so much seeds and only received so little money in return. However, if he went to argue with Qiao Mei right now, it would mean the end of any civility between them. He still wanted to marry Li Gui! Their family had actually kept aside a big pile of seeds to use as planting seeds for the next season. They would not need to deal with Qiao Mei''s factory next season. They could make a lot of money on their own by planting and selling the seeds. He did not care about the popcorn business. Even if they sold a lot of popcorn, they could only earn a little bit of money. How could it be more profitable than selling seeds? Xia Zhe went to pick up the children and then headed back to the courtyard house with them. The two children already knew how to flip themselves over now and could even babble some incomprehensible sounds, especially Xia Fan. In the past, this child was always in a daze and did not like to talk. In front of Xia Zhe though, he had become quite a chatterbox. Whenever he saw Xia Zhe, he would smile and babble away and even reached out to Xia Zhe all the time. This was exactly how Xia Xing behaved whenever she saw Xia Wen. Chapter 1519 Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder Chapter 1519 Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder "Look at how much your son adores you! He has never responded to me this way!" Qiao Mei said with a twinge of jealousy. "Why? Are you even jealous of your own son? What a green-eyed monster," Xia Zhe asked with a smile as he hugged Xia Fan. "Who says that I''m jealous! I''m just telling the truth!" Qiao Mei said as she turned her head to the other side. As the two of them bickered, Xia You and Lu Huai arrived at Qiao Mei''s house with a pile of things. The moment they entered, they were greeted with a heartwarming family scene. "Don''t the two of you get sick of each other if you hang out together all day every day? You even hug each other in the middle of the day while the main door is open. If those people in the community see this, they''ll make a mountain out of a molehill again!" Xia You said disdainfully. "No! Haven''t you heard that absence makes the heart grow fonder! We''re just so loving! If they like to look at us, let them! I''m behaving lovingly in my own house. What has it got to do with them!" Qiao Mei yelled out loudly. Absence made the heart grow fonder? This phrase seemed to make sense. Every time she waited at home for Lu Huai to return, she would be filled with anticipation. After he returned from his business trip, the two of them would become even more loving and sweet to each other. So this could be described as absence making the heart grow fonder! It was so interesting. The fact was that children grew up very quickly. Clothes that could still fit this month would not fit the next month. Children''s clothes were also very expensive and it was not worth buying new pieces. Children would usually only get their first set of new clothes when they were about 15 years old! Xia Zhe had also grown up wearing Xia Wen''s clothes. Until now, he did not really buy new clothes. Their family had a rule that they should reuse their clothes as much as possible. Only someone as rich as Qiao Mei would be willing to buy so many new things for her children. In addition, she had many relatives and these two babies were the first kids of their generation, so everyone naturally paid more attention to them. "It''s best if you and Xia He have a boy and a girl between the two of you. Then, you can both come and take everything from my house. Otherwise, I''ll have to make another set for one of you!" Qiao Mei said. Qiao Mei left the children to Xia Zhe and led Xia You and Lu Huai to the study to discuss work matters. "Coo, coo, coo..." For some reason, the pigeon kept cooing when it saw Xia You, as if it was very afraid. "When did you start raising pigeons? How can it still fly when it''s so fat?" Xia You said disdainfully. Ever since this pigeon came to Qiao Mei''s place, it had only gone out once to send a letter. Ever since then, it stayed in the cage and did not go out. Xu Kang fed it a lot of delicious food every day and as time passed, the pigeon gained weight. From afar, it looked like a big white ball. "It can probably still fly. If it really can''t, then I''ll just treat it like a chicken. If it can''t fly, it can still walk, can''t it?" Qiao Mei said as she looked at the pigeon in disdain. Chapter 1520 Osmanthus Vehicle Fleet Chapter 1520 Osmanthus Vehicle Fleet "Coo, coo, coo!!!" The pigeon looked at Qiao Mei and called out fiercely. Whose fault was it that it could not fly! How could it be the fault of this weak little pigeon? When would Yao Nian come and save it... Why did she have to capture it? It had so many other colleagues! They should take turns, right? "Alright, alright, let''s get down to business." Qiao Mei looked at Lu Huai and Xia You seriously and continued, "I plan to start a small company called... let''s call it ''Osmanthus Vehicle Fleet''. The main business is to deliver and pick up goods." "A company? Why not a department?" Lu Huai asked. "Because I want to expand this business in the future. I don''t just want to transport our own goods, but I also want to deliver and pick up goods for other factories or companies," Qiao Mei explained. "This is really too difficult for me. I''m worried that I can''t do it... It''s already very complicated to send our own goods to and from our factory, yet I also have to do this for other parties," Lu Huai said worriedly. She was here today to discuss this matter with Qiao Mei. "Qiao Mei, can I manage this company together with Lu Huai?" Xia You asked cautiously. "Of course you can. I''m just lending you the money to put into the company. At the end of the day, I''ll get back the money. Besides, it''s not as if I won''t get involved at all. In the early stages, I''ll help you to get on the right track. I''ll only completely hand it over to you at a later stage. Of course, I''m not doing it for nothing. In the event that my factory has difficulties with cash flow, then you''ll be able to help, won''t you?" Qiao Mei said with a smile. "Then isn''t it the same if you also manage this company as well?" Xia You asked in confusion. "Of course it''s different! If my factory goes bankrupt and there''s not enough money to pay all the debts, I''ll have to sell everything I own. In such a case, this company won''t be able to continue operating as well. However, if I lend you money, then this company will completely belong to you and it won''t be part of my assets," Qiao Mei explained. This time, Xia You completely understood Qiao Mei''s intentions and agreed to the idea. She was a top student who graduated from Capital University with a degree in finance. How could she not be able to manage a company? As long as she was given some time to revise all the things she learned, it would definitely be a piece of cake for her! She just did not like working, but it did not mean that she did not know how to do work! "Then... how are we going to explain it to Third Uncle''s family? How''s the arrangement going with regard to Auntie Zhou''s request to let Xia Lu and Xia Yan work at your factory? Did they cause any trouble for you?" Xia You asked. Chapter 1521 Cleaning Pig Intestines Chapter 1521 Cleaning Pig Intestines At the thought of this matter, Qiao Mei could not hide her amusement. It was really too gratifying. Qiao Mei only wished that she could be at the scene to see the expressions on those two younger cousins'' faces. Xia Lu and Xia Yan had arrived on time at Qiao Mei''s factory to start work. Qiao Mei had no intention to greet them personally, but had asked Mao Hang to show them to their workplace. "You must be the newcomers. My name is Mao Hang and I''m the supervisor of this workshop. You can just call me Brother Mao. If you need anything, just come and look for me," Mao Hang said politely. "Hey, you there. Xiao Mao, right? What task did my cousin-in-law ask you to give us?" Xia Yan said smugly. "Who''s your cousin-in-law?" Mao Hang pretended to ask them in puzzlement. The truth was that Qiao Mei had already told him about these two people''s identities, otherwise he need not have come to greet them personally. Such matters were all handled by that... human resources department nowadays. "Qiao Mei! Your factory director! Don''t tell me you don''t even know the factory director. But then again, how can someone of your level come into contact with someone like the factory director?" Xia Yan said disdainfully. The two of them were so full of themselves. It was not that long ago when they looked down on Qiao Mei for her poor family background, but now they were eagerly showing off that they were her younger cousins. Qiao Mei did not show the same level of kindness to just anyone! Who did they think they were! How dare they say that Qiao Mei was crazy! They were the true lunatics! In a fit of anger, Mao Hang pulled the aprons off Xia Lu and Xia Yan, slammed the workshop door shut and went back to work. This workshop did not need these two useless cowards here! These two were not needed even if they were willing to pay to work here! Xia Lu and Xia Yan ran home and told Zhou Luo about what happened. Without another word, Zhou Luo got on her bicycle and rode to Qiao Mei''s house. Before she entered the house, everyone could already hear her loud voice from afar. "Qiao Mei, get out here! You black-hearted thing! I must be blind! How can I let you enter the Xia family! Even if I had to die back then, I should have made sure that you get a divorce! I should have made sure that you don''t have such a good life!" Zhou Luo cursed angrily. Xia You stood up in a flash and rushed out so quickly that Qiao Mei and Lu Huai could not stop her. Fortunately, the soundproofing in the children''s room was the best in the whole house. Otherwise, the two children would definitely get woken up. "Hey, hey, hey! Who are you and how can you rush in! Get out! This is private property!" Da Zhuang said as he blocked Zhou Luo. "You still have so many men here! It sure looks like you''re an indecent person! I must let Xia Zhe see your true colors! And let the Old Master know what kind of slut you are! Shameless thing! Get out here!" Zhou Luo became more and more worked up as she cursed and even smashed the flower pots in Qiao Mei''s courtyard. Those were treasures which Qiao Mei had bought from the antique market. They would be worth a lot of money in the future! Zhou Luo destroyed them just like that! Chapter 1522 Mixed Martial Arts Champion Chapter 1522 Mixed Martial Arts Champion "Why are you shouting! Do you think there''s no one at home! How can you behave so atrociously here! Who do you think you are! You should get lost!" Xia You ran over angrily and shouted at her. "Oh, you''re here too. I thought all of you say that you don''t covet her things? Then why do all of you come here all the time? You''re all so guarded against our family and don''t even allow us to come here. Yet all of you can come and stay in this house, except for our family!" Zhou Luo said as she pointed at Xia You. "Your family? Your surname is Zhou! How are you related to us! You''re not even the one who married into our Xia family, so what right do you have to say that you''re part of our family! You''re the most shameless person here! You eat the Xia family''s food and use the Xia family''s things. The family has already split up and you still want to come to our Xia family to get benefits! Your younger sister has already divorced my third uncle! Third Aunt-in-law doesn''t even care to eye the Xia family''s things! Yet, as her elder sister, you come here every day to take advantage of us!" Xia You said. Lu Huai held his forehead helplessly. Qiao Mei patted Lu Huai''s shoulder and gave Xia You a thumbs up. Whenever they gathered at Xu Lan''s house, Xia You had been suppressing her dissatisfaction and anger towards Zhou Luo out of consideration for Xia Jun''s feelings. Now, she finally had a chance to vent her frustration. Zhou Luo was so taken aback that she could not speak. She stammered for a long time but could not say even one word. "Where''s that aggressive stance of yours from just now? Where''s that imposing manner you speak with? How dare you come here and behave so atrociously! You think you can bully us just because we always give in to you! Let me tell you, I''m going to tell everyone in the Xia family about this incident! Including Third Uncle! From now on, no one in the Xia family will give you the time of the day. I swear to that," Xia You said. Qiao Mei had just said that Xia You was amazing, but it looked like she was the more amazing one. "Not a job for humans? Then does it mean those working in that workshop are ghosts! Why is it that other people''s children can do the job, but not yours? Why do I have to clean pig intestines! My husband can afford to pay for me and I can even start a company myself. I''m not like you! Your husband only knows how to eat, drink, whore and gamble! You have two sons who are not your own and they turn out to be such a disappointment!" Xia You questioned. "You! How dare you say that about me! Your mother gave birth to you but your father didn''t bring you up well! I''ll beat you to death!" After saying that, Zhou Luo went forward to beat Xia You. Qiao Mei was so worried that she wanted to rush forward to help, but both Lu Huai and Xia Zhe stopped her at the same time. Xia You gave Zhou Luo a punch in the stomach and she fell straight to the ground. "Xia You is a mixed martial arts champion. She''s even better than Xia He. Even if I fight with her, it''s hard to say who''ll win," Xia Zhe explained softly. Xia You had liked all those combative stuff since she was young. Back then, Xia Jun even said that if Xia You was born in his era, she would definitely have become a female general with outstanding military achievements! It was a pity that Xia You''s interests were always short-lived. As soon as she managed to gain some achievements in a subject, she would not study or persevere anymore. This was also why other people always thought that Xia You was someone who did not know anything.CHeCk for new stories on no/v/el/bin(.)c0m Chapter 1523 I Am the Shrew Chapter 1523 I Am the Shrew "All of you work in managerial positions. Why should Xia Lu and Xia Yan be lowly workers! They''re also members of the Xia family. Why are they being treated differently!" Zhou Luo said as she lay panting on the ground. "Do they have any special skills? Do you want me to say out loud how the two of them got their results? The rest of us are older and have worked for so many years. Is there a problem with us being in managerial positions? These two kids have only just graduated and already want to be managers. Then why don''t you use your own money to start a company!" Xia You said furiously. Zhou Luo had never seen Xia You behave like this before. Usually, Xia You would tolerate everything thrown at her. Looking at the way she behaved now, it would not be an exaggeration to call her a shrew. However, Lu Huai really liked this side of Xia You. What she was doing was protecting the people she cared about in her own way. "Let me tell you! You''d better get lost! Otherwise, I''ll get someone to drag you out! Disappear from our sight immediately and don''t let us see you again!" Xia You said as she pointed at the main door. Zhou Luo wept as she ran out. Xia You looked on with satisfaction at Zhou Luo''s departing figure. When she turned around, she saw Xia Zhe, Qiao Mei and Lu Huai standing behind her, giving her a row of thumbs up. "What are you laughing at! There''s no need to idolize me," Xia You said laughingly. Xia You did not know how to explain it. Was she supposed to tell Xia He that the shrew was her? That did not sound too good... Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe covered their mouths and did not dare to laugh out loud. In the end, everyone looked at Lu Huai, who said resignedly, "Auntie Zhou came in the afternoon and went home after Xia You taught her a lesson. The neighbors probably misunderstood the whole situation." Xia He reached out and pinched Xia You''s forearm and then her bicep, saying, "Tsk, how long has it been since you last exercised? You''ve lost more than half your muscles. With those teeny arms and legs, how much damage can one punch do to her?" "Don''t look down on me! I exercise often! There must be a bruise on her stomach right now! As if I can really give her a hard punch? What if she dies? Then I''ll have to compensate her!" Xia You said with heartache. "Fine, fine, fine. I''ve wronged you. Come and sit down to eat." Xia He pulled Xia You to sit at the dining table. Ever since the Xia family split up, they seemed to get along even better. Perhaps it was Qiao Mei''s arrival that had finally brought some warmth to the family. The following days were peaceful. Xia You and Lu Huai were busy with buying the piece of land next to Qiao Mei''s factory to build a parking lot, while Xia He and Deng Fan went about their own work respectively. Zhao Fei bought a small place in the capital. It was similar to the apartment that Xia Wen used to live in. There was only one bedroom and a small living room. The kitchen and toilet were shared with other occupants, but he was already very glad to have a place to call his own. Recently, Qian''e and Zhao Fei had been working together on the popcorn business. The sales had continued to increase and they were doing quite well. After leaving that cumbersome family, Zhao Fei was in much better shape than before and was able to work even more efficiently. Chapter 1524 I Do Not Know You Chapter 1524 I Do Not Know You It was going to be Zhang Wei''s birthday soon and Xia Wen had already made a call to the school. The school agreed to let Zhang Wei go home for two days this weekend. After Li Gui finished her work at the company, she went to take the small bus back to her house in the city. As soon as she reached the bus station, she saw a person that made her feel disgusted. "Li Gui! Long time no see!" Zhao Liu shouted excitedly, causing everyone to turn and look at the two of them. There were no other factories nearby, so most of the people waiting for the bus were Qiao Mei''s factory staff. Everyone knew Li Gui and some of them were even her subordinates! "I don''t know you," Li Gui said coldly. "Why are you so heartless? We''ve met before and I even said that I wanted to date you! How can you not remember anything?" Zhao Liu shouted loudly. The people around them gasped. They did not expect Li Gui to do such an... immoral thing at her age! She looked so decent. Findd new stories at novelhall.com In this era, people were all very reserved. Even husband and wife had to maintain a distance from each other when walking on the streets. They could not hold hands, let alone say anything mushy to each other. Otherwise, they would be criticized using posters! "I heard from Sister Xu that you don''t seem well, so I''m here to take a look. What''s wrong? Did something happen at the factory?" Qiao Mei asked patiently. Li Gui shook her head. Qiao Mei thought for a moment and said, "Did that person from the Zhao family come looking for you again?" Li Gui was stunned and said in surprise, "How do you know about this? I didn''t tell anyone! Did the people in the factory tell you! What else did they say!" "It''s just a guess. There aren''t too many things that can affect you like this. If anything happens to my four younger siblings, I''d definitely be informed. This is the only thing that I won''t know about," Qiao Mei said. Li Gui had no choice but to relate whatever happened just now. Qiao Mei frowned. She did not expect the Zhao family to start causing trouble again so soon after she let them off. "Alright, I understand. You should stay at my house during this period of time and help me take care of the children. Don''t stay here alone," Qiao Mei instructed. Everyone was very busy every day. Zhang Chao and Zhang Qin were both staying over at Qiao Qiang''s place, so Li Gui''s house had been left vacant for a long time. It was not safe even if she stayed there with the two children. Qiao Mei would feel more at ease if Li Gui moved in with her. Li Gui packed her things quietly. Qiao Mei called for the chauffeur and went straight to the factory in a fit of anger. Along the way, Qiao Mei thought about ways to refute the rumors about the relationship between Li Gui and Zhao Liu. If she simply fired the employees who spread the rumors, it would make the others suspicious instead. However, if she let the rumors run wild, then if Zhao Liu came looking for Li Gui again, her mother and her would be caught in an even more passive situation. It looked like she had to teach the Zhao family a lesson eventually. Chapter 1525 Buy a Courtyard House Chapter 1525 Buy a Courtyard House CHeCk for new stories on no/v/el/bin(.)c0m Qiao Mei asked Qian''e to come to the office to discuss countermeasures. When Qian''e heard about what happened to Li Gui, she flew into a rage and wished that she could catch hold of Zhao Liu and chop him into pieces! "It''s really too much! He''ll definitely come and look for Auntie again. When that happens, I''ll get Brother Chi to find a few burly men to tie him up and give him a good beating! I''ll avenge Auntie! I''ll break his legs!" Qian''e said resentfully. "Do you think we''re bandits! How can we do such a thing? It would be terrible if the Zhao family bites back. I have my own way of dealing with it. Don''t worry, but I''m afraid we can''t continue to do business with Zhao Fei," Qiao Mei said regretfully. "I heard that Zhao Fei and those people from the Zhao family have already split up. They have nothing to do with one another now. Zhao Fei has also worked very hard during this period of time," Qian''e said. "The Xia family has also split up! But did everyone just stand by and do nothing when Third Uncle faced trouble? Some time ago, Zhou Luo even came to my house to cause trouble. Blood is always thicker than water! Who can say for sure when it comes to family matters? If he wants to blame someone, he can only blame himself for being born into such a terrible family. There''s nothing we can do. We can''t sacrifice our own interests to make others feel better," Qiao Mei said helplessly as she spread out her hands. "Alright, I''ll tell him about this tomorrow. He has many delivery men under him though. Once we lose them, I don''t think we have enough people to make up for it. We need to find some new employees," Qian''e said. "Alright, you can''t go back on your word! I''ll leave it to you to get me a suitable house. When the time comes, I''ll ask Brother Deng to handle the renovations. Let me know how much and I''ll pay you back," Qian''e said familiarly. "No problem, leave it to me!" Qiao Mei patted her chest and said confidently. She would slowly persuade them one by one! The best choice was to buy a siheyuan courtyard house! In another two years, the occupants in the surrounding apartment buildings would be relocated. It did not matter that one small apartment would get two small apartments in exchange during the relocation exercise. Those apartments only cost a few hundred dollars now. It was not worth it at all! The apartments were definitely not as valuable as siheyuan courtyard houses. As long as the courtyard house was well-preserved, its future value would be immeasurable! Moreover, occupants of siheyuan courtyard houses would not get relocated. There was no such thing as devaluation! What Qian''e said made Qiao Mei feel like buying a house again. She decided to buy another siheyuan courtyard house while she was helping Qian''e with the purchase. Early the next morning, Qian''e informed Zhao Fei about their decision. Zhao Fei expressed his understanding about why it had to be done this way and left Qiao Mei''s factory dejectedly. He did not even know how to explain this to all his buddies. He reckoned that life would be tough for them for a while. Qiao Mei did not know about Zhao Fei''s difficulties. She was not a Buddha who was here to save the world and could not be overly kind to everyone. Chapter 1526 Coming to Ask for Medicine Chapter 1526 Coming to Ask for Medicine Qiao Mei had already given Zhao Fei countless chances. It was a known fact that he was unable to control those people in his family. However, he was also unable to completely sever ties with that family. As for the Zhao family... the heavens would punish the evildoers. Qiao Mei would settle the score with them when the time was right. It was not the right time to attack them now. There were still a lot of seeds in their hands. Once the next batch of seeds matured, she would destroy them. The factory''s business slowly got on track. Even if Qiao Mei was not at the factory, it did not affect the operations much. Han Chen still caused trouble for Qian''e from time to time. As long as he did not do anything overboard, Qiao Mei did not intervene. She believed that Qian''e could handle all the issues in the factory. At the beginning of July, the weather gradually became warmer. Qiao Mei started to plant grapes in the courtyard again. Every day, Xia Zhe would buy her a big watermelon and chill it in the well water. It came out colder than if they had put it in the fridge! "Don''t eat so much! It''s too cooling for the body and not good for your stomach!" Xia Zhe reminded her. "Then how about I just eat another piece?" Qiao Mei asked as she looked at Xia Zhe pleadingly. Xia Zhe really could not say no to Qiao Mei when she looked at him that way, so he took out a piece of watermelon from the basin and handed it to Qiao Mei. He reminded himself to further train his self-control and not let this little girl bully him so unconscionably all the time. "By the way, you have been confirmed as a military spouse. I will be stationed at the camp for a long time soon. Do you want to come with me?" Xia Zhe asked. Qiao Mei kept feeling that there was something fishy going on. She had to go and take a look for herself. "Let''s go. I''ll go and take a look at her." After saying that, Qiao Mei called for the family chauffeur and Xia Zhe also went along. Liang Lan was so happy that she clapped her hands. People may not know that Qiao Mei was the Xia family''s daughter-in-law, but everyone knew who Xia Zhe was. If Xia Zhe was seen going in and out of the Liang family''s house, it could only be beneficial to their family! When they arrived at the Liang family''s old house, the courtyard was dank and lifeless. Although it was already the month of July, it looked like it was winter in the courtyard. As soon as they pushed open Liang Shu''s room door, a stench wafted out. It was not a strong smell, but enough to make one feel nauseous. Once Liang Shu saw Qiao Mei, she started to curse loudly, but it was the same as before. She could not speak clearly, but judging from her expression, she must be saying something nasty. Liang Lan quickly wheeled her into the room next door and told her not to disturb Qiao Mei and her husband. "As you can see, my mother is still the same..." Liang Lan said sadly. Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe looked at each other. Xia Zhe had previously used the green medicine to help his comrades recover from serious injuries on the battlefield. Liang Shu definitely did not look like someone who had drunk the medicine. Qiao Mei had already given the Liang family a total of three bottles of medicine. Liang Shu had been given three-quarters of the first bottle and half of the second bottle. By the third bottle, she did not even get a sip. At this rate, she would be paralyzed for the rest of her life! "So? Are you asking me to continue giving your family the medicine? I''ve already given your family three bottles. This is an amount that no one else can even dream of," Qiao Mei said sternly. Chapter 1527 Speaking Chapter 1527 Speaking "What... what''s so bad about it? My father is the one who dug out this ginseng. What''s wrong with using it to treat my mother''s illness?" Liang Lan said. "Your father? Your Liang family has long cut ties with my grandfather! Stop claiming to be a relative! Who wants to be related to your family!" Qiao Mei scolded angrily. "How can you say that? It''s Qiao Qiang''s blood that flows in my body. He''ll have to admit to this fact until the day he dies!" Liang Lan said forcefully. "Then drain out all your blood. I''ll pay for your transfusion. Do you think my grandfather wants you to keep his blood? Stop putting on an act here," Qiao Mei said disdainfully. "You have to give me the medicine! My mother is suffering from a stroke because of all of you. You have to take responsibility! You can''t just sit back and do nothing!" Seeing that Qiao Mei was unmoved by both force and persuasion, Liang Lan could only tell Qiao Mei to hand over the medicine. Qiao Mei would not fall for this. Even if she came alone today, she would not be afraid of Liang Lan''s threat. Moreover, she had Xia Zhe with her today. "Then go to the police station and tell that to the police! Don''t talk to me about all these! Do I owe your family anything? Does my grandfather owe your family anything? How can you have the cheek to negotiate terms with me? I''ve already done my best by giving your family three bottles of medicine! Outsiders can''t even get any even if they beg for it!" Qiao Mei looked at Liang Lan mockingly. Qiao Mei patted Xia Zhe''s hand and asked him to go next door to wheel Liang Shu back in. All the walls in the Liang family''s house were very thin and they had spoken so loudly just now, so she was sure that Liang Shu overheard their conversation. She grabbed Xia Zhe and hurriedly ran out of the Liang family''s house. She did not speak along the way, occupied with thoughts about who Liang Lan had sold the medicine to. "Is your little head still filled with thoughts about their family?" Xia Zhe said as he tapped Qiao Mei''s head. "I''m wondering if they sold it or gave it away as a gift," Qiao Mei said with a slight frown. It was still alright if they had given it away, but if Liang Lan had sold it, it would definitely attract attention and bring trouble to the Xia family. "Some time ago, there was news that the Old Master of the Song family was critically ill, but then he suddenly recovered. Taking into account what Song Dan did some time ago, I think the Liang family gave the medicinal wine to the Song family to claim some form of credit," Xia Zhe analyzed. "No wonder Song Dan keeps pursuing Elder Sister! These people are too vicious! The Liang family has really opened my eyes. They don''t even care about their own mother''s life and actually treat Liang Shu in this manner in exchange for their own future," Qiao Mei said angrily. She was only feeling sad and angry for Qiao Qiang. As for Liang Shu, her current situation could be considered her retribution. Back then, she had done all kinds of nasty things. Now that she was old, her children only wanted to scheme against her and make use of her. "Grandfather doesn''t care about those people and things at all. He doesn''t take things so hard!" Xia Zhe said with a smile. "You''re right. It''s time to ask Grandpa Xia to come to our house. The fight between the two of them has already lasted a few months. If this continues, it will soon be a year since the two of them stopped talking to each other," Qiao Mei said.Findd new stories at novelhall.com Chapter 1528 Decide to Become a Military Spouse Chapter 1528 Decide to Become a Military Spouse "If the two of them meet, they''ll start fighting again. I think we should just leave it. When my grandfather figures things out one day, he will naturally come and talk to Grandpa Qiao," Xia Zhe said. After settling those messy issues in the Liang family, Qiao Mei began to focus on learning how to take care of the two babies herself. From the moment the children were born until now, Feng Hua had helped her to take care of the children. She felt a little flustered when she thought of having to deal with these two little ones alone. It was not a problem for her to take care of one child, but it was probably beyond her ability to take care of two children at the same time. Feng Hua imparted all her experiences to Qiao Mei. Given how smart Qiao Mei was, it did not take long for her to grasp all the little tricks of the trade. Fortunately, Xia Fan was very obedient and would not cause any trouble as long as he was well fed. It was Xia Xing who was a little more difficult to take care of. "Sister Feng, when I leave, can you go to my mother-in-law''s place to take care of them? I''ll pay you the same salary as before," Qiao Mei asked. "Sure, I''m fine with anything," Feng Hua said. Feng Hua was really fond of Qiao Mei. After working as a nanny for so many years, she had not met anyone as amiable as Qiao Mei. She had originally wanted to help bring up the two children until they were grown. Xia Zhe''s vacation break was not over yet, but Qiao Mei really wanted to go there to carry out the repair works. Therefore, the two of them packed their things and left the capital. Xu Lan and the rest could not bear to part with Qiao Mei. The thought of having to part with the two children made them sad as well. However, it was not as if Qiao Mei was never coming back. In the event that she could not get used to life there, she could apply to go home at any time. The living conditions in the army were definitely tougher than in the city. In order to let the military wives live more comfortably, the single-story houses came with exceptionally big courtyards. There might be nothing much in this place but land was definitely in abundance. Qiao Mei had thought that it would be like the small tiled house they had in Foshan Village. She did not expect the house to have four big rooms and that they were the sole occupants. The extent of damage in each room was different and she decided to do the repairs slowly when she had more time. Most importantly, Qiao Mei realized that the water quality here was quite good and the land was also very suitable for growing fruits and vegetables. She had even specially brought along a lot of modified seeds! She also had some flower seeds with her. When the time came, she would mark out a spot in the courtyard and ask Xia Zhe to make a swing for her. She wanted to create a beautiful garden! After entering the house, Qiao Mei realized that the tables and chairs inside were very badly damaged and the corners of the tables were all very sharp. What if the children knocked into them? However, these were all standard furniture supplied by the military and she did not know if they would allow her to change it out. "Don''t worry, we can buy whatever we want," Xia Zhe said as he put his arm around Qiao Mei''s shoulder. He could tell at a glance what Qiao Mei was worried about. "That''s great! I''ll call Xia He later and ask her to go shopping. Then we can ask Lu Huai to send the things here!" Qiao Mei said as she looked at Xia Zhe. Chapter 1529 Sisters-in-law Chapter 1529 Sisters-in-law The military base was likely very strict about who can enter and exit the area. Even if they bought furniture from the capital, what if they were not allowed to transport it in? "I took a look just now. The road is wide enough for a big truck. However, do we need to get an entry pass? Are vehicles from outside allowed to enter this area?" Qiao Mei asked softly. "Leave these issues to me. You just need to tell Xia He what you want her to buy," Xia Zhe said with a smile as he patted Qiao Mei''s head. Qiao Mei was about to take a look around the courtyard when she spotted a few women not far away, walking towards them in a group. There were four of them but only three held baskets full of vegetables. The last woman had very few items in her basket. It was a really interesting sight. They were all of different ages. The oldest woman should be in her 40s while two were in their 30s. The woman with almost nothing in the basket should be around 25 years old. Even the youngest among them was still older than Qiao Mei. "Oh! I heard from my husband that someone is moving in near us soon but I don''t know where exactly. They have asked for a single-story house!" one of the older women said. "Hello," they answered coldly. The oldest woman gave the youngest woman a push and said, "Song Zhi! Go! Harvest all the vegetables in the courtyard!" Song Zhi was the name of the woman who had almost nothing in her basket. She was so skinny that all her bones were all protruding out. When that woman pushed her just now, she almost fell down. Qiao Mei was not a busybody. She had only just arrived and did not know anything about the situation. If she offered help rashly, she would cause trouble for Xia Zhe. On the other hand, Xia Zhe also understood that it was not convenient for a man like him to interfere in the conflicts between women. Song Zhi walked silently to the vegetable patch at the side to harvest the vegetables. When Qiao Mei entered earlier, she did not even notice that there was a vegetable patch there. "Sister Qiao, I hope you don''t mind. We noticed that the land around here has been left untouched for a long time. It''s such a waste to leave it unused, so each of our family occupied a courtyard to grow some vegetables. We''ll harvest everything in the next two days, but these vegetables are still ours. We''ll return the place to you once we''re done," the oldest woman said. "Sure thing. I hope you can get it done as soon as possible. I''m a clumsy person and might accidentally touch something. It''ll be hard to explain if there''s something missing or spoiled," Qiao Mei said with a smile. The oldest woman frowned. She did not expect this little girl to be so sharp-tongued at such a young age and even know how to talk back! It looked like this girl was not an easy person to get along with. "Sure, I''ll remember that," said the oldest woman. Chapter 1530 I Am a Villager Chapter 1530 I Am a Villager "Sisters-in-laws, I still don''t know your names!" Qiao Mei said. "My name is Liu Yun. This is Zhang Cai and that is Wang Nuo. You already know the name of the one squatting there. Her name is Song Zhi," Liu Yun replied impatiently. Just as Qiao Mei was still trying to match the names to the faces, the oldest Liu Yun looked at Song Zhi, who was still harvesting the vegetables, and said impatiently, "Hey! Can you hurry up! We''re all waiting for you! Otherwise we won''t be able to make it home in time to cook!" "Yes!" Song Zhi quickly replied. Both Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe frowned slightly. Xia Zhe had never asked about the other military men''s families and had always been completely uninterested in such matters. He did not expect that there were such complicated relationships between the women. He wondered if Qiao Mei would be bullied by them if he left her here alone in the future. "These crops turned out really well," Qiao Mei could not help saying wistfully. Liu Yun immediately said smugly, "We''re all villagers and have been farming for generations. We all know how to grow the most delicious vegetables. In the city, you buy all your vegetables from the store, so it''s definitely not as tasty as what we have." "Oh really? I''m also a villager. Sisters-in-law, you have to teach me in the future. I''ve never seen such nice vegetables!" Qiao Mei said. The furniture which Qiao Mei asked Xia He to buy were transported over after a while. Many of the things that were brought down from the truck were old items from Qiao Mei''s storeroom, such as bookshelves, desks, coffee tables and so on. There were also a few beautiful but worthless vases. Xia He had packed them all for her. The four women took note of all these. Their conversation during mealtimes mainly revolved around Qiao Mei. "Did you see! What are all those things that the newcomer moved into the house? Are those things even useful? It''s as expected of someone from the city, so particular and picky! She still wants to read books in such a poor and remote place!" Liu Yun said disdainfully. "If she''s not particular and picky, how did she manage to seduce her husband! Look at what she wears every day. She only wears dresses and each one is so short. She exposes her calves all the time! It''s so unbecoming! Look at her full bosom! She doesn''t even wrap her chest!" Zhang Cai said softly. "Isn''t that so true! I even saw her interacting with another man that day!" Wang Nuo said. Song Zhi listened quietly beside them and did not say anything. She felt that Qiao Mei was a good person, at least better than the women here since Qiao Mei did not try to bully her. "Song Zhi, why are you in a daze! Didn''t you hear what we said just now! Why didn''t you say anything!" Liu Yun questioned. "I''m stupid and don''t know these things," Song Zhi said with a goofy smile. "You''re just too young! You still can''t see the true colors of such women! Don''t get too close to her! What if she leads you astray!" Liu Yun said. Chapter 1531 Feeling Unwell Chapter 1531 Feeling Unwell Song Zhi nodded obediently. She could not even speak freely with these women, so why would they give her the chance to get close to Qiao Mei? It probably meant nothing to Qiao Mei to help her that day. After half a month of hard work, the move was finally complete. Qiao Mei did not see anyone else even after so many days. Perhaps it was because she always woke up later than others, so their schedules were not in sync. She was also very curious about the people living in the apartment building, but there was no hurry. She would get a chance to meet them one day. For some reason, Qiao Mei had been feeling more tired than usual recently. She never used to feel like that in the past. She even had backaches and was always feeling very sleepy. "What''s wrong?" Xia Zhe asked cautiously. "I want to go home and see the children. Now that everything has been tidied up, it''s time to bring them over here," Qiao Mei said. The two of them made the trip back to the capital overnight. When Qiao Mei reached home, she forced herself to stay awake and went to the children''s room to take a look at them. Once she returned to her room, she fell asleep the moment her head hit the pillow and only woke up in the afternoon. This was something unprecedented. Qiao Mei sat in the courtyard in deep thought for a long time. Finally, she said to Xia Zhe, "I want to go to the hospital!" Follow the latest novels at novelhall.com "Go to the hospital? Why do you want to go to the hospital? Are you feeling unwell?" Xia Zhe asked nervously. "Sigh, you... Qiao Mei is going to give Xia Fan and Xia Xing a younger brother or sister!" Li Gui said. "What! How is that possible! Didn''t she just give birth? How can it start again..." Xia He said in surprise. "Think about it. It''s been almost half a year since Qiao Mei gave birth. Given that Xia Zhe is back, it''s normal for her to get pregnant," Li Gui explained. Xia He still did not quite believe it. How could Qiao Mei get pregnant again so quickly? Some people took months or even years to get pregnant. She had never heard of anyone getting pregnant as quickly as Qiao Mei. However, it was something too unusual for Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe though. After all, Qiao Mei became pregnant after their first night together. People always said that the more children one had, the more blessed one was. This meant that Qiao Mei''s life was full of blessings! Qiao Mei was really the lucky star of the Xia family. "What are you thinking about! You should also have a child soon! She''s about to give birth to her third child, so you should put in more effort! Since you and Deng Fan are newly married, you should hurry up and have a child now. I''ll help you take care of your child!" Li Gui said with a smile. Xia He blushed. How could they discuss such things so openly? Li Gui did not even seem to feel embarrassed at all. She and Deng Fan did not have such plans yet! In fact, Deng Fan was not young anymore and he really wanted to have a child with Xia He. However, he was wary of the fact that Xia He was also not young anymore and already at the so-called advanced pregnancy age. If anything should happen during the delivery process, he would regret it. He married Xia He because he loved her and not because he wanted to have a child with her. The couple had planned to let nature take its course. If they were lucky, they would have a cute baby. Chapter 1532 Confirming the Pregnancy Chapter 1532 Confirming the Pregnancy If fate did not favor them and they were destined not to have children of their own in this life, then they would treat Xia Fan and Xia Xing like their own children. Xia Zhe rushed to the emergency department to borrow a wheelchair. There were not many people seeing the doctor today, so they were able to see Xia Fang very quickly. "Aunt! Quick, do a checkup for her!" Xia Zhe said anxiously. Large beads of sweat rolled down his face and he looked as if he had just been fished out of the water. His entire body was drenched with perspiration. Xia Fang looked at the two of them suspiciously. Between the two of them, she would think that Xia Zhe looked more like a sick person than Qiao Mei. They were in stark contrast with each other. Xia Zhe was so anxious that he looked about to cry. On the other hand, Qiao Mei smiled very happily and looked fine. "Qiao Mei, where exactly do you feel unwell? Do you feel any specific discomfort? If you really can''t describe it, then let''s do a full-body examination," Xia Fang said, looking serious and strict. "Aunt, I think I might be... pregnant..." Qiao Mei scratched her head and said shyly. "What!" Xia Fang and Xia Zhe said at the same time as they looked at Qiao Mei in shock. This was also the first time Xia Fang had encountered someone who got pregnant so easily. Qiao Mei had only just given birth to twins half a year ago and now she was pregnant again. Xia Fang wondered if Qiao Mei''s body could handle the stress again. "The reports are out. The child is very healthy and Qiao Mei is also doing very well. Everything is normal. As for everything that Qiao Mei mentioned, they are all just normal symptoms of pregnancy," Xia Fang said. Xia Zhe nodded stiffly and noted down everything Xia Fang said. He wrote down every word carefully, down to the punctuation marks. "Xia Zhe, didn''t I give you a booklet back then? It''s good enough to have that," Xia Fang said as she looked at Xia Zhe in disdain. Xia Zhe was clearly the smartest child in the Xia family, so why did he always become like a fool when it came to Qiao Mei? Where did all the cleverness go? At moments like this, she did not want to tell anyone that this was her nephew. "Oh right. Qiao Mei, I heard that you have decided to be a military spouse?" Xia Fang asked. "That''s indeed the plan, but now..." Qiao Mei looked at her stomach helplessly and said, "I guess I can''t go now." She had only been pregnant for less than half a month but she could already feel the child''s existence. Most women would normally only realize it after a month, and some women even only realized that they were pregnant after more than two months! She would think of a way to become a military spouse after the first three months of pregnancy. It was indeed not a good time now. "It''s fine. You can become a military spouse anytime. When you want to go, just let my eldest brother know. I''ll call him later and tell him the good news!" Xia Fang said with a smile. Chapter 1533 Chance Encounter Chapter 1533 Chance Encounter Without any hesitation, Xia Zhe decided to buy the wheelchair. This was the first time he had spent so much money! He would usually scrimp and save. On the way home, Xia Zhe was all smiles and greeted everyone he saw. He was just short of writing the words "my wife is pregnant" on his forehead to announce it to the world! "Why do you have that silly smile on your face?" Sitting in the wheelchair, Qiao Mei looked up at Xia Zhe helplessly. "I''m feeling happy!" Xia Zhe said excitedly. He pushed the wheelchair carefully, scared that he would hit stones or rocks on the way or that the road was too bumpy. He wanted to be especially careful. Just now, Xia Fang had reminded him that they must take great care during the first three months of pregnancy and could not afford to be careless. "If you continue to be so slow, we won''t be able to reach home before dark. We will only reach home tomorrow morning," Qiao Mei said disdainfully. "There''s no hurry, there''s no hurry. Let''s take it slow. It''s risky to go too fast. It''s so rare for us to have time to take a walk together. Just treat it as you''re keeping me company," Xia Zhe said. When they passed by an alleyway, they suddenly saw two familiar figures, He Mei and He Ning. Xia Zhe stared fixedly at He Ning, worried that he would do something dangerous and hurt Qiao Mei. At the same time, he glanced instinctively at He Mei''s stomach. He wondered if He Mei''s plan had succeeded. He Mei''s stomach was very flat and she did not look pregnant, but the fact that she kept her hand over her lower abdomen was enough to prove that they had succeeded in their plan. He Mei had never seen Xia Zhe so in love with someone. He had never treated her so gently or given her such an affectionate gaze. He Ning also felt a little frustrated as there was something strange about how Xia Zhe was behaving with Qiao Mei. His eyesight was very good and he immediately caught sight of the logo printed on the back of the wheelchair. "Come! Let''s go to the hospital!" He Ning immediately said. "Go to the hospital? Why are we going to the hospital?" He Mei asked fearfully. She was scared to end up like Shen Na, getting pregnant out of wedlock and having her reputation ruined. If so, it would be better off if this child and her die together now! "Don''t worry, I''m not going to make you do a checkup!" He Ning could not be bothered to explain himself to He Mei. All he wanted to do now was to find out why Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe had gone to the hospital. Why did Qiao Mei need to go to the hospital? Most of the staff in Xia Fang''s hospital were relatives of the Xia and Liu families and they all sang the same tune . Fortunately, He Ning had invested a lot of money into this hospital in order to seek treatment in the past. He Mei also worked here for a period of time and still had a few acquaintances. He Ning gave those people a sum of money and asked them to look into Qiao Mei''s file for the records of her visit in the afternoon. In the end, they were shocked to find out that Qiao Mei was pregnant again! He stood there gloomily. He had thought that he could use He Mei''s baby to separate Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe. How could it be coincidental that Qiao Mei was having a baby too! If Qiao Mei gave birth to this child, then even if the matter was exposed, Qiao Mei would still stay married to Xia Zhe for the sake of the children. Chapter 1534 Decide to Keep the Child Chapter 1534 Decide to Keep the Child No, this could not be allowed to happen! He must get hold of Qiao Mei as soon as possible and make her work as his chef. He could no longer stand the food made by the helper at home. He must get this matter done no longer how difficult it was. Xia Fang had no intention of hiding the news at all. She even wanted to announce to the world that the Xia family was going to have a new member! There was no need to hide such a joyous matter from everyone. Anyone could find out about Qiao Mei''s pregnancy by simply asking around. Many people came to congratulate Xia Fang. Those who did not know better would think that it was her daughter-in-law or daughter who was pregnant! The current Xia family was different. After the family split up, they were doing even better than before. The departure of the third son''s family allowed everyone to see clearly who was the one holding the family back. Now that the weakest link was removed, the Xia family had become much stronger. Xia Fang''s son was a young adult and was her only child. He was doing quite well and it was very likely that he would also end up in the army. All her colleagues harbored the wish of marrying their daughters to Xiang Chen so that they could be related to the Xia family. Xia Fang only smiled and did not say anything. She kept an open mind when it came to her son''s issues. "Little Uncle! What should we do!" He Mei covered her face and turned towards He Ning anxiously. She felt that Qiao Mei was such a hindrance. She was pregnant with Xia Zhe''s child, but Qiao Mei was also pregnant at the same time! How could it be so coincidental! Although the house was not big, it was well-equipped. There was special attention paid to the bed. He Ning had asked his staff to buy a new mattress as he was concerned that He Mei would find a hard mattress uncomfortable since she was pregnant. "Thank you, Little Uncle..." He Mei said softly. "You can go in now. There''s going to be a helper whose only job is to wait on you. Don''t come out unnecessarily. If you need anything, just tell the helper. The helper knows what to do." He Ning left after saying that. He had more important things to do. After about two to three hours, Jia Zhong walked up to He Ning with a pile of documents in his hand. It was a report of everything that Qiao Mei had done today. It was so detailed to the point that even what she ate was recorded down. "Good job," He Ning said with a nod of satisfaction. "Boss, you flatter me," Jia Zhong said. "Go and protect He Mei during this period of time. This is a critical period and nothing can happen to her," He Ning said. "Noted," Jia Zhong said. Other than reporting his work, Jia Zhong did not say much. Compared to Huo Gao, he was like a cold-faced statue. Huo Gao was already standing at the side with a look of disdain and thinking that He Ning was insane. He even wanted to know what that person ate at home. If he was not a pervert, then what was he? Chapter 1535 Taking Revenge Chapter 1535 Taking Revenge "Give He Mei one of the ginsengs we have at home. Not the expensive ones. Just take one of those worthless ginsengs," He Ning said. "Worthless? All the ginseng we have at home are bought from Qiao Mei. We don''t have any cheap ginseng, but we do have many other types of medicinal herbs," Huo Gao said. He Mei''s pregnancy was a manufactured one so her body was definitely much weaker than it was a normal pregnancy. The condition of the fetus was also not as good as in a normal pregnancy and there was even a probability of the baby turning out deformed. He Ning did not care about all this. He just wanted He Mei to be pregnant with Xia Zhe''s child and give birth successfully. After a while, he would get a family doctor to come and do a checkup for her. If it was a deformed child, then he would ask her to find another chance to become pregnant with Xia Zhe''s child again. It did not matter even if Qiao Mei did not leave Xia Zhe in the end. He Ning would still have the child and he was sure that Xia Zhe''s genes were good enough. He would nurture the child to become his successor. It would be very interesting to watch the child grow up and destroy the Xia family personally in the future. He felt very happy thinking of this. Findd new stories at novelhall.com "Then go and buy some. She''s not worthy of eating such expensive ginseng," He Ning said. After Xia Zhe returned home, he told Qiao Mei the whole back story. Qiao Mei widened her eyes and looked at Xia Zhe. She did not expect her husband to be so ruthless, but she liked it! Xia Zhe had already applied to his superiors to end his vacation break early. If he went back on his word now, his superiors would not be happy with him. In the end, he left the capital reluctantly. He would only be able to reunite with Qiao Mei when her pregnancy was stable. Qiao Mei did not plan to prepare anything this time round. If it turned out to be a boy, he could use Xia Fan''s things. If it turned out to be a girl, she could use Xia Xing''s things. She had originally wanted to set the things aside for Xia He''s children, but she did not expect to have to use them herself. Qiao Mei wondered what this child would be like. She could clearly feel that the pregnancy this time was more tiring than the previous one. The last time, even though she was pregnant with two babies, it did not affect her at all. She could eat and sleep well and even had very minimal morning sickness. She did not experience most of the normal pregnancy symptoms. However, this time round, she felt very uncomfortable the moment she was pregnant. Moreover, her morning sickness was very serious and she felt like throwing up whenever she caught a whiff of any smell. When food was placed in front of her, she would throw up even more. In just a few days, she had lost a lot of weight. Xia He''s heart ached when she saw this. "Why is it so bad this time round? Perhaps I should get Auntie to come and give you a checkup again. I''m really worried about you," Xia He said nervously. "I''m fine. You don''t have to be so anxious," Qiao Mei said gently. "How can you not be anxious! You haven''t eaten for so many days! You only eat so little every day. How can you have nutrition? The baby will absorb your nutrition constantly. In the end, the baby is fine, but the mother will fall ill!" Xia He said angrily. "Isn''t it just a loss of appetite? It''s alright, I still have ginseng juice. I think things will be better after a while," Qiao Mei said. She realized that this baby was very sensitive to energy. Whenever she obtained energy from the plants outside, she would feel much better and the baby would also become more settled. Chapter 1536 Compensate Me. Chapter 1536 Compensate Me. Xia He wanted to discuss with Deng Fan about her staying over at Qiao Mei''s place for a few days. With Xia Zhe''s return to the army, there was only the helper at home with Qiao Mei. As for Qiao Qiang, he was already old, so how could they make him worry about these things? "I..." Before Xia He could say anything, Qiao Mei quickly stopped her. "I know what you''re going to say. You just got married, yet you keep coming to my place. I don''t know what other people are saying about you!" "I don''t care what others say! I only care about your health! Your current state is really worrying. You''ve lost so much weight," Xia He said with heartache. "I''m doing quite well at home now. I only laze around, eat and sleep every day. I don''t do anything else and leave everything to Sister Feng. I''m doing very well so don''t worry. If you''re really worried about me, then come and see me every day after work and ask my brother-in-law to take on more work at the factory," Qiao Mei said with a smile. Xia He sighed resignedly. Qiao Mei was a very stubborn person. Once she made a decision, nothing could change her mind. For now, it was better not to make Qiao Mei angry or anxious and just let her be. He Mei sat by the window every day and looked out. She did not even have a television set in the house. The only thing she could do to amuse herself was to talk to the helper, but even then, she was just talking to herself. He Ning was very careful. The helper he found for He Mei was an illiterate mute who could only hear and not speak. No matter how He Mei threatened, the helper would not satisfy any of her requests. Han Chen had been in a bad mood recently. There was no way he could be in a good mood after knowing that Qiao Mei was pregnant again! He wondered why he did not get to meet Qiao Mei earlier so that he could have himself a capable wife. If so, the Han Corporation would definitely be able to become the market leader in the capital in less than three years! He kept finding ways to vent his anger. All the staff in the company were very afraid of offending him. If one was not careful, one might trigger him and make him furious. Qian''e was unfortunate enough to have a meeting scheduled with him during that time. Qian''e was very confident of all her reports and was certain that there could not be any major errors in the data like what Han Chen said. After they spent more than two hours verifying the data, Han Chen was proven to be wrong. "I''m carrying your things for you, aren''t I?" Han Chen muttered softly. Qian''e smiled in satisfaction and pointed at the shop next door. "I still have to go there to take a look! Come with me! You can''t leave until I''m in a good mood!" Even though Han Chen felt unhappy about it, he still followed behind Qian''e obediently. He Mei tailed them secretly until Han Chen sent Qian''e back to the factory. "No wonder Qian''e can afford to wear such nice clothes! This man gave them to her! She must have hoodwinked this man. There is no way that a normal man would want to be with Qian''e! A previously married woman without a womb is not worthy to be in a relationship!" He Mei said agitatedly. Chapter 1537 I Have Dragged You Into My Problems Chapter 1537 I Have Dragged You Into My Problems He Mei felt that she had ended up like this all because of Qiao Mei and Qian''e. Why should the two of them be so blissfully happy while she had to bear Xia Zhe''s child in secret and not be able to meet anyone! This was so unfair! After He Mei returned to the He family residence, she secretly went looking for Zhou Dun, an investigator that her family used to hire. She wanted him to help her find out more information about Qian''e. Zhou Dun was a talent that He Guo had nurtured from when he was young. He would definitely not let her family down! "Thanks for your help, Uncle Zhou. You''re the only one who can help me now," He Mei said sincerely as she looked at Zhou Dun. "I''ll definitely help you with whatever you ask me to do," Zhou Dun said as he handed the document in his hand to He Mei. He Mei hurriedly took it and quickly read the contents. Her hands trembled as she held on to the document. She could not believe that Qian''e and Qiao Mei had actually set up a factory together! Moreover, they were doing very well! "How many people know about what Qian''e is doing now?" He Mei asked as she looked at Zhou Dun. Zhou Dun replied honestly, "Other than the people they work with, no one else knows. The owner of this factory is Qiao Mei in name, but it''s Qian''e who''s actually running the operations." He Mei nodded in satisfaction. In that case, they should not blame her for being heartless! "What you say makes sense. Let''s wait and see for now. We should stop everyone from discussing it. Sister Qian''e is still in the office and hasn''t come out yet. I don''t know if she''ll be able to leave the office today. I''ll get my wife to go and take a look at her later. Xia Zhe''s wife is pregnant now and can''t get too worked up. Let''s solve this problem together," Chi Ze said. Wang Fang and Yang Mei prepared breakfast for Qian''e and went to her office. Qian''e was still sleeping inside the lounge in her office, so the two of them put down the food and left. By noon, there were still no signs of movement in the office. When Yang Mei delivered lunch, the breakfast was still sitting there untouched! "Qian''e? Where are you?" Yang Mei shouted. There was no response. "Qian''e! I''m coming in! I''m going to open the door!" Yang Mei shouted for a long time before she pushed open the door to the lounge. Qian''e was curled up in a corner motionlessly, holding a stack of documents in her arms. Yang Mei hurriedly rushed over and helped Qian''e to the bed. She put the documents aside and tidied things around before sitting down beside Qian''e and saying, "Sister, what''s wrong with you? I''ve never seen you like this!" "Sister... I might... I might not be able to remain in this factory anymore..." Qian''e said with tears in her eyes. "Where are you going! You can''t go anywhere! You are one of the founders of this factory, so where are you going! I''m still hoping that you will make me rich!" Yang Mei said with a smile. Qian''e shook her head aggrievedly. She thought that whatever happened in the past would remain in the past. Qiao Mei also always told her that past events would disappear with time, but reality was now telling her otherwise. Chapter 1538 Decisiveness Chapter 1538 Decisiveness In just one morning, four of their corporate partners had already called to ask if the matter was true. They felt that this would in turn affect the reputation of their companies and urged Qiao Mei to give them an explanation. Qian''e only wanted to help Qiao Mei manage the factory well. She did not expect to drag Qiao Mei into her problems instead. "This is not your fault! I''ll go and look for Qiao Mei now! No... she''s pregnant now! I''ll go and look for Xia He! Wait for me! I''ll go and look for her! She''ll have a solution!" After saying that, Yang Mei ran out to look for Deng Fan and asked him to contact Xia He to come to the factory to help out. When Xia He received the news, she got into the car and headed straight to the factory. She applied for one week''s leave from the art troupe to deal with the factory matters. Although it still looked like she could not get along well with Qian''e, she actually supported Qian''e inside her heart. They were both women, so she also knew how difficult everything was. As soon as she entered the factory courtyard, Xia He could already hear a lot of loose chatter and gossip. There were even some male workers who made rude and lewd comments. Some female workers even spread rumors about the things which happened to Qian''e in the past. Xia He took note of what these people look like so that she could ask Qiao Mei to fire all of them later. No matter how much compensation they had to pay to fire these people, they must do it. There was no way they could keep such gossipy people in their factory. She did not have an office at the factory, so she used Qiao Mei''s office and called the department heads over for a quick meeting. "How did this matter start spreading?" Xia He asked as she looked at everyone sternly. "Just say that we suddenly have a huge new business deal and need everyone to work overtime. The overtime pay will be triple the usual pay," Xia He said. Money was not the issue at the moment. The main thing was to get through the current crisis. As long as everyone stayed around and remained united, it would make everything easier. "Then what about Qian''e? She hasn''t eaten for a day and Auntie Li is with her now," Wang Fang said worriedly. Xia He had a strong temper and brash personality. She did not know how to say comforting words and would always settle everything in a direct manner. She was not the best person to talk to Qian''e now, but Qiao Mei had not been feeling well recently and it was too risky to ask her to come to the factory. "Let''s do it this way for now. We have to force her to eat. If she really doesn''t want to eat, let''s get the doctor to put her on a drip. We have to ensure that she stays alive while we''re resolving the matter," Xia He said sternly. Deng Fan looked at Xia He in admiration. Xia He''s decisive manner was very suitable for leading troops into battle. She had the demeanor of a heroine. After the meeting, Xia He began to learn about the work in the factory. Even when Deng Fan wanted to chat with her, she did not even raise her head and only said a few perfunctory words in reply. Deng Fan simply returned to his desk to continue working. He would wait for Xia He to compensate him for being patient after everything was over. Chapter 1539 Go and Ask Her to Come Back Chapter 1539 Go and Ask Her to Come Back Misfortune would never come singly. By now, the Qian family should also have heard about all this. Ever since Qian''e left the Qian family, Old Madam Qian had no one to torture so she vent her frustrations on Qian Wang and his wife. The few of them often quarreled at home. Recently, for some reason, Old Madam Qian had even asked her other two sons to return to the capital. "Ask Qian''e to come home for a visit soon. I haven''t seen her for a long time. Since her uncles and aunts-in-law are all here, ask her to come home," Old Madam Qian said with a straight face. "Mother, Qian''e had already cut ties with the family when she left. Even if I give her a phone call, I won''t be able to get her to come back," Zhao Ni said fearfully. Old Madam Qian took the teacup from the coffee table and smashed it on the floor, saying, "What! Can''t get her to come back! She''s a child of our Qian family! She''s a member of the Qian family forever! Where can she run to! Make her come back!" "That''s right~ How can a junior sever ties with the elders? It''ll be so embarrassing if word gets out! Eldest Brother and Eldest Sister-in-law, you should ask Qian''e to come back. We haven''t seen Qian''e in such a long time~" Huang Meng, the wife of the second son Qian Cai, said sweetly. Huang Meng was a coquettish woman. She always wriggled her waist when she walked, spoke very coyly and had dated many men before. Qian Cai was a lecherous man and he liked women like Huang Meng. Back then, Old Master Qian refused to let Qian Cai marry Huang Meng, but Qian Cai pressed on like a man possessed and forced Old Master Qian to agree. In the end, Old Master Qian had no choice but to give in to Qian Cai. Old Madam Qian raised the rattan cane in her hand and hit Zhao Ni. "Don''t you know how to think of a way! You''re stupider than a pig! Even if you have to get someone to tie Qian''e up and drag her home, do it!" "Qian''e has even bought a new house! She even set up a big factory! Where did she get so much money? It must be from that rich man! Just tell her that you''re sick and need money. Say that you want... 2,000 dollars! No! Each of our families needs 2,000 dollars, so that''s 8,000 dollars!" the third son, Qian Sheng, said with a smile. They were not going to return to the capital for nothing. Someone must pay the price for them making the trip. They were not going to go back empty-handed. "That''s right! Tell her to be filial to our mother again!" Qian Cai said excitedly. Zhao Ni had no choice but to agree to do it. If she did not agree, she would be beaten to death by this group of people. Old Madam Qian was worried that Zhao Ni could not complete the task, so she asked Qian Wang to go along. Qian Wang immediately said, "I have a lot of things to do at the hospital and can''t go. If I take leave, I''ll lose my full attendance bonus." The hospital gave a full attendance bonus of 20 dollars to staff who did not take any days off! This amount of money would go to Old Madam Qian in the end, so she immediately said, "Then there''s no need for you to attend to such a small matter. Huang Meng and Liu Jia can go instead!" Chapter 1540 Misidentification Chapter 1540 Misidentification Liu Jia was Qian Sheng''s wife and a famous shrew in the vicinity. She was very good at arguing and no one had a louder voice than her! Zhao Ni even tried to inform Qian''e in advance that night, but Qian''e did not pick up the phone. No matter how anxious Zhao Ni was, there was nothing she could do. Early the next morning, the few women arrived at the entrance of the factory to kick up a fuss. "Qian''e! Come out here! You heartless thing! You haven''t been home for so long! Your parents are waiting for you to come home and take care of them! Your grandmother misses you very much! Get out here!" Liu Jia shouted. "Oh~ Qian''e~ Quick, come home with us~" Huang Meng shouted weakly. Even the people standing next to her could not hear what she was shouting. Liu Jia said disdainfully, "Second Sister-in-law, who can hear you like that? How long do we have to shout if we do it at your volume? Even though you''re calling out for Qian''e to go home, it sounds more like you''re asking those men to go home with you!" "Don''t you know me by now? I''m weak and don''t have the strength to shout. I can''t even move things around at home~ Stop trying to malign me!" Huang Meng said. There were many people gathered at the main entrance, mostly the male workers from the factory. They had come to admire Huang Meng''s figure. Although Qian''e and Qiao Mei were both beautiful women, they still preferred to ogle coquettish women like Huang Meng. "This person... Is it Qian''e? Is she so tall?" Liu Jia looked at Xia He for a long time and asked Huang Meng softly. Huang Meng had never met Qian''e since she married into the Qian family. Even if she did, she had no recollection at all. Zhao Ni knew that the person who came was not Qian''e, but she did not say a word and even avoided eye contact with everyone. In the end, Liu Jia just assumed that the person in front of her was Qian''e. "Why haven''t you gone home to visit your grandmother! Do you know that your grandmother has been hospitalized because she misses you too much!" Liu Jia questioned arrogantly. Xia He used to stay at Xia Fang''s house for a long period of time, so she recognized Zhao Ni. Looking at how Zhao Ni was trying to signal with her eyes, Xia He finally understood what kind of life Qian''e used to live in the Qian family. She also knew now why Qian''e would get cheated by jerks like Ma San and He Mei. "It''s none of your business whether I go back or not! If you know what''s good for you, you''d better get lost! Don''t appear in front of me!" Xia He roared. "How dare you! How can you talk to me like that! I''m your third aunt-in-law! I''m your elder! I can discipline you, scold you or even beat you up! How dare you talk back to me!" Liu Jia said angrily. "Who do you think you are! Just get lost and go back to the Qian family! Or are you the one who spread the rumors recently?" Xia He probed. "What rumors? What nonsense are you talking about! Don''t change the topic! Your grandmother is sick! Give us some money!" Liu Jia said. Chapter 1541 Injured Arm Chapter 1541 Injured Arm Xia He stared at Liu Jia for a long time. Liu Jia was indeed not lying. The Qian family was not the one who printed the fliers. She had already guessed as much. "How much do you want?" Xia He asked calmly. Liu Jia said smugly, "10,000!" "Why? Does Old Madam Qian need a new heart or a new brain? Why do you need so much money? I won''t pay a single cent for her treatment. However, if you''re the one doing a brain transplant, I might consider paying for it," Xia He said mockingly. "You! You! You asshole! How dare you scold me! See if I don''t beat you to death today!" Liu Jia could not outtalk Xia He, so she wanted to go forward and hit Xia He. In the blink of an eye, Xia He grabbed Liu Jia''s arm and bent her wrist with one quick move. Liu Jia let out a howl like a pig being slaughtered. Xia He took the chance to twist Liu Jia''s entire arm after that. Liu Jia looked like a marionette, with her arm dangling by her side. "Ah!!!" Liu Jia fell on the ground and held her arm as she screamed in pain. Huang Meng had never seen such a violent scene before. She had never dreamed that a woman could easily dislocate another person''s arm in an instant. Zhao Ni was also stunned and rooted to the spot. She did not expect Xia He to be such a violent person. Yang Mei had also never seen something so scary and almost ran away. "She... Will she kill us... Quick, go and talk to her! Isn''t that your daughter!" Huang Meng said shakily as she hid behind Zhao Ni. After Xia He entered the office, she behaved like she was in her own house and sat down in Zou Ming''s chair. "Miss, can you please not go around causing trouble for me?" Zou Ming said helplessly. "But this will boost your year-end results, right?" Xia He said playfully. "I don''t need this kind of results! I''ll call your eldest brother and ask him to come over now! I''ll tell him to bring you home immediately and teach you a lesson!" Zou Ming said angrily. "Why are you calling my eldest brother and not my husband?" Xia He asked. "Don''t mention your husband! Why should I ask him to come! To bring you home? He''s so soft-hearted! He''s always so tolerant when it comes to you. What''s the point of asking him to come here!" Zou Ming said. "Alright~ Then go and call my eldest brother. I haven''t seen him for a long time anyway. Hurry up and ask him to come and send me back. There''s still a lot of work to be done in the factory," Xia He said, pretending to be anxious. Zou Ming sighed resignedly and said, "Do I owe your Xia family something in my past life? The three of you are equally as audacious. Even Xia Zhe''s wife is the same!" "This is what they mean by birds of a feather flock together," Xia He said proudly. "You can still be so proud of this!" Zou Ming said in disbelief. "Of course. That''s because you never managed to become one of us," Xia He said laughingly. Chapter 1542 The Troublemaker Sister Chapter 1542 The Troublemaker Sister Zou Ming and Xia Wan even had a history together but without the fairy tale ending! Back in the past, Zou Ming and Xia Wan studied in the same junior high school and the two of them could be considered childhood sweethearts. Zou Ming liked Xia Wan very much, but Xia Wan had no interest in dating at that time. Even after Zou Ming professed his liking for her, Xia Wan simply rejected him calmly. Zou Ming was so devastated that he transferred to another school. After they both grew up and Xia Wan got married, Zou Ming was finally able to let go of what happened back then. The two of them became friends again and were able to hang out like they used to. "Stop talking! I''m going to deal with some matters first. Stay in my office obediently. You''re not allowed to go out without my permission and don''t open the door for anyone." After saying that, Zou Ming left the office and returned to the meeting room downstairs. This was the first time that Huang Meng had been to the police station. She squatted in a corner in fear and nervously tugged at the corner of Zhao Ni''s shirt, very scared that the police would come in and take her away. As soon as Zou Ming entered the room, Huang Meng hurriedly pounced on him and grabbed his trouser leg tightly as she said, "Officer! Officer! I didn''t do anything! Let me go! As long as you let me go! I can do anything you want! I''m not involved in anything!" "Let go of me first. I haven''t even said whether this matter has anything to do with you! Sit over there so that we can have a proper conversation," Zou Ming said sternly. "It''s not like I''m trying to cause you trouble ... It''s clearly those people who came and provoked me. You did not even protect me and yet you have the cheek to reprimand me... When I go home, I''m going to tell Grandfather and Father about this. Let''s see who the two of them will scold in the end!" Xia He did not dare to talk back to Xia Wen loudly and only muttered softly at the side. Xia Wen was not an old man who was hard of hearing, but there was nothing he could do except look at Xia He with both anger and amusement. He could not hit or scold her. Why did Xia Mao give him a younger sister? Xia He must have been sent by the heavens to torture him! Xia He suddenly noticed that there was a new decorative hanging on Xia Wen''s briefcase. It looked like a... bamboo segment! Xia Wen would never buy such impractical things. It must be a girl who bought it for him! "Tell me! Did Mo Zhu buy you that decorative item!" Xia He questioned. "We''re talking about you now! Why are you questioning me instead! Hurry home with me. Don''t embarrass yourself here!" Xia Wen pulled Xia He and quickly ran home. The people living in the area were already used to them bickering noisily all the time. Qiao Mei was planting grapes in the courtyard while basking in the sun. The weather had been very good recently and she also felt much better. She wanted to do some exercises in the courtyard as it would help with the baby''s development. "Why are the two of you arguing again? I can already hear your voices from afar," Qiao Mei said with a smile. Chapter 1543 Small Bamboo Decorative Hanging Chapter 1543 Small Bamboo Decorative Hanging "He doesn''t act like an older brother at all! And he even says that I''m disobedient! Those people came to find trouble with me! It''s not as if I went to provoke them. What kind of older brother is this! Who else should I look for if I get into trouble in the future! If I don''t look for my own brother, then should I look to someone else for help!" When Xia He heard what Qiao Mei said, she remembered what had just happened and started complaining. While Xia He was complaining non-stop about Xia Wen, he looked at Qiao Mei and shook his head. He did not know how to deal with Xia He anymore. Qiao Mei immediately understood what he meant. "Then we don''t need Eldest Brother anymore. Our family should split up as well," Qiao Mei said. "Split up! No way!" Xia He said quickly. Qiao Mei asked curiously, "Why not? Didn''t you just list so many of Eldest Brother''s shortcomings? Isn''t it the best choice for us to split up? Now that we''re all grown up, splitting up doesn''t affect anyone''s lives. We might all even do better! You also don''t have to worry about Eldest Brother nagging you all the time." Xia He had no such intention at all. She was just... just being haughty and spoiled... Other older brothers doted on their younger sisters very much. If the younger sister wanted the stars in the sky, the older brother would always find a way to pluck them for her. However, this older brother of hers was like a fatherly figure! He was always reprimanding her about some issue. Although Xia Wen had also praised Xia He before, for some reason, Xia He could only remember his bad side. "Alright, alright, I won''t tease you anymore." Qiao Mei looked at Xia He and asked, "Why exactly did you get sent to the police station?" "I... I got into a fight..." Xia He said tactfully. Zou Ming had already called Qiao Mei and told her about everything that happened. The truth was that Qiao Mei knew everything that happened in the factory during this period of time. She did not know what came over Yao Nian, but he had been working very hard recently and did not miss out on even the most trivial piece of information. Qiao Mei was a person who liked to hear gossip, so she simply let Yao Nian investigate everything. Qiao Mei even knew that He Mei was the instigator of this entire incident. She had asked Yao Nian to go around and find out interesting information about other people''s families. She paid him according to the shock factor of the gossip, the rates being 50 dollars for mundane news, 100 dollars for fairly interesting news and 200 dollars for explosive news. Yao Nian was very willing to take on this job. He was going to run out of money otherwise. "Alright, you should sleep here tonight. I''ll go to the factory with you tomorrow to see what we can do," Qiao Mei said. Huang Meng and Zhao Ni returned home dejectedly. They had gone out very early in the morning. It was almost midnight now. It had been a really long day! Old Madam Qian had been left hungry at home for the entire day. None of her three sons were dependable. They went out to feast around and left her alone at home to eat noodles. This was all her daughters-in-law''s fault! Chapter 1544 Many Men Chapter 1544 Many Men "So you still know your way home! Why don''t you just die outside! Why are you away for so long! Are you deliberately trying to starve me to death!" Old Madam Qian roared angrily. Zhao Ni was already used to this. She pretended not to see Old Madam Qian and quickly went into the room to change her clothes and wash up. Huang Meng, on the other hand, had never encountered such a situation before and was so frightened that she quickly hid inside the room. Old Madam Qian had not been in good health recently and could only move around slowly. Therefore, she simply sat in the living room and cursed loudly at her family members. At first, the neighbors would come to the Qian family''s house to ask them to keep their voices down, but they were all scolded by Old Madam Qian. As time passed, all the neighbors in the vicinity moved away. Zhao Ni and Huang Meng hid inside the bedroom and did not go out. Huang Meng was still a little scared that Old Madam Qian would barge into the room suddenly, so she armed herself with whatever she could find and stared at the door warily. "Sister-in-law, is this your daily life?" Huang Meng asked as she pointed towards the outside. "Yes, you''ll get used to it," Zhao Ni said. "Haven''t you ever thought about separating from Brother-in-law? There''s no point in living with such in-laws," Huang Meng said. It was just a little hard to accept the fact that he actually had an affair with her sister-in-law. "Does... does Qian Cai know what you''re doing?" Zhao Ni asked, suppressing the disgust in her heart. Huang Meng sat on the bed and swung her legs leisurely as she said, "Maybe? Maybe not? Anyway, he''s just like all those other men. He only likes me for my looks. There''s no difference." Zhao Ni really could not understand what Huang Meng was doing. She sat at the other corner of the bedroom and did not look at Huang Meng. Her actions did not matter to Huang Meng. She told Zhao Ni all these things on purpose. It would be quite a thrill if she could cause chaos in the Qian family. Unfortunately, Zhao Ni''s reaction was really boring and she behaved completely differently from the other women in their village when they heard such news. Qian Cai and Qian Sheng came back from having drinks. When they saw that their mother was alone in the living room, they became a little angry. Qian Sheng asked, "Mother, they''re not back yet?" "They''re back! Two black-hearted people came back! And the two of you heartless things! You went out to have fun and eat good food! You left me alone at home!" Old Madam Qian said sadly. Qian Sheng ignored what Old Madam Qian was muttering about and went into the room to look for Liu Jia. Huang Meng suddenly rushed out of the room at the same time. She did not stop to see who it was standing at the door, but simply rushed into his arms and said sweetly, "Hubby~ I''ve suffered a lot today! You have to stand up for me!" Qian Sheng was stunned as if he had been electrocuted. Liu Jia was a skinny woman without any curves. She was very bony and had a boyish figure. Huang Meng, on the other hand, was so curvaceous. Her soft chest was now pressed hard against his chest, causing him to almost lose control! Chapter 1545 I Will Never Come Back Chapter 1545 I Will Never Come Back "You vainpot! Take a look at who''s in front of you!" Qian Cai said angrily. Huang Meng straightened up unhurriedly and looked at Qian Sheng with a look of surprise. She then went to Qian Cai''s side shyly and said aggrievedly, "I assumed that you''d come to look for me immediately once you returned home... I was too agitated and mistaken that it was you..." Qian Mo felt a little guilty when he heard what Huang Meng said. He hugged her and said, "What''s wrong? Who bullied my wife? Tell me and I''ll avenge you." "It''s that Qian''e! No, not really... Anyway, we went to look for Qian''e, but this other woman came out and even injured Youngest Sister-in-law. She''s still in the hospital! She''s at Eldest Brother-in-law''s hospital!" Huang Meng said. "What! How dare that person hit my wife!" Qian Sheng hurriedly rushed out of the house to go to the hospital. Qian Cai hugged Huang Meng and listened intently about what happened today. Zhao Ni sat at the side and did not dare to move. After hearing the entire story, Qian Cai frowned and fell into deep thought. This matter was not as simple as it seemed. Although he was obsessed with beautiful women, he was not a fool. If a person could beat up someone in the capital, get arrested and still leave the police station unharmed, then this person must have a powerful background. His family definitely could not get involved in this mess. However, even though he could not afford to offend this enemy, he could attack a fellow Qian family member! "Alright, I see. Eldest Sister-in-law, then shouldn''t you give us some compensation?" Qian Mo said to Zhao Ni. "Alright. Thank you, Mother." After saying that, Qian Cai hugged Huang Meng and returned to the bedroom. Zhao Ni lay in the living room for the entire night. The next morning, Qian Wang did not even look at Zhao Ni when he went to work. It was as if Zhao Ni was invisible. Zhao Ni endured the intense pain all over her body and slowly made her way to the kitchen to cook for the entire family. After she prepared the meal, Old Madam Qian even criticized that the food was disgusting and swept everything to the floor. This was just a typical day for her. The only difference was that she had to go with Old Madam Qian to settle the score with Qian''e today. At Qiao Mei''s house, the chauffeur was already waiting at the main door. Qiao Mei had asked the chauffeur to live near the alley so that she could use the car at any time. Otherwise, she would always have to make an appointment in advance and she would not be able to use the car in the event of an emergency situation. Qiao Qiang was a little worried about Qiao Mei and walked over to the front yard from the backyard. This was the first time Qiao Qiang had taken the initiative to come over to the front yard to look for Qiao Mei after he moved in. "Mei Mei, where are you going?" Qiao Qiang asked. "Grandfather, I want to go to the factory to take a look at Qian''e. My mother is at home taking care of my younger siblings now and Qian''e is the only one holding the fort in the factory. She''s not doing too well recently, so I want to go and see her," Qiao Mei said. Chapter 1546 Fired Immediately Chapter 1546 Fired Immediately "You''re not in good health either. Get someone else to go. There are so many people in our family and any one of them can go to the factory. If there''s really no other way, I''ll go there to take care of things for a few days," Qiao Qiang said with a slight frown. "It''s fine, I have ginseng with me! Don''t worry, Grandfather!" After saying that, Qiao Mei left the house with Xia He. Qiao Qiang still felt unsettled. This was the second time he had been so flustered. The first time was when Qiao Mei was attacked at home. Xia He thought for a moment and then said, "Qiao Mei, why don''t you go along with what Grandfather says? It does make sense. You still have me at the factory!" "My main purpose is to take a look at Qian''e. The people from the Han Corporation have been very difficult recently. I''m worried that they''ll take the chance to come looking for trouble at this time," Qiao Mei said as she massaged her temples. "Are you still feeling unwell?" Xia He asked worriedly. "I''m fine. It''s not a big deal. It''s normal to feel like this when pregnant, just that it''s more pronounced this time round. I asked Aunt about this a couple of days back and she said that the baby is very healthy and that I may be feeling this way because I didn''t manage to recover the energy I used up when giving birth to Xia Fan and Xia Xing," Qiao Mei said. Qiao Mei drank water mixed with ginseng juice every day and her physical condition was getting better. As long as she did not overwork herself, she would definitely be fine. When they arrived at the factory, Qiao Mei could feel that the work environment had gone downhill. It was like a chaotic black market. No one was working seriously and they kept whispering to one another as they carried out their tasks. "Alright, alright, don''t cry. I''m here now, aren''t I? Go and take a shower now. You stink!" Qiao Mei said disdainfully. Qian''e obediently returned to the lounge to take a shower and change into new clothes. After dressing up, she slowly walked out. When she saw that there was only Qiao Mei and Xia He in the room, she felt much more at ease. "You look so much better now. Come and have your meal. I''ll talk to you after you eat," Qiao Mei said sternly. Qian''e sat on the small stool and picked up the bowl and chopsticks. She ate very quickly and half the bowl of rice was gone in an instant. Qiao Mei immediately said, "Eat slowly! Chew properly before you swallow! Otherwise, I''ll get angry!" Qian''e immediately took smaller mouthfuls. "It''s so amazing. Why do you listen to her but not to me? All my hard work for so many days can''t even compare with one visit from Qiao Mei," Xia He said as she glanced at Qiao Mei with a look of jealousy. "You''re about to put her on a drip. How can she not be afraid of you?" Qiao Mei said with a smile. "Isn''t that a common method used in the army? Otherwise, how can we make sure that she stays alive? I''m not an immortal who can bring the dead back to life," Xia He said helplessly. "Actually, I know everything you''ve done. I just... just feel very at ease when I see Qiao Mei. She understands how I feel after all that we''ve been through together," Qian''e said softly. Chapter 1547 As Dumb as a Pig Chapter 1547 As Dumb as a Pig "I..." Xia He was at a loss for words. She suddenly realized that she must have hurt Qian''e a lot back then. Otherwise, Qian''e would not be so afraid of her. She decided to apologize to Qian''e solemnly. "I''m sorry. I was too extreme back then. It''s all my fault. I want to apologize to you. I hope that we can become very good friends in the future," Xia He said seriously as she looked Qian''e in the eyes. Qian''e stared at Xia He for a long time and then said with tears in her eyes, "It''s alright, we''re already good friends." After Qian''e finished her meal, it was time for them to get down to business. Xia He told Qian''e about everything that had happened during this period of time. Xia He spoke very minimally about the matter related to the Qian family, worried about agitating Qian''e. Qiao Mei also told Qian''e everything she knew and emphasized that the whole issue was definitely related to the He family. "He Mei... It''s He Mei! Why is He Mei doing this to me!" Qian''e said furiously. "She feels that what you did to her was a form of revenge. Since she''s having a hard time now, she probably wants to find someone to suffer alongside her. It''s no skin off her back to drag someone down with her," Qiao Mei explained. Qian''e was silent for a long time. She did not know how to apologize to everyone about this or how to put an end to the entire situation. It was as if she would cause trouble for Qiao Mei and Xia He and everyone else simply by being there. Jia Zhong quickly walked to He Ning''s side and said fearfully, "I also only just received the news. My men did not do their job well. Please punish me, Boss!" He Ning narrowed his eyes and looked at Jia Zhong. He was He Ning''s right-hand man. His subordinates were all talents who went through a rigorous selection process. These were elite soldiers who would die for the He family. There could not be any traitors among them. Qiao Mei''s message was clearly meant for him, telling him that the only way he could be unaware of an incident was if it was committed by one of his own. He Ning never dreamed that there would be a traitor among his people. "I''m not blaming you. Go and find out which one of our men has interacted with He Mei," He Ning said. "It''s Zhou Dun! I saw him going to Miss He''s place some time ago. At that time, I thought he was on patrol and did not feel that anything was wrong. Now that I think about it, he was behaving quite suspiciously," Jia Zhong said. No wonder... He Mei really could not stay idle for even a day. She would not give up until she created some problem for him. Her pregnancy was already a sore point for Qiao Mei and now her stupid behavior had just made things worse. How could the He family have such a stupid descendant! It might have been better to raise a pig! This was the first time that He Ning did not know how to stop Qiao Mei from taking action. If the He family took the initiative to go and look for Qiao Mei, it would mean admitting that the He family was the one who was behind this. Chapter 1548 Television Broadcast Chapter 1548 Television Broadcast The He family and the Xia family currently had an agreement not to make trouble for each other for five years. If he did anything to breach the agreement, the Xia family would definitely go all out and fight the He family. If this was the Xia family from last year, He Ning would not be afraid of them. Even if they tried their best, they would not be able to defeat the He family. However, the Xia family was now active in politics, business and the military and doing very well in all three fields. The He family was now the much weaker party. The current Xia family could do a lot of damage with very little effort! He Ning was so angry that he kept coughing. His progressively recovering health had worsened again. Everything he had planned for so long was now ruined! "Set aside all your work for now. Your health is most important. We don''t have much ginseng left. If your condition worsens and Qiao Mei refuses to help, then you''ll be out of options," Huo Gao said. Back then, they had bought three ginsengs from Qiao Mei. Now, they had only two left. They were still purchasing ginsengs dug out by the villagers, but these ginsengs were between 10 and 20 years old. At that moment, Qian''e was getting ready to go home with Qiao Mei after work. She had heard from Deng Fan that the renovation works at her newly purchased house were coming to an end but there were still many details which he wanted to discuss with her. She was going to go and take a look at the house today and wanted Qiao Mei to come along and give her some advice. She did not expect to run into Old Madam Qian the moment she stepped out of the factory. Qian''e covered her face and held Qiao Mei''s hand, wanting to leave quickly. However, Qiao Mei was pregnant and could not walk so fast, so she had no choice but to face Old Madam Qian. "What are you doing here?" Qian''e said. "Can''t I come here to see my granddaughter? You don''t even come home nowadays and you fool around with men outside! You''ve embarrassed our family! Come home with me now!" Old Madam Qian shouted loudly, attracting a lot of attention. "I''ve already cut ties with all of you. You have no right to ask me to go back," Qian''e said. "I have no right? Look carefully! I''m your grandmother! This is your mother! We''re your family members! How can you cut off blood ties just like that? You haven''t been home for so long and you don''t even transfer money to the family! Don''t you care about our lives!" Old Madam Qian questioned. Qiao Mei rolled her eyes helplessly. What did their lives have to do with Qian''e? They were all able-bodied people and it was not as if they could not support themselves. Chapter 1549 Pretend to Faint Chapter 1549 Pretend to Faint Qian''e glanced at Zhao Ni, who was standing behind Old Madam Qian. Zhao Ni looked very different from when Qian''e left the family. She had lost a lot of weight and looked ill. She was also trembling uncontrollably. When Old Madam Qian grabbed at her just now, she seemed to look pained. She had probably been beaten up at home recently. Qian''e could not bring Zhao Ni with her now, nor did she have a way to help Zhao Ni leave the Qian family. She was in a dilemma. If she did not leave, Qiao Mei could be in danger. However, if she left now, Zhao Ni would definitely get another beating at home later. Although Zhao Ni was very harsh to her in the past, it was all because of Old Madam Qian. Anyone would go crazy living with such a family. After Qian''e left the Qian family, Zhao Ni did not allow anyone from the Qian family to look for her. She was well aware of this. Qiao Mei patted Qian''e on the shoulder and gestured to her that they should leave. There would not be any desirable outcome even if they continued to argue here. To Old Madam Qian, this action looked like a provocative move, as if Qiao Mei wanted to forcefully take Qian''e away from them. "You''re the woman who led our Qian''e astray! You must be one of the reasons why Qian''e suddenly disobeyed us! What exactly do you want with our Qian''e! Are you deliberately taking revenge on us!" Old Madam Qian rushed in front of Qiao Mei and poked Qiao Mei''s shoulder with all her might. Qiao Mei suddenly turned her body slightly to the side to dodge the attack. As Old Madam Qian was attacking with all her strength, she fell forward towards the ground. Fortunately, Qian''e reacted quickly and held on to Old Madam Qian. Otherwise, Old Madam Qian would have extorted a large sum of money from them. "You! You''re bullying an elder!" Old Madam Qian said. Ever since Qiao Mei became a mother, she was able to diagnose minor illnesses and could easily deal with minor incidents. This was probably a skillset that all mothers were forced to have. After all, children did not know how to speak yet, but they could get all sorts of discomfort and a mother needed to be alert at all times. Qiao Mei asked the security guard to quickly make a call to Xia Fang and tell her everything that happened at the scene so that she could be prepared. If Qian Mei sent Qian''e to another hospital, it would be hard to explain the situation. Old Madam Qian did not believe that Qian''e would fall down unconscious with just a slap. She went forward and gave Qian''e a few kicks with all her might. "Little girl! You''re just pretending! You still want to hide it from me! I''ll hit you so hard until you scream! Let''s see how long you can tolerate it!" Old Madam Qian said viciously. Zhao Ni did her best to protect Qian''e and used her own body as a shield. If Old Madam Qian wanted to hit someone, Zhao Ni decided she would take the brunt of the blows. Qiao Mei really could not stand it anymore. Just as she was about to step forward, she remembered what Qiao Qiang said to her. Xia Zhe had also repeatedly reminded her not to take action alone. She called Chi Ze and the other men to come over and surround Old Madam Qian. They just needed to surround her and not fight her. Chapter 1550 Multiple Illnesses Chapter 1550 Multiple Illnesses If Old Madam Qian scratched them, Qiao Mei would bear their medical expenses and any followup treatments and also give each of them a bonus sum. Before Zou Ming arrived, they must not hurt Old Madam Qian at all. They must not even touch Old Madam Qian. If there was anything wrong with Old Madam Qian, they must immediately call the hospital to come and send her for treatment. Chi Ze''s men were only responsible for keeping an eye on Old Madam Qian and did not need to care about anything else. "What are you doing! Are you getting so many people to beat me up?" It was rare for Old Madam Qian to look so scared. Qiao Mei said mockingly, "How would we dare to hit you? Don''t worry, these people are here to protect you. They won''t touch you. They''ll leave when the police come to take you away." "You asshole! You want to send me to the police station! Who do you think you are! It''s not your place to interfere in our family matters!" Old Madam Qian said angrily. Qiao Mei turned a deaf ear to her yelling. Although she was not worried about Qian''e, she was a little frightened when she saw blood slowly staining Zhao Ni''s clothes. How badly had this woman been beaten up for the blood to seep out like this? "Auntie, let''s bring Qian''e to the hospital first. If we stay here, Qian''e won''t be able to get treatment," Qiao Mei said patiently. Zhao Ni got up with some difficulty and said with a pale face, "Thank you. Can you please bring Qian''e to the hospital for a checkup?" Qiao Mei sent Zhao Ni for treatment as well. After all, it was Qian''e who was paying and Zhao Ni''s current condition indeed looked very serious. Zhao Ni had not done any checkups since the Qian family went into decline. It was such an ironic situation. Qian Wang was a doctor in this hospital. Every year, the hospital gave their doctors two complementary full-body checkups as well as two slots for each doctor to bring their family members for a simple checkup. However, Qian Wang had never brought Zhao Ni in. For women of Zhao Ni''s age, the common illnesses were anemia, hypoglycemia, high blood pressure and gynecological issues. These were easy to treat but she also had other more difficult issues to deal with. There were many infected wounds on her body and the infection sites were all quite large. She also started running a high fever. In the end, the doctor assigned to Zhao Ni turned out to be Qian Wang. "I don''t believe that you can treat her properly. I want a change of doctor," Qiao Mei said as she looked at Qian Wang sternly. "The other doctors are all busy. I''m also a doctor. I can treat her," Qian Wang said. There were also a few Qian Wang''s patients in the same ward. An old woman said kindly, "Young lady, you have to believe in Doctor Qian. He''s the one who cured my illness! He''s a very skilled doctor! He''s also an easy-going person. Don''t worry and leave your mother to him." The nurses in the ward also advised Qiao Mei to let Qian Wang treat "her mother". Chapter 1551 Reveal the Truth Chapter 1551 Reveal the Truth ? "She''s not my mother, she''s my friend''s mother. If you''ve been Doctor Qian''s patient for so many years, shouldn''t you know his wife''s name?" Qiao Mei said sarcastically. Qian Wang said stiffly, "Leave her to me. I''ll treat her." "Don''t touch her! I don''t believe that you can make her well again! How do all these injuries come about? Don''t say that it''s the result of an accident or that she had been in a fight. Any doctor can tell that these are wounds that can only be caused by getting hit with a stick or a whip," Qiao Mei pointed at Zhao Ni''s back and questioned him angrily. She grabbed a random nurse and asked, "Take a look and tell me what kind of wound you think this is." "It''s unlikely to be caused by a rod or stick. It''s probably something long and thin, more likely a whip or bamboo cane," the nurse said as she analyzed the situation objectively. Qiao Mei pointed at Qian Wang and said, "This woman is the wife of this ''good doctor'' you''re all talking about! She has been married to him for almost 30 years!" The other doctors and nurses in the ward looked at Qian Wang with complicated expressions. Everyone saw Qian Wang as a gentleman who was very responsible and had the mildest temper in their department. Many young ladies even said that they wanted to marry a man like Qian Wang. "Then I''ll have to trouble you. Just go ahead and use the best medicine. We can afford it," Qiao Mei said. The department chief followed Qiao Mei''s instructions closely. Currently, all the talk in the ward was about Qian Wang''s family and how disgusting a person he was. Qiao Mei was overjoyed and wished she could bring Qian''e outside to set off a couple of firecrackers to celebrate. Qiao Mei went to the office block to look for Liu Yang. It had been a long time since she last saw him. "Uncle Liu, it''s me!" Qiao Mei said as she walked into the office with a smile. "Oh my! Mei Mei! Why didn''t you call to tell me that you''re coming!" After a moment of excitement, Liu Yang immediately turned serious and said, "Are you feeling unwell? Is there something wrong with the baby? I''ll call Xia Fang now and ask her to arrange for a checkup immediately. Don''t be scared!" Qiao Mei quickly stopped him and said, "Uncle Liu, I''m fine! I''m just here to have a chat with you. Why are you so agitated?" "How can I not be agitated? Don''t you know what this place is!" Liu Yang said disdainfully. Why would anyone come to the hospital for no reason? "Do you need something from me?" Liu Yang asked. Chapter 1552 Investigation Chapter 1552 Investigation "Actually, yes I do. I want to take a look at Qian Wang''s records over the years and find out which family members he gave the checkup slots to," Qiao Mei said. This request was a little difficult to fulfill. All the files were kept in the archive room and it was crammed and messy inside. There was no proper filing system and no one had ever bothered to clean it up. It would probably be hard to search for information inside. "How long do you need?" Liu Yang asked. Qiao Mei thought for a moment and said, "I''ll get someone to come and search for the files. I just don''t know if Uncle Liu trusts me." There was a shortage of staff in the hospital and there were many patients to take care of. There was no one who could spare the time to help Qiao Mei search through the files. Furthermore, if too many people knew about her request, Qian Wang would also hear about it and he might just decide to set fire to the archive room. This matter had to be carried out in secret. "No problem! You invested the most money in this hospital. You''re now the biggest shareholder, so you can do whatever you want!" Liu Yang said.CHeCk for new stories on no/v/el/bin(.)c0m Qiao Mei asked the guard team to send a few men to stand guard at the ward doors to protect Zhao Ni and Qian''e. Not even a fly could be allowed to enter. It was enough to leave Da Zhuang and Xiao Zhuang to guard the courtyard house. The pigeon''s current weight was double what it was when it first arrived. It could still fly but with some difficulty. Qiao Mei believed that the pigeon would be able to send the message to Yao Nian so she left it to do its job. It seemed that any pet raised by an older person would definitely put on weight. She could consider having cats to accompany Qiao Qiang in the backyard in the future. A dog was also a good choice as it could also guard the house. As she was lost in her thoughts, a person suddenly appeared at the main door. This person was dressed all in white and wept while standing in front of the door. Fortunately, it was broad daylight now. If it was nighttime, all the passers-by would definitely get a shock. "What are you doing here?" Qiao Mei asked disdainfully. "I... I''m really at my wits'' end. Can you give me some more ''divine medicine''? One bottle is enough! A small bottle is enough! Please!" Liang Lan said aggrievedly. "I''ve given you so many chances and I''ve also given you a lot of ''divine medicine''. You have received many more doses than others. It''s already good enough that I didn''t go to the police station to report you for cheating, yet you still have the cheek to come here looking for me," Qiao Mei said. "I had no choice! Liang Guo forced me to do it! I didn''t want to do this! It''s all his fault! If you want to hate someone, then hate him! Don''t hate me! I''m innocent! Take pity on me. I''m your aunt!" Liang Lan said hysterically. The Song family had helped Liang Guo to hold on to his position in government services, but they did not care about Liang Lan because they did not receive any benefits from her. Xiao Yu whined for her mother every day and Xiao Jing even had a mistress now. Liang Lan heard that the woman was the daughter of one of the higher-ups. If Xiao Jing could marry this woman, he would be able to maintain his status, so he was looking to divorce Liang Lan! Chapter 1553 The End of the Liang Family Chapter 1553 The End of the Liang Family "Aunt? I don''t have an aunt nor any relatives. I only have my grandfather and mother. You should go. I can''t help you with what you need. I''m not a deity who saves people from hardship and I don''t need you to pray to me. I can only manage my own family affairs so don''t come back in the future." After saying that, Qiao Mei returned to the courtyard, leaving Liang Lan wailing alone at the door. Liang Lan walked to the Song family''s house dejectedly. She could only beg the Song family for help now. If the Song family refused to help her, then no one could save her. As soon as she entered and saw Song Dan, she knelt on the ground and said, "Bureau Chief Song! Please save me... I really don''t have any other options... Please help us on account that I stole so much ''divine medicine'' for you." "I''m not the one who asked you to steal the medicine. You chose to do it. What has it got to do with me? As long as I get the medicine, it''s not my business how the medicine came about. Besides, I''ve already helped your family which means I already honored our agreement," Song Dan said plainly. "You! You can''t treat me like this! Both my brother and I stole medicine for you! Why did you only help him but not me! I''m the one who put in all the hard work!" Liang Lan said furiously. "I can only help the person who delivers the medicine to me. If there are 100 people involved in the process, do I have to help all 100 people? The person you should look for is not me, but your elder brother. He told me that he worked hard on his own to get this medicine and that it has nothing to do with you," Song Dan said. When Liang Lan heard this, she instantly fell into despair. She did not expect that the person who forced her into a corner was actually Liang Guo! It was her biological brother! In fact, the person who instigated Xiao Jing to be with the other woman was also Song Dan... It was all part of the scheme! Yao Nian opened the holder. There was only an address and a figure written on the piece of paper. It looked like Qiao Mei was asking him to do manual labor again. It must be something really difficult! However, he had to do it for the money. When Yao Nian arrived at the hospital at the stated time, Liu Yang was already prepared for his arrival. Qiao Mei had already made it clear to Liu Yang that Yao Nian''s identity was quite special and that he had never allowed anyone to discover his real identity. Liu Yang had prepared a white coat and asked Yao Nian to put it on before going to the archive room. Yao Nian could only have access to the archives room for one day. If he was allowed to stay inside for too long, it would arouse suspicion. One day was enough time for Yao Nian. Qiao Mei asked Xu Kang to prepare two portions of nutritious chicken soup and brought the soup to the hospital for the two women. "You even help me take care of my mother. I''m really sorry to have to trouble you. It seems that ever since I met you, I''ve only been causing trouble for you," Qian''e said embarrassedly. "You have helped me earn so much money but I haven''t even thanked you for that yet. There''s no need to stand on ceremony with me," Qiao Mei said. "How''s my mother? Who''s her main physician?" Qian''e asked. Chapter 1554 They Should Get a Divorce Chapter 1554 They Should Get a Divorce "It''s not the best situation. Your father has already been called up for an investigation. The department chief is your mother''s main physician. My aunt says that there''s nothing wrong with this doctor so you don''t have to worry. It''s just that your mother''s health is not very good to begin with, so her recovery is very slow. There are also large wounds on her body that have never been treated. In such hot weather, some of the wounds have already started to fester and develop sores. The doctor says that it''s not so easy to treat such wounds," Qiao Mei said solemnly. Qian''e felt a little anxious and wanted to go and visit Zhao Ni, but in her heart, she still could not completely forgive Zhao Ni. The events from the past still pained her deeply.CHeCk for new stories on no/v/el/bin(.)c0m Qiao Mei knew how Qian''e was feeling, so she told Qian''e about what happened between her and Li Gui in the past. Back then, Qiao Mei was abandoned by Li Gui due to pressure from her family. Zhao Ni probably had the same experience and did not have a choice in many instances. "I never expected you and Auntie to have gone through so much. I thought that your relationship has always been so good. I also want the two of them to get a divorce so that she can live her own life," Qian''e said solemnly. "Your father probably won''t agree to a divorce. I hear that he has always maintained a good reputation in the hospital and everyone thinks he''s a real gentleman. After I exposed his true colors today, he''ll probably choose to be at odds with you to the end," Qiao Mei said with a sigh. She had been too impulsive and should have planned her moves more appropriately. However, she did not expect Qian Wang to be such a sanctimonious person and so did not manage to hold back her emotions. The matter of the divorce could be set aside for the time being. The most important thing now was to take good care of Zhao Ni''s health. The rest of the problems were easy to solve. When Qian Cai and Qian Sheng heard that there was trouble, they hurriedly packed their luggage and left the capital with their wives. They did not want to be implicated. The amount of 2,000 dollars was nothing compared to their lives. Before the two of them left, they even stole all the money in Qian Wang''s house. "It''s fine. I don''t need your help. You can go over there!" "Hey, Brother Zhang!" "..." After walking one round, it was obvious to Qian Wang that everyone detested him. He was not going to stay around and embarrass himself. After that, he realized that he had not received this month''s salary yet. If he did not get paid soon, he would not even be able to afford to eat. When he went to the hospital''s finance office to check on the matter, he found out that he had been suspended pending investigation. This was what the higher-ups had instructed. He marched straight to Zhao Ni''s ward. After putting on his white coat, he blended into the group of doctors walking around the hospital. The guard team members at the ward door did not suspect anything and allowed him to walk in. "Do you feel very comfortable now? Do you think you''re amazing now that the wretched girl has your back? Let me tell you! You won''t be able to leave me for the rest of your life! You won''t be able to hide from me either!" Qian Wang said as he sat by Zhao Ni''s bed. "If you let Qian''e go, I''ll go back with you. As long as you let her go, you can kill me if you want," Zhao Ni said. "Why should I kill you? What''s the point of killing you? I still need you to wait on me. There''s so much chores waiting for you at home. Recently, the director of women''s affairs in our neighborhood has been pestering me every day. If she comes to look for you and asks you those questions, do you know how to answer her? After giving the same answers for so many years, have you suddenly forgotten everything?" Qian Wang questioned. Chapter 1555 The Best Friend Is the Mistress Chapter 1555 The Best Friend Is the Mistress Zhao Ni said indignantly, "Then I won''t go back! Even if I have to become a beggar, I won''t return to your house! You can give up that thought!" Qian Wang grabbed Zhao Ni by the hair and slammed her onto the floor. The wounds, which had just healed, split open again and Zhao Ni yelled so loudly from the pain that she almost lost her voice. When the guards at the door heard the noise, they immediately rushed into the room to stop Qian Wang. When Qiao Mei and Qian''e heard the commotion, they immediately rushed over. Even though they took all precautions, they still did not manage to cover all the scenarios. It was nobody''s fault though. Qian Wang was more familiar with this hospital than any of them. "You bunch of animals! You all framed me and set me up! I won''t let you off! Just you wait!" Qian Wang kept cursing even as he was dragged away by two guard team members. Zhao Ni fell unconscious and her wounds bled profusely. The department chief hurriedly sent Zhao Ni to the operating theater for emergency treatment. All the wounds on her body needed to be stitched up again. It took more than an hour before she was pushed out of the operating theater safely. "Xiao''e, you''re here too," the chief said. "Uncle Sun, how''s my mother?" Qian''e asked agitatedly. "Xiao''e, calm down first. Your mother is out of danger for now, but her injuries are really quite serious. The prolonged fever has caused some inflammation in her lungs, but these are minor issues. As long as she is well taken care of, she will definitely be able to recover," Chief Sun said.CHeCk for new stories on no/v/el/bin(.)c0m "What? Best friend?" Qiao Mei found it hard to believe. She did not expect to witness a television drama plot come to life. So it was true that art was inspired by real life. The name of the woman in the photos was Ke Chu. She had been Zhao Ni''s good friend since elementary school. Ke Chu was very outstanding and had studied in university overseas. She remained single ever since she returned after graduation. When she came back, Zhao Ni had just gotten pregnant with Qian''e. Zhao Ni went to university in the capital and married Qian Wang once she graduated. She never had a job and did not know anything about the dangers of society. The only thing she cared about was to take good care of the small family she had with Qian Wang. However, it was very likely that Qian Wang had already started lying to Zhao Ni from her university days. Zhao Ni had even advised Ke Chu to marry a man like Qian Wang and even listed out his strengths and merits in detail. She could never have imagined that the affair started right after Qian''e was born. Qian''e always thought that because Ke Chu had returned from overseas, she was more avant-garde and so she did not find anyone suitable after returning home. Looking at the situation now, perhaps Ke Chu had planned this all along. Qian''e and Zhao Ni had not seen Ke Chu for so many years. They only knew that Ke Chu had a house in the capital, but they did not know if she actually lived in the capital. "Let''s go and confront her!" Qian''e said angrily. "These are just a few forms and medical reports. You can''t prove anything with these. Isn''t it a very common practice for hospital staff to give up their slots to other people? This doesn''t prove that Qian Wang had an affair. You need to have stronger evidence," Qiao Mei said as she looked at Qian''e seriously. Chapter 1556 Educating the Children Chapter 1556 Educating the Children Yao Nian looked at Qiao Mei in surprise. He did not expect this woman to be so knowledgeable and that she was not just a pretty thing for show. Xia Zhe was a really lucky man. Qiao Mei had enough experience with these things after dealing with many such cases in her other life. There was no one who understood the thoughts of those evil people better than her. She needed Yao Nian to go and search for more evidence. Yao Nian tapped his palm and spread his hands out in front of Qiao Mei. She said impatiently, "Just name your price." "Deal!" Yao Nian disappeared from the door with a whoosh. Qian Wang was already locked up in the detention center but was not convicted yet. If he was solely found guilty of hurting Zhao Ni, he would be imprisoned for one year at most. In that case, Qian''e and Zhao Ni would still be at Qian Wang''s mercy. They must gather more evidence to prove the adultery so that Zhao Ni could divorce Qian Wang. First, Qiao Mei asked Zou Ming to detain Qian Wang for a period of time. Then, she asked the director of women''s affairs to mandate that Old Madam Qian must live with either of her two other sons. She wanted to make sure that Old Madam Qian stayed alive. Qiao Mei had given Qian''e some ginseng juice previously and Qian''e gave it to Zhao Ni. After Zhao Ni drank it, she recovered very quickly and looked much better. "Chief Sun says that you can already go home. The new house is still under renovation. I can arrange for both of you to stay at the corn courtyard house for now," Qiao Mei said. "Ah... Ah..." When Xia Fan saw Qiao Mei, he reached out with his two little arms to ask for a hug. Qiao Mei quickly picked Xia Fan up. Other than saying "Ah" every day, the children were also able to hum some tunes. Feng Hua kept talking to them recently, trying to stimulate them to start talking. However, it was indeed a little too early since the children were not even one year old. The two children only knew how to crawl around now and did not know how to stand yet! "It''s been so exhausting during the few days you were away. The two children keep moving around the room. I plan to put soft mats all over so that it''s easier for them to climb around. This room is really too small for the two children to get enough exercise," Feng Hua said. "The living room is big enough. I''ll ask Da Zhuang and Xiao Zhuang to empty out the living room and we can make it the children''s playroom. This way, we won''t have to worry about the children falling or tripping. You can put all their toys there," Qiao Mei said. "That seems to be the best solution, but don''t spoil them too much. Children need to face some difficulties in order to grow up quickly. If we deliberately remove all the difficult tasks for them, it''s not beneficial to their growth," Feng Hua explained seriously. Qiao Mei suddenly realized that she had indulged the children a little too much and did not curb their behavior. The two children could already crawl and sit up now. When they played with toys, they would always throw their things everywhere. She had not been too concerned about this since Feng Hua was always there to tidy up. Now that she thought about it, this behavior was quite problematic. "Thank you, Sister Feng. There are many things that I don''t even notice. I''m a newbie mother and I don''t really know how to educate the children. If you notice anything wrong, just tell me and I''ll definitely correct my mistakes!" Qiao Mei said. "Sure, sure!" Feng Hua said happily. Chapter 1557 Take Good Care During the Pregnancy Chapter 1557 Take Good Care During the Pregnancy The next few days passed slowly. It was soon the day for the interview with the reporters from the television stations. Qian''e put on a beautiful outfit and faced the reporters together with Zhao Ni. She told them about all those grudges over the years, including Qian Wang being irresponsible towards his family and Old Madam Qian bullying her mother and her. The most important story was about how He Mei instructed Ma San and Shen Na to break up her family and cause her to lose her baby. There was generally a sense of pity for Qian''e and Zhao Ni. Although there were still people who passed insulting remarks about Qian''e being a promiscuous and disgraced woman, most people felt sorry for her. After the interview ended, the reporters flocked to He Ning''s house and waited outside his front door. They waited to see if He Ning would come out and give a statement together with a reasonable explanation. If what Qian''e said was true, they also wanted to see if He Mei would explain her actions and also apologize to Qian''e and her family. He Ning hid inside the house and refused to go out. The people outside were in such a tizzy and made so much noise that it gave him a headache. "Ask the Song and Du families to send people here! To chase away all the people outside!" He Ning said in annoyance. "They might not take orders from us. Although we have a mutually beneficial relationship with the Du family, they have always been lukewarm to us. I''m worried that they will betray us this time," Huo Gao said. "Betray us? They still want to get ginseng from me! If they betray me, that old man from the Song family can forget about staying alive! No one in the Song family nor the Du family can stay alive!" He Ning said furiously. "Really? I would like a television set. It''s really boring here every day." He Mei wanted to say something else, but when she saw He Ning''s mocking gaze, she shut her mouth obediently . "Your pregnancy is starting to show. Huo Gao told me that you''ve been very proactive about taking care of yourself during this period of time and that the baby is well. This is very good," He Ning said as he sat down. "Thank you, Little Uncle. This is what I should do. I will definitely take good care of this child!" He Mei said. He Ning raised his eyes to look at He Mei and said slowly, "You have to know that if I can get you pregnant with Xia Zhe''s child, I can also make you lose the child. I can send you into the Xia family but I can also send you somewhere else. I hear that you''ve been chatting with a dog recently, so I killed that disobedient dog. Now, you can stay here in peace." It was no wonder that she had not been able to contact Zhou Dun after that incident. He was the last of He Guo''s trusted confidants and now He Ning had taken his life. She was never ever going to be able to defeat He Ning. He Mei sat limply on the bed and looked at He Ning with fear. She did not know when He Ning would kill her. "Why are you so afraid of me? I''m your uncle and I won''t hurt you. But look at how much trouble you''ve caused me recently. Don''t think that I don''t know what you''re trying to do. If you come and tell me, I can help you achieve what you want. However, you choose to act without permission behind my back, so I have to discipline you," He Ning said. "I know that it''s my fault... Little Uncle, please spare me..." He Mei said as she tried to control her trembling voice. Chapter 1558 Fake Medicine Chapter 1558 Fake Medicine "Stay here obediently and don''t cause any more trouble." After He Ning said that, he returned to his house in the front yard. Jia Zhong came in to inform him that there were people from the Du and Song families at the door. Before He Ning went looking for them, they had already come to settle scores with him. He found that to be quite interesting. It was rare for everyone to be gathered together, so he decided to meet them. Song Dan and Du Miao waited anxiously outside the door, Song Dan being the more anxious of the two. Old Master Song''s treatment could not be delayed any longer. Some time ago, Old Master Song''s condition had improved a lot after taking the medicine sent by the Liang family. However, after they ran out of the "divine medicine", Old Master Song''s condition began to deteriorate again. If they had a choice, they would not come to beg He Ning. "Such rare guests. Why will Bureau Chief Song and Young Master Du ever come looking for me?" He Ning asked with a smile. "Let''s just speak freely. It''s too tiring to beat around the bush. I want to buy all the ''divine medicine'' in your possession. Name your price," Song Dan said. He Ning looked at Song Dan and laughed loudly. Young people simply had no patience. This young man had already revealed his trump card to him. How interesting. "What you''re trying to buy is my life. I also need the medicine to stay alive!" He Ning said. "Don''t you still have the ginsengs which Qiao Mei sold you? Those are enough for you to improve your health. I only want the other ''divine medicine'' in your hands. Let''s each have what we need," Song Dan said. Huo Gao packed up the two bottles of medicinal wine and handed it to Du Miao and Song Dan. The two of them said their thanks insincerely and headed for the private hospital after they left the He family residence. Huo Gao felt so sorry to lose the medicinal wine! He had wanted to study how Qiao Mei concocted it, but he did not expect someone to take it all before he could even start. "You don''t have to feel sorry. Those are fake," He Ning said with a smile. "Fake? Fake medicine!" Huo Gao said as he looked at He Ning in shock. A person could die from eating fake medicine! He Ning shrugged and said, "It came from the Zhong family and I haven''t even opened it yet. How can the fake medicine be from me?" The Zhong family could not bear to give away the two bottles of "divine medicine" to others as they wanted to keep it for themselves! However, they also did not want to offend He Ning, so they only gave one bottle of real medicine to He Ning. The other bottle contained vegetable juice which resembled the "divine medicine". The liquid would not kill anyone. He Ning did not care about the divine medicine that was light green in color. Those things were not even as nutritious as his 100-year-old ginseng! The only reason why he could tell the difference between the two bottles of medicine was that there was some tiny residue at the bottom of one bottle. Although it was very inconspicuous, there was still a difference. He Ning was very meticulous in such aspects. Song Dan brought the medicinal wine back and fed it to Old Master Song. At first, it was very effective, but his condition gradually became the same as before. The doctor had even listed him as critically ill twice. Chapter 1559 Coming to Seek Medicine Chapter 1559 Coming to Seek Medicine "This is the Xia family''s ''divine medicine''! Isn''t it supposed to cure him? Why does it turn out this way! Did you swap out the medicine! Or did you lie to me!" Song Dan roared at the doctor agitatedly. "We''ve never seen the Xia family''s medicine before. We''ve only heard rumors about it and we don''t know the exact effect. Perhaps that medicine has different effects on different people," the doctor said cautiously. "What do you mean? Do you mean that although this medicine works on Xia Mao, it won''t work on my grandfather?" Song Dan looked at the doctor in disbelief. "Perhaps it''s because everyone''s physical condition is different. We''ve all studied Xia Mao''s case back then. It''s a miracle and we can''t generalize it. Miracles don''t happen often," the doctor said. Song Dan smashed everything in the surroundings out of exasperation. The doctors did not panic. They could understand how the family members of such patients felt. For a moment, Song Dan did not know where he could go to find the "divine medicine" to save his grandfather. The Xia family definitely would not give him the medicine. He had already bought all the medicine available on the market. The only way out was to look for Qiao Mei, but he would not be able to gain entry to Qiao Mei''s house. "What''s the use of being scared of embarrassment at a time like this!" Song Dan left the hospital without looking back and headed towards Xia He''s house. He had only been able to find Xia He''s address. Qiao Mei owned too many properties and he was not even sure which one Qiao Mei lived in. It was the middle of the night and Deng Fan and Xia He were both already asleep. Song Dan knocked on the door desperately, as if he wanted to smash it in. Deng Fan got up in a daze to take a look and immediately became alert when he saw that it was Song Dan outside. Song Dan also knew that this method would not work, but he still wanted to give it a try. At the moment, he did not have anything other than money. He did not know how else he could save Old Master Song. "I... How about I owe you a big favor?" Song Dan said in a gentle tone of voice. "I can''t make the decision on this matter. After all, the owner of this ''divine medicine'' is my sister-in-law. Moreover, you''ve offended everyone in our family. The only reason why I''m talking to you nicely here is because we used to be classmates. I can''t guarantee the others will react the same way," Xia He said. "My grandfather is seriously ill and really needs this medicine. I won''t have come here to beg you if I''m not at my wits'' end," Song Dan said aggrievedly. Xia He was a little puzzled. Did Qiao Mei have to save everyone on the verge of death in this world? Did the Xia family have to find a way out for these people who were at their wits'' end? Their family was just an ordinary family, not a Buddha who was here to save all mankind! They were not so noble yet! "You should go. This medicine is not something that''s always available. We''ve given all the medicine in our family to my father and there''s only one bottle left now. We have to keep some for ourselves too. You can''t ask that our family give up a life for you. We''re not that magnanimous," Xia He said. Seeing how stubborn Xia He was, Song Dan had no choice but to leave and think of another way. He had indeed been too rash to make his way here today. Chapter 1560 Come Home Immediately Chapter 1560 Come Home Immediately Du Miao had been staying at the Song family residence recently and had not returned to the Du family residence in a long time. He had no idea about the earth-shattering changes that had happened to the Du family. "Ring, ring, ring!!!" The phone rang incessantly. Du Miao got up from the bed with some difficulty. Song Dan was busy going around to look for medicine every day. He tried to help but could not make any progress no matter how hard he tried. He decided to just stay at home and wait for a miracle to happen on Song Dan''s end. "Hello?" Du Miao asked. "You still know how to answer the phone! I would have thought that you''d already died!" Du Miao''s father, Du Bo, roared down the line. His voice was so loud that it almost made Du Miao deaf. Du Bo would only call Du Miao for one reason and that was if something had happened to the Du family. However, Du Miao was very sure that it had nothing to do with Du Bo''s health. How could a person with such a sonorous voice be sick? "What''s wrong?" Du Miao said impatiently. "Your mother hasn''t been feeling well recently and wants to see you. Come back quickly," Du Bo said. "Are you lying to me again? You used the same reason to trick me into going home the last time. Do you think I''ll fall for it again?" Du Miao said disdainfully. Du Miao did not believe what she said. Feng Niao loved Du Bo very much. Everyone thought of them as a match made in heaven, but being their child was worse than being a stray dog. "Xiao Du, come and play a round with us later. We haven''t played with you for so long!" another auntie said. "I''m going back to my room," Du Miao said helplessly. "Head for the study. Your father is waiting for you there," Feng Nian said. Du Miao dragged his feet as he made his way to the study upstairs. Du Bo was standing by the window and looking at the scenery outside. He did not even turn his head when he heard Du Miao enter the room. "So you know how to come back," Du Bo said unhappily. "If you sell this house, then I won''t need to come back again," Du Miao said as he sat on the chair. "Do you know how grave a mistake you have made? How dare you provoke the He family?" Du Bo turned around and questioned angrily. Du Miao said nonchalantly, "Oh, so he came to look for you. I thought he was just joking. It seems that he''s a vengeful person." Chapter 1561 I Agree Chapter 1561 I Agree ? The moment Du Miao left the He family residence, He Ning had asked Jia Zhong to send a big gift to Du Bo. How could one spend time dancing on hornets'' nests and not expect to be stung? Although Du Bo had been conscientious and diligent in his job all his life, it was still inevitable that he would play favorites at times. He Ning had investigated all those old incidents and wrote a letter to Du Bo, asking him to rein in his son. There was nothing Du Bo could do. Du Miao was simply too lawless. It would have been fine if he had gone to see the He family for his own issues, but he had gone on behalf of the Song family. "If Old Master Song is sick, just send him some tonics. Don''t get involved in anything else," Du Bo said with a sigh. "He is very sick. It''s not something that can be cured with tonics," Du Miao said. "What has that got to do with you! You''re a child of the Du family! Let the Song family solve their own problems! Just stay at home obediently!" Du Bo said. "Why not! When I was young, it was Grandpa Song who brought me up! As if you have taken care of me for even one day! Have you ever come back to visit my mother and me! You only care about your job. Now that I''m grown up and you think I can be of use to you, you start to order me around just because you''re my father! Don''t even think about it! If not for my mother, I won''t ever return to this house!" Du Miao said furiously. "Everything you have is from me!" Du Bo said. "Aren''t you even going to listen to your mother now?" Feng Niao said in a slightly angry tone. Du Miao remained silent. If he resisted, Feng Nian might get angry and her condition would worsen. If he relented and admitted that it was his mistake, he would be bullied by Du Bo forever. "Mom, do you only love my father and not me? Is everything my fault? Do I have to be treated like this just because I''m your son? I respect and love you, but what do I get in return? You don''t even distinguish between right or wrong and write off everything I have done. Then you question me and ask me why I don''t have any achievements. Don''t you think it''s ridiculous?" Du Miao said, looking heartbroken. Feng Nian was stunned for a moment before she continued, "Apologize to your father first. We can talk about other things later, alright? We''ll sit down and listen to you." At this moment, Du Bo also looked towards them and said, "I can help you ask the Xia family for what you want, provided that your entire family moves back here to live with us." Du Miao smiled self-deprecatingly. They would help him on condition that he moved back home. Did they really want to lock him up in this cage so badly? He cared about Feng Niao so much because when he was young, the two of them only had each other. However, after Du Bo came back, Feng Niao only cared about her husband and did not show any concern for her son at all. Even so, Du Miao was still very grateful to Feng Niao. Old Master Song did not have much time left. He must get the Xia family''s "divine medicine" as soon as possible. For Old Master Song''s sake, he was willing to make sacrifices. "Alright, I agree," Du Miao said expressionlessly. Chapter 1562 Sorry to Disturb You Chapter 1562 Sorry to Disturb You The next day, Du Bo and Du Miao went to Qiao Mei''s house with a pile of gifts. They wanted to look sincere enough to convince Qiao Mei to give them some "divine medicine". "Be nice to her when you see her later. Don''t pull a long face," Du Bo said to Du Miao with a slight frown. Du Bo should say that to himself. He was the only one with a cold expression. Du Miao nodded. His current expression was not directed at Qiao Mei, but purely because he was unhappy with Du Bo. Why did the two of them have to take the same car? He thought they were going to the Xia family residence? Why did they need to go to Qiao Mei''s place first? However, as long as they could get the "divine medicine" to save Old Master Song, he would put up with it. Along the way, the two men remained silent. Even the chauffeur felt a little awkward and sped up so that he could reach Qiao Mei''s house quickly. After Du Bo and Du Miao tidied their appearances, they got out of the car and knocked on the door. When Xu Kang saw them, she was a little puzzled. She had never seen these two people before nor had she received any notification about any visit in advance. "You are?" Xu Kang asked.CHeCk for new stories on no/v/el/bin(.)c0m "We''re from the Du family and we''re here to see Qiao Mei. I wonder if she has time to meet us," Du Miao said with a smile. This was the first time they had seen the house for themselves. Du Miao only felt that this woman was much more capable than the rumors made her out to be. She displayed all her antiques at home so openly. Other people would usually hide away their treasures. Du Bo, on the other hand, felt that this was a woman who spent money recklessly. There was no need to buy all these things that were on display in the house. She must have secretly bought all these things while Xia Zhe was not at home. Xia He did not seem as close to Song Dan as he claimed. Du Miao was Song Dan''s best friend, but Xia He did not welcome him warmly. It seemed that Song Dan was just boasting. "Hmph... It''s really an eye-opener for me to see such an extravagant woman so valued by the Xia family. The Xia family''s luck is about to come to an end," Du Bo said mockingly in a low voice. Xia He frowned as she looked at Du Bo. He had the cheek to have such an attitude when he was here to ask for help. If not for the fact that Du Bo was an elder, Xia He would have chased them out with a stick earlier. "Qiao Mei is our family''s lucky star. The moment she married into the family, she gave my grandfather two grandchildren and made my parents very happy. She even used her family heirloom to save my father''s life during a critical moment. She brings prosperity to our family and even runs a factory now. I guess your daughter-in-law must be much more capable than Qiao Mei. Otherwise, you won''t look down on Qiao Mei, right?" Xia He questioned. Du Bo was left speechless for a moment. Du Miao''s wife, Zhu Zhen, had married into the Du family for more than 10 years and only gave birth to a daughter. She neither corrected Du Miao''s unruly behavior nor brought her children home to be filial to her in-laws. Compared to Qiao Mei, she had no merits at all. "In that case, she''s indeed not bad." Du Bo looked around and continued, "But look at the time now. Why is she still sleeping? As her elder sister, you have to teach her well. She''s from the countryside and doesn''t know how to behave, so she needs to learn the rules." "Our family doesn''t have so many rules. Moreover, she''s pregnant now! It''s a big deal to be able to add a new member to the Xia family, so it''s fine for her to sleep more. It doesn''t even matter if she sleeps the whole day. Her health is the most important thing now, don''t you think so?" Xia He continued. Chapter 1563 Return Empty-Handed Chapter 1563 Return Empty-Handed "She''s pregnant again!" Du Miao said in shock. "That''s right! This is such a cause for celebration and we''re all very happy! My parents don''t even dare to come and disturb Qiao Mei and especially ask me to come and take care of her," Xia He said pointedly. It was then that Qiao Mei entered the living room, already dressed nicely. She had heard whatever Xia He said just now. Nowadays, she could use any plant in the courtyard to be her eyes and ears. By now, it was as if she had paranormal vision and hearing. The way Xia He protected her just now made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside. It felt really good to have family backing her up. Moreover, Xia He''s sharp tongue seemed to have become even sharper recently. Qiao Mei was not afraid of the Du family at all. In her eyes, the Du family was not even as interesting as the He family. Qiao Mei had heard that the chief of the police department was about to be replaced and Du Miao was a person who would not achieve much. The Du family was probably the one whose luck was coming to an end. "Such rare guests. I wonder why Uncle Du is here?" Qiao Mei asked. "We''re here today to ask you for some ''divine medicine'' to save a life," Du Miao said nicely.Follow the latest novels at novelhall.com Qiao Mei had always told people that the "divine medicine" belonged to the Xia family and that if anyone wanted the "divine medicine", they should go and look for Xia Mao. Gradually, no one remembered Qiao Mei''s part in it. It was quite a feat for Du Bo to be able to find out that she was the real owner of the "divine medicine". Du Bo... Du Jun... Could these two people be related? "I''m not short of money. Besides, I really don''t have any ''divine medicine'' anymore. Why don''t you go and look for He Ning? He bought a lot of ginseng and ''divine medicine'' from me for his own use!" Qiao Mei said with a smile. Du Miao had already gone to look for He Ning and obtained He Ning''s "divine medicine". If they wanted to take He Ning''s ginsengs, they would need to kill him. It would be more difficult than ascending to the heavens. "Think about it again. Perhaps you left some in a corner and forgot about it?" Du Miao asked. "There''s really no more. I''m tired after talking for so long. My elder sister will send you off." After saying that, Qiao Mei winked playfully at Xia He. Xia He led Du Bo and Du Miao out of Qiao Mei''s house. On their way back, Du Miao blamed Du Bo for being too aggressive just now. They clearly had a chance, but now they had failed. After a while, Du Bo said, "Since the Xia family is unmoved by neither force nor persuasion, then they shouldn''t blame us for being unkind..." "What are you going to do?" Du Miao asked. "We''ll talk about it when we get home," Du Bo said, closing his eyes. Xia He ran to Qiao Mei''s bedroom and looked at her angrily, saying, "You make me chase them out! Quick, tell me! How are you going to make it up to me!" Chapter 1564 Use Poison Chapter 1564 Use Poison "I''ll cook you a nice meal! I''ll make you whatever you want to eat and then I''ll make you a beautiful dress. You''re a big star now! You must wear nice clothes! You can''t wear the same few pieces of clothing over and over again," Qiao Mei said with a faint smile. Xia He could not bear to let Qiao Mei cook. Qiao Mei already had a poor appetite for many days. Whenever she heard the word "rice", Qiao Mei would throw up. It was almost a conditioned reflex by now. As Qiao Mei had been lacking adequate nourishment from food for a long time, she was very weak. The ginseng juice could only keep her alive, but it could not make her feel comfortable. Qiao Mei felt better for a few days but then she was unable to get out of bed again. At the moment, she did not even have the strength to walk. Qiao Qiang came over to the front yard part of the house every day to talk to Qiao Mei. As long as it was something Qiao Mei wanted, he would try his best to give it to her. "Grandfather... It''s not a big deal. You can go back and rest. You''ve been sitting here for an entire day," Qiao Mei said weakly. "I''m fine. You''re the one who needs to rest well. Maybe we should just stew those ginsengs for you," Qiao Qiang said.Follow the latest novels at novelhall.com Qiao Mei shook her head slightly. If this method was useful, she would have stewed the ginsengs long ago. She did not know what was going on with this baby. Some time ago, she could still calm the baby down for a while by absorbing energy from ginseng, but this trick was useless by now. This child must be a "demon king incarnate". After the baby was born, she would ask Xia Zhe to give the baby a good spanking! "I don''t want to do it either. It''s Qiao Mei''s fault for protecting the children so well. I''m just going to make the two children suffer a bit for a few days. I won''t kill them. If the children fall sick, they''ll definitely go to the hospital. When that happens, we''ll get our chance to take action," Du Bo said agitatedly. "We... Let''s wait a little longer. Children need vaccinations and her kids are already around that age. Let''s give it a bit more time," Du Miao persuaded. Du Miao also had a child of his own. His heart would ache whenever his daughter cried, let alone when she was sick. Being a parent, he could not bear to lay his hands on other people''s children. All this while, he had never participated in Du Bo''s nasty affairs and just behaved like a prodigal son. He did not expect to have to get involved in Du Bo''s shady businesses one day. Qiao Mei had already arranged for Yao Nian to investigate the Du family and then she doubled the number of guards in the courtyard. Xia He even made a call to Xia Mao and asked him to send over a few of his elite soldiers. As time passed, Old Master Song fell even more seriously ill. The Du family could not find the chance to make a move and Song Dan began to feel a little anxious. Du Miao decided to look for another way. Since their people could not get close enough, there were naturally other people who could openly approach the children. Qiao Mei definitely would not replace her current helpers, so he decided to try and make use of Qiao Mei''s relatives. Back when Qiao Mei used a ginseng to exchange for the courtyard house, it had made news in the capital. Basically, anyone in their circle would take note of anything related to Qiao Mei. Chapter 1565 Save Me Chapter 1565 Save Me Every family had their own private investigator, so it was an easy task to check on Qiao Mei''s background. In addition, the womenfolk from the various families always gathered together to chat, so the happenings in the capital would never escape the attention of these rich wives. Everyone knew everything about Qiao Mei and all the things related to her. Ever since Qiao Mei sent Qiao Yu away, Qiao Yu''s life had not been easy. She had thought that if she arrived in a strange city where no one knew anything about her, she could easily find a man to rely on. She believed that if she casually bragged about being from the capital, there would be many men scrambling to woo her. She did not expect Qiao Mei to send Su Yang and his mother to the area as well. Old Madam Fan had to go out to work to support Su Yang, while Su Yang did not do anything every day and just followed Qiao Yu around. Su Yang went around telling everyone he met that Qiao Yu was his wife. As time passed, no respectable man was willing to get close to Qiao Yu. Even women did not want to be friends with her. It was obvious to everyone that Su Yang was not a decent person. If Qiao Yu was involved with such a person, she was definitely not a nice person as well. No one wanted to get caught up in any trouble. When Qiao Zhuang and the rest of the family knew that Qiao Yu was working in the city and earning a lot of money, they threatened Qiao Yu and asked her to send all the money home. They did not even care if she had any money to eat and only let her keep five dollars every month. The money was not enough even if Qiao Yu ate steamed plain buns every day. At this moment, someone appeared and asked Qiao Yu if she was willing to carry out a task in exchange for a big reward and the chance to transfer her household register to the city. She agreed readily. "Sister-in-law! I really can''t live there anymore! My family keeps forcing me to give them money, and that beastly man has... has done those things to me! I really can''t live anymore!" Qiao Yu said as she wept. "This is a path of your own doing. If that guy bullies you, you should go to the police. Why do you come all the way to the capital to look for us?" Li Gui questioned. Qiao Yu was a little concerned. How did Li Gui become so much smarter after only a few months? Li Gui used to be the most soft-hearted person. As long as Qiao Yu pretended to be pitiful, it did not take long for Li Gui to give in. It seemed that many things had happened since she left. "Sister-in-law! I''m actually... actually here in the capital to look for a job! I''m here to visit you guys. I''m really at my wits'' end, so you have to uphold justice for me! Those people from the Su family are real bullies! You''re the one who arranged for those people to go there! You have to take care of me," Qiao Yu said unreasonably. Li Gui felt a little guilty. They had indeed played a part in Qiao Yu''s current bleak life, but she did not expect the Su family to be so much worse than expected. She looked around for a while and then sighed, saying, "Come in with me." As soon as Qiao Yu entered the courtyard, she exclaimed in surprise. There were many new things bought after she left the capital. It seemed that they had earned a lot of money during this period of time. "Who is it..." Qiao Mei asked weakly from the room. "It''s Qiao Yu. She wants to talk to you," Li Gui said softly. Qiao Yu stood at the door and did not dare to go in. She knew that Qiao Mei must be feeling very unhappy now and that Qiao Mei did not like people entering her territory without permission. Furthermore, she was indeed here with ulterior motives. She might be able to hide it from Li Gui, but she might not be able to hide it from Qiao Mei. Chapter 1566 He Bullied Me Chapter 1566 He Bullied Me Qiao Yu''s train ride took her one day and one night and then she spent a long time at the Du family''s place. There was an indescribable smell on her body that was both fragrant and smelly. Qiao Mei''s sense of smell and hearing were very sensitive now. She caught a whiff very quickly and had to scramble to throw up into the trash can. After throwing up all the porridge she just ate, Qiao Mei lay down weakly. After that, she still threw up a few more times. Li Gui had her hands full taking care of Qiao Mei and completely ignored Qiao Yu, who was standing at the doorway. Qiao Yu was smart enough not to go forward to ask Qiao Mei about her health or offer to take care of her. She just lowered her head and stayed where she was. This way, Qiao Mei would not be suspicious of her and would believe what she was going to say later. In fact, Qiao Yu was overjoyed to see Qiao Mei feeling so uncomfortable. Perhaps Qiao Mei had some incurable illness! When she was in the village, she had seen other people''s grandmothers becoming like this when they got really old. They became seriously ill and kept vomiting. An evil person would always be punished in the end. Qiao Mei finally got her retribution! If Qiao Mei died, she might be able to marry Xia Zhe! In their village, if a new wife died not long after marrying into the family, one of her eligible relatives could take her place. It was a practice of keeping things within the family. Qiao Mei did not have any other unmarried relatives who were close to her age and only Qiao Yu met the requirements. After Qiao Mei died, she would be able to marry Xia Zhe. At that time, everything in the Xia family would belong to her! Everything that Qiao Mei owned would belong to her! When Qiao Mei felt better, she raised her eyes and looked at Qiao Yu, glad to see that she had actually behaved herself and did not go gallivanting around during this period of time. Qiao Mei asked Qiao Yu to go in and said, "Why are you looking for me?" How could everyone be as lucky as Qiao Mei to hit the target in one try! "That''s right. Who knows if you''re pregnant or not. We should go to the hospital to take a look. At the same time, we can get proof that he has indeed committed a crime. Then I''ll bring you to the police station and ask the police to arrest him. He definitely won''t be able to escape!" Qiao Mei said with a smile. "No, no, no! Actually... actually, nothing happened between us. I stopped him in time!" Qiao Yu said nervously. "Oh? Is that so? But he still bullied you. Since you''re here, I''ll avenge you. Let''s go to the police station later," Qiao Mei said. "There''s no need! We really didn''t do those things! The police still won''t be able to lock him up. I have come to the capital this time to earn more money! When I''m there, my family is always spying on me and Su Yang keeps harassing me. I really don''t have enough money to survive," Qiao Yu said as she looked at Qiao Mei aggrievedly. It seemed that Qiao Yu had only just reached the capital and did not know that Qiao Mei owned a factory. Otherwise, she would already have asked Qiao Mei to give her a job. This was good news. Otherwise, she might go to the factory to create trouble or cause problems by spouting nonsense about the past. There were too many things going on at the moment. The issue with the He family had yet to end, the Du family had come looking for trouble and the Song family was also eyeing them covetously. She did not have time to care about Qiao Yu now. Chapter 1567 Sleep Under the Bridge Chapter 1567 Sleep Under the Bridge Qiao Mei had a headache just thinking about all these things and she started to throw up into the trash can again. Li Gui was so busy taking care of Qiao Mei that she did not have the energy to care about Qiao Yu. Only then did Qiao Yu realize that Qiao Mei was actually pregnant! How lucky to be able to get pregnant again after giving birth to two children! Why was the heavens so good to Qiao Mei, but made her life so difficult! When Li Gui saw that Qiao Mei was feeling sleepy, she immediately chased Qiao Yu out of the room. "Sister-in-law! Just let me stay here! Look at how uncomfortable Qiao Mei is and how busy you are! I can do housework for you! I can also help you cook and take care of the children. I can also take care of Uncle Qiao! I can do anything you want me to do! I really have nowhere to stay!" Qiao Yu said pitifully. If Qiao Qiang saw Qiao Yu, he would probably fall sick from anger. Li Gui did not dare to let Qiao Yu appear in front of Qiao Qiang. "Go and find a guest house. There are plenty of places for you to stay," Li Gui said. "I don''t have a permit to be here... I sneaked into the capital... I can''t go to a guest house! They won''t allow me to stay there," Qiao Yu said. Li Gui did not believe her. Even if she had no permit, she could still find a place to spend the night. It was summer now and not winter. She would not freeze to death even if she slept under the bridge for a night! "She has left?" Qiao Mei asked weakly. "I don''t know. I only chased her out of the door and didn''t see where she went. It''s such a warm night and she won''t die even if she stays out for the entire night. Don''t worry about her. Come, eat some porridge and then sleep for a while," Li Gui said worriedly. "She can go wherever she wants," Qiao Mei said weakly as she closed her eyes. "I think I''d better ask Xia Zhe to come back," Li Gui said worriedly. This baby was really a handful. Even Xia Fang said that there was nothing she could do. If Qiao Mei continued to feel so sick, it might be detrimental to her health. Instead of letting Qiao Mei risk her life to give birth to this child, it might be better not to let the child come into this world. This unborn baby would probably understand why they would make such a difficult decision. If Qiao Mei died, the rest of them would also lose their will to live. However, only Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe could make any decision regarding their child. "It''s fine, there''s no need to alarm him. You should rest too." After saying that, Qiao Mei fell asleep groggily. Li Gui cleaned up the room before sleeping on the recliner in the living room. She did not want to be too far away from Qiao Mei, worried that Qiao Mei would not be able to find her if something happened. She did not want to sleep too soundly in case she did not hear Qiao Mei calling for her. In the wee hours of the morning, Qiao Mei started to throw up again. It was a really tortuous night for her. Chapter 1568 Take It as Having a Dog Chapter 1568 Take It as Having a Dog Qiao Yu did not go to a hotel. She could not bear to spend so much money. The steps outside Qiao Mei''s house were very wide and long and there was no issue for her to make do here for a night. In the past, she could even sleep in the bullpen. Sleeping on some steps was nothing.CHeCk for new stories on no/v/el/bin(.)c0m As long as she could complete the mission the Du family gave her, she could sleep wherever she wanted in the future! She could sleep on the most expensive bed! Moreover, in the future, there would be countless men like Xia Zhe who would fall for her. The next morning, Xu Kang had to go to the market to buy groceries. When she opened the door, she saw Qiao Yu lying outside. She was so frightened by the sight that she did not even dare to breathe loudly and quickly closed the door. "Sister Li! Bad news! There''s someone lying outside the main door!" Xu Kang ran to Li Gui''s side in fear and whispered. It was no wonder that Xu Kang was so frightened. In the other town, Qiao Yu only ate steamed buns and pickled vegetables every day and could not afford any meat. She was plump and healthy when she left the capital, but lost a lot of weight with such a diet. Li Gui frowned slightly. She did not expect Qiao Yu to sleep at their door for the night. The stone steps were so cold and hard that Li Gui would even feel sorry for a beggar who had to sleep there. "I''ll go take a look. Help me take care of Qiao Mei." Li Gui went to the door and took a deep breath before slowly opening it. It was really Qiao Yu outside the door, but she was already awake. She was awoken just now when Xu Kang closed the door. "Sister-in-law! Just let me stay here! I don''t want anything in return! I can do all kinds of chores. You just have to feed me!" Qiao Yu said agitatedly. At least Li Gui still remembered what Qiao Yu had done to Qiao Mei back then. Xia He knew that Li Gui was soft-hearted, but with so many things happening around them now, Qiao Yu''s sudden appearance at this juncture meant that she was not here with any good intentions. "Don''t worry, I''ve already increased the number of guards around the children. Sister Feng also won''t leave their side at all during this period of time. Nothing will happen to them," Qiao Mei said. "If she wants to harm you, she''ll be able to find a loophole! It''s better to chase her out as soon as possible," Xia He whispered into Qiao Mei''s ear with a frown. "Don''t worry, it''s actually not a bad thing for her to be here," Qiao Mei said with a smile. "Are you saying that you already have a plan?" Xia He asked curiously. "Since we all know that she''s here with an ulterior motive, we should let her stay here so that we can keep an eye on her. She''ll definitely show her true colors soon. The most important thing is to catch the mastermind. It''s not her own idea to return to the capital to plot against me. Even if she wants to, she doesn''t have the capability," Qiao Mei said. "You''re right! Then I''ll also stay here for the time being. One more person means an extra pair of eyes," Xia He said. "You should go home. If there are too many people, she won''t give herself away. She will only let down her guard when there are fewer people around," Qiao Mei said prudently. Chapter 1569 Pigs Can Fly Chapter 1569 Pigs Can Fly "You really think of everything. Then I''ll go to the factory to see if there''s anything I can help with. Recently, Qian''e has been very busy on her own. She even called and asked me to go over and help her!" Xia He said. "It''s really been tough on her during this period of time. Is there any news about the He family?" Qiao Mei asked. Speaking about the He family, there was really nothing happening there. The weather had been erratic and given He Ning''s weak constitution, his illness kept recurring and he did not have the energy to deal with Qiao Mei or anyone. The reporters waited outside He Ning''s house every day. Sometimes, they would cause a scene to force the He family members to come out, adding to He Ning''s problems. In fact, some of these reporters were sent there by Xia Wen to monitor the He family''s every move. "I haven''t heard anything. They probably can''t do anything now. They can''t even protect themselves, so how can they have the energy to mess with us? Eldest Brother and I have already discussed this. If anything happens on the He family''s end, he''ll go ahead and settle it. You don''t have to worry," Xia He said. "That''s good to hear." Qiao Mei suddenly felt sleepy and fell asleep on the bed. Xia He quietly left the room. Ever since Qiao Mei got pregnant, the food at home was more bland and the meal timings were no longer fixed. Everything was planned around Qiao Mei''s condition. "Qiao Mei, can it be that she has found her conscience?" Xia He leaned against the window and asked as she looked at Qiao Yu outside. "Which one do you believe, that pigs can fly or that she has a kind heart?" Qiao Mei asked. Xia He pondered for a moment and said, "Probably that pigs can fly..." "There are too many people in the house now and everyone''s focus is on the children. She doesn''t have the chance to do anything. We have to create the chance for her," Qiao Mei said earnestly. "What? Then what about the children! What if it puts the children in danger?" Xia He looked at Qiao Mei in shock. Qiao Mei did not know if Qiao Yu was targeting her or the children. It was fine if Qiao Yu was targeting her. She was more worried that Qiao Yu was targeting the children. Qiao Mei was also unwilling to put the children in danger, but as the saying went, if one could not bear to part with a child, one would not be able to catch a wolf. If they could not catch the real mastermind behind the scenes, they would always be living in a state of uncertainty and the children would not have a day of peace either. It was impossible for them to be by the children''s side all the time. "I know my limits. There won''t be any problems," Qiao Mei said with her head lowered. Back then, when Qiao Mei made the cradles for the children, she had used good quality wood, hollowed it out and hidden vines inside. If someone attacked the children, she could quickly bound the cradles shut. Chapter 1570 I Finally Found You Chapter 1570 I Finally Found You However, this method could only be used once. Qiao Mei would not allow anyone who saw her superpower to live. She would have to kill them to keep her secret. "Are you sure you want to do this?" Xia He said worriedly. "Yes, I''m sure. Let''s find a time to go out for a while. Get Luo Yu to arrange for more people to hide in the dark and block off all the exits in the surroundings. Let''s observe carefully for a few days and see if there are any abnormalities," Qiao Mei said. Xia He could not dissuade Qiao Mei and could only do as she was told. Luo Yu was fully focused during patrols and finally discovered something unusual. "Qiao Yu would actually sneak out of the side door every night and go to the end of the alley. Then she''ll remove something from under a red brick. Luo Yu has already looked at the contents. It''s neither Morse code nor proper words. It seems to be a special language that these people developed to communicate among themselves," Xia He said. "I never expected them to be so well prepared," Qiao Mei said. Qiao Mei was not an immortal and she could not keep an eye on Qiao Yu 24 hours a day. She also needed to sleep and rest. Qiao Yu seemed to have picked up a lot of things after living somewhere else for a while. She was actually so wily now and completely different from before. "Let''s put our plan in action tomorrow. You and I will go out and Mom will go and take care of Zhang Chao and Zhang Qin in the backyard," Qiao Mei said. "You don''t know me? The matter between the two of us spread like wildfire back then. Do you think everyone will believe what you say? Since you say that I touched you, then let''s go register our marriage! This way, I won''t pursue the matter! Do you know that I''ll have to go to jail if you say I did such things! If you marry me, then it''s no longer an offense!" Su Yang said. "Pfft! I won''t marry you! In your dreams! Not in this lifetime!" Qiao Yu said agitatedly. Just as the two of them were fighting, they were spotted by the patrolling police officers. "Hey! What are you doing! Why are you bullying someone in broad daylight! How can a man hit a woman!" the police officer shouted. Su Yang knew these two police officers. One was Brother Zhao and the other was Brother Sun. In the past, Su Yang often got into trouble and his brother, Su Liang, was a scoundrel who did all kinds of nasty things. These two brothers were notorious. "Oh, it''s Brother Zhao and Brother Sun on duty today! I''m Su Yang! Don''t you remember me?" Su Yang said with a grin. "You... Didn''t you leave the capital? Why are you back here?" Brother Zhao asked curiously. "Sigh, I''m here because of my wife! It''s a lovers'' tiff. We''re getting married! She doesn''t want to go with me because she''s too shy!" Su Yang explained. Chapter 1571 Marry Me Chapter 1571 Marry Me "I see. Then can both of you show me your permit," Brother Sun said. This Su Yang was really a weirdo. This was a woman whom his brother defiled but Su Yang did not mind and even wanted to marry her! If word got out, he would become a laughing stock among the neighbors again. Su Yang quickly took out his permit from the pocket and said, "Brother Sun, I''m here to marry her. I''m originally from the capital! My household register is still in the capital! I can''t be considered to have sneaked in." Brother Sun checked it and found that there was indeed no problem. Even without it, Su Yang would not be arrested since he had a right to be in the capital. However, Qiao Yu was not from the capital and she did not produce her permit as requested. It was obvious that something was wrong. "What about yours?" Brother Sun said. "I... I came to the capital in a hurry, but my sister-in-law is the mother of Qiao Mei who lives in the house over there! You must all know who Qiao Mei is! My permit is with her!" Qiao Yu said agitatedly. Brother Sun and Brother Zhao definitely knew who Qiao Mei was. Zou Ming had even specially instructed them to take good care of Qiao Mei''s family. They did not expect this woman to be related to Qiao Mei. "Then let''s go take a look and see if the permit is there!" Brother Sun said. Brother Sun and Brother Zhao followed them all the way to the community center to get married. They only left after witnessing the staff at the community center affixing the official seal on the certificate. Qiao Yu looked at the marriage certificate in her hand angrily. This was all Qiao Mei''s fault! If not for Qiao Mei, Su Yang would not have been able to find her so quickly. After she married Su Yang, there was no way back for her! Su Yang did not care so much. The most important thing to him now was his wedding night! However, the Su family''s previous house had already been taken back by the factory and he did not have a place to live now. After searching for a while, Su Yang brought Qiao Yu to the house where the Su family used to live, the one which was currently Qiao Mei''s corn courtyard house. Ever since Qiao Mei''s factory in the suburbs commenced operations, this house had been left vacant and no one had come to clean it. The locks were all old and rusty. There was nothing important in this house, so Qiao Mei could not be bothered to arrange for someone to guard it. There was still some tattered bedding left in the house. These were those used by Sun Juan and the other women when they took turns sleeping during their shifts. "Come! We''ll stay here! From now on, this will be our home!" Su Yang said as he tugged at Qiao Yu. Qiao Yu immediately said, "I still have something on! I have to go to my sister-in-law''s house! You can stay here for now!" As long as she remained chaste, she would still have a chance to marry someone else. However, how could Su Yang not know what Qiao Yu was thinking? No matter what, he would not let Qiao Yu leave. Tonight, he must make Qiao Yu his woman. Chapter 1572 Exposed Chapter 1572 Exposed As Qiao Mei hummed a tune at home, Xia He also felt happier. They did not know if this plan could stall Qiao Yu for a while, but they definitely felt much more relaxed without Qiao Yu watching them from the corner. "Do you think we''ve gone too far?" Xia He asked. "It''s all of her own doing. We only gave Su Yang a boost. She could have chosen to be sent back, but she chose to stay for the sake of those benefits. She has chosen this path herself. It''s not like we forced her to do it," Qiao Mei said. "That''s right. How big a reward do you think the mastermind is giving her? She''s even willing to marry Su Yang!" Xia He lamented.Follow the latest novels at novelhall.com "It can only be money and something she wants. The only people who can offer such a reward are the He and Du families. I just don''t know who the actual mastermind is," Qiao Mei said as she massaged the spot between her eyebrows. "But why not the Song family?" Xia He asked curiously. Other than Song Dan, the only child of the Song family who showed promise, none of the other family members were capable of anything. It was already good enough if they did not cause trouble for Song Dan. In addition, Song Dan needed the Xia family''s "divine medicine" now, so he would not force the Xia family into a corner. He also needed to take care of Old Master Song, so he did not have the time and energy to come up with such a scheme. Moreover, Du Miao had previously done an investigation on Song Dan''s background. All these years, Song Dan had to rely on Du Miao to gain a foothold in the capital. The Song family was actually just the Du family''s lackey. "It''s alright. I''m more worried that she''ll let us off. That won''t be good for us. Let''s go ahead with the original plan. The two of us will go out tomorrow. Please inform Luo Yu that we''ll set the plan in motion tomorrow," Qiao Mei said firmly. Li Gui really could not take it anymore and left the front yard with her luggage to return to her own house. As long as she did not see anything, she would not ruin Qiao Mei''s plan. If she still stayed in the courtyard house, she would definitely stop them from carrying out the plan! Qiao Mei instructed Feng Hua and Xu Kang to strictly follow her plan. The next morning, Qiao Mei and Xia He spent a long time in the courtyard. From time to time, in front of Qiao Yu, they would deliberately drop hints about going out today. At noon, Qiao Mei dismissed the guard team from the courtyard, leaving only Da Zhuang to keep watch in the dark and report to them. The rest of the guard team were stationed nearby. Feng Hua pretended to have a stomachache and ran out of the children''s room. At noon, Qiao Qiang would take a long nap and would not notice what was happening in the front yard. Qiao Yu tiptoed to the two children''s room. Outside the house, Qiao Mei watched Qiao Yu''s every move vigilantly through the vines. If Qiao Yu tried to kill the children, she could immediately protect them. Qiao Yu only took a look at the two children before going into Qiao Mei''s room. Holding a backpack in her hands, she opened the drawers of Qiao Mei''s dressing table and looked at the dazzling array of jewelry inside. Some time ago, when she was inside the house, she happened to see Qiao Mei putting away some jewelry. In any case, she would definitely be hunted down by the Xia family after she succeeded in her task, so she might as well take some valuable items with her. Chapter 1573 Taking The Children Away Chapter 1573 Taking The Children Away Even without the money from the Du family, she could live well with just these items from Qiao Mei! Qiao Yu was not satisfied after stuffing all the jewelry into her backpack. She still wanted to search for the place where Qiao Mei hid her money. At this moment, Xu Kang suddenly walked past the window, scaring Qiao Yu so much that she did not even dare to breathe loudly. She quickly squatted down to hide and only came out after Xu Kang left. It was getting late and time to get down to business. Qiao Yu went to the children''s room again. Xia Xing was still sleeping. Xia Fan opened his eyes and looked at Qiao Yu curiously. Since she was alone, it was impossible for her to grab both children at the same time. If she had to take one, she would definitely choose the boy! She wanted to get rid of the Xia family''s male descendant! As for the girl... Qiao Yu touched a hairpin casually. She wanted to leave a scar on Xia Xing''s face. Looks were very important to a girl. Once a girl was disfigured, it meant that she would be gossiped about for the rest of her life and would not be able to marry into a good family! When Qiao Mei saw this, her heart was in her throat. She was very scared that Qiao Yu would do something out of line and hurt the children. Qiao Yu hesitated for a long time but did not make any move in the end. It would be disastrous for her if Xia Xing cried loudly and attracted attention. It was better to just take Xia Fan and go. "How dare you touch my child," Qiao Mei said fiercely. "Haha, why not? You''ve ruined my life, so I''m going to ruin yours too! Your child will never come back! You can just cry every day while looking at his clothes!" Qiao Yu said manically. "Since I can capture you, do you think I haven''t discovered your plan?" Qiao Mei looked at Qiao Yu mockingly. Qiao Yu was still feeling smug just now, but her expression changed drastically now. She looked at Qiao Mei in panic and said, "That''s impossible! You must be lying to me! I clearly did it flawlessly! How could you have discovered it! You must be lying to me! You''re just trying to make me confess! No way!" Just as Qiao Yu finished speaking, Luo Yu ran over with the child in his arms. He handed Xia Fan to Qiao Mei, who quickly checked if there were any wounds on the boy. When Xia Fan saw Qiao Mei, he smiled even more happily, as if nothing had happened just now. Luo Yu told Qiao Mei that Xia Fan did not even cry along the way. "You fool, don''t you know how to cry? Why don''t you cry when you see strangers? Don''t tell me you''ve really that stupid!" Qiao Mei looked at Xia Fan worriedly. After all, when one had twins, it was very likely that one child would absorb more nutrition, leaving the other child to be less developed. Chapter 1574 Prodigy Chapter 1574 Prodigy Xia Fan pouted unhappily. A moment ago, he was still all smiles, but now he was frowning. This child was only born a few months ago. Could he understand what the adults were saying? Sister Feng had taken the time to teach Qiao Mei a lot of things about how to bring up a child and what parents should do at every stage of a child''s life. At this age, children could only recognize people they saw every day. They only knew when they were hungry and when they were sleepy. Sometimes, they did not even know that they were hungry. They only knew that they were not feeling well and would cry to express the discomfort. "You... you allowed yourself to be taken away on purpose?" Qiao Mei asked as she stared at Xia Fan. Xia Fan nodded happily. The look in his eyes seemed to be saying, "Praise me, Mom". Qiao Mei was completely dumbfounded. She did not expect this child to be a prodigy! In that case, Xia Xing probably could also understand what the adults were saying. "If you can understand me, then nod your head," Qiao Mei said as she looked at Xia Fan expectantly. Xia Fan nodded seriously. Only then could Qiao Mei confirm that these two children could understand what the adults said. She had thought that since these two children absorbed some energy from her, they would turn out a little smarter than the other children. She did not expect them to mature so fast! Xia Zhe wanted to ignore Qiao Mei, but he also cared for her a lot. Since he was unable to speak harshly to her, he decided not to say anything and just glared at her from time to time. Qiao Mei did not blame Xia Zhe. If the person who did this was Xia Zhe, Qiao Mei might even skin him alive by now! She might even ask for a divorce! "Hey... don''t be angry... I didn''t do it on purpose. Besides, I took precautions to make sure that the children are safe. I definitely won''t do this again! I promise that there won''t be a next time!" Qiao Mei said firmly. Xia Zhe did not believe Qiao Mei''s nonsense. He definitely could not give in so quickly. He must let Qiao Mei learn her lesson so that she would not dare to do such crazy things in the future. It was really too scary! She was simply lawless! The interrogation yielded results very quickly. Qiao Yu was frightened by all the threats that she told them about everything that happened. However, she did not mention the Du family or anything related to the He family. The Du family did everything flawlessly and meticulously. How could they let Qiao Yu see the Du family members? Even when Qiao Yu first arrived in the capital to meet them, the house she saw was a place they rented at the last minute. "Are there any other clues?" Xia Mao asked with a frown as he looked at the interrogation records in front of him. Chapter 1575 Please Do Not Ignore Me Chapter 1575 Please Do Not Ignore Me "The couple hasn''t been interrogated yet. I think we should be able to get something useful out of them," Xia Xiu said unhurriedly. "Can they tell us who the mastermind is?" Xia Mao asked. "Hmph, don''t you trust my skills?" Xia Xiu said confidently. Xia Mao smiled resignedly. When it came to interrogation, Xia Mao would never be able to reach Xia Xiu''s level. He believed that Xia Xiu would be able to give him an answer. However, both of them knew what to expect. Even if they could get all the clues from the couple, they had no hard evidence to nail the mastermind. Private investigators were actually part of an underground business and could not be exposed. If their enemies found out their real identities, their lives would be in danger. They would have to be satisfied with just the clues. There was still a long way to go and they were not in a hurry to take revenge. However, the mastermind could forget about having a good life from now on! Three days after Xia Zhe returned home, he still refused to speak to Qiao Mei. It made her so anxious that she kept pacing around the house. When he still ignored her, she sat in the courtyard and wept silently. Xu Lan, who had come for a visit, happened to see this scene when she arrived. "Mei Mei! What''s wrong with you! Did Xia Zhe bully you! Why are you crying! Xia Zhe! Come out! Did you make Qiao Mei angry!" Xu Lan said anxiously. Qiao Mei could not control her emotions. She had already forgiven Xia Zhe in her heart, but she continued to weep aggrievedly. Perhaps it was because the fear and grievances she kept in her heart from a few days ago had finally erupted. "Actually, I''m not piqued with you. I''m... I''m angry with myself. I also need to take responsibility for this matter. If I was able to discover the evil schemes of those people earlier, I would have been able to protect you well and not let you and the children go through this," Xia Zhe said. "If people are gunning for us, there''s no way to defend against them. Instead of overprotecting the children, it''s better to let them experience some hardship," Qiao Mei said. "You''re right. I''ll definitely protect you and the children better in the future. Nothing like this will happen again," Xia Zhe said firmly. After this incident, Qiao Mei realized that she could not do without Xia Zhe anymore. They got married right after they met and they did not even spend half a year together after that. Moreover, Xia Zhe was very hostile towards Qiao Mei then. Now, as they spent more time together, they had long fallen in love with each other. Their feelings for each other had grown deeper and deeper. After having children, Qiao Mei felt even more strongly about not being away from Xia Zhe. She wanted to be with Xia Zhe every day, live together and not be separated from him for even one day. "Xia Zhe, bring Qiao Mei back to the room to rest. I''ll take care of the children today," Xu Lan said. Xia Zhe gently held Qiao Mei up and led her back to the bedroom. When it was time for dinner, Xu Kang sent the food to their bedroom. Although Qiao Mei''s morning sickness had alleviated during this period of time, she still felt uncomfortable from time to time, so there was a need to take care of her health. Chapter 1576 Reunion Chapter 1576 Reunion "I''m sorry..." Xia Zhe hugged Qiao Mei and apologized again. "Enough... I''m not even blaming you for this matter. Why do you need to apologize to me so many times?" Qiao Mei said with a smile. "I just feel like I owe you too much," Xia Zhe lamented. A relationship was a partnership, with both parties needing to put in the efforts and not being too picky about the returns. There was no such thing as one person owing the other more. Qiao Mei pouted and said, "If you continue to say such things, I''m going to get angry! If I keep crying and Grandfather gets wind of it, you''re going to get a beating! Everyone in the family will reprimand you then!" "Then I won''t say anything else. I''ll listen to you!" Xia Zhe said gently. It was strange but Qiao Mei felt much better after Xia Zhe returned. The two children also drank more milk than before. Xia Fan and Xia Xing wanted Xia Zhe to carry them whenever they saw him and even wanted to climb out of their room to play with him! "Ah~ ah~" Xia Fan reached out and waved his little hands at Xia Zhe. He laughed so happily that saliva dripped from the corner of his mouth. "Xia Fan is a little heavier compared to the last time I was home," Xia Zhe said as he observed carefully. Now that the two children were getting bigger, their features had also become much clearer. Xia Xing looked very much like Qiao Mei, while Xia Fan looked exactly like Xia Zhe when he was young. It was as if they were carved from the same mold. As the family was enjoying the harmonious moment, Xia Xing suddenly sat on the floor and shouted, "Pow!" Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe looked at Xia Xing in shock. What did Xia Xing just say? Was it one-off? Seeing that his parents were motionless, Xia Xing picked up the toy on the floor and shook it before shouting, "Pow! Pow!" "Are you trying to say the word play?" Qiao Mei said to Xia Xing, articulating clearly. Xia Xing nodded excitedly and cried out "pow pow" a few more times, each time louder than the last, making Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei laugh loudly as well. Xia Fan then clapped his hands and laughed along. "He''s only a few months old and he can already speak so loudly!" Xia Zhe said in surprise. Qiao Mei did not expect it either. Most children would speak around the age of one and a half to two years old. At around one year old, they could only babble vague-sounding words. Xia Fan and Xia Xing were only six months old, but they were already able to make such clear sounds. In addition, they could understand what the adults were saying. As long as they were taught well in the future, they would definitely be fast learners! After a few more days, there was finally some progress on Xia Xiu''s end. The couple refused to say much and the stories they told were full of loopholes. Xia Xiu could only investigate each clue one by one and was finally able to take down their den. However, this was only a small part of the true picture. The mastermind was still a mystery. However, that was all they could for now. Qiao Yu did not succeed in abducting the child so it was not possible to convict her of any serious crime. However, she had tried to harm a child of the Xia family and this alone was enough for her to die 800 times over. Chapter 1577 Officially Becoming a Military Spouse Chapter 1577 Officially Becoming a Military Spouse Qiao Mei did not want Qiao Yu to die so easily. Death was too good an end for her. It was a much more difficult thing to continue living. She definitely wanted Qiao Yu to live a life worse than death. After the military finished their investigation, they handed all the suspects to the police. After all, the military did not have the right to charge people for crimes. These things could only be done by the police. Zou Ming volunteered to be in charge of this case. He definitely would not let Qiao Yu off easily. When Su Yang could not find Qiao Yu, he went asking around and finally managed to get the news from Brother Sun and Brother Zhao. "Brother Sun, can you help me look for my wife! My wife is missing!" Su Yang said anxiously. "Oh, you still don''t know!" Brother Sun said as he looked at Su Yang in shock. Looking lost, Su Yang asked, "Know what? Brother Sun, tell me more. Do you know where my wife is!" "Your wife has offended the Xia family! I don''t think she''ll be able to go home! I hear that she''s extremely bold. Not only did she steal all the jewelry from Madam Qiao, but she also kidnapped that lady''s son! Do you think they will let your wife off?" Brother Sun said. Even the pram she brought along was an old one. It was better not to flaunt their wealth outside. What if people gossiped about her and it caused trouble for Xia Zhe? She did not want to give the impression that she was very rich. Fortunately, she did not make an appearance in the publicity materials for the factory. The He family had also spent money to remove all traces of the news related to the scandal. Very few people knew that she was the director of Osmanthus Food Factory. During the period when Qiao Mei had to stay at home, Xia Zhe had already moved to the single-story house. The place was clean and tidy and it surprised Qiao Mei as she thought that she would have to clean up when she arrived! "Wow, it''s so clean and it''s already furnished! Did you do all this yourself?" Qiao Mei asked curiously. "Yes, we usually have three hours to spend outside the base, so I use the time to go out and buy things we need. If there''s anything I missed out, you can get someone to go out and buy for you," Xia Zhe said thoughtfully. "My husband is the best! You have been gone from work for so long. Shouldn''t you go and check on things? Go quickly. I can take charge here!" Qiao Mei said as she patted her chest. Xia Zhe hugged Qiao Mei for a while before leaving reluctantly to go to work. If he went in too late, he might have to leave work late. Then, he would wake the children and Qiao Mei if they were already sleeping. Chapter 1578 Allocation of Land Chapter 1578 Allocation of Land Qiao Mei looked at the two children crawling around on the brick bed and said seriously, "Xia Fan! Xia Xing! Sit properly!" Xia Fan and Xia Xing looked at Qiao Mei curiously and stopped what they were doing. The two of them sat down obediently and looked at Qiao Mei. Xia Xing could not sit properly yet and had to prop herself up by leaning against Xia Fan unsteadily. Their seating stances were acceptable to Qiao Mei. "Mom is going outside to do some cleaning. I''ll be in the courtyard. The two of you play on the brick bed obediently, do you understand? If you do, then nod your heads!" Qiao Mei said slowly, enunciating each word clearly. Xia Fan nodded with his might. Xia Xing let out a loud "wow" sound in agreement. "Then it''s a deal! If you fall down and hurt yourself, Mom won''t care about you! Do you understand! Ring the bell if you need anything, do you understand?" Qiao Mei decided to scare them a little. Xia He had bought the bell as a toy for the children. Qiao Mei did not expect it to come in useful. Xia Fan and Xia Xing nodded obediently. After listening to Qiao Mei''s instructions, the two of them sat on the brick bed and continued playing. Qiao Mei was still a little worried about their safety and decided to put up a barrier. With the barrier, there was less chance of the children falling over. The vegetables in the courtyard had already been harvested by the other women and there were only a few roots left behind. Qiao Mei did not know if she should remove them now and then inform them about what she did when she saw them again. "Thank you, Sister Liu. So I''ll proceed to farm on the land here!" Qiao Mei said. "Sure." Liu Yun agreed casually and walked back to her house. The rest of them also returned to their own homes to do their chores. Qiao Mei removed all the leftover plants in the courtyard and turned the soil over. She would sow some seeds tomorrow once she had time. She would also give some of these seeds to the other women as a show of gratitude to them for reallocating the land. She would not give them much, probably less than a hundred seeds each. Although it was not a lot, these seeds were all high quality ones which Qiao Mei had carefully nurtured. Although the seeds which those women used were also not bad, what they had were definitely not as good as the seeds that Qiao Mei brought with her. Qiao Mei did not care if these people used her seeds or not. If they trusted her, they would naturally benefit from it. Liu Yun and Zhang Cai did not even look at the seeds. They just put it aside and mumbled a few words of thanks. Wang Nuo was more polite and even gave Qiao Mei many potatoes to bring home. Song Zhi reacted most differently from the others. She still remembered that Qiao Mei had spoken up for her that day. "Thank you. I don''t have much good stuff at home. My best skill is doing needlework. I''ll make two pairs of shoes for your children and send them over once it''s ready. Take it as my gift to say thanks," Song Zhi said softly. "You don''t have to be so polite," Qiao Mei said with a smile. Chapter 1579 Buy Half a Pig Chapter 1579 Buy Half a Pig "It''s alright, I''m not that busy. I''ll definitely pass you the shoes soon. Thank you for giving me the seeds," Song Zhi said happily. Qiao Mei happily returned to her own house. After visiting the four women, she had a rough understanding of the family situation and income of each family. They were not nasty by nature. As long as she found the right way to get along well with them, life here would be more harmonious in the future. She just did not know if the army superiors'' family members were easy to get along with. Now that she was in the army base, she could not ask Yao Nian to investigate all these things for her. If Yao Nian was discovered, it would be a disaster for him. She could only rely on herself. Xia Zhe rushed home before dark with a lot of pork and pork ribs in his hands, making countless people envious of him. However, Xia Zhe did not think that he had gone overboard. In this era, even the soldiers did not get many chances to eat meat. They would get meat coupons but these were used up very quickly if they chose to have all their meals at the canteen. For Xia Zhe, he usually did not have any time to eat and would always make do with some snacks on the go. Even if he went to the canteen, he was usually the last one there. By that time, there would not be any meat dishes left, so he naturally had a whole bunch of meat coupons left. "Oh my goodness! Did you buy half a pig?" Qiao Mei said in shock as she looked at all the meat in Xia Zhe''s hands. "I''m just worried that you won''t have enough to eat. Besides, these things won''t spoil if we keep them in the fridge. It''s inconvenient for you to go down the mountain. What if you hurt yourself? I''ll bring food for you whenever I come home. This way, you won''t have to move around too much," Xia Zhe explained. "My culinary skills are top-notch! Even Grandfather praises me! Don''t look down on me!" Xia Zhe said. Qiao Qiang was not picky about food at all. Even if it was just a simple dish of boiled cabbage, Qiao Qiang would eat it very happily, so what he said had no value at all! Qiao Mei did not want to affect Xia Zhe''s confidence. Since he wanted to cook, she would let him do it. Anyway, she was not in much of a mood to eat. She could steam plain buns or meat buns if necessary. If Xia Zhe failed to make anything, they could just have meat buns for dinner. "What time do you need to go out tomorrow?" Qiao Mei asked curiously. "About five or six in the morning. You won''t be up yet at that time. In the morning, there''s a small food cart selling breakfast at the apartment building. I''ll buy some food for you before I go so you don''t have to cook," Xia Zhe said. "Why are you so familiar with all these?" Qiao Mei asked. During the time of the earthquake, Qiao Mei had also lived with Xia Zhe in the army camp for a period of time. Xia Zhe had never been the kind of person who paid attention to all these things happening around him. Chapter 1580 Teach Chapter 1580 Teach Xia Zhe was a very thrifty person. He only ate in the canteen and only used army-issued items. He had no desire to buy anything. "I went to check on all these in advance. I''m worried that you can''t get used to life here, so I want to make sure that I do everything to make your life here more comfortable," Xia Zhe said. "I''m not that delicate! But you can wash the dishes after we''re done~" Qiao Mei set the empty bowls aside and said to Xia Zhe with a smile. "I''ll do all these chores in the future!" Xia Zhe agreed with a smile. The two children kept climbing around on the brick bed. Qiao Mei picked up a book and sat down beside them. "Xia Fan! Xia Xing! Come and sit here! Mom wants to talk to you!" Xia Fan came in front of Qiao Mei first and sat down properly. The reason why he could sit down so steadily could be due to the fact that he ate a lot and had grown much bigger than his younger sister. Up till now, Xia Xing could not sit up straight and even faced quite taxing at times. "From today onwards, Mom will read to you every night! Do you agree!" Qiao Mei said. "Wow!" Xia Xing shouted loudly. Xia Fan also babbled something unintelligibly. "Then do you want me to get another book?" Qiao Mei asked as she pointed at the books. This time, the two siblings nodded in unison. They felt that fairy tales were really childish. Who were all those princes and princesses? Why did they want to live happily ever after? They could not understand why those people wanted to do that. Qiao Mei brought over a book on mathematics and started to teach the children basic sums from the kindergarten syllabus. This time round, Xia Fan and Xia Xing looked very interested. They were still fooling around a moment ago, but now they were focused on the book. Xia Zhe took this opportunity to go to the firewood room to make many small smooth wooden sticks to use as teaching materials. Qiao Mei placed the wooden sticks in a pile in front of the children and pointed to a drawing of two wooden sticks in the book. "Look here, how many wooden sticks do you see? Can you show Mom?" Xia Fan was the first to make a move. He took out two wooden sticks from the pile and placed them in front of her. Xia Xing''s reaction was a little slower and she seemed to find the wooden sticks too ugly. She quickly crawled to the other side and took two toys before struggling to crawl towards Qiao Mei. "They... can understand what you say?" Xia Zhe looked at the two children in shock. "I also only found out recently... that our children are actually so smart," Qiao Mei said as she scratched her head in embarrassment. To Xia Zhe, it was totally plausible. Qiao Mei was so smart and capable and his genes were not bad either. It was reasonable for Xia Fan and Xia Xing to turn out so smart. Chapter 1581 I Will Definitely Wake Up Early Tomorrow Chapter 1581 I Will Definitely Wake Up Early Tomorrow Similarly, Xia Mao was such an outstanding man and Xu Lan was so artistic and talented in dance. The three Xia siblings had also inherited their strengths. "Then what should we do about their education? Should we ask Eldest Brother about this?" Xia Zhe said, looking troubled. Xia Wen had brought up both Xia He and Xia Zhe when they were young. Xia Wen must be very knowledgeable about the subject! It would be good if Xia Wen could come over to take a look and help to come up with a suitable education path for the children. Qiao Mei did not want everyone to know about this! Xia Fan and Xia Xing did not inherit Qiao Mei''s superpowers. They had only absorbed some of Qiao Mei''s energy, which was why their mental development was faster than other children.CHeCk for new stories on no/v/el/bin(.)c0m If other people found out that the two children were extraordinarily talented, everyone would think that Xia Fan and Xia Xing were weirdos and look at them differently. "There''s no need for now. I''ll take my time to figure it out. After all, it''s never a bad thing to gain more knowledge!" Qiao Mei said with a smile. "You''re right. Let''s do it your way," Xia Zhe said. After tidying up, the whole family fell asleep. The next morning, Xia Zhe headed to the apartment building to buy breakfast. He even prepared milk for the children and kept it warm in hot water so that Qiao Mei could feed the children once she woke up. As usual, Qiao Mei slept until late in the morning. The two children just crouched next to her and looked at her without crying or making a fuss. This was what Xia Zhe told them before he left, that they should stay put obediently and not disturb their mother''s sleep. Xia Fan was wearing a blue outfit and Xia Xing a pink outfit, so Liu Yun was immediately clear about their gender. She could also tell that the children were about the same age. "Heavens! They must be a pair of twins! This is the first time I''ve seen a pair of twins!" Liu Yun shouted. This immediately attracted the attention of all the women nearby. Everyone gathered around the pram to look at the children and Qiao Mei stood rooted to the spot helplessly. Fortunately, Xia Fan and Xia Xing were very well-behaved and did not cry. "The children are so good-looking, especially the girl! She looks so much like you! It''s fortunate that she doesn''t look like her father. Then again, your husband is also good-looking so it doesn''t matter who she resembles! Not like that idiot in my family! He''s so ugly that I don''t know what to say!" Zhang Cai said disdainfully. "As if you have the same kind of luck! This is a pair of twins! They are blessed babies! It''s a blessing that many people can''t get! Hey, Qiao Mei! Who is the older child?" Wang Nuo asked curiously. "The boy. The boy is older. We call him Tuan Tuan and his younger sister is Yuan Yuan," Qiao Mei said in a gentle voice. "Such nice names! Tuan Tuan Yuan Yuan means reunion! Oh my, I''m so envious just looking at them!" Liu Yun said. "Sister Liu! If you like children so much, then have another one!" Zhang Cai teased. Liu Yun was already in her 40s and would find it hard to have another child. She would have to wait until her children got married and gave her grandchildren. Chapter 1582 Not Taking Sides Chapter 1582 Not Taking Sides "Shoo, shoo, shoo! You can have one yourself!" Liu Yun said. After knowing that Qiao Mei had just given birth to two children, the women no longer gossiped about her figure. A woman''s bosom was very voluptuous when she was breastfeeding. This was something that could not be helped. They were all mothers and could understand it. During lunchtime, they all had to go home to cook. Qiao Mei had nothing to do, so she decided to head to the apartment building to take a look. She was not familiar with that area yet. It would be nice if she could meet some nice people. As she strolled, Qiao Mei saw a tall and slim woman wearing branded clothes and high heels walking on the steep mountain path. She looked very elegant. "I don''t think I''ve ever seen you before. Are you a newcomer?" the woman asked curiously as she sized Qiao Mei up. "My name is Qiao Mei. Indeed, I just moved here yesterday," Qiao Mei said with a smile. Qiao Mei was dressed very simply today, but Xia He had bought all these clothes for her and they were all from the big brands. Qiao Mei did not usually pay much attention to these things, but that woman knew such things like the back of her hand. "My name is Lu Man. You look like you''re from the city. Which floor do you live on? We can take care of each other," Lu Man said with a smile. "Who are you?" said the pregnant woman, Jin Yao. Before Qiao Mei could speak, one of the women who was further away ran over and looked at Xia Fan and Xia Xing while saying, "I didn''t expect you to have children even though you''re so young! Sigh! Are you from the city! I''ve never seen this pram before!" "Oh... My relative bought this pram for me," Qiao Mei said. "Really! It looks really nice! Ask that relative of yours to buy one for me too! I''ll pay you!" Lu Lin said excitedly. This was the first time Qiao Mei had seen a person who was so out-of-line. Qiao Mei did not even know her, but she made demands as soon as they met and had such a bad attitude. "My relative brought this back from somewhere else when he was on a business trip. I don''t know where he bought it from. If you want to get one, you might have to wait for a long time. I don''t know when he''ll go on a business trip again," Qiao Mei said, rejecting the woman tactfully. "Relative? Then ask him to specially make a trip there! I''ll reimburse him!" Lu Lin said stubbornly. Qiao Mei also did not understand why Lu Lin insisted on getting this pram. It was an old model, so why would anyone still want it! "My relative is very busy and doesn''t have the time to do this," Qiao Mei said coldly. Chapter 1583 Wait for Me to Get Someone Here Chapter 1583 Wait for Me to Get Someone Here In the beginning, Qiao Mei was still patient enough to respond with a smile, but now she just wanted to leave this place as soon as possible. Lu Lin''s son slowly walked up to Xia Fan and grabbed the baby boy by the collar, lifting him up. He wanted to throw Xia Fan off the pram, but he was still a child himself and did not have the strength to pick up another child. However, Xia Fan''s head hit the sunshade part of the pram in the process. Qiao Mei was about to discipline the kid when Xia Fan raised his hand and gave the kid a loud slap. Xia Xing was so angry that she also leaned forward and bit Lu Lin''s child. She bit his arm and refused to let go. No one could bully her elder brother! She was the only one who could bully her elder brother! "Ah!!! Mom, save me!!! She''s biting me!!!" Lu Lin''s son shouted in pain. "Oh! My son! You wretched girl, let go now! How can you bite my son!" Lu Lin even wanted to raise her hand to hit Xia Xing on the head. Qiao Mei immediately pushed Lu Lin to the side, squatted down and said patiently to Xia Xing, "Open your mouth." Xia Xing opened her mouth obediently and let go of Lu Lin''s child. Lu Lin quickly ran forward and hugged her son as she said, "Let Mom take a look! Mom will take a look at your wound! How can your child be so strong! And so bad-tempered!" This was the first time Qiao Mei had seen a child cry like this after getting bitten. Furthermore, it was a boy who was six or seven years old. Back when Zhang Miao had her ribs broken at four years old, she did not even make a fuss like this. "Just you wait! I''ll go and get someone now!" After saying that, Lu Lin ran to the phone booth at the side to make a call, ignoring her son who was on the ground. It was hard to tell if Lu Lin was really the child''s biological mother. Qiao Mei was curious to see who Lu Lin would ask to come around. She thought that she could live a quiet life here but trouble still managed to find her somehow. Not long after, a car arrived at the entrance of the garden. Two men got out of the car, one of them being Xia Zhe. Qiao Mei was sitting in the shade under the tree and rocking the pram to coax the children to sleep, so she did not have a clear look at the two men. "Hubby! Quick, seek justice for our child! Our child was bitten by someone else''s child! This is very important!" Lu Lin wept as she tugged at the middle-aged man standing next to Xia Zhe. The man''s name was Mao Wei and he could be considered Xia Zhe''s subordinate. He had given Xia Zhe a ride back today to get in Xia Zhe''s good books. Mao Wei was about to take part in a promotion exercise. Xia Zhe had the final say in this matter, so he wanted to build a good relationship with Xia Zhe. However, Xia Zhe was not interested and always kept a distance from him. If not for the fact that Xia Zhe was in a hurry to go home today, he might never get a chance to send Xia Zhe home. Chapter 1584 Children Fooling Around Chapter 1584 Children Fooling Around Ever since Mao Wei heard that Xia Zhe had recently moved to the family compound in the army base, he had felt excited for days. All this while, he was unable to give Xia Zhe any gifts at all. Even if he sent something over, the gifts would be returned to him immediately. Now that Xia Zhe''s family had come over, he did not believe that they would also reject his gifts. "Cry, cry, cry! You only know how to cry! Don''t you see that I have a guest here? Hold it in!" Mao Wei said unhappily. Xia Zhe did not care about this at all. He had no interest in other people''s family matters. He just wanted to go home early and spend time with Qiao Mei. However, he thought that the pram in the distance looked familiar. It seemed to be the pram that Xia Wen had bought for the children. Furthermore, there were no other prams meant for twins in this compound. Lu Lin did not care about all this. She thought that since Xia Zhe was so young, then he must be a newbie. He could not be ranked higher than her husband. The most important thing now was her son! "Go and take a look at our son! Our son is rolling around on the ground from the pain of being bitten! Go and take a look now!" Lu Lin said. "I''m really sorry. I have to go and settle some family matters first. It seems that my child has been bullied," Mao Wei said to Xia Zhe apologetically. "I''ll go and take a look too," Xia Zhe said. Mao Wei thought that Xia Zhe wanted to back him up, so he instantly straightened his back and walked over. "Their son took a fancy to our pram and tried to throw the baby out of the pram without even saying anything. Tuan Tuan''s head hit the sidebar and when Yuan Yuan saw that her elder brother was being bullied, she bit the boy." Qiao Mei recounted the whole story factually. Lu Lin immediately said, "You''re lying! That''s not what happened! You''re talking nonsense!" Mao Wei pulled Lu Lin behind him and then grinned at Xia Zhe as he said, "Sir, so these are your children. No wonder he''s so good-looking! One look and I can tell that he looks like you!" "Don''t say such useless things. Since we can''t reach a consensus on this matter, let''s ask our superior to be the judge. I don''t want you to be wrongly accused or blamed for something that''s not your fault," Xia Zhe said coldly. His gaze was like a knife stabbing into Mao Wei. "No, no, no! There''s no need! This is just a misunderstanding! We''re all neighbors. It''s normal for children to fight!" Mao Wei said with a smile. Xia Zhe looked at Mao Wei sternly and said, "My child is only six months old and can''t withstand such a fight. Besides, I''m also very curious about how a six-month-old child can provoke your child who''s already six or seven years old." "It''s all my fault! Everything''s my fault! It''s my son who hurt him in a moment of excitement!" Mao Wei was so frightened that he quickly corrected himself. Qiao Mei hugged Xia Xing and watched the commotion leisurely. She wanted Xia Xing to see how capable and handsome her father was and how heroic he looked when he protected them. "Then your son..." Xia Zhe looked at the child whom Lu Lin was hugging. Mao Wei quickly said, "He''s fine! A boy has tough skin! It''s no big deal!" Chapter 1585 Retire From the Army if Needed Chapter 1585 Retire From the Army if Needed "That''s good. Then this matter ends here. If you have any other issues, you can come and look for me anytime. I''m going to bring my son to the hospital for a checkup. If there''s anything wrong with him, you''ll have to bear the consequences!" After Xia Zhe said that, he walked out of the garden with Xia Fan in his arms. Qiao Mei pushed the pram and followed closely behind him. Lu Lin watched them leave with a resentful look. She thought Mao Wei had come back to help her, but she did not expect him to be such a coward! A pet dog would be more useful than him! "Why aren''t you stopping them! Look at how your son has been bullied! Why aren''t you helping us!" Lu Lin said aggrievedly. Mao Wei raised his hand and slapped Lu Lin so hard that she fell to the ground and could not move for a long time. Their son hurriedly held Lu Lin''s hand and cried out, "Mom! Mom, are you alright!"CHeCk for new stories on no/v/el/bin(.)c0m "You have offended someone we can''t afford to offend! Do you know who that woman is! She''s my superior''s wife! How can you offend them! How can I have an easy time at work in the future! You idiot! Whether I can get promoted or not can be decided with one word from him! You stupid woman! How did I marry an idiot like you!" Mao Wei said furiously. "How would I know who he is! You don''t even dare to stand up for your son and wife who have been bullied! Why are you blaming us! You''re the one who''s such a disappointment and yet you''re blaming us! What kind of man are you!" Lu Lin roared at Mao Wei as she cried. "Delete all those thoughts in your head. This matter has nothing to do with you. Don''t blame it all on yourself," Qiao Mei said earnestly. "But..." Before Xia Zhe could finish speaking, Qiao Mei continued, "No buts. The children and I can protect ourselves. Look at how amazing Xia Xing is. She can even bite other people. I really didn''t expect that. Also, you didn''t see the way Xia Fan slapped that child!" Qiao Mei said proudly. Although Qiao Mei knew that this was not proper behavior, her children did not attack until they were provoked. If they were being bullied, how could they get beaten up without fighting back? The matter today was considered done and dusted. In the future, Qiao Mei would definitely find a chance to educate the two children that it was never a good thing to get into a fight. "They are indeed very impressive," Xia Zhe said with a smile as he looked at the two children. "Don''t put so much pressure on yourself. We can all protect ourselves well. Then again, we need your protection too. If you hadn''t come back in time, that man would not have allowed us to leave!" Qiao Mei said as she leaned closely against Xia Zhe''s chest. Occasionally missing content, please report errors in time. Chapter 1586 I Like This Place Chapter 1586 I Like This Place Xia Zhe was also very glad that he had accepted a lift from Mao Wei this evening. Otherwise, he would have missed out on this drama! Xia Xing watched Qiao Mei''s movements and quickly crawled over. She tilted her head and leaned against Qiao Mei, just like how Qiao Mei leaned against Xia Zhe. "Look at your daughter!" Qiao Mei said without moving. Xia Fan also rushed over to join in the fun. He chose to crouch on Xia Xing''s belly and the whole family leaned against one another on the brick bed happily. Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe could feel their hearts melting. "I brought back some food from the army canteen tonight. Let''s just have a simple meal," Xia Zhe said. "Sure!" Qiao Mei picked Xia Xing up. She went to the kitchen to get crockery and cutlery to plate the food while Xia Zhe went to prepare the children''s powdered milk. The night passed uneventfully. The next morning, Qiao Mei woke up early and did not sleep until noon. However, the two children seemed to have been traumatized yesterday and were still fast asleep in bed. She wanted to sow the seeds in the courtyard today. The two children should start to eat some solid food by next spring. They would not get enough nutrition from only drinking powdered milk and it was not good for their physical development. By evening time, all the children had returned home and the surroundings became very lively. Qiao Mei liked this kind of environment very much. It was nice to be surrounded by bustling activities! She actually preferred to live here. Life in the capital was really a little boring. The high courtyard walls separated the neighbors from one another. Every day, she either spent her time fiddling in the courtyard or went to the factory to help out. It was really very boring and not as interesting as this place. Furthermore, Qiao Mei had gone to take a look at the mountain area behind them. The soil quality was excellent and it was very suitable for growing ginseng! Once she was familiar with the surroundings, she would start her "ginseng factory" again. "Why are you doing farm work again? Didn''t I tell you to just rest at home?" Xia Zhe said when he returned home. He quickly took the shovel from Qiao Mei. "It''s such a waste to leave this plot of land empty so why not plant something? I''m not that weak!" Qiao Mei said shyly. Liu Yun leaned against the wall and said, "Oh my, I''m so envious of you young people! Your husband really dotes on you! He''s not like that one in my house! When he gets home, he only knows how to sleep and does nothing!" "It''s not that. I''m pregnant again so he''s worried that I''ll get hurt..." Qiao Mei explained softly. "What! You''re pregnant again! I can''t tell at all!" Liu Yun said as she looked at Qiao Mei in shock. However, it was not such a big thing for Qiao Mei to be pregnant. Every family here had many children as the women here were very productive. It had already been half a year since Qiao Mei gave birth, so it was quite normal for her to get pregnant again.CHeCk for new stories on no/v/el/bin(.)c0m Chapter 1587 Careful Nurturing Chapter 1587 Careful Nurturing When everyone heard what Liu Yun said, they all stuck their heads out to look at Qiao Mei. Even after interacting with Qiao Mei often for the past few days, none of them realized that Qiao Mei was pregnant. Qiao Mei maintained her figure very well! Qiao Mei hurriedly pulled Xia Zhe into the house. She had already cleaned the pots and pans during the day and was all ready to cook a table full of delicious dishes for Xia Zhe tonight! "Hello! Is there anyone in the house!" Xia Wen shouted outside the main door of Xia Zhe''s house. "Eh? Do you hear Eldest Brother''s voice? Go outside and see who''s here?" Qiao Mei said as she looked at Xia Zhe curiously. Qiao Mei was chopping up the pork ribs and had no time to go and see who was outside. Xia Zhe put down the firewood and went out of the house. He immediately saw Xia Wen standing at the door with bags of things, looking very disheveled. "Don''t tell me you gave up politics and joined the army so that you can come and live with me? How did you manage to carry so many things here?" Xia Zhe said as he looked at Xia Wen in shock. "You brat, come over here to help! Don''t just stand there and talk! There''s still more in the car behind me!" Xia Wen said as he pointed at the off-road vehicle behind him. When Qiao Mei was making preparations to move here, she had instructed Xia Zhe to keep a low profile and not to bring too many things. In the end, Xia Wen had gone to buy all the things he felt that they lacked and sent them over. "Oh my, look there. Why are there so many things outside Qiao Mei''s house! I''ve never seen some of these things before!" Zhang Cai said from a distance away. He flipped to the same question regarding the sum of one plus one. Xia Fan picked up two wooden sticks effortlessly, but Xia Xing seemed a little annoyed and it took her some time to pick out two wooden sticks as well. Perhaps this question was too simple for them and they did not want to answer it anymore. "See, I''m not lying, am I?" Xia Zhe said. Xia Wen found it unbelievable and randomly flipped through the pages, stopping at a question regarding the sum of two plus two. He did not expect them to give the right answer again. This was definitely not just a coincidence! "This... Isn''t this a little strange... How can this be?" Xia Wen muttered to himself in a daze. He wondered if he had educated Xia He and Xia Zhe using the wrong method back then, and that the approach that Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe were taking was actually the correct one. Which other six-month-old child knew how to do sums! They could even understand what adults said! In that case, were they considered prodigies? "Eldest Brother, no need to doubt it. It''s exactly what you see," Xia Zhe said. "When did you find out about this?" Xia Wen asked. "It was when Qiao Yu tried to abduct the kid. Qiao Mei realized that the two children seemed to be very talented in mathematics, so she wanted to try and see if she could nurture them properly," Xia Zhe explained. Chapter 1588 Free Trade Chapter 1588 Free Trade "It''s not impossible... but don''t tire the children out. They''re still so young and it''s enough for them to just learn a little every day. They don''t even know how to stand up yet..." Xia Wen said with heartache. "Don''t worry, Eldest Brother. If the children have interest, I''ll let them learn more. If they don''t, we won''t force them. Come and try my braised pork! It''s been a long time since you tasted my cooking!" Qiao Mei said with a smile. The children living in the vicinity had never smelled such delicious food before. Even the food in the restaurants was not half as delicious as what Qiao Mei made. Most people had lived here for a long time and they knew very well which family was cooking from the smells coming from the houses. The children gathered at Qiao Mei''s main door and looked inside. However, they all had a sense of propriety. Their parents had instructed them not to eat at other people''s houses for no reason. After looking in for a while, they rushed back to their own homes to ask their mothers to cook delicious food for them. Qiao Mei took a deep breath in relief. If the neighbors around here were like those in the apartment building, then they might as well return to the capital! That kind of living environment was not good for the two children''s growth and development. the looks of it, everyone in this area was quite nice. In the future, she should try and get along better with these neighbors. The next time she made pickled vegetables, she would go and share some with everyone. "Eldest Brother, where are you going on your next business trip?" Qiao Mei asked. "I''m going to the south on a research trip and probably won''t be back for half a month. That''s why I have come by to see the children before I leave. I''ll bring you guys something nice when I come back!" Xia Wen said happily. Ever since Xia Wen divorced Tan Jing, he smiled a lot more. He was happiest when he spent time with the two children. "Sure! No problem!" Xia Wen continued, "Qiao Mei, do you still want to continue with your studies? I heard your conversation with Father the other day and it seems to me that you have some plans in mind." "I definitely want to go to university. It''s just that the children are still young now and it''s not the right time. We can talk about this next year," Qiao Mei said. The two children would be able to walk next year. By then, she could leave them to play by themselves or with the helper. She would not have to keep an eye on them all the time. The college entrance examination was going to resume next year. She must become one of the first batch of students to take the college entrance examination and go to university! It would be such a great loss not to go to school in this era. Xia Wen worked in government services currently and he was previously a teacher, so he paid special attention to these things. However, everything was still under discussion and it was not clear to him if the government would reinstate the college entrance examination. He decided to discuss it with Qiao Mei in detail only after he received confirmation. "Among the stack of books, there are also some from junior and senior high school. Read them whenever you''re free. If there''s anything you don''t understand, you can ask Xia Zhe. If there''s really no other way, circle out those that you don''t understand and I''ll teach you when I''m back," Xia Wen said. "Come on. I entered the military academy as the top student of my year. How can there be things I don''t understand!" Xia Zhe said unhappily. "I was the overall top student for 10 years and no one has beaten my record yet," Xia Wen said breezily. "Wow... top student! Eldest Brother, you''re amazing!" Qiao Mei said excitedly. Chapter 1589 Qiao Yu Is Missing Chapter 1589 Qiao Yu Is Missing Xia Zhe scratched his head awkwardly. His eldest brother was indeed the most outstanding person he ever knew, excelling in everything he did. In fact, Xia Zhe admired Xia Wen very much. He would say that Xia Wen was his role model in life. Back then, Xia Mao rarely had time to go home. Xia Zhe only heard of Xia Mao''s great achievements, but he had never seen the hard work that went behind it. Everything felt very far away and he only thought of Xia Mao as a hero. Xia Wen, on the other hand, was always by his side. He could see all the hard work that Xia Wen put in. He always competed with Xia Wen, but yet he never managed to surpass Xia Wen. "Eldest Brother is amazing in many ways. Anyway... I am not too far off from Eldest Brother!" Xia Zhe said. "That''s right, you''re the eternal second place winner!" Xia Wen teased. "I''ll surpass you one day!" Xia Zhe said. After dinner, it was time to get down to business. Xia Wen had some bad news for the couple. "Qiao Yu has gone missing and we still haven''t found her yet," Xia Wen said with a cold expression. After sending Xia Wen off, Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe stood at the doorway for a while. Qiao Mei looked at the empty courtyard and said, "Make me a swing when you''re free. The children and I want one!" "Why don''t you just say that you want one? Why do you need to drag the children in?" Xia Zhe said as he looked at Qiao Mei dotingly. "But it''s the children who want to sit on it! I want to plant a lot of flowers in the courtyard so that they can play at home!" Qiao Mei told Xia Zhe in detail about her future plans for the courtyard. Xia Zhe noted down everything she said. His job here was not that busy and he had a lot of rest time. In the coming days, he wanted to spend more time taking care of Qiao Mei so that she would not feel down. "Should we treat the neighbors to a meal? We haven''t officially met the neighbors since we moved here," Qiao Mei said. In Foshan Village, a new family would host a housewarming banquet. Everyone in the village would come to the newcomer''s house to have a night of fun. Every family would contribute some of their own vegetables and the atmosphere was very lively. "Better not. If we only invite the neighbors from the single-story houses, the people from the apartment building will have issues with it. If we invite everyone, there will definitely be other people making an issue out of the gesture. When the others moved in, they did not hold any housewarming banquet, so let''s not do it. If you want one, then we''ll do it at home ourselves. Our family of four will celebrate together," Xia Zhe said. "True! It''s better to keep a low profile! Let''s have a good time by ourselves! Go and make more toys for the children! We don''t have enough teaching materials!" Qiao Mei said as she pouted. The two of them began to draw sketches of educational toys for the children. They wanted to personally design and make the toys themselves. At this moment, Xia Zhe was so immersed in his role as a doting father that even Qiao Mei was caught up in it. Chapter 1590 We Meet Again Chapter 1590 We Meet Again Qiao Mei sat in the courtyard and looked towards the apartment building. Although Lu Lin, the woman she met that day, was not a nice person, she still wanted to get to know the other people in the apartment building. It could not be that the entire building was filled with people like Lu Lin. After tidying up the house, she went to the garden again. The people who lived in the apartments did not go near the single-story houses. They felt that the environment was not so nice and the women who lived there were rude and blunt. Qiao Mei pushed the pram to bring Xia Fan and Xia Xing for a walk around the garden. They bumped into the same pregnant woman as well as the other woman with a little girl. "Oh, we meet again!" said the pregnant woman. "Hello, my name is Qiao Mei," Qiao Mei said with a smile. "My name is Liang Die and this is Guo Feng. The little girl is her daughter. Her name is Cui Cui!" Liang Die said warmly. "Liang Die has already said everything for me. Come and sit down." Guo Feng made some space for Qiao Mei to sit. Qiao Mei did not stand on ceremony and sat down beside Guo Feng. Cui Cui immediately ran over and crouched over the pram to look at Xia Fan and Xia Xing with her eyes wide open. Qiao Mei tilted her head and looked at Cui Cui without saying anything. From the looks of it, Cui Cui should be a well-educated and sensible girl. "Elder Sister, what are their names?" Cui Cui spoke in a cute voice. She was so adorable that Qiao Mei wanted to lean over and hug her. "Your children are so good-looking, so fair and chubby. One look and you can tell that they''re very healthy. I wonder what my baby will look like?" Liang Die said. "It must be a chubby kid! When I was pregnant with Cui Cui, I couldn''t manage to eat anything. Look at how much you can eat now. Your appetite is so much better than mine back then!" Guo Feng said. "That''s not true!" Liang Die said embarrassedly. Liang Die was indeed a little plump and it was not just because of her pregnancy. Even when Qiao Mei was pregnant with twins, she did not lose her figure like Liang Die. Actually, it was not Liang Die''s fault. She was very slender before she got pregnant and could be considered one of the pretty women here. After she became pregnant, her appetite increased by a lot. She would ask her husband to make food for her even at two or three in the morning. If there was nothing to eat in her house, she would ask her husband to get some from the neighbors. As time passed, everyone knew that she had a big appetite. "It''s also a blessing to have a good appetite. I had morning sickness some time ago and kept throwing up. I couldn''t eat anything and felt terrible. My elder sister was so scared that she almost brought me to the hospital," Qiao Mei said with a smile. "Really! I thought that you''re naturally so thin! Are you pregnant again at the moment?" Guo Feng said in surprise. "Yes, still in the early stage now," Qiao Mei said as she gently stroked her stomach. "Sigh, I''m so envious. You''re so beautiful even when you''re pregnant. I have thought about giving Cui Cui a younger brother or sister so that she can have someone to play with her. Her elder brother has already gone to school and they don''t have many common topics due to the age difference. He''s not willing to play with her," Guo Feng said regretfully. Chapter 1591 Give Us Some Milk Chapter 1591 Give Us Some Milk "After Cui Cui starts school, the two children will have something in common to talk about. They''re still young! Children just like to play with children who are older than them," Liang Die said. "I guess I''ll have to wait and see. It''s already so busy to take care of two children now. I can''t cope if I have more," Guo Feng said with a laugh. Qiao Mei did not have such worries. All this while, she did not have to take care of her children herself. She always had someone helping her. To her, it was not a daunting thought to have more children. "You''re younger than us, so we''ll treat you like a younger sister! Did Lu Lin and her husband make things difficult for you yesterday?" Liang Die asked. "No, it''s just that my Tuan Tuan had a bump on the forehead and it looks a little red. Other than that, everything is alright," Qiao Mei said as she looked at Xia Fan who was in the pram. "Small kids are very fragile! Stay away from that family in the future! They are all terrible people who like to bully others. Their son also bullies Cui Cui sometimes!" Liang Die said unhappily. "My husband is his subordinate though. That''s why I don''t really bring Cui Cui here to play anymore," Guo Feng said resignedly. Qiao Mei looked at Cui Cui, then at the children in the pram and said, "I''ll definitely remember what both of you said. The next time I see her, I''ll definitely run far far away!" At the side, Lu Lin said sarcastically, "Hmph, why are you crying? The child is fine! If you always cry like this, the child''s luck will all be scared away! You bring bad luck!" She had always disliked Miao Le. Since Qiao Mei and her two children were also here, she quickly found a random excuse to leave with her son. Miao Le chatted casually with Qiao Mei. After understanding more about Qiao Mei''s family background, she knelt in front of Qiao Mei with the child in her arms. As she cried, she begged for help. "Please save my nephew! Feed him some milk! Look at how pitiful Zhuang Zhuang is! Just give him milk four times a day! I''ll send him over and pick him up at your convenience! It won''t be too much trouble for you!" Qiao Mei was thinking that this family was quite pitiful and was about to offer to help, but she did not expect Miao Le to come up with such an idea. Liang Die and Guo Feng did not look too comfortable. This was not the first time Miao Le had done this. She would usually go around asking other people for what she lacked at home. Seeing that Qiao Mei did not say anything, Miao Le immediately said, "I''m not asking you to help for free! Every day, I''ll bring you some eggs to nourish your body and I can even help you with your chores! I''ll do whatever you want! Zhuang Zhuang doesn''t eat much, just give him some milk!" "It''s not a must for children to drink breast milk. You can also feed powdered milk," Qiao Mei said tactfully. The men who lived in this compound all earned fairly high salaries. It should not be too much of a financial burden on the family to buy powdered milk to feed their children. Chapter 1592 I Will Not Feed Him Chapter 1592 I Will Not Feed Him "My... My family is not doing well! My brother-in-law is the only one working! My parents are weak and sickly! They need medicine all year round and my brother-in-law has already spent all his money to buy medicine for them! So we don''t have any extra money to buy milk powder. Please give us some milk! I promise I won''t let the child drink too much! I''ll give you many eggs in return! I''ll also help you with your chores!" Miao Le said. Liang Die glared at Miao Le from one side. Ever since Miao Le came to the family compound, they had not had a peaceful day. Miao Le went around complaining to everyone every day and sometimes even acted pitiful and asked for things. She would go to this house for a meal today and then go to another house to get some meat tomorrow. She went to everyone''s house. It was only out of respect for Tian Juan that everyone was not calculative with Miao Le. The child was still so young but she carried him out for show so as to gain sympathy. It was no wonder that the child was so weak. All the women in this area who were still breastfeeding had fed Zhuang Zhuang before. If Qiao Mei fed him this round, it would be Liang Die''s turn next! Miao Le''s brother-in-law, Tian Jun, was a sensible person though. If he found out that Miao Le had taken something from someone else''s house, he would return it. He would even punish Miao Le by making her stand outside the door and not allow her to enter the house. Liang Die and Guo Feng were both waiting to see Qiao Mei''s reaction. Although they had already seen Qiao Mei and Lu Lin arguing yesterday, they only watched from afar and did not dare to take a closer look. They did not know who won the argument in the end. This time round, they could see for themselves if Qiao Mei was an easy person to get along with. "A child of this age should already be able to eat porridge. Don''t you even have rice porridge at home to feed him?" Qiao Mei asked in disbelief. Qiao Mei just could not stand hearing Miao Le talk about her like that. She actually had the audacity to pass comments on her figure. Such a person did not deserve sympathy at all. "Do I have to give you something just because I don''t need it? Do I have to save all the beggars sitting by the roadside? What does how I look have to do with you? I don''t even breastfeed my own children! Why should I feed your child?" Qiao Mei said impatiently. "Impossible! You''re lying to me! Your children are so chubby, how can it be that they''ve never drank your milk!" Miao Le said as she pointed at the children in the pram. "Come on, have some common sense. Children who drink powdered milk put on more weight than children who drink breast milk. Besides, I''m pregnant now and I have no more milk now. Even if I do, I can''t feed it to the children. Go and ask a doctor and you''ll know if I''m lying to you," Qiao Mei said. At this moment, Guo Feng also stepped up and said, "What she says is true. A woman shouldn''t breastfeed if she''s pregnant. It''s very harmful to the mother and can even lead to death. The fetus will also be affected. Miao Le, I''m a nurse. Don''t you believe what I say?" Miao Le felt a little helpless as she hugged Zhuang Zhuang. She had never gone to school and did not know anything about such things. Occasionally missing content, please report errors in time. Chapter 1593 Not Accepting Help Chapter 1593 Not Accepting Help Moreover, Miao Le was only a 15-year-old girl! She had never been with a man, let alone know anything about being pregnant. It was really ridiculous for her family to send her over to take care of a child. They actually asked one child to come and take care of another child. "You''re all in cahoots! You are ganging up! If anything should happen to my nephew! I won''t let you off!" Miao Le said with bloodshot eyes.CHeCk for new stories on no/v/el/bin(.)c0m At this moment, a furious yell suddenly came from outside the garden. "Miao Le! Are you causing trouble again!" Qiao Mei looked over. Even if she did not know anyone here, she could tell that the person coming towards them was Tian Jun. There was a shuttle bus that plied between the family compound and the army camp. The men worked on shift and those on duty would stay in the army dormitory. Those who were not on duty would take the shuttle bus home together, just like kids going to and from school. Xia Zhe had wanted to give Qiao Mei a surprise today. He had brought back her favorite sweet and sour pork ribs from the canteen. Although he knew that it was not as delicious as her version, he still wanted her to try it. He did not expect Qiao Mei to give him a surprise first. Xia Zhe stood behind Qiao Mei and patted her on the shoulder. "Shall we go home?" Looking at the departing figures of Tian Jun and Miao Le, Qiao Mei felt a little sorry for them and asked, "Can you go and give them two tins of milk powder later? The child is innocent and I really can''t bear to see him suffer." Before Xia Zhe could agree, his comrade next to him said, "Sister-in-law, forget it. Tian Jun is like this. Back then, we raised a sum of money for him and he returned the entire sum to us. He won''t take a single cent. Even if you give him something, he will return it to you." Qiao Mei raised her head and looked at Xia Zhe. He nodded to confirm what his comrade had just said. He did not really know what transpired as he had only contributed money and did not ask about anything else. He was not curious about such things. With the drama over, everyone went home. Xia Zhe pushed the pram and walked back slowly with Qiao Mei. Along the way, Qiao Mei remained silent. She was really angry that a person like Miao Le existed in the world. She could not understand Tian Jun either. What he was doing was just blind devotion. He would rather give all his money to his family without keeping some aside to buy food for his child. When she was young, her family was poor. Li Gui was not in good health and was malnourished all year round, so she did not have any milk to feed Qiao Mei. Qiao Yue would go to all the families who raised sheep and went from house to house to ask for some goat milk to feed Qiao Mei. Later on, when he could not get any more goat milk, he started making rice gruel for Qiao Mei. Even with such a diet, her growth was not affected and she was fair and chubby when she was at Zhuang Zhuang''s age. When Xia Zhe returned home, he did the chores, then he heated up the food and brought it out to the table. After he was all done, Qiao Mei was still sulking on the brick bed! "Come and eat first before thinking about those matters!" Xia Zhe said with a smile. Chapter 1594 Hardworking Chapter 1594 Hardworking Qiao Mei only calmed down after sitting at the dining table and venting all her frustration to Xia Zhe about what she had encountered today. She had never behaved like this in front of him before and wondered if he would like this side of her. "Is this the first time you''ve seen me so angry?" Qiao Mei probed. Xia Zhe recalled earnestly for a long time before he said, "I think so. I''ve never seen you lose your temper before, nor have I ever seen you complaining to me like this. You are very stubborn and don''t seem to like to go with the flow. I have always wondered what you look like when you lose your temper. Now that I''ve witnessed it, I like it very much." "You like it? Other men will say that this is the behavior of a resentful woman. None of them want to listen to their wives'' complaints. Why would you like someone like this?" Qiao Mei asked curiously. "Because it''s you! You''re such a fool! I like you no matter what you say. Besides, I don''t think there''s anything bad with this. Are you going to keep all these bad emotions to yourself? You''re not the one in the wrong, so don''t get angry because of those people," Xia Zhe said as he scooped some soup for Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei was a little touched. She did not expect Xia Zhe to say that. She had decided not to go near the apartment building for a while. Every time she went there, she would bump into strange people. She did not know if it was because of luck or feng shui, but she decided it would be better to take it slow and build a good relationship with the neighbors around her first. The next day, Xia Zhe went to work on time as usual. After Qiao Mei woke up and blocked the brick bed with a barrier, she went to the plot outside to farm. It was not the rainy season yet and the land was very dry. She needed to water the plants manually every day. She had not seen Zhang Wei for a long time, but the two of them would talk on the phone occasionally. Li Gui had previously told her that Zhang Wei was doing very well now! Although his results were only average, his physical fitness was the best in the school and no one could surpass him. Moreover, the teachers took good care of him and his classmates liked him very much. He had a very carefree life at school. As for Zhang Miao, she was not doing so well. In the beginning, she was very unwilling to be there and she would weep loudly every night, making the teachers very annoyed. Later on, after she adapted to the environment, she started to display her talent. Zhang Miao''s current teacher was Xia He''s mentor. Xia He had specially instructed her mentor to help take care of the girl since she was still young and needed to be monitored at all times. As for Zhang Chao and Zhang Qin, their results improved by leaps and bounds. No one had expected Zhang Chao to become such a fast learner and show so much promise. Zhang Qin''s results also improved under the influence of her elder brother and she was well-liked by the neighbors. "Oh my! So many of you! Since you''re still so young, then your younger siblings must be very young! How can your parents cope?" Zhang Cai said with heartache. "That''s why I want to do some farming here so that I can make some money to support the family. My husband also feels sorry for me so he brought my grandfather, mother and younger siblings to live with my mother-in-law," Qiao Mei said. "Does the entire family live together?" Liu Yun asked in shock. Chapter 1595 Elopement Chapter 1595 Elopement "No! They live separately, but they have a very good relationship. My grandfather and my husband''s grandfather were brothers-in-arms who went through life and death situations together. My husband and I have been betrothed to be married since we were young," Qiao Mei said. "Then your husband is not too bad! It''s rare for men to allow their wives'' family members to live near them! Whenever that idiot in my house sees my parents, it''s like he has seen his enemy! After I get married, I rarely see my parents anymore!" Wang Nuo said unhappily. "Isn''t that the case for everyone! Sigh... There''s nothing we can do about these things. We still have to worry about our children now! I haven''t even started sowing the seeds yet. Seeing that you''ve all already started planting, I''d better hurry up," Zhang Cai said sadly. "You don''t have to worry, that plot of yours is so small! Sister, I think your farming skills are not bad. The vegetables have already sprouted in just a few days. You must remember to eat well though. Otherwise, won''t it just be the baby who suffers?" Liu Yun said. "Yes, I''ll take your advice! I''ll definitely take good care of myself! When the time comes, I''ll give birth to a fair and chubby baby!" Qiao Mei said obediently. "You have to be fair and chubby too! You can''t give birth at the detriment of your own health. After all, you just gave birth to those two babies not long ago! I heard from the elders in my village that giving birth to twins causes a huge loss of essence and vitality. You have to get enough nourishment!" Liu Yun reminded her. "Alright, I''ll make some delicious food to nourish my body!" Qiao Mei said. They chatted noisily about their own troubles at home. Only then did Qiao Mei realize that life was actually not easy for everyone. On the surface, everyone looked like they were coping well, but in reality, they all had their own difficulties. There were people who said that Song Zhi was no longer pure! They said she had already married the other man and had even been pregnant! Song Zhi''s current husband did not treat her very well and often beat and scolded her. These were all hearsay and people just went around spreading the rumors. Qiao Mei was already used to such things. In her other life, she had seen worse things, some even much worse than this. Qiao Mei did not want to continue with this conversation. She decided to reserve her comments until she knew the truth about Song Zhi. She started to ask the women about other things, like what she should watch out for in the mountain forest area, if there were any interesting activities in the vicinity, and if there was anywhere she could travel by bus to buy nice stuff. "Hey! Come to the fair with us tomorrow!" Liu Yun whispered. "Fair? What''s that?" Qiao Mei asked as she looked at them curiously. "Erm, in your area, it might be known as the... black market! Aren''t we able to buy and sell things in private now? That''s like our marketplace," Zhang Cai explained. "Sure!" Qiao Mei said excitedly. It had been a long time since she had gone to the black market to take a look. Previously, she had only gone once with Li Gui to sell some vegetables they planted at home. She wondered if there were any interesting things for sale at the black market here. Chapter 1596 Shopping Chapter 1596 Shopping The next morning, Qiao Mei dressed very simply, in a similar manner to the other women. She also wrapped a piece of cloth around her head. If she dressed too nicely, the sellers would be suspicious of her and it would be difficult for her to bargain! Before she left the house, Xia Zhe even teased that she looked like a thief and that her outfit was really hilarious. Qiao Mei ignored Xia Zhe and asked him to stay at home and take good care of the kids. She carried a small bamboo basket and went out. Each of the other women also carried a small basket, except for Zhang Cai, who had many woven sacks with her. "Why do you have so many bags?" Qiao Mei asked curiously. "You''ll know once we get there!" Wang Nuo said helplessly. They boarded the first bus of the day to go to the county city. After about an hour, they finally arrived. The marketplace had commenced business very early in the morning and many stalls were already almost sold out. "Let''s split up for two hours! We''ll gather back here in two hours and go back together!" Liu Yun said. "Alright!" Zhang Cai ran off after saying that, worried that the things she wanted to buy would be sold out before she got her hands on them. Liu Yun did not have anything she wanted to buy. She came over to Qiao Mei and said, "I''ll accompany you. It''s not that safe for you to go alone, so it''s better if there are two of us." "No matter what, you have to be careful! It''s not even three months yet, right? But your children are really sensible. They can actually stay at home by themselves at such a young age," Liu Yun said. If Liu Yun did not remind her, she had already forgotten that she still had two children at home... Xia Fan and Xia Xing were more sensible than ordinary children. Sometimes, Qiao Mei would even forget that the two of them were still children. Xia Zhe had already fed them in the morning, so they would not be hungry yet. The children had all kinds of toys to play with and Qiao Mei would occasionally put books beside them. Although they could not read now, they could just look at the pictures and drawings. "Ah... that''s right! I find them very obedient too! When I was pregnant with them, I didn''t feel any discomfort, unlike this one. In the beginning, I threw up at home every day!" Qiao Mei said as she looked down at her stomach. They chatted happily as they returned to the family compound. Zhang Cai panted heavily as she carried everything down from the bus. After that, she was so tired that she sat down by the roadside and was unable to get up for a while. "Oh my... I definitely won''t buy so many things next time! I''m so tired!" Zhang Cai said wearily. "You say that every time! When have you ever bought less things! I have to help you every time! If you still buy so much next time! You have to carry everything by yourself or we''ll all take a cut!" Wang Nuo said. "Alright, alright, alright! Then you have to keep an eye on me!" Zhang Cai waved her arms and said to everyone. Chapter 1597 Being Bullied Chapter 1597 Being Bullied Zhang Cai had many children and they needed a lot of food every day. The vegetables which she planted at home were not enough for her family to eat. When her husband was home, the two of them would go to the county city to buy groceries together. Otherwise, she could only rely on herself. Lu Lin came to the bus stop, intending to bring her son to the county city. Zhang Cai and the women had put their things on the ground and there was no place to stand. "How annoying. Remove your things quickly! We want to wait for the bus here!" Lu Lin said in a finicky manner. "Why are you so picky! Is this road meant for your family''s use only? We are not blocking the road! Why don''t you just go over there and stand!" Zhang Cai said as she pointed at Lu Lin. "Look at all your things! It''s strewed all over the entire road! How can you still have the cheek to talk back! It''s clearly your fault!" Lu Lin said agitatedly. Qiao Mei looked up at Lu Lin''s sickening face and then at the items on the ground. Zhang Cai''s things were all packed in sacks and placed very neatly against the wall. There was enough room for Lu Lin and her son to walk and the road was not blocked at all. Their stop was the terminal stop of the entire bus journey, so there was no issue of delaying other passengers from getting on and off. Lu Lin was purely looking for trouble. She did not know if this person was really very free every day and liked to quarrel with others, or if this was her personality. "Why do you still care about them! Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere? We should go to the hospital!" Zhang Cai said worriedly. Lu Lin''s son was a plump kid who looked like a big meatball. Wang Nuo was very petite and thin. The road in the family compound was full of sand and stones, so a fall would definitely cause a bloody wound. Qiao Mei looked at the departing bus and came to a decision. She definitely could not let Lu Lin continue like this. "Is what she said true?" Qiao Mei asked. "What did she say? Oh! Are you talking about what she said about the men? It''s all true! My husband is always getting bullied and that honest man has never told me about these things! It''s Sister Zhang Cai''s husband who told me! Otherwise, I won''t even know!" Wang Nuo said angrily. "My husband only told me the truth after I forced it out of him. Sigh... There''s nothing we can do about it. It''s our luck that our husbands are only subordinates. There''s nothing we can do even if they''re bullied," Zhang Cai said helplessly. Liu Yun''s husband had a higher rank, but still not higher than Mao Wei. He was just bullied less, but there was really not much difference with the other two women''s husbands. "Let''s go home first! Wait for me here! I''ll go home and get the wagon!" Qiao Mei quickly walked home and brought out her wagon. With Zhang Cai''s help, Wang Nuo slowly made her way home. Qiao Mei then took some rubbing alcohol and cotton balls and went over to Wang Nuo''s house. As soon as she entered, she saw Wang Nuo''s family portrait. Although Wang Nuo often spoke disdainfully about her husband, they were actually very loving. Chapter 1598 We Must Live With Dignity Chapter 1598 We Must Live With Dignity "Sister, I''m here. How''s your wound? This is a very good ointment from my hometown. You must try it!" Qiao Mei said as she entered the house. At the moment, Zhang Cai and Liu Yun were trying to persuade Wang Nuo to take a rest. When they saw Qiao Mei, it was as if they had seen their savior. Liu Yun hurriedly pulled Qiao Mei into the living room. "Come and help us think of a way to make Wang Nuo listen to us. She wants to get out of bed to cook for the children! Don''t you think this is nonsense! She''s already so badly injured, yet she still wants to do the chores. Her two children have gone out to play and will be back soon," Liu Yun said. Liu Yun and the other women had their own families to take care of. Each of them had two or three children and they did not have the time to stay and help Wang Nuo. Qiao Mei was pregnant and also had to take care of two babies, while Wang Nuo''s husband had to go to work. The children''s school fees for the second half of the year still needed to be paid. Even if they all took turns to help Wang Nuo take care of the children, it could only be a temporary measure. As the saying went, it would take 100 days for one to recover from a serious injury! There was no way that they could help out for such a long time. "How old are the two children?" Qiao Mei asked. "Oh my, let me try and recall... The older one is probably 16 years old and the younger one should be already 10 years old," Liu Yun said after some thought. "That''s old enough. Can''t we just teach the two children how to cook?" Qiao Mei said with a smile. "That''s right. We have to teach that b*tch Lu Lin a lesson! Otherwise, she''ll think that we''re easy to bully!" Liu Yun said angrily. Wang Nuo sat at the side and sighed. "Forget it. We can''t afford to offend them at all. Even if we confront them, we don''t have any evidence to prove that they did it." Qiao Mei thought for a moment and said, "Everything she stepped on definitely has her shoe prints on them. Moreover, so many people saw the child pushing you. As long as we can find the witnesses, I believe it won''t be difficult to deal with this matter." "Those people over there all sing the same tune. They all look down on us, so why will anyone speak up for us?" Zhang Cai said dejectedly. "Let''s ask them one by one! There will definitely be someone who''s willing to help us!" Qiao Mei said. "Then let''s give it a try! If it really doesn''t work out, we''ll go to the police! If the army doesn''t want to care about these things, then let''s blow this matter up! We must live with dignity! Since they''re so shameless, then what are we afraid of!" Liu Yun said agitatedly. After treating Wang Nuo''s wound, they sat down and thought about what to do next before they headed home. Qiao Mei went home to prepare dinner. Tonight, she wanted to make a nice meal for Xia Zhe. She would make him the most sumptuous meal! Chapter 1599 Will You Still Marry Me? Chapter 1599 Will You Still Marry Me? Halfway through making dinner, Qiao Mei had to solve all kinds of problems that suddenly cropped up. Xia Fan accidentally dropped all the building blocks on the floor and Xia Xing found the jam jar, opened it and covered herself with jam. There were also many other weird things that happened at the same time. All these incidents happened so suddenly that she found it hard to deal with everything. Although Xia Fan and Xia Xing were more intelligent than other children, they were still babies who were only a few months old. They were curious about things and constantly exploring around. Even if they wanted to help, they might end up causing trouble because they were not big or strong enough. Most of the time, they ended up creating a mess rather than helping. In the beginning, Qiao Mei had planned to take a hands-off approach in bringing up the children and let them do whatever they wanted as long as they did not injure themselves. However, the reality was completely different from what she had imagined. If she did not pick up the toys on the ground, it could end up tripping someone. Toys left on the brick bed might also cause the children to trip and fall. The children''s skulls were still growing now. If they hit their heads, it could ruin their lives. If she did not wipe all the jam off Xia Xing''s body, it could get smeared everywhere around the house. What if the children happened to eat such dirty and dusty food later and fall sick? There was no hospital in the family compound, only a clinic. It could easily handle small issues like headaches and fevers, but not serious illnesses. The county city was far and it was difficult to get there. If there was any delay in the children''s treatment, their condition could become more serious and difficult to resolve. When all kinds of issues cropped up at the same time, Qiao Mei suddenly felt that it was better to return to the capital. At her house, there was Xu Kang to prepare the entire family''s meals and Feng Hua to take care of all the trivial matters related to the children. She only needed to be responsible for the more troublesome matters at the factory. "I''ll continue cooking on your behalf. Don''t blame me if the food doesn''t taste good!" "..." As Xia Zhe did the chores, he told Qiao Mei about all the interesting things that had happened today. Qiao Mei hugged the children and listened quietly. All her frustrations seemed to disappear gradually. It was as if with Xia Zhe around, all these problems were not a big deal and they could all be easily solved. "Why are you so wonderful? What if I can''t deal with all these problems?" Qiao Mei said aggrievedly. "It''s alright, I''m here. You''ve done very well in many areas, and I''ve also done quite well in some areas. Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. You just have to be yourself. If there are any difficult problems, we can solve them together. Now that I''m by your side, you don''t have to do this alone," Xia Zhe said patiently. "But don''t you think it''s all very cumbersome or very tiring?" Qiao Mei asked curiously. Xia Zhe pondered for a moment and said, "I think I will, but it doesn''t matter. We can solve everything together. If I''m not the top army warrior, would you have married me?" Chapter 1600 Good Kid Chapter 1600 Good Kid "Of course..." Qiao Mei deliberately dragged out her sentence and did not answer Xia Zhe immediately. Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei eagerly, hoping that she would give him the answer he wanted to hear. "Of course I''ll marry you! When I first met you, I didn''t even know that you are the top army warrior! You are just you," Qiao Mei said happily. Xia Zhe stroked her head dotingly and said, "So, as long as we''re together, we don''t have to be afraid of any difficulties!" "That''s not what you said when you first married me..." Qiao Mei pouted and muttered softly. "Huh? What did I say back then?" Xia Zhe asked. "Ahem..." Qiao Mei cleared her throat and said in all seriousness, "In the future! I''ll hand over all my salary to you! I''ll also go to my superiors and put up an application to get married! But I don''t have that much vacation leave! I might not be able to go home often! You just have to do your duty as my wife!" Before Qiao Mei could finish speaking, Xia Zhe quickly covered her mouth and said, "I must have been out of my mind at that time! Maybe even drunk! What I said doesn''t count!" "Then I''ll pretend I didn''t hear anything!" Qiao Mei said happily as she sunk into Xia Zhe''s arms. Xia Fan and Xia Xing crawled to the corner to play with their toys. They did not want to see Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei being so loving! It was so sweet that it made them feel sick! "Coming, coming!" Qiao Mei was about to reach out when Qian''e stopped her. "Where''s Xia Zhe? Ask him to come and carry it! How can you do such heavy work when you''re pregnant? Don''t keep bending down! Xia Zhe should be the one to bend down to pick things up. Where is he!" Qian''e said unhappily. "He''s at work! He''s not home at this hour. How about I go and get a cart?" Qiao Mei said helplessly. When Wang Nuo''s eldest kid saw that Qiao Mei was facing some issues outside, the two kids quickly brought out a small cart. Without saying anything, they loaded everything into the cart. Before Qiao Mei could praise them, the two of them quickly ran home. "Whose children are they? They''re so sensible?" Qian''e asked curiously. "They''re my neighbor''s children." Qiao Mei smiled faintly and looked in the direction of Wang Nuo''s house. She did not expect these two children to be so adorable. Wang Nuo had taught them well. She would have to learn from Wang Nuo in the future. "Let''s go home first. I have brought all the things you asked Xia He to buy for you. She has to perform recently, so she can''t come. I have nothing to do, so I thought I might as well come on her behalf! I didn''t expect the security here to be so tight that I can''t drive up here in my car. I even had to ask the guys at the main entrance to help me transport everything up in their vehicle!" Qian''e said. "The next time you come, you should give me a call first. Or you can contact Xia Zhe directly and ask him to get you a permit. Then you can drive in yourself," Qiao Mei said. "Forget it, forget it. I''ll tell you in advance next time. I can''t be bothered to talk to him," Qian''e said disdainfully. Chapter 1601 The Women in the Family Compound Chapter 1601 The Women in the Family Compound "What''s wrong? Did he make you angry? Tell me about it. When he comes back, I''ll teach him a lesson and avenge you!" Qiao Mei said to Qian''e while hugging her arm. "Eh, eh, eh~ Don''t you dote on your husband the most? Back then, you even fought with me for him. Now, you''re actually on my side. If Xia Zhe finds out, he might just kill me," Qian''e asked with a smile. "Impossible! Don''t worry, if Xia Zhe hits you, I definitely won''t let him off! Tell me, has that young master from the Han family made things difficult for you recently?" Qiao Mei asked. "Not really, but he''s behaving a little abnormally. He often sends me flowers, buys me nice clothes and jewelry and even asks me out for dinner. When I ask him why, he says it''s because of work. He''s really a strange person. I really hate myself for signing a five-year contract with the Han Corporation on impulse," Qian''e said, feeling frustrated. "Can it be that he has fallen for you?" Qiao Mei asked. "Fallen for me? Stop teasing me. Everyone in the capital knows about my past. If he likes me, he must be crazy!" Qian''e said as she rolled her eyes. "Do you think I''ll get bullied? Look at me! How can anyone bully me! You were defeated by me in the past too!" Qiao Mei said smugly. "You think so? Hardly! In the past, you either lived in the village where most people are related to one another or a siheyuan courtyard house in the capital without anyone disturbing you. How can you have had any interactions with the type of women who live in a family compound? I grew up in a similar compound so I know best what they''re like," Qian''e said with a hint of disdain. "Then tell me more. I''ll learn from your experiences!" Qiao Mei said as she looked at Qian''e earnestly. Qian''e had previously lived in a compound and based on her experience, she felt that the women could be classified into a few types. There were the older women who liked to gossip behind other people''s backs and go around asking about other people''s affairs, as if they wanted to see the world in chaos. Such women were the most despicable. Even if you confronted them, they would not admit it and would use their age as a shield to create even more trouble. Then there were the women who were very cold and did not care about anyone or anything. They showed no curiosity about anything and did not ask around for any information. Even if there were people who wanted to be friends with them, they would be ignored. Such women were considered the nicer ones. There were also the women who were very friendly and amiable and liked to act as mediators. They were familiar with all the neighbors and would greet everyone they saw. Some of these women were really warm-hearted, but there were also those who hid their treacherous intentions behind a smile. Occasionally missing content, please report errors in time. Chapter 1602 To Win People Over With Virtue Chapter 1602 To Win People Over With Virtue The rest were the minorities. These were the main few types of women living within a compound. They could kick up a lot of fuss every day! There were no peaceful days at all. "I have never expected this..." Qiao Mei said in shock. She already thought that relationships were complicated enough in Foshan Village, but she did not expect it to be even more chaotic here. Qiao Mei hated people who harm others imperceptibly the most. Such people were the most difficult to deal with, worse than the kind who would go head-on with her! "That''s not all! Some people are very easily jealous. If your family is doing well, she will find trouble with you for no reason until you suffer all kinds of hardships and end up worse off than her," Qian''e said with a frown. "Sigh... But why... Don''t they have anything else to do?" Qiao Mei said in puzzlement. "Who knows? I guess they have a lot of free time to find out about other people''s family affairs every day. It''s such a pity that they don''t work as special agents," Qian''e said. "I''ll take it slow since I just arrived and am not familiar with this place yet!" Qiao Mei said. "You must take it seriously. Even with her temper, Xia He had also found herself in an disadvantaged position before and had to deal with these situations. It should be obvious that it''s very difficult to live in a compound. Your life can''t be seen as being too good or too bad. Anyway, there are many things which will need your attention! However, you don''t have to worry. If anyone bullies you, just tell me and I''ll teach them a lesson!" Qian''e said as she patted her chest. "You? How are you going to teach them a lesson? You don''t know martial arts!" Qiao Mei said. "These hands... are very suitable for playing the piano! Did you just say that they can recognize patterns? I''ll teach them how to read music scores," Qian''e said seriously. Qiao Mei pursed her lips, not knowing what expression to show Qian''e. The woman who had just said that she was too harsh was now crouching over the brick bed in all seriousness and teaching the children how to draw musical notes. She recalled that in her other life, children were taught simple songs like "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Stars" when they first started music lessons. Qian''e went straight to teaching the children about the concepts of a "canon". She wondered who was the more ridiculous one between the two of them! In any case, Qiao Mei already had plans to let the children develop their skills in all aspects. Since Qian''e wanted to teach them, she would let Qian''e do it. In that case, she need not teach the children today. Qiao Mei took out some pork from the fridge. She wanted to celebrate Qian''e coming around for a visit and cook a few more nice dishes. Qiao Mei had previously asked around and found out that many families here owned refrigerators and even freezers. Qiao Mei planned to buy a freezer in the future so that she could store more things. If other people also owned one, it would not be considered ostentatious for her to have one. Xia Zhe was feeling a little frustrated at work. He was on duty tonight and it would probably be midnight by the time he reached home. He wondered if Qiao Mei would have a proper meal tonight. If he was not at home, who would cook for her? "Why are you staring into space?" Zhao Wu asked as he knocked on Xia Zhe''s table. "Don''t bother me. Don''t you have your own work to do?" Xia Zhe said disdainfully. "I''m all done! I''m only working overtime to accompany you! Let me ask you, are you bringing me to see my godson and goddaughter! I''m so anxious! I''ve already bought the longevity locks!" Zhao Wu said as he took out two gold locks from his pocket. Chapter 1603 Pick You Up After Work Chapter 1603 Pick You Up After Work Xia Zhe said teasingly, "The usually stingy Zhao Wu actually opened his wallet? Wow, never say never. Are you still the Zhao Wu I know? Did you get possessed or something? You only want to go to my house to see the children? No other intentions?" "I can''t say there isn''t any... I want to get married! The last time, Sister-in-law said that she would introduce someone to me. There hasn''t been any news for so long, so I want to remind her in person!" Zhao Wu said embarrassedly. "Take a look at yourself! Let me call her and ask her when it''s convenient," Xia Zhe said. "You still have the cheek to criticize me! You have to ask Sister-in-law before you do anything now! You''re just short of reporting to her when you go to the toilet! I don''t even know you anymore!" Zhao Wu said disdainfully. "You''ll behave the same way when you have a wife," Xia Zhe said proudly. Zhao Wu muttered softly, "Well, I need to have a wife first..." Qian''e did not intend to leave on the same day she arrived. Although the family compound had strict rules, family members of the residents were allowed to come for a stay. There was a small guest house here. Although the facilities and overall environment were not as good as those outside, it was not too uncomfortable to stay for a night. Qiao Mei sent Qian''e to the guest house, then went to the main gate and waited quietly at the side for Xia Zhe. The soldiers standing guard at the gate were curious about who her husband was and felt that this man was so lucky to have a wife who would come and pick him up. "It''s not impossible. Why don''t you ask him to come over tomorrow? Qian''e will be staying here for a while. What do you think about introducing the two of them to each other?" Qiao Mei said. "You want to introduce Qian''e to Zhao Wu?" Xia Zhe said. "Yes I do. I just don''t know if Zhao Wu is willing though. Otherwise, I don''t know so many women of marriageable age. It''s going to be difficult for me if he keeps urging me to introduce someone to him," Qiao Mei said as she pouted. "There''s no hurry. Looking at the way he is now, no nice girl will be willing to marry him," Xia Zhe said disdainfully. He did not tell Qiao Mei the truth. Actually, he was worried about Zhao Wu not being able to convince his parents. If that happened, it would only cause Qian''e to feel sad. Although Zhao Wu''s parents were open-minded people who were very honest and amiable, they only had one son. Similar to the Zheng family, they all looked forward to their son getting married soon and having an eldest grandson to continue the family line! In this era, people were not so open-minded. They felt that the family must have a son to continue the family line. Qian''e could not and would not have any children in the future. This fact would make many families stop in their tracks. Even if Qian''e was a nice girl and came from a rich family, it would still be difficult for her to marry into a good family. These good families were particular about being well-matched in social status. If they knew about Qian''e and her messy family background, they would not let Qian''e marry their son. Chapter 1604 Damage the Flowers and Plants Chapter 1604 Damage the Flowers and Plants When Xia Zhe returned home, he started to clean the house and tidy up whatever the children had dirtied and messed up during the day. He suddenly saw the piece of paper with the musical notes which the children had drawn and felt a little curious. "Did Qian''e teach them this?" Xia Zhe asked as he held up the piece of paper. "Yes. She even said that the bone structure of Xia Xing''s hands is very suitable for playing the piano. She taught them the entire afternoon, but I don''t know if they understand what she said," Qiao Mei said. "This really sounds like something she would do..." Xia Zhe lamented. After Xia Zhe played with the children for a long time, he coaxed them to sleep. Then, he and Qiao Mei also went to bed. The next morning, he left for work very early again. Qiao Mei was gradually getting used to this kind of life. Qiao Mei still had to go to Wang Nuo''s place to help out, so Qian''e took on the responsibility of taking care of the children. She pushed the pram around the family compound and went to the garden to rest for a while. Then, she pointed at the flowers on the ground and asked the children to look at them. "Babies, take a closer look. Aren''t these flowers very beautiful?" Qian''e asked patiently. "Wow!" Xia Xing clapped her hands happily. She was very enthusiastic, but Xia Fan was not interested and had already fallen asleep in the pram. "Your garden? The gate isn''t even locked. The sign also states that it''s for public use. Besides, I didn''t pluck any flowers at all. I just touched them and took a look. Don''t slander me," Qian''e said. "You''re quibbling! I clearly saw you plucking flowers! You have to compensate me!" Lu Lin said as she pointed at the withered flowers on the ground. Qian''e did not want to get into an argument with such a person. Xia Fan was already woken up by Lu Lin''s loud voice. Xia Xing''s happy little face from earlier had a frown on it now. It was not good for the children if she became entangled with such a person in such hot weather. It was better to send her off with some money. "How much? Where do I pay?" Qian''e asked impatiently. "These flowers and plants... you need to pay 300 dollars!" Lu Lin casually came up with a number. Qian''e took out a stack of money from her wallet. Lu Lin''s eyes widened when she saw it. There must be 2,000 dollars in that stack! This amount of money was equivalent to her family''s entire savings. She did not expect this woman to have so much money. "Tell me where I should pay and I''ll go there myself," Qian''e said. "No need, no need! This is my garden! Just give it to me! I thought about it just now and 300 dollars is not enough! You have to give me 1,000 dollars! These plants are all rare species! It''s very difficult to buy them on the market!" Lu Lin said as she held out her palm. Qian''e looked at Lu Lin''s hand and felt like giving her a good beating. If not for the fact that she wanted to set a good example in front of the children, she would already have started a fight with Lu Lin. Chapter 1605 Snatching Money Chapter 1605 Snatching Money Qian''e put the money in her waist bag and pushed the children''s pram to leave. When Lu Lin saw that, she immediately blocked their way. Even Lu Lin''s son pointed at Qian''e and said, "You can''t leave! Give us the money!" "Don''t tell me you want to rob me openly because you can''t get the money from me? I''ll go to the designated department to pay the fine, but I definitely won''t give it to you," Qian''e said. "We have a share of this garden too. What''s wrong with you giving it to us?" Lu Lin demanded. Guo Feng stood at the door with Cui Cui and watched the entire scene unfold. She hid in a corner and did not dare to make a sound, even telling Cui Cui not to speak as well. "I''ll say it one last time. Move aside," Qian''e said angrily. Lu Lin''s son ignored Qian''e. He went straight for her waist bag and grabbed all the money inside. She immediately reached out to snatch the money back. An adult was definitely stronger than a child. As they tugged back and forth, the money scattered all over the ground and he fell down on the lawn. "Ah!" Lu Lin''s son screamed. "Son! My son! What happened to you! Did you hurt yourself from the fall! Let me take a look!" Lu Lin went forward to hold her son and said with heartache. Qian''e looked at the money scattered all over the ground and felt a little angry. She had happily brought the children out to play and definitely did not expect to run into such a shrew. Now that things had turned out like this, she wondered if she had caused trouble for Qiao Mei''s family. "Why aren''t you anxious at all! It''s a mess over there!" Liu Yun said agitatedly. "She''s definitely not the one who started it. Moreover, the mess must be on Lu Lin''s side," Qiao Mei said as she cleared away Wang Nuo''s bowl and chopsticks. "Why do you know so much even though you aren''t at the scene?" Liu Yun asked. "Because I know her well. For such disputes, do we usually go to the police or call the people from the army? I''m new here and don''t know about this. Do any of you know?" Qiao Mei said. "We can''t go to the police about our disputes. Even if we go to the police station, they''ll tell us to come back and let our mediation department handle it. So you can just call the department directly," Wang Nuo said. After Qiao Mei made the call, she also called Xia Zhe and asked him to meet the two of them there. After doing this, she slowly made her way to the garden with Liu Yun. "Are you here to watch a good show too? I''ve already been watching for a long time," Qian''e said with a smile from her seat on the bench. "Is that so? Let me see what kind of show it is." Qiao Mei sat beside Qian''e and handed the children to Liu Yun. She asked Liu Yun to push the pram to Wang Nuo''s house and asked the two kids there to help take care of her children for now. "You two! You actually gang up to bully me! There''s really no justice in this world! My son!" Lu Lin sat on the ground and wailed. Chapter 1606 Use Together Chapter 1606 Use Together Qiao Mei looked towards the crowd and shouted, "Madam Lu, your son isn''t dead yet! Why are you weeping like you''re at a funeral? The people from the mediation department will be here in a while. You can tell them your story once they get here. Save your strength first, otherwise you won''t be able to talk later." "What? You contacted the mediation department!" Lu Lin said in shock. "That''s right. I heard from everyone that it''s useless to ask the police to come here. In the end, they''ll still ask the mediation department to handle this matter, so I gave them a call directly. I even informed my husband, as well as your husband, to go over together later. Don''t worry, I''ll definitely clear your name," Qiao Mei said seriously. The crowd began to get restless. It had been a long time since they had seen someone from the mediation department. This family compound appeared to be set up to reassure the military men and allow them to to live with their families. In fact, it was also a test for the men. Everything that happened within the compound was reported to the higher-ups and would also be taken into consideration when it was time for the men''s promotion assessment. If a person did not treat his family and neighbors well, he definitely could not be a good officer. Most of the issues in the courtyard happened due to the women bickering with one another. They did nothing more than jibe at one another as none of them really wanted to have a bad reputation. Otherwise, their husbands would be mocked within the army. However, now that Qiao Mei had highlighted the issue so blatantly, Lu Lin''s days were probably going to become worse in the future. "Lu Lin is already beaten up by her husband every day. In the future, he will definitely hit her even more!" "Aren''t you in charge of the army vehicles? Why are you working in the mediation department now?" Qiao Mei asked. "It''s a long story. I''ll tell you about it in the future. Please move aside first. I have a job to do," Zhao Wu said seriously. Qiao Mei said embarrassedly, "I''m one of the people you need to round up as part of the job." Zhao Wu was stunned to the spot. No wonder Xia Zhe gave him a look before he left. So that was what Xia Zhe meant... "Um... all of you come with me! Get into the vehicle! We''ll talk there!" Zhao Wu said evasively. He knew better than to bring in personal feelings when he was doing his job. If he knew that Qiao Mei was involved in this issue, he would not come even if threatened with death! He decided to let Qiao Mei sit in the front passenger seat. It was safer and not so bumpy when they traveled on the mountain roads. He wanted Qiao Mei to feel more comfortable. Along the way, Qiao Mei did not talk to Zhao Wu. She would not deliberately make things difficult for him. After all, this was official business. When they reached the army camp, Qiao Mei saw both Xia Zhe and Mao Wei waiting at the door. However, their expressions were completely different. One of them looked happy while the other looked aggrieved. When Lu Lin saw Mao Wei, she immediately felt a sense of guilt. She hugged her son and walked shakily over to Mao Hang, not daring to make a sound. Mao Wei said fiercely in a low voice, "I''ll teach you a lesson when we get back!" Chapter 1607 It Does Not Matter Even if You Get Into Trouble Chapter 1607 It Does Not Matter Even if You Get Into Trouble "Let''s go. We''ll talk inside!" Zhao Wu said sternly. Qiao Mei was not the party involved in this matter, so she need not go into the small dark room to be interrogated. She and Xia Zhe sat in Zhao Wu''s office and the three of them chatted. "Sister-in-law, what''s going on? If I know that you''re there, I would have sent a nicer vehicle to pick you up!" Zhao Wu said in frustration. "Do you mean you want to drive a tank in the mountains?" Qiao Mei teased. "If you like it, it''s not impossible for me to put up an application for it! As long as you let me become godfather to Xia Fan and Xia Xing, it''s not a problem for me to fly a fighter jet!" Zhao Wu said excitedly. "Look at him! If you really do this, I''ll complain to your father immediately! I''ll ask him to teach you a lesson!" Xia Zhe said. Qiao Mei noticed that Xia Zhe did not look worried at all and asked curiously, "Why are you able to grin so widely when her husband has such a long face? I''ve caused you trouble!" "I can''t wait for you to cause trouble for me! Otherwise, you always solve everything on your own and there''s no way for me to show off my capability," Xia Zhe said as he patted Qiao Mei''s head dotingly. Zhao Wu looked at Xia Zhe in disdain. This did not sound like something Xia Zhe would say at all! How disgusting! Were all married men like this? Zhao Wu nodded, noting what she said. Before the investigation was completed, Lu Lin and Qian''e would have to stay within the army camp and be kept under supervision. Mao Wei was allowed to leave with the child first and get him settled. Qiao Mei was actually quite worried about Qian''e being alone at the army camp. She also applied to stay there and Xia Zhe brought her to his room. Before the investigation was completed, Qiao Mei''s activities were restricted to the army camp. Mao Wei sent his son back to his parents'' place for two days. Zhao Wu investigated the matter very quickly and found out everything about what Lu Lin did in the past. The moment one person took the initiative to tell the truth, the rest of the people also followed. Liu Yun and the other women also told the truth of how they suffered at Lu Lin''s hands previously. After Zhao Wu sorted out the information, he submitted the report to the superiors. The superiors decided to disqualify Mao Wei from this promotion assessment and to transfer him to the border to serve as an ordinary soldier. They felt that he would come back better after a few years of suffering. After so many tortuous days, it was time for Qian''e to go back. "My intention is to come here to relax, but I didn''t expect to cause you so much trouble!" Qian''e said in frustration. "What are you saying! You even helped me get rid of a dangerous person! When we first moved in, her son injured Xia Fan. If not for the fact that my baby was not seriously injured, I would have dealt with them long ago!" Qiao Mei said. "What? Xia Fan was injured? If I had known earlier, I would have given her a good beating to vent my anger!" Qian''e said angrily. After some observation during this period of time, Zhao Wu began to have a good impression of Qian''e. He quietly went over to Xia Zhe and asked, "Is this person married? Is she dating anyone?" Chapter 1608 I Want to Woo You Chapter 1608 I Want to Woo You "Not married and still single, but she''s about my age so it means she''s a few years older than you," Xia Zhe replied honestly. "What! She''s the same age as you! She looks like she''s the same age as Sister-in-law. How can she be around your age?" Zhao Wu said in shock. Xia Zhe tapped Zhao Wu''s head fiercely and said, "Are you saying that I''m old? Let me tell you, she''s the director of a factory in the capital and is very proficient in the arts. If you want to woo her, you''d better take a good look at yourself first and then think twice! You only know how to muddle along in the army!" "That doesn''t matter. I like her personality. I haven''t even tried wooing her, so how do you know that I can''t succeed? I just don''t want to listen to my father. If I work hard, I can also make a name for myself!" Zhao Wu said confidently. Sometimes, Xia Zhe really admired Zhao Wu''s confidence. He did not know where Zhao Wu could have this level of confidence. While he was still lost in his thoughts, Zhao Wu rushed up to Qian''e. "Hello comrade, my name is Zhao Wu!" Zhao Wu extended his hand and said in a straightforward manner. Qian''e shook hands with Zhao Wu politely and said, "Hello, my name is Qian''e. I''m Qiao Mei''s friend." "Are you seeing anyone? I want to date you!" Zhao Wu shouted loudly. "I''m just wondering if Zhao Wu woke up on the wrong side of the bed and why he would say such things," Qiao Mei said. "But he does look quite cute. I don''t really hate people who are so brave and forthright," Qian''e said with a smile. Qiao Mei asked excitedly, "Do you like him?" "I don''t like him. I''ve only seen him a few times, so how can I like him? I just feel that he''s different from the people I''ve met in the past. He''s quite interesting," Qian''e said honestly. "When you first came here, I had thought about matchmaking the two of you. I didn''t expect this kid to come knocking on the door himself. It''s really quite amazing. Do you want to give it some thought?" Qiao Mei asked tentatively. "Didn''t he say that he would persevere? Then let''s talk about it in the future. I still have a lot of work to do! I don''t have time to think about love!" Qian''e said. On the way back, Qian''e told Qiao Mei many novel and interesting things as well as her future plans for the factory. They chatted until the two of them reached home and went to pick up the children from Wang Nuo''s house. "Thank you so much for helping me take care of the children for a few days," Qiao Mei said. "There''s no need to stand on ceremony with me. I still have to thank you for taking care of my children when I was injured! We''re all neighbors, so there''s no need to be so polite. Go home quickly," Wang Nuo said with a smile. Chapter 1609 Hollow Seeds Chapter 1609 Hollow Seeds After the two of them reached home, Qian''e held Qiao Mei''s hand and said, "I didn''t tell you the most important issue in the car just now! I''ve been here for so many days that I have forgotten about this!" "What is it?" Qiao Mei asked. Something big had happened at the Zhao Family Village. After the first batch of seeds matured, Qiao Mei no longer continued working with the people from Zhao Family Village and terminated the business relationship. They had signed a written agreement on this. However, the people from the Zhao Family Village breached the contract and secretly kept some of the seeds. After that, they planted the seeds and harvested a second batch. As Qiao Mei had expected, they immediately reaped the consequences of their actions. Now, everyone who bought the seeds from the Zhao Family Village had come to settle the score with them and asked them for an explanation. Although this latest batch of seeds looked normal on the surface, they were actually hollow inside! There was no kernel inside! "How exactly did you do it? Those seeds are empty inside! This is the first time I''ve encountered such a thing! Tell me!" Qian''e asked curiously. "These seeds are experimental seeds to begin with. It''s inevitable that something will go wrong. Moreover, I already know that they would do something like this. They asked for it!" Qiao Mei said. "But now that they''ve all come to our factory to cause trouble and they want us to give them an explanation. I couldn''t be bothered to meet them, so I called Zou Ming and asked him to come and arrest them. After that, they stopped causing trouble and changed their tactic to sitting at the main gate to prevent the people from the factory from going out," Qian''e said helplessly. "You have handled it very well. I''ll pack up and go back to see what they want!" Qiao Mei said. "I''m just telling you about this issue. Don''t go back. You''re pregnant! What if those people do something bad to you? I''m still able to handle this matter. Don''t worry, those people are just trying their luck! As time passes, they''ll back off," Qian''e said with a frown. "I''m not that weak. I suspect that their goal is not that simple. It''s better for me to go back and take a look. This child is very tough!" Qiao Mei said as she smacked her stomach. Qian''e quickly grabbed Qiao Mei''s hand and said angrily, "Even if you''re in good health, you can''t treat the child and your own body like this! Don''t always take things so lightly and ignore what we say. It''s better to be safe than sorry. If anything happens, even if I have 100 heads, it won''t be enough to atone for my sins!" When Qiao Mei saw how nervous Qian''e was, she said cautiously, "I''m sorry... I''ll definitely be more careful in the future. But I''ve already made up my mind to return to the capital this time. I still have to keep an eye on the seeds business for the next quarter!" "Alright then. Remember to make it clear to Xia Zhe. Don''t quarrel over this later," Qian''e said. At night, when Xia Zhe returned from work, Qiao Mei repeated what Qian''e had told her during the day. Xia Zhe could not bear to see Qiao Mei leave. Chapter 1610 On the Bus Chapter 1610 On the Bus Xia Wen was away on a business trip at the moment while Xia He was busy with performances at the theater recently. Xia Mao had many meetings to attend and was especially busy at this time, so it was very likely that he would not be able to take care of Qiao Mei. Other than Xu Lan, Xia Zhe did not know who else could take good care of Qiao Mei. "I''ll go back with you," Xia Zhe said. "Why do you want to go back with me? Nothing will happen to me. Just stay here and go to work," Qiao Mei said. "But I''m a little worried about you bringing the children back alone," Xia Zhe said with a frown. "Don''t I still have Qian''e with me? Besides, you can always take leave to go home. There aren''t any urgent matters at home. I just want to go back and take a look at the situation. Don''t worry," Qiao Mei said patiently. "Then I''ll talk to Eldest Brother and ask him when he can go back," Xia Zhe said. "It''s just a small matter in our own family. There''s no need to trouble Eldest Brother every time. It''s really not a big deal," Qiao Mei said. She really could not bear to see Zhuang Zhuang continue to suffer though. The child seemed to have become even thinner. Qiao Mei said earnestly, "A child of Zhuang Zhuang''s age can already eat adult food. Just stew vegetables until it becomes very soft and then mix in an egg. Feed him that and he will eventually get better." Women who were mothers were usually more soft-hearted. Before Qiao Mei had children, she would not have cared about such things at all. In any case, the child was not her child nor her relative. Even if the child froze to death or starved to death, it had nothing to do with her. She could not even support herself, so how could she take care of strangers'' children? However, now that her life was better and her children were gradually growing up, Qiao Mei became more and more soft-hearted. The current Zhuang Zhuang was not even as stout as Xia Fan. They were actually half a year apart! "But our family really doesn''t have any money... I have no choice... If Madam Qiao is willing to give my child some milk, he will definitely get better!" Miao Le covered her face and sobbed loudly. Everyone ignored Miao Le. They had seen her doing this many times before. She would threaten others like this every time. If it was just once or twice, they might still be soft-hearted and help her. However, she was still the same after so long, so they just ignored her. An older woman in the front row became annoyed by Miao Le''s weeping and shouted at her, "Why are you crying! If you had really taken the effort to take care of the child, he would have gained weight long ago! How many times have I told you to feed the child some eggs or something similar! What did you do! Did you feed him? Did you listen? You still want to buy milk powder! If you have the money to buy milk powder, then you have enough money to feed the child eggs for two months!" "This child has a poor digestive system. He can''t eat adult food and can only drink milk. I have no choice..." Miao Le said. "He can only drink milk? Then what are you currently feeding him every day! Is it milk? It''s watery porridge! Even a normal person would fall sick if they only eat watery porridge every day! Let alone a baby!" the older woman said angrily. Chapter 1611 It Is a Waste to Feed Him Chapter 1611 It Is a Waste to Feed Him "Hey, calm down. She''s also just a child. How can we expect her to know how to take care of another child?" said the woman sitting beside the older woman. "Is she still very young? She''s already 15 years old! She''ll be 16 next year! I was already married when I was 16 years old! At her age, she would have been able to get married in our village long ago! She''s already old enough to be a mother and yet she still doesn''t know how to take care of children. If you ask me, your elder sister is really unlucky to have a younger sister like you! If she knows that her child has turned out like this, she''ll definitely hate you to death! How can you have the cheek to continue staying here!" the older woman said. Miao Le was berated so badly that she could not speak and could only continue to cry. In the beginning, she still carried Zhuang Zhuang, but now, she placed him on the chair next to her. The older woman was so angry that she went to sit on the chair opposite Miao Le. "Can such a young child sit in a seat by himself? You''re an adult, yet you don''t know you have to carry him! What if he falls down! Do you have a brain? What''s the use of your brain! Carry him now!" The older woman pointed at Miao Le and scolded her angrily. The auntie beside her immediately said, "Hey, don''t say that. What if you make the other children cry later? You have to teach this child! Talk to her nicely!" "What''s the point of talking nicely! If you ask me, she''s just going around to gain sympathy and doesn''t care about the life and death of this child at all. She brought up so many nephews in her maternal family, so how can it be that she doesn''t know how to take care of this child! She''s clearly fooling us! Even if she doesn''t know how to take care of the child, everyone has given her so much advice for so long, so why can''t she learn! It''s not like the family is too poor to eat! Can''t she even give the child some egg broth!" the older woman roared angrily. "Perhaps her sisters-in-law were also around when she took care of her nephews, so she didn''t need to do too much." The other auntie was still trying to find an excuse for Miao Le. Miao Le hugged Zhuang Zhuang and did not dare to make a sound. Rong Xiao was not a heartless person. She sighed and looked at Miao Le patiently as she said, "If you really want to treat the child well, buy more eggs and feed him one a day. He will get better after a while." "But he has diarrhea no matter what he eats now. It''s a waste to feed him..." Miao Le said softly. Qian''e was so angry that she wanted to go up and give Miao Le a beating. However, this child was not hers, so there was no point in beating her up. Zhuang Zhuang would still live in dire straits. This was also a difficult problem. If the stomach and intestines did not develop well, the child would have diarrhea no matter what he ate. This would make his body very weak, and if his body was weak, all kinds of bacteria would enter his body and make him sick. At that time, the child''s stomach and intestines would have even more serious problems. There was no way to cure this child completely. If Qiao Mei gave this child some "divine medicine", he might still be saved. However, seeing the way Tian Jun behaved, Qiao Mei did not want to cause any more trouble. This was all they could do. How this child turned out in the future would depend on his fate. Soon, they arrived at the county city. Qiao Mei and Qian''e still had to transfer to a train to return to the capital. Along the way, they met all kinds of people who praised Xia Fan and Xia Xing for being very cute. These two children were not afraid of strangers and smiled at everyone. Occasionally missing content, please report errors in time. Chapter 1612 Let Go of the Past Soon Chapter 1612 Let Go of the Past Soon When they reached the entrance of the Xia family''s neighborhood, Qian''e stopped in her tracks. She looked inside for a long time and said, "I''ll leave you here. Get the guard to ask the Xia family members to come down and pick you up. It''s not very convenient for me to go in." "Alright, then be careful on the way back." Qiao Mei did not force her. Perhaps Qian''e still could not get over what happened with the Zheng family and she was still very afraid to see Zheng Peng. Ever since Qian''e completely cut off all contact with Zheng Peng and did not even want to see him anymore, he seemed to have become a different person. He became the Zheng family''s puppet and took a job arranged by his father, and even married a woman he did not like. It was Zhuang Hua who told Xia Zhe all these things. Zheng Peng was also quite pitiful. Qiao Mei hoped that he could let go of the past soon and not torture himself or let down the people around him. Qian''e headed back to the factory without stopping for a rest. She did not know what the situation was like after she was away for so many days. She hoped that after so many days, the people from the Zhao Family Village had already backed off. At first, Xu Lan could not believe it when she received a call from the guard booth. It was not until she saw Qiao Mei with her own eyes that she was sure that Qiao Mei had really returned. "Oh my! Mei Mei, you''re back! Why didn''t you tell me in advance! I would have asked Luo Yu to pick you up! You must be exhausted on such a hot day! Let''s go home quickly!" Xu Lan said excitedly. Xu Lan''s hair was about to turn white from waiting at home. She even wished she could pack her luggage and join them in the army, but army rules stipulated that the men could not bring their mothers along. "During this period of time, we have given Xia Fan and Xia Xing their nicknames, Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan. From now on, we can call them by their nicknames!" Qiao Mei said. "It''s nice! That''s a good name! You''re so thoughtful. Let me tell you about our neighbors. Ever since you became a military spouse, they''ve been asking me about the children. They also miss Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan!" Xu Lan said. The children of the residents in this neighborhood were all about the same age as Xia Zhe. The people who lived here were all old cadres. Most of their children were working hard elsewhere and did not come home often, so they did not get to see their grandchildren often. They liked having Xia Fan and Xia Xing here and wanted to see them often. It was as if they were looking at their own children. Speaking of which, it was strange. Although Xia Xing had a bad temper, she was much livelier than Xia Fan. Whenever she saw someone, she would reach out for a hug and would also babble some unintelligible words. This child seemed to be able to tell who was nice to her and who was not. To put it bluntly, she could be considered a wily one. "Then the three of us will stay here for a few more days!" Qiao Mei said with a smile. "Xia Wen won''t be back for another three days. He''ll probably be able to make it in time to see you. Some time ago, he even called home to complain about why the visit is not planned for a later date so that he can see these two children too," Xu Lan said. Qiao Mei did not expect Xia Wen to be returning so early from his business trip. In that case, it would not be her fault for passing the factory issue to Xia Wen. She had thought that she would need to solve the problem on her own this time, but she did not expect that she would be able to slack off! Chapter 1613 No Entry Or Exit Chapter 1613 No Entry Or Exit At night, Xia He and Deng Fan returned home in a happy mood. As soon as they entered the house, Xia He rushed to the children and kissed and hugged them, wishing that she never needed to be away from them again for the rest of her life. Behind her, Deng Fan carried many bags into the house. "Oh~ Aunt misses you so much! Come and let Aunt see if you''ve lost weight! I hope your mother didn''t torture you. You guys ate well, right? Are there any wounds on your bodies?" Xia He said with heartache. "I''m their mother, not a human trafficker. What are you saying? Besides, why didn''t you come over and take a look at me first? Why don''t you care if I''ve lost weight?" Qiao Mei said with a twinge of jealousy. "What''s there to see? You''re not as likable as our Xia Fan and Xia Xing~" Xia He said disdainfully. However, as she spoke, she took out a gold bangle from her pocket and handed it over. Qiao Mei quickly took it. "Alright then~ If you don''t miss me, then don''t miss me. It doesn''t matter~ Xia Fan and Xia Xing! Have a good chat with Aunt~" Qiao Mei said as she looked at the gold bangle with a wide smile. Even though Qiao Mei was very rich, she did not have much of a resistance to these materialistic things. No matter the era, no one could ignore the charm of gold. Qiao Mei thought about buying and keeping more gold bars. In the future, the price of gold would be a few hundred dollars a gram and it would be very valuable! This could also be considered a type of investment. These people did not care about their lives at all now. All they wanted was money and for the factory to solve their urgent problems. Many families were being hounded by their creditors and did not have any money to repay their debts, so they had already sold everything in their houses. If the houses were something movable, they would probably have even sold them and only had their land left. Even if they knew that they had brought this upon themselves, they still wanted to drag someone down with them. This person could only be Qiao Mei. Even when the factory trucks drove right up to them, they remained indifferent. As long as they could get the money, they did not care about the price they had to pay. "I have to think about it carefully. Let''s leave it for now." After saying that, Qiao Mei went upstairs and made a call to Yao Nian. Yao Nian already expected Qiao Mei to look for him. He asked someone to send the information to Qiao Mei overnight and then asked her not to disturb him for a period of time. He wanted to go on a trip to relax for a while. Most of the people in the Zhao Family Village did not know anything about the law. Even if Qiao Mei went to sue them, it would not have any effect in the end and would only force these people to take even more drastic measures. By then, it would be hard to say what they might do. If any of them died in front of Qiao Mei''s factory, it would only make it even more difficult for her to do business in the capital in the future. Qiao Mei was at a loss and did not know what to do. At this moment, it was just a matter of waiting to see who would be the party to lose their cool first. She waited patiently for the Zhao family to make a wrong move. However, she would never have dreamed that the cause of the misstep would turn out to be her mother. Chapter 1614 Kidnapping Chapter 1614 Kidnapping ? Early the next morning, Qiao Mei sat at the reading corner and drank milk while waiting for breakfast. Xia He had turned down all interviews and work to be with Qiao Mei. Now that she was a big star, there were people secretly taking photos of her wherever she went. "Now that you''re married, does that mean that the guy from the Song family doesn''t come and look for you anymore?" Qiao Mei asked. "Of course not. He wasn''t after my beauty in the first place. Now that his plan has been exposed, why will he still look for me?" Xia He said disdainfully. Song Dan had indeed stopped following Xia He but there were now other men wooing Xia He. These men would gather at the entrance of the art troupe building and wait for Xia He to get off work. Sometimes, Deng Fan would even get jealous! "What about his grandfather? Is he alright?" Qiao Mei asked as she looked up at Xia He. "I''ve asked around previously and he''s not too bad now. I don''t know what the Song family offered in exchange for half a ginseng from the He family. His grandfather is considered safe for now," Xia He said. Old Master Song was an innocent party in this. Qiao Mei did not want such innocent people to get hurt in the dispute. After Qiao Mei became a military spouse, she had reminded Xia He to send medicinal wine to Liang Shu and to watch Liang Shu drink it with her own eyes. "It''s Qian''e who called. She said... she said... she said that Auntie had been kidnapped by those people from the Zhao Family Village..." Xia He said in a trembling voice. When Qiao Mei heard the news, she immediately rushed to the door. Xia He quickly held on to her and said, "Qiao Mei! Qiao Mei, calm down! You''re pregnant! I''ll go to the factory to take a look now! I''ll go and take a look for you! Don''t be anxious! Just wait for my news at home! Don''t be agitated!" Qiao Mei took a few deep breaths and touched her slightly bulging stomach. She must protect herself first. Only when she was safe and sound would she be able to save Li Gui. Why did she not think of this! She clearly knew that Zhao Liu had been lusting about Li Gui for a long time, but she did not ask Li Gui to go home and stay there for now. This matter was no one else''s fault. It was all because of the wicked people from the Zhao family who caught them off guard! "Where''s Qian''e?" Qiao Mei asked calmly. Seeing that Qiao Mei had calmed down, Xia He slowly let go of Qiao Mei''s hand and said, "The villagers at the entrance of the factory have all dispersed. When Zou Ming rushed to the scene, he only caught a few of the old and weak ones who did not manage to escape in time, but those people don''t know where Zhao Liu has gone. Qian''e is rushing to our place now." "Then let''s wait for Qian''e at home first. We can all discuss what to do." Qiao Mei walked stiffly to the sofa and sat down. She had to remain calm and face this matter soberly. The villagers of the Zhao family village must have kidnapped Li Gui to use her as a bargaining chip to threaten Qiao Mei. Since Li Gui was the bargaining chip, they definitely would not let Zhao Liu get close to her and do anything to hurt her. As long as Li Gui was safe and sound, Qiao Mei would not hesitate to give up everything. Chapter 1615 Dog Hole Chapter 1615 Dog Hole Xu Lan and Xia He stayed at Qiao Mei''s side without stepping away for even a moment. Qiao Mei sat in the living room the entire time. She just wanted to see Qian''e as soon as possible and find out all the details about what happened. An hour later, Qian''e arrived at the entrance of the Xia family residence. She was covered in dirt and there seemed to be wounds on her body. Blood was also seeping out of her knees. She probably had a fall on her way out. "How did you get injured like this?" Xia He said in shock. When Qiao Mei saw how seriously Qian''e was injured, her newly calm heart started to panic again. She was at a loss and felt very unsettled. "I''m fine... Go and save Auntie! Go and save Auntie now!" Qian''e said as she grabbed Xia He''s arm tightly. "Don''t be anxious. We''re all thinking of a way. We''ve already asked all our people to investigate this matter. Sit down and tell us what happened first." Xia He slowly helped Qian''e to the sofa and sat her down. Qian''e looked down and did not dare to look at Qiao Mei directly. She felt that she had let Qiao Mei down. Qiao Mei was so nice to her and trusted her so much, but she did not protect Li Gui well. "Other than these superficial wounds, do you feel uncomfortable anywhere else?" Qiao Mei asked gently. By the time Qian''e arrived, Li Gui had already been abducted by the people from the Zhao Family Village. Fortunately, Mao Hang and a few of them were smart enough not to fight with the people from the Zhao Family Village and allowed themselves to be captured together with Li Gui. They were all retired soldiers and nothing bad would happen to them. Perhaps they could even save Li Gui! "So is my mother taken by the villagers or Zhao Liu?" Qiao Mei asked seriously. "The villagers. I''m sure that it''s the villagers. Zhao Liu was not among those people. He''s a scaredy cat and doesn''t dare to come to take part in such an event. It''s usually his son who represents him at the main gate," Qian''e said. "So far, have the people from the Zhao Family Village said anything?" Qiao Mei asked. "They have. They want you to go to the village alone to negotiate with them," Qian''e whispered. Without a second thought, Qiao Mei got up to go to the village to look for Li Gui. Xu Lan, Xia He and Qian''e hurriedly stopped Qiao Mei. If anything should happen to Qiao Mei, it would be two lives lost! "You can''t go! If anything, I should be the one to go! We can keep in touch by phone. I''ll relay their requests to you. This can also be considered a negotiation," Xia He said agitatedly. "Yes! Xia He can go on your behalf! She knows martial arts! She can protect herself!" Xu Lan said immediately. Chapter 1616 Even Dying Eight Times Is Not Enough Chapter 1616 Even Dying Eight Times Is Not Enough "You definitely can''t go! This is a trap! If they kidnap you too, then our backbone will be gone! We still need you to make the decisions on many things! If they use you to threaten us and the Xia family, then we will really have to hand everything over to them. They are deliberately luring you there!" Qian''e said. Qiao Mei understood this logic too, but she was worried about Li Gui. Now that Li Gui was in their hands, every minute that passed meant that she was in more danger. Time was of the essence. However, Qiao Mei must also be responsible for her baby, for Qiao Qiang and for the Xia family. She could not risk the lives of so many people just to save Li Gui. What she had to do now was to calm down and think of a countermeasure. "Yes... I can''t be rash... I have to think about it carefully..." Qiao Mei said as she slowly sat on the sofa. "I''ll call Xia Mao now and ask him to send someone to the Zhao Family Village and punish those people on the spot! They actually kidnapped and robbed people in broad daylight! Is this still a lawful society!" Xu Lan said furiously. Qiao Mei immediately stopped Xu Lan and said, "No, don''t. They only dare to rob us because they know that we won''t dare to call the police. Someone behind the scenes must have given them this idea. These villagers are not people who are exposed to the outside world and they would never have been able to come up with this." Zou Ming was their friend. During this period of time, Zou Ming wore civilian clothes whenever he went down to the factory. He was not helping Qiao Mei and the Xia family in the capacity of a police officer. Everyone felt that what Qiao Mei said made sense, but who was the person who came up with this plan for the villagers? Qiao Mei was unable to tell who it could be. "Elder Sister, why are you here to look for me?" Zhao Fei said uneasily as he wiped the sweat off his face. "I''m here to ask you for a favor, a very troublesome one," Qiao Mei said sternly. "Tell me. As long as it''s something I can do, I''ll help you," Zhao Fei said immediately. Qiao Mei brought him to a restaurant next to the construction site for a meal and ordered three dishes. After Zhao Fei finished eating, Qiao Mei slowly said, "The people from the Zhao Family Village had teamed up to kidnap my mother and my husband''s buddies. They''re all currently being locked up in the village. I''m here to ask you to help me by going back there secretly to see how my mother is and if she''s still alive." The chopsticks in Zhao Fei''s hand fell to the floor. He was stunned to the spot and did not know what to say. He did not expect the people from the Zhao Family Village to be so crazy as to do such an outrageous thing. "No way... Are all of them involved?" Zhao Fei asked in disbelief. "Yes, all of them." Seeing that Zhao Fei did not respond for a long time, Qiao Mei continued, "If you think it''s too difficult for you, then forget it. I''m just here to try my luck." "I''m willing! I''m willing to go back and take a look! If possible, I''ll save Auntie too," Zhao Fei said firmly. Chapter 1617 Sneaking into the Zhao Family Village Chapter 1617 Sneaking into the Zhao Family Village The truth was that Zhao Fei regretted knowing Qiao Mei and also regretted returning to the Zhao Family Village with Zhao Liu. If he was still selling seeds at the entrance of the movie theater and living in that dilapidated alley, he might have been able to have a peaceful and happy life. Instead, he had brought harm to so many people and caused Qiao Mei to encounter so many nasty things. He was also the catalyst for making the people of the Zhao Family Village so greedy and murderous and ending up not having a peaceful life. Everything was his fault. Zhao Fei packed his things and handed over all the money he had earned recently to his girlfriend, Ding Xiang. "I might not make it after heading back. If I don''t come back, don''t wait for me. This money is all I have. Take this money and go. Find a better man to spend the rest of your life with," Zhao Fei said. "Asshole! What nonsense are you talking about! I still have to wait for you to come back and marry me! You have to come back!" Ding Xiang said with reddened eyes. "I''ll try my best, but I also have to be responsible for you. What if..." Before Zhao Fei could finish speaking, Ding Xiang immediately said, "There''s no such thing as what if! You''ll definitely come back and marry me! If you don''t come back, I''ll get my father to beat you up!" "Fine, fine, fine. I''ll listen to you. I''m leaving now. Take good care of yourself." After saying that, Zhao Fei left the house and quietly returned to the Zhao Family Village. It was late at night and all the families were resting in their houses. Zhao Fei sneaked into Zhao Liu''s backyard and leaned against the wall to listen carefully for any movements in the house. "Father, do you think it''s safe to lock up that woman at Second Uncle''s place?" Zhao Kai asked worriedly. "What''s so unsafe about it? Your second uncle''s cellar is the largest, most spacious and most remote place in the entire village. Don''t tell me you want to hide her in our cellar? We don''t even have such a thing!" Zhao Liu said. "I''m just worried that Second Uncle and his family won''t do their best to stand guard. What if that woman escapes?" Zhao Kai said. This statement immediately woke Zhao Liu up. Since Li Gui was at risk of running away at any time, it should not be a problem for him to go and take a look! Zhao Liu brought the last of the food left in the house and walked towards Zhao Ming''s house. Wang Meng and Zhao Ming were in the cellar, staring fixedly at Li Gui! The three of them stared at one another and did not speak until Zhao Liu arrived. "Second Brother, Sister-in-law, you must be exhausted. I''m here to visit you and to give her something to eat," Zhao Liu said with a smile. Wang Meng looked at the meat in Zhao Liu''s hand and said unhappily, "Oh my, you must really like her a lot. You don''t even have much meat to eat at home, yet you''re still willing to give this b*tch some meat. How generous of you." Chapter 1618 The Unconscious Rat Chapter 1618 The Unconscious Rat "Sister-in-law, what are you saying! She''s our cash cow. If she dies, we''ll be in big trouble. At that time, we won''t even have any capital to make a comeback. I''m doing this for everyone''s sake," Zhao Liu said. What Zhao Liu said made sense. Wang Meng felt that she had been in the cellar for too long and wanted to go up and take a breather. "Then don''t take too much time! The village chief doesn''t allow you to come and see Li Gui. We''re doing you a favor now. Hurry up." With that, Wang Meng left the cellar. Seeing Wang Meng leave, Zhao Liu immediately said to Zhao Ming, "Second Brother, you should go up and take a breather too. I''ll just watch her finish the meal, then take the bowl and go back." Zhao Ming looked at Li Gui and then at Zhao Liu before following behind Wang Meng. After that, there was only Zhao Liu and Li Gui left in the cellar. Zhao Liu even pulled the cellar door halfway shut, worried that he would be seen. "You must be starving. Eat something!" Zhao Liu placed the food in front of Li Gui. Li Gui did not need to take a look to know that the food came from her factory. She could recognize it from the smell. These people were really scheming. After robbing the factory, they were giving her the factory''s stuff as if it was their own. "Pfft!" Li Gui spat in disdain and kicked the bowl that Zhao Liu pushed over. After Zhao Liu left, Wang Meng suddenly pointed towards the cellar and said, "Hubby! Come and take a look at what''s inside!" All the food in the village had already been snatched away by the buyers of the seeds. When the rats could not find anything to eat, they also started to come out to look for food. Just now, the rats had eaten what Zhao Liu brought and they dropped to the ground after taking a few steps. Zhao Ming hurriedly went to the cellar to check if the rats were still alive. He touched them and could feel that their hearts were still beating. "They just fainted. They''re fine," Zhao Ming shouted towards the upper level. "Throw the food away! Don''t let that b*tch die! If that happens, the two of us won''t be able to face the others!" Wang Meng shouted. Zhao Ming cleared the food and put them aside like it was rat poison. After he checked that Li Gui was still tightly bound with the rope, he went up. The couple had planned to sleep at the cellar door tonight. Anyway, it was summer now and they would not freeze if they slept there. "Don''t tell me he wanted to do something to Li Gui just now?" Wang Meng said in shock. "Lower your voice! Fortunately, you were smart enough to yell at him to come out just now. Otherwise, the two of us and the children would be doomed for the rest of our lives!" Zhao Ming lamented. However, Wang Meng kept feeling like there was something wrong. If Zhao Liu had succeeded just now, would the outcome be even better than now? Chapter 1619 I Killed Someone Chapter 1619 I Killed Someone After all, Li Gui was not a member of the Zhao Family Village now. However, if Zhao Liu had succeeded just now and destroyed Li Gui''s reputation, Li Gui would definitely have to marry Zhao Liu. In that case, Qiao Mei would have to give them whatever they wanted in the future. Furthermore, they had already asked around. Qiao Mei''s surname was Qiao, but those four children''s surnames were Zhang. They were not really a family at all. Qiao Mei was definitely closer to her mother than those children. This was also the reason why they chose to kidnap Li Gui. "Forget it, forget it, let''s not think about it anymore! The next time Elder Brother comes over, the two of us should say that we''re thirsty and go get some water and take a rest. Let him do whatever he wants," Wang Meng said as she lay down. "Alright! Let''s do what you say!" Zhao Ming said. Wang Meng did not expect that after marrying into the Zhao family for so many years and bearing children for Zhao Ming, she would end up like this. Back then, she should have married the butcher from the neighboring village! At least she would always have meat to eat! As Wang Meng was drifting off to sleep, Zhao Ming said, "The two of us should take turns to keep watch tonight. You sleep first. I''ll wake you up when it''s time for your turn." Wang Meng nodded and fell asleep. As Zhao Ming listened to the chirping of the cicadas and Wang Meng''s snores, his eyelids felt heavy. In the end, he could not take it anymore and closed his eyes. Zhao Fei randomly picked up a big rock from the ground and threw it at Zhao Liu''s head. Zhao Liu immediately fell silent and fell limply to the ground. Fortunately, they were at the entrance of the village and there were very few people around. In order to avoid the buyers, everyone had moved deeper into the village. The families who used to live at the entrance of the village had also moved inside. Zhao Fei squatted down shakily and reached out to touch Zhao Liu''s head. His entire hand felt very warm. He had beaten someone to death... His hand was covered in blood... He had killed someone! "Auntie... I killed someone... I killed him... I''m a murderer..." Zhao Fei looked at his hands in fear and muttered. Li Gui immediately said, "No! We''re just defending ourselves. Don''t be afraid! Let''s leave immediately. As long as we''re safe, we can discuss the issue together later!" "No! I want to turn myself in... I killed someone... I can''t go home and marry her... I..." Before Zhao Fei could finish speaking, Li Gui covered Zhao Fei''s mouth and nose, making him lose his breath for a few seconds before letting go of him. Zhao Fei took a deep breath and his chaotic thoughts gradually cleared up. He hurriedly left the Zhao Family Village with Li Gui. The Xia family was resourceful and would definitely be able to save him. He had killed Zhao Liu to protect Li Gui. The Xia family would definitely save him. They would not sit back and do nothing! The two of them ran from the dead of the night until dawn, but they still had not reached the city center of the capital. Li Gui had not eaten or drunk for a long time and had to stay in the same place as the rats. She could feel her body starting to get hot. Chapter 1620 Missing Chapter 1620 Missing Zhao Fei kept running in front and waving at the cars passing by. He wanted to stop a kind-hearted person and hitch a ride into the city. However, their clothes were tattered and they did not have anything valuable on them, nor did they have anything that could prove their identities. No one would help them. Although it was not tumultuous times now, people from other areas who entered the capital without permission were illegal migrants! If one brought illegal migrants into the capital, one would also be punished! No one dared to take the risk. Li Gui felt very uncomfortable and walked to a big tree by the roadside to rest for a while. However, her body temperature kept rising and she was starting to feel dizzy from the fever. "Auntie! Auntie, what''s wrong? Talk to me, don''t scare me!" Zhao Fei quickly ran back and looked at Li Gui worriedly. Li Gui was in a daze by now and could not hear what Zhao Fei was saying at all. Some time ago, she did not sleep or rest well because of the issue at the factory. After that, she had been locked up in that cold cellar for a few days and had not even eaten anything. No matter how healthy a person was, they would not be able to hold up. Zhao Fei had no other choice now. He could only find a clinic and entrust Li Gui to the doctor first, then returned to the city alone to seek help. As the saying went, saving a life was more meritorious than building a seven-story pagoda. Those doctors probably would not leave her in the lurch. "Oh no... How are we going to explain this to the villagers... Didn''t I ask you to keep an eye on her! Why did you let her escape! You useless thing! You''re worse than a dog!" Zhao Ming pointed at Wang Meng and said furiously. However, Wang Meng could not remember if Zhao Ming had woken her up for her turn. Last night, they had clearly agreed that the two of them would take turns. Neither of them expected themselves to sleep until dawn. The two of them hesitated, not knowing if they should tell Zhao Kuo about this. However, even if they wanted to hide it from the villagers, they could not do it for long. After thinking about it, the two of them decided to tell Zhao Kuo about the situation as soon as possible. Zhao Ming scrambled to Zhao Kuo''s house and said, "Uncle! You must save me! Something bad has happened! Li Gui escaped during the night!" "What did you say! How could you let her escape!" Zhao Kuo held his chest and said agitatedly. Zhao Ming knelt on the ground with a plop and hurriedly explained, "We had guarded her well all this while and never made any mistake. But... but my elder brother came over last night and even gave Li Gui a lot of meat and steamed buns. We couldn''t even bear to eat them ourselves! He actually gave them all to that woman! I think this matter must be related to my elder brother!" He definitely could not say that it was the two of them who was careless enough to let Li Gui escape. Right now, the entire village was counting on Li Gui to make a fortune. What they had done was tantamount to cutting off the entire village''s source of income. Cutting off one''s source of income was like killing one''s parents! It was better to push such a vicious thing to Zhao Liu. Zhao Kuo walked out with his walking stick and gathered many smart and capable young men from the village to go to Zhao Liu''s house. Even though he was Zhao Liu''s relative, he could not cover things up for them anymore. He had to give his fellow villagers an explanation. Chapter 1621 Bear With It Chapter 1621 Bear With It "Go in and do a search!" Zhao Kuo roared. Everyone rushed into the courtyard and turned Zhao Liu''s house upside down. Zhao Kai and Zhao Kun were so scared that they hid in a corner and did not dare to make a sound. They did not know what was going on. Zhao Ming walked into the house arrogantly and asked, "Where''s your father? Where did he go!" "My father... My father didn''t come home last night! We don''t know anything! We haven''t even left this house!" Zhao Kai said fearfully. "Can you swear you''re telling the truth?" Zhao Ming asked. "Yes, we swear! It''s the truth! If there''s any lie, the two of us brothers will be struck by lightning!" Zhao Kun mustered up his courage and swore. "Second Uncle, if my elder brother didn''t come back last night, that must mean he has run off with Li Gui. I don''t think the two of them have gone far. Let''s search along this road! We''ll definitely be able to catch them! Capturing Li Gui is the most important thing now!" Zhao Ming said agitatedly. All the villagers went out together to look for Zhao Liu and Li Gui. Zhao Liu was usually such a lazy bum, so he definitely would not be able to go far with a frail woman by his side. Moreover, Zhao Liu''s intention was to do something shameful, so he would not go too far. Zhao Kai and Zhao Kun wanted to go forward to carry Zhao Liu. At the same moment, Zhao Tu said, "Do we have the money to treat him?" Everyone fell silent. Each family did not even have rice now, what more money. For them, seeing a doctor now was a very extravagant thing. "Zhao Tu! What do you mean by that! You don''t intend to save my father?" Zhao Kai said angrily. "Do you have enough money to pay for his treatment! His head is injured! It''s the most difficult part of the body to treat! You might not be able to treat it even if you spend a lot of money! If we give you the money, how are you going to repay us! Every family can''t afford to eat now and you don''t have anything to use as collateral. Besides, no one wants to accept your things now!" Zhao Tu said. In the beginning, everyone was still worried about Zhao Liu''s safety, but by now, the looks in their eyes had changed. They no longer seemed so anxious when they looked at Zhao Liu. Some people were afraid of being implicated and secretly ran home. Zhao Kuo stood there and thought for a moment before he sighed and said, "Kai, bring your father home. It must be Li Gui who hit him! Let''s ask them for money first. When we have money, we''ll send your father for treatment." "But my father can''t wait that long! Second Grandpa, please help our family!" Zhao Kai said sadly. "It''s not that I don''t want to help your family, but everyone is in a difficult situation now. Your father won''t die yet. Bring him back and take good care of him. He can still survive for a few days." Zhao Kuo left after saying that and everyone else also left with him, leaving Zhao Kai and Zhao Kun with the unconscious Zhao Liu. "Elder Brother, are we still going to the hospital?" Zhao Kun asked. "How can we! Let''s go home!" An impatient Zhao Kai carried Zhao Liu on his back and walked towards the house. He had absolutely no intention of bringing Zhao Liu to the hospital at all. He was just putting on an act so that he could cheat the villagers of some money. Chapter 1622 Illegitimate Children Chapter 1622 Illegitimate Children Zhao Kai was a heartless person. He did not care about Zhao Liu''s life or death. According to Zhao Liu, if not for the fact that there were very few single women in the village, Zhao Kai would probably have had more than 10 mothers in his life! Zhao Liu did not care about Zhao Kai at all. Ever since Zhao Kun was born, Zhao Liu behaved like a man possessed and gave everything good to Zhao Kun. Zhao Liu even gave Zhao Kun all the nice food and drinks at home first. He would rather feed it to the dogs than give it to Zhao Kai. At first, Zhao Kai thought that the reason why Zhao Liu was so nice to Zhao Kun was because Zhao Kun was smart and likable. In reality, that was not the case at all! It was Zhao Liu''s third wife who told him about it. This woman was a famous widow in the village and her name was Xiu Lian. The villagers used to say that she killed her previous husband! No one dared to go near Xiu Lian. Zhao Liu did not believe in such rumors. It was not as if anyone had seen Xiu Lian kill someone with their own eyes. Those rumors were completely untrue. In addition, Xiu Lian was quite a flirtatious woman, so the two of them eventually ended up together. Zhao Kun was Xiu Lian''s child. She was already pregnant before she married Zhao Liu. At that time, Zhao Kai was eight years old. Although he was still young, he could already remember things. "Mei Mei, you have to eat something," Xu Lan said with heartache. "Mother, I''m fine. You and Second Aunt-in-law can go and eat," Qiao Mei said weakly. When Liu Fen''s family heard that something had happened at Qiao Mei''s house, they drove here overnight. Xia You and Lu Huai both stayed over at Xu Lan''s house. They were prepared to go forward and render help as long as they were needed. "Qiao Mei, you will collapse if you don''t eat! Qian''e and I will go to the Zhao Family Village today to negotiate with them. I will make sure that I see Auntie," Xia He said sternly. "Why don''t I go instead!" Qiao Mei said. Once Qiao Mei reached the edge of the village, she could use her superpower to find out Li Gui''s approximate location and also see what Li Gui had experienced during this period of time. She could also check if the villagers of Zhao Family Village had made things difficult for Li Gui and if Zhao Liu had bullied Li Gui. If any of these things had happened, Qiao Mei would definitely make those people pay the price in blood. She could even use her superpower to save Li Gui, but the price to pay for that action was too high. If her superpower was discovered by other people, she would be treated as a "witch". Moreover, she was pregnant now and did not have enough energy. If she used it forcefully, it would definitely hurt the baby. She was caught in a dilemma at the moment, her mother on one hand and her child on the other. "If you don''t listen to me, I''ll wait for Xia Zhe and Eldest Brother to come back. Last night, Eldest Brother set off for the capital once he received our message. He will reach home tonight. I''m still hiding it from Xia Zhe. I heard from Father that the training is now very intensive and requires Xia Zhe to lead the team at all times. He can''t afford to be distracted now," Xia He sighed and said. Chapter 1623 At Most We Will All Die Together Chapter 1623 At Most We Will All Die Together "That''s right, Qiao Mei! There are so many of us! Any one of us can go and reason with those villagers. We can definitely give them what they want. Even if you don''t want to think for yourself, you have to think for your mother and your two children! If your mother finds out that you''re feeling so down, she will be so worried," Xu Lan said agitatedly. Qiao Mei looked at Xia Fan and Xia Xing in their cradle. She was responsible for the children now and could not be willful. "Alright, then I''ll have to trouble Elder Sister and Qian''e to make a trip to the Zhao Family Village. Even if they want the stars in the sky, just give them to them! However, I draw the line at the Xia family''s assets," Qiao Mei reminded them. "Look at this situation now! There''s no need to differentiate between your family and my family! Without you, our Xia family would have been long gone! My father would not be standing in front of us so healthy and well now. Auntie has always been very nice to us, so her life is the most important thing now. All the Xia family members are perfectly fine. Even if we lose everything, we can just earn it all back," Xia He said. Qiao Mei looked at everyone gratefully. Qian''e and Xia He set off very early for the Zhao Family Village without even having breakfast, accompanied by Luo Yu. The people from the Zhao Family Village said that they would not allow more than five people to enter the village, otherwise they would not negotiate with Qiao Mei. Luo Yu had arranged for many experts from the team to protect them in secret. As soon as the villagers of Zhao Family Village had any ill intentions, these men would take action immediately. They had obtained approval for this mission. They just needed to ensure that none of the villagers got killed. "We want to see them first before we negotiate!" Qian''e shouted. "Impossible! You have to fulfill our request first before we let them go!" Zhao Kai said. "We can agree to any of your requests, but we have to see them first. Otherwise, we''ll leave immediately and let the police surround your village!" Xia He pointed at the villagers and threatened them. A few villagers were so frightened that they kept retreating, but Zhao Kai did not believe what he heard at all. It was not as if he had really learned nothing from following Zhao Fei around to do business those few months. "Your Xia family is also involved in the same illegal business as us. Aren''t you afraid of being arrested as well if you call the police?" Zhao Kai asked. "Have you heard of the saying that a starving camel is still bigger than a horse? The factory is mine and I''m the only one involved. It has nothing to do with anyone else. They will only come after me!" Qian''e yelled angrily. "You don''t have any evidence to prove that you''re the only one involved! We all saw everything back then!" Zhao Kai said in a panic. "Hmph, that''s nothing. At most, I''ll just die together with you! I''m the only one from our side, but it''s different for you! More than 100 of you have to die with me! It''s not a loss for me!" Qian''e shouted with all her might. Chapter 1624 She Ran Away Chapter 1624 She Ran Away The villagers who were present had an animated discussion. Most of them were uneducated. Everything they knew about the law and how powerful the Xia family was told to them by the Zhao family members. None of them saw anything with their own eyes and there was no real proof. When they heard Qian''e say that they would all die, all of them became afraid. After all, Qian''e was rich and they were really poor! They still had children to take care of! "Village Chief... is what she said true?" one of the villagers asked fearfully. Before Zhao Kuo could speak, Qian''e immediately shouted, "Do you still believe in the Zhao family members now! Look at what they''ve asked you to do! When you worked with us, all of you earned money! But now? Some families have been broken up and some families can''t even afford to eat! I hear that you still need to bring up your children! Do you still believe in the Zhao family members?" "Don''t listen to this b*tch talking nonsense! She''s lying to you! If not for the fact that they gave us fake seeds, we wouldn''t have had any harvest! It''s all their fault now. They''re lying to us! Don''t believe it!" Zhao Kai shouted to the villagers. "What right do you have to say that we give you fake seeds? You are the ones who hide the seeds and breach the contract first. I''m guessing that everyone has bought the seeds at a high price from the Zhao family, right? Isn''t it clear who''s the culprit behind all this?" Xia He said. Everyone looked at the Zhao family members fiercely. They had nothing now. After today, they would have no food left. It was hard to say if they could survive the entire month. Zhao Kai waved his hands and said, "How can you believe these outsiders! They just want us to hand over the person to them! Don''t believe them!" Xia He and Qian''e looked at the chaos in front of them and laughed mockingly. These people could do outrageous things for their own benefit and they could also betray their companions for their own benefit. Qiao Mei was the one who came up with this idea. Everything was under her control, but Li Gui had gone missing. "Tell me! Where did Li Gui go! Or are you lying to me!" Xia He said agitatedly. "We''re not lying. She really ran away! Before she left, she even beat Zhao Liu to death! We saw it with our own eyes!" a villager said fearfully. "Traitor! You bunch of traitors! You''ve confessed everything for such a small benefit!" Zhao Kai said angrily. Xia He rushed forward and stood in front of Zhao Kai. "Is Li Gui really not in the village anymore? Release the rest of the people you captured!" When Chi Ze and the others heard the commotion outside, they ran out quietly. When they saw that it was Xia He and the rest, they hurriedly ran over. All of them were dirty all over and some of them even stank! They would rather carry out missions in the forest and eat rats and insects than stay in such a place for two days! "Sister Xia He! They''re telling the truth! We already checked all the other cellars just now, but we didn''t find any trace of Auntie!" Mao Hang said anxiously. Qian''e felt a chill down her spine when she heard the news. She did not imagine that things would turn out like this. If Li Gui had run away, she was definitely headed in the direction of her own house. Chapter 1625 Treatment Chapter 1625 Treatment In that case, looking at the time, Li Gui should have reached home by now. "Xia He! Keep an eye on this group of people! I''m going to make a phone call!" Qian''e brought Chi Ze with her and drove to the county city. There, she found a convenience store with a phone and made a call to Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei picked up the phone on the first ring. "Qiao Mei! It''s me! Has Auntie reached home already? They said that Auntie ran away last night!" Qian''e said. "I''ll call and ask now!" Qiao Mei immediately hung up and made a call to the courtyard house. Although Li Gui had been to Xu Lan''s house twice, she was not familiar with this place and would not think of coming there at all. If she wanted to go home, she would definitely go back to the courtyard house. Xu Kang and Feng Hua were cleaning the courtyard and did not hear the phone ring. Qiao Mei then called Qiao Qiang, who was in the backyard. Some time ago, Xia Jun missed Qiao Qiang very much, but he did not know when Qiao Qiang would be at home. There was still no phone line in that area, so he asked Xia Mao to make an application in his name for the purpose of making it easier for him to contact his family members. Not long after, a phone line was installed in that area. "No! If you do that, the Xia family will be destroyed! We can''t be so conspicuous! I''ll think of another way... There must be another way..." Qiao Mei said nervously. Xia Wen put down the things in his hand and did not even bother to wash up. He immediately drove out to look for his friends to ask them for help. Xia Mao also quietly asked around for information. Qian''e and the others did not manage to find any news about Li Gui along the road. The roads in this village were very difficult to navigate and no one would be able to spot a woman walking alone at night at all. At this moment, Zhao Fei had brought Li Gui to a remote clinic for treatment. The doctor looked very solemn and it seemed that Li Gui''s condition was getting worse and worse. Her face was very pale. If Zhao Fei did not see that Li Gui was still panting, he would have thought that Li Gui had already died! "Doctor! Say something!" Zhao Fei said anxiously. "She has had a fever for too long. Coupled with the fact that she had been in a dirty environment, it has already affected her lungs. It''s fortunate that you send her here in time. Her condition has not worsened and her life is not in danger. I''ll bring down her fever first and then treat her after that," the doctor said. "That''s good... That''s good... As long as she''s alive..." Zhao Fei dropped to the ground. He had felt tense for one day and one night. Now that he had rescued her, he heaved a sigh of relief. "How are you going to pay?" the doctor asked coldly. "Can... can we put it on credit? I''ll go back and ask my family to come and pay! Just one day! Can you give me one day''s grace?" Zhao Fei begged. The doctor looked at Zhao Fei suspiciously and said disdainfully, "I''ve seen many people like you! If everyone keeps asking for credit, how can I continue to operate this clinic? If you don''t have money, then go elsewhere." "Doctor! We don''t have time! If you don''t save her! Then she''ll die! Please! I''ll definitely pay you! Just give me one day!" Zhao Fei begged. Chapter 1626 Be a Nice Person For Once Chapter 1626 Be a Nice Person For Once "I can''t help you. Go somewhere else," the doctor said coldly as he turned around. Zhao Fei looked at Li Gui''s increasingly weak breath and pale face. If he had to bring her to another clinic for treatment now, she would definitely die! Li Gui had always been very nice to him and would think about him whenever there was anything good. In the past, when he made deliveries, he always woke up very early and did not have time for breakfast. Breakfast outside was also very expensive and he really could not bear to spend money, so he always went hungry. After Li Gui found out about it, she started to bring breakfast for Zhao Fei every day and asked him to eat in the car when he had time. She did not miss a single day and every breakfast was different. He remembered all her kindness in his heart. Li Gui let him know what it was like to have "motherly love" and she was also the person who doted on him the most other than the women in the village. Zhao Fei looked at the doctor''s back and then at the scalpel beside him. There was only one way to save Li Gui now... Zhao Fei rushed to the doctor''s side and snatched up the scalpel. He knelt on the ground and begged, "Doctor! Please save her! I''m willing to use my hand to exchange for it! You can have any body part you want! I can cut off my limbs to be used as collateral! As long as you can save her! It doesn''t matter even if I die! You can even take my life!" Xia He did not say anything else and just glared fiercely at everyone from the Zhao Family Village. These people were the ones who harmed Qiao Mei and hurt Li Gui. She would remember every single one of their faces and would not let any of them off. "Xia He! We didn''t manage to find Auntie. Let''s go home and take a look first," Qian''e said as she ran to Xia He''s side. "Alright, let''s go back," Xia He said. They began to retreat. At this moment, Zhao Kun shouted, "Guys! We definitely can''t let them escape! Otherwise, we won''t have any hope in the future! My father is still unconscious at home!" The buyers had threatened them to get the money ready and hand it over to the buyers within a week. Otherwise, all the houses in their village would be burned down. By then, they would really be homeless. Zhao Kuo immediately realized the severity of the matter. He pointed at Xia He and the others and said, "Stop them! None of them is allowed to leave!" The men in the village surrounded Xia He and the others with their weapons. If there were only around 10 people, they would be able to deal with the crowd. However, there were more than 50 villagers in front of them, many of them either old and weak or women and children. If a fight really broke out, they would definitely be at a disadvantage even if they had the guard team members with them. The guard team members had to abide by discipline and rules and could only punish evildoers. They could not bully the weak. Even if it was these people''s fault, they could not hurt the women and children. "With just the few of you? How can you stop so many of us!" Qian''e said. Chapter 1627 Cannot Wait Any Longer Chapter 1627 Cannot Wait Any Longer "We''ll know it once we give it a try! My father''s head was injured by Li Gui! We need 10,000 dollars! Get someone to bring the money over!" Zhao Kai said. "Who knows if what you say is true!" Qian''e shouted indignantly. She did not believe that Li Gui would hurt others for no reason. "If you don''t believe me! You can come to my house and take a look!" Zhao Kai said. "Only a fool will go to your house..." Xia He rolled her eyes and said disdainfully. "If you don''t give us the money! We''ll fight you here until the end!" Zhao Kai said angrily. The sky gradually darkened. There was still no news of Li Gui at the moment. Furthermore, Xia He, Qian''e and the others had not returned yet. Qiao Mei could not sit still at home. She wished she could run out and look for Li Gui. Xu Lan brought a bowl of silver fungus soup to Qiao Mei and said, "You haven''t eaten much for the entire day. Drink some silver fungus soup to nourish your body. If this continues, your body won''t be able to take it." They could not use violence against the villagers, nor could they forcefully rush out in case they hurt the villagers. They could only stay where they were and wait to see who backed down first. Everyone among them was well-trained and it was not a problem for them to last for 48 hours. The villagers'' physical fitness was definitely not as good as theirs. "Qiao Mei? Why are you here?" Qian''e said as she looked at Qiao Mei in shock. Qiao Mei hurriedly came over Xia He and Qian''e and asked, "Are the two of you alright? It''s already so late but you aren''t back yet, so Eldest Brother and I are here to look for you." Although Zhao Kai and the others had seen Qiao Mei a few times before, they had only caught a brief glimpse and did not have a close look. Now that they saw Qiao Mei, everyone was stunned. They did not expect Qiao Mei to be such a beautiful girl! They had heard from Zhao Fei that Qiao Mei had a very bad temper. That did not seem true. Could it be that Zhao Fei had gotten the wrong person and meant that it was Qian''e who had a bad temper? "You''re finally here! Give us the money!" Zhao Kai said as he pointed at Qiao Mei. "Give her to me and I''ll give you money," Qiao Mei said calmly. "Sister-in-law, we''ve secretly done a house-to-house check. Auntie is indeed not in the village anymore, but we don''t know where she has gone. These people won''t say anything no matter what," Chi Ze came to Qiao Mei''s side and whispered. Qiao Mei patted Chi Ze''s shoulder to indicate that she understood. The most important thing for her now was to find an opportunity to communicate with the plants in the village and see where Li Gui had gone. Chapter 1628 Finding Clues Chapter 1628 Finding Clues "Your mother beat my father to death! We want money for his treatment! If you don''t give it to us, we''ll go to the police!" Zhao Kai threatened. As long as none of them mentioned anything about Li Gui''s kidnapping and stuck to the fact that Li Gui had hurt Zhao Liu, Qiao Mei would have to give them a lot of money. Qiao Mei was not a fool and would not simply believe whatever other people said. Moreover, she was familiar with the law and knew very well who would be at a disadvantage if this entire matter ended up with the police. She did not care about the nonsense that Zhao Kai was spewing at all. Nothing was more important than Li Gui''s life. "Is it true just because you say it''s true? We had been here all afternoon but didn''t see anything! Who knows if what you say is true!" Qian''e said angrily. "If you don''t believe me! I''ll bring you to the place where my father was injured!" Zhao Kun said. There were mountains and rivers near this village. If Li Gui really hurt Zhao Liu in order to escape, then the plants in the village would definitely have seen her. Qiao Mei suppressed the excitement in her heart and said, "Bring us there to take a look." Zhao Kai walked in front while Qiao Mei, Qian''e and Xia He walked behind him. Luo Yu and Xia Wen stood on each side to protect them. They did not have to walk far before they reached the place where Zhao Liu was attacked last night. There was indeed a pool of blood on the ground and it looked like it was really a lot of blood! Perhaps Zhao Kai was telling the truth. At this moment, she suddenly heard the voices of Li Gui and Zhao Fei nearby. "Stop the car!" Qiao Mei suddenly shouted. Luo Yu was so shocked that he quickly stepped on the brakes. Everyone looked at Qiao Mei in shock and confusion. Qiao Mei did not care less and quickly got out of the car to observe the surrounding terrain. "Brother Luo Yu! All of you used to be soldiers! See if there are any clues nearby!" Qiao Mei said as she pointed at the grass patch nearby. The men were all trained in reconnaissance before. Everyone went into the grass to search. In less than 10 minutes, Luo Yu found a small path. "Here! Come and take a look!" Luo Yu shouted. The road to get to him was very steep so it was not convenient for Qiao Mei to go over. Qian''e stayed behind to take care of Qiao Mei while Xia He ran to Luo Yu''s side to take a look. "Let''s follow this path and look around first. The rest of you can go elsewhere to take a look," Xia He said. "Alright, I''ll bring three people with me. You guys go home first," Luo Yu said sternly. Xia Wen looked at Qiao Mei suspiciously. Even for ex-soldiers like them, they did not dare to say for sure where they could find clues. How did Qiao Mei determine that there were clues nearby? Chapter 1629 Finding Zhao Fei Chapter 1629 Finding Zhao Fei Noticing Xia Wen''s suspicious look, Qiao Mei smiled and asked, "Eldest Brother, why are you looking at me like that?" "I''m just curious about how you know that there might be clues nearby," Xia Wen said. "Maybe... it''s the connection between mother and daughter..." Qiao Mei explained. This made sense. When Wu Min passed away from illness, Xia Wen was still in the army. At that time, he suddenly felt suffocated and uncomfortable for a long while. He thought that there was something wrong with his health, but after a few minutes, he received the bad news from home. "I''ve had this feeling before..." Xia Wen said melancholically. Qiao Mei was relieved to see that Xia Wen no longer suspected anything. She thought that Xia Wen had spotted something strange about her! It would be a disaster if her powers were exposed! Luo Yu led three men down the road and saw a village. This village was very small and there were only about 20 families living there. It did not take long for them to ask around and find out that no one had seen Li Gui and Zhao Fei. After walking for an entire day, Zhao Fei finally arrived at Qiao Mei''s house. He did not have the strength to even knock on the door. He crouched down on the stone steps and kept crawling towards the main door. In the end, his vision darkened and he fainted. There was no one on the street and no one noticed him. Xu Kang only discovered Zhao Fei when she went out to lock the door at night. She was so scared that she retreated repeatedly. After confirming that the person at the door was motionless, she mustered her courage and walked up to Zhao Fei to take a closer look. She seemed to have seen this person before. He looked like the young man who used to do business with Qiao Mei and the others! Why was he crouching at their main door? She quickly went into the house and called for Da Zhuang and Xiao Zhuang, asking them to move Zhao Fei into the house. "Where can we find a doctor at this hour? Perhaps we should go to the hospital!" Xu Kang said in a panic. "We don''t know if he can go to the hospital. He will need to be registered there. If he had done something wrong, then won''t it become our mistake? Let''s call Sister-in-law to confirm it first," Xiao Zhuang said cautiously. "Sure!" Da Zhuang quickly ran to the living room next door to make a call to Xu Lan''s house. Xu Kang went to the kitchen to cook some porridge for Zhao Fei so that he could drink some to replenish his strength. Xu Lan''s helper, Wan Wen, picked up the phone and said, "Hello, this is the Xia family." "I''m the guard at Qiao Mei''s house! There''s a man here! Is Qiao Mei at home! This person might be related to Auntie''s disappearance!" Da Zhuang said loudly. "Oh, oh! I''ll wake them up now!" Wan Wen immediately ran upstairs to wake Xia Wen and Xia He up. Qiao Mei had not been feeling well and she hesitated about waking Qiao Mei up. In the end, she felt that it was better to let Qiao Mei rest well. Xia He ran downstairs quietly and picked up the phone. "This is Xia He. Who did you find? Describe him to me." Chapter 1630 Waiting for Him to Regain Consciousness Chapter 1630 Waiting for Him to Regain Consciousness "He fainted at the door. He''s about 20 years old, about 1.8 meters tall, very thin, and has a scar on his wrist..." Da Zhuang carefully described Zhao Fei''s appearance. When Xia He heard this, she knew that it was Zhao Fei. The scar on his wrist was from when he accidentally got cut by the popcorn machine when trying to repair it. After hanging up the phone, she immediately grabbed Xia Wen and set off for Qiao Mei''s courtyard house. Zhao Fei was still unconscious, so even if Qiao Mei went back, she also had to wait patiently for Zhao Fei to wake up. It would be better for them to get the whole story and then bring Qiao Mei to look for Li Gui. As soon as the car reached the main door of Qiao Mei''s house, Xia He jumped out and ran into the room where Zhao Fei was in. It looked like he had been unconscious for a long time. At this rate, he might not wake up even by tomorrow night. She ran to the room which Qiao Mei had set aside for her and took out the precious 100-year-old ginseng juice. Xia He held the bottle and hesitated. This was what Qiao Mei had given her and there was only one bottle left. If the person lying in front of her was Li Gui, she would definitely let Li Gui drink it without any hesitation. However, she could not bear to let Zhao Fei drink such a precious thing. Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m However, this was for news about Li Gui! So be it! Just treat it as Li Gui drinking it! She handed the bottle to Xu Kang and asked Xu Kang to mix the 100-year-old ginseng juice with water and slowly feed it to Zhao Fei, making sure not to spill a single drop. She did not have the patience to wait upon others. Xia He hurriedly let Mo Zhu in. She stuck her head out to check if there was anyone else around before locking the door. The three of them went to the study together. Mo Zhu took out a letter from her bag. This was all the information that her family''s private investigator had found during this period of time. Mo Zhu did not know any of the information was useful, so she wanted to show it to Xia Wen. There was a lot of information written on that piece of paper. For people who did not know better, they would think that it contained Li Gui''s life history! Even the things that happened to Li Gui when she was young were recorded, but there was very little mention of the recent kidnapping. Looking at Xia Wen''s solemn expression, Mo Zhu asked in embarrassment, "Is there nothing useful here?" "I''ll take a closer look. You''ve already helped us a lot. Thank you for coming to deliver the letter so late at night," Xia Wen said as he looked at Mo Zhu kindly. "It''s not a big deal. I just want to find Auntie quickly. Our family has lived in the forest area for a long time and doesn''t know much about all these things outside, so we might not be able to help you much. If there''s anything you need from me, just tell me! I''ll definitely think of a way to help you," Mo Zhu said. "Definitely." Xia Wen put away the letter and looked up at Xia He. "It''s already very late. Let Mo Zhu sleep in your room. I''ll arrange for someone to send her back tomorrow morning." "Alright, you can sleep in my room!" Xia He pulled Mo Zhu towards her room. Ever since she got married, she had not come back to live in this house. The room looked the same as before, even the position of the decorative ornaments had not changed. Xu Kang cleaned Xia He''s room every day and the bedsheets and blankets were all freshly washed. Chapter 1631 Found Chapter 1631 Found "You can sleep here. I''ll sleep in Qiao Mei''s room. We still have a lot of things to deal with tonight, so we might not be able to take care of you. If you need anything, just come and look for me. In the morning, Sister Xu will come and get you for breakfast. You must have a meal before leaving!" Xia He reminded her. "Alright, go ahead. I''m the one who has caused you trouble," Mo Zhu said apologetically. "We don''t think that you''ve caused any trouble! You''ve been a big help! When this matter is over, I''ll definitely treat you to a meal! You can''t reject me!" Xia He said with a smile. "Alright, it''s a deal," Mo Zhu said. After saying that, Xia He hurriedly bade farewell to Mo Zhu and returned to Xia Wen''s side. Xia Wen slumped helplessly in the rocking chair. He could not think of any other way to find Li Gui. His friends had already sent people out to look for Li Gui. The guard team was also still searching for her based on the clues they had found during the day. If there was still no news tomorrow, he would have to ask Xia Mao to use his contacts. When Xia He saw Xia Wen''s weird expression just now, she knew that there was definitely nothing valuable in the letter, so she did not ask further. However, it was already a very rare thing for Mo Zhu to have such nice intentions. She did not know if Xia Wen had any feelings for Mo Zhu. If Mo Zhu became her eldest sister-in-law, their family''s life would definitely become even more prosperous in the future! By the time they reached the village, it was morning. The clinic had already opened for business. Qiao Mei was the first among them to get out of the car and rush into the house. With so many people rushing into the clinic at once, the doctor was so shocked that he sat on the chair and did not dare to move. Anyone who did not know better would think that Qiao Mei and the others were here to rob them! "Doctor! Where''s my mother? Do you have a woman here who''s around 50 years old?" Qiao Mei asked agitatedly. "Yes, yes, yes! She''s in the room!" The doctor said as he quickly pointed towards the small ward. Qiao Mei walked into the room quietly. The clinic had not been renovated for a long time and it was old and dilapidated. The air smelled of mold and some disinfectant. The plaster on the walls had fallen off and it looked as if insects and rats would appear at any time. However, this was not really uncommon in the countryside. It was already good enough to have a clinic in the area. Li Gui lay on the hospital bed, her breathing faint and her face pale. Although Li Gui''s life was no longer in danger, she had not eaten well during this period of time. She had lost weight and her face was hollowed. "Mom..." Qiao Mei sat beside Li Gui and called out softly. In Qiao Mei''s memories, although Li Gui was a fragile woman who needed protection, she was a strong mother. No matter what difficulties she faced, she worked hard to protect Qiao Mei and did her best to take good care of Qiao Mei so that Qiao Mei''s life would not be so difficult. Li Gui had never complained about being tired in front of Qiao Mei, nor had she ever appeared weak in front of Qiao Mei. This was the first time Qiao Mei felt like she had "lost" Li Gui. Qiao Mei did not want to see Li Gui like this again, nor did she want to experience such a thing again. Chapter 1632 Send to the Hospital Chapter 1632 Send to the Hospital Qiao Mei immediately took out a small medicine bottle from her pocket and poured the liquid into Li Gui''s mouth when no one was paying attention. This was very pure 1,000-year-old ginseng juice. After Li Gui drank it, no matter what kind of illness she had, she would get better. The vitality that her body had lost would also be replenished in an instant. Just like Xia Mao, she would be brought back from the dead. Xia Wen looked in from the doorway. After seeing that Qiao Mei''s mood had stabilized, he went to the doctor''s side and asked, "What illness does my auntie have? Is it serious?" "Her condition was quite serious when she first came. I''ve already used medicine to help with her recovery, but it''s only temporary. If she doesn''t get better treatment after one more day, her life will be in danger. The medical equipment here is limited and I can only keep her alive over these past two days," the doctor said as he lowered his head in fear, worried that he would anger these people. They were all ready to transfer Li Gui to the city hospital immediately with their car outside. Xia He took out 100 dollars from her pocket and gave it to the doctor. "This is payment for the medical treatment. Any extra is a token of thanks from us. I hope you can accept it." The doctor widened his eyes and looked at the 100 dollars in front of him. He could not wait to reach out and snatch the money. He did not expect to be able to get so much money after saving this patient that day! The medicine he used cost less than 5 dollars and he never would have expected the payback to be 20 times of that amount! "You''re welcome..." the doctor said happily. Xia Wen cleared the room of people. The curtains of the ward were drawn and everyone sat around nervously. They did not know what illness the doctor from the clinic was talking about and how serious it was. They had never studied medicine and did not know anything about such things. "Don''t worry, I''ve given my mother some medicine. She''ll definitely be fine," Qiao Mei said with a sigh. "That''s good. Do you still have that medicine? I thought you had given it all to my father!" Xia He said. "There''s not much left. Xia Zhe has some and my grandfather has some. What I gave my mother was actually meant for Father. I''ll bring some back for Father when we get back," Qiao Mei said. "Saving a life is more important. This thing is yours to begin with. You can give it to anyone. We''re a family," Xia Wen said. "Why isn''t Aunt here yet? Wait for me, I''ll go get someone!" Xia He said anxiously. Xia He hurriedly ran out to look for Xia Fang. At a corner, the two of them almost bumped into each other. Xia Fang held onto the wall and said, "Why are you in such a hurry? What happened?" "Qiao Mei... Qiao Mei told me just now that her stomach hurts! Aunt, I''m worried! Go take a look!" Xia He said agitatedly. The two of them raced down the corridor of the hospital. The doctors and nurses around looked at Xia Fang in surprise. Chapter 1633 Brotherly Respect Chapter 1633 Brotherly Respect There was a rule in the hospital that no one was allowed to run around unless there were special circumstances. All the doctors and nurses had to memorize this rule when they first joined the hospital. They did not expect to see the "expert gynecologist" Xia Fang running around one day. They wondered how critical the patient''s illness had to be for Xia Fang to run like this. When Xia Fang pushed open the door, she saw Qiao Mei sitting on the sofa with a pale face. Qiao Mei held her stomach with one hand and the arm of the sofa with the other, looking very weak. "You really went to alarm Aunt..." Qiao Mei said weakly. "You still want to put on a front! I''ll arrange for a ward for you and to get a full-body checkup done." With that, Xia Fang went out to make the arrangements. All the matters at home were now handled by Xu Lan and Liu Fen. After Xu Lan gave birth to Xia Zhe, she had a lingering illness. Whenever she was tired or if it was windy or rainy, her joints would hurt badly. She could only lie on the bed to recuperate, so Liu Fen had to take on the responsibility of taking care of her family. After knowing that Li Gui had been rescued, the Du family finally could not sit still anymore. After Du Miao said that, he rushed out of the door. Du Bo was so angry that he had an unbearable headache. He sat on the sofa and kept moaning. The helper hurriedly went to the study to get Du Bo''s medicine. Du Huai chased after Du Miao. He grabbed Du Miao and said, "Younger brother! Father only said that in a fit of anger! When has he ever not cared about you! Come back with me and apologize to him properly. Then this matter will be over." "Du Huai, stop putting an act in front of me. There''s no one else here," Du Miao said disdainfully. Du Huai stopped the show of brotherly respect and let go of Du Miao''s hand. He kept wiping his hands with his own handkerchief as if he had touched something dirty. "I thought you''d forgotten all about it," Du Huai said. "Even if I lose my memory, I won''t forget you. You should go back and be Du Bo''s good son. Don''t come here to disgust me," Du Miao said in annoyance. "Don''t you want to save Mom?" Du Huai asked. Du Miao stopped in his tracks as he was walking out of the courtyard. After thinking for a long time, he sighed and said, "Everyone has their own fate. Back then, when I advised her to divorce my father, she did not want to leave. I can''t change this outcome. Even if she is cured, she will still be tortured by Du Bo until the end. She might as well die." Speaking of the Du family''s scandalous affairs, it would probably take more than a day and a night to finish listing all of them. The retribution for the sins that Du Bo had committed when he was young had now fallen on his children. Chapter 1634 Money Makes the World Go Round Chapter 1634 Money Makes the World Go Round At that time, the Du family was just an ordinary family. They used all their money to send Du Bo to school. Fortunately, Du Bo managed to become a police officer and brought honor to his ancestors. His mentor often brought him out to drink and fool around, going to all kinds of bars and casinos. He lived a very carefree life and his mentor was very rich and thought highly of him. Unexpectedly, after getting drunk one time, Du Bo slept with a woman from one of those places and that woman even became pregnant with Du Bo''s child! That child was Du Huai. Du Bo had originally thought that since things had come to this, he would marry the woman and take responsibility for the child. To him, it was not that bad a life. However, he did not expect his mentor''s daughter to find him unforgettable after meeting him just once and that she insisted on marrying him. His mentor doted on his daughter very much, so he forced Du Bo to marry her. His mentor''s daughter was Feng Niao. After that woman gave birth to Du Huai, Du Bo''s mentor sent someone to kill her and brought the child back for Feng Niao to bring up. Feng Niao always thought that she treated Du Huai quite well and treated him like her own son. This happy family might have lived like this for the rest of their lives, but Du Miao''s birth broke the harmony of this family. Feng Nian became less and less concerned about Du Huai and even started to ostracize him. She felt that Du Huai was snatching away Du Miao''s assets and ignored Du Huai at every turn. Even when Du Huai was sick, Feng Nian did not care about him. By chance, Du Huai found out about the cause of his biological mother''s death from the helper at home. Ever since then, Du Huai would bully Du Miao in ways which no one could see. He put on a good act outside, as if he was an elder brother who doted on his younger brother. However, in private, Du Huai would hit and insult Du Miao, even pushing Du Miao into the water. "This..." Zhou Luo looked at Du Huai excitedly. He was simply like an immortal who had descended to the mortal world! Their family was saved! "This is only the down payment. After this matter is done, I''ll give you another 10,000 dollars as a reward. I just don''t know if you dare to carry out the task," Du Huai said. "Of course! There''s nothing that we dare not do!" Zhou Luo said confidently. Du Huai smiled mockingly. He had not even said what the task was, but Zhou Luo had already agreed to it. It seemed that the phrase "money makes the world go round" was quite true. He told Zhou Luo the entire plan. Without a second thought, Zhou Luo agreed to Du Huai''s request and promised him that she would definitely complete the task! "I still don''t know your name?" Zhou Luo asked. "My name is Du Miao," Du Huai said with a smile. "Alright! I''ll remember that! I''ll definitely call you and tell you when it''s done!" Zhou Luo said. After Du Huai left the Zhou family''s house, he did not return to the Du family residence. Instead, he took his luggage and left the capital. This was all he could do. He would now wait to watch the rest of the show. Zhou Luo no longer had any credibility in the Xia family. If she went for a visit now, the Xia family members would probably use big sticks to chase her out. However, it was different for Xia Lu and Xia Yan. These two were the Xia family''s biological children! Could the Xia family really be so heartless that they would even refuse to acknowledge their own descendants? Chapter 1635 Go to the Mall to Buy Milk Powder Chapter 1635 Go to the Mall to Buy Milk Powder Zhou Luo used the money to buy a lot of meat. She made a table full of dishes and asked Xia Lu and Xia Yan to come home. The family had a good meal together. When everyone was full, Zhou Luo took out 1,000 dollars and placed it on the table. "Mom, where did you get so much money? Didn''t you tell me the day before yesterday that we don''t even have money to buy food?" Xia Yan said. "This is from a benefactor, but it''s not for free. He wants us to do something and after it''s done, he''ll give us more money. It''s 10 times this amount!" Zhou Luo said excitedly. "What is it! Tell us quickly!" Xia Yan had recently incurred a lot of gambling debts and was worried about not having the money to pay them back! After Xia Lu and Xia Yan graduated, the two of them had been slacking off every day and going gambling with their family''s money. Zhou Luo had no choice but to let them be. Zhou Luo could not even support herself any longer, so she did not have the mood to care about them. In the past, she used to think that these two children were her money trees and treated them well. Now, she felt annoyed whenever she saw them. They were like two creditors who urged her to give them money every day. "You think you can do it just because there''s money to be made? You may change your mind after knowing what the task is!" Zhou Luo said mysteriously. The two children were very obedient and Liu Fen was more than willing to take care of them. Seeing that the weather was good today, Liu Fen wanted to bring them out to buy some things. They had finished all the milk powder at home and had to go to the mall to buy more. "Babies, have you ever been to the mall?" Liu Fen asked Xia Fan and Xia Xing with a smile. "Wow!" Xia Xing waved her hands and shouted. "Oh my, are you saying that you''ve never been there before?" Liu Fen asked happily. Xia Xing nodded slightly and then gave Liu Fen a big smile. Liu Fen''s heart almost melted when she saw that. Her four children were not in a hurry to have children, but she was a person who adored children. Now, she could only play with Xu Lan''s grandchildren to feel better. "Let''s go! We''ll go to the mall today! Tell Second Grandma what you like! Second Grandma will buy everything for you!" Liu Fen said. Xia Yan hurriedly patted Xia Lu and said, "Hurry up and inform those guys! Let''s take action today!" Xia Lu ran to the phone booth in the distance to make a call to those men and they immediately put their plan in action. Xia Yan continued to follow Liu Fen. Liu Fen brought the two children to buy milk powder and also bought many new toys, carrying bags of all sizes in her hands. When she reached the garden downstairs, she sat on a chair and basked in the sun. She also pushed the children''s pram into the open so that they could get some sun as well. Chapter 1636 Kidnap the Children Chapter 1636 Kidnap the Children "You''ve been at home all the time recently and haven''t had any sun at all! Let''s sunbathe a little longer today! Sunbathing can replenish our calcium! You''ll both grow up big and strong!" Liu Fen said as she rocked the pram. It was not the weekend today and there were not many people in the garden. When Liu Fen left the house, she was in a hurry and did not bring any water with her. She did bring the children''s water bottle, but Xu Lan had told her that adults and children should not share the same utensils. It could make the children fall sick. She would not die of thirst if she did not drink water for a while. She would bear with it for the time being and drink water at home after the children were done having some fun. "Second Aunt-in-law! Why are you here! What a coincidence!" Xia Yan said as he ran up to Liu Fen enthusiastically. "Xiao Yan, why are you here?" Liu Fen asked. "It''s a long story... I''m still not working yet, so I have come here to try my luck and see if there''s any shop that wants to employ me. My eldest aunt doesn''t want us to idle around at home anymore," Xia Yan said pitifully. "Sigh... It''s been hard on you. It''s all that vicious woman Zhou Luo''s fault! How can she force her will on the children like this! Forget it, forget it! Let''s not talk about these unhappy things!" Liu Fen shook her head and said. Liu Fen fell to the ground. She used all her strength to crawl towards the pram, but Xia Yan gave her a kick and she fell unconscious. "Wow!" Xia Xing made threatening gestures as she shouted. She reached out with her small hands and kept waving them around, as if she wanted to give Xia Yan a beating. Xia Yan immediately took out two square towels from his pocket and covered the children''s mouths and noses. Not long after, the two children also lost consciousness and fell asleep in the pram. "Little brats, I almost forgot to knock you out! It won''t be good if you attract attention later!" Xia Yan picked up the two children and ran towards the dark alley where Xia Lu was waiting for him. Xia Lu was in the car with a few men. These people were all professional human traffickers who had abducted many women and children. It was said that they even knew people from the police force and had very strong backing. Xia Yan''s act of carrying two children was really too eye-catching and many people looked in his direction. When he finally made it to the alley, he got into the car quickly and said, "Go, go, go!" "How''s Second Aunt-in-law?" Xia Lu asked nervously. "She has fainted. I estimate that she will be unconscious for a few days! I drugged her with a full dose! She definitely won''t be able to get up!" Xia Yan said smugly. Xia Lu patted his chest. The nervousness from before had disappeared. He had been worried that Xia Yan would fail in the task! If so, he would have gathered these men for nothing. If there was any delay, he would have to give them more money! However, the two brothers did not have any more money to pay the men. Chapter 1637 Feeling That Something Is Wrong Chapter 1637 Feeling That Something Is Wrong These men dropped Xia Yan and Xia Lu off at a random bus stop and then left. Whatever happened next had nothing to do with the two brothers anymore. They had completed their task successfully. "Younger Brother, let''s inform the family members to go and pay for the release of the two children. The earlier this matter ends, the earlier we can get the money!" Xia Lu said. "Right! Let''s go home and call them now!" Xia Yan said happily. Once he received the money, he could continue gambling! Such a big amount of money would be enough for him to gamble for a long time! At this moment, he only hated the fact that Xia Zhe was the only one from the Xia family''s first son''s family who had children. If Xia Wen and Xia He also had children, he could get even more money! It was soon noon and everyone was waiting for Liu Fen to be back for lunch. However, Xu Lan did not see Liu Fen yet. She stood at the door and waited. By right, Liu Fen should be back by now. Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m "Madam, what''s wrong? You''ll catch a chill if you stand here. You haven''t recovered yet," Wan Wen said worriedly. The two of them rushed back to the ward. Xia Wen was currently reading documents in the living room. He had fallen behind on his work in order to take care of Li Gui and Qiao Mei, so his secretary had sent all the work documents to the hospital. Zou Ming panted heavily as he said to Xia Wen, "Quick! Go and get your father to search the entire city! Liu Fen has been drugged and is downstairs now! When I reached the crime scene, there was a double pram next to her. Xia Fan and Xia Xing were not there. They must have been kidnapped!" "What!" Xia Wen and Xia He shouted out as they looked at Zou Ming in shock. "Don''t just stand there! Go look for the children! Ask your father to get people to search for them! My men are all outside looking for them now! But I don''t have enough manpower!" Zou Ming said anxiously. There had been many cases of missing children in the capital recently, causing everyone to be in a state of panic. The police station at which he was stationed already had 4 reported cases. There must be a group of criminals involved in this. He did not know if it was also this group which kidnapped Xia Fan and Xia Xing, but he had to check it out. It was better than not doing anything. If the matter today was done by the human traffickers, they definitely had not left the capital yet, They would only leave after the situation had died down. Xia Wen immediately picked up the phone and called Xia Mao. When the call went through, he did not really know what to say. He only knew that Xia Fan and Xia Xing were missing, but he did not even know where they were taken or when they had gone missing. Zou Ming snatched the phone receiver and said, "Hello, Uncle. I''m Zou Ming. The children went missing in Victory Garden opposite the mall. We found Liu Fen at around 12 noon. The children were probably taken not more than two hours before that. That group of people must still be in the capital." "Alright! I understand. Contact me anytime if there are any new clues." After saying that, Xia Mao hung up the phone and made arrangements for his subordinates to search for Xia Fan and Xia Xing. Chapter 1638 Discover a Suspect Chapter 1638 Discover a Suspect "I have my pager with me! Contact me anytime if you need anything! I''ll send people to look for the children now!" When Xia Wen opened the door, he saw Qiao Mei standing at the door barefooted. Her eyes were wide open and she seemed to have even stopped breathing. "Qiao Mei! Take a deep breath! Don''t be nervous. Father has already sent people out to look for them. We''ll definitely find them! I''m sending people out now too. Don''t be too anxious!" Xia Wen said as he looked at Qiao Mei nervously. "Zou Ming, what did you say just now? Where did the children go missing?" Qiao Mei asked as she looked at Zou Ming with bloodshot eyes. "Victory Garden. Both children are missing and we found water laced with sedatives and a handkerchief at the scene. These are likely the tools used by those people to commit the crime," Zou Ming stated calmly. Qiao Mei did not even bother to put on her shoes. She grabbed Xia Wen''s arm tightly and said, "Eldest Brother! Bring me there to look for the children! Hurry!" Just now, Zou Ming had said that the children were missing for around two hours, so that meant that the plants in the surroundings definitely saw where the children went. She must get the children back before those people leave the capital! The four of them headed to the crime scene together in the same car. Qiao Mei clenched her fists and looked out of the window. She kept taking deep breaths to adjust her state of mind. Her children needed her now and she could not panic. She must be calm. "No, Second Aunt-in-law never uses such things," Xia Wen said. Qiao Mei did not care. She asked Xia He to go with her to Xia Yan''s house to get more information. Xia Wen would stay at the scene to gather more clues to find out where the children might be. Along the way, Xia He was unwilling to believe that Xia Yan was the one who had harmed the children. After all, Xia Yan was a member of the Xia family. Could he really do something so vicious to the Xia family''s children? "Elder Brother! Look! There''s so much money! This is the first time I''ve seen so much money!" Xia Yan said excitedly. "Yes, it''s my first time too. How should we spend this money? Should we give some to Eldest Aunt?" Xia Lu asked. Xia Yan said disdainfully, "Why should we give her some? There''s not even enough money for the two of us. If we give some to her, that means there''s less for us. No, no! She didn''t do anything! This task was completed by the two of us! Giving her money is being too nice to her! No! Later, we can just tell her that we didn''t succeed and that those people didn''t pay us." "Sure! We''ll do as you say! My younger brother is the smartest!" Xia Lu said happily. Xia He kicked open the door and the two women walked straight towards the two men. Xia Yan and Xia Lu did not expect Qiao Mei to come after them all the way here and they did not even have time to keep away the money on the table. "Where did you get all this money? Where are my children now?" Qiao Mei questioned. Xia Yan mustered his courage and looked at Qiao Mei. The two women would not have any evidence to prove that the two of them were the ones who did this. As for the money... he would just say that it was his winnings from gambling! As if one could not have good luck sometimes? Chapter 1639 Bury You With Them Chapter 1639 Bury You With Them "This is our own earnings. How would I know where your children are? You''re a mother, yet you come to my house to look for your children. How do you take care of your own children?" Xia Yan said self-righteously. "What kind of business do you do that you can earn so much money in one go? Do you think we''re all fools?" Xia He looked at Xia Yan and questioned him. "What right do you have to care about what I do! I can earn money however I want. Does it have anything to do with you? Don''t tell me you''re jealous of me earning money!" Xia Yan pointed at Xia He and roared at her. Xia He wanted to rush forward and give Xia Yan a good beating, but Qiao Mei reached out to stop her. They had not managed to get anything out of him yet, so it was useless to hit him. From her pocket, Qiao Mei took out the bag containing the handkerchief and placed it in front of Xia Yan. Xia Yan was stunned for a moment, but he still maintained his composure and said, "Why are you putting your handkerchief here?" "I think we all know very well whose handkerchief this is. As long as you tell me the whereabouts of the children, I won''t be calculative with you. I can give you double this amount of money," Qiao Mei said as she touched the money on the table with her fingertips. "I told you, I don''t have any patience. Quickly tell me the whereabouts of my children. Let''s not waste any more of each other''s time. If anything happens to my children, neither you nor your elder brother can think about staying alive. I''m not a member of the Xia family and I don''t have any feelings for you. If my two children are dead, then you can go and accompany them!" Qiao Mei said viciously. "B*tch, how dare you hit me... I''m the Xia family''s grandson... Aren''t you afraid that I''ll complain to Old Man Xia! At that time, I''ll get Xia Zhe to divorce you!" Xia Yan said while enduring the pain. "Hmph, go ahead and tell him. Let''s see if Grandfather will talk to you! Tell me the whereabouts of my children quickly, or I''ll bury both of you with them!" After saying that, Qiao Mei gave Xia Yan another hard kick, causing him to wail in pain while sprawled on the floor. Xia He stood guard at the door, not allowing Xia Yan and Xia Lu to escape or Zhou Luo to enter. Fortunately, Zhou Luo was not at home now. If she saw Xia Yan being beaten up like this, she would definitely kick up a fuss non-stop. "Hoho... I won''t tell you even if I die! You should just give up!" Xia Yan said mockingly. "You still have some backbone, as a member of the Xia family should. But you have used it in the wrong place. I want to see how long your backbone can last!" As soon as Qiao Mei finished speaking, she wanted to teach Xia Yan a painful lesson. However, Xia Lu rushed towards Qiao Mei and grabbed her leg. "I''ll talk! I''ll tell you! Let my younger brother off! If you continue to hit him like this, he''ll be crippled!" Xia Lu cried as he said. "Oh, I forgot about you. Spit it out then!" Qiao Mei said.Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m Chapter 1640 Cry Nonstop Chapter 1640 Cry Nonstop Xia Lu went to one side and shakily wrote down the address of the triad boss. The words were crooked, but it was still legible. Qiao Mei looked at the note and said, "If it''s a fake address, I''ll keep my word. The two of you will be buried with my children. Do you understand?" "Yes..." Xia Lu said fearfully. Qiao Mei and Xia He went to a phone booth first to inform Xia Wen and Zou Ming about the exact location of the triad boss. Then, she called Chi Ze and asked him to bring his buddies to wait near that location. It was actually very close to the factory. This group of human traffickers was very smart. They lived in an abandoned village where very few people went. Even if the kidnapped victims escaped, it was impossible for them to return to the capital alive. The journey was long and it would be impossible for a child to find the way home. "Hey! Can you do something about this child! She''s been crying the whole way!" a fierce-looking man said. "I''ve never given birth before! What can I do! If she keeps crying, just drug her!" an older woman said. "Hey! Look! The boy is starting to cry and the girl is not crying anymore! It''s all your fault for having such a foul mouth!" Brother Dao said angrily. "Then let''s just bear with it. If there''s something wrong with a boy''s head, he won''t be worth anything anymore. Even if a girl is an idiot, she can still give birth when she grows up! How jinxed. If not for the fact that we''re paid a lot of money, I won''t do this business!" Sister-in-law Dao said angrily. Qiao Mei and Xia He parked the car near the village. They were worried that the sound of the car''s engine would alarm the human traffickers. Chi Ze and the others met up with Qiao Mei soon after that. "Elder Sister, we''ve observed them for a long time. There are only six people inside, five men and one woman. They don''t have any weapons in their hands. Should we just rush in?" Chi Ze whispered. They were really ex-soldiers. Before Qiao Mei said anything, they had already checked out the nearby terrain and the situation with the enemy. "Are the children inside?" Qiao Mei asked. "It''s not easy to confirm. We didn''t go near their house because we were afraid of alerting them," Chi Ze said honestly. Qiao Mei secretly scattered the vine seeds at the corner of the wall. The vines instantly grew crazily underground and quickly enveloped the entire village. Qiao Mei discovered the location of the children soon. Xia Fan was still crying so loudly that his voice was hoarse. Xia Xing lay beside Xia Fan and quietly looked at him. Chapter 1641 Pregnant Woman Chapter 1641 Pregnant Woman "Come, let''s just barge in," Qiao Mei said firmly. "Are we going in just like that? Should we ask the others to come along? Or we can try to steal the children out first," Chi Ze said cautiously. There were only four of them here. Apart from Mao Hang, the other two were also Chi Ze''s close buddies. He was worried that if he asked too many people to come along, they would gossip about it when they returned. He also knew how strong Xia He was. Even with her, there were only five people in total and they still had to protect Qiao Mei. He did not know how skilled the people inside were, but judging from their physiques, they were probably all trained in martial arts. If they really started fighting and if anything happened to them, the clues would be all gone. It did not matter if they died. The most important thing was to ensure the safety of Qiao Mei, Xia He and the two children. "Don''t worry, my eldest brother and the others are already on their way here. Don''t be afraid. Let''s negotiate with them first. We''ll use force only if there''s no other way," Qiao Mei said. "Alright! We will definitely protect you well!" Chi Ze said seriously. Qiao Mei swaggered into those people''s territory with her group. The four people outside immediately rushed out to stop Qiao Mei and the others. "Big Brother, a pregnant woman is looking for you and she even gave us a lot of money. She said it''s money for us to buy drinks. Do you want to go out and take a look?" Ah Long asked respectfully. "Is that so? Then I want to see who this person is." Brother Dao walked out of the house enthusiastically. When he saw Qiao Mei and Xia He, his eyes widened. He seldom saw such beautiful women! It was especially rare to come into contact with beautiful women in his line of work. The group of people behind him brought out a stool from the house. Brother Dao sat on the stool leisurely and said, "I''m their boss. Tell me, why are you looking for me?" "We''re here to discuss a big business deal with Big Brother. I just don''t know if Big Brother has the guts to do it," Qiao Mei said mysteriously. Brother Dao and the others were stunned for a long time before he laughed loudly and said, "Hahahaha! Who do you think I am? I''m Brother Dao and I still have some status in our world. As long as the business is related to children, there''s nothing that Brother Dao can''t do!" "Recently, there are many rich women who want to buy boys. Don''t tell me you''re worried that the unborn baby is a girl and you can''t get your hands on your husband''s wealth, so you want to buy a baby boy!" Ah Long teased. "Haha! Young lady, what exactly are you here for?" Brother Dao asked with a laugh. "Alright! I''ll get straight to the point. I heard that Brother Dao recently kidnapped two beautiful babies. I wonder if that''s true?" Qiao Mei asked. Brother Dao''s expression instantly turned solemn. The jolly expression completely disappeared as he carefully observed the characteristics of these people who just came. Chapter 1642 Snatching Back the Children Chapter 1642 Snatching Back the Children This woman was definitely not an ordinary person and the people standing behind her were even more extraordinary. From the way they stood, they should be from the army. Why would these people come and look for him? He had not done anything to them. "Why is it that I don''t know about this? What are you talking about?" Brother Dao said. "Brother Dao, all our time is very precious. I''ll triple the amount that your buyer offers to pay!" Qiao Mei said generously. Xia Yan only gave them a deposit of 1,000 dollars. They were told that someone else would give them 5,000 dollars after the deed was done. It was the only reason why they were willing to take on this job. Three times that amount would work out to 15,000 dollars. "Really?" Brother Dao asked suspiciously. "I mean what I say! Brother Dao, if you don''t believe me, I can sign the contract in blood for you!" Qiao Mei said. Qiao Mei did not know the rules in these people''s world. Fortunately, she had read many novels in her other life and this was mentioned in those novels. She did not know if it was real or not. Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m "Brother Dao, don''t do this the hard way! 20 times! This is the maximum," Qiao Mei said as she pointed at Brother Dao. Actually, Qiao Mei could afford to give him 100 times the amount, but she could not show off her wealth too much. In this era, it was already a big deal to be able to give a bounty of 100,000 dollars for two children. "Little girl, I''ve already shown you a lot of respect! Why do you insist on getting those two children? Don''t tell me you''re related to them!" Brother Dao looked at Qiao Mei and the others and questioned them. Xia He slowly approached Qiao Mei, ready to protect her at any time. Qiao Mei was also a little flustered and did not know what to do. If she admitted that it was true, Xia Fan and Xia Xing would be in an even more dangerous situation. "Brother Dao, I''m just anxious to have a son. You should understand my feelings!" Qiao Mei said as she softened her attitude. "Sister, no matter how much you want a son, you can''t make things difficult for me! If you want, I''ll just get another child for you. Why do you insist on wanting these two?" Brother Dao said warily. Suddenly, they heard the sound of two children crying inside the house. Qiao Mei could not take it anymore and pointed at Brother Dao as she shouted, "Attack!" Chi Ze rushed to the front and used his size to his advantage, pushing down Brother Dao and Ah Long and holding them down under him. The others rushed forward and pressed the rest of the people to the ground. Xia He also ran to the front and held on to Sister-in-law Dao fiercely. Qiao Mei took this opportunity to rush into the house and pick up the two children before running away. She did not know where to go and her mind was blank as she kept running forward. Chapter 1643 Why Are You Only Here Now Chapter 1643 Why Are You Only Here Now Chi Ze and the others were outnumbered and two of the traffickers started to chase after Qiao Mei. At this moment, Qiao Mei suddenly bumped into a familiar embrace. This was a smell she would never forget in her life. "Xia Zhe?" Qiao Mei looked up in surprise. "I''m sorry that I''m late," Xia Zhe said as he looked at Qiao Mei guiltily. The people who came with Xia Zhe rushed forward and arrested the human traffickers. Qiao Mei looked up blankly at Xia Zhe for a long time before crying loudly and saying, "Why are you only here now! Why are you only here now... Huh! Why are you only here now!" Xia Zhe hugged Qiao Mei and the two children tightly and said, "I''m sorry I''m late and caused you to be so scared and worried. I''m sorry..." Xia Wen arrived later and was very relieved to see that the children were rescued and that Qiao Mei was fine. However, he was curious about how Qiao Mei found this place. It had taken him and Xia Zhe a long time to find the most minor clues. If not for Qiao Mei giving him a call, they probably would not be able to find the children''s location until tomorrow! Xia Fan reached out to touch Qiao Mei''s cheek and looked at her with teary eyes. He frowned and started crying again. It was impossible for the two children not to feel frightened. How could they not be afraid? At that time, they were so scared that those people would do something bad to them. However, Xia Fan was the elder brother and his mother had told him that as the elder brother, he must protect his younger sister and not let her get hurt. No matter how tired he was, he must continue to cry loudly. Before his mother came, he had to protect his younger sister! After comforting the children, Qiao Mei wiped her tears and walked out of the room. As soon as she went out, she saw Xia Zhe standing uneasily at the door. He behaved like he had done something wrong and stood at the door, not daring to go in. "Why are you standing here?" Qiao Mei asked gently. "I... I''m too ashamed to face all of you..." Xia Zhe said self-reproachfully. Qiao Mei sighed and threw herself into Xia Zhe''s arms. Xia Zhe also hugged Qiao Mei back tightly. Chi Ze had called just now and told Xia Zhe about the entire process of Qiao Mei negotiating with the human traffickers. If not for Qiao Mei helping to stall for time, they would not have been able to make it in time. "This matter is not our fault. It''s the fault of the people who kidnapped the children. The children are both asleep. Let''s go downstairs to talk." Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe went downstairs hand in hand. Xia Wen, Xia He and Xu Lan were all there. They all sat together with solemn expressions. Those who did not know better would think that there was a funeral at home! All of them looked so crestfallen. Chapter 1644 Crippled Chapter 1644 Crippled "Everyone, let''s have a chat. Don''t be so quiet. The children are back, aren''t they? Let''s be happy and don''t look so dejected." Qiao Mei pretended to be relaxed and smiled at them. "Qiao Mei, is it Xia Yan who gave you the address?" Xia Wen asked. Before Qiao Mei could answer, Xia He immediately said, "Hmph, of course it''s not from that deceitful hypocrite. He''s so stubborn and still refuses to admit it even after Qiao Mei broke two or three of his ribs. It''s Xia Lu who can''t bear to see Xia Yan getting beaten up, so he wrote down the address for us." Xu Lan smacked the table angrily and shouted, "Heartless things! Our family already helped them so much, so what else do they want! Now they even have designs on my grandchildren! Xia Wen, go and arrest them!" "I''ve already sent someone over. Xia Lu has already been arrested. Xia Yan is seriously injured and needs to stay in the hospital for a period of time," Xia Wen said. When he saw Xia Yan''s medical report, he thought that it was Xia He who beat him up. There was not a single unhurt spot on Xia Yan''s body and his internal organs were almost all damaged. When he reached home, he had wanted to warn Xia He that she would kill someone if she beat a person up like this, but he did not expect the person who hit Xia Yan to be Qiao Mei. He had thought that she was a dainty and delicate person. If it was Qiao Mei who had done this, then it was understandable. Which mother in the world could still stay calm when her children were missing? "I heard from Aunt that Second Aunt-in-law''s condition is not so well, but the good thing is that it''s not serious. She''ll be fine after some rest. Xia Yan gave her too much sedative. Fortunately, she is found in time and her brain isn''t affected," Xia Wen said. "Eldest Brother, go to my house later to ask my grandfather for some medicinal wine and send it to Second Aunt-in-law. If she drinks it, she will recover soon," Qiao Mei said. Qiao Qiang had not been in good health, but he had kept all the medicinal wine, ginseng and lingzhi which Qiao Mei gave him and did not consume them. He said that he wanted to save them for the children as family heirlooms. To Qiao Mei, she had plenty of such things, so what was the use of hoarding them! Qiao Mei was so angry that she custom made a big 10L wine barrel for Qiao Qiang. Then, she filled it with ginseng wine and told Qiao Qiang to drink freely from it. Surely Qiao Qiang would not feel sorry about drinking it if he had so much. In addition, Qiao Mei had told Qiao Qiang that if he did not drink the wine, it would expire and spoil. Qiao Qiang drank one glass every day nowadays and his health was much better than before. "Alright, I''ll definitely go later," Xia Wen said. "Will Chi Ze and the others be alright? They are only there to help me," Qiao Mei asked. Although Chi Ze and the others were retired soldiers, they were just ordinary citizens now. It was not right for ordinary citizens to gang up and beat up those people, even if they were criminals. "They''re fine. Father and I have put up an application to give them a meritorious award. We''ve indicated that they''re warm-hearted passersby and they''ll even get certificates of commendation!" Xia Wen said laughingly. "Certificates of commendation? Then I''ll give them monetary bonuses too!" Qiao Mei said excitedly. Chapter 1645 Who Is the Mastermind Chapter 1645 Who Is the Mastermind After everyone felt better, life went back to normal. Only Xia Zhe knew that Qiao Mei had not recovered fully. She still lived in fear and would wake up startled in the middle of the night. The first thing she did whenever she woke up was to see if the children were around. If this continued, Qiao Mei''s health would definitely be greatly affected and the baby would also not develop well. "Don''t be afraid, I''ll protect all of you," Xia Zhe comforted her softly. "I''m fine. I''m just... just a little uneasy. I can''t feel settled so long as the mastermind is not caught. I wonder how Eldest Aunt''s interrogation is going," Qiao Mei said worriedly. During this period of time, Xia Xiu had sent a letter to Xia Zhe. She wrote that those human traffickers would not tell her who their buyer was even if they had to die. They had their own rules to abide with. Since they had already been paid, they would not betray the buyer. Xia Lu was not as stubborn as them. Before Xia Xiu said anything, he confessed everything, including how much money the Du family had given him and where the money was placed. "It''s the Du family," Xia Zhe said. Xia Zhe recalled carefully and said, "They said his name is Du Miao and that he''s Du Bo''s son." Qiao Mei was a little surprised. The Du Miao that she remembered did not seem like such a person. Du Bo would usually ask his subordinates to do this kind of thing, so why would he ask Du Miao to do it? Although Du Bo always said that Du Miao was useless, he doted on Du Miao very much and would not let Du Miao do anything dangerous. "What''s wrong?" Xia Zhe asked. "Does the Du family have any other children?" Qiao Mei asked. "I''ve never heard of any other Du family member. Du Bo''s wife, Feng Niao, is not in good health. I heard from my mother that after Feng Niao gave birth to Du Miao, she became very weak and could no longer have children, so the Du family only has one son," Xia Zhe said. "No... It''s definitely not right... How can it be Du Miao?" Qiao Mei muttered to herself. "You suspect that Du Miao did not do this?" Xia Zhe asked. Qiao Mei could not pinpoint what was wrong, but she just felt that Du Miao was definitely not the person who engineered this matter. He was not interested in harming people this way. Moreover, he had a daughter himself, so he would definitely not hurt other people''s children. "Call it a woman''s intuition. I have a feeling that it''s someone else who did this. Get Yao Nian to dig into the Du family''s past and see if there are any other clues," Qiao Mei said seriously. "Alright, I''ll definitely go and investigate tomorrow. Go to bed now. It''ll be dawn soon," Xia Zhe said with a smile. Chapter 1646 Another Kidnapping Chapter 1646 Another Kidnapping Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe fell asleep in each other''s arms. In the latter half of the night, Qiao Mei slept very well and peacefully. She had never slept so soundly before. With Xia Zhe around, it was as if all the other problems would disappear. The next day, Xu Lan kept hugging the children and refused to let go. Even when she was tired, she did not want to let go of them. Xia Zhe could not dissuade her, so he let her do whatever she wanted. If there was really no other way, he would just do as Qiao Mei said and make her drink some medicinal wine. "Qiao Mei, that group of people from the Zhao Family Village has been clamoring for you to pay for the medical fees," Xia He said disdainfully. "If you haven''t mentioned it, I have already forgotten about this group of people. Now that we''ve gotten the hostage back, they don''t have any bargaining chips to negotiate with us," Qiao Mei said with a smile. "Two days ago, Zhao Fei woke up and insisted on going home to see his wife. In the end, he found out that those beasts from the Zhao Family Village had abducted his wife. I hear that that woman is currently pregnant with Zhao Fei''s child and still in the very early stages. When Zhao Fei returned to the Zhao Family Village to reason with them, he was also captured," Xia He said angrily. It would have been less worrisome if they had only kidnapped Zhao Fei. They would not really do anything to Zhao Fei. However, now that Zhao Fei''s wife and child were also involved, the Xia family could not leave him in the lurch. After all, Zhao Fei was Li Gui''s savior. "Qiao Mei? Why are you here! Go back quickly!" Zhao Fei said agitatedly. "We''re crazy? How about you''re a vicious woman! If not for you! We won''t be living such a miserable life! Stop all your pretenses! Hurry up and give me money to treat my father''s illness! Otherwise, I''ll burn them to death!" Zhao Kai said angrily. "If you set them on fire, don''t even think about leaving here alive," Xia He said with a slight frown. "Hmph, do I still care about those things? We don''t even have food! It''s already a problem for us to survive! Why do we care about the rules of society! It''s even better if I die. One of me for three of them. I still make a profit! It''s such a good deal to have someone accompanying me on the road to the underworld!" Zhao Kai said. Qiao Mei looked at Ding Xiang. She had lost so much weight that she was only skin and bones and her wrists were bleeding from being tied with hemp rope. There was no color on her face at all. Zhao Fei was no better than her. "Name your price," Qiao Mei said calmly. "You... you have to pay 100,000 dollars for my father''s medical fees! And you have to give us the planting seeds!" Zhao Kai said. "You''re really too demanding. How dare you even say that!" Xia He gritted her teeth in anger. How could there be such a shameless person? Qiao Mei felt that it made sense for Zhao Kai to say that. After all, when she came to collect the seeds from the Zhao Family Village the last time, she had paid them about 150,000 dollars. Zhao Kai would be able to deduce that she was rich, which was why he dared to say what he said. It looked like he had some brains, but not much. Chapter 1647 Give You Money for the People Chapter 1647 Give You Money for the People "I can give you money, but not the seeds," Qiao Mei said. "That won''t do! You have to give us the seeds! Oh right! You also have to get your mother to marry my father! Even if my father recovers, he will still be paralyzed! Your mother must wait upon him! Your mother can''t beat someone up and not pay the price!" Zhao Kai said unreasonably. Zhao Kai was not satisfied with just 100,000 dollars as it would not last him long. He had tasted the profits that could be made from the seeds and did not want to let it go so easily. Moreover, it was hard to say if Zhao Liu would live or die in the near future. He did not want to wait upon that dirty old man! "You''re talking nonsense! I''m the one who hit Zhao Liu! It has nothing to do with them. If you want to kill or torture someone, come at me!" Zhao Fei said agitatedly. "Shoo, shoo, shoo! Who would believe what you say! I don''t care, it was Li Gui who hit him! She has to be responsible for my father!" Zhao Kai said. If they let Zhao Kai continue, he would probably become more and more fearless and think that they were easy to bully. In a while, even the factory would be part of his demands! If it was 6,000 dollars, then so be it! It was much better than not having a single cent! At most, he would take this money and move out with Zhao Liu! He would let Zhao Kai live alone in this dilapidated village! "Alright! I''ll go and release them now! You have to give me the money now! How about that!" Zhao Kun said agitatedly. Qiao Mei sized up Zhao Kun carefully. She did not expect this kid to be so bold. She had misjudged him back then. "If you can make the decision, then I''ll give you the money. However, we have to sign an agreement and also get your village chief to be our witness. We can''t give you the money so casually," Qiao Mei said warily. "Wait a while! I''ll go and look for the village chief to do up the agreement now! I''ll be right back! Wait for me!" Zhao Kun ran towards Zhao Kuo''s house. They did not have pen and paper now, only clothes and charcoal. They found a big piece of cloth and wrote the agreement on it. Qiao Mei did not mind as long as it could be read clearly. After signing the agreement, Qiao Mei took out 6,000 dollars and said, "Let them go. They must come with me and I''ll leave the money here for you. If you can''t let them follow me, then don''t even think about getting this money." "You haven''t paid the ransom yet!" Zhao Kai said stubbornly. Zhao Kun quickly covered Zhao Kai''s mouth and said, "You still have the cheek to say such things. If she reports this matter to the police station, none of us will be able to get away!" Chapter 1648 Protect the Baby Chapter 1648 Protect the Baby Zhao Kun released Zhao Fei and Ding Xiang. Qiao Mei and Xia He helped Zhao Fei and the unconscious Ding Xiang out of the Zhao Family Village. The people from the Zhao Family Village likely would not find trouble with them anymore. Along the way, Zhao Fei took care of Ding Xiang. Qiao Mei took them straight to Xia Fang''s hospital and asked the doctor to give Ding Xiang a thorough checkup. They found out that the baby was quite weak and she had been bleeding. For a period of time, she must stay in bed and recuperate and must not tire herself out. "Both of you should just stay in the hospital. I''ll pay for all the expenses and you can use my VIP ward. You can accompany my mother and Second Aunt-in-law. We must protect the baby," Qiao Mei said. "How can we! We definitely can''t accept this money!" Zhao Fei said in surprise. "You''re my mother''s savior. It''s worth it no matter how much money I have to spend. Let''s save her first. Saving her is more important!" Qiao Mei said. Zhao Fei did not say anything else. Without Qiao Mei''s help, he probably would not be able to save Ding Xiang and the child. He also would not be able to explain himself to his mentor. He would just have to work hard to repay Qiao Mei in the future. Xu Lan had lived a pampered life for a long time. At home, the helper took care of everything in the house. She did not know how to do household chores at all and did not even know how to cook. She was only looking for a random reason to urge Xia Wen to get married quickly. "Do the two of you hear what I say!" Xu Lan questioned. "Yes, yes! Mother, let''s find a partner for Eldest Brother! He has been divorced for so long, it''s time for him to consider getting married!" Qiao Mei said immediately. Xia He immediately echoed, "Yes, yes, yes! We should find Eldest Brother a smart and capable woman! Then Elder Brother''s life will be in order! Mother, you also want Eldest Brother to find a nice woman, don''t you?" Xu Lan immediately looked much better. Ever since Xia Wen and Tan Jing divorced, she had been looking for a girl who was suitable for Xia Wen. A girl from an ordinary family was fine too. Her requirements were very simple. The girl should have an upright character, be dignified and dependable and be able to keep her family''s affairs in order. "Sigh... Do you think there are any suitable girls?" Xu Lan asked happily. "Um... wasn''t Second Aunt-in-law looking for a partner for Xia Yuan some time ago? She looked at so many girls! All of them are beautiful and have good family backgrounds and seem to be nice too. Don''t you like any of them?" Xia He asked. "Shoo, shoo, shoo! Those are girls whom Xia Yuan rejected. Why should our Xia Wen pick from leftovers!" Xu Lan said unhappily. Chapter 1649 A Family of Boors Chapter 1649 A Family of Boors "Xia Yuan rejected all of them without even taking a look. The problem doesn''t lie with those girls. Why don''t you take a look at them?" Xia He persuaded. "If your second aunt-in-law doesn''t want any of them, then how can we! Won''t that be a slap to your second aunt-in-law''s face? Don''t cause trouble for me! Qiao Mei, think about whether there''s anyone else!" Xu Lan asked expectantly. Qiao Mei and Xia He looked at each other and smiled. They already had a candidate for the position of their eldest sister-in-law, but they did not know if Xia Wen was willing to marry her. Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m "There''s a Mo family from the western suburbs. They have a daughter called Mo Zhu. Do you know them, Mother?" Qiao Mei asked. "The Mo family? The Mo family seems to be a scholarly family, similar to the Deng family. They''re very cultured," Xu Lan said as she recalled carefully. "Their family situation is much better than the Deng family. The Deng family only became educators in this generation. The Mo family has been teachers for generations and they have students everywhere! Moreover, Mo Zhu is a hardworking person and she is Eldest Brother''s subordinate. She put in a lot of effort to help when Auntie and the children were kidnapped!" Xia He said. "Really? What a nice girl!" Xu Lan said agitatedly. After Xia Zhe finished his work, he slowly walked down the stairs. He also found it unbelievable when he saw Xu Lan like this. "Has our mother... gone crazy?" Xia Zhe looked at Xia He and asked suspiciously. "Yes... probably. Doesn''t it look as if our family is going to hold a state banquet this weekend? Our mother is just short of hiring a chef," Xia He said with a sigh. As soon as she finished speaking, Xu Lan shouted towards the living room from the kitchen, "Xia He! Give the state-owned restaurant a call later! See if you can get the chef to come and cook for us! It doesn''t matter how much it costs!" "Alright! I understand!" After yelling her reply, Xia He turned around and said helplessly to Xia Zhe, "See how right I am. It wasn''t even such a grand occasion when I got married." "Isn''t it totally different? It''s a rare thing if Eldest Brother can marry a woman he likes. Furthermore, she''s from a family which has been outstanding for generations. For them, it''s not about money or power, but culture. We have to get ourselves all cleaned up," Qiao Mei said with a laugh. "In the past, Mother always lamented about why we don''t have any educators in our family and that we''re just a bunch of boors. Later on, after Eldest Brother started to teach, she said that Eldest Brother is just a boor who will not be able to teach his students well. She was troubled by all these things every day. You had not joined the family yet then. It was a very interesting time!" Xia He said laughingly. Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe and he smiled and nodded. "It''s true. During that period of time, Eldest Brother even doubted himself and felt that he had made a wrong decision to become a teacher." "Hahaha, then it must have been hard on Eldest Brother!" Qiao Mei said as she laughed happily. Chapter 1650 Not Interested in Xia Wen Chapter 1650 Not Interested in Xia Wen Xia He and Xia Zhe told many embarrassing stories of Xia Wen when he was young, all of which happened before he married Tan Jing. After Xia Wen married Tan Jing, there were very few things that made him happy. He was either busy with work or needed to deal with the Tan family who often came to look for trouble. He aged a lot then. "It''s a good thing that Eldest Brother got a divorce. Otherwise, his life will only get harder! But... what if the Mo family isn''t interested in our family?" Xia He said worriedly. "Our family is the Xia family, a famous prominent family in the capital. The eldest young master is an important member of the government, the second young lady is a popular celebrity and the second young lady''s husband is a famous architect. The third young master has an outstanding military record and the third young master''s wife is a successful business owner. Why won''t they be interested in such a family?" Qiao Mei teased. This was how it was always portrayed in the novels and television dramas which Qiao Mei had read and watched in her other life. As long as no one in the Xia family was muddle-headed enough to do any cruel and inhumane things, the Xia family would prosper for generations to come! "Shoo, shoo, shoo! Although what you say is the truth... we have to open our eyes to reality! Our family is doing too well now and there are so many pairs of eyes on us! People are just waiting for something to happen to our family. The Mo family has been teachers and educators for generations, so they hate such troublesome matters the most. This has nothing to do with family background! Our family may look glorious from the outside, but what we have are a bunch of problems!" Xia He said with a slight frown. Qiao Mei had never thought about all these. To her, Xia Wen was such a good person that she would not feel surprised even if a fairy descended to the mortal world to marry him. Xia He could feel goosebumps all over her body. She and Deng Fan had never been so clingy. It seemed that she should let Deng Fan come and learn a few things from Xia Zhe. Deng Fan was such a blockhead! He was so boring! After those human traffickers were dealt with, there were no more incidents of people coming round to harm Qiao Mei and the children. However, Qiao Mei''s nightmares seemed to have worsened and she felt listless every day. "Let''s go and see a doctor. If this goes on, you will get tired out," Xia Zhe said worriedly with a frown. "Cough, cough... It''s fine. I know my own health well. I''m just traumatized by what happened and I''ll get better after a while. Just ask Sister Wan Wen to make more soup for me using calming herbs," Qiao Mei said. Xia Zhe went out to buy a lot of books on food ingredients and sat downstairs to read them day and night. He wanted to find recipes which could help Qiao Mei relieve her fatigue. Qiao Mei slowly walked to the small garden in the backyard and took out a potted plant. Fortunately, when she planted these flowers back then, she had left a small ginseng seed here. After a few rounds of energy exchange, Qiao Mei''s entire body glowed with a faint golden light and she had also obtained many more 10,000-year-old ginseng seeds. She realized that the ginseng juice refined from 1,000-year-old ginseng was golden in color, but the ginseng juice refined from 10,000-year-old ginseng had a tinge of blood-red color similar to human blood. Qiao Mei had yet to have a chance to try out the effects of the 10,000-year-old ginseng juice. This was not something that could be drunk casually. For healthy people like them, it would be too nourishing and might even cause their hair to turn white overnight! Chapter 1651 Walk Slowly Chapter 1651 Walk Slowly An idea flashed across Qiao Mei''s mind. If one could extract a big basin of 10,000-year-old ginseng juice and then nourish the white jade stones in the house with it, would the jade stones eventually become bloodstone? However, this was just an idea. It was really too difficult to produce an entire basin of ginseng juice. One 10,000-year-old ginseng could only produce one to two drops of ginseng juice. It would take forever to get one basin of 10,000-year-old ginseng juice! It was not as if she was in the wholesale business of ginseng! Although it was actually something that she could do... "Qiao Mei! Come and eat!" Xia Zhe shouted as he walked out of the kitchen with a pot full of soup. Qiao Mei put away all the seeds. She intended to specially sew a bag that could be hidden in her clothes so that she could use the seeds to replenish her energy in the event of an emergency. After cleaning up, she quickly walked to the dining table. Everyone was already seated and waiting for her. She had lost track of time and spent the last two to three hours in the backyard. Everyone thought that Qiao Mei was looking at the scenery, so they did not disturb her and wanted to let her relax. It was rare for the whole family to be around today. Even Xia Jun had come round for dinner. Qiao Mei did not know when Xia Jun arrived. Early the next morning, Xia Fang called to say that Li Gui had recovered very well. All her health indicators were normal and she could be discharged in the afternoon. Qiao Mei entrusted the two children to Xu Lan''s care. Xu Lan vowed not to take a single step out of the house and even asked Luo Yu to send someone to guard all the doors and windows. Not even a fly could enter the house. Only then did the couple feel at ease to go out and visit Li Gui. It was not their fault for being overly vigilant. They would only be able to feel more relaxed after the Du family was brought to justice. In the hospital, Li Gui sat on the hospital bed, dressed in a hospital gown, and chatted with Xia Fang. Her complexion was very rosy and she looked completely different from two days ago. "Mei Mei! Xiao Zhe! You''re here!" Xia Fang said with a smile. "Aunt, it''s been hard on you to take care of my mother during this period of time," Qiao Mei said apologetically. "What are you saying! We''re a family, so there''s no need to stand on ceremony with me. I''ll go out and take a look at the other patients first. The two of you can spend some time with Sister Li." With that, Xia Fang went out for her rounds. Li Gui held Qiao Mei''s hand tightly and said, "My child... It''s all my fault. I made things difficult for you and put you in danger. I heard that the two children were kidnapped. How are they now?" "Who told you about this? The two children are fine. Don''t worry," Qiao Mei said. "Sigh... It''s all my fault for being careless this time round. Otherwise, you wouldn''t have to work so hard to save me..." Li Gui lowered her head and said sadly. Chapter 1652 Help Them Chapter 1652 Help Them "It''s those people who have ulterior motives! It has nothing to do with you. Besides, those people from the Zhao Family Village have already paid the price. This matter is over, so let''s not think about it anymore," Qiao Mei said as she patted Li Gui''s hand. "Where''s Zhao Fei? He''s the one who saved me! How is he!" Li Gui asked. Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe looked at each other. They did not know how to handle this matter. Li Gui was the person involved, so they wanted to hear her thoughts. "Mom, he and his wife were kidnapped by those people after that. His wife''s pregnancy is unstable at the moment. I''ve asked them to stay in the VIP ward to recuperate. We''ll pay for all the expenses," Qiao Mei said. "Yes! It''s what we should do! I''ll go and visit them now!" Li Gui flipped the blanket and wanted to get out of bed to go and look at Ding Xiang and Zhao Fei when Qiao Mei stopped her. "Mom! Ding Xiang is not in a very good condition now. Other than the doctor and Zhao Fei who can go in to take care of her, no one else can go in. Otherwise, it''s not good for the baby," Qiao Mei explained. "Mom, you guys go to the car first. I''ll go and take a look at them from the door," Qiao Mei said as she pointed at Ding Xiang''s ward. Xia Zhe supported Li Gui as they slowly made their way downstairs. Qiao Mei quietly made her way to the door of Ding Xiang''s ward. Ding Xiang seemed to look better, but her health was not good to begin with. Coupled with the fact that she had been exhausted during this period of time, Xia Fang had told Qiao Mei that she was concerned that Ding Xiang would not be able to hold on to the baby. Qiao Mei looked at the small glass bottle in her hand. It was filled with ginseng juice that was blood-red in color. She thought it was a good idea to let Ding Xiang try out the medicinal properties of this ginseng juice. It was a right fit for a weak person like Ding Xiang. "Qiao Mei? Why are you here!" Zhao Fei said agitatedly. "I''m here to take a look at her and to talk to you about something," Qiao Mei said sternly. "Is it about Ding Xiang''s condition? I''ve already heard from your aunt... I roughly know the condition of her health. I''m already mentally prepared and I''ve already come to an agreement with Doctor Xia. We have decided not to keep this child... Keeping the child will threaten Ding Xiang''s life. I can''t risk her life," Zhao Fei said in a low voice. Qiao Mei saw a trace of sadness on his face and even a hint of relief. Perhaps he was glad that Ding Xiang''s life could still be saved. "This is for you. Mix it with water and give it to Ding Xiang later. It''s good for her health. Here''s 500 dollars from my mother. It''s to buy supplements for Ding Xiang to nourish her body," Qiao Mei said as she handed him the glass bottle and the money. Chapter 1653 Job Offer Chapter 1653 Job Offer Zhao Fei immediately rejected Qiao Mei''s well intentions, saying, "That can''t do! This must be your family''s priceless ''divine medicine''! You can''t give it to me! You should keep it for Auntie Li Gui!" "Don''t worry, we still have more at home. We haven''t thanked you for risking your life to save my mother. If not for you, my mother would have died of illness in the Zhao Family Village. These are a token of our appreciation. You have to accept them. For the sake of Ding Xiang and the child, you must accept them. Saving a life is more important," Qiao Mei said. Zhao Fei looked at Ding Xiang inside the ward and sighed deeply. "Then I''ll accept this medicine. I thank you on behalf of Ding Xiang and the child, but we can''t accept the money." "This is your salary, your future salary. Consider this an advance payment from us," Qiao Mei said. "Salary? What salary?" Zhao Fei asked, feeling confused. "My mother says that with Ding Xiang''s current health, she can''t go out to work and needs to rest at home. Moreover, she needs to have enough nourishment for two. Your current job is not very suitable for you so my mother wants to give you a new job at the factory," Qiao Mei said. "No, no! Doesn''t that go against the rules?" Zhao Fei said. Mo Zhu put down the book in her hand and walked over to Liu Shu. The Mo family''s house was not as big as the Xia family''s house. There was only one small courtyard and three rooms. One of the rooms was filled with books, many of them out of print originals. The Mo family was the only one who owned these books and most of them were treasures that had been passed down within their family from generation to generation. "Mother, what''s the matter?" Mo Zhu asked. "You must have seen the Xia family''s invitation to us. It''s been a long time since someone has so solemnly invited our entire family to dinner. It doesn''t matter if we go or not. What''s important is whether you want to go or not?" Liu Shu asked. "I... I''m fine with anything," Mo Zhu said hesitantly. "Silly child, why are you so hesitant? Just tell me the truth," Liu Shu asked. "I want to go, but Father might find a family like the Xia family to be too complicated. I''m worried that he will be unhappy," Mo Zhu said softly. "Hmph! You have me! Why are you afraid of that old man? As long as I agree, he has to go no matter how unwilling he is!" Liu Shu said. "Is that so? Mother, do you like the Xia family? If you do, then let''s go and take a look. Is that alright?" Mo Zhu asked as she looked at Liu Shu expectantly. "The thing is that the purpose of this dinner might not really be to thank the Mo family, but for them to take a good look at you!" Liu Shu said. "Mother, what nonsense are you talking about! The Xia family is not like that! It''s just a simple dinner! Don''t think too much!" Mo Zhu said shyly. Chapter 1654 We Do Not Agree Chapter 1654 We Do Not Agree The mother-and-daughter duo both knew very well in their hearts whether this was a matter of thinking too much. Why would a prominent family like the Xia family invite them for no reason? Furthermore, the invite was only sent to their family. Mo Zhu had always been a child who knew her place. Her parents usually respected her opinions, but they were still the ones who made the decisions on key matters. This time round, she had actually forced her father, Mo Chou, to mobilize everyone he knew to help look for the Xia family''s in-law. Although the Mo family was not involved in the political, business and military fields, it did not discount the fact that they had taught many people who were in these fields. The Mo family''s students could be found in all kinds of industries. If the Xia family was just hosting a dinner to express their gratitude to the Mo family, they need not have made it such a grand event. "Once we''re there, we''ll know whether I''m right or not. If that kid from the Xia family doesn''t make things clear, then it''ll never be possible between the two of you. I won''t agree to it," Liu Shu said sternly. "I already know how to cook. Otherwise, what do you think I eat every day! Dewdrops from the sky! I''m not an immortal! Why don''t you just admit that you''re the only one who doesn''t know how to cook? Look at Qiao Mei, then look at Mo Zhu! They both know how to cook, but you don''t know anything! Learning to cook is not to benefit other people, it''s so that you can still survive when times are tough!" Xia Wen said disdainfully. "I can accept it if you want to talk about Qiao Mei, but how do you know that Mo Zhu knows how to cook! Besides, why are you comparing Qiao Mei to Mo Zhu? Can it be that you''ve been thinking about her for a long time? You said before that you don''t like her!" Xia He roared. "Madam~ Please stop hassling me! Just go and do something else! Sister Wan Wen is preparing the crockery and cutlery and menu for tomorrow! Aren''t you going over to help her!" Xia Wen said as he pointed at the storeroom. Xia He curled her lips in disdain and walked away. Xia Wen sighed. He did not know how Deng Fan could tolerate Xia He. How could he stand such a "crazy woman"! After the family hurriedly finished their meal, they started to tidy up the house. They even made sure that all the corners were clear of dust. They were so meticulous that the angle at which the items were displayed had to be precise. Qiao Mei was in charge of choosing the clothes and accessories for the family, as well as the crockery to use tomorrow. She was the one with the best aesthetics standards in the family and was the most suitable person for this job! Xia Zhe and Xia Wen were assigned the manual work. They were in charge of sweeping and mopping the floor, changing and washing the bedsheets and rearranging the furniture in the various rooms, among other duties. Xia He and Wan Wen stayed in the kitchen to finalize the menu, ingredients and count the utensils for tomorrow. These chores were left to the two of them. Chapter 1655 Sapphire Chapter 1655 Sapphire As for Xu Lan... she was hiding in her room! She was rummaging through her belongings in search of the dowry she brought along when she married Xia Mao. If the Mo family was agreeable to the idea of marriage tomorrow, she would give part of her dowry to Mo Zhu as a first-meeting gift from mother-in-law to daughter-in-law. She also wanted to give Qiao Mei a belated gift. Back then, she was not pleased with Qiao Mei marrying into the family and did not give her a first-meeting gift. That bangle which Qiao Mei received was a gift which Xia Jun gave on behalf of Wu Min. This issue had ended up being a sore point for Xu Lan. Xu Lan felt that she could not be entirely blamed for this matter. If there was anyone who should be blamed, it was Xia Zhe! It was simply too unbecoming of him to marry Qiao Mei in private without discussing it with his family first! At that time, she was too angry and could not help herself from making things difficult for Qiao Mei. After picking and choosing for a long time, she still could not find anything that she was satisfied with. She had never met Mo Zhu before and did not know what Mo Zhu''s personality was like. What kind of bangle would be more suitable for this girl? Qiao Mei gently pushed open Xu Lan''s door and said, "Mother, why are you in the room? Go to the living room and get some fresh air." "Mei Mei! Can you help me take a look and see which of these three bangles is more suitable for Mo Zhu?" Xu Lan said anxiously. "Then you must accept this," Xu Lan said expectantly. Qiao Mei took the box and opened the lid gently. There was a sapphire ring inside. The sapphire was as big as a quail egg! "This... this is too beautiful!" Qiao Mei said as she looked at the ring in the box in surprise. Such a ring could even be put up for auction. It was definitely worth a lot of money. She did not expect to be able to see such a flawless sapphire in her life. "Keep it well. I''ll go and talk to Xia Wen and give him a few more pointers." Xu Lan patted Qiao Mei''s shoulder and left the room. She went to tell Xia Wen about her experiences when she and Xia Mao first met each other''s parents. Qiao Mei looked at the family members who were gathered downstairs and smiled. She hoped that Mo Zhu would be able to become her eldest sister-in-law without any issues. Then the family would be able to get along well and gather together for chats. The family would finally be united and there would no longer be any more of those troublesome issues. After finishing the chores, Xia Wen came over to Qiao Mei and said, "The matter with the Du family has been resolved recently. The Du family''s father and son have both been arrested, but we are not able to arrest Du Bo''s other son who''s living outside. There''s no conclusive evidence to prove that he''s related to this matter." "I think this is the ending he wants to see," Qiao Mei lamented. "That''s true. Du Bo deserved all of this too. He never would have dreamed that he would die at the hands of his own son. What about the issue of the Zhao Family Village? How do you plan to deal with it?" Xia Wen asked. Chapter 1656 Test Site for Crops Chapter 1656 Test Site for Crops Qiao Mei felt a little embarrassed. Xia Wen was so busy with work, but he still had to help her deal with the aftermath of this matter. She already did not know how much she owed Xia Wen. She did not know how to repay this kindness, so she decided to let Xia Fan and Xia Xing pay the price for her by letting them play with Xia Wen more often. "I haven''t thought about it yet, but I definitely can''t let those people from the Zhao family off too easily. I want to make them pay a thousand times the price for what they did to my mother!" Qiao Mei said fiercely. This matter was more difficult to handle. If this was in her other life, she could let the Zhao family members go to jail in a matter of minutes. She could get them convicted of dozens of crimes under the law. However, in this era, she and the Zhao family had both secretly gone into business. If the news got out, the Zhao family could close the issue simply by confessing to their crimes. They had nothing to begin with and just needed to accept their punishment. However, Qiao Mei was different. Qiao Mei still needed to support a factory full of staff. If she was caught, the hundreds of workers in her factory would lose their jobs. She had to consider all her decisions carefully now. "I know what you''re worried about. Recently, the supply and marketing cooperative is undergoing some reforms. They intend to look for a few villages to use as test sites for planting crops. In the past, they used to buy produce from farmers. The quality of the produce differs greatly and the prices are also different. They want to try renting the land directly and then harvest crops at fixed timings. That would save them a lot of money," Xia Wen said. "That''s not a bad idea! The Zhao Family Village can be part of the trial!" Qiao Mei said with a laugh. Along the way, Mo Chou had a worried expression on his face, as if he was about to be sent to the execution grounds. It was only when he arrived at the Xia family gate and saw the spirited faces of the Xia family members that his expression softened by a lot. "Welcome to the Xia family residence. Come in and take a seat," Xu Lan said with a smile. "There''s no need to stand on such ceremony. Let''s be more relaxed. We''re all friends," Liu Shu said as she walked in. Mo Zhu secretly came to Xia He''s side. She did not want to sit with Mo Chou. It was supposed to be a happy day today, but Mo Chou insisted on making it look like there was a huge grudge involved. Anyone who did not know better would think that the Xia family had offended him in some way! "Was it a tiring journey? This tea is made from tea leaves which my daughter-in-law planted herself. Try it and see if it suits your taste," Xu Lan said. "I only drink Longjing tea," Mo Chou said disdainfully. "Um... our family''s old man has a weird temper. I''m so sorry! Just give him some water!" Liu Shu said awkwardly. Qiao Mei had already expected such a situation. She immediately asked Wan Wen to serve Longjing tea and said, "I don''t know what kind of tea Uncle likes, so I bought some of every kind. If Uncle is still not satisfied with this tea, we still have other types." Chapter 1657 Making Things Difficult Chapter 1657 Making Things Difficult Xia He stood at the side and secretly gave Qiao Mei a thumbs up. Mo Zhu almost wanted to clap and cheer for Qiao Mei. Before they left their house, Mo Chou had even promised her that he would definitely show respect to the Xia family later and that dinner would end happily. Who would have thought that Mo Chou would seem to have become a different person after reaching the Xia family residence. "It''s almost time for dinner. Everyone must be hungry. We''ve prepared food at home. Let''s go and eat together," Xu Lan said. "Is that so? But I''m not that hungry yet," Mo Chou said coldly. The Xia family members, who had all stood up, now sat back down silently. Xia Jun sat at one side and shook his head quietly. Xia Wen''s prospective father-in-law was not an easy man to deal with. Xia Wen would have to gain his trust and admiration before he would let Mo Zhu marry Xia Wen. It was going to be difficult! However, he believed that Xia Wen could solve this problem. Who would dare to look down on his grandchildren! They were all so outstanding among their peers! All of them were exceptional! They were all elites within their industries! Liu Shu secretly pinched Mo Chou and whispered, "What exactly are you doing! Are you trying to embarrass me and our daughter!" "Um... Xiao Wen, which school did you graduate from?" Mo Chou asked while enduring the pain. Xia Zhe was reaching out for food at that moment and he paused when he heard that. He glanced sideways at Qiao Mei and smiled. This little girl could lie with such a straight face. Back then, Qiao Qiang liked Xia Zhe very much. If not for the fact that Qiao Mei was a girl and Qiao Qiang wanted Qiao Mei to be with Xia Zhe, Xia Zhe might be Qiao Qiang''s god-grandson now. If Qiao Qiang did not like Xia Zhe, then whatever happened that night would not have happened... "Actually, I''m also very scared that Xia Wen''s mother won''t like me," Mo Zhu whispered. Qiao Mei pointed in Xu Lan''s direction and said, "Do you think she doesn''t like you from the way she looks at you? She can''t let you out of her sight." Xu Lan had been staring fixedly at Mo Zhu. Mo Zhu was a beautiful girl, but there was something different about her beauty and Qiao Mei''s beauty. There was a hint of elegance and dignity about Mo Zhu that made people feel comfortable just from looking at her and drew people to talk to her. After three rounds of drinking, Mo Chou became a little tipsy. He was not a drinker and would usually get drunk after one glass. "Brother Xia! You''re a pillar of the country! A stabilizing force of the country!" Mo Chou said as he put his arm around Xia Mao''s shoulder. "Is... is this how your father behaves when he has too much to drink?" Qiao Mei looked at Mo Chou in disbelief. The corners of Mo Zhu''s mouth twitched as she said, "Maybe... I also don''t expect my father to be such a person?" "I really don''t expect it, but I think your mother is very chatty and gets along very well with my mother-in-law!" Qiao Mei said. "My mother is retired now and she''s been designing clothes nowadays. Women always have endless topics on fashion to talk about. I just wonder if Uncle can handle my father," Mo Zhu said worriedly. Chapter 1658 One Size Bigger Chapter 1658 One Size Bigger The men of the Xia family were very good drinkers, especially Xia Mao and Xia Wen. If they were not in a situation where they had to receive toasts from many people, they would not have any problems at all. They would not even feel dizzy. Xia Zhe was the only exception. Perhaps it was because he did not touch alcohol from a young age, so he was not as good a drinker as Xia Wen and Xia Mao. Otherwise, how could he have gotten drunk after having a few drinks with Qiao Qiang? Mo Chou had only downed five glasses and he was already spouting nonsense. Other than having to be patient with the drunk man, Xia Mao was feeling fine in all other aspects. "Don''t worry, it''s fine. Xia Zhe is keeping an eye on them. Let''s go upstairs and talk. It''s so noisy here and they''ll still be drinking for a long time." Qiao Mei brought Mo Zhu upstairs. Xia Fan and Xia Xing were lying in the cradle and looking at the scenery outside. Qiao Mei had asked Feng Hua to come over and help take care of the children. Feng Hua was not young anymore and when she heard that the two children had gone missing, she suffered a sudden heart attack and almost had to be hospitalized. Now that the two children were safe and sound, she could not bear to leave them at all. She had gone through the entire process of Qiao Mei being pregnant and then giving birth to these two babies. She treated them like her own grandchildren and treasured them very much. Xu Lan had asked someone to plant colorful flowers in the garden at the back. She had heard from other people that bright colors could stimulate the development of the children''s brains. Although she did not know if there was any scientific basis for this, she still wanted to give it a try. There was definitely no harm in them looking at flowers and plants often. "Mo Zhu, are you really that fond of my eldest brother?" Xia He asked curiously. Mo Zhu blushed and said, "How can you ask me that..." "Come on, come on! Anyway, there''s no one else here! It''s just the three of us!" Xia He said excitedly. Qiao Mei was also very curious about what Mo Zhu liked about Xia Wen. Xia Wen was indeed a rare good man, but Mo Zhu was in the prime of her life and should be able to find a young and promising man to spend the rest of her life with. Furthermore, there was a big gap between Xia Wen''s age and hers, and Xia Wen had already been married before. By right, a girl with an outstanding family background like Mo Zhu would not have progressed further with him. "Actually, it''s nothing much... I think he''s very humorous and he''s also a very calm person. Whenever he encounters a problem, he will immediately take proactive action to resolve it. He''s also very good at dealing with my emotions. He''s polite and he''s also very gentlemanly! Also..." Mo Zhu talked non-stop about many things which happened between her and Xia Wen. Xia Wen had never told them about these things before. In fact, the Xia Wen they knew was not at all like the person whom Mo Zhu had described. It seemed that Xia Wen had many sides to him that they did not know about. "No wonder you''re so attracted to my eldest brother..." Xia He said with a sigh. "It''s still early days! Don''t spout nonsense!" Mo Zhu said with a red face. Chapter 1659 Some Progress Chapter 1659 Some Progress "I''m not spouting nonsense! It all depends on whether your family agrees to this match. My mother likes you very much! Our entire family likes you very much," Xia He said seriously. Mo Zhu could feel the Xia family''s sincerity and enthusiasm, but she did not have any say in these matters. Liu Shu and Mo Chou still had the final say. It was not up to her to decide on the matter of her marriage. Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m Xia He told Mo Zhu a lot of stories about Xia Wen when he was young, particularly the embarrassing ones. She even told Mo Zhu that if Xia Wen bullied her, she could tell other people all these stories and make him embarrassed! Mo Zhu also told them a lot about her childhood. Qiao Mei just sat there and listened quietly. She had nothing to contribute. Her childhood in her other life was filled with painful memories and in this life, she had been bullied throughout her childhood. There was nothing happy she could talk about. Xia He knew about Qiao Mei''s background. When Qiao Mei first married into the Xia family, the Xia family had sent people to investigate her thoroughly. After knowing about Qiao Mei''s past, all of them felt very sad for her and could not get over it for a long time. "Alright, alright. Let''s go to bed. They''ll definitely wake us up early tomorrow morning!" Xia He said. "It''s fine, Uncle and Auntie. We have many guard team members at home. We all know how to fight and won''t be bullied. Don''t worry, we''ll send you home first. After this matter is over, we''ll go to your house and apologize formally," Xia He said apologetically. Xia He asked Xiaobei to bring along two other guards and escort the Mo family back home. She only returned to the Xia family residence when the car disappeared from her sight. Xia Lu and Xia Yan were currently in a very bad situation. Qiao Mei had given Song Dan a small bottle of 100-year-old ginseng juice to keep Old Master Song alive and in return, Song Dan had arranged for someone to dig up all the crimes which Xia Yan and Xia Lu had committed and had them sentenced with the most severe punishments. They were about 20 years old now, but they would have to spend the next 15 years in prison. Furthermore, Xia Yan had a longer jail sentence than Xia Lu. He was sentenced to 18 years because he was involved in hurting the children and almost killed them. By the time they were released from prison, they would be almost 40 years old. They would have spent most of their lives in prison by then. In addition, Xia Yan''s injuries had not healed yet! He was on the verge of death but yet it was not serious enough for him to die. Qiao Mei did not want to bother with him. Xia Yan deserved what he got today. If not for him, Xia Fan and Xia Xing would not have gotten into such a dangerous situation. "Eldest Brother, send her to the police station too. It''s a crime to break into someone''s house. Since she wants to reunite with her ''sons'' so badly, let''s help her," Qiao Mei said as she looked at Zhou Luo coldly. "Sure," Xia Wen said. "You want to chase me away! No way! I''ve already called Xia Guang. He''ll be back soon! I want to see how your family faces Xia Guang! You actually harm all his three sons!" Zhou Luo said mockingly. Chapter 1660 Special Status Chapter 1660 Special Status "It''s good for Xia Guang to be back! He should give our family an explanation! So many lives were endangered and there was so much trouble caused by his three sons! You''d better have asked him to come back! See how I''ll teach him a lesson when he comes back!" Xia Mao said furiously. As the eldest brother, he was allowed to discipline his younger brothers. Although Xia Guang did not cause any trouble for Xia Mao''s family, his three sons were all very disappointing. Xia Xing''s partner almost forced Xia Wen to marry her and now these two remaining beastly creatures even wanted to harm his grandchildren. If he let Xia Guang off, he would be letting down his own family members! They knew better than anyone else how dangerous it was for Xia Fan and Xia Xing that day. If Qiao Mei had not recognized that the handkerchief belonged to Xia Yan, the two children would probably be nowhere to be found by now. No one would know if they were dead or alive! "How... how can all of you be so cold-blooded!" Zhou Luo said. "We''re cold-blooded?" Qiao Mei let Zhou Luo look at her for a long time before continuing, "If I''m cold-blooded, you won''t even be able to see Xia Yan and Xia Lu alive now. All you see will be their corpses!" "You! Dirty whore! I''ll kill you! I''m going to kill you!" Zhou Luo looked crazy as she took out a fruit knife from her pocket and rushed towards Qiao Mei. Luo Yu could not stop her in time, so he pounced on her instead. As they struggled with each other, she slashed his arm with the knife. Xia Zhe and Xia Wen quickly went forward to hold Zhou Luo down. Xia He immediately went to make a call to Zou Ming. Not long after, Zhou Luo was taken away by the police. "No! Call them now! Call the Xia family now!" Mo Zhu said agitatedly as she grabbed Liu Shu''s hands. Mo Chou frowned slightly and said, "Xiao Zhu, let go of your mother. You''ve caused her hands to turn red. Have you forgotten about what I taught you?" Mo Zhu quickly let go of Liu Shu''s hands. She was taught to remain calm no matter what problem she encountered. It was always a mistake to react when feeling panicked. That would only make the situation worse. "I understand, Father. Let''s call them tomorrow. The Xia family is probably still dealing with those matters now," Mo Zhu lowered her head and said dejectedly. Early the next morning, before Mo Zhu could even make a call to the Xia family, Xia Wen, Xia He and Qiao Mei came for a visit. "Ding-Dong!" Mo Chou walked towards the door, wearing an apron and wiping his hands as he said, "Coming, coming! Who is it!" "Uncle Mo, it''s Xia Wen!" Xia Wen shouted. Mo Chou opened the door and everyone was a little surprised. He had given them the impression that he was the refined and learned type who was engrossed with literary works, so they did not expect him to be the one who did the cooking at home. Chapter 1661 Feeling Shy Chapter 1661 Feeling Shy "I thought that you have not settled your family''s issues and that you would only be able to come over after some time. Mo Zhu is feeling so anxious at home. She almost wanted to head to the Xia family residence to look for you last night. Come in quickly," Mo Chou said amiably. Qiao Mei raised her eyebrows slightly and looked at this... kindly Uncle Mo in front of her. Could it be that the liquor Xia Mao served him had some kind of soul swapping effect? They did not remember Mo Chou as being this kind of person. That unsmiling Mo Chou from yesterday was probably all an act! If this was the real Mo Chou, then his acting yesterday was really quite good. Xia He could even learn acting from him! "Are all of you alright! I have been so worried. Is anyone injured at home!" Mo Zhu asked as she rushed out of the house. "Of course we''re fine~ My eldest brother is so capable, how could anything happen to us?" Qiao Mei said with a grin. Xia Wen felt a little shy and the tips of his ears turned a little red. It was one thing for Qiao Mei to show off at home, but why did she not know her place when she was in someone else''s house? How could she speak so boastfully? "Xia Zhe and the others are also at home, so there''s nothing much I need to do," Xia Wen said humbly. Mo Zhu widened her eyes and stared at Qiao Mei. She had never imagined that there could be anyone in this world who could own 20 houses at the same time. Even the richest family in the capital, the He family, did not have such wealth. "I... just like to buy houses!" Qiao Mei said embarrassedly as she scratched the back of her head. In fact, half of her 20-odd courtyard houses were courtesy of the He family. If not for He Ning buying three 100-year-old ginsengs from her at a high price, she would not have been able to buy so many! The money would turn moldy if it was left untouched! What was the point of having money and not spending it? As the saying went, out with the old and in with the new~ "You should also hold her back in the future. She likes to buy houses whenever she''s happy! Sometimes, she even buys houses for other people!" Xia He said. "I buy houses for my family! What''s wrong with that! Look at how good the location of your house is! If I hadn''t bought it earlier on, how can you get such a good deal! You should praise me!" Qiao Mei said smugly. "Fine, fine, fine. I''ll praise you, alright? Magnate Qiao!" Xia He said. Mo Zhu and the other two started whispering among themselves, trying to think of a way to curb Qiao Mei''s bad habit of buying houses. However, Qiao Mei had free access to her money. If she went around buying houses secretly, they would not even know about it. They needed to get Xia Zhe to think of a way to deal with this matter. The few of them chatted noisily and happily and Qiao Mei suddenly saw many trophies on the bookshelf. These were all trophies related to the Mathematical Olympiad and there were various ones of different sizes. "Mo Zhu, you''re so smart. You have so many trophies," Qiao Mei said in delight. Chapter 1662 Foul Air Chapter 1662 Foul Air "These are all things from the past. My mother kept them there and didn''t put them away. They''re all dusty," Mo Zhu said humbly. Mo Zhu had a flair for logical thinking since she was young. She had won many awards in the country, not only in the Mathematical Olympiad, but also in other competitions. She had always topped the competition. Her original plan was to go overseas to study for a few years and then return to the university to educate the future generations. In the end, she had to change her plans because Liu Shu was in poor health for a period of time. However, Mo Zhu was a very outstanding person and she would always be the center of attention wherever she went. Her only regret was that she did not become an educator like her family members. This was also one of the things that Mo Chou had always been dissatisfied with about Mo Zhu. However, Mo Zhu was an individual and Liu Shu and Mo Chou also respected her wishes. No matter how indignant they felt, it should not affect Mo Zhu''s path in life. Their child had her own life to live. It was not good for them to interfere too much. Xia Wen was mindful enough to go to the kitchen to help Mo Chou with the cooking. Mo Chou did not say anything and just observed him silently. Xia Wen was good with the knife and able to plate the food skilfully. By the time the dishes were ready, his admiration for Xia Wen had increased again. "At what age did you learn how to cook? It doesn''t look like you only picked it up recently," Mo Chou asked. "Uncle, I can''t give you any guarantee, but I can promise that I will protect her with my life," Xia Wen said. Mo Chou looked at Xia Wen quietly for a long time before he said, "I hope you will treat Mo Zhu well." "Definitely," Xia Wen said firmly as he looked into Mo Chou''s eyes. Mo Chou smiled happily and walked out of the kitchen with a plate of food. As he walked, he said, "I''m already old~ So old~ I''ll leave it to you to protect her in the future ~" Xia Wen was so excited that he almost jumped up and clapped. He had finally obtained Mo Chou''s approval. He could marry Mo Zhu! They finished the meal happily. After that, Qiao Mei walked around the bamboo forest alone. The mountain was beautiful and the water was clear here, but for some reason, there was not enough spiritual energy in this mountain. She did not know what the problem was. Qiao Mei conversed with the plants around here for a long time but still could not find the root of the problem. Could it be that the land was not suitable? However, the bamboo was growing well, so how could that be the problem? For a while, Qiao Mei had no idea what it was. Suddenly, she saw a small stream at the side. There seemed to be some foul air floating above the water. Its color was so faint that one would not notice it unless one looked very carefully. Qiao Mei slowly walked upwards alongside the foul air. Before long, she arrived outside a small cave where the foul air was being emitted. Chapter 1663 Luminous Pearl Chapter 1663 Luminous Pearl Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m "Can it be rotting animal carcasses inside... or a pile of corpses... or a pile of bones... the kind of place that''s filled with resentment? Maybe even a mass grave?" Qiao Mei muttered to herself. Qiao Mei did not dare to take another step forward. She took out a few vine seeds from an inner pocket inside her clothes and scattered them on the ground. She would use the vines to check and see what kind of strange things there were in the cave. There was a faint light inside. In the depths of the cave, Qiao Mei could really see many bones. The ground here was littered with bones. She could see both human and animal skeletal remains. From the way they were arranged on the ground, these humans and animals must have struggled in pain before they died. In her other life, she handled criminal cases and would occasionally have to read forensic examination reports. She had amassed some knowledge along the way. Further in, Qiao Mei saw a huge door. The door was very exquisite-looking and was carved out of a huge rock. There were patterns of dragons and phoenixes carved on it and it was something very rare. Could this be some kind of ancient tomb? Feeling curious now, Qiao Mei used the vines to continue exploring inside. As she went past the door, it was as if it was daytime inside. A luminous pearl in the center of the cave emitted a dazzling light. Looking at the quality, this luminous pearl was definitely not an ordinary item. The people who had died outside the door must have been robbers who had fallen victim to the mechanism in the door. "Qiao Mei! Qiao Mei, we''re going home! Qiao Mei, where are you!" Xia He''s voice came from afar. Qiao Mei was about to pick up the luminous pearl, but she was worried that it might emit radiation. She was pregnant now and it would not be good if the baby was affected. After pondering for a long time, Qiao Mei thought of a way which was the best of both worlds! She buried the luminous pearl under a tree and marked the spot. She could just ask Yao Nian to come and get it at a later time! Yao Nian suddenly sneezed violently at home. He looked at the sky outside the window and muttered to himself, "Why do I suddenly have a bad feeling?" Qiao Mei followed Xia He and Xia Wen home. Xia Zhe had already packed their things so that they could return to the courtyard house to stay for a few days. Qiao Qiang had been worried about them at home for a long time. Qiao Qiang was afraid that there would be intruders again, so he had brought back two big black dogs and was raising them in the courtyard. He made them sit on each side of the main door like two "door guardians". "Oh, so these are the black dogs that Grandfather bought at the dog market. They really looked quite scary," Qiao Mei said as she held back her laughter. These were not big black dogs! These were clearly two black little puppies! They were not even properly weaned yet and yet they were already sent out to stand guard. She wondered how Qiao Qiang could even do such a thing. "The Old Master said that dogs will feel closer to an owner who raised them from young. That''s why he bought puppies," Feng Hua explained. Chapter 1664 Be More Prudent Chapter 1664 Be More Prudent These two puppies looked to be exceptional, both mentally and physically. If they were trained properly, they might even be able to participate in competitions in the future. If they were bred, their offspring would definitely be very good-looking! There was a long wait for them to grow up though. It would take a few years for the puppies to become big dogs. Who knew how many intruders could have entered the house within this period of time! "Let''s keep these two puppies in the courtyard. Build a fenced area for them so that they can play in the courtyard. Otherwise, if anyone takes a fancy to them and steals them, we would never see them again," Qiao Mei said as she looked at Xia Zhe. "Alright, I''ll get it done in a while," Xia Zhe said. The older folks always said that black dogs could attract wealth and ward off evil spirits and ensure the safety of the family. It was very rare to find a totally black puppy, especially one which was strong and healthy. Qiao Qiang must have gone to the dog market many times before he found these two puppies. Since Qiao Qiang liked them so much, she would let him raise them. She just needed to ensure that the dogs were up-to-date with their vaccines so that they would not spread any diseases to the children. Qiao Qiang was really quite unhappy with Xia Zhe this time round. Li Gui getting kidnapped was such a major issue, but Xia Zhe actually let Qiao Mei come back and deal with the problem herself. If Xia Zhe had come back with her, then things would have been very different. Qiao Qiang kept a long face and did not say anything. He did not know what to say to Xia Zhe. Qiao Mei was his biological granddaughter. How could he stay angry with Qiao Mei? Therefore, he could only let Xia Zhe assume the role of the "punching bag". "What''s the use of scolding you! I just want to see her fine and well in front of me." After saying that, Qiao Qiang looked into Xia Zhe''s eyes and asked, "Tell me how your family is going to deal with all the problems created by the third son''s family. And tell me more about what went on with that woman who wanted to kill Qiao Mei the day before yesterday." Xia Zhe stood beside Qiao Qiang in a state of fear. He owed Qiao Mei too much. Ever since Qiao Mei married into the Xia family, there had been endless waves of trouble. All of this was his fault. He did not get rid of all these enemies and he also did not handle things more thoroughly. He had been too slack and left it to Xia Wen to settle all these issues. "Oh! Grandfather! Has Sister Xu already prepared food! Let''s eat! I haven''t tasted Sister Xu''s cooking for so long and I have a craving for it! Come, come, come! Let''s go now!" Qiao Mei hurriedly pulled Qiao Qiang towards the backyard. As they walked, she turned around to signal to Xia Zhe to hurry back to the room to rest. It was not as if Qiao Qiang did not know it was Qiao Mei''s little trick. This little girl had someone she wanted to protect now. She had indeed changed! "You only know how to protect him!" Qiao Qiang said as he looked at Qiao Mei in disdain. Qiao Mei held Qiao Qiang''s hand and said sweetly, "Grandfather~ You also know that it''s not Xia Zhe''s fault, so why are you making things difficult for him?" Chapter 1665 Displaced Anger Chapter 1665 Displaced Anger "Making things difficult for him? Isn''t it the duty of a grown man to protect his wife and children? Even animals in the wild know that they must protect their family, so why can''t he do it! Have you forgotten how much suffering the Xia family caused you and the children?" Qiao Qiang said in annoyance. "Don''t say such angry words! Aren''t I the one who chose to marry into the Xia family? How can I let him bear the burden alone?" Qiao Mei said. "I have thought the Xia family can be our pillar of strength! I never expected that we would have to become the Xia family''s pillar of strength instead!" Qiao Qiang said disdainfully. "Grandfather, you''re behaving like a child. You always talk nonsense when you''re angry! That''s clearly not what you think," Qiao Mei said with a smile as she looked at Qiao Qiang. "You, you! Did that kid drug you with a love potion!" Qiao Qiang said in a tone as if he expected more from her. Qiao Mei muttered softly, "You were the one who ''drugged'' him back then. Why are you talking about me now..." "Mom, you should stay at home and take care of Zhang Chao and Zhang Qin during this period of time. Zhang Miao is also coming back soon, so you can spend more time with her," Qiao Mei said. "But there are so many things going on at the factory and we can''t afford to slow down. That group of people from the Zhao Family Village stole so many things and many of the workers are still traumatized by the whole incident. Some of them were even injured. I have to go back and deal with all these," Li Gui said. "We have Qian''e handling things there. Don''t worry, she''ll take care of everything. Besides, I have some other ideas," Qiao Mei said with a smile. After another week, both Zhao Fei and Ding Xiang could finally be discharged from the hospital. Xia Fang had already done a full-body checkup for Ding Xiang. The baby was doing well now, but Ding Xiang was not allowed to do any manual or tiring work at home, not even carry a big watermelon. Ding Xiang only had her father with her. Her mother passed away when she was very young. Zhao Fei was an orphan, so they had no one to help out at home. Zhao Fei took Qiao Mei''s advice and hired a helper to take care of Ding Xiang at home. This definitely cost him a lot of money. Zhao Fei bought a lot of fruits and some pork and went to Qiao Mei''s house. At the door, he kept reciting the words which he had memorized at home. He had already visualized the meeting with Qiao Mei countless times, but when he really saw her face to face, he found himself lost for words. "Brother Zhao, it''s already good enough that you come for a visit. You don''t have to bring so many things with you," Qiao Mei said gently. She was indeed quite displeased with Zhao Fei in the past. She did not understand why a grown man would listen to those beasts from the Zhao family. Zhao Fei could be considered a nice person. If not for those nasty relatives of his, he would have found success long ago. Chapter 1666 Transferring Business Chapter 1666 Transferring Business Now that Qiao Mei could roughly understand Zhao Fei''s past difficulties, her attitude towards him had softened and she did not vent her anger with those people from the Zhao family on Zhao Fei. When Zhao Fei heard Qiao Mei still addressing him as "Brother Zhao", he felt a sense of warmth. This meant that Qiao Mei had forgiven him for what he had done back then and let bygones be bygones! "I passed by the store just now! I don''t know what you like to eat, so I bought a bit of everything!" Zhao Fei said embarrassedly. "How''s Sister-in-law? How are things at home recently?" Qiao Mei asked. "Ding Xiang is doing well! However, she can''t travel long distances. I''m a little worried about her going out, so I tell her to stay close to home. She says that she''s not used to being waited upon and that the helper takes very good care of her. She also asks me to say hello to you. She''s very sad that she can''t come and thank you personally this time," Zhao Fei said. "It''s good to hear that Sister-in-law is fine. When I have time, I''ll bring the children to visit her. If you need anything, just go to the hospital to look for my aunt. We''re all family, so don''t be embarrassed. Sister-in-law''s health is the most important thing now!" Qiao Mei reminded him. Zhao Fei nodded vigorously. He actually wanted to ask Qiao Mei for help during this visit. Before he even said anything, she could already tell that he was in a difficult position. In the future, Qiao Mei also wanted to set up a real estate brokerage. After all, she owned so many houses. She could not just leave them vacant! A house could not be left vacant and needed to be occupied. If there was no one there to maintain it, the house would become inhabitable as years passed. In that case, the value of the house would depreciate! Her original intention of buying properties was to grow her wealth! "I can''t! I''ve never been a boss! I don''t know anything!" Zhao Fei quickly refused. "Qian''e will help you with the popcorn business, but you''ll have to be the one making decisions. Back then, my family partnered Qian''e in this business. She gets 30% and we get 70%. Now, I''ll give you 30% out of my share. I''ll just keep 40%," Qiao Mei said. The fact was that she intended to give this 30% of the business to Zhao Fei for free. Zhao Fei had saved Li Gui''s life, so she would even be willing to give Zhao Fei all her shares in Osmanthus Food Factory. Money was just worldly possessions. If she spent all her money, she could always earn more. A life lost would be gone forever! "Are... are you serious?" Zhao Fei asked doubtfully. Qiao Mei took out a contract and placed it in front of Zhao Fei. "Of course I''m serious. Moreover, I''ve thought about it carefully for a long time. I believe that you''re capable enough, but that you just never have the chance to showcase it. The opportunity has presented itself now. The factory will do better and better in the future. I hope to see Brother Zhao''s contributions play a part in this." Zhao Fei looked at Qiao Mei for a long time before he said firmly, "Don''t worry! I''ll definitely do this job well! In the future, we''ll have many branches!" Chapter 1667 Market Research Chapter 1667 Market Research Qiao Mei looked at Zhao Fei appreciatively. She did not expect Zhao Fei to have an even bigger appetite than her! However, this was a good thing. Having no ambitions was scarier than having grand ambitions. If he was not ambitious, he would not even have any desire to do better. Ding Xiang seemed like a capable woman. Qiao Mei believed that the couple would definitely be able to take care of the business well in the future. Then, she could focus on other things. Yao Nian was very efficient and it did not take long for him to send the luminous pearl over quietly. Qiao Mei held out a long shovel and asked Yao Nian to put the pearl on it. "Sister-in-law, do we have to be so wary? I''m currently holding it in my hand. It''s not poisonous. If it is, I would have died already," Yao Nian said as he looked at Qiao Mei in confusion. "But... but I''m pregnant! I have to be more wary about everything! Just put it there!" Qiao Mei explained. Yao Nian did not understand what Qiao Mei was thinking and could only do as he was told. He took the reward Qiao Mei offered him and left. He wanted to rush back to train the carrier pigeons. Qiao Mei had already built a container for the luminous pearl so that she could observe the changes in it carefully. She realized that the foul air around the luminous pearl seemed to have become more dense. Could it be that the problem was not with the luminous pearl itself, but with the mountain? "That''s too late! Something major has happened! Go and wake Qiao Mei up! I can''t wait that long!" Qian''e said anxiously. Xia Zhe could see how flustered Qian''e was. After some hesitation, he decided to go back to the bedroom and wake Qiao Mei up. "Mei Mei... Mei Mei... Get up. If you don''t get up soon, Qian''e will die of anxiety in the courtyard," Xia Zhe said as he gently patted Qiao Mei''s shoulder. Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe with a lot of resentment in her eyes and said, "She''d better have something very important to tell me or I''ll beat her to death!" "Fine, fine, fine. Change your clothes. I''ll bring the food here for you. You can eat in the room." After Xia Zhe helped Qiao Mei change her clothes, he went to the backyard to bring out the food. "Oh, my ancestor! You''re finally up. Do you know that something has happened at the factory? This matter concerns our livelihood!" Qian''e said. "I''d advise you to think carefully before you speak. If what you say is worthless, I''ll beat you up immediately!" Qiao Mei said impatiently. After Qian''e went around to do market research, she realized that there was also a small shop selling braised meat on the market. The taste of the braised meat was very similar to their product, although there were still some subtle differences. This was not important. The main thing was that its price was two-thirds of Qiao Mei''s product. The consumers just wanted to eat meat. The taste did not matter much. As long as it was palatable, they would not be too picky. Chapter 1668 Interesting News About the Zheng Family Chapter 1668 Interesting News About the Zheng Family "Is the taste of the food really that similar?" Qiao Mei asked doubtfully. "At first, I was also very doubtful. I asked someone to buy me a portion to try and the taste is really almost identical. We only use those few seasonings in our braised meat and then just stew it slowly. Many employees have left the factory recently. They may be the ones who are up to no good. No one can get the same type of seeds we have but there are many versions of popcorn similar to ours and at a much cheaper price," Qian''e said. This was not surprising at all. After all, their products were very easy to manufacture and only needed simple tools. Qiao Mei''s products were only popular because they used raw materials which were better than what the other manufacturers used. As long as the workers observed the process closely when working in the factory, any one of them would be able to go out and replicate the process. Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m Qiao Mei did not think of these people as a threat. Her key target audience was not the common people. No matter how much food the common people bought from her, it would not make as much money as selling her food products in the canteens of various companies and the government sector. She had full confidence in her own products. What she needed was a chance to be introduced to these organizations. Qiao Mei had already troubled Xia Wen too many times because of the past matters concerning the factory and she did not want to disturb him anymore. "It''s fine, we''ll think of a way later. Don''t we still have the seeds business? As long as there''s income from selling seeds, our business won''t fail. There''s also Lu Huai''s transport business propping us up," Qiao Mei said as she massaged her temples. "But there''s nowhere for us to plant seeds now. We''re about to run out of seeds in our warehouse. If this continues, we''ll probably start to run out of money soon," Qian''e said worriedly. Qian''e shook her head. Her whole life revolved around the factory recently and she did not have any time to pay attention to gossip. Furthermore, she had not interacted with Zheng Peng since they parted ways. She did not really care about the Zheng family. The Zheng family and the Xia family enjoyed almost the same status in the military field since both families had contributed greatly to the country. However, the majestic Zheng family was starting to fall from grace. Zheng Yuan, the only one from the Zheng family who was currently in the army, had no grand desires now. She only wanted to spend the rest of her life with Zhuang Hua peacefully and quietly. The two of them had already registered their marriage and moved to the family compound in their army base. They would only return to the Zheng family residence for a short stay during the new year and festive seasons. Zheng Peng lived a luxurious and wanton lifestyle and sought out the company of women all the time. Every day, he barhopped and spent all his time in nightspots and was the dandy playboy who was never home. He did not have a proper job and spent all his time fooling around. When Zheng Su could not stand it anymore, it did not take him long to find an arranged marriage partner for Zheng Peng. The girl''s family was in business and her name was Yan Li. She looked like a well-bred young lady from a wealthy family. According to Zheng Su, she was a hundred times better than Qian''e. Although Yan Li''s family was not really well-known in the capital, they were still doing well enough to help the Zheng family out. At the very least. the Zheng family would not become too downtrodden when their family fortune finally waned. When Zheng Su decided on Yan Li as his daughter-in-law, he did not even stop to consider whether Zheng Peng and her were compatible with each other. Zheng Su''s only focus was that her family was doing quite well and was compatible with the Zheng family''s status. Chapter 1669 The Origin of the Seeds Chapter 1669 The Origin of the Seeds Xia Jun and Xia Mao were even invited to the wedding of Zheng Peng and Yan Li. Both men did not bother to go and even tore up the invitation cards. They knew that Qian''e and Qiao Mei were quite close. If they attended the wedding banquet, would it not be like a slap on Qiao Mei''s face? They could not do such a thing! Before the wedding, Yan Li pretended to be a very gentle and dignified person. After the wedding, she immediately reverted to her real self. Every morning, she would berate Sun Dai for her lousy cooking. She would also criticize Zheng Peng for acting like a coward. Other than Zheng Su, almost everyone in the family had been scolded by her. Yan Li was not satisfied with anything that Zheng Peng did. The Zheng family was currently in a tizzy and there were no peaceful days at all. Qiao Mei received all this update from the neighbors. The neighbors even said that Zheng Su was currently feeling very regretful and felt that Qian''e would have been a much better choice than Yan Li. Qian''e said expressionlessly, "Now he knows how good I am? Perhaps in the past, I would be sad to hear about these things, but now, I don''t care at all. These are things that belong in my past. Now that I''ve found new meaning and value in life, I can''t lock myself at home over these trivial matters." Qiao Mei looked at Qian''e appreciatively. The current Qian''e was like a person reborn and she glowed and exuded a confident charm. There were many men in the factory who had fallen for Qian''e and a few of them even confessed their feelings to her, but she had rejected them all. Ever since Qiao Mei married into the Xia family, the Xia family''s situation had improved by the day and the atmosphere in the family was also much better than before. In the past, the house was always cold and cheerless and there was no warmth at all. He did not even want to come back during the holidays. This had changed and he looked forward to spending time with his family every day now. This was all Qiao Mei''s credit. Which person in this world did not have secrets? As long as her secret did not endanger the Xia family, Xia Wen did not want to care. "Eldest Brother, why are you suddenly asking me about the seeds?" Qiao Mei asked. "It''s like this. Do you still remember the few premium gift boxes you gave me back then?" Xia Wen said. Every year, the Xia family needed to socialize with the other prominent families. Xia Jun, Xia Mao, Xia Wen, Xia Zhe, Xia Fang and the others all needed to send gifts to their friends and colleagues. Last year, Qiao Mei''s seeds had helped them out a great deal. Everyone who tasted the seeds agreed that it was delicious. There were also many people who asked Xia Wen about where the seeds were being sold, but Xia Wen did not answer them. At that time, he was afraid of bringing unnecessary danger to Qiao Mei. However, one of those people who asked him was a very important person. He was Xia Wen''s current superior and had helped Xia Wen a lot all this while. Xia Wen had been thinking of a way to make sure that Qiao Mei''s businesses became legitimate. After the kidnapping of Li Gui and the children, he became even more determined to do so. He had discussed it with his superior and decided to source for a large piece of land for Qiao Mei to specially grow the seeds. Recently, the country had been vigorously expounding the benefits of foreign trade and Qiao Mei''s seeds were definitely a good calling card for this purpose. The standard, quality control and design of the products being exported for foreign trade must be items which were in the best condition. Otherwise, it would just be a disgrace to the country. Chapter 1670 Experimental Seeds Chapter 1670 Experimental Seeds After Qiao Mei heard what Xia Wen said, she smiled happily. He could even get such a complicated thing done. It looked like Xia Wen had been thinking about a solution for a long while. He had probably been looking into it since she started selling seeds. "Eldest Brother, do you think I''m able to do this? What if I don''t do a good job and end up embarrassing the Xia family?" Qiao Mei asked with a slight frown. "If anyone says that your seeds are unpalatable, then there really isn''t anything better that we can find. Don''t worry, no one has ever said the seeds are not nice after eating them. You just need to be in charge of production and packaging. As for sales, I''ll find a way for you. We can buy as much as you can produce," Xia Wen said. "Since you say so, then I''ll do it! Don''t worry, I''ll definitely do it exceptionally well! I promise that I won''t disappoint you!" Qiao Mei said confidently. Xia Wen stopped to think for a moment and then said to Qiao Mei, "Is there any possibility of the seeds turning out to be empty inside? Or related to the quality of the seeds." After all, the incident at the Zhao family village was a perfect example. He could not be careless about any detail. There could not be a situation where a portion of the seeds handed over to his superior ended up to be just empty shells. Since these were meant for export, it would be very embarrassing if such a thing happened! "Really? Then I want a house!" Qiao Mei widened her eyes and said expectantly. Xia Wen shook his head resignedly and said, "Is that the only thing you can think of?" "Actually, money doesn''t matter. Money is at the bottom of my list at this time. What I want is actually the rights to operate the factory," Qiao Mei said as she looked at Xia Wen seriously. What she said just now was only a test to see where Xia Wen drew the line. At the same time, she also wanted to know if Xia Wen was on her side. Xia Wen looked at Qiao Mei appreciatively. Smart people could always grasp the key issue very fast. They could make as much money as they wanted in the future, but the rights to do business was not something that could be obtained so easily. Qiao Mei''s factory was still a private enterprise now, so the market for her to sell her products was relatively small. If she wanted to make more money, she had to work with the government. They could only do business over the long term by obtaining the government''s support and becoming an enterprise that was highly regarded by the country. That way, they would become a national brand. "Let me think about it. As long as you can do an outstanding job on this project, I believe the higher-ups will consider your request. Do up a proposal and I''ll hand it over to them when the time comes," Xia Wen said. "No problem! I''ll give it to you soon!" Qiao Mei said. Chapter 1671 Hard to Complete Chapter 1671 Hard to Complete Xia Wen was a very efficient person. In less than three days, he informed Qiao Mei to go to the suburbs to take a look at the piece of land. Qiao Mei originally thought that the maximum she would get was a few hundred mu of land, but she did not expect Xia Wen to be so generous as to rent 1,000 mu of land for her. She looked at the seemingly endless rolling fields and felt a little worried. "What do you think? Isn''t this piece of land very suitable for growing seeds? The experts in our team think very highly of this piece of land. The soil is fertile and it will definitely yield exceptional seeds!" Xia Wen said proudly as he pointed at the fields, feeling as if he had the world in his hands. "Indeed... it''s indeed not bad..." Qiao Mei said in a daze. "What''s wrong? Are you not satisfied with this piece of land?" Xia Wen noticed Qiao Mei''s expression. "That''s not it. I''m just a little surprised," Qiao Mei said. "The country values this collaboration with you very much. You can''t fumble at this stage! This 1,000 mu of land is loaned to you by the country and you''re not being charged rent. As for the costs of labor and seeds, you will have to bear them yourself," Xia Wen said. If not for the fact that there were too many people around her at the moment, she would have fallen to the ground. This was not a money-making opportunity, but clearly asking for her life! "I am sure. It''s 1,000 mu. I even went to do a field inspection. Not a single mu more, not a single mu less," Qiao Mei said. "An area of 1,000 mu and all the goods have to be delivered within four months. I don''t think that''s even possible. Are we the only party involved?" Deng Fan said. "Yes, we''re the only one involved in this project," Qiao Mei said. Everyone gasped. Qian''e said resentfully, "We might as well not earn this money! They want to plant seeds on so much land. Aren''t they worried that it''s too much!" "Based on the requirements, we won''t be able to do it even if we manage to hire 4,000 people in time. We have to start work all at the same time. Otherwise, by the time we get to the last mu of the 1,000 mu, the first mu of land will be overgrown with weeds! If that happens, the progress will be in chaos," Deng Fan said dejectedly. Although Lu Huai was only in charge of transportation, his convoy of vehicles would have to transport the seeds, tools, raw materials and so on. With his current team, he did not have enough manpower at all. He would need to spend another 30,000 dollars to buy more trucks and hire more people. Deng Fan also needed to lead a team to build a temporary dormitory near the site. Although it was easy to build a steel container structure, one structure could only accommodate eight people at most. With 4,000 employees, they would need 500 container structures. How many workers did he need to work together so as to build accommodation for everyone in the fastest time possible? "I don''t think it''s possible to complete this task. The scope is really too scary," Lu Huai said. "4,000 people is only a conservative estimate. It doesn''t include the people I need or the staff on Lu Huai''s side," Deng Fan said. Chapter 1672 Good News and Bad News Chapter 1672 Good News and Bad News "That''s right, Qiao Mei. Just based on the calculations, we need more than 100,000 dollars and we haven''t even gone into the details yet. We definitely need to prepare at least 150,000 dollars first. We only have 80,000 dollars in our accounts now. If we use all this money, we won''t be able to continue running the factory," Qian''e said. "There''s no need to worry about money. I still have a lot of money. The problem now is where can we find so many people? Is there anyone who''s willing to come and do farming? Besides, can we even find so many people who know how to farm? With our minimum requirement of 4,000 people, we can empty out almost all 15 villages," Qiao Mei said helplessly. Qiao Mei''s seeds would start growing as soon as they were planted in the ground. There was no need to worry about the growth process at all. The biggest problem now was manpower. If there was not enough manpower, everything else they did was just a waste of time. Now that she was calmer, she also felt that the deadline was too tight and it could not be done in time. Moreover, the price she agreed to was very low and she could not make much money at all. At this rate, it would be good enough if she did not lose money. However, no matter how difficult it was, she had to work hard to complete this project and not let everyone down. "I''ll think of a way to deal with the manpower issue. Let''s go and buy the materials we need and the trucks which Lu Huai needs. Give me a rough idea of how much money each of you needs. I''ll total up everything, then Qian''e and I will go and prepare the money later," Qiao Mei said melancholically. Lu Huai and Deng Fan went to one side to do their sums. Qian''e sat beside Qiao Mei in a daze and it was very quiet all round. Suddenly, Qian''e yelled out, "Oh! In that case, our factory will need two more workshops to handle these seeds. Otherwise, we won''t be able to make it in time during the packing stage!" "Then what about the good news?" Qiao Mei asked as she tried her best to control her emotions. "The good news is that since our troops have been involved in many missions recently, the higher-ups have decided to let us do something else and learn other skills. Given that it''s the peak period for farming, we can go and help the farmers. I''ve applied to the higher-ups to bring a team to work at your land. The higher-ups have already approved it!" Xia Zhe said happily. Qiao Mei''s current project was one that would help the country''s development and was very important to the country''s foreign trade policy in the future. Everyone was willing to lend her a helping hand if they could. Everyone''s eyes lit up. Qiao Mei could not believe her own ears and asked Xia Zhe to repeat what he said just now. Xia Zhe patiently repeated what he said. It finally struck everyone that this was really happening. "Then how many people do you have?" Qian''e asked. "About 8,000 people, but not all of them will come here. Some of them will be going to smaller projects elsewhere," Xia Zhe said. "That''s enough! Heavens! You''re our hope! We''re saved!" Qian''e said excitedly. Qiao Mei also heaved a sigh of relief. She looked at Xia Zhe and asked, "How do you know about this? Did Eldest Brother tell you about it?" "I guess you can say that. Eldest Brother and I had discussed this matter some time ago. Although I''m the one who put up the suggestion to the higher-ups, it''s Eldest Brother who''s helping with the important documents and procedures. Eldest Brother has taken this matter into consideration when doing the planning," Xia Zhe told her honestly. Chapter 1673 Full Confidence Chapter 1673 Full Confidence "But this thing can''t be done without you either. The two of you are equally important," Qiao Mei said as she hugged Xia Zhe. After considering it thoroughly, Qiao Mei decided to let Xu Lan take care of the children for the time being. After all, it was more secure in that neighborhood. After the hard lesson learnt from the last time, everyone would definitely be fully attentive to the children''s safety. Luo Yu was also the best among all the guards, so that would also reduce the possibility of any incidents. After solving the manpower issue, Qiao Mei started to worry about the seeds. This 1,000 mu land needed at least 100,000 pounds of planting seeds. Although she could use energy to produce them quickly, where could she store such a huge amount of seeds? In addition, how could she explain to Xia Wen about the origins of these seeds? She could not possibly use the same excuse that she had brought them along when she first came to the capital! That day, Qiao Mei had been caught off guard by their conversation and did not think carefully about what Xia Wen said. It was only after Xia Wen left that Qiao Mei remembered that she had actually brought two sacks of seeds with her when she came to the capital. Xia Wen also knew about this matter. She did not expect Xia Wen to have tricked her to test her reaction. However, Xia Wen did not expose her, which proved that he truly wanted to protect her. Like Qiao Qiang, he chose to protect her by keeping quiet. Qiao Mei felt touched as she looked at Qiao Qiang''s departing figure. She was really lucky and blessed to have someone who fully believed in her. Chi Ze found many people to help him out. At noon the next day, he came to pick up Qiao Mei and Qiao Qiang to go and take a look at the warehouse. Xia Zhe had gone to the army unit in the capital for a meeting and the two children had not been sent to Xu Lan''s place yet. She was worried about leaving the children at home, so she had no choice but to bring them along. The big group of people arrived at an unoccupied warehouse located by the river in the suburbs. This place had good feng shui and was near the mountain and river. Qiao Mei thought about buying this piece of land after she was done with the project. She could build a small house here with a cozy little courtyard. Qiao Qiang could come here from time to time to relax. Perhaps when Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe were older, they could stay here after they retire. Every day, they could just do some farming, hunt for fun, chop firewood and go fishing. Such a life was really something to look forward to! "This place is really quite nice. It must have been difficult to find?" Qiao Qiang said. "It''s not too difficult! This is all thanks to Mao Hang. Mao Hang is very familiar with the locations of warehouses in the capital. The owner and Mao Hang are from the same hometown, so he''s charging us a lower rent for it!" Chi Ze said happily as he put his arm around Mao Hang. Mao Hang said shyly, "I only went to ask around. The owner of this warehouse is a nice person. I''m not the only one who contributed. Everyone has put in their share of work!" Qiao Mei watched quietly from the side. She secretly tugged Qiao Qiang''s arm and he immediately understood what she wanted. There were too many people around and it was not convenient for her to do her stuff. He had to think of a way to make them go somewhere else. Chapter 1674 Dwarf Sunflower Chapter 1674 Dwarf Sunflower "Um, Xiao Chi! Bring some people with you and go to the city to buy some meat. Buy more beef and also a whole lamb! Let''s roast a lamb here today!" Qiao Qiang said excitedly. "Huh? Here?" Chi Ze said hesitantly. This place was indeed quite suitable for a picnic, but was it not a little too sudden to organize a meal here now? "Yes, here. I''m in a good mood today. Don''t you all want to eat?" Qiao Qiang asked as he looked at them. They were just a group of employees, so why would they dare to go against their boss? Furthermore, once they headed back, there was endless work and complicated projects waiting for them. Here, they could get paid while eating delicious roasted meat and also leave a good impression on their boss. Of course they would choose to stay here! "Oh yes! Then I''ll go with the guys to buy meat! We''ll also buy some cutlery and other things! Mao Hang, you stay here and look after Sister-in-law and Uncle!" With that, Chi Ze drove off with the rest of the guys. Qiao Mei looked at Mao Hang resignedly. She had thought that Qiao Qiang would be able to send everyone away, but she did not expect them to leave one man behind! There was another type of sunflower that was shorter. Back then, Qiao Mei had spent a lot of effort cultivating seeds that could only be harvested once. During her experiments, she discovered that the taste of seeds from dwarf sunflowers was not inferior to that of tall sunflowers. Furthermore, the yield was high and the maturity period was short. It was definitely more advantageous to grow dwarf sunflowers as compared with tall sunflowers. In that case, let''s use dwarf sunflower seeds! Qiao Mei took out a large handful of seeds from a bag in the pram. She buried them in the ground and kept growing them until she finally produced a big bag of dwarf sunflower seeds. Qiao Mei reached out to touch the grass on the ground. The grass seemed to be growing well and very energetic. "Do a little shake," Qiao Mei said as she pointed at the grass. The blades of grass stretched out and shook from side to side as if they were dancing. Qiao Mei clapped her hands happily. It seemed that her ability had improved by a little. Previously, she could only read the memories and vision of plants. Now, she could actually control the plants. It was just that her ability was relatively limited at the moment and she could only give orders to plants with lower spiritual senses. As for plants with high spiritual senses, Qiao Mei could only try her best to communicate with them. Qiao Mei placed the seeds in a pile on the ground and asked the blades of grass to lift the seeds up one by one, passed them around and planted them in the ground. After all the seeds were planted, Qiao Mei reached out to gently touch the ground, constantly releasing energy into the land around her. In the blink of an eye, the land that was only filled with weeds a moment ago turned into a sunflower garden. There were golden sunflowers everywhere. Chapter 1675 Fish Chapter 1675 Fish Xia Fan and Xia Xing were stunned to the spot. Xia Fan kept rubbing his eyes with his small hands. He could not believe what he was seeing. Why were there so many sunflowers in front of him in the blink of an eye? Could it be that he was asleep right now and everything in front of him was just part of a dream? Qiao Mei walked up to the two children and said, "Don''t be afraid. Mom is actually a fairy! I know magic! However, no one knows about this. If they find out, Mom will be seen as a monster and taken away. You don''t want Mom to be taken away, right?" Xia Xing immediately pouted and wanted to cry. Qiao Mei quickly pinched Xia Xing''s mouth shut and said, "Mom is still here! Mom won''t go away! Mom just wants to tell you that I know magic. Can you keep a secret?" Xia Fan and Xia Xing quickly nodded vigorously at Qiao Mei. This was their mother and they could not lose her. "Then can you help Mom keep it a secret? Can this be a secret between the three of us?" Qiao Mei said patiently. Xia Fan nodded solemnly. Xia Xing shouted excitedly at Qiao Mei, "Wow!" "Are you done tidying up?" Qiao Qiang said meaningfully. Qiao Mei nodded and said, "Yes, it''s all done. When Chi Ze and the rest come back later, we can start making roast lamb!" Qiao Qiang smiled and said, "Not bad, not bad. We also caught a lot of fish today. I guess no one ever comes here so the fish are all very stupid. They will take the bait not long after we throw the hook into the water!" There was a pile of both carps and grass carps on the shore. The two men had caught more than 10 fish during this period of time! It was definitely enough for the big group to eat. "Then we''re in for a treat today!" Qiao Mei said happily. "Fish!" Xia Xing shouted as she pointed at the fish on the ground. "Oh my! Yuan Yuan, what did you say just now? Say it to Great-grandfather again!" Qiao Qiang looked at Xia Xing excitedly. Xia Xing pointed at the fish on the ground with a serious expression and repeated, "Fish! Fish!" Qiao Mei realized that Xia Xing could pronounce a couple of tones quite accurately even if she could not pronounce the exact word. Xia Fan usually did not speak much and Xia Fang said that this was a small matter. Every child started speaking at a different age. Some children started sooner and some children started late. This was a common occurrence. As parents, they only needed to guide the children well and leave the children to learn the rest by themselves. Chapter 1676 Little Picky Eater Chapter 1676 Little Picky Eater "Look at how excited the child is! Yuan Yuan''s favorite food is fish, right? Great-grandfather will cook fish for you! Tuan Tuan, you can''t be picky about food. Fish is good for you!" After Qiao Qiang said that, he skewered all the fish with a tree branch and brought them back to the warehouse to clean them. At the moment, the two children could already eat mashed up solid food. The adults could feed the children some fish if they mashed the fish meat up. Actually, Qiao Mei had always thought that children could get enough nutrition from drinking powdered milk. In her other life, children mostly just drank powdered milk. However, the milk powder sold in this era was not so nutritious yet. Feng Hua would make different kinds of solid food for the children. She also used a notebook to write down what the children could and could not eat. She even noted her observations of the children''s poop every day, in case the children fell sick and the doctors wanted to know such details. Initially, the family members thought that Feng Hua''s salary was a little too high, but from all the efforts which she put in, Qiao Mei felt that she was still paying Feng Hua too little! It was really rare to find a person who had such knowledge when taking care of kids, especially in this era. Qiao Mei had asked Xia Fang about feeding the children solid food. Xia Fang also agreed with Feng Hua and said such food would supplement the children''s nutrition and let them grow more healthily. Xia Xing was not a picky eater and ate everything she was given. Xia Fan, on the other hand, was the kind of child who made people worry. He did not want to eat other types of food and only wanted to drink powdered milk. No matter what kind of solid food he was given, he did not want to swallow it. After a few days, he had lost a lot of weight. It ended up that Qiao Mei''s guess was correct. Qiao Qiang really intended to do this. Previously, she had already heard stories about Qiao Qiang from Xia Jun. One time, Qiao Qiang had led a team deep into the mountains to hide from the enemy troops. That mountain was easy to defend but difficult to attack. Not only was there a swamp inside, but there were also many ferocious wild animals. The enemy troops could only surround them outside, but could not enter the mountain area to capture them. Earlier, the enemy troops had even thought of setting fire to the mountain to force them out. However, if the fire started spreading, the enemy troops would not be able to get out either, so they intended to trap Qiao Qiang and his team in the forest and wait until the whole team starved to death. The entire team did not have any food left, not even water. At that time, everyone was so hungry that they could not take it anymore. A few of their comrades had already fainted. When Qiao Qiang saw this, he did not say anything and just walked away silently. He was gone the entire afternoon. As night fell, Xia Jun was so anxious that he gathered a few people and wanted to go and look for Qiao Qiang. Just as they were about to set off, they saw Qiao Qiang coming back, covered in blood and lugging a deer. That deer was their only source of food for a while. From then on, they took turns to go hunting and managed to last for more than a month in the mountains. "Really?" Chi Ze asked Qiao Qiang agitatedly. "Of course. My grandfather is super capable. He just doesn''t tell you about many things!" Qiao Mei said proudly. "Can you tell me how to do it? Do you have any tips?" Chi Ze asked. Chapter 1677 Land with Good Feng Shui Chapter 1677 Land with Good Feng Shui All these men used to be from the army, so they were very curious and interested when it came to things related to the military. Most of them ended their military careers due to family and other personal reasons, so they were always interested to hear stories about the army and reminisce about the old times. As Qiao Qiang ate, he told them many stories about the past. There were even stories that Qiao Mei had never heard before! If Xia Jun was here, the two old men would probably argue again about who was the more capable one back then. The two children also listened with interest while seated next to Qiao Qiang. Although there were many words and phrases that they could not understand, they also wanted to join in the fun. Qiao Mei acted as a translator and explained the obscure words to the two of them. It was late when they packed up and went home. On the way back, Qiao Qiang repeatedly asked Qiao Mei if she knew who the owner of the piece of land was. He really liked this piece of land with good feng shui. "Grandfather, you used to say that it''s not good for me to keep buying houses! Why are you eyeing someone else''s land now?" Qiao Mei asked. "That''s because I didn''t understand back then! Now I finally know why you like to buy houses so much. I feel a sense of affinity with this place and I like it. Get someone to ask the owner if it''s for sale. If it''s not, then forget it. If it''s for sale, then let''s buy it. Don''t bargain too much!" Qiao Qiang instructed. "There is. We have relatives coming around. They''re not easy to deal with," Xia Wen said. "Relatives from where?" Qiao Mei asked curiously. She thought she had already met all the Xia family''s relatives and encountered all those who were not easy to get along with. Were there still people whom she had never met before? "It''s my mother''s elder sister, Xu Ju. She''s a person who likes to make things difficult for others. Since the three of us were young, we always find it very annoying whenever we see her and her daughter. She often guilt trips my mother to do things for her," Xia Wen said disdainfully. Every family had their own difficulties. Qiao Mei did not expect Xu Lan''s elder sister to be such a person, but then again, she was skilled at dealing with evil people. As long as people did not endanger her family and her children, she would not care about them even if they caused trouble elsewhere. However, if they bullied her, then they could not blame her for taking action. "You should go home and rest. I can take charge of things here. I''ll talk to Qian''e about the matters related to the field. Don''t tire yourself out. You''re pregnant, so you can''t overwork yourself, do you understand? No matter what happens, we''re here to help!" Xia Wen said with heartache. "I know, Eldest Brother! I know myself! Nothing will happen!" Qiao Mei said. He actually liked this sister-in-law very much. This was because Qiao Mei''s character was what he had imagined that Xia He should have. He would never have thought that Xu Lan would give birth to a "fierce monkey" who did not look like a well-bred young lady at all. When they were young, Xia Wen bought a doll for Xia He. Unexpectedly, Xia He actually told Xia Wen that she preferred tanks and told him not to buy her any more dolls. He could only silently accept that Xia He was a tough girl. Chapter 1678 Old-fashioned Chapter 1678 Old-fashioned "Go back now. In the future, I''ll only contact you if it''s something really important. Otherwise, I''ll discuss everything else with Qian''e and the others," Xia Wen said with a smile. Qiao Mei went home happily but to Xu Lan''s house. She did not bring the children with her as the journeys back and forth were very tiring. Qiao Mei had already asked Da Zhuang and the team to stand guard at the main door and also monitor the children''s every move. She was quite sure that nothing would happen to them. Nowadays, even if it was a dog at Qiao Mei''s door, Da Zhuang would want to investigate its background. As what people like to say... One would rather do too much! It was better than doing too little! For being so vigilant, Qiao Mei had even given them bonus payments! There were not many people who were as loyal as them. "Why are you here? Didn''t I ask Eldest Brother not to tell you? What exactly is he thinking!" Xia He grabbed hold of Qiao Mei and muttered softly. "We have relatives at home and Xia Zhe isn''t in the capital. It won''t be good if I don''t come back. Besides, it''s not like she''s a ferocious beast that everyone has to hide from," Qiao Mei said hesitantly. "Good grief! What do you know! This eldest maternal aunt of ours is very difficult to deal with! She definitely has ulterior motives for coming over this time. She never visits unless she needs something. Just wait and see!" Xia He said disdainfully. Xu Ju had brought her two daughters with her. One was called Xu Jiao and the other was called Xu Man. As Xu Ju''s husband had married into the Xu family, the children had taken her surname. Xu Jiao was dressed in loud colors and she liked bright red and purple the most. She was dressed in an old-fashioned manner although she was only in her teens. Those who did not know better would think that she was the sister of Xu Ju and Xu Lan! Xu Man was dressed more appropriately for her age, but the quality of her clothes looked very rough. She looked like she was wearing someone else''s old clothes. It seemed that Xu Man was being bullied at home. Xu Ju slowly looked around at the Xia family members before her gaze finally landed on Qiao Mei and she said, "Oh? So this is the third son''s country bumpkin wife from the countryside. She doesn''t look like much and can''t even compare with my Xu Jiao. Younger sister, your taste is really bad. If my Xu Jiao had married Xia Zhe back then, that would be such a match made in heaven!" Qiao Mei sat there quietly and looked at Xu Ju. This was the first time she had heard someone say that she was average-looking and she felt a little curious about this person. Xia He, on the other hand, was furious. Xu Ju had wanted to marry Xu Jiao off to Xia Zhe for a long time. Ever since Xu Jiao was born, Xu Ju would talk to Xu Lan about this matter on and off. She had always wanted to finalize the marriage between Xu Jiao and Xia Zhe. Fortunately, Xia Jun and Qiao Qiang had already arranged the marriage for the two kids very early on. Otherwise, Xia Zhe might really have fallen into Xu Jiao''s hands! Xu Lan might run the Xia family with an iron fist, but she was very soft-hearted when it came to her maternal family. It was as if the Xu family had bewitched Xu Lan and she would agree to everything they asked for. No matter how hard Xia Wen and Xia Mao tried to dissuade her, it was useless. Xu Lan would not listen to her children at all. The Xu family had a total of four children. Xu Lan was the second child and she had two younger brothers. In the past, the Xu family was not well-off and they all relied on Xu Lan to support them. After Xu Lan and Xia Mao got married, she continued to contribute a lot of money to her maternal family. That was how her siblings could afford to get married. Chapter 1679 Learning to Cook Chapter 1679 Learning to Cook However, not only did they not appreciate Xu Lan''s kindness, but they even slandered Xu Lan behind her back, saying that Xu Lan had forgotten about her maternal family after she climbed up the social ladder. Fortunately, all their neighbors were sharp-eyed enough to be able to distinguish truth from lies. During the course of the meal, Xu Ju nitpicked everything. She complained about how this dish was too cold or another dish was too hard to chew. In short, none of the dishes were to her liking. Xu Jiao seemed to be carved from the same mold as Xu Ju and was also very unruly and rude. Xu Man stood at the side and looked at them submissively. Qiao Mei wanted to ask her to come over to eat together with them, but Xia He stopped her. "Don''t bother about her. The more attention you pay to her, the harder her life will be," Xia He whispered. "Why is there such a big difference in the treatment between her and Xu Jiao?" Qiao Mei asked curiously. "Xu Man is an adopted child. Although they say she is adopted, she''s actually the child whom Eldest Uncle-in-law had with another woman. That woman died during childbirth and left behind this poor child. Eldest Uncle-in-law had no choice but to bring her home. Although Eldest Aunt agreed to take Xu Man in, she also made things difficult for the girl. Xu Man has had a very difficult life," Xia He said as her heart ached. It was not Xu Man''s fault. The adults were the ones at fault, but it was the children who had to bear the consequences. They did not know how to help Xu Man. The only thing they could do was to restrain the concern in their hearts so that Xu Ju would not bully Xu Man too badly. "Then doesn''t Eldest Uncle-in-law care at all?" Qiao Mei asked as she felt bad about the situation. "Is that so? But I really want to learn so that I can cook more delicacies for my mother-in-law. Why don''t you give me lessons now!" Qiao Mei looked at Xu Jiao excitedly. "I... I don''t have time! My hand is injured!" Xu Jiao said. "Enough! Is my younger sister in such a hurry to eat a meal? Why are you so anxious!" Xu Ju said impatiently. Xu Lan also tugged at Qiao Mei to sit down. She did not want to embarrass Xu Ju too much. Otherwise, when Xu Ju went back, she might even say something to their parents! If not for her mother, Xu Lan would not have tolerated Xu Ju and the rest so much. Xu Lan had been brought up by her mother but the Xu family refused to let Xu Lan to bring her mother to stay with her. Her mother was old and in poor health, so she had no choice but to tolerate the behavior of these beastly people in order to ensure her mother''s safety. "Xia Wen, have you thought about that matter I told you the last time?" Xu Ju asked. Xia Wen smiled and said, "Eldest Aunt has talked about so many matters. I wonder which one are you talking about?" Previously, Xu Ju had even joked that since Xia Zhe could not marry Xu Jiao, then Xia Wen could marry Xu Jiao. At Xia Wen''s age, he could already be Xu Jiao''s father! No one knew what Xu Ju was thinking! "About Xu Jiao going to school!" Xu Ju reminded him. "Oh, this issue. I''m just wondering if she wants to be admitted next year by taking the examination or using a recommendation letter? There''s a huge difference between these two options!" Xia Wen said. Chapter 1680 The College Entrance Examination or Recommendation Letter Chapter 1680 The College Entrance Examination or Recommendation Letter "Why do we have to delay it by a year! Is it because you don''t want to help us! We want her to go to university this year!" Xu Ju said as she pointed at Xia Wen agitatedly. "It''s not like that. If she enters this year, she''ll be a university student admitted using her class background. If she takes the examination next year to enter university, she''ll be a regular student. The difference is in the nature of her admission," Xia Wen explained. "Then... which one is better?" Xu Ju asked. "Regular students who are admitted through the college entrance examination have more value for sure," Xia Wen said. "Then will there be any more students admitted by way of class background next year?" Xu Ju asked again. "No, it will all be via the college entrance examination system in the future," Xia Wen said. Xu Ju was so angry that she raised her hand to hit Xia He. Xu Lan quickly grabbed Xu Ju''s arm and said, "Eldest Sister, let''s talk in a cordial manner. She''s insensible, so don''t mind her. Otherwise, if everyone is so unhappy about this, then let''s forget about this matter. There''s nothing that our family can do for you. Elder Sister, you should go and find another way out." Xu Lan did not want to fall out too badly with Xu Ju, but it was in every mother''s nature to protect her children. If her child had already been bullied to such an extent and she did not speak up, she would be a useless mother. "That won''t do! You agreed to help me! You can''t go back on your word!" Xu Jiao said immediately. Xu Ju straightened her clothes and coughed awkwardly before saying, "Alright, then let''s do the admission by class background then. Our Jiao Jiao only wants to go to Capital University and nowhere else." Xia Wen stood rooted to the spot in silence. Xu Lan had to raise her eyes to look at him before he reluctantly went to the study to retrieve Xu Jiao''s recommendation letter for admission. Actually, Xia Wen had already prepared the recommendation letter. He just wanted to test Xu Jiao and see if she had any ambitions. He did not expect this child to be so apathetic and to have been brought up so badly by his eldest aunt. In the future, she would become part of the ''leech tribe'', those youngsters who lived off their parents! He had learned the phrase "leech tribe" from Qiao Mei! She always came up with many strange words and phrases, but they could all aptly describe all kinds of situations. Xu Jiao held the recommendation letter like it was a treasure item. Xu Man stood at one side and looked at Xu Jiao enviously. She felt that she probably would not get a chance to go to university in this life. Chapter 1681 Continue Studying Chapter 1681 Continue Studying Xu Ju had already said that she would not allow Xu Man to continue with her studies. The reason was very simple. She said that it was a waste of money for Xu Man to go to school and that Xu Man might as well help her with housework at home or go out to work to earn money! "Xu Jiao, how are your results? Capital University has very high standards. Even with the recommendation letter, it doesn''t mean that nothing can go wrong. You also need to ensure that you don''t fail any exams in school," Xia Wen said. Xu Jiao stammered and did not dare to tell everyone about her results. She looked to Xu Ju for help and Xu Ju immediately said, "There''s definitely no problem with her results! You don''t have to worry about that!" Qiao Mei looked at Xu Man, who was standing alone, and said, "Which year are you in?" Xu Man threw Xu Ju a look of fear and then said cautiously to Qiao Mei, "Second year in high school..." "Then how are your results? Are you going to university?" Qiao Mei continued to ask. Xu Man did not dare to speak up. She and Xu Jiao were in the same high school, but in different years. She was one year behind Xu Jiao, but her results had always been top among her cohort without fail. She had even topped the second place by more than 20 points before! Xu Lan seemed to understand Qiao Mei''s intentions and also started to persuade Xu Ju. "The child is still so young. Who wants to hire her? You should at least let her finish high school. If she manages to get into university, then she can earn money to pay for her own school fees. If she doesn''t get into university, it''s not too late for her to start work then." "Eldest Aunt, if she stops going to school now, the neighbors will laugh at your family! Then it will be so embarrassing for you!" Xia He said quickly. Xu Ju was stunned by what she heard. She had never considered these things. Her reputation in her neighborhood was already bad enough. If she did anything else to stand out, she would not be able to hang out in that area anymore. Those people could drown her with all their gossip! This was especially so since Xu Man was an adopted daughter. In this era, if a child was disobedient and got beaten up or scolded at home, other people would pretend not to see it and no one would be a busybody. After all, the parents were just disciplining their biological children. As the saying went, even a monster would not hurt its own children! However, if one beat up an adopted child, it would become a big deal! People from the community office and the neighborhood would come to investigate the issue. The parents might even be sent for reeducation or be criticized using posters! "Fine, fine, fine! She can continue to study! I want to see how she will end up!" Xu Ju said. Qiao Mei secretly smiled at Xu Man, who was in turn grateful to her. "By the way, third daughter-in-law, I hear that you''re from the countryside. Why don''t you ask Xia Wen to get you a recommendation letter? This way, you can also go to Capital University!" Xu Ju said. "My sister-in-law is preparing to take the college entrance examination. She doesn''t intend to be admitted using her class background," Xia Wen said proudly. Chapter 1682 I Will Take the College Entrance Examination Chapter 1682 I Will Take the College Entrance Examination Xu Ju acted like she had heard the biggest joke in the world. Qiao Mei actually wanted to take the college entrance examination! A country bumpkin intended to take the college entrance examination! "When you were in the countryside, did your family send you to school?" Xu Ju asked as she looked at Qiao Mei curiously. Typically, families in the countryside would not let girls go to school. They would give such good opportunities only to the boys. After all, the school fees cost an amount of money which could feed the family for a month. "My grandfather taught me for a while and I also went to school for a period of time," Qiao Mei replied factually. She would take the two to three days she spent in elementary school as having gone to school. Besides, in her other life, she graduated with honors from a major university and had even received a doctorate in law! She would definitely be able to pass the examination if she put in more effort one month before the college entrance examination! For Xu Jiao''s course of study, Xia Wen had chosen physics. It was the most difficult course at Capital University to gain admission. Their entrance test was also the most difficult one in the entire university. He wanted to see if there was any truth to Xu Jiao''s outstanding results. "Why didn''t anyone tell us anything about this? Why didn''t we know earlier! Are you lying to us!" Xu Ju asked agitatedly. "How can we lie about something like this? Of course it''s true. It''s just that it has only been implemented for a short period of time, so not many people know about it. You can''t blame us for this," Xia He said. "Eldest Aunt, don''t worry. Those test questions are very simple. Isn''t she one of the top students in her high school? She will definitely pass. Don''t worry!" Xia Wen said. Xu Jiao grabbed Xu Ju''s arm out of fear. If she could not pass the test, did that mean she would have to keep taking it? That would make everyone laugh their heads off! Xu Ju shook off Xu Jiao''s hand angrily. She had really shot herself in the foot this time. If this wretched girl''s results were as good as Xu Man''s results, would she need to come and beg these people? "Xia Wen, you used to be a professor at Capital University. You must know the examiners, right? Tell them to be more lax and just admit Xu Jiao. We''re so familiar with one another, so why does it need to be so formal?" Xu Ju said as she looked at Xia Wen fawningly. Xia Wen shook his head and said sternly, "Eldest Aunt, the Xia family has always been fair and just. I''ve already made it easy for you. The Xia family has already written a recommendation letter for Xu Jiao. The rest will have to depend on Xu Jiao herself. Otherwise, if word gets out, it will be bad for the Xia family''s reputation! You have to see things from our side!" Chapter 1683 Leave With Nothing Chapter 1683 Leave With Nothing "How can you do this! This is different from what we agreed back then! Xu Lan! You have to give me an explanation today! Otherwise, I''ll go home and tell Father! I''ll let him know how you bullied our family!" Xu Ju said as she looked at Xu Lan. Xu Lan''s father would vent his anger on Xu Lan''s mother whenever he was in a bad mood. Xu Lan''s mother was still in their hands, so Xu Lan could not offend Xu Ju and the rest. In the past, the entire Xu family relied on Xu Lan''s salary and the Xia family''s help to survive. The good thing was that a few years ago, Xia Mao opened a small shop for them in the village and they no longer asked Xu Lan for money. However, the Xu family continued to create trouble outside. It was Xu Lan''s filial piety which caused her to be controlled by them. Xu Lan had no choice but to give them whatever they wanted. However, the matter today was different. This matter concerned the reputation of her children and the Xia family''s status in society. Xu Lan pondered for a long time and decided not to let the Xia family be dragged down by the Xu family. At most, she would just divorce Xia Mao and go back to the Xu family. She just needed to endure a little bit of suffering for the rest of her life! Now that the children had all started their own families, she was no longer worried about them. She just could not bear to part with the two babies, Xia Fan and Xia Xing. "Eldest Sister, our family has already done everything we can. If you continue to kick up a fuss, I''ll have no choice but to leave the Xia family. When I go back to the Xu family, I''ll have to rely on Eldest Sister and Eldest Brother-in-law to take care of me," Xu Lan said calmly to Xu Ju. "What did you say? Go back where?" Xu Ju asked in puzzlement. "Qiao Mei is right. Since Eldest Sister is here too, I''ll get someone to draft the divorce agreement today," Xu Lan said. Xu Ju looked at the Xia family members in a state of panic. She looked at the silent Xia Wen and said, "You''re the eldest son. Quick, advise your mother!" "I respect my mother''s decision," Xia Wen said. "Eldest Brother! How can you do this too!" Xia He looked at Xia Wen in disbelief. The more Qiao Mei thought about it, the more excited she became. She immediately said, "Oh my, there''s still the issue of the assets! We have to work out everything clearly!" "You wretched girl! How dare you eye your mother-in-law''s assets!" Xu Ju pointed at Qiao Mei and shouted. "That''s the Xia family''s money. I''m the third son''s wife, so our family surely has a share of the Xia family''s assets. I have to look out for my husband," Qiao Mei said with a smile. "I don''t want a single cent. I will leave with nothing," Xu Lan said. "You! You! All of you! You''re all crazy! All of you are crazy!" Xu Ju said as she looked at them in fear. Chapter 1684 Luxury Car Chapter 1684 Luxury Car Xu Lan could not get a divorce! The Xu family still needed the Xia family! The matter of the children going to school was a small issue. At most, Xu Jiao could just keep taking the test. She would eventually pass the entrance test one day. This was not something that was too difficult to achieve. However, if they lost the protection of the Xia family, they would not be able to survive for the rest of their lives! "Cough, cough... Well... your family has helped us a lot, so I can''t really ask for anything else. Xu Jiao can find a way to pass the test herself. Don''t let this matter affect the harmony in your family," Xu Ju said to Xu Lan with a smile. "Mom! What are you saying!" Xu Jiao said as she looked at Xu Ju anxiously. "Shut up! There''s no place for you to speak here! Get lost!" Xu Ju shouted sternly at Xu Jiao. Xu Jiao had never seen Xu Ju so strict with her before. She sobbed and ran out of the door. Qiao Mei gave Luo Yu a look and he immediately followed behind Xu Jiao to protect her. "Don''t be so strict with the child. What did she do wrong?" Xu Lan said as she looked at Xu Ju. "Is this true? He must have made use of the Xia family as a back door," Xu Ju asked. "If you don''t believe me, you can go to our workplace unit to check on it. Everyone knows about this matter and it will be published in the newspaper soon. You can investigate however you want," Xia Wen said impatiently. "I''m just kidding! Why are you so angry!" After saying that, Xu Ju looked at Xu Lan and said, "Since it''s Qiao Mei''s grandfather who handed over the seeds, why didn''t you get a few cars for the Xia family as well?" "What does the Qiao family have to do with our Xia family," Xu Lan said. "If there''s no Xia family! Where will her grandfather get the connections! Isn''t it only right to get a few cars for the Xia family?" Xu Ju shouted loudly, as if she was afraid that Qiao Mei could not hear her. Qiao Mei looked at Xu Ju teasingly and said, "Aunt, do you feel uncomfortable because your family doesn''t get anything? Then why don''t you go in and take a seat and get a feel of this car? After you''re done, how about writing a review about your experience?" "You! What nonsense are you talking about!" Xu Ju was so agitated by Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei did not care at all. She felt that shameless people like Xu Ju should get provoked a few more times. Otherwise, they would not know their place in this world! "Aunt knows very well whether I''m spouting nonsense or not. If you can ask for a car right after getting the recommendation letter, will you be asking for the Xia family''s house soon? My grandfather received this car through his own efforts and my father-in-law bought his house through his own hard work. Where do your family get your things from?" Qiao Mei questioned. Chapter 1685 Car License Plate Chapter 1685 Car License Plate Everything that the Xu family had was given to them by Xu Lan. Part of it could even be considered to be from the Xia family. The Xu family members did nothing to earn it. None of Xu Lan''s siblings were capable people and they only knew how to bully others. Their partners were also useless and it was good enough if they did not cause trouble for the Xu family. Xu Ju was rendered totally speechless. She left angrily with Xu Jiao and Xu Man without looking back. Before they left, Xu Man turned around and gave Qiao Mei a look. She would never forget that Qiao Mei had helped her today. If there was a chance in the future, she would definitely repay Qiao Mei. "Were all of you... acting just now?" Xia He stood behind them and asked. "Are you only getting it now!" Xia Wen said helplessly. "You''re the only one who believes that Mother wants to get a divorce. We don''t know how to hint to you. But then again, with you stopping her, it makes it more believable to Xu Ju that Mother really wants a divorce," Qiao Mei said. Xia He looked at them in frustration. Fortunately, it turned out to be a good ending so she did not want to pursue the matter anymore. "Give me a secret signal next time! You made me so worried for nothing!" Xia He said. "Fine, fine, fine. I''ll definitely give you a hand gesture next time!" Qiao Mei said with a smile. "Alright, when I return to the military family compound, I''ll ask him to teach me. Otherwise, if I need to use the car, I''ll still have to wait until he''s back. It''ll be a cold day in hell when he has some free time! It''s still most convenient for me to drive myself around," Qiao Mei said. "Alright, leave the car with me for a week. I''ll go and apply for a license plate for your car," Xia Wen said. "Can I choose my own license plate number?" Qiao Mei looked at Xia Wen excitedly. Xia Wen was stunned for a moment before saying, "Of course. Why are you so excited though?" In her other life, she had heard many people say that a nice license plate number was worth a lot of money! Moreover, the license plate number did not belong to a person forever. There was a certain time limit and after it expired, it would go up for bidding again. "Then can I choose to have five eights?" Qiao Mei probed. "Of course, but why do you like this number so much?" Xia Wen asked curiously. "All business people want their business to be smooth and prosperous. Eight is a good number! It means fortune!" Qiao Mei said. "Alright, then I''ll get them to give you this license plate number," Xia Wen said. "Can I get it on a permanent basis? I don''t want to have to change the license plate again in a few years," Qiao Mei said. "I''ll try my best," Xia Wen said. Chapter 1686 Married Well Chapter 1686 Married Well After they reached the courtyard house, Xia Wen played with the two children for a while before returning to work. Recently, they were busy with the foreign trade matters and his entire team had to keep working overtime. As the head of the team, he could not be too relaxed. Mo Zhu was also busy at work recently. He also wanted to send Mo Zhu home at night! After Qiao Mei chatted with Qiao Qiang for a while, she returned to the front yard. After thinking about it, she felt that there was no point for her to stay in the capital. The next morning, she asked the Xia family''s chauffeur to send her and the two children back to the military family compound. Now that she had a car, it was easier for her to come and go. She did not need to wait for the bus if she wanted to go back to the capital. "Oh my! What an imposing car! Whose car is it?" Liu Yun stood in front of the car and asked excitedly. As she spoke, she kept touching it. She liked it so much. "I saw Qiao Mei come back in this car just now! It probably belongs to their family!" Zhang Cai said. "Her husband is so capable! This is the first time I''ve seen such a nice car! If only that useless thing in my family can give me a car! I don''t even need such a car, just an old sedan will do! It''ll save me from having to take the bus every time I want to go to the county city. The bus is so crowded!" Liu Yun said with annoyance. "That''s so true! We''re not lucky and the men we married are so disappointing. Look at Qiao Mei''s husband! Sigh... When my husband comes back, I must nag him! Ask him to learn from Qiao Mei''s husband!" Zhang Cai said. If she explained it in too much detail, it would only arouse suspicion and make it seem like she was showing off. She just wanted to say something to dispel everyone''s doubts. Fortunately, Qiao Mei had gotten along quite well with everyone and they all believed what she said. In addition, she had helped Wang Nuo''s family for so long, so Liu Yun and the others had long accepted Qiao Mei to be one of them. "I never expected your grandfather to be so capable! How impressive!" Liu Yun said. "How good are those seeds? Can they grow towering trees out of them? How did he get the country to give him a car?" Zhang Cai questioned. "Hey! What do you mean by that! Don''t you believe Qiao Mei!" Liu Yun glared at Zhang Cai unhappily. Zhang Cai scratched her head in embarrassment and said, "That''s not what I mean! I''m just thinking maybe I can do something and get the country to send me a car too!" "Do you think it''s so easy to get a car! Don''t you know your own capability? We haven''t even gone to school much, so we don''t have that kind of skills! We should just stay at home and take care of our children!" Liu Yun said. Qiao Mei immediately stopped them and said, "Ladies, don''t argue. I''m just riding on my grandfather''s coattail. He''s already so old and can''t drive. That''s why he gave it to me. I have actually given you those seeds previously. You can go home and try planting them yourself!" Actually, the seeds which Qiao Mei gave them were the same seeds she gave to the Zhao Family Village back then. As long as Liu Yun and the others planted the seeds and she provided the saplings with some energy every day, the taste would naturally be the same as the seeds planted in the fields. Chapter 1687 Steamed Egg Chapter 1687 Steamed Egg "Is that so! Oh my! I must be too blind to see! I''ll go home and do farming now!" Zhang Cai quickly ran back home to plow the land and sow the seeds. When Qiao Mei first gave them the seeds, they were all quite skeptical. After all, every inch of land at home was very precious to them. The crops were meant to supplement their families'' needs. If the seeds Qiao Mei gave them turned out to be lousy seeds, then they would not have any additional food for the year! Their families would starve if they just depended on the men''s salary! Each of them had at least two children, and some families even had four to five children! Having girls was not that bad as they did not eat much. A family with many boys had it tough! The boys could finish one big pot of rice in one meal and they might not even be full yet! The only way out was to grow more food at home. Now that they knew that these seeds were the same batch as those being sent out for foreign trade, they would still plant them even if the seeds were lousy! It would still sound good when word got out! Those seeds must now be kept under lock and key by the country and not available in the market now. Qiao Mei had given them bragging rights by giving them those seeds. When they went out to visit their relatives, no one would dare to say anything bad about them! After dealing with these women, Qiao Mei was about to heave a sigh of relief when she turned around and saw Miao Le standing at the side with Zhuang Zhuang in her arms and looking at Qiao Mei eagerly. Qiao Mei pretended not to see them and was about to leave with the bucket when Miao Le blocked her way. When it was time for lunch, Qiao Mei was not very hungry. However, the two children needed to eat. Since Qiao Mei did not want to seem stingy, she had no choice but to make an extra portion for Zhuang Zhuang. The two children were still not old enough to be completely weaned from powdered milk, so she made some steamed egg. As for Zhuang Zhuang... he was older and should be able to eat a bowl of steamed egg on his own. Qiao Mei also made some mushy vegetables for him, wanting him to eat more. "Feed this to the child." Qiao Mei handed the steamed egg and mushy vegetables to Miao Le. Xia Fan and Xia Xing could eat on their own without help from the adults. Although they would end up getting food all over themselves, Qiao Mei was not too fussy about it. It was just a matter of washing clothes. She thought that it was better to start training the children early. Miao Le was so excited that she almost cried. She slowly fed the mushy vegetables to Zhuang Zhuang, who ate everything up enthusiastically. This was the first time Miao Le had seen him eat so happily. After he finished the mushy vegetables, Miao Le started eating the steamed egg herself. Qiao Mei was dumbfounded by what she saw through the glass pane. She finally knew why Zhuang Zhuang was still so skinny despite his age. With such an aunt, even an immortal would not be able to help Zhuang Zhuang gain weight. "You ate the steamed egg?" Qiao Mei could not help but ask. "Huh... Isn''t it for me?" Miao Le asked as she held the bowl. "Never mind..." Qiao Mei did not want to say anything else. Zhuang Zhuang was not her child and had nothing to do with her. He could stay hungry. Chapter 1688 Freeload a Meal Chapter 1688 Freeload a Meal The sky gradually darkened, but Miao Le still refused to leave Qiao Mei''s house. She still wanted to freeload another meal! Qiao Mei was not a fool. She knew what Miao Le was up to. Miao Le was still not as scheming as Qiao Yu! She did not know how Miao Le managed to go through life like this. Did her family not teach her anything? As it got later and later, Miao Le finally could not sit still anymore. If she waited any longer, her brother-in-law would probably come looking for her. If so, she would never be able to come to Qiao Mei''s house to freeload again. There was still a long time ahead. She could not throw away all those future delicious meals for this meal! "Sister-in-law, it''s getting late. I''ll go off with the child first!" Miao Le said reluctantly. "Alright, goodbye," Qiao Mei said coldly. As soon as Miao Le stepped out of Qiao Mei''s courtyard, Qiao Mei immediately put the meat she had prepared in advance into the pot. The fragrance of meat immediately wafted out from the kitchen and everyone could smell the fragrance of the food from her kitchen. Miao Le craved it so much that she could not even walk. She stood at the door and stared straight at Qiao Mei''s kitchen. The two of them were clearly about the same age, so how could Qiao Mei be so lucky to be able to marry such a good man? "Then just let her keep looking. Go into the room and take a rest. Let me show you what I can do!" Xia Zhe said proudly. Qiao Mei did not stop Xia Zhe. She must give him some opportunities to practice. When Miao Le saw how loving Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe were, she could not help but feel jealous. In the future, she must definitely find a man as good as Xia Zhe! She wondered if Xia Zhe had any brothers. If he did, maybe his brother could marry her. She fantasized about marrying into the Xia family as she walked away from Qiao Mei''s house. During dinner that night, Qiao Mei told Xia Zhe about the jeep parked at the door. "Eldest Brother is really amazing to be able to apply for a car!" Xia Zhe said in shock. When Xia Zhe was in the army base, his family members would not call him as and when they liked. As long as it was not a matter of life and death, they would not make calls to him. Qiao Mei told Xia Zhe all the gossip she heard so far and he had fun listening to her. The two of them chatted and laughed as they finished their dinner. "Teach me how to drive!" Qiao Mei said excitedly. "Drive? You''re sure?" Xia Zhe said with a slight frown. "Yes, I''m sure. Will you teach me or not~" Qiao Mei tugged at Xia Zhe''s sleeve and said coquettishly. Xia Zhe had no choice but to agree. He actually did not want Qiao Mei to drive, or rather, he did not want her to drive such a big jeep. It was really too dangerous. Chapter 1689 Child Car Seat Chapter 1689 Child Car Seat Furthermore, Qiao Mei was pregnant! However, since Xia Zhe had promised Qiao Mei, he would have to teach her. He could not casually impose his own thinking on Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei happily carried the two children and put them in the backseat. After thinking for a long time, she said, "If I''m going to drive, I''ll have to get child car seats for the two children." "Yes, we need to do that. I''ll give Eldest Brother a call later and ask him to buy it," Xia Zhe said. Child car seats were rare in this era, but they could still be bought. However, it would take some effort and connections to buy them. Sometimes, one might have to wait for up to half a month! "How can we trouble Eldest Brother over such a small thing?" Qiao Mei said, feeling a little embarrassed. It was one thing to trouble Eldest Brother in the capital, but now she even had to trouble him to buy the child car seats for her. Did she have to ask him for help with everything in the future? Xia He was like her diplomatic officer in the capital, and Xia Wen was like her family''s assistant who stayed in the capital to handle all kinds of matters. "It can''t be helped. He has so many friends! By the way, how far has it progressed for Eldest Brother and the Mo family?" Xia Zhe said with a smile. "Zhu Zi, can you drive me and the children back to the capital?" Qiao Mei asked. "No problem!" Zhu Zi said. They were all soldiers who had undergone strict training. They could even operate tanks and fly planes, let alone drive a car! Zhu Zi was a steady driver and they reached the capital very quickly. When Qiao Mei carried Xia Fan and Xia Xing into Xu Lan''s house, Xu Lan widened her eyes and thought that she was imagining things. "Why are you back? Didn''t you just go over there? Did Xia Zhe bully you?" Xu Lan asked. "No! It''s just that I want to ask Eldest Brother for help with something," Qiao Mei said as she looked at Xia Wen, who was sitting at the side. Xia Wen said in a knowing manner, "Is it about child car seats?" "Eldest Brother, how do you know?" Qiao Mei asked Xia Wen in shock. "I''ve already thought about this issue. It''s just that I didn''t expect you to want to drive. Still, no matter what, the children will definitely have to sit in the car at some point. So when I went on a business trip last month, I had already asked my friend to help me buy two child car seats and told him to bring them back with him on his flight," Xia Wen said. "Eldest Brother is so thoughtful! I didn''t even think about these things," Qiao Mei said. "Stay in the capital for a few days. The child car seats will be here the day after tomorrow. You can go back after the license plate and the car seats are installed," Xia Wen instructed. Chapter 1690 Uninvited Guest Chapter 1690 Uninvited Guest "Um... Eldest Brother, I have something else to trouble you," Qiao Mei said embarrassedly. "There''s no need to stand on ceremony with me. Just say it," Xia Wen said. "Since I still have to stay in the capital for a few more days and have nothing to do, can you find someone to teach me how to drive? I want to learn how to drive as soon as possible," Qiao Mei said. Qiao Mei needed an excuse and a way to cover up the fact that she already knew how to drive. Besides, she really wanted to be able to drive around as soon as possible. That would be so convenient. It would not be like now, when she would have to find all kinds of reasons to get help if she wanted to go out. "Sure, but can''t you just ask Chi Ze or one of the guys? Didn''t they used to be drivers in the army? He may even have been the team leader!" Xia Wen said. Qiao Mei slapped her thigh and said, "That''s right! How could I have forgotten about this!" It seemed to be true that women developed brain fog after pregnancy. Back then, Xia Zhe had asked Chi Ze to come to the capital to work because Chi Ze knew how to drive. Even without Chi Ze, both Da Zhuang and Xiao Zhuang stationed at her house were members of the guard team. All the members of the guard team knew how to drive. She could just ask any one of them to teach her! After having a meal with Xu Lan and the others, Qiao Mei handed the children over to Xu Lan. She wanted to learn how to drive as soon as possible in the next few days and she could not bring them along. Now that Xu Lan was the only one at home and Luo Yu was around to stand guard, there should not be any problems. However, this modus operandi seemed to fit He Ning''s style. He Ning had been active in the capital for so many years and it was not for nothing. Sooner or later, Xia Mao and Xia Xiu would find the evidence to bring He Ning to justice. "Oh? Don''t tell me you know?" Qiao Mei asked. "I do. I have come here today especially to tell you," He Ning said firmly. "Then tell me, who is the real mastermind?" Qiao Mei asked curiously. "I can''t tell you here. Let me in and I''ll tell you," He Ning said. Qiao Mei noted the way He Ning kept her in suspense and decided not to argue with him. She would let him take a seat inside. As soon as He Ning entered, he was attracted by the plants, furnishings and antique calligraphy and paintings in the house. Back then, when he arranged for someone to investigate the secret stash of items underneath this house, the courtyard still looked a little rundown. He did not expect Qiao Mei to have done it up so nicely. "Where did you get all these things?" He Ning asked. "They''re all from Antique City. If you don''t believe me, I can show you all the receipts. Everything is stamped! It''s all written in black and white and there''s no hanky panky!" Qiao Mei emphasized. Qiao Mei had not forgotten how He Ning had caused her house to need extensive repairs! Chapter 1691 I Have Evidence Chapter 1691 I Have Evidence "Well... I think this place looks good. Both the layout and fitout are quite nice, so I want to use your place as a reference. I''ll get my staff to help me renovate my house in the same way," He Ning praised. "Well, it''s all thanks to you. It''s because of you that we are able to renovate so extensively. Speaking of this, I really have to thank you!" Qiao Mei said coldly. He Ning smiled awkwardly. If he had known that Qiao Mei''s culinary skills were so good back then, he definitely would not have attacked the Xia family so blatantly. In Qiao Mei''s eyes right now, there was nothing good about him at all. He must quickly find ways to make Qiao Mei like him more. Otherwise, when He Mei''s baby was born in a few months'' time, Qiao Mei would definitely vent all her anger on him. At that time, he would not be able to get her to be his chef! "I have ordered a pair of gold locks for your two children. Consider it my first-meeting gift to them," He Ning said as he took out two necklaces with gold lock pendants from his pocket. "Then I''ll thank you on their behalf." Qiao Mei quickly took the gold locks from He Ning. It would be a waste not to take something for free. Since He Ning was so stupid and rich, she would accept the gift. He Ning sat quietly in the living room and looked at Qiao Mei. He did not speak or move and just sat there motionlessly. "Don''t you have something to say to me? You can start," Qiao Mei said. "There''s no hurry. Isn''t it dinner time now? Let''s have dinner together!" He Ning said with a smile. "Hmph, you wish. You should leave my house and stop bothering me," Qiao Mei said impatiently. He Ning quickly said, "Fine, fine, fine. One bottle will do." "If you have something to say, then say it quickly. If the information you give me is not worth this bottle of medicinal wine, I won''t give it to you. Just spit it out!" Qiao Mei said sternly. "I have evidence about Du Huai''s crime and how he set up the kidnapping of your two children," He Ning said. Qiao Mei looked at He Ning''s face suspiciously. Xia Mao had found some clues related to Du Huai, but Du Huai was a very meticulous person. His style of doing things was similar to He Ning. The Xia family could only find out that this matter was related to the Du family and the biggest suspect was Du Miao, but there was nothing to suggest that Du Huai was involved. "Are you telling the truth?" Qiao Mei asked. "Of course I''m telling the truth. I can also let you take down Du Huai in one fell swoop and successfully eliminate Du Huai and his subordinates," He Ning said. "How can I believe what you say is true?" Qiao Mei continued to ask. "It''s not difficult. Just hand over these documents to Xia Wen and tell him what I just said. I believe they will definitely know if I''m telling the truth," He Ning said. Qiao Mei took the documents. The file was heavy and there seemed to be a lot of information inside! It must have taken a long time to gather all this evidence. Could it be that He Ning had already long set his sights on Du Huai? While Qiao Mei was still thinking about the authenticity and credibility of the documents, He Ning was already thinking about what he wanted to ask Qiao Mei to cook for him tonight. Chapter 1692 Waste of Talent Chapter 1692 Waste of Talent If Qiao Mei knew what He Ning was thinking, she would have chased him out of the house with a big stick. "How about it? Surely you don''t think you have the shorter end of the stick?" He Ning asked. "Who knows? For us to be able to pry such a good thing out of your mouth, we may have to pay a huge price in the future," Qiao Mei said mockingly. "How can that be? When have I ever made huge demands from you? Instead, you''re the one who has asked me for a lot time and time again," He Ning said. You deserve it! Qiao Mei had already scolded He Ning thousands of times in her heart. If He Ning had not started a fight and gone against the Xia family, her family would have had a lot less trouble and would have 30% less issues to deal with every year. The things she took from He Ning were all her entitlements and she did not take anything from the He family that she did not deserve. She even felt that she had taken too little from him! Although Qiao Mei paid them a salary every month, it did not change the fact that this would affect their career path. "Da Zhuang, do you want to return to the guard team?" Qiao Mei asked. Da Zhuang was so shocked that he quickly said, "Sister-in-law! Do you think I haven''t done enough? I''ll do better! I can improve!" "No, no! You''re both very good! I just feel that it''s a waste of talent for the two of you to stay here and protect us," Qiao Mei said. "That''s not true! Sister-in-law, you don''t know it but you''ve already helped Xiao Zhuang and me a lot," Da Zhuang said gratefully. Da Zhuang and Xiao Zhuang were brothers and the two of them joined the guard team together. They left their mother and younger sister behind in their hometown. The two of them came to work in the capital and their younger sister stayed at home to take care of their mother. Their younger sister had long reached the age where she should get married, but their mother was seriously ill and bedridden, so no family wanted their sister as a daughter-in-law. If Qiao Mei had not chosen them to protect her family in the courtyard house, they would not have received a salary that was several times higher than what they used to get. Moreover, Qiao Mei had even allocated them a place to stay. Although they had to pay rent, it still helped them a lot! They had already brought their mother and younger sister to live in the capital and their family was finally reunited. Moreover, the doctors in the capital''s hospital were highly skilled and their mother was feeling much better. Their younger sister had also found a partner recently. They heard that the young man came from a good family and the couple would be getting married soon. If not for Qiao Mei, their family would still be in dire straits! It was all thanks to Qiao Mei that their family had what they had today! Chapter 1693 Learn to Drive Chapter 1693 Learn to Drive "I''m so sorry. It''s all my fault. I didn''t ask more about your family situation. If I had known earlier, Auntie would have received better treatment and might have recovered earlier. Is Auntie doing well now?" Qiao Mei asked worriedly. Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m "Yes! She''s doing very well! Previously, she could only lie in bed all day and my sister had to wait upon her hand and foot. Now, she can even go out for walks! She can basically take care of herself now. Everything''s good!" Da Zhuang said happily. "I still have some lingzhi here. It''s very beneficial to your mother''s health. I picked these in our village back then. Bring them back for Auntie to eat," Qiao Mei said as she took out some lingzhi from the cabinet. "No! Sister-in-law! This won''t do! This is against the rules!" Da Zhuang quickly said. "We''re all a family. Since you address me as sister-in-law, then you and Xiao Zhuang are like family to me. You always do your best to protect my grandfather, mother and my younger siblings, so I also have to protect your mother and younger sister," Qiao Mei said. Da Zhuang was so touched that tears welled up in his eyes. He took the lingzhi from Qiao Mei''s hand solemnly and said, "Thank you, Sister-in-law." "Actually, I have something else to ask of you today." Before Qiao Mei could finish speaking, Da Zhuang immediately shouted, "Sister-in-law, just tell me what you want me to do! Anything you say! I''ll definitely do it!" "Step on the clutch, change gears, gently step on the accelerator, then slowly drive forward. This is how you start..." Da Zhuang rambled on for about two hours, teaching Qiao Mei almost all his knowledge and skills. It was not so much teaching Qiao Mei how to drive as doing a demonstration for her, just like how he used to learn in the army. "Can I give it a try?" Qiao Mei said. "Do you already know how to do it?" Da Zhuang looked at Qiao Mei in disbelief. "If we don''t try, we''ll never know. Just supervise me from the front passenger seat. Nothing will happen," Qiao Mei said. Da Zhuang sat nervously in the front passenger seat and gripped the handbrake tightly. As soon as Qiao Mei did anything wrong, he would immediately pull the handbrake. At this moment, he felt as if he was going to face death bravely. It was like he was not holding the handbrake in his hand, but the fuse of a grenade that would explode if he loosened his grip. "Don''t be nervous." Qiao Mei looked at Da Zhuang and comforted him. "I''m not nervous... For sure, I''m not nervous... Sister-in-law, go ahead and drive! Remember what I just said!" Da Zhuang said cautiously. Qiao Mei started slowly at first and pretended not to know anything, then she made it look like she began to catch on. By the end, she could even drift! "Sister-in-law, you''re really too smart! It''s such a pity that you''re not a soldier!" Da Zhuang lamented. Chapter 1694 Mad Dog Chapter 1694 Mad Dog Qiao Mei''s sense of coordination and intelligence level were out of many people''s league. She was thousands of times better than some of the soldiers he knew. Then again, there were also benefits to not being a soldier. After learning how to drive, Qiao Mei drove around to explore the capital. She even went to pick Xia He up from work! "Xia He, why are you in such a hurry to leave? Are you going on a date with a man?" Li Hua said sarcastically. Ever since Xia He got married, she looked rosy and radiant every day. It was as if she had reverted to being 18 years old. The rest had been colleagues with Deng Fan before and everyone knew what a nice person he was. He was handsome, had a good family background, had a good personality and was also a gentleman. Most importantly, he was a very motivated person! This was the rare part! In the past, Xia He looked very haggard every day and seemed to have aged a lot. Now, she looked like a completely different person! Ever since that musical performance, Xia He had become famous overnight. Many people lined up at the entrance of the art troupe just to catch a glimpse of her. For performers like them, their "flowering period" was very short , usually between the ages of 15 to 25. Once they became older, it would become difficult for them to gain fame. No one expected Xia He to be so well-liked even though she was in her 30s. "It''s a woman driving such a nice car! This is the first time I''ve seen a woman drive!" "What exactly is their relationship? They look like sisters. The woman in the car is so beautiful, even more beautiful than Xia He." "Look at that car. I hear from my relatives that there are only 10 such cars in the country! It''s exactly the same as the country leader''s car! She''s probably not someone ordinary!" Everyone discussed animatedly, all of them curious about Qiao Mei''s identity. Some people said that Qiao Mei was the daughter of some prominent family in the capital, while others guessed that Qiao Mei was the wife of some official. There were many different opinions, but no conclusion. "It must be some official''s mistress! She''s so good-looking, she must be a kept woman!" Li Hua said as she looked at Qiao Mei with a lot of jealousy. "Do you use your brain before you talk? Why does every person look sleazy in your eyes? Open your useless eyes and take a good look! That person is Xia He''s sister-in-law," Bai Dian explained resignedly. "Sister-in-law! What does her sister-in-law do! She can actually drive such a nice car!" a woman behind Bai Dian said in surprise. "Hmph. If you ask me, it must be her husband who''s capable," Li Hua said with jealousy. Bai Dian rolled her eyes at Li Hua and said, "Her sister-in-law is the director of the Osmanthus Food Factory. Recently, she collaborated with the country and accepted a large field for planting test crops. She is bringing glory to the country, but what about you? What have you done with your life?" Li Hua was so angry that she did not say a word. Her husband was a good-for-nothing! It was already good enough that he did not use her salary to go and gamble! What could they have done! Chapter 1695 Break His Legs Chapter 1695 Break His Legs "I''m here to send you home. Isn''t this such a nice surprise?" Qiao Mei looked at Xia He and said with a smile. "When did you learn to drive? Xia Zhe is at ease with letting you drive such a big car alone? Where did you get this car? When did you come back, why didn''t I know?" Xia He had many questions for Qiao Mei. During this period of time, she had been busy with the art troupe''s next performance. She also had to guide the newbies who just joined the art troupe. From time to time, Xia He also had to go to the factory to help Qian''e deal with all those messy matters at the factory. She was so busy that she did not have time to go back to Xu Lan''s place, so she did not know much about Qiao Mei''s recent news. "Get in the car first. I''ll tell you on the way," Qiao Mei said as she patted the front passenger seat. Xia He got into the front passenger seat nervously and buckled her seatbelt properly. She gripped the part of the seatbelt in front of her chest tightly and did not even dare to breathe loudly. "Go... go ahead and drive!" Xia He said cautiously. Qiao Mei drove off skillfully. It took a long time before Xia He realized that Qiao Mei really knew how to drive and was not joking with her. She only managed to relax then. Xia He pondered for a moment and said, "Can it be that... she has taken a fancy to my younger brother?" "You may be right. I''ve been observing her recently. She does secretly look at Xia Zhe for a long time, but Xia Zhe seems to despise her," Qiao Mei said with a smile. Even now, she could still remember Xia Zhe''s sullen face. Whenever he saw Miao Le, he would look unhappy. He found her to be very annoying. Every time he went home with an intention to get intimate with Qiao Mei, Miao Le was always there, giving him no choice but to suppress his longing. "My younger brother definitely won''t do those messy things. If Xia Zhe really doesn''t know what''s good for him and does such a heartless thing, I''ll break his legs! I''ll make him stay in bed for the rest of his life! I''ll chop him up! I''ll make him a eunuch!" Xia He said fiercely. Qiao Mei could instantly feel goosebumps rising on her arms. Xia He was really capable of doing such a thing. It did not take long for them to reach Xu Lan''s house. Qiao Mei skillfully reversed the car into the garage. The people at the guard post were dumbfounded. A few days ago, she still needed a chauffeur to drive her back, but she could actually drive herself around now. Furthermore, she was as skilled as those of them who had been driving for more than 10 years. It was unbelievable. "Mei Mei! You''re finally back! You don''t know how worrisome Xia Fan is! He cries every night! I have no choice but to wrap him in your clothes so that he feels better," Xu Lan said wearily. This was also the first time Qiao Mei had encountered such a problem. In the past, Xia Fan and Xia Xing were not very clingy. They had never pinned for Feng Hua during the time when Feng Hua took care of them. Could it be that it was because she had been taking care of the children on her own during this period of time, so the children had developed some form of dependency on her? "It''s been hard on you, Mother. I''ll take a look at the children first." Qiao Mei first went to the bathroom to wash and disinfect her hands before going to the children''s room. Chapter 1696 The Children’s Car Seats Chapter 1696 The Children''s Car Seats Xia Xing did not cry or make a fuss and just played happily with her toys. Xia Fan was totally different. His eyes were all swollen from crying. After Qiao Mei coaxed Xia Xing to sleep, she walked out of the room quietly. It seemed that she had to pay more attention to how much the children relied on her. Otherwise, Xia Fan would go blind from crying. "Mei Mei, have you gone to look for your aunt after you come back?" Xu Lan asked. "I haven''t had time yet," Qiao Mei replied. "You need to go for a checkup to take a look at the baby from time to time. This is what your aunt told me. You must remember to go!" Xu Lan said. "Alright, I understand. I''ll go when I''m free!" Qiao Mei said with a smile. Xia Wen got off from work early today and even brought back two child car seats. Today, the chauffeur had to send Xia Mao to a meeting and did not have time to pick Xia Wen up. He took the bus back alone and was totally exhausted when he reached the bus stop because of all the bags he was carrying. "I''m back... Is there anyone who can come and help me..." Xia Wen said while panting. After the family had their meal, Qiao Mei brought the two children back to the courtyard house. Early the next morning, she set off for the military family compound. Xia Zhe had already been gone for three or four days. If she had to take time out to go for the pregnancy checkup, she would miss Xia Zhe''s arrival home. Anyway, she could drive now, so she could go for the pregnancy checkup anytime. At the family compound, Qiao Mei got out from the driver''s seat under everyone''s watchful eyes. All the women looked at Qiao Mei in surprise. They definitely did not expect her to be able to drive after just a few days. "Sister! You''re too amazing! You even know how to drive such a big car!" Liu Yun said as she looked at Qiao Mei excitedly. "I only just learned how to drive," Qiao Mei said as she scratched her head in embarrassment. "No need to be so humble! You''re so amazing! We all think so! Go back into the house! It''s getting windy, don''t let the children catch a cold!" Liu Yun said immediately. Qiao Mei first placed Xia Fan and Xia Xing on the brick bed. Then, she carried the things she brought back from the capital into the house bit by bit, including the things she brought back for the neighbors. After Qiao Mei entered the house, the other women gathered outside and talked about her. "Since Qiao Mei can drive now, maybe she can give us a ride to the county city!" "That''s right! This way, I won''t have to squeeze on that lousy shuttle bus every day!" "That''s great! I must get along well with Qiao Mei in the future. Then she can also bring me along!" These women were usually not very nice to Qiao Mei, but now that they saw Qiao Mei doing well for herself, they all wanted to come and take advantage of her! Liu Yun was so angry that she threw a basin of dirty water at them. Chapter 1697 She Is My Sister Chapter 1697 She Is My Sister "Hey! Liu Yun! What are you doing! Don''t you have eyes! Can''t you see that there are people here!" Lu Lin shouted at Liu Yun on behalf of the other women. "People? What people! I only see a bunch of beasts! You''re worse than pigs and dogs! Don''t gossip outside my house! Get lost! You''re such an eyesore!" Liu Yun said furiously. These few women lived on the higher floors of the apartment building and did not like women like Liu Yun, who were from the countryside. They had been at loggerheads for a long time. Wang Nuo and Zhang Cai ran out when they heard the commotion. Seeing that Liu Yun was being bullied, they also stood up for her. "Why are all of you howling here! Do you think this is your territory and you can behave atrociously here!" Zhang Cai questioned. "Why are you so arrogant! It''s not like it''s your family who has a car! We didn''t say anything about you! What has it got to do with you!" Lu Lin roared. "You''re standing outside my door and what you say makes me feel disgusted! I just want to teach all you ignorant things a lesson!" Liu Yun said domineeringly. "I didn''t expect you to keep us in mind even when you go home! This fabric is really beautiful!" Wang Nuo said embarrassedly. "I know that all of you are very nice to me," Qiao Mei said seriously. "You''re younger than us and we''re all neighbors. It''s only right that we take good care of you!" Liu Yun said happily. "Ladies, come and pick the one you want. Sister-in-law Liu, look at this blue fabric. It''s suitable to make clothes for your child! Sister-in-law Wang, look at this military green color. It''s just right for your second son! I remember that Sister-in-law Zhang''s daughter likes pink the most. This fabric is so nice!" Qiao Mei said. The women chattered away and began to discuss the style and style of the clothes. There was no end to the discussion. Since they were people who came from poor backgrounds, they knew how to make clothes, but only knew basic sewing and mending. They did not know how to make clothes that looked good. "Sigh... My daughter doesn''t like me making clothes for her! She says that the clothes I make are too ugly," Zhang Cai said dejectedly as she held up the fabric. "Fortunately, I have a son who''s not very picky about such things," Liu Yun said. "He hasn''t reached that age yet! My eldest son cares very much about his image now! He even tells me what he wants me to buy... something called a Breton top! I don''t even know what that is!" Wang Nuo said helplessly. "Oh my! I heard my daughter mention it once! It''s very expensive! One top costs more than 100 dollars!" Zhang Cai said. "Is that so! It''s so expensive! What kind of clothing costs so much! I can''t buy it for them!" Wang Nuo said quickly. Chapter 1698 Life Is Unpredictable Chapter 1698 Life Is Unpredictable Qiao Mei had heard of that before. When Zhang Wei returned home, he had mentioned it to Li Gui a few times. Li Gui had bought one piece each for all the four children and it was indeed not cheap. Ordinary families would not be able to afford it. She was one of those who could afford it. If everyone continued to get along well with her in the future, it was not too difficult a matter for her to give their sons one piece each. "Sister, don''t take what those b*tches said to heart. Nothing nice comes out of their mouths! They''re ignorant people who just want to bully us! Don''t lower yourself to their level," Wang Nuo said. "I know. Ladies, don''t be angry as well. What I said just now was just to make them angry. Don''t take it to heart. I know you have my best interests at heart," Qiao Mei said with a smile. Qiao Mei could not wait for Lu Lin to go around and publicize everything she said today. This way, she would not have to worry about others trying to hitch a ride with her since they would think that she was a money-grubber. "We know it of course! We remember your kindness to us! In our hearts, you''re already one of us. We''re all family!" Liu Yun said agitatedly. "That''s right!" Wang Nuo and Zhang Cai echoed. However, Xia Zhe did not return even after midnight. The other people with him also did not come back. Qiao Mei really could not wait any longer and made a call to Zhao Wu. "Hello, I''m Qiao Mei, Comrade Xia Zhe''s wife. Is it alright if I want to talk to Comrade Zhao Wu?" Qiao Mei said. Family members living in the military family compound were allowed to make phone calls to the army camp. This was a right granted to them, but only a few families received the approval to install telephones in their homes so that they could contact the army base directly in case of emergencies. "Hello, comrade. I''m the operator. I''ll get someone to call Comrade Zhao Wu to come to the phone. Wait a moment." After saying that, the operator made arrangements for someone to go and look for Zhao Wu. Not long after, Zhao Wu ran over. He picked up the phone while still panting and said, "Hello? Sister-in-law? Why are you looking for me?" "I just want to ask if Xia Zhe is back? I remember that today is the day he comes home. Why isn''t he back yet?" Qiao Mei asked worriedly. In the past, whatever information Xia Zhe gave Qiao Mei was usually accurate and did not deviate too much. This was the first time something like today had happened. "They''re not back yet. Sister-in-law, you should go and take a rest first. I talked to them on the phone yesterday. Xia Zhe is fine. Perhaps the mountain road is not easy to walk at night, so they need more time. Don''t worry. If he doesn''t make it back tonight, we will definitely get some news tomorrow!" Zhao Wu said. "Alright, I''ll wait a little longer." Qiao Mei hung up after saying that. Chapter 1699 Injured Chapter 1699 Injured For some reason, Qiao Mei suddenly felt a little flustered. She had never felt this way before. She quickly called Xu Lan, Xia He, Qiao Qiang, Li Gui and Qian''e to confirm that they were all fine before she felt more at ease. She thought that perhaps she was just overthinking... Qiao Mei tried to console herself. After finishing her meal alone, she put the food into the fridge and hugged the two children to sleep. When it was almost dawn, Qiao Mei suddenly caught a whiff of a strong scent of blood. She looked up and saw Xia Zhe quietly opening the door and entering the house. "Did I open the door too loudly? I didn''t expect to wake you up," Xia Zhe said as he scratched his head in embarrassment. "Are you injured?" Qiao Mei asked with a frown. "I''m not. I''m covered in the blood of my comrades," Xia Zhe said vaguely. She reached out to touch Xia Zhe''s wound and the butterfly mark on her chest warmed slightly. Qiao Mei could see inside Xia Zhe''s body. Xia Zhe was in combat often and had many old injuries in his body. There was still a lot of shrapnel left in his body. During those critical moments, the field doctors could only stop the bleeding first and try their best to remove as much shrapnel as they could. By the time he returned from the mission, his wounds were all almost healed. Taking out the remaining shrapnel would mean cutting open his flesh again. He did not want to have to go through it, so he just kept the shrapnel inside his body. Qiao Mei gently ground a vine seed with her fingers and quietly urged it to grow, letting the vine burrow into Xia Zhe''s body through the wound and get closer to the shrapnel. "Hiss..." Xia Zhe gasped in pain. "Bear with it for a while. I''m disinfecting the wound and it will hurt. You still have a lot of loose bullet particles that haven''t been cleaned up," Qiao Mei said. Xia Zhe casually grabbed a piece of clothing from the side and bit onto it, enduring the intense pain. The pain caused by Qiao Mei''s treatment was still far less painful than what he suffered on the battlefield. He could endure it. Qiao Mei finally touched the first piece of shrapnel. She slowly pulled it out while trying to keep it as painless for Xia Zhe as possible. First it was one piece, then two pieces. By the time the third piece was taken out, both Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei were already sweating profusely. There were still two pieces of shrapnel located very far away. If she forcefully pulled them out, it would hurt Xia Zhe''s internal organs. It was better to wait for another chance. Qiao Mei cleaned up the shotgun particles on Xia Zhe''s back and squeezed out the pus from the wounds that had not healed properly. After she was done, she poured ginseng juice over all the wounds in one go. In the blink of an eye, Xia Zhe''s wounds had completely healed and looked no different from an old injury. Chapter 1700 Taking Advantage Chapter 1700 Taking Advantage Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe''s back blankly for a while before she stammered, "Um... I think I went a little overboard. The wounds have all healed. How can you explain it to the military doctors tomorrow?" "It''s fine. I''ll just ask the military doctors to give me the medicine. I''ll say that you can change my dressing every day as I don''t want to travel back and forth. This way, there won''t be any issue and they won''t know about this," Xia Zhe said with a smile. Qiao Mei touched the scars on Xia Zhe''s body gently with her fingertips. Some were shallow while others were deep. These scars were all Xia Zhe''s merit medals and each scar represented the battles he had fought in the past. For a moment, Qiao Mei felt a little anxious and worried. Could she save Xia Zhe like this for the rest of her life? It was just like the last time when she faced Xia Mao. At that time, Xia Mao was lucky that they could get to his side during the critical period for treatment. If Xia Zhe faced a life-and-death situation in the future, would she still be able to appear by his side when needed? Every time she thought about this, she felt as if a huge rock was pressing down on her heart, making her unable to breathe. If she had all this energy inside her body, but was unable to protect the people she cherished, then she might as well not have the ability. "What are you thinking about? You silly thing," Xia Zhe noticed Qiao Mei''s emotions and asked softly as he hugged her dotingly. When Qiao Mei saw that Xia Zhe was fast asleep, she cooked for the two babies and ensured that they ate their fill. Only then did she feel at ease enough to go out to buy the bricks and fencing she needed to build a pigsty. Miao Le did not manage to wake up early this morning. By the time she rushed over to Qiao Mei''s house with Zhuang Zhuang in her arms, she saw Qiao Mei driving away in the car. Liu Yun was washing the dishes in her courtyard. She looked at Miao Le''s dejected stance and said, "Miao Le, why are you here so early in the day?" "I''m just here to visit Sister Qiao Mei... Who would have thought that she would go out so early to avoid me," Miao Le complained unhappily. Liu Yun did not reply. She was definitely on Qiao Mei''s side. Qiao Mei was really pitiful. She had not even been here long but she had already met so many people who wanted to suck her blood dry. The worst thing was that she could not even chase them away! "If I''m Qiao Mei, I will go out early every morning too! Otherwise, who knows who will come to her house every day even though it''s not the festive season or any special occasion like a birthday. Such people might be more hardworking than mourners at a funeral! When these people come for a visit, they don''t even bring a gift with them. Those who don''t know better would think that these people are here to take advantage of her! Don''t you think so, Sister Miao Le," Wang Nuo looked at Miao Le and said sarcastically. "I don''t come over every day..." Miao Le whispered awkwardly. "Miao Le, don''t take it to heart. She''s just passing a casual remark. She''s not talking about you!" Liu Yun smiled and chimed in. "That''s right. I''m just rattling off. I''m just like this. I say whatever I think of. Don''t read too much into it!" Wang Nuo said. Chapter 1701 Irreconcilable Chapter 1701 Irreconcilable Just like that, Liu Yun and Wang Nuo bantered with each other. Miao Le was so embarrassed that she could not even raise her head. She carried the child and ran home. No one knew what she might say to the neighbors when she returned to the apartment building! Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m "Look at her! How shameless! She can''t take good care of the child and wants to palm the work off to someone else! The child was originally so chubby but look at his size now!" Wang Nuo said angrily. "Enough! You should calm down. This is that child''s fate. We can''t even take good care of ourselves, how can we have the energy to take care of other people''s children?" Liu Yun said with a deep sigh. "I heard from Qiao Mei that some time ago, she made mushy vegetables and a bowl of steamed egg for Zhuang Zhuang every day. Guess what happened in the end! Miao Le ate all the steamed egg and only gave Zhuang Zhuang the mushy vegetables! Do you think this is something a human being should do?" Wang Nuo said. "Really? No wonder Zhuang Zhuang doesn''t gain weight no matter what he eats. When Zhuang Zhuang was six months old, Miao Le even asked Rong Xiao to take care of the child. Rong Xiao fattened Zhuang Zhuang up after one month. After he was sent back to Miao Le, the child became so skinny again!" Liu Yun said resentfully. Rong Xiao could be considered one of the few righteous people who lived in the apartment building. She and her husband were very nice people with very straightforward personalities and she liked to interact with Liu Yun and the rest. Sometimes, Liu Yun and the rest would also give Rong Xiao some fresh vegetables which they grew themselves. These few women got along very well. "It''s fine, ladies. I don''t care what they say about me," Qiao Mei said. "Yes! That''s how you should think! I''m still worried that you will be too kind-hearted because you feel sorry for that child," Wang Nuo said. Qiao Mei looked sad as she said, "Sigh... that child''s situation is indeed heartbreaking. I''m also a mother and can''t bear to see children suffer, but I only have enough to feed my own children and I don''t have the extra capacity to take care of other people''s children." While everyone was chatting, the people from the county city came to deliver the goods. Three men came and unloaded a load of bricks. The shop even gave her a lot of tiles for free! "Qiao Mei, did you buy all these? Are you going to rebuild the house?" Liu Yun asked curiously. "I think it''s a pity that the backyard is so empty. Our family can''t eat that much vegetables, so I want to build a pigsty," Qiao Mei said truthfully. "What? You want to build a pigsty yourself? Do you know how to build one?" Wang Nuo asked Qiao Mei in surprise. "Of course I do! I''m from the countryside! Have you forgotten!" Qiao Mei said with a smile. Chapter 1702 Building a Pigsty Chapter 1702 Building a Pigsty Qiao Mei was beautiful and always dressed well, so everyone always forgot that Qiao Mei was actually a girl from the countryside. The thing was that when it came to building a pigsty, even women like them, who came from the countryside and were familiar with farm work, might not necessarily be able to do it. Building a pigsty was a tedious job. It involved the laying of sewer pipes, the construction of the pig trough and the reconnection of the water pipes. These were not things that just anyone could do, even among the men. Everyone thought that Qiao Mei was joking. They did not expect to really see Qiao Mei rolling up her sleeves and working in the backyard in the afternoon. "Oh my goodness... Qiao Mei is too capable..." Liu Yun sighed. "It''s really rare to see such a good wife. That Xia kid is so lucky," Wang Nuo said. "At first, I thought that Qiao Mei married well, but now it seems that it''s that kid who has a good eye! Such a capable woman will do well no matter which family she marries into!" Zhang Cai said solemnly. Everyone had an even better impression of Qiao Mei by now. They now firmly believed that Qiao Mei was from the countryside and was one of them! "Can''t it be that I have nothing to do? Besides, these chores aren''t too dangerous. Since you''re here, help me build the roof for the pigsty. I dare not climb up for fear of falling down," Qiao Mei said. Xia Zhe reached out and poked Qiao Mei''s forehead as he said disdainfully, "So you know how dangerous it is! I thought you don''t know anything and only know how to act recklessly!" "Of course I know it''s dangerous~ I also know that my husband can help me settle such things!" Qiao Mei held Xia Zhe''s hand and said coquettishly. Xia Zhe was defenseless whenever Qiao Mei acted this way. As long as Qiao Mei gave him this look, he would forget all about his principles. Even if she wanted someone''s life, perhaps he would only hesitate for a moment before thinking of a way to fulfill her wish. Then again, Qiao Mei was not a vixen who harmed others. She still had morals. Xia Zhe rolled up his sleeves and started to build the roof. As soon as he climbed up, he came back down again. He looked at Qiao Mei hesitantly and said, "Why don''t I do this after a few days? Aren''t I still ''injured'' at the moment?" "Oh my! How can I have forgotten about this! Then don''t worry about it. Go back into the house!" Qiao Mei made a big show of helping Xia Zhe back into the house. Liu Yun looked at the couple curiously. Xia Zhe was fine just now, so why did he start limping in the blink of an eye? "Qiao Mei! Is your husband alright! I have medicine for bruises and injuries at home! Do you need it!" Liu Yun shouted towards Qiao Mei''s courtyard. Chapter 1703 Man of Few Words Chapter 1703 Man of Few Words "It''s fine, Sister-in-law. He came back yesterday with some superficial injuries. It''s not a big deal, he just needs to rest well. Just now, he insisted on helping me with the fence and accidentally tore his wound," Qiao Mei said as she ran out. "Then he has to be careful! It takes 100 days to recover from a serious injury! Be more careful! You have to be careful too. Your stomach is already so big, yet you''re still doing farm work! It''s not easy to build the roof of the pigsty. When my husband comes back later, we''ll come over and help you!" Liu Yun said. "Really? I''m surprised he knows how to build the roof of a pigsty," Qiao Mei said to Liu Yun in surprise. Liu Yun patted her chest confidently and said, "Of course! My husband is very capable! He knows everything! Just wait! When he comes back, I''ll bring him over to your house!" "Sure! Then I''ll make a few more dishes tonight! Have dinner at my house tonight!" Qiao Mei said happily. Qiao Mei went home and took out all the meat she had at home. Tonight, she would make them braised pork and sweet and sour pork ribs. The fish she made for Xia Zhe yesterday was still in the fridge too. These dishes should be enough for the guests. Liu Yun did not go back on her word. She remembered what she said. As soon as her husband returned home, she hurriedly pulled him to Qiao Mei''s house. "Qiao Mei! Quick! We''re here to help you! Oh my, what''s that smell? it smells so good!" Liu Yun felt hungry the moment she smelled the food. "I know a bit," Liu Dong said. "Then build one for our family when you''re free! I also want such a pigsty and fenced compound!" Liu Yun said. "Alright," Liu Dong replied. "How much do you think these bricks cost? Our family may not be able to afford it. If we raise livestock, I have to feed them every day! Sigh... this is not suitable for our family. I''m not as capable as Qiao Mei, so maybe we should forget it," Liu Yun said dejectedly. "Alright," Liu Dong said. "It''s crooked! Move more to the left!" Liu Yun instructed. Xia Zhe looked into the backyard through the kitchen window. He whispered to Qiao Mei, "I didn''t expect Brother Liu to be like this at home." "Do you know Brother Liu?" Qiao Mei asked. "I do, but I don''t know him well. He''s from Zhao Wu''s team and they know each other better. I was still thinking of calling Zhao Wu to ask him to come and help!" Xia Zhe said. "Zhao Wu? I''ve forgotten that he keeps pestering us about coming over. Next time, we must set aside some time to host him at home," Qiao Mei said seriously. "It''s fine. He''s not very particular. Actually, he just wants to come and deliver money to us," Xia Zhe said. Chapter 1704 I Am Her Elder Sister Chapter 1704 I Am Her Elder Sister "Doesn''t he need that money to get married? Why does he want to give me money? It''s so abnormal. He must have some ulterior motives!" Qiao Mei said. "Who knows? The truth will be out when he comes over. I''ll go to the army camp tomorrow to get some medicine from the military doctor and I''ll only be back at noon," Xia Zhe said. "Alright, go and lie down. Brother Liu and Sister-in-law Liu will be having dinner here later! Don''t let the cat out of the bag," Qiao Mei said with a laugh. Xia Zhe left the kitchen reluctantly and returned to the bedroom. He actually wanted to help Qiao Mei with the chores, but in the current situation, Qiao Mei had to take care of him instead. Liu Yun stood in the backyard and looked at Liu Dong with an expectant look. Liu Dong was so tired and his clothes were soaked in sweat. He looked like he had just been fished out of water. It was said that men were the most handsome when they were hard at work. That was indeed not nonsense! "Hubby, come down if you''re tired!" Liu Yun shouted with heartache. In the end, the meat was all piled up in the couple''s bowls till they could not see the rice at all. "It''s too much! You must eat too!" Liu Yun said. "There''s still a lot in the pot! Let''s all eat it!" Qiao Mei said. The two families ate happily. Liu Dong was not a talkative person and Xia Zhe did not want to force him into a conversation. In the end, it was only Qiao Mei and Liu Yun talking at the dining table. This was the first time Xia Zhe had seen Qiao Mei like this. In the capital, the people who interacted with Qiao Mei were all her relatives and it was rare to see her chatting with her neighbors. "Your surname is Xia, right? Seeing that you''re younger than me, I''ll call you Xiao Xia! Xiao Xia, you''re really lucky to be able to marry such a good wife like Qiao Mei!" Liu Yun said agitatedly after drinking some liquor. "Sister-in-law is right. I''m really lucky to be able to marry Qiao Mei," Xia Zhe said seriously. "You have to treat my younger sister well! I''m the eldest at home and I only have younger brothers. I don''t have a younger sister or an elder sister. I like Qiao Mei and I just want to acknowledge her as my younger sister. If you dare to bully my younger sister, I definitely won''t let you off! I''ll deal with you no matter where you go! Do you remember that!" Liu Yun said as she looked at Xia Zhe sternly. Liu Dong did not stop Liu Yun. Instead, he sat at the side and smiled at her dotingly. Back then, Liu Dong liked Liu Yun for her enthusiasm and kindness, which was why he married her very early. Everyone thought that theirs was a marriage arranged by their parents since they were from the same village. In fact, it was Liu Dong who sent a matchmaker and expended a lot of effort to marry Liu Yun. On the surface, it looked like he did not do much, but in fact, if he had not taken the initiative, Liu Yun would have married someone else long ago. Chapter 1705 Paying a Visit Again Chapter 1705 Paying a Visit Again "I swear! I will definitely cherish Qiao Mei! I won''t let her get hurt in any way! I won''t let Qiao Mei down either." Xia Zhe raised three fingers and made an oath. "I''m relieved to hear that..." Liu Yun smiled happily. She was already a little drunk and wanted to continue talking to Xia Zhe. Seeing that it was getting late though, Liu Dong decided to bring her home. He carried her on his back and walked back slowly. Before he left, he even apologized to Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei. "This is the first time I know that Sister-in-law Liu sees me as such an important person in her life. I thought that they are just going through the motions and there is no sincerity involved. It seems that I''m the small-minded person with the nasty thoughts," Qiao Mei lamented as she looked at the spot where Liu Yun was sitting just now. "You have to believe in your charm. Many people like and love you. It''s not your fault that you''re more careful. Don''t talk about yourself like that," Xia Zhe said as he hugged Qiao Mei. "Whatever you say is true too. There are indeed many people who like me and also many people who are wooing me! You have to be careful! What if someone steals me one day?" Qiao Mei said as she looked at Xia Zhe smugly. Xia Zhe frowned slightly and said, "No! You can only be mine! No one can take you away!" Qiao Mei reached out to smoothen Xia Zhe''s furrowed brows and said, "I''m just teasing you. Why are you so serious?" Zhuang Zhuang seemed to play along by crying out twice. Qiao Mei stared at Miao Le for a long time before letting out a helpless sigh and letting her enter the house. Xia Fan and Xia Xing were still sleeping, so Qiao Mei did not let Miao Le into the east room. Instead, she asked Miao Le to stay in the west room to coax Zhuang Zhuang. Seeing Miao Le sitting obediently on the brick bed seemingly without any other thoughts, Qiao Mei returned to the east room and changed into a set of clothes made from rough linen. She still had to continue building the fence today! Xia Zhe had already bought breakfast for Qiao Mei before he went out. Today, the breakfast truck had soy milk and steamed buns for sale. In order to keep the steamed buns warm, Xia Zhe packed them in an iron lunch box and wrapped a towel tightly around the lunch box to prevent the heat from escaping too quickly. It was only because of this that Miao Le did not see the buns and Qiao Mei could hide comfortably in the room and eat them. Actually, Qiao Mei was also feeling very annoyed. This was clearly her house but she actually had to eat breakfast secretly. It was really unacceptable to her. However, what could she do even if she could not accept it? She must think of a way to chase Miao Le away completely. As usual, Qiao Mei made mushy vegetables and steamed egg for Zhuang Zhuang. After Qiao Mei fed Xia Fan and Xia Xing, she did not bother whether Zhuang Zhuang had finished eating or not. She simply locked the door of the east room before going to the backyard to build the fence. Xia Fan and Xia Xing knew how to sit obediently on the brick bed and play by themselves. They would not crawl down to the floor. This was something Qiao Mei discovered after testing them many times. In the beginning, Qiao Mei was still worried that the two children would accidentally touch the wires while playing. She did not expect the two of them to be very smart and would not touch anything dangerous. Even if someone gave something dangerous to them, they would throw it away. Qiao Mei also taught them not to eat things given to them by strangers. She told them to tell her if they really wanted to eat something and she would buy it for them. They tried their best to follow her instructions. Even Xia Fan, the little foodie, tried his best to do it. Chapter 1706 Do You Have a Brother Chapter 1706 Do You Have a Brother There was a pot of wildflowers in the west room. When Qiao Mei first came to this courtyard, she saw a few wildflowers in bloom near the door, so she repotted a few and put them in the house to add some vibrancy to the living area. If she planted precious flowers and plants like camellias in this place, she did not know what others would say about her. The matter of the ginseng juice was already very high profile. In addition, the factory operations were in full swing recently, so Qiao Mei did not want to complicate matters and do anything to stand out. However, Qiao Mei realized that the mountain behind her house was a very good place. When there was time, she could find a cave to use as her secret base to cultivate these plants. She still had a luminous pearl back at home! She wondered how it was doing after soaking in the ginseng juice. When the time was right, she would go home and study it to see if it had any other abilities. Qiao Mei observed Miao Le''s every move through the wildflowers in the west room. As long as she did anything wrong, Qiao Mei would immediately be able to see it and catch her red-handed. As usual, Miao Le ate the steamed egg and only fed Zhuang Zhuang the mushy vegetables. She knew that as long as he continued to be so thin and weak, Qiao Mei would always take them in. She had heard that Qiao Mei even gave everyone in the vicinity some fabric yesterday! It was good fabric bought from the capital. Since those women chatted with Qiao Mei every day, Miao Le thought that if she stayed at Qiao Mei''s side every day, she might be able to get some benefits as well. She could get some stuff for her dowry! When Miao Le heard the commotion, she also came out to take a look. This was the first time she had seen so much livestock. Just feeding these livestock would require a lot of food. Qiao Mei''s family must be very rich! Miao Le became even more curious about Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe. "Sister-in-law, does Big Brother agree with you bringing back so much livestock?" Miao Le asked curiously. "I have the final say in our family. He lets me do everything I want," Qiao Mei replied with a smile. Miao Le remained silent. In this era, the heads of the families were usually the men and there were very few women in charge. The fact that Qiao Mei had such confidence proved that Xia Zhe doted on her very much. Miao Le kept staring at Qiao Mei without saying anything. Qiao Mei could not help but say, "You... You want to say something?" "Sister-in-law, does Big Brother have any other brothers at home?" Miao Le asked shyly. Qiao Mei heaved a sigh of relief. She had thought that Miao Le had taken a fancy to Xia Zhe, but Miao Le was actually eyeing the other men in the Xia family. Miao Le could be considered a smart person, at least a little smarter than Qiao Yu in this aspect. "He has an elder brother and an elder sister. There''s no one else," Qiao Mei replied honestly. One could find out these things with very minimal investigation. There was no need for Qiao Mei to lie to Miao Le. Chapter 1707 Go Home Early Chapter 1707 Go Home Early Miao Le instantly felt dejected. Xia Zhe was already in his 30s, so Xia Zhe''s elder brother must be even older and could even be around her father''s age! It seemed there was no one available in the Xia family. In fact, there were other men in the Xia family. For example, Xia Yuan from the second son''s family was not married yet and had not met anyone he liked. However, it was impossible for Xia Yuan to take a fancy to Miao Le, so Qiao Mei did not want to cause trouble for herself. "Then Elder Sister, do you have any brothers?" Miao Le continued to ask. "Me? I have two younger brothers. The older one is only 11 years old. If you don''t mind, you can wait a few more years," Qiao Mei said with a smile. In 10 years'' time, Miao Le would be 26 years old and Zhang Wei 21 years old and no one would gossip about it. However, it would be a little strange for a 16-year-old girl and an 11-year-old boy to get together. Miao Le blushed from Qiao Mei''s teasing. She was not in such a hurry that she would get married to a child! As they chatted, Xia Zhe came back. He returned with a lot of medicine as well as Zhao Wu. "You have to wait a while for the salted vegetables. I haven''t made any yet!" Qiao Mei said. "Let''s talk inside. Oh right, what''s your name again... Miao Le, right?" Zhao Wu said as he looked at Miao Le. "Yes!" Miao Le said excitedly. "Alright... It''s already so late. Your family must have prepared dinner for you, so we won''t keep you! Go home early and don''t let your family members worry about you," Zhao Wu said as he pretended to be considerate. Miao Le''s smile froze on her face. This was the first time she had met someone who chased her away so bluntly. She silently turned around and returned to the west room to carry Zhuang Zhuang and left Qiao Mei''s house. Qiao Mei looked at the departing Miao Le and gave Zhao Wu a thumbs up. "You''re really amazing. I''m going to be tortured to death by her after so many days." "I''ve seen many women like her. This is how my mother dealt with them back then. Don''t worry, with me around, I''ll definitely settle her for you!" Zhao Wu said confidently as he patted his chest. Qiao Mei shook her head helplessly and said, "As long as a golden goose like you doesn''t get targeted by others..." Xia Zhe had been standing behind Zhao Wu the entire time. His legs were already numb from pretending to have a limp. He looked at Qiao Mei and Zhao Wu and said, "Can we go in and talk? I feel very uncomfortable after standing here for so long." Zhao Wu quickly put on a show of helping Xia Zhe back into the house. Qiao Mei also returned to the house after settling the final payment with the shopkeeper. Chapter 1708 Eight Bowls of Rice Chapter 1708 Eight Bowls of Rice ?iscover new chapters at novelhall.com Since it was a rare visit from Zhao Wu today, Qiao Mei took out all the meat from the fridge and prepared a grand feast for him! She would give him an eye-opener today! Zhao Wu took out two boxes from his pocket and carefully opened them before putting them in front of Xia Fan and Xia Xing. The two children had already seen countless gold necklaces and locks and were already used to these things. "Do you like Uncle? Look at these gold locks that Uncle bought for you. Do you like them? No, you should address me as Godfather. I want to be the children''s godfather!" Zhao Wu said as he looked at Xia Zhe excitedly. Xia Zhe said helplessly, "I don''t have the power to make this decision. You have to ask my wife." Zhao Wu wanted to ask Qiao Mei about becoming the children''s godfather, but after thinking for a long while, he gave up the thought. He should do it step by step and let the two children have a good impression of him first. Once that happened, Qiao Mei would have no choice but to agree! Qiao Mei made a total of 12 dishes, all of them meat dishes. After she placed all the dishes on the table, Zhao Wu did not dare to believe his own eyes. He had never seen such a feast even in the army canteen. "So am I being treated like an esteemed guest?" Zhao Wu asked smugly. While Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe were talking, Zhao Wu took the opportunity to sneak outside to scoop more rice. He behaved like he was at his own house. It was rare to have one of Xia Zhe''s buddies come over. Moreover, Zhao Wu was a person with a good character and Qiao Mei liked to interact with him. If it was anyone else, Qiao Mei might not even want to host them! After dinner, Zhao Wu took on the important responsibility of washing the dishes. He looked at Qiao Mei with a satisfied look and said, "Sister-in-law, don''t stand on ceremony with me! I''ll just take it like I''m in my own house. I must do some housework if I''m in my own house. You''ve put in so much effort to make such delicious food, so it''s only right for me to wash the dishes!" Xia Zhe pulled Qiao Mei over to the brick bed and told her to ignore Zhao Wu. There were other things he wanted to tell Qiao Mei! "When I went back to the army camp today, I did a quick check. The superiors had given me 15 days off to recuperate from my injuries," Xia Zhe said. "15 days! That''s a lot! Then let''s go back to the capital to stay for a while!" Qiao Mei said excitedly. She could also take this opportunity to get away from Miao Le so that there was no chance for Miao Le to bother her. "It''s just that Zhao Wu will tag along if we do that. He''s also going on leave and is going back to the capital to visit his parents. However, I haven''t told him that we may go back. I want to ask for your opinion first," Xia Zhe whispered. "Of course it is fine. You can make the decision on such matters," Qiao Mei said gently. "That won''t do! I must still come back and discuss it with you. I can''t just make decisions by myself," Xia Zhe said as he looked at Qiao Mei seriously. Qiao Mei pouted unhappily and asked, "If you do this, doesn''t it make me look very domineering? I don''t ask you before I make any decisions at home." Chapter 1709 Expensive Toys Chapter 1709 Expensive Toys "Of course not. You''re the head of the family and you call the shots. I''m more than happy to do what you say," Xia Zhe said blissfully. "Zhao Wu can go back with us. He can sit at the back and carry the children," Qiao Mei said. After Zhao Wu washed the dishes, Qiao Mei asked him to rest in the west room. She put all the toys which Miao Le had touched earlier in the day into a big bag and told Xia Zhe to send them to Tian Jun tomorrow morning. In front of everyone, Tian Jun would have no choice but to accept all the things. As for whether he wanted to give money to Xia Zhe or give other things to Qiao Mei in the future, that was an issue for another time. Qiao Mei did not want to tolerate this kind of behavior again and again just because Tian Jun''s family was pitiful. That was considered a form of guilt-tripping, was it not? Everyone''s money was hard-earned money. The money did not simply appear from nowhere. Xia Zhe had worked hard to earn money for their family! The money Qiao Mei made from the factory was also repayment for her hard work in the early days. "Sister-in-law, you don''t want all these things anymore?" Zhao Wu said in surprise. "No, there''s no need. I''m here to deliver something." Xia Zhe placed the big bag of toys at the door and continued, "These are the things that your younger sister and your son played with at my house yesterday. These are all new and my children don''t like to play with them. My wife has asked me to give them all to Zhuang Zhuang." Tian Jun''s face instantly fell while Miao Le hid behind the door in fear. She never imagined that Qiao Mei would use this method to deal with her. Tian Jun cared about his reputation the most. He definitely would not let her off this time! "Um... Commander Xia, I''m really sorry. My younger sister and my son are both too insensible. I''ll pay you for these toys as soon as I can," Tian Jun said awkwardly with a red face. "It''s fine. It''s our gift to Zhuang Zhuang. We also want him to grow up healthily and happily. I still have something on, so I''ll go off now. I''ll leave you to do your things." After saying that, Xia Zhe left the apartment building, leaving Miao Le and Tian Jun looking at each other. Tian Jun looked at the bag of toys on the floor for a long time. One look and he could tell that these toys were exquisitely made and very expensive. These were definitely things that they could not afford. Perhaps one toy was already equivalent to his monthly salary. Miao Le stood at the door fearfully and did not dare to approach Tian Jun. She wanted to slip out quietly, but Tian Jun yelled loudly, "You''d better come in!" She slowly walked into the house with Zhuang Zhuang in her arms and did not even have time to close the door before Tian Jun scolded her angrily, "Don''t you have any sense of shame! Don''t think I don''t know that you go to other people''s houses to freeload on food every day! Isn''t the money I give you enough for Zhuang Zhuang and you to eat? Why do you still have to go to other people''s houses to embarrass yourself!" "I... I don''t go there on purpose... They''re the ones who invited me..." Miao Le lied. "Invite you? Why will they invite you? Who are you? Do you know who you offended this time? That''s the battalion commander! Moreover, he has received a third-class merit this time round and is about to be promoted to deputy regiment commander! His wife will invite you to her house? Who will believe it? I''m just a platoon leader. Even if she wants to invite someone, why will she invite you instead of the regiment commander''s wife?" Tian Jun said angrily. Chapter 1710 Hiding Money Chapter 1710 Hiding Money "These are a gift from them! They give it to us out of their own accord! I didn''t force them to give it to me! Why are you scolding me! Do you know it''s also very difficult for me to take care of a child! I''m at the most charming age in a girl''s life and yet I''m here to look after your child for you! It''s all my elder sister''s fault for dying so early~ All of you bully me~" Miao Le started crying as she held on to Zhuang Zhuang. Zhuang Zhuang was so frightened by Miao Le that he started crying as well. For a moment, their cries echoed in the corridor. Many people opened the door to take a look at the commotion. Tian Jun hurriedly ran to his front door and closed it after hurriedly saying "sorry" to everyone. He sat on the sofa dispiritedly. When Miao Le''s elder sister, Miao Ting, died, he was also in great pain. He even had the thought of joining Miao Ting in death. Tian Jun''s parents had passed away a long time ago and he had no family members to worry about. However, the Miao family was full of people whom he needed to take care of. He had to take good care of Miao Ting''s family. Tian Jun opened all the drawers and cabinets in the house and started looking for money. After rummaging through them, he only found 16 dollars. This was all the money left in the house. "Go to the county city to withdraw some money later. Send my entire salary for this month to Commander Xia''s family," Tian Jun said sternly. This entire family depended on Tian Jun''s salary for their survival! All of them basically latched onto Tian Jun and kept sucking his blood. They would not stop until they squeezed him dry. Tian Jun set aside 15 dollars a month for Miao Le. By right, if she used the 15 dollars to buy groceries, she and Zhuang Zhuang should be able to get by. He did not know where she spent all the money for Zhuang Zhuang to end up so skinny. "You must have money on hand," Tian Jun said confidently. "I... I don''t!" Miao Le said hesitantly. "At this point in time, you''re still unwilling to take it out? In the past, I took it like you''re still just a child and I don''t hold anything against you. But now that something like this has happened, I can only send you back to the Miao family to wait upon the old folks," Tian Jun threatened. Miao Le was so frightened that she quickly dropped to her knees and hugged Tian Jun''s leg. She cried out, "Brother-in-law, I really don''t have any money! If I have hidden any money away, I''ll die a horrible death! I''ve been taking care of Zhuang Zhuang wholeheartedly. If I leave, then what about Zhuang Zhuang! He can''t go without someone to take care of him!" Tian Jun had heard such things too many times. In the past, Miao Le only got into minor trouble and there was no need for Tian Jun to be too harsh on her. Now that she had offended someone important, he had to be strict with her. "It''s useless no matter what you say. You provoked someone you shouldn''t have this time round. There''s nothing I can do," Tian Jun said coldly. Chapter 1711 Hide Money Chapter 1711 Hide Money Seeing that Tian Jun remained so stubborn, Miao Le had no choice but to go to her room and take out a small metal box from under the bed. It contained all the money she had hidden away for so many years. Every month, she would steal some money from the allowance she received from Tian Jun and put it aside. It was meant for her dowry in the future. If she wanted to marry into a good family, she needed to have a decent amount of dowry. Otherwise, her in-laws would look down on her! She already had such a dismal family. If she did not have money, she would not be able to get married in the future! At this point, if she wanted to continue to stay in the military family compound, she had no choice but to take out the money. If she was sent home, it would be the end for her. "There''s 100 dollars here... I''ll give it all to you..." Miao Le said softly. "There has to be more. Take it all out," Tian Jun said as he stared at Miao Le. Miao Le reluctantly took out all the money from the metal box and gave it to Tian Jun. He counted a total of 234 dollars! Tian Jun looked at Miao Le in shock. She had actually squirreled away so much money! No wonder all the neighbors said that Zhuang Zhuang was skinny and malnourished. At first, he only thought that it was because he was not doing well enough and that Miao Le had already done her best to take care of the child. He did not expect that it was because Miao Le had stashed away the money and let Zhuang Zhuang go hungry! "This is interesting," Qiao Mei said with a smile as she looked at the money in her hand. When Liu Yun heard sounds outside, she quickly came out of her house. She leaned against the wall as she asked, "Qiao Mei, why is Tian Jun here to look for you?" Qiao Mei told Liu Yun everything that had happened over the past few days and even told her about the incident with the toys in detail. Although Qiao Mei did not show off her wealth, the neighbors were not blind. They could tell from the bangle on Qiao Mei''s hand, the jade pendant around her neck and the things which she gave them. Based on these clues alone, they could guess that either Qiao Mei''s family or her in-laws were rich. Qiao Mei used things that they had never seen before. Those toys were definitely worth more than 200 dollars. Giving those toys to the Tian family would be considered as letting them off easy! "Looks like Miao Le won''t be having a good time in the future," Liu Yun said gloatingly. "She''s unimportant, but I pity that child. I hope she still has some conscience and will treat the child well," Qiao Mei said resignedly. "Such beasts! They have so much money at home and yet they don''t even want to feed the child powdered milk! That child is so skinny that even your little piglets are stronger than him!" Liu Yun said. "I don''t think this is Tian Jun''s money," Qiao Mei said. Liu Yun stopped to think for a moment and exclaimed, "You''re saying that Miao Le has hidden this money away! Goodness! The next time I see her, I must definitely teach her a lesson! How can there be such a black-hearted thing! She''s worse than an animal! As the saying goes, even a vicious tiger will not eat its own cubs! That''s her biological sister''s child!" Qiao Mei immediately said, "It''s better to just keep this between us. If other people find out about this, it''ll be difficult for Tian Jun to deal with it." Chapter 1712 His Mother Ran Away With Another Man Chapter 1712 His Mother Ran Away With Another Man Liu Yun sighed deeply and said, "You, you''re just too kind-hearted! What if you get bullied with such a character? When you see Miao Le next time, just chase her out with a big stick! Don''t be too soft-hearted just because you see the child with her! Also, you have to tell the neighbors about such things and let everyone know what her family is like. Otherwise, there will definitely be trouble in the future!" Qiao Mei pursed her lips and smiled faintly. When she was in the capital, the Xia family members were all so worried that she would go around bullying others. She did not expect that there would be people in the military family compound who were concerned that she might get bullied by others! "I think it''s unlikely... Hasn''t Miao Le already learned her lesson?" Qiao Mei said. "Tian Jun took so much money from her and gave it to you. She will definitely hate you for it! Who knows what kind of nasty things she can say about you. If you''re soft-hearted towards them now, you''ll definitely suffer in the future!" Liu Yun said agitatedly. It was not that Qiao Mei was soft-hearted, but she just did not want to be too ruthless and go all out. They would still see one another often in the future and it was not good to make things too awkward. Besides, those people had already been forced into a corner. No one knew what they could do if they ran out of options. "Alright, I''ll remember your advice. Thank you for your concern, Sister-in-law. Once my ducks start laying eggs, I''ll make preserved eggs for you!" Qiao Mei said with a smile. Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe in puzzlement. It was not that she minded Zhao Wu staying at their house, but she was just curious as to why Zhao Wu would want to stay at their house instead of going home after returning to the capital. When Zhao Wu was distracted, Xia Zhe took the chance to pull Qiao Mei into the house and told her, "Zhao Wu''s mother ran away when he was very young. His father searched everywhere but could not find any news about his mother. Apparently his mother found their family to be too poor and she left with a rich man." "You mean such things really happen!" Qiao Mei covered her mouth and said in surprise. Qiao Mei had heard of such cases in her other life, but it was always her colleagues who handled them. She only thought of them as interesting stories and did not expect to encounter such a thing in this life! Moreover, it happened to someone she knew! In the end, Zhao Wu''s father gave up on finding his wife and decided to bring up his son well by himself. After that, he met a mild-mannered woman and the two of them got married and had a cute daughter. Although Zhao Wu''s stepmother treated him quite well, Zhao Wu still felt very uncomfortable. Every time he saw his father, stepmother and younger sister together, he felt that he was the redundant one. Although he continued to keep in touch with his family over the years, he did not stay in the family house again. "He can stay with us for as long as he wants. You don''t have to tell me about such things in the future. I''ll go along with what you want," Qiao Mei said as she looked at Xia Zhe. Xia Zhe could not help himself from hugging Qiao Mei tightly and saying, "I''ll go along with what you want too." Just as the two of them were locked in an embrace, Zhao Wu suddenly walked into the house with a piglet in his arms and asked, "Why is this pig different from the ones we have in the army camp? Did you buy the wrong type? You... ahem... I''m sorry to disturb you. Please continue." Chapter 1713 Warm Family Chapter 1713 Warm Family Zhao Wu ran out without looking back. He only returned after lunch was ready, still carrying the piglet in his arms. "How long do you intend to carry it around?" Qiao Mei asked. Zhao Wu said with a pitiful expression, "The ducks in your courtyard come in pairs and there are also two pigs. I''m the only one who''s all alone. I must break up these two pigs! Let them have a taste of separation!" Qiao Mei stared at Zhao Wu speechlessly for a long time before she turned to look at Xia Zhe and asked, "Is he also like this in the army? Don''t any of you suspect that he''s abnormal?" "He... he''s really not very normal. Everyone in the troops is used to it," Xia Zhe said. After Zhao Wu finished his meal, he proactively went to the backyard to help with the fence. Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe stayed in the house packing up the things they needed to bring home. This time round, they must take a good rest when they get back. Qiao Mei carried a sack of feed and a basket of eggs to Liu Yun''s house. When Liu Yun saw Qiao Mei with the sack in her arms, she was so shocked that she dropped the clothes she was holding and quickly ran to the courtyard. "Are you sick of living! My ancestor! Do you keep forgetting that you''re pregnant?" Liu Yun said angrily. "I''m very strong. I have come over because I need a favor from Sister-in-law," Qiao Mei said embarrassedly. The three of them chatted and laughed along the way while the two children slept soundly. They finally reached the courtyard house at night. Qiao Mei had called home in advance and Feng Hua and Xu Kang had prepared a table full of dishes to welcome Qiao Mei and the rest. It had been a while since she was gone and the two puppies had grown up a lot. They were very good at guarding the house now. Feng Hua carried the two children back into the room so that they could go to bed. Qiao Mei and the others went to the backyard to eat with the family. Zhang Wei and Zhang Miao were also back home. It was the winter holidays and they could stay at home for a longer time. "Elder Sister! Brother-in-law! I miss both of you so much!" Zhang Miao shouted in her childish voice. Xia Zhe picked Zhang Miao up and said, "Brother-in-law misses you guys too." Zhao Wu stood at the side uneasily. This was the first time he was meeting Qiao Mei''s family and he felt a little timid. He did not know how to get along with Qiao Mei''s family. He had never experienced such a warm family atmosphere and did not know what to do. "Mom, Grandfather, this is Xia Zhe''s comrade-in-arms and best friend. His name is Zhao Wu and he''ll be staying at our house for a while," Qiao Mei said. "Hello, Auntie and Grandpa. I have come in a hurry and haven''t prepared any nice gifts. I bought some local specialties from where we came from. I hope you don''t mind," Zhao Wu said. "You''re such a nice kid. We''re more than happy! Come and sit down! Let''s all have a reunion meal together!" Li Gui said excitedly. Everyone ate happily. Qiao Qiang took a liking to Zhao Wu and even told him many stories about his younger days as a soldier. The two of them got along very well. Chapter 1714 Cling to Our Family Chapter 1714 Cling to Our Family Zhao Wu and Qiao Qiang had loads to talk about. The two of them also drank a lot tonight and were just short of taking an oath in the moonlight to become sworn brothers! Zhao Wu was given a room in the backyard part of the house. Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe returned to the front yard and they had barely sat down when they received a call from Xu Lan. "Mother, why are you calling so late? We just got home. I will be going back to visit you tomorrow," Qiao Mei said. "Sigh... You have to come back tomorrow even if you don''t want to. Your eldest maternal aunt is up to no good again. She actually wants to introduce a partner to Xia Wen! Even though Xia Wen and the Mo family''s girl are already about to get engaged!" Xu Lan said in frustration. "What? Eldest Aunt Xu is coming over?" Qiao Mei asked. "Yes! It''s that eldest sister of mine! I''m really about to die of anger. Some time ago, when you weren''t at home, she came to cause trouble once. She said she''d hang herself in our house if we won''t meet the girl she wants to introduce to us! I really have no choice but to ask her to bring the girl over for us to take a look. Actually I know the kid. She''s quite a nice girl and she''s also related to me. She''s not suitable for Xia Wen," Xu Lan said helplessly. This matter was indeed a difficult one to handle. If it was Zhou Luo coming over, it would be easy to get rid of her. However, Xu Ju was Xu Lan''s biological older sister after all. It was not appropriate for them to say harsh words and sever ties with her. As soon as they entered the house, they could smell the pungent perfume which Xu Ju always wore. The flowers in the house looked to have withered a little, which was enough to show that Xu Ju had visited many times. "Oh my, what day is it today? Why are all your children back? Then will Xia Wen also be back today? Since everyone is here!" Xu Ju said excitedly as she munched on seeds. "Eldest Brother has been very busy recently and won''t be back," Xia He said disdainfully. "No matter how busy he is, he has to eat. He can''t be so busy that he doesn''t even come home. I''ve been here a few times but I have never seen him. He should at least show me some respect," Xu Ju said unhappily. Xia He rolled her eyes and muttered softly, "What kind of respect do you want? My eldest brother doesn''t come home because there is someone at home who''s so annoying. Otherwise, why won''t he come home? This woman really doesn''t have any self-awareness." Xu Ju did not hear what Xia He said. She quickly nudged the girl sitting beside her and said, "This is my maternal uncle''s daughter, Shi Rui. She''s an elementary school teacher." Shi Rui stood up and greeted everyone in a gentle voice, "Hello, my name is Shi Rui. It''s our first time meeting today but I haven''t brought any first-meeting gifts. I''ll definitely bring gifts next time." "There''s still a next time... Looks like she''s going to cling to our family..." Xia He muttered. Qiao Mei bumped Xia He''s hand to tell her not to speak anymore. If Xu Ju heard her, there might be trouble! Chapter 1715 Too Much Romance Luck Chapter 1715 Too Much Romance Luck "Hello, my name is Qiao Mei and I''m Xia Zhe''s wife. There''s no need to bring any first-meeting gift. Since we''re relatives, we''ll address you as Elder Cousin in the future," Qiao Mei said with a smile. Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m "Speaking of that, she can''t be considered your relative. She''s a relative of our Xu family. It''s better for you to call her by her name or you can call her Rui Rui," Xu Ju said as she stared at Qiao Mei. Relatives could not get married or they would get drowned by the neighbors'' gossip! It looked like Xu Ju was determined to let Shi Rui marry into the Xia family. Xu Ju kept praising Shi Rui for being smart and capable, having a good family background, being so beautiful and so on. She went on and on for more than an hour, making everyone feel sleepy. Shi Rui hurriedly grabbed Xu Ju and said, "It''s getting late. I still have things to do at home, so I''ll have to make a move first." "Take care. We won''t send you off," Xia He said in annoyance. Just like that, Xu Ju was forcefully dragged away by Shi Rui without even finishing what she wanted to say! After that, when she found out that Xia Wen had retired from the army and became a university professor, she followed closely in his footsteps and became a teacher as well. However, she was only able to be an elementary school teacher. When she found out that Xia Wen had gotten married, she was very sad. She had always felt that Tan Jing was not worthy of a man as good as Xia Wen. The woman by Xia Wen''s side should be an outstanding woman, at least better than her. From then on, she focused on her career and did not want to think about love at all. She eventually became seen as a spinster who was left on the shelf. Shi Rui''s father was already quite old when she was born and she was her parents'' only child, so they let her do whatever she wanted. When Xu Ju told her about Xia Wen''s divorce, she wished she could set off firecrackers at home to celebrate. The heavens had granted her a chance! She must become the woman by Xia Wen''s side. Only she was worthy of Xia Wen. It was only after Xu Ju and Shi Rui left that Qiao Mei dared to make a call to Xia Wen and ask him to return home quickly to discuss countermeasures. Given the current situation, they must quickly get the engagement settled. Otherwise, it was too unsettling. "Eldest Brother''s romance luck has been too good after his divorce. Mother, you should find a master to reduce his luck with women," Xia He said. "Pfft, pfft, pfft! What nonsense are you talking about! If your eldest brother loses his luck with women, then the Mo family''s daughter won''t like him anymore!" Xu Lan said angrily. Xia He quickly covered her mouth and said, "Oh! I''m sorry, I''m sorry. I was spouting nonsense just now!" Xia Wen rushed home in a hurry. The moment he entered the house, he could feel everyone''s low spirits. Something unpleasant must have happened today. Chapter 1716 A Big Bad Wolf at Home Chapter 1716 A Big Bad Wolf at Home "I''m back. Why are all of you looking so worried? Did Eldest Aunt make things difficult for you?" Xia Wen asked. ?iscover new chapters at novelhall.com "Of course something big has happened! It''s a big bad wolf targeting you! We are unable to protect you! You''ll be eaten up by the big bad wolf very soon!" Xia He said with a sigh. Xia Wen roughly had an idea of what had happened at home recently. He knew that his family members had already done many things for him and that there were some things that needed to be settled as soon as possible. "Mother, when will Father have some free time?" Xia Wen asked Xu Lan with a serious look. "Your father is quite free recently, he''s no longer that busy anymore. I''m idle at home every day and have a lot of free time. But why are you asking this?" Xu Lan asked. "I''m thinking... I would like you to go to the Mo family with me to formally propose marriage. I know that in this era, the matter is confirmed once we send the betrothal gifts and whatnots, but it''s a second marriage for me. I want Mo Zhu to marry into our family in a proper and grand manner and also let the Mo family feel at ease, so I might have to trouble both of you to accompany me there," Xia Wen said hesitantly. On the way home, Xia Zhe kept staring at Qiao Mei. Now that she knew how to drive, he let her drive so that she could practice more. If there was anything she did wrong, he could also give her pointers in time. He did not expect her to be able to drive for so long without making any mistakes. He could only use the word "perfect" to describe her driving. This time round, it had been a very difficult pregnancy for Qiao Mei. They did not know if the pregnancy was stable or if the baby was developing well. Xia Zhe did not even dare to think about doing anything intimate with Qiao Mei. "Mei Mei, since we''re back, let''s get you to Aunt''s place for a checkup," Xia Zhe said. "Huh? But I''m fine? Why do we have to go and look for Aunt?" Qiao Mei asked curiously. "Isn''t it better to play safe? It''s good for both you and the baby. The rest of the family will also feel more at ease. They don''t know what''s going on and they are very worried about your health," Xia Zhe said, trying to persuade her in a tactful manner. "Hmm... Alright then. Let''s go for a checkup just before we leave. There have been too many issues recently and I just want to stay at home for a while longer," Qiao Mei said after thinking for a long time. "Alright, we''ll do it your way," Xia Zhe said, feeling satisfied. The two of them arrived home safely and had a good night''s sleep. The next morning, Xia Zhe accompanied Qiao Qiang out to exercise. Qiao Qiang had recently created a set of "fist techniques" to strengthen his body. Many of the old men and women in the park were his disciples and Qiao Qiang went to train with them every day. Xia Zhe decided to play along with Qiao Qiang today. Whatever Qiao Qiang liked to do, he would like it too. Chapter 1717 Coming to Look at Clothing Patterns Chapter 1717 Coming to Look at Clothing Patterns "Knock, knock, knock!" Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m There was a series of violent knocks on the door. In fact, it sounded more like kicks than knocks! Even the two watchdogs near the door were awakened and kept barking at the door. "Who is it? What do you want so early in the morning?" Xu Kang stood at the door and shouted. "I''m Xu Jiao. I''m here to look for Third Brother and Third Sister-in-law! Open the door for me!" Xu Jiao stood outside the door and shouted with her hands on her hips. This was Xu Jiao''s first time at Qiao Mei''s house, but she could recognize the voices of Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe. The person who asked the questions did not sound like Qiao Mei. Xu Kang was actually Xu Jiao''s aunt, but theirs was a relatively distant relationship, the kind where it was up to them whether they wanted to acknowledge each other as relatives. Xu Kang first went to the bedroom to ask for Qiao Mei''s permission before opening the door for Xu Jiao. "Sister-in-law... Eh? Aunt, why are you here? Oh! You must be the relative whom my mother says is working as Qiao Mei''s helper! You''re so slow to open the door and yet my third sister-in-law still hires you. She''s really kind-hearted. This place is becoming an old folks'' home," Xu Jiao said as she looked at Xu Kang mockingly. "You! Ugh!" Xu Jiao wanted to say something else, but Shi Rui quickly covered her mouth and said, "I''m sorry. I apologize on her behalf. Sorry, Aunt." Qiao Mei continued to look at them coldly. She did not expect Shi Rui to be so capable as to be able to find her through Xu Jiao. She wondered what Shi Rui was up to and why she was here today. "I have forgotten that you''re also here. Unfortunately, it''s useless for you to apologize. She needs to be the one to do it," Qiao Mei said as she pointed at Xu Jiao. Shi Rui whispered into Xu Jiao''s ear, "Have you forgotten what your mother told you when we came out?" Xu Jiao broke free from Shi Rui''s grip and straightened her clothes. She looked at Xu Kang reluctantly and said awkwardly, "Aunt, I''m sorry... I was too insensible. I won''t do it again..." "Fine, fine,fine. It''s alright! Let''s just forget about this matter!" Xu Kang said quickly. Everyone looked towards Qiao Mei. Seeing that Xu Jiao had apologized politely, Qiao Mei''s expression had softened a lot. Qiao Mei looked at Xu Kang and felt a little sorry. She could not believe that such a nice person had been humiliated. It was all her fault for allowing Xu Jiao to come in. "Tell me why you are here," Qiao Mei said impatiently. "It''s like this. Xu Jiao is going to start school soon and wants to make a few sets of clothes, but she doesn''t think the styles in the stores look nice. Seeing that the clothes you usually wear are very beautiful, we have come to your house to take a look. I wonder if it''s alright?" Shi Rui probed. "We just want to take a look at the patterns. Aunt Shi Rui knows how to make clothes. We don''t need you to do anything. She just needs to take a look," Xu Jiao said. Chapter 1718 Chase Out of the Door Chapter 1718 Chase Out of the Door If Xu Jiao had not talked back to Xu Kang and spoken in a friendly manner earlier, perhaps Qiao Mei would be willing to let them take a look at those clothes she made recently. However, in this situation, why would Qiao Mei still help them? "My clothes are all made of rough fabric and the styles are similar to those sold in the stores. It''s not worth your time to specially come and take a look. If you have time, you should go to the mall more often to look around. The styles there are much better than what I have here. In that case, I won''t keep you here any longer," Qiao Mei said coldly. Xu Jiao stood rooted to the spot, not knowing what to do. She had come today to help Shi Rui shore up her position in the Xia family, but she did not expect to have messed it up instead. When she went home later, Xu Ju would definitely skin her alive! She could not go back empty-handed! Shi Rui was also trying her best to think of a way to make Qiao Mei let them stay. She racked her brains and finally said, "Since we''re already here, why don''t you just let us take a look? Treat it as an eye-opener for us." Any other ordinary person would definitely try to turn a big issue into a small one out of consideration for the relationship between the family elders and out of respect for their reputations. However, Qiao Mei was a person who was not afraid of anything. To her, it was nothing to spoil the relationship between Xu Ju and Xu Lan. Perhaps Xu Lan herself could not wait to get away from such a sister! Qiao Mei was now like the Xia family''s treasure. Even Xia Jun doted on her very much. So long as she wanted something, Xia Jun would definitely get it for her. Therefore, even if she threw a tantrum, it would not be a big thing in their eyes. "Not bad! How''s your grandfather? Has that old stubborn ox mentioned me recently?" Qiao Qiang asked disdainfully. "My grandfather is feeling very unhappy at home. He wants to come and see you, but he can''t bring himself to do it," Xia Wen said with a laugh. Qiao Qiang snorted coldly and said, "I''ll give this old thing a call later." "Grandpa Qiao, I have to borrow my younger brother for a while. I have something to tell him," Xia Wen said. Qiao Qiang waved his hand and said, "Go, go! You can borrow him for as long as you want!" Xia Wen brought Xia Zhe to the room which Xia He used to stay in. The two of them closed the door with very serious expressions on their faces. Neither of them was willing to speak first, as if they knew what the other one wanted to say. "Hey... why didn''t you tell the family when this mission was confirmed?" Xia Wen asked Xia Zhe sternly. "The mission is top secret. I can''t talk about it and I can''t reject it," Xia Zhe lowered his head and said in a muffled voice. People in his position could only accept orders and did not have a chance to pick and choose what they wanted to do. The higher-ups had told Xia Zhe to consider it carefully, but it was all for show. Even if Xia Zhe was unwilling, he still had to go. "Is this mission very dangerous?" Xia Wen asked with a slight frown. He had been in the army before and knew that Xia Zhe''s highly confidential mission this time round could be a very difficult one. Chapter 1719 You Must Come Back Chapter 1719 You Must Come Back Usually, the soldiers'' family members would not be informed when they were sent on a mission. This time, the higher-ups had made a call to Xia Wen directly, which meant that it was a very serious matter. Even Xia Mao and Xu Lan were not allowed to know about this mission. The military would only allow one family member to be informed. "I guess so. If it''s over quickly, I''ll be back in a few months. I don''t think it''ll take too long," Xia Zhe said, pretending to be relaxed. "When do you set off?" Xia Wen asked. After a long silence, Xia Zhe said, "I''m on leave for 10 days this time round and there are only seven days left. I''m leaving for the mission after this break." Xia Wen slowly squatted down as he leaned against the wall. He was unwilling to accept the fact that Xia Zhe had to go on this mission. Why did it have to be his younger brother? Why not someone else? This was his only younger brother. After his divorce, he had finally found Mo Zhu whom he wanted to marry. Xia He and Deng Fan were happy and blissful together. Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei were having their third child and Xu Lan''s health was gradually improving. Xia Mao was now a commander and no longer needed to face danger at the front line. He had thought that the Xia family was finally going to have good days ahead, but Xia Zhe had to leave them at this moment. Xia Zhe looked at Xia Wen quietly and finally said solemnly, "I''m a soldier. My duty is to protect every citizen of this country." Xia Wen looked at Xia Zhe dejectedly. He knew for sure that Xia Zhe would definitely go on this mission. "Eldest Brother, I still hope that you can help me take care of my family. Qiao Mei... Qiao Mei is pregnant. I might not be able to make it back on the day our child is born. Can you help me take care of her..." Xia Zhe said in a choked voice. "Alright, I understand, but I''ll only help you take care of Qiao Mei until she gives birth safely. You still have to come back and take care of the rest yourself. Do you understand?" Xia Wen said. "It''s a deal," Xia Zhe said with a smile. Xia Wen laughed when he saw the cheeky look on Xia Zhe''s face. He looked at Xia Zhe helplessly and said, "How do I get a younger brother like you? You''re really... really not too bad..." "I''m your younger brother for life. You won''t be able to get rid of me," Xia Zhe said. The two of them spoke a lot about the mission. By the time Xia Wen left Qiao Mei''s house, it was already getting dark. Qiao Mei looked at the departing Xia Wen and asked, "What did Eldest Brother come to talk to you about?" "Nothing much. He just came to ask if his former comrade-in-arms is doing well in the army. That person joined our army base recently," Xia Zhe said perfunctorily. Chapter 1720 Coming to Ask For Medicine Again Chapter 1720 Coming to Ask For Medicine Again Qiao Mei knew that things were definitely not that simple. Since Xia Zhe did not want to say anything, she did not ask further. When the time was right, Xia Zhe would naturally tell her. Just as the two of them were walking back in each other''s arms, they suddenly heard a woman''s voice behind them. "Qiao Mei! Wait! Wait for me!" Liang Lan jumped out of the car and shouted anxiously. ?iscover new chapters at novelhall.com When Qiao Mei saw Liang Lan after turning around, she was not surprised at all. Looking at the date, it was time for Liang Lan to come again. The last time, in order to prove that she did not tamper with the medicine, Qiao Mei had poured a whole bottle of it into Liang Shu''s mouth. That amount of medicine was only enough for Liang Shu to be able to speak but it was not enough to cure her completely. Ever since then, the Liang family''s fortune had plummeted. They lost their three main backers, the Du family, the He family and the Song family. Although Liang Lan and Liang Guo did not lose their jobs, it was quite a joke for them to be starting out again at the bottom of the ladder at their age. Many younger employees laughed at the two of them. Liang Shu had also been pestering the siblings to go and get the medicine from Qiao Mei. Liang Lan could not take the pressure from Liang Shu anymore, so she had to come and look for Qiao Mei shamelessly. "Qiao Mei... do you have any extra ''divine medicine'' this month? My mother isn''t doing very well yet..." Liang Lan said. "It''s already very late today. You can go back first. I''ll send the medicine to your house tomorrow morning," Qiao Mei said readily. Liang Lan stood rooted to the spot for a long time. She could not believe that Qiao Mei had agreed to her request. This was the first time Qiao Mei agreed to her request so readily! "I don''t feel at ease. What if they do something to hurt you?" Xia Zhe said with a slight frown. "Liang Shu is currently just a patient. Even if she wants to hurt me, she can''t do anything. As for Liang Lan, she doesn''t have the strength to fight with me. There''s no one else in the house except the two of them. Don''t worry," Qiao Mei said with a smile. "Then I''ll wait for you in the car," Xia Zhe said. Qiao Mei slowly approached the Liang family''s house with the medicinal wine. Liang Lan was already waiting at the door. The moment she heard the sound of a car outside, she ran to the door to welcome Qiao Mei. Liang Shu was still staying in the same room as before and nothing had changed. As soon as Qiao Mei entered, she could smell a familiar stench. However, the smell this time was much more faint and not as obvious as the last time. "I''m here," Qiao Mei said as she looked at Liang Shu who was on the bed. "Why are you here..." Liang Shu tried her best to speak to Qiao Mei. "I''m here to deliver medicine to you of course. Otherwise, why will I come to see you?" Qiao Mei said. "Then... since you''ve sent it over... leave quickly! You''re not welcome in our house!" Liang Shu said furiously. "Don''t leave!" Liang Lan turned around and shouted at Liang Shu, "Mother! What are you doing! It''s not easy for me to invite her over! Why are you chasing her away!" Liang Shu sat obediently on the bed and did not speak. Qiao Mei did not blame Liang Shu. The purpose of her visit this time was not to get angry with Liang Shu. She wanted to get what she wanted first. Chapter 1721 The Origin of the Brooch Chapter 1721 The Origin of the Brooch "You people have used my medicine for free for so long. It''s time you compensate me for it," Qiao Mei said with a smile. "Haven''t we already given you a brooch and a photo the last time?" Liang Lan said. Qiao Mei nodded and continued, "True. That can be counted. I have brought two bottles of medicinal wine this time round. The brooch is part of a set. My condition is that I want to know where the rest of the jewelry is?" As soon as Qiao Mei finished speaking, Liang Shu''s face was filled with fear. She widened her eyes and looked at Qiao Mei, as if she was wondering how Qiao Mei knew that this brooch was part of a set. Such a brooch was definitely not something that an ordinary family could afford. Prominent families were very particular about using things which came in pairs or in a set. From this, Qiao Mei deduced that there was actually a whole set of jewelry. However, there was also another reason. When Qiao Mei tried to make use of the butterfly mark on her chest, she realized that she had hit a bottleneck. It was different from Wu Min''s pendant. It appeared that she needed to look for some form of external aid to break through this bottleneck. "It''s the only piece! There''s nothing else!" Liang Shu said in a panic. ?iscover new chapters at novelhall.com "Is that so? It''s such a pity that it''s actually an isolated piece." Qiao Mei took out a photo and pointed at the person in the middle, asking "I''m guessing that you at least know this person." Liang Shu shouted at Qiao Mei, "I don''t know anything! Get out! I don''t know anything!" "Then where did this person go after that? Do you know?" Qiao Mei asked. Liang Shu avoided making eye contact and said, "I''m not sure..." "You''d better think carefully. If I don''t get the information I want, I won''t give you the medicine," Qiao Mei said seriously. Liang Shu had no choice but to relate everything that happened back then. Gao Tao was a transfer student. The moment she saw Gao Tao, she could tell that Gao Tao was not an ordinary person. Later on, she asked around and found out that Gao Tao was actually the daughter of a rich man in Sea City. The Gao family had many sons and Gao Tao was the only daughter. Everyone doted on her very much and she enjoyed the best treatment and highest status. Gao Tao used to study at a women''s college in Sea City, but later on, her fiance? wanted to go to the capital to further his career. Gao Tao always did what her fiance? wanted and she set off for the capital with her fiance? regardless of what her family thought. "You said the last time that this brooch belonged to your cousin. Why is Gao Tao wearing the brooch in this photo?" Qiao Mei questioned. "Maybe... maybe I remembered wrongly..." Liang Shu said nervously. "In that case, this brooch belongs to Gao Tao, right?" Qiao Mei asked. "Yes, you''re right..." Liang Shu said. Chapter 1722 What Happened Back Then Chapter 1722 What Happened Back Then Previously, Liang Shu had said that this brooch belonged to her cousin. Now that she said it was actually Gao Tao''s item, was there any connection between this cousin and Gao Tao? Qiao Mei stared at the photo for a long time before saying, "Why isn''t your cousin in this photo? Are there any other photos of Gao Tao? Does your cousin know Gao Tao?" Liang Shu turned her head away and remained silent. The matter back then was really too complicated. It had not been easy for her to save her own life. It would only lead to a disaster if she brought up the past. Qiao Mei repeated resignedly, "I''ve already said that if I don''t get the answer I want, I won''t give you anything. I can also guarantee that you won''t be able to get a single drop of medicine from anyone else. I mean what I say. Even if I don''t have the ability to do this, I think the Xia family does." Follow the latest novels at novelhall.com This was the first time Qiao Mei had made use of the Xia family''s name to bully someone. She had no choice. Today, she must find out what had happened to Gao Tao back then. Back then, Gao Tao and her fiance?, Zhou Hua, came to the capital together. In that era, only people from rich families were able to go to school. Zhou Hua was quite famous in Guang City, but his family was definitely not comparable to the Gao family, which was the richest family in Guang City. The Zhou family''s elders had saved the lives of the Gao family''s elders in the past. At that time, the two families had made an agreement that in the future, the Gao family would fulfill one wish of the Zhou family at any time. After a few years, the Zhou family ran out of funds. If they could not get their hands on more money, they would go bankrupt. At that time, Zhou Hua''s father came to the Gao family and proposed a marriage alliance between the two families. Due to the agreement made by the family elders, Gao Tao''s father had no choice but to agree. Fortunately, Gao Tao did not dislike Zhou Hua and even fell in love with him little by little during their daily interactions. The Zhou family and the Gao family also began to have business dealings from this point on, and the Zhou family gradually prospered. As the only son of the Zhou family, Zhou Hua bore the heavy responsibility of taking care of the family. However, he did not want to be under constant supervision of the Zhou family members. He had always wanted to leave this place. Zhou Hua felt that the schools in Guang City were not as outstanding as those in the capital, so he discussed with Gao Tao about going to school in the capital. Gao Tao went home and told her father about the situation. Since she was the only daughter of the Gao family, she always got her way. Hence, the couple set off soon to study in the capital. The Gao family even bought a villa in the capital for the two of them so that life was easier for them. Zhou Hua went to the Capital Men''s College and Gao Tao naturally went to the Capital Women''s College. This was how Gao Tao got to know Liang Shu''s cousin, Liang Juan. Chapter 1723 Grandmother Chapter 1723 Grandmother Liang Juan and Gao Tao were in the same class. In the beginning, no one wanted to be friends with Gao Tao. She was a transfer student who was beautiful and came from a good family, so no one liked her. Follow the latest novels at novelhall.com It was precisely because of this that Liang Juan set her sights on Gao Tao. At that time, the Liang family had no status in the capital. If not for the fact that the family sent their children to school so as to maintain their reputation, she actually did not qualify to go to school. Soon, Liang Juan and Gao Tao became good friends. During the school holidays, Gao Tao invited Liang Juan to her house. This was the first time Liang Juan met Zhou Hua. She and Zhou Hua fell in love at first sight. Not long after, the two of them secretly started a relationship behind Gao Tao''s back and Gao Tao eventually found out about it. Gao Tao wanted to return to Guang City immediately and tell her father about it. She wanted him to stop funding all the Zhou family''s businesses and destroy the Zhou family. If the Zhou family was destroyed, then Zhou Hua would just be a penniless kid who was worthless. One night, Zhou Hua and Liang Juan waited until Gao Tao was sleeping soundly and set fire to the house. As Gao Tao was locked inside her room, she was burned beyond recognition. "What happened after that? Did she die?" Qiao Mei asked calmly. Liang Shu shook her head and said, "I don''t know. I only know that it was reported in the news that the fire was an accident. Zhou Hua was seen hugging a charred corpse and weeping bitterly over it. The Gao family was also extremely sad." Liang Shu looked at Qiao Mei for a long time before asking, "Wait! What... What''s your relationship with Gao Tao?" "I might be her granddaughter," Qiao Mei said as she stood by the bed. "No wonder... No wonder you look so much like Sister Tao. No wonder you keep asking me about what happened to Sister Tao back then," Liang Shu muttered to herself. "Do you still have the photos of your cousin and Zhou Hua?" Qiao Mei asked. Without needing Liang Shu to answer, Liang Lan brought over all the photo albums. She picked out a photo of Liang Juan and Zhou Hua and said, "This is a photo of my eldest aunt and uncle-in-law. They sent this photo to us when they got married." "I''m taking this photo. I''ve already given you the medicine. Don''t come looking for me again from now on." Qiao Mei left the Liang family house with an empty box. Actually, she could feed Liang Shu two bottles right away, but Qiao Mei did not want to make it so easy for her. The remaining bottle of medicinal wine was enough to cause chaos in the entire Liang family for a while. Qiao Mei only wanted to go home and watch the drama unfold. This could be considered her way of taking revenge on them. Qiao Mei did not drive on the way back. She sat in the front passenger seat and looked out of the window quietly. She remembered that Qiao Qiang had described her grandmother to her before. When Qiao Qiang met Gao Tao, she was covered in scars and could not speak. Her vocal cords were damaged and she never recovered her voice for the rest of her life. Many people in the village bullied her grandmother because of that. Back then, her grandmother had the tenacity to escape such a big fire and did her best to survive. Gao Tao, who had led such a privileged life, became Wen Ran, who then died in the countryside with a scarred face. Thinking of this, Qiao Mei''s heart ached for her. Chapter 1724 The Most Outstanding Student Chapter 1724 The Most Outstanding Student "What happened? Can you tell me?" Xia Zhe asked softly. Xia Zhe was not an outsider. In fact, if Gao Tao was still alive, Xia Zhe would have to address her as Grandmother. Qiao Mei told Xia Zhe everything that had happened between "Wen Ran" and Qiao Qiang, as well as the story she heard at the Liang family house. "Perhaps we can go and look for a teacher who used to work in the Capital Men''s College. Grandpa Zhou used to teach there," Xia Zhe said after hearing that. "Grandpa Zhou used to be a teacher?" Qiao Mei asked Xia Zhe in surprise. She had no idea about this at all. After knowing Zhou Sheng for so long, she actually did not even know anything about Zhou Sheng''s past. "Yes, let''s go back and ask Grandpa Zhou. Perhaps he will know something about this. If Grandpa Zhou doesn''t know, then we can ask Eldest Brother to ask around. Eldest Brother used to be a teacher at Capital University and must know many seniors in the teaching profession. There will definitely be people who know your grandmother," Xia Zhe said. The two of them drove to Zhou Sheng''s house. Coincidentally, they saw Zhou Sheng walking out with a birdcage. Xia Zhe quickly got out of the car and blocked Zhou Sheng''s way. Zhou Hua always left school before class ended. As the Capital Men''s College had received some financial support from the Zhou family, the principal turned a blind eye to Zhou Hua ending class early and also told Zhou Sheng to let it be and not take it too seriously. Zhou Hua would skip class every afternoon. In the beginning, Zhou Sheng had gone to Zhou Hua''s house with the intention of speaking to his parents about this matter. He did not expect to find a girl at home when he went. After chatting with Gao Tao for a while, he realized that she was a very talented youngster. If she was nurtured well, she would definitely have outstanding results in the future. From then on, whenever he had time, he would take the time to teach her different things. There were fewer subjects taught in the women''s college. Although the women''s college termed itself as a school, in reality, it only served to nurture the temperament and mindset of these rich young ladies and to teach them more artistic subjects to make them more cultured. Gao Tao was different from these girls. She really wanted to learn more useful knowledge so that she would be able to contribute to the country. Perhaps Gao Tao was ostracized by everyone in school because her way of thinking was incompatible with the other girls. However, Gao Tao did not give up. Every weekend, she would go to Zhou Sheng''s house to clarify everything she did not understand and she also read many books about machinery. Gao Tao could remember whatever Zhou Sheng taught her after hearing it once. This was a quality that many people did not have. "Gao Tao is my most outstanding student. Unfortunately... that fire caused me to lose such a good student," Zhou Sheng said regretfully. "Then Grandpa Zhou, do you know where Zhou Hua went?" Qiao Mei asked. "Yes I do. Later on, he went overseas and had even written me a few letters. I''ll give you his address." After saying that, Zhou Sheng returned to his room to look for the letters from back then. After a long time, he finally found a letter from Zhou Hua.?iscover new chapters at novelhall.com Chapter 1725 Body Checkup Chapter 1725 Body Checkup Follow the latest novels at novelhall.com Qiao Mei compared this address with the one Liang Lan had written down for her. It was almost exactly the same! The only difference was the house number. The two addresses were located next to each other. "That''s all I know," Zhou Sheng said. "Thank you, Grandpa Zhou. Then we won''t disturb you anymore. We''ll come and visit you another time," Qiao Mei said. The two of them drove home. As soon as they entered the courtyard, Qiao Mei rushed to the study to make a call to Yao Nian. "Hello? Yao Nian, can you come to my house immediately?" Qiao Mei said anxiously. "I''m on vacation now. Can we talk after my vacation?" Yao Nian said impatiently. Every time he was on vacation, there would always be someone looking for him. It was either Qiao Mei asking him to investigate something or Xia Zhe asking him to do some intelligence investigation that was very dangerous. "Three times! Three times the price!" Qiao Mei said. "Even if you give me 10 times the price, I still want to take a break!" Yao Nian said. Qiao Mei closed her eyes and took a deep breath. There was still a long way to go and the time was not ripe yet. It would not be too late to take revenge in the future when the chance presented itself. Early the next morning, there was a visitor at the house. After Qiao Mei returned to the capital, she did not have a day of peace. Many people came and looked for her every day. "Aunt? Why are you here?" Qiao Mei asked in surprise. "If I don''t come here, you won''t go and look for me! I''m here to urge you to go to the hospital for a checkup! You''ve already postponed your checkup several times. If you don''t go this time, I''m going to bring all the machines to your house to do a checkup for you!" Xia Fang said as she pretended to be angry. Qiao Mei immediately hugged Xia Fang''s arm and said, "Do you know I already made plans to go and look for you today? It''s just a coincidence that you''re here too. We are so in sync with each other!" "Then change your clothes and come with me now. The car is waiting. I have asked my eldest brother to lend me the car," Xia Fang said seriously. "Um... can we go later? I want to eat first," Qiao Mei stammered. "No, we might need to draw your blood later. If you eat before that, the test results won''t be accurate. Come with me now!" Xia Fang grabbed Qiao Mei and turned to walk out. Qiao Mei had no choice but to go along. She returned to her room to change her clothes and left with Xia Fang. Before they left, Xia Zhe went to send them off at the door. At that moment, Qiao Mei saw a smug smile on Xia Zhe''s face. She was sure that it was Xia Zhe who had asked Xia Fang to come! "Isn''t Xia Zhe coming with me?" Qiao Mei asked through gritted teeth as she looked at Xia Zhe through the car window. "I hear that he needs to go to the army base in the capital to report on work today, so he won''t be able to accompany you. It''s enough to have me around," Xia Fang said. Chapter 1726 Pregnancy Encyclopedia Chapter 1726 Pregnancy Encyclopedia Qiao Mei had no choice but to give up the struggle and follow Xia Fang to the hospital for a full-body checkup. After a long and busy day, the results of all Qiao Mei''s physical examinations showed that there were no issues and that she was very healthy. "Aunt, can you tell if there''s one baby or two? Boy or girl?" Qiao Mei asked curiously. Xia Fang looked at Qiao Mei suspiciously and asked, "Why are you asking this?" Based on her own work ethics, she did not discuss this aspect of the baby with pregnant women and their families. In this era, sons were favored over daughters. Most families would decide on an abortion once they found out that the baby was a girl. There were times when they even refused to listen to her advice and both the mother and child ended up dead. This happened so many times that Xia Fang was greatly affected by it. "I just want to know if I''m pregnant with twins again. I want to know the type of clothes to sew and whether I should prepare things for a boy or a girl. I''ve already given away everything that Xia Fan and Xia Xing used, so I want to get a new set for this child," Qiao Mei said calmly. Seeing that Qiao Mei was not thinking of getting an abortion, Xia Fang said honestly, "This time, it''s only one baby, a boy and he looks to be very healthy. It''s just that he''s already a little too big. Don''t eat anything too nourishing for the time being. I''m worried that it''ll be too tough for you during childbirth if he gets too big." "Does that mean I can only eat light dishes?" Qiao Mei asked nervously. "Also, don''t stay in the military family compound once you get to the eighth month. It''s too far from the capital. If anything happens, we won''t be able to come to your side immediately," Xia Fang said worriedly. "Alright, I''ll consider coming home to rest during that time," Qiao Mei said. Xia Fang brought Qiao Mei to her office. Some time ago, the high school principal had come to look for her to ask if Qiao Mei was going back to school. The college entrance examination was going to resume next year. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and Qiao Mei must not miss it. "Do you want to go back to school?" Xia Fang asked. "Yes! Of course! I''ll go when school starts this semester!" Qiao Mei said excitedly. With Qiao Mei''s capability, she actually did not need to go to school to get into the best university. However, that would look too phony and it would not be good if someone went to run an investigation on her. She would not be able to explain why she had amassed so much knowledge. Furthermore, Xu Ju''s family had been eyeing her. There was also Shi Rui now. Xu Jiao had studied for so long and might not even be able to pass the college entrance examination. No one would believe that Qiao Mei, an "illiterate person", could get into the best school in one try. In order not to let anyone get something on her, Qiao Mei could only return to the capital to study earnestly. It was actually not a bad thing to return to school. She could experience the joys of school days again. "It''ll be tough for you since you''re also pregnant. If it''s too difficult, you can actually take the exam the year after," Xia Fang said. Chapter 1727 Not Fulfilling Duty Chapter 1727 Not Fulfilling Duty "Aunt, I''m fine. Don''t worry. Looking at the schedule, I can go and take the exam after giving birth and completing the confinement period," Qiao Mei said after thinking about it carefully. "Our family can also hire a tutor. We can get a teacher to teach you at home," Xia Fang said. "It''s better for me to go to school. I don''t want to stand out too much. We''ll see about this later. It''s still a long time before school starts. There''s no hurry to make a decision now, but I definitely want to take the college entrance examination next year!" Qiao Mei said firmly. "Alright. If that''s what you want, I won''t stop you." After saying that, Xia Fang went downstairs with Qiao Mei and drove her back to the courtyard house. Xia Zhe was already waiting at the door. When Qiao Mei saw Xia Zhe, she said unhappily, "Did you do this on purpose!" Xia Zhe smiled and did not say anything. Xia Fang did not want to watch the young couple acting lovingly with each other and drove off. Before she left, she even glared at Xia Zhe, indicating that he should not do anything rash. The two of them returned to the house in each other''s arms. Qiao Mei sized up Xia Zhe confusedly. It was really too abnormal for Xia Zhe to be so clingy. Did Xia Zhe really intend to keep quiet and not tell her why Xia Wen was looking for him? Not only had Qiao Mei saved him many times, but she had also saved Xia Mao when he was on the verge of death. She had also saved Xia He from that terrible marriage and helped Xia Wen to completely cut away the tumor that was the Tan family. Xu Lan was also getting along well with Qiao Mei. As for him? He did not seem to have fulfilled his duty as a husband. Back then, he even wanted to abandon the pregnant Qiao Mei in Foshan Village. From the time Qiao Mei was pregnant to the time she gave birth, he was never by her side. He originally thought that he would be able to take good care of Qiao Mei wholeheartedly this time round, but he did not expect to have to let Qiao Mei give birth alone and take care of the entire family on her own again. "Why do you keep staring at me?" Qiao Mei asked as she drove. "Because you''re good-looking," Xia Zhe said glibly. "I also know that I''m good-looking," Qiao Mei said confidently. Unknowingly, the two of them had arrived at the He family''s orchard. They wanted to drive away, but at this moment, Qiao Mei spotted a woman in the distance who looked familiar. Qiao Mei parked the car a distance away and pointed at the woman, saying, "Do you think that looks like Tan Jing?" Tan Jing was wearing a blue floral dress and white sandals that made her skin look very fair and delicate. Qiao Mei realized that Tan Jing had even put on lipstick today. In the past, Tan Jing never wore makeup. That''s right, it''s her." With Xia Zhe''s outstanding investigative skills, he could immediately determine that the woman in the distance was Tan Jing. Chapter 1728 Xia Wen’s Ex-wife Chapter 1728 Xia Wens Ex-wife This was strange. For a long time, Qiao Mei had asked Yao Nian to collect information on people related to the Xia family as well as gossip about the prominent families in the capital. Tan Jing was on her list. After Xia Wen and Tan Jing divorced, Jiang Yi kept insisting that Tan Jing get married again. Tan Jing also had the same intention. After all, she was only in her early 30s and did not want to stay single for the rest of her life. With her ability, there was no way she could support herself. She had to find someone to support her. Jiang Yi did not care about the kind of person her future son-in-law was. It was good for her as long as he could give them money. It would be best if he could give her a betrothal gift of a few thousand dollars! However, Tan Jing could not accept it. She had already enjoyed the glorious experience of being Mrs. Xia for so many years. How could she be willing to marry into an unknown and down-and-out family? Even if she had to remarry, she must marry someone with status in the capital! She could not let the Xia family look down on her! There were not many wealthy men in the capital who were in their 30s and still single. Moreover, Tan Jing had already been married before. Which rich family would be willing to let her marry into the family? In addition, Tan Jing had not taken good care of herself over the years. If Xu Lan stood next to her, people would say that she was Xu Lan''s elder sister! "What do you think she''s doing at the He residence?" Qiao Mei muttered to herself as she stared at Tan Jing. "I know that He Ning is at home. I specially asked around before I came. I have something important to tell He Ning. Go in and inform him that... Xia Wen''s ex-wife is here," Tan Jing said awkwardly. Xia Wen from the Xia family? The two guards looked at each other. They knew this person. The He family and the Xia family had been on bad terms for a long time. If the ex-Mrs. Xia was looking for He Ning at this time, perhaps it was for something important? After considering for a long time, they decided to give Tan Jing access. Tan Jing never dreamed that she would have to use the Xia family''s name in order to see He Ning. "Wait here for a moment. I''ll go in and check." The guard ran towards He Ning after saying that. He Ning lay lazily on the sofa and enjoyed his rest time. All the recent stormy incidents had died down. It was rare that he did not have anything to do and could have a good rest. Tan Jing''s arrival was going to ruin his beautiful day. "Sir, there''s a person outside the door who claims to be Xia Wen''s ex-wife. She says that she has important information for you," the guard said respectfully. "Huh? Let her in," He Ning said with a resigned sigh. He got up and asked the helper to bring him a blanket to cover his legs. He leaned back comfortably on the sofa and waited for Tan Jing to enter. Chapter 1729 I Want to Marry You Chapter 1729 I Want to Marry You "I guess I should call you Miss Tan now. Why are you here today?" He Ning asked. Tan Jing had seen He Ning before. He used to be a very skinny man who went around in a wheelchair and looked like a walking corpse. Now that He Ning''s health was gradually improving and he looked radiant, this was the first time she felt that he actually looked elegant and handsome. "Miss Tan, are you listening to me?" He Ning raised his voice at Tan Jing impatiently. "Oh! I... I''m here to make a deal with you," Tan Jing said shyly. He Ning could feel goosebumps all over his body. This was the first time he had seen Tan Jing like this. He was used to seeing beautiful women. It was rare for him to see someone like Tan Jing, who was at the age when she had wrinkles all over her face and yet she still deliberately applied so much makeup on her face. Tan Jing''s face was so white that it looked as if it was painted on. When he saw Tan Jing''s seductive smile just now, he felt like getting a washcloth to wipe away all her makeup. "A deal? What kind of deal do you plan to make with me? You must know that I''m not interested in business that loses money," He Ning said cautiously. He had just gone to do Qiao Mei a favor and Tan Jing had now come knocking on his door to cause trouble. He could not afford to make Qiao Mei angry at this juncture. Once He Mei''s child was born, Qiao Mei would definitely vent her anger on him. For now, he wanted to avoid as much trouble as possible. If the Xia family was destroyed, then Xia Zhe would be worthless. By then, it would be useless even if he got hold of Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei would also hate him greatly. He Ning was not a fool and would not do such a thing. Seeing that He Ning did not speak, Tan Jing thought that he was happy with her proposal. She continued, "I just need to be Mrs. He. I don''t care if you have another woman or children outside. Just give me a sum of money every month and I''ll stay at home obediently and not go anywhere. Don''t worry, I won''t do anything to hurt you!" "I have indeed thought about getting married, but definitely not with you. I don''t need to know the Xia family''s secrets. You should go and look for someone else," He Ning said. Tan Jing lowered her head in disappointment. She got up to leave to look for another family. There would always be people who would be interested in the Xia family''s secrets. Just as Tan Jing was about to leave the He family''s house, He Ning stopped her and said, "Although I can''t marry you, I can introduce you to someone." "Who?" Tan Jing asked. "The current chief of the capital''s police department, Huang Quan. His wife just died and he''s looking for a new wife. He''s about five years older than you and is a perfect match for you. He''s my subordinate. As long as I say the word, he will definitely marry you," He Ning said. Tan Jing was overjoyed. She had never dreamed that she would be able to be the wife of the police chief in her life! She quickly agreed to this matter and left the He family residence feeling satisfied. Chapter 1730 You Reap What You Sow Chapter 1730 You Reap What You Sow He Ning was not a fool. He was not going to let Tan Jing be the wife of the police chief for nothing. Huang Quan was indeed his subordinate, but this man was also a two-faced person. At work, he earned praises for being capable, but at home, he was like a demon. It was not without reason that all his wives died young. Huang Quan was a violent man and took pleasure in torturing his wives. All his previous wives had either committed suicide or died from the torture. Tan Jing''s end would only be as tragic as theirs, or maybe even worse. He Ning felt that since he had helped the Xia family settle such a big troublemaker, Qiao Mei would definitely feel thankful towards him! He decided to go to Qiao Mei''s house soon and tell her the good news. Everything he was doing now was to ensure that when He Mei gave birth to Xia Zhe''s child, Qiao Mei would be willing to come to his house to be his chef. "Listen up. From today onwards, this woman is not allowed to step foot in here again. If I find her barging in again, your heads will roll," He Ning said sternly to his subordinates. "Yes!" his men shouted in unison. ?iscover new chapters at novelhall.com Qiao Mei silently retracted the vines. She had seen and heard everything. She had never dreamt that Tan Jing would use the Xia family''s secrets to defect to the Xia family''s enemies. She did not have any strong feelings about it and only felt a sense of pity for Xia Wen. Tan Jing had never felt Xia Wen''s deep affection and all the efforts he had put in for her. Xia Zhe had always told Qiao Mei everything he knew. Qiao Mei was not particularly interested in the Xia family''s secrets, so she did not ask Xia Zhe about these things. "Eldest Brother knows his limits. He definitely won''t tell Tan Jing about the family''s issues. I think Tan Jing is just bluffing He Ning. However, her good days are coming to an end. She''s going to marry Huang Quan," Xia Zhe said. Qiao Mei had been paying attention to the movements of the various major factions in the capital and naturally knew about Huang Quan''s background. This Huang Quan was one of He Ning''s lackeys, but He Ning was about to drop him. Huang Quan acted ostentatiously and always used the He family''s name to do things that harmed other people. He Ning had been aware of it for a long time, but it was just not the right time to get rid of him yet. "It''s none of our business. She has chosen this path herself. There''s nothing we can do to save her. Besides, when she wants to use our family''s benefits to exchange for her future, she should have known that it will not end well," Qiao Mei said calmly. Xia Zhe nodded. The two of them went to the mall and bought many new clothes for the two children. Then, they also bought a new sewing machine and a solid wooden cabinet, as well as the latest freezer. They would move all these things to the military family compound when they returned. They had already spent quite a long time in the capital. Qiao Mei knew that Xia Zhe was hiding something from her, so she decided to return to the military family compound two days before the original planned date. All the things she bought previously had already been delivered. Before she left, she had even ordered a few fruit trees from the nursery and these had been all delivered too. Xia Zhe had help from the guards from the main gate to carry everything into the house. Everyone came out to watch the commotion, including Miao Le. "Sister, didn''t you say you''d be gone for 10 days? Why are you back so early?" Liu Yun asked curiously. During the past few days, it was Liu Yun who had been helping Qiao Mei take care of the vegetables and fruits in the courtyard. The livestock and pigs in the backyard were well fed and the pigsty was very clean. It was obvious that Liu Yun had put in a lot of effort during this period of time. Chapter 1731 Hurry Home to Cook Chapter 1731 Hurry Home to Cook There were too many people around now, so it was not an appropriate time for Qiao Mei to pass her gifts to Liu Yun. She pulled Liu Yun aside and whispered, "Sister-in-law, I have brought back some peaches and apples. I''ll bring some to you later." "No, no! I didn''t help much. These fruits are so expensive. Give them to Xia Fan and Xia Xing!" Liu Yun said. "Sister-in-law, don''t stand on ceremony with me. These are fruits which I planted myself, not bought from the store! Just eat them without any worries. Besides, the ones I grow are more nutritious than the ones sold outside! I''ll show you later!" Qiao Mei said. Liu Yun only agreed to accept the gifts after hearing that Qiao Mei had planted them herself. Fruits were very expensive now. She would only buy them during the new year and festive seasons! Qiao Mei went home first to keep all her new things. Wang Nuo came to Liu Yun''s side and said, "Qiao Mei is really capable. She''s the most capable young wife I''ve ever seen. I''m not half as good as her. I have to learn from her in the future." e on, your two boys are so obedient because you teach them well. Look at that brat in my house! I don''t even know where he has gone today. You must tell me how to make my children as obedient as yours," Liu Yun said enviously. "If you want to talk about being obedient, Qiao Mei''s two babies are so obedient. I''ve never seen such well-behaved babies!" Zhang Cai said as she walked over. "As if she''s still a child. If she''s a sensible person, she should take good care of Zhuang Zhuang! I just find her annoying. She can ask her brother-in-law to come and look for me if she wants! My husband dotes on me the most and definitely won''t let me be bullied!" Wang Nuo said proudly. Wang Nuo''s husband was Tian Jun''s superior, which was why Wang Nuo dared to scold Miao Le, knowing that Miao Le would not dare to retaliate! When it was time for lunch, everyone went home to cook. Miao Le had no choice but to take out two eggs from the egg basket to make steamed egg for Zhuang Zhuang. If Zhuang Zhuang''s health did not improve, she would be sent back to her hometown! Tian Jun already knew about the money she hid away. If anything should happen to Zhuang Zhuang, she would really have no way out! After Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe finished their meal at home, she brought some fruits to Liu Yun''s house. Liu Yun was the only one at home at noon, so she only had a simple meal of noodles. "Sister-in-law, I''m here with fruits!" Qiao Mei handed the fruits to Liu Yun. Liu Yun took one out from the bag. This was the first time she had seen such a big peach and it looked so fresh and delicious. "You grow this yourself? It looks so good!" Liu Yun said in surprise. "My husband''s grandmother left us a house with a big courtyard. I have nothing to do at home, so I plant a few fruit trees. These are from the current harvest. Perhaps it''s because the seeds are good varieties. The harvest this year is especially good!" Qiao Mei said happily. Chapter 1732 I Want to Plant Trees Too Chapter 1732 I Want to Plant Trees Too When Qiao Mei unloaded the things from her car, Liu Yun was watching from the side. She had seen Qiao Mei unload a lot of fruits with her own eyes. The quality of those fruits looked to be very good. It seemed that Qiao Mei was not lying to her and these were all homegrown. "Is it easy to take care of fruit trees?" Liu Yun asked. "Of course! I even bought many saplings before I came back this time! There are peaches, apples, cherries and a flower tree! I plan to plant all these in the backyard. It will be best if they can bear fruit. If they can''t bear fruit, then these trees can provide shade for my children when they are older," Qiao Mei said with a smile. Qiao Mei intended to plant the flower tree in the front yard. She did not want to leave the front yard as empty as it was now. When she had time, she wanted to go to the county city and buy some bricks to lay over the ground and then put a swing in the front yard. If she could, she also wanted to build a pavilion in the front yard. Qiao Mei wanted to do all these so that the children would have a place to play in the future. "Where did you buy these fruit trees? I also want to plant a few at home," Liu Yun continued to ask. She had lived here for so many years but had never thought about planting fruit trees. It was mainly because she had never even seen fruit trees before. In her village, there were mainly only bushes around. Even though she had seen trees on the mountain, there were no fruit trees there, so the idea of planting trees had never crossed her mind. However, the women from the apartment building were different. Many of them did not get along with the women from the single-story houses. It was common for them to quarrel and bicker. Sometimes, they even got into fights! The women from the single-story house hated people like Jin Yao, who only knew how to eat, drink and have fun and did not know how to take care of her family. "It''s nothing. We''re just chatting casually. Sister-in-law, why are you here?" Qiao Mei said. "Oh, I don''t have anything to do so I''m just here to have some fun. You people can keep talking, I''ll just listen in." Jin Yao ignored everyone''s objections and brought a stool over to sit down. "Sister Jin Yao, you even bring a bag with you when you come out for a walk. It seems that you''re afraid that you''ll starve on the way. You really do eat wherever you go," Liu Yun said mockingly. Jin Yao did not care at all. She had heard such words too often. As long as she could get Qiao Mei to give her rides to the county city, it was not a big deal to hear some nasty comments. "Looking at these apples, I remember that when I was young and living in the village, my neighbor had a big apple tree. The few of us children went to their house to pick apples and eat them secretly! Because of this, we got beaten up a lot when we were young," Wang Nuo said. "Then let''s plant some trees too! I have asked Qiao Mei for advice and I''m thinking about buying a few fruit tree saplings!" Liu Yun said quickly. Chapter 1733 Eating Apples Chapter 1733 Eating Apples None of these women was a petty person. Usually, if anyone had any excess food, they would share it with everyone. It was naturally a good thing if everyone could plant trees together! The truth was that Liu Yun had her own selfish motives. If her fruit trees and Qiao Mei''s fruit trees bore fruit in the future, it was inevitable that there would be neighbors who wanted to try some. If all the neighbors came and ate the fruits, there would not be many left for her family. Her intention was to supplement her children''s diet! Her family was not as rich as Qiao Mei''s family who did not mind sharing the fruits with others. If everyone planted fruit trees together and every family had fruits to eat, no one would covet the fruits from her trees. "Sure! This is a good idea! But... can we grow fruit trees here? I don''t have any experience," Wang Nuo said worriedly. "It''s fine, Sister-in-law. I''ve planted fruit trees before. My husband is planting the trees in the backyard right now. It''s so much easier to take care of fruit trees as compared with crops," Qiao Mei said. "How big can the fruits grow? What if the tree doesn''t bear fruit?" Zhang Cai asked. After Jin Yao wolfed down all the fruits, there was fruit juice all over her face. She looked at Qiao Mei eagerly and asked, "Do you still have any more fruits?" "No, that''s all I have. Everything is here," Qiao Mei said awkwardly. Liu Yun knew that Qiao Mei was lying. There was no way that all the fruits she saw earlier were already all gone. Qiao Mei even gave her family a whole lot earlier. However, she would not betray Qiao Mei. She lowered her head and ate the apple in her hand silently. After hearing from Qiao Mei that she did not have any fruits left, Jin Yao got up and went home without even saying "thank you" to Qiao Mei. She had even eaten all the three small apples that she brought with her. She was sure that since Qiao Mei''s apples were so big and sweet, Qiao Mei definitely would not be interested in the small apples she had. Although she did not manage to ask Qiao Mei to let her hitch a ride to the county city, it was not a loss for her since she got the chance to eat such delicious fruits. "Mei Mei, she''s too shameless! You can''t even bear to eat such good fruits yourself! She ate them all!" Wang Nuo said as she looked at the empty basket with heartache. "She''s always like this! She simply doesn''t treat herself as an outsider! The last time she went to someone''s house, she ate up all the good stuff that they put aside for the new year! She''s like a hungry ghost reincarnated!" Zhang Cai said angrily. "Isn''t that so! Her husband earns a lot, but it''s still not enough for her to eat. This woman is such a spendthrift! She eats everything that''s nice and eats so much that her family can''t make ends meet. Her husband even borrowed money from my husband some time ago!" Liu Yun said. "So serious?" Qiao Mei asked in shock. Chapter 1734 Dangerous Mission Chapter 1734 Dangerous Mission "That''s right! There are many more serious incidents!" Liu Yun told Qiao Mei all the things which happened before she came. Everyone chipped in and Qiao Mei felt like a kid in a candy store. All the revelations were like candies in the store and there was so much that she could not "eat" them all. The group only dispersed in the evening when everyone had to go home to cook. By then, Xia Zhe had also finished planting the fruit trees in the backyard in the way that Qiao Mei had instructed. Even the distance between the trees was done according to what Qiao Mei wanted. "Not bad, Comrade Xia Zhe. Keep it up!" Qiao Mei praised him happily. "Yes, Comrade Qiao Mei. If there''s any other mission, just let me know!" Xia Zhe said. "Indeed there is. The swing you made previously is too small. Make a bigger swing for the courtyard. Also, the ground outside is uneven and may cause a sprained ankle. Go and get some bricks tomorrow," Qiao Mei said as she pointed at the empty space in front of the small flower tree. "Alright, I''ll go and buy the materials tomorrow. I''ll definitely complete the mission!" Xia Zhe said seriously. The next morning, Xia Zhe asked his subordinates to come over to smooth down the ground in the courtyard and lay down anti-slip stone bricks. He even built a roof over the swing to shield it from the sun. In return, Qiao Mei made a table full of food for the soldiers who came to help. All of them were very curious about the woman who made Xia Zhe rush home so wholeheartedly. Xia Zhe nodded and did not say anything. Qiao Mei could tell that Xia Zhe was holding back. This mission must be extremely dangerous, otherwise Xia Wen would not have been alerted. "How long will you be away?" Qiao Mei asked again. "At least a year or two," Xia Zhe said. One to two years... and this was the minimum. If it took longer, would he still be able to come back in this lifetime? Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe in disbelief, but she also knew that he had no right to decide anything. Everything depended on the arrangements made by the higher-ups. "Where exactly?" Qiao Mei asked. "This... I can''t tell you," Xia Zhe said. "Not even roughly where?" Qiao Mei questioned. "It''s not within the country. It''s in Country Y," Xia Zhe said. In this era, the soldiers were not allowed to go to battlefields overseas. Xia Zhe''s mission must be very dangerous and highly risky. Qiao Mei said in despair, "How great of you. When you come back, you just have to return to your role of being a father." "I''m sorry," Xia Zhe lowered his head and said sadly. Chapter 1735 "Positioning" Seed Chapter 1735 "Positioning" Seed Qiao Mei sighed. She moved forward and hugged Xia Zhe as she said, "Those are just angry words. Don''t worry and go on the mission. The children and I will be safe at home. After some time, I''ll go back to our house in the capital and let the family take care of me. That way, you can feel more at ease and you don''t have to worry about us." Xia Zhe hugged Qiao Mei tightly and the two of them spent a tender and romantic night together. Qiao Mei woke up not long after falling asleep. She looked at Xia Zhe, who was still sleeping soundly, and tiptoed to the west room. A long time ago, when Qiao Mei was extracting ginseng juice, she obtained a strange seed by accident. This seed looked like a clear and unblemished ruby. One day, Qiao Mei left this seed at home when she went to work in the factory. That day, she could actually sense the location and the state of the seed while she was at the factory office. "My little darling, I''m depending on you this time." Qiao Mei found a flower pot and kept urging this seed to grow. After doing it more than 100 times, a bigger and clearer seed was produced. The connection between Qiao Mei and this seed became even stronger. Unfortunately, the seed was one of a kind. No matter how hard Qiao Mei tried, she could not produce a second one. Qiao Mei then extracted more 10,000-year-old ginseng juice and kept it in a small bottle. In addition, she also produced a few 100,000-year-old ginsengs and extracted their essence before condensing it into one small pill. Xia Zhe woke up at dawn and Qiao Mei watched him pack his luggage. After he was done, she took out the seed and said, "This is an amulet I requested from the temple master. It''s a very powerful amulet and you must carry it with you at all times. I had wanted to string it on a necklace, but there''s no time now. You can bring it around in this state." "I... I''m going off," Xia Zhe said dully. Qiao Mei sat on the brick bed with her back facing Xia Zhe and said in a choked voice, "Alright, be careful. We''ll all wait for you to come back." Xia Zhe went to take a look at Xia Fan and Xia Xing, who were still sleeping. Before he left, he looked at Qiao Mei''s back reluctantly before leaving the house resolutely. When Qiao Mei heard the sound of the main door closing, tears fell from her eyes. She did not know when they would meet again after this farewell. She could not help Xia Zhe with anything and could only hope that everything would go smoothly for him and that he could come back safe and sound. Xia Zhe took his luggage and got into the car that the higher-ups had arranged for him. His eyes were then covered and he was sent to an unknown small village. He carried his bag and walked into a tiled house where there was a man and a woman sitting inside. The man looked to be in his 50s while the woman was only in her early 20s and looked very charming. However, Xia Zhe did not feel anything. After all, no other woman in the world was as beautiful as Qiao Mei. "Hello, I''m your contact person, codenamed Vulture," the man said. "Hello," Xia Zhe said as he put down his bag and shook hands with the man. "This is your partner, codenamed Rose. Her current name is Su Rui. Your codename is Dark Night. Your current name is Fang Chen. I''ll give you the details of your new identities in a while. I''ll only say it once. Both of you must remember it well," Vulture said sternly. Chapter 1736 Stealing Chapter 1736 Stealing Xia Zhe silently noted down what Vulture said. Vulture then confiscated the luggage which Xia Zhe and Su Rui brought and gave them new bags containing their new clothes and information about their new identities. Su Rui was the daughter of a rich family and her father was an important member of the government. His colleagues had accused him of committing a crime and her entire family was captured to be imprisoned. She was the only one who managed to escape via the secret passage in the house and managed to survive until now. Since then, she worked as a barmaid and there were always customers who tried to molest her. In a fit of anger, Su Rui killed one of the customers and had been in hiding until now. She was seeking a way to go to Country Y to have a fresh start. Fang Chen was the child of parents who were academics. Due to domestic policies, his entire family was persecuted, He lost his family and became an orphan. He had no one to rely on and lived on the streets. He wanted to take this opportunity to sneak into Country Y for career development and take revenge on the country to avenge his parents. Since both Xia Zhe and Su Rui had good family backgrounds in real life, they did not have to try too hard to pretend to be rich children. They already looked like people who were knowledgeable and had extraordinary backgrounds. It would be easier for them to attract the attention of their targets, who were in the upper echelons, and these people would protect them to a certain extent. After memorizing the details of their identities, Xia Zhe and Su Rui burned the information sheets and headed south with their luggage. They had to reach the area near the docks before dark so as to ensure that they could sneak into Country Y in the night. The smugglers'' boat did not operate every day. "Then I''ll cook for you! You have to eat. Even if you don''t eat, don''t the two children at home have to eat?" Miao Le said. Qiao Mei really did not have the energy to argue with Miao Le, so she let Miao Le do whatever she wanted. The chickens and ducks which Qiao Mei bought were already laying eggs and they were very productive. The chickens laid eggs every day, so Qiao Mei already had a whole box of eggs at home which she could not finish eating. Miao Le took 10 eggs, broke them all together in a bowl and whisked. She had never eaten such delicious scrambled eggs before! Every family would only eat eggs during the festive seasons. Even if they made scrambled eggs, they would mix the eggs with water to fluff up the amount. No one ever ate such pure scrambled eggs. After Miao Le was done cooking, she brought the dish to the table in the house. When she entered, she saw all kinds of jewelry on Qiao Mei''s dressing table. There were gold, silver and jade items. This was probably the kind of dressing table that all women dreamed of having. "Hmph, how dare you take my money. You should compensate me with these things! It''s my right to take them! How dare you bully me! How dare you marry so well! You don''t deserve to use these things! These things should belong to me!" Miao Le said self-righteously. She looked out of the window and saw that Qiao Mei was not paying attention to her. She immediately took a bunch of the jewelry on the dressing table and stuffed as many as she could into her pocket. Xia Fan and Xia Xing just sat on the brick bed and watched as Miao Le committed theft. The two of them did not say anything and just watched quietly. Miao Le was a little bothered at first, but on second thought, what would the two babies know? They did not even know how to speak. Even if they babbled, Qiao Mei would not be able to understand them. Chapter 1737 Come to Do a Search Chapter 1737 Come to Do a Search If Qiao Mei asked her about the jewelry, she would say that she did not know. Perhaps Xia Zhe had a gambling habit and he could be the one who had stolen them to pay off his gambling debts! After Miao Le took whatever she could stash away, she shouted towards the outside, "Sister-in-law! Come in and eat!" When Qiao Mei saw the food which Miao Le cooked, the corners of her mouth twitched slightly. No wonder Zhuang Zhuang was so skinny. Even dogs would not want to eat such disgusting food, let alone adults and children. Qiao Mei did not eat anything which Miao Le cooked and made some solid food for Xia Fan and Xia Xing. Miao Le finished all the food by herself and left Qiao Mei''s house without even helping to clean up. When Qiao Mei fed Xia Xing, Xia Xing kept pointing at the dressing table and babbling to express her unhappiness. Qiao Mei looked in the direction which Xia Xing was pointing and saw that there were indeed many items missing from the dressing table. "My baby is so amazing. You even know how to help Mom guard her things! Don''t worry, Mom will get all her things back," Qiao Mei said with a smile. "Are you mistaken? My sister is young and immature, but she hasn''t gone to the extent of stealing things. May I ask which family she stole from?" Tian Jun asked. "From Commander Xia''s house," Six said truthfully. "Who called the police?" Tian Jun asked again. "Of course it''s Sister-in-law who called the police. Otherwise, who else can it be? Can it be those two children? Brother Tian, please let us do a search and cooperate with us. If we don''t find anything after we''re done, won''t that also clear your sister''s name?" Six said impatiently. Tian Jun immediately said, "My younger sister definitely didn''t do it. It''s Qiao Mei who''s framing her. Some time ago, my sister offended her and now she''s setting us up!" Regardless of whether Miao Le had stolen anything today, once he allowed Six to search his house, he would never be able to raise his head out of shame for the rest of his life. Tian Jun was unwilling to admit that Miao Le had stolen anything even if he had to die. He could not afford to lose his reputation! If this matter was true, he did not want to stay alive anymore! "Whether your sister did this or not, we''ll talk about it after we''re done searching. How can it be up to you to say whether she stole or not? If Sister-in-law Qiao Mei really framed your family, I''ll get her to come and apologize to your family, alright?" Six said. Six believed that Qiao Mei would not report Miao Le to them for no reason. She must have solid evidence before she troubled them to take action. Chapter 1738 Solid Evidence Chapter 1738 Solid Evidence The neighbors all opened their doors and came out to watch the commotion. Jin Yao sat at the door with loads of snacks to watch the drama unfold. She was just short of buying some seeds to share with everyone! Miao Le had not been nice to her all this while. She wanted everyone to laugh at their family! "Hey! Come and take a look! What''s happening to their family!" Jin Yao shouted loudly. "I always say that Miao Le is not a good person! None of you believe me. Look, she''s been reported now!" "How embarrassing! How can Tian Jun have such a family? It''s so pitiful for Zhuang Zhuang to have such an aunt." "Which family doesn''t have problems? Everyone has many poor relatives in the family. Which family doesn''t face any difficulties? How can they think that only their family is pitiful? No matter how difficult it has been for our family, nothing like this has ever happened to us!" "You''re right!" "Look at what''s going on! We must close our doors and windows properly, lest Miao Le enters our house to steal our things in the future!" "Which family did she steal from? How much did she steal?" "Why did you go there! Didn''t I say that you''re not allowed to go to their house again? Why did you go!" Tian Jun looked at Miao Le in disbelief. Miao Le was so frightened that she fell to the floor and all the things in her pocket dropped out. These jewelry were definitely not things that the women from the military family compound could afford. Only Qiao Mei was rich enough to buy such things. Jin Yao immediately stood up and looked into the house. She pointed at the jewelry on the ground and shouted, "Oh my! So many pieces of jewelry! She must have stolen them! Miao Le is a thief!" "Oh my goodness, it''s really her!" "A person of such bad character doesn''t deserve to stay in our military family compound!" "I had lost something at home before. Do you think it was Miao Le who took it?" "That''s hard to say! We should all go home today to see if anything has gone missing!" Everyone talked loudly outside and Six did not stop them. He was here today to help Qiao Mei with her grievance and also to act on behalf of everyone. Six had disliked Tian Jun for a long time. It was one thing for Tian Jun to repeatedly reject everyone''s good intentions with a cold expression and not appreciate their kindness. The thing was that since Tian Jun felt that everyone only helped him out of charity and pity for him, he also gave everyone a bad attitude. Whoever helped him was like an enemy who had killed his father and would definitely get cold treatment from him. "Brother Tian, the evidence is all here. There''s nothing else for us to ask. We have to take the things and bring your sister with us," Six said.Follow the latest novels at novelhall.com Chapter 1739 Change the Caregiver Chapter 1739 Change the Caregiver "Wait! Six, my sister is young and insensible. She must have been muddle-headed for a moment. Take the things and return them to Qiao Mei. We''ll go and apologize to her later. I still have two bottles of good liquor at home. I don''t drink, so you can take them as well. Can you not blow this matter up?" Tian Jun pulled Six to one side and whispered. Follow the latest novels at novelhall.com Six was not going to let him do this! He must send Miao Le to jail today! He must shame Tian Jun! This was the task that Zhao Wu had given him. No matter how ignorant he was, he knew that he could not offend Zhao Wu. "Brother Tian, it''s not that I don''t want to help you, but your sister has really done something very serious this time. Tell me, how can I protect her? I must report it to my superiors. Don''t make things difficult for me." After saying that, Six walked towards Miao Le. Miao Le continued to lie on the ground and did not speak. Six asked, "Are you going to take out the things yourself, or should I get someone to search you?" Before Six could finish speaking, Miao Le went still and pretended to be unconscious. She knew that Six had only brought men with him and they definitely could not touch her! However, her plan did not work. Six walked to the door and shouted towards the crowd in the corridor, "Are there any female comrades outside? Can you come forward and take out everything from Miao Le''s pocket! My team consists of men, so it''s not convenient!" Tian Jun could not do anything about this matter. Their family was in need of money to begin with. He could not possibly sell the house just to bail out Miao Le! However, Miao Le was Miao Ting''s only younger sister and he could not make the decision on this matter. He still had to tell the Miao family about what happened to Miao Le. That very night, the Miao family arranged for another young girl to go to the military family compound to help Tian Jun take care of his son. This young girl was Miao Ting''s distant cousin and was 16 years old this year. She was good at taking care of people. The Miao family did not care about Miao Le at all. To them, she was just a useless girl and a money-losing good-for-nothing. They only wanted to protect Tian Jun, their money tree! As long as Tian Jun was still around, their future was secure and Tian Jun would continue to send money to the family. The new girl''s name was Zou Ping. After she arrived, Zhuang Zhuang gradually gained a lot of weight and looked much better. The house was also neat and tidy and everyone had a good impression of Zou Ping. Tian Jun completely forgot about Miao Le and left her in prison. It was almost autumn and there was no heating in the house here. When the house was built, there was no wall and floor heating included. If Qiao Mei and the children spent winter here, they would probably freeze to death. Qiao Mei began to think about returning to the capital. The vegetables in the field were all ready for harvest and easy to deal with, but the livestock at home was her main headache. She needed someone to take care of them. Early in the morning, she went to Liu Yun''s house. She did not bother to exchange pleasantries with Liu Yun, but just smiled and asked, "Sister-in-law, I''m leaving soon and might only be back in the spring or maybe even after that. I''m wondering if you can help me take care of the livestock at my house." "No problem! There''s no need to stand on ceremony with me! Don''t worry, I''ll definitely raise them well and fatten them up! You can come back and take a look during the new year!" Liu Yun said with a smile. Chapter 1740 Sell Things in Secret Chapter 1740 Sell Things in Secret "Thank you, Sister-in-law. I can''t let you help me for nothing. Let''s share ownership of the livestock at my house evenly! Take it as a gift from me," Qiao Mei said readily. She did not care about these possessions at all, but was more concerned about the house being left vacant. She could not possibly hire a helper to look after the house. That would be too extravagant. In a tiled house like this, the brick bed needed to be heated up every few days to bring some energy into the house. Otherwise, when she returned in spring, the house would be unlivable. "What are you doing! Those chickens and ducks are so expensive! It doesn''t take much effort for me to help you take care of them! If you do this, you make it seem like I''m only after your things!" Liu Yun said unhappily. "Sister-in-law, that''s not what I mean. I''m giving you these things willingly. Otherwise, I also won''t be able to finish them myself. I want you to take all the eggs too, otherwise they''ll be wasted when I''m not here," Qiao Mei said. Liu Yun thought for a moment and said, "That''s doable! But you have to come back once a month to bring some eggs home to eat. These eggs are from your own chickens and ducks. They''re definitely more delicious and nutritious than the ones you buy outside. Treat them as nourishment for yourself!" "Alright, I''ll do what you say," Qiao Mei said in relief. After saying that, Qiao Mei went home to pack her luggage to move back to the capital. After a while, news spread that Qiao Mei was going to give some livestock to Liu Yun. Everyone was very envious of Liu Yun, but there was nothing they could do about it. After all, the two women were on good terms! Qiao Mei frowned slightly and said, "It''ll only take me a day or two to do it myself. I can still come back here. Sister Song Zhi, why don''t you go and ask someone else?" Song Zhi still wanted to continue speaking, but Liu Yun had come behind Song Zhi and said, "She hasn''t even left yet and you already want to take advantage of her! You''re too shameless!" Liu Yun''s voice was especially loud, so when she shouted, everyone opened their doors and came out to take a look. Seeing this, Song Zhi ran away embarrassedly. Qiao Mei sighed helplessly. When she first arrived, she thought that Song Zhi was a nice person. It was really true that one could not judge a book by its cover. The other women were also jealous of Qiao Mei and Liu Yun, but the seeds which Qiao Mei gave them when she first came were indeed quite good. The harvest was much more delicious than anything they had planted before, and the volume and sizes were also better than before. Qiao Mei also gave them a lot of things from time to time, so no one was too bothered about it. "Don''t lower yourself to her level and don''t be nice to her. She''s such a person. Her family is facing some difficulties, so she''s looking for ways to plant more crops so that she can sell them to make money," Liu Yun said to Qiao Mei. "Sell for money? How? I don''t usually see her going out," Qiao Mei said in puzzlement. "You won''t know this, but she cycles out in the wee hours of the morning every day with all kinds of things strapped down behind her. She only comes back in the afternoon. It''s the same every day. I can tell at a glance that she goes out to sell things," Liu Yun said softly. "This is not allowed in the army, right..." Qiao Mei said. The economy was not fully opened up yet and trading was only allowed in some areas on a trial basis. Song Zhi''s actions were still considered opportunistic behavior! She would be arrested and criticized! Song Zhi''s husband would also be punished! This was a very serious matter. Chapter 1741 Something Major Happened Chapter 1741 Something Major Happened "Song Zhi''s family is in a difficult situation. Coupled with the kind of husband she has, her life is really not easy. In the past, I used to ostracize her, but I don''t say anything now. It''s truly not easy for everyone nowadays," Liu Yun said. "I know. I won''t get angry with her. Sister-in-law, are you looking for me?" Qiao Mei asked. Liu Yun took out a stack of money from her pocket, rolled it up and stuffed it into Qiao Mei''s hand, hoping that Qiao Mei would accept it. Even without looking, Qiao Mei could tell what it was just by the feel of it. "Sister-in-law! This is not a nice thing to do! And it''s also against the rules!" Qiao Mei said seriously. After coming to this place, Qiao Mei realized that the neighbors here did not trade with one another. It was completely different from when she was in Foshan Village. The villagers of Foshan Village would buy things from or exchange items with one another. However, in the military family compound, they only gave one another gifts without involving money. "I''m fine. Bring the children inside and go upstairs. Other than me, no one else is allowed to go into their room," Qiao Mei said sternly. "Alright, I understand." Wan Wen ran back into the house with the two children and headed upstairs without even greeting her properly. Qiao Mei walked into the house slowly. As soon as she entered, she saw Xu Ju and Xu Jiao kicking up a fuss in the living room as if they had gone crazy. She could not be bothered to greet them and quietly changed her shoes at the door. Xu Lan looked at Qiao Mei in surprise and said, "Why are you back today?" "Why can''t she come back today! What do you mean by that! Your family just doesn''t welcome me! Qiao Mei, it''s good that you''re back! Ask Xia Wen to come back quickly! We have to get an explanation today! Otherwise, we won''t leave!" Xu Ju said angrily. Qiao Mei sat on the sofa and did not make a sound. She did not want to say anything to agitate Xu Ju into doing something even crazier. Almost everything in the house had been smashed up. Fortunately, Sister Wan Wen did not bring out the bone china tea set today. Otherwise, Xu Lan would definitely feel sad. "Why are you sitting down? Your elders didn''t say you can sit! What right do you have to sit! Stand up! You didn''t answer when I spoke to you just now!" Xu Ju said as she pointed at Qiao Mei. Since Qiao Mei could not avoid the problem, she looked at Xu Ju and said, "Eldest Aunt, let''s sit down and take a rest. It''s not time for my eldest brother to get off work yet. Won''t he be back once he knocks off? It''s useless for you to be anxious. You might as well sit down and have some tea and rest." Chapter 1742 Invalid Proof Chapter 1742 Invalid Proof "Such a major thing has happened at home and your eldest brother is still at work? Tell him to come back immediately!" Xu Ju roared. "There are also many things to do in government services. Compared to our family''s issues, the country''s issues are more important and need my eldest brother''s attention more. Eldest Aunt, don''t you think so?" Qiao Mei said to Xu Ju with a dark expression. Any matter related to the country was definitely a big deal and Xu Ju was almost tricked by Qiao Mei. If Xu Ju really said anything bad about the country, she would be arrested and criticized. She did not expect the third son''s wife to be such a tricky person. She had to be careful when dealing with this woman. Before Qiao Mei came home, Wan Wen had already told Xia Wen about what was happening at home. Not long after, Xia Wen returned with his briefcase. "You''re finally back! Did you cheat my child! At the end of the day, you''re still our relatives! Why are you doing this to our family!" Xu Ju said as she grabbed Xia Wen. "What exactly happened?" Xia Wen asked Xu Ju, feeling confused. endation letter you gave us is fake! The background proof is also fake! They don''t want to accept our Xu Jiao anymore! Why did you do this to us!" Xu Ju asked angrily. "Your Xia family is resourceful and knows so many people. How can there be no other way?" Xu Ju asked. "Our Xia family always follows the procedures and never gets in through the back door. Your earlier situation is already an exception. Now that the policy has changed for the entire country, there''s nothing we can do," Xia Wen explained. "Alright! All of you are really capable! You''re all bullying our family!" Xu Ju pointed at the Xia family members and said fiercely. Qiao Mei picked up an apple and ate it as if nothing was going on. Xu Ju looked at Qiao Mei and said to Xia Wen, "You must have done this on purpose! If you don''t know, why would she want to take the college entrance examination without using proof of class background? You must be lying!" Qiao Mei frowned slightly. How could this woman criticize her about everything? She could even be implicated when the whole issue had nothing to do with her. "It''s my choice to take the college entrance examination and it has nothing to do with my eldest brother. Don''t spout nonsense here. Our family has always done whatever you say and we give you whatever you want. Now that we''re helped you, you don''t want to listen and even blame us. There''s no such logic in the world," Qiao Mei said. "It''s your choice? Stop bragging! You haven''t even gone to school for a day! You''re illiterate so how can you take the college entrance examination? How can you pass it?" Xu Ju said mockingly. "I went to elementary school and did self-study for junior high school. Why can''t I pass the examination?" Qiao Mei questioned. "In that poor and remote place of yours, even if you go to school, you''re still considered uneducated! My daughter is already in her third year of high school and still doesn''t have the confidence to pass the college entrance examination. As if you can do it," Xu Ju said. Chapter 1743 Bet Chapter 1743 Bet ?iscover new chapters at novelhall.com "Well, I just can pass the examination. I''m capable and competent, and I dare to swear that I learn better than Xu Jiao. I will go to university based on my own abilities, so I''m different from all the people in your family! Do you think everyone wants to get in through the back door! How can there be so many back doors in this world," Qiao Mei said disdainfully. "You think you can compare with my Jiao Jiao! Wake up from your dream! Did our Jiao Jiao study for so many years for nothing? If you''re so capable, go to the same school as Jiao Jiao and compete with her to see who''s better! If you can beat our Jiao Jiao, I''ll take your surname!" Xu Ju said as she pointed at Qiao Mei. Xu Ju did not believe that Qiao Mei could do better than Xu Jiao. Qiao Mei was illiterate, so how could she be able to pass the college entrance examination in such a short period of time? She would never believe that the Xia family did not do anything behind everyone''s back. "Aunt has arranged for me to start school after a few days. At Sixth High. If you want a competition, then let Xu Jiao come to the same school," Qiao Mei said. Sixth High was the best high school in the entire capital. It had very good teachers and the standards were high. Many students who graduated from Sixth High went on to succeed in life. Xu Jiao''s current school was not a well-known one. Xu Ju had just chosen a random school that was close to her house and where the school fees were cheap. Sixth High''s school fees were very high, but in order to look good, Xu Ju decided to transfer Xu Jiao there immediately. "Why not, but I wonder what Eldest Aunt wants from me? Is it my house or my money or my factory?" Qiao Mei looked at Xu Ju mockingly. Xu Ju was a greedy person. She had mentioned to Xu Lan more than once that she wanted Qiao Mei to give up the courtyard house to the Xu family, so that the Xu family could settle down in the capital. Xu Lan had always rejected her request and kept it a secret from her family. She did not expect Xia Mao to find out about it at some point. Xia Mao almost fell out with the Xu family over this. In the end, Xu Ju had to give up on the idea of moving into Qiao Mei''s house. Qiao Mei and the others did not know about this matter at all. However, it was not difficult to hear about this matter. Yao Nian had already told Qiao Mei all the details about the Xu family. Therefore, Qiao Mei knew what Xu Ju was thinking. "What nonsense are you talking about! Little girl, be careful that I don''t rip out your tongue!" After saying that, Xu Ju realized that the Xia family members did not look too happy by now. She continued, "It''s also because you''re Xia Zhe''s wife. Otherwise, I would have hit you long ago." The polite smiles that Xu Lan and Xia Wen had on their faces had already disappeared. They could accept Xu Ju scolding them, but they could not stand Xu Ju treating Qiao Mei like this. "Enough. Tell me, how do you want to bet?" Qiao Mei asked. "I already told you. If you don''t score as high as my Jiao Jiao in the college entrance examination, then you have to give our family a house!" Xu Ju said proudly. "Eldest Aunt, don''t just state your conditions. You also have to say what your family will give me if I win, don''t you? It can''t be that you get a house if I lose, but if you lose, you just need to say that you''re sorry and the matter is over," Qiao Mei said with a smile. Chapter 1744 I Want Your House Chapter 1744 I Want Your House Xu Ju stood rooted to the spot in embarrassment. Qiao Mei had hit the nail on the head. She really wanted to gain something without risking anything. "I... My family has a house! I''ll use that house to bet with you!" Xu Ju said. "Then it must be a house in your hometown. How can that house be comparable with a courtyard house in the capital?" Qiao Mei said disdainfully. The Xu family really did not have much assets. They only had a dilapidated house in the countryside and it was also where their old parents lived now! Xu Ju''s family was currently renting a house in the city and the Xia family was the one who paid the rent for them. She really did not have anything valuable to use to bet with Qiao Mei. "I... I''ll stake 30,000 dollars! If our Jiao Jiao doesn''t do as well as you, our family will give you 30,000 dollars!" Xu Ju said determinedly. "Are you giving the money in one go or in installments? Otherwise, what''s the point if you give me 30,000 dollars over 10 years? I''m not short of money," Qiao Mei said. As soon as this piece of news was announced, Xu Ju knew of it immediately. She had dreamed of living in a house like this since forever. She had been to Lian City when she was young and she liked that place very much. She did not know why Qiao Mei was so lucky to get a big villa at such a young age. She wondered if Qiao Mei had the luck to receive such a big house. Otherwise, such a huge present might end up jinxing her! This bet was getting too big by now. Xu Lan held Qiao Mei''s hand and said, "Mei Mei, why don''t we just forget about it? Don''t gamble. Gambling does not lead to good endings." It was not that Xu Lan did not believe in Qiao Mei. She really believed that Qiao Mei could beat Xu Jiao, but she did not want Qiao Mei to have to work too hard. She just wanted Qiao Mei to be safe and sound. "Why are you talking so much! I''m talking to Qiao Mei! Why are you being a hindrance! It has nothing to do with you!" Xu Ju looked at Xu Lan unhappily. Xu Lan wanted to argue with Xu Ju, but Qiao Mei stopped her and shook her head gently. "Mother, don''t worry. I know what I''m doing." "Hmph, do you see that! Your daughter-in-law is willing to bet with me! Don''t be a busybody!" Xu Ju said proudly. "I didn''t expect you to know so much. I don''t even know about this yet. However, 50 years is too long. Why don''t you just say you want it for 100 years? After 100 years, I''ll be dead. At most, I can lend it to you for 10 years," Qiao Mei said as she looked at Xu Ju. "10 years is too short! Don''t 10 years pass in the blink of an eye? Then 30 years! I think 30 years is very reasonable! How about 30 years!" Xu Ju said anxiously. It did not matter to Qiao Mei to fix the period for 30 years. She then asked, "Then what can Eldest Aunt give me in exchange?" Chapter 1745 Tian-Tsui Headdress Chapter 1745 Tian-Tsui Headdress Xu Ju had no choice but to part with something valuable. She said with some heartache, "Our Xu family has an heirloom. It''s a box with a big headdress inside. It''s decorated with something called... tian-tsui on it! I heard from my father that it''s worth a lot of money. That headdress is in my possession, so I''ll use it to bet with you!" Qiao Mei''s eyes lit up when she heard the words "tian-tsui". A headdress like this was a very rare find. Such accessories were made by embedding a metal base with kingfisher feathers and slowly making it into a headdress or other accessory. A headdress would require the feathers of at least 1,000 kingfishers! There were very few kingfishers in the world, so such tian-tsui items were very rare and would even be accepted by museums, albeit in 30 years'' time. "Alright! But I have to see the headdress first before deciding if it''s worth it," Qiao Mei said excitedly. "Are you afraid that I''ll lie to you? I, Xu Ju, am not that kind of person! If you don''t believe me, ask your mother-in-law! See if what I said is true!" Xu Ju said as she pointed at Xu Lan. Xu Lan looked at Qiao Mei and nodded. "It''s true that the Xu family has such a headdress. It''s very gorgeous and elegant. The entire headdress is made of tian-tsui. I''ve seen it before and my parents indeed gave it to her." This headdress was meant for a woman, so the men in the family did not have the right to get it. Furthermore, Xu Lan had married better than Xu Ju, so this family heirloom could not go to Xu Lan. In the end, it was Xu Ju who received the headdress gleefully. "Alright, I''ll take one copy with me. I''ll leave you to it. See you when school starts." Xu Ju happily pulled along Xu Jiao and left. Xia Wen looked at Qiao Mei''s signature and said, "You did it on purpose?" "Of course it''s on purpose, but I really want that headdress," Qiao Mei said relaxedly. "Are you really going to school? Can you handle it in your current condition?" Xu Lan said worriedly. "There''s no problem. I''ve already planned everything. When this child is born during the new year next year, I''ll be able to continue with my studies in April after the confinement period. The college entrance examination is in June! Don''t worry, I''ll definitely be able to pass!" Qiao Mei said confidently. Xia Wen sighed and said, "We''re not worried about your results and the bet. What we''re all worried about is your health!" When Xu Ju reached the entrance of the neighborhood, she suddenly felt that there was something missing. She hurriedly ran back to the Xia family residence and rushed into the house, saying, "No! We can''t just sign it so easily!" "Then what else does Eldest Aunt want?" Qiao Mei asked. "You... you have to come with me to find someone to be the guarantor! To witness this matter!" Xu Ju said. Chapter 1746 Consider Carefully Chapter 1746 Consider Carefully "Eldest Aunt, go ahead and choose someone. Who do you trust in the family?" Qiao Mei said. Follow the latest novels at novelhall.com After all, this was still a gambling bet and they could not let outsiders be the guarantor. It would not do them any good if the matter blew up. The only way to do it quietly was to get a family member whom Xu Ju trusted to be the middleman. If anyone from the government found out that Qiao Mei had made a bet using the house which the country awarded her, she would be criticized! If the news were published in the newspapers, Qiao Mei could even be drowned by all the gossip. This would also have a huge impact on the Xia family''s reputation. "Then... then let''s look for your grandfather! Let''s go and look for Xia Jun! He''s the most upright person! Let''s go and see him!" Xu Ju said firmly. Qiao Mei nodded. She took her car keys to drive everyone to Xia Jun''s house. As soon as they got into the car, Xu Ju felt extremely jealous. Why could Qiao Mei get such a good car? All she did was to donate some seeds. It was not something that no one else could do. Xu Ju was sure that it was only because the opportunity had fallen into the hands of the Xia family and then they gave it to Qiao Mei. Otherwise, anyone could also donate seeds. "Qiao Mei, are you usually the one using this car?" Xu Ju probed. "Yes, me. Why?" Qiao Mei asked as she drove. "Mei Mei, why are you here with her?" the helper asked. "What are you saying! What do you mean by why is she here with me! Can''t she come with me?" Xu Ju questioned. Qiao Mei immediately replied, "I need to talk to Grandfather. I wonder if it''s convenient for him." "Old Master is in the living room. You can go in." After saying that, the helper made way for them to enter. Xia Jun was sitting on the sofa and drinking tea! Xu Ju threw the signed agreement in front of Xia Jun and said, "Take a look. I made a bet with Qiao Mei. Bear witness for us." Xia Jun looked at Xu Ju in disdain. If not for the fact that the Xia family and the Xu family were in-laws and Xu Lan had waited on him for so many years, he did not even want to look at Xu Ju! However, since the agreement had something to do with Qiao Mei, Xia Jun still picked it up to take a look. After reading the agreement, he looked at Qiao Mei and asked, "Mei Mei, are you acting on impulse? The house in Lian City is really quite nice, even better than the one you''re living in now. Are you sure you want to stake this house in the bet? Grandfather will suggest that you consider it carefully." Hearing what Xia Jun said, Qiao Mei was overjoyed. If Xia Jun said that the house was nice, then the house must be extraordinary. In that case, she had struck the jackpot! In the future, she could bring the children and Xia Zhe there for a getaway during the hot summer days. "Don''t worry, Grandfather. I''ll use it in the bet," Qiao Mei said with a smile. Chapter 1747 Going to Stay at Home Chapter 1747 Going to Stay at Home Seeing that Qiao Mei was determined to go ahead, Xia Jun signed the documents, then handed one copy to Xu Ju and one copy to Qiao Mei. After he was done, he looked at Xu Ju and said, "It''s done. You can leave now." Xu Ju walked to the door and turned around to see Qiao Mei still sitting obediently beside Xia Jun and drinking tea. She immediately said, "Let''s go!" "I''m staying here to accompany Grandfather. You and Xu Jiao can go back by yourselves," Qiao Mei said. "How are we going back if you don''t send us?" Xu Ju asked angrily. "There''s public transport outside! Do you need me to teach you how to use it?" Xia Jun said sternly. Xu Ju did not want to have any direct conflict with Xia Jun. She still needed to rely on Xia Jun with regard to the Xu family''s matters in the future. She could not provoke this "living ancestor" of the Xia family. After Xu Ju left, Xia Jun looked at Qiao Mei and asked gently, "How is life in the military family compound recently? Is there anything you''re not used to? I hear that Xia Zhe has gone on a mission. Don''t go back there for the time being. It''ll be good if you can stay here with me." The helper went to pack Xia Jun''s luggage. She had to follow him to Qiao Mei''s house. It just so happened that Qiao Mei also needed a helper to take care of the backyard part of the courtyard house and Li Gui''s house, so this would save Qiao Mei the trouble of finding one. "I still don''t know Auntie''s name?" Qiao Mei looked at the nanny and asked her. "My name is Peanut. I''m an orphan and everyone calls me that. I''m used to it," Peanut said with a smile. Peanut was from a small village and lived a happy, simple and blissful life when she was young. However, there was a flash flood which destroyed the entire village. By the time Xia Jun and his troops arrived to help, it was already too late. They only managed to save a few children and adults who were lucky enough to escape. Peanut was sent to the orphanage and she grew up there. After she grew up, she kept thinking about how to repay Xia Jun for saving her life. It was only when the Xia family looked for a new helper for Xia Jun that Peanut had a chance to repay Xia Jun. "Alright, then I''ll call you Auntie Peanut," Qiao Mei said. After packing their things, Xia Jun and Auntie Peanut sat in the backseat of Qiao Mei''s car. This was the first time Xia Jun sat in Qiao Mei''s car and he could not help but feel a little nervous. "Mei Mei, drive slowly. I have the tendency to get carsick," Xia Jun said. Auntie Peanut smiled but did not say anything. Xia Jun had driven a tank, a train and even a fighter jet in his life! How could he get carsick in a car? This was just to trick Qiao Mei into driving slower. He was worried that Qiao Mei''s driving skills were not good enough and that she might get into an accident. It was definitely safer to drive slowly. Chapter 1748 Improvement in Chess Chapter 1748 Improvement in Chess Qiao Mei sped down the road all the way, scaring Xia Jun so much that he gripped his seatbelt tightly and did not let go. Xia Jun, who had never been afraid of going onto the battlefields and killing enemies in his entire life, was now afraid of Qiao Mei''s driving. Fortunately, Qiao Mei was a steady driver who had a tendency to drive too fast. After knowing how good a driver Qiao Mei was, Xia Jun was no longer scared. Follow the latest novels at novelhall.com "Mei Mei, remember to drive slower next time. It''s safer to drive slowly," Xia Jun reminded her. "Yes, Grandfather. I''ll definitely be more careful next time! Both of you can go in first. I''ll go and park the car and I''ll be back soon." Qiao Mei drove to the courtyard house at the side. She had modified the house into a parking space that could accommodate three cars. Although it was a pity to do so, it was otherwise impossible to park such a big car in the alley. It was already very good to be able to fit even one bicycle outside. Qiao Qiang was playing chess in the backyard. When he heard noises, he thought that Qiao Mei had returned. He shouted happily in the direction of the sound, "Oh my! Mei Mei, come and play chess with me! That kid Zhang Wei is really not good at chess. You''re the one who can play at least a few rounds with me!" "How dare you mock others with your chess skills? Even kids are better at chess than you!" Xia Jun stood beside Qiao Qiang and said with a smile. "You''ve indeed improved!" Xia Jun coaxed Qiao Qiang. "Come, let''s play another round. I want to beat you a few more times! If I win, give me five dollars!" Qiao Qiang said. "Then if you lose, will you give me five dollars?" Xia Jun asked. Qiao Qiang immediately replied, "No, I won''t. At most, I''ll cook for you. If you lose, I''ll cook you one dish. I do the cooking and you buy the ingredients." "Sure, sure, sure. Whatever you say!" Xia Jun said with a smile. Qiao Mei asked Xu Kang to go and look for Auntie Peanut. They cleared out the room next to Qiao Qiang to be used as Xia Jun''s room in the future. Xia Jun could stay here whenever he came over. Auntie Peanut would take the room next to Xia Jun''s room so that it would be easier for her to take care of the two elders. At night, Qiao Mei called Auntie Peanut over and said, "Auntie Peanut, we''re a family, so I''ll be frank with you. This house is big and there are definitely more chores here than at Grandfather''s house. Sister Xu Kang does the cooking and Sister Feng Hua takes care of the children. I wonder if you can help me clean up the house in the backyard and do laundry for the two elders." "Of course. This is what I do at your grandfather''s house. I''m very familiar with these things. In the next few days, I''ll try my best to learn from Sister Xu Kang about Old Mr. Qiao Qiang''s habits and preferences. I''ll definitely take care of Old Mr. Qiao Qiang like I do with Old Mr. Xia Jun!" Auntie Peanut said. Chapter 1749 Late Chapter 1749 Late Nowadays, it was very difficult to find a helper who was as considerate as Auntie Peanut. Qiao Mei had interacted with many helpers before and she knew that it was a blessing to be able to find a helper whose temper and character matched that of the family! "I''ll double your salary during this period of time because my house is big and there are many occupants, so it will definitely be more troublesome. If you have any requests, just tell Sister Feng Hua. She is in charge of the expenses and she''s the one who buys stuff and pays the salary. If you feel that there''s any household appliances which are lacking, you can also tell Sister Feng Hua and she will go and buy it," Qiao Mei said. "There''s no need to double my salary! This job is similar to what I do at your grandfather''s house. You don''t have to pay me more. Your grandfather already pays me a high salary. This is what I should do," Auntie Peanut said immediately. "Then I''ll give you a bonus! Just go along with me regarding this matter. I''ll have to trouble you to take good care of the two ''overgrown children'' in my house during this period of time," Qiao Mei said. Auntie Peanut smiled and nodded. Qiao Mei asked Xu Kang to bring Auntie Peanut around to familiarize her with the different rooms at home and to brief her on Qiao Qiang''s usual routine. Auntie Peanut also told Xu Kang about Xia Jun''s habits so that neither of them would annoy the two old men. The house was lively again and it was soon time for the start of the school term. The day before school started, Qiao Mei went to the mall to buy clothes which students liked to wear. She had wanted to make a few pieces of clothing herself, but time was limited and it was more convenient to go and buy them. Qiao Mei packed all the things she needed for school and only went to sleep after confirming that she did not miss out on anything. Early the next morning, Qiao Mei was woken up by Xu Kang. This was the first time she woke up so early. The rooster at home had not even crow yet. In the past, she did not think that going to school was so tiring, but she had changed her mind by now. With heavy steps, Qiao Mei changed her clothes, took her school bag and drove to the entrance of Sixth High. When she reached the school gate, she realized that her car was really too ostentatious and quickly drove the car to Xia Fang''s house. She decided to park her car here before going to school. It took her less than five minutes to reach the entrance of Sixth High on foot. Qiao Mei arrived late today and many students were already seated. As soon as Qiao Mei entered, all the students in the class gasped. They had seen beautiful women before, but only on television. They did not expect to see someone in real life who was even prettier than the beautiful women on television! Qiao Mei did not want to attract too much attention, so she quickly walked to the window seat in the first row and sat down. The seat beside her was still empty. When she entered the classroom, Qiao Mei saw Xu Jiao sitting in the last row of the class with a male classmate beside her. This male classmate had been chatting animatedly with her, but when Qiao Mei arrived, everyone''s attention was focused on Qiao Mei. "Who do you think this person is? She''s so beautiful!" "I didn''t expect to be able to see such a beautiful woman in school. In the future, I''ll be the first to come to the classroom every day!" "Hmph, what''s so great about being beautiful? The most important thing is to have good results!" Chapter 1750 Special Class Chapter 1750 Special Class "Look at the way she''s dressed. I can tell at a glance that she''s an attention seeker!" "But you can''t say that right away. Let''s wait and see. What if she''s a down-to-earth person?" Everyone whispered among themselves. Qiao Mei had very good hearing and could hear everything they said. There were both nice and nasty comments and there were even people who slandered her. However, Qiao Mei could not be bothered with these people. They could gossip all they wanted. As the saying went, an upright person would not have a crooked shadow! As long as they were not an eyesore in front of her, Qiao Mei did not intend to deal with this group of people. The next person to step into the classroom was a male student called Wu Duo. Like Qiao Mei, he attracted the attention of most of the female students the moment he stepped into the classroom. He was more than 1.9 meters tall, muscular and handsome. Many girls could not help but like him when they saw him. However, Qiao Mei was not interested in Wu Duo. Xia Zhe was 10,000 times more handsome than any of these people. If she had to make a comparison, it would be like comparing between a toad on the ground and a swan in the lake. To her, Wu Duo was at most a little frog. He immediately saw Qiao Mei, who was sitting by the window. He quickly ran over and sat in the seat beside Qiao Mei. As he moved too fast, he bumped into the stool and the loud sound startled all his classmates. Xu Jiao pretended to be innocent and said, "Yes, she''s been married for a long time. Is that guy your relative?" Bian Chi blushed and said, "No... no, that''s just my neighbor." "Oh~ Then you have to be careful. My cousin-in-law is very beautiful! Many men have fallen for her," Xu Jiao said in a weird tone. Bian Chi looked at Qiao Mei with a dark expression. She felt that Qiao Mei must have done something to make Wu Duo sit down beside her. It was definitely not Wu Duo who took the initiative! Qiao Mei did not pay attention to all this. She was not interested in interacting with these people at all and did not want to have anything to do with them. What she hoped for the most was for this year to pass peacefully. "Bang! Bang! Bang!" There were a few violent knocks on the door. A chubby man slowly walked to the middle of the podium with a stack of test papers. After tidying up the test papers, he coughed lightly. "Cough, cough... I''m your homeroom teacher. My name is Wu Li. I know it sounds like the term for ''Physics'', but no! My surname is Wu! I hope that everyone won''t joke around with my name in the future. I don''t think it''s funny!" Wu Li took a deep breath and continued, "Our class is quite special. We have students of all ages. I hope that you can get along harmoniously and not cause trouble among your classmates!" This class which Qiao Mei was attending was specially set up for this year''s college entrance examination. There were people from all walks of life in the class, including housewives and underage students. There was even an 80-year-old elderly man. Chapter 1751 Minimum Score Chapter 1751 Minimum Score This class was a difficult assignment for any teacher and was extremely hard to manage. There were even two pregnant women in the class. Sixth High had always focused on the method of "teaching students according to their aptitude" and it was about managing different students in different ways. Wu Li was about to retire, but the principal suddenly made him the homeroom teacher of this class. It made him feel a little resentful. He did not ask for all the students to be able to enter university, but only wanted to complete his mission well. "Alright, I''ll start the roll call now!" Wu Duo took out the class register and called out the names one by one. There were a total of 62 people in the class. Qiao Mei took this opportunity to familiarize herself with the names of everyone in the class. She had a photographic memory, so it was not difficult for her to remember all the names. After checking all the names against the students, Wu Li took out a set of test papers and said, "Our school has always been very strict. All of you also know how good the school is. In the future, your workload at school will only get heavier and heavier. Even if there are people who can''t handle it, I won''t delay the progress of the entire class just because of one person! I hope there won''t be students who come to me and say that they can''t keep up with the progress!" "Then what if our entire class can''t keep up!" a boy in the back row shouted. Wu Li raised his ruler and smacked it a few times before shouting, "Did you not hear what I said! Don''t talk when I''m talking! Don''t interrupt! If you have any questions, raise your hands before you speak!" A woman raised her hand and asked, "My child finishes school at four o''clock in the afternoon. Can I go and pick him up and then come back for the exam?" The others also had the same problem. They had old folks and young children at home. Sometimes, it was unavoidable that they would need to attend to family matters. Wu Li thought for a moment and said, "If you have to take care of your children, I can consider giving you two hours off, but you can''t leave as and when you like. If you''re halfway through one subject test paper, you have to finish the test before you can leave. If you don''t come back, you will be given zero points for the rest of the subjects you did not get tested on." Qiao Mei looked at Wu Li appreciatively. At first, she thought that this person was unfeeling and impartial and only cared about the rules. She did not expect Wu Li to be actually quite compassionate. "The subjects will be tested in the sequence I mentioned just now. After you''re done with the first subject, come to me to get the test papers for the next subject. After you''re done with everything, you can go home. However, you have to be mindful. If your final score doesn''t meet the standard, you won''t be accepted by our school! The nine subjects make up a total of 900 points! We''ll only accept you if you score at least 300 points. We won''t consider anyone who scores below 300 points." After all, Sixth High was considered to be the best among all the capital''s high schools. If they took in illiterate students just because of the new examination system next year and lowered Sixth High''s standards, it would be a disgrace to the school! The minimum score of 300 points was already a very low base! However, it also had something to do with the difficulty level of this set of test papers. In order to filter out the people who were most suitable for Sixth High, the teachers of each subject had come up with the questions together this time. It was much more difficult than the usual test papers. Chapter 1752 Gifted Chapter 1752 Gifted The reason was very simple. They had heard that the college entrance examination papers would test the students on much more complex knowledge than what they learned in school. This was because the newly resumed college entrance examination was for the entire country. As long as one wanted to go to university, one could register for the examination. However, the number of people who could be admitted to each university was very few. If there were 500,000 people who took the college entrance examination, not more than 20,000 people would be able to enter university at the end. Sixth High wanted to get first place in the rankings once the college entrance examination resumed. The local top scorer of the college entrance examination must be from their school. This represented the dignity and status of Sixth High! After Wu Li finished telling the students what they needed to note during the examination, he started to distribute the test papers. The first subject was Chinese, which was a piece of cake for Qiao Mei. In her other life, she was the local top scorer in the sciences. Chinese was a compulsory subject and she had always been a top scorer. It only took half an hour for Qiao Mei to finish most of the test paper, save for the essay. Wu Duo, who was sitting beside Qiao Mei, was stunned. He never imagined that someone would be able to answer the questions so fast. Wu Li knocked gently on the blackboard and said, "No whispering! Look straight ahead! If I see you copying someone else''s paper, I''ll confiscate it and forfeit your results for the subject!" Qiao Mei looked up to glance at the time and took a deep breath before starting to write her essay. She spent another 20 minutes on the essay. After confirming that she did not miss out on any questions, she slowly raised her hand. In her other life, Qiao Mei was the national Mathematical Olympiad champion! There were no questions that could stump her. Just like when she was answering the Chinese test paper, Qiao Mei quickly whizzed through the mathematics paper. This time round, not only did Wu Duo look at her strangely, but even Wu Li looked at her in shock. After 40 minutes, Qiao Mei finished the mathematics paper. She had just looked up when she saw Wu Li walking towards her. Qiao Mei obediently handed the paper to Wu Li. He looked through it seriously for a while and found that the answers were all correct! Qiao Mei did not even make any amendments to any of her answers! Even the rough paper used for calculations was full with neat handwriting. Here was a rare mathematics talent! "Who is your teacher?" Wu Li asked as he looked at Qiao Mei excitedly. "Me? My grandfather taught me at home. He is a retired soldier. In that case, I guess my grandfather is considered my teacher," Qiao Mei told him the truth. If it was not through the guidance of a great teacher, then this child must be extremely talented! Wu Li looked like he had just met his successor. He wished he could let Qiao Mei start school now. He wanted to teach Qiao Mei everything he knew about mathematics. As a teacher, if his own student surpassed him, it was something he could be proud of for the rest of his life. Seeing that Wu Li was in a daze, Qiao Mei asked, "Sir, can I do the test for the next subject?" Chapter 1753 The School’s "Treasure" Chapter 1753 The School''s "Treasure" Wu Li quickly handed the English test paper to Qiao Mei. This subject was even easier for her. The most basic requirement of a lawyer was to be familiar with the law. Not only did she have to be familiar with the laws of her own country, but she also had to know the laws of foreign countries well. If she did not know English well, how could she understand those foreign law books? This time round, Qiao Mei was even faster. She only needed 30 minutes to complete the test and even wrote the essay in cursive handwriting. It was not to show off her skills, but purely to pass time. This test paper was child''s play to her and she did not feel any pressure at all. The speed and accuracy in which Qiao Mei submitted her test papers very quickly attracted all the teachers'' attention. Everyone was full of praise for how she did in the various tests. She was definitely a candidate for the position of the top scorer next year! After Qiao Mei completed the chemistry test paper, the lunch break bell rang. Qiao Mei picked up her school bag and walked towards Xia Fang''s house. Wu Duo ran out of the classroom and went up to Qiao Mei, asking, "Are you going home? I rode my bicycle here today. If it''s on the way, I can give you a ride." "There''s no need. I''m going somewhere close by. Thank you," Qiao Mei said coldly. Qiao Mei decided to answer Wu Duo''s question out of courtesy. After all, it was only the first day of school. If she did not reply to her classmates when they spoke to her in a friendly manner, it would make her seem like a difficult person. It would not be good to offend her classmates. If Xu Ju came to look for Qiao Mei directly, then Qiao Mei was not afraid at all. However, if Xu Lan would also get involved, then she had no choice but to consider her family member''s feelings. Xu Ju had been causing trouble at home recently because of Xu Jiao''s letter of recommendation being invalidated, causing Xu Lan to have trouble sleeping every day. She was only able to fall asleep at dawn. Her originally rosy complexion had disappeared. In order to cause less trouble for Xu Lan, Qiao Mei decided to bring along Xu Jiao, the annoying thing. "You can come with me, but behave yourself. If you don''t listen to me, I''ll chase you out immediately and also make you drop out of Sixth High!" Qiao Mei threatened. After the entrance examination this time, Qiao Mei was certain that she would become the school "treasure". Even the principal would have to be nice to her. She was a prime candidate to be the top scorer in the college entrance examination next year! If Qiao Mei went to another school, it would definitely be a loss for Sixth High! No matter how unreasonable Qiao Mei''s request was, the school would still consider it carefully. "Drop out of school? Who are you trying to scare! I don''t believe you''re that powerful! You can only rely on my cousin''s family! Don''t think that I''m afraid of you! I''m their biological cousin!" Xu Jiao said. Qiao Mei did not want to quarrel with a fool. It was not Xu Jiao''s fault that she was young and brainless. For the sake of getting the Xu family''s headdress, Qiao Mei would endure all this nonsense for a year. After one year, Xu Ju would have to personally bring that lovely treasure to her! The two of them arrived at Xia Fang''s house. Xia Fang was still working at the hospital at this hour as her lunch break did not coincide with the school lunch break. Qiao Mei cooked lunch for two people first. Chapter 1754 Let Your Sister Come to School Chapter 1754 Let Your Sister Come to School After the two of them finished eating, Qiao Mei made a separate meal for Xia Fang and set the dishes on the table. She covered every dish with a plate to prevent it from getting cold too quickly. It was also because she did not want Xu Jiao to see the food. She did not want Xu Jiao to have a chance to eat Xia Fang''s lunch secretly. Xu Jiao wolfed down the food which Qiao Mei made. As she ate, she said indistinctly, "I didn''t expect your culinary skills to be so good. The food is quite delicious. It seems that my cousin has quite a good eye." After Qiao Mei finished eating, she leaned against the table and looked at Xu Jiao. She suddenly felt that Xu Jiao was not a bad kid by nature, but only behaved as unruly and willful as her mother sometimes. Family really played a big part in a child''s life. If Xu Jiao had been born into the Xia family, then she might have turned out like Xia He. Suddenly, Qiao Mei remembered the thin girl who stood behind Xu Ju. "Why isn''t your sister at Sixth High? Why haven''t I seen her today?" Qiao Mei asked curiously. "Her? She''s not studying anymore. My mother found a job for her and she has already started work," Xu Jiao said nonchalantly. "Why isn''t she studying anymore? I remembered from the last time that she was doing fine?" Qiao Mei asked. Previously, at the school near her house, she was always very lax when it came to examinations. Xu Jiao had always asked Xu Man to give her the answers. During every examination, she would ask for permission to go to the toilet where Xu Man would be waiting obediently for her. After getting the answers, Xu Jiao would go back to the classroom promptly. They did that for more than a year without getting caught. However, Sixth High was different from that school. From the way today''s examination was conducted, it was clear that the school was very strict and it was impossible for students to cheat. "If you can get Xu Man to study at Sixth High, you can follow me around during lunch break in the future. I''ll also cook meat and vegetables for you every day. I''ll make you whatever you want, no matter how many dishes you want," Qiao Mei said. In any case, she had to eat lunch every day and also needed to eat more meat. It was not an issue for her to make more while she was at it. She would just treat it as feeding a dog. "Really?" Xu Jiao asked as she looked at Qiao Mei expectantly. Although Xu Ju looked well-to-do on the surface, she did not have much money. The food they ate at home was either potatoes or sweet potatoes and there was no meat at all. If Xu Jiao protested, she would be beaten up. This had always been how their family lived. Even during the new year, they did not have meat to eat. "Yes, really. I always do as I say. The premise is that you go home and tell your mother that you want Xu Man to study here," Qiao Mei said. After an intense internal struggle, Xu Jiao decided to say yes to Qiao Mei. Chapter 1755 You Are the One Who Cheated Chapter 1755 You Are the One Who Cheated She had seen how fast Qiao Mei finished the test papers. Coupled with the expression on the teacher''s face, she could already guess that Qiao Mei had very good results. Her family was definitely going to lose this bet. Then again, she did not like the headdress at all and saw it as a worthless thing. She did not know why Qiao Mei thought of it as a treasure. When they lost the bet, Xu Ju would definitely fly into a rage. At that time, she would definitely have a tough time. She might as well eat more delicious food during this one-year period and improve her own health so that she could withstand beatings in the future! "Alright! It''s a deal! I''ll definitely let Xu Man come to Sixth High to study this week! But I have a question. Should she continue in her current year or be in the same class as us?" Xu Jiao asked. Xu Man was one year behind Xu Jiao in school, but Xu Man already knew as much as her seniors. It would not be a problem for her to skip one year. She might even do well in the examination this year! "Let her be in the same class as us. She can sit next to me," Qiao Mei said. "She should sit there just because you tell her to? Besides, what about the teacher''s opinion?" Xu Jiao asked as she looked at Qiao Mei in disbelief. "Are you... talking about me?" Qiao Mei stopped in her tracks and asked the people in the classroom. "Yes, you! If you didn''t cheat, how can you get full marks in all the subjects!" "That''s right! None of us can answer such difficult questions correctly! How can you manage to get full marks!" "Look at her! She must have done something behind our backs!" "Definitely! I think so too! She must have cheated! It''s good that we bring up this issue now! Otherwise, she''ll get full marks again for the next few subjects!" A few students who were originally neutral about the issue also began to waver. They eventually joined those people who were slandering Qiao Mei. Ever since the brooch came into Qiao Mei''s possession, her hearing and vision had improved greatly. She could immediately tell that it was the woman sitting in front of Xu Jiao who had yelled out first. During the roll call this morning, that woman had answered to a name which seemed to be... Bian Chi. "You must be the first person who said I cheated. Your name is Bian Chi, right?" Qiao Mei looked through the crowd to stare at Bian Chi and questioned her. Bian Chi did not expect Qiao Mei to discover that it was her. Since she had already shouted earlier, she decided to go all out. She stood up and said, "That''s right! I''m the one! You''re the one who cheated! We all think that you cheated!" Chapter 1756 Slander Chapter 1756 Slander "Do you have any evidence?" Qiao Mei asked calmly. "Your test papers are the best evidence! I heard the teacher say that you did not make any amendments to your answers! How can that be if you hadn''t copied the answers from somewhere! You must already know the answers and have memorized them earlier!" Bian Chi said. "You have to know that if it is proven that I didn''t cheat, what you''re doing now is slander. To put it across more seriously, you''re framing me and you''ll have to go to jail for it. If I go to the Public Security Bureau to report it, they can come and arrest you." Qiao Mei then looked at the other people in the class and said, "Who else agrees with her that I cheated? Then you''re considered an accomplice and have committed the same crime." The students in the surroundings did not know if there was such a law. Most of them were common people who had never come into contact with the law. Qiao Mei also did not know if this law already existed in this era, but as long as it sounded scary enough, she did not care about its authenticity. The number of people slandering Qiao Mei had clearly decreased by now and everyone hesitated to speak. However, Qiao Mei''s score was really too high, ridiculously high. They had all scored 20 to 30 points and only Qiao Mei scored full marks for all the subjects. How could they not be suspicious of her? Bian Chi forced herself to stay firm and shouted, "You must be lying! I don''t know what slander and framing someone is. I don''t believe what you say! I''m telling the truth! You must have cheated! You''re now just finding excuses to cover up the fact that you cheated!" Even without the Xia family''s backing, just the fact that she had given tens of thousands of tons of modified seeds to the country for free was a meritorious act that could ensure her safety for the rest of her life. Wu Duo glared at Li Niu furiously and said, "Shut up! Don''t spout nonsense! Come out and apologize to us!" "The two of you are having an affair! Am I wrong? You dare to do it but don''t dare to admit it!" Li Niu shouted angrily. Wu Duo was so angry that he rushed forward to fight with Li Niu. No one dared to go forward to stop the fight, worried that they would get accidentally injured. Not long after, Wu Li rushed over when he heard the commotion. "Stop! Both of you, stop!" Wu Li shouted loudly. Seeing that the two of them were indifferent to his yells, Wu Li picked up the ruler and smacked the two of them hard, forcing them to separate. "The two of you, stand to the side! Wu Duo, get up!" Wu Li said angrily. This matter had become difficult to handle. One was the person whom the higher-ups had specially instructed them to take good care of, and the other one was the person who had relied on him to come to this class. Yes, Wu Duo was his sister''s child and he was Wu Duo''s uncle. Chapter 1757 Did Not Cheat Chapter 1757 Did Not Cheat "What exactly is going on!" Wu Li asked. "Uncl... um, it''s him! He insulted Qiao Mei and me and even said that Qiao Mei''s scores were not real!" Wu Duo said as he pointed at Li Niu. It was fortunate that he said a different word just in time. Otherwise, if everyone knew about his relationship with Wu Li, he would be caught in an even more difficult situation in the future. In addition, he would not be able to properly explain what happened today and the others might even think that Wu Li was covering up for his relative. If that happened, it would cause Wu Li a lot of trouble. "It''s not just him. There are also others, as well as our classmate Bian Chi, who says that I have an ambiguous relationship with this guy. There are even people who question my results and slander me, saying that I cheated. I want to hold them accountable for everything they say! I also want them to apologize to me! If this issue is not handled properly, then I think these people are immoral! They''re not worthy of studying in this school!" Qiao Mei said sternly. Li Niu had put in a Herculean effort to enter Sixth High to study. How could he be unable to study here just because of a word from Qiao Mei? "You''re talking nonsense!" Li Niu shouted at Qiao Mei. Wu Li glared at Li Niu and said, "Shut up! She''s right! Slandering and spreading rumors! I think you''re all too free! If you don''t apologize to Qiao Mei and Wu Duo! I''ll make you leave Sixth High! Sixth High doesn''t welcome students like you!" "You can go and check if the two of us are relatives! If we are! I''ll die in front of you right now!" Wu Li said angrily. They could hear quick footsteps coming down the corridor. A few teachers and the principal came into the classroom together. The students did not expect to have alarmed the principal. The more Qiao Mei looked at the principal, the more she found him familiar. After thinking for a while, she realized why. This was the elderly grandpa who lived in the most inner part of the alley, the one who often played chess with Qiao Qiang! His name was Yan Xi. "I''ve heard about what happened here. I''m the principal of this school. My name is Yan Xi. I''m sure all of you know me," Yan Xi said with a smile. Yan Xi was from a prestigious family and was highly educated. He had also studied overseas before. After he returned to the country, he worked as a private tutor and many of his students went on to become outstanding elites in society. Later on, he was accepted by the educational unit and was now the principal of Sixth High. Even the principal of Capital University used to be his student! "It looks like everyone knows me, so I won''t say anything else. I have come here today to say that I''ve already checked this kid''s test papers. She didn''t cheat. To be honest, it''s possible that she has more knowledge than the teachers behind me. The solutions to the test questions are above high school level," Yan Xi said. "What? Is she really that smart?" "Is this true? Mr. Yan Xi has already vouched for her." "Can it be that we have wronged her? But why is she so smart?" Chapter 1758 The Truth Is Out Chapter 1758 The Truth Is Out Qiao Mei and Yan Xi exchanged glances. Qiao Mei did not expect to run into Yan Xi here and to cause him so much trouble. Yan Xi nodded slightly to reassure Qiao Mei. As long as he was around, Sixth High would not malign Qiao Mei. Whenever Zhang Chao came back during the school holidays, he would study at Yan Xi''s house. Yan Xi had a lot of books at home and they filled up at least three rooms. Zhang Chao''s results for this semester had improved by leaps and bounds and he even told Li Gui that he wanted to try and skip one grade. This was all thanks to Yan Xi teaching him well. "There must still be people who don''t believe in Qiao Mei''s ability. How about this, I''ll set a few questions on the blackboard and let her answer them. Do you agree?" Yan Xi asked. Everyone agreed to Yan Xi''s suggestion. Yan Xi wrote a mathematics question that was 10 times more difficult than the questions in the exam! Everyone was stunned to the spot and there were people who could not even understand the question. As soon as Yan Xi finished writing the question, Qiao Mei picked up the chalk and started writing without any hesitation. She wrote very fast and penned down the answer without even batting an eyelid. Before Yan Xi even finished reading her answer, she went to the other side and wrote down an even faster and simpler way to solve the question. This question was similar to the high school Mathematical Olympiad questions which she encountered in her other life. However, for a person who had studied advanced mathematics before, these questions were not a problem at all. "Not bad. You have gotten it right and even have two methods to solve the problem." Yan Xi nodded in satisfaction. She decided not to answer so many questions in this test paper. Once class started, she would pay attention in class to familiarize herself with the situation in this era. "Principal, thank you for clearing my name," Qiao Mei said as she looked at Yan Xi, feeling touched. "This is what I should do. You don''t have to thank me. Pure gold fears no fire. Sooner or later, everyone will be able to see your true ability." Yan Xi looked at everyone as he continued, "Don''t keep second-guessing your classmates. If you have the time, you should use it to study hard. Why are you eyeing other people''s test papers?" "We understand..." everyone whispered. "All of you should focus on your studies and be disciplined. Do you think you can cheat during the college entrance examination? This is just an entrance examination and you are already arguing like this. In the future, when the top scorer of the college entrance examination is unveiled and you don''t meet the cutoff score, are you going to go around saying that the top scorer has cheated? You should always reflect upon yourself first! I''m going off. You should continue with the examination." Yan Xi left after saying that. Qiao Mei stood in front of the podium and said, "I hope you won''t slander me again in the future. I''ve already given birth to two children and I''m pregnant with another baby now. I''m a married woman. What you said just now can easily ruin my family. I hope I won''t hear such words again in the future, otherwise I''ll hold the speaker accountable." When many of the male students heard what Qiao Mei said, their hearts almost broke in pieces. In the morning, they had thought that they had a chance of finding their future wife at school, but now their dreams had been shattered. The look in Wu Duo''s eyes was particularly intense. He wished that he could rush into Qiao Mei''s house to see if the marriage certificate which Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe had was real. How could such a good woman be already married? Chapter 1759 The Student Is Smarter Than the Teacher Chapter 1759 The Student Is Smarter Than the Teacher Everyone returned to their seats and sat down to wait for Wu Li to distribute the test papers. Wu Duo looked frozen by now and was no longer as energetic as he was in the morning. Qiao Mei only took a quick glance at Wu Duo curiously and continued with her test paper after confirming that his life was not in danger. Qiao Mei sped through the test papers for the last few subjects and submitted them eagerly. Her day at school was finally over! She could go home and play with Xia Fan and Xia Xing. ?iscover new chapters at novelhall.com At noon, Qiao Mei had cooked many dishes for Xia Fang. When Xia Fang went home at night, she could just heat them up for her meal. Although Qiao Mei really wanted to help improve Xia Fang''s life, she could not be at two places at the same time. She still had to go home and take care of the two babies. Feng Hua realized that Xia Xing was gradually talking more and more. In the past, she only knew how to shout "Wow", but now, she could make sounds which sounded like words. Feng Hua believed that with her guidance, it would not be long before Xia Xing could start to speak clearly. Xia Fan was a little lacking in this aspect and still did not like to talk much. Apart from eating, he only liked to sleep. His small arms were as chubby as legs of ham, to the extent that his joints could no longer be seen. After standing for the entire morning. Qiao Mei felt quite tired. She told Wu Li she wanted to take leave in the afternoon to go home and rest. Anyway, she had gotten full marks in all her subjects, so there was no need for her to attend this class. Wu Li was more than happy to let Qiao Mei go home and rest. He did not mind if Qiao Mei did not show up at all this entire semester and just turned up to take the college entrance examination as a student of Sixth High. This way, the teachers would also look less useless. Qiao Mei first went to Xia Fang''s house to make lunch for her before returning to the courtyard house. As soon as she reached home, she rummaged through her things. She remembered that she had collected many calligraphy pieces and paintings last year and there was one painting by a modern artist whom Yan Xi liked in particular. Furthermore, it was the artist''s final piece of art before retirement. Since Yan Xi liked it, she decided to send it to his house. It could also be considered as her thank you gift to him for teaching Zhang Chao for such a long time and for standing up for her in school. Yan Xi was at home, chatting with his wife, Qiu Ye. The two of them were academics who liked to drink tea and play chess when they were free. They lived very comfortable lives and there was nothing really important for him to do at Sixth High. Usually, it was the vice-principal who signed the documents on his behalf. He just had to go to the school once or twice a month. "Grandpa Yan Xi! I''m here to visit you!" Qiao Mei said with a smile as she walked into the courtyard. "Why are you here to see me at this hour? Shouldn''t you be in school at this time?" Yan Xi looked at Qiao Mei kindly and asked in a very gentle voice, with no intention of reprimanding Qiao Mei at all. Chapter 1760 Donate a Building Chapter 1760 Donate a Building Qiao Mei sat next to Yan Xi and said, "I''ve been lecturing in class all morning and I''m really a little tired. So I asked Mr. Wu for half a day off." ?iscover new chapters at novelhall.com Yan Xi pointed at Qiao Mei and said to his wife, "Look at this child. She''s exactly as I described! She has the same temper as her grandfather!" "I was brought up by my grandfather, so of course I resemble him the most! But I''m not as stubborn as my grandfather!" Qiao Mei said with a laugh. "That''s true. Your grandfather has a very stubborn temper. Child, you can''t just take leave and not go to school just because you have good results, do you understand? If every student can skip school because of good results, then won''t Sixth High be in a mess?" Yan Xi said as he looked at Qiao Mei earnestly. Yan Xi knew that Qiao Mei had worked hard this morning. Anyone would be very tired if one had to take on the workload of four teachers. When he went to school tomorrow, he would reprimand these teachers for making a pregnant woman work so hard. Qiao Mei nodded in embarrassment and said, "I understand. I''m indeed throwing a tantrum today. I''ll definitely go to school obediently tomorrow! I won''t be so willful anymore! However, I''m indeed here today to discuss something with Grandpa Yan Xi." Qiao Mei had already made a huge loss from donating the experimental seeds. The current situation at the factory was not the most optimistic either. Qiao Mei had spent a lot of money and manpower on the experimental fields. If she were to use the factory''s money at this time, it would be equivalent to closing down the factory! "Yes, I can. Grandpa Yan Xi, don''t worry. I''ve considered this matter thoroughly. Sixth High is also my husband''s alma mater. This laboratory building can be considered a token of our appreciation for our alma mater. I hope you can agree to it," Qiao Mei said. Even if the factory did not have much money, it did not mean that Qiao Mei did not have money in her coffers. Besides, she could still use the ginsengs to extort money from He Ning! Even if she did not have money, He Ning had a lot! He Ning sneezed violently at home and muttered softly, "Why am I sneezing... Is the weather too cold?" After much consideration, Yan Xi agreed to Qiao Mei''s suggestion and made preparations to inform the Education Bureau about Qiao Mei''s gesture so that more people could see how much she had contributed to the school. The news agency would also specially write a column on this matter. It was not only to thank Qiao Mei for her efforts, but more importantly, they wanted to appeal to other companies to sponsor the school so that the students could have a better learning environment. Qiao Mei had almost forgotten the most important thing she came to do. She quickly took out the scroll from behind her and handed it to Yan Xi. "Grandpa Yan Xi, I know you like one particular artist very much. This is a painting that I received by chance. It''s the artist''s final piece of art. I specially brought it here today to give it to you." Chapter 1761 A Talking Pigeon Chapter 1761 A Talking Pigeon Yan Xi quickly rejected the gesture, saying, "No, no! This is too expensive a present! You''ve already given a big gift to the students of Sixth High. I can''t accept another gift from you." "This has nothing to do with the school! This is to thank you for teaching Zhang Chao so well. It''s all thanks to you that my younger brother is so outstanding. I don''t know how to appreciate this painting and it''s a waste for me to hold on to it. It''s better for me to give it to someone who can appreciate it so that this painting isn''t relegated to being just a normal piece of paper." Since Qiao Mei said so, Yan Xi had no choice but to accept the painting. Qiao Mei and Yan Xi then chatted about the future plans for the school and equipment which the school needed the most at the moment, so that Qiao Mei could send a team to start the preparation work. It was not an easy task to construct a building. Qiao Mei also intended to ask Han Chen to donate to the school as well. She could not be the only patron, otherwise she would attract too much attention. Deng Fan was an architect, so she would ask him to be in charge. She did not care about how much it cost, as long as the parking lot was built as quickly as possible. After Qiao Mei returned home, she had some free time so she took out the luminous pearl which she had sneaked back from the mountain near the Mo family''s house. After being nourished by the ginseng juice for so many days, the luminous pearl no longer emitted foul air. "It''s not your imagination. I''m really asking you, do you really want to return to Yao Nian''s side?" Qiao Mei said. The pigeon was so frightened that it quickly hopped a few steps back. This was the first time a human could understand its thoughts. "I... Of course I want to! But how can a woman like you hear me? Are you a demoness! You''re not human! You''re... you''re a pigeon spirit! Tell me how you cultivate and become a human! I also want to become an immortal!" the pigeon asked Qiao Mei with bright eyes. Qiao Mei rolled her eyes resignedly and said, "I''m a human! I''m not transformed from a pigeon! You''re really as stupid as I expect. I might as well stew you and get some nourishment." "You crazy woman! I''m a brave and skillful carrier pigeon! I''ve sent more letters than the number of books you''ve read! I''m also the leader of our pigeon team! My master thinks highly of me! You actually want to kill me! You must be blind! I''m going back to look for my master! Let me go!" The pigeon kept cooing and was much louder than usual. This room was fully soundproof and no one outside could hear the pigeon at all. Qiao Mei smiled and said, "Save your strength. Only I can hear you. If you make any more noise and my family members catch hold you and stew you, don''t blame me~" The pigeon shut its mouth obediently and leaned against the far edge of the cage. This was the furthest it could get from Qiao Mei. 1650547bd2cc3f068e0ba09f140e08e7baccfecf06972d857c815271d53b23cbf94ad8cde9cc0be9a670d36543bc371ed5d1f53e995c71b8c2dd74422ec53eadd5c2f90fe720fb6e445fb2fafbb86289 Chapter 1762 Communicating with the Children Chapter 1762 Communicating with the Children Qiao Mei continued talking to the pigeon, but it ignored her. It even hid itself, curling up into a ball and burying its head in its wings. It seemed to be telling Qiao Mei that it did not care even if she skinned or killed it. Seeing this, Qiao Mei did not force the pigeon to communicate with her anymore. In the future, she still had to rely on the pigeon to send messages for her! She did not want to annoy it too much now. Going back to this luminous pearl, it was really quite a treasure. It could actually allow her to hear animals'' thoughts and communicate with them without any barriers. She just did not know how to trigger the ability. It looked like she still needed to explore it slowly. Qiao Mei put the luminous pearl back into the ginseng juice to continue to soak and nourish it. When she had time, she would study how to use it. The next day, Qiao Mei arrived at school on time as usual. Today, the teachers did not ask Qiao Mei to go up and lecture in class, but then again, Qiao Mei did not have the patience to sit through the class either. She knew everything that the teachers taught and could even draw more inferences than they could teach. She felt like asking Yan Xi if she could be a student of the class in name only and just turn up on the day of the examination. Obviously, this could only be Qiao Mei''s fantasy. If she really did this, not only would Xu Ju have a hold over her, but all the students in the class would also protest. After school, Qiao Mei walked towards Xia Fang''s house. Before the school''s new laboratory building was built, she still did not have an exclusive parking space. Qiao Mei hugged Xia Fan and said, "Tuan Tuan, talk to Mom. You can say anything. Just say one word and Mom will reward you with some mushy cabbages. How about that?" This was also something that Qiao Mei had accidentally discovered. Xia Fan did not really like to eat vegetables, even if she mashed it up. Although he would still eat it, he did not eat much. He only had a soft spot for mushy cabbages and would never get tired of eating it no matter how much he ate. He would even pester Feng Hua for it and one time, he even vomited from eating too much. Xia Fan covered his mouth with his small hands and shook his head. Qiao Mei was amused by how cute he looked. This was the first time she saw him expressing his reluctance to do something he really did not like. "Alright then, I won''t force you, but when you grow up a bit more, you have to start talking to me! Otherwise, I won''t let Auntie Feng cook your meals for you," Qiao Mei said dotingly as she reached out and tapped Xia Fan''s little nose. Xia Fan nodded with a pitiful look. For Xia Fan, food was more important than anything in this world. If he could not eat, he would rather that she kill him! Qiao Mei turned her attention to Xia Xing. This little girl had always been very talkative. As soon as Qiao Mei hugged Xia Xing, she started to babble non-stop, as if she was telling Qiao Mei what had happened in the past two days. Unfortunately, Qiao Mei could not understand a word of what Xia Xing was saying. "Yuan Yuan, slow down. Can you speak clearly, one word at a time?" Qiao Mei asked. Xia Xing tried her best to communicate with Qiao Mei, but no matter how hard she tried, Qiao Mei still could not understand her. Xia Xing was so worked up that she hit Qiao Mei''s chest with her small hands and her tiny face was scrunched up like a bun. "I''m sorry, I''m sorry! It''s all Mom''s fault. Mom can''t understand Yuan Yuan. Mom will definitely try my best to understand Yuan Yuan in the future, is that alright? Don''t be angry," Qiao Mei quickly said to Xia Xing. Chapter 1763 Chase Her to Her House Chapter 1763 Chase Her to Her House Feng Hua gave her interpretation from the side. "Children are like this. In the beginning, all they want to do is to express their needs to the adults. Perhaps Xia Xing is hungry now or wants to play with you, which is why she''s making those sounds so eagerly." Qiao Mei and Xia Xing looked at Feng Hua confusedly, as if neither of them understood what Feng Hua meant. Xia Xing thought to herself. I... I was trying to tell my mother just now that my brother snatched my toy yesterday. I didn''t ask my mother to play with me! Qiao Mei also thought to herself. Although I can''t understand what the children are saying, the children can understand what you''re saying. Is that really what they mean? At this moment, Xu Kang ran to the room door and said while panting, "Mei Mei, there''s a man at the door. He says that he''s your classmate and is here to visit you. Do you want to go out and meet him?" "Classmate? Did he tell you his name?" Qiao Mei asked with a slight frown. "His name is Wu something... I can''t remember! That name is quite hard to remember. Why don''t you come with me to take a look? If you don''t want to go out, I''ll go and ask him to leave," Xu Kang asked. "It''s alright, let''s go over together. Sister Feng, take good care of the children." After saying that, Qiao Mei went to the main door. It was a rare rest day for her and yet she had to host a visitor. She wondered which inconsiderate person was here to disturb her peace and quiet. Wu Duo stood at the door, feeling uneasy. He already expected Qiao Mei''s family to be very rich. When he got her address from Wu Li, he already felt that she was not from an ordinary family, but he certainly did not expect her house to be so grand. Qiao Mei led Wu Duo to the living room. Xu Kang made tea for Wu Duo as Li Gui carried Xia Fan and came to Qiao Mei''s side. "This is my mother and that''s my child," Qiao Mei said to Wu Duo by way of introduction. "Hello, Auntie. It''s our first time meeting and I''m really sorry for not bringing anything with me. I''ll definitely make it up to you next time!" Wu Duo said. "You''re too kind. Please take a seat," Li Gui said. Qiao Mei took a sip of tea and asked, "You said that you have something to tell me, so tell me." Wu Duo looked at Qiao Mei and stammered, "It''s not convenient for others to know about this. I can only tell you." "Then go out. You''re not welcome here," Qiao Mei said coldly. It looked like Wu Duo was really too inflexible. Qiao Mei had rejected him so many times, but he still did not know his limits and even crossed the line now. "Alright, alright, alright! I''ll talk! I''ll talk, alright!" Wu Duo begged for mercy. It was quite an embarrassing matter. When Wu Duo just graduated, he was in the prime of his youth and had obtained his village''s only admission slot to Capital University. His parents and teachers thought highly of him and his parents even held a banquet in the village to celebrate him becoming a student at Capital University. Chapter 1764 Start a Tuition Class Chapter 1764 Start a Tuition Class Just as Wu Duo was happily waiting for school to start, he suddenly heard from his teacher that he had lost the slot. After some investigation, he found out that the person who snatched it was none other than his girlfriend, Cui Hua. Wu Duo and Cui Hua had grown up together and were very close. Their parents were also family friends and had already agreed on an arranged marriage for the two of them when they were still young. Wu Duo looked forward to marrying Cui Hua once they grew up. After hearing the news, he was not angry but just a little puzzled. It did not matter if he could not go to Capital University. As long as Cui Hua could study there, it was not a loss to him. After all, the two of them would be a family in the future and it did not matter which of them received the admission slot. However, what Wu Duo did not expect was that Cui Hua had given the admission slot to another man. Only then did Wu Duo know that Cui Hua no longer had any feelings for him. While he was busy at school, Cui Hua was seeing another man. By then, she was already two months pregnant. Wu Duo did not know about this at all. ?iscover new chapters at novelhall.com In a fit of anger, Wu Duo went to settle the score with the other man. However, because of the huge difference in their physiques, that man beat Wu Duo up to the extent that he could not get out of bed for more than a month. Because of this matter, Wu Duo''s parents were mocked and shamed by the villagers. Wu Duo had never felt more humiliated in his life. He wanted to make this indecent couple pay for what they did! Qiao Mei listened to the story patiently but could not tell what this matter had to do with her. Both Li Gui and Qiao Mei looked at Wu Duo confusedly. Qiao Mei thought for a moment and said, "I can help you, but I won''t help you to cheat. This is a matter of principle and it''s not acceptable to me. However, I can teach you and explain the questions to you. You''re a smart person. As long as you study hard, you will definitely be able to pass the examination. This is all I can do. Nothing else." "Of course! Of course I have no problem with that! It''s just that this will take up a lot of your time. You can''t teach for free. Name your price. Let me know how much you want to charge per class. I''ll go home and get the money!" Wu Duo said sincerely. Qiao Mei did not want to charge any fees. She did not need this money. Besides, it would not be good if it was discovered by others. People would definitely gossip about it. She only wanted to help Wu Duo get into university. All her current connections in the capital were related to the Xia family. Even the factory was inseparable from the Xia family. Qiao Mei wanted to have her own connections. In this era, university students were still very valuable and had very good prospects ahead of them. Qiao Mei was taking a gamble. She was betting on Wu Duo being a grateful person and that he would not forget her kindness when he made a name for himself in the future. She had nothing to lose in this matter. If he made it, then she would have another "general" in her team in the future. It did not matter if he failed. She would only have wasted some time. "I don''t want money, but you can''t be the only one who benefits from this. We need a few more people to make up the class," Qiao Mei said. "Alright! No problem!" Wu Duo said happily. After Wu Duo left, Li Gui said worriedly, "Mei Mei, will this affect your health? It all seems a bit too hasty." 1650547bd2cc3f068e0ba09f140e08e7baccfecf06972d857c815271d53b23cbf94ad8cde9cc0be9a670d36543bc371e74432fdc03750adb2a7f3830cd40fd9b1f8ff83ff70ff926102ac5f73f88f48f Chapter 1765 - 1765: Rapid Improvement in Results Chapter 1765: Rapid Improvement in Results Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Dont worry, I know what Im doing. By the time its close to my due date, these people will be able to study on their own. By then, I wont have to keep an eye on them all the time, Qiao Mei said. Qiao Mei picked out a few people in the class of similar aptitudes to Wu Duo. Now, the group consisted of two female and two male students. They all did not have a good family background, but they had the desire to study and improve themselves. In addition, they did not slander Qiao Mei nor participated in that matter where she was accused of cheating. The other male classmate, Wang Wei, looked at Qiao Mei and asked, Why do you choose me? They all sat on the chairs and looked at Qiao Mei. They were all curious as to why Qiao Mei chose them instead of the rest. Because you have never said anything bad about me and youre not hopeless. Its also quite boring for me to study alone at home so I want to find study mates. These are the reasons why Im helping you, Qiao Mei said. Qiao Mei could not possibly tell them that it was because they had great potential to be good pawns in her hands in the future, right? No matter how hard these people tried to suck up to Qiao Mei, it was useless. She was not impressed by such things at all. After the first mock examination, Qiao Mei again scored full marks for everything except politics. Those four people were all ranked behind Qiao Mei and their group took the top five places in their class and even among the students of the same year. Qiao Mei did not take the second mock examination. With her results, it did not matter if she took it or not. She had to go to the hospital for a prenatal checkup that day since the baby was due in a few months. During this period of time, she had to take care of her health and not work too hard. The results of the checkup were the same as before. Everything was normal and the baby was very healthy. As long as she took good care of herself, it would not be a problem for her to have a smooth delivery. Qiao Mei drove and went a few rounds around the capital, but she was not just driving around idly. She was checking out new locations to buy properties. Recently, the factory had taken on another big order and made a lot of money. She had spare cash to buy houses again. After thinking hard, Qiao Mei still felt that the villa neighborhood close to He Nings house was the most cost-effective. It had a good geographical location and would be connected to the subway in the future. Properties there would definitely appreciate in value! However, the thought of becoming neighbors with He Ning made her feel very uncomfortable. She decided to observe the situation for a while longer. Perhaps she could go and take a look in other cities when the weather was nicer. She might even be able to open a branch office or something.. Chapter 1766 - 1766: One Month Break Chapter 1766: One Month Break Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The results of the second mock examination were released very quickly. Since Qiao Mei did not participate, Wu Duo and the other three students took the top four spots among their cohort. Many people were very jealous and wanted to be Qiao Meis fifth student. Every time Qiao Mei came to school, she would be surrounded by a big crowd. Even after school, she would also be surrounded by many people. Everyone wanted to ask one more question, as if asking one more question could improve their scores. Qiao Mei really did not want to be surrounded by people every day as it was very suffocating. All she could hear was people shouting out questions. After discussing it with the school, she finally got her wish when Yan Xi agreed to give her a one month break. She could rest at home and recuperate in peace. The college entrance examination had been brought forward. In her other life, the college entrance examination was usually held at the beginning of June, but since this was the first year after resumption, no one really had any idea about what was going on. Follow the latest novels at novelhall.com The Education Department had informed everyone that the examination would be held in the last week of December over three days and they would be tested on all nine subjects. Qiao Mei shook her head and said, Its not as if you dont know that this experimental field is funded by the country. If we mess it up, its the country that will be embarrassed, not our factory. Havent you noticed that our factorys business has been especially good recently? Thats all because of the experimental field! When everyone sees that we are working with the government, they all want to do business with us because they think that we are about to become a state-owned company. Then do you want the factory to be state-owned? Recently, many people tried to ask me this question, but I didnt answer them. 1 want to hear your opinion first. Its not my decision to make, Qiane probed. Qiao Mei said firmly, Thats impossible. I dont want it to become a state-owned factory. That would reduce our profit. Although we dont have to worry about being short of workers anymore, the quality of many things needs to be very high. With our current standard, its impossible for us to achieve that. When the time comes, you wont be the only one who has to work non-stop in the factory all year round. 1 will even have to go back and work! At the end of the day, youre just saying that its too troublesome! You just want to enjoy life at home! Qiane said. Who doesnt like to enjoy life? My children are still so young. Theres one more on the way, so I dont have any energy left for the factory. If theres nothing important, you can solve it yourself. Theres no need to ask me. Im now bringing you on a free trip to relax! You have to thank me properly! Qiao Mei said. Oh please. Just drive properly. I totally deserve this vacation! Dont change your mind! As for what you said, Ill consider it. Id better issue a notice in the next two days to stop the people in the factory from letting their imagination run wild, Qiane said. Qiao Mei just smiled. Qiane had indeed contributed a lot to the factory. Qiao Mei even wanted to give some of her shares to Qiane.. Chapter 1767 - 1767: The House in Lian City Chapter 1767: The House in Lian City Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios However, Qiane rejected Qiao Meis idea. She only wanted to be Qiao Mei t s employee. She did not want to be the factory director as that would be too burdensome. She felt that she was not that capable yet. If there was a suitable opportunity in the future, she would seize it then. Lu Huais company was doing very well. At first, no one believed that Lu Huais transportation company could safely deliver the goods to the designated locations. However, as Lu Huai and his staff worked tirelessly to prove themselves, their reputation became better and better. They even became the leader of the transportation industry in the capital! The company started with three trucks and six drivers. By now, it had expanded to 20 trucks and more than 30 drivers. They were making more and more money and even the companys premises kept expanding. Lu Huai and Xia You had also bought a house in the capitals city center that was more than 100 square meters in floor area! Lu Huai even wanted to open a branch office in another city, which coincided with Qiao Meis idea. Lian City had a mild climate and nice scenery. Qiao Mei t s house was located by the sea. Xia Wen had told Qiao Mei that it was a big villa, but now that she was here, she realized that it was a huge manor. With such a family background, Qiao Mei still could say that she wanted the children to live a more simple life? Qiane really could not imagine how simple it could get. Did she want them to eat steamed buns while sitting on a pile of money? Then I can only hope that your wish can come true... Qiane said. After Qiao Mei and Qiane finished walking around the garden outside, they finally arrived at the main door of the castle. Qiao Mei took out the key and inserted it into the lock. The heavy door creaked open to reveal a house that was filled with dust and spiderwebs. When a slight gust of wind blew past, Qiao Mei and Qiane could not even keep their eyes open. The two of them had no choice but to get out of the castle first and stood at the door to think of a plan. Are we able to hire helpers here? Lets spend some money and find a few helpers to clean up the house, Qiane said as she looked at the castle in disdain. I took a quick look at the things inside just now. Many of them are really expensive! Its not an easy task to find helpers who know how to clean up these valuable items. We are not familiar with this city, so how do we find reliable helpers? Qiao Mei said with a sigh. Isnt Feng Hua from your house very capable? Why dont you give her more money and ask her to come here? It will only take her about a month to clean up the courtyard. Get both Sister Xu Kang and Sister Feng Hua to come over. The two of them will definitely be done with the whole place in two months. You can leave the children with your mother-in-law during this period of time, Qiane said.. Chapter 1768 - 1768: State Banquet Chef Chapter 1768: State Banquet Chef Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios No, this plan is not workable. Sister Feng Huas son is getting married this year. How can she come to Lian City because of me? They already need all the help they can get at home. Forget it, Ill think of another way. Lets go and find another place to stay first, Qiao Mei said with a sigh. In any case, there was no hurry to live in the Lian City house. After being abandoned for so many years, it did not matter if it was abandoned for a few more months. Qiao Mei and Qiane found a local guest house to stay the night and unpacked before driving to a famous local restaurant for a meal. They had heard that the chef in this restaurant was very good. He was even a state banquet chef! Every month, this chef would set aside three days to specially cook for the guests who booked a private room. No matter how difficult the dishes were, he could make them. Furthermore, he would also come up with different menus for the guests according to their preferences. This could be considered the highlight of this restaurant. Qiao Mei ordered a few of the restaurants signature dishes. The two of them did not like crowds and chose a table by the window. However, their beauty had already caught the attention of the entire restaurant. Through He Nings introduction, Tan Jing managed to hook up with the new police chief, Huang Quan. Coincidentally, Huang Quans mother celebrated her birthday a few days ago and Huang Quan took the opportunity to bring Tan Jing back to his hometown to meet his family. Huang Quans parents were very happy with their future daughter-in-law and even urged Huang Quan to marry Tan Jing quickly. In order to make Tan Jing happy, Huang Quan had put in a lot of effort to book a private room in this restaurant. The moment Tan Jing entered, she was stunned by what she saw. She never imagined that she would run into Qiao Mei in this place. This woman was like a lingering spirit. Huang Quan looked at Tan Jing in confusion and asked, Why are you standing here? Go in! As soon as he spoke, he followed Tan Jings line of sight and saw Qiao Mei. He had never seen such a beautiful woman in his life. She looked like a budding rose and he found her to be very attractive. The dishes on Qiao Meis table cost more than 300 dollars, which was not something that ordinary families could afford. Such a young and beautiful woman from a wealthy family should be his partner! He had thought that Tan Jing was quite good-looking. After all, she led a pampered life in the Xia family for so many years, so she was definitely much prettier than those women outside who had to earn their keep. He only tolerated Tan Jings arrogant temper because of that. Now that he saw Qiao Mei, he forgot about all those things. He did not care about the engagement or buying a house anymore. He only wanted to get Qiao Meis contact information immediately. When Tan Jing saw the look in Huang Quan!s eyes, she really felt like killing Qiao Mei. Back then, Xia Wen had been charmed by Qiao Meis children and now, Qiao Mei had suddenly appeared to charm her fiance?.. Chapter 1769 - 1769: Special Fetish Chapter 1769: Special Fetish Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Follow the latest novels at novelhall.com Qiao Mei and Qiane also saw Tan Jinga They did not expect Tan Jing to dress better after leaving the Xia family. She looked 10 years younger. It was true that clothes made the man. The current Tan Jing really looked like a rich lady. Tan Jing was wearing a light yellow dress, white high heels and had wavy hair. She looked sultry and enchanting and could be considered a beauty. Qiao Mei had asked Yao Nian to continue keeping tabs on the Tan family. If Tan Jing was not doing well, then Qiao Mei would not do anything to the Tan family. However, if Tan Jing started to do too well for herself, then Qiao Mei would have to resort to some underhanded means. Just because Xia Wen was unable to do these things did not mean that she was unable to do them as well. If it was in the past, Qiao Mei might have been able to spare Tan Jing. However, ever since Tan Jing went to look for He Ning and wanted to use the Xia family to exchange for a rosy future, Tan Jing was destined not to have a good life for the rest of her life. Is that your ex-sister-in-law? She looks like a different person. She looks different after piling on the gold and the silver, Qiane said teasingly. Maybe or maybe not. Lets just eat our food and ignore others. The food wont taste good when it gets cold, Qiao Mei said with a smile. Were already engaged! Whats wrong with a hug! Tan Jing said unhappily. Think about who I am! Dont tell me you want others to criticize me? I dont want to be laid off not long after I take up this position! Huang Quan found a random reason to muddle through. Tan Jing naturally knew what Huang Quan was thinking. Since that was the case, she would fulfill his wish. It would be worth it to watch Huang Quan mess with the Xia family and make sure that they did not have peaceful days. It would be even better if Huang Quan managed to get hold of Qiao Mei. Then, Xia Zhe would divorce Qiao Mei and Qiao Mei would get a taste of the pain she Huang Quan was not good-looking and was quite old. He had already divorced two to three wives and even had two sons. Tan Jing had no interest in a man like this! Huang Quan could not even compare with Xia Wens toes. There were many men like him outside, so there was no need for her to be hung up over him. Tan Jing obediently went to the table next to Qiao Meis and sat down. Huang Quan hurriedly followed her. It looked like Tan Jing was quite sensible and knew what to do. Qiao Mei and Qiane exchanged glances. Since Tan Jing did not greet them and pretended that they did not know one another, they did not want to say anything. They decided to eat quickly and return to the guest house. Huang Quan thought for a long time and finally mustered his courage to look at Qiao Mei and asked, Hello, this is my first visit here.. Can I ask whats good here? What do you think is the best dish? Chapter 1770 - 1770: Make an Offer to Buy the Bangles Chapter 1770: Make an Offer to Buy the Bangles Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiane could not even hide the disdain on her face. Ever since she learned how to dress up, she had met many men who tried to hit on her. However, this was the first time she had seen such a stiff approach. Even the annoying Han Chen had never been so stiff when wooing her. At least he knew how to send her many nice gifts. Theyre all delicious, Qiao Mei said mildly. Is that so? Let me take a closer look at what youre eating, Huang Quan said as he slowly pulled his chair closer to their table when they were not paying attention. Qiane immediately yelled out, Mister, if you want, you can ask the waiter to serve you the exact same dishes. If you move your chair any further, youre going to drop into our plates. How are we supposed to eat then? This shout made everyone around turn to stare at them. Huang Quan was just one move away from moving his chair to their table. He immediately felt a little embarrassed and stood up with a whoosh. He looked at Qiane and shouted angrily, What are you saying! I just want to see what dishes you ordered! Qiane had the urge to beat up Huang Quan. He wanted to buy the bangle from Qiao Mei for 100 dollars and he even called that a high price. He was really too condescending. The bill for their meal today was already more than 100 dollars! No. I also like this pair of bangles very much. Forgive me for not being able to let you have them, Qiao Mei said politely. My mothers birthday is really coming up. She will definitely like this pair of bangles. Ill give you 500 dollars so that I can show my love for my mother. Please let me have them, Huang Quan said pleadingly. No one would believe that a pair of silver bangles was worth 500 dollars. The sum of 500 dollars was more than enough to buy a pair of gold bangles! Its a no go for 500 dollars and we wont agree even if you pay 1,000 dollars! Qiane angrily grabbed Qiao Mei to leave. Before she left, she even glared fiercely at Tan Jing. Huang Quan t s eyes widened when he saw them getting into a brand new jeep. People who had cars nowadays must be of very high status. He did not even have his own car and needed to borrow a car from his workplace unit. Every time he wanted to borrow a car, he had to fill in many declaration forms. It was extremely cumbersome. This made Huang Quan even more determined to get Qiao Mei. He quickly chased after her and got into his car to follow her, leaving Tan Jing sitting alone in the restaurant. No matter how Tan Jing yelled out at him, he turned a deaf ear to her. The food which Huang Quan ordered just now was even more expensive than what Qiao Mei ordered! It cost more than 500 dollars! It was equivalent to her salary for five months! Her money was gone just like that! Sooner or later, she would get Huang Quan to return her this sum of money! Qiane pointed at the rearview mirror and said, Qiao Mei, look! That person is following us! Chapter 1771 - 1771: Check on the License Plate Number Chapter 1771: Check on the License Plate Number Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Damn it, this person is really persistent. Hes really a good match for Tan Follow the latest novels at novelhall.com Jing.! It was rare for Qiao Mei to swear at someone. She stared ahead and said, Fasten your seatbelt and sit tight! Hey! What are you doing? Ah!!! Help!!! Qiane screamed as she grabbed the seatbelt tightly. Qiao Mei floored the accelerator and sped down the road. They were traveling on a mountain road, so there were not many cars. She just needed to travel at high speed all the way straight to reach their destination. The only thing was that the road was rocky and made the journey a bit bumpy. Fortunately, Qiao Mei had a soft cushion which protected her stomach from the bumpy car ride. The jeep was also very steady on the mountain road. Very quickly, they left Huang Quan behind. He could not catch up with them in that miserable sedan car he was driving and the car even broke down halfway up the mountain. During this era, very few cars were privately owned. Only people like the He family, which had donated a lot of money to the government for generations, could receive special approval to own a car. Otherwise, most cars were registered under various government units. Qiao Meis car was actually registered under a top-secret government unit, so anyone who enquired about Qiao Mei was asking for trouble! In the end, Huang Quan had no choice but to use the Huang familys connections. He had to get his father, Huang Zhong, to save him. Huang Zhong put on an apologetic smile on his face and talked to many people before he finally managed to bail Huang Quan out. Before he left, those people in the government even quietly told him not to continue checking on the car or even ask about it. As soon as they reached home, Huang Zhong finally could not control his temper. He smashed a few vases at the door and pointed at Huang Quan as he scolded, You unfilial son! Are you trying to drive me to my grave! How dare you investigate people you shouldnt ask about! Who do you think you are! Do you think youre the ruler of the world? If I didnt spend 10,000 dollars to bail you out today! Who knows where youll end up! Is it that serious? I only asked about a license plate number. I just want to know whos the owner of this car. Is this against the rules? Its something that can be done in the past. I dont know why its so difficult this time round, Huang Quan said indignantly. You beast! Youre still unrepentant! How many people can afford to drive a jeep? Even He Ning doesnt have such a luxurious car! That car is exactly the same one which the countrys leader has. Cant you tell? You must be blind. How can I have such a good-for-nothing son like you who almost sacrificed himself for a woman! Huang Zhong roared angrily. You Yu came to Huang Zhongs side and stroked his back gently. She said gently, What happened? You have high blood pressure. The doctor says you should not let your emotions fluctuate too much. Dont be angry with your son. Talk slowly. Its all because of you! You only know how to spoil these brats! Do you know how much trouble this unfilial son has caused! Our entire family almost has to die with this little brat! Huang Zhong sat on the sofa and said angrily.. Chapter 1772 - 1772: Someone You Should Not Provoke Chapter 1772: Someone You Should Not Provoke Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After You Yu poured a cup of tea for Huang Zhong, she looked at Huang Quan and asked, Your father is asking you a question. What have you done? Tell me about it. Its about a woman. I just asked someone to run a check on her license plate number. I didnt expect that woman to have such a powerful background! If I know, I wont have caused trouble for the family, Huang Quan muttered softly. How dare you still say such beastly words! Is she just some ordinary woman? Why didnt you use your bloody brain before you investigated! Can an ordinary woman afford a car? Moreover, shes such a young and beautiful woman! Look at yourself! Should you even be asking around about such a girl? Huang Zhong roared. What are you saying! Thats our son! How can you say that about your own child? Our son is not too bad, You Yu said unhappily. Follow the latest novels at novelhall.com Huang Zhong smacked the table angrily and said, Ask your son to look in the mirror and take a closer look at himself! He married three wives over a span of 10 years and they were all beaten to death by him! He has two sons but he left them in the care of a nanny. Will he be a good father one day? If youre an eligible young man, I can still set aside my pride and go to ask if the girl is willing to marry you. Youre already in your 30s! What are you fantasizing about! How can a girl with such a good family background marry you! Even if shes willing! Her family wont agree! No matter how slow-witted You Yu was, she could understand the whole story by now and knew clearly that Huang Quan had provoked someone he should not have. It was not good for her to keep speaking up for Huang Quan. You still have the cheek to scold your son. Back then, in order to marry me, you knelt at the main door of my house for three days and three nights. Have you forgotten? If not for me, you wouldnt be so rich! You Yu asked with a smile. Huang Zhong said embarrassedly, Were already so old! Why are you bringing this up again! Son, your father is right about one thing. Quickly get married to that woman from the Tan family. I think shes quite a nice person. If you marry her sooner, she can also help you take care of your children, You Yu said. In terms of family background, the Tan family was not even worthy of being the Huang familys servants. However, He Ning was the one who had introduced this woman to them. Moreover, He Ning would call every once in a while to ask about the progress. They were under a lot of pressure because he kept asking them for updates. If they delayed the wedding, it would look like they were unappreciative, would it not? The Huang family was only able to do well in Lian City because of the He family. Without the He family, they were nothing! Besides, Tan Jing was once part of the Xia family after all. She knew more about manners and etiquette than ordinary girls and would not embarrass the Huang family. l dont want to be with Tan Jing! Huang Quan said. What you want is not important! Even if you dont agree to it, you have to get married! This is the partner whom He Ning personally chose for you! How can you reject the arrangement! Huang Zhong questioned.. Chapter 1773 - 1773: Get Married Immediately Chapter 1773: Get Married Immediately Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios If you really dont want to get married, we wont stop you. But you have to go and explain this matter to He Ning yourself. We wont do it for you! Even then, dont even think about that young girl! That girl is more of a perfect match for your younger brother. Youve already been married so many times, why will the girl like you! You Yu said disdainfully. Mother! Why are you so biased! l... Im still in my prime now! Why am I not worthy! Why are you so biased towards my younger brother! Huang Quan complained. You dont have a choice! Settle the engagement with the Tan family this month! Get it done! Huang Zhong said sternly. Why should I accept a woman whom Xia Wen doesnt want! Havent you heard the rumors! You still want me to marry such a woman! Wont that embarrass our Huang family? Huang Quan said unhappily. People said that Tan Jing was a jinx and that ever since she married into the Xia family, the family had faced non-stop trouble. They also said that she even tried to poison her sister-in-laws children and that she was infertile, among other things. However, these were just rumors. The Xia family had already come forward to clarify that Tan Jing was not what the rumors said, but no one believed what the Xia family said. After Tan Jing paid more than 500 dollars for the meal at the restaurant, she did not have any spare cash to buy gifts, so she only brought some fruits with her. You Yu accepted the fruits and then placed them on the shoe cabinet at the door. She gave the housekeeper a look to tell her to throw them out quickly. How could this woman have the cheek to bring such cheap things into their house. At first, Huang Quan was sitting in the living room and watching television. When he saw Tan Jing, he wanted to go back to his bedroom. He felt annoyed whenever he saw Tan Jings face now. Coupled with the fact that his family kept urging him to get married, he felt even more frustrated. Tan Jing walked quickly to Huang Quan t s side and said, l have something to tell you. Huang Quan brought Tan Jing to the study. He sat on the chair nonchalantly and said, What a rare guest. I invited you to our house previously, but you never wanted to. Now, you actually take the initiative to come looking for me. Tell me, what exactly do you want to tell me? In the past, in order to raise her status, she had always pretended to be prim and proper. However, now that she knew that Huang Quan was no longer interested in her, she would be a fool to continue acting prim and proper. l just want to make a trip to the capital with you. My family has asked me when Im going back, Tan Jing said with a smile. l dont know. If youre in such a hurry, you can take the train back first, Huang Quan said impatiently. Tan Jing did not look angry to hear that. She looked at Huang Quan tenderly and said, Theres something I need to go back and handle. I have a cousin whos going to take the college entrance examination soon and I want to go back and check on her schoolwork. After all, I used to work at Capital University.. Chapter 1774 Gold Bangles Chapter 1774 Gold Bangles "What has it got to do with me whether you go back or not? Your family matters have nothing to do with me! Don''t bother me!" After thinking for a long while, Huang Quan took out 200 dollars and threw the money at Tan Jing. "Is it because you''re short of money! This should be enough for you! Get out of my sight quickly!" Tan Jing held back her anger. She had come to reveal information about Qiao Mei to Huang Quan. She could not let all her efforts over the past few days go to waste. She was still waiting to watch a good show! Before the show started, she could tolerate anything. "I still have money. I''m not here to ask you for money. I just want you to come back with me to visit my parents. By the way, about that cousin of mine, I gave her a call yesterday and happened to mention that luxury car we saw. She actually told me that she has seen it before!" Tan Jing said in a nonchalant manner. Huang Quan immediately perked up and asked excitedly, "Where did your cousin see it?" Follow the latest novels at novelhall.com "She said that she saw it at her school gate. She''s currently studying at Sixth High. I think the owner of the car is in the same class as my cousin. I don''t know that person''s name though. I have to go back and ask my cousin for more details," Tan Jing said. Huang Quan immediately picked up his car keys and said, "Let''s go! We''ll go back to the capital now!" She already knew about Huang Quan checking on her car, but she did not expect him not to learn his lesson even after being fined 10,000 dollars. He still chased her all the way here. Huang Quan, on the other hand, was only curious about Qiao Mei''s background. This was the hospital''s family compound. How could a doctor manage to bring up a daughter who drove a luxury car? Qiao Mei could not be bothered with Huang Quan and prepared to drive away from the neighborhood. She did not expect Huang Quan to stand in front of the car and block her way. "Are you sick of living?" Qiao Mei stuck her head out and asked. Huang Quan took out a box from his pocket unhurriedly. There was a pair of gold bangles inside. The two bangles weighed a total of 80 grams! These were even heavier than typical bangles included in a bride''s dowry. "Miss Qiao, I still want to buy that pair of silver bangles from you. Since you don''t want money, I will use this pair of gold bangles to exchange for them," Huang Quan said sincerely to Qiao Mei. The neighbors all came over to watch the commotion. Even the Qian family members were there. Everyone''s attention was drawn to the gold bangles in Huang Quan''s hand, but Qiao Mei was more curious about why Huang Quan knew her surname. "Zhao Ni, is this little girl very close to your daughter? Aren''t you going to ask her why your daughter hasn''t been home for so long?" a neighbor looked at Zhao Ni and asked. Chapter 1775 - 1775: Nearing the College Entrance Examination Chapter 1775: Nearing the College Entrance Examination Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Why should I ask! My daughter is doing fine! Seriously, instead of caring about your own family affairs, you come to meddle in our familys affairs! Zhao Ni hurriedly ran home after saying that. Look at her, shes so humorless! Its just a joke! a woman in the crowd said. How could Zhao Ni not want to know how Qiane was doing now? Ever since Qiane left home, Qiane had not contacted her. Although she did not know if Qiane was doing well, she was sure that it was a much better life than living in the Qian family. As long as Qiane could leave the bottomless pit that was the Qian family, she would definitely be able to succeed in life. Zhao Ni knew that Qiao Mei was a kind person who would not treat Qiane badly. The only thing Zhao Ni could do to help Qiane was not to contact her and also to stop the Qian family from contacting her. Zhao Ni had already suffered enough in this life and did not want her daughters life to be as tough as hers. Thats right! I have confidence! Wu Duo said excitedly. For them, the days passed in a blur of conversations and laughter. Soon, it was almost the day of the college entrance examination. Qiao Mei got dressed up and drove to school. During this period of time, Xu Lan and Li Gui were worried that Qiao Mei would be distracted by the children, so the two of them stayed over at Qiao Meis place and helped her take care of the children. They also bought a lot of winter clothes for Qiao Mei and wrapped her up tightly every day before they allowed her to go out. Today was the day when the school handed out the examination pass and everyone was very nervous and afraid that they would lose it. They had all kinds of worries. Some people were worried that the pass would drop out of their bags if they placed it inside. Some were worried that it would drop out of their hands if they held it. Some were worried that they would forget to bring it along if they put it down. There were also people who were worried that it would get blown away by the wind if they put it in their pockets. Everyone, remember that you only get one examination pass! You must take good care of it! If you lose it, you can only take the examination next year! Do you understand? Wu Li said sternly. Yes! everyone replied in unison. Qiao Mei carefully placed the examination pass in the compartment pocket of her school bag. She only zipped up her bag after confirming repeatedly that it was inside. After Wu Li briefed the students, he dismissed them. Yan Xi came to the classroom and called for Qiao Mei, Wu Duo and Li Xue to go to his office. The three of you are our schools greatest hope. We think very highly of your results. Youve been in the top three positions in our school for the past few examinations. I hope you have the confidence to be the top three students in the city! Yan Xi said with a smile. Yes! Wu Duo shouted enthusiastically.. Chapter 1776 - 1776: Lose the Examination Pass Chapter 1776: Lose the Examination Pass Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Hahahaha. Wu Duo is full of confidence. This is a very good thing. I dont need to give Qiao Mei any further instructions. Youve always been most consistent. Li Xue, dont feel too stressed. Just read the questions carefully and youll be able to get very good results. Ill see all of you at Capital University, Yan Xi said. Yan Xi was not only the principal of Sixth High, but also a professor in the Physics Department at Capital University. It was hard to get into his class and he only held classes twice a month. Every time he lectured at the university, the classroom would be filled to the brim. There were even students who brought their own stools to the classroom to attend his class and some who leaned in through the window. Sometimes, he wished he could hold the class at the field so that students who wanted to attend but did not have a seat could also be part of the class. Its a deal! You cant go back on your word! When the time comes, we still want to be your students! Li Xue said as she looked at Yan Xi happily. Follow the latest novels at novelhall.com No problem! Ill be waiting for you! Yan Xi said. Qiao Mei returned to the classroom, took her school bag and went home. The moment she reached home, she started to pack all the things she needed for the college entrance examination the day after tomorrow. She wanted to prepare two sets of stationery so that she had backups if the pens and erasers turned out to be faulty. Are you enemies with anyone? Or is there anyone whos jealous that youre good at your studies? Or people who will deliberately make trouble for you, Xia Wen asked. If you put it that way, there are too many people who are jealous of me, Qiao Mei said. For a moment, Xia Wen did not know what to say. The family had thought that Qiao Mei would at most get into a normal university, but they did not expect her results to be so good. Perhaps the top scorer in the city for this college entrance examination would be from their family! Everyone was caught up in the joy and excitement, but no one expected something bad to happen so quickly. Xia Wen immediately made a call to the Education Department. He wanted to ask if he could get a replacement for the examination pass. However, even if he made use of the entire Xia familys connections, he still might not be able to do it. Eldest Brother, maybe we should forget about it. With my capability, I can take the examination next year. I dont have to take it this year, Qiao Niei said. That wont do! Youve worked so hard for so long! We cant give up now. Ill go and contact everyone I know and search for it together! Xia Wen said agitatedly. Qiao Mei followed closely behind Xia Wen. The two of them hurriedly drove to the school to do a search. Yan Xi gathered all the teachers to help Qiao Mei find her examination pass. Even the staff from the Education Department came to help. In everyones eyes, Qiao Mei was a rare talent. If she did well, she would be the pride of the entire capital. After she entered university and went on to participate in competitions, she could even win national awards. Everyone, get moving! We must find Qiao Meis examination pass today! If we cant find it in the school, lets go to the other students homes and ask them one by one! We must find it before the college entrance examination! Yan Xi shouted at the crowd.. Chapter 1777 - 1777: Finding the Examination Pass Chapter 1777: Finding the Examination Pass Follow the latest novels at novelhall.com Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios All the students in Qiao Meis class also came back to school voluntarily to help Qiao Mei search for her examination pass. Although they were jealous of Qiao Meis good results, it was undeniable that she was really capable. They were only jealous but they did not have any intention to harm her. Moreover, she had helped them with their schoolwork before. They could not bite the hand that fed them. Huang Quan hid in the small woods and did not dare to make a sound. He did not expect this matter to escalate to this extent. He had gone to look for his younger cousin who was in the second year of Sixth High and asked him to find an opportunity to steal Qiao Meis examination pass. He wanted to put on a big show of the hero saving the damsel in distress and to appear with the pass in his hands. He was sure that Qiao Mei would be thankful to him for his efforts and agreed to marry him! However, he had underestimated the power of Qiao Meis results and the influence of the Xia family. Xia Wen even found many friends to help him with the search outside the school. Qiao Mei also asked Yao Nian to go around the entire city. They were sure that they would find more clues before dawn broke. In a panic, Huang Quan threw the examination pass to the ground and stomped on it a few times. Then, he picked it up and ran towards Qiao Mei. Miss Qiao! Ive found your examination pass! Huang Quan said excitedly as he held up Qiao Meis examination pass, which was now dirty and muddy. Qiao Mei stared at Huang Quan for a while before shouting, Eldest Brother!!! Eldest Brother, hes the person who wanted to buy my silver bangles in Lian City some time ago. He was with Tan Jing at that time and I rejected his request. After that, he kept chasing after me relentlessly and even wanted to use gold bangles to exchange for the silver ones. I couldnt shake him off at all, Qiao Mei said expressionlessly. Wu Duo immediately said, 1 can bear witness that I have seen this person waiting for Qiao Mei in the neighborhood several times! All the neighbors around here can bear witness! Xia Wen raised his eyebrows and stared at Huang Quan. Qiao Mei had not told him about all these things previously. Before Xia Zhe left, he had asked him to take good care of Qiao Mei. He definitely could not go back on his word. Furthermore, how did Huang Quan know Tan Jing? What was the relationship between this matter and Tan Jing? How did Huang Quan get hold of the examination pass? Based on their initial hypothesis, if someone who was jealous of Qiao Nieis results had stolen her examination pass, then the pass would definitely have been burned to ashes by now. It would be impossible for them to find it. If this person was here for the Xia family, then he would be using it to negotiate with the Xia family now. It was definitely impossible for anyone to have simply picked it up inside the small woods, so this person must be the one who had stolen the examination pass. Its because of my mother! My mothers birthday is coming up and I especially like that pair of silver bangles. I want to buy them for my mother, so I wonder if your sister can let me have them, Huang Quan quickly explained. At the moment, he was the person who had helped Qiao Mei find her examination pass! She must be willing to part with a mere pair of silver bangles by now. He would then wait a while before coming back to thank her for being willing to let him have the bangles. If she managed to get into university, he could buy a gift to congratulate her. If not, he could think of a way to help her get into a private university. If he helped her to such a great extent, she would definitely be willing to marry him! Chapter 1778 - 1778: Hoodwinked Chapter 1778: Hoodwinked Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios However, things did not happen as Huang Quan expected. Xia Wen asked curiously, How do you know that Qiao Mei is my younger sister? Huang Quan stood rooted to the spot and said with a puzzled expression, Didnt she call you Eldest Brother just now? If so, shes naturally your younger sister. Xia Wen smiled mockingly. So Huang Quan did not know that Qiao Mei was already married and thought that she was a young and single girl! In the capital, no one would dare to have designs on the Xia familys daughter-in-law. That would be like courting death. Even He Ning, who had his eyes on Qiao Mei, did not dare to snatch her away openly. However, it was understandable from Huang Quan t s point of view. Recently, Xu Lan had made Qiao Mei wear too many layers of clothes. In addition, her bump was quite small this pregnancy. Unless it was someone who spent time with Qiao Mei every day, it was very difficult to tell that she was pregnant. The thing was, even if Huang Quan was unable to tell that Qiao Mei was pregnant, why was it that Tan Jing did not tell Huang Quan about Qiao Meis identity? Who knew what Tan Jing was trying to do! Youve got it wrong. She is my sister-in-law. Thank you again for picking up her examination pass. Her bangles are a family heirloom and cant be given away. I hope you wont disturb my sister-in-law anymore. After she is done with the college entrance examination, members of the Xia family will personally visit you to thank you for your help, Xia Wen said. Sister-in-law! Xia family! Huang Quan looked at Xia Wen and Qiao Mei in shock. Yi saw Huang Quan, she scrambled back into the house in fright to look for Tan Jing. She had always been fond of her new son-in-law and he always wore a big smile when he saw her. However, right now, Huang Quan looked as if he wanted to kill everyone in her family. Tan Jing already knew this day would come, but she did not expect it to come so quickly. She got dressed up and went to the door. Huang Quan was about to question her when she said, Lets talk somewhere further away. Everyone has already gone to bed. Huang Quan looked at the people around them and suppressed his anger. The two of them drove to a park and as soon as they got out of the car, Huang Quan gave Tan Jing a slap. You whore, how dare you lie to me! Who gave you the guts! Huang Quan grabbed Tan Jing by the collar and questioned her. Eh eh, how would I know who she is, Tan Jing said. You dont know? Dont lie to me! Thats your ex-husband! How can you not know his sister-in-law? You clearly lied to me! See if I dont beat you to death today! Huang Quan said angrily. Arent you afraid that He Ning will find out? Dont forget that were already engaged! Theres nothing else you can do except marry me. Even if you beat me to death today, you still have to marry me, Tan Jing said mockingly to Huang Quan. Marry you? Youre thinking too much. How can a cheap thing like you be worthy of me! Even if I have to marry an old lady in her 70s or 80s, I wont marry you! You can give up that thought! Huang Quan said in disgust. Sun Chun did not participate in the theft of Qiao Meis examination pass, but she told that man where Qiao Mei sat in the classroom and also told him when there would be no one inside the room.. Chapter 1779 - 1779: Tear Up the Examination Paper Chapter 1779 - 1779: Tear Up the Examination Paper Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios She had nothing to do with Qiao Mei losing the examination pass! She had just said a few words to someone! She was not the real culprit! Even if Qiao Mei wanted to settle scores with the mastermind, it could not be her! The examination is starting! No whispering! The examination papers will be distributed now! the invigilator shouted as he held up the papers. Qiao Mei gathered her concentration and answered the questions patiently. If it was the usual mock examination, Qiao Mei would finish the paper quickly. It did not matter if she was a little sloppy. However, this was the actual college entrance examination, so she slowed down quite a bit. She read the questions carefully, in case the person who set the questions had phrased them in a misleading way. After a short while, Qiao Mei heard Sun Chun moaning in discomfort behind her. It was very soft, but everyone around could hear it. Qiao Mei turned around and saw that Sun Chuns face was flushed red. She had given birth before and could immediately tell that Sun Chun was about to deliver her baby. Qiao Mei raised her hand and said, Sir! This student is about to give birth! Shut up! Whos going to give birth! Im not! Im not due yet! Sun Chun said nervously to the teacher. Her in-laws had high hopes for this baby as they already had a few granddaughters. If she could not give birth to a boy this time round, she would have to continue to try for another baby. It was not easy for her to persuade her in-laws to let her go to school. She felt that if she could get into university, she would be able to gain a foothold in her in-laws family. This way, her in-laws would not be able to bully her. Send her away! Hurry up and get an ambulance to come and get her! What if the baby dies in the hall! Its so scary! Everyone yelled out at the same time. The invigilator asked the security staff at the door to come in. They held Sun Chun up so that they could send her to the hospital to give birth. Sun Chun resisted and said, Dont touch me! Im fine! I want to continue with the paper! 1 want to take the examination! Dont hurt the teachers by accident! Otherwise, your name will be permanently removed from the college entrance examination list! You wont be able to take the college entrance examination ever again! Is your child more important or the college entrance examination more important! If you delay any longer, your child will die! the invigilator shouted nervously. Sun Chun calmed down immediately. If she could not pass the examination this year, she could still come back next year. If her name was removed, she would never have a chance again. She stood at her table and looked at Qiao Mei doing the paper quietly, not paying attention to the surroundings. Why was Qiao Mei able to get into university while she had to be dragged away to deliver her child? They were both pregnant women, so why was there such a big difference in treatment! She suddenly rushed in front of Qiao Mei and snatched the examination paper. She tore Qiao Mei t s paper into pieces, stunning everyone. The security staff hurriedly went forward to snatch back Qiao Mei t s paper from Sun Chun. However, Sun Chun put the bits of paper into her mouth and swallowed everything. It was useless to try and get it back from her. The other students quickly protected their own papers. They were all worried that Sun Chun would go crazy again and tear up theirs. They were not as capable as Qiao Mei. If their papers were torn up, they would really not be able to get into university.. Chapter 1780 - 1780: Full Marks Chapter 1780 - 1780: Full Marks Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Sun Chun laughed loudly and looked at Qiao Mei smugly as she said, Hahahahaha, if I cant get into university, then dont even think about having it easy! Its all because of you! Otherwise, why cant I get into university! Its all because of you that I cant take the examination! Its all because of you! Now, you cant get into university either! Qiao Mei did not get angry. She just looked at Sun Chun and felt so much pity for her for coming up with such a stupid way to stop her from taking the examination. This is only the first subject. With my capability, do you think this subject is that important? Even if I cant score in this subject, do you think I wont be able to get accepted into Capital University? Qiao Mei looked at Sun Chun and questioned her. Sun Chun was stunned. Even without the 100 points from this subject, Qiao Mei would still be able to get into any good university in the country with full marks in the other subjects. Sir, my paper has been torn up. Can I get another set? Qiao Mei looked at the invigilator and asked. When the supervising invigilator heard the news, he rushed over. After understanding the situation, he said, Of course you can. You didnt cheat. Your paper is damaged by someone else. We can give you another set, but there wont be any extension of time. If it was anyone else, it would sound like bragging. However, if it was Qiao Mei who said such a thing, it must be true. Lets go home! Lets go home now! We should organize a big banquet! Call everyone back! We should celebrate! Xu Lan shouted happily. Before the Xia family members could get into their car, a large group of people rushed up to Qiao Mei. These were all Qiao Meis classmates and their parents. In the past six months, Qiao Mei had helped all her classmates with their schoolwork. She even gave them lectures like a teacher from the podium. It was only because of Qiao Mei that everyones results could improve so quickly. Qiao Mei had put in a lot of effort. Everyone brought along gifts which they wanted to give Qiao Mei to thank her. Qiao Mei was unable to reject everyone and someone leaked the news about the Xia family having a bus there. Everyone ran towards the bus, threw the gifts inside and left quickly. Xia Wen looked at the busload of things and said, Maybe... we should send all the things back first. Shall we go to the state-owned restaurant to eat first? Theres nothing else we can do, Qiao Mei said helplessly. They went to the nearby state-owned restaurant and ordered all the nice items on the menu. After the college entrance examination ended, many families wanted to hold big celebrations and business at the restaurant was booming. Everyone, eat your fill today! Its my treat! Xia Xiu said happily as she held up her wine glass.. Chapter 1781 - 1781: God of Fortune Chapter ?1781: God of Fortune Translator: Atlas ?????? Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Its so rare to get a treat from your eldest aunt. The last time your eldest aunt gave us a treat, it was when Xia Wen returned from the army! Xia Fang said with a laugh. Oh yes. At that time, Xia Xiu was so happy that she almost set off firecrackers outside the door! Xu Lan said with a smile. Xia Xiu slapped her forehead and said, Oh! I didnt buy any firecrackers! We should set off firecrackers tomorrow! Lets do 10 bunches of firecrackers! The number 10 means perfection! Oh please. We still have two babies at home! What if you frighten the children? Xia Fang said. Then... then well talk about it when the children grow up. Otherwise, we can send the children to the backyard house and set off firecrackers in the front yard. We should also invite a troupe to our house to perform a lion dance! Xia Xiu said. People who dont know better would think that our family is having some kind of opening ceremony, Xia Wen complained. Hahahaha! Everyone laughed out loud. Qiao Mei was also very tickled. Lets not do anything too eye-catching. Itll attract unwanted attention. Lets keep a low profile. We can plan for something when the results are out, Qiao Mei said. Qiao Mei turned around and saw that Qiane had actually custom-made a God of Fortune statue for her. Qiao Mei would never have imagined that Qiane would buy such a thing. What... what is this? What are you thinking? Qiao Mei asked with a slight frown. Dont you like money a lot? So Im inviting the God of Fortune to your house. In the future, hell bless you with money and treasures every day. You will have countless mountains of gold and silver! Qiane said excitedly. I... l... Alright... Thank you, Qiao Mei said resignedly. Zhao Fei and his wife were really busy with work, so they gave Qian!e 20,000 dollars to pass to Qiao Mei and to inform her that it was their gift for her. Chi Ze and his buddies also gave a gift. They pooled together 10,000 dollars and asked Qiane to bring the money to Qiao Mei. They did not really know what Qiao Mei liked. Based on their understanding of her, she did not seem to like anything other than money and properties. All you guys are really... really down-to-earth, Qiao Mei said in surprise. Theres also 20,000 dollars from me in here. Its a total of 50,000 dollars. Keep it well! Qiane said. Since this is everyones gift to me, I wont stand on ceremony. Come in and sit down. Let me think about where to put this big statue, Qiao Mei said. Then take your time to think about it! Im going to have my meal! Qiane smiled and walked towards Li Gui. As she walked, she shouted, Godmother! Long time no see! Wu Duo and the others in the tuition class did not have much money and did not know what to give Qiao Mei, so they went around telling an exaggerated story of how Qiao Mei tutored them very well. Now, the entire capital knew that the top students in Sixth High were Qiao Mei e s students.. Chapter 1782 - 1782: Coming to Demand an Answer Chapter 1782: Coming to Demand an Answer Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Although this was not Qiao Meis ultimate goal, it could indeed make her famous quickly, so she decided to let them do whatever they wanted. All of a sudden, many families wanted to hire Qiao Mei to give tuition to their children. For Qiao Mei to be able to transform a few poor-performing students to rank among the top few in the capital, she must be really capable. Xia Wen helped Qiao Mei to reject all these requests. For a period of time, there was a big crowd outside Qiao Meis house every day. These people were either here to send gifts or to ask for help. This matter quickly reached Xu Ju t s ears. You disappointing thing! Why is it that you dont know Qiao Mei is giving tuition to others! What use do you have! Why dont you go and die! Youre the same as your disappointing father! How did I give birth to a child like you! I might as well give birth to a rat! Xu Ju held a big stick in her hand as she questioned Xu Jiao. l... I dont know about it at all! I only know of it today! If you dont believe me, you can ask Xu Man! Xu Man doesnt know anything about this either! Xu Jiao knelt on the ground and wept. Tell me! Do you know anything about this! Xu Ju questioned. Neither of us knows about this and we only heard of it recently. Its not Elder Sisters fault, Xu Man said in an even tone. Xu Jiao and I have a bet going on. Were competitors so theres no way that I will teach her everything I know. Theres nothing wrong with my brain and Im not stupid! Qiao Mei replied with a smile. You! Shes your younger sister! How can you destroy your younger sisters future because of a bet! How can you be such a shameless person! Dont you care about kinship! Xu Ju said angrily. Xu Jiaos surname was Xu, so how was she related to Qiao Mei? Moreover, Xu Jiaos surname was not Xia and she did not really have anything to do with the Xia family either. At most, she was a cousin. There was no way she could be considered a younger sister. Eldest Aunt, watch what you say. You can say that Xu Jiao is our cousin, but Qiao Mei is my younger brothers wife and is totally not related to the Xu family. Whether she wants to help or not is up to her, Xia Wen said sternly. What a scoundrel you are! How can you interrupt your elder! You refuse to acknowledge your own family member so that you can side with an outsider! Xu Ju rushed forward and gave Xia Wen a slap, causing his cheek to swell up instantly. Everyone instantly looked solemn. They all felt like killing Xu Ju. Qiao Mei was furious and wanted to rush over to defend Xia Wen, but Xiang Chen stopped her. She was pregnant. What if she went forward and got injured? Besides, Xu Ju was indeed Xia Wens elder. He could not retaliate even if she slapped him. As a junior, he could only endure it. At this moment, Qiao Mei suddenly wished that Xia He could be back soon. Xia He was currently on a national tour and did not have time to make a trip back to the capital. If Xia He witnessed what happened just now, she would definitely have rushed forward and given Xu Ju two tight slaps.. Chapter 1783 - 1783: Bash Her Face Chapter 1783: Bash Her Face Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Before anyone could speak up for Xia Wen, Qiane suddenly stood up and rushed up to Xu Ju, kicking her to the ground. She then rode on Xu Ju and slapped Xu Ju t s face crazily. Bloody asshole! How dare you come to Qiao Meis house and behave so atrociously! Is this a place where you can come! Let me tell you, I dont care who you are! Since you ruined my friends party, Im going to beat you up! 1 can even kill you! What right do you have to hit Xia Wen! Who do you think you are! Qiane scolded. Xu Ju defended herself as she roared, Madness! Youre a lunatic! Someone grab hold of her! Help! No one moved. Only Xiang Chen went forward to pretend to stop the fight, but he did not use any strength to hold Qiane back. He even secretly gave Xu Ju a few kicks! You still dare to shout for help? Ill beat you to death today! So what if Im a lunatic! You dont have to know who I am. I just want to vent my anger! Who asked you to kick up a fuss here! Your own child cant get into university, yet you come and blame our Qiao Mei! Youre the one whos crazy! Xu Ju realized that Qiane was too crazy for her to offend. She quickly shut her mouth and curled up into a ball out of fear. For people like Xu Ju, one could not talk to her nicely, otherwise she would push her luck and go as far as she could. Are you still going to cause trouble for Qiao Mei in the future? Qiane squatted in front of Xu Ju and questioned her. Xu Ju shook her head in fear. The stake in the bet between you and Qiao Mei is a headdress, right? Call your family members immediately and ask them to send it here right now. You know your daughters results well. Everyone knows about our Qiao Meis results. Shell be announced as the top scorer of the college entrance examination in the capital soon, so she will definitely win the bet, Qiane said. Xu Ju wanted to object, but Qiane grabbed Xu Ju t s chin and said, You are the one who insists on making a bet with our Mei Mei. No one forced you and theres even a written agreement! If you go back on your word now, Ill still beat you to death. I dont have anything I need to worry about. Once I die, everything is over for me. I just dont know if you still intend to live a little longer. Xu Ju was so frightened that she hurriedly asked Xu Jiao to go home and get the headdress. Xu Ju hid in a corner and did not dare to speak. Qiane and Xiang Chen kept staring at Xu Ju to prevent her from trying to escape. Qiao Mei took out some medicinal wine and applied it to Xia Wens face, and the swelling immediately subsided. The Xia family members continued to wrap dumplings happily as if nothing had happened. Xu Lan did not even look at Xu Ju. Qiane, come and drink some water. Dont continue to scare Eldest Aunt, Qiao Mei said helplessly. Xiang Chen looked at Qian!e in shock and asked, Youre... Sister Qiane? Chapter 1784 - 1784: Men Change When They Grow Up Chapter 1784: Men Change When They Grow Up Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Yes, who are you? Qiane thought for a long time and suddenly said, Youre that little kid from the Xia family!! Back when Qiane was chasing after Xia Zhe, there was always a little kid who followed Xia Zhe around and who kept going against her. The kid was already 15 years old then but was not tall. Therefore, Qiane had always laughed at Xiang Chen about his height. She did not expect Xiang Chen to be so tall and muscular now. He was even taller than Xia Zhe! Yes, Xiang Chen replied honestly. So men also change drastically when they grow up. 1 didnt even recognize you! Qiane said excitedly. Xiang Chen scratched his head in embarrassment. He did not recognize Qiane just now either. Qiane looked really beautiful now and did not look like a woman past the age of 30 at all. Have you graduated? Where are you working now? Qiane asked. l just graduated and returned to the capital. My mother wants me to work in the government. I dont like that kind of place. 1 studied Economics and I want to work for a big company. So I havent found a job yet, Xiang Chen said. Qiane immediately had a sparkle in her eyes. Recently, she had found out that the factorys accountant was not professional enough and that the accounts were full of loopholes. She might even be able to do a better job. Since Xiang Chen was an Economics student, he must also know how to do the accounts! Alright, lets give it a try, Xiang Chen said shyly. Qiao Mei stared at Xiang Chen for a long time. She seemed to have sensed something strange. Xia Wen and Qiao Mei looked at each other and smiled with an unspoken mutual understanding. Xia Wen could also tell that there was something strange about Xiang Chens reaction. Xu Jiao went home and came back to Qiao Meis house with a big box. She could not carry it alone and had to bring Xu Man along. As soon as Xu Man entered the house, she almost burst out in laughter when she saw Xu Ju. This is the headdress, Xu Jiao said cautiously. Qiao Mei went to the box to inspect the goods and opened it to take a look. This was a top-grade tian-tsui headdress! It was a rare find! She had made a killing! Is everything alright? Qiane asked softly. Qiao Mei nodded. Xia Wen and Xiang Chen carried the box into the study together. Qiane patted Xu Jiaos shoulder and said, l hope you brought the written agreement. Yes, yes! Xu Man answered immediately. Qiane tore up the agreement. Since the goods were already delivered, this matter was completely over. Neither party could use any excuse to harass the other party. Before Xu Ju left, Qiane even gave Xu Jiao 200 dollars for medical fees. If your family still dares to call the police after taking the money, lets see how many times your mother can get beaten up by me before she ends up dead, Qiane said fiercely.. Chapter 1785 - 1785: Give up What One Favors Chapter 1785 - 1785: Give up What One Favors Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios It was only after everyone from the Xu family left that Qiane realized that she might have gone overboard just now. She had actually beaten up Xu Lans biological sister. How was she going to face the Xia family members in the future? Qiane stood awkwardly at the door, not knowing if she should go in. Xu Lan could tell what Qiane was thinking. She smiled and held Qiane by the hand as she said, Youre a good kid. Auntie cant even thank you enough! Qiao Mei has someone by her side who treats her well wholeheartedly, so why will we blame you? From now on, youre a member of the Xia family. Dont stand on ceremony with us. Alright! Qiane said happily. The family had a happy meal together again. Qiane and Qiao Mei decided to sleep in the same room tonight. This was the first time the two of them had done something so chummy. Will my brother-in-law be unhappy if he finds out that 1 have slept in this bed? Qiane asked with a smile. Then let him be jealous! Qiao Mei said. Did 1 go overboard today? I think I scared your grandfather and the others a little. Also, it must have affected the Xia familys impression of me, but I just couldnt help myself, Qiane said softly. My grandfather even praised you for being brave and fearless. He said that you remind him of himself in the past. He made it sound like youre also his granddaughter. Dont feel so pressured. Everyone likes you! Qiao Mei said sincerely. Qiane looked at Qiao Mei resignedly and whispered, Its a pity that I cant have children. Otherwise, I will definitely buy this house immediately. Lets go in and take a look. No rush, Qiao Mei said as she patted Qiane on the shoulder. The owner led them to the main hall and said, My ancestors had all lived in this place. The feng Shui here is very good! Those top scholars in my family had all slept in this room at one time or another! Qiane took two steps back out of fear. The layout of the main hall was similar to the one in Qiao Mei t s house. When she thought back to the previous night and about those people who had slept in this room in the past, she could not stop her imagination from running wild. Qiao Mei smiled discreetly. It was inevitable that one would encounter such problems when buying an old house. It was impossible that a house like that would be left unoccupied for generations and only be used as a storeroom. So whats the lowest price that you can accept? Qiao Mei asked. At this moment, two familiar faces appeared at the door. It was Huang Quan and Tan Jing. Qiao Mei looked at the two of them in surprise. She did not expect them to chase her all the way here. What a coincidence. Im sorry, Mr. Huang. Ive already offered this house to the two of them, the owner said. Qiao Mei did not expect the to be so honorable and to stick to a first come, first served basis! l really like this house. I wonder if Miss Qiao can be magnanimous enough to let me have it. I intend to make this my matrimonial home, Huang Quan asked. l wonder why Mr. Huang keeps targeting my things. Why do I have to give up the things I favor? Im a person who cant bear the pain of giving up anything, Qiao Mei said.. Chapter 1786 - 1786: Price War Chapter 1786 - 1786: Price War Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Huang Quan looked at Qiao Mei with some annoyance. If an ordinary woman spoke to him in such a manner, he would have hit her already. However, the person in front of him was Qiao Mei. It was normal for such a beautiful and capable woman to have a temper. It was not a big problem for him to endure it for the sake of his happiness in the future. Once he married Qiao Mei, he would be able to treat her however he wanted. Even if he hung her up and beat her up every day, as long as she could not go out and tell others, who would find out? Qiane was worried that Huang Quan would snatch the house from her, so she quickly said to the owner, Ill buy this house! I can pay you right away! Can we sign the sale and purchase agreement and transfer the ownership now? The owner had no objections. It did not matter who the house was sold to as long as the price was right. He would sell it to whoever could make payment immediately. Ill pay you 50% more! Huang Quan said generously. The price of this house was 30,000 dollars. The owner was fixated on this price and was not willing to lower it at all. Now, Huang Quan wanted to buy the house for 45,000 dollars. Qiane looked at Huang Quan in shock. She did not expect there to be someone who was willing to spend so much money to buy this house. However, she had already been considering the purchase for a month and she really liked the house. She had also asked a master to check the feng Shui of this house. The master said that if she bought this house and lived here, she would be rich and prosperous in the future! Although Qiane was skeptical about such things, she would rather believe it than not! 65,000! Qiane said through gritted teeth. This was all the money she had earned from working with Qiao Mei. If the price went any higher, she would probably have to borrow money from Qiao Mei. 70,000, Huang Quan said with a straight face. Qiane looked at Qiao Mei helplessly. Qiao Mei knew that Qiane had just bought a courtyard house some time ago and did not have that much money to engage in this fight with Tan Jing now. Qiao Mei patted her head and asked, Do you really want to buy this house? Mmmm... Qiane looked at Qiao Mei pitifully and whispered. Ill pay 80,000, Qiao Mei said casually. 90,000! Huang Quan said quickly. Tan Jing had already told Huang Quan everything about Qiao Meis background. Tan Jing only knew that Qiao Mei had 100,000 dollars in her hands. This price was already at Qiao Meis limit. Once they went higher, Qiao Mei probably would not be able to afford it. Shoo, shoo, shoo! Im not selling it anymore! You people have set the price so high that people who dont know better might think that 1 1 m doing something illegal! All of you, leave now! Im not selling this house anymore and I definitely wont sell it to you! the owner said angrily.. Chapter 1787 - 1787: Cure Me and You Can Buy the House Chapter 1787 - 1787: Cure Me and You Can Buy the House Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Hey, dont say that. We are totally sincere in wanting to buy this house. Theyre the ones who increased the price maliciously! Brother, you know me. Ive been looking for a way to buy this house for such a long time. 1 really like this house. Please sell it to me, Qiane said sincerely to the owner. The owner only put the house up for sale because his family needed money, but he also could not afford to offend Huang Quan. He and his family still wanted to live in the capital! He had to think of a way to get a win-win situation. How about this? As you can see, I walk with a limp. 1 fractured my leg when I was younger and I didnt take good care of it. Ill sell the house to whoever can help me walk normally again! the owner said. Huang Quan knew many famous doctors in the capital. For those he did not know, He Ning did. He Ning had been ill for so many years. Was there any doctor he had not consulted before? He was sure that He Ning would definitely help him if he asked. l know experts who specialize in this field in the capital. If you trust me, I can definitely find a cure for you, Huang Quan said confidently. Give me one month and I can definitely make you as good as new. If that doesnt happen, Ill give you 30,000 dollars as compensation for not fulfilling my promise. What do you think? Qiao Mei asked. The owner agreed immediately. It would be best if he could be cured, but if not, he could still get 30,000 dollars, so why not? Tan Jing smiled mockingly and said, Then you can just wait and see. The hooha related to that divine medicine had long faded away. It was a hot topic for a few months, then it was overshadowed by something else that came along. Moreover, the Xia family had always told the public that it was a secret concoction passed down by the Xia familys ancestors and that it had nothing to do with Qiao Mei. Gradually, everyone forgot about Qiao Meis part in this whole matter. Coincidentally, the Huang family had moved to the capital when the news had faded, so they did not believe in the Xia familys divine medicine. They did not even believe it even when He Ning told them about it. Huang Quan did not expect this matter to be true! He started to have thoughts about this divine medicine. Alright, lets go and take a look at other options and see if there is another house that we can buy, Tan Jing said calmly as she looked out of the car window. Huang Quan looked at Tan Jing with annoyance. Just now, he had only admitted that Tan Jing was his fiance?e because he had no choice. He did not expect Tan Jing to really think so highly of herself! This house was not meant to be their matrimonial home at all. It was not wrong to say that it was going to be his matrimonial home, but it was meant for another woman! The house was huge and it was a standalone property. Even if someone screamed in the house, no one would come to disturb him. Such a house was very suitable for him. The more Qiane thought about it, the angrier she felt. She said sadly, Mei Mei, I dont want that house anymore. If you can cure the owner, then you buy it. Im too embarrassed to buy it if you need to use your medicinal wine. Besides, that medicinal wine of yours is worth more than the house.. Chapter 1788 - 1788: Zoology Chapter 1788 - 1788: Zoology Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Dont you like that house very much? You were still so fond of it just now. Why are you giving up now? Qiao Mei asked. If not for Tan Jing throwing a spanner in the works! I really would have bought that house! But I feel uncomfortable now and I think that the house is not fated to be mine, Do you think shes our familys nemesis? Why is it that nothing good happens every time we bump into her? See how Eldest Brother had bad luck for more than 10 years after knowing her, Qiane said in disgust. Qiao Mei knew Qiane and her temper very well. If she said that she did not want something, then she definitely did not want it anymore. However, that house was indeed a very good property. Qiao Mei felt that she would not make any loss if she kept it as an investment property. It was just 30,000 dollars and an easy purchase. She decided to just buy it, even if just to spite Tan Jing. Then Ill take it. Dont secretly come crying to me later, Qiao Mei said with a laugh. Dont worry, I wont. Besides, there are so many other houses out there. Dont I still have the courtyard house I bought some time ago? Im going to get Big Brother Deng to renovate it for me. Then, Ill get the feng Shui master to take a look and see what I should put in the house to make me rich, Qiane said happily. Qiao Mei suddenly thought of the God of Fortune that Qiane had given her some time ago. The statue was still at home and Qiao Mei had specially set up a room for it. Qiao Qiang would go and pay his respects every day. Whats zoology? Is it about giving treatment to small animals? Xu Kang asked. l dont know. My son told me about this term. He said its knowledge related to animals. Otherwise, why would Qiao Mei want to be locked up with a bunch of domestic fowls? She doesnt even seem to mind the smell, Feng Hua said. What you say makes sense. Ill send these two little black dogs to Qiao Mei for her research within the next two days! Xu Kang said. Theres no need. The dogs are already in the room. All the live animals in the house are in the study, Feng Hua said helplessly. Then should I buy a few cats? Xu Kang asked. That sounds good. Go to the market and take a look. Buy a cat thats more docile. It wont be good if the cat hurts the children, Feng Hua instructed. Got it, got it! Ill go now! Xu Kang went to the alley to talk to the neighbors. The market from where Qiao Qiang bought the dogs only operated once a month. It had already opened for business this month, so if they wanted to buy a cat from there, they would have to wait until next month. Xu Kang felt that Qiao Mei could not wait that long, so she brought a fruit basket and went around the neighbors houses. Perhaps there would be someone who had a cat that they could not keep. Then she could take over the care of the cat. It was not a bad deal to get a cat in exchange for a fruit basket. Qiao Mei sat on the small stool and looked at the ducks as she said, Can you talk to me, or just tell me about what you like to eat.. Chapter 1789 - 1789: Cannot Attend the Wedding Chapter 1789: Cannot Attend the Wedding Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The animals in the room hid at the corners of their cages in fear. Even the pigeon could not stand it anymore. Qiao Mei had been studying the animals for two days but there was no reaction from them at all. She could not even communicate with the pigeon anymore. What was the problem? Could it be that the method of communication was wrong? Or maybe the animals did not want to communicate with her, or that these chickens, ducks and geese were not smart enough to communicate. However, that did not make sense. She could not even communicate with the fat pigeon in the cage anymore. Just as Qiao Mei was feeling stuck, Xu Kang suddenly rushed in with a cat in her arms. She said excitedly to Qiao Mei, Mei Mei! Look at this cat! Its so fat and good-looking! Play with it! Its definitely easier to do your research with it than the ducks and chickens! Research? What research? Qiao Mei looked at Xu Kang in confusion. Why are you looking at me! Take it! Dont tell me you dont like cats, Xu Kang asked. No, I like cats very much. Whose cat is this? M/hy does it look so much like Grandpa Li e s big cat? Qiao Mei asked curiously. Oh, let me tell you! Its that big cat from their family! But its that cats baby! Some time ago, their cat went missing and when it came back, it was pregnant and then gave birth to many kittens. These past two days, they have been giving the kittens away one by one. I used a fruit basket to exchange for one. Havent you been doing research on animals recently? Sister Feng and I want to help you, so we found a kitten for you, Xu Kang said. In some places, it was customary that pregnant women and people who were divorced were not allowed to attend a wedding. Otherwise, it would potentially bring bad luck to the newlyweds.That would be really inauspicious! If youre not going, then I wont go either. Ill just send them the monetary gift, Xu Lan said. Leave it to me. Ill put together the monetary gifts from our four families and get Sister Xu to send it over, Qiao Mei said. Xu Lan touched Qiao Meis stomach and said, How have you been recently? Do you feel any discomfort? I heard from Xu Kang that you havent been eating much recently. Is the baby being naughty again? No, its just that the changes in the weather and temperature affects my appetite. Im doing very well! Besides, dont we still have medicinal wine at home? Dont worry, Ill be fine, Qiao Mei said as she patted Xu Lans hand. Just as the two of them were chatting, Xia Wen suddenly barged in. He looked at Qiao Mei and Xu Lan with a solemn expression, not knowing what to say. He had not wanted Xu Lan to know about this. Why are you so reckless? Your younger brother is not at home now. Dont you know how to knock first before you enter Qiao Meis house? What if you give her a scare and she has a fall! Xu Lan scolded. Im sorry. I was too anxious and forgot all about acting properly, Xia Wen said with his head lowered. Eldest Brother didnt do it on purpose. Mother, dont blame him.. Qiao Mei looked at Xia Wen and asked, Eldest Brother, why are you in such a hurry? Chapter 1790 - 1790: Saving Lives Is More Important Chapter 1790: Saving Lives Is More Important Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xia He... Xia He had gone on a work trip to the highland area this time round. She was worried that we would object, so she didnt tell anyone in the family. We just received some news. They encountered an avalanche on the way there and have already been buried in the snow for three days, Xia Wen said with a solemn expression. By right, the current troupe leader would have to report this matter to Xu Lan and ask for her opinion before deciding on the dancers to go on a work trip to the highlands. However, during this period of time, Xu Lan had been so caught up in Xu Ju t s issue that she could not go out at all. Xu Ju also took control of the electrical appliances in her house during that time, so the current troupe leader had to decide on many things without Xu Lans involvement. Xu Lan widened her eyes and took a deep breath. She said with a trembling voice, Is the avalanche... a serious one? Is there any more news from there? Is the rescue team already there? Do both your father and your eldest aunt know about this? Tell them now! Ask them to think of a way to save Xia He! This performance which Xia He was supposed to be taking in was a public service event. The highlands were very remote and there were no entertainment activities there. There was no television signal there, so people who lived there could not even watch television. The avalanche happened on a mountain in the distance. What the dance troupe had encountered was the effect of the aftershocks and they were not buried very deep in the snow. However, it was still snowing every day, adding to the depth of the snow, so it was very difficult to carry out the search and rescue work. Its a very difficult rescue mission. The snow will need to stop for at least five days for the rescue to be successful. Father and Eldest Aunt already know about this and theyre doing their best to think of a way. Its said that Xia He and the others are not in any danger for the time being, Xia Wen said with a frown. There were more than 100 people in total. He knew it was asking for too much to give each person a bottle of medicinal wine. However, the lives of these search and rescue personnel would otherwise be in danger. He had no choice but to come and look for Qiao Mei. l understand. Eldest Brother, come with me. Everything is with Grandfather, Qiao Mei said calmly. Xia Wen followed closely behind Qiao Mei. In the backyard house, Qiao Mei had knocked down the walls between two rooms at one corner to make one big room. The room was used to store ginseng of various ages as well as various types of ginseng juice. The shelves on the wall were lined with exquisite small bottles and on the floor, there were large water vats filled with medicinal wine made from ginseng. Only Qiao Qiang and her had the keys to this room. When Qiao Qiang ran out of medicinal wine, he would come here to get more from the water vat. Qiao Mei had also made him a lot of medicinal wine from medicinal herbs. She just wanted to give Qiao Qiang a few flavors to choose from, so that he would not feel too bored from drinking only one type of medicinal wine. Qiao Mei pointed at the water vats in front of her and said, This is all the medicinal wine I have. There are a total of four vats, but there arent enough bottles at home. Ill arrange for Chi Ze and the rest to buy more now. Alright, Ill make the arrangements now. With that, Xia Wen left the house. Qiao Mei took advantage of his absence to pour a few bottles of golden ginseng juice into the big water vats in front of her. This was a life-and-death situation and she must contribute whatever good stuff she had. She could not let those brave people lose their lives while saving Xia He. This outcome was unacceptable to the Xia family and to her as well. Everyone who went on the search and rescue mission must come back safe and sound. Qiao Mei began to carefully scoop the medicinal wine from the big water vat into the small bottles. When Qiao Qiang heard about what happened, he also came over to help. After Xu Lan was more calm, she also came to the backyard to help them.. Chapter 1791 - 1791: Submit University Application Chapter 1791 - 1791: Submit University Application Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Many people told Xu Lan that it was such a pity Xia Zhe had married a wife who was from the countryside. With Xia Zhes current status and ability, he could have easily married the daughter of a high-ranking executive and that would definitely help in his future promotion. Even up till now, there were still people who said such things in front of Xu Lan. In the beginning, Xu Lan felt the same way, but from the looks of it now, their family was actually the one who benefited from Qiao Mei marrying into the family. If not for Qiao Mei, their family would have been long gone. Qiao Mei had helped their family time and time again, pulling various family members back from the brink of death. It was truly all Qiao Mei e s efforts. Qiao Mei and Li Gui prepared a lot of vacuum-packed food for ease of transportation. After everything was ready, the big rescue team set off on their journey. Qiao Mei and Xu Lan could only stay at home and wait for the news. It was difficult to walk in the snow. If Qiao Mei went, a fall could easily lead to miscarriage. She was already in the advanced stage of pregnancy and any accident could easily cause the deaths of both mother and child. Qiao Mei stuck a small vine seed into the treads of each tire on the rescue truck. By the time the team reached the highlands, these seeds would have germinated and the vines would wrap around the tires, increasing the friction of the tires on the road and making it less slippery.Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m A few days passed, but there was still no news from Xia Wen. They did not know how Xia He was doing. Every day, Qiao Mei sat in the courtyard and stared at the main door, worried that she would miss out on any telegrams sent by Xia Wen. Mei Mei, Ill sit here and wait. Go to your room and rest, Li Gui said as she looked at Qiao Mei with heartache. When Qiao Mei reached the classroom, she saw Xu Jiao and Xu Man. Xu Jiao did not look too good. Apparently, she had forgotten to write her name on the last paper. If so, she would have lost those points and her already precarious result would be even more dismal. Xu Man, on the other hand, looked fresh and exuded confidence. Qiao Mei came to their side and asked, Have you both decided? l want to go to Huatian University, Xu Man said. l... I dont know... Xu Jiao said shakily. Qiao Mei nodded in understanding. She went to Wu Duo and asked, How is it? Have you decided where you want to go? Capital University, of course! Wu Duo winked at Qiao Mei as he spoke. His main goal in getting into university was to teach that indecent couple a lesson and take back everything that belonged to him. As if he would even consider going to some unknown lowly-rated university? In the past, he would not even dare to think about it. Now, he could choose any school he wanted. It was all Qiao Meis credit. Among the four students whom Qiao Mei taught, three of them wanted to go to Capital University and one to Huatian University. These were the universities that were ranked first and second in the country, which further confirmed Qiao Mei t s ability. Wu Li brought the application forms and the list of supplementary rules and regulations to the classroom. The students would be completing the application forms without knowing their results. They would have to predict how they had scored. Then, they would have to guess the cutoff score for admission to each school. Today, everyone would only know their ranking in the capital. Qiao Mei, Wu Duo and the other three were not worried at all. They were definitely within the top 10 in the capital. Even if Capital University was only taking in 10 students, they would definitely be on the list.. Chapter 1792 - 1792: Celebration Party Chapter 1792 - 1792: Celebration Party Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios By the time they completed the entire process, it was already the evening. Qiao Mei was in a hurry to go home and wait for news from Xia Wen but Wu Duo and the others blocked her way. Mentor Qiao Mei, we would like to treat you to a meal, Wu Duo said embarrassedly. Qiao Mei chuckled and asked, You used to call me Qiao Mei. Why do you address me as your mentor now? If not for you, the few of us would not have been able to get into a good university. We will remember your kindness forever! We want to treat you to a celebratory meal. Mentor, please come, Wang Wei said. Qiao Mei did not have the heart to reject their invitation, so she had no choice but to go for dinner with them. They had decided to be extravagant for once and brought Qiao Mei to the best restaurant in the entire capital. Among the few of them, only Wu Duo and Wang Wei came from middle-class backgrounds and had enough money to pay for their daily expenses. The other two students families found it difficult to even eat meat once a month, but their parents said that even if they could not afford meat or fish for the next five years, they wanted to thank Qiao Mei for helping their children with their studies. They sat down in the main dining hall of the restaurant and waited to order. The economy had fully opened up this year, so everyone no longer felt constrained when it came to such activities. People were allowed to host banquets at restaurants and hotels. It was no longer a big deal to be a bit more extravagant. Qiao Mei did not expect Tan Jing to really marry into the Huang family. After the couple accompanied their relatives and friends upstairs, they came back down and waited at the staircase to welcome more guests. Tan Jing was all smiles, but Huang Quan was not so happy. He wondered how he was supposed to be happy if he did not manage to marry the person he wanted to marry and had to marry a scheming woman who had already been married before. Tan Jings eyes reddened when she caught sight of Qiao Mei. She hated Qiao Mei so much that she even dreamed of killing Qiao Mei. Huang Quan had already agreed to buy that old house to be their matrimonial home. She had always wanted to live in an old house, just like Qiao Mei. Before Qiao Mei married into the Xia family, Xia Wen clearly had a chance to get that siheyuan courtyard house. Back then, her nightmare had started when Qiao Mei joined the family. In the end, Huang Quan had perfunctorily bought an apartment for Tan Jing. The floor area of the apartment was only about 80 square meters. It was not even as big as two rooms in the old house! He only needed a house to keep Tan Jing in. Tan Jing had said that she would allow him to see other women and that she could even help him get Qiao Mei. He could not ask for anything better! Therefore, he simply bought a place for Tan Jing to shut her up. The main thing was to get Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei walked up to the couple and said, Congratulations. What a coincidence to meet you here. Come upstairs and have a drink, Huang Quan said excitedly. No need, my friends are over there, Qiao Mei said as she pointed at Wu Duo and the others. Huang Quan asked ingratiatingly, Isnt it the day to submit university applications today? Which university did you choose? Capital University, Qiao Mei replied honestly. Even if she refused to answer, Huang Quan would be able to find out given his position. It was better for her to be upfront with the information.. Chapter 1793 - 1793: Results Turning to Ashes Chapter 1793 - 1793: Results Turning to Ashes Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Tan Jing looked at Qiao Mei with even more hatred in her eyes. It was unbelievable that a girl from the countryside could get into Capital University within a year. I see that Im late. There was a mans voice behind Qiao Mei. Huang Quan immediately put on a respectful look and squeezed his fleshy face into a smile, Oh, youre not late! Not late at all! You have come at the right time! Its an honor to have you attend my wedding banquet! If you told me earlier that youre coming, I would have gone and picked you up personally! Qiao Mei did not need to turn around to know that the person who came was He Ning. Other than He Ning, there was no one else who would make Huang Quan behave like this. He Ning ignored what Huang Quan said and turned to look at Qiao Mei, saying, What a coincidence to run into you here. Why have you come to attend the wedding banquet? Huang Quan was stunned when he saw this. He Ning actually knew Qiao Mei! Why was it that this fact did not come up in his investigation? The Xia family and the He family had an ongoing grudge, did they not? How could these two people know each other? He had never seen He Ning smile at anyone! Then did that mean that he was trying to snatch He Nings woman? Its really my misfortune to run into you. Im not here to attend the wedding banquet. You can go up yourself. Im here with my friends, Qiao Mei said in annoyance. He Ning looked at Huang Quan t s gaze and then at Qiao Mei. He thought that Huang Quan would be satisfied enough with Tan Jing, but he did not expect this man to have his eyes on Qiao Mei. How could Huang Quan even think about cracking the tough nut which He Ning did not manage to crack? He was really too full of himself. Ive already asked my people to send the congratulatory gifts to your house. Im just here to take a quick look. I wish you both joy and happiness and to have many children. I hope you have a child soon, He Ning said as he looked at Tan Jing. You have taught your students well. Theyre all loyal people, He Ning said as he clapped and looked at Wu Duo and the others. The people you taught are all heartless. We raise our own kind, Qiao Mei said mockingly. He Ning pretended to look disappointed and said, I come here with good intentions and want to deliver news to you, but you say such things about me. It really makes me feel so bitterly disappointed. Is what you said true? Why should I believe what you say? Are you the mastermind? Qiao Mei questioned. Dont you know very well the clout I have in the capital? I rely on you to stay alive. Will I be stupid enough to shoot myself in the foot? You know that I must have found sufficient evidence before I come and tell you, He Ning said. What do you want? Qiao Mei asked. Why dont we eat while we talk? He Ning said as he pointed at the private room upstairs. Qiao Mei pointed at the dishes they had just ordered and said, Bring these dishes over as well. You pay for the meal today. Sure, He Ning said with a resigned smile. The few of them went to the big private room upstairs. Wu Duo and the others felt a little ill at ease and did not know what to say. They were all afraid that if they said anything wrong, they would lose their lives.. Chapter 1794 - 1794: Thwarted Chapter 1794 - 1794: Thwarted Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios He Ning went ahead and ordered a few more dishes. Qiao Mei did not speak during this period of time. She knew that He Ning had a habit of waiting for all the dishes to be served before any discussion. After the waiter placed all the dishes on the table, He Ning pointed at them and said, Please help yourselves. Wu Duo and the others remained motionless and did not dare to pick up their chopsticks. Qiao Mei picked up her chopsticks and said, You guys can go ahead and eat. Theres no need to worry about him. The few of them wolfed down the food without any care for their image. This was the first time they had seen such a sumptuous banquet. He Ning picked up his chopsticks, but then put them back down. He rarely ate food prepared outside and particularly did not eat anything that was already touched by others. Qiao Mei knew his temper and could not be bothered with him. After eating and drinking her fill, she asked, Tell me about how my results will disappear. l only managed to find out that someone wants to burn your examination papers tonight. Its not just yours, but all the papers for the entire school. All the candidates from your school will find their results gone, He Ning said. The other people at the table widened their eyes to hear that. To them, this matter was actually not that serious. Their results were ranked at the top in the capital. As long as their teacher vouched for them and they took the examination again, they would still be able to successfully enter Capital University or Huatian University. However, it was different for the rest of the students. They were not so outstanding or famous and they only wanted to get into an ordinary university. If their results were destroyed, they would have to wait to retake the examination next year. Usually, when something like this happened in the family, she would look for Xia Wen. However, now that the entire family was focused on looking for Xia He, she did not want to cause trouble for him at this time. Qiao Mei asked the chauffeur to send her back to the courtyard house. The only person who could help her now was Xia Jun. Grandfather! Grandfather, I have bad news! Something serious has happened! Qiao Mei shouted as she hurriedly ran to the backyard house. Both Xia Jun and Qiao Qiang came out of their rooms and said in unison, Grandfather is here! Whats wrong? After saying that, the two of them looked at each other in disdain. Xia Jun said unhappily, Mei Mei is calling me. Why did you come out? What a joke! Im her biological grandfather! How can you be her grandfather! Qiao Qiang argued. Eh, lets talk about these things in the future! Grandfather, someone wants to burn my college entrance examination papers! Not only that, that person intends to burn all the examination papers from my school! Qiao Mei said anxiously. What! How can this be! Ill get someone to investigate this matter now! Wait at home! After saying that, Xia Jun told the chauffeur to send him to the military headquarters in the capital. He wanted to send a team out to guard all the examination papers. In the wee hours of the morning, Xia Juns subordinates successfully caught the culprit red-handed and brought the person back to the military district to be detained for interrogation. Qiao Mei also sent news to Yao Nian. The next morning, Qiao Mei received a message from Yao Nian via his carrier pigeon. However, when she looked at the message, she was dazed for a long time. Qiao Qiang snatched the piece of paper from Qiao Meis hand to read the message and then muttered, Zhou Hua? How is that possible? Chapter 1795 - 1795: Tied Up Chapter 1795 - 1795: Tied Up Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios No wonder He Ning had such a strange expression on his face at that time and even said those words when he spoke about the mastermind. As the saying went, it was really the hardest to guard against a thief from within the family. But why would Zhou Hua do such a thing? Why was she seeking revenge on Qiao Mei? Also, how did Zhou Hua have the ability to do something like this? Ever since Zhou Hua divorced Xia Guang, she had been in a state of depression, but she was still able to carry on with her life. However, when she found out that Xia Xings marriage was annulled and that people in the capital were saying that Xia Xing was impotent, she went berserk and blamed Qiao Mei for everything. For a period of time, she even wanted to hang herself. After that, when she found out that Xia Lu and Xia Yan had been caught by Xia Mao and sent to prison, she went even more crazy. Her parents were really worried about her safety and were afraid that she would die at home, so they sent her to Xia Guang. Although the couple was already divorced, they were still once husband and wife and had previously committed their devotion to each other. Therefore, It was not that appropriate for outsiders to hear what they were going to talk about next. Xia Jun waved his hand and asked all his subordinates to leave. This matter was a disgrace to the Xia family and it would be really embarrassing for others to hear it. Father, let go of her! Its not easy for the two of us to get to where we are now. My three sons have either gone to jail or become ordinary people. Are you still going to separate the two of us? Xia Guang said as he squatted beside Zhou Hua. Xia Jun stared at Xia Guang in disdain. How could his son be such a good-for-nothing? Xia Guang could not even tell that his partner was evil and villainous. In the past, he had really doted on Xia Guang too much. Otherwise, such a good son would not have turned out like this. Isnt it good to be an ordinary person? Do you want Xia Xing to be a criminal like his two younger brothers? Do you know what kind of marriage partner your wife found for Xia Xing! Do you know how much Qiao Mei has helped you! How much mess she cleaned up for your family! How dare you come here and question me! Question the Xia family! Question Qiao Mei! Xia Jun pointed at Xia Guang and scolded him. Xu Lan really could not take it anymore. She pointed at Xia Guang and reprimanded him, Third Brother, lets not talk about how much your eldest brother has helped you in secret for so many years. Lets just talk about how your sons fiance?e wants to drug my Xia Wen and sleep with him! This matter was prevented from happening only because of our Qiao Mei and she did not tell anyone about it. Dont we think that we have given your family enough respect? Is... is this true? I dont even know about it! How can this be... This is completely different from what I was told! Xia Guang said as he looked at Xu Lan in shock. You dont know? There are still many things you dont know! That pair of sons of yours wanted to kill my grandson and granddaughter! Yet, Qiao Mei didnt seek to take their lives and shes kind enough to just send them to jail to reflect on their actions for a few years. What more do you want from Qiao Mei! How much more do you want our family to do! What exactly does the eldest sons family owe you! Xu Lan said as she cried.. Chapter 1796 - 1796: Solid Evidence Chapter 1796 - 1796: Solid Evidence Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios If my sons hadnt been provoked by your family to a certain extent! Would they go and kidnap the children! Theyre still so young! How can they have so many tricks up their sleeves! Its all because of Qiao Mei! Itt s Qiao Mei who made them clean pig intestines! Is that a job for humans? How can you insult people like that? Zhou Hua raised her head and shouted. Are you talking like a human being? Then why dont you find jobs for your own sons instead of asking Qiao Mei for help? The salary they wanted is twice as high as that of an ordinary worker. Do they feel aggrieved to have to clean pig intestines? If you ask me, they should go and empty the night soil! They should tough it out! Which one of our Xia familys children and grandchildren is not better than the two of them! Why cant the two of them endure some hard work! Xia Jun questioned. Qiao Mei helped Xu Lan to sit down at one side. Xu Lan wept and said, Our familys achievements and status were all obtained through the hard work of your eldest brother and your two nephews! Our Xia He also helped the country in her own way! Our Qiao Mei also donated supplies and seeds to the country! What about your family? What has your family done! What right do you have to come here and criticize us! Theyre all children of the Xia family! What right do you have to favor one over another! Why cant you take better care of our family! Zhou Hua shouted. Xia Guang covered Zhou Huas mouth and said, Im sorry... This is all our familys fault... Hmph, at least youre still reasonable and not muddle-headed enough to listen to this woman. Do you know what shes going to do this time round? She wanted to burn Qiao Mei!s college entrance examination papers! Xia Jun said angrily. Zhou Luo had already been arrested some time back and she had told them everything from the beginning to the end. She even told them a lot about Zhou Huas past. All those things which her ancestors had robbed from graves had also been found and retrieved. Impossible... Why would my elder sister betray me... Zhou Hua said as she looked at Qiao Mei in shock. If you only want to burn my examination papers, I wont blame you. Theres still room for discussion. But how can you burn the examination papers of those innocent parties? What does this have to do with them? Your heart is so rotten, Qiao Mei said. Hahahahaha! Dont pretend to be such a good person! If not for you! Why will they suffer! Its all your fault! Your fault! Theyre unlucky! Hahahahahaha! They deserve it! Zhou Hua lay down on the ground and laughed crazily. Xia Jun called his subordinates outside the door to come in and asked them to take Zhou Hua away. She would be punished accordingly and he would not let her off easily. He wanted to make an example out of her so that anyone who had such crooked ideas in the future would think twice before following the path that she had taken. Xia Guang, dont interact with the Zhou family anymore in the future, Xia Jun said sternly. Got it... Xia Guang said dispiritedly.. Chapter 1797 - 1797: Still Alive Chapter 1797: Still Alive Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xia Jun brought Xia Guang to Qiao Meis study. The father and son had a heated argument, but it was mainly Xia Jun scolding his son. Xia Guang did not dare to refute him. The fact that Qiao Mei could hear Xia Jun scolding someone even though he was inside a soundproof room was enough to show how angry he was about this matter. Grandfather has high blood pressure. Will he get so angry that it leads to a heart attack? Qiao Mei looked at the study worriedly. No, he wont. Your grandfather has weathered through all kinds of storms. At most, hell just get angry and vent his frustration on Third Brother, Xu Lan said with a smile. Qiao Mei knew that Xu Lan had not been able to sleep well all night recently and had been waiting for news about Xia He. With the addition of this current matter, she looked exhausted. Qiao Mei poured some medicinal wine into a glass of water and brought it over to her. Mother, drink this, Qiao Mei said firmly. In order to reassure Qiao Mei, Xu Lan drank all the water in one go. She looked more radiant immediately. Just as everyone was about to head in for a rest, there was suddenly the roar of a car outside the door and a familiar voice could be heard outside. Everyone thought that it was just an illusion. In the end, Xia He lay down inside the bus and waited quietly for death to come. She had wanted to give the Deng family a grandchild, but it seemed that this wish would not be able to come true. By the time Deng Fan found her, she was already in and out of consciousness and he had to feed her a full bottle of medicinal wine to save her. No matter what, Im a daughter of the Xia family after all. I have to save the rest. Otherwise, Ill be letting down our family, Xia He said proudly. Xu Lan was furious when she heard the story related by Xia Wen. She raised her hand and slapped Xia He. The slap was not enough to vent her anger and she even kicked Xia He a few times. Everyone in the room was stunned by her actions. Only Qiao Mei knew how Xu Lan felt at this moment. Being mothers, they only selfishly wanted their children to be well. In a life-and-death situation, they did not care about so many things. As long as their children were safe and sound, they were willing to give up everything. Mother is just angry that you gave the medicinal wine to other people. Shes just concerned about you, Qiao Mei explained. Tears welled up in Xia He i s eyes. After Xu Lan finished hitting her, she suddenly threw herself into Xu Lans arms and wept loudly. On the way back, she did not cry or even feel afraid. However, the moment she saw Xu Lan, she could clearly feel a great sense of fear. If Xia Wen and Deng Fan did not manage to find her, if they were one step too late, or if she could not make it to the moment she was rescued, then would she be dead and buried in the snow by now? Thank goodness... Thank goodness everyone was still alive... Thank goodness she was still alive... Chapter 1798 - 1798: Coming to Propose Marriage Chapter 1798: Coming to Propose Marriage Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Alright, alright. Youre already such a grown girl, yet youre still crying like a baby. If Deng Fan sees that, he wont want you anymore! You wont look good if you cry too much G Xu Lan comforted her with a smile. He wont dare to... Xia He said shyly. l have asked Sister Xu to prepare bath water for all of you. Go and take a bath. Whatever it is, we can talk about it tomorrow. Theres no hurry to catch up now, Qiao Mei said. When Xia He passed by the study, she heard Xia Jun scolding someone inside. She held Qiao Meis hand and asked softly, What is Grandfather doing? Who is he so angry with on the phone? Dont tell me its because of my issue! No, its related to Third Uncles family. Third Uncle is in the room. Dont worry about these things. Gop and take a medicinal bath! If you get sick, Mother will be so worried! Qiao Mei urged. Everyone returned to their own rooms to freshen up and have a good nights sleep. Xia He and the others did not wake up even by the next evening. Xu Lan paced around the courtyard worriedly. Will it hurt their brains to sleep for so long? Xu Lan asked. No, it wont. Theyre just in a state of recovery. Mother, dont worry. Each of them has drunk a lot of medicinal wine and wont fall sick. The scars on Xia Hes face have also been treated with medicinal wine, so there wont be any scars, Qiao Mei said. Xu Lan looked at Qiao Mei, not knowing how to thank her. In such a dangerous situation, if it was not for Qiao Meis medicinal wine, no one would have been able to make it back to the capital. Perhaps she would have lost a No! You cant just come in! You havent said why youre here! Why should I let you in! Xu Kang shouted angrily. Hey! How can you be so ungrateful! Do you know who I am! Do you know what Im here for! Youre wearing an apron... so you must be the helper! How dare a helper talk to me in this manner! Do you believe that Ill get your employer to fire you! The person at the door pointed at Xu Kang and scolded her. Qiao Mei asked Xu Lan to take a seat in the main hall first. She wanted to see who the nasty person at the door was. Whats the matter? Why is it so noisy, Qiao Mei said as she walked over in disdain. Theyre the ones who are unreasonable... Xu Kang whispered aggrievedly. l wonder whos at the door? Qiao Mei asked. You dont even know us? Were the Cao family from Hu City! Cao Kuan said proudly. Qiao Mei did not know much about Hu City, but she had heard of the Cao family. They could be considered one of the richer families in Hu City. They had only just started being active within the upper-class society of Hu City this year and could at most be considered nouveau riche. So its the Cao family. I wonder why youre here? Qiao Mei asked politely. Im here to propose marriage! My younger brother and your familys Xia He are getting married. Quickly set a date for us to bring her back to Hu City, Cao Kuan said bluntly. What? Get married? But Xia He is already married? How can she marry your younger brother? Besides, what kind of relationship does our Xia He have with your brother? Qiao Mei asked Cao Kuan, totally at a loss.. Chapter 1799 - 1799: One Wide and One Narrow Chapter 1799 - 1799: One Wide and One Narrow Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Shes married? Then how can she cheat my brother of his feelings! She clearly said that she wanted to marry my brother! She said she wanted to be with him forever! How can she lie to us! Cao Kuan roared. When did this happen? Could this person be one ofXia Hes crazy fans? Qiao Mei would never believe that Xia He cheated on her husband. Xia He was not that kind of person. The neighbors all stuck their heads out of their houses. Even passers-by stopped a distance away, waiting to see what was going on at Qiao Meis house. Did you get it wrong? Are you sure its our family? Qiao Mei asked. Is there a Xia He from another Xia family? That big star from the art troupe! Isnt she from your family? It cant be wrong! Ive already asked around! Its definitely your family! Dont even think about denying it! Cao Kuan said firmly. Xia Wen patted Qiao Meis shoulder as he came up from behind her. He said to Cao Kuan in a gentle tone, Is your younger brother also in the bus that was caught in the avalanche on the highlands? Yes! How do you know? My brothers name is Cao Zhai! Ask Xia He to come out! We should clarify it face to face! Cao Kuan said. This house is not too bad. Is this where your entire Xia family lives? Cao Kuan looked around and asked. This is my sister-in-laws house. It has nothing to do with the Xia family, Xia Wen said factually. Cao Kuans eyes widened as he questioned, Isnt this the Xia familys old residence? How did it become your sister-in-laws house? Even if its your sister-in-laws house, you cant say that it has nothing to do with the Xia family. The Cao family is so resourceful. Didnt you investigate these things clearly? Xia Wen questioned. Cao Kuan stood there awkwardly, not knowing what to say. Indeed, he had not investigated this matter properly. He only wanted to stand up for his younger brother and help him get married quickly. Everything he knew about the Xia family was from what Cao Zhai told him and he did not do a thorough investigation. Dont just stand at the door. Lets go in and talk, Qiao Mei said as she pointed at the main hall. The big group entered the main hall in a grand manner. Cao Kuan did not seem to see Xu Lan and swaggered towards the master seat next to her without even greeting her. Ask your younger sister to come out now. Lets discuss this matter properly. We cant just waste time like this. Our Cao family is very busy and has many things to deal with! Cao Kuan said arrogantly.. Chapter 1800 - 1800: Emerald Necklace Chapter 1800 - 1800: Emerald Necklace Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The Xia family members all looked very unhappy by now. They did not know where this group of riffraff came from and how this person could be so rude in their home. If this was in the past, they would have already chased him out. However, at the moment, they did not know what had happened in the highlands. What if they made a wrong move? It was better to wait for Xia He to wake up before dealing with this matter. Qiao Mei called Xu Kang over and whispered in her ear, Go and ask Xia He to come over and tell her to dress up very nicely. Get Qiane to give Deng Fan a call and make up an urgent reason to call him away. Ask him to leave through the back door, dont let him come to the front yard. Alright, Xu Kang said softly. Half an hour later, Xia He came to the main hall wearing Qiao Meis dark blue dress with the gold embroidered phoenix. She also wore huge pearl earrings and looked very graceful and regal. When she pushed open the door and saw Cao Kuan, she was slightly stunned. Cao Kuan looked exactly like Cao Zhai, except that one was fatter and the other was thinner. You must be Cao Zhais elder brother. Im Xia He, Xia He said openly. Youre finally here. Why did you lie to my brother! Why did you say that you want to marry him! Youre already married, so why did you accept my brothers gift! Cao Kuan scolded her angrily. However, Xia He had indeed seen this particular necklace before and she had a deep impression of it. However, she did not see this necklace on her table, but on Li Huas neck. There was one time when Li Hua managed to get the second female lead role. She was very smug then and even laughed at Bai Dian and Huang Li for a long time, almost to the extent of lording over them! If not for the fact that Bai Dian was bad-tempered enough to scold her back on the spot, they would have suffered a lot more! Are you sure your younger brother personally gave me this necklace you mentioned? Xia He asked. Isnt that so? Cao Kuan asked. l dont accept gifts from anyone after my performances. You can go and ask around. I always send back the gifts from my fans. I only accept flowers but not gifts. However, I have an impression of this necklace you mentioned. Ive seen it around my colleagues neck, Xia He said sternly. Are you making up an excuse? Anyone would desire to own such a nice thing. If you already took it, just say so. Dont pretend to be so ethical and honorable, Cao Kuan said. Ive always been open and aboveboard in all my dealings. The Xia family is also one of the prominent families in the capital. Is there a need for me to tell lies just for that little piece of jewelry? Look at all the ornaments in this house and the things my family members are wearing. Even our helper wears expensive jewelry. Why should I take a fancy to your things? Xia He said pompously. Qiao Mei hid at one side and laughed discreetly. No wonder Xia He gave Xu Kang a ruby ring that was the size of a pigeon egg before she came out.. So this was her intention! Chapter 1801 - 1801: All a Misunderstanding Chapter 1801 - 1801: All a Misunderstanding Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Ill get to the bottom of the matter regarding the jewelry! But you have to marry my younger brother! Divorce that bastard immediately. My brother says that he doesnt mind that you have a previous relationship. On account that your family background is similar to ours, we wont mind that this is your second marriage, Cao Kuan said.Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m What did you say? Qiao Mei asked angrily. Am I not being obvious enough? Then let me be more clear. When I came, I didnt know that Xia He was already married, so 1 brought a lot of betrothal gifts. Given that its a second marriage for her, our family wont be giving her these things anymore. Your family still has to give us more dowry! Otherwise, our family will suffer a huge loss! I think this house is not bad, so let this house be part of her dowry, Cao Kuan said disdainfully. What did you say? You want me to get a divorce! Who do you think you are! You shameless thing! You dont want to listen when I speak to you nicely. Are you asking for a scolding! Xia He pointed at Cao Kuan and scolded him. How can you talk like this! Youre the one who let my brother down first! How can you get angry instead! What right do you have to be angry! Ive done a check on that man of yours. Hes nothing, just a pauper! You might as well be with my brother! Cao Kuan rattled off. After Cao Zhai woke up, he started to threaten the Cao family with his life. If they did not satisfy his desires, he would slit his wrist and commit suicide. He only wanted Xia He to be his wife and he had no interest in anyone else. Even if Cao Kuan could only bring back Xia Hes corpse, Cao Zhai would still marry her. How can that lousy thing be so expensive! Why dont you just go and rob a bank! Besides, my brother was already unconscious! You must have fed him out of your own accord! You did it willingly! Cao Kuan said as he pointed at Xia He. Nonsense! Its your younger brother who begged me! During the rescue, my eldest brother even fed him a whole bottle of medicinal wine! Xia He said. Thats right. These are all the things that saved your brothers life. Dont you think theyre worth tens of thousands of dollars? Our family saved your brothers life, but not only did you not thank us, you even came to our house to force our Xia He to get a divorce and then remarry. I dont think a human being can do such a thing, do you? If we call the police, you wont have it good, Qiao Mei said. Even if the Cao family was rich, they could not just fork out 100,000 dollars straightaway. He thought about it and finally said, Ill go back and persuade my brother. Perhaps theres a misunderstanding? Ill go back and ask him! Wait for news from me! Before he even finished speaking, he had already run out of the courtyard. However, the group of people did not return to Hu City directly. Instead, they went to the art troupe to investigate who had taken the jewelry which Cao Zhai gave away. Xia He wanted to sit down and heave a sigh of relief, but Xu Lan said, Stand there! Mother... what did I do... Xia He said as she looked at Xu Lan in fear. Dont go to the art troupe anymore. Just stay by my side obediently. After some time, get your eldest brother to find you a stable job in the government. You cant leave the capital without my permission, Xu Lan said.. Chapter 1802 - 1802: Staying Close By Chapter 1802 - 1802: Staying Close By Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Mother! I dont want to stop dancing! It isnt easy for me to get to where I am today. I cant give up! Xia He said agitatedly. Qiao Mei knew about Xia Hes dream and also knew how long Xia He had worked hard for this dream. Now that she had finally gotten what she wanted and was about to fulfill that dream, she would definitely not be able to accept Xu Lan asking her to give up now. Xu Lan looked at Xia He without saying anything, but the sadness and worry in her eyes was like an arrow piercing at Xia Hes heart. When Xu Lan was younger, she wanted the children to go further in life and show more promises. It was fine with her even if they suffered some setbacks and sufferings. How could there be a rainbow without the wind and the rain? They must go through all kinds of experiences in order to grow stronger. However, now that Xu Lan was older, she could not accept the possibility of losing her children at this age. When she heard the news of Xia Hes disappearance, she wished she could exchange her life for Xia Hes life. She knelt in front of the Buddha statue day and night. As long as Xia He could return safely, she would be willing to be a vegetarian in the future! Fortunately, everything turned out to be fine in the end, but it was still better to be safe than sorry from now on. If the rescue team had been a step too late this time round, Xia He would already be dead now. Which one of you is in charge! Come out quickly! Cao Kuan shouted into the studio. Many passers-by stopped in their tracks and the people from the art troupe also ran out to watch the commotion. In the past, Xia He was the most senior among them and also the principal dancer, so she naturally had the final say in everything. However, since Xia He was not around, Bai Dian was the one in charge. Im the person in charge here now. My name is Bai Dian. What can I do for you? Bai Dian asked. What can you do for me? 1 have a big issue for you to deal with! You should all be familiar with my younger brother. His name is Cao Zhai and Im his elder brother, Cao Kuan. Im here this time to ask who has taken my family heirloom, the pearl and emerald necklace! I want to take back all my younger brothers things! Cao Kuan said domineeringly. Everyone instantly turned to look at Li Hua, who was standing in the corner. That thing was in the possession of none other than Li Hua. Back then, when she received that piece of jewelry, she had flaunted it for a long time, as if she was afraid that no one would know about it. Can you roughly describe it? Bai Dian asked. That emerald is as big as a pigeons egg. Its surrounded by a bunch of pearls and those pearls are also dazzling. They look like the moon in the night sky. Im a rough man and 1 dont know much about the jewelry that you women wear. Thats the only way I can describe it, Cao Kuan said.. Chapter 1803 - 1803: Coming to Ask for the Necklace Chapter 1803 - 1803: Coming to Ask for the Necklace Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios This description matched the necklace which Li Hua wore before. Even if Li Hua did not have it now, everyone knew that it was the necklace which Cao Kuan was talking about. Bai Dian looked at Li Hua and said, Show this gentleman your necklace. If it really belongs to their family, go to the police station to sort this out. After all, theres no reason for anyone to take back something that was already given away. Hey! Wait! You little girl, how can you talk like that? Youre right. We really shouldnt ask to take back something we gave away, but my brother wanted to give it to Xia He! Not this woman! As for how this necklace ended up in her hands, shes the only one who knows the truth! Cao Kuan said as he pointed at Li Hua. Thats not true! Cao Zhai gave it to me! I didnt steal it! He really gave it to me! Li Hua explained. Everyone here knew Li Huas character very well. She had always been jealous of Xia He and it was not surprising that she would steal other peoples things. After all, Li Hua had snatched the second female lead role which originally belonged to Bai Dian. Did Cao Zhai really give you that necklace personally? You have to be clear about whether he wants you to pass it to someone else or he wants to give it to you. You cant be vague about such things, Bai Dian asked. Li Hua stammered and did not dare to tell the truth. She muttered softly,Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m Anyway, its a gift from Cao Zhai. He gave it to me personally. I didnt steal Thats right! They cannot come to the art troupe and bully us out of the blue! Say something! Well back you up! We will support you! Just tell us the truth! Dont be afraid, were here! The art troupe members shouted loudly one after another. If Xia He was around, she would definitely feel touched. However, in Li Huas eyes, these yells were like curses meant to kill her. Cao Zhai had indeed sent many gifts to the art troupe, but they were all for Xia He and had nothing to do with her. After the security guard at the door rejected him many times, Cao Zhai wanted to get someone from the art troupe to pass the gifts to Xia He. In the end, he found Li Hua. Li Hua had deliberately approached Cao Zhai. She had always told everyone that her family was doing quite well, but in fact, they did not even have enough money to eat. She had put in a lot of effort to join the art troupe. If she had been diligent and spent more time on dance practice, she might have been able to make a name for herself. However, she was very vain and could not bear to see anyone owning nice things. In fact, she was the real cause of the art troupe members often finding their things missing.. Chapter 1804 - 1804: Not Found Chapter 1804 - 1804: Not Found Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Li Hua was jealous of Xia He, but not to the extent of wanting to harm Xia He. She just spread gossip and slandered Xia He to vent her frustration. That was until Xia He and Deng Fan got married and led a loving and sweet life, and their life together got better and better. Also, Xia Hes family background was superior to everyone and she got along very harmoniously with her sister-in-law. After that, Li Hua became even more jealous of Xia He.Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m She could not accept the fact that Xia He could have such a blissful life even after getting married for the second time, while her own life paled in comparison. Her husband drank himself into a stupor every day and would beat her up after that. She did not have the courage to get a divorce and was stuck in this situation. Many of Xia Hes fans would buy gifts for her. Xia He told the security guard at the door to turn them down, but unknown to Xia He, Li Hua secretly communicated with these fans and told them that she could help them pass the gifts to Xia He. In the end, she kept all the gifts for herself. l... I didnt... Li Hua whispered. l dont have that much time to waste, Hurry up and choose a solution. Either you come to the police station with me, or hand over everything that my brother has given you! Cao Kuan said. Are you going to tell us or not! If you dont, well get the police to search your house! Xiao Nan shouted angrily. l... Cao Zhai gave them to me! He didnt tell me who the recipient was and just asked me to bring the things in! Doesnt that mean that those things are for me? Why are all of you looking at me like that! Cao Zhai gave them to me! Where are you going! Xu Lan shouted from upstairs. Mother! Something has happened to the art troupe members! I want to go and take a look! Xia He said. No! If theres a situation at the art troupe, the troupe leader will take care of it. Its not as if you can solve the problem. Just stay at home obediently! You cant go! Xu Lan said firmly. But if 1 dont go, they will have to stay in the detention center for many days! This matter has nothing to do with them! Xia He said agitatedly. Zou Ming isnt a fool. Hes been doing this job for so many years, so how can he not know how to deal with these things? People who have nothing to do with the matter will be released in a few days. If theres anything which concerns you, then you can go and help with the investigation. Theres no point for you to go now. Just stay at home! Youre not allowed to go! If youre still worried, then ask Xia Wen to go and have a look! Xu Lan said. Xia He thought of what Qiao Mei told her and decided not to make Xu Lan angry for the time being. She looked at Xia Wen pitifully and said, Eldest Brother... Can you help me go and take a look? Bai Dian and Xiao Nan are both at the police station. Theyre implicated only because of me. Can you help me? Dont say silly things. Im your eldest brother. If I dont help you, who should I help? Stay at home and wait for news from me. Ill call you if theres anything. Xia Wen walked over to Xia Hes side and whispered, Dont make Mother angry. Bear with it for a little longer. After a while, Mother wont be so worried anymore.. Chapter 1805 - 1805: Bad Temper Chapter 1805 - 1805: Bad Temper Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios I know. Ill be good, Xia He said. Xia Wen and Zou Ming sent out all their subordinates and finally found the valuable gifts from Xia Hes fans in various black markets. Li Huas husband was a gambling addict and had sold the things which Li Hua brought back to pay off his gambling debts. Although they managed to find most of the items, there were a few which could not be found. The necklace had gone missing and they could not find any clues at all. Qiao Mei was familiar with the jewelry trade, so Xia Wen immediately told her about it. Theres a high chance that someone has bought this necklace for their own private collection, which is why you cant find any information about it. People who trade in the black markets follow their own set of rules, so they naturally wont reveal who the buyer is. Otherwise, how can they still make a living on the black market in the future? However, its not as if we cant find it. Itll just cost a lot of money, Qiao Mei said. Li Huas husband is a gambling addict and he said that he used all the proceeds to pay off his gambling debts. He doesnt have a single cent on him and his house is a rental. Our family paid to get those items back from the black markets. Dont tell me we have to bear the cost? Then our family is just a pushover! Xia Wen said unwillingly. In less than half a day, Yao Nian had found three gambling dens frequented by Li Huas husband. The only gambling den in the capital which accepted collateral was located outside the suburbs, and the name of the place was Carpe Diem. Qiao Mei touched the words on the letter and said, Interesting... This name is quite fashionable. It seems that this gambling den might have connections in high places. Yao Nian even wrote in the letter that she should not casually provoke the owner of this gambling den. Even an experienced private investigator like him could not find out who the owner was. In all these years, no one had ever seen the owners face. Qiao Mei did not believe in heresy and wanted to go and meet this boss for herself. Perhaps she could gain something unexpectedly? This gambling den was located near He Nings villa. She changed into a faded white dress and put on some light makeup before she went to the gambling den named Carpe Diem. Before she went, she informed Yao Nian that if she did not come back out after half a day, he should immediately inform Xia Wen, The main door of the gambling den was very well hidden. Qiao Mei walked around the place three or four times but still could not find the entrance. It was only when she saw a manhole cover which looked different from the rest that she guessed it might be the main door.. Chapter 1806 - 1806: Underground Gambling Den Chapter 1806 - 1806: Underground Gambling Den Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios l didnt expect this underground gambling den to really be underground... I thought the word underground is just metaphorical. I didnt expect it to be so literal! Qiao Mei said to herself, a little lost for words. Qiao Mei used her foot to tap on the manhole cover forcefully. When the people below heard the sound, they opened the entrance door. Qiao Mei went down the stairs to the bottom and discovered a different world below. It was a very grand-looking place. The entire room was filled with smoke and everyone looked very euphoric. Everyone here was looking for that one chance which could reverse their fortunes and change their lives. This was the first time Qiao Mei had seen so many gamblers in one place. Miss, are you here alone? the guard at the door asked. Yes, why? You dont allow lone players? Qiao Mei questioned. Its not that. Miss, please exchange for chips here. We do not allow anyone to bring any communication equipment or other things into this place. Only money is allowed. Please put all your belongings in the cabinet over there, the guard at the door said. Qiao Mei only exchanged 50 dollars worth of chips. Big bets were still uncommon in this era. After all, in this era, the average income was very low and the bets commensurate with the situation. However, even then, these gamblers could still rack up more than 10,000 dollars in gambling debts, sometimes even more than 100,000 dollars. Qiao Mei observed the surroundings. There were many different ways to play. Everyone, place your bets. Im going to open it now. After saying that, the croupier opened the dice cup. The number of points added up to Big. Damn it! This woman actually guessed it right! Oh my... Seriously... This woman is just lucky! She wont be so lucky in the next round! Qiao Mei smiled disdainfully. This was only the beginning. In the next hour, Qiao Mei did not lose a single round and there was a mountain of chips in front of her by now. Qiao Mei toyed with one of the gambling chips. She looked at the croupier expressionlessly and the croupier was so nervous that he was sweating. He had never met someone like her before. No one could keep winning at the gambling den, unless the person cheated. However, croupiers like him knew how to cheat too. Moreover, they had all been trained to prevent those really lucky people who won a lot of money from leaving immediately with their winnings. Otherwise, the gambling den would make a loss. The croupiers would cheat to make these people lose all their winnings. This was how the gambling den kept these gamblers coming back. Qiao Mei, on the other hand, was different. No matter how the croupier cheated, Qiao Mei could accurately know the number of points the dice added up to every time. He did not believe that Qiao Mei did not cheat. You cheated! You must have cheated! shouted a gambler beside Qiao Mei as he pointed at her. He had already lost nearly 5,000 dollars. If so, did you see how I cheated? Qiao Mei questioned. The rule in the gambling den was that everyone could win money using their own abilities. There was a common understanding that it did not matter if one won through cheating or by luck. One could cheat as long as one could remain undiscovered. However, if one was caught, one would have to leave behind ones pair of hands.. Chapter 1807 - 1807: Baited Chapter 1807 - 1807: Baited Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios I... That gambler did not know what to say. He really could not tell how Qiao Mei cheated. She had not even made any extra movements the entire time. If you didnt see anything, what right do you have to slander me? Arent there any rules in this place? Dont you care that there are such troublemakers here? How am I supposed to continue playing? Qiao Mei said as she pointed at the gambler unhappily. The people in charge could see everything that was happening. A masked man nudged his attendant next to him and said, Invite this young lady up for a chat and deal with that person who broke the rules. Make sure I dont see him again in the future.Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m Noted. The attendant called four bodyguards to go with him. They rapidly surrounded the gambler from before and stuffed his mouth before dragging him outside to deal with him. The attendant came next to Qiao Mei and said respectfully, Hello, Miss. Im sorry about what happened just now. To express our apologies, our boss wants to invite you upstairs. I wonder if youre willing to do us the honor? Sure. Qiao Mei smiled in satisfaction. After so long, the big fish had finally taken the bait. This way, please, the attendant said. Her words made Brother Lei laugh loudly. This woman was indeed not a simple person if she could remain so calm in front of him. Miss, youre right. Looks like Im still too inexperienced and not worldly enough. We all know what its all about, so lets drop all this useless talk. What exactly are you here for today? Brother Lei asked. Brother Lei is indeed as sharp as they say. I do have a favor to ask of you, Qiao Mei said with a smile. Miss, your way of asking for help is really special. If you sit around for a while longer, you can even bankrupt this place. How can I continue with my business then? Brother Lei questioned. Brother Lei, please accept my apologies. If I dont use this method, I wont be able to meet you. I can return all these chips to you. What I want is very simple. I wonder if you have an emerald necklace in your possession? That is my family heirloom and its very precious to me, Qiao Mei asked tentatively. Brother Lei stared at Qiao Mei with a cold look in his eyes. Recently, there had been an uproar in the capital as everyone was looking for this necklace. Even the police had started to comb through all the black markets aggressively. The fact that this person in front of him could find out about his den meant that this woman had some connections. He looked Qiao Mei up and down, and then thought back to all the prominent families in the capital. He chuckled and said, Miss Qiao, youre quite capable since you can find me, but what if I say that I dont have this necklace? Since Brother Lei already knows who I am, then how can you not know that I have the ability to find out if you have the thing I want? Otherwise, Ill just be kicking up a fuss here in vain, Qiao Mei said.. Chapter 1808 - 1808: Be My Sister Chapter 1808 - 1808: Be My Sister Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Alright, since Miss Qiao is so upfront, then Ill be frank too. I did accept this necklace, but it was given to me by someone as collateral. How can I give it to you so easily? You have to give me something to exchange for it, otherwise itll be a huge loss for me, Brother Lei said. Qiao Mei took out a bottle of dark green medicinal wine from her pocket and said, Given how resourceful Brother Lei is, you must definitely know about the legendary effects of my familys divine medicine. I hear that you have congenital heart disease. This can treat your illness and let you live to a ripe old age, Brother Lei narrowed his eyes and looked at Qiao Mei. He had long wanted to buy a few bottles of the Xia familys divine medicine, but this thing was rare and even the black market did not have much supply. The Xia family had given all the medicinal wine to retired veterans from the army, so it was impossible for people like him to get their hands on it. Hahaha! Miss Qiao, you really come prepared. Its really rare to see a woman like you. Arent you afraid that Ill go back on my word after taking the medicine and detain you here to blackmail the Xia family into giving me money in exchange for you? Brother Lei questioned. These are the things you want. I like your temperament and character. Miss Qiao, why dont you consider becoming my sister? I can give you all these as a token of my sincerity, Brother Lei said with a smile. If Qiao Mei was married to an ordinary man, he would definitely force that man to divorce Qiao Mei and then get hold of her. Regardless of whether she had children or not, he would do it most willingly. It was really rare to see such a smart and bold woman. However, Qiao Mei had the backing of the Xia family and even the support of other prominent families. He could not have any improper thoughts, but he did not want to lose touch with her. Making her his sister was his best option. Brother Lei, youre really flattering me. Im just an ordinary woman and I cant help you with much. I only know how to take care of children and cook. How can I be your sister? Brother Lei, you should go and look for someone else. Qiao Mei rejected him politely. The Xia family was a very respectable and decent family. Even if one family member needed a favor from another, they were not allowed to use the back door. Moreover, this underground gambling den run by Brother Lei was an illegal business. It would not sit well with the Xia family if she acknowledged the owner of an underground gambling den as her brother. Even before the Xia family could react, Qiao Qiang might have already given her a good beating! l wont ask you to do anything. I wont tell you anything about what I do here. I just want you to be my sister. Im an orphan and dont have any relatives. I just like your temperament very much. How about it? Do you want to give it some thought? Brother Lei asked.. Chapter 1809 - 1809: Guesthouse” Chapter 1809: Guesthouse Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei had only come here to buy back the necklace and she did not expect Brother Lei to want to become sworn siblings with her. Yao Nian had told Qiao Mei whatever he knew about this underground gambling den. Many years ago, Yao Nian had tried to dig up more information about Brother Lei and found out that he was very likely to be backed by an important member of the government. Furthermore, no one had ever seen what Brother Lei really looked like. He must have other identities. This gambling den enjoyed the highest status and had lasted the longest in the capital, so there must definitely be more than one group of people behind it. Militarymen in this country had to have their past three generations investigated before they could join the military, so there was definitely no one with a criminal background inside. This was the real reason why Brother Lei wanted to get to know Qiao Mei and befriend her. Thank you for thinking so highly of me, Brother Lei, but I really dont have the fortune to accept your kindness, Qiao Mei said seriously. Brother Lei pursed his lips resignedly. The two bottles which Qiao Mei had placed on the table were truly his saviors. Human desires were insatiable. Once one was able to satisfy one desire, the next desire would be born. He was no exception. If there was really a day when he was on the verge of death, these things could come in really handy. Alright then, you have to leave behind everything you gain from here today. You can only take this necklace with you, Brother Lei said impatiently. Brother Lei, thank you for letting me off. Before Qiao Mei left, she took a long look at the bottles of medicinal wine on the table. She was blindfolded and led out through the back door of the gambling den. The bodyguards brought her to an open area and left her there. Qiao Mei got out of the car nervously and went into the house. Xu Kang had already prepared hot water and food for her. Qiao Mei did not have her dinner because of this matter! She was already starving by now. Xia Wen came in and sat opposite Qiao Mei. Tell me, Heroine Qiao, what have you done? Qiao Mei put down her bowl and chopsticks and said, Um... Eldest Brother, you already know everything? Yao Nian was really worried that something would really happen to you. He told me about it after you entered the gambling den. Youre really capable enough to be able to find the entrance. I cant even spot their main door! Xia Wen said angrily. You flatter me... I just happened to find my way in... Qiao Mei whispered. If I hadnt bumped into you! Would you have walked back on foot? Dont you know that youre pregnant! Youre really getting too capable! If Xia Zhe finds out about this, hell definitely skin you alive! So that you learn your lesson well! Xia Wen said furiously. Qiao Mei muttered softly, He wont dare to do it... Huh? What did you say? Xia Wen stared at Qiao Mei and questioned her. l said that youre right! Ive learned my lesson! This will never happen again! In the future, Ill report everything I do to the family! I definitely wont let anyone worry about me! Qiao Mei raised three fingers and made an oath.. Chapter 1810 - 1810: Pregnant Chapter 1810: Pregnant Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios What did you use to exchange for the necklace with that person? Xia Wen asked. Just diluted medicinal wine. How can I bear to give real medicinal wine to those people! Qiao Mei said with a smile. The first bottle of dark green medicinal wine could indeed cure Brother Leis congenital heart disease, but the second bottle of golden medicinal wine was only a bottle of diluted potion. Brother Lei definitely would not let anyone else try such a precious thing. Moreover, once the first bottle of divine medicine was proven effective, he would not question the effectiveness of the second bottle. There cant be a next time! Absolutely not! Do you hear me! If you secretly do such a dangerous thing again, Ill tell Mother and let you get the same treatment as Xia He! Xia Wen threatened. I promise I wont dare to do it anymore! I definitely wont do it again! Qiao Mei said obediently. Xia Wen lectured Qiao Mei sternly and then made a call to give Yao Nian a good scolding before he calmed down. He went to the childrens room to take a look at Xia Fan and Xia Xing before returning to work. Qiao Mei handed the necklace to Xia Wen and left it to him to decide how to best deal with this matter. Xia Fan and Xia Xing could talk now and they addressed everyone in their crisp and clear voices, making everyone overjoyed. Xia He had already been grounded in Xu Lans house for an entire week. Qiao Mei had to put in a lot of effort to get Xia He out of the house by using the excuse that she was feeling scared about the upcoming prenatal checkup and needed someone to accompany her. The Xia family is heartless! My daughter is clearly able to have children! However, the Xia family keeps saying that she is infertile! They make my daughter suffer all kinds of injustice! Now that my daughter is remarried, shes pregnant! The problem has always been Xia Wen! My poor daughter is framed! Jiang Yi cried. Nonsense! When has our family ever lied to you! Xia He shouted agitatedly. Then tell me why my daughter can get pregnant after leaving your family! Its because you people want to hide the fact that Xia Wen is infertile and so you blame it all on my daughter! Jiang Yi shouted furiously. Tan Jing just stood quietly behind Jiang Yi and looked coldly at the Xia family members. She also did not know why she suddenly became pregnant, but she was certain that this matter had something to do with the Xia family. Xia He looked at Tan Jings stomach in shock. Tan Jing was actually pregnant! How was this possible? At that time, everyone in the Xia family knew about this matter and Xia Wen went for a checkup every year. It was definitely not Xia Wen who was the problem! The hospital sent security officers to chase Jiang Yi and Tan Jing out. Jiang Yi stood at the door and scolded, Dont worry! Ill come again! Just you wait! Xia Fang sat on the chair and massaged her temples. She had been listening to Jiang Yis yells the whole day and finally had some peace and quiet. Aunt, is what they say true? Is Tan Jing really pregnant? Xia He asked. Yes, I did the checkup for her. Shes indeed pregnant, Xia Fang said with some annoyance. How is that possible! Shes clearly infertile! Didnt we already get this clear a few years ago? Theres definitely nothing wrong with my eldest brother! Can it be that those folk remedies Tan Jing use really work? Xia He said.. Chapter 1811 - 1811: Eldest Brother Is Unable to Have Children Chapter 1811: Eldest Brother Is Unable to Have Children Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei suddenly thought of something. Back then, she would send a bottle of medicinal wine to each of her family members every month. Xia Wen was in good health, so he naturally did not need to drink it often. In that case, his portion of the medicinal wine must have been either consumed by the Tan family members or Tan Jing. Perhaps Tan Jings infertility was cured by Qiao Meis medicinal wine? Um... I think Im the cause of the trouble... Qiao Mei said as she raised her hand embarrassedly. Huh? What does this matter have to do with you? Xia He asked curiously. Qiao Mei told them about how much medicinal wine she had given Xia Wen over time and that it was probably Tan Jing who consumed the wine. Xia Fang did not blame Qiao Mei at all. She just felt a little affected. If Xia Wen had delayed finalizing the divorce by one month, Tan Jings position in the Xia family would definitely have been different. Its alright. Lets think about this matter at length later. I still have other patients to see, so I dont have the time to care about them. After saying that, Xia Fang continued to do her rounds. Following what happened today, Qiao Mei and Xia He were no longer in the mood for a prenatal checkup. They would come back when Xia Fang was not so busy. Will this matter make the MO family prejudiced against our Xia Wen? After all, this is quite an embarrassing matter. Given that the rumors are flying around about how Eldest Brother is infertile, if MO Zhu still gets married to him, her reputation will definitely be affected, Xia He said worriedly. Everyone fell silent. This matter was indeed a little hard to handle. Just because other peoples opinions were not important did not mean that they could ignore the MO familys opinions. When Xia Wen heard the news, it did not affect him. He felt the same way as Qiao Mei. Wise people would not believe in rumors. His time was already so precious. It would be a waste of his life if he had to solve all these trivial matters! MO Zhu also expressed that she did not mind. She was not marrying Xia Wen for the sake of having children. She did not care even if Xia Wen was really infertile. She only wanted to marry Xia Wen, not for the Xia family nor for a child. The rumors only lasted for a little more than a month before it was forgotten. Soon, it was the end of the year again and every family was busy with putting up the decorations at home, as well as cleaning the house and preparing food for the festive season. It was the first new year celebrations for the Xia family after they split up. None of them knew if they should ask Xia Guang to come back for the gathering. Xia Yaos family would definitely be back. Liu Fen had already returned early to help Xu Lan with the preparations and also to gossip about Zhou Hua and the others. Apart from the married daughters who had to spend the new year at their in-laws house, everyone from the families of the eldest and second sons had all returned. Qiane stayed at Qiao Meis house as she wanted to spend the new year with Li Gui and Qiao Qiang.. Chapter 1812 - 1812: Welcoming the New Year Chapter 1812: Welcoming the New Year It was a rare occasion that Xia Fangs entire family was gathered together this year. Xiang Chen had already made a name for himself in Qiao Meis factory. Qiane was full of praises for Xiang Chen for doing a good job! Mei Mei, does Xiang Chen cause you any trouble? Hes a careless person and is not a good accountant at all. If you hadnt hired him, other companies definitely wouldnt even want to look at him! Xiang Jin said with some annoyance. Its nothing like that. Uncle-in-law, ever since Xiang Chen started work at my place, our accounts are finally in order. Im thinking about giving Xiang Chen a raise! I want him to continue working at my place, Qiao Mei said with a smile. You always want to put me down. You should be able to believe what my cousin-in-law says! Im a rare talent! They cant do without me! Dont keep thinking that Im useless! Xiang Chen said smugly. Xiang Jin always felt that it was a pity Xiang Chen did not go into the same line as him or Xia Fang. In his eyes, so long as one did not join the military or the government services, it was not a good job and was a waste of ones youth. This pair of father and son always argued and insisted on comparing whose life had more value between them. Everyone just let them be. Were there any father and son who did not argue? Back then, Xia Wen also always argued with Xia Mao like this. After he left the military, he insisted on becoming a teacher. Xia Mao even punished him and made him stand at the door for one day and one night. Xia Wen was in poor health then, so he fainted and had to be sent to the hospital after standing for so long. I was so angry that I made Xia Mao stand at the door for one day and one night, so that he could experience how his son felt, Xu Lan said. Mmm... Happy New Year. Everyone is waiting for the two of you. Take a seat. Lets eat, Xia Jun said kindly. Aye! Sure! Xia Guang looked at Xia Jun emotionally. Everyone sat down at their usual seats. Xia Jun stood up with a glass of wine and said, Our Xia family has experienced many things in the past year. Weve gone through thick and thin and faced adversity together. Im very happy to see that and I hope that in the future, the Xia family members can be united and stop undermining one another. I also hope that next year will be smooth sailing for our family! Everyone raised their glasses and shouted in unison, Niay everything go well! Qiao Mei looked at all the family members present with tears in her eyes. Last year, Xia Zhe had even given her a gift for the new year. This year, she was on her own at the familys new year gathering. She felt a little empty inside. She must study hard and strive to have a chance to go overseas so that she could reunite with Xia Zhe earlier. Come on! Its time for Grandfather to give out red packets! Ill go first! Xia He hurriedly ran in front of Xia Jun and knelt down. She yelled out happily, l wish Grandfather all the best next year and to have a healthy and long life! Xia Jun took out a stack of red packets from his pocket and handed one to Xia He.. Good, good, good! You can get up now! Chapter 1813 - 1813: Live to a Ripe Old Age Chapter 1813 - 1813: Live to a Ripe Old Age The other grandchildren came over to Xia Jun one by one to kowtow and say their well wishes as they received their red packets. Qiao Mei was the last one and brought Xia Fan and Xia Xing over to Xia Jun, saying, Babies, greet Great-grandfather~ Great-grandfather! Xia Xing shouted out with a crisp voice. Although she could not articulate the words clearly, it was enough for everyone to know who she was addressing. Good, good, good! My darling baby! Great-grandfather has prepared a big gift for you! I dont know if you like it? Xia Jun happily took out a box from his pocket. Inside was one of Wu Mins belongings, a gold hairpin with jade inlay. Grandfather, this is really too valuable. Shes still so young and cant accept such a valuable gift. You can give it to her when shes older, Qiao Mei said in a panic. l dont even know if Ill still be around when shes older! If I dont give it to her now, I might not have the chance! I think it is a good time to give it to her! This is my gift to her for the new year! Xia Jun said. Pfft, pfft, pfft! What nonsense is Grandfather saying! Gosh, pfft, pfft! Grandfather still has to stick around and see Xia Fan and Xia Xing grow up! Qiao Mei said anxiously. l have indeed said something wrong just now. Ill punish myself with a drink! Xia Jun picked up his glass and downed it in one gulp. He took out Xia Fans gift from his other pocket. It was his first merit medal from his younger days. Even Xia Mao had never seen it before, which was enough to show how much Xia Jun cherished and doted on Xia Fan. Thank you, Grandfather, Qiao Mei said happily. Just as the family was enjoying themselves, there was another knock on the door. Could it be that there were other members of the Xia family coming back for the new year gathering? She walked over and carried the child. This child really resembled Xia Xing when he was young and looked like he was carved from the same mold. However, she knew she could not confirm that this was Xia Xings child. l cant tell. Its been too long. I cant remember what he looked like when he was young, Xu Lan said with a guilty conscience. Qiao Mei looked at Xu Lans expression and knew what was going on. She looked at Shao Yin and said, Its been so long, but you only come over during the new year. What are you trying to do? If this is Xia Xings child, why didnt you come and look for us the moment he was born but only come now? The child was very weak after he was born! We have to ensure that the child is safe and sound first! Otherwise, how can we forgive ourselves if the child dies! Shao Yin said. But we all saw with our own eyes what happened with you and your cousin when all of you were at my house. Who knows who the father of this child is? Qiao Mei questioned. For a moment, there was a deadlock. Xia Jun did not want to deal with these trivial family issues on such a festive occasion. He said impatiently, The Xia family has already split up. Since this is my third sons family matter, Xia Guang can handle it himself. Go back to your own house and settle your own issue. Dont cause trouble for me here. The family members of the Xia familys eldest and second sons went back to their seats obediently. They quietly waited for Xia Guang and Xia Xing to leave with the Shao family.. Chapter 1814 - 1814: Keeping the Child but Not the Mother Chapter 1814 - 1814: Keeping the Child but Not the Mother The Shao family obviously did not want this kind of resolution. They had come to become in-laws of the Xia family. Xia Guang and Xia Xing were nothing if they left the Xia family. The Shao familys efforts would be in vain if there were no riches waiting for them at the end of this ruckus. No way! Your family has to give our family an explanation today! No one can take a step out of this door! Where are you trying to send us! We will still talk to you nicely here, but if we go out, theres no telling what we might say! Shao Zhuang pointed at Xia Jun and shouted agitatedly. Xia He immediately stood up and scolded him loudly, Show some respect to my grandfather! Otherwise, Ill get the guards to chase all of you out! Our Xia family has already split up! This is my familys territory! Dont even try to threaten us! Father! You cant leave me to my own devices! Im also your son! How can you give up on me? Xia Guang asked sadly. Why do I have to clean up the mess caused by your son? Just because youre a useless father, do you intend to drag down my other sons? Will you only stop when you drag down my other grandchildren? Xia Jun said as he looked at Xia Guang angrily. Father! You cant be so heartless! Im your biological son! For my mothers sake! Please save me! My mother definitely wont want to see me like this! Xia Guang shouted agitatedly. Xia Jun choked up when he heard the mention of Wu Min. If Wu Min saw Xia Guang now, he wondered if she would blame him for not taking good care of their son. Xia Mao and Xia Yao looked at Xia Guang furiously. How could he have the cheek to mention their mother? Back then, Wu Min doted on Xia Guang the most. It was also because of Xia Guang that Wu Niin fell sick and passed away so early. What do you think? After all, its your marriage. You can voice your opinion. Xia Xing looked at the other Xia family members helplessly and then at the child in Shao Yins arms. The confused look in his eyes gradually cleared up and he said firmly, l dont want to marry you! I will never marry you! Your family can give up on this thought! Qiao Mei nodded in satisfaction. It seemed that Xia Xing was not totally hopeless yet. Xia Jun also saw Xia Xing in a different light. He had originally wanted to make the decision to let Shao Yin marry Xia Xing. Anyway, Xia Guangs family was already in a mess, so he might as well throw one more thing into the chaos and let his disappointing son suffer a bit more. However, the person getting married was Xia Xing, not Xia Guang. He still could not bear to lay his hands on this grandson of his. He did not expect Xia Xing to have the backbone to stand up to the Shao family. What did you say! This is your son! You dont want your son? Shao Yin looked at Xia Xing in disbelief. Xia Xing retorted, l just dont want to marry you, but Im not saying that I dont want this child. Marrying you and wanting this child are two different things. What do you mean? You want to keep the child but not the mother? How do you expect my daughter to face the world in the future! My daughter was an innocent girl when she met you. How do you expect her to get married now! Shao Zhuang roared furiously. Thats something for your family to think about. Either you leave the child behind and we wont see each other again, or you go back to where you came from! Dont go around saying that you are related to my family in the future! Xia Xing said firmly.. Chapter 1815 - 1815: Give Us Two Days Chapter 1815 - 1815: Give Us Two Days Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The Shao family was completely flustered by now. They had never imagined that Xia Xing would suddenly become so responsible and firm. Shao Yin had always told her family that Xia Xing was submissive and easy to control, which was why they dared to come to the Xia family to demand an explanation. In fact, Xia Xing was really fond of Shao Yin back then and the two of them got along very well. He had thought that they would be able to live happily ever after, but he did not expect that Shao Yin did not like him at all. She was only doing everything for the benefits. He was not a fool. He knew that he had Xia Wen and Qiao Mei to thank for his current job and house. If not for the two of them, he would probably be begging by the roadside now. It was only because of their help that Xia Xing was able to see through the Shao familys scheme. No matter how much of an asshole Xia Xing was, he would not forget the help that Xia Wen and Qiao Mei had given him. If he really married Shao Yin, how was he supposed to face Xia Wen? How could that not make Xia Wen feel embarrassed? It would also mean that all Qiao Meis planning and efforts had all gone down the drain. Stop all your pretenses! Let me tell you! You must acknowledge this child! You must also marry my daughter in a grand manner! If you dont acknowledge the child, we have plenty of ways to make you do it! The Xia family doesnt own the entire capital! There is definitely a way for us to seek justice! Shao Zhuang said agitatedly. Qiao Mei shook her head helplessly. There was no way to do a paternity test in the country at the moment. Those supposed tests from ancient times using drops of blood in water were useless. In this era, there was no way to prove that this was not Xia Xings child. It was not as if they could go overseas to find a professional organization to verify this matter. There was already no evidence left behind from the incident back then. The glass tainted with drugs and the other evidence had all been destroyed. Who would have thought that the Shao family would make a comeback? Qiao Mei and Xia Wen knew that they had been too careless. They should have made the family sign an agreement back then so that these people would not be able to cause any more trouble. Great-grandfather will eat now! Everyone, lets eat. Dont be angry anymore. No human can survive without food. How can we handle problems if we dont eat? Everyone, come on! Xu Lan called out. Xia Jun looked at Xia Guang and Xia Xing and said resignedly, This is all I can do to help you. You can think about the rest yourselves. You are both not kids anymore. Take responsibility for what youve done and dont bother me anymore. No matter what decision you make, I will support it. l understand, Grandfather... Xia Xing said. Xia Guang remained silent as he sat down and ate. Xia Jun could not be bothered with him and everyone put on a cheerful face to finish the meal. After dinner, Xia Guang left with Xia Xing while the rest stayed at Xu Lans house to countdown to the new year. News of such a thing happening to the Xia family during the new year spread through the streets and alleys very quickly. The rumors regarding Xia Wen and Xia Xing from some time ago were brought up again, so Qiao Mei quickly brought Xia Jun to stay at the courtyard house. It was quieter there and there were less gossipy people around. She did not want these people to make Xia Jun so angry that he got stricken by his old ailments again. For the next two days, everyone waited to see what Xia Xing would choose to do, whether he would marry Shao Yin or chase the entire Shao family away.. Chapter 1816 - 1816: Trouble Comes Knocking Chapter 1816 - 1816: Trouble Comes Knocking Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Not long after, Qiao Mei received a wedding invitation from Xia Xing. The brides name was listed as Shao Yin. Qiao Mei held the invitation card and shook her head resignedly. She had thought that Xia Xing would be more of a man this time round, but it seemed that she had overestimated him. Anyway, that was someone elses life and had nothing to do with her. Xia He gave Qiao Mei a call and said, Will you go to Xia Xings wedding! Of course not. But why did Xia Xing change his mind so quickly? Are his hands tied by something? Does Eldest Brother know the reason behind this? Qiao Mei asked curiously. Im not too sure either, but I heard from Eldest Brother that Xia Xing has acknowledged the child because the timing seems to be in place. Moreover, the child e s blood type is correct. Anyway, Xia Xing has already acknowledged him, so why should we care so much? Xia He said. Yes, lets just forget about this matter. I cant be bothered to talk about it again, Qiao Mei said. All the family members of the Xia familys eldest son declined to attend the wedding banquet. As for the second sons family, only Liu Fen went by herself. Her only reason for going was to deliver the wedding gifts on behalf of everyone. At the critical moment, Xia Guang actually chose to push all his responsibility and problems to Xia Jun. He even used the name of the deceased Wu Min to coerce Xia Jun into helping him. Xia Mao and Xia Yao really could not agree with his actions. As expected, Shao Yin had a motive for coming over. Qiao Mei had been feeling bored during this period of time. Since Shao Yin had come looking for trouble, she was going to give it to this woman. l dont have much experience. Ever since the babies were born, its my helper who has been taking care of them. If you pay double her current salary to hire her, she might be able to teach you. Shes the one who takes care of my babies, Qiao Mei said with a smile. Sigh... How can we compare with you, cousin-in-law? Even our house is a rental. Where do we have spare money to hire a helper? Even our house is way too cold, Shao Yin said with a deep sigh. Then you should install underfloor heating or a stove. It wont take long to heat up such a small house, Qiao Mei said impatiently. Our house is rented so the landlord definitely wont let us do any renovations to the house. Cousin-in-law, I have come around to ask if you can offer us a small space in this house. Once the child is grown up, well move out! We definitely wont fight with you for the familys property! Shao Yin said. Familys property? This house is no longer the Xia familys old residence but my private property. Grandfather and I have already gone to have the agreement notarized. No one can eye this house of mine. Besides, every room in my house has its own use. Theres no place for you and Xia Xing. You should discuss the matter of the house with Third Uncle, Qiao Mei said. Cousin-in-law, youre joking with me again. There are so many empty rooms, why do you say you have none? Shao Yin said as she pointed at the room opposite them.. Chapter 1817 - 1817: Do Not Claim to Be Relatives Chapter 1817 - 1817: Do Not Claim to Be Relatives Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Its true to say that there are empty rooms, but its a fact that theres no room for you. Id rather let the dogs live inside the rooms than let you move in. You can give up that thought, Qiao Mei said to Shao Yin with a mocking look. Shao Yin said agitatedly, Cousin-in-law! How can you say that! Were in-laws after all! Our child and your children will be close playmates. Our husbands are like brothers, so how can you say that about us? How can we be worse off than your dogs? To put it bluntly, my children dont need any playmates. Im currently pregnant with their sibling! Now that the Xia family has split up, what does the third sons family have to do with my family? You can just call me by my name. Dont try to claim to be my relative here. I will never lend you the use of my house and I will never let your child come into contact with my children, Qiao Mei said firmly. Who knew what kind of child Shao Yin would bring up? What if her child led Xia Fan and Xia Xing astray? It was better to stay as far away from them as possible. After Qiao Mei gave birth to her third child, her three children would definitely grow up happily together. The three of them had one another and definitely would not lack playmates. Shao Yin was about to say something when Qiao Mei quickly stood up and said, Ill tell Xia Xing and Third Uncle about everything that happened today. If you continue to pester me, Ill have to ask Third Uncle for an explanation. Its a joke that his new daughter-in-law wants me to give up a room in my house after she marries his son. Its fine. Isnt there still more than a month before the due date? Dont be so nervous, Ive already given birth once. It wont be a problem this time since I already have experience! Qiao Mei said confidently. Even if that was the truth, none of them sided with Qiao Mei. Although she was only having one baby this time, her stomach was not that much smaller than when she was having twins and she seemed more tired than most pregnant women. Everyone was worried that she would have a dangerous delivery this time round. Even Xia Fang was concerned. Will your school allow you to have a companion! Xia He asked. l think they allow it... Im not too sure either... Qiao Mei said hesitantly. Xia He hurriedly made a call to Xia Wen and asked him to help ask the teachers at Capital University if she could apply to be Qiao Meis companion. She would only tag along with Qiao Mei until Qiao Mei gave birth. Xia Wen settled this matter very quickly. As this years top scorer to enter Capital University, Qiao Mei naturally had some kind of preferential treatment. Considering Qiao Meis identity and her current situation, Capital University approved the Xia familys application. However, the approval came with conditions. Xia He could only accompany Qiao Mei around the campus, but she was not allowed to enter the classrooms for lessons. After all, she was not a student at Capital University.. If everyone knew that the companions of students at Capital University could attend classes as well, there would be many people who would want to take advantage of the situation! Chapter 1818 - 1818: Buy Another House Chapter 1818 - 1818: Buy Another House Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei brought along her admission letter and other necessary documents and drove Xia He to the neighborhood which was right next to Capital University. Qiao Mei had bought a house here earlier. It had been a while so Deng Fan should have already been done with the renovation works. The two of them went around the neighborhood a few times but could not find the exact location of the house. Qiao Mei knew that it was definitely somewhere around here. It was all her fault for not coming around to this area often. She owned so many houses that the addresses were all a blur to her and she could not remember their exact locations. You even bought a house here? Xia He looked at Qiao Mei in disbelief.Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m l bought it for fun. If 1 have long days at school in the future, I cant possibly still drive such a long way home. Its really too dangerous. Also, the dormitory rooms at Capital University are too small and there are too many people squeezed into one place. Id also rather spend my lunch break here. In the future, Xia Zhe can also come here to accompany me when he is on leave, Qiao Mei explained. Xia He accepted Qiao Meis reasons. However, why was it that Deng Fan did not tell her that he was in charge of the renovations here? Then again, it made sense. Qiao Mei had so many houses which needed renovation and Deng Fan was so busy every day. He would not have the time to tell her in detail which house he was working on. Arent... arent you worried that such a design will attract thieves? Xia He asked as she pointed at all the items in the courtyard. Then we can just hire a few guards. 1 can get Da Zhuang and Xiao Zhuang to come over and help me keep an eye on this place. At the same time, I can buy another place nearby to use as the dormitory for the guards. All my valuable items are all in the courtyard house, not here. There are too many people around this area and it will be difficult to investigate if someone has any ill intentions, Qiao Mei said. Qiao Mei took out her key and opened the door. She had already asked Xu Kang to send her things over and Xu Kang had already cleaned and tidied up the place. Qiao Mei went to the study and took out a camera and many rows of film from the cabinet. What are you going to do with these? Are you going to take photos later to keep as mementos? Xia He asked as she took the things from Qiao Mei. Its such a meaningful moment, so I definitely must take photos! The reason why I buy so much film is so that I can take as many photos as I want! Youre my photographer today! Qiao Mei said excitedly. This was the first enrollment exercise after the college entrance examination resumed. Everyone who could enter the capitals universities were those who were outstanding among their peers. Furthermore, Qiao MEi was the top scorer of the capitals college entrance examination this round. She must definitely keep some photos of this precious moment to show the children in the future and let them know how capable their mother was! These photos could turn out to be part of a historical moment! In the future, when anyone mentioned this matter, she could proudly show the photos to everyone so that they would always remember it.. Chapter 1819 - 1819: Take Photos at the Main Gate Chapter 1819 - 1819: Take Photos at the Main Gate Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Wu Duo, Li Xue and Wang Wei were already standing at the main gate, waiting for Qiao Mei to arrive. The moment they saw her, their faces lit up with big smiles. You guys are quite early! Why are all of you standing here? Dont tell me theres an initiation ceremony for me? Qiao Mei asked with a laugh. Welcome to school, Mentor Qiao Mei! Li Xue shouted loudly. Qiao Mei hurriedly went forward and covered Li Xues mouth, saying, Keep a low profile! Dont let anyone know who I am! Qiao Mei was now very famous, especially among students and teachers in the capital. Anyone who claimed to be Qiao Meis student would easily be idolized. We almost gave up waiting for you and were about to head in. We thought youre not coming, Wang Wei said. Qiao Meis stomach was now big and round. In addition, Xu Lan and the others made her wear many layers of clothing and made sure that she was wrapped up tightly, so it was very obvious to onlookers that Qiao Mei was a pregnant woman. Its not an easy task for me to get into Capital University! How can 1 not turn up! Qiao Mei said. What do you mean its not easy for you! More like its not easy for the three of us! You didnt need to put in any effort! Li Xue said with a chuckle. Of course! Chen Pian said. Now that the price was fixed, everyone started to gather around Xia He and clamored to take photos. They first wrote down their personal details such as their major, contact details, name, phone number and so on. After that, they would make payment to Xia He before she took photos for them. Li Xue and Wang Wei stayed behind to help Xia He. Wu Duo took over Xia Hes task of staying by Qiao Mei t s side and ensuring her safety. When they reached the university courtyard, Qiao Mei looked at Wu Duo and asked, Are you still bent on carrying out your previous plan? Of course! I must find them and vent my anger! Wu Duo said as he clenched his fists. Id advise you to be more rational. Its a rare chance for you to get into Capital University. Youre different from them. We are students who have gone through the college entrance examination. In the future, your path will be even more glorious. If you get into fights or altercations with others and the school finds out about it, youll be given a major demerit. You may get expelled and wont be able to take the examination again. You should consider your next moves carefully, Qiao Mei reminded him. Wu Duo had never thought about all this before. He only had revenge on his mind, but it did not occur to him that revenge came with a price. Ill remember what you said. Ill try to let it go. Its a little hard for me to let go of my hatred of them immediately, Wu Duo said reluctantly. Everyone has to walk their own path. Its good that you will consider it carefully. Dont let all my hard work go to waste! It isnt easy for me to produce four university students! Qiao Mei said as she patted Wu Duo on the shoulder. l definitely wont embarrass you, Wu Duo said.. Chapter 1820 - 1820: Meeting an Old Friend Chapter 1820 - 1820: Meeting an Old Friend Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios When the two of them were about to reach the library, Wu Duo suddenly froze. It was as if he had seen something. Qiao Mei followed his line of sight and saw a girl holding a lunchbox in the distance. The girl was delicate-looking and dressed very elegantly. She could be considered quite a beauty. Could it be that this girl was the one who betrayed Wu Duo back then? Hey! Come back to your senses! Is that the woman you told me about? Qiao Mei asked. Its her... Wu Duo said with a little anger. Back when Cui Hua was dating him, she did not know how to do anything. Wu Duo did not even let her do the housework. He only wanted to let her live a pampered life at home and was more than willing to take over all the manual and tiring work. He would always be the first one at Cui Huas house whenever something happened. Yet, looking at the situation in front of him, it seemed that Cui Hua had even learned how to cook. Wu Duo had never seen such an expectant look on her face before. It appeared that the guy she was with was really... lucky. Lets go, lets take another route, Wu Duo said softly. Just as they were about to turn around and leave, Cui Hua suddenly called out loudly to Wu Duo. Wu Duo! Is that you? Wu Duo stood rooted to the spot, not knowing what to do. He was not ready to face Cui Hua now and he did not know what to say to her. No, no, no! This is not my wife! This is my mentor! Youve misunderstood! Wu Duo hurriedly explained. He did not want to provoke the Xia family. If the Xia family found out about this, he would definitely be skinned alive! It was true that in the past, he was fond of Qiao Mei and wanted to get to know her better. However, after seeing her big house and secretly asking around about the Xia familys reputation in the capital, he did not have the guts to do anything else! Cui Hua looked at Wu Duo anxiously trying to explain the situation and smiled happily. However, she purposely smiled in such a way that it was not obvious. Cui Hua knew that Wu Duo knew her very well and always paid a lot of attention to her, so he would definitely catch a glimpse of the faint smile. By now, Qiao Mei even felt like getting to know Cui Hua and learn from her! Cui Hua acted so naturally that there were no flaws at all. This was a real expert at work! Oh, so shes your mentor. Im so sorry to make a mistake. Brother Wu Duo, congratulations. Now that youve entered Capital University, everyone in the village must be so proud of you. Im also happy for you, Cui Hua said with a smile. Wu Duo scratched his head in embarrassment and said, Really? Thank you. Qiao Mei looked at Wu Duo and rolled her eyes. Was this man really that stupid? Why did he become like this the moment he met Cui Hua? It was no wonder that he was such an easy target back then. Cui Hua, are you waiting for someone? Qiao Mei asked as she pointed at the lunchbox that Cui Hua was holding. Wu Duo, who was still in a daze just now, instantly sobered up. He frowned slightly and said, Did Xie Jing ask you to wait here? Where is he? Why hasnt he come to look for you? He... hes in class. I just got here, Cui Hua whispered.. Chapter 1821 - 1821: Paid to Take Photos Chapter 1821: Paid to Take Photos Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Is that so? But I seem to recall that all the classes have been canceled today since its the new students first day of school. The seniors are supposed to go to the main gate to help everyone with their things and to show them the way, Qiao Mei said. I.. I dont know... Cui Hua said in a panic. You really dont know or are you deliberately waiting for Wu Duo here? Oh! Dont tell me you want to get back together with Wu Duo? Qiao Mei asked curiously. Cui Hua was unable to answer the question and started crying out of anxiety. She said aggrievedly, Im not waiting for Wu Duo here. Youve misunderstood... 1 dont know that Xie Jing doesnt have class today. Im really not doing it on purpose... Qiao Mei wanted to clap for her. Xia He could not even act as well. Xia Hes stage performances required exaggerated acting. Cui Huas acting was perfect for real life. Fortunately, Wu Duo was not so stupid and was able to see through Cui Huas disguise. He said coldly, Then you can continue to wait here. Were going to do our registration. Goodbye. Compensation? Have you checked how much money you made in this short period of time? Qiao Mei said. Xia He hurriedly sat up and opened her bag to count the money. She had actually earned 6,000 dollars! Oh my goodness! How can there be so much money! I was so busy that I didnt even notice how many photos 1 took. This is more than my annual salary! Xia He said excitedly. Now do an estimate of the cost, Qiao Mei continued. Let me think... I know people from the film factory. They can give me the lowest price for film and photo paper. Bai Dians family runs a photo studio, so theres no cost to develop the photos. Ill just buy some gifts for Bai Dian. In that case, the cost of a photo is two dollars! I have made a net profit of 3,600 dollars today! Xia He said. Qiao Mei did not expect Xia He to know a film supplier and a photo studio owner. When she first did the calculations, she thought that they could make 50 cents per photo. She was not interested in such a small business, but Xia He could not stay at home every day. She had to think of a way to get Xu Lan to let Xia He come out to work. But these people wont need to take photos after this period of time. That means this income is just one-off, Xia He said dejectedly. How many universities are there in the capital? How much money can you earn by taking photos at the entrance of every university? If school has started for all the secondary schools, then they probably also want to take photos. The secondary school students probably have less money so we should lower the price for them. There are so many schools in the capital. Do you have any idea how much money you can earn? Qiao Mei asked.. Chapter 1822 - 1822: Let Her Go Free Chapter 1822: Let Her Go Free Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Moreover, its not just this new batch of students who will want to take photos! If the existing students also want their photos taken, then we can even make more money! Heavens... we can earn 20,000 to 30,000 dollars a day! Xia He exclaimed. Uh-huh. By then, if you can open your own photo studio, youll be racking it in every year. Every year, there will be a new batch of students starting school. Moreover, when the current students graduate, they will also want to take photos. Thats a lot of money waiting to be made, Qiao Mei said. But under the current climate, are we allowed to make money from this? Im not sure if its illegal to do this... Xia He said worriedly. The economy would only fully open up next year. There were still some restrictions now, but what they were doing was not really a big thing. As long as they pulled some strings and worked together with existing photo studios, there should not be any problems. Later on, they could get Xia Wen to help them along the way. It was not a dream to be able to become rich! One could only make money if one was bold enough. If one was too overcautious, one would not be able to make it big. Ill go and talk to my contacts now! Xia He said excitedly. Its not that urgent. Lets go home and talk to Mother about this first. Its more important to get her to stop grounding you! Otherwise, how are you going to go out and earn money? Do I have to think of a reason to get you out of the house every time? Qiao Mei said helplessly. During this period of time, Deng Fan had made a lot of money from Qiao Mei and was more than able to afford the cameras and film needed. Deng Fan was also very supportive of Xia He going into business. Xia He went ahead and bought 20 cameras, as well as all the film factorys stock. To ensure that Xia He went into the venture boldly, Qiao Mei promised Xia He that she could keep whatever profits they made. In the event that the business lost money, Qiao Mei would think of a way to deal with the film and cameras. She would make sure that Xia He did not suffer any loss. Mother, Xia He is already an adult. She has to go out and experience the ups and downs in life. Besides, she has already learnt from her past mistakes. From now on, she will inform the family in advance before she goes anywhere, Qiao Mei sat beside Xu Lan and persuaded her. l know that too, but Im just worried that something will happen to her... I still have lingering fears from what happened the last time and I cant sleep well every night, Xu Lan said as she held her chest. Have you been drinking the medicinal wine 1 gave you on a daily basis? Also, you have to put those lingzhi in your drinking water. You cant be lax about this. Your health is very important, Qiao Mei reminded her. Yes, Ive taken all that. Im just still worried. Actually, I also know that I cant keep Xia He locked up at home, but what else can I do? Xu Lan said. Look, hasnt Xia He been very obedient recently? When we talked about the business idea today, she even asked me to drive home so that she can discuss it with you first. If you dont let her go out and work, she will still stay at home with you, but she has already learned her lesson. Mother, you should also give her a break and let her go out for a breather, Qiao Mei persuaded. Alright, Ill take your advice. But Xia He must tell me in advance if she wants to go out of town! Xu Lan said. Of course, Qiao Mei replied with a smile.. Chapter 1823 - 1823: Asking for Guidance Chapter 1823 - 1823: Asking for Guidance Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei had some free time a while ago, so she gave Xia He driving lessons every day. Since Xia He had nothing to do as well, she might as well learn something. Once she knew how to drive, she could go anywhere she wanted. At the same time, Qiao Mei did that so that Xia He could come out for a breather. Otherwise, she would become depressed if she stayed by Xu Lans side every day. Xu Lan did not believe anyone now except Qiao Mei. Only Qiao Mei could bring Xia He away from Xu Lans side. Xia He drove Qiao Meis car and headed to Xia Wens workplace. She waited there until Xia Wen ended his meeting, then she grabbed him and hurriedly ran back to his office, saying, I want to start a business! A big business! Why are you here to look for me if you want to start a business? Just go ahead, Xia Wen said to Xia He confusedly. Xia He relayed Qiao Meis idea to Xia Wen and he was stunned for quite a while before he smiled and said, Only she can think of such a complicated thing. You definitely cant come up with such an idea. He wanted to buy a similar siheyuan courtyard house near Qiao Meis house so that he could visit Xia Fan and Xia Xing often. Since Xia He was also living nearby, it was easier for everyone to get together during the new year. Xiang Chen also heard about this new venture from Xia Wen and was a little tempted, so he quietly came to have a discussion with Qiao Mei the next day. Cousin-in-law, help me. I also want to earn big bucks like Eldest Cousin and Second Cousin. Give me some pointers and tell me what I can do to make more money, Xiang Chen begged. Does your mother know about this? I seem to remember that your family wants you to continue with your studies. If I bring you into a business venture, Aunt and Uncle-in-law will definitely kill me when they find out! Qiao Mei said. That wont happen! Ill make sure my parents dont know! Xiang Chen said. Why... why do you want to make more money? Dont you make enough money reselling those small items in the south? Qiao Mei asked curiously. Cousin-in-law, how do you know that Im reselling things! Xiang Chen said to Qiao Mei in surprise. Qiao Mei had discovered it by accident. She had wanted to expand her business to the southern part of the country, so she asked Yao Nian to find out more information about a few cities in the south as well as the gossip about the various prominent families there. She did not expect to find out that Xiang Chen was running a small business there.. Chapter 1824 - 1824: Study Hard Chapter 1824 - 1824: Study Hard Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios How hard is it to find out about that small issue of yours? Tell me honestly, why do you want to go into business? Qiao Mei asked. I...I. I just want to buy a house and get married soon... Xiang Chen said shyly. Qiao Mei looked at Xiang Chen in surprise. She had thought that Xiang Chen was only interested in Qiane on a whim. She did not expect this kid to be serious about it! Its not like Aunt and Uncle-in-law are short of money. They will definitely be able to buy you a house when you get married and also help you with the betrothal gifts. They wont shortchange the lady. Theres really no need for you to go out and earn money, Qiao Mei said. That wont happen! My parents definitely will not agree to this marriage. I have to be self-reliant! Xiang Chen said. Dont... dont tell me the person you like is Qiane? Qiao Mei probed. Xiang Chens silence further confirmed Qiao Meis thoughts. Qiane was almost 10 years older than Xiang Chen and her maternal family did not have a good reputation. In fact, the two families did not get along well. Coupled with what Qiane had gone through during her previous marriage, she was no longer able to have children. This was unacceptable for most families. If Xia Fang found out that Xiang Chen wanted to marry Qiane, she would definitely break Xiang Chens legs! Cousin-in-law, why are you asking me to study too... Xiang Chen said dejectedly. Isnt studying a good thing? I worked hard for the college entrance examination even though Im pregnant. Why dont you want to study? To make money, you need to amass enough knowledge. If you dont know anything and dont understand anything, how can you do business? Dont tell me you just want to be a profiteer and resell second-hand goods your entire life? Qiao Mei questioned. No, thats not what I want. I want to earn big bucks, like Eldest Cousin and Second Cousin, Xiang Chen said firmly. Your eldest cousin used to be a university professor, and your second cousin is also an outstanding individual. She got into the military academy as one of the top three students. Which one of them didnt use to study hard? You must also study hard and then seize the opportunity when it comes by, Qiao Mei said. Yes, what you say makes sense. Ill take note of it, Xiang Chen said after pondering for a long time. Study hard first. Come back next year and tell me what business you want to do. Write me a proposal. Im still considering whether I want to invest in you. You can do any business next year and itll also be much easier then. Its all a matter of making more money or less money. Go back and think about it. My requisite is for you to study hard! Do you hear me! Qiao Mei said seriously. Xiang Chen did not answer Qiao Mei immediately. There were many people in the family doing business now. Deng Fan, Lu Huai, Xia Wen and Xia He were all making good money, so he felt that he could just ask one of them to invest in him. Qiao Mei immediately said, Dont have any crooked ideas. Those people at home are making money only because of me. If I tell them not to lend you money, they definitely wont dare to do it. You might as well listen to me. Xiang Chen said dejectedly, l promise to complete the mission... Chapter 1825 - 1825: Waiting to Give Birth Chapter 1825 - 1825: Waiting to Give Birth Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xiang Chen took Qiao Meis advice and went back to tell Xia Fang that he was going back to school and that he would study hard. Xia Fang and Xiang Jin were so excited that they almost set off firecrackers to celebrate. When they heard that it was Qiao Mei who persuaded Xiang Chen to turn over a new leaf, they almost wanted to put Qiao Mei on a pedestal and worship her. Mei Mei, youre simply our familys lucky star! Ive been so worried for the past two days that my voice has gone hoarse and my body is getting heaty. He has finally gone back to school. Otherwise, your uncle-in-law and I dont know what to do with him, Xia Fang said excitedly on the phone, Xiang Chen is still young and has all kinds of ideas. Its quite normal that he cant think as far ahead as both of you. Hes very obedient and has already promised me that he will go back to school. Aunt, you dont have to worry anymore, Qiao Mei said. How did you persuade him to go back to school? We tried all kinds of methods but nothing worked. How did you do it? Xia Fang asked curiously. I simply told him that if he still has the interest to go into business next year, I will sponsor him partially and let him do whatever he wants. The prerequisite is that he has to study hard, so he naturally agrees to it, Qiao Mei answered honestly. Xia Fang and Xiang Jin did not want Xiang Chen to go into business. However, in order to let Xiang Chen go back to school, Qiao Meis method could be considered a roundabout method of winning the war. When you have time, come over to my house. Ill cook delicious food for you! Ill bring you out to have a good time! Xia Fang said. Qiao Mei was quite sure that she was about to give birth within the next few days. Xia He had helped her apply for two months of absence from school and she intended to stay at home for the next few days to prepare for the delivery. Xu Lan and the rest had all moved to the courtyard house for the time being. When Xu Lan saw Qiao Meis stomach, she was even more anxious than Qiao Mei! Everyone was looking forward to the arrival of the new baby. Why dont we go and stay in the VIP ward for a few days? Hasnt Aunt made arrangements for you already? Xia He asked. Its better not to be too ostentatious. I dont even know when Ill give birth. Its alright to go only when its almost time, Qiao Mei said. No! Im worried. Lets go to the hospital. Mei Mei, listen to me. Xu Lan asked Feng Hua to pack all the necessary things and the entire family arrived at the hospital with many bags. The hospital did not allow too many visiting family members and only one family member was allowed to stay with the patient. Xia He stayed behind to accompany Qiao Mei. Youre so busy, how do you have time to accompany me? Shouldnt you be out earning money? Qiao Mei asked. Idiot! How can earning money be more important than you! Xia He said disdainfully. You can get Sister Xu to come and take care of me while you go to work. Its the peak season now. If theres really no other way, you can get my mother to come and take care of me, Qiao Mei said.. Chapter 1826 - 1826: Get Rid of Her Child Chapter 1826 - 1826: Get Rid of Her Child Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xia He sat at one side and thought about it. The truth was that she did not want to miss this opportunity to earn money. It was not that she was crazy about money. If she was the only one involved in this business, then it did not really matter. However, she was now responsible for more than 100 people under her care and there were even some who had gone to other cities to work. If she took her mind off the business, what would happen to the livelihoods of these people? Recently, Li Gui had also been busy with the piece of land provided by the country. Everyone was very busy. Xu Lan had lived a pampered life for many years and definitely did not know how to wait on others. At this moment, Xu Kang was the only one who could take care of Qiao Mei. Then... then let me discuss with Mother first? Xia He said hesitantly. Theres no need for any discussion. Go home and bring Sister Xu here. Besides, Aunt is also around in the hospital. If theres any issues, Aunt will come and help me. Dont worry, Qiao Mei persuaded. Xia He drove home and brought Xu Kang to the hospital. She repeatedly reminded Xu Kang not to leave Qiao Meis side. Xu Kang accompanied Qiao Mei all day long and did not leave her side at all. Even when she had to go out to get water, she would ask the nurse to watch over Qiao Mei. The Xia family members waited to hear good news from Qiao Mei. The news of Qiao Mei about to give birth had naturally reached the ears of the Huang family. They had just returned to the capital and did not know much about the happenings here. After hearing about the Xia familys divine medicine, Huang Quan had specially hired a private investigator to find out more information about the Xia family. Huang Quan heaved a sigh. All these years, You Yu had always favored Huang Can and did not even take good care of Huang Mian. If not for You Yus favoritism, Huang Mian would not have left the family and worked somewhere else all these years. Got it. Ill think of a way, Huang Quan said. Do it cleanly. Dont let Tan Jing become suspicious. Its best if she cant ever give birth in the future! The cost is negotiable, You Yu said calmly. Yep, those people are all old hands at this. They know how to handle these things, Huang Quan said. Tan Jing tiptoed away from the Huang familys study and quietly went to the garden downstairs to take a breather. She did not expect the Huang family to be a wolfs den! She thought that she was going to be a rich wife in the future, but she did not expect to have to use her child to exchange for the life she wanted. She could not just sit around and wait for her doom! This child represented her future glory and wealth in the Huang family. She must protect this child! This was also her sore point and obsession for so many years. Nothing was more important than this child. The next day, Huang Quan wrote a letter and sent it to Ah Peng, the triad bosss subordinate. Tan Jing sent someone to intercept the letter and changed her name in the letter to Qiao Mei from the Xia family. This could also be considered her gift for Qiao Mei! Let Qiao Meis child die on behalf of her child! Qiao Mei had so many children, one less should not be a big deal. After Ah Peng read the letter, he gathered his men overnight to think of a way. One of his underlings was called Hao An. He used to work as a doctor in a small clinic and only came to work for Ah Peng after falling on hard times.. Chapter 1827 - 1827: Cesarean Surgery Chapter 1827 - 1827: Cesarean Surgery Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Boss! Leave this mission to me! Im the best at abducting children! one of Ah Pengs underlings shouted. The Huang family has really given us a lot of money this time. I think youre just eyeing this sum of money! Youre only good at picking locks, not abducting children! These two things have nothing to do with each other! another guy said. How much? Hao An asked. The Huang family says theyll give 100,000 dollars! They will give us a deposit of 20,000 dollars first and the rest of the money after the deed is done, Ah Peng said. Thats a lot! All the underlings had their eyes on this job. Everyone wanted to do it, but Ah Peng still had the final say within the gang. They could only listen to Ah Pengs arrangements. Guys, this job can only belong to Hao An. Hes the one whos most familiar with the hospital setup and no one knows it better than him. Who dares to stand up and say that they are more familiar with the hospital than Hao An! Ah Peng asked as he looked at his underlings. There was no response for a long time. Ah Peng looked at Hao An and said, Then Im giving this job to Hao An. No problem, Boss. Ill definitely do it well! Hao An said with a sly smile. Alright, you can stay here and wait for the mother to be out. Im going to send the baby to the nursery. The nurse took the baby from Xia Wens arms and carried him away. Hao An wore a white coat and used a fake hospital pass to get into the nursery. At this moment, the nurse had just given the baby a quick bath and was writing down his personal details. Doctor Xia wants you to go back. Theres an emergency situation and she needs you to go back and help with the surgery. Ill look after the child for you, Hao An said to the nurse with an urgent tone of voice. The nurse noted that his white coat and staff pass were hospital-issued items and there was nothing wrong about him. She immediately said, Thank you! Ill be back soon! Take good care of this child! Sure! Hao An said. Hao An waited until the nurse left for a long time and made sure that no one else had entered the nursery. He then wrapped the child with a blanket and carried him out of the nursery, quickly disappearing into the crowd. Qiao Mei was on the way back to the VIP ward. As there was no outsider around, Xia Fang quickly poured some golden ginseng juice on Qiao Meis wound. This was Qiao Meis instruction to her before the surgery. Qiao Meis wound healed visibly and very quickly. In an instant, the skin was completely intact and as white as snow. If Xia Fang did not already know the effect of the ginseng juice, she would have thought that she had seen something cursed. How are you feeling now? Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere? Drink some more ginseng juice. The effect will be better if you use it both internally and externally, Xia Fang said. If I drink more, it will be too much. Too much nutrition will also hurt the body. Its just right for now. Ill be fine after resting for a couple of days, Qiao Mei said weakly.. Chapter 1828 - 1828: The Child Is Missing! Chapter 1828 - 1828: The Child Is Missing! Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Even if the ginseng juice could heal Qiao Meis wound quickly, it was unable to immediately restore her strength after all the exhaustion. She would still need to recuperate for a week before she could fully recover. Oh right! You havent seen the baby! Ill get the nurse to bring him over for you to take a look, Xia Fang said with a smile. The child looks exactly like Xia Zhe when he was young! He even has the same birthmark! Ive never seen a pair of father and son who look so alike. All three of us dont really look like our parents. All of us have a combination of their features, Xia Wen said excitedly. Really? Qiao Mei asked. Yes, I saw the child immediately after he was born. He really resembles his father a lot and he wails very loudly. He should be a very healthy child! Xia Fang said. As the family members were chatting about the newborn baby and making comparisons between him and themselves when they were babies, the nurse ran into the ward in a panic. She said as she panted, The child... the child... the child is missing... What did you say? Speak slowly, Xia Fang said. Such a young child was susceptible to all kinds of illnesses and diseases. Although she had the divine medicine, what if she could not treat him in time? What if the child died before she could find him? She did not dare to think too much about it. She must find the childs whereabouts as soon as possible. l know. Can you get me a glass of water? Im very thirsty, Qiao Mei said as she pretended to be calm. There was only cold water inside the ward. Qiao Mei had only just given birth and could not drink cold water. She needed to drink warm water. Xia He picked up the glass, turned around and said to Qiao Mei, Fine, fine, fine! Ill go outside and get you a glass of water! You must remain calm! Wait for me to come back! Wait for me! You must wait for me! With that, Xia He ran out to get some water as fast as she could. Qiao Mei took the opportunity to run out of the ward with all her might. She ignored the soreness she felt all over her body and hurriedly ran to the back garden of the hospital. She found a hidden spot and squatted down. Qiao Mei always had the habit of carrying vine seeds with her, but she did not have anything with her at the moment because of the surgery today. Without the vine seeds, how could she find any traces of the child? It was early spring now and the plants in the garden were starting to sprout. Qiao Mei realized that there was ivy on the wall. This plant was from the same family as vines and could be used in the same way. Qiao Mei plucked some ivy and used it to produce many seeds. She held these seeds in her palm and vigorously infused all her energy into them and planted them, letting their roots burrow deep into the ground and spread outwards quickly with the hospital as the center point. Within a short while, Qiao Mei was able to cover a radius of 10 kilometers. She began to rapidly scan through the memories of the nearby plants and finally managed to detect one particular man. This man carried a child and ran across two streets before an accomplice drove over to pick him up. It was not a big group and there were only the two of them involved.. Qiao Me tracked the movements of the car and finally locked onto... Tan Jings house! Chapter 1829 - 1829: Saving the Child Chapter 1829: Saving the Child Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei fell on the ground suddenly. The rapid loss of energy had pushed her body to its limits. Large beads of sweat dripped down her chin. In order to avoid Xia He spotting her, she had run out still wearing the thin hospital gown. Her body temperature was now dropping rapidly and her vision was starting to blur. However, she must persevere and return to the ward. She must bring the news to Eldest Brother and Xia He. She had never expected Tan Jing to be the one who wanted to harm her. It seemed that it was time to take revenge for all those past grudges. Xia He had mobilized the hospitals security officers and they finally found Qiao Mei in the back garden. Qiao Mei held Xia Hes hand weakly and said, Tan Jing... ask Eldest Brother to go and look for Tan Jing... quick... What? Lets go back to the ward first! Quick! Xia He immediately carried Qiao Mei on her back and ran back to the ward with big strides. Qiao Meis consciousness was starting to fade as she repeatedly whispered the name Tan Jing into Xia Hes ear. Xia He rushed to use the landline phone in Xia Fangs office to call Zou Mings office. She said agitatedly, Zuo Ming, bad news! Our familys child is missing! Please mobilize a team to do a search! Mrs. Huang, dont go against the rules of our industry. Since you cant fork out that much money, well send the goods to Mr. Huang. Well only do business with whoever can pay us the full sum, Hao An said firmly. If Huang Quan found out about this, she would definitely get a beating! She definitely could not let Huang Quan know about it! However, she really did not have that much money on hand. All she could afford was 40,000 dollars. She had even secretly sold many pieces of You Yus jewelry! You Yu had so much jewelry that she probably would not notice there were some missing. Fine! Ill give it to you! The money is inside the room! Go in and get it yourself. Give me the child first, Tan Jing said. Dont play any tricks! Hao An said. This house is only so big. Im a pregnant woman, so where can I run to? Its so easy for you to capture me, Tan Jing said frankly. Hmph, at least you know where you stand. Hao An handed the child to Tan Jing and went into the room with his partner to count the money. Just as the two sides were bargaining, Zou Ming and his team had already reached the main door. They did a quick check on the number of people in the house and roughly where they were. Once they were sure that the child was safe, they rushed into the house. Before Hao An could even react, Zou Ming had already pressed him down on the floor. The child was carried away by Zou Mings subordinates and Tan Jing was also handcuffed. Move! Zou Ming roared. They split up into two groups. Zou Ming rushed the child back to the hospital while the rest of his team escorted the criminals back to the police station.. Chapter 1830 - 1830: Settle the Score in the Future Chapter 1830: Settle the Score in the Future Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Quick! Someone! Save the child! The child didnt even cry or make a fuss along the way! But hes still breathing! Zou Ming shouted as he ran towards the doctors. Xia Fang was still holding on to the leftover golden ginseng juice from Qiao Mei. She quickly fed it to the child. The nurses beside her looked at her in a daze, wondering if what she did was against the rules. This is my grandnephew! Ill bear the responsibility if anything happens! Xia Fang shouted as she ran towards the ICU ward with the child. She placed him carefully into the incubator and had him hooked up to the various equipment. This was where they kept premature babies or children born with congenital illnesses. Xia Fang had never expected to see her familys child here one day. My little darling, you must get better. Were all waiting for you. You must be healthy, Xia Fang whispered. She stood at the side and wept quietly. She looked at the tiny child whose body was hooked up to all kinds of equipment and she felt as if her heart was being stabbed by needles. She did not know if the medicinal wine would work on the child or when he would wake up, but she was sure that he was not in any mortal danger. Qiao Mei was also unconscious at the moment. She wondered who the Xia family had offended this time. Why were all these people unwilling to let Qiao Mei and her children off? What happened was beyond anyones expectations. Even if you manage to keep an eye on Qiao Mei at all times, those people will come prepared and its impossible to guard against them. The most important thing now is to bring the perpetrators to justice, but... but I just received a call and heard that Tan Jing might be fully acquitted in the end, Zou Ming said with a frown. Why? Didnt you catch Tan Jing red-handed? Why cant you convict her? Xia He asked agitatedly. Those people took on full responsibility for the crime and even said that they were the ones who threatened Tan Jing and forced her to find them a place to stay. They say they are the perpetrators and that Tan Jing is also a victim, Zou Ming said. Dont you have any evidence? Xia Wen asked. No, it was flawless. They planned everything right from the beginning. If the matter was exposed, they would just push all the blame to these two people. Theres nothing we can do, Zou Ming said apologetically. Its fine, you dont have to blame yourself. Leave this matter to me. You just need to follow the proper procedures, Xia Wen said darkly. The Xia family, the Huang family and the Tan family must settle this score clearly. He would not let any of them off! These people must pay with their blood! Tan Jing must repay the pain that their familys child had suffered thousands of times over! At noon the next day, Qiao Mei regained consciousness. Qiao Qiang had found out about this incident and brought over all the golden ginseng juice he had at home. He fed Qiao Mei a lot and then asked Xia Fang to give the child a little more. The childs vital signs had gradually returned to normal. Wheres the child? Is the child alright? Qiao Mei asked wearily.. Chapter 1831 - 1831: Discharged from Hospital Chapter 1831: Discharged from Hospital Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The child is fine! Hes in the nursery now! But... but the bumpy journey has had some impact on him. You cant see him now. Get well quickly so that you can go and look for him, Xia He said. Youre not lying to me, right? Qiao Mei asked. Why would I lie to you? The child is really fine, Xia He said. Qiao Mei sighed. She asked everyone in the ward to go out, leaving only Xia He and Xia Wen behind. This matter could not be dealt with lightly. Tan Jing must pay the price in blood! Eldest Brother, L.. Qiao Mei wanted to explain how she found the child, but Xia Wen quickly said, l believe you. You dont have to say anything else. The most important thing now is to take good care of your health. Only when youre healthy can you go and settle the scores with them. Eldest Brother is right. You must take good care of yourself! All of us will support you! Xia He said agitatedly. almost fully recovered, just still a little tired. Eldest Brother, has this matter been settled? Qiao Mei asked. Xia Wen shook his head regretfully. He could not think of any good solutions at the moment. He could only restrict the Huang familys movements for now and prevent them from taking even half a step out of the capital. A boy should be more manly! We should name him Xia Gang! Xia He shouted. Just as the two of them argued non-stop, Qiao Mei suddenly said, Everyone, stop arguing! Lets name him... Xia Yue! Since the other two childrens names were taken from Fan Xing, meaning clusters of stars, then they should also have the moon, Yue. She hoped that this child would grow up to be as bright and dazzling as the moon in the future. If Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe had any more children in the future, they could name them Xia Ye, Xia Ri, Xia Yun, Xia Yu, and so on. They could use words that represented the climate and the weather. It would be fun to have names which could make up the weather forecast. Thats not bad. This name sounds very nice. What about his nickname? Xia Wen asked. Everyone started arguing again. Qiao Mei sighed. Fortunately, she did not let them decide on the names of her children. They could only come up with common names like Yong, Zhuang and Jian. If the children had such names, they would definitely complain about it when they grew up... On the same day that Qiao Mei gave birth, there were also sounds of a baby crying at the He familys house. He Mei had also given birth to a son. He Ning found a private doctor to deliver the baby for her at home and did not send her to the hospital. He did not want this issue to be widely known and he particularly did not want the Xia family to be aware of it. He Mei did not even want to look at the child. He had been crying since he was born and was so noisy that He Mei could not sleep well at all. Why cant you stop him! Why is he still crying! He Mei said unhappily. All babies are like this when theyre born. Hell be fine after crying for a while, Du Juan, the helper taking care of He Mei, said.. Chapter 1832 - 1832: Earning Big Money Chapter 1832: Earning Big Money Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios If theres really no other way, give him some sleeping pills so that he can be knocked out! Dont let him make so much noise! He Mei said. He Ning stood outside the door and felt a little disgusted when he heard what He Mei said. Here was a mother who actually wanted to drug her own child. Was this something a human could do? This child still has to go to the Xia family alive! If you poison him to death, you can forget about your life! He Ning said with a dark expression. Little Uncle... I dont mean it... Im just joking... He Mei said fearfully. You know very well whether youre joking or not. Take care of the child well now. When the time is right, Ill bring you to the Xia family so that he can acknowledge his family. If anything happens to this child, you can forget about living, He Ning said. He Mei said excitedly, Little Uncle! Why dont we go now! Isnt it the best time to go now? She heard that Qiao Mei had given birth on the same day as her. If she went to the Xia family to seek justice now, she could annoy Qiao Mei at the same time. Perhaps she could even make Qiao Mei so angry that she would fall sick! ent period was meant to be the period for the women to recuperate. Some women naturally had weak constitutions. If they took good care of themselves after giving birth, they could even be cured of all their past illnesses. However, if they got agitated or caught a chill or fell sick during confinement, it would leave behind a lifelong illness that could not be cured. No! Keep guessing! Think bigger! Grandfather, guess how much money we made! Xia He said as she looked at Xia Jun. My guess is 600,000! Am I right? Xia Jun asked. Wow! Experience really counts for something! Grandfather is right! Its 600,000 dollars! Xia He said. Xu Lan covered her mouth in shock. Ever since Qiao Mei married into their family, Xu Lan no longer found it surprising to see a lot of money. However, that was all Qiao Meis money. Right now, the money in front of her was her childrens earnings. They had each made at least 100,000 dollars! Of course she was excited! Save this money so that you can buy houses later! Xu Lan said. By now, everyone in their family had been influenced by Qiao Mei. Whenever they had money, they would think about buying a house. There was no need for Xu Lan to remind the two siblings about this matter. They had already bought new houses! Based on what they agreed on previously, they would give Qiao Mei 240,000 dollars and split the remainder so they got 180,000 dollars each. Xia He even particularly went to the bank to get new bank notes. Xia Wen had specially instructed her to give Qiao Mei new bank notes. Qiao Mei was particular about cleanliness and did not like old things. Moreover, there were a lot of germs on old bank notes and it was also not good for the children. Youre giving me too much. We should get 200,000 dollars each. Dont fight with me about this! Its settled! Qiao Mei took the extra 40,000 dollars, split it up equally and stuffed it into their pockets. Xia Wen and Xia He immediately turned around and placed the money in front of Xia Yue as one of the items for the babys choose-an-item ceremony. Qiao Mei stopped them and said, What are you doing! Dont stop us! This is our gift for the child! Aunt and Uncle have made lots of money. This is a gift for the baby! Do you like it? Aunt and Uncle will earn more money in the future. Well buy many, many more toys for Yue Yue, alright? Xia He asked as she looked at Xia Yue.. Chapter 1833 - 1833: Set Up a Company Chapter 1833: Set Up a Company Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Ah! Xia Yue babbled. He grabbed the money tightly and smiled at Xia He, making everyone in the room laugh loudly. Look at this child! He knows how to grab money even at this age! He must have inherited Qiao Meis good genes and will definitely become a big boss in the future! Xu Lan said with a smile. Its good to be the big boss! We have someone to inherit the business now, Xia Mao said happily. Father, you wont force Xia Fan and Xia Yue to join the military? Xia Wen asked curiously. When they were young, no matter how much the three of them rejected the idea, they had to study at the military school. No matter how tough it was, they had to persevere. Even Xia Jun was strict about this. Although Xia He was a girl, there was no exception made. She was trained in the same way as a male soldier. The children and grandchildren have their own lives to live. Whatever they want to do in the future is up to them. Im old and cant interfere anymore! Xia Mao said. Thats not true! Your father actually cares too much about them! He knows how hard it was for the few of you back then and he cant bear to see his grandsons suffer as much as all of you did, Xu Lan explained. The house is already under renovation and you should be able to move in soon. Ill get the workers to get it done as soon as possible, Deng Fan said from the side. Sure! I didnt expect to be able to enjoy life with my grandchildren! The two of you shouldnt reject their gesture. Its not bad for the whole family to live near one another, Xia Jun said. Alright, well take your advice, Xu Lan said. Xia Niao carried Xia Yue, Xu Lan carried Xia Xing and Xia Jun carried Xia Fan. Everyone gathered together and listened to the three little kids babbling at one another. They were probably talking in a language that only babies could understand. The three of them even looked like they were having a serious conversation. Tell me about how far your business has progressed, Qiao Mei asked curiously. Xia He wanted to monopolize the market and prevent the other photo studios from copying their business model. She had already started to hire people to go to other cities near the capital to take photos. The capital was already too small for their appetites. l believe that our business will spread far and wide very soon, Xia He said proudly. Then have you thought of giving your company a name? When you can openly earn money next year, you can then buy a building and also develop the business into a national chain, Qiao Mei said. Youre right! We havent considered this matter yet! Eldest Brother, what do you think? Xia He asked as she looked at Xia Wen. Ive thought of a name, Cun Yi. It means to store beautiful memories. A photo is a moment of happiness thats frozen in time. I think this name is very suitable, Xia Wen said.. Chapter 1834 - 1834: This Is Xia Zhe’s Child Chapter 1834: This Is Xia Zhes Child Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Its really not bad. This name can also mean saving up 100 million! Our small goal is to earn 100 million dollars! Qiao Mei said excitedly. I never even thought of that. Look, its as expected of a money- grubber, Xia Wen said with a smile. In the end, they decided on the name Cun Yi n . Qiao Mei even helped Xia Wen and Xia He think of an advertising slogan. Once there was a chance, they would buy an advertisement spot from the television station. Life was beginning to get better for everyone and television would definitely become a must-have item for every family in the future. Qiao Mei suddenly thought of something. She looked at Xia Wen and asked, Eldest Brother, have you heard anything about He Mei recently? Im about to talk to you about this. Ive been sending people out to secretly investigate He Mei all this while. She was last seen in a small county city where He Ning had arranged for her to be a nurse there. After a few months, she simply disappeared into thin air. No matter how hard my people tried, they couldnt find any news about He Mei, Xia Wen said with a slight frown. It was not surprising that they could not find any news since He Ning had kept a close eye on He Mei all this while. During the period when He Mei was pregnant, she did not step out of that house at all. Qiao Mei only happened to find out about He Meis location when Tan Jing went to He Nings house that time. Coupled with what Xia Zhe had told her previously, it seemed that He Ning had really put in a lot of effort this time round. This is Xia Zhes child! Hes your Xia familys grandson! Of course he needs to be sent to the Xia family! He Mei said agitatedly. Xu Lan swept the glass next to her to the floor and shouted, What nonsense are you talking about! How can this child be Xia Zhes child! My Xia Zhe has been in the army all this while, so how can he have met you? If you want to tell lies, you should come up with a better one! Last year, I was at the same military base as Xia Zhe. At that time, his team set up camp at our hospital. Every night, when there was no one around, he would come and look for me. As time passed, I became pregnant with his child... He Mei said shyly with a blushing face. Qiao Mei looked at He Mei and almost burst out laughing. If He Mei knew the truth, would she break down and go crazy? However, she still had to play her part well now and not let He Ning see through her. She leaned against the chair listlessly and stared intently at the child in He Meis arms, as if she was going to cry at any moment. She looked fragile and pitiful, as if she would shatter at a touch. Recently, she had picked up some of Miss Cui Huas acting skills and captured much of the essence. However, she was still not as skilful as Cui Hua and needed to practice more. He Ning looked at Qiao Meis reaction with some satisfaction. He was one step closer to having Qiao Mei become his chef. Two days ago, he had just found out that Xia Zhes was on a very dangerous mission this time round and the odds were against him. The probability of him coming back alive was less than 30%. If Xia Zhes fate was unknown, then Qiao Mei could unilaterally terminate their relationship as husband and wife. By then, he would be able to persuade Qiao Mei into becoming his chef. The Xia family members panicked when they saw Qiao Meis expression.. If Qiao Mei really divorced Xia Zhe in a fit of anger, it would be a huge loss to their family! Anyone could leave this family, but not Qiao Mei! Chapter 1835 - 1835: DNA Test Chapter 1835: DNA Test Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xia Zhe is not that kind of person! Dont think that you can just casually bring a child here and say that hes a descendant of the Xia family. At the very least, you have to show evidence! Xu Lan said agitatedly. We might still believe you if you say that this child belongs to someone from the families of the Xia familys second or third sons, but we definitely wont believe that hes Xia Zhes child, Xia Wen said as he looked at He Mei seriously. As soldiers, they had all undergone a series of training in the army. Even when faced with knockout gas, sedatives and even torture, they would not lose consciousness. They had to keep their minds clear at all times, even if they had to cut their own wrists and bleed to stay awake. Xia Zhe loved Qiao Mei so much that he would never do something so foolish. If it was a girl from another family, there was still a 0.01% chance that he might fall for her. However, it was impossible that Xia Zhe would fall for He Mei. Oh! I know! You must have heard that the woman from the Shao family successfully used her child to marry into the Xia family some time ago, so you have come to my house to scam us! Let me tell you, our family is not so easy to deceive! Youd better tell the truth, otherwise it may be easy for you to come in through the door! It will be difficult for you to leave! Xia He threatened. Do you think Im scared of you? At most, well go to the hospital to do a test! He Mei said openly. The test they do at the hospital is not accurate. Whats the use of going? Qiao Mei said. Xia Wen raised his eyebrows and looked at Qiao Mei. He had a nagging feeling that Qiao Meis reaction was too abnormal. He smiled faintly and asked, Do you already know about this matter? What were you trying to tell us in the main hall before you were interrupted? So smart. Eldest Brother is indeed Eldest Brother. You always get the point immediately, Qiao Mei said relaxedly as she sat in the rocking chair. Tell me what you know. Save me from being so anxious, Xia Wen said as he looked at Qiao Mei helplessly. She was actually a little embarrassed to talk about this matter. After all, what Xia Zhe had done was really... a little too much. Qiao Mei repeated everything that Xia Zhe had told her back then. After Xia Wen heard the story, he applauded repeatedly. It was just as he expected of his younger brother. Xia Zhe was always ruthless when it was time to take action. The two of you hid this piece of news so well. Its really too amazing. Theres nothing bad about doing this. Its time the He family knows what it means to suffer the consequences of their own actions, Xia Wen said. l also know who that childs father is. Xia Zhe told me that hes a relative of the Du family called Du Jun. Because he had been such a great help to the He family back then, He Ning had transferred him back to the capital and gotten him a promotion. Ive been asking Yao Nian to secretly investigate his whereabouts. All the information is on the bookshelf, Qiao Mei said. So its him. Xia Zhe is indeed ruthless enough. Leave this matter to me. You should go and take a rest. Youve just completed your confinement period. Dont overwork yourself, Xia Wen said. As soon as Qiao Mei stepped out of the room, she heard Xia Yue crying loudly. She quickly ran to the main hall to carry Xia Yue and checked him carefully. She realized that Xia Yue was only feeling uncomfortable because he had peed and that he was fine after having his diapers changed. When Xia Yue cried, it was an indication that he was feeling uncomfortable in some way. He was either hungry or had peed or he wanted someone to carry him. As long as his needs were satisfied, he would stop crying. He was much more demanding than Xia Fan and Xia Xing.. Chapter 1836 - 1836: No Resemblance Chapter 1836: No Resemblance Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xu Lan looked at the child in He Meis arms and then at Xia Yue. She said disdainfully, You should at least find a child who looks like Xia Zhe. Look at the one in your arms, does he even look like Xia Zhe? Then take a look at my third grandson! His eyebrows and eyes look exactly like Xia Zhe! What else do you have to say? This child may end up looking more like me! Who says that a child must always resemble the father! He Mei said stubbornly. She had already realized that this child did not look like Xia Zhe at all. Xia Zhe was a handsome man with thick eyebrows and big eyes, but the child in her arms had curved willowy eyebrows and small eyes. In fact, he also did not look like her at all. She did not know who this child looked like. Could it be a genetic mutation? Xia Wen returned with a stack of information. He had asked Xia Fang and found out that there was indeed such technology overseas. Furthermore, it was a very comprehensive test and could accurately determine whether a child was related to any adult by blood. Pass the information around and browse through it, Xia Wen said. Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m After reading through the information, the Xia family members all fell silent. At this moment, He Ning spoke up. Since everyone is clear about it, lets do this DNA test. Were here to take some blood samples from the three children so that we can send it out for the test. Nonsense! You must be dreaming! If any one of my three grandchildren is injured! Ill skin you alive! Bastard! How dare you want to take my grandchildrens blood! Dream on! Unless I die! Otherwise, dont even think about taking my grandchildrens blood! Xu Lan pointed at He Ning agitatedly. Shut up! Dont scare the children! Xia Jun said as he glared at He Mei. His glare was like a dagger stabbing into He Meis heart. He Mei instantly felt her hair stand on end and she broke out in cold sweat. Since we all agree to do a DNA test, lets go to your Xia Fangs hospital tomorrow to draw blood, He Ning said. Sure, Xia Mao said. With that, He Ning left with He Mei and the child. He Ning still wanted Xia Zhe to become the He familys matrilocal son-in-law. He would not sue Xia Zhe for rape or taking liberties with a woman. As for how to deal with Xia Zhe, he would think about it after the results of the test were out. The entire room fell silent and no one knew what to say. Qiao Mei could not bear to see everyone feeling so sad about this matter. She looked at Xia Wen and looked at him, silently asking him if they should tell the rest of the family the truth. Xia Wen shook his head discreetly. Now was not the time, It would be best to wait until the day the test results were out before doing the clarification. This would also deal a fatal blow to the He family and make them completely give up on going against the Xia family. If she told the truth now, he was worried that they would end up alerting the enemy. Ill get Aunt to find a testing center to do the DNA test for us. She often does academic research with her counterparts overseas and is more familiar with these things. By the way, since were going to do the test, should we ask Xia Xing if he wants to do it too? Xia Wen looked at Xia Jun and asked. Yes! Lets take this opportunity to do it! Lets clear our familys name! Xia Jun said furiously.. Chapter 1837 - 1837: Do the Test Together Chapter 1837: Do the Test Together Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xia Wen brought the documents to Xia Xings house. Xia Xing was currently on marriage leave and he was coaxing his child to sleep. When Xia Wen saw that, he almost could not believe that Xia Xing had become so responsible. Xia Xing, Im here to visit you, Xia Wen said from the main door. Xia Xing carefully placed the child on the brick bed first, then closed the door and brought Xia Wen to another room. He said embarrassedly, Eldest Cousin, my house is a little untidy. Please ignore the mess. Ill go make some tea for you now. Theres no need to do that. Im leaving in a while. Wheres Shao Yin? Why isnt she helping you to take care of the child? Xia Wen asked with a slight frown. She has gone shopping to buy clothes for the child. Shell be back soon. Eldest Cousin, have you come to talk to me about something? Xia Xing asked. Yes, indeed. I know of this DNA test which can check if this child is really your son. I can help you pay for it. Grandfather asks me to come and inform you. Are you willing to do the test? Xia Wen asked. Xia Xing did not say anything. He did not know what to do. It had not been easy for him to accept the fact that this child was his son, but now Xia Wen was telling him that there was a way to prove that this child might not be his son. Im just relaying the message on Grandfathers behalf. Its up to you whether you want to do it or not. Consider it carefully and give me an answer by tomorrow morning. Ill go off now, Xia Wen said. After Xia Wen left, Shao Yin dropped her disguise. She looked at Xia Xing in disdain and said, Go and clean up the house! It looks like a pigsty! Im going out. You can stay at home by yourself. Overnight, the news that He Mei had given birth to Xia Zhes child spread throughout all the streets and alleys. Many families who were on good terms with the Xia family called them to ask about this matter. After all, the Xia and He families could be considered to be among the top families in the capital. If these two families joined forces, they would probably be able to dominate the capital! Although that girl from the He family did not have a good character, it was a fact that she came from a prominent family. The Xia family would not be stupid enough to choose the countryside daughter-in-law and give up on one from the prominent He family. Someone as scheming as He Ning would definitely do everything he could to make Xia Zhe submit to him. If Xia Zhe rejected him, the He family could just accuse Xia Zhe of some crime and Xia Zhe would be in a lot of trouble. Thats not true! Thats not Xia Zhe i s child! Its all rumors! This matter is still inconclusive! Dont be so anxious! Wait another two days! Therell be news soon! Dont you know Xia Zhe well? He wont do such a thing. Its really not Xia Zhes child! Xu Lan had to sit by the phone the entire day to explain this matter.. Chapter 1838 - 1838: Not Xia Zhe’s Child Chapter 1838: Not Xia Zhes Child Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios There were all kinds of rumors going around. Some people believed that with Xia Zhes character, he would not do such a dirty deed. Some people were waiting to watch the drama and looking forward to the day Xia Zhe was sent to jail. In any case, everyone now knew that He Mei was pregnant and that she had given birth to a baby boy. At this moment, everyone was just waiting to see if the baby was really Xia Zhes child. He Ning paced back and forth in his house out of frustration. He really could not figure out who had leaked the news. Would the Xia family really do something to shoot themselves in the foot? Weve investigated it thoroughly. It was Xia Xings wife who went to tell all her neighbors. After that, the other prominent families found out and then the rumor spread throughout the capital, Huo Gao said as he walked in from outside. How did Xia Xings wife know about this? He Ning questioned. Right... Its the DNA test. Some time ago, Xia Xings family also went through the matter of having to acknowledge a child. Xia Wen had gone to ask him if he wanted to do the DNA test as well. I think he let it slip during their conversation, Huo Gao said honestly. The 10 days passed quickly. The report from the two different testing centers came out at the same time. As the Xia family expected, this child had nothing to do with them and the probability of him being related to them by blood was 0%. The He family received the same result. Impossible! Absolutely impossible! Did you make a mistake! Check again! This definitely cant be the outcome! He Ning held the phone and shouted agitatedly down the line. Mr. He, our report is very accurate and theres definitely no mistakes. Its better for you to check the problem on your end, the person from the testing center said. After He Ning hung up the phone, he looked at He Mei fiercely and asked, What exactly is going on! What exactly did you do! Why did the center say that this child is not Xia Zhes! Didnt you tell me yourself that this matter is foolproof! What a piece of trash! Whats the use of having you around! He Mei fell to the ground in fear and said with a trembling voice, I dont know! I wasnt part of that process! After the thing was brought over, I went through the procedure immediately! I dont know whats going on either! Whose child is it then! He Ning was still unwilling to believe this fact and decided to investigate this matter thoroughly. At this moment, Xia Wen suddenly called and said happily, Mr. He, do you want to hear some good news? Dont be so smug! The test results must be wrong and the samples used must be tainted! 1 need blood from either your father or Qiao Meis three children! He Ning said stubbornly.. Chapter 1839 - 1839: The Truth Is Out Chapter 1839 - 1839: The Truth Is Out Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios You can have my fathers blood, but dont even try to eye the children! If any of the three children are injured, our Xia family wont let you off. Tomorrow, Ill send someone to send my fathers blood samples to the He family. If you need blood samples from my sister and me, we can also give it to you. Xia Wen hung up after saying that. He Ning did not just do a retest at the previous testing center, but he also found another two testing centers. Another 10 days later, the reports from the three testing centers came out. Just like before, the result was that this child had nothing to do with the Xia family. This time, He Ning was completely dumbfounded. It was widely known by now that He Meis child had nothing to do with the Xia family. Now, everyone in the capital was discussing who the father of this child was. Even He Mei herself did not know. He Ning did not even dare to leave the house, afraid that others would laugh at him. He had fought with the Xia family for so many years, but this was the first time he had lost the fight so thoroughly. Whose child is this! Tell me the truth! He Ning pointed at He Mei angrily and questioned her. l dont know! I really dont know! Little Uncle, you have to believe me! 1 really dont know anything! It must be Qiao Mei! Its all her fault! When we were at her house, she was totally expressionless. She must have already known that this child was not Xia Zhes! He Mei cried. He Ning gradually recalled Qiao Meis expression at that time. It occurred to him that she really did not seem like someone who was not in the know. Could it be that the Xia family had done something behind the scenes? He Ning glanced at Jia Zhong, who immediately understood what He Ning meant. He bought a tiled house in a remote village for He Mei. It was located in a really faraway place. So long as He Mei did not appear in front of He Ning anymore, he would never have to remember this failure. He got changed and prepared to go to Qiao Mei t s house to ask her about the whole thing. Even if he had lost, he wanted to know the reason why. He wanted to learn from his mistakes and know how he failed this time. Only then would he be able to defeat the Xia family more steadily, accurately and ruthlessly the next time. When He Ning arrived at the courtyard house, he knocked loudly on the main door. Unexpectedly, it was Qiao Mei who opened the door this time. Qiao Mei just looked straight at He Ning. He Ning did not say a word and just stared back at Qiao Mei. I expect you to come, though I never would have thought that youre someone who cant maintain your composure, Qiao Mei said with a laugh. So this really has something to do with you, He Ning said angrily. No, no, no! It has nothing to do with me. You cant blame this on me. Im a woman so how can I get He Mei pregnant? Qiao Mei said quickly. Its not you? He Ning hesitated for a moment before saying, Then Xia Zhe is really vicious... Im really impressed by how ruthless he is. In the past, Xia Zhe never retaliated, or even acknowledged, those cheap shots which He Ning took at him behind his back. He Ning even thought that Xia Zhe would never take issue with him, that Xia Zhe was a gentleman and would not do those shady things. He did not expect Xia Zhe to take such decisive action this time round.. Chapter 1840 - 1840: Help to Take Care of the Children Chapter 1840 - 1840: Help to Take Care of the Children Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Everyone in the capital now knew He Mei had become pregnant with an unknown mans baby and Xia Zhe was the one who had engineered the process. He Mei was utterly and totally shamed. He had completely ruined her life.Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m However, He Mei only had herself to blame for this. If He Mei did not have all these crooked ideas in the first place, Xia Zhe would not have retaliated in order to protect himself and his family. If you want to know who the father of the child is, Im more than happy to tell you, Qiao Mei said as she stared at He Ning with a gleeful look. Im not interested. Ive already gotten rid of the child, He Ning said coldly. Qiao Mei asked curiously, You killed the child? Tsk tsk tsk, youre really vicious. Youre much more ruthless than Xia Zhe! Im not that heartless. That would be illegal. I just sent him away. With that, He Ning turned around and left Qiao Meis house. Qiao Mei shouted from behind He Ning, You really dont want to know? No! It wont change the ending anyway! He Ning said irritably. In that case, I wont stop you from doing it. If youre too tired, you can just let me know. Ill still be keeping an eye out for a suitable helper. My parents-in-law will be moving to stay near here soon. Theyll be able to come and help out then, Qiao Mei said. Good, good! This way, our house will be even livelier! Li Gui said excitedly. Qiao Mei looked at Li Gui. There were some things which she did not know if she should say. Back then, Li Gui had wanted to buy a small house. However, now that Xu Lan, Xia Mao and Xia Jun were going to live in a standard siheyuan courtyard house, Qiao Mei felt a little uncomfortable about the fact that Li Gui was still living in that small house. Mom, why dont you move to the big siheyuan courtyard house next door? The furnishings and fixtures there are better than those in your current house, Qiao Mei said. l know what youre trying to do! Dont worry, I dont think too much. I am happy at my current place! I can come to your house every day for my meals and its easy for your younger siblings to come over and play. If 1 live too far away, itll be inconvenient for me to come over and eat! Besides, I can buy new houses myself. I already bought two courtyard houses behind your back! Li Gui said proudly. When did that happen! Why didnt I know! Where are they located? Qiao Mei asked in shock. In the east district. There are also many courtyard houses there, but the structure is not as sturdy as those here. 1 bought them because the price was low. I asked Deng Fan to renovate them and Ive already rented them out! Li Gui said. Qiao Mei gave Li Gui a thumbs up. She did not expect Li Gui to have learned so much after working by her side for more than a year. She even picked up the habit of going around to buy houses.. Chapter 1841 - 1841: Fight Chapter 1841: Fight Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei had actually been curious about where Li Gui kept all the money she made. Would the bank be willing to let her bank in so much money? She finally learned the truth today. Now that everything at home had been settled, it was time for Qiao Mei to return to school. The baby was still so young and she could not bear to leave him completely in Li Guis care. In the end, Qiao Mei still had to drive back and forth to school every day. The difference this time round was that Capital University had provided Qiao Mei with a parking space. They let her use it exclusively and for free throughout her university years. When Qiao Mei stepped into the classroom, the entire class fell silent. Everyone was actually very curious about Qiao Mei and they had all gone around to find out if Qiao Mei had given birth to a boy or a girl this time. When they heard that it was a boy, they became even more envious. The current society was still very feudal and people valued boys more than girls. After asking around and hearing that Qiao Mei had already given birth to a pair of twins, these people were even more jealous of her. Look at her life! She already had three cute children at such a young age and was even the top scorer of the college entrance examination. Furthermore, her husband came from one of the top families in the capital. This was a life that made so many people envious. Qiao Mei still liked to sit by the window. She did not know if it was her imagination, but she felt that everyone seemed to avoid her, whether intentionally or unintentionally. The boys did not even dare to look at Qiao Mei, worried that others would misunderstand and spread rumors. If the Xia family came looking for them, they would not be able to fight back at all. Yes, I believe you. Are you alright? Qiao Mei asked. Im alright. He didnt fight back, Wu Duo said honestly. We must go and tell the professors! This matter must be dealt with seriously! This is really too much! the female classmate beside Xie Jing shouted. Thats right! It must be dealt with seriously! A student like you shouldnt be in Capital University! Youre a piece of trash! He should be expelled! Yes! Expelled! Expelled! The voices of the people around them grew louder and louder. Everyone sided with Xie Jing. After all, Xie Jing had maintained a good reputation in school for the past few years, always humble and polite to everyone. He was even nice to small animals by the roadside. They would never believe that Xie Jing had started a fight with Wu Duo. He scolded me first! How can all of you be so oblivious to the truth! Wu Duo shouted angrily. Youre talking nonsense! Why will a gentle person like Xie Jing scold someone! a girl questioned.. Chapter 1842 - 1842: Runaway Debtor Chapter 1842: Runaway Debtor Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In their eyes, Xie Jing was not a person who would scold others. When Xie Jing approached Wu Duo just now, he spoke in a low voice, so the people around him naturally did not hear anything. Both Qiao Mei and Li Xue believed that Wu Duo would not falsely accuse Xie Jing. In that case, they had to find other ways to help Wu Duo. Is this the fellow villager you told me about? Qiao Mei asked as she pointed at Xie Jing. Wu Duo looked at Qiao Mei confusedly. He thought he had just told her who this person was? Why was she asking him again? Could it be that Qiao Mei did not hear him clearly just now? Yes, its him, Wu Duo said in a daze. Oh- So hes the fellow villager who owes you 800 dollars! Did you manage to get the money back just now? Qiao Mei asked. l didnt! He refuses to acknowledge the debt! Thats why I accidentally hit him! Wu Duo said agitatedly. How can Xie Jing be such a person? He must be lying! The people in the crowd discussed animatedly among themselves and Xie Jing found it difficult to explain himself. You entered university so secretly that no one in the village knew that you were going to the university! Who will believe you even if you say that you havent done this on purpose! If I lie, Ill get struck by lightning! Everyone in the village knows about this! All of you can ask around! Wu Duo pointed at Xie Jing and shouted. Back then, in order to avoid Wu Duo and everyone else, Xie Jings whole family had moved to an unfamiliar city. At that time, Wu Duo and his family were still immersed in the excitement of Wu Duo entering Capital University. Everyone in the village thought that the spot belonged to Wu Duo, but no one expected Xie Jing to have taken it instead. Wu Duo did not say anything else. After all, the full story involved him being cuckolded. It would not be good to say too much as he still cared about his reputation. Before the college entrance examination scheme was announced, university students who entered by way of class background were highly lauded. If any family produced a university student, they would put up lanterns and decorations at home, set off firecrackers, offer sacrifices to their ancestors and so on. The entire village would be equally as proud. However, it was really rare to see someone who did what Xie Jing did. Could it be that this entire matter was really Xie Jings fault? Did Xie Jing really owe Wu Duo a lot of money? This matter was not just about 10 dollars. If it was a small amount and Xie Jings family was really hard-pressed, everyone would persuade Wu Duo not to be so particular about the debt. They might even pool their money to help Xie Jing pay it back. However, this was a sum of 800 dollars, which was more money than an ordinary family could earn in a year. This was not something that could be resolved easily. No one had the heart to to persuade Wu Duo to give up. Everyone stared at Xie Jing, hoping that he would give them a clear answer and let them know who was in the right and whether it was Wu Duo who had bullied him. However, Xie Jing did not know where to start. He was scared that if he said something wrong, it would expose what he did back then. If so, all his years of hard work would be for naught.. Chapter 1843 - 1843: Collecting on a Debt Chapter 1843: Collecting on a Debt Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Do you know how difficult that particular year was for my family after I stole the money and gave it to you! My father gave me a beating and almost broke my leg! My mother fell sick and we didnt even have the money to send her for treatment! I treated you like a brother! What do you take me for! Ive really misjudged you all these years! Wu Duo became more and more agitated as he spoke and almost burst into tears. Qiao Mei stood at the side and wanted to clap and cheer for Wu Duo. It was such a pity that he did not become an actor. She originally just wanted to find an excuse to help Wu Duo clear his name. She did not expect Wu Duo to really put on a good show and be able to almost deceive everyone around him. A teacher came running from afar and said sternly, Hey! What are you doing! Whos fighting! Sun Jia, the female classmate who went to get the teacher, pointed at Wu Duo and said, Its him! Professor! He hit Xie Jing and said all kinds of bad things about Xie Jing! Professor, you know that Xie Jing has been an outstanding student all these years. He cant have done those things. Xie Jing is a runaway debtor! I just want to get back my money! Wu Duo said righteously. Xie Jing owes you money? What nonsense! How can it be that Xie Jing owes money to someone like you? Sun Jia looked at Wu Duo with a mocking expression. Wu Duo stood rooted to the spot out of embarrassment. He really did not have much money on him now, at most 30 dollars. There was no need to bring so much money to school. The food in the school canteen was very cheap and 30 dollars was already enough for him to eat at the canteen for a month. Qiao Mei took out a watch from her pocket. In order to celebrate her four students successfully entering their ideal university, she had specially bought them a gift each to celebrate the event. During the enrollment period, she had gone off to deliver the baby, so she had not managed to pass them the gifts yet. Look at how careless you are. Your uncle came to look for me just now and asked me to bring this to school and give it to you. You should try to improve your memory! Qiao Mei said reproachfully. Some people recognized the brand of this watch. It was the latest watch released for sale by Hai Qin this year. Each watch cost 300 dollars! Furthermore, it was a limited edition watch, which meant one might not be able to buy it even with money. Only long-time VIPs of the brand could get their hands on one. Why is your watch with this female classmate! Whats your relationship with her! Why does your uncle know this female classmate! Arent you going to explain yourself! Sun Jia questioned. Schoolmate, why are you so curious about everything? His uncle is our high school homeroom teacher. We used to be from the same class. Then whats your relationship with Xie Jing? Why are you so eager to help him? Are you from the same hometown as him? Or are you ex-classmates in high school? Li Xue asked sharply. l... l... For a moment, Sun Jia did not know how to explain herself. She was just someone who had a crush on Xie Jing and she was not even from the same faculty as him. They were not in the same year. Enough! Stop arguing! This group, come to the office with me! The rest of you, go back to class! the teacher shouted.. Chapter 1844 - 1844: Personal Grudge Chapter 1844: Personal Grudge Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The crowd dispersed. Xie Jing, Wu Duo, Qiao Mei and Li Xue followed the teacher back to his office. This teacher was Xie Jings mentor in school and he did not know Wu Duo and the rest. The few of you, tell me whats your major and why youre arguing with my student, the teacher asked while drinking tea. Im Wu Duo, studying manufacturing. This is Qiao Mei, studying agriculture. Thats Li Xue, studying medicine, Wu Duo answered honestly. l dont care about your personal disputes and you should settle it among yourselves. However, you shouldnt fight in school. Its wrong to hit another person. You must apologize to Xie Jing, the teacher said cunningly. He was Xie Jings teacher, so he naturally spoke up for Xie Jinga Qiao Mei looked at the tea leaves on the teachers table and smiled. She said in a gentle tone, These tea leaves are not bad. It looks like its this years new Longjing tea. I didnt even manage to buy it. Professor, you really know your tea. A university professor was not paid well enough to afford such expensive tea leaves. The moment Qiao Mei highlighted this, the teacher immediately understood what she meant. Its a gift from my friend. I dont know anything about it. Since its a personal grudge between the two of you, then go and settle it in private. Dont fight in the future, the teacher said casually. If you have already asked him for payment once and then you stop, wont that make it look like were lying? People will only believe you if you continue to chase for payment. This will also make things difficult for Xie Jing, Qiao Mei said. Thats right! Why are you so smart! This never crossed my mind! Wu Duo said excitedly. Qiao Mei looked at Wu Duo helplessly and said, Its not that Im smart, but that youre too stupid. If you can get so easily played by Cui Hua and Xie Jing now, what will you do in the future? Wu Duo lowered his head dejectedly. He did not want to be played by others, but whenever he met these two people, he could not control his emotions. Seeing Wu Duo like this, Qiao Mei felt a little helpless. After all, she wanted these few people to become her close aides in the future. Qiao Mei would not dare to use a close aide who had a weak spot. If Wu Duo could not get through this difficult issue, then Qiao Mei would consider dropping him and nurturing someone else. After all, there would be many people taking the examination every year and she would definitely be able to find like-minded people. Enough, I dont have any intention of scolding you. These two are nothing. You can just use them for target practice. After all, you shouldnt suffer for nothing these past two days, Qiao Mei said. Wu Duo suddenly felt his mood lighten. He had been nursing an inferiority complex all this while. When he found out that Cui Hua had left him for Xie Jing, he did not have the courage to go and ask her for an explanation. He did not even dare to appear in front of her, worried that she would compare him with Xie Jing. However, things were different at the moment. He had passed the college entrance examination and entered Capital University. He definitely held more value than a student who entered university by way of a recommendation letter! In the past, Xie Jing seemed so high and mighty. Now, Xie Jing was only good enough for his target practice! This difference made him feel much more confident.. Chapter 1845 - 1845: Bet Chapter 1845: Bet Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Dont stay in touch with Cui Hua. You become muddle-headed the moment you meet that vixen! Li Xue said in a disappointed tone. You mean this matter is also related to Cui Hua? Wu Duo asked in shock. The other three people looked at Wu Duo helplessly. It was really true that no man could resist the charms of a beautiful woman. Xie Jing was very calm that day and it did not feel that it was the first time the two of them met. Cui Hua must have already told Xie Jing the news in advance. Xie Jing had come prepared, which was why he could easily make Wu Duo so angry. Wu Duo raised his teacup and stood up, saying to everyone, Using tea instead of wine, I hereby make an oath! If I ever believe Cui Hua again! Then 1 1 m a Dont! Youre insulting a dog by saying such things. You might as well say something more practical, such as helping us with our homework, doing experiments or running errands, Wang Wei said. Thats right! Those are just lame words. We dont believe you. Just tell us how you will be punished if you believe Cui Huas words again! Li Xue said excitedly. Qiao Mei was also very interested in this issue. She foresaw that Wu Duo would definitely fall for Cui Huas sweet lies again. After all, Cui Hua was smart and skilled. The current Wu Duo was definitely no match for her. I...Ill fetch water for each of you for a month! Wu Duo said through gritted teeth. Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m No problem! Li Xue said happily. I agree too! Wang Wei said. Have you managed to check on those things? Xie Jing asked. There were all sorts of sensational news about Qiao Mei and one did not need to check too carefully to know about them. Cui Hua took a sip of water and said, That womans name is Qiao Mei. Shes this years top scorer in the college entrance examination and shes also the Xia familys daughter-in-law. Xia family? Are you talking about that famous Xia family? Xie Jings father, Xie Kun, asked. Yes, I heard that its the Xia family whos active in the military. Looks like it, Cui Hua said. Xie Kun immediately became agitated. He grabbed Xie Jings shoulder and said, Whats your relationship with this Qiao Mei? Were just schoolmates, Xie Jing said in pain. You must build a good relationship with this woman! If the Xia family can find me a job, Ill be able to soar through the ranks ! Do you remember that! Xie Kun instructed. Got it, Xie Jing said impatiently. As if he did not want to get close to Qiao Mei? However, given his current situation, befriending Qiao Mei would be as difficult as ascending to heaven! There was no right move he could make now. How did that kid Wu Duo get to know Qiao Mei? Xie Jing pulled Cui Hua into the room next door and asked softly, How did Wu Duo and Qiao Mei get to know each other? Chapter 1846 - 1846: I Am Here to Help You Chapter 1846: I Am Here to Help You Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xie Jing had full trust in Cui Hua and her methods. She was smart and knew how to take advantage of other peoples weaknesses. When she acted pitiful, she could make some people trust her and be concerned about her. Many guys would let down their guard in front of her. Xie Jing often made use of this and asked her to go around and dig for information. Do you still remember the newspaper report a few days ago about four poor students getting into famous universities against the odds? Cui Hua asked. l know. I heard others talking about it, Xie Jing said. These four people are all Qiao Meis students. Wu Duo is one of them, Cui Hua explained. This kid has run into some good luck... Xie Jing said through gritted teeth. I also heard that Qiao Meis family owns a factory and that theyve been recruiting recently. Wu Duos father has been hired and is paid a high monthly salary, Cui Hua said. Qiao Mei did not do it as a favor to Wu Duo. His father had gotten the job on his own merit. Qiao Meis factory was currently lacking a master craftsman who was experienced enough to repair the machinery. Many craftsmen who came to apply for the job did not know anything about these new equipment. However, she did not know if she could even live to see that day... This time, Huang Quan agreed to let her out only because this issue was related to Qiao Meie Since Tan Jing had agreed to help Huang Quan get ahold of Qiao Mei, she would do her best. If she could not do it... then he was not going to keep her alive. Who are you? Xie Jing asked warily. It doesnt matter who I am. Whats important is that I can help you get what you want, Tan Jing said. l dont even know who you are. How do I know that what you say is true? Xie Jing questioned. You dont need to know who I am. You just need to know that Im here to help you. In order to show my sincerity, I can get your father a job. Its not a cushy job, but hell make enough money to live out his old age well. If youre obedient, I can also get your mother a job, Tan Jing said. Really? Xie Jing looked at Tan Jing agitatedly. Of course. However, this job comes with a probation period. So long as you help me get what I want to do, Ill make sure that your father becomes a confirmed employee. I can even get you a good job after you graduate, Tan Jing said. To Xie Jinee it was not important to him whether his father lived out his old age well. The most important thing for him was to gain a foothold in the capital and have a job which garnered him respect. This was the only way to satisfy his fragile ego. Xie Jing thought for a long time before he asked, What do you want me to help you with? Chapter 1847 - 1847: Underprivileged Student Chapter 1847 - 1847: Underprivileged Student Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Its very simple. Find a way to ruin Qiao Meis reputation. Any way is fine. As long as her reputation is ruined, my goal is achieved, Tan Jing said fiercely. She wished that she could chop Qiao Mei into multiple pieces right now. Xie Jing looked at Tan Jing for a long time before he smiled. He asked, You seem to hate her very much? Dont ask about my issues. You dont need to know anything either. You just need to know the outcome I want. Can you do it? Tan Jing said with a slight frown. This is not a small matter. If Im not careful, my reputation will be ruined.Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m Qiao Mei is related to a prominent family. If I take any cheap shots at her, that family will come right out and kill me. Xie Jing said. You cant just sit back and expect things to fall into your lap. Dont you know that dangerous tasks give the best returns? I dont need your answer right now. Ill give you half a month to think about it. If you dont come to look for me after half a month, it means that the deal is off. With that, Tan Jing put on her coat and left the cafeteria. After she walked out, Xie Jing tried to peep at her through the window. She got into a black sports car, but he could not see the license plate number clearly. What Wu Duo said immediately attracted many passers-by. Xie Jing was quite well-known in school and the news of the fight a few days ago had spread like wildfire. Everyone was waiting to see what would happen next! Dont push your luck... Xie Jing growled softly. Explain yourself if you dare. Tell everyone how you snatched my university spot back then and how much money your father owes. Its best if you explain everything that happened in the past so I can get justice served, Wu Duo also said softly. All these things were not aboveboard and Xie Jing would never speak of them. Wu Duo also knew that Xie Jing would not say anything and he only said these words to make Xie Jing angry. However, Xie Jing did not fall for it but sized up Wu Duos dressing instead. Ever since the other day when his mentor mocked Wu Duo for dressing like a person who was not well off, Wu Duo had dressed a little better. This was also what Qiao Mei had told Wu Duo to do. She said he should let everyone know that his family was not short of money before keeping a low profile again. I seem to recall that you applied to be on the list of underprivileged students when you started school. How can an underprivileged student afford to wear such a nice watch! Xie Jing pointed at Wu Duos watch and said sarcastically. For a moment, Wu Duo did not know how to rebut. Some time back, his family really did not have much money. His father only met Qiao Mei and got the job after school started. He did not expect Xie Jing to even know about these things. Cui Hua must have told Xie Jing about it. Thats true... Look at him, he doesnt look poor... Is it so easy to qualify as an underprivileged student in our school? There must be something fishy going on! Chapter 1848 - 1848: Spread Rumors and Cause Trouble Chapter 1848 - 1848: Spread Rumors and Cause Trouble Wu Duo found it hard to defend himself. After all, it was true that he was an underprivileged student, but what they said was true about his watch too. Every year, the school would allocate five spots to each faculty to assist underprivileged students. The government and the school would co-pay for the tuition fees and accommodation expenses of these students. They only needed to pay for their meals at school and the rest of their expenses would be reimbursed. This was also the reason why Wu Duo had applied to be on the list of underprivileged students. At that time, his main intention was to help his family save some money so that they would not feel so stretched and his father would not have to work so hard. He did not expect that decision would cause him to be caught in his current predicament. Say something! Tell everyone why you can apply to be on the list of underprivileged students! Did you do something behind the scenes! Or did you pull some strings! Xie Jing shouted as he pointed at Wu Duo. It would be even better if this matter involved Qiao Mei. This way, he could easily complete the task which Tan Jing had given him. Qiao Mei walked over from the back of the crowd and said, Whats the matter? Wu Duo lowered his head in silence. He did not know how to explain the situation to Qiao Mei. At the same time, he did not want to cause trouble for her. The people around them were making a lot of noise. Even though Qiao Mei was not present just now, she could roughly guess what had happened. l thought its about something major. So its just about the list of underprivileged students? Have you forgotten that your father came to cancel your application last week? Your father even specially came to the school to explain to the principal about why youre giving the spot to someone who needs it more, Qiao Mei said as she looked at Wu Duo. You have come at the right time, Qiao Mei said with a smile as she patted Li Xues shoulder. I...I... I heard it from someone else, Xie Jing said weakly. Is that so? It seems that nowadays anyone can slander another person after hearing things from other people. I have a document here with the principals signature which can prove that Wu Duo has given up his spot on the list. If any of you still dont believe me, you can come here and take a look. Qiao Mei raised the document in Li Xues hand high for everyone to see. Everyone saw with their own eyes the document with the principals signature and the exact reason for Wu Duo giving up the spot. Wu Duos father had even helped to repair many old machines at the engineering faculty. The principal had even penned down his words of thanks to Wu Duo and his family on behalf of the entire school. So we have misunderstood Wu Duo. Wu Duos father is really amazing. His father actually repaired that broken down machine at the engineering faculty! I had thought that its nothing more than just a piece of scrap metal! l didnt expect this entire matter to be just a rumor. We have been wrong about Wu Duo. How can Xie Jing do such a thing? l dont have any idea that Xie Jing is such a person after all these years.. He even goes around spreading rumors! Chapter 1849 - 1849: Apologize Chapter 1849 - 1849: Apologize Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Now that the truth is out, it should be clear to all of you that this matter has nothing to do with Wu Duo. He has been wronged, Li Xue said smugly. Its our mistake. Were sorry, Wu Duo, everyone shouted in unison. Wu Duo immediately waved his hands and said, Its alright! Its alright! This is all a misunderstanding. You have all been bewitched by what someone said! It has nothing to do with you. He specially emphasized the word someone. Xie Jing looked at Wu Duo with a dark expression, while everyone looked at Xie Jing with mixed feelings. Just as the crowd was about to disperse, Qiao Mei quickly shouted out, Everyone, please hold on for a moment! Id like all of you to stay around as witnesses. Since this matter has already been proven to be a misunderstanding, shouldnt Xie Jing apologize to Wu Duo? Dont tell me that everything he said can just disappear into the air? Yes! He should apologize! He must apologize to Wu Duo! everyone shouted in unison. Xie Jing glared fiercely at Qiao Mei. The image he had maintained for the past few years was completely destroyed at this moment. Everyones impression of him had gone from being a nice gentleman to a nasty person who spread rumors and caused trouble. All of this was the work of Qiao Mei. You should apologize. Why are you looking at me, Schoolmate Xie? Are the lines of your apology written on my face? Qiao Mei asked with a smile. Wu Duo looked at Xie Jing arrogantly. The look in his eyes suggested that he felt Xie Jing was finally getting his comeuppance. Alright, alright. Everyone, go back to class! Its almost time for class! Wu Duo said quickly. The crowd dispersed noisily and Xie Jing also left without looking back. Wu Duo looked at Qiao Mei excitedly and said, How do you know that Im being bullied! Where did this document come from? When did my father come to fix the machines? 1 dont seem to know anything! Do you have 100,000 queries in your head? Why do you have so many questions? Which one should we answer first? We havent even reprimanded you. Can you be more smart? How can you ask Xie Jing for money but get the table turned on you! Li Xue asked as she looked at Wu Duo. Cant you see that its because I have a guilty conscience? I really dont know that my name was removed from the list of underprivileged students, Wu Duo said. Do the both of you have class in the afternoon? Qiao Mei asked. No, Wu Duo and Li Xue said in unison. Wu Duo, go and get Wang Wei. Lets go to the cafeteria next door for lunch. Your treat, Qiao Mei said. No problem! Ill go get him now! Wu Duo said excitedly. The four of them sat on the first floor of the cafeteria. They did not go to the private room on the second floor as they were worried that others would gossip about them doing that. It was much better to do things in full view of the public now. You can order whatever you want! Its my treat today! Order as much as you want! Wu Duo said generously. Then lets have pork trotters! A serving of braised pork ribs! Steamed fish! Stir-fried beef! No vegetables! Well have a meat feast today! Wang Wei said happily.. Chapter 1850 - 1850: Let’s Work Well Together Chapter 1850 - 1850: Lets Work Well Together Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After all the dishes were served, Wu Duo asked, Can you tell me now, when did my father come to fix the machines? Qiao Mei already knew that Wu Duo had submitted the application to be on the list of underprivileged students. Wu Duos family barely had enough money to pay for their household expenses and his father was a person who liked to do good deeds. He always did repairs for other people without charging them. As time passed, the family did not have much money left. Qiao Mei was a person who cherished talented people, so she wanted to help Wu Duos family. Qiao Mei had already expected Xie Jing to kick up a fuss about Wu Duo being on the list of underprivileged students, but she did not expect him to be so impatient. Qiao Mei sent Wu Duos father to the school as a representative of the factory to repair the machines for free. On one hand, it was to create awareness for the factory, and on the other hand, it was to make the school value the presence of Wu Duo, Qiao Mei and the others. To put it bluntly, she was trying to curry favor with the principal so that the school management would not think that they were troublemakers. So thats how it is! No wonder I dont know anything! So this is all part of your plan! Wu Duo said as he looked at Qiao Mei in surprise. Pick up a few pointers from this! Use your brain when you do things in the future! But now that Xie Jings reputation has been tarnished, you shouldnt go and look for him too often. Otherwise, it will make it look like were doing it deliberately. How are your results recently? The examination period is coming up soon, Qiao Mei asked. No problem! Its really too easy! Wang Wei said proudly. Then Im looking forward to hearing good news from all of you. You have to be among the top three in your cohort! If you dont do well in your studies, youll be ruining my reputation! Qiao Mei said. We promise to complete the mission! the three of them said in unison. In the next few days, everyone worked hard in their studies. Even Xie Jing was focused on preparing for the examination. The school awarded scholarships every year. Students with outstanding results would be given a certain amount of money. The first-class scholarship was 50 dollars, the second-class scholarship was 30 dollars and the third-class scholarship was 10 dollars. The school would hold three examinations in a semester. The student in the first place would get five credit points, the second place would get three credit points, and the third place would get one credit point. At the end of the semester, whoever had the most credit points would be the top-ranking student of the semester. The scholarships was awarded according to the placements. If a student received the first-class scholarship every year, that student would definitely garner more attention after graduation and might even qualify to go for further studies. Xie Jing had already been a first-class scholarship winner for two consecutive years. At night, Cui Hua asked Xie Jing to go outside and whispered, Ive found out everything you asked me to investigate the last time. Its all written on this piece of paper. Take a look. After Xie Jing understood the grudge between Tan Jing and Qiao Mei, as well as the Huang familys status in the capital, he said, I know what to do. Early the next morning, Tan Jing received a call from Xie Jing proclaiming hisdesire to work with her. Tan Jing smiled and said, I didnt expect you to agree so quickly. Im looking forward to hearing good news from you. I hope we can work well together. Lets work well together, Xie Jing said.. Chapter 1851 - 1851: Ranked First in the Cohort Chapter 1851 - 1851: Ranked First in the Cohort Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Soon, the semester ended and everyone got fairly good results. As usual, Qiao Mei was ranked first in her cohort, Wu Duo was also ranked first in the engineering faculty, as was Wang Wei. Li Xue was slightly weaker than them, but she still managed to get second place. Qiao Mei did not care about Xie Jings results, but Li Xue was very nosy. Xie Jing had many admirers, so it was not difficult to find out about his results. Hey! Do you know? Xie Jing is actually also from the agriculture faculty! Moreover, hes actually the top student in the third year! All the professors have high hopes for him! Li Xue said. You mean you only just know that hes from the agriculture faculty. Ive already seen his name among the list of outstanding students in the faculty, Qiao Mei said disdainfully. Then why isnt he in the same faculty compound as you? I thought the entire agriculture faculty studied in the same location! Li Xue said. The third year students had to start working on experiments. Theres an experimental field where all the third-year agriculture students attend their classes. Youve already been here for half a year, so why dont you know anything? Isnt it your favorite thing to indulge in gossip? Qiao Mei asked. l dont have time this year! I can only gossip with others after the exams! You dont know how thick my books are! I think if I cant find a job after graduation, I can go to the construction site to carry bricks. Every time I go to class, I have to carry a brick with me. Its so uncomfortable! My arm strength has improved greatly in the past six months, Li Xue said. Really? Thank you so much! Ill go tomorrow! Ill definitely be hardworking and learn diligently! Li Xue said excitedly. Its a small matter. Its the best thing if you can study hard, Qiao Mei said. l promise to complete the mission! Li Xue said happily. During this holiday break, Wu Duo and the others were all very busy. Wu Duo had applied to become a volunteer at Qiao Meis factory so that he could learn mechanical repair and design from his father. Wang Wei did not keep idle either. He was helping his family with their business and Qiao Mei had given them a share of the popcorn business. Wang Wei could be considered to be working for Qiao Mei now. Qiao Mei was the only one who could bask leisurely in the sun at home. It was hot in summer and she really did not want to go out. Every day, she hid inside the courtyard to slack off. When Deng Fan had some free time, he went to Lian City to take a look at her house there and find a few people to do some superficial renovations first. Xia He was left alone at home, so she decided to move to Qiao Meis place for a few days. Arent you busy these two days? Qiao Mei asked curiously. The busiest period is over. Its the school holidays so I have more time now, Xia He said wearily.. Chapter 1852 - 1852: Not Allowed to Get Married Chapter 1852 - 1852: Not Allowed to Get Married Qiao Mei looked at Xia He with some interest and said, I guess business has slowed down. Now that youre done for the moment, what do you plan to do next year? Do you have any ideas? How... how do you know what Ive been worried about recently? Xia He said as she looked at Qiao Mei in shock. Qiao Mei only smiled and did not say anything. During this period of time, Xia He and Xia Wen had made a lot of money. After deducting the costs, they had made a profit of 600,000 dollars. Although this was not a small sum, they had also encountered many difficulties during this process. Xia Wen and Xia He had sent a few staff out to other cities near the capital to take photos. The local tyrants in the cities quickly heard of this profit-making business. These people started to do the same thing on a much bigger scale and they even charged lower prices than Xia Wen and Xia He! The locals in those cities definitely did not trust outsiders as much, so Xia Hes team immediately lost a lot of business. Fortunately, they still had the upper hand because of the early start and managed to make a fair bit of money. Their staff definitely could not go back to these cities again next year. If the local tyrants spotted them, they would just be asking for a beating. Those tyrants had already given the Xia family a lot of respect by allowing them to bring back their earnings from those cities. If it was not because of the Xia familys reputation, they would probably have to pay those local tyrants instead! At least they could still continue with the business in the capital. After all, the Xia family was like the local tyrant in the capital. However, with the economy opening up this year, there were more and more private enterprises coming up. It was no longer possible to make so much money from this business. No prominent family would be able to lead a quiet life. Even people who were only slightest related to the family would come to ask for a share of the pie. If the family did not give in to these poor relatives, they would go around to spread rumors and cause trouble. When that happened, the family would quickly fall from grace. The MO family was full of learned people and was a scholarly family. They naturally did not have to experience such things. It was reasonable for them to have a bad opinion of the Xia family. However, it was not fair for Xia Wen to remain a bachelor just because of such trivial matters! It seems that the abduction of my child has affected them quite badly. Do you need me to go and explain things to them? Qiao Mei said with a slight frown. Im not sure. Lets not cause trouble for Eldest Brother for the time being. He doesnt even answer calls nowadays and I dont even dare to talk to him anymore, Xia He said aggrievedly. Qiao Mei was at a loss for a moment. She did not know how to deal with such a situation. MO Zhu was a nice girl. If Xia Wen could marry a wife like MO Zhu, he would definitely have a happy family life in the future. It seemed that she had to think of a way to help Xia Wen and MO Zhu. Xia Hes staff rang her up and asked her to go and settle some company matters. Qiao Mei took the opportunity to go to the small secret room behind the study. She had purposely built this room during the renovation of the house to keep her collection of paintings and treasures. MO Chou was not particularly fond of anything but he had a fondness for landscape paintings. Liu Shu liked all kinds of unique needlework and embroidery items. Qiao Mei had many landscape paintings in her collection, so it was not a big deal to give MO Chou a few valuable items. However, she really did not have any needlework or embroidery in storage.. Chapter 1853 - 1853: Prepare Gifts Chapter 1853: Prepare Gifts Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Needlework and embroidery were very difficult to keep well and also not really considered a mainstream product on the market. There were very few collectors who would be willing to part with items in their collections. Qiao Mei thought about this issue for a long time and finally decided to make something herself. She would personally embroider a wedding dress for MO Zhu. It would be even more luxurious than the wedding dress she embroidered for Xia He back then. She would only use gold and silver threads, the kind which cost 50 dollars per meter and supply was very scarce. Qiao Mei had to rally many friends to help before she managed to buy 10 small spools of thread from all over the country. During the entire summer vacation, Qiao Mei locked herself up in the study and worked on this major project quietly. No one knew what Qiao Mei was doing and they all thought that she was studying. When the summer vacation was almost over, Qiao Mei called up all the family members and asked them to come to the courtyard house. She told them she had something to discuss with them. Xia Jun, Xu Lan and Xia Mao came by. Xia Wen also rushed to Qiao Meis house after work. After the family had a nice dinner together, Qiao Mei asked everyone to sit down in the living room and told them she would be back soon. Everyone waited while feeling at a loss. No one knew what Qiao Mei was doing. The kids had been doing well recently. Xia Fan and Xia Xing could already walk and could even run a few steps sometimes. They were in good health. Xia Yue also ate and slept well, just like Xia Fan when he was younger. Why did she feel the need to call for a family meeting? Xia He, did you cause trouble again? Xu Lan asked as she looked at Xia He. Eldest Brother, dont say that. Were a family. When there are any difficulties, we should think of a way to overcome them together. Since MO Zhu is the person you like and shes willing to marry into our family, we just need to convince her parents. As long as were sincere enough, her parents wont make things difficult for us, Qiao Mei said. Thats right! As long as we persevere, we can even grind an iron rod into a needle! Lets give it another go! Xia He said excitedly. Thats right, Eldest Brother. Lets go to the MO familys house together tomorrow. Lets try one more time, Qiao Mei said with a smile. Alright, Ill take your advice. Lets go together, Xia Wen said. Lets all go to bed early today and head to the MO familys house together tomorrow. Its settled then. Xia Mao, give the MO family a call and let them know, Xia Jun said. Grandfather, you should stay at home. The weather is so hot. What if you get a heatstroke? Xia He said worriedly. Im fine! Since we agree that were going as a family, we have to go together! How can I be left out! Its settled! Everyone, go back and rest now. Well set off early tomorrow morning! Xia Jun said. Everyone went home to choose their clothes and get the gifts ready for the visit to the MO family. The next morning, they arrived at the foot of the mountain in a big group. They did not drive the car up and chose to make the journey on foot instead.. Chapter 1854 - 1854: Paying a Visit Chapter 1854: Paying a Visit Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Father, Mother! The Xia family members are on the way. They should be here soon, MO Zhu said nervously. Didnt we already say on the phone yesterday that we wont meet them? Why are they still coming here today? MO Zhu, listen to me. Dont even think about marrying into the Xia family. Im doing this for your own good! Dont disobey me! Even if they come, I wont open the door for them! You should just give up! MO Chou said sternly. MO Zhu was about to retort when Liu Shu hurriedly pulled her to one side and whispered, Lower your voice and dont be angry with your father. He has high blood pressure and heart problems. No matter what he says now, you have to be more accommodating to him. He hasnt been feeling well recently. Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m Then what about me? Am I supposed to just listen to him? Im my own person. Is it wrong for me to want to marry the person I like? MO Zhu said with tears in her eyes. Liu Shu did not know what to say. The truth was that she supported MO Zhu being with Xia Wen, but she was also a mother. She would rather MO Zhu marry into an ordinary family and deal with only trivial household issues every day. She did not want MO Zhu to join the Xia family and have to face so many troublesome issues all the time. Youre not in the wrong, but neither is your father. He just wants to protect his daughter as much as he can. You have to understand where he is coming from, Liu Shu persuaded. Then what about me? Who will try and understand how I feel? Anyway, I wont marry anyone except Xia Wen! MO Zhu said agitatedly. Why are all of you in such a sorry state? Its such a hot day and youre carrying so many things with you. Come into the house for a drink! Liu Shu said immediately. Please come in! Please come in! MO Chou said in surprise. When the Xia family members were more rested, everyone looked at one another in silence. No one wanted to be the one to speak first. MO Chou had locked MO Zhu in the backyard earlier. Qiao Mei walked over to Liu Shu and said with a smile, Auntie, I would like to ask for your help to evaluate an item. I wonder if you can help me take a look? What is it? Liu Shu asked curiously. When Qiao Mei opened the box, Liu Shus eyes widened. She had a lot of treasures in her collection, but the embroidery in front of her was really a rare piece of work. Be it the embroidery methods, materials or completeness of the design, this was a piece of high-quality work. Even after 100 to 200 years, this wedding dress would still be very valuable. Oh my goodness... Where did you get this wedding dress? Its really a unique piece. This material looks... like it was made recently. Which embroiderer did it? Why havent I seen it before? Liu Shu said carefully as she held up the wedding dress. This is the wedding dress I sewed for MO Zhu. Im the one who embroidered it. 1 hope you like it, Qiao Mei said with a smile. MO Chou was staring at Qiao Mei with a judgmental look but it changed to a look of admiration now. He knew that Liu Shu was very particular about embroidery. For Liu Shu to ask who the embroiderer was, this piece of work must be extraordinary. He was not a fool. Qiao Mei and MO Zhu were not friends, not even acquaintances. Qiao Mei was willing to spend time and effort to make a wedding dress for MO Zhu only because of Xia Wen.. Chapter 1855 - 1855: Set a Date for the Wedding Chapter 1855 - 1855: Set a Date for the Wedding Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios This gift is really too valuable! Our family cant accept it! Liu Shu said immediately. This is a token from our Xia family. I hope Auntie can accept it on behalf of MO Zhu. I also brought a few pieces of calligraphy and paintings for Uncle. I dont really understand these things, so I hope Uncle can help me take a look at them. Qiao Mei took out the calligraphy and paintings from the box and went over to MO Chou. MO Chou looked away, not wanting to look at them. Xia He and Qiao Mei continued to unfold calligraphy and paintings. He spotted a particular signature from the corner of his eye and could not take his eyes off it after that. This artist has long retired. Some years ago, there was a big fire at his house and many paintings were lost. There are very few pieces of his works left. How did you manage to get them? MO Chou asked. I just happened to come across them. I dont know anything about these things. Since Uncle likes them, Ill give them to you. If I keep them, theyll just be pearls covered in dust, Qiao Mei said. All these gifts were just appropriate enough. It was not so ostentatious as to make MO Chou feel like he had to give MO Zhu away to the Xia family. With so many Xia family members here today, the MO family also had to give them a clear answer. If the MO family really did not want MO Zhu to marry into the Xia family, the Xia family would not pester them anymore. MO Chou brought Xia Wen to the study. He stood by the window and did not speak for a long time. He was not a cold-blooded and heartless person. It was not as if he was not touched by the Xia familys sincerity today. MO Zhu definitely would not suffer if she married into the Xia family. Wen? Father! Im serious! I want to be with Xia Wen! Im willing to give up everything I have now! MO Zhu said. MO Chou sat on the chair helplessly and shook his head. Liu Shu stood beside him and placed her hands on his shoulder. Liu Shu knew how much MO Chou could not bear to part with MO Zhu. He could not bear to see Nio Zhu go to the Xia family house and suffer there. No matter how difficult it is, can you persevere? Liu Shu asked gently. I can do it, MO Zhu said firmly. MO Zhu and I will face any difficulties together. I wont abandon MO Zhu, Xia Wen said. Sigh... Alright, a grown daughter has to leave home one day. Ask your parents to find a good date for you to get married, MO Chou said with a deep sigh. What? Xia Wen stood stunned for a long time. He did not hear what MO Chou said clearly. MO Chou said impatiently, Do I have to say it again! Hurry up and set the date! You brat! Chapter 1856 - 1856: Give Blessings Chapter 1856 - 1856: Give Blessings Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Oh, oh, oh! Ill go now! Ill go now! Thank you, Uncle! After saying that, Xia Wen ran to the living room excitedly and shouted, They have agreed! Father, Mother! Grandfather! They have agreed! I can marry MO Zhu! Xia He covered her mouth and chuckled. This is the first time Ive seen Eldest Brother as agitated as a child. 1 didnt expect Eldest Brother to have such a side to him. People will surely be in high spirits when theyre happy. Didnt Deng Fan have the same reaction when you agreed to marry him? Qiao Mei said with a smile. Then what about Xia Zhe? How did Xia Zhe get your grandfathers permission to marry you back then? Xia He asked curiously. Back then, Xia Zhe had married Qiao Mei without informing the Xia family at all. They did not know what had happened then. Qiao Mei blushed in embarrassment and said, Just like that. Rather than saying that Xia Zhe had asked for permission to marry her, it would be more accurate to say that she had forced Xia Zhe to marry her. Fortunately, Xia Zhe was a responsible man and did not abandon her. The Huang family did not care about Tan Jings health at all. In fact, they thought that it would be a good thing if she had a miscarriage out of exhaustion, since it would save them the trouble of coming up with a scheme. The days passed quickly. It was soon the day of Xia Wen and MO Zhus wedding banquet. Xia Wen and MO Zhu wore the wedding clothes which Qiao Mei had embroidered for them. The two of them stood at the door to welcome the guests and they looked like the perfect match. All the guests were full of praise for MO Zhu. The courtyard was bustling with activity and the Xia family members were all busy entertaining the guests. Just as almost all the guests had arrived, a small sedan car suddenly stopped at the main door. Xia Wen could basically recognize all the cars which belonged to the government. He had never seen this car before and did not know who was inside. Just as Xia Wen was hesitating about whether he should go forward, someone got out of the car. It was Tan Jing. He widened his eyes and stared at her. Just as he was about to move forward and chase her away, MO Zhu hurriedly pulled him back and whispered, Anyone who comes today is a guest. We have to receive them regardless of whether they are humans or beasts. Stay calm. Tan Jing slowly walked to the door bearing a congratulatory gift and said, Since its your wedding, I must definitely come and celebrate with you. Mrs. Huang, you should have told us in advance that youre coming. I dont remember us sending an invitation to Mrs. Huang. Its really our negligence that Mrs. Huang has to invite herself here today. Come in quickly, MO Zhu said loudly as she looked at Tan Jing. When the guests in the courtyard heard that, they all looked towards the door. MO Zhu seemed to be purposely telling everyone that Tan Jing had come uninvited and was on the list of guests. She was implying that Tan Jing was shameless! When Xia He saw Tan Jing, she rolled up her sleeves and was about to go to the door to chase her away. Qiao Mei quickly grabbed Xia He and said, Its Eldest Brothers big day.. Dont cause trouble! Chapter 1857 - 1857: Childless Chapter 1857: Childless Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Im not causing trouble! Shes the one causing trouble! Shes not here bearing gifts! Shes clearly here to cause trouble! It hasnt been easy for Eldest Brother to obtain the MO familys approval. If something happens today, who knows how Uncle and Auntie will criticize my brother! Xia He said anxiously. Alright already. The MO family members are not that difficult. Since they have agreed to this marriage, they wont go back on their word. Well just deal with whatever comes our way. Lets see what Tan Jing wants. Just wait and see, Qiao Mei persuaded. Thats the only thing we can do... Ill keep an eye on her! I wont let her cause trouble! If she causes trouble, Ill beat her up with a big stick! Xia He said. You should go to the backyard to take care of the guests! There are so many things that we need to do! Just go. Eldest Brother and Eldest Sister-in-law will handle this matter well. Qiao Mei finally managed to coax Xia He away. When Tan Jing wanted to step into the courtyard, Xia Wen moved to block her way. He just stared at Tan Jing and did not do anything overboard, but neither did he say anything to her. Tan Jing held up the gift and said, Im sincerely here to send a congratulatory gift. Cant I go in? After all, we were husband and wife once. MO Zhu pulled Xia Wen away and said to Tan Jing, Of course. Please come in. Oh! You still dont know about this! Tan Jing pretended to cover her mouth in surprise and then continued, Xia Wen is infertile! We were married for more than 10 years but 1 never got pregnant. The Xia family even chased me out because of this! Yet 1 became pregnant as soon as I married my current husband. Im almost seven months pregnant now. The MO family members did not look too happy and just looked at Tan Jing quietly. When Tan Jing saw this, she continued with gusto, If theres really no other way, MO Zhu can have a child with someone else! Otherwise, if she never has a child, she wont have any descendants! Hahahahaha! Tan Jings hysterical laughter resounded throughout the entire courtyard and attracted everyones attention. Liu Shu smiled and said, For sure the Huang family doesnt have this problem of having no descendants. I heard that the Huang family has many many grandchildren. Are they all your children? It seems that youre really blessed. Tan Jing had only married into the Huang family for less than a year, so it was impossible for those grandchildren to be hers. Tan Jing said calmly, Although theyre not my biological children, 1 treat them like my own flesh and blood. Oh my, then it seems that youre really a responsible person. How does it feel to be a stepmother? Nio Zhus eldest aunt asked as she looked at Tan Jing. The children are all quite obedient. Im happy of course, Tan Jing said. The Huang family really has a good daughter-in-law. I wonder how long you can last. I heard that the Huang family has had many daughters-in-law in the past. The one who lasted the longest died after two years, MO Zhus eldest aunt said with a smile. That... thats because theyre not blessed! They are destined to have short lives! Tan Jing said agitatedly. Look at you. You get so anxious so quickly. We didnt say that you have a short life. Were just trying to gossip with you, MO Zhus youngest aunt said.. Chapter 1858 - 1858: Blessed Chapter 1858: Blessed Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Oh, there are so many things about the Huang family that I dont know about. I didnt expect it to be so dangerous living in the Huang family. You can go to a temple to ask for an amulet. Giving birth is the most dangerous thing that a woman can go through. You... Liu Shu looked at Tan Jings stomach before she continued, Be careful. Im in very good health! You dont have to worry! You should worry about what will happen if MO Zhu doesnt have children in the future! Tan Jing said angrily. So what if she doesnt have children? What can happen if she doesnt have children? Dont tell me she wont be able to live without children? I actually think its a good thing not to have children. MO Zhu is doing well at her job now, and this Xia Wen is even more capable. Her future days will definitely be extremely good! MO Zhus eldest aunt said in satisfaction. Isnt that so! Im so envious that MO Zhu finds a good man like Xia Wen! If my daughter can find such a man, I wont have to worry anymore! It doesnt matter if she has children or not! I dont really want my daughter to have children! My heart will really ache if she has to go through such a painful experience! MO Zhus youngest aunt said. Arent you his ex-wife? Then you should know what a good man Xia Wen is. Thats actually very fortunate! Its going to be a lot of work for my MO Zhu to prepare meals every day in such a big house. Im really envious of Mrs. Huang for having a small house. Dont you agree, Mrs. Huang? Liu Shu asked with a smile. Tan Jing got up angrily and left the banquet. When she reached the main door, she took a long look at MO Zhus wedding gown. It was indeed luxurious and gorgeous, a hundred times better than her wedding gown. Take care! Mrs. Huang! MO Zhu smiled and sent Tan Jing off. Tan Jing almost stumbled at the steps. MO Zhu hurriedly pulled Xia Wen out of the way and went into the courtyard, not giving Tan Jing the chance to blame it on them. After Tan Jing left, the atmosphere in the courtyard became much more peaceful. Liu Shu continued mingling with the guests and chatting casually. However, the topic had changed from their own family matters to gossip about the Huang family. Although they all came from a scholarly family, how could they not know about these things in the capital? It was not like anyone could erect an impenetrable wall around themselves. As long as one asked around, one would be able to find out all the hidden secrets. If there was something wrong with the Xia family, how could they have raised such good children? The Xia familys kids were all so promising and outstanding. Even their spouses were all so capable. So your mother knows everything... Xia Wen said carefully. Shes our mother now! Ive already told them about these things and said that these are all just rumors that cant be trusted. In order to disprove the rumors, your aunt had already shown us the medical reports to dispel our concerns, MO Zhu said.. Chapter 1859 - 1859: Remove the Right to Use a Car Chapter 1859 - 1859: Remove the Right to Use a Car Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios My aunt went to talk to all of you? Xia Wen asked as he looked at MO Zhu in shock. Thats right. She brought all your yearly medical reports and showed them to our family. She reassured my parents repeatedly that there is nothing wrong with you. Our family is not that old-fashioned and will not simply just believe what other people say. My parents know how to look at the facts of the situation. You have to trust them, MO Zhu said blissfully as she held Xia Wens hand.Visitt for the latest updates Every member of the Xia family had worked hard to ensure that Xia Wen and MO Zhu could get married. The wedding banquet proceeded very smoothly and everyone was very happy. No one took Tan Jings presence to heart. It was as if a clown had appeared at the couples wedding banquet to liven things up for everyone. Qiao Mei hired a big team of people to clean up after the wedding banquet and handle all the dirty and tiring work. Every moment of the night was precious for Xia Wen and MO Zhu. They should not waste any moment! To ensure their happiness in the bedroom, Qiao Mei even put a lot of ginseng juice into the wine. It would be best if they could strike the baby lottery on the first try like she and Xia Zhe did! This way, Xia Wens child would be about the same age as her children and they could all play together! Tan Jing was not so lucky. Xia Wen submitted a complaint and highlighted that the Huang family did not use the car according to the rules and regulations and that they behaved extravagantly. Huang Quan was scolded by his superiors for an entire day and he was asked to write a 5,000-word self-reflection letter and to read it aloud in front of all his colleagues. Whats the use of asking me! You should ask the daughter-in-law you chose for me! Why did she have to go to Xia Wens wedding! She even borrowed someone elses car! Now, she has offended the Xia family and Xia Wen submitted a complaint letter. Its already good enough that I didnt get fired! Huang Quan scolded angrily. Then what about He Ning? Wont He Ning help us? Go and plead with him and ask him to help us, You Yu said. At Huang Quans own wedding banquet, Huang Quan had personally witnessed He Nings unusual attitude towards Qiao Mei. This time round, He Ning had also given Xia Wen a valuable gift for his wedding. Although the He and Xia families did not get along, they still maintained a good relationship on the surface. This time round, He Ning definitely would not help them. Why will He Ning offend the Xia family over such a small matter! Youd better wake up! Wheres Tan Jing? Tell her to come out quickly! 1 1 m going to beat her to death! Ill see if she can go out and show off again! Huang Quan said furiously. You Yu hurriedly stopped him and said, Calm down. Shes pregnant! If she suffers a miscarriage, we wont be able to explain ourselves! Bear with it for a while. Why should I bear with it! I cant tolerate it! Where is she! Im going to teach her a lesson today and let her know who she can and cant afford to offend! Huang Quan rolled up his sleeves and went looking for Tan Jing in every room. He finally found her hiding in the storeroom. Youre quite good at hiding! You must have heard what 1 said outside just now! Youre really capable. It looks like you wont behave yourself until you have destroyed our Huang family! Come out! Huang Quan said as he pointed at Tan Jing who was hiding behind the shelf. I... I didnt do it on purpose... I didnt do anything... Tan Jing said shakily.. Chapter 1860 - 1860: News Chapter 1860 - 1860: News Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios You didnt do anything? Youve done so much! You just cant wait to give all the Huang familys hard-earned assets to the Xia family! Are you here to help me get rid of the Xia family or to help the Xia family destroy me? Huang Quan questioned. l didnt! Of course Im here to help you! You have to believe me! I really didnt do anything to let the Huang family down! Tan Jing knelt on the ground in fear and made an oath. Dont go looking for trouble with the Xia family in the future! Do you hear me! You have to ask me first before you do anything! Huang Quan pointed at Tan Jing and scolded angrily. l hear you... I swear I wont go looking for trouble with the Xia family again... Tan Jing whispered. However, that did nothing to quell Huang Quans anger. He could not hurt Tan Jing directly at the moment. If she suffered a miscarriage, the Tan family could go to the police station to report him. Even if this child died, it had to happen somewhere else and not in the Huang familys house. He pushed down all the shelves in the storeroom, letting them smash onto Tan Jings back and causing her to cry out in pain. This incident would not cause Tan Jing to miscarry. He picked up all the items and threw them against the wall. He only left the Huang familys house after he tired himself out. You Yu sat in the living room and cursed Tan Jing. She wished that she could skin Tan Jing alive, drink Tan Jings blood and tear Tan Jing into pieces. How was she going to maintain her status in front of those other ladies in the future? She did not know how her mahjong friends were going to mock her! She had a fall? When she left the wedding banquet that day, she looked quite well to me, MO Zhu said. They say she had a fall, but Aunt saw the injuries and was sure that she was beaten up by someone. She had clearly been hit by something! However, the Huang family doesnt allow the hospital to ask about it, Xia He said. l dont care how she got injured as long as it doesnt cause any harm to our family. I have to go to school again soon. Just thinking about it makes me feel so tired, Qiao Mei said helplessly. It is indeed very tiring to go to school, but at least you still have the winter and summer holidays! I dont even have any holidays anymore. Ive been so busy these past two days that I dont even have time to eat. Im just short of sleeping inside the office every day, Xia He said with a sigh. Qiao Mei looked at Xia He and asked, Have you thought about other businesses after I spoke to you the last time? Other than the photo studio, do you have any other business ideas? Xia He had thought about it, but with the economy opening up and everyone going into business, there was not much money to be made in the market. They had to find something that no one had thought about yet. Ill think about it again. Lets make sure that the photo studio establishes a foothold in the capital first. Ill think of the other stuff later, Xia He said. Sure, let me know if you need anything, Qiao Mei said with a smile. The whole family lived very close to one another now. Every day, in the daytime, everyone would come to Qiao Meis place for a visit, a chat or to help Qiao Mei take care of the children. At night, they would go back to their own homes. Xia Jun and the others had already moved to this area and returned their previous houses to the country.. For that, the country had even specially approved the use of a new car for the Xia family! Chapter 1861 - 1861: A Spot to Study Abroad Chapter 1861 - 1861: A Spot to Study Abroad Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios All schools resumed classes during the autumn. After a few quiet and peaceful days, Xia Wen suddenly came to Qiao Meis house. He held up a document and walked over to her with a smile. l have good news for you. Make a guess what it is. Is the economy fully open? Qiao Mei asked. Xia Wen shook his head and said, Guess again. Dont tell me the country is giving me a new reward? Qiao Mei asked again. There is indeed a reward for you, but I cant tell you about it yet. The details are still confidential. Those seeds of yours have already been harvested and have sold well, so weve made a lot of money from overseas. However, the accounts are not finalized yet. When that is done, youll definitely get a reward. Dont be too anxious, Xia Wen said. Then... then can I choose my own reward? Qiao Mei said excitedly. Lets see how it goes. Ill let you know after the decision is made. However, Im not here about this matter. Im here about your education, Xia Wen said. If you dont believe me, go and ask your mentor. This slot has long been given to Qiao Mei, a freshman! Stop daydreaming! That person left after saying that but many people had overheard their conversation. It was so rare to have a slot to study abroad and they had not even started working hard for it, so how could the slot be already gone? If the person who had taken the slot was a student in the third or fourth year, they would find it hard to object. After all, such a student had already amassed enough knowledge. However, Qiao Mei was just a freshman and had not even learned much! What right did she have to take the slot? This was an opportunity to bring glory to the country. Would it not be embarrassing to send someone who knew nothing to study abroad? It would be so embarrassing for Capital University and the students. We cant accept this! Why can Qiao Mei study abroad! We should be able to go too! How can the slot be just given away! We object! Very quickly, many students held up protest signs stating that they were against Qiao Mei being sent to study abroad and they held a demonstration in front of the principals office building. Now that the economy was developing rapidly and everyone was striving for fairness and justice, such an incident of giving something to a predetermined person definitely made the public feel angry. Xie Jing led the students from the agriculture faculty to protest and asked the school for an explanation. The school found it really difficult to appease the sudden public anger, so they called up Xia Wen and asked him for help. Xia Wen asked helplessly, Should we just tell everyone about your collaboration with the country? This way, they cant object to you being chosen anymore. Itll be obvious that you deserve the slot. Forget it. I dont want to be so showy. If we do that, everyone will hate me even more, Qiao Mei said.. Chapter 1862 - 1862: Compete for the Slot Chapter 1862 - 1862: Compete for the Slot Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios But how should we deal with this situation now? Are we going to let them continue to slander you? Xia Wen said in annoyance. I have my ways. Eldest Brother, theres no need to be angry. Just trust me, Qiao Mei said confidently. Xia Wen had no other solution for now. He could only trust Qiao Mei and believe that she would be able to handle this crisis well. He would go and deal with the situation behind the scenes within the government. Qiao Mei went to the nearby department store to buy a loudspeaker. The next day, she went to the schools noticeboard and held up a document as she gathered everyone from the agriculture faculty. Everyone, look over here! The policy documents for this overseas study trip have already been issued! Dont you want to know the policy? Qiao Mei shouted loudly. Xie Jing slowly walked up to Qiao Mei and said, What policy? Isnt it just to make it easier for you to get in through the back door? They have already decided whos going to get the slot, so why are you still talking so much here? Are you here to show off? Thats right! Who knows if these documents are real! We dont trust what you say! Sun Jia quickly echoed. In her other life, in order to become an outstanding lawyer, she had learned six languages. Sometimes, she even had to go overseas to handle cases. This was the norm for her. When the students from the agriculture faculty heard that they could compete for the slot to go overseas, most of them signed up immediately. Given that it was not the norm for first-year students to participate in such events, it was clear that they were all blatantly bullying Qiao Mei. The first-year students mainly studied theory and did not have many technical classes. They were definitely not as experienced as that of the third-year and fourth-year students. Theyre clearly declaring war on Qiao Mei! This is not fair at all! Were only freshmen and theres only so much that weve learned. How can we compete with them! Wu Duo said unhappily. Have you forgotten that Im from the countryside? Ive been farming since I was young. In terms of being professional, Ill say that theyre not half as professional as me! Qiao Mei said proudly. Wu Duo and the rest had been worried earlier but they instantly calmed down when they heard that. Most of the students in Capital University came from the city and a small group came from the mixed city-village areas. All of them had never really farmed before and did not know much about agricultural land. That was why they had to work hard to pick up the technical knowledge. Only then could they ensure that they would be able to grow high-quality fruits and not fail any of the university subjects. Students from the countryside would never apply to the agriculture faculty. They had left the countryside to see the world and learn more. If they studied agriculture, that would be like going back to their original lives. It would be a waste of time going to the university! Theres also one slot in each of your faculty, right? Dont you want to give it a try? Qiao Mei asked curiously. Of course we want to fight for the chance to go overseas, but I really cant do it. There are too many things to learn in class and I cant even memorize them all. Even if I try to cram day and night now, I still wont be able to memorize everything, Li Xue said dejectedly.. Chapter 1863 - 1863: Cheating Again Chapter 1863 - 1863: Cheating Again Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Its the same for me. I have so many textbooks that I cant finish memorizing all the information. I dont think I can compete with the others. It looks like I wont be able to go this time either, Wang Wei said regretfully. They all turned to look at Wu Duo. He definitely had the skills needed to compete for the slot in the engineering faculty. Since he had been tagging along with his father since young, he must be even more skillful than those students in the third and fourth years. He actually had the best chance of being the chosen one in the engineering faculty. Dont look at me. Im not good at English. I cant just speak it. I didnt even do well in the exam, Wu Duo said aggrievedly. There are still two more months. You can definitely study hard. Why dont you give it a try in these two months? I think youre quite talented in learning, Qiao Mei said sincerely. l really cant. Even if you give me two years to learn to speak English, I still wont be able to do it. I think 1 should just forget it. Besides, my father doesnt want me to be too far away from him. My parents arent in good health and Im their only son. If I go away, who will take care of the two of them? Ill just forget about it, Wu Duo said. Alright then. When I go overseas, you cant get too lazy! Even if 1 go to the ends of the earth, youre still my students! You cant embarrass me! Qiao Mei said seriously as she looked at the three of them. Dont worry, Mentor. We promise we will never embarrass you! Wu Duo promised. l hear that there will be a quota to go overseas once every two years. We will definitely work hard to fight for the slot to go overseas the next time. We can go and look for you then! Li Xue said happily. In the end, it was proven that they had all indeed wasted their time. Qiao Mei had scored 99 points, 13 points higher than the second place! She lost one point only because she had written a Wrong word out of nervousness. This is impossible! How can this be? How can a freshman like her be better than us! She must have cheated! She did even better than Xie Jing. This is too unbelievable! This is definitely cheating! If she didnt cheat, how could she get all the answers right! Wu Duo and the others looked at the crowd helplessly. Wu Duo pointed at the crowd and said, Why do 1 get a sense of deja vu? l think theyre going to start saying that Qiao Mei must have gotten in through the back door and already has all the answers! Li Xue guessed softly. As Li Xue expected, people in the crowd started to spread rumors about Qiao Meis relationship with the school management. There were even people who said that she was the principals relative as the rumors became more and more ridiculous. These people would regret it one day. The three of them knew that they only managed to get their current achievements because they did not take part in this kind of stuff in the past.. Chapter 1864 - 1864: Punishment Chapter 1864 - 1864: Punishment Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios More and more people gathered at the agriculture facultys noticeboard and the doubts about Qiao Meis results also became louder and louder. There were also an endless stream of people spreading all kinds of rumors. Qiao Mei and the others did not know whether to laugh or cry from what they were hearing. The four of them had already noted down the people who were the gang leaders spreading the rumors. If there was a chance in the future, they would definitely settle this score with each of these people and mess up their lives! The strange thing was that Xie Jing was not among the people who voiced out that Qiao Mei had cheated. Xie Jing just stood at the edge of the crowd and quietly watched all this unfolding. If he was not making use of such a good opportunity to take down Qiao Mei, what was he up to? Not long after, the dean of the agriculture faculty rushed over. He stood on top of the steps and said to everyone, All of you, be quiet! If you have anything to say, speak up one at a time! Dont gather here and cause trouble! Otherwise, you will be punished according to the school rules! Sun Jia went up to the dean agitatedly and shouted, Professor! Were suspicious of Qiao Meis results! Qiao Mei must have cheated! What right do you have to say that she cheated? Do you have any proof? the dean questioned. Everyone fell silent. The dean was right. They just could not believe that a freshman had done better than them, given that they were the seniors. They could not accept this fact. From afar, Wu Duo gave the dean of the agriculture faculty a thumbs up and said in admiration, The professors from your faculty are really amazing. Theyre much more serious than the professors from our faculty. Hell definitely be able to clear your name. Alright, alright, lets go and get some food. Ive watched enough and Im hungry! Li Xue held her stomach and said aggrievedly. The four of them left before the dean of the agriculture faculty finished talking. All the teachers in the agriculture faculty thought that this incident was a show of very bad behavior and could not be tolerated. The group of eight people led by Sun Jia were all punished. As Sun Jia behaved the worst, she was given a major demerit. This could be considered a very satisfying conclusion to the saga. No one questioned Qiao Mei t s capability anymore and most students were filled with admiration for her. The top 50 students from the comprehensive quality test could continue with the next tests. The next subject was English. The country was starting to make some progress in foreign trade. Previously, no one took foreign languages seriously and felt that it was not useful or difficult to learn any. This was a subject that one could not cram and learn at the last minute. Qiao Mei recited the essay with a fluent American accent. All the teachers were full of praise for her. By now, those who were jealous of her were convinced. Her graceful enunciation sounded better than what they heard in the cassette tapes. How could she have cheated? She was indeed a capable person! The top 20 students in the English test could continue to take the next practical test. This test was a very simple one. The students had to plant the strawberry seeds in front of them and grow them within 20 days.. Chapter 1865 - 1865: Copycat Chapter 1865: Copycat Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios These were strawberry seeds which the country had modified. Although the end results of the modification did not turn out to be quite a success, these strawberry seeds had a shorter growth period and also bore bigger fruits. It did not taste too good, but it still brought a lot of convenience and economic benefits to farmers. The teachers in the agriculture faculty had been trying to get a breakthrough and modify these seeds into ones which could produce sweeter strawberries. Whoever could produce sweet strawberries in this test would qualify to study abroad. This assessment is to see who can grow big and sweet strawberries in 20 days. All of you have previously come into contact with this type of seed in class and you know it well. I wont say anything else. The site for planting is our schools experimental field. You can go and choose your own spot, the dean said. The school had provided the agricultural faculty with a large experimental field. There were both outdoor fields as well as glass greenhouses. Among the 20 students who advanced to this assessment, only Qiao Mei was a freshman. The rest were all in their third or fourth year. They had all taken practical lessons and knew these seeds very well. Visitt for the latest updates All of them walked to the glass greenhouse at the same time. Xie Jing was no exception too. This was because this was how their teacher had taught them to grow plants. They were only following the instructions in their textbooks. Professor! We havent even started planting yet! I also have the right to choose to plant it outside! Please let me have your approval! Xie Jing said. According to the rules of the competition, the students could not change the method of planting once they had made their choice. However, just as Xie Jing had said, he had only just arrived at the glass greenhouse and had not started planting. He should still be able to change the method of planting. The other students looked at Xie Jing. They did not know what Xie Jing wanted to do or if there was something wrong with him. Its written in the textbooks that we should plant the seeds in a glass greenhouse. Did Xie Jing wake up on the wrong side of the bed? Back then, Xie Jing had produced the best strawberries among all of us. He also planted them in the glass greenhouse then. Why does he want to go out now? In any case, I wont go out. Ill just follow the method in the textbooks and Ill definitely be able to grow them. Thats right. The textbooks cant be wrong. At least we will get results! Its so cold outside now. The strawberries will definitely freeze there! Everyone discussed animatedly. They wanted to go out too, but they did not have the guts. If they went to the experimental field outside and the seeds became frozen, they would not even be able to grow anything and their dream of studying abroad would be shattered. At the very least, they were sure that they would be able to produce strawberries in the glass greenhouse.. Chapter 1866 - 1866: The Strawberries Are Growing Well Chapter 1866: The Strawberries Are Growing Well Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Alright, but you need to ask Qiao Mei for her opinion. If she says that she has no problem with it, then you can grow your strawberries outside, the dean said as he looked at Xie Jing in disdain. The dean called Qiao Mei over and told her about Xie Jings issue. Qiao Mei did not mind and said with a smile, l have no problem, but the spot where Xie Jing grows his strawberries must be far away from me. No problem! The spot you chose is in the north, so Ill plant it in the south! I definitely wont cause you any problems! Xie Jing said excitedly. Since Qiao Mei has said so, then you can go outside too, the dean said. Qiao Mei then went back to the spot she had chosen to plant the strawberries. First, she set up the framework of the plastic shed. She had already asked Wu Duo and the others to go back to the factory to bring some essential materials for her. The timeframe of 20 days was very tight and she could not delay the planting by even one day. It was a race against time. Once everything was ready, Qiao Mei stopped worrying about anything. Before she left, she infused some energy into the seeds. She believed that they would germinate soon. When you dont have class, come over and take a look on my behalf. Keep an eye on my strawberries and dont let anyone get close to them, Qiao Mei said to Wu Duo and the others. The family gathered around the document and made wild guesses. After all, this matter concerned Qiao Mei and it was not appropriate for them to open the envelope without her. They decided to wait for Qiao Mei to return and reveal the answer. Im guessing that it must be a house. Qiao Mei likes houses so much. If its a house, she will definitely be happy! MO Zhu said with a laugh. No, no, no! She already received a house the last time. I dont think its that simple this time. It should be... money! It must be money! Can it be foreign currency! Ive never seen foreign currency before! Xia He said excitedly. l think it might be a reward for my grandchildren. Qiao Mei doesnt lack anything now. Its probably related to the children, Xu Lan said. Alright, alright! Stop making wild guesses. Youre all wrong. Lets talk about it when Qiao Mei comes back, Xia Wen said as he looked at Xia He in disdain. Xia He hurriedly ran to MO Zhu and said coquettishly, Sister-in-law, look at him- My eldest brother is bullying me! Ill definitely teach him a lesson! Dont worry! Ill make him sleep in the side room tonight! MO Zhu said as she coaxed Xia He. Hmph! Thank you, Sister-in-law~ I just know that Sister-in-law treats me the best! Xia He said as she looked at Xia Wen smugly. Xia Wen shook his head helplessly. He really did not know if it was a good thing or a bad thing that his wife and younger sister were on such good terms. In the end, Xia Zhe was the one who would resonate with him the most in this family. Qiao Mei rushed home. As soon as she entered, she asked, Where are the documents? On the table, Xia Wen said as he looked at Qiao Mei with some interest.. Chapter 1867 - 1867: New Reward Chapter 1867 - 1867: New Reward Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei took a deep breath and opened the envelope. After reading the documents carefully many times, she pinched her face and screamed excitedly after confirming that this was not a dream. She looked at Xia Wen excitedly and asked, Is this true? Eldest Brother, youre not lying to me, right! Is whats written here for real! Im not seeing things, am l! Oh my goodness! I like this reward so much! What? Whats the reward! Tell us quickly! Xia He asked anxiously. Xia Wen had worked hard to fight for the reward for her this time. Actually, no one in the government could make up their minds about her reward this time, so they all came to ask for Xia Wens opinion. Qiao Mei did not lack money or house or job or medical care or educational qualifications. It could be said that she did not lack anything. This made everyone feel troubled. The country was still improving steadily and working hard towards better development. They did not have the means to give Qiao Mei a reward that was too extravagant and could only give her something that was within their means.Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m The government staff gave Xia Wen two options in the end. One option was to choose five pieces of exquisite antiques from the items which the government had confiscated. They heard that Qiao Mei liked antiques and were sure that there must be things which Qiao Mei would like among these items. The other option was to give her those few warehouses in the suburbs. Thank you, Eldest Brother. I really like this reward so much! Qiao Mei said. Im glad you like it, Xia Wen said with satisfaction. The entire family felt very happy for Qiao Mei. Tonight, Xu Kang had prepared a big table full of sumptuous dishes to celebrate. Everyone was all smiles and even the three children knew that there was a joyous occasion at home and kept running around in the courtyard. The next day, Qiao Mei brought Da Zhuang and Xiao Zhuang to the warehouse. She planned to install a fence around the area, preferably one that was much taller than humans, so as to prevent the nearby villagers from stealing crops in the middle of the night. The warehouses had been in disrepair for a long time. Given the exposure to the winds and the rain, anything inside was either damp or damaged. The location of these warehouses was not very good either, so they needed to be demolished and rebuilt. After planning how she intended to use the site, Qiao Mei also marked out an area in the corner. This area could be used to build a two-story house. If Qiao Qiang wanted to come here to fish and relax in his later years, he would have a place to stay. This place was close to the mountains and rivers and was quite suitable for retirement. When Qiao Qiang had nothing to do, he could also help with the farming. After packing up, Qiao Mei drove home. She did not intend to plant too many different types of seeds now. If anyone found out that this batch of crops grew differently from the ones in the village, it would arouse suspicion. She intended to just plant some old seeds on that piece of land.. Chapter 1868 - 1868: The Strawberries Are Damaged Chapter 1868 - 1868: The Strawberries Are Damaged Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios As the days passed, Qiao Meis strawberry plants had already bore perfect fruits. The strawberries looked very attractive. Everyone felt that the fruits must be delicious! When Xie Jing saw Qiao Meis strawberries, he felt very anxious. The fruits of his strawberry plants were still green! At the end of the specified timeframe, they definitely would not be as nice as the ones planted by Qiao Mei. He went home that night and told Cui Hua about all these. Cui Hua gently stroked Xie Jings chest and said, Dont be anxious~ I have a way to make her lose the opportunity to study abroad. Do you have any good ideas? Xie Jing asked as he raised his eyebrows. Cui Hua leaned over and whispered her plan into Xie Jings ear. Xie Jing smiled happily. At times like this, he really did not want to lose Cui Hua. It would be great if he could bring her along when he went abroad to study. After all, it was rare to meet such a silly woman who would come up with schemes for him so wholeheartedly. However, Cui Hua could not become his wife. If he could go overseas to study, his future would be very bright. His partner must be worthy of him. Cui Hua was only good enough to be his tool to climb up the social ladder and could never become his partner. Cui Hua sent food to Xie Jing as usual. However, this time, she did not go home directly. Instead, she went to look for Wang Wei inside the glass greenhouse. She only talked to him for a while before he fell head over heels for her. There were many stray cats and dogs in the school. Everyone would occasionally bring some food to feed them. There was one particular dog who was very lively and could eat a lot. As long as there was delicious food, it would rush forward without regard for anything. Look at the miserable state of the plastic shed. There must be nothing left! We can only blame that stray dog! Why is it so greedy! Qiao Mei deserves it for being so smug. Lets see how she can still be so smug now! Lets see how she can study abroad! While some people felt sorry about what happened to Qiao Meis strawberries, others mocked her for not being able to study abroad anymore. There were many different opinions and everyone was just waiting to watch the drama. The dean and the teachers from the agriculture faculty rushed to the experimental field together. Looking at the broken strawberry shed, the teachers hearts shattered. These are the seedlings that are most similar to the experiments we have been doing! How can this be! Who did this! the dean said agitatedly. Professor... its this dog... a student from the agricultural faculty said, finding it hard to speak. What did you say? A dog? Did a dog do all this? the dean asked. Thats right. Yesterday, one of our classmates saw a dog heading in this direction and there are also dog footprints on the ground. Qiao Meis strawberries were probably all eaten by the dog, the agricultural faculty student said. Qiao Meis house was located quite far away and she rushed over as soon as she received the news. Everyone waited for a long time but Qiao Mei did not look too surprised as they expected.. Chapter 1869 - 1869: Retain the Results Chapter 1869 - 1869: Retain the Results Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios When Qiao Mei planted these strawberries, she also dropped many vine seeds nearby. These vines were all rooted in the ground and were barely visible on the surface, looking exactly like grass. These vines were her eyes and ears. They were constantly monitoring the strawberries in this area and she knew everything that was going on. Therefore, Qiao Mei had already seen everything that happened last night and knew very well who was responsible for all of this. However, the actual scene looked much more tragic than what she saw last night. Qiao Mei... um... all the crops in your field have been eaten by this dog... the dean said awkwardly as he stood rooted, his hand pressed down on the canine criminal. Qiao Mei nodded. She looked around but did not find any footprints. It seemed that Xie Jing had covered everything up very thoroughly. Even if there were footprints, it would be impossible to prove who they belonged to. Too many people had rushed here this morning and the ground was still very soft after the rain. There were everyones footprints around and some of the evidence had already been destroyed. Im sorry... I was too impulsive this morning. When I saw that you werent in school, I went to look for the teachers from your faculty. I completely forgot to ensure that the evidence is protected, Wu Duo said self-reproachedly as he stood beside Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei patted Wu Duos shoulder and whispered, This matter has nothing to do with you. You did the right thing by calling the teacher over. Even if you didnt ask the teacher to come over, someone would have made sure that there is no evidence left behind. Professor, as long as I can produce evidence to prove that my strawberries grow well, can I retain my results? Qiao Mei asked. Wang Wei said in a panic, All your things have all been destroyed! How are you going to prove it! Qiao Mei looked at Xie Jing and Wang Wei and smiled mockingly. She took out a folder from her school bag and handed it to the teacher. Here are my notes on the growth of the plants during this period of time. I hope you can take a look. The dean opened Qiao Meis plant growth notebook. It clearly stated how much water the plants were given every day, the fertilization situation, the trend of the growth and the lighting conditions. There were also recordings of the dates when the strawberries germinated, the date when the strawberries bloomed, the date the first fruit was spotted and its location, among other details. If that was all, it might not be enough to act as a basis to retain Qiao Meis results. After all, these records were also in the facultys planting notes. However, Qiao Mei attached three photos to every daily record. These photos were taken at different times each day, in the morning, afternoon and evening. Furthermore, these were color photos so the growth process was documented clearly. During this period of time, everyone had witnessed the growth of Qiao Meis strawberry plants. The photos in the notebook were the same as what everyone remembered. Everyone present could testify for Qiao Mei. In that case, Qiao Meis results can be retained, the dean said in satisfaction.. Chapter 1870 - 1870: Plant Growth Notebook Chapter 1870 - 1870: Plant Growth Notebook Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The principal also took Qiao Meis plant growth notebook and flipped through it. He said in satisfaction, This notebook is done quite well. Its exactly the same as what I usually see when I pass by on the way to work. Moreover, this notebook can also be a reference for all of us in the future. Qiao Mei has really put in a lot of effort. Thats true. This is even more detailed and well-kept than our teachers notebooks. I wonder if Qiao Mei is willing to let the faculty keep this notebook so that it can be used as a reference for everyone? the dean asked. Of course you can, Qiao Mei said with a smile. The methods which Qiao Mei used were all the most basic ones. However, she would adjust the amount of sunlight, water and fertilizer based on her experience. She would definitely be able to grow strawberries that were even more delicious than the ones in the market now. However, what set her strawberries apart from others was the energy she infused into them. The other students who had competed with Qiao Mei earlier also went forward to take a look at her notebook. After everyone took a look, they could not help but give Qiao Mei a thumbs up. The photo studios would charge five dollars each for color photos like these! Wang Wei was so frightened that he did not know what to say. He stammered for a long time and did not manage to say what he wanted to say. Wang Wei had always been an honest and obedient person. He did not even dare to speak loudly usually and was always bullied. However, after being bullied for so long, he had an urge to act on his impulses. Cui Hua had taken advantage of Wang Weis thoughts and used him to destroy Qiao Meis experiment. Professor, what Senior Wang Wei is saying is that the rules of the competition have nothing to do with the plant growth notebook submitted by Qiao Mei. This time round, were competing to see who can grow fruits which are more delicious, not the speed of growth. This notebook can only prove that Qiao Meis plants grew quickly and the color of the fruits looks good, but it cant prove that the fruits taste good, Xie Jing said. Nonsense! How can such beautiful fruits taste worse than those from your small seedlings? Wu Duo said angrily. Schoolmate, youre from the engineering faculty and dont know much about our agriculture faculty. Although Senior and 1 have strawberry seedlings which grow more slowly, the fruits taste sweet and will definitely sell well in the future. Qiao Meis strawberries grow fast and big, but they dont taste good, so no one will buy them. Professors, dont you think Im right? Xie Jing said with a sinister smile. All the fruits from Qiao Meis plants had long been ruined. Given how trampled they were, there was definitely not a single fruit left. He already checked last night and he could not have made any mistake. Qiao Mei no longer had any way to prove how delicious her fruits were. She was definitely going to lose this time! The principal and the teachers also felt that what Xie Jing said made sense. Qiao Mei immediately said, Wait! Who says that theres not one single fruit left? Qiao Mei walked to the edge of her strawberry shed and reached out to rummage through the soil. She found five strawberries buried deep in the ground. These strawberries were of different sizes, but the colors were a little pale and they looked very sour.. Chapter 1871 - 1871: Done on Purpose Chapter 1871: Done on Purpose Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei took the strawberries and asked one of the teachers and two random classmates to supervise the process. They went to the canteen next door where she washed the soil off the strawberries and borrowed a plate from the canteen staff. Then she cut the five strawberries into halves and put them on the plate, She returned to where everyone was gathered and said, Professors, please try my strawberries. The dean picked up half a strawberry doubtfully and ate it. The fragrance and sweetness of the strawberry instantly filled his mouth. He had never eaten such a delicious strawberry in his life. Furthermore, these strawberries were not fully ripe yet. When they were completely ripe, who knew how delicious they could be! They must taste thousands of times more delicious than this one! Delicious! Its so delicious! the principal said excitedly. Qiao Mei brought the strawberries to Xie Jing and Wang Wei and said, Schoolmates, try it too. Xie Jing and Wang Wei each picked up half a strawberry and ate it. After they had a taste, they knew that they had no chance of winning this competition and had lost completely. Do you still have anything else to say? The principal looked at Xie Jing and the rest and questioned them. If everyone feels that we cant compare weeds with my strawberry plants, we can go to Xie Jings shed to take a look. You will be able to do another comparison! Qiao Mei said as she pointed at Xie Jings shed. Xie Jing looked at Qiao Mei with a dark expression. He would never have imagined that when he begged the teacher to let him grow strawberries outside, he would end up giving Qiao Mei the evidence to prove her case. Just as the teachers were studying the soil and strawberry plants, Qiao Niei suddenly pointed at a spot a distance away from the shed and said, Everyone, look! Whats that red thing over there? The dean hurriedly went over and picked up the item. It was an amulet. This amulet looked quite old and must be an item that the perpetrator carried around with him. When you come by to help me keep an eye on things, have you ever seen anyone enter my shed? Qiao Mei turned around and asked Wu Duo. Not at all! Both Li Xue from the medical faculty and I can testify! No one has ever gone near Qiao Meis shed! Wu Duo said sternly. Did the few of you go near the shed? Qiao Mei asked again. No, we followed your instructions. We only stood guard at the edge and did not take even half a step into the experimental field, Wu Duo said. Professor, then we can basically confirm that the owner of this amulet is the person who destroyed my strawberry plants! As long as we can find the owner of this amulet, the truth will be revealed, Qiao Mei said.. Chapter 1872 - 1872: Lost Five Strawberry Plants Chapter 1872: Lost Five Strawberry Plants Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Everyone leaned forward to take a look. Someone in the crowd shouted, This is Wang Weis amulet! Ive seen it before! Whos talking? Come to the front! the dean said as he pointed at the boy. The boy strode to the front and said, Im Wang Weis roommate. This amulet belongs to Wang Wei. His mother had gone to the temple to get it for him. The temple keeps record of the amulets they give out. You can go and check the records. Wang Wei, is what he said true? the dean asked as he looked at Wang Wei. Wang Wei clearly remembered that he had placed this amulet in the drawer of his desk in his room. Why was it here now? He usually wore this amulet on a string around his neck. Last night, the string had loosened a little, so Wang Wei had left it in the drawer. This thing could not have appeared here. It must be Xie Jing who did it! The real reason for the amulet appearing in this area was because Qiao Mei had used the vines to sneak into Wang Weis room late at night. She used the vines to steal the amulet and left it here so that it would become evidence later. Otherwise, in this era without surveillance cameras, how could they catch the real culprit! Qiao Mei was not wronging him by doing this. What happened in the past? Did something happen between him and Xie Jing in the past? Last year, during practical lessons, Wang Wei and Xie Jing had fought over the spots in the experimental field and the glass greenhouse. In the end, after mediation, Xie Jing occupied Wang Weis spots. At that time, Wang Wei held a grudge against Xie Jing for a long time. Every time he walked past Xie Jing, he would curse at Xie Jing. Everyone could still remember this incident! Profesor, you have to believe me! I really didnt do it! Wang Wei was so anxious that he almost wanted to kneel down to explain to his teacher. At this moment, Qiao Mei pointed at the strawberry plants in the shed and said, Professor! Somethings wrong! I planted a total of 30 strawberry plants here, but there are only 25 left now! I lost five strawberry plants! The principal hurriedly flipped open Qiao Mei t s plant growth notebook. It was indeed recorded that there were 30 strawberry plants and also documented in the latest photo. Then where did the five missing strawberry plants go? Did you hide my strawberry plants? Qiao Mei asked as she looked at Wang Wei. No! I definitely didnt! Wang Wei immediately said. Even if the dog ate the strawberries, theres no reason for it to eat the entire plant. Someone must have stolen my strawberry plants, Qiao Mei said firmly. Wang Wei immediately pointed at Xie Jing and shouted, Its him! He must have done it! I really didnt steal your strawberry plants.. I just let the dog in and didnt do anything else! It must be him! Chapter 1873 - 1873: Search Chapter 1873 - 1873: Search Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xie Jing had indeed returned to this area at a later time to do a check. Perhaps at that time, he had unknowingly pulled up some of Qiao Meis strawberry plants, but he really did not steal any of them. After he left, someone else must have come here as well. It seemed that there was a third person involved in this matter! Professor, this matter has nothing to do with me. Please investigate thoroughly and uphold justice for me! Xie Jing said righteously. Xie Jings admirers were all touched by how righteous he looked. They shouted in unison, Professor, please uphold justice for Xie Jing! Prove Xie Jings innocence! The principal immediately said, l will definitely find out the truth about this matter. The school will definitely investigate it thoroughly! Dont worry, everyone. Qiao Mei and Wu Duo watched on as the tide seemed to turn and everyones attention was diverted from the fact that Xie Jing was a suspect. Wu Duo quickly shouted, In that case, Xie Jing is still the most likely suspect now! I think we should search Xie Jings dormitory room and his house! It will be a good thing if we dont find anything. This way, it will also clear Xie Jings name! Xie Jing will be absolved! Qiao Mei gave Wu Duo a look of admiration. This was a promising kid. Wu Duo had learned a lot in the past few days. Yes! Search their house! They must be hiding something in their house! Xie Jing must have hidden the strawberry plants. It must be him! Wang Wei said agitatedly. Only Qiao Mei can come with us to carry out the search. You cant, the dean said. Qiao Mei looked at Wu Duo and whispered, Youre a student from the engineering faculty. Its not appropriate for you to be too involved in this matter. Stay in the school and help me keep an eye out for any issues we might have missed. Alright, I understand. Then you have to be careful. After saying that, Wu Duo looked at Qiao Mei and the others and left. Xie Jings house was not big and had three rooms. There was also a woodshed for firewood and a storeroom for tools. The courtyard was very small and could only accommodate three people at a time. Whats going on? Cui Hua asked as she walked out of the house in a panic. Xie Jing hurriedly explained, Its nothing. The teachers are just here to take a look at my living quarters. Dont be afraid. The dean looked at Cui Huas delicate appearance and echoed, Thats right, were just here to take a look at Xie Jings living quarters. Its not a big deal. Qiao Mei could not be bothered to watch Xie Jing put on an act. She carefully observed the structure of Xie Jings house and kept thinking of ways to find any flaws in it. Xie Jing proactively led the teachers into the house to conduct a search. Qiao Mei did not follow them and went to the storeroom instead.. Chapter 1874 - 1874: Framed Chapter 1874 - 1874: Framed Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios This place was as ordinary as it could get. There was nothing special inside. There was some old furniture, a few tools like hoes and brooms, and also a bicycle without wheels inside. Qiao Mei found an item in the depths of the storeroom that was suitable for holding strawberry plants. It was a rectangular pot filled with soil. It looked like it was used by Xie Jing to grow things at home. After all, Xie Jing was an outstanding student in the agriculture faculty. He must also have studied plants at home. When no one was paying attention, she threw five seeds into the flower pot. She kept infusing energy into them and the five strawberry plants grew quickly. After it was done, Qiao Mei stuck her head out and shouted towards the house, Professor, I found it! A few teachers hurriedly ran out of the house when they heard that. They came to the storeroom and looked inside. There were indeed five green plants in the corner. The dean was an impatient person. He rushed straight to the storeroom and took out the flower pot. There was no doubt that these plants were strawberry plants. As for whether it was really Qiao Meis plants or not, the fact was not that important anymore. The number of plants matched the number which Qiao Mei had lost. Xie Jing, what else do you have to say for yourself? the dean said as he pointed at the flower pot on the ground. This isnt mine! Ive never planted strawberries at home! She must have brought it in secretly! She must have done it! Xie Jing said as he pointed at Qiao Mei agitatedly.Visitt for the latest updates When the villagers in the surrounding heard the commotion, they also stuck their heads in to take a look. During the years when Xie Jing was studying in the university, his father, Xie Kun, had been mocking the neighbors for a long time. Xie Kun had always felt that it was a very grand thing for his son to be studying at Capital University and that other families were not as good as his family. It must be you... You must have sneaked into my house last night and put these here! It must be you! Your family is very powerful, so it wont be difficult for you to do such a thing! Xie Jing defended himself. This is my first time at your house. I was at home last night and all my neighbors can vouch for me. Moreover, I dont even know where you live. How can I come to your house to put things here? Qiao Mei said. Just because you cant come! It doesnt mean that you cant arrange for others to come! Cui Hua shouted. Qiao Mei looked at the villagers around them and said, Did anyone see any strangers here last night? Did any of you see anyone? During this season, the air was very dry and things caught fire easily, so the men in the village proactively organized a patrol every night. There was only one entrance to the village. If anyone wanted to enter the village, these men would definitely know about it. There were no suspicious people, said the village chief. Then did anything suspicious happen last night? Qiao Mei asked.. Chapter 1875 - 1875: Solid Evidence Chapter 1875: Solid Evidence Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Oh, yes there is. Xie Jing suddenly came back last night, even though it was raining so heavily, the village chief said. Xie Jing, explain to us why you didnt stay in the dormitory last night and suddenly came home? the dean questioned. Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m My father fell sick last night! Cui Hua came to school to look for me! I came home to see my father! Xie Jing explained. Last night, after he went to the experimental field to take a look, he stayed out past the dormitory curfew. He had nowhere to go after that, so he went home. He did not expect Qiao Mei to be able to discover such details. In that case, tell me, what evidence do you have to prove that Qiao Mei sent these strawberry plants to your house late at night? the principal asked. Xie Jing and Cui Hua had nothing to say. They were already feeling guilty, so the more they tried to explain, the messier the situation became. In that case, lets get the police to come! The matter has already reached such a serious stage. I think we can hand it over to the police and let them make a decision so that they can uphold justice for me! Qiao Mei shouted. No one knew where Cui Hua had gone during this additional hour and Wang Wei could not remember the exact time when Cui Hua came to look for him. Many people testified that they saw Cui Hua walking towards the glass greenhouse. There were also some classmates who testified that Xie Jing was not in the dormitory last night and that Xie Jings shoes were muddy when he returned. All the roads in Capital University were very flat and made of stone, so Xie Jing must have gone inside the experimental field. There was solid evidence with both witnesses and physical proof. Xie Jing could no longer escape. He looked at Cui Hua anxiously and whispered, Cui Hua! You know the truth! We were together the whole time! Save me! Save me! Tell the principal the truth! This time round, Cui Hua was not as determined to save Xie Jing as before. This was because the principal had just told her that Xie Jing would be expelled for such actions. Now that so many people had witnessed Xie Jing destroying Qiao Meis spot in the field, there was already irrefutable evidence. Even if she took the blame for it, who would believe her? Qiao Meis family background was so strong and she was on good terms with Wu Duo. They would definitely not let Xie Jing off this time. Xie Jing would not have a chance to make a comeback. In that case, why should she get involved in this mess? It did not matter if Xie Jing was expelled. She still had a chance to get into university! She did not want to take the blame and be seen as Xie Jings accomplice and then lose her right to enter university in the future. Cui Hua was not that stupid. At moments like this, people would choose to protect themselves and run far away in the face of disaster. Principal! I was forced by him! I had no other choice! If I dont listen to him... he... he will come home and beat me up! Ive already been chased out of the house by my parents! I have nowhere to go! If I dont listen to him, Ill be homeless! Principal, you must understand my situation! Cui Hua said and sobbed as she grabbed the principals hand.. Chapter 1876 - 1876: Prepare to Study Abroad Chapter 1876: Prepare to Study Abroad I ranstator: Alias Stucnos??? eoltor: Alias Stucuos When Xie Jing saw her behaving like this, he gave up all hope. He knew all about Cui Huas ways. There was no one who could act weak and pitiful like her. The principal would definitely believe Cui Hua and let her off. As for him, there was no way out. Since Wang Wei had admitted to his mistakes and repented, as well as provided a lot of information about Xie Jings illegal activities, the school decided to only remove his assigned job after graduation. He would only get his university degree. All the benefits he was supposed to receive after graduation would be canceled. Qiao Mei had pleaded with the school for this resolution. In the beginning, the school deemed Wang Wei as a student with bad character and wanted to expel him so as to send a signal to all the other students. However, Qiao Mei felt that Wang Wei had just been influenced by bad company. Since he had admitted his mistake very quickly after the incident, this gesture should be taken into consideration. Xie Jing was not so lucky. The school announced that Xie Jing would be expelled immediately. In the end, all his years of planning and scheming had been in vain. During this time, Xie Jing tried to look for Tan Jing, but she did not pick up his call at all. What right did a useless person have to call her? If the matter attracted Huang Quan t s attention, she would be implicated again. Qiao Mei received confirmation that she qualified to study abroad. She had to go through the documentation process and would soon be able to complete the relevant procedures to go to school overseas. During the weekend, Qiao Mei asked Wu Duo and the others to come for a gathering at her house. She was leaving soon and they would not be able to get together for a long while. Theres nothing we can do! Why did you choose this major in the first place? We have a deal! No one is allowed to go back on their word! No one is allowed to break the agreement! Qiao Mei said as she held out her last finger. Its a deal! The few of them hooked their fingers together with blissful smiles on their faces. Their future looked to be dazzling and filled with hope. During this period of time, Qiao Mei stayed at home and focused on preparing for her studies abroad. She did not have to go to school for the time being. In order to celebrate for Qiao Mei and help her with packing, the rest of the family spent their days at the courtyard house and only returned home at night. Sigh... Xu Lan hugged Xia Yue and sighed. Mother, why do you keep sighing for the past two days? Did my father make you unhappy? Xia He asked curiously. l just dont know how long Qiao Mei will be gone this time round. This child is still so young. How can he be away from his mother! Xu Lan said anxiously. The children dont drink breast milk. There are so many of us around and the children will grow up healthy. Besides, Qiao Mei is only going to school and will be back in a few years. She wont stay there for the rest of her life, Xia He persuaded. Actually, Xu Lan was worried that once Qiao Mei saw the world and the opportunities it presented, she would abandon this family. They were all aware about how capable Qiao Mei was. Instead of saying that the Xia family had helped Qiao Mei to advance in life, it would be more accurate to say that without Qiao Mei, the Xia family would not have their current achievements. Everything they had was courtesy of Qiao Mei, even if other people did not know that.. Chapter 1877 - 1877: Go Abroad Together Chapter 1877 - 1877: Go Abroad Together Xia Wen came to the study to look for Qiao Mei after work. He took out her passport from his bag and said, Its ready. Keep it well. The school will make the arrangements for your travels soon. Thank you, Eldest Brother, Qiao Mei said with a smile. Are... are you doing this because of Xia Zhe? Xia Wen asked tentatively. After a long silence, Qiao Mei said, I do have this idea in my head... I know youre worried about Xia Zhes safety, but his mission this time is a very dangerous one, Moreover, how are you going to find him in the vast sea of people? Xia Wen asked. I just want to try my luck, Qiao Mei said. When youre there, dont ask anyone about Xia Zhe. Dont mention Xia Zhe to anyone and dont deliberately ask around. Even if youre lucky enough to meet him, you have to pretend not to know him. Otherwise... otherwise, his life will be in danger. For the sake of his safety, I hope you can promise me that, Xia Wen said sternly. I understand, Eldest Brother. Ill remember what you said, Qiao Mei said. Yes, let me know if anything happens. You have to be careful since youll be on your own out there. The Xia family doesnt have much of an influence overseas. If anything happens, you have to call me as soon as possible. If there are any issues that you cant solve, just come back. Do you understand? Xia Wen instructed. Furthermore, your safety is already a huge problem. We dont have any friends or trusted aides over there, so you can only rely on yourself. I heard that its not too safe over there, but I can only arrange for two bodyguards to accompany you at most, Xia Wen said. Um... I want to say something! Xia He raised her hand and continued, I can go with Qiao Mei! You? If you go, then what about Deng Fan? Xu Lan questioned. Deng Fan is hard at work every day nowadays. Qiao Mei has bought so many houses, then theres also the factory and the work from his other clients. He doesnt have time to accompany me at all. Moreover, the two of us have already discussed it. We wont have children for the next few years as we want to focus on our careers. I want to go overseas to take a look. Besides, Qiao Mei will only be an exchange student for two years and its not really a long time, Xia He said earnestly. Xia Wen stared at Xia He and asked, Are you serious? Do you need to discuss it with Deng Fan? Of course Im serious! Deng Fan and I have already agreed on this, Xia He said. Then I can get you a passport and send you overseas. Ill definitely feel more at ease if you can be there with Qiao Mei and the children, Xia Wen said. All of you... youre just messing around! Xu Lan said angrily. Mother! Im still young! I want to go out and take a look! Besides, Qiao Mei and I can then take care of the children together. Once we get there, well hire a helper. Itll be safe since Im there to keep an eye on them every day. Dont you believe in my capability? Xia He deliberately showed Xu Lan her biceps.. Chapter 1878 - 1878: Study Hard Chapter 1878 - 1878: Study Hard No one had any doubt about Xia Hes capability. Since Deng Fan had no objections, this matter was settled. As for the matter of hiring a helper, they could look into it later. Everything went according to plan. Xia Wen quickly settled the passports for Xia He and the three children. Qiao Mei also received all the information for her exchange program. Everything was in place and she would be able to leave the country in a week to study overseas. Xia Wen brought a briefcase to Qiao Meis study. He not only brought the necessary documents for her, but also 10,000 dollars in foreign currency. Take this money. Its a little difficult to get foreign currency now. Give me some time to find a way. When I manage to change more money, Ill transfer it to your account. This is the new bankcard I got for you. You can use this when youre there, Xia Wen said as he took out a bankcard. In this era, anyone who went to the bank to change for foreign currency could only transact up to 50 dollars. Qiao Mei had asked someone she knew well to help her change some foreign currency, but the most she could get was 2,000 dollars. She could only imagine how much manpower and resources Xia Wen had to expend and how many favors he had to owe to change so much money for her. Its fine. When I get there, Ill still think of ways to earn money! Dont worry, by the time I come back, we might have already bought many properties there. In the future, we can all go there for a vacation together, Qiao Mei said with a smile. I dont know what to say about you. You really think about earning money no matter where you go. Youre going there to gain more knowledge this time. You have to learn all the advanced technology from overseas. You dont have to worry about money. Ill make the arrangements at my end! You have to remember what I say, do you hear me? Xia Wen said. He could not bear to part with the children the most. He liked Xia Fan, Xia Xing and Xia Yue very much. The children would be gone for so long and he wondered what they would look like when he next saw them. Children grew up very quickly. By the time Qiao Mei returned, they would be almost three years old. If people who received overseas education did not return to the country in time, they would likely develop different ideologies from those people who stayed in the country. Therefore, the Xia family did not want their children to stay overseas for too long. Qiao Mei also promised the family that she would only go overseas to study and that she would return immediately once she completed her studies and would not settle down overseas. Only then did Xia Jun feel at ease enough to let them go. The bodyguards accompanying them were Luo Yu and an unfamiliar face. The stranger was a new joiner to the guard team and was actually Luo Yus younger brother, Luo Hui. The two brothers were both not married yet, so by sending them out together, they could take care of each other. All the people going with you are all people we can trust. When the time is right, Ill send a few more bodyguards over, Xia Wen said. l think its enough to just have them around. Its already very showy for such a big group to travel together. I dont want others to think that Im getting special treatment. Theres also Xia He around to protect me! Eldest Brother, dont worry too much, Qiao Mei said, trying to comfort him. Alright, be careful along the way, Xia Wen said sternly. On the day of Qiao Meis departure, the entire family came to the airport. The other exchange students were at the airport on their own with one suitcase each. They were stunned when they saw the large group of people with Qiao Mei.. Chapter 1879 - 1879: Leaving Chapter 1879: Leaving l already say we are too high-profile this time... Look at the people around us and the way they look at us. I dont know what theyll say after we leave, Qiao Mei said softly. This is already very low-key! Eldest Brother has already gone for the simplest setup! You dont even know what a terrifying setup he came up with earlier. When MO Zhu saw it, she came and showed it to me! He had wanted to send more than 10 bodyguards and five helpers with you! He even wanted to send personal tutors for the two children! Xia He leaned on Qiao Meis shoulder and whispered into her ear. Qiao Mei smiled resignedly. Fortunately, the original plan was not approved. Otherwise, the airport would be full of people related to the Xia family. If the government was overly suspicious, they might think that the entire Xia family was leaving the country! So whos the one who rejected this plan? Qiao Mei asked curiously. Who else! It can only be Eldest Sister-in-law! Eldest Brother only listens to her now, Xia He said proudly. It feels quite good. Theres finally someone whom Eldest Brother is afraid of, Qiao Mei said in a gratified manner. Today was a rare occasion when Qiao Qiang wore his incomparably precious Zhongshan suit. He stood at the edge of the big group with reddened eyes as he looked at Qiao Mei. That was the girl he had painstakingly taken care of and brought up. Now that she was going to spread her wings and soar into the sky, he should be happy. However, his heart only felt empty. Xu Lan held Qiao Meis hand and said, Dont be too frugal when youre there! Come back and visit us during your holidays! After Xu Lan said that, everyone standing behind her laughed. Even Li Gui, who was beside her, could not help but laugh. Xu Lan looked at everyone confusedly and said, What are you laughing at! Did I say something wrong? Mother, when have you ever seen Qiao Mei being frugal? Xia He asked with a smile. Oh my, look at me and my brain. Xu Lan smiled and slapped her forehead. She would become forgetful when she got anxious. Qiao Mei would never be too frugal. She would find means and ways to earn more money. As they spoke to one another, there was a broadcast announcement. The plane to Country M was about to take off. Qiao Mei led the traveling group onto the plane. They were really leaving now. Qiao Mei was so tired that she leaned back against the seat to rest. Xia He leaned against the window excitedly and looked at the scenery outside. This was her first time taking a plane! She did not expect the experience to be so magical! Along the way, Xia He kept talking to Qiao Mei, but Qiao Mei was so tired that she could not be bothered with Xia He. Look! Were above the clouds! Qiao Mei, look! Xia He said excitedly as she grabbed Qiao Meis arm. l see it... Qiao Mei said weakly. Its really beautiful! Do you think I can see the sun? What do you think the sun looks like? Ive never seen the sun so close before! Xia He said.. Chapter 1880 - 1880: Arriving in Country M Chapter 1880: Arriving in Country M Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios l dont know either. Elder Sister, I want to sleep now. Please let me off... Qiao Mei said. Fine, fine, fine. I wont talk anymore. Sleep well! After saying that, Xia He leaned against the window and looked out. The plane was filled with exchange students going to Country M. After they saw the scene at the airport just now, their attitudes towards Qiao Mei also changed. Some people wanted to curry favor with Qiao Mei and think of ways to get close to her. They were not stupid. If they could get close to Qiao Mei, they might be able to achieve meteoric success like Wu Duo and the others! Everyone in the capital knew that Qiao Mei had produced four outstanding university students. Some people were very disdainful of Qiao Meis behavior and thought that she was throwing her weight around and doing this to show off in front of them! These people talked about Qiao Mei even more loudly and it made Xia He wanted to argue with them, but Qiao Mei stopped her. Qiao Mei did not care about these things at all and was not looking to become friends with anyone here. Her purpose in going overseas was not to study at all. She just wanted to find Xia Zhe as soon as possible and make sure that he was safe and sound. When the plane landed, it was early in the morning in Country M and the sky was still dark. This was everyones first time overseas and no one knew what to do next. Xia Wen had arranged for a butler to pick Qiao Mei up from the airport arrival hall and bring her to the house that he had prepared. Qiao Mei and her entourage got into the van and arrived at a villa outside the suburbs. It was a small two-story bungalow that was not even as big as Xu Lans house. Wow! This place is too beautiful! Ive never seen such a beautiful house! Xia He said excitedly as she stood at the entrance of the courtyard. Auntie Wang and the others remained as calm as Qiao Mei. After all, they had lived in this country for a long time and knew that the house in front of them was just a very ordinary villa here. Even the interior design was simply a mish-mash of styles. Butler Xu, how much is the monthly rent for such a house? Qiao Mei asked softly. 300 dollars a month, Butler Xu replied in a low voice. Then how many months have we paid already? Qiao Mei asked again. Three months, Butler Xu said. Qiao Mei nodded in understanding. Within the next few days, they needed to buy necessities and furniture, food and clothing for everyone, as well as items that the children needed. These were all things that needed to be purchased urgently. Butler Xu had rented the van they took just now. He spent 200 dollars on the rental and even gave the chauffeur a tip of 5 dollars. There were very few taxis in this country. Since they lived in the suburbs, they would need to buy their own car. This was another huge expense and the 10,000 dollars would not last them long.. Chapter 1881 - 1881: Staying in the Villa Chapter 1881: Staying in the Villa Translator: Atlas Studios || Editor: Atlas Studios Xia Wen did not tell Qiao Mei anything about having given Butler Xu an advance payment. The rent for the house and the car as well as the costs of some simple repairs to the property were all paid out of Butler Xus own pocket. He even had to borrow part of the money. Qiao Mei took out 1,500 dollars from her bag and handed it to Butler Xu. In addition to those expenses he had paid in advance, she gave him an additional 100 dollars as a tip. When in Rome, one had to do as the Romans do. Butler Xu had helped them out so much and was considerate enough to take care of all their needs. Qiao Mei still felt that the tip of 100 dollars was too little, but she could not afford more than that at this moment. Xia He watched as Butler Xu put the money into his pocket. She did not know the customs and practices here, nor did she know the standard of living. There were so many people in their group and they had only brought 10,000 dollars in total. They had only just landed and had not done anything yet, but they had already spent one-fifth of the money. She did not know how they were going to survive the following days! Qiao Mei sized up the house carefully. The fixtures and fittings were still relatively well-kept though the furniture was a little old. She felt that she only needed to get some new things for the children. The adults could still live with the status quo for a few months. However, she had to hurry up and get the necessary stuff done. It was going to be winter soon. Winter in Country M was very cold and she must buy enough winter clothes for everyone. Its been hard on you to plan for us during this period of time. Youve done very well. Thank you, Qiao Mei said with a gentle smile as she looked at Butler Xu. Qiao Mei did not consider this point. Xia Wen had told her earlier that among these helpers, Auntie Wang and Auntie Zhang were better at taking care of children. Auntie Cui was better at housework and cooking. However, he was still not sure if these people would be loyal staff. He asked Qiao Mei to test them out and keep an eye on them. In that case, then lets do some cleaning up. Thanks for the hard work, everyone. Auntie Wang, after were done, you can go home with Butler Xue You havent been back for so many years. You should go back and visit your family, Qiao Mei said. Butler Xu looked at Qiao Mei with gratitude in his eyes. He had been meaning to talk to Qiao Mei about this, but he did not manage to find a chance. Ill wait until its my day off. Theres no hurry to go back, Auntie Wang said firmly. Butler Xu tugged at the corner of Auntie Wangs shirt and whispered, The children havent seen you for so many years. Dont you want to go home to take a look? Im already here now, do those few days really make any difference? Im here to work and I cant break the rules, Auntie Wang whispered to Butler Xu. After comforting him, she looked at Qiao Mei and said, Ill go home on my off days. The three women had discussed it before. They would take a break once every two weeks and take turns to rest during the first and third weeks of every month. They had to ensure there were at least two of them with Qiao Mei and the children on those rest days. Since you insist on staying here, you can go back during the weekend. Its only a few days away. Qiao Mei did not continue to persuade Auntie Wang to go home. If she continued to do that, the other two women would inevitably feel dissatisfied and jealous. It would then become difficult to manage the situation.. Chapter 1882 - 1882: Spending Money So Fast Chapter 1882: Spending Money So Fast Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios If these women came to think that Qiao Mei was an easy person to talk to, they would only make use of her kindness next time. If that happened, they would not listen to Qiao Meis instructions in the future. Qiao Mei was about to carry the childrens things upstairs and do some cleaning up when Xia He and the three helpers surrounded her and snatched all the things from her hands. Just help us keep an eye on the three children and make sure they dont run around. Leave these things to me. You didnt sleep well on the plane. Ill clean up the rooms for you and the children first so that you can rest early, Xia He said excitedly. l rested for a while on the plane so Im not that tired. Youre the one who didnt sleep at all. Arent you tired? Qiao Mei asked curiously. Xia He muttered softly to Qiao Mei, Im still very excited now! This is Country M! Were now overseas! Whenever I think about it, I feel so happy that I cant sleep at all! Just let me go and clean up. I have to use up all my energy so that I can sleep better at night. In Qiao Mei!s room, Xia He held up the remaining 5,000 dollars and was on the brink of tears. She did not expect the prices here to be much higher than what she was used to in the capital. Then again, the average salary here was about 600 dollars a month while it was only about 80 dollars in the capital. It made sense that there was such a huge difference. What should we do? If we continue to spend money like this, we wont be able to last for a month! Eldest Brother cant possibly send us so much foreign currency at once. We still have to think of a way ourselves, Xia He said aggrievedly. Lets take our time to think of a way. Dont be anxious. Dont you believe in my ability to make money? Qiao Mei asked with a smile. With Qiao Mei around, Xia He definitely felt a lot more settled, but that still did not remove the anxiety in her heart. This was her first time overseas and she was also facing communication issues. Their expenses were also increasing exponentially. On the surface, she looked fine, but in reality, she was feeling extremely anxious. Back home, she had a job that she was good at. The Xia family also had a certain amount of influence in the capital and Xia Wen helped out with all the issues at home. After she married Deng Fan, she did not have to worry about anything anymore. This trip had a huge impact on her and was also a wakeup call. It made her realize that she could not live in her ivory tower forever. Look at the ulcers at the corners of my mouth. I originally thought that I would be able to come here to enjoy after earning so much money. I didnt expect there to be so many troublesome matters and problems as soon as we landed. I wish Eldest Brother had come with us so that we have someone to help think of solutions whenever there are any issues, Xia He said.. Chapter 1883 - 1883: Visiting the School Chapter 1883 - 1883: Visiting the School Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In Country M, the Xia family did not have any influence and did not even have many friends here. Even if Xia Wen wanted to help Qiao Mei and the rest, there was also nothing much he could do. Theres nothing he can do even if hes here. We must rely on ourselves! Didnt you do very well in your business back in the capital? Why are you so full of doubts here, Qiao Mei said. Its not the same. Anyway, everything is so unfamiliar, Xia He explained. Rest well and dont think too much. You still have me. Lets go and take a look at my school tomorrow. I still dont know how to get there. We can also take a look at the shops nearby and see if theres any business we can do around there, Qiao Mei said as she patted Xia Hes shoulder to comfort her. Do you already have a good idea? Xia He asked. Im thinking about opening a restaurant and promoting the food from our country. My culinary skills should be able to attract a lot of customers, Qiao Mei said with a smile. Xia He did not doubt this at all. If someone said that Qiao Mei t s cooking did not taste good, that person must have lost all sense of taste! Sounds good! I cant cook well, but I can prepare the ingredients for you! Xia He said excitedly. l can teach you. Go to bed now. The two of us still have a lot of things to do tomorrow! Qiao Mei gave Xia He a push and urged her to rest as soon as possible. Theyre so expressive! Xia He said as she patted her chest. Yes, this is the way they are. Youll get used to it after a while. You have to practice speaking the language more or you wont be able to communicate with them, Qiao Mei instructed. Alright! Ill learn when Im free! Xia He said. It only took them two hours to finish walking around the entire school. When they were done, they went straight to the main street opposite the school. This was the main shopping area near the school. There were all kinds of things sold here, though the majority of the shops were restaurants or cafeterias. Qiao Mei took a look around and saw two restaurants which were opened by fellow citizens. The food looked the same as what they used to eat in the capital. Lets go and try it! Xia He said excitedly as she pointed at one of the restaurants. However, when she thought about how they did not have much money now, she retracted her hand awkwardly. Lets go and try. If we want to open a restaurant, we have to know the type of food the locals like. Qiao Mei pulled Xia He and walked into the shop. The shop space looked very big from the outside, but it was not as spacious as it looked when they entered. In order to seat more customers, the whole place was filled with tables and chairs. There were about 15 tables inside. Qiao Mei and Xia He chose to sit near the window. From this position, they could observe which shops were more popular with the shoppers and when there was more human traffic in the area. You... should be from our countrys capital! The lady boss came over hesitantly with the menu.. Chapter 1884 - 1884: Taste Different Chapter 1884 - 1884: Taste Different Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xia He immediately said, Are you from the capital too? No, no, no. Im from Lian City. Its rare to see my fellow citizens here! What are you doing here? the lady boss asked curiously. For school. Im studying in the school down the road, Qiao Mei said truthfully. Thats good! Since youre studying there, you can come to our place for meals often! Ill give you a discount! the lady boss said. Thank you, Lady Boss! Xia He said happily. Qiao Mei ordered two of the signature dishes here, One was braised pork and the other was boiled cabbage. Just the two dishes already cost 110 dollars. With this amount of money, she could order a full banquet in the capital! Qiao Mei, this is so expensive! Xia He whispered as she clutched her wallet with heartache. Qiao Mei looked around and said in a low voice, Its fine. Just treat it as an experience. Keep your wallet safe. There are all types of people here. I heard from Eldest Brother that its not as safe here as in the capital. Be careful not to get robbed. l guess the people here cant accept the taste from back home. Lets try the food elsewhere, Qiao Mei said. They walked along the streets aimlessly. There were also many jewelry shops and boutiques on the streets. They did not have much of an appetite today to try any other food. As they walked further inwards, the area looked less prosperous from the area where they entered. It was very quiet and there were very few people walking around. The shops around here did not have much business. They realized that there was a specialty snack shop with the words For rent hanging on a sign. Qiao Mei, look! Whats written on it? I cant understand, Xia He asked as she pointed at the sign. They want to rent out this shop. Lets go in and ask, Qiao Mei said. Forget it, Qiao Meie This shop is really too far in. Its not suitable for us. Well definitely lose money here, Xia He said hesitantly. Lets just go and find out the market rate and understand the market. Otherwise, what if we get cheated in the future? Qiao Mei said. Alright, what you say makes sense. After saying that, Xia He walked towards the specialty snack shop with Qiao Mei. The owner of the specialty snack shop was a woman. After chatting with her, Qiao Mei and Xia He found out that her name was Alice. In fact, she had wanted to sell the shop at first, but this was the shop that she had opened with her husband. Her husband had passed away many years ago and this was the only thing that he left behind. Therefore, she could not bear to sell it. She had only one son. After her son grew up, he worked very hard, had a job with a stable income and made quite a lot of money. She was old and did not want to continue working so hard. She wanted to travel and see the world, so she decided to rent out this shop.. Chapter 1885 - 1885: Fight Chapter 1885 - 1885: Fight Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Darlin% Youre not a local so you cant rent my shop. Thats such a pity, Alice said regretfully. Why? What kind of procedures are there to rent or buy a shop? Cant we just go through the procedures? Qiao Mei asked curiously. Darling, lets put it this way. First of all, you have to get the money ready. Secondly, you need to have a household register here. If you dont have a household register in Country M, you cant buy land here, you cant buy real estate, and you cant even rent any of these, Alice said. It was absolutely impossible for them to change their household register. Qiao Mei was still thinking that she could take over a small shop here to slowly earn money, but these transaction rules had completely stumped her. Alice, can you make us some fries or fried chicken? I still have many questions to ask you. I think I may need to sit here the entire afternoon, Qiao Mei said apologetically. Its fine. You can sit here for as long as you want. Im just a lonely old woman. My son works elsewhere and rarely comes back. There are also very few people who come to my shop. Im very happy that you can accompany me, Alice said. Xia He hurriedly pulled Qiao Mei to the wall and shielded Qiao Mei behind her. Alice quickly closed the window and used a table to block the door. She took out a gun from the drawer and said, Both of you, hide! Dont come out! Its very dangerous! Qiao Mei and Xia He admired Alice even more by now. They did not expect Alice to know how to use a gun! Soon, a group of people appeared on the street. Some of them were beating one another with baseball bats, while others even held beer bottles and knives in their hands. They fought to kill and blood splattered on the glass window. It was a shocking sight, but Alice and Xia He remained calm. Qiao Mei just squatted in the corner obediently and did not make any sounds. The fight did not last long, or rather, those people took the fight away from this alley very quickly. Alice only dared to open the window to check for damages when the staff at the opposite shop opened their window. She still had two billboards and a table and chairs outside! Oh... thats so tragic. All my things are damaged, Alice said angrily. Should you call the police? When the police arrest them, you can make them compensate you for your losses, Xia He said. Young lady, the police are useless here. We can only admit defeat when faced with such a situation, Alice said. Xia He still did not understand the situation here. In Qiao Meis other life, she had handled a few criminal cases overseas and knew what the situation was like. She pulled Xia He to her side and said, Talk less and observe more. Its very dangerous here now.. Chapter 1886 - 1886: Saving a Person Chapter 1886 - 1886: Saving a Person Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Ow... It hurts... Am I really going to die here... A mans weak voice could be heard from the small alley at the side. Ordinary people not able to hear such a weak voice. However, with Qiao Meis current ability, her ears and eyes were now much more sensitive than before. She immediately caught the sound of this man groaning in pain. Using the plants in the small alley, Qiao Mei could see the mans appearance and the wounds on his body. The man was very seriously injured. His abdomen, thighs and ribs had all been slashed with a knife and his calf bone was fractured. If no one went forward to save him, he would bleed to death in less than 20 minutes. l think theres an injured person near us, Qiao Mei said. Really? But I didnt hear anyone calling for help? Alice, did you hear anyone calling for help? Xia He asked. Alice quickly stopped them and said, l dont hear anything, but even if you do, dont go! These people are all very dangerous and they are like wolves! Theyre all ruthless and unscrupulous! If you save them, they wont be grateful to you. They might even find you and kill you to silence you! When Xia He heard what Alice said, she quickly turned around to dissuade Qiao Mei, saying nervously, Lets ignore it. Its more important to protect ourselves first. Xia He, can you leave a person in the lurch? If we dont save him, hes going to die soon! Qiao Mei asked. Xia He fell silent. It was against the Xia family rules to leave someone in the lurch. Even if the person was evil beyond redemption, they could not leave him unsaved because of his crime. If he was guilty, they should send him to the police station to be punished. There would be professionals there to interrogate him. They had no right to decide whether that person lived or died. My pockets are just full of bandages and medical tape. Qiao Mei took out everything from her pockets to show the man. The man still felt that it was not safe enough and continued, Take off your jacket and turn in a circle. The corners of Qiao Meis mouth twitched slightly. She did not expect this man to be so talkative and demanding even when he was about to die. However, in order to save him, Qiao Mei still did what he asked. Seeing that Qiao Mei did not have any hidden weapons or pose any threat to him, the man nodded slightly and gestured for Qiao Mei to go over. Qiao Mei slowly walked over and squatted opposite the man. She did not bring the bottle of 10,000-year-old ginseng juice today and only had the ordinary 100-year-old ginseng juice with her. It could stop his bleeding and heal the wound a little but it could not completely cure him. When Xia He saw that Qiao Mei had disappeared from her sight, she ran over immediately. When the man heard Xia Hes footsteps, he quickly used all his remaining strength to put a knife at Qiao Meis throat. Stop! What are you doing! Xia He said agitatedly. Dont come over... Otherwise... cough cough cough... Ill kill her! the man said fiercely. Its alright. Shes my friend and shes not a threat to you. You can let go of me now. Your wound must be treated immediately, otherwise youll bleed to death, Qiao Mei said calmly.. Chapter 1887 - 1887: Find Another Way Chapter 1887 - 1887: Find Another Way Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The man took his eyes off Xia He. How could this woman in front of him remain so calm even when the knife was already on her neck? Could she be an unlicensed doctor? However, he had met all the unlicensed doctors in America and knew their backgrounds. He had no impression of this woman in front of him. Ill just stand here and wont get close to you. Put down the knife in your hand. Were really here to save you. Dont misunderstand, Xia He said earnestly. After asking a few more questions, the man confirmed that what Xia He said was true. Even if it was not true, he did not have the strength to kill Qiao Mei right now. Qiao Mei could easily kill him with a gentle push. Before leaving the shop, Qiao Mei had asked Alice for a lot of bandages. She tore open the mans clothes and sprinkled the 100-year-old ginseng juice on the wounds. The man thought that it would have the same effect as alcohol and was already prepared for intense pain. However, he only felt a faint heat coming from the wounds, as if they were slowly healing. What kind of medicine is this? the man asked. Its something that we have in my family. Ive already bandaged your wounds. Sit here for a while to rest and then go back on your own. I have to go now. After saying that, Qiao Mei packed her things and quickly left the small alley with Xia He. Im fine! I just encountered a fight on the street just now. Dont worry, Qiao Mei said. Auntie Wang led Qiao Mei back to her room to take a shower and to change out of her clothes. Xia He told the two men everything that had happened today. Luo Yu and Luo Hui broke out in cold sweat when they heard the story. If anything really happened to Qiao Mei and Xia He today, the Xia family would definitely skin the two of them alive. Qiao Mei sat on a chair by the window and recalled what had happened today. Since they had no way to open a shop or set up a stall to sell goods, they could only think of another way out. She stared at the small garden outside for a long time. Butler Xu heard from Xia Wen that she liked to grow vegetables, so he specially bought a lot of seeds and kept them in the storeroom. Now that there was no way to earn money, she decided to save money on food. The vegetables she planted herself were actually more healthy and she could also distribute some to the neighbors. If one had more friends, then one would have more options in life. Perhaps these neighbors could bring her other opportunities. Qiao Mei headed downstairs and intended to start planting vegetables. Luo Yu immediately asked, Where are you going? Ill go with you. Im just going to the garden to plant vegetables. Dont worry, I wont go out. You guys can go about your business, Qiao Mei said. Qiao Mei took the necessary tools and went to the small garden. Luo Yu stood by the window and looked out quietly. He knew that Qiao Mei did not like overly close protection. In that case, he could only observe in secret. First, Qiao Mei flipped the soil. The land had been left untouched for a long time and needed to be cleaned up properly. The rotten wood and weeds around also needed to be removed.. Chapter 1888 - 1888: Get Rich Chapter 1888 - 1888: Get Rich Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After cleaning up the place, Qiao Mei planted one seed first. She wanted to see what kind of vegetables could be grown in this soil and also to check out what the other neighbors were planting at their houses It would not be a good thing to grow vegetables that did not suit the current season since that would attract unwanted attention. The next-door neighbor grew cabbages and it seemed to be growing well. Most of the neighbors grew potatoes and some people grew carrots. The crops were all growing well! Eh? Wait... what was this? The plant roots which Qiao Mei was controlling had hit an unknown object in the ground right under the storeroom in her house. The roots could only detect a rectangular object that looked like a box, but could not see what was inside, This successfully piqued Qiao Meis curiosity. Anything buried underground must be a treasure! Or some amazing big secret! However, it was broad daylight now. If she really dug out a big box in the courtyard, it would inevitably alarm the people around them. She did not know the full backgrounds of all the helpers at home yet, so it would be difficult to guard against them if they had other intentions. Qiao Mei planted the seeds which Butler Xu bought. She did everything in a normal manner and did not give these seeds too much energy. Although Auntie Wang and the others had lived in the capital for a long time, they had also lived in Country M for a long time. Qiao Mei had to keep a low profile in order to avoid arousing their suspicion. Once this batch of vegetables matured, she could lie and say that she had cultivated some new varieties of seeds. She did not expect happiness to appear so suddenly. The matter of money could finally be resolved! With these things, she could buy all the villas around here, let alone one shop! Where should she keep so many treasures of unknown origin? For a moment, Qiao Mei did not know what to do. In the end, she decided to bring it back to the bedroom first. It was safest to keep it right under her nose! Across the courtyard, there was an ancient tree that was probably about 300 years old. It was like the representative of this town. Qiao Mei went to the tree early the next morning. She gently stroked the ancient tree and whispered, Im sorry, I have to take a look at your memories. Qiao Mei kept searching through the memories of the ancient tree for information about the origin of this box. Finally, she found some clues. It turned out that the original occupants of this house were a wealthy couple in business who were in hiding. They were being pursued by their enemies and eventually came to live here incognito. It was inconvenient for them to bring out their treasures, so they buried everything underground. Later on, they died without any descendants, so this box remained buried. Before Qiao Mei walked away, she infused some energy into the ancient tree to make it stronger. Since the treasures she dug out yesterday were legal and legit, she could use them without any worries. Behaving in a mysterious manner, Qiao Mei brought Xia He to the jewelry trading center. Before they entered, Xia He quickly held Qiao Mei back and said, Are you crazy! This is a jewelry center! Are you going in to buy jewelry? Of course not. Arent we out of money? Im here to encash some, Qiao Mei said softly. No! Those jewelry of yours are all very expensive and you like them so much. Why are you selling them? Our family hasnt reached the point where we cant afford to survive! Lets think of another way, Xia He said.. Chapter 1889 - 1889: Selling Jewelry Chapter 1889 - 1889: Selling Jewelry Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Dont worry, Im not that impulsive. Were just going in to take a look. Cant we just take a look? Its been a long time since I bought any jewelry. At the very least, I want to see what the jewelry in Country M looks like and how much they cost! Qiao Mei said. What she said did make sense. They had heard that Country M was a gold-producing country and that gold was not expensive here. Perhaps after they earned some money, they could come here to buy some gold before they went back. Xia He believed what Qiao Mei said and reluctantly walked into the jewelry trading center. The service staff inside looked up excitedly. The staff first sized up Qiao Mei and Xia He by looking at their outfits and the value of the jewelry they were wearing. After confirming that these were two poor people, all of them simply kept quiet. Xia He glared at these service staff angrily. These people were really stuck-up. If this was the capital, she would definitely buy half of the jewelry displayed inside the counter in a fit of pique and show it to them! Hello, Miss. Is there anything you need? A sweet-looking service staff came over to Qiao Mei and Xia He. Qiao Mei looked at the name tag of the service staff. Her name was Lisa. Qiao Mei said calmly, Hello, Lisa. I want to sell some jewelry. Do you buy jewelry here? That wont do! How do we know who gets hold of this jewelry in the end? What if you steal and change out our jewelry! Xia He said quickly. Dont worry, its absolutely safe here. We will be able to see the jewelry being delivered to the appraiser with our own eyes. However, we can only stay on the other side of the glass wall. The jewelry will be delivered inside and our surveillance cameras will also record the entire process. Please dont worry, Miss, Lisa said in a gentle tone. Qiao Mei took out a loose diamond that was the size of a pigeon egg from her bag and placed it on the tray. Lisas expression did not change, but Xia Hes eyes almost popped out. She clearly remembered that Qiao Mei did not bring much jewelry when she came to Country M, not even the bangle that Grandmother had given her. Where did this thing come from? And how did she get past security checks? Xia He knew very well that she could not ask these questions here. With a head full of questions, she accompanied Qiao Mei to the next stage of the process. They sat quietly in front of the glass window and watched the appraisers working inside the room. This was the first time the appraisers in the room had seen such a perfect loose diamond with such purity and cut. Even the auction house would accept a loose diamond of this quality. The rules of their profession did not allow them to buy the jewelry in the shop they worked at. This was to prevent them from deliberately lowering the price, among other things. Otherwise, the appraisers here would definitely want to keep this loose diamond for themselves. After some discussion, they solemnly came up with an offer. They quoted 120,000 dollars.. Chapter 1890 - 1890: Arrogant Chapter 1890 - 1890: Arrogant Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Miss, are you satisfied with this price? Lisa came to Qiao Mei with the quotation and asked her. Yes, Qiao Mei said with a smile.Visitt for the latest updates The truth was that Qiao Mei only expected this diamond to be worth about 70,000 to 80,000 dollars. She did not expect the price to be so good. Qiao Mei then took out the rest of the diamonds, gems and gold from her bag and asked the attendant to send them in for appraisal. The appraisal process took even longer this time. The attendant even went out to buy some snacks and coffee for Qiao Mei and Xia He. After waiting for an hour, the attendant brought her the quotation. It added up to a total of 730,000 dollars. Ive taken a look at the prices of these items. Why is the price of the ruby so low? Moreover, the clarity index of my sapphire should be very high. I dont think your price is fair enough, Qiao Mei said with a slight frown as she looked at the quotation. Alright, Miss. Ill give the appraisers your questions. Lisa wrote down Qiao Meis doubts in a notebook and sent the piece of paper into the room. The appraisers in the room discussed Qiao Meis queries about the unfair pricing. They wrote down the flaws of the jewelry and the reason for the prices they quoted. Lisa brought the piece of paper over and handed it to Qiao Mei. Lisa was a new staff member. She had to work hard to serve every client, new or old, and she took everyone seriously. Qiao Mei took out 1,000 dollars from her bag and handed it to Lisa in front of all the other service staff. This is your reward, she said. Miss, this is really too much. I cant accept it. I just need to get the stated amount, Lisa said in a panic. Its alright, I think youve earned this amount. Qiao Mei stuffed the money into Lisas hand and left the jewelry trading center with Xia He. Qiao Mei and Xia He took a slow walk home. When Xia He walked to the main street earlier, she looked dejected and did not have any self-confidence. As she walked down the main street now, her back was straight and she strode forward with big steps. She even wanted to visit all the shops on the street and buy everything she liked! After they reached home, Xia He did not rush to ask Qiao Mei about the jewelry. In the dead of the night, Xia He quietly entered Qiao Mei t s bedroom. She came to Qiao Meis bed and said, You should tell me the truth now! What was that during the day! Lower your voice. Someone outside might hear you, Qiao Mei whispered. What do you mean? Do you suspect that any of those women are not loyal? Xia He asked.. Chapter 1891 - 1891: Come Looking Chapter 1891: Come Looking Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios We must always be wary of others. Eldest Brother says that these people might not be reliable. We should be more careful, Qiao Mei said warily. Ill remember that. Quick, tell me about what happened during the daytime? Where did you get so much jewelry? Xia He asked. Will you believe me if I say that I brought them here? Qiao Mei said to Xia He with a grin. Xia He did not believe what Qiao Mei said. She was the one who packed most of Qiao Meis luggage and they also had a weigh-in and security check before boarding the plane! There were so many items just now. It was impossible for the security personnel to have missed out on them! Alright, alright, I wont tease you anymore. Qiao Mei laughed and told Xia He about everything which happened that day. However, she said that she found it in the small garden outside instead of in the storeroom. The amount of jewelry which Qiao Mei brought out today was only the tip of the iceberg. There were still countless gems, diamonds and gold in the box under her bed! It was definitely more than enough to pay for their expenses in Country M and to start a business here! Xia He sat on the carpet and hugged the box containing the jewelry as she muttered to herself, Oh my goodness... Were rich... We become rich so suddenly... Pinch me. Is this for real? Why do I feel like this is just a dream? Qiao Mei would drive one of the two cars to go to school and leave the other car to Xia He and Luo Yu. The two of them could take turns to drive when they went out. Qiao Mei did not intend to get a new house for the time being. Since there were treasures under this house, there might be other family heirlooms hidden underground! It would not be a bad idea to search slowly when she had time. If she found any more top-quality gems, she would strike it rich again. After doing a quick count on the things that she needed to buy, she estimated that it would cost about 300,000 dollars in total. She planned to keep the remaining 400,000 dollars as capital to open a shop! The next morning, Qiao Mei could not do whatever she had planned. A group of uninvited guests had come to the house. These people were not aggressive and just stood politely outside the courtyard while they waited for Qiao Mei and the others to notice their presence. The neighbors who passed by all ran away to hide in fear. It was not that these people were too fierce, but it was the emblem they wore which scared off the neighbors. Theres a group of people outside. Luo Hui and I have drawn the curtains so that they cant look into our house. What should we do now? Luo Yu said nervously. Let me see who they are. Qiao Mei walked to the window cautiously. Through the gap in the curtains, she could clearly see that one of the people standing outside was the man she and Xia He had saved that day. She did not expect him to be able to find her here. Why do you look so pale? Who are those people outside? Xia He asked immediately. Its the man we saved and he has brought other people with him, Qiao Mei said. l havent settled the score with him yet! He has actually come looking for us first! Ill go out and teach him a lesson now! Xia He said agitatedly.. Chapter 1892 - 1892: Here to Repay a Favor Chapter 1892: Here to Repay a Favor Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios They might be carrying weapons. Lets not be rash and figure out what they want first. I think theyve been standing at the gate for more than an hour. If theyre looking for trouble, they definitely wont wait so long. Its more likely that they want to talk to us, Luo Hui said earnestly. l think what Luo Hui says makes sense. Ill go to the gate and talk to them, Qiao Mei said. No! You cant go! If anything happens, we wont be able to save you. Its better if I go and take a look, Luo Yu said. Luo Hui held back everyone and let Luo Yu go out alone. He walked up to the group of people nervously and asked, What are you doing at my house? The man in front raised his eyebrows and sized up Luo Yu carefully for a while before saying, Are you... the male owner of this house? Yes, who are you? Luo Yu said firmly. He felt deeply apologetic towards Xia Zhe, but he had no other choice. In order to protect Qiao Mei and Xia He, he had no choice but to say this. Oh, alright. That girl is really blind to have fallen for such a classless man, the man complained softly. Is there something you want? Luo Yu asked with a slight frown. Probably. Open it and take a look, Qiao Mei said with a smile. Xia He slowly opened the box and saw that it was packed neatly with money. She quickly picked up the banknotes and took a long sniff before saying in enjoyment, This is the smell of money... This is too awesome... The fact that this person can find us means that hes very powerful around here. Have you already found out who the local tyrant is? Qiao Mei asked as she looked at Luo Yu. Weve asked around, but most of the neighbors are unwilling to talk about these things. Butler Xu is actually more familiar with this matter. The gang in this area is called Vicious Wolf. I hear that the boss is a person who kills without batting an eyelid, but he distinguishes between the good guys and the bad guys and wont attack the common people, Luo Yu said. Most of the gang members in Vicious Wolf were orphans who had experienced the darkest side of life. John had recruited them one by one. They only targeted capitalists and were very friendly to the common people. It looks like this guy John is their gang leader. Seems like we ended up saving some big shot, Qiao Mei said melancholically. In that case, can we really request something from him? Xia He asked. Let me think about it. Its rare to encounter such a good opportunity, so we have to grab hold of it tightly. We cant let it go. Otherwise, were missing a good chance. Luo Yu, go and find out more about this Vicious Wolf and how powerful they are. Get the information as soon as possible, Qiao Mei said.. Chapter 1893 - 1893: Stealing Chapter 1893 - 1893: Stealing Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Alright, I understand. After saying that, Luo Yu went out to gather information. At moments like this, Qiao Mei missed Yao Nian very much. If he was here with her, she would be able to know all the information about the entire Country M like the back of her hand. When she had nothing to do, she could also listen to the gossip that he found out. She firmly believed that he would be able to do even better here, so it was a pity that he could not come here.Visitt for the latest updates Or rather, Yao Nian did not want to come here at all. The life he wanted was to raise a few carrier pigeons and live in a house in the countryside. When he was free, he would drink tea and admire the flowers. His ultimate goal was to live a leisurely life. Being a private investigator in such a dangerous place like Country M could cost him his life at any moment. Luo Yu only came back late at night. The news he brought back was very important. Vicious Wolf was very powerful, so powerful that they had already extended their reach into the government. They had planted their people in the government and these people even held fairly high positions. This was the main reason why Vicious Wolf could gradually become the most powerful gang here. In that case, it was no wonder that John could find them quickly. As long as John wanted the information, the identities of Qiao Mei and the others were no longer a mystery to him. These people were not people whom they could afford to offend. Butler Xu knew the arms dealer in the black market. He had gone and bought all the weapons that Qiao Mei wanted. Since he wanted to buy a large number of guns and ammunition within a few hours, the price was 10% higher than usual. This did not matter to any of them at the moment. Xia He and Qiao Mei quietly opened the door slightly to observe the figure in the corridor. After taking a closer look, they realized that it was Auntie Zhang who was sneaking around! What was she doing in the corridor in the middle of the night instead of sleeping in bed? Xia He put down the gun in disdain. Just as she was about to call out to Auntie Zhang, Qiao Mei covered her mouth and whispered, Dont alert the enemy yet. Lets see what she wants to do, Auntie Zhang was carrying a huge backpack. From the size, it seemed to be stuffed full with things. Qiao Mei lowered her head. She tried to sense the memories of the potted plants by the window in Auntie Zhangs room. The bag contained all the valuable items that Auntie Zhang had hidden away during this period of time. No wonder Auntie Wang had been complaining two days ago, She kept saying that the things at home seemed to disappear for no reason. When she went out to buy groceries, she brought 200 dollars with her and should have 80 dollars left when she came back. However, when she reached home, she realized that she only had 30 dollars left in her pocket. Xia He had comforted Auntie Wang, saying that perhaps it was because it was too windy outside or because she had run into a very quick pickpocket. Now that they did not lack money at home, it was not a big deal to lose a little money once or twice. It was not as if she could fire these women due to such matters. She did not expect all the lost items to be inside Auntie Zhangs bag! Should we grab her? Xia He asked. She wont be able to escape. Luo Yu is waiting for her downstairs, Qiao Mei said with a smile.. Chapter 1894 - 1894: Stealing Documents Chapter 1894 - 1894: Stealing Documents Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Luo Yu and Luo Hui were currently squatting at the corner next to the stairs. The moment Auntie Zhang showed her face, the two of them would immediately be able to grab her. After about 10 minutes, there was a loud scream downstairs. The two of them had caught her. Xia He stuck the gun into her boot and grab coats for herself and Qiao Mei before slowly walking down from the second floor. Auntie Zhangs scream had also attracted the attention of Auntie Wang and Auntie Cui. After checking that the children were not woken by the noise, they also went downstairs. Auntie Zhang, where are you going? Its already so late and yet youre still going out with so much stuff, Xia He said as she sat on the sofa. I...I just want to go home to take a look. My child suddenly fell sick and my husband wants me to go home to take care of the child! Auntie Zhang said in a panic. Child? You have a child? Dont you only have a husband in Country M whos an alcoholic? Two days ago, you told me that he hit you and you even borrowed 50 dollars from me! Auntie Wang said agitatedly. I have a child! A child whom my husband adopted! Im going back to see what kind of child he adopted! Auntie Zhang explained. I...I.. I dont know... Auntie Zhang fell to the ground in fear, but she still hugged the bag tightly, as if it contained something that was more important than her life. Alright, since you dont want to tell me, I wont ask anymore. Qiao Mei looked at Luo Yu and said, Search her bag. Luo Hui went forward and grabbed Auntie Zhang. Luo Yu took out everything from the bag and lined them up on the floor. Not only were there Qiao Meis jewelry, but there were also items belonging to Auntie Wang and Auntie Cui. Most importantly, there was an admission letter to Country Mt s agricultural university inside the bag. Country M was relatively lax about such administrative matters. Even though the letter contained the students name, if it was erased neatly and replaced with another name, the agricultural university would not question the amendment. They would not care even if the letter was doctored. If Qiao Mei found out a few days later that the admission letter was lost, it would be too late for her to call home and ask for a resubmission of the application. She would be sent back home. Auntie Zhang wanted to take Qiao Meis university admission letter and change the name on it to her sons name so that her son could enter the university. Youre really good at stealing. This is the most valuable thing in this house, Qiao Mei said in surprise. I have no choice. If I dont do this, my son wont have a future! I already owe him too much. I have to get him an admission letter to university! Just take pity on me! Anyway, youll continue to live a worry-free life after you return to the capital. Youll still have your degree from Capital University! But my son doesnt! Can you help my son? Auntie Zhang begged agitatedly.. Chapter 1895 - 1895: Russian Roulette Chapter 1895 - 1895: Russian Roulette Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios What has it got to do with us whether your son can go to university or not! If your son is not capable enough, why should we sacrifice our admission slot to him! Youre the one who let your son down! Were not the ones who let your son down! Xia He roared. But I really dont have any other option. Please help me! If you give the slot to my son, you wont lose much! Auntie Zhang said seriously. What a devious person you are... Qiao Mei said helplessly. Auntie Zhangs hometown back home was in a small mountain valley. When she was young, she always wanted to go and take a look at the outside world. In the end, she was tricked into going to Country M. When she first arrived in Country M, she did not have an entry permit and had no legal status. She did many illicit jobs then and even worked as a streetwalker. She did whatever she could to earn money. Her current husband, Charlie, was one of her clients. At that time, Charlie was very handsome and dressed very well and he looked like a young master from an upper-class family. He was one of Auntie Zhangs regular clients. As time passed, she gradually developed feelings for him. Charlie expressed that he felt sorry for Auntie Zhang. He was willing to give Auntie Zhang a home and a new place to stay. He was also willing to spend a lot of money on her, so she fell into a love trap very quickly. Not long after, Auntie Zhang became pregnant with Charlies child. The two of them got married as planned and Auntie Zhang finally had a legal status to stay in the country. However, it did not take long for her to realize that all the money which Charlie spent freely were not his and that he also owed a lot of gambling debts. By then, the baby was about to be born. If theres a sound, you can only blame it on your bad luck. There are a total of four bullets inside. I dont need you to die. You can stay alive. For every shot you get, you have to tell me one piece of information about the person who sent you. Otherwise, youll have to continue shooting yourself, Qiao Mei said with a smile. Arent you afraid that Ill kill you after I get the gun? Auntie Zhang asked. Do you dare to do it? Qiao Mei looked at Auntie Zhang mockingly. Luo Yu and Luo Hui tied Auntie Zhang to a stool and made her face the wall. Her hand was tied up such that she could only touch her own leg. Luo Hui walked over and stuffed the gun into Auntie Zhangs hand. If you get shot, you have to tell me the information about the person who sent you. If you dont tell me, Ill keep torturing you and Ill also slash all the tendons in your sons body. If you tell me, I can consider applying my medicine to your wounds. Youve stayed in the capital for so long, so you must have heard how good my familys medicine is, Qiao Mei said with a smile. Ill talk! Ill talk now! Let go of me! Auntie Zhang struggled and shouted. Tsk, youre so boring, Qiao Mei said with a slight frown. Luo Hui took the gun from Auntie Zhangs hand and turned her to face them. Qiao Mei asked, Tell me who sent you.. Chapter 1896 - 1896: Ask for a Farm Chapter 1896 - 1896: Ask for a Farm Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Its... its a Mr. He who asked me to come! Auntie Zhang said agitatedly. What does he want you to do? Xia He asked immediately. Nothing much. He just wants me to steal your documents. He said that if you dont have any school admission documents, you will be sent back home. My son can then take your place and hell achieve his goal as well. He even gave me 30,000 dollars in foreign currency as remuneration! Auntie Zhang told the truth. This He Ning was like a ghost which refused to stop haunting them. Even though they were in Country M, he was still doing everything he could to cause trouble for them. He Ning could not bear to let Qiao Mei leave the capital. The simplest solution was to make Qiao Mei lose the reason to stay in Country M. This way, Qiao Mei would have to return to the capital and be under his watch. If not for the strict rules in the capital and the fact that he could not go overseas without any special reasons, he would have bought the villa next door to Qiao Meis current house and moved in. Alright, take your things and go, Qiao Mei said as she waved her hand. Auntie Zhang picked up the bag which Luo Yu had already packed for her and left the town overnight. As for where Auntie Zhang went in the future, they were not interested. Qiao Mei noted down this debt. When she returned home, she would definitely find a chance to make sure that He Ning paid it back with interest. Auntie Wang and Auntie Cui packed up the documents and valuables on the floor and everyone returned to their rooms to rest. These two men must be people whom Mr. John trusts. Can we just talk frankly here? Qiao Mei asked tentatively. Sure. Have you thought about what I said yesterday? John asked. Of course. I just dont know if Mr. John can give me what I want, Qiao Mei said. In Country M, theres nothing that I cant give you. If you can find one thing, Ill reward you with 200,000 dollars! John said confidently. Qiao Mei quickly said, Ive definitely heard of Mr. Johns reputation. I wonder if Mr. John can sell me a farm nearby? What do you mean? Youre a woman, so what do you want the farm for? Are you able to do farm work? John asked suspiciously. He had thought that Qiao Mei would ask for something exorbitant. To him, women only liked things like jewelry, houses, cars. He had all these in abundance and he could give her as much as she wanted. However, he did not expect Qiao Mei to want a farm. Of course I can. Otherwise, I wont have made such a request, Qiao Mei said. The word request obviously greatly fed Johns vanity, but a farm was not just any plaything, especially since Qiao Mei had specifically mentioned the farm nearby. Although the farm was an old one, it occupied a huge area. Back then, John had bought it with the intention to build a warehouse to store his firearms or some old items.. Chapter 1897 - 1897: Renovating the Farm Chapter 1897 - 1897: Renovating the Farm Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Not only do I want the farm, but I also want to work with the government. I want to be the sole supplier of milk in this area, Qiao Mei said confidently. During this period of time, she often took walks in the vicinity. She realized that 80% of the people in the town drank milk every morning and this was a big part of their lives. There were also all kinds of dairy products sold here. As long as Qiao Mei could monopolize this market, she would definitely be able to make a lot of money in the future. You have to know that since youre not a citizen, you have no right to buy a farm or any other type of property, John said. Of course I know all this. Thats why Im making such a request. I hope Mr. John can help me fulfill my wish, Qiao Mei said in a direct manner. John had never met such an interesting woman. Other women got close to him either for money or for his status and some women were even willing to sacrifice everything for all those materialistic things. It was really rare to see a woman like Qiao Mei who spoke her mind so frankly. If youre willing to become my wife, I can consider giving you the farm. Not just this farm, I can give you all the farms in Country M, John said confidently. Ill send someone to inform you once its done. With that, John left Qiao Meis house with his two men. Everyone could finally relax and Qiao Mei took a long deep breath. It was so troublesome to talk to such a dangerous person. If one was not careful, ones head might be chopped off. John was very efficient. After two days, he sent someone to deliver the relevant documents and keys to Qiao Mei. John even got someone to give her a letter with instructions on the things to take note of regarding the farm. There was also a list of the farms suppliers and their phone numbers. This John is really meticulous, Xia He said in satisfaction as she held up the letter. Hes trying to return the favor completely. This way, we cant ask him for anything else in the future, Qiao Mei said. Now that the problem of the farm purchase had been resolved, she could take care of business wholeheartedly. She did not have an architect like Deng Fan here. Fortunately, Xia He had followed Deng Fan around for a long time and knew a lot about construction by now. The next step was to renovate the farm and buy cows and sheep, as well as the feed for these animals, among other things. Qiao Mei also bought two border collies to guard the property. She could train them when she was free and let them help take care of the cows and sheep. Qiao Mei suddenly regretted not bringing the luminous pearl along with her. If she had the luminous pearl with her, she might be able to hear what these animals were saying.. If so, she would be able to raise them according to their wishes and the meat produced would definitely turn out to be very delicious! Chapter 1898 - 1898: Pay Rise Chapter 1898 - 1898: Pay Rise Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Auntie Wang and Auntie Cui also wanted to work at Qiao Meis farm. They heard from Xia He that the farm staff there earned a lot of money! During this period of time, Qiao Mei had hired many of her neighbors in the area and the news had spread among the families. However, now that Auntie Zhang had left, they needed to take care of the three young children at home and there was no way for them to leave the house. Qiao Mei, the two of us are alright with taking care of the children, but theres also the rest of the housework at home, like cleaning, cooking and doing the laundry and so on. The two of us really cant cope. Can you consider hiring another helper? Auntie Wang said tentatively to Qiao Mei. Ive been so busy with the farm recently that Ive forgotten about the issues at home. Im really sorry, Qiao Mei said apologetically. Im not blaming you! 1 just want to discuss it with you, Auntie Wang said nervously. Qiao Mei understood what Auntie Wang was thinking. She planned to hold a family meeting to sort out the recent issues and solve all the problems at once. At night, Auntie Wang and Auntie Cui coaxed the three children to sleep. After that, everyone gathered at the living room in an orderly manner for a meeting. Even Butler Xu was asked to attend. Auntie Wang and Auntie Cui, your salary is slightly lower than theirs. Its 700 dollars a month. From now on, the two of you dont have to come and ask me or Xia He for money. Every month, well put the household expenses for the month in a drawer in the study. You just need to record it in the book when you take money out from there. We will do random checks every month, Qiao Mei said. Its already a lot! Thank you, Miss Qiao! We note your instructions! Auntie Wang said excitedly. Qiao Mei even bought a car in Luo Yus name so that Butler Xu can drive it to chauffeur the farms customers around. It would also be more convenient for Butler Xu to drive Auntie Wang home to see the children. As time passed, Auntie Cui felt a little upset. Her husband was located 400 kilometers away and it was very difficult for her to go home during her days off. It would be great if her husband could come to this tovvn to work and bring the children with him. This way, their family could be together all the time like Auntie Wang and Butler Xu. When Qiao Mei was resting in the study, Auntie Cui took the chance to come and look for her. Auntie Cui knocked on the door, feeling embarrassed, and said, Miss Qiao, can I come in? Come in, Qiao Mei said immediately. l... I have something to discuss with you, Auntie Cui said shyly.. Chapter 1899 - 1899: Hehua Farm Chapter 1899: Hehua Farm Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Auntie Cui, you can just speak freely. You and Auntie Wang are like my family members. Were all unfamiliar with this place and we have to be united. Just say whats on your mind, Qiao Mei said gently. My husband had previously worked on a farm for a period of time and is very experienced in raising cows. l... I want to ask you if I can ask him to come for an interview. If you think hes a capable person, perhaps you can hire him. If not, Ill ask him to go home immediately! Auntie Cuis voice became softer and softer as she spoke. It was not easy for Qiao Mei to hear what Auntie Cui was saying. Of course. I still need one more of my own people to work on the farm! He can come over anytime, but I dont have any more accommodation here. If hes willing to make do, theres a room in the farm that he can use. He can stay there for the time being. His salary will be the same as Butler Xu and the other two guys, 800 dollars a month, Qiao Mei said with a smile. Good, good, good! Thank you! Miss Qiao, youre really helping our family a lot! Auntie Cui said with tears in her eyes. l heard from Auntie Wang that you have two children. Its not that convenient for the children to stay at the farm. Ill ask Butler Xu to look for a small tiled house and your whole family can stay there if you wish. You can choose for yourselves. Once youve made your decision, just let Butler Xu know, Qiao Mei said. After making these arrangements for the farm, Qiao Mei went to bed. She had stayed up late to work for a few days in a row and could not take it anymore. The cows had produced milk for the first time recently but she still did not know how much milk could be produced or how much money they could earn. In a way. I intend to go on a trip, Qiao Mei said happily. The truth was that she was not just going on a trip. Now that the problem of money had been resolved and all their expenses were taken care of, it was time for her to go and look for Xia Zhe. There was still half a month before school started. She had to hasten if she wanted to find Xia Zhe. Once school started, she would have no chance. Ill go with you. I can protect you, Xia He said. If you go with me, then what about the farm? Dont we want to make money anymore? There are so many people in the family. Are we supposed to survive by drinking plain water? Qiao Mei asked. After a long silence, Xia He said, This country is so dangerous. Is it safe for you to travel alone? Ask Luo Yu to go with you so that he can protect you on the way. l can carry weapons! Dont worry, Im not that weak. Besides, with Luo Yu gone, Luo Hui wont be able to watch over both the children and the farm on his own. Ill go on the trip alone, Qiao Mei said. What about the children? They cry when they dont see you. Or... why dont you bring the children along? Just bring one of them this time. You can bring the others out separately next time, Xia He said.. Chapter 1900 - 1900: The Journey to Find Her Husband Chapter 1900: The Journey to Find Her Husband Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios This was going to be a dangerous journey. It would be really inconvenient for her to look for Xia Zhe with any of the children around, especially since these three children resembled Xia Zhe too much. If they were discovered, it would only expose his identity and put her and the children in danger. It would also put his life in danger. l dont want to bring the children along. These little brats will only disrupt my travel plans. 1 want to experience life without children. For the past two years, Ive been either pregnant or busy taking care of children. Its time for me to have time of my own, Qiao Mei said. Alright then, but you have to call home every day and keep us informed every time you reach a new place! I have to know where you are all the time. If you secretly go somewhere else, Ill complain to Eldest Brother! Lets see whatll happen to you then! Xia He said sternly. No problem. Dont worry, Im not a child. I wont get lost! Qiao Mei said. Qiao Mei gave some brief instructions on the matters at home and the details about the few suppliers she worked with on the farm. After everything was done, Qiao Mei set off on her journey to find her husband. The moment Qiao Mei stepped out of the airport, she was the target of many people. Who would not want to take such a beautiful woman for themselves? As she dragged her luggage and walked forward quickly, she was quickly followed by five to six burly men. They all looked very fierce and their faces were filled with greed and desire. Qiao Mei no longer tried to keep a low profile and showed her gun. In fact, she made sure that they knew she had more than one gun. The burly men behind her immediately stopped in their tracks. Other people who were preparing to launch sneak attacks on Qiao Mei also returned to their original spots. Although these people fought often, most of them only fought with their hands or used the things around them as weapons. They did not have that much money to buy guns. Even if some of them had guns, they would not display it so openly. Just like that, Qiao Mei successfully arrived at the hotel where she had booked a room in advance, Sky Hotel. The boss of the hotel was a very prominent person in Sky City and he was feared by both the government and the underworld. There was an unwritten agreement that the moment a guest entered Sky Hotel, the guest could not be harmed until leaving the premises of Sky Hotel again. Therefore, the room rate here was three to four times higher than other hotels. Most of the people who could afford to stay here were either the children of rich families or important members of the government. Qiao Mei stood next to the window and looked into the distance. Xia Zhe was in this city, so the connection between her and the seed was very strong now. He was about five kilometers away from her and that was where the largest underground casino of Sky City was located.. Chapter 1901 - 1901: Successfully Entering the Casino Chapter 1901 - 1901: Successfully Entering the Casino Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei opened her luggage and changed into a tight white dress with a snowy white fox fur coat. She even specially put on heavy makeup. By the time she was ready, it was a curvaceous and seductive woman who was ready to head out. She looked very attractive. She picked up a small handbag and headed towards the entrance of the underground casino. On the way, there were many men eyeing her covetously, but she had asked two bodyguards from the Sky Hotel to escort her. Once they reached the main entrance, the two bodyguards left her. These two bodyguards charged by the minute and the fees were 10 dollars per minute. It cost Qiao Mei 1,000 dollars to hire them to walk with her, but she had no choice for the sake of her own safety. The casino here was not much different from those in the capital. There were just more different ways to gamble and the venue was much bigger. Qiao Mei went to the front desk and wanted to exchange 10,000 dollars worth of chips. In this place, 10,000 dollars was not a big sum at all. The staff at the door told Qiao Mei that she needed to go through a body search before she could enter. Although this was something that everyone was subjected to before entering the casino, she could see the ulterior motives in both mens eyes. Qiao Mei quickly took a step back and said, Dont you have any female staff here? Why cant you assign a woman to do the body search? There are only the two of us on duty today. If you want to go in, you have to go through a body search! Its the same for everyone. Miss, dont tell me you want to go against our rules, the door guard said. Qiao Mei did not intend to help them. She said haughtily, l dont see it as a joke. Go and get a woman to come and do the body search for me. Im still waiting to go in! Dont waste my time anymore. Bella waved her hand and the people behind her immediately dragged the two guards out to beat them up. In an instant, two new guards arrived, a man and a woman. Miss, please dont be angry. Well do the body search for you now. To express our apologies, our boss has decided to give you 2,000 dollars worth of chips. I hope you have a good time here tonight. A man immediately appeared behind Bella, carrying a black tray with the chips on it. Alright, please thank your boss for me, Qiao Mei said. Casino patrons were not allowed to carry any guns or weapons inside. Everything had to be left outside the door for safekeeping. Qiao Mei had to leave her gun outside too. After Qiao Mei entered the casino, she could clearly sense Xia Zhes presence. She did not do anything too showy and went straight to search for him. She played a few rounds at every table. She already knew she would lose money playing those games which she was not familiar with. At every table, she would leave the moment she lost money. Finally, she came to the Sic Bo table and immediately caught sight of the person she had been thinking about day and night. However, she was a little surprised to see a woman snuggling up to Xia Zhe. That woman hugged Xia Zhes arm so tightly that she was almost sitting in his lap.. Chapter 1902 - 1902: All a Disguise Chapter 1902 - 1902: All a Disguise Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xia Zhe was still chatting happily with the man beside him. The next moment, when he looked up and saw Qiao Mei, he felt as if his blood froze. Why is Qiao Mei here? She should be in the capital now, right? She should be studying in Capital University at this time, right? Are the children in the capital or are they here with her? Does Xia Wen know about this? Xia Zhe had so many questions to ask Qiao Mei, but he could not blow his cover. He just stared at Qiao Mei quietly and did not say anything. When the man beside Xia Zhe saw the look in Xia Zhes eyes, he turned to look as well. This was the first time he had seen such a beautiful woman. Actually, it was also the first time Xia Zhe had seen Qiao Mei so heavily made up.etics produced in this era were not of very good quality and there was a high possibility that some of the ingredients might cause harm to children. In addition, wearing tight clothes when pregnant was not good for the baby. Therefore, Qiao Mei had always been bare-faced and dressed simply in front of Xia Zhe. Miss, are you here alone? Yang Tian asked as he looked at Qiao Mei. What does that have to do with you? Croupier, lets start! Qiao Mei said impatiently. Her gaze did not linger on Xia Zhe at all, nor did she appear to have any intention to acknowledge him. This made Xia Zhe quite pleased. His wife was indeed the embodiment of intelligence and beauty. She was aware of the situation even without needing him to tell her anything. Whats there to be afraid of! Dont I still have you to cover for me? Otherwise, do you think Im willing to come out with you? Do you still want to work with my father! If you want to work with him, you have to listen to me! Yang Tian said arrogantly. Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe!s defeated expression and smiled. She asked curiously, Mr. Yang, is the person next to you your older brother? Hes so strict with you. Tsk! Hes not my older brother. If I have an older brother like him, Id rather not be born! Yang Tian said disdainfully. In that case, I wonder whats this gentlemans name? Qiao Mei asked. My surname is Fang. Fang Chen, Xia Zhe said coldly. Hey! Alright, alright! Lets play! Yang Tian said hurriedly. After a few rounds, Qiao Mei won even more money. She had already won 12 consecutive rounds and the rest of the players had lost so much money that they stopped playing and left. Only Yang Tian, Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei were left at the table. Lets go. You dont have any chips left, Xia Zhe said as he stood up. Yang Tian did not want to leave. He did not want to let go of such a beautiful woman. He must get this woman today! It did not matter if he had to spend some money to do that.. Chapter 1903 - 1903: Private Gambling Table Chapter 1903: Private Gambling Table Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios It doesnt matter that I dont have money. Dont you still have money? Go and change some chips for me. The more the better! Yang Tian said haughtily. If you continue to stay here, your father will come looking for you personally in a while. When that happens, Ill tell your father the truth about what happened tonight, Xia Zhe said calmly. Are you giving me the money or not! Youre so long-winded! Dont forget that if I badmouth you in front of my father, you wont be able to stay by his side anymore! Yang Tian threatened. Xia Zhe did not care about these threats at all. It was Yang Tians father who needed to work with Xia Zhe, not the other way round. Id advise Mr. Fang not to lend money to Mr. Yang, Qiao Mei said with a smile. Why? Xia Zhe questioned. No matter how much you lend Mr. Yang, he will lose it to me. Its not worth it, Qiao Mei said smugly. No problem. Bella asked her subordinates to do the necessary setup. She also thoughtfully changed Qiao Meis chips to bigger denominations so that it was easier for Qiao Mei to bring them around. Otherwise, Qiao Mei would probably be exhausted from walking around with the piles of chips. Miss Pu, other than money, lets use other items as gambling stakes, Yang Tian said to Qiao Mei. What do you want to use to bet with me, Mr. Yang? Look, you only have 100,000 dollars in front of you. If I bet all the money I have, you dont even have enough money to lose to me. In that case, what else do you have that you can use as chips? Qiao Mei looked at Yang Tian mockingly. Who says that I dont have money! Yang Tian turned to Xia Zhe and said, Go and get me another 200,000 dollars! 1 dont believe that I cant beat her today! In the beginning, Xia Zhe had rejected Yang Tians request, but now that the person sitting opposite them was Qiao Mei, he was even willing to give Yang Tian a million dollars. In any case, he was keeping things within his family. In fact, he had been looking for an opportunity to give Qiao Mei money. Qiao Mei knew exactly what Xia Zhe was thinking. She looked at him with a satisfied glint in her eyes. This man could be considered to have passed her test. At least he still knew that he should spend money on his wife and children after earning money. Su Rui looked at Xia Zhe unhappily. She knew that he was doing this on purpose as he usually would not give Yang Tian so much money. Yang Tian always said that he would ask his father for money to pay Xia Ze back, but could Xia Zhe let himself be known as such a petty person? If word got out, there were many people who would laugh at Xia Zhe for being so petty! Xia Zhe was clearly trying to give the money to the woman in front of them! Could it be that he had taken a fancy to this woman? Su Rui pressed her body even closer to Xia Zhe. He tried to hide in a corner but still could not get away from her. Yang Tian smiled and said, Brother Fang, why are you so shy today? Ive always been like this, Xia Zhe said coldly.. Chapter 1904 - 1904: A Vineyard Chapter 1904: A Vineyard Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios This Mr. Fang and the young lady next to him really look like a match made in heaven. I guess the two of them are a couple! Qiao Mei asked Xia Zhe with a smile. Thats right! I also think that the two of them look very good together. Even Miss Pu can tell! Brother Fang, you have to be nice to Miss Su! Miss Su is so infatuated with you! Dont let her down, Yang Tian said agitatedly. As long as he made Xia Zhe out to be in a relationship, there was a high chance that he would be able to get Qiao Mei. It would look good to have such a woman next to him! No, 1 dont have a partner. She... Xia Zhe glanced sideways at Su Rui and said fiercely, Shes not worthy of me. These words were like a bolt from the blue. Su Rui had never even imagined that Xia Zhe would say such cruel words to her. She had thought that Xia Zhe would protect her and acquiesce to her actions because of the mission. In fact, Xia Zhe had been nice to her all this while. However, ever since this woman appeared, everything had changed. Miss Su, you have to work hard! You heard what Brother Fang said! Youre not his girlfriend yet! If you want to become Mrs. Fang, you have to work harder! Yang Tian looked at Su Rui mockingly. Su Rui was indeed bent on marrying Xia Zhe. To her, marrying Xia Zhe and carrying out the mission were mutually exclusive. They could do both at the same time and it would actually be very beneficial for the mission! Alright, back to business. Since Young Master Yang doesnt want to bet using money, what do you want to use? Qiao Mei asked curiously. If you are able to win all the chips I have, Ill give you a vineyard in Sky City! Yang Tian said generously. In any case, someone had given him that vineyard to curry favor with his father. It was not a big deal to give it to Qiao Mei and it meant nothing to him at all. Then what if I lose? Qiao Mei continued to ask. If you lose, then you have to be my woman! Stay by my side for half a year! Yang Tian said with a laugh. Yang Tian had never let a woman stay by his side for more than a week. He was showing Qiao Mei a lot of respect by letting her stay by his side for half a year. The Yang family owned businesses all over Country M and they also had many businesses in other countries. Even if Qiao Meis family came to hold him accountable for doing this, he could just give them money. Who would say no to money? The look in Xia Zhes eyes turned viciously fierce as he stared at Yang Tian and Yang Tian felt a chill run down his spine. He turned around but did not see anyone else around. Qiao Mei smiled and did not say anything. This Yang Tian was really stupid. Why would he think that she would lose? Since someone was giving her money for free, she naturally had no reason to reject him. She also wanted to make Xia Zhe anxious and punish him for having such a close relationship with Su Rui.. Chapter 1905 - 1905: I Like You Very Much Chapter 1905: I Like You Very Much Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios No problem. Young Master Yang, please do up the agreement, Qiao Mei said. Qiao Mei had learned this from the underground gambling den in the capital the last time. If a player wanted to stake an item in a gamble, then there had to be a clear written agreement. The agreement would be signed in triplicate as the gambling house also needed to keep a copy as proof. Without the written agreement, the player might not honor the agreement. Yang Tian prepared the agreement readily. Bella called an officer of the casino to come over and witness the signing and stamp the casinos seal on it. The deal was considered done. Alright then, is everyone ready? If you are, lets begin, Bella said as she stood behind the gambling table. Wait! I want another croupier! Yang Tian said to stop her. Are you thinking of getting someone you know so that you can cheat? Young Master Yang, are you so scared to lose? Qiao Mei said, seeing through Yang Tians scheme immediately. Yang Tian flew into a rage out of embarrassment and said, Its the two of you who know each other! I heard what Bella said to you just now! Who knows if you and Bella will join forces to cheat me! Su Rui and Xia Zhe broke out in cold sweat when they saw what Qiao Mei did. Bella really hated physical contact with anyone and was obsessed with cleanliness. They had heard that anyone who had touched Bella before had been dismembered by her. Bella reached out to pat Qiao Mei on the head and said, Alright, Ill let him off on your account. We should not waste any more time. Lets start. Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei dotingly and remained still. He could no longer see anything else around him. He did not expect his little girl to be so capable, much more capable than him. No matter how hard he tried, he had not been able to gain the trust and familiarity of either Jack or Bella, but Qiao Mei had done it. There was indeed something special about Qiao Mei that made people like her, believe in her and want to get close to her. Bella was a very polished croupier. After five rounds, the 100,000 dollars in Yang Tians hand had already gone into Qiao Meis pocket. In this final round, Qiao Mei bet everything she had, a total of 200,000 dollars. Young Master Yang, you have to try harder. Dont lose everything, Qiao Mei said. By now, Yang Tian was already in a mess. He could not tell how Qiao Mei did it. Bella was also very curious about how Qiao Mei managed to win every round. In the game of Sic Bo, one could really only rely on luck. However, some croupiers knew how to control the dice to roll the points they wanted. There were also people who could make out the total points by listening to the sound of the dice hitting the dice cup. The dice cup in Bellas hand was custom made by the casino. It was constructed in such a way to prevent people with exceptionally good hearing from determining the total points from the sound. Otherwise, these people would just be making the game too difficult for the ordinary gamblers.. Chapter 1906 - 1906: Do Not Have That Much Money Chapter 1906: Do Not Have That Much Money At that time, they had even invited the top gambler in Country M to test the dice cup. Even the top gambler said that he could not hear the sound made by the dice. Could Qiao Meis gambling skills be even better than the top gambler in Country M? If Qiao Mei was willing to keep gambling here and then kept winning, the new top gambler of Country M might be born. Bella did not believe that Qiao Mei was simply lucky every round. She had worked in the casino for so many years and had never seen anyone who was lucky enough to keep winning the whole night. In particular, no one had ever won five consecutive rounds when she was the croupier. Even the current top gambler of Country M could not win more than three rounds in a row in the game of Sic Bo with her. However, there was an unwritten rule in their line of work. If they could not make out how a gambler had cheated, then they had to let the gambler go. They could not go out and spout any nonsense, nor could they defame or slander the person. Anyone who broke this rule would have their hands and feet chopped off and would never be able to work in any casino again. I... I.. Yang Tian was clearly very flustered by now and beads of sweat dripped down from his head. Bella looked at Yang Tian mockingly. She had seen so many men like him. He had only lost a few hundred thousand dollars and he was already showing his fear. Then where did this leave those people who lost a few million dollars? This was one of the reasons why Bella had not fallen for anyone after so many years. She felt that no one in the world was good enough for her. Perhaps it was because the person who was good enough for her had not appeared yet. Even Jack was quite frustrated over this. Bella was a workaholic, constantly urging Jack to expand the casino and the underground business. l know! Im getting more money now! Yang Tian said sulkily. In total, Xia Zhe had already lent Yang Tian 500,000 dollars tonight. Since most of the 500,000 dollars went into Qiao Meis pocket, Xia Zhe did not feel that he had made a loss. However, in everyone elses eyes, Xia Zhe had already spent too much. How much money could a newcomer in Country Mt s finance industry have in his coffers? Even if he was a tycoon in the stock market, he could not spend so much money in this way. Perhaps most people would buy the story that Xia Zhe was willing to spend a million dollars in one night on a beautiful girl. They might not even think that what Xia Zhe did was overboard and it would probably become an interesting topic for people to gossip about over dinner. However, everyone would find it ridiculous if Xia Zhe spent a million dollars in one night on Yang Tian. It was not as if Xia Zhe could go to Yang Tians father with the IOU and ask him for repayment. If that happened, their partnership would really fall apart. However, he also could not let Yang Tian do whatever he wanted just because of the partnership. Theres no more money. I didnt bring that many checks, Xia Zhe said coldly. He was telling the truth. Although one could issue checks in lieu of cash, the number of checks one could get was limited. There was a limit on the amount as well. Xia Zhe did not expect to stay at the casino for so long, so he naturally did not bring that many checks with him. Yang Tian could not think of any other solution for now. He would not be getting a second chance. Whether he made it or not would depend on this last round.. Chapter 1907 - 1907: Settle Both Old and New Scores Chapter 1907 - 1907: Settle Both Old and New Scores Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Ill stake everything I have! Even if I dont have any more money, I still have the vineyard. If you get my vineyard, its no loss to you! Yang Tian said agitatedly. At this moment, Yang Tian seemed like he had completely lost his mind. He was like an abandoned dog which kept barking randomly. It was as if he had lost his ability to think. Young Master Yang, it looks that youre mistaken. The vineyard is already a stake in the bet, not something that you can use to repay your debt. You only have 200,000 dollars now. If I win this round, you have to give me 400,000 dollars. How do you intend to pay me the remaining 200,000 dollars? Qiao Mei asked with a smile. The Yang family is so famous in Country M. Do you think well owe you a measly amount of 200,000 dollars? Give me an address and Ill send the money to you tomorrow morning! Yang Tian said. No, we must settle it tonight. Young Master Yang, dont tell me you dont even have 200,000 dollars with you. 1 know that your chauffeur is downstairs. Why dont you ask him to go home to get the money for you? Qiao Mei said with a smile. Qiao Mei had accurately pointed out Yang Tians problem. Indeed, he did not even have 200,000 dollars now. He had actually sneaked out from home this time round and his father did not know about it yet. If he went to the bank to withdraw 200,000 dollars, his father would definitely kill him! I also have a wine cellar! All the wine there is very expensive and cant even be found in the market! Ill use two bottles of wine as collateral! Yang Tian said after thinking for a long time. Qiao Mei shook her head and said, Young Master Yang, I dont drink. I wont know the actual worth of the wine youre giving me. Youre simply plucking a value from the air. Lets talk about something more practical. How is that possible? How can you win again? This is so unfair! Theres something fishy going on! Yang Tian jumped up from the chair agitatedly and suddenly found the strength to flip the whole gambling table. Bella managed to pull Qiao Mei away in time, preventing her from getting injured. Xia Zhe also wanted to rush forward to protect Qiao Mei, but he stopped after taking two steps. He could not expose his real relationship with Qiao Mei. Based on his current identity, there was no reason for him to protect Qiao Mei. Everyones attention was on Yang Tian and no one paid much attention to Xia Zhe. However, Su Rui caught Xia Zhes reaction immediately. She found it unbelievable and it was even a shock to her. Why did Xia Zhe care so much about this woman? For so long, Xia Zhe had not had any other woman at his side, other than her. It seemed that this woman named Pu Nan was Xia Zhes type. Mr. Yang, your actions tonight have caused serious damage to our casino. I will report this matter to Jack and we will be asking your father for compensation, Bella said sternly. Dont! I was just too agitated and didnt manage to control my emotions! Can you tell me how much it will cost to repair this table and the room? Ill get someone to go back and get the money now! Yang Tian said nervously. We need compensation for sure, but more than that, we need your father to give us an explanation. Young Master Yang, dont forget that you have done more than just this one thing in our casino tonight. Lets settle our old and new scores in one shot. With that, Bella left with Qiao Mei. Before they left, she even stuffed the agreement into Qiao Meis hands and asked someone to pack up all the chips from the table. Qiao Mei did not say anything. She was curious about where Bella was taking her. Could it be Jacks office? If so, perhaps she could get more valuable information and could be of help to Xia Zhe. In the end, Bella only brought Qiao Mei to a guest room. There was nothing inside except a table and a few chairs.. Chapter 1908 - 1908: Because I Like You Chapter 1908 - 1908: Because I Like You Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Bella pointed at a random chair and said, You can sit there. Qiao Mei sat on the chair obediently which Bella had pointed out and waited patiently for her to speak. Bella smiled and sat on the table before asking, Whats your name? My name is Pu Nan. I heard them calling you Bella. Can I address you as Sister Bella? Qiao Mei asked cautiously. Of course you can. You can call me whatever you want. You dont have to be so careful around me. 1 dont hurt girls. Im only hard on those disgusting men, Bella said in a gentle tone. Qiao Mei looked at Bella, feeling a little hesitant to speak up, but she really wanted to know why Bella was so nice to her. The Bella in front of her was completely different from the Bella whom other people described. You... why are you... Qiao Mei struggled for a long time but she did not pose her question in the end. She did not know if it was appropriate to ask such a question. Bella chuckled and said, l guess you want to ask me why Im so nice to you. Its because I like you very much. For some reason, 1 had a very familiar feeling the moment we met. Make a guess on how old I am. About... 28 years old? Qiao Mei guessed.Visitt for the latest updates family members. A family member who is irreplaceable, Bella lamented. Qiao Mei nodded, only vaguely understanding what Bella meant. She was indeed not old enough to have experienced anything like this. In her other life, she only lived until 26 years old and did not even have many friends. She was also estranged from her relatives. It was only in this life that she had a taste of love, friendship and kinship. l have brought you here so that you can lie low for a bit. Jack will definitely get angry about what happened just now. A petty person like him will definitely make everyone present fork out money for it. If all your hard-earned money goes into Jacks coffers, wont you have worked hard for nothing tonight? Bella said smilingly. Sister Bella, why are you so protective of me? We have only just met. Even if you like me, you dont have to be so nice to me... Qiao Mei whispered. Because... I hope that if I have a daughter in the future, she will be like you. Beautiful, generous, willful, smart and a little cute, Bella said wistfully. l believe that you will definitely have such a daughter! Qiao Mei said firmly. Bella smiled resignedly and did not say anything. She was unable to have her own children. When Jack first set up this casino, it was a very tough time. Every night, people from the other casinos came to cause trouble. She and Jack were caught in dangerous situations all the time. One time, there was an accident and her uterus had to be removed. From then on, she became even more ruthless and decisive because there was nothing to hold her back anymore. In the past, she used to fantasize about how nice it would be if she had a daughter. If she ever had a daughter, she would retire and find a simple job. If she had a son, she would let him take over her position and be known as Bellas successor. However, these were just dreams now.. Chapter 1909 - 1909: This Is My Woman Chapter 1909 - 1909: This Is My Woman Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Sister Bella, Young Master Yang and the others have already been chased out by Jack, a staff member reported from outside the door. Alright, Ill send you out too. Bella brought Qiao Mei to the main entrance of the casino. Qiao Mei cashed all her chips in for a check. Before she headed to her home in this country, she would go to North City to encash the check and then carry the cash back. She would deposit the cash into her account later so as to prevent anyone from investigating her true identity. Bella looked at Qiao Mei reluctantly and said, This is as far as I can send you. I still have work to do and I cant leave. If you have any problems in Sky City, come and look for me. Im always here. Alright. Goodbye, Sister Bella! Qiao Mei yelled out happily as she walked back to the hotel. Along the way, those people who wanted to launch a sneak attack on Qiao Mei held back and did not make any move. Everyone had heard about what happened at the casino tonight, and these people had also seen how Qiao Mei was escorted to the casino by the bodyguards from Sky Hotel earlier. They did not want to offend the boss of Sky Hotel, otherwise they might meet with an untimely end. At the corner road junction near Sky Hotel, a minibus and a van suddenly stopped in front of Qiao Mei. Four to five burly men got out of the van, all carrying baseball bats, iron rods and other weapons. Qiao Mei felt so disgusted that she almost vomited in front of Yang Tian. She said arrogantly, Im staying at Sky Hotel right ahead. Young Master Yang, dont tell me you dont know the rules of Sky Hotel. You have already offended Jack, but do you want to offend the boss of Sky Hotel too? Stop making empty threats. No one knows the rules of Sky Hotel better than me. As long as we dont fight them head-on, everythings fine. Do you think they care about you? Yang Tian said mockingly. Qiao Mei was left speechless. If Yang Tians men made any move, she would shoot them immediately. If that did not work, she would run in the direction of the casino. She was not too far from the casino and she could run back at full speed. Sister Bella would definitely hear the sounds of the gun shots. As for whether Bella would help her... she would leave it to fate. Just as the two sides were stuck in a deadlock, a sapphire blue sports car suddenly drove up and stopped beside them. Xia Zhe got out of the drivers seat and pulled Qiao Mei into his arms. This woman is mine. Young Master Yang, you should go look for another woman. This was the first time Qiao Mei had seen Xia Zhe behave so domineeringly. Fang Chen, dont be so shameless! Ive already given you enough respect tonight! This is my woman! You even want to grab the woman I like! Do you still want to collaborate with my father or not! Yang Tian shouted. Yang Tian! Im warning you, stop yelling at me! My business with your father wont be affected by you, Xia Zhe said firmly.. Chapter 1910 - 1910: Abducting the Beauty Chapter 1910 - 1910: Abducting the Beauty Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Nonsense! If I ask my father not to collaborate with you, lets see who he will listen to! Yang Tian said. l believe that with Jacks vengeful nature, your father will soon hear about what you did in Sky City and about how I have lent you 500,000 dollars. When the time comes, lets see if your father prefers to collaborate with me or to help a useless son like you! Xia Zhe said fiercely. Of course hell choose me! Im his biological son! How can 1 take second place to your collaboration! Yang Tian said confidently. Is that so? Other than you, your father has another four sons and three daughters. He doesnt need a piece of trash like you. After saying that, Xia Zhe threw Qiao Mei into the front passenger seat and slammed the door shut. Qiao Mei took this opportunity to knock on the window and yell out, Help! Where are you taking me! Help!Visitt for the latest updates Before Xia Zhe got into the car, he glanced at Yang Tian and said, Youd better watch out. Yang Tian was stunned to the spot as he watched Xia Zhe leave with Qiao Mei. It was only at this moment that he finally realized the ridiculous things he had done tonight and knew that he was about to be in big trouble. Qiao Mei instantly covered her mouth and did not dare to say another word. She was actually a little out of breath by now from all the yelling. Since she was hanging upside down, she was also feeling a little faint too. With mouths agape, the bodyguards at Xia Zhes villa looked at the two of them going into the house. This was the first time they had seen Xia Zhe forcibly bring a woman home. In fact, this woman was also the first woman Xia Zhe had brought into his house. Su Rui did not count. She came to this villa bearing a note from Xia Zhe and only managed to go in after pestering him for a long time. Xia Zhe was forced to accept her presence so she did not count. All the bodyguards on the second floor went back down to the first floor to await Xia Zhes further instructions. They were not stupid. If they ruined whatever Xia Zhe had in mind at this moment, their heads would roll the next day! As soon as they entered the room, Xia Zhe threw Qiao Mei onto the bed. Along the way, Qiao Mei had shouted until her voice was hoarse. Just as she wanted to have a normal conversation with Xia Zhe, he gestured to her. She understood that he wanted her to continue shouting. During this period of time, he had been accompanying Yang Tian in the hotel. He was worried that someone might have entered his house or that there were spies and traitors around him. He wanted to search the entire house personally and confirm that it was safe before he conversed normally with Qiao Mei. Alright, the house is safe. You can speak without any worries. Just keep your voice down. This room is not soundproof and they can hear you outside, Xia Zhe said in a low voice. Qiao Mei lay down on the bed and said laughingly, This is the first time Ive seen you treat me like this. It actually feels quite good. Why don l t you continue? I still want to hear you talk like that.. Chapter 1911 - 1911: Too Much to Bear Chapter 1911 - 1911: Too Much to Bear Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Little girl, arent you a bit too bold! Do you know where we are! What if something happens to you! Xia Zhe used Fang Chens tone of voice to talk to her. Qiao Mei was so excited that she rolled around on the bed. She wanted to jump up and hug Xia Zhe and give him a big kiss. She only ever saw Xia Zhes gentle side at home. Now that she saw this cold and stern side of him, Qiao Mei liked him even more. Xia Zhe lay in bed and hugged Qiao Mei, asking softly, Enough already! Stop fooling around. Tell me about what happened during this period of time and how did you get here? Im here because I passed the test and qualified to study abroad! Im the top student in the agriculture faculty! Im also the top scorer of the college entrance examination in the capital! Dont you think that Im so capable~ Qiao Mei buried her head in Xia Zhes arms and said coquettishly. Thats so amazing How should I reward you? Xia Zhe said as he pondered. Reward me... by coming home safely, Qiao Mei said earnestly as she looked into Xia Zhes eyes. Then what about our child? Boy or girl? What about the name? Xia Zhe asked curiously. He already knew that Qiao Mei had given birth, but with his current identity, it would be too weird and eye-catching if he tried to find out the name of a married womans child. He had been suppressing the urge all this time and trying his best not to ask about the Xia family and Qiao Mei. He had tried to imagine the childs face countless times in his mind. He wondered if this child looked more like him or more like Qiao Mei, or perhaps the child looked like Xia Fan or Xia Xing. We have a boy and his name is Xia Yue. His personality is quite similar to Xia Xing and hell definitely grow up to be very naughty. 1 feel that the three of them are like the three of you siblings. Xia Fan has his work cut out for him in the future! Eldest Brother says that if we have another child, we can call him Xia Yang. Then Xia Xia, Xia Yu, Xia Feng and so on. We will use words related to the weather, Qiao Mei said. Xia Zhe smiled and nodded as he said, This is not a bad idea, but I dont intend to have so many children yet. It will be too much for you. Qiao Mei flipped over and pressed Xia Zhe under her as she said smugly, How do you know if its too much for me or not? No matter what, its definitely going to be too much for you to bear tonight! Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei were intimate in bed the entire night. The bodyguards downstairs blushed when they heard the sounds coming from the bedroom. They did not expect their boss to be so... aggressive... At first, the bodyguards thought that Xia Zhe liked men and that he was not interested in women. However, although there were so many bodyguards in this house, they never saw Xia Zhe getting close to anyone, nor did they see Xia Zhe interacting with other men. Therefore, they suspected... suspected that perhaps Xia Zhe was impotent.. Chapter 1912 - 1912: Impotent Chapter 1912 - 1912: Impotent Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Well... This woman really appears at the right time. Im just about to give Boss this prescription to nourish his body. Looks like its not necessary anymore, a bodyguard, Da Nan, said regretfully. Another bodyguard, Da Dong, came to Da Nans side and asked, What prescription is this? What is it for? It works like an aphrodisiac... Our boss has been here for so long but he doesnt get close to women at all. He also doesnt get close to men. I suspect that he might have kidney deficiency, so I specially asked someone for this folk remedy. My buddies all say that its very good! I didnt expect that its only because our boss hasnt met anyone he likes! Da Nan said in annoyance. Youd better burn it. If the boss sees this, your salary for this month will definitely be gone! Da Dong reminded him kindly. Has our boss... gone crazy? Ive never seen him in bed with any woman before. Besides, look at how long it has been. Its already been a few hours. Is our boss the reincarnation of a fighting bull? What kind of charm does this woman have? Is she better than Miss Su? a bodyguard, Xiao Bei, asked curiously. I bet you didnt see that womans face just now! Shes extremely beautiful! You cant find another woman in the entire Country M whos as beautiful as her! Any single man in the world would fall for her, not just the boss! Miss Su is nothing in front of this woman! Shes not even worthy of being this womans servant! Da Nan said confidently. You already have a wife and children, so why are you still looking at the face of your bosss bed partner! You have dirty thoughts! Be careful or Ill tell Im your bosss woman. If hes in bed with another woman, how is it none of my business! Su Rui roared as she pointed at the room upstairs. It was as if Qiao Mei knew that Su Rui was here. She moaned even louder, making the four bodyguards downstairs blush. Su Rui spat on the ground and said, Pfft! Shameless thing! Get out of my way! No! Miss Su, you cant go in! Da Dong said firmly. Xia Zhe smacked Qiao Meis perky butt and said with a smile, Girl, youre doing this on purpose! Youre not like this at home. Youre clearly jealous, yet you tell me that you dont care. Qiao Mei hooked her arms around Xia Zhes neck and said, So what if Im jealous? How does that woman know your address? It seems to me that she also has the key to your house. Dont tell me she has her own room on the second floor. Youre right, but this is just part of my mission. She and I are partners, so we have to know each others location to make it easier for us to exchange information. As for her room, I can explain it to you now. Her room is on the first floor, not the second floor, Xia Zhe said seriously as he looked into Qiao Meis eyes.. Chapter 1913 - 1913: Dealing with the Third Party” Chapter 1913 - 1913: Dealing with the Third Party Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In the beginning, Su Rui stayed here and pretended to be Xia Zhes kept woman. Later on, Xia Zhe felt that he did not want to be tied down by such a messy backstory. Even if they did not pretend to be a couple, it would not affect the mission. It was better not to do such unnecessary things. Furthermore, he had come to realize that Su Rui had developed feelings for him. Su Rui seemed to want an actual relationship with him. In the beginning, Su Rui used the mission as a cover for her intentions, but when he gave her no reason to do so, she started doing things which were beyond the scope of the mission. Xia Zhe could not expose the fact that he was already married. He could only endure Su Ruis harassment and try his best not to have any form of interaction with her. When Su Rui realized that, she kept coming to look for him with all kinds of excuses. They were mission partners, so they had to know each others location and whereabouts all the time. In the end, Xia Zhe could not stand Su Ruis harassment anymore and he allowed her to stay in his house so that she would not call him every day to ask for his exact location. I see. Then how are you going to deal with this person downstairs? Are you going to let her keep shouting like this? Wont the neighbors read too much into it when they hear the noise? Qiao Mei pinched Xia Zhes butt and asked with a smile. Xia Zhes house was located in a villa estate. The houses here did not have much private land and were located quite close to one another. Although there was some distance between the houses, the neighbors would have a problem with Su Rui if she screamed outside all night. What did I do to you? Miss Su, please dont say anything that will cause misunderstandings, Xia Zhe said. Im your woman! You brought another woman back in front of me, and you even... you even slept with her! Where does that leave me! How am I supposed to face others in the future! Su Rui said in agony. Miss Su, Im afraid youve misunderstood. Ive never said that youre my woman. All this while, were just ordinary friends. Besides, what has my relationship with her got to do with you? Xia Zhe asked her. If... if you dont like me, then why dont you have any other woman all this while! Su Rui asked. The four bodyguards were also curious about why Xia Zhe had suddenly brought back a woman tonight. In the past, no matter how beautiful a woman was, Xia Zhe was not interested. Could it be that Xia Zhe suddenly woke up from a stupor today? Im a normal man and I have my needs. Do I need to report to you when I get my needs met? Besides, dont you know very well why I dont have any other woman by my side? Xia Zhe said disdainfully. Given Xia Zhes current status and his looks, there were countless people who would do anything to be with him regardless of the consequences. There were even rich married women who were willing to spend money on Xia Zhe just so that they could get in touch with him more often. There were also many women who waited at the lobby of the companys office building with business proposals to get his attention.. Chapter 1914 - 1914: Get Out of My House Chapter 1914 - 1914: Get Out of My House Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xia Zhe was really tired of dealing with these female clients who came with ulterior motives. When he asked them to elaborate on their business proposals, all they wanted to do was to flirt with him. After a few times, he asked Su Rui to handle all the female clients. The number of female clients started to decrease day by day. Their enemies had also sent out many women to try to get information about Xia Zhes company. Su Rui dealt with all these women and she even managed to obtain a lot of valuable information from them. Su Rui smiled bitterly and asked, Then what about me? Who am I to you? After such a long time, dont you have eyes for me at all? Xia Zhe looked at Su Rui mockingly and said slowly, You are not worthy. Da Dong almost could not hold his laughter in. The bodyguards faces started to turn red and they held back their laughter uncomfortably. Big fat tears rolled down Su Ruis face as she looked at Xia Zhe in disbelief. She knew that Xia Zhe did not have any feelings for her and that they were only partners on a mission. However, this was the first time he had made her so embarrassed in front of so many people. Ill ask the helper to pack up your things. Take them and leave tonight. From now on, dont come and look for me unless there are any exceptional circumstances! Xia Zhe emphasized the word exceptional. Our good days are here! Xiao Bei said happily. When Su Rui lived here, she had always considered herself to be the lady boss. She often ordered these bodyguards to help her buy all kinds of snacks and necessities. She did not ask the helper to run errands, but insisted on having the bodyguards drive to the city to buy things for her. Moreover, she asked for one item at a time, with the goal of making things difficult for them. These bodyguards were all hired by Xia Zhe. At first, they did not dare to tell him about these issues. It was only when Xiao Bei realized that Xia Zhe did not have much feelings for Su Rui that he boldly told Xia Zhe about what she did. Things only became better after that. After Xia Zhe returned to the room, he did not let Qiao Mei off easily. He unleashed all the longing for her that he had accumulated over such a long time and he only stopped in the wee hours of the morning. He carried her into the bathroom to take a shower together before they went to sleep. It was not until the afternoon the next day that Qiao Mei woke up. The moment she opened her eyes, she felt as if her entire body was about to fall apart. Her body was very sore all over, bearing evidence to everything that Xia Zhe had done to her last night. Xia Zhe talked to the directors of the company and asked for a few days off. During this period of time, the general manager would cover his work. He wanted to stay at home to accompany Qiao Mei. What... what are you reading? Qiao Mei asked as she looked up. Xia Zhe patted Qiao Meis head and said, Economics. Are you gifted in this area? You must be kidding me! I own a factory after all! Cough, cough, cough... Qiao Mei had screamed and moaned throughout the entire night and her voice was hoarse by now. She was so agitated just now that she choked on her own saliva.. Chapter 1915 - 1915: Local and Overseas Companies Chapter 1915 - 1915: Local and Overseas Companies Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas StudiosDiscover new chapters at novelhall.com Xia Zhe quickly patted Qiao Mei on the back and said, Slow down. Dont choke yourself to death over such a small matter. Otherwise, when the police come to investigate, the two of us will really become famous in Sky City. Shoo, shoo, shoo! Its not as serious as you say! Tell me, how did you make all your money here? Qiao Mei said. Xia Zhe thought that Qiao Mei wanted to learn from him so that she could start her own business in Country M. Therefore, he told her everything about his experience. If Xia Zhe was running a retail business, Qiao Mei could still give him some ideas. However, Xia Zhe was in the business of investment and stocks and this was something she did not understand at all. If they were talking about the financial market 40 years later, she might still be able to give him some inputs. However, the current stock market was too different from the market she knew in her other life. Furthermore, these were not local stocks in her own country, so it was even more foreign to her. However, this was the first time she realized that Xia Zhe was quite talented in this field. His current profession had never given him the chance to come into contact with these things and he had no avenue to showcase his talent. Now that he had a chance, he naturally became the center of attention. When you go back, you can help me manage the factory. I can just leave everything in your care, Qiao Mei said with a smile. Sure. When the time comes, we can have companies both locally and overseas. We can expand our business, Xia Zhe said dotingly. You dont have a residence permit here. How did you manage to buy a farm? Xia Zhe asked curiously. Qiao Mei told Xia Zhe about the fight on the street and her encounter with John. Xia Zhe was not very familiar with that area, but he could not help but lament at how bold Qiao Mei was to actually dare to work with the local gang. Dont worry, John is a good person. The neighbors in the town all praise him and hes also a man of his word. I still have Luo Yu and Luo Hui by my side to protect me! You dont have to worry about my safety, Qiao Mei said as she lay in Xia Zhes arms. After you go back, you should learn martial arts from Xia He when you have time. This way, you can also protect yourself. I see that you carry a gun with you. Do you want me to teach you how to shoot? Xia Zhe said in a gentle tone. Its possible that my marksmanship is not inferior to yours! Qiao Mei said proudly. Qiao Qiang had taught her how to shoot a slingshot when she was young. They also had an old pistol which Qiao Qiang used in the past and she had played with it like a toy since she was young. Qiao Qiang was the one who taught her how to shoot. Moreover, in her other life, Qiao Mei loved archery very much. There seemed to be common ground in her two lives. If Qiao Mei added up all her experience, she may not be too inferior to Xia Zhe. My little girl is really amazing, Xia Zhe said wistfully. The two of them were intimate again for a long time. After that, Xia Zhe slowly put away Qiao Meis clothes. He wanted to keep them by his side.. Chapter 1916 - 1916: Part Ways Chapter 1916 - 1916: Part Ways Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In the end, Qiao Mei left wearing the clothes which Xia Zhe bought for her from the shops. She changed into the clothes reluctantly. She did not feel like wearing them. These gray clothes were so ugly! With Xia Zhes good taste, it was impossible for him to buy such clothes unless he was doing it on purpose. You... Are you doing this on purpose! You just dont want me to wear nice clothes! Qiao Mei said in annoyance. Of course Im doing this on purpose. Im the only one who can admire my wifes beauty, Xia Zhe said smugly. Qiao Mei had no choice but to wear the clothes which Xia Zhe bought for her. However, with Qiao Meis good looks, no matter how ugly the clothes were, it would still look nice on her. She looked good in anything. Xia Zhe hugged her tightly. He did not know when they would meet again. If you really miss me, I can come and see you during my school break. Just let others think that the famous Miss Pu has fallen deeply in love with you, Qiao Mei said with a smile, You have the children with you. Im worried that Yang Tian will bear a grudge against you. If he investigates you all the way to that town and sees the three children, he will be able to guess our relationship, so its better not to take the risk, Xia Zhe said with a troubled expression. Qiao Mei sighed. Xia Zhes current mission was really too perilous. At least she now knew which city Xia Zhe was in and it was good enough that she could sense his location. The colorful plants outside could stimulate the childrens vision and make them think more quickly on their feet. This was all scientifically proven. Thank you for your hard work. I hope they didnt cause any trouble when I wasnt around, Qiao Mei asked as she hugged the two children. Speaking of which, its quite strange. When my child was their age, he would cry like a pig being slaughtered and scream his lungs out if he didnt see me. This behavior only eased after he turned three years old. Xia Fan and Xia Xing are really sensible. They dont cry or make a fuss and they arent usually mischievous either, Auntie Wang said with a smile. Its all because Auntie Wang and Auntie Cui teach them well, Qiao Mei said in satisfaction. Xia Xing went to a corner where Qiao Mei could not see her and pouted. She thought to herself, Im clearly the smart and sensible one! How is it the credit of these two grandmas! Mama is so petty! She doesnt even bother to praise me! Xia He carried Qiao Mei s luggage upstairs and the two of them went into the room. They locked the door and started whispering to each other. Youve been gone for so long. Did you buy me any gift? Xia He asked excitedly. The corners of Qiao Meis mouth twitched twice. She smiled embarrassedly and said, No... No? Qiao Mei, do you have any conscience! You went out to have fun and you didnt even bring me a gift! Whats in that head of yours! Are you kidding me? Xia He asked. I came back in a hurry and really didnt buy any gifts, Qiao Mei answered honestly.. Chapter 1917 - 1917: Expanding the Farm Chapter 1917 - 1917: Expanding the Farm Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios I dont believe it! Your bag is bulging with stuff! How can there be nothing? I can tell the difference in weight when I carry it up. Its much heavier than when you left! Xia He said as she pointed at the bag. Qiao Mei gestured with her chin for Xia He to open the bag. Xia He unzipped the bag excitedly and the pile of money inside dropped out. The floor was covered with money and Xia He was instantly petrified. Hey! Our farm makes about the same amount of money. Why are you suddenly so stunned? Qiao Mei asked with a smile. What... What have you been doing during this period of time? Dont tell me you robbed a bank? Where did you get so much money? Xia He looked at Qiao Mei and said with an awkward smile. Country M was not a safe place. There were squabbles and gang fights everywhere on the streets. The reason why this town was relatively peaceful was because there was John and his gang around. No one dared to attack this place. It made Xia He feel that even bank robberies were something quite normal here. For this reason, she even specially bought more weapons and equipment. At the moment, the storeroom in the house was filled with ammunition. She had even bought a machine gun and set it up in the room on the first floor. Even if someone came to harass them, they need not be afraid at all. Lets find an area on the farm to build a house thats bigger than the villa were living in now. Look at how small our living room is. Its not even big enough for the three children to run around and play. These are all things that we have to do as soon as possible. Lets grow some cabbages and potatoes in the empty land. These are things which everyone eats often. We should also grow more tomatoes, Qiao Mei instructed. There was still a week to go before school started. Qiao Mei busied herself at the farm, planning the future operations and how to use the various plots in the farm. Her plan to expand the farm progressed steadily. Xia He also found builders to construct the house on the farm. She believed that their plan could see fruition in less than two months. This time round, Qiao Mei did not ask for any special treatment at school. She turned up at Country Mt s agricultural university when school started. There were not many subjects and most were practical lessons. This was not a problem for Qiao Mei at all. It was just that there were many male students in the class who kept hitting on Qiao Mei. She rejected them by saying that she did not speak their language. As time passed, everyone knew Qiao Mei as the mute beauty. Which man would want to be with a woman who could not communicate with him? They lost interest in getting to know her, but they did not stop admiring her figure. Qiao Mei and Xia He used the two fish ponds at the farm to raise shrimp and fish. It was Qiao Meis first time and she did not know if she was doing it right. The only thing she could do was to maintain the cleanliness of the water so that it was suitable for the shrimp and fish to grow. The elders in the town said that the shrimp and fish would be ready for sale after about two months and that the market price was high. Qiao Mei could earn about 150,000 dollars just by relying on two fish ponds.. Chapter 1918 - 1918: Make an Appearance Chapter 1918 - 1918: Make an Appearance Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The farm was expanded bit by bit and Qiao Meis business became more and more prosperous. She hired many unemployed people in the town and improved everyones lives. The town residents looked happy and smiled a lot more nowadays. Every time Qiao Mei made her way home, the neighbors would come up to her and pass her all kinds of gifts, usually food made by them. Everyone wanted to express their gratitude to Qiao Mei. l guess we dont have to cook again tonight? Xia He sat in the living room and asked with a smile. Thats right. Look at all these things. Theres apple pie, pizza, roast chicken, fries and so much fried chicken. I think we dont need to buy groceries anymore. We can just take a walk around the town every day and well have food to last us the entire day, Qiao Mei said resignedly. Thats great. We can save money that way! Xia He said. Its all because all of you keep using the cars. Otherwise, I wont need to walk home! I also wont have to meet so many neighbors. I think all of you do this on purpose! No more next time! Its not easy for everyone to earn money. Moreover, theyre our customers and yet they still give us food. Were really going overboard here, Qiao Mei said. When it was time for class in the afternoon, Qiao Mei walked back to school through the alley. When she passed by the cafe along the way, she saw a familiar figure. Su Rui. Qiao Mei did not stop walking. She only glanced at Su Rui from the corner of her eye and continued walking back to school. Why was Su Rui here? Should she not be by Xia Zhes side? Or rather, she should be completing her mission by staying at Yang Tians side. What was she doing at the main entrance of the agricultural university? Could it be that Su Rui had other missions here? That night, Xia Zhe had sent Su Rui to a nondescript hotel. From that moment on, she decided to investigate Qiao Meis identity thoroughly. She wondered what kind of charm this woman had to make Xia Zhe make an exception for her. She had an extravagant lifestyle and did not have the habit of saving money. She used Xia Zhes credit card to pay for all her expenses. Xia Zhe had already canceled her card and announced publicly that he had broken up with her. She did not have any source of income, so she found a job near the agricultural university, working as a waitress in a cafe. At the same time, she could also take her time to observe Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei had no way to communicate with Xia Zhe at the moment. Her current identity was quite an awkward one. If Su Rui exposed her as Xia Zhes wife, it would cause issues for Xia Zhe. If she took the initiative to contact Xia Zhe, it might also make Yang Tian suspicious of Xia Zhe. Since Su Rui had already made an appearance in front of her, she would take it one step at a time and see if Su Rui was targeting her or just here to carry out a mission. Su Rui found out about the small town where Qiao Meis family lived. She took the bus to the town while Qiao Mei was at school. The town spanned quite a big area and she did not know where to start looking. Fortunately, Qiao Mei was quite famous in the area. The moment Su Rui asked around, someone immediately told her where Qiao Meis house was located.. Chapter 1919 - 1919: Secretly Photographed Chapter 1919 - 1919: Secretly Photographed Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Rui followed the directions given by the neighbors and arrived at Qiao Meis house. Auntie Wang and Auntie Cui were playing with Xia Fan and Xia Xing in the courtyard. The moment Su Rui saw Xia Fan, she could not stop staring at the child. The resemblance was too much... How could there be such a close resemblance? This boy looked exactly like Fang Chen. No one would believe that this was not Fang Chens child. However, why was Fang Chens child here? They were told that everyone on the mission was selected from the elite soldiers in the country? Could it be that Fang Chen had contacted his family and then brought his wife and children to Country M? She must report this matter to her superiors! She could not let Fang Chen do something so outrageous! Su Rui took many photos of the children and even of Qiao Meis house number. Just as she was focused on taking photos, Luo Yu noticed Su Ruis abnormal behavior from where he was standing inside the house. He walked out of the door and looked at Su Rui coldly. Su Rui grabbed the camera and fled in a hurry and he only saw a view of her back. Xiao Yu, why did you suddenly come out of the house? Did something happen? Auntie Wang asked curiously. Its nothing... Luo Yu said as he looked into the distance. Mama, what are you doing? Are we playing hide and seek? Xia Fan sat on the floor and asked curiously. Yes, I want to play games with you! Can both of you go and hide? Ill come around and look for you in a while! Qiao Mei said to Xia Fan and Xia Xing with a smile. Xia Fan pulled Xia Xing up and looked at Qiao Mei, saying, Then Mama, you must remember to come and look for us! You have to count to 200! When youre done counting, well be done hiding. Alright, go now. Qiao Mei gestured with her eyes for Auntie Wang and Auntie Cui to follow the two children. Only Xia He and the Luo brothers were left in the living room. Xia He asked softly, Whats the matter? Why do you need to draw the curtains before you can speak? Qiao Mei was thinking about how to tell them about this matter since it would involve telling them about Xia Zhes mission in this country. However, Qiao Mei was worried that Su Rui would do something bad to them. Dont bring the children out for the time being and dont let them go near the window. You must not let them go out at all. If you need to run any errands, ask Auntie Wang and Auntie Cui to do it, Qiao Mei said warily. Are there people who want to harm them? We have no grudges with anyone here, so why would anyone bully us? Is it John going back on his word? Xia He asked. Luo Yu had not told Xia He about what happened earlier, so he recounted the incident again. He was more detailed than when he spoke to Qiao Mei and he reported everything he saw clearly.. Chapter 1920 - 1920: Meeting Chapter 1920 - 1920: Meeting Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Do you think this womans goal is to abduct the children? Is she trying to extort money? Or... commit murder to take revenge? But we didnt offend anyone! Xia He said nervously. Everything you mention is possible. Ill have to trouble all of you to ensure the safety of the children during this period of time. Ill deal with that woman. Dont let the children leave the house. At night, Ill have to trouble Luo Yu and Luo Hui to take turns standing guard to protect us, Qiao Mei said. We will definitely protect the children well, Luo Yu said firmly. Then can you cope on your own? Let me go with you and protect you! Xia He said. I have a gun, so dont worry. The most important thing now is to protect the children. It seems to me that shes targeting the children, Qiao Mei said with a slight frown. Then... then you must protect yourself well. You must tell me if anything happens! Xia He said. Alright, 1 promise you, Qiao Mei said. Qiao Mei was caught in a traffic jam and arrived half an hour later than the appointment time. The moment Qiao Mei pushed open the door of the shop, Su Rui said sarcastically, Youre really a big shot. You actually made me wait for you here for so long. Then Im really sorry, Miss Su. But I clearly remember that Miss Su likes to hang around and wait. That night, you waited for an even longer period of time, Qiao Mei said with a smile as she sat opposite Su Rui. If not for you! Theres no way that he wont have eyes for me! Su Rui said furiously. Qiao Mei did not respond to Su Rui. Lucy served Qiao Mei her favorite beverage and snacks. This was what Qiao Mei would order every time she came by. After putting the food down, Lucy went out for a walk, leaving Qiao Mei and Su Rui in the shop. Miss Su, you got it wrong. He has always been mine. Whether he has eyes for you or not is already a foregone conclusion, Qiao Mei said calmly. Since Su Rui had already found out about her, there was no need to hide anything. Su Rui must already know about her relationship with Xia Zhe. l thought you wont admit that you know me. I didnt expect you to be so sincere about it, Su Rui said in surprise. Well, I never expected Miss Su to come all the way here to look for me, Qiao Mei said coldly. Su Rui took out a photo from her bag. It was a photo of Xia Fan and Xia Xing, with both of them facing the camera.. Chapter 1921 - 1921: Agree to a Divorce Chapter 1921 - 1921: Agree to a Divorce l also never expect that this is the kind of relationship you and Fang Chen have, Su Rui said hatefully. Qiao Mei said nonchalantly, So what if it is and so what if its not? Miss Su, is it your mission to replace me? If so, Id advise you to return to your original position. Otherwise... I think you know better than me what will happen to you. Then what about you? Arent you worried that Fang Chen will be held accountable for you coming to Country M on your own accord? When the time comes, 1 wont be the one in trouble, but the two of you, Su Rui said smugly. Qiao Mei lowered her head and smiled to herself. It seemed that Su Rui had not found out the reason for the Xia family members and her coming to Country M. Su Rui had some investigation skills, but not much. Miss Su, I dont think youre here to do a paternity test. Its better if you just say what you want, Qiao Mei said. l want you to leave Fang Chen! Divorce him! Su Rui said firmly. Divorce him? Miss Su, dont tell me you are drunk. Otherwise, theres no reason for you to spout nonsense, Qiao Mei said as she shook her head helplessly. Im not spouting nonsense. Im serious. As long as you divorce Fang Chen, I guarantee that you and your children will be safe. If you insist on staying here, then anything that happens will be out of my control, Su Rui said with a smile. It doesnt matter who he has by his side. 1 have to think for my children. Tell me, what benefits can you give me! Qiao Mei said. Benefits? Ill give you money! A lot of money! How about Fang Chens life as well? You can only protect Fang Chen by leaving him, Su Rui said. I can agree to a divorce. The marriage certificate is at home. You have to come with me to get it, Qiao Mei said. Su Rui felt that she could only be assured of the divorce if she could get her hands on their marriage certificate. There was still no marriage certificate back in their country at the moment. Back home, everyone would go to the community center to get married and the staff there would document that the wedding took place. This document was equivalent to a marriage certificate. Alright! 1 can agree to that, Su Rui said after some thought. Qiao Mei drove Su Rui back to her house. Along the way, the two of them did not speak. Su Ruis heart was filled with joy at the thought of Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe getting a divorce and she did not think about her own safety at all. During this period of time, she had been observing Qiao Mei. She knew that Qiao Mei was just an ordinary woman who did not know any martial arts and that her gun was just for show. Otherwise, Qiao Mei would have killed Yang Tian with one shot in Sky City. To her, Qiao Mei was not a threat at all. She felt that she could defeat Qiao Mei using just one finger.. Chapter 1922 - 1922: Exchange Items Chapter 1922 - 1922: Exchange Items Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios They reached Qiao Meis place in no time. Su Rui got out of the front passenger seat and looked at the house in front of her in disdain. Your place is really shabby. I thought Fang Chen would have prepared a big villa for you. You dont even live as comfortably as I did, Su Rui said disdainfully. When she came the other day, she was so focused on the children that she did not notice the house and how it was furnished. Now that she took a closer look, it really looked quite rundown. Isnt this better? Perhaps Fang Chen does not really love me, Qiao Mei said. I hope so, Go and get the thing now! Ill wait for you here, Su Rui said warily. Qiao Mei did not pose any threat to her, but that did not mean that those men in Qiao Meis house were not a threat. Su Rui noticed that Qiao Mei had two bodyguards protecting the children. If not for the bodyguards, Su Rui would have already abducted the children. It would be way more effective to threaten Qiao Mei with the children than with a photo. However, even those bodyguards should not be too difficult for her to handle. With her skills, it was easy for her to fight two people at once. Even if these two people ganged up, they were still not her match. Su Rui grabbed the envelope. The glue on the envelope looked suspicious to her. She touched the glue out of curiosity and asked, I hope youre not trying to bluff me. This is obviously glued together just now. The thing inside is real and it has the stamp of the community center, Qiao Mei said. Su Rui felt the envelope to see how thick it was and smiled disdainfully. The envelopes used in Country M were relatively flimsy. So long as one held it against the light or the sun, the contents would be exposed. She held up the envelope and looked at it against the sun. There was indeed a stamp and some words on it, and she could vaguely make out Fang Chens name. She handed Qiao Mei a check of 100,000 dollars that Xia Zhe had previously given her and said, This is the money for you. Ill send you another 100,000 dollars after I get married. Qiao Mei took the check but did not say anything. Luo Yu and Luo Hui ran out from both sides and Su Rui immediately realized that there was something wrong. She knew she could not escape, so she raised the gun which she was holding behind her, pointed it at Qiao Mei and shouted, If you take another step forward! Ill kill her! Xia He had already set up the sniper rifle in the attic. She put a silencer on the sniper rifle to prevent the loud noise from alerting the neighbors. Havent you realized that you have no strength to do anything now? Qiao Mei asked with a smile. Su Ruis fingertips started to feel numb and the sensation gradually affected her entire body. She looked at Qiao Mei in shock. During this whole time, she had been standing at the door and did not feel that there was anything wrong. She did not know what was happening to her. The glue which Qiao Mei used on the envelope was not the normal kind which could be bought from the supermarkets. It was Qiao Meis latest invention.. Chapter 1923 - 1923: Imprisoned Chapter 1923 - 1923: Imprisoned Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei had realized that datura flowers which were grown while infused with energy had a stronger effect than usual. Moreover, if she extracted the essence from these flowers, it could be used to have a paralyzing effect on the person who touched it. It was much easier to use than in pill form. Luo Yu and Luo Hui tied Su Rui up with some rope and brought her straight to the farm. That was their private property and no one would notice anything amiss even if Su Rui kicked up a fuss there. Just like that, Su Rui was locked up in a cattle pen and had to live with the cows. Qiao Mei! That thing of yours is too amazing! What exactly is it? Xia He asked curiously. The two men were also very curious about how Qiao Mei did it. They had never heard of anything that could paralyze a person by touch. Its just something Im researching for fun. Its not very stable yet, so Ill share it with you only when its ready. Its a secret for now! Qiao Mei whispered. Qiao Mei did not intend to allow this thing to be mass-produced. Otherwise, the consequences would be unimaginable. It would be fine if it was kept and used by government organizations, but should it become available in the black market, the lives of ordinary people would be in danger. There are indeed some things that I need your help with, and the situation is very... complicated. Is there anyone next to you? Youre the only one who can hear about this, Qiao Mei said softly. Xia Wen asked MO Zhu to go to the kitchen to make breakfast for him. When he was alone in the room, he said into the phone, Theres no one around me now. You can speak your mind. Xia Zhes mission partner is now in my hands. Shes a threat to Xia Zhes safety and also to me and the children. I cant... I dont know how to contact Xia Zhe, so I can only look for you. How should I handle this matter? Qiao Mei almost let slip to Xia Wen that she had already gone to look for Xia Zhe. When Xia Wen heard what Qiao Mei said, he instantly had goosebumps all over his body. He had never imagined that such a ridiculous thing would happen. He only knew the location of Xia Zhes mission and the duration. He did not have the clearance to know the details of the mission. However, given Xia Juns rank, he should be able to find out. How did you deal with that person? Where is she now? Are all of you safe now? Xia Wen asked immediately. Were safe. Ive already tied her up. She already knows about my relationship with Xia Zhe and she even wants to use this information to threaten us. She wants me to divorce Xia Zhe. Eldest Brother, please hurry and get Father or Grandfather to send someone here to bring her back! I cant keep her here for too long, otherwise it will arouse suspicion, Qiao Mei said. Sure, sure, sure! Dont be too anxious! Keep in touch with me at all times! Ill go and look for Grandfather immediately! Xia Wen hurriedly hung up the phone and drove off to tell Xia Jun about this matter. When Xia Jun heard about it, he immediately changed into his military uniform and went to the militarys main building in the capital for a meeting. That night, the military sent two highly trained soldiers to get in touch with Qiao Mei. At the same time, they also asked the undercover agents in Country M to help out.. Chapter 1924 - 1924: Replacement Chapter 1924 - 1924: Replacement Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios This matter was handled extremely quickly. At noon the next day, a group of people came to Qiao Meis farm. They wore suits and leather shoes, but Qiao Mei recognized the cufflinks on their sleeves. Xia Zhe also had a pair at home. The pattern on them was unique to Xia Zhes troops and only his team had them. Hello, were here to talk about a collaboration. Which one of you is the owner of this farm? one of the men said. Im Qiao Mei, the owner of this farm. What kind of collaboration do you have in mind? Qiao Mei asked. The man raised his hand to his chest and tapped his heart three times before saying, l want to buy milk from you. If the milk is of good quality, Im willing to work with you on a long term basis. We have come with a lot of sincerity to work together. On the phone earlier, Xia Wen had already told Qiao Mei that this gesture was the secret signal between her and the team coming to help her. Qiao Mei immediately understood who these people were and quickly brought them to the cattle pen where Su Rui was being held. At this moment, Su Rui was conscious. Su Rui knew the man leading the team. His name was Cong Feng and he was the superior who had assigned Su Rui to the mission. Unless absolutely necessary, the soldiers on the mission could not take the initiative to contact their superior. She did not know what kind of backing Qiao Mei had to be able to find her superior. The woman looked at Su Rui disdainfully. Su Rui widened her eyes and glared at the woman as she roared, Why is it her! Why is she the one to replace me! Why cant it be me? The womans name was Jiang Ting and she was Su Ruis former comrade-in-arm. Although the two of them were comrades-in-arms, they had been at loggerheads since they were young. The two of them were neighbors and they came from completely different family situations. Jiang Ting had three elder brothers and she was the youngest daughter in the family. She was doted on by all her family members and she lived a completely different life from Su Rui, who had suffered a lot of humiliation since she was young. However, Jiang Ting had always been in Su Ruis life since they were young. They went to the same school and went home from school together. Even after they joined the army, they were posted to the same unit. Su Rui felt that Jiang Ting was like her shadow. In Su Ruis own words, Jiang Ting was like a ghost haunting her. No! Anyone can replace me, but not her! Su Rui said fiercely. Its useless no matter what you say. Just follow orders. Oh, I almost forgot to tell you this. You probably will be locked up for life when you go back. Take a few more looks at the sun while you can, Jiang Ting said gloatingly. Su Rui lowered her head dejectedly. She had done too many wrong things in her life, the worst being coming to threaten Qiao Mei this time round. This was the last straw for the organization. When she returned to the country, she would definitely be court-martialed. Given that Qiao Mei had the clout to contact her superiors, it meant that Fang Chen must have come from a prominent family. In that case, with all the nasty things that she had done, Fang Chens family members would never allow her to continue to serve in the army.. Chapter 1925 - 1925: Kick up a Big Fuss Chapter 1925 - 1925: Kick up a Big Fuss Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios l really never expected to see you at this juncture. Su Rui looked up at Jiang Ting resignedly. Jiang Ting, on the other hand, was very excited. Originally, this opportunity to go on this overseas mission was hers. Furthermore, it was already agreed that when she returned from the mission, she would be promoted from a company commander to a battalion commander. However, she never imagined that Su Rui would ask for help from the Su family members and snatched away her opportunity. Although Jiang Tings path to career advancement had been hindered, her parents and her three brothers were very happy with the situation. After all, this mission was very dangerous and they did not want Jiang Ting to be in any danger. The old couple only had this one precious daughter. If anything should happen to her, they did not know how they would be able to go on. This position is originally mine. You snatched it from me. Im just getting back something that belongs to me, Jiang Ting said smugly. Xia Wen had told Qiao Mei to write a report. As Qiao Mei had never undergone military training before, she did not know how she should do it. Xia Wen told her to just describe everything that had happened. When the time came, Xia Wen would extract the relevant parts and submit them to the military court as evidence. The superiors had also arranged for someone to inform Xia Zhe about this. Xia Zhe only knew that something had happened to Su Rui and that she had been recalled by the superiors. As for whatever happened between her and Qiao I know, I know everything! We considered everything when we selected the candidates, but we didnt expect Comrade Xia Zhes family members to go there as well, Dong Ming said. Xia Mao said unhappily, Brother Dong, what do you mean by that? Is it my daughter-in-laws fault that theres something wrong with the people you sent? My daughter-in-law is the top scorer of the college entrance examination in the capital! She is in Country M to further her studies as the representative of the agriculture faculty of Capital University! My daughter-in-law is someone who has donated so many seeds to the country unconditionally! What does this matter have to do with my daughter-in-law! Im sorry, Xia Mao. You know thats not what I mean... Dong Ming quickly apologized. l dont want to waste time on such nonsense! Tell me how you plan to deal with the person who made a mistake! Xia Jun said fiercely. The military court will come to a reasonable decision on this. We dont have any say in this matter, Dong Ming said with a troubled expression. Xia Jun stood up and pointed at Dong Ming as he said, Dong Ming! Dont think that Im already old and dont understand the twists and turns involved! The military court makes its decision based on your reports! In the end, the conclusion still depends on your teams decision! l will definitely handle this matter very impartially and definitely will not be biased at all! Dong Ming said firmly.. Chapter 1926 - 1926: She Must Be Executed Chapter 1926 - 1926: She Must Be Executed Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Then show me your report! I want to see the kind of fair and just report which you wrote! I want to read about how that woman harassed my grandson and my granddaughter-in-law and their entire family! Xia Jun said as he held out his hand. Dong Ming looked at the colleague beside him, not knowing what to do. Zhou Kun, who was next to him, did not know what to say. Both of them were trained by Xia Jun. Their current achievements were only made possible because of Xia Juns guidance and care for them. If not for Xia Jun risking his life to protect the two of them back then, the two of them might already be gone by now. We havent finished writing the report yet, but dont worry, well definitely seek justice for Xia Zhe, Zhou Kun said. Justice? Whats the use of getting justice! Tell me! Whats the use of getting justice! What did you promise me back then! You said that although Xia Zhe might encounter dangerous situations, he wont be at great risk. Look at what has happened now! I never expected that the biggest risk to him is the partner you give him! How can you ask me to feel assured! Xia Jun said furiously. Xia Jun had dedicated his whole life to the military and so did all his sons. Even his grandsons had contributed everything they had to the military. The reason for Xia Jun being so angry was not because Xia Zhe was sent on a dangerous mission, but because they had put Qiao Mei and the children in danger. Even if Xia Zhe was in danger and had to sacrifice his life for the country, then that was his lot in life. This was something that could not be helped. However, Qiao Mei and the children were innocent! They should not be subjected to such danger! They definitely did not have to face such a situation! Although they had dreams and ambitions and wanted to devote themselves to the country, they could not accept that it could lead to such serious consequences for their family members. Brother Dong, Im not spouting nonsense, I just want to seek justice for my family. If this matter is not dealt with seriously, then what will the other soldiers think when they carry out secret missions in the future? How can they ensure the safety of their families? We must make an example out of her. I hope that the organization will deal with this matter seriously and let this be a warning to everyone, Xia Xiu said. Sigh... We also want to handle this matter seriously, but its not up to us to make the final decision. We have to follow the rules and do things one step at a time, dont you agree? We need to listen to everyones opinions, Dong Ming said. In that case, please suspend the duties of all our family members. We will stay at home and wait for your answer, Xia Mao said calmly. Are you joking! There are so many Xia family members in the military. Dont tell me that all of them want to stop work? Zhou Kun said helplessly. Yes, all of us, Xia Mao said firmly. They had already discussed this issue with the second and third sons as well as Xiang Jin. Everyone supported Xia Maos idea and they were willing to be collectively suspended from duties while awaiting the trial and verdict of the military court.. Chapter 1927 - 1927: Death Penalty Chapter 1927 - 1927: Death Penalty Translator: Atlas Studios | Editor: Atlas Studios Weve already informed our superiors and well leave you to arrange the job coverage. Goodbye. After saying that, Xia Xiu helped Xia Jun up to walk out slowly. As Xia Mao left, he took a long look at Dong Ming before following closely behind them. Dong Ming and Zhou Kun sat in the office helplessly. They did not know how to resolve this issue. In line with the normal procedure, Su Rui would at most be sentenced to life imprisonment. She did not cause any substantial harm to Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei and was also immediately restrained by Qiao Mei the moment she attempted extortion. The death penalty seemed to be a little too much for the crime. Furthermore, there were also Su family members in the military. Even if the Su family did not contribute as much to the army as the Xia family, they also had some influence. The two sides had their own opinions and it was difficult for the two of them to know what to do. The Su family had helped Su Rui to get a spot in this mission because of the danger involved, which meant that the assignment came with substantial subsidies. As long as she was alive, she earned a salary from the military. Even if she failed this mission and lost her life, the family would also get a compensation sum. After Su Rui returned to the country, she was locked up in the military prison and placed under strict guard. The Su family members were allowed one visit and Su Ruis parents requested to go to the military prison to see her. They were arranged to sit on opposite sides of a table. Before Su Rui could even speak, her mother immediately rushed up and gave her a tight slap, saying, You b*tch! Why dont you just die! It will be much better if youre dead! If youre dead, we can even get a large sum of money! How can you even face anyone now! How is your younger brother going to go through life in the future! Oh! Xia He! What is your family doing? Is it some sort of festival in your country today? a neighbor asked happily when he saw this. No! Its... its my birthday! Everyone in the town should come to the square to watch the fireworks tonight! Xia He shouted happily. The news spread like wildfire and soon, everyone in the town knew about it. In order to put up a spectacular fireworks display, Xia He specially bought another 5,000 dollars worth! She almost emptied out the fireworks store! As Qiao Mei made her way home, many people stopped her and stuffed gifts into her car, saying that these were Xia Hes birthday presents. Qiao Mei clearly remembered that Xia Hes birthday was already over for the year. What was going on today? Hey, why are you celebrating your birthday again? Do you know that the cars backseat and trunk are filled with gifts from the neighbors! Qiao Mei said unhappily when she reached home. Its because Im happy! Do you know! Su Rui has received the death sentence! Everyone in our family went on a strike because of this matter! We want the military to give us a reasonable explanation. Its not just our family. Many soldiers who had gone on secret missions and their families also signed a petition! Otherwise, Su Rui might only be sentenced to life imprisonment! Xia He explained excitedly. So thats why youre so excited that you want to set off fireworks. Since you cant come up with a reasonable excuse, you say that its your birthday, Qiao Mei said with a helpless smile.. Chapter 1928 - 1928: Winter Break Chapter 1928 - 1928: Winter Break Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xia He scratched her head in embarrassment and said, It cant be helped. Its not your birthday yet, so I cant say that in case they find out in the future. Thats why I say that its my birthday and invite everyone to watch the fireworks. I bought up all the fireworks in the entire town! Just to celebrate this good news with everyone! Only this once! No more next time! You have to pay them back based on the value of the gifts, do you hear me? Qiao Mei said sternly. l know, I know! Ive never received so many birthday gifts before! Let me see what everyone has gotten me! Luo Yu! Help me carry them in! Xia He shouted at Luo Yu as she ran out. Luo Yu had no choice but to ask Luo Hui to go together. There were so many gifts that even though there were three of them, they still needed to make a few trips from the car. Xia He placed all the things in the living room so that she could open a few presents every day. This would add some novelty to her daily life.Visitt for the latest updates Qiao Mei packed up her things and went into the room to return Xia Wens Eldest Brother, is everything alright at home? Qiao Mei asked. Everything is fine at home. You must have heard the news I told Xia He just now, Xia Wen said in a gentle tone. Yes I do. Xia He has excitedly told the neighbors that its her birthday today and invited everyone in the entire town to watch a fireworks display. There are no firecrackers here, so she bought all the fireworks in the entire town to celebrate, Qiao Mei said helplessly. The next day, everyone woke up and went to work on time except for Qiao Meie She curled up under her blanket and refused to get up. The winter here was really too cold, even colder than the winter in the capital. She did not want to go to school at all. It was very difficult for her to even walk out the front door. Qiao Mei! If you dont head to school soon, youll be late for afternoon class! Xia He shouted towards Qiao Meis room. Qiao Mei said aggrievedly, Alright... I know... Perseverance equated to victory! When it was winter break, she could sneak out to look for Xia Zhe! She wondered if he missed her after not seeing her for so long. She had already discussed this with Xia Zhe. After he found out about all the details after Su Ruis trial, he secretly got his subordinates to send a letter to her. He could not wait to see her again. The two of them agreed that during the winter break, Xia Zhes trusted aides would go to the airport to personally pick her up and drive her to the villa. They would keep a low profile along the way. This villa was also not the previous one, but a new house which Xia Zhe bought. There was still a month to go before the winter break. Qiao Mei went to school diligently every day and on weekends, she headed to the farm to take a look at the crops and the livestock. Time passed quickly and it was finally the last day of school. The moment Qiao Mei returned home, she started to pack her luggage. She could not wait! Where are you going! Xia He asked curiously. Im going out to have fun! Its finally the winter break! I want to go out and have some fun! Qiao Mei said excitedly.. Chapter 1929 - 1929: Meet Up Again Chapter 1929 - 1929: Meet Up Again Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Looks like youre not bring me along again this time! Xia He said with jealousy. Hehe, look at me. I havent had any time to rest for the past few months. Im busy with school and farm matters every day. On account of my conscientiousness, give me a break! Qiao Mei said aggrievedly.Discover new chapters at novelhall.com Fine, fine, fine. Go and have fun. 1 think your heart has already long flown away! Xia He said. Qiao Mei packed simply and took out 10,000 dollars before setting off. This time round, her luggage was half empty. She intended to bring back all the valuable items from Xia Zhes house! If she could not take the items with her, she would spend Xia Zhes money and get him to turn all the money into jewelry for her! Anyway, Xia Zhe had said that the money he earned was for her and the children! She enjoyed the feeling of being Boss Xias kept woman. Anyway, Xia Zhe could not take the money with him after his mission ended. This time, Qiao Mei would remember to buy gifts for Xia He and the children. If Xia He found out that she did not bring any gifts home again, she would not be able to come out next time! Qiao Mei dressed warmly and wrapped herself up tightly. Xia Zhe had even arranged for a person to wear the exact same clothes as her. The two women took separate routes. Fake Qiao Mei waited for a taxi while the real Qiao Mei had already been picked up by Xia Zhes men. The moment she entered the villa in the suburbs, Qiao Mei felt as if she had entered her own home. This house looked exactly like the one that Qiao Mei had described to Xia Zhe previously. She did not expect Xia Zhe to remember everything she said and fitted it out in the exact manner. If anyone looks again! Ill gouge out his eyes! Xia Zhe yelled out loudly and the bodyguards immediately turned their heads away. Qiao Mei did not just make dinner for Xia Zhe. She cooked a lot and also prepared a share for the bodyguards so that they could try the food from the couples hometown. The bodyguards approved of Qiao Mei even more now. They already felt that she was the real lady boss and that none of the other women were as good as her. After dinner, the couple returned to their room. They had endless things to talk about. Qiao Mei gave Xia Zhe a lot of updates about the children and even brought their photos with her. However, after looking at the photos, they had to burn everything and not leave any traces behind. Xia Yue looks more like me, Xia Zhe said with a smile as he looked at the photo. If he looks like me, hell be so handsome! I dont know why, but our two sons dont look like me at all, Qiao Mei said as she pouted. Isnt it good for them to look like me? Xia Zhe asked her back. Yes, its good. Its just that 1 wonder what my son will look like if he looks like me? Qiao Mei asked curiously. You can just dream about it. We already have three babies at home. It wont do if we have more. Your body wont be able to take it, Xia Zhe said sternly. l know, but... we still have to get down to business! After saying that, Qiao Mei pounced on Xia Zhe. The two of them spent another passionate night together. By now, the bodyguards downstairs were already used to it.. Chapter 1930 - 1930: An Accident Chapter 1930 - 1930: An Accident Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The next morning, Qiao Mei could not get out of bed as usual. She felt as if she had been beaten up badly and felt extremely sore all over. Xia Zhe had a meeting at the office and needed to go in and deal with it, so she was at home alone. Since she had nothing to do, she ran downstairs to look for the bodyguards. Which one of you is the best marksman? Qiao Mei asked curiously.Discover new chapters at novelhall.com Xia Zhe had already told them to take Miss Pu e s instructions as his instructions and that they had to diligently give her everything she asked for. Coupled with the food that she made for them yesterday, they would do anything for her! Its me, Da Dong said proudly as he stepped forward. Shoo, shoo, shoo! Miss Pu, dont listen to his nonsense! Im the best marksman here! Da Nan said as he looked at Da Dong in disdain. Then... Can you show me how to hit the target? Qiao Mei asked. Qiao Mei could probably hit the target 60% of the time, but she always felt that the posture she took was a little uncomfortable. She had learned from Xia He for a period of time before she started school, but had not practiced for a long time and her skills were already rusty. She wanted to see how a truly well-trained person held a gun. Xia Zhe came back very late today and brought back some very unfortunate news. One of their intelligence agents had died. Yang Tians father, Yang Jiao, discovered the identity of the intelligence agent, so he brought him back to the Yang family villa and tortured him to death. Until the moment of his death, the intelligence agent did not reveal anything. Yang Jiao had brought his other children to Sky City some time ago and chased Yang Tian back to East City. It looked like Yang Jiao wanted to expand his familys influence into Sky City. The Yang family had many sons, but Yang Jiao liked his second son, Yang Jiu, the most. This son was very capable and had a talent for business since he was young. The entire Yang familys fortune was actually in Yang Jius hands. This time round, Yang Jiao had presumably brought Yang Jiu to Sky City to open up the market for the family. Yang Jiao also had a very beloved daughter named Yang Meng. She was the child whom Yang Jiao had with a beautiful blonde with blue eyes. She was his other sons half- sister and all her older brothers doted on her very much. She had inherited her mothers beauty and Yang Jiao doted on this daughter the most. After Yang Meng came to Sky City, she had nothing to do and all she did was pester Xia Zhe every day. Whenever she was free, she would go and sit inside Xia Zhes office. Whenever she saw Xia Zhe, she would pounce on him enthusiastically. As Xia Zhe needed to show some respect to Yang Jiao, he could not reject Yang Meng directly. Jiang Ting was now in Sky City and her identity was Xia Zhes secretary. Sometimes, when she saw Yang Meng, she would feel helpless. She had thought that she would be the one who needed to sacrifice her body for the mission. She did not expect Xia Zhe to be the one instead. Xia Zhe stood in front of Qiao Mei, reeking of perfume. She frowned slightly and said, Ive already filled the bathtub for you. Go take a shower first. Put your clothes in the washing machine after you change out of them. Alright, Xia Zhe said in a gentle tone. Qiao Mei knew that something big must have happened today. Otherwise, Xia Zhe would not look so dejected. Without saying anything, she put together some food on a tray and placed it in the study. She would let him eat upstairs later and leave the rest of the dishes to the bodyguards.. Chapter 1931 - 1931: Invitation to a Banquet Chapter 1931 - 1931: Invitation to a Banquet Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xia Zhe was in the bathroom for a long time. He stood under the showerhead and took a cold shower. As he thought about the intelligence agent and what was left of the dead body in the end, he felt a little uneasy. He felt that major changes were afoot and that he must send Qiao Mei back as soon as possible. Sky City was not safe now. About an hour and a half later, Xia Zhe came out of the bathroom, his body all cold. Qiao Mei was worried that he would catch a cold, so she went to the kitchen to make ginger tea for him. She only felt at ease after watching him drink it with her own eyes. He lay on the bed and hugged her tightly without saying anything. Whats wrong? Youve been preoccupied since you got home. Tell me about it, Qiao Mei said gently. Its nothing. I just feel... I cant bear to part with you... Xia Zhe said in a hoarse voice. Ill still be here for a few more days and wont leave you so soon. If you really cant bear to part with me, then make full use of the time and accompany me for the next few days, Qiao Mei said with a smile as she hugged Xia Zhes arm. There are likely going to be major changes in Sky City soon. I want to send you back tomorrow, Xia Zhe said sternly. Qiao Mei sat up and stared at Xia Zhe as she asked, Really? Then what about you? Will you be in danger? On the way back, Qiao Mei kept feeling flustered. For some reason, she kept feeling that Xia Zhe would not be able to return this time. The premonition was very strong... Tonight, Yang Jiao had sent an invitation to all the prominent people in Sky City, but the owner of the Sky Hotel did not turn up. He had never participated in such activities. Yang Jiao had also invited Jack and Bella, but Bella hated such pretentious occasions, so Jack went alone with bodyguards who were trained by her. Everyone, thank you for coming today! Let me propose a toast to all of you! I wish all of us great prosperity ahead! And a long and healthy life! Yang Jiao stood on the stairs and yelled out to the people below. Everyone raised their glasses and drank the wine. Xia Zhe could tell that there was something wrong with the wine. He pretended to drink it and then spat it all out on the napkin. Not long after, everyone started to stagger around and many people fainted. Xia Zhe also pretended to be unconscious and slumped at one side. Hmph, what a bunch of useless things. Its so easy for me to drug all of them! Looks like its better for me to take control of Sky City! Yang Jiao looked at the people below smugly, as if all the haphazard figures on the floor below made up a work of art and it was his masterpiece. Thats right, Father. Sky City is a piece of treasure and must return to the hands of the person who can make full use of it, Yang Jiu said with a smile. Among all my children, you know me best! Yang Jiao said with satisfaction.. Chapter 1932 - 1932: Sedatives Chapter 1932 - 1932: Sedatives Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Yang Jiao had done a lot of research before coming to Sky City, otherwise he would not be so interested in this city. There was a large amount of crude oil underneath Sky City. As long as it was properly mined, the Yang family could only become more powerful in the future and have an endless stream of income. By then, there would be no one in the world who could match them. Go and get rid of all these people on the floor. Lock them up in the basement! Yang Jiu said to the bodyguards as he pointed at the people on the floor. Yang Jiao immediately said, Wait! Send Fang Chen to your sisters room! Father! What are you doing? Yang Jiu asked with a slight frown. He felt that Fang Chen was not worthy of his sister at all. Only the most capable man in the world was worthy of his sister. If Fang Chen could not even tell that there were sedatives in the wine, how could this man protect his sister in the future? Your sister likes him. Why dont we just help her get what she wants today? This way, we can also add a capable person to our team, Yang Jiao said. Does my sister only want him? Yang Jiu asked hesitantly. Yes, your sister likes him a lot. I asked her previously if she wants to marry Fang Chen and she nodded. Even if Fang Chen is nothing much, just treat it as hiring a boy toy for your sister. Hes actually quite good-looking, Yang Jiao said reluctantly. Pfft! Dont use that guy to scare me. If he really wants to make a move on me, he should appear at the banquet tonight and not just watch from the sidelines! Yang Jiao said indifferently. The truth was that Xia Zhe did not know anything about the owner of Sky Hotel. This person was very mysterious. Although his mission target was just Yang Jiao, if he could find out the identity of the owner of Sky Hotel, it would only be beneficial to the organization. Yang Jiao instructed his subordinates to open all the windows and strap his precious daughter to the bed. He would let the two of them be together once Xia Zhe had made up his mind. Tell me, who are you? Or should I say where are you from? Yang Jiao asked as he sat on the chair. Im just a self-made businessman. Where can I come from? Xia Zhe said with a self-deprecating smile. l know who you are. From the first day you get in touch with me, I already know where you come from. Your organization has sent too many people here and youre just one of them. However, I think highly of you. If you marry my daughter and become my son-in-law, perhaps I will let you live, Yang Jiao said. Mr. Yang, you must be joking. I dont have the good fortune to be with Miss Yang. Its better to let Miss Yang love someone else. I dont have the good fortune to enjoy any of this, Xia Zhe said firmly.. Chapter 1933 - 1933: Weakness Chapter 1933 - 1933: Weakness Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Dont choose to do this the hard way! Im only allowing you to be with my daughter because 1 think highly of you! Dont be so ungrateful! Either you abandon your mission and join us today, or you will die here like your seniors! I believe youre a smart person and you know how to make the right choice, Yang Jiao said. Since Yang Jiao already knew about Xia Zhe having a false identity, he did not bother to pretend anymore. He smiled mockingly and said, You want me to join you? Just your daughter and your influence is not enough. My company will be able to reach the same scale as yours in another two to three years. Why should I take this kind of risk? Yang Jiao looked at Xia Zhe in admiration. He actually thought very highly of Xia Zhe and Xia Zhe was indeed stating the facts. Given a few more years, Xia Zhe would indeed be a force to reckon with. This was also the reason why Yang Jiao tacitly allowed Yang Meng to pursue Xia Zhe. However, all humans had weaknesses. Any human would feel fear and anxiety, and have a weak spot. Xia Zhe was definitely a human with a weakness. I guess you must have a sweetheart! And theres also your accomplice! The new female secretary in your company must be Su Ruis replacement, isnt she? She does look much smarter and more vigilant than Su Rui, but its not good for a woman to be too wary. It will only cause her to be exposed faster. Guess where the two of them are now? Yang Jiao asked with a smile. Xia Zhe panicked immediately even though his expression did not change much. He believed that Jiang Ting was a person who could cope with whatever came her way. There were other comrades here who could help them, but what about Qiao Mei? At this time, Qiao Mei should be on the plane heading home. Xia Zhe looked into those empty eyes and it was as if Wu Nuo was just a puppet, a rotting puppet. He no longer had any fighting spirit or will to live and just waited for death every day in pain. You should reconsider what 1 said earlier. If youre willing to be with my daughter, Ill still treat you like my own son! Lets have a better future together! Isnt that good? Yang Jiao said excitedly. In your dreams! Xia Zhe said mockingly. Tsk... You can really make me angry so easily. Yang Jiao called over many bodyguards and asked them to surround Jiang Ting. Xia Zhe had long heard that Yang Jiao kept a private army in this villa. Some of these people had been trained to kill since they were young, while others were mercenaries who worked for Yang Jiao. All of them were extraordinary fighters and there was not a single woman in the entire building. The entire team was made up of men. Yang Jiao never lacked attention from women. There were many women who wanted to be his lover. Come! Serve this Miss Jiang well! You can play with her however you want. Be careful not to let Miss Jiang kill you, Yang Jiao said casually.. Chapter 1934 - 1934: Exchange Hostages Chapter 1934 - 1934: Exchange Hostages Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios There was no fear in Jiang Tings eyes. She yelled out furiously, Bastard! Just you wait! Ill kill you sooner or later! Its better if you kill me today! Otherwise, Ill definitely find an opportunity to kill you! Take her away! Shes so noisy! Yang Jiao said as he waved his hand irritably. Xia Zhe wanted to help Jiang Ting, but she shook her head at him. He must not give away any information about the organization! She was willing to sacrifice herself for the organization. Ever since she was sent here on this secret mission, she was prepared for such an outcome. If... if she really could not take it, she would choose to commit suicide to protect the organization. It was all worth it! It was for the sake of letting more people be safe! She was willing to die for this! Xia Zhe closed his eyes with regret. He could hear Jiang Tings screams outside. The sounds pierced through his heart. Each scream was like a knife cutting into his heart. These people were the ones who hurt his comrades. He would remember all their faces. He would definitely make these people pay for it! Hey, dont you feel uncomfortable having to sit through this? As long as you agree to join us, Ill let her go immediately and let her continue to be your secretary. What do you think? Yang Jiao asked with a smile. Xia Zhe did not answer. He just stared at Yang Jiao quietly, looking at Yang Jiaos perverted expression and nauseating voice. Stupid woman, dont go overboard! Yang Jiao said agitatedly. Qiao Mei immediately stepped on the hilt of the dagger with her foot. Yang Jiu, who was already flat on the floor, let out another wail of pain. Qiao Mei smiled and asked, Ill ask you again. Are you going to let them go or not? Yes, yes, yes! Dont touch my son! Come to my villa! Shall we do the exchange here? Yang Jiao said immediately. Qiao Mei was not a fool. She knew that Yang Jiaos villa was filled with elite soldiers. She only had Xia Zhes four bodyguards with her and they did not have many weapons. She would be at a disadvantage if she clashed head-on with them. Just as Qiao Mei was about to reject him, Xia Zhe suddenly said, Agree to his request. Qiao Mei was silent for a moment before saying, Alright, well do the exchange in half an hour. With that, Qiao Mei hung up the phone. All the bodyguards there looked at her in fear. They did not expect the usually delicate and weak woman to be so domineering at a moment of life and death. They were already sending Qiao Mei to the airport at that time, but on the way, she suddenly said that she needed to go back to the villa and that she had forgotten an important item. In the end, they were ambushed by Yang Jiu on the way back. Actually, the bodyguards did not see clearly what happened at that time. They only saw that Yang Jius car tires burst inexplicably and everyone in the car was knocked unconscious. The tires... seemed to have been wrapped with something that looked like a rope. It was too dark for them to see what it was.. Chapter 1935 - 1935: Take Action Chapter 1935 - 1935: Take Action Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei immediately jumped out of their car to deal with the people in Yang Jius car. By the time the bodyguards reached Yang Jius car, Qiao Mei had already finished off everyone there and captured Yang Jiu alive. Qiao Mei had used her superpower for sure. Her vines were a great help this time! They tied Yang Jiu up and immediately returned to their villa to call Yang Jiao, resulting in the scene just now. Miss Pu, what do we do now? Da Dong asked as he looked at Qiao Mei seriously. Bring the most suitable weapons and come with me. Well go and save Fang Chen together! Qiao Mei said calmly. The men went to the armory to choose their weapons. Qiao Mei sat quietly on the sofa and looked at Yang Jiu, who was moaning in pain on the floor. She could feel an urge inside her now, as if she had changed since just now. If she saw Xia Zhe missing even one strand of hair later, she would kill the entire Yang family! It did not matter even if she had to expose her superpower in front of Xia Zhe. She just had to kill everyone else who saw her use her superpower. After all, the Yang family members all deserved to die. Stupid whore, do you think you can save Fang Chen with just the few of you? Stop dreaming! Yang Jiu lay on the floor and looked at Qiao Mei fiercely. Jiang Ting was still alive! She had taken advantage of a moment when the bodyguards let their guard down and snatched the knife from one of the bodyguards. She then killed all the bodyguards who had toyed with her. The guards stationed outside were rushing into the house now. Jiang Ting no longer had the strength to fight. Moreover, it was not as if she got out of the fight unscathed. Even if she was sent to the hospital now, it might already be too late. Xia Zhe immediately broke free from the rope and stood up to fight Yang Jiao. He knocked Yang Jiao to the floor and then snatched the gun from Yang Jiao, thereafter tying Yang Jiao up with a rope. There were more and more bodyguards coming in from outside. Xia Zhe kept darting around to kill Yang Jiaos bodyguards. By the time he reached the first floor, he was already covered in blood. He could not tell if it was his blood or the blood of the people lying on the floor. Xia Zhe took off his jacket and covered Jiang Ting with it. He whispered, Can you still move? Tell my parents... I havent embarrassed them... Jiang Ting said to Xia Zhe with a smile. Tell them that yourself. Ill get you out of here. As Xia Zhe spoke, he took out the small pill which Qiao Mei had given him. Before he could feed it to Jiang Ting to save her life, she quickly stopped him. My injuries are too serious. Dont waste the medicine. You... End my suffering. Dont let me suffer so much. Jiang Ting did not know the effect of this medicine and only begged Xia Zhe with teary eyes to fulfill her wish.. Chapter 1936 - 1936: Reunited Chapter 1936 - 1936: Reunited Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Everyone knew about the Xia familys divine medicine. If Xia Zhe told Jiang Ting the origins of this medicine, she would definitely eat it without hesitation. However, he could not expose his real identity just to save her life. There was still the injured senior upstairs, as well as Yang Jiao and his daughter who had not been dealt with yet. He could not waste time here. He did not explain much and just stuffed the small pill into Jiang Tings mouth. She widened her eyes and looked at him. Then, she suddenly felt warm all over and her wounds started healing at a speed visible to the naked eye. In just a few minutes, she was in good spirits and felt even better than before she got injured. Where did you get this medicine from? Why didnt the military commission give me one before I came? Jiang Ting asked curiously. Its a family heirloom. Theres only one, Xia Zhe said mildly. What did you say! Heirloom! You gave me your family heirloom just like that? Then how am I supposed to repay this favor in the future? Jiang Ting asked as she looked at Xia Zhe in shock. l dont need you to repay the favor. Xia Zhe took the ammunition clip from one of the bodyguards on the floor. He looked at Jiang Ting and said, l have something else to do at the main door. Lets go our separate ways. You go upstairs to save the senior. Alright, be careful. Jiang Ting put on Xia Zhes jacket and ran upstairs. Qiao Mei and the bodyguards were getting close to the Yang familys villa and everyone was ready for battle. By right, there should be bodyguards from the Yang family hiding along this road and there should be a life-and-death battle between them right now. However, they did not encounter anyone, not even an animal. This road was really too quiet. Da Dong, did you take the wrong path? Qiao Mei asked suspiciously. What have you done to my father! Yang Jiu shouted desperately. This gave Qiao Mei a shock at first. Then, she nodded in satisfaction and said, This is how a son should behave under the circumstances. Looks like youre not too much of a beast yet. What do you mean? Yang Jiu asked. Youre much better than your brother, Qiao Mei said with a hint of praise. Your father is just locked up inside. Hes not dead, Xia Zhe said as he looked at Yang Jiu in disdain. Da Nan looked at Xia Zhe and asked, Boss, how should we deal with this person? Carry him in. Da Dong and Xiao Bei, you two stay behind and watch over the people outside. The rest of you, come with me. Xia Zhe patted Qiao Meis head gently and said, Wait for me here. l want to go in with you! Qiao Mei said firmly. She did not want to be separated from Xia Zhe anymore. She could not stand the feeling of losing him. She did not want to leave him even for a second! She wanted to be by his side at all times. If there was any danger, she could use her superpower to protect everyone.. Chapter 1937 - 1937: Love Game Chapter 1937 - 1937: Love Game Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xia Zhe knew that once Qiao Mei decided on something, he would not be able to change her mind. He looked at Qiao Mei helplessly and said, Lets go then. Follow closely behind me. The moment Qiao Mei stepped into the main hall of the Yang familys house, her mind went blank. The impact on her sight and smell made her stop in shock as a strong smell of blood enveloped her entire body. The entire space was filled with this smell and every cell in Qiao Meis body was highly resistant to enter this place. The number of broken limbs on the floor was enough to show the intensity of the chaotic battle just now. Although Qiao Mei used to slaughter chickens and pigs at home, that could not be compared to the scene in front of her. Da Nan and Xiao Xi had worked as bodyguards for other people as well as been mercenaries before. Even though they were considered professional killers, they were still a little surprised to see such a scene. They did not know who the vicious killer was. Could it be... their boss?Visitt for the latest updates Xia Zhe was good with guns and he almost never missed a shot. Jiang Ting liked to use daggers and knives, so those broken people strewed on the floor were the result of Jiang Ting venting her anger. Xia Zhe quickly covered Qiao Meis eyes and said, Are you alright? If not, Ill get Da Nan to send you back outside. You can wait for me there. Im fine... I can accompany you, Qiao Mei said with a trembling voice. Then what about Yang Meng? What has she done? Jiang Ting questioned. Wu Nuo smiled and did not say anything. He slowly walked to the bed and lovingly stroked Yang Mengs beautiful cheek. He even lowered his head and kissed her. At this moment, Yang Meng was already a corpse. Jiang Ting almost vomited when she saw such a crazy scene. Back then. Yang Jiao also thought highly of Wu Nuo. However. Wu Nuo did not have Xia Zhes good looks or strong willpower. Yang Jiao arranged for Yang Meng to seduce Wu Nuo and also arranged for the two of them to get married. Wu Nuo thought that he had successfully gotten close to his mission target, but something unexpected happened. Yang Jiao discovered his real identity and captured him, forcing him to reveal information about the organization. At first, Wu Nuo could still stay steadfast and not say anything, that was until Yang Jiao said he wanted to kill Yang Meng and the baby she was carrying. Wu Nuo panicked when he heard that. He only revealed his own identity but did not give up any information about the organization or mission. Yang Jiao was not satisfied with that at all. He imprisoned Wu Nuo and kept torturing and beating him. In the end, he even let the bodyguards toy with Wu Nuo and trample on his dignity. The thing which finally broke Wu Nuo in the end was finding out that Yang Meng was not pregnant at all. She had been lying to him all this while. The love game was just an illusion which she painted for him. l hate her! But I love her too... Look, even though shes dead, shes still so beautiful. So very beautiful, Wu Nuo said as he looked at Yang Meng infatuatedly.. Chapter 1938 - 1938: Come Back With Us Chapter 1938 - 1938: Come Back With Us Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Senior Wu, come back with us. Youve been a drifter here for so long and you must miss your family. Your parents are still waiting for you to go back! Dont you want to reunite with them? Jiang Ting said cautiously. Wu Nuo laughed mockingly. He looked upwards at Jiang Ting and said, They have already received the news of my death! Do you think 1 dont miss home? They have long forgotten about me! My wife has already remarried! My son has also taken someone elses surname! I have nothing left. Whats the point of going back? Jiang Ting looked at Wu Nuo in disgust. He had just said that the person he loved the most was Yang Meng. He clearly had a wife and child back in the country, but yet he had an ambiguous relationship with another woman overseas and even wanted to be the Yang familys son-in-law! If not for the organizations clear rules that she could not kill her compatriots for no reason, she really wanted to teach him a lesson. The mission was not over vet. Jiang Ting and Xia Zhe could not let Yang Jiao die here. Only Yang Jiao had the information which they wanted. For now, they could only try their best to comfort Wu Nuo and not let Yang Jiao die in Wu Nuos hands. Senior Wu, dont be so pessimistic. Your parents are still in the country! Theyre still waiting for you to go home. As long as youre willing to go back with us, there are still many good things waiting for you! Jiang Ting said. Hmph... Wu Nuo snorted coldly, raised his gun and pointed it at Jiang Ting before continuing, Dont take me for a fool! If I go back with you, I will only be put on trial by the military. I have betrayed the organization and I have no way out! 1 dont ask for much. I just want the Yang familys father and son to die in my hands! If you want something from them, just go and get it! Oh right, are you looking for the list? Let go of me! Kill me if you have guts! Wu Nuo roared. Xia Zhe still wanted to say something to Wu Nuo, but Jiang Ting pulled off Yang Jiaos dirty socks and stuffed them into Wu Nuos mouth. There was really nothing else more suitable in the room to stop Wu Nuo from talking. Alright, he wont disturb us anymore. Lets send him back to the headquarters as well, Jiang Ting said casually as she dusted off her hands. Xia Zhe did not have any questions for Yang Jiao. He knew that even if he tortured Yang Jiao beyond recognition, he would not get any answers. He could only rely on himself to look for the thing he wanted. You stay here and watch over them. Ill go and release the people in the basement. With that, Xia Zhe walked out of the door. After Qiao Mei heard the gunshot, she stood at the staircase landing to wait for Xia Zhe. When she saw him, she immediately went forward and asked, How is it? Everythings fine. Im going to the basement to release the people whom Yang Jiao imprisoned. It might be quite... a bloody scene. How about you go and look for Jiang Ting and wait for me in the room? Xia Zhe said, coaxing Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei nodded. Da Nan sent Qiao Mei to the room upstairs while Xia Zhe continued to walk towards the basement. The deeper he went, the colder he felt. The underground dungeon where the guests were kept was located in the deepest part of the basement. Along the way, Xia Zhe passed by all kinds of dungeon cells where the occupants were weak-looking men and even underage children.. Chapter 1939 - 1939: The Role of the Hero Chapter 1939 - 1939: The Role of the Hero Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios All these people were no longer interested in whoever was approaching them. In fact, they all looked numb. These people were not only the playthings of Yang Jiao and Yang Jiu, but Yang Jiao even sent them out to be used by other rich people. Some people had left this underground dungeon and never returned. Some of them were homeless people who were abducted from the streets by the Yang familys staff while some were drugged and captured. There were even men from wealthy families who had been tricked into coming here, and some were even sold here by their families. Xia Zhe frowned slightly and looked at these people disconsolately. He did not know the kind of lives they could lead after they were rescued. There was nothing more which he could do for them. He did not stay in this spot for long and went straight to the deepest part of the dungeon to rescue the guests. Jack was already standing at the door, waiting for his arrival. Its amazing that youre still alive. Yang Jiao actually lost to a new kid on the block. Looks like the winds in Sky City and East City are about to change direction, Jack said with a laugh. Its also not bad that you can stay awake. You dont have to flatter me, Xia Zhe praised. After hearing what Xia Zhe said, Jack snorted coldly. When he first met Xia Zhe, he already felt that this man was not as simple as he looked and that there must be an even more intertwined force behind him, one that he could not fight against. This was also the reason why Jack and Bella had always avoided Xia Zhe. As expected of Mr. Fang. After all, youve become one of the top 10 richest businessmen in Country M in less than a year. In that case, Ill accept this gift from you, Jack said. As Xia Zhe had said, Bella arrived at the Yang familys villa with a big team. The moment she entered, she had the same reaction as Qiao Mei and was really shocked. However, she was a professional killer herself and was familiar with such situations. Soon, she made her way to the basement. Jack! Bella shouted agitatedly. Im here, Jack responded. Bella rushed in front of Jack and hit him hard on the chest with her elbow. She said disdainfully, How can you fall for the Yang familys trick? If not for Miss Pu calling to inform me, I dont know if you will be able to make it back alive! l... Cough, cough, cough... This is all part of my plan. What do you know! Jack said stubbornly. Bella turned around and looked at Xia Zhe coldly, saying, Wheres Miss Pu? Where did you send her? Shes very safe upstairs. My secretary and bodyguards are with her, Xia Zhe said. Well, youd better be nice to her. If I find out that you have other women, or that youre not faithful to her, I will kill you, Bella said earnestly.. Chapter 1940 - 1940: Sending Off the Hostages Chapter 1940 - 1940: Sending Off the Hostages Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Theres no need for Miss Bella to specially remind me about this. Of course, Ill dote on my woman, Xia Zhe said domineeringly. Bella stared into Xia Zhes eyes for a long time. After confirming that he was not lying to her, she let him go. There were many people in the basement and it would take a lot of time to send them back one by one. Moreover, she did not have so much space in her car. Mr. Fang, arent you thinking too highly of my car? I dont usually have the habit of driving a tank around. Its not realistic to expect me to bring all these people with me, Bella said. Miss Bella, just because you dont have it doesnt mean that the Yang family doesnt have it. Since these people were ferried here earlier, then there must be a vehicle which can fit all of them. However, Ill have to trouble Miss Bella to find out which key is the correct one, Xia Zhe said as he held up a large bunch of keys and shook them. He had found these keys in Yang Jiaos study. Bella looked at Xia Zhe impatiently and said, I really hate the way you scheme against others, but the thing is that Pu Nan likes you. If not for Pu Nan, I will chop you up right now! The last person who schemed against Bella and Jack was never found again. Bella called tor her subordinates to bring everyone out of the dungeon and settle them down in the casino first. They would make other plans when dawn broke. After that, there was only the Yang familys father and son and Xia Zhes team left in the house. Xia Zhe released a signal flare into the sky. This was the signal to inform his superior to take action. Someone would come to escort Yang Jiao and the others away. Im willing to be with him. 1 like him very much and I believe that he will choose me too. The two of us are indeed in love, Qiao Mei said. Seeing that her advice was useless, Jiang Ting did not say anything else. She shrugged and said, Alright, then I wish you happiness. The superiors from the organization sent someone to pick up the Yang familys father and son in no time. Jiang Ting had to go with them to ensure that the Yang familys father and son would not be rescued by their accomplices on the way. Alright, be careful. After saying that, Jiang Ting turned to look at Qiao Mei and said, You too. Have a safe journey, Qiao Mei said with a smile. Jiang Ting nodded and left with the Yang familys father and son and Wu Nuo. Qiao Mei stood beside Xia Zhe and asked, What are you looking for? Dont tell me its some treasure! You think about nothing but treasure in that head of yours! Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei and smiled dotingly. He wanted to look for the list which Wu Nuo had mentioned. The Yang family only played a small part within the evil forces. They were not the ultimate goal of the organization, but they were very important to the organization. The Yang family was like an exchange point, where information and items changed hands.. Chapter 1941 - 1941: Search for the List Chapter 1941 - 1941: Search for the List Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The Yang family had an important list in their hands. It contained the names of all their accomplices in Country M. If Xia Zhe could find that list, they would be able to completely eliminate all the evil forces in Country M. Youre the best at finding things. Help me look out for anything strange, like a secret compartment in the room or a safe embedded in the wall, Xia Zhe said. Xia Zhe knew that Qiao Mei had her own special method of hiding things, so he was sure that she would be able to discover any hidden secret room. He could not put his finger on the kind of ability she had. He was just very sure that she could definitely find whatever Yang Jiao had hidden away. Leave it to me! Qiao Mei said happily.Discover new chapters at novelhall.com Xia Zhe covered Qiao Meis eyes as they slowly made their way upstairs. The two of them arrived at the third floor. This was where Yang Jiao slept and worked, and it was also a place that the bodyguards were not allowed to get close to. Every room was booby-trapped and filled with danger. Xia Zhe felt that the name list must be kept somewhere here. Its better if you dont go in with me. If theres any booby trap, you might get hurt, Xia Zhe said worriedly. Can I watch you from the door? Qiao Mei asked. Sure, you can stand outside and tell me where to look and Ill search inside, Xia Zhe said with a smile. Qiao Mei pressed her hand against the wall and she instantly knew the structure of the entire house like the back of her hand. As Xia Zhe had guessed, there were many secret compartments in this room. There might be something behind the painting on the left. Take a look under the flower pot on the right! Have you been here before? Qiao Mei asked. No, I havent. This is also my first time here, Xia Zhe said with a troubled expression. Qiao Mei reached out and touched the door handle. She could see the structure inside clearly. This was a biometric fingerprint lock and it could only be opened with Yang Jiaos fingerprints. However, Yang Jiao had already left with Jiang Ting, so how could they open it? If Qiao Mei had encountered this biometric fingerprint lock in her other life, she would definitely choose to give up. However, in this era, the biometric fingerprint lock had just been invented and there were still many loopholes that had not been fixed. As long as they cut off the electricity in the entire Yang family villa, they could use the spare key to open this door! Go to the main switchboard and turn off the power supply to the house! (Liao Mei said immediately. Are you sure you are alright here alone? Xia Zhe said worriedly. l have no problem with that! Go now! Ill call out to you once I open it! Qiao Mei said excitedly. Xia Zhe turned off the power supply to the entire Yang familys villa as instructed and the entire house fell into darkness. Qiao Mei scattered some vine seeds on the floor and then used the vines to poke into the keyhole carefully. Not long after, there was a click sound and the heavy door opened. Its open! Its open! Qiao Mei shouted excitedly. When Xia Zhe heard Qiao Mei t s voice, he turned on the switchboard again. He could not wait to return to Qiao Meis side. He was worried that in the darkness, she might get hurt by any booby trap set up by Yang Jiao, Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe pushed open the door together. The moment the door opened, both of them had to close their eyes tightly. The things inside were really too dazzling.. Chapter 1942 - 1942: House of Gold Chapter 1942 - 1942: House of Gold Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios They wondered if anyone had ever seen a bed made of gold? Yang Jiaos entire bed was made of gold. It was two meters long and three meters wide and took up the most space in the bedroom. Even the supporting pillars next to the bed were made of gold. This bed probably weighed a ton. The entire room was decorated with gold and gemstones. Even the picture frames on the wall were made of gold and looked very old-fashioned. Qiao Mei suspected that Yang Jiaos slippers were also made of gold. There was an old saying, If one studies hard, one will be able to get a charming bride and a house of gold. At this moment, Qiao Mei was staring at the proverbial house of gold without needing to study hard. Goodness... My poor eyes... Qiao Mei rubbed her eyes in discomfort. Wait for me here. Ill go in and take a look. With that, Xia Zhe stepped into the house of gold. Qiao Mei continued to use her superpower to check the structure of the room. This room was different from the other rooms. There were no hidden Before Qiao Mei left, she turned around to look at Yang Jiaos room reluctantly. There was not only gold kept inside, but also many oil paintings by famous artists, as well as all kinds of gemstones and jade. If these things were all burned down, what a huge loss it would be... Xia Zhe seemed to understand how sad Qiao Mei was. He looked at the time and said, There are still 20 minutes before dawn breaks. I can give you some time to move things out. Really? Qiao Mei asked as she looked at Xia Zhe expectantly. Yes, just like those things hidden under our house, Xia Zhe whispered softly as a reminder. Downstairs, Da Nan and the others were frantically splashing gasoline around the house. Qiao Mei rushed upstairs, avoiding any booby traps and started throwing things out of the window. In a spot where no one could see, a bunch of vines and weeds caught and grabbed all the things which Qiao Mei threw down. The moment those things touched the ground, they disappeared. In less than 20 minutes, Qiao Mei had already emptied more than half the entire house. Although Qiao Mei really wanted to take Yang Jiaos golden bed, even 30 men could not lift this huge thing, so Qiao Mei could only give up the idea. When it was time, Da Nan led Qiao Mei back to the car. Xia Zhe slowly lit a cigarette and then threw the lighter into the house. There was a loud boom and the entire villa was immediately engulfed in a sea of fire as Xia Zhe and his team drove away quickly. Finally, everything was settled. On the way home, Qiao Mei saw the blood on the hem of her dress. She suddenly recalled what she had done when she kidnapped Yang Jiu just now. At that time, her mind was filled with only thoughts of saving Xia Zhe. She did not even think about the price she had to pay for doing those things. At that moment, as long as she could save Xia Zhe, she would do anything. Now that Xia Zhe was sitting safely beside her, she began to recall all the things that happened back then and could not help but tremble. Xia Zhe immediately hugged Qiao Mei and asked, Whats wrong? Do you feel cold? I... I think I killed some people... Qiao Mei repeated as she stared blankly at her hands. Xia Zhe hugged Qiao Mei tightly. He held her hands and said, You must be referring to those people with Yang Jiu. Those people are all heinous bad guys. What you did was not wrong. Im proud of you.. Chapter 1943 - 1943: Sleeping Beauty Chapter 1943 - 1943: Sleeping Beauty Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Really? Qiao Mei asked as she raised her head to look at Xia Zhe.Visitt for the latest updates Yes, really. Its so amazing of you to capture Yang Jiu so that you can come and rescue me. Youre really very capable and Im very proud of you. Without you, things wont have gone so smoothly this time and I wont have been lucky enough to escape from the Yang family. Xia Zhe kissed Qiao Mei t s forehead gently and she began to calm down. She still did not know how to explain to Xia Zhe about her marksmanship, her strategies, how she found the secret compartments in those rooms and how she stashed away Yang Jiaos treasures. She had not started to fabricate the reasons for being able to do all these things. Xia Zhe also had his doubts, but he was more willing to choose to believe in her. He believed that she loved him, would also stand by his side and was his absolutely loyal wife. Qiao Mei leaned against Xia Zhe to rest for a while. Suddenly, she felt something pressing against her waist. She took out a whole bunch of gold and silver jewelry from her pocket and stuffed them into Xia Zhes hands. Help me find a place to put this. Its causing me some discomfort, Qiao Mei said unhappily with a pout. Xia Zhe looked at the jewelry in his hand and smiled. It seemed that killing people did not really have any big impact on Qiao Mei. At this moment, she could still think about sleeping and treasures. Da Dong drove very steadily and it did not take long for them to return to Xia Zhes villa. Xia Zhe carried Qiao Mei to the bedroom. He still had other things to do. Qiao Mei was a little traumatized by everything that happened and fell into a deep sleep for an entire day and night. Xia Zhe simply lay beside her and accompanied her silently. Em... how long did I sleep? Qiao Mei said groggily. You almost became the sleeping beauty! Xia Zhe said with a laugh. Then you should kiss me awake! Qiao Mei said to Xia Zhe with a grin. Xia Zhe quickly lowered his head and kissed Qiao Mei on the lips. Are you awake now? Im awake! Qiao Mei replied as she stretched. l might have to go back for a while. Jiang Ting has already brought the Yang familys father and son and our senior back to the country. 1 also need to go back for a few days to submit my report. There are also some things that I have to bring back to my superiors, Xia Zhe said as he massaged Qiao Meis head. Then will you come back? Qiao Mei asked as she hugged Xia Zhe. Qiao Mei lay in Xia Zhes arms and felt a little unhappy. She had thought that Xia Zhes mission would take at least another two to three years. She did not expect Xia Zhes mission to end after she had only been here for half a year. Did that mean that the two of them had to continue to live separately from each other in the future? She could not possibly abandon her studies here! Ill be back. I can do more things over here. Im going back this time to apply to my superiors to come back here as an undercover agent, Xia Zhe said with a smile.. Chapter 1944 - 1944: Mr. Fang’s Lover Chapter 1944 - 1944: Mr. Fangs Lover Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xia Zhe could earn more money here. By staying here, he could also send back whatever items they needed in the country promptly. He could also continue to expand his influence here and pave the way for future missions and for the people coming here to carry out missions in the future. Thats great! Then can I make use of your identity? Qiao Mei asked excitedly. Huh? What do you want to do? Xia Zhe asked curiously. Ive made a lot of money, but I dont have any proper status here. I cant buy real estate or land for the company. I have to bribe my way to get anything done. Can you lend me your identity? L.. 1 can go around and buy things as Mr. Fangs lover! How about that! Qiao Mei said. She was such a money-grubber that she wanted to earn money and buy houses no matter where she went. If theres really no other way, Ill go back and apply to the higher-ups to get you a fake identity. There are times when I cant send supplies back to the country in large quantities on my own. It will be more convenient if the two of us can send things separately, which means we can send more, Xia Zhe said. Oh... wont that be very troublesome? Im not the one on a mission. Wont this violate any rules? Qiao Mei asked. When you go back, Ill go back to see the children too, When the time is right, Ill bring Xia He here to have some fun. Anyway, your mission is over and our identities are not so complicated anymore, Qiao Mei said. Its better for the children not to be exposed. As for you and Xia He, you can come here as often as you want. Its best if Xia He comes here as your elder sister and that she also uses the surname Pu, Xia Zhe said cautiously. Fortunately, you and Xia He are not twins. One of you looks like your father and the other looks like your mother. Otherwise, I wont be able to explain it clearly to others! Qiao Mei said. Xia Zhe suddenly thought of what Bella had said. He poked Qiao Meis puffed-up cheeks and asked, What did you say to Bella? She seems very dissatisfied with me and even thinks that Im not worthy of you. Did Sister Bella reprimand you? Qiao Mei asked happily. Thats right. In the basement, she warned me not to treat you badly or she would kill me. Even when I married you back then, your grandfather did not threaten me like this! Xia Zhe said. Qiao Mei jumped up from the bed happily and said laughingly, Sister Bella likes me! I have a strong backer in Sky City now! If you dare to bully me! Ill go and look for Sister Bella! Ill ask Sister Bella to teach you a lesson! I think Sister Bella is someone whos a woman of her words! It was only after marrying into the Xia family that Qiao Mei finally knew what it felt like to have siblings. With Xia He protecting her, Xia Wens care for her and the concern shown by the other cousins, she felt the warmth of home for the first time. Sister Bella was an elder sister outside the family and she showed her concern for Qiao Mei in her own way. Alright, whatever you say, Xia Zhe said helplessly..Visitt for the latest updates Chapter 1945 - 1945: Delivering Medicinal Wine Chapter 1945 - 1945: Delivering Medicinal Wine Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei wanted to visit Bella before she left the city. She wanted to give Bella a bottle of 1,000-year-old ginseng juice to repay Bellas love and concern for her. Xia Zhe did not dwindle and left Country M early the next morning. During the previous month, Country M had established friendly relations with his home country and the two countries had signed a reciprocal agreement. There were now many more flights serving the two countries. Soon, the Xia family members might even be able to fly here for a holiday! Da Dong! Da Nan! Lets go to the casino! Qiao Mei said to the bodyguards, dressed in a riding suit. Miss Pu, youre in a good mood today. Its rare to see you dressed in such a dashing manner, Da Dong praised. Is that so? I just feel that this set of clothes is suitable for the casino. Lets go now! Qiao Mei said happily. She had worked through the night to extract a small bottle of 1,000-year-old ginseng juice for Bella. This ginseng juice was more concentrated than the one stored in her courtyard house and had an even better effect. Perhaps it was because the soil quality here was better, leading to the improvement in the medicinal effect. Qiao Mei was very inspired by this discovery and intended to put more effort into studying soil quality in the future. Stop right there! Its daytime now! The casino is not open for business! Miss, please come back tonight! the casinos door guard said as he blocked Qiao Meis way. The door guard immediately understood what Tom meant. That meant that those two men died that night because they had offended Miss Pu. He stood up and patted the dust off his clothes before whispering to Tom, Thanks for your advice, bro. Ill be more careful in the future. After an hour, Qiao Mei finally saw Bella. However, she had not been idle during this hour. She asked a croupier from the casino to come and teach her how to play poker. By now, she had learnt many different types of games. You should have told me in advance that youre coming over. Then, you wont have to wait for so long, Bella said as she looked at Qiao Mei reproachfully. Im going home soon. so I want to visit you before I leave. I have brought you a gift! Qiao Mei said happily. Youre going home? Then what about Fang Chen? Why isnt here with you? Doesnt he know how chaotic Sky City is recently? Why does he allow you to come out alone? Bella said with a slight frown. Qiao Mei tapped Bellas tightly furrowed brows and said, He has his own things to do and has given me all his bodyguards. Are you still worried even with these bodyguards following me around? Bella casually sized up Da Dong and Da Nan, who were standing behind Qiao Mei. Then, she said disdainfully, Just two bumbling fools. Are you protecting them or are they protecting you? Let me arrange for a few guys to follow you around. The two of them can protect me. Im not some big-shot or a tycoon. Why do I need super capable bodyguards? Qiao Mei said.. Chapter 1946 - 1946: Badge Chapter 1946 - 1946: Badge Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Da Dong and Da Nan had very awkward expressions on their faces, but they did not dare to say anything. After all, the person standing in front of them was the top female killer and the fourth most ruthless person in Country M. In front of Bella, the two of them were indeed nothing. Then Ill go with what you say. After saying that, Bella took out something that looked like a gold coin from her pocket. It was engraved with beautiful patterns and there was a huge spider pattern in the middle. There also seemed to be a rose pattern on the spiders back. Bella placed this thing in Qiao Meis palm and said, You can pin it anywhere on your clothes. Dont ever take it off. What is this? Qiao Mei asked curiously as she fiddled with the badge. You can think of it as a representation of me. If someone wants to harm you, they will think again when they see this badge, Bella explained. Bella ran an assassination organization and the assassins were all women. They did not care about being good or bad, kind or evil. As long as the price was high enough, they would accept the job. They only had one rule and the rule was that they did not kill women. This organization was nicknamed Black Widow by the rest of the criminal organizations in Country M. This was because generally, female black widow spiders would eat the male spiders to supplement their nutrition. Moreover, the female black widow spider was known to be very beautiful. Alright, Ill remember that. Qiao Mei gave Da Dong and Da Nan a look. The two of them went out of the meeting room to wait for Qiao Mei and she took out the ginseng juice from her bag. Whats this? Bella asked. Ill come and visit you again soon! You must think of me often! Alright, you must let me know before you come the next time. Ill bring you to have fun around the entire Sky City, Bella said in a gentle tone. Its a deal! After saying that, Qiao Mei went back with Da Dong and Da Nan. Bella stood on the balcony and watched Qiao Mei until she completely disappeared from sight into the alley. Jack walked up to Bella from behind her. He looked at her neck and teased, That young lady must have some kind of charm to be able to make you wear a necklace. Really? Maybe its because I want to wear one, Bella said with a sigh. Bella never wore a necklace. Her main concern was that in a fight, the enemy could grab her necklace and lock it tightly around her throat. Those few seconds could make the difference between life and death. Qiao Mei went back to pack her things and then to the airport to take a flight back to the town. Her car in the airport parking lot was already very dusty, bearing testimony to how long she had been away. So you still know how to come back! Why dont you just stay out and not come back! Xia He said unhappily as she stood in the living room with an apron on and pointed at Qiao Mei. You sound like youre scolding your husband for not coming home, Qiao Mei said. If Deng Fan is like you! Id have beaten him up long ago! I will break his legs! Make sure he cant go out and fool around! Xia He said agitatedly.. Chapter 1947 - 1947: A Gift from Papa Chapter 1947 - 1947: A Gift from Papa Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei said a silent prayer for Deng Fan. Fortunately, Deng Fan was a person who was very focused on earning money and doing research. He did not have any bad habits and never went to any casual drinking sessions. Otherwise, he might already be a paraplegic at home. Hows the business at the farm recently? Qiao Mei asked. Business is exceptionally good and the construction works have also been completed. Only the interior renovations arent done yet. I really wish that Deng Fan is here to help me. Just choosing the materials took me an entire day! What kind of style do you like? We can go and look at the furniture together, Xia He said. Theres still half a month before school starts. I dont want to waste my time on such renovation works. Do you want to go out and have fun with me? Qiao Mei pulled Xia He aside and asked softly. Where are we going to have fun? Xia He asked excitedly. Sky City, Obo Mei said. Xia He knew that the largest casino in Country M was located there. She had long wanted to see what the casino looked like! Moreover, even though she had made a lot of money here, this was just a small town and the only thing that was advanced here was agriculture. There were not many luxury stores in the shopping malls and she had no place to spend her money. Alright! Lets leave tomorrow! Xia He said. Qiao Mei looked at the teddy bear carefully, but she did not find any marks left behind by Xia Zhe. She looked at Xia Xing curiously and asked, How do you know that this is from Papa? Xia Xing pointed at the moon on the teddy bears neck and said, Papa and I made a pact. Papa said that he would buy me a teddy bear with a moon on it. Qiao Mei immediately realized that Xia Xing had a really good memory. It had been almost a year since Xia Zhe left for the mission. At that time, Xia Xing did not even know how to speak yet. It was surprising that she could remember what happened a year ago. Xia Xing is so smart. Then Xia Fan, can you guess what Papa bought for you? Qiao Mei asked. Xia Fan turned his head away coldly and did not say anything. Qiao Mei thought that Xia Fan was still angry at her for being away from home during this period of time. Even though he liked to act grown up, the way he looked at Qiao Meis package from time to time betrayed his real feelings. Come and take a look at what this is- This is a miniature car from Papa- Take a look~ If you dont look, Ill take it away~ Qiao Mei held up the toy car and whispered into Xia Fans ear. Xia Fan happily took the toy car from Qiao Meis hand and said, l want it! Qiao Mei reached out to tap the bridge of Xia Fans nose and said dotingly, Little imp, you even want to ignore Mama. Be careful that I tell Papa about this! Ill let him deal with all of you! Hmph! Papa wont scold us! Xia Fan said smugly. These two children were really too smart. For a moment, Qiao Mei could not think of a way to deal with them.. She picked up a cute crocodile-shaped pacifier and said, Yue Yue, look at the pacifier from Papa~ Chapter 1948 - 1948: Know How to Say Thank You” Chapter 1948 - 1948: Know How to Say Thank You Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xia Yue looked at the crocodile- shaped pacifier and immediately started crying loudly. Qiao Mei quickly hugged Xia Yue and asked, Whats wrong, my baby? Dont tell me you miss Papa? Xia Xing raised her head to look at Qiao Mei in disdain and said, My younger brother doesnt like crocodiles. Qiao Mei hurriedly put the crocodile- shaped pacifier into her pocket to hide it. She was not interested in why Xia Yue was crying now. Instead, she was curious about how Xia Xing knew about crocodiles. Baby, how do you know that this is a crocodile? Qiao Mei asked. Its written in a book. 1 dont know how to read, but Grandma Wang told me about it. My younger brother cries whenever he sees the picture of the crocodile, Xia Xing said slowly. Qiao Mei had bought many textbooks for infants and young children back home a long time ago. She had waited for a long time for the books to be sent over, but during that period of time, she was so busy with the farm that she forgot all about this matter. It was likely that Auntie Wang had found the books and started to teach the children how to read by looking at the pictures. When she was not around, the children had really grown up a lot both physically and mentally. Their thoughts had become more individualistic. They were beginning to take on Qiao Meis tone and attitude more and more. It was not Xia Zhes fault for buying the wrong gift. After all, she did not know that Xia Yue hated crocodiles either. She decided to buy another cute pacifier for Xia Yue when she went to Sky City this time, Just as Qiao Mei was packing her things to leave the room, Xia Xing suddenly grabbed the corner of Qiao Meis top and said, Thank you for the gift, Papa and Mama. Xia Fan also thanked Qiao Mei solemnly. Qiao Mei was so touched that she almost teared up. She smiled and said, Alright babies, Mama is going back to work~ You play by yourselves~ Mama loves you. At night, Xia He went to Qiao Meis room. At this moment, Qiao Mei was in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, looking at the scenery outside. It had been a long time since she could sit down to admire the moon. l hope you didnt ask me to come here and admire the moon with you, Xia He asked as she sat down on the carpet next to Qiao Mei. Of course not. I just want to tell you that Ive found Xia Zhe, Qiao Mei said with a smile. Are you joking with me? Have you really found Xia Zhe? Xia He asked in shock. She knew a little bit about Xia Zhes mission. Before she left on this trip, Xia Wen had mentioned it to her. She had also been in the military for a period of time and knew how difficult and dangerous a secret mission was. Xia Zhe has already completed his mission and he will be back soon. We have to use different identities when we go to Sky City, Qiao Mei said. Yes, 1 understand. Then whats my identity? Xia He asked as she looked at Qiao Mei solemnly. Qiao Mei chuckled and said, Dont be so nervous. The mission is already over. Its just that Xia Zhe needs to continue using his mission identity here, so our real identities cant get exposed as well. My surname is Pu when Im there, so you have to use this surname too.. Chapter 1949 - 1949: Back to Sky City Chapter 1949 - 1949: Back to Sky City Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Pu? Then my name is... Pu Tian! Xia He said proudly. It sounds like a boys name, Qiao Mei said disdainfully. Then what should my name be? Xia He looked at the things around her and suddenly thought of something. She said excitedly, Then my name is Pu Sure, this name is not bad, but dont let Mother know about it. Otherwise, shell definitely beat you up until you cant get out of bed, Qiao Mei said as she covered her mouth to stop smiling. Mother is so gentle, she wont hit me! Its decided then. My name is Pu Lan and youre my younger sister. Your name is... Whats your name? Xia He asked curiously. Pu Nan. Xia Zhes name over there is Fang Chen. Dont forget that. Also, when Im there, Im his lover, Qiao Mei said. Ill remember everything! When 1 meet people, Ill pretend to be mute! You can just introduce me! I know what I can and cannot say! Xia He said. Qiao Mei stared at Xia He and sized her up. No one would believe that she could act as a mute. Xia He was a talkative person who liked to uphold justice and had a bad temper. It would be very difficult for her to pretend to be mute. Over the next few days, they signed a few long-term business contracts for the farm. After packing their bags, they set off for Sky City. This was Xia Hes first visit to Sky City. On the plane, she had imagined that Sky City was a Qiao Mei still wore the same riding suit as the last time. Xia He dressed normally in a simple lace shirt and a pair of trousers, and she looked quite dashing. The two of them arrived at the entrance of the casino. This time, the process of going in was not as difficult as the last time. When the person at the door saw the badge on Qiao Meis waist, he respectfully brought her into the casino. There was even a designated staff member to retrieve the chips for Qiao Mei. Does this place operate on a membership basis? Xia He asked softly. Why do you say that? How does casino membership even work? Does it mean that the more you lose, the higher your membership level? Qiao Mei asked with a smile. Then why are all of them so respectful to you? Can it be that Xia... Fang Chen has a very high status here? Xia He asked. Its partly because of him, but more importantly, its because 1 know the owner of this casino. Shes very nice to me, thats why the people here act like this when they see me, Qiao Mei said smugly. Then I have to cozy up to you! Xia He said. No problem! Have fun as you please! Were here tonight to seek pleasure! Qiao Mei said happily. Xia He did not know many games. The two of them played for a while at the blackjack table and then at the bridge table. In the end, they returned to Qiao Meis forte, Sic Bo. What are we betting on? Xia He asked. She knew that Qiao Mei was very good at this game and she would not go wrong following Qiao Meis lead. You can bet on whatever you like. Theres no technique involved, Qiao Mei said.. Chapter 1950 - 1950: The Game Begins Chapter 1950 - 1950: The Game Begins Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Then Ill... bet big! Xia He made a guess and placed the chips in her hand on the table. The dealer opened the dice cup. Unfortunately, Xia He did not make the right bet this time. Xia He looked at Qiao Mei aggrievedly and said, What should I do... I dont think I can win... This game is much harder than poker! Qiao Mei smiled dotingly and said, You still have so many chips. You can just play however you want. If you really lose, just leave me with 100 dollars worth of chips. Xia He trusted Qiao Meis skills a lot. After all, the last time Qiao Mei came home, she had brought back two suitcases full of money. They had not even spent all of it yet! Although she did not know how Qiao Mei did it, she was not afraid of losing so long as Qiao Mei was around! The man beside Qiao Mei said mockingly to his female companion, Look at these two ignorant women. They have good looks but no brains. Dont be angry~ The two of them dont know anything. Theyre not as capable as you as sur? the mans female companion said obsequiously. When Xia He heard this, she wanted to go forward and argue with him. Qiao Mei grabbed Xia Hes hand and shook her head. This was Bellas territory and if there was a conflict, it would only make things difficult for Bella. It was not good to do bad things just because they were in Bellas favor. Besides, Qiao Mei did not know if this man had bodyguards, so they could not behave rashly. The Shen family is also a prominent family in Sky City! How can I lose everything just because of a bet! This is just a typical amount which I spend in one day, Shen Zhou said as he pretended to be calm. Young Master Shen, youre so generous. You only have 10,000 dollars worth of chips now. If you dont go and exchange for more, I wont play the next round with you. Everyone is still waiting for Young Master Shen to place his bet! Qiao Mei said. After hesitating for a moment, Shen Zhou took out his last check for 200,000 dollars from his pocket and asked the waiter to exchange it for chips. This was all the money he had brought on this trip to Sky City and also all the cash in the Sky City branch office. If he lost this round, he would not even have a chance to make a comeback. The Shen familys foundation in Sky City would also be shaken. At this time, it would be easy for someone to buy over the Shen familys company. However, Shen Zhou was a gambling addict. On a previous occasion, he had lost the Shen familys old residence to someone else. Shen Zhous father had to put in a lot of effort to buy it back at three times the original price. l dont believe you can keep winning! Shen Zhou said angrily. Come on, Ill bet big this time, Qiao Mei said as she pushed the 10,000-dollar chip onto the table. Shen Zhou also followed with 10,000 dollars. This time, Shen Zhou was very lucky and he won. Shen Zhou could not help but clap and cheer. He looked at Qiao Mei excitedly and said, I told you that you wont keep winning! Lets see how much money you can take from me today! This time, Qiao Mei placed a bet of 50,000 dollars and Shen Zhou still won. After that, Qiao Mei placed a bet of 20,000 dollars each time and Shen Zhou won four rounds in a row.. Chapter 1951 Stake the Company in a Bet Chapter 1951 Stake the Company in a Bet Xia He tugged nervously at the corner of Qiao Mei''s top and whispered, "If this goes on, we''re going to lose to that brat opposite us!" "Don''t worry, I''m here," Qiao Mei said calmly. This time, Qiao Mei staked all the chips she had, a total of 330,000 dollars. She looked at Shen Zhou and said, "It''s late and almost time for me to go home. I see that Young Master Shen has about 350,000 dollars worth of chips and I have 330,000 dollars here. Why don''t we play one last round and see which of us will lose everything." "Let''s do it! Do you think I''m afraid of you!" Shen Zhou pushed all his chips onto the gambling table. The dealer in front of them did not dare to handle such a big bet. He was only a Class C croupier and must report any bet which totaled more than 500,000 dollars to his boss. A more senior croupier would then be assigned to shake the dice cup. Shen Zhou said obnoxiously, "I hear that there''s a woman named Bella working here and that she''s very beautiful! I''ve already met many beauties in Sky City, so I must also meet her today! Let''s see who''s more beautiful, this beauty in my arms or Bella from this place! Go and ask her to come down!" "I''m sorry, Young Master Shen. Sister Bella is our boss. Based on the total bet amount, it will be handled by a Class B croupier," the Class C croupier came over to Shen Zhou and whispered to him. "Are you saying your boss won''t show me any respect? What is this Class A or Class B! I don''t know anything about these! If I say I want Bella, then I want Bella! How much money do I need to stake to get Bella to come over! Give me a number!" Shen Zhou said arrogantly. "That''s right! We''ll all bear witness for Young Master Shen!" everyone shouted back in unison. Most of them just wanted to watch the show. It did not matter who won or lost. What was important was that there was going to be a good show today! Qiao Mei smiled with satisfaction. Everything was progressing steadily in accordance with her plan. When Bella received the news, she came down from the second floor very quickly. She had been watching everything that was happening downstairs in the surveillance room. From the moment Qiao Mei deliberately lost to Shen Zhou, she already knew that Qiao Mei was setting him up. This little girl was really a smart one. Bella was wearing a strapless dress which exposed a lot of skin today. Due to the fact that she had to go on assassination missions all year round, she kept herself in very good shape. Shen Zhou''s eyes widened when he saw her. This was the first time he had ever seen such a woman. "Hello, Young Master Shen. I''m the person you''re looking for. This is the agreement for the bet. Which company of the Shen family are you staking? We can conduct a valuation now," Bella said. "I... Let me think carefully..." Shen Zhou''s eyes never left Bella''s body. He only came back to his senses when his female companion nudged him. Chapter 1952 Complete Victory Chapter 1952 Complete Victory Shen Zhou took the agreement and wrote down the name of the subsidiary company under him. He pushed the agreement in front of Qiao Mei and said, "I''ve staked my company. I wonder if this lady has anything which is of the same value as my company?" "No, I don''t. But Young Master Shen, you can think about what you want. As long as it''s something you want, then I will give it to you," Qiao Mei said playfully. "Then I want you to wait upon me for 10 years! Be my slave! Even if I ask you to sleep with someone else! You have to endure it!" Shen Zhou said smugly. Bella and Xia He instantly pulled long faces. They did not expect Shen Zhou to be even more despicable than Yang Tian! "You''ve only staked a subsidiary company! How is it equivalent to 10 years! That''s not fair!" Xia He said furiously. "Young Master Shen, please consider it carefully," Bella said sternly. Shen Zhou did not care at all. He looked at the people around him, then looked back at them and asked, "Am I asking for too much? You''re the ones who want to bet with me! If you can''t accept the stakes! Then don''t play! Everyone can disperse now!" "That''s right! I think Young Master Shen''s request is very reasonable!" "I also think it''s very reasonable!" "Young Master Shen, if you win, let us have a taste of this beauty too!" "Elder Sister!" Qiao Mei exclaimed. "I''m fine... It''s just a few small chips. It''s not a big deal," Xia He said while enduring the pain. Qiao Mei immediately took out her gun and pointed it at Shen Zhou as she said, "Young Master Shen, don''t test my limit. I''m already showing you respect by not making you lose all the Shen family''s assets." Shen Zhou was just bluffing. In reality, he was a very timid man. When he saw Qiao Mei taking out the gun, he cowered in his seat in fear and said, "I... I understand... I''ll give it to you..." Under the "escort" of Bella''s subordinates, Shen Zhou left the casino and returned home to get the ownership documents of the subsidiary company to pay off his gambling debts. Bella brought Qiao Mei and Xia He to the infirmary. "Julie, come and take a look at them. They were injured downstairs just now," Bella said. "Oh~ My poor child~ Quick, let me see which little darling is injured~" Julie walked over quickly from behind the screen. She was an unlicensed doctor in her 60s and a benefactor to Bella and Jack. They would not be where they were today if Julie had not given them money to start the casino in the first place. "It''s my elder sister. She was hit in the back," Qiao Mei said. "Let me take a look. Hmm... the injury isn''t very serious. I''ll just put some medicinal wine on it," Julie said with a smile. When Qiao Mei heard about the mention of medicinal wine, she became very interested and asked curiously, "What kind of medicinal wine?" Chapter 1953 - 1953: The Same Kind Chapter 1953: The Same Kind Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Its my own secret formula~ My personal medicinal wine~ Since Bella brings you here herself, she must see you as one of us. In that case, I can give you a little bit. Youll be better in two to three days after applying this medicinal wine! Julie said. Qiao Meis medicinal wine was also her own secret formula. She wondered if Julie had the same superpower as her. After applying the medicine, Xia He felt much better. She no longer felt any sharp pain when she stretched. She looked at Julie genially and said, Thank you. Alright- Im going to head home with my husband now. You guys take your time to chat- I After saying that, Julie picked up her bag and left. Julie has always been like this. Dont mind her, Bella said. Its alright. I like Auntie Julies character very much, Qiao Mei said sweetly. Bella pretended to be angry and looked at Qiao Mei as she said, Lets not talk about anything else for now. Lets talk about you first. What you did today was really too risky! If you lose, how are you going to clean up the mess? Is this how your Mr. Fang indulged you? Since I dare to gamble with him, I definitely have the confidence to beat him. Besides, didnt you give me a hint just now? Qiao Mei said with a smile. It was almost dawn and time for Qiao Mei and Xia He to go home. However, Qiao Mei did not come to the casino this time to gamble with Shen Zhou. It was completely unexpected to run into a person who was so eager to give her money. Qiao Meis real purpose was to ask Bella for two tickets to the auction to be held in Sky City the day after tomorrow. Cant Fang Chen get the tickets for you? Bella said disdainfully. Hes been very busy recently and I dont want to trouble him. Besides, I have you- Good sister, please help me- Qiao Mei held Bellas hands and said coquettishly. Bella could not help but smile as she said, Alright, I understand. Ill get someone to send the tickets to Mr. Fangs house tomorrow. Just wait there. Yay! I know you still dote on me, Sister Bella! Qiao Mei said happily. Qiao Mei handed all the money she won to Bella, so that Bella could arrange to send everything over with the auction tickets tomorrow. After Xia He reached home, she crawled into bed and fell asleep immediately. She was really tired. Qiao Mei went to the bedside and picked up the medicinal wine which Julie had given them. She opened the bottle and poured out a little bit to take a look. It did not seem to be anything special and the ingredients used were also very ordinary, only that the ratio of the ingredients was different from the common medicinal wine sold in the market. Qiao Mei reached out and dipped her fingertip into the medicinal wine. She infused some energy into the medicinal wine and tried to sense if there were any changes in it. Not long after, Qiao Mei suddenly widened her eyes. She had discovered a trace of another energy. It was very faint and could not be detected unless one searched carefully. If Qiao Meis energy was gold in color, then Julies energy was light green and it was gentle and delicate. It appeared that there were other people in this world who had the same superpower as her. If Julie was one of them, then there must be others with different kinds of superpower. The road ahead is really full of unknowns and challenges... Qiao Mei muttered to herself as she looked at Julies medicinal wine.. Chapter 1954 - 1954: Planning to Go to the Auction House Chapter 1954: Planning to Go to the Auction House Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Bella was extremely efficient. While Qiao Mei and Xia He were still sleeping, the auction tickets, Qiao Meis winnings and the ownership transfer documents for Shen Zhous subsidiary company were all delivered to the house. Da Dong had never seen such a big pile of money in his life. The bodyguards monthly salary was only 1,500 dollars each, which was just slightly higher than a normal workers salary. If they wanted to earn the amount of money piled in front of them, it would probably take them a lifetime... Heavens... Did Miss Pu win all this on her own? Why dont we go to the casino to play a few rounds too? If we can also earn as much money as Miss Pu! Wont that mean that we can quit and go home! Da Dong said in shock as he looked at the money on the table. Forget it! Gambling can lead to bankruptcy! Im guessing that this is only the tip of the iceberg. That document must be the main highlight! Xiao Bei said excitedly as he pointed at the document file. All of you dont know anything. Yesterday, our lady boss won a bet against Young Master Shen. She not only won money, but also Young Master Shens company. Its said that Young Master Shen still doesnt dare to go home up till now, scared that his father will break his legs! Xiao Xi said happily. How do you know so much? Da Dong asked curiously. I know a lot of things! You must not have noticed the badge our lady boss is wearing at the waist! Xiao Xi said. She did not expect Bella to give her money in such a simple and crude manner. Perhaps she had given Bella the wrong impression yesterday, making Bella think that she liked to feel filthy rich. Deposit all the money into the bank account tied to the bank card which Fang Chen gave me. You can go tomorrow since its already too late today. Also, please notarize this document for me, Qiao Mei said as she signed on the document. Yes, Miss Pu, Da Dong replied. Xia He only woke up an hour later. She felt refreshed after a good nights sleep and her stomach was growling. She walked downstairs and said, How long have you been awake? Not too long, Qiao Mei said as she looked at the list in her hand. This list contained all the items which were up for auction tomorrow. It clearly stated the base price and where each item was sourced from. This was Qiao Meis first time participating in an auction. Are these the things sent by the person named Bella? Xia He asked. Help me keep those tickets on the table. If I forget all about it, neither of us will be able to enter the auction tomorrow. Take a look at the list and see if theres anything you like. Ill give it to you as a present, Qiao Mei said.. Chapter 1955 - 1955: Entering the Auction House Chapter 1955: Entering the Auction House Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Alright. Are we really going to the auction house tomorrow? Whats an auction house for? Xia He asked curiously. The Xia family had been in the military for generations and a few of them went into politics. It was only after Qiao Mei married into their family that the Xia family started doing business and gradually understood some business matters. Back home, the situation was generally different from other countries and private transactions were not allowed. Coupled with the fact that the country was very protective of antiques and confiscated most of it from private owners, Xia He had never come into contact with a large-scale auction like this one. Its a place where precious jewelry, antiques or land are auctioned. The highest bidder gets the item. Most of the items that are being auctioned off are very valuable and priceless. Due to that, the auction house will only admit people who are of a certain financial standing, Qiao Mei explained. Xia He hurriedly walked up to Qiao Mei and asked softly, The last time you came home, you gave me a ruby the size of a pigeon egg. Did you buy it here No, but if that gemstone of yours is up for auction, it can sell for at least 5 million dollars. If theres anyone who particularly likes that ruby, then it wont just be worth just 5 million dollars. Even if its 10 million dollars, there will still be people who are willing to pay for it, Qiao Mei said with a laugh. Xia He gasped and said, Oh my goodness, 5 million! Its more than what I earned in the capital! Its more than 10 times the amount! Where did you buy it? Dont tell me you got it through some illegal means? Of course not! Thats... someone used it to pay off the gambling debt the last time I played at the casino. Its probably a family heirloom, Qiao Mei said. Hahaha, you really know how to joke. A few rich wives gathered around to gossip about Xia He and Qiao Mei and their background. Qiao Mei and Xia He did not care about this. Their goal was only the auction and to bid for the things they liked today. The seat numbers were distributed by the auction house in advance. The richer one was, the closer one was seated in front. Under everyones watchful eyes, Qiao Mei and Xia He sat down in the first row. Heavens! Do you see that! The two of them are actually in the first row! Those are seats for people with a net worth of more than 100 million dollars! one of the rich ladies exclaimed. There arent many people in Sky City with a net worth of more than 100 million dollars. Who exactly is their backer? another rich lady asked curiously. Xia He gradually overheard some of the gossip. She lowered her head and whispered, Does Fang Chen really have that much assets? Not at first, but with the Shen familys company which I won and those winnings, the total amount is probably about there. Its just that these are all news that hasnt been made public yet, so they dont know anything about it, Qiao Mei explained. Can we afford all the things on this list? There are a few things which I like very much, Xia He asked. Bid for whatever you like. I have a lot of money with me, Qiao Mei said with a smile as she patted the handbag in her lap.. Chapter 1956 - 1956: The Yang Family’s Villa Chapter 1956: The Yang Familys Villa Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Then I wont stand on ceremony with you! Xia He said excitedly. Most of the people there had already taken their seats. It was soon time for the auction to start and the bidding exercise officially commenced. The auction house would usually start with a few small items as a form of warmup and entertainment. Many rich ladies bidded enthusiastically to fire up the atmosphere. Xia He looked at the jewelry being presented without any interest and even yawned at some point. In the photos attached to the auction list, the jewelry looked so bright and beautiful, but they did not look as nice in real life. Xia He was quite disgruntled about this. I dont think this whole thing is impressive at all. Are you lying to me about all this? Xia He complained. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Theyre just fooling around now. The good stuff will only appear later. Dont fall asleep yet, Qiao Mei informed her in a low voice. Discover new chapters at novelhall.com Ill believe you one more time! Xia He said as she tried her best to keep her eyes open. If not for the fact that each bid was 5,000 dollars, Qiao Mei would have bought it at the base price. She could not bear to spend even a single cent more! Amy looked at Qiao Mei and snorted coldly before saying, What a fool. I wonder how such a fool manages to defeat Young Master Shen. Sister Amy, dont be angry- The next item is more interesting! Tina, the woman beside Amy, said. The next item was a set of loose pigeon blood rubies. There were three uncut gems of various sizes on the tray. When Xia He saw the items, she immediately became more awake. This was the item she liked. They were all about the same size as the ruby which Qiao Mei gave her. If she could get these three, she could make a headdress with them! This is item number A7347, a set of beautiful pigeon blood rubies. Without further ado, let me announce the base price! 100,000 dollars and each bid at 10,000 dollars! Lets start now! The moment the auctioneer finished his sentence, many rich women scrambled to raise the signs in their hands. Very quickly, the price of this set of pigeon blood rubies had already reached 360,000 dollars. Xia He only set aside a budget of 200,000 dollars. She could not bear to pay too high a price. Its alright, just bid if you like them. Theyre worth it, Qiao Mei reminded her softly. Xia He raised the sign in her hand excitedly and shouted, 400,000 dollars! There was a moment of silence.. Suddenly, Amy raised her sign and shouted, 450,000! Chapter 1957 - 1957: The Last Item Chapter 1957: The Last Item Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xia He turned around to look at Amy, only to see Amy looking back at her mockingly and saying, Hmph, youre just so-so. Here I am, thinking that you people are flushed with cash. Qiao Mei did not turn around. She looked at the item on the stage and shouted, 600,000 dollars. Amy instantly looked at Qiao Mei in surprise and said, Stop joking! How can these three lousy stones be worth 600,000 dollars? Besides, do you even have that much money? Dont tell me youre using your winnings from yesterday to buy these stones? What does it have to do with you whether we have money or not? The people from the auction house will naturally check on such issues later. If you are so rich, then continue bidding! Dont spout nonsense here if you dont want to buy it! Are you unable to afford it? If you cant afford it, then why are you mocking others? Youre like a clown, playing to the gallery, Xia He said as she looked at Amy in disdain. Her voice was not loud, but it could still be heard by everyone around her. The look which everyone gave Amy gradually changed. The dignified Second Young Master Shens lover did not even have 600,000 dollars to spend. If so, it meant that Amy was not the Second Young Master Shens favorite lover. Amy looked at Xia He and Qiao Mei with annoyance. Amy wanted to raise the sign in her hand again, but Tina quickly grabbed Amys hand and whispered, Elder Sister, if we bid for this, we wont be able to buy anything else. Young Master Shen said that we must get the next item... Dont stop me! Its not like 1 cant afford it! 650,000 dollars! Amy raised the sign in her hand and shouted. Congratulations to Miss A49 for bidding 650,000 dollars for item number A7347! Is there anyone else who wants to bid for item number A7347? the auctioneer asked. Generally speaking, the last item in the auction was always something priceless. Everyone here was always on the lookout for such treasures. The previous item, a piece of imperial green jade, was sold at a high price of 860,000 dollars and was already the most expensive item in the entire auction. What kind of treasure could be more valuable than the previous item? Everyone looked at the auctioneer expectantly, but they did not expect him to bring out something quite disappointing. The tray was filled with many miscellaneous items. Most of them were worn-out jewelry and gold accessories. Whats going on with this auction house today! What kind of junk is this! Are you trying to insult us? You can buy such things at any jewelry shop! The admission ticket is so expensive, yet you show me this type of trash! Does this auction house still want to continue operating in Sky City! The rich ladies at the last few rows were all very angry but the auctioneer did not dare to refute anything. This auction item was from a friend of the auction houses owner. Their boss seemed to owe this person a huge favor. The auctioneer was just an employee. He could not decide on the items being put up for auction today, nor could he decide which items could be auctioned or not. He could only brace himself and introduce the last item. This is item number B73. The starting price of the entire set of jewelry is 20,000 dollars. Every bid is 1,000 dollars! Lets start now! The auctioneer did not introduce the items on the tray in detail and just started the bidding session.. Chapter 1958 - 1958: Jewelry Belonging to an Old Friend Chapter 1958: Jewelry Belonging to an Old Friend Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei was already on the way out with everyone else, but then she spotted two to three very exquisite pieces of jewelry on the tray. The design and style made them look like jewelry from her home country and those pieces seemed to look quite similar to her brooch. Could it be that they were from the same set of jewelry? Qiao Mei was not the only one who became interested in the jewelry on the tray. Two other people in the crowd were also attracted by the jewelry on the tray. Can I go forward and take a closer look? Qiao Mei quickly raised her sign and asked. Yes! Of course! the auctioneer said excitedly. All the businessmen and rich ladies below the stage looked at Qiao Mei in disdain. They thought of her as a nouveau riche who did not know anything. The items on the tray were not even half as valuable as those small items put up at the warmup session of the auction! Qiao Mei pretended not to hear the conversations in the surroundings and only focused on the jewelry in front of her. On the tray, she spotted a family tree necklace as well as a ring shaped like a young plant shoot and inlaid with emeralds. These two pieces bore the same workmanship as the brooch in her house! There was a high chance that they were from the same jewelry set! Miss A03, these items really suit you a lot! Your skin is even fairer than snow. Youll look so beautiful if you wear these jewelry! The auctioneer kept praising her with all his might. Usually, Old Mr. Zhangs secretary would attend the auctions on his behalf. The auctioneer did not expect Old Mr. Zhang to personally come to the auction house this time round. It was really an honor for them! Old Mr. Zhang walked slowly to the front of the stage and Qiao Mei made way for him. Old Mr. Zhang was old and his eyesight was a little blurry. After he put on his glasses and looked at the jewelry in front of him, he picked up the family tree necklace excitedly. Thats strange... Why did Old Mr. Zhang break the rules? Thats right. Whats so charming about this thing? It can actually make Old Mr. Zhang go forward to take a look at it. l want to go and take a look too! Do you think I should bid for it later? How dare you snatch it from Old Mr. Zhang. Do you still want to stay in Sky City! Everyone was curious about the kind of treasure which had attracted Old Mr. Zhang so much. The auctioneer immediately said, Old Mr. Zhang, based on the rules, you cant touch the necklace. Oh, oh! Im so sorry... I lose my composure the moment I see my old friends belongings. Im sorry, I want these jewelry! I offer 50,000 dollars! Old Mr. Zhang said excitedly. An old friends belongings? Could it be that this person was also related to Grandmother? I offer 70,000! Qiao Mei said quickly. Old Mr. Zhang glanced sideways at Qiao Mei. He was familiar with all the members of the prominent families in Sky City, but Qiao Mei was someone he had never seen before and he could not even find any information about her. Now that he looked at her carefully, she seemed to look a little familiar.. Chapter 1959 - 1959: Not For Sale Anymore Chapter 1959: Not For Sale Anymore Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Young lady, a noble person will not snatch anothers beloved item. I really like this set of jewelry. Ill offer 100,000 dollars for these. Ill just take this necklace and ring and you can have the rest. What do you think? Old Mr. Zhang looked at Qiao Mei and said mildly. He did not want anything but the necklace and the ring. Could it be that this person knew about the secret behind this set of jewelry? Qiao Mei sized up the person in front of her carefully. She suddenly spotted a navy blue gemstone cufflink on one of Old Nir. Zhangs sleeves and then looked at the ring on the tray again. Anyone with a discerning eye could tell that Old Mr. Zhangs cufflink and the things on the tray were also from the same set. Qiao Mei still did not know what powers the family tree necklace and the plant shoot ring possessed, and whether their powers were different from the butterfly ability. Even though Qiao Mei was standing so close to them, she did not sense any energy coming from the necklace and the ring. However, Qiao Mei was more interested in Old Mr. Zhangs cufflink now. She was very drawn to the power hidden inside it. Old Mr. Zhang definitely knew the secret behind this set of jewelry! Old Mr. Zhang, I also like this set of jewelry very much. Besides, 1 took a fancy to them first. Please forgive me for not being able to give it to you. After saying that, Qiao Mei said to the auctioneer, l offer 120,000 dollars. 130,000 dollars, Old Mr. Zhang said. 150,000 dollars, Qiao Mei quickly shouted. Follow the latest novels at novelhall.com Gao Lin! Do you have to do this? Old Mr. Zhang said. Even if 1 dont sell it to this young lady, 1 wont sell it to you! Gao Lin looked at Old Nir. Zhang furiously and roared at him. Although most of the people below the stage could not hear what they were saying, they could guess from the expressions on their face that Gao Lin and Old Mr. Zhang knew each other. However, the two men had fallen out for some reason. Gao Ming needs the money to treat his illness! Dont be so stubborn at this time, Old Mr. Zhang persuaded softly. At the mention of Gao Ming, Gao Lin became even more agitated. He pointed at Old Mr. Zhang and berated him, Even if our Xiao Ming dies! 1 wont use a single cent from your Zhang family! You know better than me why Xiao Ming is in the hospital! Stop putting on an act here! What happened to Gao Ming has nothing to do with me. What you heard are all lies. Weve known each other for so many years. Dont you believe in me? Old Mr. Zhang explained. Pfft! You shameless thing! Dont talk to me about our friendship! I find it disgusting! Its best if nothing happens to Xiao Ming. If anything should happen to him! Ill definitely come and settle the score with you! Even if I have to die! Ill make you pay the price for it! Gao Lin roared. Let me explain... Before Old Mr. Zhang could finish speaking, Gao Lin looked at the auctioneer and said, l want to take it back! After saying that, Gao Lin carried the tray containing the jewelry and walked towards the backstage area. Qiao Mei followed closely behind him. Old Mr. Zhangs bodyguard wanted to rush to the backstage area to stop Gao Lin, but Old Mr. Zhang stopped him.. Chapter 1960 - 1960: Successful Purchase Chapter 1960: Successful Purchase Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Ill go personally. Wait here. After saying that, Old Mr. Zhang walked backstage with heavy steps. The auctioneer turned around to look at all the distinguished guests in front of him and said, All the items available today have been auctioned off. Thank you for coming to our auction house in Sky City. See you next time. Backstage, Gao Lin proceeded with the procedures for taking back the items. Qiao Mei took out a check and quickly wrote it out for 250,000 dollars, worried that Gao Lin would go back on his word and refused to sell her the jewelry. Gao Lin, weve known each other for most of our lives. Why are you doing this? Old Mr. Zhang said as he looked at Gao Lin sadly. Zhang Cheng, dont you feel ashamed saying such things? Even if you dont find it embarrassing, I do! Gao Lin said angrily. How could Gao Lin not be able to remember the friendship they used to have? It was precisely because he valued this relationship too much that Zhang Cheng was able to hurt him so deeply. In the past, Gao Lin and Zhang Cheng were the same kind of rich young masters who spent money freely. Gao Lin used to be even more of a spendthrift than Zhang Cheng. The Gao family was extremely well-to-do in the past. If not for the fact that Gao Lins elder sister passed away suddenly, his parents would not have decided to move to another country. They did not want to see anything which reminded them of his elder sister. Grandpa Gao, keep this money well. Qiao Mei handed the check to Gao Lin. After confirming that the check was real, Gao Lin proceeded to leave the backstage area. However, he stopped when he reached the door. Given Zhang Chengs modus operandi, he would definitely make things difficult for Qiao Mei. The Gao family was already plagued by bad luck and he did not want to let Zhang Cheng hurt anyone else. Young lady, why dont you come with me! Gao Lin yelled out at Qiao Mei and the others. Qiao Mei had the same intention. The group of them quickly followed Gao Lin all the way to the auction houses car park. Gao Lin turned around and sized Qiao Mei up carefully, his eyes filling up with tears. Grandpa Gao, whats wrong? Qiao Mei probed. Gao Lin quickly wiped his eyes with his sleeve and said, Im fine! I just think that you look like someone 1 know. May I ask what you plan to do with my jewelry? l like these jewelry very much. I intend to keep them as my family heirloom and pass them down for generations, Qiao Mei said with a smile. Gao Lin nodded in satisfaction. She said they would be her family heirloom. The fact was that these jewelry were really the Gao familys heirloom. As Gao Lins elder sister was the eldest daughter, his mother had given this set of jewelry to her. Now that this set of jewelry was handed over to someone who looked like his elder sister, he had no regrets.. Chapter 1961 - 1961: Family Heirloom Chapter 1961: Family Heirloom Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Young lady, are you from around here? 1 dont think Ive seen you before, Gao Lin asked. There were not many people who could manage to survive in this country after coming from their home country and most of them were familiar with one another. If any family had such a beautiful daughter, they would have long bragged about it and would not have kept it a secret until now. Were not from here. Were here for a holiday, Qiao Mei replied honestly. Then youd better leave tomorrow. That person just now... hes a very dangerous man! You must leave town as soon as possible! Otherwise, hell come looking for you! Hes probably investigating your background at this moment! Gao Lin said nervously. Xia He looked at Gao Lin in shock. They were just here for a holiday. How could they have encountered a baddie just like that? If she had known earlier, she would not have allowed Qiao Mei to buy this set of jewelry! Perhaps you shouldnt buy it... Xia He tugged at the corner of Qiao Meis top and whispered to her. Its fine. Since I have already bought it, Im not afraid that he will come looking for me, Qiao Mei said firmly. He did not expect the Gao family to be in such dire straits by the time he was the head of the family. If he had discovered Zhang Chengs plan earlier, the Gao family might still have a chance of getting through this. Perhaps the Gao family might still be the richest family in Sky City now and his grandson would not be seriously ill in the hospital. Unfortunately... this could only be a part of his imagination. Sitting in the car on the way back, Qiao Mei hugged her bag with a great deal of satisfaction, but Xia He was not feeling so calm. Her mind was filled with what Gao Lin had just said. What should she do if Zhang Cheng really wanted to target them? If he found out about the small town where they lived, the three children might be in danger! Why do you insist on buying this set of jewelry? Whats so special about it? Xia He asked with a frown. l like it a lot. Besides, there are many stories about this set of jewelry. Ill tell you about it later, Qiao Mei said. Qiao Mei definitely could not tell Xia He that this set of jewelry possessed superpowers. Even Xia Zhe did not know about this. When it was time to reveal the truth, she would just tell Xia He that this set of jewelry used to belong to her grandmother. They did not return to the villa where they stayed earlier. Qiao Mei brought Xia He to a property near Xia Zhes office. Although the area of the place was only about 100 square meters and was not as comfortable as the big villa, at least it meant that Zhang Cheng could not find them for now. They would have to take one day at a time now. Zhang Cheng was in a very bad mood. The people around him could feel his angst and no one dared to provoke him, afraid that they would lose their heads if they accidentally said something wrong. Zhang Cheng got into his car and said to the bodyguard in front, Lets go home. Sure, the bodyguard replied.. Chapter 1962 - 1962: Scheme Against Each Other Chapter 1962: Scheme Against Each Other Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Go and investigate the background of those two women. Get as much information as possible. Find out where theyre staying now and dont leave out any details, Zhang Cheng said sternly. Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m Noted! the bodyguard said. After Zhang Cheng reached home, he locked himself in the study. If nothing went wrong, his bodyguards would come to see him in an hour with information about the two women. Since the jewelry was not in the hands of the Gao family now, he no longer had to be mindful about how he got a hold of it. Anyone who stood in his way must die! Knock, knock, knock! There was a sudden knock on the door and Zhang Cheng said impatiently, Come in. This was also why Liang Jin was so anxious to get the rest of Gao Taos jewelry. As long as she had Gao Taos jewelry, she would be able to get similar abilities as Zhang Cheng and then she could become very rich too! She would no longer have to be afraid that Zhang Cheng would plot against her behind her back. You... youre not lying to me, are you? Liang Jin said as she looked into Zhang Chengs eyes warily. Why would I lie to you? Zhang Cheng asked. Hmph, havent you lied to me so many times? Dont tell me you secretly hide Gao Taos jewelry so that you can kick me out? Liang Jin questioned. Zhang Cheng took out a contract from the drawer and smacked it on the table. If you want to question me, then why dont you go and find all the jewelry yourself? What do you expect me to do? Either you shut up or you can go and look for it yourself. According to this agreement, we each get one piece. Liang Jin observed Zhang Cheng carefully and heaved a sigh of relief after confirming that he was not lying. As she walked out, she said, Alright, Ill go and ask around now. Even if she wanted to find out more information, that was a task for tomorrow. It was time to warm up some milk for her granddaughter. Ever since that kid from the Gao family fell ill, her granddaughter had been feeling down every day and had lost a lot of weight! Liang Jins heart ached to see her like this. This girl was Liang Jins favorite granddaughter because of the close resemblance to her. Liang Jin always wanted to give this particular granddaughter the best things in life. As long as it was something that her granddaughter wanted, she would try her best to get it. Yao Yao, what are you doing? Get up and have a glass of milk first, Liang Jin said in a gentle tone with a glass of milk in her hand.. Chapter 1963 - 1963: Special Medicine Chapter 1963: Special Medicine Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Grandma... will Gao Ming... will he come and take revenge on me? Can he still be saved this time round? What should I do if he dies? Zhang Yao hid under the blanket with tears streaming down her face. She was like a frightened little rabbit, making ones heart ache for her. Dont worry. This matter has nothing to do with you. He brought it upon himself. What has it got to do with you? Liang Jin sat by the bed and comforted the girl. But Im his fiance?e. If word gets out that I like someone else, how can I still get married in the future! Zhang Yao said agitatedly. Youre from the Zhang family, the famous Zhang family in Sky City. Who would dare to say anything about you? Liang Jin said arrogantly. But... Before Zhang Yao could finish speaking, Liang Jin looked at her sternly and said, There are no buts. Dont think about anything. These issues have nothing to do with you. Dont you want to meet that kid? Ill bring you to see him tomorrow. Really? Grandma, youre allowing me to meet Mike? Zhang Yao sat up and asked Liang Jin excitedly. Look at his grandfathers full head of white hair. He looks so pitiful. I remember that the old mans children have also passed away, the first nurse said. Really? How did they die? another nurse asked. l think it was a car accident. The two people stopped breathing before they reached the hospital. Its so sad for one to have to bury ones own children, the nurse said. Sigh... I wonder whats going on with their family... another nurse said with a Gao Lin rushed into the hospital with the money bag. He grabbed the nurses hand and shouted, l have money! 1 have money! Save my grandson! Give him the special medicine to detoxify the poison! Alright, alright, alright. Come and get the paperwork done first, the nurse said quickly. The poison in Gao Mings body was very strange. Even the doctors could not explain what was going on. The poison could not be completely removed in one go. He had to get three injections of special medicine every week, at the cost of 30,000 dollars per injection. The 250,000 dollars which he had was only enough for eight injections to keep Gao Ming alive for three weeks. As long as Gao Ming could stay alive, Gao Lin was even willing to sell his kidneys, his blood or even use his life in exchange for Gao Mings life. He had tried to do all these, but he was really too old. No one in the black market wanted his organs or blood.. Chapter 1964 - 1964: Only Know the Name Chapter 1964: Only Know the Name Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After the paperwork was done, the doctor went to arrange the special medicine for Gao Ming. In a secluded room, another doctor injected saline into an empty bottle with trembling hands. The label on the empty bottle stated Special Medicine. He was forced into doing it. If he did not do as that person asked, his entire life would be ruined! Those things he did back in the past would be made public! He still had a cute daughter to take care of and he wanted to ensure that his daughter grew up happily and healthily. That doctor forced himself to look calm as he pushed the medical equipment to Gao Mings ward. After payment was made, Gao Ming was already sent back to the ward. Doctor, when will my grandson wake up? Gao Ming asked the doctor nervously. That depends on the condition of the patients body as well as his willpower. This poison is very strange. Were all working hard to save him. The family should continue to raise more money. By the end of next week, the fees will be due again, the doctor said. l understand. Doctor, give my grandson the injection first! Gao Lin said wearily. The doctor refilled the special medicine into Gao Mings intravenous medicine bottle. The doctor felt very guilty towards Gao Ming and did not stay long in the ward, leaving behind the helpless figures of the grandfather and grandson. The next morning, the Zhang family was in a mess. Zhang Cheng had lost his temper and smashed up the entire study. With both Bella and Xia Zhe having made arrangements for people to protect Qiao Mei in Sky City, no matter how powerful the Zhang family was, they still encountered many obstacles during their investigation. Zhang Chengs bodyguards only managed to find out Qiao Meis name and nothing else. Why? Do you know her? Zhang Cheng asked disdainfully. Im Mrs. Zhang after all. I still have some say in the circle of rich wives. Im going out with Yao Yao. Ill help you think of a way to get the jewelry, Liang Jin said. Dont alert the enemy, Zhang Cheng said. Just you wait and see. After saying that, Liang Jin went out with Zhang Yao. They headed to the mall first to buy clothes and jewelry. During this period of time, Zhang Yao had been cooped up at home all day and needed to get some accessories to dress up. As she looked at her own dolled up reflection in the mirror, Zhang Yao felt much better. At the thought that she would be able to see Mike in a while, her mood became even better. Grandma, you should buy one too. 1 think this necklace suits you a lot, Zhang Yao said as she pointed at the jewelry in the cabinet. Just as Liang Jin turned around to look, she caught sight of a familiar figure. Coincidentally, Qiao Mei and Xia He were also at this shopping mall. When they walked by the jewelry shop, Liang Jin ignored Zhang Yaos shouts and rushed out of the door to take a closer look at Qiao Mei. You... the resemblance... the resemblance is too much... Liang Jin stood in front of Qiao Mei and muttered to herself. Is anything the matter? Qiao Mei did not immediately recognize the person in front of her. Zhang Yao hurriedly ran up to Liang Jin and said, Grandma, why did you run out suddenly? Who is this? Do you know her? Chapter 1965 - 1965: Gao Tao Resurrected Chapter 1965: Gao Tao Resurrected Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios All this while, whenever she was free, Qiao Mei would take out the old photos and stare at the people inside. She wanted to remember the faces of all those people who hurt Gao Tao. The moment Qiao Mei saw Zhang Yao, she knew who it was standing in front of her. That was the eldest daughter of the Liang family, Liang Jin. She was the one standing next to Gao Tao in the photo and was the person who had betrayed Gao Tao. Qiao Mei knew very well why Liang Jin was in such a state now. Although Qiao Mei resembled Li Gui, she also looked like Gao Tao. Even Qiao Qiang said that Qiao Meis temperament and disposition reminded him of Gao Tao from back then. Follow the latest novels at novelhall.com Qiao Mei smiled at Liang Jin in the same way that Gao Tao smiled in the photo, making her feel as if Gao Tao was looking at her. In the end, Liang Jin fainted before managing to speak. Grandma! Grandma, whats wrong! Someone! Help! What did you do! Why did my grandmother faint after seeing you? Zhang Yao said furiously. Me? Im still curious about why your grandmother suddenly blocked my way, Qiao Mei said. Xia He grabbed Qiao Mei and wanted to leave, but Zhang Yao held on to Qiao Mei and questioned her. You cant leave! Whats your name! Pu Nan. But shouldnt your priority be to bring your grandmother to the hospital first? Qiao Mei said with a smile. What are you waiting for! Hurry up and get her! Liang Jin shouted. Do you think 1 dont want to get her? Do you know whos protecting her now! If I harm her, our entire family will die! Zhang Cheng said. Then... then what should we do... She definitely knows what happened back then. Gao Tao must have told her everything. Shes here to take revenge! Shes here to look for us! The fact that she chased us all the way here from our home country means that shes not that simple! What should we do! Hurry up and think of a way! Liang Jin said. Zhang Cheng told his bodyguards to go and keep an eye on Gao Lin and Gao Ming and to report back immediately if there was any sign of trouble. If Qiao Mei was really Gao Taos descendant, she definitely would not stand by if Gao Lin ran into any difficulties. She would definitely find an opportunity to acknowledge Gao Lin. Qiao Mei and Xia He did not stay in the shopping mall for too long. They bought some daily necessities and went home. After Xia He reached home, she started to pace around the house, unable to feel calm. Elder Sister, stop walking around in circles. Youre making me dizzy, Qiao Mei said. l still think that this place is not safe. Why dont we go back to the small town? At least we are surrounded by our own people there! Theres also Luo Yu and Luo Hui to protect us, Xia He said. Its going to be the same wherever we go. Dont worry, I have my own plans, Qiao Mei said calmly.. Chapter 1966 - 1966: Police Search Chapter 1966: Police Search Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios l keep feeling that there is something wrong with that person today. Did she faint in front of you on purpose? Maybe she wants to extort money from us! Xia He asked. It doesnt look like it. I think she really fainted. Her eyes didnt even flutter when the ambulance arrived, Qiao Mei replied earnestly. Liang Jin definitely did not expect to run into Qiao Mei, but it was good that they bumped into each other. This way, it would cause Zhang Cheng and Liang Jin to have nightmares every night. Lets rest early. I dont want to think about those annoying things, Xia He said. Early the next morning, there was a loud pounding on the main door and it went on for a long time. If whoever did that used a bit more strength, the door might even be kicked open. The neighbors opened their doors and watched the commotion quietly. Although they were also very afraid, they could not resist the urge to watch the drama. Whats going on? Xia He quickly went to Qiao Meis room and asked warily. Im not sure. Lets take a look first, Qiao Mei said as she picked up the coat next to the bed and put it on. You cant go! We dont know how many people there are outside and the bodyguards are not here. If theres a conflict, we wont be able to fight back at all. Furthermore, were on the 10th floor! Well fall to our deaths if we jump down! Lets contact the bodyguards and ask them to come over first, Xia He said. Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m Xia Zhe had bought this house because it was located in an exclusive neighborhood and the main draw was the strict security checks. One had to bring a card to enter and exit the neighborhood. This was to ensure that the people entering and exiting the property were all residents. Then you should at least have a search warrant! Xia He said. When the police chief heard what Xia He said, he smiled mockingly. Since when did they need any search warrant to do anything? In Sky City, they could do whatever they wanted. No matter where they wanted to conduct a search, the people there had to cooperate fully. If anyone resisted, it would be considered an assault on a police officer. That was a very serious offense. There was an old gentleman standing behind the police chief. He was dressed up very nicely, but he did not look like a rich man. Instead, he looked more like the butler of a rich man. The butler looked at Qiao Mei with a genial expression. Qiao Mei vaguely remembered that this person was the one standing next to Zhang Cheng during the auction. His name seemed to be Zhang Ping. You said you received a report. Can you show me the evidence? Qiao Mei asked. The person who reported it sent the letter anonymously. Were just following our normal procedure. You have no right to ask about our internal process, the police chief said. Nonsense! There is no man in our house! Xia He said agitatedly. Qiao Mei hurriedly stopped Xia He from talking and stared intently at Zhang Ping. It seemed that she had underestimated her enemy this time. She had thought that the Zhang family would retreat in the face of difficulties and would come and invite her to Zhang Chengs villa to discuss the issue of the jewelry. She did not expect the Zhang family to be in cahoots with the police. Then again, the Zhang family had been active in Sky City for many years and had amassed a lot of financial resources and connections.. Chapter 1967 - 1967: Official Declaration of War Chapter 1967: Official Declaration of War Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Although Xia Zhe had a certain amount of influence in Sky City, he had only been active here for a short period of time and did not have a strong foundation yet. The police did not think much of Xia Zhe at all. With the backing of the Zhang family, the police had been doing whatever they wanted in Sky City for many years. The two sides had been in cahoots for a long time. Tell me, what do you want? Qiao Mei said as she looked at Zhang Ping calmly. Miss Pu, you must be joking. Were just working with the police, Zhang Ping said. There is a lot of suspicious stuff in this house. Were going to seal it off as a crime scene! The two of you should leave now! the police chief said. At this point, Qiao Mei knew that if she did not move out of the house today, the police and the Zhang family would not give up. They had even come up with the reason to seize the house. If Qiao Mei and Xia He did not cooperate, it would be tantamount to obstruction of justice and they could even be arrested. The Zhang family wanted to force her into a corner, or rather, to put her through mental stress so that she would hand over the jewelry obediently. The police were here to conduct a search so as to find out if Qiao Mei had brought the jewelry along with her. This was to help the Zhang family establish the location of the jewelry. There was nothing of value in this house, Xia He and Qiao Mei had left all their documents at Xia Zhes villa. Although Qiao Mei and Xia He had spent a lot of money to create their fake identities, if the police really wanted to dig into this issue, they would not be able to explain their way out of it and might even expose Xia Zhes true identity. Da Dong stood in front of Qiao Mei and asked softly, Do you want us to attack? Dont cause trouble. Now is not the time to fight them. Lets go first. After saying that, Qiao Mei got into the car with Xia He following closely behind. Before getting into the car, Qiao Mei flashed the gold badge on her waist in the direction of the police chief. The police chief was so frightened by the sight that he stood rooted to the spot and did not even dare to breathe. The police chief grabbed Zhang Ping by the collar and questioned him, What is that! M/hy didnt you tell me that they are related to that demoness, Bella? Calm down. That young lady is just bluffing. If shes really related to Bella, we would have heard about a higher body count by now. Youve worked in Sky City for so many years, have you ever seen a gold badge? It must be a fake, Zhang Ping said by way of comfort. They had only seen a silver badge once in all these years. Bella and her team kept a very low profile and those people with badges also did not behave ostentatiously. Or rather, anyone who had ever seen the badges were all silenced in the end. You better be telling the truth! the police chief said through gritted teeth. Qiao Mei and Xia He returned to the villa and went back to their rooms to rest. Too many things had happened recently and the two of them had not slept well. Since the Zhang family had come out to declare war on them, there was no need for them to hide anymore. Da Dong and the others stood guard at various corners downstairs. They even planted many secret sentries in the neighborhood. As soon as there was any movement, they would immediately be on high alert.. Chapter 1968 - 1968: Leaving Sky City Chapter 1968: Leaving Sky City Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Before Xia Zhe left, he had specially instructed the bodyguards that when he was not around, Qiao Mei was the head of the house. Qiao Meis commands were akin to his commands. To them, he was indirectly acknowledging Qiao Mei as their lady boss! For the sake of Xia Zhes happiness in the future, they vowed to protect Qiao Mei well. They could not let their boss come back from his business trip to find out that the lady boss was missing. If that happened, the few of them would not be able to bear the consequences of their failure! Da Nan had specially gone to check on the situation outside and to find out about what the Zhang family had been doing. He also investigated all the people who were related to the Zhang family. The information he obtained contained detailed records of how the Zhang family became rich and who the Zhang family had offended over the years. Da Nan spent a lot of money to get the information from a private investigator. However, it was very likely that the information had already been tampered with. After all, the Zhang family was very powerful now. In recent years, many people had also secretly investigated the Zhang familys background but in the end, these people either met with trouble in their families or ended up pledging allegiance to the Zhang family. There were no exceptions at all. Follow the latest novels at novelhall.com After Qiao Mei woke up, she went to retrieve the necklace and ring. She observed the two items carefully but did not seem to feel anything special from them. Although there was energy inside them, they did not really respond to Qiao Mei, as if they did not want to communicate with her. Qiao Mei felt that she had probably approached them in the wrong way and that she needed to study them in detail. She decided to hide the jewelry for now. She definitely could not keep such precious things at home. There would be trouble if the Zhang family asked the police to come here and conduct another search. In fact, Qiao Mei also wanted to return to the childrens side, but there were still so many things to settle in Sky City and she could not leave yet. There were still too many unknowns when it came to the Gao family. She did not expect to have to send Xia He home early after agreeing to bring her to Sky City for a holiday. As she thought about it, she felt a little apologetic towards Xia He. Dont let your imagination run wild. We have a lot of time to have fun later. The most important thing now is to protect yourself well! Dont let me worry about you, Xia He reminded her. l know. Dont worry, Qiao Mei said with a smile. That night, Qiao Mei instructed Da Dong to send Xia He to the airport and to make sure that she boarded the plane safely before coming back. The next day, Qiao Mei asked Da Nan to find out the Gao familys address and the hospital where Gao Ming was admitted. Late at night, Qiao Mei quietly opened the window when no one was paying attention and slowly climbed down using the vines. When she reached the ground, the vines turned to ashes and dissipated with the wind. Xia Zhe owned another house near here, but he did not fit it out after buying it. He only parked two cars there so that he could bypass the bodyguards at home when he went on missions at night. Before Xia Zhe left, he handed the two sets of car keys to Qiao Mei so that she could use them as she pleased. Qiao Mei drove to the Zhang familys villa on her own. The Zhang familys villa was located on a mountain and they had even bought the entire mountain. She would make too much noise if she drove up the mountain. Therefore, she went to the back of the mountain and used the vines to transport her to the mountain top.. Chapter 1969 - 1969: Steal the Cufflink Chapter 1969: Steal the Cufflink Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios At this moment, Zhang Cheng was resting in bed. Recently, the whole issue with Qiao Mei and the jewelry had caused him sleepless nights. He kept dreaming about those days when he was with Gao Tao. Sometimes, he would even dream that Gao Tao had come back to take his life. He had chased away all his mistresses. He and Liang Jin kept separate bedrooms and the two of them had not slept on the same bed for a long time. If not for the matter with Gao Tao, neither one of them would want to continue living with the other for so many years. Qiao Mei avoided all the areas with guards and used the vines to make her way to Zhang Chengs bedroom window. She gently blew some highly concentrated datura powder inside, causing Zhang Cheng to become unconscious for a short while. After confirming that Zhang Cheng would not be regaining consciousness anytime soon, Qiao Mei slowly used the vines to pin down Zhang Cheng and then remove the cufflink from his clothes. Zhang Cheng was very protective of the cufflink and wore it even when he was sleeping. Even when he took a shower, he would set it down in his line of sight. He had done so for many years. He suddenly felt that there was something pressing down on him and he began to have trouble breathing. He thought it felt like there was a ghost pressing on him. He could clearly feel that someone had removed his cufflink, but he could not open his eyes to see it for himself. Zhang Ping raised his head and looked at Zhang Cheng. There were no signs of any swelling or wounds. The only thing was that his pajamas looked a little wrinkled, but the cufflink was really gone. He did not want to keep refuting Zhang Cheng. Perhaps Zhang Cheng was so frightened by his nightmare that he could not distinguish between reality and dream. Qiao Mei had made sure that she blew the exact amount of datura powder to work just long enough tor the red marks caused by the vines to disappear. No matter how Zhang Cheng described the incident, no one would believe him. Zhang Ping asked all the men to search for the cufflink in every corner of the house. He was sure that Zhang Cheng had dropped them somewhere. He knew that this cufflink was very important to Zhang Cheng. Search thoroughly! Dont miss any corner! Zhang Ping said. The entire Zhang family was in an uproar. By now, Qiao Mei had already returned to the villa. After she reached home, she looked at the cufflink under the moonlight. She could feel that there was a lot of energy in this cufflink, but it just could not resonate with her. Could this thing have sworn allegiance to its owner? Was there any way to remove the allegiance? She infused her energy into it and also tried to use the other jewelry to communicate with it. Qiao Mei even smeared her blood on the cufflink. Although there was a weak reaction, there still seemed to be an obstruction. It was getting very late, so Qiao Mei kept away the jewelry, making sure to use separate hiding places for the cufflink and the set with the necklace and ring. If the Zhang family came looking for her, she had her own way to deal with them. The next morning, Da Nan brought her the information about the Gao family. It was just as Qiao Mei had guessed. Gao Lin and Gao Ming were both at the hospital now. Gao Lin had two sons. One was Gao Mings father, Gao Ning, who died in a car accident. The other son, Gao Long, had injured his nervous system in the same car accident and had completely lost all feeling in his lower body. He was still recuperating at home and they had hired a helper to take care of him. Send me there, Qiao Mei said with a sigh.. Chapter 1970 - 1970: Acknowledge Each Other Chapter 1970: Acknowledge Each Other Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The four bodyguards sent Qiao Mei to the hospital together. They waited downstairs and she entered the hospital alone. She asked a nurse for directions and soon arrived at Gao Mings ward. In the room, other than Gao Lin, Gao Long had also come by to visit Gao Ming. Their weathered faces were filled with fatigue. Grandpa Gao, Im here for a visit, Qiao Mei said with a smile as she pushed open the ward door. Gao Lin was very surprised to see Qiao Mei. He did not expect her to come and visit them at this hour, neither did he expect her to still remember them. Why are you here? Gao Lin asked with a smile. l heard that you sold the jewelry because someone in your family is sick. Im worried that the money is not enough, so I have come by today to see if there is anything I can help with, Qiao Mei said. Miss, you have a kind heart, but we dont need any help anymore. Gao Lin looked at Gao Ming on the bed and sobbed as he continued, The special medicine we paid for is useless. My grandson cant be saved. Even the special medicine is useless? What illness does he have? Qiao Mei asked. He was poisoned. The doctor says that this poison is very deadly, but... we have done everything we can, yet we still cant save his life. Sigh... weve already given up, Gao Lin said. Really? Gao Lin asked excitedly. What! Zhang Chengs voice came from behind Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei turned around and saw Zhang Chengs twisted face. She immediately had a bad feeling about this, but then again, she had already expected Zhang Cheng to come to the hospital today. No wonder, no wonder you fight with me for Gao Taos jewelry! No wonder you behave so strangely! Well done! So youre Gao Taos descendant! Zhang Cheng pointed at Qiao Mei and said furiously. Gao Lin quickly stood in front of Qiao Mei and looked at Zhang Cheng, saying, Why are you here now! Zhang Cheng ignored Gao Lins question. He stared intently at Qiao Mei and continued, You must have taken my cufflink! It must be you! Give me back my cufflink! What cufflink? Old Mr. Zhang, what are you talking about? Qiao Mei said as if she did not know anything. Hmph, stop pretending! You must have taken my cufflink! You must know about the cufflink! You definitely know! Hurry up and hand over all the jewelry! All of them! Zhang Cheng shouted like a lunatic. Ever since he lost his cufflink last night, there had been news from the office early this morning that many of his business partners had called off their collaborations. The company had already lost nearly 2 million dollars in orders. All this had happened because the cufflink had gone missing, bringing with it his good luck. He must find the cufflink as soon as possible! He had come to the hospital today to find out if someone from the Gao family had stolen his things, but he did not expect to gain some unexpected news.. He did not expect Gao Tao to have survived! She even had descendants! Chapter 1971 - 1971: The Truth From Back Then Chapter 1971: The Truth From Back Then Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Discover new chapters at novelhall.com Since Qiao Mei was Gao Taos descendant, Qiao Mei must know the secret regarding this set of jewelry. Gao Tao must have told Qiao Mei about this! That must be it! It must be Qiao Mei who stole the cufflink! Stop pretending. Hand over the cufflink to me and Ill spare your life. If you keep me in a good mood, I might let all of you off and also save the dying Gao Ming, Zhang Cheng said. What do you mean! So you are the one who caused my grandson to almost die! Gao Lin questioned. Hmph, Im sure you dont know that Im a shareholder of this hospital! Havent you realized this even though hes been getting treatment here for such a long time? Why do you think Gao Ming still doesnt show any signs of getting better? Zhang Cheng asked as he looked at Gao Lin mockingly. Gao Lin looked at Zhang Cheng with a lot of hatred in his eyes. At the same time, he also felt very sad. Back in those early days, the Gao family had a rough idea of how much assets the Zhang family had, but as the Gao family continued to decline while the Zhang familys business grew bigger and bigger, they no longer knew what kind of properties and businesses the Zhang family had. He had been blind to all these and it was his fault that Gao Ming did not get appropriate and timely treatment. Why are you so obsessed with my grandmothers jewelry? Qiao Mei asked. At that time, Gao Tao found out that he was dating Liang Jin in secret. Gao Tao told Zhang Cheng to return her the cufflink and said that she wanted to call off their impending wedding. At that time, Liang Jin and Zhang Cheng already knew that the cufflink brought them luck, so why would Zhang Cheng be willing to return such a treasure! They decided that they had no choice but to kill Gao Tao. As for the other jewelry, Gao Tao had hidden them away and they did not manage to find much. If that wasteful woman, Liang Jin, did not use Gao Taos brooch to buy Liang Shu t s silence, they would definitely have even more assets than what they had now! Since he had come to look for the Gao family members today, he had no intention of letting any of them get out of here alive. He might as well tell them everything that had happened over the years and let them die with full knowledge of what had happened. Gao Lin rushed up to Zhang Cheng, but he was forcefully pressed down on the floor by Zhang Chengs bodyguards. The Zhang familys bodyguards rushed into the room and surrounded all of them. Qiao Mei stood quietly in the middle of the room and looked at Zhang Cheng without saying anything. With the truth about the past coming to light, Qiao Mei felt a little sorry for Gao Tao. She also felt indignant for Gao Tao, but fortunately, Gao Tao lived a happy life in her later years and Qiao Qiang had taken very good care of Gao Tao. However, because of the fire back then, Gao Tao had many recurring illnesses, so she did not manage to live to an old age. Young lady, hurry up and hand over my cufflink and those jewelry in your possession! Its best for you to be obedient when I still have some patience left. Dont test my limit, alright? Zhang Cheng looked at Qiao Mei and threatened her. What if I say no? Qiao Mei held up the walkie-talkie in her hand. Da Dong and the others suddenly rushed into the room and immediately subdued most of the bodyguards inside. Qiao Mei immediately ran up to Zhang Cheng and pointed her gun firmly at his head as she said, All of you, dont move! Dont move if you dont want him to die! Chapter 1972 - 1972: Perish Together Chapter 1972: Perish Together Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The Zhang familys bodyguards put down the weapons in their hands and Da Dong and his team tied them up. Gao Lin immediately got up and locked the door of the ward to prevent anyone outside from hearing anything. In this era, cell phones were not prevalent. Walkie-talkies were more common and communication was clear and easy within a 500-meter radius. If Qiao Mei had not happened to see Da Dong and the other bodyguards using the walkie-talkies to talk to one another, she would have already forgotten that this equipment existed. Right from the beginning, Da Dong and the team had been hiding in the stairwell of the hospital, ready to come out and protect Qiao Mei at any time. The original plan was for them to rush into the room only after Qiao Mei gave them the order, but when they heard Zhang Cheng starting to talk about his past crimes, Da Dong felt very uneasy. They hurried to standby close to the ward to prepare for an attack. What... what are you doing! Let me tell you! This is my hospital! You wont be able to get away! Zhang Cheng said fearfully. Youre still so stubborn even in this situation, Qiao Mei said as she looked at Zhang Cheng in disdain. Since youre my sisters descendant, then were family now. You should address me as Granduncle, Gao Lin said as he looked at Qiao Mei tenderly. Hello, Granduncl& Qiao Mei said sweetly. The ward they were in was on the second floor and it was located at the back part of the hospital. Very few people noticed this corner. If they threw those men down from the second floor window while positioning people below the window to catch them, none of those men would die. Gao Lin wanted to transport them to the basement of the Gao familys old house. The Gao family had sold everything they owned over the past few years, except for the Gao familys first house. Firstly, it was because they did not have time to do so, and secondly, it was because the transaction procedure for this house was more complicated. Therefore, Gao Lin never had any intention of selling the house. In those early days, the Gao family and the Zhang family lived in the same area and were neighbors. Later on, after Gao Ning died, the Zhang family seemed to have a guilty conscience and moved to the mountain area. The two families grew apart after that. Father! What are you doing! You cant ruin yourself! Gao Ming is already so ill and I cant walk yet. If anything happens to you, how am I going to go on! Gao Long grabbed the corner of Gao Lins shirt and said agitatedly. Gao Long felt that Gao Lin looked like he was ready to perish with Zhang Cheng. Gao Lin hesitated and looked at Gao Long and Gao Ming sadly. Looking at Gao Mings current condition, he would only be able to stay alive for another month at most. Was the Gao familys younger generation going to die before the older generation? Gao Ming can still be saved! Qiao Mei said quickly. Little girl, is that true? Can Gao Ming still be saved? Gao Lin asked agitatedly. Qiao Mei walked over to take a look at Gao Ming. Although his breathing was quite shallow by now, it was still not too late to save him. Qiao Mei thought for a moment and then said, Back home, I met an old man fortuitously. He is a brilliant physician and Ive managed to pick up some skills from him. Gao Ming can definitely be saved.. Chapter 1973 Discharged from the Hospital Chapter 1973 Discharged from the Hospital "Father! Do you hear that! There''s hope for Gao Ming! He can still be saved!" Gao Long said excitedly as he grabbed Gao Lin''s hand. "Granduncle, don''t be impulsive. Let''s just lock up Zhang Cheng for now and slowly gather evidence of his crimes. It''s much better to bring him to justice than to perish with him! Don''t do anything stupid!" Qiao Mei reminded him. Gao Lin''s eyes gradually reddened. He was already so old, had already lost a son and was about to lose a grandson. He originally did not have any desire to live on, but Qiao Mei''s arrival had ignited hope for his family. "Little girl, don''t worry. I''ll follow your advice," Gao Lin said. Qiao Mei left the hospital alone first. Gao Lin, Da Dong and the rest worked together to transport those men out of the room through the window. Gao Lin then jumped down from the second floor and returned to the Gao family house with them. After settling everything there, he asked Da Nan and Xiao Bei to lock up those men in the basement and keep an eye on them. Gao Lin had to quickly return to the hospital so that the hospital staff would not discover that he had left the ward. Those of them who made their way to Country M in those early years and managed to make a name for themselves all practiced some form of martial arts for self-protection. Even though Gao Lin was almost 70 years old this year, his skills were still as good as before. His hair turned white overnight only because of Gao Ning''s death, otherwise he would not look so aged. He climbed back into the ward on the second floor easily by making use of the drainpipe by the wall. "Then when did my old master leave this place?" Zhang Ping asked again. "He came this morning, probably at around nine. He spoke to me for a while and then he left. It probably took him not more than 10 minutes," Gao Lin said to Zhang Ping expressionlessly. Zhang Ping looked at his pocket watch. It indeed matched the time when Zhang Cheng left the house. The Gao family no longer had the same connections which they had previously. Even if they wanted to kidnap Zhang Cheng, they probably would not dare to do so with so many bodyguards protecting Zhang Cheng. "Sorry to disturb you, Old Master Gao." After saying that, Zhang Ping left the hospital with his men. Although surveillance systems already existed in this era, it was not very widely used yet as it was very expensive. The equipment was also very cumbersome. Even if the system captured someone in action, it would take very long to search through all the videos taken by the surveillance cameras. Even the richest family in Sky City, the Zhang family, did not install surveillance cameras in their house. Only the big jewelry stores felt the need to install surveillance cameras to keep an eye on the jewelry from being stolen or damaged. That night, the Zhang family members combed Sky City frantically for Zhang Cheng''s whereabouts. It was a rare night when Gao Lin had a good night''s sleep. This was the first time he had slept so well after so many years. The next morning, Gao Lin went to look for Gao Ming''s attending doctor, indicating that he wanted to bring Gao Ming home. Since Gao Ming could not get a cure here, what was the point of staying any longer and wasting money? It was better to bring Gao Ming home to live out his final days. This was a logical reasoning and the doctor did not think too much about it, so he let Gao Ming leave with his family members. After Qiao Mei reached home, she produced five 10,000- year-old ginseng pills and two bottles of medicinal wine made from 10,000-year-old ginseng. The pills were for Gao Ming and the medicinal wine was for Gao Long. Since they were all her grandmother''s relatives, she wanted to help them buck up. She had taken a look at Gao Long''s legs. Although the injuries were serious, he just needed to continue with his treatment. With help from her medicinal wine, it would not be long before he got a new start in life. Chapter 1974 - 1974: Silver Spider Chapter 1974 - 1974: Silver Spider Chapter 1974: Silver Spider Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios If she was asked about the source of the medicinal wine, Qiao Qiang would have to continue to play the role of being a descendant of a gifted doctor and being in possession of a secret prescription handed down from his ancestors. The news of Zhang Chengs disappearance had spread throughout the city. Even Bella had sent a note to Qiao Mei, telling her to be careful. Bella was concerned that major changes were coming up in Sky City. Bella even sent two beautiful women to Qiao Meis house to protect her. Both women wore silver badges and were counted among the most highly skilled assassins in Bellas teams. Stop there! Who are you? Da Dong asked as he looked coldly at the two women in front of him. Yin Xing did not say anything and just showed Da Dong the silver badge on her shoulder. Da Dong immediately knew that this was one of Bellas team members, but without Qiao Mei e s permission, no one was allowed to enter the villa. This was the rule! You didnt make an appointment in advance and the lady of the house didnt tell us that there would be guests today. Please wait here. Im going in to check with her, Da Dong said sternly. Wait? For how long? Yin Xing asked impatiently. But shouldnt you be taking orders from me now? Qiao Mei asked. Yin Xing and Yin Yue looked at each other and said, Yes, you are our boss now. We will listen to you. So my order is for you to do your own things when youre here. You can just tell the helper if theres something you feel like eating, just like Da Dong and the rest. However, if you want her to cook particular dishes for you, you have to pay her for the extra work. Ill cover the cost of the ingredients, Qiao Mei said. In the past, Da Dong and the rest had very simple meals. They ate whatever the helper cooked and it was usually the leftover dishes from Xia Zhes meals. They did not get any choice at all. Xia Zhe was very seldom at home. He spent a lot of time in the office or on business trips to various cities in Country M. Out of the four bodyguards, two of them would accompany Xia Zhe at any one time, while the other two would be on standby at home. It was inevitable that Xia Zhe did not pay any attention to such details. It was only after Qiao Mei moved in that the four bodyguards had better meals. Moreover, they had a pay increase, so they could afford to pay the helper to make all kinds of delicious food for them. Wow, I never expected that Miss Pu Nan would provide us with such a nice working environment! We used to only eat hardtack when we went on missions! Yin Yue said aggrievedly. Hardtack? Why do you eat such things? Dont the other clients prepare food for you? Qiao Mei asked curiously. They are not as nice as you, Miss Pu Nan. Were the Silver Spiders. People who can afford to hire Silver Spiders are either the ultra-rich or those important government officials. Their lives are in danger all the time. Even when they are sleeping, Yin Xing and I have to stand guard next to them. How do we have time to eat proper meals? Yin Yue said.. Chapter 1975 - 1975: The Back Mountain Behind the Gao Family’s House Chapter 1975: The Back Mountain Behind the Gao Familys House Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Its alright. At my place, you can eat whatever you want. Or you can join me for meals if you like. Da Dong and the rest will sit down for meals with me, Qiao Mei said. Thank you, Miss Pu Nan! Yin Yue said happily. Tell me more about your organization. Ive never heard Bella talk about it before. Bella is so busy that I seldom get to see her, Qiao Mei asked. Yin Yue was caught aback. By right, these things could not be made known to outsiders, but then again, stories about their ranks and capabilities had always been rife. Moreover, Qiao Mei had a gold badge, so it should not be a big deal to answer her. The name of Bellas organization was Spider Rose. The assassins wore badges with only a spider pattern and no rose pattern, but each Spider could designate someone that they wanted to protect. These people would each get a badge with a rose pattern. There were only four Gold Spiders in the organization. They were located in different cities in Country M and were the commanders of their own teams. It was said that one of the Gold Spiders was currently in Country K, helping Bella to expand her reach into that country. Early the next morning, Qiao Mei brought Da Dong, Yin Yue and Yin Xing to a restaurant. This restaurant was very famous and the owner maintained a good relationship with the Gao family. Gao Lin did not show up. Instead, he had left a note with an address on it. Qiao Mei and the others then drove to the back mountain behind the Gao familys villa. Sky City was made up of hills and mountains of various sizes. A small part of the flat land had been developed into the current city center but most of the rich people like to live in the mountains. Youre here. Who are these two? Gao Lin said warily. Theyre Bellas team members. Bella is my friend and shes worried about me, so she sent two of her people to protect me. If its not convenient for them to go in, they will stay here, Qiao Mei said immediately. This is the Gao familys territory. Only Gao family members can enter. Only you can come with me, The rest of you will have to stay here, Gao Lin said sternly. But... Yin Yue looked at Qiao Mei worriedly. Even Da Dong was a little worried about Qiao Mei leaving with Gao Lin on her own. Dont worry, these people are my relatives. They wont harm me. Qiao Mei walked over to Da Dong and whispered, Ive brought the walkie-talkie with me. Theres also Da Nan and Xiao Bei inside. Ill be fine, Stay here and keep an eye on things. Dont let the Zhang family find out that were here. Alright, Da Dong said softly.. Chapter 1976 - 1976: Treatment Chapter 1976: Treatment Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Gao Lin brought Qiao Mei deep into the mountains. Inside a cave, the Gao family had built a secret passage that led directly to the basement of the Gao familys house. l never expect such a place to exist, Qiao Mei said in shock. Back then, the first thing that the Gao family did when we moved here was to build a secret passage. This is so that in the event that the Gao family is ever framed or in trouble, all the Gao family members can escape safely. Weve never had to use it though. Later on, it became a place where Gao Ming played many games of hide and seek, Gao Lin explained. He had never expected the secret passage to come into use due to the Zhang family. Fortunately, Gao Ming had never told Zhang Yao about this place. Otherwise, Zhang Ping would already be here, demanding for an explanation! When Qiao Mei emerged from the basement, she saw that the villas living hall was completely empty. There was not even a sofa. Everything in the house had already been sold, all except for the three mens beds. Its so embarrassing for you to see this. All these years, Ive spent all the money on the Gao familys business and Gao Longs treatment. Now, theres also Gao Mings treatment. Sigh... Gao Lin said with a sigh. Its fine. Well slowly get all our things back, Qiao Mei said firmly as she looked at Gao Lin. Follow the latest novels at novelhall.com l trust you! Give it to him! Gao Lin said. Qiao Mei pried open Gao Mings mouth and pushed the pill down his throat. At first, there was no reaction and everyone waited anxiously. Suddenly, Gao Ming began to cough up blood and in an instant, the entire bed was already covered in Gao Mings blood. Gao Ming! Gao Lin and Gao Long yelled out agitatedly. They tried to wipe away the blood that Gao Ming spat out. Whats going on! Does your medicine even work? Gao Long looked at Qiao Mei and roared at her. This is a normal phenomenon. Gao Ming is poisoned. He can only recover if he expels all the poison, Qiao Mei said calmly. Then... then how long is he going to cough like this! If he continues coughing like this, he will bleed to death! Gao Long said with heartache. No, he wont. Lets wait a little longer, Qiao Mei said. Not long after Qiao Mei said this, Gao Ming went quiet and his face looked much rosier. It seemed that Qiao Meis medicine was quite effective. Gao Lin hurriedly changed Gao Mings bedsheets and blanket. Then, he carefully wiped Gao Mings body clean. Gao Long sat at the side and watched everything quietly. After hesitating for a while, he went over to Qiao Mei. Im sorry. 1 was a little agitated just now and I was rude to you, Gao Long said. Its alright, Uncle. Were all concerned for Gao Ming. I wont take it to heart, Qiao Mei said with a smile.. Chapter 1977 - 1977: Treating the Injured Legs Chapter 1977: Treating the Injured Legs Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Gao Long had met Gao Tao once when he was much younger. As he was too young at that time, he could no longer remember Gao Taos appearance clearly. He only remembered that his eldest aunt had very warm hands and that her voice was very pleasant. Qiao Meis gentleness reminded him of Gao Tao. No wonder Zhang Cheng searched for Qiao Mei so persistently to try to snatch the remaining jewelry from her. Uncle, how long has it been since your legs were injured? Qiao Mei probed. At the mention of his injured legs, Gao Longs face turned slightly pale. He used to be the young master whom everyone admired in Sky City. He was suave and handsome and many young ladies from prestigious families wanted to marry him. However, ever since he was framed by the Zhang family and lost the use of his legs, no one had any time for him anymore. Even all his good friends from those days avoided him. From being a popular person, he became a person whom everyone despised. This affected him so much that he almost took his own life. Fortunately, Gao Ming and Gao Lin had always stayed by his side, giving him something to live for. Otherwise, he might not be alive by now. Its a long story. Theres no hope for my legs. Ive been to all the hospitals in Sky City and all the doctors told me that I wont be able to regain use of my legs. No matter what I do, its useless, Gao Long said regretfully. Oh my goodness! This is great news! Gao Lin quickly rummaged through his pockets to see how much money he had left. However, even if all the Gao family members pooled their money together, they would only have 20,000 dollars at most. He still needed this amount of money to hire a helper to take care of Gao Ming and Gao Long. Pu Nan, look. I dont... Gao Lin said with a sense of guilt. Its alright, Granduncle. Were a family. Theres no need to stand on ceremony. I believe that Grandmother will be happy to see us reunited, Qiao Mei said with a smile. Gao Lin and Gao Long started tearing up. Perhaps it was really Gao Tao who was protecting the Gao family from the heavens. Otherwise, why would they meet Qiao Mei at such a desperate time? This was all meant to be. After Qiao Mei gave Gao Lin more detailed instructions about caring for the other two men, she left the Gao familys house through the secret passage. She did not plan to appear in public for the time being and did not want to draw attention to herself. The three people left behind at the back mountain stood motionlessly in their spots. Anyone who did not know better would think that there were three pillars there! Yin Yue finally could not stand the awkward silence. She climbed up the short tree beside her and lay down on the thick branch as she said, Yin Xing, come up too! The view from above is much more interesting than the view from below! Thats so lame. Im not doing it, Yin Xing said coldly. Da Dong looked at Yin Xing, who was next to him. From the first moment he saw her, she did not look cordial at all. She looked at everyone like they owed her a lot of money.. Chapter 1978 - 1978: Back In Sky City Chapter 1978: Back In Sky City Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Are the two of you... sisters? The two of you look very alike, Da Dong said as he tried to start a conversation with Yin Xing. Whats it got to do with you? Yin Xing asked. Were all Miss Pu t s bodyguards now and we need to work together often. We are like colleagues, so Im just curious, Da Dong explained. Actually, he had been trying to find an opportunity to apologize to Yin Xing. When they first met, they were immediately at each others throats. He felt that he should not have been so fierce to Yin Xing. Since they would be working together, he wanted to improve his relationship with Yin Xing. Were different from you. Even without you, Miss Pu will still be safe and sound. Its the same with or without you, Yin Xing said. Hey! What are you saying? Are you saying that you Silver Spiders are omnipotent? Da Dong said unhappily. What else can I mean? Yin Xing looked at Da Dong mockingly. Youre such a cold-blooded and heartless person. Every time I see you, theres always a scowl on your face, as if everyone owes you money! Youre so arrogant! Cant you have a smile on your face like your elder sister! Even if... even if we cant get along, you should at least smile at Miss Pu, Da Dong said. When Qiao Mei emerged from the cave, she did not notice the strange angry atmosphere. The group rushed home and Qiao Mei sat by the bed, waiting for Da Dong to come back with updates about the happenings in the city. After dinner, Qiao Mei could suddenly sense a 10,000-year-old seed moving around in Sky City. She had stuffed this seed into Xia Hes clothes before Xia He left. Why did it suddenly appear? Yin Xing! Yin Yue! Qiao Mei shouted as she rushed out of her room anxiously. Yin Xing and Yin Yue immediately appeared in front of Qiao Mei. They bowed slightly and said to Qiao Mei, We are here. Yin Xing, you go to the airport with Xiao Xi to pick up my elder sister. You have to be fast. If youre any later, she wont be at the airport anymore, Qiao Mei said with a slight frown. May I ask what your elder sister looks like? Yin Xing asked. Xiao Xi knows. Go now and come back quickly, Qiao Mei said. Yin Yue stayed behind to protect Qiao Mei. Two hours later, Xiao Xi and Yin Xing brought back Xia He, who had sneaked into Sky City. In order to prevent Qiao Meis men from discovering her presence, Xia He had even specially put on a disguise! Why are you back here? Qiao Mei asked. l... Im just here to have some fun... The last time I was here, I forgot something, so I came back to get it! Xia He said awkwardly. Go on! Continue making up reasons! I want to see what other reasons you can come up with, Qiao Mei said angrily. Xia He quickly walked over to Qiao Mei and said, Sigh, cant you tell that Im just worried about you? Im worried about you facing so many things alone without a trusted relative by your side.. Chapter 1979 The Zhang Family Is in a Mess Chapter 1979 The Zhang Family Is in a Mess These words really hit home with Qiao Mei. She had a lot of things to think about during this period of time and she also needed to keep tabs on the many lies she told the Gao family. She was indeed both mentally and physically exhausted. Qiao Mei pulled Xia He into her room to have a private conversation. It was time to tell Xia He about the relationship between her and the Gao family. "Huh? They''re actually your grandmother''s relatives!" Xia He said as she looked at Qiao Mei in shock. "Yes, my grandfather only told me about my grandmother recently. I had thought that if I could find my grandmother''s relatives, it would be some form of comfort for my grandfather. I didn''t expect them to be leading such a difficult life," Qiao Mei said. "Those Zhang family members are really too much! They''ve really gone overboard! We must settle this score with them!" Xia He said agitatedly. Qiao Mei had the same idea as Xia He, but it turned out that there was no need for them to do anything. The Zhang family was already in a mess. Zhang Cheng had a total of six mistresses. These women had given him six illegitimate children, five sons and a daughter. Liang Jin actually knew about all these illegitimate children. Usually, they did not interact with one another. So long as they did not threaten the status of her son, Zhang Ou, she did not care about what those people did. When she had a chance in the future, she would get them all in one fell swoop. All these years, Liang Jin was not just a useless pretty face. She had built up her own team of people and had also set aside a lot of money. She had evidence of all those things which Zhang Cheng did, so all these years, Zhang Cheng would give her whatever she wanted unconditionally, making her a very respected person in Sky City. "She''s from the Liang family. Let''s not talk about this anymore. How''s everything at home? Are the children doing well?" Qiao Mei said. "I have come back here to tell you something important! Do you remember John from the ''Vicious Wolf"?" Xia He said agitatedly. "Yes, I remember," Qiao Mei said with a nod. "Our farm has played a big part in the town making good money. Every family is very happy now and John is aware of everything that''s been going on. Some time ago, a competitor from the neighboring town came to cause trouble and almost poisoned many cows on our farm. When John found out about this, he destroyed that person''s farm," Xia He said. Qiao Mei frowned slightly. It did not seem like John to do something so flashy. Could it be that John was waiting for her to go back and wanted to talk to her? "Don''t worry! John didn''t ask for any payback. He seems to have done it voluntarily. The children have been doing very well recently. The house on the farmland is already completed and Luo Yu and the rest have moved in with the children," Xia He said. "Alright, we''ll talk about this when we get back. Come with me to visit the Gao family members tomorrow," Qiao Mei said with a smile. Xia He and Qiao Mei soon fell asleep in the room. Qiao Mei slept very soundly that night, but Xia He did not dare to fall into deep sleep. She knew that Yin Yue and Yin Xing were standing guard near their room. Chapter 1980: Not Over the Hill Yet Chapter 1980: Not Over the Hill Yet Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Yin Yue and Yin Xing were sometimes on the roof and sometimes in the corridor, and they kept changing their positions. Xia He trusted the bodyguards downstairs. After all, Da Dong and the rest were people whom Xia Zhe personally hired. Xia Zhe was a very meticulous person. If he did not trust them, he would not have handed them over to Qiao Mei. However, it was a different situation with Bella. Qiao Meis encounter with Bella was filled with coincidences. After Xia He found out about the significance of the gold badge, she became even more suspicious that Bella had other plans in mind when it came to Qiao Mei, so she wanted to be more vigilant. Yin Xing, Miss Pu t s elder sister doesnt seem to like us e Yin Yue sat on the roof and whispered aggrievedly. Yes, 1 know, Yin Xing stood beside Yin Yue and said coldly. l thought you wont be able to sense it! The thing is Miss Pu is just from an ordinary family. Why is her elder sister so different from her and is even so highly skilled in martial arts? These two people are really strange, Yin Yue said. Its alright. She cant beat me, Yin Xing said. You! Youre so boring! Youre not curious about anything! How annoying! Just keep standing there. Im going to take a break. Ill come back and take over your shift later. After saying that, Yin Yue jumped down from the roof and disappeared into the darkness. Two days later, Qiao Mei received some news and returned to the back mountain behind the Gao family residence. Yin Yue and the rest were again asked to wait outside. Qiao Mei and Xia He entered the Gao familys house through the same secret passage. Grandfather knows everything. Ive already locked Zhang Cheng up in our basement. Lets take care of it slowly behind closed doors. Youve only just woken up so dont get too agitated! Gao Lin comforted him. Gao Ming blinked in confusion. What did all this mean? Zhang Cheng had been captured by his grandfather? He did not expect his grandfather to be able to capture Zhang Cheng alive. Who are those two people? Gao Ming asked. Shes your eldest grandaunts descendant. She should be considered your younger cousin. Shes the one who saved your life! Gao Lin explained. Thank you... really... thank you so much... Gao Ming was breathless as he tried hard to speak. You shouldnt try to talk so much now. You have to rest well, Qiao Mei said. After confirming that Gao Ming was really fine, Gao Lin finally felt that he had the time and energy to deal with Zhang Cheng in the basement. At that time, Zhang Cheng had only told him briefly about the fire back then. If he wanted to get Zhang Cheng convicted, he needed to find more compelling evidence. For the past few days, Gao Lin had asked the helper to give the men in the basement some steamed buns and pickled vegetables just to keep them alive. This was already good enough for prisoners! Qiao Mei and the others made their way to the door leading to the basement. Da Nan looked at Qiao Mei happily and said, Miss Pu, youre finally here.. Chapter 1981: No One Will Come To Save You Chapter 1981: No One Will Come To Save You "It''s been hard on you during this period of time. You''ll get a bonus when you get home!" Qiao Mei said as she patted Da Nan and Xiao Bei on the shoulders. "Thank you, Miss Pu~" Xiao Bei said happily. Qiao Mei and Xia He slowly made their way to the depths of the basement. Those bodyguards from the Zhang family were all cowards and it did not take much effort for them to spill everything they knew about the Zhang family. However, the information they gave was nothing important. These people were not the Zhang family''s trusted aides, so it was still best to ask Zhang Cheng directly for the details. Zhang Cheng had been locked up in a pitch dark room in the basement. He could not even see his own fingers in front of him and the space was very small. Any ordinary person would definitely have a breakdown after staying in such a place for three days, and Zhang Cheng was no exception. As the heavy metal door slowly creaked open, Zhang Cheng looked at the people walking in from the light and said fearfully, "I''ll talk... I''ll tell you everything... I''ll tell you whatever you want to know! Let me out! I beg you, let me out!" When Qiao Mei gestured with her chin, Da Nan and Xiao Bei dragged Zhang Cheng out of the dark room and locked him up in a cage by the side. Only then could Zhang Cheng see clearly who the person in front of him was. "It''s really you! You''re the little b*tch who caused me to be in such a miserable state! Tell me! Where did you hide my cufflink! Return it to me!" Zhang Cheng shouted agitatedly. "What... what do you mean?" Zhang Cheng asked in a panic. "Since you don''t know anything, I''ll tell you out of the kindness of my heart. Your good wife, Liang Jin, has killed all your mistresses and illegitimate children! Their corpses had been thrown off the harbor to feed the fishes! I guess there''s nothing left of them now," Qiao Mei said with a smile. In fact, Liang Jin really wanted to do this, but those illegitimate children were too smart. The ones who came to attend her banquet were just the stupid and useless ones. These were the ones who would not cause any damage to the Zhang family, so Liang Jin had let them off. "Impossible! Absolutely impossible!" Zhang Cheng said in a panic. "Don''t you know what kind of person Liang Jin is? The news is now known all over Sky City. On the night you disappeared, Liang Jin immediately sprung into action," Qiao Mei said. "You''re lying to me! Liang Jin doesn''t have the clout to do this! Zhang Ping will definitely stop her!" Zhang Cheng said agitatedly. "Sigh... Why will I lie to you? Zhang Ping has long been chased out by Liang Jin. He''s quite a loyal person and is still quietly searching for your whereabouts. However, he doesn''t have any manpower now and is all alone. When will he be able to find you? Liang Jin has taken over everything you have," Qiao Mei said. Zhang Ping sat on the ground dejectedly and listlessly. Xia He wanted to give Qiao Mei a thumbs up. It was such a pity that she did not become an actress with such acting skills. "Don''t be too sad. Liang Jin still has some conscience after all. You still have a son! Zhang Ou is still alive! At least she still leaves you with a descendant," Qiao Mei said. "Bullsh*t! Zhang Ou is not my son at all! She''s a vicious woman! It''s not enough that she killed so many of my sons, she even wants to take over my family assets! She was the one who did all those things back then! If not for her instigating me! I wouldn''t have hurt Gao Tao at all!" Zhang Cheng roared. Chapter 1982 - 1982: Equally as Smart Chapter 1982 - 1982: Equally as Smart Chapter 1982: Equally as Smart Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Its not you? Qiao Mei questioned. Of course its not me! Back then, it was Liang Jin who tricked Gao Tao into going to the villa! She was the one who asked Gao Tao to meet inside the villa! At that time, I wanted to save Gao Tao! However, the fire went out of control and there was nothing I could do, Zhang Cheng said. What Zhang Cheng said were all half-truths. Back then, the last call Gao Tao received was indeed from Liang Jin. This part of the story matched what Liang Shu said. However, Qiao Mei was now more interested in another issue. She asked curiously, You said that Zhang Ou is not your child, then whose son is he? Back then, Zhang Cheng had fled all the way to Sky City with Liang Jin. With help from the cufflink, Zhang Cheng quickly gained a foothold in Sky City. However, the link between the cufflink and him was very weak, so Zhang Cheng could not make full use of it. He realized that he would definitely lose money if he ran a business himself. However, if he invested in someone elses business, he would definitely make a steady profit. Just like that, he accumulated a lot of wealth and gradually became more indulgent and played harder than he worked. Zhang Cheng and Liang Jin both had Gao Taos blood on their hands! The two of them did not trust each other and regarded each other as mortal enemies. For many years, they slept in separate rooms, so there had never been any news of Liang Jin getting pregnant. Zhang Cheng stared fixedly at Qiao Mei. She was what he expected from someone who was Gao Taos descendant. Qiao Mei looked exactly like Gao Tao when Gao Tao exposed him and Liang Jin. They were both so smart and beautiful. Speak up! Are you the one! Gao Lin rushed forward and grabbed Zhang Chengs collar as he shouted agitatedly. Just let me go! Ill give you all the Zhang familys assets! Doesnt your Gao family want to make a comeback? Ill give you money! Ill help you! Ill give you everything! Please let me go! Spare my life! Zhang Cheng said anxiously. Asshole! Youre really the culprit! You killed my sister! Did you also cause my wifes death? And my parents death, my sons death and my grandson being poisoned! Gao Lin roared. Zhang Cheng said fearfully, It has nothing to do with me... It has nothing to do with me... The Gao family were quite established in Sky City. In addition, they used to have a successful business in Hu City and they had made a lot of money. Their business here was also doing very well, but gradually, all kinds of situations started popping up in the Gao family. Gao Lins parents died in a car accident in the suburbs because of a brake failure. Gao Lins wife was murdered on the streets by a brute who suddenly went crazy. Gao Ning and his wife, as well as Gao Long, were involved in a car accident while on a business trip. All these were the doings of the Zhang family. Each and every incident was like a sharp knife stabbing into Gao Lins heart. Qiao Mei did not participate in what happened next. She and Xia He turned around and left, leaving Gao Lin and Zhang Cheng to deal with the past grudges between them. Qiao Mei had already gotten the answer she wanted to know. The cufflink in her hand felt slightly hot. It seemed that the cufflink really had some kind of connection with Zhang Cheng, but he was not a member of the Gao family after all. Therefore, he could not sense the cufflinks existence.. Chapter 1983 - 1983: Cannot Let Him Go Chapter 1983: Cannot Let Him Go Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios As long as she could find a way to cut off the connection between Zhang Cheng and the cufflink, there was still a high chance that the cufflink would pledge allegiance to Qiao Mei and she could use it freely. Perhaps Qiao Mei could even use the cufflink to find the whereabouts of the remaining jewelry. Zhang Cheng has been locked up here for too long. We have to think of a way to get rid of all of them, Qiao Mei said as she sat on the cheap sofa in the living room. But we dont have any connections here. Even if we kill them, how do we destroy the evidence? We cant just bury them in the back mountain. Itll be difficult to explain ourselves if it gets found out, Xia He asked. Just as the two of them were discussing how to deal with Zhang Cheng and his bodyguards, Gao Lin walked out of the basement slowly. Qiao Mei heaved a sigh of relief when she saw that there was not much bloodstains on Gao Lin. This meant that Gao Lin did not kill Zhang Cheng. Granduncle, how do you plan to deal with him? Qiao Mei asked. Zhang Yao hid in a corner and looked at Liang Jin in fear. She did not understand why Liang Jin was so happy that her grandfather was dead. Could it be that the rumors were true? That her grandmother was really the one who murdered her grandfather. Yao Yao, why are you hiding there? Come and sit next to Grandma, Liang Jin said as she waved at Zhang Yao in the corner. Grandma, do you know where Grandpa is? When is Grandpa coming home? What are my parents doing? Are they working hard to find Grandpa? Zhang Yao asked. You dont have to worry about your grandfather, Youre still Grandmas darling. In the future, were in charge of the Zhang family and those slutty women will no longer be here! Grandma can give you whatever you want. Arent you happy about that? Liang Jin asked agitatedly. Zhang Yao was actually very happy to hear this. Zhang Chengs mistresses had always lived in the same house as them. Those mistresses who only gave birth to daughters kept a low profile and treaded carefully, so they naturally did not dare to offend Liang Jin and Zhang Yao. However, those mistresses who gave birth to sons did not keep such a low profile. They wanted nothing more than to show off in front of Liang Jin and they usually behaved like tyrants. When Liang Jin was at home, they would still try to restrain themselves. However, once Liang Jin was not at home, they would start acting like bullies and Zhang Yao was always the one who suffered. As Zhang Ou was not Zhang Chengs biological son, Zhang Cheng really hated Zhang ()u. Naturally, he also did not like Zhang Yao, especially since Zhang Yao resembled Liang Jin so much. Grandma, can l... can I go and see him? Zhang Yao asked tentatively.. Chapter 1984 - 1984: Be With Fang Chen Chapter 1984: Be With Fang Chen Follow the latest novels at novelhall.com The last time, Zhang Yao did not manage to meet her sweetheart because they bumped into Qiao Mei and Xia He on the way. She had to take care of Liang Jin then. However, there was no such hindrance now. She wanted to ask for permission to go out while Liang Jin was in a good mood. Liang Jin looked at Zhang Yao unhappily. The truth was that she was against Zhang Yao hanging out with that bum. Back then, if not for Gao Ming closing in on her, Liang Jin would not have made use of the situation and allow Zhang Yao to do something which belittled her own status. How could the eldest granddaughter of the Zhang family date a bum? Yao Yao, youre your fathers only child. The Zhang familys situation is quite unstable now and your father hasnt taken over all the Zhang familys assets from those illegitimate children. Its better if you dont go out and just stay by my side, Liang Jin said. Grandma! Thats not what you said back then! You clearly promised me that I can go and see him! You cant go back on your word! Zhang Yao shouted at Liang Jin. Why are you shouting! When do you call the shots in this family! Ive already chased that bum away long ago! Your current task is to find a way to be with Fang Chen as soon as possible! Didnt you find him good-looking when you saw him at the last banquet? If you can marry him, I wont restrict whatever you do in the future! Liang Jin roared. Liang Jin needed to find a capable person to work with her to take over the remaining assets of the Zhang family. In the entire Sky City, she felt that the most suitable candidate was Fang Chen. Zhang Yao had been attracted to Fang Chen for a period of time. He was handsome and talented and was the favorite of countless young ladies in Sky City. Zhang Yao had tried her best to woo him for a period of time, but to no avail. The next day, Qiao Mei and Xia He entered the Gao familys house through the same secret passage at the back of the mountain. After thinking for the entire night, she finally decided to send Gao Ming to the small town first and get Luo Yu and the others to protect Gao Ming. As for those rotten people in the Zhang family, she would slowly settle them one by one. After the family packed up everything Gao Ming needed, Da Dong and the rest put him in a wheelchair and pushed him into the Sky City airport. They did not expect to bump into Zhang Yao and her entourage there. Dont let Zhang Yao see Gao Ming. Qiao Mei immediately tilted the wheelchair to the side so that Da Dong and the others could block the wheelchair from view. However, how could Zhang Yao not see something so obvious? At the end of the day, she still felt that she had let down Gao Ming. She had always believed that Gao Ming had committed suicide because of her and she felt guilty about it. She rushed up to Qiao Mei and said, Where are you going with Brother Ming? Does Grandpa Gao know what youre doing? Is my business any of your business? Qiao Mei said calmly as she looked at Zhang Yao.. Chapter 1985 Airport Pick Up Chapter 1985 Airport Pick Up "I haven''t settled the score with you about how my grandma fainted the moment she saw you! Now you want to take Brother Ming with you! I''ll settle all the scores with you today!" Zhang Yao looked at the bodyguards behind her and shouted, "Men! Get hold of the wheelchair!" The four bodyguards behind Zhang Yao rushed up to Qiao Mei''s group. Before Da Dong and the others could even make a move, Yin Xing knocked them out on the ground before anyone could react. "Miss Pu, I have acted without your orders. My apologies," Yin Xing said as she stood beside Qiao Mei. "It''s alright. You did it to protect me. You did a good job," Qiao Mei said with a smile. "What a bunch of useless people! Why can''t you even grab one person! What''s the use of having you!" Zhang Yao stood there and shouted angrily at the people lying on the ground. Qiao Mei was about to say something when a familiar figure came into her line of sight. She stood rooted to the spot, not knowing what to do next. When Xia Zhe left back then, he told Qiao Mei that he would only be back after about a month. It was only half a month since he was gone, so why was he back so early? Furthermore, why was it that Xia Zhe did not inform her in advance? Xia Zhe was also a little surprised to see Qiao Mei at the airport, but he was even more surprised when he saw who the four men on the floor were. "Brother Fang, you''re finally back~ You don''t know how much I miss you~" Zhang Yao mustered her courage and said as she approached Xia Zhe. "All of you, come with me to the office!" the security guard said. There were too many people with Qiao Mei and it was an uphill task for all of them to make their way to the security office. The moment Xia Zhe entered the office, he took out a stack of money and placed it on the table. "Is that enough?" he said. "Yes, yes! Yes, of course!" the security guard said excitedly as he picked up the money. In the end, Zhang Yao was the only one left in the office to explain the situation to the security guards. Zhang Yao usually did not bring any money with her when she went out. The Zhang family had businesses all over Sky City. In the past, wherever Zhang Yao went, she only needed to mention that she was from the Zhang family and the stores would send the invoices to the Zhang family''s company at the end of the month. "Do you even know who I am! I''m the young lady of the Zhang family! How dare you treat me like this! Aren''t you afraid that my grandma will go after you!" Zhang Yao shouted agitatedly in the security office. The security guards did not care about what Zhang Yao was shouting about. If she did not have the money to make bail, she would have to wait here for her family members to come and pick them up. There was a price to pay for disturbing the order at the airport. Things were different at the moment. Everyone had taken notice of the Zhang family''s precarious position. The Zhang family no longer stood for ultimate power and money. On the way back, Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei took the same car. Qiao Mei stared ahead without saying anything while Xia Zhe looked at her nervously. "I... I have nothing to do with her," Xia Zhe explained nervously. "Alright," Qiao Mei said coldly. Hearing this, Xia Zhe became even more flustered. He quickly grabbed Qiao Mei''s hands and said, "I''m telling the truth. I went to those banquets because of work. I can''t reject those invitations." Chapter 1986: Suitor Chapter 1986: Suitor Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Then why does she have her eye on you? What I heard is that her sweetheart is a bum? Is the famous company president Mr. Fang of Sky City known as a bum nowadays? Qiao Mei asked. Im guessing that its Liang Jin who has forced her to come and look for me. Zhang Yao did try to pursue me a long time ago, but the whole thing lasted for less than a month. After that, she fell deeply in love with that bum and that was what caused the conflict between the Gao and Zhang families, Xia Zhe explained. Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe in shock. Da Dong tactfully raised the middle partition in the car, so that Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei could have some privacy in the backseat. The two of them had not seen each other for so long and they must have a lot to talk about. When did you start keeping tabs on the Gao family? Qiao Mei asked Xia Zhe in surprise. After you told me those stories when we were in the capital, Ive been searching for the Gao family. It was only when I came to this country that I realized that the Gao family and the Zhang family have a long-standing feud here. However, at that time, 1 was still a newbie here. I have to establish my presence first so that I can have a say in Sky City. Later on, when I heard about what happened to Gao Ming, 1 started to gather evidence against the Zhang family. Its already at the stage when I can close in on them, Xia Zhe explained. Oh 1 see. Theres something that I need you to help with, Qiao Mei said. Xia Zhe reached out and tapped the tip of Qiao Meis nose dotingly as he said, Theres no need to use the word help. You just have to tell me and Ill do it. So why is Mr. Fang here with Miss Pu at the Gao familys house? Gao Lin asked. Im Miss Pu t s suitor, Xia Zhe said calmly. Qiao Meis ears turned red from embarrassment. She did not expect Xia Zhe to say such a thing so calmly. It was an eye-opener for Da Dong and the others though. They had always thought that their boss was a blockhead who did not know how to make a girl happy! Granduncle, hes one of us. Its fine, Qiao Mei said by way of comfort. Gao Lin looked at Fang Chen and nodded. Since Qiao Mei liked this man, he would let it be for the time being. Qiao Mei was Gao Taos sole remaining bloodline. Her future husband did not need to be an outstanding person, but he must be able to protect her well. Granduncle, the Zhang family has discovered that were sending Gao Ming away, but we can still think of other solutions. Qiao Mei waved at Xia He and Xia He came over with Yin Yue and Yin Xing to send Gao Ming back to the room upstairs. Gao Lin brought Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe to the basement. Gao Lin looked at Xia Zhe hesitantly. After all, they were doing something illegal here. If Fang Chen was indiscreet and made this matter known, the Gao family would be finished. Has he said anything during this period of time? Qiao Mei asked Gao Lin. He wont say anything. Ive tried every method, Gao Lin said helplessly. Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe, who immediately understood what she meant. He took the key to the basement door and walked towards the deepest part. Qiao Mei held Gao Lins arm and said, Lets go, Granduncle. We can leave this matter to him.. Chapter 1987 I Will Treat Her Well Chapter 1987 I Will Treat Her Well "Can he do it?" Gao Lin asked doubtfully. "Yes. Trust me," Qiao Mei replied firmly. Actually, she did not know if Xia Zhe would be able to find out the truth about everything that happened back then. However, since Xia Zhe had asked her to leave this matter to him, then it meant that he would definitely handle it well. Not long after, Xia Zhe walked out of the basement with a stack of paper in his hand which contained Zhang Cheng''s confession. Zhang Chang had confessed to how he had framed the Gao family all these years, killed Gao family members and about all the different illegal stuff he did in his business. Each and every page had Zhang Cheng''s signature on it. Gao Lin took the confession and read it for a long time. Tears streamed down his face as he held onto it with trembling hands. Every word was like a knife stabbing into his heart. Every page referenced the life of a Gao family member! He rushed into the basement as if he had gone crazy, dropping the entire stack of paper on the floor. Xia Zhe picked up the pages slowly. Neither of them stopped Gao Lin. In his frame of mind just now, it was useless even if they tried to stop him. "Given his current state, do you think Zhang Cheng will die?" Qiao Mei asked. Xia Zhe waved the key in his hand and said, "I''ve already locked the door. He won''t be able to hurt Zhang Cheng since Zhang Cheng is locked up in the cage. Don''t worry, we have to let him vent his anger in some way." Gao Lin looked into Fang Chen''s eyes to see if there was any indication that Fang Chen was lying. After staring closely for a long time, he realized that Fang Chen seemed to be telling the truth. He sighed helplessly. The family''s children and grandchildren had their own lives to live. At this point, he could not stop the couple from wanting to be together. "Young man, I hope you will remain responsible for what you just said. If you let her down, I''ll settle the score with you even if I have to sacrifice these old bones of mine," Gao Lin said. "It''s a deal," Xia Zhe said to Gao Lin with a smile. The next morning, Qiao Mei woke up very early and waited downstairs. She had been feeling flustered since Xia Zhe and Gao Lin went into their shared room yesterday. She did not know if Xia Zhe would be interrogated and what would happen if his real identity was exposed! As soon as Xia Zhe came out, Qiao Mei pulled him to a corner and asked, "What did my granduncle say to you yesterday?" "Nothing much. He just told me that if I don''t treat you well, he will kill me," Xia Zhe said casually. "I hope you didn''t expose your identity!" Qiao Mei asked nervously. "Don''t worry, he doesn''t suspect anything." Xia Zhe lifted Qiao Mei''s chin and asked, "Little girl, are you worried about me or worried that our relationship will be exposed? Your granduncle said that he wanted to kill me!" "Hmph! In that case, you just need to be nicer to me and my granduncle will spare your life!" Qiao Mei said smugly. Chapter 1988: Busybody Chapter 1988: Busybody Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Since early in the morning, Zhang Cheng had been making a fuss about going to the police station to turn himself in. In the end, both he and his bodyguards were sent to the police station together. Qiao Mei did not expect this matter to be resolved so smoothly. As soon as the news of Zhang Cheng turning himself in was made public, the rest of the Zhang family members could no longer sit still. Before Liang Jin could even react, the police had already come to seize all the Zhang familys assets. Let go of me! I didnt do anything! Zhang Cheng did all those things! I dont know anything! Dont arrest me! Liang Jin shouted. We know that it has nothing to do with you, the policeman said coldly. Then why are you arresting me! Liang Jin shouted angrily. All of Zhang Chengs assets have been seized! The house youre living in is also under his name. Were just asking you to leave. After saying that, the police sealed up the entire villa. Zhang Ou was arrested and the rest of Zhang Chengs illegitimate children quickly fled the city. After all, they had all been more or less involved in Zhang Chengs dealings. Hey! Eldest Sister-in-law! What are you saying! Its your Su Rui who goes and gets herself into such big trouble! Why does my husband need to clean up your mess for you? In the end, Su Rui is the problem! Stop trying to implicate my family! Zhou Ping said disdainfully. Rubbish! If you say such things again, see if I wont rip out your tongue! Huang Tai stood up agitatedly and pointed at Zhou Pin as she roared. Zhou Pin also straightened her back and shouted indignantly, l dare you to do it! Do you think Im afraid of you! If you dare to hit me! Ill ask my husband to split up from this family! Well stay in our own lane in the future! We wont care about anything that happens to your family! I want to see who will suffer more in the future! Su Hu grabbed a random glass beside him and threw it onto the floor. The loud crash caused the entire room to fall silent. Enough! How long are you going to argue! Su Hu roared angrily. Eldest Brother, our family has already done our best. Theres really nothing we can do. Ive already delivered the news and I need to go back now. My children are coming home from school soon. Zhou Pin picked up her bag and left Su Hu t s house, leaving Su Hu and Huang Tai looking at each other. Huang Tai started crying uncontrollably. As she wept, she yelled out, My poor son! Its all Su Ruis fault, that disappointing thing! Whats going to happen to my son in the future! He might as well die! Dont talk nonsense! Our son has to live well. Every injustice has its perpetrator. Its all the Xia familys fault for being such a busybody! We must go and look for them and demand an explanation! We have to avenge our son! Su Hu said.. Chapter 1989: Causing Trouble Chapter 1989: Causing Trouble Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Su Hu used a piece of charcoal to write the words The Xia family killed my beloved daughter on a cloth banner. Both he and Huang Tai made their way to the entrance of the Xia familys neighborhood in an aggressive manner and caused a scene there. Even the reporters from the television stations in the capital were alerted to his matter. The entire Xia family was stuck at home and could not go out. Many people were waiting to watch the commotion. What should we do now? Are we going to let them waste our time? Xu Lan looked at Xia Mao and asked him. Xia Mao waved his hand indifferently and said, Let them be. An upright person will not have a crooked shadow. There are so many people who want to frame our family. If I have to take everything seriously, Ill be worried to death. Xia Wen sat at one side. He was the one who handled all these matters at home, so Xia Mao naturally did not have to worry about anything. Xia Wen had been so worried that he already had a few more strands of white hair. He did not expect the Su family to be able to find out about his familys involvement in the issue. However, given the upheaval that the Xia family members strike had caused in the military this time round, anyone who was even slightly observant would have sensed the abnormality. However, the Xia family did not regret it at all. It was worth doing this for Xia Zhe. They definitely would not let Xia Zhes life be endangered in any way because of the militarys internal problems. This matter is related to the secret mission. If they continue to kick up a fuss like this, it wont do Xia Zhe any good. In the event they find out that Xia Zhe has been away from the capital for so long and then tie this information back to their daughter, Xia Zhe will be in danger, Xia Wen said with a frown. We should report this matter to the military commission. They should be the ones going to appease the family members, Xu Lan said. So... how long do you intend to kick up a fuss here? Xia Wen asked calmly. Su Hu immediately turned around. When he saw that it was Xia Wen, he quickly stood up, pointed at Xia Wen and shouted, A life for a life! Your family killed my daughter! Someone must pay for my daughters life! Lower your voice. Were in the suburbs. No matter how loud you shout, no one will come. Moreover, the people in this neighborhood are all military personnel and theyre all my familys colleagues. Do you think theyll take the risk to come out and listen to you say such things? Xia Wen said with a mocking smile. Hmph! You think you can crush us because youre in a high position! I dont believe that theres no place for us commoners to speak up in this world! Huang Tai said indignantly. But youre not just a commoner. Im sure youve more or less heard about what your daughter did. The truth is right in front of you. Ive already helped you suppress the news from being broadcasted by the television stations. If this matter spreads and everyone finds out that your daughter committed treason, whats going to happen to your son in the future? Xia Wen asked. Su Hu and Huang Tai had never thought about this matter from this angle. They only wanted to force the Xia family to give in to them. They had thought that if the public opinion turned against the Xia family, then the Xia family would have to step in regarding Su Ruis sentence. You... dont try to scare us here! We dont believe what you say! Huang Tai roared at him hesitantly.. Chapter 1990: Protecting Younger Sister Chapter 1990: Protecting Younger Sister Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios It doesnt matter if you believe me or not. Our Xia family wont be affected by this matter. However, think carefully about what your son will have to face. After saying that, Xia Wen walked home without looking back. Su Hu and Huang Tai stood rooted to their spots in a daze. They were more worried about their son than Su Rui. If their son was ostracized in school because of this issue, the losses would outweigh the gains. The matter with the Su family was finally resolved. Not long after that, Xia Zhe returned home and it was a rare chance for the family to get together. Xu Lan asked everyone from the second sons family to gather at her house to celebrate Xia Zhes triumphant return. After dinner, Xia Wen quietly asked Xia Zhe to meet him at the rooftop. This was a secret between the two of them. When they were still in school, Xia Wen would often bring Xia Zhe to the rooftop of the school building to look at the starry sky. The two brothers would share their thoughts with each other there. Are you going to head off again soon? Xia Wen asked. l really cant hide anything from you. I have applied to the higher-ups to continue to be stationed there so that I can help to supply the country with the technology and talents that we lack, Xia Zhe said. After hesitating for a while, Xia Wen said, How much do you know about what Qiao Mei has been up to? Shes studying in Country M now. Qiao Mei returned to the villa which was located on the farmland. As soon as she entered, she saw the three children sitting on the floor and playing with one another. She had been away for so long and Xia Yue could already babble a few words now. Mama! Mama is back! Xia Fan and Xia Xing shouted as they ran over to Qiao Mei happily. Qiao Mei carried the two children and said, Do you miss Mama? Xia Yue crawled slowly towards Qiao Mei behind the two older children, still babbling something. Qiao Mei could not carry three children at the same time so she sat down on the rug with them. Tell Mama, what have you been doing at home during this period of time? Did you listen to Auntie Wang and Auntie Zhang? Qiao Mei asked. Xia Xings expression changed slightly. She seemed embarrassed as she looked at Qiao Mei and whispered, Yes, I did... Really? Qiao Mei stared into Xia Xings eyes and continued asking. Xia Fan grabbed Qiao Meis hand and said quickly, Really! Mama, were all very obedient! Look at me, see if I have grown taller~ Xia Xing quickly heaved a sigh of relief. Qiao Mei did not expose the little secret between the two siblings. She did not expect them to already know how to cover for each other at such a young age. However, it also proved that the siblings were very close and that Xia Fan already knew that as an elder brother, he needed to protect his younger sister.. Chapter 1991: We Are Relatives Chapter 1991: We Are Relatives Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios For the next few days, Qiao Mei stayed at home to do her homework. It took her a while to complete all her assignments for submission. She did not have many classes this semester and most of them were practical sessions. Qiao Mei was very confident when it came to practical sessions. She just needed to submit the results of her experimental crops by the deadline. There had been a bloodbath in Sky City and there were major changes in the business world. Xia Zhe did not annex the Yang familys assets for himself, but when he returned to the office, he found out that Qiao Mei had given him an unexpected bonus gift. The Shen familys subsidiary company and the Yang familys property had both become his assets. If he took advantage of this opportunity and took over all the Zhang familys assets as well, the title of Sky Citys richest businessman would definitely fall into Xia Zhes hands. However, Xia Zhe did not do that. He handed over all the Zhang familys companies and businesses to the Gao family. Even though he spent a lot of money to acquire the Zhang familys villa, he also gave it to the Gao family unconditionally. Gao Lin felt that Xia Zhe was like a mystery to him. He kept feeling that Xia Zhe was up to something, or perhaps Xia Zhe wanted to do them all these favors so that he could put pressure on Qiao Mei. Gao Ming did not have any siblings. After he found out that Qiao Mei was his younger cousin and was the one who saved his life, he decided to treat her like his biological younger sister. Although he admired Xia Zhe a lot, he was also worried that Xia Zhe had ulterior motives when it came to Qiao Mei. If Xia Zhe wanted the Gao family to give him Qiao Mei in return for the reinstatement of the Gao familys past glory, the Gao family would not agree even if they had to go bankrupt. Mr. Fang, why do you help us so enthusiastically? Gao Lin invited Xia Zhe to his house for a meal and posed this question to him. However, Xia Zhe told him that the news of his capture had already been disseminated to all the triad bosses. Over the years, Zhang Cheng had unethically used money to suppress and bully others. As time passed, the Zhang family had more and more enemies. As the news spread like wildfire, the Zhang familys enemies joined forces very quickly. The moment Zhang Cheng escaped into the open, he would be torn to pieces by his enemies. If he went to jail, he would only be locked up for a few years. What was most important was that he would be able to stay alive. As long as there was life, there was hope. He was very scared of dying. Zhang Chengs illegitimate children were all arrested and only Liang Jin and Liang Yao remained untouched. Qiao Mei told Xia Zhe that Liang Jin was also one of the main culprits behind Gao Taos death and that she did not want Liang Jin to be able to get away. Overnight, Liang Jins corpse was found on the street. Her clothes were disheveled and there were many wounds on her body. Her head was also chopped off and hung high up in the air. This sparked a state of panic among everyone for a while. Gao Lin was in awe of Xia Zhes methods. There were really not many businessmen who were as calculative and ruthless as him. After a few days, when Gao Ming felt much better, he prepared to go to the Gao familys office to settle some matters. However, the moment he opened the front door, a woman rushed into his arms. Gao Ming took a closer look and realized that the person in front of him was Zhang Yao. You... Why are you here? Gao Ming helped Zhang Yao to stand up straight and asked with a frown. Brother Ming! Save me! I dont want to be homeless anymore! I dont have a home now and I have nowhere to go! Please save me! Zhang Yao begged.. Chapter 1992: Revenge Chapter 1992: Revenge Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In the past, Zhang Yao was arrogant and rude. Whoever made her angry would not be able to live in peace for the rest of their lives. She always appeared in front of everyone in exquisite clothes and luxurious jewelry. Even Gao Ming used to dote on Zhang Yao and treat her like a princess. However, the woman in front of him wore tattered clothes and had only one shoe on. As she had walked a long way on the mountain roads, her feet were bleeding and it did not take long for the carpet to become stained with blood. The Gao family had already bought back all the things which they sold away in the past. They had also hired many helpers to take charge of the daily cleaning and cooking. All these helpers had experience working for the upper-class society and they knew more about the secrets of the wealthy people than anyone else. They were stunned to see Zhang Yao looking like this. One of the helpers quickly pushed a wheelchair over and asked, Young Master, do you want us to treat this ladys wounds first?Nne?w n0vel chapters are published at novelhall.com Theres no need. You can go. Throw away this carpet later and burn the suit Im wearing too, Gao Ming said disdainfully. Zhang Yao could not quite accept Gao Mings current attitude towards her. In the past, he treated her like a princess. As long as she asked him to do something for her, he would do it no matter what it took. However, the stony man in front of her was no longer the ignorant Gao Ming of the past. Gao Ming immediately turned his face away and said to the helper, Throw her out! Take her to the main street at the foot of the mountain and leave her there! The helper hurriedly picked up Zhang Yaos clothes and helped her put them back on. Then, the butler drove the helper and Zhang Yao to the city center and they dropped her off there. Not long after, they saw a group of beggars dragging her away and disappearing into the alley. Sigh... She was also such a pampered young lady back then. I never would have expected her to end up like this, the butler said as he shook his head helplessly in the car. Were working for the Gao family now and they are quite nice to us. Everyone knows what the Zhang family did to the Gao family back then. Dont say anything wrong and anger our employer, the helper said as a reminder to the butler. The butler did not say anything else and they drove back to the Gao familys house. Gao Ming returned to his room and changed into another suit. He composed himself and then set off for the office. The matter with the Zhang family could be considered to have been settled. Xia Zhe v?0te a letter to Qiao Mei to keep her updated about the Zhang familys ending. In the study at home, Qiao Mei held up the letter and said to Xia He, Now that revenge has been served, should I cook a nice meal to celebrate Why do you only think about food! I want to talk to you about expanding the farm! Xia He said helplessly. Arent we doing well currently? Why do we need to expand? Qiao Mei asked curiously.. Chapter 1993 Family Reunion Chapter 1993 Family Reunion "We have too many orders and our current supply can''t meet the demand. The best solution is to buy the empty plot of land next door and expand into it," Xia He said as she held up the map of the town. Qiao Mei studied it for a long time before saying, "The quality of the soil on that piece of land is not too bad. If we grow vegetables there, we will definitely get a good harvest. Let''s buy it. I want to use it as a vegetable farm." "Vegetable farm! Then what about my cows!" Xia He said agitatedly. "Go and play some soothing music for the cows to make them relaxed! Keep them happy and then feed them the grass which I cultivated myself. Their milk production will definitely increase! Trust me!" Qiao Mei said. This was the first time Xia He had heard the idea of playing music for cows. Was there any scientific basis for this? Then again, among all the people she knew, Qiao Mei knew the most about farming and agriculture. In addition, she was also a student in the agricultural faculty of a famous university. Perhaps these were some experimental methods she had learned at school, so Xia He decided to follow her instructions. The children climbed around the living room every day. Auntie Wang asked Butler Xu to carpet the floor of the entire room so that it was easier for the children to crawl around. Every month, Qiao Mei and Xia He could make more than 100,000 dollars from the farm. In the beginning, Auntie Wang and Auntie Zhang were paid a monthly salary that was around the same amount as the other household staff. By now, their salary had already increased to 2,000 dollars a month. Many people were clamoring to work as Qiao Mei''s helper! Xia Zhe''s eyes reddened a little. He did not expect the children to be so sensible. Before he came, he was already prepared that the children would not recognize him. He did not expect to be welcomed with such a scene. Qiao Mei came downstairs and picked up Xia Yue, saying, "Yue Yue, who is this? Is it Papa?" Xia Yue blinked and widened his big eyes. He looked at the photo that Qiao Mei showed him and then raised his head to look at the person in front of him. After confirming that it was the same person, he stretched out his hands and kept trying to reach out to Xia Zhe, wanting Xia Zhe to carry him too. Xia Zhe let Xia Xing sit on his shoulders and then carried the other two children in his arms. He made it look so effortless. "Why didn''t you tell me that you are coming back?" Qiao Mei asked as she looked at Xia Zhe. "How can it be a surprise if you know about it?" Xia Zhe said. The family of five enjoyed their time together. Based on the children''s reactions, Auntie Wang and Auntie Zhang already knew who this man was. If this person was not the children''s father, Luo Yu and Luo Hui would never have let him enter through the door. This was a scene that Qiao Mei had been waiting for. The family was gathered together in a happy reunion. She did not want the children to grow up without their father around. Chapter 1994: Valuable Items Chapter 1994: Valuable Items Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xia He was very efficient and bought that empty plot of land within a day. With their fake identities, it was much more convenient for them to do anything they wanted. When she reached home and opened the door, she saw Auntie Wang and Auntie Zhang gathering everyone together to make dumplings. It was customary to eat dumplings during a reunion. Apart from making dumplings during the new year and festive seasons, people also made dumplings when family members came home from overseas. When she saw Xia Zhe, she was too surprised to react. She stood stunned at the door for a long time before she walked in slowly. Why are you still standing there? Put down your things and come have your meal! Qiao Mei shouted. When... when did you arrive? Xia He asked as she looked at Xia Zhe confusedly. This afternoon. I didnt tell any of you in advance because it was a last-minute decision. Im going back tomorrow, Xia Zhe said. Tomorrow! So soon! Qiao Mei said in surprise. There are still a lot of things to do at the office and I cant stay away for too long, Xia Zhe said resignedly. He also wanted to stay here and accompany Qiao Meis eyes lit up. Could it be that the function of that cufflink was to bring good luck to its owner? Once she was clear about its function, then it would not be difficult for her to sever its connection with Zhang Cheng. Then whats this box? Qiao Mei asked as she knocked on the box. Xia Zhe opened the box and showed her all the jewelry and gemstones inside. When he saw all these in the Zhang familys house, he had already decided to bring them back for Qiao Mei. She would definitely be very happy to see these. Just as he expected, Qiao Mei picked up the jewelry joyously. These were all rare treasures! She did not expect Zhang Cheng to have such good taste. The craftsmanship of these jewelry was very exquisite. Perhaps Zhang Cheng was actually trying to find other jewelry which had the same ability as his cufflink. Then why was Dr. Julie, the one who worked with Bella, also in possession of the energy? Could it be that she also owned a piece of Gao Taos jewelry? If so, it would be very difficult for Qiao Mei to get the jewelry back from Dr. Julie. If she insisted on taking it back, there may be many lives lost in the process. However, Qiao Mei really wanted to gather all of Gao Taos jewelry from back then. For a moment, she was at a loss, but then she decided to leave the issue aside for now. She would think about this again when the time was right. Now was not the right time. That night, Xia Zhe slept in the room with the children and he left the small town early the next morning. He promised Qiao Mei that he would come again when he had some free time. The weather in the town had been quite good so Qiao Mei rolled up her sleeves and started to work on the new plot of land which Xia He bought. There was no need for anyone to plow the land manually here. Everything was done using machines.. Chapter 1995: Visiting My Younger Sister Chapter 1995: Visiting My Younger Sister Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei looked at the machines and fell into deep thought. If she was able to bring these machines back to her home country, she would not need to hire so many people. However, now was still not the right time to do so. At the moment, most people in their home country were employed in manual work. If they brought such machines back, a large number of people would be laid off and that would in turn affect many families. It was better to find out more about how the machines work and develop their own version after returning home. This way, they could save costs and at the same time, create jobs for those researchers. The land was plowed very quickly and Qiao Mei planted the seeds slowly. She especially liked doing this. Whenever she was in the field, she always felt an unprecedented sense of relaxation and joy. The three children also ran over to the field to help Qiao Mei. They seemed to be very familiar with this chore and they copied what Qiao Mei did. Xia Fan dug small holes and Xia Xing threw the seeds into the holes. As for Xia Yue, he followed behind his older siblings and covered the holes with soil. Qiao Mei would occasionally turn around to take a look at what the children were doing. It did not matter if they got their clothes dirty and messy. Children could not be too pampered, otherwise they would grow up to be like flowers in a greenhouse, i.e. easily destroyed by bad weather. There were suddenly the sounds of an argument coming from afar. Qiao Mei stood up and looked towards the direction of the farms main gate. It sounded like Luo Yu had gotten into an argument with someone. Sister Wang! Sister Zhang! Bring the children into the house! Ill go and see whats going on! Qiao Mei said into the walkie-talkie. You... Me... These children... Gao Ming said incoherently. Erm... Qiao Mei was still thinking about how to explain it to him. Should she tell Gao Ming that the childrens father was already dead? However, it would sound like she was cursing Xia Zhe, so she decided not to say that. Hello, uncle. Xia Fan and Xia Xing stood up and greeted Gao Ming. This was something which Qiao Mei had instilled in them. She told them that young children must be polite and should take the initiative to bow and greet their elders. Hello, children. Gao Ming tried to search among his things for any presents that he could give to these children, but he could not find anything suitable. Big Brother, theyre indeed my children. Ill explain these things to you later. You can go to your room and freshen up first, Qiao Mei said. l have come to talk to you about Fang Chen, but I never expected to see this. This has really... caught me by surprise, Gao Ming said. Qiao Mei brought Gao Ming to the guest room and settled him down first. She needed some time to think about how to make up a story that would sound credible. When Xia He reached home and saw Gao Ming, she acknowledged him politely. Then, she quickly went over to Qiao Mei and asked softly, Why is he here? Im not too sure either. I will have to improvise as I go along. I havent thought about how to explain the situation regarding the children. Wait for my cue, Qiao Mei said in a low voice.. Chapter 1996: Dumplings Chapter 1996: Dumplings Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xia He nodded in understanding. That night, Auntie Wang cooked many dishes, including dumplings. Gao Ming had grown up in Country M, but there was a period of time when he returned to Hu City for two or three years. Ever since then, he could no longer get used to the food in Country M and had a craving for food from his hometown. When Gao Ming took his first bite of the dumplings, tears welled up in his eyes. It had been a long time since he had the taste of home. This is so delicious! Gao Ming said excitedly. If its delicious, then eat more. This is Sister Wangs signature dish! The dumplings she makes are especially delicious and have the taste of our hometown. The last time she made this, the other employees at the farm ate some as well and they all said it was nice, Qiao Mei said. In Sky City, Gao Ming had always been in the food and beverage business. He really wanted to open a restaurant serving traditional food from his hometown. He felt that it would meet the needs of his fellow countrymen and also be acceptable to the people of Country M. Are all the farm employees from our home country? Gao Ming asked perceptively. No, most of them are locals, Xia He replied. Gao Ming thought for a long time and said, Is there any special method to make these dumplings? Or any secret recipe? Ive been doing it the same way all these years. Perhaps the proportion of my ingredients is different from what other people do, Auntie Wang said after thinking for a long time. l guess you can say that. Business hasnt been very good recently. If these dumplings end up being popular with the locals, it can only be a good thing. When the time comes, we can create our own brand and market it widely, Gao Ming said excitedly. Why dont we give it a try in this small town first? Qiao Mei said. Its not that easy to open a shop selling food. There is a long process and it takes a long time. This is not something that can be done quickly, Gao Ming said with a sigh. l have a friend who runs a snack shop. Why dont we give it a try at her place? If it works out, we can think about how we want to expand the business in the future. If not, then it doesnt matter, Qiao Mei said. Really? Thats great! Then well have to trouble Sister Wang to teach us how to make dumplings, Gao Ming said. Well do it tomorrow, Qiao Mei said. The next day, Butler Xu and Luo Yu went to the town center to buy a lot of flour, oil and seasonings, as well as some huge cooking pots. These were all essential items if they wanted to run a business. Qiao Mei drove Gao Ming to Alices shop. Alice had already returned from her vacation. She was currently running the shop together with her child. Hi! Long time no see! Alice greeted Qiao Mei happily. Alice, how was your trip? Didnt you say you wanted to take a good break? Why are you back so soon? Qiao Mei asked.. Chapter 1997 Make Use of the Shop Chapter 1997 Make Use of the Shop "Thanks to you, our family is doing very well financially now. I want to bring my kid out for a holiday, so we''re going on a family trip! This is the first time I''ve seen this gentleman. Is he your relative? The two of you share some resemblance," Alice said as she sized up Gao Ming curiously. Qiao Mei was a little surprised. This was the first time someone had said that she and Gao Ming looked alive! Qiao Mei had alway been very curious about whether she and Gao Ming shared any similar features, but she had never been able to tell. It seemed that the onlookers would always have a clearer view of things. "Indeed, he''s my cousin. Alice, I have come by today because I have something to discuss with you," Qiao Mei said. "Do you have some new ideas? Or do you already have a new product?" Alice asked expectantly. "We do have a new product, but we want to test the market first. Do you think I can sell it in your shop?" Qiao Mei asked. Alice was a little hesitant. After all, they had already planned for the family trip. If they delayed it because of Qiao Mei''s suggestion, they would miss out on the best season to travel. Then they would have to wait until next year. "I''m sorry, my dear. We might not be able to stay and help you with this," Alice said awkwardly. Qiao Mei immediately said, "We have sufficient manpower and we think our product is good. It''s just that it''s too cumbersome to apply for a food license, so I want to make use of your shop and try selling it for a period of time. You can name your price!" By 10 in the morning, they had made 6,000 dumplings. Qiao Mei started to cook the dumplings in the pot and the fragrance quickly spread outside. Many people began to search for the source of the delicious smell. "Eh? What are you selling now? I remember that this used to be a snack shop? Are you the new owner?" a woman stood outside the door and asked curiously. "Hello! We''re selling dumplings! Are you interested in trying some?" Qiao Mei greeted the woman warmly. These dumplings were the most basic type made with cabbage and pork filling. The cabbages and pork came from their own farm, so the cost was relatively low. Soon, the entrance of the shop was chock full of people. Most shops served dine-in customers, but Qiao Mei did not intend to do that. Alice''s shop could only accommodate a limited number of customers. It was better for them to do takeaways rather than dine-in. She operated it like a fast food kiosk, where everyone could eat standing up or bring the food home. Time passed quickly and all the dumplings in the shop were sold out very quickly. Even though there was still a long queue, Qiao Mei did not intend to make more. She wanted to engage in hunger marketing so that these people would look forward to coming again tomorrow. The family returned home exhausted. Xia Fan and Xia Xing seemed to know that everyone was very busy with work. The two of them took care of Xia Yue and played with him. The three children were very obedient in the house. The new helper said that she had never seen such obedient children. "I really can''t take it anymore... I just want to lie down on the bed and rest..." Xia He said as she massaged her shoulders. Chapter 1998: Limited Supply Chapter 1998: Limited Supply Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Me too... I never expected this job to be so tough. My arms feel like theyre going to break after just one day, Gao Ming said wearily. Qiao Mei held up the money box and said, Arent you curious about how much money we made? Let me do it! At the mention of money, Xia He immediately perked up. She took the box and counted the money carefully. Everyones eyes were on Xia He. After two minutes, Xia He said in shock, Oh my goodness! We made 8,000 dollars! What! How can it be so much! Auntie Wang said excitedly. After deducting the cost of ingredients and Alices commission, as well as labor fees, they had made a net profit of at least 7,000 dollars today. Moreover, they were sold out by the afternoon. This meant that they could make at least 210,000 dollars a month! Gao Ming could not believe his ears. This was an astonishing amount of money. He had never even made so much money from his business in Sky City. It was already good enough if he did not lose money. We can open chain stores after a while! Were going to be rich! Gao Ming said. But we cant let others know our secret recipe! Xia He said with a troubled expression. Gao Ming remained silent. He was born in Country M and did not have the same kind of feelings for Hu City. However, he completely understood where Qiao Mei was coming from. At the end of the day, everyone would want to return to where they came from. How about this! When we make money, well split it 30-70! Ill take 30% and you take 70%! We can discuss the details later! Gao Ming said. Qiao Mei had thought that Gao Ming would suggest splitting the profits 50-50. She did not expect him to be so willing to give them such a big cut. Qiao Mei did not really care about this income stream. She had already handed the farm over to Xia He. The two of them could finalize the details themselves. However, the 30-70 split which Gao Ming had mentioned was definitely not the way to go. After discussing what they needed to replenish tomorrow, everyone went to their rooms to rest. Qiao Mei had agreed to give Auntie Wang and the rest a cut of the profits. They would make 10 cents for each dumpling they made, which meant 100 dumplings were worth 10 dollars! Auntie Wang made them so fast that she could produce 2,000 dumplings a day and earn an additional 200 dollars a day! Everyone was inspired to work even harder! The next day, even before the shop opened, there was already a long queue at the door. Everyone had woken up early to get in line. Everyone, youre really too early! We only open at 10! How about this, Ill give out number tags to everyone. Were only selling 600 portions a day! You can come and collect your order using the number tag! Qiao Mei shouted. Thats really too little! Can you sell more! Your dumplings are really too delicious! someone in the queue shouted. We have limited manpower and we cant make so many! Im really sorry! Tomorrow! Well sell another 100 portions tomorrow! Qiao Mei shouted.. Chapter 1999: The Gao Family’s Frozen Dumplings Chapter 1999: The Gao Familys Frozen Dumplings Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Within less than an hour after the dumplings were cooked, all 600 portions were sold out. Many people clamored to pay in advance for a portion tomorrow, even if it meant paying a higher price. Gao Ming looked at the enthusiastic customers outside and smiled so widely that he could barely close his mouth. This was the first time he had encountered such a thing in his many years in the food business. After they returned home that day, Gao Ming immediately decided to ask Gao Lin for 300,000 dollars to build a factory in the small town. There was a limit to the amount of money they could make from making dumplings by hand. If he could produce them using machines, he would be able to make a lot of money in less than a year and could even surpass Xia Zhe in achievements! Are you really going to stay and do business here? Dont you plan to return to Sky City? Qiao Mei asked. Yes, the town already has a fixed customer base. Now is a good time to build on this foundation. Soon, the news of our delicious dumplings will spread to every family. By then, we only need to sell 500 portions in the shop every day. Once the factory is up and running, we can launch our frozen dumplings for sale! Gao Ming said. Seeing the determination in Gao Mings eyes, Qiao Mei decided to let him do whatever he wanted. Within two days, Gao Ming had already chosen a location for the factory. It was very close to Qiao Meis farm so that it would be easier for them to transport the raw ingredients. For the next month, Qiao Mei did not see Gao Ming around at all. The Gao familys frozen dumplings were soon officially launched for sale in the small town! In the beginning, everyone looked at the frozen dumplings suspiciously. Would it taste the same as what they bought at the shop even if they cooked it at home themselves? As time passed, everyone gradually accepted the Gao familys frozen dumplings. These frozen dumplings could be found in all the major supermarkets. Gao Ming even set up counters in supermarkets and bought shops on streets with high traffic, specializing in selling the Gao familys frozen dumplings so that everyone could have access to them at any time. Xia He looked at the data report in her hand and lamented, Are all your family members so good at doing business? Look at your cousins statement of accounts for this month. It looks so much better than the first months statement of accounts for our farm! If this continues, your cousin is going to make more money than us. Qiao Mei laughed and said, Doesnt Xia Zhe run a very big business too? And hes your biological younger brother! He only started to do this after he met you. Sigh... I have to work hard to earn money. When I have enough money, I want to travel around the world! I want to go with Deng Fan! Xia He said agitatedly. Hows everything at home recently? Do you call them often? Qiao Mei asked. Not really, but I stay in touch with Deng Fan every day. Your factory is now one of the countrys key partners! Eldest Brother and Qiane have already signed a collaboration agreement. Deng Fan says that Grandpa Qiao is in good health. Also, a man has been wooing your mother recently, but your mother is not interested, Xia He said after a long pause..Nne?w n0vel chapters are published at novelhall.com Chapter 2000: Spot Check Chapter 2000: Spot Check Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios What? Theres such a thing? Why is it that no one told me about it when 1 called back? Qiao Mei asked as she looked at Xia He in shock. Its probably because Auntie doesnt want you to worry. Our families stay so near one another and Deng Fan goes to your place to freeload on dinner nowadays. He also plays chess with Grandpa Qiao, so dont worry, Xia He said. All the courtyard houses which the Xia family members bought had already been renovated. All the Xia family members had moved into their own courtyard houses and they were all only a few steps away. They gathered together often and would have a meetup every weekend where everyone would make the effort to turn up. Xu Lan had even acknowledged Qiane as her goddaughter! The man who was wooing Li Gui was one of the factorys business partners. For a period of time, Qiane was in charge of expanding their business in the south and had gone away on a business trip. Li Gui had to handle all the matters in the factory then. It was during this time that they met each other and it was said that he fell for her at first sight. Qiao Mei did not care about any of this as long as this man treated Li Gui well. What was important was that Li Gui must like the man too. She was an independent adult and had the right to decide on her own marriage. Recently, Qiao Mei had been busy with her schoolwork and was very focused on her studies. Her results were not very outstanding in school and she made sure that she simply finished all her assignments without doing any extra work. She was worried that if her results were too outstanding, the agricultural university in Country M would not let her leave. She had no interest in doing academic research. Granduncle, why didnt you tell me in advance that you are coming here so that I can arrange for someone to pick you up, Qiao Mei said warmly. Little girl, are you hiding something from me? Gao Lin asked as he looked at Qiao Mei dotingly. Qiao Mei scratched her head in embarrassment and said, There are indeed some things that I have hidden from Granduncle, but I have no choice. My real name is Qiao Mei and Pu Nan is just an alias I used when I went to Sky City. At that time, I went to the casino secretly and had a run in with the young master of the Yang family. I was worried about him looking into my background, so I made up a name. l see. Then what about the children? Gao Lin then asked. She did not expect Gao Ming to have told Gao Lin about this. Qiao Mei said hesitantly, The children... the children are indeed mine. As for their father... As Qiao Mei spoke, she wiped the corners of her eyes and said sadly, l feel sad every time this issue is mentioned. Seeing this, Gao Lin quickly said, Its fine, its fine! Granduncle wont ask about it anymore! Lets not cry on such a good day! Lets just live well in the future! Qiao Mei apologized to Xia Zhe a hundred times in her heart. She did not want to do this, but in order to hide Xia Zhes true identity and his mission, she had no choice. At night, everyone gathered together. Gao Lin knew that Qiao Mei had many secrets and he did not want to pry into her private matters. When Qiao Mei was ready to tell him the truth, she would naturally do so. Most importantly, Qiao Mei was his elder sisters flesh and blood and was a member of his family.. Chapter 2001: A New Great-grandfather Chapter 2001: A New Great-grandfather Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Grandfather, did you catch a glimpse of my office on your way here? The office building is much bigger than the one we have in Sky City! Gao Ming said proudly. l read about it in the newspaper. The business is so big that youre also well-known in Sky City. Gao Long wanted to come along on this trip, but hes very busy at the office and cant leave for the moment. He asked me to send his regards and to bring you gifts. After saying that, Gao Lin took out two long brocade boxes from his bag. The items in the two long brocade boxes were the same, both pearl necklaces. Such perfectly round pearls were really rare and it must have taken a lot of effort to find so many of them to string together. The value of these necklaces was immeasurable! One for you and one for Xia He, Gao Lin said. Thank you, Old Master Gao, Xia He said politely as she took the long brocade box. You can just address me as Granduncle like Qiao Mei. Were all family, Gao Lin said. Xia He smiled and nodded. After thinking for a long time, Gao Ming finally made up his mind and asked, Grandfather, can you stay here for a longer penoa or time( ?crus way, you can take a goocl 100K at my company ana guide me along. Im your mothers granduncle. I guess you should address me as great-grandpa, Gao Lin said gently. Great-grandpa... But I already have a great-grandpa at home, Xia Xing said as she looked at Qiao Mei. Xia Xing was referring to Xia Jun. Qiao Mei picked Xia Xing up and explained, He is your maternal great-granduncle. The correct form of address is very cumbersome. Why dont you just call him Great-grandpa Gao? Alright! I have another great-grandpa now! Thats great! Xia Xing said as she clapped her hands happily. Xia Fan blinked and clapped along with Xia Xing. Auntie Zhang went upstairs to carry Xia Yue down. It was time for the children to eat some solid food. After Xia Fan and Xia Xing greeted everyone, they went to have their meal. Gao Lin stared for a long time even after the children had left and could not come back to his senses. He seemed to be able to see himself and Gao Tao when they were young. The two of them also used to go around hand-in-hand. Gao Lin and Gao Ming were indeed from the same family. Within two days, Gao Lin had already bought a mansion in the town center. He also bought the house next door for Qiao Mei. It was very cold in the suburbs during winter, so it would be better for the children to live in the town center during that season. Xia He looked at the map of the town in her hand and hesitated. She sighed and said, Do you think I should buy the house next to yours? But were leaving at the end of next year, so why would I need a house here? It will only be left vacant here! You have bought so many houses in the capital and you wont be able to stay in all of them either, but didnt you still buy them? Besides, although we dont live here, we can still come for visits, Qiao Mei said.. Chapter 2002: Died in Prison Chapter 2002: Died in Prison Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Thats true! The farm is still here! Ive also invested in Gao Mings company! The property will also give me profits every year! I cant give up such a good chance to make money! Ill go and buy the house now! Xia He said excitedly. Xia He immediately bought the mansion next to Qiao Meis mansion in the town center. This way, they would be neighbors no matter where they lived.Nne?w n0vel chapters are published at novelhall.come flew by and in the blink of an eye, Qiao Mei was about to graduate. During this year, Gao Ming had opened six subsidiary companies in other cities one after another. The Gao familys frozen dumplings business was getting bigger and bigger and Gao Ming began to try making other types of frozen foodstuffs. Xia He also bought another three farms. All of them made a lot of money. Xia Zhe was very busy with his business as well as his missions in Sky City. Whenever he was free, he would come to the small town to spend a few days with Qiao Mei. The two of them still spent less time together than apart, but they did not find it a chore. After all, they could be together officially soon! Auntie Wang and Auntie Zhang had already started to pack up for Qiao Mei and the others. They were going to bring the children back to the capital soon. The Xia family already knew about this and they had long made preparations for this day. Grandfather, do we want to go back and take a look too? Gao Ming asked. Gao Lin fell silent. Where could they go even if they went back? The Gao familys house had long been sold off. If they went back now, they would not even have a place to stay. They did not even have any more relatives there. However, he felt like going back to take a look at his hometown. More than anything, he wanted to visit Gao Taos grave and tell her about what had happened to the Gao family all these years. Hey! Did something happen in Sky City! Qiao Mei asked. How do you know? Zhang Cheng died in prison, Xia Zhe said. She did not expect Zhang Cheng to really be dead... However, he was under strict supervision in prison. How could he have died? Before Qiao Mei could ask, Xia Zhe told her what had happened. I also thought that Zhang Cheng would not die in prison, but I didnt expect his enemy to deliberately commit a crime and go to jail with the goal of killing Zhang Cheng. Zhang Yao was also abused to death by those vagrants. The Zhang familys illegitimate children were all hunted down when they were on the run. There is no one left in the Zhang family, Xia Zhe said calmly. The speaker volume was very loud and everyone in the living room could hear what Xia Zhe said. Gao Lin sat on the sofa and let out a long sigh. Zhang Cheng was finally dead and the many poor souls of the Gao family had finally been avenged. Qiao Mei did not know how to comfort Gao Lin. He smiled faintly and said, Young girl, this is a good thing! We should celebrate! Thats right! Lets hold a big party tonight! Well ask all the neighbors to come! Consider it a send-off for us! Qiao Mei said. They served many dishes at the banquet and there were many types of cuisine, Every family also brought their signature dishes and everyone had a good time singing and dancing.. Chapter 2003: Returning to the Capital Chapter 2003: Returning to the Capital Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Once everything was ready, the family set off in an orderly manner and took a flight back to the capital. Along the way, the three children did not cry or make a fuss. They leaned against the window curiously and kept looking out. When they made the trip to Country M, they had slept all the way due to the time difference. After disembarking, Qiao Mei saw the Xia family members standing in a neat row at the arrival gate. This time, even Xia You had come along to pick Qiao Mei up. However, Qiao Mei also discovered an uninvited guest among the big group of people, Kong Lu was hiding in the crowd behind the Xia family members. Xia He only had eyes for Deng Fan and did not notice him at all. Kong Lu did not seem to have any intention of coming forward to greet Xia He. Qiao Mei kept quiet and pretended not to see him. She would discuss countermeasures with Xia He when they had some time later. Mother and Mom! Were bacl+ Qiao Mei ran over to Xu Lan and Li Gui and said sweetly. The two older women had tears in their eyes. They had not seen Qiao Mei for two years. Xu Lan pretended to reprimand her and said, You! When you left back then, you said that you would come back every summer and winter break. But look at you, you didnt even come back even once in the past two years! You dont know how much we miss you! Qiao Mei quickly wiped the tears off Xu Lans face and said, Im really too busy with work over there. Im sorry~ Mother, dont be angry with me. The big group made their way to the parking lot in a grand manner. At first, Gao Lin and Gao Ming thought that Qiao Meis family was just a typical wealthy family who lived in the villa area in the capital. They were already mentally prepared for it. However, as they passed by several sentry posts and finally stopped in front of the courtyard house, Gao Lin and Gao Ming were completely stunned. They did not expect Qiao Meis family to be this wealthy and powerful. For a moment, the two men were at a loss. Hey, you havent told me whats going on with those two people. Why havent I heard you talk about them before? Xia Wen stood beside Qiao Mei and asked curiously. Many of Xia Zhes assets and goods had to be transported back with Xia Wens help, so Xia Wen was kept updated on part of what was happening overseas. He already knew that Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe had reunited in Country M, but they had an unspoken mutual understanding and did not talk about this. Its scary stuff. Once 1 start, I can talk for a day and a night. However, I can tell you that theyre my relatives and theyre not imposters, Qiao Mei said firmly. Since Qiao Mei had already given Xia Wen a guarantee, he did not continue to ask questions. Wheres Sister-in-law? Why isnt she here today? Qiao Mei asked. Shes pregnant and is resting at home now. It hasnt been three months and the pregnancy isnt stable yet. Mother is too worried to let her come out and walk around, so shes not here today. She has asked me to send her apologies, Xia Wen explained. Really? Shes pregnant! That means my three naughty monkeys will have a playmate soon, Qiao Mei said happily.. Chapter 2004: Followed From the Airport Chapter 2004: Followed From the Airport Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Those three children of yours are so sensible. In addition, they have inherited good looks and the smarts from the two of you. In the beginning, Im still looking forward to seeing what the child will look like. Later on, I feel that it doesnt matter since I will love the child anyway, Xia Wen said with a smile. Xia Wen did not have any children of his own despite being married for so many years in the past. Now that MO Zhu was pregnant, Wen Jing was furious. The rumors about Xia Wen being infertile had been proven untrue. Everyone was just waiting to see the Huang family make a fool of themselves! Feng Hua and Xu Kang had already prepared a table full of dishes at home, all of which were the favorite dishes of Qiao Mei and Xia He. The two of them had also made many types of food for the young children. They had not seen all of them for two years and did not know if the childrens tastes had changed. It was always good to prepare more. Sister Feng! Sister Xu! Im back! Qiao Mei shouted happily as she stepped into the courtyard. Feng Hua went forward excitedly and hugged Qiao Mei. Youre finally back! I miss you so much! Xu Kang and I have made you a lot of clothes and shoes. Weve put aside a lot of things over the past two years! Then I have to give them all a try later! Qiao Mei said happily. No, Im sure he was there for you. He never took his eyes off you. He even followed us for quite a long way after we left the airport, Qiao Mei said sternly. By now, Xia He had realized the severity of the matter. She stopped being so unbothered and looked at Qiao Mei earnestly. Why is he doing this? Can it be that he has been bribed to come and steal something from the Xia family? Qiao Mei held her forehead helplessly. This was the first time she felt that Xia Hes thoughts were a little wild and out of touch with reality. She said, Can it be that he wants to get back with you? Maybe he still has feelings for you. Too little too late. Whats there for him to think about? Its not like I will get back together with him. My life now is so fulfilling. Theres no need for me to go down that path again, Xia He said. Im just worried that he may do something. Remember to explain this matter clearly to Deng Fan. There should not be any secrets between husband and wife, Qiao Mei reminded her. Alright, Ill take your advice. Deng Fan and I will think of a way to deal with this matter together. Dont worry, rest early. We had flown for one whole day! After saying that, Xia He went home with Deng Fan. Seeing that her siblings all had their own children, Xia He was feeling a little anxious. Kong Lu returned to his house in the capital dejectedly. He was indeed here on official business this time. During the past few years, he had performed well in his job and was transferred back to the capital from the border post. His workplace unit had also allocated him a house. Old Madam Kong and Kong Li had also come to the capital to enjoy life. He had thought that he would be able to see Xia He again. He did not expect to hear that Xia He had gotten married a long time ago and had even gone overseas to further her studies. After Xia He left him, she became even more beautiful and attractive. She looked like a young girl in her early 20s and her dressing had become much more elegant and luxurious. When Deng Fan and Xia He stood together, they really looked like a perfect match.. Chapter 2005: You Can Get a Divorce Even if You Are Married Chapter 2005: You Can Get a Divorce Even if You Are Married Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Why do you look so dejected? Didnt I ask you to go and look for Xia He today? How did it go? Old Madam Kong asked unhappily. I didnt get to see her, Kong Lu replied softly. He only wanted to return to his room to have some peace and quiet and did not want to answer any of Old Madam Kongs questions. You didnt get to see her? Why not! I made use of so many connections before finding out that Xia He is flying back today! Do you know how much money 1 spent! You useless thing! Now that you have missed this chance, you wont get another one! Old Madam Kong shouted agitatedly. Shes already married! What can I do! Kong Lu said. So what if shes married? Cant she get a divorce even if she is married? She was so fond of you back then that she even left her family for you! As long as you admit your mistake in a proper manner, she will definitely come back to you! Old Madam Kong said. Kong Lu smiled mockingly and said, Back when the two of us got a divorce, was it because of me or you? How can you talk to me like that! Im your mother! Wasnt I just trying to teach her how to be a good wife back then? What did I do wrong! Cant a mother-in-law teach her daughter-in-law a lesson? What kind of logic is this! Youre so disappointing! If not for you, Xia He wouldnt have left! Old Madam Kong said angrily. Kong Lu did not reply. He also needed to take responsibility for what happened back then and could not just blame it all on his mother and younger sister. If he had not ignored everything that was going on and did not empathize with Xia He, why would the two of them get a divorce? The Xia familys secret guard came into Xia Hes living room from the back door and whispered, Miss Xia He, theres a man sneaking around outside the door. Hes wearing the uniform of Unit 1783 and it looks like hes from the military. Xia He immediately knew that the person outside was Kong Lu. She did not expect him to really come around. If he doesnt take the initiative to come to the door, then dont worry about it. Let him be, Xia He said. Sure. After saying that, the Xia familys secret guard returned to his original position to keep an eye on the surroundings. Kong Lu looked at the time. It was almost time for work. He looked at the door reluctantly for a long time before leaving. Deng Fan was well aware of this. Before Qiao Mei left, she put the Xia family in touch with Yao Nian. If they wanted to know anything, they could ask Yao Nian to work on it. Qiao Mei would settle the payment with him once a month. Deng Fan did not know much about Kong Lu, but he had full confidence in Xia He. He knew that Xia He was not the kind of woman who was fickle-minded. Since she had cut off all contact with Kong Lu, then she must have cut off all ties with him. Do you have time? I want to talk to you about some recent events, Xia He said as she looked at Deng Fan. Deng Fan pulled Xia He into his arms and said tenderly, l know what you want to say. I dont care about anything. I only care about you. You can do whatever you want. Ill always support you.. Chapter 2006: A Happy Life Chapter 2006: A Happy Life Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Really? I didnt take the time to tell you about my past. Its my fault. Ive been looking for an opportunity to talk to you, Xia He said as she looked at Deng Fan guiltily. You and I have our future ahead of us. Why do I need to know about your past? Its not as if I need to go back in time with you? The person I like is you, the one who is here and the person you are now. Dont think too much. Just do whatever makes you happy and Ill take care of the rest, Deng Fan said. Alright, its a deal. You cant leave this world before me! Xia He said with a smile. I promise you that I will accompany you until we grow old, Deng Fan said blissfully. At night, when Kong Lu got off work, he passed by Xia Hes house again. This time, he stood in front of Xia Hes house for a long time. Just as he was about to leave, he bumped into Xia He, who had just returned from having dinner at Qiao Meis house. The two of them just stood facing each other and neither one took the initiative to speak. Xia He shook her head and sighed resignedly before she said, You need something? No... I just... just passed by here after work, Kong Lu whispered. I know what you have been doing over the past few days. I think we should talk. From the looks of it, you probably havent had your meal yet. Lets go to the small restaurant nearby to have a chat, Xia He said. Kong Lu laughed self-deprecatingly. How could he have forgotten the Xia familys reach? He had actually thought that he would not attract any attention if he just came by to take a look for a few days. He was just fooling himself. These were the things which Kong Lu could not give Xia He back then, and also the reason why their marriage ended up a failure. Its good that youre doing well, Kong Lu said with some difficulty. He had thought that if Xia He was unhappy in her current situation, then he would try his best to ask her to return to his side. However, looking at Xia He now, it was as if she had become a completely different person. He was too embarrassed to even raise the topic. Yes, you too, Xia He said. Kong Lu was very quiet during the meal. The two of them sat opposite each other and did not talk. When Kong Lu was done with his meal, they said goodbye to each other and went back to their own homes. Xia He walked home slowly. She tried to recall those things in the past, but she realized that all she could remember was how nice Deng Fan was to her and those happy moments she shared with Deng Fan. She could no longer remember much of those nasty things that happened in the Kong family back then. Under the moonlight, Xia He spotted Deng Fan standing at the main door of the house, waiting for her to get home. She did not even realize that she had started running and she rushed into Deng Fans arms. Deng Fan reached out and swooped her up in a bridal carry. Why are you acting like a child? What if you trip and fall? Deng Fan asked as he looked at Xia He dotingly. Youre here, arent you? With you around, how will I get injured? Xia He said. My goodness you. Come, lets go home! With that, Deng Fan carried Xia He into the house.. Chapter 2007: Refuse to Meet Chapter 2007: Refuse to Meet Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Kong Lu would still occasionally pass by Xia Hes house to take a look on his way to or from work. However, he did not do anything except stare at the house. The road outside did not belong to the Xia family and did not have Xia Hes name on it. So long as Kong Lu did not do anything drastic, Xia He just let him do whatever he wanted. As long as it did not affect Deng Fan, she could tolerate anything. However, her blissful days did not last long. One day, Old Madam Kong and Kong Li tailed Kong Lu to find out where Xia He lived. The two of them thought that Kong Lu had been going to the military compound district to look for Xia He, but they did not expect him to take a very different route. Xia He had moved to a new house! Look at that! What a big house! I wonder how much she paid for it! Kong Li said excitedly as she touched the outer wall of Xia Hes house. I remember that Xia Hes younger brother and sister-in-law also lived in a big house like this! Its big enough to accommodate our entire family! Old Madam Kong said as she looked greedily at the main door. It was all her fault for being so blind. She did not expect Xia He to be so capable. If she had known that Xia He was so rich, she would not have allowed Xia He and Kong Lu to get a divorce even if she had to be Xia Hes slave for a period of time! Mom, how can we get in? My elder brother isnt around, so its probably not nice for us to barge in, Kong Li said. Why are you exactly like that good-for-nothing brother of yours! What a useless thing! Your brother didnt bother to listen to me at all. He cant bring himself to beg Xia He to come back to him. Ill go and do what he doesnt dare to do! Old Madam Kong rushed to the main door of Xia Hes house without another word. Murder! The Xia family wants to commit murder! Youre trying to kill an old woman! Everyone, come and take a look! Please be the judge of this! The Xia family is the one whos unreasonable and yet they want to kill me! Old Madam Kong said as she lay on the road. Seeing this, Kong Li hurried over to Old Madam Kongs side and said, Im going to tell all the reporters! Petition to put your name on a poster! Im going to tell them that you bully the common people! Xia He rolled up her sleeves and was about to rush out from the living room to argue with Old Madam Kong. Qiao Mei gave Xia He a look and indicated that Xia He should turn back. She turned around and looked at Old Madam Kong, saying, Stop yelling and come in with me. Old Madam Kong immediately got up and patted the dirt off herself. She and Kong Li followed closely behind Qiao Mei. As soon as they entered, they were stunned by the design of the house. They had never seen such a nice house before. Look at how grand this house is. Your second brother can take this room, your third brother can take that room, and Ill take this one! You can take that one! Old Madam Kong grabbed Kong Li t s hand and muttered excitedly. Sure! Kong Li said. Qiao Mei and Xia He sat in the master seats in the living room. The two of them looked impatiently at the two people standing in the middle of the living room. Old Madam Kong tried to take the opportunity to kneel on the ground as she said aggrievedly, Xia He! Its all my fault! What happened between you and Kong Lu was all a misunderstanding. The biggest problem here is me. I caused the two of you to split up! Im so sorry! Luo Yu reacted quickly and pulled Old Madam Kong up. Old Madam Kong had never intended to kneel for long. She just wanted to put on a show for Xia He.. Chapter 2008: Kneel Down to Plead for Mercy Chapter 2008: Kneel Down to Plead for Mercy Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Youre an elder. If you kneel to us, youll take years off our lives. If you have something to say, you can say it while standing, Qiao Mei said to Old Madam Kong. Even if they did not allow Old Madam Kong to kneel, they had no reason to stop Kong Li. She was the same age as the two of them and they could not apply this logic to her. Old Madam Kong quickly gave Kong Li a look and Kong Li knelt down unwillingly. Qiao Mei and Xia He were both a little shocked to see Kong Li do this. Back then, Kong Li had walked into Xia Fangs house so arrogantly and could not even accept the slightest inconveniences. If she was willing to kneel down right now, it meant that Old Madam Kong had indeed put her mind to get what she wanted this time round. However, Kong Li was not doing this for anyone else! She was doing it for herself! She had already reached marriageable age. Recently, Old Madam Kong had been thinking about marrying her off and wanted to find her a man who could give the family a lot of betrothal gifts. It did not matter to Old Madam Kong the kind of job he had, what he looked like or even if he was an old man. Old Madam Kong would agree to the marriage so long as he could give them a lot of betrothal gifts. Kong Lis life had been smooth- sailing for a long time. After living such a comfortable life for so long, she did not want to suffer after marriage. She also wanted to be like Qiao Mei and marry into a wealthy family to become a rich wife! As long as Xia He changed her mind and returned to their family, Xia Hes money would belong to them. If so, she would have an even better life than before! She would also be able to live in a house as big as Xia Hes house! For the sake of her future happiness, the sacrifices she made now were all worth it. Look at these! These are the things you gave my son! Ever since you left, my son takes them out to read them every day. He really misses you! You dont have any children with your current husband, right? As long as you get a divorce, my son will definitely be loyal to you and we also wont cause any trouble for you! Old Madam Kong said. Qiao Mei did not say anything during this entire exchange. After all, this was Xia Hes personal issue. It was already a little weird and awkward for her to be sitting here now. However, she had to stay here and keep an eye on Xia He. She must ensure that Xia He did not get provoked by Old Madam Kong and prevent Xia He from doing anything rash. Xia He shook her head helplessly. She did not know what was wrong with Old Madam Kong. Why was she refusing to let go of this issue? Seeing that Xia He was indifferent to everything they said, Kong Li quickly bent down and kowtowed, knocking her head on the floor loudly. As she kowtowed, she shouted, Its all my fault! Sister-in-law, its all my fault! You can vent all your frustrations on me! So long as youre willing to divorce this man! And get back together with my brother! Im willing to be your slave! Im just an ordinary person. I dont need anyone to be my slave. Just stay in your own lanes! Xia He said in exasperation. Qiao Mei suddenly heard the sound of a car coming down the street outside. She was very sensitive to sounds and could immediately tell that it was her car. During the period when she went to study overseas, she had left the car with Xia Wen. She wondered why Xia Wen had chosen to come to Xia Hes house at this hour.. Chapter 2009: Family Reunion Chapter 2009: Family Reunion Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xia He hurriedly got up to help Kong Li up. She had forgotten that she had made arrangements to have a meal with Deng Fans parents today. His parents already knew that Xia He had returned from overseas, but because she had a reunion session with the Xia family on the first day, they did not ask her to go home to visit them. Ever since Xia He returned, she had been plagued by a lot of trivial matters. Deng Fan and her were worried that Kong Lu would find his way to the Deng familys house, so Deng Fan had personally gone to fetch his parents to their house today. Deng Fan would usually use one of the cars from Qiao Meis factory. However, Chi Ze and the others needed the cars today and there was no spare car which Deng Fan could borrow, so Deng Fan had gone to ask Xia Wen for help. Old Madam Kong realized that there must be important guests coming. She immediately lay down on the floor and refused to leave. Kong Li also hugged Xia Hes thigh and refused to let go. The two of them wept as they tried to persuade Xia He to go back to their family. It was such a dramatic scene. Jiang Shu held on to Deng Ruis arm and the two of them stood at the door for a long time without entering the house. Deng Fan quickly brought his parents to the study. Inside the study, there were a few calligraphy and paintings which he bought recently, as well as the gifts which Xia He bought for his parents from Country M. This was a good chance to show all these things to them. Can the two of you shut up! Youre making me dizzy! Qiao Mei said angrily to Old Madam Kong. Who do you think you are! Im talking to Xia He! What right do you have to order me around! Old Madam Kong shouted back loudly. As the saying went, one should not wash dirty linen in public. Given that Xia He had stayed in Country M for two years and left Deng Fan alone in the capital, her current parents-in-law were probably not very happy with her. Now that they witnessed her ex-mother-in-law coming to cause trouble, they probably had an even worse impression of Xia He. If Deng Fans parents decide to make things difficult for Xia He just because of this, then she should really think about whether she should get out of this relationship, Xia Wen said. That makes sense, Qiao Mei said after some thought. The three of them had a very brief chat before Xia Wen and Qiao Mei went back to their own homes. Qiao Mei asked Xu Kang to go to Xia Hes place to help out with the dinner. Since it was a reunion dinner, there was probably more work involved. Xia He wanted to find an opportunity to explain the situation today to Deng Fans parents, but everyone in the Deng family seemed to have an unspoken mutual understanding not to mention the incident at all. They told Xia He that they really liked the gifts she brought back from Country M. Jiang Shu took Xia Hes hands and stroked them as she said, Xiao He, look at your hands. Theyre a little rough. Did you have it tough in Country M? Xia He had to keep an eye on the farm every day. Sometimes, when it got too busy, she would also help to prepare the feed for the livestock. Occasionally, she would get scratched in the process, but it did not really bother her. Im fine. Everything is fine over there. I even learned a lot of new things! Xia He said with a smile. Thats good. Your father and I are so worried that you wont be able to eat or sleep well over there. Your father even bought a lot of books about Country M to brush up on his knowledge so that he can ask Deng Fan to pass useful advice to you, Jiang Shu said.. Chapter 2010: A Quarrel Between Neighbors Chapter 2010: A Quarrel Between Neighbors Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xia He had thought that Deng Fans parents would be unhappy with her over what she did in the past two years. She did not expect that their only concern was for her well-being. Xia He immediately grabbed Jiang Shu t s hands and said, Thank you, Mother and Father. Now that Im back, I dont intend to go back there for extended periods again. The business there is already on track. When the weather is warmer, Ill bring you there for a holiday. Sure! I want to see the scenery over there too, Jiang Shu said. The Deng family had a happy reunion meal, but it was not so harmonious at the Kong familys house. After Old Madam Kong reached home, she started to smash everything she could get her hands on. She even wished she could tear down the entire house! How dare Xia He get someone to chase her out! This was so humiliating! She was the mother-in-law but she had been bullied by her daughter-in-law. If news of this got back to the village, how could she still face anyone! How could she still hold her head up high in the future? No! She must go and smooth things over with Xia He tomorrow. She must bring Kong Lu along so that they could talk about everything clearly. Perhaps Xia He would agree to divorce her husband on account of Kong Lu! She made so much noise that one of her neighbors came over and shouted, What are you doing in the middle of the night! Are you trying to demolish the house! How can we sleep with this racket going on! Sun Feis daughter-in-law had given birth recently and moved in with them some time ago. Everyone living in the same block had sent them congratulatory gifts, except Kong Lus family. Sun Fei had taken this affront to heart. Im sorry, Im sorry. Its our fault. I apologize to you on behalf of my mother! Im really sorry, Kong Lu said apologetically. Why are you apologizing! I didnt do anything wrong! She scolded me first! She came over to our house to insult me! Im the victim here! Im going to call the police! Old Madam Kong shouted agitatedly. Call the police if you want! Do you think Im afraid of you? Sun Fei said. Sister! Lets not call the police! Ill talk to my mother now. Dont worry, this wont happen again! Kong Lu promised. Alright! Ill believe you this time. If you scare the baby in my house with such loud noises again, I wont let you off! After saying that, Sun Fei returned to her own house. When the other neighbors saw that the matter had been resolved, they all went home too. Kong Lu pushed Old Madam Kong into the house wearily and slammed the door shut. He knew that it was definitely Old Madam Kongs fault. It was very clear to him from all the mess on the floor, but he could not do anything to control Old Madam Kong and could only let her be..Nne?w n0vel chapters are published at novelhall.com Chapter 2011: Lose Everything Chapter 2011: Lose Everything Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios You good-for-nothing! You still have the cheek to come back! Do you know how humiliated your younger sister and I were when we went to the Xia familys place today! Do you know how that family treated us! Old Madam Kong said angrily. Who says you can go and look for Xia He! Kong Lu looked at Old Madam Kong in shock and questioned her. If I dont go and look for her, am 1 supposed to wait for you to do it? Its all your fault, you piece of trash. If you have managed to win back Xia He again, I wont be in such a difficult situation now! Old Madam Kong said as she sighed. Kong Lu did not say anything. He was already numb to the antics of this family. Even if Old Madam Kong told him that she wanted to marry an old man, he would not find it strange. Old Madam Kong scolded him for a long time before she stopped. She looked at Kong Lu in disdain and said, Give me another 100 dollars. Your two younger brothers dont have any money left and cant even afford to buy food. You should help them out. l already gave them money last month. 1 only have four dollars left now. I havent received this months salary, so I dont have any money to give them, Kong Lu said. You dont have money? If you dont have money, then think of a way to get some! Go and borrow money from Xia He! If you can hold on to Xia He, will we still need to live like this? Look at the house that she lives in. Its such a big house and theres enough space for our entire family! What? What are you talking about? How can you have lost your job? Old Madam Kong asked in surprise. Its all thanks to you. The Xia family and Sun Fei from downstairs went to my superior to report all those things you did! My position has now been taken over by someone else! Are you satisfied now? From now on, Ill just go home and farm. I want to see what else you want to do next, Kong Lu said. Then what about your younger brothers! Old Madam Kong shouted agitatedly. You should be glad that the Xia family is merciful. They only have to stay in prison for a few years. Just the fact that they tried to abduct a girl! Thats enough for them to be executed 800 times! Kong Lu said. In this era, anyone who molested a girl would be arrested and deemed to be a hooligan! If one went around kissing a girl! One could get the death penalty! Furthermore, Kong Lus two younger brothers had bullied more than one girl! The Xia family was already very benevolent. Otherwise, it would already be the third death anniversary for Kong Lus two younger brothers! Kong Lu left the capital dejectedly with Old Madam Kong and Kong Li. Xia He could finally get a good nights sleep. Recently, Qiao Mei had stayed by Qiao Qiangs side every day and observed his emotions carefully. When she was sure that he could face the Gao familys grandfather-and grandson duo calmly, she gathered everyone together so that she could tell them about what happened back in the past. Qiao Mei also asked Xu Lan and Xia Wen to join them. She needed to let the Xia family know what was going on and did not want to hide anything from them.. Chapter 2012: No One Can Get Away Scot-free Chapter 2012: No One Can Get Away Scot-free Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Grandfather, the truth is... My grandmothers real name is Gao Tao. Back then, she was attacked by some people. That was why she was disfigured, Qiao Mei said. What happened? Qiao Qiang asked with a frown. Qiao Mei told Qiao Qiang about everything that happened back then, up to the point about how Liang Jin and Zhang Cheng died in the end. She only kept the matter about Liang Shu a secret. Liang Shu truly did not know that Qiao Qiangs first wife was Gao Tao and it was a fact that she had given Qiao Qiang two children. However, Liang Shu was actually an accomplice in Gao Taos death. She definitely played a part in Gao Taos death. If Qiao Qiang found out about the fact that he had raised two children with the person who killed his beloved wife, he definitely would not be able to accept it. I thought that Wen Ran... I should call her Gao Tao now. I thought that Gao Tao was just an orphan who had a hard life, but I didnt expect her to have gone through so much. I didnt help her to kill her enemy. I should bear responsibility for that, Qiao Qiang said dejectedly. Brother-in-law, dont blame yourself. Its my elder sisters good fortune to have met you. Youve already done a lot for her. I heard from Qiao Mei that my elder sister had a blissful life in her later years. Thats good enough. Moreover, Qiao Mei is the one who planned for Liang Jin and Zhang Cheng to meet their deaths and make them suffer the consequences of their own actions. In a way, weve already avenged my elder sister, Gao Lin said as he looked at Qiao Qiang. They said all kinds of nice things, but Liang Shu refused to give them the medicinal wine. She even chased Liang Guo and Liang Lan out of the Liang familys old house. The siblings fell out with Liang Shu completely. Liang Shu was already advanced in age and she had not fully recovered yet. Although she could still do things like cooking and washing clothes, she was helpless when it came to manual work like doing repairs and chopping firewood. Her children did not care about her and her neighbors turned a blind eye to it as well. Her days were tough, but she was willing to let it be. As long as she could keep the medicinal wine in her possession, it was worth it no matter how hard life was! This was her lifesaver! As the days passed, Liang Lan and Liang Guo began to face more issues in their careers. They had to settle it quickly. Liang Shus birthday was coming up in two days time and they planned to return to the Liang familys old house that day to steal the medicinal wine. They did not speak to one another. Liang Lan still had some conscience and had ordered a birthday cake for Liang Shu so that it at least felt like a birthday celebration. Liang Guo did not bring anything with him. He thought it was already good enough that he came back to visit Liang Shu! Liang Shu t s birthday banquet ended awkwardly. Liang Lan and Liang Guo gave some excuses and said that they had to hurry home. Late at night, Qiao Mei drove slowly towards the Liang familys old house. She went to a corner of the wall and planted a vine seed there. Old folks usually went to bed early. At this moment, Liang Shu was already lying on the bed and sleeping soundly with the bottle of medicinal wine in her hands. Qiao Mei directed the vines into the house and slowly wrapped them around the medicinal wine bottle. These vines were as thin as silk. Even if someone saw them, they would think that it was some type of green yarn and would not see it for what it was.. Chapter 2013 - 2013: Fight for the Medicinal Wine Chapter 2013: Fight for the Medicinal Wine Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Just as Qiao Mei had expected, Liang Guo and Liang Lan were about to make their move. The first one to arrive was Liang Lan. She tiptoed into the Liang familys old house. She had specially stolen her uncle, Liang Cans key for this. She knew Liang Shu t s schedule very well. By now, Liang Shu was already sleeping soundly. She slowly pushed open Liang Shu t s door. After confirming that Liang Shu did not wake up, she reached out to grab the bottle in Liang Shu t s hands. She did not expect to use so much strength that it woke Liang Shu up. Liang Shu grabbed the bottle tightly as she groggily saw a person in front of her. Under the moonlight, she could clearly tell that it was Liang Lan. She sat up and shouted, 1 just know that you wont give up! That youll definitely come and steal my medicinal wine! What a bastard! How did I give birth to a daughter like you! Since she had already been exposed, Liang Lan decided to go all out and snatch the bottle of medicinal wine. During the struggle, Liang Shu fell off the bed, making Liang Lan pause for a moment. Ouch... Liang Shu wailed in pain as she lay on the floor. At this moment, Liang Guo rushed into the room. He looked at his mother who was on the floor and his hesitant sister nearby. Without another word, he went forward to snatch the bottle of medicinal wine from Liang Lans hands. How could a woman win against a muscular man? Soon, the bottle was in Liang Guos hands. You cant take it away just like that! I got here first! Liang Lan roared angrily. Liang Lans shouts alerted the neighbors. They put on their coats and rushed towards the Liang family residence. As soon as they entered, they saw Liang Guo and Liang Lan in a fight. Liang Shu was lying on the floor next to the bed and no one was paying any attention to her. The two of you, stop fighting! Send your mother to the hospital now! Are you siblings or not! Is this the time to fight? Itll be too late in a while! Go to the hospital now! All the neighbors shouted at the same time. Most of the neighbors here were some kind of big-shots back in their time. Although they did not like Liang Shu t s way of doing things, they were all old now and could not bear to see anyones children being unfilial. Liang Guo and Liang Lan were pulled apart by the neighbors. At first, neither of them wanted to go to the hospital, but in the end, the neighbors dragged them there. It was not up to them to decide if they wanted to go or not. After the doctors intervention, Liang Shu t s life was saved. However, her condition was worse than the last time as she had suffered a more serious stroke this time round. It was not until five days later that Liang Shu gained consciousness. She could not even speak and had totally lost control of her bowels and bladder. Sometimes, she was not even fully conscious. Liang Lan really could not stand the condition which Liang Shu was in. She said angrily to Liang Guo, l took care of Mother the last time. Its your turn now! What do you mean by its my turn? Isnt she your mother too? Besides, Im a man, how can I take care of her? Its not convenient! Liang Guo said.. Chapter 2014 - 2014: Not Taking Care of the Elder Chapter 2014: Not Taking Care of the Elder Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Dont give me all this rubbish! Dont you have a wife? Cant she do it? Im going home! This has nothing to do with me! Dont come and bother me in the future! Liang Lan left the hospital after saying that. Liang Guo went to the nurse station and asked to use the phone. At this moment, Bai Ming was playing with Liang Zu at home! My darling, wait a moment. Mom needs to answer the call. After saying that, Bai Ming went to pick up the phone. Hello, this is the Liang family. Bai Ming, my mother is sick. Can you come and visit her? Liang Guo said. Nne?w n0vel chapters are published at novelhall.com What has your mothers illness got to do with me? Im not going, Bai Ming said disdainfully. Bai Ming shook off Liang Guos hand forcefully and said with a laugh, Then feel free to come at me! Do you have any evidence? Besides, you cant even afford to pay for all our household expenses with your current salary. If not for my parents giving us money, do you think you can still live such a carefree life? The house we live in was bought by my parents. If you want a divorce, youll have to leave with nothing. When that happens, even your son wont acknowledge you! Liang Guo stood rooted to the spot in silence. This was the main reason why he did not do anything about Bai Mings affairs. He did not want to lose his current lifestyle. This was the last bit of dignity he had. Seeing that Liang Guo did not reply, Bai Ming walked out of the ward openly. She did not want to stay there for even another second. If she had some free time, she would rather go for a beauty treatment! Liang Guo left after taking care of Liang Shu for just one day, leaving her behind alone in the ward. A few medical staff felt sorry for Liang Shu, so they helped to change her diapers and wipe down her body. However, this was not a long-term solution and the medical staff were all very busy with their own work. They could not take care of Liang Shu full time like the nurses. During the next few days, it was very quiet in the Liang family. Liang Guo considered all his options and finally decided to go to Qiao Meis house. Since Qiao Mei was the one who saved Liang Shu when she had a stroke the last time, Qiao Mei could also save her again this time. Even if Liang Guo managed to get some medicinal wine, he did not intend to give it to Liang Shu. This was a treasure that could help him get promoted and become rich! Why are you here? Have you made an appointment in advance? Da Zhuang had met Liang Guo before and felt that the Liang family members were all scoundrels. Luo Yu had repeatedly reminded them not to let any of the Liang family members into the house, otherwise Qiao Mei and the others would be furious. l see that shes a big shot now. Does one need to make an appointment to see her now? Im your bosss biological uncle. Ask her to come out and meet me, Liang Guo said. Really? But the lady of the house says that she doesnt want to see anyone from the Liang family! Da Zhuang said arrogantly.. Chapter 2015: Save My Mother Chapter 2015: Save My Mother Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Seeing this, Liang Guo crouched over the steps and cried out, Qiao Mei! You have to save your grandmother! Your grandmother had a stroke and cant get up now! You have to help us! When the neighbors heard the commotion, they quickly opened their doors to look out. They did not have any hobbies and only liked to keep up with gossip, especially gossip related to Qiao Mei and the Xia family. Most of these people were from ordinary families. Although they also lived in courtyard houses, each house was shared by many families. They were all very curious about the lifestyle of the rich people, so they were especially curious about Qiao Mei and the Xia family. Tell him to get lost, Qiao Mei sat inside the house and said to Xiao Zhuang unhappily. Xiao Zhuang returned to the door to pass Qiao Meis message and Liang Guo became even more aggressive. He raised his voice and shouted, Father! Arent you going to visit my mother? My mother is so sick that she cant get up! Father, please save my mother! I beg you! Its good enough if you can just go and take a look at her! Everyone around here had only seen Liang Lan in the past and had never seen Liang Guo come here to plead for help. Most of the people living in the area were elderly and they were very touched by Liang Guos actions. In their eyes, Liang Guo was a filial son who was concerned about his mothers health. Look at this kid. Hes so pitiful. Hes willing to kneel outside someones door for the sake of his mother. Its so tragic. Isnt that so! What a good kid! If my son can do the same, I can really die without regrets! Whos his father? Is it Old Man Qiao? I cant tell that Old Man Qiao is Dont address me as Father. Im not your father. Back when your mother and I divorced, we agreed that we would never see each other again. You should go, Qiao Qiang said forcefully. But you must still have feelings for each other after being husband and wife for so many years! You must miss my mother a little! Father, please go and visit my mother! Liang Guo said. Qiao Mei rushed to the door and shouted angrily at Liang Guo, Your mother was so angry at you and your sister that she had a stroke and was hospitalized. What does it have to do with our family? My grandmother is long dead! Shes definitely not my grandmother! Liang Guo looked at Qiao Mei in shock. How did Qiao Mei know about this? Did the neighbors around the Liang familrs old house leak the news? I was under the impression that he is a filial son! In the end, this is how it turns out! l must be blind. How can I sympathize with such a person! He actually has the cheek to come to Qiao Meis place to get the medicine! What is he thinking! The neighbors were starting to side with Qiao Mei. Liang Guo felt a little embarrassed as he crouched on the ground, but he could not care less now. As long as he could get the medicinal wine from Qiao Mei, did it even matter if his reputation was damaged? Its not like that! My mothers life is in danger now. As long as you give me some medicinal wine, my mothers life will be saved! As the saying goes, saving a life is more meritorious than building a seven-story pagoda! You must help me! Liang Guo begged. l cant save her. You should go. Theres no more medicinal wine, Qiao Qiang said. No more? How is that possible? Liang Guo said as he looked at Qiao Qiang in shock.. Chapter 2016: Weep Endlessly Chapter 2016: Weep Endlessly Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Why should I lie to you? All the medicinal wine is with the Xia family. The Xia family doesnt even have enough for themselves now, so they wont be able to share any. You should go back, Qiao Qiang said. Much earlier, the Xia family had given their medicinal wine to many people. So long as it was someone who had done the Xia family a favor in the past, Xia Wen would give them one bottle if they came to ask for it. Later on, he set a limit and would only give out two bottles a month. By now, he had already stopped giving it out. This was also to prevent people from hoarding the medicinal wine because they believed in its longevity effect. If someone could not resist the temptation and became a target for He Ning, it would only be detrimental to the person. Liang Guo was not a fool. He clearly knew that the medicinal wine came from Qiao Mei, not the Xia family. As long as he could grab hold of Qiao Mei, he would have an endless supply of medicinal wine. Qiao Qiang was only using the Xia family as an excuse. Father! Just give me some! 1 know you must still have some left! You cant just watch my mother die! Liang Guo said. My surname is Qiao! As for Qiao Meis husband, his surname is Xia! Your surname is Liang, so how are you related to us? Leave this place now! Otherwise, Ill get someone to throw you out! Qiao Qiang said. Da Zhuang, Xiao Zhuang! Send him out! After saying that, Qiao Mei helped Qiao Qiang back into the house. Da Zhuang and Xiao Zhuang understood what she meant. They grabbed Liang Guo and escorted him out of the alley. The people standing around only returned home after watching Liang Guo leave the premises. Shi Rui turned away and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. Then, she turned around with a smile and asked Qiao Mei, When did you come back? Its been quite a while, Qiao Mei said coldly. I see. When are you free? Ill go to your house for a visit. I miss you very much when youre not around. I have a lot of things to tell you! Shi Rui said fervently. Really? Are we that close? Im not that close to Uncle Xu of the Xu family. Besides, Im not free nowadays. Well see how it goes in the future, Qiao Mei said. After coming back, Qiao Mei had not even caught up with Qiane, so why would she have the time to meet Shi Rui? It was clear that Shi Rui must be up to no good and she did not want to invite a wolf into her house. Shi Rui stood there awkwardly. She had always been eloquent since she was young and she also looked dignified and classy. Everyone was always full of praises for her and no one would ever say no to her. This was the first time she had encountered someone as blunt as Qiao Mei. Seeing that Xia Wen was about to leave, Shi Rui did not stay around any longer. After Shi Rui left, Xia Wen packed his things and left with Qiao Mei. The two of them did not speak along the way and it was only when they got into the car that Qiao Mei asked the question she had been keeping inside. Eldest Brother, why is that woman in your office? Qiao Mei asked. Sigh... Its a long story... Xia Wen said dolefully..Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m Chapter 2017: Entangled Chapter 2017: Entangled Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After MO Zhu found out she was pregnant, she stayed at home to rest. The office needed someone to take over her work, so they hired a new staff member. During that period of time, Xia Wen was so busy with the collaboration between the government and Qiao Meis factory that he did not take notice of who MO Zhus replacement was. It was only when everything was settled that Xia Wen realized it was Shi Rui! Ive been very careful all this while, but I never expected her to be able to find an opportunity to come to my office, Xia Wen said helplessly. During the past few years, Shi Rui had kept trying to contact him. Every time the Xia family held a family banquet, Xu Ju would purposely bring Shi Rui along. As time passed, Shi Rui got used to doing things this way. MO Zhu knew that Shi Rui did not come with good intentions, but she did not have the time to care about these things. As long as Xia Wen was faithful to her, she did not care about anything else. She had full trust in Xia Wen. So why did she come and look for you? Qiao Mei asked. Its nothing more than to tell me about whats happening in her family. After you left, there were earth-shattering changes in the Xu family. I havent had the chance to tell you about these things yet, Xia Wen said. l was so focused on your issue that I almost forgot about what Im here for. Lets talk about it when we get home. After saying that, Qiao Mei focused on driving back to Xu Lans place. During this period of time, Xu Lan had been taking care of the children. She spent all her time with her grandchildren every day and she smiled a lot more nowadays. In fact, she looked even younger now! Qiao Mei told Xia Wen about what happened this morning. Xia Wen immediately said, Shall I transfer them out of town? So smart! Eldest Brother really knows what Im thinking! Qiao Mei said. Alright, leave this matter to me. After saying that, Xia Wen called someone he knew well and gave that person some instructions. Not long after, Liang Guo received a transfer notice. His current job was an administrative role in a government district department in the capital. Now, he was going to be transferred to a remote town to become the head of a department there. He did not hesitate at all and immediately accepted the transfer. As the saying went, better the head of a dog than the tail of a lion. Even though he was only the head of department in a remote town, the title sounded nice enough! He was given very little time to report at his new workplace and there was only one car heading there from the capital. He quickly packed his luggage and left the capital the next day to take up his new post there, completely forgetting about Liang Shu. Liang Lan also received a similar transfer. She was sent to the same town as Liang Guo, but in a different department. Liang Lan made the same decision as Liang Guo..Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m Chapter 2018: Left School Chapter 2018: Left School Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei thought for a moment and said to Xia Wen, Eldest Brother, Liang Shu is so pitiful to be left behind in the capital. Why dont we send her to be with her children? Sure. Xia Wen immediately contacted the medical staff and told them to escort Liang Shu to that remote town. The town had a small population and everyone knew one another. If Liang Guo and Liang Lan did not take care of Liang Shu, it would not be too good for their reputations. Nne?w n0vel chapters are published at novelhall.com Qiao Mei sat at home and started to imagine what Liang Guo and Liang Lan would have to go through in the future. Just thinking about it made her feel great! It was a fantastic resolution to the issue. Eldest Brother, you must keep tabs on Shi Rui. If shes planning something, you wont be able to guard against her! Qiao Mei reminded him. Yes, Ill remember that. Seeing what Shao Yin did to Xia Xing, I will definitely be on my guard. 1 wont do anything to let MO Zhu down, Xia Wen said. It had been some time since Qiao Mei came back. It was time for her to go to Capital University to settle the graduation procedure. Since she had studied abroad as an exchange student, she was in a different scheme from the rest of the students who never left the country. The others had to study for four years, but Qiao Mei only needed two years. The entire batch of exchange students had gone to different schools overseas, so there was no requirement for them to settle the graduation procedure together. There were a few students who were not able to persevere after just one month overseas and had then requested to return to the capital. There were not many students like Qiao Mei, who managed to complete their studies overseas. What? An affair with a married woman? Are you mistaken? Qiao Mei asked Li Xue in shock. If Wu Duo had that kind of ulterior motive, he would have made a move on Qiao Mei when they were in high school. Qiao Mei did not believe that there was any married woman in this world who was more beautiful than her. Moreover, Wu Duo was a decent person. He was upright and it was impossible for him to do such an underhanded thing. Theres no mistake. There are even witnesses. Those people saw it all, Wang Wei said. Whos that woman? Qiao Mei asked. Sigh... You wont believe me even if I tell you. That woman is Cui Hua! Li Xue said furiously. Thats even more impossible! Qiao Mei immediately realized that Wu Duo had been plotted against. If a sinister person like Xie Jing ganged up with Cui Hua, it would be easy for the two of them to plot against Wu Duo. After Qiao Mei calmed down, she asked, Where is Wu Duo now? This matter has blown up so much that he cant even go home, He lives in a village in the city now and basically doesnt leave his house. Weve tried to talk to him over the past two years, but he refused to come out. We can only leave the things we bring for him outside the door and then we have to go off. The good thing is that he will still open the door and accept our gifts, Li Xue said. Lets eat first. After were done, lets go and visit him, Qiao Mei said. The three of them finished their meal in silence, Qiao Mei analyzed what Li Xue and Wang Wei had just told her over and over again in her mind. Xie Jing and Cui Hua had gone too far. Qiao Mei should have known that Xie Jing would not let Wu Duo off so easily.. Chapter 2019: Visit Wu Duo Chapter 2019: Visit Wu Duo Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After they finished their meal, Qiao Mei drove Li Xue and Wang Wei to Wu Duos current accommodation. This village was not very big. Once they entered the village, Qiao Mei took a closer look around. The villagers all looked very kind and it seemed that this village was a very friendly place. When they first spotted Wu Duo, he was harvesting vegetables in the courtyard. His clothes were tattered and he was so thin that he was only skin and bones. Before Qiao Mei left the capital, Wu Duo was a bright and cheerful young man. At 1.8 meters tall and weighing 150 pounds, he was a good-looking kid. Now, he looked like a deformed and malnourished kid. The moment Wu saw Qiao Mei, he thought that he was seeing things. He could not help but rub his eyes with his hands. After confirming that this was not a dream, his joy turned into fear. He suddenly stood up, rushed into the house and locked the door. No matter how they shouted out at him, he did not open the door. Wu Duo! Open the door and lets have a chat. Its not easy for me to come back from Country M. Dont you want to talk to me? Why are we so distant now? Qiao Mei leaned against the door frame and yelled into the house at Wu Duo. Mentor! Please leave! Im too ashamed to see you! Just take it that you never had me as your disciple! I cant embarrass you! Dont be concerned about me anymore from now on! Wu Duo said in a choked voice. Such nonsense. You took an oath that you would show me how vibrant life can be and you even said that you would repay me. Is this how you repay me? Qiao Mei said. l just hate... I hate myself for being so disappointing. Why did 1 fall into their trap again! Wu Duo said regretfully. What exactly happened back then? Even if a thousand people come and tell me that you sexually harassed Cui Hua, I still wont believe it, Qiao Mei said firmly. Wu Duos eyes immediately reddened. To tell the story, he had to start at the point when Qiao Mei left. After she left the country, Xie Jing kept holding a grudge. He maintained the belief that the spot to study abroad should be his and that Qiao Mei had relied on her family background to get the chance to study in Country M. If he had the same kind of family background, he would not have lost to her! However, all of this was already done and dusted. Xie Jing could not afford to offend Qiao Mei and the Xia family. Not long after, Cui Hua asked around and found out that Wu Duo was the one who found most of the witnesses who reported Xie Jing at that time. Moreover, it was Wu Duo who encouraged them to be brave and to step up to report Xie Jing. Xie Jing blamed everything that happened to him on Wu Duo. He wanted to take revenge for both the old and new grudges between them. Since he was no longer a university student, then Wu Duo could not continue to study at Capital University either! As the new year approached, Wu Duo and his roommates went out for a meal and drinks together. Everyone was in a joyous mood that day, so he drank a bit more than usual and was in a blur when he followed his roommates back to the dormitory. When they reached the main entrance of Capital University, the group saw Cui Hua standing there and waiting for Wu Duo. She was crying so hard that everyone felt sorry for her.. Chapter 2020: Framed Chapter 2020: Framed Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Wu Duos roommates did not know anything about those past issues between Cui Hua and Wu Duo. They were all from the engineering faculty and did not know much about the gossip from the agriculture faculty. Everyone thought that Cui Hua was just one of Wu Duos admirers. Cui Hua told them that she and Wu Duo were from the same hometown and that they had an arranged marriage since they were young. She even took out an old photo of the two of them and showed it to his roommates. Wu Duos roommates did not suspect anything amiss and left him with Cui Hua. Then, the rest of them returned to the dormitory groggily. At that time, Wu Duo was so dazed that he did not even know where he was. Cui Hua brought him to a bench nearby to sit down. After sitting in the wind for a while, Wu sobered up a lot. He was shocked to see that it was Cui Hua in front of him and not his roommates. He immediately wanted to get up and leave, but unexpectedly, Cui Hua hugged him and refused to let him go. Cui Hua sobbed and related how Xie Jing had treated her badly during this period of time. As she wept, she showed Wu Duo the wounds on her arm. Wu Duo was not interested to hear about these things. His feelings for Cui Hua were all in the past. Originally, Wu Duo had already decided not to dwell on the past, but he did not expect Cui Hua and Xie Jing to join forces to frame Qiao Mei. Due to what they did, Wu Duo would never forgive them in this lifetime. Even if Cui Hua was suffering now, she deserved it. It was Cui Hua who was heartless enough to abandon him and choose XieJing, was it not? Just as Wu Duo wanted to brush off Cui Hua and then return to his dormitory, Xie Jing suddenly appeared behind him and smashed the back of his head with a brick. Wu Duo instantly fell unconscious. By the time he was conscious again, he found himself in a hotel room and Xie Jing had come in with a big group of people to catch the adulterous couple in the act. single weed to be seen in the entire courtyard. The tools in the storeroom were all placed out neatly and even the shovel had been carefully wiped clean of any soil. The windows of the house were bright and clear and the furniture in the house was very clean. Wu Duo used the east room as his bedroom and the west room as his study room. There were many books in the house. Li Xue and Wang Wei had brought all these for him when they came to visit him. Qiao Mei stood at the doorway and asked Wu Duo, Do you still read often? Wu Duo was a student from Capital University after all. He still maintained the habit of studying. Even if he was not attending classes anymore, he could not fall behind in his pursuit of knowledge. Well, Im bored anyway, so I might as well read more, Wu Duo said. You have done a good job in tidying up this courtyard. Looks like you didnt choose to completely let yourself go. Theres still hope for you, Qiao Mei said. Wu Duos house was in a very good location. In the future, this would be within the three inner ring roads of the capital! Even an inch of land here would be worth a lot of money! Based on the size of Wu Duos house, he could buy three to four large apartments next time! Dont sell this house and just keep it in your possession. In the future, if the government wants to acquire it, dont take money in exchange for the house. Ask for another house, Qiao Mei instructed him.. Chapter 2021: Going South Chapter 2021: Going South Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The three of them had not known Qiao Mei for very long and still did not know that Qiao Mei liked to buy properties. Wu Duo did not know why she would say such a thing to him, but he knew that she would not lie to him. She must have her reasons for saying something and he just needed to listen to her. Alright, Ill remember this, Wu Duo said. Is your father still working in my factory? Qiao Mei asked. Hes still there... Wu Duo replied softly. Look at me confidently with your head held high. Dont be so jittery. Im not here to hold you accountable, Im just very glad to see that your family members havent given up their jobs because of these issues. Otherwise, Ill have to worry about your financial situation, Qiao Mei said casually. Sigh... For someone like me, my life is already over. What future do I have? Wu Duo said dejectedly. Although you cant continue to attend university, it doesnt mean you cant make money. You can start your own business. The news of the open economy is all over the newspapers now! Do you read the newspapers at home? Qiao Mei asked. Xie Jings, they would definitely not be able to win against Qiao Mei! However, Wu Duo also did not want to trouble Qiao Mei because of his issues. He did not want Qiao Mei to get caught up in the fight between him and Xie Jing. Wu Duo looked at Qiao Mei and asked anxiously, l want to do it! Of course I want to make money and be the boss! But more than that, 1 want those two people to die a horrible death! Mentor! Save me! Teach me how to destroy them! You just have to tell me the method! I believe I can defeat them myself! Qiao Mei had thought that Wu Duo did not have any intention of taking revenge and intended to let things be. Looking at how spirited Wu Duo looked now, Qiao Mei felt more gratified and asked, Do you know where they have gone? l only know that they headed to the south, but I dont know the exact address. I asked many people but I couldnt get any information. Furthermore. the two of them had made themselves out to be the victims so everyone was very rude to me and I didnt continue investigating, Wu Duo said dejectedly. For some inexplicable reason, Qiao Mei felt that it was very likely for Xie Jing and Cui Hua to make it big in the south with their capabilities. They were so scheming that it would be extremely hard for anyone to compete with them. You should go to the south too. I have a relative whos doing business there and you can work with him. If you build up a business in the south, youll be able to find them, Qiao Mei said. Wu Duo knew very well the importance of money. As long as one had money, one could do anything. As the older generation always said, money talks. Ill do it! Ill go there to start a business now! Wu Duo said excitedly. Li Xue and Wang Wei were still studying. There was a high chance that the two of them would go down the usual path and work in either government services or the hospital. Qiao Mei did not intend to let the two of them go into business.. Chapter 2022: Change Surname Chapter 2022: Change Surname Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Some time ago, Xiang Chen had made a few phone calls to her. He had already graduated from university and was now anxious to start his business. Previously, Qiao Mei had promised him that as long as he went back to finish his studies obediently, she would help him start a business after he graduated. It was time for her to fulfill her promise. This is my relatives phone number. Just look for him when you get there, Qiao Mei said as she wrote down Xiang Chens number on a piece of paper. Qiao Mei gave Wu Duo 100,000 dollars. This money was meant to be the initial capital for his business with Xiang Chen. As for the exact business they were going to do, they had not decided yet. Qiao Mei asked them to choose the location of their place of business first. Once that was almost done, she would go over to help them plan the rest. If she wanted to expand her own business in the future, she needed to have affiliated companies all over the country as well as sufficient manpower. She had never lacked rank and file workers, but what she lacked were people who had business acumen and would remain loyal to her. Most people would change after they got rich. Whether a person had a predatory nature could only be discovered at the end of it all. In the beginning, it would not be obvious to others. Although Xiang Chen was her business partner, he was still her relative after all. It was always very difficult to manage money issues between relatives. If she gave him too little, it would hurt the harmony between them. If she gave him too much, she would suffer a loss herself. It would be much better to draw a clear line right at the beginning. This was also the reason why she had asked Lu Huai and Deng Fan to register new companies for each business. Qiao Mei drove all of them to the most luxurious hotel in the capital for a nice meal. The knot in Wu Duos heart was already loosened and he felt as if he had been reborn. He also felt much more energetic. In the past, Li Gui had always reminded them not to get too close to Qiao Mei. For a long period of time, Qiao Mei was either pregnant or in confinement and was quite weak. Children were mischievous by nature and Li Gui was worried that they would hurt Qiao Mei accidentally. Now that Qiao Mei was in good health, the few of them rushed forward and surrounded her. Qiao Qin and Qiao Miao hugged Qiao Mei tightly, but Qiao Wei and Qiao Chao stood at the side and were too embarrassed to go forward and hug Qiao Mei. The two of them had grown a lot taller and Qiao Wei was even taller than Qiao Mei now. Dont the two of you miss me? Qiao Mei asked with a smile. Yes, of course we miss Elder Sister, Qiao Wei said embarrassedly. How are you doing in school? Are you confident of getting into university? Qiao Mei asked. The four of them looked at Qiao Mei smugly. Qiao Miao replied on behalf of all of them, How can we embarrass Elder Sister? Each one of us is the top student in our schools! Its been like this for a few years now! No one has ever defeated us! Thats right, Elder Sister. You were so famous in the capital back then. As your younger siblings, how can we have bad results? Qiao Chao said. Qiao Mei had become famous overnight that year and many students saw her as their idol. There were even people who prayed to Qiao Meis photo before the examination, hoping that Qiao Mei would bless them to do well.. Chapter 2023: Gathering of Friends Chapter 2023: Gathering of Friends Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In the beginning, the four children kept a very low profile. They had an unspoken mutual understanding not to tell anyone that Qiao Mei was their sister. However, they did not expect a reporter to manage to find out their identities. Once that happened, they could no longer keep a low profile. Many of their classmates began to pay a lot of attention to them. Some of their classmates even asked them for items which Qiao Mei had used before, so that they could carry the items around like protective charms. They were willing to pay any price for these things.Follow the latest novels at novelhall.com Qiao Wei was already 16 years old. He had already passed the military schools initial examination. There was only the interview and final physical examination to go. As long as he could pass these two examinations, he would be able to enter the army for training in two years time and work towards his goal of being the most outstanding soldier! Qiao Chaos intelligence and talent had received attention from all walks of life. At the age of 14, Qiao Chao was already in the second year of high school. The syllabus in junior high school was too simple for him and he skipped grades to enter the best high school in the entire capital, one which was affiliated with Capital University. Qiao Qin was more steady in her progress. Her piano skills had already been certified by a famous teacher in the capital and her piano teacher even wanted her to go overseas to participate in competitions! The teacher wanted Qiao Qin to strive to get a good ranking so that she could go to an outstanding music school overseas to further her studies. Qiao Miao did even better. Xia He had sent her to learn dancing since she was young and she had a talent for it. She was talent spotted by the most senior dance professor of the art school in the capital and the professor even decided to become Qiao Miaos teacher. Qiao Miao was her only student. Sure! Thank you, Brother Chi. Thank you, Sister-in-law! Qiao Mei said smilingly. The few wives surrounded Qiao Mei to chit chat with her. The men stood around feeling a little awkward, so they all went to chat with Luo Yu. All of them looked at him enviously. Luo Yu, did you have fun overseas this time? Chi Ze asked. Its not too bad. I usually stay by Miss Qiaos side to protect her and the children. I didnt really go anywhere, but the fresh air and environment there are truly quite nice, Luo Yu said truthfully. Then are the foreign women good-looking? Youve been single for so many years. Isnt there any pretty woman you have your eye on? Mao Hang asked softly. I dont really want to get married. Im too busy protecting Miss Qiao, so how can I have time to look at beautiful women! Brother Mao, speak softly and dont let Sister-in-law hear you! Otherwise, therell be trouble when you get home! Luo Yu said. Hmph! Im just worried about my buddys happiness! I didnt say anything out of line! Mao Hang quickly explained.. Chapter 2024: Trouble at the Factory Chapter 2024: Trouble at the Factory Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios We definitely wont tell on you! Dont worry! But to be honest, you guys must have made a lot of money there this time. Were all feeling a little envious, Chi Ze said with a smile. You guys earn more money than us back here in the country! Im the one whos envious of you! Luo Yu said. Thats different! Your earnings are in foreign currency, which is a lot of money when you convert it back to our currency! This is so amazing! Weve never seen foreign currency before! Chi Ze said. Luo Yu chatted with the guys about many things in Country M and even gave the leftover foreign currency in his pocket to Chi Ze and the rest as a memento. He also told them about all the interesting and strange things that happened there. Chi Ze and the other men were considered the managers of the various workshops in Qiao Meis factory and their salaries were definitely enough to support their respective families. However, Wang Fang and the rest of the womenfolk did not want to stay at home all the time. Half a year after Qiao Mei left, Qiane agreed to let them work at the factory. Qiane did not give them any special treatment. They all started with the most basic jobs and everyone was treated equally. Whoever could get more work done would become the team leader of the workshop. Qiao Mei brought them to the childrens room. During this period of time, the children were all at Xu Lans place, so the room was left vacant. It was a suitable place for them to sort out the gifts they had brought for the children. They opened up all the gifts and introduced the items to Qiao Mei one by one. Well listen to you, Wang Fang said firmly. Xu Kang entered the room. She quickly walked to Qiao Meis side and whispered, Qiane is here with Zhao Fei and his wife. Theyre in the guest room now. You guys have a chat first. Ill go take a look at the guests who just came. Qiao Mei told Wang Fang and the others about where she was going and followed Xu Kang to meet Qiane and the other two people. Qiane sat in the master seat in the main hall with a look of disdain. She had always occupied this seat when she was here. Even if Qiao Mei was present, she would still sit in the master seat. She knew very well that Qiao Mei doted on her and she did this knowing she had Qiao Meis backing. Sister Qiane, Qiao Mei isnt here yet. Its not so good for you to sit there, right? Ding Xiang said sarcastically. This was Ding Xiangs second time at Qiao Meis house. The first time, she had also come with Zhao Fei. At that time, the couple had agreed amiably to take over the factorys popcorn business. Now, they already looked completely different from before. Why do you care where I sit? Qiane said sulkily. You! How can you talk to me like that! Im older than you after all. You should actually address me as Sister-in-law! Ding Xiang said arrogantly.. Chapter 2025: Exchange Red Packets Chapter 2025: Exchange Red Packets Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Pfft! Qiane spat fiercely onto the ground and continued, As if you are worthy! Ding Xiang tugged at the corner of Zhao Feis shirt. She gritted her teeth and whispered to him, Youre my husband! Dont you know how to speak up for me? Are you mute! Zhao Fei did not know what to say to Qiane. This was the person who took pity on them and gave them this job. Now that they had caused such a mess, he was really too ashamed to come and see Qiao Mei. He would not dare to get into a conflict with Qiane at this moment. Qiao Mei walked into the room slowly. As she came in, she said, Oh, are you having an argument? Did I come at the wrong time? the moment she entered the room, she started to size up Ding Xiangs clothes. The first time she met Ding Xiang, the woman looked gentle and refined. Although she was wearing cheap clothes that were patched all over, it was still apparent that she had a gentle temperament. Now, Ding Xiangs clothes were made from expensive fabric and exquisitely tailored. Even the jewelry she wore was very expensive. On the other hand, Qiane was dressed in a low-key manner and looked very casual and relaxed. She did not even wear much jewelry. If outsiders saw these two women, they would definitely think that Ding Xiang was the rich factory director. It seemed that a lot had indeed happened in the past two years. Ding Xiang stole a glance at Qiane. When she gave birth to her first child, she had wondered how much red packet money Qiao Niei would give her during the babys one-month-old celebration. She felt that Qiane would definitely inform Qiao Mei about such big news, but even after the baby turned one year old, they did not receive any news or calls from Qiao Mei. Ding Xiang had urged Zhao Fei to give Qiao Mei a call, but Zhao Fei would always reject her with all kinds of reasons. After all, it was very expensive to make a long-distance phone call and there was also a need to make an appointment two hours in advance. There were so many things to do in the factory and he did not have time to look for Qiao Mei at all. He also did not want to contact Qiao Mei and get her involved in those troublesome matters in the factory. Its fine! Its good enough that you have kept my child in your thoughts! How long will you be staying in the capital this time round? If you are going to be back for an extended period of time, youll be around when I give birth to this baby! Ding Xiang said as she touched her round belly. If Ding Xiang had not mentioned it, Qiao Mei would not have been able to tell that Ding Xiang was pregnant. She had thought that Ding Xiang had only put on weight. It seemed that Zhao Fei was doing quite well if he had the mood to plan for a second child. Then Im looking forward to that day. Why did I hear that there has been trouble at the factory? Have you run into any difficulty on your end? Qiao Mei probed. Ding Xiang immediately said, Were not having any difficulties! Were fine! What a load of crap! Do you dare to tell Qiao Mei everything youve done! How dare you lie to Qiao Mei! I think youre really not interested in this business anymore! Qiane shouted angrily.. Chapter 2026: I Will Give You a Chance Chapter 2026: I Will Give You a Chance Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Why are you shouting! What if you harm my son! Do you know how serious the consequences can be! I didnt do anything! Why should I be afraid! Ding Xiang said agitatedly. The real reason why Ding Xiang wanted to have this child was because she had always wanted a son. Ding Xiangs first child was a girl and this made the Ding family very dissatisfied with her. The family members did not treat her first daughter kindly and her status in the family had become worse off. For her prenatal checkup, Ding Xiang begged Qiane to bring her to Xia Fang for a consultation. There were so many doctors around, but she only trusted Xia Fang. Since it was Qiane who made the introduction, Xia Fang revealed the babys gender to Ding Xiang. From then on, Ding Xiang took extra care of herself and became very finicky and fussy. The entire Ding familys hopes and dreams now rested on her unborn child. l must have been blind to agree to bring you to Aunts place for a prenatal checkup back then! Qiane said angrily. Enough! Talk nicely! Qiao Mei grabbed Qiane by the hand and whispered, Control your emotions. Dont let her have a chance to faint here. Qiao Mei sighed in disappointment and said, Tell me about all this. Before Qiao Mei headed overseas, she had left behind two years worth of corn seeds in the warehouse. These corn seeds were handed over to her own team for safekeeping in the warehouse. She had also personally chosen the piece of land to grow the corn. She even reached an agreement with the relevant companies to ensure a constant supply of butter to the factory. It was only after everything was settled that Qiao Mei felt at ease to leave the capital and head to Country M. However, half a year after Qiao Mei left, a large group of people suddenly came to the factory. They stood at the main entrance with copies of food poisoning diagnosis reports from the hospital and scolded the factory for producing poison! Apparently, there were many people who had food poisoning after eating the popcorn produced by the factory. Among the victims, there were not only adults but also children! Some children even almost died! If not for the fact that Qiao Mei had left behind a lot of medicinal wine, some of the victims might have died. Qiane had wanted to tell Qiao Mei about this matter and ask her to come back and make a decision. However, Li Gui was worried that it would be too tedious for Qiao Mei to fly back from overseas. Moreover, she did not want Qiao Mei to worry about such an exhausting issue, so they did not inform her at the first instance. Given that it was a matter of life and death, Qiane did not have the time to do a full investigation. She compensated 3,000 dollars to each adult and 5,000 dollars to each child who got food poisoning after eating the popcorn. Furthermore, the factory undertook to cover the medical expenses for the children if any of them had any further discomfort within one year after the diagnosis.. Chapter 2027: Theft Chapter 2027: Theft Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiane spent a lot of money to settle and suppress this matter. However, the reputation of the factorys popcorn was already tarnished and business deteriorated day by day. When this issue was no longer in the limelight, Qiane finally had time to investigate the source of the matter. She did not expect the problem to lie with Ding Xiang! Tell us! How did the recipe for the popcorn get leaked! How did your brothers know how our factory made the popcorn! If you dont make things clear! Ill send you to the police station! On account that we are old friends with Zhao Fei, youd better tell us the truth! Qiane said angrily. I didnt leak the recipe! My brothers figured it out themselves! What can I do! Ding Xiang said as she pretended to be aggrieved. What Ding Xiang did was just to demonstrate how to make popcorn in front of them. As for how much they understood and learnt, it was up to them. She did not consider this a leak of information. Just before the new year, Ding Xiang suddenly came to the factory and told the guards at the door that they could go home for the festivities. She said that she and Zhao Fei would take over the job tonight. Since Ding Xiang was their boss, the guards did not raise any objections. Everyone thought that she was such a rare and nice boss and they thought even more highly of her. That day, all the guards left the factory feeling satisfied, but that very night, the seasonings in the warehouse disappeared without a trace. By the time Qiane and the others made their way back to the factory, the entire warehouse was empty and they only saw Ding Xiang lying unconscious on the floor. Blood was still flowing out from the back of Ding Xiangs head and it scared Qiane so much that she took out her portion of medicinal wine to save Ding Xiang. When Qiane thought about that incident now, she felt that she had wasted such good medicinal wine! I thought that you were really attacked by thieves that day, but its clear to me now! It was actually all part of your arrangements! Qiane said. I was really knocked unconscious! Why would I endanger my own life! Those people must have been targeting me for a long time! They came to steal things while I was guarding the place alone! Ding Xiang said. Hmph, why are you alone when there are so many warehouses to guard! Do you dare to say that you did not purposely give the guards the night off? This is what makes you such a vicious woman. You can even be so ruthless to yourself, what more to us, Qiane said mockingly. That night, Ding Xiang had asked her brothers to enter Qiao Meis warehouse to take all the butter. They did not take Qiao Meis corn seeds because firstly, it would take time for the seeds to grow and they did not have that much time. Secondly, they had all grown up in the city and did not know how to farm. The seeds were useless to them.. Chapter 2028: Let’s Dissolve Our Partnership Chapter 2028: Lets Dissolve Our Partnership Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas StudiosTh.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m We lost all the butter and the butter factory was unable to provide us with more supplies in time. We had to halt production, causing many of our shops to have to close, leading to heavy losses. Well be lucky if we dont make a loss this year! Qiane lamented. Qiao Mei looked at Ding Xiang silently and did not say anything. She was thinking about what Qiane had just said and trying to estimate how much money she had lost. She could not let such a large sum of money be unaccounted for and was considering how to make Ding Xiang and the others pay for the loss. We really didnt do it. Were the victims too! What good will it do us if my brothers snatch our business? Theres no need for us to do this! Ding Xiang said. Of course its so that your Ding family can take over the popcorn business! Fine! Even if we put this issue aside, why didnt you ask your brothers to step up and take responsibility when the food poisoning incident happened and pushed all the blame to the factory instead? Qiane questioned. That... thats because those customers assumed that they bought our factorys products! Thats their own assumption and its not something that we can control! Ding Xiang argued. Do you think Im a fool? Back then, you went around bragging to everyone that the brand name of our factorys popcorn was Campus Popcorn. After that, your brothers also sold their products under this brand name. As time passed, everyone naturally thought that they were our partners! Qiane said. Ding Xiang completely believed that Qiao Mei had the means and connections to send her and the other Ding family members to jail. She was simply jealous of Qiao Meis life and did not understand why Qiao Mei could make so much money every day without needing to do anything and could even go overseas to study. Qiao Meis family members and children could even live in such a luxurious house. Why could Qiao Mei have all these, but not her? That was why she wanted to steal the popcorn business. She did not expect that something so serious would happen. By now, everything had completely deviated from what she expected. Qiao Mei looked at Zhao Fei and asked, What about you? Arent you going to give me an explanation? Im sorry. I take responsibility for all of this as well, Zhao Fei said after a long silence. Alright then. I want to take back the popcorn business and the two of you will have to pay for all the factorys losses. Our companys finance department will calculate the exact amount and let you know, Qiao Mei said. No! You cant dissolve our partnership! How can you kick us to the curb like weve outlived our usefulness! Even if we havent made any major contributions, we have worked hard! You cant treat me this way! You already gave us the popcorn business back then! What right do you have to take it back! Ding Xiang looked at Qiao Mei and shouted at her like a lunatic. If you have time, you should read more. Didnt you read the agreement we signed? I only allow you to make most of the business decisions. The business still belongs to me. Moreover, Qiane and I are the largest shareholders in the business. The two of us can decide on whether you stay or leave, Qiao Mei said.. Chapter 2028 - 2028: Let’s Dissolve Our Partnership Chapter 2028 - 2028: Lets Dissolve Our Partnership Chapter 2028: Lets Dissolve Our Partnership Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios We lost all the butter and the butter factory was unable to provide us with more supplies in time. We had to halt production, causing many of our shops to have to close, leading to heavy losses. Well be lucky if we dont make a loss this year! Qiane lamented.Follow the latest novels at novelhall.com Qiao Mei looked at Ding Xiang silently and did not say anything. She was thinking about what Qiane had just said and trying to estimate how much money she had lost. She could not let such a large sum of money be unaccounted for and was considering how to make Ding Xiang and the others pay for the loss. We really didnt do it. Were the victims too! What good will it do us if my brothers snatch our business? Theres no need for us to do this! Ding Xiang said. Of course its so that your Ding family can take over the popcorn business! Fine! Even if we put this issue aside, why didnt you ask your brothers to step up and take responsibility when the food poisoning incident happened and pushed all the blame to the factory instead? Qiane questioned. That... thats because those customers assumed that they bought our factorys products! Thats their own assumption and its not something that we can control! Ding Xiang argued. Ding Xiang completely believed that Qiao Mei had the means and connections to send her and the other Ding family members to jail. She was simply jealous of Qiao Meis life and did not understand why Qiao Mei could make so much money every day without needing to do anything and could even go overseas to study. Qiao Meis family members and children could even live in such a luxurious house. Why could Qiao Mei have all these, but not her? That was why she wanted to steal the popcorn business. She did not expect that something so serious would happen. By now, everything had completely deviated from what she expected. Qiao Mei looked at Zhao Fei and asked, What about you? Arent you going to give me an explanation? Im sorry. I take responsibility for all of this as well, Zhao Fei said after a long silence. Alright then. I want to take back the popcorn business and the two of you will have to pay for all the factorys losses. Our companys finance department will calculate the exact amount and let you know, Qiao Mei said. No! You cant dissolve our partnership! How can you kick us to the curb like weve outlived our usefulness! Even if we havent made any major contributions, we have worked hard! You cant treat me this way! You already gave us the popcorn business back then! What right do you have to take it back! Ding Xiang looked at Qiao Mei and shouted at her like a lunatic. If you have time, you should read more. Didnt you read the agreement we signed? I only allow you to make most of the business decisions. The business still belongs to me. Moreover, Qiane and I are the largest shareholders in the business. The two of us can decide on whether you stay or leave, Qiao Mei said.. Chapter 2029: Compensation Chapter 2029: Compensation Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas StudiosNne?w n0vel chapters are published at novelhall.com Ding Xiang had always been sore about the fact that she did not go to school. She was the eldest child in her family and had many younger siblings. The family could only afford to send two kids to school. Ding Xiangs parents sacrificed her chance in order to let their sons have an education. They told her to go to work and earn money so that she could contribute to her younger brothers school fees. Both Qiao Mei and Qiane were highly educated and Ding Xiang had always been very jealous of them. She was jealous that Qiane could gain Qiao Meis trust and become the factory director. If she had known Qiao Mei a few years earlier than Qiane, she might have become the factory director! She always complained how the world was unfair and that the people around her were not nice to her. She was filled with resentment all the time. Even the ghosts of people who died in vain did not have as much resentment as her! Zhao Fei! Say something! Are we going to let them decide on our lives! You still have a daughter and a son to take care of! Say something! Ding Xiang looked at Zhao Fei and yelled at him exasperatedly. The truth was that Ding Xiang had an idea of the costs involved. She had already done a rough calculation of how much compensation Qiane had paid out in order to settle this matter back then. It was at least 50,000 dollars! This was just the amount for the compensation and did not include the costs of any subsequent medical treatment nor the factorys losses. Qiane suddenly stood up and opened the three red packets which Ding Xiang had given Qiao Mei. They were all filled with 50 cents and one dollar bills. It was not clear if there was even a total of 150 dollars in the three red packets! Stop! Since were going to part ways, then lets return the money to each other, Qiane said to Ding Xiang as she held up three red packets. Ding Xiang grabbed her pocket tightly. When she took the red packet just now, she already gauged how thick it was. It was definitely full of 100-dollar bills! And there were more than just a few inside! These are gifts! Theres no reason for us to give them back to each other! Ding Xiang said. Its so obvious what youre thinking! Dont force me to expose your intentions in front of so many people! Are you going to give it to me or not? If not, dont blame me for reaching out to snatch it back! Qiane threatened. Im a pregnant woman! If you hurt me! Ill make sure you pay the price for it! Ding Xiang said aggressively. Qiane did not care about that at all. She just reached out to snatch the red packet from Ding Xiangs pocket. Zhao Fei held Ding Xiang tightly to protect her and the child, as well as to create a window of opportunity for Qiane. She took back Qiao Meis red packet and stuffed the other three red packets into Ding Xiangs pocket as she said, Make sure you look closely. Dont blame us later and say that you have lost something! Its none of our business once you walk out of this door! Sister Xu! Send the guests off! Qiane said domineeringly.. Chapter 2030: Register the Brand Chapter 2030: Register the Brand Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios On the way out, Ding Xiang kept hitting and cursing Zhao Fei. He just endured everything silently and did not retaliate. Qiao Mei t s heart ached when she saw this. She had wanted to use the popcorn business to thank Zhao Fei for saving Li Guis life, but now it seemed that the decision she made back then might be a wrong one. Youre really something. You actually gave them a red packet with 3,000 dollars inside! Dont you know the maximum amount of money a red packet can hold? Its almost bursting! Qiane said as she counted the money in the red packet. How do you know that theres something wrong with the red packets she gave me? Qiao Mei asked. Qiane sat back down and said smugly, How can someone like her bear to give you such generous red packets! Look at the thickness of those red packets! If its really 100-dollar bills inside, those three red packets would contain more than 10,000 dollars! She cant even bear to spend 100 dollars, so its impossible for her to give you so much. Qiao Mei was not interested in Ding Xiangs three red packets at all, which was why she did not bother to use her X-ray vision to look at the amounts inside. She was only thinking about Zhao Feis issue. So Zhao Fei has allowed them to do whatever they want for so many years? Qiao Mei asked. It will be great if it works! Then we dont have to worry about any more despicable people setting us up! Qiane said. Alright, dont be angry anymore. I feel that you look more haggard nowadays. Dont you drink my medicinal wine regularly? Qiao Mei asked. My respected elder, you dont know how busy we are at the factory during this period of time. Ever since Elder Brother Xia set up the collaboration between the factory and the government, we cant cope with the orders anymore. The order list is already filled up for the next three years! Qiane said agitatedly. Qiao Mei was a little shocked. She did not expect Xia Wen to have done so many things quietly. The factory was now at its peak and even the famous He family would have to give up their position in the business world soon. At the thought of He Ning, Qiao Mei remembered the issue of Auntie Cui in Country M. She must find some time to settle this matter with He Ning! It was soon mealtime and everyone sat together happily. They were all filled with anticipation for the future and were very grateful to Qiao Mei for helping them earn money and making their lives so much better. A few of the men could even go home to get married after they saved enough money! Otherwise, based on their previous situations, those men would have to stay single for the rest of their lives! Qiao Mei! Next time you go to that... Country M, can you bring me along too! I also want to go out and see the world! Chi Ze said.. Chapter 2031: Running Into a Jinx Chapter 2031: Running Into a Jinx Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Shoo, shoo, shoo! What can you do in Country M! Dont cause trouble for Qiao Mei! Youre illiterate and you cant speak a foreign language. If you go there, does that mean Qiao Mei has to take care of you? Wang Fang said as she looked at Chi Ze in disdain. My martial arts skills are not much worse than Luo Yus! I can also protect Qiao Mei! Chi Ze said proudly. Alright, alright! Dont argue. All of you will get a chance! Lets go to Country M for a holiday in the future, alright? Qiao Mei said. Sure! everyone said in unison. The next morning, Qiao Mei brought along the relevant documents and went to look for Xia Wen to discuss the matter of registering her brand and patent. She opened the door to his office carefully. After confirming that there was no one else in the room, she walked in with a sense of relief. Why are you entering my room like a thief? Xia Wen smiled helplessly. Im just scared that Shi Rui is pestering you here again. I dont want to see her, Qiao Mei said disdainfully. Tell me, what do you have in mind this time? Xia Wen asked. Tell me, Xia Wen said. I have some goods arriving at the customs office tomorrow. These are all new machines I bought in Country M. Im worried that Ill encounter many obstacles if I go by myself. I want to ask for your help to solve this problem, Qiao Mei said. Nowadays, everything sent in from overseas had to go through many layers of checks and the procedures were very complicated. If Qiao Mei did not get help with the arrangements, her goods might be kept at the customs office for half a year before she could even see them! Im very busy tomorrow. Ill get my subordinate to go with you, Xia Wen said. Alright! Thank you, Eldest Brother! Qiao Mei said. Qiao Mei was about to step out of Xia Wens office when she saw Shi Rui sobbing while on the way to look for Xia Wen. Qiao Mei sighed. She did not expect to be so unlucky today. She could even run into a jinx here. Oh my, what grievance did you suffer? Qiao Mei used her arm to block Shi Rui from entering the room. If this matter continued to drag on, it would not be good for MO Zhu and Xia Wen and would affect their reputations. Qiao Meis voice attracted the attention of the other staff. They already knew that this Shi Rui had ulterior motives and was not a good person! Although Shi Rui had gotten in through the proper channel, she was very inefficient and always caused a lot of trouble for her colleagues. Furthermore, she was always not at her desk. Whenever she had time, she would go to Xia Wens office and sit there. Even if Xia Wen ignored her, she would still sit there quietly. They were all waiting to see her make a fool of herself! They could not wait for someone to embarrass Shi Rui and make her leave! This way, they would not have to work with someone who increased their workload! Chapter 2032: At the Customs Office Chapter 2032: At the Customs Office Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios I... Theres no grievance, Shi Rui whispered. Is that so? Then why are you sobbing and coming to Mr. Xias office? If you have any difficulties, you can tell me. Perhaps I can help you solve your issues? Qiao Mei asked enthusiastically. Its a work matter and its not appropriate for you to know, Shi Rui said. Qiao Mei nodded in understanding and said, Oh~ Its a work matter. Then whos your superior? Is Mr. Xia your direct supervisor? Shi Rui looked at Qiao Mei awkwardly and said, No... no. If so, then why dont you go and look for your superior if you need something? Youre overstepping the line here. Does your superior indulge you like this? Also, youre a member of the Xu family. As your relative, Im obliged to remind you that you should go to your superior if you need anything. If the issue really cannot be resolved, then get your superior to come and look for Mr. Xia, Obo Mei said. She accurately addressed the frustration which everyone felt and many people began to whisper among themselves. She just likes to overstep the line! She thinks that she can do whatever she wants just because shes Mr. Xias relative! After confirming the delivery location and discussing the delivery timing with Lu Huai, Qiao Mei went home to rest with a sense of satisfaction. The next morning, she went with Xia Wens subordinate to the customs office to complete the documentation to pick up her goods. The staff at the customs office searched for a long time but could not find Qiao Meis goods. In the end, they concluded that Qiao Mei t s goods were lost. Lost? What do you mean by lost? There are so many items on the ship but only my goods are lost? Qiao Mei questioned. Dont you understand what Im saying? If its lost, its lost. Theres no other meaning to it, the staff member said indifferently. What Qiao Mei bought was big machinery. How could such big items disappear for no reason? There must be something else going on. Qiao Mei remained patient and said, Please help me take a look again. How can so many items be lost? Can you go to the warehouse and search carefully? Xia Wens subordinate also said, Thats right. These items are very important to us. I hope you can help us take a look again. The staff member took a look at the work pass hanging around the neck of Xia Wens subordinate and knew that this was someone in quite an important position. In that case, he decided to give this person a hint. Your things have long been taken by someone, the staff member whispered. What? Who took it? Qiao Mei asked in shock. l wont be able to know, the staff member said.. Chapter 2033: No Idea Chapter 2033: No Idea Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Youre a staff here! How can you say that you dont know who took away my items! Doesnt the person need to provide information about his identity before he can remove them? How can you let him take them without doing any checks! Qiao Mei said angrily. Trade with other countries had only just started recently and many procedures were still unclear. It was a common occurrence for goods to be which was why Qiao Mei had asked Xia Wen to accompany her to pick up the goods. She did not expect that things would really go so wrong. There are so many people coming here every day to pick up their things! How can I remember everyone! the staff member said arrogantly. Then do you know who handed over the goods to the other party? Qiao Mei asked. I dont know, the staff member said.Nne?w n0vel chapters are published at novelhall.com Just as Qiao Mei was about to continue, Xia Wens subordinate quickly stopped her and said, Its useless to talk to him. Lets go straight to his superior. Alright. Qiao Mei glared fiercely at the staff member. The staff member did not care. People who could get a position in this office had some sort of backing. Since Qiao Meis goods could be intercepted, it meant that Qiao Mei was not very influential, so he was not afraid of her at all. He Ning? Or Huang Quan? Qiao Mei asked. In the entire capital, these were the only two people who had the ability to intercept her things and also held a grudge against her. No one else had any motive to cause trouble for her. Youre right, its Huang Quan. The Huang family has a 60% stake in the customs office, so they control everything here and have taken things from many people. Moreover, Huang Quan is also a member of the police department, so its even more difficult to go after him. Everyone chose not to pursue the matter in the end, Xia Wen said. Is he crazy! He will even go to this extent for just a few machines! Qiao Mei said in shock. Prominent families like theirs were often caught in situations where there were conflicts of interests. The best way to deal with such situations was to do what the Xia family and the He family did. On the surface, they maintained peace, but behind the scenes, they fought for their own interests aggressively. It was rare to go head-on with someone like what Huang Quan was doing. If the Xia family and the Huang family were to battle it out, the Huang family would definitely lose. They definitely did not have the same solid standing which the Xia family had. No one knew why Huang Quan was doing this. You... you can just assume that hes not normal, Xia Wen said. Can we get my things back through the proper channel? If they deliberately take my things, theyre not going to just give it back, Qiao Mei said in frustration. Let me think about what I can do, Xia Wen said and hung up. The next morning, Qiao Mei received a call from MO Zhu. Yesterday, after Xia Wen returned home, he had packed his luggage in a hurry and gone on a business trip. There was something weird about this business trip, as if someone had set it up on purpose. This business trip would take Xia Wen away for between one to three months, so he would not be around for quite a while. Mei Mei, this whole thing is not that simple, MO Zhu said. Its fine, Sister-in-law. I have other ways to deal with things. Since Eldest Brother is on a business trip and unable to be with you, you have to take good care of your health, Qiao Mei instructed her.. Chapter 2034: Roadblock Chapter 2034: Roadblock Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios You have to be careful. If you need any help, just let me know. Although my family isnt very influential, my father has many students. We can still get help from some of them, MO Zhu said. Thank you, Sister-in-law. Ill keep you posted. Dont worry. Qiao Mei hung up after saying that. Xia He also heard about this issue and she came to Qiao Meis house with a stack of documents. These were all the things that she had asked Yao Nian to investigate as soon as she returned to the capital. She had gathered a lot of gossip regarding the various prominent families and the Huang family was the most eye-catching. You even investigated Tan Jing, Qiao Mei said with a smile as she tapped on the document on the table. Of course! Im very curious about how shes doing in the Huang family! Xia He said. When Xia Wen and MO Zhu got married, Tan Jing had come to cause trouble at the wedding and Xia He had yet to settle this score with Tan Jing up to now. She was definitely curious about how Tan Jing was doing now. If Tan Jing was living a very comfortable life, then she would think of a way to create some issues for Tan Jing. Fortunately, Tan Jing was living a life worse than death now, so Xia He felt a lot better about it. After reading the report, Qiao Mei fell silent. She did not expect the Huang family to declare war so openly this time round. In that case, she also need not suffer in silence. She must make the Huang family pay a bloody price for it. Are you blind! How dare you block my way! You must be sick of living! Do you know who 1 am! Get out of my way now! Huang Quan roared. Qiao Mei opened her car door and walked over to Huang Quans car. Oh my, its your car. Long time no see~ Huang Quan immediately knew why Qiao Mei was here, even though he did not expect her to find him so quickly. He had not seen her for two years and he found that she had an even better figure now, especially her bosom. She looked even more voluptuous than before. The huge amount of money he spent to get Xia Wen out of the capital was indeed money well spent. He had heard that Xia Zhe had been on an S-class mission for almost three years. No one had ever returned alive from an S-class mission. If Xia Zhe was dead, then he could openly propose to Qiao Mei! This time, he must get hold of Qiao Mei! When did you come back? Why didnt you tell me so that I could welcome you back and bring you to the best restaurant in the capital! Huang Quan said. How would 1 dare to trouble you? Your time is very precious and 1 cant afford to waste it, Qiao Mei said. Xia He walked over from the other end of the alley and looked at Tan Jing, who was sitting in the front passenger seat. Tan Jing was carrying a little baby boy in her arms. Xia He did not know if this boy was born from her first pregnancy or if Tan Jing got pregnant again after that. Oh my! What a beautiful child! This must be the child you bore Huang Quan. I think this child looks more like you. His nose and eyes look like yours! He doesnt look like Huang Quan at all... Xia He looked at the baby and then at Huang Quan and compared them earnestly.. Chapter 2035: Be Careful Not to Choke to Death Chapter 2035: Be Careful Not to Choke to Death Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Dont talk nonsense! This child clearly resembles Huang Quan more! Tan Jing said in exasperation. Is that so? Then maybe I cant really tell. However, youve given birth to a really cute child. After so many years, your wish has finally come true. My eldest sister-in-law is about to give birth too. I wonder if its going to be a boy or a girl, Xia He said with a smile. Every word hit Tan Jing like a punch. When she was pregnant, she caused the entire capital to be in an uproar about Xia Wen being infertile. In the end, MO Zhu became pregnant with Xia Wens child less than two years after she married into the Xia family. There was an about-turn in the situation and everyone laughed at Tan Jing for being the lousy one. After that, Tan Jing remembered that she had drunk the medicinal wine given by Qiao Mei. At that time, she had not divorced Xia Wen yet. If she had waited another six months, she might have become pregnant with Xia Wens child! Then, she would still be able to enjoy the perks of being part of the Xia family. It was all Qiao Meis fault! Qiao Mei must have known that the medicinal wine could cure her infertility, but Qiao Mei did not tell her, so she was not aware of this when she divorced Xia Wen. Qiao Mei did it on purpose! Qiao Mei wanted her to divorce Xia Wen and get tortured by others! However, the person she hated the most was not Qiao Mei, but He Ning. If He Ning had not introduced Huang Quan to her, she would not be living a life worse than an animal. Oh! Do your siblings go to the Huang familys house for dinner? I remember that your siblings used to like to come to our house all the time. They would come and stay for a few days each time. Sometimes they even stay for a week! They would refuse to go home unless they could get some benefits, Xia He said. Its fine, its fine! After saying that, Huang Quan turned around and glared at Tan Jing, saying, Behave yourself! Xia He had heard rumors that although the Huang family would always organize a gathering for their relatives during the new year, Tan Jing had never made an appearance at any of the banquets. This year, Tan Jing was finally allowed to meet the other relatives during the new year. She only got the chance because she used her child as an excuse and begged her parents-in-law for it. They gave in to her only on account of the child. After exchanging pleasantries for so long, Qiao Mei had already lost her patience. She looked at Huang Quan and asked, Are my machines with you? Haha, what machines? Why dont I know anything about this? Huang Quan said as he played dumb. Those things of mine are worth a lot of money. If I call the police and ask them to deal with it, the thief might even get the death penalty, Qiao Mei threatened. Call the police? Then the police will have to accept the case first, Huang Quan said nonchalantly. Huang Quan only used unrelated parties when he did such illegal things. He would not be stupid enough to ask his own people to do this. That would be like leaving a clue for the Xia family, would it not? Even if the Xia family wanted to pursue the matter, they would not be able to trace it back to him. In the end, the machines would still be in his possession but someone else would pay for the crime. It was a win-win situation for him. Is that so? Its alright, Ill just treat it as if Im feeding scraps to stray dogs. I hope you can swallow this piece of fat meat whole. Be careful not to choke to death. After saying that, Qiao Mei waved her hand and left with Xia He.. Chapter 2036: Let My Brother Set up a Factory Chapter 2036: Let My Brother Set up a Factory Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas StudiosDiiscover new stories at novelhall.com Huang Quan looked in the direction which Qiao Mei and Xia He had left with a dark expression. Tan Jing could sense that something was wrong with him and instinctively hugged the child in her arms tightly. The child looked at Tan Jing and cried out loudly. Shut up! Tell him to shut up! Huang Quan glared fiercely at Tan Jing and roared at her. Tan Jing quickly covered the childs mouth in an attempt to lower the volume of his cries. However, the more she did so, the louder the child cried. Huang Quan was very upset and needed to vent his frustration. He got out of the car and pulled Tan Jing out of the front passenger seat, dragging her back to the courtyard house in full view of the public. The neighbors not only heard the childs cries coming from the courtyard house, but also Tan Jings screams of pain. An hour later, Huang Quan sat in the living room looking refreshed while Tan Jing slumped in a corner motionlessly. If not for the fact that Tan Jing could still blink her eyes, one would think that she was already dead. Huang Quan was very smart. He only hurt her in places which outsiders could not see so that no one could fault him for it. Tan Jing looked at the sky through the glass window. She wanted to leave this place and take revenge! She wanted to make those people who bullied her pay the price for doing so! However, in order to have the ability to do so, she needed money. As long as she had money, she would be able to live a good life even if she left Huang Quan. Even the Huang family members would come to beg her for help! Let my younger brother handle those machines for you, Tan Jing said weakly. Im not sure about a lot of things, but I know we can make a lot of money selling ham sausages. The ingredients are also very cheap. If we partner with my younger brother, we can get dividends every month. Wont that be killing two birds with one stone? Tan Jing said. How can you guarantee that your brother will be loyal to us? What if he takes all the money and runs away? Huang Quan asked. Tan Jing stood up slowly from the corner and walked unsteadily towards Huang Quan. She knelt beside his legs and massaged him as she said in a gentle tone, We cant let Huang Mian and Huang Can do this business. When they become rich, we wont be able to get a single cent. My younger brother has nothing. Youll be the one who gives him a chance to become rich. Anyway, its easy for you to capture my brother no matter where he runs to. Huang Quan was very happy to hear this. He held Tan Jings hand in a rare move and said, This is a good idea. Tell me more. The two of us cant get involved in this business, otherwise it will arouse the suspicion of the Xia family. However, we cant give full authority to my young brother either. You should find a trusted aide and plant him by my brothers side. That person can monitor my brothers movements while working for our factory at the same time. That would be most secure for us, Tan Jing said. Alright! Well do as you say! You can go and make the arrangements for this matter, Huang Quan said excitedly.. Chapter 2037: Pay the Price Chapter 2037: Pay the Price Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Tan Jing smiled happily. The fish had finally taken the bait. Now, she only needed to slowly rein in the line and she would successfully catch this big fish one day! Qiao Mei was not going to let go of this issue. How could she let them take those expensive machines just like that? After she returned home, she asked Yao Nian to keep an eye on the movements of everyone in the Huang and Tan families. As soon as there was any activity, he had to report back to her. A few days later, Qiao Mei learned that Tan Jings younger brother, Tan Shi, had rented an empty warehouse in Lian City. Huang Quan was smart enough to ask Tan Shi to buy over a small food company that had gone bankrupt. This way, they just needed to change the name of the legal representative and did not have to go through the tedious procedures of setting up a new company. When it was time to confirm the name of the new legal representative, Huang Quan was a little hesitant. The Huang family still had some influence in Lian City and the capital, but if Tan Shi took the money and ran to someone elses territory or went overseas, where could he go to settle the score with Tan Shi? He would only feel at ease if he was the actual legal representative of the company. However, to the public, they would make it sound like Tan Shi was the legal representative. After all, in order to keep a factory running, the most important factor was still money. The bulk of the money would come from the Huang family and Tan Shi was just a worker. Tan Jing had already discussed the matter with Tan Shi. On the surface, Tan Shi was doing this business with Huang Quan on a 40-60 split, but in fact, Tan Shi had to give half of his share to Tan Jinga This was a secret between the two siblings and Huang Quan did not know anything about it. They should have returned to their hometown. Theyre not in the capital but not too far away. If we get in touch with them now, they should be able to reach the capital by tomorrow night at the latest, Chi Ze said. Alright, please go and discuss it with them. 1 want to meet them. After they complete the task, Ill definitely reward them handsomely, Qiao Mei said. Back when Qiao Mei was selling braised meat and popcorn, she had helped many people to make a living. After these people made enough money, some of them decided to go home to get married, have children and then live a quiet life. Others chose to stay in the capital and continue working with Qiao Mei. These two brothers were always grateful to Qiao Mei. After receiving Chi Zes call, they immediately bought tickets on the earliest train heading to the capital without another word. They were both in their early 30s. One of them was burly and strong. The other looked thin and weak, but seemed very shrewd. Chi Ze pointed at the two of them and made an introduction. This is Liu Guang and that is Li Xin. We retired from the army together and they are definitely trustworthy people. Liu Guang and Li Xin looked at Qiao Mei reservedly. They did not know why they had been called to the capital in such a hurry. Take a seat! Everyone, sit down! Were all on the same team and it doesnt need to be so prim and proper between us. Chi Ze and the others all address me as Sister-in-law. You can do that too, Qiao Mei said with a smile. Hello, Sister-in-law! the two of them said in unison. I have asked you to come because I need your help with something. After the task is done, Ill definitely thank you with a big reward, Qiao Mei said seriously.. Chapter 2038: Mind Your Image Chapter 2038: Mind Your Image Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Sister-in-law, just say the word. As long as its something that the two of us can do, we will definitely complete the task! Li Xin said immediately. When the two of them were still selling popcorn in the capital, they had heard about Qiao Mei and her way of doing things. They knew very well that Qiao Mei would not harm them or ask them to do anything illegal, which was why they dared to make such a promise to her. Qiao Mei nodded in satisfaction. This person was indeed eloquent. For the next three hours, Qiao Mei told Liu Guang and Li Xin about her plan. As she spoke, the two of them went from being filled with admiration for her to feeling excited about their upcoming task. Even Chi Ze was starting to admire Qiao Meis courage and insight. Heres 150,000 dollars and its meant to be the capital for the business. The other 20,000 dollars is for both of you to buy new clothes. Clothes make the man. When you need to meet people, you must maintain a certain image, Qiao Mei said as she patted the bag on the table. 20,000 dollars is really way too much! What kind of clothes are so expensive? I think 200 dollars each is more than enough for us! Liu Guang said. You must buy the most expensive and the nicest clothes so that other people wont view you with suspicion. If theres any money left after that, you can spend it however you want. You can use it to pay for your travel expenses or as tips to people on the way. Let me know if the money runs out. After this task is done, Ill also give you a big reward, Qiao Mei said. Alright! We definitely wont let Sister-in-law down! Li Xin said happily. Liu Guang patted Li Xins shoulder and said, Lets get to work. Time is of the essence. True, true, true! Then Sister-in-law, well get going first! After Li Xin finished speaking, the two of them left the factory with the bag full of money from Qiao Mei and set off for Lian City. The two of them were very excited. They were holding on to 150,000 dollars! Guang~ Alright, lets rent it for a month first, Liu Guang said. The two of them put on their suits and leather shoes and drove to Lian City. On the way, Liu Guang asked around about the food factories located nearby. They went to visit many factories along the way and finally arrived at Tan Shis factory. Liu Guang got out of the car with his briefcase under his arm. When Tan Shi heard the noise outside, he immediately went to the entrance of the factory to greet his visitors. Gentlemen, what do you need? Tan Shi asked with a wide grin. The two of us are here to do business and we want to order a batch of goods. Weve been looking for a business partner in Lian City. May I know what kind of business you are in? Liu Guang asked. We produce ham sausages and all kinds of canned food. I wonder what kind of goods you are looking for? Tan Shi asked. Li Xin took a big stride to stand in front of Tan Shi, gripped Tan Shis arm tightly and said, Oh my! Weve been searching high and low for this! And then we find it when we least expect it! What were looking for is a factory that can produce ham sausages! What a coincidence! Bosses, come in and have a chat! Tan Shi opened the main door and invited Liu Guang and Li Xin to his office in the factory.. Chapter 2039: Negotiate a Deal Chapter 2039: Negotiate a Deal Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The so-called office was actually a temporary container office made up of four container structures put together. If there was a strong wind, it could even be blown away. Liu Guang looked around unhappily. Tan Shi was observant enough to notice Liu Guangs concerns. Ive invested all my money into the machines, so the office setup is very basic. However, you dont have to worry about the machinery and the technology. There wont be any problem! My name is Tan Shi. Bosses, how should I address you? Tan Shi asked. My name is Li Xin. This is my friend, Liu Guang, Li Xin said. Boss Lee! Boss Liu! Youre both so young and promising! May I know where your company is located? I dont think Ive ever heard of you in Lian City. A big factory like yours should already have long-time business partners. Why have you come here instead? Tan Shi asked. Our hometown is in River City. Its indeed as you say. We do have long-time business partners, but they recently received a big order and wont be able to help us for a while. If we wait for them to complete that order, we will need to wait for three months! Thats why were urgently going around to look for a factory that can make ham sausages! Li Xin said. Look at how anxious we are. We havent slept for two days. If we dont deliver the goods on time, well have to compensate our client a few hundred thousand dollars for breach of contract! Liu Guang said, making it sound as serious as he could. Compensation of a few hundred thousand dollars! Tan Shis eyes lit up. If the compensation sum already went into the hundreds of thousands, then the order itself must be worth millions! I also have a small request. Bosses, can you put down a deposit first? Tan Shi said. Of course, but based on the practice in our hometown, we can only give a 10% deposit. Can you accept that? Li Xin said. A deposit of 10% was indeed a bit too little. Tan Shi still needed money to buy raw materials! However, he was really unwilling to let such a big order fall into the hands of others. Sure! No problem! Tan Shi took out a contract from his drawer and Li Xin handed the 100,000 dollars in his bag to Tan Shi. With the money in hand, Tan Shi felt more at ease. He was no longer worried that Li Xin and Liu Guang were lying to him. Even if the two of them ran away in the end, ham sausages were always in high demand in the country and could be sold anywhere, Bosses, do you want to take a look at the canned food produced in our factory? The quality of our canned food is also very good! Tan Shi recommended. Canned food... Were not interested, Liu Guang said. Were already here! Wont it be a pity if we dont take a look? What type of canned food do you have? Li Xin asked curiously. Tan Shi immediately asked the workers to go to the factory warehouse to bring out a few samples. They were currently producing canned pork, beef, ham and fish. These were all selling quite well. The packaging was very exquisite and it was obvious that these were good stuff.. Chapter 2040: Production Completed Chapter 2040: Production Completed Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Not bad! I didnt expect Lian City to have such good quality canned food! Li Xin said excitedly. After Li Xin and Liu Guang had a discussion, they put in a big order of canned food from Tan Shi. The canned pork was cheapest at two dollars per can, the canned beef was four dollars per can and the canned fish was more expensive at six dollars per can. After all, the fish had to be transported from the sea to the factory. The weather was hot now and they needed to factor in the fact that part of the raw stock would be lost due to spoilage. In the end, the two men decided to order 100,000 cans of pork, 200,000 cans of beef and 200,000 cans of fish. Tan Shi immediately thought about the difficulties he might face, However, he got over it quickly. At most, he would buy more ice to put inside the delivery truck, as well as buy more fish to have some backup stock. No matter how he looked at it, he would still make a profit in the end. We have been running around and dont have that much money with us, so we can only give you a deposit of 50,000 dollars. But dont worry, as long as you produce the goods on time, we will also pay you on time. There wont be any issues! Li Xin said firmly. Sure! Bosses, I trust you! Tan Shi said. The two men returned to Lian City again but this time, it was different from the previous time. Every day, the two men would receive remittance receipts from the post office. The amounts stated in the forms were not too big, only about 10,000 to 20,000 dollars each time, but the remittance frequency was very consistent. l wont go and withdraw all the money now. This is an unfamiliar place to me. What if 1 get robbed after withdrawing the money? Ill give the full sum to you when the goods are delivered! Li Xin said as he held out a thick stack of remittance receipts. Tan Shi checked the remittance receipts and confirmed that they were all real. He felt as if he was living in a dream every day nowadays. He felt very happy every time he thought about how he would earn millions within one month! Although he only received 20% of the money, 20% of the total still worked out to more than 200,000 dollars! As the days passed, production was almost completed. The initial plan was to have it completed in 30 days, but unexpectedly, Tan Shi was done in less than 20 days. He had rented many large trucks, almost all the trucks in the city, and gathered them at the factory. There were more than 20 trucks parked by the roadside and it looked very imposing. It took the staff at the factory one day and one night to load everything onto the trucks. Just before leaving, Li Xin suddenly said to Tan Shi, Brother Tan, Im afraid I cant give you the money yet. What do you mean? Tan Shi asked in shock. Even all the people standing beside him were shocked. Its not what you think. Theres so much goods here and the convoy is really too eye-catching. If we get robbed on the road, then our efforts will all be in vain. Therefore, we need you to ensure that the goods reach our company premises. Once its done, I will give you the money immediately! Li Xin said. There was no highway during this era. Sometimes, the big delivery trucks would need to travel through the mountains and the drivers would often encounter robbers when they stopped for a rest at night. This was early days after the economy opened up and such situations were still very common.. Chapter 2041: Run Off Chapter 2041: Run Off Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Fortunately, Lian City and River City were not far from each other and the journey time only took one day and one night. Therefore, Tan Shi agreed to Li Xins request and he decided to tag along as well. When the convoy reached the suburbs, it was nighttime and already very dark all around. There was only a small inn by the roadside with the lights on. This inn mainly catered to the delivery truck drivers and other travelers. Its difficult to travel at night and accidents may happen if the drivers are too tired. Lets stop at that inn and rest for the night. Ill pay for all the expenses! Everyone, you can eat and drink to your hearts content! Li Xin said generously. Since Boss Li says so, theres no reason for us to reject your suggestion. Guys! Lets get down and rest! Tan Shi said happily. The big group arrived at the inn in a grand manner. The boss of the inn was very pleasantly surprised to see them. After all, there were usually only a few guests at night. It was rare to see such a large group of guests. Are you staying for the night or just having a meal? the boss asked. Well eat first! Then well stay for the night! Tan Shi said. Sure, sure, sure! Please come in! The boss led Tan Shi and the rest to sit down. While putting in the order for the food, Li Xin ordered a lot of liquor as well. Boss Li, we still have to continue with our journey tomorrow. Its better not to drink, Tan Shi said. He grabbed one of the drivers and asked, Wake up! Have you seen Boss Li and Boss Liu? What? Ah... No, they seemed to be drinking downstairs yesterday... the driver said groggily. Crap! They are gone! Tan Shi said furiously. The driver was wide awake immediately and asked nervously, Whos going to pay us if they are gone! Li Xin had already told these drivers that he would bear all the expenses related to the journey. If Li Xin was gone, who should they get payment from? Its fine. Its not like we have nothing to sell the goods even if they have run off. Ill pay all of you after I sell off everything, Tan Shi said. He was fully prepared for all kinds of scenarios. The canned food and ham sausages in the truck were all items that were in high demand in the country, so there was no lack of buyers. Even if Li Xins order did not materialize, he would not make a loss. In fact, now that Li Xin had run away, he could keep the deposit of 150,000 dollars for free. He might need to work harder for now, but there was no harm done. There was suddenly a commotion downstairs. A truck driver stumbled upstairs and said, Bad news... Brother! Bad news! Something major has happened! What is it? Speak slowly! Tan Shi said.. Chapter 2042: Unable to Find Any Clues Chapter 2042: Unable to Find Any Clues Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Our goods! The goods are gone! the truck driver shouted agitatedly. What nonsense are you talking about! Are you still drunk and groggy! Tan Shi questioned. No, boss! Everythings gone! There are holes in the trucks and all the goods inside are gone! the truck driver said. Tan Shi was so shocked that he scrambled down the stairs. There were more than 10 trucks outside and they had all been emptied. A few trucks were even smashed up! The truck drivers were all very angry. They had never seen such a thing in their many years of delivering goods. This was their livelihood! The trucks were now smashed up! How were they going to support their families! My truck! Oh no, my truck! How am 1 going to explain this to my wife when I get back! Boss Tan! You have to repair the trucks for all of us! If not for your delivery order, our trucks would not have been smashed up! The noisy chatter gave Tan Shi a headache. He roared at the crowd, Shut up, all of you! Whats the use of yelling at me! Am I the one who did this? My goods are gone too! You should go and look for the person who damaged your trucks! Dont come and bother me! Yes! Im sure! Stolen by two people! One of them is Li Xin! The other is Liu Guang! The two of them stole all the goods! Tan Shi said. There were many villages in the vicinity. If a big truck had passed by at night, it would have made a lot of noise and the villagers would have heard it. However, when the police officers who went to the villages to investigate returned to the scene, they all reported that the villagers said they did not hear anything. It was impossible for two people to move so much goods overnight without anyone noticing. Even if they called all the villagers in the vicinity to come and help, it would still take them one whole day to move all the goods! All the signs indicated that nothing had happened last night. That meant that Tan Shi and the others were putting on a show! They were lying to the police! Are you sure that your goods were lost here? the police officer asked with a frown. Yes! Tan Shi said. Maybe you should think about it again. We feel that the goods are already lost before you get here, the police officer said tactfully. No matter how Tan Shi explained the situation, the police did not believe what he said. It was not just the police. No one who heard this story would believe him. Tan Shi was so agitated that he fainted. Seeing this, the police left the scene. They did not want to continue to get involved with this group of people. The drivers went back to the factory with Tan Shi back and demanded an explanation.. After all, their trucks were damaged, so someone must bear the responsibility! Chapter 2043: Coming to the Door Chapter 2043: Coming to the Door Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios When Huang Quan heard about this matter, he almost fainted. It was impossible to hide such a big matter from the Huang familys relatives and they soon found out about it. All the relatives were furious. Everyone of them had invested some money! They were all counting on Huang Quan! How could such a thing happen! It did not take long for all of them to gather outside the Huang familys house. They were all there to demand an explanation from Huang Quan. More than that, they wanted to get back all the money they had invested. Open the door! Hey, open the door!Diiscover new stories at novelhall.com Elder Brother and Sister-in-law! Now that your son has done such a thing! You cant just turn a blind eye! Return my money! Return all my money! My children are still schooling! Give me back all my money! How heartless! Thats the money to pay for my coffin in the future! If you do this, what will happen to me when I die! I wont be able to die in peace! Other than Huang Quan, every member of the Huang family was currently stuck in the house. Huang Mian sat on the sofa and said mockingly, l just know that Eldest Brother did not plan this out properly. Look at what has happened. Everyone is at our door now. Stop being so sarcastic! Thats your eldest brother! Huang Zhong said furiously. Tan Jing felt as if she had been shoved into an ice cave, She was still counting on the earnings from the factory to regain her freedom! How could such a thing happen? Impossible! Is there any misunderstanding! My brother wont do that! Tan Jing said. He wont? Who knows what your family will do! I even suspect that your family has hidden all the goods! They want to destroy my family! Then your family can sell the goods and become rich! You Yu said. It cant be! Not at all! Tan Jing said in a panic. You Yu did not care about what Tan Jing said and vented all her anger on Tan Jing. Ever since Tan Jing married into the Huang family, their family had not had a good day! Tan Jing was such a jinx! The Huang family tapped on their connections and arranged for the matter to be investigated thoroughly, but they did not get any results. No one knew where the goods were or where Li Xin and Liu Guang had gone. At this moment, the two of them should already be in Country M with their families. Qiao Mei had sent them to her farm there so that they could lie low for a while. They could come back when the Huang family forgot about this matter. After a few days, Qiao Mei arranged for Chi Ze and the others to go to the other side of the mountain to be on standby. In those two years when Qiao Mei was not around, they had often made deliveries through this area and knew the roads around here like the back of their hands. Qiao Mei had asked them to go to a spot which was surrounded by mountains and where there were very few people around. No one would pass by this place at all. They did not know why Qiao Mei asked them to come here and why they had to come at night. The place was very dark and it looked a little scary. Chi Ze, is everyone here? Qiao Mei said as she walked out of the forest.. Chapter 2044: The Machines Are Destroyed Chapter 2044: The Machines Are Destroyed Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Were all here and we brought all the vehicles, Chi Ze said. Alright, you can start moving the items, Qiao Mei said as she pointed into the depths of the forest. They looked towards the direction where Qiao Mei was pointing. There were many big boxes piled up on the ground. Everyone was very curious about how these goods were transported here, but no matter how curious they were, they knew not to ask about things they were not supposed to know. They only managed to finish moving all the goods when it was dawn. Qiao Mei gave Chi Ze an address and asked him to send all these goods to a location in the south. This was the new warehouse which Xiang Jin and Wu Duo bought. They could make good use of these goods to earn some funds. It would be a good round of training for them. After everything was done, Qiao Mei did not go home directly. She drove slowly and made her way to Tan Shis factory. Tan Shi had already been arrested by the police and taken away for interrogation. At the moment, the factory was being run by one of Huang Quan t s relatives. Losing the goods was not a big issue to them. As long as the machines were still around, they could clear the debt of a few million dollars in less than three months. She waited until late at night when all the employees in the factory had finished work and gone home. There was only the security guard at the door left. The factory was empty and there was no sound at all. Qiao Mei controlled the vines and made them creep into the factory through the gap in the door. She used them to dismantle the machines, removing all the critical components from all of them. These machines were all manufactured overseas. The foreigners were very smart and they were most particular about keeping the technology confidential. The most important components inside the machines were attached using special methods and could not be disassembled in the usual ways.ViiSiit for latest novels When Qiao Mei bought the machines, the foreigners had explained all these things to her and she knew where the machines core was. As long as the core was removed, the entire machine was not usable anymore. Be more mindful next time! If I see you sleeping again, Ill replace you! Huang Quan said. Sure, sure, sure! Ill keep that in mind! the security officer said. As Huang Quan walked in, he started to detect the strong smell of meat. He rushed to the warehouse and opened the door. The floor was strewed with canned food and chewed up ham sausages. These goods were all supposed to be delivered today! It had not been easy for them to mortgage the house to get a loan, but the money had all gone to waste now! Guard! Come here! Hey! Huang Quan rushed to the door like a lunatic. The old security officer tidied his clothes and walked out, asking, Whats wrong, Boss Huang? Did you lock the door to the warehouse last night? Huang Quan questioned. I did. I even checked it several times! When I locked the door, Boss Xiao Huang was also there, the old security officer said. Boss Xiao Huang was Huang Quan t s relative. Rubbish! All the goods inside have been eaten up! Everythings gone! Huang Quan roared. What? Impossible! This is definitely impossible! Boss Huang, you must have been mistaken. How can all the food be eaten? the old security officer said fearfully.. Chapter 2045: Relying on Myself Chapter 2045: Relying on Myself Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios If that happened, it would be considered negligence on his part. If they could not find the culprit who deliberately caused the damage, he would have to compensate for all the losses in the factory. He would not be able to pay it back even if he sold his house! Huang Quan immediately called the police, who arrived quickly at the factory to carry out an investigation. The results of this investigation were similar to the last time regarding the trucks. The police felt that it was the animals in the mountains which caused the damages and that there was no sabotage involved. Then are those machines also dismantled by the animals? Huang Quan questioned. The police did not know how to explain this part. After investigating the scene for a long time, they prepared to go back for a meeting to discuss this particular situation. Everyone in Lian City was waiting to see the Huang family become a joke. They were all looking forward to what else would happen. The Huang family had behaved very badly in Lian City in recent years and they looked down on everyone, so no one liked the Huang family. Some people even thought that the Huang family must be possessed! Surely they were being pestered by some evil spirits. Otherwise, how could they have lost so much goods in an instant? At home, Qiao Mei leaned back on the rocking chair and hummed a song as she carried Xia Yue, She had already asked Yao Nian to station himself near the Huang familys factory to check on things and take photos. She believed that she would get good news by nightfall. What has made you so happy? Where have you been the past few days? Xia Wen said as he stood behind Qiao Mei. Over the past few days, Xia Wen had thought of many possibilities while waiting for Qiao Mei to return and had also gotten people to verify many things for him. However, he still did not want to accept the fact that Qiao Mei was the one who did all these things. After receiving Qiao Meis affirmative answer, he almost could not catch his breath. After hesitating for a long time, Xia Wen said, Youre really bold to come up with such a brazen plan. l... Im really not very bold. Im just scheming! Qiao Mei said with a smile. Where did you send that batch of goods? Xia Wen asked. Qiao Mei told Xia Wen everything that had happened, except the details about how she stole the goods. After Xia Wen heard about the plan which Qiao Mei executed, he was shocked to the core. It had never occurred to him that it was possible to do something like this. At the same time, he heaved a sigh of relief for Qiao Mei. Fortunately, the Huang family did not have any evidence of this. This incident involved goods worth almost a million. If it was found out that Qiao Mei was the culprit, she could even get the death penalty! You can talk to me about such things in the future. We can solve it together, Xia Wen said with a slight frown. Eldest Brother, what I want to tell you is that I can settle such issues myself in the future, Qiao Mei said firmly as she looked at Xia Wen. Although she had to use many of the Xia familys connections to hide information about Li Xin and Liu Guang this time round, and also needed the Xia familys help with regard to the factory in the south, she would continue to work hard to become stronger in all aspects. She could not run her business under the umbrella of the Xia familys protection forever. She wanted to be Boss Qiao and not the third young madam of the Xia family.. Chapter 2046: Set Up a Biological Company Chapter 2046: Set Up a Biological Company Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Im not saying that there is anything wrong with the Xia family or blaming any of the family members. 1 just want to be even more independent. I cant rely on the Xia family all my life. The Xia family can help me with all these small matters now, but if I encounter problems that even the Xia family cant solve in the future, then what should I do? Its better to rely on myself than on others. I want to put in enough effort too, Qiao Mei explained. Xia Wen had been taught to protect women since he was young and that men should be the ones to handle matters outside the house. It was a good thing that Qiao Mei wanted all this, but he always found her to be a little strange. The men should be the ones working hard to protect their families. Why would they need the women to work hard to protect them? Sigh... You can do whatever you want, Xia Wen waved his hand and said helplessly. Qiao Mei immediately said, Of course Ill always need Eldest Brothers help! Ill be careful. If theres really something that I cant handle, Ill definitely come and look for you! Youd better remember what you just said! When Xia Zhe comes back, Im going to tell him all these things and ask him to teach you a lesson! Xia Wen said. He would leave it to her husband to deal with her. MO Zhu was getting bigger by the day and he needed to stay by her side, The Huang familys case was closed by the police after the investigation yielded no results. The Huang family were now thinking of ways to get rid of the scrap metal in their factory. Qiao Mei asked Lu Huai to find two unfamiliar faces to go to Lian City to negotiate a deal with the Huang family. Within two to three days, they managed to buy all the broken machines for only 30,000 dollars! They had spent 20,000 dollars less than what Qiao Mei had estimated! After thinking about it for a long time, Qiao Mei decided on a simple approach. She would just name it Qiao Biological Company. The world was her oyster, but at this stage, she just wanted to focus on doing research on seeds. The process of setting up a company was very cumbersome and would take at least one month. Qiao Mei left all these troublesome matters to Qiane. She was not in a hurry anyway. Grandfather, are you making good use of the warehouse by the river? Qiao Mei asked. Weve been using it to plant crops. Your mother says that that piece of land is truly a treasure. If we dont plant crops there, the nutrients in the land will eventually be lost. Even when you are away. we must make good use of it. After all, that piece of land can generate money! Qiao Qiang said with a laugh. Qiao Mei was very happy. She had thought that while she was in school, Li Gui did nothing other than counted money every day. However, it seemed that Li Gui was developing good business acumen during this period. Have you planted anything this year? Qiao Mei asked. We just harvested a batch of watermelons. The field is empty now and I havent thought about what to grow next, Qiao Qiang said. Thats good! I want to try planting some new seeds! Lets set off now and take a look over there! After saying that, Qiao Mei started to pack her things. Qiao Qiang also informed Li Gui about their plan.. Chapter 2047: Grow Seasonal Fruits Chapter 2047: Grow Seasonal Fruits Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei brought along her entire family to have some fun there. In Country M, the children lived on the farm and they could run around freely every day. Although their house in the capital was also very big, it was small compared with the farm in Country M. The country had given these warehouses and land to Qiao Mei as a reward. In the past two years, Li Gui had purchased the various plots of land in the vicinity. The total land area now was about the same size as the farm in Country M. Mom, have the watermelons sold well in the past two years? How much did we produce? Qiao Mei asked. In the first year, it was not too bad. Sometimes we could harvest 8,000 pounds per mu, sometimes 4,000 pounds per mu. The price was different depending on the variety, but the sales had always been very good. In the second year, there was more rain and we harvested less watermelons, but it was still alright, Li Gui said. She had noted down all these details earnestly and documented all the information of every field in each area. She knew that Qiao Mei often did research on seeds and had heard from others that it was important to record the details of the seeds growth. Li Gui did not go far from this piece of land in the past two years. She wanted to make sure that she had all the information for Qiao Mei when Qiao Mei returned. Li Gui had realized that Qiao Mei t s seeds would grow quite well in the first year, but the quality would deteriorate as they continued planting. The later harvests would never be as good as the first year. At the same time, all the machine parts had reached Shen City. They were just waiting for Qiao Mei to come over and give them some pointers. It was time for her to pack her things and set off. Before Qiao Mei left, Gao Lin came to look for her and asked, Are you going to the factory in Shen City? Thats right. Granduncle, do you want to invest in it too? Qiao Mei asked. l still have to think carefully before acquiring assets here. Most of the Gao familys assets are still overseas now, so it will take some time to male preparations if we intend to do any business here. Moreover, the Gao familys assets were all distributed to other relatives back then, so it will take a lot of time to deal with this as well, Gao Lin explained. Its alright, take your time, Qiao Mei said. Im thinking of going with you to take a look at how much the place has changed in the face of progress, Gao Lin said. Qiao Mei thought for a long time before she said, Granduncle, are you thinking of going back to Hu City to take a look? Ive been gone for so many years. Its time to go back and take a look. Besides, the Gao family still has many properties there that we left behind back then. Im going this time to prepare to take back the Gao familys things. We probably still own one street there, Gao Lin said. At that time, the tycoons in Hu City liked to divide up the districts among themselves and each person would own one street or one district. The Gao family used to own all the assets in one district. When they left in a hurry, they gave most of the companies and shops to their relatives. In the end, only the assets on one street were still in Gao Lins possession. How long is the street? Qiao Mei asked.. Chapter 2048: Nurture the Children Chapter 2048: Nurture the Children Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Its at least 700 meters long, but Im not sure if I can get the assets back. After all, so many years have passed and 1 1 m not sure who has taken over the ownership by now, Gao Lin said regretfully. If you want to get the assets back, its important to have the relevant documents. Do you have the title deeds for the properties and the land? Qiao Mei asked. Yes, I have everything! Gao Lin said. Gao Lin hurried back to his room and brought out the documents. There was a thick stack of both land and property title deeds. Qiao Mei took a look at a few pages and felt a little disappointed. These documents were too dated and were not valid anymore. However, they were not totally useless. When Xu Lan and Xia Wen heard that Qiao Mei was leaving the capital, they came over to Qiao Meis house. The two of them had something to discuss with her. What are you looking at? Xia Wen asked. Eldest Brother, you have come at the right time. Theres one more thing that I might need to trouble you with. The Gao family used to own assets on a street in Hu City, but many years have passed and the documents are an old version that might not be valid anymore. Can you help us find out who has ownership of the assets now? Qiao Mei said as she handed the documents in her hand to Xia Wen. ViiSiit for latest novels Sure, then Ill have to trouble Mother and Grandfather, Qiao Mei said with a smile. There was a limit to what she could give the children. There were many things that one could learn from Xia Jun. Even Qiao Mei wanted to learn from Xia Jun, so she had no issue with letting the children spend time with him. Xu Lan and Xia Wen were both appreciative of the fact that Qiao Mei was so sensible and understanding. After Xia Wen gave her a brief update, they packed up the childrens things and left with the children. This time, Qiao Mei could go on a business trip without any worries. Qiao Mei and Gao Lin took a flight to Hu City first. As soon as they landed, they rushed to the area where the old house was located. Gao Lin walked through the area based on his memories and finally managed to find the correct alley. This area used to be very prosperous. These were all built by our Gao family, Gao Lin said proudly. All these? Qiao Mei asked as she pointed at the surrounding shops. In the past, yes. These current shops are already different from the original ones, Gao Lin said regretfully. In the past, the shops in this area included the supply and marketing cooperative, grocery stores as well as many newspaper offices. Now, there were all kinds of restaurants, hairdressing salons and boutiques. Then where is our house located? Qiao Mei asked. Gao Lin led Qiao Mei into the alley slowly. This place looked different from how it was decades ago. When they arrived at a bungalow, Gao Lins eyes reddened. Qiao Mei immediately knew that the bungalow in front of her was Gao Lins old home and also the place where Gao Tao grew up.. Chapter 2049: Returning to a Familiar Place Chapter 2049: Returning to a Familiar Place Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The bungalow had a total of five floors and the bricks and tiles used were very exquisite. Even though it was an old building, Qiao Mei could still see how grand it used to be. Each floor had big panels of glass installed. Currently, there were many people coming in and out of the house. It seemed that this house had been subdivided into a communal living space. The good thing is that the house is still here. Everything else can be repaired and restored. Qiao Mei patted Gao Lins shoulder and comforted him. Yes, as long as its still here, well be able to find a way, Gao Lin said. The two of them stood outside and looked at the house for a long time before they walked in slowly. The inside had been subdivided into different spaces and the place looked different from what Gao Lin remembered. What used to be the long corridor was now a communal kitchen and the various rooms had already become someone elses homes. It was the same from the first to the fifth floor. When the two of them reached the third floor, they could not find the courage to go up any further. Gao Lin felt very heartbroken that his former home had been destroyed to such an extent. Lets go, Qiao Mei said softly. Sigh... lets go, Gao Lin said with a sigh. Right at this moment, a girl suddenly rushed into the corridor and shouted, Why should I listen to them! This house belongs to our family! This entire street is ours! Why should we take instructions from them! Since its ours, we should take it back! Neither the woman nor Gao Le knew who Gao Lin was. The man in the room suddenly stood up and walked to the door. He asked agitatedly, Your... your name is Gao Lin? Yes. You are... Gao Lin looked at the old man in front of him hesitantly. He had been away for too long and all the faces in his memories were already blurry. Im Gao Hai! Your fourth uncle! Gao Hai yelled out. Fourth Uncle! Long time no see! Gao Lin said happily. Gao Hai hugged Gao Lin tightly and did not want to let go. As he held Gao Lin in an embrace, he patted Gao Lins back fiercely and said, Good! Youre finally back. After that, he rattled off more similar remarks. Qiao Mei stood rooted to the spot and did not know what to say. The man in front of her looked very much older than Gao Lin, but in terms of age, he did not seem much older than Gao Lin. However, the fact that he ranked higher on the family hierarchy meant he needed to be respected. Come in and have a chat! Lets talk inside! Gao Hai pulled Gao Lin into the room with Qiao Mei following closely behind. The woman who looked unhappy earlier was now full of smiles. She said happily, Gao Lin, Im your fourth aunt-in-law! This is my daughter, Gao Le. Gao Le, greet him! This is your older cousin! Gao Le looked at Gao Lin and Qiao Mei unwillingly. No matter how she looked at it, it was strange that two people had suddenly appeared and claimed to be their relatives. She did not know if they were real relatives! She did not want to acknowledge this stranger as her cousin. The child is young and insensible. Come in and have a chat! the woman said. Qiao Mei gestured to the bodyguards in the corridor and told them to wait downstairs. She would call them using the walkie-talkie if anything happened.. Chapter 2050: Family Hierarchy Chapter 2050: Family Hierarchy Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei kept feeling that these so-called relatives were a little strange. She could not say for sure what felt so wrong, but it was always better to be safe than sorry. It was better to be more cautious. Moreover, the room in front of her was very small and could not accommodate so many of them. If Qiao Mei also entered, there would be even be any standing room left. Who is this? Zheng Juan looked at Qiao Mei and asked curiously. After all, Gao Lin was very well-dressed and his clothes looked expensive. It was inevitable that people would let their imagination run wild when such a man had a beautiful woman with him. Zheng Juan did not want to make any assumptions. Fourth Aunt-in-law, this is my grandniece, Gao Lin explained. Oh! Your grandniece! Then you have to address me as Fourth Great-grandaunt! Zheng Juan said excitedly. Gao Lin nodded in agreement. Qiao Mei had no choice but to brace herself and address the woman as Fourth Great-grandaunt. After all, Gao Lin seemed to value blood relations very much, so she could not embarrass him in front of other people. Which branch of the Gao family is Gao Lin from? Zheng Juan said as she looked at Gao Hai. The Gao family was a very big family. When Gao Lins entire family left the country back then, Zheng Juan had not even married into the family yet. Zheng Juan only knew those Gao family relatives living in the country and did not know much about those overseas. He is part of the Gao familys direct descendant lineage, as in those family members who are born of the legal wives. Hes my eldest brothers child, Gao Hai said excitedly. When did you come back? Gao Hai asked. Its been about half a month, Gao Lin said as he looked at Gao Hai. Then where have you been staying all this while? Youve been back for so long but you havent contacted us! Gao Hai said. l just arrived in Hu City today. Ive been in the capital since I arrived, Gao Lin said. For Gao Lin to be able to live in the capital for so long, he must either have relatives there or have his own house in the capital. Gao Lin must be richer than they imagined. Youve been on the move all day. Stay for a meal! Then you can have a good chat with your fourth uncle! Zheng Juan said. Sure. I have a lot of questions for Fourth Uncle. Hu City has changed so much over the years, Gao Lin said happily. After Zheng Juan said that, she just kept staring at Qiao Mei and did not make any move to walk out of the door. Qiao Mei looked back at Zheng Juan. Gao Lin did not understand what Zheng Juan was trying to do, but Qiao Mei did. Zheng Juan did not want to pay for the groceries and was waiting for Qiao Mei to go with her! Fourth Great-grandaunt, dont trouble yourself. Lets go to a restaurant, Qiao Mei said. Sure, sure, sure! Thats good too! After saying that, Zheng Juan quickly went further into the room to get changed. She even asked Gao Le to go and change into nicer clothes as well. Gao Lin only looked at them but did not say anything. He already guessed that Gao Hai l s family must not be doing well all these years, so it was not surprising that they demonstrated such behavior..ViiSiit for latest novels Chapter 2051: The Agreement From Back Then Chapter 2051: The Agreement From Back Then Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Along the way, Zheng Juan kept singing praises of certain big restaurants in Hu City. Qiao Mei had heard of those places before. These few would become very famous five-star hotels in the coming decades, often charging tens of thousands of dollars for the rooms and meals. Fourth Aunt-in-law, lets just find a random restaurant nearby, Gao Lin said. That wont do! Only a big restaurant is worthy of your status as an overseas returnee! Its so rare for you to come back! We must eat something nice! The taste of Hu City! Zheng Juan yelled loudly. The people passing by all turned around to look at them. The smug expression on Zheng Juans face became even more obvious. Qiao Mei and Gao Lin frowned slightly with displeasure. When Qiao Mei found out that the big restaurant they were headed to was located more than 10 kilometers away, her expression darkened even more. These people wanted to make them travel so far just to get a free meal. There were not as many taxis in the country as there were overseas, so it would take a long time to flag one down. Even if they could find a taxi to send them there, they might not be lucky enough to find one to bring them back. If they took the bus, they would need to change buses along the way! It was too much effort for a meal. Qiao Mei and Gao Lin had just arrived in Hu City and were still unfamiliar with the place. They did not know anyone and did not have a house or car locally. At first, Qiao Mei found that to be a little troublesome, but it turned out to be a good thing instead. At least these people would not look at them with covetous eyes! Is that restaurant over there where Lao Bian used to sell buns! Gao Lin asked as he pointed at a small restaurant in the alley. Gao Le suddenly stood up and roared, This old house is our house! What right do you have to buy it! By right, it belongs to our family. There was an agreement back then that if we come back, everyone will return us all our assets. Were all people who keep our promises, so you cant be so unreasonable, Qiao Mei said as she looked at Gao Hai. This was what Gao Lin had told Qiao Mei when they were in the capital. Back then, Gao Lins parents asked everyone from the Gao family to leave with them. However, some of the Gao familys relatives did not want to leave their hometown, so they stayed back in the end. Gao Lins parents agreed to let these relatives manage their assets. If they did not return to the country, the assets would belong to these relatives. However, if they did, then the relatives must return all their assets to them. What agreement! Dont try to scare me! Ive lived here since 1 was young and Ive never met anyone else! This old house is our house! How can you say whatever you want! Are your words equivalent to an imperial edict? Gao Le said. Zheng Juan did not know about all these things from the past, so she also said unhappily, You cant just spout such irresponsible words. Why does the house need to change ownership the moment youre back? Gao Lin looked at Gao Hai and said, They might not know what happened back then, but Fourth Uncle should know, right? In fact, the Gao familys old house was originally handed over to the Gao familys second son. He did not know why it was the fourth son living here now. It seemed that many things had happened after they left back then. Back then... there was indeed such an agreement, Gao Hai said.. Chapter 2052: Quote a High Price Chapter 2052: Quote a High Price Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios What nonsense are you talking about! Zheng Juan said as she looked at Gao Hai angrily. Its none of your business! After Gao Hai berated Zheng Juan, he turned to look at Gao Lin with a smile and said, However, this house does not belong to us now. It belongs to the government. Even if you want to get it back, you might not be able to do it. No worries. If it belongs to the government, then I know what to do next. I wont trouble Fourth Uncle with regard to this matter. After saying that, Gao Lin invited everyone to start eating. Zheng Juan had been secretly observing Gao Lin and Qiao Mei. Who exactly were these two people? They even dared to eye things which belonged to the government. It seemed that they were quite influential. Did this mean that her family could also get rich too? Xiao Lin, how many children do you have? Why did you only bring your grandniece with you this time? Zheng Juan asked tentatively. My family isnt doing too well. I only have one son and one grandson left. My son is disabled, so I only brought my grandniece this time. I want to take a look at my hometown. No matter where I go, I must not forget my roots, Gao Lin said. Then what kind of work do you do now? How much money can you earn a month? Zheng Juan continued to ask.Upstodatee from Qiao Mei put down her bowl and chopsticks and said, Fourth Great-grandaunt, why are you asking about this? Dont tell me you want to go overseas with us? Come on then! Let me see how capable your family is! Let me see how capable you are! the neighbor said disdainfully. Just you wait! After saying that, Zheng Juan slammed the door and went back into the room. Im waiting! Were all waiting! Lets see how your family is going to make us leave this place! the neighbor shouted mockingly. After closing the door, Zheng Juan sat on the floor and started crying. As she cried, she kept talking about how difficult it had been for her to stay by Gao Hais side all these years. It made Gao Hai feel very annoyed. Enough already. Isnt the title deed for this house still in our hands? If Gao Lin wants to buy the house, he has to buy it from us. When the time comes, he will have to accept whatever price you quote. Once we get the money, wont we be able to do whatever we want? Gao Hai said. Yes! Youre right! But what if they find out about what happened back then? Zheng Juan asked fearfully. Whats there to be afraid of? Dont tell me those relatives can crawl out from underground and tell Gao Lin about what happened? Gao Hai said nonchalantly. Youre right... Lets do as you say! Zheng Juan said. On the way back, Gao Lin and Qiao Mei discussed the issue of the house. For Gao Lin, it was more about the memories than anything else. He just wanted to own the house as a keepsake.. Chapter 2053: Ownership of the Property Chapter 2053: Ownership of the Property Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas StudiosUpstodatee from Along the way, Gao Lin told Qiao Mei about what the Gao family used to do on the surrounding land, pointed out the assets which used to belong to the Gao family and told her about what he remembered of this area. Back then, he had to walk down this road to go to and from school. Gao Tao liked to walk with him and they had a lot of fun together. Once they reached the hotel, Qiao Mei gave Xia Wen a call immediately. She wanted to know who had ownership of these assets in Hu City as soon as possible. Eldest Brother, have you found out everything we need? Qiao Mei asked anxiously. The situation is very complicated. If you want to get back these assets, Im afraid youll need to spend a lot of money. Some of the assets belong to the government and some are in private hands. Either way, you have to be prepared that you might not be able to get everything back, Xia Wen said. Yes, we understand. Eldest Brother, who owns the Gao familys old house now? Qiao Mei asked. It seems to be in the hands of a person named Gao Hai. You can go to that area and ask around. He probably lives there, Xia Wen said. Earlier in the day, Gao Hai had told them that the house was owned by the government, but now she was being told that it belonged to him. It seemed that there was something very fishy with this Gao Hai. Eldest Brother, if we want to buy a house from a private owner, is there anything we need to pay special attention to? Qiao Mei asked. She could put Deng Fan in charge of this company. After all, Deng Fan had his own architecture style and any property he designed would definitely be able to sell well. After that, Qiao Mei could slowly buy back the Gao familys assets in the course of business. It would definitely be much cheaper than going out to buy the assets upfront now, just that it would take a longer time. Ill leave these things to you. You can just tell Gao Ming how much the expenses are and ask him to reimburse you, Gao Lin said. Its fine, I can still afford this bit of money. I still need Brother Gao Ming to help me with my business overseas. Were all family, so theres no need to be so calculative, Qiao Mei said. Its precisely because were a family that we have to do the accounts clearly, Gao Lin said firmly. Alright, then Ill do what you say. When the time comes, Ill ask for reimbursement item by item! Not one item less! Qiao Mei said playfully. Your Brother Gao Ming has plenty of money! Theres no need to stand on ceremony with him! Gao Lin said with a smile. It was because of Qiao Meis help that the Gao family had done very well and for their company to become one of the top companies in Sky City within two years. They had set up many subsidiary companies in Country M and increased their assets to the extent that they were now comparable to Xia Zhes company. Xia Zhe had also invested a lot of money in Gao Ming. The two of them had started off as competitors, but now they had gradually become business partners who trusted each other. Granduncle, how many relatives did we leave behind back then? Why are all these assets in the hands of other people? Qiao Mei asked curiously. Back then, we had many relatives, more than 10 families! There are at least four families in the direct descendant lineage, so why is Gao Hais family the only one left in Hu City? Gao Lin was also very curious about this.. Chapter 2054: Selling the House Chapter 2054: Selling the House Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Gao Hai was not part of the Gao familys direct descendant lineage. In fact, he would not even appear in the family tree. The only reason why Gao Lin addressed him as Fourth Uncle was to show him some respect. Ill arrange for someone to investigate this matter. Lets go and have a walk around. Ive never been to Hu City before, Qiao Mei said. For the next three to four days, Qiao Mei and Gao Lin went around the city having fun and did not raise the issue of buying the house. Gao Hai was so anxious that he could not sleep at night. Where do you think they have gone? Why arent they coming to buy the house yet? Zheng Juan asked anxiously. Dont ask me. I wont know the answer! Gao Hai said disdainfully. After those Gao family members who were part of the direct descendant lineage left back then, he led a very comfortable life. He was also given a few assets which belonged to them, so he had a steady stream of income. At that time, there was a long line of women who wanted to marry him! In the end, he chose Zheng Juan only because she was beautiful and quite clever. Most importantly, Zheng Juan came from an ordinary family and was easier to control than those women who came from prominent families. This wont do! I have to go and ask around! Zheng Juan got changed and went out to ask if anyone had come by to buy a house. She even went to the real estate bureau.Visitt for the latest updates The staff at the real estate bureau did not even want to look at Zheng Juan. They were already busy enough at work and did not have the time to deal with her. Zheng Juan quietly stuffed 10 dollars into one of the staff members hands and asked softly, Can you tell me if anyone has asked about that bungalow recently? Gao Lin looked at Gao Hai coldly and said, Thats true. Based on the Gao familys rules, I dont think a mere relative can speak like this in front of those who are part of the direct descendant lineage. Gao Hais face paled. He quickly grabbed Zheng Juan and told her to stop talking. The Gao familys rules had always been set by those in the direct descendant lineage. Even though Gao Hai was Gao Lins fourth uncle, Gao Hai did not have any say in the Gao family. He was not even supposed to speak to Qiao Mei directly since Qiao Mei was also part of the Gao familys direct descendant lineage. These are the rules from the old era. We are living in modern times now. Lets not go down that road, Gao Hai said. Sure, then tell me. How much do you want to sell it for? Gao Lin asked. Two million! Zheng Juan said. Two million? Why dont you go and commit robbery instead? Qiao Mei said. Otherwise, you can just give me one million dollars in foreign currency! Im not picky, Zheng Juan said. l think you have no intention to sell it. If you set such a high selling price, then its plainly just extortion, Qiao Mei said with a dark expression. Were not forcing a sale here. This is just part and parcel of a normal transaction. If you dont like the selling price, then you dont have to buy it, Zheng Juan said smugly. They knew that this house held special meaning for Gao Lin, so they definitely would not give in so easily.. As long as they kept to this price, Gao Lin would pay no matter how expensive it was! Chapter 2055: Traitor Chapter 2055: Traitor Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Are you sure this is the price you want? Qiao Mei questioned. Yes! This is the selling price! Gao Hai said. Gao Lin and Qiao Mei looked at each other. He turned to look at Gao Hai and asked, Fourth Uncle, where have all our other relatives gone? Do you still have their contact information? l dont know. They must have all run away, Gao Hai said evasively. Gao Lin and Qiao Mei wanted to give Gao Hai one last chance, but they did not expect Gao Hai to waste it. In that case, he should not blame Qiao Mei for what she was going to do next.Visitt for the latest updates Qiao Mei had asked Yao Nian to investigate not just the ownership details of the Gao familys assets over the past years, but also to find out how Gao Hai had made a name for himself back then. In the past, Gao Hai did not go by this name. He used the alias, Gao Ying, and colluded with an enemy country, feeding the enemy information about the other Gao family members. Most of the Gao family members were then murdered, which allowed Gao Hai to take advantage of the situation and take over all the Gao familys assets. It was such a pity that all the elites from the Gao family had died at the hands of this despicable person! For the sake of the dead Gao family members, Qiao Mei and Gao Lin must teach him a lesson! Hey! Everyone, come and take a look! Gao Ying wants to sell this house! This person in front of me! His name is Gao Ying! Why is his name exactly the same as the name of that traitor from back then! Qiao Mei shouted towards the surroundings. My husband is not the person youre talking about! You cant slander us for the purpose of getting the house! Zheng Juan said immediately. The old man pointed at Gao Hai and pressed forward step by step. He said miserably, l wont make a mistake about his identity even if you kill me! Its you! I wont forget this mole at the corner of your eye! Youre the one who cause my daughter to commit suicide! My poor daughter! Everyone, come and take a look! Take a look and see if the person in front of us is Gao Ying! One person might get it wrong, but if there are more people who can identify him, then it cant be wrong! Qiao Mei shouted towards the surroundings again. During that period, Gao Ying had destroyed many families. Everyone rushed down to the courtyard together. Qiao Mei and Gao Lin took advantage of the chaos to leave the Gao familys bungalow. Gao Hai r s life would not be peaceful for a while. Gao Hai and Zheng Juan hurriedly ran back to hide in their room, but the flimsy room door was unable to withstand a fierce kick. It did not take long for the door to be kicked open. Everyone rushed in to beat up Gao Hai. They did not care if Gao Hai was really Gao Ying or not. Zheng Juan was so frightened that she quickly called the police. The police came and simply went through the motions. There were so many people who beat up Gao Hai. If they had to arrest everyone, it would take them all night! Moreover, the higher-ups had instructed them not to interfere in matters related to Gao Hai for the moment. If this continues, Ill lose my life! Lets go and look for your maternal family! Gao Hai said. Ive already cut ties with my maternal family because of you! You want me to go back now! Wont that be a slap on my own face? Zheng Juan said unhappily. Back when Gao Hai was a traitor, the Zheng family immediately cut ties with Zheng Juan when they heard about it. Even if they could enjoy endless wealth by being related to Gao Hai, they did not want to accept such ill-gotten gains.. They would rather die than eat steamed buns bought with blood money! Chapter 2056: Robbery Chapter 2056: Robbery Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios But we dont have anywhere else to go! Just plead with them and persuade your younger brother to let us hide there for a few days, Gao Hai begged. Alright, lets leave tonight then, Zheng Juan said. In the middle of the night, Gao Hai and Zheng Juan packed their things and were about to leave Hu City with Gao Le when they were stopped by Qiao Mei and her men. Fourth Great-granduncle, where are you going? Qiao Mei asked with a smile. Brat! You still have the cheek to ask me! Move aside! Gao Hai said in a low voice. If I yell now, you probably wont be able to leave anymore. Lets have a chat, Qiao Mei said. What do you want? Zheng Juan asked. Qiao Mei pointed at the Gao familys bungalow behind them and said, Fairness. Sell the house to us and also hand over everything that belongs to the Gao family. If you do that, Ill let you go. This is too much! Do you think you call the shots in Hu City! Youre infringing on our personal freedom! Youre breaking the law! Zheng Juan said agitatedly. Qiao Mei shrugged innocently and said, If you think that Im breaking the law, then go and ask the police to arrest me. Im not restricting you in any way. Im just letting the public see you for who you are. Gao Hai and Zheng Juan were already at their wits end and knew that they could not stay in Hu City anymore. Rather than waste time with Qiao Mei here, it was better for them to sell the house and get some travel funds in return. Yes. With that, the bodyguard disappeared into the night. Qiao Mei was not going to let Gao Hai and his family leave with a single cent. She had already hired some people to rob them. She was not only going to take the money she just gave him, but also his own money as well. In the dark of the night, a group of people suddenly barged into Gao Hai r s home. They started grabbing everything inside, including the clothes, furniture and even the pots and pans. At first, the neighbors switched on the lights to take a look at what was going on. When they saw such a big group of people, they simply switched off the lights and pretended not to see or hear anything. Help! Help us! Who are you! Zheng Juan shouted helplessly. Call the police! Help! Gao Hai yelled. You still dare to shout so loudly? Beat them up! a robber shouted as he pointed at Gao Hai and Zheng Juan. All the robbers kept raining punches on the couple. Although the couple would not die from the beating, it left them bruised and swollen all over, enough to make them feel uncomfortable for a while. My money! All my savings! All gone! Zheng Juan knelt on the ground and wailed. It must be that little brat! She must have sent someone to snatch our things! Gao Hai said fiercely. Whats the point of saying all this now! Why did I marry a good-for-nothing like you! How am I going to survive in the future! Zheng Juan said aggrievedly. Why didnt you say such things when you were enjoying life with me back then! Now, youre blaming me! If I dont have such an extravagant wife like you, all my assets will still be intact! Gao Hai complained.. Chapter 2057: The Gao Family’s Ancestral Home Chapter 2057: The Gao Familys Ancestral Home Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Zheng Juan used to have a tough life. She was the eldest child at home and had many younger siblings. The Zheng family favored boys over girls, so Zheng Juan had a hard time since she was young. After she married Gao Hai, she spent money freely every day. She did not care where the money came from. As long as her desires could be fulfilled, she did not care about anything at all. In order to hide his past identity and stay alive, Gao Hai had to give up many of the Gao familys assets. The Gao family had so much assets that even after he gave away half of it, the few factories and companies he kept would still make enough money for Gao Hai and Zheng Juan to live comfortably for the rest of their lives. However, after getting used to a life of extravagance, who would want to return to a simple and austere life? In less than two months, Zheng Juan had squandered all the assets in Gao Hai l s possession. He had to sell them all to pay off the debts she incurred. We cant stay here anymore. Lets leave since we still have the train tickets, Gao Hai said. Why should we leave! Are we just going to let go of what happened today? Zheng Juan said angrily. As long as theres life, theres hope! Lets go to your younger brothers place to lie low for a while first. When we get a chance in the future, well slowly settle the score with them! Gao Hai said. After the two of them packed up their scattered belongings on the floor, they left Hu City overnight. When Qiao Mei received the news, she was so happy that there was a wide grin on her face. The next day, she went to see Gao Lin with the property title deed. Qiao Mei started out by pasting the notice of property transfer on the noticeboard at the entrance of the Gao familys ancestral home. She wanted the residents inside to know that there was a new owner! Everyone gathered around the noticeboard and discussed the issue. Why is there a new owner? Can it be that what Gao Hai and his family say is true? That the young lady framed Gao Hai so that she can get their house? She didnt frame him! Gao Hai is that traitor! Its absolutely true! Theyve already chased Gao Hai and his family away. Their next step will be to chase us away! Hmph, the Gao family members are all rotten eggs! Qiao Mei stood in the distance and listened to what the residents said. She thought for a long time and returned to the hotel to count the money which her people had snatched from Gao Hai. There was a total of more than 60,000 dollars. This money meant nothing to Qiao Mei. It was better to give it to the people who had been harmed by Gao Hai. Although it would not erase the pain in their hearts, it could make their lives a little better. Qiao Mei secretly did a check on the number of families in the vicinity who had been persecuted by Gao Hai. She put in some of her own money and topped up the sum to 100,000 dollars. Her intention was to distribute the money evenly to those families. Due to the large number of people involved, Qiao Mei had no choice but to ask the community office to help her gather these people together. She asked the local news reporters to be in attendance at the meeting so that she could resolve this matter in public.. Chapter 2058: Compensation Sum Chapter 2058: Compensation Sum Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei looked at the name list in her hand and then at the people in front of her. She could not fathom how Gao Hai could be so evil back then and did so many unforgivable things. Hello everyone! Let me introduce myself! My name is Qiao Mei! Im a descendant of the Gao family! 1 have gathered everyone here today to talk about what happened in the past, Qiao Mei raised the loudspeaker and spoke loudly. The people below the stage looked at one another. Some of them really hated the Gao family to the core. Those who were the descendants of the actual victims might not know much about what happened back then, but they hated Gao Hai as well. Its about the person who persecuted everyone back then, Gao Ying! I dont know if everyone still remembers him, but Im very ashamed to say that hes a member of the Gao family. My great-grandparents left the country during the war. Our family doesnt know that Gao Ying had done so many nasty things in the past! Gao Ying is no longer here! He left behind a portion of his assets, totaling 100,000 dollars! This money! I plan to distribute it to all of you! Qiao Mei said. What! 100,000 dollars! Give us so much money! The people below the stage whispered among themselves. Everyone was a little suspicious of what Qiao Mei just said. After all, how could such a good thing just fall into ones lap out of the blue? They were all curious about Qiao Meis motive. l dont have any other intention! On behalf of the Gao family, I just want to try my best to make up for what Gao Ying did back then. I know! The money wont be able to make up for whatever happened! But it is a small token from me! I hope you will accept it! Qiao Mei said. Is she fooling around? Ive lived here for so long. Why is she suddenly asking us to move! We all pay our rent on time! No one can chase us away! Are the stated amounts for real? Although it was Gao Hai r s name on the property title deed, everyone paid rent directly to the community office and the community office would hand over the money to the government. After the economy opened up, life had become better for everyone. The capital and Hu City were the economic centers of the country and the residents average annual total income could reach more than 800 dollars per person. Some people could even earn up to 1,000 dollars! However, each persons annual income would need to support an entire family. If a family was not very big, they could still have some savings. As for a large family, it was already good enough if they did not owe any debts. This money was something extraordinary. They could be given 1,500 dollars for free! It was a great temptation for everyone. Are you really going to give us money? a man shouted in Qiao Meis direction when he saw her standing at the door. Of course! I always mean what I say! After saying that, Qiao Mei took out a stack of money from her bag and showed it to everyone.. They had never seen so much money! Chapter 2059: Benefits Upon Moving Out Chapter 2059: Benefits Upon Moving Out Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios l heard that you just gave some compensation to the people who were persecuted by Gao Ying back then. You already gave away 100,000 dollars! Yet you still have so much money! Is your money clean! We dont want the dirty money that Gao Ying earned back then! the man shouted. This is my own money. I am back from overseas, Qiao Mei said. Everyone widened their eyes and looked at Qiao Mei in shock. People who returned from overseas were all very rich. After all, they all came back with foreign currency. In addition, they were all knowledgeable and smart. None of them were simple people! They now believed that the money in Qiao Meis hands was clean. In that case, they did not want to let go of such a good deal. No matter where they lived, they would need to pay rent, so the location did not really matter.Diiscover new stories at novelhall.com not leaving! What right do you have to chase me away! 1 like this place! I want to live here! an old woman with white hair shouted from inside the crowd. Another old woman soon joined in. The two of them had known each other since they were young and had always lived in this area. These two women rented the master bedrooms on the second and fourth floors of the Gao familys ancestral home separately. Their rooms were very big and the furnishings inside were also very exquisite. Just the crystal ceiling lamp alone was very expensive. Yet, their monthly rent was the same as everyone else, at three dollars a month. Little girl, how can you be so unreasonable! What right do you have to move our things away! You have no right to do this! the old woman said angrily. Of course I have the right to do this! If you dont believe me, just give it a try! After saying that, Qiao Mei walked towards the community office, leaving the two of them standing there in a fit of pique. At first, the staff in the community office did not believe that Qiao Mei could get it done. After all, the people living in that house were all very difficult to deal with. Gao Hai had not been able to do it even after five to six years. How could a little girl do it? It was soon proven that Qiao Mei could do it and very effectively. She used her own money to encourage the people to move out. This was completely legal and they could not interfere. However, once Qiao Mei chased these people out, the community office could no longer collect rent from them. The staff in the community office did not look too happy to have lost such a huge income. Xia Wen came in handy at moments like this. Sometimes, authority was more effective than money. Qiao Mei sat in the main hall of the community office and waited for Xia Wen to do his part. Not long after, a staff member walked up to Qiao Mei respectfully and said, We really didnt know that youre Mr. Xias relative! We must be blind to have neglected you!! Its fine, its fine! Were all friends, theres no need to be so polite, Qiao Mei said happily.. Chapter 2060: My Son Is the Boss Chapter 2060: My Son Is the Boss Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios They went into the community directors office and Qiao Mei made a call to Xia Wen. The moment the call went through, Qiao Mei heard a lot of commotion on Xia Wens end. There was a cacophony of voices in the background and it seemed that there was also a woman crying. Qiao Mei quickly hung up the phone. There were too many staff members around at the moment. She would call Xia Wen after she returned to the hotel. Miss Qiao, if theres anything you need us to do, just let us know. Well do our best to help you, the community director said with a wide grin. Theres nothing much to do. Its just that Im not very good at arithmetic. As you can see, Ive pasted a notice outside the house about the benefits they can get if they move out. Just help me give the money to them based on the contents, Qiao Mei said. No problem! Leave this small matter to us! the community director said enthusiastically. Qiao Mei used her walkie-talkie to call the bodyguards who were outside the community office and asked them to bring up two big bags of money and a bag of gifts for the staff. Qiao Mei had bought all these things from the imported goods store. There were chocolates and a lot of candy from overseas. One could not even buy these things even if one had money. To get these, one must have foreign exchange coupons. Thank you! Thank you so much! The man took the money and immediately asked his family to leave. If they did it any later and someone else left before them, they would not be able to get this 100 dollars! When the other families saw that the man had received the money and even a reward, they could not sit still anymore and went out to look for a new house to move out immediately. They did not even want to spend the night here anymore. In one night, 13 families moved out! Within two days, almost everyone in the entire building had moved out. There were only a few families who had not managed to find a suitable house. Still, after three days, most of them had moved away, except the two old women who insisted on not moving. Auntie, do you want us to help you move, or do you want to hire your own people to do it for you? Qiao Mei asked with a smile. Dont even think about making me leave this place! Im going to look for my son! Well talk about it when my son gets here! Do you know who my son is! the old woman shouted arrogantly as she sat in the courtyard. The old womans son worked in government services and was just a small team leader who did not have much authority. However, the old woman felt that her son was some big shot. She looked down on everyone and often used her sons job title to threaten others. What does your sons identity have to do with me? Qiao Mei said nonchalantly. Just you wait! When my son comes back and sees you bullying me like this! Hell definitely skin you alive! the old woman said fiercely as she looked at Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei pretended to look surprised and said, Goodness! Then I want to take a good look and see how he wants to skin me alive.. Chapter 2061: Ask Your Son to Come Back Chapter 2061: Ask Your Son to Come Back Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Seeing Qiao Meis unyielding attitude, the old woman suddenly held her chest and slowly sat on the ground as she yelled out, Ow- Ow, my heart Its caused by all of you! You make me angry! If anything should happen to me! My son wont let you off! The community office staff looked coldly at the old woman in front of them. One of the girls walked to Qiao Mei e s side and whispered, This Auntie Sun always uses this method on us whenever shes unhappy. The community office organizes a health checkup for them every year and shes in very good health! Then whos the auntie watching the show over there? Are the two of them sisters? Qiao Mei asked. Theyre not related by blood, theyre just good friends. Auntie Cui is usually amenable, but with Auntie Sun behaving like this, Auntie Cui wont listen to us anymore. The two of them like to sing the same tune! the girl said. Thank you, Ill remember what you say, Qiao Mei said with a smile. After Auntie Sun lay down on the ground, she realized that Qiao Mei and the rest did not seem to panic at all. She yelled even louder and then asked Auntie Cui to call the police on her behalf. Auntie Sun, but you say that you have heart pain! Guys! Call the hospital! Get them to send an ambulance for her immediately! Then call Auntie Suns son and ask him to come back! Qiao Mei shouted. Auntie Sun, are you able to move out now? Qiao Mei asked with a smile, Yes! Of course! Auntie Sun said fearfully. Given that Auntie Sun is getting on in years, Ill ask the men from the community office to help you out! Guys, help Auntie Sun shift all her things! Remember to make a list of all the items! List down everything! Dont let her come looking for us to say that theres something missing! Qiao Mei shouted towards the community office staff. No problem! the male staff members shouted back in unison. After settling Auntie Sun, there was only Auntie Cui left. Auntie Cui sat on the steps of the Gao familys old house with a kindly expression and basked in the sun, as if everything happening around her had nothing to do with her at all. Auntie, when are you moving out? Are you facing any problem? I can help you solve it, Qiao Mei said. What? Auntie Cui pointed at her ear and shouted at Qiao Mei. l said! Auntie, when are you going to move out! If you have any difficulties! We can get someone to come and help you move your things! Qiao Mei leaned close to Auntie Cuis ear and shouted into it.. Chapter 2062: Auntie Cui’s Past Chapter 2062: Auntie Cuis Past Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Auntie Cui still looked like she could not hear Qiao Mei. It was not until Qiao Mei shouted for the fourth time that she realized that Auntie Cui was actually playing a fool with her. Auntie Cui, just let me know if you have any requests. We can have a proper discussion. Its not a good idea to pretend to be deaf and mute, Qiao Mei said patiently. Auntie Cui was not afraid of anything. She had no children and her husband had passed away a long time ago. She was alone in this world and no longer had anything to worry about. Although this house did not belong to her, she had lived here for most of her life. This place contained all the memories shared by her and her deceased husband. If they wanted her to move out, she would have to die first! Qiao Mei did not continue to put pressure on Auntie Cui. She would not be able to get any answers today. Qiao Mei told the community office staff to move the tables and chairs in the courtyard back to their office. Now that Auntie Cui was the only one left in the Gao familys ancestral home, she needed to think of another way. The next day, Qiao Mei asked someone to go to Auntie Cuis room to take a look at the setup inside and then asked someone else to rent a room nearby that faced the same direction. When everything was settled, Qiao Mei went to look for Auntie Cui to have a chat. Auntie Cui, Im Qiao Mei. Im here to talk to you, Qiao Mei knocked on the door and yelled out. Auntie Cui opened the door slowly and gestured towards the room, saying, My husband taught me a lot of knowledge. I guess we can say that hes my teacher and 1 love him very much all my life. I didnt expect him to fall seriously ill and die so young, Auntie Cui said sadly. Mr. Zhong seems like a very nice person. Auntie Cui, I have come here today to discuss the matter of the house with you. I wont force you to move out. I just want to bring you to see another room. Will you come with me to take a look? Qiao Mei suggested. Alright, then Ill accompany you to take a look, Auntie Cui said. Qiao Mei asked Auntie Cui to sit in the wheelchair that she had prepared in advance and the two of them took a stroll down the street. Auntie Cui told Qiao Mei many memories from her past. When they reached the entrance of a small neighborhood, Auntie Cui suddenly realized something. She looked up at Qiao Mei and asked, Dont tell me... dont tell me youve found me a room here? The neighborhood in front of her was the schools family compound. Only teachers from the school could stay in this compound. At that time, Zhong Tian was very determined to marry Auntie Cui. Only married teachers could apply for a house in the compound. Zhong Tian had put in an application and the school had already approved it. However, Zhong Tians family did not want him to marry Auntie Cui and did everything they could to stop them. In the end, Zhong Tian did not have a legitimate spouse in the legal sense, but the love between the two of them was more binding than any marriage certificate.. Chapter 2063: Arriving in Shen City Chapter 2063: Arriving in Shen City Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios This is the room that was supposed to be allocated to Mr. Zhong back then. I rented it from the landlord and he has promised me that he will continue to rent it to you until you pass on, Qiao Mei said. Really? I hope youre not lying to me! Auntie Cui said as she looked at Qiao Mei in shock. Of course its for real. I have the official document from the school from back then. Mr. Zhong specially chose this room for you. At that time, you were working in a convenience store. The window in this room faces the direction where you come back from work every day. Mr. Zhong must really love you very much, Qiao Mei lamented as she pointed at the small path outside the window. Auntie Cui stood by the window and wept silently. Zhong Tian had already been gone for a long time and the neighbors had long forgotten about his existence. Back then, Zhong Tian had cut ties with his family in order to marry Auntie Cui. Even Zhong Tians own brothers probably did not remember him by now. She was very scared of recalling her past with Zhong Tian. Whenever she thought of him, she could not help but cry. As time passed, her eyesight started to fail, to the extent that she could not even see clearly those books which he had used as textbooks when he was teaching her. Auntie Cui did not expect this little girl, who was a total stranger to her, to go to this extent for the two of them. She was very grateful to Qiao Mei. Lu Huai had joined the delivery team on the trip this time round since Qiao Mei had stressed to him about the importance of these machines. In addition, they were sending the items to Xiang Chen this time round, so he felt that it was more secure for him to do it personally. Xiang Chen and Wu Duo had already made a name for themselves in Shen City. By now, they had bought more than 10 properties. There were about seven to eight villas, three old bungalows and even three small plots of land. Everyone in Shen City addressed Xiang Chen as Boss Xiang. Cousin-in-law, youre finally here! We dont even know what to do with these machines! You have to tell us what to do next! The moment Qiao Mei got out of the car, Xiang Chen started telling her everything that had happened during this period of time. Those machines were really too huge. The small plots of land which he and Wu Duo bought were not too big enough to accommodate the machines and he could not set up the production line at all. The most important thing now was to build a factory or to get a bigger piece of land that was suitable for the setting up of a production line. Qiao Mei waved her hands and said indifferently, Its still too early for all this! Dont be so anxious. How can I not be anxious! Second Cousin-in-law is still here! Xiang Chen said agitatedly. Second Cousin-in-law? Whos Second Cousin-in-law? Qiao Mei was confused for a moment. Its Lu Huai! He came personally! Dont you know about this? Xiang Chen asked, looking puzzled. This was really beyond Qiao Meis expectations. At that time, Qiao Mei had said she wanted Chi Ze to come with the convoy, so she did not expect Lu Huai to come instead..Yo?ur favorite stories at novelhall.com Chapter 2064: Buy Land Chapter 2064: Buy Land Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Of course I dont know anything about this. No one told me. Lets go back and take a look now, Qiao Mei said. Everyone was living in one of Xiang Chens new villas. The big group of people gathered in the living room noisily and was about to have their meal. Fortunately, this was a villa. If they were in a residential building, the neighbors would definitely complain about the noise. As soon as Qiao Mei entered, she searched out Lu Huai. She looked at him and said, Why are you here in Shen City with the convoy? I thought we agreed that Chi Ze would come? Chi Zhe has some family issues. His father isnt doing well, so I ask him not to come, Lu Huai explained. Why didnt anyone tell me about such a big issue? Hows his father now? Qiao Mei asked with a frown. Hes doing alright. Its a chronic illness. His health has gotten worse as he gets older. These are all the common illnesses which one gets in old age. Chi Ze says that he has an idea about whats coming, Lu Huai said. Remember to call him on my behalf later. Tell him to go and look for my grandfather if he needs anything, Qiao Mei said. Lu Huai knew that Qiao Mei wanted to give Chi Ze the divine medicine to save his fathers life. However, before Lu Huai left on the trip, Chi Ze had told him that he did not want to disturb Qiao Mei because of his family matters. Everyones fate was predestined and it should not be forcefully changed. His father had already battled the illnesses for a long time and he respected his fathers wishes. Xiang Chen, go and buy that 60,000 square meters plot now, Qiao Mei said casually. Cousin-in-law, do you know how expensive this plot of land is? The price is an astronomical sum! Xiang Chen said with a slightly trembling voice. Qiao Mei knew that it would be very expensive, but she must get that plot of land. The money she had earned in the past two years was definitely enough to buy this piece of land in cash. In another two years, the domestic economy would advance by leaps and bounds and money would only depreciate in value if left in the bank. She might as well use it to buy land! It cant cost hundreds of millions, right? Qiao Mei asked. No, not there yet. Its 20 million dollars, Xiang Chen said. No problem then. Go and negotiate the deal now. Its now or never. If someone else gets the plot of land, Ill hold you accountable! Qiao Mei pointed at Xiang Chen and threatened him. Xiang Chen picked up his bag and car keys and ran out. The rest of them went off to start hiring engineers and general workers. Qiao Mei told Luo Yu to go to Country M to bring Li Xin and Liu Guang back. She could not just leave the two families there. The matter with the Huang family could be considered to have come to an end for the time being. The Huang family was in a mess now and their relatives had all gone to settle the score with Huang Quan! They had heard that Tan Jing had gotten pregnant again some time ago. One month into the pregnancy, Huang Quan beat her up so badly that she had a miscarriage.. This was a very serious issue and Huang Quan was almost sacked from his job because of it! Chapter 2065: Generous Reward Chapter 2065: Generous Reward Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei had originally intended to cause some trouble so that Huang Quan and Tan Jing would quarrel with each other. She did not expect that things would develop to this extent on its own. Tan Shi had already gone to jail. He was sentenced to life imprisonment because of the huge sum of money involved. The Tan family lost one of their sons and Tan Jings parents went to the Huang familys house every day to create trouble, causing chaos in the Huang family! Qiao Mei and the Xia family had personally experienced the antics of Tan Jings parents. With these two people stirring up trouble, the Huang family and the Tan family would not have a peaceful life in the future. She was relieved to hear that Tan Jing was not doing well. Li Xin and Liu Guang sent their families back to their hometown first, then they rushed to Shen City without even stopping to take a rest. They were both looking forward to meeting Qiao Mei. They had thought that Qiao Mei would discard them after the task was done, so they did not expect to be able to continue working for her! To them, this was the most wonderful piece of news! Back then, they had tried to think of ways to become Qiao Meis trusted aides, but at that time, there was a limit to what they could do and no one thought highly of them. Things were different by now! Since they had completed the task given to them, as long as they worked hard for Qiao Mei, they would have a life of wealth and glory!ViiSiit for latest novels Sister-in-law! What can we do for you this time? Li Xin said happily. Dont be so anxious. The two of you did very well last time, so I must reward you. Qiao Mei took out two small boxes from under the table. She patted the boxes and said, One for each of you. Open them up and take a look. Im indeed a little scared. Ive never seen so much money in my life! If I bring all this money home, my wife may divorce me! She will think that I robbed a bank! Li Xin said honestly. In an era where everyones annual income was only 1,000 dollars, the amount of 120,000 dollars was indeed not a small amount. For one to save up this amount of money, one had to save for 12 years without eating and drinking! This is just the tip of the iceberg. Well earn even more money in the future, Qiao Mei said. Li Xin and Liu Guang put away the money in a secure place. Qiao Mei told the two of them to work with Wu Duo and made them his right-hand men. Moving forward, Wu Duo would have an easier time in Shen City. Xiang Chen had a very busy day and made some progress on the matter of bidding for the land. He had been secretly observing Qiao Mei over the past few days and realized that Qiao Mei did not seem to intend to hand over all the assets in Shen City to him. He felt a little uncomfortable about that. Cousin-in-law, do you have time now? Id like to have a chat with you, Xiang Chen said. Sure, lets go into the study. Qiao Mei led Xiang Chen to the study. She made tea for him first and the two of them chatted about the recent events while drinking tea. After hesitating for a long time, Xiang Chen finally made up his mind and said, Cousin-in-law, are you going to give up on me? What are you saying? Qiao Mei asked as she looked at Xiang Chen in confusion. After you came to Shen City, you handed all the tasks to Wu Duo. I can tell that you think very highly of him, Xiang Chen said.. Chapter 2066: Plan Terminated Chapter 2066: Plan Terminated Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei did not hide anything from Xiang Chen and said frankly, Yes, 1 do have the intention to give Wu Duo a share of the food factory here. Then what about me? Im the one who has worked hard to build up the business in Shen City! Hes only been here for a few months and hes already going to replace me! Cousin-in-law, you cant do this to me! Didnt we agree back then that we will make money together? Im your relative and Wu Duo is just an unrelated party! How can you trust him! Xiang Chen said agitatedly. Qiao Mei just looked at Xiang Chen quietly and then poured him a cup of hot tea. Xiang Chen gradually calmed down and lowered his head before he whispered to Qiao Mei, Cousin-in-law, Im sorry. I didnt mean that... Xiang Chen, do you still remember what you told me back then? Qiao Mei asked calmly. Yes 1 do. I told you that I want to go into business, but my family does not allow me to do it. Youre the only person who agrees with my idea and supports every decision I make, Xiang Chen said. The food factory here is only a subsidiary of the Osmanthus Food Factory in the capital. Im still the chairman. If you work in the food factory in Shen City, youll just be my employee. At most, people will address you as General Manager Xiang. Dont tell me you just want to be just a management staff working under me and dont want to become Boss Xiang? Qiao Mei asked. l want to! Of course I want to! Xiang Chen said. Management staff can be easily replaced. For me, capable people always get priority. In my company, only people who have proven capability get the right to speak. Their resume is not important. I have had a look at the properties and land you bought and I think theyre all not bad. The land sale process has been halted, Xiang Chen said. Are there any competitors or policies that weve overlooked? Qiao Mei asked. Not at all. Im also very curious as to why everything has suddenly stopped. In the beginning, I got on very well with Director Zhang, but his attitude suddenly changed, Xiang Chen said aggrievedly. Director Zhang? Whats his full name? Ill get someone to do a check on him, Qiao Mei said. Zhang Fu, Xiang Chen said. Qiao Mei thought for a moment and suddenly realized what was going on. She said helplessly, Theres no need to check on anything. Its a personal grudge. Personal grudge? With whom? Xiang Chen asked as he looked at Qiao Mei confusedly. Qiao Mei told them about everything that had happened in Hu City recently. This Zhang Fu turned out to be Auntie Suns son, the one who was a government official. It was such a small world after all.. Chapter 2067: Dinner Appointment Chapter 2067: Dinner Appointment Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios No way! I want to report him! I want everyone to know what a nasty person Zhang Fu is! Xiang Chen said agitatedly. What reason do you have to report him? In the end, hes still following the rules and regulations. Theres nothing wrong with what hes doing at all. Even if you report him, you wont be able to do anything to him, Qiao Mei said. The team had encountered a difficult situation. Zhang Fu was definitely a corrupt official, but the people who bribed him were definitely all on his side. After all, they still needed Zhang Fu to be their protector. These people would never show the evidence to Qiao Mei and the rest. l have an idea! Wu Duo said. Quick, tell us what you have in mind? Qiao Mei asked. I need our two new colleagues to help with this matter though. The rest of us have been in Shen City for too long and everyone can recognize us, so its not convenient for us to do anything. Its better if the two of you can take on the task, Wu Duo said to Li Xin and Liu Guang. No problem! We can do anything as long as its not illegal! Li Xin said. The few of them gathered together to discuss the plan. Xiang Chen went off to pester Zhang Fu again. In Shen City, it was a known fact that Xiang Chen was When Liu Guang heard what Zhang Fu said, he did not understand what it meant. Li Xin, on the other hand, immediately put down his business card and said with a smile, Thank you, Director Zhang! This is my business card. Well make an appointment for tomorrow! After saying that, Li Xin pulled Liu Guang out from Zhang Fu r s office. Along the way, he hummed a tune with a look of victory on his face. Why did you say that just now? Liu Guang asked in confusion. What Zhang Fu said just now was telling us to treat him to dinner tomorrow night! And also to send him some gifts. Its not convenient for him to say it out directly in the office just now, Li Xin explained. What a crook! Hes so cunning! Yet he looks like an honest official! Liu Guang said disdainfully. If hes an honest official, then pigs will fly! Lets go back and tell Wu Duo about this. Well have to work together to get the task done, Li Xin said. After they got back, Li Xin quickly gave Zhang Fu a call and made an appointment to have dinner together tomorrow night at the most luxurious and decadent restaurant in Shen City. One meal there would cost at least 1,000 dollars! That was the same amount as the annual salary of an ordinary person. It was said that Zhang Fu was a regular here and would come here whenever he had any personal meetings. Time passed quickly and it was finally the appointment time. Li Xin and Liu Guang stood at the door of the restaurant to wait for Zhang Fu. When Zhang Fu arrived, he was dressed casually and in all black, looking completely different from how he looked at work. He was also wearing a mask. Director Zhang, youre finally here! Are you feeling unwell? Why are you wearing a mask? Liu Guang asked. I have asthma, so I will usually wear a mask, Director Zhang explained.. Chapter 2068: Bribery Chapter 2068: Bribery Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas StudiosRread latest chapters at novelhall.com Director Zhang, lets go in. Ive already reserved a table! And ordered all your favorite dishes! Li Xin said fawningly. Director Zhang looked at the table in front of him and seemed very dissatisfied. He was used to eating in the private room at this restaurant. He did not expect Li Xin to have reserved a table in the main hall! Im so sorry, Director Zhang. Were here because this is your favorite restaurant, but theres a wedding dinner upstairs today and all the private rooms are booked up, Li Xin said apologetically. Its fine. Its good to be in the main hall. The view is better, Zhang Fu said. While waiting for the dishes to be served, Li Xin kept talking about the reason why they wanted to get that plot of land. He talked about all his plans for the future and stressed that his companys future prospects were very bright. Zhang Fu did not know anything about doing business. He only cared about money and he was satisfied as long as he was given enough benefits. As for who the owners of the plots of land were in the end, he was not interested at all. In this part of Shen City, theres no one who hasnt heard of Director Zhangs reputation! Please help us out. Li Xin took out a stack of money from his bag and continued, Heres 5,000 dollars. Its a gift from us. Once the matter is done, theres another 5,000 dollars for you. Please put in a good word for us and help us out. l thought that since we were not in the private room, he wouldnt dare to accept the money 1 gave him! When he looked at me, I was so frightened that I broke out in a cold sweat! Li Xin said. l was scared too. If our plan is exposed, our business will be completely ruined! Liu Guang patted his chest and said fearfully. Zhang Fu is a greedy person at heart. He will never be able to let go of so much money, Qiao Mei said. Cousin-in-law, what should we do next? Xiang Chen asked. Were going to report him of course! And were going to take him down! He wont have a good life after this! Qiao Mei said firmly. Li Xin and Liu Guang were taken aback by Qiao Meis ruthlessness. Xiang Chen and Wu Duo recalled the fates of those people who bullied Qiao Mei in the past. All those people came to miserable ends and some of them were even sent to jail. Only Luo Yu knew that not only did Qiao Mei dare to take revenge on the people who made her angry, but she even dared to kill them! He was the only one who knew how miserably it ended for Zhang Cheng and Liang Jin in Country M. Alright, everyone should get a good rest. We still have a tough battle in front of us tomorrow, Qiao Mei said with a smile. After everyone was done with their work, they returned to their rooms. As soon as it was dawn, Xiang Chen brought the evidence to look for the mayor of Shen City, to report Zhang Fu for corruption and bribery.. Chapter 2069: Gao Lin Is Missing Chapter 2069: Gao Lin Is Missing Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios If this matter had happened in the past, it would not be dealt with seriously. Zhang Fu would at most go to jail for a year or two and then be reprimanded and reeducated. As long as Zhang Fu wrote a letter of repentance in the end, the matter would be closed. However, Shen Citys economy was flourishing at the moment. The government attached great importance to the opening up of the economy and wanted to showcase Shen City as an example of how a city could prosper. At a time like this, the fact that Zhang Fu still dared to take bribes so openly meant that he did not respect the mayor at all! The process of opening up the economy was a long and tedious one and could not be achieved in a short period of time. All the bad habits of the past must be completely eliminated at the source. There was a full investigation launched on Zhang Fu and all his past misdeeds were dug up. In the end, Zhang Fu was sentenced to jail for 13 years. When Auntie Sun heard about this matter, she was so worked up that she had a sudden cerebral hemorrhage and passed away. The mayor of Shen City made arrangements for a new director to take office very quickly. In less than two days, Xiang Chens application to buy the plot of land was approved. Qiao Mei and the others immediately dived into the intensive construction and renovation phase. When Qiao Mei first arrived in Shen City, she had already sent the base plan of the plot of land back to Deng Fan in the capital. Deng Fan had worked overtime to come up with the blueprint for the new factory. The blueprint was simple and clear and could be handed over to a trustworthy construction team in Shen City. Luo Yu, please help me check how many shops my granduncle has bought back by now. I want to see all the details and I also want to know whos been making the news in Hu City recently, Qiao Mei said. Alright, Ill do it right away, Luo Yu said. Early the next morning, Qiao Mei went to Gao Lins room door. She knocked happily and shouted, Granduncle! Im back! There was no response, so Qiao Mei tried knocking on the door again. It remained quiet inside the room. Qiao Mei immediately ran downstairs and grabbed the staff at the front desk, asking, Have you seen the guest from room V402? The guest in room V402 hasnt returned since the day before yesterday, but he didnt say anything about checking out. He has already paid for one months stay, so we didnt ask, the front desk staff said. Qiao Mei instantly realized that something had happened to Gao Lin. She immediately called Yao Nian and asked him to use his connections to check on Gao Lins schedule for the past week and find out who he had met. She told him to get her all the details, regardless of how minute the detail might be. Qiao Mei also told Luo Yu to go out and try to find Gao Lin. Gao Lin had only just returned from overseas and there were only a handful of people he knew in this country. Who would want to threaten Gao Lins life? Could it be an enemy of the Gao family from the past? However, she had never heard Gao Lin mention this before. Qiao Mei returned to her room and waited patiently for the news. Two hours later, there was a sudden knock on her door. Qiao Mei thought that Luo Yu had returned, but when she opened the door, she saw six or seven burly men blocking the door. Chapter 2070: Five Million Chapter 2070: Five Million Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Who are you looking for? Qiao Mei asked. One of the men with a scar on his face at the door approached Qiao Mei with a sinister smile. Qiao Mei slowly retreated back into the room. The scar-faced man only stopped when everyone had entered the room. You dont need to know who I am. You just need to know that your good days are over! the scar-faced man said happily. Is Gao Lin in your hands? Qiao Mei asked calmly. The scar-faced man was a little surprised by Qiao Meis reaction. If it was any other woman, she would have already curled up in a corner and wept loudly, or she would have knelt down and begged for mercy. It was very rare to see a calm and rational woman like Qiao Mei. Seeing such a beautiful and smart woman, the scar-faced man did not feel like doing anything to Qiao Mei. It would be great if he could bring her back to be his wife! Unfortunately, his client had paid him a lot of money, so he had to take care of his own interests first. So what if hes in our hands? Are you going to pay a ransom for him? the scar-faced man asked. Name your price, Qiao Mei said.T/his chapter is updated by Five million, the scar-faced man said without a second thought as he spread out his hand. The scar-faced man raised his hand to knock Qiao Mei out, but she quickly dodged to the side and said, Dont touch me! Im scared of pain! Ill go with you! Ill listen to you! The scar-faced man revealed a satisfied smile. The truth was that he did not want to have to knock Qiao Mei out and drag her out. A group of men carrying a beautiful woman out of this place would be too eye-catching. Go and search her luggage, the scar-faced man said as he sat on the bed and waved his hand at his underlings. His underlings went forward to open Qiao Meis suitcase. It contained the money she had brought back from Shen City to buy a house, about 50,000 dollars in local currency and 6,000 dollars in foreign currency. Oh my goodness! Boss, were rich! Were rich! Theres so much money! the underling said excitedly as he held up the money. Even the scar-faced man sitting on the bed looked very excited and this made Qiao Mei very suspicious. They kidnapped Gao Lin and dared to ask for a random of five million dollars, but an amount of 50,000 dollars already made them so happy. No matter how she thought about it, it did not seem right. Alright, alright! Lets take the money and go! The scar-faced man asked his underlings to stuff the money into their bag and the group headed downstairs to leave the hotel. When turning a corner at the stairway, Qiao Mei smashed her bangle on the floor emotionlessly and stomped on the fragments, pushing them into a crack in the floor. This was the imperial green jade bangle that Qiao Mei bought at the antique market. It would be worth tens of millions in the future! It was a pity to destroy it, but it was worth the loss if she could leave a clue for Luo Yu. The staff at the front desk looked at Qiao Mei and the men curiously. They all knew that Qiao Mei was rich since she could afford to stay in a VIP room. So what was a rich person doing with these fierce-looking men? Chapter 2071: Flat Tire Chapter 2071: Flat Tire Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Hey Dont you think those people look like kidnappers? muttered the front desk staff while standing next to the service staff. It has nothing to do with us! Dont look! If those people come to seek revenge, well be in trouble! the service staff looked down and whispered back. They were only here to work. It was not worth it if they offended these gangsters at the workplace or if they lost their lives in this place. They all cherished their lives more than anything. The scar-faced mans underling parked a van at the entrance of the hotel. Qiao Mei took two steps back and said, Im not sitting in the back. If you dont sit in the back, then where do you want to sit? Do you want to be the driver instead? the scar-faced man teased. I want to sit in the front passenger seat! Qiao Mei said stubbornly. They were currently in the city center of Hu City. It would take them at least two to three hours to drive to the suburbs. If Qiao Mei had to sit with this bunch of disgusting men for such a long time, she probably would not be able to resist getting rid of all of them halfway through the drive. Whos the kidnapper here? Am I supposed to listen to the hostage? Then all my years of being a gangster would have been for nothing! the scar-faced man said angrily. Qiao Mei smiled very faintly. She did not expect this group of kidnappers to be so entertaining. Since they were so rowdy, it would be interesting to have an accident! Qiao Mei used her hand to touch the metal plate on the car seat and slowly directed her energy towards the tires. A few vine seeds sprouted quickly and pierced into the tires like they were nails. The two tires on the right side of the car burst and in the next second, the vines turned to ashes and dissipated with the wind. Fortunately, the underlings driving skills were quite good. The moment the tires burst, he reacted immediately and stopped the car by the roadside. However, the loud sound also attracted the attention of passersby. The scar-faced man looked at the underling and shouted, Whats wrong now! The underling immediately got out of the car to check on the situation. He trembled as he looked through the car window and said to the scar-faced man, Boss Boss, I dont know whats going on either The tires have burst I really dont know why! I was driving properly but for some reason, the tires had exploded! Boss, I really didnt do it on purpose! Useless thing! the scar-faced man said angrily. They had stolen this van and it did not come with any spare tire. Even if there were, who would carry around two spare tires? You! Go and think of a solution! said the scar-faced man as he pointed at another underling. When everyone saw who he pointed at, all of them heaved a sigh of relief. This guy was the best lock picker among them and was known as the King of Locks. He could find a way to open any lock in the world. Qiao Mei looked at this group of people helplessly. She really could not imagine how such a group of misfits could manage to abduct Gao Lin. Chapter 2072: Coffee Chapter 2072: Coffee Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Not long after, the underling who was good with locks came back with a jeep. The jeep could not accommodate so many of them, so the scar-faced man decided to take along only a few of them first. The rest could think of a way to catch up with them. Lets go! Get out of the car! the scar-faced man said as he looked at Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei looked at her wrists and said, You want me to get out of the car like this? If other people see me, make a guess if they will call the police? Youd better not play any tricks! the scar-faced man said through clenched teeth. Dont worry, my granduncle is still in your hands. I dare not do anything, Qiao Mei said. The scar-faced man considered it for a moment and then untied the rope from Qiao Meis hands. Qiao Mei opened the passenger door and got out of the car, but she was in no hurry to get into the jeep. Instead, she stood still and did some stretches while admiring the surrounding scenery. Come over here! What are you waiting for! the scar-faced man said in a low voice.Yo?ur favorite stories at novelhall.com More and more people were starting to gather around. All they saw was a group of burly men surrounding a beautiful woman and the woman did not look happy. Anyone would be suspicious of such a group. Im thirsty! I usually drink coffee at this time! Go to that shop and buy me a cup of coffee! Qiao Mei said as she pointed at the coffee shop not far away. Qiao Mei pursed her lips and quickly ran to the front passenger seat of the jeep. Before she got in, she quietly scattered many vine seeds on the ground again. This time round, the scar-faced man drove the jeep himself. He sped along the road in the suburbs but halfway through the journey, there was another loud bang. The tires had exploded again. They were very unlucky. The jeep steered into the nearby crop fields and could not be reversed out at all. Damn it! Why am I so unlucky! the scar-faced man said angrily. Boss what should we do now? an underling in the back seat asked fearfully. What can we do! Lets walk! the scar-faced man said. If you want to walk, you can do it yourself! Im not going! How can you walk such a long distance! Qiao Mei said agitatedly. The scar-faced man narrowed his eyes and stared at Qiao Mei as he questioned her, Tell me! Do you have anything to do with the flat tires! Why did the tires explode one after another after we met you! How would I know! Youre the ones who are so unlucky! Why are you blaming me for everything! Qiao Mei said. Hmph, this has better be the case. If I find out that youre the one playing tricks! Ill kill you now! the scar-faced man threatened. You guys already tied me up. Chapter 2073: Clues Chapter 2073: Clues Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas StudiosRread latest chapters at novelhall.com Luo Yu then went to the Gao familys ancestral home to check with the renovation workers. One of the workers said that he had seen Gao Lin. It seemed that someone had asked Gao Lin out to discuss some business, apparently about selling a house nearby to him. Recently, many people came to look for Gao Lin to talk about selling their houses. These workers were already used to it, so it did not occur to them that it would be the last time they saw him. Yao Nian also gathered all the information very quickly at his end. Luo Yu returned to the hotel with a pile of documents but he could not find any trace of Qiao Mei even after searching the whole place. Then, he saw a cleaner in Gao Lins room. Auntie, how did you get in? Luo Yu asked curiously. The cleaners would come round every day, but they could only enter the rooms if the guests agreed. Otherwise, the cleaners had no right to open the door and enter the room without permission. When I came, the door was wide open and the room was in a mess. I checked with the front desk and was told to come in and clean up. Our hotel has a rule that we can only skip cleaning a room for three days at most. It is already the fourth day for this room. If the boss finds out, my salary will be deducted. I hope you can understand, the cleaner said. What did you say? The room was in a mess? Luo Yu asked nervously. Thats right. There were clothes all over the ground and it was really very messy. Anyone who doesnt know better will think that theres been a thief! The guest in this room, Mr. Gao, is a very easy-going person. Were all familiar with him, which is why I dare to come in and clean up, the cleaner explained. Before the cleaner finished speaking, Luo Yu had already run downstairs. When he turned the corner at the stairway, he suddenly stopped. Under the sunlight, he could see something shiny on the floor. There were also broken fragments from a jade bangle embedded in the crack in the floor. Qiao Mei was the third daughter-in-law of the Xia familys eldest son. Xia Zhe was now at the peak of his career and might even eventually surpass Xia Juns achievements. Now that Xia Zhes wife had been kidnapped, there was every reason to mobilize the police force. At the same time, Xia Wen immediately set off for Hu City to help with the search. Xia Wen had a phone call with Xia Zhe some time ago. The diplomatic relationship between their country and Country M was quite good and the citizens of both countries were traveling quite often between the two countries. Xia Zhes business in Country M was so successful that it was getting a little too eye-catching. If Xia Zhe bumped into someone he knew from his real life, he would be caught in a very dangerous situation. After Xia Mao had a serious discussion with the superiors, they decided to transfer Xia Zhe back. The business there would be handed over to Gao Ming. Xia Zhes business mainly dealt with financial investment and returns. It was not a very difficult business to understand. Gao Ming studied finance and management in university and should be able to take over after getting some hands-on experience over the next month or two. Xia Zhe, I need to tell you something Xia Wen said after taking a deep breath. What is it? Xia Zhe asked. Qiao Mei she has gone missing in Hu City Xia Wen said. After a long silence, Xia Zhe said, Whos with her in Hu City? Does anyone have any more information? Theres only Luo Yu with her there. Ive already sent people to investigate. Yao Nian is also doing his best to search for clues about where Qiao Mei has gone. You you should hurry back, Xia Wen said. Ill go straight to Hu City now. Xia Zhe hung up after saying that. Chapter 2074: I Want Food Chapter 2074: I Want Food Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The Xia family was soon alerted about the news of Xia Wen mobilizing another citys criminal police department to rescue Qiao Mei. When Xia Mao and Xia Jun learned that Qiao Mei had been kidnapped, Xia Jun immediately gave Xia Wen a call. Whats going on? Isnt Qiao Mei doing fine in Shen City? Why did she go missing in Hu City! Xia Jun said. Grandfather, Ill explain this to you when I get back. Im going to Hu City to help in the search for Qiao Mei now, Xia Wen said anxiously. Go ahead. You must bring Qiao Mei back safely. If the kidnappers want money,just give it to them. We must keep them calm. Dont let them hurt Qiao Mei! Qiao Meis safety must be our top priority! Xia Jun instructed. Yes, I understand. Xia Wen hung up the phone after saying that. There were many people rushing to Hu City at the same time. Luo Yu was already working very closely with the police in Hu City. Qiao Mei, the scar-faced man and his guys kept walking along the main road. Along the way, Qiao Mei used the vines to leave markings behind. She believed that Luo Yu would definitely come with a team to rescue her. The group had walked for less than half an hour when Qiao Mei stopped and shouted, Im tired! I cant walk anymore! Go and get a car! Where can I find a car in the wilderness? the scar-faced man said angrily. I dont care! I need a ride! Think of a way to find a car! Do you want me to die of fatigue? Qiao Mei said. The scar-faced man looked at the underling behind him and said, You! Carry her on your back! What nonsense are you spouting! Youre always either thirsty or hungry along the way! Why are you so troublesome! the scar-faced man said unhappily. Even if youre riding a donkey, you also need to feed it! Im a human being! Why cant I eat and drink! If you starve me to death, you wont be able to get a single cent! Qiao Mei said overbearingly. Fine! Quick! Hand over the food! the scar-faced man said impatiently. The old man seemed to have seen his lifesaver. He immediately took out two pancakes from his bag and looked at Qiao Mei gratefully. Qiao Mei smiled and nodded to him. Do you want some? Qiao Mei asked the scar-faced man as she started to eat a pancake. No! the scar-faced man said in a fit of pique. Remember what you say! You say you dont want any, its not that I havent set aside any for you! After saying that, Qiao Mei started eating the pancakes with great enjoyment, making the scar-faced man and his underlings feel very hungry. Anyone looking on would think that the pancakes in Qiao Meis hands must be very delicious! However, one needed to have a sense of pride. The scar-faced man had already rejected Qiao Meis offer just now. It would be a slap on his own face if he asked the passengers in the bus for food now. What else can I do! What tricks can I have! Qiao Mei said. The scar-faced man forcefully pulled Qiao Mei out from the front passenger seat and the group walked slowly along the suburban road. They were still four kilometers away from the abandoned warehouse and would definitely be able to reach it in an hour. Luo Yu went to many places which Gao Lin had visited over the past few days. All the people at those places said that they had not seen Gao Lin for the past two days. Even the remaining Gao familys relatives living in Hu City did not know where Gao Lin had gone. Chapter 2075: Two Groups Chapter 2075: Two Groups Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Soon, they arrived near the abandoned warehouse. The scar-faced man got down from the bus with Qiao Mei. The group walked for a long time, going deep into the forest and finally arrived at the place where Gao Lin was being held. The scar-faced man asked his underling to open the door to the warehouse. The metal door was very fragile and seemed like it could be shattered with a light touch. After the door was opened, it was still very dark inside since the whole place was very poorly lit. Qiao Mei immediately saw Gao Lin tied up in the corner. She raised her voice and shouted, Granduncle! Granduncle, how are you! Gao Lin had been left here the entire time. During this period of time, the kidnappers had only given him some water but no food. Fortunately, Gao Lin was quite fit and he could still hang on. Any other old man might have died by now. The scar-faced man did not care about what Qiao Mei did. After all, there were so many of them. How could a woman be able to fight all of them? Qiao Mei sprinted towards Gao Lin. His face was very pale and his breathing was very shallow, as if he was going to die in the next second. Qiao Mei took advantage of the fact that no one was paying any attention to her and tore open the hidden pocket in her sleeve. A small pill fell out and she quickly stuffed it into Gao Lins mouth. In less than a minute, Gao Lins face looked more rosy. He opened his eyes groggily and said, Qiao Mei? Why are you here? Leave now! Leave me here! Go now! Granduncle, dont worry. These people wont hurt us. Theyre just after the money, Qiao Mei said. Enough! Stop playing catch-up! the scar-faced man said disdainfully. Hahaha, so what if Im toying with you? Dont tell me you want to take me down? Dont forget who helped you to get to your position today! How are you going to fight with me? Brother Bin said. The scar-faced man took a deep breath and looked at Brother Bin calmly as he said, Ill say it again. Give me 50,000 dollars, not a single cent less. Otherwise, dont blame me for being rude! Come on! I want to see how you want to be rude to us! Lao Mo! Brother Bin shouted with a smile. The tall and burly man took out a gun from his pocket and pointed it at the scar-faced man. There was no expression on his face, as if killing someone was something he did quite often. Brother Bin, since you dont intend to keep your side of the bargain, Im going to take this woman with me! Either I get the money or the hostage, the scar-faced man said as he pointed at Qiao Mei. Shes already in my territory. Do you think Ill let you take her away? Dont you know your own capability? You still want to bargain with me now! Do you think youre buying vegetables in the market! Get lost now! Dont let me see you again! Otherwise, this date next year will be the day of your death anniversary, Brother Bin said. The scar-faced man hesitated. Although he loved money, he cherished his life more. It was really not worth it to lose his life here. Ill give you 300,000 dollars! If you save the two of us! Ill give you 300,000 dollars! Qiao Mei shouted. 300,000 dollars! Do you think Im a beggar! Your ransom is five million dollars! And you only want to give me 300,000 dollars! the scar-faced man said. Chapter 2076: Wait for an Opportunity Chapter 2076: Wait for an Opportunity Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios 500,000 dollars max! Qiao Mei said. One million dollars or no go! the scar-faced man said loudly. Fine! One million then! Qiao Mei said through gritted teeth. Brother Bin suddenly started laughing loudly. He looked at Qiao Mei and said with a smile, Although one million dollars can save you, this bit of money cant buy our lives. The three of us are on the wanted list and the bounty on our heads adds up to 10 million dollars. You should ask for more, otherwise its quite meaningless, said the man who had been standing beside Brother Bin. Ah Kun, dont say that. Theyre not even worth 500 dollars! Dont hurt their fragile egos, Brother Bin said mockingly. The scar-faced man yelled a command and his underlings charged forward fearlessly from behind him. Lao Mo shot one of the underlings in the leg twice and all of them stopped in their paths. Brother Bin slowly took out a gun from his back pocket and pointed it at the scar-faced man. You can think about it while I count to three. Either you and your guys get lost immediately or you become target practice for us. We can have some fun here. The scar-faced man went forward and carried his wounded underling on his back. The group of men left the abandoned warehouse without looking back. Qiao Mei shook her head resignedly. Fists were never a match for guns. Then go and get the money, Brother Bin said. How am I supposed to pass so much money to you? Qiao Mei said. Youre a big boss, dont you have a secretary? Even if you dont have a secretary, you must have a helper. Ask them to send the money over, Brother Bin said. At this hour, the bank is already closed. Moreover, it will take three days to withdraw such a large sum of money, Qiao Mei said. Suddenly, there was a burst of laughter outside the door. Qiao Mei immediately recognized the owner of the voice. She looked towards the door and said, Long time no see, Huang Quan. I certainly dont expect the famous Boss Qiao to still remember me. What a pleasant surprise, Huang Quan said through gritted teeth. No wonder these people kept asking her for five million dollars. The goods which Huang Quan lost and all the losses incurred by the factory added up to nearly five million dollars. Huang Quan was actually hoping to recover this amount of money from Qiao Mei. How have you been recently? Qiao Mei asked with a smile. You still have the cheek to ask me this question! Its all thanks to you that my life is a mess! I owe so many debts because of you! You must pay the price for this! Huang Quan said. The Huang family had gone bankrupt. He had gone to ask He Ning for help, but when He Ning heard that it was Qiao Mei who did all this, He Ning immediately sided with Qiao Mei.Rread latest chapters at novelhall.com Chapter 2077: So It Is You Chapter 2077: So It Is You Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios He Ning did not want to be on the opposing side of Qiao Mei again. Besides, the Huang family was one of the sacrifices he had already intended to make in his game of tug-of-war with Qiao Mei, so there was no need to save them. In Lian City, the Huang familys reputation had suffered a great blow. They could no longer afford to send the second and third sons to school. In addition, their relatives came to block their main door every day to stop them from leaving the house. Huang Quan had no other choice. The Huang familys relatives had given them an ultimatum. If they did not pay back all the money by the end of this month, their relatives would go to the police station to demand that Huang Quan be arrested for fraud. The sum of money involved was so huge that Huang Quan might even get the death penalty if found guilty! Tan Jing was the one who came up with the idea for him to kidnap Qiao Mei! This plan would allow him to get both Qiao Mei and the money at the same time, killing two birds with one stone! Tan Jing had at least proven her worth to him at the end. Qiao Mei did not panic but felt very much at ease instead. This was because she could sense that Xia Zhe was nearby, probably about 60 kilometers away. He was already on his way to her. Xia Zhe remembered what Qiao Mei said to him and had kept the seed well hidden on his body. Qiao Mei could not sense the seed if it was very far away from her. Even if they were both in the same country, so long as Qiao Mei did not search for the seed, it would not take the initiative to send a signal to her. However, when the distance between them fell below 200 kilometers, the seed would start to search for its owner and Qiao Mei would be able to automatically detect its location. The moment Xia Zhe got off the plane, he started searching for Qiao Mei. As he drove around the city, he saw the damaged van. He could tell that the van had been in an accident and he did not dare to go forward and look inside. He was afraid that he would see blood and be informed that Qiao Mei had died. Fine, you can ask your subordinates to go and get it, Qiao Mei said. You dont have to worry about how we want to pick up the money. Get your people to prepare the money first. I have the final say on how the deal is set up later, Huang Quan said cautiously. Brother Bin and the other two men were the Huang familys trusted aides. When these three people were involved in something, it would mean that the Huang family was definitely involved as well. If the Xia family found out about this, the entire Huang family would be finished. This was also why he needed to hire another group of men to kidnap Qiao Mei. It was just that he did not expect the scar-faced man to be so lousy and wasted so much time on the way. Qiao Mei shrugged nonchalantly and said, Alright, whatever you say, but Im hungry now. Get me something to eat. I dont think you want me to starve to death before the money arrives. Where can I get food for you in the wilderness? Huang Quan said. I can cook, Qiao Mei said. Huang Quan looked at Qiao Mei in surprise and said, Really? Im surprised youd offer to cook. Are you able to make whatever I want to eat? Of course not. As soon as Qiao Mei said that, Huang Quan looked very embarrassed. She then continued, There cant be many ingredients here, so we have to make do with whatever we have. Chapter 2078: Not Blissful Chapter 2078: Not Blissful Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Huang Quan immediately looked much better. Not long after that, Luo Yu made a call to them. Huang Quan and Brother Bin informed Luo Yu of the location to drop the money. Brother Bin went with Lao Mo to get the money while Huang Quan and Ah Kun stayed behind in the warehouse. Lets go. The kitchen is at the back, Huang Quan said as he pointed to a room in the corner. They had been eating very plain meals here for the past few days. All these men did not know how to cook, so it was already good enough that they could make food that was edible. Brother Bin and the other two men were often involved in such illegal activities. It was inevitable that they would go hungry when they were on a job. The three of them were very used to such a tough life. If all they had was a live rat when they were hungry, they could eat it without batting an eyelid. Huang Quan, on the other hand, had lived a life of luxury since he was young and he was definitely not used to this. At home, he would refuse his meals if the ingredients were not fresh enough. However, in order to survive here, he forced himself to eat and drink whatever was put in front of him every day. Qiao Mei took a look in the kitchen. She could see some basic seasonings, but there were not many ingredients, only cabbages and potatoes. She was not picky though. No matter how ordinary the ingredients were, she could make them into very tasty food. He turned to Qiao Mei with a much gentler look in his eyes. How could anyone not fall for such a capable and beautiful woman? He had thought that Qiao Meis words were very caustic just now, but now, it was as if he was looking at a different person. When the food was ready, Qiao Mei scooped out a bowl each for Huang Quan and Ah Kun. She was not in any hurry to eat. Instead, she took another bowl of food and went over to Gao Lin, feeding him slowly. If Qiao Mei had not arrived in time, Gao Lin might have died tonight! However, he also blamed himself a lot because of this. He would rather die than cause Qiao Mei to be in danger. Im sorry. Its all my fault. If I didnt trust people so easily, you wouldnt have been implicated, Gao Lin said apologetically. Granduncle, were a family. In this world, your family is Grandfathers only relative apart from me. No matter how difficult the problem is, Ill still save you, Qiao Mei said with a smile. Youre a good kid such a good kid! Gao Lin said with tears in his eyes. Huang Quan looked at this touching scene with some envy and disdain. Although he had never lacked food and clothing since he was young, his parents had never paid any attention to him and even felt ashamed of him. His parents only favored their second and third sons. When he was young, he worked very hard to have outstanding results so that his parents would like him. However, no matter how hard he worked, they did not pay any attention to him. Even when he got first place in his cohort during the examinations, he received less praise than his younger brothers for saying things like, Dad, Mom, I love you. Chapter 2079: Unconscious Chapter 2079: Unconscious Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Can you remove the ropes from my granduncles hands and feet! Theyre too tight! His wrists and ankles have already turned purple! Qiao Mei said unhappily. Huang Quan looked at the weak Gao Lin and then at Qiao Mei. It was already very difficult for Gao Lin to even stand up, let alone escape with Qiao Mei. Surely an old man and a weak woman would not be able to escape from two grown men? Hey! Go! Untie him! Huang Quan said, looking at Ah Kun and pointing at Gao Lin. Ah Kun did not even look up when Huang Quan spoke. He did not even want to look at Huang Quan. He would only take instructions from Brother Bin. Other than Brother Bin, no one else could order him around. Huang Quan said in annoyance, Didnt you hear what I said to you? Dont waste your time. He wont die from being tied up. Im busy eating! Ah Kun said sulkily. Qiao Mei could tell that Ah Kun and Huang Quan did not get on well with each other. Moreover, Ah Kun was very diligent. When she was cooking just now, she took the chance to observe Ah Kun. At that time, he kept playing with the gun in his hand. He looked like he was doing it mindlessly, but in fact, the gun was aimed at Qiao Mei and Huang Quan the whole time. If either of them made any wrong move, Ah Kun would shoot without hesitation and kill them in one shot. Xia Zhe was looking tenderly at Qiao Mei from behind that wall. He had been waiting here for a long while. When Qiao Mei started cooking, he had already reached the spot behind the wall. He had wanted to launch an attack a few times before he realized that Ah Kun was well trained in martial arts. If he rushed out too rashly, he would cause Qiao Mei and Gao Lin to get hurt. Qiao Mei had also already sensed Xia Zhes presence. Otherwise, she would not have kept finding ways to irritate Huang Quan while she was cooking. Their eyes met and Qiao Mei nodded slightly. Xia Zhe walked around the wall to a spot near the main door while Qiao Mei went to the kitchen to get a bowl of soup for Gao Lin. You should drink some. Dont just take care of me, Gao Lin said. Im fine, Granduncle. You have to get back your strength. When we get out of here, well have to travel a long distance and I wont be able to carry you the whole way, Qiao Mei said. Both Huang Quan and Ah Kun overheard her saying that and the two of them immediately became wary. Brother Bin had not received the money yet, so how could Qiao Mei be able to get out of here? However, whatever Qiao Mei said also made sense. After all, the Xia family was now the richest and most powerful family in the capital. They could not underestimate the Xia familys capability. It was possible that the Xia family might even find them and rescue Qiao Mei before they received the money. Ah Kun picked up his gun and decided to do a patrol around the warehouse. He wanted to ensure that the surrounding area was safe. Qiao Mei held the soup bowl tightly in her hand. When Ah Kun reached the door, Xia Zhe made a move immediately and knocked Ah Kun out. Before Huang Quan could even react, Qiao Mei raised the porcelain bowl and rushed towards him, smashing it forcefully on his head. Huang Quan collapsed on the spot and bled profusely from his head. Gao Lin was stunned to the spot. Everything had happened too fast and he could not even tell how Huang Quan and Ah Kun had fallen unconscious. Chapter 2080: Commit Suicide Chapter 2080: Commit Suicide Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei rushed into Xia Zhes arms and yelled out, When did you come back? Why didnt you tell me in advance! I originally wanted to give you a surprise, but I didnt expect you to give me such a big surprise instead. What did you promise me before you returned home? Xia Zhe said, feeling a little angry. Its not my fault! If anything, its all your fault! Qiao Mei said as she stood in front of Xia Zhe with her hands on her hips. My fault? How can it be my fault? Xia Zhe asked in puzzlement. Of course its your fault! If Im still in the village now, I wont have to encounter such dangerous situations! All these people are targeting the Xia family. My children are also Xia family members. If I had married any other man in the village, I wouldnt have to go through so much! In the end, its all your fault! Qiao Mei quibbled. Xia Zhes expression changed slightly and he said unhappily, You want to marry another man? Dont even think about it! Youre my wife and I wont allow you to leave my side. However, I promise you that I wont let you encounter so much danger in the future. Ill do my best to solve these problems. Thats more like it! Qiao Mei said happily. Its fine. The most important thing for you is to protect yourself and not let yourself get hurt. Leave everything else to me, Xia Zhe said tenderly. Xia Zhe tied up Ah Kun and Huang Quan and threw them to one side. He went to the kitchen to get a basin of cold water and splashed it on the two of them. Huang Quan did not wake up, perhaps because of the serious injuries on his head. Ah Kun opened his eyes groggily and then looked at Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe furiously. Hmph, you guys still manage to succeed in the end, Ah Kun said self-deprecatingly. Answer my questions. Apart from the three of you, do you have any other accomplices? Xia Zhe questioned. Ah Kun smiled disdainfully and said, Since youre so resourceful, why do you need to ask me? Cant you just investigate it yourselves? Lets hand him over to the police and let them interrogate him properly. The three of them have always worked for the Huang family, so they must know a lot of the Huang familys secrets. We can use him to crush the Huang family in one fell swoop, Qiao Mei said. Hearing this, Ah Kun said mockingly, Do you think Im stupid! You want me to betray Brother Bin! You can dream on! I wont let you get what you want! Then, he bit on the poison pill which he had hidden in his mouth and died almost instantly. If people like them fell into the hands of the police, it was the end of them. They would have to face a situation that was more painful than death. There was no difference whether they died earlier or later. It was better for them to end their own lives so that they could at least save their families lives. Chapter 2081: They Have Escaped Chapter 2081: They Have Escaped Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xia Zhe went forward to take a look. After confirming that there was no possibility of saving the man, he shook his head helplessly and said, Hes gone.CHeCk for new stories on no/v/el/bin(.)c0m What about Huang Quan? How is he? Do you have any way to wake him up? Qiao Mei asked. Xia Zhe reached out and pressed hard on Huang Quans philtrum, and then waited for a reaction from Huang Quan. After a while, Huang Quan slowly woke up. When he saw Xia Zhe, he was shocked and looked as if he had seen a ghost. You Why are you here! Shouldnt you be already dead! How can you still make it back alive! How can this be! You should have died over there! Huang Quan said in a panic. You must be very disappointed that Im not dead, but youre the one whos going to be dead very soon. No, youre going to face a fate worse than death, Xia Zhe said mildly. I dont want the money anymore! I still have 30,000 dollars! Ill give you everything I have! Please let me go! Give me a way out! Huang Quan begged. What do I want your money for? You hurt my wife and kidnapped her relative. This debt cant be settled with money, Xia Zhe said. I know its wrong to do that! But but she also took all those goods and machines from me! Those things are worth more than 5 million dollars in total! You guys have already recovered your capital! Lets lets call it even! Huang Quan said. Big Brother, we didnt manage to catch them Luo Yu said dejectedly. Its fine. They wont be able to escape from us. Lets go and look for Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei first, Xia Wen said calmly. The men composed themselves and set off. Xia Wen sent out a team to continue tracking down Brother Bin and Lao Mo while the rest of them went to the abandoned warehouse together. Xia Zhe watched over Huang Quan while stealing glances at Qiao Mei. She was leaning against Guo Lin and taking a nap. When Qiao Mei heard the sounds of the men coming in, she immediately woke up. She quickly ran up to Xia Wen and asked, Where are they? Have you caught them? No, they have escaped, Luo Yu said. Then what about my money? Qiao Mei asked again. Its also in their hands, Luo Yu replied. Qiao Meis heart sank. That was five million dollars! Although this was money she had pilfered from Huang Quan, she had also worked very hard during this period of time! She would rather throw the money into the sea than let this money go to the Huang family! Little money-grubber, dont worry. Ive already sent people out on a massive manhunt. Its very dangerous for them to be on the run with such a big sum of money. We will probably get news soon, Xia Wen said. Chapter 2082: Being the Boss Chapter 2082: Being the Boss Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Hubby, do you know if the Huang family has any secret base! Or a treasure vault or something like that! Lets raid their nest secretly! Qiao Mei went to Xia Zhe and whispered to him. Xia Zhe smiled dotingly and said, Ill go back and ask around for you. Although Xia Zhe did not know how Qiao Mei hid away most of the Yang familys treasures back in Country M, he knew very well that his gal had all kinds of means and ways. So long as it was something that Qiao Mei wanted, he would let her do whatever she wanted. He would take care of any mess that arose after that. The head of the criminal police team on the scene was Wu Jia. He had trained at the special forces training base for a period of time, and he and Xia Zhe were from the same batch. If not for the fact that Wu Jia had to leave the special forces training base because of health issues, he might have become Xia Zhes buddy, like Zhuang Hua and the rest. Long time no see, Wu Jia said with a smile. Thats true. I havent seen you in a long time. I didnt know youre the head of a team now, Xia Zhe said happily. Youre not doing too bad either, Wu Jia said as he looked at Xia Zhe with admiration. Wu Jias subordinates immediately ran towards Huang Quan. At this moment, Huang Quan was already unconscious. He had head injuries and his legs were twisted in an odd angle. From the looks of it, he had fractures in his hands and legs. Do do we need to report this to Captain Wu? This guy is so seriously injured. What if he dies during the journey? Captain Wus subordinate said fearfully. What does that have to do with us? Lets just follow the procedure. We just need to be careful when we carry him out, another subordinate said. They were all lamenting internally that Xia Zhe had beaten the man up too badly. They did not expect the dignified Third Young Master of the Xia family to have a fetish for violence! After exchanging a few words, all of them went their separate ways. This was not a good venue to have a catchup session. Before leaving, Wu Jia said to Xia Zhe, Ill ask you out for drinks if I go to the capital! Dont pretend that you dont know me! Dont worry! Ill definitely give you a warm welcome! Just come over! Xia Zhe said. Xia Wen gave Xia Zhe a car and put some money inside. Given that Xia Zhe was finally back from overseas, the young couple must have a lot of catching up to do. He would let the two of them have their private time! He could handle the rest of the matter. Xia Zhe drove back to the hotel where he was staying. The owner of this hotel was his former comrade-in-arms who had retired from the army to go into business, so it was very safe for him to stay here. After Qiao Mei entered the room, she climbed straight into the bed. So many things had happened in the past two days and she had to remain very focused. She had not slept well for the past few days and she needed to have a good rest now. Chapter 2083: About to Give Birth Chapter 2083: About to Give Birth Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Sigh Im so tired Qiao Mei said wearily. No worries. Just lie there. Ill change your clothes for you. Xia Zhe took out Qiao Meis pajamas from the luggage and changed her clothes for her. He also took a warm towel to wipe Qiao Meis face and limbs and gave her a massage to help her relax after these few tiring days. Qiao Mei was very pleased to have Xia Zhe taking care of her. He was very busy with work in Sky City and it had been half a year since they last met. She wondered how long he could stay with her this time round. Did Eldest Brother ask you to come back? Qiao Mei asked. I have already made plans to come back next week, but since something so serious has happened to you, I set off right away. Anyway, everything is already settled over there, so I dont have to worry about anything, Xia Zhe said. Does that mean you dont have to go back anymore? Qiao Mei asked expectantly. Xia Zhe could not guarantee that his superiors would not send him on missions to other countries or to return to Country M to take charge again if there was a crisis in the future. At the moment, his superiors asked him to stay in the country and just take on his real identity as the Third Young Master of the Xia family. Ill be spending most of my time here so well have a lot of time together, Xia Zhe said neutrally. Its fine. Lets pack up in a while and then go to the nearby mall to buy some gifts for everyone, Xia Zhe said. Qiao Mei nodded in agreement. Gao Lins acquisition project in Hu City was not done yet. Even though the matter with Huang Quan was over, he would still need to stay in Hu City for a while. Xia Zhe asked Luo Yu to stay by Gao Lins side to protect him. It was enough for Qiao Mei to have him by her side. The two of them went to the mall to buy a gold choker and a pair of gold bangles for the unborn baby. Xia Zhe bought many things for their children and only stopped after the car boot ran out of space. It was a six-hour drive back to the capital from Hu City. Taking a train or a plane might expose Xia Zhes identity, so it was best for them to drive back themselves. They did not go home directly, but headed to the military family compound instead. Xia Zhe needed to go back for a debrief and he also wanted to take the opportunity to let everyone know that he was back so that no one would gossip about Qiao Mei. Hey! Whose car is that? When Qiao Mei arrived, Liu Yun and the others were chatting under the tree. Isnt that Qiao Mei! Qiao Mei is back! Zhang Cai was the first among them to see Qiao Mei. She stood up excitedly and pointed at the car as she yelled out. Qiao Mei! Oh my goodness! Qiao Mei is back! Liu Yun immediately ran towards the car. As soon as Qiao Mei got out of the car, she hugged Qiao Mei excitedly and shouted, Youre finally back! Do you know how much Ive missed you! Long time no see, Sister Liu! I miss you too! Qiao Mei said happily. Chapter 2084: Back at the Family Compound Chapter 2084: Back at the Family Compound Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas StudiosRread latest chapters at novelhall.com There were a few newcomers at the military family compound. These women did not know Qiao Mei, but they had been here long enough to have heard of her. Liu Yun held Qiao Meis hand and said proudly, Let me introduce you! This is my Sister Qiao Mei! She stays in that house! Hello, my name is Li Hui. I live in the house at the very end, Li Hui said in a gentle tone. Im Zou Lu! Im probably a little younger than you, Zou Lu said cheerfully. Zou Lus older brother was in the army and their parents had passed away a long time ago, leaving the two siblings to rely on each other. Therefore, the army specially approved Zou Lus application to live in the military family compound. Have you completed your studies overseas? Why have you suddenly come back? Zhang Cai asked curiously. They all already knew everything about Qiao Meis endeavors. Everyone in the capital knew about her. Ever since Liu Yun and the rest found out that Qiao Mei had gone overseas to study, they all felt very proud as well! After all, they were the neighbors of the top scorer in the college entrance examination in the capital! I have completed my studies both here and overseas. Ive already graduated, Qiao Mei said with a smile. Seeing that Qiao Mei was not angry, Liu Yun could finally feel at ease. The moment they walked into Liu Yuns house, Qiao Mei could see there were many new household appliances inside. There was a refrigerator, a television, a radio and a sewing machine, among other things. These items were all the latest models. Youve been doing well for yourself! Qiao Mei said happily. Its all thanks to you! The vegetables grow very fast in the greenhouse, so I can make a lot of money during the winter! Ill go and get the money for you later. Ive made sure to do the accounts properly for the past two years! Liu Yun said. No hurry, no hurry! I have something to ask you. Whose child is Miao Le carrying? It doesnt seem to be Zhuang Zhuang, Qiao Mei asked. Liu Yun said with a look of disdain, You dont say! Thats her own child! Not long after you left, Tian Jun chased Miao Le home and asked another of his distant cousins to come and take care of Zhuang Zhuang. However, no one knows how Miao Le managed to seduce Zhao Da from the apartment upstairs! The two of them got married very quickly. This child was also conceived last year. Whos Zhao Da? I dont seem to have heard of him before, Qiao Mei said. Its a long story. You should go back and ask your husband. They all know what kind of person Zhao Da is. Zhao Da is already 36 years old! He can even be Miao Les father! Hes really shameless! Liu Yun said disdainfully. It seemed that there was more to this story and Qiao Mei became even more curious about this relationship. When she had time, she would get Yao Nian to investigate Zhao Da and Miao Le. Sigh! Lets not talk about these disgusting things! Lets count our money! Liu Yun said. Chapter 2085: Time Passes Quickly Chapter 2085: Time Passes Quickly Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Liu Yun took out a metal biscuit tin from the cabinet. It was obvious that it was very well-used. Qiao Mei had also seen such a biscuit tin at Li Guis place. It seemed that everyone stored important items in the same way. Heres a total of 3,500 dollars! Its all the money I earned from selling the vegetables over the past two years! Here you go! Liu Yun said excitedly. But I didnt do anything at all. You are the one who grew the vegetables and built the greenhouses. I only supply the land. You dont have to give me so much money, Qiao Mei said. Take it! This sum of money is yours! I still have so many greenhouses at home! This amount of money is from selling the vegetables grown at your house. I have my own! Dont stand on ceremony with me! Otherwise, I wont be able to face you in the future! Liu Yun said sternly. Seeing Liu Yuns firm attitude, Qiao Mei accepted the money and said happily, Thank you so much. What are you saying! I should be the one thanking you! Liu Yun said. In the past, her own family did not really like her. Although Liu Dong worked in the army and it was considered a very good job in everyones eyes, Liu Dongs position was very junior and his salary was quite low. His salary could barely support his entire family. Its nothing too difficult. Lets just clean up quickly and then head home. Otherwise, Mother and Eldest Brother will feel anxious, Xia Zhe said. By the time they finished cleaning up, it was already late at night. The two of them drove back to the courtyard house in the capital. The first thing Xia Zhe did when he got home was to go and take a look at the children. By this time, the children were already fast asleep. He sat quietly next to their beds and looked at them. Time seemed to have stopped at this moment. Why are you staring for such a long time? Qiao Mei came to Xia Zhes side and whispered to him. The children have all grown up in the blink of an eye. Xia Fan and Xia Xing are already five years old, and Xia Yue is already more than two years old. Weve also been married for five years, Xia Zhe said emotionally. Thats true. Time really flies. In a while, the children will be all grown up and well both be old with white hair, Qiao Mei said. You wont be the one with white hair. Ill age faster than you, Xia Zhe said with a smile. Qiao Meis eyes instantly reddened. Even if she fed Xia Zhe ginseng juice every day, they could not live forever. Dont cry! Lets not say such depressing things now that we are reunited. Lets go out and let the children have a good nights sleep. Xia Zhe carried Qiao Mei back to the bedroom and the two of them spent the night cuddling together. Chapter 2086: The Children’s Future Chapter 2086: The Childrens Future Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Early the next morning, the children ran out and played in the courtyard. Xia Zhe appeared in front of them suddenly and the three children stared at him with wide open eyes. Xia Fan found it hard to believe that his father, the person whom he had been missing day and night, was right in front of him. He rubbed his eyes forcefully to make sure that he was not seeing things and then started crying loudly. Xia Xing ran up to Xia Fan and covered his mouth as she said, Papa is back, so why are you crying! Dont make so much noise! Im just too happy! Im not sad! Xia Fan said as he sobbed. Xia Zhe squatted down and pulled Xia Fan and Xia Xing into an embrace. Are you happy to see Papa? Papa was very busy with work for a while, thats why I couldnt come back. Im so sorry about that. Its alright! Mama said that Papa is doing something very heroic! Papa is a hero! So we dont blame Papa! Xia Xing said proudly. Xia Zhe did not expect Xia Xing to say this. It was enough to make the 30-something man so touched that his eyes reddened. Xia Yue had only seen Xia Zhe a few times. When they were in Country M together, Xia Yue was still a little baby! He probably could not remember any of his experiences. Yue Yue, go over there too. Thats your papa, Feng Hua said as she patted Xia Yue, who was hiding behind her. He had not thought about Xia Xings future yet. He did not have that much expectations for a girl. He just wanted her to grow up healthy and happy and thrive in a blissful family environment. Qiao Mei only woke up in the afternoon. This was the best sleep she had had since she returned from overseas. She would head to Xu Lans courtyard house with Xia Zhe in a while. This was the first time she was going there since she returned! She wondered what it looked like after the renovation. Should we bring the children? Qiao Mei asked as she stood at the door, carrying the gifts. Lets not bring them along for the time being. Let the children stay with Grandfather. Im worried that well be too busy later to take care of them, Xia Zhe said. Alright, lets go to visit Mother and Father now. The two of them walked along the alley while holding hands and many families stuck their heads out to take a look. Ever since Qiao Mei moved here, they rarely saw Xia Zhe with her. If not for the fact that Xu Lan and the others often went to Qiao Meis house to visit her, they would have thought that Xia Zhe had abandoned her! Xu Lans house was only a 15 minutes walk from Qiao Meis house. Xu Lans house was not overly renovated. The structure looked similar to Qiao Meis house, but the interior decoration was completely different. Qiao Mei liked wooden furniture and a vintage style, while Xu Lan had always lived in a modern-style house and found it difficult to accept a house that felt old-fashioned. Xu Lan had set aside three rooms for the three children in the front yard. Each room was decorated in a style similar to their current rooms. Deng Fan was the one who came up with this idea. Chapter 2087: Plan Ahead Chapter 2087: Plan Ahead Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Mother! Were back! Qiao Mei shouted towards the house as soon as she stepped into the courtyard. Xu Lan rushed out of the living room without even putting on her coat. She hugged Qiao Mei excitedly and said, Mei Mei, youre back! Why didnt you tell me in advance! Then I could make preparations! Cant I want to give you a surprise? Qiao Mei said sweetly as she leaned her head on Xu Lans shoulder. Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei and Xu Lan with a hint of jealousy and said, Mother, Im back too. Shouldnt you hug me first? Shoo, shoo, shoo! Why should I hug you? Youre already an adult, yet you still want me to hug you! Go into the house to chat with your father! Xu Lan said with slight disdain. Nowadays, Xu Lan was closer to Qiao Mei than her own children! He and Xia Wen no longer ranked highly in her heart and even Xia He had also taken a backseat. Mo Zhu was already admitted to the VIP ward of the hospital to await the arrival of her baby, just like what Qiao Mei did when she gave birth to Xia Yue. Everyone in the hospital was ready and Xia Fang was also on standby to ensure that nothing would happen to Mo Zhu. The moment Xia Zhe entered the house, Xia Mao and Xia Jun asked him to go to the side hall with them. They had something very important to discuss with him. Xia Jun decided to ask Xia Xiu to come up with a training plan first and then send Xia Fan to train with her for a month and get immersed in that kind of environment. As for whether Xia Xing should take the same path, the entire family would consider the decision carefully. After they had a meal together, the whole family drove to the hospital to visit Mo Zhu. When they arrived at the hospital, Xu Lan realized that only Mo Chou and Liu Shu were accompanying Mo Zhu and Xia Wen was nowhere to be seen. In-law, why is it only the two of you with Mo Zhu? Why isnt Xia Wen around? Xu Lan asked curiously. Your good son! Go and ask him yourself! How do we know! Mo Chou said angrily. Mo Zhu hurriedly grabbed Mo Chous hand and said, Father! Dont say things out of anger! Xu Lan gave Qiao Mei a look and Qiao Mei immediately understood what it meant. She took the car keys and left the ward quietly. She wanted to give Xia Wen a call first, so she walked straight towards Xia Fangs office. The moment she entered the room, she saw a haggard-looking Xia Fang crouched over the table. This was the first time she had seen Xia Fang look so tired. Aunt, why are you sleeping here? Why didnt you go to the lounge? Qiao Mei said as she woke Xia Fang up. Sigh Mo Zhus father will ask me to go and take a look at Mo Zhus condition every two hours. I havent been able to rest well for the past two days. I was afraid that they would look for me again later, so I didnt go to the lounge, Xia Fang said. Chapter 2088: The Alleged Affair Chapter 2088: The Alleged Affair Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei remembered that although Mo Chou was a demanding person, he was not unreasonable. If Xia Fang could explain the situation and diagnosis properly in a way that they could understand, why would he want to torment Xia Fang repeatedly? There must be another issue which Qiao Mei was unaware of. Aunt, do you know where Eldest Brother went? Qiao Mei asked. Isnt Xia Wen with Mo Zhu? What is Xia Wen thinking at this point in time? Where else does he need to be? Xia Fang was already very frustrated and she became even more irritable when she heard this. Qiao Mei quickly calmed Xia Fang down and said, Ill make a call to ask him. Aunt, dont get agitated. She picked up the phone and called Xia Wens office. She had to dial the number three or four times before he picked up the phone. Before Qiao Mei could ask anything, she could hear deafening wails and a torrent of verbal abuse at his end of the phone line. Eldest Brother, is that you? Im Qiao Mei, Qiao Mei asked. Its me. Whats wrong? Xia Wen said wearily. Your eldest brother seduced my Shi Rui! He tricked Shi Rui into sleeping with him! He even wants to abandon her now! Abandon my Shi Rui! You have to give me an explanation today! Xu Ju said forcefully. When Qiao Mei and Xia He heard this, they laughed in disdain. If Xia Wen wanted to have an affair, he would have cheated on Tan Jing before the divorce. It was impossible that he would wait until he married Mo Zhu to do such a dirty deed. Even if these two wanted to frame Xia Wen, they should come up with a better story. Qiao Mei wondered if Xu Ju even had a brain if she could only come up with such a lame excuse. For now, Ill still acknowledge the fact that were relatives and Ill still address you as Eldest Aunt. Please watch your words and consider carefully whether youre telling the truth or not. Dont go around slandering us! Xia He said. Of course its true! Shi Rui said it herself! How can it be false! Shes pregnant now! Dont even think about denying it! Xu Ju said. Pregnant? Whose child was it? They thought that Shi Rui was not married yet? She did not even have a boyfriend, so where did this child come from? Xia Wen kept quiet not because he was tacitly admitting to any of this, but because he did not want to have a fight with the two women, nor did he want to waste his time and energy on these two lunatics. Recently, he had rushed to complete a lot of work in advance so that he could take some time off to accompany Mo Zhu. At the same time, he had to deal with the matter concerning Qiao Mei and Gao Lin. He was already totally exhausted and did not have the energy to argue with Xu Ju. Just because Shi Rui says that shes pregnant with my eldest brothers child means that its true? Then I can also say that you owe my family 10 million dollars! Does that mean you really owe our family this amount of money! You dont even use your brain before you speak! You should at least show us some solid proof! Xia He said mockingly. Chapter 2089: The Affair Happened in the Hotel Chapter 2089: The Affair Happened in the Hotel Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios You! How can you speak like that! Do you think a woman will joke about her reputation! Xu Ju said. Who knows what youre capable of! If you dont have any other evidence, Im going to the police station to report you for defamation! Xia He said. Shi Rui, who had been kneeling on the floor, suddenly said, We ?It happened in the office! That day, many people saw it ?saw me ?saw me running out of Xia Wens office looking disheveled and half-dressed The colleagues who were watching the commotion tried to recall carefully if such a thing had happened. One of the female colleagues came forward and said, Theres no such thing! The door to Mr. Xias office is usually left open. We can see everything that happens in the room! Youre spouting nonsense! Im not spouting nonsense! If you dont believe me, ask the others! So many people saw it! After that, Xia Wen gave me a ride one night! He brought me to a hotel! Then ?then he did that to me there! Shi Rui said. Xia Wen smiled mockingly. He did not expect Shi Rui to be able to say such shameless things in public just so that she could marry him. If not for the fact that he had always been an upright person, which meant that everyone would doubt what Shi Rui said at the first instance, he would probably be facing the police now! Although the country was slowly opening up and society was becoming more liberal, people were still quite conservative, particularly about the relationship between a man and a woman. If a man touched a womans hand for no reason, he could be accused of taking liberties with a woman! He could be arrested and sent to jail! No. Its just her and me, Xia Wen said resignedly. He had believed that Shi Rui was still a decent person and would not slander him at all costs like what she was doing now. At this moment, she did not even care about her own reputation and dignity. Hmph! You cant deny it now! We have a witness and the evidence! Lets see if you still have any other excuses! Xu Ju said smugly. The colleagues around them also began to waver. They were no longer sure if Xia Wen had done this dirty deed or not. Hey! Do you think this is true? Would Mr. Xia do such a thing? You cant judge a book by its cover! Who knows what kind of person Mr. Xia really is! I really pity Sister Mo Zhu. Shes such a nice woman but she married such a disgusting man. Sister Mo Zhu even has to encounter such a thing just as she is about to give birth. Everyone had different opinions. Some people continued to believe in Xia Wen, while others started to insult him. They even started to fabricate rumors to slander Xia Wen, trying to drag him down from his position. Qiao Mei looked at Shi Rui and Xu Ju and said, Fine. Since youre so sure, then lets go and do a paternity test. A paternity test? Dont tell me you want to do a blood test! The child isnt even born yet, so what kind of test can you do! Xu Ju questioned. Chapter 2090: Standoff Chapter 2090: Standoff Fo?ll0w current novE?ls on n/o/(v)/3l/b((in).(co/m) Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios If you have time, you should read more. Even if the baby is not born yet, you can still do a paternity test. Itll just cost more money. When I was studying in Country M, I went to visit one of the leading laboratories in this field, so I roughly know what its about. Lets go to Country M to do the test now, Qiao Mei said. Nonsense! You must be lying to us! Xu Ju shouted as she pointed at Qiao Mei. Its very easy to verify if Im lying or not. As for you, if youre lying, then well have to hold you accountable for slander and tarnishing our reputation! These are all jailable offenses. In the past few years, many women have brought their children to the Xia family to try and slander us while insisting that those children belong to the Xia family. I think this issue needs to be brought to the attention of the military and the government, Qiao Mei said. Previously, Xia Xing had been threatened by Shao Yin and Xia Zhe had almost been plotted against by He Mei. Now, it was Xia Wens turn. How could there be so many children fathered by the men from the Xia family? Shi Rui and Xu Ju started to panic. Before they came, the two women had already given a lot of money to the front desk staff and security officers of Wendong Hotel so that these people would say what they were told to say. When they were asked, they would blame everything on Xia Wen. Were a family, so theres no need to be so polite. Lets take the chance to discuss this since we have time now. Im guessing that when I called you from Hu City the last time, it was Shi Rui who was in your office, Qiao Mei said with certainty. Yes. That was the day she was referring to when she said she had run out looking disheveled. She rushed into my office and said some inappropriate things to me. I only reprimanded her a little and she suddenly took off her clothes. I rushed out of the office immediately and ignored her but Im not sure what happened after that, Xia Wen said. Xia He said angrily, How can this woman be so shameless! Doesnt Eldest Aunt care about our mothers feelings at all? If they kick up a fuss at our house, our mother will definitely be very sad. Lets take it one step at a time. The most important thing now is for Eldest Sister-in-law to give birth. Qiao Mei thought for a moment and said in a panic, Oh no! What if they go to the hospital! The three of them rushed to the hospital in their cars. Fortunately, Xu Ju did not have this idea today. However, no one knew what sort of nasty things the two women could do in the next few days. Qiao Mei went to look for Yao Nian and asked him to help her investigate who Shi Rui had been in contact with recently. Shi Rui was really pregnant and Qiao Mei had already seen the medical report. However, she was more interested to know who the father of the baby was. How could Shi Rui have slept with a man and become pregnant in such a short period of time? Could it be that Shi Rui was really willing to do anything in order to marry into the Xia family? Chapter 2091: A Bonus for You Chapter 2091: A Bonus for You Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei and the rest of the family members were staying over at Xia Fangs house during this period of time. The house which Qiao Mei bought some time back, the one near Capital University, was also located nearby. If Xia Fangs house could not accommodate everyone, some of them could also stay in that house. Xia Wen and Xia He stayed behind in the hospital to take care of Mo Zhu. Not long after Mo Zhu married into the Xia family, Xia Zhe had left for his mission in Country M and the two of them never interacted much. If Xia Zhe hung around for too long, Mo Zhu might feel a little stressed out. She would feel more comfortable with Xia He for sure. After all, it was also more appropriate to have a female family member around to take care of Mo Zhu. Mo Chou dragged Xia Wen out to the corridor and said moodily, Have you settled the matter of that ?that woman at your workplace? Father, Ive already taken care of it. Theres really nothing going on between the woman and I, Xia Wen said softly. Ive met your grandfather a few times and I know how he runs the Xia family. I know that there is nothing between you and that woman. Im just angry that you didnt settle this matter fast enough and made my Mo Zhu suffer for it, Mo Chou said. Im sorry, Father, Xia Wen said with his head lowered. Yo?ur favorite stories at novelhall.com Dont say sorry to me! You should say it to Mo Zhu! Its my poor daughter who insists on marrying into the wolf den that is your family! Back then, I couldnt dissuade her no matter what I said. Now, everything I said has come true. Xia Wen, Im warning you. Dont let my daughter suffer any grievances or accidents. Otherwise, I will definitely make her leave your Xia family! Mo Chou said sternly. To him, Mo Zhu was like a treasure bestowed by the heavens. He had thought that he would never get married again after he divorced Tan Jing. He did not expect fate to lead him to Mo Zhu. He would never let the worst case scenario described by Mo Chou come true. Yao Nian was a very fast worker. By the next morning, he had found out everything about Shi Rui. He stood below Xia Fangs apartment block with his head lowered, looking very listless. Why do you look unwell? Qiao Mei asked. How can I feel well having a boss like you? I have to go around investigating things urgently in the middle of the night. Do you think those pigeons will send me back the news by themselves? Yao Nian said resignedly. Its my fault. Ill give you a bonus! Ill let you take a break! Qiao Mei said. A bonus? How much? Yao Nian asked. 1,000 dollars, Qiao Mei said. Thats too little. How can the fruits of my labor only be worth 1,000 dollars? You havent paid me the remuneration and bonuses for the last few times! You have to settle the full bill this time! No more delay in payment! Yao Nian said in a fit of pique. How about 20,000 dollars? But Ive been running around recently and dont have that much money with me. Ill call the factory later and ask them to send you the money, Qiao Mei said. Chapter 2092: The Child’s Father Chapter 2092: The Childs Father Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios This was the first time Yao Nian was paid so much money. When he used to help Xia Zhe, he was only paid a few hundred dollars each time. Furthermore, he was asked to investigate very dangerous stuff. Ever since Qiao Mei took over, there had been a vast improvement in the quality of his life. Most of her cases were for him to investigate other families. Such cases were simpler but very cumbersome as he needed to verify all the information received for authenticity. He had lost more than 10 pigeons to fatigue! He felt that he deserved a bonus of at least a few thousand dollars! However, he did not expect Qiao Mei to be more generous than he imagined. The amount of 20,000 dollars was the highest amount he had ever earned in so many years! Just a while ago, Yao Nian still had a gloomy expression on his face. Now, he was smiling at Qiao Mei like a sunflower facing the sun. He said excitedly, Director Qiao, youre so generous ?Thank you, Director Qiao ?Theres no need to trouble Director Qiao to send your staff to deliver the money to my house. Ill go to the factory to pick up the money myself now! How spineless! You change your attitude so quickly! Qiao Mei said disdainfully. Who will dare to get angry with their client? You can ask for whatever you want in the future! Your cases take priority! Yao Nian said excitedly. Then what if Xia Zhe gives you a case? Qiao Mei asked. Where is the childs father now? Xia Zhe asked. In the village in Shi Ruis hometown. Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe had a discussion and decided to set off immediately to look for Sun Shao. They were sure that they would be able to make it back before dark. After more than two hours of traveling, the two of them arrived at Shidong Village. They went looking from house to house and finally found out the exact location of Sun Shaos house. Qiao Mei looked at the dilapidated courtyard door and broken fence and frowned slightly. She did not expect Sun Shao to be so poor that he was even worse off than the poorest family in Foshan Village. Is Sun Shao at home? Xia Zhe shouted into the courtyard. Sun Shao walked out of the woodshed with a bundle of firewood. He looked at Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei curiously and asked, Thats me. Why are you looking for me? We need to talk to you. I wonder if its convenient for us to come in? Qiao Mei said. Sun Shao looked at the two of them in puzzlement. Then, Sun Shao put down the firewood in his hand and brought them into the house. The house was also a little rundown, but at the very least, it provided good shelter and could be considered a proper home. The moment Qiao Mei entered the house, she noticed the big color television which looked very much out of place. With Sun Shaos financial situation, how could he afford such a good color television? If he had the money, it would make more sense to renovate the rundown house rather than buy an item as impractical as a television set. Chapter 2093: Being Cuckolded Chapter 2093: Being Cuckolded Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios My apologies, the house is quite messy. Please sit wherever you like, Sun Shao said. Sun Shao, were here today regarding a particular issue. As we dont have a lot of time, I will skip the small talk. Can I confirm that you know Shi Rui? Qiao Mei said. Sun Shaos expression changed. He did not expect these two people to be here because of Shi Rui. For a moment, he did not know how to answer this question. Ive already done an investigation on the two of you and I know everything. Im here to ask you, do you know that Shi Rui is pregnant? Qiao Mei asked. What! Shes pregnant! Sun Shao was pleasantly surprised to hear that. He had no idea about this at all. She didnt tell you about this? Qiao Mei asked. No, this is the first time Im hearing about it, Sun Shao said. Stop right there! You cant go in! Da Zhuang said as he rushed in front of Xu Ju. Why cant I go in! Im going to see a doctor! Move aside! Xu Ju said angrily. You know very well whether youre going in to see a doctor or not. You definitely wont be able to go in today! If you want to go in, youll have to win me in a fight! Da Zhuang said. Da Zhuang stood in front of Xu Ju, looking down on her like a big black bear. She would not be able to defeat Da Zhuang even if she could split herself into three people. He was clearly making things difficult for her. I know you! Youre the security officer from Qiao Meis house! It must be Qiao Mei who told you to do this! Xu Ju said. So what if it is and so what if its not! It has nothing to do with you! Da Zhuang glared at Xu Ju in disdain. He was clearly a bodyguard. When did he become a security officer at Qiao Meis house! What an insult to him! Xu Ju immediately sat on the ground and shouted, Such heartlessness! Theres no justice! Im bringing my niece to the hospital to see a doctor! But these people block us outside and refuse to let us in! If anything should happen to my niece, can you people bear the responsibility? Da Zhuang did not care about what Xu Ju said. As he blocked the entrance of the hospital, more and more people gathered around to watch the commotion. Some people even said they wanted to call the police on behalf of Xu Ju! If you want to call the police, just do it! Im more than happy for you to call the police! Da Zhuang said indifferently. Chapter 2094: Harbor Evil Intentions Chapter 2094: Harbor Evil Intentions Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xia Wen had already told the two bodyguards what to do in the worst case scenario. If Xu Ju insisted that she wanted to enter the hospital for treatment, then Da Zhuang should bring them to another hospital. No matter what, the two women could not be allowed to enter this hospital. Dont call the police! Hey, dont cause trouble! Why do you want to call the police! My niece is pregnant, so she cant go to the police station! Its such an unlucky thing! Xu Ju said as she stopped the people around her from doing it. If they went to the police station, all their plans would be exposed. At that time, not only would they not be able to get a part of the Xia familys assets, but their lives would also be ruined! The gains would not make up for the losses! If you dont have a guilty conscience, why dont you let them call the police? Qiao Mei finally arrived with Sun Shao. Along the way, Sun Shao still had some doubts about what Qiao Mei said. After all, he felt that Shi Rui was a good woman. The Shi Rui he knew would not do such a thing. Now that the truth was right in front of him, Sun Shao had no choice but to believe it. He went forward and grabbed Shi Ruis arm as he roared, Why are you here? Why havent you told me that you are pregnant! These words immediately gave the onlookers a shock. They had all thought that Shi Rui and Xu Ju must have an issue that was related to the Xia family. This was an outcome which no one expected. Heavens, can this man be the childs father? In the first college entrance examination, Xu Jiaos score was not high enough for her to go to any university. These few years, she kept re-attending classes and retaking the examinations, but she still could not get into university, not even the worst one. Xu Man, on the other hand, was quite a smart girl. She got into a good university and went to work overseas after graduation. She had completely cut off all contact with the Xu family and did not even send them a single cent. Xu Ju did not know where Xu Man was. She went to make a police report, but the search ended up unsuccessful. If not for Qiao Mei tricking Xu Ju into letting Xu Man go to school back then, Xu Man definitely would not have been able to escape from Xu Ju. There were endless household chores to do at home and she could not cope on her own. Xu Jiao was of no help at all and Xu Jus husband was a good-for-nothing. Xu Ju felt that she was at the lowest point of her life now. How can you blame me? Eldest Aunt, you harm yourself with your own decisions. Stay here and work this out among yourselves. Im going inside. Qiao Mei turned to look at Sun Shao and said, If you have any problems, you can come and look for me! Ill help you solve your problems! Sun Shao nodded in satisfaction. He grabbed Shi Ruis hand and wanted to leave the hospital and go home. He already thought of Shi Rui as his wife, so he definitely could not let Xu Ju be a bad influence on Shi Rui again. Xu Ju and Sun Shao got into a fight at the hospital entrance. It was said that Xu Jus arm was injured by Sun Shao and that Sun Shao was also covered in wounds from being scratched by Xu Ju. These people really got what they deserved. Its all my fault. If I hadnt indulged my sister and let her do whatever she wanted, such a thing wouldnt have happened. After Mo Zhu gives birth, Ill immediately go and cut ties with the Xu family and cut off all contact with them, Xu Lan said. Mother, this entire matter is not your fault. Eldest Aunt has always harbored evil intentions and theres nothing we can do to stop her. Dont put all the blame on yourself, Qiao Mei advised. Chapter 2095: Safe Delivery Chapter 2095: Safe Delivery Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Thats right. Moreover, our maternal grandmother is still staying with them. Mother, if you cut ties with them now, they definitely wont treat Grandmother well, Xia He said. Sigh Then what should we do Xu Lan stood by the window and said sadly. Her mother was her Achilles heel. For so many years, the Xu family had used her mothers well-being to threaten her into doing many things. Leave this matter to me, Qiao Mei said. Do you already have a good idea? Tell us! Xia He said excitedly. Qiao Mei shook her head and said, I cant think of any good solution for the time being. Let me think about it slowly. The most important thing now is for Mo Zhu to give birth safely. Everyone waited patiently in the hospital. Suddenly, Mo Zhu felt some pain in her stomach. Xia Wen was so worried that he quickly asked Xia Fang over to take a look. After doing a thorough examination, Xia Fang said, There are already signs of labor. Just bear with it for a little longer. We should be able to go to the delivery room in a few hours. The entire family was very excited. The day they were waiting for was finally here! Qiao Mei quickly brought a small bottle of 100-year-old ginseng juice to Mo Zhu and said, Eldest Sister-in-law, it will be a tough battle later. Dont be nervous. This is our familys ginseng juice. After drinking it, you will have enough strength to go through the process. What a good name, Qiao Mei said approvingly. By using the character for falcon in the childs name, Mo Chou hoped that this child would soar in the vast sky like one and not be bound by anything in the world. He also hoped that this child would always remain strong no matter what kind of situation he encountered. His nickname is Bun. During the pregnancy, Mo Zhu craved for buns all the time. At that time, we already said that we should give the child this nickname, Xia Wen said. The family chatted as they returned to the VIP ward. At this moment, Mo Zhu was still sleeping. The Xia family decided to take turns taking care of Mo Zhu. Xia Wen and Xia Zhe would stay over tonight. The rest of them would go home and have a good rest. Qiao Mei could finally have a good nights sleep. She had been busy with work at the factory for the past few days as there were a lot of documents that needed her signature. She also went to the mall with Qiane to buy many baby items for Mo Zhu. All of a sudden, she received the bad news that Xia He had gone missing! What do you mean? How can Xia He go missing? Qiao Mei asked anxiously over the phone. Ive been busy with the construction work lately, so I often work overtime. This morning, Xia He told me that she was going to a friends wedding banquet, but she hasnt come home yet. I have already gone to the banquet venue to look for her, but everyone said that they didnt know where she went, Deng Fan said anxiously. Dont be too anxious. Ill get someone to search for Xia He immediately. Lets split up to look for her. You should go and make a police report immediately! Qiao Mei said. Chapter 2096: Xia He Is Missing Chapter 2096: Xia He Is Missing Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xia He could hold her liquor very well. During the time they spent in Country M, she negotiated most of the deals on the farm. The people there were all very good drinkers and yet Xia He could easily drink two people under the table by herself. How could Xia He get overly drunk at such a small wedding banquet? Qiao Mei immediately drove to the banquet venue. There, she observed the surrounding area carefully. It was located in a dead end. If she wanted to go out, she could only go back the way she came, which was the road entrance on the left. There was a convenience store over there. Perhaps the owner of the convenience store had seen Xia He. She went to the convenience store and asked, Boss! Have you seen the woman in this photo and if so, where did you see her? Her? Let me try to recall The boss took the photo and tried to think back carefully. Suddenly, he thought of something and said, I remember her! Shes a very beautiful woman! Thats why I took more than a few glances at her. I think she had walked out of that door in a daze. Then she got into a small car and the male driver drove off. Qiao Mei was shocked. Xia He must have been drugged. How dare this person abduct Xia He so brazenly in broad daylight. Whoever it was had no respect for the Xia family! Qiane, get Chi Ze and the rest of the guys to surround this place. No one is allowed to leave. Then get Mao Hang to go to the police station to look for Zou Ming. Zou Ming will know what to do, Qiao Mei said with a dark expression. Qiao Mei immediately took off her coat and put it over Xia He. She said softly, Elder Sister, Im here Im here to save you Ill bring you out immediately! Xia He was already more awake by now. She could open her eyes, but she could not speak. The moment she saw Qiao Mei, all the grievances in her heart overwhelmed her and her tears flowed uncontrollably. Qiao Meis heart ached even more when she saw Xia He like this. Xia He was usually such a proud person. How could she stand Song Dan doing such a thing to her! Song Dan was such a beast! Even with the downfall of the Du family and the decline of the Huang family, he still dared to do such an outrageous thing! Qiao Mei would not let him off and would definitely make him pay a bloody price for what he did! Qiao Mei covered Xia Hes eyes and took a closer look to see if there were any injuries on Xia Hes body. Fortunately, only her clothes were torn. Before Song Dan could succeed in doing anything, Da Zhuang and the rest had already stopped him. There were many people standing in the corridor by now. If they went out like this, those people would definitely gossip about them! Qiao Mei looked into Xia Hes eyes and said, Elder Sister, Im going to feed you some medicine. You will feel a little bit of pain, but dont worry, it wont endanger your life. Then Ill take you away from here, is that alright? Xia He blinked forcefully. She believed that Qiao Mei would not harm her and she just wanted to leave this place as soon as possible. Qiao Mei fed Xia He a bottle of black liquid. This was poison that she had developed. Ever since she discovered that she could extract ginseng juice, she had been doing experiments on other herbs. She had already successfully developed six types of poisons and the corresponding antidotes. Chapter 2097: Poisoned Chapter 2097: Poisoned Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios She only allowed Xia Zhe to use these poisons as he faced a lot of danger in Country M. She was worried about him being in Sky City alone, so she applied poison on the daggers she gave him. He only needed to nick his opponent and make a small cut and the poison would spread through the persons body. The poison that Qiao Mei fed Xia He was named Paralysis Powder. After one drank it, one would feel as if one had been fatally poisoned. Even the doctors would not be able to find a cure for it. However, this was all just an illusion. After drinking the antidote, one would be fine and there would be no harm done to ones health at all. Help! Call an ambulance! Someone has been poisoned! Help! Qiao Mei shouted towards the door. Da Zhuangs subordinates rushed into the room. When they saw that Xia Hes face was ashen and her lips were purple, it was obvious to them that she had been poisoned! They hurriedly picked her up and ran downstairs, worried that she would die if there was any delay. When Qiao Mei reached the corridor, she glared at Song Dan and pointed at him as she said, You poisoned my elder sister! You wanted to kill her! Our family will remember this debt! If anything should happen to my elder sister! I wont let you off! What poison? Before Song Dan could finish speaking, Qiao Mei kicked Song Dan in the lower part of his body, causing him to roll around on the floor in pain and be unable to speak. Xi Xi! We really didnt do it on purpose. Its Song Dan who asked us to do this! Its all Song Dans fault! Were really innocent! Xi Xi! I still have a daughter! I still have a husband! You know my familys situation. I cant go to jail! Please save me! Please save me! Mao Lu shouted. Luo Xi looked at Zou Ming expressionlessly and said, Officer, please remove the two of them. My wedding banquet isnt over yet. The other guests are still eating. Sure thing. So sorry to disturb you. This is Miss Qiaos wedding gift to you. I hope you can accept it. Zou Ming took out a thick red packet and a big smile bloomed on Luo Xis face. It looked like there was at least 2,000 dollars inside. She did not expect this Xia family member to be so generous. Although it was not the Xia familys fault that this incident happened today, Qiao Mei felt a little apologetic that the grudge between the Xia family and Song Dan had caused Luo Xi to get involved. She wanted to give Luo Xi some compensation for the trouble. When they reached the hospital, Xia Zhe and Xia Wen got wind of what happened. They hid the news from Mo Zhu and rushed downstairs to visit Xia He. Both Xia Wen and Xia Zhe stood in front of the bed with ashen expressions. Eldest Brother, Hubby, why have you come downstairs? Qiao Mei asked as she walked in. I heard the nurses talking about it. Initially, I thought that its someone with the same name. I didnt expect it to really be Xia He. What exactly is going on? Xia Wen asked with a frown. He only had this one and only younger sister. He had just heard from the doctor that they could not find an antidote for the poison. Should anything happen to Xia He, he would avenge her even if he had to commit murder! Chapter 2098: Murder Case Chapter 2098: Murder Case Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xia Zhe was much calmer. He had participated in all of Qiao Meis experiments on the poisons and knew the effect and impact of each poison like the back of his hand. It was obvious to him that it was Qiao Mei who had poisoned Xia He. However, Qiao Mei definitely must have her reasons for doing this. Xia Zhe just stood quietly at the side and waited for Qiao Mei to tell them the truth. After everyone else had left the room, Qiao Mei quickly fed Xia He the antidote and told Liu Yang to replace Xia Hes attending doctor with someone who was on their side. News of her condition must not be leaked out. When I arrived, Da Zhuang had already subdued Song Dan. However, Im not sure what Song Dan had done before that. We will only know after Elder Sister wakes up. I havent informed Deng Fan about this yet. We can tell him after we figure out what happened, Qiao Mei said cautiously. Everyone understood Qiao Meis concerns. Xia Wen went back to take care of Mo Zhu for the time being. Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei stayed behind to keep an eye on Xia He and she finally slowly regained consciousness two hours later. Elder Sister, youre awake! Qiao Mei said happily. Im sorry. I have let my guard down and caused you trouble, Xia He said, feeling sad. Its not your fault. If you want to blame someone, you should blame those people for having such ulterior motives! Elder Sister, can you still remember what happened? Qiao Mei asked. Theres no need to thank me. Were all family. Theres no need for us to thank one another for no reason, Qiao Mei said. After knowing what transpired, Qiao Mei instructed Zou Ming to lock up Song Dan and the other two people. No one was allowed to visit them and he had to wait for them to make a decision. At that time, when Song Dan and Da Zhuang got into a brawl, Song Dan was only wearing his underwear and everyone there saw it. Later on, even after everyone knew that Xia He had been poisoned, there were still some people who gossiped about her. Xia Hes reputation was still affected, so it was definitely impossible for the Xia family to settle this matter quietly. The first thing Qiao Mei did was to make a big fuss about the poisoning attempt and declare publicly that Song Dan wanted to take Xia Hes life. She wanted this matter to be dealt with as a case of attempted murder and not let it develop into a case of attempted rape. The medical report from the hospital and the people at the scene were clear proof that Xia He had been poisoned. These were witnesses and physical evidence that was favorable for them. Even if Song Dan wanted to deny it, there was nothing he could do. Im guessing that theres someone powerful behind Song Dan. Those drugs are definitely not something he can buy on his own. He must have gotten them from someone else. Otherwise, with Song Dans character, he would have found a place to hide them long ago, Xia He said. Who is Song Dan close to? The Du family? Can it be Du Huai? Qiao Mei asked. When the Du family members were arrested, only Du Huai remained at large. Du Huai had made a lot of contributions to the arrest of the Du family members. At that time, Zou Ming and the others did not manage to find any concrete evidence against Du Huai. They did not expect Song Dan to be able to contact him. Chapter 2099: I Am Getting Married Chapter 2099: I Am Getting Married Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Thats about right. We have to deal with this matter as soon as possible. My guess is that Du Huai is still in the country. If he goes overseas with the dirty money, we wont be able to catch him, Xia He said. Dont worry, Ill get Xia Zhe to settle the matter over there as soon as possible, Qiao Mei said. Dont tell Eldest Sister-in-law about this. Shes weak now and cant be agitated. Uncle Mo is already very annoyed with Eldest Brother. Im worried that Eldest Brother will get scolded again if he needs to come and handle my issues, Xia He said. Qiao Mei went forward and held Xia Hes hand, saying, Dont worry, leave these things to me. You just rest well in the hospital. At this moment, she really wanted to become someone who had connections in the entire capital. In the past, she only wanted to work hard, cultivate her flowers and plants, educate the children well and live a leisurely life every day. However, the more possessions she had, the more responsibilities she had to bear. She did not want to continue having to rely on the Xia family. It looked like she must work harder to have her own connections as soon as possible. Only then could she share the burden in the family and also be able to protect the children well. With Xia Fang taking care of Xia He in the hospital, Qiao Mei went home and told Xia Lan and Xia Mao about Xia Hes situation. She had originally wanted to hide it from them, but now that news of this matter had spread like wildfire in the city, she could not hide it even if she wanted to! I I really have something to tell you. Qiane sat up in embarrassment and said shyly, I think Im getting married. Qiao Mei was already feeling sleepy but she immediately became wide awake when she heard that. She quickly sat up and stared at Qiane as she asked, When did this happen? Why dont I know anything about it? Why are you only telling me now! Which man is so lucky to be able to catch your eye? Its no one special. Its just Han Chen from Han Corporation, Qiane said softly. Who? Han Chen! Why would you fall for him? Qiao Mei looked at Qiane in shock. Han Chen could be considered a well-known rich young master in the capital. There had never been any rumors about him and he had never dated any woman. However, he was quite eccentric and many people could not stand his bad temper. Even Qiane did not have a good impression of him when she first met him. Furthermore, the Han family imposed a strict upbringing on their offspring and Han Chens mother was very particular about family status. Han Chens mother did not even find those daughters from the prominent families acceptable to become her daughter-in-law, so how could Qiane marry into the Han family smoothly? Qiao Mei was only just feeling more settled after everything that happened but not anymore. It seemed that misfortune would never come singly. She looked at Qiane and asked, Has Han Chen proposed to you? Yes, but I havent decided if I should say yes. His mother doesnt like me, Qiane said, with a feeling of inferiority. Chapter 2100: Deal with Han Chen’s Mother Chapter 2100: Deal with Han Chens Mother Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In the past two years, Han Chen was very nice to Qiane. Whenever Qiane ran into issues she could not solve at the factory, Han Chen would teach her patiently. Although Han Chen always said that he found her troublesome at first, Qiane slowly realized how much time and effort he spent on her. After testing him countless times and observing him for a period of time, Qiane finally believed that Han Chen was really very fond of her. You have to consider this matter carefully. You cant get too hot-headed and make a decision that you will regret for the rest of your life, Qiao Mei said seriously. Ive thought about it carefully. Before I came to look for you, Ive thought about it countless times. Im sure that I want to marry Han Chen. He also told me firmly that he wants to marry me. Otherwise, he wont get married in this lifetime. He even gave me 10% of the shares of the Han Corporation out of his own share of the company. When his mother found out about this, she had a big fight with him, Qiane said. The corners of Qiao Meis mouth twitched a few times. That was 10% of the shares of the Han Corporation! Han Chens parents had built the Han Corporation from scratch. They held 42% of the shares while Han Chen had 18%. Now that he had given more than half his shares to Qiane for free, they must be very angry to hear that. Those shares were worth nearly 10 million dollars! He has really gone all out in order to give you reassurance, Qiao Mei said, feeling impressed. Thats why Im willing to give it a shot. However, I always feel inferior because of what happened in the past. I dont think Im worthy of him, Qiane said dejectedly with her head lowered. Yo?ur favorite stories at novelhall.com Qiao Mei told Xu Kang to ask Han Chen to come in. Han Chen was a little surprised to see Qiao Mei. He did not know that she was back. He only focused on Qiane and the Han Corporation and did not care about anything else, so he naturally did not know that Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe had returned to the country. Young Master Han, you have kidnapped our Qiane. I think I should get an explanation for this, Qiao Mei sat on the master seat and said unhappily. Han Chen quickly took out a long jewelry box from his pocket and placed it gently beside Qiao Meis hand as he said, I just know that you will say such things to me. Take a look if this catches your fancy. Qiao Mei opened the jewelry box expectantly. There was an antique emerald necklace inside and the gemstones were dazzling. One look and she could tell that it was an auction-grade item that cost at least hundreds of thousands of dollars. Young Master Han is so generous. It looks like youre really in love with our Qiane, Qiao Mei said. Of course I am. And Im very sincere too. Since Im here today, Id like to discuss with you about how to deal with my mother, Han Chen said helplessly. Deal with your mother? Your mother is famous in the capital for having high standards and a bad temper. I dont have the guts to provoke your mother, so please spare me, Qiao Mei said. It takes a thief to catch a thief. Youre the only person I can think of, Han Chen said as he sat down beside Qiane. Chapter 2101: Settle It Yourself Chapter 2101: Settle It Yourself Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The corners of Qiao Meis mouth twitched slightly. She did not know if Han Chen was praising her or mocking her with that statement. Given that this issue was about Qiane getting married, she could not take it lightly. If you cant even deal with your own mother, then what happens if our Qiane marries into your family and gets bullied in the future? Do I also have to step in to settle the issue? Qiao Mei questioned. This was something that Han Chen had never thought about. He simply imagined that after he got married, he would move out and start his own family. This way, Qiane would not have to face his mother often. Although the Xia family doesnt really organize or attend gatherings or business banquets, Ive heard of your mothers style. Every two months, she will invite all the rich ladies from the capital and the surrounding areas to her house for a gathering. After Qiane marries you, she will definitely have to attend these gatherings. Can you be by her side 24 hours a day? You also have to return home during the new year and festive seasons. The Han family only has one son for each of the last three generations, but the family lineage will end with you. Dont tell me that the culprit of this crime will end up to be our Qiane? Dont you think that you should not be trying to avoid the problem? Or should we say, isnt it inappropriate for you to ask me to help you deal with these things? Qiao Mei hit the nail on the head with just a few sentences. Han Chen was quite close to his family. From when he was young, his mother had raised him with a strict upbringing and he had never dared to go against his parents. However, he also loved Qiane and he was now caught in the middle, so he wanted to find an intermediary to help him. He did not expect Qiao Mei to lay out the issue so bluntly and clearly for him. You wont blame me, right? Qiao Mei looked at Qiane and asked softly. Blame you for what? Qiane looked up and asked in confusion. Blame me for making things difficult for Han Chen, or for chasing him away, or for pulling the brakes on this matter, Qiao Mei said honestly. Im not a fool. I know youre doing this for my own good. Besides, all those things you said have never crossed my mind. You are the one who has sounded the alarm to make me think about these things more carefully, Qiane said gratefully. Qiao Mei relaxed and smiled as she said, So long as you dont blame me. Actually, I said all those things to see if Han Chen is willing to give up everything to stand by your side. Although Han Chen headed the Han Corporation now, it was still his parents who built up the business. If Han Chen was determined to choose Qiane, Han Chens parents would definitely take away everything that Han Chen had. At that time, could Han Chen still be so determined to choose Qiane? Qiane and Qiao Mei had a heart-to-heart talk. At the end, Qiao Mei was relieved to know that Qiane remained clear-headed. How the matter progressed would depend on what Han Chen did next. Qiao Mei looked at the date and felt that the vegetables grown in the greenhouses in the suburbs should be ready for harvesting by now. She drove to the suburban industrial area to take a look. This was the biological companys first project and she must ensure that it is a success and make a name for herself with it. As Qiao Mei could not always be around to keep an eye on things, Xia Mao had introduced Qiao Mei to an acquaintance of his who could help her take care of things. This persons name was Sun Tian and he used to work in the army cookhouse. At that time, the army faced a serious shortage of vegetables and meat and there was not enough food for the soldiers. Chapter 2102: New Business Chapter 2102: New Business Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Sun Tian led his colleagues from the cookhouse to clear out a piece of land at the back of the mountain so as to grow vegetables and raise livestock. Half a year later, there was enough food for everyone in the troops! Not long after that, Sun Tian reached the armys retirement age and returned to his hometown. However, his wife fell seriously ill and was bedridden and he needed a lot of money for her treatment. Xia Mao felt that Sun Tian could take up a position at Qiao Meis company. It would allow Sun Tian to do what he did best and also alleviate the difficult situation that his family was in. Auntie Sun, why are you sitting here by yourself? Wheres Uncle Sun? Why dont I see him? Qiao Mei walked into the courtyard with bags of stuff and asked Auntie Sun. Sun Tians hometown was very far from the capital. In order to make it easier for him, Qiao Mei had renovated the small house onsite so that his family could live there. Mei Mei, youre here! Its good enough that youre here, why do you bring so many things with you! I have nothing to do, so Im just sitting at the door to look at the scenery. Your Uncle Sun is working inside the greenhouse! Auntie Sun said as she stood up with some difficulty. This was a particularly important point for Qiao Mei since the prices of her vegetables and fruits were many times higher than the market price. In the event that someone decided to take advantage of this loophole, she would not have any recourse at all, so she must nip this issue in the bud. Uncle Sun, we can still sell the goods at the price we agreed on previously, but they have to pay cash when they come to collect the goods. If they make things difficult for you, just say that its my instruction and they wont be able to rebut. Our vegetables also need to be classified into different grades. The different grades will be priced differently and will only be available to specific buyers, Qiao Mei said earnestly. Grades? Why do vegetables need to be classified into different grades? Sun Tian asked curiously. This was the first time he had heard of such a thing. The varieties we grow are specially cultivated to be sold overseas. These are all top-quality vegetables, so of course we have to price them differently. Since we are doing this on a small scale, it means theres a limited supply. As you know, that which is rare is dear, Qiao Mei explained. The cabbages sold in the market cost 5 cents a pound but the cabbages at Qiao Meis place cost 30 cents a pound. Given that the price is six times higher, it would definitely make the consumers feel uncomfortable, so they had to give the consumers a reasonable explanation. Moreover, the quality and nutritional level of the vegetables sold at Qiao Meis place were much better than those sold in the market. In another two years, there would be a surge in the number of well-to-do families in the capital. When one was poor, one just wanted to have enough to eat and clothes to wear. Once one had money, one would start to pursue quality. Qiao Mei believed that her vegetables would become very popular in less than half a year. Not only would the government and schools come to buy her vegetables, but many well-to-do families would also want to order vegetables from her. Qiao Mei had already made plans to ask Lu Huai to expand his business and buy several vans to do delivery around the capital. As long as the buyer bought a certain amount of vegetables from Qiao Meis place, they would deliver the order to the buyers doorstep!Yo?ur favorite stories at novelhall.com Chapter 2103: New Seed Variants Chapter 2103: New Seed Variants Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Sure! Well do as you say! When the time comes, Ill work with Lu Huai with regard to the delivery! Sun Tian said with a smile. Then Ill leave everything here to you. Whenever you receive payment for the goods, you can pass the money to the factory. The accountant there will pay you your salary on time. Its almost the new year. If you have time, make a trip to the factory. There are many goodies which you can collect but you need to come and sign off. Everyone in your family has a share, Qiao Mei said. Really! Thank you so much! Mei Mei, youve already helped us so much. How can we still accept things from you? Auntie Sun said embarrassedly. She was not in good health and it was the other family members who put in the hard work. How could she also accept a salary and new year goodies? Auntie, you can see yourself as the guardian of this place! Youre protecting my place! Youre a stabilizing factor here! How can you not be considered my employee? Qiao Mei said. Its a token from the child. If you still reject it, youre not showing any respect for Mei Mei, Sun Tian quickly chimed in. Alright, then Ill accept it. You must come to my house for a meal during the holidays! Auntie Sun said. Some time ago, Liu Fen had given Xia Wen a call. Her fourth son, Xia Yuan, had just graduated from university this year and he was worried about not being able to find a suitable job. Xia Yuan was not fit enough to be a soldier, but his results were quite good. He was suitable for government services but just lacked the right opportunity. Xia Wen told Xia Yuan about when the next recruitment examination would be held as well as the scope of the examination topics. The rest was up to Xia Yuan. After preparing for one month, Xia Yuan was not only accepted to work in Xia Wens office, but also got first place in the written examination and interview! He was now reporting to one of Xia Wens colleagues. As everyone there knew about the relationship between Xia Yuan and Xia Wen, the two of them kept a distance from each other and would not contact each other unless it was because of work. After Qiao Mei sent the fruits to Xia Wen, she went to visit Xia Yuan with some strawberries. Outside Xia Yuans office, she saw a woman wearing a low-cut dress leaning against Xia Yuans chair. The entire setup looked very suggestive. Xia Yuan looked awkward as he sat in his chair. The wall was on his left and the woman was on his right, so there was nowhere for him to hide. He had only just started work in this office. If he became involved in a scandal, his future would be ruined. Kid, Im here to visit you. Qiao Mei walked into the room openly with a basket of strawberries. The woman looked at Qiao Mei unhappily. She did not seem to feel embarrassed at being caught in the act. Instead, she looked up smugly at Qiao Mei and said softly, Where did this village girl come from? Did the security officer at the main door let you in just like that? Chapter 2104: Troublesome Woman Chapter 2104: Troublesome Woman Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xia Yuan frowned and said, Shes one of my in-laws. So what if shes your in-law? Isnt your sister-in-law just taking care of the children at home like a nanny? the woman said disdainfully. Yun Lan originally had her own career, but after she got pregnant, her health was not as good as before. She had been recuperating at home during this period of time and the baby was taken care of by a nanny. Hello, this is our first time meeting each other. My name is Qiao Mei, Qiao Mei said confidently as she stood at the door. Qiao Mei? You youre actually that Qiao Mei! Youre not Yun Lan! the woman said in surprise. Although Qiao Mei was not as famous as the Xia family members, anyone who had studied in the capital would have heard of her. Now that Qiao Mei had returned from studying abroad and started a biological company, which person was not envious of her? Qiao Mei walked into the room and sat down on the sofa. The woman stared at Qiao Mei for a long time before picking up the documents on the table and leaving with her head held high. Xia Yuan sighed for a long time. Where does this goddess come from? Why do you have so much luck with women when you only just joined? Qiao Mei asked curiously. Third Cousin-in-law, dont tease me. This woman has a grand background. Even if Eldest Cousin wants to help me, he wont be able to do anything about it. Speaking of which, her story is similar to yours, Xia Yuan said helplessly. Are you sure you dont like her? Qiao Mei asked. Really! I swear! I will never be with her! Besides Besides, I already have someone I like Xia Yuan said shyly. When did this happen! Does Second Aunt-in-law know? Which family is she from? Qiao Mei asked excitedly. Shes a classmate of mine from university. She works at the bank now and we havent confirmed our relationship yet, Xia Yuan whispered. If you really like her, then quickly get together with her and woo her openly. As for this woman here let me help you think of a way, Qiao Mei said. The truth was that Qiao Mei actually had no issues with this womans methods. After all, she had done even more to Xia Zhe back then! However, the matter between her and Xia Zhe was done behind closed doors and only the two of them knew about it. At that time, Qiao Mei had no intention of coercing Xia Zhe at all. However, this woman purposely left the door open and behaved intimately towards Xia Yuan in full view of everyone. Many people in the office had already started to gossip about the two of them. There were even some people who thought that the two of them were already dating. Thank you, Third Cousin-in-law! Xia Yuan said happily. Alright, you work hard. Remember to bring Second Aunt-in-law and the rest for dinner at my place when youre free. After saying that, Qiao Mei drove home. Before she left, she also gave the security guard at the main door a watermelon. She wanted to leave an impression so that he would open the door for her the next time she came. Chapter 2105: Solid Gold Lock Chapter 2105: Solid Gold Lock Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The fact that Xia Yuan had met someone he liked was not a secret that needed to be kept. Within the Xia family, only the families of the eldest and second sons maintained the same close relationship as before. In these two branch families, only Xia Yuan was not married yet. Liu Fen was very anxious to find a suitable partner for Xia Yuan and she only stopped short of issuing him an ultimatum to get married this year. Mother! Im back! Second Aunt-in-law, youre also here! I just met Xia Yuan and Eldest Brother at their workplace and mentioned you in our conversation. I had been wondering when you would be free to come to my house. I certainly dont expect to run into you here. It looks like Second Aunt-in-law and I are in sync with each other! Qiao Mei said with a smile. Isnt that so! Im here to take a look at the three children. During this period of time, Ive been taking care of Yun Lan at home! My in-laws are here to visit her these two days, so I have time to come by to see you guys! Liu Fen said happily. Its such a happy occasion for you at home. Second Aunt-in-law, your face has become so much more rosy. Are you happy to play with your eldest grandson? Qiao Mei asked. Liu Fen said joyously, Of course Im happy! How can I not be! I cant bear to let go of the baby! However, our Xia Yu said that we must be systematic when taking care of a baby! That we must do everything based on science! That all my methods are outdated! They prefer to follow those methods written in the books when it comes to taking care of the baby! Qiao Mei was a little surprised. She did not expect Xia Yu and Yun Lan to be so forward-thinking and knew that they should read up. In fact, the methods used by the older generation to take care of children were not completely useless, but there were some bad habits and hygiene issues that needed to be changed. What what do you mean by that? Does Xia Yuan have someone he likes? Liu Fen asked. He didnt tell me in detail, but theres indeed a girl whom he likes and shes apparently quite a nice person. However, theres also a woman in his office who keeps pestering him. I hear that her family knows Grandfather in the past. Xia Yuan has been feeling a little vexed about how to deal with it, Qiao Mei said. Oh! I know! I dont like that girl at all! I just dare not say such things in front of Father. She likes to dress in a fanciful manner and she isnt elegant at all. I cant believe that such a person is actually from a wealthy family! People will believe it even if you say that shes a country bumpkin! Liu Fen said disdainfully. At the mention of country bumpkin, everyone turned to look at Qiao Mei in unison. After all, the few of them were all from prominent families in the city except for Qiao Mei, who had come from the countryside. Liu Fen had said it out without thinking and did not do it on purpose. Im sorry, Qiao Mei! I dont mean it that way! Liu Fen quickly explained. I know. Were just talking about that girl! Qiao Mei said nonchalantly. Why dont you talk to Grandfather and get the older generation to cancel the marriage arrangement? Back then, my younger brother and Qiao Mei only got married because they fell in love. You can lead a horse to water but you cant force it to drink. If we discuss it with that family and give them a good reason, they will understand where we are coming from, Xia He said. Chapter 2106: Finalize the Wedding Plans Chapter 2106: Finalize the Wedding Plans Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei lowered her head and pursed her lips as she smiled. Xia Zhe and her did not just fall in love. They had many secrets that they could not tell anyone! If it was not for the original owner of the body who went to extreme measures back then, the woman next to Xia Zhe next would most likely not be her. You know your grandfathers bad temper! He cares about his reputation the most! Back then, he already agreed for the two families to be related by marriage. If our family says that we dont like their daughter, that family will kick up a fuss! Liu Fen said helplessly. I met that girl today. It looks like she likes Xia Yuan very much and definitely will not back down, Qiao Mei said. Then what should we do? We cant let Xia Yuan marry her! Xia He said agitatedly. Qiao Mei looked down and pondered for a moment before saying, Lets ask Xia Yuan to come over and ask him if the girl he likes also wants to be with him. If she does, then lets propose marriage to her family first! We can always talk about the wedding later! Thats true! Qiao Meis idea is a good one! But but your second uncle is on a work trip now. I cant be the one to go and propose the idea of marriage to them. Otherwise, the girls family will think that we dont respect them enough, Liu Fen said. Oh my! Are you serious! Are you lying to me! Xu Lan asked excitedly as she looked at Xia Hes stomach. Even Qiao Mei was very shocked. She had been busy with the company issues recently and had not paid much attention to Xia He. Qiao Mei hurriedly reached out and touched Xia Hes stomach gently. The butterfly mark on her chest started to feel warm. She could vaguely feel that there was indeed a small fetus inside Xia He. Its true! Aunt checked it personally! Xia He said. Good things really come in pairs! Liu Fen, you have to finalize Xia Yuans marriage quickly! Who knows, Xia Yuans child might end up being born at around the same time as this baby! Xu Lan said happily. Shoo, shoo, shoo! Dont get me started. Im not as lucky as you. Im satisfied as long as Xia Yuan can get married before the end of next year! Liu Fen said. Second Aunt-in-law, why do you say that? You have plenty of good luck too. Recently, Lu Huais company is expanding very fast. I intend to let him take charge of the business in Shen City. Xia Yu is also looking into doing business with Lu Huai. Everyones life is getting more and more prosperous! Qiao Mei said. Its all thanks to you, Qiao Mei. If not for you, my family will still be living an ordinary life and we might not even be able to live together in the capital. Lu Huai and Xia Yu have benefited from your presence! Liu Fen said. Its not all my efforts. Lu Huai and Xia Yu are both capable people and they just lack an opportunity to shine. All I did was to provide them with the opportunity. They work hard and achieve everything else themselves, Qiao Mei said. Chapter 2107: Break off the Wedding Arrangement Chapter 2107: Break off the Wedding Arrangement Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Not long after, everyone got off work and came back. After dinner, the entire family gathered in the living room to discuss the issue of Xia Yuans marriage. They all looked at Xia Yuan curiously. Everyone was very concerned about the fact that he already met a girl he liked. Actually, the two of us havent even talked about marriage yet. Her name is Zhou Xi and shes my university classmate. She works in a bank now and she comes from an ordinary family. Her parents are both bank employees, Xia Yuan said softly. Thats not too bad. The most important thing is that you like her. Have you confessed your feelings for her? When are you going to bring her back for us to take a look? Lets quickly settle the wedding arrangements! Its best if you can get married within the next three months! Xia You said happily. Stop it! Your younger brother hasnt even said anything yet! Lu Huai said helplessly as he held on to the excited Xia You. Cant you tell how anxious I am? Its such a rare thing to hear that Xia Yuan has met someone he likes. Im really too excited! Ive always wanted Xia Yuan to get married and have children as soon as possible! Xia You said. Son, if you really like her a lot, then think about whether you want to marry her. We can propose marriage to her family first. As for the wedding ceremony, we can talk about it later. Weve all heard about what happened at your workplace. This is the fastest and best solution for the problem at the moment, Liu Fen said. Grandpa! How can you agree to the Xia familys request! Everyone knows about Xia Yuan and I! Now that the Xia family does not want to go ahead with the marriage, how am I supposed to face people outside! How can I continue to stay in the capital! Luo Zhen said angrily. The Xia family has said that its all their fault. You can just do whatever you want in the future. There are so many nice boys in the world. Why are you so insistent on entering the Xia family? Old Master Luo said. In fact, Old Master Luo did not want to have a marriage alliance with the Xia family at all. The Xia family was doing extremely well and many people wanted to become related to the Xia family somehow, but not him. He could remember when Qiao Qiang and Liang Shu got married. No family in the capital could match up with the Liang family then, but everyone knew how that marriage ended up. The more powerful the Xia family was, the more dangerous it would be to be part of the family. The Luo family had always tried their best not to participate in all these tussles and just live their own lives well. Grandpa! You were the one who agreed to the marriage arrangement back then! How can you do this to me now! Luo Zhen roared. How can you talk to Grandpa in this manner! Youre the one who cant get Xia Yuan to like you, so dont vent your anger on us, Luo Zhens elder sister, Luo Zhu, said disdainfully. Youve married well, so of course you dont feel anything! You didnt look like this when you just married into the Zhong family! Luo Zhen said angrily. Im your biological elder sister! Dont ruin our harmony because of a man! Luo Zhu said.Fiind updated novels at novelhall.com Chapter 2108: A Make-up Wedding Ceremony Chapter 2108: A Make-up Wedding Ceremony Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios If the two of you want to argue, go outside! Stop arguing in front of me! Youre giving me a headache! Old Master Luo said irritably.Fo?ll0w current novE?ls on n/o/(v)/3l/b((in).(co/m) Luo Zhu picked up her bag and walked towards the door. As she walked, she turned around and smiled at Luo Zhen teasingly, saying, If you really want to get married this year, Ill ask your brother-in-law to find you a groom from among his staff. Although they may not be as good as Xia Yuan, their families might not be inferior to the Xia family. Get lost! I dont need your fake charity! Luo Zhen said disdainfully. Xia Yuans issue finally came to an end. Then, unexpected to everyone, Xia You and Lu Huai decided that they wanted to hold something symbolic. Back then, they had gotten married within the three-year period after Wu Mins death. It was still the mourning period, so they could not have a grand ceremony. Since then, Xia You had often wondered if she should organize a make-up wedding banquet. Most other women would usually have a wedding banquet when they got married and she always felt upset about not having one. Now that her familys financial situation was getting better and there was no need to keep a low profile about such events anymore, she decided that she wanted to have a make-up wedding ceremony! What do you mean! How long have the two of you been married already? Wont it be a joke if you hold a wedding ceremony now? Just wait until you get pregnant and then do a grand celebration for the babys one-month-old celebration, Liu Fen said in puzzlement. How is that the same! Why do you only care about the baby and not me! Xia You said angrily. When did this happen? I really dont know, Qiao Mei said as she looked at Xia You in shock. In the second year after Qiao Mei went to Country M, Zhou Hua moved back into Xia Guangs house. Xia Xing currently already had his own family and was doing alright. The couples remaining two sons were serving out their sentences in prison. The Zhou family had fallen on hard times following their involvement in the abduction of Qiao Meis children. After Zhou Hua left the Xia family, she had not been doing well. She could barely even survive. After she constantly acted pitiful in front of Xia Guang, he had no choice but to agree to let her stay in his house. Its not like you dont know Third Uncles temperament. Hes so soft-hearted! Zhou Hua is showing off everywhere nowadays and she cant wait for the entire world to know that shes back living in Third Uncles house. If I invite Third Uncle, shell definitely come as well! Xia You said unhappily. But if we dont invite Third Uncle, we we wont be able to justify it, Qiao Mei said awkwardly. Dont worry! When the time comes, Ill keep an eye on her! She definitely wont dare to cause any trouble! Xia He patted her chest and promised Xia You. Seeing that everyone was so protective of her, Xia You decided to invite Third Uncle and his family. She would deal with whatever came her way and resolve it when the time came! It was useless to think about it now! Very soon, it was the day of the ceremony. Lu Huais new house was not far from Xia Hes house and all the neighbors in the alley came to offer their congratulations. Chapter 2109: Suffer a Devastating Ordeal Chapter 2109: Suffer a Devastating Ordeal Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Congratulations, congratulations! Youre celebrating three joyous occasions at one go! Stacking good things on top of one another! When do you intend to have a plump little baby! Then your family will be able to celebrate four joyous occasions! Xia You is so beautiful. The Lu familys ancestors have definitely accumulated good karma! As everyone came in, they congratulated the couple. Xia You and Lu Huai had blissful smiles on their faces. As expected, Xia Guang brought Zhou Hua to Xia Yous wedding banquet. Xia Yous expression dampened slightly, but in front of outsiders, she still invited Zhou Hua to sit down among the female guests. The guests at the wedding banquet were separated and seated by gender. The men usually drank and talked shop while the women chatted and gossiped about family matters. If all the guests were seated together, they would not be able to enjoy themselves to the fullest. By separating the men and the women, all the guests would be able to have a good time. This was actually Qiao Meis idea. Zhou Hua was not shy at all and took a seat at the main table. Xu Lan and Liu Fen did not look too happy. However, today was Xia Yous big day and it would not look good if the Xia family members kicked up a fuss, so they just endured it. Long time no see! Zhou Hua said smugly. Yes, its indeed been a long time, the other women at the same table replied politely. Xu Lan and Liu Fen acted as if they did not see Zhou Hua and lowered their heads to chat with each other. Dont talk nonsense! Theres nothing wrong with me! Xia He said agitatedly. Nothing happened to my daughter. Are you drunk? Xu Lan said furiously. I havent even started drinking yet! Zhou Hua said. All of a sudden, everyone started looking at Xia He differently as they whispered among themselves. Xia He ran back towards the room and bumped into Qiao Mei, who was walking out of the bedroom. Whats going on? Qiao Mei asked as she looked at Xia He in confusion. Xia He recounted what happened to Qiao Mei and Qiao Mei immediately became very angry. However, there was a wedding banquet going on and she could not go head-on with Zhou Hua. If she wanted to deal with Zhou Hua, she would need to do something unorthodox. Qiao Mei patted Xia Hes shoulder and said, Leave this to me. Dont cry, Ill take care of it. Yes please! Im really too ashamed to face anyone now! Xia He said aggrievedly. Qiao Mei put a small pill into the liquor. This pill was her latest invention and she had not tested it yet! Today, she would let Zhou Hua have a taste of her new medicine! The guests on the other side have already started eating! Lets drink! Lets eat! Liu Fen went around filling everyones glasses, but when it was Zhou Huas turn, the liquor bottle was already empty. Come, let me pour for Auntie Zhou! Qiao Mei walked up with a smile. Chapter 2110: Mess up the Banquet Chapter 2110: Mess up the Banquet Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In the past, Qiao Mei would not even look at Zhou Hua in the face when they saw each other at the Xia familys gatherings. Ever since Qiao Mei exposed Zhou Hua for taking He Nings money in secret, Zhou Hua had hated Qiao Mei. She and Qiao Mei were like fire and water. She even felt that Qiao Mei was the main reason why Xia Guang had divorced her. Now that Qiao Mei was personally pouring liquor for her, she felt that she still maintained the status of an elder in the Xia family. This made her feel very proud. Fill the glass! Fill it up! Today is Xia Yous wedding day! Im feeling happy! We must all drink more! Zhou Hua said. Both Xu Lan and Liu Fen ignored Zhou Hua. Seeing that the two women did not show any reaction, no one else there dared to engage with Zhou Hua, worried that they would offend the Xia family. Zhou Hua did not care whether anyone responded to her or not. In any case, she was feeling happy enough today! Soon, the waiters whom Qiao Mei hired placed all the delicacies on the table. There were usually 12 dishes served at a banquet. If there were eight meat dishes and four vegetable dishes, it would be considered a very nice banquet. Not only did Xia You serve all these, but there was also an entire lobster and a dish of abalone and sea cucumbers at each table. These were all very expensive ingredients which ordinary people could not afford! Although Zhou Hua was living with Xia Guang now, his meager income was only enough for the two of them to make ends meet. They could not afford to eat fish or meat often. Qiao Mei! How can you do such a thing! How can you be so vicious! Xia Guang said as he pointed at Qiao Mei angrily. Third Uncle, what do you mean? What did I do? Qiao Mei asked as she pretended to feel puzzled. You still refuse to admit it! Do you dare to say that you didnt do anything to your third aunt-in-law? Xia Guang said. Third Uncle, are you still single now? Qiao Mei asked. What what do you mean by that? Xia Guang asked with a guilty conscience. Im actually helping you. From the moment Auntie Zhou entered the house, she has been telling everyone that she currently lives with you and that the two of you are intimate with each other. Everyone present heard it just now. Third Uncle, anyone there can go and report you for taking liberties with a woman! If its considered serious enough, you may even get the death penalty! Qiao Mei said. That thats my private business! It has nothing to do with you! How dare you stick your nose in your elders matters! Xia Guang said as he tried to quibble. Xu Lan said with annoyance, Third Brother, dont go too far. What evidence do you have to prove that Qiao Mei did this? Besides, Qiao Mei is right. Shes trying to help you, but you dont even appreciate it. Thats right, Third Uncle! Im the main character today! Youre my biological third uncle! I invite you because were family, but who is she? What kind of family member is she! You bring her here without asking for permission and allow her to disrupt my wedding banquet. I havent even raised this issue with you yet! Xia You said aggrievedly. Chapter 2111: Sever Ties Between Father and Son Chapter 2111: Sever Ties Between Father and Son Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Third Uncle! You have to be clear about who your family members are! You dont know what she said about me just now! Everyone knows about that incident which happened some time ago! She spoke ambiguously about me in public and said she was speaking as your wife! Shouldnt you give all of us an explanation for this? Xia He said. The truth was that everyone knew very well that Qiao Mei was the one who did this. In the beginning, Xia Wen still thought that Qiao Mei had gone too far. However, after hearing what everyone said, he felt that Qiao Mei had done too little! It has not been easy for her! Cant all of you be more tolerant of her? Xia Guang said, looking troubled. Do you think it has been easy for us? Do you think it has been easy for Qiao Meis children? She joined forces with outsiders to harm Qiao Mei and even instructed my two younger cousins to abduct Qiao Meis children. Third Uncle, dont tell me youve forgotten about all these? Did we go after her for all these? If we really want to settle scores with her, do you think she can still be alive now? Xia You said. Xia Jun had been listening to the exchange in the neighboring room. Seeing that Xia Guang had really gone too far, he walked out of the room slowly and said, Third son, I am really disappointed with you. Father! Its not what you think! Zhou Hua really didnt do those things on purpose! But its Qiao Mei who did this! You have to be fair when it comes to rewards and punishments! Xia Guang shouted. Havent you always said that Im always biased towards my eldest sons family? Then Im going to be totally biased today! Dont come to any Xia family gatherings in the future! Ill take it that I never have a son like you! The Xia family doesnt have a third son from now on! Xia Jun said fiercely. Xia Jun stood up and said, All of you must remember this. As Xia family members, we must never point our knives at our own people! We know! everyone said in unison. After the interruption, all the guests went on to have a good time and left Xia Yous house happily at the end of the banquet. To express the Xia familys apologies for what happened, every guest received half a watermelon harvested from Qiao Meis fields. Everyone knew that these watermelons were a precious commodity and ordinary people would not even be able to buy it. At night, everyone went back to their own homes. After Xia Zhe returned from the army, he heard about everything that had happened at the wedding banquet. He looked at Qiao Mei dotingly and said, You must have felt aggrieved today. Im sorry that I wasnt by your side. Its fine! I took revenge on the spot! How will I allow myself to be bullied by others! Qiao Mei said proudly. I have some good news. Do you want to hear it? Xia Zhe asked with a smile. Yes I do! Tell me! Qiao Mei said excitedly. The matter between the Song family and the Du family has been resolved and everyone involved has been arrested. Moreover, I even found the place where the Song family kept their treasures! The Song familys ancestors had left behind many treasures in their old house! Thats all I know though. Im not sure about the exact hiding spots, Xia Zhe said. Chapter 2112: The Song Family’s Ancestral Home Chapter 2112: The Song Familys Ancestral Home Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei did not expect the Song family to also have a hiding spot for treasures. She had thought that the Du family was the cash cow and certainly did not expect the Song family to be well-to-do too. Actually, the Song family did not have much money back in the past, but they had kept all the items passed down from their ancestors in good condition. Back when Old Master Song was so poor that he could not afford to buy food, he remained firm and refused to sell away these items. Old Master Song felt that those things were a representation of the Song familys roots and that if they were sold, it would be the end of the Song family. Apart from those items, there were also many gifts from the Du family and other people who wanted to curry favor with Song Dan. As Song Dan was a member of the police force, it was not appropriate for him to furnish his house with such luxurious items, so he kept everything in the Song familys old house in the countryside.Yo?ur favorite stories at novelhall.com Previously, there was a distant relative of the Song family who lived in that house and doubled up as a guard. However, that person was old and had since passed away. That house was now dilapidated and was no longer fit to live in. It would probably fall apart with a light touch. Now that the economy had opened up and it was more liberal than in the past, the government had returned many antiques it seized previously back to the rightful owners. The owners might not get everything back, but anything was better than nothing. When the Song family saw how the old residences of the He family and the Xia family were dug up earlier, they were also quite scared. However, now that times had changed, they were tempted to retrieve those treasures which were hidden underground. Although the Song and Du family members have all been arrested, dont they have relatives who know about the old house? Qiao Mei asked. Why should I blame you? I only feel that I havent protected you well, causing you to have to take a risk again, Xia Zhe said self-reproachfully. Actually, I have another idea! I want I want to find a new wife for Third Uncle! Qiao Mei said. It was not advantageous to them to let Zhou Hua stay by Xia Guangs side. Qiao Mei did not want the Xia family to fall apart. It was best when a family was harmonious and united. If she could find a gentle and virtuous wife for Xia Guang, perhaps the relationship between Xia Guang and the Xia family could be mended. Xia Zhe was stunned to hear that. He did not expect Qiao Mei to have such a plan. However, even if Qiao Mei found Xia Guang a new wife, Xia Guang would not agree to get married. Xia Zhe felt that Zhou Hua still occupied a very big part of Xia Guangs heart. I dont agree with this idea. Third Uncle doesnt have a good relationship with our family now. If you bring this up now, it will only make Third Uncle feel disgusted. Lets put this matter aside for now. In order to apologize to Grandfather, Third Uncle has already chased Zhou Auntie Zhou out of his house, Xia Zhe said. Xia Guang knew very well that if he completely cut ties with the Xia family, he would face a hard time in the capital, or even in the country, in the future. He had been thinking of ways and means to mend the cracks in his relationship with Xia Jun. As Xia Jun had expected, Xia Guang had chased Zhou Hua out of his house. Tsk, but Third Uncle is so soft-hearted! Auntie Zhou hasnt gone far from Third Uncles house and still lives in the same neighborhood. Third Uncle doesnt have much money to begin with, yet he still spends more than 40 dollars a month to pay for Auntie Zhous rent! Qiao Mei said disdainfully. Lets leave it at that for now. As long as she stays in her own lane, we dont have to do anything to her, Xia Zhe said. Chapter 2113: Start a Small Business Chapter 2113: Start a Small Business Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios It was soon winter and it started snowing heavily outside. The children had snowball fights outdoors and built snowmen in the courtyard. These three children only had memories of growing up in Country M. The weather there was mild and it felt like spring all year round and there was no snow at all. This was the first time the children had ever seen snow. Xu Lan had already retired from the art troupe. Xia He got her wish and took over the position of troupe leader of the art troupe. She was in charge of everything there. Nowadays, she not only had to take care of the business at the photo studio, but she also needed to keep an eye on the art troupes various performances. She was very busy every day. Xu Lan was constantly worried that Xia Hes heavy workload was not good for both her and the baby. Qiao Mei had to keep advising Xu Lan to relax. Back when she was pregnant with Xia Fan and Xia Xing, she even continued working in the fields! Back then, she had no issue chopping firewood and cooking every day. Anyway, Xia He was very fit and it was actually beneficial to the baby if she did an appropriate amount of exercise every day. It was time for lunch. During the winter season, everyone felt happiest when they sat around the hotpot at mealtime. Li Gui had prepared a lot of ingredients , As Zhang Wei and the other children were all on holiday at home, there were many mouths to feed. Li Gui had specially prepared three hotpots so that they could eat comfortably. Kids! Come in and have your meal! Li Gui shouted out of the window. It was better to take care of the children personally. The children would grow closest to the people who brought them up. For this reason, Xu Lan even came to learn how to cook from Li Gui every day. She was now the one in charge of the childrens meals. If she wanted to capture the childrens hearts, she had to do it through their stomachs! Mei Mei, Ive been thinking about something for a long time. Ive been idle at home for too long, so I want to go out and do some business. However, Im worried that your mother-in-law wont like me doing that and then it will affect her impression of you, Li Gui said awkwardly. Nowadays, if one ran a small business, people still saw it as being similar to the illegal private business of the old. In recent years, the economy had been opening up, but small businesses and workshops were usually family-run and there was no guarantee on the quality and safety of the products. Due to this impression, it had become a taboo to be associated with a private business. Li Gui was worried that the Xia family would frown on this. Dont worry, my mother-in-law will understand. But what kind of business do you want to do? Qiao Mei asked. Zhang Chao and Zhang Qin keep tellling me that the food in their school canteen does not taste good but there are no restaurants or snack shops near the school. I want to open a small restaurant near the school so that it will be easier for the two of them to have their meals. At the same time, I can also make some money, Li Gui said. Not bad! Thats a good idea! Qiao Mei said approvingly. Qiao Mei had also thought about asking Li Gui to open a specialty restaurant. From the way Li Gui managed the Osmanthus Food Factory, it was obvious that she was not good at managing staff. It would be too tough for her to run a big restaurant. The specialty restaurant need not be too big but the most important thing was that the food had to stand out from the rest and be able to cater to the taste buds of the customers! Li Gui heaved a sigh of relief. She had thought that Qiao Mei would not be interested in a small business and was worried that Qiao Mei would tell her to open a big restaurant and set out to conquer the food and beverage industry in the capital. Chapter 2114: Visit from Fellow Villagers Chapter 2114: Visit from Fellow Villagers Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Since Li Gui already had a plan, Qiao Mei started working on it immediately. An opportunity to earn money did not come by often. If they did not grab it, they would miss the boat. Once other people discovered this business opportunity, they would end up earning less money. Qiao Mei did not want to run into such a situation. She bought a shop near the school where Zhang Chao and Zhang Qin were studying. The shop space was considered medium-sized and could accommodate around 80 people at the same time. There should be no issue catering to the diners during the peak timings of the students lunchtime at noon and also the hours after school. They also specially built a few private rooms on the second floor. Given that there were many residential neighborhoods nearby, there would be many customers during the winter and summer holidays. Qiao Mei also specially created a staff lounge on the second floor with four bunk beds inside, so that the chef and the waitstaff could take a rest there. The shop would not be very busy when classes were in session and the staff could take a short nap in the lounge during that time. Li Gui went around to look at the interior design and was very satisfied. She was already looking forward to seeing what it would be like when the restaurant opened in a weeks time. Qiao Mei had asked Zhang Chao and Zhang Qin to inform the other students and also to give the students some discount coupons to use during the opening period. The shop was bought in Qiao Meis name as Li Gui did not have a household register in the capital. Although it was not an issue for her to buy a house, she was unable to do business in the capital or buy a shop or land here. Qiao Meis household register had been transferred to the capital when she married Xia Zhe, so it was more convenient for the business to be registered in her name. Fellow villagers? What fellow villagers? Li Gui said in puzzlement. Since theyre villagers from your hometown, then let them come up, Qiao Mei said. Li Gui did not know anyone in the capital. She only knew the Xia family members and her neighbors. In the beginning, she had felt very lonely in the capital and looked forward to meeting people from her hometown. However, these people in front of her were not the ones she looked forward to seeing. Zhang Qian and Zhang Cong had brought Old Madam Li and the other brothers of the Li family to the capital. This was the first time these people had left home on a long trip. They had actually gone to the house where Li Gui and Qiao Mei were staying in at first. They had never seen such a beautiful courtyard house. In the past, only the nouveau riche could afford such a grand house. After getting directions from the neighbors in the alley, Zhang Qian and the others found their way here. Zhang Qian walked up to Li Gui excitedly and said, Is this your shop? Li Gui immediately thought of those tough days she had gone through in the past. She looked at Zhang Qian and said with a smile, Its my shop and its still under renovation. Doesnt it look nice? Yes! It looks really nice! I have already gone to your house. Its so much more grand than this place! Zhang Qian said excitedly. Chapter 2115: Get Rich Chapter 2115: Get Rich Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Li Gui rolled her eyes in disdain. Zhang Qian had not changed at all from before. He was still as greedy and annoying as ever. Fourth daughter! Youre living such a good life here! Why havent you told your family about this! Why dont you even call us? Dont you know that were all very worried about you! Old Madam Li said reproachfully. Qiao Mei snorted disdainfully. Seeing that Li Gui had become rich, the Li family wanted to start caring about her. Back when she was bullied by the Zhang family, did anyone from the Li family stand up for her? The Li and Zhang family members were a little scared when they saw Qiao Meis expression. They all knew they had to be wary of Qiao Meis tactics and temper. Zhang Cong was almost traumatized by her. The moment he saw Qiao Mei, his arms and wrists started to hurt. Even now, he could not forget what it felt like when Qiao Mei beat him up. I forgot, Li Gui said as she looked at Old Madam Li calmly. Zhang Qian kept staring at Li Gui. He suddenly realized that the Li Gui in front of him was completely different from how she used to look. She looked even prettier than when he first met her more than 20 years ago. When Li Gui and Qiao Mei sat together, people would believe that Li Gui was Qiao Meis elder sister! Fourth Sister, weve been on the move for a long time. Do you think ?we can sit down and have a drink first? Zhao Hong said embarrassedly. Only then did Li Gui notice Zhao Hong, who was in the corner. She had a bulging stomach and it looked like she was around six months pregnant. Li Gui already did not know how many children she had bore the Li family. The Li family treated Zhao Hong like a baby-making machine and did not care about her health. Li Gui became soft-hearted when she saw Zhao Hong. She sighed and said, You can all take a seat. The Li and Zhang family members sat down rapidly. They did not care if Qiao Mei and Li Gui were willing to let them eat the food in front of them. Without another word, the group of people began to eat the delicacies in front of them. In less than 10 minutes, there were only 16 empty plates on the table. The plates looked cleaner than if a dog had licked them. Even all the sauces were all gone. Fourth Sister, you have really made it big now. Our shop is so nicely decked out! The food is also very delicious! Its just that the portion seems to be too small, the second son, Li Xiong, said. What do you know! This is posh food! Ive seen people eating it on television. The smaller the portion, the more expensive it is! This entire table was filled with good stuff! Li Juan, the fifth daughter, said. When Li Gui heard the phrase our shop, she frowned. She suddenly felt that it was the right choice to have this shop registered in Qiao Meis name. She decided to transfer all her houses to Qiao Mei tomorrow. She could not let the Li family members succeed in their scheme! Im just running a small business. I havent made it big. I only make enough to survive, Li Gui said perfunctorily.Fiind updated novels at novelhall.com Chapter 2116: Fight Against Each Other Chapter 2116: Fight Against Each Other Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios This is already very good! My fourth daughter is really capable! Old Madam Li said happily. Li Gui looked at her third brother, Li Tao, and asked, Xiao Tao, how are you? Is everything alright? In the past, Li Tao was the only one in the Li family who cared about her. The two of them were about the same age and he used to let her eat first if there was any nice food. She had always remembered how nice he was to her. Before she came to the capital, she was still concerned about whether he had gotten himself a wife.Fiind updated novels at novelhall.com Li Tao said with a long face, Im not doing well at all! Back when you got a divorce, you left without a word! Zhang Qian came to our house and took all the valuable things! I dont have money to get married! Im already so old but Im still single! I cant even find a job! And us! Elder Sister, you dont know what everyone in the surrounding villages says about me! No one dares to marry me! Even Eldest Brothers two daughters are going through the same thing! Whenever the Li familys daughters talk about getting married, everyone avoids us! Li Juan said as she wept. As she spoke, the Li family members also started to wipe away their tears. All of them blamed Li Gui for the difficulties they faced. When Li Gui heard these from both the elder brother who used to dote on her as well as her younger sister, she felt very affected and began to wonder if she had left in too much of a hurry back then and left behind a bad reputation which had a detrimental effect on her family. This last statement was like a wakeup call for Li Gui. She had thought that it was a coincidence that these two families had turned up together, but now it seemed that everything was premeditated! They were all here for her money! The Li family members were all stunned to hear that. They had never thought about this matter this way and did not even dare to blame the Zhang family for it. At that time, it was not as if the Li family did not try to seek revenge on Zhang Qian, but Zhang Qian was a strong man and the young widow also had many brothers. They could not beat the Zhang family at all. It seems that you dont really care much about my mother. In your hearts, my mother isnt even half as important as the Zhang family, Qiao Mei said. Li Tao stood up from his seat with a whoosh. He ran over to Zhang Qian and Zhang Cong and started to beat them up fiercely. As he hit them, he shouted, Ill avenge Fourth Sister now! Ill kill these bastards! The rest of the Li family members also did the same and a fight erupted. Li Gui and Qiao Mei sat at the side and looked at them quietly. This was the Li and Zhang families which Li Gui knew well. It was not until Zhang Qian and Zhang Cong were beaten up badly that Qiao Mei yelled out to stop the fight and said, Alright, thats enough. This is a new shop and bloodshed is bad luck. Dont bring me bad luck by fighting here! Fourth Sister, we really miss you. The Zhang family and us are irreconcilable! If its not because they came to our house some time ago and said that they had a way to find you, we wouldnt have all made a trip to the capital. We only did all this because of you! Li Tao said. Chapter 2117: Change Surname Chapter 2117: Change Surname Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Nonsense! Its clearly your family who is shameless enough to come and look for me! You even tricked me into paying for your train tickets! At that time, you agreed to give me half of the money if you manage to get it from Li Gui! You bunch of assholes! Pfft! Zhang Qian got up from the ground and said fiercely. Did I not beat you up enough! How dare you tell lies in front of my fourth sister! Li Tao roared. Just as the two sides were about to start fighting again, Qiao Mei smacked the table angrily and shouted, Enough! Youre making so much noise that I have a headache! If you want to fight, then get out! Dont dirty my place! In an instant, the entire room fell silent. They all knew what Qiao Mei was capable of and that she was scaringly strong. They would rather offend anyone else in the world except Qiao Mei. Li Gui! You have to believe me! I really miss you and the children! Im really here to see you! Zhang Qian said as he knelt in front of Li Gui unabashedly. Youre worse than an animal! What you mean to say is that you cant stand that widow and that young girl at home! Old Madam Li said as she spat at Zhang Qian. Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao immediately rushed into the room and stood in front of Li Gui to protect her. Zhang Qin also shielded Zhang Miao tightly behind her as she glared sharply at everyone in the room. Although they were still very young at that time, they could clearly remember everything that happened in those years. Zhang Qian had never beaten up Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao, but the two boys remembered how he treated Li Gui and how he abused their two younger sisters. These must be Xiao Wei and Xiao Chao! Theyve grown up! Im your father! Zhang Qian said. The four children in front of him were dressed in luxurious clothes and looked like the sons and daughters of rich families. It looked like Li Gui had brought them up well, which further proved that Li Gui must have a lot of money. Didnt you sell our father-child relationship for a payout back then? The four of us dont have a father, Zhang Wei said forcefully. You brat, what nonsense are you talking about! Im your father! Even if I die, Im still your biological father! Dont even think about not acknowledging me! Moreover, I was forced to do what I did back then. What I said back then were just angry words and could not be taken seriously! Zhang Qian said. Really? But at that time, there was a written agreement with all the details listed down clearly! Zhang Chao said angrily. Thats just a joke! You cant take it seriously! Zhang Qian said. Chapter 2118: Chase The Zhang Family Members Away Chapter 2118: Chase The Zhang Family Members Away Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Zhang Qian was right. He would always be the four childrens father. No matter how shameless he was or how much of a bastard he was, no one could not change that fact. Qiao Mei stared at Zhang Qian and said, What exactly do you want? I miss the children! I want to live with them! I want to give them a complete family! Zhang Qian said firmly. Qiao Mei smiled mockingly. All of a sudden, he wanted to give these four children a complete family. Why did he not come to visit them when they first came to the capital? He had to wait until Li Gui and Qiao Mei became rich before he brought a big group of people to the capital to visit their relatives. Zhang Wei turned around to look at Qiao Mei. He noticed Qiao Meis expression and knew that they had to make their stance clear on this matter, otherwise it would hurt her feelings. We dont have a father! We dont need a father! Since youve already seen us, then you can go back now! Dont come back again! We have decided to change our names right now! Our surname is now ?Li! After saying that, Zhang Wei turned to look at his younger siblings. Zhang Chao and the other two children also expressed their stance. Thats right! From now on, we have nothing to do with the Zhang family! Our surname is Li! Zhang Wei snorted and said, What nonsense! You remember their birthdays very well because you will always buy good wine and nice food on their birthdays. At night, after drinking, you will beat up my mother and my two younger sisters! Im a changed man! I dont drink anymore! I definitely wont hit any of you again! Zhang Qian said. Whats the use of changing! Can the past be written off? Back then, you severely injured Zhang Miao and she almost died! Zhang Chao was almost sold by you! Can all these things be resolved with just an apology? Zhang Qin roared hysterically. It was one thing for Zhang Qian to be scolded by the young widow at home, but he was now being scolded by Zhang Qin even when he was out of the house. There was no way he could not tolerate such humiliation and he raised his hand to hit Zhang Qin. Zhang Chao immediately pulled Zhang Qin into his arms and Zhang Wei kicked Zhang Qian away. Zhang Qian looked at them in disbelief and said, Beasts! A bunch of beasts! This is how you treat your biological father! Li Gui! This is how you have educated your children all these years! Get lost! Dont force me to drag you out myself! Zhang Wei roared. Zhang Qian and Zhang Cong still wanted to fight with Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao. How could two grown men not be able to defeat a couple of brats? However, Zhang Qian and Zhang Cong had really underestimated these two boys. Ever since Zhang Chao and Zhang Miao were kidnapped, the first thing that Qiao Mei did when the children came to the capital was to let them learn martial arts. Not only could it build up their physique, but they would also know how to protect themselves. Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao dragged Zhang Qian and Zhang Cong and threw them out of the restaurant. Zhang Wei stood at the main door and shouted, From now on, dont let me see anyone from the Zhang family again! The four of us have nothing to do with you! Remember! Our surname is Li! Not Zhang! Chapter 2119: I Want to Eat Here Chapter 2119: I Want to Eat Here Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Zhang Qian still refused to admit defeat and wanted to go forward again to hit Zhang Wei. Da Zhuang and Xiao Zhuang, who were hiding behind the door, blocked Zhang Qians way. Da Zhuang said rudely, If you dare to touch our young masters and young ladies, youd better be prepared to pay a painful price for it. Ill just stand right here! This isnt your territory! What can you do to me when Im just standing on the street? Zhang Qian said. The land youre stepping on belongs to our Young Madam. As long as youre still on our familys property, its considered trespassing. If you dont leave, youll get beaten up. Our Young Madam has many properties. You have to tread carefully, Da Zhuang said. After confirming that Zhang Qian and Zhang Chao would not come in again, Zhang Wei and Zhang Chao hurriedly returned to the private room on the second floor. As soon as they entered, they saw Old Madam Li weeping and saying, Oh my, my good grandsons! Youve really suffered! How can you have such a father! Fortunately, hes no longer your father! Grandma will dote on you well. The four children instantly felt overwhelmed. They had just chased their biological father away and now their biological grandmother was putting on an act. There was really no end to it. This place is not open for business yet. You should go and eat in another restaurant, Li Gui said sternly. Isnt this a restaurant? Youve already prepared so many dishes. Why cant you just cook a bit more? Old Madam Li said as she pointed at the empty plates on the table. Li Gui could hear a job applicant talking downstairs and started to feel a little anxious. She could not possibly have a big fight with this group of scoundrels from the Li family in front of a job applicant. Otherwise, how was she going to manage the restaurant staff in the future? If news of this matter got out, would anyone still be willing to work for her in the future? You cant eat here. After saying that, Li Gui turned around to look at Qiao Mei and said, Help me interview the applicant first and get her to write down her contact details. Ill take a look when Im back. Ill bring them out for a meal now. Alright, dont worry, Qiao Mei said. Qiao Mei was very satisfied with Li Guis actions. Li Gui was becoming more and more assertive now. This was definitely much better than the weak and useless person she was in the past. Li Gui could not just chase her biological mother and brothers away. After all, this group of people from the Li family was still different from Zhang Qian. She decided to bring them out for a few meals and pay for their stay at a hotel for a few days. Then, she would buy them each a train ticket and send them back. This was the best that she could do. Why do we need to go somewhere else! Im already so old! I cant walk anymore! Dont think that I cant see anything. Theres a big piece of meat hanging in your kitchen! I want to eat here! Old Madam Li shouted furiously. Chapter 2120: Considering Marriage Chapter 2120: Considering Marriage Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei raised her eyes to look at Old Madam Li and said, I see that you look very energetic and dont look weak at all. One look and I can tell that you are very well-fed. You dont look hungry at all. Dont you think Im the best person to know if Im hungry or not? How much is that piece of meat worth! You want to chase us away just to stop us from eating a meal here! Goodness me, I dont want to live anymore! Old Madam Li said. Sure thing. If you dont want to live anymore, Ill grant you your wish immediately. Qiao Mei looked at Zhang Wei and said, Go and ask your Uncle Da Zhuang to come upstairs. Theres someone in front of us who wants to die. Ask him to think of a way. Hey! Wait! I suddenly feel that its not a bad idea to eat elsewhere. Lets go out and eat. After saying that, Old Madam Li ran downstairs and the large group of people finally left. Along the way, the Li siblings kept pressing Li Gui for more information, causing her to have a headache. Fourth Sister, do you need any waiters here? Im very strong and I work fast! Can you let me stay here and work with you? Then ?then thank you, Elder Sister, Zhang Wei said with a smile. Qiao Mei left Da Zhuang behind to protect the four children while Xiao Zhuang drove Qiao Mei home. On the way home, Qiao Mei kept thinking about one thing. Li Gui was only 42 years old now and she still had most of her life ahead of her. It was time to find a partner for Li Gui. Otherwise, Zhang Qian would always be thinking about remarrying Li Gui. Qiao Mei shared this thought with Xu Lan. After all, Xu Lan knew many people and there must be quite a few nice, single middle-aged men among her acquaintances. Furthermore, all the big workplace units liked to organize social gatherings for their staff. The attendees were not only young men and women, but also many older folks! Thats a very good idea! I have always wanted to bring your mother to those social gatherings, but she feels embarrassed and keeps rejecting me. I have also advised her to find a partner, but she always says that the children are still young and say that she will only consider it when they are all grown up, Xu Lan said. Thats great! Now that Zhang Wei ?no, I should call him Li Wei now. The children are already all grown up and they can take care of one another. My mother doesnt have to put in too much effort on them. Its time for her to consider her own marriage, Qiao Mei said with a sigh. Xu Lan was not curious about why Zhang Wei had changed his name to Li Wei. After all, this was Li Guis family matter and she did not feel the need to probe. Dont worry, leave this matter to me. Ill definitely introduce a very nice man to Li Gui! Xu Lan said excitedly. All these years, she had tried to find life partners for her sons and daughter, but she had never succeeded. These three children wanted to find their own partners and did not listen to her at all. Now that she finally had a chance to facilitate a marriage, she naturally felt very happy. Chapter 2121: Xia Wan Wants to Get a Divorce Chapter 2121: Xia Wan Wants to Get a Divorce However, I have a few requirements. First of all, its best if this man doesnt have any children. If he has children, then his children must either have a regular job or are studying. He must not be over 50 years old. If the two of them want to get married, he must undergo a physical examination first to ensure that there are no hereditary illnesses, Qiao Mei said. After all, at Li Guis current age, it was not impossible for her to give them another younger brother or sister. If they really wanted to find a suitable partner for Li Gui, they must consider all aspects carefully. Xu Lan smiled and said, No problem! Leave this to me. Oh right! The most important thing is his character. He must have a good character and also must not have too many relatives, Qiao Mei added. Xu Lan also had these same requirements. The Xia family had faced so many problems previously because of these aspects. First, there was Zhou Hua, then there was Tan Jing. Just these two people had caused chaos in the entire Xia family. After they finished discussing this matter, they suddenly heard Xia Hes voice outside the door. She then walked in with Xia Wan. The two of them looked troubled and it was obvious that something major had happened. Wan Wan, why are you here? Long time no see, Xu Lan said. After Xia Wan married her husband, Chen Huang, she quit her job and stayed at home to take care of her children and wait on her in-laws. Recently, Chen Huang had told Xia Wan that he found her old and haggard! Then what should I do now? Xia Wan asked. Qiao Mei thought about it for a while and said, Hows your childs proficiency in foreign languages? Shes very good. Shes studying at Sixth High now and she sees you as her example. In order to be able to go overseas to further her studies as soon as possible, she studies very hard every day. Her proficiency in foreign languages should have reached the point where she can converse fluently. Xia Wans tone was filled with pride at the mention of her child. Now that Xia He had decided to stay put in their home country, Qiao Mei also did not want to move to Country M. Her three children would be starting school soon and she preferred that they grow up in their home country. However, she still needed someone to take care of her business overseas. Xia Wan was an economics graduate and also minored in accounting, so she was a good candidate to manage Qiao Meis overseas business. Cousin Wan Wan, have you considered sending your child to study overseas instead of going to a local university and accompanying her there? Qiao Mei said. This... but I dont know any foreign languages. If I go with her, Ill just become a problem to her! Xia Wan said. There will be people helping you there and you can find a school thats near your home. Im just giving you a suggestion. After all, our goal is not just to leave him, but to live a better life after leaving him, Qiao Mei said. Yes! Mei Mei is right! Chen Huang has nothing. Even if you pester him, you wont get much money. For the sake of your child, you should plan out your future well, Xu Lan said. Chapter 2122: Two-timing Chapter 2122: Two-timing Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios My child is currently boarding and studying at the training school. Ill ask her when she comes home for the weekend. If she agrees, I have no problem with it! Xia Wan said with a smile. The most important thing now is to get evidence that Chen Huang is cheating on you. Leave this matter to me. Ill get my people to investigate this matter, Qiao Mei said. Qiao Mei quickly made a call to Yao Nian and told him about this matter. In less than three hours, Yao Nian sent Qiao Mei the information on the mistress, as well as photos of Chen Huang and the mistress. Dont tell me you already know about this matter? Qiao Mei asked as she brought Yao Nian to the study. In a sense. My subordinates investigate anything thats related to the Xia family. After all, youre my most respected client and I have to be responsible for your well-being. Time is money. I dont want to be unable to hand over anything when you ask me to investigate something. Wont that ruin my reputation? Yao Nian said proudly. Since you already know about it, why didnt you tell me or Xia Zhe? Qiao Mei asked. Who knows if Madam Xia Wan has given her tacit agreement to this matter? Dont blame me for being cold-blooded. After all, many women will choose to ignore the fact that their husbands are cheating on them. With Feng Nuos results, she was definitely not qualified to enter Hua Fei University. However, the information clearly stated that she was a third-year student at Hua Fei University and even a member of the student union! It looks like this Chu Kun has helped her a lot. This matter is much more interesting, Qiao Mei said as she flipped through the photos. Xia Wan found a random excuse to stay over at Qiao Meis house. Qiao Mei brought the documents to Xia Wans room and looked at her hesitantly. Ive received the information, but but you have to be mentally prepared. Yes, Im already prepared for the worst-case scenario, Xia Wan said firmly. Qiao Mei handed the documents to Xia Wan. It clearly stated where Chen Huang usually went to meet Feng Nuo. He had even bought a house with a floor area of more than 20 square meters in the neighborhood opposite Hua Fei University. The two had been seeing each other for almost four months. In a photo, Chen Huang was holding Feng Nuos hand intimately. Xia Wan did not remember Chen Huang treating her like this. Even when they first got married, Chen Huang had never been so considerate to Xia Wan. This was the first time she had seen such a blissful and sweet smile on Chen Huangs face after being married to him for so many years. She did not expect that his smiles were reserved for another woman. Xia Wan gripped the pieces of paper so tightly that she almost crushed them. She held back her sadness and refused to let the tears fall from her eyes. Chapter 2123: Prepare to Leave Chapter 2123: Prepare to Leave Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Cousin Wan Wan, with this information, we can go ahead and deal with Chen Huang. However, you have to talk to your child first. After all shes also a victim of these circumstances. You need to find out what she wants. Shes an adult now and can brave the storms with you, Qiao Mei said. Thank you, Mei Mei. Thank you so much, Xia Wan said, feeling touched. After Xia Wan and Qiao Mei discussed the plans for the future, Xia Wan went back with the intention to start the divorce proceedings. Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe, who was playing with the children in the courtyard, and fell into deep thought. She did not know when he needed to return to Country M to continue with his work there. There were still many things waiting for him to settle over there. Why do you look so troubled? What happened? Xia Zhe came to Qiao Meis side and asked tenderly. Have you bought your plane ticket? When are you going back? Qiao Mei asked. Next Saturday. I originally planned to put in my application to return home and work here, but the higher-ups want me to stay there for a while longer and nurture a few more talents for the country. Im sorry that I cant accompany you for a longer period of time, Xia Zhe said, looking troubled. Qiao Mei did not have much of a reaction when she heard about Xia Zhes impending departure. After all, ever since she married Xia Zhe, there was only a very limited amount of time that he could spend with her and she was already used to it. All of you, come here. Qiao Mei waved at the children. Xia Fan pulled Xia Xing and Xia Yue and went over to Qiao Mei obediently. The three children were still sobbing and their faces were covered in snot and tears. Qiao Mei took a handkerchief and wiped the childrens faces as she said gently, Have you forgotten what Mama said? Papa is a big hero and his work is to punish all the bad guys. There are so many bad guys in the world. If Papa doesnt go and catch them, many children will get hurt. Do you want these children to be separated from their parents? Xia Fan quickly shook his head and said, No! I dont want other children to be abducted like what happened to me. Xia Zhe and Xu Lan looked at Xia Fan in surprise. It had been so many years since Xia Fan was abducted. At that time, Xia Fan was only a little more than eight months old, so how could he remember anything? Qiao Mei had never told Xia Fan and the other children anything about these things which happened when they were babies. Could it be that someone else had told the children about what happened then? Qiao Mei was not surprised at all. She even suspected that these three children possessed even earlier memories. Yes, thats right. Its not as if Papa wont come back. Hes just going out to work and will come back to visit us after a while, Qiao Mei said. Then then how long will it take? Xia Yue asked aggrievedly. Qiao Mei gave Xia Zhe a look. It was up to Xia Zhe to think about how to coax the children. Xia Zhe picked Xia Yue up and said, Papa doesnt know how long it will take, but we can make a pact. Every day that Papa is away, Ill save a piece of candy for you. When I come back, Ill give you all the candy, alright? Chapter 2124: Li Gui Is Beaten Up Chapter 2124: Li Gui Is Beaten Up Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Alright! We have a deal! the three children said in unison. Although Qiao Mei was not usually strict with the children, she paid special attention to their diet. Medical technology was still not advanced enough in this era. If the children had bad teeth, there was a high chance that they would have to endure the pain and rely on medicine. They would not be able to get dental treatment and implants like what she could get in her other life. To ensure that the children had strong teeth, Qiao Mei had restricted them from eating candy since they were young. They could only eat chocolate and candy if they behaved well or during the festive seasons. After eating these sweet things, they had to brush their teeth and rinse their mouths. Therefore, candy was precious treasures to the three children! It was like rare assets! Xu Lan took advantage of the time when Qiao Mei was educating the children to pull Xia Zhe into the study. She whispered, Have you done what I told you the last time! Mother! Dont we already have three children? Its useless to be anxious about such a thing, Xia Zhe said helplessly. Xia Wen had received reliable news that the family planning policy would be implemented next year. For families with children, it did not matter how many children they already had. For those without children, they could only have one child per family. People were expected to consolidate their resources to bring up their children very well and no longer be allowed to have an unlimited number of children!Follow the latest novels at novelhall.com Its not as if our family cant afford it! It will be great for you to have another daughter! Do it while the two of you are still young and I still have the strength to take care of children! Hurry up and have another one! Once the family planning policy is implemented, the two of you wont be able to have any more children! Xu Lan said anxiously. What happened after that? Who hit my mother? Qiao Mei asked with a frown. I Actually, I cant say for sure. At that time, Boss Lis ex-husband also came. It was that man who fought with Boss Lis family members. Boss Li was injured when she tried to stop the fight. It is probably that man who injured Boss Li, the waitstaff said honestly. Have you called the police? Qiao Mei asked. Yes. I called the police right after the incident. I immediately sent Boss Li to the hospital, but they needed her family member to be around. Im worried that Boss Lis family will cause trouble and prevent her from getting treatment, so I quickly come over to look for you, the waitstaff said agitatedly. Qiao Mei nodded in satisfaction and said, You did very well. Whats your name? My name is Molly, Molly whispered. Ill remember it. Thank you for what you have done today, Qiao Mei said gratefully. Boss Li is very nice to us. This is what I should do, Molly said. Qiao Mei only smiled and did not say anything. She would remember Molly and would definitely thank her properly when the matter was over. The most important thing now was Li Guis health. Chapter 2125: Mild Concussion Chapter 2125: Mild Concussion Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After arriving at the hospital, Xia Zhe went to park the car while Qiao Mei brought Molly straight to the VIP ward to look for Li Gui. Xia Fangs hospital was closest to Li Guis restaurant, so the emergency medical team was from Xia Fangs hospital. When Qiao Mei made a donation to the hospital in the past, she had given them the names and information of everyone in the Xia family, as well as her own relatives. As long as the patient was a person registered in the system, they would be sent to the VIP ward for treatment when admitted to the hospital. Wow, look at how grand this ward is! Its a single room! And its so big! Its obvious that my fourth daughter has a lot of money! Old Madam Li said enviously. Thats right! Ive never seen a hospital that looks like this in the county city. Its so luxurious! We must find a way to stay in the capital! Li Tao said. Li Juan said hesitantly, We are the ones who beat up Fourth Sister and caused her to be sent to hospital. Do you think she will still take us in? Even if shes willing, will Qiao Mei agree? It was Zhang Qian who beat her! It has nothing to do with us! Besides, Im her mother! How can she say she doesnt want me! I dont care! If she wants to chase us back to the county city, I wont agree to it! Old Madam Li said shrewishly. Mom is right! Were her biological brothers! She definitely wont force us to leave the capital. Qiao Mei is just a junior! She cant interfere in the matters related to the elders! Li Tao said self-righteously. Qiao Mei stood at the other end of the corridor and could hear what the Li family members said clearly. Initially, she had thought that the Li family members should have made some progress after so many years. At the very least, they should have grown a conscience and know their limits. It seemed that she had overestimated them. Shes awake, but she cant talk for too long. The most important thing for her now is to rest well and not get too tired, Xia Fang whispered. Alright, Ill remember that. Thank you, Aunt. With that, Qiao Mei entered the ward. Li Gui sat on the hospital bed and looked at Qiao Mei. She said in a gentle tone, Im fine. Ive made you worry. What exactly is going on? Whos the one who hit you? Qiao Mei said with a frown. It was Zhang Qian who quarreled with my mother. I saw that he was about to hit her, so I stopped him. I didnt expect things to end up like this, Li Gui said helplessly. Of course, things were not as simple as Li Gui said. Zhang Qian had taken advantage of the fact that Qiao Mei and her bodyguards were not around and rushed to Li Guis restaurant, insisting that he wanted to remarry her. At the same moment, Old Madam Li also arrived at the restaurant and the two sides started arguing. Zhang Qian and Zhang Cong wanted to beat Old Madam Li up, but Old Madam Lis children all hid far away, afraid that the Zhang family members would hit them as well. Li Gui could not stand seeing that and went forward to stop them. At the end of the day, Old Madam Li was still her biological mother. Blood ties could not be severed. No matter how many mistakes Old Madam Li had made in the past, she had worked hard to bring up Li Gui. Next time, just let them fight. Dont bother about them. Now, theyre the ones who are fine and youre the one whos hospitalized! Qiao Mei said. Chapter 2126: Expensive Medical Fees Chapter 2126: Expensive Medical Fees Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Sigh Does anyone else know about this? Dont let Li Wei and the other three children know, Li Gui said nervously. Right now, only Xia Zhe, my mother-in-law and I know about this, Qiao Mei said. Oh, your mother-in-law knows too! Give her a call now! Tell her not to worry. Im fine! Li Gui said agitatedly. Xia Zhe has already told her. Dont worry, Qiao Mei comforted her.Ne?ww chapters will be fully updated at novelhall.com When Li Gui became agitated, her head would hurt. Qiao Mei quickly helped her to lie down. The most important thing for Li Gui now was to recuperate and rest well. Qiao Mei would handle the rest. Qiao Mei went to the living room of the ward. She made a call to Da Zhuang and asked him to bring a team to the hospital immediately. She wanted them to surround the ward and prevent any unrelated parties from trying to enter. Zhang Qian and Zhang Cong finally arrived after a long time. Qiao Mei walked out of the ward and looked at the people in front of her quietly. Molly stood behind Qiao Mei and whispered, This is the man who beat up Boss Li and caused her to be sent to the hospital. The Li and Zhang family members started arguing. Qiao Mei leaned against the door and watched quietly. The VIP ward had very good soundproofing. No matter how noisy it was in the corridor, it could not be heard inside the room. Every VIP ward had dedicated nursing service for 24 hours a day. The patient was monitored at all times and there was always a nurse around if the patient needed anything. After the two sides argued for a long time, there was still no conclusion. Qiao Mei clapped her hands and said loudly, How about this! Youll each bear half of the medical fees! The hospitalization fee is 1,200 dollars a day. The doctor says that my mother will have to stay here for at least 10 days, so each family can just pay us 6,000 dollars. 6,000 dollars! Why dont you just go and rob a bank! How can this lousy place be so expensive! Li Juan said as she looked at Qiao Mei in shock. Zhang Qian could not bear to leave the capital, nor could he bear to leave Li Gui. Now that Li Gui was so beautiful and rich, he did not want to go back to be with that nasty woman! All he wanted to do now was to remarry Li Gui. This fee is really too high. Can we move her to a normal ward? We can take care of her! We will definitely take good care of her! Zhang Qian promised. Qiao Mei smiled mockingly and said, Ever since my mother came to the capital, she has never stayed in an ordinary ward. My mother is a VIP here. If she comes to this hospital, she will be directly admitted into the VIP ward. Why should our standard of living be lowered because of you? You can either fork out the money or go to the police station. Choose one option. Li Tao still wanted to argue with Qiao Mei, but Old Madam Li gripped his hand and looked at Qiao Mei, saying, Well give you the money! But we dont have so much money with us right now. We have to go back and pool together the money and well send it to you tonight. Qiao Mei nodded in satisfaction. She looked at Zhang Qian and he said with a troubled expression, I need to go back to pool together the money too. Chapter 2127: Running Off Chapter 2127: Running Off Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In the blink of an eye, the Zhang and Li family members disappeared. Even rabbits did not run so fast. Molly looked at Qiao Mei anxiously and said, Little Boss, these people are assholes! Now that they have left, they wont come back! Even if they dont leave, we wont be able to get any money. The police will just lock them up for three to five days and give them a verbal lecture. Its a good thing for us if they leave the capital. When it comes to such people, its better to avoid them as much as possible. You must have been shocked by what happened today. Ill give you two days off. Thank you for everything, Qiao Mei comforted her. Molly turned her head to take a look at Li Gui through the glass pane of the ward and then left the hospital with a sense of relief. Qiao Mei then hired a professional caregiver to take care of Li Gui. Qiao Mei had never intended to let the Li and Zhang family members off. She just did not want to tell Molly too much. As Qiao Mei had expected, none of the Zhang and Li family members came back to the hospital by nighttime. In fact, these people did not even bother to come and take care of Li Gui. Qiao Mei had already sent someone to wait at the train station. The moment the Zhang and Li family members appeared, they were captured immediately and brought to the warehouse in the suburbs. This was during winter and the Zhang and Li family members spent the entire night in the freezing cold. They were all so cold that they trembled without making a sound. Qiao Mei only came over at around noon. Oh my, youre all here! I thought that there would at least be a few people in your group with a conscience. I didnt expect all of you to be such beasts! Qiao Mei stood in front of them and said disdainfully. Qiao Mei looked at Li Dong in disgust. She had indeed captured Zhao Hong. She knew very well that Zhao Hong had never done anything to hurt Li Gui and her. Zhao Hong had been forced into all this by the Li family and was also a victim herself. No matter how much Qiao Mei hated the Li family, she would not make things difficult for a pregnant woman. Just stop talking. Qiao Mei then turned to look at Old Madam Li and asked, Didnt you say that you would send the money to the hospital last night? Wheres the money? Why did you go to the train station before it was nighttime? We Why would we have so much money with us in the capital! We we are going home to get the money! Old Madam Li explained. Is that so? Theres no need for so many people to go back and get the money. How about this, you can choose a representative to go back and get the money to come back and redeem the rest, Qiao Mei said. Everyone looked at one another and Old Madam Li immediately said, Ill go! Ive always been in charge of the money. They dont even know where I keep it. Mom! Youre old and its inconvenient for you to move around. Let me go back! Tell me where you keep the money and Ill come back immediately after I retrieve it! Li Dong said. I should be the one to go back! Eldest Brother still has to take care of my pregnant sister-in-law in the capital! Im the most suitable candidate, Li Tao said vehemently. You men are all very careless! The place where the money is kept must be very well hidden. What if you cant find it! I think its better if I go back, Li Juan said. Chapter 2128: Use the Houses as Collateral Chapter 2128: Use the Houses as Collateral Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The Li family members argued non-stop. Each of them wanted to be the one to go home. Whoever went back to retrieve the money that Old Madam Li had saved up over the years definitely would not return to the capital. The person would just take the money and run away. Qiao Mei watched quietly as the Li family members quarreled and fought with one another. She was not in a hurry and just took it that the Li family members were putting on a clown performance for her. Enough! Old Madam Li shouted. Mom! What are you doing! Li Tao said. Qiao Mei, let me tell you the truth. We dont have that much money. The most that our family can pool together is 200 dollars. You can kill or torture us however you want. Just give us a quick death! Old Madam Li said as she looked at Qiao Mei. My mothers illness needs treatment. Every minute and second is money. Since you cant afford to pay for the medical fees and the subsequent treatment fees, you can give me something as collateral. I remember that your family has two houses in the countryside, so you can use the houses to repay the debt, Qiao Mei said. When the two men saw Qiao Mei, they were stunned for a moment. Then, Zhang Qian glared fiercely at Qiao Mei and said, B*tch! I just know its you! Kill me if you have the guts! What good will it do me to kill you? You still owe me 6,000 dollars. It wont be too late for you to die after you pay me back, Qiao Mei said calmly. Zhang Qian immediately understood why Qiao Mei had captured them. He said, Youre already big bosses now, why are you so calculative about this 6,000 dollars! Youre only forcing us to our deaths! I worked very hard to earn my money. If it is anyone else, I wont mind spending 6,000 dollars in exchange for a few auspicious phrases, but for you guys, I dont want to waste even a single cent! Besides, you even gave up Zhang Wei and the other children for that few thousand dollars back then. Do you regret it now? Qiao Mei said mockingly. Whats there to regret! Even if I die! The four brats are still my children! Im their biological father and they have to take care of me in my old age! Zhang Qian said shamelessly. Qiao Mei brought over the agreement which Zhang Qian had signed back then. She pointed at the words on it and said, Its written here clearly in black and white. Stop daydreaming. Oh right! Their surname is Li now, not Zhang, Qiao Mei said with a smile. B*tch! Its all because of you! If you hadnt urged Li Gui to divorce me! I wouldnt have ended up in this state! Zhang Qian roared furiously. You should do some self-reflection and think about how you get yourself into this situation. I didnt force you to divorce my mother. Dont tell me that you have lost your memory? Back then, you were the one who insisted on divorcing my mother. You were also the one who accepted money in exchange for the children. You were also the one who kidnapped Zhang Chao and Zhang Qin! All I did was to save them from that vampires den. Whats wrong with that? Qiao Mei said. Chapter 2129: Something Else Has Happened Chapter 2129: Something Else Has Happened Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Zhang Qian turned around and looked at Zhang Cong, expecting him to chime in. However, he did not expect Zhang Cong to be like a quail, hiding in a corner and trembling, not even daring to look up. He behaved as if Qiao Mei would fry him in the pan and eat him up in the next second. This wall is not soundproof. I believe you all heard what I said to the Li family members just now. If you cant fork out 6,000 dollars, then transfer the two houses that you and your son own in the county city to my mother to pay off the debt. Otherwise, Ill send the two of you to the police station. Well pursue the issues of child abduction and domestic violence that you did in the past as well! Qiao Mei said. That house doesnt belong to me. It belongs to my parents. Its not up to me, Zhang Qian said. What has this got to do with me? Think of a solution yourself. I only want the house, Qiao Mei said. Zhang Cong mustered his courage and said, Um ?I can agree, but you have to send us back first! Only then can we transfer the house to you. Now that they were in the capital and had no relatives here, it was very difficult for them to find anyone to save them. However, things were different once they returned to the county city! His wife, Sun Yan, was a shrew! Moreover, Sun Yans in-laws were quite influential in the county city. They would definitely protect him! I wont say that they do it willingly. They were forced into a corner, Qiao Mei said objectively after thinking for a moment. Li Gui knew that Qiao Mei must have helped her take revenge. She must have been very blessed in her past life to be able to get such a daughter in this life. She looked at Qiao Meis expression and could not help but laugh out loud. She held Qiao Meis hand gently and said, Ill support you no matter what you do. Its my fault for not being vigilant enough this time. Ive learned my lesson and wont let them bully me again! Now that their lifeline is in our hands, they probably wont cause any trouble for a while, Qiao Mei said. After settling Li Gui down, Qiao Mei wanted to return to the study to study the luminous pearl and its function. Unexpectedly, Xia He rushed in from outside and said while she panted, Qiao Mei, theres some bad news. Cousin Xia Wan had been beaten up by that mistress! Qiao Mei sighed.?Was everyone feeling too fiery inside recently? It seemed that there were fights everywhere. Stay inside my house and dont go out. In the future, get your helper to come and tell me about such things. Your pregnancy isnt even stabilized yet! You need to rest well! Qiao Mei said with a frown. Im just feeling too anxious about this! Go now! Xia He said agitatedly. Alright. Qiao Mei quickly made a call to Qiane and asked her to go to Xia Fangs hospital immediately so that they could deal with this matter together. Qiao Mei took out a stack of money from the drawer and put it in her bag. After that, she drove to the hospital immediately. When she arrived, Qiane was already waiting for her at the door. Chapter 2130: Miscarriage Chapter 2130: Miscarriage Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei, um you have to be mentally prepared. Ive already asked the nurse and she said that Xia Wans situation is quite complicated. You have to keep a lid on your temper later and not get angry in front of her, Qiane said with a serious expression. What do you mean by that? Qiao Mei asked, feeling confused. I just found out that Xia Wan was actually one and a half months pregnant, but she lost the baby during the fight just now, Qiane said. Ever since Xia Wan gave birth to her daughter, she had not been in good health and her period had been quite irregular. Sometimes, it would come once a month, sometimes once every two months. She had never been too concerned about it and thought that her period was just late again this time round. She was not aware that she was pregnant. Qiao Mei held back her temper and took the elevator to head towards the VIP ward on the top floor with Qiane. At this moment, Xia Wan was still unconscious and Xia Fang was by her side. Qiao Mei, Xia Wan her life is really too hard! Xia Fang said in a choked voice. Xia Wan and Xia Fang had always been very close. When Xia Wan came to the capital to study in junior high school, she stayed at Xia Fangs house. At that time, Xia Fang and Xia Wan had also lived at the old residence together. Xia Wan liked Xia Fang since she was young and Xia Fang treated Xia Wan like her own daughter. Feng Nuos family was very poor, so Chu Kuns father would never allow Chu Kun to marry her. If she did not find someone to marry after she graduated, her family would sell her to a mute in the neighboring village. That mute had taken a fancy to her since a long time ago and she heard that he was willing to give her family a betrothal gift of 1,000 dollars! There were only a few months left until her graduation date, so she could not just sit around and wait for the worst to happen. When Chen Huang was at work, Feng Nuo had gone to Xia Wans house to force Xia Wan to leave Chen Huang. Xia Wan could not control herself and ended up giving Feng Nuo a slap. Chu Kun, who had tailed Feng Nuo, heard Feng Nuos cries from outside the door. He kicked the door open, entered the house and beat up Xia Wan. Where are they now? Qiao Mei asked as she looked at Qiane. It was a neighbor passing by who found Xia Wan. By then, Feng Nuo and Chu Kun had already run away. I have asked Chi Ze and the rest to bring a team out to look for them, Qiane said. Qiao Mei stood up to make a call to Xia Wen. It was not enough to just send out Chi Ze and the guys. When the call went through, Qiao Mei said, Eldest Brother, Cousin Xia Wan is injured. The two people who beat her up have escaped. Ill get Yao Nian to fax you a copy of the information now. How is Xia Wan now? Xia Wen asked. Shes still unconscious. Aunt says that shes not doing so well. Ive already given her our familys medicine and she should wake up by tonight. I havent told Second Uncle and Second Aunt-in-law about this yet. I dont think Cousin Xia Wan wants to let them know, Qiao Mei said cautiously. Then just inform her siblings. We wont be able to sign the forms for her even if we are at the hospital, Xia Wen said. Chapter 2131: They Are Caught Chapter 2131: They Are Caught Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios This issue did not cross Qiao Meis mind at all. After all, they were in Xia Fangs hospital. Qiao Mei assumed that Xia Fang could sign off on everything, but she had forgotten that if the patient was admitted due to a major accident, the hospital would still need the patients immediate family members to sign off the forms. Alright, Ill tell them now, Qiao Mei said. Ill be there as soon as the culprits are caught. Contact me anytime if you have any problems. Xia Wen hung up after saying that. Time passed quickly. Qiao Mei and Qiane sat quietly in the living room, waiting for Xia Wan to regain consciousness. Xia You and her other two siblings rushed to the hospital in a panic. Cousin-in-law! Wheres my sister! Hows my sister! Xia You said anxiously. Shes quite seriously injured, but Ive already given her our familys medicine. She will recover very quickly, so theres no need to worry. However, we have to be sensitive to her emotions, Qiao Mei comforted. Xia Yu and Xia Yuan stood silently by the glass pane and looked at Xia Wan. Xia You cried as she leaned against the door and stared at Xia Wan, who was lying on the hospital bed. She knew that Chen Huang and Xia Wan were having marital problems all these years, but it was Xia Wans family matter after all and she did not think that it was appropriate for her to interfere. Chen Huang looked like a gentleman. Xia You had never thought that he would do anything to hurt Xia Wan, nor did she expect Chen Huang to do such a shameful thing behind everyones back! Xia You wished that she could chop those people into pieces after they were caught! Chu Kun turned around and gave Feng Nuo a slap. He dragged her into a side alley and warned her. Dont spout nonsense and go looking for trouble! I checked before I left and she was still breathing! If youre not such a slut, I wont have to do such a thing! Feng Nuo covered her mouth and did not dare to cry out loud. She had nowhere to go now and could only listen to Chu Kun and let him do whatever he wanted. It was better to suffer at Chu Kuns hands than to be caught by the Xia family. She did not want to go to jail. She had originally wanted to convince Chen Huang to take all of Xia Wans assets and also get some money from the Xia family so that she could become a rich wife once she married him. She definitely did not expect to become an outlaw now. Lets take advantage of the fact that there is a big crowd! Lets go to the train station now! Chu Kun grabbed Feng Nuo and ran towards the train station. However, before they could enter the ticket hall, they were tackled to the ground by Xia Wens men. The people around them dispersed out of fear. Xia Wen walked up to Chu Kun slowly with a cold expression and asked coldly, Are you the one who hurt my younger cousin? Youve got the wrong person! Its not me! Chu Kun shouted as he struggled on the ground. Xia Wen took out a photo of Chu Kun and Feng Nuo from his photo, one which they had taken together in the university. He held it up and said, Youd better be obedient and tell me the truth. Its him! Its him! Hes Chu Kun! He injured Xia Wan! He even took me hostage! He did all of this! It has nothing to do with me! Im the victim! I was also beaten up by him! Look at my face! Feng Nuo shouted as she looked at Xia Wen. B*tch! What nonsense are you talking about! Chu Kun said agitatedly. Chapter 2132: Charge Them in Court Chapter 2132: Charge Them in Court Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Im not spouting nonsense! Arrest him! Dont arrest me! Feng Nuo said. When the station master of the capitals train station heard about the commotion, he rushed down from his office with his staff. He did not know who Xia Wen was, but he could recognize the uniforms worn by the men standing around Xia Wen. It was the uniform of the guard team affiliated to the military, so it was obvious that this person standing here was of extraordinary status. Oh my! What happened? Men! Lets help in the arrest! the station master said as he walked over to Xia Wen. Xia Wen took out his identification pass from his pocket and handed it to the station master. He said politely, Im really sorry to have caused a disturbance because of my family matters. I am really left with no other choice but to do this. Ill bring them away now. When the matter is settled, we will come by to apologize to you. When the station master took a closer look at Xia Wens identification pass, he got a shock. He said respectfully, Oh, youre the eldest young master of the Xia family! Why didnt you give me a call before you came! We could have detained these two people for you! If something like this happens again, you must let me know. Ill definitely help you out! Thank you very much. I wont disturb you any longer. Xia Wen turned around and said to the guard team members, Bring them with us. Xia Wen took them to Qiao Meis warehouse in the suburbs. This place was like their familys secret base and there were very few people who knew that it was Qiao Meis property. It was much more convenient to deal with people here. Xia Yuan nodded in understanding. Qiao Mei left the warehouse with Xia Wen. There were groans of pain coming from the warehouse behind them but they pretended not to hear anything. Are you going to hand them over to the police? Xia Wen asked. Huh? Eldest Brother, do you have something else in mind? The only thing I can think of is to put them in jail and make them unable to live in peace for the rest of their lives, Qiao Mei said. Although Second Uncles current rank is not high enough, Xia Wan is still Grandfathers biological granddaughter after all. I will send out an order in Grandfathers name to charge these three people in the military court. Ill make sure that they wont be able to see the sun tomorrow, Xia Wen said calmly. The life and death of three people was sealed with this casual sentence. Xia Wans baby was gone, so Chu Kun must join the child in death! Feng Nuo had destroyed a soldiers family, so she would probably be sentenced to life imprisonment. As for Chen Huang, although he did not hurt Xia Wan physically, he was the root cause of this matter. Chen Huang would definitely lose his job. Xia Wen would submit the divorce papers to the military court on behalf of Xia Wan. They would request for Chen Huang to leave the marriage with nothing and for the child to go to Xia Wan. Since Chen Huang had no way to compensate Xia Wan in full, the house which Chen Huang bought before his marriage should be transferred to Xia Wan. The house opposite Dong Hua University should also be given to Xia Wan, plus another 20,000 dollars as compensation. Given that Chen Huang was unfaithful to his wife and had an affair with Feng Nuo, this was considered taking liberties with a woman and liable for a sentence of 20 years in jail. Chapter 2133: Decide to Leave Chapter 2133: Decide to Leave Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After a long time, there was complete silence inside the warehouse. Qiane walked out and looked at Qiao Mei, saying, You can go in now. Qiao Mei was already prepared to see three people who were beaten up badly, but the scene in front of her still gave her a shock. Chu Kuns face was covered in blood and it was impossible to see where he was injured. Chen Huangs condition was not much different from Chu Kuns. One of Chen Huangs legs seemed to be twisted in an unnatural way and it looked like it was broken. Feng Nuo was not injured, but her face was filled with fear and she looked like she had gone crazy. Xia Wen looked at the scene in front of him and pursed his lips. He said, You shouldnt have entered government services. You should have gone to work with Eldest Aunt. Its a pity that you didnt go and learn interrogation skills from her. Its not too late to learn now, Xia Yuan said with a satisfied smile. Is it alright to hand them over to Zou Ming in this condition? Qiao Mei asked hesitantly. Zou Ming was already outside the door and he seemed to want to ask Xia Wen the same question. Xia Wen had informed him earlier and asked him to come over with his men. He walked over to Xia Wen and sighed helplessly. You always give me difficult problems to solve. Its not your fault. Theyre too vicious, Xia Wan said. Cousin Xia Wan, how do you feel now? Qiao Mei asked. Xia Wan could vaguely feel some discomfort in her lower abdomen. She reached out and gently massaged her lower abdomen as she asked, Did he hit me too hard and hurt my internal organs? I dont feel very comfortable in my stomach. Everyone fell silent. Xia Fang walked over to Xia Wans side and said in a gentle tone, Wan Wan, you will have a better life and you will have children again. Everyone thought that Xia Wan would be sad, but she was fine except for a tinge of regret. She said melancholically, Its good that this child is not born. The child wont want to have such a father. After eating the 1,000-year-old ginseng pill, Xia Wan recovered a lot by the next day. Her broken rib no longer hurt and she would be fine after resting at home for a few days. Xia Wan decided to take up Qiao Meis suggestion and bring her child to Country M. She wanted to try her luck in an unfamiliar place. After all, she used to be one of the best students in the finance faculty in Capital University and she firmly believed that she would be able to make a name for herself in Country M. Xia Zhe left the capital for Country M at the same time as Xia Wan and her child. However, they were booked on different flights since Xia Zhes identity still could not be exposed for the time being. Qiao Mei had already asked Gao Long to pick Xia Wan up at the airport personally. Li Guis restaurant officially opened for business and the business was quite good. Qiao Mei sat at home and thought about what to do next to pass the time. The next thing she knew, Qiane had barged into her house with the account ledgers. How long are you going to be a hands-off boss! Come and take a look at these annoying accounts from the factory! Im about to die from anger! Qiane said angrily. Chapter 2134: High-end Sales Chapter 2134: High-end Sales Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios What is the issue that even Boss Qian cant solve? Qiao Mei teased. Qiao Mei had only managed the factory for a short period of time when it was first set up. After that, it was Qiane and Li Gui who took care of the factory. Later on, Li Gui fell ill and Qiao Mei went to study in Country M. The entire factory was then left to Qiane. There were no problems for the past three years and they had been making good profits. Its still those relatives of Zhao Feis wife! Theyre still selling the goods now! They totally cant be bothered with us! Previously, they only sold popcorn, but now they even sell braised meat! Theyre trying to pick a fight! Qiane said. Qiao Mei had thought that Zhao Fei would advise Ding Xiang not to go up against the factory. She did not expect these people to be so heedless of consequences. Ive made arrangements to import many machines from Country M. Theyll be arriving at the port tomorrow. Ask Chi Ze and the others to go and pick them up, Qiao Mei said. How much money will it cost this time? Qiane asked. Probably about 600,000 dollars, Qiao Mei said. What! About 600,000 dollars! Youre really my ancestor! Do you know the actual amount of profit the factory makes in a year! You rattle off 600,000 dollars like its nothing! Where am I supposed to find this amount of money! Qiane said agitatedly. Im not using the factorys money. The business in Shen City is doing quite well. The money is coming out of the dividends they give me. Just treat it as my additional investment into our factory, Qiao Mei said calmly. Qiane hugged Qiao Mei happily and said, Oh my goodness! Youre so smart! I love you to death! No, no, no! If Xia Zhe hears what youre saying, the two of you will definitely get into a fight! Qiao Mei said. Hmph, Im not scared of him! Qiane said. Who would have thought that Qiane, who used to see Qiao Mei as her rival in love, would now become Xia Zhes rival in love? Now that the main issue is resolved, are you ready to talk to me about private matters? Qiao Mei asked. Qiane held back her laughter and said, He managed to convince his family to agree to our marriage. The two of us have already started preparing for the engagement banquet. Thats great! But do you want the Qian family members to be present? Qiao Mei asked hesitantly. Qiane immediately said, Theres no need. Ive thought about it. Ill just ask Godmother to go. Qiane addressed both Xu Lan and Li Gui as godmother. For a moment, Qiao Mei could not tell which godmother Qiane wanted to invite to attend the event. Im talking about your mother. I dont really want to ask your mother-in-law to go and make it seem like the Xia family is backing me up. I dont want to cause trouble for the Xia family, Qiane said. Chapter 2135: Engagement Banquet Chapter 2135: Engagement Banquet Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios How can it be seen as causing trouble for the Xia family? Youve helped the Xia family a lot over the years. During the time when Xia He was not around, you must have also helped out at the photo studio. The Xia familys own children are always not in the capital but youve always been there. Theyve long viewed you as their family member, Qiao Mei said. But I still feel shy about it. Ive already troubled you enough with all the things that happened back then. I feel bad to have to trouble you again when Im getting married, Qiane said embarrassedly. Were a family! During dinner later, lets bring up your engagement banquet with Han Chen for discussion, Qiao Mei said. Alright, Ill do as you say, Qiane said. Qiane took the account ledgers back to the factory to make some work arrangements while Qiao Mei contacted everyone and asked them to come to her house for dinner. Today was a rare day when Xia Mao was around, though Qiane did not quite dare to look him in the face. She always felt that Xia Mao was very stern, unsmiling and not easy to talk to. Qiane tugged at Qiao Meis sleeve nervously and whispered, I Maybe lets not talk about it No! This is about your marriage! Dont worry, they will listen to what you say. Qiao Mei patted Qiane on the hand to reassure her. The family finished the meal happily. The engagement date was fixed for three days later and the Han family was in charge of the arrangements for the entire event. The Xia family only needed to wait for the details. Qiao Mei went to the storeroom and spent a long time inside, but she was unable to decide on an engagement gift for Qiane. She felt that it would be best if she could give an item that came in a pair. In the end, she decided to give Qiane a pair of jade pendants with dragons and phoenixes engraved on them. She hoped that they would have a blissful life in the future. It was said that when people got married in the past, they would light a pair of red candles with dragons and phoenixes carved on them in the new house for a day and a night. The gesture was to ensure that the new couple would have a life of bliss and harmony. Such red candles could no longer be bought off the shelf and one had to find an old craftsman to make them. During the past few years, Li Gui had met an old master by chance. She asked the old master for help and he agreed to work overtime to make the candles for her. They came to an agreement on the price quickly. Over the past few days, Xu Lan and Li Gui had also been going around to look for a suitable gift for Han Chen. The two of them went out to shop every day and it looked as if they were going to buy everything in the entire capital! On the day of the engagement banquet, the Han family sent cars to pick up the Xia family members to the restaurant. However, although there were supposed to be four cars, only three cars arrived. Whats going on? I thought we said four cars. Why is there one car missing? Qiane asked the driver of the first car. Miss Qian, were just following the Han familys orders. They only told us to send three cars, the driver said. Qiane was about to continue asking when Qiao Mei grabbed her hand and whispered, Let Father and Mother and the rest go in the cars sent by the Han family. Ill drive my own car and go with Xia You. Its a joyous occasion today. Lets ensure that everything goes smoothly. Chapter 2136: Vegetarian Banquet Chapter 2136: Vegetarian BanquetP?ease reading n ?XNOVEL.M Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiane said angrily, The Han family is just making things difficult for us!UppTodated from no?/v/e/lb(i)n.c(o)/m When you organize a big event, its not uncommon to overlook one or two things. Whatever it is, we can talk about it later, Qiao Mei said. Alright Ill take your advice, Qiane said after taking a deep breath. Not everyone in the Xia family went to the banquet. Apart from Xu Lan, Li Gui and Xia Mao who must attend, among the younger generation, there were only Xia Wen, Xia You and Xia Yus wife, Yun Lan. Xia Hes pregnancy had not reached the three-month mark. Her condition was not stabilized yet, so Xu Lan did not allow her to leave the house and she had to give the engagement banquet a miss. However, she had already sent her gift to Qiane very early on. It was a pair of red pillows with the word for happiness embroidered in gold thread. Xia He had specially found 10 elderly couples who were more than 100 years old to sew one stitch each on the pillow. This gift contained her best wishes for Qiane and Han Chen to grow old together. The restaurant which the Han family chose was quite a grand venue which was listed among the top 10 restaurants in the capital. Xu Lan looked at the tables of random restaurant customers on the first floor and felt a little annoyed. She asked disdainfully, Is the Han family not doing so well over these past few years? They cant even afford to book the entire place for such a big event. Han Chens secretary, Xiao Kai, said with a smile, Its not like that. Our young master has booked the entire second floor. Please follow me to the second floor. Han Chens mother, Du Juan, warmly welcomed the Xia family members to their seats. Xu Lan and Li Gui did not smile at the Han family members and kept a cold expression on their faces the entire time. Qiane and Han Chen returned to the private room. Xiao Kai walked over to Han Chen and asked, Do you want the dishes to be served now? Yes, lets do it, Han Chen said. Mr Xia, Mrs Xia, its been a long time since we last met. We havent seen each other since your old masters 80th birthday, Du Juan said. Is that so? I dont really remember this, Xu Lan said coldly. Xia Mao did not say anything. Du Juan did not seem to feel awkward at all and continued to talk about the shared past between the Han family and the Xia family. Everyone just listened to her rattle on and Xu Lan would occasionally respond to her. When all the dishes were served, Xia You frowned and asked, Why is it all vegetarian dishes? Oh! I forgot to tell everyone! My husband, Han Kuo, encountered a big storm when he traveled by sea during a recent business trip. Its only with the blessing from the heavens that he managed to come home safely! From then on, our family has abstained from killing lives! Thats why we dont eat meat anymore, Du Juan said. Mother! Han Chen shouted angrily. Du Juan looked at Han Chen earnestly and said, This is how it has always been! Have you forgotten? Chapter 2137: Marriage Alliance with the Zhou Family Chapter 2137: Marriage Alliance with the Zhou FamilyP?ease reading n ?XNOVEL.M Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The thing was that it would not matter even if they wanted to serve a full vegetarian banquet. A good chef would be able to make delicious food out of the most ordinary ingredients. Qiao Mei had previously tasted a dish called Mock Abalone. The ingredients were all vegetables, but it tasted exactly like abalone. However, the dishes in front of them looked worse than boiled cabbages! Xu Lan did not look too happy. This was the first time in so many years that someone did not bother to show her any respect. In the entire capital, even when the late Mrs. He was still alive, she did not dare to give Xu Lan such treatment. Xu Lan did not expect that after all these years, there were people who were arrogant enough to disrespect her. Why isnt everyone eating? Dig in! Otherwise the food will get cold, Du Juan said anxiously. Li Gui stepped out of the room and went to the reception area to make a phone call. In order to ensure that the engagement banquet went on without a hitch, she had made a backup plan and told Molly to prepare a lot of ingredients on standby. She did not expect it to really come in handy. I dont have much of an appetite. Im not eating here anymore. Take your time to enjoy your meal. Qiane, lets go. Xu Lan held Xia Maos arm and left the private room, feeling furious. Xia You felt like flipping the table to vent her anger, but if she did that, people would say that the Xia family had ill-bred children. Xia You pointed at all the boiled cabbages on the table and said, Young Master Han, take your time and enjoy your meal! I hope you have the best time of your life! The entire Xia family is just full of soldiers. Its just that the Xia family has managed to make some money in the past few years! How capable can they be! The only addition to the family is a villager daughter-in-law who knows how to farm. Do they really think theyre worth a lot of money! Du Juan said disdainfully. Han Chen did not want to waste his breath on Du Juan anymore. He knew very well that the Han family was finished and so was he. In less than a week, Qiao Mei would annex all of the Han Corporations businesses. It would be considered benevolent of Qiao Mei if she did not force them to shoulder all the debts. Looking at the extent of the Xia familys businesses, even if the He family was still at its peak now, they would think twice before targeting the Xia family. The Han familys business was not even as big as one of Qiao Meis subsidiary companies! Elder Brother, I dont like that woman you want to marry. My sister-in-law can only be Sister Zhou from the Zhou family! Han Lin said rudely. The Zhou family? Do you think the Zhou family will still exist in a weeks time? Han Chen said sarcastically. What do you mean? Du Juan looked at Han Chen in puzzlement. Do you know whos the boss of the largest transportation company in the country? Its Xia You! The person who told us to enjoy our meal just now! Do you know whos the boss of the largest biological company, real estate company and food factory in the country? Its that village girl you look down on! Han Chen said. What! How can it be them! Du Juan said as she looked at Han Chen in shock. Thats not all! The most acclaimed architect in the country now is Xia Hes husband! The largest photo studio chain in the capital is also under Xia Hes name! Then there are the businesses overseas! Han Chen said. Chapter 2138: Barge into the Zhou Family’s House Chapter 2138: Barge into the Zhou Familys House Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Finnd new chapters at novelhall.com How ?how is this possible? How can the Xia family have businesses overseas? Given their status, the government wont allow them to do that! Du Juan said agitatedly. Yes, they cant do business overseas, but their relatives can. Do you know the background of Qiao Meis maternal family? Qiao Meis grandmother was a member of the famous Gao family in Hu City! That Gao family who were among the first people to go overseas! Han Chen roared. Du Juan collapsed into the chair. Everyone knew of the Gao family. That was the richest family in the country decades ago. If not for the fact that the Gao family left Hu City to go overseas, the He family would not have been able to take advantage of those chaotic times and grasp the business opportunities to get rich. At that time, no one had even heard of the He family! She had actually wanted to find out about the owners behind all these businesses, but she could not find the details no matter how she tried. As time passed, she did not follow up on the matter and had never once thought that these businesses could be related to the Xia family. What she did not know was that the most capable private investigator in the country was working for the Xia family. Yao Nian was like an owl released by the Xia family. He went around collecting information, but he also made sure that no one could find any information about the Xia family. Then ?then will they take revenge on us? Han Lin said fearfully. I just need one minute! I have a very urgent matter! Please relay this message to her, Du Juan said. Im really sorry, Mrs. Han. Our Madam is really very busy and doesnt have time to take your call. I have to go and attend to my work. Goodbye. With that, the Zhou family butler hung up the phone. It was already late today and Du Juan could not go to Mrs. Zhous house to ask to have a chat. She could only leave things at that for now. Tomorrow morning, she must see Mrs. Zhou and get Mrs. Zhous help no matter what. Otherwise, the Han family would really be in trouble. Early the next morning, Du Juan asked Xiao Kai to drive her to the Zhou familys house. The Zhou familys villa was bustling with activity and the living hall on the first floor was filled with people. Mrs. Zhou was playing mahjong with a group of people! Open the door! I want to see Mrs. Zhou! Du Juan shouted from the door. The Zhou familys butler came out and said, Mrs. Han, the family is hosting some esteemed guests today and its not convenient for our Madam to meet you. You should go back. When our Madam is free, she will definitely invite you over. Mrs. Zhou and I are good friends. There are no gatherings that I cant attend! I have to see her today! Move aside! Du Juan made a move to barge into the house after saying that. Xiao Kai rushed forward to restrain the butler and Du Juan successfully made her way into the Zhou familys villa. When the people inside heard the commotion, they all turned to stare at the main door. Du Juan stood at the edge of the living hall in shock. She did not expect the esteemed guests whom Mrs. Zhou was hosting to be from the Xia family! Chapter 2139: In-laws Chapter 2139: In-laws Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Oh! Isnt this Mrs. Han? We just met last night. How can it be so coincidental that we run into one another here again? Xia You said sarcastically. Oh, youve met before. I thought that you dont know one another! Zhou Jin said. You ?Why are you here? Du Juan asked in surprise. Qiao Mei leaned back on the sofa and said casually, Because the Zhou family and our Xia family are about to become in-laws! What! Impossible! You must be lying to me! Du Juan said in shock. Why would we lie to you? Auntie Zhous eldest daughter, Zhou Xi, is my younger brothers girlfriend. The two of them have been dating since their university days, Xia You said. The supposed marriage between Han Chen and the Zhou familys daughter was actually a joke that Han Kuo and Zhou Duo had made when having drinks. Who would decide on the childrens marriage in such a hasty manner? Only a person like Han Kuo would take things mentioned at a drinking session so seriously. Alright, then well do it that way. Ill take over their businesses and you can buy their office building, Qiao Mei said. No problem! Xia You said happily. When they talked about acquiring the Han Corporation, they looked very relaxed, as if they were talking about buying a cabbage by the roadside. Du Juan returned to her own house dejectedly from the Zhou familys house. She rushed around crazily and put all her jewelry into a box. She had decided to run away! The Han family still had so much debt! She did not want to have to bear such huge debts for the rest of her life! Han Kuo had already transferred all the cash out of the companys account. The entire company was now only an empty shell! In order to shirk the responsibility, the two of them had long changed the legal representative of the company to Han Chen. If the company made money, it would go to them. However, if there were any losses, it would be Han Chens debt and had nothing to do with them. Elder Brother, Mother and Father have already left. Why arent you leaving yet? Han Lin sat on the stairs and looked at Han Chen aggrievedly. Elder Brother is not leaving. I have to stay behind to deal with these things, Han Chen said gently. Have our parents abandoned us? Han Lin asked fearfully. Han Lin had been pampered since she was young and she grew up to be a very arrogant girl. However, she was still just a 15-year-old girl after all and did not know anything about the internal strife in her family. Chapter 2140: The Han Corporation Goes Bankrupt Chapter 2140: The Han Corporation Goes Bankrupt Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios At the end of the day, Han Lin was still his younger sister and his family member. It was his responsibility to take care of her. Han Chen sat on the stairs and took a deep breath before saying, Lin Lin, this company will soon change ownership. Elder Brother will also have to go out to look for work in the future. If you dont mind that my financial situation wont be as good as in the past, then come and live with me. How did it become like this! Its all your fault! Its all your fault for insisting on marrying that woman! If not for you, this wont have happened to my family! Youre the sinner in my family! Han Lin roared angrily at Han Chen. Han Chen frowned and said, Lin Lin, speak nicely! Its all your fault! Youre not my biological brother at all! My parents brought you home from outside! Youre not part of our family at all! Why did you take away my things! Youve even chased my parents away! I dont ever want to see you again! I hate you! Han Lin ran out after saying that. Han Lin had money of her own and knew the way to her grandparents house. Han Chen knew that he did not have to worry about her safety. He was more shocked by what she had just said. He had never thought that he was not Du Juans biological son. He did not have any memories of his childhood at all. After being married for a long time, Du Juan and Han Kuo came across a small cardboard box by the trash can when they were on holiday. They could hear faint cries coming from inside the box. Du Juan thought that it was an abandoned kitten or puppy, but when she went closer, she realized that it was an extremely weak baby. Han Kuo could not bear to see the baby die in such a manner, so the two of them decided to adopt him and name him Han Chen. Neither of them told anyone about this until Han Lin was born. After that, Han Chens status in the family plummeted and he was treated worse than the Han familys pet dog. You fainted in the Han familys house. I cant leave you in the lurch, so I have brought you to my house. Dont misunderstand, youre currently in my grandfathers courtyard, Qiao Mei said. Thank you Han Chen thought for a moment and then said, I hope you wont tell Qiane about what happened to me. Qiao Mei looked at Han Chen curiously. By right, given that Han Chen had grown up in such a conniving family, he should be more scheming than ordinary people. Any other person would want to take this opportunity to curry favor with Qiane and gain her sympathy. Qiao Mei was really surprised to hear that Han Chen did not want to see Qiane now. Why? Qiao Mei asked. How how can I still be shameless enough to want to see her in this state? I dont want to cause her any trouble either. I hope that from now on, I can disappear from her sight and let her completely forget about me, Han Chen said sadly. Alright, I promise you, Qiao Mei said. Qiane had locked herself up in a room at Xu Lans house for the past few days. She did not know if she should hate Han Chen or not. The Xia family had been humiliated because of her. It was all her fault. Chapter 2141: All the Best Chapter 2141: All the Best Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xu Lans heart ached when she saw how unhappy Qiane was. She had tried to counsel Qiane many times but to no avail. Qiane blamed herself for everything. If this continued, Qiane would regress to the state she was in when she first lost her child! Mei Mei, Im so anxious! Quickly think of a way! If this continues, her health will suffer! Xu Lan said anxiously. Qiao Mei looked at Qiane, who was lying down moodily in the room, and comforted Xu Lan. Dont worry, shes fine. She has survived so many big storms. She wont take things too hard because of such a small matter. Really? But Im really worried about her. Go and talk to her! Xu Lan said. Qiao Mei brought some strawberries which were harvested from the greenhouse by the river into the bedroom. When Qiane heard the sound, she looked up. When she saw that it was Qiao Mei, she lay back down. I have brought you some newly harvested strawberries. Try them. Im thinking about making strawberry jam using the deformed strawberries, Qiao Mei said. Qiane sighed and said, In my current state, I dont have the energy to go out and make money. Xia You and I have successfully acquired the Han Corporation. Dont you want to know where Han Chen is now? Qiao Mei asked. Xiaoe! Why why are you here to see me? Han Chen said, feeling both happy and apologetic. Qiane did not answer Han Chens question. She walked into the room and sat down opposite him. After thinking for a while, she said, The Han Corporation is gone. What do you plan to do in the future? Pay off the debts. My parents owe a lot of debts. Im the legal representative, so its all on me now, Han Chen said. Qiane looked into Han Chens eyes. She could see too many emotions in those eyes, including love, guilt, dejection and so on. However, she was already unable to love him back. There were too many ill feelings in her heart. Whenever she thought about forgiving Han Chen, she would remember what Du Juan had done to the Xia family that day. Alright, then I wish you all the best, Qiane said with a smile. Same to you, Han Chen replied with a smile. Life went back on track. Qiane returned to the factory and started learning about how the new machines work. She implemented all the work processes that Qiao Mei had suggested and also asked for Xia Wens help to register the patent and brand name of the factorys products. The goods belonging to Ding Xiang and her relatives were confiscated by the government and they ended up making a huge loss! Xu Lan also started to seriously look for a suitable partner for Li Gui. She collected all the information on the suitable candidates and bound them into a booklet so that it would be easier for Li Gui and Qiao Mei to choose. Mei Mei, there are quite a number of eligible men, but there are only three who meet all the requirements. Our full criteria is actually very basic, but its so difficult to find a person who meets all of them. Either the mans mother has a bad character or he has too many siblings. Sigh, its really difficult! See if there are any suitable candidates here. Lets cross out the unsuitable ones first, Xu Lan said. No worries. Lets take our time, Qiao Mei said. Chapter 2142: Blind date Chapter 2142: Blind date Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei flipped to one of the pages. The details listed looked quite acceptable. This mans name was Xu Ba and he was 48 years old this year. His wife passed away 15 years ago due to illness and he had never remarried. He had two sons and a daughter. The eldest son was already working and was an accountant at a factory. The second son and youngest daughter were currently studying at Capital University. Mother, do you know this person? Qiao Mei asked as she pointed at Xu Bas photo. I remember him! This person is not too bad. Hes a district mayor now. He comes from a scholarly family and I heard that he even had ancestors who were top scholars! Ive met his mother before and shes quite easy-going. However, you have to know that being a mother-in-law and being a mother are two different things. Its hard to say if she looks decent in front of people but does bad things behind closed doors! Xu Lan said. Xu Lan seemed to have completely forgotten that she was also a mother-in-law herself. However, her conscience was clear when it came to Qiao Mei. She was nicer to Qiao Mei than her own three children! I feel that she can try interacting with this person first, Qiao Mei said in satisfaction. Alright, then Ill arrange for him to meet your mother and have a chat, Xu Lan said happily. Lets not do a formal session yet! My mother isnt used to such things and will feel very awkward. You can give him my mothers photo and information. If hes interested in her, then he can go to her restaurant for a meal. The two of them can take a look at each other first, Qiao Mei said. Youre still the more thoughtful one! Ill go and do it now! After saying that, Xu Lan went to contact Xu Ba. Xu Ba nodded and said, I have read everything. Im a person who places more value on fate. Everything is negotiable except for fate. Then Ill get my mother to come and meet you. Qiao Mei left the private room with Xu Lan. She went downstairs to look for Li Gui and said, The guest in the private room on the second floor wants to order food but Molly is very busy. You should go and take a look. Alright, Ill go now. Li Gui hurriedly ran upstairs with the menu. The moment Li Gui opened the door, Xu Ba was so mesmerized by Li Guis looks that he could not take his eyes off her. He had already seen Li Guis photo, but it was nothing compared with seeing her in person. It was stated in the information that Li Gui was already in her 40s this year, but she looked like she was only in her early 30s. These were still not the main points. Xu Ba was completely drawn to Li Guis temperament. He found her gentle yet cheerful demeanor to be very attractive! Sir, what would you like to order? Li Gui asked in a gentle tone. Xu Ba looked at Li Gui earnestly and said, A pot of tea and some dimsum will do. Alright, please wait a moment. Li Gui closed the menu and left the private room. Qiao Mei and Xu Lan blocked Li Gui outside and asked, How is it? What do you mean? He says that he wants tea. I have to go down and make tea! Li Gui said as she looked at them confusedly. Were not asking about this! What I mean is, what do you think of him? Xu Lan asked anxiously.UppTodated from Chapter 2143: Try to Spend Some Time Together Chapter 2143: Try to Spend Some Time Together Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Li Gui immediately understood that the person in the private room was the subject of a blind date set up by Xu Lan and Qiao Mei! She had thought that they were joking when they said that they wanted to arrange a blind date for her. She did not expect them to be serious about it! Seriously! Im already so old, why would I want to go on a blind date! Li Gui said embarrassedly with a red face. Just tell us! Are you pleased with what you see! If you dont like him, Ill find another person for you! Xu Lan said excitedly. I didnt take a close look! From his demeanor, he seems like someone in a leadership position! Why will he find me attractive! Li Gui said, with a feeling of inferiority. Youre the ones choosing the man now! We dont even want to consider those average ones for you! Xu Lan said. Li Gui thought about it and came to a realization that she was indeed a different person from before. With her current net worth and prestige, coupled with how influential Qiao Mei and the Xia family were in the capital, she could easily match the status of any wealthy family in the capital. Hurry up and tell us if you like him or not! Xu Lan urged. Li Gui covered her face and said shyly, No, no! I dont like anything! Im going back to work! Do you intend to see her again? Xu Lan asked, pleasantly surprised. Of course, Xu Ba said. Then wait for news from me! Ill try my best to help you ask her out! After saying that, Xu Lan left with Li Gui. She kept pestering Li Gui and insisted on them sharing the same bedroom tonight. In the end, Li Gui promised Xu Lan that she would try to get to know Xu Ba better first. After that, she would consider if she wanted to date him. In the afternoon the next day, Xu Ba drove to the place where he let them off last night and waited for Li Gui. She had made the effort to dress up. She walked over to Xu Ba, wearing a white floral dress and a brown woolen coat. Xu Ba looked dazed as he stared at Li Gui admiringly for a long time. Do I look weird? Li Gui asked embarrassedly. No, this outfit suits you very well. After saying that, Xu Ba invited Li Gui to get into the car. The two of them went out together for a few hours and Xu Ba sent Li Gui to the restaurant at 5 p.m. When Li Gui came back, she looked very happy. Qiao Mei nodded with satisfaction. It seemed that this man was able to bring joy to Li Gui. After that day, Xu Ba would pick Li Gui up at noon every day and send her back before 6 p.m. Sometimes, they would go for a walk in the park, sometimes to the opera house and occasionally to the movies. Anyway, there were many different things they could do on their dates and Li Gui started to smile more and more each day. Her outlook in life became more and more positive. She even looked a few years younger than before! After the two of them dated for one week, they started to hear a lot of gossip in the alley. People started recounting all the things which happened to Li Gui in the past. They even said that when Li Gui was held captive in the Zhao Family Village, Zhao Liu had taken advantage of her! Chapter 2144: I Want to Protect You Chapter 2144: I Want to Protect You Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Li Gui knew that this was happening because there were some despicable people who could not bear to see her doing well and were deliberately slandering her. The problem was that those people did not tell lies, but propagated half-truths. All those things had indeed happened, but not as badly as they made it out to be. However, if she stepped forward to explain herself, it would only make things worse. For the next few days, Li Gui rejected Xu Ba and did not accept any invitations from him. It was not until Xu Ba came looking for her three days in a row that Li Gui opened the door for him. Even then, she did not dare to look him in the face. The weather is very good today. I hear that there are many colorful lights in the park in the south. Lets go there and take a look, Xu Ba said in a gentle tone. Im sorry, but lets not contact each other in the future. Were not suitable for each other, Li Gui said. Are you rejecting me because of the recent gossip? Xu Ba asked. Li Gui looked at Xu Ba in surprise. She did not expect him to ask her this question so directly. At the same time, she was also curious about how he had heard the gossip and about how much he knew. Xu Ba seemed to sense Li Guis confusion and explained, On the first day when I came to pick you up, someone had already told me about all these things. I know everything. This was the second time Xu Ba met Qiao Mei. They only saw each other briefly the last time. At that time, he felt that those rumors about Qiao Mei were not without reason and must be true. In fact, those rumors did not manage to describe her to the fullest. Qiao Meis beauty, intelligence and capability were all more intense than what those people could imagine. Sure. After saying that, Xu Ba followed Qiao Mei into the courtyard. The Xu familys old residence was a little bigger than Qiao Meis siheyuan courtyard house. After all, this was a family whose ancestors were top scholars and they had been quite well-to-do. However, when it came to Xu Bas generation, there was only one house left. The houses structure and fitout had already aged drastically and it was far from being as exquisite as Qiao Meis house. Qiao Mei respected Xu Ba very much and did not just offer him a seat in the backyard. She brought Xu Ba all the way to the study in the front part of the house to sit down for a discussion. Along the way, Xu Ba caught sight of many antiques and he could tell at a glance that these were all made by famous masters. It was not until he entered Qiao Meis study that he realized that the things outside were actually worthless in Qiao Meis eyes. The real good stuff was all in this room! This vase was made by a famous master and has been around for more than 600 years. I wouldnt have expected you to keep it in such a pristine condition, Xu Ba said as he looked at the porcelain vase on Qiao Meis bookshelf. I didnt expect Mr. Xu to be so knowledgeable about such things, Qiao Mei said with a smile. Chapter 2145: Murdering Someone’s Parents Chapter 2145: Murdering Someones Parents Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios This vase is part of a pair. The other one is in my familys storeroom. If you want, I can sell you the other vase, Xu Ba said with a smile as he sat opposite Qiao Mei. Sell? I thought you would give it to me, Qiao Mei said. If I give you such a gift at this moment, it will inevitably make you think that Im trying to please you. If you really cherish such items, you will definitely be willing to buy it, Xu Ba said. Qiao Mei nodded in satisfaction. Xu Ba was indeed very good at reading people. She had also been thinking about this matter just now. If Xu Ba had said that he wanted to give the vase to Qiao Mei, then his relationship with Li Gui would have to end here. There were too many people in this world who wanted to curry favor with her in order to get something from her. Some people did it for money, some did it for their future livelihood and others did it to ride on her influence. No matter what the reason was, Qiao Mei hated this type of people very much. Xu Ba was different. He did not seem to be interested in the Xia family or Qiao Mei and looked like he was purely wooing Li Gui. Then again, it had only been a few days and it was very hard to tell what was going on in a persons mind. Qiao Mei was still a little wary of Xu Ba. I wonder what Mr. Xu likes about my mother? Qiao Mei asked. Qiao Mei shook her head and said, Thats not enough. I can also make sure that they will no longer have the ability to support their families and force them to leave the capital, Xu Ba added. Qiao Mei shook her head again and said, Its still not enough. Xu Ba looked at Qiao Mei in shock. The older generation had a saying, Cutting off ones source of income is like killing ones parents. He had already gone so far, but Qiao Mei was still not satisfied. Could it be that Qiao Mei wanted their lives? Qiao Mei could guess what Xu Ba was thinking. She smiled and said, Im not thinking of something heinous. I dont want their lives. I just want their entire extended family to go to jail for a few years. Its best if they wont be able to come out again. When Xu Ba first saw Qiao Mei, he thought that she had a mild personality. He definitely did not expect her to be so vicious and shrewish. She was worlds apart from Li Gui. You are really different from your mother in this aspect, Xu Ba said. Is that so? Qiao Mei said nonchalantly. The Qiao Mei who had a similar character to Li Gui had long died in Foshan Village. If she was not shrewish enough, Li Gui would still be bullied in that small county city and remained that way for the rest of her life. Her four younger siblings would not have any future and her grandfather would not be able to live for so long. Theres no other meaning in my words. Youre good the way you are, Xu Ba said sincerely. Chapter 2146: Take Down a Notch Chapter 2146: Take Down a Notch Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei told Xu Ba about her plan and Xu Bas opinion of Qiao Mei changed again. This woman in front of him was very ruthless and definitely not someone to be trifled with. By right, Qiao Mei need not go to such lengths for such an issue. By coming up with such a plan and telling Xu Ba about it, it was meant to be a deliberate warning. She wanted him to know how far she could go. If he dared to let Li Gui down in the future, his ending would not be as simple as being sent to jail. I wonder if you can do what Im saying? Qiao Mei asked. Yes, wait for my news. After saying that, Xu Ba went back to make arrangements. Up until now, Qiao Mei had been quite satisfied with Xu Bas performance. Just now, she was also testing if Xu Ba would be on their side. Some people might just flatter them on the surface, but did not sincerely agree with what they did. Only if he was willing to be involved could Qiao Mei be sure of his sincerity. If she kept someone who was not like-minded by her side, there was bound to be trouble in the future. Recently, Qiane had made it difficult for Ding Xiang and the others to do business. There were also customers who had come to Ding Xiang for compensation. Ding Xiang still had two babies at home to feed, so she needed to continue with the business in order to earn money. It did not matter to her even if she had to move to a different spot every day. Business? Their familys business reputation was so bad now, but there were still people who wanted to do business with them? Oh! Thats my next-door neighbor. You can tell me what you need. They are not around now and they also dont usually answer the phone. Ill tell them when they come back, Ding Xiang said with a smile. The man told Ding Xiang about what he wanted and hung up the phone after that. Ding Xiang held on to the phone and was in a daze for a long time. She hugged her notebook excitedly and shouted, Zhao Fei! Zhao Fei, come quickly! Our family is going to be rich! Whats making you so excited? Zhao Fei asked curiously. Do you know what the person who called just now said? He wants to work with us to set up a factory! He will pay for everything and we just need to provide the manpower. We will even get 20% of the profits! Ding Xiang said excitedly. How can there be such a good thing? Maybe hes a scammer! Zhao Fei said warily. Pfft, pfft, pfft! Youre such a jinx! If you talk nonsense again, Ill rip your tongue out! Ding Xiang said angrily. Zhao Fei did not say anything else. Nowadays, Ding Xiang did not allow him to interfere in the familys business. Ding Xiang was the one who made all the decisions. He was currently working part-time elsewhere, doing manual labor to supplement the family income. That man said that his name was Zou Cheng and that he was a merchant from another city. He wanted to start his own factory in the capital, but he only had money and no skills. This was why he had come to look for Ding Xiang and her family. Chapter 2147: Send to Prison Chapter 2147: Send to Prison Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Zou Cheng was willing to invest one million dollars for Ding Xiang to set up the factory. He just needed her to invest 100,000 dollars to buy the raw materials. Zou Cheng would be the one who funded the machinery and the site, but he would leave the business decisions to Ding Xiang and she could do whatever business she wanted. Ne/w novel chapters are published at novelhall.com Ding Xiang started to go from house to house to borrow money. Qiane had already caused them to incur a lot of losses some time ago and they even had to pump in their own money! Her own family did not have much savings anymore. In order to pay compensation to the customers, Ding Xiang had sold the familys new house at a low price. 100,000 dollars is a lot of money. We dont have that much money. Why cant we just do a small business? Zhao Fei said with a frown. Do you know how much Boss Zou is investing! One million dollars! Can you even imagine it? One million! I dont even dare to dream about having one million dollars. He is willing to help us earn money and he just needs us to fork out 100,000 dollars. How can we miss out on such a good opportunity? Ding Xiang said excitedly. Hes a scammer! You shouldnt believe what he says! Zhao Fei had a nagging feeling that it was impossible for something to fall into their lap like this. There must be something fishy going on. Ding Xiang did not care about Zhao Feis opinion at all. She always went ahead with whatever she had decided. Ding Xiang gathered all the Zhao family members to discuss the matter of raising money. How do you know that she will definitely do this? Xu Ba asked curiously. Ding Xiang is a very domineering person. She has been snatching things from others since she was young and always thinks that she must have what others have. Those rotten people wont be able to come up with any good ideas. None of them are educated and theres nothing in their heads, so she will definitely just plagiarize whatever I have in my factory, Qiao Mei said. Not long after, Ding Xiangs factory was reported for selling counterfeit products and was arrested for plagiarizing other brands. The amount of money involved was as high as 10 million dollars! Everyone involved was arrested and Zhao Fei only avoided this disaster because he did not participate in it. Zhao Fei arrived at Qiao Meis house with a heavy package. Coincidentally, Qiao Mei was discussing this matter with Xu Ba at that moment. Xu Kang stood at the door, not knowing if she should tell Qiao Mei. Whats wrong? Qiao Mei asked as she looked at Xu Kang standing at the door. Xu Kang looked at Xu Ba and appeared to find it difficult to speak up. After all, this was the familys private matter. Qiao Mei waved her hand and said, Its fine. Were all on the same side. Just say it. Zhao Fei is here. Hes standing outside the door with something in his hands. He wants to see you, Xu Kang said. Bring him in then, Qiao Mei said. Chapter 2148: Dig for Treasure Chapter 2148: Dig for Treasure Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Zhao Fei walked up to Qiao Mei with an apologetic look. He did not really know how to raise the issue with Qiao Mei. It was something too embarrassing and people might even say that he was shameless for trying! In the end, he mustered his courage and said, Qiao Mei ?do you think you can let Ding Xiang off? I can do anything you want! Qiao Mei stared at Zhao Fei for a long while and sighed. She had known Zhao Fei for a long time and had witnessed how he gradually changed from a high-spirited young man to his current dispirited self. You still want to save her despite how she treats you? Qiao Mei asked. Sigh ?Were a married couple and I have to stick with her for better or for worse. No matter what she has done, shes still the mother of my two children. She doesnt illtreat my children in any way and I dont want my children to be without their mother, Zhao Fei said. Qiao Mei could understand how Zhao Fei felt, but there was no way that she could just forgive and forget. Her mother had been harmed by the actions taken by the Ding Xiang and the Zhao family members. She could not just forgive them out of pity for him. What I can do is not to make things difficult for her and let her live a normal life in prison, but if you want me not to pursue the matter at all, then thats something I cant do, Qiao Mei said frankly. Qiao Mei had to focus on her own things. She had heard that the Du familys relatives were preparing to sell the old residence in order to pay off the familys debt. She had not had time to dig up the treasures at the Du familys old residence yet. If she did not do it now, it would be too late once the Du familys relatives started to divide up the familys remaining assets. That old house was in a very dilapidated state and Qiao Mei did not want to buy the land since she had no use for it. She only wanted the treasures buried underground. It seemed that the Du familys relatives also knew that there was good stuff underneath the old house, so she had to get those things out before these people did. Qiao Mei took her tools and drove to the Du familys old residence when it was dark to dig out all the treasures. She then placed stones into the boxes and locked them back up. She wondered how the Du familys relatives would react when they found out what was inside the boxes after putting in the effort to move all the boxes home! After a long and tedious process, Qiao Mei returned home with a full load of treasures. She hummed a tune as she parked the car at the entrance of the house. Just as she was about to go into the house, she bumped into Xia Wen, who had been waiting for her for a long time. Qiao Mei looked at Xia Wen guiltily and said, Um ?Eldest Brother, why are you here? Have you had your dinner? Its already midnight. Dinner? Do you mean supper? Where did you go so late at night? Xia Wen looked at the parked car behind Qiao Mei. The tires were covered in mud and the trunk was filled with treasures. Even a fool would know what Qiao Mei had been up to. I ?I went for a joyride! I went to admire the moon tonight! Qiao Mei looked up at the sky and then realized that there was no sign of the moon at all. She could not think of any other excuse and could only say frankly, I went to the Du familys house to look for treasures ?Eldest Brother, can you just give me a light punishment? Its cold out here. Come in first, Xia Wen said sternly. He was actually worried about Qiao Mei going to the Du familys house to dig for treasures on such a cold day, but he still went ahead and scolded her for always doing things without discussing it with her family first. Chapter 2149: Having an Affair Chapter 2149: Having an Affair Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei did not dare to make any sound as she followed closely behind Xia Wen. He sat on a chair at the side of the living room and looked at her. By right, given this was her house, she should take the master seat opposite the main door. However, in the current situation, she did not have the guts to sit there at all. Alright, just sit down. Im not an evil ghoul. Why are you so afraid? Xia Wen said in a slightly milder tone. Youre probably more terrifying than an evil ghoul Qiao Mei muttered to herself. What did you say? Xia Wen asked. Nothing! I didnt say anything! Qiao Mei said quickly. Qiao Mei sat down on the master seat in fear and trepidation, waiting for Xia Wen to speak. He looked at her hands and asked, How did you get all these things out yourself? I found a few experts! They have the same skills as our ex-third aunt-in-law. Their ancestors were tomb raiders! Thats why they are able to find all the things that the Du family hid in the old house. I just went to pick up the items. Im not the one who dug those things up! Qiao Mei said with a guilty conscience. Xia Wen was aware that Qiao Mei knew many experts. Even if Qiao Mei did not know them herself, Yao Nian would also be able to help Qiao Mei gather these people. He knew how capable Yao Nian was. Moreover, based on the amount of time she took, she could not have done it on her own. I know, Qiao Mei said. The next day during the day, Qiao Mei stayed inside the warehouse for an entire day! She wanted to make a list of all the items she had in the house. There were too many things now and they needed to be sorted out and stored carefully. If she was not careful, these items might get damaged and the value would drop greatly! If there was really no other way, she would renovate one of her siheyuan courtyard houses and make it into a store for these treasures. She could then hire a few bodyguards to guard the various rooms. It was something she could well afford to do. Now that all the family members lived near to one another, they found it troublesome for each family to cook their meals separately. Moreover, the men often went out to socialize or had to work overtime, so they did not come home for meals often. The women could not be bothered to cook at their own homes and decided to gather together to have their meals together. Qiao Mei bought an even bigger table with a turntable on it! This would make it easy for everyone to help themselves from all the dishes. The only thing was that Xu Kang and Feng Hua had to work hard to cook every day, so Qiao Mei gave each of them an extra 50 dollars per month. At night, Liu Fen came to Qiao Meis house angrily and said with annoyance, Sister-in-law! Qiao Mei! Im really going to die from anger because of that little ingrate at home! Second Aunt-in-law, what happened? Why are you so angry? Qiao Mei asked. You dont say! Didnt my familys Xia Yuan just get rid of that vixen and decide to marry that girl from the Zhou family? In the end, just as hes about to get engaged, Xia You is in trouble now! Liu Fen said agitatedly. Xia You? Although Xia You is quite mischievous, shes not the kind of person to do anything out of line. What can she have done? Xu Lan asked. What can she do? There are so many things she can do! At this point, Im not even shy to tell you! Shes actually ?actually having an affair! Liu Fen said softly. Chapter 2150: Do You Love Lu Huai Chapter 2150: Do You Love Lu Huai Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei and Xu Lan looked at each other in shock. After that, Xu Lan said, Are you mistaken? Or perhaps you misinterpret what you heard? Xia You is not that kind of child! I saw it with my own eyes! How can it not be true! Liu Fen said confidently. Liu Fen told Xu Lan and Qiao Mei about what she saw. She had originally planned to visit Xia You and Lu Huai at their house to ask them about when they would have some free time. She wanted the entire family to be present to talk about Xia Yuans engagement. The couple was always so busy at the company, so she wanted to tell them about this in advance. Unexpectedly, she saw Xia You and a man tugging at each other outside the front door! She even saw them holding hands! This was such an embarrassment! Ruining the familys reputation! No one in the Xia family, or even the Liu family, had ever had an affair! No one had even done such a shameless thing! For the sake of everyones reputation, she did not expose Xia You and that man on the spot. However, she was now hopping mad. Lu Huai was such a good person and so outstanding. Now that the couple was living a prosperous life, how could their marriage be affected by such a man! I still dont think Xia You is that kind of person. Second Aunt-in-law, can it be a misunderstanding because of the visual angle? Qiao Mei asked. Impossible! I saw it with my own eyes! They definitely held hands! Liu Fen said. No way! In that case, news of this matter will get out! Absolutely not! Ill ask Xia You to come here tomorrow. Ill tell her that Im sick and resting at your house, and then ask her to come and visit me, Liu Fen said. Qiao Mei had no choice but to agree to Liu Fens request. The next day at noon, Xia You rushed over and said, What happened to my mother? What happened! Why didnt she go to the hospital! Qiao Mei pulled Xia You into the study and closed the door tightly. Second Aunt-in-law is fine. She tricked you into coming here. Tricked me into coming here? Why? Cant she just call me if she needs anything? Instead of all this cloak-and-dagger stuff, Xia You said in puzzlement. Qiao Mei sat down on the chair, not knowing how to raise the issue. Xia You looked at Qiao Mei and asked, Whats wrong? Do you need to talk to me about something? Sigh ?you ?you dont like Lu Huai anymore? Qiao Mei asked. I dont like Lu Huai anymore? You must be joking. Lu Huai and I were already sure about our feelings for each other when we were in school. The two of us did not meet through matchmaking. We fall in love on our own. Of course I like Lu Huai! Xia You said. Then whats up with that man from yesterday? Qiao Mei asked with a slight frown. Xia You fell silent all of a sudden. She sat on the chair like a mute and did not speak, and also started looking flustered. Chapter 2151: Sponsor Children Chapter 2151: Sponsor Children Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The two of them stared at each other for a while. Xia You sighed resignedly and said, How do you know about this? Your mother told me about it. She didnt know how to ask you, so she came to look for me, Qiao Mei replied frankly. Actually, this matter is a very simple one. That man ?or I should say, that boy is a poor student whom Lu Huai and I used to sponsor, Xia You said. Qiao Mei still had some doubts about what Xia You just said, but it did not sound too far-fetched. It was possible for a boy of 16 or 17 years old to be as tall as an adult, but that still did not explain why they were tugging at each other? Xia You slowly explained the whole issue to Qiao Mei. The kids name was Gao Jie. He was the son of one of Lu Huais seniors among the truck drivers, Gao Lei. At that time, Lu Huai was not a team leader yet, just a part of the convoy team. One year, when Gao Lei was on a delivery trip, he encountered a mudslide and the truck was knocked off the cliff with him still inside. Gao Leis wife was extremely affected by the tragedy and passed away a year later. That year, Gao Jie was only 10 years old. Gao Jie had always been a smart boy with a photographic memory and he was very studious. In the beginning, all the team members would pool together some money for Gao Jie. However, the amount dwindled when everyone started making less money. Lu Huai could not bear to see the boy being affected by this. He did not have much of an aptitude for studying, so he was fond of people who studied hard. In the end, Lu Huai continued to sponsor Gao Jie on his own. This is a good idea! This is considered doing good deeds! Good deeds will accumulate merit! I want to join in too! Xia You said. Its not an easy task and we have to put more thought into it. We also need to look for a location, among other miscellaneous stuff. We cant rush this, Qiao Mei said. I just bought a big piece of land on the edge of the city. My original plan is to build a vehicle parking area for Lu Huai, but it looks like it has come in handy now! Xia You said excitedly. When Qiao Mei heard the address, her eyes instantly lit up. In the future, it would fall within the five inner ring roads of the capital! This was a top-notch location! It was the perfect spot for a welfare academy since the children could easily head out to the surroundings to have fun during the holidays. This issue needed proper planning and she also needed to discuss it with the government! The most important thing now was to quickly untie the knot in Liu Fens heart! Qiao Mei pulled Xia You along to tell Liu Fen the whole story. Liu Fen raised her hand angrily and was about to hit Xia You when Xu Lan stopped her and said, Why do you want to hit her! The child didnt do anything wrong! What are you doing! Im angry that she didnt tell me about this earlier! Why didnt she bring the kid home so that we can take good care of him! That kid must have suffered a lot on his own, Liu Fen said. If Im bringing up my child when I havent even given birth yet, people are going to talk about it. What if they gossip about me and say that Im infertile? I just want to avoid inviting trouble Xia You said aggrievedly. Chapter 2152: The Food Factory Will Belong to You Chapter 2152: The Food Factory Will Belong to You Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios In this era, reputation was the most important thing to a person. If people knew that Xia You was bringing up a child outside, only those in the know would say that she was a very kind person. Those who did not know better would spread rumors that Xia You had an illegitimate child outside! It would cause chaos in her life. Sigh ?I have wronged you. I thought ?Fortunately, I didnt act rashly. Xia You, Mom is in the wrong. I shouldnt have distrusted you. Liu Fen looked at Xia You apologetically. Xia You said with tears in her eyes, Mom, what are you talking about! Im your daughter. Its alright even if you hit me and scold me! Liu Fen and Xia You went home after dinner. Qiao Mei had been busy with family matters recently and had not been able to deal with work matters. She returned to the study and read all the letters she received as well as the contracts submitted by the subsidiary companies. Qiao Mei had just acquired the Han Corporation. Han Chen had managed the company very well and she did not need to expend much effort for it to continue operating as normal. She had promised Han Chen that she would retain all the employees and that she would not fire anyone. Geett the latest novels on Qiao Mei went ahead to choose an auspicious date and changed the signboard of the Han Corporation to Qiao Corporation. She stared at the plaque above the door for a long time and was so engrossed that she did not notice Qiane was standing behind her. Isnt it just a plaque? Whats so special about it that our Chairman Qiao has to stand here and stare at it for so long? Qiane teased. Youre the boss of the factory! I wont dare to make any decision, Qiane said. Im just the legal representative of the factory. Youve always been the one running it. You might as well use this amount of money to buy the factory from me. I can sell it to you at a low price, Qiao Mei said with a smile. Dont joke around! Even if you say that the factory doesnt belong to you, Godmother has a share in it. If I want to do my own business, Ill consider it later, Qiane said. Im serious. We have too many companies and factories now. I also have to manage the experimental fields. My mother is busy with that small restaurant now and her mind is not on the food factory at all, Qiao Mei said. Qiane waved her hand and said, Im not buying it! If we keep to the status quo, I can always just take my money and leave if I mismanage the factory! Theres no pressure on me! After they joked around for a while, Qiao Mei took the documents from Qiane and read through them seriously for a long time. This piece of land was not big, but it was within the four inner ring roads of the capital. There used to be a factory there but it closed down due to mismanagement. As the selling price of the land was higher than market, no one wanted to buy it. Recently, the owner was a little tight on money and he was in a hurry to sell it, so the price was 20% cheaper than before. The owner only had one request. The transaction must be settled in full cash and the price was 500,000 dollars! Other than Qiao Mei, there was no one else in the entire capital who could fork out so much money in one go. Buy it. Qiao Mei took out a check from her bag and wrote it out for 600,000 dollars. She handed it to Qiane and said, You can spend the remaining 100,000 dollars however you want. Chairman Qiao is so generous ?I suddenly feel like Im your kept woman Qiane said. Chapter 2153: Xia He Gives Birth Chapter 2153: Xia He Gives Birth Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Then you can just rest assured and stay by my side. Ill support you for your entire life! Qiao Mei said domineeringly. I wont dare to. Xia Zhe will skin me alive when he comes back. I wont joke with you anymore. Im heading off. Qiane left the office happily. Qiao Mei went around the company to take a look and gave a few instructions before going home. As soon as she entered the house, she saw a young man kneeling in front of Xu Lan and crying. Xu Lans eyes were also red. Mother ?who is this? Qiao Mei asked tentatively. The man turned around and looked at Qiao Mei in surprise. This was the first time he had seen such a beautiful woman. Xu Lan wiped her tears and said, This is the son of your fathers comrade-in-arms. His name is Meng Yuan. His father died some time ago and he was the only one left in the family, so he came to the capital to seek help from us. Meng Yuans father and Xia Mao were close buddies in the past. Back then, a total of six of them became sworn brothers. Xia Mao was ranked fourth among them and Meng Yuans father was the fifth. Going by that hierarchy, Meng Yuan should address Xia Mao as Fourth Uncle. Xu Lan patted Meng Yuans shoulder and said, You can get up now. This is my youngest sons wife, Qiao Mei. Not only was Meng Yuan not disappointed to hear that, but he looked even more pleasantly surprised. He reached out his hand excitedly and said, Hello, its so nice to meet you. Ive long heard of Third Sister-in-laws name a long time ago. No problem! Qiao Mei said. Meng Yuan, your parents are no longer around and your father has entrusted you to us. From now on, youll be my familys fourth child. Treat this place like your own home. Dont stand on ceremony with us. If theres anything you want, just tell us! Xu Lan said. Thank you, Fourth Aunt-in-law, Meng Yuan said. Your fourth uncle and Xia Wen are quite busy today and wont be able to come back. Ill get them to come back tomorrow. Lets have a reunion dinner to celebrate your arrival in the capital and welcome you back, Xu Lan said earnestly. Ill go with Fourth Aunt-in-laws arrangements, Meng Yuan said obediently. Time passed day by day and half a month passed in the blink of an eye. It was getting close to Xia Hes due date and everyone was feeling extremely nervous. Xia He had admitted herself into Xia Fangs hospital way in advance, in case there were any issues. This was Xia Hes first pregnancy and she wanted to be extra cautious. Mother, can you stop walking around in front of me? Im getting dizzy from looking at you, Xia He said. Im just anxious! Your aunt says that you will give birth within these two days, Xu Lan said in a panic. They could not blame Xu Lan for feeling flustered. Qiao Mei was only 18 years old when she gave birth. Xia He was already over 30 years old now and this was considered advanced maternal age, meaning her risk level would be much higher than Qiao Mei. It definitely would not go as smoothly as what Qiao Mei went through. Qiao Mei took out the medicinal wine from her bag and said, Mother, Ive brought the good stuff from home. Everything will be fine. Dont worry. When Xu Lan saw that the liquid in the bottle was golden in color, she felt less stressed out. With Qiao Mei around, everything would definitely go well. Chapter 2154: Xia Hui Is Born Chapter 2154: Xia Hui Is Born Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The next morning, when Xia He felt waves of sharp pain in her stomach, the nurses quickly pushed her into the delivery room. Deng Fan was insistent on accompanying her during the entire process and he wanted to stay by her side. Xia Fang tacitly agreed to this arrangement and had already gone through the relevant procedures with him. She told him about the things to take note of during the delivery process and how the disinfection measures he should take before entering the delivery room to ensure that it was kept as sterile as possible. The Xia family members waited outside anxiously. Even Xia Jun came to wait outside the delivery room. After a long time, the sound of a baby crying could be heard. Congratulations, congratulations! Its a girl! The nurse walked out with a smile while carrying the baby. Xu Lan immediately rushed forward and asked, Wheres my daughter? Is my daughter alright? Both mother and child are safe. I need one of the family members to come with me to the nursery. The rest of you can go and wait in the ward. The mother will be wheeled out in a while, the nurse said. CHeCk for new stories on no/v/el/bin(.)c0m Xia Wen followed the nurse to settle the registration procedures for the baby. Xia Mao looked at Xia Jun happily and said, Father, please help to name the child. Its good to have a girl. Our family doesnt have enough girls. This child will be Xia Xings playmate. Xia Jun thought about it and finally said, Lets call her Xia Hui. I like it. Ive always wanted Grandfather to help me come up with the childs name. Mother, can you ?can you stay in the hospital and accompany me? Im a little scared, Xia He said. Xu Lan stroked Xia Hes hair with some heartache. She knew that childbirth was a very difficult thing for a woman to go through. She smiled and said, I have told your aunt to put a small bed here for me. Ill stay here with you and not go anywhere. Deng Fan still had a lot of work to do. Qiao Mei had bought a house in Xia Fangs neighborhood a long time ago. Deng Fan worked from the hospital during the day and went to that house to rest at night. Xia You and Qiao Mei were kept busy with the construction of the school. It would soon be autumn. The National Education Bureau had issued a statement announcing that school recruitment for new students would be in March and September every year. Therefore, Qiao Mei wanted to get the school up and running before September. She hired a very big team of construction workers and built the main school building, the dormitory, the office building and a laboratory in just a month. She did not intend to take in too many students. After all, there would not be many children in the capital who could meet her requirements. First and foremost, each child must be at least eight years old and ready to enter school. After all, this was not an orphanage and she could not take in those very young children. Qiao Mei intended to go around and visit many families who could not afford to send their children to school so as to give these children a chance to continue with their studies. However, she also had other conditions. It did not matter if the childrens academic results were good or bad, but they had to study hard and cherish the opportunities that she gave them. Otherwise, she would send them back to their own homes or respective orphanages. Qiao Mei brought along the relevant materials and headed to the Education Bureau. The deputy director of the Education Bureau had been waiting at the front door for a long time. He had long wanted to meet Qiao Mei in the flesh. Previously, he had only heard of Qiao Meis name from his colleagues and superiors. Now, he could finally meet her. Hello, Qiao Mei. Im the deputy director of the Education Bureau. My name is Cao Ping. Its a pleasure to meet you, Cao Ping said excitedly. Chapter 2155: Xia Hui’s One-month-old Gift Chapter 2155: Xia Huis One-month-old Gift Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Hello to all of you. Youre all standing outside on such a hot day. Thank you for doing that, Qiao Mei said. Qiao Mei, youve done such a good deed to contribute to the countrys education system. I have no problem even if I have to stand at the door for three days and three nights! Come, lets go in and have a chat! The meeting room is ready for use! Cao Ping said. Qiao Mei glanced at Meng Yuan, who was standing beside Cao Ping. He smiled and said, Qiao Mei, this way please. Re?a?d new chapters on Qiao Mei immediately understood what Meng Yuan meant. In the Education Bureau, only the bureau director knew about Meng Yuans relationship with the Xia family. No one else knew about it. Furthermore, Meng Yuan had gotten the job in the Education Bureau on his own merit and this matter had nothing to do with the Xia family. Meng Yuan did not want everyone to think that he was working in the Education Bureau because of his relationship with the Xia family, nor did he want people to disregard his work performance because they thought that he had made use of his connections. Given that Qiao Mei already had the list of requirements from Meng Yuan, the contract was signed very quickly. Qiao Mei and Xia You had decided to name the school Bright Academy. It was their wish that every child who came to study at Bright Academy would have a bright future. Cao Ping and Qiao Mei had a long discussion about the future plans for the school as well as how it would be managed. Before Qiao Mei left, she walked past the staff office and spotted Meng Yuan being surrounded by many girls. They did not look like they were talking about work but more like having a casual conversation. Meng Yuan looked awkward to be in their presence but did not know how to reject them. Youre wrong. Only the big wooden box is for the baby. The other two are for you, Qiao Mei said as she knocked on the wooden boxes. Qiao Mei opened the biggest box. Inside was a golden choker encrusted with 10 different types of gems of various sizes, which symbolized perfection. The entire choker was carved in an ancient style. Qiao Mei had specially found an old master to make it and had waited two years to receive the final product! I wasnt even pregnant at that time! Why did you already start preparations then? Xia He asked in shock. Im just worried that I wont be able to make it in time if I wait until after you get pregnant. I know how nice you are to me. Ive been planning it since the day of your wedding, but I just didnt tell you, Qiao Mei lamented. Back when she had to go to Country M, if Xia He did not volunteer to go with her, the Xia family would never have allowed her to go to such a far and dangerous place with the children. Xia He had lived apart from Deng Fan for two years for her sake. Furthermore, in Country M, Xia He had risked her life to protect Qiao Mei and the children. Qiao Mei had kept these memories close to her heart. Therefore, should anything happen to Xia He, she would help Xia He through any difficulties, even if it meant going through hell and high water. Dont say such touching words. I dont want to cry, Xia He said. Take a look at these two items. This is the set of pigeon-blood ruby jewelry that youve always liked. I know you took a fancy to it when you went to my storeroom the last time. I noticed the way you looked at it. As for this Qiao Mei picked up the wooden box and handed it to Xia He. Open it yourself. Xia He opened the wooden box expectantly. Inside was a pair of jade tigers. The workmanship was exquisite and the history of this pair could be traced back thousands of years. Chapter 2156: Rumors Chapter 2156: Rumors Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xia He remembered that she last saw this pair of jade tigers at an auction in Country M. She had taken a fancy to them at first glance. However, Qiao Mei had something important to do at that time and she did not have enough money, so she could only admire them from afar. I remember that the buyer at that time was from Country K and his secretary bought it on his behalf. How did you get this pair of jade tigers? Xia He asked, feeling pleasantly surprised. Im so resourceful, so I have my ways. Its good as long as you like it, Qiao Mei said. Thank you, Xia He said, feeling touched. Theres no need to stand on ceremony with me. Were family, Qiao Mei said as she held Xia Hes hands. As the days passed, everyones lives got back on track. The weather started getting very warm and Xia Mao had to go to the south for one month on a work trip. Xu Lan was left alone in the big house and the whole place felt so cold and cheerless. She did not like that feeling, so she moved to Qiao Meis place to stay for a while. Today was the day of the familys monthly reunion meal. All the Xia familys children who were in town would gather at Qiao Meis place for a meal. Xia Wen had now been assigned to the Industrial and Commercial Bureau to be a director there and the workplace unit had allocated a car to him. He drove home with Meng Yuan in the car. Why is it only the two of you? Wheres Mo Zhu? Xu Lan asked. Should I tell them or leave it to you? Xia You looked at Meng Yuan and asked with a smile. Sigh Its just that theres a girl whos whos wooing me. Ive rejected her many times, but she still wont give up, Meng Yuan said helplessly. Xia You quickly added, Its more than that! Everyone in your cousin-in-laws company has heard that the two of you are a couple. There are even people who say that youre already engaged! If a girl who hasnt even discussed marriage plans is the subject of such gossip, I dont know how she is going to get married in the future! Xu Lan said. These rumors are too inappropriate. Ive seen those girls from Meng Yuans workplace before. There are indeed a few women who seem very aggressive and probably cant wait to tear our Meng Yuan apart and eat him alive! That girl probably wants to force Meng Yuan to give in by publicizing that shes in a relationship with him, Qiao Mei guessed. Meng Yuan nodded in agreement with Qiao Mei. He said in disgust, I have a lot of work to do and dont have time to deal with such things. No matter who she meets, she will find a way to say that she is in a relationship with me. I mean she doesnt say it out so explicitly, but shes always hinting about it. However, given that its the girl who goes around admitting to the relationship, no one will believe me no matter how I try to explain it. There are even people who say that I dont count my blessings and that Im just trying to act high and mighty. Even my superiors have come to talk to me about this issue. Xu Lan put down her bowl and chopsticks and said sternly, That wont do! How can we let her hold us hostage like this! We cant let Xiao Yuan be forced into marrying her! The entire family fell silent. At this moment, Qiao Mei said, Its not as if theres no solution for this. Chapter 2157: Just Colleagues Chapter 2157: Just Colleagues Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Third Sister-in-law, please save me. Tell me what you have in mind, Meng Yuan said. The first way is to find a girlfriend immediately and get engaged quickly. This way, everyone will know that all this is just a misunderstanding, Qiao Mei said. Meng Yuan immediately stood up agitatedly and said, This definitely wont do! I must be a trustworthy person and act responsibly towards my future partner. How can I gamble with a girls life? We cant do it this way! Xia Wen grabbed Meng Yuans arm and said, Sit down. Your third sister-in-law hasnt finished talking yet. Meng Yuan lowered his head and sat obediently in his seat. Qiao Mei continued, Meng Yuan has already rejected that girl in private many times. If we reject her openly, it will be disadvantageous to us. What if there are people who say that Meng Yuan wants to abandon her after playing around with her feelings? It doesnt cost a single cent to spread rumors, but it takes backbreaking efforts to refute them. Then what should we do? Xia You asked. Qiao Mei looked at Xu Lan and then at Meng Yuan and asked, Meng Yuan, when you want to get married in the future, will you ask my mother-in-law for approval first? Yes. I dont have any other relatives left. After my parents passed away, my relatives avoided me like the plague. I dont have any relationship with them anymore. Fourth Uncle and Fourth Aunt-in-law are my family elders now, so I definitely need to seek their approval for such an important matter like marriage , Meng Yuan said firmly. Xiao Yuan, I see youre having lunch, Xu Lan said to Meng Yuan with a smile. Fourth Aunt-in-law, youre here. Come and take a seat. Have you eaten? Ill go and get food for you, Meng Yuan said happily. The moment the two women sat down, Xu Chun stood up and said, Let me go and get food. Theres braised fish today. Ill go and get some for Auntie to try! Qiao Mei and Xu Lan were shocked. Xu Lan was very picky when it came to food and her favorite food was braised fish. Meng Yuan had always kept his relationship with the Xia family a secret. How did this girl know what Xu Lan liked to eat? She must have found out all the details about Meng Yuans family background, Qiao Mei whispered confidently. Xu Lan looked at Xu Chuns departing figure and said loudly, Xiao Yuan, who is that girl? A colleague, Meng Yuan replied truthfully. This was undoubtedly a slap on Xu Chuns face. Previously, Xu Chun had told everyone that she and Meng Yuan were engaged and that they had already met each others family. Meng Yuans parents had passed away and the people sitting here were Meng Yuans relatives. If Xu Lan said that she did not know who Xu Chun was, then it would appear that Xu Chun was lying! Xu Chun stood in line at the counter with the tray in her hands. She did not dare to turn around to look at everyones expressions. She was too ashamed to stay here any longer! Xu Lan looked at Meng Yuan and continued saying loudly, Xiao Yuan! Youre not young anymore. Your parents have entrusted you to me, so youre like a son to me. Im worried about you still being single. When you have time, Ill arrange a few blind dates for you. If you like any of the girls, then you should get married soon. Chapter 2158: Rejection Chapter 2158: Rejection Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Ill go with Fourth Aunt-in-laws arrangements, Meng Yuan said obediently. The people around them watched quietly as the drama unfolded. Some of them recognized Xu Lan by now. They did not expect Meng Yuan to have such a close relationship with the Xia family! No wonder Meng Yuan was not interested in Xu Chun. Xu Chun ran out of the canteen without getting the food. Xu Lan smiled in satisfaction. She emerged victorious today! This girl definitely would not dare to do anything to Meng Yuan again. She had not felt so happy in a long time. Meng Yuan went to get food for Xu Lan and Qiao Mei and even brought them to take a look around the Education Bureau. He also briefly described his job here. Qiao Mei was an important business partner of the bureau, so there was no issue with telling her about these details. Xiao Yuan, you should go back to work. Qiao Mei and I will go home now. Come to Qiao Meis house for dinner tonight and well talk more later, Xu Lan said. Third Sister-in-law, drive carefully. Goodbye, Fourth Aunt-in-law! Meng Yuan watched until Qiao Meis car disappeared from his sight at the intersection before returning to work. After reaching home, Qiao Mei arranged for Yao Nian to investigate Xu Chuns background. At dinnertime, Yao Nian sent the information pack to her house but she was not in a hurry to open it. She wanted to do it only when everyone was around.T/his chapter is updated by nov(e?(l)biin.co/m Xiao Yuan, if you dont mind, you can address me as Godmother. If you keep calling me Fourth Aunt-in-law, Ill feel like Ive aged more than 10 years! Xu Lan said. Xu Ba had just ended a full day at work. When he got home, he could hear a lively commotion in the house from outside the door. When he opened the door, he saw that his elder brothers family was here. It was not the new year or festive season, so why would they be visiting? Old Madam Xu lived with Xu Ba. At this moment, Xu Chun was chatting casually with Old Madam Xu! Old Madam Xu looked very happy. Little Uncle, youre back! Xu Chun shouted. Yes I am. Why are all of you here? Is there some good news to share today? Xu Ba asked. I miss Grandma, so I ask my parents to come over for a visit. Little Uncle, did you go on a date just now? Xu Chun asked deliberately. Everyone in the Xu family knew about the relationship between Xu Ba and Li Gui. Xu Chun was already in her 20s and was of marriageable age. However, her father, Xu Tian, was only the factory director of a small food factory and her mother was a full-time housewife who took care of her maternal grandmother. With her family background, what kind of prominent family would be interested in her? It was Xu Ba who recommended her to work in the Education Bureau. She was still just a temporary worker. If the Education Bureau had to lay off employees, she would be the first one to get the chop! She wanted to gain a firm foothold in the Education Bureau and that was why she had targeted Meng Yuan. If Xu Ba and Li Gui really got married, then she and Qiao Mei would become part of the same family and she would be able to reap a lot of benefits from it. However, she could not just sit back and wait for things to happen. Meng Yuan was her backup plan. Now that Xu Lan had put an end to this plan, she had to put more thought into it. As the old saying went, it was difficult for a man to woo a woman but not the only way round. She believed that with enough time, Meng Yuan would eventually be attracted to her! Chapter 2159: The Xu Family Comes for a Visit Chapter 2159: The Xu Family Comes for a Visit Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios I didnt meet her today. Shes a little busy, Xu Ba said blissfully. Old Madam Xu looked at Xu Ba in disdain and questioned, Shes just a lowly cook. What is she busy with? How can she be busier than a person in a high position like you? Mother! You cant say that! Her restaurant is doing very good business now! Besides, Im just not in a high position. Dont think too highly of me! Xu Ba explained. Xu Chun hurriedly grabbed Old Madam Xus hands and said, Grandma, you still dont know! Auntie Lis culinary skills are well-known and many people fight for a chance to try her cooking! Its so hard to get a table at her restaurant! Ive long heard of Auntie Lis culinary skills and have always wanted to try the food there, but I cant even get a reservation. Little Uncle, maybe you should bring us there for a meal! Youre such a foodie! Xu Ba, make the arrangements then. Old Madam Xu patted Xu Chuns hand dotingly. Old Madam Xu always gave Xu Chun the time of day. Xu Ba immediately said, Sure, let me ask her to reserve a private room for us. Xu Chun acknowledged what he said and then brought Old Madam Xu into the room to watch television. Xu Ba looked at Xu Chun appreciatively. This child had always been the most considerate person in the family. Xu Chun was right. It was time for Li Gui to meet his family. If he went to ask Li Gui directly, she definitely would not agree. Xu Ba knew that Qiao Mei had the final say in all of Li Guis matters, so he went straight to ask for her opinion. What do you think? Xu Ba probed. Its a secret! Wear these to work tomorrow, Qiao Mei said. I work in the kitchen and theres always oil and smoke around. Your mother-in-law told me that these jewelry cant come in contact with oil as it will affect the purity of the gems! These are all expensive stuff! Why do I need to dress so well at work? Li Gui said. I already say that its a secret! Listen to me! You have to wear it tomorrow! Qiao Mei said. Li Gui agreed to do as Qiao Mei said. The next night, the entire Xu family came for a meal. When Li Gui saw them, she hid behind the stairwell to avoid them. No wonder Qiao Mei had asked her to dress up. It turned out that they were meeting the Xu family members! Qiao Mei went to look for Li Gui and said, Why are you hiding here? Why didnt you discuss this with me earlier! Li Gui scolded softly. Actually, its not a big deal. Just go and show your face and say hello. Leave the rest to me, Qiao Mei said. Thats not good enough. People will say that Im rude! You naughty girl. If you had told me earlier, I could have discussed it with your mother-in-law and asked her for the special food coupons to exchange for some abalone and lobsters! Li Gui said in frustration. Abalone and lobsters? It was hard to say if the Xu family members were worthy of eating these things! Qiao Mei pushed Li Gui into the kitchen and told her to just cook as usual. She would take care of the Xu family. Qiao Mei asked a stall member to cut up some watermelons, kiwis, strawberries and other fruits to make an exquisite fruit plate. These were all fruits which were not easily available. She led the staff and entered the private room while saying, Welcome, everyone. The dishes will take a while to be served. Please try some fruits from our restaurant first. Chapter 2160: Never Been Together Chapter 2160: Never Been Together Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The Xu family members stared at Qiao Mei. Since Qiao Mei said that it was our restaurant, she must be Li Guis daughter! Old Madam Xu did not expect Qiao Mei to be more beautiful than she had imagined. She nodded in satisfaction while the other family members had different expressions on their faces. Xu Bas son, Xu Hang, looked very happy, but Xu Bas daughter, Xu Cai, looked disgusted. You must be Li Guis daughter! Youre so beautiful! Whats your name? How old are you this year? Do you have a boyfriend? Old Madam Xu asked several questions in a row. Xu Ba said awkwardly, Mother! What kind of questions are these! Its fine. My name is Qiao Mei, Qiao Mei said gracefully. When Xu Tian heard Qiao Meis name, he stood up and quickly walked over to her. He extended his hand and said, Ive heard so much about you. I didnt expect you to be Boss Lis daughter. What a coincidence! Xu Tians factory had some business dealings with Qiao Meis factory. He would even say that Qiao Mei was like his god of wealth. If Qiao Mei decided not to collaborate with them anymore, his factory would close down in minutes! Qiao Mei shook his hand politely and said, Its indeed a coincidence. About our collaboration Before Xu Tian could finish speaking, Qiao Mei quickly said, Its a family banquet today. Lets not talk about work. Liu Xiao had always been prejudiced against Li Gui. She was also from the countryside and her family did not have much. When Xu Tian came to their village from the city to help out as part of a government initiative, the two of them met each other and then got married. It was only when she returned to the city with Xu Tian that she finally had a better life. The Xu family was doing quite well now and the family members all looked down on Liu Xiao. If Li Gui married into the family, with Li Guis current net worth, Liu Xiaos status in the Xu family would become even lower! Therefore, she was here today to ruin the possibility of Xu Ba and Li Gui getting married! What nonsense are you saying! Mind your language! Xu Tian said furiously. Didnt you hear what she said about our daughter? How dare you scold me! Liu Xiao said. Im telling the truth. If you dont believe me, go to your daughters workplace and ask around to see if she has previously said such things, Qiao Mei said. Xu Chun lowered her head and did not want to face this issue. Liu Xiao still wanted to continue scolding Qiao Mei but Old Madam Xu smacked the table and said sternly, Why are you throwing a tantrum here! Sit down! Mother! You cant be so biased! Shes slandering us! Shes sullying my daughters good reputation! Liu Xiao said as she pointed at Qiao Mei. We havent clarified the matter yet! Why are you so agitated! Sit down! Old Madam Xu shouted. Liu Xiao sat back down awkwardly. Xu Chun was so scared that she did not dare to make a sound. Old Madam Xu looked at Xu Chun and asked, Xu Chun, tell us yourself. This is all a misunderstanding! Theres no such thing! Its a rumor thats being spread around by other people. You cant trust what you hear, Xu Chun said softly. Is that so? That means that you and my younger brother are not in a relationship and have never been in a relationship, am I right? Qiao Mei questioned. Chapter 2161: No Chance Chapter 2161: No Chance Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xu Chun did not want to confirm this statement in front of so many people. This would undoubtedly cut off any possibility of her marrying into the Xia family! However, if she did not answer Qiao Mei now, it would be even more embarrassing for her. Yes! Xu Chun said through gritted teeth. What? I cant hear you clearly, Qiao Mei said as she touched her ear. Xu Chun knew very well that Qiao Mei would not give up if she did not get the answer she wanted today. Xu Chun shouted loudly, Yes! Theres no relationship between us! Qiao Mei nodded in satisfaction and turned around. The people sitting at the table outside the private room were Xu Chuns colleagues from the Education Bureau. Meng Yuan looked into the room and then shouted, Everyone, eat and drink your fill! Its my treat today! Thank you for all your care and concern! Xu Chun looked up as her face paled. She did not expect Qiao Mei to go so far. Everyone was trying to steal a look at Xu Chun through the gap in the door. Xu Chun was good-looking and a sweet talker. Everyone liked Xu Chun and felt that she was a nice person who was innocent and lively. It was only now that they finally saw her true colors. They did not expect her to be so scheming and vicious! Qiao Mei did not tell Meng Yuan the details of her plan either. She only asked Meng Yuan to invite his colleagues over for a meal. He felt that he must really thank Qiao Mei with a grand gesture for solving this huge problem for him. Stop it! Old Madam Xu shouted angrily. Qiao Mei grabbed Li Guis hand and only then did Li Gui stop beating Liu Xiao up. Her mind was only filled with the thoughts of this woman bullying her daughter. She wanted to avenge her daughter and demand an explanation! Fortunately, Xu Ba shielded Qiao Mei earlier. If Xu Ba did not make it in time! What would Qiao Mei have to suffer from! Mother she hit me! This woman is Li Gui! She actually hit me! Liu Xiao covered her face and crouched on the floor as she wept. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. She must chase Li Gui away! She must make sure that Li Gui would not be able to marry into the Xu family! At the thought of such a shrewish woman marrying into their family and becoming her daughter-in-law, Old Madam Xu could feel a headache coming on. She touched her head and said, Oh my I cant take it anymore I have a headache I feel terrible Li Gui finally calmed down. She knew that Old Madam Xu was just putting on an act and she also knew very well how the Xia family would view her actions just now. Li Gui looked at Xu Ba regretfully. She could accept Xu Ba, but she could not accept the fact that Xu Bas family wanted to hurt Qiao Mei. It was no longer possible for the two of them to be together now. Old Madam, it must be because its too stuffy in the room. Ill switch on the electric fan for you and improve the air circulation in the room. When the dishes are ready, we can start eating, Qiao Mei said in a gentle tone. Xu Hang looked at Qiao Mei in shock. The situation was already so messed up, but Qiao Mei could still remain so calm. This woman was really not an ordinary character. Xu Cais disgust for Qiao Mei became even more obvious. She was Xu Bas only daughter and she would never allow anyone to affect her position. Chapter 2162: Cannot Be Together Chapter 2162: Cannot Be Together Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios However, in the current situation, the Xu family members had already lost their appetites. Xu Tian coughed twice and said, Since my mother has a headache, well go back now. When Liu Xiao heard what Xu Tian said, she sat up and pointed at him as she roared, You coward! Your wife has already been beaten up like this! You dont even want to protect me! Youre covering up for this little whore! Before she could finish speaking, Li Gui gave Liu Xiao two more slaps and said disdainfully, Watch your mouth! Shut up! Havent you embarrassed yourself enough! Xu Tian said as he looked at Liu Xiao. The Xu family members left the private room one after another. Xu Chun quickly helped Liu Xiao up from the ground as all the onlookers made way for the Xu family members. Xu Ba stood where he was and did not make any move to leave. He felt that he needed to explain the situation today to Li Gui. Im sorry, my sister-in-law is usually not like this. This is also the first time Ive seen her so ?so rude. I apologize on her behalf, Xu Ba said sincerely. Qiao Mei pulled up a chair casually and sat down, saying, All her limbs are intact and she isnt handicapped in any way. She can offer up her own apologies and doesnt need you to do it on her behalf. Mr. Xu, do you have anything else to say? If you dont leave now, Im afraid you wont be able to keep up with your mother and the rest of your family. Li Gui stood next to Qiao Mei and did not speak. What Qiao Mei said was what she wanted to say. Dont take it to heart. Were a family. Moreover, even without your issue, the Xu family wont let us off so easily. Its better for things to flare up earlier, Qiao Mei said. She was a little touched by the way Meng Yuan had stepped forward to protect her just now. Although she would introduce Meng Yuan as Xia Zhes younger brother, they had only known each other for less than two months. They still spoke to each other formally and were not as close as real family members. Now that Meng Yuan had protected Qiao Mei without a second thought, Qiao Mei felt that Meng Yuan and her were like real family members! Ill clean up this private room shortly. You and your colleagues can come inside to have your meal. Its my treat. Dont reject me! Qiao Mei said. Thank you, Third Sister-in-law! Meng Yuan said with a smile. Qiao Mei was about to go to the kitchen to help Li Gui when she was stopped by one of the security officers at the door. The security officer whispered, Boss Qiao, there are some people outside. Its Boss Lis family. She did not expect the Li family to still be in the capital. It looked like they still had a lot of money. It was not cheap to stay in a guest house in the capital! However, they had come at the right time! Qiao Mei needed their help with something! Ask them to come to my private room. After saying that, Qiao Mei walked towards the private room at the far end of the second floor. Qiao Mei had specially reserved this private room for important guests and her own family. Li Guis restaurant was doing very well at the moment. The first floor was for ordinary customers and the second floor was for customers from well-to-do families, businessmen and some government leaders. The restaurant was packed every day and all the private rooms were already fully booked until next month. In order to avoid the situation of not having the use of a private room, Qiao Mei specially reserved one for herself. Chapter 2163: We Are One Family” Chapter 2163: We Are One Family Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After everyone had entered the private room, Molly went out and closed the door thoughtfully. Molly was now the restaurant manager. When Li Gui was not around, Molly was in charge. She was a very discerning person and always did things appropriately. Before Qiao Mei could speak, Li Dong said ingratiatingly, Who were those people just now? Why do they look so unhappy? When I was at the door just now, I heard a commotion in the room. Are they troublemakers! By now, they were all well aware about what Qiao Mei was capable of and also knew that Li Gui had a different status now. If they did whatever Qiao Mei asked them to do, they might get some benefits out of it. Your ears are quite sharp. Yes, they argued with us and even bullied my mother and me, Qiao Mei said. Who dares to bully my younger sister and my niece! Ill go and skin them alive now! Do they think our family is useless! After saying that, Li Dong rolled up his sleeves and wanted to rush out to look for the Xu family. Qiao Mei quickly waved her hand to ask him to sit down. She knew very well that Li Dong was just putting on a show for her. He did not have the guts to go and settle scores with the Xu family. However, even though it was just an act, Qiao Mei felt much better. The Li family were still not so stupid and still knew to side with their own family members. Have you seen him before? Qiao Mei asked. Seeing that Qiao Mei was in a good mood, Old Madam Li asked tentatively, Um ?Mei Mei, we dont have much money left. About our stay at the guest house Ill get someone to extend your stay for another five days, Qiao Mei said readily. Li Dong and Old Madam Li understood that Qiao Mei was giving them an ultimatum! If the Xu family handled this matter well, they could continue to stay in the capital. Otherwise, they should immediately pack up and go home! Qiao Mei told Li Dong about Xu Tians exact address and the details of the incident. Then, the Li family members left the restaurant while accompanied by Molly. Qiao Mei stood by the window and looked at their departing figures with an expectant smile. The show was about to begin. Since they had seen the Xu family members true colors, then the Xu family members should also get to know the Li family members. After the Xu family members reached home, none of them spoke. Everyone sat in the living room in silence. After a long time, Xu Tian sighed and said, I didnt expect ?that things will end up like this today I didnt expect that either, Xu Ba said sulkily. Liu Xiao suddenly stood up and pointed at Xu Ba as she said, You still have the cheek to say that! Didnt you see how badly they beat me up! They even spread rumors about my daughter! How can you even say that these people are nice people! Before Xu Ba could retort, Xu Tian slapped Liu Xiao so hard that she fell to the floor. Liu Xiao covered her face and did not dare to speak. Chapter 2164: Find a Way to Reconcile Chapter 2164: Find a Way to Reconcile Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Liu Xiao was so blinded by jealousy today that she had actually forgotten about Xu Tians bad temper. She had really gone overboard today. How can you still have the cheek to speak! Dont you know that Qiao Mei is my factorys most important client! You provoke her today! Do you think she will still give me business in the future! Our entire family wont be able to survive! Xu Tian pointed at Liu Xiao and said angrily.Th.e? most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m He turned to look at Xu Ba and said, Im sorry, Younger Brother. Its all your sister-in-laws fault today. Xu Tian did not dare to think about letting Xu Chun marry a member of the Xia family at all. With their family background, it was already good enough to be the Xia familys acquaintances. Even though Xu Ba had a good job, it would still be very difficult for him to marry a young lady from a prominent family. Moreover, Xu Ba already had two children. Very few women would be willing to become a stepmother. It was already a godsend blessing for Xu Ba to be able to get close to Li Gui! Xu Tian originally thought that Xu Ba would only be able to marry a mediocre woman, but who would have thought that he would be able to get so close to the Xia family! If Xu Ba and Li Gui really got married, the Xu family would be able to move up from their current social status. As the saying went, if one achieved success, even ones livestock would soar to the heavens. Xu Tian would also be able to share in the glory! They say that they want Sister-in-law to apologize to them, Xu Ba said. Apologize? Why should I Liu Xiao immediately shut her mouth when she saw Xu Tians expression. Younger Sister! How can you say that! You should address her as Auntie Li! Xu Hang said as he frowned and tugged at Xu Cais arm. How else should I say it! Didnt you hear what they said at the end? Theyre already bullying us, Elder Brother! Do you want to have this kind of stepmother! Xu Cai shouted aggrievedly. When Xu Cai was six years old, Xu Bas wife passed away. Xu Ba was usually very busy with work and Xu Cai was brought up by Xu Hang and Old Madam Xu. Xu Cai always listened to Xu Hang and Xu Hang doted on her a lot. Even Xu Hangs classmates knew that Xu Hang was a super doting brother and no one could say anything bad about his younger sister. Xu Cai! Youre not a child anymore! Let the adults settle their own issues. Come into the room with me! Xu Hang said. Seeing that Xu Hang had a different opinion from her, Xu Cai quickly looked at Old Madam Xu and said, Grandma, say something! I dont want a stepmother! I dont want such a woman to become my stepmother! Everyone stared at Old Madam Xu. She pondered for a moment and said, That woman is not too bad. Her daughter is not bad either. What? Grandma, are you confused! Xu Cai said as she looked at Old Madam Xu in disbelief. Im not senile yet! Xu Hang! Bring your sister into the room! Old Madam Xu said. Xu Hang dragged Xu Cai into the room. No matter how unwilling Xu Cai was, she had to accept reality. In the beginning, Old Madam Xu was still a little angry, but after thinking about it carefully, her anger had dissipated. She had thought it through and came to the conclusion that Xu Ba must marry Li Gui! Chapter 2165: Sent Back to the Village Chapter 2165: Sent Back to the Village Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Actually, Xu Cai did not dislike Li Gu. It was Qiao Mei whom she hated. She went to the same high school as Qiao Mei and all the teachers always praised Qiao Mei. Every day, they would talk about Qiao Mei and tell all the students to learn from her! She had only studied for a year before getting into Capital University! The school even printed Qiao Meis photo and hung it on the wall of the schools auditorium. There was also a banner above it, with the phrase Outstanding Student of the School! Xu Cai agreed that Qiao Mei was truly outstanding and had done well, but she also had her own life to live, so why should she need to learn from another person? She did not have much aptitude for studying. Even after she tried her best, she only managed to get into an ordinary university in the capital. She thought that she would no longer hear Qiao Meis name again after she entered university, but she did not expect Qiao Meis name to be plastered in the school newspaper everywhere. When some people heard about Qiao Meis past, they would admire her and saw her as an example. Other people were jealous of Qiao Mei and felt that she was just lucky. Xu Cai belonged to the latter group. Xu Ba, find time to go and look for Li Gui after work tomorrow and push all the blame for todays incident to your sister-in-law. Tell her that your sister-in-law has temporarily gone crazy! Apologize to her properly. If she wants your sister-in-law to go and apologize to her personally, thats fine with me too! We must try our best to satisfy her no matter what she wants, Old Madam Xu said. Liu Xiao did not dare to complain about Old Madam Xus arrangements. When Xu Ba heard this, he nodded. It was only now that he knew what his family was up to. He was fond of Li Gui for who she was and did not have any other intentions. He simply wanted to have pure love between them, but now he had to reconsider this relationship carefully. Dont hit them! Were on the same side! Dont hit them! Xu Tian shouted out to stop the security officers from doing anything. Factory director! If the security officers could not hit the Li family members, they decided to grab all the men tightly instead! Xu Tian was wounded all over. He got up from the ground in a disheveled state and immediately said to the security officers, Let go of them! Theyre my relatives! Let go now! Someone had called the police about the commotion just now and the police arrived at the scene very soon. They wanted to take all the Li family members away. Dont take them away! Officer, its all a misunderstanding! Theyre all my family members! Theyre just fooling around with me! Xu Tian said as he held on to the police officer. Fighting is bad behavior and must be dealt with seriously! After saying that, the police officer whispered to Xu Tian, Youre Xu Bas biological brother, right? Hes our superior. Dont worry, we definitely wont let these people off! Xu Tian could only watch helplessly as the police arrested all the Li family members. This was the first time he ever felt that having a younger brother who held a high position in the government was not such a good thing. Xu Tian even went to the police station to explain that it was all a misunderstanding, but the news had already been leaked out. The police agreed not to keep them in remand, but the Li family brothers all had previous criminal records, so the police needed to send them back to their registered residence. They could not be allowed to stay in the capital because no one could be sure if what happened to Xu Tian would happen to another person. Qiao Mei received the news very soon and was overjoyed. Xia Wen was next to her and he took a sip of tea before saying, You set this up, didnt you? As expected of Eldest Brother, you can even read my mind. I purposely directed the Li family members there. Moreover, I even asked Zou Ming to inform the police in charge of that area in advance! Qiao Mei said. Chapter 2166: Asking for Seeds Chapter 2166: Asking for Seeds Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Third Sister-in-law, Xu Ba came to look for me this morning, Meng Yuan said. What did he say to you? Is he planning to transfer Xu Chun to another workplace unit? Or does he want you to pass me a message? Qiao Mei asked expectantly. Meng Yuan shook his head and continued, He only apologized to me and said that he would deal with Xu Chuns matter as soon as possible. He said that Xu Chun wont pester me anymore, but he didnt say anything about transferring her out. Qiao Mei shook her head in disappointment. It seemed that this Xu Ba still wanted to protect the Xu family. Then again, this was the right thing to do. If Xu Ba did not even bother to protect his own family, then how could he even promise to take care of Li Gui? If Xu Chun continues to harass you, you must come and tell me. Dont be shy, Qiao Mei reminded him. Alright, said Meng Yuan. Xia Sun wobbled into the house unsteadily and grabbed Meng Yuans hand as he said, Uncle, come with me to catch dragonflies! Xia Sun! Dont mess around! How can there be dragonflies in this season! Your uncle has had a tiring day at work. Go and play with Cousin Xia Fan, Xia Wen said sternly. Xia Sun pouted aggrievedly. Seeing that he was about to cry, Meng Yuan hurriedly picked him up and said, Fine, fine, fine. Ill play with you! Did you grow this batch of fruits using seeds? Xia Wen said tentatively. Qiao Mei rolled her eyes in disdain and said, Eldest Brother, if I dont use seeds, am I supposed to conjure them out of thin air? If you have something to say, just say it. The higher-ups want to use your seeds to trade with foreign countries, Xia Wen said factually. Currently, the country did not have any goods for export and most of the items produced in the country were still quite backward. Since the country was so massive in land size, many smaller countries wanted to import vegetables and fruits from them. However, most of the vegetables harvested in the country could not meet export standards at all. Only the fruits and vegetables from Qiao Meis farm could meet those standards. However, it took too long to transport goods by sea and most of the vegetables and fruits would start to rot during the journey. Therefore, the country wanted to export seeds instead. Then how much do you want? Qiao Mei asked. I have done a rough calculation and think that we need eight different types of vegetable seeds. We require two tons of each type, Xia Wen said. Qiao Mei raised her eyebrows and looked at Xia Wen. Two tons for each type was not a small amount. The higher-ups intent was to empty out her inventory! Xia Wen quickly added, Of course! There are benefits! Its all negotiable! The things the higher-ups can give me are nothing more than money, medals, cars and the like. I dont lack any of these. Moreover, if I export the seeds myself, I will definitely be able to sell them for a higher price. It will be far more profitable than working with you, Qiao Mei pointed out. Chapter 2167: One Hundred Thousand Mu of Land Chapter 2167: One Hundred Thousand Mu of Land Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Business-wise, what Qiao Mei said was totally reasonable. For a moment, Xia Wen did not know what to do. There were so many outstanding issues to deal with and the country really did not have much to offer. Even if they could give her a house or a car, she did not need it at all. In fact, giving her all these things would only add to her problems. Im just kidding with you. Look at how worried you look! Qiao Mei laughed and continued, I can sign an agreement with the government not to privately export seeds overseas for two years and to prioritize the supply of seeds to the country, but theres something I want in return.Ge?t latest novel chapters on nov(e)lbj/n(.)c/om Tell me about it. Ill try my best to talk to the higher-ups, Xia Wen said. I already have enough houses on hand. Ive bought houses in many different areas and I also dont need a car. Im short of land now, not only in the capital, but also in Shen City and Hu City. I just dont know if the higher-ups can help me obtain land in these places, Qiao Mei said. The real estate companies in Shen City and Shanghai had already been set up for quite a while, but they were only conducting rental transactions at the moment. They did not have any land to construct a building. There were too many procedures to go through. Moreover, it was harder to do business in Shen City and Hu City than in the capital. They did not have enough connections there and it was difficult to get things done. No problem! Thats easy! Ill go back and ask them now! Xia Wen said happily. Look at the time now! Lets talk about this tomorrow. Theres no hurry, the seeds are not going anywhere. Come with me to the suburbs tomorrow to pick out some samples, Qiao Mei said. Whatever you say, Xia Wen said. Qiao Mei suddenly thought of something and smiled at Xia Wen as she said, Eldest Brother, you must have heard that Xia You and I recently built a school. Then go back and ask them for 100,000 mu of land. I want the occupancy right to last for 50 years and I can either buy it or rent it. The price is negotiable, Qiao Mei said. 100,000 mu of land? I wont be able to come up with it even if you sell me off. Ill just give you this district and you can become the district head! Xia Wen said in shock. The district head is not the landowner. He only manages everything on the land. Im what you call a local bandit leader! I rule the land I am on! I have the power to decide life and death! Qiao Mei said jokingly. Even if I can get it for you, how are you going to farm so much land? You wont have enough people even if we rope in all the villagers in the vicinity! Xia Wen said. I have so many farms in Country M and I have no problem managing all that amount of land. Whats so difficult about it? If theres not enough manpower, theres always machinery, Qiao Mei said. Theres no such machinery in the country, Xia Wen said. Is that even an issue? Just transport the machines over. Once you confirm the amount of land on your end, Ill get him to help me send the machines here, Qiao Mei said. Xia Wen knew who the him Qiao Mei was talking about. In that case, he could only trouble Xia Zhe to think of a way to get around the customs problem. Xia Wen went to the warehouse alone to choose some suitable samples to bring back to the office. Qiao Mei and Sun Tian went to the small office to take a look at the accounts and to discuss the issues and problems that Sun Tian had encountered during this period of time. Not bad, youve taken care of this place well. I can also let you take care of the land in other locations! Qiao Mei said in satisfaction. Chapter 2168: Buy Ginseng Chapter 2168: Buy Ginseng Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Sun Tian knew that Qiao Mei owned a lot of land elsewhere, but he was already too old to manage so much land. I cant do it! Its already very good that I can manage this place well! My family cant take care of too much land, Sun Tian said. There will come a time when you dont have to do everything yourself. You can hire someone to do the work and you just need to supervise, Qiao Mei said. Then thats not a problem! I can manage it well! Sun Tian said confidently. The Sun family had been farming for generations. As long as it was something related to the fields, there was nothing that Sun Tian did not know! There was nothing that Sun Tian did not understand! How many greenhouses can you take care of? Qiao Mei asked. 500? Sun Tian said tentatively. There were already 100 greenhouses in front of her. A total of 500 greenhouses was really too few. Qiao Mei waved her hand and said, 1,500! Bring your son along to manage them! Alright! Ill try! Sun Tian said. Qiao Mei did not have any other staff capable enough to look after the greenhouses at the moment. She would let Xia Wen try to get 2,000 mu of land first. If she really managed to get 100,000 mu of land, it would actually be too much for her. She was joking with Xia Wen when she made the demand just now. However, she had to show that she had a big appetite so that those higher-ups would give her more things. I wont dare. I havent done anything. Im just here to tell you about what Ive done over the past few years, He Ning said. He Ning wanted to continue catching up with Qiao Mei, but before he could speak further, he started to cough violently. He quickly covered his mouth with a handkerchief and walked over to the side. Huo Gao supported He Ning and patted his back gently. If it was someone else in front of her, Qiao Mei would definitely feel sorry for the person. If it was someone she was familiar with, she would definitely share some medicinal wine generously so that the person could live well. However, this was none other than He Ning, the person who had harmed the Xia family many times and wanted to kill her children so many times. Youre here to ask me for ginseng, Qiao Mei said confidently. It was always so easy to talk to smart people. He Ning took a few deep breaths and said, Name your price. I remember I previously sold the ginseng to you at 400,000 to 500,000 dollars each. The price has gone up now, Qiao Mei said. The cost is not an issue, He Ning said. Qiao Mei sized up He Ning. She did not know how much money he had now. Back then, he had given her about two million dollars in total. At that time, she did not have any money. The two million dollars became her start-up capital and also allowed her to buy properties. However, the one thing she did not lack now was money. At that time, He Ning had given Qiao Mei all the money he had. From that moment on, he knew that she had a big appetite. After knowing her for so long, he knew everything she did, from earning money in the beginning to buying a house, to opening a factory and finally starting to buy land. If he did not work hard to make more money, he would not be able to satisfy her demands. Over the past two years, he had taken advantage of the opening up of the economy and immediately gone to the south to build up his business. He made a lot of money and also gained a prominent status there. You dont have to be so guarded against me. I havent done anything. You sell me ginseng and Ill help your company grow bigger. Its a win-win situation for both of us. Isnt that good? He Ning said.Yo?ur favorite stories at novelhall.com Chapter 2169: Secret Attack Chapter 2169: Secret Attack Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei gnashed her teeth so hard that she almost cracked them. He Ning had really hidden his actions too well. Even Yao Nian did not manage to find out about He Nings influence in Shen City. However, this was not Yao Nians fault. Yao Nian knew the northern region very well but he was still not that familiar with the southern region. She could only blame herself for not paying attention to the developments in the south. I disagree! someone suddenly spoke up from behind He Ning. He Ning could tell that it was Xia Wens voice. He smiled and turned around to ask, This is a matter between Qiao Mei and me. Since when can you make decisions for your younger brother? The eldest brother is like a father! Of course he can! Qiao Mei said forcefully. Xia Wen nodded in satisfaction. He did not dote on Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe for nothing. Xia Wen stared into He Nings eyes and said firmly, I have the final say in the Xia familys matters now. I can make the decision on this matter you mentioned. We wont give you what you want. He Ning smiled resignedly and said, Why do you want to end it like this? He Ning, you look like youre at the end of your life. Dont you think you shouldnt give us this attitude? Even if we lose all our assets in Shen City, our Xia family wont starve to death. Dont use this to threaten us. Besides, were all in good health. As for you Xia Wen looked at He Ning and sized him up before saying, That might not be the case. You know me well, but these things cant be explained in a few sentences. In the future, when you go out, you must bring Da Zhuang and Xiao Zhuang with you. Dont let them stand too far away from you. Ill talk to Father later and ask the superiors to arrange for a female bodyguard to join our guard team. Her job will be to protect you, Xia Wen said worriedly. Dont tell me that He Ning will kidnap me for the sake of getting ginseng? Qiao Mei said. Hes about to die. Its not impossible for him to do something extreme. Hes still as crazy as ever after so many years. Im just worried that hell arrange for someone to deal with you, Xia Wen said. With Qiao Meis superpower, even if 10 burly men ganged up on her, they would not be her match. However, in order to let Xia Wen and the rest of the family feel more assured, Qiao Mei decided to do as Xia Wen said. Then should we give him the ginseng? Qiao Mei asked. He Ning had accumulated a lot of wealth and connections in the past few years. The He family was no longer in dire straits like before, so this was something that the Xia family had to keep in mind. Qiao Mei did not lack ginseng, so after weighing the pros and cons, the best move would be to give him the ginseng. Yes we should, but not now. If its so easy for him to get the ginseng, hell try to use other things to threaten us in the future, Xia Wen said. Are we going to be held hostage by him for the rest of our lives? Eldest Brother, there are other ways to resolve this, Qiao Mei said. The He family is not a match for our Xia family. Its just that the Xia family has too many things going on now and its not the best time for us to take action. Dont worry, I know what Im doing, Xia Wen said with a smile. Chapter 2170: The New Third Aunt-in-law” Chapter 2170: The New Third Aunt-in-law Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The two of them went home in the same car. On the way, they discussed the family gathering that was coming up in two days. It was Xia Juns birthday in two days time. Every year, at this time, the Xia familys three sons and their families would return to the old house to celebrate Xia Juns birthday together. Other than people like Xia Zhe, who could not return to the country because he was on a secret mission, everyone else had to turn up. Even if they were busy at work, they had to put everything aside. Qiao Mei brought Xu Kang and Feng Hua to Xia Juns house to help out. Xia Jun said that his favorite dish was the scrambled eggs with tomatoes which Feng Hua made. Although it was a very simple home-cooked dish, Feng Huas version was most similar to the taste of the dish he used to eat at the cookhouse when he was in the army. The moment Qiao Mei entered the house, she saw an unfamiliar woman sitting beside Xu Lan. She had never seen this person before. Qiao Mei, youre here! the woman said excitedly. Yes, I just sent my children to kindergarten so Im a little late. Who are you? Qiao Mei asked curiously. You dont know me, but I know you! Im a teacher from Seventh High, the school which is next door to your high school. My name is Tang Hui. Ive long heard of you and Ive always wanted to meet you. Ive always been meaning to find out why you do so well in your studies and if you have any special methods! Tang Hui said as she looked at Qiao Mei in admiration. Qiao Mei looked towards Xu Lan for help but Xu Lan quickly popped into the kitchen. Before Qiao Mei came, she had to handle Tang Hui on her own. Now that Tang Hui had a new target, she could finally take a break. Although the Xia family had split up, Xia Jun was always worried about Xia Guang. Now that he saw Xia Guang going down the right path and even finding a decent girlfriend, Xia Jun finally felt relieved. The family gathered together and chatted away. As it got later in the night, Xia Jun felt a little tired and everyone went home after cleaning up. When Qiao Mei was driving up to her house in her car, she saw a figure at the door from a distance away. Qiao Mei got out of the car and looked at Xu Ba, saying, How long have you been waiting here? Why dont you go in? I ?Im too embarrassed to go in, Xu Ba said apologetically. Why are you here? To see my mother? Qiao Mei asked directly. No! I just want to come and apologize to you and your mother. What happened that day was not my intention at all. Its all my fault and my family members did not respect both of you. Im sorry! Xu Ba said earnestly. Qiao Mei shook her head and said, It doesnt matter to me. We were not disadvantaged in any way that day. If you want to apologize to my mother, I can pass the message to her. Thank you, Xu Ba said. Just as Qiao Mei was about to step into the courtyard, she turned around and asked Xu Ba, What are your plans for the future? I ?I actually dont know how to face your mother. I love your mother deeply, but I havent put enough thought into this issue. My family has bad intentions towards you and your family. Theyve been blinded by the idea of riding on your familys influence. If I marry your mother, she wont be happy in the future, Xu Ba said, looking agonized. Chapter 2171: Coincidental Encounter at the Suit Shop Chapter 2171: Coincidental Encounter at the Suit Shop Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei looked at Xu Ba and sighed. He was really a romantic at heart. If he had been born into another family, he might have had a different ending with Li Gui. ?iscover new chapters at novelhall.com Theres another solution, Qiao Mei said. What is it? Xu Ba asked expectantly. Qiao Mei did not know how to tell Xi Ba. If he viewed it positively, he would see it as leaving his family to live with Li Gui. The two of them could get married first and work on their relationship after that. They would also have more alone time together. However, if he viewed it negatively, it would be like he was marrying into her family! He would be seen as a matrilocal son-in-law! He had to completely cut ties with the Xu family! You can move to my mothers house after you get married, Qiao Mei said tactfully. Xu Ba was shocked when he heard this, but he could understand her point. After all, her suggestion was a win-win situation for everyone. However, as a man, he could not accept it. Im just making a casual remark. Its getting late, you should go back. After saying that, Qiao Mei turned around and walked into the courtyard. As soon as she walked down the long corridor, she saw Li Gui standing there and looking at the main door. Although summer nights were not as hot as the daytime, it was still a little stuffy. Every breath of air one took was warm. The back of Li Guis floral shirt looked a little damp, so she had probably been standing there for a long time. At that time, all the kids in Xia Wens generation were not even born yet! In the blink of an eye, Xu Lan had already become a grandmother! And Xia Jun had also become a great-grandfather. Time and tide waited for no man! Qiao Mei intended to go to Country M to spend some time with Xia Zhe once the situation at home had stabilized. They had not seen each other for too long and she missed him very much. Mother, I want to go and get a suit for Xia Zhe, Qiao Mei said. Go ahead. Im not done here yet. Ill go and look for you later. Dont leave that place! Xu Lan reminded her. Alright! After saying that, Qiao Mei walked towards the suit shop that was located opposite. This shop was a century-old brand and some of the Xia familys formal gowns, suits and cheongsams were made here. When Qiao Mei reached the door, she saw familiar faces inside. It was Xia Guang and Tang Hui! The two of them were picking out clothes and the atmosphere seemed harmonious. Xia Guang had a blissful smile on his face and the two of them behaved like newlyweds. She did not want to go in and disturb such a beautiful moment. She did not know when Xia Guang would know what he wanted in life. She looked forward to the day when Xia Guang and Tang Hui got married. More importantly, if Xia Jun saw Xia Guang in this state, he would feel much more at ease and would not be anxious about Xia Guang anymore. Qiao Mei left the shop silently and sat down in the public seating area provided by the shopping mall. Not long after she sat down, she saw two people coming from afar. It was Zhou Hua and Shao Yin! How could it be so coincidental! What a small world! They could even bump into one another here. Chapter 2172: Jealous Ex-wife Chapter 2172: Jealous Ex-wife Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Zhou Hua also spotted Qiao Mei. Even if Qiao Mei turned into ashes, she would still be able to recognize Qiao Mei! Zhou Hua rushed up to Qiao Mei and raised her hand to hit Qiao Mei. Da Zhuang and Xiao Zhuang, who were undercover nearby, immediately rushed out and pressed Zhou Hua to the floor. Assholes! What right do you have to hit me! Let go of me! I want to kill this woman! I want to kill you! Zhou Hua shouted at Qiao Mei like a lunatic. Its precisely because you want to kill me that they cant let go of you, Qiao Mei said with a smile. It seemed that the lesson she taught Zhou Hua the last time was not good enough. Today, Zhou Hua still wanted to continue embarrassing herself in public. The angry roars caused everyone to look in Qiao Meis direction. When Xu Lan heard the commotion, she immediately put down what she was holding and ran over to Qiao Mei. Mei Mei! Are you alright! Let me take a look. Did she hurt you? Xu Lan asked nervously. Qiao Mei had done a lot for the countrys foreign trade as well as the improvement of agricultural technology. These were things that others could not do. If one compared Qiao Meis status in the agriculture industry to Xia Juns status in the military, they were indeed on par. Xia Guang was rendered speechless by Xu Lans rebuttal. After all, his own family had owed the eldest sons family many favors over the years. Xia Mao was an upright person who did not side with anyone. If not for Xu Lan helping him and his family both openly and covertly, Xia Xing would have starved to death long ago. Qiao Mei turned her head and saw Tang Hui standing at the back of the crowd. She blinked at Tang Hui and Tang Hui immediately understood what she meant. Tang Hui quickly walked forward and handed the bag in her hand to Xia Guang as she said, Why are you in such a hurry? You even forgot your bag. As expected, when Zhou Hua saw Tang Hui, she almost went berserk. She struggled with all her might and shouted, Xia Guang! You beast! You cheated on me behind my back! Time seemed to stop! Immediately, everyones eyes focused on Tang Huis face. Tang Hui was calm and composed as she said gently to Zhou Hua, You must be Xia Guangs ex-wife. Its not what you think. Oh ?Ex-wife ?The people standing around shook their heads in disappointment. They had thought that they would be able to watch an exciting show of the wife tearing apart the mistress. They did not expect this drama to be about the ex-wife being jealous. However, no matter how they looked at it, Tang Hui was the one who was more dignified and presentable, much better than the woman on the floor! Shut up, vixen! You must have seduced Xia Guang! Im Xia Guangs wife! His only wife! He can only have me as his wife in this life! Zhou Hua said as she pointed at Tang Hui. Madam Zhou, please wake up. Now that my third uncle is single and youre his ex-wife, you have to behave like an ex-wife. Is it wrong for him to be out with his friend? Qiao Mei emphasized the word friend. Anyone with a discerning mind would understand what she meant. Qiao Mei gave Da Zhuang and Xiao Zhuang a look. They immediately understood what Qiao Mei meant and relaxed their grip a little. Zhou Hua behaved like a mad dog that had broken free from its restraints. She rushed up to Tang Hui and started a fight. Chapter 2173: School Staff Dormitory Chapter 2173: School Staff Dormitory Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xia Guang was already feeling very embarrassed when he saw Zhou Hua trying to fight with Qiao Mei. Now that Zhou Hua was behaving like a crazy woman, he felt even more ashamed. He quickly shielded Tang Hui behind him and used his other hand to block Zhou Hua, but he did not expect to use too much strength and pushed Zhou Hua to the floor. Zhou Hua looked at Xia Guang in shock and said, You actually hit me! You actually hit me for this b*tch! We were married for so long and you had never hit me before! Now, you actually hit me because of an outsider! Before the two of you got a divorce, Third Brother was always outstation. He just did not have a chance to beat you, Xu Lan stood beside Qiao Mei and muttered in disdain. Qiao Mei covered her mouth and smiled. She did not expect Xu Lan to be so sharp with her words at times. Qiao Mei moved her chin and Da Zhuang and Xiao Zhuang restrained Zhou Hua again. Tang Hui tugged at the corner of Xia Guangs shirt and said, Brother Xia, dont be angry. She has misunderstood us. Lets talk to her properly and the misunderstanding will be resolved. She looked so pitiful that anyone would feel very sorry for her. Her hair was all messy from Zhou Huas beating and there were some scratches on her face and neck. There were even some traces of blood seeping out of the more serious wounds. Xia Guang felt very apologetic towards her. He decided to bring her to the hospital to disinfect and bandage her wounds and they left without looking back. Qiao Mei looked at Zhou Hua and said, Theyre already gone, so you can stop shouting. Ill ask the two of them to let go of you now, but if you continue to make threatening gestures, Ill get the mall security officers to detain you and send you to the police station! Zhou Hua looked at Qiao Mei indignantly. She raised her head and did not say anything, but Qiao Mei could tell from the look in her eyes that she would not launch an attack again. Did you come specially to look for me? Tang Hui asked in a gentle tone. Yes. Is it convenient for me to go upstairs for a chat? Ive waited very long and I need to drink some water, Qiao Mei said. Tang Hui turned to the side to make way for Qiao Mei. She pointed towards the stairwell and said, Of course youre welcome. Please come in. This neighborhood was very big and almost all the high school teachers in this area lived here. This particular dormitory was specially built for outstanding teachers from Seventh High. It looked like Tang Hui was a respected teacher in Seventh High. Tang Huis house was located at one end of the second floor. The house was not considered small and the floor area was about 70 square meters. The moment she opened the door, Qiao Mei heard a soft meow inside the house. Im sorry! I forgot to tell you. This is my cat, Cotton. Are you afraid of cats? Tang Hui picked up Cotton quickly and looked at Qiao Mei apologetically. Its fine. I like small animals very much. I have two dogs at home. Its just that I have too many children and its not a good idea to raise cats, so this plan has to be put on hold, Qiao Mei said. Thats true. Cats have claws. It wont be good if they scratch the children, Tang Hui said. Actually, thats not the case. Im just worried that my three cheeky monkeys will keep pulling the kittens tail or drag it around. It wont be good if they hurt the kitten, Qiao Mei said, looking troubled. Chapter 2174: Owe You a Favor Chapter 2174: Owe You a Favor Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The children were older now and at the age where they were most mischievous. The dogs at home had become the three childrens playmates. Cats preferred quiet environments, so such a rowdy environment was not very good for them. In this era, medical care was not that advanced yet and most of the medical equipment was very old. If one was scratched or bitten by dogs and cats, it was difficult to get an injection to prevent rabies. There were many people who died of rabies every year. Although Qiao Meis ginseng juice could cure many illnesses, she had never tried using it to treat rabies before. Therefore, she did not want her children to risk getting into unnecessary danger. She took a look at the furnishings in the house. The entire place looked welcoming and tidy. There were many photos on the wall and she even spotted many CDs in the cabinet! She did not expect Tang Hui to be a rock and roll fan . Unfortunately, Xia Guang did not have any hobbies and was just a blockhead! Other than having a good family background, he was not worthy of Tang Hui at all. Are your injuries better? Qiao Mei asked. Tang Hui removed the bandage and said, Actually, its not serious at all. The doctor doesnt even think I need any treatment. If I had reached the hospital a little later, the wounds would have healed! Its just that Xia Guang was too worried, so the doctor bandaged it up like this. It looks scarier than it is. I want to thank you for today. Qiao Mei took out a small porcelain bottle from her bag and opened the lid. There was a light pink paste inside. She handed it to Tang Hui and said, This is an ointment which I made myself. After applying it for two days, your wounds will recover and there wont be any scars on your face and neck. Dont worry, I know my limits, Tang Hui said. It was getting late and Qiao Mei went home after delivering the gift. The next day, she brought her three children as well as Xia Wen, Xia Sun and Xia You to Xia Juns house. When Xia Jun saw the children, he could not stop smiling. Now that Xia Jun was much older, he liked to play with the children. Seeing the children having fun noisily around him made him feel happy and alive. He even felt as if he had suddenly become many years younger. Grandfather, why dont you move to the courtyard house and be neighbors with Father and Mother. Ive already bought that house. Then, you can also play chess with my grandfather. The two of you can keep each other company, Qiao Mei said as she sat beside Xia Jun. I cant leave the military compound. The higher-ups dont allow me to do that! Xia Jun said helplessly. Xia Jun had actually gone to stay in that courtyard house for a period of time during the new year. The superior in charge of the military compound made several phone calls to ask him to move back urgently. Xia Jun was one of the last few veterans who survived the war. The military still needed Xia Juns guidance in many issues and they could only ensure his safety when he was in the military compound. They deemed it too dangerous for him to live in the courtyard house which Qiao Mei bought and did not want to take the risk. Its fine. Well bring our children over to visit you often, Xia Wen said. Xia Jun nodded in satisfaction. He looked at Xia You and asked, Your siblings and cousins already have children. When are you and Lu Huai going to have a child of your own? Grandfather, Lu Huai and I are currently progressing well in our careers and we want to work hard for the next few years. We will put the matter of children aside for the time being. Besides, its fate whether one has children or not. When its meant to be, the child will come no matter what, Xia You said. Chapter 2175: Find Time to Meet Up Chapter 2175: Find Time to Meet Up Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios What Xia You said made sense. Just a few years back, Xia Jun did not care so much about these things and felt that his children and grandchildren had their own lives to live. However, as he grew older, he began to fear that he would not be able to see all his children and grandchildren find their happiness before he passed. Xia Jun noticed that there were dark circles under Qiao Meis eyes and asked with some heartache, Mei Mei, have you been too busy recently and dont sleep well? Youre almost turning into a giant panda! Id better drink some tonics and supplements, Qiao Mei said. A person cant just rely on tonics and supplements. Although medicine is very effective, all medicines are harmful to the body. You have to adjust your lifestyle accordingly and rest well. Dont neglect your health because of work, Xia Jun reminded her. Noted! Ill definitely take Grandfathers advice! Qiao Mei said happily. The two of you too! Xia Jun said as he looked at Xia You and Xia Wen. Yes, Grandfather, Xia You and Xia Wen said together. When Qiao Mei saw that Xia Jun was in a good mood, she asked tentatively, Grandfather, what do you think of Tang Hui, the person who came to our house that day? Xia You! Talk to Grandfather in a proper manner! Xia Wen reminded her. Im sorry, Grandfather. Im too anxious, but I really feel indignant for Third Uncle. If he can find another partner, he will definitely be happy in his old age! Yesterday, Qiao Mei was almost beaten up by Zhou Hua! Xia You said aggrievedly. Huh? Didnt Zhou Hua leave the capital? Did she hurt you? Xia Jun asked with a frown. I dont know why she has returned recently, but Im fine. Fortunately, Eldest Brother had asked me to bring the bodyguards with me at all times and they stopped her from doing anything. Otherwise, I dont think Ill be able to come and visit you today, Qiao Mei said with a sigh. Thats not all. Recently, Xia Xing has been working very hard and he has already been transferred to the economics affairs department. Zhou Hua went around to gather supporters for Xia Xing and even made it sound like she was doing it on behalf of the Xia family. Ive already tried to explain it privately to all those people she approached, but there are really way too many people she approached. I can only explain to a few but not all, Xia Wen said. Xia Jun said furiously, Shes too much! How dare she be so bold! Shes going to get Xia Xing into a lot of trouble! Thats right, Grandfather! We have to quickly find a wife for Third Uncle! Otherwise, if this continues, our Xia family will encounter an even bigger problem! Xia You said. Xia Jun thought about it and then said, Find a time for me to meet this woman. Ask Xia Guang to come along too. The three of them looked at one another and smiled happily. As long as Xia Jun agreed to do this, the issue was basically settled. Although they did not know if Tang Hui could resist the temptation if a lot of money was dangled in front of her, she could not be worse than Zhou Hua! At night, the three of them went home with the children. Qiao Mei suddenly felt that she did not want to contribute so much seeds to the country anymore. It was not that she was selfish, but she did not want to be protected like Xia Jun in her later years, like she was a national treasure! Chapter 2176: Second Granduncle Returns to the Capital Chapter 2176: Second Granduncle Returns to the Capital Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios She wanted to have a serious discussion with Xia Wen about this matter. She could still contribute the seeds, but she wanted to do it anonymously! If not, she would just say that it was Xia Wen who had developed them! After all, Xia Wen used to be a professor, so it would not be too surprising for him to be able to develop new seeds. Ever since Xu Lans shopping trip was disrupted by Zhou Hua, she had become even busier every day. She was either tidying up the house or buying new bedsheets and bedding. She even made arrangements to renovate the siheyuan courtyard house which Xia Wen had bought for Xia Jun. Mother, why are you doing all these? Qiao Mei asked curiously. Sigh ?your second granduncle is coming back, Xu Lan said wearily. Xia Jun had a biological brother named Xia Zheng. In the past, both of them lived in the capital and Xia Zheng worked at the research institute. Later on, Xia Zheng was transferred to the northwest to work. He got married and had children there and had not returned to the capital for a long time. After Xia Zheng developed some new types of material, he was finally returning to the capital. Xia Zheng missed Xia Jun very much and Xia Jun had thought that he would never see Xia Zheng again. The two brothers did not expect to be able to live together again during their lifetimes. NewW novels updates at novelhall.com Then where are they going to stay? Qiao Mei asked. I dont know yet. They cant possibly stay at the Old Masters house! Thats the military compound! A person with Uncle-in-laws achievements would definitely be allocated a house. I heard from Xia Wen that the house is still under renovation and wont be ready for a while, Xu Lan said. When Xia Jun saw the white-haired Xia Zheng, tears welled up in his eyes. The two brothers had not seen each other for more than 20 years. The last time they saw each other, the two of them were still young and spirited. Now, they were both so old that they could barely walk. Elder Brother ?Im back Xia Zheng said with a trembling voice. Its good that youre back! Its good that youre back! Xia Jun went forward to hug Xia Zheng and said emotionally. There were many people standing behind Xia Zheng. Everyone was not familiar with one another and it felt very awkward. Qiao Mei rushed back and stood beside Xia Wen as she whispered, Eldest Brother, the station master has specially prepared a VIP route for us. We can exit from there. Among the group of people behind Xia Zheng, a mans eyes lit up when he saw Qiao Mei. After that, he just kept staring at her. She felt very disgusted by his action, but she could not voice it out directly. Xia Wen methodically arranged for everyone to board a bus to head to Xia Juns house. All the men from the Xia family went upstairs to the study to chat and catch up. Im the wife of Xia Zhengs eldest son. My name is An Xin. This is my eldest daughter, Xia Bai, and my eldest son-in-law, Wang Kun. That is my second daughter, Xia Ding. Her husband is still working in the northwest and will only be back later. An Xin introduced the family members one by one. Qiao Mei finally knew the identity of the person who stared at her just now. She did not expect him to be the eldest cousins husband! One look and she could tell that this person was nothing good! She must be more careful around him. My daughter has just given birth and is still going through confinement! Its not convenient for her to come and meet you at the moment. My third son is away for work and not able to come back. This is my third daughter-in-law! Xu Lan said as she held Qiao Meis hand. This child is really beautiful! Your son is so lucky! An Xin said enviously. Chapter 2177: Eldest Cousin-in-law’s Line of Sight Chapter 2177: Eldest Cousin-in-laws Line of Sight Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Wang Kun continued to stare at Qiao Mei as if she was his prey! Qiao Mei could not help but say, Elder Cousin-in-law, why are you staring at me? Is there something on my face? No, no! Wang Kun said in a panic. Xia Bai gave Wang Kun a hard kick. He already had a roving eye back in the northwest and he was always surrounded by women. She did not expect him to be up to his old tricks even in the capital! He actually dared to have designs on a Xia family member! Cousin-in-law, dont misunderstand. Your elder cousin-in-laws eyesight isnt very good and he has crossed eyes. Its more strenuous for him to look at people and thats why he keeps staring at you, Xia Bai explained. Wang Kun immediately covered his eyes and said, Im sorry! Im sorry! Xu Lan was not a fool and knew that Xia Bai and Wang Kun were just making things up. There were clearly no issues with Wang Kuns eyes! However, for the sake of harmony in the family, Xu Lan endured it and said, Is that so? Have you gone for treatment? The doctor said that its a genetic defect and theres no way to treat it, Xia Bai said. Then Elder Cousin-in-law, you have to be more mindful in the future. Dont stare at other people in this manner. Were a family and can easily clear up the misunderstanding. However, it might not be so easy outside, Qiao Mei said. Yes, yes, yes! Ill remember that! Wang Kun said as he wiped the sweat off his forehead. Got it, Wang Kun said. Qiao Mei and Xia You stood by the window and looked out into the garden outside. Xia Yous expression was one of impatience and she looked like she wanted to chase Xia Zhengs family out immediately! Cousin-in-law, I dont feel like being here anymore. Look at them! Xia You said unhappily. Who made you so angry? Qiao Mei asked with a laugh. Second Granduncle, Uncle and Aunt are fine, but look at how arrogant Eldest Cousin and Eldest Cousin-in-law are! Moreover, that Eldest Cousin-in-law keeps staring at you so lustfully. Hes definitely not a good person! Xia You said. Second Granduncle has been a sore point for Grandfather for so many years. We have to be nice to his family members. Even if theres any issue, so long as they come and provoke us, lets not hold it against them, Qiao Mei reminded her. How can it be that just because of all those events in the past, our family has to take a backseat to their family for the rest of our lives! Xia You said indignantly. Thats not true. Favors will eventually be repaid one day. How do you know that their family wont need our help? Qiao Mei said. But I just cant take this lying down! Xia You said through gritted teeth. Im just glad that Xia He isnt around now. If the two of you work together, you can probably shake up the entire Xia family! Qiao Mei said as she shook her head helplessly. Im not as impulsive as Cousin Xia He! Dont tarnish our reputations! Xia You said gleefully. Chapter 2178: Your Factory Is Like My Factory Chapter 2178: Your Factory Is Like My Factorylease reading n OX?VEL.M Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei looked at Xia You dotingly and did not say anything. Xia You knew very well in her heart whether Qiao Mei was tarnishing her reputation or not. Among the girls in the Xia family, Qiao Mei got along best with Xia He and Xia You. These two were the demon children of the Xia family! Xia He was impulsive and easily provoked by others. As for Xia You, she made it a point to render help whenever she witnessed injustice. If these two were living in those turbulent days of the past, they might even become bandits and lord over an area! An Xin and Xu Lan went upstairs to look at some old photos. The rest of them sat on the sofa in the living room and chatted casually. Qiao Mei picked up a piece of watermelon from the plate on the coffee table and handed it to Xia Ding, saying I guess you should be considered our second elder cousin. Yes, Im a few months older than Xia He, so I am your second elder cousin, Xia Ding said in a gentle tone. For some reason, Qiao Mei felt a sense of closeness to Xia Ding and found her much more pleasing to the eye than her older sister, Xia Bai. Qiao Mei, I hear that you own several factories and companies! Is that true? Wang Kun looked at Qiao Mei and asked directly. Eldest Cousin-in-law, this is my third cousin-in-law. You should also address her as Third Cousin-in-law as well. How can you call her by her name? Xia You said bluntly.Vissit (.)c.om for updates Xia Bais expression darkened and she said arrogantly, Im older than even Xia Wen and youre all my juniors. So what if my husband calls Third Cousin-in-law by her name? Isnt that something very normal? Why are you so fussy! Xia You wanted to continue arguing with Xia Bai, but Qiao Mei quickly grabbed Xia Yous hand and gave her a look. Xia You could only suppress her anger and shut her mouth. Seeing that Qiao Mei did not want to tell them anything, Wang Kun said agitatedly, How do you know it cant work for us if you dont tell us! Eldest Cousin-in-law, in my third cousin-in-laws food factory, just the machines alone cost 200,000 dollars each! And thats in foreign currency! The entire factory is huge and there are at least 30 such machines. Do you have that much capital? If Third Cousin-in-laws business is too big to be relatable, then lets talk about our logistics company. We have 40 of those big delivery trucks alone, apart from the smaller trucks. The companys cash flow is more than 100,000 dollars a day! Xia You retorted. Wang Kun looked troubled. He would count it as a blessing if he had 10 dollars in his pocket, let alone talk about 100,000 dollars! After so many years, the combined savings between Xia Bai and him were still less than 800 dollars! Xia Bai suddenly thought of something and immediately said, You have so many factories, so you definitely cant manage all of them yourself! Surely you need to employ many people! You can consider hiring your eldest cousin-in-law. Hes very capable! Thats right! If you can even hire outsiders, you might as well hire me! Were relatives, so your factory is like my factory! Ill definitely do my best at work! Wang Kun said smugly. Is that so? Ive always thought that my factories are part of my family business which I will leave behind for my children. Even my husband is not a legal representative of my company. When did it become Eldest Cousin-in-laws assets? Im really surprised to hear this, Qiao Mei said, pretending to be shocked. Wang Kun looked a little awkward. Xia You pursed her lips and held back her laughter. What Qiao Mei was saying was that Wang Kun was from the same generation as her children! Thats not what your cousin-in-law meant, Xia Bai said embarrassedly. Its fine. Im quite the joker. Eldest Cousin and Eldest Cousin-in-law, please dont mind me, Qiao Mei said. Xia Bai looked at the dazzling jewelry that both Qiao Mei and Xia You were wearing and noted that the material of their clothes looked very luxurious. She had never seen such things in the northwest! She also wanted to have such a lush lifestyle. Chapter 2179: To Be the Deputy Factory Director Chapter 2179: To Be the Deputy Factory Directorlease reading n OX?VEL.M Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios A few years ago, everyones standard of living was about the same. Everyone had access to the same household items and there was no need to compare with others. Now that the economy had opened up, many people whom Xia Bai had looked down on back then had become more well-off. Yet, her family was still worrying about whether they would be able to afford eggs and meat for their next meal. Xia Bai suffered a lot from a young age and grew up to be very rebellious. She was very demanding at home. Previously, Wang Kun worked in a state-owned factory and was in charge of a workshop. He received a lot of bribes in that position so his family was living quite a comfortable life and Xia Bai never had to lift a finger at home. However, since the entire family needed to return to the capital, Wang Kun had to leave his previous job. Xia Zheng had already found Wang Kun a job as a security officer at the research institute. This job gave him more free time and he would even make more money than before. However, people like Wang Kun and Xia Bai, who cared a lot about their reputation, would never be willing to work as security officers! Third Cousin-in-law, why does Grandfathers tea set look so familiar to me? Xia You held up the teacup and examined it carefully. Grandfather broke his previous teacup so I gave him a new set. Its that set from my storeroom, Qiao Mei said. Oh! So its that set! Ive been asking you for such a long time but you refused to give anything to me! I didnt expect you to give one set to Grandfather! Xia You said regretfully. Xia Bai immediately said, If Cousin-in-law doesnt mind, we also have a tea set at home. I can get your eldest cousin-in-law to send it to your house later. Xia Ding sat at the side and smiled without saying anything. Both Xia Ding and her husband worked at the research institute as chemistry specialists. Among Xia Zhengs children, only Xia Ding followed in his footsteps. The research institute provided them with everything, including their daily necessities, housing and transport. In turn, they used their savings to buy stationery for the children in the orphanage. They lived a very simple life, but they felt it was a blissful one. She had already heard many comments about Qiao Mei when she was still in the northeast. She knew very well what kind of person Qiao Mei was, one who kept to her word and did things in a direct manner. An Xin told her that Qiao Mei was very easy-going towards people who were sincere. Xia Bai had always looked down on Xia Juns family members. She felt that they only got lucky by being in the right place at the right time and were too smug for their own good! All she saw was that the Xia family lived a very comfortable life and was rich, powerful and carefree. Why! Xia Bai asked. I dont like to hire relatives, Qiao Mei said. Dont try to bluff me! Xia Yous husbands company has a collaboration with you. Xia Hes husband is also doing design for you. Arent they your relatives? This is discrimination! Xia Bai said. Its not the same. I dont have any relatives working for me in the factory. Lu Huai and Deng Fan have their own companies and its our companies which are in collaboration. Theyre not related to my company, Qiao Mei said. What is related or not related! I dont understand any of this! Anyway, since you helped them, you have to help us! Wang Kun said unreasonably. Chapter 2180: I Have the Final Say Chapter 2180: I Have the Final Say Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Why? Qiao Mei asked bluntly. Theyre your relatives! Were also your relatives! You cant favor one over the other! Im sure they owe their success to you! Wang Kun said. Xia You had nothing to say to that. In the beginning, it was indeed Qiao Mei who helped Lu Huais company to establish a partnership with the various government departments. In addition, Qiao Mei had also lent Lu Huai some money back then. He had already repaid the money with interest by now. How can you talk to Third Cousin-in-law like that! Xia Bai tugged at Wang Kun. She turned around and smiled at Qiao Mei as she said, Third Cousin-in-law, you can just pretend that you dont know your cousin-in-law. You can discipline him if you want! Put him under any kind of supervision you want. Just treat it as youre training him. If the two of us are strangers, then why should I let him work in my factory? Qiao Mei looked at Xia Bai and continued, The current factory director and deputy factory director of my factory are both university graduates. I only hire top students from famous universities. Then train him from the lowest position! Im sure you can offer him a junior position! Xia Bai said. Third Cousin-in-law, what exactly are you trying to do! If you dont want to help us, just say it! Why are you beating around the bush! What is this talk about relatives and friends! I think its all just an excuse! You just want to go against us! You dont want our family to do well! Xia Bai stood up angrily and pointed at Qiao Mei as she roared. Her loud voice attracted everyones attention. Xia Ding immediately said, Elder Sister! Are you out of your mind! What nonsense are you saying! Im not! I just want to know why you would rather help Xia You and Xia He than my family! What did my family do to offend you! Xia Bai said. We didnt know each other in the past and we didnt offend each other in any way. To be honest, I just dont want to help. The money is mine and so is the factory. I have the final say in the eldest sons family! Its not that I dont want you to do well. Its fine if you want to live a good life, but dont try to make use of me to achieve it! Qiao Mei said forcefully. How incredible! So the eldest sons family likes to show off! Even your eldest brother, Xia Wen, doesnt dare to say such things! How can you be so arrogant! Who gave you the guts to make decisions for the Xia family! Xia Bai said. When Xu Lan heard the commotion, she immediately rushed over. She looked at Xia Bai and berated her, Who exactly is the one showing off today? Are you trying to put on airs in our house today? Your mother doesnt even comment on the issues in the eldest sons family. When is it your place to speak? Eldest Aunt-in-law, Im just feeling indignant for Xia Wen, Xia Bai said in a vague manner. Whats wrong with Xia Wen? I have two sons. Xia Wen takes care of things outside and Xia Zhe takes care of things within the household. Now that Xia Zhe is not at home, his wife naturally has the final say at home! Dont tell me youre the one who has the final say? Xu Lan said furiously. Qiao Meis words carried a lot of weight, not just in the eldest sons family but even in the entire Xia family. Currently, Xia Jun would not listen to anyone except for Qiao Mei. Now that Xia Bai had offended Qiao Mei, she was not going to have an easy time in the future. Chapter 2181: Eat at the Villa Chapter 2181: Eat at the Villa Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Calm down! Calm down, all of you! An Xin held Xu Lans arm and continued, Cousin-in-law, dont be angry. My daughter is lacking in knowledge and experience. She hasnt gone out to work for many years. She has become ignorant from staying at home all the time and shes just talking nonsense! Dont get angry! Mother! Why are you behaving like this as well! Xia Bai said aggrievedly. Shut up! Go to the side! You have no right to speak here! An Xin growled at Xia Bai. Xia Ding quickly brought Xia Bai and Wang Kun to the small garden at the side to take a walk. If they caused any more trouble and alarmed their grandfather, he would be put on the spot in front of Elder Granduncle. Xia You looked in the direction which Xia Bai and the others had left in with a disgusted expression. Qiao Mei did not have much of an expression on her face. She had met many people like this before. Whoever made her unhappy could not blame her for turning her back on them. Xu Lan still felt quite angry and An Xin said a lot of nice things before Xu Lan managed to smile a little. After all, this was the first time Xia Zhengs family had returned to the capital after so long. As long as it was not something life-threatening, she had to endure it for now. Whatever it was, they could talk about later. Time passed very quickly and it was soon mealtime. There was definitely no space at Xia Juns house to accommodate so many people. At first, Xia Jun had intended to go to Li Guis restaurant, but he did not expect that Li Gui also did not have a private room that was big enough. Alright, then make sure you clean your eyes properly! Dont let it affect your vision! Xia Zheng said. Apart from Xia Hes family, everyone who could make it turned up today. Xia Guang came as well and brought Tang Hui with him. She did not expect her first meeting with Xia Jun to be at such a big occasion. The Tang family actually had some history with the Xia family. Back in the past, Old Master Tang was transferred to work in the countryside by the government. If Xia Jun had not found a way to transfer Old Master Tang back home, Old Master Tang would definitely have died in that faraway place! Hello, Old Master Xia. Im Tang Hui. Its a pleasure to meet you. My family is indebted to you. We are doing well now only because of your help in the past. On behalf of my family, I want to say thank you. After saying that, Tang Hui picked up her glass and downed the wine. Xia Jun waved his hand to ask Tang Hui to take a seat. He did not remember anything about the Tang family at all. Since Tang Hui said that there was some history between them, then so be it. The truth was that he did not like this woman. At first glance, he felt that Tang Hui was a scheming woman. Xia Guang was a careless man and definitely could not win against Tang Hui. However, a scheming person was not necessarily a bad one. As long as she used her craftiness for good, Xia Jun would not stop Tang Hui and Xia Guang from seeing each other. After all, no matter how bad she was, could she be worse than Zhou Hua? Ill go and sit over there. You stay here and accompany Old Master Xia, Tang Hui whispered to Xia Guang. Xia Xing looked at Tang Hui sulkily. He could not accept the idea of Xia Guang remarrying. His mother was not dead! This woman was full of schemes! She had seduced his father! Qiao Mei quickly gestured for Tang Hui to sit beside her. Xia Bai looked at Tang Huis simple clothes and deduced that she must be from a poor family. Chapter 2182: Evil Attracts Evil Chapter 2182: Evil Attracts Evil Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios How can someone be dressed so simply at such an important banquet Xia Bai muttered in disdain, her voice loud enough for everyone at the table to hear. Miss Tang, did you come here immediately after the school day ended? Qiao Mei asked. I swapped classes with a fellow teacher. Otherwise, I would definitely be late. I came in a hurry so Im still wearing my work clothes. I apologize for that, Tang Hui said. The moment Xia Bai heard that Tang Hui was a teacher, her eyes lit up. She immediately smiled and asked, Oh! Youre a teacher! Which school are you from? Seventh High, Tang Hui replied truthfully. Xia Bais attitude immediately took a 180-degree turn! She had a child who was in high school. Back in the northwest, she had no choice. All the familys children had to study at the school run by the research institute, but things were different in the capital. There were so many good schools here. However, all the good schools in the capital impose requirements in the students. Some schools needed the students to meet certain minimum grades, while some schools needed to know the students home address as only those who live in the neighborhood near the school could study in that school. Diiscover new stories at novelhall.com The best high school in the capital was Sixth High, followed by Seventh High. Xia Bai had been worried that she did not know anyone who could help get her child into either school. She did not expect to be able to gain so much from this dinner! Grandfather! Im your biological grandson! The two of them are outsiders! Xia Xing looked at Xia Jun in disbelief. You still have the cheek to comment about others! Do you think youre better than everyone else here! Are you proud of those nasty things which your family did! You know that your current workplace unit places a lot of importance on educational qualifications. Youve sat for the university admission examinations so many times, but have you gotten in yet? You dont focus on the right things and just dwell on these household issues every day! Do you even retain any knowledge from all the books you read! Xia Jun scolded angrily. Xia Xing lowered his head and remained silent. Xia Jun was right. He was indeed a good-for-nothing, but he also had his dignity! No matter how bad a person his mother was, she was still his biological mother! No one was allowed to covet his mothers position! Father, lets eat. The kid didnt do it on purpose, Xia Guang said. Teach your son properly! Xia Jun said. Xia Xing left the villa without looking back. Before he left, he even glared fiercely at Qiao Mei. She felt very helpless. She had helped Xia Xing so much to allow him to live his current life in peace. She did not expect him to end up hating her because of Zhou Hua. However, Qiao Mei could understand where he was coming from. After all, she was only his cousin-in-law while Zhou Hua was his biological mother. Blood was definitely thicker than water. Zhou Hua must have said a lot of bad things about Qiao Mei in front of Xia Xing after she returned to the capital this time round. After dinner, Qiao Mei let everyone walk around and tour the house. She had already locked all the important rooms. She brought Tang Hui to one side and said, When are you going to marry into the Xia family? I thought that in the family, your third uncle should be most anxious about this issue. I didnt expect you to be even more anxious than him! Tang Hui said with a smile. Im just curious. Quick, tell me what you have in mind! Qiao Mei said. Chapter 2183: Persuade Someone to Get Married Chapter 2183: Persuade Someone to Get Married Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Initially, Qiao Mei did not want to get involved in the matter between Xia Guang and Tang Hui. Relationships could not be forced and should progress naturally! However, seeing Xia Xings attitude towards her, she did not want those people to have a peaceful life! Perhaps in another two months or so, Tang Hui said, making an estimate. Are you telling me the truth? Or are you just brushing me off? Qiao Mei asked skeptically. What Tang Hui said was not a lie. Ever since Zhou Hua caused trouble the last time, Xia Guang felt very apologetic towards Tang Hui and sent her to and from work every day. He was a lot more proactive than before. She had originally thought that the woman whom Xia Guang could not forget must have been a good wife, but she did not expect the woman to be such a shrew! After knowing this, she was fully confident that she would be able to marry into the Xia family. Later in the night, Qiao Mei showed everyone to their rooms. Xia You did not want to sleep alone, so she sneaked up to the master bedroom on the top floor to have a chat with Qiao Mei. Knock, knock, knock Who is it? Qiao Mei asked. Guess who I am ?Im here, my little darling Xia You stood at the door and said happily. Dont tell me youre here to talk to me about money? Qiao Mei said. I just dont want to stay on the same floor as those people. If not for the fact that Second Granduncle is quite a nice person, I would have gone home a long time ago! Xia You said. I heard that Xia Chu will be here tomorrow. Do you know anything about him? Qiao Mei asked. I heard from my mother that Aunt-in-law wants to find a wife for Xia Chu! Hes not that young anymore, hes two years older than me! Aunt-in-law has set up many blind dates for him, but he just doesnt want to go. No one knows why he hasnt found himself a wife after so many years, Xia You said. I guess he hasnt met anyone he likes, Qiao Mei said. Who knows. I reckon that this problem will fall into your lap in the end, Xia You said. Why? What does he have to do with me? Qiao Mei asked in puzzlement. I just heard about this from my mother today. An Xin said that she needed someone to persuade her son. She asked everyone in the family for help and they all rejected her tactfully. When it was Eldest Brothers turn, he said that she should ask you to give it a try. He said that you are the one who manages to convince all the Xia familys children to get married, Xia You said. What! Qiao Mei looked at Xia You in disbelief. Im not lying to you! Eldest Brother betrayed you! Xia You raised three fingers to the sky and made an oath. Xia Wen!!! He actually pushed this issue to me! Ill remember this. Sooner or later, Ill make him pay it back! Qiao Mei said in annoyance. Xia You lay down on the bed and laughed loudly. Ever since Xia Wen and Tan Jing got a divorce, he had become much more cheerful and even joked around with the family members. In the past, this would have been impossible. Xia You had always termed Xia Wen as the little old man since they were young! Chapter 2184: Why Are You Not Married Chapter 2184: Why Are You Not Married Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios The next morning, just as Qiao Mei had expected, An Xin had a worried expression on her face as she pulled Xu Lan and Liu Fen into the living room for a chat. Xia Chu sat obediently beside them. Mei Mei! You have come at the right time! Have a chat with your younger cousin, Xia Chu! An Xin shouted at Qiao Mei as she stood on the stairs. Qiao Mei sighed. She did not expect to have to be a matchmaker one day! This could be a new business for her. Perhaps she could set up a matchmaking company to help these single men and women! Hello, Xia Chu. Im Xia Zhes wife. Based on the family hierarchy, you can address me as Third Cousin-in-law, Qiao Mei said with a smile. Hello, Third Cousin-in-law, Xia Chu said earnestly. Lets go to my study and have a chat there. After saying that, Qiao Mei walked upstairs. Xia Chu followed closely behind her while An Xin and the rest watched them leave with anticipation. After they entered the study, Qiao Mei sat down by the window and made tea for Xia Chu. He did not stand on ceremony and sat down opposite her, waiting quietly. However, she did not raise the issue of blind dates with him at all. After a long silence, Xia Chu said, Third Cousin-in-law, arent you going to ask me anything? No, I wont. Im not good husband material and I wont be able to bring her happiness. I enjoy being on my own. Third Cousin-in-law, I mean what I say, Xia Chu looked at Qiao Mei and said firmly. Qiao Mei looked out of the window and started to feel melancholic. She knew Xia Chus reasoning now, but how was she going to explain it to Aunt? This was information that was hard to report back! Third Cousin-in-law, what are you thinking about? Xia Chu asked. Im wondering if your mother will believe me if I say that its because youre not functional in that aspect, Qiao Mei said as she looked at Xia Chu hopelessly. Xia Chu looked at Qiao Mei and fell silent. He definitely cared about his reputation, but if they did not use this reason, what other excuse could he use to persuade An Xin not to arrange any more blind dates for him? After a long silence, Qiao Mei and Xia Chu reached a consensus. Since it was only family members who would hear about this and they would not go out and spread the information around, it was not a big deal to use this as an excuse. Xia Chu was already transferred to work in the capitals military district. He left and drove to the dormitory in the military compound to put his things. Qiao Mei went to the ground floor to face An Xin and the rest. Did he tell you? What exactly is the reason? An Xin asked nervously. Xia Chu, he ?he Qiao Mei said hesitantly. Its fine! Tell Aunt the truth! Were all family! An Xin said. Chapter 2185: I Cannot Give You Happiness Chapter 2185: I Cannot Give You Happiness Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei sighed and said, Xia Chu told me that he ?is not functional in that aspect Everyone there was shocked. An Xin grabbed Qiao Meis hand and asked anxiously, How can that be! The army arranges for the soldiers to get a checkup every year. If Xia Chu really has such a problem, he will definitely tell me! Mei Mei, is there another reason? Tell Aunt the truth. I can take it! Im telling the truth. Its not a physical illness, its a psychological one, Qiao Mei said. Mei Mei, do you think your medicinal wine can help Xia Chu? Xu Lan asked. After all, Tan Jings infertility was cured by Qiao Meis medicinal wine back then. It should be able to do the same for Xia Chu! Fiind updated novels at novelhall.com A psychological problem requires its own type of treatment. My medicinal wine can only treat physical illnesses and it cant solve Xia Chus psychological problems. This matter cant be rushed. When Xia Chu can come to terms with it, he will be able to recover, Qiao Mei said as she pretended to be sad. An Xin completely believed what Qiao Mei said. No wonder Xia Chu did not want to get married all these years. He must definitely be too embarrassed to tell her in detail about such a thing. Since the banquet ended late yesterday, Bian Ke also stayed over at Qiao Meis villa for the night. This morning, Xia Wen arranged for a car to send her back. When they reached the edge of the city, she asked the driver to drop her off, saying that she wanted to go to a friends house. If you ask me, the biggest scourge is that woman named Qiao Mei! This woman is a master instigator! Shes so evil! She wants to cause trouble in the family! Bian Ke said in disgust. What do you know! He Ning shouted fiercely, scaring Bian Ke so much that she kept trembling. Bian Ke was a relative of He Nings mother. Based on the family hierarchy, the Bian family and the He family could barely be considered relatives! However, He Ning urgently needed someone who could walk into the Xia familys house to gather information. After pondering for a long time, he could only think of Bian Ke. She had liked He Ning since she was young and had fallen for him at first sight. She did not get married all these years because she was waiting for him. Ahem ?I didnt mean to scold you. Tell me about Meng Yuan. Do you like him? He Ning asked with a light cough. No, he looks like a cook! If not for my parents being fond of him ?I wont want to marry that person! Bian Ke said. Dont be willful. Given the Bian familys current situation, its very good if you can become the Xia familys in-laws. Such an identity is something that others cant even dream of, even if Meng Yuan is only the Xia familys adopted son. You should manage the relationship well. He Ning sighed and then said, I dont have long to live and Im not a good choice for you. I hope that I can see you marry a good husband. Then at least I wont have lived in vain. When Bian Ke heard this, she covered her face and cried. She said in a choked voice, Brother He, dont be discouraged! Ill think of a way to save you! You must persevere! Ive asked around. Meng Yuan is a very nice person and he will treat you well. Youll have a good life after you marry him. Dont meet me for the time being and dont come to my house. Dont make the Xia family suspicious of you, He Ning reminded her. Bian Ke wiped the tears off her face and quietly left through the back door. She made up her mind to help He Ning get everything he wanted and she would also find a way to extend his life! He Ning looked at Bian Kes departing figure and smiled in satisfaction. It would be so boring for the Xia family if he did not get involved in this shenanigan as well. Since there were so many people who were at odds with the Xia family, who should he make use of? Chapter 2186: Sponsor Poor Students Chapter 2186: Sponsor Poor Students Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Xia Zheng and Xia Jun had not seen each other for such a long time and they had a lot to catch up on. By now, Xia Zhengs family had already stayed at Qiao Meis villa for four days. He felt a little embarrassed and wanted to bring his family to go and stay in the dormitory compound at the research institute. Second Granduncle, why are you in such a hurry? My eldest brother has asked for you. The house over there is still under renovation. You can stay here for now, Qiao Mei said. Its fine. They can take their time to renovate that house. Surely the research institute will find us temporary accommodation, Xia Zheng said. The? source of this content n/o/v/(el)bi((n)) Grandfather! Are you getting too old and confused! Even if the research institute finds you a place, it will only be for you and Second Sisters family. What about the two of us! Xia Bai said unwillingly. Thats right, Grandfather! You cant just leave us to our own devices! What about your grandson! Wang Kun said agitatedly. Xia Zheng said impatiently, I didnt say that I wont take care of you! Shut up! Second Granduncle, you can stay at my place. You havent seen Grandfather for so many years and he must miss you a lot. The two of you should chat more. Theres a reservoir behind my villa! Theres a lot of fish there! If the two of you are bored, you can go fishing! Qiao Mei said. Xia Jun smiled and said, The kid is being filial to you. You should just take up her offer. Of course. Ill come and pick you up tomorrow morning and well go shopping together. I also want to do something for those children, Xia Guang said. Tang Hui nodded and agreed to Xia Guangs request. With Xia Guang tagging along this year, Tang Hui finished sending the items very quickly. In the past, when she did this alone, it would always take her three days to cycle from house to house to deliver the items! Xia Guang heard from those families that Tang Hui had been sponsoring them for three to four years already. Not only did she buy them daily necessities, but she was also the one who bought most of the childrens clothes for them. Big Brother Xia, thank you so much for today. I thank you on behalf of those children, Tang Hui said as she stood at the door of the apartment block. You dont have to stand on ceremony with me. This is what I should do. I remember you telling me that your hometown is not the capital. Its almost the holidays. Arent you going home? Xia Guang asked curiously. Tang Hui shook her head sadly and said with a dejected expression, I dont have a lot of money this year. My family members are also busy with their own lives. Even if I go back to my hometown, theres no one at home, so I wont be going back. Before Xia Guang could say anything, a figure suddenly darted out from the corner and rushed towards Tang Hui. Xia Guang was previously a soldier after all, so he reacted very fast and gave that person a hard kick. Ah!!! A woman exclaimed as she lay on the ground. Zhou Hua! Xia Guang shouted in shock when he saw who the person on the ground was. Zhou Hua held her abdomen and shouted angrily, Bastard! How dare you hit me because of this woman! I knew something must be going on between the two of you! A man and a woman whispering to each other downstairs in the middle of the night! The two of you are shameless! Chapter 2187: Slave Chapter 2187: Slave Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Zhou Hua had already asked around. The people living in this neighborhood were all teachers from nearby and most of them were Tang Huis colleagues. It was the festival season now and everyone was at home. If she caused a scene here today, it would definitely affect Tang Huis reputation! A teacher should be a role model but she was actually a third party in a relationship! If news of this spread to Seventh High, Tang Hui would even lose her job. No one would dare to marry Tang Hui in the future! Dont cause trouble here! Xia Guang said as he looked at Zhou Hua. Zhou Hua refused to give up. She kicked up a fuss and asked Xia Guang to give her an explanation. The neighbors stuck their heads out of the windows to watch the commotion and more and more people gathered around to watch. Tang Hui stood helplessly on the spot, not knowing how to defend herself. Isnt that Miss Tang? Whos that woman? Ive seen this man many times. He comes to pick up Miss Tang every day. I assume that he is Miss Tangs partner, but I didnt expect Miss Tang to be a third party! Goodness! Tang Hui is actually such a person! Tang Hui stood there looking pale and kept trying to tell the people around her that this was not the case. Xia Guang could not take it anymore and pointed at Zhou Hua as he roared, Ive already divorced you for more than a year! The two of us have nothing to do with each other now! Stop pestering me! Zhou Hua was alone and could not win against so many people. She gave Tang Hui and Xia Guang a fierce look and left the neighborhood dejectedly. Sister Zhao glanced at the onlookers and said loudly, Everyone knows what kind of person Miss Tang is! Shes usually very nice to us! If anyone has any difficulties, Miss Tang will always render help, am I right! Yes! the neighbors upstairs and downstairs shouted in unison. What happened today is a misunderstanding! That woman is bullying Miss Tang! In the future, when you see that woman, just call the police! Everyone knows what happened today! Dont let me hear any gossip about Miss Tang in the future! Otherwise, I wont let that person off! Sister Zhao said. After the misunderstanding was resolved, everyone went home. Tang Hui also turned to go upstairs. Xia Guang grabbed Tang Hui and said, You should come with me. Your house is not safe now. Xia Guang ignored Tang Huis objections and pushed her into the car. Impulsively, he drove to Qiao Meis villa and only started to regret it when they arrived at the entrance. Today is the reunion festival. Its not appropriate for you to bring me here. Let me go home, Tang Hui said thoughtfully. No! What if Zhou Hua goes there to look for you again! Absolutely not! Im really worried about you being alone! Xia Guang said in a panic. But ?but its not convenient for me to be at your house on this day, Tang Hui said. At this moment, Qiao Mei and Xia He happened to be standing at the window and witnessed this scene at the entrance of the villa. Xia He leaned against the window and asked curiously, That woman is the one you said is Third Uncles girlfriend, right? Yes, but why does Third Uncle decide to bring her here today? Doesnt he know this will make Grandfather angry? Qiao Mei said. Chapter 2188 Return the Favor Chapter 2188 Return the Favor "Let''s wait and see. Maybe it''s Tang Hui who insists on coming? Third Uncle is such a soft-hearted person. Perhaps she influenced his decision," Xia He guessed. Qiao Mei felt that something must have happened to Xia Guang and Tang Hui. Otherwise, with Tang Hui''s calculative nature, she would not do such a rash thing. "I''ll go to the main entrance to take a look. Don''t go out. You must avoid the wind," Qiao Mei said as she patted Xia He''s shoulder. Xia He went to the bookshelf and took down the binoculars and walkie-talkie. She leaned against the window to act as a lookout. Qiao Mei had hired some bodyguards for this villa. Although this villa was in a good location, it was close to the mountain and river and wild beasts might come down from the mountain. The bodyguards were there to protect the safety of the family members. The landline phone and pagers were not convenient modes of communication. When Qiao Mei returned from Country M, she had bought a lot of walkie-talkies with her. All the Xia family members lived close to one another now, so each family could communicate with the rest directly by using the walkie-talkies. Qiao Mei rode her bicycle to the entrance of the villa. When Xia Guang saw Qiao Mei, it was as if he had seen his savior. He immediately said, "Xiao Zhe''s wife, you have come at the right time! Help us think of a way!" "What''s wrong?" Qiao Mei asked. Xia Guang briefly explained what happened earlier tonight. He looked at Qiao Mei and begged, "Please help me. Can you just say that you''re the one who invited Miss Tang here?" Qiao Mei said without any hesitation, "No." Xia Guang pondered for a moment and seemed to have made up his mind. He held Tang Hui''s hand and said, "Alright! I''ll explain to Father myself!" Qiao Mei brought them into the house. Everyone was making dumplings in the living room. Tang Hui''s appearance attracted everyone''s attention and they all stopped what they were doing. "This is my friend, Miss Tang. I have invited her here for a meal. Does anyone mind?" Qiao Mei asked with a smile. "Hello, everyone." Tang Hui looked at everyone and greeted them openly. Other than Xia Zheng''s family, who did not know who Tang Hui was, the rest of the Xia family members were all observing Xia Jun''s reaction. They did not dare to make a sound. Xia Guang looked at Xia Jun and said, "Father, I have something to ask you." "Alright, let''s go upstairs." After Xia Jun finished speaking, the two of them went to the study for a chat. Qiao Mei brought Tang Hui to change into a new set of clothes. After the fight just now, her clothes were covered in dust. "I originally only wanted to put on a show of being bullied so that your third uncle would completely give up on Zhou Hua. Who would have thought that your third uncle was around when this incident happened today and that it would end up like this," Tang Hui said helplessly. "But I think Third Uncle cares about you," Qiao Mei said as she searched for the clothes. "It''s just a coincidence. In that situation just now, any man would have given up on Zhou Hua. Surely my weak and delicate appearance is deeply engraved in Xia Guang''s heart~" Tang Hui stood in front of the mirror and said happily. Chapter 2189: I Want to Marry Her Chapter 2189: I Want to Marry Her Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Qiao Mei did not expect Tang Hui to be such a playful person in private. Tang Hui twirled happily in front of the mirror. Who would believe that this woman was already in her 40s! Oh right! I want to thank you! The paste in that small bottle of yours is really useful! I used it and the scars disappeared after two days! After I apply the rest of the paste on my face, I feel that I have fewer wrinkles! Tang Hui held her face and said with a smile. Qiao Mei had realized that Tang Hui looked much better than when she saw her in the past. She did not expect Tang Hui to be so bold as to use the paste on her face. I made it myself. There are only a few bottles and I have given them all to my family. Its nothing great, Qiao Mei said. Tang Hui immediately understood what Qiao Mei meant. Qiao Mei was refusing to give her more! I hope we can become part of the same family in the future, Tang Hui said. In the study, Xia Jun sat down on a chair. Xia Guang stood nervously opposite Xia Jun. He lowered his head in fear and said, Father I want to marry Tang Hui! Alright, I understand, Xia Jun said calmly. Xia Guang looked up at Xia Jun in surprise and asked, Father, are you saying yes? You dont object? Why should I object? That woman is not bad. Its not a bad thing for you to marry her, Xia Jun said. Grandfather, dont be angry. Ive already asked around about Miss Tang. Whether its her knowledge, morals, family background or character, the feedback is all good. Her neighbors all sing praises of her and the students like her very much. She has a good reputation in the education field, Xia Wen said. Xia Jun tapped Qiao Meis head gently and said, Since the few of you say so, then how can I reject your third uncles request? Thats great! Thank you, Grandfather! Xia You said happily. Xia Jun gave them a few reminders and asked them to leave the room. After Qiao Mei stepped out, she frowned and wondered if she had made the right decision. Xia Wen stood beside Qiao Mei and asked, Whats wrong? Do you think Tang Hui shouldnt join our family? No, I just feel that such a decision might make Tang Hui suffer, Qiao Mei said with a slight frown. She had been to Tang Huis house and knew that Tang Hui liked rock music and also knew how to play the guitar. Yao Nian also found out that she was a kind-hearted person who sponsored many poor students. These were all facts and it was not as if Tang Hui had put up an act for the Xia family. Why would a woman like Tang Hui like Xia Guang? Xia Guang did not do well in his career and he did not have any hobbies. His personality was not considered that likable either. The only thing going for him was that he came from a prominent family. She will make a decision that suits her. Were not forcing her to do this. Dont feel stressed, Xia Wen advised. Thats right, Qiao Mei lamented. When no one was paying attention, Qiao Mei pulled Tang Hui to the backyard and said, I talked to Grandfather just now. Third Uncle has told Grandfather that he wants to marry you. Chapter 2190: Stay Over for a Few Days Chapter 2190: Stay Over for a Few Days Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios I have already guessed it, Tang Hui said with a smile. From the looks of it, my third uncle will propose to you very soon. Once you agree, you can immediately enter the Xia family, Qiao Mei said. Tang Hui shook her head and said, I wont agree so quickly. Lets wait a little longer. Theres no hurry. He wont run away. I What I mean is, maybe you should think about it again, Qiao Mei said seriously. You dont want me to enter the Xia family? Im fine with that too. If you dont like the idea, I can stop contacting your third uncle from tomorrow onwards, Tang Hui said readily. Qiao Mei did not know whether to feel sorry for Xia Guang or Tang Hui. It seemed that Tang Hui did not have any feelings for Xia Guang at all. Thats not what I mean. What I want to say is that although the Xia family is very good, my third uncle might not be a good husband. He might be unreliable, Qiao Mei said. How many people can one rely on in this world? In the end, you still have to rely on yourself. Moreover, men are all the same. After getting married, how many of them will care about their families? Perhaps they will in the first few years, but in the end, its all the same, Tang Hui said dejectedly. Qiao Mei shook her head in disapproval. She did not think that Xia Zhe would become the kind of person that Tang Hui was talking about. Its like this! Your Third Aunt-in-law Erm no, your Auntie Zhou has gone to Miss Tangs house to cause trouble recently. Im wondering if you can let Miss Tang stay at your house for a while. Just a few days! Ill find her a new place and she will move out soon! Xia Guang said. Xia You had thought that he wanted to borrow money from her or something along that line. She certainly did not expect that his request would be for Tang Hui to stay at her house for the time being. Her house was very big and she even had enough space to give Tang Hui an area of the house to herself. However, she could not decide on this matter. She needed to get Qiao Meis permission first. After all, Zhou Hua and the rest of her third uncles family had bullied Qiao Mei back then. On a personal level, she had a good relationship with Qiao Mei. On the business level, Lu Huais company depended on Qiao Mei. No matter what, Xia You could not make a decision on her own. Third Uncle, its not that I dont want to help you, but its really not convenient for her to stay at my house. Lu Huai has gone to the south to deliver goods and I have asked his relatives to come for a visit. Its not a good time now. You should ask Qiao Mei! Qiao Mei has many houses! Xia You said. Xia Guang quickly said, Theres no need! Qiao Mei is usually so busy, so theres no need to trouble her! Its alright! Ill help you get her! Xia You quickly pulled Qiao Mei out of her room and positioned her in front of Xia Guang before running away. Xia Guang had no choice but to bite the bullet and repeat what he just said. Qiao Mei was unwilling at first, but on account of Tang Hui, she agreed in the end. She can stay in the villa. Second Granduncle and his family will still be staying here for the next few days. The other houses are not in move-in condition, Qiao Mei said. Thank you, Qiao Mei! Ill definitely find a place for her as soon as possible! Xia Guang said happily. Qiao Mei was not helping Xia Guang. She just did not want to see Zhou Hua to be too comfortable. So long as she could make Zhou Hua unhappy, she was willing to do anything! Chapter 2191: Visit Relatives Chapter 2191: Visit Relatives Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios After the reunion festival, it was the usual practice for everyone to go from house to house and admire the moon with their relatives. Legends had it that there was a beautiful fairy living on the moon and she would come to the human world during the reunion festival every year. During this time, every family would hang lanterns outside the house, look at the moon and pray for blessings for the coming year. If a family had an unmarried daughter, they could also pray to the fairy to bless her with a good husband!Rread latest chapters at novelhall.com Every family would buy lots of glutinous rice balls at this time to be distributed to their relatives on the day after the reunion festival. This was a gesture to wish the recipients well and be blessed with unity, harmony and good fortune in the family. In the past few years, Qiao Mei had to stay at home to recuperate during the festival period. After that, she was overseas for two years. Xia Wen was the one who went around to visit the familys relatives. Qiao Meis helpers would send the glutinous rice balls to her neighbors on her behalf. Now that the relationship between Xia Guang and his family had become better, Qiao Mei needed to pay Xia Guang a visit. Ive already prepared your share of glutinous rice balls. If you really dont feel like going, I can represent the Xia family on my own, Xia Wen said. How many families do you need to visit today? Qiao Mei asked. 12 families. Then there are another eight families at the military compound and six of Grandfathers neighbors. Its a busy day today. Xia Xings house will be the last stop, Xia Wen said after doing a rough count. After Qiao Mei heard that, she could feel a headache coming on. She waved her hand and said, I think I wont go with you this year. There are usually many influenza cases during this period of time. Im worried that the children might fall sick if they go visiting. If one falls sick, the other two will follow. I cant cope if I have to take care of all three of them at the same time. Then are you going to Xia Xings house? Xia Wen asked. After that, Qiao Mei caused Zhou Hua to lose her reputation and she had to divorce Xia Guang. In the end, Qiao Mei even sent her elder sister to prison. Her two sons also had to stay in jail for more than 10 years! Just as the Zhou family was making a fuss about how to deal with Qiao Mei, Xia Wen arrived at Xia Xings house. He immediately saw the Zhou family members, though he was not surprised that they were here. He already knew that they had come to the capital. He had been wondering when they would decide to come and settle scores with Qiao Mei! Youre all here, Xia Wen said as he entered with a smile. The last time Old Madam Zhou met all the Xia family members, it was when Xia Guang and Zhou Hua got married. At that time, Xia Wen was only five or six years old. Old Madam Zhou had not seen him after that. Old Madam Zhou thought that she had never met such a dignified man! She wondered if he was married. At his age, he looked like he was a good match for her youngest daughter! Oh my! Are you our Xiao Xings friend? Old Madam Zhou asked. Grandma Zhou, Im Xia Wen, the eldest son of the Xia familys eldest son. Do you still remember me? Xia Wen said politely. Old Madam Zhou was smiling when she spoke, but her face immediately fell when she heard this. Xia Wen held back his laughter. He only rued the fact that Qiao Mei was not here yet and had missed such an exciting face-changing trick. Yes, yes. Youre such a busy person. How do you manage to find time to come to our place? Old Madam Zhou said. Chapter 2192: You Are the Culprit Chapter 2192: You Are the Culprit Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Its the festive season, so I have come to visit Xia Xing. Third Uncle is not at home today? Xia Wen asked curiously. Dont you know why your third uncle isnt at home? Zhou Kui said moodily. Xia Wen knew very well that Xia Guang was helping Tang Hui to move to a new house! Many northerners had headed to the south to do business and there were many vacant houses around, so it was not difficult to rent one. Xia Guang took great care not to tell anyone the address of this house and even carried out the move in secret. He was worried that if word got out and Zhou Hua found out about it, she would come looking for trouble again. Even after Tang Hui moved, she still had to continue teaching at Seventh High. If Zhou Hua went to the school to cause trouble, there was nothing they could do. Xia Guang had even thought about getting Tang Hui another job. Qiao Mei arrived at Xia Xings house with two boxes of birds nests. She heard that Shao Yin had not been feeling well lately, so she had specially bought some top-notch birds nests for Shao Yin to nourish her body! Everyone is here! Im really sorry to be late. Its all because of the traffic jam! Qiao Mei said as she pushed open the door. When Old Madam Zhou thought about how her two daughters had lost to Qiao Mei, she could not control her anger. She picked up the hot water bottle next to her and threw it at Qiao Mei. As they were very near to each other, Qiao Mei could not dodge in time, so she instinctively shielded her face with her arm. Xia Wen made a swift decision to stand in front of Qiao Mei. The good thing was that the water in the bottle had already cooled down, so Xia Wen was not scalded. However, the broken pieces from the smashed bottle nicked Xia Wens arm and the back of his hand. Blood started dripping from his fingertips onto the floor. Eldest Brother! Qiao Mei exclaimed. Im fine. These are just superficial wounds, Xia Wen said after taking a look at his arm. Old Madam Zhou was too old, so they could not do anything to her. Qiao Mei raised her hand and gave Xia Xing a slap, causing his face to swell up instantly. She said furiously, Do you even see us as your family members! You can still look on so indifferently even when Eldest Brother is being bullied! Qiao Mei, forget it. Lets go, Xia Wen said as he looked at Xia Xing in disappointment. All this while, he had spent so much time and effort on Xia Xing. He was the one who helped Xia Xing to secure his current job and this house. In the past, when Xia Xings results were poor, Xia Wen would tutor Xia Xing at night while still attending school in the morning. When Xia Xing was bullied by hooligans, he went and taught those hooligans a lesson. He cared for Xia Xing like how he cared for Xia Zhe. He did not know when Xia Xing had become like this. Qiao Mei supported Xia Wen and they were about to leave when Zhou Hua suddenly returned. When she saw Qiao Mei, she looked as if she had been possessed by a ghost. She immediately rushed towards Qiao Mei and wanted to pick a fight, so Xia Wen kicked her aside. She had not recovered from her old injuries and this kick made her feel worse. Her face was pale as she fell on the floor and she could not move. Assholes! Youre all assholes! Its one thing for you people to bully me outside Tang Huis house! But now you even bully me at my house! Do you think the Xia family is that powerful in the capital? Zhou Hua said aggrievedly.Fo?ll0w current novE?ls on n/o/(v)/3l/b((in).(co/m) Chapter 2193: Do Not Stay in Touch Chapter 2193: Do Not Stay in Touch Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios You are the one who wants to fight a fight, then you start crying when you lose. In this world, you dont win just because you know how to cry, Qiao Mei said. Re?Ad lateSt chapters at novelhall.com Only Qiao Mei, dont go overboard! Xia Xing said as he pointed at Qiao Mei. I go overboard? You know very well whos the one who has gone overboard! Qiao Mei said furiously. Zhou Kui went forward to help Zhou Hua up. She looked at Qiao Mei and said, Your plans will be ruined very soon! Let me tell you the truth! I have come back this time to take Xia Xing away! I want to break up Xia Guangs family! He still wants his family to stay together! No way! Xia Guang cared about family harmony the most. At his age, he wanted to keep his children close to him. He already had two sons in prison. If Xia Xing was willing to leave with her, she did not believe that Xia Guang would be able to marry that woman with a clear conscience! Qiao Mei looked at Xia Xing with interest. She raised her eyebrows and asked, Xia Xing, are you really going to leave with her? Are you going to give up being part of the Xia family? Yes! Im leaving with my mother! Xia Xing said seriously. Eldest Cousin! Xia Xing said reluctantly. Youre not worthy of calling me that! Where is all the knowledge you learn from your books! Everything your mother did was wrong! She could have destroyed the Xia family! Yet you still want to defend her! You blame Qiao Mei now, but did Qiao Mei take revenge on you when your two younger brothers conspired with Zhou Luo to abduct her children? Xia Wen felt like giving Xia Xing another slap. When your mother secretly took 100,000 dollars from He Ning, it was Qiao Mei who paid it back immediately! You should know that the He family and our Xia family have a blood feud! Your mother has always targeted Qiao Mei and each time, its your mother who causes trouble first! When has Qiao Mei ever been the one to cause trouble! Whenever the third sons family has any issues, the eldest sons family always helps out wholeheartedly ! You should know that Ive never even blamed you when that woman you brought back wanted to frame me! What exactly are you still dissatisfied with! Xia Xing! Dont always blame others when you encounter problems. Dont tell me that youre a perfect person and you have never done anything wrong? You should take a long and hard look at yourself! Xia Wen scolded Xia Xing fiercely. This was also the first time Qiao Mei had seen Xia Wen so angry. It felt as if even his hair was standing on end from anger. Qiao Mei tugged at Xia Wens arm and said, Eldest Brother, lets get your wounds treated. Dont go on anymore. Xia Wen took a deep breath and looked at Xia Xing. Dont come to visit any of the eldest sons family members in the future. We dont welcome you. Chapter 2194: Cannot Go Abroad ? Xia Xing watched as Xia Wen and Qiao Mei left. It was as if a part of his heart had been hollowed out. He had always taken advantage of the kindness of the eldest son''s family and bullied them knowing that they were people with good upbringing who would not retaliate. He did not expect Xia Wen to blow up today. Qiao Mei went to the convenience store nearby to make a call and ask Da Zhuang and Xiao Zhuang to come to Xia Xing''s house to drive Xia Wen''s car back. Now that Xia Wen had been promoted, the workplace unit had given him a car. However, such allocated cars were those rejected by the government departments and were not in very good condition. However, in Xia Wen''s eyes, a car was just a means of transportation and it was fine as long as the car was drivable. "Eldest Brother, sit tight. I''ll bring you home immediately," Qiao Mei said as she stepped on the accelerator. "Slow down. I am not hurt badly. Don''t be so anxious," Xia Wen said as he comforted Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei had originally planned to look for Xia Fang to treat his wounds. After all, there might still be a lot of glass bits inside. If the wounds were not treated properly, they might get inflamed. However, he did not want to alarm Xia Fang over such a small matter and he would not acquiesce no matter how Qiao Mei tried. When they reached home, Qiao Mei took out the 100-year-old ginseng juice. She poured out some and put it into the water to wash Xia Wen''s wounds. She held his wrist tightly and the butterfly mark on her chest was burning hot. She slowly picked out the broken glass bits and bandaged Xia Wen''s wounds only after confirming that there were none left inside. "Eldest Brother, do you mean what you said at Xia Xing''s place?" Qiao Mei asked. "If Xia Xing is willing to turn over a new leaf, I might forgive him. Grandfather is old and he will be upset if the Xia family members don''t get along," Xia Wen said resignedly. Qiao Mei sighed and said, "Eldest Brother, do you think it''s my fault? If I had been more tolerant of Zhou Hua back then, perhaps all these would not have happened?" "Don''t be anxious. I''m not finished yet," Xia Wen said. Qiao Mei took a sip of tea to calm herself down. Even if she was given another week, it would be impossible for her to prepare the amount of seeds required. Otherwise, she would be cutting short her own lifespan! "Give them some seeds that are of better quality than the ones on the market first and let them try them out. We''ll talk about the collaboration only when you come back," Xia Wen said. "Then which type do you think I should give?" Qiao Mei asked. Xia Wen knew a lot about all her businesses. She did not hide anything from Xia Wen since she knew that he would not cheat her. "Watermelons will be good. Watermelons bring high returns," Xia Wen said after some thought. "Then I''ll focus on preparing watermelon seeds. Give Sun Tian the address and he will send the goods over on time. Don''t hold me back from meeting Xia Zhe!" Qiao Mei warned. "Got it!" Xia Wen said. Xia Wen had to go back to work tomorrow, so Qiao Mei drove back to the villa alone. As soon as she got out of the car, she was stopped by Xia He and Xu Lan. Xu Lan asked nervously, "Did you get bullied at Xia Xing''s house?" "Both of you... I wonder which bigmouth told you about this," Qiao Mei said. "How can you hide such a big thing! I''ve already called up your eldest brother to ask him about his injuries. How are you? Did they hurt you?" Xu Lan asked. Chapter 2195: Ask for Ginseng Chapter 2195: Ask for Ginseng ? "I''m fine, but if Eldest Brother hadn''t protected me, I might re Mei said. "I should have gone with both of you today! The next time I se lesson! We can''t let this matter go just like that!" Xia He said a Qiao Mei held Xia He''s hand and said, "Eldest Brother told the them again. Let''s leave this matter at that for now. Third Uncle important." Xu Lan and Xia He still felt very frustrated. The two of them co . GOT IT only felt better after criticizing the Zhou family harshly. Xia Bai and Wang Kun happened to overhear their conversation. "No wonder I only see Third Uncle and not his children! It turns out that there''s so much dirty business going on in Elder Granduncle''s family. His grandsons are even in jail!" Xia Bai said mockingly. "I thought that Elder Granduncle is very strict with his family and that such things will never happen. It seems that they have been putting on an act all this while. Their true colors will eventually be revealed," Wang Kun said. "No," Qiao Mei said expressionlessly. "It''s not easy to get ginseng nowadays! Bian Ke, why do you need ginseng?" Xu Lan asked. "My grandfather is old and not in good health. I hear that Third Sister-in-law has ginseng that can prolong life, so I want to get one for my grandfather," Bian Ke said aggrievedly with tears in her eyes. She looked so pitiful that anyone who saw her would feel sorry for her. However, Qiao Mei did not believe what Bian Ke said. The Bian family and the Xia family were not familiar with each other. It was Xu Lan''s friend who introduced Bian Ke to Meng Yuan. The Xia family had always said that the ginseng belonged to the Xia family, so how did she know that the ginseng actually came from Qiao Mei? "I don''t have any 100-year-old ginseng, but I still have a 30-year-old wild ginseng. If you really want it, I can sell it to you," Qiao Mei said. "But... but I don''t have money..." Bian Ke whispered. Xia He sneered and said, "Most people can''t even chance upon such a rare item. Are you thinking about taking our family''s things to showcase your filial piety?" In her heart, Qiao Mei gave Xia He a thumbs up. Xia He was good at reading people now. She could sense very quickly what these people with ulterior motives were thinking. "That''s not what I mean! I''ll buy it! But I don''t have a lot of money, so perhaps you can let me have it on credit! After all, my grandfather''s life is more important," Bian Ke said. Qiao Mei was not an unreasonable person. She had already checked on Bian Ke''s family background. Her grandfather was old and had a bad cough and it was suspected to be lung cancer. Only her 1,000-year-old ginseng juice could cure him. Otherwise, it would be useless no matter how much money the family spent. "Sure. The original price of this ginseng is 200,000 dollars. I can sell it to you for 150,000 dollars," Qiao Mei said casually. Chapter 2196: Weeping ? Xia Bai and Wang Kun gasped. Qiao Mei wanted 200,000 dollars for a ginseng! That was daylight robbery! No wonder she was so rich. She was a scammer!Yo?ur favorite stories at novelhall.com Actually, the two of them were right. Qiao Mei had started out by scamming money from bad people. "How much! 150,000 dollars! The 50-year-old ginseng that my family bought is only 100,000 dollars. You actually want 150,000 dollars for a mere 30-year-old ginseng!" Bian Ke said in shock. "The ginseng from our village is much more effective than ginseng from other places. If you don''t believe me, you can ask around and see if I''m telling the truth," Qiao Mei said. Before Qiao Mei left the village, she had left some ginseng sprouts in that mountain. By now, they had probably all been dug out by the villagers. Many influential families in the capital had found out about everything about the Xia family and they had all gone to Foshan Village to buy ginseng at a high price. News of this had long spread throughout the capital. Bian Ke glared at Qiao Mei angrily, but Qiao Mei did not say anything else. She only raised her eyes and looked at Meng Yuan. Meng Yuan understood what Qiao Mei meant. He looked at Bian Ke and said, "Third Sister- in-law''s ginseng is indeed good stuff. If you don''t have enough money, you can buy something else for your grandfather. I remember that Third Sister-in-law also has some lingzhi." "How can that do! How can those lousy things compare with ginseng!" Bian Ke said. In her eyes, even a 100-year-old lingzhi was only something useless. If other people knew about this, they would definitely scold her for not knowing her stuff! "You''re doing this on purpose!" Bian Ke pointed at Qiao Mei and accused her. "I just have a bad memory," Qiao Mei said with a shrug. Seeing that there was no way out, Bian Ke immediately squatted down and started wailing. As she wept, she cried out, "Grandfather~ Poor Grandfather~" Bian Ke''s voice kept echoing in the house. Qiao Mei suddenly started to regret having such a big space in the house since it tends to make sounds louder. Xia He was so angry that she wanted to slap Bian Ke. The reunion festival had only just ended, but Bian Ke was now weeping at their house! How unlucky! "What does your poor grandfather have to do with our family... You''re the one who''s useless..." Xia You muttered softly in disdain. "Enough, stop crying! If you have so much free time, you should go home and ask your family! Surely all of you can pool the money together!" Xia He said impatiently. Bian Ke gradually stopped crying. She ignored the fact that there were elders present and just ran out in a rush. Qiao Mei looked at Meng Yuan and said, "Get Da Zhuang to drive her back. You stay behind." Meng Yuan did as Qiao Mei said. The villa was quite high up in the mountains and near the forests. If Bian Ke walked to the bus stop on her own, she probably would not be able to make it home even by the time night fell. Meng Yuan sat across from everyone, feeling uneasy. He already knew that they could not brush aside the incident today and that it was impossible for him and Bian Ke to continue with the relationship anymore. "Meng Yuan, do you like her?" Xu Lan asked. "So-so," Meng Yuan replied honestly. He only thought that Bian Ke was a beautiful girl but he really did not know her that well. Chapter 2197: Raise Money Chapter 2197: Raise Money ? Important matters, such as marriage, were usually decided by were no longer around, he would let Xu Lan and Xia Mao decid Lan''s arrangements. "This girl is not as nice as my friend described. She''s not suitab suitable to join our family. Since you don''t like her that much, with the relationship," Xu Lan said seriously. "Alright. Godmother, I''ll do as you say," Meng Yuan said. GOT IT Xia He patted Meng Yuan''s shoulder and said, "It''s not that Men up your relationship. That girl is indeed not a good partner. Look at her aggressive attitude today. It''s enough to show that she won''t let you have an easy life in the future." "You still have the cheek to criticize others! As if your temper is better than hers!" Xia You said laughingly. "It''s indeed not too good, but Deng Fan has a good temper!" Xia He said sweetly. The originally awkward atmosphere instantly eased up. Everyone gathered together at the table for their meal. They would not let Bian Ke''s willfulness ruin their original plan. Bian Ke''s mother, Du Juan, was shocked to see Bian Ke home so early. She had thought that the Xia family would ask Bian Ke to stay for the night! "Why are you back? They actually sent you back even though the journey is so long? Did you do something to offend someone!" Du Juan pulled Bian Ke to one side and asked nervously. Bian Ke shrugged nonchalantly. She did not care what the Xia family thought of her. If not for He Ning, she would not even look at Meng Yuan! "Eldest Brother, you''re not really going to buy a wild ginseng for 200,000 dollars, are you?" Bian Cui, the Bian family''s second child, said. "Second Sister, don''t you want Father to live for a few more years? This wild ginseng can allow Father to live for at least three more years!" Bian Jian said. Bian Ke looked at Bian Jian joyfully. She did not expect a mere 30-year-old wild ginseng to be so wondrous! If so, then He Ning could live for another three years! "Other people can''t even get a chance to buy it! Aunts and Uncles! Let''s pool our money together! Let''s buy this wild ginseng for Grandfather!" Bian Ke said anxiously. Bian Jian immediately said, "My family will contribute 10,000 dollars!" "Eldest Brother, you''re being biased! How can you calculate it like this! There are five of us so each family should contribute 40,000 dollars!" the Bian family''s fourth child, Bian Guo, said. "If you want to buy it, you can discuss it among yourselves. I''m not interested. My family''s monthly salary adds up to less than 100 dollars, so I won''t join in," Bian Cui said. "Second Sister, how can you say that? Isn''t he your father too? How can you not contribute! If all of us just scrimp and save a little, we''ll be able to pool together the money!" Bian Guo said. "He''s my father, but my father also said previously that a married daughter is like spilled water! I''m not even considered a part of the Bian family anymore! Why should I fork out the money!" Bian Cui said agitatedly. "Second Sister is right. When we were young, our father said that he only needs his sons to be around in his old age and he doesn''t need his two daughters! The money for your weddings come from the betrothal gifts received when Second Sister and I got married!" Bian family''s third child, Bian Xiang, said. Chapter 2198: Ten-Year-Old Wild Ginseng ? Old Master Bian favored sons over daughters. If he had any delicious food or useful items, he would give it to the Bian family''s three sons first. He did not even allow Bian Cui and Bian Xiang to go to school. At that time, Bian Xiang''s elementary school teacher had even specially visited Old Master Bian at his house and begged him for a long time because Bian Xiang was a good student. However, Old Master Bian refused no matter what. Even after all the children grew up, Old Master Bian personally found jobs for the three sons. They all worked in state-owned factories and had leisurely jobs. On the other hand, Bian Cui and Bian Xiang had to get married early and the two of them were not even given any choice. Bian Jian had never expected Bian Cui and Bian Xiang to fork out the money. He was just testing the waters. The five siblings kept arguing non-stop in the house. In the midst of it, Bian Ke sneaked out quietly. It was the same every time they needed to buy medicine and supplements for Old Master Bian. After they finished arguing, they would find a way to buy it. They needed Old Master Bian to be alive. As long as Old Master Bian was alive, they would have an endless stream of connections and wealth. If Old Master Bian died, they stood to lose more than 200,000 dollars! Old Master Bian lay on the small bed situated in the corridor between the kitchen and the bedroom. He struggled to open his eyes and look around. Although he could not speak, his mind was still clear. He knew that these children had started fighting again over the issue of ginseng. The truth was that he did not want to eat any ginseng and did not want to continue living like this. People might say that the Bian family''s children were filial, but to him, this was simply endless torture! In the end, the Bian family members managed to pool together 80,000 dollars. This was all the money which they had. Bian Jian put all the money together and said to Bian Ke, "Go and beg Qiao Mei and ask if she can give us the ginseng first. We''ll pay her the remaining amount later." "Got it," Bian Ke said impatiently. Her original plan had failed. The next day, Bian Ke arrived at Qiao Mei''s villa with the money and said aggrievedly, "Third Sister-in-law, just sell it to me! My grandfather really needs it!" "I''ll buy it! But not for 80,000! I can only give you 60,000!" Bian Ke said. Qiao Mei looked at Meng Yuan and said with a smile, "For the sake of my younger brother, I''ll give it to you for 60,000 dollars." After saying that, Qiao Mei went into the room and took out a 10-year-old wild ginseng. She wrapped it up and handed it to Bian Ke. When Bian Ke opened the wrapping, she saw a ginseng that was shriveled and thin. It looked like dried radish! "Are you trying to fool me! The ginseng that my family bought in the past doesn''t look like this!" Bian Ke said agitatedly. "Why should I lie to you? What good will it do me to ruin the Xia family''s reputation? This is a 10-year-old wild ginseng, not a 100-year-old wild ginseng. Of course it looks different," Qiao Mei said disdainfully. Meng Yuan sent Bian Ke off before coming back. He looked at Qiao Mei and asked, "Third Sister-in-law, did you make a loss on the deal?" "Huh? Why do you ask?" Qiao Mei asked curiously. "I asked around yesterday and found out that the wild ginsengs you have are priceless. Many people are on the waiting list and the price is definitely not at this level," Meng Yuan said. "I see. Don''t worry, 10-year-old ginsengs are really like dried radishes to me. They are not worth much. You don''t have to worry about it. I didn''t make a loss," Qiao Mei said with a smile. Chapter 2199: Deliver Ginseng ? Meng Yuan still felt that he had let Qiao Mei down. His arrival had caused a lot of trouble for the Xia family and they even had to help him with his problems so many times. Even within the Meng family, except for his parents, none of his relatives had ever treated him so well. Therefore, he really felt bad about it. Qiao Mei seemed to be able to feel Meng Yuan''s worries. Although Meng Yuan was already an adult, his current behavior was the same as Zhang Wei and the other three children when they first came to her house. He behaved gingerly and it made her heart ache to see him like this. "You''re the Xia family''s fourth child and my husband''s younger brother. We''re a family and there''s no such thing as owing one another a favor. We''re family members, so we will go through both good and bad times together," Qiao Mei said. "Alright! Third Sister-in-law, you must tell me if you need anything! I''ll help you without any hesitation!" Meng Yuan said. Bian Ke did not go home immediately after leaving the villa. Instead, she rushed to the He family residence. She hugged her bag close to herself and was wary about anyone who wanted to approach her. She only relaxed after entering the He family''s house. "Miss Bian Ke, why are you here?" Huo Gao was walking out of the kitchen with a bowl of medicine at the same moment and he was shocked when he saw Bian Ke standing at the door. "I need to talk to Brother He!" Bian Ke said breathlessly. "Miss Bian Ke, please take a seat in the living room. I''ll go upstairs and ask Mr. He to come down." After saying that, Huo Gao walked towards the study on the upper floor. He Ning was currently practicing calligraphy in the study. He wanted to get Qiao Mei to be by his side as soon as possible and he thought about this issue all the time. Every time the thought crossed his mind, he would feel frustrated. By chance, he had discovered that practicing calligraphy could calm his mind, so he would set aside two hours every afternoon to do that. "Didn''t I tell you not to come again? Come to my house only after you''re married to Meng Yuan," He Ning said. Bian Ke immediately took out the box from her bag and said, "I have something important! This is my gift to you!" "Gift? Are there any commemorative dates recently?" He Ning asked curiously. He Ning never celebrated any festival or occasion, including his own birthday. He felt that such things were meaningless and made him feel very unfortunate. After all, his birthday was also his mother''s death anniversary. "No! This is ginseng from the Xia family! Although it''s only 10 years old! But take it first! I''ll think of a way to get older ginseng!" Bian Ke said as she opened the box. Huo Gao hurriedly walked over to Bian Ke. His eyes lit up as he looked at the box and said, "This is really ginseng from Foshan Village! I searched for so long in the black market but I couldn''t find even a single ginseng root. How did you get this ginseng?" "I... I naturally have my ways! I have other things to do, so I''ll get going first!" Bian Ke put down the ginseng and ran towards the main door. Halfway through, she remembered what He Ning said and turned to leave through the back door. Huo Gao looked at Bian Ke''s departing figure and sighed. "This girl is actually not too bad. She cares about you and is quite good-looking. Why don''t you consider her?" "What is there to consider? Do you think she''s prettier than Qiao Mei? Is she more valuable than Qiao Mei?" He Ning asked disdainfully. "Then... there''s indeed no comparison. However, do you really plan to ask Qiao Mei to marry you after she divorces Xia Zhe?" Huo Gao asked curiously. Chapter 2200: Fake Ginseng ? He Ning fell into deep thought. He had never thought about this issue. He did not believe in marriage or love. Furthermore, he was very sure that Qiao Mei would never fall in love with him in her lifetime. It did not matter to him. In any case, he only wanted Qiao Mei to be by his side. He never had any extravagant hopes and did not think about anything else. "Just be a good doctor!" He Ning said. "With this ginseng, I can specially concoct pills for you. Some time ago, I have been focusing on researching another way to make pills. I guarantee that you can extend your lifespan after eating it! A 10-year-old ginseng can let you live very comfortably for half a year!" Huo Gao said happily. He Ning had sent Bian Ke to marry into the Xia family so that he could get hold of Qiao Mei as soon as possible. His purpose was not to get the Xia family''s ginsengs. He did not know how Bian Ke had managed to pry a ginseng out of Qiao Mei''s hands, but there must be a story behind it. "Don''t use it yet. I want to get someone to investigate the matter clearly first. I can''t let that girl ruin my plan," He Ning said with a slight frown. Huo Gao stared at the ginseng in the box for a long time before he nodded. He took the ginseng and went to the small pharmacy on the first floor to prepare medicine. Bian Ke would not be able to answer to her family if she did not bring back a ginseng. The remaining 20,000 dollars was not even enough to buy a ginseng seedling. Without ginseng, she could not face her family! As she walked aimlessly around the streets, she suddenly remembered that Bian Jian had told her about a place where they made fake ginseng which could even be passed off as the real thing! He told her to be careful not to buy ginseng from there. The man took out a cloth bag from the room and opened it gently. There was a "ginseng" wrapped inside and Bian Ke held it in her hand to take a closer look. This "ginseng" looked much better than the one Qiao Mei sold her! This looked like good stuff! "How much do you want for it?" Bian Ke asked. "10,000 dollars," the man said. "This is a fake! People will even think that it''s a radish! You dare to ask me for 10,000 dollars!" Bian Ke said in shock. "But I''m the only one who has this skill. I''m guessing that your family members have come here before. I''ll give you my best price. 5,000 dollars. I won''t sell it to you for anything less," the man said. Bian Ke held on tightly to the money in her pocket. She knew that this man was the only one who could help her solve her current problem. She had wanted to keep the 20,000 dollars for herself! When she married into the Xia family in the future, she would try and get Meng Yuan to give her another tens of thousands of dollars so that she could buy a bigger house. "Alright! It''s a deal!" Bian Ke put the cloth bag into her bag. By the time she reached home, it was already dark and everyone was waiting for her. After all, they had all contributed money to buy such an expensive ginseng. They naturally wanted to see what this treasure looked like. Bian Ke took out the ginseng from her bag and displayed it on the table. Everyone was immediately attracted to it. Previously, they had only bought ginseng from other sellers. This was the first time they had obtained the Xia family''s ginseng and they had heard that the Xia family''s ginseng had miraculous effects. Now that they saw it for themselves, they were firm believers. "Look at how good this ginseng looks! It''s so big and intact and has a lot of ginseng roots! The ones we bought in the past were definitely not as nice as this one!" Bian Cui said excitedly. "That''s right! There are so many ginseng roots. Let''s split them among us! Each of us can get three!" Bian Xiang said with a greedy look. Chapter 2201: The Death of Old Master Bian ? "Shoo, shoo, shoo! This is to prolong our father''s life! How can you have a share! Besides, how dare you ask for a share when you contributed so little money! You can''t even get ginseng dust with that bit of money!" Bian Guo said disdainfully. Bian Cui and Bian Xiang gripped the ginseng box tightly and said, "In any case, we''ve also contributed money! Even a small piece is good enough for us! I hear that even a fingernail- sized piece of the Xia family''s ginseng can save a person from the verge of death! I don''t care! The two of us must get a share!" Bian Guo could not stand their nagging anymore. He took out a knife and carefully cut off the smallest ginseng root and said, "The two of you can share this one. The rest is for Father!" Bian Cui and Bian Xiang accepted the ginseng root with a look of satisfaction. It was time for Old Master Bian to take his medicine. They personally sliced the ginseng into pieces and put some into the pot to boil with the medicine. Later, they watched Old Master Bian drink it all. Unexpectedly, Old Master Bian died one week later without any warning signs! He was smiling when he died though. He finally got what he wanted. "How exactly did you take care of Father! How can he die all of a sudden! I thought Father already ate that ginseng! Did you stop giving it to him during the past few days!" Bian Guo barged into the house angrily and questioned his siblings. "How would I know! Go and take a look at the medicinal dregs! I prepare Father''s medicine every day. How can anything go wrong!" Bian Jian said in a panic. "What! You offended the Xia family! It''s such a good thing for our family to be related to them by marriage! If you don''t like that kid from the Xia family, then my daughter can date him! Why did you offend them!" Bian Xiang roared at Bian Ke agitatedly. Including Bian Ke, the Bian family had three granddaughters. The second one was Bian Xiang''s eldest daughter, who was the same age as Bian Ke. The third one was Bian Guo''s youngest daughter who was only 12 years old. At that time, the family could not decide on who should go on the blind date. In the end, they put it to a vote and Bian Ke won. "Stop daydreaming! Only the daughters born to Eldest Brother and I have the surname Bian! What''s your daughter''s surname! A married daughter is like spilled water! You''re no longer a member of the Bian family! Your daughter is naturally not a member of our Bian family! Even if Bian Ke can''t marry into the Xia family, there''s still my daughter! No matter what, it won''t be your daughter''s turn!" Bian Guo said indignantly. "How can your daughter get married at such a young age! What beastly nonsense are you saying! Your daughter is really unlucky to have a father like you!" Bian Xiang said angrily. "You bunch of ungrateful people! When you need Younger Sister and I, you say that we''re family. Now that you don''t need us, you say that we''re outsiders! How scheming of you! Don''t tell us anything about the Bian family in the future! We won''t care anymore!" Bian Cui said angrily. "That''s right! Since neither of us are considered part of the Bian family anymore! Don''t look for us anymore!" Bian Xiang said. In any case, now that Old Master Bian was dead and the family was destined to decline, there would not be any more benefits left for the two of them. They might as well take this opportunity to completely cut ties with the Bian family so that they would not get dragged down in the future. "Second Sister, Third Sister, calm down! Eldest Brother, we are all just too agitated now. Our father just passed away and it''s really not good for us to be talking about splitting up the family now. Let''s all calm down," Bian Guo smiled and said as he comforted them. Chapter 2202: Settle Scores With the Xia Family! ? For a moment, the entire room fell silent. Everyone was lost in their own thoughts, then Bian Jian said, "We still don''t know why Father died. The ginseng is the most suspicious item. Let''s start with the ginseng." "That''s right! If the Xia family has really sold us fake ginseng, we can make them go bankrupt! They must compensate us!" Bian Guo said. The moment they heard that there might be compensation, Bian Cui and Bian Xiang immediately perked up. Bian Cui said, "Younger Sister and I still have a small piece of ginseng root. We can ask a doctor to take a look at it." "Let''s do that!" Bian Jian said. The Bian family immediately went to look for a famous old doctor in the capital, Old Mr. Sun, who also happened to be Qiao Mei''s close acquaintance. He picked up the ginseng root and examined it carefully. It did not take long for him to be able to tell if the ginseng was real or fake. "This ginseng... no! This is not ginseng at all. It''s something poisonous. To a young and strong man, this bit of poison is nothing, but to a child or a sick old man, it''s highly toxic!" Old Mr. Sun said. "What! This is a fake! I spent a lot of money to buy it from the Xia family!" Bian Jian said angrily. "The Xia family''s ginseng? No way. I often buy ginseng from the Xia family and this one definitely doesn''t look like it''s from Foshan Village. Did you buy it from an unscrupulous businessman?" Old Mr. Sun asked. "We bought it directly from the Xia family!" Bian Jian said. Old Mr. Sun looked at Bian Jian suspiciously. As far as he knew, the Xia family had long stopped selling ginseng and Qiao Mei had kept everything into storage. How could they be able to buy ginseng from the Xia family? "What did you say?" He Ning asked. "I stewed it! Haven''t you noticed that you can walk very fast these past few days? It''s the effect of eating that ginseng," Huo Gao said. "You! Did you even hear what I said back then! You''re the same as Bian Ke! You''re both useless things!" He Ning pointed at Huo Gao and said angrily. Jia Zhong stood at the side and did not dare to make a sound. He only left the He family''s house quietly after He Ning finished scolding everyone. He felt that his job was getting more and more difficult... At this moment, Qiao Mei was going through the account ledgers at home. She would be handing over her work to Xia Wen soon and she needed to personally confirm the amount of seeds to give and the amount of money to receive. "Do you want to have the seeds of all the different vegetables and fruits?" Qiao Mei asked. "No, I''ll just take two types first. We can''t serve those old fellows everything at once!" Xia Wen said immediately. Recently, his superiors have changed to a new group of people. These people did not have much academic knowledge, but yet they made life difficult for Xia Wen. It had been a tedious time at work for him recently. Originally, he had planned to hand in all of Qiao Mei''s seeds. After all, this was for the good of the country. However, this group of people would not cherish the fruits of Qiao Mei''s labor at all and would even greedily ask for more. Xia Wen planned to give them one type of seed for their testing first and secretly hand over the rest of the seeds to more highly-ranked superiors. "I''ll go with your arrangement. If you need anything, just tell Sun Tian. Their family is in charge of everything in the fields. I have left everything to them now!" Qiao Mei said happily. Xia Wen was about to say something when he was interrupted by the sound of someone banging on the main door. Who was the one who dared to kick up a fuss outside Qiao Mei''s house in this manner in broad daylight? Chapter 2203: Fake Medicine Killed Someone ? Xia Wen and Qiao Mei went to the main door together. There were already many neighbors gathered outside, all here to watch the drama! "They are from the Bian family," Qiao Mei turned her head and said to Xia Wen. Qiao Mei had spotted Bian Ke in the crowd with her head lowered. Before Xia Wen could ask anything, the Bian family members started wailing. "Father! You died so tragically! You died an unjust death!" "Father! We will definitely avenge you! Go in peace! We will definitely ask the Xia family for an explanation!" More than 10 Bian family members gathered at the door and wept very loudly. More and more people gathered around to watch. If the Bian family members continue to wail in this manner, even the neighbors 10 miles away would hear of this! "Why are you crying at my house if Old Master Bian has died?" Qiao Mei asked curiously. "It''s all because of you! You''re the reason why my father died! My father passed away after eating your family''s ginseng! We had a doctor take a look at it! The ginseng you gave my family is poisonous! You poisoned my father to death!" Bian Jian pointed at Qiao Mei and said firmly.NewW novels updates at novelhall.com Qiao Mei looked at Xia Wen. This definitely had nothing to do with her. Besides, what good would it do her to poison Old Master Bian? These people from the Bian family were not even worthy of carrying her shoes! "If I remember correctly, Old Master Bian is already 86 years old this year. No one has seen him since he moved to your house four years ago. He can''t even make his way downstairs. It''s already very surprising that he has stayed alive until now," Xia Wen said as he stared at Bian Jian. Da Zhuang immediately understood what Qiao Mei meant. He quickly rode his bicycle to the nearby police station to report the case. The Bian family members were puzzled as to why Qiao Mei was so calm and wanted to report the case in such a manner. Selling fake medicine and killing someone was something that could get the death penalty! It was not a small matter! "The weather is so hot. Come in and talk. We can have a chat inside," Qiao Mei said. "No! Who knows if we can still come out alive after entering the house!" Bian Cui said. "I''m not a man-eating tiger, so why would I take your lives? If you''re worried, then we can get the district director to come in with you and act as a witness. When the time comes, he can write a summary of this matter on a poster and post it on the bulletin board! To give the neighbors an explanation," Qiao Mei said. Bian Jian and Bian Guo looked at each other. If this continued outside, they would definitely get a heatstroke. They agreed with what Qiao Mei said. "All of you... Are all your family members at my door? Look at that! You''re really all here! The Old Master doesn''t have any family members at his wake. How pitiful!" Qiao Mei said derisively. All the Bian family members blushed. All they could think of was to come to Qiao Mei''s place to demand an explanation and they had completely forgotten about handling Old Master Bian''s funeral. Bian Jian said softly, "We have people there! It''s none of your business!" "Tsk, tsk, tsk. No matter who those people are, they are still not his own children. This is such an eye-opener for me," Qiao Mei said. Everyone viewed matters of life and death with great importance. Even if a person had done many evil deeds during his lifetime, people would usually let it be after his death. Everyone would show some respect for the deceased. Chapter 2204: The Truth Is Out ? Old Master Bian had so many children but they completely disregarded his wake and did not mourn at the funeral hall. Instead, all of them came to Qiao Mei''s house to cause trouble. This was simply inhumane! "What is wrong with this family! The old man has lived his entire life and they don''t even care about his funeral!" "Yet they say that they''re filial children! It must be all lies!" "Beasts! A bunch of assholes! Blinded by greed for money!" Initially, everyone pitied the Bian family members, but now, they were all pointing fingers instead. The Bian family members could no longer sit still. They could not wait to enter Qiao Mei''s courtyard and avoid the scrutiny of all these people.Diiscover new stories at novelhall.com "There are too many of you. Only those who can make decisions should stay behind. The rest of you and the juniors should go back to the wake," Xia Wen said. Bian Ke smiled and was about to turn around and leave. This was such a rare opportunity. Once she went home and took all her money, she would immediately go to another city! She would make sure that the Xia and Bian families would never be able to find her again! "Hey! Bian Ke, don''t leave! After all, you''re the main party involved and we still have to confront each other!" Qiao Mei said as she pointed at Bian Ke''s back in the crowd. Most of the Bian family members left, leaving only Bian Jian, Bian Guo and Bian Ke behind. The district director and Old Mr. Sun were also present. Not long after, Zou Ming and his colleagues arrived at Qiao Mei''s house. "Since all the people involved in the case are here, we can start now. We''ll record the entire process as evidence. No matter what the outcome is, you''ll receive the appropriate punishment!" Zou Ming said. "Father! You have to believe me!" Bian Ke said in a panic. "Where did the remaining 20,000 dollars go! You actually dare to pocket the family''s money! You''re getting quite bold!" Bian Guo rolled up his sleeves and slapped Bian Ke forcefully, causing Bian Ke to feel faint and her face to instantly swell up. The two men beat up Bian Ke together. Xia Wen hurriedly asked Xiao Zhuang to pull the Bian brothers away. If they continued beating Bian Ke up like this, she would be crippled! If that happened, they would not be able to get anything out of her and it would be a waste of time. "I think I know someone who makes fake ginseng. This person is very famous in the black market and I have many old patients who have been tricked. I''ve also told the Bian family about this before," Old Mr. Sun said as he looked at the Bian family members in disgust. "Where is that person?" Zou Ming asked. Old Mr. Sun immediately wrote down the address. Zou Ming quickly made a call to his staff to make an arrest and it did not take long for the man who made the fake ginseng to be brought to Qiao Mei''s house. "Huang Ben! Raise your head and take a good look. Is there anyone here who bought ginseng from you two days ago?" Zou Ming said. "It''s her! It''s this woman! She bought a fake 30-year-old ginseng from me! She gave me 5,000 dollars! It''s true! I won''t dare to lie!" Huang Ben said as he pointed at Bian Ke. "It''s really you! You evil creature! How dare you poison your grandfather with fake ginseng!" Bian Jian said angrily. "I didn''t do it on purpose! I didn''t know that the ginseng was poisonous!" Bian Ke knelt on the floor and said fearfully. "But you know that it''s fake. You clearly know that it''s fake, but you still let your grandfather eat it. You''re really your grandfather''s ''good'' granddaughter," Qiao Mei said. Chapter 2205: Press Charges Chapter 2205: Press Charges ? Qiao Mei''s words shocked everyone present, especially the Bia at Bian Ke in disbelief. When Old Master Bian was still alive, he did not expect Bian Ke to be so vicious! "Why did you do this? Where did the real ginseng go? What did You murdered your grandfather for slightly more than 10,000 your grandfather! How can you face the Bian family''s ancestor the floor and beat her up. Qiao Mei waved her hand to ask Da Zhuang and Xiao Zhuang to GOT IT apart. Qiao Mei looked at Bian Jian with disdain and said, "This is my house. If you want to teach her a lesson, you can go back to your own house! No one will care even if you kill her there!" "This is all a misunderstanding! In that case, we''ll go home and teach Bian Ke a lesson! We will definitely come and apologize another day!" Bian Guo said immediately. By now, it was already very obvious that the problem was within the Bian family. The entire matter had nothing to do with the Xia family! Bian Guo and Bian Jian wanted to muddle through and slip away from the Xia family. "It''s our Xia family that''s prominent. Your Bian family... Hmph, I can let your family be unable to raise your heads up high by tomorrow!" Qiao Mei said. In the Bian family, apart from the fourth child who worked for the government, the rest of the family members worked in various factories. Qiao Mei''s food factory was currently doing very well and many factories had some form of business dealings with Qiao Mei. As long as Qiao Mei put the word out that the Bian family had offended her, these factories would fire the Bian family members in order to curry favor with Qiao Mei. "You''re going too far!" Bian Jian pointed at Qiao Mei and roared. "It doesn''t matter if you don''t want to do anything." Qiao Mei looked at Zou Ming and asked, "The police officers here have all heard very clearly that Bian Ke murdered Old Master Bian. We have both witnesses and physical evidence here. Furthermore, the Bian family members who slandered me refuse to apologize to me or accept my reconciliation proposal. Is it possible for me to press charges?" "Press charges? What is that?" Bian Jian asked Bian Guo in a panic. Bian Guo was also very confused by this phrase. It was not just Bian Guo. Among everyone present, only Zou Ming and Xia Wen understood what "press charges" meant. "No! Not me! All I did was buy this ginseng! I didn''t know that it was poisonous! I didn''t feed this ginseng to my grandfather! It''s my father! It''s him! He personally fed this poisonous ginseng to my grandfather! I''m not the mastermind behind this!" Bian Ke scrambled towards Qiao Mei and said agitatedly. She did not know what "press charges" meant either but it did not sound like anything good. She was very scared of going to jail. She was currently at the most glorious age of her life. She had heard that the penalty for killing someone was at least 10 years in jail. If she had to spend 10 years in jail, she might as well just die! What was the point of living such a life! "You unfilial daughter! I''ll beat you to death! Asshole! How did I have a beastly child like you!" Bian Jian scolded as he hit her. Chapter 2206: Prepare to Go Abroad Again ? This time round, Qiao Mei did not stop Bian Jian. She just watched quietly. Bian Jian''s actions reminded her of how Zhang Qian used to beat up her four younger siblings in the past. Qiao Mei said in disgust, "Officer Zou, take them away. I want to press charges against them." "Alright, I''ll go back and take a look at the process and get back to you as soon as possible," Zou Ming said. "By the way, can you get your men and mine to lead the Bian family members from house to house to explain everything clearly? I also hope that the district director can help me write a notice to clarify what happened just now," Qiao Mei said. "No problem! I''ll definitely get this matter done!" the district director said. The neighbors all scolded the Bian siblings for being inhumane and lamented at how capable Qiao Mei was. They did not expect her to be able to get to the bottom of this matter in less than an hour. Xia Wen gave Qiao Mei a thumbs up and said, "As expected of the first top scorer in the capital after the college entrance examination resumed. Not only do you know a lot about agriculture, but you know a lot about the law too." "I just do some reading when I have some free time. Eldest Brother, you''re equally as knowledgeable, aren''t you?" Qiao Mei asked with a smile. "I''ve already done it. I know that you will ask me for information on the Bian family. I''ve checked and there''s nothing special that I need to highlight to you. They''re just an ordinary family," Yao Nian said. "Really? Then let me think about it again." Qiao Mei hung up after saying that. She still felt that something was wrong. Zou Ming sent people to the Bian family''s house to do a search but they did not find anything. Qiao Mei decided to take a drive around the capital. The ginseng was produced using her energy, so she should be able to sense its location. However, a 10-year-old ginseng only contained very little energy. Qiao Mei could only sense the general area it was in and could not pinpoint its exact location. After circling around for a while, she could not find any trace of the ginseng and was ready to give up. As she stared into space, she suddenly sensed its presence. As she got closer and closer to it, her car ended up at the intersection not far from He Ning''s house. "Why this place?" Qiao Mei frowned and muttered to herself. Qiao Mei had sold a lot of ginseng to He Ning in the past. Although she had taken back most of the energy from the ginsengs, there would still be some energy left inside. Could it be that she had sensed wrongly? What the Bian family had done was like shooting themselves in the foot and the Xia family did not suffer any damage at all. This did not seem like a plan that He Ning would come up with. He was like a sponge full of evil ideas! Chokeful of schemes! Qiao Mei still felt worried. She found a tree and slowly infiltrated He Ning''s courtyard using its roots. She was suddenly very glad that there were many plants in He Ning''s house. It was like she had installed many surveillance cameras in the place! There were no blind spots at all! "Why don''t you just try the new medicine I made? I''ve already stewed it. Don''t waste it!" Huo Gao said aggrievedly as he held on to the medicine box. Chapter 2207: Ginseng Scraps Chapter 2207: Ginseng Scraps ? "Do you think I''m in the mood to eat now!" He Ning said resig "No human can survive without food. If you don''t eat, you''ll g is, it has already happened. You don''t have any way to reverse 1 medicine first," Huo Gao said in a righteous manner. He Ning wished that he could cut Huo Gao into pieces! Why wa people! Fortunately, the outside world did not know about his family. Otherwise, the prominent families in the capital would Bian family! His reputation was almost ruined by Bian Ke! . GOT IT In Huo Gao''s eyes, Bian Ke was just an idiot. He thought that He Ning arranged for her to join the Xia family so that she could help to get some benefits from the Xia family? That would mean that getting the ginseng was a good thing, was it not? Even though the ginseng was too young. "So why exactly do you want to place her in the Xia family?" Huo Gao asked. "Hmph, why! To shoot myself in the foot! To let the Xia family be suspicious of me! I must be crazy to want to let that woman marry into the Xia family!" He Ning said in annoyance. His biggest mistake was to make use of Bian Ke! He should not have believed Bian Ke and let her get so close to him! "Eldest Brother," Qiao Mei stood outside the door and called out to him. "You''re here! Come in!" Xia Wen carried Xia Sun and greeted her. "No, I won''t go in. I''m here to ask you about the progress on the matter about giving ginseng to He Ning?" Qiao Mei asked. "What He Ning wants to give me in return is not what I want. He doesn''t seem to need the ginseng badly enough, so I haven''t agreed to give it to him yet," Xia Wen said truthfully. Qiao Mei nodded in satisfaction and said, "String him along for a while more. Some of my ginsengs are with my grandfather. If you decide to give He Ning the ginseng, you can ask my grandfather for it." "What about you? Where are you going?" Xia Wen was sharp enough to sense what Qiao Mei meant. "I want to go to Country M to look for Xia Zhe, but the air tickets to Country M are a little hard to get now," Qiao Mei said. "I''ll help you get the air tickets. You just have to pack your luggage. Don''t bring too much cash with you this time," Xia Wen said. Xia Wen knew that Qiao Mei had assets in Country M and that Xia Zhe was doing well there. Xia Zhe definitely would not let Qiao Mei have a hard time there. Trade between the two countries was gradually warming up now, but there was a limited number of passenger planes. If one wanted to buy an air ticket to go overseas, one needed to put in the application half a month to a month in advance. Sometimes, the application might even be rejected. Qiao Mei did not have any connections in the aviation department at the moment. She had asked around but could not find any spare air tickets. She wished that she could just buy her own plane to fly her around the world. This could only happen in her dreams. After all, if she did that, it would be too ostentatious and would attract the attention of the government. Once she was in the spotlight, it would be very difficult for her to do anything. Chapter 2208: Flying to Country M Chapter 2208: Flying to Country M ? Xia Wen worked very fast. He immediately contacted the opera used to receive his foreign counterparts and for local officials t Xia Wen used his connections to quietly secure four seats. Qiao Mei went home happily to pack her luggage. The children about to go somewhere and took the initiative to pack their ow hid a few small gifts in the luggage. Feng Hua was the one who told Qiao Mei all these things. Qiao what the children had hidden. After all, it was meant to be a su looking into it. GOT IT Qiao Mei''s happiness only lasted until right before she boarded the plane because she realized that the person sitting in the neighboring seat was He Ning! "What a coincidence~" He Ning said in surprise. He was on a business trip and did not expect to bump into Qiao Mei on the plane. "Why is it you?" Qiao Mei asked disdainfully. "I''m also very curious as to why you''re next to me. I''m going to Country M on business. What about you?" He Ning asked. Along the way, Qiao Mei did not speak to He Ning. He did not look at the documents in his hand and kept trying his best to talk to the three children. Xia Fan kept a cold expression on his face. Anyway, he was more curious about the world outside the plane window. Xia Xing held up a book on fairy tales and patiently read Xia Yue a story while Xia Yue babbled and repeated what his elder sister said. Xia Xing did not read the story word for word. She would say whatever came to her mind. For example, she told a story of how the Sleeping Beauty was poisoned after eating Snow White''s apple and was eventually woken up by a kiss from the Frog Prince. Although the story was complicated and the characters were unrelated, it still managed to make sense. "This child might have a talent for writing. I know a veteran author in the capital. If you want, I can introduce Xia Xing to him," He Ning said as he looked at Qiao Mei seriously. Qiao Mei was silent for a moment before saying, "This child is only five years old and doesn''t even know how to write. I''m the top scorer of the college entrance examination in the capital. At her current age, is there anything I can''t teach her? Let''s talk about it after she knows how to write." He Ning smiled. Qiao Mei was still as outstanding and confident as ever. This was probably why he was obsessed with having her by his side. After arriving in Country M, Qiao Mei got off the plane with the children. This flight had landed at the airport near the small town. As Xia Wen had arranged for them to get seats on this plane through his connections, Luo Yu and the others could not take the same flight as them. They could only board a commercial flight to Country M a few days later, so the Gao family''s security team would need to take care of her for the next few days. "Hello, Miss Pu Nan. I''m the Gao family''s butler and also Young Master Gao Long''s secretary. My name is Gao He," Gao He said sternly as he looked at Qiao Mei. This was the first time Qiao Mei had met Gao He. She asked curiously, "Your surname is also Gao? Then are you related to my uncle?" "Yes, based on the family hierarchy, I should address Young Master Gao Long as Uncle. My mother and Young Master Gao Long are cousins," Gao He explained. "Then let''s go. Let''s go back to my house first." After saying that, Qiao Mei handed her luggage to Gao He and got into the car with the children. She wondered what the farm looked like now and how Xia Wan was managing it. Chapter 2209: Love at First Sight Chapter 2209: Love at First Sight ? When they arrived at the farm, Qiao Mei saw an unbelievable s Gao Long had his arms around Xia Wan and they were riding al . Qiao Mei was unable to process this information for a moment to go home and answer to Second Aunt-in-law and Xia Jun. GOT IT Due to Xia Zhe''s work here, Xia Wan had to use an alias, like what Xia He did. They had also changed the person in charge of the farm from Xia He to Xia Wan. Qiao Mei did not know how Xia Wan and Gao Long ended up together, but the age gap between the two of them was actually not too big and they could be considered a good match.NewW novels updates at novelhall.com "Mei Mei!" Xia Wan exclaimed. When Gao Long saw Qiao Mei, he rode closer slowly. After Xia Wan got off the horse, she quickly ran to Qiao Mei and hugged her, saying happily, "When did you arrive! I thought Eldest Brother said that you would only arrive tomorrow!" "I changed my flight. Eldest Brother informed Butler Xu directly about this matter. He probably didn''t tell you since it was so last minute," Qiao Mei said. "Where''s Xiao Nian? When is she coming back? Where are you staying?" Qiao Mei asked. "Xiao Nian is studying here now and she can''t keep up with the pace. After all, she''s not familiar with the language. However, she''s a hardworking child and Gao Long also helps her with her homework. I believe that she will be able to catch up with her classmates very soon," Xia Wan said. However, Xia Wan only talked about Xia Nian''s situation and did not mention where they were staying now. Qiao Mei waved her hand and asked the helpers in the house to leave. There were only the two of them in the living room now. "Elder Cousin, we''re family. How long are you going to hide it from me?" Qiao Mei said resignedly. "I... I''m not trying to hide it from you. I just don''t know what to say..." Xia Wan lowered her head and said in a low voice. Qiao Mei could understand where Xia Wan was coming from. After all, it was indeed very difficult to talk about this matter. When Xia Wan and her daughter first came to Country M, Butler Xu was the one who went to pick them up. At first, they were not used to everything and Xia Wan was so scared that she did not dare to go out of the house at all. The two of them stayed in the helper''s room for more than a month before they dared to go to the small town to talk to the neighbors. Every month, Gao Long would come to Qiao Mei''s farm to take a look at the accounts. By chance, he bumped into Xia Wan, who was doing some farming. Gao Long fell in love with Xia Wan at first sight and started to crazily profess his love after that. At first, Xia Wan rejected him, but she was gradually moved by his sincerity. She could tell that he was serious about the relationship and respected her and Xia Nian very much. "I... I know about your relationship with Gao Long. I have told him about everything about my past. Gao Long says that he is willing to wait until the day I agree to marry him." "He''s been faithful to me this whole time and has also done his best for Xiao Nian. Even I, as her mother, don''t do as much. Therefore, I agree that we can try to date first. As for the future, I have to ask my family members and you for all your opinions before I decide," Xia Wan said. Chapter 2210: Kill Without Batting an Eyelid Chapter 2210: Kill Without Batting an Eyelid ? Qiao Mei looked at Xia Wan in shock. She had never encountere television dramas. She did not expect Gao Long to be such a de looked so cold! "If you don''t approve of the relationship, I''ll make it clear to h my family are the most important people to me!" Xia Wan saic GOT IT No matter how much she loved Gao Long, she would not go ag family members. If not for Qiao Mei''s help, she would still be 1 suffering! She was thankful to Qiao Mei for allowing Xia Nian t good future, and also for her to be able to find new hope and live her own life! "Why won''t I approve! I''m just a little surprised. It''s just that the uncle in front of me now is different from the person I remember," Qiao Mei said. Xia Wan blushed and said, "Yes... not quite the same. At first, I thought that he was making fun of me, but later on, I gradually understood that he''s cold on the outside but warm on the inside. He just doesn''t like to reveal his thoughts." "Yo, yo, yo! I don''t expect you to blush!" Qiao Mei leaned on Xia Wan and said with a laugh. "You only know how to laugh at me! I haven''t seen Xia Fan and the other two children in a long time. These three children have grown up a lot. Time really flies," Xia Wan lamented. "That''s right! That''s why we must seize the moment and cherish the people who are with us," Qiao Mei said meaningfully. "But I''m scared..." Xia Wan said hesitantly. Qiao Mei patted Xia Wan''s hand and said, "Don''t worry, you have me. I can handle everything at home! Don''t you know how important I am to Grandfather? As long as Grandfather agrees, Second Aunt-in-law won''t have any objections. Besides, my uncle is such a dependable man. Since Second Aunt-in-law has a discerning eye, she will definitely approve!" "Who else? I mean... Fang Chen," Qiao Mei said. "No, he hasn''t. I guess he''s been busy recently," Xia Wan said vaguely. Qiao Mei put down her bowl and chopsticks and asked sternly, "Really? Elder Cousin, don''t lie to me. Did something happen to him?" "No! No! He''s really very busy! He''s in a very important meeting! He''s very caught up at the moment," Xia Wan said. Gao Long, who was reading the newspaper at the side, immediately put away the newspaper in his hand. Qiao Mei slowly walked to Gao Long and asked, "Uncle, do you know anything about this?" "Do you really have to go to this extent for that man?" Gao Long asked with a slight frown. Only Gao Lin and Gao Ming knew that Fang Chen was Xia Zhe. Gao Long, who had always been in Country M, did not know about this. He still thought that Fang Chen was just Qiao Mei''s lover. "I want to know what''s happening with him," Qiao Mei said firmly. "Some time ago, he killed many people so as to secure his position. Many triads were destroyed because of this. I originally thought that he''s just a ruthless businessman, but I certainly don''t expect him to be able to kill people without batting an eyelid. Don''t be so stubborn anymore. With your current status, you can find any man you want, so why must you like him?" Gao Long said with a little anger. "Uncle, I really want to know what happened to him. Where is he?" Qiao Mei asked. Xia Wan walked over slowly from the bookshelf with the newspaper and handed it to Qiao Mei. "Now that things have come to this, you should take a look. You''ll find out about this sooner or later anyway, but I believe that Fang Chen did not do it on purpose. There must be some misunderstanding involved. It''s just that I haven''t been able to get through his phone and I can''t verify if this matter is true or not." Chapter 2211: About to Get Married Chapter 2211: About to Get Married ? Qiao Mei took the newspaper and had a closer look. She was im headline and read it out in a trembling voice, "The most promi Country M is about to marry actress Jessica!" Most of the front page was taken up by a photo of Xia Zhe and] hands blissfully as they attended a banquet together. The blon handsome man looked very compatible together. "Mei Mei, you must stay calm! You have to believe that this isr people in the entertainment industry love hype! You have to be do anything to let you down!" Xia Wan said. GOT IT Gao Long looked at Xia Wan curiously. To them, Fang Chen should be the outsider. Why was Xia Wan speaking up for Fang Chen and so sure that Fang Chen would not hurt Qiao Mei? Qiao Mei did not believe such entertainment news, but she still felt a little sad. She knew that Xia Zhe would never do anything to let her down. Previously, when she saw Su Rui pestering Xia Zhe, she did not take it seriously. After all, Su Rui was not capable enough to cause any trouble. However, this time round, she felt a little uneasy. She had a feeling that this woman in the newspaper was not one to be dismissed lightly. "I know. I don''t know how to explain it to you and I don''t know how to explain our relationship to him! I... Sigh! What''s wrong with him! When I see him, I''ll definitely give him a good scolding! What kind of rubbish is this!" Xia Wan said angrily. This was the first time Qiao Mei had seen Xia Wan get so angry after marrying into the Xia family for so long. She knew that Xia Wan was feeling sorry for her but that she wanted to defend Xia Zhe even more. "Elder Cousin, don''t worry. I won''t think too much about it. I''ll find Xia Zhe and get him to explain himself," Qiao Mei said. "Yes! His meeting will end in two days! You can just go and look for him! You can leave the children to me. They''ll be very safe here," Xia Wan said happily. "Thank you, Elder Cousin. Please forgive Uncle too. He cares about you," Qiao Mei said softly. "I know. I''m just fed up with him. We''re fine," Xia Wan said. Xia Zhe was really stuck in a meeting during this period of time. The place was completely sealed off from the outside world and he could only bring one bodyguard with him. Xia Zhe only brought Xiao Bei and left everything outside to Da Dong. Before he left, he only said, "Take good care of Miss Pu Nan." Da Dong dialed the number that Xia Zhe had given him. Xia Wan picked up the phone and asked, "Why are you calling only now! Do you know that something big has happened!" "What happened! My boss is in a meeting now and he told me to call this number. May I know what''s your relationship with Miss Pu Nan?" Da Dong asked. Chapter 2212: Settle Scores with Him ? "Are you his secretary?" Xia Wan asked. "Kind of. I''m also his bodyguard. Is Miss Pu Nan alright? Did something happen to her?" Da Dong asked nervously. After all, Miss Pu Nan was Xia Zhe''s lifeblood! If anything happened to Miss Pu Nan, Xia Zhe would definitely kill him after the meeting! "She''s fine, but something big is going to happen to your boss! Let me ask you! Is he with Jessica now!" Xia Wan asked moodily. "This... this is the boss''s private matter. I can''t tell you," Da Dong said. "Then tell your boss! Pu Nan is very angry when she finds out that he and Jessica are about to get married! Ask him to expect a beating!" Xia Wan hung up the phone after saying that. Gao Long sat at the side and shivered. This was the first time he had seen Xia Wan so angry. She looked like an angry kitten, cute and overbearing. "What are you laughing at!" Xia Wan looked at Gao Long and said with annoyance. "I just think that you look very cute and lively like this. I''ve never seen you behave like this before," Gao Long said as he looked at Xia Wan with affection in his eyes. "No," Xia Wan said in a low voice. "His bodyguards didn''t come over either?" Qiao Mei asked again. "No," Xia Wan replied. Qiao Mei finally lost her temper. She did not doubt the feelings between them, but she was very angry with him for being so indifferent! With his smartness, he definitely knew that she had seen the newspapers and was waiting for him to explain himself. She had already given him two days! "He might still be in the meeting and too busy to come out to look for you," Xia Wan said. "I''m going to look for him!" Qiao Mei grabbed the car keys on the desk and was about to leave when Xia Wan hurriedly blocked Qiao Mei''s path and said, "It''s so late at night and it''s also raining! You can''t go! Let''s wait until the rain stops! Don''t be rash!" "I''m not rash! I just want to see him and ask him for an explanation!" Qiao Mei said. Xia Wan hugged Qiao Mei and gently stroked her head. She said softly, "I know. I know that you''re very angry. So am I. But the most important thing for us to do is to take care of ourselves. It''s really too dangerous to go out now. Let''s not play around with our own lives, alright?" "Alright, I''ll listen to you," Qiao Mei said. "Come, let''s go down and have something to eat. You can''t just eat wontons anyway. I''ll go make you a few dishes and the two of us can have a good drinking session. I''ve never drank with you before," Xia Wan said. "You drink?" Qiao Mei asked curiously. Chapter 2213: An Encounter at the Hotel ? "Of course. Everyone in the Xia family knows how to drink. The best drinkers are Grandfather and Eldest Uncle, followed by Eldest Cousin! Guess who''s the best drinker among the girls?" Xia Wan said. "I think it''s Xia You," Qiao Mei said. Xia Wan shook her head and said with a smile, "Actually, it''s me! I am only second to Grandfather! Xia Wen and I are probably on par." The two of them had a long chat. Xia Wan told many stories about her and her siblings growing up. It was not until dawn that Xia Wan could not hold back her fatigue and fell asleep on the sofa.Re?Ad lateSt chapters at novelhall.com Only Qiao Mei picked up the newspaper again. Last night, whatever Xia Wan said about Xia Zhe being in a meeting was not true because it was reported in the newspaper that the meeting had ended four days ago. However, Xia Wan did not lie to her on purpose. She just did not understand what was written in the articles. Not everyone could read between the lines. At this moment, Xia Zhe was probably with that beautiful blonde woman. "You already know," Gao Long said as he stood silently behind Qiao Mei. "Yes, I already know. You must have tried to call Fang Chen," Qiao Mei asked with a smile. "Yes, I did. I also got someone to investigate him, but they found no traces. I have to admit that Fang Chen is much more capable than me. It''s not easy for me to find out anything about him, but I know one thing... Their wedding date is already fixed. Jessica wants to hold the wedding in Country K and Fang Chen has even rented an ancient castle for the event," Gao Long said. Qiao Mei clenched the newspaper in her hand and said furiously, "I want to go and look for him now." He Ning smiled. Qiao Mei was still as sharp-tongued and disdainful of him as ever. However, he was still quite lucky. This hotel was very popular. Whether it was the hotel rooms upstairs or the restaurant downstairs, they were all packed. At this moment, there were no empty seats in the entire restaurant. "Stop trying to find a table and just sit here. I''ll treat you to a meal," He Ning said. "You want to give me a treat? Are you so kind?" Qiao Mei said disdainfully. "We can be considered to be from the same hometown. I''m happy to meet someone from my hometown in a foreign country. It''s my treat today. You can order whatever you want!" He Ning said generously. Qiao Mei did not reject He Ning''s invitation. Although the He family and the Xia family were like fire and water, He Ning would not do anything to harm her in public as he cared about his reputation! He could not stand being embarrassed! Qiao Mei called the waitstaff to come over and ordered all the most expensive dishes on the menu. There was not even enough space on the table to place all the dishes. The waitstaff asked apologetically, "I''m really sorry, but we don''t have a bigger table. Can we serve some of the dishes later?" "There''s no need to serve them to us. Just give them to the other guests. We can''t finish the food anyway," Qiao Mei said without looking up. "It''s fine. The He family can still afford this," He Ning said as he looked at Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei picked up a napkin to wipe the corners of her mouth and said, "I know, so I also ordered four bottles of expensive red wine and told them to send the wine to my car. Thank you for your hospitality, Boss He." Before He Ning could speak, Qiao Mei stood up and left. She did not have many friends in Sky City. Now that she could not get in touch with Xia Zhe, she could only go to Bella''s place to ask her for information. Chapter 2214: Long Time No See ? "Pu Nan! It''s been a long time! Why didn''t you tell me that you are coming back!" Yin Yue was standing at the door and she greeted Qiao Mei from a distance. When Qiao Mei got closer, she asked curiously, "I just arrived in Country M. Is the casino very grand now? They actually ask a Silver Spider to stand guard at the door? It''s really too extravagant." "Let''s not talk about it! I made Yin Xing angry and she punished me by making me stand guard at the door for a month. I''m suffering inside!" Yin Yue said aggrievedly. "Don''t look at me like that! You must have done something very overboard. Otherwise, with Yin Xing''s temper, she won''t bear to flare up at you," Qiao Mei said. "How do you know Yin Xing so well! I... I threw out all the grenades in my pocket to show off when I was on a mission. I was feeling so happy that day and I wanted to hear the cannon salute," Yin Yue said. The corners of Qiao Mei''s mouth twitched. How interesting. Did these people from criminal organizations think of grenades as fireworks? "You must be here to look for Sister Bella! She''s already waiting for you on the second floor!" Yin Yue said quickly. "She knows that I''m back?" Qiao Mei asked in shock. There were many things on the table, including jewelry, medicinal herbs and a thick stack of documents. Qiao Mei picked up the things and looked at Bella in confusion. "Since you left, I would buy you some items every month. Whenever I was on a mission and I came across nice things, I would bring them back for you. I know you like jewelry very much. As for the medicinal herbs, Julie told me about them. She said that you would like these," Bella explained. Qiao Mei did not expect Bella to go to this extent for her. Bella behaved like her family member, like an elder sister who was waiting for her to come home. However, Country M was not her home after all and Bella had never called her after she went back to the capital. She thought that the two of them were just ordinary friends and did not have such a close relationship. Moreover, Qiao Mei did not intend to have anything more to do with the largest underground assassination organization in Country M. "Thank you. I never expect you to do this... I''m sorry..." Qiao Mei looked at Bella apologetically. This was because she had not prepared anything this time, not even a small gift. "Why are you apologizing to me?" Bella asked in surprise. "Because I don''t have anything to reciprocate your kindness. I definitely won''t do this next time!" Qiao Mei said. "It''s alright, I''m not someone who cares about such things. I''d suggest that you read that stack of information after a few days. It''s related to Fang Chen and Jessica. Fang Chen is now..." Bella shook her head helplessly and continued," He''s no longer the unknown person from before. His circle of influence is almost even bigger than what Jack has now." "It can''t be! The casino is still the most powerful!" Qiao Mei said. Chapter 2215: Supervisory Spot Check Chapter 2215: Supervisory Spot Check ? "Don''t try to comfort me, little girl. That old thing, Jack, only! have fun. He doesn''t care about the casino at all. Otherwise, we largest casino in the entire state long ago!" Bella said as if she "Don''t be angry. At your age, shouldn''t you and Jack be traveli enjoying yourselves? Why are you still working so hard!" Qiao GOT IT "There''s so much to do. He''s the only one who has the time to Qiao Mei sat beside Bella and listened to Bella tell many storie Although Qiao Mei had heard a few stories in the past, she still Bella''s love was so pure and flawless and had lasted for so many years. After He Ning paid the bill, he went straight to the hotel''s VIP floor. The fifth floor of the hotel was specially reserved for high-ranking officials and rich people. Here, some people conducted illegal transactions, some people looked for joy and some people met guests. He Ning belonged to the last category, but he was not meeting a guest. He was going to monitor someone who was meeting Xia Zhe. "Are the questions ready?" He Ning asked as he stood in front of the surveillance monitor. "Yes, all ready. We ask the same questions every year. Mr. He, do you want to add anything?" Wang Jing stood beside He Ning and asked nervously. "Alright, then let me ask you about your current assets and what companies you have..." After more than an hour of questions, Wang Jing looked at Xia Zhe and said hesitantly, "What''s your relationship with Jessica?" "Does this have anything to do with the higher-ups?" Xia Zhe asked curiously. "... Yes. After all, based on what I know, you already have a family. Recently, there has been news that you and Jessica are getting married. The higher-ups are very concerned about this," Wang Jing said with a guilty conscience. Xia Zhe immediately sensed that something was wrong. Jiang Ting already knew all these things. Also, the higher-ups would not ask about such private matters. Why was Wang Jing so curious? In addition to the abnormality over the past few days, there must be something wrong. "Who sent you?" Xia Zhe questioned. "The higher-ups of course!" Wang Jing said. Xia Zhe narrowed his eyes and observed Wang Jing carefully. He picked up a bathrobe and tied up Wang Jing''s hands. "You! Why are you tying me up! Aren''t you afraid that I''ll report it to the higher-ups when I get back!" Wang Jing said furiously. "Is that so? Then you have to be able to make it back alive. I have doubts about your identity. You can wait for the higher-ups to arrange for someone to come and save you." After saying that, Xia Zhe swaggered out of the hotel. Outside the hotel, Xiao Bei had been waiting for Xia Zhe''s return. Chapter 2216: A Very Good Father ? "Boss, are we going home now? I... I saw Miss Pu Nan here just now and she even sat down for a meal with a man. Miss Pu Nan doesn''t look very happy," Xiao Bei said nervously. "When did she come!" Xia Zhe said, feeling pleasantly surprised. "Da Dong said that she arrived in Country M three days ago and reached Sky City early this morning. Moreover, Miss Pu Nan seems to know about you and Jessica," Xiao Bei said. Xia Zhe lowered his head helplessly. He had originally planned to hide this matter from Qiao Mei. There was nothing between him and Jessica. They only socialized with each other because of business. For some reason, the entertainment news outlets in Country M kept reporting about him and Jessica, and there were even rumors of them getting married.Fo?llo?w new stories at novelhall.com He was famous and influential in the business world, but that did not mean that he had the same level of influence in the entertainment industry and with the press. It seemed that Jessica was the one secretly fanning this matter. He could only spend money to threaten some of the big newspapers not to report the fake news, but there were too many small newspapers and he could not stop all of them from doing what they wanted. "Let''s go and look for Pu Nan so that I can clarify this issue," Xia Zhe said. Xia Zhe asked Xiao Bei to drive to the villa he had bought for Qiao Mei in the suburbs. Qiao Mei had said that she liked that house very much and that it was their "home" in Sky City. Xia Zhe believed that Qiao Mei would definitely come and stay here. "How long are you staying here this time?" Xia Zhe asked. "I don''t know. I''ve already left everything at home to Eldest Brother. I''ll go back when I feel like it," Qiao Mei said. "How are the children? I received a call from Eldest Brother some time ago. He said that Xia Fan resembles me a lot, that Xia Xing is very talented in writing and that Xia Yue often pesters his elder siblings to play with him and he can express himself very well..." Xia Zhe told Qiao Mei a list of what he knew about the children. There were even some details that Qiao Mei was not very clear about. Xia Wen sent letters to Xia Zhe through the higher-ups. He secretly asked Feng Hua to record down interesting things about the children or take photos of them and he gladly paid her for the service. He wanted to make sure that Xia Zhe knew more about the children''s childhoods. After all, they were neglected during their own childhoods because Xia Mao and Xu Lan were very busy with work. Like Xia Mao, Xia Zhe''s job took him away from his children''s side, so Xia Wen hoped to help Xia Zhe out as much as possible. Qiao Mei felt very blessed. Her father in both her other life and this life had died young. She did not know what fatherly love was like, but she was very glad that she had chosen Xia Zhe back then. Xia Zhe was a very good husband and a very good father. "What''s wrong? Are the children not doing well recently? I''m sorry, Eldest Brother sends me a letter once a month, but I''ve been so busy with meetings for the past two months that I haven''t kept up with the children''s recent developments," Xia Zhe said apologetically. "Of course not. I just feel that maybe you know more than me when it comes to certain things," Qiao Mei said with a laugh. "You''re the children''s mother. How can I know more than you? It''s just that I''m not by their side, so I hold the details very close to my heart," Xia Zhe said. Chapter 2217: Collision ? The two of them got up to wash up. Qiao Mei looked at herself in the mirror and became quite annoyed. Xia Zhe had gone overboard last night and left marks all over her neck. She could not go out looking like this! "Look at what you''ve done! How am I going to go out later!" Qiao Mei pointed at her neck and said angrily. Xia Zhe pretended not to see anything and went downstairs smilingly to make breakfast for Qiao Mei. She had no choice but to take out some ginseng juice and rub it all over her neck. It did not take long for the marks to disappear. After breakfast, Xia Zhe received a call and kooked at Qiao Mei like he was lost for words. "Don''t tell me that Miss Jessica is looking for you?" Qiao Mei asked. "Indeed she is. She has called to ask me to go and try on the suit for the wedding, but I didn''t order any! I have no idea about this at all! She is acting on her own accord!" Xia Zhe explained. His real target was Alan, Jessica''s father. Alan was the largest underground weapons trader in Country M and most of the weapons used in the country came from Alan. He heard that Alan had recently developed a new type of gun that combined the advantages of many different weapons. Once it was released, major changes would be afoot. Xia Zhe wanted to get the blueprint of the gun from Alan. He wanted to send it back to his home country and let the experts study it to improve the guns they used. Qiao Mei swiped her own card to pay for the purchase. She intended to go around today to look at all the assets she had in Sky City. She should tally everything and find an agent to manage them. Qiao Mei did not have any talent for investment. She only knew that it was a sure win to buy houses and land. In her other life, her best friend married a top businessman who particularly liked to study the real estate market. He was well-versed with the movement of property prices in many different countries and he managed to ride the property wave every time. He made a lot of money this way. He did not have any other hobbies and only liked to brag about himself in front of others. Qiao Mei had a photographic memory, so she could naturally remember the timings of the few property cycles he mentioned. She did not expect to be able to make use of this information in this life! The laws here were different from that of her home country. If one''s house was abandoned for a long time and someone else went in to take care of it, the house would be considered that person''s property after 10 years. To prevent that from happening, Qiao Mei could only keep buying houses and renovating them before renting them out. Even if she could not rent them out, she had to use them as shop space. She went to buy some gifts for Bella and the girls. There were not many cars on the roads, so Qiao Mei drove a little faster than usual. Suddenly, a red sports car came speeding around the corner and headed straight for Qiao Mei without any intention of avoiding her. Qiao Mei could not dodge in time and could only turn the steering wheel forcefully. The red sports car crashed into the back of her car and she grabbed the bangle on her left hand with her right hand. The bangle released a huge amount of energy and countless vines wrapped tightly around her, forming a safe spherical space in the blink of an eye. The red sports car lost control and crashed into the road divider before coming to a stop. Qiao Mei reabsorbed the energy from the vines and immediately got out to check to see if her car''s fuel tank was damaged. After inspecting the whole car, she felt fortunate that only the back end of the car had been hit and that it was not badly damaged. Chapter 2218: Offer to Pay Compensation ?Rread latest chapters at novelhall.com The red sports car was not so lucky. The entire front section of the car was damaged and there was smoke emitting from it. Qiao Mei did not sense any evil intentions from the person in the car. She quickly walked over and saw a man sitting in the driver''s seat. The airbag was pressing against his chest and his leg seemed to be injured. It took Qiao Mei a lot of effort to open the car door and get him out. "Thank you..." the man said weakly. "Don''t talk for now. Let''s leave this area quickly. I''m afraid you won''t be able to use your car anymore," Qiao Mei said sternly. She dragged the man away from the scene and was headed towards a corner in the distance when she heard a loud bang behind her. The red sports car was instantly engulfed by a sea of fire. Her car was also affected and it suffered heavy damage. Looking at the man who seemed to be dying, Qiao Mei took out some ginseng juice and fed it to him. After 15 minutes, the man woke up. The moment he saw Qiao Mei, he could not take his eyes off her. He had never seen such a beautiful woman. She looked like an angel. "Have I reached heaven? Are you an angel?" the man asked. "Open your eyes and look clearly! You''re not dead yet and I''m not an angel!" Qiao Mei said moodily. "I paid 80,000 dollars for that car and 40,000 dollars for the jewelry inside the car. If you can give me 120,000 dollars, then the matter is considered settled," Qiao Mei said. The fact that Daniel could afford to drive that sports car meant that he was not an ordinary person. That sports car cost hundreds of thousands of dollars! It was a global limited edition! The amount of money Qiao Mei paid for her car was not even enough to pay for the four wheels of the sports car. "I... I don''t have money. I have many cars though. I can compensate you with one car! No! I can compensate you with two cars!" Daniel said embarrassedly. Qiao Mei sized up Daniel and wondered if he was telling the truth. He immediately explained, "I really don''t have any money, but I have many sports cars. My parents only buy things for me but they won''t give me money. I can''t help it." "Those cars of yours must be very expensive. I just need an appropriate amount of compensation," Qiao Mei said. "It''s fine, it''s fine! I''m willing to compensate you! I can give you as many sports cars as you want!" Daniel said agitatedly. Qiao Mei thought that Daniel sounded very sincere and did not seem to be lying, so she agreed to take up his offer. The two of them got into the police car and Daniel gave the police an address. She was very familiar with the address. It was a newly built high-end residential district in Country M. The houses there were all very grand and one could only buy them after clearing a financial background check. The people who lived there were all prominent figures in Country M. Qiao Mei also had a house there, so she did not mind going there to take a look. In the car, Qiao Mei kept observing Daniel''s expressions and actions. She had a feeling that this matter was not as coincidental as it seemed, but Daniel looked really sincere and it did not feel like he was lying. Chapter 2219: Wedding Dress ? The failure of the brakes, the locking of the steering wheel and the failure of the handbrake were all too much of a coincidence. If it was true, then the limited edition red sports car was nothing great at all. It was just a lousy car that could explode at any moment! Perhaps someone wanted to harm Daniel and he just happened to bump into her. She was the unlucky person chosen by the heavens. Qiao Mei let her imagination run wild as she followed Daniel home. The butler was already standing at the door and waiting for Daniel''s return, but she certainly did not expect to see the other two people who appeared at the door. "Jessica!" Qiao Mei said as she looked at the two people at the door in shock. "That''s right! That''s my elder sister! I''m her biological younger brother. Are you my elder sister''s fan? I can give you anything you want. You can have any bags, jewelry or clothes from her bedroom. You can have anything! I can even ask her to give you an autograph and take a photo with you!" Daniel said excitedly. Jessica looked at Qiao Mei with disgust. She had never liked other beautiful people. It would be the best if she was the only beautiful person in the world! "Daniel! How can you bring a stranger home! How can you just give away my things!" Jessica said furiously. "Elder Sister, it''s not like that! She is my savior!" Daniel defended himself loudly. Jessica''s attitude immediately softened. She looked at Qiao Mei and asked, "What happened?" "Alright, let''s do that," Qiao Mei said. Daniel wanted to hold Qiao Mei''s hand, but she avoided him subtly. Jessica raised her eyebrows and looked at Daniel. It seemed that her younger brother had a new target. She did not have a good impression of Qiao Mei, but at least Qiao Mei did not seem to be a greedy person and was not here for Daniel''s money. She viewed Qiao Mei a little better for that. Xia Zhe frowned as he looked at the departing figures of Daniel and Qiao Mei. He did not expect this kid to have designs on Qiao Mei and even put her in the path of danger! He would not let Daniel off and would definitely find an opportunity to teach that kid a lesson! "What kind of sports car do you like? What''s your favorite color?" Daniel asked Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei looked at Daniel''s leg and said, "You have so many wounds on your body. Shouldn''t you take care of them first?" "Oh right! Butler! Ask the doctor to come and take a look!" Daniel said. He was such a pampered child. His family even had a private doctor. When she went back to the capital, she could also hire one for her house. However, on second thought, the doctor would be redundant. After all, her "divine medicine" could treat most illnesses in the world. What was the use of having a doctor around? While Danile was getting treatment, Qiao Mei sat beside him and observed the villa. It seemed that Alan had similar tastes to Yang Jiao. The entire house had a resplendent design and the smell of money was everywhere. Jessica brought out the wedding dress that she had prepared and Qiao Mei was instantly attracted by it. She did not even have a wedding dress when she got married! The groom did not even appear at the ceremony... Chapter 2220: You Will Regret It ? "Is your elder sister getting married? Who''s the groom?" Qiao Mei asked as she looked at Daniel.Re?Ad lateSt chapters at novelhall.com Only "Of course it''s the person standing next to my sister!" Daniel said as he pointed at Xia Zhe. Jessica could not help but roll her eyes at Qiao Mei. How could such a stupid woman exist? She was a famous award-winning actress! Everyone in Country M must know all about her recent news! Xia Zhe immediately stepped forward and said, "No, I''m not. I''ve rejected you many times, but you still insist on doing whatever you want. I''ve said before that I can give you anything except marriage." "Why! Am I not good enough for you! Fang Chen, don''t be so ungrateful!" Jessica said domineeringly. She had always been treated like a high and mighty princess wherever she went. Alan had also brought up Jessica like a princess since she was young. Be it musical instruments, sports, languages, dance or other skills, Jessica excelled in everything and felt that she deserved to be -called a princess, so she never showed any respect to anyone. "I don''t want to have to repeat what I just said," Xia Zhe said. "If you don''t want to repeat it, then agree to my request. This way, I won''t need to keep talking about it!" Jessica said. Qiao Mei was shocked by Jessica''s logic. She did not expect that someone could come up with this train of thought. No wonder Xia Zhe could not get rid of Jessica even after two months. If it was her, she would not be able to resolve this matter either. The thugs eyed Xia Zhe suspiciously. Could it be that the man in front of them was blind? This was Jessica! Such a graceful figure! Such a beautiful face! Yet Xia Zhe did not like her! "Is that the truth?" Jessica asked. "Yes," Xia Zhe said firmly. This was the second time that someone had embarrassed her in public. She would never let Xia Zhe off. She returned to the bedroom, changed out of the wedding dress and headed out. "You will definitely regret this," Jessica said. "Um... looks like I have come at a bad time. Let''s talk about our issue another day." Qiao Mei wanted to leave after saying that, but Daniel stopped her. "It doesn''t take a lot of time to choose a car! What happened today has nothing to do with you. My sister won''t vent her anger on you, so don''t worry. I''ve already tended to my wounds. Let''s go choose a car now!" Daniel said. "In that case... alright," Qiao Mei said helplessly. Xia Zhe followed them out of the villa and towards the garage. It was Alan''s private garage and there were dozens of sports cars parked inside. There were Daniel''s cars, but also cars which belonged to Alan and Jessica. The outermost parking spaces were reserved for guests. Xia Zhe''s car was parked in this area and he could not go further in. At this point, there was no reason for him to stay around anymore, but he was worried that it would be dangerous for Qiao Mei to be alone with Daniel. He was now caught between a rock and a hard place. Chapter 2221: Break off the Wedding Arrangement Chapter 2221: Break off the Wedding Arrangement ? "Goodbye, Daniel," Xia Zhe said as he looked at Daniel. "Oh, yes. Goodbye," Daniel said nonchalantly. Given Xia Zhe''s now, he had already shown enough restraint by not taking it up Qiao Mei suddenly thought that Daniel was indeed Jessica''s yo expressions was done so well that no one could see any flaws. "Come, come! There are still many cars ahead! I have some of 1 happily to Qiao Mei. . GOT IT Just as Daniel was about to lead Qiao Mei away, Xia Zhe suddenly said, "I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to do that to your elder sister. I really can''t marry her. I just want her to lose interest in me." "Alright, I understand. I''m not going to get involved in the matter between you and my sister. If you want to apologize, go and look for her yourself," Daniel said coldly. "I hope that we can still be friends. I''ve always treated Jessica like my younger sister," Xia Zhe said. "Younger sister? There are only the two of us siblings in our family. We don''t need an elder brother," Daniel said disdainfully. After spending a good amount of time with Qiao Mei, this was the first time Daniel saw such an excited expression on her face. Since Qiao Mei was so interested in Jessica''s affairs, there was no harm in talking about it. Anyway, if Jessica wanted Xia Zhe, she would do whatever it took to get him. "In the beginning, my sister wanted to force him into submission, but she realized that he did not fall for it at all. Then, she came up with the idea of having a fake marriage and making him fall in love with her as time passed. My sister had even thought about which school she wanted to send her child to in the future. I accidentally overheard her talking about it that day and I really can''t understand her. In the past, there were many handsome men who wooed her, but why does she only have eyes for this man!" Daniel said helplessly. Qiao Mei had exactly the same idea as Jessica back then, but she had taken more drastic actions. She chose a method which guaranteed that Xia Zhe had no choice but to marry her. There was the sudden roar of a car outside the door. When Daniel saw the approaching car, he instantly stood up straight and froze like a frightened quail. An imposing man got out of the car and Qiao Mei covered her mouth in surprise. The man in front of her looked like a statue she had seen before! That statue in the middle of the square of the agricultural university! "Are you going off already? Have you confirmed the wedding date with Jessica?" Alan said as he looked at Xia Zhe with a kindly expression. "I''m very sorry, Mr. Alan. I really can''t marry Miss Jessica. I only treat her like a younger sister and I don''t have any other feelings for her," Xia Zhe said. Alan''s expression darkened. He looked at Xia Zhe sternly but did not say anything. Daniel pointed at Qiao Mei and said fearfully, "Father, this is Miss Pu. She''s the one who saved me. She..." Before Daniel could finish, Alan interrupted him and said, "That''s why I''m back." Daniel tugged at Qiao Mei, wanting to get away quickly. Qiao Mei immediately ran to a black Rolls-Royce sports car and stopped, saying, "I''ll take this one." Daniel''s smile disappeared and Alan also looked in Qiao Mei''s direction. This car was much more expensive than the red sports car. It was at least double the price!Alll latest novels at novelhall.com Chapter 2222: Cut Up the Wedding Dress ? Alan looked even more stern as he turned to Qiao Mei and he did not even bother to hide his disgust. He was familiar with all the daughters of the rich families in Country M and he had already asked around about Qiao Mei. She was Xia Zhe''s plaything for a while. After some time, the two of them broke up and now she was pestering his son! "What''s wrong with you? Don''t tell me you regret it now? I already say that you just need to give me money. I don''t ask for much. You are the one who wants to compensate me with a new car. So why are you regretting it now?" Qiao Mei asked. "I don''t regret it! It''s just that the car key isn''t in the garage. I''ll get the butler to bring it to you," Daniel said. The butler glanced at Daniel and after confirming that Daniel was serious, he went to retrieve the car key and brought it over. Qiao Mei did not want to waste her breath on Daniel anymore. She also wanted to get away from this place as soon as possible. That Alan did not look like someone to be trifled with. Qiao Mei drove away from Alan''s house, displaying exceptional driving skills. Xia Zhe smiled and bade farewell to Alan before following behind Qiao Mei''s car. Daniel walked up to Alan in fear and said with a flattering smile, "Dad, I''m sorry to have made you worry about me." "She''s already gone. Aren''t you going to chase after her?" Alan asked. "Dad, how do you know that I..." Daniel said to Alan in surprise. "I... I just want him to marry me as soon as possible. I''m nearing the deadline Dad gave me and I''m worried that he will really reject me completely," Jessica explained in a panic. "I put in a good word for you when we were in the garage. You''re on your own after this. Don''t disappoint Dad and me," Daniel said. Tears filled Jessica''s eyes and she said aggrievedly, "Yes, I''ll definitely be able to do it." "Get up. Don''t kneel anymore," Daniel said as he sat on the sofa. Jessica got up carefully and sat on the sofa beside Daniel. The Jessica that was presented to the public was just a persona. In this family, Alan was the one in charge. Next in line was the successor of the organization, Daniel. It could be said that Jessica did not even have any rights in the family and was treated worse than a pet dog. Jessica looked glamorous in front of everyone, but in reality, she was in unbearable agony. She was like a canary trapped in a cage and could not make any decisions of her own. Daniel''s gaze was sharp as he recalled what happened today. This entire matter was definitely not a coincidence. Someone must have planned this for a long time and this traitor camefrom within his home. Ever since Alan announced to the public that he was the successor of the organization, many people had been coming at him. This was not the first time such an incident happened. He was taken by surprise this time round and almost died on that road. It was fortunate that he met Qiao Mei. She was really his lucky star. At the thought of her, he immediately wanted to go to her side. Qiao Mei drove to a well-hidden villa outside the suburbs. She had bought this villa in her own name, so it did not matter even if someone was monitoring her. What was wrong with her going back to her own house? However, the special thing about this house was that there was an underground passageway. Qiao Mei had specially asked for it to be constructed in preparation for a day like today. Xia Zhe parked his car at the back of the mountain. Chapter 2223: Leave Sky City Quickly Chapter 2223: Leave Sky City Quickly ? When Qiao Mei saw Xia Zhe''s car, she quickly ran over. In order seeing her in the car, she hid in the back seat. She laughed and hire a chauffeur so that you can sit in the back seat with me."Diiscover new stories at novelhall.com "Then we''ll probably have to ask the higher-ups to transfer El are some things that I have to do myself. I don''t have a strong people I hire will switch sides for the sake of benefits," Xia Zhe . GOT IT "It''s only when I saw Jessica today that I understood what the that I have this nagging feeling that their family has some sort that Jessica doesn''t like you as much as rumored. It seems that she wants something else from you," Qiao Mei said gravely. "They are a family of snakes and I know what they are up to, but you can''t stay in Sky City for too long," Xia Zhe said. "Why! I just came to Sky City and you want me to leave!" Qiao Mei said as she looked at Xia Zhe in shock. "That guy Daniel is not as nice as he looks. Now that you''re entangled with his family, I''m worried that they will do something bad to you. Moreover, I found out that He Ning has also arrived in Sky City. He definitely has ill intentions towards me," Xia Zhe said. Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe tenderly and he suddenly felt that his wife was the gentlest and most considerate person in the world. There was no one who could be better than her. She smiled when he told her that. "You''re probably the only person in the world who thinks that I''m gentle. You don''t know what outsiders say about me. They say that I''m arrogant, despotic and disrespectful. They even say that I''m an unfilial daughter and that I''m vicious and nasty. I''m simply a shrew!" Qiao Mei said agitatedly. "That''s because they have no taste! They don''t know anything! You are right to fight back. If they didn''t provoke you first, how would we even know those people exist? Why would we get involved with those people? They say all these things out of jealousy. Don''t listen to them and don''t take their words to heart," Xia Zhe said. "Really? Have you forgotten what I looked like when I first married you? Don''t tell me you already like me back then?" Qiao Mei asked with a laugh. Xia Zhe was unable to lie to Qiao Mei. In the beginning, it was true that he thought that they were not a good match. However, later on, he gradually got to know her character. The two of them wrote to each other often and started to develop feelings for each other. During that time, he fell deeply in love with her. It did not matter what the person writing the letters looked like anymore. What was important was her feelings for him. "Since you''re such a sweet talker, I forgive you! The night is precious! Let''s not waste it!" After saying that, Qiao Mei snuggled into Xia Zhe''s arms and the two of them had a passionate night together. Qiao Mei only fell asleep nearing dawn. Xia Zhe still had a lot of work to do at the office, plus he could not be seen entering and exiting "Sky Hotel" with Qiao Mei, so he left early in the morning. Qiao Mei got dressed and realized that the marks on her neck could not be covered up using makeup. She still had important things to do today, so she had no choice but to take out the ginseng juice and slowly apply it on the love bites and swollen spots. When she went back to the capital, she definitely had to concoct an ointment! One that could make all these marks disappear once she applied it! Qiao Mei drove the car which Daniel gifted her to the hotel where He Ning was staying at. The moment she entered, she saw him in a corner, about to have his meal. Chapter 2224: Deep Hatred ? Qiao Mei did not expect He Ning to have such a good appetite. He could even eat the disgusting food in Country M. However, when she thought about how he ate medicinal cuisine all year round and how bitter and astringent that food was, she decided to view him as someone who had lost his sense of taste. "What a coincidence, Mr. He." Qiao Mei sat directly opposite He Ning, surprising him. "It''s indeed a coincidence that we meet again. Are you here for a meal?" He Ning asked. Qiao Mei did not say anything else to He Ning. She called the waitstaff over and ordered all the expensive dishes and wine on the menu, just like the last time she met him. "Aren''t you going to stop me?" Qiao Mei asked He Ning with a smile. "The He family is not so poor that I can''t afford to pay for your meal," He Ning said indifferently. Qiao Mei looked at He Ning disdainfully and said, "Is the He family very powerful now? Compared to the Qiao Corporation, the He family''s business shouldn''t count for much." Qiao Mei was slightly stunned. She did not expect He Ning to apologize and she was caught by surprise. This matter had happened a long time ago. Although she was very angry at that time, He Mei had also paid a painful price, so Qiao Mei did not intend to pursue the matter anymore. She just wanted He Ning to believe that she still hated the He family. "Forget it, forget it. I''m not here to denounce you. Don''t ruin my good mood," Qiao Mei said as she waved her hand. He Ning continued to observe Qiao Mei''s every move. The matter between Jessica and Xia Zhe had spread like wildfire throughout the city. As long as Qiao Mei picked up a newspaper, she would be able to find news of Xia Zhe. Did Qiao Mei know about what Xia Zhe had done or not? Just as He Ning was about to take out the newspaper from his bag and show it to Qiao Mei, she suddenly said, "I still have to go and check on my businesses. I''ve been so busy recently that I don''t have time to rest. Eat well, I''ll take this wine with me." Qiao Mei picked up the wine bottle and left the hotel. He Ning looked at Qiao Mei''s departing figure in a daze. It seemed that Qiao Mei really did not know what Xia Zhe was doing here. The truth was that He Ning also had a hand in all these. He had discovered business opportunities overseas very early on, but most of his businesses were in Country F. His businesses were not very big and were not as impressive as what Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei had. He had to probe around secretly for a long time before he found out about Xia Zhe''s location and mission. After that, he spread rumors everywhere that Xia Zhe was the descendant of the boss of the defunct organization from the last century, "Sky Eagle". In the past, "Sky Eagle" committed all kinds of crimes and many people died tragically in their hands. However, a battle between the various organizations caused "Sky Eagle" to disappear without a trace. Many people who had a grudge against "Sky Eagle" were still looking for the whereabouts of its boss. Part of the reason was for revenge, but part of the reason was for the treasures which "Sky Eagle" had stolen back then. Chapter 2225: Leaving Sky City ? It was said that the boss of "Sky Eagle" had transported these treasures to an unknown place and buried them. Some people said that it was an isolated island, while others said that it was deep in the mountains and forests. In short, everyone was sure that the treasures existed, but they did not know the exact location. Xia Zhe was the key to unlocking the location of the treasures! However, the truth was that Xia Zhe did not know anything about the treasures and "Sky Eagle". No matter how he tried to explain, it was useless. The treasures were also the main reason why Alan wanted Jessica to marry Xia Zhe as soon as possible. He Ning did not care about how Xia Zhe was going to get himself out of this mess. He just wanted Xia Zhe to be completely trapped overseas. As long as Xia Zhe did not return to the capital, he could try and destroy Xia Zhe''s marriage and be able to get Qiao Mei for himself as soon as possible. Qiao Mei knew that He Ning was a paranoid person who would not leave Country M just because of a few words from her. Anyway, there was nothing more she could do here and she would only cause trouble for Xia Zhe if she stayed any longer. It was better to leave Sky City first. She booked an early flight for the next day and left without a hitch. Daniel did not give up on trying to get close to Qiao Mei. He went around asking around about the location of Qiao Mei''s house and was completely dumbfounded when he received the information. He did not expect Qiao Mei to have so many properties and no one knew where she would choose to stay at any one time. He had no choice but to search the properties one by one. Finally, he found the car he had given Qiao Mei at a villa on a hillside. He heard from the neighbors nearby that Qiao Mei had never stayed the night here and that there was a woman who came and took care of the house. The property looked a little aged, but the interior was very clean. Since she had so many properties, his car definitely did not interest her. It seemed that she was not a greedy person. If she really wanted money in the first place, she would have asked Alan to pay a ransom in order to get Daniel back. "No," Qiao Mei said without hesitation. "No! Why not! Is he avoiding you?" Xia Wan asked in shock. Xia Wan thought that Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe would have a good talk about this matter and that Xia Zhe would explain to Qiao Mei about the recent news. However, Qiao Mei did not even get to see Xia Zhe! Even though she was his elder cousin, it was hard for her to defend him. "Don''t worry, Elder Cousin. I know what''s going on." Qiao Mei did not want Xia Zhe''s recent issue to involve Xia Wan and the others. The fewer people who were aware of it, the better. Gao Long could tell that Qiao Mei had something on her mind. With his status in the family, it was inconvenient for him to have a heart-to-heart talk with Qiao Mei. After all, they had only become familiar with each other in the past year. "Qiao Mei, we''ve made a lot of money from the business recently. Go to the study and deal with some paperwork within the next few days. I''ll transfer the bonus payment to your account. Otherwise, we''ll have to wait until I next see you," Gao Long said. "Alright. Let''s leave it at that for today. I''ll go and deal with these things tomorrow," Qiao Mei said with a smile. At night, Qiao Mei stood by the window and looked in the direction of Sky City. She did not know if Xia Zhe would be able to handle the matter regarding Alan''s family. Alan looked sinister and cunning. Qiao Mei had felt a chill run down her spine the moment she saw him and she felt very uneasy. Country M was really filled with crouching tigers and hidden dragons. These people were on a completely different level from He Ning. Chapter 2226: Trapped Chapter 2226: Trapped ? At this moment, Xia Zhe was trapped in Alan''s house and could Jessica had called Xia Zhe and threatened him. If he did not cor today, she would tell everyone the exact date of the wedding. have a hard time trying to clarify things. Xia Zhe knew that Jessica was up to something but he still ente as she invited him to her house as a guest, he would go. After a . "As expected of the man I like. You dare to come to my house a afraid that I''ll kill you!" Jessica sat on the sofa and said to Xia .... GOT IT At this moment, more than 10 burly men appeared and surrounded Xia Zhe. He looked at Jessica and said, "I''m not afraid. I know you won''t kill me." The corners of Jessica''s lips curled up instinctively. To her, what Xia Zhe said was a sign of his trust in her and he was flirting with her. In reality, Xia Zhe had only looked at her expressionlessly. Everything else was just part of her imagination. "I need to work. Since you won''t let me go, you have to let me do my work here. I have more than 100 people on my payroll. I can''t just leave my work unattended," Xia Zhe said. Jessica looked at Xia Zhe appreciatively. As expected of the man she liked, he was still thinking about his business even in his current state. Jessica knew that she would not be able to convince Xia Zhe within a short period of time. It was useless to continue with this stalemate. She might as well give him what he wanted while letting him stay here for the time being. She would think about the rest later. "Come with me." Jessica led the way and brought him to her room. Xia Zhe walked straight to the next room and was about to open the door when Jessica shouted, "That''s Daniel''s room!" "Then give me another room," Xia Zhe said. "You can just stay in my room," Jessica said. Xia Zhe rejected her silently, so Jessica had no choice but to find a guest room for Xia Zhe. She had a new long table and two phones placed inside the room for Xia Zhe. Jessica sat with Xia Zhe every day because she wanted to keep an eye on him. She was afraid that he would send a message to the outside world to ask for help, but two days passed and he did not show any intention of asking for help. He did not even seem to have any intention of escaping Even then, she did not let down her guard. After all, Alan had said that Xia Zhe was a smart and cunning man who could very well make use of her to achieve his goals.Updated chapters at novelhall.com Chapter 2227: Couple Time ?Alll latest novels at novelhall.com At night, Jessica walked to the door of Xia Zhe''s room while wearing sexy lingerie. Xia Zhe had long guessed that Jessica would do this and had already locked the door. All the house keys were with the butler. She could not ask the butler to open the door when she was dressed like this. If she knocked on the door forcefully, it would definitely alert the bodyguards. After thinking about it, Jessica returned to her room unhappily. After confirming that Jessica had left, Xia Zhe went downstairs with a cup. He did not go anywhere else but headed straight to the kitchen. After making a cup of coffee, he returned to the room. All his movements were monitored by the bodyguards in the dark. Xia Zhe was trying to find out where the sentries were in the villa. As the days passed, Qiao Mei did not receive any calls or news about Xia Zhe. She finally could not sit still anymore. Qiao Mei immediately called Da Dong and said, "Da Dong, where is Fang Chen?" "Miss Pu... Boss.... he''s at work!" Da Dong said vaguely. "Don''t beat around the bush with me. How long has it been since he''s been home? Have you seen him recently?" Qiao Mei asked nervously. Xia Zhe had told Da Dong to take instructions from Qiao Mei when he was not around. Qiao Mei was equivalent to their second boss. "So you already know, Miss Pu. The boss has been at Jessica''s house for four days and hasn''t returned yet, but he will call home regularly," Da Dong said. "Papa and Mama have all of you because we are in love, right?" Qiao Mei asked. After thinking for a while, the three children nodded seriously. Qiao Mei asked again, "So before you come along, Papa and Mama only have each other, right?" "Yes!" Xia Yue said. "The two of you are the fruits of our love and the embodiment of our love. The two of us want to go and relive the past, just like how you also like to think about nice things in the past, right?" Qiao Mei said. The children were already confused by what Qiao Mei said. There were too many words that they had never heard before and they had to slowly digest the information. She would leave the task of explaining these troublesome things to Xia Wan. She had to leave the small town and go to Xia Zhe''s side. After the plane landed, Qiao Mei went to the villa on the hillside first. She had to maintain the image of "Miss Pu Nan" in Sky City and not let others become suspicious. When Qiao Mei reached the house, she was shocked. The sports car in the garage had disappeared and the door had been removed. It was obvious that someone had broken into the house! "Who stole my car!!!" Qiao Mei stood on the spot and shouted. Her shouts scared off the birds in the forest behind the house. The neighbors all opened the windows and stuck their heads out to look at her. A man ran out of the villa next door and stood beside her as he said in surprise, "You must be Miss Pu!" Anyone who stood next to Qiao Mei would be stunned by her beauty. This was the first time this man had seen Qiao Mei in person and he could not take his eyes off her for a moment. Chapter 2228: Car Thief ? "Yes, I''m the owner of this house," Qiao Mei said in a gentle tone as she looked at the neighbor. "A while ago, a man came to your house. He knocked down the door and hasn''t come back to repair it. He said his name is... Daniel and he asked me to tell you about his visit when I see you," the man said. "Alright, thank you." After saying that, Qiao Mei looked at the house helplessly. He could have just repaired the door if he knocked it down, right? Why did he have to take the car? Besides, she thought she had the car key? Why did he still have a key to the car? Many questions filled Qiao Mei''s mind. She wished she could grab hold of Daniel and give him a good scolding! She had come back in a hired car just now. There were no buses or taxis which served this area, so how was she supposed to go to the city to look for Daniel? Was she supposed to walk there?Diiscover new stories at novelhall.com Just as Qiao Mei was thinking about this, Daniel stopped his car behind her and yelled out, "Why didn''t you tell me you are coming back! Fortunately, I come by every day!" If not for the fact that Xia Zhe was still in his family''s hands, Qiao Mei would definitely point at Daniel''s nose and scold him for being a "perverted stalker"! "Oh right! You don''t know yet! It''s my sister''s engagement party tomorrow. There won''t be many attendees at the banquet. It''s just my relatives and a few families we do business with. Do you want to attend it with me? I... I still need a female companion," Daniel looked at Qiao Mei and asked expectantly. Qiao Mei did not hear the second half of what Daniel said at all. Her mind was only filled with the news of Jessica''s engagement and she immediately asked, "Who is your elder sister getting engaged to?" "It''s that guy Mr. Fang Chen from last time. You''ve met him before," Daniel said. "Didn''t he reject your elder sister?" Qiao Mei asked as she pretended to be surprised. "Well... he probably changed his mind. No one will be able to reject a beauty like my sister. You haven''t answered me yet! Will you accompany me to the party?" Daniel said. Could it be that this was the method which Xia Zhe came up with! Qiao Mei was furious inside. After taking a few deep breaths, she smiled at Daniel and said, "But I don''t know how to dance and I don''t know any etiquette. I don''t have a suitable gown either." "It''s alright! It''s just a simple family banquet! I''ll bring you shopping to buy a new gown now!" Daniel said. "Alright then. I''m looking forward to Miss Jessica''s engagement party," Qiao Mei said. Daniel almost screamed in joy. It was obvious that Qiao Mei was not Jessica''s fan. Although Qiao Mei had said that she was a fan of Jessica the previous time, it must have been an excuse! She was completely calm when she saw Jessica and did not even ask for Jessica''s autograph. Daniel had seen Jessica at a news conference before and the fans below the stage looked like they wanted to swallow her alive. Qiao Mei did not behave like those fans at all. Chapter 2229: Preparations for the Engagement Party ? There was only one explanation for this. Qiao Mei was looking for an excuse to be with him! She wanted to hang out with him for a longer period of time! Daniel looked at Qiao Mei with a burning gaze and Qiao Mei definitely knew what he was up to. However, the most important thing now was not this matter, but where Xia Zhe was being imprisoned. The moment she entered the villa, she saw Xia Zhe standing on the second floor. The two of them looked at each other and she silently walked in the direction of the garage. Xia Zhe frowned. In the end, Qiao Mei still came to Alan''s house so willfully. He wanted to scold her for her impulsiveness, but he was also very happy that she loved him so much. Since Qiao Mei had come to the villa, he wondered if she would come and teach him a lesson when there was no one around at night. Jessica was very busy today. She had to set up the venue, get fitted for the gown and confirm the guest list for tomorrow. She did not have time to keep an eye on Xia Zhe at all. However, she had six bodyguards following him around all day long. Even if he wanted to run away, he would not have a chance. "I''m going out," Xia Zhe said. "Mr. Fang, I''m afraid that''s impossible. The young lady says that you are only allowed to move around inside the house and not outside," the bodyguard said. "So-so. I just take a look at them occasionally but I don''t know much about them," Xia Zhe said humbly. Daniel immediately became enthusiastic. He excitedly explained the performance, structure and characteristics of each car to Xia Zhe. He had memorized the details about every single one of them. He talked for a full two hours before stopping. "Take a look around. I''ll have some water and take a break," Daniel said. Daniel liked colorful cars while Alan preferred black cars. He owned black cars of every car model, but he only drove two of them often. Qiao Mei kept her distance from Xia Zhe. She was not sure if Daniel could understand their language, nor did she know if Daniel had found out about what happened between her and Xia Zhe in the past. Most people knew about the ill-fated relationship between Su Rui and Xia Zhe, but not about the story between Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe. This was because Bella and Xia Zhe had erased all traces of Qiao Mei''s appearance in the city during that period of time. Anyone who had seen Qiao Mei that time was either dead or controlled by them. Even if Qiao Mei stood in front of those people, they had to pretend not to know her. Otherwise, they would go bankrupt and lose their families. They were not so stupid as to give up their lives. By the time it was nighttime, Jessica was finally done and everyone could have dinner together. Jessica walked over to Xia Zhe, wearing a pure white gown, and asked, "Fang Chen, help me take a look at this gown. Do you like this style?" Xia Zhe did not even look at Jessica or respond to her question. Jessica felt very awkward. After all, it was not just her family members at the dinner. There was also an outsider, Qiao Mei. It was very embarrassing that Xia Zhe did this to her. Chapter 2230: Dirty the Gown ? Then again, Jessica did not expect Qiao Mei to appear at her house again. It seemed that Daniel really liked this girl very much. At the same time, this girl was also very scheming. Otherwise, she would not be able to make Daniel yearn for her for so long. "Looks like you don''t like it very much. Then I''ll get another one for tomorrow," Jessica said embarrassedly. Jessica looked at Qiao Mei arrogantly. She wanted to walk past Qiao Mei to the other master seat opposite Xia Zhe, but she did not expect Qiao Mei to knock down the red wine glass beside her. All the red wine spilled onto Jessica''s dress. "You! You did it on purpose!" Jessica said furiously as she looked at Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei covered her mouth playfully and said, "Oh! I''m just careless. Why does Miss Jessica say such things? Don''t tell me you have never made any mistakes before?" "This is my house! How dare you talk to me like that! Didn''t your family teach you the most basic etiquette! You dirty my dress and yet you don''t even apologize to me!" Jessica pointed at Qiao Mei and roared. Qiao Mei used her hand to support her chin and looked at Jessica lazily. "Is that so? I''m also a pampered young lady who grew up in a loving family. Our backgrounds are pretty similar. It''s just a dress. I''ll compensate you for it." Daniel''s expression changed from a shocked look to a doting look as he turned to Qiao Mei. He did not expect Qiao Mei to have such a side to her. Jessica had indeed been pampered since she was young and it would not be an exaggeration to say that she was spoiled. Qiao Mei had struck a raw nerve with Jessica, which was why Jessica argued with Qiao Mei so agitatedly. "Enough. Go and get cleaned up, elder sister. Don''t be so unhappy," Daniel said with a smile as he looked at Jessica. "I''ve already tested them. They can''t understand our language. It''s the same for all of them," Xia Zhe said to Qiao Mei in the Hu City dialect. Qiao Mei looked at the magazine in the distance and continued to use the capital''s dialect, "Bring me that magazine." There were beads of sweat on the butler''s forehead. He kept asking Qiao Mei to speak in the local language. If he did not take good care of Qiao Mei, he would definitely be reprimanded by Daniel. Daniel''s way of teaching people a lesson was very scary and he did not ever want to experience it again. "She wants that magazine," Xia Zhe said, acting as Qiao Mei''s interpreter. The butler immediately brought the car magazine over. He knew that Qiao Mei was in a bad mood and was using him to vent her frustration! Miss Jessica often did such things too and he was already used to it. "Are there surveillance cameras here? Or recording equipment?" Qiao Mei asked in the Hu City dialect as she pointed at the photo of a car in the magazine. "No, I''ve checked everything, but there are surveillance cameras in some spots. You have to be careful," Xia Zhe replied in the Hu City dialect. Qiao Mei was cautious and meticulous, on par with the soldiers in the army. If this continued, she could even be his partner. The two of them had a tacit understanding that no one else could match. "What are their exact locations?" Qiao Mei asked. "The entire corridor on the third floor, Alan''s study and bedroom, and Daniel''s bedroom," Xia Zhe said. Qiao Mei nodded in understanding. She turned a page and asked, "Then why did you stay here for so many days? Why didn''t you give me any news? Did they torture you?" Chapter 2231: Cracking Seafood Shells ? "No, I chose to stay here," Xia Zhe said. "You chose?" Qiao Mei was so agitated that she almost tore off the page from the magazine. Xia Zhe quickly explained, "I''m looking for something here, so I have to stay here. I''ve already found out where it is located. It should be in Alan''s bedroom." The security in the entire villa was very tight. Regardless of whether Alan was around or not, there were people standing guard in his study and bedroom all day long, making it impossible to get close. However, it was different tomorrow. Alan would definitely have to take care of the guests during the engagement ceremony, which meant that he would have a chance to go in and do a search during the chaos. "So do you really plan to take this show to the end?" Qiao Mei questioned. Before Xia Zhe could answer, Daniel and Jessica suddenly walked in. Xia Zhe quickly said in the local language, "I like this car very much. I just don''t know if it''s in stock." "What is it? I wonder if I can help?" Daniel came to Qiao Mei''s side and looked at the car on the page before saying, "It''s such a pity that this car is not available for sale yet. You need to make a booking in advance, but you won''t be able to get it until the end of next year at the earliest." "Forget it then. I don''t have much patience," Xia Zhe said. Jessica was dressed very simply. Qiao Mei raised her glass to Jessica and swirled the red wine. Since the two of them had already shed all pretense of cordiality, she might as well go even more overboard and make Jessica completely detest her. If Jessica got agitated and did something to hurt her, then she would have an excuse to deal with Jessica! "Fang Chen, you should go and try your suit," Jessica said. "It doesn''t matter what I wear." After saying that, Xia Zhe followed behind Daniel and Qiao Mei. The three of them started to look at the cars again. From time to time, Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe would ask Daniel questions. After a while, Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe started to talk to each other. "You''d better go now," Xia Zhe said. "Don''t even think about it. I won''t leave," Qiao Mei said. Xia Zhe sighed. There was nothing he could do about Qiao Mei''s stubborn temper, but it would be helpful to him if she stayed. After all, she was quite good at hiding things and she was always able to find anything that was difficult to find. Daniel spent another hour introducing all the cars in the garage. For the first time, he felt that it was not a good thing to have so many cars. He was so tired that he did not want to talk for a while. Qiao Mei sat at the side and looked at the lively scene outside. It was getting late, but she did not show any intention of going home. Daniel immediately said, "It''s so late and your house is very far from here. The ceremony will start very early tomorrow. Why don''t you stay here tonight?" "Very early? What time will it start?" Qiao Mei asked curiously. The local lifestyle was such that everyone would only get up at around 10 a.m. to go to work. Daniel replied without thinking, "8 a.m.!" Chapter 2232: Try on the Dress Chapter 2232: Try on the Dress ? Xia Zhe was caught by surprise. Although Jessica was the one w party, he knew the rundown. It was originally scheduled for 11 brought forward by three hours. "But I don''t have anything to wear," Qiao Mei said. "Don''t worry! I have a designer at my house! He''ll show you al and you can choose whichever one you like. It''s the first time h no one has ever worn them before. If you like it, you can take it Daniel said generously. . GOT IT "Alright, let''s do as you say then." After Qiao Mei finished speaking, Daniel brought her back to the villa to find her a guest room. Qiao Mei used her energy to accurately locate the guest room next to Xia Zhe and asked to stay there. Although Daniel was a little unhappy, he still fulfilled Qiao Mei''s request. He asked her to wait in the room while he went to get someone to bring the gowns over. Jessica was throwing a tantrum in her room. Her favorite gowns had been ruined by Qiao Mei and the dresses in front of her did not fit her well. "Take these dresses elsewhere. As the rest, send them there as well," Daniel said as he waved his hand. The dresses were sent to Qiao Mei''s room very soon. Qiao Mei could tell at a glance that these dresses were from famous designers from all over the country. Moreover, these designers had one common characteristic. They only made clothes for the families with old money. They did not care about the newly rich like Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe at all and the two of them would not even be able to enter their stores. "Miss Pu Nan, these are all the dresses that suit you. You can choose whatever you want," the designer said as he stood by the clothes rack. Qiao Mei immediately took a fancy to a light pink princess dress. The dress color was graduated and the color was more and more intense from the top to the bottom. However, this dress was also very hard to wear well and not everyone could look good in it. Jessica also liked this gown very much, but it did not look nice on her. "Let me try this one," Qiao Mei said as she pointed at the dress. The designer was stunned for a moment and then handed the dress to Qiao Mei. Ever since he designed this dress, he had not met anyone who was fated to wear it. Anyone who wore this dress would look odd in it. He had personally mixed the colors used on this dress. The various tones were pure and lively, meant to bring about the feeling of seeing a flower fairy in spring. This was the first time he had tried designing a dress with graduated colors. Jessica also liked this dress because it was special enough, but she could not wear it well. She looked very funny in it, like a witch wearing Snow White''s dress. Qiao Mei walked out of the fitting room slowly. The designer''s eyes widened as if he had finally found his muse! This dress was simply made for Qiao Mei! This was exactly how he imagined it would look! Qiao Mei also liked this dress very much and she did not intend to borrow it just once. She wanted to buy it so that Jessica could not have it. "Hi, how much is this dress? I like it very much and I want to buy it," Qiao Mei said as she looked at the designer. Chapter 2233: Borrow Money Chapter 2233: Borrow Money ? The designer was stunned for a moment. This was the first tim female companion take the initiative to offer to make paymen brought with him would ask Daniel to buy them a lot of clothe: out his entire store. He smiled and said, "Mr. Daniel will pay th it." "I have to pay for the dress I like. Just tell me how much it cost The designer hesitated for a moment. The cost of making this already need to charge a VIP customer like Jessica 120,000 doll ironing, transportation and manufacturing cost come up to a total of 130,000 dollars." GOT IT The amount of 130,000 dollars was enough to buy two houses of more than 100 square meters in the city center of Sky City. This was a sum that an ordinary family would never be able to earn in their entire lives. He was a fashion designer and he had a good eye for clothes. One look and he could tell that Qiao Mei''s clothes were from the generic brands available at the mall. The whole set might not have even cost 100 dollars. Other than being more particular about her jewelry, Qiao Mei only needed her clothes to be comfortable. This was not a peaceful city. If she dressed up like a rich person, she would get targeted. She liked to swipe her card, but she did not have a high spending limit, only about 50,000 dollars. This amount was definitely enough for her daily expenses. She just did not expect to be buying luxury goods today.T/his chapter is updated by really sorry. I came here in a hurry today. Please wait for me." Qiao Mei ran to Xia Zhe''s room next door while still wearing the dress and knocked on the door. "What are you burning in broad daylight? What are you doing here?" Daniel asked as he looked at Qiao Mei. "I came to borrow money from Mr. Fang to buy a dress. I like this dress very much." After saying that, Qiao Mei took Xia Zhe''s card and left without looking back. Daniel understood what Qiao Mei meant. She did not want him to give her anything and did not want to get too close to him. She only accepted his car because he had destroyed one of her cars. It was only fair. Did this make Qiao Mei a spoiled brat? In Daniel''s eyes, she was very cute and she was clearly very principled! However, she did not borrow money from him, but from Xia Zhe! This was what Daniel was unhappy with. "Fang Chen, you''re about to become my brother-in-law. My sister can''t tolerate betrayal and neither can I. No one in our family can. I hope you know this," Daniel said to Xia Zhe sternly. Xia Zhe ignored him. He picked up a document and casually flipped through it, but in reality, he did not even look at a single word. After returning to her room and paying the designer, Qiao Mei could finally lie on the bed and rest for a while. Qiao Mei thought of Daniel''s expression just now and found it very funny. She also wanted to say to Daniel, "You''re already too engrossed in your role." Brother-in-law? Their entire family was dreaming! Xia Zhe belonged to her in this life! He would be her family''s ghost in death! He could never be with Jessica! Chapter 2234: Finding the Armory ? Qiao Mei leaned against the window and sat on the thick carpet, as if she was enjoying the warm afternoon sun. What was really happening was she was using her superpower to explore the third floor. Alan''s study was here and it took up a big space. Half of the third floor was Alan''s study. Even Qiao Mei''s study was not as big. There were so many documents and books inside that there was no way she could go through all of them. Qiao Mei instantly felt a headache coming on. Why did she not have a speed reading ability? When she got home, she would carefully study the other jewelry to see if there was such a skillset. She was sure that the things which were displayed openly were useless and not what Xia Zhe wanted. She started to focus on finding secret compartments, interlayers or even secret doors! After 15 minutes, Qiao Mei indeed found a secret compartment! There was a huge safe inside, but after she checked the contents, it was just some gold and silver and nothing special. Could it be that there were other secret compartments in this room? Qiao Mei used the plants to look around. She stared at a painting on the wall for a long time and it did not take long for her to figure it out. There was too little money in the safe. Qiao Mei had gone to take a look at Daniel''s villa today. Many of the paintings there were masterpieces and were worth at least hundreds of thousands of dollars each. Jessica had a lot of autographed vinyl. These were all out-of-print items and people who liked them were willing to pay a high price for them. One look at the things inside made her heart skip a beat. She was so frightened that she immediately stopped using her superpower. She raised her hand from the ground as if it was scalded and the connection was instantly broken. Was there something wrong with Alan''s family? Were they not afraid that they will turn into a mushroom cloud one day and die together if they live above those things? What she saw was not gold, silver or jewelry, but a pile of weapons of all sizes. There were even some missiles inside a few rooms. Only then did Qiao Mei remember that Xia Zhe had said that Alan''s family made and smuggled weapons. Most of the superior weapons in the market came from Alan''s family, but even if they were very powerful, they could not live like this! They were all standing on a pile of missiles now! If the missiles exploded, the entire mountain would be blown to pieces! Could it be that Alan''s family did not have money to build a proper warehouse even when they were so rich? Was there something wrong with his brain that he needed to store these things under his own house? Or perhaps he was some kind of pervert! Qiao Mei really wanted to leave this dangerous place immediately with Xia Zhe, but she had yet to find the map of the armory that Xia Zhe needed. Wait, an armory? What she saw was an armory, was it not? Qiao Mei''s eyes instantly lit up. She had a photographic memory. Just now, she had already memorized all the weapons in the armory and even remembered the location codes. She just needed to go and draw out an exact copy. Chapter 2235: Search for the Safe ? Other than looking for the exact location and layout of the armory, Xia Zhe definitely also wanted to find the research and development blueprints for these weapons. However, Alan definitely would not keep these things in the open. There was not much time left and it would be too troublesome to find them, but she could hide a few weapons and take them out of Alan''s house. This was a matter of great importance and she did not dare to make a decision on her own in case she disrupted Xia Zhe''s plan. She had to find Xia Zhe and discuss it with him before taking action. During mealtime, Qiao Mei sat very straight and ate quietly. She did not even look at the people around her or talk to them. Daniel''s jealous expression softened a lot and he looked at Xia Zhe with a friendlier gaze. So long as Xia Zhe did not cause disturbance to Qiao Mei''s life and did not betray Jessica, he could allow Xia Zhe to have his freedom. Of course, this was only limited to the period before he found that inheritance. Late at night, the entire mansion fell silent. Other than a few bodyguards who stood guard outside and the bodyguards in Xia Zhe''s room, the rest had gone back to rest. They made themselves comfortable in different parts of the room to stop him from getting out. Of course, these precautions they wook were useless. Xia Zhe quietly arrived in front of Qiao Mei''s door. The next second, the door opened and he entered in a flash. Xia Zhe knew very well that no matter how quietly he moved, he could not hide it from Qiao Mei, who had exceptionally sharp hearing. There was no sound that could be hidden from her ears. Qiao Mei did not have time to comfort Xia Zhe. She threw herself into his arms and whispered into his ear, "Let''s go and search the wall that is shared with the study. There are usually secret compartments in such walls." The two of them knocked around on the wall. If there was a secret compartment, the sound would be different. Of course, if the wall was thicker, one would not be able to tell the difference. However, it also depended on how one knocked and who was the one knocking. With Qiao Mei''s strength and hearing, no one would be surprised if she could find it. However, the truth was that Qiao Mei actually did not have such an ability... she was only cheating. Xia Zhe was really a professional. He had gone through special recon training. Coupled with the fact that Qiao Mei had often fed him ginseng over the years, his strength and hearing were extraordinary. Qiao Mei slowly maneuvered him in the direction of the safe. She had already checked everywhere else, except for that one spot. When Xia Zhe reached the spot, he frowned and then knocked carefully again and his eyes lit up. "I found it. Here," he whispered. Qiao Mei also came over to give it a try and nodded pretentiously. Then, she took out a dagger from her bag. The dagger reflected a cold light in the dark night. It was custom-made at a high price and could cut through iron as easily as it was mud! If they were back in their home country, it would definitely be treated as a controlled weapon. However, since guns were not even controlled here, it was easier to buy such weapons. Xia Zhe had specially made this dagger for her after she arrived in Country M. From then on, she would bring it with her wherever she went. Of course, she would bring it with her when she came to such a dangerous place like Alan''s house. Fortunately, she was not searched before entering, otherwise this knife would have exposed their identities. Qiao Mei held the dagger and used her superpower to quietly dig a hole in the wall, revealing the safe inside. Its location was planned meticulously. A small safe and a big safe were located side by side. Chapter 2236: Entering the Basement ? Time was limited and Qiao Mei did not have time to put on an act at all. In that case, she decided to simply make it look coincidental! There were so many coincidences in the world anyway. Perhaps she was the one who was favored by Lady Luck today? Xia Zhe would not try to delve into the reason behind this... Xia Zhe was just a little curious about what the palm-sized box was. He immediately dug it out and suddenly felt a little emotional. It seemed that it was also not safe to keep valuable things underground. "This thing looks very intricate, like it was carved by a skilled craftsman." Qiao Mei played with the mini safe in her hand. "I think that there''s something valuable hidden inside, but how do I open it?" "Let me take a look." Xia Zhe reached out to take it. He fiddled with the combination lock a few times and then it opened. Qiao Mei''s eyes widened in surprise. "How can it be so simple!" She did not have such skills. If it was up to her, she would have inserted a thin vine into the keyhole and used the vine to pry open the lock. Xia Zhe smiled and did not give Qiao Mei any specific explanation. After he came to this country because of his work, he would hide in the basement of his house to study all kinds of locks whenever he was free. He was worried that he would encounter different locks during his various missions. If he did not know how to open the locks, he would just be wasting time, right? Moreover, no matter how small this thing was, it was still just a lock. As long as one was able to grasp the principles behind the mechanism, it was not that difficult.Updated chapters at novelhall.com The entire basement instantly turned pitch-black. The lights were originally on, but Xia Zhe had found the spot to cut off the power supply to the basement. This method was useful only here, but not above ground. As the surveillance cameras in this era were not equipped with night vision, the third floor, the study and the basement were brightly lit 24 hours a day so that the cameras could capture the images of people passing by. Once the power supply upstairs was cut off, it would be discovered by the security officers outside. However, it was different in the basement since no one outside could see it. Qiao Mei looked at Xia Zhe resignedly. This method was really simple and crude. Thank goodness for the underdeveloped technology of this era! She placed her hand on the wall and noted that the camera lights in Alan''s room had gone off. After confirming that there was no issue, Qiao Mei opened the door and the two of them swaggered into the room. After Qiao Mei entered, she took advantage of the fact that there was no light in the room to touch everything randomly and "unintentionally" opened the door to the basement. The four-meter by two-meter door was made of some unknown metal and looked even sturdier than the main door of a bank vault. It was fortunate that they had the key, since the dagger was of no use here. The door slowly opened, but Xia Zhe just stood there without moving. Initially, he had only wanted to search for a few design blueprints of the weapons. He certainly did not expect to find an underground vault. Although he had not gone inside yet and did not know what was behind the door, he could tell from the thickness of the door that things were not so simple inside and there might even be booby traps. "You should stay here, the situation downstairs must be..." Before Xia Zhe could finish speaking, Qiao Mei had already rushed into the room. He wanted to reach out and grab her, but given her strength, it was impossible for him to stop her. In the end, he was dragged into the deeper end of the basement by her. "There''s only half an hour left. Let''s not waste time talking," Qiao Mei said with a small laugh. Xia Zhe sighed helplessly. Given that he had married a wife like this in his life, was there anything that he could do to her? Chapter 2237: Dismantle the Surveillance Cameras ? There were stairs all the way down. The two of them walked quickly and soon reached the second door. Perhaps they were too confident due to their success with the first door. When they saw that this door was just an ordinary iron door and it was ajar, they opened it with a gentle push and immediately saw a huge space in front of them. It was a big hall with an area of around 1,000 square meters. There were a few experiment benches, desks, and a few piles of materials and incomplete weapons scattered around. Xia Zhe''s heartbeat accelerated with excitement. He had been wondering why Alan, who was known to be a workaholic, would sometimes rest at home for a few days in a row. It looked like he not only had an office outside, but also a huge work basement at home! There were tall doorways on the walls on both sides of the hall. The doorways did not have doors, as if to make it easier for one to retrieve items. Under the bright light, Xia Zhe could see that the doorways were lined with weapons that could blow his mind. They had really found treasures this time round! The two of them were so excited that they forgot where they were. Xia Zhe suddenly stopped in his tracks and looked up at the light fixtures on the ceiling. There were surveillance cameras in this room! And there were more than one! There was a huge surveillance camera above each doorway and another five huge surveillance cameras hung above the hall. Qiao Mei heaved a sigh of relief when she saw the type of surveillance cameras used in this room. She was extremely glad that the technology was not that advanced yet. As long as she could destroy the tape, she would be able to completely eliminate this threat.Geett the latest novels at novelhall.com "We should think about it at length and take it slow. After all, there are so many things and they can''t be transported in one go. It''ll attract too much attention if we transport so many things," Qiao Mei said. Xia Zhe also wanted to take action quietly, but how? He looked at Qiao Mei in puzzlement, but did not say anything. Qiao Mei understood Xia Zhe''s puzzlement and whispered, "Don''t we also have a house in this neighborhood? It''s registered under your name." Qiao Mei had always liked to buy properties and Xia Zhe had also given most of his money to her. However, given that Qiao Mei''s identity as "Pu Nan" was not legit enough, she could only register most of her assets under Xia Zhe''s name. She had also bought a house for Xia Zhe in this area. Qiao Mei only vaguely remembered that she owned such a house here, but she had always left it to the property agent to take charge of it and had never been to the house before. It was even more so for Xia Zhe. He knew about the purchase though and now that Qiao Mei reminded him, he could even manage to recall the house address. It was only two blocks down from Alan''s house and not very far away. If they dug a tunnel, they could do whatever they had in mind! "Let''s go. We can talk upstairs," Xia Zhe said after looking at the time. It had been almost an hour and it was too dangerous to stay here any longer. If Alan returned and they were stuck here, they would not even have a chance to escape. At that time, Xia Zhe would have no choice but to fight it to the death with Alan and the rest. Qiao Mei''s feet seemed to be frozen to the spot. They were now standing in the last doorway. The last few doorways were actually empty, waiting to be filled up with new weapons. Earlier, Qiao Mei had only used her superpower to take a quick look at the entire underground space before she disconnected it. Chapter 2238: Treasures ? They had just talked about leaving, but out of caution, Qiao Mei scanned the entire area again and found a secret door in this doorway. The things she saw behind the secret door made her drool. "What do you think that is?" Qiao Mei said as she pointed at the corner of the wall. This door was actually not very well hidden. It was just painted in the same color as the wall. If one looked closely, one would be able to see it easily. "We don''t have time today. Let''s look at it the next time," Xia Zhe said as he grabbed hold of Qiao Mei. It would take time to open the door and it should not be too different from what they saw outside, right? What else could there be in a weapon designer''s workshop? As if he could also be involved in the sale of human organs or something? "Let''s take a look. Maybe the door isn''t locked?" Qiao Mei said as she walked to the door and pushed it open suddenly. It was a fact that the metal door was not locked. Even if it was locked, Qiao Mei would still have pried it open at all costs today! When the door opened, no matter how strong Xia Zhe''s willpower was, he was also stunned for a few seconds. This space was also very big, probably an area of about 300 to 400 square meters and the lights were not on. The light from outside shone through the gap in the door and the things inside immediately sparkled and dazzled in front of his eyes. Xia Zhe thought he was looking at the kind of pirate treasures written about in fairy tales, or perhaps those found in the lair of a dragon. Gold, silver, jewelry and all kinds of containers were piled up messily on the floor, stacking up into a big pile. There were also doorways on both sides of this room and it looked like there were more things inside. "Alright, leave the rest to me." After saying that, Xia Zhe did not turn to leave immediately. Instead, he looked a little hesitant. "What''s wrong?" Qiao Mei asked immediately. The most important thing now was to restore the wall to its original state, but he was worried once he thought about the amount of time needed to remove the things in the basement. It would take a long time to dig the tunnel, move them out and arrange for them to be transported. He could not let Alan and his family discover anything during this period of time, otherwise it was very likely that he would not be able to do anything. What could he do so that they would not find out? He had to find something else for them to do so that they would not be in the mood to go to the basement in the near future. Qiao Mei had the same thought as Xia Zhe. She blinked and asked, "So what do you want to do?" Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei and said, "Leave immediately after you finish watching the show tomorrow. Return to our home country immediately with the children and ask Bella to erase all traces of your recent movements in Country M." Qiao Mei immediately said nervously, "What are you going to do? Is it something dangerous? Will they find out about you?" "It''s not dangerous," Xia Zhe said as he pretended to look at Qiao Mei calmly. In fact, there was nothing more dangerous than the plan he had in his mind. After saying that, Xia Zhe hugged Qiao Mei tightly and kissed her intensely. After this kiss, maybe... maybe it would be difficult for them to meet again. A few seconds later, Xia Zhe let go of Qiao Mei reluctantly and said, "Be good and listen to me this time. Leave immediately and return to our home country to wait for me. I''ll definitely make my way home." Chapter 2239: Mend the Defect ? "But I want to help you dig the tunnel," Qiao Mei said. With her around to help him, the matter of digging a tunnel could be done in minutes. Even though she would not do it so blatantly that Xia Zhe would discover her abilities, it would definitely shorten the time needed. "There''s no need!" Xia Zhe looked at Qiao Mei sternly. She had never seen him giving her such a fierce expression before. What he was going to do this time was way too dangerous. If he was caught, he might lose his life. He could not let Qiao Mei take the risk together with him. They still had three children waiting for them at home. "Be good and go home immediately!" Xia Zhe pressed his index finger gently on her lips and continued, "Trust me, I''ll go back safely." Seeing his determination, Qiao Mei could only nod in agreement. This time round, she would really cause trouble for Xia Zhe if she continued to stay here. By the time all these were done, it was time for Xia Zhe to return to his room to sleep. However, Qiao Mei realized that he did not fall asleep at all but kept looking in the direction of her room. Her heart instantly melted. She silently prayed to the moon and hoped that Xia Zhe would be able to make it home! The next morning, the bodyguards in Xia Zhe''s room woke up one by one. It was still dark then and there were no lights in the room. Those who woke up first did not realize that the others were also asleep. They were not gathered together and there was some distance between each of them. They were also not standing, but were seated comfortably. Each person who woke up was dazed for a moment before he immediately went to check if Xia Zhe was still in the room. When the bodyguards realized that Xia Zhe was sleeping soundly in bed, they immediately pretended that nothing had happened last night. If Old Master Alan and Young Master Daniel found out about what they did, they would die a terrible death. They were really exhausted during this period of time. Ever since Xia Zhe came, they had more work to do. They needed to stand guard during the day per their usual schedule and also needed to watch over him at night, so it was inevitable that they might nod off occasionally. As Daniel had changed the banquet time to 8 a.m., the butler came to Xia Zhe''s room at dawn. "Mr. Fang, it''s time for you to change." The butler took out the suit. Xia Zhe did not object. He took the suit and put it on. The butler immediately looked satisfied. Since Xia Zhe had willingly worn the clothes which Jessica had chosen for him, it appeared that was willing to get engaged to Jessica. In fact, this was what a normal man should do. How could a man reject a beautiful, rich and powerful woman who loved him? Xia Zhe changed his clothes very quickly, but on the other side, Jessica took her time putting on her gown. She had a very nasty morning temper and since the ceremony was now three hours earlier than scheduled, she was very unhappy and had thrown a tantrum. Of course, she only dared to kick up a fuss in her room and did not dare to let Daniel witness this scene. By the time Jessica was done dressing up, all the guests had already arrived. After all, this was the engagement banquet of Alan''s eldest daughter. Alan was the one person whom everyone had to show respect to in Sky City. All the guests stood in the living room, yawning and looking listless. Chapter 2240: I Do Not Chapter 2240: I Do Not ? It was 8 a.m. Jessica looked at herself in the mirror and smoothed out her dr and walked downstairs, holding up the hem of her dress. Danie night, saying that it was a dress worn by a certain queen during century. The dress was inlaid with all kinds of gems and looked suited her very well and she liked it very much. She was definit. attention today! All of a sudden, Jessica stopped in her tracks. She had caught si . GOT IT Qiao Mei was sitting quietly in a corner, wearing that graduated pink princess dress. Even though Qiao Mei was seated so far away, she looked like a real princess, attracting the attention of everyone present. As Jessica stood on the stairs, she could hear the guests quietly trying to find out among themselves who Qiao Mei was. She was clearly not the center of attention anymore. No matter how much Jessica wanted to deny it, her rational self knew that Qiao Mei''s looks and temperament were superior to hers. Even though Qiao Mei did not even wear one piece of jewelry, she still looked like a princess. However, even though they found it odd, they could not find anyone to ask. Everyone raised their hands and looked at Xia Zhe, waiting for him to say "I do" so that they could applaud. Qiao Mei also looked at Xia Zhe nervously. If Xia Zhe wanted to latch on to Alan''s family so that he could steal the things kept underground, the best way was to infiltrate the enemy''s ranks and become part of their family. If he did that, he would have many ways of moving the items out. She would understand if he wanted to go along with it! Right now, more than anything, she hoped that Xia Zhe would say the phrase "I do" out loud. She did not care about this entire ceremony, she only wanted Xia Zhe to be alive and well. Based on her original plan, the two of them would have left immediately after she helped him steal the documents last night. However, in the end, she did not say anything to him. Although Qiao Mei knew very well that this was just an act, she could not help but feel a little bitter inside. Xia Zhe had never made such an oath to her, but now he was going to say it to another woman. "I do not," Xia Zhe suddenly said. Applause instantly rang out, but it stopped very quickly. Everyone stared at him with widened eyes. What did he say? Did we hear wrongly? Jessica glared at Xia Zhe. She had never imagined that Xia Zhe would really embarrass her in public. "I do not," Xia Zhe said loudly again. All the guests closed their mouths and watched the commotion quietly. "No! You do!" Jessica looked at the pastor calmly and said, "He does. You can ask me next. I do too." Qiao Mei was a little impressed with Jessica for being able to remain calm even at such a moment. This pastor definitely had not rehearsed with them beforehand and looked a little dumbfounded now. This was the first time he had ever met such a couple. Chapter 2241: Embroidery Needle Chapter 2241: Embroidery Needle ? The pastor was very shocked at the same time. He could be con were in demand in Country M. There were so many people who their weddings that he was fully booked until next year! This was the first time he had seen such an uncooperative coup going to be the first failed ceremony in his life? Was his reputa completely ruined? Xia Zhe ignored Jessica and walked over to Alan briskly. The bo took a step forward and stared at Xia Zhe nervously, worried th dangerous. GOT IT "Mr. Alan, I appreciate your daughter''s love for me, but I can''t accept it. Let''s forget what happened this time round. Perhaps there is some sort of misunderstanding. Next time, if you dare to put me under house arrest again, I won''t stand by and do nothing." Xia Zhe''s expression remained unchanged, but the ruthless look in his eyes had long exposed the fact that he was not someone to be trifled with. All the guests were completely silent. They were all scared that Alan would get angry and kill all of them. After all, everyone in Alan''s family was crazy. "Fang Chen, don''t go overboard," Daniel said through gritted teeth. "Enough! I already called the police when I came out of the guest room just now! They should be here soon!" Xia Zhe suddenly shouted. The bodyguards stopped what they were doing and looked towards Daniel and Alan. Although Alan''s family was so powerful that they did not need to be afraid of some small-time police officers, Alan liked to look good on the surface and never allowed the family to be in the limelight. They were public figures and did not like to be involved in scandals. After all, although it was easy to trample an ant to death, a large number of ants could swallow an elephant if they worked together. As expected, Alan asked them to stop. Xia Zhe wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. After straightening his clothes, he smiled and said, "Goodbye, Mr. Alan." With that, he strode towards the garage. No one dared to stop him and everyone automatically made way for him wherever he went, while looking at him in shock. This was Alan''s family! The family that was in charge of armaments in Sky City over the last one hundred years! The person he was supposed to marry was the movie queen, Jessica! They did not even dare to dream of this scenario in their sleep! Xia Zhe actually gave everything up just like that! Qiao Mei only regained her composure when Xia Zhe''s car disappeared from sight at the intersection. She had actually wanted to go forward and help Xia Zhe deal with those bodyguards, but that would not only expose Xia Zhe''s identity, but might also cause the two of them to lose their lives in this place. Chapter 2242: Hospitalized ? Qiao Mei had to hold back from acting rashly. She also believed that Xia Zhe must have his own reasons for making such a move. After all, he was not an impulsive person. "Ahem, Mr. Daniel, I still have something on. I''ll get going first." Qiao Mei did not seem to want to see Daniel looking so embarrassed. She lowered her head and ran to the garage without waiting for his answer. Qiao Mei immediately got into the silvery white sports car and left. Anyway, this car had already been transferred to her name. In the future, Daniel probably would not look her up again. The other guests came back to their senses one after another. They would be witnessing the humiliation of Alan''s family if they continued to stay here! It would be terrible if Alan vented his anger on them! At the same time, they also realized why Alan had only invited the not-so-famous families over. It turned out the family had kidnapped the "groom". Alan and the others had long guessed that he would not give in to their demands, so they did not want the news to spread! Daniel rubbed his slightly sore chest and looked at Qiao Mei''s departing figure without asking her to stay. He did not have the time to think about women now. Fang Chen had caused their family to suffer such a humiliation today, so he must return the favor! He had to make Fang Chen kneel down and apologize to them! Alan glanced at Daniel, who immediately understood what he meant. Daniel told the butler to contact all the media outlets to lock down the news. Be it the major newspapers or the small tabloids, they would get a payout to ensure that they did not reveal anything about what happened today to the outside world! Alan did not say anything. He was still weighing whether it was worth it to fall out with Fang Chen since Fang Chen still had a lot of value to them. It could be said that for now, only Fang Chen could give them what they wanted in the speediest manner. It was not Alan''s style to give up what was near and seek what was far away. "No!" Jessica said from the side. "We''re already caught in such an embarrassing situation. If we ask the police to arrest him, people will say that we''re in a rage due to the embarrassment and are taking revenge on purpose." If the public found out that she had taken revenge on the other party because she failed in courting him, it would look bad on her. She was the one in the family who would be affected by scandals the most. She had already rejected many job offers for the past three months and did not dare to go out because of her wedding plans. "But it would be even more embarrassing for us to let him off just like that!" Daniel said agitatedly. Alan did not reply for a long time. After a long moment of silence, he shook his head and said, "What''s the use of asking the police to arrest him? With our injuries being so minor, he would be able to post bail and get out very quickly." As for him, the pain he felt all over his body was diagnosed as being caused by getting worked up and had no relation to Fang Chen. It could not even be used as evidence against Fang Chen. "So we just let him go?" Daniel said indignantly. Alan looked at Daniel in disdain. He was still a young man after all. No matter how scheming he was, he could not help being impulsive. "Of course not." Alan looked at his son irritably. "Can''t you deal with someone without calling the police? Is there something wrong with your brain? Have you forgotten what it is that we do? Is this what I have taught you all this while? You''re the future heir but your current reaction is too disappointing to me!" Chapter 2243: Cosplay ? Daniel took a deep breath and calmed down. Ever since what happened that day, he seemed to have a habit of splitting hairs and could only think about taking revenge. He seemed to have forgotten that he needed to be strategic and not so impulsive. "I''m sorry, Dad. I am being too hasty in this matter," Daniel said. Alan shook his head resignedly. Fortunately, his son was not a boor and was still amenable to suggestions. Otherwise, after he handed the family business to Daniel, it would be destroyed within a few years! "Keep an eye on Jessica during this period of time. Don''t let her do anything stupid. Even without Fang Chen, there are still other suitable partners for her," Alan said. "The butler will follow her everywhere she goes for now. After all, because she hasn''t been working this period of time, her reputation has taken a hit. We still need her to maintain a positive image for our family," Daniel said. Jessica was heartbroken and wanted to stay at home for a while longer, but Daniel had lined up a lot of work for her. He did not even give her much time to sleep. His purpose was to help her establish a new image. All the tabloids had already published the news about Xia Zhe rejecting Jessica in public. In order to influence the public to side with Alan''s family, Daniel wanted to create a strong image of Jessica being a woman "working hard to build a career after being let down by a scumbag" so as to attract more fans among those people who felt sorry for her. Qiao Mei hugged Xia Yue happily and said, "Our Yue Yue is so amazing! I didn''t expect you to be so talented in art! It''s a pity that there''s no one in our family who knows how to paint. Otherwise, we can start to nurture you from now." There were not many artistically talented people in the Xia family. Xia Wen had a flair for literature while Xia He was talented in dance, and there was Qian''e who was quite accomplished in music. In Qiao Mei''s other life, she only knew to study hard and could do some handicrafts, but she knew nothing about painting. In this era, there were very few painters. Most of the great painters lived in seclusion. It seemed that she had to go and ask the professors in the university if there were any masters who were willing to take in a little kid like Xia Yue as their disciple. After playing with the children for a while, Qiao Mei realized that she had not informed Xia Zhe that she had returned safe and sound. She went to the study to give him a call, but she did not expect the call to get connected so quickly. "Hello?" Xia Zhe said coldly. "Hello, Mr Xia. I''m calling to inform you that your wife has arrived home safely. Please don''t worry about her," Qiao Mei said fluently, sounding like a broadcaster. Xia Zhe laughed and said, "Really? I miss my wife very much though. Intern, can you ask my wife to answer the phone?" She did not expect Xia Zhe to have a thing for role-play! The next time she met Xia Zhe, they could do cosplay! Chapter 2244: Bounty ? "Ahem. Tell me, what''s the matter?" Qiao Mei said in a serious tone. "Don''t ask about the matters in Sky City anymore. Also, don''t come to Sky City for the time being. I''ll keep you updated," Xia Zhe said seriously. "Is it very serious? I hope Daniel and the others won''t cause trouble for you!" Qiao Mei asked with a frown. "It''s alright, I can handle it," Xia Zhe said. "By the way, I forgot to tell you something given the urgency of the situation then. I had left a surprise for Daniel and the others!" Qiao Mei said. When Qiao Mei was staying in Alan''s house, she had secretly attached her superpower to the plants. Other than Alan''s study, which had no windows, she could check out all the other rooms clearly. It was as if she had surveillance cameras installed in every room. Although it appeared that Alan and Daniel doted on Jessica and it was as if she had the final say in the family, the reality was that she was constantly being suppressed. Daniel often treated her coldly and was even quite nasty verbally. Alan tended to ignore her and would not respond even when she greeted him. Most of the family servants were hired later and they all took instructions from Daniel. Under his influence, these servants were also not nice to Jessica. They would still do chores like laundry and cleaning for her, but when it was time for meals, they would deliberately leave her out and cause her to offend Daniel. It was rainy in Sky City recently. Daniel had arranged for many thugs to go and cause trouble for Xia Zhe, deliberately causing various kinds of accidents. Sometimes it was a car accident, sometimes it was a chaotic fight. Daniel even offered a bounty of 100,000 dollars to anyone who could bring Xia Zhe to him alive. Everyone only knew that Xia Zhe was a stowaway and thought that he was just smart and not really good at fighting. They did not expect that after a week, no one had succeeded in the task and the bounty had increased from 100,000 dollars to 600,000 dollars. "Young Master... Our people are all dead... and we still haven''t succeeded..." a bodyguard stood in front of Daniel and said fearfully. "How many people does he have?" Daniel asked. "It''s just... just... just him..." The bodyguard''s voice became softer and softer as he spoke, afraid that he would anger Daniel and lose his life. When Daniel heard the answer, he picked up the crystal ashtray on the coffee table and smashed it hard on the floor as he shouted, "Trash! What do I pay you for! What a bunch of trash! How many people have died in the past week! More than 20 of our fighters are actually dead! And he''s still unharmed!" "I''m sorry, Young Master!" the bodyguards said as they knelt on the floor. "What''s the use of being sorry! Feeding a dog is better than feeding all of you! You might as well die!" Daniel said agitatedly. At this moment, the door to Alan''s house opened. Alan sat in a wheelchair as the butler pushed him in. Daniel put a lid on his bad temper and said respectfully to Alan, "Dad, you''re back." Chapter 2245: "Ripper Duo" ? "What happened? Why are you so angry?" Alan asked. "The people we sent out are all dead and Fang Chen is still unharmed," Daniel said, feeling ashamed. Alan was a little surprised. He did not expect Xia Zhe to be so skilled in combat. After all, most of his subordinates were professionally trained. "It''s time to send them," Alan said solemnly. "Do we really have to do this? Once they make a move, it will definitely cause a commotion," Daniel said. "Do you have any other ideas?" Alan raised his eyebrows and asked. Daniel did not say anything. He nodded and left with the bodyguards. When Alan said "them", he was referring to the "Ripper Duo" who was very famous 10 years ago, Ella and Paul. Back then, when the police were searching for them everywhere, the two of them were really at their wits'' end. After Alan found out about this, he decided to help them escape the police and to give them new identities and a new life. The condition was that they had to help Alan with one thing in the future. No matter what that future request was, they had to do it, even if it was for Ella and Paul to commit suicide on the spot. To Alan, the assets in Xia Zhe''s possession were extremely important. If he could get his hands on those assets, he would be able to enjoy boundless wealth! "Even for us, there will be times when our abilities are limited. If it''s not an emergency, I won''t need to activate the two of you," Daniel said. Ella looked at the photo frame in her hand and felt that she was in a difficult position. She had thought that they would be able to live a peaceful life till the end, but this day had still arrived. The one thing they did not change was their appearances. The moment they were spotted in public, they would definitely lose their lives. "I can introduce you to our friend. He''s also very capable and is able to meet your requirements. Besides, he lives and dies for money. As long as you give him enough money, I believe he''ll go through hell and high water for you," Ella said. "I don''t trust outsiders," Daniel said bluntly. "Then tell me about who you want us to attack," Ella said. Daniel handed Xia Zhe''s information and photo to Ella, who took it and then frowned after reading it. Even though they lived on the island, they continued to pay attention to the world outside. Xia Zhe had become very famous in the past few years, so they knew what this person was capable of. People who were not in their line of work might not be able to tell, but based on the photos published in the newspapers, they knew very well that based on Xia Zhe''s posture and physique, he was definitely not just someone who went to the gym. One look and they could tell that he was a martial arts practitioner and one not to be trifled with. "I''ll give you an answer in two days," Ella said. "No, you have no right to bargain with me. I''m here to order you to capture Fang Chen alive. If you can''t do it, I''ll hand you over to the police," Daniel said. Ella narrowed her eyes and stared at Daniel as she said, "Do you think I''m afraid of you? Even your father doesn''t dare to talk to us like that. It would be so easy for me to kill you." Daniel believed what Ella said, but he still said very confidently, "There''s no benefit for you to kill me. My father will make sure that you won''t be able to survive in this world. Even if you don''t want to live anymore, you still have a daughter. Do you want to drag her down and cause her to die too? She looks to be only six years old. It will be such a pity." Chapter 2246: Negotiation ? "Don''t you dare touch my daughter!" Ella roared as she drew out the butterfly knife from her belt and pointed it at Daniel. "Calm down! Calm down! I''m just joking. Now that I''m done talking, it''s time for me to leave. Remember to fulfill your promise. I want your answer by tomorrow morning." After saying that, Daniel left the island while humming a song. Ella sat motionlessly at the table. She did not move even when Paul returned from fishing. Paul carried a big box of fish into the house and said happily, "My dear, I''m back! I made a lot of money today! These are the leftover fishes, let''s keep them for ourselves!" "Where''s our kid? Did you see our kid today?" Ella asked suddenly. "She''s in school. It''s Thursday today and she will only come home tomorrow night." Paul looked at Ella suspiciously for a long time. He put down what he was holding and sat opposite her before asking, "Why... why is there something wrong with you? What happened?" Ella handed the document bag to Paul and said, "Alan''s son came by earlier. He wants us to kidnap Fang Chen." Paul did not open the document bag. He knew very well what kind of person Fang Chen was. Asking them to kidnap Fang Chen was no different from asking them to commit suicide. "Let''s leave immediately with our kid. We''ve already saved up enough money over the years,'' Paul said. Daniel pointed at the door and said unhappily, "Dad! Look at how arrogant they are! We''re the masters! They''re our slaves!" "Shut up! Have you forgotten what I taught you in the past! How did you become like this! If you want the family to continue to do well, you can''t just rely on suppression tactics and use your authority to bully others. In our line of work, we must have friends!" Alan said earnestly. "Those friends of yours don''t listen to you at all! It''s a waste of time and effort to befriend them!" Daniel muttered softly. Alan sighed helplessly. There was nothing he could do to change Daniel''s mindset. This was all because he had spoiled Daniel since the boy was young and allowed him to do whatever he wanted. Daniel was only interested in power and desires. It only took Paul and Ella one day to confirm Xia Zhe''s whereabouts and they decided to take action that night. The four bodyguards in Xia Zhe''s villa were no match for them at all. Time passed bit by bit. Late at night, Paul came close to the villa quietly. He took out his grappling hook, swung it twice and threw it towards the roof of the villa. Then, the two of them quickly climbed up the roof. At this moment, Xia Zhe had already noticed that there were people coming in from outside the house. The people who came this time were different from the people Daniel had sent previously. He knew very well that it would be a fierce battle tonight if he engaged them. However, there was another way out. He could turn the battle into a negotiation. Xia Zhe opened the window. He sat on a chair in the study and waited quietly for Paul and Ella to arrive. ? "You know that we''re coming?" Paul said as he jumped into the room and dusted off his hands. Chapter 2247: Waver ? "I know that Daniel won''t let me off, but I never thought that he would send the two of you to come and kill me," Xia Zhe said honestly. "If you know that we''re here to kill you, why did you open the window?" Ella asked with a smile as she sat by the windowsill. Xia Zhe could see Paul and Ella clearly under the moonlight. The two of them looked exactly the same as the photos published in the newspapers 10 years ago. Even after 10 years, the two of them had not changed a bit at all. "You know us?" Paul asked. "Yes, I do. The famous ''Ripper Duo''. I don''t think there''s anyone who doesn''t know this name," Xia Zhe said. "It''s not bad that you still know us even though you''re part of the younger generation. It''s a pity that you''re our mission target. Come with us obediently. Our mission is to kidnap you, not kill you. If you listen to us, you might suffer less." Ella pulled out the rope from her waist and walked towards Xia Zhe. Xia Zhe did not dodge. He did not feel any murderous intent coming from Paul and Ella. This was completely unlike what was reported in the newspapers 10 years ago. At that time, they took pleasure in killing people. "Let''s have a chat. What did Daniel promise you? I can give you double the amount," Xia Zhe said. "I''m afraid that you won''t be able to afford it," Paul said with hooded eyes. "You''re telling me that young Bella is actually willing to help you," Ella said as she looked at Xia Zhe in disbelief. Xia Zhe spread his hands out helplessly and said, "I''m also very surprised." If not for Qiao Mei, Bella would never have gotten involved in this mess. Before Qiao Mei left, she had called Bella, asking her to help Xia Zhe and save his life no matter what. After all, Qiao Mei was Bella''s darling. So long as Qiao Mei wanted something, Bella would help her get it, even if what she wanted was a human being. Back in those days, Ella and Paul were the talk of the town and were famous killers. Many assassins viewed the two of them as role models, but Bella was different. Their first encounter was in a confrontation in which both sides were after the same person at the same time. Whoever succeeded first would get the high bounty. That mission was not that difficult, so Ella went alone and happened to run into Bella. The two of them could not stand each other and quickly got into a fight. The two of them even forgot about their target and mission and only wanted to determine the victor between the two of them. In the end, they were both seriously injured and ended up lying on the deck of the cruise ship. It was dawn at that time and the two of them had declared it a draw. Ever since then, Ella and Bella became acquainted with each other. Although Bella did not like the style of the "Ripper Duo", she admired their skills. "Are you able to fight against Alan''s family?" Paul asked. "Not right now, but with the addition of ''Spider Rose'', I think it''s possible," Xia Zhe said conservatively. Paul and Ella looked at each other. They did not dare to believe Xia Zhe, but they trusted Bella and they did not want to give up their only chance of survival. "You put us on the phone with our daughter so that we can make sure you''re not lying to us," Paul said, tapping on the photo. Chapter 2248: Captured Xia Zhe ? Xia Zhe had already expected Paul to say this. He dialed the number which Bella had given him and a young girl''s voice could be heard at the other end of the phone. "Hello? Who are you looking for?" asked Sandy, the daughter of Paul and Ella. "Honey! It''s Daddy! Are you good right now? Are you safe? Have you had your meal?" Paul asked anxiously. "Daddy! I''m doing very well now! Have you been busy at work recently? The auntie here tells me that you''ll be back soon and she has even bought me many slices of cakes!" Sandy said excitedly. There was no cake shop on that remote island. In fact, none of the residents there knew what a "cake" was. Sandy had only read about it in cookbooks. "Daddy and Mommy will be back soon. Be good and listen to the auntie. Eat well and sleep well," Paul said gently. "Alright! Mommy and Daddy must rest well too!" Sandy said. When Xia Zhe saw how concerned Paul and Ella were, he suddenly felt like calling Qiao Mei and asking her if she was doing well and if the children were obedient. He must settle the matter in Country M quickly and return to Qiao Mei''s side as soon as possible. Paul hung up the phone reluctantly. He and Ella looked at each other, already knowing each other''s answer. "Young Master Daniel, we have succeeded," Ella said to Daniel expressionlessly. Daniel immediately put down the billiard cue in his hand and asked excitedly, "Really?" "Don''t you trust us to do our job?" Ella questioned. "Hahahahahaha! Fang Chen! The day has come for you!" Daniel threw his head back and Jaughed. "Looking at the time, he''s probably about to wake up. We''ve put in a lot of effort on this job. Young Master Daniel, it''s time for you to give us the reward you promised us," Ella said as she stretched out her hand. "What is it? The sum of one million dollars? I haven''t even seen him yet. What''s your hurry?" Daniel said as he looked at Ella in disdain. Even though Ella was now standing on Alan family''s territory, she was not afraid at all. She looked at Daniel firmly and said, "You have to hand over the money to get the goods. Young Master Daniel, if you don''t fulfill your promise, then we''ll let Fang Chen go. At most, we can all just fight to the death." "You!" Daniel pointed at Ella and roared, "You money-grubbing dog! Butler! Give her the money!" The butler brought down two heavy leather suitcases from the study upstairs. The suitcases were filled with cash of exactly one million dollars. Ella opened them to check and only drove Daniel to the abandoned warehouse after confirming that it was real money. It was a nice sunny day. Daniel hummed a tune as he walked into the abandoned warehouse. He did not bring many bodyguards with him this time round. After all, Alan had said that this couple was one of his own. Back then, Alan had saved their lives, so the two of them would not hurt him. Chapter 2249: Real and Fake Xia Zhe ? Paul stood next to Xia Zhe, who was currently tied to a chair with his hands behind his back. There was a black hood over his head and also dust and dried blood all over his body. He looked as if he had gone through a tough fight. "Fang Chen, have you ever thought that you would end up like this?" Daniel stood in front of Xia Zhe and said smugly.Fo?llo?w new stories at novelhall.com There was no reply from Xia Zhe, but Daniel did not mind at all. In his eyes, the current Xia Zhe was like a wolf with serious injuries and was not half as lethal as a dog. He was not afraid at all. "You should have expected to end up like this when you rejected our family''s proposed marriage alliance. As if a lowly stowaway can be compared to our noble bloodline! Alan''s family has had its roots in Country M for many generations. It''s not a family that you can surpass in just two years. I always wonder what my father sees in you?" Daniel said disdainfully. Paul and Ella had never seen Daniel''s real self before since he had always disguised his thoughts. All this while, they thought that Daniel was only a grouchy young man. Xia Zhe suddenly felt a sense of admiration for Daniel''s acting skills. In front of outsiders, he looked like a normal young man, but in reality, he was like a dirty maggot in the gutter. Ugly and disgusting. "Why aren''t you saying anything?" Daniel wanted to reach out and remove the hood from Xia Zhe''s head, but at this moment, Ella suddenly rushed forward and pushed Daniel to the ground, holding him down firmly. A big group of people suddenly rushed out from the surroundings and knocked out all the bodyguards that Daniel had brought with him. Daniel struggled with all his might and roared angrily, "Assholes! How dare you betray us!" "This is not a betrayal," Xia Zhe said as he slowly walked out from afar. Daniel looked at Xia Zhe in disbelief and said in shock, "Why are you there! Then who''s the one sitting here!" That "Xia Zhe", who was tied to the chair, took off the hood. Da Dong shook out his hair and sighed as he said, "Boss, I won''t do something like this again in the future. It''s so hard to breathe. You have to compensate me for this later." He rushed into the inner part of the basement and noted that all the surveillance cameras had been destroyed. Although all the items remained intact, there were signs that the blueprints in the room had been rummaged through. "Men! Men!" Alan held the blueprints and stomped his feet angrily. The butler ran into the basement nervously. He was the only one who could enter this place, but he also needed Alan''s prior permission before he did it. "What happened, Old Master?" the butler said fearfully. "How long has it been since you last came to the basement? You don''t even know that someone has entered this place! What''s the use of having you around!" Alan said furiously. "I''m sorry, Old Master. I have been too careless," the butler said and quickly admitted to the mistake. Alan was so angry that he felt a little dizzy. He held onto the table at the side and suddenly spotted something sparkly on the ground. He pointed in that direction and the butler immediately picked up the item with both hands and handed it to Alan. "These... are a woman''s earrings," Alan said. "It''s... it''s Eldest Miss''s jewelry," the butler said. "Are you sure?" Alan asked. The butler looked up and said firmly, "Yes, I was the one who went to pick up this pair of earrings for Eldest Miss. She had originally planned to wear them at the banquet that day." Chapter 2250: Capture Jessica ? Alan stared darkly at the earrings on his hand. He could not believe that there was a traitor in his family! And it was his own daughter! "Tell your subordinates to go and capture Jessica. I want her alive," Alan said coldly. "Actually, we can just give Eldest Miss a call..." Before the butler could finish speaking, Alan threw the earrings on him and roared, "I have the final say in this family! When is it your turn to make decisions for me! You''re just a dog I raised! Get lost!" The butler picked up the earrings from the floor and quickly left the basement. There were many servants gathered outside the basement door. When Alan went in, he did not close the door and they had all heard the angry roars coming from the basement. "Butler... are you alright?" one of the maids asked the butler worriedly. The butler had always been very nice to his subordinates. The people who worked for Alan''s family were like slaves who had signed an indenture agreement and they had no rights after that. Furthermore, they would never be able to leave Alan''s family for the rest of their lives. There were even people who had to serve the Alan family for generations, otherwise they would be chased down to the ends of the earth. Therefore, the people who worked in the villa all got on extremely well with one another. They all knew that it was not easy working for Alan''s family and that there was no need to sabotage one another. "It''s fine. You can just continue with your chores," the butler said in a mild tone. "Cleaning the room," Linda said, forcing herself to stay calm. "Really? No one uses this room, so why do you need to clean it?" Alan asked again. "Even if no one uses it, there will still be dust. Young Master Daniel is very sensitive to dust. I''m afraid he will be affected," Linda said. Alan did not believe Linda. He waved his hand and asked the bodyguards behind him to enter the room. One of them pointed at the phone and said, "The phone line is warm and the handle of the phone is also still warm." Linda lowered her head and did not dare to speak. Alan asked again, "Why are you using the phone? As far as I know, you don''t have any relatives left." "I accidentally knocked the phone over when I was dusting it," Linda said. Alan gave Linda a hard slap and roared, "Do you think I''m a child! You must have called that traitor, Jessica! Everyone in this house knows that you dote on Jessica the most!" Linda was not even allowed to defend herself. At this moment, Alan was very furious. He needed to vent his anger and Linda had come running into trouble. "Men, chop her up and feed her to the dogs," Alan said casually. The men in the room paused for a moment. Linda was always very nice to them. She knew that they worked out a lot and needed a lot of food. She would make a lot of bread and put it in their dormitory so that they could eat their fill at any time and need not stay hungry. Chapter 2251: Escape to the City ? "Assholes, what are you waiting for! I''ll do it myself!" Alan angrily pulled out the gun from his belt loop and fired six shots at Linda. She fell over in a pool of blood. No one dared to make a sound. Alan let out a long and contented sigh. The knot in his heart seemed to have eased a little. He smiled and took out a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe the blood off the gun. "Feed it to the dogs," Alan said and returned to the study on the third floor. The men in the room did not move. They looked down at Linda sadly. They did not even dare to walk forward to take a look at her. The butler slowly walked up from the first floor. He took off his coat and covered Linda with it as he said, "Go out and buy some meat and big stick bones to feed the dogs. Linda had already bought a spot for herself a long time ago next to the Old Mistress''s grave. Please help me carry her there." Alan would not care about what they fed the dogs. He just wanted Linda dead. "Sure..." the team leader replied. He led his subordinates to do as the butler instructed. The rest of the servants began to clean the carpet and the floor in an orderly manner. In less than an hour, the corridor on the second floor was restored to its normal state, as if nothing had happened at all. The ring leader smacked the table angrily and said, "Control yourselves, you trash! Is a woman more important than money! Have some respect for our reputation!" For a moment, no one spoke. The corners of Jessica''s mouth twitched a few times. She wondered why a group of bandits would even need to maintain a good reputation. The men worked quickly after they were paid and Jessica arrived at the city center that night. However, the heavens seemed to want to play a joke on her. In an instant, it started raining cats and dogs but she had nowhere to go. She had been so busy running around for the past two days that she had not had a proper meal. She was about to run into a restaurant when she saw people from Alan''s family inside. Jessica hurriedly hid in a dark corner and curled up beside the trash can in fear. The lights were dim here and she could use the trash can lid to shelter herself from the rain for the time being. The people from Alan''s family would let down their guard in the wee hours of the morning and she could leave then. The people from "Spider Rose" quickly discovered Jessica''s whereabouts. Yin Yue called Xia Zhe and said, "I have a piece of interesting news. Jessica has returned to Sky City." "What has this got to do with me?" Xia Zhe asked coldly. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. She was still your girlfriend not long ago! Is this how you treat her?" Yin Yue asked teasingly. She knew about the relationship between Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe, and also knew that Jessica was just having a one-sided crush. Xia Zhe wanted to hang up immediately, but Yin Yue seemed to know what he wanted to do. She quickly said, "I won''t tease you anymore! Jessica is avoiding Alan''s pursuit. I''m not sure what''s happening inside Alan''s family. Anyway, my subordinates said that Jessica is in a very sorry state now." "Coordinates," Xia Zhe said. Yin Yue told Xia Zhe the exact location and he hung up. Yin Yue looked at the phone and said helplessly, "Why does Pu Nan like this piece of ice cube?" Chapter 2252: Weapon Genius ?The? source of this content n/o/v/(el)bi((n)) Xia Zhe spotted many people from Alan''s family on the streets. Although they tried to look inconspicuous, the sudden appearance of so many people wearing the same clothes on the streets looked glaring. After searching for a long time, Xia Zhe found Jessica inside a dark alley. At this moment, Jessica was curled up in a corner with a dagger in her hand. She was in a mess and all wet from the rain. Next to her lay the corpses of two men. These two men were not from Alan''s family and looked like hooligans from nearby. "Come with me," Xia Zhe said as he tilted the umbrella in his hand towards Jessica. "Why... why should I believe you?" Jessica asked in a trembling voice. "The place is surrounded with people sent by your father and brother. You can only trust me now," Xia Zhe said. After thinking about it, Jessica agreed to go with Xia Zhe. He did not bring Jessica back to the villa. He was worried that people might see her and spread rumors, so he brought her directly to see Paul and Ella. When Yin Yue opened the door, she was shocked to see Xia Zhe and Jessica. She looked at Jessica mockingly and whistled, saying, "Oh~ You still managed to find the beautiful woman." "Hurry up and let us in," Xia Zhe said helplessly. Yin Yue turned sideways to let the two of them in. After entering the house, Jessica was a little surprised to see Ella. The two of them had not seen each other for many years. Xia Zhe stood outside the door and knocked, asking, "Are you done washing up?" "Yes, I''m done." Jessica wrapped a shawl around herself and followed Xia Zhe to the study. Ella and Paul stood at one side. "The issue with the basement. It must be you," Jessica stared at Xia Zhe and said affirmatively. "Yes." Xia Zhe nodded. Although he did not do it personally, Qiao Mei''s actions were equivalent to his actions. Jessica sighed resignedly and said, "I really don''t know if I should thank you or hate you now." "You should thank me. Otherwise, how can you escape from that hellhole?" Xia Zhe said as he chuckled. "Can you help me?" Jessica asked. "Yes, but you have to make yourself clear. What can you bring to the table?" Xia Zhe said. Jessica said calmly, "I can give you all of Alan''s blueprints for the weapons. I also have weapon design blueprints that are much better than what he has." Xia Zhe''s eyes lit up. This was something that had never crossed his mind. He did not expect to have an unexpected gain after saving Jessica! Chapter 2253: Blueprints in Exchange for a Son ? "What else?" Xia Zhe continued to ask. "Aren''t these things enough? Didn''t you get close to me to get these blueprints?" Jessica said in shock. "These are indeed what I want, but they''re not enough to satisfy me because I also have Daniel in my hands. I can use him to threaten Alan into exchanging the blueprints for his most precious son," Xia Zhe said. Jessica turned to look at Ella, who nodded to confirm what Xia Zhe said. After hesitating for a moment, Jessica began to laugh loudly, unable to control the excitement in her heart. Shocked by this, Ella put a hand on Jessica''s shoulder and asked, "Darling, are you all right? What''s wrong?" "That''s great! That damned beast has finally fallen into my hands! I''ve been waiting for this day for too long!" Jessica said excitedly. "So have you changed your mind now? Is there anything better that you can give me?" Xia Zhe asked. "It seems that I have something else that you''re interested in. Otherwise, you wouldn''t keep asking me this question. Tell me directly, what exactly do you want?" Jessica asked. "If you want to see your son, then bring your precious blueprints to do an exchange for him. I''ll arrange for someone to pick you up. By the way, you have to come alone. Otherwise, you won''t be able to see your son. See you then." Xia Zhe hung up after saying that. Jessica and Ella were privy to the entire phone conversation. Jessica stood up and said, "Bring me with you." "You? It''ll be trouble if I bring you there," Xia Zhe said with a frown. "I won''t disappoint you," Jessica said. After considering for a moment, Xia Zhe agreed with Jessica''s suggestion. When they stepped into the dark and damp warehouse, Daniel had already been tortured to the point that he no longer had the air of a noble prince. His head hung low as he slumped, still tied to the chair. He looked like a vagrant now. Jessica walked up to Daniel and lifted his chin with her dagger, saying, "Why are you in such a sorry state?" "Elder Sister! Elder Sister, save me! It must be Dad who asks you to come!" Daniel said in surprise when he saw who it was. Before Daniel could say anything else, Jessica stabbed her dagger straight into Daniel''s knee and twisted it non-stop. Daniel let out a shrill wail. "Ah!!!" "I want you to pay back all the grievances I''ve suffered over the years! Do you still remember the cat I had when I was young? You dismembered it. Now, I want you to experience whatever it felt back then." "Take a look at this. I remember that year when you made a bet with a friend and broke one of Linda''s ribs. I''m going to cut off your flesh and let you have a taste of what pain is!" Chapter 2254: The Tragic Death of Father and Son ? Ella stayed in the warehouse to accompany Jessica while Xia Zhe and Paul went out for some fresh air. This was the first time Xia Zhe had seen Jessica behaving like this. When he heard Qiao Mei talk about what Jessica had gone through, he still had some doubts. After all, she was still Alan''s biological daughter. No matter how bad he treated her, it could not be that bad. He did not expect... "Aren''t you going to stop Jessica? If this continues, Daniel will die," Paul asked as he lit a cigarette. "I know that Jessica won''t let Daniel live. Or Alan. Otherwise, she wouldn''t have insisted on following me here," Xia Zhe said with a smile. Paul could not help but shudder and said fearfully, "I hate dealing with people with deep thoughts like you. It''s as if everything in my head can be seen." "Hahahaha, this is the first time I''ve heard someone say that about me," Xia Zhe said happily. "Huh? Have you heard someone else being praised like this?" Paul asked curiously. Xia Zhe''s eyes were filled with love as he said, "Yes, she does this even better than me." He really wanted to return to the capital as early as possible and see Qiao Mei and the children as soon as possible... Xia Zhe''s men brought Alan to the warehouse as promised. The outcome was predictable. Xia Zhe stood outside the door without doing anything. Two hours later, Jessica and Ella walked out of the warehouse covered in blood. "Let''s go. Paul will stay behind to clean up the place. This is what you want," Jessica said to Xia Zhe as she held up a folder. Xia Zhe did not take it. He looked at Jessica and said, "Give it to me together with the rest of the things in the future. I''ll arrange for someone to send you back. We''ll talk about it after the situation has calmed down." Xia Mo''s original name was Chen Mo. After the divorce, Xia Wan did not want her child to continue living in Chen Huang''s shadow, so she changed her child''s surname. "It''s different. Now, Gao Long is just an uncle who dotes on her. If he becomes her father, she definitely won''t be able to accept it," Xia Wan said. "Have you asked Xia Mo for her opinion?" Qiao Mei asked. Xia Wan was stunned for a moment. She shook her head and said, "I dare not." "Xia Mo is not that young anymore. She has her own life and so do you. If you give up your own happiness for Xia Mo, I think she will definitely be sad," Qiao Mei said. "I... I''m still a little afraid..." Xia Wan said. "Don''t worry. You can find some time to talk to her. I believe Xia Mo will support you," Qiao Mei said with a smile. Xia Wan sighed and said, "I thought I''m supposed to comfort you? Why are you the one comforting me now! Seriously, I''m really incompetent even though I''m older than you." "Seeing you happy will make me happy too," Qiao Mei said sincerely. "It''s really a blessing for our ancestors that my younger brother married you. It must be our good fortune accumulated over 800 years," Xia Wan said gratefully. Qiao Mei felt a little guilty and did not reply. If Xia Wan knew about how she had tricked Xia Zhe into marrying her back then, she would probably say that their ancestral grave must have exploded and that they were extremely unlucky!The? source of this content n/o/v/(el)bi((n)) Chapter 2256: New Clue ? They must get to the bottom of this matter and also carry out the investigation with great fanfare. They must clear Li Gui''s name! They must clear the restaurant''s name! "What about Grandfather? Does Grandfather know about this?" Qiao Mei asked nervously. "Not yet," Xia Wen said. After all, Qiao Qiang was already so old and he had seen Li Gui''s sacrifices over the years. He had long treated Li Gui as part of his family. In his heart, Li Gui and Qiao Mei were probably equally important. "How are the four kids?" Qiao Mei asked again. After a moment of silence, Xia Wen said, "All four kids were actually present during that time. They were helping out in the kitchen that day. Xiao Wei has been the one taking care of his younger siblings for the past few days. This kid will be able to achieve great things in the future. He is able to keep calm under difficult situations." Qiao Mei finally felt less tense. It was not scary that something had happened. As long as her family members were still healthy and alive, everything else could be resolved. Xia Yue could not help but yawn. It had been a long flight and the three children were a little tired from the journey. Xia Wen drove back to Qiao Mei''s house first to get the children settled. Xu Kang and Feng Hua hurriedly ran out to carry out the luggage and take care of the children. The adults went to the study to discuss the issue. "Did you find out what went wrong?" Qiao Mei asked. "The first thing we did was to check if the food was the problem. The shop staff had already been sent to Eldest Auntie for interrogation. They didn''t do anything. The only possibility is the water source," Xia Wen said. On the morning of the incident, the shop staff were at work getting the ingredients ready and Li Gui was in the kitchen to help out. Everything seemed normal and there were no suspicious people around. Qiao Mei checked on the memories for the day before and found out that someone had entered the kitchen at night and then went out with two buckets. "Have you checked on the swill collector?" Qiao Mei asked. "No..." Xia Wen said after being stunned for a moment. It was no wonder that Xia Wen did not know about this. No one else in the Xia family was in the food and beverage industry. Swill was very much in demand in this era. It was a very lucrative business. One could feed it to one''s livestock or sell it for a lot of money. "I''ll go and check now!" Xia Wen had only taken two steps when he returned and handed the car keys to Qiao Mei. "I''ll arrange for transport. You can drive my car back." Qiao Mei nodded. She still needed to stay around and check for more clues. The next morning, Qiao Mei received a call from Xia Wen. The swill collector had been found, but he was not the one who collected the swill that day. The original swill collector was an old man. He was a relative of one of the shop staff and had made use of this relationship to ask Li Gui to let him collect the swill. He had been doing well, but in the past few days, his family''s cows had suddenly fallen sick and then died! He had wanted to go and settle this score with the restaurant! Before he could do that though, the incident had happened. "What else did he say?" Qiao Mei asked with a frown. "A woman came to look for him and borrowed his three-wheeled vehicle. That''s why he didn''t go out to collect swill during this period of time," Xia Wen said. Chapter 2257: A Suspect ?Updated chapters at novelhall.com Ordinary families could not even afford meat, let alone raise cows. The lives of his family relied on these cows! Now that the cows had been poisoned to death, his family did not even have the will to live anymore! Some time ago, the old man was stopped by a woman when he was on his way to Li Gui''s restaurant. The woman said that she was in a hurry to move house and wanted to borrow the old man''s three-wheeled vehicle for a few days. She gave him a deposit of 100 dollars and also promised to pay him rent of two dollars a day. The old man had agreed to this woman''s request at that time. If she rented the three-wheeled vehicle for five days, he would make 10 dollars! This was enough to buy three pounds of pork! Moreover, that lousy three-wheeled vehicle was not worth 100 dollars at all. It did not matter even if the woman did not return it to him. Three days later, the woman returned with the three-wheeled vehicle. In order to get more money, the old man even claimed that the woman had damaged the vehicle and asked her for an additional 20 dollars for the repair fee. At that time, the woman did not hesitate at all, as if she wanted to get away from the old man as soon as possible. She had thrown the money at him and ran off. "Is he telling the truth?" Qiao Mei asked. "Yes, he is. The old man and his family have lived in that village for generations. There are many people who can vouch for him. During this period of time, he hasn''t left the village and has been at home taking care of the sick cows," Xia Wen said. "Does he still remember what that woman looked like?" Qiao Mei asked again. "It''s not your fault. If there''s anyone to blame, it''s herself." Qiao Mei thought for a long time and asked, "Do you have any news of Qiao Yu?" Xia Wen chuckled and said, "You''re quite vigilant. You still remember to screen her." "Although the description doesn''t match her age, she fits all the other criteria. She also has the motivation to do this," Qiao Mei said. "But you didn''t consider the fact that she doesn''t have the brains to come up with this," Xia Wen said mockingly. Qiao Mei did not deny it. If Qiao Yu was really smart, she would not have left the capital dejectedly back then, nor would she get herself pestered by a scumbag and be unable to escape, nor would she have intentionally provoked Qiao Mei. "Is she doing well now?" Qiao Mei asked. "How should I put it? Yao Nian''s search for her ended near a mountain area. However, she''s no longer the same person from before. We hear that she has become the leader of the human traffickers," Xia Wen said. During the period when Qiao Yu lived in the capital, she had put on some weight. When she was in Foshan Village, she did not even have food to eat and was as skinny as a matchstick. Her figure had developed well after her stay in the capital and she could even be considered a young and beautiful girl. In the end, she was targeted by a group of human traffickers and kidnapped by them. Qiao Mei already knew about this and originally thought that this was the end of Qiao Yu. She did not expect Qiao Yu to offer herself to the leader of the human traffickers and then build a good relationship with them. She worked together with this group of people to earn more money by setting up marriage scams. "She probably has nothing to do with this matter. I''ll get Yao Nian to continue keeping an eye on her. Give me some time and I''ll go and investigate Tan Jing''s background again. I also want to know if she''s the culprit," Xia Wen said with a sigh. Chapter 2258: Dealing with the Greenhouses ? Time was of the essence and this was an important task, so Qiao Mei did not stand on ceremony with Xia Wen. They had to find the real culprit as soon as possible, otherwise Li Gui would really have to spend the rest of her life in prison. Before Qiao Mei hung up the phone, Chi Ze suddenly rushed into the room. Qiao Mei did not fault him for this. Chi Ze and his guys had worked for her for many years and these people knew her habits. Chi Ze would not act so impulsively unless it was something important. "Bad news, Sister-in-law. Something has happened!" Chi Ze said in a trembling voice. His hands also could not stop trembling and he was drenched in sweat, looking as if he had just been fished out of water. Only Xia Wen and Xia Mao would have news about Xia Zhe. The only urgent issues that Chi Ze could encounter was related to the company. As long as her family members were not affected, everything else was secondary. Even if the company went bankrupt, she was fine with it. Qiao Mei poured a glass of water for Chi Ze and said, "Take your time to speak. Don''t be anxious." "Our vegetables in the suburbs are all dead! All the vegetables wilted overnight and much of the land cannot be used anymore. Someone has put poison in the soil as well! It''s hard to say if we can still grow vegetables in the future!" Chi Ze said. Xia Wen could also hear what Chi Ze said on the other end of the phone. He immediately said, "I''ll go to the vegetable fields to take a look. You should rest well at home. You have just returned home, so you have to take care of your health."Re?a?d new chapters at novelhall.com fine. Eldest Brother, you should go and investigate the matter which we just discussed. I''ll handle this issue," Qiao Mei said with a smile. As the reservoir took up a big area, Qiao Mei did not extend the fence to enclose it within the boundary of the vegetable fields. Because of that, many villagers would secretly come to Qiao Mei''s place to get water. "Tell the surrounding villagers about this matter. If they suffer any losses, let''s note it down and pay them off first. All the claimants must leave their thumb prints and photos as evidence so that we can ask the real culprit for compensation later," Qiao Mei said. To her, the losses in the vegetable fields were not a big deal. It would only affect her for a short period of time. However, to the villagers, it was a devastating piece of news. Qiao Mei was willing to pay first, but she intended to make the real culprit pay back double the amount to her. "Alright," Sun Tian said. "Let''s suspend business for now and tabulate how many orders we have to fulfill." Qiao Mei waved her hand and Chi Ze immediately came forward. She continued, "Work with him to transport the vegetables from the south as an emergency measure." "Yes, alright," Chi Ze said. Qiao Mei looked around and then said, "Chi Ze, ask my brother-in-law to send some people here to expand this place for us. Buy all the land nearby and make this whole area exclusive to us. In the future, outsiders are not allowed to enter this area anymore." "I understand. I''ll do it immediately." After saying that, Chi Ze went to the office to make a call to make the arrangements. "Uncle Sun, are there any outsiders recently? Or suspicious people?" Qiao Mei asked. "There are many outsiders. Every day, there are many people who come to deliver stuff, as well as the delivery men who come to pick up the goods. There are also... there are also some young and beautiful girls from the nearby villages," Sun Tian said embarrassedly. Chapter 2259: Start to Take Shape ?Finnd new chapters at novelhall.com Qiao Mei raised her eyebrows and looked at Sun Tian. She was very surprised to hear of this. Why would so many girls come to the greenhouse? Did he want to recruit female workers? The greenhouses spanned a big area. Sun Tian had asked all the young men in their prime from his extended family to work here. The salary was high and the benefits were good. Food and accommodation were also provided for. Many of Sun Tian''s relatives even gave Sun Tian gifts so that they could send their sons over to farm here. Sun Tian was not a greedy person. He only wanted down-to-earth and hardworking young men and rejected anyone who was lazy and sly! If people came to apply for the job, he would also hire them but on a longer probation period. As long as these young men worked hard and stayed employed here for more than two years, they would have a chance to transfer their household register to the city. Every year, the most outstanding worker would be given a spot in the city''s household register. These were all things that Xia Wen had managed to get for Qiao Mei. After all, this enterprise was not considered a state-owned enterprise and their application was still under review. They could only provide dormitory accommodation for their employees and could not give them a property after a certain number of years like a state-owned enterprise. In order to motivate their employees, Xia Wen and Qiao Mei could only come up with schemes like this. Qiao Mei had tacitly agreed to whatever Sun Tian had done. After all, she had agreed to let Sun Tian be in charge of everything related to the greenhouses. If she still interfered with the management issues, it would seem like she was being too nosy. This village was located in the urban-rural intersection area. Girls would usually want to marry a man with a city household register and the young men working in the greenhouses happened to meet their requirements. "Oh I see," Qiao Mei conversed with Sun Tian with a smile as she looked through the memories of the vines. She had already seen the "bloodbath". There were too many wolves and too little meat. There were so many girls and they even almost fought over these unmarried young men. They came to deliver food on time every day at noon. The canteen aunties here were not needed anymore. "We can''t sell it! This house belongs to your brother. If we sell it now, the money will go to that b*tch and her child! I''d rather starve to death than give the Huang family''s money to the mother-and-son duo!" You Yu said agitatedly. "She''s a jinx! Let''s chase her away! Let her divorce Eldest Brother!" Huang Mian said. "That won''t do! If we chase her away, who''s going to wait upon Eldest Brother on the day he''s released?" the third son, Huang Can, said unhappily. Huang Zhong was furious. He smacked the coffee table and roared, "I can''t believe you still think he can come back alive! The Xia family will probably arrange for Huang Quan to die in prison before his release date! Just chase the mother-and-son duo out!" "... But that''s Huang Quan''s child. Let''s keep the kid," You Yu said. Their family was in such a difficult situation now. It was hard to say if their second and third sons would be able to get married. This child might be the last bloodline of the Huang family. She wanted to protect the child no matter what. "Then are you going to take care of the child?" Huang Zhong asked. You Yu did not dare to reply. She had been a rich wife for so many years that she had long forgotten how to do housework. During this period of time, Tan Jing had been the one doing all the chores in the house. If not for Tan Jing, the Huang family members would have starved to death! "Then let''s wait for the child to grow up before we get her to divorce Huang Quan!" You Yu said. Chapter 2260: Cannot Seem to Understand ? "She even dares to poison and kill people now! Do you have that much money to compensate the victims? Everyone knows about this matter now. If the Xia family can''t protect Li Gui, what makes you think the Xia family will let us off!" Huang Zhong said. "Then let''s make her divorce Eldest Brother now! Our family can''t get implicated by such a vicious woman!" Huang Can said as he grabbed You Yu''s hand. You Yu doted on her youngest son the most. As long as it was Huang Can who asked, she would agree in the end. "Alright. Then let''s do as you say," You Yu said. Tan Jing, who was squatting in the corner, curled her lips into a smile. Qiao Mei took in the whole scene. She did not expect Tan Jing to be so resourceful as to cause trouble for the Xia family, ruin her business and relatives, and get rid of the Huang family, among other things. If Tan Jing had used all these smarts on Xia Wen back then, she would not have ended up in this state. Qiao Mei sighed and drove away from the Huang family''s house. She had checked the entire house just now but did not find the clothes which Tan Jing had worn over the past few days, nor did she find anything suspicious. Everything had already been cleaned up. It looked like Tan Jing had picked up useful knowledge after being by Xia Wen''s side for so many years. At the very least, she knew how to get rid of any incriminating evidence. At the moment, there was no witness or items that would lead them to her unless she admitted it herself. This was clearly not going to happen. Qiao Mei still needed to find more clues and expose Tan Jing as soon as possible. As she thought about it, she kept feeling that something was wrong. However, she could not put a finger on it. Suddenly! Qiao Mei slammed on the brakes and stopped in the middle of the road! You Yu was already very weak. The slap did nothing to Tan Jing at all. Tan Jing looked at You Yu sinisterly and said, "You''re going to hell soon!" "B*tch! How dare you curse me! Asshole!" You Yu still wanted to continue beating Tan Jing up. Just like before, Huang Mian hurriedly rushed over and grabbed hold of You Yu, saying, "Mom! She''s an outsider now! You''ll break the law if you beat her up!" Tan Jing ignored all the Huang family members and walked out. Qiao Mei was already there, blocking the path she needed to take. "It''s been a long time, my Ex. Sister. In. Law!" Qiao Mei said with a smile, emphasizing each syllabus. Tan Jing''s expression changed. Addressing Tan Jing as "Madam Tan" was much more appropriate than addressing her as "ex-sister-in-law", but Qiao Mei did not want Tan Jing to get what she wanted. Qiao Mei had been rushing around for the past few days and looked a little tired. She no longer looked as dazzling as before. Tan Jing looked at Qiao Mei''s current state and smiled happily. "What are you doing here?" Tan Jing asked. "You''ve never been nice to me whenever you saw me in the past. You never even smiled at me even when you wanted to ask me for something. Let me guess your current thoughts." Qiao Mei paused for a moment before continuing, "Are you thinking about how you have succeeded in putting poison in my mother''s restaurant? Or in poisoning my vegetable fields?" "I don''t understand what you''re saying," Tan Jing said calmly. "That''s true. Only humans can understand what I say. Since it''s you, it''s really hard for me to explain things clearly," Qiao Mei said mockingly. Chapter 2261: Perish Together ? "What do you mean? Are you calling me a beast? Try something else. I''ve heard too many such comments. You can''t provoke me using that," Tan Jing said with a smile. Qiao Mei lowered her voice and said, "I''m not trying to insult you. I''m just telling the truth. After all, you''re a mentally ill person. It''s understandable that you can''t understand what everyone is saying." That was right! She was a mentally ill person now, so she would not be arrested by the police no matter what she did! Tan Jing quickly messed up her hair and hurtled towards Qiao Mei in an aggressive manner. She even shouted, "You should die!" Before Tan Jing could even reach Qiao Mei, she was knocked down and pressed to the ground by Da Zhuang and Xiao Zhuang.Updated chapters at novelhall.com Qiao Mei had wanted to praise Tan Jing for having some smarts, but it appeared that she had none left. "You... Never mind..." Qiao Mei looked at Tan Jing''s sorry state and could not bear to mock her. After all, Xia Wen was quietly looking at them from 100 meters behind Tan Jing. Xia Wen was a man who cherished all his relationships. Even though Tan Jing left in a heartless manner and did so much to hurt the Xia family, it did not change the fact that they were in love when they got married in their younger days. After so many years together, Xia Wen felt that he owed her something. He did not come here to stop Qiao Mei, but to see if Tan Jing was really crazy or just pretending. He needed to report the situation to his superiors. "Alright, I don''t want to talk nonsense with you. Da Zhuang, Xiao Zhuang, let go of her and let''s go." With that, Qiao Mei got into the car. Da Zhuang and Xiao Zhuang only let Tan Jing go after confirming that Qiao Mei was sitting safely inside the car. "Don''t you have anything to confess to me?" Xia Wen asked. Tan Jing thought that Xia Wen was here to see her, but she did not expect him to be here for Qiao Mei. Ever since Qiao Mei married into the Xia family, Xia Wen''s attention had always been on Qiao Mei. He was always at Qiao Mei''s beck and call whenever she needed something and would help her without any complaints! Then what about her! Whenever something happened to her and her family! Xia Wen would avoid her! "As expected, you''re not here for me... You''re just lying to me..." Tan Jing said mockingly as she cried. She wanted to laugh at her own fantasies. "I''m here to persuade you to turn yourself in. You have to know that if we find out that you''re the culprit after our investigations, the charges will become more serious. If you turn yourself in, you might be dealt with more leniently," Xia Wen said with a sigh. Tan Jing stood there stubbornly and did not say anything. Xia Wen understood what Tan Jing meant and turned to leave. He shook his head resignedly. After having worked as a teacher for so many years, he was still delusional that he could reform a person who had already become a wild beast. He was too naive. "All of you... won''t have it easy! I won''t let you off!" Tan Jing stood at the same spot and muttered to herself as she looked at Xia Wen''s back. The consecutive successes Tan Jing had made her feel a little proud and confident. She had successfully poisoned so many people without being discovered! In that case, she might as well poison the Xia family next time! She wanted everyone who had bullied her before to die! All of them should die together! No one should have an easy life! After reaching Qiao Mei''s house, Xia Wen and Qiao Mei went to the study. Xia Wen said, "I think we can be 80% sure that she did it. What do you want to do next?" "Me? Why are you asking me?" Qiao Mei asked curiously. "Because she will never admit to it. If we use interrogation or any other methods to make Tan Jing confess, the public will only think that we found a scapegoat to cover up for Auntie Li. If that happens, things will just get more and more out of control. That''s why I want to ask you what you think?" Xia Wen asked. Chapter 2262: The Way to Escape Unscathed ? Back then, the issue between the Xia family and Tan Jing had caused an uproar and everyone had thought of Tan Jing as the pitiful party. However, this might all just be a rumor spread by the Huang family. Did it matter what the truth was? Everyone only saw what they wanted to see. The bigger the drama, the better. This way, the show was even more exciting. Even if Tan Jing wanted to turn herself in, the Huang family would not allow it. The Huang family had said definitively earlier that Tan Jing had been at home and did not go out. If Tan Jing made changes to her statement, then they would become her accomplices! They would have committed perjury! Everyone in the family would have to go to jail! "Even if she confesses, there''s also no point. If the culprit is anyone else, it will be easy to handle. She is the only dicey one. We must definitely obtain conclusive evidence," Qiao Mei said sternly. "Let''s set a trap. As long as she goes to jail for the rest of her life, it can be considered retribution for her," Xia Wen said. Qiao Mei did not say anything and just looked at Xia Wen quietly. "I know that we won''t be able to clear Auntie Li''s name if we do that. In that case, Auntie Li will have to bear such a bad reputation in the future. I''m sorry," Xia Wen said apologetically. If he had not disobeyed his parents back then and insisted on marrying Tan Jing, the current situation would not have happened and Qiao Mei''s family would not have to suffer such an undeserved crisis. "Eldest Brother, none of us could have predicted this. You don''t have to blame yourself," Qiao Mei said calmly. She did not blame Xia Wen at all. He had already done his best in this matter and also did not show any mercy to Tan Jing. Qiao Mei was already very satisfied. She had decided to handle the rest of the matter herself. In the past, she had always felt that Xia Wen was like a robot who systematically settled all the troublesome matters for everyone in the Xia family. It was as if Xia Wen could solve anything. Ever since Xia Wen met Mo Zhu though, he had become more spirited and was no longer super calm. "Eldest Brother, how can you treat Qiao Mei like this!" Xia He pushed open the door and said unhappily to Xia Wen. "Why don''t you ask me what she did!" Xia Wen said angrily. "Even if she had done something big, you still have to talk nicely! How can you be so fierce!" Xia He lectured. Qiao Mei hurriedly tried to stop the argument and said, "It''s not Eldest Brother''s fault. It''s indeed my fault. Have you fully recovered? Are you allowed to walk around like this?" "Yes I can. I just can''t go out to work for six months. My body is recovering very well, so you don''t have to worry," Xia He said. Qiao Mei and Xia Wen told Xia He about everything that had happened recently. Xia He smacked the table and said, "How dare she! How dare she poison them! If all these people die! Won''t she feel guilty!" Qiao Mei smiled as she looked at Xia He and Xia Wen. Xia He had just reprimanded Xia Wen so eloquently, but she had acted in exactly the same manner as Xia Wen. They were really biological siblings. She wondered if Xia Zhe would react in the same way. Although they had only been separated for a short period of time, shorter than those other times in the past, she missed Xia Zhe very much. She really hoped that all these things could be resolved soon so that she could go overseas to stay by his side. It was still best for a family to be together. "The two of you don''t have to worry about this matter. Leave it to me to wrap it up." With that, Xia Wen left Qiao Mei''s house to get busy Chapter 2263: All the Huang Family Members Are Poisoned ? Xia He suddenly remembered why she had come over. She turned to Qiao Mei and said, "Do you still have any of Xia Xing''s clothes from when she was younger? If you don''t need them anymore, give them to me." "Why? Does Brother-in-law curb your spending?" Qiao Mei asked. "The baby grows up too quickly. She outgrows her clothes after just two months. It''s such a waste of money. I don''t have the skills that you and Mother have. I don''t know how to do needlework, so I can only eye your Xia Xing''s old clothes," Xia He said.Finnd new chapters at novelhall.com "Sure. I''ve already asked Sister Feng to pack them together. We even found clothes which Xia Xing has never worn before," Qiao Mei said. "How can you be so good at predicting things? How do you know that I will come and ask you for clothes?" Xia He asked curiously. "Because when I was in Country M, Eldest Sister-in-law called and asked me for Xia Fan''s clothes from when he was younger. She told me the same things you just did, so I guessed that you would definitely need Xia Xing''s old clothes too. That''s why I have prepared them in advance. Anyway, even if both of you didn''t raise this issue, I would have donated these clothes to the villages in the mountain areas," Qiao Mei said. "Oh! Then you should give the clothes to the children in the mountain areas!" Xia He said. "It''s fine. I''ve already gotten the rich wives in the capital to donate clothes. They don''t lack these few pieces of clothes from us. I have also bought a lot of baby products for the children, so don''t worry," Qiao Mei said. You Yu was so shocked that she collapsed and sat on the floor. The Huang family members stood rooted to the spot, not knowing what to do. Tan Jing had never intended to kill the people who dined at Li Gui''s restaurant. She only wanted Li Gui to have to close down the restaurant after those people fell sick. When that happened, Li Gui would have to go to jail. The two people Qiao Mei cherished the most were Qiao Qiang and Li Gui. These two people drank Qiao Mei''s ginseng juice all year round and could be said to be "immune to all poisons". She could not hurt them at all, so she could only target things around them. After the two poisoning incidents at the restaurant and the vegetable fields, she came up with the idea to poison and kill the Huang family members. She did not know which type of pesticides were lethal enough, so she mixed all the common pesticides together and added one or two drops into the water they used every day. As time passed, these pesticides would eventually destroy the Huang family members'' internal organs! They would definitely die! The doctor observed all the Huang family members and said warily, "All of you don''t look too good either. I think you should all do a checkup." "Sure, sure, sure! We''ll do it!" Huang Can said fearfully. The hospital arranged for a VIP route for the Huang family and the results were out two hours later. The entire hospital was in an uproar after that. This could be considered the largest case of attempted murder by poisoning in the past decade! The hospital quickly called the police station to make a report. All the test indicators of the Huang family members came up red. Even the baby, who was less than one year old, had also been poisoned! "What a vicious woman! She''s such a b*tch! She doesn''t even let go of her own flesh and blood! This child is only a few months old! If we only discover this later, the child will be dead!" You Yu cried as she hugged her grandson. The child usually only drank milk, but the water used to wash the bottles contained the poison. He did not consume much of the pesticide, but because he was born prematurely, the amount could have killed him. Chapter 2264: Invitation to Dinner ? This matter caused a huge commotion and the media scrambled to report it. The reporters from the television stations all squatted outside the ward and waited for more news, worried that they would miss out on important announcements. It was rare to see such a big case of attempted murder! In particular, this matter was related to the Xia family! All the Huang family members had been poisoned, except for Tan Jing. Moreover, the owner of the pesticide shop near the capital confirmed that Tan Jing had patronized his shop many times. The Huang family members did not lodge a report against Tan Jing immediately. They knew that even if Tan Jing was punished, it would not cure them. They would only have a chance of survival if they could get the medicinal wine from the Xia family. "You... you must be Xia Wen," You Yu said shakily as she walked up to Xia Wen. Xia Wen halted his conversation with Zou Ming. He looked at You Yu and nodded, saying, "Yes I am. What''s the matter?" "My husband is very sick and he can''t come and look for you himself. Our family wants to have a chat with both you and Qiao Mei and treat the two of you to a meal! We''re all old acquaintances and our entire family wants to thank you for taking care of us!" You Yu said. Zou Ming left silently in a tactful manner. The Xia family did not help much in this matter and Qiao Mei did not even do anything. Although the Xia family and the Huang family were long- time acquaintances, they only knew each other by sight and did not have much of a relationship. The reasons which You Yu gave were all very far-fetched. It looked like this meal was meant to be an ambush. Xia Wen picked up the teacup and took a sip before saying, "The Huang family wants to meet you and me and has invited us to dinner under the guise of showing gratitude and catching up with us. Do you want to go?" "Yes, of course," Qiao Mei said. She had long wanted to see what the Huang family was up to. She had thought that the Huang family would behave obediently after losing their assets and status in society. Now, it seemed that she had been too optimistic. For people like the Huang family members, if she did not get rid of them, they would never give up. "You! You really like to get involved in all kinds of drama! What if there''s danger!" Xia Wen said. "Don''t I still have Eldest Brother with me? What''s there to be afraid of?" Qiao Mei said casually. "After Xia Zhe comes back, I''ll tell him about all the things you did and let him reprimand you!" Xia Wen said. Qiao Mei thought to herself, "Your younger brother won''t dare to do that. He will only dote on me~" "How has Sister-in-law been recently? Has she recovered well? Do you still have enough medicinal wine? If not, my grandfather still has some," Qiao Mei said. After drinking Qiao Mei''s medicinal wine, Xia He and Mo Zhu were much healthier than before. Many of their old illnesses were gone. It was said that the confinement period was like the rebirth of a woman. It looked like this was not a myth. "She''s doing very well. It''s just that it has been very windy recently, so I don''t let her go out of the house. I''m afraid she''ll get a headache from being exposed to the wind," Xia Wen said with a blissful expression. "I have brought back a lot of things from Country M for Sister-in-law. I''ll get Sister Feng to send them over later. After this matter is settled, I''ll go and pay Sister-in-law a visit," Qiao Mei said. Chapter 2265: Deserter ? Xia Wen did not stand on ceremony with Qiao Mei. He nodded and left her house and then asked his secretary to contact the Huang family. Two days later, Qiao Mei and Xia Wen attended the banquet hosted by the Huang family. Although they called it a banquet, it was actually just a simple home cooked meal. The Huang family was already at the end of their rope and did not have the money to go to a restaurant at all. They simply cooked a few dishes at home. "Hey! You''re here! Come in and take a seat! I cooked all my signature dishes today. It''s just some simple dishes. I hope you don''t mind!" You Yu said enthusiastically. "It''s fine," Xia Wen said politely. Qiao Mei did not want to be nice to the Huang family. Huang Zhong''s father, Huang Kai, was already terminally ill. In the past, he used to weigh 180 pounds, but now he looked to be only about 80 pounds. His face was gaunt and yellow, as if he would shatter if caught in a gust of wind. The Huang family members looked awkwardly at Qiao Mei and Xia Wen, who stood in the living room and did not move to take their seats. Qiao Mei did not go to the dining table but sat down on the sofa behind her. "Everyone''s time is very precious. Just tell me what you want," Qiao Mei said coldly. "I''m sorry... Ahem... I know that my eldest grandson and Tan Jing have hurt you with their actions. I... I apologize on their behalf..." Huang Kai said breathlessly. After thinking about it, Huang Zhong continued, "This is a win-win situation. Not only can Tan Jing be brought to justice to clear your mother''s name, but it can also allow our family to recover our health. Why won''t you agree to it?" "It''s only your family that benefits from this. Even if all of you don''t testify against Tan Jing, my mother can still escape unscathed. There''s no need to use this thing to threaten me. If you want the medicinal wine, I have another suggestion," Qiao Mei said with a smile. Xia Wen had already guessed what Qiao Mei was going to say. He gritted his teeth and held back his laughter as Qiao Mei continued, "How about you just buy it from me? I''m a businesswoman. If you want to buy it, I''ll definitely sell it to you." "But our family doesn''t have that much money now," You Yu said. Qiao Mei shrugged and said, "Then it has nothing to do with me. Give me a call if you decide to buy. We have a family gathering later, so we won''t be eating with you. Excuse us." Huang Can immediately blocked the main door to prevent Qiao Mei and Xia Wen from leaving. Xia Wen turned around and said to Huang Zhong, "We have walkie-talkies in our hands and the guard team is downstairs. Do you think any good will come out of hurting us?" "You little brats! You... cough, cough, cough... How dare you speak to me in this manner! Your grandfathers and I are comrades-in-arms! Where are your manners!" Huang Kai said furiously as he coughed. "My grandfather doesn''t seem to be from the same military region as you. How can the two of you be comrades-in-arms?" Xia Wen asked with a smile. He narrowed his eyes and pretended to joke as he said, "Besides... Old Mr. Huang, I have heard that you''re a deserter?" "You!!! Cough, cough, cough..." Huang Kai almost could not catch his breath. Qiao Mei hurriedly pulled Xia Wen along and pushed Huang Can away. Huang Can smashed into the wall behind him. "Oh my, I have used too much strength." Qiao Mei scratched her head in embarrassment and turned to leave. In the car, Xia Wen could not help but laugh when he thought back to how the Huang family members looked just now. Chapter 2266 Interrogation 2266 Interrogation "What are you so happy about? Tell me," Qiao Mei asked. "I''m just wondering if Old Mr. Huang would be angered to death by you. The words that come out of your mouth are really sharp enough," Xia Wen said in admiration. Qiao Mei looked at Xia Wen in disdain and said, "Don''t accuse me wrongly. You were the one who made him so angry. I didn''t say anything." "I just can''t help it. He thinks that just because we are juniors, we don''t know about what happened in the past and he can spout nonsense and slander Grandfather," Xia Wen said angrily. Qiao Mei nodded in agreement. She and Xia Wen were brought up by their grandfathers. Their feelings for their grandfathers ran even deeper than for their parents. They would never allow anyone to criticize or slander their grandfathers and were willing to do anything to defend that. Although they made it sound as if they had everything under control in front of the Huang family, it was still difficult to get Tan Jing convicted in real life. They still had to think of a way to make Tan Jing confess to her deeds. Zou Ming listed Tan Jing as a key suspect and brought her to the military interrogation room. Xia Wen stood at the one-way glass window and looked at Tan Jing sitting inside the interrogation room without saying anything. "Xiao Wen, you''re here," Xia Xiu said solemnly. Xia Wen saluted Xia Xiu and said, "That''s right, Eldest Aunt. It''s been a long time since we last met." "There''s not much time left. I''ll go in for the interrogation. Don''t worry, Big Brother Xia. I''ll definitely settle this small matter beautifully for you!" After saying that, Wu Jun walked into the interrogation room confidently. Tan Jing raised her head and looked at Wu Jun. She had been to the interrogation room twice and it was always Xia Wen who interrogated her. She did not know why it was this unfamiliar guy today. "Where''s Xia Wen?" Tan Jing questioned. "We don''t need Big Brother Xia to interrogate you. I can do it," Wu Jun said. "I want Xia Wen! I want Xia Wen to come and see me! I have to see Xia Wen!" Tan Jing struggled and shouted. Fortunately, she was cuffed to the chair. Otherwise, she would definitely have started fighting with Wu Jun by now. Wu Jun massaged his ears impatiently. He had seen so many people who needed to be interrogated, but this was the first one who was so noisy. It was a pity that he could not use interrogation tools. Tan Jing was still a suspect and he could only carry out basic interrogations. "Stop shouting. You''d better come clean and tell me everything you know. If you do that, I''ll put in a recommendation for leniency," Wu Jun said. "Haha, I didn''t do anything. There''s nothing for me to say," Tan Jing said disdainfully. "At this point, do you think it''s what you say that''s important? Even if you don''t say anything, you''ll still be put under surveillance and you won''t be able to leave the capital. If your refusal to be forthright causes a lot of manpower and resources to be wasted on your case, it''s very likely that you''ll get additional punishment," Wu Jun said. "I don''t know anything. If you want to solve the case, then go and run the investigation. Don''t waste your time on me," Tan Jing said calmly. Chapter 2267 Love Letter 2267 Love Letter Wu Jun looked towards the glass panel and Xia Wen understood what he meant. "Sigh... She''s really stubborn..." Xia Wen sighed and said. Xia Xiu looked at Xia Wen and asked, "Don''t you have any evidence or clues?" "Our guess is that she did everything herself. The person who sold pesticide to her said that he recognized her, but there were no invoices or receipts. The shop itself has some other issues, so we can''t use the shopkeeper''s statement as evidence. So now, we need her to confess it herself or... find physical evidence to nail her," Xia Wen said. "Take your time. She won''t be able to run away. However, the detention period for interrogation is only one day. I can help you apply for another day at most. After all, she''s only a suspect now," Xia Xiu said helplessly. "It''s fine, Eldest Auntie. I know what to do," Xia Wen said firmly. Xia Xiu looked at Xia Wen in satisfaction. Among all the children in the Xia family, Xia Wen and Xia Zhe resembled Xia Jun the most. The rest of the children had only done better for themselves in recent years and it was mostly due to Qiao Mei. Without Qiao Mei, the Xia family would likely reach a bottleneck in another five years. The next day, Xia Wen oversaw the declaration of Li Gui''s innocence and she was released from prison safely. In addition, he had thoughtfully asked the district office in charge of the area around the restaurant to put up posters to let everyone in the vicinity know that someone had deliberately framed Li Gui and that Li Gui and her staff did not do anything wrong. Li Gui also paid the medical expenses of all the people who fell sick and the Xia family also gave their precious medicinal wine to those people. This series of actions left everyone with a better impression of the Xia family and Li Gui. However, there were still some jealous people who could not bear to see the Xia family doing well, as well as people who went around spreading rumors. The Xia family could not be bothered with these people. "Eldest Brother, please ask him to come over," Qiao Mei said as she raised her chin in Xu Ba''s direction. Xia Wen brought Xu Ba over. Xu Ba was visibly nervous. He just wanted to take a look at Li Gui from afar and wanted to know how she had fared in prison, if anyone had bullied her and if she had lost weight. He had no intention of disturbing Li Gui and her family. After all, the last time they met, it had ended so unpleasantly. "Long time no see, Uncle Xu," Qiao Mei said with a really fake smile. When Xia Wen saw this, he could not help but shiver. Qiao Mei had always been outspoken and direct, so he did not expect her to put on an act with someone else. It was really shocking to see that. "It''s been a long time! I''m here today just to see if your mother is doing well. I''m relieved to see that she''s alright," Xu Ba said as he looked at Li Gui affectionately. Li Gui subconsciously felt shy and lowered her head. Qiao Mei narrowed her eyes and asked, "Oh? I wonder if your sister-in-law is doing well? How''s your mother recently?" Li Gui stood rooted to the spot in a daze. She had been overwhelmed by all the sweetness for the past few days and had completely forgotten that it was not possible between her and Xu Ba. His family was opposed to this relationship. "My mother... she''s doing very well..." Xu Ba said in a low voice. Qiao Mei stared at Xia Wen and he quickly raised his hand and said, "Indeed, I already know about this. I''m sorry." "It has nothing to do with Xiao Wen! It''s my fault! I''ve been corresponding with him via letters recently, but he only contacted me after I went to jail! We didn''t interact much before that!" Li Gui said. Chapter 2268 Built a New House 2268 Built a New House At that time, Qiao Mei only had Li Gui''s safety in her mind and did not think about anything else. It was not surprising that everyone wanted to hide this matter from her. If she had known that Xu Ba was getting close to Li Gui during a time like this, she would definitely have put a stop to it. "Come, let''s go home." Qiao Mei pulled Li Gui towards the parking lot. Xia Wen turned around and gave Xu Ba a look before following closely behind. Xu Ba stood rooted to the spot dejectedly. At this moment, Qiao Mei stopped in her tracks and said without turning back, "Come with us to welcome my mother home. Thank you for taking care of my mother these past few days." Vi?Sit no(v)3lb/!n(.)com for new novels "Sure!" Xu Ba jogged to Li Gui''s side with a big smile on his face. Li Gui also smiled blissfully. Qiao Mei looked at the two of them and shook her head helplessly. It seemed that... she had to settle the troublesome issue with the Xu family as soon as possible. If Xu Ba really loved Li Gui, it was not as if she could not accept them being together. The interrogation detention period soon came to an end and Tan Jing was released. She had nowhere to go now. When the divorce was finalized, she only received some money from the Huang family and did not get any property. "I should go home," Tan Jing said as she looked at the gray sky. After Tan Jing married into the Huang family, the Tan family had extorted money from Huang Quan just like how they extorted Xia Wen back then. Although Huang Quan did not send any more money to the Tan family towards the end, the money which they received at the beginning was enough for them to use for a long time. They had rebuilt their house in the village. Tan Shi had also married a good wife and the family lived a harmonious life. It was as if Tan Jing had never existed. "Hello? Who are you?" Liu Cui stood at the door with a broom and asked curiously. "You... have changed a lot," Tan Jing said as she looked at Tan Shi. Tan Shi scratched his head in embarrassment and said, "Liu Cui is a good girl and lives her life well. It''s really not appropriate for me to be an asshole to her. Besides, if I don''t listen to her, her family is not one to be trifled with!" It appeared that it was not Tan Shi who had changed, but that Liu Cui''s family could back her up. If it was any other girl without any family support or background, Tan Shi would still be as debauched as before. "That''s quite good. What about Father and Mother? Where did they move to?" Tan Jing asked. "We had bought two plots of land on the east side of the village and built new houses there. Father and Mother lived with Second Brother and his family. Third Brother had built a small house for himself," Tan Shi said. Tan Jing nodded. She took out 50 dollars from her pocket and wanted to hand it to Tan Shi. After thinking about it, she took out another 50 dollars and said, "Since I didn''t make it to your wedding, take this 100 dollars as my gift to you. I wish the two of you happiness." "Thank you, Elder Sister! Thank you so much, Elder Sister!" Tan Shi snatched the money and said excitedly. "It''s nothing," Tan Jing said, pretending to be relaxed. If she could not bear to spend money, how could she play the long game? "How are you and your child? Why haven''t you brought your child with you this time?" Tan Shi asked. "I''m divorced now and the child is staying with the Huang family," Tan Jing said. Chapter 2269 Return "Home" 2269 Return "Home" "Divorce! Why did you get a divorce! Did the Huang family give you anything?" Tan Shi stood up and asked agitatedly. "I left with nothing. What will they give me? It''s alright though, I still have money of my own. After some time, I''ll open a shop and live well," Tan Jing said, pretending to be relaxed. "That''s good..." Tan Shi heaved a sigh of relief. The reason why their family was doing well now was all because of Tan Jing. If he should lose Tan Jing as a support, then Liu Cui would divorce him! When he married Liu Cui, he had spent 1,000 dollars on the betrothal money, television, radio and Phoenix brand bicycle! "It''s getting late. I''ll get going first. I''ll come back tomorrow," Tan Jing said. "I''ll talk to Father and Mother! We should all have a good meal at their place tomorrow!" Tan Shi said. "Sure." Tan Jing smiled and left Tan Shi''s house. Since the prey had taken the bait, she had achieved her goal for the day. Liu Cui walked out of the kitchen with the dishes. She grabbed Tan Shi and asked, "Why has Elder Sister left? Isn''t she staying for dinner? Did you offend her?" "She still has business to take care of in the city. She''s a very busy person," Tan Shi said proudly. "My elder sister... She actually treats me quite well. When we were young, she would give me all kinds of delicious food, but it was only for a few years. When she got married, I was still very young," Tan Shi said. Liu Cui understood what was going on. It seemed that Tan Shi had become greedy and violent because of the Tan family''s actions. Although she was not afraid of bad things happening to her, she would not be the one to go out and proactively do bad things. The difference between the two was like the difference between heaven and earth. When the two of them reached home, Tan Shi hurriedly drew the curtains and lit a candle. "What are you doing? Why are you being so mysterious?" Liu Cui asked curiously. "Come here!" From his pocket, Tan Shi took out the 100 dollars that Tan Jing had given him and said, "This is the wedding gift that Eldest Sister gave us today. She asked me to tell you she is sorry for not being able to attend our wedding." "So much money!" Liu Cui said in surprise. "My elder sister doesn''t lack money. I still think that this bit of money is too little!" Tan Shi said as he curled his lips in dissatisfaction. Liu Cui gave Tan Shi a hard punch on the shoulder and said, "As if your elder sister gets her money easily! Rich families are like tigers and wolves in a den! It''s not easy for her to live with such people! It''s not like our family doesn''t have money. Don''t ask your elder sister for money in the future." "She gave it to me herself!" Tan Shi said. "Fine! But do you have to reject her next time, do you understand? You have hands and feet, so why are you taking other people''s money for nothing! Do you still want to live with me! If you don''t want to listen to me, then let''s get a divorce!" Liu Cui picked up the money and threatened him. Chapter 2270: Going to Be a Father Chapter 2270: Going to Be a Father ? Although Liu Cui''s family did not have much money, they lived together harmoniously and took care of one another. Back then, Liu Cui wanted to marry Tan Shi because he was nice to her and loved her very much. Even though he had a lot of issues, she was not thwarted. She believed that over time, she could change him. Even if Tan Shi let her down in the end, she still had her brothers to protect her! She was not afraid of being bullied by the Tan family! The next day, before dawn, the Tan family woke up to prepare the food. They took out all the best stuff they had and even went to borrow some good wine from other people. Tan Jing dressed up very nicely and made her way to the Tan family''s new house. The courtyard in front of her was three times larger than the old one and the house was built in a western style. It was obvious that they had spent a lot of money on it. Even the main door had changed, from a broken fenced door to a proper iron gate. "Elder Sister is here!" Tan Shi pointed at the door and shouted. Jiang Yi rushed out of the house and hugged Tan Jing. She even said a little tearfully, "My child! It''s really been hard on you! Your brother has already told us how those assholes from the Huang family treated you! It''s good that you''re back. Once you''re home, no one will bully you anymore." Tan Jing patted Jiang Yi''s back expressionlessly. In this place, she would probably be eaten up without any crumbs. This house was like a blood-sucking den where no one could leave unscathed. "Don''t keep hugging her. It''s windy outside. Let''s go in and eat," Tan Bo said. "I''m too excited! I have forgotten everything! Come in! I have made all your favorite food today!" Jiang Yi pulled Tan Jing into the house. There was really a lot of food and it was even more grand than during the new year celebrations. She had cooked a total of 12 dishes! However, most of these dishes were food that Tan Jing did not like. Jiang Yi had a hard time trying her best to recall what Tan Jing liked to eat when she was young. When Liu Cui returned home, she felt that something was wrong. Why was she not allowed to drink? Could it really be because she was in good health? Her family also had wine made with medicinal herbs at home. Her father would drink a glass every meal and said that it could extend his life. "Your elder sister is really a strange person," Liu Cui said. "That''s true! My elder sister is a very moody person! But she''s in a good mood today! She usually doesn''t come back to see us," Tan Shi said as he mopped the floor. "Don''t mop the floor first. Cut some watermelon for me," Liu Cui said. "Watermelon? When do we have watermelon? I thought I only bought oranges?" Tan Shi asked curiously. "Elder Sister brought it with her. Go quickly!" Liu Cui said anxiously. "Wait for me to finish mopping the floor first. I''m almost done," Tan Shi said. Liu Cui touched her stomach and said, "Alright, you can let your son wait." "What! Son!" Tan Shi looked at Liu Cui in surprise. After confirming that Liu Cui was not joking with him, he rushed over excitedly and picked Liu Cui up. "You''re pregnant?" "Yes, you''re going to become a father," Liu Cui said blissfully. Chapter 2271: Ashes Chapter 2271: Ashes ? "Oh my goodness! I''m going to be a father! I''m going to have a child! That''s great!" Tan Shi picked up Liu Cui and turned a few rounds happily. Liu Cui punched Tan Shi''s shoulder a few times and said, "I just got pregnant and it''s not stable yet! Put me down! If I lose the child, it''s all your fault!" "I''m sorry! I''m sorry!" Tan Shi carefully placed Liu Cui on the brick bed and half-squatted down, leaning his head against Liu Cui''s stomach. "The baby hasn''t even taken shape yet. What are you listening to?" Liu Cui said as she looked at Tan Shi in disdain. "I''m connecting with the child! I have telepathy with him!" Tan Shi said excitedly. "You have to listen to me. Otherwise, I don''t want this child and I don''t want you either!" Liu Cui threatened. Tan Shi raised his hand and made an oath. "I''ll definitely listen to you in the future. I''ll do all the dirty and tiring chores! Just stay at home and take care of the baby! I''ll go out and find work tomorrow! I''ll take on a few more jobs! I won''t let you and the child suffer!" If Tan Jing saw this scene, she would definitely think that Tan Shi had been possessed. The previously ignorant and incompetent Tan Shi actually showed care for his wife. It was simply a miracle. During this period of time, Xia Wen had arranged for people to monitor Tan Jing''s movements. Qiao Mei was also busy with work. A week later, Qiao Mei received news from Yao Nian that Old Master Huang had died. They even invited the funeral band to come along and make a big commotion, as if worried that the neighbors around could not hear them. "Sigh... Why is there another family crying here again? How many times has it been already?" a neighbor, Auntie Zhou, said resignedly. "Who knows. Which family is this? Are they at Qiao Mei''s house?" another neighbor, Auntie Wang, asked. Auntie Zhou nodded and said, "That''s right. Qiao Mei''s family is usually quite nice to us. Ever since they moved here, we don''t even have to buy any fruits anymore!" Qiao Mei would always bring back the dented fruits from the orchard and distribute them to the neighbors. Even though these fruits were a little damaged, they still tasted a thousand times better than the ones being sold in the market. Everyone was very grateful to Qiao Mei, especially those who had young children at home. "Let''s get everyone to go and take a look. Qiao Mei''s husband is not at home. We can''t let these assholes bully her." After Auntie Wang said that, she gathered together all the neighbors who were on good terms with Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei had put on a windbreaker and was standing lazily at the door. It was not easy for her to fall asleep and get some rest, so she was in a really bad mood to be woken up. "What are all of you doing here?" Da Zhuang said sulkily. "Qiao Mei! A life for a life! My father is dead! You have to be buried together with my father!" Huang Zhong hugged Huang Kai''s urn and cried loudly. "As if your father is some kind of royalty and needs someone to be buried with him after he is dead. Is he really that powerful?" Qiao Mei questioned. "How can you say that! My father is already dead and you still make fun of him! Don''t you know what it means to respect the dead!" Huang Zhong said furiously. Chapter 2272: Small Pill Chapter 2272: Small Pill ? Qiao Mei massaged her ears. It was really unlucky to encounter such a thing so early in the morning. However, the Huang family was really ruthless enough to "bring along" Old Master Huang. She did not know if they were really filial or just pretending. Xu Kang brought out a chair from the house and set it down behind Qiao Mei. She whispered, "This is going to be a tough battle. You should sit down." "It''s still Sister Xu who knows me best~" Qiao Mei said as she sat down happily. Her action made Huang Zhong very agitated. He pointed at Qiao Mei and scolded angrily, "How can anyone sit down in front of the dead! You''re too disrespectful to my father! When my father was still alive, our two families were old friends! How can you look down on our family!" "Is that so? I''ve never heard my grandfather mention this before though. Then why don''t you go and look for my grandfather instead of coming to my house to behave so atrociously?" Qiao Mei asked curiously. "It''s all because of you! If not for you, my father would not have died so tragically!" Huang Zhong said bitterly. "How did your father die?" Qiao Mei asked. "He was poisoned!" Huang Zhong said. "Disgusting! Get lost!" Xiao Zhuang shouted at them and pointed towards the end of the alley. Huang Zhong stared at Qiao Mei and said, "Are you sure you won''t give us the medicine? Our Huang family still has some connections in the capital. It''s best if we don''t have to fight to the death!" "You need to make sure the connections are still live ones. Your Huang family is like a grasshopper after the autumn season. You won''t be able to live for long, so what is this talk about connections? Besides, it''s not a smart move to offend me for your sake," Qiao Mei said. "Just wait and see!" Huang Zhong left the alley with his family. Qiao Mei asked Xu Kang to pack some vegetables and fruits from home and send them to the neighbors. If not for these neighbors backing her up today, the Huang family would continue to cause a ruckus for a long time! Qiao Mei hummed a tune as she returned to the house. Recently, in order to save the land and the poisoned children, they had used up most of the medicinal wine at home, so she needed to make more. At the same time, she wanted to develop something new. It was too troublesome to carry liquids around, so she wanted to see if she could come up with something that was more convenient to carry around. Two days later, Qiao Mei produced a total of three vats of golden ginseng juice and the purity was even higher than before. She also made many small pills to try out. The effect of one small pill was similar to that of a small bottle of golden ginseng juice. She must try it out soon! After two days of having close contact with ginseng, Qiao Mei looked radiant and her complexion had become much more rosy. She had recovered all the energy she expended to track down Tan Jing earlier. "Ring, ring, ring!" The phone in the study rang. Qiao Mei picked up the phone and said, "Hello? Who is this?" "Qiao Mei, it''s me. Grandfather has asked all of us to go to his house for a meeting. Something... has happened at home," Xia Wen said solemnly. Chapter 2273: Transferred Out of the Capital Chapter 2273: Transferred Out of the Capital ? Before Qiao Mei could clarify what had happened, Xia Wen had already hung up the phone. Qiao Mei was so scared that she quickly grabbed her coat and ran out. Da Zhuang and Xiao Zhuang followed closely behind and Qiao Mei reached Xia Jun''s house in less than 20 minutes. "Grandfather! What happened to Grandfather! What happened to Grandfather!" Qiao Mei rushed into the house in a panic and shouted. Xia Jun was sitting on the sofa and looking at Xia Guang with a stern expression. When he saw Qiao Mei, he looked much more benevolent. He smiled and said, "Mei Mei, you''re here~ Come and sit with Grandfather." "Grandfather, what''s wrong? What happened? Are you alright? Are you feeling unwell? I have medicine here. You should take some! Let''s go to the hospital immediately!" Qiao Mei squatted beside Xia Jun and asked nervously. Xia Jun stroked Qiao Mei''s head gently and said, "Silly child, what can be wrong with me? I''m doing very well!" "Huh?" Qiao Mei was stunned for a moment. She quickly turned around to look at Xia Wen, who was standing behind Xia Jun, and questioned him, "Then why did you call and say that something had happened to Grandfather?" "Grandfather is fine. It''s that something has happened at home," Xia Wen said. Qiao Mei stood up and gave Xia Wen a hard kick as she said, "Then why don''t you speak clearly! I drove at 150 miles per hour to get here!" When Xia Jun heard this, he glared at Xia Wen and said, "What''s wrong with you! Why didn''t you make yourself clear on the phone! Did you even learn anything I taught you in the past! Don''t be like this in the future!" "We... we''re not here to cause trouble. We''re not complaining. We just want to know what to do next. What exactly has happened?" Xia Guang said as he sighed. Qiao Mei curled her lips in disdain. She did not believe that Xia Guang did not have any complaints. These words were meant to coax Xia Jun! If Xia Jun was not here, he would have rushed up to tear her apart long ago! The third son''s family was well aware of what had happened at Qiao Mei''s house over the past few days, but Li Gui was not their direct in-law after all and she was not related to them! This matter had nothing to do with them! It was already good enough that they did not kick her when she was down! The Huang family members were really crazy! They were like mad dogs biting people randomly! They even wanted to vent their anger on the third son''s family! How lawless! "The Huang family came to ask us for medicinal wine some time ago, but we didn''t give it to them. It''s probably because of this matter," Xia Wen said calmly. "Yes! Well done! Bad guys are not worthy of drinking our medicinal wine!" Xia Jun said in support. Qiao Mei smiled in satisfaction. It felt so good to have family members backing her up. It was as if no matter what she did, there would always be unconditional support for her! "We can''t do that! Aren''t we just forcing the Huang family to a dead end? We should give them a way out so that it won''t be awkward when we meet again in the future!" Xia Guang said anxiously. "They don''t have any future. All the Huang family members have been poisoned. It''s a blessing if they can still live for a few more years," Qiao Mei said. People like them, who were poisoned by pesticides, would end up with fibrosis and organ failure and eventually die painfully. This was how Huang Kai passed away. It was only a matter of time before the other members of the Huang family died. Chapter 2274: Xia Guangs Second Marriage Chapter 2274: Xia Guang''s Second Marriage ? Xia Guang looked at Qiao Mei in shock and she quickly said, "My neighbor is a famous old Chinese doctor in the capital. I''ve studied under him for a while. It''s obvious that those people from the Huang family don''t have much time left. Otherwise, they wouldn''t have rushed to ask me for medicinal wine." "Enough! Don''t try to blame other people! Go back to pack your things and get ready to leave!" Xia Jun said as he waved his hand. "Father! Are you just going to watch our family get bullied by the Huang family?" Xia Guang said furiously. "Have you thought about why they don''t bully your two older brothers! It''s not as if I didn''t give you any chances in the past! All these years, it''s obvious that I favored you the most! But what about you! You''re so hopeless! You''re not even as good as Qiao Mei and the other girls in the family! They''re all big bosses in various regions now! Xia Wan is even running a business in Country M! You should take a good look at yourself!" Xia Jun roared. "That''s because they all receive help from Qiao Mei! If our family has the same kind of help from Qiao Mei, we can also make a lot of money!" Xia Guang said indignantly. "Now you''re eyeing Qiao Mei''s things. Have you forgotten what your family did to Qiao Mei''s family back then? Have you completely forgotten what your three sons and your ex-wife did to Qiao Mei? You should be satisfied that Qiao Mei did not divorce Xia Zhe because of this!" Xia Jun reprimanded. What Xia Jun said was not impossible. There were many women who asked for a divorce because of harsh treatment from their in-laws. If Qiao Mei had really gone back to her maternal home with her children at that time, it was not only Xia Zhe who would not be able to accept it. Even the eldest and second sons'' families would not be able to accept Qiao Mei leaving. At the mention of the past, everyone gradually looked at Xia Guang''s family angrily, especially Xia Mao and Xu Lan. The two of them had not expressed their opinions on all these previous matters. After all, Qiao Mei and Xia Wen had handled it well and Xia Guang was Xia Mao''s younger brother, so they did not want to say anything. However, it was different now! There was a limit to one''s patience. If Xia Mao and Xu Lan were forced into a corner, they would do anything, regardless of the fact that he was their younger brother. "Of course not," Qiao Mei said. Xia Jun turned to look at Xia Wen and Xia Wen said knowingly, "I understand, Grandfather. I''ll make the necessary arrangements." Xia Jun did not have to worry about these small issues anymore. Xia Wen could already handle everything very well, so Xia Jun could not even be bothered to worry about them. Xia Xing felt a little jealous. He had long known that Xia Wen had the most say in this family. Although he was a grandson as well, he was dispensable to Xia Jun. Even if he died one of these days, he would not cause a ripple. "Elder Cousin, I''ve been transferred to the railway to be a lowly train attendant. Can you help me get another job?" Xia Xing begged. "Just stay put for the time being. I have something in mind," Xia Wen said seriously as he looked at Xia Xing. If he wanted to take down the Huang family, he still needed Xia Xing''s help. However, Xia Xing did not understand what Xia Wen meant. He thought that all of them just wanted to watch from the side and did not intend to help him at all. He picked up his coat and left angrily. "He... doesn''t seem to understand what Eldest Brother means," Qiao Mei said helplessly. "Trash! A whole bunch of trash! The children are brought up so badly by the two of them! What a sin!" Xia Jun said angrily. "Grandfather, don''t worry. These are all small matters and I''ll handle them. There''s no need to get angry and let it affect your health," Xia Wen comforted. The room fell silent. Qiao Mei quietly raised her hand and asked, "So what do we do about Third Uncle''s wedding?" Chapter 2275: Paying for the Wedding Chapter 2275: Paying for the Wedding ? Everyone was stunned for a moment. They had agreed to Xia Guang''s request in the heat of the moment. This matter was as difficult as ascending to the heavens! "It''s like a debt! I''m already so old, yet I still have to organize a wedding for my son! If word gets out, it''s really too embarrassing!" Xia Jun said. He could not leave this matter to Xia Wen. After all, it was not appropriate for a nephew to organize a wedding for his uncle. It would be a joke if word got out! He would need to handle this matter. What a sin! "I''m old and it''s too strenuous to do all these things. Xu Lan and Liu Fen, please help me," Xia Jun said. It was not unreasonable for sisters-in-law to help their brother-in-law organize a wedding. The others left to get busy while Qiao Mei stayed behind. She still wanted to stay and watch the fun! Besides, she was the best at organizing banquets! She was always the one who organized all the big and small banquets at home and all the guests who came always praised her. Looking at her status in the family, she was the eldest son''s daughter-in-law and should be able to represent all the grandchildren! She could not just let the older generation do everything. Time was tight and the task was important. It was really difficult to organize a wedding banquet in a week. There were still many things that they needed to buy! Furthermore, they still did not even know where the matrimonial home was located!No?v(el)B\\jnn "Father, where will Third Brother''s matrimonial home be?" Xu Lan asked tentatively. Xia Guang owned a house in the capital, but that house was very close to Zhou Hua''s house. If they held a banquet there, Zhou Hua would definitely be in a tizzy! "Matrimonial home..." Liu Fen subconsciously took a glance at Qiao Mei. When she realized what she had done, she immediately blushed and looked elsewhere. No matter how many properties Qiao Mei had, it was not possible for her to lend it to Xia Guang to use as a matrimonial home! Liu Fen felt that she must have lost her mind! Everyone laughed out loud. Liu Fen giggled and said, "Look at this smart kid! She''s all about the money!" "It''s different! If it''s for Second Aunt-in-law''s family, I definitely won''t ask for payment," Qiao Mei said. What Qiao Mei meant could not be more obvious, but even Xia Jun did not think that she had gone overboard. Xia Guang had indeed not behaved properly like an elder should, so there was no need for a junior like Qiao Mei to respect him. "We want the best for everything. Miss Tang is a dignified person and it''s her first marriage. We must do everything in a grand manner and not let others think that we''re being perfunctory to her," Xu Lan said. "The best banquet is 666 dollars a table. We probably need at least 15 tables that day. Does Third Uncle have that much money?" Qiao Mei asked. She could not possibly let him do it on credit. If so, she and Li Gui would just come up empty- handed. There was nothing they could do if he refused to pay them. "I''ll pay for it," Xia Jun said. "Is this appropriate?" Qiao Mei asked. Xia Jun thought for a moment and said, "It''s not appropriate. That asshole. I have to pay for two weddings for him. If he dares to have a third one, I''ll ask him to get lost from the Xia family! His name will be removed from the family tree!" Xia Jun was not going to fork out the money for nothing. He told Xia Guang to write him an IOU and to give him half of his monthly salary until he could pay the entire sum. Without any hesitation, Xia Guang rushed to Tang Hui''s house and told her about what had happened. Tang Hui stood rooted to the spot for a long time, unable to come back to her senses. They had not known each other for that long, so why did they need to rush to get married? "Let''s go and register our marriage tomorrow! We''ll hold the wedding ceremony this week!" Xia Guang said agitatedly. He thought that Tang Hui would definitely agree, but he did not expect her to reject him without any hesitation. Chapter 2276 The Purpose of Getting Married 2276 The Purpose of Getting Married "I''m sorry. This is really too sudden for me to react. Please give me some time," Tang Hui said earnestly. "Don''t... don''t you want to marry me? I thought we are dating with the intention to get married? Believe me, I''ll make you happy! I want to settle down and spend the rest of my life with you! From now on, there''s no one else I want other than you!" Xia Guang said anxiously. Tang Hui looked at Xia Guang and did not say anything. So what if he wanted to settle down? It was not as if Xia Guang had the final say in the Xia family. If the two of them wanted to have a smooth life, it would still depend on what Xia Wen and Qiao Mei thought. Xia Wen was in charge of all the matters outside the house and Qiao Mei was in charge of most of the matters at home. If Tang Hui wanted to marry Xia Guang, she would still have to ask Qiao Mei for her opinion. Tang Hui held Xia Guang''s hand and comforted him. "Of course I want to marry you, but it''s a little hard for me to accept it when you say such things to me out of the blue. Moreover, the high school third-year class I teach will be taking the college entrance examination this year. It''ll be a huge blow to the students to have a change in teacher at this time. I will discuss our marriage after they graduate." These were excuses that Tang Hui could think of for now. After all, Xia Guang did not explain to her why he suddenly wanted to get married or why he needed to leave the capital. Xia Guang continued to make many promises to Tang Hui. Those oaths did not mean much to her. She felt that they were as fragile as pieces of paper. The next day, Tang Hui asked Qiao Mei out for a chat and Qiao Mei readily agreed. She already guessed that Tang Hui would come and find her. "Long time no see," Qiao Mei said with a smile. "Yes, we haven''t seen each other for a few months." Tang Hui forced out a smile. "Don''t smile if you don''t want to. I know you''re in a difficult position now," Qiao Mei said. "You should know why I want to do it." Tang Hui stared at Qiao Mei directly. Qiao Mei immediately understood what Tang Hui meant. She did not expect that such a person would join the family. It was a pleasant surprise for her! Tang Hui was already in her 40s. At her age, was she still looking for love? Most men in their 40s were getting married for the second time. Rather than marry someone with a lousy background, it was still better to marry someone with a strong family background like Xia Guang. During this period of time, she had also figured out Qiao Mei''s temperament. As long as she treated Qiao Mei sincerely and did not do anything to betray Qiao Mei, then Qiao Mei would treat her well. Qiao Mei had a very high status in the education field. If she could become related to Qiao Mei, she would also have some say in the capital''s education field. Only a fool would not accept such an advantage. Moreover, Xia Guang was truly good to her, so a person like that could not be too bad. "By the way, the wedding ceremony will have to be held at your house. I''ll get my family members to send all the necessary things over after we buy them. When you reach home, call my house and let my helpers have the exact address," Qiao Mei said. "Can''t I just give it to you now?" Tang Hui said. "There are other people in charge of these things. I am busy with your wedding banquet," Qiao Mei said, purposely looking troubled. "Alright, I''ll see you then," Tang Hui said. "How strange. The next time we meet, I''ll have to address you as Third Aunt-in-law," Qiao Mei said. That night, Tang Hui gave Feng Hua her address and people came to start cleaning up the house the next day. Tang Hui also told Xia Guang that she would accept his proposal. Chapter 2277 Zhou Hua Causing Trouble 2277 Zhou Hua Causing Trouble It was soon the day of the wedding. Qiao Mei stood behind Tang Hui and said, "You look so beautiful. This dress suits you very well." Tang Hui was dressed in a luxurious gown. Although it was not custom-made, it was still an expensive dress. She had always dreamed of what it would feel like to wear a wedding dress one day. Although it was a little different from what she had imagined, Xia Guang had already done his best. "It''s because you''re so thoughtful," Tang Hui said. "I have bought you a lot of clothes and bags. They''re all in the wardrobe. Treat them as your wedding gifts," Qiao Mei said. "I''ve caused you to spend too much money. I had thought the grudge between you and your third uncle would affect me," Tang Hui said with a smile. Qiao Mei shrugged and said indifferently, "Those things are in the past. The people who deserve to be punished have also received their due punishment. As long as Third Uncle doesn''t insist on going against me, we''ll be able to get along." Tang Hui was not in the mood to think about the wedding at the moment. She could only think about how much wedding gift money she could collect today and whether it would be enough for her to repay their debt. She wanted to pay back the money they owed Xia Jun as soon as possible. Otherwise, she would never be able to stand up tall in the Xia family. They did not invite too many people to the wedding banquet. Qiao Mei had sent the restaurant chefs to Tang Hui''s house to cook and had also advertised this fact very prominently. The Tang family did not have much of a background in the capital. They were just an ordinary family and no one was familiar with Tang Hui. All the guests were family friends of the Xia family. After all, there was nothing much to celebrate about Xia Guang getting married at this age. The fewer people who knew about it, the better. "Humans always want to use their own lives to punish others. Perhaps they think that their own life is the most precious thing they have. The truth is that they will only hurt themselves," Qiao Mei said. "She can only hurt a person who loves her. Even if she dies in the arms of a person who doesn''t love her, he won''t feel touched at all. He will only feel disgusted. Maybe he might feel a sense of regret for a moment. However, it''s not regret for letting her down, but regret for marrying her in the first place," Tang Hui said mockingly. Qiao Mei could not help but applaud Tang Hui. It was very impressive for a woman living in such a feudal era to be able to say such things. If not for the fact that she had spent a long time with Tang Hui, she would have thought that Tang Hui had also transmigrated from the future. "What do you plan to do? My third uncle is a soft-hearted person. If he leaves with Zhou Hua later, how are you going to settle the mess he leaves behind?" Qiao Mei asked. "What''s the hurry? There''s always a way out," Tang Hui said happily. Xia Guang rushed over from the backyard. It looked like he had not gone to the main door to see Zhou Hua and had rushed to Tang Hui''s room to explain himself. "I''m sorry! I really don''t know why she''s here! I... I''ll go and send her away now!" Xia Guang said apologetically. Tang Hui held Xia Guang''s hand and said, "We''re already husband and wife. You say that I''m the only one for you from now on. Since Sister Zhou is here because of me, we should face this matter together!" Xia Guang looked at Tang Hui gratefully and said, "Alright! Let''s go together!" Chapter 2278: Pledge Everlasting Love Chapter 2278: Pledge Everlasting Love ? The two of them walked towards Zhou Hua hand in hand, leaving Qiao Mei behind. This was the first time she had seen a woman controlling a man''s heart so stealthy. What an expert! All the guests did not dare to act rashly. It was uncomfortable to be caught within the Xia family''s drama. Although the Xia family had done well in the past few years and life was getting better and better for them, more than half of the Xia family members had gotten divorced and then remarried. So what if they seemed to be doing well on the surface, who knew what kind of life they were living behind the scenes? Xia Jun sat in the main hall with a cold expression. He did not expect this vicious woman, Zhou Hua, to dare to come and cause trouble! It seemed that he had been too nice! "What are you doing here!" Xia Guang said sternly. "I''m here to see what a heartless person like you is up to! Have you forgotten how you pledge everlasting love between us? Have you forgotten what you promised me back then!" Zhou Hua said a lot of things about the past while Xia Guang stood there silently. Zhou Hua originally wanted to provoke Tang Hui so that Tang Hui would fight with her. This way, Tang Hui''s perfect image in Xia Guang''s heart would be completely destroyed. Unexpectedly, Tang Hui remained unmoved and even watched everything with a smile on her face. Zhou Hua''s jealous heart completely exploded and she began to say inappropriate things. "Do you still remember? You say that you like my body the most and that I have a very good figure that no other woman has! Can she even satisfy you?" Xia Guang blushed and scolded angrily, "You''re so shameless! When did I say such things!" "Don''t try to deny! We even have three children together! It''s not easy for me to bring up three children alone! Yet you divorce me once you come back! You''re inhuman!" Zhou Hua said aggrievedly. "Everyone, let''s start!" Li Gui said as she waved her hands. Xia He observed the people in the surroundings and suddenly realized that there was a woman wearing a headscarf and a mask sneaking around in the corner. She had never seen this person before and did not hear that Li Gui''s restaurant had recruited new staff. Moreover, this person''s figure was starting to look more and more familiar... "Auntie Li, is that person a new employee?" Xia He asked as she pointed at the woman in the corner. Li Gui did not have much of an impression of this person. There were too many things to do today and there were many people around, so she could not recall anything immediately. While she was still hesitating, Xia He went forward and held the woman''s shoulder as she asked, "The weather is so hot today, why are you covered up so tightly?" "I... I have a rash on my face! It''s not nice to look at," the woman stammered. Xia He found the woman''s voice to be very familiar. She pulled off the woman''s mask confidently and said, "It''s been a long time, Tan Jing. I didn''t expect to meet you here in such a manner. It''s... such a surprise." "How can you tell that it''s me?" Tan Jing asked. "I''m the principal dancer in the art troupe. One can change one''s appearance and makeup, but it''s more difficult for one to change one''s figure and walking posture," Xia He explained. Tan Jing had no intention of leaving this place alive. She had nothing left, so it was not a big deal to fight to the death. Chapter 2279 Poisoning Again Chapter 2279 Poisoning Again "What are you doing here? Or rather, what have you already done?" Xia He questioned. "Since you''re so capable, you can investigate it yourself. I won''t say anything," Tan Jing said arrogantly. Qiao Mei looked at the time and hurried to the backyard. Tan Jing had already been tied up by Xia He and left at the side. The rest of the people had gathered around the ingredients on the table and they all looked troubled. "What happened?" Qiao Mei asked despite knowing what had happened. "Tan Jing has tampered with today''s dishes! She''s very tight-lipped and we don''t know which ingredients are the problematic ones. It''s almost time to start the banquet and if we don''t serve the dishes soon, the people outside will think of us as a joke," Xia He said in distress. Qiao Mei looked at the plants nearby. She had no hand in the plants here. Tan Jing had done the poisoning when she was in a blind spot, so Qiao Mei could not use the memories of the plants to determine where the poison was placed. She touched the necklace around her neck. This was one of the items left behind by Gao Tao. Qiao Mei realized that the function of this necklace was similar to a X-ray detector in her other life. Through information like the density, material and thickness of an object, she could obtain information about the internal structure of the object. If there was poison on something, she could see where the poison was sprayed. There was nothing wrong with the ingredients on the table. Qiao Mei looked at the water vat that was glowing with a faint green light and smiled as she said, "You''re really a creature of habit. The method you used is so old-fashioned and you still like to put poison into the water vat. I''m guessing you haven''t had time to deal with the container containing the poison. This time, you won''t be able to escape." Tang Hui had always felt that Xia Jun was very dignified and a man of his word. She could never imagine Xia Jun apologizing to others. "It''s nothing. These are all accidents. No one can avoid accidents. Fortunately, Xia Guang and I are united," Tang Hui said as she looked at Xia Guang with a blissful look. Xia Guang grinned widely. Right now, he only had Tang Hui on his mind. He had been abused by Zhou Hua for so many years and had thought that all women were shrews like Zhou Hua. Tang Hui had shown him a lot of respect today and did not display any unhappiness at all. She even praised him. He felt that he was the luckiest man in the world to marry such a wonderful woman. Even if Tang Hui asked him to go and die now, he would be willing to do it. "You''re very sensible. I''m very happy to hear that." Xia Jun took out a brocade box from his pocket. Xia Wen took it and walked up to Tang Hui, saying, "This is a gift from Grandfather and Grandmother to their third daughter-in-law. It''s part of my grandmother''s dowry." There was a pair of superior jade bangles in the brocade box. The color and transparency were excellent and they looked very expensive. Back then, Wu Min had prepared three pairs of bangles. Her plan was to give one pair to each of her three daughters-in-law, but she had held on to Zhou Hua''s share for a long time. When Xia Guang and Zhou Hua got married, Xia Jun and Wu Min were not in agreement. However, the Xia family''s family motto was not to interfere with their children''s decisions. They tacitly let Xia Guang do what he wanted, but in their hearts, they did not accept Zhou Hua. Chapter 2280 Become a Member of the Xia Family Chapter 2280 Become a Member of the Xia Family "The style of the bangles look so familiar. Do my mother and Eldest Aunt-in-law also have a pair?" Xia Wan said as she looked at the bangles. "That''s right. When Third Brother got married the previous time, I had wondered why Mother did not give her the bangles. It seems that everything was predestined," Liu Fen said. Tang Hui finally felt relieved. She had been completely accepted by the Xia family. From now on, she was a part of the Xia family. "Thank you, Father. I''ll take good care of this pair of bangles," Tang Hui said. "The Xia family is now a prominent family and there are many rules to follow. There are many things that you''re still not familiar with. Before the two of you head to the border, let your eldest and second sisters-in-law brief you about the rules," Xia Jun said. Actually, it was nothing big. As Tang Hui had never interacted with anyone who was part of the military, she did not know the rules of the military and did not know what she could and could not say and do. In order to prevent the whereabouts of the Xia family members from being leaked, they had to be extra careful in everything they did. Qiao Mei had never received such "training" before. After all, Qiao Qiang was a soldier and the Xia family felt that Qiao Mei already knew all these things. In addition, in her other life, Qiao Mei was a criminal lawyer and no one knew more about the importance of confidentiality than her. "It''s already so late. Everyone can rest here and go home tomorrow." Xia Jun stood up and looked at Xia Guang before saying, "The two of you must get up early tomorrow to pay respects to your ancestors." "Pay respects to ancestors?" Tang Hui looked at Xia Guang in confusion. "Most of the Xia family members died in the war. Old Master Xia grew up alone and always had regrets in this aspect. Whenever a Xia family member gets married, the couple has to go to the Xia family''s ancestral hall to pay respects to the ancestors the day after the wedding and let them know that there is a new member of the family," Xu Lan explained nicely. "How long does the Huang family have?" Qiao Mei asked. "Aunt can''t tell me, but I''ve asked around and found out that the Huang family members are in very poor health. I think they have two to three years left, at most five years," Xia Wen lamented. It was really a pity for them to lose their lives like that. However, the Huang family members'' pending deaths were not unjustified. It could be said that it was repayment for their past evil deeds. "Have you heard from him recently?" Qiao Mei looked at Xia Wen and asked worriedly. Xia Wen knew who the "him" Qiao Mei was talking about was. He shook his head and said, "I''m not sure. The level of confidentiality on news about him is very high now and they won''t inform his family unless it''s a matter of life and death. However... I heard from Xia Wan that he has an ambiguous relationship with another woman overseas. Is that true?" "It''s just hype," Qiao Mei said indifferently. Xia Wen frowned and asked, "How can he let such a thing happen, even if it''s just hype! When he comes back, I''ll definitely make him go to Grandfather to receive his punishment!" "Yes! He should be punished! Avenge me!" Qiao Mei recalled the photos in the newspaper again. At that time, she was very jealous! She could not forget about this slight and must make Xia Zhe suffer a little. "Are you very worried about him? What happened when you were in Country M this time round?" Xia Wen acutely felt that something was wrong with Qiao Mei''s reaction. "He found a... an ''item''. It''s something very useful. When I left, he was still fighting for it. I don''t know if he''s doing well or what stage of the process he''s in now," Qiao Mei said worriedly. This "item" was a state secret, so it was better not to tell Xia Wen for the time being. Chapter 2281: Decentralize Chapter 2281: Decentralize ? "Let''s get down to business. Tan Jing has already been convicted. Zou Ming told me that she is sentenced to life imprisonment. What do you think?" Xia Wen asked. "I''m surprised it''s not the death sentence," Qiao Mei said in surprise. Tan Jing was convicted of only the poisoning incidents at Li Gui''s restaurant and at Xia Guang''s wedding banquet yesterday and of poisoning the entire Huang family. Qiao Mei''s land in the suburbs was hit in a different way from these three incidents. There was no witness or physical evidence, so there was no way to attribute the incident to Tan Jing. As they could not gather enough physical evidence, it was impossible to calculate the amount of pesticides used, so the final known amount did not justify her getting the death sentence. "It can''t be helped. The bar is higher for a death sentence nowadays," Xia Wen said. "It''s fine. She has received the punishment she deserves. It doesn''t matter if she dies or not," Qiao Mei said. Xia Wen took out a folded report from his pocket and handed it to Qiao Mei. "This is a rough estimation of our losses. See if there''s anything else you want to add." Qiao Mei did a detailed review and in the end, she added in a big amount for monetary losses and an additional compensation fee for emotional damage. The total amount she added was 360,000 dollars. Even if Tan Jing and the Tan family sold themselves, they would not be able to pay it back. "Will this piece of paper drive them crazy?" Qiao Mei asked. "Even if they go crazy, it''s not our fault. Tan Jing brought it on herself and the Tan family deserved it. We just want to take back whatever belongs to us," Xia Wen said calmly. Qiao Mei was currently living in the most prosperous area in the city center. In the future, every inch of land here would be worth a lot of money. Comparing the current capital with the capital in her other life, only 10% of the land had been developed so far. The rest of the land was wasteland and farmland. The land that Xia Wen had obtained for her was the future financial district! That was something priceless! "Eldest Brother, you''re too amazing!" Qiao Mei said happily. "Those plots of land are on lease. You can''t buy them," Xia Wen said. "It''s fine, even a lease is good! How long is the lease? Can we have 100 years?" Qiao Mei asked. "100 years? Only if you can live for 100 years! Why do you want such a long lease? You want the children to take over after you die?" "No matter who takes care of it, the longer the lease, the better!" Qiao Mei said. "It''s not that long. The lease is for 60 years. After 60 years, you''ll already be almost 80 years old! It''s really an eye-opener for me that you actually want to farm until you''re 100 years old," Xia Wen said. "60 years is fine too. I can always extend it later," Qiao Mei said regretfully. Qiao Mei looked at the map on the wall and fell into deep thought. An area of 600 mu was really huge and would attract attention. It would also be very difficult for her to find people to take over in the future. There were not many people who had the funds to take over such a big plot of land. "Eldest Brother, can you help me cut them into different plots? About 100 to 200 mu for each plot," Qiao Mei said. "Isn''t it better to manage just one piece of land? Won''t you be tired from going to so many sites every day?" Xia Wen asked. Back then, he had eyed this piece of land so that Qiao Mei could work closer to home. Then, it would not take her an hour to drive to the suburbs each way every day like what she had to do now. She could rest more and have more time and energy. Chapter 2282 Develop Real Estate Chapter 2282 Develop Real Estate "It''s not tiring since I drive anyway. Also, I grow different types of crops. If they are all planted together, there''s always a risk of cross contamination," Qiao Mei said sternly. Xia Wen did not understand these things. Since Qiao Mei said so, then he would just do as she said. It was very easy to rent land plots of about 100 mu each. As for the existing land plot of a few hundred mu, he would still keep it and set it aside for now. The rent they were paying was an internal rent that was very low and also on a completely different level from the market rent. It would be a pity to reject such a good deal. After all, it would not cost them much even if they just left it there. "Eldest Brother, is it alright if we don''t use that plot of land for farming but for something else?" Qiao Mei asked expectantly. Xia Wen smiled resignedly. So this was what Qiao Mei had in mind! No wonder she kept asking if it could be cut up. "You already have properties in various cities, so why do you still want to continue going into other businesses? Can you handle such a big portfolio?" Xia Wen said. "I only put in the investment. I don''t deal with the management part of the business. We just need to find a few more people like Qian''e," Qiao Mei said nonchalantly. Xia Wen felt a headache coming on. When it came to people like Qian''e, who was very knowledgeable and also loyal to Qiao Mei, how many of such people could they find in this world? If these people should turn around to bite the finger which fed them, then not only would there be a loss of money, but he was more worried that Qiao Mei would be in danger. Most of the Xia family members, regardless of gender, knew how to protect themselves. They were all sent to the army to learn martial arts techniques when they were young, but Qiao Mei was different. Although Qiao Mei had a lot of strength, she did not possess any combat skills. If she really encountered those really vicious criminals, she would get injured. "Alright. You have to be careful for the time being. Although the Huang family has fallen on hard times, they used to have some dealings with the triads. I''m concerned that there are people who will be tempted to make a move. Those people won''t care who we are," Xia Wen said. "Got it! I definitely won''t forget what you said!" Qiao Mei said as she made a vow. She felt that ever since Xia Wen became a father, he had become a lot naggy for some reason. It was as if... as if Xia Wen was treating her like his daughter. He kept reminding her to be careful and was always worried that she would encounter difficulties or setbacks. She recalled that he had never been so careful in the past? "I''ve marked out on the map those plots that I can rent for you. Where do you intend to set up your companies? What exactly do you want to do?" Xia Wen said. Qiao Mei had already decided on the locations and quickly marked them out. Xia Wen sighed and said, "You''re really not shy. These spots are where the government is focusing on for the country''s future development. It seems like you''ve been eyeing these places for a long time." "I want to go into real estate," Qiao Mei said firmly. At the moment, her real estate business only involved experimental projects in the south and she did not have any involvement in the north yet. She was not optimistic about the profits coming from the south. Moreover, in order to really go into the real estate business, one needed to invest a lot of manpower, resources, connections and money. It was not something which ordinary people could do. The one thing which Qiao Mei did not lack was money! This business was very suitable for her. Chapter 2283 Marriage Agency Chapter 2283 Marriage Agency Xia Wen could already foresee that the trend in the future would definitely veer towards real estate. After all, there were dangerous buildings everywhere and the current city planning was definitely not up to mark. The government had already begun to pay attention to this aspect, but it was still a loss-making business for the time being. Not only was the payback very slow, but it also took up a lot of time and energy. At this moment, it was difficult for any family to even have 1,000 dollars in their savings. How many families would be willing to buy a property? Renting a house every month was only about 10 dollars. No one would be willing to take the risk. Everyone still wanted to hold on to their money. "Have you really thought it through? This is a bottomless pit," Xia Wen said. "Yes, I have. Xia Zhe has also made a lot of money. He has more than enough money for me to go into real estate development. Don''t worry, Eldest Brother," Qiao Mei said. That was true. He had also heard Xia He and Xia Wan talk about Xia Zhe''s latest updates. Xia Zhe was doing very well overseas now and had even become a prominent wealthy businessman in Country M. Xia Zhe''s mission was almost over and the businesses in Country M would probably be handed over to someone else after that. If he did not keep a single cent of his earnings, his money-minded wife would explode from anger and he might not even be able to enter his own house. After confirming the locations of the land plots, the most important thing now was to start building the greenhouses. The crops she planted were all very delicate. With the greenhouses, she could ensure harvests all year round and maximize the profits. Qiao Mei asked Sun Tian to come to her house. She tapped on three spots on the map and said, "Leave the land in the suburbs to settle down for a while. I''m going to let you take charge of these places." "No problem. How many mu is that?" Sun Tian asked confidently. "By the way, if your staff are of marriageable age, they can come and put down their names. I can arrange for them to go on blind dates," Qiao Mei said. Sun Tian had never seen such a good boss. Not only did she treat her employees well and give them high salaries, but she was also concerned about her employees'' marriage plans! She was like an immortal who had descended to the mortal world! "Sure, sure, sure! I''ll definitely tell them!" Sun Tian left excitedly after saying that. Business was constantly expanding and there were many young men and women working in the company. If she could arrange for them to go on blind dates and get married, that would also strengthen their commitment to the company and they would continue to work here. "Sigh... Looks like I have to find someone to set up a marriage agency," Qiao Mei lamented. Before Qiao Mei could think of a plan, Xia He ran in noisily with many bags and said, "Qiao Mei!!! Guess what I saw! Big news!" Qiao Mei smiled happily. She had the perfect candidate. Xia He was a perfect match to be in charge of the marriage agency. "What did you buy?" Qiao Mei asked. "Don''t worry about these things for now! Let me tell you! I saw Auntie Li! I thought I was seeing things. After I confirmed that it was her, I rushed here to look for you!" Xia He said excitedly. "Huh? Didn''t my mother say that she was going to the restaurant? Where did you see her?" Qiao Mei asked curiously. Chapter 2284: Fantasy Is Always Beautiful Chapter 2284: Fantasy Is Always Beautiful ? "I saw her and Mr. Xu shopping at the mall. He was carrying some men''s clothing, paid for with your mother''s card! The two of them even held hands!" Xia He said. Qiao Mei frowned. She did not expect Li Gui to dare to lie to her because of this man. This man was really something if he was able to make Li Gui put in so much so willingly. Xia He saw that Qiao Mei did not look too happy, so she said gently, "Don''t worry too much. Auntie Li is an adult and she knows her own limits. I think that man is quite a gentleman and he doesn''t look like a bad person. If she really wants to remarry, there''s nothing bad about it. You can''t ask her to be alone her whole life." "I''m afraid that she''s already immersed in the sea of love and can''t extricate herself," Qiao Mei said with a sigh. Qiao Mei told Xia He about everything that the Xu family had done. Xia He was so angry that she almost rushed out to beat up the Xu family members. They were too much! "So many things happened!" Xia He said. "You were in confinement at that time, so I didn''t tell you. These things have already all been resolved," Qiao Mei said. "This is a fire pit! Auntie Li must not be allowed to step into it," Xia He said firmly. "I..." Li Gui hesitated, not knowing how to answer Qiao Mei''s question. She had indeed thought about marrying Xu Ba and he had also raised the issue earlier today. Qiao Mei shook her head helplessly. The desire for love was Li Gui''s Achilles heel and she could never remember the pain she suffered previously. She could only remember these short-lived beautiful moments. It looked like Qiao Mei needed to help Li Gui recall the past. "Have you forgotten how the Xu family members treated us back then? Also, what are your plans for Mr. Xu''s children in the future? Who is Old Madam Xu going to stay with?" Qiao Mei asked. Xu Ba had already made many promises to Li Gui, so she quickly repeated what he said to Qiao Mei. His children would live on campus in the future and Old Madam Xu could go and live with his elder brother. He only wanted to spend time alone with Li Gui and he would never force her to do anything that she was unwilling to do. Qiao Mei almost could not bear to interrupt Li Gui. Her face was filled with happiness, as if she was already married to Xu Ba. "Are Xu Ba''s children going to study forever? After they finish their studies, where will they live when they need to go out and work? If they can''t find jobs, will they expect you to help?" "Has the Xu family''s elder son confirmed that he will take over the care of his mother? If Old Madam Xu wants to live with Xu Ba, are you going to force them to live apart?" "What about the festive seasons? Do they intend to go to your restaurant to celebrate? And then get looked down upon and yet still have to bear with their attitudes after spending money on them." "You must have bought a lot of things at the mall today. I think you''re the one who paid for everything. Is this how you express your love?" Li Gui could not handle Qiao Mei''s series of questions. She had not even thought about all the things which Qiao Mei said just now. She just... just completely trusted Xu Ba. Xia He patted Qiao Mei''s shoulder and whispered, "Don''t go overboard." Qiao Mei massaged her temples. It was really difficult for her to control her emotions. The usually astute Li Gui was always indecisive when it came to feelings and was always bullied. Although it was a good thing to cherish relationships, it was not good when things were taken to the extreme. If she valued a relationship too much, she would only end up getting hurt. Chapter 2285: Find a Way to Get Married Chapter 2285: Find a Way to Get Married ? "I bought him some stuff today because I want to thank him. He didn''t ask me to buy anything. Besides... he''s only an ordinary salaried worker and doesn''t earn as much as me," Li Gui said. Qiao Mei smiled mockingly. She was not mocking Li Gui, but Xu Ba. His job position was not low-ranking and his monthly salary was at least 140 dollars. Since he worked in a state-owned unit, the benefits were good too. He was considered to be in an outstanding position in this era. In business, one would still need to face both losses and profits. For Xu Ba, it was pure profits all the way. "Who told you that he doesn''t earn much?" Qiao Mei asked. Li Gui did not say anything. She had guessed all these things, but Xu Ba had indeed always intentionally or unintentionally mentioned that there was a difference in their financial statuses. At this point, Li Gui understood everything. She lowered her head and said in a low voice, "I didn''t think it through. There''s no good ending for the two of us." "I''m not forcing you to give it up. It''s not as if this matter can''t be resolved," Qiao Mei said. Li Gui''s extinguished passion was reignited with hope. She asked excitedly, "How do we resolve it?" After saying that, she felt that it was embarrassing to sound so desperate and she blushed. "Let Xia He train you. This way, you won''t have to be scared of anyone. If anyone bullies you, you can hit them back. Our family has medicine and money and can afford to compensate anyone. Even if someone dies, we can bring the person back to life," Qiao Mei said arrogantly. Xia He almost laughed out loud. If she had not seen with her own eyes how Xia Mao was saved from the brink of death by Qiao Mei''s medicine, she would have thought that Qiao Mei was exaggerating. "If you''re ever the antagonist, you''ll be a very scary one." After saying that, Xia He looked at Li Gui and said, "Qiao Mei is right. As long as you''re strong enough, they won''t dare to bully you casually." Qiao Mei had seen and heard too many of such things. Li Gui would not be able to withstand the pressure brought about by public opinion at all. When the time came, it would only make her physically and mentally exhausted. After thinking about it, Qiao Mei said, "You and Mr. Xu should have a good chat about marriage. Let me know when you''re done. We... we''ll then have a meal with the Xu family." "Alright! Alright!" Li Gui said happily. She skipped happily and ran back to her room to give Xu Ba a call. Xia He looked at Li Gui''s departing figure and said, "This is the first time I''ve seen Auntie Li so happy." "Yes, me too," Qiao Mei said wistfully. "Are you really ready for this? Don''t tell me you''re just trying to trick Auntie Li into telling you the truth?" Xia He asked. "Nothing is certain. I''m not fully prepared either. I only know that if the Xu family is insatiable and shameless, then I definitely won''t let my mother marry into the family, even if it means sending her to the south to live for a period of time," Qiao Mei said. "Don''t worry. Auntie Li won''t be so muddle-headed. You''re the person she cherishes the most. She won''t ignore her children''s opinions," Xia He comforted. "I didn''t expect you to know how to comfort people!" Qiao Mei said with a laugh. "I''m not totally emotionless! How can I not know how to do it! Let me know when you''re having a meal with them and I''ll go along," Xia He said. Chapter 2286: Meet Up Again Chapter 2286: Meet Up Again ? "What are you going to do? Help me beat them up?" Qiao Mei asked. "It''s not impossible. If they''re that impulsive, I can just beat them up!" Xia He said happily. "Alright, you can come too." After saying that, Qiao Mei returned to her room to rest. Xia He called up Xia Wen excitedly to ask him about what happened previously. She had wanted to gossip with him and also find out more about the Xu family''s background. She did not expect him to fly into a rage when he heard about what was going on. He already knew about this matter back then. After all, he was the one who had dealt with the aftermath. He knew very well how despicable the Xu family members were. Since they all already knew that this family was trash, why did they still want to contact these people again? "When is this meal going to be? I''ll go too," Xia Wen said with a frown. "Eldest Brother, isn''t it inappropriate for you to go? It''s just a casual meal, not a formal gathering," Xia He said. Xia Wen was currently the Xia family''s representative. He represented the Xia family''s standpoint whenever he went. Therefore, he could not casually attend banquets nowadays. This was not even the most important issue. The thing was that Xia He felt that Qiao Mei planned to take the Xu family down a notch at the meal, so it would be inconvenient if Xia Wen was around. Why did she say these things to Xia Wen! Sigh! What if she messed up Qiao Mei''s plan! "Don''t say anything else. I''ll go to Qiao Mei''s house tomorrow morning. I still have work to do so I''ll hang up first." With that, Xia Wen hung up the phone. Xia He stood rooted to the spot in a daze with the phone in her hand. She looked at Deng Fan aggrievedly and said, "Do you think I have caused trouble?" "It''s not as if I want to cause chaos in the Xu family. It depends on whether they can really understand what I''m saying. If they insist on causing trouble, I can''t just stand by and watch," Qiao Mei said. Xia Wen and Xia He agreed with what Qiao Mei said. Since Li Gui wanted to spend the rest of her life with Xu Ba, then these issues had to be resolved. The date for the meal was set very quickly. Three days later, they all gathered at Li Gui''s restaurant. Things were different today. The same people sat in the same seats, but their attitudes were totally different. Old Madam Xu was no longer as domineering and unreasonable as before. She even went to the kitchen to cook her best dish for Li Gui to try. Xu Chun seemed to be very afraid of Qiao Mei and lowered her head like an ostrich in hiding. Xia He curiously tugged at the corner of Qiao Mei''s top and asked softly, "What''s the story between you and her?" "She was wooing Xia Yuan some time back. She pestered him for a long time, so I took care of the issue," Qiao Mei said. "My goodness, this Xia Yuan. He really has lousy romantic luck. Second Aunt-in-law is already preparing for his wedding with Zhou Xi," Xia He said. "That''s really not bad. When Xia Yuan gets married, I have to give him a big gift." Qiao Mei deliberately raised her voice so that everyone present could hear what she said. Xu Chun''s face turned pale. Liu Xiao gritted her teeth and looked at Qiao Mei. She knew who Xia Yuan was. If not for Qiao Mei interfering in this matter, she might even have a grandson by now! Xu Ba looked at Qiao Mei nervously. He knew very well that if he really wanted to marry Li Gui, he had to get Qiao Mei''s approval. If Qiao Mei did not agree, then he had no hope. "This must be Xia He. I''ve seen you on the art troupe''s publicity posters! You''re so beautiful!" Liu Xiao said with a smile. Chapter 2287: Are You an Abusive Partner? Chapter 2287: Are You an Abusive Partner? ? Xia He nodded politely. She turned around and muttered softly to Qiao Mei, "Is there something wrong with this person? Just now, she was still staring at us fiercely. What''s going on now?" "She''s probably trying to get close to you," Qiao Mei said. Before the Xu family members left the house, Xu Tian had instructed Liu Xiao to be more polite to Qiao Mei. Otherwise, he would beat her up until she was paralyzed! He would make her lie in bed for the rest of her life! "I heard that you even went overseas for a period of time. You''re really amazing. Are you used to life overseas? What''s it like compared to life here?" Liu Xiao asked curiously. Before coming here, Xu Ba had probably told the Xu family all the information about the Xia family. It should not be difficult for them to find out about this. "It''s not too bad. I just try my best to make a living overseas," Xia He said. "How can that be! It''s already very impressive to be able to go overseas!" Liu Xiao continued with the flattery. Xia He shook her head and said, "It''s not as safe as the capital. There are small gangs which will go around causing trouble. Once it gets dark, we don''t dare to go out for fear of getting into trouble." Before Liu Xiao could say anything else, Xu Cai looked at Xia He in disbelief and asked, "Is that true? I thought people always say that it''s very nice overseas?" Li Gui could not help but say, "Stop hitting yourself!" Liu Xiao did not dare to stop. What Li Gui said did not count. She could only stop when Qiao Mei said so. Otherwise, she would receive even worse abuse and beating at home. Qiao Mei observed Liu Xiao carefully. She had less strength in her left hand compared with her right hand. It did not seem like she was doing it on purpose, more like her left hand was injured. She quietly gathered her energy into a thread and slowly let it approach Liu Xiao. The moment it touched Liu Xiao, Qiao Mei understood why Liu Xiao was so afraid of Xu Tian and Old Madam Xu. "Alright, you can stop," Qiao Mei said. "Yes... Thank you for forgiving me... Thank you..." Liu Xiao said weakly. Qiao Mei looked at Xu Tian, then turned to look at Xu Ba and asked, "Do you have any bad habits?" "Our Xu Ba definitely doesn''t have any! He doesn''t smoke, drink or gamble!" Old Madam Xu quickly spoke up. "Oh~ Then do you hit women?" When Qiao Mei said this, she looked at Liu Xiao. Xu Tian and Old Madam Xu immediately understood what she meant. How did Qiao Mei know that Liu Xiao had been beaten up? Xu Ba immediately said, "Of course not! I''ve never hit anyone!" Xu Hang and Xu Cai did not show any reaction, so it seemed that what Xu Ba said was true. After all, these two children could not hide anything that they were thinking and were not as sneaky as Xu Chun. Chapter 2288: Move Out Chapter 2288: Move Out ? "What happened before is in the past. Let''s get down to business now. How do you plan to marry my mother? What about the house and betrothal gifts?" Qiao Mei asked. "I plan to..." Before Xu Ba could finish speaking, Qiao Mei interrupted him. "We''ll talk about your issue in detail later. Right now, I just want to hear your family''s opinion. Please don''t speak for the time being," Qiao Mei said as she raised her hand. This was the first time Xu Ba had seen Qiao Mei so serious. It was not for nothing that Qiao Mei could run such a big business. "Yes! Our Xu Ba has a house. The betrothal gifts will be based on your hometown''s customs!" Old Madam Xu said enthusiastically. Qiao Mei massaged her temples and said, "I''m not sure what our hometown''s customs are now. Let''s use my wedding as a reference point. My betrothal gift is 2,000 dollars plus the Four Big Things." "2,000! That''s so much..." Xu Cai said as she looked at Qiao Mei in shock. Although Xu Ba had a high salary, he also had to support two children and his elderly mother. He probably did not have much savings and 2,000 dollars was probably all he had. "Our family is not an unknown family. This sum of money is considered reasonable," Xia He said earnestly. "Alright, let''s sign a contract then," Qiao Mei said as she took out a document. She had prepared this document a long while back and was just waiting for today. "Contract! There''s no need for that..." Old Madam Xu said sheepishly. "Of course it''s necessary. Don''t all those families with many children do this when their elders are old?" Qiao Mei asked. "Yes, they do. My grandfather did up a contract after he retired and his was much thicker than this. It took him more than three months," Xia He said. Xia Wen nodded in agreement. The Xu family was caught between a rock and a hard place now and could only agree to Qiao Mei''s request. Otherwise, all their beautiful fantasies would be shattered! "You even want to stick your nose into the matter about where my grandma stays! Who do you think you are! Why are you so bossy! Why do you have to know so much about our family elder''s future plans!" Xu Cai said furiously. Qiao Mei capped her pen and stood up, saying, "Since this is your family issue, then we won''t stay here any longer. This meal is on me. Please enjoy yourselves." "No, no, no! The child is talking nonsense! You can get involved! Of course you can get involved!" Old Madam Xu said nervously. Xu Hang grabbed on to Xu Cai. It was a big day for the Xu family today. He could see from Xu Ba''s expression that if Xu Cai said another word, Xu Cai would be grounded at home for a while. Although Xu Ba had been kind and indulgent towards them since they were young, he still had limits. As long as it was not something that crossed his baseline, he would accept it. Clearly, his baseline was now Li Gui. Chapter 2289: No Hurry to Get Married Chapter 2289: No Hurry to Get Married ? "My mother earns quite a lot of money, so she can contribute more to your allowance. Everyone will share your medical expenses equally. Quote me an amount," Qiao Mei said. "Then... I want 80 dollars a month," Old Madam Xu said after some thought. Qiao Mei wrote down the amount. She thought that Old Madam Xu would ask for a lot more. It seemed that they did not know how much Li Gui could make in a month. "Alright, you can sign it now." Qiao Mei placed the contract in front of Old Madam Xu. The old woman was illiterate, so Qiao Mei pushed it to Xu Tian and asked him to help check if there was any issue. Xu Tian was a businessman. He quickly realized that the contract was flawless and he could not find any issues with it at all. In fact, there was no room for his family to negotiate. "Wait! Let me find a witness!" Qiao Mei said. "Witness? Do we need to be that formal? We''re all family, so there''s no need for a witness," Old Madam Xu said. "No, we have to have a witness. All contracts need witnesses. Back in the village, we even need to get the most prestigious person in the village to be the witness. I don''t know what kind of rules your family follows," Qiao Mei said disdainfully. Xu Tian and Old Madam Xu could not refute her, so they could only agree with what she said. Qiao Mei asked the chef in the kitchen to come over and said, "This is our chef. He''ll be the witness this time." Both parties signed the contract and the chef also signed as the witness. After having a drink together, he left the room and the matter was considered settled. Xia He raised her eyebrows slightly. This woman had finally revealed her true colors. Old Madam Xu was indeed eyeing Li Gui''s small house. "That house is where my younger siblings live. It''s not convenient," Qiao Mei said. "Then we can use another house! You definitely don''t just have one house!" Old Madam Xu probed. "Indeed that''s true, but they''ve all been rented out. I don''t think there''s anything bad about Mr. Xu''s house. Whether it''s auspicious or not, it''s how we look at it," Qiao Mei said. "Yes, I don''t mind," Li Gui echoed. "That... that''s fine too. What about the date? How about next month?" Old Madam Xu asked again. "There''s no hurry. I am only agreeable to let Mr. Xu date my mother, not for them to get married. Let''s give more thought to this," Qiao Mei said. "But... but the two of them have already dated for so long. People will gossip!" Old Madam Xu said. In this era, if one did not get married after dating for a few months, the neighbors would surely say that there was something wrong with one of them. Sometimes, there would be even more bizarre rumors spreading around. After all, very few people owned a television set and there was no cell phone. People had very few forms of entertainment and could only amuse themselves with these fabricated gossip. Furthermore, no one could control what others said, so people simply said whatever they wanted. Chapter 2290: Work with Me Chapter 2290: Work with Me ? "Let''s eat first. We''ll talk about these things in the future. There''s still a long way to go." After Qiao Mei said that, she picked up her chopsticks and started eating. The others did not dare to continue asking. It looked like the matter today had ended successfully and Xia Wen heaved a sigh of relief. Fortunately, there was no fight. Xia He felt a sense of regret though. She was not around the last time, so she did not know what the Xu family was capable of. They did not kick up any fuss this time. After the meal, before Old Madam Xu left, she said, "Xiao Gui, when you''re free, get Xu Ba to bring you over to our house. I''ll make you a table full of delicious food!" "Sure, I''ll definitely go when I have time," Li Gui said politely. Just as everyone was about to leave, Qiao Mei suddenly shouted, "Wait!" The Xu family members were so shocked that they trembled. Qiao Mei had said this word too many times today and it was starting to have an effect on them! Whenever they heard this word, they would become afraid and think that something bad was going to happen. "I still have a few things to say to Auntie Liu Xiao. Can you stay for a chat? I''ll arrange for someone to send you back later," Qiao Mei said. "Her? She doesn''t know anything and also has a bad temper. What if she offends you again? You can tell me if you need something!" Xu Tian said as he hurriedly stood in front of Liu Xiao. "After all, there were some misunderstandings between us the last time. If we become a family in the future, it won''t be good to have so many misunderstandings. Don''t you think so, Director Xu?" Qiao Mei said sternly. "Are you warning me?" Liu Xiao asked. "Not really. You know very well how much the Xu family wants my mother to marry into the family, especially Xu Tian. He can''t wait to become related to me as soon as possible so that his factory can thrive. Am I right?" Qiao Mei said. What Qiao Mei said was indeed true. Xu Tian had also mentioned these to her before. "If you continue to try to block the matter, it doesn''t matter what I think. We will kick the Xu family aside. At that time, you''d be lucky to stay alive," Qiao Mei said. "It''s illegal to commit murder! They won''t treat me like this! I''ve been a slave to the Xu family for so many years! They won''t abandon me!" Liu Xiao roared. "That''s hard to say. If Xu Tian does well in the future, he can find a young and beautiful new wife who can give him many sons. Won''t that be a beautiful thing in life for him? You should know that Old Madam Xu is very unhappy that you only gave birth to one Xu Chun. She seems to like Xu Hang more," Qiao Mei said. In this era, most of the older folks had the mentality of favoring boys over girls. Qiao Mei had already met too many such people. This was also the reason why Old Madam Xu was currently staying at Xu Ba''s house. She wanted to stay by Xu Hang''s side. Xu Hang was the only heir of the Xu family. In the future, there was a high chance that the Xu family''s small inheritance would be given to Xu Hang. "How... how do you know so much?" Liu Xiao said fearfully. "I know more than that. It''s best if you can live in harmony with my mother and also work with me. Only then can you gain a foothold in the Xu family. I can also do business with Xu Tian so that you can secure your position as his wife," Qiao Mei said. Liu Xiao laughed and looked at Qiao Mei in disbelief. "You''re actually going to this extent for your mother!" "Yes, because that''s my mother. Everything else is insignificant. I just want her to be happy," Qiao Mei said with a smile. Chapter 2291: Transfer Chapter 2291: Transfer ? As long as it would make Li Gui happy, Qiao Mei could give up many things. Money and status were just worldly possessions. Family was the most important thing to her. "Alright, I promise you," Liu Xiao said. "Eldest Brother, let''s arrange for someone to send her back," Qiao Mei said as she waved her hand. Xia Wen was not even annoyed at being treated like a secretary. He left with Liu Xiao, leaving Xia He and Qiao Mei alone in the room. It had been a tiring day and Qiao Mei was totally exhausted, both physically and mentally. "So is this issue considered settled? Is Auntie Li really going to marry into the family?" Xia He still felt as if everything was so unreal. A few days ago, she was still trying to imagine the kind of person Li Gui''s life partner would be like. She did not expect this day to come so suddenly. "Of course not. I''m going to send both of them away from here," Qiao Mei said as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Send them away? Where are you sending them to? Auntie Li won''t be staying in the capital in the future?" Xia He said in shock. "Don''t be so worked up. It''s only temporary. Once Old Madam Xu knows how to behave herself, my mother will come back," Qiao Mei said comfortingly. Xia He only kept quiet after hearing that. It seemed to her that Qiao Mei''s plan was the best solution for now. Not long after, Xu Ba received a transfer letter from his superiors, informing him that he was going to be sent to Hu City. Anyone else would be happy to receive such good news. The capital was only the political center of the country and the salary and benefits here could not be compared to Hu City, which was the economic center! For sure Qiao Mei could not bear to part with her mother, but she had no better choice. She looked at Xu Ba and said, "I''ll try to persuade her. It''s very cold in the north and she has suffered a lot in the past. She feels fine during the summer but during the other seasons, when it gets cold, her bones will ache all over. The weather in the south is more suitable for her." "She has never told me about these things..." Xu Ba said self-reproachfully. "You just need to take good care of her in the future. You don''t have to worry about whether she will go or not. Go and handle your transfer," Qiao Mei said. Xia He had been standing outside the door the whole time. After Xu Ba left, she walked out and said, "Auntie Li has long recovered. You''re telling lies~" "For the sake of my mother''s happiness, it''s worth the effort to lie," Qiao Mei said. "Old Madam Xu is not handicapped. Can''t she just buy a train ticket to go to Hu City to look for Xu Ba?" Xia He asked. "I have other ways to hold her back. With me around, she won''t be able to leave the capital," Qiao Mei said confidently. Seeing that Qiao Mei already had a plan in mind, Xia He did not say anything else. When Li Gui returned that night, she surprised everyone with her decision. "I''m not going," Li Gui said without hesitation. "Why? I''ll get someone else to take care of the business in the capital. Sister Feng will be in charge at home so everything will be fine," Qiao Mei said. "Then what about the four children?" Li Gui asked. Qiao Mei was stunned for a moment. She had actually forgotten about the four children. She immediately said, "They can just go to school there. Li Wei is the only one who can''t leave. He''s doing quite well in the military academy and they have already made the exception to take him in." Chapter 2292: Sudden Attack Chapter 2292: Sudden Attack ? "Then what about you? What about you and the children? The children are still so young. Can you handle them on your own?" Li Gui said worriedly. "Don''t worry. There are so many people in the family and they will be well taken care of. Don''t worry about me. You can just go ahead," Qiao Mei said. That night, Qiao Mei and Li Gui chatted for a long time. This was the first time that Li Gui felt that she was living her own life. When she was young, her life revolved around the Li family. As she was the eldest daughter, she had to take care of her younger siblings. She married Qiao Yue but he passed away not long after. When she married Zhang Qian after that, her life was no longer hers anymore. Her entire life seemed to revolve around others. Now, she felt like she had found out what it meant to be herself and to live for herself. Qiao Mei was very calm on the day she sent Li Gui off. To her, Li Gui was not her mother but a friend. Her only memories of Li Gui were those which belonged to the original owner of the body. "You let her leave just like that," Xia Wan said. "That''s right. It''s not like we''re going to part forever. We''ll meet again," Qiao Mei said with a smile. "Then you might as well let her go overseas. I can take care of her in Country M. Old Madam Xu won''t be able to chase her all the way there!" Xia Wan said in a fit of pique. Before Qiao Mei could say anything, a deep voice sounded behind them. "Is that so? Then why aren''t you back there yet?" "You! You! Why are you here!" Xia Wan said as she looked at Gao Long in shock. Gao Long looked at the woman in confusion. Xia Wan quickly grabbed Gao Long and ran away. It did not take long for them to leave the woman behind and they hurriedly got into the car. "You don''t understand the customs in this country. A couple can''t get too close to each other on the streets here! Otherwise, you''ll be criticized!" Xia Wan said while panting heavily. Gao Long did not reply. Xia Wan looked up and saw Xia Wen looking at her with a serious expression. She said in a panic, "Um... there''s nothing between the two of us! Xiao Wen, don''t tell the family about this!" "Huh?" Qiao Mei said in shock. Xia Wan knew that she had said something wrong again. She turned to Gao Long and said, "That''s not what I mean! It''s just that you suddenly come to the capital and my family is not ready for this!" "Alright, alright, calm down. I haven''t even said anything. I''m just curious about who he is," Xia Wen said innocently. "This is Xia Wen, my eldest uncle''s eldest son. Qiao Mei''s husband is his younger brother." Xia Wan made an introduction to Gao Long. When it was time to introduce Gao Long, Xia Wan felt a little embarrassed and said shyly, "This is my... my boyfriend, Gao Long." "Hello," Gao Long greeted Xia Wen politely. Xia Wen nodded in response. After Xia Wen started the car, he asked Qiao Mei softly, "His surname is Gao and he''s also from Country M. How are you related to him?" Xia Wen was as sharp as Qiao Mei expected. She replied honestly, "He''s my uncle." Xia Wen suddenly stomped on the brakes and stared ahead in shock. Xia Wan and Qiao Mei''s uncle were dating! This was such a mess of the family hierarchy... Then should he address Gao Long as Cousin-in-law in the future or follow Qiao Mei and address him as Uncle? Chapter 2293: Meeting Up Chapter 2293: Meeting Up ? "What happened, Xiao Wen?" Xia Wan asked nervously. "Nothing. There was a rabbit." Xia Wen calmly restarted the car and drove off. Qiao Mei sat in the front passenger seat and could not help shaking as she tried her best to hold back her laughter. How could there be any rabbits in the city in broad daylight? Xia Wen actually knew how to spout nonsense nowadays. After arriving at Qiao Mei''s house, Gao Long realized that his father, Gao Lin, was not lying. Qiao Mei''s house was indeed very beautiful and contained many treasures inside, almost like a small museum. "Uncle, you can stay here for the time being," Qiao Mei said. "Sure, but I have to meet Eldest Uncle-in-law first," Gao Long said. Qiao Mei was unable to react for a moment. It took her a long time to figure out who Gao Long''s eldest uncle-in-law was. It turned out that he was talking about Qiao Qiang! However, Qiao Qiang probably did not know of Gao Long''s existence... "My grandfather doesn''t know everything about the Gao family yet. I''ll talk to him tonight," Qiao Mei said.No?v(el)B\\jnn "That''s good too," Gao Long said. Xia Fan and the other two children ran out of the house. When they saw Gao Long, they immediately threw themselves into his arms. Gao Long picked up Xia Xing while Xia Fan and Xia Yue hugged Gao Long''s calves tightly. "Granduncle, why are you here? Are you here to see me? Do you miss me?" Xia Xing asked. "No, I won''t. I won''t be able to resist Second Aunt-in-law''s blasting," Xia Wen said, rejecting her. Xia Wan looked towards Qiao Mei for help. Qiao Mei waved her hands and said, "I can''t participate in this matter. He''s my uncle to begin with. If I''m the one who tells Second Aunt- in-law about this, she will definitely skin me alive! She might even think that I deliberately tricked you into going to Country M!" "Is your mother... very difficult to get along with?" Gao Long asked curiously. "Not really. It''s just that my mother is very quick-tempered and speaks impulsively. Coupled with the fact that I had a failed marriage in the past, she might not be very nice to you," Xia Wan explained. "Then we should do this ourselves. After all, it''s a little strange for her to hear about her child''s marriage plans from someone else," Gao Long said. "You''re right," Xia Wan said. "I''ll get everyone to gather at my house tomorrow. They can come and play with my kid too," Xia Wen said. "This is a good idea! I haven''t seen Sister-in-law for a long time! I must have a good chat with her!" Qiao Mei said excitedly. After Xia Sun was born, he fell sick and ended up being quite weak. However, young children could not drink the medicinal wine as their bodies might not be able to withstand such a nourishing thing. Therefore, the family had not had a chance to visit the child till date. Now that he had recovered, he was not so susceptible to falling sick anymore. Qiao Qiang had come home from the park. To Qiao Mei''s surprise, he did not use the back door. Instead, he walked in through the front door and immediately saw Gao Long standing in the courtyard. Qiao Qiang found the man''s face really familiar, especially the eyes and eyebrows which resembled Gao Tao a lot. He asked with a trembling voice, "Is your... is your surname Gao?" "Hello, my name is Gao Long, I''m Gao Lin''s son. Gao Tao is my aunt. I believe that you''re my uncle-in-law," Gao Long said with a smile. "Yes! I didn''t expect to be able to meet you! Your father said that you''re not in good health and I also can''t leave the capital. It''s so good to see you!" Qiao Qiang said excitedly. Chapter 2294: Gao Taos Photo chapter 2294: gao tao''s photo ? qiao qiang had thought that it would be difficult for him to meet gao long in this lifetime. he did not expect that his wish would come true today! it was really too exciting! "grandfather! why did you come in through the front yard!" qiao mei said as she looked at the people in the courtyard. "mei mei, quickly prepare some food and drinks! i want to have a good drink with gao long today!" qiao qiang said happily. qiao mei had already expected this outcome. the dishes she prepared tonight were all the food which qiao qiang and gao long liked. she also prepared some medicinal wine. both men were not in good health, so it was better to be more careful. that night, they chatted for a long time. gao long took out a thin booklet and handed it to qiao qiang, saying, "uncle-in-law, i don''t know if this will be useful to you. this is my aunt''s photo album from when she was young." the gao family was very rich back then. old madam gao did not have a good memory, so after gao tao turned 14 years old, she asked someone from the photo studio to come to her house every month to take photos of gao tao. before gao tao turned 14 years old, she would get a painter to come to her house to do paintings of the girl. it was a pity that they did not bring the paintings with them when they left hu city as they were too big. those paintings were probably lost or destroyed long ago. the two men chatted throughout the entire night and qiao qiang only fell asleep at dawn. gao long did not feel sleepy. he stood in the courtyard and stared blankly at the peach tree in the backyard. in the past, his aunt had also liked peach trees very much. he still remembered that when he was young, he always wanted to climb up the tree to pluck peaches. one time, he suddenly slipped and fell down. it was gao tao who caught him and prevented him from being injured. however, gao tao''s arm was slightly fractured in the process and he had always felt very guilty about this. "sigh... you''re nothing like my aunt in this aspect. you resemble uncle-in-law more," gao long said. "do you still have many memories of my grandmother?" qiao mei asked curiously. "everything is already very blurry. i can''t even remember her face clearly. i can only remember a rough outline and her voice," gao long said regretfully. qiao mei had been thinking about something recently. since she already had x-ray vision and the ability to read the memories of plants, could she fuse these together and be able to extract a person''s memories? she still did not know what the abilities of the necklace and earrings were. although she had used the necklace''s ability by chance the last time, she did not know why it would not listen to her commands now. it seemed that these things were really difficult to handle. right now, she was still missing a pair of bangles which used to belong to gao tao. one of them was with dr. julie from country m. could it be that the other one also had healing capabilities? it looked like there were still many mysteries waiting to be solved and there was still a long way to go in the future! qiao mei bade a brief farewell to gao long. after packing her things, she went to xia wen''s house. mo zhu was already waiting in the living room. "sister-in-law! do you miss me~" qiao mei said sweetly. "yes - of course i miss you. xia sun and i were not in good health lately and we hadn''t gone out. i haven''t had the chance to thank you for the clothes you gave xia sun!" mo zhu said. "as long as sister-in-law doesn''t mind~" qiao mei hugged mo zhu and said happily. xia wen stood at the side and looked at qiao mei with a dark expression, saying unhappily, "hey, it''s time to let go. how long are you going to hug her?" "huh? is eldest brother feeling jealous? no way... i haven''t seen sister-in-law for so long. can''t i hug her?" qiao mei said pitifully. Chapter 2295: Formal Meeting chapter 2295: formal meeting ? mo zhu quickly hugged qiao mei even tighter and said, "you can hug me for as long as you want. there are no outsiders here. you can hug me the whole day if you want." qiao mei made a cheeky face at xia wen, who smiled resignedly. this was also the first time he felt that he had gone overboard with his possessiveness. not only was he jealous of men, but he was even jealous of a woman now. at his age, he was behaving like a much younger person. he was really becoming more and more irritable as he got older! "alright, let go of your sister-in-law quickly! everyone is here!" xu lan said as she entered the house. liu fen was dressed very formally, but she did not look too happy. she was already very unhappy about xia wan going overseas and now, xia wan had brought back a man from there! she did not know anything about what had happened! qiao mei quickly gave xia xing a look and xia xing immediately understood what she meant. xia xing quickly walked towards liu fen and hugged her thigh, saying, "give me a hug, second grandma~ i miss you~" a blissful expression immediately appeared on liu fen''s face. who could reject such a cute little kid? xia wen and mo zhu looked at each other and smiled. the two of them felt that xia xing''s actions just now looked exactly like qiao mei. those two were simply carved from the same mold! "i miss yuan yuan too-" liu fen said. "second grandma, why are you unhappy? second grandma, you have to smile more~" xia xing said. "i''m happy! i''m very happy! yuan yuan must have been mistaken just now!" liu fen said. the third son''s family was not in attendance since they had already left the capital. xia jun, xia mao and xia yao were busy with work and could not come, but everyone else came. "stop... stop talking!" xia wan said as she blushed. "my mother and elder brother have both passed away. in my family, there''s only my father, gao lin, and my nephew, gao ming, and..." gao long looked at qiao mei but did not continue. everyone knew who gao lin and gao ming were, so they could naturally guess that gao long was related to qiao mei. liu fen stared at qiao mei and asked, "mei mei, is he your uncle?" "yes," qiao mei said. "how much do you know about this?" liu fen asked again. "i only found out when i went back to country m this time round," qiao mei answered truthfully. liu fen believed that qiao mei was not lying. since this man was qiao mei''s relative, he should not be too bad a person. moreover, judging from xia wan''s reaction, she really liked gao long. actually, liu fen did not object to xia wan getting remarried. she had been looking forward to xia wan finding a man she could depend on. however, she was worried that this man would cause xia wan to be hurt again, which was why she felt a little against him. "do you have any plans for your life after getting married?" liu fen asked after taking a deep breath. "we can get married here. most of my businesses are in country m and i will need some time to sort out my assets. in the future, xia wan can live anywhere she wants. i''ll take her lead," gao long said. Chapter 2296: The Process and the Ending chapter 2296: the process and the ending ? xia wan did not know about any of this as gao long had not even mentioned it to her. it was qiao mei who knew a little more about all this. after all, the gao family had already started to transfer their overseas assets back to their home country. some of these were even handled by xia zhe.no?v(el)b\\jnn however, this was only qiao mei''s guess. qiao mei would not tell xia wan anything that was not conclusive. what if gao long did not have any intention of returning to the country with xia wan and qiao mei made her happy for nothing? "you can''t just trick us of xia wan with such empty talk. you have to give me a guarantee, otherwise i won''t hand xia wan over to you," liu fen said. "as long as xia wan and i can get married, i''ll hand over 70% of my assets to xia wan after the wedding. i need the remaining 30% to run the company and pay my employees," gao long said calmly. liu fen did not know how much money gao long had. if he was just a boss of a small business with assets worth hundreds of thousands, 70% of that would only be 200,000 to 300,000 dollars. that was not even as much as what qiao mei had! she raised her head to look at qiao mei, wanting qiao mei to give her an indication. after all, in this family, apart from xia wan, the next person she trusted the most was qiao mei. "uncle''s assets are three times that of my assets in this country. 70% of his assets are equivalent to... 60 million local dollars." qiao mei did a rough calculation. of course, this was not in cash, but mainly the value of the fixed assets. liu fen gasped. an amount of 60 million! she had seen 6,000 dollars and 10,000 dollars before. this... how much money was 60 million dollars? it would probably fill up the entire courtyard. even the bank would not be able to fit it all! xia wan lowered her head and did not speak. xia you left in a hurry and they parted on bad terms. although the family had approved of gao long at the gathering today, they all felt very sad about xia wan''s actions of hiding the truth from them. after all, all the elders had watched xia wan grow up and those from the younger generation were all quite close to xia wan. no one knew anything although it was such a big issue. it was also only after qiao mei arrived in country m that she found out that there was something going on between xia wan and gao long. "everyone, please make yourselves at home. i still have something on at the art troupe, so i''ll make a move first. i''ll invite the two of you to my house another day," xu lan said politely to gao long and xia wan. "thank you, eldest aunt," xia wan said. "thank you. i look forward to it," gao long replied. xia wan turned to face everyone and said, "i''m really sorry. i have ruined the gathering today..." "it''s fine. we''re family. there''s no need to be so polite. we should enjoy ourselves more without the adults around! let''s go and have fun at qiao mei''s manor!" xia he said happily. "have you been eyeing my manor for a long time? it hasn''t been cleaned properly yet," qiao mei said helplessly. xia he looked at qiao mei doubtfully and asked, "i thought you hired people to clean the house regularly? you have someone to take care of the rest of your houses, so how can you leave out this place? you must be lying to me!" Chapter 2297: New Business Opportunity chapter 2297: new business opportunity ? "what did you say? say it again?" qiao mei''s eyes lit up as she looked at xia he. "huh? i said you don''t want to let me go to your manor," xia he said in confusion. qiao mei grabbed xia he''s hand anxiously and said, "no! the previous sentence!" "you have people cleaning your houses regularly, so they definitely can''t be too dirty," xia he said. this was a good business opportunity. once the domestic economy slowly improved, everyone would have more spending power and many people would seize the opportunity to hoard a large number of properties. if a house had no occupants, it would become inhabitable. however, there were not enough tenants in the market, so these owners would definitely need property management services! she wanted to be the first person to set up a property management company! xia he had been doing business with qiao mei for so many years and immediately knew what qiao mei was thinking. she immediately said, "give me this chance!" "don''t you have a photo studio to run? can you handle it if you add this business to your portfolio?" qiao mei asked worriedly. xia he was not only running a photo studio now, but she also had to work as a consultant in the art troupe and guide the new dancers. xia hui was also still young and needed to be closely taken care of. xia wan looked at the key for a long time and made up her mind to go and look for liu fang. liu fang seemed to know that xia wan would come and was waiting quietly in the living room. no one knew how long she had been sitting there. "mother... i''m here," xia wan said guiltily. "alone?" liu fang asked. "yes, it''s just me," xia wan nodded and said. liu fang looked at the shadow behind xia wan but did not say anything. it looked like xia wan had sneaked out. liu fang knew that country m was not as safe as their home country. she had also heard about qiao mei''s life there over the years. it seemed that this gao long was quite meticulous and knew how to protect xia wan. "have a seat," liu fang said as she pointed to a seat at the side. xia wan sat down uneasily and the two women looked at each other in silence. after some time, xia wan said, "mother, i was very busy when i was in country m. i didn''t have time to call home and i rarely wrote letters as well. this is all my fault. i''m sorry to have made you worried." "xia wen will come and keep me updated about you. it''s fine as long as i know you''re safe," liu fang said. "gao long is the person in charge of qiao mei''s company there. at that time, he was the one who hosted me. as time passes, i realize that this person is very easy to get along with and that he likes me very much. i know what you are worried about and i''m worried about the same thing too, but i think that... not everyone is like my ex-husband," xia wan said. "i don''t think there are many people who are as rotten as your ex-husband. you just have to be careful. there''s not much i can help you with," liu fang said calmly, as if all of this had nothing to do with her. Chapter 2298: Look Forward to the Wedding Banquet chapter 2298: look forward to the wedding banquet ? tears welled up in xia wan''s eyes as she said aggrievedly, "mother, i''m sorry. i don''t mean to hide it from you. i also only came to terms with my own feelings recently. i''m actually very afraid of getting remarried. i''m afraid of getting hurt again and i''m also afraid that you''ll worry along with me." during the period of xia wan''s divorce, liu fang did not have a good night''s sleep at all. liu fang''s life revolved around her husband, children and family. she did not even have much work experience. at that time, liu fang had called up every relative and friend she knew and went around asking for help to ensure that xia wan could divorce that man cleanly. xia wan had seen all of this with her own eyes. the two of them had so many misunderstandings between them only because they were too concerned about each other and loved each other too much. liu fang stood up and hugged xia wan, saying, "it''s fine as long as you feel blissful. your younger siblings are all doing very well now. you don''t have to worry even if that man bullies you. our family will slowly become as capable as the eldest son''s family. you can rely on your maternal family!" hearing this, xia wan could no longer hold back the emotions that she had suppressed for such a long time. she hugged liu fang and wept loudly, as if she was letting out all the grievances she had suffered over the years.no?v(el)b\\jnn gao long stood at the entrance of the courtyard and smoked silently. he had previously sent people to investigate xia wan''s past but it was not to check on her. he wanted to know how xia wan had been hurt in the past so that he could avoid her sore spots. xu lan stood behind gao long and said, "it''s cold out here. come and take a seat inside. the two of them will probably chat throughout the entire night." furthermore, she had secretly sent all these things back from country m. just the shipping fees alone had cost her a fortune. xia zhe also had to tap on many connections to do it. otherwise, these items would have been robbed by pirates at sea before they could even reach the port in the country. "there are still three small villas near my manor that have not been renovated. when the time comes, you can split them among yourselves and do your own renovations," qiao mei said. "really? you''re willing to give them to us?" xia he asked. "who said i''m giving it to you! the property rights are mine but you can stay there. i plan to develop that area into a vacation and recreation haven. when the weather gets hot, i''ll bring grandfather and father and mother to escape the heat," qiao mei said seriously. after all, their family elders were not that young anymore. even if they wanted to continue working, they would not be able to do it forever. the weather in the city was definitely hotter than in the suburbs. it was time for them to enjoy life. just as everyone was chatting happily, a few people came upstairs suddenly. qiao mei and xia he were a little stunned. was that not xu chun? xia yuan also looked quite unhappy to see her. xia wan asked curiously, "what''s wrong with all of you? someone you know?" "this is the woman who kept pestering xia yuan. she''s a relative of auntie li''s boyfriend," xia he explained softly. "oh! her!" xia wan said knowingly. she only knew that there was such a thing, but she had never met xu chun in person before. she only recalled this matter after seeing xu chun today. xu chun pretended not to see qiao mei and the others and walked straight to the table opposite them. there was already a man and two women there and it looked like they had been waiting for xu chun for a long time. "the woman in the middle is a famous matchmaker. she was the one who found husbands for many girls in our art troupe. moreover, she only works with people from good families," xia he said. Chapter 2299: Blind Date chapter 2299: blind date ? "so she has a new target now," qiao mei said with a smile. the girl sitting at the end of the table was quite good-looking and looked quite pleasant. she had a sunny disposition and was currently calling out to xu chun to hurry over and sit down. "why will xu chun find such a beautiful friend to come and sit in on a blind date? how can she succeed like this? can it be that she still has designs on our xia yuan?" xia wan asked. xia yuan quickly said, "don''t say that! i''m really scared! why is this woman always haunting me? i''m going to get married to zhou xi soon..." "don''t worry. with me around, she won''t dare to do anything," qiao mei said comfortingly. "that girl and that man should be siblings. i think... i think they''re from the restaurant chain, wang ji buns! the man''s name is wang kun and the girl''s name is wang tian," xia he said. "how do you know so much?" qiao mei asked xia he in shock. xia he said smugly, "of course! i''ve been doing my homework recently!"no?v(el)b\\jnn xia he was now making more and more money and she was starting to be dissatisfied with just running a photo studio. she realized that there were very few breakfast choices in the alley, only one porridge shop. if she wanted to eat something, she still had to walk a long distance, so she had come up with the idea of opening a breakfast shop. she heard about the wang family when she was doing her market research. "oh! then congratulations to you! my brother is waiting for me over there, so i won''t stay to chat. bye~" after saying that, wang tian left briskly, as if she had no other motive and just wanted to say hello to qiao mei and the others. everyone was caught at a loss by wang tian''s actions. they had thought that there was going to be a big drama, but they did not expect it to end before it even started. wang tian sat down beside xu chun and said, "do you know his address?" "didn''t you hear him say that he''s getting married soon?" xu chun said in surprise. wang tian crossed her legs and said nonchalantly, "from when i was young, no one has dared to not give me what i want! besides, he''s still not married yet, right? even if he''s married, he can still get a divorce. what''s there to be afraid of!" xu chun suddenly had an idea. she decided to tell wang tian everything about xia yuan. since she could not get him, then wang tian definitely would not be able to get him either. however, it was not a bad idea to cause trouble for the xia family before xia yuan and that woman got married. perhaps she would not have to marry into the wang family too! "then let''s talk about you and my brother. when do you plan to get married?" wang tian asked. "married? didn''t we just meet? we still need to develop feelings for each other," xu chun said guiltily. "but we had wanted to hold the wedding banquet within the week. i thought you thought highly of my brother? besides, my family will give you a house!" wang tian said in confusion. qiao mei had extremely good hearing. when she heard that xu chun needed to get married within a week, she was so shocked that she dropped her chopsticks. it was really amazing... the xu family could actually treat xu chun this way just for money. Chapter 2300: Publish a Book chapter 2300: publish a book ? seeing that the situation was about to turn awkward, the matchmaker quickly said, "oh my! the girl is shy! moreover, it''s indeed a little urgent for her to get married within the week. let''s slowly get to know each other! today, let them know each other better by having a meal together!" "alright, then we''ll listen to the matchmaker!" wang kun said unhappily. the wang siblings put on a good show and entertained xu chun until she left. by now, qiao mei and the others had finished their meal and were preparing to go home to pack their luggage and go to the manor. "pfft! who does she think she is! how dare she put on airs in front of us! at her age, she should have gotten married long ago!" wang tian pointed at the departed bus and cursed. "just bear with it. after all, the xu family knows the xia family. if you can get that man within a month, our family won''t have to be related to the xu family by marriage. i find that woman disgusting too! can you choose more carefully next time? i can''t just get married to anyone," wang kun said disdainfully. "look at yourself in the mirror! where am i supposed to find a beautiful woman for you! it''s our mother who should be in charge of this matter! as your younger sister, i still have to worry about your marriage!" wang tian complained. the wang siblings left, grumbling to each other. qiao mei, xia he and the others stood at the same spot and felt very emotional. they did not expect the wang siblings to be so different when they were on their own. "xu chun... is really quite pitiful..." xia he said. "there''s nothing we can do about it. she chose this route herself, or maybe the xu family forced her to do this. there''s nothing we can do," qiao mei said coldly. "you know my phone number. if there''s anything you need, just let me know. if i''m not in the capital, just call my friend and she''ll settle it for you," qiao mei said. the friend whom qiao mei was referring to was qian''e. after all, qian''e could be considered half a member of the qiao family now. "sigh... i really have something to ask you, but i''m too embarrassed to say it," tang hui said. "we''re all family. if you have something to say, just say it," qiao mei said. "your third uncle and i don''t earn much and we still owe a lot of money. moreover, your third uncle is already old and won''t be able to work for long. i want to find a way to earn more money," tang hui said. qiao mei smiled in satisfaction. she had not been wrong about this person back then. if it was zhou hua, she would only want to curry favor and get benefits from qiao mei and would never think about being self-sufficient. "actually, there is," qiao mei said. xia he stared at qiao mei in panic. could it be that qiao mei wanted to hand over the business idea from yesterday to tang hui! "have you ever published a book?" qiao mei asked. xia he felt relieved to hear that. tang hui thought for a while and said, "no, but i often set practice questions for the kids in my class." "how about this! write down all the practice questions and classify them according to grade. i''ll get someone to help you with the binding and printing and we can use my results from the college entrance examination as an advertising gimmick. let''s sell practice workbooks!" qiao mei said excitedly. currently, the students could only learn from questions set by their homeroom teachers. there were different versions in different schools. some schools had better teachers and the children would learn more. however, some schools were not as good, so the difference in standards was quite big. since all the students eventually had to sit for the same college entrance examination, this meant that the students were competing on uneven footing. "sure! this is a very good idea! i''ll go and organize all my previous test papers now!" tang hui said. Chapter 2301: Whatever You Say chapter 2301: whatever you say ? all other kinds of trade had to face instances of bankruptcy and downturns. all kinds of businesses faced ups and downs and there was no business that would always do well. however, there were always new students every year and there would only be more and more of them. people attached great importance to being cultured nowadays and did not want to be "an unlettered person" who could not recognize any words. furthermore, there were so many tasks in the wing and the country needed top-notch talents. people were focused on education and wanted to have a university student in the family! this was now something that would bring glory to their ancestors! "you just need to be in charge of setting the questions and i''ll give you a share of the profits. it''s equivalent to you selling your copyright to me and i''ll give you a share of whatever i earn from it," qiao mei said. "no problem! whatever you say! whatever you say is fine!" tang hui said excitedly. she was more than ready to give this venture a try. after all, qiao mei was smart and was already involved in many types of businesses. those xia siblings had all made their fortunes on qiao mei''s ideas, so she was definitely tempted too! even if qiao mei only spared her a little bit of money, it would still be enough to last her for a long time! qiao mei had taken a fancy to tang hui also because tang hui was someone who would listen to her. moreover, tang hui was a sensible person and qiao mei always preferred to work with smart people. however, qiao mei was a little unhappy at the thought that if tang hui made money, the family of the xia family''s third son would benefit from it. the third son''s family had never been nice to her all this while! "i understand," tang hui said. when it came to this venture, the first mover would definitely be the one who could earn more money. tang hui was not a fool and naturally understood this logic. when the group returned to the car, xia wan looked at qiao mei but seemed too embarrassed to say anything. "elder cousin, if you have something to say, just say it. we''re all on the same side," qiao mei said. "this time... auntie zhou really didn''t come looking for trouble with the new third aunt-in- law. do you think that auntie zhou has really turned over a new leaf?" xia wan asked curiously. qiao mei was also very curious about this matter. looking at tang hui''s behavior, it appeared that zhou hua had never been here before. however, given zhou hua''s character, she would definitely not let this matter rest. she was probably just waiting for an opportunity! after all, she had already caused trouble once during the wedding. even if she wanted to cause trouble again, tang hui would be too guarded in the short term for her to be able to do much damage. zhou hua had been recuperating at home for the past few days. at xia guang''s wedding, she had wept too much and kicked up too big a fuss, leading to her feeling weak now. even though she had shouted until her voice was hoarse, xia guang did not pay any attention to her at all. it seemed that xia guang really intended to cut ties with her. she had wasted those years of being his wife! however, she still had her son with her and did not have to worry about not having anyone to support her in her old age. so long as xia xing was fine, she would think about other issues later! xia guang was already so old, so it would probably be very difficult for him to have another son. Chapter 2302: Shut Out chapter 2302: shut out ? the xia family''s third son would have to rely on xia xing to continue his lineage! she still had many ways to deal with tang hui! gao long had not visited the capital for so many years and the place had already changed a lot. xia wan wanted to show gao long around the capital, so qiao mei did not go with them. it had been a long time since she had gone to the factory. she did not know how much progress the factory had made. it was time for her to go and take a look. otherwise, she would really only be an insignificant chairperson. it was a workday today and all the employees in the factory must be at work at this moment. qiao mei did not inform qian''e in advance as she intended for her visit to be a "spot check". by now, the security officers at the main entrance were all new faces. qiao mei wanted to drive into the factory, but a security officer quickly walked out of the security booth and said politely, "hello, may i know who you''re looking for?" "i''m here to look for your director qian," qiao mei said. "may i ask if you have an appointment or possess a passcard from our factory director?" the security officer then asked. passcard? what is a passcard? has the factory been converted into a spa? why does one need a passcard for entry? "i''m sorry, i''m sorry! i really don''t know about this!" the security officer said fearfully. "it''s fine. just make sure to note down this license plate number! remember this face! director qiao is a nice person and won''t blame you. but... but you really did a good job just now. you should strictly follow the rules and regulations when you encounter people you don''t recognize. if the higher-ups punish you, i''ll speak up for you," zhuang kai said. "thank you, brother zhuang! thank you, brother zhuang!" the security officer said. qiao mei did not go straight to the office building but took a drive around the factory. not only was the place twice as big as before, there were also many more employees. there were even many new staff dormitory buildings. "wow, what brings you here?" qian''e asked as she leaned against the main door of the office building and looked at qiao mei. "i have some free time and i''m just here to take a look at how our director qian is doing," qiao mei said with a smile. "oh~ then do you think i have managed the place well? director qiao?" qian''e asked laughingly. "not bad, not bad. it''s really not too bad. you have done a good job with the security officers you hired at the main entrance. i almost couldn''t get in," qiao mei said in satisfaction. qian''e looked at qiao mei suspiciously and asked, "are you praising me or scolding me?" "don''t think too much. of course it''s a compliment. but tell me, what is a passcard? is it part of your new rules and regulations?" qiao mei teased. "you don''t even know how well the factory is doing now. we have orders fully lined up for the next three years. i''m even planning for further expansion!" qian''e said proudly. "oh my, you''re doing not too bad. tell me, how many properties have you bought?" qiao mei asked curiously. she knew that qian''e had been secretly buying houses, but she did not find out how many there were. Chapter 2303: Hitting It Off chapter 2303: hitting it off ? "talking about properties... i haven''t really bought too many properties, but i did buy a lot of land. i think i should be able to make some money out of them. they are located in the suburbs in the north of the city," qian''e said hesitantly. qiao mei had always thought that qian''e was only interested in properties and did not expect qian''e to have started investing in land. could it be that after being in business for a long time, she had become more far-sighted? it appeared that theory was truly no match for actual experience. "what kind of business do you have in mind? will you consider letting me be an investor?" qiao mei asked with a grin. "there is no business involved. it''s... it''s..." qian''e said, looking a little embarrassed. qiao mei led her back into the office and the two of them sat down, facing each other. qiao mei asked curiously, "you''re not hiding some secret from me, are you?" "what secret do i have! don''t you already know everything about me?" qian''e said shyly. "then what''s up with you?" qiao mei said. when qiao mei was in country m, qian''e had to deal with many issues. she and han chen had many conflicts and they no longer had a future together. during that period of time, qian''e felt depressed and worked day and night, as if she wanted to work herself to death. li gui tried her best to introduce many new people to qian''e, but qian''e did not take a fancy to any of them. some of these people were not her type, while some people were very particular about the fact that she could not have children. then one time, at a charity banquet, qian''e ran into a charming man and the two of them hit it off immediately after getting to know each other. "in that case, the more it means that there''s something fishy about this person. continue with the investigation. no matter what, we have to find out about this person''s past! it does not matter how much money we have to spend!" qiao mei said. "i wonder if there''s any photo or something like that. it''s possible that this name is an alias and not his real name," yao nian said. "go and look into all the charity banquets that qian''e had attended and check on all the guests. if i find out more information, i''ll pass it to you," qiao mei said. after yao nian said what he wanted to say, he ran off. this was the first time he was so enthusiastic about helping qiao mei with an investigation. it was not only because there was a lot of money to be made this time, but more because this was a challenge to him. he must find out who this person named "nan dong" was! qiao mei leaned back in the rocking chair and pondered over this matter. qian''e had gone through so much in her life and was already in a state of physical and mental exhaustion. although qian''e had never complained to her about having such a life, she knew that qian''e really wanted to have a family of her own. given the circumstances qian''e was in, she would not be able to see a person''s true nature clearly and nan dong had taken advantage of this loophole. if one got to know a new person and within a short period of time, found that the person was compatible with one in every way, as if this person was one''s soulmate, then there was definitely something wrong with this person. the next morning, qiao mei packed up a few things and went to the factory. this time, the security officer did not try to stop her. she walked into the office where qian''e was and said, "is there supposed to be a gala tonight?" "i thought you never like to go to these places? i had even intercepted the invitation card meant for you," qian''e said as she rummaged through the invitation cards in her drawer. "i''m suddenly tempted to go and take a look. there''s nothing much going on at home," qiao mei said. "then who''s going to take care of the three children?" qian''e asked. Chapter 2304: At the Gala chapter 2304: at the gala ? "the children have grown up and the three of them can play with one another. they don''t need me to accompany them all the time. my grandfather is with them since they are so rarely at home," qiao mei said. the children were always either overseas or out of town and their time in the capital was especially limited. even though qiao mei stayed by the children''s side every day, she also had to bring them out to visit various families. according to sister feng, the three children''s schedules were even more packed than their mother''s schedule! furthermore, the xia family also wanted to start to nurture them, so it was useless for qiao mei to be with them during that time. she already had da zhuang and xiao zhuang to protect the children and ensure their safety. "are you still going to country m? or perhaps other countries," qian''e said. "why do you say that?" qiao mei asked curiously. qian''e stared at qiao mei for a long time and sighed. she actually had her own selfish motives. "i just feel that you will travel again. you won''t stay in the capital forever. the main thing is that i also want to go overseas to take a look. to be honest, i''ve never even been out of the province before. i want to take a look at the outside world," qian''e said. "i''m here today to help you organize the work matters. we can go traveling and have some fun together," qiao mei said. qian''e finally found qiao mei''s invitation card to the gala tonight. she handed it to qiao mei and said, "i''ll try to squeeze some time out for a holiday. however... nan dong is also going to the event tonight. do you... want to bring a male companion along?" "then i won''t stand on ceremony. set me a limit so that i know the maximum amount i can spend. i don''t want to bankrupt you!" gao long said. "uncle, you can give it a try and see if i''ll go bankrupt," qiao mei said confidently. with the assets she owned in country m, she might not have that much available capital there. however, there was no need to worry about such things back in this country. even if anyone could really empty out qiao mei''s family fortune, she could still sell the "divine medicine" at a high price. she would just organize an auction and sell it to the highest bidder. gao long drove to the guild hall with qiao mei in tow. the moment qiao mei got out of the car, she immediately attracted everyone''s attention. even though she was dressed simply, her beauty was still outstanding. "are you so popular in the capital?" gao long asked with a smile. "it''s also my first time attending a gala. perhaps... i''m just too well-known," qiao mei said. a service staff from the gala came over to qiao mei and gao long with a tray containing two masks. he said respectfully, "madam, sir, these are your masks." qiao mei picked up the silver mask with white feathers. when she coupled it with her outfit, she looked especially unapproachable. gao long smiled dotingly, picked up the rose gold mask and put it on. the service staff seemed slightly surprised before he left quietly. "uncle, you don''t blame me for being willful?" qiao mei said. "you can do whatever you want. after all, i''m spending your money today. to receive a favor is to sell one''s liberty. i am aware that i should accord you some respect," gao long said. the two of them took a look around before the service staff led them to their seats. Chapter 2305: Discordant Atmosphere chapter 2305: discordant atmosphere ? qiao mei sat in the first row and felt a little emotional. back when she first married into the xia family, many wealthy ladies had come to visit her while bearing invitation cards to their banquets, but all the cards had the words "mrs. xia" written on them. everyone only invited qiao mei to show respect to the xia family. the qiao mei now could call the shots on her own. everyone in the capital knew who the name "qiao mei" was referring to. "i know that you have big businesses in this country, but i never expect you to be so influential in the capital. it looks like you must be listed among the top 10 richest people in the country," gao long said admiringly. qiao mei smiled and did not say anything. it was no exaggeration to proclaim that the value of qiao mei''s current total assets meant she was ranked first in the country, not just one among the top 10! however, most of her assets still could not be taken out to be accounted for, otherwise she might be in danger! it was not time for the rare treasures underground to make an appearance. "in the beginning, i also had to tap on the xia family''s influence. then again, it must also be due to my good genes. how can any of our family members be incapable?" qiao mei said proudly. gao long smiled dotingly. before he met qiao mei, he had tried to imagine what her personality was like. he felt that she had to be as gentle and charming as gao tao. most of the gao family members were mild and refined and he definitely did not expect qiao mei to be the only gao family member with such an unruly personality. everyone sat down in their respective seats one after another. qian''e led nan dong over to qiao mei''s side. before qian''e even sat down, qiao mei sensed a strange aura that made her feel very uncomfortable. even though nan dong was wearing a mask, qiao mei could clearly feel that he had a provocative expression behind the mask. "mei mei, you must have waited a long time," qian''e said as she held qiao mei''s hand. "uncle, do you really like these things? they don''t really match your style. do you even like a pink court dress from the last century?" qiao mei asked as she looked at gao long in disbelief. "i think it looks alright. it''s mainly because this is such a rare opportunity. in the future, i can always give these things away as gifts," gao long said. qiao mei silently gave him a thumbs up. gao long knew how to do his sums well. if not for the fact that gao long felt that it was too tiring to continue bidding, he would definitely buy everything on the auction list. "this is an extraordinary hairpin! the gem on it may look black, but when the light shines on it! everyone, please take a look! this is actually black jadeite! moreover, it has excellent purity and color! the starting price is 200,000 dollars!" the emcee shouted. qiao mei could tell at one glance that it was one of gao tao''s belongings and part of that jewelry set. she had thought that most pieces from the jewelry set were overseas and did not expect to see a piece within the country. before qiao mei could even make a move, nan dong yelled out, "500,000!" all the attendees were very shocked. many women leaned forward to see which family this generous man was from. "mr. nan, are you buying it for my elder sister?" qiao mei asked. if nan dong''s intention was to buy it for qian''e, qiao mei could offer him a good price or use other jewelry she had at home to exchange for it. however, qiao mei did not expect that nan dong did not intend to let her have it. "no, i really like jade. this hairpin is a very rare item and i want to buy it for my own collection," nan dong said. Chapter 2306: Astronomically Priced Hairpin chapter 2306: astronomically priced hairpin ? "oh really, then it''s going to be a difficult situation..." qiao mei sighed deeply and yelled out, "550,000 dollars." "600,000." "700,000." "800,000!" just like that, the two of them went back and forth, trying to outbid each other. at one point, the bid hit the amount of 1.8 million! at a time when the average salary of an ordinary person was only 80 dollars a month, these two people could actually spend 1.8 million dollars on a hairpin! what was the charm of this hairpin! "it looks like mr. nan really likes this hairpin," qiao mei said with a resigned smile. "that''s right. i hope miss qiao can be magnanimous enough not to snatch what another person loves," nan dong said. "is that so? but i like it very much too. i can''t possibly disappoint myself just to satisfy mr. nan," qiao mei said. "are the two of you going to continue bidding?" the emcee asked shakily. qiao mei raised the sign in her hand and said, "2.3 million." after that, qiao mei was not interested in the rest of the auction items. since she had already contributed 5 million dollars to this charity gala, no one dared to say anything when she stood up and walked away. qiao mei left the auction area with gao long and they headed to the dessert bar for some drinks. the wine served here tasted so much worse than the ones from their vineyard. "i should open a winery in the capital and import all the wine i have in country m," gao long said disdainfully. "even if you manage to import the wine, not many people will be able to afford it. the losses will be too great, so it''s not worth the effort. you should just leave them at bella''s casino. that way, you can earn money faster and can price them much higher," qiao mei said. "bella has her own wine cellar. you probably don''t know this, but bella is the top wine producer in country m. no one has ever said a bad thing about her wine," gao long said. this was the first time qiao mei had heard of this. bella was really amazing! she wished that she could invite bella to the capital to have some fun, but she probably had to wait until bella retired from her current business. "let me see if i can set up a vineyard here," qiao mei said. "can''t you just build an extension to your manor?" gao long asked. "that geographical environment is not suitable for producing wine and it will not taste good. anyway, there are so many plots of land around. let''s talk about it when we find a suitable place. we already have too many businesses to take care of," qiao mei said calmly. this was a normal conversation between the two of them, but anyone else listening in would not find it normal. qiao mei''s assets were never made public. everyone mainly only knew about her educational background and her factories in the capital. "aren''t you worried that you''ll cause trouble for the xia family by spending so much money?" gao long raised his eyebrows and said to qiao mei as he looked at the people muttering among themselves in the distance. "it doesn''t matter. eldest brother should be able to... settle it..." qiao mei said.no?v(el)b\\jnn Chapter 2307: An Old Man With a Young Wife chapter 2307: an old man with a young wife ? "the thing is i don''t know what kind of attraction the hairpin holds for you. why are you willing to spend so much money to get hold of it?" gao long asked curiously. qiao mei looked into gao long''s eyes and whispered, "uncle, what if i say that it''s part of my grandmother''s belongings?" "what!" gao long said as he looked at qiao mei in shock. gao long did not interact much with gao tao, but he knew very well that gao tao had already passed away for many years by the time qiao mei was born. how did qiao mei know that the hairpin belonged to gao tao?no?v(el)b\\jnn "my eyes and ears are much sharper than an ordinary person. although that hairpin looks simple, there''s gold thread coiled around the edge of the black jadeite. the pattern on it looks similar to the jewelry i bought at the auction house in country m. moreover, there''s indeed a hairpin missing from that set of jewelry, so i guess that it used to belong to grandmother," qiao mei explained. "then has it crossed your mind that it might be a replica? or you may see wrongly," gao long said. back then, gao tao had countless admirers. over the years, most of the gao family''s things had already been plundered and gao tao''s things had also been sold by those two assholes. there were very few things that they could find by now. it was particularly difficult during this time. even if one had something nice at home, one would not dare to show it to anyone. finding gao tao''s belongings was like looking for a needle in a haystack. "it''s just 5 million dollars. it doesn''t matter. at most, we can start all over again. there are many ways to earn money, but if we miss out on grandmother''s belonging, it will be difficult to find it again. moreover, this 5 million dollars will go to charity. no matter how we spend that money, we have done a good deed," qiao mei said very seriously. "hello, this should be the first time we''re meeting each other," qiao mei said. "no, we met at a ball before. at that time, you had even expressed your concern about my health! if i hadn''t met you that day, i might have been fired from my job," nan li said. qiao mei recalled that incident. at that ball, she had turned a corner and witnessed a waitress being scolded. she could not help but go forward to speak up for the waitress. she did not know that nan li was that waitress and definitely did not expect her to have become mrs. chen. "i remember now! then it''s really fate in motion," qiao mei said. "thank you for your kindness today, madam qiao and mr. nan. i wonder if the two of you are willing to have a dance together? in our rundown, we have made arrangements for the top four donors to grace the dance floor," chen fei asked tentatively. nan dong stood up and said with a smile, "i''d be very honored to do that." qiao mei looked at everyone without saying anything. she had always proclaimed in public that she did not know how to dance, so no one had ever forced her to do it. then again, in the early days, there were indeed many people who mocked qiao mei for being from the countryside and said that it was normal for her not to know how to do something elegant. "if madam qiao is unwilling..." before nan li could finish her sentence, qiao mei patted the corner of her skirt and stood up, saying, "alright." chen fei was overjoyed. this would be qiao mei''s first time dancing in public. there were many reporters around today, so he intended to pay off a few reporters to do a writeup on this. Chapter 2308 Sisters Falling Out 2308 sisters falling out the first line of the key article on the cover page of the newspaper must state that qiao mei had danced for the first time at his charity gala as a show of respect for him! this would definitely lead to countless orders for his business! the emcee went on stage to announce the next event of the gala. nan dong extended his hand to qiao mei and said, "after you, madam qiao." qiao mei placed her hand on nan dong''s hand expressionlessly. the moment her hand touched his, her hand immediately bounced off as if she had been electrocuted. this was the first time she had such a feeling. nan dong really lived up to his name, which meant winter. the moment the two of them came into contact, qiao mei could only feel a bone-chilling coldness run through her. she realized that the energy in her body even subconsciously flowed towards nan dong, as if it was being devoured by him. no?v(el)b\\jnn "what''s wrong? do you feel unwell?" qian''e asked worriedly as she hurried forward to hold on to qiao mei. qiao mei looked at nan dong''s cool expression and said calmly, "i''m fine." the bangle on her wrist emitted a faint green light that locked in all of qiao mei''s energy. qiao mei placed her hand on nan dong''s hand again. although she still felt uncomfortable, it was much better than before. the music started playing and qiao mei frowned as she tried to follow nan dong''s dance steps. nan dong smiled and said, "is it so stressful to dance with me? relax a little, otherwise those people will think that the organizers and i are forcing you to do this." "it''s fine. i''m just not interested in dancing," qiao mei said. "in a sense. after all, i''m really shocked that you suddenly brought home a random fiance? without saying anything to us," qiao mei said with a frown. qian''e looked at qiao mei and said, "i also know that nan dong and i are progressing a lot faster than normal, but i just can''t control myself. i really like him." "you can''t control yourself? what do you mean? you''re older than me. don''t tell me that you can''t control your feelings," qiao mei said. "it''s true! i was deeply attracted to him the moment i saw him! at that time, i felt that i had met the right person for me and it turned out to be true! he meets my needs in every way! i... i want to be with him even more after that." her voice became softer and softer as she spoke, worried that qiao mei would get angry. qiao mei held back her anger and said, "do you know anything about his family situation?" "of course i do. he''s an orphan! that''s why there won''t be any conflicts between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law for me!" qian''e said agitatedly. "orphan... do you know that there are no clues to be found about this person at all! yao nian has searched the entire country! there''s no trace of this person called nan dong at all! to put it simply, this person seems to have appeared out of thin air!" qiao mei said. "that''s yao nian''s problem! he didn''t do his best! and how can you ask yao nian to investigate nan dong!" qian''e shouted. "what... what did you say? say it again? i''m investigating him because look at how you''ve been bewitched by him!" qiao mei asked as she looked at qian''e in disbelief. "yao nian is just not good enough! he took your money but fooled you by not doing his best! if you want to know anything, just ask me!" qian''e said self-righteously. Chapter 2309 Nan Dongs Background 2309 nan dong''s background yao nian was one of the best private investigators in the country. apart from confidential political secrets, there was nothing else that yao nian did not know. qian''e was also well aware of this fact, yet now... why did qian''e have such an attitude? what kind of drug did this person named nan dong feed qian''e to bewitch her like this! qiao mei looked at qian''e in disappointment. she could not imagine what qian''e had experienced to be able to believe the words of a stranger so quickly. seeing that qiao mei did not continue to speak, qian''e also did not want to explain anything to qiao mei and left the room in a fit of anger. the more qiao mei thought about it, the more she felt that something was wrong. this nan dong must be up to something unspeakable and the key to solving the puzzle lay overseas. qiao mei made a long-distance call to bella in country m. it was morning there and bella had just woken up. no?v(el)b\\jnn "why are you calling me, little girl?" bella asked happily. "of course it''s because i miss you!" qiao mei said. "don''t be cheeky with me. it''s not like i don''t know you well enough. tell me why exactly you''re calling me," bella asked as she sipped her coffee. qiao mei briefly explained what she knew about nan dong and said pleadingly, "i really want to know everything about this person. please help me." "sigh... i know you have your own difficulties. qian''e has invited me to a restaurant for a meal tomorrow to get my blessing. if i accept her invitation, then she will marry nan dong. in that case... perhaps it''s better that i don''t go," li gui said. as far as li gui was concerned, qiao mei was definitely the most important person to her. however, during the time when qiao mei was not around, qian''e had also accompanied her for so many years. it was impossible for her not to have any feelings for qian''e at all. this was a tough call. it would hurt no matter which side she had to turn her back on, the only difference would be the extent of the pain. "you should go. of course you should go!" qiao mei said. "but you..." li gui said as she looked at qiao mei hesitantly. "i''m fine. i''m just dissatisfied with the way qian''e reacted to me. i haven''t managed to get enough information on that man''s background yet. tomorrow, you should take a look at nan dong and judge him fairly. if nan dong is really trustworthy, then it''s actually a good thing for qian''e," qiao mei said resignedly. after li gui went out, yao nian rushed into the study. he had already received the package which bella had gotten a courier to bring over on the plane. it contained a thick stack of documents, much more than what qiao mei had imagined. "this nan dong is a real problem! and he''s especially inhumane! he''s really a beast!" yao nian threw the documents on the desk as a show of his anger. qiao mei opened the document bag curiously and the photos inside fell out and scattered around like snowflakes. there were photos of nan dong with various women. behind each photo was a document number that corresponded to the attached documents. what they had here was not just some random information, but evidence of nan dong''s crimes over the years. nan dong''s family background was real, but what he said about his life experiences were all fake. he had been very well-liked by the opposite sex since he was young. according to the statements of all the women who previously dated nan dong, all of them fell deeply in love with him the moment they saw him and wished that they could give everything they had to him. Chapter 2310: The Use of the Hairpin chapter 2310: the use of the hairpin ? "these women all have one thing in common. they''re all rich. they''re either very capable themselves or their families are very rich. nan dong has plundered a lot of things from them over the years. there are even a few who went bankrupt because of him! there are also many who committed suicide," yao nian said with a frown. qiao mei looked through these photos carefully and discovered something strange. why would a man wear a lady''s bangle? this was a little strange. "i also notice the same thing. i have gone through the information and it is stated that the item belongs to nan dong''s late parents. nan dong treasures this bangle very much and doesn''t allow anyone to touch it. he even wears it in the shower and he doesn''t take it off at all. he has said that it''s how he honors the memories of his mother," yao nian said. qiao mei found a closeup photo of the bangle. this was clearly the bangle that used to be part of gao tao''s jewelry set! it would appear that the function of this bangle was to allow the wearer to gain great charm and make designated people fall in love with the wearer. "how... utterly shameless..." qiao mei said through gritted teeth. everything that qian''e did made sense now. nan dong had set up everything. he was eyeing her money! she must put a stop to all of this! qiao mei did not know how to stop nan dong. all the jewelry in her possession had no protective effect, except... for the jade bangle in her hand. however, if she gave this jade bangle to qian''e, then what about herself? "i also want to go and meet that man, nan dong. i''m like a younger sister to qian''e. am i really going to ignore her?" qiao mei said disdainfully. "that''s great!" li gui said happily. qiao mei took out a brocade box from her bag and handed it to li gui, saying, "this is a token from me. once we reach the venue, bring it to qian''e and put it on for her." when li gui opened the brocade box, she was shocked and immediately said, "isn''t this your favorite jade bangle? how can you bear to give this to qian''e?" back when qiao mei bought this bangle, qian''e also liked it very much. qian''e had asked qiao mei for it many times but qiao mei never gave it to her. li gui did not expect that this time round... it certainly seemed that qiao mei had really forgiven qian''e. li gui told qiao mei about what qian''e told her about nan dong, but qiao mei did not listen to a single word, only responding to her in an offhand manner. li gui could tell that qiao mei did not really want to talk about this, so she kept quiet. "mei mei, we''re here," li gui said. qian''e ran out of the venue with a smile on her face. the moment she saw qiao mei, her smile froze. she had not imagined that qiao mei would come to her engagement party. "what are you doing here?" qian''e asked moodily. "i''m here because i''m a member of the family, of course. as if i''m here to get married? do you think i''m willing to come?" qiao mei could not hide the disdain in her tone. Chapter 2311: Regain Her Senses chapter 2311: regain her senses ? qian''e glared at qiao mei without refuting her. after all, what qiao mei said was the truth. by now, she could be considered to be prominent in the capital''s business world and reputation was very important to her. given the occasion today, if she did not turn up and other people found out about it, they would gossip about her. "mom, hello..." before nan dong could finish his sentence, qiao mei interrupted him. "hold on! the two of you are not married yet, so don''t try to act as if you are a relative," qiao mei said. li gui also had a cold expression on her face as she said, "yes, you should address me as auntie li." qian''e looked a little uncomfortable. she knew that qiao mei did not agree with this decision of hers, but she did not expect li gui not to show any understanding for her as well. she was always so nice to li gui! as expected, a goddaughter was not as cherished as a biological daughter. the moment li gui''s biological daughter returned home, li gui did not care about her at all anymore. qiao mei gave li gui a look. li gui held onto qian''e and led her upstairs. nan dong also wanted to follow closely behind, but qiao mei blocked his way. "they need to talk about something. give them some time," qiao mei said. "miss qiao, i don''t know how i have managed to offend you and why you are so hostile towards me?" nan dong asked as he put on an aggrieved look. the two of them pushed open the door to the room and walked in. when nan dong saw that qian''e was feeling unwell, he quickly walked over and asked worriedly, "are you alright? how do you feel?" "i''m fine. everyone, take a seat," qian''e said. qiao mei sat next to qian''e while li gui sat in the master seat facing the door of the private room. the four of them remained silent and no one spoke. the owner of this restaurant was one of li gui''s business partners and the two of them knew each other quite well. back when the restaurant faced a shortage of ingredients, it was li gui who had helped to solve the issue! "sister li! why haven''t you told me that you will be here! you should have told me about such an important occasion! all the expenses today will be on me! we''ll give you the best that the restaurant can offer!" the restaurant owner said excitedly as he pushed open the room door. "this is just a normal family meal. moreover, this is the first time i''m meeting my future son- in-law," li gui said as she looked into the restaurant owner''s eyes. the restaurant owner immediately understood what li gui meant. he sized up nan dong and noted that nan dong had no presence in the capital. between the xia family, the qiao family and nan dong, anyone with a brain would know who to side with. "oh my! how can that do! i''ve already asked the kitchen to prepare the dishes!" when the restaurant owner was saying this, he had turned to stare at nan dong. "it''s fine. just go ahead. as long as auntie is happy, anything is fine," nan dong said mildly. "good, good, good! then i''ll go to the kitchen to keep an eye on things! you guys go ahead and have a good chat! have a good chat!" the restaurant owner left happily. after the door closed, the four of them fell silent again. li gui was the first to break the awkward silence. she looked at nan dong and asked, "xiao''e has previously spoken to me about you. i remember that your name is... nan dong, right?" "yes, auntie. i''m very happy to meet you today," nan dong said. Chapter 2312: Exposed chapter 2312: exposed ? "i still don''t know anything about your parents. since xiao''e wants to be with you, then let''s arrange for your parents to meet me," li gui said. qian''e immediately said, "godmother, nan dong''s biological parents have passed away. he''s on his own." "really? mr. nan should still have a pair of adoptive parents," qiao mei said as she stared into nan dong''s eyes. qian''e looked shocked while nan dong replied calmly, "yes, i was adopted by a couple a few years after i entered the orphanage. they were always very busy with work and did not have time to take care of me, but they always said that they would definitely like whoever i like." after nan dong finished speaking, he looked over at qian''e confidently. however, qian''e did not seem very touched to hear that. instead, she even looked a little angry and puzzled. nan dong rubbed his bangle discreetly, but there was still no change in her attitude. "why is it that i don''t know anything about these things?" qian''e questioned him calmly. qiao mei took a deep breath. this silly woman had finally regained her senses. fortunately, that jade bangle was still useful enough. otherwise, she did not know how it would go today. "xiao''e, let me explain. i don''t really keep in contact with them and we don''t really have a close relationship. that''s why i forgot to tell you. i didn''t do it on purpose," nan dong said pleadingly. "you know very well whether i''m wronging you or not." seeing that nan dong was still unwilling to give up, qiao mei took out all the documents which bella had given her. she had only brought photocopies. there was a lot of information here that could give nan dong a fatal blow. those were all qiao mei''s "trump cards". as qian''e looked through the documents, her heart sank. she no longer believed anything nan dong said. "get lost immediately. everything we agreed on is now void!" qian''e roared. "don''t forget that we still have a partnership," nan dong said confidently. "a partnership requires trust from both sides and it can only come into being if everything you say is true. it''s obvious that those overseas assets and factories of yours are all fake. no! it can''t be said to be fake. the fact is that they are all assets which belong to your ex-girlfriends. i''ve already contacted all of them. the partnership is still intact, but you are excluded from everything," qiao mei said. not only did qiao mei manage to contact these women, but she also sent each of them a small portion of ginseng juice to use in the shower. they were all completely cleansed of nan dong''s bewitchment and all of them finally realized what nan dong had done to them. however, qiao mei still did not know how nan dong activated that bangle''s ability. she only knew its general function. it seemed like she had to think of a way to get this bangle from nan dong! Chapter 2313: Bankrupt chapter 2313: bankrupt ? nan dong glared fiercely at qiao mei. no matter what he did, qian''e refused to look at him again. he stared at qian''e and said, "you''ll regret this..." with that, he left in a fluster. when qian''e recalled everything that had happened previously, she looked at qiao mei embarrassedly and said, "i''m sorry... i was so bewitched by him. i even said a lot of hurtful things. i''m really sorry." "it''s fine. it''s all in the past. everything is fine as long as you''re not hurt by him," qiao mei said as she shrugged nonchalantly. the restaurant owner walked into the private room with a lobster dish and asked, "um... that man left in an exasperated manner just now. should i still continue to serve the dishes?" "yes! serve everything! bring me everything that is nice!" qian''e said agitatedly. li gui immediately said, "better not, better not! it''s just the three of us. we won''t be able to finish so much food. just serve us six of the dishes." "that''s fine too. serve us whatever is already cooked," qian''e said to the restaurant owner. the three of them ate together happily and took the leftovers with them. when they reached home, qiao mei kept thinking about the minute details related to nan dong''s bangle. she must take action tonight. if she could not do something openly, then she would do it secretly! she would empty all of nan dong''s assets! she wanted nan dong to be so down and out that his only option left was to sell the bangle. qiao mei and xia zhe had a secret way of contacting each other. qiao mei could call a middleman to pass her message to xia zhe. in less than a week, xia zhe managed to get hold of 80% of nan dong''s overseas assets. the remaining assets were all properties. unless nan dong sold these assets voluntarily, it was out of their reach. "oh my, no person who knows our identities has ever made it out alive. it looks like... you''re not destined to stay alive beyond tonight," yin yue said as she smirked. "no! don''t kill me! i have money! i have a lot of money! i''ll give you everything! don''t kill me! let me live! please!" nan dong said as he cried. "money? how much money can there be? haven''t you already lost all your money? what else do you have that''s valuable?" yin yue said disdainfully. "i still have more! i still have a lot of jewelry and properties! i''ll give them all to you!" nan dong said. yin xing looked at yin yue and nodded in satisfaction. they had already prepared an agreement. nan dong became bankrupt in an instant and there was no point in killing him. yin yue made arrangements for someone to drop off nan dong in a place in the wilderness. "oh my! you won''t be able to imagine what nan dong looked like then! he was so scared that he wet his pants! his pants were soaking wet!" yin yue was in a good mood as she called qiao mei. "and yin xing didn''t get angry?" qiao mei asked curiously. she knew that yin xing was very obsessed with cleanliness. yin yue leaned closer to the phone speaker and whispered, "of course she''s angry. she already sold that car and she hasn''t spoken to me for the entire afternoon." "yin xing is easy to coax. just buy her two new cars and she''ll be happy," qiao mei said. "that''s only when you''re the one coaxing her. it''s not that easy for me. she''ll be fine after a while. what about you? when are you coming back? i had wanted to go and look for you, but bella said that if i go, i''ll just be walking into a trap. i can only wait for you to come back here," yin yue said aggrievedly. Chapter 2314: One-Month-Old Celebration Banquet chapter 2314: one-month-old celebration banquet ? "it''ll probably be a while longer. don''t be anxious, i''ll come back to look for you," qiao mei said by way of comfort. yin yue told qiao mei a lot of current gossip, including information about bella''s suitors. their international phone call went on for more than an hour! "oh no! yin xing is scolding me! i''m hanging up now! think of me often!" yin yue hung up the phone in a panic. qiao mei laughed resignedly. these two were really a pair of quarrelsome friends. qiao mei did not feel very happy even after she got hold of the bangle. she kept getting a feeling that this bangle was part of a pair and that there must be many other people out there who possessed superpowers and could use the energy of jewelry to do all kinds of things. if gao tao''s jewelry had such functions, then it must mean that there were other people who also owned similar family heirlooms which they kept in the dark. she must keep a low profile now and not become a moving target in the eyes of these "superpowered people". while qiao mei was busy handling the issue regarding qian''e, there was good news from the family of the xia family''s third son. xia xing and shao yin had a new addition to the family and it was a boy! xia xing had named him xia hai and the entire family was overjoyed. now that the baby was almost one month old, it was also time for qiao mei and the rest to prepare their gifts for him. "i really hate buying things for that family! if we buy expensive things, they''ll say that we look down on them. if we buy cheap things, then they''ll say that we don''t care about them! how about i don''t turn up!" xia he said angrily.no?v(el)b\\jnn "don''t be angry. maybe you should just give them money. they won''t be able to complain about getting money," xia wan said. "elder cousin, you still don''t know what they say about me behind my back! the last time, i really wanted to just give them money! they said that i was just trying to dismiss them with some money because i think of myself as being well-off! you don''t know how aggrieved i feel then!" xia he said agitatedly. everyone calmed down after hearing that. no matter how hardy xia jun was and how clear-cut he was about right and wrong, he was advanced in age now and it was better to avoid unnecessary trouble. this was nothing more than using money to avoid trouble. money was not an issue for all of them, so they decided to just bite the bullet and go through with it to avoid unnecessary trouble. however, shao yin was much greedier than they had imagined. at this moment, she was already sitting inside xia jun''s house and telling him about her requests. xia jun hugged xia hai happily and said, "this child really looks like xia xing when he was young, especially his eyes and eyebrows. the two of them look almost exactly the same. it would have been great if we had a camera at that time. during the celebration banquet, we must ask xia he to bring along the cameras. let''s take a few more photos to commemorate the occasion!" "whatever you say, grandfather. by the way, we haven''t decided on the venue for the celebration banquet. is there anywhere you prefer? how many people should we invite?" shao yin probed. xia jun asked the helper to carry xia hai away, leaving only three people in the living room, namely xia xing, shao yin and xia jun. xia xing realized that xia jun was unhappy and quickly said, "we can hold it at home! we can do it at home!" "how can that do! this is the third son''s first grandchild! and it''s a boy!" shao yin said proudly. "that''s true. since it''s the third son''s family issue, then you should go and speak to xia guang," xia jun said calmly. "but... but father is outstation and he has no time..." shao yin said. "then go and talk to tang hui. tang hui is now xia guang''s wife and also your stepmother. although you''re not willing to accept the fact, she''s the one running the household for the third son''s family. i''m just an old man and i can''t make any decision," xia jun said. Chapter 2315: Asking for Help chapter 2315: asking for help editor: atlas studios shao yin had never liked tang hui. now that xia jun was asking her to go and look for tang hui, she felt even more unhappy. shao yin said aggrievedly, shes not our xiao hais biological grandmother after all. she definitely wont care about xiao hais issues! then tell me, what is it that you want? xia jun did not want to beat around the bush with shao yin. he wanted to hear what she wanted so as to know exactly how shameless she could be! third cousin-in-laws mother owns a restaurant, right? im thinking about hosting the one-month-old celebration banquet for xiao hai there. i also want to invite all my relatives and friends! we can have a big party! shao yin said excitedly. xia jun nodded and continued asking, what else? also... i would also like third cousin-in-law to make a few sets of clothes for our xiao hai! shes good with her hands so the clothes will definitely look very nice! shao yin said. xia xing hurriedly tugged at shao yins clothes and said, what is this issue about new clothes! we dont need third cousin-in-law to make new clothes! all the kids in this generation are still very young. third cousin-in-law has the most boys, so we just need to ask her for the old clothes which xia fan and xia yue have outgrown. xia jun looked at xia xing approvingly. ever since xia guang got divorced and remarried, xia xing had matured quite a lot. there was marked improvement in the way he dealt with people and handled issues and he seemed more like a xia family member nowadays. however, this wife of his... was really the incompetent type! as long as you make a booking and put down a deposit at li guis restaurant, she will definitely organize the event well. after all, shes a businesswoman. as for the people whom you want to invite, you can just send them the invitation cards. let xia xing handle this matter and check on who wants to attend. you can think about how to handle the rest of the requests yourself. im feeling tired by now. after saying that, xia jun wanted to go upstairs to take a rest. shao yin hurriedly stopped xia jun and said, grandfather! you cant just leave us hanging like this! xia hai is your great-grandson! its not as if hes my only great-grandson. i have so many great-grandchildren and i never have to worry about their issues. why do i have to take care of everything when its your turn? xia jun questioned. no need! grandfather, thats not what we mean! well take care of this matter ourselves! im sorry... for troubling you... xia xing said embarrassedly. yes, you should head back soon. xia jun went back upstairs after saying that. shao yin sat on the sofa in annoyance and complained softly, useless thing! whats the use of having you around! do you know how much money it will cost to hold the one-month-old celebration banquet! how many people will accept an invitation from us! without the old masters help, we wont be able to do anything! xia xing sighed and said, perhaps we should just forget it. lets just gather all our family members and have a meal together. how can that do! how can the birth of a xia familys great-grandson be so muted! in the future, people will laugh at him! all the other babies get a celebration banquet, so why do we have to do things so simply when it comes to our xiao hai! shao yin said indignantly. the thing is that the one-month-old celebration banquets for xia fan and the other kids were organized by their parents. grandfather and the other elders did not need to do anything at all, xia xing said awkwardly. shao yin found herself speechless. if she had known that the xia family members did not care about the third sons family, she would not have set her heart on marrying into the family. she should have just worked on seducing xia wen back then! Chapter 2316: All Means and Ways chapter 2316: all means and ways editor: atlas studios i dont care! you have to think of a solution for me! i must have what the others have! i didnt marry into your xia family to be bullied! why can your third cousin-in-laws children get such lavish banquets, but not mine! even your fathers second wedding gets more attention than our childs one-month-old celebration banquet! youre such a useless father! shao yin pointed at xia xings nose and scolded him angrily. fortunately, the walls in xia juns house were fairly soundproof and he did not hear what shao yin said. otherwise, she would not be able to organize any banquet for xia hai at all. xia jun did not really care about all these issues. he was more concerned about the future of the third sons family and xia hais future development. from the looks of it, xia xing and shao yin would not be able to raise xia hai well. he decided to send xia hai to stay with xia xiu once the boy learned how to talk. back then, xia zhe and the other children were brought up by xia xiu in the army base from a young age. all of them were doing well for themselves now, so he felt very much at ease to leave xia hai in xia xius care. xia xing dragged shao yin out of xia juns house. along the way, xia xing had to listen to shao yins nagging and all her requests related to the celebration banquet. each of her requests was something too extravagant for their own small family to fulfill. given their relationship with the rest of the xia family members, it was likely that no one would want to help them. should we invite auntie tang to xiao hais celebration banquet? xia xing asked tentatively. shao yin chased xia xing off the bus at the bus stop and asked him to head to tang huis house immediately. he did not even have a single cent in his pocket and he felt really embarrassed to have to visit tang hui so abruptly. however, if he did not do what he was asked to do today, he would not be able to go home too. xia xing could only brace himself and wait at the door outside tang huis house. today was a workday for tang hui. xia xing waited until 7 p.m. before he saw tang hui coming back from work. xiao xing? why are you standing at the door? tang hui said in surprise. auntie tang, im here to visit you... xia xing said sheepishly. tang hui knew that xia xing must have a favor to ask of her, so she invited him in. this was xia xings first time at the new house which tang hui and xia guang moved into. he did not expect tang hui to have decorated the place so nicely. xia xing knew his mothers character well. at the very least... although zhou hua and xia guang were together for so many years, their home never felt as warm as this one. have a seat. your father isnt in the capital now and its probably difficult for you to contact him too. if you need anything, just tell me, tang hui said gently. i... my... we want to hold a one-month-old celebration banquet for our xiao hai. i hope that you will be able to attend it... xia xing said. of course i will. ill go on behalf of your father. your father has already phoned me previously and reminded me to go and take a good look at xiao hai and to send him photos! he really likes this child very much, tang hui said. Chapter 2317: Schemed Against by Family Members chapter 2317: schemed against by family members ? "it''s just that... we haven''t found a venue for xiao hai''s one-month-old celebration banquet yet. i wonder if you have any ideas?" xia xing asked tentatively. tang hui already knew that xia xing would come and look for her. moreover, qiao mei had also already spoken and hinted to her about it. she just did not expect him to turn up so soon this time round.no?v(el)b\\jnn "i have so much to do and i''m always so busy. xiao xing, as you know, i just married into the xia family not long ago and i don''t really know how to deal with a lot of family issues yet. but if you have something in mind, you can just tell me. i''ll definitely do whatever i can," tang hui said in a proactive manner. by now, xia xing realized that tang hui would not take the initiative to offer help. tang hui was a good person though, so there was no need for him to throw a tantrum at her here. otherwise, when xia guang returned, xia guang definitely would not let him off. "auntie tang, i''ll be honest with you. actually, our intent is to hold xiao hai''s celebration banquet at third cousin-in-law''s mother''s restaurant," xia xing said. "that''s a good thing to do! since the venue belongs to a relative, it will be easier for you to plan things. so what''s your budget?" tang hui asked curiously. "we... we have no idea. this is something that we need to discuss with third cousin-in-law, but things didn''t end well between us and her back then, so i dare not go and look for her," xia xing said embarrassedly. "that''s nothing. i can be the middleman to help you negotiate with her, but... there will definitely be standard charges. you also know what qiao mei is like. her best price can only be the labor cost plus the base price. if you want more discounts... i''m afraid she won''t give in," tang hui said. what a good plan... "not too bad. you manage to get it. otherwise, i will really wonder if i have partnered with the right person," qiao mei said with a sigh. "i''m just... too worried to think straight..." tang hui said helplessly. qiao mei could sense that there was something interesting going on. she quickly sat up straight and stared at tang hui as she asked, "worried? worried about who? my third uncle? have the two of you gotten much closer?" tang hui lowered her head shyly. in the beginning, she had only married xia guang for the benefits involved. furthermore, his previous marriage was such a mess and she felt that he had a big part to play in that. however, what she did not expect was that xia guang was quite a romantic at heart. xia guang would send local specialties from his current location and precious mountain herbs to tang hui regularly and would include a letter with every package. in just a few months, tang hui had already received 13 letters! "oh my... this is also the first time i hear of third uncle''s prowess. it''s so amazing," qiao mei said in shock. even when she first got together with xia zhe, she did not write so many letters to him. at that time, xia zhe was also quite aloof. "i... i now feel that xia guang is not too bad a partner. since he''s so happy about xia hai''s birth, i feel that i should render some help to xia xing." after saying that, tang hui sighed and continued, "who would have thought that it''s all just a scheme." "like mother, like son. which of my third uncle''s children have turned out alright? two of them are in jail and the other one is full of schemes. how useless," qiao mei said. Chapter 2318: Even a Worm Will Turn chapter 2318: even a worm will turn editor: atlas studios in a family, the mother played a very important role. for sure, apart from the mother, each and every member of the family was important. however, in this era, it was the norm for men to go out to work while women stayed at home to take care of the children. therefore, the tone of the childrens learning environment was generally set by their mothers. all the xia familys men joined the army and were not around to take care of the children. yet, in the end, the children from the three branch families turned out to be quite different. in fact, most of the childrens characteristics overlapped with those of their parents. xia jun often regretted giving his consent to let xia guang marry zhou hua. at the very least, if xia guang had married a gentle and virtuous woman instead, he would not have children who ended up in jail. how... how should i deal with this situation? tang hui asked hesitantly.no?v(el)b\\jnn just tell xia xing to come and look for me. if theres money to be made, i wont say no. you just have to say that you have already spoken to me, qiao mei said nonchalantly. alright, i understand. with that, tang hui left qiao meis house. he vented out all the grievances he kept inside since he got married. he could no longer bear to have to live with his head lowered, like what he was doing now. all his colleagues and relatives had happy and peaceful lives. he was the one who had constant fights with his wife at home. in the past, he had always thought that everything was zhou huas fault or xia guangs fault. however, after xia guang remarried, xia guang and tang hui had a very blissful life and were very sweet to each other. he was also doing better at work and willing to work harder than before, but why was his life not as blissful? why was shao yin still so dissatisfied with everything? what do you mean? how dare you scold me! do you believe that my mother and my relatives can come over and beat you up tomorrow! shao yin wept as she shouted. let them come! if your family members dont come over, then they are cowards! everyone knows what you and your relatives did back then! it was our xia family who helped you suppress the news but you people even went around saying that i am infertile! the truth is finally out now! the xia family is currently doing very well in the capital! lets see if your family dares to bully me! there are many women who want to marry me, marry into the xia family! if youre so unhappy, then we can get a divorce! xia xing said agitatedly. he had kept these words buried in his heart for a long time and felt very carefree after saying them. he did not know that he would feel so relaxed after he stopped being so obsessed with these issues. shao yin did not reply for a long time. she had originally thought that xia xing was easy to bully, but it never occurred to her that even a worm would turn if forced to a corner! it appeared that she had pushed xia xing to his limits. now that xia wen was already married and the rest of the unmarried men in the xia family did not fancy her at all, she did not have any other choices left. alright, so this is what well do for xia hais one-month-old celebration banquet. well host it at the cheapest restaurant we can find and do it within our means. let me say this upfront. i will only invite my family members. dont get your family members involved, xia xing said sternly. why not! hes also my parents biological grandson! shao yin said. Chapter 2319: Causing Trouble chapter 2319: causing trouble editor: atlas studios do your family members still dare to appear in front of us? if theyre not afraid of being chastised by my relatives, they can feel free to come, xia xing said indifferently. shao yin had nothing to say to that. she hugged xia hai silently and did not speak. at this moment, xia xing was the only one who could make decisions in this family. if she left the xia family and xia xing, she had nothing. xia xing washed xia hais soiled clothes and cleaned up the mess in the house before going to bed. the next day, he arrived at qiao meis house at noon to explain the situation. i didnt expect you to come, qiao mei said with a cold expression. she would never be welcoming to the third sons family. ever since she married into the xia family, this third branch of the xia family had always been going after her. time and time again, they had put her, her family members and her children in danger. these people were still alive only because of her respect for xia jun. otherwise... she would have long found a way to send them to their graves! im not here to talk about the celebration banquet. im here to tell you that ill find a venue myself. i hope youll accept our invite and attend the event, xia xing said calmly. this came as a surprise to qiao mei. she looked at xia xing and said, you... you actually have some pride. i have just come to terms with the facts. i just want to say that if the charges at your mothers restaurant are lower than other restaurants or if the venue is more suitable for us, i will want to give you the business, xia xing said. she will definitely be here. how can she miss such a good show! qiao mei said with a laugh. before the banquet even began, zhou hua walked into the main hall of the restaurant, wearing tattered clothes. all the xia family members turned to look at her. it was difficult not to notice zhou huas attire. she looked like one of those beggars on the streets and she even smelled really bad. she really wants to add some color to our day even at the expense of her own image... xia wan said helplessly. didnt they say that she has turned over a new leaf? why is she still doing such a thing now? xia he asked in shock. qiao mei shrugged to indicate that she did not know anything either. if zhou hua knew how to use her brains, xia guang would not have divorced her and she would not have to leave the xia family so disgracefully. zhou hua took a look around and seemed to have found her target when she saw xia hai. she shouted loudly, oh, my grandson! my grandson! its so difficult to find you! so youre here! shao yin hurriedly walked forward to hold up zhou hua and said, mother! why are you here while dressed like this! what happened to you! by now, everyone knew what was going on. shao yin and zhou hua were working together to put on a big show today. xia jun glanced at xia wen and the younger man quickly went to look for the restaurant owner to book an exclusive private room upstairs. he asked mo zhu and xia he to bring the child up to the private room and not to come back downstairs no matter what happened. i know that you dont want me to come and see xia hai, but im his biological grandmother! i have the right to take a look at him! i have even prepared his one-month-old gift! zhou hua shakily took out a rag from her pocket. Chapter 2320: Causing Havoc at the One-Month-Old Celebration Banquet chapter 2320: causing havoc at the one-month-old celebration banquet editor: atlas studios the rag was wrapped around a dirty silver bangle which looked very old. xia wan recognized it immediately. this was the birthday gift that zhou hua had bought for xia yan when he was born! auntie zhou, theres no need for you to dig out these old items. i remember that theres a set of gold jewelry among xia hais gifts. its from third aunt-in-law. you should keep this silver bangle for xia yans children, xia wan said coldly. no matter how much xia wan disliked the third branch family, they were all members of the xia family. her relationship with them was definitely closer than with zhou hua. at this moment, they must be united against outsiders. recently, tang hui had made a lot of money after working with qiao mei. they had already launched those practice workbooks for sale and they made more than 300,000 dollars as soon as the workbooks hit the market. tang hui did not get a big share of the earnings and only received o60,000 dollars, but it was already enough money for her to spend for a long time. zhou huas expression darkened. she pointed at tang hui and scolded angrily, whats so good about gold! you extravagant b*tch! you must have spent all of xia guangs money! madam zhou, you have to be careful with your words. our third aunt-in-law earned all that money herself. besides, isnt my third uncles money meant for my third aunt-in-law to spend? otherwise, you can go ahead and buy gold jewelry for your biological grandson so that our aunt-in-law wont have to give that set to him, qiao mei said with a smile. if xia xing divorced her without any good reason, the xia family would definitely face strong criticism! no one would stand on the side of a man who found fault with his wife and abandoned her after he started doing well for himself. send madam zhou to the hospital first. xia wen waved his hand to ask the bodyguards to come over. qiao mei reluctantly took out two medicine bottles from her pocket. she fed tang hui the golden liquid and gave the green liquid to the bodyguards to feed zhou hua. she knew that the kick she gave zhou hua was a fatal one. if she did not provide zhou hua with her life-saving ginseng juice, zhou hua would probably die on the way to the hospital. in the room upstairs, xia xing was getting scolded by xia jun. look at the kind of woman you found! your father had bad taste in the past! youre the same now! what do you want me to say! fortunately, your eldest cousin reacted quick enough and ensured that the child was protected! what if something happens to the child! what will you do then! do you think you have a spare life to exchange for xia hais! xia jun roared. grandfather, do calm down. xia xing doesnt know that this will happen either, xia wan said gently as she handed him a cup of tea. grandfather, i didnt invite my mother. she came here on her own accord, xia xing said aggrievedly. Chapter 2321: Leave the Capital chapter 2321: leave the capital editor: atlas studios none of them was a fool. anyone with a discerning eye could tell that much of what happened today had to do with shao yin. now that zhou hua had been sent to the hospital and everyone had gathered round to talk about the situation, shao yin was nowhere to be seen. alright, i dont want to talk about what happened today anymore. you should think of a way to explain it to your father. after saying that, xia jun asked everyone to sit down and eat. it was not easy for everyone to gather together, so he wanted them to sit down to have a good meal. the family was in a harmonious mood, except for xia xing who had a solemn expression on his face. qiao mei took mental notes of everything she saw. after the meal, they had a discussion and decided to go and stay at qiao meis manor for a while. it was rare that gao long was here on a visit, so they wanted to bring him there to relax and have some fun. ive already made arrangements for the transport. theyll send you home first to pack your luggage and then drive you to the manor, qiao mei said with a smile. everyone accepted the arrangement and all of them set off. only xia xing stood rooted to the spot with the child in his arms. he seemed to have something to say to qiao mei. theres a room set aside for you in the manor, qiao mei said curtly. third cousin-in-law, i think i wont go. the child is still young and itll be too hard on him. im sorry about what happened today. ill go back and persuade my mother not to cause trouble for you, xia xing said firmly. fine. its as if only what you say makes sense. ill get grandfather to transfer me to my fathers workplace tomorrow. you can stay here by yourself and take good care of the child in the capital, xia xing said firmly. xia guang was doing quite well at his workplace. he was practically glowing and could even pass off as being 10 years younger! he had already gotten two promotions in a row! he was doing better than he had done in the past 20 years! everyone said that xia guang had married a good wife who brought luck to her husband and children! deep down, xia guang also knew very well that he was the one who had benefited from tang hui marrying him. they had a peaceful life and his career was also progressing well! you! the child is still so young! yet you want to leave me alone here! how can you bear to do that! shao yin cried. its not as if you need to go out to work. its more than easy enough for you to take care of the child on your own. theres no need to say anything else. its settled. ill leave tomorrow. after saying that, xia xing got into the taxi. shao yin sat in the back seat and sobbed pitifully. she had never thought that she would be caught in such a situation. with xia xing around, she could still voice her opinion in the xia family. if he left, no one in the xia family would give her the time of day! she would be left isolated and helpless in the xia family! her maternal family was even more unreliable! how was she going to survive in the future! zhou hua was still in critical condition in the hospital and xia wen had been dealing with this matter. he knew that qiao mei was very strong, but he did not expect her to go so far as to break three of zhou huas ribs. zhou hua would not be able to swallow any food and drink until she recovered. aunt, how long will she need to be treated? how much will it cost? xia wen asked. as the saying goes, it takes 100 days to recover from a serious injury. looking at her current condition, shell need a minimum of three months. to fully recover, itll probably take more than seven months, xia fang said. sigh... looks like the xia family will have to take care of her for a while. ill get her a personal nurse, xia wen said with a sigh. Chapter 2322: Make a Deal chapter 2322: make a deal ? zhou hua must not have expected to hit the jackpot this time round. she did not have to worry about her living expenses for a year! xia xing completed the handover of his work very quickly and left the capital after two days. he simply left shao yin behind, completely alone and helpless. qiao mei and the others gathered some of their children''s belongings and arranged for the items to be sent over to her as a show of concern from the eldest and second sons'' families. as the days passed, shao yin looked more and more haggard and she did not have the energy to go and hassle the xia family members anymore. when the child fell asleep for a moment, she took the opportunity to go to the town center to buy some groceries. the moment she returned home, she realized that something was wrong. why was the door unlocked? "who''s inside the house! xiao hai!" shao yin dropped all her things and rushed into the house. there were two men sitting on the brick bed inside and one of them was holding xia hai in his arms. however, xia hai was too quiet. shao yin had never seen xia hai sleeping so soundly. "who are you! what did you do to my child!" shao yin asked anxiously.no?v(el)b\\jnn "you''d better not act rashly or i''ll break his neck immediately," one of the men said. shao yin immediately took two steps back and said calmly, "fine... fine... i won''t move... don''t hurt my child... i beg you not to hurt him... i''ll give you whatever you want!" "cough, cough, cough... you should know who we are. i''m from the huang family. my name is huang zhong," huang zhong said weakly. "why should i help you? besides, why don''t you go and look for other members of the xia family? i don''t have any say in the xia family and none of them will listen to me. it''s simply a fantasy in your mind if you want me to go and ask qiao mei for the medicinal wine. i can''t even enter her house. you should go and look for someone else," shao yin said. "you can, because your son is still in our hands. don''t you want to take revenge on qiao mei? qiao mei is the cause of everything that happened to you. she caused your husband to be at odds with you and made your life so difficult. if not for her putting a stop to your plans, you would probably be the eldest young madam of the xia family''s eldest branch family now," huang zhong said slowly, every word poking at shao yin''s sore spot. shao yin was a little tempted. she would not be able to do anything to qiao mei on her own, but what if the huang family joined forces with her? "what do you want me to do?" shao yin asked. "we want six bottles of medicinal wine. it doesn''t matter if you steal them, snatch them or kneel down and beg her for them. we must get the medicinal wine," huang zhong said. "i can help you ask her if there''s any for sale," shao yin said. "for sale? qiao mei''s medicinal wine is priceless and no one can get their hands on it. moreover, our huang family is no longer doing as well as before and we don''t have that much money anymore," huang zhong said helplessly. "you still want medicinal wine when you don''t have money? i can''t do it then. look for someone else," shao yin said. huang zhong looked at huang mian, who was holding the child. huang mian immediately took out a small bottle from his pocket and fed the contents to xia hai. shao yin rushed to huang mian in a panic and pulled the child over to her side, roaring, "what did you feed him!" "it''s your fault for wanting to do this the hard way. you won''t listen to us if things don''t get to this point," huang mian said. Chapter2323-Asking for Medicine chapter2323 - asking for medicine "i won''t be able to get the medicinal wine! please let me go! let my child go! what exactly did you feed him! he''s still a child! are you even human!" shao yin hugged the boy and cried hysterically. huang mian did not say anything but simply poured the remaining liquid from the bottle into shao yin''s mouth. shao yin immediately felt some pain in her stomach. she held her stomach with one arm and hugged the child with her other arm as she knelt on the ground in agony. "you need eight bottles of medicinal wine now. this is the only way to save you and your child. you only have three hours so time is tight. if you don''t set off now, both you and your child will die," huang zhong said casually. "aren''t you afraid of retribution..." shao yin said through the pain. "us? we''re people who are about to die, so why should we be afraid of doing this? besides, there''s nothing too bad about having members of the xia family accompanying us in death," huang mian said, feeling no shame at all. shao yin forced herself to get up and carried the child to the brick bed to settle him down. she did a check to make sure that the child was still breathing and rushed out of the house after that. at this moment, qiao mei and the rest of the family were at the manor. fortunately, her house was not too far from there. otherwise, she would not be able to make the return trip within three hours. shao yin did not allow herself to be distracted as she rode the bicycle. although she fell down several times, she did not dare to stop to take a rest. to her, every minute she wasted was another minute that her child was in danger and it made her scared. she suddenly realized that she did not detest and hate qiao mei as much as she had thought she did. all she wanted to do now was to kill huang mian and huang zhong! if her child and her could not survive this ordeal, she hoped that the xia family would kill everyone in the huang family to avenge the two of them! shao yin finally made it to qiao mei''s manor after much difficulty, but she was stopped at the door by the security guard. xia wen immediately realized that this matter could involve anyone. he glanced at qiao mei and she immediately understood what he meant. she waved her hand and asked everyone who was not a xia family member to leave the room. "you can talk now. everyone here is one of us," qiao mei said. shao yin took a deep breath and used all her strength to speak. "it''s the huang family members who broke into my house and poisoned me and my child! they want me to get the medicinal wine to exchange for the antidote! my child is also poisoned! if i don''t get back in three hours, he will die!" after saying that, shao yin started vomiting big mouthfuls of blood. the blood was black in color and xia wan hid behind xia he in fear. this was the first time xia wan had ever seen such a scene. "how much do they want?" qiao mei asked. "six bottles... not including what my child and i need..." shao yin said. "how audacious. other people only dare to ask to buy one bottle at a time, but they actually dare to ask for six bottles!" xia he said in disgust. shao yin gradually fell silent. qiao mei immediately took out her pendant, the one which contained golden ginseng juice, and hurriedly put one drop into shao yin''s mouth. although shao yin was not a good person, she was still the xia family''s daughter-in-law. in addition, shao yin just had a lousy character and had never thought of harming qiao mei and her family. therefore, qiao mei was still willing to save her life. Chapter 2324 Getting the Medicinal Wine chapter 2324 getting the medicinal wine furthermore, they still needed shao yin to go back with the medicine. if any of them went, the huang family''s father and son pair would become suspicious. in the past, qiao mei would simply turn her back on this situation. however, she was a mother now and could not bear to see any child suffer. furthermore, that child was xia jun''s great-grandson and cousin to her three children. she must save the boy. however, they had to think about how to carry out the rescue. they could not act rashly and must use their wits. "there''s only two of them. i''ve already arranged for a team to surround xia xing''s house," xia wen said. shao yin could feel herself slowly getting better. she had always thought that it was an exaggeration to say that this medicinal wine was "divine medicine". however, it appeared to really have the ability to even revive the dead! no wonder so many people wanted to get hold of it. "thank you! thank you to all of you!" shao yin said agitatedly. qiao mei went into her room and took out seven bottles of green medicinal wine. then, she stuffed a smaller bottle into shao yin''s hand. "give them six bottles and feed the child one bottle. once they leave, feed the child the contents of the smaller bottle immediately." since the child was still so young, his immune system was definitely not as good as that of an adult. qiao mei was worried that the green ginseng juice would not be able to totally detoxify the poison from his body, so she wanted to supplement his treatment with the golden ginseng juice. xia wen escorted shao yin out of the house as she hugged the bag with the seven bottles of medicinal wine nervously. she remained worried that even if she gave them the medicinal wine, she would not be in time to save her child. xia wen gave it some thought and felt that it made sense. after the two of them agreed on a plan, they immediately got back into their cars and headed for xia xing''s house. in the car, shao yin was surprised to learn about the latest development. she had never imagined that qiao mei would come along and help her. after all, it was already beyond her expectations that qiao mei was willing to give her the medicinal wine. that was not qiao mei''s intent. she just noted that it was getting dark. if shao yin happened to give away the fact that xia wen and the security team were in the vicinity, then qiao mei could quickly make a move to protect xia hai. she was the last line of defense for today''s operation. even if it meant her ability would be exposed, she must still protect xia hai. xia wan also wanted to go with them, but gao long quickly held her back. qiao mei and xia he knew how to protect themselves. xia wan did not have any special skills and would only hold them back if she went. if they ran into any danger, they would need to expend additional efforts on making sure that she was safe. when they got quite close to the house, shao yin got out of the car to ride the bicycle. she rode very carefully along the way, worried that she would accidentally break the bottles of medicinal wine in her lap. it meant the difference between xia hai''s life and death! shao yin dismounted from the bicycle shakily and walked into the house with the bottles of medicinal wine in her arms. she closed the door carefully behind her. "that was fast," huang mian said with a smile as he remained seated beside xia hai. "i have the medicinal wine. give me back my son first!" shao yin said forcefully. huang mian and huang zhong stared fixedly at shao yin as they sized her up. by right, shao yin should be on her last breath at this moment. it appeared like she had taken the medicinal wine already. her complexion was even more rosy than when they saw her just now. this medicinal wine was really good stuff! it looked like there was hope for their entire family! huang zhong blocked the door and waved at huang mian, saying, "give her the child." xia wen''s guess was right. huang zhong really did not think much of shao yin and xia hai. Chapter 2325 Start a Fire chapter 2325 start a fire shao yin wanted to take out the bottle of medicinal wine meant for the child. huang mian immediately went back on his word. he snatched the bag from her and said, "a child only needs a little bit. i can only give you half a bottle." "are you still human! that''s not what you said earlier!" shao yin hugged xia hai and said agitatedly. no?v(el)b\\jnn even though she had another type of medicinal wine with her, she did not want to let the huang family''s father and son pair take advantage of her for nothing. she knew very well that the contents of the smaller bottle which qiao mei gave her was not on the same level as the medicinal wine which they wanted. she must make sure not to let such a good thing fall into their hands! huang mian did not care. he took out a bottle of medicinal wine and walked forward to pour some into the child''s mouth. after drinking half a bottle, the child already looked much better. "see how well he looks now? anyway, you can bring the child to the xia family later. they will give you more," huang mian said greedily. huang zhong quickly opened a bottle and drank it. it felt as if he had been reborn and he could breath so much better. he even felt as if he had become younger by more than 20 years! "this medicine is really as marvelous as they say!" huang zhong said excitedly as he looked at the rest of the medicinal wine. their family actually did not need so much medicinal wine, or rather, they had always only intended to give the medicine to the men. it did not matter how sick the women were. as long as they could preserve the huang family''s bloodline, all the men could just get new wives for themselves if needed. huang mian and huang zhong packed their things and prepared to leave. shao yin lowered her head and heaved a sigh of relief. she and xia hai were finally safe... however, huang mian had never intended to let them off just like that. he raised his hand and landed a forceful blow on shao yin''s neck. shao yin fainted with the child in her arms. the two men then took out the gasoline they had prepared in advance and poured it around xia xing''s house before starting a fire. the raging fire instantly engulfed the entire house. this had always been part of their plan so that later on, even if the xia family found out that they had been here, there would be no physical evidence to be found. they would start a rumor that shao yin had been bullied by the xia family and felt totally heartbroken. in the end, she decided to commit suicide with her child. as long as there was no physical evidence, they need not be afraid at all. in any case, the enmity between the huang family and the xia family could never be resolved in this lifetime. it was the same whether they did this or not. qiao mei was very nervous as she sat in the car. she could see everything that was happening in the house. the car was parked too far away, so even if she used the vines to protect shao yin and the child, she did not have enough energy to control them long enough to do what she needed to do. this was because she had just realized that there was a gas tank in the house. the fire in the house would soon reach the area where the gas tank was located. once the gas tank exploded, the consequences would be unimaginable. xia wen and the guards lying in ambush nearby had already started heading for the house. qiao mei immediately drove closer to xia xing''s house. as she expected, xia wen and his team were fighting with the huang family''s people at the road intersection. the huang family''s father and son pair were not total fools and they had used their last bit of money to hire some thugs. "i''ll go and help them! you stay in the car!" after saying that, xia he jumped out of the car and joined the fight. qiao mei quietly got out and circled around the side of the house. she sprinkled a few vine seeds on the ground and hastened their growth. however, these vines were still plants after all and it got very difficult once they got close to the source of the fire. she perspired profusely as she concentrated on releasing all her energy to focus on using the vines to turn on the taps in the house and to pull the gas tank out of the house. by the time she was done, qiao mei was totally drenched in sweat. Chapter 2326 Safe and Sound chapter 2326 safe and sound qiao mei shouted desperately towards the surrounding areas, "fire! fire! come and help put out the fire!" the neighbors rushed out to help and the entire alley became bustling with activity. they were not doing it out of goodwill though. given shao yin''s usual behavior, there were definitely not many neighbors who were willing to befriend her. their main reason for helping was most likely because all the houses here were interconnected. the wind was currently quite strong, so if the fire became bigger, all the houses here would be affected. huang zhong and his gang of men were definitely not a match for xia wen''s team, so they were subdued very quickly. huang zhong hugged the bag of medicinal wine tightly and refused to let go. he had been waiting for the house to explode so that he could grasp the opportunity and slip away in the chaos. based on his calculations, the explosion should have happened by now. "keep an eye on these people! make sure none of them escape! i''ll go in front to take a look!" after saying that, xia wen walked towards shao yin''s house. shao yin and xia hai had already been rescued from the fire. qiao mei''s vines could only last for a short period of time. shao yin''s arms and back were covered in burns, while xia hai only choked on the smoke and was generally fine. although the neighbors managed to save the two of them out of the house, the fire was still not completely put out yet. everyone went back to fight the fire. shao yin and her child were just left at one side and everyone simply ignored them. seeing this, qiao mei shook her head resignedly. looking at how shao yin was treated, it must mean that she had not been getting along with the neighbors all this while. xia wen and qiao mei went forward to take a closer look at the physical condition of the mother and son pair. after confirming that the pair were not in any danger, they could finally stop worrying. "didn''t i tell you not to get out of the car? never mind that xia he left the car, but how can you mess around as well," xia wen said sharply. "alright," qiao mei said. qiao mei stuffed the child into xia he''s arms, then she swooped shao yin up into her arms in an instant. everyone was shocked by how strong qiao mei was. they marveled at how a person with such a small build could actually have such great strength. xia wen and xia he maintained the same expression throughout since they were already so used to it. qiao mei drove back to the manor where everyone was waiting anxiously for them in the living room. as soon as they entered the house, everyone swarmed over. they did not check on shao yin as their full attention was on the other two women. "the two of you! it''s enough for xia wen to handle this matter! why do the two of you have to get involved! what if you encounter danger!" xu lan said angrily. "mother~ see, we''re fine~" qiao mei leaned on xu lan''s shoulder and said sweetly. "it''s too late if something happens! do you really want to wait until something happens!" xu lan said. "i know, i know. i definitely won''t do something like this again!" qiao mei said. xia wan and gao long rolled their eyes in unison. if qiao mei''s words could be trusted, then pigs could also fly! she only said that to make xu lan happy. "give the child a bath first. i''ll do a quick checkup on him later," xia fang said as she handed the child to the helper. qiao mei told everyone the whole story. all of them became even resentful towards the huang family after that. this time round, they must completely eliminate the root of the problem and not allow the huang family to be able to cause trouble again! Chapter 2327: Unwelcome Guests chapter 2327: unwelcome guests ? "don''t worry, elder brother will handle things well," qiao mei said with a smile. "so i have crossed your mind again. why didn''t you say that elder brother could handle it just now?" xia wen''s voice could be heard coming faintly from outside the door. qiao mei shouted towards the door, "i''m just worried about you!" "you''re just worried about missing out on the action!" xia wen said with a laugh. the huang family could no longer cause any trouble. xia wen had quietly ensured that all the relatives of the huang family would lose their jobs and be asked to leave the capital. huang mian and huang zhong, the main perpetrators of this incident, were sent to prison. it was said that huang zhong had fallen ill from all the anxiety and stress and that he did not have much time left. just as everyone was caught up in the discussion, shao yin slowly regained consciousness. she looked at the tattered clothes on her body and turned pale with fright. she hurriedly checked herself for any wounds and was surprised to find that not only were her limbs good and well, her skin even looked fairer than usual! it looked like qiao mei had saved her again! "my child! where''s my child!" shao yin said agitatedly. not bad. at least the first thing shao yin did when she regained consciousness was to look for her child. it seemed that she was still not incorrigible. there was no need for her to pack anything. the fire had destroyed everything in the house. fortunately, shao yin was still smart enough not to leave all the money at home. the money she had kept in the bank was enough for them to buy everything they needed to start over again. xia wan and the rest felt a little sorry for them. before shao yin left, they bought a lot of clothes and toys for the child. she was headed to a place where the weather was bitterly cold. an adult could still tolerate it, but a child could not! after sending shao yin off, the rest of the family were told that they could continue to stay in the manor if they wished and xu kang would stay behind to prepare the daily meals for them. qiao mei was not used to staying at this place. she wanted to go home and spend more time with qiao qiang. even if the two of them did not spend a lot of time together and only met during mealtimes, she felt more at ease knowing that they were living in the same courtyard. she certainly did not expect to run into two odd guests at her house, wang kun and wang tian. qiao mei remained seated inside the car and did not make any move. xia he also saw the two people and asked curiously, "what are the two of them doing at your house?" "who knows? i don''t know them and i''m not familiar with them," qiao mei said disdainfully. "then should i go down and ask them to leave?" xia he asked. before qiao mei could react, wang tian rushed to the side of the car. she smacked the car window with her palm and shouted, "sister qiao mei! you''re back! we''ve been waiting for you for a long time!" qiao mei rolled down the car window resignedly and said, "just knock on the car door next time. you''ve left your handprint on the glass pane." "you have drivers at home! just ask them to wipe it off!" wang tian said nonchalantly, as if she was their employer. this made the driver sitting in front feel very unhappy. Chapter 2328: First-Meeting Gift chapter 2328: first-meeting gift editor: atlas studios after qiao mei and xia he got out of the car, the driver slowly unloaded the luggage and then went to park the car. the drivers here had a lot of free time at work. after all, qiao mei did not go out much. the moment wang kun saw qiao mei, he kept staring at her sneakily, especially at qiao meis bosom. he could not take his eyes off her at all. qiao mei said in disgust, mr. wang, are your eyes attached to me? what exactly is there on my body that makes you look at me like this? no, nothing! wang kun said in a panic. hearing qiao meis voice, xia yuan walked out of the house happily. he acted as if he did not see wang kun and wang tian and said with a grin, third cousin-in-law, second cousin, youre finally back. quick, come in to take a look. zhou xi and grandpa qiao are playing chess! this is the first time ive seen grandpa qiao having a hard time! xia he covered her mouth and chuckled. anyone who knew how to play chess would be able to win against qiao qiang, even though qiao qiangs chess skills had improved a lot compared to when he was in foshan village. zhou xi came from a family with a long history and their ancestors were all very scholarly. the zhou family was actually quite on par with mo zhus family, it was just that the zhou family kept a very low profile. you cant win against my grandfather because youre not good at chess, qiao mei said disdainfully. brother xia yuan, long time no see! wang tian said as she walked forward excitedly and grabbed xia yuans sleeve. before xia yuan could speak, a female voice sounded behind him. xiao yuan, grandpa qiao is calling for you. well... i really like sister qiao mei and i admire you a lot! you dont know this, but when i was in school, i had always thought of you as my role model! i respect you very much! thats why i want to meet with you properly! wang tian said solemnly. qiao mei chuckled and said, its tradition that one brings a first-meeting gift during the first formal visit. so... what have you brought? wang tian and wang kun had come empty-handed and did not have anything with them. it was their mother who had asked them to come and they did not know anything about bringing a first-meeting gift. uh... the two of us had left in a hurry and forgot all about it. well definitely make up for it the next time! wang kun said awkwardly. im not an unreasonable person. we are not really that well acquainted, so theres no need for a next time, qiao mei said. sister qiao mei! can i be your friend? wang tian asked excitedly. i dont socialize and dont like to make friends. since you admire me, then you can continue to admire me, qiao mei said. even if i admire you, we can still be friends! its not conflicting! wang tian continued. qiao mei held her forehead and said resignedly, ive already said that i dont like to make friends. its your business what you want to think of me. im sorry, but i have guests at home today and its not convenient for me to continue hosting you. qiao meis intention was very clear. she was chasing them out. wang kun looked very unhappy. after all, their wang family was the owner of the largest bun shop in the entire capital. although they were not as influential as the xia family, they were still considered part of the upper class. how could qiao mei treat them like this! wang tian smiled and said, its our fault for not calling in advance. can we exchange phone numbers then? Chapter 2329: Expensive Gifts chapter 2329: expensive gifts editor: atlas studios qiao mei held on to her anger and said with a fake smile, i dont keep in touch with people in the food and beverage industry. i dont think there will ever be any collaborations between our businesses since we sell totally different things. theres no need for us to exchange phone numbers. even though qiao mei had already rejected them to this extent, wang tian kept a smile on her face. qiao mei was really curious about the level of wang tians mental fortitude. alright then. wang tian left qiao meis house dejectedly with wang kun. qiao mei felt exhausted and went to lay down on the rocking chair by the window. just as she was about to close her eyes, she saw xia he standing outside and leaning against the window, asking, arent you good at this! you run away faster than anyone else when something happens. you still have the cheek to ask me that? qiao mei said resignedly. she has totally no interest in me at all. she only has eyes for you and xia yuan. she doesnt even care about zhou xis existence! xia he said. she wants to get her hands on xia yuan, so she wants to curry favor with me in the process! shes not interested in me at all! qiao mei said. do you want to come and take a look at the gifts zhou xi brought for us? she bought me a set of jewelry! sapphire jewelry! i still dont have any sapphires in my jewelry collection. shes so spot on with her gift! xia he said excitedly. qiao mei raised her eyebrows and looked at xia he. this was the first time she had seen xia he so excited, but that girl was really not too bad a person. she had already checked on the zhou familys background. although the girl worked in the bank, her salary was not very high. she must have spent a lot on these gifts, unless she had taken these items from the treasures left behind by her ancestors. do you... want anything? qiao mei looked at zhou xi seriously and asked her. no, i dont. i like xia yuan a lot. i just want to be nice to all of you, zhou xi said. qiao mei and xia he could not see any flaws in zhou xis facade, but they found it difficult to believe that she really did not want anything in return. it was really incredulous that zhou xi would give such expensive first-meeting gifts, especially since the zhou family was not very well-off. alright then, ill accept the gift. i hope you and xia yuan will have a blissful life together. you should stay for dinner tonight, qiao mei said gently. whatever you say, sister qiao mei, zhou xi said happily. after the meal, xia yuan brought zhou xi along to talk to qiao mei and xia he. third cousin-in-law, second cousin, i cant make up my mind about something and want to get your inputs, xia yuan said embarrassedly. the four of them went to the living room and qiao mei started to feel a little tired. since they were familiar with one another, she just leaned back against the rocking chair and asked, let me guess. are you talking about the meeting between the two sets of parents? third cousin-in-law, youre like a psychic! xia yuan said as he looked at qiao mei in shock. youre just too stupid! its so easy to make a guess. the last time, you already told us that you wanted to marry zhou xi. if you specially come to look for the two of us this time round, it can only be because of this issue, xia he said disdainfully. its my first time getting married and i dont know what to do, so i want to ask for your advice, xia yuan said. Chapter 2330: Being Stalked chapter 2330: being stalked ? "what''s so difficult about that? find a time when both sets of parents are free, make a reservation at a restaurant and then sit down to talk about the wedding. that''s all," qiao mei said nonchalantly. "sister qiao mei, i''m from a broken family. my father and mother each have their own family, so... my family''s situation is more complicated," zhou xi said honestly. qiao mei sat up immediately. when did this happen? why was it that i did not know anything about it? the background check done earlier clearly indicated that zhou xi''s parents were blissful and loving together! this yao nian! he could not even do such a simple thing! xia yuan quickly tried to smooth things over, saying, "it only happened recently! i don''t care about the state of zhou xi''s family!" "i didn''t say anything. don''t be so nervous," qiao mei said calmly. this matter had become a little difficult to handle. the main thing was to find out what zhou xi''s parents thought about all this. it was useless for them to fret about it here. "my idea is... to just go ahead and get married..." zhou xi said. "absolutely not! second aunt-in-law definitely won''t agree!" xia he said immediately. liu fen was very particular about such issues. she only agreed to let xia yuan and zhou xi get to know each other better after she heard that zhou xi had a good family background. if they told liu fen about this situation, liu fen definitely would not allow zhou xi to marry into her family! "i suddenly feel that this is going to be an uncomfortable meal," xia yuan said helplessly as he held his head. qiao mei wanted to ignore the girl and just walk in, but she did not expect wang tian to block her way. wang tian asked excitedly, "sister qiao mei! are you still hiring! i want to work here! i can be a waitress!" "there''s no vacancy," qiao mei said with a fake smile. wang tian immediately pointed at the girl beside her and said, "but isn''t she going home next week to get married and have children? she says that her position is still open!" the waitstaff immediately blushed. she wanted to explain herself to qiao mei, but wang tian was telling the truth and it was not something she could refute. "i don''t think so. don''t even think about it. we are not hiring," qiao mei repeated. "why! i feel that i can do a good job! just let me try! i can even do it for free! put me on probation for one month!" wang tian said excitedly. the eldest daughter of the wang family who owned the famous bun shop wanted to work for qiao mei as a waitress. if the wang family members knew about this, who knew how they would badmouth qiao mei behind her back. "with your qualifications, you can get any job. why do you have to work here? don''t you think it''s a waste of talent?" qiao mei said. "no, no! look at the guests here! they''re all high-ranking officials and dignitaries in the capital! if i can get to know even one or two people here, i''ll have more ways to get rich in the future!" wang tian said excitedly. Chapter 2331: Work as a Waitress chapter 2331: work as a waitress editor: atlas studios xia wen and xia yuan looked at wang tian with disdain and qiao mei felt even more disgusted with the girl. she liked smart people, but she hated people who used their cleverness in a crafty way. wang tians slyness was written all over her face. people like that were the most dumb! in order to make qiao mei believe her, wang tian quickly went into the restaurant to take care of the diners. all the diners today had big smiles on their faces so it looked like this girl did a better job than her staff. however, she did not need such a person working for her. all the private rooms in the shop were booked up for a long time, so much so that there was no need for them to worry about business for half a year. there was no need for qiao mei to invite trouble for herself just to take care of a few ad-hoc diners. lets go upstairs for our meal. let her busy herself downstairs if she wants, qiao mei said resignedly. they walked to the second floor together and entered the xia familys private room. all their dishes tonight were all the chefs signature dishes and they did not need to look at the menu at all. third cousin-in-law, do you really plan to hire her? xia yuan looked pained as he asked qiao mei. do i look like a fool to you? hire her so that i can be her stepping stone to success? qiao mei asked. then what should i do? i wont be able to eat delicious food anymore! xia yuan said aggrievedly. this is all because youre too good-looking, qiao mei said. qiao mei closed the restaurant earlier than usual today. she specially stayed behind to have a meeting with all the staff, worried that they would recruit shady characters if left unsupervised. if that happened, the restaurant would be in a mess. losing money was a small matter, but a lost reputation would be irreparable! today, a person who was not a customer came into the shop and even helped you with your work. is that true? qiao mei asked with a cold expression. yes... the young girl who worked as the receptionist replied shakily. i hope that this kind of thing will not happen again. from now on, chase away anyone who asks for information about our restaurant, your personal information, information on the menu or the other waitstaff and so on! have all of you forgotten about the incident where an outsider entered our shop and caused all the customers to be poisoned! qiao mei said fiercely. noted! well remember what you say! the service staff shouted in unison. im the one in charge of the restaurant now and you have to follow all my rules and regulations. as for the kitchen, you must take instructions from chef sun, qiao mei said as she looked at the new chef, chef sun. i will definitely do my best, chef sun said firmly. i cant be here every day, so this restaurant still needs a deputy manager. my choice is... molly, qiao mei said as she looked at molly. molly looked at qiao mei in surprise. she had never dreamed that she would become the deputy manager! youre a long-time staff member and you know the situation in the restaurant very well. my mother also trusts you very much, so i feel at ease about appointing you as the deputy manager, qiao mei said. thank you for thinking so highly of me! i will not let you down! molly said nervously. alright, thats all i have to say. ill leave the rest to deputy manager molly. go back to your work. after saying that, qiao mei picked up her bag and left. Chapter 2332: Customized Invitation Card chapter 2332: customized invitation card ? all the staff watched qiao mei leave and then heaved a sigh of relief. they all knew how serious this current issue was and this was also the first time they had seen qiao mei so stern. "congratulations, deputy manager molly!" everyone said in unison. "all of you are too kind! we''re still colleagues. there''s no need for us to be so formal in private," molly said humbly. after qiao mei left the restaurant, she did not go straight home. it had been a long time since she went to the antique market. after the economy opened up, many people scrambled to sell their hidden treasures to make some money and have a better life. qiao mei wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to buy more antiques while the price was still low. "boss, long time no see!" qiao mei walked to the entrance of that particular antique shop with a big cloth bag in her hand. "you haven''t come by for a long time! you have brought along such a big cloth bag this time! i see that you''re here to stock up again!" the antique shop owner said with a smile. he did not mark up the prices of the items in his shop by a lot, so he did not make much money. he just really liked antiques and he had made many like-minded friends among his customers. qiao mei was one of these friends, so whatever she wanted to buy, he was more than willing to sell! although he felt very reluctant to part with the items, he was even more unwilling to see these valuable antiques wasting away in a corner like pearls covered in dust. "let me see all the nice things you have acquired recently. bring them out and i''ll buy them all," qiao mei said resolutely. "that''s a lot of things. are you sure you can cope?" the antique shop owner asked. "how much gold foil do you need? what do you need it for?" the antique shop owner asked. "i need a lot, but i''m not in any hurry," qiao mei said. qiao mei wanted to make a batch of invitation cards out of gold foil since these would look very grand and classy. if diners came to the restaurant with the invitation cards in hand, the restaurant could retain the cards and recycle them. this way, it would not be too wasteful. anyway, it did not matter even if the guests retained the invitation cards. she just had to price the cost of making them into the banquet charges. "do you have pen and paper here?" qiao mei asked after looking around. "yes." the antique shop owner brought qiao mei to the study room in the back. she took a piece of paper and started to draw. soon, she finished drawing a bookmark and an invitation card. the antique shop owner had never seen these two items she designed. it was not that he did not know what these two items were, but more that these two designs were ingenious and caught his attention. "my hand is injured and i can''t do such detailed work, but my son can," the antique shop owner said after looking at the design. "sure! i''m not in a hurry! you can take your time! the price is negotiable!" qiao mei said excitedly. she had thought that it would be a very troublesome problem to solve, but she did not expect it to be resolved so easily! after discussing the price and quantity, qiao mei paid the full sum to the antique shop owner without even signing an agreement. "you trust me so much? aren''t you worried that i''ll run away with the money and simply abandon this shop?" the antique shop owner asked in disbelief as he held the money in his hand. "we''ve known each other for so many years. if you wanted to scam me, you would have done it long ago. is there a need to wait until now? besides, it doesn''t matter even if you run away with the money. i''ll definitely be able to find you," qiao mei said. "young girl, you''re actually quite sly! don''t worry, i''ll definitely do a good job for you!" the antique shop owner said. qiao mei left the antique shop with the two boxes. after three days, the first sample was ready. this was just a simple version and there was no gold foil on it yet. Chapter 2333: Car Accident chapter 2333: car accident editor: atlas studios qiao mei picked up the elegant-looking wooden invitation card with the words osmanthus private dining written on it. there was also an image of a gold osmanthus carved next to the words, making the invitation card look very graceful. as for the bookmark, it was made of metal and there was an image of a chrysanthemum carved on it. the flower petals were well-arranged and it looked very beautiful. these look really nice... qiao mei said as she sighed. qiao mei immediately agreed to start production. she made a total of four batches of the same design but with different materials, namely wood, metal, paper and bamboo. it was the same for the bookmarks. moreover, each bookmark was tagged with a serial number to prevent people from stealing and selling them. after a month, all the invitation cards and bookmarks were ready. qiao mei asked for them to be delivered to the restaurant. she looked at molly and said, make a list of the people who are coming here for dinner this week and send out the invitation cards in chronological order. call the host and find out the exact number of people who will be coming that day. you have to be meticulous and ask for even the most minute details. alright. molly wrote the instructions down in her notebook. oh right, the invitation card and bookmark must also be stamped with our anti-counterfeit official seal before they are sent to the guests. if the invitation card or serial number does not match the guests details, dont allow the person in, qiao mei said. i have noted down everything you say, molly said. initially, qiao mei was worried that there would be diners who would find it too troublesome and that many people would cancel their bookings and ask for refunds. she did not expect the guests to like the invitation cards a lot. they felt that this made the experience much more classy and was like an improvement to their status, which made them very happy. why are you at my house at this hour of the day? qiao mei asked curiously. by right, xia yuan should be at work now. im taking a day off today. my superior asked me to rest at home for a while, xia yuan said wearily. qiane looked at xia yuan curiously and asked, thats strange. you actually know how to take time out to rest? i... its not that i want to do that... xia yuan said helplessly. his career was currently on the rise and his superiors thought very highly of him. moreover, with his relationship with xia wen, his rapid rise to the top was just around the corner. he also worked harder than all his colleagues. so what does that mean? qiane asked. i... i knocked down wang tian with my car. shes in the hospital now, xia yuan said irritably. wang tian? who is that? the one from the family who sells buns? qiane asked. yes, qiao mei replied. she did not expect this young lady to even be willing to endanger her own life to get hold of xia yuan. it seemed that she had underestimated this girl. she will stand at the main entrance of my workplace every day. whenever she sees my car, she will come and block me. i tried to drive around her, but i didnt expect her to rush over head on. it did not even matter that i braked and stopped the car. she just wants to pin the issue on me! xia yuan said angrily. Chapter 2334: Do You Want to Leave This Place? chapter 2334: do you want to leave this place? editor: atlas studios so what now? is she injured? is it serious? qiao mei asked. ive already hired a nurse for her. in any case, ive done my best, xia yuan said. you need to find a capable woman to subdue her... and it must be a woman whom she has never met before... qiao mei thought for a while and looked towards qiane. qiane was caught by surprise and immediately said, why are you looking at me! i think youre the only suitable candidate, qiao mei said. no! dont even think about it! dream on! i still have something on, so i have to go! call me if theres anything else! with that, qiane picked up her bag and documents and ran off. after that, there was no need for chi ze to stay here any longer. he also picked up his things and left with qiane. xia yuan and qiao mei were left stunned and rooted to the spot. the two of them could only stare at each other. there was no good solution for this matter for the time being. they should give more thought to it later. late in the night, wails of agony could be heard from a room in the mental hospital. tan jing had been brought to a single room by a group of people, using the excuse that she was mentally too unstable. the room had solid walls on all four sides and the entire room was totally dark without any lights. tan jing sat on the floor and thought for a long time before she spoke mildly, it must be the people from the huang family who ask you to come. qiao mei wont be silly enough to help the huang family members. those people from the huang family must really hate qiao mei, but are helpless against her. they are either dying or very sick, so they ask you to come and look for me, right? she had never been so lucid before and she did not look like a mental patient. perhaps she was never a mental patient in the first place. tan bo looked at tan jing in disbelief. at this point, she actually still had the time to think about what others were doing. she should just think about her current situation! what right did she have to say these things! just tell me if you can do it or not, and if you want to leave this place, tan bo said. tell me, whos already dead in their family and whos the one who asks you to come and look for me? tan jing asked again. tan bo refused to answer this question. in the end, tan jing thought that tan bo was really benevolent enough to want to come and save her. she was still naive enough to crave for care and concern from her family. tan jing picked up the bottle and dagger from the floor and said, im living a life worse than death here. go and tell that person that ill do it. three days. you have three days. when the three days are up and if qiao mei is still alive, then you can only stay here forever. your ending will be even more tragic than now and youll wish that you are dead. with that, tan bo left the room. the door closed and tan jing was left in the darkness again. the surroundings were very quiet and she could even hear her own breathing and heartbeat very clearly. after an unknown period of time, the door opened again. a woman threw a set of cleaners uniform in front of tan jing and said, quickly change your clothes and follow me! Chapter 2335: Promise Me chapter 2335: promise me editor: atlas studios tan jing knew that this person was sent by the huang family. she immediately changed her clothes and followed closely behind the person. the woman let tan jing tag along as she pushed the rubbish cart down the corridor. dont make any sound. keep your head down and follow closely behind me, the woman whispered. there was no obstruction along the way and no one stopped them. there was already someone waiting for tan jing outside. she was pushed into the car and they promptly left the mental hospital. the car sped on the road, as if they were on the run. tan jing sized up the person sitting in front. she seemed to recognize him. he was one of the huang familys regular hired thugs and was the one who did many shady things for them. if this is such a good deal, why arent you the one carrying out the task? why do they need me to do it? tan jing asked. hey, why are you so talkative! do whatever they tell you to do! the man said. tan jing looked down and smiled. if the huang family had to make use of her to kill qiao mei, that must mean there was really no able person left in the family. she wondered if she should classify the huang family as smart or stupid? where are we headed? tan jing asked. to a place where there is no one! the man said. tan jing waved her hand and said, take me home. i need to get my things. there was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone before the person said, im sorry, we still dont know yet. xia wen immediately hung up and made a call to qiao mei. it was a long time before the phone was picked up and she said irritably, who is it? its me, xia wen. get someone to guard the door well. everyone entering and leaving must be checked thoroughly. dont let the children come back for the time being. its safer for them to continue staying in the army base, xia wen said. qiao meis sleepiness immediately disappeared. something serious must have happened for xia wen to say that. whats the matter? what happened? qiao mei asked. tan jing has escaped. its already been a few hours. dont go out for the time being. ill get someone to send food to your house. make sure no one leaves your house, xia wen said. qiao mei hesitated for a moment before saying, yes, i know. this is not childs play! qiao mei, dont make me worry about you. xia wen reminded her again. dont worry, elder brother. i promise you, qiao mei said. after a short discussion, the two of them ended the phone call. qiao mei sat in front of the phone and stared into space for a while. after thinking for a while, she returned to the bedroom to continue sleeping. to her, nothing was more important than her beauty sleep. xia wen arranged for a big team to investigate tan jings whereabouts and thereafter to set up an ambush nearby. so long as tan jing did not actually hurt anyone from the xia family, she was free to go around. he wanted to catch her in the act so that he could have a reason to put her away. unexpectedly, tan jing did not do anything. she stayed at home quietly for the past two days and did not go anywhere. Chapter 2336: Escape After Committing Murder chapter 2336: escape after committing murder editor: atlas studios on the second night of tan jings stay at home, tan bo finally could not stand it anymore. he looked at tan jing furiously and said, how long are you going to stay at home! be careful that you wont be able to get the task done before you get captured again! why are you so anxious? oh... are you afraid of getting in trouble for harboring me? dont worry, ill leave on my own when the time is up. i wont cause any trouble for any of you. tan jing continued eating after saying that. that night, she changed her clothes and headed out. she got into the mans car. as soon as she sat inside, the man said impatiently, youre finally going to take action. dont tell me the huang family has given you another mission? tan jing asked. unexpectedly, the man immediately flew into a rage and said impatiently, what does my mission have to do with you! just do your own thing! dont stick your nose into my business! tan jing smiled. she already knew the answer. she looked at the road ahead and said to the man, dont go to qiao meis house yet. i suppose you know where the huang family members are. bring me to them. you want to meet the huang family members? why? what tricks do you have up your sleeve this time? the man asked. i just feel that the huang familys offer is not satisfactory and still not good enough. i want to negotiate with them. if you are nice to me, perhaps i can also gain some benefits for you, tan jing said. damn it! i just know that theres someone following me! tan jing said furiously. she knew that it was xia wen who had arranged for these people to keep her under surveillance and that added to her anger. she did not know where her fighting spirit came from, but she ran faster than she had ever run in her life. tan jing definitely could not outrun the two men if it came down to stamina. she turned and ran towards the river, diving into the water. in the dark night, the two men could not see where tan jing had disappeared to. oh no! xiao tian said as he looked at the river in shock. if brother xia wen finds out about this, how are we going to explain ourselves... xiao hao said helplessly. we cant control how things have developed to this point. how about this, you go and get brother xia wen to come over to take a look. ill stay and stand guard here. perhaps shes just hiding in the water and biding her time, xiao tian said. are you safe staying here alone? that woman has already killed many people! xiao hao said worriedly. dont worry! my combat skills are better than yours! xiao tian said confidently. xiao hao looked at xiao tian without saying anything. he immediately ran back to the car and drove off to look for xia wen. xia wen was dazed for a long time when he heard xiao haos report. he was suddenly reminded of what tan jing used to be like in the past. he did not know why she had changed so much after these years. in the past, she was someone who did not even dare to slaughter a chicken, but now, she could kill a person without batting an eyelid. Chapter 2337: Coming Back Soon chapter 2337: coming back soon ? so many lives had been lost in tan jing''s hands! xia wen could not sit back and do nothing anymore. since the huang family could still have designs on qiao mei and the xia family when they were already struggling at death''s door, then they could not blame him for being ruthless. "seal off access to the river and get a dive team to go in. i must find her, no matter dead or alive. also, find that driver''s corpse. mobilize everyone! call me immediately once the corpse is found," xia wen said. since this person had died near where the huang family members lived, it must have something to do with them. even if it had nothing to do with them, xia wen would make sure that it looked like it did. after all, tan jing had given him such a good piece of evidence. it would be a pity if he did not make good use of it. the huang family members had a good night''s sleep. ever since they were poisoned, their hearing and vision had deteriorated a lot. therefore, they could actually sleep very soundly at night. early the next morning, the village chief came to their house with most of the villagers. the group shouted loudly, "fiends who bring harm to the village! how dare you kill someone! you''re murderers! murderers! come out! murderers! come out!" you yu and huang can looked out of the window in confusion. they did not know what had happened, but they heard something about a murder... could it be that tan jing had succeeded in killing qiao mei? this was really great news! however, the people standing outside the door were all from this village. why would all these people stand up for qiao mei? could it be that qiao mei had done them a favor in the past? as he listened to the loud yelling, huang can could tell that something was wrong. he tugged at you yu in fear and said, "mom... i think they''re saying that we killed someone. and that the dead person is at the door..." qiao mei quickly explained, "i''m just curious! just being a busybody!" "don''t go out at all and don''t act rashly no matter what you hear," xia wen reminded her again. "yes, i understand." then, qiao mei seemed to have thought of something and whispered to xia wen, "elder brother, when is xia zhe coming back? do the higher-ups have any plans? i haven''t received any calls from him recently." "yes. fang chen had suffered from some failed investments and he found it difficult to accept the outcome, so he committed suicide by jumping into the sea. there were many witnesses. when his body was found, it was no longer recognizable and they had to identify him by the accessories he was wearing," xia wen said expressionlessly. qiao mei looked at xia wen in a daze. xia wen sighed and said, "it''s staged. it''s a death row inmate''s body. he''s already on his way back. don''t worry." qiao mei heaved a sigh of relief and asked happily, "how long until he gets back?" "between one to two months," xia wen said. one month was not a long time. she would be able to see xia zhe soon! they could be together every day soon! qiao mei was not worried that tan jing would be able to harm her at all. if tan jing was smart enough, she should be most worried about her own survival instead of trying to kill qiao mei. "alright, alright! stop talking! it''s really too disgusting to talk about her! i really can''t stand it anymore! let''s eat," xia he said uncomfortably as she touched her stomach. Chapter 2338: Moving House chapter 2338: moving house ? qiao mei liked to keep up to date with the latest gossip and even specially asked yao nian to go around and collect all the current news for her. as for xia he, even though she had undergone actual combat training, she had never needed to go into battle. she lived a pampered life and did not even need to get her hands dirty. she could not stand to hear about things like someone killing her biological parents. this was something she did not even want to think about. what should they do next? this issue with tan jing would attract the attention of the various media outlets again. it would not take long for qiao mei to be pushed into the limelight once again. although she was not affected by it, it was still very uncomfortable to be pointed at and talked about whenever she went out. she hurried to the backyard part of the house to look for qiao qiang and said, "grandfather, let''s move house." "alright," qiao qiang said calmly. "grandfather, aren''t you going to ask me where i want to move to?" qiao mei asked curiously. qiao qiang shook his head and said, "i''ll go wherever you go." qiao mei was at a loss for words for a moment. actually, she could tell that qiao qiang did not really want to leave this house as he had made many friends around here. once he left, he would not be able to keep in touch with them as regularly as he did now. "grandfather, let''s go to lian city. the air there is good and it''s a nice place to live in. let''s bring grandpa zhou and grandpa wang along with us. i know you are very close with the two of them. let''s go and live there together for a while and we can treat it as if the three of you are on vacation. what do you think?" qiao mei suggested. when qiao qiang heard this, he was particularly happy. he immediately called up old man zhou and old man wang. the two of them agreed readily without a second thought. after all, their spouses had passed away a long time ago and their children were all overseas. they were all alone without any companionship, so it made no difference where they lived. after qiao mei hung up the phone, she called xia wen. she was worried that zhou hua was being manipulated by someone again. what if this was a scam? she did not expect xia wen to be overwrought over the same issue at the moment! "alright, i''ll go back now." qiao mei left a letter for qiao qiang and drove back to her house in the capital. everyone was already waiting for her at home. even xia guang and his family were there. "tell me what exactly happened?" qiao mei asked as she sat at the side. everyone turned to look at shao yin without saying anything. zhou hua, who was sitting in the wheelchair, scolded her angrily, "now you want to keep quiet! speak up!" "i... it''s my maternal elder sister. i have always thought that she''s quite a decent person. she made use of our family''s ties with the xia family to get a job at the state tobacco monopoly administration, and then... then..." shao yin''s voice became softer and softer and they almost could not hear her voice anymore. zhou hua roared, "louder! why are you so weak! the situation is urgent now! yet you''re still stammering!" "then she stole from the government and sold off the items! she sold them for a lot of money..." shao yin said. everyone took a deep breath. this was such an unexpected disaster. although it would not hurt the xia family directly, it would still affect their reputation. "it''s fine. since your elder sister was the one who did this, then just get her to admit her guilt. what are you so worried about? this matter should not affect xia xing," qiao mei said casually. Chapter 2339: Reselling Tobacco chapter 2339: reselling tobacco ? "it''s not as simple as you think..." shao yin said fearfully. they had to clarify this issue with the actual culprit face-to-face. it was useless to hear it from shao yin. they must find the person who was involved. the xia family members immediately set off for the shao family''s house. as the car convoy entered the village, those who did not know better may even think that there was a wedding going on! "look at how well the shao family''s girl has married. she even has so many cars sending her home to her maternal family! it''s so grand!" "that''s right! if i had found myself a good in-law back then, i would be having such a grand life too!" "you should take a look at yourself. shao yin is good-looking and has that kind of good fortune! look at how the shao family has renovated their house three times since she married into the xia family! i''m really envious!" the villagers chatted with one another noisily. the rest of the xia family might not be able to hear what they were saying, but qiao mei''s hearing was very sharp and she could hear every word they said. they walked straight into shao yin''s house and realized they had come at the right time. all the shao family members were here, including shao yin''s elder sister, shao le. qiao mei actually had a good impression of shao le back then. at that time, she had even joked with xia he that if someone from the shao family must marry into the xia family, she would prefer it to be shao le. at the very least, shao le did not look like a bad person. it was clear now that there was no knowing what was going on in a person''s heart and no one could make an accurate guess. just as shao yin was about to reach for the bag, shao le hurriedly stopped her and said, "what right do you have to rummage through my personal belongings! what evidence do you have to prove that i''m corrupt!" "let me correct you. this is not called corruption. this is called theft and framing another person," xia he said sternly. shao yin could not care less. saving xia xing was more important! nothing was more important than her husband! she grabbed shao le''s bag and an exquisite leather wallet fell out. all the women from the xia family could tell that this was from the up-and-coming l-brand. the price of a small wallet was 1,000 dollars! it was definitely not something that an ordinary person could afford. "that''s not all!" shao yin opened shao le''s bag and showed it to everyone. there were around 20 gold bars inside! these were worth a lot of money! everyone gasped. they had thought that shao le had taken a little bit of money and did not expect it to be such a massive amount. it was already amazing enough that she carried these with her everywhere. if so, then how much money had she stashed away in secret? how much tobacco had she sold on the sly? at this moment, shao zhuang finally understood the severity of the matter and also understood why shao le was so generous every time she came home. it turned out that the money was not from a legitimate source. then again, so what? it was fine as long as their family was the beneficiary, right? the source of the money did not matter. "everyone, calm down! calm down! this matter is not that serious! xiao le, apologize to the xia family and give them all the money. then this matter will be over!" shao zhuang said with a smile. "over? father! do you know! elder sister sold those things using xia xing''s name! for sure she''s fine! but xia xing is finished! i''m finished too! your grandson is also finished!" shao yin said agitatedly. Chapter 2340: Setup chapter 2340: setup ? "what do you mean... why is my grandson finished? explain yourself clearly!" shao zhuang asked agitatedly. "while we still don''t know the exact amount of money involved in this case, this kind of crime is punishable by the death penalty. your eldest daughter used xia xing''s name to resell tobacco. at most, she will be considered an accomplice. but in the future, your grandson will be known as... the son of a death row criminal," qiao mei explained with a very stern expression. the truth was that this matter was not that serious at all. qiao mei was just spouting nonsense. she just wanted the shao family to turn against each other and tell them the truth. "what exactly have you done! how much money did you take! hurry up and turn yourself in at the police station! don''t implicate my grandson!" shao zhuang rushed to shao le and slapped her forcefully as he roared at her. "hahaha! i''ve already sold everything! so what! i''ve sold it all! and i''ve already spent the money!" shao le said as she lay on the ground and laughed crazily. shao yin dug out everything from the bag and qiao mei immediately saw the tabulation note. it clearly recorded the amount of tobacco sold. the original cost was 800,000 dollars, but the gold bars in front of them were only worth around 400,000 dollars. it seemed that shao le had sold the tobacco at half price to get rid of it quickly. "how many transactions have you done?" qiao mei asked as she held up the note. on the way back, xia he looked at qiao mei curiously and asked, "how did you know that she had those things in her bag? you already knew about this?" "i''m not an immortal, how would i know? it''s just that i have very good hearing. shao yin bumped into the bag earlier and i could hear the sound of the gold bars knocking against each other. that''s why i was so sure," qiao mei said. xia wen laughed and said, "it''s fortunate that you didn''t go down the crooked path. with your ears, you can open any safe. you''ll be a master thief!" "hahahaha!" xia wen''s words made everyone in the car laugh loudly. qiao mei was also glad that she was a good person. if she really had any evil intentions, then the entire world''s money would be hers! everyone returned to the house. shao yin brought shao le over at night, already tied up. all of them admired shao yin''s efficiency. they had to admit that shao yin still loved xia xing very much. the problem was her scheming mind. "there''s no other way in front of you. write down the entire process of how you carry out the transaction word for word. don''t miss out any details," qiao mei said as she placed pen and paper in front of shao le. shao le started crying out of fear. with everyone staring at her, she could not write anything at all. she was really too nervous. shao yin was so anxious that she went forward and gave shao le a hard kick as she scolded, "you cry and cry and cry! you only know how to cry! hurry up and write it down! otherwise when this whole issue is found out, what will happen to my husband and my son! do you have that many lives to compensate me for it!" "i... i really can''t remember clearly anymore..." shao le said in a panic. qiao mei sighed and said, "let''s leave it at that for tonight. she won''t be able to tell us anything right now." Chapter 2341: Half-Brother chapter 2341: half-brother ? shao yin felt anxious and angry at the same time. there was no way that she would be able to sleep tonight. if she could not get a good resolution to this matter, she would continue to feel uneasy.no?v(el)b\\jnn "i know that you''re anxious, but you have to give her the space to say her piece. it''s useless to be so anxious about this matter. let''s take our time to deal with it. we still have time," qiao mei said to shao yin with an unusual amount of patience. xia wen arranged for a team of five or six people to keep an eye on shao le. he would not let her get a chance to leave this place. if she went missing, there would be no way to turn the situation around. the next morning, shao yin sat down in front of shao le. although she was very angry, she managed to communicate with shao le calmly. shao le could only write down fragmented accounts of what happened and could not provide them with the entire process to use as evidence. "what do you mean by you went to the supermarket, dropped off the tobacco and the transaction was completed! how was the money paid to you! why did you have to send the tobacco to the supermarket! you didn''t write anything meaningful! are you lying to me! is it because you don''t want to tell me! you must want to kill me and xia xing! you can''t bear to see me doing well since we are children! you must be doing this on purpose!" shao yin pointed at shao le and shouted at her. "i''m not... really, i''m not... that''s all i can remember... i''m not doing this on purpose..." shao le said fearfully. qiao mei hurriedly held shao yin back. shao le needed to be in a quiet space now and no outsiders should be allowed to enter her room for now. shao dong''s wife, fang mei, simply walked into the master bedroom with her luggage. she did not even ask shao yin which room they could occupy. although shao yin was the biological daughter of shao zhuang and bian duo, shao zhuang cared more about this son. shao yin did not dare to offend shao dong at all, so she could only let them be. "how long do you intend to stay for this visit?" shao yin asked again. "us? i don''t know. elder sister, why do you keep asking us about when we''re leaving? is it because you don''t want us to stay at your place? if you don''t want us to stay here, just say it! i''ll just go and look for father! you don''t have to behave so weirdly!" shao dong said agitatedly. "that''s not what i mean! i''m just... i''m just concerned about all of you," shao yin said quickly. they could hear fang mei''s voice coming from the bedroom, saying, "how are we supposed to sleep on such a small bed! it''s so much smaller than our bed at home! we''ll definitely fall off the bed at night!" shao dong pushed shao yin aside and walked into the room. he was also very dissatisfied with what he saw. then, as if he had just thought of something, he turned to look at shao yin and asked, "did my brother-in-law''s father just marry a new wife?" "how do you know that?" shao yin asked in surprise. "is there anything that i don''t know? i heard that they just bought a new big house. i''ve never heard of a second marriage being so grand. when my brother-in-law got married, his father didn''t do anything for him. yet when his father got married himself, he bought a new house. this is equivalent to bullying my sister! i don''t care, i want to stay in that new house! there''s definitely space for us there! come! let''s head there!" shao dong said. Chapter 2342: So Hard to Be a Stepmother chapter 2342: so hard to be a stepmother ? shao dong held fang mei and they headed towards tang hui''s house. the two houses were actually located not too far from each other. tang hui worked full-time on producing the practice workbooks now. qiao mei had a discussion with tang hui''s school management and they agreed to give her the position of head of department. it was just a title and there was no need for her to teach any classes. the requirement was that any practice workbooks which tang hui produced would have to be sent to the school immediately, giving priority to the students in the school. now that tang hui had a guaranteed salary, additional income in royalties and a lot of freedom at work, she looked even younger and more beautiful than before. it would not be an exaggeration to say that if xia guang and tang hui walked on the streets together, no one would doubt her if she said that she was xia guang''s daughter! "open the door!" shao dong shouted as he knocked on the door. tang hui was shocked by the sudden loud sound. she stood at the door warily and asked, "who is it?" "i''m shao yin''s younger brother! you must be my sister''s new mother-in-law! hurry up and open the door!" shao dong shouted. all the neighbors stuck their heads out. shao dong''s goal was to let everyone hear him. he didn''t care about how the people in the surroundings looked at him. fang mei was exactly like shao dong. she put her hands on her hips and shouted, "hurry up and open the door! if you don''t open the door, we''ll force our way in! we''re here today to seek justice for our sister!" after tang hui moved in, she had maintained a good relationship with all the neighbors. however, she was still a new resident after all and they did not know one another too well. these neighbors were still hesitant about whether they should go forward and render help. at this moment, tang hui finally understood what shao dong meant to do. it looked like this was all an act to target her house. "in your dreams," tang hui said forcefully. "what do you mean!" fang mei roared. "to put it bluntly, i''m just their stepmother. they''re not my biological children. it''s already good enough if i give them money. i am the owner of this house and it belongs solely to me! it has nothing to do with any of them! what''s wrong with me living here alone! it''s up to me who i allow to live here!" tang hui said firmly. "that''s impossible! i''ve asked around! xia guang is the one who bought this house!" shao dong said. "then did you also find out how the house was bought, who the seller was, at which point the ownership was transferred, what the details of the purchase were, as well as the process of signing the documents!" tang hui questioned. shao dong hesitated, not knowing how to answer the question. all the information he had actually came from shao zhuang and shao le. he had then guessed most of the rest and had never done any investigation into it. "we don''t care! you have to find a place for us to stay!" fang mei said shamelessly. "whatever." after saying that, tang hui pushed shao yin out and slammed the door shut. even if shao dong banged on the door again, she would not open it. Chapter 2343 Six Million chapter 2343 six million shao dong and fang mei kicked up a fuss in the corridor for a while before they got tired and left. shao yin sighed. everything was happening all at once. now that they had offended tang hui today, she did not know how she was going to face the xia family and qiao mei in the future! shao yin knocked on the door and said, "i''m sorry... i was unable to stop them and had caused you trouble. i''m really sorry..." no?v(el)b\\jnn tang hui heard what shao yin said, but she did not respond. even though she understood shao yin''s situation and knew that it was not easy for shao yin as well, she was unable to forgive shao yin. shao dong and his family members did not have any money, so they could only return to shao yin''s rented house to stay there for the time being. shao yin sat in a corner in a daze, feeling exhausted. she did not have any energy to care about shao dong anymore. after all, xia xing''s issue was still unresolved. the next few days passed peacefully and there was no news at all. xia wen had also informed shao yin to stay at home and not to go out. on the fifth day, a group of police officers barged into shao yin''s house and then blocked all the exits. "what are you doing!" shao dong said in a panic. "are you xia xing!" a police officer pointed at shao dong and asked. shao dong hurriedly waved his hands in a panic and explained, "that''s not me! i''m not xia xing! you''ve got the wrong person!" "why are you looking for xia xing..." shao yin asked fearfully. the higher-ups would also give xia xing some respite on account of the xia family. after all, the mastermind behind this matter had no intention of taking the life of any xia family member. he definitely knew about xia jun''s temper. if anyone dared to take the life of a descendant of the xia family, xia jun would not let the person off even if he had to dig three feet into the ground. the mastermind only wanted to embarrass the xia family and cause them to live in shame in the capital. "what''s the value of the tobacco that shao le sold?" qiao mei asked. "six million," xia wen said. everyone else who was present gasped audibly, except for qiao mei. her total net worth was more than 20 million dollars, but she did not have that much cash on hand. furthermore, she had just given qian''e a large sum of money for the business expansion plans. "third uncle definitely doesn''t have that much money. do i need to be the one to fork out the money?" qiao mei asked shao yin coldly. shao yin immediately knelt in front of qiao mei and said, "please save xia xing! i know it''s a lot of money! but you have the money, right? please save him... i''m willing to be your slave! i''ll sell my blood! as long as i can save xia xing! i''ll do anything! please!" qiao mei looked at shao yin, who kept kowtowing, and could not help but feel a little emotional. back then, this woman had schemed her way to marry into the xia family, yet she was putting in a lot of effort for xia xing now. qiao mei thought that she could have made a mistake in her judgment. xia wan helped shao yin up and said, "don''t be so worked up. let''s hear what everyone has to say first." "i''ll come up with the money," xia wen said. qiao mei looked at xia wen curiously and asked, "elder brother, how do you have so much money?" "i''m the one running xia he''s photo studio now. i have used the profits to run a supermarket chain. business has been quite good for the past few years and i have some money to spare," xia wen said with a smile. Chapter 2344: A Farce chapter 2344: a farce ? qiao mei silently gave him a thumbs up. she did not expect xia wen to have hidden his true colors! at this moment, a shrill scream could be heard outside qiao mei''s house. right on the heels of that, there was a continuous pounding on the door, each knock louder than the last. this caused all the neighbors to come out and see what was going on. "sigh... ever since i moved here, my neighbors don''t have to watch television anymore. they just have to sit at my door every day. the drama here is even more exciting than the television shows!" qiao mei said resignedly. "qiao mei! please save xia xing! please save my son!" zhou hua knelt at the door and begged. xia wen looked at qiao mei and asked, "should we let her in?" "let''s wait a little longer. there''s no hurry," qiao mei said. after 15 minutes, the sounds outside the door gradually became softer. qiao mei glanced at feng hua, who immediately understood what she meant. feng hua walked to the door and invited zhou hua in. "what are you doing at my house?" qiao mei asked zhou hua coldly. "you''re all here! that''s great! you must have a way to save xia xing, am i right! you must have a way!" zhou hua''s eyes shone with excitement. qiao mei laughed coldly and said, "huh? who says we have a way to save xia xing?" "you''re so rich, how can you not be able to save my son! i''ve already asked around! with money, we can save xia xing!" zhou hua said. the xia family members who were present were those who drank the medicinal wine regularly to maintain their health, especially xia he. she even wished that she could apply the medicinal wine to her face every day to maintain her youthful appearance. she was also the first one to discover that there was something wrong with the medicinal wine in front of them. "why is this medicinal wine such a bright green? the color of qiao mei''s medicinal wine is more darkish," xia he said. zhou hua also realized that there was something wrong and immediately went berserk. she shook the bottles and shouted, "what''s going on! who swapped out my medicinal wine! who swapped out my things!" these two bottles of medicinal wine had been kept with zhou luo all this while. the only person who was able to swap out the medicinal wine was zhou luo. "enough, stop making a fuss here," qiao mei said. zhou hua still could not believe it. she opened a bottle and took a sniff. a pungent smell drifted out of the bottle. qiao mei immediately recognized the smell of pesticide mixed with some green dye. zhou hua behaved more and more like a crazy person. qiao mei called for da zhuang and xiao zhuang to throw zhou hua out the door and the house fell silent again. "elder brother, is it possible that the he family is behind this?" qiao mei asked after thinking for a long time. "the he family?" xia wen was stunned for a moment before asking this question. he had not thought about this possibility. he ning had not gone against the xia family for quite a while and xia wen had thought that he ning had already given up. "that''s right. i can''t think of anyone else who is rich enough, has the clout, a grudge against the xia family and the time to set up a trap," qiao mei said. "you''re right. i have overlooked this. i never expect that he has not given up. i thought that he had learned his lesson after what happened the last time," xia wen said with a frown. Chapter 2345: The Mastermind chapter 2345: the mastermind ? it was not as if this mastermind would not get anything after going through so much trouble. although it was said that the tobacco was worth six million dollars, the cost price was only two million. if it was really he ning who did this and his purpose was to embarrass the xia family and cause them to lose four million dollars, then it was such a lame thing to do. "don''t tell me he thinks that we can''t come up with six million dollars and wants to take advantage of the situation to negotiate with us to get medicinal wine in return," qiao mei said. "with his character, it''s not impossible," xia wen said. "but... we''re talking about six million, not 60 million. how can i not be able to come up with the money? doesn''t he have a clear understanding of my financial status?" qiao mei said helplessly. xia wen sighed and said, "that''s only because we found out about this issue in time. otherwise, the loss might be limitless." most of qiao mei''s current income came from overseas. the only assets she had in the country were related to agriculture, real estate, the food factories and the like. the net profit locally was only about five million dollars. in addition, qiao mei had bought many properties. he ning had probably estimated that qiao mei did not have much cash on hand and that most of her money was tied down in fixed assets. in this era, anyone who had 10,000 dollars was already considered rich. a few million dollars was an astronomical figure! "let''s look into it first. after all, we can only suspect it''s he ning and we don''t have any real evidence. what if it''s someone else?" qiao mei said. "alright, leave this matter to me. you must be tired after these few days. have a good rest," xia wen said wearily. during this period of time, he was actually the one who was most overworked. not only did he have to deal with work matters, but he also had to deal with these matters at home. he had lost a lot of weight. they had heard from mo zhu that he suddenly had some heart issues last night and had drunk more than half a bowl of the medicinal wine which qiao mei gave him previously! qiao mei knew that he ning was not a fool. it actually did not matter if he admitted it or not. what was important was his current attitude. it was obvious there was a high chance that he was behind this. "just tell me what you want," qiao mei said. "i want to buy your ginseng," he ning said firmly. "no." qiao mei immediately rejected him. "the price is negotiable. i want the 100-year-old ginseng that you have. i can give you any amount of money," he ning said. "so what if i don''t sell it to you?" qiao mei said as she raised her eyebrows and looked at he ning. "then... xia xing won''t be able to come back. don''t you want him to come back safely?" he ning asked. "i have enough money to bail him out. at most, his reputation will suffer. the xia family has already split up. his actions are the sole business of the third son''s family and have nothing to do with the eldest son''s family," qiao mei said. he ning was stunned for a moment before he smiled helplessly and said, "i never expect you to have that much money. it seems that i''ve underestimated you." "it''s a big taboo to underestimate your enemy. didn''t i already tell you back then that i''m very rich? it seems that you haven''t taken my words to heart," qiao mei said with a shrug. "it will still take you a while to sell off your properties!" he ning said. Chapter 2346: Make Bail chapter 2346: make bail ? "whether i have money or not has nothing to do with you. as for the ginseng, i definitely won''t let you have it," qiao mei said. he ning remained silent. he wondered why he had gone through so much trouble. did he only manage to mess with xia xing? a minor character like xia xing was not worthy of him going through so much trouble. he ning refused to give up and he looked at qiao mei as he asked, "do you really have so much cash in hand? if you pay that much money to the authorities, won''t it make them want to check on the xia family''s income stream?" "the money we earn is from legitimate businesses and we have never done anything that''s illegal. so what even if they run an investigation on us?" qiao mei asked. "fine," he ning said through gritted teeth. "alright then, there''s nothing else. you can leave now," qiao mei said nonchalantly as she waved her hand. he ning was stunned to the spot. he looked at qiao mei in disbelief and said, "you asked me to come here just to question me? is there really nothing else?" the news rocked the entire capital. on one hand, people were shocked that xia wen really had six million dollars to spare. on the other hand, they mused over the fact that the xia family had actually admitted to the authenticity of this matter. he ning heard the news as well, but he was not too annoyed by it. instead, he felt very happy. this sum of money had come from xia wen and not qiao mei. even when the xia family encountered such a big issue, she remained indifferent. such a cold-blooded nature was in line with the qiao mei that he remembered. in that case, when the time came for him to destroy the xia family, it would be much easier to make qiao mei and xia zhe get a divorce. when the xia family no longer held any value, qiao mei would definitely abandon them without any qualms. at that time, he would be the one who offered greater value and qiao mei would definitely choose him. "you''re still in the mood to think about these things! are you even listening to me! without qiao mei''s ginseng, you''re going to die!" huo gao said agitatedly. "it''s not that serious. my health will only suffer for a while. it''s not a big deal," he ning said indifferently. "it hasn''t been easy for me to improve your health to the current state, but now you want to waste all my efforts! no way! we have to get qiao mei''s ginseng quickly! if we really can''t do it, let''s steal it from her house!" huo gao said. "how can it be so easy to enter qiao mei''s house or to enter the xia family''s door? do you think those people from the guard team are all useless? let''s think of another way to deal with this matter," he ning said. "sigh... and this issue this time round! after this fiasco, qiao mei will be even more wary of you! you might as well just go to her house and make her an offer to buy the ginseng! perhaps she will pity you and let you have some! that would allow you to live for another three to four years!" huo gao roared. Chapter 2347 Case Closed 2347 case closed as huo gao raged next to he ning, no one in the room dared to even breathe audibly. he ning sat on the sofa in a daze, as if he did not hear a single word of what huo gao said. suddenly, he ning muttered to himself, "i made a mistake... i made a really huge mistake..." "what... what did you say?" huo gao said as he looked at he ning in confusion. "i shouldn''t have made things difficult for the xia family back then. i shouldn''t have played tricks on that little girl and i shouldn''t have gone against the xia family members. it''s my fault. otherwise, my relationship with her will still have some room for improvement and we won''t have fallen out so badly," he ning said with a sigh. qiao mei was not a calculative person. in the past, she was even willing to give her ginseng to strangers. it all changed only after she found out that he was the one who had gone against the xia family. "no! this is not true! it''s definitely not my fault! it''s xia zhe! xia zhe must have said some nonsense to qiao mei that made her misunderstand me so much!" he ning smacked the table as he shouted. huo gao held his forehead and collapsed weakly on the sofa. he must have really sinned in his past life! this was why he had to meet he ning in this life! he ning called jia zhong over and asked, "is there any news of xia zhe recently?" "we only know that xia zhe''s identity overseas is proclaimed to be dead. after that, there is no more news. we don''t know if he will continue to stay overseas or return home," jia zhong said tentatively, afraid that he would anger he ning. "i''m not..." xia he whispered as she avoided qiao mei''s gaze. "hurry up and explain yourself, otherwise i won''t let you leave this house!" qiao mei threatened. "so be it! you have such delicious food at your house and i''m more than happy to stay for a few more days!" xia he said stubbornly. qiao mei snorted and said, "you really think i''ll still give you food. tell me now, otherwise i''ll lock you up in my house and feed you steamed buns while i eat delicacies in front of you." "this is too much!" xia he roared. after thinking about it, she said, "alright, alright, it''s fine to tell you. it''s just that elder brother didn''t have enough money, so i gave him 1.3 million." seeing that qiao mei did not say anything, xia he continued, "elder brother just doesn''t want you to worry! don''t read too much into it. he actually wants to protect you. there''s already so many issues between you and the third branch family. elder brother doesn''t want you to have to worry about this. since we are able to fork out the money, we don''t think there''s a need to tell you about it." to xia he and xia wen, xia xing was a relative, but to qiao mei, he was like an enemy! no one would be happy to spend money on an enemy for no reason. "both elder brother and i are not happy about the situation. if we already feel that way, then surely it''s worse for you," xia he said resignedly. "i know. you don''t have to be so nervous either. i''m not a petty person. even if you came and told me then, i won''t lend you the money. don''t worry," qiao mei said lightly. qiao mei felt much better after knowing what xia he and the others had tried to hide from her. this matter could be considered case closed and she could now relax. Chapter 2348 Sever Ties 2348 sever ties "come, we haven''t visited grandfather in a long time. it''s time to make a trip there," qiao mei said. the day before yesterday, the staff at the greenhouse had sent over a big basket of fruits. qiao mei had not had time to distribute the fruits to the various families yet, so she decided to bring along some fruits with her to give to xia jun. the children had also returned home a few days ago. in order to protect them during the earlier days, they had been told to stay and study in the army base. it was really tough on them to have to live in the army base at such a young age. however, everyone in the xia family had endured the same thing and had grown up well. da zhuang and xiao zhuang drove two separate cars to send qiao mei and the rest to xia jun''s house. as soon as they entered the compound, they saw the members of the second and third branch families gathered inside the house. however, only the men were present and not the womenfolk. "what''s going on..." qiao mei asked softly as she carried the things in. "they''re having a meeting to talk about xia xing''s issue," xia wen said in a low voice. qiao mei hurriedly nodded. she knew the xia family''s rules. the xia family''s meetings were only attended by the men and the women were not allowed to participate. although qiao mei did not agree with this approach, the xia family had always done it this way and it was not her place to break this rule. "alright, i''ll pass these to you then. i''ll come back another day." qiao mei put down all the things after saying that. when xia jun saw who was outside the door, he quickly called out to xia wen and said, "let qiao mei and the others in!" qiao mei was someone who had made a lot of contributions to the xia family. moreover, xia zhe was not at home now, so qiao mei could represent him at the meeting. no one there would raise any objections. xia yuan hated the third branch family the most. all of them were only good at scheming, yet they were all fools who kept causing trouble for the xia family. in the past, he had been overseas, so even if there was any trouble, it did not affect him and the family did not let him know too much. now that he had returned to the capital and seen everything for himself, he finally knew the weight that xia wen carried on his shoulders. "i''ll sign it," xia xing said after some thought. shao yin immediately pressed down on xia xing''s hand and said, "you can sign it! but the xia family''s belongings! we must have a share!" "belongings? what belongings?" xia wen asked. "the old house! and the things buried under the old house!" shao yin said as she looked at qiao mei. qiao mei did not render any help in this whole issue and it was xia wen who took charge of everything. if qiao mei had contributed this sum of money, xia xing might not need to be kicked out of the xia family! "my wife left those things to xia zhe!" xia jun said. "but it still belongs to the xia family! why should everything be given to xia zhe! it''s not fair! we''re also members of the xia family! we have the right to have a share!" shao yin said. qiao mei shook her head resignedly. no wonder she was not asked to attend this meeting. it turned out that she was the ultimate target. "if you want it, then let''s take everything out and split them. back then, grandmother had wanted xia zhe to protect these things well. now that the economy is fully open and these things can finally see the light of day, it''s indeed time to take them out," qiao mei said with a smile. Chapter 2349: Split the Family Assets chapter 2349: split the family assets ? xia jun nodded appreciatively. it was true that back then, wu min did not prepare a will to indicate how she wanted to deal with those things. she only gave verbal instructions that she wanted to hand them over to xia zhe. he felt very gratified that qiao mei was willing to resolve this matter peacefully but at the same time, he also felt that he was shortchanging xia zhe''s family. "elder brother, is it safe to dig the things out now?" qiao mei asked xia wen.no?v(el)b\\jnn "there''s no issue now. many families who handed over their antiques to the authorities already had their stuff returned to them," xia wen said. qiao mei had already shifted all the things into the backyard, so it was easy to arrange for people to go and dig them out. no one would gossip about it. she had to get moving on this matter immediately. otherwise, if there were any missing boxes overnight, she would not be able to explain herself. da zhuang and xiao zhuang found a few more burly men to help out and it did not take long for them to dig out more than 10 boxes of different sizes. at the end of it, there were a total of 18 boxes. "sister-in-law, all the boxes are here," da zhuang said. "alright, all of you can go next door to wash up near the car porch," qiao mei said as she waved her hand. qiao mei had bought the siheyuan courtyard house next door a long time back. she had done some slight adjustments to the layout and constructed a huge bathhouse, with separate areas for male and female. in addition, she had installed the latest water heating device in the market. even in the cold winter, any one of them could enjoy a hot shower anytime. they no longer needed to boil water manually! qiao mei immediately called up three antique shop owners and asked them to come over and appraise the items together. in the end, they concluded that the items were worth 2.3 million dollars in total. xia wen took out a ledger and noted down the value of all the items. "alright, we have a clear idea of the value of the items now. grandfather, you should be the one to decide on how we distribute them," qiao mei said. xia jun asked the helpers to bring the items to him one by one. once he decided, he gave instructions for each branch family''s items to be stacked together. the members of the eldest and second branch families did not have any objections to this. the members of the eldest branch family did not care about getting these things since they were already doing well for themselves. the members of the second branch family placed more value on the connections which xia wen and qiao mei could give them. although these things were worth a lot of money to their family, the eldest branch family''s help and influence were much more important to them. "with regard to the third branch family, there''s only your father''s family and your family. these things should be split between your two families," xia jun said as he looked at xia xing and shao yin. shao yin looked at the things on the ground and said agitatedly, "this is so unfair! these things are worthless!" shao yin had already married into the xia family for a long while now and had learned to recognize which items were valuable and which were not. it was obvious that the pile of things in front of qiao mei was of much better quality than what they had and the quantity was also much greater! "remember this! if it''s not because qiao mei is generous enough to share these things with you, you won''t even get a single cent! don''t put on an act after already getting benefits!" xia jun said. "if not for her keeping everything for herself and refusing to take them out! our family won''t be in such dire straits! my elder sister would not have been tricked! my maternal family and i would not be so down and out now!" shao yin shouted agitatedly. qiao mei shook her head resignedly. it looked like a person''s real nature would not change so easily. a piece of trash would always be a piece of trash. even if it looked nicer now, it was still a piece of trash. Chapter 2350: Monopolize Everything chapter 2350: monopolize everything editor: atlas studios in shao yins eyes, everything was about benefits. she had already completely forgotten who had saved her and her child earlier. in that case, lets redistribute the things, qiao mei said as she looked at xia jun. xia jun nodded. he gave instructions for half of the things in front of the third branch family to be passed to the second branch family. there was already not much to begin with, but now there were even fewer items. grandfather, youre so biased! youre biased towards the eldest branch family! you dont care about us at all! shao yin roared. do i need your permission to distribute things that belong to me? xia jun questioned. shut up... xia xing said as he grabbed hold of shao yin. shao yin shook off xia xings hand and said, youre such a good-for-nothing! you dont even dare to speak up after being bullied like this! our family has a debt of six million dollars now! thats six million dollars! my elder sister has already divorced my elder brother-in-law! she doesnt have any means to pay back this amount of money at all! were the ones who have to bear the debt! xia jun remained firm on his decision and did not change his mind. the third branch family could have gotten 500,000 dollars worth of items, but now they only had 200,000 dollars worth of items left. how about this, well take these things with us and then write you an iou! itll state that we owe elder brother six million dollars and well pay it back slowly in the future! shao yin said. suddenly, a deep voice could be heard outside the door. qiao mei looked out in surprise. the person she had been thinking about was finally back! their family was finally reunited! xia zhe was in a dark gray suit and carrying a suitcase in one hand. he looked like a young master from a rich family. after this trip, xia zhe looked even more charming and outstanding and looked every inch like a rich young master. why didnt you tell me you are back! how did you come back! qiao mei threw herself into xia zhes arms excitedly. she was so thrilled that she had completely forgotten that there were still so many xia family members around. xia jun smiled, feeling gratified. he was always happy to see the xia familys descendants feeling happy and blessed. as for xia wen and xia he, they could finally stop worrying. slow down, dont fall, xia zhe said tenderly. shao yin looked at xia zhe, who was standing outside the door, in surprise. those people had said that xia zhe would not be back for a long time, had they not? why was he back so soon! what a timely coincidence too! why... why are you back now... shao yin said as she looked at xia zhe in fear. why? am i back at the wrong time? didnt you just say that im the only one who can make the decision on these things? xia zhe said as he looked at shao yin coldly. after saying that, he turned his gaze to xia xing, who could not help feeling goosebumps all over his body. the drama today was started by the third branch family and the person who caused all the trouble was actually xia xings wife, who was not a xia family member. xia xing could not manage his own family issues and had in turn caused trouble for xia zhes family. xia zhe had no intention of letting them off easily. since these things are a token from grandmother, ill accept everything. no one can take any of these things away. i wont give anything away, xia zhe said. he took a glance at the sly look in qiao meis eyes. even if he was not at the scene just now, he was able to guess 70% to 80% of what happened. this sneaky girl was the only one who could think of such a thing. you! how can you do this! you actually want to monopolize everything! if grandmother was to know about this, she would definitely feel sad! shao yin said agitatedly. Chapter 2351: Unconscious for a Day chapter 2351: unconscious for a day editor: atlas studios since these things are a token from grandmother to me, they naturally belong to me. besides, youre just a daughter-in-law of the xia family and not a xia family member. if you need something, get xia xing to come and talk to me, xia zhe said coldly to shao yin. im a daughter-in-law of the xia family! and qiao mei is also a daughter-in-law of the xia family! why is it that i dont have any say but she does! shao yin said. you and xia xing have already cut ties with the xia family and are no longer related to the xia family. qiao mei is my wife and qiao mei is also the one who makes the decisions in our family. why cant she attend the family meeting? xia zhe said. shao yin looked at xia zhe in shock. she had thought that although the members of the eldest branch family all looked very cold, they were actually kind and soft-hearted. she did not expect xia zhe to be so cold both inwards and outwards. qiao mei was already used to xia zhes double standard behavior. when he was with her, he was very gentle and considerate. when he was with others, he was domineering, heartless, cold and cruel. she quickly hid behind xia zhe and giggled quietly. xia he turned her head away helplessly so that she did not have to look at qiao mei. whenever xia zhe was around, qiao mei would look like a fool. sigh... this woman was really hopeless! the choice is now in your hands. do you want me to distribute the things or not? xia zhe asked. of course i miss you too, but its so difficult to deal with the issues overseas. moreover, its also more troublesome to have to transport the things back, so it has taken me a longer time, xia zhe said tenderly. then... my things... qiao mei said tentatively. silly girl, of course i brought them all back. i told my superiors that those are all my personal belongings and cant be destroyed. given that i brought back so many important resources and information for the unit, they turned a blind eye to it, xia zhe said. the two of them had not seen each other for such a long time and things heated up very quickly. xia zhe grabbed qiao mei and pulled her towards the bedroom. the two of them had a passionate time together until late at night. the next day, qiao mei did not get out of bed and only woke up when it was almost dark. she was not actually awake, but got up only because she was so hungry that she was unable to continue sleeping anymore. my little ancestor, you almost scared me to death! i thought that you wont be able to wake up today! feng hua said nervously. she had almost called xia zhe over to give him a good scolding. how could he tire qiao mei out so much that she fell unconscious for a whole day, just because they had not seen each other for a long time! it was too much! she must be exhausted! im fine, sister feng. is there anything to eat? im so hungry... qiao mei asked with a smile. yes! ive prepared a lot of food. dont move, ill bring everything here! after saying that, feng hua went to the kitchen and brought the food into the room. there were a lot of nutritious tonics among the dishes. qiao mei ate slowly and kept looking out of the window. xia zhe must have gone to the military headquarters to deal with work matters. after returning home from a mission, he would go and do a handover of his work. this was a habit he had always maintained. Chapter 2352: You Are Pregnant! chapter 2352: you are pregnant! editor: atlas studios when xia zhe returned home that night, he told qiao mei that the xia familys eldest and second branch families had organized a gathering at xu lans house the next night to celebrate his return. then should we ask tang hui to come along? qiao mei asked. lets not. itll be awkward for her. shes not close to anyone other than you. what if xia xing and the others decide to come by and cause trouble? xia zhe said. qiao mei nodded in agreement. anyway, tang hui was not a person who liked crowds. she might be happier not to get an invitation to such an event. the xia family used to hold their gatherings in the morning, but ever since qiao mei married into the family, the gatherings organized by the eldest branch family would only start from the afternoon onwards. at noon, xu lan told the helper to make some snacks for everyone to fill their stomachs first. when the couple arrived at xu lans house, everyone else was already there, including gao long. when gao long saw xia zhe, he was shocked. he did not know that xia zhe and fang chen were actually the same person. he had thought that fang chen was qiao meis lover in country m and that she had cut off all contact with him after returning home. you... before gao long could finish his sentence, xia zhe quickly said, hello, im qiao meis husband. she has already told me about you. i should address you as uncle too. please forgive me for not being more formal at our first meeting. hello... its fine. i also didnt get anything for you. lets meet up again another time, gao long said, putting on a calm face. they were both experienced businessmen and were used to dealing with all kinds of tense situations. gao long could understand that xia zhe must have a reason for not wanting to reveal his identity. since everyone had spent a lot of time with gao long, they knew and trusted that he was a good person. however, they were more concerned about whether xia mo would accept xia wans intention to get remarried. have you asked xiao mo for her opinion? xia jun continued to ask. i... i havent had time to ask her... xia wan said fearfully. it was not that she did not have the time to ask xia mo, but more like she did not dare to ask xia mo about this. she was very scared that xia mo did not want to accept gao long and she was also very afraid that xia mo would in turn have a bad impression of her. we dont object to you getting married, but youre a mother after all. you need to consider xia mos feelings. xia mo isnt a young child anymore, so you should talk to her about these things. if xia mo doesnt want to accept the situation... then send her back here and let her stay with xia xiu. since xia xiu doesnt have any children, we can let her nurture xia mo into her successor, xia jun said. no! xia mo must stay with me! xia wan said agitatedly. gao long immediately patted her shoulder and said, relax, this is just a discussion. theyre not saying that we have to send xia mo back. xia wan composed herself and then said, xia mo must grow up by my side. i can take good care of her. ill discuss this matter with her properly. if xia mo doesnt accept the fact that youre expecting a baby, will you go for an abortion? xia jun questioned. i... xia wan hesitated. she did not know how to choose. this baby was the result of the union between her and gao long, the crystallization of their love. she could not bear to abort the baby just like that. Chapter 2353: A Blessing or a Curse chapter 2353: a blessing or a curse editor: atlas studios the entire place instantly fell silent and no one dared to speak. at the end of the day, this was a matter for the second branch family and it was not really appropriate for xia jun to say anything more. xia yao coughed and said, ahem, this is not a small matter so we should still think about it at length. lets not talk about this today! lets enjoy our meal! everyone, lets eat! yes, yes, yes! lets eat! liu fen quickly echoed. after the meal, the family members split to do their own things. a few of them gathered together to chat while a few went to play with the children. xia fang brought xia wan and gao long to the hospital for a checkup. xia he quietly came to qiao meis side. sigh... what do you think about the issue with xia wan... xia he said, looking troubled. huh? theres nothing much we can say about this issue. lets see what grandfather and second uncle decide, qiao mei said. xia he sat by the window and looked at qiao mei as she said, but i keep feeling bad about it. if it wasnt because i was pregnant, xia wan wouldnt have brought xia mo to country m and those things after that wouldnt have happened. youre not a psychic and you cant control their fate. besides, we still dont even know if itll turn out to be a blessing or a curse, qiao mei comforted her. xia mo is not an insensible child. i think she will be receptive towards it, xia he said. its a secret. ive already told grandfather we have to go, xia zhe said. xia zhe grabbed qiao mei and pulled her out of the room. after they got into the car, qiao mei asked, why are you being so secretive? dont tell me you secretly bought another house! of course not. im bringing you to go and take a look at those treasures. i heard from my superior that the things have been transported back today. ive already gotten people to send them to the manor, xia zhe said. really! how can it be so fast! i thought that it would take a long time! qiao mei smacked xia zhes shoulder excitedly and yelled, drive faster! drive faster! i cant wait anymore! xia zhe smiled dotingly. his little girl was still so cute. along the way, qiao meis initial excitement gradually turned into worry. she wondered how much of those things she could retain. how did you get approval for those things? are you sure theyre all fully approved? what if the he family gets a hold over us? qiao mei asked with a frown. everything has been done properly. otherwise, i wont have been able to transport everything back. however, its better not to expose those things which are more special. it would be terrible if our overseas acquaintances find out about this, xia zhe said. thats good enough, qiao mei said with a sigh of relief. but... xia zhe hesitated, seemingly not knowing how to explain it to qiao mei. whats wrong with you? what is it that you cant tell me straight up? qiao mei looked at xia zhe and asked in confusion. they had already been married for so many years, yet xia zhe could still be tongue-tied about something. Chapter 2354: Equal Value Exchange chapter 2354: equal value exchange ? "i''ll explain it to you when we get there." after saying that, xia zhe focused on driving. along the way, qiao mei was curious about what xia zhe was "hiding" from her. some time ago, qiao mei had bought the land right outside the manor and built a fence around it. any people and cars entering and exiting the area had to be registered. even if there were many trucks entering and exiting the area, outsiders would not be able to know what was inside the trucks. after the car was parked, they went straight to the living room. as soon as the door was opened, they could see more than 30 boxes of various sizes. qiao mei suddenly felt like she had really struck it rich! she might even need to specially build an underground vault to store these treasures! no! she should specially buy a house and display all these things out nicely one by one, like a small "museum". "these are all mine!" qiao mei said excitedly. "they''re all yours, but the things inside..." xia zhe looked at qiao mei awkwardly and continued, "let me open the boxes up for you to take a look." "i ran an investigation on this matter at a later time. it seemed that someone had spread rumors about my fake identity and said that i had other motives in mind. that not only did i have money, but i also had an even larger amount of assets hidden away. anyway, there were all kinds of rumors," xia zhe said helplessly. "who is so lame as to fabricate such a ridiculous lie just to keep you in country m?" qiao mei asked with a laugh. the xia family''s background was clear to see and they did not have any royal bloodline. their ancestors had been farmers for generations and they only became more well-to-do during xia jun''s time. "i think... they''re not targeting me but you," xia zhe said as he stared at qiao mei. "me?" qiao mei pointed at herself and asked in shock. xia zhe''s admirers in country m all knew about qiao mei. those women could only be thinking of ways to chase qiao mei away. why would they want qiao mei to continue to stay in country m! there was only one person who would want to restrain both qiao mei and xia zhe, and that person was he ning. "what''s that brain of his made of? why does he always do these inexplicable things? does he think i''ll give him ginseng if he keeps you in country m? does he think he can harm the xia family? it''s not as if elder brother is dead, so it''s not as if he will be able to do whatever he wants!" qiao mei said. "sigh..." xia zhe shook his head resignedly. qiao mei still did not understand he ning''s true motive, but that was a good thing too. at least it proved that qiao mei had nothing but hatred for he ning. "let''s not talk about this anymore. we''ll think about it in the future. the most important thing now is to put all these things in storage. it''s too conspicuous to keep them here," xia zhe said. qiao mei was also feeling vexed about this. the house in lian city had never been occupied though. moreover, that place was big and the location remote, so it was not a place that an ordinary person could find. she thought that it would be good to send all these things there. Chapter 2355: Getting Married chapter 2355: getting married editor: atlas studios we cant send everything all at once. lets segregate them by types and take our time to shift them out, xia zhe reminded her. alright, well do as you say, qiao mei said. qiao mei opened up all the boxes and picked out a few that she particularly liked to bring home. she then sealed the rest into the boxes to be put in storage. xia zhe looked at qiao mei dotingly. at this moment, he felt extremely blessed. if possible, he did not want to leave qiao meis side for any more long periods of time in the future. no! lets go now! i cant look at them anymore! qiao mei said as she pushed xia zhe with her eyes closed. she liked each and every one of the items very much and found it really difficult to decide which one to keep and which one to put in storage. if she stayed any longer, she might just move everything to her house! the two of them went home in the car. before they entered the house, they could already hear the commotion in the courtyard. qiao meis three children were playing with li wei and the other three kids! qiao qiang, li gui and xu lan were sitting in the living room and chatting happily. all of you are back! why didnt you tell me in advance! its not the school holidays yet, qiao mei said in surprise. when li gui followed xu ba to the south, she had brought the four children with her. the speed of economic development there was much faster than in the capital. they could pick up more knowledge and also have more opportunities there. ive gone back to take a look at her. it doesnt seem too serious, she just feels a little uncomfortable. she says that as long as she doesnt see xu ba get married, she... she will continue to be plagued by sickness... li guis voice became softer and softer as she spoke, worried that qiao mei would get angry when she heard what happened. qiao mei questioned, then isnt she just pretending to be sick? why do you need to listen to the xu family members? qiao mei was getting worked up and she sounded a little agitated. xia zhe immediately grabbed her arm and whispered, dont be anxious. listen to what mom has to say. its just a matter of time anyway. i... i just think that its the same if we go through with it now... li gui said. qiao mei did not say anything. she walked to the side and sat down with a deep sigh. from the looks of it, li gui has made a very firm decision to be with xu ba. it was not li guis fault. xu ba could indeed be considered an outstanding man at his age, so it was not strange that li gui would fall for him. even though li gui had been living a good life for the past few years, the hardships of the past 40 years had caused an inferiority complex to be carved in her bones. she was unable to walk with her head held high in front of xu ba and always felt that she was not worthy of him. there was nothing bad about li gui marrying xu ba. as long as she was happy, whatever she wanted to do was fine. alright, get married then. i have no objections, qiao mei said calmly. li gui smiled happily and looked at qiao mei excitedly. really! thats great! xu lan and qiao qiang also felt happy for li gui. xu lan smiled and said, in-law, you really look younger and younger as the days go by. look at your complexion and the condition of your skin. people will believe it if i say that youre my eldest daughter! bliss makes a person look good! shoo, shoo, shoo. all you know is to take advantage of me! li gui replied with a smile. Chapter 2356: The Wedding Date chapter 2356: the wedding date ? "i''m praising you for being young!" xu lan said. "i can only be your younger sister at most! don''t spout nonsense!" li gui said. "the two of you are equally as young. you''ll remain healthy if you keep drinking my medicinal wine! you must continue doing it!" qiao mei reminded them. they said in unison, "we know!" "alright, alright! let me organize your wedding for you. how can the bride be the one to handle all these troublesome matters," xu lan said. li gui quickly rejected the gesture and said, "no need, no need! xu ba and i have already discussed the issue. i''m a person who has already been married before, so it''s not appropriate for me to hold a grand wedding. we''ll just get our relatives and friends to gather together for a meal! there''s no need to go through any trouble!" "what are you saying! can''t a person get married again after getting divorced! we should show off to them! that you can have a better life! that your days can only get better! let them be jealous!" xu lan said agitatedly. "you must organize and go through with the ceremony. we can''t let the xu family think that you have no backing from your family," qiao qiang said sternly. li gui nodded in satisfaction. at least there was still someone in this world who could stop qiao mei. she was very happy for one moment, but in the next second, she found it hard to smile anymore. "it''s too tiring for us to go there. let''s ask her to come to our house," xia zhe said with a smile. "that''s true! you''re still the smartest! i''ll give them a call tomorrow! get them to come over! they definitely have to come and discuss such a big matter with us!" qiao mei said happily. it was not that li gui was siding with the xu family. she was just worried that qiao mei would be at a disadvantage if she went to the xu family''s house as they had many family members on their side. however, it would be a different scenario if they invited the xu family to come over. qiao mei''s house was under the protection of the xia family''s guard team, so nothing bad would happen. the next morning, qiao mei asked feng hua to make a call to the xu family and ask all of them to come over to discuss the wedding of li gui and xu ba. she also asked feng hua to emphasize that it had to be "everyone in the xu family" and that not a single person could be absent. all the xu family members felt very happy. the happiest person was definitely liu xiao. she did not care about old madam xu at all nowadays, nor did she care if li gui would have a higher status than her in the family. at the moment, her mind was filled with xu tian and his issues. she wanted to hold on to xu tian tightly and definitely could not let him divorce her! liu xiao knew that if she could garner the support of someone as influential as qiao mei, her life in the xu family would not be difficult! recently, liu xiao had realized that something was not quite right. xu tian had been going on frequent business trips recently. even on usual days, he always left home early and returned late and she did not get to see him much. moreover, he seemed to go out socializing more and more. sometimes, liu xiao would notice strands of long hair on xu tian''s clothes and he also smelled of sweet perfume. liu xiao knew all the female employees in the factory. these women did not pay much attention to their appearance and did not even know what perfume was. only the new employee, a female university graduate, wore this type of perfume. she had tried to probe, but all she got in return was verbal and physical abuse from xu tian. there was nothing she could do but endure it silently, but she really felt at her wits'' end recently and wanted to take this opportunity to ask qiao mei about what she should do. Chapter 2357: Level of Savings chapter 2357: level of savings editor: atlas studios you want to go too? you dont even have a good relationship with li gui. what if you mess things up! youre not allowed to go! old madam xu said disdainfully. i wont! li gui is about to join our family, so i wont behave disagreeably! liu xiao said immediately. old madam xu sized up liu xiao. recently, xu tian had been beating liu xiao up. apart from the parts of her body which were not covered by clothing, she had wounds everywhere else. if she revealed any flaws at qiao meis house, who knew what the xia family would say about them! if the wedding plans between li gui and xu ba were ruined, liu xiao would not be able to pay the price! qiao mei did not choose to entertain the xu family at home, nor did she ask them to go to li guis restaurant. she owned a small bungalow in the city center that had just been renovated recently. when she bought the house, she had already checked on the surroundings. the neighbors here had either already gone overseas to study or had other properties. there were very few long-term residents in the area. even if the xu family members caused a scene, it would not cause any embarrassment to qiao mei. xu ba did not come together with the xu family members. he turned up earlier at the small bungalow to look for li gui. he was worried that li gui could not cope with all the preparations alone. the event today could be considered their engagement banquet. xu hang and xu cai also came with xu ba to help out, though both of them looked very unwilling to do so. uncle xu, youre here so early, qiao mei said in satisfaction. is there anything else that needs to be done? the children and i have come over to help, xu ba said with a smile. although li gui could afford to do so, this was not the way to go. why should li gui be the one to suffer a loss after joining the xu family? moreover, as time passed, it was inevitable that she would feel resentful. qiao mei did not want li gui to get a divorce again. qiao mei... li gui said softly as a form of reminder. she did not want to say such things in such a formal setting and make everyone feel awkward. its better to make things clear when everyone is around. otherwise, there will be a lot of trouble later and everyone will be unhappy. when men have money, they will go out and fool around. when beautiful women see the money in his pocket, they will definitely flock to him, qiao mei said. xu cai immediately retorted, my father is not such a person! i also know that uncle xu wont do such a thing, but nothing is absolute in this world. you have to give us a promise and a guarantee, right? qiao mei said with a smile. ill hand it over. ill hand everything to her! xu ba said willingly. very good. theres no hurry with regard to this matter. go back and calculate the exact amount of savings and salary and let me know. next, lets talk about xu cai and xu hang, qiao mei said. xu cai looked at qiao mei in confusion and said, us? whats the issue with us? uncle xu, how much pocket money do you usually give them? qiao mei asked. xu cai and xu hang were still in school and still needed financial support from their family. their monthly expenses were not much, but there had to be a specific amount. Chapter 2358: All Conditions Accepted chapter 2358: all conditions accepted editor: atlas studios say, arent you being too nosy! its fine if you want to stick your nose into my fathers business! why are you so concerned with our issues! when it comes to us, naturally theres my father and... auntie li in charge! xu cai said after taking a glance at li gui. xu cais attitude towards li gui had softened a lot from her initial prickly attitude. it seemed that xu ba had put in a lot of effort into talking to xu cai and xu hang, and xu cai had gradually accepted li guis existence. xu cai! how can you say that! xu ba looked at xu cai and said in a low voice. qiao mei had influence over everything in the family. whatever qiao mei said was the rule and they did not have the clout to refute. i give each of them 25 dollars a month for their living expenses on top of the tuition fees, xu ba said. qiao mei nodded in understanding. then, she looked at xu cai and said, in the future, each of them will get 60 dollars a month. if theres any excess, the two of you should save it up. also, every month, one third of uncle xus salary will be given to the two of you to set aside for your future dowry and betrothal gift respectively. qiao mei could not accept the fact that she would not be able to see li gui during the new year in the future. this matter would have to wait until old madam xu came. at the dining table, qiao mei brought up this issue. her proposal was that the families would take turns to celebrate the new year, alternating between xu bas family and li guis family. neither would suffer a loss or take advantage of the other. old madam xu agreed without any hesitation. whatever request that qiao mei made, even if it was unreasonable, old madam xu would accept it. all she wanted was for li gui to marry into the family first. how could a woman who had been divorced twice have the cheek to get a third divorce! when the time came, li gui would be a member of the xu family for the rest of her life and the family could do whatever they wanted with li gui! after all the arrangements were settled, they sat down to have a meal. qiao mei looked at all these people and felt a little melancholic. all the xu family members had ulterior motives. some of them may want to be nice to li gui but some of them just wanted to suck all the blood out of li gui. if all of you had behaved nicer back then and your xu family had agreed to these arrangements earlier, they might even have a child now, qiao mei said. cough, cough, cough... what nonsense are you talking about... what child! li gui said with a red face. the xu family members did not reply and all of them kept their heads lowered. they knew that this was qiao meis opening gambit! it was to let them know clearly who was the one in the family who had the authority to speak. qiao mei was well aware of their dirty thoughts, but as long as li gui was willing to go through with this, qiao mei had nothing to say. she only wanted li gui to be happy. then can we discuss the date of the wedding now? old madam xu said as she looked at qiao mei with a fake smile on her face. Chapter 2359: Any More Younger Brothers or Sisters? chapter 2359: any more younger brothers or sisters? ? "i''ve already heard from my mother that your family has fixed the wedding date for the day after tomorrow. i''m not agreeable to this. although it''s not my mother''s first time getting married, our family is still quite prominent in the capital. if others find out that she''s getting married in such a rushed manner, they''ll think that there''s something wrong," qiao mei said. "then when do you want to do it?" old madam xu asked tentatively. qiao mei looked at the people around her. after thinking for a moment, she said, "i''ve already asked a respected elder for advice about this and he said that after two months, the 10th day of the third month is a good day. it''s not bad to get married on that day." li gui did not say anything, knowing very well that qiao mei was just trying to bluff the xu family. qiao mei''s intention was to give old madam xu a warning. she did not want the old lady to think that li gui did not have anyone to protect her after marrying into the xu family! qiao mei and the xia family would always back li gui up! "no! two months is really too long! my health is too poor for such a long wait!" old madam xu said in her strong and healthy voice. there did not seem to be anything wrong with her. qiao mei raised her eyebrows and looked at old madam xu, saying, "the way i see it... you don''t look like you''re seriously ill. why are you in such a hurry?" "i... i''m just hoping that xu ba will get married soon! the two of them have dragged on for far too long. i''m just so anxious!" old madam xu said as she suppressed her anger. xu ba was slightly stunned. he had not thought about this issue. after all... he and li gui were still at the stage of holding hands and they did not even hug much. li gui blushed and sat down at the side. she whispered, "i... i''m already too advanced in age to have children! i already have you five and xu ba also has two children. it is already a lot of work for us to take care of seven children. we won''t be able to cope if we have any more children." "the kids are already all grown up and they don''t really need you to take care of them. besides, we have helpers at home, so what''s there to be worried about? we can always hire another helper if required," qiao mei said. "i..." li gui said hesitantly. she had not thought about this issue. xu ba was a little tempted by what qiao mei said. he knew that qiao mei was the one who made all the "divine medicine" in the xia family. he had heard that the most effective medicine could even bring a person back from the dead and was something very amazing. with such medicine, even if li gui was considered to be at an advanced pregnancy age, she did not have to worry too much. the truth was... he wanted to have a child. specifically, he wanted to have a child with li gui. xu ba and li gui looked at each other and knew what the other person was thinking. if it was possible, both of them wanted to have another child. "alright, alright. i''m just asking. this matter can''t be forced anyway. the two of you can decide what to do." after saying that, qiao mei handed the house key to li gui. qiao mei was just curious about whether she would have another younger brother or sister! she wondered if she would still be fated to have siblings in the future? the next task was to decide on the guest list for the wedding reception and the list of dishes to be served at the banquet. li gui and xu ba kept blushing and did not dare to look at each other. it was hard to believe that the two of them were still so innocent at their age. Chapter 2360: You Must Help Me chapter 2360: you must help me editor: atlas studios after two days, li gui and xu ba had discussed everything and came to qiao meis house to ask for her opinion. i think its fine. its just that there are too few varieties in the menu and the guest list is still a little sparse. i can just invite a few more people. everything else looks alright. qiao mei nodded in satisfaction. in the beginning, qiao mei had planned to hold the banquet at home so that it would be grand and extravagant. however, she could not get li gui to go along with this idea, so they would be holding it at li guis restaurant. erm... should we invite the li family? xu ba asked as he looked at qiao mei warily. theres no need. its not my mothers first marriage and theres no point in informing them. she can decide on her own issues. if the li family found out about this, they would definitely take the opportunity to come and cause trouble and extort another sum of money. if that happened, the xu family would use the issue as an excuse to make things difficult for li gui. she would never be able to hold her head up high in the xu family. late at night, qiao mei decided to go for a walk with xia zhe. there was a new park near their house. after xia zhe returned home, he still did not have a chance to see how the capital had changed over the past two years! qiao mei finally had her wish come true! she could hold xia zhes hand openly and not let go. she had been feeling so suffocated all this while! whatever it is, talk to me properly. dont wail. look at yourself. people who dont know any better might even think that im bullying you! qiao mei said helplessly. liu xiao stopped crying and looked at qiao mei pitifully, saying, i... i really dont know what to do... first, tell me how you got all your injuries. although qiao mei already knew, she still wanted to get a clear answer. xu tian beat me up! hes a beast! liu xiao said. based on your injuries, it doesnt look like this is the first or second time youve been hurt. how long has this been going on? qiao mei continued asking. after xu ba left... he started beating me up. i cant even remember how long it has been... liu xiao said aggrievedly. qiao mei frowned. the xu family really knew how to upkeep their reputation. they acted one way in front of people and another way behind peoples backs. they could even do this to their own family members. then why are you crying? are you crying for yourself or for him? why do you want to cry over a man who bullies you, beats you and insults you every day? qiao mei questioned. but he has another woman outside! i... before liu xiao could finish speaking, qiao mei interrupted her, saying, isnt it better if he doesnt go home? then he wont beat you up! what if he gets charmed by the vixen outside? he may come back and divorce me one day! i cant divorce him! my maternal family wont take me back! im already so old plus i dont have a well-to-do maternal family and i dont have good looks. i wont be able to remarry! i wont be able to survive! liu xiao said in a panic. both qiao mei and xia zhe sighed. in the face of such a situation, they could only feel helpless and unsure. after all, no one would be able to fully understand how she felt. Chapter 2361: Not Divorcing Xu Tian chapter 2361: not divorcing xu tian editor: atlas studios alright, stop crying. tell me more about who those women are and how you know about this issue, qiao mei said. i dont think hes in much contact with the other women. at the moment, theres just this university graduate who has a close relationship with xu tian. shes his secretary at the factory! shes such a beautiful young girl! why would she want to break up someone elses family! liu xiao said agitatedly. qiao mei had actually long expected xu tian to have an affair, but she did not expect liu xiao to only find out after so long. xu tian was a man who looked macho and domineering. although he was in his 50s, he maintained a good figure and looked quite good. furthermore, he had a successful career, so many women would be tempted by him. in addition, xu tian was the kind of person who could adapt to all sorts of situations and be able to say the things that people wanted to hear. even if there was a very unruly and unreasonable client in front of him, he would still be able to get the contract signed. qiao mei had interacted with xu tian before and she knew how capable he was at work. if not for the fact that xu tian was worried that people would term him ungrateful if he abandoned his wife and children after he became rich, in turn leading to a bad personal reputation, he would have gotten a divorce and remarried long ago! so what do you want me to do? qiao mei asked. i want you to chase all those women out of the capital! i believe you have the ability to do so! i dont want xu tian to be pestered by those women again! liu xiao said. then... then will he still have money? liu xiao asked tentatively. how much more money do you want? your family should have some savings. that money should be enough for the rest of your lives. even if xu tian isnt the factory director anymore, your life wont be too bad, qiao mei said. liu xiao was still a little hesitant. she was conflicted about whether it was more important to be with xu tian or being the factory directors wife. when qiao mei started getting a little tired of waiting, liu xiao finally had an answer. lets do as you say! so long as i dont have to divorce xu tian, anything is fine! liu xiao said. alright, then go home and gather the evidence. as long as you can find evidence of xu tians affair and hand it to me, ill give you what you want later, qiao mei said with a smile. liu xiao went home joyously. xia zhe tapped qiao meis head and said dotingly, dont we already have photo evidence of xu tians affair in the study? why do you ask liu xiao to go and look for evidence? cant you just give it to her? if i help her so easily, she will become even more unscrupulous in the future. i dont want her to think that she can get my help just by pretending to be pitiful. how do you know that theres evidence in my study? i havent even looked at the things that yao nian brought over, qiao mei said. i saw it by chance. its really too conspicuous. why dont you go and take a look? those photos... are really quite interesting, xia zhe said vaguely. qiao mei raised her eyebrows curiously. could it be that... at xu tians age, he was still up for scintillating poses? or were there some explicit moves involved? she dragged xia zhe into the study. the moment she opened the document bag, she was stunned. this person looked familiar. wait, this was... wang tian from the wang family! Chapter 2362: The Day of the Wedding Banquet chapter 2362: the day of the wedding banquet editor: atlas studios why is it her! qiao mei said in shock. do you know this person? xia zhe asked curiously. after all, although qiao mei had many business acquaintances, she did not make friends easily. if someone could cause qiao mei to act so surprised, it could only be an enemy. qiao mei leaned back against the rocking chair by the window in a defeated manner and said, this person likes xia yuan! you know, she wooed xia yuan for a long time and even went to my mothers restaurant to look for him! she graduated from a good school but she actually wanted to work as a greeter at my mothers restaurant! all because she wants to see xia yuan often! hows her family background? is it clean? xia zhe asked. forget it, forget it. xia yuan is about to get married. let xia he tell you about such stuff since she knows a lot more details. anyway, this woman is not easy to get along with, qiao mei said. qiao mei did not want to look at the photos in the document bag anymore. the thought of dealing with such issues gave her a headache! this woman was not an ordinary person. she was way more difficult and shameless than ordinary people! xia zhe flipped through the photos in the bag with a look of relish. he was curious about the kind of woman who could annoy xia yuan to such an extent. after all, xia yuan was one of the gentlest characters in the xia family! qiao mei asked da zhuang to go to xu tians factory to spread rumors that wang tian already had a lover, that the person was xia yuan of the xia family and that wang tian had wooed xia yuan for a long, long time. in fact, people had even seen wang tian tugging at xia yuan at li guis restaurant! although the rumors were also unfair to xia yuan, extreme times needed drastic measures. qiao mei had already explained the situation to zhou xi and zhou xi was also very willing to work with qiao mei. the factory was not a government workplace unit. everyone there was more than happy to watch the world burn. the news spread very quickly and xu tian heard about it within half an hour. he did not look for wang tian immediately to verify what he heard. instead, he went home first to give liu xiao a good beating. although liu xiao was beaten up, she felt very at ease this time round. as long as this plan continued on the path she wanted, then xu tian definitely would not divorce her! it was soon the day of li guis wedding and all the guests arrived on time. although there were not many guests, all of them brought very grand gifts. it could be said that the value of each gift was comparable to a family heirloom! old madam xu was like an unsophisticated woman who kept smiling very widely as she looked at the pile of gifts. mom, are you scared? qiao mei stood beside li gui and asked softly. im not, li gui said with a blissful smile. when qiao mei saw li guis smile, she had more questions. however, she knew that on such a joyous day, she would dampen the mood if she went ahead and asked these questions. she really wanted to know if li gui felt equally as happy when she married qiao yue? did she feel scared at that time? did she feel very nervous? what kind of wedding banquet did they have at that time? there were many questions stuck in her throat as she looked towards the sky. perhaps she could get the answers by asking qiao qiang later. for now, she had only one simple wish and that was for li gui to have a happy life. Chapter 2363 The Same Words 2363 the same words li gui looked at the wedding dress she was wearing. it was made by the best tailor in the capital and he had worked hard to rush out the final product. the phoenixes on the dress were all embroidered with golden thread and in fact, the dress was the old master craftsman''s final piece of work before retirement. one would not be able to find another wedding dress as exquisite as this in the capital. "mom, you and uncle xu have to get along well. i think uncle xu is someone you can entrust yourself to," qiao mei said as she looked at li gui seriously. "yes, i think so too," li gui said blissfully. "however, you can''t rely too much on a man. you must always have a way out. people change with time. you''ve experienced so much in the past, so i don''t think i need to say more. the two of you have only known each other for a short period of time and still need to get used to having a life together," qiao mei said worriedly. for some reason, qiao mei kept feeling uneasy, but she could not put a finger on it. anyway, it was always better to be safe than sorry. playing safe never hurt anyone. "i''m already a grown adult, yet you still worry about me!" li gui said with a laugh. no?v(el)b\\jnn the two of them chatted happily. the xia family members had all come to help out at the wedding banquet. as there were many relatives of the xia family around, xia wen went around to toast them one by one. for some strange reason, xu chun had invited wang tian to the wedding banquet. the moment wang tian sat down, she fixed her eyes on xia yuan and did not stop looking at him for even a moment. xia yuan could feel a chill run down his spine from being stared at. li gui looked at the woman and then at xu ba. as she fell into a daze, she felt that all those blissful moments in the past were just an illusion. she retracted her hand and stood rooted to the ground with an unhappy expression. xu ba quickly explained, "no! it''s not what you think! let me explain! whatever it is between me and her is all in the past!" "why are you still alive, you b*tch! get lost now!" old madam xu ran up the stairs, panting heavily. it was such a difficult task for her to exert herself like this at her age, but this further proved that the xu family was really rattled by this woman''s appearance. "don''t you dare touch my mother!" the young girl shouted as she stood in front of the middle-aged woman. "you wretched girl, how dare you talk to me like that!" old madam xu was so angry that she felt chest pains. she held onto her chest and kept walking backwards. xu ba quickly ran over to support old madam xu. "mother! how do you feel! are you alright!" xu ba said worriedly. "what can happen to me! look at this woman! back then, i told you about how this woman is from the countryside! she won''t have a good upbringing! you still... no! it''s all this woman''s fault! she''s a jinx!" halfway through her tirade, old madam xu suddenly remembered that qiao mei and li gui were also from the countryside and she could not continue talking without making them feel like she was scolding them as well. Chapter 2364 Not Getting Married Anymore 2364 not getting married anymore this woman was xu ba''s ex-wife. her name was cai ming and the young girl was his third daughter. the girl''s original name was xu dong, but she had changed her name to cai dong. "why are you here?" xu ba asked as he looked at cai ming coldly. tears welled up in cai ming''s eyes as she said aggrievedly, "more than 10 years ago, i came to look for you. at that time, your mother said that you died in a landslide while on a business trip, so i returned to my hometown. i never expect you to still be alive! and you''re actually getting married! have you forgotten our promises to each other!" xu ba looked at cai ming in disbelief. he seemed to have thought of something and immediately lowered his head to look at old madam xu. the old lady said vaguely, "i just said some angry words at that time. who knew that she would really believe me. besides, she didn''t even check if it was true or not. she didn''t even ask me where your grave is. she definitely was not sincere at all then." qiao mei smiled coldly as she looked all at the people in the room. she did not expect the xu family to have such a history. this happened 20 years ago and most of the people involved had already moved out of the capital. it was no wonder that yao nian and qiao mei did not manage to find out about this. "how can this be... at that time, my mother clearly told me that you had remarried and then left the children with my family! how can this be..." xu ba muttered to himself. qiao mei really did not want li gui to stand around and feel even sadder. she walked over to li gui''s side and asked softly, "mom, do you still want to marry uncle xu?" although li gui loved xu ba very much, she was not a fool. she knew very well what was going on. li gui held on to qiao mei and shook her head with some difficulty. at this moment, her face was covered in tears and she could not even stand properly. even if the couple was to separate, there had to be a clear reason. this was already li gui''s third marriage. if word got out about this, there was no telling what people might say! "qiao mei... let your mother and i..." xu ba said as he looked at qiao mei pleadingly. "that''s impossible. if you want to see my mother, you have to explain things clearly to us first," qiao mei said. xia wen waved his hand and said, "take a seat. let''s not all just stand there. it''s not like this is a criminal interrogation." "your xu family is so capable as to make the qiao and xia families look like fools. do you know the consequences of embarrassing our two families on such a joyous day?" qiao mei looked at the xu family members sternly. her gaze was so cold that it could make a person feel a chill up the spine. this was also the first time xia wen had seen qiao mei so angry, but it was no wonder. if it was him, he might even feel like killing all the xu family members. "no, no! our family wouldn''t dare to do this! this must be a misunderstanding! qiao mei, hear my son out! it''s not like that!" old madam xu said agitatedly. "misunderstanding? does it mean that this woman''s relationship with uncle xu is a fake one?" qiao mei asked. Chapter 2365: A Heartless Person Chapter 2365: A Heartless Person Editor: Atlas Studios That... thats not it... Old Madam Xu said sheepishly. I wonder how many more ex-wives Uncle Xu has, as well as how many other children he has. Dont tell me that all his other lovers out there have not come looking for him yet? Qiao Mei said meanly. What are you saying! Xu Hang could not stand hearing such things anymore, so he pointed at Qiao Mei and roared at her. Xu Ba immediately gave Xu Hang a slap and said, You have no right to speak up here! Shut up! There are none! None at all! Furthermore, what this woman said may not be true! Its hard to say if this is Xu Bas child! This woman went out with many men after the incident. You must not believe what this woman said! Old Madam Xu said. I see that you have been keeping tabs on me. You even know that I have found another man so that I can bring up Cai Dong. Im not related to you at all, so why do you have to ask around about me? Im guessing it must be because youre worried that I had given birth to a boy and that a descendant of the Xu family may end up being part of someone elses family! Cai Ming said. She was already quite clear about the facts. Old Madam Xu had caused the couple to break up, separating the two lovers just like that. At that time, after I came back from the countryside, I had a job posting out of town. My mother had already agreed to let Cai Ming marry into our family, but later on, she told me that Cai Ming had left the children with the Xu family and that she was going to marry someone else. When I came back... it was the day when you married that man and I even saw the wedding ceremony, Xu Ba said sadly. Cai Ming shouted loudly, You actually saw the ceremony! You actually came back when I was getting married! Then why didnt you come to look for me! Why didnt you ask me! You clearly know that Im pregnant with your child! You actually want me to marry someone else while carrying your child? Do you know how hard my life has been all these years! Do you know how much Cai Dong has suffered! You good-for-nothing! How could I have taken a fancy to you back then! Cai Ming was more affected by this piece of news than whatever she heard earlier. Her breathing became so rapid that she almost fainted. Qiao Mei could not watch her being in this condition. She asked Xia He to feed Cai Ming a 100-year-old ginseng pill and Cai Ming quickly looked much better. For some reason, Qiao Mei did not feel much hatred for Cai Ming. Instead, she felt that Cai Ming seemed like a reasonable person and she was willing to sit down and have a conversation with Cai Ming. Old Madam Xu felt very unsettled. She was too ashamed to continue staying in this room. She let out a cry and fell onto the floor. All the Xia family members in the room could tell that Old Madam Xu had pretended to faint. Xia Zhe was about to go forward to rouse Old Madam Xu when Qiao Mei shook her head at him. You simply believed whatever other people said! You never even came to ask me! Fine, fine, fine. Then I might as well just continue to believe that youre already dead! How could I have met a heartless person like you! Forget it... The truth is that you didnt love me that much back then. Youre not even comparable to my pet dog! Ill just take it that I had invested my feelings in the wrong place! Cai Ming said. Chapter 2366: Chase The Xu Family Members Out Chapter 2366: Chase The Xu Family Members Out Editor: Atlas Studios Xu Ba was not in the mood to pay any attention to Old Madam Xu. Right now, he only wanted to resolve the matter at hand and make Li Gui come back to him. Now that youre clear about the truth, what do you want to achieve today? Qiao Mei looked at Cai Ming and asked mildly.@@@@ Cai Ming could tell that this young lady did not have any ill intentions towards her. The moment Qiao Mei acted to save her life just now, she already owed Qiao Mei a favor. These matters are all in the past and I can let bygones be bygones. My life is as such, but Cai Dongs life is only just beginning. Shes your biological daughter! You have already ruined her early years. You have to take responsibility for her for the rest of her life! Cai Ming said as she endured the pain she felt in her heart. Cai Mings husband was already dead. After being abused by him for so many years, Cai Mings health was in really bad shape. She did not have many years left to live. She would only be able to close her eyes in peace if she managed to entrust Cai Dong to Xu Ba. Xu Ba looked at Cai Dong without saying anything. Cai Dong looked exactly like Xu Ba, but their temperaments were worlds apart. Cai Dong was cold and distant and looked like a vicious person, unlike the other children he had with Cai Ming. After all, Cai Ming used to be very gentle and considerate. Xu Ba could not help but feel sorry for the girl. Cai Dong must have been treated badly since she was young and bullied by the people around her. It was impossible for such a child to treat others kindly. Qiao Mei did not want to hear about their past. These things had nothing to do with her family. Whose life was not tough? Did everyone have to pity her just because she had a tough life? Stop, stop, stop! Qiao Mei flapped her hands impatiently and said, We dont have time to listen to your shared history. These issues have nothing to do with our Xia and Qiao families. This is our familys property. Go back to the Xu familys house to settle your own matters. Our family will no longer have anything to do with the Xu family from now on. My mother wont snatch Xu Ba from you too. Go wherever you want, just dont argue here. Da Zhuang and Xiao Zhuang had asked many guards to come to the room. The guards held the Xu family members and Cai Ming in a tight grip and forced them out of the room. Xu Jin punched and kicked Da Zhuang and Xiao Zhuang, who were the ones holding Cai Ming. One look and one could tell that the girl was trained in martial arts. It made sense though. She had been bullied in the village since she was young. How could she save herself if she did not know how to fight? Qiao Mei just felt a little pensive. If she had not married Xia Zhe back then, she did not know what kind of life her children would have had. Perhaps they would be in worse circumstances than Xu Jin. A moment later, the entire room was silent. Everyone knew then it was time for them to leave and they left Qiao Mei alone there. Xia Zhe also made a move to send the children home first. He made arrangements for a car to wait for Qiao Mei downstairs. Qiao Mei walked to the inner room and knocked on the door. Qiane walked out with Li Gui who seemed to be in a much better mood, although she still looked very haggard. Mom, how... do you want to resolve this matter? Ill get someone to take inventory of the things that belong to the Xu family and send everything back to them later, Qiao Mei said. What do you mean? Li Gui asked as she looked at Qiao Mei in a daze. She was not in the mood to deal with these things now. Qiao Mei sighed. No one would be able to accept such a thing. If Xia Zhe had an ex-wife and the ex-wife turned up at their wedding, she might even kill both Xia Zhe and that woman! Chapter 2367 Living a Life Alone Chapter 2367 Living a Life Alone However... that might not necessarily be the case. Back then, she did not have very deep feelings for Xia Zhe. If such a woman had really appeared in front of her, she might have negotiated with the Xia family for a nice sum of money to compensate her for having the babies. After that, she could relocate to another place and work hard to make money so that her grandfather and her children could live a good life. "Regarding Xu Ba, do you still want to be with him?" Qiao Mei asked. Li Gui was inside the room and did not know what had transpired outside. Qiao Mei continued, "It seems that both of them had been deceived. After so many years, Xu Ba really does not have any feelings for those two people anymore. If you still want to be with Xu Ba, it''s not impossible." "I... I''m not blaming him and I don''t think that he had deliberately lied to me. It''s just... It''s just that on such an important day, his ex-wife suddenly appeared to disrupt the wedding. I feel both terrible and angry," Li Gui said with a sigh. "I know you feel uncomfortable about the situation. I''ll go along with whatever you want," Qiao Mei said firmly. "That''s right, Godmother. Marriage is for life! We mustn''t put ourselves in a disadvantageous position!" Qian''e said immediately. @@@@ Li Gui wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. She felt better by now and she was also thinking much clearer. She looked at the two youngsters and said, "You''ve also seen those two people. They''re not easy to deal with. If I marry Xu Ba, those two will definitely come looking for trouble regularly. If so, I''ll have to deal with such issues every day. I don''t want to live a life filled with problems. I... I just want to live a nice peaceful life." "Alright, I understand. I''ll make sure the Xu family members won''t be able to harass you. You can go and stay at my manor for a period of time. I can handle all the issues here," Qiao Mei said with a smile. Xia Zhe could not help but massage Qiao Mei''s head and said, "I know who this person is." "You do? If you already know, then hurry up and tell me!" Qiao Mei said as she drummed Xia Zhe''s chest angrily. Xia Zhe coughed twice and said, "Cough, cough, cough... I just wanted to help you use your brain. You''re really too cute..." "Tell me quickly!" Qiao Mei said. "I haven''t checked everything thoroughly yet. I''ll tell you after Yao Nian has verified the matter," Xia Zhe said. He had made a rough guess, but he would never mention anything without first getting conclusive evidence. Qiao Mei also knew this habit of his, so she did not continue to question him. Qiao Mei leaned into Xia Zhe''s arms and said sadly, "Why do you think my mother''s life is so tough... She has never had a good day in her life. And why can''t two people who love each other be together? My mother is clearly such a good person! How can this be!" As she spoke, Qiao Mei could not help but cry. Xia Zhe quickly cupped Qiao Mei''s face and said seriously, "It''s those people who have no taste. As the saying goes, if you get something it''s luck, but if you lose it, then it''s destiny. In my opinion, it''s a good thing that Mom did not marry into that family. It''ll be too late if she realizes it only after she''s married!" "You have a point..." Qiao Mei pouted and said aggrievedly. Xia Zhe felt that Qiao Mei was really too adorable. He lowered his head and kissed her before saying, "Don''t worry, I''ll make sure those people who bully us will pay for it." Chapter 2368 Paying a Visit to Apologize Chapter 2368 Paying a Visit to Apologize The same night, Xia Wen came over to Qiao Mei''s house. When Qiao Mei saw Xia Wen''s expression, she knew why he was here. "Is it her?" Xia Zhe asked. "You''re right. It''s indeed her," Xia Wen said affirmatively. Qiao Mei looked at the two of them confusedly and asked, "What exactly are the two of you talking about?" "Xia Zhe''s guess is that the culprit is Wang Tian. I''ve looked through a lot of evidence and the facts prove that Xia Zhe is right. Wang Tian arranged for someone to tell Cai Ming and her daughter that Xu Ba was going to get married again," Xia Wen said. "I never expected Wang Tian to be so persistent! Looks like I really have to teach her a lesson," Qiao Mei said. "Sigh... It''s my fault too. I did see Wang Tian arrive at the wedding banquet. At that time, I allowed her to stay in order not to cause a scene. I didn''t expect things to develop like this," Xia Wen said with some annoyance. "Even if she had left the venue, Cai Ming and her daughter would have still turned up. Even if they didn''t come by that day, they would still have appeared after the wedding. Actually, it''s not too bad for them to have turned up on the wedding day," Qiao Mei said melancholically. Xia Wen did not quite understand. He looked at Qiao Mei curiously and asked, "What do you mean?" Xu Ba did not want to say anything to Old Madam Xu. If Old Madam Xu had not told those lies back then, he and Cai Ming would not have ended up in this situation. Old Madam Xu knew that Xu Ba felt resentful inside. "You still have the cheek to show me this attitude! If I hadn''t done that back then! Would you have met such a good woman like Li Gui! Isn''t Li Gui thousands of times better than Cai Ming! Quickly ask that b*tch and the bastard child to come over!" Old Madam Xu said. "Mother! Speak nicely!" Xu Ba said unhappily. "How can you talk to Mother like that! Second Brother! Are you really going to choose Cai Ming and give up Li Gui?" Xu Tian questioned. "Elder Brother, that''s not my intention," Xu Ba said firmly. He would never give up on Li Gui. "Then what exactly are you thinking?" Xu Tian asked. "I just feel that we have done the mother-and-daughter duo a disservice. If not for what you said back then, she wouldn''t have suffered so much. Our family can''t treat them like this," Xu Ba said guiltily. Xu Tian said sheepishly, "You just have to marry Li Gui..." "Alright, go get ready. Let''s go to Qiao Mei''s house and apologize to Li Gui! We have to coax her back immediately!" Old Madam Xu said. Xu Ba was amenable to this suggestion and helped Old Madam Xu get changed. He even rented a wheelchair and the few of them got dressed up and went to Qiao Mei''s house. However, when they reached the door, no one dared to knock. They all knew Qiao Mei''s temper. Chapter 2369: Marry Xu Chun Off Chapter 2369: Marry Xu Chun Off Editor: Atlas Studios When Feng Hua saw that there were visitors at the door, she quickly went to inform Qiao Mei about it. Qiao Mei knew that the Xu family would not let Li Gui off so easily and she asked Feng Hua to bring the Xu family members in. Why are all of you here so early in the morning? Qiao Mei asked Old Madam Xu with a bright smile. Seeing Qiao Meis expression, Old Madam Xu thought that Qiao Mei looked like she was not angry anymore. It seemed like it would be an easy task to beg Li Gui to return to the Xu family! Old Madam Xu was still feeling weak earlier, but she suddenly felt better and her face looked much more rosy. Were here to apologize! Its all my fault for what happened back then. Its also my fault for not explaining everything to you in advance. Its all my fault. I should have stopped them from entering that day and not allow them to come in to cause trouble! Its all my fault! Old Madam Xu said agitatedly.@@@@ Old Madam Xu would never admit that what she did back then was wrong. If not for the fact that she did not allow Cai Ming to marry into her family, Li Gui would never have appeared in their lives! Everything was predestined! In her opinion, Cai Ming was nothing. All this while, she had never acknowledged Cai Mings existence. Xu Ba had been squeaky clean for so many years and it was not easy for him to have found a good woman like Li Gui. The Xu family could not let her slip away! My mother is very angry, but its not an easy situation where you can pacify our family with just a few words, Qiao Mei said. Old Madam Xu could hear the hidden meaning behind what Qiao Mei said! There was still a way to resolve this matter! Old Madam Xu turned around and slapped Xu Tian as she roared, Its all your fault for giving birth to an evil creature! If Xu Chun hadnt told everyone about our family matters, we wouldnt be caught in this situation today! Even if it was not Xu Chun who made the arrangements, it was still Xu Chun who created all the trouble. If it was anyone else, Old Madam Xu would not be so angry. She was so annoyed now because it was her own family member who had sabotaged the family! This was so humiliating! It would be a joke if word got out! Regarding this whole fiasco, Xu Chun needs to bear half the responsibility. We want to see how your family deals with this matter, Qiao Mei said sternly. Ill give her a good beating when I get home! Xu Tian said. Is that all? Qiao Mei asked as she looked at Old Madam Xu. After all, the girl was a member of the Xu family. Even if they really gave her a beating, they would not have the heart to really punish her. Qiao Mei seized the chance and said, How about this, you should marry her off. Oh right, I hear that the eldest son of the Wang family has his eye on Xu Chun. Given that its such a coincidence, you should let her marry into that family. Xu Tian had always wanted to be in-laws with the Wang family. An alliance between the two families was a very joyous matter, so was Qiao Mei punishing them or helping them? For a moment, everyone felt quite confused. Sure! Ill get it done! Xu Tian said happily. However! Qiao Meis expression changed suddenly. She lowered her voice and said, Wang Tian has always wanted to marry into our Xia family. If I find out that Wang Tian still has improper thoughts about our Xia family after Xu Chun marries into the Wang family, then... Chapter 2370: Get Married Quickly Chapter 2370: Get Married Quickly ? Before she even finished speaking, Old Madam Xu immediately said, "We will definitely stop Wang Tian from thinking about any Xia family member! Don''t worry about this!" Xu Tian tugged at Old Madam Xu''s clothes and said, "Our family can control Xu Chun, but how can we stick our nose into the Wang family''s matters!" "There will definitely be a way!" Old Madam Xu said. "If you can do it, then I won''t tell anyone about all the things that happened. If you can''t do it, then the Xu family''s reputation is at stake," Qiao Mei said. Old Madam Xu quickly said, "Fine, fine, fine! We promise you!" "Alright then. Go and do what you need to do." Qiao Mei wanted to show them out after saying that. Old Madam Xu waved her hands and said, "Then about your mother..." "Complete the task first and we can talk about the rest later. If my mother marries into your family and has to see Xu Chun every day, do you think she will be in a good mood? If Wang Tian keeps making my mother unhappy, will your Xu family still have peaceful days? You have to remember that we''re in the same boat," Qiao Mei said. Old Madam Xu left Qiao Mei''s house happily with the other Xu family members. From the start to the end, Qiao Mei did not mention whether Li Gui would forgive the Xu family. Her family could not just be put in a disadvantaged position for nothing. There had to be payback from the Xu family! "Father! I''m your biological daughter!" Xu Chun said as she looked at Xu Tian with tears in her eyes. Xu Tian also could not bear to do this to her. He did not want to face this situation either. If not for the fact that Xu Chun was so unguarded and told other people about the scandals at home, she would not have to suffer like this. To put it bluntly, Xu Chun had done this to herself. It was already good enough that this was what she ended up with. "You have no choice." After saying that, Xu Tian locked Xu Chun in her room. He did not intend to go into the office during this period of time, not until Xu Chun married into the Wang family and everything was settled. The Xu family members all became so busy that they had no time for anyone else at all. Xu Ba had to deal with Cai Ming and her daughter, Old Madam Xu visited the Wang family''s house every day and Xu Tian continued to enjoy his romantic times with Wang Tian. In the end, no one kept an eye on Xu Chun at all and she quietly slipped out of the house. She hopped on the bus headed to the suburbs, in the direction of the He family residence. She had long heard that the He family and the Xia family had always been on bad terms. If she could work with the He family, then she would not be forced to get married. "Young Master, someone is here to see you," Jia Zhong said. "Who is it?" He Ning looked up and asked. "A woman named Xu Chun. Some time ago, Qiao Mei''s mother was supposed to marry into the Xu family. This woman is the daughter of the eldest son of the Xu family," Jia Zhong quipped. "Why does she want to see me? I don''t even know her. Send her away now," He Ning said impatiently. Recently, there were always idiots coming to look for him. His relationship with Qiao Mei was already very tense at the moment. What if Qiao Mei hated him even more because of these idiots? Chapter 2371: Chance Meeting at the Train Station Chapter 2371: Chance Meeting at the Train Station ? Jia Zhong continued hesitantly, "Xu Chun says that she can become your most powerful weapon and that she can help you deal with the Xia family." He Ning was very amused by Xu Chun''s words. Was he some sort of stupid fool? This random person actually dared to talk so arrogantly in front of him. If Xu Chun was really smart, she would not have failed so miserably at her attempt to mess up Li Gui''s wedding.@@@@ "I don''t have the patience for this. Ask her to get lost immediately," He Ning said without looking up. Jia Zhong conveyed what He Ning said word for word to Xu Chun. Xu Chun''s face immediately flushed bright red. She could feel the way these people looked down on her and were humiliating her. Why was it that everyone laughed at her! Everyone looked down on her! No one took her seriously! She would definitely make these people pay for this! That night, Li Gui came to look for Qiao Mei. She looked at Qiao Mei calmly and said, "I''m going to leave the capital." "Why so soon? Don''t you want to stay for a while longer? I can get someone to take care of the shop over there," Qiao Mei said. "It''s better for one to take care of one''s own shop. Besides, your younger siblings are going to start school soon. Their studies can''t get affected," Li Gui said. "Yes, I know. You should board the train now. It''s about to depart," Xu Ba said expressionlessly. "I''ll call you in three days. If I don''t call you, remember to come and look for me. It may be that... my ex-husband''s family has come looking for trouble with me again..." Cai Ming said embarrassedly. Back then, Cai Ming had married the first available man. That man was a lazy bum and he died a few years later. After that, his family kept pestering Cai Ming and wanted her to pay for their living expenses. This time round, if they knew that both Cai Ming and Xu Jin were in touch with a man who lived in the city, they definitely would not let Cai Ming off! As Cai Ming turned around, she waved at Li Gui and said with a smile, "Oh! You''re taking the train too! What a coincidence! Where are you going?" Li Gui originally thought that she had already let go of everything, but when she saw Cai Ming standing next to Xu Ba, she still felt uncomfortable. That was supposed to be her spot. Then again, if not for Old Madam Xu''s interference, the person standing beside Xu Ba would be Cai Ming all this while. Li Gui had mixed feelings about everything and she did not feel good. "Uncle Xu, are the two of you going to get remarried? Congratulations!" Qiao Mei said with a smile. "It''s not like that! It will never happen! Believe me!" Xu Ba said agitatedly. The smile on Cai Ming''s face froze. She did not expect Xu Ba to embarrass her like this. Xu Ba also realized that his words were too harsh. He scratched his head awkwardly and said, "I''m just here to send her off, nothing more." Li Gui did not want to hear any explanation from Xu Ba. He had not gone to look for her even after so many days and she did not see any signs of repentance from him at all. He was completely preoccupied with Cai Ming and Xu Jin. Since they were so important to him, then Li Gui did not need him anymore. Chapter 2372: Transfer of the Household Register Chapter 2372: Transfer of the Household Register ? "Let''s go. It''s almost time," Li Gui said coldly. Xu Ba hurried to block Li Gui''s path and said, "It''s not that I don''t want to go and look for you. I''m just worried that if I go, it will only make you feel even more troubled. I want to settle everything before I come and explain the situation to you! I do love you!" Qiao Mei sighed. By the time Xu Ba settled everything, Li Gui would be almost as good as new. However, Qiao Mei really could not bring herself to hate Cai Ming. If she was Cai Ming, she would have done the same things. As long as it was for the good of her child, she was willing to do anything. "Uncle Xu, when do you intend to go back to work? Your approved leave period should be coming to an end soon," Qiao Mei said. "I''m going to leave now. I''ll go and buy my ticket now," Xu Ba said. Qiao Mei nodded in satisfaction. It seemed that Xu Ba still had some sense and knew that he should follow Li Gui and go back with her now. Even though he had not packed his luggage or prepared anything, he could always buy whatever he needed there. If he missed out on Li Gui, she would not come back to him. "Alright, that''s it then. Mom, I''ll say goodbye here," Qiao Mei said happily. Li Gui would not be lonely on her journey. Xu Ba would keep trying to explain himself to Li Gui. The day of their reconciliation should come soon. Xu Ba loosened his grip on the luggage and his heart wavered. Qiao Mei pursed her lips resignedly. She just knew that Xu Ba was an unreliable person. Then again, Cai Ming was truly smart. Every sentence she said was on point and targeted at Xu Ba''s guilt and it made him unable to walk away. "So why are you going back this time round? To get your household register record?" Qiao Mei asked curiously. "That''s right," Cai Ming said. "There''s no need to go through so much trouble. You might get beaten up after you go back and might even get locked up by that family. What if they make use of you to threaten Uncle Xu for money? I can get someone to transfer your household register over to Uncle Xu''s household register," Qiao Mei said. "Thank you! Thank you so much!" Xu Ba said excitedly. He did not have the clout to do something like that. Qiao Mei was being very kind if she was willing to help him to this extent. Could it be that Qiao Mei really wanted him to be with Li Gui? "I''ll get someone to make the necessary arrangements. Uncle Xu, don''t worry and go back to work," Qiao Mei said. "Sure, sure, sure!" Xu Ba smiled so widely that the corners of his mouth almost reached his ears! "You''re definitely not so kind-hearted! Who knows how you''ll torture us when the time comes! We don''t believe what you say!" Xu Jin said furiously while pointing at Qiao Mei. Chapter 2373: Set Up the Household Register Chapter 2373: Set Up the Household Register Editor: Atlas Studios Shut up! Xu Ba said angrily. If Qiao Mei said she would do something, it would definitely be done. She would not joke about such things. Im your biological daughter! Father! Xu Jin roared back angrily. For so many days, she had never addressed Xu Ba as Father. Now, she called him Father so as to make him feel guilty. The word biological seemed to bind Xu Ba like shackles. He looked at Xu Jin, momentarily lost for words. Qiao Mei looked at Cai Ming and Xu Jin appreciatively. These two women were both quite smart. Xu Jin had definitely inherited Cai Mings intelligence.@@@@ Dont worry, I always keep my word. If it cant be done for whatever reason, Uncle Xu can always come back to do it himself. Im fairly well-known in the capital and I wont damage my own reputation over something like a household register. I dont do things that dont give me any returns, Qiao Mei said. There was a loud announcement about the trains departing in 10 minutes time and that passengers whose tickets were not checked yet should get it done quickly or they would run out of time. Xu Ba picked up Li Guis luggage and was about to walk into the train station when he suddenly thought of something and hurriedly ran over to Qiao Mei. I had wanted to make the arrangements for their accommodation before leaving, but now... Xu Ba looked at Li Gui and her children in the distance and said pleadingly to Qiao Mei, Can you help me one more time? Xu Ba had thought that Qiao Mei would reject him and did not expect Qiao Mei to agree readily. She said mildly, No problem. Im pregnant... The pregnancy isnt even stable yet! You had obviously wanted to hit me and my husband pushed you away to protect me. How can you hit me when you know that Im pregnant! Qiao Mei said weakly. The people in the crowd who had wanted to stand up for the mother-and-daughter duo immediately turned around to condemn them now. Everyone felt that it was their fault instead. But you just said that you wanted to harm us! Xu Jin said. I was just joking with you. How can I really do something like that! Cant you even take a joke? Youre bullies! You actually want to kill me and my baby! Qiao Mei said as she held her stomach and pretended to look frightened. Who knows that youre pregnant when youre not even showing yet. We still dont know if its true! Cai Ming said. Qiao Mei did not want to waste any more time with them. She looked at Cai Ming and her daughter and whispered, We can go and get the register done now. Do you want to come with me or not? Well go! Cai Ming immediately said. Qiao Mei looked at the jeep parked in the distance and suddenly felt some heartache. She felt upset at the thought of the mother-and-daughter duo sitting in her car. She decided to get Da Zhuang to wash the jeep thoroughly later. Cai Ming and her daughter were quite lacking in experience. They had only ever taken a bus before. As for such a nice car, they had only ever seen it on the road and never sat in one before. Therefore, the moment the two of them entered the car, they started to touch everything in front of them. Dont touch anything! If anything goes missing, its all on you! Qiao Mei said sulkily. Chapter 2374: Idea for a New Factory Chapter 2374: Idea for a New Factory ? "As if we have any interest!" Xu Jin said in a fit of pique. Qiao Mei ignored them. It was the weekend now and they could only set up the household register on Monday. Qiao Mei looked at Cai Ming and asked, "Where do the two of you want to stay, compound complex or apartment?" "Apartment, of course!" Cai Ming said excitedly. Cai Ming did not know what a compound complex was, but between the two, the apartment sounded like a better choice. She intended to make Qiao Mei pay the rent for them. She patted her chest instinctively. That was where she kept the 300 dollars which Xu Ba had given her before he left. She was setting it aside for emergencies and would not use the money frivolously. Qiao Mei gave Xia Zhe a look and he immediately understood what she meant. The two of them sent the mother-and-daughter duo to Old Madam Xu''s neighborhood. Qiao Mei deliberately wanted to rent an apartment for them in this area and she even found one in the same block as Old Madam Xu. She would have preferred to get an apartment on the same side and the same floor, but there was none available. Otherwise, Qiao Mei would definitely let the mother-and-daughter duo occupy the unit next to or opposite Old Madam Xu. Xu Tian and Xu Ba had bought Old Madam Xu''s current house for her at a much later date, so Cai Ming did not know this place at all. "This is a really nice place but we don''t have any money," Cai Ming said. Xia Zhe immediately pulled over and looked at Qiao Mei, feeling pleasantly surprised. "When did you find out? Is this for real?" Qiao Mei only knew about the existence of this baby because she had activated her ability by chance one day. Otherwise, she would only know at around the two-month mark like most women. It was an accidental discovery. "I think I just became pregnant and I haven''t gone to the hospital yet. It''s not definitive yet. I originally wanted to wait for three months before telling all of you, but the situation was urgent just now, so I had no choice but to say it," Qiao Mei said resignedly. Xia Zhe reached out and touched Qiao Mei''s stomach. It was hard for him to imagine that he was going to have a fourth child. They had only been married for a few years but Qiao Mei had been giving birth at close intervals and her health must have been affected. He wondered if giving birth to this child would make her weaker. Qiao Mei seemed to sense Xia Zhe''s worry. She smiled and comforted him, saying, "Don''t worry, we have ginseng juice at home. It''ll be fine." As she thought about it, Qiao Mei sighed. It seemed that she would need to open another factory to specialize in the production and development of condoms. During this era, the government had just started to implement the family planning policy as they wanted the people to raise healthier and better educated children. Each family was only allowed to have one child. Those people who had more children would have to pay a fine! In this era, condoms were not very effective. The ones available in the market were not well made nor easy to use. That said, Qiao Mei was very happy to have four children of her own. "Let''s go home and tell our parents the news!" Xia Zhe said happily. "There''s no hurry." Qiao Mei put her hand on Xia Zhe''s hand and continued, "The pregnancy is not stable yet. Let''s wait a little longer. We should get Aunt to take a look first." "Alright, whatever you say. Don''t do anything during this period of time. Just stay at home and take care of yourself. Ask Sister Feng to make more nutritious food for you," Xia Zhe said as he drove off. Along the way, Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe discussed the issue of the child''s name. Xia Mao had always been unhappy that he had not been asked to name any of Xia Zhe''s children. The couple decided to let Xia Mao come up with the name of this child. Chapter 2375: Temporary City Household Register Chapter 2375: Temporary City Household Register ? "Of course! This can be considered one of my pleasures in life!" Qiao Mei said happily. Qiao Mei and Qian''e chatted happily, but Da Zhuang and Xiao Zhuang were not so happy. The two of them were stuck at Cai Ming''s house and unable to leave. "You must be lying to me! This isn''t a household register in the capital at all!" Cai Ming held up the documents and roared. "Back then, Boss Qiao did not agree to get you a household register in the capital. She said she would find a way to give you a city household register," Da Zhuang said expressionlessly. "This is a scam! I''m going to tell Xu Ba about this!" Cai Ming said. Da Zhuang continued indifferently, "Sure, that depends on whether Mr. Xu is willing to listen to you." "At least Boss Qiao has gotten you a city household register. With our Boss Qiao''s ability, she can arrange it such that you won''t be able to enter the city for the rest of your lives and you will never be able to get a city household register," Xiao Zhuang said with a smile. Qiao Mei did not intend to give them a city household register so easily anyway. Although the word "city" was stated in their documents, they were still considered countryside residents and could not get the same amount of monthly supplies as the city residents. Depending on the policies of each city, the city residents would get a small amount of subsidies for food each month. "No! Two women have moved in recently and they keep yelling murderously every day. Sometimes, they even wail and howl in the middle of the night! Haven''t you heard the noise?" Old Madam Wang asked. Old Madam Xu''s family had been running around recently because of the issues related to Xu Ba and Li Gui. Every day, they were so tired when they reached home that they fell asleep immediately. They slept very soundly and did not hear any strange sounds at all. "Have you seen them before? What do they look like?" Old Madam Xu asked curiously. "Tall and skinny and dressed very simply. They don''t look like city dwellers. They''ve most likely come from the countryside to seek refuge with their relatives," Old Madam Wang analyzed. Just as she finished speaking, Cai Ming''s yells could be heard down the corridor again. As Old Madam Xu listened carefully, the more she felt that this voice was very familiar. She must have heard it before. After briefly understanding the situation downstairs, Old Madam Xu went home. Before she left, she even instructed these people to find out more about that family. "You! You have nothing to do at home all day! Go and find out more about the new family that moved in!" Old Madam Xu said, pointing at Liu Xiao when she got home. "Alright, I will," Liu Xiao replied. Xu Tian did not even allow her to go out now. Both her and Xu Chun had their movements restricted. Xu Tian was concerned that they would see or hear things when they went out, or that they would do something to delay the wedding plans for Xu Ba and Li Gui. He wanted Liu Xiao to stay at home to keep an eye on Xu Chun. Liu Xiao had always been a busybody, but now that there were so many issues in her own family, she was not in the mood to find out about other people''s family affairs. Even if she wanted to find out more, who would want to chat with her? The people in this neighborhood avoided her like the plague and did not want anything to do with the Xu family. Chapter 2376 Medical Examination 2376 Medical Examination Liu Xiao stood downstairs and did some stretches. The fresh air outside made her feel refreshed. It was so boring in the house and she found it difficult to even breathe every day. Sometimes, she even felt as if she was suffocating. Xu Tian had not returned home during this period of time, so she had not been beaten up for a long time. This should be a joyous thing but it made her feel afraid because this meant that Xu Tian was very likely to be with another woman and her marriage with Xu Tian was in danger! Liu Xiao sat outside for a long time and it was already night time when she decided to go home. The moment she entered the neighborhood, she bumped into Cai Ming and her daughter. Liu Xiao looked at them in surprise. She knew everything that happened back then, but at that time, she did not show her face as she hid inside her room. Therefore, Cai Ming did not know what she was. Liu Xiao definitely did not expect Old Madam Xu''s enemy to be living in the same neighborhood as her! They had become neighbors! How could she miss out on such good news! She went around to ask for more news as she wanted to go all out and annoy Old Madam Xu! Early the next morning, Qiao Mei received a call from Li Gui. Cai Ming had called up Xu Ba and complained for a long time. Apparently, if they did not get a real household register in the capital, they would keep pestering Xu Ba. "Don''t tell me they won''t look for Uncle Xu after they get a household register in the capital? As long as they''re still alive, they won''t let the matter rest. This is Uncle Xu''s private matter to begin with, so why is it our family who has to clean up the mess? Mom, let''s not interfere in this matter. You have to live well and don''t let these people affect your mood. If there''s really no other way... I''ll send you overseas for a holiday," Qiao Mei said. "It''s not that serious. I''ll be fine. Don''t worry." Li Gui hung up the phone after saying that. Qian''e looked at Qiao Mei and asked, "Then what do you plan to do now? Do you want me to get someone to teach them a lesson?" "There''s no need. It''s not as if my mother really needs Xu Ba. There are other nice men out there. It will be a good thing if Uncle Xu decides to leave my mother for Cai Ming. Then my mother won''t have to suffer in the future," Qiao Mei said. @@@@ Qiao Mei even wondered about whether she would be invited to the wedding banquet if Xu Ba and Cai Ming held one. If that day really came, she would definitely prepare a big gift for all the Xu family members. In the blink of an eye, she had already graduated for a while. She did not expect time to pass so quickly. Many things seemed to have happened only yesterday. Xia Zhe took a shortcut and they arrived at the hospital very quickly. Xia Fang had already prepared everything. The moment Qiao Mei entered the hospital, she was sent for a checkup and there was no need for her to queue at all. "Let''s make a guess if it''s a boy or a girl!" Xia He said excitedly. "I guess... that it''s a boy!" Xu Lan said firmly. "I feel that it''s a girl. Qiao Mei''s current state looks the same as when I was pregnant with Xia Mo," Xia Wan said after some thought. "I think that it''s a girl too!" Xia He said. Everyone was engaged in a heated discussion except for Xia Zhe. Xu Lan looked at Xia Zhe and asked, "Xiao Zhe, do you want it to be a boy or a girl?" Xia Zhe smiled and said, "Either is fine. I''m good either way." "That''s not an answer!" Xia He pouted and said. The three women made a bet using a set of pink pearl jewelry as stake. Everyone looked forward to the outcome. Chapter 2377 Youngest Aunt Is Back 2377 Youngest Aunt Is Back Xia Fang and Qiao Mei walked over to everyone with the medical report. Everyone held their breaths in anticipation. "It''s a boy," Xia Fang said. Xu Lan clapped happily and said, "Good, good, good! I win! It''s a boy! It''s my grandson!" Xia He and Xia Wan were a little disappointed. Those tiny dresses which they had prepared were all wasted. It seemed that they had to go shopping for some new clothes for the baby! "What about Qiao Mei''s health?" Xu Lan asked. "Not too bad. There''s nothing wrong with her health. She just needs to replenish her essence and vitality and not to get too tired. We also need to make sure her emotions don''t fluctuate too much," Xia Fang said. These were the same things that were highlighted in the past. Qiao Mei had always been in good health, but her essence and vitality were low after giving birth continuously for the past few years. She needed to rest well. Xia He looked at Xia Wan and asked, "Elder Cousin, why don''t you let Aunt take a look at you too? Is your baby doing well?" Xia Wan blushed and said, "I''ve already done it... Aunt said that I''m having a daughter. The baby and I are both very healthy." The moment the Gao family members heard that Xia Wan was pregnant, they immediately took a flight to the capital. Once Gao Lin got off the plane, he went to look for Xia Jun to talk about the wedding arrangements. It was enough to show how much the Gao family valued Xia Wan. Xu Lan could tell that the Gao family was hoping that Xia Wan was expecting a boy. After all, the Gao family only had one son, Gao Long. If there was no boy in the next generation, there would be the end of the Gao family''s lineage. Xia Jun also missed the children. Now that he had more and more great-grandchildren, it was time for him to take on less responsibility and enjoy life. He nodded and said, "Alright, we''ll do as you say." Qiao Qiang did not want to throw a big party for his birthday. He was a person who liked peace and quiet, so Qiao Mei only intended to invite a few of Qiao Qiang''s good friends over for a simple meal. After all, Qiao Qiang did not have any relatives or friends in the capital. On the day of Qiao Qiang''s birthday, an uninvited guest turned up. "I sure don''t expect to see a banquet here. Looks like I have come at the right time," said a woman standing outside the door. The woman was dressed very fashionably. Her red lips and wavy hair coupled with her curvaceous figure attracted everyone''s attention. For a moment, no one could remember who she was. Xu Lan was the first one to stand up and said, "Xu Jiao! Why are you back!" "Don''t call me by that name! It''s so tacky! I''ve changed my name already. My name is Xu Li!" Xu Li said agitatedly as she took off her sunglasses. Qiao Mei curled her lips discreetly and thought to herself, "Is there anything different about these two names? There''s no difference." "Who is this person? Why haven''t I heard any of you mention her before?" Qiao Mei asked softly. "She''s my mother''s biological younger sister. Going by family hierarchy, we should address her as our youngest aunt," Xia Zhe said. "Where does she live?" Qiao Mei asked again. "I don''t know. She travels around and we are never able to contact her," Xia Zhe said. Chapter 2378 Supplements and Tonics 2378 Supplements and Tonics Xu Li rarely came back, so it made Qiao Qiang''s birthday livelier this year. In the evening, a box was delivered to the door and the deliveryman said that Madam Xu Li had requested for it to be sent here. "Mine! It''s mine! It''s the gift I bought for the Old Master!" Xu Li called out for the deliveryman to carry the box into the house. When the box was opened, everyone present was shocked. There were very expensive supplements and tonics inside the box. Some of the items were almost priceless and were even more precious than Qiao Mei''s ginseng! "These are all treasures I''ve asked for over the past two years. There are three sets of everything. One set for my parents, one set for Old Master Xia and one set for Old Master Qiao," Xu Li said. If Qiao Mei guessed correctly, Xu Li had originally intended to keep the third set for herself. However, since she had found herself at the party today, she decided to offer the set to Qiao Qiang as a gift. "It''s fine. My grandfather is in good health and I also have ginseng at home for him. These things are really too valuable and we can''t accept them," Qiao Mei said. @@@@ "This is a token from me. It''s different from what you have. Please accept it. I still have a lot of stuff at home!" Xu Li said. Before Qiao Mei could reject the gesture again, Xu Lan patted Qiao Mei''s hand and said, "Take it. Xu Li has become very rich during the past two years. If you keep rejecting her, she will be angry with you." In the beginning, Xu Li''s husband treated her well and the two of them were extremely blissful. A few years later, the man started gambling and lost a lot of money. At one point, the family only had about 10 dollars left. During the winter, Xu Li still had to go out to work even when she was pregnant. At that time, it cost 100 dollars to deliver a child at the hospital. She started hiding some money behind the cabinet, saving one dollar today and five dollars tomorrow and the like. Just like that, she saved up her money over six months. When she estimated that she should have about 80 dollars, she wanted to do a count. However, when she shifted the cabinet, she was completely dumbfounded. There was not even a single cent behind the cabinet. Her husband had taken the money and used it to gamble. Xu Li totally gave up on him. She wanted a divorce and he agreed readily. After all, he would save a lot of money if he did not have to support a newborn baby. The man also had had enough of Xu Li. Xu Lan had allowed Xu Li to stay at her house. At that time, the Xia family''s fortunes were already on the rise and the eldest branch was doing quite well. When her child was two years old, Xu Li did not want to stay here any longer. She brought the child with her to the south to develop her career and did not return for more than 10 years. The next time Xia Wen saw Xu Li was when he was 15 years old. At that time, Xia He was six years old and Xia Zhe was not born yet. Xia He had already gone to Xia Xiu''s place for training and did not meet Xu Li. "I only remember that she came back with a lot of delicious food that time. I don''t know how she made her money, but our cousin is quite nice and he looks just like our youngest aunt," Xia Wen recalled. "What happened after that? Why did our youngest aunt leave again?" Xia He asked. "When that man found out that our youngest aunt was back, he asked her for custody of our cousin. That man had been beaten up badly because he couldn''t afford to pay up the money he lost in gambling and he became infertile from then on. Our cousin is the only child he can ever have in this life," Xia Wen said. Chapter 2379 Returning Home 2379 Returning Home "So what happened to our cousin! Did our youngest aunt really give him up? Why didn''t our cousin come back with her this time?" Xia He piped up. "Don''t worry, our youngest aunt is not that kind of person. Our cousin is definitely still living with her. Our youngest aunt has become rich now and it looks like she''s returning home in glory," Xia Wen said. Qiao Mei had this feeling that there was something missing, but she could not put her finger on it. After all, none of them knew what Xu Li had experienced out there. Xia He suddenly thought of something. She looked at Qiao Mei and said, "By the way, Cousin Xia Wan says that she wants to give birth here and also wants to bring Xia Mo back here to study. She doesn''t want her family to be separated." "Then does my uncle agree?" Qiao Mei asked. "Yes he does. Grandfather says that the Gao family will let the overseas businesses be managed by appointed professionals. They just need to go there occasionally to check on the accounts. Most of their businesses have already been moved back here to the country," Xia He said, repeating what she knew. Qiao Mei nodded. This could be considered a good thing. Liu Fen did not have to worry about Xia Wan and Xia Mo anymore. The only thing was that when Xia Mo returned and saw Xia Wan''s pregnant belly... no one could anticipate if she could accept it. The next day, Gao Long came to look for Qiao Mei to discuss the matter of buying a house. He knew that Qiao Mei was an expert in this field. However, his intention was not to buy a house from an agent, but from Qiao Mei. "Uncle, you''re trying to take advantage of me. All my houses have been renovated and I''m only renting them out, not selling them," Qiao Mei said. @@@@ At night, Xia Wan came to Xia Mo''s room. She sat at the edge of the bed and asked Xia Mo, "Mo Mo, do you really like Uncle Gao Long very much?" "Yes, I do. I know about your relationship and I also know what''s going on. I have no objections," Xia Mo said earnestly. "I... I''m pregnant with your Uncle Gao Long''s child now... I''m so sorry..." Xia Wan said fearfully. She closed her eyes nervously, afraid that Xia Mo would say something that would make her feel hurt. Unexpectedly, Xia Mo reacted very happily to the news. She reached out to touch Xia Wan''s stomach and said, "Uncle Gao Long has already told me. I''m very fond of this little sister. I hope she can arrive quickly. I''m glad to have a sibling now." "You don''t object to it?" Xia Wan asked in surprise. "At first, I was a little against it, but Uncle Gao Long said that from now on, the most important person in the family will always be me and most of the family''s assets would be given to me. Although I don''t know what "assets" means, I can feel that Uncle Gao Long cares a lot about me," Xia Mo said. When Xia Wan heard this, she hugged Xia Mo tightly. She did not expect her to be so blessed to have a husband and a daughter who understood her and loved her so much. "Mom, don''t worry. Uncle Gao Long and I will always love you. Besides, Grandmother also says that I have Uncle Gao Long and my younger sister to love me now. Why should I be sad?" Xia Mo said. Xia Wan hugged Xia Mo and talked to her for a long time. The mother-and-daughter duo had a long heart-to-heart talk. As Gao Long was busy transferring his businesses back to the country, they did not intend to hold their wedding now. They would register their marriage first and hold the wedding banquet after the child was born. Chapter 2380 Female Lead Chapter 2380 Female Lead Early in the morning, Xia He brought Qiao Mei to the art troupe for an outing. Xu Lan had already brought Xu Li to the art troupe for an audition! Even though Xu Lan had already retired, she would still return to the art troupe from time to time to perform. She was someone who could not stay idle and always needed to find something to do. There was a good script recently, but the director was very picky. He had already auditioned everyone in the art troupe, but there were still many roles which were not filled. Xu Lan thought that she would get Xu Li to try. Anyway, Xu Li had nothing to do. "Oh! Who is this girl!" the director asked as he pointed at Qiao Mei, who had just entered the room. "My third son''s wife," Xu Lan said proudly. The director quickly flipped through the script and said, "I have a role for a beautiful girl here. She''s perfect for the role!" "No, no! My daughter-in-law is pregnant and she can''t act! What if she gets too tired!" Xu Lan immediately rejected the director. "Oh well! I can get a doctor to keep an eye on her 24 hours a day when she is in the art troupe! I can even get her a helper! With her looks! This play will definitely have explosive viewership ratings!" the director said excitedly. "No means no! Our family doesn''t lack money and I have helpers waiting on my daughter-in-law. My daughter and I both know how tiring acting is. There''s no room for discussion on this matter. Absolutely not!" Xu Lan said. "Your children are all grown up and you have to respect their wishes! You can''t decide for them!" the director said. Qiao Mei roughly understood what the two of them were arguing about. She looked at the director and said gently, "I''m sorry, Director. I''m just here to visit my mother-in-law and youngest aunt. I''m not interested in acting. Furthermore, I''m not in good health and I really can''t act." She did not want to get involved in such high-profile work either. It would be so inconvenient to be surrounded by people on the streets. Xia Zhe was a jealous man and he would definitely be so jealous every day! "Sigh... what a pity..." the director said regretfully. Xia He hurriedly went forward and patted the director''s shoulder, saying jokingly, "I''m only taking a break and I have not retired yet. Why haven''t you asked me to audition? Do you think I''m not good enough and you look down on me!" "I''ve already reserved a role for you. I''m just waiting for you to come!" the director said as he patted the script in his hand. "That''s more like it. Is it the role of the female lead?" Xia He asked curiously. It was not too weird for Xia He to ask this question. Ever since she debuted, Xia He had always been the female lead and she was also the principal performer of the art troupe. However, no one spoke all of a sudden and the atmosphere became very awkward. Xu Lan gave Xia He a look and only then did Xia He catch sight of a thin and small girl standing behind the director. The girl was not considered beautiful, but her features were delicate and she was pretty enough. Her figure was the type which was made for dancing and she was the type of protagonist that the director liked. Her clothes were a little tattered and her shoes were patched up. Additionally, her skin was very pale, as if she had been malnourished for a long time. However, the girl''s eyes were filled with determination and a desire to pursue art. "The role of this female lead is not suitable for you. I''ve already asked her to take the role. This is a kid I''ve worked with before. Her name is Sun Yuan," the director said. "Hello, I''m Sun Yuan. I''ve heard of Senior Xia He for a long time and I admire you very much," Sun Yuan said politely. "You flatter me by calling me your senior. Our family and the director are old acquaintances. I''m a little older than you, so you can just address me as Elder Sister. There''s no need to be so polite," Xia He said. Everyone exchanged pleasantries and the director invited everyone to go for a meal. Qiao Mei immediately said, "We have food at home. Why don''t all of you come over for a meal?" "Sure! Ever since I tasted Qiao Mei''s cooking, I can''t eat anything served outside! If this continues, I''ll stay in the capital forever!" Xu Li said as she patted her stomach. "Of course you can. Aunt, you can eat here for as long as you want," Qiao Mei said. Sun Yuan was secretly delighted. Her original intention was just to get to know the Xia family members, but she did not expect to have the chance to go to the Xia family''s house for a meal today! If word got out, she would be able to say that she was quite close to the Xia family! Unexpectedly, the director did not seem to understand what Sun Yuan was thinking. He shook his head and said, "My wife has already cooked today and is waiting for me to go back for dinner. Let''s get together again another day!" "It''s a date then! You must come to my house for dinner!" After saying that, Xu Lan left with the others. The director turned around and glared at Sun Yuan as he said, "Don''t think that I don''t know what you''re up to. That''s the Xia family! I''ve been friends with the Xia family for my entire life. Even so, I don''t dare to take advantage of them. Stop daydreaming! The most important thing is to focus on your acting career!" Chapter 2381 The Zhou Family Is Displeased Chapter 2381 The Zhou Family Is Displeased "I understand..." Sun Yuan said. The next day, Qiao Mei and Xia He went to Xu Lan''s house. They had nothing much to do lately and Qiao Mei was very curious about Xu Li''s identity. She wanted to understand Xu Li better. Unexpectedly, Xu Lan''s house was packed with people today. There were screenwriters, directors and actors who were familiar with Xu Lan. Xia He also knew many of the actors there. "Oh, everyone is here," Xia He said in surprise. "The cast list has finally been decided. Since it''s a joyous occasion, they''ve come over for a meal. Sit down, I''ll go and cook." After saying that, Xu Lan got up and went to the kitchen. Qiao Mei immediately put down her bag and said, "I''ll go. I''ll cook today." "How can that do! You''re pregnant! You can''t tire yourself out! We can do it ourselves! When we travel around for the filming, we will cook for ourselves! I''ll let you have a taste of our culinary skills!" the director said. Sun Yuan quickly stood up and said, "I know how to cook! Let me do it!" With that, she walked towards the kitchen. A few other people who were good cooks also followed closely behind her. All of a sudden, the living room emptied out. Only then did Qiao Mei realize that Xia Wen was sitting among the crowd just now. She did not notice him as there were too many people. "Why are you here? I thought you''ve been very busy recently?" Qiao Mei asked in surprise. "I took leave today. I just finished work and it''s getting too tiring to work overtime. I have come home to let my mother comfort me and cook nice food for me," Xia Wen said as he pretended to be pitiful. "Stop putting on an act! Why aren''t you going home to look for Sister-in-law! You must be here to look for our mother because of some issues!" Xia He said as she raised her eyebrows. "Indeed. I just came from the Zhou family''s house," Xia Wen said. Xia He asked confusedly, "Zhou family? Which Zhou family?" "The family of Xia Yuan''s fiance?e. Second Uncle and Second Aunt-in-law don''t know how to deal with such a matter, so they ask me to go to the Zhou family''s house to talk to them. My presence can be considered to be the Xia family expressing our stance, but in the end... Sigh... I guess you can say it went quite smoothly," Xia Wen said helplessly. "Did you run into some difficulties? Did the Zhou family make some excessive demands?" Qiao Mei asked. "You can say that. They want a betrothal gift of 10,000 dollars," Xia Wen said. Before Qiao Mei and Xia He could react, Xu Li stood up from the sofa and said, "How much? 10,000! Why doesn''t the Zhou family just go and rob the bank! Some people can get married with just 100 dollars." "I still have to discuss this matter with Second Uncle and Second Aunt-in-law. After all, it''s not our eldest branch''s issue and I can''t make the decision for them," Xia Wen said. Xia Wen had taken on this task quite unwillingly. If not for the fact that the second branch of the family had always been nice to the eldest branch, he would not have been willing to get involved in this mess. It seemed that the Zhou family were troublemakers! Inside the kitchen, Sun Yuan could hear everything that was said in the living room just now. She had always wanted to marry into the Xia family. Earlier today, when she heard that all the men in the Xia family were already married, she felt very down. She had thought that she had missed out already, but she did not expect that there was still a son of the Xia family''s second branch who was not married yet! So what if he had a fiance?e! They were facing some issues now, were they not? As long as they were not married yet, she still had a chance! She did not believe that Xia Yuan''s fiance?e could be prettier than her! Qiao Mei wanted to help out, but Xia Wen said no. Although her three children were not in school yet, the Xia family was already nurturing them quietly. The children were so busy every day that Qiao Mei did not even have a chance to see them. They had physical fitness lessons from Monday to Wednesday and cultural lessons on Thursday and Friday. During the weekends, they would occasionally meet Qian''e at her house to learn how to play the piano. In the eyes of outsiders, it was a tiring schedule, but the children were all very happy and even took the initiative to ask for more lessons. Qiao Mei was relieved to know that. After all, children from rich families must pick up more skills. "If there''s any interesting news, you must come back and tell me!" Qiao Mei looked at Xia Wen and reminded him. "With Yao Nian helping you, do you still need to be afraid of missing out on anything?" Xia Wen asked. "That''s different. Yao Nian can only find out the gist, but he won''t know the exact details," Qiao Mei said. Fine, fine, fine. Whatever you say. I''ll definitely come back and tell you!" Xia Wen said dotingly. The director had a clear understanding of the current power status in the Xia family. Currently, the person in charge of the Xia family was still Xia Wen, but the person the family doted on the most was Qiao Mei, an "outsider"! He did not expect the rumors outside to be true, that the entire Xia family doted on the eldest branch''s third daughter-in-law. He had heard that this third daughter-in-law had even saved Xia Mao''s life at some point in time. It made sense for the Xia family to treasure her like this. It looked like it would be better to go to Qiao Mei when he needed help from the Xia family in the future. The director decided to build a good relationship with Qiao Mei! "Mei Mei, come here. I have a first-meeting gift for you." Xu Li gestured for Qiao Mei to sit down. Qiao Mei sat down obediently beside Xu Li, looking like an elegant ragdoll cat. Chapter 2382 Imperial Green Jade Bangle Chapter 2382 Imperial Green Jade Bangle Xu Li took off the imperial green jade bangle that she was wearing. Qiao Mei could tell that this bangle was the type that could even be kept as a family heirloom! "This item is really too valuable! I can''t accept it!" Qiao Mei exclaimed. "Take it!" Xu Li looked around at everyone and said, "All you youngsters don''t feel too jealous. I''ve prepared gifts for everyone and I''ve already made arrangements for the gifts to be sent to your respective homes." "Thank you, Aunt~" Xia He said happily. Qiao Mei raised her arm to try to remove the bangle, but for some reason, the bangle seemed to be stuck and she could not move it no matter how hard she tried. She could even feel that the bangle was absorbing her energy, but not in a malicious way. Instead, it seemed like some kind of... purification process? Or did it already see her as its owner? She could not understand the situation for now. "I really can''t accept it. It''s a loss for you to give me such a valuable bangle. It definitely looks better on you!" Qiao Mei said. "I have more! Just take it. If you continue to reject me, I won''t meet with you again!" Xu Li said in a serious manner. Qiao Mei stroked the bangle and said with a smile, "In that case, thank you, Aunt." In fact, Qiao Mei did not want to return the bangle at all. She was just putting on an act because she did not want Xu Li or any outsiders to think that she was a greedy person. This bangle was of really good quality and color. It was something that even the auction houses would be willing to take in! When Sun Yuan witnessed this scene from inside the kitchen, she turned to the director and whispered, "Is the Xia family so rich? They can even give away such a nice bangle so casually." "Sigh... The most authoritative person in the Xia family is the woman sitting in the middle. Her name is Qiao Mei and she''s the top scorer of the first college entrance examination! No one here can match up to her and I hear that she even studied overseas. This woman owns businesses both domestically and overseas and she even saved the life of the head of the Xia family! Everyone in the Xia family dotes on her like she''s a precious treasure. Never step on her toes!" the director warned. "Shh! Good grief! Keep your voice down! Is the Xia family an entity that we can discuss so casually?" the director said fearfully. "The soundproofing in this house is done up very well and they can''t hear us. You''re my biological uncle! Do you have to hide such information from me?" Sun Yuan asked aggrievedly. "Sigh... The most authoritative person in the Xia family is the woman sitting in the middle. Her name is Qiao Mei and she''s the top scorer of the first college entrance examination! No one here can match up to her and I hear that she even studied overseas. This woman owns businesses both domestically and overseas and she even saved the life of the head of the Xia family! Everyone in the Xia family dotes on her like she''s a precious treasure. Never step on her toes!" the director warned. "You make her sound so capable. She has done so well only because she latches onto the Xia family and makes use of their influence. If I''m in her position... I can do it too..." Sun Yuan said indignantly. "Shut up! Are you sick of living! Just go and cook!" The director lowered his voice and roared at her. Qiao Mei had very good hearing, so she could hear what Sun Yuan said inside the kitchen. Qiao Mei already knew Sun Yuan was an ambitious person the moment she saw Sun Yuan. Qiao Mei did not hate ambitious people. She just hated people who thought too highly of themselves. The meal was ready soon and everyone sat down to eat together. Sun Yuan''s culinary skills could only be said to be average and there was nothing outstanding about the food. The Xia family was used to eating delicacies since Qiao Mei was a very good cook, so they all felt that the meal today was especially unpalatable. "I apologize, but there''s only so much I can do..." Sun Yuan said softly. "It''s fine. The food is very nice," Qiao Mei said with a smile. After the meal, everyone gathered together to chitchat. Qiao Mei and Xia He went to the backyard and Sun Yuan followed them quietly. "So you''re here, elder sisters. I finally managed to find you!" Sun Yuan said warmly. "You need something from us?" Xia He asked. "No, nothing. I just feel that both of you have very nice personalities and I really want to get to know you better," Sun Yuan said confidently. Xia He looked at Sun Yuan in shock. Her first impression of Sun Yuan was that of a little rabbit. Why was Sun Yuan so aggressive now? Now... Sun Yuan reminded her of Wang Tian. "I know what you want and I can give it to you," Qiao Mei said suddenly as she looked at Sun Yuan. Both Sun Yuan and Xia He were shocked to hear this. Sun Yuan covered her face and chuckled as she said, "Elder sister, you must be joking! I just want to get to know you better, I''m not trying to get anything from you." "There''s no one else here, so you don''t have to beat around the bush with me. You must want to marry into the Xia family. Any member of the Xia family will do, right?" Qiao Mei asked. "Yes... How do you know though?" Sun Yuan looked at Qiao Mei with a cold expression. She did not expect Qiao Mei to ask her so directly. "The Zhou family is being very ungrateful. I don''t think Elder Brother and my younger cousin can accept such behavior from the Zhou family. I can give you a chance to hang around my younger cousin, but whether he falls for you or not will depend on how capable you are," Qiao Mei said. "But... but doesn''t your Xia family advocate true love? Why are you scheming against your younger cousin like this?" Sun Yuan asked in disbelief. Chapter 2383 Give You a Chance Chapter 2383 Give You a Chance "Our family indeed advocates true love, but we also want our family member''s partner to be a good person. Like I said, I''m just giving you a chance to get close to him. However, whether Xia Yuan will fall for you and be willing to marry you depends on how capable you are," Qiao Mei said. Sun Yuan turned to look at Xia He and asked, "She''s Xia Yuan''s cousin-in-law but you are related to Xia Yuan by blood. Do you agree with this approach?" Xia He shrugged and said indifferently, "Qiao Mei is the one in charge in our family. Anyway, I don''t dislike you. It seems that Qiao Mei doesn''t dislike you either. We''re just giving you a chance. It''s not a big deal." More importantly, both Qiao Mei and Xia He trusted Xia Yuan''s judgment. Xia Yuan would not just get married to anyone because he felt disheartened, nor would he simply take the suggestions of anyone in the family. "Alright... I''ll give it a shot! Thank you," Sun Yuan said firmly. "You should be thanking yourself. Your capability must match up to your ambition. Only then will I think well of you. Good luck." Qiao Mei stood up and patted Sun Yuan on the shoulder before walking off. Xia He followed closely behind. It was only after the two of them had gone far before Xia He finally dared to ask Qiao Mei why she said what she said just now. To her, Qiao Mei was not such a busybody. "I''ve checked on the Zhou family. The Zhou family members are corrupt and have taken bribes, so our grandfather will never agree to the relationship. Zhou Xi definitely would not be able to marry Xia Yuan. Besides, I think this Sun Yuan... is not too bad a person. She''s just not so lucky in life," Qiao Mei said, seemingly deep in thought. Sun Yuan reminded her of someone and that was the old her. After she met Sun Yuan for the first time, she had already asked Yao Nian to look into Sun Yuan''s background. It turned out that the girl was quite pitiful. Her parents already had four daughters, yet her mother was still having more children because her father really wanted a son. Sun Yuan was the third child. She was good at her studies and had her own ambitions in life, but her father only wanted her to get married quickly. It was the same situation which Qiao Mei had found herself in back then. Qiao Zhuang had treated her the same way. She wanted to help Sun Yuan. If Sun Yuan was really capable, she would catch Xia Yuan''s eye and get a chance to move up in life. If not... then Qiao Mei would give her a job at the factory. "You... you are different from when I first met you," Xia He lamented. "Different in what way?" Qiao Mei asked curiously. "I just feel that you''ve become gentler. You used to be so much sharper in nature, but after becoming a mother, you''ve become much gentler. It''s good to see you like this," Xia He said. Qiao Mei stroked her stomach and said, "That''s true. I used to want to have my own career so that other people would admire and respect me. Now, my wish is very simple. I just want my children to grow up healthy and safe." "That''s because your wish in the past has already come true!" Xia He pursed her lips and said. Qiao Mei was stunned for a moment before she smiled and said, "What you say makes sense too." After a few days, as Qiao Mei had expected, the relationship between Xia Yuan and Zhou Xi was completely over. Qiao Mei went ahead to arrange for Sun Yuan to be by Xia Yuan''s side. Seven months later, Sun Yuan succeeded in making Xia Yuan fall in love with her. Qiao Mei''s stomach was growing bigger by the day. She was due to deliver soon. "The weather has turned warm again. Xia Fan and Xia Xing were also born around this time of the year," Qiao Mei said as she looked at the sun outside. "That''s right. The good thing is that I''m by your side this time," Xia Zhe said with some heartache. When it came to their first three children, from when Qiao Mei was pregnant to when she delivered the babies, Xia Zhe was rarely by her side because of his work. This time round, Xia Zhe could finally accompany her all the time! "Have you thought of a name for the baby?" Qiao Mei asked. "No, Father says that he will come up with the name. I''ll call him and ask him now." After saying that, Xia Zhe went to give Xia Mao a call. When he returned, he looked troubled. Qiao Mei could already sense that the name Xia Mao came up with was not a nice one, but the moment Xia Zhe said it out loud, she could not help but laugh. "Father actually said to name the baby... Xia Zhuang and for his nickname to be Puppy. Who would give a child such a name nowadays!" Xia Zhe said unhappily. "It''s indeed difficult to accept..." Qiao Mei said. "It''s better that I think of a name myself," Xia Zhe sighed and said. With the impending family planning policy in place, each family could only have one child. This baby would be the last child that Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe could have. She looked at Xia Zhe and said, "Let my grandfather think of the name." Xia Zhe immediately understood what Qiao Mei meant. He nodded and said, "Alright, we''ll let Grandfather come up with the name." Qiao Qiang pondered about it for three days and finally decided to name the baby "Xia Yang". Everyone felt that this name was quite nice and eagerly waited for the baby to be born. Chapter 2384 Poisonous Plants Chapter 2384 Poisonous Plants As the weather had been quite good recently and Qiao Mei had some free time, she hired some people to rebuild the rooms on the left side of the house. She had two additional floors constructed and also had a big covered balcony built out of glass. All her precious plants were kept in the glass room. Qiao Mei did not allow anyone to enter the room. Each plant that was kept here was worth a lot of money and was priceless. Even Xia Zhe had to discuss it with Qiao Mei before he could enter the glass room. It was not because she was worried that Xia Zhe would damage those expensive plants, but because most of the plants were poisonous and had even developed some form of intelligence. Some of the older plants even saw her as their owner and she was scared that these plants would cause harm to Xia Zhe. Taking the lead from Qiao Mei, Xia Zhe even specially arranged for two guard team members to be rostered to stand guard outside the door on the second floor. Since Qiao Mei had some free time, she led Xia Zhe to the glass room. He watched quietly from the side as she fiddled with the poisonous flowers and plants. At this moment, she was playing with a poisonous grass which grew out in curly tuffs. He recalled she previously told him that she had named this plant "Curly". Although "Curly" looked tiny and cute, if someone touched the furry part of the plant, the person would immediately drop dead from being poisoned. Xia Zhe did not even dare to breathe too loudly, worried that he would scare Qiao Mei if he made any sound. What if Qiao Mei accidentally touched the furry part? "Not bad, not bad. You''re growing very well! It looks like you''re enjoying the sun. Keep it up!" Qiao Mei said happily. "Curly" seemed to respond to Qiao Mei and nodded slightly. Qiao Mei closed the glass lid of the container which "Curly" was kept in. Xia Zhe only dared to speak after confirming that it was safe to do so. "It seems to have grown a lot bigger than when it was first planted," Xia Zhe said. "I think so too. Among all these plants, it''s the only one which can understand what I''m saying," Qiao Mei said. Xia Zhe could not fathom how Qiao Mei could tell if the plants could understand what she was saying, but whatever Qiao Mei said, he believed her. "How big can it grow?" Xia Zhe asked curiously. Qiao Mei pondered for a long time. "Curly" did not seem to have a maximum length. As long as it was given enough energy, "Curly" would be able to keep growing. "You can think of it like an octopus! The longer it lives, the longer its tentacles can grow," Qiao Mei described. "I see," Xia Zhe said as he stared at "Curly". Qiao Mei immediately picked up the container with "Curly" inside and said, "Do you want to touch it? If it recognizes you, then it won''t poison you!" Xia Zhe quickly took three steps back and immediately said, "No!" Qiao Mei held on to "Curly" and looked at Xia Zhe in confusion. She had introduced everything in this glass room to him. There were many poisonous plants that were even more lethal than "Curly". Why did Xia Zhe only have such a big reaction to "Curly"? "Don''t tell me... you have already done something?" Qiao Mei asked as she looked at Xia Zhe suspiciously. "I was just... just curious the other day and touched it lightly," Xia Zhe said sheepishly. "You touched it! Did you deal with the issue properly! When did you touch it! Why didn''t you tell me!" Qiao Mei was so shocked that she quickly put down "Curly" and rushed over to Xia Zhe to take a closer look. Xia Zhe hugged Qiao Mei gently and said, "Don''t be so worried. You''re pregnant now! Don''t let it affect the pregnancy. At that time, I took out the golden ginseng juice and rubbed it on the wound. I''m fine, don''t worry." After Qiao Mei confirmed that Xia Zhe was fine, she grinned at him and asked, "So... how do you feel? Does it hurt? Is it itchy? Did you have a fever?" Xia Zhe thought that Qiao Mei was treating him as an experimental subject, so he answered her seriously, "I don''t feel anything, but I feel cold all over occasionally." "All of Curly''s counterparts are dead. It''s the only one still alive and well and has become a mutated plant that I nurtured. I don''t know what it can do and I still have to do more experiments! Don''t touch my plants secretly next time! How scary! Ginseng juice isn''t omnipotent! Furthermore, I''ve been doing research on more lethal poisons recently!" Qiao Mei said. "Fine, fine, fine! I understand. Then you also have to be careful not to get hurt," Xia Zhe reminded her. "It was fortunate that Curly was not fully grown at that time and the poison was not very strong. The effect of its poison cannot be underestimated now! You can''t be so rash next time! Sometimes, the more beautiful the plant is, the more lethal the poison!" Qiao Mei said. "Really? Then are you poisonous too?" Xia Zhe teased. Qiao Mei gently smacked Xia Zhe''s chest and said coquettishly, "Didn''t you already know whether I''m poisonous or not the first time you met me?" Chapter 2385 Going to Get Married Chapter 2385 Going to Get Married Xia Zhe was reminded of the past again. The current Qiao Mei was a completely different person from the Qiao Mei back then. "I went through everything willingly," Xia Zhe said as he hugged Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei also felt a little scared whenever she interacted with these plants since she was not really a very meticulous person. If she really got poisoned, it would be the end of her. However, she had recently uncovered a bangle among the jewelry left behind by Gao Tao. Whoever wore that bangle would become immune to poison and would also be able to sense the presence of poisonous substances in the surrounding environment. "Alright, I thought the family has asked us to go back because of some issues at home today? Let''s go and pack our things," Qiao Mei said as she patted Xia Zhe on the back. Xia Zhe had already packed whatever they needed. He drove Qiao Mei back to the Xia family''s house. Today, the family intended to discuss the wedding plans for Xia Yuan and Sun Yuan. Everyone sat around and waited for Xia Yuan to speak. However, for some reason, Xia Yuan was silent for a long time. His expression was also very solemn, as if he was hiding something from everyone. "Xiao Yuan, if you have run into any issues, just let us know. We''ll all help you think of a way," Xia He said. "Can... can Sun Yuan and I just register our marriage and not organize a ceremony?" Xia Yuan said. Before Xia Jun spoke, Liu Fen immediately said unhappily, "No! Don''t you know that I''ve been waiting for you to get married for a long time! Especially after what happened with the Zhou family! My relatives and friends are just waiting to laugh at me! You must organize a grand wedding ceremony! I want everyone to see clearly! My son''s wife is the best!" "Be quiet! Father hasn''t even said anything yet!" Xia Yao said as he quickly grabbed Liu Fen. Liu Fen looked at Xia Jun and continued, "I''m sorry, Father. I get very agitated when it comes to this issue. Xia Yuan is the last unmarried child in our family. I can''t accept such an arrangement." Xia Jun waved his hand at Liu Fen to ask her to sit down and calm down. After thinking for a long time, Xia Jun looked at Xia Yuan and asked, "Why don''t you want to organize a wedding ceremony? Whose idea is it?" "Sun Yuan and I decided on this after having a discussion," Xia Yuan said. "Our Xia family can be considered a big family with many family members. You need to organize a wedding ceremony, but we can talk about the details. Give me a logical reason for why you are making this decision," Xia Jun said. Xia Yuan scratched his head in embarrassment and said, "Sun Yuan and I are just starting out in our careers and we don''t have much savings. The two of us did some calculations and realized that we won''t have much money left after buying our matrimonial home. We''re thinking the family can just have a simple meal together to celebrate the occasion. As for the wedding ceremony... the two of us can''t afford to pay for it." "What kind of reason is this! I have money! I''m your mother! Isn''t it my duty to organize the wedding ceremony for you!" Liu Fen said. "But... we don''t want to rely on our family to pay for our stuff," Xia Yuan said. Qiao Mei narrowed her eyes and stared at Xia Yuan for a long time. Xia Jun could tell that Qiao Mei had something to ask. He looked at Qiao Mei and said, "Mei Mei, what do you think?" The families of the Xia family''s eldest and second sons had always got along well. Since no one from the third son''s family was here today, Qiao Mei could boldly say what she was thinking. "Xia Yuan, is this solely your idea or is it something that the two of you came up with?" Qiao Mei asked. "We decided on this after having a discussion," Xia Yuan said honestly. "In that case, during your discussion, who was the one who brought up this topic? Who advocated making this decision?" Qiao Mei asked again. By now, everyone present understood what Qiao Mei meant. If this was Xia Yuan''s idea, they could still try to persuade him. After all, most people would only have one wedding ceremony in one''s lifetime. However, if it was Sun Yuan''s idea, then her intention might just be to make the Xia family think that she was not someone who was eyeing the family''s money. "It''s... her..." Xia Yuan said as he lowered his head. "Alright, then I have nothing else to say," Qiao Mei said. "Cousin-in-law, do you think that she''s not a good person?" Xia Yuan asked. "She''s fine, but you need to organize the wedding ceremony. After all, although it''s the two of you getting married, there are still two families involved. We have to show her parents our sincerity," Qiao Mei said. "Yes, Qiao Mei is right. Your father and I have the money to pay for the wedding ceremony!" Liu Fen said. "Alright, then I''ll do what you say," Xia Yuan said. "It''s time to fix a date for us to meet her parents. Let''s set the wedding date for the two of you," Xia Jun said. "Thank you, Grandfather!" Xia Yuan said happily. Liu Fen looked at the whole family and felt a little emotional. Those family members of her generation were already old since even Xia Yuan was about to get married soon. It was so good to have the whole family together and she felt that the weight on her heart was finally lifted. However, she did not expect the Sun family to be so difficult to deal with. Chapter 2386 Sever Ties Between Father and Daughter. Chapter 2386 Sever Ties Between Father and Daughter. The entire village knew that the Sun family favored boys over girls. Qiao Mei also knew that in this era, it was common for people to favor boys over girls, but she did not expect the Sun family to go to such an extent. "You have to give me a betrothal gift of 5,000 dollars! Also, to show your filial piety, you have to give me 500 dollars every month!" Sun Yuan''s father, Sun Kai, said as he held up his hand. The Xia family members present were expressionless and even felt that Sun Kai was looking down on them. At that time, the Zhou family had asked for a betrothal gift of 20,000 to 30,000 dollars. To ask for a mere 5,000 dollars was really looking down on the Xia family. The Xia family were used to facing such issues. Seeing that there was no reaction from the Xia family members, Sun Kai added, "If you don''t agree to the condition, then we won''t let Sun Yuan marry into your Xia family!" Qiao Mei rolled her eyes and said, "So be it." "Hey! Does the Xia family have no rules! How can a junior interrupt the conversation between the elders!" Sun Kai roared at Qiao Mei. All the Xia family members glared at Sun Kai. Xia Yuan even said, "Whatever Cousin-in-law says is whatever our family wants to say." Sun Yuan looked troubled. She knew that Xia Yuan liked her, but she also knew that he cared more about the interests of the Xia family. If the wedding plans were ruined here now, then she would never have any hope in her life! This was her only chance to step up in life! "You! You''re too much! Did you ask my family to come here just to humiliate us?" Sun Kai questioned. "It''s because you have asked for too much and we can''t agree to your conditions. You should rethink what you want," Qiao Mei said. Sun Kai smacked the table and stood up. Sun Kai''s wife immediately stopped him and muttered softly, "We can ask for less money. It''s better than not getting a single cent. Moreover, after this useless thing marries into the family, won''t we have many chances to get more money? Calm down!" "What! 50,000!" the Sun family members exclaimed. Sun Kai took some time to calm down and then said, "How about a betrothal gift of 3,000 dollars and living expenses of 500 dollars a month. I can''t go any lower than this." This request was truly not too much for the Xia family. Qiao Mei threw a glance at Xia Yuan and he said coldly, "A betrothal gift of 50,000 dollars." "What! 50,000!" the Sun family members exclaimed. Sun Yuan tugged at Xia Yuan''s sleeve nervously. She knew that this amount was equivalent to all of Xia Yuan''s savings. What was Xia Yuan trying to do? The Sun family members were not nice people! How could Xia Yuan be so silly as to give them money? "There''s a condition. To get the 50,000 dollars, you have to sign an agreement to sever ties with Sun Yuan. As long as you dare to sign it, I''ll give you 50,000 dollars now." Xia Yuan took out 50,000 dollars in cash from his backpack and placed it on the table. In the eyes of the Sun family, this was a "mountain of gold"! They did not even dare to think about having 50,000 dollars and had never even seen so much money in their dreams. "It''s not worth doing this for me..." Sun Yuan said to Xia Yuan with tears in her eyes. Xia Yuan patted Sun Yuan''s hand gently and said, "Don''t worry. I know you live a difficult life in the Sun family. I''m very happy to be able to set you free with money." "You have three minutes to consider it carefully. We don''t have more time to wait for you," Qiao Mei said. "We''ll sign it! We''ll sign it immediately!" Sun Kai said excitedly. Xia Yuan had already prepared the agreement in advance. Sun Kai put his fingerprint on it without any hesitation. The Sun family took the money and left the restaurant without eating, worried that the Xia family would go back on their word. Perhaps in their opinion, the Xia family members were all fools to have given them so much money for a useless thing like Sun Yuan. "I... I will definitely pay you back this sum of money!" Sun Yuan said, feeling touched. "Alright, don''t cry. Why are you crying on such a joyous day? We''re going to be husband and wife and build a family together. This is what I should do. You don''t have to feel apologetic towards me. I''m very happy that you''ve regained your freedom. It''s just that we won''t have the blessings of your family at our wedding. Will you be sad about this?" Xia Yuan said as he hugged Sun Yuan. "We''re your family members too~" Qiao Mei and Xia He said as they smiled at the couple. Sun Yuan nodded vigorously and said, "Yes! This is my home now! I won''t ever leave all of you! I''ll definitely work hard to earn money in the future! I''ll live my life well!" "It just so happens that I have a job vacancy at the printing factory. Go and help me there," Qiao Mei said. "But I didn''t study much and I''m not very knowledgeable," Sun Yuan said timidly. "You don''t need a lot of knowledge to do the job. You just need to recognize some of the words. It''s never too late if you''re willing to learn," Qiao Mei said. "Yes! I''m willing to learn! I won''t let all of you down!" After saying that, Sun Yuan asked embarrassedly, "Why... are all of you so nice to me?" Chapter 2387 Childhood Playmates Chapter 2387 Childhood Playmates "Oh, does this constitute being nice to you? You shouldn''t be thanking us, but yourself. It''s very impressive that you are able to struggle your way out of such a family," Qiao Mei said. During the time when Qiao Mei lived at Qiao Zhuang''s house, she had a deep understanding of what it meant to live a life worse than death. Sun Yuan''s experience was likely not any better than hers. She understood the amount of effort that was needed for a person to come to the capital from the countryside and build a new life. Qiao Mei was only offering a helping hand. If Sun Yuan was someone who did not want to work hard, it would be useless no matter how hard others tried to help her. The dishes were already served, so they had their meal and then prepared to leave. Just as they reached the main door, they heard a voice shouting outside, "Bad news! Bad news!" Xia Yuan took a closer look and realized that it was Xia You! Xia You had been busy working and taking care of her pregnancy recently. None of them had seen her for a long time. What happened today? "Speak slowly, don''t be anxious," Qiao Mei said as she handed Xia You a cup of tea. "My younger brother... something has happened to my younger brother!" Xia You said as she panted heavily. Xia Yuan was currently standing in front of Xia You, so the person Xia You was talking about must be Xia Yu! "What happened to Xia Yu?" Xia Yuan asked immediately. Liu Fen''s maternal family members had recently come to stay in the capital for a period of time as they had heard about Xia Yuan''s upcoming wedding. These people must have come with a purpose. "Do you remember we have two cousins, Liu Cui and Liu Nian?" Xia You said as she looked at Xia Yuan. Xia Yuan tried to recall the faces of these two people. Although he had some impression of the names, he could not remember what they looked like at all. "I haven''t seen them for more than 10 years. Why are you talking about this now?" Xia Yuan asked. "These two are now at Xia Yu''s house! They''re crying and asking Xia Yu to take responsibility! They say that there was an arranged marriage made in the past! You''re closest to Xia Yu. Do you remember what Xia Yu said to them in the past?" Xia You asked. Even Xia Yu, the person involved, did not know anything about this, let alone Xia Yuan. Although the four kids always played together when they were young, it was such a long time ago that everything was just a distant memory. Even if Xia Yu had really made a promise back then, it was just a joke made by a child and could not be taken seriously at all. The few of them immediately drove to Xia Yu''s house. As they stood outside the main door, everyone turned in unison to look at Qiao Mei worriedly. Qiao Mei was the only one who was eager to go and hear the gossip! "Qiao Mei, you''re due to give birth soon. It''s already been a long day. Why don''t you go home first and I''ll come over tomorrow to tell you how the matter is settled," Xia He said. "No, no! I''m in good health! You don''t have to worry about me! Let''s go in!" Qiao Mei said excitedly. There were many people sitting in the living room and it was very crowded. Qiao Mei immediately knew which ones were Liu Cui and Liu Nian. They were both quite good-looking, but they looked like they were... not so young. "Do you know anything about them?" Qiao Mei tugged at Xia He and muttered softly. "I only know that Liu Cui is the elder sister and is already married with children. As for Liu Nian, she is already in her 30s and not married yet! She hasn''t even been in a relationship! I think she''s waiting for someone... Don''t tell me that person is Xia Yu!" Xia He whispered. Xia Yu looked at his siblings and cousins standing at the door and said helplessly, "You''re here. Come and sit down." Qiao Mei looked around but did not see Xia Yu''s wife and child. She immediately asked, "Are you alone at home today? Why don''t I see Cousin-in-law and Snowflake? I want to see how much Snowflake has grown as I want to make her some new clothes." "What! You''re already married with children!" Liu Nian exclaimed. "You haven''t introduced these two people to us yet," Qiao Mei said after sitting down. "These two are the children of my mother''s biological elder sister. They grew up in the same courtyard as Xia Yu and Xia Yuan," Xia You said. "Is that so? If they have such a close relationship, then why don''t they even know that Xia Yu is married? But then again, the couple was so busy with work and didn''t even organize a wedding ceremony at that time. They only gathered the family together for a meal. It''s normal that others don''t know about it," Qiao Mei said regretfully. "How is that possible... Xia Yu, didn''t you say that you will only love me!" Liu Nian said as she looked at Xia Yu with tears in her eyes. Coincidentally, at the same moment, Yun Lan and Xia Xue reached home and opened the door. Xia Yu went over to Yun Lan nervously and said, "Dear, these are my eldest aunt''s two daughters. They''re here to take a look at our child. They didn''t tell me in advance that they are coming to visit and Mother also only just knew." "It''s my fault for not being a good host. It just so happened that I brought Snowflake out today. Snowflake, come and greet your two aunts," Yun Lan said with a straight face. Chapter 2388 Mental Illness Chapter 2388 Mental Illness Xia Xue walked over to Liu Cui and Liu Nian and said, "Hello, aunts. I''m Xia Xue. My mother and I had gone out earlier today and I''m really sorry to have kept you waiting." "It''s fine..." Liu Cui said awkwardly. Liu Nian turned her head away and ignored Xia Xue. Everyone looked very awkward. "Alright, Snowflake. The adults want to have a chat in the living room. Can you give us some space?" Yun Lan asked gently. "Yes, Mum. I will go and read my picture books!" Xia Xue carried her school bag and went to her bedroom. The living room instantly fell silent. Yun Lan handed everything she bought today to Xia Yu. She sat down opposite Liu Nian and said, "Let me introduce myself. I''m Yun Lan, Xia Yu''s wife. I''m not sure what kind of relationship the two of you have with the Xia family, but I hope that you can behave a little more politely to my daughter. Even a child knows basic courtesy. Don''t tell me that... you adults don''t?" Although Yun Lan had a smile on her face when she said this, it was a fake smile that looked very cold. Liu Nian said agitatedly, "Who are you calling rude! Didn''t my sister acknowledge her just now? Do you need to go to this extent for a child?" "I''m currently talking to you very politely. If you want to maintain such an attitude, then please leave my house," Yun Lan said firmly. Liu Cui immediately stopped Liu Nian from talking and whispered, "This is the Xia family''s house! Are you crazy! Watch your words!" "Don''t put on airs in front of us! Xia Yu and I were engaged a long time ago. We were betrothed when we were young! It was Xia Yu who said that he would only marry me!" Liu Nian said. "Nonsense! When did I ever say that!" Xia Yu retorted. "You have even forgotten about this..." Liu Nian looked at Xia Yu in disbelief and continued with tears in her eyes, "That winter, I lost my way and you were the one who braved the heavy snow to come and look for me. In the alley, you said that you would never leave me and would always protect me. You even said that you would only marry me and that you would only love me in this lifetime! Don''t tell me those were all lies!" Xia Yu had to recollect for a long time before he remembered what Liu Nian was talking about. The two sisters'' parents both worked in another town and had left the two of them in Liu Fen''s care that year. One day, their parents suddenly gave them a call and said something to them. Liu Nian was very upset after the call and had run out of the house. Everyone went around to look for Liu Nian. In the end, he was the first one to find her. At that time, he had said those words to comfort her. They were both very young then and he did not even know the true meaning of what he said. He only knew that in those novels which he read, the female characters were always very happy whenever the male characters said such things. "At that time, we were all very young. Jokes should not be taken so seriously," Xia Yu said helplessly. "I don''t care! You promised me! You can''t do this to me!" Liu Nian roared. Yun Lan sat on the sofa expressionlessly and drank tea elegantly, completely unaffected by Liu Nian''s actions. This made Qiao Mei feel a sense of admiration for Yun Lan. When she first met Yun Lan, she only thought that Yun Lan was gentle and demure. She did not expect Yun Lan to have this side to her. No wonder Xia Jun was more than willing to let Xia Yu marry Yun Lan back then. He even wanted the wedding to be held as soon as possible, worried that Yun Lan would change her mind. "Do you think... she''s crazy?" Qiao Mei muttered softly into Xia He''s ear. "Sigh... I can''t say for sure, but it does look like there''s something wrong with her. She doesn''t even make any sense," Xia He said. If they kept arguing like this, it would definitely cause Xia Xue to be alarmed. Moreover, there was truly no point in dwelling on what happened back then. Yun Lan put down her teacup and looked at Liu Nian, asking, "What do you want him to do?" "The two of you must get a divorce and he should be with me! He''s my man to begin with! You''ve clung onto him for so long, enough is enough!" Liu Nian said. "What about our child? You don''t mind that?" Yun Lan continued to ask. "You will leave with the child!" Liu Nian said. Yun Lan sighed. She turned to look at Liu Cui and said, "If you have time, you should bring her to a psychiatrist. It will become harder to solve the problem if you delay treatment." "What do you mean! You''re saying that I''m crazy! How can you say that! I''m not sick!" Liu Nian said furiously. It looked like Yun Lan had nailed the issue on the head. The Liu family already knew that there was something wrong with Liu Nian. Even Liu Nian herself could feel that she was abnormal, but she just did not want to accept the fact. "It''s true. If your family doesn''t want to do anything about it, she might do something irreparable in her current state of mind. If that happens, things will be even more difficult for your family," Qiao Mei immediately said. Chapter 2389: Give Birth Chapter 2389: Give Birth Rubbish! My sister is good and well. She just loves Xia Yu too deeply! Shes not usually like this! She only behaves this way when Xia Yu is mentioned! The person who hurt her is Xia Yu! Liu Cui said. Qiao Mei rolled her eyes in disdain and said, Good grief. This one is also abnormal. It doesnt matter if youre sick or not. This is a private matter for the Liu family and has nothing to do with my family. Dont cause trouble in my house, Yun Lan said. How is it unrelated to your family? Its Xia Yus fault! Xia Yu must bear the responsibility! Liu Cui said as she pointed at Xia Yu. It looked like there were other reasons why Liu Nian was still unmarried even though she was already in her 30s. The Liu family wanted to push the blame to the Xia family and make them take on the responsibility. Yun Lan did not want to continue with this conversation and looked towards Qiao Mei for help. Qiao Mei immediately understood and took out the walkie-talkie from her bag, saying into it, Come in. In less than a minute, Da Zhuang and Xiao Zhuang rushed into the house and dragged the Liu sisters away. No matter how much the two of them cried out, there was no use. Xia Yu hurriedly sat down beside Yun Lan and said, Im sorry... I thought its just relatives coming over for a visit. I didnt expect things to turn out like this. Its not your fault. A juicy piece of meat will always attract countless hungry beasts. It will attract all kinds of pests as well. Its not the meats fault, Yun Lan said calmly. Qiao Mei really liked Yun Lans character. She regretted not spending more time with Yun Lan! It was such a pity! Sigh... Ill remember this lesson well. I have to tell Mother about this too. We should not interact with their family anymore! Xia Yu said. Everyone had a chat about the past and then went home after dinner. Things were peaceful for a while and everyone was just waiting for Qiao Mei to give birth. This day arrived soon. Xia Zhe paced outside the door anxiously, unable to sit or stand properly. Anyone who looked at him would feel dizzy. Just stop moving for a while. Im not nervous initially, but youve made me a little annoyed, Xia He said irritably. Im a little worried. Will anything happen to her? What should I do then? Xia Zhe asked nervously. Xia Zhe, who was always so capable on the battlefield, was now acting like a fool. If news of this got out, his reputation as the cold-faced general would disappear like smoke in the wind. Dont worry. Xia Fang is the chief doctor and Qiao Mei has given birth so many times. She knows what to do. Dont worry, Xu Lan said. But its been so long! Why isnt she out yet! Xia Zhe said agitatedly. Xia He looked at Xia Zhe resignedly and pointed at the clock on the wall, saying, Younger brother, have you lost your mind? Shes only been inside for half an hour! I didnt give birth so quickly either. Then how long will it take? Xia Zhe asked again. Its different for different women. Just wait here. When theres news, the doctor will come out to tell us. Its useless to be so anxious. Sit down and calm down, Xia Wen said by way of comfort. After hearing what everyone said, Xia Zhe relaxed a little. This was the first time he was present to wait for Qiao Mei to give birth. He really owed her too much and he decided to spend more time with her and the children in the future. When will Dr. Xia Fang come and deliver the baby for me? Qiao Mei asked the nurse. Shell be here soon. Just wait patiently, the nurse said. In recent years, there were many women giving birth. Sometimes, Xia Fang had to deliver more than 10 babies a day! She had heard that there was already another pregnant woman waiting for Xia Fang to deliver the baby for her after Qiao Mei, so it was normal for Xia Fang to run a little late. Not long after she finished speaking, Xia Fang finally arrived. She did not say much and only asked Qiao Mei to relax and follow her instructions. For some reason, it took more effort to deliver this baby than Qiao Meis first three. After more than two hours, the baby was finally born. Its a girl! Mei Mei, I have another surgery later. I have to go over now. The nurses will help to take care of the baby, Xia Fang said, sweating profusely, as she looked at Qiao Mei. Aunt, Im fine... You can go ahead... Qiao Mei said weakly. Whats the name of this child? Your last child is named Xia Yue, so whats the name of this child? the nurse asked curiously. Qiao Mei frowned slightly. Then again, Xia Yue was also born in this hospital, so it was quite normal for the nurse to know about this. She said weakly, I dont know... Lets talk about it later... She felt really tired now and just wanted to take a good rest. She did not want to bother with the nurse and soon fell into a deep sleep. After the nurse confirmed that Qiao Mei was asleep, she quietly left the delivery room with the baby through the small passageway. Not long after, she returned with the freshly bathed baby in her arms. Chapter 2402: Returning Home Chapter 2402: Returning Home Two hours later, the three of them stood in front of Jiang Kai and Qiao Yu. Jiang Kai was advanced in age and could not take such treatment. He was already on the verge of death from the torture, but Qiao Yu was still very energetic and could even glare at them while scolding them! I just know that its you! Stupid bitch, let me go now! There are many people looking for me out there! I still have a godsister! She will definitely realize that Im missing! Qiao Yu said agitatedly. Qiao Mei took out a silver bangle and threw it in front of Qiao Yu. She could recognize that it was Cai Mings bangle. Could it be... could it be that Cai Ming was already dead? Stop struggling. You wont be able to get out of here, Qiao Mei said calmly as she sat in front of Qiao Yu. Hmpt, its against the law for you to do this! You cant do this to me! You wont get off easy if you kill me! Qiao Yu shouted hysterically. This is Country L and I wont kill you. Your death will have nothing to do with me, Qiao Mei said. Qiao Yu knew that Qiao Mei would not joke with her about this. She began to feel fearful and her body trembled uncontrollably, causing the chains to clink. Dont... dont be like this... Its my fault... I dont want to die... Please let me go! I beg you to let me go! Ill be your slave! Ill atone for my sins! I beg you! Let me go! Qiao Yu said to Qiao Mei with a trembling voice. Qiao Mei did not say anything. She took out a small bottle and the red viscous liquid inside shone faintly under the light. What is this? What are you doing! Qiao Yu said fearfully. Qiao Mei wore some gloves, picked up a needle to draw out the liquid before injecting everything into Qiao Yus veins. Qiao Yu widened her eyes and looked at Qiao Mei in fear as she yelled out, Whats this! Get lost! Dont touch me! This was just a bottle of blood, but Qiao Mei did not want to say anything. She just looked at Qiao Yu quietly, enjoying the sight of Qiao Yu going crazy. Even a real illness would not cause her any impact at all. She could only be truly destroyed by giving her a mental breakdown. Your face... really resembles me a little. Your eyes and brows look like mine. Its really nauseating, Qiao Mei said quietly. Yin Xing swiftly took out a dagger and went forward to make cuts on Qiao Yus face. Blood slowly dripped down Qiao Yus cheek. Ah!!! My face! My face! Ill kill you! Ill definitely kill you! Qiao Yu shouted in pain and the entire cave echoed with her wails. Lets go. Get a few people to keep an eye on things here. With that, Qiao Mei left the cave. Before they left, Yin Xing released her spiders. These spiders had the ability to cause hallucinations. Qiao Yu would live in fear and pain for the rest of her time here and be constantly tortured. The couple felt assured to leave Qiao Yu and Jiang Kai in the hands of Yin Xing and Yin Yue. This time round, Qiao Mei did not want to take the smugglers boat to head back as she did not feel well enough to handle the arduous journey. In the end, they had to transit in many countries before boarding a plane back to their own country. When they disembarked from the plane, they found out that Xia Jun had personally come to pick them up and bring them home! Grandfather! Why are all of you here! Qiao Mei said in surprise. Seeing that Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe had returned safely, Xu Lan and Li Gui started crying and went forward to hug Qiao Mei. Everyone in the Xia and Qiao families was very affected by what happened this time round. When tears welled up in Qiao Meis eyes as well, Xia Wen immediately said, Alright! Lets go home first! We can talk when we get home! Yes! Lets go home! Go home! Xu Lan said agitatedly. Where are the children? Is Xia Yang alright? Qiao Mei asked. Fine! Everything is fine! We sent the children to the army base so they are very safe. Lets go home first and the military personnel will send the children back later, Xu Lan said. Qiao Mei turned around to look at Xia Zhe and he immediately understood what she meant. He said, Ill go and bring the children back. Dont worry. The entire family gathered at Qiao Meis house. When Xia Zhe came in with Xia Yang in his arms, everyone was extremely worked up to see them. Xia Jun refused to let go of the child and said happily, Yang Yang~ Our Yang Yang~ Its so great that youre so beautiful! This is our Xia familys child! Grandfather, let me take a look! Xia Wen said. Shoo, shoo, shoo! You can already see him when you stand beside me. Dont fight with me about this, Xia Jun said unhappily. Grandfather, perhaps you should let Qiao Mei take a look first, Xia He reminded him softly. Only then did Xia Jun realize that Qiao Mei had not hugged the child for a long time and quickly handed the child to her. She looked at Xia Yang and could not help but cry. She said blissfully, My child, my Yang Yang. Mama is here! Our family is reunited and you wont be separated from us again. Her words made everyone tear up. After all, the scene at the hospital was still vivid in their minds. Chapter 2403: Family Reunited Chapter 2403: Family Reunited By now, Xia Yang was almost one month old. Xia Yang was a lot skinnier than Xia Fan and the other children when they were one month old. He looked malnourished and everyone felt very sorry for him. He must have suffered a lot when he was out there. Dont worry, we sent him to the hospital for a checkup when he first came back. Theres nothing wrong with him at all. Hes healthy! Xu Lan said. Thats good to hear, Qiao Mei said, feeling relieved. Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei did not intend to tell their families about the details regarding Xia Yangs disappearance. It was good enough that the child was back home safely. They would deal with the rest of the issue on their own as they did not want anyone to feel any sense of guilt. Xia Wen quietly turned around and wiped his tears. He was very fond of all the Xia familys children. As he could not help much during this period of time, he stayed at home to renovate Xia Yangs room. Qiao Mei had already set aside a room for each of her children. At that time, Xia Wen thought that if Xia Yang returned, then the child could move into the beautiful room straightaway. If the child did not manage to return... then this room would be kept locked for him forever. Im hungry... Qiao Mei said as she looked at Xu Lan. Right, right, right! Ill go cook for you now! Ill personally cook tonight to celebrate the occasion! Xu Lan said immediately. Although Xia Zhe had been making sure that Qiao Mei ate all her meals for the past few days, the food was not from her hometown after all. She did not eat much and so she had lost quite a lot of weight. Given that she was home now, she must eat more and get nourished! I also want to eat hairy crabs and roast suckling pig... Qiao Mei listed four or five dishes which she wanted. They did not have these ingredients at home, so Xia Wen planned to drive Xu Lan out to buy them. As long as it was something Qiao Mei wanted to eat, they would buy it back for her even if they had to go through hell and high water! Ill go! Xia Fang whispered. Only then did Qiao Mei see Xia Fang in the crowd. She had hidden herself in a corner and did not dare to come out to face Qiao Mei. Given that this entire drama happened at her hospital, she did not dare to face Qiao Mei! She was not even able to face the Xia family! If anything should happen to Xia Yang, she would be letting down the Xia familys ancestors! Aunt! I also want to eat your braised pork dish! Qiao Mei called out to Xia Fang and said with a smile. Xia Fang was stunned for a long time. She looked at Qiao Mei with tears in her eyes and said, Sure! Ill go buy the ingredients now! She realized that Qiao Mei did not blame her. Qiao Mei still remembered that the first meal Xia Fang made for her when she came to the capital was braised pork. Qiao Mei would never forget that taste for the rest of her life. If someone wanted to harm you, they would have a way to find you even if you hid in a cave. Although there was a huge problem with the management of the hospital, Xia Fang was innocent and it was not her fault. Feng Hua carried the sleeping Xia Yang away. He also needed to take a good rest. Elder Sister, hows your health? Li Qin walked to Qiao Meis side and asked softly. Im fine. Why are you free to come by? Did Mom ask you to come? Qiao Mei asked. Yes, Moms too busy to come out. Younger Sister has caught a cold recently. Im on vacation now, so Im here to see you and my little nephew, Li Qin explained. Qiao Mei reached out to touch the loose hair at Li Qins temples and asked with a smile, Hows Mom? Do the two of them quarrel? Uncle Xu is still as enthusiastic as ever and always comes to the restaurant to see Mom, but sometimes Mom doesnt really want to talk to Uncle Xu, Li Qin said. Is she really ignoring him or... Qiao Mei did not continue with the question. This child was probably too young to know what it meant to play hard to get. It was useless to ask her about such things. Ive observed Mom from the side. Mom really doesnt care about Uncle Xu anymore. Mom even asked the security officers to limit Uncle Xus access to outside the neighborhood. Nowadays, if Uncle Xu wants to look for Mom, he has to go to the restaurant, Li Qin said. In that case, Xiao Qin, do you want Uncle Xu to be your new father? Qiao Mei asked. Li Qin fell silent. Actually, she had also thought about this issue carefully. She was not sure if Uncle Xu would treat her mother well, but she knew very well that she really liked Uncle Xu and wanted him to be her father. After all, Uncle Xu had taken care of her like her biological father during this period of time. He was probably even better than her biological father. The other siblings and I all hope that Uncle Xu will become our father, but more than anything, we hope that Mom will be happy. As long as Mom is happy, we will accept any decision she makes, Li Qin said. It must be tough for all of you, Qiao Mei said as she looked at Li Qin with heartache. At the very least, Qiao Meis father and grandfather both loved Qiao Mei very much. Although Qiao Yue died early, he had written her many, many letters. Each letter was filled with Qiao Yues love for Qiao Mei. To this day, Qiao Mei would often take the letters out and read them a few times. Chapter 2404: Young Boyfriend Chapter 2404: Young Boyfriend Li Qin stammered, I... I dont know if Im wrong about this but I think that theres an uncle who seems to like Mom. What? Qiao Mei said as she looked at Li Qin in shock. Hes a very tall and handsome uncle who also seems to be... very young. Actually, we can even address him as big brother, but he insists that we address him as uncle, Li Qin said resignedly. Have you asked that uncle how old he is? Qiao Mei asked curiously. During this period of time, Yao Nian had been busy with the search for Xia Yang and did not have time to monitor Li Guis movements. This was something totally understandable. I remember that uncle saying that he has only worked for a few years. Hes probably around 27 years old, Li Qin said as she tried her best to recall the details. That man was only 27 years old, he was even younger than Xia Zhe... However, it was something quite normal. Li Gui dressed very fashionably nowadays and her complexion was fair and tender, making her look like a woman in her early 30s. Such a relationship would become very common 20 years later and no one would raise an eyebrow. However, in this era, as Li Gui was already in her 40s, it would not be good for both parties reputations if word should get out. There was no saying what the neighbors would say behind their backs. Elder Sister... can you go and ask Mom about this indirectly? Elder Brother and I dare not ask her, Li Qin said. All of them disliked this 27-year-old uncle, especially Li Wei and Li Chao. The two of them felt especially disgusted at the possibility of having to address him as Dad. Let me ask her about this issue. Dont be anxious, Qiao Mei said. Dont be too direct! Otherwise, Mom will know that Im the one who told you! She doesnt want me to tell you this because shes worried that youll get agitated, Li Qin said. Dont worry, I wont betray you! Qiao Mei said with a smile. Li Qin nodded and ran off to see Xia Yang. Qiao Mei stared into the courtyard in a daze. Xia Zhe was nearby earlier and had heard what Li Qin said. He walked to Qiao Meis side and held her hand as he said, Dont worry, Mom knows her limits. Mom said before that she did not have any intention of getting married again. Im not worried. Im just curious about this mans background, Qiao Mei said. Given Moms character and with Uncle Xu watching her like a hawk, she wont fall for anyone else. Shes been very tired recently, Xia Zhe said. Qiao Mei stood up and stretched. She looked at Xia Zhe and said, Ill give her a call and ask her. It was not very busy at Li Guis restaurant today. The call was picked up quite quickly. This is Osmanthus Restaurant. Who is this? Li Gui asked politely. Mom, its Qiao Mei, Qiao Mei said. Oh! Mei Mei, youre finally back! How are you? Hows your health? Li Gui asked anxiously. Qiao Mei quickly said, Everything is fine with me. We have found the child and everyone is fine. Thats good to hear! Ive been worried for so many days and I can finally feel relieved, Li Gui said with a sigh. Mom, I hear that you have a young boyfriend? Qiao Mei asked curiously. There was nothing that Qiao Mei and Li Gui could not discuss directly. Even if Li Gui had any suspicions about the source of her news, Qiao Mei could always push the blame to Yao Nian. He was an expert in intelligence gathering, so it was normal for her to hear about these things. What do you mean by young boyfriend... Oh! You must be talking about Zhao Zhi. Thats one of my clients. Hes been asking me out to talk about business recently, Li Gui said. What kind of business are you discussing? Is your restaurant taking on big orders now? Qiao Mei asked. He owns a small fireworks company near my restaurant. They dont have a canteen there, so he wants to come here to have his meal every day and then he will pay me on a monthly basis, Li Gui said. This is not a bad idea for a business. If it grows bigger, you can specialize in selling bento boxes! Qiao Mei said excitedly. Whats a bento box? Li Gui asked curiously. Its like running a canteen, but this kind of canteen packs all the food in a one-time-use box which can be delivered to the customers doorstep! Qiao Mei explained. I can try! Qiao Mei, what you just said is a really good idea! Ill write it down now! Li Gui said excitedly. For a moment, Qiao Mei almost forgot the purpose of her call. However, judging from Li Guis reaction, she did not seem to have any feelings for Zhao Zhi. Then again, Li Gui was very slow when it came to matters of the heart. It was entirely possible that Li Gui could not tell that Zhao Zhi was fond of her. Mom, I want to ask whether that man Zhao Zhi likes you? Qiao Mei said directly. You! You! You, you! What are you talking about! The two of us are so many years apart! How can we be together! Im old enough to be his mother! What nonsense! Li Gui said agitatedly. Chapter 2405: Give Away the Child Chapter 2405: Give Away the Child Really? Qiao Mei asked doubtfully. Yes! Zhao Zhi has a girlfriend! The two of them are very loving! Dont talk nonsense! Li Gui said. Oh~ Qiao Mei was completely relieved. It seemed that everyone was just thinking too much and there was nothing going on between them. Li Gui said as she looked through the account ledgers, Furthermore, Zhao Zhis girlfriend is the accountant at my restaurant. Im usually very busy and shes the one who helps me out. Shes also a beautiful girl and a university student! Zhao Zhi is not very good-looking so he is really lucky. The more Qiao Mei listened, the more she felt that something was wrong. In her other life, she had a professor who specialized in civil litigation. She had seen many similar cases where an entrepreneur would act like a business partner to a business owner and then colluded with the business owners secretary to eventually transfer the business to the entrepreneur. There were countless such cases. It looked like Qiao Mei still had to go to Li Guis place to take a look for herself. She could also bring along some gifts for her younger siblings since she had not seen them for a long time. Wu Duo had gone to Guang City sometime back and no one knew how he was doing there. Every month, Qiao Mei would receive a stack of telegrams from Guang City filled with all kinds of questions from Wu Duo. If this continued, Qiao Meis study would be buried under Wu Duos telegrams! On the day that Wu Duo finally became successful, Qiao Mei would definitely bind these telegrams into a book and put them in the chronicles of his companys history so that the future employees could see how their boss became rich. Hello? Mei Mei, are you still there? Is there something wrong with the phone line? Li Gui asked curiously. If she told Li Gui about those scam cases now, there was very little credibility. Zhao Zhi and his girlfriend had not done anything bad to Li Gui yet. Li Gui always thought well of people and did not think that the people around her would want to hurt her. Qiao Mei did not want to ruin Li Guis niceness. She would work hard to do what she could and not let Li Gui get hurt. Oh, oh! Im here! I was just in a daze just now! Qiao Mei said quickly. Are you very tired recently? Id better go back and visit you, Li Gui asked worriedly. Im fine. By the way, I forgot to tell you. I have arranged for Cai Ming to stay in Old Madam Xus neighborhood. That area is very lively now! Qiao Mei said gloatingly. She had heard from Yao Nian that Cai Ming quarreled with the Xu family every day, causing chaos in the entire neighborhood. There were even many neighbors who went to argue with them, but Cai Ming and Old Madam Xu were both people not to be trifled with. In the end, the neighbors had no choice but to take a step back and several families had already moved out. When Li Gui heard this, she only felt melancholic and could not even laugh about it at all. Qiao Mei could sense Li Guis emotions and asked tentatively, Mom, do you still like Uncle Xu? I dont want to think too much anymore. If Cai Ming is so capable, I wont be able to win against her. I dont want to live a life where I quarrel with someone every day in the future either. Let nature take its course, Li Gui said. Qiao Mei knew that Li Gui could not let go, but yet she could not get over this knot in her heart. She did not know how things would go for Xu Ba and Li Gui in the future. After hanging up the phone, Qiao Mei wondered when she could go and visit Li Gui. Xia Yang was still young and had just returned home, and he needed his mother next to him. Perhaps she could bring Xia Yang with her to Guang City? This seemed like a good idea. Early the next morning, Xia He rushed over to the house. Sigh... I have some bad news for you, Xia He said with a sigh. Then youd better not say anything. You wake me up so early in the morning just for something like this? Qiao Mei asked with a yawn. No, its very serious. Xia He took out a photo and said, Take a look. This is the child you had brought home mistakenly. That family doesnt want this child anymore. They secretly tried to send the child back a few times but we chased them away. However, they refused to give up and insisted on sending the child over. I have run out of ways. Although it was not very cold in this season, there was still a chill at night and children could easily catch a cold. That child is not in good health to begin with. If the child should catch a cold again, surely the child will die, Qiao Mei said with a frown. At first, Qiao Mei hated that child because if the child did not exist, her Xia Yang would not have been taken away. However, even if this child was not there, there would still be other children. At the end of the day, the child was innocent. Make a decision, Xia He said. What about sending the child to the orphanage? Qiao Mei asked. No, theyll still send the child back to us. The people from the orphanage cant do anything about it. These people are the childs biological parents and they have the right to take the child out, Xia He said. They are really putting in a lot of effort to let their child have a good life, Qiao Mei said. Chapter 2406: Adopt the Child Chapter 2406: Adopt the Child I think Second Aunt-in-law is quite fond of that child. During this period of time, Second Aunt-in-laws family has been the one taking care of that child. As you know, Second Aunt-in-law has always been a soft-hearted person, especially when it comes to children, Xia He said. Qiao Mei massaged the area between her brows and said, Ask Second Aunt-in-law to come over. Ill talk to her about this and see what she says. That night, everyone came over to Qiao Meis house. Liu Fen even brought the child with her. It was obvious that the child was not part of the Xia family. Such an ugly child would not grow up with good looks in the future! I know all of you want to persuade me to give up on this child, but hes really too pitiful. Im not thinking too much. I just want him to live on for a few more days. If we keep sending him to different places in this manner, he will die... Liu Fen said aggrievedly. Although this child was ugly and weak, Liu Fen had developed feelings for him after so many days. This child was very sensible, did not cry or make a fuss and was very obedient. Everyone there knew what Liu Fen was thinking and Qiao Mei also understood where she was coming from. However, this child was not an orphan. When the child grew up and had access to a portion of the Xia familys assets, that family would definitely pounce on him! Second Aunt-in-law, the situation is not as simple as you think, Qiao Mei said helplessly. Thats why I have brought the child here to ask for your help... Liu Fen hesitated for a moment before saying, Can you send that family away? Let them leave the capital. Qiao Mei looked at Liu Fen in shock. Qiao Mei had thought that although Liu Fen was soft-hearted, she was still a sensible person. Yet she was being so unreasonable now! What kind of magic potion did this child feed Liu Fen! Second Aunt-in-law, weve checked on this childs background. His parents ancestors have lived in the capital for generations. It wont be so easy to chase them out, Xia Wen explained. But! But all of you are so capable! It shouldnt be difficult to use your connections to deal with such a small matter! Liu Fen said anxiously. It was indeed not difficult, but there was no need for them to do this. If that family had caused trouble, then it would be logical to react. However, that family had never gone head-to-head with the Xia family. If they chased the entire family out of the capital now and caused a big hooha, it would only raise the ire of the general public and people would feel that the Xia family was bullying others in order to get hold of this child. Qiao Mei pondered over the issue for a long time. This matter had nothing to do with her at all and she was not the one who wanted to adopt this child. The person who wanted to do so should be the one to solve these problems. She would not hand anything to anyone on a platter! Second Aunt-in-law, I cant help you. You would have to go back and think of a way yourself, Qiao Mei said. Xia Wen also understood what Qiao Mei meant, so he did not say anything. This meant that the Xia familys eldest branch was against Liu Fen doing this. Liu Fen panicked and immediately said, I dont have any intention of harming the Xia family. I just think this child is too pitiful! If our family doesnt want him, then thats the end of him! Lets help this child! Dont worry, this child wont have access to any of the Xia familys assets! Just let him survive. The Xia family was a big family with many businesses. Among other families, it was common to hear of brothers fighting over family assets. Although they could state that this child would not have access to the Xia familys assets now, what about after he grew up? How could he not resent Liu Fen for depriving him of the right to enjoy the Xia familys assets? Second Aunt-in-law, were not stopping you because of the familys assets, Xia He said helplessly. Second Aunt-in-law, you should think about this carefully. Youre already advanced in age. It would be tedious for you to take care of a newborn, Xia Wen advised. Qiao Mei did not say anything. Whether it was for the family or for herself, she was against this child becoming part of the Xia family. If Xia Yang was not already safe and sound, Qiao Mei would have wanted to skin this child and his parents alive at this juncture! My child is also very tired and pitiful from going through the entire ordeal. Second Aunt-in-law, why dont you help me take care of him for a couple of days? Moreover, I havent finished my confinement period yet, Qiao Mei said. You have helpers to take care of you! I cant take good care of you. Besides, what does Xia Yangs disappearance have to do with this child... Its not as if this child wants to take Xia Yangs place... This child is also an innocent party, Liu Fen said as she hugged the child tightly. Qiao Mei looked at Liu Fen in shock. How could a family member say such a thing! Could Xia Yangs suffering be ignored just because he had returned safely? Everyone from the Xia familys eldest branch looked very unhappy. Only then did Liu Fen realize that she had said something wrong, but it was too late to salvage the situation. It was a deadlock and nobody said anything. Feng Hua stood at the door and shouted, Its mealtime! The food is ready! Everyone, come and have your meal! Lets eat first. We can talk about these things after our meal. We still need to think about these things at length, Xia Wen said. Lets go, Xia He said as she grabbed Qiao Mei. Chapter 2407: The Qian Family Comes Looking for Trouble Chapter 2407: The Qian Family Comes Looking for Trouble Dinner that night was not a joyous affair. Liu Fen forced herself to eat a little before leaving with the child. Qiane was acting a little out of sorts. She drank at one side alone and seemed to have something on her mind. Qiao Mei took note of this and told Xia Zhe to sleep with the children tonight. She wanted to have a good chat with Qiane. What s wrong with you tonight? Qiao Mei asked curiously. Me? Im fine! Qiane said as she sat unsteadily on the bed. I dont believe you. You must be hiding something from me. Are there still secrets that you cant tell me? Qiao Mei asked. Qiane sighed. It was not that she did not want to tell Qiao Mei but Qiao Mei was not in a much better situation now. She did not want to cause Qiao Mei any more trouble because of her trivial issues. Tell me! Qiao Mei said anxiously. Qiane grabbed onto Qiao Mei unsteadily and said, Alright, alright, alright! Ill tell you! Its... its about my family. What? Hearing that, Qiao Mei lost focus for a moment. After she gathered her thoughts, she said, What do the Qian family members want with you? Apart from asking me for money, what else can they want? Qiane said disdainfully. Just do what youve been doing all this while and say no. Its been so long that Ive almost forgotten their existence, Qiao Mei said. Qiane did not want to be pressured by the Qian family in this manner, but the Qian family members liked to go to the factory to cause trouble. Every time they went, they would weep and wail about how they had not been doing well all these years and that it was Qiane who had abandoned them, that she was unfilial to her parents and disobedient to her elders, and so on. The factory had many employees and there were already all kinds of rumors going around. Most of the current employees were new joinees and did not know anything about Qiane and her past. From what they saw and heard, their impression of Qiane was that she was someone who did not care about her own Qian family. What can I do? Am I supposed to go around telling everyone that Im actually the innocent party? Theres nothing I can do... I can only use money to avoid trouble. Now is a good time for us to earn money. What if the employees go on strike because of me? If the reputation of the company is tarnished, no one will want to work with me anymore, Qiane said helplessly. Then what do you intend to do now? Qiao Mei asked. Qiane laughed and leaned close to Qiao Meis ear as she said proudly, So... I transfer 15 dollars to my family every month! I give her the same amount of money which my parents and uncles give her to show their filial piety. I always tell her that its not good for me to cross the line. As a junior, I cant give her more money than what my elders give her. She cant say anything about that. Even so, that was a lot of money which Old Madam Qian received every month. Qiao Mei felt that the old lady was getting too good a deal. Does it work? They are satisfied with this? If you can get away with just giving them 15 dollars, it wont have been so difficult for you back then, Qiao Mei said. Qiane gave Qiao Mei a thumbs up and said, As expected of you! Of course thats not all! They want to take over the factory! Fortunately, the factory is yours! Otherwise, they would have eaten me alive by now! Qiane had many family relatives and these people had all come looking for her during this period of time. All of them wanted her to give them a managerial position in the factory. She counted that she had met more than 30 people! She had never even met some of them before. She wondered how much effort Old Madam Qian had put in to seek out these people one by one. This is your family issue, so I cant say anything. Ill support you in whatever you plan to do, Qiao Mei said. I dont want to stay in the capital anymore. This place is full of blood-sucking leeches! If I continue to stay in the capital, they will definitely harass me all the time. One of these days, they wont be satisfied with just money and will want to take everything I have! I want to go to Guang City! To another place! Anywhere! Ill bring money to open a factory there! Qiane said agitatedly. Stop and just hang on for a moment. If you bring so many businesses to Guang City, then what am I supposed to do in the capital? In that case, most of my businesses would have to move to Guang City! Qiao Mei said. Qiane would never leave Qiao Mei to start her own business. It was all thanks to Qiao Mei that she was currently doing well in her career. If not for Qiao Mei, she might be living a very tough life now. However, what else could she do if she did not leave the capital? We still have to consider this matter at length. Have a good rest here for now. Theres no hurry, Qiao Mei said. Qiane nodded and fell asleep on one side of the bed. She did not sleep well even while she was dreaming. Her brows were furrowed and her body was stiff. Sigh... Qiao Mei sighed and covered Qiane with the blanket. Every family had their own difficulties and every person had tough days. The moment Qiao Mei stepped out of the room, she saw Xia Zhe standing at the door. He looked at her and asked, Is her issue already resolved? Why... are you so concerned about her today? Qiao Mei deliberately looked jealous and said to Xia Zhe. Chapter 2408: Trouble in the Workshop Chapter 2408: Trouble in the Workshop Concerned about her? Why would I care about her! Im just worried about you! Who knows if you have to get involved to deal with all those troublesome matters of hers, Xia Zhe said. The capital was not too peaceful recently and Xia Zhe did not want Qiao Mei to go running around. Moreover, Qiao Mei had not gone through her confinement period well after giving birth to Xia Yang. Even though they had magical pills at home, he was still worried about her. Qiao Mei understood what Xia Zhe meant. She held his hand and comforted him, saying, Dont worry, I wont go far. Ill just go to the factory tomorrow to take a look. The couple handed the children to Feng Hua so that they could go back to their room and have a good nights sleep. As they lay down on the bed, Xia Zhe put his hands on Qiao Meis waist and said with some heartache, Youve lost so much weight. Its fine. Ill gain back the weight in two days if I eat properly, Qiao Mei said to comfort him. Gradually, Xia Zhes hands started to wander up and down Qiao Meis body. Then he suddenly sat up and said, You... your confinement period has been so disrupted. Perhaps we cant do this! Qiao Mei did not say anything, but by right, she should not be doing this during her confinement period. Xia Zhe immediately covered Qiao Mei with a blanket. Are you feeling very repressed? Qiao Mei asked curiously. Its fine, Im not, Xia Zhe said as he patted Qiao Mei. Early the next morning, Xia Zhe drove Qiane and Qiao Mei to the factory. The moment they reached the main entrance, Qiao Mei saw a chaotic scene. The security officers were not at their posts and there was no one doing checks at the door. Have you changed out all the security officers? Qiao Mei turned to look at Qiane and asked her. No, I didnt give any orders! Qiane said in surprise. However, Qiane had been away on a business trip for the past half a month. Perhaps the Qian family members had taken advantage of this opportunity to get up to no good. Lets go in and take a look first, Qiao Mei said. Before they reached the workshop, they could already hear the commotion inside. It sounded like there was a fight going on. Qiane immediately felt a little embarrassed. Back when Qiao Mei was in charge of the factory, such things never happened before. However, once she was in charge, these incidents kept happening. As soon as they entered, Qiao Mei saw seven to eight men fighting one another. However, there was a familiar person standing behind these people. It was Old Madam Qian. She did not expect that after not seeing the old lady for so long, the old lady was still as feisty as ever. Stop fighting! Xia Zhe roared and the entire workshop fell silent. Old Madam Qians expression also changed the moment she saw Qiane. Qiane, look at how badly they beat up your uncle and younger brother! Fire all of them now! Old Madam Qian said as she pointed at a group of men. Qiane was so angry that her entire body was trembling. Qiao Mei patted Qiane and said, Leave it to me. Bring our factory staff to the infirmary first. Alright, Qiane said after taking a deep breath. The workshop manager limped to Qiao Meis side and said, Boss, I didnt want you to worry about this issue, but its really out of our hands... This workshop manager had worked for Qiao Mei for many years and she trusted him very much. What exactly is going on? Qiao Mei asked in a low voice. They came to the workshop this morning and started giving us orders. They even want to change our work process. So much meat was spoiled because of that! Thats why our people quarreled with them, the workshop manager said aggrievedly. I get it. Go to the infirmary first. I can take charge here, Qiao Mei said. After all the injured staff members left, Qiao Mei sat on a chair and said with a smile, I hope youve been well, Old Madam Qian. Hmph, Im not talking to you! Ask Qiane to come! Old Madam Qian said. Shes just one of my factory employees. At the end of the day, this factory is still mine. Since all of you have come to my factory to cause trouble, I have to ask you for an explanation, Qiao Mei said. What do you mean by your factory! You dont care about anything! You leave everything to our Qiane to handle! This is our Qian familys factory! Old Madam Qian said in an unreasonable manner. Is that so? If you want to maintain such an attitude, then we have nothing to talk about. Ill call the police now and let them see how much money Ive lost. You also have to pay for the medical fees of my employees. By the way! If theyre seriously injured, you might even have to go to jail! Qiao Mei said. Stop trying to scare us! Theyre not injured at all! They attacked first! Were the victims! Old Madam Qian roared. Qiao Mei shook her head resignedly. There was no need to reason with such scoundrels. She should just chase all of them out. However, the security officers must have already been bribed by the Qian family. If she wanted to take action, she would need to get her own people to do it. Da Zhuang and Xiao Zhuang rushed into the workshop with their men and each of them escorted one person out. Before they left, Qiao Mei felt a little regretful. There were no cell phones in this era and she did not think to bring a camera. Otherwise, she must definitely take a photo of the Qian family members in this sorry state. Chapter 2409: Compensation Chapter 2409: Compensation After getting rid of all those people, Qiao Mei knocked on the armrest of the chair and said, Is it a holiday today? All of you, get back to work. The remaining staff members in the workshop instantly disappeared and there was no sound apart from the hum of the machines. No one dared to speak. None of them dared to make Qiao Mei unhappy at this moment. All the long-time employees knew Qiao Meis temper and the new employees had also heard a little about her antics. In short, Qiao Mei was the very last person that one should trifle with in the capital! After Qiao Mei returned to the office, she thought long and hard and felt that it was necessary to have a good chat with the Qian family members. At this moment, Da Zhuang called her using the phone in the security officers booth. Sister-in-law, they refuse to leave. They just stand at the main door and keep crying, making it look like someone has died in our factory. There are already many people gathered outside, Da Zhuang said angrily. Qiao Mei was still worried about not knowing how to find them! She immediately said, Invite Old Madam Qian in nicely. Make sure you dont hurt her. Let the rest of them continue crying. To capture a thief, one must first capture the leader. It was most likely Old Madam Qian who came up with the idea for the Qian family to cause trouble at the factory. As long as she could settle Old Madam Qian, everything would be fine. Before long, Old Madam Qian was carried into Qiao Meis office by Da Zhuang and Xiao Zhuang. Yes, they carried her in. Old Madam Qian sat on a chair while Da Zhuang and Xiao Zhuang carried her in as if they were carrying a sedan chair. What are you going to do to me! Old Madam Qian pointed at Qiao Mei and roared at her. I wont dare to do anything. So many people outside saw you come in with their own eyes. How can I dare to attack you? Qiao Mei said with a smile. Then why do you want to see me? Old Madam Qian looked at Qiao Mei suspiciously. I hear from Qiane that your family members want to work in the factory. Since youre still not satisfied with the number of relatives that Qiane has hired in the factory, then tell me exactly how many positions do you need? Qiao Mei asked. Old Madam Qian did not quite believe her eyes when she saw Qiao Meis attitude at this moment. In the past, whenever she saw Qiao Mei, the young girl always looked very fierce, as if she wanted to swallow the old ladys entire family alive. Why was Qiao Mei being so nice today? Could it be that Qiao Mei was afraid because Qiane was now very influential? Around 20 plus! Old Madam Qian said firmly. What I want to tell you is that I have the final say in all staff matters. This is my factory, it does not belong to Qiane. Shes just my employee. Actually, her salary is the same as the other employees and its not a lot, Qiao Mei said. How is that possible! She has already bought three houses! Old Madam Qian said as she raised three fingers. It looked like Old Madam Qian had come prepared. If youve done your checks, youll know that those properties belong to my mother and me. They dont belong to Qiane. Its just that Qiane doesnt have a place to live, so we have rented the houses to her, Qiao Mei said. Shes alone! Why does she need so many houses! Old Madam Qian still did not believe what Qiao Mei said. Maybe she wants to maintain a facade that shes a rich person, Qiao Mei said. Impossible! Youre lying to me! Old Madam Qian said loudly. Its up to you whether you believe me or not. Look at this factory. These new machines are all imported from overseas. Do you think Qiane has the ability to buy these things? I still have the invoices for the machines here. Do I need to show you how much they cost? Qiao Mei said as she waved the invoices in her hand. Old Madam Qian snatched the invoices and looked at them. It took her a long time to count the zeros in the various figures and she finally believed what Qiao Mei said. She only felt resentment towards Qiane at the moment. If she had known about this earlier, she would not have caused such a ruckus for so many days! Alright, I wont go after you for the medical fees anymore, but my request is that you dont harass Qiane anymore, Qiao Mei said domineeringly. Qiane is forever a member of my family! Even if she dies! Why should we let you dictate whether we can keep in touch! What youre doing is separating the flesh and blood of our family! Old Madam Qian said agitatedly. Then lets settle the score properly. We have four injured people here. Their medical fees, nutrition fees, and compensation for loss of income and emotional damage come up to about 10,000 dollars. This is just the minimum amount. I also want you to compensate us for the factory having to stop work this morning. The total amount is around 50,000 dollars. How do you want to pay me? Qiao Mei asked. Youre trying to rob me! This is called a scam! Old Madam Qian said. We can go through the proper legal procedures to see if its considered a scam. Our factory has a legal department. Do you want me to ask the staff to come over? Qiao Mei asked. Old Madam Qian looked at Qiao Meis expression and it did not look like she was lying. The old lady immediately felt a little defeated. She did not even have 500 dollars to her name, what more 50,000 dollars. Chapter 2410: Sever Ties Chapter 2410: Sever Ties Old Madam Qian gave it some thought but felt that it was not worth it for her to give up. She could always pay back 50,000 dollars slowly. At most, she would make Qiane pay for her. If she cut ties with Qiane, then Qiane would not be contributing any income to the Qian family anymore! Qiao Mei continued, You will at most live for another 30 years, thats the age of the oldest person in our country. Lets say Qiane gives you 180 dollars every year. Even if we round it up to 200 dollars, the amount is 6,000 dollars after 30 years. How about this, Ill ask Qiane to give you a lump sum of 30,000 dollars in exchange for you signing a letter to sever ties with her. Otherwise, Ill immediately demand payment for more than 50,000 dollars in medical fees from you. An amount of 30,000 dollars! Old Madam Qian had never dared to imagine that she could become one of those ten-thousand-dollar households! In this era, ten-thousand-dollar households were families of very capable people. For the ordinary folk, it was already considered a lot when a family had savings of around 300 dollars. Deal! Old Madam Qian immediately said. Qiao Mei took out the agreement and money that she had prepared long ago. She asked Qiane to come in and sign the agreement with Old Madam Qian. When Qiane saw the agreement in front of her, she felt a little emotional. She did not expect the Qian family to give her up for money, even if it was a good thing for her. Take the money and leave my sight. Dont ever bother me anymore, Qiane said. Hmph, who cares about you. Old Madam Qian quickly stuffed the money into her bag, afraid that Qiao Mei and Qiane would go back on their word. After that, Da Zhuang and Xiao Zhuang carried Old Madam Qian out of the factory. Qiane sat on the sofa for a long time with the agreement in her hand. From a legal point of view, this agreement is invalid because no matter where you go, youre still a member of the Qian family. When they become old, you still have an obligation to take care of them, but at least this agreement can save you a lot of trouble, Qiao Mei said. An ending like this is already very good for me. Thank you, Qiane said. Qiao Mei smiled happily and said, You want to thank me? Then work hard for the rest of your life and work in my company for the rest of your life! Sure, sure, sure! Qiane said with a smile. Following this saga, Qiao Mei had a detailed discussion with Qiane about the upcoming arrangements in the factory. Qiane had a unique perspective when it came to doing business, but she did not have the ability to take charge well. She still needed Qiao Mei to guide her on many things. Yet this was already a huge improvement from the Qiane of the past. Who would have thought that the Qiane, who had been deceived by her husband and lost her child, would be doing so well now? Alright, I wont chat anymore. If anyone in the factory deserves to be fired, just do it. You only need to give them more compensation. Otherwise, you may get fights and people causing trouble every day and also security officers who neglect their duties. Do we want the factory to be operating well or not? Qiao Mei said resignedly. I understand! Ill draw up a list immediately! Qiane said. Qiane was just too soft-hearted and could not bear to fire those long-time employees. However, there were some people who did not work hard enough to justify their monthly pay and bonuses. Their existence also meant that the younger staff members did not have the chance to show their worth. This would make it very difficult for the factory to continue to do well. Im going home to take care of the children. You have to handle these things yourself. Remember to transfer the 30,000 dollars to my account! Qiao Mei said as she hurriedly picked up her bag. Qiane rolled her eyes and looked at Qiao Mei speechlessly. Qiao Mei was really a big fan of money! She had thought that Qiao Mei would be generous enough to pay this sum of money for her! As soon as Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe got home, they heard Xia Yang crying non-stop. His face was all red from crying and he even had a slight fever. Whats wrong? Is he hungry? Qiao Mei asked as she picked Xia Yang up from Feng Huas arms. Ever since Xia Yang was kidnapped, he had been very afraid of not getting to eat. Every time he was hungry, he would cry loudly. Qiao Meis heart ached for Xia Yang, but she did not have any good solutions to Xia Yangs psychological problems. She could only ensure that he was fed his milk on time. Ive fed him milk on time and Ive also changed my clothes, but he still doesnt stop crying. Ive already called Doctor Xia Fang. Shes on her way here, Feng Hua said anxiously. It was influenza season now, so Feng Hua did not dare to rashly bring Xia Yang out. She could only ask Xia Fang to come to the house to check on Xia Yang. Qiao Mei sang a nursery rhyme for Xia Yang and he stopped crying instantly. He grabbed Qiao Meis clothes with his small hands and refused to let go. Everyone looked at Xia Yang quietly and did not even dare to breathe loudly. He stopped crying... Xia Zhe muttered softly. This child is so young, yet he is able to recognize people, Feng Hua said in surprise. Ordinarily, children would only be able to recognize people at four to five months old. At that time, they would want to stay by the side of someone they were familiar with. Xia Yang was only about two months old, but he could already differentiate the people around him. The children in our family all blossom very young. What a smart child. It really almost scared me to death. I thought hes sick! Feng Hua sat on the chair and heaved a sigh of relief. Thats true but even Xia Fan and the other children did not blossom so early. Xia Yang is even more clever than his siblings! Qiao Mei said with a laugh. Chapter 2411: Hire a New Helper Chapter 2411: Hire a New Helper After Xia Yang had his fill of milk, Xia Zhe held Qiao Meis hand and led her back to the bedroom. She had been really tired out during this period of time and needed a good rest. Qiao Mei sat in front of the dressing table and combed her hair. All of a sudden, she thought of something and raised her head to look at Xia Zhe, asking, Are your higher-ups still assigning you new missions? How long will you be able to stay at home? Xia Zhe had already been back for a few months. By right, a young cadre like him should not be so free and there should be many secret missions that he needed to take part in. She did not know what reason he had given the military to take such a long break this time round. They didnt say anything this time round. Dont worry, I still have a long vacation break ahead of me. There might be other missions coming up though. Its hard to say because my identity is fairly awkward now, so I cant really show my face around, Xia Zhe said as he stood beside Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei was scared that Xia Zhes new mission would be a dangerous one again. She did not think she would be able to go through another round of stress. She was already exhausted after everything that happened to the children. Every time she received an urgent call from Yao Nian, she would feel chest pains. Dont worry, I wont leave all of you again, Xia Zhe said. After washing up, Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei went to bed. They snuggled together and fell asleep in peace. The next morning, Xia Zhe woke up quietly and left the house. Qiao Mei continued to sleep until the afternoon. Everyone was already used to this. When she opened her eyes, she saw Xia Yang sleeping obediently beside her. Feng Hua had no other choice. For now, Xia Yang only recognized Qiao Mei. If anyone else tried to carry him, he would cry. There was nothing they could do. Wheres Xia Zhe? Qiao Mei called out for Feng Hua to come into the room and asked while rubbing her eyes. He went out early in the morning and said that he would be back for dinner tonight, Feng Hua said. Qiao Mei nodded in acknowledgement. Qiao Mei never asked about Xia Zhes matters. If it had anything to do with her, he would take the initiative to tell her when he returned. It was useless for her to worry too much. Sister Feng, I want to discuss an issue with you, Qiao Mei said as she drank some warm water. Sure, sure, Feng Hua said immediately. Qiao Mei stopped to think for a long time before saying, Youve worked for me for a long time and youre like part of the family. I can also tell that youre taking really good care of us. Ive realized recently that there are too many things to do at home. Now that there is one more child in the family, I want to ask you if youre willing to let me hire another person to help take care of us. Feng Hua felt extremely nervous just now. She was worried that Qiao Mei wanted to fire her. She did not really care about how much she was paid. By now, she really could not bear to leave these four children. She had been taking care of them from the moment they were born. During this time, she treated them like her own biological grandchildren and already had deep feelings for them. Of course! You can do whatever you want! Just... just dont fire me. I really cant bear to part with the children, Feng Hua said. Why will I fire you! Im still hoping that you will stay here for the rest of your life! When youre old, Ill get the children to take care of you, Qiao Mei said with a smile. No way! Feng Hua said in surprise. Why not! You are the one who has brought them up. Although Im their mother, I dont even spend so much time with them. I should be thanking you. The children have all been brought up very well, Qiao Mei said gratefully. Tears welled up in Feng Huas eyes. She had worked as a helper to many different families throughout her life and Qiao Mei was the first client who was so nice to her. She was more than willing to work hard here for the rest of her life! Since youre alright with the idea, then Ill go ahead and hire another person. You just need to take care of the children. The new person will do the cleaning and cooking every day, Qiao Mei said. Alright, whatever you say, Feng Hua said. After the discussion, Feng Hua brought Xia Yang to the hospital for a checkup. Xia Yang was turning one month old soon, on the day after tomorrow. Qiao Mei had yet to discuss with her family what they wanted to do for Xia Yangs one-month-old celebration. That night, Xia Zhe, Xia Wen and Xia He came back to Qiao Meis house together. The two siblings made it sound like they were here to discuss Xia Yangs one-month-old celebration, but in reality, they were here to enjoy a free meal! Do you have any ideas about holding a one-month-old celebration? Should we do the same thing as what we did in the past? Qiao Mei asked. We are fine with anything, but it does seem that Mother is not in favor of organizing a one-month-old celebration, Xia He said slowly after taking a sip of tea. After all, the child had gone through so much recently. Xu Lan did not want to show Xia Yang to appear in front of too many people. Nowadays, whenever the four children were at a crowded place, Xu Lan would be very nervous, worried that the children would be abducted. Thats true. Xia Yang is a lot more timid than his siblings. Hes probably traumatized by what happened this time round. Its better if he is not surrounded by people, Xia Wen said. Chapter 2412: Retrenchment Chapter 2412: Retrenchment Sure, I have no objections, Qiao Mei said nonchalantly. After all, such an event was only organized for the adults. Xia Yang was only one month old, so he would not even know what was going on. Qiane walked into the living room with a big bag filled with items. She said with a smile, Oh, everyones here! Why is everyone here today! I have bought a lot of things meant for the children. In that case, divide them among yourselves so that I dont have to make separate trips to send them to your homes. Why did you buy so much? Did the baby goods store close down? Xia He asked curiously. No! Its just that Ive been in a good mood recently, so I want to spend money! Qiane said smugly. Xia He looked at Qiao Mei curiously. Qiao Mei waved her hands and said, She has completely cut ties with the Qian family. Right now, she cant wait to buy 10 more houses to celebrate the occasion. No, no, no! Madam Qiao! Youre underestimating my potential! Am I the kind of person who likes to buy houses now? I like to open new factories now! I want to open another 20 factories! Qiane said excitedly. Xia Wen held back his laughter and said, Then you can come to me for approval directly. Just say that youve bought all the land in the capital and that you want to open many factories so that the capital can become the number one industrial city. Hahahahahahaha... Everyone laughed cheerfully. Xia Zhe felt good as he looked at the scene in front of him. In the future, he wanted to see more and more days like this. It was so important that the family gathered together often. After dinner, everyone went back to their own homes. Qiane pulled Qiao Mei into the study and gave her a list of names. I have assessed all the staffs performance and these are the staff members whom I feel do not meet our standard. I want to retrench them and hire new staff, Qiane said. Qiao Mei looked at Qiane in surprise. She had thought that Qiane would be reluctant to lay off any employee. After all, these were the people who worked together with her day and night and they could also be considered to have accompanied the factory in its growth. The good thing was that the economy was still doing alright now. The wave of layoffs would only happen in a few years time. At that time, many factories would close down one after another and many workers would lose their jobs. Families would get broken up because of this. The workers they retrenched now would still be able to find work somewhere else and their livelihoods would not be affected. So many? Qiao Mei asked. Thats right. We have to retrench more than 70 people, Qiane said. Alright, lets do as you say then. But dont retrench all of them at once. The factory still needs to operate normally, Qiao Mei said. Alright, I know what to do, Qiane said with a nod. Apart from the list of layoffs, there was also a summary report on the recent orders and the factorys output. Qiao Mei looked at it with some annoyance. The factorys earnings in the recent quarter had decreased quite a bit. Do you know the reason for the decline? Qiao Mei asked. Its... its because of my family. But production has already increased this month and the sales volume has also returned to the previous level, Qiane said embarrassedly. Qiao Mei sighed and said, To show our sincerity, lets deduct the losses for this quarter from our year-end bonuses. When the time comes, get someone to put up an announcement to inform all the staff. Sure, Qiane said readily. Qiao Mei raised her eyebrows and asked, Arent you going to refute me? You are so happy for me to deduct your bonus? Its good enough that you havent fired me... Qiane said sheepishly. Make sure the new hires for the vacated positions go through a probation period. During the probation period, they will be paid as usual, but their status is different from that of regular employees. Lets set the probation period to be two months. You have to remember to assess them and dont let such a situation happen again. In addition, you have to arrange for the workshop manager to check everyones workload. Distribute the work properly and dont take advantage of the employees, but make sure that there are no employees who get away with being idle, Qiao Mei said. I know. Ive already made the arrangements, Qiane said. Qiao Mei put all the documents in the drawer. She looked at Qiane and said, Ill be going to the south soon to take a look at the other businesses. I still need you to run the factory here. You will be representing me, so you have to set high expectations. Dont be soft-hearted because you want to be nice. Were business people, not philanthropists. We can help them when they have difficulties at home, but thats a separate matter from work. For Qiane, her only weakness was that she was too soft-hearted. Otherwise, she would not have been harassed by the Qian family for so many years. Sure! Ill do what you say! Youre my backer! Qiane said confidently. She went back to the factory to continue making arrangements for the remaining work. Qiao Mei thought that Qiane would come to look for her a few days later. She did not expect Da Zhuang to be the one looking for her instead! Sister-in-law, are you free now? Da Zhuang leaned against the door and asked tentatively. Yes. Whats wrong? Come in and talk, Qiao Mei said. Da Zhuang looked at Qiao Mei awkwardly and did not say anything. He was really too embarrassed to speak up. Chapter 2413: Being the Matchmaker Chapter 2413: Being the Matchmaker Man up and just say whats on your mind! Did something happen at home? Qiao Mei said anxiously. Da Zhuang was the kind of person who spoke in a direct manner and did not beat around the bush. Looking at his current behaviour, either something had happened at home or he had money issues. Sister-in-law, I dont consider you an outsider, so I... Ill get straight to the point! Da Zhuang took a deep breath and said, I want to ask you to act as my matchmaker! To help me get my life partner! This is such a great thing to hear! Tell me which girl youre interested in and Ill help you talk to her! Qiao Mei said excitedly. Xiao Zhuang had been hiding behind the door and eavesdropping on their conversation. Seeing that Da Zhuang had difficulties speaking up, he jumped in and said, Sister-in-law, let me tell you! My brother has taken a fancy to Sister Qiane! What! Qiao Mei looked at both Da Zhuang and Xiao Zhuang in shock. During the past two years, she had heard so many different men say that they wanted to marry Qiane. Qiane was indeed a good woman, but her past experiences would usually make most men stop in their tracks. In this era, was there anyone who did not want to have a kid after getting married? Given that Qiane was infertile, plus all those scandalous news about her that had spread throughout the capital, she had not been able to find her life partner even after so long. Do the two of you know each other well? Qiao Mei asked curiously. From what she knew, Da Zhuang and Qiane had only bumped into each other occasionally all these years, but had never contacted each other in private. No... Da Zhuang said dejectedly. Qiao Mei looked down and pondered for a long time before saying, Da Zhuang, youre indeed a trustworthy man, but do you really know what Qiane is like? Both of you are not that young anymore. Marriage is not something to be taken lightly so you have to be mindful about what you want. Sister-in-law! My brother may seem bashful! The fact is that he took a fancy to Sister Qiane a year ago! Hes just too shy to go and look for Sister Qiane directly. Every time there were issues at the factory, my brother would go and help her out. Also, when the driveway light at her house stopped working, it was my brother who went to repair it! There were many such incidents! My brother is just... too reserved! He doesnt know how to express his feelings! Xiao Zhuang said agitatedly. These two brothers really complemented each other well. One was reliable and the other was quick-witted. If Xiao Zhuang had not said all these, Qiao Mei would have just assumed that Da Zhuang only eyed Qiane for her beauty! If thats the case... I can help you ask her, but you have to be mentally prepared for the answer, Qiao Mei said sternly. Sister-in-law! Ive given it a lot of thought! No matter what the outcome is! Ill accept it! Da Zhuang said as he looked at Qiao Mei earnestly. Why dont you want to confess your feelings personally? Qiane isnt an unreasonable person. She wont admonish you if you take the initiative to tell her. Besides, youve suppressed your feelings for so long. Why do you suddenly want me to act as your matchmaker now? Qiao Mei asked. Da Zhuang said, seemingly slightly annoyed, I know that Qiane is not interested in marriage, so Im prepared to quietly stay by her side. But recently... recently, there is a persistent suitor wooing Qiane! And hes more good-looking than me! I... Im a little flustered because of that. I dare not take any risk. I just think that my chances of success will be higher if Sister-in-law is my matchmaker. Do you know who that person is? Qiao Mei asked. She had never heard Qiane mention this matter before. It was probably something that had only happened recently. Xiao Zhuang immediately said, I know! This person is related to the Qian family. He is the nephew of her second aunt-in-law! His name is... is Huang Xuan! Huang Xuan... I seem to have heard of a person named Huang Xuan... Qiao Mei tried to recall the details, but she could only remember that Yao Nian had sent her some information about a person named Huang Xuan. She could not remember anything else. One look and I can tell that this person is unreliable! He just flatters Sister Qiane day in and day out! He likes to tell Sister Qiane that she is beautiful! He also likes to say that Sister Qiane is elegant and very capable! My brother is not that eloquent! Im so anxious whenever I watch from the side! Xiao Zhuang said anxiously. Da Zhuang had earned a lot of money from working for Qiao Mei in the past few years. To be closer to Qiane, he even bought a unit a few floors below her house. However, her schedule was completely different from his and he did not get to see her often. Unexpectedly, Huang Xuan had also moved to stay near Qiane! They did not know whether his new place was purchased or rented though. Da Zhuang was tall and burly and looked like a person who was not to be trifled with. All his neighbors were a little afraid of him. Even though everyone knew that he was a good person, it did not stop them from having some misgivings about him. Xiao Zhuang told Qiao Mei everything about what the other man had done till date, but the more details she heard, the more she felt that Huang Xuan was doing a good job. It did not sound like he had done anything wrong. So, do you want Qiane to know how you feel and for the two of you to get to know each other better, or do you want me to go and propose marriage on your behalf? Qiao Mei asked. Chapter 2414: Shield Chapter 2414: Shield Its too soon... to propose marriage. I just want Qiane to know that Im serious about this. I want to marry her! Da Zhuang said firmly. Theres really not much that I can do for you. I can only suss out how she feels about it, but you will have to put in the effort yourself, Qiao Mei said resignedly. The next day, Qiao Mei went to the factory. Qiane had taken Qiao Meis advice seriously and changed the security team stationed at the door. This time, the security officer on duty did not let Qiao Mei in. I issued access cards to all the employees yesterday. Everyone needs to swipe their cards to enter the premises nowadays. I was so busy yesterday and forgot to send it to you, Qiane said anxiously as she rushed to the factory entrance. No worries. I am just here to see how youve been doing recently, Qiao Mei said with a smile. There had been a lot of changes implemented within the factory. It looked like Qiane had really made up her mind to make reforms at the factory. In time, she would become a very experienced entrepreneur. One never visits unless one needs something. Hurry up and tell me why youre here, Qiane said teasingly when they reached the office. I heard that you recently have a persistent suitor whos crazy about you so Im here to ask if its true and to find out if you have any feelings for him? Qiao Mei said. Qiane waved her hand and said, Dont talk nonsense. Thats my relative and hes also a childhood friend. How can I be dating him? Stop fooling around. Really? However, before Qiao Mei could continue speaking, a man suddenly barged into the room. The man had a lunchbox in his hand and he said as he walked in, Xiaoe, I brought your favorite sweet and sour pork ribs today! Come and try it! This is not the first time that you dont knock before you enter my office. I thought I already told the security officer not to let you in? Qiane said with a frown. Oh... Dont blame him. Ive come by so many times that everyone probably already knows that Im your friend, the man said embarrassedly as he scratched his head. Qiao Mei sized up the man who was standing in front of her. She guessed that this must be the Huang Xuan that Da Zhuang and Xiao Zhuang were talking about. He was a good-looking man and was indeed much more handsome than Da Zhuang. However, she noted that he was a little too thin and looked quite frail. This is that friend of yours? Qiao Mei asked. Yes. Qiane looked at Huang Xuan and said, Take your things and leave. I can get food in the canteen. Dont come here anymore. Cant you see that Im busy with work now? Seeing that Qiane was unhappy, Huang Xuan immediately picked up the lunchbox and left. As he walked off, he said, Ill go now! Ill come and pick you up when you get off work! The office door closed with a bang and the entire room fell silent. Qiao Mei looked at Qiane with some heartache. It looked like Qiane was telling the truth and she did not like Huang Xuan at all. Why dont you just reject him clearly? Qiao Mei asked. Isnt this already a rejection? I feel like giving him a beating! Qiane said sulkily. Sigh... Im in such a difficult position! Qiao Mei said with a sigh. Qiane could tell that Qiao Mei wanted to talk to her about something and that it was likely to be about her love life. She asked with a slight smile, Why? Did Da Zhuang finally lose his patience and approach you to come and talk to me? Qiao Mei looked at Qiane in surprise and asked, How did you know? Da Zhuang is normally such a dorky and simple-minded person. Hes only streetsmart when hes at work. He doesnt know anything about love. Ive long known that he likes me, Qiane said. Then how do you feel about it? Qiao Mei asked. Me? I dont think Da Zhuang is good enough! I would rather fall for Huang Xuan than Da Zhuang! Qiane said, seemingly quite piqued. Why! Back then, you... Qiao Mei almost blurted out that Qiane previously had a huge crush on someone similar. Although Da Zhuang was not as good-looking as Xia Zhe, there were a lot of similarities in their temperaments. She would even say that the percentage of common traits between the two men was at least 30%! The two women recalled what happened when they first met and looked at each other with a smile. Those memories were really too precious. They must reminisce about these moments when they reached old age. As long as I dont get married, there will be many matchmakers looking for me every day. I know too well how many matchmakers there are in the entire capital. My phone is about to ring off the hook! Qiane said. Do you want to get married? If you dont want to get married, I wont force you. Anyway, Im just here to deliver a message, Qiao Mei said. I want to! I want to concentrate on my career, but these people are taking up too much of my time. I need a shield! I think Huang Xuan is a very good candidate! Qiane said. Then why not Da Zhuang? Qiao Mei questioned. I... I dont want to hold him back. After all, Da Zhuang is a good person and also, he has never been married before. He deserves better, Qiane looked down and said with some uncertainty. Chapter 2415: Divorcee Chapter 2415: Divorcee Qiao Mei did not press Qiane any further. Whatever Qiane wanted to do, she had her own considerations and plans. This was not something that could be rushed. Then tell me more about Huang Xuan. I still dont know what kind of person he is, Qiao Mei asked mildly. Huang Xuan is my second aunt-in-laws nephew and is very highly regarded by the Huang family. He is the only boy in his generation, Qiane said. Doesnt that mean that the Huang family favors boys over girls? In that case, why will they let Huang Xuan marry you? Qiao Mei asked in shock. It was not that Qiao Mei discriminated against or looked down on Qiane. The Huang family had so many daughters in the family because they really wanted a son to carry on the family line. It had been a long process for the Huang family before Huang Xuan came along. If he wanted to marry an infertile woman, then the Huang family would definitely make things difficult for Qiane! Huang Xuan was married before and had a son and a daughter. He is divorced now, so thats why his family is willing to let him marry me, Qiane said. Then did he tell you why he got a divorce? Qiao Mei asked. Ive met his ex-wife before. She looks quite mild-mannered and is the kind of person who doesnt have any opinions. Huang Xuan is usually the one who makes all the decisions, Qiane said. In that case, its even more impossible for such a person to bring up the issue of divorce with Huang Xuan! Qiao Mei said. The issue is Huang Xuans mother. Its said that his mother is the neighborhood shrew. Back then, she verbally abused Huang Xuans ex-wife to the extent that the marriage failed. The son stayed with Huang Xuan and the daughter left with his ex-wife, Qiane said. Qiao Mei could feel a headache coming on the moment she heard about such a family. If Qiane married into this family, she would definitely have a difficult time in the future. It had not been easy for Qiane to get rid of the Qian family. Was she really going to marry into a new Qian family? Qiane also felt a little sheepish when she saw Qiao Meis worried expression. After all, whatever she said about wanting a shield to block out all the blind dates was just a casual remark. She had not thought about what she wanted to do and still needed to think about the issue at length. Alright, you dont have to think too much about this. Lets take it one step at a time! Lets go and take a look at the new employees I recruited! These employees are our elite soldiers! We will definitely see good results this month! Qiane said excitedly. Whenever Qiane mentioned work and earnings, her eyes would light up. It looked like these were the only things that made her happy. When Huang Xuan reached home with the lunchbox in his hand, his mother, Zhao Zhi, was already waiting at the door. When she saw his dejected expression, she knew that he must have failed at his task to deliver food today! What happened? She didnt want to eat again? Zhao Zhi asked unhappily. No, she didnt eat. She was very busy at noon today and was talking to a woman, Huang Xuan said with a sigh. What woman? Is it her mother? Is it a member of the Qian family? Zhao Zhi quickly asked. No, Ive never seen this person before. Shes very beautiful, like a model in those magazines, Huang Xuan said, describing what he saw. Zhao Zhi did not care about some random beautiful woman. If it had nothing to do with Qiane, then it did not matter to her. The most important thing now was to get Qiane, the God of Fortune, to marry into their family! That way, their family would be able to live a carefree life! How can you be my son! During such a moment, you should go over and proclaim who you are! Its best if everyone thinks that you are in an ambiguous relationship with Qiane! Zhao Zhi said. That... that would be bad for her reputation... Huang Xuan said implicitly. What reputation! How much can reputation be worth! Zhao Zhi roared. Even then, we still cant do that. If there is any negative impact, the area district office will put up a big poster about it! Huang Xuan said. Zhao Zhi was so angry that she felt a little breathless. She pointed at Huang Xuan and said, When will you get a wife if you behave in this manner! You are so useless, just like your father! Dont you want Qiane to marry you? If you continue to dawdle! Qiane will marry someone else! At this point, Huang Xuan frowned. After spending so much time with Qiane, he realized that he really liked her. He felt that she was different from all the other women he had met before. Even though she was usually quite feisty, he still found her cute. I want to marry her... Huang Xuan whispered embarrassedly. If you want to, then you have to make sure you grab the opportunity! Zhao Zhi said anxiously. Cough, cough, cough... Who would want a woman who cant have children? Only our Huang Xuan is interested in her. She should feel blessed that she can marry into the Huang family! said Old Madam Huang as she walked out of the room. As if! Mother, you have no idea! Qiane is very rich and all her relatives are eyeing her because of this! Zhao Zhi said. Is that so? Those people are definitely not as good a catch as my eldest grandson. Tell that woman named Qiane not to be so unappreciative, Old Madam Huang said. Chapter 2416: Mummys Boy Chapter 2416: Mummys Boy Zhao Zhi was also actively thinking of a plan. Their family had to put in a lot of effort to get in touch with Qiane. It was already good enough that Qiane did not have a bad impression of them because of their ties to the Qian family. Hurry up and get it done! Qiane ate so much meat from our family! If she doesnt want to be your daughter-in-law, then ask her to return all that meat! Old Madam Huang said indignantly. Although Zhao Zhi and Huang Xuan did not speak, they both felt that what Old Madam Huang said made sense. Their family had spent so much time and effort so that Qiane would marry into the family. If Qiane did not want to marry into their family, then she should have rejected their kindness. How could she accept their kindness while rejecting them at the same time? How could there be such a good deal! Then she was just wasting Huang Xuans time! Then... then what should I do? Huang Xuan asked anxiously. Ask her to come to our house for dinner tomorrow! We must get her into your bed! No matter the cost! Qiane will be your wife! Zhao Zhi said. Yes! Lets do as your mother says! This is the fastest way! Old Madam Huang said. Alright! Huang Xuan nodded and said. Huang Xuan had always done whatever his family members said from when he was young. He felt that his family members would never harm him and that the people who doted on him the most in the world were his mother and grandmother! Whatever they said would never be wrong. That night, Huang Xuan went to pick up Qiane from work. When he saw her, he said, My mother and grandmother would like to invite you over to our place for a meal tomorrow. At that moment, Qiao Mei was standing beside Qiane. She had stayed at the factory the entire day. Qiane had many proposals for Qiao Mei to approve. After a long period of coaxing and pestering, she managed to get an increase in the budget from 300,000 to 800,000 dollars. Qiao Mei sized up Huang Xuan carefully. She had not been able to take a long hard look at him at noon. He was a good-looking man, but somehow, she felt that there was something not quite right about him. Perhaps it was his temperament. People may say that Huang Xuan was an upright man, but in Qiao Meis eyes, he may not live up to that reputation. There was no trace of kindness and amiableness in his eyes, only craftiness and slyness. Im not free. I have something on tomorrow, Qiane said coldly. For a fake marriage, Qiane was not looking for a man whom she could entrust herself to, but a man who had nothing to do with her in terms of emotions and common assets. In that way, she would not feel guilty even if she had to offend him in the end. In that sense, Huang Xuan was dispensable to Qiane. At first, Huang Xuan and Qiane had quite a close relationship. They grew up together and had been classmates since kindergarten. However, after Qiane ran into those tough situations, Huang Xuan seemed to have disappeared into thin air. At some point, he even mocked her and looked down on her together with other people. After that, Qiane no longer had any friendly feelings for Huang Xuan. Huang Xuan felt a little awkward. After all, he had been doted on by his family since he was young. He felt embarrassed that Qiane had rejected him in front of so many people. You can come however late you want. My mother intends to cook your favorite black chicken soup and theres also a lot of other delicious food. Only my mother and grandmother will be there, no one else, Huang Xuan said. Huang Xuan was the fifth child in his family and he had four elder sisters! Its not about the number of people there. Im really very busy, Qiane said helplessly. I have also asked Brother Da Zhuang and Brother Xiao Zhuang to come along! The two of them previously said that they would like to visit us to apologize for what happened the last time, Huang Xuan said quickly. Qiao Mei and Qiane were both shocked to hear that. When did Da Zhuang and Xiao Zhuang become so close to Huang Xuan? Were they pretending to be on good terms with Huang Xian because they were trying to find out more about the competition? Both Zhao Zhi and Old Madam Huang were very aggressive characters. Da Zhuang and Xiao Zhuang would definitely get bullied at some point and they might even be asked to compensate Huang Xuan for emotional damages! What time? Qiane asked. 8 p.m.! Huang Xuan said with a smile. Alright, noted, Qiane said resignedly. Ill come and pick you up then~ With that, Huang Xuan left. You... really want to marry such a man? All he talks about is his mother. Qiao Mei pointed in the direction where Huang Xuan had left and questioned Qiane. Qiane shrugged and said, I... Im starting to regret it. Take some time to think about it. I may be Da Zhuangs matchmaker but it is a fact that Da Zhuang has a stable job and an uncomplicated family structure. The most important thing is that he likes you and already knows everything about you. His family has Xiao Zhuang to carry on the family line so they wont give you too much pressure, Qiao Mei said. You said you wont interfere, but in the end, you put in so many good words for Da Zhuang, Qiane said with a laugh. Look, both of you are important to me. Da Zhuang worked very hard to help during the time with Xia Yang, so I want him to be happy. But youre my closest friend and it is even more important for me that you are happy, Qiao Mei said as she looked at Qiane sincerely. Chapter 2417: Refuse to Go to School Chapter 2417: Refuse to Go to School Yes, I know. Dont worry, Im not so stupid as to gamble the rest of my life away, Qiane said. Qiao Mei drove Qiane home before returning to her own house. When she reached the main door, she could hear Xia Yang crying loudly. She thought that he must be missing her again, so she quickened her pace and entered the house. When she pushed open the door to the room, she saw Xia Yang lying in the pram and crying loudly. The other three children were surrounding him and trying their best to coax him. When they saw Qiao Mei coming in, they could not help but start crying as well. Oh my, oh my, whats going on? Qiao Mei asked in a panic. Mama! Our youngest brother keeps crying! We... weve tried many methods, but nothing works! Boohoohoo, what should we do! Xia Xing said as she looked at Qiao Mei aggrievedly. Dont cry anymore! Wait for Mama. Ill go and wash my hands now! Qiao Mei quickly went to the bathroom to wash her hands. After that, she stopped to give each of the three children a kiss before she prepared the powdered milk mixture and fed Xia Yang. She was so familiar with all these tasks that she did not even need to stop and think. She could do all these even with her eyes closed. The three older children had already started going to school. Xia Fan and Xia Xing had reached the age to be enrolled in kindergarten. After two years, they would progress to elementary school. Xia Yue was still young and not of school-going age yet, but he really did not want to be separated from his older siblings. In this era, such rules were not very strictly enforced. It was a time when the country needed talented people. So long as his presence did not disrupt classes and affect the other students, Xia Yue was allowed to go to school with Xia Fan and Xia Xing. If he was able to get outstanding results, they might even make an exception for him to enter elementary school early! Alright, all of you should go and do your homework now! What did you learn in school today? Tell Mama about it, Qiao Mei asked in a gentle voice. Xia Xing picked up her school bag and said, Sigh... Mama, is it alright if I dont go to school? Huh? Are your schoolmates not nice to you? Or does the teacher scold you? Qiao Mei asked Xia Xing sternly. No, its just that everything the teacher tells us is too simple. Our classmates are also a little too childish, Xia Fan said on Xia Xings behalf. Yes, Xia Xing said affirmatively. Qiao Mei looked at the three children helplessly. It was really not a good thing for children to be too smart because they would end up having nothing in common with people their age. If this went on, they would find it hard to make friends. They might end up not even having a single friend. Then do you want to continue going to this kindergarten? Qiao Mei asked. No... the three children replied together. How about this? The three of you will stay at home and study here for the time being. Ill get your eldest uncle to come over and supervise you! Give Mama some time to think about your schooling situation, Qiao Mei said. Alright! the children said excitedly. Apart from their parents, they liked their eldest uncle and second aunt the most. Every time Xia Wen and Xia He came to visit, they would bring many, many toys and a lot of delicious food. They would also bring all types of snacks which Qiao Mei did not allow them to eat. Xia He would secretly pass them the snacks when no one was looking. Qiao Mei was in a good mood today so she cooked personally for the children. It had been a long time since the children had tasted Qiao Meis cooking! Everyone was in for a treat today. The next night, Qiao Mei sat in the courtyard and watched the children at play. She took a look at the time and noted that Qiane must be at Huang Xuans house by now. Suddenly, Da Zhuang and Xiao Zhuang appeared in the courtyard and yelled out, Sister-in-law! Are you at home? We saw your car outside! Eh? Why are you here? Qiao Mei asked in surprise. Then where should we be? Da Zhuang and Xiao Zhuang stood rooted to the spot and asked in confusion. Qiao Mei immediately realized that something was wrong! Didnt Huang Xuan invite you to dinner? Qiao Mei asked quickly. No, why would that guy treat us to a meal? Hes always trying to avoid us! Xiao Zhuang said disdainfully. Get in the car! We have to go to Huang Xuans house! He tricked Qiane into meeting him! Qiao Mei shouted. What! Da Zhuang said in shock. Xiao Zhuang, you stay at home and look after the children. Da Zhuang and I will go and look for Huang Xuan and Qiane, Qiao Mei said as she analyzed the situation calmly. Xiao Zhuang nodded and said, Sister-in-law, leave it to me. Go now! Along the way, Qiao Mei prayed that nothing would go wrong and that Qiane would be able to protect herself well. It was already 8 p.m. At this hour, if a man and a woman were found to be in the same room together, it would become a scandal when word got out, even if they did not do anything at all. Qiao Mei hoped that she was simply thinking too much. It would be best if Qiane was in her own house now. As Qiane woke up in a daze, she found herself tied up and left on a bed with a small towel in her mouth. She tried to recall what had happened earlier and suddenly realized that she had been tricked by Huang Xuan! Chapter 2418: Kidnapped While Unconscious Chapter 2418: Kidnapped While Unconscious Mmm mmm! Mmm! Mmm mmm mmm! Qiane grunted as she struggled with all her might. Youre finally awake, Huang Xuan said with a smile as he walked into the room. Upon hearing the sounds, Zhao Zhi also walked in. She grinned at Qiane and said, My child, dont be afraid. We wont do anything to you. You just have to stay here until noon tomorrow. Just one night. Mmm mmm! Qiane struggled and tried to speak. As there was a towel in her mouth, no one could understand what she was trying to say. Zhao Zhi had always been very nice to her, otherwise she would not have drank the water which Zhao Zhi offered. Who would have thought that Zhao Zhi would do such a despicable thing to force her to marry Huang Xuan! She had thought that if those matchmakers caught her on a bad day one of these days, she might just decide to marry Huang Xuan. What a thing to happen now. Even if she had to die! She would never marry Huang Xuan! Her reputation in the capital was already very bad, so she did not mind even if it got worse. It would be best if no one in the capital dared to marry her in the future! To ensure that the plan was foolproof, Zhao Zhi had even removed all the clothes that Qiane was wearing. Even if Qiane managed to escape, she would not be able to explain herself at all. Right at this moment, Qiao Mei and Da Zhuang arrived just in time. Qiao Mei gripped the steering wheel and yelled at Da Zhuang, Hold on tight! Qiao Meis car was of military grade and the wooden fence outside Huang Xuans house was not an obstacle for her at all. The two of them crashed their way into the courtyard and then ran into the house just in time to see Huang Xuan reaching out towards Qiane to remove the towel from her mouth. Da Zhuang almost went mad with anger. He rushed up to punch Huang Xuan and shouted, Sister-in-law! Take Qiane with you! Qiao Mei immediately wrapped Qiane with a blanket and even ensured that her face was covered tightly. With Qiao Meis super strength, it was not a problem for her to carry Qiane on her back. Stop fighting! Stop fighting! Dont hit my son! Zhao Zhi said in a panic. Da Zhuang went all out and made sure that every punch counted. It was a bloody scene, but he was sane enough to hold back enough to leave Huang Xuan alive. After getting into the car, Qiao Mei quickly untied all the rope around Qiane. As Qiane pulled out the towel from her mouth, she hugged Qiao Mei as she wailed, You came to save me! You came to save me! How can I be so stupid! How can I believe what they say! Qiao Mei gently stroked Qiane on the back and said, Its fine now. Were all here. Its all their fault. Dont blame yourself. Da Zhuang drove them back to Qiao Meis house in silence. He did not know how to console Qiane. In fact, he did not know who he was to her at this point in time and in what capacity to offer words of comfort to her. Moreover... when they barged into the room earlier, Qiane was totally unclothed. He was not blind so he saw everything. This made him feel that he had let Qiane down somehow and tainted her innocence. Qiane was still crying even after she entered the room in Qiao Meis house. She was still in shock and there were still visible marks on her body from being tied up with the rope. Da Zhuang sat outside the main door and smoked non-stop. When Xiao Zhuang saw this situation, he could guess what had happened even without having to ask. Elder Brother... what do you want to do next? Xiao Zhuang stood beside Da Zhuang and asked softly. Da Zhuang seemed to have made up his mind about something. He put out the cigarette, stood up and walked to the room where Qiao Mei and Qiane were in. He knocked on the door and said, I have something to say. Its not convenient for you to come in now. Just speak outside the door, Qiao Mei said. I... Ill take responsibility. That is if you feel that Im a decent person. Im willing to marry you! Qiane, Im serious! Da Zhuang said sternly. Qiane covered her face and said, Im not in the mood to talk about these things now! Qiao Mei held her forehead helplessly. She had thought that Da Zhuang wanted to say something important. She definitely did not expect him to propose at this moment. Xiao Zhuang and you can stay over in the backyard for now, Qiao Mei said. Qiane heaved a sigh of relief when she no longer heard footsteps outside. She actually felt quite touched just now. She did not expect Da Zhuang to still be so devoted to her even after what happened. What do you want to do now, should we call the police? Qiao Mei asked when she saw that Qiane had calmed down. I... I dont know, Qiane said aggrievedly. Before she passed out, she had heard the conversation between Zhao Zhi and Huang Xuan. It was Zhao Zhi who had removed all her clothes, which meant that Huang Xuan did not touch her at all. Even if they called the police, they did not have any evidence. On the other hand, Huang Xuans injuries were all caused by Da Zhuang and it was very likely that Da Zhuang would be held legally responsible. Qiao Mei was about to say that she could definitely win any lawsuit. In her other life, she was a criminal lawyer who had never lost a case, but then again, this matter involved Qiane and her reputation. In this era, a womans reputation was more important than her life. If this whole issue blew up, it would only disadvantage Qiane. Dont worry. Lets think of another way, Qiao Mei said as she patted Qiane on the hand. Chapter 2419: Agree to Try Chapter 2419: Agree to Try Da Zhuang and Xiao Zhuang were often on duty at Qiao Meis house, so Qiao Qiang had set aside a room in the backyard part of the house for them to rest. Xiao Zhuang started to make the bed while Da Zhuang sat by the window and smoked non-stop. Elder Brother, you should put out the cigarette. The four children will come to the backyard to play during the day and its not good for their health. Besides, smoking wont solve any of your problems, Xiao Zhuang said with a sigh. Im just wondering if Qiane will start to avoid me after tonight, Da Zhuang said. Xiao Zhuang could not say for sure. Furthermore, in order to cover up whatever happened today, Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe might even transfer the two brothers out of the capital. Sister Qiane would have taken note of whatever you said to her earlier, but too many things have happened today. Shes likely caught off guard so you need to give her more time. She must be feeling very scared after what happened today, Xiao Zhuang said patiently as he analyzed the situation. Seeing that Da Zhuang did not move an inch, Xiao Zhuang knew that there was nothing more that he could say. It was better to let Da Zhuang think it through on his own. He covered himself with the blanket and fell asleep. The next day, at the crack of dawn, Da Zhuang stood outside the door to the room where Qiane was in. When Qiane pushed the door open, she immediately saw Da Zhuang. The two of them looked at each other in silence and Qiane soon started to blush. Im here... Im here to talk to you. Is it a convenient time now? Da Zhuang asked tentatively. Yes, it is. We can talk here, Qiane said softly. Da Zhuang took a deep breath as if he was mustering his courage. He did not show any signs of cowardice or hesitation as he said firmly, My name is Gao Zhuang. Im 32 years old this year and my familys house is located in the village at the edge of the capital. My parents are still alive. Other than Xiao Zhuang, I also have an eldest brother and a youngest sister. There are a total of four of us kids in our family and Im the second eldest. Wait! Why... why are you telling me this? Qiane asked in shock. I really really like you. Ive already told my parents about you. My family doesnt need me to carry on the family line and my parents have accepted the fact that I will not have any children in the future. If you really like children, then we can see if any of my brothers or relatives have too many children to support and we can adopt a child from them, Da Zhuang said. Who told you that I like children! Qiane said with shy annoyance. I have also bought a small house near your place and the courtyard there is already filled with flowers. I remember you saying that you like bright red roses the most, so Ive already planted them there for you. From now on, Ill cook delicious food for you at home every day! Whatever you like! Im willing to learn anything! You also mentioned previously that you like kittens very much. Ive set aside a room for your pets. When the time comes, we can plant flowers in spring, bask in the sun in summer, harvest our crops in autumn, and build snowmen in winter... Da Zhuang rambled on and on. It turned out that Da Zhuang remembered every single word that Qiane said before. He had even already settled any issues that might crop up in his family because he was worried that Qiane would feel uncomfortable when she married into the family. Qiane had tears in her eyes. She was really unable to go against her own feelings and reject Da Zhuang. By now, she was really feeling very touched by everything he did. If such a good man married another woman, she would definitely be sad for the rest of her life. Did... did I say too much? Da Zhuang asked embarrassedly. No, Qiane said in a trembling voice. Then what do you think? I know Ive been disturbing your peace recently. If you reject me today, then I wont have any improper thoughts anymore, Da Zhuang said. Im going to say yes! But... but we should date each other for a while first. As for what happens after that, we can talk about it later, Qiane said with a flushed face. Da Zhuang did not seem to hear what Qiane said. He stood rooted to the spot and pondered for a long time before he realized that Qiane had said yes to him! He was so excited that he could not speak! Are... are you at a loss for words? Qiane said. Im just too happy! Im so happy! Does that mean that we are a couple now? Da Zhuang asked bluntly. Qiane had never met such a direct person before. She pushed Da Zhuang away shyly and ran off, leaving him standing at the door alone with a silly smile on his face. I have a girlfriend now... Qiane is my girlfriend... I have a girlfriend!!! Da Zhuang yelled out towards the sky. In his 30 odd years of living, today was the happiest day of his life. Qiane braced herself and went back to work like it was a normal day. After all, she was responsible for all the employees in the factory. She could not give up on her life and herself just because something bad had happened. She had already done that once and she did not want to go through that a second time. Xia He arrived at Qiao Meis house bearing many gifts. She had already heard about what happened to Qiane. Chapter 2420: Innocence Tainted Chapter 2420: Innocence Tainted Wheres Qiane? I bought some clothes and jewelry for her. Shes usually fond of all these things so itll probably make her feel better, Xia He looked at Qiao Mei and whispered. She has already gone off to work early in the morning, Qiao Mei said. What? She has gone off to work? I thought she would feel down for a few days. It looks like Ive underestimated her, Xia He said happily as she put down the things she brought. I think its all just a facade. Qiane will feel down once she has some free time. She just does not want other people to know, Qiao Mei said. So what do we do about this matter? Are we just going to let it go? Were not going to teach that family a lesson? Xia He said angrily. Of course not, but we still have to wait for a while and see what Qiane thinks. Otherwise, she might be overwhelmed when the matter blows up, Qiao Mei said. Xia He looked at the things on the floor and said, In that case, accompany me to the factory to visit her. I bought her so many things that she cant bear to buy for herself. Shell definitely be happy to see these things. Qiao Mei nodded. She also went to her wardrobe to take out a few new dresses. She had originally planned to give these clothes to Qiane in the future, but they had come in handy now. The two of them got into the car and soon arrived at the factory entrance. This time round, Qiao Mei had brought her access card. Before she could even take it out though, the security guard immediately said, Director! You have to go in and take a look now! Theres a fight inside! I couldnt manage to block out the troublemakers! The security guard immediately opened the main gate and Qiao Mei stepped on the accelerator, heading straight to the workshop building. Just as the security guard had said, it was already a huge mess inside. Beat them up! Beat them as hard as you can! If they die, its on me! None of you will be in trouble! Qiane pointed at a group of people in the crowd and shouted hysterically. This was the first time Qiao Mei and Xia He had seen Qiane in such a state. Who did she see? It was a big group of people who were currently getting beaten up. There were both men and women, old and young, probably slightly more than 10 people. Even as they were getting beaten up, someone kept shouting, Youre really a whore! Everyone, come and take a look! Qiane is a nasty piece of work! She slept with my son and refuses to admit it! My son is still so young! How can my son face the world in the future! Hearing this, Qiao Mei and Xia He knew who these people were. They were Huang Xuans family members. In this era, they had only heard of women asking men to take responsibility after the men took advantage of them. They had never heard of a man asking a woman to take responsibility! What an odd situation. Nonsense! What evidence do you have to prove that I slept with your son! With your sons looks! Who will hanker for him! You should take a long hard look in the mirror! Qiane said agitatedly. Zhao Zhi immediately took out a bra from her bag, the bright red color immediately drawing everyones attention. She held up the bra and shouted, Look! This belongs to the whore! You left your underwear at my house! Yet you still refuse to admit it! Everyone stopped what they were doing and the entire workshop fell silent. No one dared to make a sound. It was not impossible that Huang Xuan and Qiane had slept together. After all, everyone had seen how hard Huang Xuan worked to woo Qiane during the past two months. However, Huang Xuan was not really a young man anymore. He had been married before and had fathered children. These two people had both been married before, so how did the situation end up like this? Everyone knew that Huang Xuan eyed Qiane only for her money. Qiane was really quite unlucky to have attracted the attention of this man. You cant just simply pull out a random piece of clothing and say that its mine. Wheres your proof? If you cant prove it today, Ill go to the police station to report you! Qiane said. Its true that I cant prove it, but I can prove that you came into my house with my son that day! I saw you! And Im not the only one who saw you! All the neighbors saw you! Zhao Zhi said smugly as she sat on the floor. Qiane clenched her fists in anger. Indeed, the Huang familys neighbors had seen her enter the Huang familys house and there was no way to refute that fact. By now, Da Zhuang was so angry that he almost went forward to beat Huang Xuan up again. Zhao Zhi pointed at Da Zhuang and said, This is the man! This man beat up my son! He disfigured my son! That day, all my neighbors saw it! The third wheel in the relationship even dares to come to our house to cause trouble! My son has such a hard life! Such a hard life! Seeing that the situation was getting out of control, Qiao Mei immediately pushed her way through the crowd and walked to the centre. This old lady is really quite unreasonable. Even if you want to get a daughter-in-law, you have to propose marriage in a formal manner. How can you use such despicable methods? Your entire family must be too hard up for money! Zhao Zhi had wanted to refute Qiao Mei, but she was stunned when she turned and saw Qiao Meis face. Old Madam Qian had emphasized to her again and again that Qiao Mei was a very difficult person to deal with and that if she bumped into Qiao Mei, she must quickly think of a way to leave and not get into an argument with Qiao Mei. Chapter 2421: Red Underwear Chapter 2421: Red Underwear What nonsense are you talking about! How can my son be dating such a woman! It will be such a disgrace! Zhao Zhi said in annoyance. Oh? Is that so? In that case, it sounds to me that you dont want Qiane to marry your son. Is that what you mean? Qiao Mei asked as she stared at Zhao Zhi. Given Zhao Zhi had said what she said earlier, it was too late for her to go back on her word now, so she could only bite the bullet and admit to it. But not long ago, I saw Huang Xuan sending food to Qiane every day and even picking her up from work. I heard that you were the one who cooked all that food. If your family doesnt like Qiane, then why did you do all these? Qiao Mei questioned. How is that possible! I made the food for my son! How do I know who my son gives the food to! It has nothing to do with me! Zhao Zhi said. Even though Zhao Zhi said that, the people standing around were not that gullible. Back then, Zhao Zhi would always go around the factory to chat with the workers and she told everyone that Qiane was her daughter-in-law. She did not miss any chance to tell people that Qiane and Huang Xuan were dating! Thats not what you said back then! At that time, you even made chicken soup for Qiane to improve her health! someone in the crowd shouted. The people in the crowd started saying all kinds of things. Zhao Zhi was furious but she did not dare to say anything, worried that she would say something wrong and give Qiao Mei some form of ammunition to use against her. Since Qiane does not want to fall out with you, then let me be the bad guy. Qiao Mei stood directly in front of Zhao Zhi and said, Two days ago, Qiane had gone to your house. It was your son who invited her. I was also there and I can bear witness to it. What happened was that after she arrived at your house, she scolded you and you ran off, even threatening to beat her up. After that, she hired some people to smash up your house. Am I right? The truth that Qiane had been kidnapped and stripped of her clothes must never see the light of day. Qiao Mei was also very sure that Zhao Zhi would not mention it. If the truth got out, at most Qiane would become a social pariah, but Huang Xuan would have to go to jail for the rest of his life. Zhao Zhi clenched her fists in anger. She definitely could not tell the truth, but when she thought about the big house Qiane owned and all that money, she was unable to let it go! She could only take a gamble now. Otherwise, she would regret it for the rest of her life! I dont care! Whats the use of saying so much! Zhao Zhi held up the red bra and said, Now that she has slept with my son! She must marry him! Qiane stomped her feet in anger and said angrily, Thats not mine! When have I ever slept with your son! Qiane realized that she had no way of communicating with Zhao Zhi. She really felt like giving Zhao Zhi a good beating to vent her anger, but Qiao Mei grabbed hold of her. Qiao Mei gave Da Zhuang a look and he immediately understood what she meant. He quickly brought a chair over for Qiane to sit on. Qiao Mei stared at Zhao Zhi and asked, Are you sure this bra belongs to Qiane? How can it not be hers! I will even dare to take an oath! This bra belongs to Qiane! After saying that, Zhao Zhi even waved the bra in her hand. Qiao Mei shook her head and smiled mockingly. The bra was already falling apart and there were a lot of stains on it. The fabric was also of very poor quality, not to mention the lousy workmanship. It was obvious that Zhao Zhi had sewn it herself using a random piece of fabric. Do you think Qiane will wear this type of underwear? Qiao Mei asked. Why not! After saying that, Zhao Zhi turned to look at Qiane but was instantly rendered speechless. Qiane was currently wearing branded clothes from head to toe. She had heard that Qiane had dedicated tailors to custom make her clothes for her! The pair of leather shoes she was wearing cost more than 2,000 dollars! It was enough to cover an ordinary persons expenses for two years! How do you know that Qiane doesnt wear something like this! Qiane is a very frugal person! She makes her own clothes! Zhao Zhi said, trying hard to explain herself. There was no way that Qiane could prove her innocence. Was she going to take off her clothes in public and show everyone the quality of her underwear? This was impossible! Da Zhuang, go and retrieve that bra and then hold it up, Qiao Mei said as she waved her hand. Da Zhuang felt a little disgusted. He knew that the bra definitely did not belong to Qiane, but Qiao Mei must have her reasons for asking him to do that. Da Zhuang held back his disgust, snatched the bra from Zhao Zhis hand and held it up. It did not take long for someone in the crowd to notice something amiss. The bra could fit two Qianes! How could this bra belong to Qiane! Who would wear underwear that did not fit? Auntie, you should tell the truth. Is this your bra? Qiao Mei asked with a laugh. You... youre talking nonsense! I must have brought the wrong one! I probably brought the wrong one! Zhao Zhi said with a red face. Indeed, this bra belonged to her. It had never crossed her mind that it would not fit Qiane. For so many years, her children gave her all their salary to show their filial piety. She had spent all the money on food and had gained a lot of weight over the years. Chapter 2422: Letting Go Chapter 2422: Letting Go How can there be so many coincidences at the same time? Stop slandering Qiane! I know that Qiane is single now so there are people who want to try and get a share of her money. There are people who cant wait to skin her alive! However, you have to take a good look at yourself first! Dont go too far! Qiao Mei scolded. Zhao Zhi did not dare to argue with Qiao Mei. She thought about giving up, but when she looked down and saw how badly Huang Xuan had been beaten up, she shouted in anger, But my son has been beaten up! You have to compensate us for the medical fees! Sure. Da Zhuang, get someone to work out the medical fees with her. At the same time, she has to compensate us for the disruption in our work schedule, as well as compensate us for the medical fees of our workers who are injured during the fight. Make sure everything is properly accounted for, Qiao Mei said. Alright. With that, Da Zhuang left with Zhao Zhi and Huang Xuan. All the factory workers sensibly dispersed and went back to work. Qiao Mei led Qiane back to the office. After what Zhao Zhi did, Qiane did not have much strength left. She felt as if all her energy had been sucked out of her. Why dont you consider marrying Da Zhuang? Once you do that, no one will bother you anymore. Besides, Da Zhuang is really a very nice person, Qiao Mei said tentatively. I... but I cant hold him back. I dont have my uterus anymore. I cant be the reason why he doesnt have children! Qiane said, looking troubled. I thought Da Zhuang doesnt care about this? Qiao Mei said. Then... then are we able to sleep together? Since I dont even have a uterus anymore... Qiane whispered. In this era, societal practices were still very feudal and people did not have much common knowledge. No one talked about such things in private and parents did not teach their kids about sex education. It was quite normal that Qiane was so ignorant about this topic. Qiao Mei patiently explained the situation to Qiane, but Qiane still could not quite understand. In the end, Qiao Mei had to draw a diagram of the female productive organs and give Qiane a proper biology lesson. After that, Qiane finally had an understanding of what was going on. I see... Qiane said. Qiao Mei thought for a long time before she said, Actually, its not impossible for you to have your own child. What do you mean? I dont even have a uterus anymore. How can I have my own child? Qiane asked Qiao Mei in shock. After a couple of decades, technology would become very advanced. Qiane had only removed her uterus, not her ovaries. She could freeze her eggs first and then wait for technology to catch up to the point where it was possible to have test-tube babies. Even though Qiane did not have a uterus anymore, doctors might eventually be able to implant an artificial one into her body. As long as technology kept improving, that day would come. Qiao Mei had handled a similar medical lawsuit in her other life and understood most of the principles behind it. As Qiane listened to what Qiao Mei said, the more excited she became and her eyes were filled with hope. The truth was that Qiane had always hoped to have a child of her own. When she was young, she was insensible and had done many irreparable things. Hearing what Qiao Mei said, she had regained hope that she could become a normal person again! Just thinking about it made her excited. This might be a reward from the heavens for being able to survive all the tribulations in her life. Qiane looked at the diagram which Qiao Mei drew and wept silently. Qiao Mei sighed and pushed open the door to walk out of the office. She had only taken a few steps when she heard heart-wrenching wails coming out of the office. Qiao Mei understood that these tears contained all the grievances and despair that Qiane had accumulated over the years. She really needed to vent it all out. Da Zhuang returned after dealing with the matters at the police station and heard Qiane wailing loudly. He was shocked and asked Qiao Mei, Whats wrong with Qiane? Is it because she still cant accept what happened the other day? Allow her to let off some steam. Come with me and dont disturb her, Qiao Mei said. Da Zhuang drove Qiao Mei home. He was distracted the entire journey and was constantly worried that Qiane would take things too hard. When do you intend to hold the wedding? Qiao Mei suddenly asked. What? Whose wedding? Is someone getting married? Da Zhuang asked curiously. Your wedding with Qiane, Qiao Mei said. Da Zhuang slammed on the brakes so hard that Qiao Mei almost flew out. Da Zhuang quickly pulled over at the side of the road and looked back at Qiao Mei in disbelief, asking, Is Qiane agreeable to the idea? Im guessing its close to the mark. Think about the kind of wedding you want and where the two of you will stay after getting married, Qiao Mei said as she held back her laughter. Da Zhuang flapped his arms excitedly and said agitatedly, I... I dont know! Whatever Qiane says! She has the final say! Ill do whatever she wants! Qiao Mei nodded in satisfaction. She liked Da Zhuangs thinking process. Qiane was finally going to get the happiness she deserved. Along the way home, Da Zhuang hummed a tune. It was as if he wanted the whole world to know that he was in a good mood. Qiane had finally made peace with herself. Previously, she had rejected Da Zhuang time and time again because she could not have children with him and did not want to hold him back. Now that she could finally let go of the weight in her heart, she was definitely willing to marry him. Chapter 2423: Setting Up Blind Dates Chapter 2423: Setting Up Blind Dates Da Zhuang had been overjoyed for the past few days. Everyone could guess that Da Zhuang and Qiane must have decided to get married. This was simply a blessing from the Gao familys ancestors! All his ancestors over the past hundreds of years must be blessing him! During lunch time, the guard team members gathered around to eat but they kept sighing. When Qiao Mei passed by, she wondered if there was something wrong with the food served today. They did not change the chef recently though. Why are all of you so listless? Are you not feeling well? Qiao Mei asked. Sigh... Sister-in-law, Brother Da Zhuang is getting married. Were all discussing how much money we should give them as a gift for their wedding, said Xiao Wang, one of the guard team members. Just give them a token sum. They probably wont be picky about such things. You dont need to worry about it, Qiao Mei said. All the guys let out a long sigh in unison. Qiao Mei immediately realized what the issue was. These guys in front of her were all still single! They had all been busy working in her house to protect her familys safety for so many years that they did not even have time to go on dates! Oh! Im really sorry! Our familys issues have affected your love life! How about this! When Xia Wen and Xia Zhe return, Ill talk to them! Well work out a shift system for all of you! You will work for a month and get half a month off! Ill let you all go back to your hometowns to go on blind dates with the ladies! Go get married! Set up your own families! Qiao Mei said agitatedly. Xiao Wang said shyly, Sis, I dont want to go on blind dates in my hometown. Do you know any nice girls whom you can introduce to me? The Xia familys guard team was in charge of protecting the Xia familys safety. There was a longstanding saying in the army that whoever was assigned to be in charge of the Xia familys security would not have to worry about their livelihood for the rest of their lives! The Xia familys descendants were all highly regarded talents in the country and the familys guard team would never be disbanded so the guard team members had a very stable job. In addition, the Xia family members were all very easygoing and took very good care of the guard team. Most of the guard team members had already bought their own house in the capital and intended to settle down here. They did not feel comfortable about going back to the countryside to go on blind dates since they might not have anything in common with the girls there. It would be more practical to find a girl with a registered residence in the city. There should be many single men and women in my factory. How about this, Ill organize a social gathering every weekend! You can go if you want to! You can fall in love freely! How about that! Qiao Mei said. Thats a good idea! We support it! Xiao Wang shouted. Im supportive! We all support the idea! Qiao Mei smiled and nodded. Alright! Its settled then. Ill keep you informed! Qiao Mei realized that she had overlooked this matter. In her other life, it was important for bosses not to interfere in the private lives of their employees. However, in this era, it was very difficult to fall in love freely as people were more reserved. Most of the time, the factories would organize social gatherings so that the staff could get to know one another better. This was actually part of the superiors responsibility. All these people had indeed worked very hard for Qiao Mei for so many years. If not for the fact that they were highly paid, many of them would probably have left by now! Although Qiao Mei had agreed to help the guys, she did not have any experience as a matchmaker nor did she know how to go about matching the family backgrounds for these people. It was really a headache for her. Why are you frowning? Who made you angry? Xia Zhe asked when he reached home. I need to be a matchmaker for all our staff but I dont have any relevant experience. There are more than 10 people involved! I cant possibly investigate their background one by one and set them up on dates individually! Itll be a cold day in hell before we can solve the problem, Qiao Mei said with a long face. Xia Zhe hung up his coat and said, My mother has a lot of free time. You can let her try it out. Thats right! Why didnt I think of that! Mother is very good at this! Qiao Mei said excitedly. Xu Lan had always wanted to be known as a proficient matchmaker, but she had not been able to succeed time and time again. As time passed, she lost her confidence, but it was not her fault. Her kids had unique tastes and were hard to please, so it was not easy to find a match for them. Given that there were so many young men in the guard team, she should be able to succeed in matching at least one couple or two! At the very least, this would give Xu Lan something to do after her retirement. Then its settled. Ill go and talk to Mother, Xia Zhe said. Qiao Mei threw herself into Xia Zhes arms and said, I love you to bits! How can you be so smart! You solved my big problem so easily! Then how are you going to thank me? Xia Zhe asked as he hugged Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei kissed Xia Zhe intently. Every moment of the night was precious and the lights in their bedroom shone bright the whole night. The two of them only managed to fall asleep close to dawn. The next afternoon, Qiane walked into Qiao Meis house while holding Da Zhuangs hand. Qiao Mei was so tired that she could not even open her eyes. She was still sleeping when Qiane woke her up. Youre still sleeping! Do you know what time it is! Get up! I want to buy you dinner tonight! Qiane said as she shook Qiao Meis shoulder. Chapter 2424: Dowry Chapter 2424: Dowry What do you want... Its still too early for you to wake me up... Let me sleep for a while more! Qiao Mei said aggrievedly. If you continue sleeping! The sky is going to collapse! Get up now! Qiane said. What? What happened? Qiao Mei asked as she forced herself to stay awake. Qiane took out two red notebooks from her bag and said, Look at these. Can you recognize them? Qiao Mei waved her hand impatiently and said, What, its just a marriage certificate. Whats so special about it... Less than five seconds after she lay down on the bed, she bounced back up and snatched the marriage certificates from Qiane to take a closer look. When she got married, it was the community office which issued a certificate with a stamp on it. That was considered a notarized marriage. In recent years, there had been reforms in the process and marriage registrations were handled by the Civil Affairs Bureau. As part of the process, the bureau would issue a pair of red notebooks with the names and photos of the couple inside. The notebooks looked really nice and festive! Qiao Mei had been thinking about asking Xia Zhe to go and exchange their marriage certificate for a pair of red notebooks! How can the two of you act so fast! Qiao Mei said in surprise. We are the first couple to register our marriage today! Qiane said with a blissful expression. Oh my, youre really different now. After getting married, you seem to have become a different person! Qiao Mei teased. What are you talking about! As if youre the only one whos allowed to show off your love life and Im not allowed to do it! Qiane said. Qiao Mei took a peep outside. After confirming that there was no one there, she held Qiane by the hand and said, Do you know anything about Da Zhuangs family? And about their relatives. He told me a bit. Yao Nian also sent me information about Da Zhuangs family some time ago, but there will definitely be some details that only the family members know about. How would I be able to know everything, Qiane said. As far as I know, Da Zhuang lent his eldest brother about 1,000 dollars to build a house. Its been two years and theres no sign of him returning the money. You cant let Da Zhuang get away with not getting you anything just because you already have everything. You should maintain all the traditional practices, especially the Four Big Things! Qiao Mei reminded her. I know! I know all these! Auntie Xu Lan and Godmother have both reminded me about all these things and I remember everything. Da Zhuang has already prepared all the various items and he has placed them in my house. He has also bought a matrimonial house, but as you know, Im used to living in the house nearby and I dont want to move, Qiane said. As long as you know what youre doing, Qiao Mei said. I know that you care a lot for me. No matter how close we are, its still a risk to be so blunt but you took the risk anyway. Dont worry, I wont be that stupid again, Qiane said. The two of them looked at each other and smiled. That past scene of the two of them confronting each other fiercely was still vivid in their minds. They did not expect time to have flown by so quickly. Back then, they would never have expected that the two of them would be able to coexist peacefully. What about the wedding ceremony? Do you want me to take charge? Qiao Mei asked. I dont plan to hold one in the capital. Is there still anyone in the capital who doesnt know about my past experiences? I dont want to be too ostentatious. Da Zhuang wants to do one in his hometown, Qiane said. Thats fine too. Then how many people do you need from here? You need to have a group of your own people there, Qiao Mei said. You know me best. Im here to talk to you about this, Qiane said. No matter what, they must send at least 20 people to attend the ceremony. This way, the Gao family would know that even if Qiane was estranged from her maternal family and even if her reputation was not very good, there were still people who doted on her! Wait for me here, Qiao Mei said. Qiao Mei quickly got out of bed and went into the wardrobe next door. She gently fiddled with the mirror on the dressing table and suddenly, the wall on her left side moved a little. This was the secret room that Qiao Mei had gotten someone to custom-make for her to store some of her valuables. She used all her strength to carry out a box. The wooden box was golden in colour and looked expensive. In fact, it looked even more dazzling under the sunlight. Im ready! Come here and take a look! Qiao Mei shouted towards her bedroom as she opened the box. Qiane looked at Qiao Mei in shock. The box was made of top-notch golden cedar wood and it was something priceless! At that time, Qiao Mei had only managed to get her hand on four of these boxes. What are you doing? Qiane asked. This is the dowry which I prepared for you. I thought that it would be a long time before I needed to bring it out, but I didnt expect time to pass so quickly. I made two wedding dresses for you, both embroidered with golden thread. Inside the box, youll also find the wedding shoes which my mother made for you! There are also four sets of jewelry, all top-notch imperial green jade. These are all for you, Qiao Mei said as she stroked the clothes in the box. Qiane started to cry and the tears streamed down her face. She did not know that Qiao Mei had quietly done so many things for her. This was something that a mother would do for her daughter. She had already come to terms that it was something she would not experience, but she did not expect Qiao Mei to have gotten everything ready for her. Why are you crying! This is a happy occasion! Youre not allowed to cry! Qiao Mei said. Chapter 2425: Imported Milk Powder Chapter 2425: Imported Milk Powder How... how is it that you have prepared everything? I thought I wont have all these nice things... Qiane said as she sobbed. Qiao Mei hugged Qiane tightly and said, I will never let you get married empty-handed. Although this is your second marriage, I think this is the real beginning of your blissful life. You are marrying into love this time round and everyone in the capital will come to realize that. I am definitely making sure that you get married in a grand manner. I want everyone in the capital to know that I stand fully behind Qiane. With me and the Xia family behind you, no one can even think about bullying you. Yes! Qiane nodded vigorously. Alright, dont cry anymore. If Da Zhuang sees you like this, hell think that Im bullying you! Qiao Mei said as she wiped away the tears for Qiane. The whole group of them had originally planned to go to Da Zhuangs family house together to make it look like Qiane had her maternal family around. However, there were too many things to do and there was also not enough space at Da Zhuangs family home. In the end, Qiane and Da Zhuang returned to his hometown on their own to get married. Qiao Mei believed that Da Zhuangs family would not make things difficult for Qiane. Da Zhuang said that he had decided to ask his parents and siblings to come to the capital and that he would organize another wedding ceremony here. During this period of time, Qiao Mei had not stayed idle. She had a nagging feeling that she had not completed her earlier confinement period well. Since there was nothing urgent to handle at the moment, she decided to restart her confinement period. However, before she could have a good rest, Liu Fen had come knocking on her door. In the end, Liu Fen had decided to adopt that child. Her family members could not dissuade her and could only let her be. Mei Mei, as you know, I havent taken care of young children for so many years. Help me take a look at this child. Youve given birth to four children over the past few years, so theres so much I can learn from you, Liu Fen said as she stood in front of Qiao Mei with the child in her arms. Qiao Mei really felt like prying open Liu Fens head to see what she would find inside. This child was the reason why Xia Yang went missing, yet Liu Fen still brought the child into Qiao Meis house so openly. This was such a ridiculous situation. The child no longer looked as ugly as before. It was obvious that Liu Fen had taken good care of him. Although the child still did not look too healthy, he had gained quite a lot of weight and no longer looked malnourished. This child is really too skinny especially if we compare him with Xia Yang. Moreover, he cant seem to be able to drink much powdered milk and gets diarrhea every time he drinks some. I tried to feed him some of Xia Wans breast milk, but he also gets diarrhea after drinking it. Whats wrong with this child? Liu Fen asked anxiously. I dont know what to do either. Although I gave birth to four children, all of them simply just drank powdered milk after they were born. Furthermore, Im not the one who takes care of them. Ive never had to worry about them since they were young. Its Sister Feng who helps me take care of them. Moreover, my children have never exhibited those symptoms you mentioned. You should go and ask a doctor, Qiao Mei said mildly. Ive brought him to the hospital, but the medicine prescribed by the doctor isnt very useful. Liu Fen sighed and said, Why dont we... give your medicinal wine a try? Can we feed it to a young child? Qiao Mei smiled mockingly. As the saying went, one would never visit unless one needed something. This woman was only here because of the medicinal wine. This child is too young to drink it, Qiao Mei said. Lets just give it a try! A tiny bit should be fine! Liu Fen said agitatedly. No, Qiao Mei said firmly. What if the medicinal wine ended up causing damage to the childs brain? What was she supposed to do then? Was she supposed to give her own child away in exchange for this child? Her medicinal wine was not the cure for all the sickness in the world. She had actually previously prepared a special dose of diluted ginseng juice for her own children, but she was very reluctant to do it in this instance. She did not want to give it to this child. She might be willing to do it out of the kindness of her heart for any other child, but not this child. Mei Mei, please help me. Just treat it as helping me! This child is really too pitiful! Im sure you have a solution! Please help Second Aunt-in-law! Liu Fen begged in a humble manner. Qiao Mei sighed and said, You can feed the child some rice gruel. This child might be allergic to milk and milk powder. Really? Liu Fen asked. This is not a big issue and Ive read about similar incidents in the medical journals. If you dont trust me, you can go and ask Aunt. She will probably know what Im talking about, Qiao Mei said. I believe you! I believe you! Youre someone who is very well read! Of course I believe you! Liu Fen said. Theres also milk powder that is specially made for children who have such problems. We have very limited types of milk powder in our country but this special milk powder is available overseas. I can ask people I know to buy some back, Qiao Mei said. Liu Fen immediately said, No problem! Just go ahead and do it! Qiao Mei said hesitantly, But its very expensive. One pack will cost you about 80 dollars and it can only last for five days. No worries! So long as he can get better, I dont care how much it costs! Thank you so much! Liu Fen said happily. Chapter 2426: Xia Wen In Trouble Chapter 2426: Xia Wen In Trouble Qiao Mei could tell that Liu Fen felt genuinely happy now. She did not know how long this happiness would last. Looking at the nature of this childs biological parents, he would definitely be the type to fight for a share of the assets when he grew up. She hoped that this child would know how to feel grateful when the time came. Qiao Meis four children all grew up well and it was peaceful and quiet for the next two weeks. She regained her health and even managed to look healthier and prettier than before! Im back! Xia Zhe smiled as he walked into the living room bearing gifts of toys. The children rushed forward to hug Xia Zhe, clamoring for him to carry them and lift them up high. The chaotic scene made Xia Zhe feel flustered. Xia Fan stepped up to take the toys from Xia Zhe and put them aside. Xia Xing! Xia Yue! Xia Fan stood at the side and shouted. Here! Xia Xing and Xia Yue yelled back in unison. Come and line up here! Papa works hard at his job and its very tiring for him! He can only carry one of us at a time! The youngest gets to go first! Xia Yue goes first! Then Xia Xing! Ill go last! Xia Fan said. The other two children were very obedient and followed Xia Fans instructions. They lined up properly in front of Xia Zhe and Xia Fan took the initiative to stand right at the back. After that, all Xia Zhe could see were three pairs of innocent puppy eyes looking up at him. This was also the first time Xia Zhe and Qiao Mei realized that Xia Fan could control the situation so well and take such good care of his siblings. Alright~ Papa will carry you one by one! Xia Zhe said happily. Xia Fan was a big boy by now. He looked more and more like Xia Zhe and even his temperament was the same. When he spoke, he looked and sounded like he was carved from the same mold as his father! What have you been busy with recently? Why do you go out early and come back so late every day? Qiao Mei asked curiously. Theres a batch of new recruits in the army. Im mainly in charge of taking care of the newbies now. I dont handle anything related to missions anymore. I guess this is quite a nice and relaxed posting, Xia Zhe said. Its good to hear that youre not involved in anything dangerous. However, nothing is more important than you being able to do what you want. You can go on missions if you want, Qiao Mei said. Xia Zhe shook his head. He no longer had those lofty dreams anymore. In the past, his wish was to protect his country well, even if it meant sacrificing his life. However, he was much older now and must give the newbies a chance. At the same time, he also had his own family to take care of. Unless it was a mission that really required his expertise, otherwise he wanted to give the chance to the newbies to shine. Ring, ring, ring!!! The phone suddenly rang. Qiao Mei picked it up and asked, Who is this? Its me. Im in trouble. Bring the medicine to the restaurant now. After saying that, the person on the other end of the line hung up. Qiao Mei could identify voices very well and she immediately knew that it was Xia Wen. Whats wrong? Xia Zhe asked. Eldest Brother seems to be in trouble. Qiao Mei stuffed Xia Yang in Xia Zhes arms and said, Stay at home and look after the children. Ill go and check on Eldest Brother. Ill go, Xia Zhe said. Theres no need. Furthermore, youre usually not at home. Since Eldest Brother called to look for me, it means that I can solve this matter. You dont have to go. If I need you there, Ill call you immediately. With that, Qiao Mei left with the medicine box. The box was filled with bottles of golden medicinal wine, that life-saving divine medicine. Qiao Mei did not know what had happened to Xia Wen, so she had no choice but to bring everything with her. When Qiao Mei rushed out, Xiao Zhuang followed closely behind. If he set off any later, Xia Zhe might start to shoot daggers from his eyes! When Qiao Mei arrived at the restaurant, there were no guests inside. She realized that the problem was bigger than she expected. Ever since Li Gui opened this restaurant, Xia Wen only hosted his guests here and would not choose any other venue. After all, he felt more at ease when he was surrounded by his own people. She wondered which influential person Xia Wen had offended, since it was one who could make him clear the restaurant of all the patrons. Where is he? Qiao Mei asked Molly. In the private room upstairs, the one with the door closed, Molly said with a stern look. Qiao Mei hurried upstairs and knocked on the door. She asked cautiously, Eldest Brother, can I come in? Come in... Xia Wen said weakly. When Qiao Mei pushed open the door, she saw Xia Wen sitting on the sofa in a disheveled state. There were scratches on his chest and neck and his face looked abnormally red. Qiao Mei immediately determined that Xia Wen had likely been drugged. She quickly opened the medicine box and passed Xia Wen a pill. Go and take a look at her. We cant let her die, Xia Wen said as he pointed at a woman in the corner. Only then did Qiao Mei realize that there was a woman lying on the floor in one corner of the room. There were also many people standing there and everyone looked very awkward. There were faint traces of blood around the woman and her hair was in a mess. There were also some broken glass shards around her. It seemed that she had fallen unconscious from a heavy blow to the head using the wine bottle. Have you rang the hospital for an ambulance? Qiao Mei asked. Chapter 2427: Awake Chapter 2427: Awake Yes, theyll probably be here soon, Xia Wen said calmly. In this era, only a few hospitals had ambulances. Furthermore, it was very troublesome and expensive to get approval to call for an ambulance. THere was no way that an ordinary family would be able to get it done. Given the process involved, it was entirely reasonable for Qiao Mei to have arrived before the ambulance did. After drinking some medicinal wine, Xia Wen looked much better and also regained his strength. Qiao Mei reached out to hold up the womans hair that was covering her face. She did not expect the woman to be Wang Tian! Not only did Wang Tian have injuries on her head, but she also had a cut on her wrist and her clothes were in tatters. If news of this got out, Xia Wen would not be able to work in the government sector anymore and Wang Tians reputation would also be ruined. What exactly is going on? Qiao Mei turned around and asked Xia Wen. Before Xia Wen could even speak, the group of people standing there pointed at him and said, Its him! Hes the one who wants to force this woman to die! Hes the one who killed her! We all saw it! He grabbed this woman by the neck and smashed her head to the floor! We all saw it! the others echoed with trembling voices. Qiao Mei definitely did not believe what these people said. She stared at the man who spoke first and asked sternly, Do you dare to swear to the heavens that everything you said just now is true? Why wouldnt I dare? the man said. Qiao Mei turned around and looked at Xia Wen helplessly. Someone had spared no effort to gather all the enemies of the Xia family together in one place. Wang Tian had always wanted to marry Xia Yuan. Seeing that Xia Yuan was going to marry someone else, all the Xia family members thought that Wang Tian would give up. They did not expect Wang Tian to do such a thing to harm the Xia family. Qiao Mei asked Molly to come upstairs. Molly then proceeded to tell Qiao Mei everything she knew. Wang Tian had used her own life to threaten Xia Wen and wanted him to ask Xia Yuan to marry her. Otherwise, she would frame Xia Wen for her own murder. As for all the wounds on her hands, body and head, Wang Tian did it herself and she even laced Xia Wens water with drugs. The people here are all your people! Of course you can say whatever you want! The people working here cant be witnesses! the man roared as he pointed at Molly. Qiao Mei sighed. It looked like she could not afford to wait for the paramedics to arrive. She took out some medicinal wine from her bag and poured it down Wang Tians throat. The group of people stared with their eyes wide open. This must be the legendary golden medicinal wine! This was the thing which could bring a person back from the dead! As expected, Qiao Mei still had some medicinal wine in her possession. The news from the black market was all fake! Their eyes lit up and they looked like they wanted to tear Qiao Mei apart and eat her up. In the beginning, they had enticed Wang Tian to frame Xia Wen. Their plan was to work with Wang Tian to blackmail Xia Wen so that all of them would be able to get what they wanted. In fact, they did not care about Wang Tian at all. They would be more than happy if she died! If she did, then Xia Wen would be known as a murderer and would never be able to clear his name. No matter what the Xia family did, they would not be able to help him clear his name. Wang Tian regained consciousness soon. She looked around in a daze and the memories from before she fainted came flooding back. She had almost died just now! Only then did she realize that this group of people had lied to her. Are you feeling alright? Do you feel any discomfort at all? Qiao Mei asked gently. Wang Tian had never seen Qiao Mei so gentle before. She knew that this was a trap. Wang Tian held her head and said weakly, Im fine... I just feel a little dizzy and a little nauseous... Then do you remember what happened earlier? Qiao Mei asked again. Wang Tian looked down and did not speak. In the current situation, as long as she followed the original plan, she would be able to marry into the Xia family. Although this group of people almost killed her, she was still alive and well now! As long as there was still a trace of hope, she wanted to give it a shot! I feel terrible... My body hurts... Its Xia Wen... Its him... Wang Tian said fearfully. Qiao Mei laughed coldly. It seemed that she was still a little too naive. One could never hope for a beast to turn into a human with a conscience. Can you get up now? Do you need my help? Qiao Mei said as she kept a lid on her anger. Wang Tian did not respond to Qiao Mei. She just sat on the floor and continued with her act, muttering that it was all Xia Wens fault and rattling off the lines which the group of people had prepared for her. Qiao Mei turned around and raised her eyebrows at Xia Wen. He spread out his hands and shook them helplessly. There was nothing he could do about this matter. After all, this group of people were all out to frame him. All the Xia family members are beasts! You want to kill such a weak and pitiful woman! Your Xia Yuan took advantage of her and Xia Wen wanted to take her life! The Xia family is full of nasty people! the man said. Qiao Mei did not intend to argue with this group of people. She waved her hand and Xiao Zhuang brought over a stool. She sat down and looked at Wang Tian as she said, You said that Xia Yuan took advantage of you. When did this happen? And where? How did you contact each other? Chapter 2428: The Ambulance Arrives Chapter 2428: The Ambulance Arrives Wang Tian could only stammer ase she was not prepared for such questions. The fact was that Qiao Mei knew very well the kind of person Xia Yuan was. How can you expect a young girl to be able to answer these questions! Shes already in such agony. Are you trying to hurt her a second time? the man questioned. Im talking to her! You have no right to speak! Qiao Mei stared into the mans eyes and berated him. Qiao Mei was known in the capital for being mild-tempered. Although she was a calculative person, she had never really fallen out with anyone. Even when people came knocking on her door to make trouble, Qiao Mei would still deal with them tactfully. This was the first time anyone had seen Qiao Mei so stern. Back then, everyone in the capital could not understand why a prominent family like the Xia family would let Xia Zhe marry a girl from the countryside. Xia Zhe was the most promising kid of his generation in the Xia family. The Xia family should be fully focused on nurturing him, should they not? Then again, looking at the way Qiao Mei was behaving now, the people in the room were reminded of Xia Juns temper. Who is this person? Qiao Mei asked. His surname is Gou, full name is Gou Dan, Xia Wen said with a laugh. Qiao Mei knew that Xia Wen said this on purpose. Gou Dan must be very sensitive about people knowing his name (given that it sounded like dogs testicles). In the countryside, the harsh conditions meant that many children did not make it to adulthood. It was said that children would be able to grow up safe and sound if they were given awful names, so his family had given him such a name. So you are Gou Dan. Who are you to Wang Tian? Qiao Mei asked. Im not related to her! Gou Dan quickly distanced herself from Wang Tian, scared that he would get implicated by what she did. Then why are you sticking your nose into other peoples business here? Qiao Mei said. I just cant stand to witness injustice! I must speak up for justice! I cant stand to see a grown man bullying a woman! Gou Dan said. Qiao Mei nodded and continued, Alright then. Since all of you insist on getting involved in this matter, I have to make it clear to all of you that ultimately, this matter concerns my eldest brother-in-laws reputation and the Xia familys reputation. We will definitely report this matter to the police. We will also inform the army so that they can do their part to investigate. The people standing around Gou Dan started to whisper among themselves. They had never imagined that this matter would blow up like this. They thought that the Xia family would be too embarrassed to call the police and would definitely want to settle the issue in private. So be it! Its best if everyone knows what kind of people the Xia family members are! Gou Dan said agitatedly. Alright, once the matter goes to court, everything you say now will be presented as evidence. If you perjure yourself, you will be charged with the same crime as the mastermind. Youd all better think carefully about whether its worth sacrificing the rest of your life for whatever small benefit that you are getting! Qiao Mei said. In an instant, the entire room fell silent. Everyone turned to look at Gou Dan. Why are all of you looking at me! Gou Dan said self-consciously. As everyone knows, Im the top scorer in the first college entrance examination after the examination is reinstated in the capital. Ive also studied abroad for a period of time, so I think I know better than everyone else when it comes to matters of the law. If my eldest brother-in-law and my younger cousin-in-law are really in the wrong, would I dare to go to court? Since I dare to say such things, it means that our Xia family is innocent and that we are not afraid of being investigated, but as for all of you... Qiao Mei looked around and paused for a moment before continuing, Its hard to say if you have committed any crime or not. Beep, beep, beep! The ambulance sirens could be heard downstairs and the paramedics rushed in not long after. They were puzzled to see that there was no one in the room who had any obvious injuries. Which one of you called for the ambulance? the doctor asked irritably. Its them, Qiao Mei said as she pointed at Gou Dan. Shes unwell! Shes injured! Look at the blood on the floor! Gou Dan said as he pointed at Wang Tian. Wang Tians main injury was on her head and the blood had already coagulated on her hair. There was only a small amount of blood on the ground and the situation did not look that bad. You made a call over such a small injury? Do you know that there are only three ambulances in the entire capital! Were very busy! Youre simply wasting public resources! the doctor said. How can you say that it is not serious! Look at how swollen her head is! Gou Dan said. Doctor, you should do a check and see if her head injury is serious. What if she has internal injuries that are not visible? Qiao Mei said. The doctor did a basic checkup for Wang Tian. After confirming that there were no problems, he said, Its just a superficial wound. Next time, call the ambulance only if someone is seriously injured and immobile! Since the doctor is already here, lets go to the hospital together and get a comprehensive checkup done for her, Qiao Mei said. Yes! We must get her head injury checked out properly! Gou Dan said. And get the gynecology department involved too, Qiao Mei added. Gynecology department? Wang Tian asked as she looked at Qiao Mei confusedly. Qiao Mei nodded and said, Yes, the gynecology department. We must check if youre still a virgin or not. That way, we will know if my younger brother-in-law really took advantage of you. Chapter 2429: Tripped Chapter 2429: Tripped Wang Tian stood rooted to the spot. The truth was that she had never slept with a man before! Once she did the checkup at the hospital, this fact would definitely be exposed! Whats wrong? Didnt you say that my cousin-in-law did not dare to admit to what he had done? Now that we already have DNA testing technology, we can seek justice for you, Qiao Mei said. She said all these to scare Wang Tian. In this era, condoms were not very common. Given the average persons income level, condoms were considered a luxury item. However, even if there was any hanky panky between the two young people, there would not be any DNA left inside Wang Tians body after so long. Qiao Mei only said that to scare Wang Tian. Go... Wang Tian said weakly. One by one, everyone followed the doctor out of the room. When Xia Wen was about to leave the private room as well, Qiao Mei held him back. Not long after, they heard a loud bang outside the door, a womans scream and a man groaning in pain. Gou Dan had tripped over something and lost his balance. He knocked against Wang Tian, causing her to fall down the stairs from the second floor. At this moment, she lay unconscious in a puddle of blood. It looked like the ambulance had really come in handy now. Oh my! Whats going on! Qiao Mei and Xia Wen rushed out of the room. Qiao Mei pointed at Wang Tian and shouted, Heavens! Gou Dan! You actually killed Wang Tian! Its not me! I tripped! It must be you! You must have pushed me! Gou Dan said in a panic. Nonsense! Im so far away from you! I hadnt even walked out of the private room when the accident happened! The paramedics can bear witness to this! Qiao Mei said. The paramedics were activated at random. It would have been impossible for them to get bribed by the Xia family in such a short period of time. Hurry up and save her! Molly! Call the police now! Gou Dan has killed someone! Qiao Mei screamed. Xiao Zhuang immediately arranged for the restaurants security officers to surround everyone there. The paramedics hurriedly carried Wang Tian away on a stretcher. Before they left, Gou Dan said, Let me accompany her! She will need someone to pay for her medical expenses! Ill come along to pay for her! Theres no need. Everyone here is a witness and youre the suspect. None of you can leave. Ill arrange for someone to help her, Qiao Mei said. You also have to take responsibility! Your floor is uneven! Gou Dan said as he pointed at the floor. Qiao Mei smiled disdainfully and said, These are all the best limestone floor slabs that money can buy. The restaurants fitout was personally supervised by a professor from Capital University. How can the floor be uneven? Are you doubting a nationally qualified professors abilities? Gou Dan did not dare to do so for sure. Furthermore, anyone with eyes could see that the floor was indeed flat, but Gou Dan was also not a fool. He had only tripped because his feet had kicked against some sort of obstacle. Alright, you can go back first. Ill handle this matter, Xia Wen said as he patted Qiao Mei on the shoulder. By now, no matter how slow Xia Wen was, he already understood Qiao Meis intentions. Qiao Mei handed Xia Wen a bottle of golden medicinal wine and he nodded. Qiao Mei had indeed tampered with something. She had used the vines buried under the restaurant to push up the floor tiles. This was also the first time Qiao Mei had done something like this and she did not know how to control her strength. She just wanted to teach Wang Tian a lesson and definitely did not mean to take her life. Now that she had four cute children, and especially after Xia Yangs kidnapping incident, she only wished to do more good deeds and accumulate good fortune for her children. If it got to the point where there was really no other choice, Xia Wen knew what he had to do. Xiao Zhuang drove Qiao Mei back to her house. Qiao Mei walked to the bedroom wearily and fell asleep. Xia Zhe hugged Qiao Mei gently and did not ask any questions. He knew very well that she would explain it to him the next day. Qiao Mei finally woke up in the afternoon the next day. Xia Zhe was still lying beside her and keeping her company. She wrapped her arms around his neck blissfully and said, Dont you have to go to work today? Im worried about you, Xia Zhe said in a gentle tone. I am fine~ Last night, I managed to resolve Eldest Brothers issue successfully ~ Qiao Mei said coquettishly. I know youre amazing at what you do, but its better not to take risks when there are so many people around. It will be bad if you get discovered, Xia Zhe said. Early in the morning, Xiao Zhuang had already given Xia Zhe a report of what happened yesterday. Xia Zhe knew that there was something more to the story. He was the person who knew Qiao Mei best. Qiao Mei smiled and did not say anything. She did not keep any secrets from Xia Zhe and she knew very well that he would always take her side unconditionally. If she refuted him now, it would only hurt the harmony between husband and wife. Knock! Knock! Knock! Mama~ Can we come in? A childish voice came from outside the door. It was Xia Fan. Wait a minute~ Qiao Mei quickly got up and got dressed. After she was done, Xia Zhe opened the door for the children. Chapter 2430: Let the Family Reunite Chapter 2430: Let the Family Reunite The children had very good manners. They knew that they should not enter other peoples bedrooms without permission, not even their parents bedroom. Why are you here? Qiao Mei asked the children with a tender look. Mama, where did you go yesterday? Xia Xing asked Qiao Mei with a pitiful look. The children did not sleep well yesterday. Qiao Mei had gone out in such a hurry last night. Even though they were still young, they knew that something must have happened within the family and they were very worried for her. Mama went out to help Eldest Uncle with some work matters. I wasnt in any danger. Thank you for your concern. Qiao Mei kissed each child on the face. After the children confirmed that Qiao Mei was safe and sound, they went out to play. Before they left, Xia Fan even made sure that the bedroom door was closed properly. Qiao Mei was more and more convinced that Xia Fan had inherited Xia Wens temperament together with Xia Zhes looks and that he was able to live up to his status as the Xia family eldest branchs eldest grandson. Qiao Mei had something very important to do today. After what happened with Wang Tian yesterday, she felt it was a timely reminder that the entire Xia family was bound together through good times and bad times. Even if nothing happened to her own little family, if something happened to one of the other families, their reputation would still be damaged because they were all members of the Xia family. After Xu Lan heard about what happened, she was furious. It was not a big issue that Wang Tian liked Xia Yuan, but why did Xia Wen have to be dragged into this issue! Is there no end to her nonsense! Is the Wang family bullying us because they think our family is useless! Xu Lan said furiously. Mother, dont be so angry. Wang Tian has also paid a very high price for it, Qiao Mei said as she peeled an apple. You set it up? Xu Lan asked curiously. Qiao Mei shook her head and said, Of course not. When the matter blew up, everyone knew that Wang Tian was willing to do unscrupulous things in order to marry into the Xia family. She had even said that Xia Yuan had taken advantage of her. No one would believe her if she says that she is a virgin now. There were even rumors flying around that Wang Tian was sleeping around with other men. As you know, the contents of rumors know no bounds. Oh my goodness! I hope that the girl wont take things too hard! Liu Fen said in surprise. Before Wang Tian could even say anything, the Wang family had already married her off to a villager. I think it was because that man was willing to give a betrothal gift of 5,000 dollars, Qiao Mei said. What kind of villager can fork out 5,000 dollars so easily? Thats impressive, Xu Lan said. Im not sure about the specifics, but I heard from the chatter that the man is extremely ugly. Hes almost 40 years old and still single. No one wants to marry him even though he is rich, Qiao Mei said. Although Wang Tian is very detestable, it is a little pitiful to have such an ending... Liu Fen said. Qiao Mei nodded in agreement. She would be more satisfied to see Wang Tian go to jail and be properly punished. In the end, Wang Tian had sacrificed her lifelong happiness and became the talk of the town. As the saying went, those who were pitiful always had a reason for sinking to their lows. Since Second Aunt-in-law is also here, Im going to speak my mind. Qiao Mei took a deep breath and said, Back during that time, Grandfather had no choice but to split up the family. However, I feel that no matter what happens, those people are still Xia family members. The issues in Third Uncles family have already quietened down a lot. Grandfather is getting older and his wish must be to see the family coming together. My idea is... the family should reunite. We should stay united and prosper together. Can you really let go of your past grudges? Xu Lan held Qiao Meis hand and asked with some heartache. She knew Qiao Meis temper very well. Qiao Mei must be doing all this for the sake of the Xia familys eldest branch family and also for the sake of their next generation. However, it would be too unfair for Qiao Mei. Of course I wont be able to let go of the past grudges, but whatever happened is already in the past. I wont pursue the cycles of vengeance, but I wont forgive them either. As long as they live their lives quietly, contribute wholeheartedly to the good of the Xia family and dont cause the Xia family to fall apart again, I can turn a blind eye to the past, Qiao Mei said. Good! Good! Ill tell Father about this now! Liu Fen threw down the vegetables in her hand excitedly and rushed out the door. Only Xu Lan knew how much Qiao Mei had to sacrifice in this matter. In the past, Qiao Meis thought process was still not mature enough. She had been fixated on the happiness of her own small family, but it had not crossed her mind that the main familys overall reputation would also affect their small family. Xia Wen had always been an introvert and he had sacrificed a lot for the Xia family. Similarly, Xia He and Xia Zhe had also sacrificed a lot for the Xia family. Everyone worked hard to play a part to contribute to the Xia familys prosperity. Since she had joined the Xia family, she must also do her part to reduce the pressure on her eldest brother-in-law and second sister-in-law. At the end of the day, the main reason was actually because the Xia family used to look very harmonious. Although some people were faker than others, at least everyone made it seem like they all got along swimmingly. However, after Qiao Mei joined the family, she made it clear that she could not tolerate objectionable behavior, so this naturally led to many disagreements. Chapter 2431: Want to Have Children Chapter 2431: Want to Have Children No one blamed Qiao Mei for it though. After all, she did not set out to deliberately ruin the peace in the Xia family. None of the other Xia family members would be able to forgive the third sons family for what they had done. Under those circumstances, the way Qiao Mei reacted was already considered very magnanimous. A few days later, Tang Hui came to visit Qiao Mei, bearing gifts. Xia Guang was overjoyed when he found out that the family was no longer split up. He was deeply aware of the harm his own family had inflicted on Qiao Mei during that period of time, so he really appreciated the fact that Qiao Mei was doing this. He had Qiao Mei to thank for his current blissful life and he felt very grateful. Therefore, he must be thankful to Qiao Mei and repay her kindness. Third Aunt-in-law, youre here. Come and take a seat. Qiao Mei was leaning on the rocking chair in the courtyard and watching the children at play. When the children heard her voice, they stood up in unison and said to Tang Hui, Hello, Third Grandma! Oh my! How cute! Third Grandma has bought you many toys and some new clothes. You can take a look after youre done playing! Tang Hui said happily. Thank you, Third Grandma! Xia Xing said with a sweet smile. Good, good, good! Go and play! Tang Hui said. Tang Hui sat in the rocking chair next to Qiao Mei and stared at Xia Xing. Qiao Mei could tell that she really liked children. Will you consider having a baby with my third uncle? Qiao Mei asked. Tang Huis face instantly flushed red. She had thought about that, but in a prominent family, the subject of having children was very sensitive. She was worried that the other members of the Xia family would be displeased if she got pregnant, especially Xia Xing. I... I do actually and Ive also told your third uncle about it, Tang Hui said shyly. Ive spoken to Xia Zhe. Third Uncle will be transferred back from the border very soon. However, his job here is only a civilian posting and he wont be earning much money, Qiao Mei said. As the saying went, a harmonious family would cultivate prosperity. Qiao Mei also wanted the Xia family to grow stronger. The first element of growth for a family was for more babies to be born. Moreover, Tang Hui was still young and in good health. She would have no issue getting pregnant. Really? Then... then do you think I should have a baby? Tang Hui asked. I think it is a good idea. You can try working on it, but then again, youre not that young anymore after all. You have to take good care of yourself. After saying that, Qiao Mei asked Feng Hua to go into the room and bring out a bottle of light green medicinal wine for her. This is a small token from me. Take it as a small gift for the unborn child. Tang Hui immediately thanked Qiao Mei. In the past, Tan Jings infertility was cured by this medicinal wine. In this case, she would not face any problems getting pregnant! Qiao Mei wanted to do her best to help Tang Hui. After all, Tang Hui was the person in charge of Qiao Meis businesses in the education field, bringing in a considerable amount of money each month. Tang Hui was also an obedient person who knew her limits and would not do anything to hurt Qiao Mei. This was good enough for Qiao Mei. After thanking Qiao Mei, Tang Hui left with the medicinal wine. She would probably have good news to share soon. Qiao Mei looked at the children playing in the courtyard and wondered what Tang Huis children would look like. Tang Huis children would likely end up to be quite close in age to Qiao Meis children, so the kids could become playmates. That night, Xia Zhe came straight home after work. After taking a shower, he immediately ran to Qiao Mei and hugged her tightly, refusing to let go. Qiao Mei patted him on the shoulder and said, Let go! Im getting strangled! I just miss you too much... Xia Zhe said. Why do you miss me so much today? Do you have a guilty conscience because youve done something to let me down? Qiao Mei asked curiously. I definitely wont do anything to let you down! Xia Zhe looked into Qiao Meis eyes and sighed as he said, Sigh... its my comrade-in-arms. His wife came to visit him in the army camp today. The two of them were so sweet together and my comrade-in-arms even taunted me on purpose! He deliberately behaved in an affectionate manner in front of me so I feel a little jealous... Were very affectionate too. Im sure were much more affectionate than them! Qiao Mei said self-righteously. Xia Zhe kissed Qiao Mei and nodded. Yes, were indeed the most affectionate couple. By the way, have you made any progress on the matter I asked you to investigate? Qiao Mei asked. Your guess is right. The biological parents of Second Aunt-in-laws adopted child have been loitering around our house recently. They have also gone to Second Aunt-in-laws house many times, Xia Zhe said. Qiao Mei laughed mockingly and said, Theyre trying to determine whose house the child is in, whether our family has adopted him and if their son is now enjoying a good life! But I can also understand where Second Aunt-in-law is coming from. She didnt adopt that child for herself. I heard that Second Aunt-in-law wants Xia Yuan to adopt the child, Xia Zhe said. Xia Yuan? Why? Isnt Xia Yuan not married yet? Why would Second Aunt-in-law want to get a child for Xia Yuan and is Xia Yuan even willing to take care of this child? Qiao Mei asked in shock. Chapter 2432: Prepare for a Family Meeting Chapter 2432: Prepare for a Family Meeting I dont think so. Xia Yuan is very adamant about marrying Zhou Xi and she has already cut ties with the Zhou family. It turns out that she is infertile. I think that they will agree to take care of the child in the end, Xia Zhe said, analyzing the situation. Qiao Mei felt a little miffed for a moment. She did not know why the child annoyed her so much. Although she knew that she should not blame the innocent child for what happened back then, the image of Xia Yang almost on his last breath still lingered in her mind. She could not forgive the child, nor could she bring herself to like him. Ill ask Cousin Xia Wan tomorrow and see what she thinks of it. After all, its her familys issue, Qiao Mei said with a sigh. Xia Zhe could already tell that Qiao Mei had recently decided to take over the management of the Xia familys household affairs. Xia Wen had been in charge of this for a long time, but that was mainly because Tan Jing could not manage the various relationships in the Xia family. In the Xia family, the wife of the family head had always been in charge of the household affairs. Mo Zhu was a scholarly person. She did not like to handle these trivial matters nor could she handle them well, so everyone agreed that Qiao Mei was the most suitable candidate for this position. If you feel that its too tiring, we can discuss it with Eldest Brother again to distribute various duties to everyone. All of us have to work hard for the Xia family. You cant be the only one bearing sole responsibility, Xia Zhe said with heartache. I can do it. Eldest Brother did it alone for so many years. Ive only just started! Dont worry, I know what Im doing. Besides, you will have to handle our familys dealings with external parties. Im not good at that. We must work together to make the Xia family bigger and stronger! Qiao Mei said confidently. Sure! Xia Zhe said. The two of them soon fell asleep. The next day, Xia Wan came over to Qiao Meis house. Does the child have a name? Qiao Mei asked. My mother says to call him An An first and that we can give him a full name later. She says that theres no hurry, Xia Wan said. When Qiao Mei saw Xia Wans expression, she knew that Xia Wan did not like the idea of Liu Fen taking care of An An. In fact, Xia Wan did not even want An An to even appear in front of the Xia family! Is Xia Yuans issue settled already? Qiao Mei continued. Theyve already registered their marriage, but they dont intend to hold a banquet. Xia Yuan is worried that the Zhou family will come and cause trouble. If that happens, it will be so embarrassing for the Xia family. Therefore, our family discussed it with Grandfather and we decided not to organize anything. The most important thing is for our whole family to be safe and sound, Xia Wan said. Does Xia Yuan... agree with what your mother has in mind? Qiao Mei asked. Xia Wan sighed. Actually, she could not tell for sure. After all, Xia Yuan was not married yet when Liu Fen decided to adopt An An for Xia Yuan. She did not know if Xia Yuan and Zhou Xi would think differently after they got married. Alright, I can see whats going on. It seems that this is an ill-fated relationship! However, its best if you can get Second Aunt-in-law to sign a contract with Xia Yuan to guarantee that An An will not have any share of the familys assets and that An An will only be entitled to a reasonable amount of money for his living expenses, Qiao Mei said. Can it be that you suspect... Xia Wan was a smart person and immediately understood what Qiao Mei meant. Yes, we have to be wary of others. After all, that childs parents are not people to be trifled with. Qiao Mei told Xia Wan about what Xia Zhe found out recently. Xia Wan was so shocked that she broke out in a cold sweat. She suddenly had a bad feeling about everything. Qiao Mei... Do you think they want both the child and the money... Do you think theyre setting a trap for us and will end up saying that we abducted their child? Xia Wan said. Qiao Mei had not considered this possibility, but she could not rule it out. After all, there were no surveillance cameras in this era and the police relied on witnesses and evidence to solve cases. Furthermore, parents who lost their children usually garnered a lot of sympathy from the public as most people would feel sorry for them. Youre right. This matter must be dealt with seriously. Ill call the director of the orphanage now and ask her to provide us with proof that this child used to stay in that orphanage, Qiao Mei said. After making the phone call, the situation did not improve. The director of the orphanage was unable to provide proof. The orphanage was also afraid of having to undertake unnecessary responsibility if there should be any issues. There were still so many pitiful children in the orphanage and the director did not want to take on any risks that would end up affecting the children. Qiao Mei could fully understand the orphanage directors decision, but... it would be very difficult to persuade Liu Fen. It seemed that they would have to hold a family meeting to discuss this matter with everyone. I hope Grandfather wont get angry because of this... This year has been exceptionally eventful. If Grandfather finds out that my mother has insisted on adopting An An, he might even faint from anger, Xia Wan said. No one is able to dissuade Second Aunt-in-law now. Even if Xia Yuan doesnt want to take care of An An, Second Aunt-in-law has already made up her mind to bring him up herself. For the sake of our future, we have to eliminate the root of the problem. We cant ruin the happiness of all the other Xia familys children because of this matter, Qiao Mei said firmly. Chapter 2433: Family Meeting Chapter 2433: Family Meeting A family was bound together through both good times and bad times. Qiao Mei needed to think of a foolproof plan. If Liu Fen lost Anan and then ended up crying every day, it would affect her badly. The next day, Qiao Mei gathered the entire family at Xia Juns house. Xia Juns group of old comrade-in-arms had organized a team-building event today, so he was unable to participate in this family meeting. Xia Jun left a note for Qiao Mei, saying that he would let her make all the decisions. He believed that Qiao Mei would not harm the Xia family. The main reason why I called everyone here for a meeting today is to discuss the issue of An Ans adoption. Qiao Mei did not bother to exchange pleasantries with everyone and simply went straight to the point. Liu Fen stood up nervously and said, I... I cant lose An An. If theres really no other way, Ill leave the Xia family with An An! Ill let An An take my surname! Second Aunt-in-law, what are you saying? Youll always be our second aunt-in-law. Where can you go if you leave the Xia family? Qiao Mei asked. Xia You looked at Liu Fen with annoyance and said, Mother! Are you out of your mind! This isnt one of our Xia familys children! Hes not a Liu familys child either! He almost caused Xia Yangs death! You can bring up anyones child, just not this child! Yet now, you actually want to abandon us four siblings for this child! Were also your children, the ones you brought up with painstaking efforts! Are you out of your mind! Xia You! Talk to Mother nicely, Lu Huai said gently as he put his arm around Xia Yous shoulder. I also want to talk nicely to her but Ive been enduring it for so many days and I really cant take it anymore. Mother, you keep saying that you want to adopt An An for Xia Yuan and that you want him to be Xia Yuans adopted child, but have you even asked Xia Yuan about how he feels about this? Xia You asked as she looked at Liu Fen. Liu Fen looked at Xia Yuan guiltily, as if she wanted to get an affirmative answer from him. Xia Yuan just sat there quietly and did not provide an answer. There had been too many things troubling him recently and he really did not have the strength to explain himself to everyone. I... I just want to take care of An An. Why is it so difficult? Youre all grown up now and have your own families, but Im very lonely. I dont have anyone to accompany me. I want An An to stay and be with me. Is that such a bad thing? Liu Fen said as she cried. Then how do you want the child to address us? This child can already be your grandson! Xia You said. I... I originally wanted him to be my grandson... Liu Fen said sheepishly. Qiao Mei watched them arguing non-stop. She felt that even if she let them continue, they would not be able to come up with a good solution. Liu Fen was already advanced in age and such emotional upheavals would affect her health. It would be bad if she fell sick after this meeting. Let me say a few words. When everyone had quieted down, Qiao Mei continued, I know how everyone feels and I also understand your concerns. I have a neutral solution, but I dont know if everyone wants to hear it. Say it! Xia You said anxiously. I think its fine if Second Aunt-in-law wants to bring up An An, but not by giving him to Xia Yuan. Also, An An cant become part of the Xia family. My suggestion is for An Ans household register to be tagged to Second Aunt-in-laws relatives. Well give that family a sum of money every month for his living expenses and when An An reaches adulthood, he can move out to stay on his own, Qiao Mei said. Thats a good idea! On one hand, it will solve the problem of An Ans biological parents eyeing him covetously. On the other hand, it will also fulfill Second Aunt-in-laws desire to take care of An An. This is like killing two birds with one stone, Xia Wen said appreciatively. I agree too, Xia You said with satisfaction. Everyone turned to look at Liu Fen in unison. Liu Fen smiled and nodded. As long as An An could stay by her side, she could agree to anything. Those were just formalities. She looked at Qiao Mei gratefully. Not only did Qiao Mei not take issue with the fact that An Ans parents almost caused Xia Yangs death, but she even took time to plan for An Ans future. Since everyone agrees, then this matter is settled. Second Aunt-in-law, please settle the matter of An Ans household register as soon as possible. After all, the child has to go to school in the future, Qiao Mei said. Sure, sure, sure! Ill get someone to do it now! Liu Fen said happily. Everyone thought even more highly of Qiao Mei by now. They all believed that after Qiao Mei took over Xia Wens position, she would bring the Xia family to greater heights and to become even more prosperous. Liu Fen was also very efficient. In two days, she had settled the matter of An Ans household register. She also gave him a new name, Liu Wang. As time passed, Qiao Mei quickly realized she had a new problem. She needed to hire a tutor for her children. The school textbooks were no longer good enough for the children. They were really way too smart. Chapter 2434: The Secret Recipe for the Wang Family’s Steamed Buns Chapter 2434: The Secret Recipe for the Wang Familys Steamed Buns However, she did not want to just hire a tutor for her children. All the Xia familys children must study hard together. The only way for the family to progress was if everyone worked hard and improved together. Third Aunt-in-law, do you know any retired teachers? Are they willing to come out of retirement to teach again? Qiao Mei called up Tang Hui and asked her. I know a few people who meet your requirements, but which subjects do you want to focus on? Tang Hui asked. My main focus is on local language, mathematics and foreign languages but I need to find a teacher for each subject and also a teacher who knows astronomy. I want the children to be developed in all aspects, Qiao Mei said after thinking for a long time. The optional subjects could wait. The children could pick those up anytime they wanted, but they must not miss out on the essential subjects. As for physical fitness, Xia Zhe could train the children himself and she did not have to worry about it. In addition, she would teach them about law. Youll end up starting a school at this rate! Tang Hui said in surprise. She had thought the children were weak in a particular subject and Qiao Mei wanted to boost their understanding of the subject. She definitely did not expect that Qiao Mei wanted to find teachers for all the subjects. What youre saying... actually makes sense. I really should consider setting up a school, Qiao Mei said excitedly. Currently, there were only public schools and private schools were almost unheard of. Many rich families had different ways of educating their children. If Qiao Mei could set up a private school to focus on those children who were from an elite family background and whose families wanted them to have an all-rounded education, it would also make life easier for their parents. This is a good idea, but its not something that can be done within a short period of time. We need to plan it properly. Moreover, its not going to be an easy task to set up a school and to maintain the teachers standards, Tang Hui said. Thats true, Ill give some thought to it, Qiao Mei said with a smile. By the way, your third uncle is already back. He said that hes been quite busy recently since he just took over his current portfolio. Hell go and visit your children when he has settled down, Tang Hui said, conveying Xia Guangs message. Qiao Mei laughed and said, When Third Uncle has a rest day, Ill bring the children to come and visit him. Tang Hui laughed and did not say anything. The two of them ended the call after discussing some work matters. Qiao Mei had not forgiven Third Uncle yet, but she did not show it because she wanted to maintain the cordial atmosphere in the family. Mei Mei, theres someone looking for you, Feng Hua said. Qiao Mei could not tell who it was until she reached the front door. It was Wang Tians brother, Wang Kun. Im here today to beg you to save my sister, Wang Kun said as he looked at Qiao Mei firmly. Your Wang family has nothing to do with me, so why should I help you? Besides, your sister did a huge disservice to our Xia family, Qiao Mei said. I know, but at this moment, the only person who can save my sister is you. As long as youre willing to help me, Ill give you the Wang familys steamed bun recipe, Wang Kun said openly. Qiao Mei shook her head again and said, Im not interested in your Wang familys business. I dont lack money. Wang Kun did not have anything more valuable to offer. He stood there with his head lowered, as if he was thinking about what other bargaining chips he had to negotiate with Qiao Mei. Qiao Mei felt a little surprised. She originally thought that Wang Kun was just making use of Wang Tian and did not have any familial feelings for Wang Tian. Yet, when Wang Tian was in trouble, it was Wang Kun who stepped up to protect her. Although Qiao Mei did not lack money, the Wang family had steamed bun shops in many locations in the capital and their buns were popular with everyone. It was no loss to her if she could get the secret recipe.She could even sell it to someone else and pocket a generous sum of money. Tell me, what happened to your sister? Qiao Mei sighed and asked. My sister has lost her memory... She doesnt remember anything. Im here to beg you for a bottle of medicinal wine, Wang Kun whispered. Lost her memory? Why did she suddenly lose her memory? Did she hit her head? Qiao Mei asked curiously. No, she... she was forcibly imprisoned by that man. The marriage was arranged by our parents and I dont really know what happened either. Anyway, she doesnt recognize anyone now, Wang Kun said vaguely. Qiao Mei could pick up on the underlying message that Wang Kun did not say. It seemed that she would have to make a trip personally. Her medicinal wine could only treat physical illnesses. If there was a psychological problem, the medicinal wine would not work. Upon arriving at the hospital, Qiao Mei observed Wang Tian carefully. Wang Tians question-and-answer session with the doctor went very smoothly though her speech was very slow. She seemed indifferent to everything, as if she was isolated from the world. Qiao Meis guess was right. The girl not only had external injuries, but there were also some serious psychological problems involved. Chapter 2435: Setting Up a School Chapter 2435: Setting Up a School Qiao Mei swiftly drafted a contract regarding the transfer of ownership of the Wang familys secret recipe for steamed buns. After Wang Kun signed it, Qiao Mei gave him the medicinal wine. Your sister doesnt just have physical injuries, but she also has serious psychological problems. This medicine can only treat physical pain, but theres nothing I can do about the psychological trauma, Qiao Mei said regretfully. Thank you. Youre already very kind to be willing to help my sister and I, Wang Kun said gratefully. Before Qiao Mei left, she took another glance at Wang Tian. If Wang Tian had not been so opportunistic then, perhaps her life would have turned out differently. After Qiao Mei returned home, Xu Lan asked many questions about Wang Tian, worried that Wang Tian would come and harm the Xia familys children again. How are Eldest Brother and Eldest Sister-in-law doing? Will Eldest Sister-in-law get angry with Eldest Brother after hearing about this matter? Qiao Mei asked. No, Mo Zhu is very sensible. She also knows Xia Wen very well. Mo Zhu wont care about what happens outside the house. She knows that he can handle things well, Xu Lan said in a gratified manner. In the beginning, she was worried that Xia Wens life would fall to a low point after his divorce. She did not expect both Xia Wen and Xia He to be doing so well now. Their lives were even much better than before! Times had changed. She could not apply her standards on the childrens lives. The most important thing now was for them to find the most suitable lifestyle for themselves. It was better to live a comfortable life than to keep up a facade! Xu Lan seemed to have suddenly thought of something. She went into her room and brought out a document for Qiao Mei, saying, Tang Hui came to visit us two days ago and she mentioned that you want to set up a school. Back when your eldest brother was a teacher, he knew quite a few people. Here are the approval papers for you to set up a school. Take a look and see if everything is in order. Heavens! Mother! This must have taken a lot of effort! Qiao Mei said in surprise. Its not that bad. We didnt have to put in much effort. They know that youre the top scorer in the capital after the reinstatement of the college entrance examination and that you have gone overseas to further your studies. Moreover, youve also provided the country with so much scientific research results. Thats why the approval is granted so quickly. You need to find the school teachers yourself though. I dont know anyone, Xu Lan said casually. Although Xu Lan did not want to talk about it, it could not be that easy. Qiao Mei knew that Xu Lan was doing this to help her out. Thank you, Mother~ Qiao Mei leaned against Xu Lan and said sweetly. The approval to set up a school had come through and she had also already found a suitable property. Coincidentally, Xia You was running an orphanage now. So long as the children could pass an examination, they could attend her school without having to pay any tuition fees! She wanted the school to have three campuses, namely general, elite and international. There was also an additional small building set aside for those children who wanted to learn about culture and arts. The general campus would focus on taking in children who stayed nearby as well as children from the orphanages. The elite campuss focus was to nurture those smart and talented children through the use of alternative learning methods which were more suitable for them. The international campus was meant for those families who were well-to-done and wanted to eventually send their children overseas to study. As time passed, the economy kept improving and new businesses were sprouting up all the time. Although one could improve oneself through consistent hard work, the speed of such improvement was still a little too slow. Everyone must take advantage of one anothers strengths and exchange ideas with one another. In the future, more and more people would want to go overseas to study. After planning out the school structure, Qiao Mei passed Deng Fan a draft of the design. He liked it very much. After all, his Xia Hui was about to start school and it felt right to send her to Qiao Meis school. Leave it to me. Dont worry. Give me three months and Ill definitely give you a surprise! Deng Fan said excitedly over the phone. Theres no hurry, Qiao Mei said. There is! How can it not be! You dont know how agonising it is for Xia He to tutor Xia Hui at home every day. Although the two of us arent very highly educated, we should still be able to teach a kindergarten student. But Xia Hui wont listen to us at all. So we look forward to send her to your school! Deng Fan said happily. It must have been hard on the two of you, Qiao Mei said. Dont worry, Ill hire many workers to work on this project! Itll definitely be fast and good! Deng Fan said. Safety is paramount, Qiao Mei reminded him. I promise to complete the mission! With that, Deng Fan hung up the phone. Qiao Mei had just heaved a sigh of relief when she heard a commotion outside her door. When she opened the door, she saw that the courtyard was filled with people. Feng Hua and Tang Hui were busy setting out chairs for everyone to sit on! This is... Qiao Mei asked hesitantly as she looked at the people in the courtyard. I heard that you have already received the approval for the school! I have found you the teachers you need! Tang Hui said excitedly to Qiao Mei. Chapter 2436: Recruit Teachers Chapter 2436: Recruit Teachers In the past, it was always Qiao Mei who urged everyone to go into business and find more ways to earn money. It seemed to be the other way round nowadays. People came to urge Qiao Mei to set things in motion quickly before she missed out on good opportunities to earn money! They all wanted Qiao Mei to lead them onto the path to become rich. Qiao Mei quickly pulled Tang Hui to one side and said, These people are all experts in their fields. I wont be able to hire so many teachers. How do I reject any of them without offending someone! Ive already told them that youre not hiring for long-term positions. You can hire them on a short-term basis first. Rotate their classes among the students so that the kids can learn from different perspectives! Tang Hui said. Thats a good idea! Qiao Mei said admiringly. However, there were at least 100 teachers in the courtyard. It would be a huge task to interview them one by one. Qiao Mei felt tired just thinking about it. In the end, Qiao Mei decided on 12 teachers. They were mainly quite young and a few were from famous schools, but they had not been teaching long enough and needed to gain more experience. Qiao Mei stood in front of the group of people in the courtyard and said, Dear all, thank you for your time. The interview is over. I will be asking a few more people to join us when we schedule the classes for specific topics. Ill visit the shortlisted teachers personally to provide you with the details. Everyone, thank you for coming! Qiao Mei arranged for Da Zhuang and Xiao Zhuang to send the more elderly teachers home. The day was finally over. She could feel a headache coming on as she looked at the pile of documents in her hand. How is it? Isnt it interesting to run a school? Tang Hui asked happily. Why are you so happy when I say that I want to start a school? Youre not pregnant now, are you? Qiao Mei asked. Im going to quit my job! Im coming over to work at your school! Tang Hui said boldly as she put her arm around Qiao Meis shoulder. Qiao Mei widened her eyes and looked at Tang Hui as she said, Quit your job! Youre a teacher in a famous school in the capital and the school thinks highly of you. Why do you want to quit your job? I dont even know if I can get this school off the ground! I know that, but I dont think that my current school is suitable for me. I prefer to channel my hard work to your school. The money I make from the test papers is enough for my living expenses. It doesnt matter even if I dont teach at that school, Tang Hui said. Tang Hui made quite a lot of sense. Qiao Mei did not have the kind of experience Tang Hui had in the education field. Qiao Mei could be the principal and let Tang Hui be the vice-principal in charge of all the administrative matters. If there was really no other way, she could also get Third Uncle to come and work in the school. After all, Third Uncle was already advanced in age and it would be tough for him to go on missions in the army. It might be better for him to come and teach physical fitness classes at her school. She just did not know if Grandfather would agree to this idea. Do as you deem fit. I still need to settle the issue of hiring the teachers. You can take charge of all other matters, Qiao Mei said. No problem! Tang Hui said happily. Ill talk to you about your salary later. Ill get Yao Nian to send you a bank card later. Itll be topped up with the funds that the school needs. You can decide on how you want to use the money, Qiao Mei said. I have money! I can pay first! You can reimburse me based on the receipts! Tang Hui said. Forget it, thats too troublesome. Just use my money. Its a deal. Qiao Mei sighed and said, All of you are really proactive about earning money now. Once classes start at the school, my mother-in-law will probably want to come here to give dance lessons. After all, she has already handed all her work at the military art troupe over to Xia He. Thats great! Its best if you can gather everyone! Gather everyone who has spare time! Then they can all make some money! Tang Hui said. This idea was indeed not bad. Qiao Mei had only intended to run a normal school, but perhaps she could also start a technical school? This way, she would be able to provide talents for various industries. Youre right. Lets do it. However, Qiao Mei no longer had any more energy to think about these things today. She just wanted to return to her room and go to bed. The next day, Qiao Mei gathered the children for a meeting to talk about their education. The three children were very obedient and went along with her arrangements. You can voice your opinions anytime, Qiao Mei said as she looked at the children tenderly. Mama, when will school start? Xia Fan asked seriously. It will take at least another five months. For now, Mama can hire a tutor so that you can study at home or I can also send you to study with your father, Qiao Mei said. Then can we go back to our school to finish this semester first? We want to play with our friends, Xia Fan said. Qiao Mei did not consider this aspect. She thought that the siblings only spent time with one another and did not mingle much with other children. Chapter 2437: The School Is Ready Chapter 2437: The School Is Ready The children were older now and had their own way of thinking. It would be good to let the children make their own decisions on certain issues. The days passed and it was soon autumn. This was always the busiest time of the year for Qiao Meis vegetable farm and the factory. The harvest this year was especially good and it looked like they would make double the profits as last year! Qiao Mei planned to give all the employees a bonus payout to reward them for their hard work. They were definitely the reason why she could earn so much money. The school building was constructed and the interior renovations were all completed. The teachers had been asked to get ready to start work and the next thing to do was to recruit students. Have you decided on the salary for the teachers? Qiane asked as she looked at the pile of financial statements in front of her. The teachers in the general campus will be paid 80 dollars a month, the same amount as teachers in other schools. The teachers in the elite campus will be paid 150 dollars a month and the teachers in the international campus will be paid 220 dollars a month. As for those who teach specialty classes, they will be paid 10 dollars a lesson, Qiao Mei said. Youre paying too much. The average salary in the market is only 60 dollars now. Your high salary levels will definitely attract a lot of attention, Qiane said in surprise. Its fine. This is the effect I want. This way, it will attract good teachers to come and teach in my school. Moreover, my school has very strict recruitment criteria. Anyone who gets hired is definitely worth their salary, Qiao Mei said. Qiane looked at the salary table and asked, What do you think about me going to your school to give piano lessons? Do you still have time to spare? Qiao Mei asked curiously. Of course I do. Surely I can just teach once a week? Ever since your younger sister left the capital, Ive been thinking about taking in another student, but I havent met any talented kids! I dont like to teach stupid students. After all, Im not short of money. I just dont have anyone to impart my skills too! Qiane lamented. Qiao Mei looked at Qiane melancholically. Before Qiane went through those bad experiences in her life, she was famous for her talent in the capital. So many men were fond of her that her suitors could even form a line circling the capital! However, everyone only remembered those embarrassing things which happened to Qiane and had completely forgotten that she was previously the champion of the national piano competition. Sure, as long as youre free, you can come and teach anytime, Qiao Mei said with a smile. Knock, knock, knock! Liu Fen and Tang Hui had come to Qiao Meis house together. Qiao Mei looked at the two of them in puzzlement. When did these two get so close? Tang Hui could tell that Qiao Mei was puzzled and said with a smile, Its so coincidental that Second Sister-in-law and I bumped into each other at your door. Thats right, thats right! Since everyone is here, I dont have to run around looking for all of you separately! Liu Fen said happily. Second Aunt-in-law, you have something to tell all of us? Qiao Mei asked. Didnt you just set up a school? You previously said that all the Xia familys children can study there for free, right? Liu Fen widened her eyes and asked excitedly. No, Second Aunt-in-law. I said that all the Xia familys children can come and study at the school, but they will need to pay the same amount of school tuition fees as everyone else. Otherwise, the other students will be unhappy that the Xia familys children are given special treatment. Besides, my school has three different campuses and the fees are different for each campus, Qiao Mei explained. Alright, whatever you say. Liu Fen thought for a while and then said, Then what if there are children in the Xia family who cant afford the school fees? Who? Qiao Mei asked curiously. Ever since she joined the Xia family, all the Xia family members were doing well. Basically, there should not be anyone who was short of money anymore, unless Liu Fen was referring to those distant relatives. Im referring to Xia Xings kid, Xia Hai, Liu Fen said as she secretly sized up Tang Hui. Tang Hui just sat there drinking tea with a straight face. Qiao Mei smiled awkwardly and said, Xia Xing is doing quite well at his job now. He should not face any issues with Xia Hais school fees. Is that so? Thats not what Shao Yin told me. Their family is facing financial difficulties now and they dont even have money to buy meat. When I went to their house the other day, there were only vegetarian dishes on the dining table. It makes my heart ache to see this happening at a time when the child needs a lot of nutrition to grow up strong. Liu Fen wiped her tears as she spoke, making it sound as if Xia Hai was being abused. Really? I send half of Xia Guangs monthly salary to them every month. This is what Xia Guang asks me to do, Tang Hui said. How can that bit of money be enough? Its very difficult to raise a child nowadays. Milk powder is so expensive! Liu Fen became more and more agitated as she spoke. She seemed to be trying to imply that Tang Hui had been ill-treating Xia Xing and Xia Hai after marrying into the family and did not care about them at all! Qiao Mei looked down helplessly. She did not know if Liu Fen was really that stupid or just pretending to be stupid. Chapter 2438: Having a Child Chapter 2438: Having a Child Is that so? I will have my own child soon and it seems that theres a lot of things for me to learn, Tang Hui said with a smile as she looked at Liu Fen. Huh? Liu Fen was stunned for a long while. Xia Xing hasnt told me that hes having money issues recently, but then again, he is already an adult. How can a man in his 30s still have the cheek to ask me for money? Ill go over to visit them later and give them some money, Tang Hui said calmly. Liu Fen blushed and kept quiet. It did not cross her mind to think about how old Xia Xing was. She had gone to Shao Yins place the day before yesterday and became a little worked up after hearing Shao Yins complaints. Liu Fen scratched her head in embarrassment and said, Um... I still have something on at home. An An is still waiting for me at home! Ill go off now! After Liu Fen left, Qiao Mei looked at Tang Hui and said, You dont have to take Second Aunt-in-laws words to heart. I know. However, the way Second Sister-in-law is always standing up for others indiscriminately, shell get into trouble sooner or later. Shes going around acting like a nice person and poking her noses into other peoples family business. Therell be trouble one day, Tang Hui said. People usually cant take advice from others and will only learn from personal experiences. Is there any point in us talking about it? Besides, she goes around trying to find people who are willing to let her air her grievances! Since Shao Yin was willing to lend her an ear, she was naturally easily strung along to do funny things, Qiao Mei said with a sigh. It seems that I have to think of a way to have the kid stay with me. Otherwise, Shao Yin will lead him astray, Tang Hui said. But you want to have your own child eventually. You wont have time to take care of Xia Hai, Qiao Mei said. Your third uncle will be back soon. He can take care of the kid. Besides, we cant let the next generation continue to bear the grudges of the previous generation. Didnt you hear what Second Sister-in-law said just now? Tang Hui said. Its going to be tough for you, Qiao Mei said. Its not tough at all. In school, I have to take charge of more than 30 students! Were just talking about one child here, so its not a big deal. Alright, I wont disturb you anymore. When the time comes, Xia Hai will also study at your school. Xia Guang will pay the school fees, Tang Hui said with a smile. No problem, Qiao Mei said. After a few days, Qiao Mei heard that Tang Hui had already brought Xia Hai to her house and that Shao Yin and Xia Xing had gone to the south to work. It seemed that Shao Yin was willing to work hard on her relationship with Xia Xing. Qiao Mei did not know how Tang Hui was able to convince Shao Yin to hand Xia Hai over to her. She felt that she had really underestimated Tang Hui. After Tang Hui settled everything, she brought Xia Hai to Qiao Meis house. This was the first time Qiao Mei was able to take a close look at Xia Hai. He was much skinnier than before and looked malnourished. Xia Fan! Bring your younger cousin out to play for a while! Qiao Mei called out to Xia Fan to bring Xia Hai around. Xia Hai was very introverted and he looked as if he would be easily frightened the moment he heard any loud noises. Tang Hui looked at the departing Xia Hai and said, As you can see, this child probably has some psychological issues. I should have tried to help him earlier. Did you find out what Shao Yin spent all the money on? Qiao Mei asked. She gave it to Zhou Hua. Most of the money is with Zhou Hua. After all, Zhou Hua is Xia Xings biological mother and its hard for him to say no when she asks him for money. Shao Yins family asks her for a lot of money too, Tang Hui said with a sigh. I really pity this child, Qiao Mei said with heartache. Its fine. Its not too late to bring him up properly from now on. He is not stupid and he can be nurtured well, Tang Hui said with a smile. What did you offer Shao Yin to convince her to give you the child? Qiao Mei asked curiously. I bought them a house in the south. Shao Yin already knew that she would not be able to take care of Xia Hai well and Xia Hai was also willing to come and live with me. Shao Yin was just worried about not having enough money to leave the capital and be rid of Zhou Hua and her maternal family. So I appeared at the right time, Tang Hui said. Youre actually willing to spend so much money on this child, Qiao Mei said in surprise. It was definitely not a small sum. She estimated that Tang Hui had to offer Shao Yin at least 30,000 dollars before Shao Yin was willing to let Xia Hai live with Tang Hui. Your third uncle has been very nice to me. Hes not young anymore and he only has one grandson after so many years. This is his only bloodline so I definitely have to take good care of the boy, Tang Hui said. Its already difficult to be a stepmother, what more a stepgrandmother. I wonder if I have made your life worse by asking you to marry into my family... Qiao Mei said melancholically. How can that be? I want to thank you for letting me marry into the Xia family. Generally, my life in the Xia family has been very blissful. Every family has their own difficulties. Its not as if you dont have any troubles in your life? As long as Xia Guang loves me and always takes my side, everything else is a small matter, Tang Hui said blissfully. Chapter 2439: The Banquet Chapter 2439: The Banquet How mushy! Qiao Mei had goosebumps from listening to Tang Hui. Hey! Did you hear? Xia Yuan and Zhou Xis marriage seems to be over, Tang Hui whispered into Qiao Meis ear. What? Really! Qiao Mei said as she looked at Tang Hui in surprise. Its absolutely true! I heard it with my own ears! It appears to be because Zhou Xi had forced Xia Yuan to get married and even said that she was pregnant! In the end, she had to go to Xia Fangs place for a checkup and then they found out that it was all a scam. Xia Yuan was furious and thats the end of the marriage, Tang Hui said. Qiao Mei listened with relish. She had not heard anything about this! It seemed that the second branch family had kept this matter under very tight wraps! How could Yao Nian be so unprofessional and not tell her about such a big matter! How did you find out? Qiao Mei asked curiously. One of the Zhou familys children is my student. He took a leave of absence from class for two days and I felt that something was wrong. So I asked and he told me, Tang Hui said. Youre really something! In that case, Second Aunt-in-law must be planning blind dates for Xia Yuan now, Qiao Mei guessed. Tang Hui gave her a thumbs up and said, As expected, you make good guesses. She has taken a fancy to the daughter of the Xia familys family friend and the granddaughter of the Ge familys second branch family, Ge Hong. It would be Old Madam Ges birthday two days later. Many Xia family members would be attending her birthday celebrations. Could Liu Fen be waiting for this day so that she could go and gather more information? I hear that Ge Hongs mother is a very difficult person. Shes well known in the capital for being fierce, Qiao Mei said. Youre right! The ladies from the other prominent families dont like to interact with the Ge family because Ge Hongs mother likes to make things difficult for others. The Ge family changes helpers every two months and all the previous helpers are very unhappy with the family, Tang Hui said. Then why does Second Aunt-in-law still want Xia Yuan to marry Ge Hong? Qiao Mei asked. Thats because Ge Hongs grandparents were also in the military, like our family. The Ge familys second branch family is the most outstanding in their family. If Ge Hong marries into the Xia familys second branch family, then our eldest branch family might even have to step aside! Tang Hui said. So thats why. Second Aunt-in-law has really gone all out. If she likes all this reputational stuff, I can just spend some money and get the media to write more articles about the Xia familys second branch family, Qiao Mei said resignedly. I dont know whats come over Second Sister-in-law. Ever since she adopted An An, her fighting spirit seems to have been ignited. She seems tireless and is always thinking about how to make the second branch family bigger and stronger, Tang Hui said. Qiao Mei took a sip of tea and said calmly, Lets just wait and see. As long as these people do all these things willingly, I have nothing to say. Before Tang Hui married into the Xia family, she had heard from other people that Qiao Mei was a nasty character and was arrogant and willful. However, after interacting with Qiao Mei for a while, she realized that Qiao Mei had the best temper in the Xia family. Even when Liu Fen harassed Qiao Mei, she did not kick Liu Fen out or say anything harsh. Alright, you should go and get ready. The family will need you to prepare the gift for Old Madam Ges birthday banquet. After saying that, Tang Hui went to play with Xia Hai. Qiao Mei quickly asked Yao Nian to find out more about the Ge family and also to check on Ge Hongs style of doing things. She found out that when Xia Yuan was on a mission in the army, Ge Hong was a military doctor on the same mission. Later on, when Ge Hong was trying to save the injured soldiers on the battlefield, she accidentally fell and fainted. It was Xia Yuan who carried her and sent her to the infirmary. From then on, Ge Hong never forgot Xia Yuan. She held a torch for Xia Yuan silently and remained single. Its really... a nice love story, Qiao Mei lamented as she read through the information. It seems that Xia Yuan doesnt like Ge Hong though, Feng Hua said. Thats right. Xia Yuan has his own ideas and no one can force him against his will. However, I cant manage the Xia familys affairs based on Xia Yuans wishes. I have to give Second Aunt-in-law some respect as well. Its really difficult! Qiao Mei said with a sigh. You didnt complete your confinement period properly after giving birth to Xia Yang. Thats why youre always tired now. If its too tough, then dont do so much, Feng Hua said with heartache. Its fine, I can take it. These things are just a little more troublesome, Qiao Mei said. Given that Qiao Mei was the female head for the Xia family, she wore a dark red dress to attend Old Madam Ges birthday banquet. She also brought along all the gifts from the Xia family. When the Ge family members saw Qiao Mei, they welcomed her into the house respectfully. The moment Qiao Mei entered the house, she saw a classy-looking woman in the main hall. The woman was dressed in a very eye-catching red dress and wore very expensive jewelry. It seemed that this was the person in charge of the Ge familys household affairs, Ge Hongs aunt, Ge Ping. I never expected Xia Zhes wife to be so beautiful! I believe this is the first time we have met each other, Ge Ping said with a smile. Chapter 2440: Old Madam Ges Birthday Chapter 2440: Old Madam Ges Birthday Yes, its been very busy at home plus I have four children to take care of. I apologise for not visiting sooner. After saying that, Qiao Mei looked at Qiane who immediately understood what she meant and brought over a jewelry box. Qiao Mei continued, This is a small gift I have prepared for you. Its nothing special, but I hope you will accept it. Qiane opened the box, revealing a pink gemstone necklace inside. Ge Ping had never seen such a big pink gemstone before. It was top-grade in terms of color and workmanship This necklace could even be a collectors item! What are you saying! How can I accept such a valuable gift? Ge Ping said with a smile. Qiao Mei held Ge Pings hand and said, This is a small token from me as a junior. The Xia family and the Ge family have been on good terms for generations so I must make sure I follow the proper etiquette. Ive just taken over management of my familys household and there are many things Im not familiar with yet. I hope you will be able to give me some pointers. Youre too kind. Since you put it that way, Ill accept it, Ge Ping said. Ge Ping had always wondered how a girl from the countryside could be tasked to manage the Xia familys household. Could it be that the Xia family members had lost their minds? However, based on their interaction today, Ge Ping understood why the Xia family thought so highly of Qiao Mei. She certainly did not sound like an inexperienced person who had just started to manage a household. Furthermore, Qiao Mei was wealthy enough to give Ge Hong such nice jewelry without even batting an eyelid. It looked like the Xia family had a lot of such valuable stuff and was not as modest as the Ge family had imagined. The more Ge Ping thought about it, the more she felt that she must let Ge Hong marry into the Xia family! Although this is the first time Im meeting you, for some reason I like you a lot! There are many people here today, lets go over there and have a seat. Its quieter over there, Ge Ping said as she pointed at the sofa in the corner. It was a sofa that was specially prepared for esteemed guests. It may look inconspicuous tucked in the corner, but in fact, it was a spot that everyone held an eye on. It was the Ge familys longtime habit to only offer the spot to only their esteemed guest of the day. As soon as they sat down and exchanged some pleasantries, Ge Ping wanted to talk about Xia Yuan and Ge Hong. Qiao Mei immediately said, Ive been very busy recently. Also, our Xia Yuan is getting married soon. What? Ge Pings friendly expression disappeared. She widened her eyes and asked, I wonder which familys daughter is so lucky to be able to marry Xia Yuan. Why havent we heard of this before? Qiao Mei did not say anything. After all, it was just an excuse that she made up. She did not have an answer for that question. However, Qiao Meis attitude made Ge Ping feel very annoyed. She looked at Qiao Mei and questioned, Your Xia family arranged a marriage for him? But times are different now! How can people still do such a thing? Its better to respect the wishes of your children. Thats right, but the elders need to be consulted before any decision is made. The elders have agreed to his marriage plans, Qiao Mei said. Nonsense! Ge Ping smacked the table, attracting the attention of everyone present. She pointed at Qiao Mei and shouted, Youre just a village girl who married into the Xia family! What right do you have to decide on the Xia familys issues! Moreover, youre the daughter-in-law of the Xia familys eldest branch! Who gives you any right to decide on the marriage plans related to the Xia familys second branch! Qiao Mei had thought that Ge Ping was a respectable person. After all, she had been in charge of the Ge familys household for so many years and should be adept at dealing with outsiders. It was obvious that Qiao Mei had given her too much credit. Where are Xia Yuans parents! Why are they not here today! Are there any elders from the Xia family here today! I want to speak to Xia Yuans parents! Does Xia Yuan intend to abandon our Ge Hong? Is he going to abandon her after playing with her feelings! Ge Ping said angrily. Initially, Qiao Mei had intended to settle the matter peacefully. After all, it was Old Madam Ges birthday today. If she caused trouble at the Ge family house on such a day, it would be embarrassing for everyone. Since she was managing the Xia familys household now, she could not just do whatever she wanted. She had to show respect to everyone. However, given that Ge Ping was bullying her like this, she did not need to hold back anymore. Tell me, what did our Xia Yuan do to your Ge Hong? Do the two of them know each other? Qiao Mei asked Ge Ping calmly. What right do you have to talk to me! Who do you think you are! Ask Xia Yuans parents to come and see me! Tell your Xia familys elders to come and see me! Ge Ping said mockingly. Qiao Mei leaned back on the sofa calmly and said determinedly and with disdain in her eyes, As if you have the right to ask to see them. Who do you think you are? Do you think you can meet the Xia familys elders as and when you want? You little b*tch! How dare you talk to me like that! Im also considered your elder after all! Ge Ping pointed at Qiao Mei and scolded her. Chapter 2441: Talk Things Out Chapter 2441: Talk Things Out Elder? Dont think that you can use your age as a weapon just because youre old. Its not your place to talk about our familys business. Im just reminding you not to read too much into things but you cant even keep a lid on your emotions. It looks to me that youve set your sights on our Xia family for a long time, Qiao Mei said with a smile. When the people standing around overheard the conversation, they could not help but giggle. Ge Ping kept saying that Qiao Mei was an uncouth girl from the countryside, but the person currently yelling in public was Ge Ping. Qiao Mei was seated elegantly on the sofa the entire time, making it even more apparent that Ge Ping was acting rudely. How can someone like you manage the Xia familys household? Are all the Xia family members blind! If this is how the Xia family members are brought up, then it looks like our Ge Hong shouldnt join the Xia family and be bullied! Ge Ping said angrily. Oh, this is how I am. If you cant stand it, then you should go away. Theres no need for you to look at me. Qiao Mei could not be bothered to explain too much. Was there still anyone in the capital who did not know what kind of person she was and what the Xia family was like? Among the prominent families present here today, at least two-thirds had previously requested and received medicinal wine from Qiao Mei. Very few people would be willing to speak up for the Ge family at the moment. Ge Ping did not even move an inch after a long time, so Qiao Mei stared at her and asked, What? Do you still have something to say? Since you still want to talk, then tell me about how Xia Yuan abandoned your Ge Hong after playing with her feelings. I want to hear the entire story. Our Ge Hong has already given herself to Xia Yuan! What do you expect Ge Hong to do! Ge Ping said. Oh? Given herself? This is not something you can say lightly. Do you even know what that means? Qiao Mei questioned. Ge Ping spent very little time in school and did not really know how to read and write. She was lucky that she could depend on her good looks. When Qiao Mei asked her this question, she really did not know how to answer it. I know what youre trying to say though. Back then, Xia Yuan had saved Ge Hong. At that time, it was a matter of life and death. In order to save her, our Xia Yuan had to hug Ge Hong in public and carry her to the infirmary. He had no other choice. After that, did Xia Yuan stay in contact with Ge Hong? Did the two of them go out on dates? Qiao Mei asked. The fact was... they had never gone on dates. Ge Hong only quietly observed Xia Yuan from the side and never really interacted with him. The two of them seldom talked and it was very likely that Xia Yuan did not even remember who Ge Hong was. Looks like the answer is no. Looks like it is better for us not to help someone who is of the opposite sex? Otherwise, we might get accused of ulterior motives. Its so difficult to be a good person! Xia Yuan is really pitiful! Qiao Mei exclaimed loudly. The people standing around looked at Ge Ping without saying anything but their eyes were filled with condemnation for her. If society was filled with people like Ge Ping who could not tell right from wrong, then good people would not be able to do good deeds anymore! Nonsense! Ge Ping held back her tongue, not knowing how to refute Qiao Mei. By right, a young girl who was asked to manage a household at such a young age should be easily overwhelmed. Ge Ping expected Qiao Mei to throw the problem to Xia Yuans parents when it came to this issue. She did not expect Qiao Mei to be so extraordinary and to be even more unreasonable than her! A couple should only get married if they want to. Theres no reason for us to force the issue. Xia Yuan doesnt know Ge Hong and the two of them also dont interact with each other. If our family is unwilling to accept your proposal, you should not try to force it through. Otherwise, if everyone acts like you, therell always be a crowd gathered at the Xia familys door! Qiao Mei said with a smile. How can you say that theres no feelings between the two of them! Both of them like each other... Before Ge Ping could finish speaking, Qiao Mei interrupted her. Firstly! Xia Yuan doesnt know who Ge Hong is. He had only saved her because he couldnt leave her in the lurch during an emergency. Secondly! Although the Xia and Ge families are long-time friends, Xia Yuan still has the final say in his own marriage. Xia Yuan doesnt like Ge Hong, so we cant accept the Ge familys proposal! Thirdly! If you continue to spout nonsense about this matter, Ill sue you for slander! For reputation damage! Besides, if you continue to say such things, it wont be good for Ge Hongs reputation either. How will Ge Hong face people in the capital in the future? Qiao Mei said. You! You! Ge Ping was so angry that she almost fainted. The helper nearby hurriedly held her up. In the future, be careful about the things you say. Dont use inappropriate words and phrases. Read more books! Qiao Mei said. Qiao Mei originally thought that only the Ge familys second branch family doted on Ge Hong. She did not expect that as Ge Hongs aunt, Ge Ping, also doted on her very much. If that was the case, then Qiao Mei would be able to control the Ge family easily if Ge Hong should join the Xia family. At least the Ge family would not hurt Ge Hong for the sake of benefits. This was already much better than how the Tan family treated Tan Jing. How can you be so vicious! Ge Ping said angrily. Its good that you know. I havent even done anything to you yet! Youd better not let me find your Ge family trying to play dirty tricks on the Xia family behind our backs. Otherwise, Ill let your family know what it means to have your reputation ruined. You must make sure the Ge familys 100-year-old history must not be destroyed in the hands of your generation! Qiao Mei said. Chapter 2442: Pound on the Door Late at Night Chapter 2442: Pound on the Door Late at Night No matter how highly you think of yourself! You cant make the decisions for the Xia family! Ge Ping pointed at Qiao Mei and roared at her. Qiao Mei chuckled and looked at Ge Ping disdainfully, saying, You can easily find out for yourself whether I can make decisions on behalf of the Xia family. Right after Qiao Mei said that, Old Madam Ge walked slowly downstairs. She still did not know about the commotion in the living hall earlier. Qiao Mei stood in front of the old lady and lowered her head slightly as she said, Hello, Im Qiao Mei from the Xia family. My apologies, but I wont be able to stay any longer. I wish you good fortune and longevity. Ill come and visit you another day. Alright... Old Madam Ge felt confused as she watched Qiao Mei leave. She turned to look at Ge Ping and asked, Whats going on? Old Madam Ges helper recounted the incident which happened in the living room just now. Old Madam Ge was so angry that she almost fainted. So many people wanted to curry favor with the Xia family but could not even get a chance to try. The Ge family was lucky enough to have a long-standing friendship with the Xia family and the Xia family would always give them some leeway. However, after what happened today, there might not be a friendship left anymore. You! You beast! How did I give birth to an idiot like you! Old Madam Ge said in annoyance. On the way back, Qiane quietly gave Qiao Mei a thumbs up and said in admiration, You really have the bearing of a family head. This is the first time Ive seen you talk to outsiders like this. There will be many more such incidents like this in the future! All of them think that Im young and easy to manipulate, Qiao Mei said nonchalantly. They are so stuck-up. Anyway, theres no loss to us. Lets see what happens next! Qiane said with a smile. Back in her days, Xu Lan also took over the management of the Xia familys household affairs, but many nasty relatives started coming to look for her not long after that. Xu Lan did not know how to reject these people and the Xia family suffered a lot during that period of time. Later on, she felt that it was really too strenuous for her to continue so she asked Xia Wen to take over. It was hard on Xia Wen during all these years. He had to take care of everything in the family, no matter big or small. In the past, he only needed to check on how each branch family was doing at work. However, after Xu Lan stopped managing the familys household affairs, Xia Wen had to take care of even the most minor household issue and he was very busy all the time. I still remember what my mother-in-law told me before. Back then, she was too soft-hearted and could not bear to see anyone suffering. She would help out whenever the relatives come and ask for food, which ultimately caused her own house to run out of food. In the end... in the end, it was the previous Third Aunt-in-law who sent some food over to tide them over, Qiao Mei lamented. She used to do good deeds too. Its just that she became obsessed with money later, Qiane said with a sigh. Everyones wish was for their family to prosper, but very often, people would forget their roots after becoming successful and forget their original path to that point. After that, they would go down the wrong path step by step. Alright, dont think too much. Lets hurry home and tell Grandfather and the others about this incident. We have to resolve the issue quickly so that the Ge family does not have a chance to kick up a fuss, Qiao Mei said. After Qiao Mei reached home, she gave Xia Mao a call. When Xia Mao heard about what happened, he said, Alright, I understand. Ill talk to Ge Hongs family about this. Ge Ping did not stay idle either. She called up her brother and said, Ge Dong! Our family has been greatly insulted! The Xia family is too arrogant! They humiliated Hong Hong in public and even made Mother so angry that she fainted! Ge Ping exaggerated many parts of her story and Ge Dong believed everything she said. He smashed the cup beside him onto the floor and roared, Does the Xia family think they are above the law! Our Ge family is also a prominent family in the capital after all! We are also seen as a respectable family! What kind of attitude is this! They dare to bully my daughter! They wont hear the end of it! Thats right! We cant back down just because its the Xia family! Ge Ping said agitatedly. That night, Ge Dong stood outside the door of Qiao Meis house together with the other men from the Ge family and shouted, The occupants in this house, come out now! Lets talk in person! Who is it? Its so annoying, its the middle of the night, Qiao Mei yawned as she got up from the bed and asked resentfully. They say their surname is Ge, Feng Hua whispered. It looked like trouble was brewing. Qiao Mei had thought that it would take these people at least two to three days to flare up. She did not expect the Ge family to be so impatient. It seemed that Ge Ping must have tried her best to rally many people to her side. Dont let them in yet. Go and call my family elders. Just dont alarm Grandfather, Qiao Mei said. All the Xia family members lived very near to one another. About 10 minutes later, all the family members arrived at Qiao Meis house. They had all rushed over in a hurry and everyone was wearing pajamas, so they did not really look too presentable. Youre all here! Good! Your Xia family has gone too far! You must give our family an explanation today! Ge Dong roared arrogantly. You have come to my daughter-in-laws house so late at night to pound on her door. I wonder what our Xia family has done to offend your Ge family? Xia Mao asked coldly. Chapter 2443: Failed Chapter 2443: Failed Hmph, your wonderful daughter-in-law ruined my daughters reputation! And on the day of my mothers birthday! My mother was so angry that she fainted and almost died! Ge Dong said. Im sure theres been a misunderstanding, Xu Lan said. Impossible! My elder sister told me herself! How can it be false! Ge Dong said. Qiao Mei put on her cloak and opened the door, saying, Since we each have our side of the story, come in and talk. The small living room was filled with people in an instant. Ge Dong took a seat at the side. He originally thought that Xia Mao and Xu Lan would sit in the middle, but was surprised to see Qiao Mei sitting alone in the middle instead. Ge Dong said sarcastically, Your Xia family really has some improper practices. Looks like the rumors are indeed true. Such a prominent family is willing to let a daughter-in-law take charge of the familys affairs. It looks like the Xia familys current generation is not as good as the previous one! The Xia familys business is none of your business. I think your Ge family is the one that cant get your own house in order! Xia He said mockingly. Ge Dong wanted to retort, but Qiao Mei quickly clapped her hands and interrupted him. Alright, were not at the fish market. Youve made so much noise outside my door for such a long time. Just say whatever you want to say. On account of the tiny bit of friendship between the Xia family and the Ge family, Ill give you that chance. Little girl, dont think that you can just ride on the coattails of giants! You should know if youre a heavyweight or a lightweight! Ge Dong said. My weight is six pounds and four ounces at birth, Qiao Mei replied. Xia He almost burst out laughing. When the Xia family members saw that Qiao Mei was not angry, they felt relieved. You! Is there any Xia family member in charge or not! Ge Dong said as he pointed at Xia Mao. Xia Mao stared into Ge Dongs eyes and said, I have already heard about what happened today. Xia Yuan is right here. You might as well just talk to him directly. Ge Dong looked at all the men from the Xia family. He did not know who Xia Yuan was. Ge Hong had never introduced them before! Dont tell me you dont know who Xia Yuan is? Then why did Ge Ping say in public today that Xia Yuan had let down Ge Hongs deep love for him, and that he had even cheated Ge Hong of her feelings? Qiao Mei asked. Of course I know him! Ge Dong hesitated for a moment before pointing at Xia Wen and saying, Thats him! Hes Xia Yuan! Of course I remember him! Xia Wen and Xia Yuan looked at each other. The two of them immediately decided to play along. Xia Wen said, Yes, its me. You told my daughter that would marry her. Why have you decided to marry someone else now! Ge Dong questioned. I dont know your daughter. I dont even know her name. Have the two of us met before? Xia Wen asked curiously. Dont try to put on an act here! My daughter still has the token of love which you gave her! As Ge Ping spoke, he took out a badge with Xia Yuans name engraved on the back. Oh this. I lost it some time back and had already made a missing item report to my workplace. It was lost four years ago. My report should still be in the archives now. So it was stolen by someone from your family, Xia Wen said. Nonsense! You clearly gave this to my daughter! Ge Dong said hesitantly. I think you should stop being so unreasonable here. Theres no benefit in doing this. Since everyone is here today, I might as well make things even clearer. Its absolutely impossible for Xia Yuan to marry a member of the Ge family. From now on, the relationship between our Xia family and the Ge family is over. Lets go our separate ways and not contact each other anymore, Qiao Mei said firmly. You cant make any decision on behalf of the Xia family! Ge Dong said agitatedly. Is that so? Qiao Mei did not even look at the Xia family members. She stared at Ge Dong and said with a smile, If there is anyone who agrees to Xia Yuan marrying a member of the Ge family, raise your hand now. None of the Xia family members moved or even made a sound. Ge Dong was even more annoyed by now. He held up the badge, looking very embarrassed. Seeing that this move did not work, he said, My mother fell sick because of you today! Your family has to give me an explanation! We have no explanation. You can do whatever you want. No one will care even if you call the police, but you have to remember that if you say or do anything wrong, you have to take responsibility for it. Well pursue the matter to the end and make sure you pay a huge price, Qiao Mei said with a smile. The Xia family was as cold and impenetrable as an iron sheet. Ge Dong could only admit defeat and say, We shall see! Off you go! By the way! Let me introduce myself. Im Xia Wen, the eldest son of the Xia familys eldest branch. Im not your beloved son-in-law, Xia Yuan. I hope you can remember this, Xia Wen said as he looked at Ge Ping mildly. Ge Ping was so angry that his neck flushed red. He had thought that the Xia family would back down in the face of overwhelming pressure from the big group of people he came with, but he did not expect the situation to end up like this. Chapter 2444: Mental Problem Chapter 2444: Mental Problem Ge Hong sat at home and kept crying. Her eyes were very swollen by now. If she continued crying like this, she would really become blind. Cry, cry, cry! You only know how to cry! Youre chasing away all the good fortune at home! Your grandmother is still in the hospital! What else can you do except cry! Cui Luo said irritably. I cant marry Xia Yuan now! Whats the point of me staying alive! I might as well die! Ge Hong said aggrievedly. Your father and I brought you up so painstakingly, but you want to throw your life away for a man! Are you still my daughter! So what if Xia Yuan doesnt want to marry you. We just need to find another man for you! Our Ge family is considered a reputable family in the capital! I dont believe that we cant find a better match than the Xia family! Cui Luo said. Ge Dong looked at Cui Luo and did not say anything. The truth was that the Ge familys fortune had already declined a lot by his generation. It was only because of the glorious history from his fathers generation that the elders of the various prominent families still stayed in touch with them. This was the only reason that the Ge family was still standing strong. Once Old Madam Ge died, the Ge family would find itself left behind by the other families. The Xia family was currently doing extremely well in the capital. It was really not easy to find a better match than the Xia family. My daughter, why dont you just choose another partner? There are so many men in the world. Lets not be so hung up on Xia Yuan, Ge Dong persuaded. No! Ill only marry him in this lifetime! I wont marry anyone else! Im already his! How can he treat me like this! We clearly made a promise to be together forever! Ge Hong said as she sobbed heart-wrenchingly. After watching the interaction for a long time, Ge Ping asked the helper at home to keep an eye on Ge Hong. She led Ge Dong and his wife to another room. Elder Sister, why did you ask us to come over? Cui Luo asked weakly. She had almost been driven crazy by Ge Hong for the past two days and did not have any energy to do anything else. Younger Brother, when you reached the Xia familys house, did the Xia family say that Xia Yuan did not know who Ge Hong is? Ge Ping asked. Yes, their entire family denies that he knows her, Ge Dong said. Yet Ge Hong had told us that she and Xia Yuan had known each other for a long time and that the two of them had made a pact to get married? Ge Ping continued. Thats what she says. I hear the same lines every day! Cui Luo said. Ge Ping pondered for a moment before saying, I suspect... I suspect that Ge Hong has gone crazy. Its very likely that Ge Hongs memory is messed up, causing her to think that Xia Yuan and her have been in a relationship for a long time. I have already asked someone to find out more information about Ge Hongs interpersonal relationships. The thing is Xia Yuan has really never been seen at Ge Hongs side. How can this be? For a moment, Ge Dong found it hard to accept what he just heard. Cui Luo slumped to the ground and said, Actually, Ive long realized that Ge Hong says strange things. Moreover, she keeps talking about things that never happened. Its just... its just that I dont want to admit it. Then what will happen to my daughter! Shes still so young! We cant send her to a mental hospital! Absolutely not! What will happen to our Ge familys reputation! Ge Dong said in a panic. Do you only care about your reputation now! Your daughters life is more important! Shes been crying for two days and two nights! In the past month, she threw up everything she ate every day! She lost so much weight! Ge Ping said with heartache. Ge Dong said regretfully, Its all my fault for being too extreme. Ive offended everyone in the Xia family. They probably wont be willing to help us now. The only thing we can do is to pay a high price to buy the medicinal wine from the black market. You can dream on! The Xia familys medicinal wine is already a priceless item by now. Even the second and third branch families of the Xia family dont have any. Do you think you can get it! Ge Ping said. Is... is there really no other way? Ge Dong felt a little dispirited for a moment, looking as if he had aged a lot. Ge Ping sighed and said, Lets just accept our fate and send Ge Hong to another city for treatment. As long as shes not getting treated in the capital, there wont be any rumors. We can just say that Ge Hong has been transferred out of town because of work. Looks like... this is the only way, Ge Dong said. A few days later, Qiao Mei got news that Ge Hongs family had moved to another city. She did not expect that the Ge family still had some backbone. She had thought that they would come to ask her for medicine like the other families. This made Qiao Mei look at the Ge family in a new light. Qiao Mei! She could hear familiar voices outside the door. It was Gao Lin and Gao Long! Granduncle! Uncle, why are you here! Qiao Mei asked as she looked at them excitedly. Were here to tell you the good news! Gao Lin said. Qiao Mei looked at Gao Lin confusedly. Could it be that Gao Lin found his true love in Hu City and had brought her back to the capital to introduce her to Qiao Mei? Chapter 2445: Xia Mo Returns Home Chapter 2445: Xia Mo Returns Home I have a new grandaunt? Qiao Mei asked. What nonsense are you talking about! Gao Lin tapped Qiao Meis head and said dotingly, Our entire family has officially moved to the capital. The business in Hu City is completely on track and I can return to the capital to retire! Really? Then Uncle is finally reunited with Cousin Xia Wan. You dont have to live separately and always rush back and forth again, Qiao Mei said to Gao Long with a smile. Gao Long looked at Qiao Mei hesitantly and finally said softly, I have come here today to seek your opinion on something. I want to bring Xia Mo back here, but I dont know if I should send her to my mother-in-law or for her to grow up in my family. I thought you wanted to ask me something important. Xia Mo is not a child anymore and she can make her own decisions. Cant you just ask her for her opinion when the time comes? Qiao Mei said. It wont work! Xia Mo is a sensible child. She doesnt want to tell us many things as shes afraid of troubling us, so... Gao Long said as he looked at Qiao Mei meaningfully. Qiao Mei patted Gao Longs shoulder and said, Got it. She can stay at my place. You know me best! Gao Long said happily. I will only take care of her for a month! After a month, your family will have to live together cordially! Qiao Mei said. Understood! Gao Long said. Gao Lin looked at Qiao Mei kindly and said, When my house is ready, lets have a nice meal as a family. Itll be lively! No problem! Qiao Mei said. Everyone was finally gathered together. Xia Mos return trip was planned very quickly. She boarded a plane back to the capital from Country M one week later. After this extended period of time, she had grown up a lot and become much more mature. Among the staff in Country M, apart from Auntie Wang and Butler Xu who had to stay back to take care of the property and farm, Auntie Zhang and Auntie Cui returned to the capital with Xia Mo. Gao Long bought apartments for them, as well as found good jobs for their family members. When Qiao Mei and the rest stayed in Country M, Auntie Zhang and Auntie Cui were their long-time helpers. Everyone had long developed feelings for one another and could not bear to part with one another. It would be difficult for Qiao Mei and the rest to find new helpers whom they liked, so they had discussed the issue with the two women and asked if they would like to come back with Xia Mo. Fortunately, they wanted to return home too, so it was also considered a good deed done. As soon as Xia Mo arrived, Gao Long brought her to Qiao Meis house. Xia Mo was not too distant from Qiao Mei, but Qiao Mei could feel that Xia Mo was still a little reserved. This is your room. Ive already gotten someone to clean it up. Tell me if you need anything and Ill get someone to help you. Your mothers house is still under renovation, so you have to stay with me for the time being, Qiao Mei said as she held Xia Mos hand. Xia Mo only nodded silently but did not say anything. However, Qiao Mei could tell from her actions that she actually wanted to get closer to Qiao Mei. Just like that, the two of them did not disturb each other for three days. One day, Xia Mo finally wanted to chat with Qiao Mei. Aunt-in-law, can I come and hang out with you? Xia Mo asked carefully as she stood at the door of the study. Of course you can! Come in! Qiao Mei called out. Xia Mo liked how the study was furnished. After admiring the room, she sat opposite Qiao Mei and asked, Aunt-in-law, why is it that you have not asked me many questions like the others? Youll naturally tell me when you want to talk about it. Look, arent we at the point now?, Qiao Mei said gently. Xia Mo nodded happily and said, I actually like Uncle Gao Long a lot. I also hope that he and my mother can live a good life together. After all... my father is not a good person and I know that, but I have this feeling that my newborn brother will snatch away my mothers love for me. Im a little scared and I dont know how to face them. This is very normal. Dont blame yourself. The fact that you have such thoughts means that Gao Long and Xia Wan didnt communicate with you well, Qiao Mei said. No! They talked to me before! But I didnt tell them the truth... Xia Mo said. It must be because you dont want to make things difficult for your mother, Qiao Mei said. Yes, Xia Mo said. Qiao Mei looked at Xia Mo and asked, Gao Long and your mother love you very much, but they will also love your newborn brother very much. The two of you are equally important to them and there is no difference at all. The two of you are siblings. Really? Xia Mos lifeless eyes lit up again. Of course! Gao Long is so anxious because you are back! Hes always worried that he cant do things for you well and that you wont be satisfied with him. He begged me for a long time to allow you to stay with me. After all, he doesnt know if youre willing to have a heart-to-heart talk with him. Hes also scared! Qiao Mei said. Chapter 2446: Qiao Corporation Chapter 2446: Qiao Corporation Do adults feel scared too? Xia Mo asked curiously. Of course! We are also humans! Qiao Mei said firmly. Aunt-in-law, then what are you scared of? Xia Mo continued. Qiao Mei looked at the children playing in the courtyard and said, Them. I feel scared when they get sick or if something happens to them. I also feel scared if something happens to your uncle-in-law. Also, if anything should happen to your great-grandfather Qiao, Ill also be sad. Does my mother feel this way too? Xia Mo asked. Yes, shes the same too. Everyone loves you, Qiao Mei said firmly. Xia Mo nodded in understanding. That knot in her heart that had been bothering her for a long time had finally been untied. Do you want to live with your mother or your grandmother? Qiao Mei asked. Xia Mo replied without a second thought, With my mother! Then are you ready to face Gao Long and your younger brother? Qiao Mei asked again. This time, Xia Mo did not answer Qiao Meis question. Qiao Mei knew that people usually wanted to escape when faced with something they were afraid of. You can stay here with me for now and go back when youre ready. Ill always keep a room for you here, Qiao Mei said with a smile. Thank you, Aunt-in-law! Ill remember what you said! Xia Mo said happily. Theres no need to stand on ceremony with me. I am very fond of you, so much so that I wish youre my daughter! You dont have to worry about going to school. You can rest at home for a while and think about the interests and hobbies that you want to pursue. I can hire tutors to guide you. My school will start classes and you should study there, Qiao Mei said. Is that really possible? Xia Mo asked excitedly. Of course. Gao Long is my uncle and your mother is my husbands older cousin. Your uncle-in-law does whatever I say! Im the queen! All of them will do whatever I say! Qiao Mei said proudly. Xia Mo looked at Qiao Mei with admiration in her eyes. In the next 20 years of her life, Xia Mo would view Qiao Mei as her role model and her idol since young. Qiao Mei would also remember this moment for the rest of her life. Ill go and play with my younger cousins now! Xia Mo said. Go ahead and be careful! Qiao Mei said. As Qiao Mei looked at Xia Mo, she thought of her other life. In her other life, her mother had also remarried but her stepfather was not nice to her. Since her mother was fully reliant on her stepfather, she decided to abandon Qiao Mei. As a result, Qiao Mei had to live alone like an orphan. Qiao Mei could see her sensitive old self in Xia Mo. She hoped that Xia Mo would not turn out like her in her other life. Helping Xia Mo was also helping herself. Xia Mo did not stay at Qiao Meis place for long before Gao Long and Xia Wan came and took her home. Qiao Mei heard that the family got along well and was very happy. Xia Mo slowly became less sensitive and everything returned to normal. For a period of time after that, Qiao Mei was busy with her various businesses. Two years later, Qiao Meis businesses were all listed on the stock market one after another and the Qiao Corporation became quite famous within the country. When she first came to the capital, everyone called Qiao Mei the countryside girl. Later on, she became the third young mistress of the Xia family. Now, everyone had to respectfully address her as Boss Qiao when they saw her. The He family no longer had the ability to fight with Qiao Mei and the Xia family. He Ning had also drunk all the medicinal wine he managed to get his hands on. Now, He Ning could only lie in bed and rely on others to take care of him. It was an extravagant hope for him to even get up and walk a few steps. I think He Ning doesnt have many days left, Xia Wen said with a sigh. After fighting his weak health for his entire life, He Ning did not manage to defeat it. I heard that many people who are on good terms with the He family have gone to visit He Ning recently. The doctor has even told the family members to go back and be on standby, Xia Zhe said. Xia Zhe was now considered an idler in the army. His main job was to train the new recruits and formulate battle plans. Whenever he could, he would use his vacation days to go traveling around with Qiao Mei. He had even more free time than Xia Mao. Xia Mao often commented that Xia Zhe had lost his fighting spirit, but Xia Zhe felt that if he could spend the rest of his life with Qiao Mei and watch the children grow up healthily, that would already be the greatest blessing of his life! After all, their familys financial situation was fully covered by Boss Qiao! It did not matter even if he did not work hard. Should we visit him? Qiao Mei asked. I wont. Its not because of my personal feelings. Im just worried that He Ning will die of spite if he sees me. I cant let He Ning drag down the Xia family even in death! Xia Wen said helplessly. Hahahaha! Eldest Brother, you have a point! Qiao Mei could not stop laughing when she heard that. Chapter 2447: Visit He Ning Chapter 2447: Visit He Ning But its strange that the He family didnt come to the Xia family to ask for medicine or ginseng, Xia Wen said. They probably know that we definitely wont give it to him, Qiao Mei said. He has done so many nasty things. He deserves to end up like this! Xia Zhe said resentfully. Qiao Mei looked at the teacup in her hand. The water swirled and then calmed down, only to repeat again. The never-ending movements were like the fight between their family and the He family. They had been at loggerheads for generations. Now that He Ning was going to die, this farce was finally going to be over. Ill go and visit him, Qiao Mei said after thinking for a long time. You will? Why? Xia Wen asked in confusion. Xia Zhe was only puzzled for a moment. After seeing Qiao Meis expression, Xia Zhe understood why Qiao Mei wanted to take one last look at He Ning. Xia Zhe smiled and said, Go ahead. Ill go with you. I want to go by myself. If you go, what Eldest Brother said just now will really come true! Qiao Mei said with a laugh. Then you must be careful. Contact me if anything happens, Xia Zhe said. Alright, Qiao Mei said. This time round, Qiao Mei asked the ladies of the other prominent families to go with her to visit He Ning. She did not dare to visit He Ning alone in case it led to any scandalous rumors. He Ning was busking in the sun in the garden on the first floor. All the ladies knew why Qiao Mei had asked them to come along. After greeting He Ning, they tactfully stood some distance away. Youre here... He Ning looked at Qiao Mei and said weakly. Qiao Mei looked at He Ning in silence. She had not seen him for a long time. He was now only 70 pounds and looked like a bag of bones. It was quite a scary sight. Did you expect that I would come and visit you? Qiao Mei sat on the chair opposite He Ning and asked mildly. I thought about it... but I didnt expect you to really come... Are you... are you here to laugh at me? He Ning asked. Qiao Mei looked at He Ning and suddenly felt a little sad. Although they knew each other for less than 10 years, it still made her emotional to think about the past they shared. Im just curious about why you didnt come to my house to ask for medicine even though youre about to die. The old you would definitely try your best to survive, Qiao Mei said. Well... I dont have that much strength anymore. Theres no way out for me now, He Ning said. Qiao Mei took out a bottle of medicinal wine and placed it in front of He Ning. It was a bottle of medicinal wine that glowed with a faint golden color. She looked at He Ning and said, Are you interested? You must... have conditions... He Ning said with a slight smile. You can keep the house. Give me all the He familys properties and connections, Qiao Mei said. I thought you would be kind and I never expect you to be taking advantage of the situation. The He familys ancestral assets should be enough to get at least six bottles of medicinal wine... He Ning said mockingly. Qiao Mei smiled and said, Ive never been a good person. I still remember all the things you did to my family back then and Ill never forget anything. However, youre about to die and dont have any descendants, so whats the point of me being so calculative? I might as well be practical and come and do a deal with you. After I die, theres still my older brother... The He family will be enemies with the Xia family for generations! Cough, cough, cough... He Ning spoke so forcefully that he kept coughing. Qiao Mei glanced at Huo Gao, who handed He Ning a cup of medicinal tea to calm him down. He Ning panted for a long time before he calmed down. Im not here to argue with you. I just want to do business with you. Isnt it good to live a few more days? Why make it so hard for yourself? Im just looking for a win-win solution, Qiao Mei said sincerely to He Ning. Hahahaha! What a joke! If not for Xia Zhe, you might... He Ning stared fixedly at Qiao Mei. He did not dare to say the second half of his sentence, nor could he say it out loud. He originally thought that he only wanted to get hold of Qiao Mei to take revenge on the Xia family. At the same time, he could get Qiao Mei to cook medicinal cuisine for him every day to improve his health. It was only now that he realized his real feelings for Qiao Mei. He had actually fallen in love with her at first sight. He had met many women and most of them targeted him for his standing in society. Some of these women might have been in love with him, but most of them were extremely boring and he was not interested in them at all. Qiao Mei was like the spice in his boring life, making him feel that there was still an interesting woman in the world. However, he had been blinded by hatred. His own happiness, health and love were all unimportant things! He did not deserve these! He wanted to take revenge for his family first and address the grudges between the He and Xia families which had lasted for generations! Only then could he live for himself. At this point of his life, it was meaningless for him to pursue those things anymore. Even if he drank the medicinal wine Qiao Mei offered him, he would only have a few more years at most. He might as well die sooner so that he would not need to feel any more pain. Chapter 2448: Plan for a Honeymoon Chapter 2448: Plan for a Honeymoon I dont want it. You should go, He Ning said firmly. Alright. In that case, then... Qiao Mei looked at He Nings withered body and was unable to say anything harsh in the end. She said regretfully, Goodbye. Goodbye, He Ning said with all his strength. Qiao Mei put away the medicinal wine and left with the other ladies. Huo Gao stood silently beside He Ning and tears rolled down his cheeks. He knew how upset He Ning must be feeling at the moment. After so many years, he had long treated He Ning like a younger brother. Huo Gao... If I had given up on taking revenge back then, would she and I have another kind of ending... He Ning said as he looked at Qiao Meis departing figure. You would never give up, Huo Gao said with a sigh. He Ning looked at the clouds in the sky and laughed self-deprecatingly as he said, Thats right... I wont give up on taking revenge, but I only realized today that my entire life has been filled with hatred and I dont have anything that belongs to me. I dont even have any happy memories. What a life... I might as well have been born into an ordinary family. Dont say that... Huo Gao said, his voice choking with emotions. Take me to see the flowers I planted... I havent taken care of them for a long time... He Ning said as he looked at Huo Gao. Three days later, the He family sent a note to say that He Ning had passed away. Qiao Mei looked at the letter sent by the He family and felt a little emotional. The circle of life was quite a depressing thing. Even when ones enemy had died, it only made one feel down and did not add to ones joy. Say... why do you think people hold so many grudges in their lives? Qiao Mei asked as she looked at Xia He. Actually, our Xia family has never hated the He family. Its the He family who cant let it go. Our Xia family has always been the sort to settle the score on the spot and we never sit on it and wait to do it later. Furthermore, the cycles of vengeance are endless. The grudges of a generation should end within the generation. We should not burden the future generations, Xia He said earnestly. Thats right. Its precisely because the He family lives within the walls of hatred that they have fallen apart in He Nings generation, Qiao Mei lamented. This wont happen to our Xia family, Xia He said. Qiao Mei nodded and said, Not to the Xia family. After He Ning died, Qiao Mei felt much more relaxed. With the main troublemaker now gone, the Xia familys problems would be reduced by more than half. A harmonious family and a happy life was what she wanted the most and her greatest wish. The children were all grown up by now and the schools enrolment rate was not too bad. Xia Fan and the other children were outstanding students with top grades. There were even education experts who came by to take a look at them. Some of the experts even wanted to take in Xia Fan and the other children as their final disciples and nurtured them to inherit the mantle of these experts. Qiao Mei rejected all of them. Her wish was for the children to have a proper childhood and she did not want them to feel too much pressure. Even if they ultimately did not achieve anything in their lives, she had enough money to ensure that the children would never have to worry about their livelihoods for the rest of their lives. At night, Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe sat in the courtyard and looked at the night sky. Qiao Mei pointed at the stars and said, Thats the Big Dipper, thats Sagittarius, and thats Scorpio! You even know such things! Xia Zhe said in surprise. Qiao Mei chuckled and snuggled into Xia Zhes arms, saying, Im just teasing you. I only know the Big Dipper. Cheeky thing, Xia Zhe said dotingly as he hugged Qiao Mei tightly. The children are all grown up now. Can we start our travels? You still owe me a honeymoon trip! Qiao Mei said. We can go anywhere you want! Xia Zhe said. Really? Will the military approve your leave? Qiao Mei asked worriedly. I have many years of leave saved up! Besides, I dont need to go on missions now. Im just an idler who can do whatever I want, Xia Zhe said. Then we must travel all over the country! We must do all the fun things! Qiao Mei said excitedly. Xia Zhe held Qiao Meis hand and said seriously, Then you have to promise me one thing. What is it? Qiao Mei asked as she looked at Xia Zhe curiously. Youre not allowed to start any new business. Were going out to spend money this time round, not to earn money, Xia Zhe said sternly. How... how do you know that I still want to expand my business empire... Qiao Mei said sheepishly. She really wanted to take a honeymoon trip with Xia Zhe, but on the trip, she also wanted to take a look at possible investment opportunities in each city. It was best if her money could grow everywhere! You always start doing business halfway through a trip. In the end, your business will get bigger and bigger and the trip will end prematurely, Xia Zhe said. Alright then, I promise you. Well only go sightseeing this time and not talk about any business! Qiao Mei said. Chapter 2449: Cared for by Everyone Chapter 2449: Cared for by Everyone Xia Zhe brought over a map with various provinces and cities tagged on it. He had actually been to most of these places before. After so many years of being in the military, he had been posted to many places for work. Before he met Qiao Mei, he thought that he would dedicate his entire life to the country and the military. Even if that meant he would not get married and have children in his lifetime, it was something he was willing to accept. He had always worked hard towards this goal. When he first married Qiao Mei, he only felt that she was a burden to him. At that time, Qiao Mei looked like a completely different person from the current Qiao Mei. If he brought the previous Qiao Mei, who weighed more than 300 pounds and looked like a black bear, to meet the Xia family, they would probably think that he had gone crazy. Qiao Mei had done many things for him. After she married into the Xia family, he just wanted her to have a good life. He did not expect her to continue to work so hard for his family. Fortunately, Qiao Mei said that she found life to be very interesting in the Xia family. The most important part of traveling was not planning for the beautiful scenery, but to find the right travel companions. Then I shall plan the itinerary. Boss Qiao, are you willing to take my lead? Xia Zhe asked as he held up the map. Sure! Secretary Xiao Xia! Qiao Mei said with a laugh. There were many things to prepare for when going on a trip, such as... persuading four children not to disturb their private time together. Mama!!! You dont want me and my brothers anymore! Xia Xing stood in front of Qiao Mei and wailed. No! Your father and I are just... going on a business trip! For work! Not for fun! Qiao Mei said quickly. Youre talking nonsense! Grandmother told me everything! You and Papa are going on your honeymoon! We have to stay with Grandmother! Mama, I dont want to go to Grandmothers house. Can I go to Aunts house? Aunt will bring us out to have fun. Grandmothers cooking is so awful! Xia Xing complained. Qiao Mei hugged Xia Xing and said, Nonsense. What you mean is that Aunt will buy you junk food but Grandmother will only buy you healthy food! Anyway... anyway I want to stay at Aunts house... Xia Xing said aggrievedly. What about you? Where do you want to go? Qiao Mei asked as she looked at the other three children. Xia Xing was the only girl among the kids. Ever since they were young, Xia Zhe had taught the other three children that boys must be magnanimous and that they must be gentlemanly and give in to girls! The other three children did not dare to refute what Xia Xing said. After all, they also did not really want to go to Grandmothers house. Which little kid did not like snacks? Sigh... Xia Fan, youre their eldest brother. Tell me what you think we should do, Qiao Mei said as she looked at Xia Fan. Xia Fan thought for a moment and said, Mama, how long are you and Papa going to be away this time round? About three months? Qiao Mei said a little embarrassedly. They had originally planned for a six-month trip, but when she looked into the childrens eyes, she could not bring herself to tell the truth. Then can we take turns to stay with our uncle and aunt? We will mainly stay at Grandmothers house but occasionally stay with Eldest Uncle and Second Aunt. We can also go to Godmothers house to stay for a while. We also want to go and visit Uncle Xia Can and help Third Grandma take care of Xia Can! Xia Fan said. Xia Can was Tang Huis son. She gave birth last year. Her family was very harmonious now and there were rarely any conflicts. Xia Jun was especially happy about Xia Cans birth. Among all his grandchildren, this boy was the one who looked the most like him. Thats quite a good idea. When your parents are not at home, you must protect your younger siblings since you are their eldest brother, do you understand? If there are any problems, go and look for Eldest Uncle, Qiao Mei reminded him. I understand, Xia Fan said. Xia Fan looked like a miniature version of Xia Wen now. His temperament and manner of speaking were exactly the same as Xia Wen. Sometimes, Mo Zhu would lament about whether she should try for a son, even if it meant paying a fine. Xia Xing, on the other hand, was more like Xia He, being a feisty girl with her own mind. She hit it off very well with Xia He. Xia Hes daughter, Xia Hui, also enjoyed a good relationship with Xia Xing and the two of them often hung out together. The two girls were as close as biological sisters. Xia Yue resembled Xia Zhe, but was still a little too timid. Xia Zhe was still thinking of ways to train up Xia Yues courage so that he could become more manly in the future. Everyone had very low expectations of Xia Yang. It could even be said that they did not have any expectations for him at all. After all, after what he went through when he was young, everyone only wanted him to be alive and healthy. However, Qiao Mei felt that they should not dote on the child like this. She wanted Xia Yang to go and train in the army for a period of time like his siblings so that he would become strong. Xia Xiu had never gotten married or had children in her life, but she had taken care of many children. Chapter 2450: The Honeymoon Begins Chapter 2450: The Honeymoon Begins When Xia Xiu heard that the family was sending Xia Yang to her for training, she was so frustrated that a few strands of her hair turned white. She called up Xia Mao and roared, Xia Mao! Did I owe your family in my past life! Why do I have to keep bringing up your grandchildren! Youre already at the age of retirement! Why dont you train them yourself! Arent you more experienced at that? Xia Mao said self-righteously. Let me tell you! Ask your kids not to have any more children! Im already old! I cant take care of them anymore! If you send any more children to my place next time, you can come along and take care of them yourself! Xia Xiu hung up after saying that. Xia Mao did not care about what Xia Xiu said. After all, if Xia Wen and his wife ended up having another child and they sent the child to Xia Xiu, she would still train the child. She was already used to it. After everything was settled at the factory, Qiao Mei started to pack her things. Unexpectedly, she received phone calls every day asking her to sign approval papers or many projects would not be able to start. After a few days, Qiao Mei felt a little puzzled. Could it be that someone did not want her to leave? She quietly made her way to the office. The secretary was asking Qiane to sign some documents but Qiane said without looking up, Go look for the chairman and dont bother me. Why should they look for me! Im on leave! Qiao Mei said as she pushed the door open. Why are you here? Qiane asked. Why else! Why else!! Im already preparing to head off! Yet there are many documents that need my signature! If you dont want me to go, just say it! Qiao Mei said in annoyance. Qiane leaned back against the chair and said, What if... I cant bear to part with you? Why cant you bear to part with me? Qiao Mei asked. This company is so big. Im scared of managing it alone, Qiane said, coming up with a random reason. I dont believe you, Qiao Mei said immediately. Alright, Im just jealous. I want to take a vacation too! Ive been very conscientious for six years and havent taken any vacation at all! Da Zhuang and I havent even gone on our honeymoon yet! When you come back from your honeymoon, I want to go on my honeymoon too! Qiane said laughingly. As Qiao Mei signed the documents, she joked, Alright, alright, alright. I understand. I wont come back for the rest of my life. Just work in my company until you die~ Then I wont return the four children to you, Qiane said in a fit of pique. Thats good for me. Then I dont have to take care of them. You dont know how troublesome it is to bring four cheeky monkeys around! Qiao Mei said. Fine! Just go! Qiane took out a bank card from the drawer and handed it to Qiao Mei. This is my gift to you. Do I look like someone who lacks money? Qiao Mei raised her eyebrows and asked arrogantly. Qiane placed the card in Qiao Meis palm and said, This is a token from me. Moreover, this is not the companys money. Its the dowry I saved up before I even met you. Why dont you use it yourself? Qiao Mei asked. I cant bear to spend this money! So help me spend it! You can just return it to me when I go on my honeymoon. Theres nothing wrong with bringing more money with you on a trip, Qiane said. Qiao Mei thanked Qiane for her kindness and went home with the bank card. She did not intend to use the money. She would put it aside and show it to Qiane when they were old. This would serve as a fragment of their memories from when they were young. After packing all the luggage, Xia Zhe came home with a new car. Nowadays, everyone was allowed to buy cars, but cars were still very expensive and only rich families could afford it. This is a pickup truck. It can hold a lot of things. We should travel in this truck, Xia Zhe said. Youre so thoughtful! Qiao Mei looked at the new car happily. Although the red paint was very flamboyant, it suited Qiao Meis personality. This was Qiao Meis favorite color. Everything was ready. The next morning, Qiao Mei and Xia Zhe set off with everyone sending them off. Their beautiful life was right in front of them and the path of happiness was at their feet. Qiao Mei had finally waited for the arrival of this day. She and Xia Zhe could finally relax for a while. This was just the beginning of the rest of their lives. Xia Zhe, how about we go and live inside the mountain forest in the future! Just like Eldest Sister-in-laws parents, only the two of us in the mountains. We rise at sunrise and rest at sunset. Lets live in seclusion too! Qiao Mei said. Sure, but I reckon it wont be long before you take over the entire mountain and build a huge villa on it. Then the two of us can live there for the rest of our lives. Xia Zhe smiled as he visualized the scenario. It was as if he could see that scene coming to life. Qiao Mei looked into the distance and said quietly and gently, Lets continue on our path like this. Theres still a long, long way ahead of us. We must hold hands as we walk on together.